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Chapter Text

United Equestria: The Rise of Stammadon

A “Silverscale Arena” Side-Story

Based on the works by Dakari King Mykan

(All art belongs to their respective owners, which are credited beneath. All in the FurrAffinity version)

(All Characters in Sexual Situations are 18 and above)

The Crystal Empire, United Equestria, Hasbro Universe…

It had been a few months since the destruction of Horn Kong. The planet of United Equestria was still trying to figure out what the heck had happened. On that dreadful day, a monster that would soon be known as 'Mokushiroku' had rampaged throughout the entire city, reducing all of it to rubble. 

The most powerful warriors of Starfleet Magic stood no chance against him. The remaining members of the Mane 6 had also been defeated. There was also the unexpected return of Discord, though he was quickly sent to Planet Conva by Grand Ruler Celesto. Other significant events that happened included the deaths of Dyno and Myte, as well as Fluttershy getting put into a coma. Rhymey also lost an arm.

Basically, the whole event was an utter nightmare for everybody involved.

For days, Starfleet dedicated itself to preparing for the next time that Mokushiroku would show up. As for Lightning Dawn, the hero of the Space Ponies, he had once again been sent to the Crystal Empire to investigate the site where the creature had risen from.

"For the last time, tell me EVERYTHING about that monstrosity!" He yelled, slamming a fist onto the nearest table. That shattered it in half.

"I'm telling you! That's all we know!" Shining Armor replied, trying to keep his cool. Currently, Lightning was having a meeting with the rulers of the Crystal Empire, which included the brave Shining Armor and Princess Cadnece, the Princess of Love herself.

The visibly pregnant alicorn was also trying to stay calm, despite Lightning's aggressive way of handling the situation. "As we've stated many times, all we know is that this 'Mokushiroku' has been dwelling under our kingdom without our knowledge."

"We're just as confused as you are." Shining Armor added, rubbing his chin. "Maybe it was teleported underneath our kingdom by a portal? We've been getting reports that more portals have been showing up."

Lightning just gave an angry glare at the duo. "If you two were actually competent, you would have noticed that fiend a long time ago! Everything that happened in Horn Kong is your fault!"

"What?! Are you for real?!" Shining Armor replied.

"We shouldn't point fingers at each-other!" Cadence insisted. "I know you're angry about what happened, but, instead of raging against everybody, I would recommend that we focus on helping those in need." She closed her eyes, holding her hands over her heart. "I can already feel the anguish of those that were affected in the Horn Kong incident. We should be helping them all."

"I'll tell you what we're going to do." Lightning clenched a fist. "We're going to get stronger! Tougher! We'll becoming mightier than that abomination! Just you watch!"

As he yelled and screamed, his teammates stayed behind in the hall. Applejack sighed, crossing her arms. "Should we step in?"

"I was thinking the same thing." Rarity replied. "This is Lightning's 7th rant during the same meeting."

Artie Bristles, his hands still shaking from the injuries he had sustained at the claws of Mokushiroku, stepped forward. "He's just...really upset. I'm sure he'll calm down...eventually."

"He has a plan! We just...need to be patient." Starla Shine insisted, though even she sounded uncertain of that. She kept looking towards where Lightning was, only for him to suddenly storm back into the hall. "How did that go?"

"Terribly! They found nothing! Those IDIOTS!" Lightning punched the nearest wall, leaving a sizable dent in it. When the Space Pony looked at that dent, he just seemed to get angrier. "Not good enough...not strong enough..." He muttered to himself.

Pinkie Pie looked upon this, rubbing her chin before snapping her fingers. "We've been through a whole lot! So, how about-"

Instantly, Lightning pointed a finger at the earth pony's face. "If you say that we need to throw a party, then I'm gonna...UGH! Forget about it." He marched away, shaking his head. "I...I need to see the Grand Ruler. He'll know what to do...unlike ANY OF YOU!" With that, he flew away, racing through the air.

Once he left, Pinkie's hair nearly deflated, but she just sighed sadly. "I was gonna say that we all needed a break. We're all stressed and we're all going crazy because of it!"

"You're not wrong. I suppose we're all starting to go stir crazy." Rarity admitted. "I've been trying meditation."

"We don't need meditation! We need training!" Starla shouted.

"I dunno. Meditation sounds like a good idea." Buddy Rose admitted. "Something to get our minds off things." He then turned to Artie. "By the way...how are you doing?"

The painter was ready to dismiss his teammate's concern, wanting to still appear strong. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he wiped them away. "I'm...I'm fine."

Applejack could tell that was a lie, but she just gave a look of sympathy. Despite how much she didn't like working with Lightning's crew, she couldn't deny that Artie didn't deserve to have his hands crushed. She walked towards Artie, only for a robotic arm to grab the space pony by the shoulder.

Soon, Artie found himself looking into the scowling eyes of Rhymey. "It's not for the best...

...that we all just relax and rest!

There's a monster out there, you know!

Now, let's train soon! Go! Go! Go! "

Rarity pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to keep her cool. "Fine. We'll train. But, after that, I insist we finally get some rest!"

"Let's also meet up with Fluttershy! I heard she's gonna recover soon!" Pinkie's gloom was lifted when she remembered that. She bounded over to Rhymey, ignoring his scowl. "Doesn't that make you excited?"

Normally, the rhyming one would have also been overjoyed to know that his wife was going to be okay...except he just closed his eyes and grumbled. "My beloved wife's beauty has been marred.

Because of that monster, she is forever scarred!

I'll make that villain pay! This I swear!

Until then, I can't look upon her! It's too much to bear! "

Rarity nearly lost her cool upon hearing that, her eyes narrowing as she wandered over to the space pony. "I can't believe you! She's expected to make a full recovery and all you care about is how you feel about her looks! What about how she feels?! I know her well and-"

"Shut up, you snooty diva! Rhymey knows more about beauty than you, anyway!" Starla shouted.

"Can we all stop fighting? Please?" Pinkie asked, but she was interrupted as the space pony continued on another rant.

Suddenly, all of their visors started letting out hideous digital noises, causing them all to stop. "Thank Celestia." Applejack was happy to see that this pointless argument was coming to an end. Soon, the group would discover the reason for that alarm. "A robot is attacking New Ponyville? At this time?"

Forgetting what they were talking about earlier, Starla instantly got ready to fly out of the castle. "Let's hurry! Maybe we can get stronger by defeating it!"

"Wait a sec! It's just Wreck-Gar, guys!" Pinkie exclaimed, getting a visual through her visor. On that visor, the transformed garbage truck was once again spreading joy in his own way. Namely, by dumping garbage onto the backyards of everybody in United Ponyville.

Applejack and Rarity had already been introduced to the eccentric robot, so they knew what to do. "He probably saw how miserable everypony was." The earth pony sighed. "Bless his heart, but giving people literal garbage ain't gonna lift their spirits."

"We need to stop this robot villain!

United Ponyville shouldn't have to deal with him again! " Rhymey got out his sword, dramatically holding it above his own head.

"That didn't even rhyme." Rarity grumbled.

Throughout all of this, as the group prepared to leave, Buddy looked to Artie, wanting to say something. "When this is over...is it alright if I come over to your place?"

"Why are asking me that? Didn't Lightning Dawn say that 'hanging out' with each-other is a useless endeavor if it doesn't mean more training?" Artie sounded confused.

"I know, but..." Buddy looked around, but Starla and Rhymey had already left, leaving only them, Appelejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. The pink earth pony was giving them a thumbs-up, encouraging what seemed to be a blossoming friendship. "Well, would you still be okay if we hung out?"

"...sure." Artie sighed.

Before everybody left, Applejack looked to Princess Cadence, the ruler of the Crystal Empire having walked over to her. "Something you need, princess? I am SO sorry for how Lightning acted, your majesty."

"No need to be so formal." Cadence smiled before offering a comforting hand on the mare's shoulder. "I just want to know if everything is alright. The Crystal Kingdom is always ready to extend a helping hand if need be."

"I appreciate the concern, ma'am, but I'm fine. I mean, we're fine." Applejack's ears lowered before sighing. "You can sense that my heart is hurtin', can't you?"

"Well, I am the 'Princess of Love'." Cadence replied before giving the farm mare a sympathetic look. "I wish Rainbow Dash would rejoin you and the rest of your friends, too. One day, she'll understand that no pony is an island. The bonds you and your friends have are strong. Never let them falter."

The earth pony remembered Celestia saying a similar thing, her ears flicking again as she remembered that. "I ain't gonna let them falter. No matter how bad things get...I'm gonna try to keep it all together. I have to keep it all together."

When she left to join the others in returning to Ponyville, she swore she saw a streak of rainbow light zoom across the clouds. Seeing that made her yearn for her ex-lover's embrace once more, though this moment also made her think of another mare that had been with her throughout these harsh times. A mare she decided to visit as soon as she had the time to do so.

Later at New Ponyville...

The instant the heroes got there, Wreck-Gar was already getting chased by the energy blasts of the Starfleet guards. "I'm sorry! Maybe I'll give you guys three bags of garbage instead of two? Does that sound fair?!"

"Shut up, robot!" One guard shouted, only for them all to stop when Applejack and company arrived. However, while the Space Ponies flew all the way to Ponyville, Rarity had created a floating bed of gems for her, Applejack, and Pinkie to ride upon. She looked utterly exhausted after that, the gems falling around her when they landed.

"That was...certainly something, wasn't it?" She asked before being helped up by Applejack.

"Sure was, Rares'." The earth pony replied before looking upon what was happening. From the looks of things, the guards had spent more time blasting the place than actually catching Wreck-Gar, causing a slight panic among the residents. "What in tarnation?!"

"Hey, guys!" Wreck-Gar waved to the group, only for Starla to aim her bow at the robot. "Hi! I have some garbage!" He reached into his backpack. "Want to have some? It's fresh!"

"STAR SHOWER!" She shouted, only for Pinkie to get in her way, causing her to accidentally fire into Rhymey when he tried to attack the robot from behind. The arrows caused him to trip, embarrassing himself in front of everybody. "You airheaded fool! Look what you made me do!"

Despite being yelled at, the cheerful earth pony just bounded onto the robot's shoulder, waving to the crowd that had gathered. "It's okay, guys! Wreck-Gar just wanted to spread some joy!" She leaned towards the head of her robot friend. "Maybe we could figure something out that DOESN'T involve throwing garbage around, though. Maybe fixing things! You're great at that!"

Slapping his forehead, Wreck-Gar gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Whoops! Guess I forgot again!" He started to stuff random junk into his backpack. He then proceeded to remove those piles of junk from there, revealing the items to be restored, good as new.

They included a rubber duck, some fuzzy dice, and a bunch of Starfleet uniforms. "Oh, how vile!

What were those uniforms doing in the garbage pile?! " Rhymey asked. Rarity gave a nervous whistle, remembering so many of those outfits that she threw out in favor of the more practical armor she was working on.

For a moment, the Space Ponies wondered what to do, but, with Lightning Dawn too busy furiously training, they all just stood around, doing nothing. "So, I guess everything's under control?" Buddy Rose asked.

"Not until all this garbage is picked up!" Starla shouted, throwing her arms up in frustration. "We could be fighting yet another threat, but it's just another idiot!" He pointed at Wreck-Gar. "Having one airhead is bad enough, but-"

A large mound of dirt fell onto her, causing her to freeze mid-speech. Once more, the excavator known as Demolisher had caused that. He was still next to the Carousel Boutique, once again becoming immobile. "Once again, Demolisher comes to the rescue." Rarity smiled.

"Risky move, but still mighty impressive." Applejack nodded. "Alright. Let's find some garbage sacks."

"The garbage scavenger hunt begins!" Wreck-Gar proudly said, even as Starla let out a scream of rage that caused everybody around her to cover their ears.

Meanwhile at the Golden Oaks Library...

The library's windows were nearly shattered by that scream, causing the dragon within to panic. "Shit!" Spike exclaimed, only to sigh with relief once the scream ended. He considered getting headphones once Starla started going on yet another rant.

He sighed as he continued to lounge around, having finished keeping the entire library organized. Without his beloved adoptive mother, Twilight Sparkle, the place felt utterly empty. Despite that, he continued to make sure the place was kept tidy. 

Keeping the place clean was the easy part. Making sure it wasn't bought out by the writer known as Stone Heart was another. Spike growled as he remembered that ill-tempered stallion coming over, demanding the place be given to him. "Is this how Rarity felt when Manny Collars showed up?" He was still wondering what the heck that stallion's deal was.

The stuff involving Stone Heart was a story for another day. For now, Spike focused on continuing to keep the library neat.

Looking at the various books around him, the dragon began to drag a claw across the many rows. He remembered how Twilight used to organize this place, always fussing over any time that the order was slightly wrong. It was as he was looking at the books that the library's owl, Owlowiscious, flew over his head and hooted at him.

"I should go outside more? Yeah, I wish." Spike groaned, gesturing to the window. "Every time I do that, I get bombarded with either whatever idiocy Starfleet's gotten into or a bunch of Space Ponies start furiously telling me that I should 'follow my heart'. I wouldn't mind so much...except they're still dead-set on getting me together with Rarity!"

"Hoot."

"Trust me. If Starfleet knew about me and Thorax, they'd probably turn me into a suitcase." Spike stated, kicking back against the couch before looking up. "Twilight...if you were here...you'd know what to do." He sighed, thinking about everything that had led up to this day.

Ever since the Horn Kong Incident, it seemed like Starfleet had started to react to even the slightest hint that there would be a threat with an nonsensical amount of aggression. How did his know this? It was all thanks to Thorax.

The noble changeling had been using his shapeshifting powers to keep himself from getting attacked by the Space Ponies on sight, but he had also taken the time to explore his new home. Given the miserable atmosphere, he often had to return to Spike, their romance keeping him both energized and not demoralized by all he saw and heard. Thorax had listened to many stories of Starfleet seeming to be VERY eager to get into fights, as if they associated any inconvenience with being the work of Mokushiroku.

Continuing to lounge around, Spike then thought about the fact that Discord was still alive and, apparently, no longer under the control of any evil being. He still remembered the pained look in the chaotic being's eyes when he was brainwashed into a monstrous destroyer. Then, the dragon remembered that Discord had been sent to Planet Conva.

He shuddered at the thought of more of his friends being sent to that place, before he clenched one of his claws. "That's not gonna happen." He looked to a photo of his friends, gently lifting it to his face before he looked at the part of the picture featuring Applejack. "You're doing a great job at keeping us from always being down in the dumps. I hope you know that."

Later at the Carousel Boutique...

Once the garbage covering the town was cleaned, Rarity collapsed onto her couch, stretching as she looked towards the window. Demolisher's excavator form was there, the claw moving as close as it could towards that window. "So...how was your day?" The transformed robotic being asked.

"Oh, the usual. Stressful, but, ultimately, nopony got hurt." Rarity replied as she started to file her nails. "Thanks for, once again, showing Starla some humility. Then again, I feel rather bad for her."

"Why? Every time I see her, she's bullying somebody. Usually you." Demolisher replied. "I can't let that slide!"

"I know, but her husband has been isolating himself more and more these days. That can't be good for his marriage with Starla. If only she decided to actually TALK to us about it, rather than just taking every opportunity to scream and yell. It's quite a tragedy." The unicorn finished filing her nails, moving towards her workbench.

Peering closer, the excavator watched as Rarity started to get back to work on one of her projects. "What's that? I bet it's yet another beautiful outfit. Shame I can't wear any of them."

"Nonsense! One of these days, I'll fashion you something just your size!" Rarity exclaimed. "Plus, hectic as today has been, my creative spirit refuses to stay crushed! Just the way I like it." She added several new gems to the outfit she was working on. "Let's see...this uniform should be mighty...but not cumbersome. Not too flashy...but not too plain..."

Demolisher continued to watch her work, sighing to himself. "So skilled...so kind...so-"

A sudden knocking on the door got their attention. "Is that you, sister?" Rarity asked, turning away from her work. 

It was Applejack, the earth pony standing outside the boutique. "I ain't interruptin' anything, am I?"

"By all means, come in!" The unicorn replied. "Demolisher, be a gentlestallion and leave us."

Understanding the need for the two mares to have some privacy, the robot nodded his claw. "You got it!" He turned to Applejack, tilting his head. "So...are you her girlfriend or something? I've seen you two hold hands."

"It's complicated." Applejack blushed before giving him a fist-bump (which was just her tapping her knuckle against his claw). "Anyway, keep up the good work."

"Thanks!" Driving over to the other side of the boutique, he continued to make it look like Manny Collars' plan was working, when, in reality, he was making sure the Carousel Boutique would never be bulldozed.

Entering the boutique, the earth pony stretched, having just finished bucking a whole bunch of trees before she got here. "It's only been a few hours and you look like you've had a busier day than mine. Is everything alright?" Rarity moved up to her, taking her friend's hand. 

Sitting down on the couch next to the unicorn, Applejack kicked back, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Me and Apple Bloom went to look for Big Mac again. No sign, as usual. He DID send us another letter." Getting that letter from her jeans, she looked at it again. "I don't know what he's doing, but he says he's doing fine."

"And you're mad that he won't let you be involved?" Rarity asked. 

"Apparently, he doesn't want to drag me and my sis down with him if he's caught by Starfleet." The earth pony continued.

Rarity gave a slight gasp. "He's become a rebel! Oh, I hope he's not caught! He's too much of a noble soul to be thrown into Planet Conva!"

"Do NOT put that image in my head!" Applejack exclaimed before calming down. "I get it. He wants to keep us safe, but doesn't he know that I also want to keep us safe?! First Rainbow Dash and now him! They have their reasons for leavin', but-"

"They're not leaving you. They still care a great deal for you." Rarity placed a hand on the other's lap. "True, I wish Dashie would stop it with the 'ineffectual loner' thing, as my sister calls it, but with your brother? Given that he still tries to keep in touch with you, it's clear that he's not just doing this on a whim. Give him time and know that, no matter what happens, we'll do our best to make sure he stays safe."

Taking a deep breath, Applejack considered what she had heard. "I'm just...really determined that we're not all torn apart by all that's happenin' 'round us." She said, scooting closer to the unicorn.

"We're not going to. We're stronger than that." Rarity gently moved her hand to the other's cheek. "I couldn't imagine a life where I don't get to be with my best friend."

Both of her own cheeks were gently cupped by the earth pony, some slight tears welling up in the muscular one's eyes. "Neither could I." She remembered how Rainbow Dash didn't mind that she and Rarity had been developing feelings for each-other beyond just being 'friends-with-benefits'. In fact, Applejack remembered being playfully teased by her girlfriend about that.

The two eventually closed the distance between their lips, their kiss soft and tender. Applejack's rougher tongue gently clashed with her partner's tongue, the farm mare starting to unbutton her friend's dress. Likewise, Rarity undid her partner's hankerchief bra, allowing both of their breasts to fully mash into each-other.

Finishing the kiss, the two looked into each-other's eyes. "I'm sure...Dashie would understand." Rarity panted.

"I know she would." Applejack nodded. "All those times you've stopped by the farm and had a roll in the hay with me..." She moved her fingers through her lover's soft fur, hugging her closer as her muscles flexed a bit, causing the seamstress to blush harder. "I should have just accepted it. I want ya'. I need ya'."

"I...I need you too." Rarity replied, the two starting to strip each-other further, allowing the unicorn to press her lips against her lover's abs. Planting several kisses along them, she left her lipstick all over those abs. "So strong...so brave...I hope you know you don't have to face your burdens alone."

Applejack cupped her lover's breasts, her thumbs pressing into the nipples before she leaned in to bite them gently, licking around them while the unicorn let out a pleasured gasp. "You've always been there for me, Rares'. I don't deserve you."

"Hush." Rarity stroked her hands through her lover's golden hair, biting her lip as her nipples were teased like that. Pretty soon, Applejack's head was between her legs, that tongue gliding across the seamstress' soft folds. "Oh, goodness! You must be hungry!" She giggled.

"Starvin'." Applejack smirked, forgetting all of her troubles as she wrapped her lips around that pussy. Grabbing her lover by the hips, she sucked on that pussy harder, her tongue slurping around the tight vaginal tunnel. The sound of her lover's moans was music to the farm mare's ears, her tongue increasing it's pace while she grasped her hands around that ass.

Biting her finger, Rarity did her best not to cum so soon, but it was hard, considering how much deeper her lover's tongue was going into her. "Yes! Oh, yes! Keep going! Let's have more times like this, yes?" She asked

The response she got was Applejack briefly removing her tongue to plant a kiss on that clit. That drove Rarity over the edge, her fem-cum splattering onto the farm mare's mouth. Slurping around that pussy, Applejack hummed happily, her own pussy dripping onto the couch. "Sorry about the mess." She breathed, finishing licking that pussy.

"No need to worry. Now, come here." Rarity held out her arms, wrapping them around the muscular mare before cuddling against her lover. "If it weren't for Starfleet, I'd marry you on the spot. Imagine that! You, me, and Rainbow Dash enjoying a relaxing honeymoon together..."

The thought of getting married to the two mares she loved dearly at the same time caused Applejack to blissfully sigh. "One of these days." She wistfully said.

And so, the two mares stayed in each-other's embrace, holding hands as they forgot about their troubles together. It was a brief moment of peace, but they always cherished moments like this.

Later that night...

Once again, Rainbow Dash found herself flying through the skies alone. The memory of what had happened to Horn Kong still ate away at her mind. She kept thinking of how many people she could have saved if things didn't go so horribly.

Not only that, but she also thought of that illusion of Twilight Sparkle that Mokushiroku utilized. Thinking of that caused the pegasus to grasp her head, gritting her teeth as she remembered what that illusion had said. "I get it! I should have been there for you! I should have been BETTER!" She shouted.

Realizing she was talking to herself, Rainbow Dash sighed. "Great. I'm already starting to go crazy. Can this day get anymore awesome?" She sarcastically wondered.

Suddenly, something smacked against her back, causing her to spin around and face the one who had done that. "Sorry!" The other pegasus cried out. "I wasn't looking where I was going!"

Rainbow Dash recognized the pegasus flying in front of her. One with a gray coat of fur, a blue mohawk, and a sleek yet muscular frame. "Thunderlane?"

"Rainbow Dash? Holy buck! I haven't seen you in forever!" He exclaimed before his eyes widened. "I mean, uh, I was never here! This is a dream!" He awkwardly hid behind a cloud. "See? I'm not real!"

"I can still see your tail, you know." Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"NO, YOU CAN'T!" Thunderlane panicked before preparing to fly through the skies at the fastest speed he could.

He didn't get far, as Rainbow Dash was instantly in front of him. "Before you say anything, I'm not gonna tell Starfleet. I'm more interested in making sure they don't hurt anybody ever again. So...what are you up to and maybe I could help out a bit?"

"I thought you were a loner." Thunderlane pointed out. 

"I still am! I'll just hang around and help out if I need to." She then rubbed her arm, her ears falling. "Hopefully...I won't screw up majorly...again."

The male pegasus looked at her incredulously. "Are you kidding me? You're THE Rainbow Dash! There's no way you'll screw things up! The Warriors of the Night would be stoked to have somebody as awesome as you joining them!"

"Warriors of the what?"

Covering his mouth, Thunderlane blushed with embarrassment. "Ah, shit. Me and my big mouth. Just...promise me that you can keep a secret?"

"Lips are sealed." Rainbow Dash nodded, the two pegasi flying alongside each-other as they headed into the Everfree Forest. "I'll just check it out for a bit and-"

SMACK!

Comically, she found herself pressed against an invisible force-field, her eyes having widened upon feeling that. "Whoops." Thunderlane chuckled.

"Could have...given me...a warning..." Rainbow Dash grumbled. "Is there some kind of password?"

"Yep! Ahem..." The pegasus cleared his throat. "We are the stuff dreams are made of!" With that, the force-field vanished, allowing Rainbow Dash to enter this hidden section of the forest.

When she landed, she saw a bunch of tents scattered around, a massive flag showing the emblem of Luna's Royal Guard. In fact, several bat-ponies had noticed her, but they calmed down upon seeing who had entered the area. "Uh...hey, guys." Rainbow Dash waved before realizing something. "Sweet Celestia, Luna's starting a rebellion? That's...actually pretty awesome."

"Indeed." Surprising the pegasus was Luna herself, the princess having flown down to meet her. "We have much to discuss. Tonight...we show Celesto why it is unwise to treat his subjects so callously."

Despite wanting to keep her visit brief, Rainbow Dash couldn't resist the appeal of making sure Celesto didn't cause all of her home any further harm. "Alright. What's the plan?"

Chapter Text

Earlier that day on Planet Conva...

ZAAAAAAP!

Discord's eyes shot open as he felt volts of electricity surge throughout his body. Letting out a pained yowl, he banged his head against the bars of his energy barrier cage. "Get up, scum!" The Space Pony guard shouted. "It's meal time."

Slowly rising up, the draconequus rubbed the spot where the stun baton had struck him, despite his hands having been shackled together. He couldn't move his fingers, for the shackles were just THAT tight. As for his other attire, he wore an orange jumpsuit, much like the other prisoners. "Five more minutes?" He asked grumpily.

That only got him smacked with the stun baton again. "When you're given an order, you obey! Not that you criminals would ever understand!" The guard shouted, turning off the energy barrier before grabbing Discord by the beard and throwing him to the ground. "Not so tough without being able to use your magic, are you?!"

"Don't rub it in." Discord grumbled, looking around at the prison around him.

The halls of Planet Conva were filled with large energy barriers suspended from chains. Each barrier cage held a prisoner, with the guards regularly flying around to make sure they weren't doing anything they didn't like. Unfortunately for the prisoners, the guards were VERY eager to use their stun batons on them at even the slightest provocation. Even so much as coughing could get a prisoner electrocuted!

Grabbed by his antler, Discord's large lanky body was dragged across the floor. "Ow! Ow! Watch the merchandise!"

"Every joke you make sickens me." The Space Pony guard grumbled. "Let's see if you can still take a joke after you spend eternity locked up here!"

"I already know what that's like." Discord scoffed, remembering the times he was frozen in stone. He remembered not being able to move or speak, but at least he was allowed some degree of peace! Now, while he was still able to move, he now had to look forward to basically being turned into a living stress toy by the guards.

As he was dragged through the cage-filled halls, the draconequues looked up at the guard. "Is this about what happened to your world? Don't you know that was Titan's fault?" 

"If you were stronger and not so pathetic, you wouldn't have been controlled so easily." The guard replied. "The villains Starfleet faces make you look like a chump!"

"You mean the villains with ZERO charisma and keep relying on the same tactics every single time?" Discord huffed. "I appreciate the cheesy nature of it all, but it gets boring after a while!"

Once again, Discord would have to endure having the shock baton smashed into his face, the volts of electricity nearly frying his fur. "That's enough out of you." The guard sneered.

"Urgh. Fine." The chaotic one huffed, his face still tingling painfully after that shock.

Later at the Cafeteria...

SPLAT!

Discord looked in utter disdain at the slop being thrown on the ground in front of him. Like all the other prisoners, he had to eat whatever was tossed onto the floor. If the prisoners got sick this way, the guards didn't care. "Needs salt." The draconequues pointed out.

He was ignored, leaving him to awkwardly shove his face into the gunk. His eyes watered from how bad the smell was, but his stomach was growling too loudly for him to skip this disgusting meal. Every time he chewed the food, he felt like throwing up like there was no tomorrow. Still, he swallowed the stuff down, the food falling like a rock in his belly.

"I'll give it...four stars." He smiled, his eye twitching. 

Suddenly, somebody crashed into him. Actually, two prisoners did. One was a female griffon with a rather punkish look, the other was a brass-furred Earth pony with a messy brown mane and a toolbox for a cutie mark. The equine one also appeared to not have any arms, forcing him to propel himself by his shackled legs.

He headbutted into the griffon, forcing her onto her back. Despite both her arms and wings being shackled, she still got back on her feet. "I saw it first! Get your own food!" The griffon shouted.

"Finders keepers, losers weepers!" The Earth pony spoke in a rough aggressive tone, trying to lift himself up as he prepared to continue the fight.

The other prisoners just watched, though Discord kicked back. "Finally! Something's happening!" He rubbed his chin with his shackles. "Should I stop that?" He wondered, only to shrug. "Meh. They'll work it out."

Right as he said that, the griffon slammed her shackled fists into the Earth pony's face. He fell onto his back, but, when she got too close, he bucked her in the chest, causing spittle to fly from her beak. "I can do this all day!" The equine anthro shouted.

Wiping her beak, the griffon spat onto the ground, her claws flexing both on her lion-like feet and her shackled talons. "Yeah? Well, so can I!" Both of the prisoners lunged at each-other...

"UNIFORCE! "

A golden beam of light struck them both, sending them skidding across the metallic floor. The other prisoners moved away, not wanting to get involved in what was about to happen. The griffon grunted as she tried to get up, while the Earth pony just glared at the one walking into the cafeteria.

Stomping forward was the warden of this prison planet: Cerise Wonder. "Princess Cadence?! Did you do something with your hair or have I already gone insane?" Discord asked, having noticed that the warden's appearance was almost the exact same as Princess Cadence's look, but with a golden horn and wearing a Starfleet uniform.

Glaring at the prisoners, Cerise grabbed a stun baton from the hands of one of the guards. Walking over to the griffon, she slammed the baton against her beak. "You always were a good-for-nothing troublemaker. One more incident like that..." She grabbed the injured griffon by her chest feathers. "...and I'll throw you into the vacuum of space!"

Despite the harsh grip around her neck, the griffon refused to show fear. "Bite me, bitch!" That got her thrown to the ground, Cerise's boot stomping on her chest.

The Earth pony was next, his body lifted into the air by his mane as Cerise gave him a disdainful stare. "And you! I should throw you into the deepest darkest cell we have!"

"Whatever. Now, can I have my arms back?" The equine one asked. "They have my hands and there's a certain gesture I wanna show you."

Throwing him across the room, Cerise gave another glare before flying over to the upper floor. "Just for that, both you and the draconequues are going to the mines EARLY! Not only that, but you three are gonna work for 5 hours more!"

"Wait a minute! What did I do?!" Discord exclaimed.

"Did I ask for any questions?!" Cerise yelled before snapping her fingers. "Guards! Get these crooks out of here!" As she said that, several guards arrived, already taking the prisoners away to their punishment.

Before the three were taken to another part of the prison, the Earth pony struggled, snarling as he gave a hateful glare towards the space ponies running the place. "One of these days, you'll all get what's coming to you! Do you hear me?! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

Using his tail, Discord scooped up some of the food off the floor, offering it to both the griffon and the Earth pony. "Can I offer you some gooey stuff in this trying time?"

"SHUT UP!" Both shouted at him.

Later at the Moon Rock Mines...

Despite being called a 'planet', Conva was actually just a lifeless moon that Starfleet transformed into a prison. One of the many things they had the prisoners do was smash up rocks with pickaxes, though they weren't really planning on doing anything with the rubble that created. It was just so they could have the prisoners tucker themselves out every day.

Discord was forced to use his teeth to move the pickaxe, smashing it against the rock and causing a shard to fly across his cheek. Wincing at the cut, the draconequues growled as he looked at the patrolling guards. One of them was kicking down a prisoner that had fallen, whipping him with an electricity whip. "Get back to work, you lazy criminal!" He shouted.

As for the griffon and the Earth pony, they were smashing rocks alongside him. While the avian one was smashing rocks to vent her frustrations, the equine one just coldly looked at his pickaxe, knowing he had to use his teeth due to his lack of arms. "This is complete bullshit." He muttered.

Wanting to lighten up the mood, Discord moved closer to the Earth pony. "Soooooo...what's your story?"

Looking towards the draconequues, the Earth pony rolled his eyes. "Well, look who it is! The all-powerful god of Chaos, Discord! How the mighty have fallen."

"Yeesh! Are you always this friendly?" Discord huffed. "Seriously, just because we're trapped in a living Tartarus of a prison doesn't mean you have to be rude!"

"Why shouldn't I be pissed?! I'm stuck in this place just because I had a freaking opinion in my skull!" The Earth pony kicked at some rocks, only to stub his hoof. "OW!"

"Didn't you also nearly cause a break-out?" The griffon replied, slamming her pickaxe down against another rock. "That's literally the only cool thing about you."

"You almost did what?! Imagine the chaos THAT caused!" Discord leaned in. "What's your name?"

Groaning, the Earth pony relaxed a bit. "Brass Bolt. I used to a technician. I also seem to be the only pony who agrees that Starfleet pretty much ruined Equestria." He gestured his body to the griffon. "That's Gilda. She's a pain in my ass."

"I'll KICK your ass into orbit!" Gilda threatened. "The food's shit here, but it's the only food we have!"

"Easy, you two!" Discord chuckled, his tail wrapping around both and bringing them to his sides. "We're all suffering together! Back in Ponyville, you know how we solve this?"

"If you say 'friendship', I'm gonna barf." Gilda groaned.

"Didn't you hate that stuff? What changed?" Brass Bolt asked.

Sighing as he looked up to where United Equestria was, the draconequues thought of the one he loved. The one he hoped to see again, despite everything. "A certain pegasus showed me that one can be chaotic AND enjoy the splendor of friendship. In fact, she taught me that friendship can be its own special kind of chaos! Two or more different personalities coming together and, despite their differences, forging a powerful bond!"

"Where is this going?" Brass Bolt asked.

"Well, why should we fight...when we can stick together?" Discord suggested. "Yeah, Fluttershy and her friends really rubbed off on me."

"Fluttershy?! There's a name Iron Will hasn't heard of in a while!"

All three turned to a muscular blue-furred minotaur, the towering one having smashed up an entire pile of rocks. "Oh. Hey, Iron Will. Here to give another speech?" Brass Bolt asked.

"Easy with that attitude! The results of my seminars are 100 percent guaranteed to boost your confidence and NOT make you remember that we're...trapped here forever...always doomed to be treated like animals..." The minotaur's pupils dilated, his lip trembling before he shook his head. "Push those feelings down! Don't get sad! Get MAD!"

Walking over to the minotaur, Discord examined him. "I know you! Last I heard, you had a line of failed businesses as long as my arm!"

Glaring, Iron Will snorted. "That's a bunch of nonsense! Those weren't 'failed businesses'! Those were...uh...'experimental endeavors'!"

"Suuuure." Gilda rolled her eyes. "Look where those 'experimental endeavors' got you."

Before he could argue further, he turned to the sound of a frustrated mare accidentally burying his pickaxe into a large mound of moon rocks. "The great and powerful TRIIIIIXIE is not amused!" The blue-furred uniforn shouted, trying her best to tug the pickaxe out "I can't believe this place is making me MISS working at that Rock Farm!"

"Easy there, Trixie!" Iron Will moved to her. "You're doing great! Just keep showing those rocks who's boss!" He leaned down to the magician mare. "Who's great and powerful?! YOU ARE!"

"Trixie does not need your pity!" The unicorn snapped. "Trixie is fine! PERFECTLY FINE!" She finally got the pickaxe out, only for the cave to start rumbling violently. "Oh...Trixie humbly admits she may have fucked up."

Everybody prepared to run, only for the rumbling to stop. They all breathed a sigh of relief, but one of the guards marched over to Trixie, cracking a whip at her ass. "GET BACK TO WORK, YOU LOUDMOUTHED-"

Another crack of his whip caused the rocks above them all to start tumbling down. "Everybody for themselves!" Gilda shouted, only to trip on her own tail in the confusion. "Dammit!"

"Shit! SHIT!" Brass Bolt noticed how several rocks were about to fall on him. He closed his eyes, only for Discord to coil around as many prisoners as he could.

Despite the pain of those rocks smashing against his body, Discord endured. "It's...okay. Pain is an illusion!" He wheezed. "An illusion that really HURTS!"

Iron Will had also covered Trixie from the falling rubble, the magician trying to use her horn to create some light in the darkness. Alas, the restraints on her horn just caused her to make sparks. "Damn it all! If not for this infernal contraption, Trixie would save the day!'

"Shhhhh...listen to the sound of Iron Will's SOOTHING VOICE!" The minotaur yelled into her face, the rocks around them rumbling in response. "Sorry."

Gilda was having a worse reaction. Her claws were slashing against the rocks, even though her limbs were utterly pinned. "Fuck! Get me out of here! It's too tight!" Her voice was filled with utter terror, tears falling from her eyes as they frantically darted around.

"Take it easy! Somebody outta show up soon!" Discord offered, trying to offer comfort to the claustrophobic griffon.

"That ain't gonna happen! These guards are probably GLAD we just got buried alive!" Brass Bolt replied.

"You're not helping!" Trixie shouted.

"I'm a realist!"

"You're a killjoy!" Discord pointed out. As they argued, Gilda continued to scramble within her prison, eventually just covering her head as she tried not to imagine the rocks getting closer. 

The sound of yelling guards could be heard. Discord's ears pivoted towards the sound, his curiosity piqued. "Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry!" The voice sounded dim and apologetic, the ground shaking as he got closer.

"Stop right there! That's an order!" One guard shouted. "Those criminals aren't worth digging out!"

"But they could be hurt! I can't just leave them there!" The voice replied. "Give me a second." Much to the relief of the trapped ones, the boulders were being pushed off. One was even thrown aside like it was nothing.

Discord was the first to get a good look at this prisoner. He was an Earth pony as tall as Iron Will. Despite having a bulky muscular build, he had a large gut. He had gray fur and large bushy bangs over his eyes. One of his thick arms moved down, extending his hand for Discord to grab. "Glad to see you're okay. That could have been a disaster."

"I'll say." The draconequues replied, only to notice that the Earth pony didn't have shackles. Despite that, he was still a prisoner, as evidenced by his orange jumpsuit. 

Gilda was breathing heavily, falling onto the ground as she relaxed. "It's over...it's over..." She repeated to herself.

Trixie dusted herself off, only for several guards to surround the group. "Get on the ground!" One guard shouted.

"What?! How dare you?!" Trixie cried out, only for both she and Iron Will to be hit with electric batons.

Before they could continue, the Earth pony grabbed one of those batons, crushing it in his hand. He didn't seem to flinch at the volts. "Could you stop that? It's not right to hurt people." He said.

"Shut up, freak!" A guard shouted, literally smashing his baton against the belly of the Earth pony.

As it fell to pieces, Discord looked to Brass Bolt. "Who is THAT beefcake?!"

"That would be Stud Muffin." He replied. "He's been here longer than any of us. I'm...still not sure why he's here."

"He's also the only guy who can take anything the guards throw at him." Gilda added. "I'd say that was cool, but I think he's just too dumb to notice the pain."

Stud Muffin was just standing there, getting whacked with stun batons before he sighed. "Okay, I'll go back to my cell. I was only trying to help."

"I think you've helped QUITE enough!" Cerise Wonder flew down, turning to the group. "All of you! You're going back to your cells! Clearly, none of you can do anything right! That mine will take days to reopen!"

"But don't you guys have super strength or something? You can fix that mine in no time!" Discord replied, only to get hit by an electric baton to the face. "Should have seen that one coming."

"One of these days, we'll break you of being so mouthy." The warden glared before turning to the guards. "Get these pieces of trash out of here. If they screw up tomorrow, cut their rations!"

Once again, Discord found himself getting dragged across the floor, looking just as peeved as ever. "Is this gonna be a running gag or something?" He asked before he was deliberately dragged over some sharp moon rocks. "OW! Careful, you fools! I bruise like a banana!"

Later that evening...

Once again, Discord found himself in his cell, his tail idly dragging across the bottom of his barrier cage. This time, he wasn't alone. "If I'm gonna die here, I'm not gonna die of boredom." He vowed, taking a look around.

Looking down, he saw that Stud Muffin was trapped in an especially strong barrier cage. He was doing push-ups, sweat dripping from his body before he finished. Slamming down with enough force to shake the place, he rolled onto his back, noticing that he was being watched. "Hey, new neighbor! How are things up there?"

"Weather's great! Dark, gloomy, and a constant reminder that my freedom is pretty much gone." Discord huffed. "So, what's your story?"

Rubbing his chin, Stud Muffin suddenly felt a pain in his head, rubbing it with his shackled arms. "To be honest, I'm not sure WHAT I did wrong. Every time I try to remember, my head hurts a bunch. So, I guess I did something really bad. I'm gonna stay here until they say I can go."

"For the last time, don't count on it." Brass Bolt was revealed to have been in a barrier cell next to him. "You're here forever, just like the rest of us."

Even after hearing that, the muscular one just continued to give a soft smile. "That just means I get to spend time with you guys. We could all be friends!"

Next to Discord, Gilda was resting in her barrier cell, listening in on the conversation. "I...guess I kind of owe you one for saving me." The griffon admitted.

Getting an idea, the draconequues kicked back. "You know what? Let's spend more nights like this! Maybe we should start out by telling each-other about the reasons we were sent here! I'll start!"

"That's easy. You got controlled by Titan, went on a rampage, was seemingly destroyed, but...okay, how exactly did you come back to life after getting blown up with the planet?" Brass Bolt asked.

"Iron Will wants to know that, too!" The minotaur rushed to the edge of his barrier cell, revealing himself to be right next to the Earth pony's barrier cell. "Iron Will is...really bored. Depressed, too."

"The great and attentive Trixie only wants to join so she may regale you with her tale of woe!" The stage magician unicorn stood up, looking to the draconequues. "Am I part of the group? Please, tell me I'm part of the group. Solitary confinement doesn't suit me."

"I see I have an audience! Excellent!" Discord cleared his throat. "After the entire planet was blown up and merged into Equestria...I got better."

He was met with a moment of silence. "That's it?" Gilda asked.

"He IS the Spirit of Chaos. Iron Will knows his history." The minotaur stated.

"Precisely! That being said, all this order really left me parched!" Discord hacked and coughed for emphasis. "Don't get me wrong! All the random villains and constant battles kept me energized for a while, but they started to get SO cliche! It was downright painful! I laid low for a while, but then the whole Horn Kong incident happened and I almost saved the day! Shame all Starfleet did was pretend the city didn't get flattened by some crystalline space dinosaur, as well as sending me here to rot."

Stud Muffin gasped, remembering the guards talking all about that incident. "Is Horn Kong gonna be okay?"

"Doubt it." Brass Bolt shook his head. "From the sound of it, that monster was relentless. Starfleet probably made the situation worse, given how incompetent they are."

Everybody then turned to the Earth pony. "That's my story. How about you?" Discord asked.

Sighing, Brass Bolt began his story. "Like I said. I used to work for this place. I was pretty good at fixing broken tech and..." He noticed that many of the prisoners were looking at his lack of arms. "Oh, yeah. I was born without arms. Spare me any pity, though. My dad just built me some arms of my own."

"Robot arms? That sounds pretty badass." Gilda replied.

Finally smiling a little, Brass Bolt continued. "Yep. During every birthday I ever had, my dad would help me build a new upgrade into them. My arms kept getting more and more advanced with every passing year. Even after he passed away, I still kept inventing. Life was good...until Starfleet basically ruined our home." He glared once more. "The guys who basically took over our world and forced us to follow THEIR rules."

"Every single day, I had to be reminded that our home was now their home. We were all now living in a dictatorship and Celestia was allowing it to happen." He spat onto the ground. "Coward."

"Simply outrageous!" Trixie shouted. "I too am disappointed with how our princess has allowed this tyranny to continue!"

"I know, right?!" Brass Bolt exclaimed. "I still remember what happened to Ace Ray! Sure, he was kind of a dick, but he wasn't heard for years after they dragged him away to Primus-knows-where! To add insult to injury, I ended up getting forced to work in this damned prison moon!"

"Isn't it called a 'prison planet'?" Stud Muffin asked.

"NO! IT'S A MOON!" The Earth pony shouted before composing himself. "Anyway, I...kind of had the crazy idea of destroying Starfleet's reputation by freeing a couple of prisoners. Not gonna lie. I kinda rushed that plan and...here I am." He looked at the stumps where his robot arms used to be. "As if that wasn't bad enough, the warden took my arms as 'trophies'!"

"Ouch." Discord winced. 

"I've got an idea!" Stud Muffin stated. "I'll ask Cerise nicely and she'll give them back!"

"Psshhh. Good luck with that." Brass Bolt replied before looking to Gilda. "Your turn, feathers."

"But Trixie wants to go next-"

"First of all, save it with the nicknames. I'm not in the mood." The griffon huffed. "Secondly, you wanna know why they threw me into this dump? It's 'cause I was too cool."

Discord gave an unamused look, mashing his face into the barrier. "Reaaaaallly?"

"...I punched a Starfleet guy in the face." She admitted. "He was a total asshole. I think his name was...Rhymey?"

The fury on Discord's face shocked everybody there before he calmed down. "Sorry. It's just...I really don't like him either." He then beamed at the griffon. "See? We're already finding things in common!"

"Whatever." Gilda shrugged. "Anyway, he came to Griffonstone to tell me that he and his buddies were going to turn it into a new Starfleet base. That included bulldozing our homes and basically forcing us to do whatever they said. I wasn't having any of that shit...so I punched him in the face. Several hours later, they throw me into a cell." Her feathers ruffled as she remembered being forced into a much smaller cell before this one, activating her claustrophobia during that time.

Iron Will stomped over to his side of the barrier. "You think that's bad?! Iron Will actually WORKED with Starfleet when they arrived! Iron Will does his best to be diplomatic as ALWAYS!" He said with pride. However, he twiddled his fingers when he remembered more of this story. "But...uh...I kind of screwed up when they made me the tour guide to one of their museums."

"How?" Stud Muffin asked.

Snorting, the minotaur slammed a fist against the barrier of his cage. "Because Iron Will spoke the truth! Whenever I spoke the facts, they kept telling me to rewrite my speeches! But they just wouldn't stop making contradictions! How is Iron Will supposed to educate the visitors when Starfleet keeps telling me to tell lies?!"

"And so, for telling the truth, you wound up getting sent here. Typical." Brass Bolt muttered.

Slumping down, Iron Will rested his head on his knees. "Not gonna lie. I might be permanently ruined after this. My reputation has sunk and I bet nobody will EVER wanna hire me...but I ain't gonna let that get me down!" He stood up again, snorting. "The first chance I get, I'll show these Starfleet punks what happens when you mess with the minotaur! Wanna know what you'll get?!"

"Lemme guess. The horns?" Gilda groaned.

"Actually, 100 dissatisfaction guaranteed." The minotaur crossed his arms, only to flex his limbs, gritting his teeth. "ESPECIALLY AFTER I GIVE THEM THE HORNS!"

Trixie blushed, watching the minotaur flex. "Such confidence. Such strength." She shook her head, clearing her throat loudly.

Sitting down, Iron Will instantly calmed down. "Oh, right. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

"The great and patient Trixie thanks you. Now..." The unicorn gave a drawn-out sigh. "I apologize if my tale causes you to cry so much that you end up flooding this entire room. It all began when I met this Space Pony named Abra Kadabra. He claimed he was the greatest magician in all of United Equestria, so I challenged him to a magic duel!"

"And then?" Discord asked.

The unicorn gave a prideful smile. "Naturally, I won. The audience was amazed by my magnificent techniques! All Abra had to give were mere parlor tricks! Nothing that required actual skill! Still, it's not him that caused Trixie's downfall. In fact, he accepted his defeat well. He even asked if Trixie could teach him her wonderous ways! Alas...the Starfleet officers that were there had other ideas."

Her lip quivered as she remembered more of that day. "Before I knew it, my precious wagon was destroyed. My stage was reduced to burnt cinders. Me and Abra were forced to actually fight! Apparently, Starfleet was eager to show that 'a mere Equestrian' couldn't handle the 'unparalleled might' of a Space Pony. Again, because I'm great and powerful, I won. But tragedy struck when Abra tried to use a thundercloud spell! A spell I had already mastered."

"He didn't get hurt, did he?" Stud Muffin asked in concern.

Looking away, the unicorn felt a lump form in her throat. "He was horrifically injured when he tried to create more than one thundercloud. Starfleet kept pressuring him to create a spell that would surpass my technique, but I could tell the pressure was getting to him. He...didn't deserve having the spell backfire on him. So many lightning bolts struck him, almost frying him to a crisp. The Starfleet officers blamed me and, soon, I was exiled from my home. Now, I'm destined to rot away forever in this dismal domain!" 

Wiping away her tears, Trixie stood back up. "For a couple of weeks, I was wracked with guilt. However, I remembered trying to save Abra from being injured. Trixie is not an awful person! Instead, I began to think of a way to get back at those that imprisoned me AND hospitalized the magician! Both Abra and my pride will be avenged! AVEEEEEEENGED!"

When she was finished, she fell back down, her throat hoarse. "And that...is my story. You may applaud or continue to weep."

Every body stayed silent before Discord cleared his throat. "Well, Starfleet sure knows how to be a danger to itself and others."

"Yep." Brass Bolt nodded. "I guess we all got caught up in their idiocy in some way or another."

Gilda scraped her claws against her cage's barrier. "And one of those dweebs is somebody I actually thought was my friend." She glared as she dug her talons harder into the barrier. "Rainbow Dash...you fucking sell-out!"

"Sell-out?" Discord chuckled. "If news doesn't travel here, then how did you learn of Mokushiroku's rampage?"

"Hearsay. Some of the guards chat a lot." Brass Bolt admitted.

"And what's your point?" Gilda's brow rose up in confusion.

"Nothing much." Discord shrugged. "Just the fact that your former friend quit Starfleet and became an outlaw."

That caused the griffon to blink in confusion as she took that in. "...huh. Guess she's still got the touch after all. Good on her." She rubbed the back of her head, looking a bit guilty. "If I ever get free...maybe I should...talk to her or something? I dunno."

Yawning, Discord stretched his body. "All this exposition has me bushed! Let's try to do this tomorrow night!"

"Fine. It...kind of feels nice to not dwell on my past failures every night." Brass Bolt admitted.

"Let's hang out more often!" Stud Muffin beamed. "We should tell each-other funny stories tomorrow! Maybe adventurous stories the day after that?"

Letting out a bigger yawn, Trixie rested against the barrier of her cell. "Trixie will think about that. For now, she must have her beauty sleep! Tomorrow...is going to be a busy day."

"Just like every other day." Gilda muttered, though her voice softened when she looked to everybody around her. "I guess we can all be busy together or some cheesy crap like that."

"That's the spirit! Let's all be busy together!" Stud Muffin nodded.

Iron Will kicked back, giving a smile of his own. "Yep. Busy together."

His eyes getting droopy, Discord was the last to fall asleep, but something woke him up. He heard the sound of soft sobbing, but he assumed that was just one or two of the prisoners having a nightmare. "This whole prison is a nightmare." He muttered, his claws dragging against the floor of his cage before he calmed down and slept once more.

Below him, Stud Muffin was tossing and turning in his sleep, clutching his head as his nightmare continued. Somebody kept showing up in his dreams, but no matter how hard he tried to remember who this person was, he kept feeling the shocks. Not only that, but he couldn't stop the tears from falling from his eyes.

If he concentrated really hard and fought through the pain of the shocks, he could almost see a purple-furred alicorn. She was setting down a few books before giving him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

Meanwhile, back on United Equestria...

For the longest time, Fluttershy floated in darkness. 

There was a burning pain in her chest, but the agony of it all had faded with time. Still, as she floated through the darkness, the pegasus placed a hand on her chest, remembering how she got her wound.

She remembered everything. The destruction of Horn Kong, the fact that she ALMOST got the situation under control, the monster that had accidentally blasted her when she got in the way of his rampage...

However, there was something else within this dreamscape. For a while, Fluttershy wondered if Luna was going to come and guide her through this, as she swore she saw several figures in the distance. Instead of a person, she saw that the silhouette was becoming that of an island.

A humongous cloud of smoke was covering the island, but Fluttershy managed to fly through it so that she wouldn't lose sight of the landmass. The origin of the smoke turned out to be coming from a large volcano in the center. Winged figures raced across the smoke, seemingly on patrol for something, but they never paid attention to the island. If any of them looked down, the smoke would just cover their vision.

Slowly, more Equestrians started to show up on that island, but they were hidden in shadows. Something about this place felt important, but the pegasus didn't know why. "Hello?" She asked, reaching a hand out. She gasped in surrpise when she saw that one of the silhouettes seemed to have rainbow hair and was a pegasus. "Rainbow Dash?"

Suddenly, the silhouettes of the Equestrians were blasted by something from the sky. It resembled a Space Pony with burning yellow eyes, his hands glowing with energy. As the island faded, the other silhouettes were left helpless before this shadowy entity. 

"Stop!" Fluttershy shouted, flying up to try and talk down the attacker. Just as she did this, she swore she heard a powerful roar. One that shook her to the very core...

...

......

........."GASP!"

Much to the surprise of the nurses around her, the butter-yellow pegasus had finally awakened. She panted heavily, clutching her chest before wincing. The burning wound was still there, but it had mostly healed. All that was left on her chest was a circle-shaped scar.

"Thank Celestia, you're awake." One of the doctors sighed in relief. "You were expected to recover today, but we didn't expect it to be this soon. How do you feel?"

Relaxing after a few moments, Fluttershy looked around, realizing she was safe and sound. "I'm...fine." She replied. "Tired, but fine."

"Good!" The doctors suddenly spun around the pegasus, quickly dressing her up in her Starfleet uniform. "Because there are duties to be done! Welcome back to Starfleet!"

"Wait, what?" She blinked, only for her to be rushed out the doors. Shakily standing up, she looked behind, only for the doors to literally slam on her ass. "EEP!"

Reflexively flapping her wings, Fluttershy landed on the ground before sighing. "That was a little rude. Alright. Very rude, actually." She said before considering her options. "I should really see my friends again. They must have been worried sick about me. Maybe I'll visit Rhymey too..." 

Something about mentioning his name caused the pegasus to grasp her head, feeling a migraine-like pain course through her skull before it faded. When it faded, she felt as if her mind had become clearer. The voice of her husband was fading fast, when, beforehand, it had dominated most of her thoughts whenever she was in his presence.

So many questions were going through her mind, but Fluttershy chose to clear her head, taking a deep breath. "Remember what Tree Hugger taught you. Your troubles don't control you. You control your troubles. Just...start from the beginning." She closed her eyes, thinking about her dream.

Even as she flew towards New Ponyville, eager to see her friends, she couldn't stop thinking about that island. "No. Think about it later." She said to herself, continuing to fly towards where her friends were. Where her home was.

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, at the Circle of Wrath, Hellaverse Universe...

Looming over the vast desert-like landscape, the Crystal Tower (or Crystal Spire, as it was sometimes called) continued to stand. It was a gleaming crystal that stuck out like a sore thumb, its sole occuptant currently rising from his slumber.

Floating in the center of the crystal was Mokushiroku himself. The saurian beast uncurled his tail from his body, giving a loud yawn before floating down to the ground. The interior of his tower had a lot of scattered crystalline furniture everywhere, causing the kaiju to sigh. 'If I'm going to have guests soon, I should make this place more presentable.' He thought.

The psychic kaiju stomped through his realm, using his power of telekinesis to rearrange much of the crystalline furniture. 'Note to self: I should go find some pillows.' He thought before looking at the calendar. Tapping his claw on one of the days, his eyes narrowed. 'No more stalling. If my plan is to succeed, I must start it soon.' 

Kicking back against a nearby crystal chair, he thought about what he had in mind. 'The portal to the Hasbro Universe could open at any time. I'll need to be prepared when that happens.' He leaned forward, rubbing his chin. 'First, I need allies. People who are so frustrated with Starfleet that they'll readily join me.'

Mokushiroku used his telekinesis to move a book into his claw. This book was titled 'A History of Hell'. He glared as he flipped through the pages, looking upon the sight of so many demons being slaughtered by Exorcists. 'My goal shouldn't just be destroying Starfleet's reputation. It should be protecting my new home. That leads me to the next step of my plan.'

He leaned back into his chair, continuing to think. That's when he snapped his fingers, standing up as he remembered an old legend he had learned through Twilight Sparkle. Thinking about her made the kaiju sigh sadly. 'Your knowledge is extraordinary, Twilight. Even after those wicked Space Ponies took away your life, they can't stop you from being a beacon of hope.'

There was a legend that only a few Equestrians knew about. A legend that involved one of the many worlds Unicornicopia had tried to ally with. This world was known as Ainzul. Apparently, it was mostly populated by intelligent cat/human hybrids and it was in the process of becoming a peaceful world that didn't like to get involved in the galaxy's troubles.

The Ainzulian legend spoke of a powerful creature that lived for combat. He had attempted to conquer not just Ainzul, but the entire universe when he was around, leading a great army to help with that goal. He was said to have never lost a fight in his life, defeating every foe that had dared stand against his wrath. It was also said in that legend that he had his sights on conquering Equestria, as well!

His name? Stammadon. In the ancient Ainzulian texts, he was described as 'The Roaring Calamity'. Based on what the legends said, he very much earned that title, given how much destruction he had caused.

In fact, he was so powerful that he needed to be sealed away in a magical box. For many centuries, the box had remained within the hands of Ainzul's many rulers. Based on how things were in the Hasbro Universe, it seemed that Ainzul had done a great job at making sure Stammadon would never rise again.

Grinning, Mokushiroku clenched a claw, imaging himself crushing the box into splinters and releasing the essence of the warlord once more. 'This sounds risky, but, if I succeed with this plan, none will be able to stop me from having my revenge. Hell will also no longer have to worry about being subjected to its cruel fate! '

As he thought more about his plan, the kaiju flipped through more pages of his book, only to see a picture of Charlie Morningstar, as the chapter was all about the Princess of Hell. He sighed, remembering his crush on the one that had shown him great kindness. 

Once, Mokushiroku had attempted to court the Princess of Hell, but he had noticed how happy she was with her girlfriend, Vaggie. 'She's happy being with her beloved and that's all that matters.' He said to himself, closing the book as he took a deep breath and sighed. 'No time to think about what could have been. I need to focus.'

He floated outside of his tower, closing his eyes as he started to meditate. He had sensed several portals appearing in Hell, hoping that one of them led to the Hasbro Universe. He knew it was only a matter of time before one of those portals would finally open up. 

Once one of them showed up, Mokushiroku knew where he would go first: Planet Conva. 'Starfleet, I would make peace with losing your precious prison moon, for I plan to visit that place VERY soon.' He thought to himself, giving yet another vicious grin.

Meanwhile at the I.M.P headquarters...

The best way to describe the current atmosphere of this building was 'awkward'. Blitzo seemed to be in a great mood, as he had finished showing everybody that they now had an Asmodean Crystal. Now, they would no longer need Stolas' grimoire in order to continue their business. 

However, throughout the whole day, Blitzo had been drinking copious amounts of alcohol, usually having yet another drink if he heard the name 'Stolas'. "Sir, don't you think you've had enough?" Moxxie asked.

"Come oooooooon! Loosen up and learn to celebrate!" Blitzo burped, collapsing onto the table. "We're gonna be in business foreveeeeeeer! It's gonna be great!" He wrapped an arm around Loona's shoulders, pulling her in. "Ain't that right, sweetie?"

"Uh...sure. Great. Whoo-hoo." She nervously replied, turning to the other two imps. "Stolas?"

"Stolas." Both replied.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Blitzo roared, smashing his claws against the table. "I don't wanna hear...I don't wanna..." His eyes started to water before his head collapsed onto the table, weak sobs escaping his lips. "Who the fuck am I kidding?!" He sat up, raising a claw. "There I go, fucking up yet another chance at happiness!"

"Dude, he only liked you for the sex. Don't let it get to you, okay?" Loona tried to offer her advice, only for her father to smash his fist against the table again.

"I don't even know what's going on anymore!" He hissed in frustration. "What's up with that asshole?! He treated me like his personal dildo, then tries to throw me out like trash, but then he starts talking like I broke his fucking heart and...and...AAAAAAAUGH!" He slammed his head against the table several times, only for Loona to grab him before he could continue.

Trying his best to stop things from spiraling into depression-induced madness, Moxxie rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure I have the full story, but this all sounds like a giant misunderstanding. Maybe if you two had another talk and-"

"Like SHIT we're talking!" Blitzo roared. "You know what?! Why am I even crying?! I don't need him! He gave me the crystal! The deal's done! I'm out of his life! That's what he wants! I mean, why would anybody want me in their life?! All I do is make things worse!" 

"That ain't true!" Millie argued. "We like you!"

Moxxie nodded. "It's true that you sometimes drive us crazy, but you're still an inspiration to us all."

Loona joined in, leaning on the table. "Honestly, screw him. You deserve way better. Just forget him and move on."

Wiping his snout from all the snot around it, Blitzo took a deep breath before resting his head on his claw. He then did his best to wipe the tears from his eyes before giving a big smile. "Alright! So, what's our next assignment?"

The sudden shift in mood was slightly unnerving for the other members of I.M.P. "Um...great to have you back, boss." Moxxie gave a thumbs-up, though he could already tell things still weren't fine. He could see several subtle clues indicating that fact. His boss' arm was shaking, his eye was twitching, and his pupils were darting around, as if he was looking for an excuse to leave.

Millie tugged her husband's arm. "Maybe we should invite him for dinner? Let him know that we're always gonna be here for him?"

Though he usually didn't like it whenever Blitzo visited their apartment, the imp held her hand and nodded. "Whatever helps." He said before noticing that Loona was trying to sneak off. "Ahem!"

"I gotta take this! Give me a fucking break, fatty!" The hellhound shouted, tapping away at her phone before exiting the room. Blitzo was too busy going on a rant about redecorating the meeting room to notice. 

Once she was outside of the room, she slumped against the wall, letting out a miserable sigh. "What the fuck is even happening anymore?" She remembered the advice she gave earlier, as well as before her father met up with Stolas. She remembered telling Blitzo that the Goetian prince was ignoring him just because he was getting bored of him. Apparently, from what she heard from Octavia, things weren't all that simple.

"Did I just...ruin everything between those two?" She wondered, her ears falling down before she texted Octavia. "So...how's your dad? Is he okay?"

After a minute, she got a response. "He's a total mess. I'm really worried for him! He can barely get out of bed!" Octavia's text stated. "What the fuck happened?!"

Thinking hard about how she was going to respond to this, Loona's fingers got back to texting. "Just so we're clear, what our dads had between them wasn't good, right? Maybe it's a good thing that they finally broke up."

It took an even longer time for Octavia to text her response. "I don't know how to feel about this. I just don't know. But I know dad needs me right now."

Looking at that last part of the text almost made Loona give a sad whine. The night before this day, it seemed like the enthusiasm in Blitzo was completely gone. It had reminded her of that time he had crashed a party Loona tried to attend. She still remembered how Beelzebub had to spell it out to her that what he was going through wasn't normal.

Thinking about that party was already a mixed bag of emotions for Loona, given that she still felt like Vortex was giving her the cold shoulder for that whole thing involving her trying to win his affections through causing him to break up with Ms. Mayberry. Still, she also remembered meeting other hellhounds that were rather friendly, including one that she found to be quite pretty.

'What was her name? Esme? Fuck. I need to get her phone number, next time we meet.' She thought before shaking her head, realizing she was getting off topic. She went back to looking at the text, thinking about Blitzo and the state he was in.

Perhaps Loona had gotten so used to her father being incredibly depressed that she wasn't doing much to actually help him with his problems? Much as Blitzo got on her nerves, the thought of him spiraling into even further depression caused her stomach to tie into knots. 

Seeing Octavia's devotion to her father's depression had increased Loona's resolve to help her own dad get through this. She then texted her response. "You're awesome, Octy. With your help, he'll be back on his feet in no time."

"Thank you. That means a lot." Octavia texted back. "You know, I heard there's going to be some kind of celebration going on in the Gluttony Ring. Perhaps, once I make sure dad's alright, we can hang out?"

"Sure. Gotta go. Dad's probably wondering where I am. See you later."

"See you soon!" With that last text from her friend, Loona re-entered the meeting room, listening as her father began to ramble about ways to redecorate the entire I.M.P building.

Meanwhile at the Hazbin Hotel...

Charlie Morningstar sighed, looking at the phone and hoping it would ring. It had been a few months since several demons checked out her hotel. She had high hopes that the one known as Baxter would give the whole thing a shot, but the nerdy anglerfish demon hadn't been heard from in forever. 

Normally, she'd distract herself with maybe teaching Angel Dust even more benefits of being kind or maybe see if she could convince Husk to try her new lemonade recipe. Anything to distract herself from the nagging thoughts in the back of her head that told her time was ticking. The next Extermination Day was to happen in another year.

She looked to the calendar, shuddering as she remembered the recent Extermination Day. So many demons slaughtered in rapid succession...it was unbearable to look upon the aftermath! "No! This idea's gonna work!" Quickly, she got a blueprint of the hotel from her shirt pocket, looking upon the very thing that had started this dream. "Please, let it work..."

The blonde froze up when Vaggie suddenly hugged from behind her, nuzzling her head into her neck. "I know things have been slow, but we still have time. If anybody can pull this off, it's you." The moth-like demon said, trying to comfort her lover.

"You always know what to say." Charlie gave a small smile, moving her head to plant a soft kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

Suddenly, a large crystal smashed into the hotel, a note attached to it. "MIERDA!" Vaggie cried out, grabbing her spear and leaping through the hole that crystal made. All she saw was Mokushiroku flying into a distant swirling portal. 

Climbing up where her girlfriend was, Charlie waved to the floating kaiju. "I know you can't hear me, but have a wonderful day!"

Focusing her attention back on the crystal, Vaggie already saw that Nifty was dusting around the whole thing, but she was snapping off bits of the crystal, giggling as she did this. "Look at how this shines!" She said before stabbing a nearby cockroach, her giggles getting louder as she continued to terrorize the insects that crawled around the hotel.

Doing their best to ignore that, both Charlie and Vaggie looked at the note attached to the crystal, quickly reading it.

"Dear Charlie,

I just wanted to let you know that your 'Happy Hotel' project still has my full support. I encourage you to continue following your dream, no matter how hopeless it may seem. I also wanted to tell you that there isn't going to be another Extermination Day. I'm going to personally make sure of that. You'll soon see what I mean. Until then, I wish you a pleasant afternoon.

Sincerely,

Mokushiroku "

"Oh, shit. PLEASE, tell me he's not going to try and fight Heaven this time around." Vaggie face-palmed.

Charlie kept reading that part about there not being another Extermination Day, making her wonder if Mokushiroku really was going to take on the forces of Heaven. Shaking her head, she placed the letter on a nearby table. "Let's try not to think about that. Maybe he just wants to talk with Heaven? I'm sure he's past the whole 'destroy everything' phase."

"Let's hope so. We don't need him to bring the wrath of the angels down on us." Vaggie shuddered at the thought. Not wanting to think about that possibility, she changed the subject. "So, I have this idea for a commercial for the hotel. Wanna hear?"

"A brainstorming session! I love those! Let's hear it!" Excitedly, Charlie sat down, leaning in...before she remembered the hole in the ceiling. "As soon as we fix this."

"Yeah! Plug up my holes!" Angel shouted, entering the room before holding back a laugh. "Sorry. The opportunity was right there. I couldn't resist."

Meanwhile in New Ponyville, late at night...

The moment Fluttershy made it back to New Ponyville, she found herself frowning as she gazed upon the town. Any Equestrian she saw looked exhausted, like they went through some intense training. Even some of the Space Ponies returning to their homes looked utterly tuckered out. 

On one of the buildings, she saw a large poster depicting Mokushiroku himself. The pegasus put a hand over the scar on her chest, remembering the feeling of his beam crashing into her body. Anyway, the poster stated 'If you're not training, you're letting him win!'

"Everypony must be tired. I think I should rest at my cottage first." Much as she wanted to see her friends, she figured meeting them in the morning would be a better time. That, and she really wanted to see how her animals were doing. 

Flying over to there, she noticed several things that made slowly filled her with dread. Most of the plants were dead, the meat for the carnivorous animals was rotting, and most of the animals there weren't around. She also saw a shivering raccoon, the creature looking utterly starved. It also looked completely frightened.

Fluttershy's temper wasn't usually lost, but she felt her eye twitch as she looked at several more animals that looked scared out of their wits. Some also looked incredibly malnourished. "It's alright! It's me." She gently said, sitting down and waiting for them to calm down. Some tears formed in her eyes as she stared at the sorrowful state the animals were in. "What happened here?"

Eventually, Harry the bear was the first to come forth and give Fluttershy a big hug, happy to see her once again. The other animals followed, joining the hug. "It's alright, everybody. I'm here." She soothingly said before the hug ended. "Now, if my husband is still here...I think we need to have a talk."

Slamming the door open, she then gently closed it, only to see a battle happening before her. In front of her, Rhymey was losing control of his robot arm, his other arm trying to throw things at a very pissed-off Angel Bunny. "You ruined my concentration!

Your antics are giving me such frustration!

You keep interrupting my training! That's bad!

If you were to jump into the mouth of a wolf, then I'd be glad! "

"AHEM!" Knowing she had to step in before this got ugly, Fluttershy flew towards the surprised Space Pony, gently wrapping her hands around his. "It's alright. I'm here." She wanted an explanation from him about the whole situation about her cottage, but her eyes looked upon his robot arm, causing her ears to fall down in sympathy.

Despite smiling briefly, Rhymey tore his hands away from her, letting out a scream as he looked upon the scar on her chest. "Your beauty! It's still ruined! What a shame!

The evil of Mokushiroku is to blame!

Nevertheless, it's great that you're back, my wife! 

To keep you safe, it's best you stay here. Your beauty will be away from strife! "

In her husband's face, she didn't see any relief. Only disappointment and harsh conviction. It was almost as if he was talking to one of his prized possessions rather than a loved one that just recovered from a terrible injury. All he could talk about was how he wanted to save her 'beauty'.

"I don't want to be rude, but what happened to our home? The animals? They look like they haven't been fed in days." Fluttershy asked. Given how blunt her husband could be, she decided to return the favor. Maybe he'd still give her an answer?

He frowned as he replied. "Training is more important. The animals can wait.

When the time comes to fight Mokushiroku, I can't be late!

He took my arm and your beauty!

Don't you care about what's happened to me?"

"I do care!" Fluttershy replied, moving her hand to that robotic arm. "I care about us all. You, me, and our animals? We're a family. We take care of each-other."

Rhymey shook his head. "Wrong, my silly wife. I take care of all of you.

I do that by training! That's all I need to do.

As for the animals, in order for me to get stronger,

I realized I couldn't deal with their constant noise any longer."

Angel hopped over to the pegasus, tugging on her hand before giving her several hand signals. Fluttershy's pupils shrunk with horror as she listened to the rabbit, causing her wings to spread in outrage. "You sold most of the animals to be sold as FOOD?!"

"Animals are a great source of nutrition!

I don't understand your indignation."

Flying towards her husband, Fluttershy felt her anger grow. "You did all of this without asking me or any of my friends if this was okay! I...I can't believe you!" She turned back to Angel, causing him to speak more about what happened with his hand signals. Her eyes welled with tears, remembering the names of those Angel mentioned. "Most of those animals were my friends. I knew some of them since they were babies. I think I'm going to be sick." She held a hand over her chest, finally realizing why the animals looked so terrified.

"It's okay! This is a good thing, you see!

Now, instead of dealing with those noisy animals, it'll just be you and me.

No more annoying sounds. No more chaos!

Honestly, it's not a big loss."

"SHUT UP!" Fluttershy shouted, her stare causing her husband to back off. "After I check up on the animals that are still here, I'm going to-"

"Leave? You can't do that! Remember our wedding day?

You said that, with me, you would always stay! "

The pegasus was about to argue further, but she suddenly felt confused. "Wait a minute. I don't remember saying that during our wedding! Actually...I don't remember much of it." She grasped her head, trying to think about that day. "Why can't I remember-"

Suddenly, she was hit with a flash of yellow from Rhymey's eyes, causing her to fall asleep and fall into his arms. "Sleep, my silly angel.

In the morning, I'm sure you'll feel well."

Angel threw a carrot at his head, but he responded by firing an energy blast at the rabbit, causing him to flee. However, he saw that the pegasus was stirring in her slumber. Her wings were slowly starting to move again, even as her husband laid her on the sofa.

Thus, the rabbit hopped over to the other animals, giving them several signals to just stand back and wait for the next chance to help the kind pegasus.

Later at Lightning Dawn's house...

No matter what he did, Lightning Dawn couldn't sleep. He just kept staring at the ceiling, his hands still clenched into fists. His wife was sleeping, but she had a look of unhappiness on her face. The whole day had been nothing but training. Lightning had barely said anything throughout it all.

It was ironic. Starla was in bed with the love of her life...and she felt utterly alone. She knew that, as soon as he could, her husband would probably fly to somewhere else. She understood why, as she supported his decision to get stronger, but it had resulted in her being left without anybody to talk to.

It was times like this that Starla felt an incredible jealousy towards Applejack and her friends. "What do they have that our team doesn't?" She wondered, though she had a feeling that she knew the answer.

Friendship. Genuine friendship. Something Starfleet looked down upon as weak.

Before she could go back to bed, something smashed through the roof, landing in front of the bed. It was a large rectangular metal box, a beeping red light in the center of it. The logo of Starfleet was also on it, showing that it was a creation of the Space Ponies.

"GALLOPING GALAXIES! What was that?!" Lightning Dawn sat up, ready to unleash his power against the mysterious object. However, upon seeing Celesto's signature on it, he calmed down. He remembered trying to visit his mentor, but all he was told was to keep training and wait for a 'surprise'. Apparently, that last bit was based around Celesto wanting there to be a 'dramatic effect'.

The couple gazed upon the object, not sure of what to do. Eventually, the light in the center created a hologram of the Grand Ruler himself. "Greetings, Lightning Dawn. This is a pre-recorded message. If you have received this package, it means that you are failing not just me, but yourself and everyone around you."

The Space Pony hung his head low, clenching a fist. "I'm sorry. I promise that I'll get stronger and-"

"Ever since the Mokushiroku incident, people are starting to doubt the strength of Starfleet. Therefore, I think it's time that they were shown that you are an inspiration, not a failure." The hologram of Celesto continued. "Within this box, there is something that Professor Brain has been working on for quite a while on my orders. He had worked on it for twenty years or more, but, now, his creation is complete."

"What creation?" Starla wondered.

"Barely any Equestrian wants to join Starfleet. So, why not inspire them...with you taking a robotic one on as an apprentice?" Celesto stated.

Hearing that caused Lightning to do a double-take. "I'm sorry. A robotic Equestrian?"

"That's right!" The hologram seemed to know what the confused Space Pony was saying. "Through 'Project: Swift Star', the Equestrians will see that, by training under Starfleet, they can become...eh...maybe a bit as mighty as us Space Ponies. That, and I'm certain this will help you get out of whatever funk you're in. You've gotten sloppy in battle, Lightning Dawn. Please, don't embarrass me further."

Though hearing that stung, Lightning nodded. "I won't fail you, Grand Ruler. I'll be the best teacher for this...'Swift Star'."

Right as he said that, the package started to open, steam flooding from the box. "You know what to do now. Fulfill your duty. Protect our world. Do what I trained you do." With that, the hologram faded. The couple shielded their eyes as the steam filled the entire room. Eventually, it would fade, revealing Lightning's new 'apprentice'.

(Engineer's Sanctum (Scrap Theme)-Terraria: Calamity)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61gimTCetUg

Stepping out of the package was a blueish-gray Earth pony, the stallion having two streaks of darker gray in his short mane. He was already wearing a Starfleet uniform and he had a cutie mark that was a black belt wrapping around two swirling stars. His soft blue eyes blinked several times, his hands flexing before he looked at Lightning. "Are you...my teacher?" He spoke in a soft-spoken voice.

Staring at the mechanical one, Lightning remembered what he was told to do, clearing his throat before getting up. "You know your duty?" He asked, stepping forth after hastily putting on his own uniform. Starla did the same while he spoke to the machine.

When he tried to reply, Swift Star found himself at a loss for words. "I...guess I do. I need you to teach me. When I was built 20 years ago, I...honestly don't remember much. All I know is that you are more powerful than me and you're going to be my teacher." He looked to the other Space Pony in the room. "Who's that?"

"That's my wife. She fights alongside me." Lightning replied before yawning. "I know you have a lot of questions, but, for now, shut down. I need to rest so we can train tomorrow morning." He sighed as he rested on the bed. "We all have a busy couple of days."

Despite understanding Lightning's orders, Swift Star didn't shut down. Instead, he looked around, taking in the sights. He had plenty of data about the outside world, but his programming made him want to hear from Lightning about what it meant to be part of Starfleet. Seeing that he was falling asleep, he looked to Starla. "Can you teach me about protecting this world in the meantime?"

'Great. Another excuse for Lightning to ignore me.' Starla thought. 'He's going to spend all day training with this pile of junk.'

The neutral expression of Swift Star turned into a more concerned one. "You're not happy. I can tell. Do you...want to talk about it?" The mechanical one stepped over to her.

"It's fine! It's...fine." Starla replied. "Just...wait outside or something." She flopped back into bed, her frown having increased in bitterness. "We're a happy couple." She told herself. "We are a HAPPY couple..."

Standing in that room, the robotic one eventually stepped outside, looking up at the stars. As he did that, he then looked at his hand, remembering everything that had been leading up to this. Mostly, it was just him downloading vast amounts of knowledge for 20 years as a conscious metallic skeleton on a worktable. 

"This is my new purpose. I am not forgotten. I am not discarded." He said to himself, a small smile growing on his face. "I'm...going to be a hero. This must be what it feels like to be excited."

Chapter Text

During that same night...

In many places scattered across United Equestria, there existed several bases that housed their own portals. These portals would only lead to other Starfleet bases, like the ones on Planet Conva. This usage of portal technology was very limited, despite Grand Ruler Celesto insisting that it was the pinnacle of travel.

Many times, he had been asked to expand the portal network, but he always stated that the amount of portal machines that were currently being utilized were just fine. Thus, Starfleet had not expanded throughout the universe much, despite their stated goal of wanting to defend every bit of the universe.

The portal within this one base led to Planet Conva, lines of prisoners being led there. Most of them, however, were those that Starfleet deemed 'undesirable'. Basically, those who couldn't keep up with the intense daily training that most of United Equestria was required to do, as well as those that spoke against Starfleet's policies.

The Earth ponies were handcuffed tightly, the pegasi had their wings clamped together, and the unicorns had their horns wrapped around with anti-magic devices. As they marched through the gray metallic square-shaped base, a large swirling green portal awaited them. "But we didn't do anything wrong!" A pegasus shouted, only to get kicked in the gut.

"Quit lying! Our visors picked up what you said about Grand Ruler! Treason is NOT allowed!" The guard loomed over the beaten prisoner.

The other prisoners shuddered at the large portal in front of them. In just a few moments, they would have to look forward to being stuck in the hellish prison on the other side. "I can't believe this. All I did was accidentally spill paint over one of those Starfleet recruitment posters!" An earth pony exclaimed.

For his comment, one Space Pony fired an energy blast near his leg. "Enough talking!"

"Wait!" One Space Pony flew in, crossing his arms. "Planet Conva is getting a bit crowded. So, I propose we have half of these prisoners act as training dummies for our new recruits." He suggested.

"Great idea!" Another Space Pony said, causing the prisoners to gulp.

However, the portal started to glitch out. The swirling vortex within vanished, while the lights around the portal started to turn from dull gray to bright blue. The sound of a loud bass started to echo across the whole area, while a bunch of trees fell all around the base, blocking any entry. "What the?!" A Space Pony cried out.

"Who turned off the lights?!" Another shouted, especially as a literal wave of darkness began to envelop the whole place.

The lead Space Pony growled, his hands lightning up with energy. "Don't tell me you're all afraid of the dark! Find whoever did this and-OOF!"

Something ran into him, causing him to turn his energy spheres to a pegasus wearing pitch black armor. To hide her familiar droopy yellow eyes, she put on a purple visor on her helmet. "Sorry! I was looking for the nearest place to help shut down the portal! Can you help me?" She sweetly asked.

"What the?! No! Why would I-"

BOOOOOOM! The beat of a loud drum-and-bass sound shattered through the walls, causing several other armored Equestrians to pour in. "Let's get this party started!" Vinyl Scratch shouted, the other Night Warriors rushing in front of her. Standing atop a large platform, she unleashed more soundwaves, catching many Space Ponies by surprise.

Some of the guards tried to use their visors to see how powerful their foes were, only for Octavia to start playing her cello, causing their visors to glitch. "What the heck is she doing?! She's just an earth pony with a freaking violin!" One shouted.

"It's a cello, for your information." Octavia corrected before playing her cello at a lower note. That manipulated the soundwaves around her to cause more havoc, the prisoners watching this in stunned silence.

Thunderlane was zooming around the various Space Ponies, creating streaks of lightning that closed around his foes, electrocuting them. "You doing okay there, babe?" He asked his blonde-haired friend.

Above him, Ditzy was perfectly relaxed, flying through the swarm of incoming guards while using unpredictable flight patterns and kicks to throw her foes off. "I'm doing good! Thanks for asking!" One Space Pony nearly rammed into her, only for a streak of rainbow light to crash into him.

Smashing into the ground, Rainbow Dash started to zoom into the other guards, knocking them all unconscious in the process. "That's impossible! We're supposed to be faster than you!" One Space Pony shouted, not realizing who the pegasus within the armor was.

Flying up to him, Rainbow Dash smirked before bucking him in the stomach. "Yeah. You said you were faster than me, but that just gave me a new limit to break! It took me no time at all!" Already, she was feeling leagues better than she was several days ago. The feeling of defeating those that took over Equestria while ALSO saving lives was reigniting her spirit!

Several vines erupted from the base, tearing holes in the doors. Zecora entered through the holes, throwing several potions at the attacking guards. Those potions had a number of effects on the guards, like causing them to shrink or gain extra legs. All of this was done in a comical way, leaving the guards extremely confused.

"Everyone! Your freedom awaits! Please, exit through the gates!" She pointed at the wrecked remains of the base's entrance. To further assist, Vinyl and Octavia used their combined skills to destroy the shackles on the prisoners.

Pretty soon, the place erupted into further chaos, as the prisoners finally found the means to revolt against their captors. Magical blasts flew everywhere, while the earth ponies kicked the guards out of the way. The pegasi were flying out and even assisting their fellow prisoners in escaping through the hole in the wall.

"NO! Don't let them escape!" A guard shouted, only for a bunch of trees to rain down on the base, destroying the portal in the process. This was the work of Big Macintosh, who stood atop a large cliff looking over the base.

He was the lookout, but he was also using his strength to assist his fellow Night Warriors in escaping. "That's the last tree. I sure hope nobody minds the mess I made." He sheepishly said, though he made sure only to use dead trees instead of healthy ones. All so he could make sure he wasn't causing too much havoc in the forest.

Before the Space Ponies knew it, all of their prisoners were suddenly missing, while the darkness around them only increased in intensity. "We've only got half a minute left!" Octavia shouted.

"Leave it to me!" Rainbow Dash grinned, zooming to her various allies before carrying them into the darkness, ensuring that they escaped along with everybody else. "Damn, this is exciting!"

"I know! We should do this more often!" Ditzy replied.

As the darkness started to fade, many of the guards moaned as they tried to get up. Many were battered and beaten, while others were recovering from the temporary effects of those potions. "You've got to be kidding me!" The lead Space Pony shouted. "Defeated by mere Equestrians again?! That's the fourth base we've lost to these 'Night Warriors'!"

"You think Luna's behind this?" One Space Pony wondered.

"Ridiculous. Grand Ruler Celesto would know. He knows everything!" He shouted back, only to rub his chin. "That being said...just to be safe..." He tapped his visor, now speaking to several other bases at once. "STARFLEET! Search every inch of the Everfree Forest! We're not letting these renegades get away with this!" 

The next morning...

The Night Warriors barely had any time to rest, as they were now in the midst of packing up their supplies. Before she returned to Canterlot Castle, Luna had managed to give word that the Everfree Forest was being patrolled extensively. Already, the group could hear the sound of many Starfleet officers fighting the many dangers of the forest, but they were getting closer, despite all of those dangers.

"Uh oh..." Ditzy shuddered, having a bad feeling that time was running out.

"I thought this place was supposed to be so secure that not even Grand Ruler would go looking here!" Thunderlane exclaimed.

"Apparently not." Octavia said, packing her cello. "These Starfleet officers are getting bolder."

Big Macintosh was writing another letter to his family, sighing as he sadly looked at it. A pair of arms wrapped around his large chest, Zecora's head nuzzling into his neck. "My love, you don't look like you got any rest. Tell me what's wrong. Get it off your chest."

Turning to his lover, the large stallion looked to the horizon. "It's about my family. I'm worried that I'll end up even farther away from them than ever before."

Ditzy flew next to him, rubbing her arm. "I know where you're coming from. I wonder if I should take Dinky and Amethyst with us, but I don't want them to get involved."

"Same with my brother." Thunderlane noted. "He's tough, but I don't wanna imagine Starfleet sending him to Planet freaking Conva!"

Rainbow Dash heard all of this, causing her to think about her friends. She never did get used to being far away from them, but her guilt over Twilight's demise was keeping her from truly getting back with them. She clenched a fist, wishing she knew a way to help those around her.

That's when she had an idea. "I'll go look for a new place! Some place that's too dangerous for Starfleet to go to...but not for us! Because you've got me to lead you there!" She declared.

"Buck yeah!" Vinyl Scratch exclaimed. "If she can find a place, then we've got nothing to fear!"

"What kind of place?" Octavia asked.

"...I have NO idea! But I'll figure it out." The pegasus' eye twitched. Already, her mind was screaming at her that this would go badly. 'NO! I can't keep failing those around me! ' She thought, sweat dripping down her head.

Zecora walked over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Your desire to help is noble and sincere. Go forth and follow what comes from right here." She pointed at Rainbow Dash's heart.

"My liver?" The pegasus' brow arched before she realized what she meant. "Okay. Sure. Thanks for the advice! Gotta go!" With that, she sped off, circling around the skies. Already, she could see Starfleet's forces move through the forces, though they were having to contend with the creatures within there. "Catch us if you can." She glared, ignoring her inner doubts as she sped off into the distance.

Back on Planet Conva...

Once again, Discord had found himself trapped in his cage once more. "I mean it. Absolutely NONE of these fools can take a joke! I don't think I've ever seen any of them smile!"

"Why does it matter?" Brass Bolt scowled. "The way I see it, they hate any kind of joy."

"You're not exactly a ray of sunshine." Gilda remarked. 

"Oh, you're right! I've gotta have a positive attitude!" The Earth pony said sarcastically. "Gee, it sure feels great to be trapped forever in a prison that seems determined to drive me to the depths of despair!"

"It's not so bad." Stud Muffin shrugged. "If it wasn't for this place, we would have never met each-other."

"UGH! Are you ever NOT hopelessly naive?" Gilda groaned.

"The great and truthful Trixie will not lie. It's kind of inspiring." Trixie stated.

"Your positivity gets Iron Will's seal of approval!" Iron Will beamed.

As they chatted, Discord sighed, looking in disdain at his cuffed hands. A part of him wanted to accept his fate as a prisoner, but the very thought of giving up sickened him. "You can't contain chaos, Celesto. You just CAN'T. One of these days, I'm getting out...and when I do..."

"Getting out?!" Brass Bolt laughed. "To do that, you'd need to shut down the systems controlling these cells, then getting past all of the guards, and THEN heading over to Cerise Wonder's room to grab the key to the wherever they're keeping the portal that transports prisoners to here!"

As everything went silent, Discord rubbed his chin. "You know..."

"Don't tell me you're thinking of an escape plan. It's pretty much impossible." Brass Bolt shook his head.

That only made the draconequus grin. "But I AM the impossible. I'm chaos incarnate! The first chance I get, I'm busting out. Anybody wanna join me when that happens?"

"Trixie would gladly take that chance! It is a thought that will get Trixie through many of the hardships this place has to offer." The magician unicorn exclaimed.

"How are you gonna get past the guards? By pulling a bunny out of a hat?" Gilda asked.

Huffing in annoyance, Trixie just gave a smug grin. "My mastery over illusion should be more than enough! How about you? What can you do?"

The griffon tried to punch her fist into her palm, but it was hard to do with her shackles. Still, she stood up and glared at her. "I'd kick all of their asses! I don't care if they throw me back into this cage! I'm punching at least one of these guards in the face!"

Iron Will sighed, thinking about his home. "Iron Will just wants to feel the sun against his fur. Grass beneath my hooves. Oh, and the chance to start up a new business! I haven't thought of any new businesses yet, but everybody here is getting a discount on whatever services I provide!"

Rolling his eyes, Brass Bolt kicked back against his cell's barrier. "You know what? If we're gonna talk about imaginary scenarios where we SUDDENLY have the means to get out of this place, I'd REALLY like to get my arms back. It's possible Cerise put them in her room as 'trophies'."

"Just like she probably did with Trixie's hat." Trixie glared. "That hat was a gift from my mother! It's all I have left of her!"

Throughout all of this, Stud Muffin was quiet, but he just gave a sad look towards the group. "I don't wanna fight anybody. I just want everybody to get along."

"Don't you want freedom? You CAN'T be okay with all of this!" Discord exclaimed. "I thought I was the crazy one in this group!"

"I'm...not really okay with what's going on." Stud Muffin admitted. "I wanna believe that, if we just do whatever the guards say, they'll see that we're not bad guys."

"Not gonna happen, dude." Gilda shook her head, the others nodding in agreement.

"Come to think of it, if you were finally free, what WOULD you do?" Discord asked, resting his head on his shackles. "Me? I'd have the most random...the most chaotic...the most spectacular party EVER...and invite literally everybody!"

"That sounds great!" Stud Muffin replied.

"While also transforming the Space Ponies into pinatas!" The draconequus added.

That caused the muscular earth pony to go silent. "...that sounds pretty grim."

Gilda shrugged. "I dunno what I'd do. Maybe just head home and see how things are going." She almost admitted that she wanted to see how Rainbow Dash was doing, but she stopped herself. "Maybe punch some Starfleet guys in the face? I'd be down for that."

"Trixie would continue to make sure Starfleet would not away with its crimes! The show must go on! Trixie's show of justice and magic!" The magician unicorn said dramatically.

"You wanna go up against Starfleet? Count me in." Brass Bolt stated. "If the Equestrians have finally opened their eyes and started a rebellion, I'll see where I can sign up for that."

"Do they need any services? Iron Will will provide them kinda-sorta free of charge! Maybe just fifty bits for everything Iron Will does for the rebellion?" The minotaur asked.

Stud Muffin smiled as he thought of what he wanted to do. "I wanna travel around the world. Help out anybody I can."

Everybody stared at the muscular earth pony. "No revenge against those that put you here?" Discord asked.

"Nope."

"I swear, you're too nice for your own good." Brass Bolt groaned.

Despite rolling his eyes at the muscular earth pony, Discord couldn't help but think of Fluttershy when he saw how incredibly kind-hearted the stallion was. That made him sigh, though his attention would soon be grabbed when the guards entered the room, ready to make the group go through another round of collecting more moon rocks.

Sometime that afternoon, back in New Ponyville...

During this part of the afternoon, every resident of New Ponyville would have to leave their homes, ready to be put through some grueling training. Most of it was just dodging through lasers and having to punch training dummies as hard as rock. The fact that they had to do this constantly without being given a break certainly took a toll on their positivity.

Still, Pinkie played some polka while everybody marched to the training facilities, the guards sneering at her for this. "Come on, guys! Let's give it our best! Just like yesterday...and the day before that...and the day before that..."

"I think we get it, sugarcube." Applejack said. Only the pink Earth pony noticed that she and Rarity were holding hands, causing Pinkie to give an excited inner squeal. A part of her felt bad for Rainbow Dash, but she was still happy to see that her two friends had gotten together.

Rarity's ears flicked when she heard some yelling from within the training facility. "Oh, goodness. Not again." She groaned.

"What is it, Rares?" Applejack asked.

"Take a guess." She pointed to where the noise was coming from.

In one of the rooms, Lightning Dawn was speaking with the other members of his team, though he looked far from pleased. "What do you mean by 'we're losing recruits'?! Are you telling me that the Equestrians have forgotten what it means to fight for our world?!"

"I'm sorry, but those are the results." Buddy Rose sighed. "We can't find anymore recruits. Most are just not capable for combat."

"It figures. Equestrians are so much weaker than Space Ponies." Starla replied.

"But we still need recruits!" Lightning shouted. "If we're to take on whatever Mokushiroku throws at us when he returns, then we need all the help we can get!"

"You mean IF he returns." Buddy said. "Hopefully, he never does."

"That's not like any of the villains we've fought!" Lightning replied, before he rubbed his chin. "That being said, he hasn't sent any monsters after us." 

As this talk continued, Artie just stayed silent, his hands twitching and trembling due to their damaged state. Buddy scooted over to him, trying to offer comfort. "You doing alright there?"

Buddy would soon see that the Space Pony next to him had a lot of papers detailing several ideas involving how to handle a possible attack in the future by Mokushiroku, but Artie was staying silent throughout it all. "What I say won't matter. I'm useless to them." He softly said.

"Useless?" Buddy arched a brow.

"He's right, you know.

If he knows better, he'll leave and go." Rhymey stated.

"Hey, back off! Artie's a valued member of our team!" Buddy shouted.

"He can no longer use his weapon or power.

He'll just make our efforts to stop evil go sour."

Turning to Rhymey, Lightning glared. "I also got word that Fluttershy has fully recovered, yet I don't see her training with the others. Care to explain?"

"Fluttershy is such a fragile thing.

Better she stays at home rather than doing any fighting."

Pressing her temples to his head, Lightning tried to stay calm, looking over to Swift Star. "For the record, you're all embarrassing me in front of my new apprentice. We should be coming up with solutions! Not fighting!"

Speaking of the artificial stallion, Swift Star was analyzing every bit of what was going on, rubbing his chin. He then looked outside, watching as Applejack's group worked in perfect harmony with each-other through an obstacle course. "Reviewing battle footage." He said to himself, looking at footage of Starfleet's previous fights.

He saw a big difference in the way Starfleet fought and the way that Applejack's group fought. While the former was easily telegraphed and repetitive, he could see that Applejack's group was more organized, but also unpredictable. Yet the group worked together flawlessly. "Interesting..." He said to himself.

"Pay attention!" Starla shouted. "Are you seriously trying to learn a thing or two from THAT group? They're weaker than us, especially Rarity!"

"I don't know. That diamond trick she did with her magic was rather impressive." Buddy replied, remembering the fight in Horn Kong.

"NO! Swift Star is to learn from us Space Ponies! Not Equestrians!" Lightning shouted. "Now, can we focus already?!"

Unable to handle the constant shouting, Artie started to leave towards the locker room. "You know what?" Buddy stood up. "I need to get some air. It's suffocating in here." With that, he left as well.

They would wind up avoiding getting involved in another shouting match, as nobody could agree on anything in the room. From Fluttershy's absence to the lack of new recruits to even talk of several Starfleet bases being lost, it seemed that Lightning's group couldn't stop being confrontational, especially when it came to actually implementing changes in response to the events happening.

Once they got into the lockers, Buddy moved his hands to gently feel around the hands of his friend. Artie winced, but the red-furred Space Pony was gentle in his movements. "They're starting to get a little better. You'll be making beautiful pieces of art in no time!"

Artie didn't seem to think so, as he just turned his head away. "Even if I somehow can lift a paintbrush again, it'll never be the same. I'll never be truly proud of whatever I create. It has to be perfect!"

"Does it?" Buddy asked.

"YES! Otherwise, my parents were right about me! I'm a failure!" Tears started to form in Artie's eyes. "My whole team thinks I'm a failure! They don't even want to acknowledge that I'm there with them! You've seen how they ignore me!"

Sighing, Buddy sat next to him, his tail-fur brushing against the other Space Pony's tail. "You ever think...we've all never really found the time to know each-other as a group of friends? Seems all we do is bicker and fight."

Nodding in agreement, Artie rested against his friend's shoulder, causing the gardening one to blush. "Yeah. Every day, it feels like we're falling apart. How are you handling it so well?"

"I have a niece to take care of. She's my only family left." Buddy admitted. "You know, maybe that's why I never see Applejack and her friends fight like our group does. They care about those around them so much that their bond is inspiringly strong."

Thinking about that, Artie nodded more slowly. "Yeah. When you really think about it...our team is a total wreck. Lightning is constantly yelling, Starla looks like she's always on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Rhymey seems more aggressive than usual. I'm not sure about Swift Star, but something about him feels...robotic."

"Yeah, I got that impression too." Buddy agreed.

Artie soon continued. "But with Applejack, she's always so calm and strong-hearted. Rarity's not that big of a diva as I thought. Pinkie's also not that annoying. In fact, that thing she was doing with the polka made me feel a little better."

The two would continue to sit next to each-other, thinking about hanging out with Applejack's group more. "We should probably return to the others soon. We'll think of an explanation for our absence soon."

"Got it." Artie replied, giving his friend a small smile. "Thanks for this talk. I really needed it."

"Anytime." Buddy beamed, only to realize that his hand was over the other's. Not only that, but looking upon Artie's smile made him feel a new kind of warmth inside. "You know, maybe I could introduce you to my garden sometime."

"We've never really visited each-other often, did we?" Artie said, the two walking side-by-side as they started to engage in further conversation. Pretty soon, the gloom both had felt was started to fade and be replaced by an overall pleasant feeling.

The feeling of friendship.

Later that night...

Once again, Fluttershy found herself waking up from a strange dream. This one featured an even more vivid image of the island, only it was surrounded by even more violent storms. A rainbow streak had crashed into it, but the storm had consumed it.

"Rainbow Dash...she's in danger!" She exclaimed, only to see her animals surrounding her. Angel gestured for her to lower her voice, as Rhymey was sleeping nearby. Thinking about her husband made the pegasus narrow her eyes, as she still remembered what he had done.

Standing up, she stretched before crossing her arms. "Don't worry, everybody. Me and my husband are going to have a long talk about...whatever just happened." She grasped her head, an aching feeling traveling across it. The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was a sharp pain in her mind, as well as the gaze of her husband.

Did he have something to do with her suddenly blacking out? She had so many questions, but, right now, the safety of her friend came first. "Angel, you're in charge of the house. I know I can count on you. Everybody else, be brave and know that, no matter what, I'm coming back and setting things right." She said with determination.

Fluttershy continued to think about the dreams she had been getting, her eyes looking up to the stars. "Princess Luna, are you trying to tell me something?" She wondered. She then shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense. The Princess of the Night can only visit dreams and stop an overabundance of nightmare energy. She can't alter dreams like that." She remembered reading that in a book that Twilight once gave to her as a gift.

Spreading her wings, the pegasus took to the skies. "Wait a minute. Where do I even start looking?" She wondered, only to see a streak of light travel across the night sky. Given its rainbow coloration, Fluttershy knew exactly who had caused that. "Here goes nothing. Wish me luck, everybody!" She waved to her animals, all of them waving back. Closing her eyes, she flapped her wings as hard as she could, chasing after the rainbow-colored light.

While she wasn't the fastest pegasus, Fluttershy had a great sense of direction. Sniffing the air, she followed the scent of her friend, the birds flying alongside her helping to guide her. It was going to be a long flight, but at least it wouldn't be a lonely one.

Chapter Text

Somewhere in the void of Space, the Hasbro Universe...

Floating through the darkness of the cosmos, a single portal opened up. 'Finally.' Mokushiroku thought, exiting through the portal as he found himself in his universe once more. 'Now...it begins.'

Continuing to drift through space, the kaiju almost got distracted looking at the stars around him. He felt rather relaxed, swirling through the endless void before he started to increase his speed. Already, his shoulder crystals were starting to slightly glow orange, indicating that he was getting close to his destination.

Eventually, Mokushiroku stopped. Glaring at a moon in the distance, he created a large crystal in his claws. Slowly, he started to float backwards, his arm rising as he aimed the crystal. 'I hope you've enjoyed these last few months of calm, Celesto. Because, starting now...Starfleet's reckoning continues.'

With one mighty throw, the kaiju watched as his crystal raced through space, gaining speed thanks to his psychic abilities. It's destination? The generators that kept Planet Conva's prisoners imprisoned.

Meanwhile on Planet Conva...

SMASH!

"WARNING! WARNING! CRITICAL DAMAGE TO MAIN GENERATOR! DO NOT PANIC! I REPEAT, DO NOT PANIC!"

Cerise Wonder's voice echoed throughout the entire moon, the various guards already finding themselves swarmed by the various prisoners that were escaping. The energy barriers that had kept the formerly imprisoned within their cells had suddenly failed, causing everything to erupt into chaos.

Speaking of chaos, Discord could hardly believe his eyes when the energy barrier of his cell failed, causing him to fall out when the energy barrier's floor beneath him vanished. His fellow prisoners also found themselves being able to move outside of their cells. "Somebody pinch me! RIGHT NOW!" He exclaimed, excitement flooding through his body.

"Sweet Celestia! It's happening! IT'S HAPPENING!" Trixie exclaimed.

"YEAAAAAH! FREEDOM!" Iron Will roared.

"Finally!" Gilda instantly tried to run for the doors, only to hear the sound of the guards rushing towards them. The only thing keeping them from breaking in was the fact that they were most likely handling prisoners during the escape. "Crap."

Laughing with glee, Discord smelled the air, his grin growing wider. "Do you smell that? Do you?" He looked down, noticing that Stud Muffin was asleep. "Ahem..." He grabbed his shoulders, shaking him around. "WAKE UP, GOLDILOCKS! We're busting out of here!"

"Wha-huh?!" The beefy stallion sat up, rubbing his head before he heard the noises around him. "Somebody's gonna get hurt! I'd better help!"

When Brass Bolt got up, he couldn't believe what was happening. "That alarm...I remember researching about the security of this place before I came here. That alarm's only for major emergencies. That means...we actually might have time to escape if this crisis goes on for long enough!"

"Plenty of time for me to do THIS!" Rummaging through his cheek with his forked tongue, Discord wrapped that tongue around the paperclip that Pinkie Pie gave him. Bending it with this tongue, he inserted it into a slot within his handcuffs, jiggling it around until the cuffs came off, freeing his hands...

...and revealing them to have a withered appearance. "Whoa! Lemme fix that!" Blowing into both of his thumbs, he restored them back to normal before he used those hands to jiggle his paperclip around the cuffs around his wings freeing them too. 

The others stared at him in astonishment, with Gilda eventually face-palming. "You had a lockpick THIS WHOLE TIME?!"

"I'm the Spirit of Chaos, not the Spirit of Recklessness." Discord huffed. "I needed to find the right time to use this. Now, that time is now! Who wants to join me?!" He said, waving the paperclip in front of the group.

Quickly, he got to work undoing the cuffs on everybody else. "At long last! The Great and Powerful Trixie lives again!" The magician unicorn exclaimed, her horn crackling with magic. "All that's missing is Trixie's precious hat and cape!"

Gilda attempted to take flight after being freed, only to feel pins and needles across her wings. "Now, I'm REALLY gonna freaking punch every guard in the face! AUGH! Gimme a second!"

Iron Will flexed his muscles, hot steam erupting from his nostrils. "Oh, yeah! Those jerks are gonna regret putting Iron Will in a cage!"

When Discord got to Stud Muffin, he simply pulled his arms out and shattered his cuffs like they were nothing. "Where you guys go, I go. We're friends, right?" He smiled.

"Sure! Now, Fluttershy, here I come!" Attempting to teleport himself out of the prison, Discord snapped his fingers...only to teleport a few feet to the left. "Oh. Right. I'm still depowered. GREAT."

The sound of guards rushing in could be heard, causing everybody to group up. "The most we can do is make a rush  for Cerise Wonder's quarters. We have no hope of leaving this place without the access codes to the escape pods!" Brass Bolt shouted.

As much as Gilda hated having to work with others, she knew that her chances at taking down all of those guards were slim. "You guys ready?" She asked, cracking her knuckles.

Stud Muffin gulped. "I guess we don't have much of a choice. Let's just knock them out, okay?"

Already, they could see the shadows of many guards closing in on them. It seemed like all of Planet Conva was intent on making sure Discord didn't get out, as well as any other prisoners that were around him. However, as the situation looked more dire, Trixie gave a smug smile. "Don't tell me. You have a plan?" Discord put his hands on his hips. "If it's another boast, can it wait until we-"

Rummaging through her mane, the unicorn suddenly threw a bag of particles onto the ground. "COVER YOUR EYES!" She shouted to her allies. A humongous cloud of sparkling purple smoke rushed through the halls, blinding the guards as the group made their getaway.

"I gotta hand it to you. I didn't see that coming." Discord admitted.

"With the great and powerful Trixie, expect the unexpected!" The magician said proudly, only to find herself sitting atop Iron Will's shoulder. "Oh!" She blushed.

"Remember, folks! When somepony tries to block...SHOW THEM THAT YOU ROCK!" Smashing his head through one of the walls, Iron Will made a path for the group to flee towards the main building. Explosions happened around them, the other prisoners keeping the guards busy.

Discord panted, not used to having to use his wings to fly instead of his magic. "When I...get my magic restored...I'm making myself a warm jacuzzi..." He huffed.

"Think about that later! Something else is happening!" Brass Bolt shouted, struggling to maintain his balance during the chaos. Stud Muffin helped him up, having his legs rest on his shoulders.

Next to them, large crystals were forming all around the ground, spearing through some of the guards. "Hey!" One pointed at Discord. "We can't let him escape! Everyone! Make sure Discord doesn't-GAH!" He cried out when a crystal speared him through the arm, the energy from it flowing into his body.

When it became too much for him, he painfully erupted into a series of crystal shards, all of them shredding through the other guards. "Whoa! That's hardcore! Also, gross! Really gross!" Gilda admitted.

"Trixie is going to lose her lunch!" Trixie exclaimed, unable to look at the violent mayhem around her. More crystals were forming, some of them tearing buildings in half from how much they were spreading.

"Why does this look...hauntingly familiar?" Discord wondered, but he ignored that feeling as they headed into the main building.

Remembering his experiences working in the place, Brass Bolt lead the group into the basement, finding themselves met with the speared corpses of many other guards. "Those poor Space Ponies..." Stud Muffin put a hand over his face in horror. "They didn't deserve to die like this."

"I dunno. They DID kind of abuse us for months." Gilda replied, even though she was having a hard time looking at the carnage around them, wincing when she nearly stepped on a corpse that had been crushed by a humongous broken crystal.

There was no sign of Cerise Wonder, so the group continued until they got to a large door leading to her office. "Watch and learn, folks!" Discord said, zooming over to it and attempting to use the paperclip. "Let's see..."

"It's not that simple." Brass Bolt pushed him aside, looking at the keys on the door handle. "I don't know how many letters are in this code and there could be millions of combinations...but...I should be able to figure something out...eventually..."

After several minutes of failed combinations, the chaos outside of the building seemed to intensify, the whole place shaking as more crystals started to appear outside. The screaming and yelling around the building also got louder. "Anytime now!" Discord huffed.

"Patience" Brass Bolt argued, using his snout to type. "Besides, I'd like to see any of you try this. Only somebody with my smarts can handle-"

SMASH!

Stud Muffin's fist had gone through the door, causing it to slowly creak open. "Sorry! I thought I'd just knock, but I must have tripped and-"

"C'mon, dude. You're fine. We're in!" Gilda leaped into the room, the others following. Despite looking shocked at what just happened, Brass Bolt shrugged his shoulders, joining them.

Discord snapped a magnifying glass into existence, searching for whatever would help with the escape pods. However, the others found themselves looking upon Cerise's 'trophy room'. Most of it consisted of various weapons, but there were also photos, mementos, and other precious items belonging to the prisoners.

One of those items included Trixie's hat and cape. "Trixie has missed you two sooooo much!" The unicorn hugged those items close to her chest, eventually putting them on and letting the cape flow.

While Iron Will found his nose-ring, Brass Bolt looked upon two metallic brass arms, his eyes sparkling with joyful tears. "I never thought I'd see these again." He softly confessed. "Somebody help these things on. They should recognize me based on my DNA signature."

Always eager to help, Stud Muffin gently lifted them up, aligning them where the earth pony's arms would be. Instantly, the mechanical limbs fused with the sides of Brass Bolt, causing him to wince painfully for a while. Meanwhile, Discord continued to rummage through Cerise Wonder's stuff, whistling while he made a mess of the place. "You found the keys to the escape pods yet?" Gilda asked. "We don't have all day."

"Weren't you supposed to be a prankster or something?" Discord asked, having just stitched together all of Cerise's outfits. "Let's have some fun before we head back home!"

"Are we...even going to be allowed home?" Stud Muffin wondered. "Aren't we fugitives now?"

The others fell silent, though that silence was broken when steam erupted from Brass Bolt's arms before they settled. "This...feels...GOOD." He smirked, clenching his metallic fists before smashing a fist into his palm. "Wait until you guys see what these things can do."

"Found the access codes!" Iron Will waved them around. "So, uh, about that thing about us being fugitives...does that mean I won't be able to make a living anymore while running from the law?"

"Screw thinking about that! Let's get out of here!" Gilda shouted, the guards already pouring into the building.

Chuckling, Brass Bolt suddenly fired several blasts of bright-yellow energy from his palms, sending the guards flying out of the room. "Oh, YEAH! These still work like a charm! I haven't felt this great in forever!"

"Hmph. Let's see if they're more magnificent than Trixie's magical prowess!" Using her mastery of illusion magic, the unicorn made it seem like the entrance to the room was near the guards, only for them to tumble into a wall that crumbled thanks to their combined weight. That left them in a confused pile.

However, as the group tried to leave, Discord saw something rushing behind him. "UNIFORCE! " That caused him to conjure up a sign saying 'YIKES!', which he then held up.

SMASH!

The entire group was blasted out of the building by the humongous blast, leaving them in the middle of the mayhem. It seemed that the guards were regaining control of the situation, but only a little bit. Cerise Wonder flew out of the rubble, glaring at the group. "You think you can make a fool out of me and MY prison?! Is that what you think?"

"Kinda!" Discord shrugged.

"Do your worst!" Gilda shouted, giving the Space Pony two middle fingers. "If I'm going down, I'm gonna do it while punching you-"

"Let me guess. In the face?" Brass Bolt asked, only for his arms to charge up with electrical energy. "Because I want a turn, too!"

"Trixie is DONE being humiliated! Vengeance will be mine!" Trixie dramatically exclaimed.

Snorting, Iron Will prepared to charge at those around him, even as the amount of guards started to increase. Stud Muffin stepped forth, looking up at Cerise. "Please! We don't need to fight! We just want to go home!"

"Go home?! Forget it! NOBODY leaves my prison! NOBODY!" Cerise shouted, her hands and golden horn glowing with energy.

It seemed that the group would engage in a last stand...only for a piercing roar to get their attention. "Wait a minute. I know that sound!" Discord's pupils shrunk in anger and a bit of fear.

"What do you mean?" Gilda asked, only for something to rocket into the moon, creating a shockwave of moon dust that nearly blinded everybody there.

(Celestial-Falconshield)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_o2JUyxjL0

Two glowing red eyes appeared in the cloud of dust, a psychic force causing everybody there to lock in place. The ground cracked around the presence of this new creature, but the dust cloud would eventually settle, fully revealing Mokushiroku's form as the lyrics began.

Discord felt his hands clench into fists when he saw the familiar kaiju, everybody else watching as the monster looked around, his tail curling around the air as he looked upon the crowd of guards. "That's him..." One Space Pony gasped.

"Don't let him intimidate you! He's only one villain!" Cerise shouted, her horn glowing. All that did was make Mokushiroku lift up a claw. Slowly, he gave a cruel smile, looking at the guards behind her.

Throughout the ages, I have seen...on little planets, creatures so obscene.

Slowly evolving with a mind so deeply flawed...they cannot grasp reality. They call me god.

Instantly, their limbs squeezed into their torsos, reducing them to pulp as they cried out in agony. They were eventually thrown to the side like trash, the guards on the ground finding themselves impaled by a sudden onslaught of crystals. Floating back when the guards tried to fire their magic blasts, Mokushiroku merely stopped those blasts with his psychic power, roaring at the group.

You're a mistake that nature made! I forge the stars to which you pray! Unto your world, you are disease! I bring the cosmos to its knees!

Forcing those blasts back, the kaiju rained them around the place, forcing the guards to scatter before he floated above them all and created a large ball of crystal in his free claw. It started to increase in mass before he threw it down, firing a Corona beam at it before it collapsed into the surface of the moon, creating a massive explosion of psychic energy.

Your words shall fall into the dust, while my words break Andromeda! My form more vast than life itself! MY WILL AND MIND SO COSMIC!

That energy rippled through the place, scattering everybody further. It zapped all that got in its way, forcing Discord's group to flee as it ripped through the place. Eventually, the lyrics would return, Cerise flying through the smoke.

"Where are you?! Show yourself!" She shouted, only for her head to be grabbed by the kaiju.

Flinging her into the air, he smashed his tail into her waist, using his psychic power to send moon rocks into her. That sent her crashing into one of her own buildings in the process.

Manifest like dreams...except I'm tangible!

You forge excuses for your flaws. I bring the stars above!

Breaking through the rubble, Cerise gritted her teeth before charging up her special attack once again, though Mokushiroku still looked unimpressed. "Guards! ATTACK!"

His eyes glowing, the kaiju slowly lifted his arms up, his muscles flexing as the whole moon started to violently rumble. At the same time, so many guards surrounded him, making sure there was no chance for escape.

Your targon soars into the clouds. For me, that lies below.

Terrestrials will never know...THE MIGHT CELESTIAL!

That was a trap, as they found themselves zapped by the mountainous crystals rising from the ground. Orange volts ripped through them all, while Mokushiroku flew around them, firing his Corona beam whenever he could to utterly demolish their ranks. Eventually, he would look down at Cerise as she finished charging her attack.

You're a mistake that nature made! I forge the stars to which you pray! Unto your world, you are disease! I bring the cosmos to its knees!

"UNIFORCE! " She roared, firing her own beam, but he just rushed towards it, using a hand to block and refract the beam. The many new beams tore through the place, causing further mayhem before he collided his foot into her chest, cratering the ground and causing more crystals to form.

Your words shall fall into the dust, while my words break Andromeda! My form more vast than life itself! MY WILL AND MIND SO COSMIC!

During the instrumental, Mokushiroku looked upon the utterly broken Space Pony, her body twitching as she tried to throw another punch. "But...this prison...is perfect!" She insisted.

As the lyrics started again, the kaiju just snarled as he floated up, the volts from the crystals around him continuing to violently crackle. However, as he did so, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax while everybody that wasn't destroyed in the scuffle could only look on.

Walk through you like mudded water! Fangs depress into your bodies. Starlight severs feeble tendons! Mortal flesh, my marionettes!

As the instrumentals continued again, every single building on the moon was being ripped from the ground and lifted into the air. It looked like it was straining Mokushiroku's abilities, but he still continued to spin around in the air. The buildings continued to fly around, some of the guards still stuck in there. The other guards were blasting at the kaiju and his crystals, but to no avail.

"We should run. NOW." Discord said in utter seriousness to his group, especially when the kaiju's eyes suddenly opened.

Right as the lyrics began again, Mokushiroku smashed those buildings into the ground, tendrils of rubble grabbing every guard he could find while the prisoners got away in the escape pods (which were psychically removed from the mayhem by the kaiju). As this happened, the rubble started to compress into one pile...with every guard STILL inside.

You're a mistake that nature made! I forge the stars to which you pray! Unto your world, you are disease! I bring the cosmos to its knees!

Grinning maliciously, Mokushiroku crushed the rubble into an increasingly tiny pile, crushing the guards into nothing as he did so. The guards had only less than a second to scream before they (including Cerise) were reduced to nothing, the crystals glowing violently as this happened before he finally finished. A massive shockwave was felt across the moon after that.

Your words shall fall into the dust, while my words break Andromeda! My form more vast than life itself! MY WILL AND MIND SO COSMIC!

Upon finishing, Mokushiroku panted, the veins in his head pulsating after using that amount of power. Slowly, he turned towards Discord's group. They were all staring at him, utterly slack-jawed at what had happened.

Getting a new idea, the kaiju used some remaining power to lift up their section of ground, ignoring their cries of surprise as he tugged that new platform towards the nearest asteroid belt. Though he had destroyed Conva's communications with the rest of Starfleet, he knew it was only a matter of time before they figured out something had happened.

And so, he continued to fly towards the asteroid belt, while everybody else hung onto the large rock for dear life as he rocketed away from the destruction of Planet Conva. Only one guard remained, his body trembling as he looked around himself.

At first, he didn't know why he was spared, but it soon dawned on him that the kaiju needed a messenger. Somebody that would tell Celesto of what had become of the prison planet...

Meanwhile at Canterlot...

Princess Luna felt incredibly tempted to throw the report she had in her hands off of the balcony of the castle. "My warriors fight for a better future and your response is destroy the Everfree Forest. Your efforts are in vain, Celesto. You'll never find them." She said to herself.

Normally, she would take the time to visit the rebels, but, with how diligent Starfleet was in finding them, she didn't want to bring attention to herself. "I can't have Celestia get involved in this. She doesn't deserve to have to deal with it. She has enough on her plate with having to deal with her 'husband'." She huffed.

Her unhappy mood wasn't helped by the fact that many of the dreams she usually patrolled to keep safe were getting more and more depressing. Any hopes and dreams the Equestrians had were being crushed to make room for Starfleet to demand that they all become warriors for whatever goals they had in mind. "I knew something was wrong when Starfleet started to openly mark Cutie Marks. The very idea of individuality must be sickening to them."

Before she could rest for the night, hoping to find a chance to see how the Night Warriors were doing, Luna suddenly gasped, a vision suddenly showing before her eyes. "What is this?!" She cried out, closing her eyes so she could enter the world of dreams once more. 

Specifically, the Princess of the Night was looking into her own dreams. Lately, she had been feeling a little restless whenever she tried to sleep and she didn't know why. When she woke up in her dreamworld, Luna was greeted by a small box in the middle of a ruined landscape.

Slowly, that box started to open...and a large claw emerged, slamming into the ground as whatever was inside started to get out. A familiar roar echoed throughout the place, instantly waking Luna up. "That roar! I remember it! Could this mean...he's returning?" 

A part of her wanted to warn Celestia, but she shook her head. "No. I must calm myself. Those on Planet Ainzul have this handled." Still, she kept thinking about her vision, causing her ears to lower. "Then again, is this a bad thing? If I could be freed from my inner darkness...and if Discord could understand the magic of friendship...could there be hope for Stammadon?"

That name was one she had not thought of in a long while. Memories began to flood her mind. Most were pleasant, while the later ones brought her sorrow. "I have no time to dwell on the past." Luna's facial expression hardened. "I need to focus on protecting the future. For my friends. For my sister. For Equestria."

Meanwhile on a random floating asteroid...

For several minutes, Discord's group continued to drift through space, standing on the asteroid while Mokushiroku 'drove' it with his psychic powers. "Okay. So...are we free or not?" Gilda wondered.

"The great and confused Trixie is still processing what just happened." Trixie admitted.

"Who cares?! I feel great!" Brass Bolt exclaimed, holding up his mechanical fists. "WHOO! TOP OF THE WORLD!" Stud Muffin, however, kept looking back, giving a sad sigh. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me you feel bad for those jerks! Those Space Ponies got what was coming to them!"

"I dunno." The muscular one shook his head. "I just think what happened to them is wrong." He remembered the horrible ways many of them had died, causing him to shudder before standing up, looking towards the kaiju psychically towing the asteroid. "Excuse me!"

"Hold it!" Discord held out a hand, clenching it into a fist. "Allow ME."

"Uh oh. Iron Will senses a throw-down about to happen!" The minotaur of the group exclaimed.

Stomping with enough force to leave footprints in the asteroid, Discord lifted one of his claws, chaotic energy filling it...before it fizzled out. "Phooie! All that time spent away from Chaosland and chaos in general did a number on my skills!"

Suddenly, Mokushiroku turned around, gently cupping the face of the draconequus. "...are they gonna kiss or something?" Gilda asked, leaning into Trixie's side. The magician just shrugged.

Tilting his head a bit, the kaiju then leaned back, extending his telekinesis to the others. 'I hope you enjoyed that demonstration of my power. Because, now, you have that power on your side. As long as you stick with me, that is.'

"Oh, so he DOES talk." Discord muttered.

"Except not really." Brass Bolt scratched his head. "He's...communicating with his mind."

"Wait! He's in our heads?!" Trixie exclaimed.

"That's an invasion of privacy!" Iron Will cried out.

'Calm down. Out of respect, I'm only reading the bare minimum. I now know who all of you are.' Mokushiroku explained, only to grasp his head when he got to Stud Muffin. 'You, on the other hand...oh, what did Starfleet DO to you?  I can't read your memories. It's like...there's some kind of lock on them. What happened? '

He just shrugged. "You got me. I try not to think about that much. Anyway, thank you for saving us."

'It was my pleasure. Now, Starfleet finds itself without its precious prison 'planet'. That is only the first part of my plan. A plan that I will need help with if I am to...urgh! ' He fell to his knee, grasping his head. 'Sorry. I used quite a lot of energy to begin the first phase. I will use far more for the next one. That's why I need your help.'

"Help YOU?! Are you ridiculous?!" Discord furiously shouted, his pupils starting to glow red. "If I remember correctly, you hurt Fluttershy! This...I cannot forgive!"

'A tragic accident, I assure you.' Mokushiroku insisted. 'She didn't deserve what happened in Horn Kong. Speaking of which, my condolences to that city. Had it not been for Starfleet's incompetence, my awakening would have been less...devastating.'

"It's Starfleet. They screw EVERYTHING up." Brass Bolt huffed. "So, are you their next 'big bad villain'? Gonna send a monster once a week to ineffectually fight those jerks?"

"And are you going to bring us home? Trixie finds space to be cold! Very cold!" The unicorn shivered.

The kaiju stood back up. 'I'm sure you all have many questions. In terms of you going back home...I'm afraid that cannot be done.'

"Why's THAT?" Gilda glared.

'Because you would all be recaptured. Starfleet's pride has been wounded. The Space Ponies will do EVERYTHING to find the escaped prisoners of Conva. I am offering you all sanctuary until the time comes when you can return home and NOT worry about being recaptured...or destroyed.' Mokushiroku explained.

Discord wanted to object, but he looked at his hands, snarling as he realized he needed time until his powers had returned. He desperately wanted to see Fluttershy again, but he knew he had no choice. The others also looked like they were realizing there was no going home for a while.

"At least we have each-other." Stud Muffin stated.

'And the promise of revenge.' Mokushiroku added. 'If we are to return to Equestria, we must first defeat the scourge that is Starfleet. Make them PAY for turning you all into outcasts! I do not seek to rule Equestria. I seek to free it.'

Instantly, Brass Bolt was the first to walk towards the kaiju. "I'm already in. I'll take any chance to get back at those jerks. They took away my arms, my reputation, and the planet I live on! Also, your actions led to me getting my arms back. I owe you one."

Rubbing his chin, Iron Will snapped his fingers. "I smell a partnership. Iron Will knows a good deal when he sees one!" He instantly shook the hand of the kaiju.

Looking at her beloved hat, Trixie glared. "Trixie is normally a solo act, but, for now, I'll agree to this."

After giving it more thought, Gilda shrugged. "Eh. I'm in. Whatever." She huffed. "But, if there's a place where we can crash, I'm getting my own space. Deal?"

'Deal.' The kaiju nodded before looking at Stud Muffin. 'Well? '

The muscular one rubbed the back of his head. "I dunno. The thought of revenge just doesn't sit right with me."

'How could you NOT desire revenge? Whatever Starfleet did to you, it ruined your memories! ' Calming down, Mokushiroku offered his claw. 'But very well. Join me and I will do all I can to help you. I will need your help soon, but you like helping others, don't you? "

"Well...yeah. Okay! I'm in, guys!" He shook the kaiju's hand, nearly crushing it and causing him to let out a pained roar. "Sorry!"

'It's fine.' He replied, gazing upon his injured hand before looking to Discord. 'Don't be stubborn. You want revenge as much as I do.'

Narrowing his eyes, Discord grabbed Mokushiroku by the chin. "Fine. We're partners. But know this! Never forget that I will gain the full extent of my power back. You'd better hope we're good pals by that time or there will be TARTARUS to pay."

'Duly noted.' Once he was released from that grip, Mokushiroku clasped his claws, grinning. 'Now...I have a plan, but first...' He telekinetically lifted a radio up. 'I managed to get this from Conva. I want to see if Starfleet will take any action after my visit. I must know what they'll do in the next day before I tell you all my plan.'

"So, we're supposed to wait around and do nothing until then?" Gilda crossed her arms. "I'm starting to regret joining you already."

'I brought card games.' Mokushiroku added before telekinetically lifting some sandwiches. 'And I brought food.'

"Say no more! Trixie is famished!" The magician unicorn exclaimed.

Groaning, Discord couldn't resist finally eating something that wasn't the slop Planet Conva gave him. "Fine." He snapped his fingers, creating two sporks for him to carry. "These had better be good."

Meanwhile at Lightning Dawn's House...

Swift Star wasn't sure how to feel about simply watching as Lightning Dawn destroyed tree after tree, his punches and kicks random fueled by nothing but pure anger. "Hmmm..." The artificial Equestrian rubbed his chin, trying to see the point of what his mentor was demonstrating.

"Why aren't you fighting alongside him? Aren't you two supposed to be training?"

Turning to Starla, Swift Star shrugged. "Well...I thought we were going to train together, but he seems more content doing it alone. I'm failing to see the logic of it."

Though she wanted to argue that her husband's decision was wise, the Space Pony found herself unable to disagree with the artificial one. "I...well...ugh. Honestly, this is all Mokushiroku's fault." She huffed. "Ever since that fight, he's been even more determined to get stronger. I'd normally be fine with that, but-"

"You feel left out. I kind of feel that same way too." Swift Star admitted, frowning. "It's like he pretends that I don't exist."

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Starla admitted before shaking her head. "Wait a minute. How are you feeling ANYTHING? Aren't you supposed to be a machine?"

Swift Star nodded. "Well, twenty years ago, I had the opportunity to observe Space Ponies while Professor Brain kept me on the work-table. I couldn't speak, but I could listen. I collected so much data and ran so many simulations before I was found by the Grand Ruler after United Equestria was made." He looked at his hand. "Sometimes...I wonder if I was a robot to begin with. I feel real...so, I must be real, right?"

"Well, as long as you fight for Starfleet, then why bother even thinking that? You're fulfilling your function." Starla replied.

"I guess you're right. All Space Ponies need to 'fulfill their function'. Robots and Space Ponies aren't so different, really." Swift Star supposed, smiling. "Because of that, I don't feel like an outcast."

"Robots and Space Ponies not being that different? That's not right." Starla's brow rose up a bit. "What gave you that impression?"

Thinking about that, the artificial one kicked back, resting his head on his hands. "Well, based on the data I have gathered, Space Ponies are expected to only do one thing and stick to it. There is no variation. They fulfill their functions and are expected to follow all orders without question. Kind of like a machine. Lightning Dawn is trying to fulfill his function right now."

"Space Ponies...they're not like robots." Starla replied, slightly sweating as she thought about what her companion had said. "You're mistaken!"

"How am I mistaken? Could you please explain?"

"Um...we can fall in love!" She exclaimed. "Robots can't do that!"

"Oh! That's true. On that subject, what do you love about Lightning? I want to get to know him more." Swift Star continued to watch as his mentor destroyed more trees, firing a great amount of energy blasts. "I may have a lot of data on him, but I want to know him as a person."

At first, Starla was happy to explain why she loved him, but she found herself struggling to come up with things that weren't just about Lightning's strength. "He...has a strong sense of justice! He protects the innocent whenever he can! I find it inspiring."

"Anything else? What do you like doing with him whenever you two aren't battling together?"

"..." Now, Starla truly was at a loss for words. "We...well...there was that one time...um..."

"It's alright. Take your time." Swift Star assured.

"...what matters is that we're happy together. That's all you need to now. We're a loving husband and wife." Starla turned away, looking down on the ground. "Is there...anything between me and him anymore?" She wondered.

Swift Star's ears lowered as he frowned in sympathy. "You look sad. Based on my data on you, maybe we could go observe the stars? I have some good data on astronomy."

"I'm fine. Just...wait for Lightning to give you orders when he's doing training." Starla mumbled.

"Understood. I'm certain he'll be done...soon." There was a tinge of doubt and maybe some resentment in his voice, but he sat back down, continuing to watch his mentor train.

After a few minutes, she finally turned to the artificial Space Pony. "I suppose, maybe tomorrow night, I could show you some photos I took of some star clusters I observed last week."

Hearing that put a smile on Swift Star's face. "That would be great."

Chapter Text

Later that morning at Canterlot Castle...

"Impossible! Inconceivable!" Celesto shouted. "That prison planet was heavily guarded! How did that fiend destroy it in under half an hour?!"

News of what had happened to Conva had already reached the Grand Ruler. Already, he was clenching the arms of his throne, nearly reducing them to dust. Celestia was next to him, giving a sympathetic look to the guard that had brought the news to him. "I don't know!" The guard whimpered. "If we had more reinforcements-"

"Do you know how this makes Starfleet look?! If word got out that Planet Conva was ruined and the prisoners escaped, then our reputation will be in shambles!" Celesto glared at the guard. "Your failure, along with the failure of the rest of the guards, brings shame to Starfleet."

"Enough." Celestia stood up before looking to the guard. "You did all you could. Take as much time as you need to recover from this. I'm truly sorry about what happened to your teammates."

Clutching his head, the guard began to weep. "Thank you, Queen Celestia. I'll find a way to make up for this! I promise!" With that, he flew away towards his home.

Once he left, Celestia glared at her husband. "How could you speak to him like that? He was clearly traumatized by what he had been through!"

"He and the rest of the guards were supposed to keep those prisoners locked up in that prison. Now, they're all running loose because the guards couldn't handle ONE villain!" He rested his head against his palm, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. "Mokushiroku...that fiend has finally returned. It's only a matter of time before he menaces Equestria once again."

Rubbing her chin, Celestia wondered about one of the details the guard had given. Apparently, large crystals had been left behind all around Planet Conva, all of them seeming to grow larger with every passing minute. "Do you think he's planning on turning that moon into his new base of operations?"

"Maybe. But we need a new prison planet! I know just the one." Celesto stood up, only for his wife to also rise. "What is it now?"

"We should focus on protecting our world rather than transforming yet another moon into a gigantic prison. We have enough room in the prisons on this world." Celestia said, though she felt her hand clench into a fist. She had always hated the concept of the prison planets, given that Starfleet seemed willing to throw pretty much anybody that disagreed with them there. 

"No! We NEED a prison planet! That's the Starfleet way!" Celesto argued. "I think it's time that we paid Planet Ainzul a visit."

The mention of that planet caused Celestia's ears to flick. "Wait a minute. Something about that name feels...familiar." She couldn't put her finger on it, as it had been so many years since she had heard of that planet. "I still think we should focus on uniting our world against whatever Mokushiroku has in mind."

"There is no need for that. Starfleet is strong as it is." Celesto insisted. "We just need to gain more planets to spread our forces. I have already made up my mind."

"Of course, you have." Celestia's eye twitched. "There's never any room for second opinions."

"Because I don't need any! Now...it's time to warn Starfleet Magic that the meeting with Ainzul begins...in a few hours!"

Meanwhile, somewhere in New Ponyville..

Already, the news of the meeting was causing Applejack and her friends to scramble. "The heck's goin' on?!"

"I dunno, but it sounds like we're going to a whole new planet!" Pinkie exclaimed, bounding after her friends. "This could be fun! Imagine how many new friends we'll make!"

"I don't think we'll have time to stay and chat." Rarity replied, the group approaching Lightning and the rest of his team. "From the sound of it, we lost Conva!"

Applejack had never liked that place, having heard of the abominable treatment the prisoners got, but the sudden loss of an entire moon controlled by Starfleet made her wonder about the whole thing. Shaking her head, she approached Lightning. "Somethin's happened. Got any info on that?"

"Don't question the Grand Ruler's orders. Just do as he says." Lightning ordered, the group now heading to the nearest portal generator. 

Swift Star was also there, but he stuck by Rarity's side. "So, if this ends in a fight, can I watch you and your friends work together? It'll make for amazing data."

"I'm...fairly certain this isn't going to end in a fight. We just need to show Ainzul that we mean well." Rarity replied.

"Or maybe you're scared to actually fight because you're worried you'll break a nail." Starla replied spitefully.

"Must you?" Rarity groaned.

Pinkie felt some of her hair shake, sensing an incoming doozie, but she then focused on how Artie and Buddy seemed to be holding hands as they flew towards the portal generator. "Shipping goggles engaged!" She said to herself, continuing to bounce her way to where the group was going.

She also realized that, with the fall of Conva, there was a chance that Discord was finally free. "If only Fluttershy was here to hear that. She'd be super-duper excited!" She remarked.

"What did you say? Focus and stop clowning around, okay? " Rhymey demanded. 

"Give it a rest, will ya'?" Applejack replied. "We're almost there." She had her fingers crossed that this would be an average meeting, but, given how things had been going, she couldn't shake off the feeling that this was going to end in some kind of chaos.

Meanwhile, somewhere else in Equestria...

"Yeah, something tells me I should have had more of a plan beyond 'fly into the stormclouds'..." Rainbow Dash admitted.

Flying across the sea, the pegasus had to dodge a lot of lightning strikes as the storm around her got worse. It was like the very elements themselves were trying to send her into the rough waters below. However, Rainbow Dash wasn't one to give up. She kept flapping her wings through the rain, her outfit utterly soaked.

That being said, her wings were already showing signs of fatigue. Their flapping was getting progressively weaker, causing her to nearly plummet into the water. "Come on...just a little further..." Tears started to form in her eyes, but she kept powering through the storm, knowing that a place like this was one that Starfleet wouldn't really want to search, given the seemingly eternally bad weather conditions.

"RAINBOW DASH!" A familiar voice shouted.

"Huh?" The rainbow-haired pegasus blinked, realizing that Fluttershy was right in front of her. She looked just as soaked as she was, but her hands were pressing into something in the sky.

It was like the shy pegasus was splitting the sky open, rays of light emanating from the tear. "Get inside!"

"Huh?! What are you doing out here?! Go home! It's safer!" Rainbow Dash rushed towards her friend, only to get grabbed by her.

"No time for talk! We need to hurry! The storm's getting worse!" With that, Fluttershy pushed through the tear in the illusionary wall, the duo vanishing as they entered a whole new area. Their outlines could be seen within the storm, as if they were entering the very heart of it.

The movement of their outlines slowed, showing that they were relaxing. Pretty soon, those outlines would vanish. Within this storm, there was apparently a new place that wasn't suffering a violent storm. For a moment, nothing else happened, the storm outside of the illusionary wall continuing to rage.

However, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy weren't the only ones flying through this storm. Turns out, a group of Space Ponies had gotten lost, their duty being to find the Night Warriors. "How did we wind up here?! This is the farthest location from the Everfree Forest!" One of them shouted.

Their leader, however, was smiling, as he had noticed what had happened earlier. "Those guys patrolling the Everfree Forest are in for a surprise. We've found Rainbow Dash!" He said triumphantly.

That caused the mood of the others to rise significantly. They had felt utterly lost, at first, but now, they were eager to fly into the heart of the storm. "Should we warn the Grand Ruler that we've finally found the traitor?" Another asked.

"Not yet! First, let's show her that her arrogance has led to her downfall! Then, we'll find the rest of the Night Warriors! Today is a good day!" The leader of the group declared. Soon, they would follow the duo through the tear in the sky.

Only Fluttershy had an idea of what would await on the other side of the illusionary wall.

Meanwhile on Mokushiroku's Asteroid...

"Soon, Starfleet will have a whole new prison planet! Though there have been questions about the state of Planet Conva, our Grand Ruler assures us that everything is fine! And now...the weather!"

Turning off the radio, Mokushiroku chuckled. 'This is even BETTER than I thought! Those Space Ponies have made my plan even more trivial.'

"Okay, genius. WHAT is your plan? My beard is growing longer with every passing minute!" Discord complained.

'The Spirit of Chaos demanding to know what the plan is? Didn't you thrive on anarchy? ' The kaiju wondered.

"Well, excuse me if I don't want to spend anymore time on this desolate floating space rock!" The draconequus complained.

"He's right. I'm dying of boredom, dude!" Gilda said, laying on her back as she kept flicking pebbles into space, watching them float away.

Floating over to the group, the kaiju clutched his head, doing his best to ignore his headache. "Are you okay? Does your head need ice?" Stud Muffin asked.

"We're in space. It's already freezing here." Brass Bolt said before sitting down. "Now, how is Starfleet heading over to Ainzul good for us? Does it mean we can head over to Equestria without them getting in the way? We still have to deal with Celesto and the rest of his cronies."

Clasping his claws, Mokushiroku gave the group a psychic vision of Ainzul. 'Correction. We're not going back to Equestria. Not for a while. For now, this planet is our destination. If my plan is to succeed, we need to sneak in and retrieve an ancient artifact. One that will prove very useful in our quest to save our planet from Celesto's tyranny.'

"Hey, Discord! You know about this?" Iron Will asked. "I mean, you're kind of ancient yourself."

The peeved draconequus turned to him, conjuring up a cane to bonk the minotaur on the head. "Oh, just because I'm millennia old doesn't mean I know every single lousy artifact! Also, shame on you! I'm not THAT old!"

"What is this artifact?" Trixie asked. "It's not one that corrupts the user, is it? The great and regretful Trixie remembers making the mistake of trying to use one of those." She shuddered, remembering the Alicorn Amulet.

The kaiju soon continued. 'This artifact is actually a prison for a powerful entity that I intend to make our ally. He may be obsessed with battle, but I have a plan for convincing him to join our side. The hard part will be acquiring this box and releasing him. To do this...I need your help.'

"Why's that? We saw what you did to Conva!" Brass Bolt replied. "You completely wrecked that place!"

Sighing, Mokushiroku grasped his head again, feeling another headache. 'One part of my plan requires that I use more of my energy. I'll need to replenish it when we're done. For now, I will need your skills to not only retrieve the box, but also ensure that no innocents are destroyed as a result of what happens when the box is opened. We will open it on one of Ainzul's moons. I will NOT have the events of Horn Kong repeat themselves.'

"If the guy we're trying to unleash could get sucked in a box, then that's the big deal?" Gilda asked.

Narrowing his eyes, the kaiju floated closer to the group. 'When Stammadon is released from his prison, you will see what I mean.'

"Stamma-who?" Stud Muffin asked.

"Trixie doesn't remember THAT name from the history books." Trixie stated.

'Some tales are just lost to time.' Mokushiroku stated. 'Now, as for the plan, I have researched Ainzul enough to know what all of you must do. The meeting between Starfleet and Empress Mowaza will take place in a large temple situated atop Mt. Roar. Within this temple, the box containing Stammadon will be there. Most likely, the temple will be heavily guarded. The whole meeting should distract some of the guards from this plan, but we're not going to take our chances.'

He turned to Brass Bolt. 'You will hijack the security cameras. Don't completely shut them down. Just make them glitch out occasionally. Warn us when that happens so we can move freely through the temple.'

"Sounds good to me." Brass Bolt nodded.

Next, the kaiju looked to Trixie. 'You will use your illusion magic to further confuse the guards. Ensure they're busy chasing after your illusions so that we have an even greater chance of sneaking in without being caught.'

"Leave it to the great and sneaky Trixie!" The magician said with pride. "It's a shame I can't perform before the Empress. I would give her a show that she and her subjects would never forget!"

"Oh, please! What would you do? Pull a rabbit out of a hat?" Discord asked. "If I was at full power, I would give them a show they'd talk about for centuries!"

"You're old news, Discord! Trixie is the new face of magical prowess!" Trixie argued.

"I'M! NOT! THAT! OLD!" The draconequus yelled, only to get bonked in the head by Mokushiroku's tail.

'If you're done getting into foolish arguments...' He turned to Iron Will and Stud Muffin. 'In the event that anything goes wrong, you two will use your strength to help us to either rush towards the box or make a getaway AFTER we get that box.'

"Hey! What about Iron Will's negotiating skills?! I can keep the meeting going by giving Mowaza and everybody else all kinds of deals!" The minotaur exclaimed. "Like...how to save up and buy a new home on Cybertron! Maybe I can start up a new business all about how to surf on asteroids!"

'Hmmmm...I suppose you and Discord could team up for the task of keeping the meeting going on for longer. Stud Muffin will assist Trixie with stealing the box.'

Thinking this would be the chance to see Fluttershy again, Discord beamed. "You know what? Maybe this plan isn't so bad! Let's give them a show! Let them all know that Discord is back!"

"So is Iron Will! YEAH!" The minotaur flexed both of his arms.

"As is Trixie!" The magician threw up her arms, though she was a little disappointed that her cape wasn't billowing in the wind, as there was no wind in space.

"Stick with me and I'll make sure we get out of this one safe and sound." Stud Muffin said. "That's a promise...although I don't really like the idea of stealing."

'This isn't about merely stealing the box. We're freeing somebody from it. Sounds good? ' Mokushiroku leaned into the muscular stallion's face.

"Oh. Got it."

"What about me?" Gilda asked, crossing her arms.

'You will be the eyes in the sky. Use the large clouds surrounding Mt. Roar to help you.'

"Relax. I'm all about using clouds for stealth." Gilda fondly remembered using the clouds to hide herself whenever she and Rainbow Dash pranked people.

"So, what are you doing during all of this?" Discord asked. "Lounging on this asteroid?"

Looking at his claw, Mokushiroku closed his eyes. 'I will use the rest of my power when the box is opened. If Stammadon is to return to his full strength, he will need the power I provide him.'

"And what if he turns on us?" Brass Bolt wondered.

'Do not fear. I have that under control.' The kaiju smirked, clenching his claw before clasping his claws again. 'We will begin in several hours. I hope you're all ready. If this plan succeeds...then we will be one step closer to saving our world.'

The group would then see another vision of Ainzul. "Well...we're ready as we'll ever be." Iron Will said.

"I'll say." Gilda nodded.

"As long as we believe in ourselves, we can do this!" Stud Muffin beamed.

"You gotta admire this guy's enthusiasm." Discord admitted, the asteroid continuing to float through space as it neared Ainzul...

Chapter Text

Mt. Roar, Ainzul...

Gilda flew through the red skies of the planet, almost losing herself in how GOOD it felt to stretch her wings once more. She swirled through the crimson clouds, dive-bombed around mountains, and felt the wind rush against her feathers and fur. "Shit, this feels amazing! Gilda's back, dudes!" She said to herself.

"Focus on the mission. What's the status on the temple?' Mokushiroku's voice echoed in her mind.

Grumbling, she went back to hovering above the temple. "Everything's good. Wait a minute..." She peered down, only to see a small portal open up. "The meeting's about to start. Can't wait to see how Starfleet screws THIS one up."

Down below, Lightning and Applejack led their teams out of the portal. Already, Lightning Dawn was getting flashback of Horn Kong, given how similar the areas were. "Keep it together, gals." Applejack said, also getting flashbacks to the destruction of that city.

Artie's hands started to tremble, but Buddy gently placed one of his own on them. "It's okay." He soothingly said.

Swift Star tried to move closer to offer some comfort of his own, but Rhymey pulled him in. "They're just being silly. They should just forget about the past, really." Despite his comments, Artie and Buddy continued to hold hands, finding comfort in each-other as the memories continued.

Many armored tiger-like Ainzulians greeted the group, each of them holding a large spear. "This is the place." Lightning said.

Swift Star gazed upon everything around him, looking back to see the winding stone path that led to the nearest town. "Do you think, after this, we could see what more of this planet is like?"

"Yeah! Let's have some fun! It's always awesome to try new things!" Pinkie said, waving to every guard.

Applejack's ears flicked, looking upon the expressions of the guards. "Somethin's off. They look like they're all on edge or somethin'."

"I'm certain that Ainzul was warned that this meeting would happen. Surely, they know we mean no harm, yes?" Rarity wondered. "Wait a minute. I wasn't quite informed as to why Celesto suddenly decided to extend a hand towards other planets. Not that I'm complaining, but he's usually insistant that United Equestria can stand alone against its foes."

"I wasn't informed either." Buddy admitted, walking up to Lightning. "What's going on? Did something happen on this world? Is there a new threat?"

"Is it Mokushiroku?" Artie shuddered.

Clenching a fist, Lightning struggled to say calm. "For the sake of this mission, don't mention that monster's name. Right now, let me do the talking."

"This ain't gonna end well." Applejack sighed.

Rarity rested a hand on her shoulder, giving her a warm smile. "If there's anybody that can prevent this meeting from falling into chaos, it's you, dear." 

"We're with you, AJ. We're tighter than even the stickiest bubblegum!" Pinkie beamed.

"Thanks, gals." The Earth pony smiled, only for the large gates to start opening. Slowly, a humongous room with murals depicting various events in Ainzul's history was revealed.

Rhymey suddenly got out several hoola-hoops. "That's our que! We know what to do! "

"Wait! What's going on now?" Rarity asked.

"Just stand back and let us professionals handle this!" Starla sneered, grabbing a hoola-hoop, while Artie readied a disco ball.

Soon, more guards started to exit the temple, all of them making way for the ruler of the planet. Dressed in flowing red robes, an anthro lioness with golden fur stepped forward, her face showing a stern expression. When she finally exited the temple and looked upon her visitors, she cleared her throat. "Greetings-"

"HIT IT!" Lightning shouted to his troops.

Instantly, ear-piercing techno music played, courtesy of Artie. Rhymey was balancing the disco ball on his horn, spinning it around while everybody else danced with hoola-hoops. While the Space Ponies did this, everybody else was covering their ears. "GAH! WHAT IN TARNATION?!" Applejack cried out.

"TURN THAT GHASTLY RACKET OFF!" Rarity pleaded.

Empress Mowaza did her best to remain stoic, but even she couldn't help but be confused at what she was watching.

Flying above this scene, Gilda also covered her ears. "Ugh! What the Tartarus am I even watching?!"

'Wait! This is good! This is our time to infiltrate the temple! Everybody! Find a way in!' Mokushiroku yelled. 'Try to ignore whatever Starfleet is doing! I know it's giving us headaches, but we must succeed!'

While all of this happened, a large bush with legs started to run near the temple, gradually getting closer. Discord's magic was already weakening, but the burst of chaos had given the draconequus the energy boost he needed for this. Hiding behind a pillar within the temple, he conjured up some large earmuffs. "Ahhhh...much better." He slumped against the pillar, relaxed.

Brass Bolt had also been hiding in Discord's bush form, quickly using his robotic arms to grapple onto the walls and climb through the vents. "Trixie! Do your thing!"

Quickly, the magician raced across the temple's outer walls, her horn creating the illusion of footsteps. The guards, eager to get away from the cacophony happening around them, followed the source of those footsteps, allowing the others more of a chance to keep moving through the temple.

Iron Will remained behind a large rock, waiting for his part. Still, he tugged on his ears, wishing the music would stop. "Keep it together! Iron Will does NOT crack under pressure!" He told himself, his hooves digging into the ground as he tugged on his own ears more, his eyes becoming bloodshot as the music kept droning on.

Pinkie tried to give the performance an encouraging smile, but even she felt the urge to cover her ears. Eventually, she was the one to take the disco ball off of Rhymey's horn, ending the music. That made everybody around give a collective sigh of relief. "Hey! We weren't done with giving the Empress the most spectacular show she's ever seen!" Lightning shouted.

"NO! That...will be all." Empress Mowaza held up a claw, lowering it as she tried to speak softly. "I...appreciate the fact that you wanted to put on a show for me, but there's no need for that. Please, come in."

An air of awkwardness surrounded the Equestrians and the Space Ponies, all of them slowly entering the temple. Discord literally grabbed his own eyes and rolled them across the ground, getting a visual on who had made it. "No Fluttershy? Well, I'm now glad she's not here. She didn't have to experience...that." Giving a small whistle, he got his eyes to roll back onto his face. "So...now what?"

'Keep the meeting going on in that throne room for as long as possible. So far, do nothing. The meeting has just started.' Mokushiroku said. 'Gilda, continue to patrol.'

"You got it." The griffon circled around the temple, catching sight of a few guards. Thankfully, the illusion Trixie had made had caused the guards to keep looking around in multiple places, keeping them from seeing her and any of her other allies. "Heh. I could watch this all day." She said, kicking back in the sky.

As Trixie moved further into the temple, she saw that there were winding stairs going further down, showing that this temple was FAR bigger than what she thought. Many guards patrolled the stairs, causing her to gulp. "Um...Trixie will come up with...something!"

Suddenly, Brass Bolt's voice spoke through several speakers across the stairs. "Attention, guards! There has been some suspicious activity...to your left!" Instantly, the guards turned to face the possible threat, providing Trixie the means to sneak around them and descend down into the deepest reaches of the temple. "To the right! Wait! I meant that the intruder is to your left! Turn around some more! You'll find that intruder soon!"

Discord had his ear pressed to the ground, hearing what was going down. "Yeesh. These guys have been guarding the same thing for so long, they're probably begging for some excitement!"

'Calm yourself, Discord. Continue to spy on the meeting.' Mokushiroku instructed.

"Hmph. Killjoy." The draconequus huffed, keeping himself behind the pillar.

Back with Empress Mowaza, she sat upon her throne, gazing upon her guests. "It has been some time since we have heard of Equestria. The last time our worlds interacted, it was when the one known as Celesto sent a demon to our world."

"Wait a sec. What?" Applejack blinked.

"Nevermind that!" Lightning shouted before composing himself. "Empress, we've heard of the news that you're disbanding your armies, for you seek no more conflict. You're all embracing the ways of peace, which is fine, but I request that we become your new army to replace the old one. We need to protect each-other, for there are many dangers in the universe and-"

"Enough." Mowaza raised her hand. "You must have misheard. While it is true that we are moving towards an age of peace, it does NOT mean we are leaving ourselves defenseless. Also, what is this talk of your armies replacing our own? Are you trying to say that you merely wish to enter an alliance?"

"Not JUST an alliance. I implore you!" Lightning continued. "Let us handle things here from now on. Us Space Ponies are stronger and faster than any warrior here. We'll be able to defend this planet from any threat! That way, your people can pursue peace, while we'll do the fighting." He got out a list. "We have some ideas on how to make this work. For one thing, we'll need to build more prisons, training facilities, prisons, factories for making new weapons, even more prisons..."

Applejack's ears flicked as she heard all of this. "Horseapples, this is about Conva, isn't it? He said 'prisons' thrice."

"I feel like we should do something before this gets out of hand." Rarity said.

"Shut up, already. We need a new prison planet and we need it NOW." Starla sneered.

"...and we might have to terraform the world greatly if we're going to make sure this looks good for our Grand Ruler." Lightning finished. "Those are our terms. You let us become your new military and we'll make sure this planet is safe from all threats."

Rubbing her chin, Mowaza thought about what he was saying. "I'm sorry, but your terms are not accepted."

"WHAT?!" Lightning roared, his eyes widening with fury.

That's when Applejack stepped forward, getting in front him. "Sorry about that, your majesty! I can understand why you'd refuse that offer. But I assure ya' that we ain't gonna just take over your military. We just wanna extend a hand towards Ainzul. Not just for peace...but friendship."

"Are you kidding me? She's being so silly! " Rhymey huffed.

"No, she's being diplomatic." Rarity crossed her arms. "Just let her do her thing."

"You know what would help, guys?" Suddenly, Pinkie got out a tray of frosted cookies from her mane, showing it to the Ainzulians. "Snacks! Let's chat over some food!"

Buddy found himself drooling at the mouth, the guards also looking hungry. Starla wanted to object, but her stomach was growling loudly. "Fine." She grumbled. 

Swift Star just continued to observe this, watching both Lightning and Applejack intently as this meeting continued.

Deeper within the temple...

Sweat dripped down Trixie's forehead, as she had to hide from so many guards while they attempted to make sense of Brass Bolt's instructions. "The great...and totally not nervous Trixie...can do this! It's just...a stupid...box." For some reason, she felt a rush of fear when she started to enter a hidden room.

She looked upon the doors, a demonic lion's face painted on each one. That fearful feeling was getting stronger, but she moved to pick at the lock with her horn. "Trixie is not afraid. She can't be. It's just a box. It's just...a box..." She kept repeating that to herself, especially as the doors opened.

At first, Trixie thought a guard was greeting her at the other side, given the muscular silhouette in front of her. Her pupils shrunk, her horn glowing with magic as she prepared to defend herself. However, the figure stepped out of the shadows, carrying a large red box that had a sealing scroll on it.

"I got the thing! Is this the part where we head back to the asteroid?" Stud Muffin asked, holding the box close.

Trixie blinked several times, trying to make sense of this. "What? But...how...?!"

Noticing her surprise, the Earth Pony gestured to a large hole behind him. "I wanted to check to see if there were any guards ahead, so I dug a hole all the way under the temple. I didn't expect to find myself here, but we got the thing now. How's everybody else doing?"

Shrugging her shoulders, the magician was just glad that this mission was almost over. However, she could hear the guards getting restless, tired of the random orders Brass Bolt was yelling. "We should go. Now! Follow the illusions of Trixie!" Conjuring up a set of armor that looked like the guards, she hovered that close to herself and her muscular friend, hoping nobody would notice as Brass Bolt continued to confuse the guards as they headed up.

Back with Starfleet...

Mowaza continued to listen to Applejack, the conversation revealing to her what had happened to United Equestria. "I am sorry to hear of what happened to your city. This 'Mokushiroku' truly sounds like a terrible fiend. We have experience with defeating those kinds of monsters...like the one your world sent to ours."

"Could ya' explain what ya' mean, your majesty?" Applejack asked, curious. "From the sound of it, you're mighty familiar with our world. But, with all due respect, I've never heard of Ainzul until today."

"I agree. Do tell!" Rarity leaned in, with Pinkie eagerly chomping on a cookie as the Ainzulian Empress leaned back on her throne.

Sighing, she began her tale. "I believe it was more than a thousand years ago. This tale has been passed from generation to generation of the royal family. This very temple exists because of what happened so long ago." She gestured to the guards to shine a light on one of the murals.

Depicted on that mural was an entire Ainzulian town engulfed in flames, a monstrous creature standing above it. He looked like a muscular anthro lion with ash-gray fur, but his scaly arms ended in demonic Eastern dragon heads, each head unleashing waves of fire around him. His chest armor had the face of a bear on it, the eyes of it glowing with ferocity. The villain's mane was less of a mane and more a mass of ghostly white flame. That made his Guardian Lion-like face look rather skeletal.

"Behold. Stammadon." Mowaza continued her story. "We only know he came from Equestria because he mentioned that planet many times, claiming that he would 'have his revenge' on the one called Celesto. The one he also referred to as...'father'."

Hearing that caused even the Space Ponies to look shocked. "That can't be right! Grand Ruler made NO mention of this beast! This has to be false!" Starla exclaimed.

"Say what you will, but that is what the fiend claimed." Mowaza then continued, gesturing to the destruction depicted in the mural. "When he came to our world, our finest warriors were met with his wrath. He believed that only the strong could survive in our universe and that it was his duty to destroy those he deemed 'weak'. To him, the weak could only become strong if they were met with a calamity such as himself, so he held nothing back when he fought our warriors."

She then pointed to another mural, showing him surrounded by a variety of monsters. Four silhouettes were around the monstrous being. These silhouettes included that of a gorilla, a centipede anthro, a tiger anthro, and a horse anthro. "The battle against Stammadon nearly destroyed this world, especially since he was aided by his army. These included his four most powerful warriors: the Lords of Destruction."

The final mural depicted Stammadon being sucked into a small box, while the rest of his army was being transformed into stone. "Eventually, through our courage and determination, we managed to weaken him so we could seal him away within a box made from the eldest tree on our planet. Imbued with powerful energy, we put a sealing spell on the box just to be safe. The rest of his army was either defeated or sealed away in stone. We would later destroy these statues, making sure our world was saved."

Once she finished, Mowaza turned to her audience. "Ever since that day, the royal family has held Equestria in contempt for bringing such an evil to our world. Now, Equestria wishes to take control of most of this planet? For shame." She glared.

Before Lightning Dawn could angrily respond, Applejack sighed. "I'm sorry, your majesty. What happened must have been plenty awful. I'm still not sure what's the deal with Stammadon and Equestria, but here's something I can assure. You're right that we shouldn't be here for what's basically conquest." She gave a small glare to Lightning, causing him to clench his fists again. "Instead..." She offered her hand to the empress. "I want this to be the first step in the friendship of our worlds."

"Again with the friendship?!" Starla hissed.

Looking into the Earth pony's eyes, Mowaza's stoic expression softened. "I believe you. Your words are genuine. In all honesty, when I heard Equestria was reaching out to us, I was actually looking forward to it. The past is in the past. Our world is already moving towards an age of peace and learning."

"And that's what we should really be offering." Rarity stepped forth. "If Ainzul is in danger, we'll be the first to respond."

"And when there's no danger, let's have all kinds of fun together!" Pinkie exclaimed. "We shouldn't worry and grumble about everything. Let's join hands in harmony!"

"But what about our prison planet?! Don't you care about that one bit?! " Rhymey shouted.

Grumbling under her breath, Rarity's eye twitched. "Those prisons wouldn't be at maximum capacity if you didn't keep stuffing anybody who disagrees with Starfleet even slightly into them, you cretin."

"You don't understand!" Lightning shouted. "You NEED us, your majesty! Your armies aren't enough! You need US as your army!"

"But can't we just be allies with them?" Buddy asked. "Isn't that enough?"

"Are you questioning the words of the Grand Ruler?!" Lightning yelled. "Are you all being idiots?!"

"Stand down!" Applejack shouted before turning to Mowaza. "I'm so sorry about this!"

"Allow me." Snapping her fingers, the Ainzulian Empress caused the guards to lower their spears, pushing Lightning back.

As he was pushed back, Swift Star continued to watch. "Might I suggest calming down before you continue, my mentor?" He asked.

"NO! They can't just refuse Starfleet! Don't they know what they're doing?!" The Space Pony shouted.

Discord was munching popcorn behind his pillar, only to see that Trixie and Stud Muffin were coming from downstairs...and guards were starting to enter the room in greater numbers. "So...many...stairs." Trixie panted.

The duo would then see that the guards were starting to approach from behind them. "Uh-oh!" Stud Muffin gulped.

'Iron Will! Discord! Now!' ' Mokushiroku yelled. 'We have almost succeeded! '

Instantly, the draconequus snapped his fingers, creating a large cloud of confetti that blinded everybody. When they could see, they saw Iron Will, now wearing a tuxedo. "I heard you were all interested in becoming pals with Equestria! For just a small fee, Iron Will teach you all EVERYTHING there is to know about the wonderful world that is Equestria through an exclusive tour! Satisfaction is 100% guaranteed!" 

"What's this?" Mowaza's brow arched. "I don't remember seeing him pass through the portal."

"Neither did I." Applejack admitted.

"Wait, I know you!" Rarity exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in forever. Might I ask how did you get all the way to Ainzul?"

"You gotta tell us!" Pinkie exclaimed before turning to the Ainzulian Empress. "I just had a great idea! Maybe we could give super-duper awesome tours for each-other of our worlds! Leave it to me to plan everything out."

The guards looked at this all with confusion, while Trixie and Stud Muffin did their best to sneak away. "Almost there..." The magician bit her lip.

Right as Mowaza herself almost noticed the sneaking duo, Discord snapped his fingers, causing Iron Will to suddenly have a bunch of brochures in his hands. "Don't wait now! If you accept this offer, you'll get TWICE the tours for the same price! You won't find prices like this anywhere else!"

As this happened, Applejack scooted over to Mowaza. "Just so you know, I ain't got any idea what's goin' on. I'm mighty sorry about this."

"Don't worry about it. Know that Ainzul is still open to negotiations with United Equestria. I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting. You are showing great calm in the face of chaos." The Ainzulian Empress stated.

Swift Star moved towards Lightning, noticing how he was fuming at everything around him. "I have another strategy in mind. Maybe, if we have a chance for another meeting, we could take ques from Applejack. If not, we could always try emulating the diplomatic skills of the princesses! Like Queen Celestia, Luna, Twilight Sparkle-"

Suddenly, Stud Muffin collapsed onto his chest, crying out in pain when he heard that name. "AUGH! My head!" He yelled, getting back up...only for everything to go quiet when he noticed that everybody was looking at him and the box that had fallen in front of him. "Uh...sorry about that."

'Oh, for the love of Primus...' Mokushiroku sighed.

Even worse, Discord had been trying to sneak away as well, but the guards were now also looking at him. "Give me a minute." He cleared his throat, conjuring up a mustache and monocle for himself when he looked to Mowaza. "Greetings, your highness! I'm the box inspector! I'm just taking this box to where I live so I can...inspect it. That is what I do."

"Pay no attention to the chaotic noodle!" Trixie exclaimed. "This is all a dream and you are all in a deep sleep!"

Upon seeing what was happening through the cameras, Brass Bolt's eyes widened. "Only one thing to do!" He took control of the security system one last time to turn off all of the cameras, before he tore into the vents with his robotic arms. "EVERYPONY RUN!"

Empress Mowaza stood up, pointing at the box. "Grab it! Don't let them get away!"

"Discord?! What the hay are you doing here?!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Nice to meet you again, too." The draconequus smiled, throwing away his monocle and mustache, only for several guards to throw their spears at him. He snapped his fingers, turning those spears into taffy that bounced off of him. He then waved to Pinkie. "Nice paperclip! Thanks for the save!"

"You're welcome!" The pink-haired one beamed, only to grab those taffy spears and instantly wrap them around the group. "Sorry, but you guys are kind of stealing an artifact from this place. But I'm sure you guys have an awesome explanation."

"They can explain themselves after they are thrown into the dungeon." Mowaza glared at those that tried to steal the box.

Instantly, the place swarmed with guards, boxing Discord's group in. Stud Muffin was holding the box once more, joining his group as Brass Bolt was thrown to them, as he had been discovered in the vents. Up above, Gilda was trying to avoid the nets that the guards were throwing at her, only for Buddy and Artie to slam into her from behind, sending her down onto the ground. "Well, this mission just went to shit." The griffon groused.

"You think?!" Brass Bolt readied his robotic arms. "I'm not letting you guys take my arms again! NEVER!"

Trixie's tried to use some of her smoke bombs, only to see that she was out of them. "Bad news! Trixie doesn't have a plan!"

"Don't arrest us! I'll give the tours of Equestria for free! Sounds like an amazing offer, right?!" Iron Will gulped.

The guards, Starfleet, and Applejack's group continued to surround them, keeping them from escaping. "An explanation would be more amazing." Rarity said sternly.

"FORGET EXPLANATIONS!" Lightning roared, charging up his aura. "Empress Mowaza, witness the power of Starfleet as I finally END Discord once and for all!"

"Lightning, no!" Applejack cried out, but it was too late. He had already zoomed to where the draconequus was.

The other Space Ponies followed him, with Swift Star also following. Starla fired several arrows at Trixie, only for them to hit illusionary walls. Not only that, but the arrows also released the group from the taffy restraints. Gilda kicked Artie in the waist, sending him back, while Buddy's whip wrapped around Iron Will's horns, only for the minotaur to swing him around and slam him into the ground.

Brass Bolt kept using his robotic arms to deflect every sword slash Rhymey unleashed, angering the Space Pony with every deflected blow. "You know, normally, I'd feel for you. We both know how it feels not to have one or both arms. But given that you're a total jerk? I feel slightly less bad about eventually kicking your ass." The Earth pony said.

"WARD SWORD! " Rhymey shouted, flinging an energy slash at his foe.

Blocking that, but getting sent back into a wall, Brass Bolt combined his hands together. "Oh, yeah? How about THIS?!" Combining his hands together, he fired a large energy blast from the palms of his hands, forcing everybody to scatter.

Stud Muffin just stood there, watching as Applejack's group protected Mowaza, the rest of the guards starting to pile onto the group. "They look so...familiar..." He rubbed his chin, only to feel several blows against his back. "Heh. That tickles."

Swift Star did his best to replicate Lightning Dawn's style of fighting, only to see that he wasn't getting anywhere. "How can this be? Are you also a robot like I am?"

Turning to the artificial one, Stud Muffin just shrugged. "Last time I checked, nope. So, I'm really sorry about all of this. Is it okay if we release Stammadon? Nobody deserves to be trapped in a box forever. Maybe he feels bad about what he did and wants to apologize?"

In the middle of this, Discord was simply moving his neck side-to-side, avoiding every blow from Lightning. "Ugh. So predictable."

"I'll show you predictable!" In his rage, he blindly grabbed the box containing Stammadon and rammed Discord into the wall with it. "TAKE THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT!"

"NO! If you keep doing that, the seal will be destroyed!" Mowaza cried out.

"I got this!" Applejack rushed forward, trying to grab that box, but it was too late.

SMASH!

Discord managed to literally corkscrew his head to avoid that blow, but he was the first to notice that the sealing scroll around the box had been wrecked. He looked to his group, his face bruised up from the earlier blows. "Am I still handsome?" He asked.

Applejack finally crashed into Lightning, holding him back when he tried to lunge at the draconequus again. "Let go of me! That's an order!"

"Are ya' crazy?! Ya' just damaged the box!" She yelled back.

Rarity was among the many that noticed that the box was shaking violently. "Might I suggest we run?"

"Seconded." Everybody else said, with Lightning suddenly realizing what had happened. His face became pale, especially when the box gave a loud growl, red volts of energy crackling around it.

"Evacuate!" Mowaza ordered, 

As everybody started to leave the temple, Stud Muffin helped make sure everybody got out, with him running out with Discord in his arms. "Okay, genius! What now?!" Gilda shouted, hoping Mokushiroku was listening.

Turns out, he was, but he was straining his psychic powers. 'There is something I must do before I can get us out of here! I promise I'll try not to take long! ' He gritted his teeth, focusing on the crystals he made on Conva.

Speaking of Conva, the crystals there were starting to break apart, the rest of the moon being converted into energy to be stored within the crystals. In many flashes of light, the moon was completely gone. Only humongous crystals remained, zooming through space as they sped towards Ainzul.

Back on that planet, Applejack and her friends prepared for the worst, watching as the temple started to shake violently. Looking back to the town in the distance, Applejack narrowed her eyes. "We're not losing another city to another monster. Never again." She vowed.

"Quite." Rarity used her magic to lift various stones around herself. She then turned to Discord. "After this, we'd still like that explanation."

"I was going to explain myself in song, but I guess that'll have to wait." The draconequus stretched, literally and figuratively.

Pinkie got out a rubber chicken from her mane, using it like nunchucks as she got in front of Mowaza. The other guards joined her, readying their spears. As she prepared for battle, she noticed Gilda, instantly recognizing her. "Oh, hey! It's you! Nice to meet another familiar face!"

Remembering the last time in which she met the pink Earth pony, Gilda gave her a glare. "Whatever." She then turned to Lightning Dawn, rolling her eyes. "Nice going, dumbass. We're all gonna get our asses kicked and it's all your fault."

"Back off! Lightning didn't do anything wrong! Besides, we can defeat this evil easily!" Starla insisted.

"Let's hope so. Because Trixie has a great and POWERFULLY bad feeling about this!" Trixie stated.

Rhymey gripped his sword, while Buddy cracked his whip. Artie tried to hold his staff, but his wrecked hands trembled. "Can I really do this?" He wondered.

Noticing her teammate's fear, Pinkie nudged him closer to Buddy, who then held his hand gently. "WE can do this." The pink-haired one assured.

"Yeah. Together." Artie smiled.

"Focus!" Lightning shouted, sweat dripping down his forehead. "I can do this. I...am strong! Stronger than anyone!"

Swift Star tried to analyze the power before him, his eyes slowly widening as his visor broke. The other visors of the Space Ponies also started to break. "My analysis is complete. We...might be in great danger."

"Can you not?!" Brass Bolt punched his fist into his palm.

Suddenly, the rumbling stopped. Everything went quiet, much to everyone's confusion. Still, they continued to stand, waiting for something to happen.

Sure enough, something did.

(Herald of Gargos-Mick Gordon)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxnPM-1CBLQ

(0:00-0:21)

The windows of the temple began to glow with a combination of yellow and white light, the ground rumbling even more at the same time. Suddenly, with a mighty roar, a massive maelstrom of dark energy erupted, destroying the temple as it started to wildly move around.

"Here he comes!" Buddy shouted. Some of the group tried to blast at the maelstrom, but they couldn't see with how much wind was blowing in their faces.

Eventually, a ghostly face resembling a Chinese Guardian Lion revealed itself. It let out a hideous roar, the spirit's eyes widening as it did that.

(0:21-0:44)

Slamming down in front of them, it instantly tried to lung at them all, seeking out a host to inhabit. "Don't let him possess you! He must not regain his full strength at any cost!" Mowaza shouted, forcing everybody to scatter.

"Blast it!" Brass Bolt shouted, firing energy beams to dispel the spirit.

Stammadon continued to power through the blasts, but his spirit kept dissipating from all of the blasts. However, the barrage of blasts paused when several large crystals hovered overhead, the light shining down on the spirit and causing him to let out a growl of annoyance.

"Crystals?! Could this be...the work of Mokushiroku?!" Lightning cried out, his eyes widening as several of those around him started to get the same idea.

(0:44-0:55)

The crystals started to shatter, the shards quickly transforming into pure energy. The entire energy of Conva was soon flowing into the spirit, causing Stammadon's spirit to start swirling around the entire area. It nearly blew everybody away, but they held onto whatever they could find. Gilda kept pushing through the wind, but even she found herself digging her claws into the ground.

"It's already happening!" Mowaza exclaimed. "That energy...it's allowing him to transform into his true form!"

The spirit continued to spin rapidly, absorbing all of the energy until he became a ball of pure light, something large forming within.

(0:56-1:09)

Something lunged from the light, landing onto the ground with a shattering stomp. Stammadon's claws extended, his muscles flexed, and he quickly stood up. His mane started to burn brightly, the ghostly white flames blowing in the wind. He looked exactly as he did in the mural, complete with him wearing chest armor with a bear's face on it (although the armor was broken).

His eyes opened, while the dragon heads on his arms also had their eyes open after that. Hugging himself, the awakened villain then let out yet another mighty roar, the soundwaves nearly shaking the whole planet. HIs dragon heads breathed a stream of flames into the air, as well.

(1:09-1:20)

As the group looked upon their newest foe, Stammadon stumbled forward, his head looking up as he looked at himself. He seemed astonished that he was free after all of these years, flexing his arms before looking towards the crowd in front of him. Memories of his time in Equestria flooded through his mind, causing his lips to curl as he snarled. "You picked the wrong time to wake up!" Lightning Dawn shouted, powering up as he rushed at the new enemy.

"Wait!" Swift Star shouted, even as his mentor neared his foe's face.

(1:21-1:32)

Suddenly, one of Stammadon's arms extended forward, the dragon head at the end clamping down on Lightning's arm. Slamming him around in various directions, the villain then used the other one to reach for the group, only for Applejack to kick it away.

Roaring in surprise, he threw Lightning aside, getting on all fours as he leaped at the group. "Scatter! Attack him from all sides!" Applejack shouted.

(1:32-1:46)

"NO! Rush at him! He can't take us all on!" Starla shouted, firing her arrows wildly as Buddy tried to whip at the incoming villain. Artie gritted his teeth as he flung Paint Bombs at the fiend, too, but those attacks were also random. A trail of ghostly flames followed behind the lion-like one as he ran at them during this.

"Sweet mercy, TAKE COVER!" Iron Will shouted, his group ducking as Stammadon jumped up, swung around his arms, and slammed them down, not only creating a shockwave of powerful energy, but also burying his dragon heads into the ground and firing two golden beams from them, shredding through the ground and even nearly knocking out the entire team with the force alone.

Roaring wildly as he did this, he slowly removed his arms from the ground before he finished that roar.

(1:47-1:58)

Mowaza's guards tried to attack him as he advanced towards his other foes, but he kept rushing at each one individually, doing roundhouse kicks and using his arms like whips to further defeat the groups. By that point, Applejack was able to coordinate her group to surround the villain, while Discord's group adopted a similar strategy.

"Yeesh. This guy was eager to stretch his legs!" Iron Will said.

"Save the commentary for later! Let's do this before this gets even more out of hand!" Applejack shouted, the rest of Mowaza's guards throwing a hail of spears into the sky.

(1:59-2:21)

Lunging into the air, Stammadon grabbed as many spears as his long muscular arms could carry, throwing them back to the ground to scatter the army. Getting back on all fours, he made sure to ram through the guards, avoiding the blasts of magic his foes were firing at him. However, Discord was finally entering the battle by creating various things for him to trip over.

LEGO bricks, logs of wood, and bars of soap were included with those items. Doing his best to keep his balance, Stamamdon jumped up several times, firing energy blasts from his dragon head hands as he did this. However, he was soon tackled by Lightning Dawn, kicked into the ground and left open for everybody else to start crowding around him.

"I! DO! NOT! LOSE!" Lightning Dawn shouted, punching his foe's face every time...only for one of his punched to be caught by the jaws of one of those dragon heads.

(2:22-2:30)

Trembling with rage, Stammadon stood up, lifted Lightning to his face, and let out the loudest roar he could. The shockwave he created from that kept getting bigger with every beat of the music, the sheer force pushing everybody around him deeper and deeper into the ground.

Eventually, he just slammed Lightning deep into the ground as well, kicking him away after that.

(2:30-2:42)

Extending his dragon heads forward again, he wrapped those jaws around Swift Star and Starla, smashing them against the ground several times before whipping them around, making sure they crashed into several guards that tried to attack him from behind.

When Rhymey tried to slash into his back, he kicked him upwards, then leaped up, wrapped his arms around his body, and slammed him headfirst into the ground, knocking him out cold. He turned to the rest of his foes, expecting an easy fight as he lunged forth...

(2:42-2:53)

...only to get bucked in the face by Applejack's hoof. Rather than attack him again after that, she waited for him to strike back. That's when she dodged, allowing Rarity to blow diamond dust into his face, blinding him so Pinkie could deliver a cartwheel kick that pushed him into the path of Stud Muffin slamming his fists into his face.

Stumbling back after a hit like that, Stammadon merely stomped his foot down, actual fists coming out of his dragon head hands. He clenched them, getting into a fighting position as he looked upon those ready to fight him. "Alright. Bring it." Applejack glared.

Now, a huge smile formed on Stammadon's face, even as he roared and began with a roundhouse kick that generated a shockwave.

(2:54-3:28)

Ducking under it, Applejack rode atop a wave of gems Rarity created, joined by Gilda as they struck their foe in the face. Pinkie leaped at him from behind, wrapping her thighs around his face before steering him into the path of both Iron Will and Brass Bolt's fists. Trixie also kept creating illusionary fireworks, blinding Stammadon as he was then hit in the face with a cannon of chocolate syrup, courtesy of Discord.

Wiping that syrup off, he began to match everybody's blows, but the way they were attacking him at random started to slightly tire him out. Every strike he deflected created its own mini-shockwave, but everybody powered through. Brass Bolt used his arms to electrify some of the gems that Rarity was flinging, further damaging Stammadon.

Still, he lunged at Applejack throughout it all, matching her blows the most. She gritted her teeth, fighting through the pain of it all as she delivered a massive buck to the villain's face, while Stud Muffin rammed into him, burying him through the ground as everybody fired their ranged attacks at the villain within the dust cloud Stud Muffin's attack was generating.

Flinging off his foe, he started to push through the magic blasts and every other ranged attack the group had...only to see nothing through the smoke. Well, except for the shadow of a small moon heading for him.

(3:29-3:54)

Indeed, Mokushiroku was joining the fight by using more of his power to bring that moon down upon him. 'Make sure he stays in the path of that moon! Remember! We must weaken him! Not destroy him! ' He telepathically stated to his team.

Noticing that incoming moon, Stammadon attempted to leap at it, wanting to destroy it himself, only for Applejack to grab his tail. "You ain't goin' anywhere!" She shouted, slamming him down before Gilda started to fly around them, generating at tornado that made it hard for the villain to see.

Trixie's magical blasts were also making it hard for him to see, especially since they kept creating illusions of his foes that seemed keep rushing at him. Iron Will lifted up several boulders, throwing them while Pinkie attatched gum to them mid-throw, causing them to not only crash into the villain, but also weigh him down with the boulders when the gum stuck to him.

"Here's one last trick for you all!" Discord snapped his fingers, creating a humongous mallet. It took him some effort to make this one, so he lifted the mallet with all of his might and struck the moon with it. Stammadon's eyes slowly widened when he saw that moon hurtling towards him, roaring as he raised his fist...

...and immediately got crushed by the moon, a humongous wave of dust generated by the impact.

(3:55-4:12)

For a moment, despite the humongous crater left by that moon, everything was calm. "Did we win?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah. I think so." Applejack panted, still reeling after those blows she shard with Stammadon.

The Space Ponies were also getting up, looking upon the devastation. "That should have been STARFLEET'S victory." Lightning groused, though he couldn't help but feel relieved that the threat was seemingly over.

Suddenly, a portal opened behind the groups, Canterlot Castle on the other side. "Is the meeting done? I was growing impatient." Grand Ruler Celesto spoke on the other side. "What's going on here?!"

"Listen! It's a long explanation, but..." Applejack began.

(4:12-4:35)

Stud Muffin was the first to notice some embers were slowly floating where the moon had crashed into Ainzul. In fact, as Applejack and Lightning Dawn tried to explain everything (while also arguing with each-other), more of those around him noticed the same thing.

Within that crater, Stammadon could feel the presence of Equestria nearby. He swore he also sensed the presence of several people he used to know. They included the one that created and then abandoned him...then the one who raised and lowered the sun...and then his first ever friend. Mainly, the one who raised and lowered the moon.

The first one to ever reach out to him when he was left with nothing. Just thinking about her caused him to clench his fists, his energy flowing through his body in greater amounts.

"Blaze...of...the Flare King..." His deep voice spoke, the cracks in the moon starting to glow golden.

"Ah, horseapples." Applejack said softly, everybody else slowly backing away.

(4:35-4:58)

A humongous pillar of golden light with crackling lightning around it erupted through the moon, a gigantic lion's head at the end of the beam as it ripped through the massive object. The beam's power was so great that its shockwaves were felt across the entire planet. 

Everybody watching the attack found themselves unable to stop looking at it all. Even those in Equestria found themselves unable to stop staring at the spectacle taking place on the other side of the portal. "That can't be him." Celesto's eyes widened. "It can't be!"

That beam suddenly expanded, destroying the entire mountain as it sent out small beams that rammed into the rest of the group, knocking them all to the ground as they all looked back to the portal. Rocks that used to be part of Mount Roar floated around the beam, a single fire slowly rising in the middle of it.

Stammadon's eyes slowly opened, while the rest of his body was seemingly standing on nothing within the beam.

(4:59-End)

The entire planet of Ainzul would be engulfed in that light, Stammadon's mane blowing in the wind he had created as he looked down upon those that fought him. He didn't do anything as he stood there, merely watching as everybody looked upon how he had unleashed his power.

Narrowing his eyes, he created a ball of energy in his claw. "My battle against the universe...starts again." He said, the energy ball getting bigger as he prepared to throw it down to those around him.

The music suddenly stopped when a massive asteroid sailed towards him. Discord and his allies were suddenly telekinetically dragged by that asteroid, lifting them into space. "If you see Fluttershy, tell her I said 'hello'!" Discord yelled to Applejack before he floated upwards.

Stammadon looked up, only to get rammed by Mokushiroku, the kaiju dragging him up into space along with the asteroid and the rest of his allies. Soon, the beam of light would vanish, leaving only a pile of rubble that used to be Mt. Roar.

Everybody else just stared into the stars, the whole group trying to process had had happened. Swift Star stood over a pile of rubble, some circuitry revealed from his wounds. He looked to Lightning Dawn, the Space Pony laying on the ground, looking utterly humiliated. "On a scale of 1 to 10...how would you rate your pain?"

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, back on United Equestria...

Woozily, Rainbow Dash's eyes opened, only for them to widen when she felt sand attached to her tongue. "BLECH!" She shouted, rubbing her tongue as she quickly stood up. She shook her wings, water heavily dripping from them. "Oh, crap! Fluttershy!"

She looked around, desperately searching for her friend. As she did that, she noticed that, in contrast to the storm from before, the weather was quite sunny. The sun's rays shined down on the beach, the water appearing to be pink lemonade.

As the pegasus ran across the beach, she felt that the sand felt more like crumbled cereal. Again, she focused on finding her friend, eventually finding her getting up as well. " Ow. My head." The butter-yellow furred pegasus flapped her wings, her friend helping her up.

"You okay?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I think so." Fluttershy nodded.

"Good. So...you gonna tell me what you were doing in the middle of a storm?" The rainbow-haired one asked. "Listen, if it was to find me, I'm sorry, but-"

"Actually, it was because...this island...I think it's the one I've been seeing in my dreams." Fluttershy admitted, before giving her friend a smile. "It's nice to see you again, though."

"Yeah. I'm just glad you're okay, too." Rainbow Dash then noticed the chest scar on her friend's chest. Though it made her briefly remember that horrible fight in Horn Kong, she still gave an encouraging smirk. "Y'know, if it helps, that battle scar looks great on you."

Looking at her scar, Fluttershy gave a bashful smile. "When you put it that way...thank you." She then looked to the island, gasping as she saw the many sights around her. One could say that what she saw was quite...chaotic.

The trees looked like giant vegetables (giant carrots, giant asparaguses, giant potatoes, etc), yet they were growing various kinds of fruits from their roots (which were emerging from the ground). The grass had polka-dots on it. Seagulls with seal heads flew by, barking and squawking at the same time.

"What the heck?" Rainbow Dash dodged when one of those Seal-gulls flew by her. Her friend continued to peer through the jungle, noticing vines made of taffy, waterfalls that flowed backwards, and a lot of junk scattered around the whole place. Utterly random junk, too.

Flying to the skies, Rainbow Dash also noticed a large volcano in the center, a humongous bomb lodged in the middle. The fence around it was alive, walking around the humongous rocky structure while using giant gloves to keep anything from touching the bomb. That volcano had even more junk scattered around it, like expired food, rusted utensils, broken TVs, and more.

"Okay. I'm stumped. Where the heck are we?" She flew back down, putting her hands on her hips.

"This place...it's almost like some of the places Discord showed me in Chaosland." She remembered one time her friend had shown her the dimension he called home. Her ears perked up as she turned to her rainbow-haired friend. "What if this place is like some kind of pocket dimension? A hidden realm that Discord created in his spare time?"

"Hmmm...I mean, it does kinda look like his idea of a vacation spot." Rainbow Dash admitted, looking at the sand and noticing crabs scuttling on the ocean before they swam into the sand, while a massive turtle came out from that sand, rushing towards the ocean at incredible speed due to having some wheels attached to its belly.

The bushes began to rustle, grabbing the attention of both pegasi. Instantly, Rainbow Dash spread out her wings, ready to protect her friend. "It's okay. Just stay calm." Fluttershy urged. "It could be harmless."

"Or it could be some random monster Discord conjured up long ago! I'm not letting you get hurt again!" The rainbow-haired one glared at whatever was in the bushes. "If you're looking to eat my friend, you've got another thing coming! Now, show yourself!"

Slowly, something shyly exited the bushes, letting out a softly mewling noise. It looked like a small chubby green-scaled dinosaur. It almost looked like Spike when he was little, but the creature was a bit pudgier and wasn't quite as bipedal, due to its body leaning forward in a saurian way. A soft row of dorsal spikes ended at the creature's chubby tail, its large red reptilian eyes looking around before it let out another mewling sound. 

Staring at the creature, Rainbow Dash suddenly felt very silly. "Oh. Nevermind." The creature suddenly noticed them, hiding behind the long grass as it mewled in surprise. "Hey, uh, sorry about the speech there! I was just-"

"Maybe I should handle this." Fluttershy offered, leaning down as she held out a hand. Her friend sat next to her, relaxing as the creature peeked from the grass. "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you. It's safe." She said in a soothing way.

This worked, as the saurian creature instantly started to rush towards them, tripping slightly onto the sand. Giving an excited mewl, the creature tilted its head at Fluttershy, sniffing around her before giving her cheek a lick. That made the pegasus giggle, especially as the creature leaned further into her face. "Oh, you're very friendly, aren't you? Well, it's nice to meet you! What's your name?" She only got a few other mewls after that. "No name? That's okay! We'll come up with something soon."

The creature then turned to Rainbow Dash, sniffing around her before examining her wings, pawing at her feathers. "Hey, now! Easy with the wings." She replied, though she couldn't help but smile at how adorable the creature was.

Staring at the two pegasi, the creature's tail waved across the sand, digging its feet into the ground before running off for a few feet before looking back at them. "I think she wants us to chase her." Fluttershy said.

"How do you know it's a 'she'?" Her friend asked before slapping her own head. "Oh, right. You're the animal expert. What do you think it is? I don't think Discord could make something so...wholesome."

As they walked towards the creature, causing her to run off some more and giddily await their arrival, Fluttershy tapped her chin. "Maybe Discord DID create this creature...or maybe she found her way towards this island? I just hope she's not alone here." The prospect of the creature being a lone orphan made her heart ache.

After listening to that, Rainbow Dash continued to look around. "You know...I just got done helping out Luna and her group of rebels. By the way, don't tell anybody about that."

Fluttershy always knew that her friend was finding ways to strike back against Starfleet's more despicable actions, but learning that Luna had formed her own rebellion was news to her. "My lips are sealed, but I can't help but be curious about that. Does this mean you'll spend more time with me and our friends?" Fluttershy asked, her voice growing hopeful.

Rubbing her arm, the rainbow-haired pegasus thought about that. "Well...I've been thinking about that and-"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Much to the surprise of both the duo and the creature, Starfleet guards showed up, all of them covered in cereal dust. The leader flew ahead them, glared at the group. "I don't know WHERE we are, but you won't get away this time, you traitor"! He sneered, pointing at Rainbow Dash.

"Get bent!" The pegasus shouted. "I'm not gonna let you ruin Equestrian more than you already have!"

Ignoring her, the leader looked to Fluttershy. "And you! Rhymey would be heartbroken if he realized you were helping this rebel! You should be at his house, being his wife! That's basically the only thing you have to do!"

"But I don't WANT to just be 'Rhymey's wife'!" Fluttershy shouted, her inner rage showing before she calmed herself. "I just wanted to make sure my friend was okay." She held her rainbow-haired friend's hand when she said that.

The other guards noticed the small creature was giving them curious glances. At first, they didn't think much of it, but they soon noticed the back spines. "Wait!" One shouted. "That thing...it looks like Mokushiroku!"

"Maybe it's a baby of his species!" Another shouted.

"Excuse me?!" Rainbow Dash blinked, looking at the guards, then at the creature, then back to the guards. "Did you guys hit your heads against the rocks here when you landed?! She's just a...uh...I don't what she is, but comparing her to Mokushiroku? Really?"

"Enough!" The leader of the guards fired an energy blast at the creature, causing her to whimper in fear and attempt to flee. He didn't give her the chance to escape, as he rushed down and struck the creature in the face with his knee, knocking her down. "Before we turn this island into another base for Starfleet, we must make sure there are no potential threats here!"

He planted his hoof on the creature's skull, causing her to let out high-pitched crying noises, her arms flailing around. Gasping, Fluttershy felt her fists ball into fists. "How DARE you?! She's only a child!"

"Doesn't matter!" Another guard shouted. "This world is better without ANOTHER Mokushiroku!"

He was suddenly struck in the belly by Rainbow Dash, sending him crashing into a spot near where the jungle of the island began. "You want a fight so badly?! I'm here!" She punched her fist into her palm. "C'mon! I'm ready!"

"No. You're not." The leader of the guards snapped his fingers, the others joining him as they charged up their attacks. "Get ready to pay for your arrogance, traitor!"

The rainbow-haired one spread out her wings, digging her hoof into the ground as she leaned down, ready to zoom into the group. Her wings were still wet, slowing them down, but the hot sun was already drying them out. Though Fluttershy didn't want to fight, she still put up her fists, ready to defend the creature from further harm.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! "

A mighty roar shook the entire jungle, causing everybody to cover their ears. The creature's wailing suddenly stopped, her teary eyes widening before she relaxed. The guard near that jungle heard it the most. He was the last to stop covering his ears.

"Commander? What was that?" He asked.

Before anybody had a chance to react, something large emerged from the jungle at a frightening speed. A set of sharp jaws clamped down on the guard, the saurian head shaking him around as he screamed in panic and pain before he was reduced to two halves. Throwing down the half in its mouth, the saurian beast turned to the guards, letting out another roar as it fully revealed itself.

It resembled the smaller creature, but it was the height of two manticores stacked atop each-other, it had charcoal black scales, its tail was much longer, and its dorsal spines were sharper and larger. Its large clawed arms dug into the sand as it propelled itself forward, the guards instantly unleashing their energy blasts from their hands.

Shrugging off the damages, the beast smashed its skull into a guard, driving him into the ground and reducing him to pulp against a rock. Though the energy blasts were singing its skin, the creature felt more rage than pain. Several of the guards took to the air, only for their spines to be shattered by a single tail-swipe from the creature.

"What is that thing?!" One guard shouted.

"Who cares?! It'll go down soon!" The leader shouted, sweat dripping down his face as one guard smashed an energy ball against the monster's head.

Grabbing that guard with its claw, the creature bit down on him, throwing him against a tree before roaring again at the other guards. Throughout all of this, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy stepped back, with the former looking disturbed at the carnage. "Don't move. I heard monsters like this can't see us if we stand still." The rainbow-haired one stated.

"Sorry, but that's a myth." Fluttershy gently reminded her friend.

Pretty soon, only the leader of the Space Ponies remained, his arms trembling as he watched the beast jump towards another guard, biting down on a Space Pony's leg and smashing him to the ground. Stomping on the defeated guard, the creature looked towards the leader of the guards, eventually circling around him slowly. "D-d-don't come any closer! I'm part of Starfleet! We eat monsters like you for breakfast!"  He stammered.

"Don't antagonize him!" Fluttershy whisper-shouted. "Just back away slowly so he no longer sees you as a threat!"

Trembling even more, the leader panicked, screaming as he unleashed an energy blast from his hands that engulfed the creature's head. At first, he looked relieved, nothing but smoke in front of him.

That didn't last, as the creature lunged out of the smoke, biting down on his body before crushing it with his foot. Roaring to the sky, the beast then turned to the duo, snarling once again. "Okay, let's do this!" Rainbow Dash prepared to fly circles around the beast

However, the smaller creature ran up to the larger one, giving several mewling sounds that calmed down the larger one. His snarling became a slight rumbling in his throat, his snout moving to nuzzle the smaller creature. "He was only trying to protect his...um...I'm not sure if that's his offspring or his sibling." Fluttershy admitted, wincing as she looked around at the mayhem around her. "It's a shame that the guards didn't realize that trespassing into a beast's territory can have...consequences."

"Brutal consequences. I mean...wow." Rainbow Dash replied, only for the beast to look to them, curiosity and slight agitation on his face. However, the smaller creature's happy mewling calmed him down again, causing him to lumber towards the jungle. He used his tail to motion for the youngster to follow him.

"He must be the apex predator here." Fluttershy said. "Then again, this island must have many more surprises in store." She then started to remember her dream. "Still...there's something about this place that feels important."

Looking around one last time, Rainbow Dash suddenly had an idea. "Let's see. An uncharted island...hidden away from plain sight...protected by giant monsters...and it's the last place Celesto would look. Yep! Luna and her rebellion are gonna love this place!"

"Wait! Are you sure about that?" Fluttershy asked. "The island's ecosystem could be disrupted that way!"

"Relax. I'm sure we'll work something out. I wouldn't mind getting some tips about making sure the whole 'disruption' thing doesn't happen." The rainbow-haired pegasus assured, only to twiddle her fingers. "I also kinda want your advice because...I miss hanging out with you."

"I miss hanging out with you, too." Fluttershy replied. Thinking about her friend's idea, she began to think about what would happen if Celesto managed to capture Princess Luna and her allies, Rainbow Dash among them. "Alright. But can you also promise that, one day, you'll also hang out with our friends? They miss you so much."

"...I just need more time. Okay?" Rainbow Dash replied. "Maybe wait until the Lunar Warriors get settled here. Heck, we can hang out here! I know Pinkie would like it here."

"I'm sure she would." The butter-yellow pegasus smiled, hope growing in her heart that the Mane 5 were coming back together. She looked to the sky, noticing a slight tear in the sky. "I should get going, though. Our friends are probably wondering where I am. Also, my husband might be worrying about me...I think." She glared for a moment.

That was a detail that Rainbow Dash noticed, causing her to pat her friend's shoulder. "Whatever's going on back at your place, he should know better than to push you around. You're pretty strong, Fluttershy. Don't forget that, 'kay?"

The two stood there, enjoying each-other's company before the butter-yellow pegasus had to leave. Once she left, Rainbow Dash stretched. "Okay, Luna. I hope you're ready for a chat in my dreams. Wait until you hear about the place I found!"

Meanwhile, back with Mokushiroku and company...

Crashing into a nearby moon, Mokushiroku let out a tired roar, flopping onto the rocky terrain after using much of his power. 'I think that went quite well.' He grumbled, dusting himself off.

His allies were groaning and also trying to get up, especially after such a trip. "You could have given us a warning before you did that!" Brass Bolt shouted.

"Holy...shit." Gilda panted. "What just happened?!"

"Our 'leader' must have really dropped the ball, that's what!" Discord exclaimed.

"The great and confused Trixie is still trying to process everything that just went down!" Trixie said, dusting off her hat.

Looking back to his allies, Mokushiroku gave a confident smile. 'Just let me handle the rest. There's nothing to fear.' He then turned to Stud Muffin, giving a sympathetic look. 'The very mention of an old friend of mine seems to cause you pain. I'm...truly sorry.'

That made the muscular Earth pony tear up, but he looked confused at that, rubbing his eyes. "You okay?" Iron Will asked.

"I'm fine. It's just...I dunno. Thinking about...Twilight Sparkle...makes me sad. Not to mention..." He winced, grasping his head again. "It really does hurt so much whenever I do think about that name."

"Curious." Discord stroked his beard. "Sounds to me like somebody put a curse on you. I wonder who could have done that?"

"Guys, I don't mean to interrupt, but look." Gilda pointed to a mound of rubble, which had begun to shake violently.

Smashing through the moon rocks, Stammadon let out another roar, his dragon heads breathing two streams of flames into the sky. "You DARE interrupt my glorious return?! You must be eager to face the fury of Stammadon! Very well! Come! Show me what you've got!" He stomped his foot into the ground, giving a fearsome growl.

Shaking his head, Mokushiroku floated forward. 'Perhaps another time. For now...I've come to make a deal.'

Blinking in surprise, Stammadon gave a more outraged look. "Are you in my head?! Begone! None may breach the sanctity of my mind!"

'Calm yourself. Let me introduce myself. I am the one who has freed you from so many years of imprisonment.' Mokushiroku said, gesturing to the others. 'They helped.'

Relaxing slightly, Stammadon crossed his arms. "You...freed me? For what end? Surely, you must know of the terror I unleashed before I was imprisoned in that ACCURSED box."

"Kinda?" Brass Bolt shrugged. "Honestly, this is all new to me."

"Same." The others replied.

Suddenly, Stamamdon noticed Discord, giving a chuckle. "I think I recognize you slightly. Aren't you the fabled 'Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony'? Personally, your devilish pranks pale in comparison to my deeds."

"Um, hello?!" Discord suddenly stretched his neck to get up in the warlord's face. "Practically all of Equestria knows me! Nobody there remembers you, you oversized armored housecat! Also, your arms have a SERIOUS case of halitosis. Did you know that?"

His fists emerging from his dragon-head hands, Stammadon snarled. "You insult me at your peril!"

"Talk about a clash of egos." Brass Bolt remarked.

"It's such a sad sight." Trixie sighed. "Luckily, the great and humble Trixie isn't egotistical at all! In fact, Trixie is the most humble mare in all of Equestria!"

"More like the biggest loudmouth in Equestria." Gilda grumbled.

Stud Muffin got in-between the draconequus and the warlord, effortlessly pushing them apart from each-other. "Come on, guys. Let's be nice. We can all be great!"

As Stammadon looked surprised at the Earth Pony's strength, Mokushiroku floated closer to them. 'Let's get back to the point. Stammadon, we have brought you back because I think you would be VERY interested in not only revenge against Celesto...but I also promise you a fight you'll never forget.'

Rubbing his chin, the warlord considered what he just heard. "Both of those sound promising, but what makes you think I'll need help?"

'Well, I remember there being a part of your legend that stated that you gained some of your power through negative emotions. There's a realm full of it where you can rest and recharge until the time is right.' Mokushiroku continued.

"This sounds too good to be true." Stammadon glared. "What do you gain out of this?"

'New allies and the means to ALSO get revenge on Celesto. You and I want the same thing. I'm providing you a way to get your revenge AND get stronger. Not to mention, where we're going, a great fight is going to take place in less than a year. A fight that involves an endless army. An army that has never known defeat.' Mokushiroku leaned into Stammadon's face even more. 'So...interested? '

"Hmmmm...." The warlord scratched his chin some more. "All of that sounds very tempting, but-"

'There's even more.' Mokushiroku grinned, pointing to a spot in the distance.

Peering towards where the kaiju was pointing, Stammadon's eyes widened. "Wait. I recognize this place!" He exclaimed, instantly rushing towards it.

"Where's he going?" Stud Muffin wondered.

"Iron Will doesn't know, but this plan seems to be going off without a hitch." Iron Will stated.

"Wait a second. What was that bit about an 'army that never knew defeat'?" Gilda wondered.

"That kinda sorta sounds important." Discord huffed.

'Everything will be explained soon. For now...let us follow our new friend.' Mokushiroku said, floating towards where the warlord was going.

When the group got there, Stammadon was looking in horror at a wide space. Various destroyed statues littered the area, all of them looking like monstrous creatures and powerful warriors. "My army...what have our foes DONE to you?" He wondered, aghast.

Jumping to the battlefield, he wandered through the ruins of a large temple, picking up pieces of one statue that resembled a minotaur. "Curse the Ainzulian Sorcerers! Instead of facing me and my forces in glorious combat, they transformed my forces into stone and shattered the statues! COWARDS! All of them! As if trapping me in that box wasn't bad enough!"

Discord almost thought of what would happen if Equestria tried to destroy his statue while he was still stone, but he gave a smirk when he thought of that scenario resulting in many mini-Discords roaming around. "Why are you smiling?" Iron Will asked.

Snapping back to reality, Discord picked up a few pieces of broken stone. "Looks like Stammadon's victory wasn't set in stone! Am I right?"

"That's too soon!" Stud Muffin stated. "Stammadon just woke up to see that his friends got turned into rubble!"

'Not all of them suffered this fate.' Mokushiroku said, guiding the group through the desolation.

At the end of the battlefield, four large statues remained intact. Stammadon gave a grin as he looked upon these statues. One of them resembled a gorilla. Another resembled a curled-up centipede. The third looked like a tiger. The final one resembled a curled-up equine anthro. "Of course. The Ainzulian sorcerers may have been able to seal my greatest warriors in stone, but they were unable to destroy their statues. A testament to their strength!"

As he said that, a small portal opened up. 'Perfect. The portal back to my domain is opening up. Right on time, too.'

"What's your place like? It's gotta be better than Conva." Brass Bolt said.

"ANYTHING is better than Conva." Gilda replied.

Stammadon looked upon the sealing stickers on the statues, flexing his claws before shredding them in one swipe. "For years, our enemies thought our universal conquest was over! For years, you have slept! But this is the dawn of a new chapter in our lives!" The warlord exclaimed, stepping back as the statues started to shake. He turned to the group behind him. "Watch closely. You are about to witness true power!"

Conjuring up several chairs for his allies, Discord kicked back on his chair. "Alright. Let's get this show on the road."

The statues continued to shake, red volts crackling around them as they started to crack. "May the Lords of Destruction...UNLEASH THEIR POWER ONCE AGAIN!" Stammadon roared, stomping his foot forward. That created a shockwave that knocked everybody down.

For a moment, nothing happened...

(Legendary Fury-Brandon Yates)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z__ZhR7jXtQ

But, one by one, the statues started to break even faster, light pouring out of the cracks before the figures within started to emerge. Stammadon watched it all happen, a toothy smile on his face. "Arise! ARISE! EN-SHI! DROWN THE BRAVERY OF YOUR FOES WITH YOUR FREEZING WATER ONCE AGAIN! "

The first statue that broke apart was the equine one, a swirling vortex of frost forming as the freed figure rose up by creating a rising platform of ice. Fully revealing herself, the equine anthro had snow-white fish-like scales and a flowing icy blue mane. Her webbed hands and hooved feet were covered in ice. Her tail resembled that of an eel. Her beautiful smiling face gazed upon those around her, her icy-blue eyes narrowing as she gave a smile, which revealed sharp needle-like teeth. In terms of clothing, it was just a coating of frost that covered her like a one-piece swimsuit.

"KARA-SHI! THE WIND IS AT YOUR COMMAND ONCE AGAIN! "

The second statue to shatter was that of the insectoid creature. When it broke, a sandy-colored exoskeleton was revealed. A long centipede tail rose up, the sharp legs moving around before it curled like a scorpion's tail. The body it was attached to it was small, as the height of the body was comparable to the size of an average golden retriever. A pair of larger legs held him, two sets of long pincered legs acting as his arms as they smashed his way out of his stony imprisonment. His rust-colored armor was wicked and spikey, mostly covering his body and head. His mandibles clicked as his red eyes looked around.

Letting out a maniacal laugh, he summoned a serrated sword for each arm. Whenever he swung them, the wind around him became so fast that it could cut through stone. He continued to swing those swords around, still laughing, only to accidentally slice through a nearby pillar, causing it to fall on his head. He woozily walked around, rubbing his head after he recovered.

"TAN-SHI! THE RAGING FIRE WITHIN YOUR SOUL IGNITES ONCE AGAIN! "

Next, the tiger statue shattered, flames erupting around around the figure that was now rising from the rubble. Slamming her claws onto the ground, the warrior let out a terrifying roar, embers flying around her as she stood up. She revealed herself to be an anthro tiger with white fur and black stripes. Her body had several scars scattered across her muscular body, her stripes occasionally lighting up with flames as embers seemed to dance along them whenever she snarled. Her arms were humongous, ending in massive claws. She wore singed bandages that covered her chest and groin area.

"RAI-SHI! UNLEASH YOUR STRENGTH! SHOW THE UNIVERSE THE POWER OF A GALAXY CHAMPION ONCE AGAIN!"

The final statue to shatter was the gorilla-like one. Smashing his fists down, the simian anthro warrior lunged forward, standing up as he beat his chest with his muscular arms. His fur was jet-black and he wore a pair of stone-gray shorts, metal spiked wristbands, and a belt that had a golden galaxy in the center, though the belt's buckle looked cracked. Letting out a roar as he beat his chest, he slammed the ground with his fists, causing the ground around him to rise around like spiked pillars.

All four of the warriors joined together, both letting out a roar as a fiery lion's head appeared behind them out of thin air. "Nice entrance." Discord admitted.

The Lords of Destruction then spent a few more moments stretching, given that they had just been awakened from their stony prisons. "Wow! How long were we asleep?” Kara-Shi asked, his mandibles clicking a few times before he moved one of his arm-legs to pick at the sides of his head. “I think I have gravel in my ears!”

“You don’t even HAVE ears.” Tan-Shi rolled her eyes, arching her back as she yawned when she stretched.

“At last! My quest for love can continue again!” En-Shi said excitedly, twirling as she dusted off some dust from her mane. “The nerve of those Ainzulian sorcerers. I didn’t even get to unleash my strongest attacks before they sealed us away.”

Rai-Shi turned to face Stammadon, gasping as he bowed his head with the other Lords of Destruction. “Lord Stammadon…I always knew in my heart that we would fight at your side once again.”

“You’re looking as awe-inspiring as ever! Also, did you do something with your mane? It looks great!” Kara-Shi said.

Crossing his arms, Stammadon smiled with pride. “It is good to see you all again, as well.”

Tan-Shi noticed the rubble around them, her slitted pupils thinning as she realized what had happened. “Our army…it’s destroyed!”

“They shall be avenged. I swear it.” Rai-Shi glared, clenching his fists before turning to Stammadon. “What are your orders, my lord?”

The warlord looked to Mokushiroku, giving a slight growl before looking back at the anthro gorilla. “It’s a long story, but the saurian creature you see before you has released me. Apparently, there is a realm that will offer me enough energy for me to return to my full strength. Not only that, but he promises a battle worthy of our might.”

‘Indeed.’ Mokushiroku nodded. ‘But we’ll have to hurry.’ He gestured to the portal next to them. ‘This portal won’t last forever.’

En-Shi glanced at the kaiju, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t know. Something about him feels like he’s planning something.”

“Are you kidding me? He always looks like he’s planning something!” Discord exclaimed. “Also, hi.”

“Nice to meet all of you!” Stud Muffin waved.

“What’s up?” Gilda leaned against a broken stone pillar.

Tan-Shi’s brow arched upwards. “And they are?”

‘My allies. They helped ensure Stammadon was released from his imprisonment. I hope our groups will be able to work together very soon for what I have in mind for my plan.’ Mokushiroku clasped his claws.

Looking at the portal, Rai-Shi nodded to Stammadon. “As long as you agree to this plan, we will follow you into this new realm.”

Tan-Shi snarled. “I would have preferred if we paid those Ainzulian sorcerers a visit. They’ll pay for making us look like fools!” She then slashed a nearby stone pillar, reducing it to burning pieces, as her claws were glowing white-hot during that slash.

“Wow. She’s an even bigger hothead than you.” Brass Bolt said to Gilda.

“I can respect that.” The griffon admitted.

Discord suddenly appeared behind the warriors, surprising them as confetti erupted from his ears. “Welcome back to not being trapped in stone! Maybe you’ve heard of me? Discord? Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony?”

The Lords of Destruction stared at him in confusion. “Who?” En-Shi arched a brow.

“Not ringing any bells.” Kara-Shi shook his head.

“Oh, who asked you, short stuff?” As soon as Discord said that, his beard was slashed in half. Nobody even saw the blade move when that happened it all happened in a flash.

Lifting himself up with his long tail, Kara-Shi got in Discord’s face, all four of his swords pointed at the draconequus. “Don’t you EVER call me short, small, or anything sounding remotely similar! Else, I’ll cut you into ribbons! DO YOU HEAR ME?!” He screeched.

“Easy there!” Iron Will got in-between them. “We’re all pals here, aren’t we?” He then looked to Rai-Shi. “Nice abs, by the way! You work out?”

“Throughout my whole life, I have known battle. The strength you see before you is proof of that.” Rai-Shi stated. “Perhaps you would like to show me how strong you are? It has been forever since I have felt my fists experience the thrill of battle.”

Suddenly, the portal started to fluctuate, grabbing everybody’s attention. “Everyone! The portal! It’s closing!” Stud Muffin shouted.

“TRIXIE CALLS DIBS!” The unicorn jumped through the portal, with Gilda following after she gave a shrug.

“Wait for Iron Will!” The minotaur rushed into the portal, the swirling vortex starting to shrink.

‘There’s no time to waste!’ Mokushiroku said, floating to the portal. ‘Get in! We must head to my tower in the Circle of Wrath! ‘ With that, he fled into the portal.

“Here goes nothing!” Brass Bolt leaped into the swirling vortex. Stud Muffin followed, with Discord prying Kara-Shi off of his face before he cannonballed into the portal.

Stammadon could already feel the energy of conflict emanating from the portal. “So, it seems that this ‘Mokushiroku’ is telling the truth. Very well. Follow me, my warriors! Our destiny awaits!”

“Of course! We are with you until the end!” Rai-Shi declared.

“This could be fun! Geronimo!” Kara-Shi cackled, leaping into the portal first.

“Let’s do this.” Tan-Shi said.

“A whole new place? I wonder if I’ll finally meet the love of my life there?” En-Shi wondered.

With that, everybody had gone through the portal, the swirling vortex vanishing as soon as they all arrived at their destination.

Slightly later, at Canterlot Castle...

Slamming a fist down on his throne, Grand Ruler Celesto looked upon Lightning Dawn, Applejack, and their teammates with disappointment. "Do you have any idea what has just happened?! Because of your failure, Ainzul has rejected our offer to have them join us! We've lost a potential prison planet!"

“Forgive us!” Lightning Dawn pleaded. “We did all we could, but Empress Mowaza was too stubborn to accept your offer!”

Applejack instantly cut to the chase, stepping forward. “Your majesty, does the name ‘Stammadon’ mean anythin’ to you? That varmint seemed to know about you.”

She saw that Celesto’s face paled, but he returned to just glaring at the group. “That’s enough out of you. If you all were stronger, this mission would have not have failed. That is all.”

“But what about Stamma-“

Rarity was interrupted when Celesto slammed both of his fists against the arms of his throne, nearly destroying them. “DO NOT SPEAK THAT NAME AGAIN!” He shouted before composing himself. “Just…focus on getting stronger. Be ready for the next catastrophe.”

Swift Star stepped forward. “There is something else you should know. I saw Mokushiroku before the fight we experienced ended. I can’t tell if he was helping us or not. Some escaped prisoners from Planet Conva were there, too.”

“It’s true!” Artie said. “Discord was among them!”

Grumbling, Celesto rubbed his temples. “This news is upsetting! I think I’ve heard enough. Starfleet will be able to handle these threats, but only if you all start training right now.”

As the group left the place, Rhymey looked at his mechanical arm, noticing how busted-up it was, glaring at it. “Need some help?” Buddy asked.

“I’m fine. Now, mind your own beeswax. We need to train harder and add more strength to our attacks.” Rhymey replied before looking at Artie. “I’d train a lot more before it’s too late. You wouldn’t want to be known by Starfleet as ‘dead weight’.” Artie sadly looked down after hearing that, while Buddy patted his shoulder and glared at the rhyming one.

Applejack gritted her teeth, as she still had many questions. Pinkie looked around the group, noticing how everybody looked down. “So, you guys wanna hang out? I think we need some down-time.”

“There is NO SUCH THING as down-time for us warriors.” Lightning glared. “You’d better start training as soon as you can.”

“But we need time to recover. Pinkie is right.” Swift Star argued.

That caused Lightning to march to him and glare at the artificial Equestrian. “Pinkie is right?! She’s NEVER right! She’s a total airhead that can’t get it through her skull that not everything can be solved with a party!”

“But I didn’t say we needed a party.” Pinkie replied. “We just need to relax.”

“I quite agree.” Rarity nodded. “After what we just went through, we need to think.”

“No! We keep training! ALWAYS KEEP TRAINING!” Lightning shouted, stunning everybody with how loud he was yelling. “Otherwise, we’re going to keep losing forever…and ever…and ever…” He grasped his head, his pupils trembling.

Starla tried to rest a hand on his shoulder, wanting to offer words of comfort, but her hand was swatted off by her husband. “Lightning-“

“I don’t need your pity!” He shouted before flying upwards. “I…I need to fix this. I need to get stronger. No matter what. I can’t have anybody hold me back.”

"Easy there, Artie!" Applejack tried to keep everything calm. “Lightning, no-pony is an island. Sometimes, ya’ gotta swallow your pride and admit ya’ can’t do everything alone!”

“Let me train with you please.” Swift Star stepped forward towards the Starfleet commander. “It’s my function to be your best friend-I mean…apprentice.”

At first, Lightning looked ready to refuse, but he just glared at him. “Fine. Come with me. It’s time I see what you’re really made of.”

Despite how ominous he sounded, Swift Star looked happy to hear that, flying over to the Starfleet commander. “This is excellent news. I promise to do my best, Lightning!”

Starla sighed when they left, only for Rarity to walk closer to her. “Is something the matter?”

“It’s fine. Just…leave me alone.” She sighed. “I’m so tired.” She began to fly away. “I’ll also be training.”

“I’ll do the same. My attacks will soon no longer be lame!” Rhymey exclaimed, quickly flying away.

Artie looked to the Equestrians. “Um…maybe we could…” He almost said ‘hang out, as well’, but he stopped himself. “Nevermind. I’m going back home.”

“My niece is probably worried sick about me. See you gals soon.” Buddy said.

Once again, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity were the only ones remaining. “Wanna meet at Sugar Cube Corner?” Pinkie asked.

“That would be splendid. We could all use some relaxation after what just happened.” Rarity admitted.

Applejack sighed. “Lead the way, sugarcube.” She made a mental note to herself that, once everything had settled down a bit, she'd return to her search for Big Macintosh.

As they chatted, Luna had been listening in on the whole meeting, clutching her chest as she realized what had happened. “Stammadon has…returned?!” Her heart began to pound in her chest, memories of the lion-like warlord flooding her mind.

Half of those memories involved she and her sister exiling the warlord into space, especially after he attempted to conquer Equestria. However, Luna remembered other times with the warlord. Times that came before he set out to take over the universe.

These were MUCH happier times. One memory that came to mind involved the full moon’s light shining down on both her and Stammadon, her hand resting in his own as they looked into each-other's eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Luna sighed. “That was the past. I must tend to the future.” She remembered that Rainbow Dash was in search of a new base of operations for the Night Warriors. “Oh, brave Rainbow Dash…I hope your search is going well."

Chapter Text

Later, at the Circle of Wrath...

The allies of Mokushiroku tumbled out of the portal, finding themselves in a mostly barren wasteland. Brass Bolt was the first to look up at the bright red sky, dusting himself off. "Okay, where are we now?"

Stretching after getting up, Gilda noticed a nearby sign. "'The Circle of Wrath: Come and Perish'."

Discord stood up quickly, sniffing the air. "My goodness! So much CHAOS! So much disharmony! You know what? Moku' really picked out a great place for a hideout!"

"I dunno. The sky is hurting Trixie's eyes!" Trixie stated.

Floating through the portal, Mokushiroku gestured to the landscape around him. 'Ladies and gentlemen...welcome to Hell. Enjoy your stay until the next portal to to Hasbro Universe shows up.'

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where did you say we were?" Stud Muffin wondered.

"Did you just say that you sent us to Tartarus?!" Iron Will exclaimed.

'No. Our base of operations is in another universe. Namely, this universe's version of Hell.' The kaiju explained.

Everybody was silent after hearing that for a while. "Are you fucking kidding me?! We're in HELL?!" Gilda shouted.

"Oh, come on! I wasn't that bad!" Discord exclaimed.

Iron Will grasped his head, sweating heavily "Iron Will didn't mean to rip off all of those customers in the past! They didn't read the fine print! Sure, even an ant couldn't read specific parts of the print, but still!"

"Trixie is not a bad person! TRIXIE IS NOT A BAD PERSON!" The magician curled up into a ball, biting her nails.

"Moku', what were you thinking?! We escaped Conva and we end up having to stay in the realm of the damned?!" Brass Bolt shouted.

"I dunno." Stud Muffin shrugged. "This isn't so bad. We haven't been here for more than five minutes. Let's give Hell a chance."

"Well, those are words I never thought I'd hear in my life." Discord admitted.

'Everybody stop panicking! ' Mokushiroku demanded before clearing his throat, trying to speak softly. 'We are fine. This kind of Hell is more of a 'Hell is other people' kind of realm. Thus, we have nothing to fear. Right now, we must head over to my domain.'

He pointed to the Crystal Tower, the spiky structure overlooking the entirety of the Circle of Wrath. "Well, it's gotta be better than a cell." Gilda shrugged her shoulders. 

"So, what now? We just live in there until the next portal?" Brass Bolt wondered. 

'Precisely. Now, head over there and make yourselves at home. Stammadon and his Lords of Destruction are going to be arriving soon. I shall speak to them and then join you all later.'

"Good luck with that. I'm just...going to process that I'm in basically another version of Tartarus." Trixie said shakily. "What has Trixie's life become?"

"Something exiting!" Discord flew into the air, finally able to float around due to absorbing the chaos in the air. "Give it a few months and I might be back to full strength in no time! Moku', when your plan comes together, it comes together!"

'I try.' The kaiju smirked, the portal behind him starting to expand.

As the group walked over to the tower, Stammadon was the first to exit the portal, sniffing the air as he stretched out his arms. "Ahhhhh...glorious conflict! I can feel it in the very air!"

Kara-Shi jumped out of the portal, skittering across the ground before lifting himself up with his tail. "Okay, where's that endless army you mentioned, Moku'?! I'll slice them to ribbons! ALL OF THEM!" He laughed, twirling his blades before he fell onto his back. "Ow."

"You're so embarrassing." Tan-Shi said after pouncing into the realm.

En-Shi found the ice around her body start to melt, causing her to refreeze those parts of herself with a gesture of her hands. "Ugh! I've only been here for a second and I'm boiling alive!"

Rai-Shi looked around as he stepped out of the portal, looking to Stammadon. "Alright. This is Hell? It seems...a lot more peaceful than I thought it would be."

'Peaceful moments are rare here. Things can get MUCH crazier in the blink of an eye.' Mokushiroku explained. 'Now, here's the rest of the deal, Stammadon. You may feel free to absorb as much energy as you need. Maybe you could visit places in Wrath in which conflict takes place most frequently. You'll need to train for the coming battle. One that is set to happen around a year from now.'

"I doubt I'll need to train for such a battle. I'm already the mightiest creature in the universe!" Stammadon boasted. "But fair enough. I need some way to quell my boredom. Now, what of the Lords of Destruction?"

"Yeah! Spill the beans, lizard!" Kara-Shi shouted.

'The duty you four share..." Mokushiroku began. '...is to be this realm's guardians.'

The group paused upon hearing that. "...huh?" En-Shi arched a brow.

"I'm sorry. I might still have dust in my ears from being a stone statue for so many years." Kara-Shi wiggled one of his leg-arms around where his ear would be if he had ears. "What was that again?"

"Guardians?! We are warriors! Conquerors! Destroyers!" Tan-Shi roared, flames erupting from her stripes again.

"You would have us protect the weak?! That is not the way of Stammadon!" Rai-Shi growled. 

"Enough." Stammadon held a claw, calming down the group. He then turned to the kaiju, narrowing his eyes. "Explain yourself."

'Listen. I gave your warlord the means to replenish his power. I also know that you all crave conflict and battle. Through defending this realm, you shall have the opportunity to get stronger, as well as sate your need for battle.' He floated over to Kara-Shi. 'Why do YOU like to fight? '

Upon hearing that, the centipede-like warrior's mandibles clicked as he thought about that. "Well...it's fun! I get to show everybody my skill with my swords! Nobody ever underestimates me because of my size again!"

'Might I recommend visiting Greed? That realm is dominated by gangs of vicious criminals. Perhaps you could show them that crime doesn't pay? ' Mokushiroku suggested.

Clicking his mandibles again, Kara-Shi shrugged as he was given a mental image of the place by the kaiju. "Eh. Fine. I'm bored anyway. See you guys later!" With that, he spun his four swords so fast that he started to tunnel through the ground, heading towards his destination.

Next, Mokushiroku floated to Tan-Shi. 'What about you? Why do YOU fight? '

Clenching her fist, the tiger anthro warrior growled. "What do you want? My life story? I'm a warrior. I live to unleash my power."

'I see. Feel free to pick any realm of your choosing. If you seek strong foes, then I'd recommend only fighting the vilest of the vile. I bet they're stronger than you.'

"That's because they've never met me!" Tan-Shi roared. "They think I'm weak? I'll show them!" Rushing towards the distance, the tiger anthro warrior left a trail of flames in her wake.

En-Shi created a large spire of ice so she could look around her surroundings more. "Hmmmm..." She stopped looking around when she saw Lust City in the distance. "What's that place?"

'That's the Circle of Lust. Why do you ask? '

Hopping off of her spire, the fish-like equine anthro crossed her arms. "I don't care about being this realm's guardian, but I do care about finding my future mate! I have a whole list prepared!" She instantly got out a long list. "I hope they meet all of these requirements!"

Rai-Shi face-palmed. "Are you still obsessed with finding a lover? We are warriors. We do not concern ourselves with such things." He said.

Looking at the list, Mokushiroku saw some of the traits that En-Shi desired. Among them were 'Must defeat me in battle', 'Must be 20 years or older', 'Must be strong', etc. Putting the list back into En-Shi's hands, the kaiju kicked back in the air. 'Defend the realm of Lust and you might find the one you're looking for.'

"Remember! I'm doing this for me!" En-Shi warned, creating a road of ice that she used to skate through the air.

The kaiju soon turned to Rai-Shi. 'Why do YOU fight? '

The gorilla anthro stood tall, giving a stoic look of pride. "Throughout my whole life, I have fought. My many battles have made me stronger. All I know...is combat. To become a guardian? That's new. I will only do this because Stammadon has agreed to this."

The warlord crossed his arms after hearing that. "Indeed. My Lords of Destruction will guard this realm with great ferocity, but, once I've gained enough energy and have experienced that fight you promised me...you will not stop my conquest of this universe and all other universes."

'Very well.' Mokushiroku nodded before turning back to Rai-Shi. 'Feel free to travel across this realm. Like I told Tan-Shi, the most wicked ones here tend to be quite strong.'

"Understood." Turning to Imp City, Rai-Shi took a few steps back, preparing to run as he turned to Stammadon. "Farewell, my lord. May your strength eclipse all!" With that, he rushed forward and started to jump many times, flying through the air with every jump.

Watching him leave, Mokushiroku turned to the warlord. 'I think that went well. Now, I must be going. I have plans to make. Until we meet again.'

"See you on the battlefield." Stammadon said, turning to walk across Wrath as he gazed at the landscape, giving a big sigh as he looked up to the sky. The fact that there were no stars to look at made him feel somewhat morose, but he shook his head. "No. Sentimental feelings are for the weak. I must focus on regaining my strength."

With that, he traveled across the realm of Wrath, the ground shaking with every step he took.

Later at the Circle of Greed...

Crimson scowled as he looked upon the trembling shark demon trembling before him, his finger tapping on his chair. "So...you mean to tell me that an entire group of our guys just got cut into pieces by one...single...mook?"

"It's true!" The demon nodded his head, sweating profusely as his boss' glare got even more intense. "He showed up a couple of hours ago and started to boast! Then, before I knew it, my buds were sliced apart! He left me alive so I could warn you, and I quote, 'there's a new sheriff in town'." 

Tapping his claw more intensely against the arm of his chair, Crimson's glare narrowed. "What did he look like?"

"Not like any demon I've ever seen. He's kind of on the short side. Like...some kind of many-legged bug with four swords!" 

"Anything else ya' know about him?"

"N-no."

BANG!

The shark demon's head was reduced to pulp by a shot from one of Crimson's weapons, the imp's expression not changing. "And that's what'll happen to the rest of you if you come back to me with bad news!" He shouted. "Search throughout the city! If you find anybody that even remotely looks like the guy we just heard about, let 'em have it! Send a message that nobody messes with my turf!"

"It will be done." Alessio assured. 

Several miles away from the don's domain, Kara-Shi was sending much of his gang running as he sliced through the air, laughing as he became a tornado of slashes. His tail wrapped around one shark demon before slamming him down while slicing another in half. "Kara-Shi lives again!" He exclaimed. "You know what?! This was a great idea! I haven't had this much fun in forever!"

As he looked around to see if anybody else wanted to fight him, he noticed something washing against the shores of the polluted rivers running through the city. It was a message in a bottle. "Oh, hey! What do we have here?" He scuttled over to the item, grabbing it with the legs on his tail. Shattering the bottle with a slight squeeze from his tail, the read the message.

'To anybody reading this,

I doubt you care, but, if you do, then please find me at the Sea of Sorrow. I've spent years on an island and food is starting to become scarce. I wish only to reunite with my son and, if possible, get revenge on the bastard who tried to kill me. In terms of a reward, I've found some jewels during my exile.

Sincerely,

Ms. Knowlastname

P.S: If my son is reading this, I hope you've found happiness. You deserve so much better than the life your father wants you to have. I hope we'll see each-other again, but, for now, know that I will always love you, no matter what.

But if Crimson is reading this...'

Kara-Shi winced at the amount of swears that followed that last sentence. "Yeesh." He had never thought so much hatred could be unleashed through a letter, but this letter proved him wrong. He rolled up the paper and placed it in the clutches of a pair of his extra legs. "This person DID promise a reward, but I'm not much of a 'rescuing' kind of guy." He said to himself.

Pacing on the floor, he looked around at the defeated demons around him. "But, then again, I could use more excitement. Plus, this could be a great way to make sure others know of my power!" He burrowed into the ground, heading for the nearest place where he could find a map.

"Sea of Sorrow, here I come!"

Meanwhile at the Circle of Gluttony...

Turns out, the celebration that Loona had heard about was nothing more than a bunch of Hellhound gangs fighting each-other before the eyes of various onlookers. The outer ridges of Gluttony were loud with the howls and barks of her fellow hellhounds, many of them fighting each-other to prove they were the best.

Octavia was too busy with her studies, so Loona found herself alone in the crowd. "Guess it's just you and me again." She told her phone, sighing. A part of her wondered if Vortex was still here, though she wondered if things were cool between them again, ever since the muscular hellhound had gotten back together with Beelzebub. She remembered going to that last party and things just seemed...awkward between her and Vortex. Not bad. Just awkward.

Her thoughts were interrupted when somebody tapped her shoulder. "Hey, girl! Remember me?"

Turning to the poodle Hellhound, Loona's tail started to wag. This was one of the hellhounds that she had been introduced to during one of Beelzebub's parties. "Oh, uh, hey! Esme, was it? How's it going?" She asked awkwardly. "Did you do something with your hair?" She felt a little guilty that she hadn't texted her or the other two hellhounds she met during that party.

Esme seemed to notice how nervous she was, offering a sympathetic smile. "Relax. We all got busy."

Pinklie, a burly male hellhound friend of hers, nodded. "Glad you could make it! We haven't seen you in forever!" A stout hellhound male joined in, nodding in agreement. Simply known as 'Hot Dog', he wasn't much for words, but he had a very positive aura around himself. 

"Nice to see you guys again, too." Loona replied, giving Hot Dog a fist-bump. "So...how long has this been going on?"

Several hellhounds flew over the crowd, howling in defeat after getting punched into the air. "Several hours. It's been getting kind of repetitive after a while." Pinklie admitted.

"We were thinking of ditching this place and going for some pizza. Wanna come?" Esme offered.

Before Loona could reply, several howls happened at once, but they sounded incredibly aggressive. A pack of rottweiler hellhounds had done that, their burly leader laughing as he stood in front of them. "YEAAAH! We're gonna rule the streets soon!" He exclaimed.

Hearing that made Esme groan. "Not THESE assholes. Ever since these "Fangs of Fury' showed up, they've been making a mess of things. Breaking people's stuff, stealing food from others, and generally just being massive dicks."

"We WOULD kick their asses, but I'm a fan of not having my bones bent in different directions." Pinklie said.

'Kinda makes me wish I brought my hooks.' Loona thought. "Well, I could totally take them. I've been working on my fighting technique. You guys wanna see sometime?"

"Totally! So, how have things been?" Esme asked.

Once again, Loona was interrupted by the Fangs of Fury. This time, they were all snarling at the audience, looking like they were going to lunge and causing many of the hellhounds to step back out of fear and caution. The leader grabbed a random Border Collie hellhound, squeezing his claws around his chest. "Who the FUCK is next?! If we don't find ourselves a good fight, then I guess we'll make due!"

"Ohhhhhh, fuck." Pinklie's ears fell, while Hot Dog gulped loudly. "We might wanna leave."

Loona just scowled. "Like I'm gonna let these guys ruin your day? Fat chance." She flexed her claws.

"Loona, we just met after a long while and I don't want this to be our last meeting because you got a little cocky. We should probably go." Esme suggested.

Something else caught Loona's eye. A tall figure was entering the fray, a large cloak draped atop them. The leader of the Fangs of Fury noticed as well. "Who the fuck are you? You wanna get torn apart first?"

The figure's blazing yellow eyes shined through her cloak. "I was promised worthy opponents. I'm not seeing ANY of that."

"That's some big fucking talk from some random bitch that walked in!" One of the Fangs of Fury mocked. "Where's the rest of your pack? We'll take them all on!"

The audience watched as the figure just continued to walk towards them, embers flying from her cloak. "Okay. I'm at the edge of my seat. Who's that gal?" Pinklie wondered. "And why's my fur standing on end?"

"Does anybody else smell something burning?" Loona wondered.

When the figure got too close, one of the Fangs of Fury attacked, only to get smashed in the face by the tip of the figure's tail. "FUCK! My nose!"

The leader, as well as everybody else, saw that the tail was distinctly feline-like. "What the?! A cat?!"

"No. I am no mere housecat." Grabbing her cloak, Tan-Shi caused it erupt into flames, her claws slamming onto the ground as she let out a ferocious roar that shook the place. Embers flew from her stripes, her expression a mixture of snarling and unbroken focus. "I am the strongest creature you have ever met! TAN-SHI!" 

The sight of an anthro cat would have caused all of the hellhounds to chase after her, but there was an aura around this tiger anthro warrior that caused many to back off. Loona couldn't help but look upon the warrior's powerful form, her tail starting to wag. Esme noticed the wagging of her friend's tail and gave a nod. "Yeah, I agree. She's a cat, but she's kinda hot."

"Huh?" Loona stopped her tail from wagging, blushing madly. "Yeah! Probably because of the flames and shit." She awkwardly laughed.

The Fangs of Fury leader just snapped his jaws. "You know what happens when dogs catch cats, right? We tear them to pieces! You'll be no different, kitty!"

Flexing her claws, Tan-Shi stepped forward, cracking the ground. "Underestimating me is the last thing you want to do. Now, if you're brave enough, step forth! Show me you're worthy of any ounce of my effort!"

Smirking, the Fangs of Fury leader snapped his fingers. "Get her, boys!" With that, the many rottweiler hellhounds rushed at her, confident that they could all handle just one opponent.

Gripping her claws into the ground, Tan-Shi got on all fours, rushing at them while leaving a trail of fire behind her. Her stripes were now covered in flames, making her look like an incoming fireball. Sure enough, when she crashed into the ground, an explosion happened, the tiger anthro's spinning form rising into the sky.

Pouncing down with her humongous claws, she stood back up, kicking one hellhound into the sky before grabbing another hellhound and delivering a series of fiery punches that sent him rocketing into a nearby wall. A group of hellhounds grabbed onto her from behind, biting into her before the flames on her stripes pushed them off.

Noticing many more hellhounds coming at her with various weapons (such as lead pipes, blades, and a few chains), Tan-Shi hugged around herself before she let out another vicious roar, creating a large field of flames around herself and the rest of the gang.

"Nice going, bitch! There's no way out for you!" The leader of the Fangs of Fury shouted, swinging around two chains.

Growling heavily, Tan-Shi raked her claws against the ground. "This shield isn't meant to keep my enemies out. It's to keep them IN." Letting out another roar, she lunged towards the edge of the shield before bounding to another corner. She started to do this at such a rate that she became a pinballing fireball that also had a pair of fiery claws punching around it.

The entire interior of the shielded area became a raging inferno, the various hellhounds punched or pounced into it with enough force to pinball them as well. The leader occasionally tried to swing his chains to strike his foe, only for them to miss every time. Finally, she stopped in the center of the shielded area, rushing at him with one finale explosive pounce.

After that explosion, Tan-Shi found herself surrounded by walls of flame, her yellow eyes glowing through the fires. Picking up the defeated and terrified leader, she snarled in his face. "What do you want?!" He shouted. "Our territory? Is that it?!"

"I want you...out of my sight!" Roundhouse kicking the hellhound away, she sent him and his pack retreating, the flames starting to fade as she stood in the rubble. "That was a disappointment. There's got to be SOMEBODY capable of challenging me. Until then...I now officially declare this entire circle my territory! One I will defend with all of my ferocity!"

"Wait until Bee hears about this gal." Pinklie said.

Loona was still processing what she had seen. This random feline had wandered in, defeated an entire pack of strong hellhounds with minimal effort, and declared the whole place her turf. Not to mention, due to her physique and fearless demeanor, she was rather attractive, despite the fact that Loona's hellhound instincts were screaming at her to bark at the fighter. 

Tan-Shi suddenly leaped towards the audience, snarling at those around her so she could move around. "Hmph. Weaklings." She huffed, pushing past Hot Dog hard enough to knock him to the ground.

"Hey! Chill, girl! We're all pals here!" Pinklie tried to play it cool. That only got him a growl from the Lord of Destruction.

"Yeesh. Somebody give her a chill pill." Esme crossed her arms.

However, Loona wasn't gonna let the tiger anthro warrior's harsh attitude slide. "You need somebody to pull that stick out of your ass?!" She shouted.

Turning with a loud growl, Tan-Shi pounced towards where Loona was, standing taller than her. "Watch your tongue or I'll burn it out."

"Bite me." Loona narrowed her eyes as she looked into the feline pupils of the Lord of Destruction, her friends trying to think of ways to stop this conflict before it happened.

Growling again, Tan-Shi got in the hellhound's face. "You're brave, but you should know that-"

"That what? You're some random bitch that showed up out of nowhere and decided it was a good idea to push people around?! What's your problem?" Loona exclaimed.

"My 'problem' is that I'm surrounded by weaklings that I'm apparently supposed to protect!" The tiger warrior anthro clenched her claws. "I used to annihilate entire armies of the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy. Now? I doubt I'll find anything remotely resembling a challenge."

"Oh, boo-fucking-hoo. How about you loosen up and relax a little before you find another way to piss me off." Loona got in front of her pals. "You mess with them? You mess with me! You got that, kitty?"

Baring her fangs, Tan-Shi's stripes almost erupted into flames before she composed herself. "This isn't worth my time. Still, your bravery in the face of my strength is admirable. Perhaps, one day, I'll see if you are as strong as you look. Until then...farewell." With that, she leaped towards the horizon, landing on a random building and letting out another roar.

Loona watched her leave, scowling. "What the fuck is her problem?' She turned to her friends, her expression softening. "What? I wasn't gonna let her push you guys around."

"I appreciate that. Really, I do. You sure you can take her if she decides to do that again?" Esme asked. "The last thing we want is to see you get hurt."

"That was still pretty badass. You were, like, staring a fiery death in the face." Pinklie said, Hot Dog nodding as he wiped sweat off of his forehead.

Loona just shrugged. "It was nothing. After the shit I've seen, nothing really fazes me. So, you guys still wanna get pizza?"

"For sure!" Pinklie grinned, while Hot Dog gave two thumbs-up.

"Seconded!" Esme said, turning to Loona. "So, I remember you texting us that you have a boyfriend now. Who's the lucky guy?"

"Oh, yeah." Loona scrolled through her phone before finding on a picture of her and Spongebob doing a peace sign together. That picture put a smile on her face. "I hope you guys like long stories."

Meanwhile at the Circle of Wrath..

To say En-Shi wasn't in a good mood was an understatement. She had traveled all across the Circle of Lust and not only didn't find any opponents that she found worth fighting, but she also didn't find anybody she would consider a good lover. "You'd think I'd be able to find a soulmate in a place literally called 'Lust', but...UGH!" She yelled, nearly freezing the air around her in her fury.

She continued to travel around Wrath, the heat of the place making her seek out sources of water. "There's got to be an ocean somewhere around this realm. One that isn't utterly polluted." She could already feel steam come out of her gills, her frost-outfit starting to melt slightly.

Something caught her eye. It was a massive hog, the boar-like beast rampaging across the plains. On its back, a female imp was having the time of her life. "You're plenty strong, girl, but this ends right now!" She leaped off of the fearsome pig creature, digging her boots into the ground and causing the beast to flip onto its back.

As it let out several tired oinks, En-Shi got a better look at the imp. She started to get out her list, getting a good look at the woman. "Let's see. She's obviously strong...she has a nice set of horns...she's clearly brave..." She blushed as she noticed a bulge in the imp's pants. "...and she has a cock!? A large one, too? How amazing!" She felt her heart hammer in her chest, causing her frost-outfit to melt faster before she composed herself.

Sallie May walked over to the head of the escaped demon hog, patting the creature gently. "Ya' gave me a good workout, girl. Now, it's time you returned to-" She was suddenly interrupted when a row of icy spikes formed near her, causing her to jump out of the way. "What the fuck?!"

A massive glacier suddenly erupted behind the imp. Turning around, she saw En-Shi standing atop it, the air becoming much chillier around the Lord of Destruction. "Demon! You have gained the attention of the most powerful and beautiful creature to bless this realm with her presence! Take a good look! Gaze upon my beauty!" She exclaimed, spreading out her arms.

The imp blinked several times before putting her hands on hips. "Somethin' tells me you're kinda laying it on a bit thick. Mind comin' down and explainin' what the fuck ya' meant by all that boastin'? Not to mention, ya' almost skewered me. What's up with that?"

Arching a brow, En-Shi jumped off of the glacier, landing gracefully before landing in front of the imp. "Are you not awestruck by what you see before you?" She flicked her hair, snow falling out of it. "Are you not compelled to become my mate? Only a fool would ignore my beauty and my power!"

"Ya' mean this was all to get my attention?" Sallie looked around at the spikes. "'Cause it looks like you're lookin' for a fight."

"Why wouldn't I?" En-Shi asked. "If I am to see if you are worthy to be my mate, you must challenge me to battle!"

"Ya' gonna at least take me out for dinner first?" Sallie smirked. "Listen, I'd be up to see what you're made of, but I'm kinda busy."

"What could be more important that facing En-Shi? The ice-cold Lord of Destruction!? The newest guardian of this realm!?" 

Sallie walked over to the demonic hog, guiding it back on its feet. "Helpin' out my folks. Now, ya' gonna boast until the sun explodes or are ya' gonna set a date? I could use a lil' excitement, but not today."

Sighing, En-Shi nodded. "Very well. Meet me at this same spot in the next couple of days. But come prepared! You will be in the for the fight of your life!"

"Sure. It's a date. Name's Sallie, by the way." With that, the imp left with her hog. In Wrath, there were points in which the demons would often challenge each-other to brutal fights, but it was mostly in good fun between them. Sometimes, it was what would happen before they started to fuck. Sallie was no stranger to those kinds of dates. "This should be somethin'." She said to herself.

En-Shi watched her leave, realizing that her outfit was melting even faster. "One of these days, I need to get actual clothes." She said to herself, creating a frosty barrier around herself. She used her exposed tail to swim across the water that was forming on the ground, allowing her to slide away while getting some rest at the same time.

Meanwhile near Imp City...

Various imps would suddenly find a large gorilla anthro jumping through the city, sometimes swinging from traffic signs as he gazed upon the sights. Though he preferred the battlefield or the jungles of his homeworld, Rai-Shi couldn't deny the exhilarating feeling of finally being free. The wind against his fur was a welcome feeling, for instance.

Still, his expression was slowly morphing into that of stoic disappointment. Landing on the roof of a tall building, he stood up, crossing his arms. "So far, I see nobody that could possibly challenge me. As a Galaxy Champion, I..."

His attention was grabbed when he heard the sound of mocking laughter and moaning sobs. Leaning towards where the sounds were coming from, he saw a tall owl-like demon stretched against the wall of a pub, trying to drink the last droplet of his bottle. Before he did so, he smashed it down, weeping into his hands.

"Wow! THAT'S a Goetia royal? What a fucking joke!" A random bull demon shouted.

"You should have been there when he was wailing about some guy named 'Blitzy' or whatever. It was hilarious!" A lizard demon said before dumping some alcohol all over the depressed avian demon's face. "Have some! You'll need it for the rest of your pathetic life!"

At first, Rai-Shi was going to ignore this. "I have no business with the weak." He said to himself, only to remember his promise. "No. I am to defend this realm. It was part of the deal." He turned back to leap off of the roof.

As the demons continued to mock the drunk Goetian prince, something large landed behind them. The entire floor cracked, while the bar next to them shook with the force of an earthquake. When the dust settled, Rai-Shi revealed himself, standing up slowly as he snorted, gazing upon the surprised demons. "Is that a monkey?" A lanky horned demon wondered.

Walking towards the group, the gorilla anthro narrowed his eyes. "You are disturbing the peace. As the newly appointed guardian of this realm, you are all to disperse immediately."

Instead of being intimidated, the bull-like demon laughed, walking over to him. "Hey, buzzkill! Why don't you fuck off and sit on a banana?" He reached into one of the grocery bags the avian demon had near him, pulling out one of them. "In fact, here! You want a banana, Donkey Kong?" He taunted, waving the banana in front of the gorilla anthro warrior's face.

Growling at the sight of that fruit, Rai-Shi slowly lifted his hand to completely crush the banana, squishing it hatefully. "I am not asking that all of you leave. I am telling all of you to leave." Rai-Shi warned before leaning into the demon's face. "Also, I...HATE bananas."

Backing away, the bull-like demon just put up his fists. "Whatever. You wanna fucking go?" The rest of the demons got ready for a fight, some of them getting out pocket knives and sharpened pieces of rusted metal they found on the floor.

Rai-Shi glared at the group. "There's a phrase for this. I think it was that we can do this the easy way...or the way I prefer." He smashed his fist into his palm, the ground around him starting to crack even further.

Some of the demons started to get a little intimidated, but the bull demon just got in his face. "I don't know what your fucking deal is, but you'd better knock it the fuck off, monkey! But, if you wanna throw down, I'll show you just how big of a fucking mistake that shit is! Now, let's fucking go, you-"

SMACK!

With one punch to the face, the bull demon fell to the ground, swirls in his eyes. Grabbed by his horns, he was thrown through several brick walls, showcasing the gorilla anthro warrior's strength. "Would anybody else want to test their strength against me? A Galaxy Champion?!" Rai-Shi pounded his chest several times before letting out a deep roar.

He stopped roaring when he realized the demons had already left in a hurry. "Hmph. No spine to speak of." He snorted before turning to the avian demon on the ground. He seemed like a royal, given his fancy regal attire, but the owl-like demon looked utterly miserable. Mascara was running down his face and the only noises he made were depressed whimpers and chirps.

"Worthless...that's all I am." Stolas said to himself, clutching his bottle with enough force to nearly break. "Who could ever love somebody as pathetic as meeeeeeeee?" He drunkenly wailed.

He gave a small chirp of surprise when his four eyes noticed a large figure extending his hand. "Are you...alright?" Rai-Shi asked, not realizing how awkward he sounded. 

Hesitating for a moment, Stolas took the gorilla anthro's hand, finding himself back on his feet before he started to stumble. "Oh, dear...OH, DEAR..." The Goetian prince suddenly started to look green in his cheeks, causing Rai-Shi's eyes to widen.

"Wait. What are you-"

Several minutes later...

The good news was that Stolas was able to compose himself after a few moments. The bad news was that his vomit had coated Rai-Shi's chest, the gorilla anthro warrior doing his best to remain calm. "Are you feeling better?" He asked, while the avian one applied a napkin to clean that chest.

Stolas found himself admiring the musculature of the warrior for a moment before he cleared his throat. He also picked up a few bags of groceries next to himself. "I am SO sorry about that. It's just...it's been a rather shit couple of days." He sadly looked away, tears threatening to form in his eyes again. "It's nothing you should concern yourself with. I don't want to be a bother, sir...?" He tilted his head. "What's your name?"

Rai-Shi stood proudly as he began his introduction. "I am Rai-Shi. I am a Lord of Destruction, a Galaxy Champion, and one of the new guardians of this realm. I noticed you were being attacked by a pack of demons and...wait..." He started to circle around the Goetian prince. "I sense a great deal of power from you. I've trained myself to sense that sort of thing."

"It's nothing, really." Stolas replied.

"It doesn't feel like nothing." Rai-Shi replied. "Why not use that power against those who dared insult you?"

The Goetian prince looked away. "I could have, but, like I said, things have been rather dreadful. You probably don't want to listen to me dumping all of my problems onto you. It wouldn't be fair to the one who dropped everything to help me. Speaking of which, thank you so much for that."

"You're...welcome." Being given genuine gratitude was a new feeling for Rai-Shi, the gorilla anthro warrior wondering what to do next. "So...I don't mean to pry, but what is the nature of these problems? As this realm's guardian, it is my duty to help all those in need.

"Oh, how noble." Stolas gave a small smile. "I hope it's not a bother."

"It's not. Perhaps you can describe these problems to me while I walk you home? It'll be something to talk about while I make sure you return to your home safely." Rai-Shi stated, offering his hand. "To maximize your safety, I offer my hand. Do you accept or are you fine with not holding my hand?"

Stolas' beak almost quivered, his arm wiping away some tears. "SO sorry. It's just...I didn't realize before now that I could really use somebody to talk to right now. I'm Stolas, by the way." He took the taller one's hand, his tail feathers shaking as he felt the gorilla anthro warrior's hand gently wrap around his own. 

And so, the new few minutes had Rai-Shi learning about how, apparently, an imp had broken the owl demon's heart. From what Stolas told the gorilla anthro warrior, the two had been seeing each-other in some kind of arrangement that Stolas wanted to make romantic. "I am not well versed in the ways of romance." Rai-Shi admitted. "But wouldn't he be pleased to know that you wanted to officially court him?"

"I thought that as well, but..." Stolas gave a frustrated sigh. "I just don't know! I confess my feelings to him and he treats it like it's nothing! Maybe it was too sudden! Maybe I should have been more honest with my feelings beforehand! Now, I'm starting to wonder if he felt ANYTHING for me beyond just having that grimoire, as well as a good fuck."

"The way I see it, what's done is done." Rai-Shi replied. "Best thing to do is move on."

"Move on? But...but..." Stolas' beak started to quiver again. "I can't help it. I still remember moments with him that made me so happy. I want to feel like that again, but-"

"You shall never get anywhere if you keep lingering on the past." Rai-Shi interrupted. "Honestly, do you really need this imp that badly?"

"YES! I...I do!" Stolas exclaimed. "When I'm within him, I actually feel happy! I still remember all the good times we've had together!"

"But what of now? The past is one thing, but how does he make you feel...now?" The gorilla warrior anthro asked.

"...he makes me feel...like I'm a horrible person. Like I'm not worth it. Like I'm only good for a fuck." Stolas started to sound a little bit more angry. "I know I should have been more honest, but for him to scream at me like that and treat everything involving us like it's just 'sex, sex, and more sex'...it's infuriating. He also implied that I've always looked down on him, but I've done everything I could to show that I enjoy spending time with him! He can't just ignore all of that!"

"He sounds like a fool." Rai-Shi stated. "You looked past the fact that he was weaker than you, offered your heart to him...and he rejected you, seemingly because he only saw you as a means to an end?" 

"Well, he didn't quite 'reject' me. He simply wanted things to keep going like they were." Stolas replied. "Basically, I provide him with the grimoire and he then fucks me. He's amazing in bed, but I didn't WANT just that! I wanted our relationship to evolve into something not transactional! I even gave him an Asmodean Crystal to help his business no longer have to rely on my grimoire! Again, maybe I was too sudden with expressing my feelings, but-"

"But nothing. He still sounds pathetic. He saw you as a tool and nothing more, even after all you have done for him." Rai-Shi stated. "I don't know what it's like to offer my heart to somebody, but it sounds like a task of great strength. I can appreciate tasks like that. I'm not saying he HAD to accept your love, but he could have least acknowledged it a tiny bit without mocking you."

"I know, right?!" Stolas exclaimed before he sighed. "I've always thought so highly of him. This whole time, have I just been looking through rose-tinted glasses?"

"Would challenging him to battle and defeating make you feel better? That's what I would do." Rai-Shi suggested.

"No. That doesn't sound right. I'll need to think about this soon. There's also the matter of this flier I found." Stolas reached into his coat, getting out that flier.

The Lord of Destruction peered at it. "Annual 'Fuck Blitzo' Party? Starts tomorrow? There are entire parties dedicated to hating him? Just how many enemies has he made over the years?"

"Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are." Stolas admitted. "When a random demon heard me moaning about Blitzo, he offered me this flier. Apparently, it's some kind of support group for those who have dated him. After having this talk, I've made up my mind. I'm attending." He tucked the flier back into his jacket. 

The gorilla anthro warrior thought about that flier. "Perhaps I could attend, too? Though I have not ever met this 'Blitzo', I am interested in socializing with the demons that inhabit this realm. As this realm's guardian, I feel like it would be a good idea."

Looking a bit bashful, Stolas had an idea. "If it's not too much trouble...could you be my plus-one? I've never attended a party like this before. It doesn't help that all of the other parties I've been to were...less-than pleasant." He bitterly remembered all of those parties Stella would throw to celebrate the mere fact that they had not divorced yet.

Thinking about that, Rai-Shi nodded. "That would...be nice. If it helps, this is the first party I've been to in many years."

"Something tells me that we both don't get out much." Stolas supposed before giving a warm smile. "Thank you. Truly. The fact that somebody cares to be with me, even after I just dumped all of my troubles on them...it really means a lot to me. Maybe you could tell me about yourself when we head over there? That would be splendid!"

Seeing the Goetian royal's smile made Rai-Shi's heart skip a beat, surprising him. "What is this feeling?" He wondered out-loud before clearing his throat. "Yes. Very splendid." 

At last, the two arrived at Stolas' house, the owl demon walking towards the door. "Again, thank you for the talk and for walking me home. I'm sure you'll make an amazing guardian."

"Yes. My strength guides me well." Rai-Shi nodded, the door opening.

Octavia was on the other side, breathing a sigh of relief. "Dad, where have you been? You said you were going for groceries. That was five hours ago."

Giving a guilty expression, Stolas sighed. "I'm sorry for taking so long. But it was thanks to this gentleman that I found my way back home." He gestured to the Lord of Destruction.

Rai-Shi gave an awkward wave. "I wish you both a good night. Farewell." With that, he leaped into the sky, leaping from building to building.

The daughter of the Goetian royal blinked at that sight. "Was that a talking gorilla?"

"Yes. A very noble and handsome one at that." Stolas said, his mood having improved. He looked at the flier again, hoping to see Rai-Shi there, as well as hopefully get some peace of mind after everything that happened with the imp he once had romantic feelings for.

Back at the Crystal Tower...

"So...this is our place now, I guess." Brass Bolt said, looking around at the crystalline room before him.

The interior of the tower was mostly just crystal. It was spacious enough for the group to walk around in, but it was rather plain. The gleaming blue crystal was pleasing to the eyes, but that was it. Still, several places looked recently hollowed out, indicating that the kaiju living here had intended to have guests eventually.

"Dibs on the top!" Gilda flew up, perching within the room at the very top of the tower. Looking around, she used her talons to carve 'Gilda's Room' on the wall. "Moku' had better take requests for stuff we want!"

"Like beds? Preferably ones not made of hard crystal?" Brass Bolt wondered, wandering into another hallowed-out room.

Stud Muffin looked at his one reflection, watching it warp and distort whenever he moved his face. "Heh. It's like a giant house of mirrors."

Discord's reflection looked normal, but his body was literally morphing to what his reflection would look like. "Can you not?" Brass Bolt groaned, the draconequus chuckling as he did this.

Trixie was adjusting her mane in the mirror, smiling as a bunch of other Trixie reflections smiled back. "Trixie is pleased by the new digs!"

"Wait! Iron Will just had an idea!" The minotaur turned to Discord. "Would ya' mind poofing a bunch of stuff into here? You can basically do anything with a snap, right?"

Grinning, Discord prepared to reply, but Gilda suddenly lunged down to cover his mouth. "No way! He'd probably create beds that wanted to eat us or other random stuff!"

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to be BORING!" Discord huffed, snapping his fingers, only to create beds literally made of water, cabinets made of random foots, and rugs that grew wings.

The rugs started to swoop down on everybody, screeching as they did that. "You're only proving her point, you know!" Brass Bolt shouted.

"I think it's kind of endearing." Stud Muffin said.

"No! It's just annoying!" Brass Bolt insisted.

Suddenly, several yellow volts of energy crackled through the air, destroying the chaotic constructs. 'I trust everybody is getting used to our new base of operations? ' Mokushiroku asked. 'I left sandwiches, if anybody wanted any.'

"There were sandwiches?" Stud Muffin asked, only to see that Iron Will had eaten them all. The minotaur realized all eyes were on him, causing him to gulp down the sandwiches and give an embarrassed smile.

While Discord huffed at his creations being destroyed, Mokushiroku floated towards a throne made of crystal. 'I have not decided on our next course of action, but, as soon as the next portal to the Hasbro Universe opens up, I'll send several crystals into it so we can always have a view on how things are going.'

"Trixie is already getting homesick, but she is all for that." Trixie stated. "But there will come a time in which Trixie meets her new audience, right?"

'All in good time.' The kaiju replied. 'Get some rest, everybody. It's been a long couple of days. Soon, our efforts to stop the evil of Starfleet will bear fruit. Equestria...will be free from their tyranny.'

When everybody went to their rooms, Discord instantly started to customize his own room with various snaps of his fingers. There was a table that scuttled across the floor, a dispenser for chocolate milk that was upside down, ceiling fans that created mini-tornados of sprinkles...but he found himself creating many items that reminded him of Fluttershy. Mostly statues and pictures of her, that is. The very wallpaper of the room even had her face everywhere.

Sighing, Discord made himself a hammock. "Someday, my dear Fluttershy...we'll be together again." He lifted his claw, feeling his chaotic power surge through him. "For as much as Moku' has done for me and everybody here, he STILL hurt you. That, and I don't appreciate being turned into a side-character. I may be down in the dumps for now...but I'll climb my way back to the top. Count on it, folks."

For Gilda, she looked toward the horizon, finding herself daydreaming about still flying with Rainbow Dash. She remembered hearing that the pegasus was fighting against the forces of Starfleet by her lonesome. "I guess you're still as badass as ever. Makes me wish I could be there to see it. Later, dude." With that, she finally got some much-needed sleep.

Trixie hung up her hat and cape, yawning as she flopped against a bed that Discord had conjured up for her...only for her to see that Iron Will was hovering over her, resting his tie over a crystal branch. "Oh! Iron Will didn't know this was your room. My bad!"

"It's fine. You are forgiven. Leave Trixie to her rest!" The magician dramatically said.

However, as the minotaur prepared to leave, his ears flicked when he heard a sniffle from the unicorn. "Um...you okay?"

"Huh?" Wiping her eyes, Trixie tried to compose herself. "Yes! The great and relaxed Trixie is fine and definitely not homesick and...worried about this whole thing...and uncertain that Ponyville will ever welcome her again after being labeled an evildoer..." She sighed. "I'm so tired."

Sitting next to her, Iron Will tried to provide comfort. "Um...there, there? I'm sure everything will be fine? 100% guaranteed?" He offered.

An awkward silence followed. It ended when Trixie sighed. "This is pathetic. I'm supposed to be back at Equestria, ready to wow my audience after I avenge the honor of Abra Kadabra. But...now, I'm getting roped up in awakening ancient warlords and going to another version of Tartarus and maybe never seeing Equestria forever-"

"Easy there!" Iron Will rested a hand on her shoulder. "Not gonna lie. This whole thing is a little intense for me too. I'm...kinda scared about where this whole thing is going. For all I know, this could end up with us even more hated by Equestria than before. But this whole thing is better than nothing, right?'

"...I guess." Trixie looked down. Looking around, she looked back towards the minotaur. "It's not...easy for me to admit this, but I'm glad that somebody is here to ensure that I'm not...alone in all of this. Thank you."

"No problem!" Iron Will smiled, patting her on the shoulder again. "Now, let's forget all about our troubles and think about what stuff awaits us in this place!"

"Never thought I'd be hopeful about my prospects in a place literally titled 'Hell'...but alright." The unicorn found herself leaning against the muscular one, causing them both to blush before they cleared their throats. 

"We should...probably get some shut-eye." Iron Will said.

"Yep."

Finally, Stud Muffin was staring holes into the ceiling, continuing to try and think of the one named Twilight Sparkle. No matter how much it physically hurt for him to do so, he couldn't help but feel a sense of bliss whenever he managed to remember details of the mare. 

They included her kind smile, her nerdy demeanor, her flowing purple hair, and her many messages of friendship. He also remembered holding her hand...laughing with her...kissing her while holding her gently...

More tears flowed down his face, the pain in his head getting worse. "You okay there?" Brass Bolt poked his shoulder.

"GAH!" The muscular one sat up, only to rub the sweat off of his forehead. "Sorry. I'm fine. It's just...I had a bad dream."

"I've been there before." Brass Bolt shuddered, remembering the many nightmares he had of Lightning Dawn laughing at him. "Listen, I know that this whole thing is so...sudden, but I think this is a good thing. We're finally getting a chance to get back at those who threw us into cages. I'm all for this plan!"

"...that's nice. I'm just glad that I still get to help people." Stud Muffin stated, once more trying to get some rest. "I mean, that's what this whole plan is about...right?"

"We're helping our entire planet, so there's that." Brass Bolt said, yawning before he flopped against his bed. "Well, let's just see where this plan goes tomorrow. See you in the morning."

"Okay. Good night." With that, Mokushiroku's allies had fallen asleep, while the kaiju continued to wait for the next portal leading to the Hasbro Universe.

Chapter Text

Later during the night, United Equestria...

Smashing into the ground after getting punched in the stomach, Swift Star attempted to get up, but he was kicked across the face by Lightning Dawn, causing him to see static. "Get back up! We're not done yet!" Lightning shouted.

"I-I-I fail to see how this is 'training'." The mechanical one got back up, his voice glitching slightly. "It seems like I am merely your punching bag."

Zooming towards Swift Star, Lightning dragged him across the ground. "Am I getting stronger?! AM I?! TELL ME!"

Despite being thrown into a nearby tree, Swift Star got back up, shakily standing up. "My scans indicate that you are sleep deprived and are incredibly tired. I would suggest getting some rest and-"

"NO! I can't rest!" Lightning shouted, tears starting to form in his eyes. "If I can just find a way to get stronger-"

"I think you've reached your limit." Swift Star interrupted. "Might I suggest better teamwork strategies? That could help greatly."

His eye twitching, the Space Pony marched towards the mechanical one. "You...don't...get it. I'm a symbol! I represent the glory of Starfleet! I'm one of Starfleet's greatest commanders! I've been trained by Celesto himself! If I keep failing, I drag Starfleet's name down with me! I can't let that happen!"

"Perhaps you are putting too much pressure on yourself?" Swift Star asked.

"STOP THAT!" Lightning's horn crackled with energy. "I don't need your pity! I need results!"

"But we're friends. Friends help each-other. Let me help you." Swift Star extended his hand, only for Lightning to swat it away.

Growling, Lightning pointed a finger at the mechanical one. "We are NOT friends! You were just some robot Celesto gave to me because it would help Starfleet's reputation! Well, the reputation of Starfleet is going down and all you can do is talk about 'friendship'! What would you know of friendship, anyway? You're a machine!"

"I...I'm am just a machine." Swift Star looked away, a saddened look on his face. "Wait...what if I'm more than that? Maybe if I spoke to Brain, I-" He suddenly let out several glitchy noises, his body starting to tremble. "ERROR. DATA NOT FOUND. DATA NOT FOUND."

"Broken already?" Lightning sneered, punching the mechanical one so hard in the chest that he was sent flying through several trees. "If you're still functional, come back in the morning for the next training session! For all I care, you can stay there! Useless hunk of junk!"

Starla had watched the whole thing happen, unable to watch the display any further. "Lightning..." She sighed. "What's happening to you?" She flew over to where Swift Star had fallen, hoping he was alright. When she saw the state he was in, she helped him up. "Don't worry. We'll get through this. I'm sure Lightning will come to his senses soon."

The mechanical one continued to glitch, seeing various scenes that he didn't remember seeing in his databanks. "Brain...creator...peace...error...no...Brain...what happened to you...creator...gone...friend...friendship...Lightning...friend...ONLY friend...ONLY FRIEND...ONLY FRIEND..." His eyes briefly flashed red, his fist clenching. "ONLY FRIEND."

Doing her best to ignore that, Starla flew back home, anticipating sleeping in her bed without her husband by her side, as he would probably still be training instead of getting some much-needed sleep.

The next day at New Sugarcube Corner...

When Fluttershy returned to Sugarcube Corner, she was immediately put into a bearhug by Pinkie, the energetic one's breasts squeezing into her face. "It's soooo awesome to see you again!"

"It's...nice to see you again, too." The pegasus blushed, those breasts pushing further against the side of her face before she was released from the tight hug, allowing her to get some air.

"It certainly has been too long since we've enjoyed a moment to ourselves." Rarity said, sipping some tea.

"You doin' okay? Does your chest hurt still?" Applejack asked.

Moving a hand towards her own chest, the pegasus shrugged. "It doesn't really bother me anymore. It only hurts if its poked." She sat down with them, sighing. "I was actually awake for a day or two. I'm sorry I couldn't meet you all sooner."

"It's okay! You were still recovering. We totally understand." Pinkie replied. "So...a TON of stuff happened while you were gone!" She suddenly pulled out a 'Several minutes later' time-card, moving it around before throwing it away. "And that's what happened!"

Blinking in surprise, Fluttershy had a few moments to take in the information she had received. Everything from the fall of Planet Conva to the release of Stammadon. "It sounds like things are only getting more...intense."

"Either we've been havin' the worst luck yet...or this is all leadin' up to something." Applejack rubbed her chin.

"I'm trying not to worry so much, but there's always that feeling that things are about to get so much worse." Rarity added.

"Don't be like that, guys! That fight with Stammadon wasn't that bad!" Pinkie beamed. "We would have defeated him with the power of teamwork if we had more time."

"Yeah. I won't lie. We had him on the ropes a few times." Applejack admitted.

Fluttershy then remembered another detail she had learned about. "Discord! He's free!"

"Yep! I knew that paperclip would come in handy!" Pinkie grinned.

"But he's one of the guys who freed Stammadon. He must be mighty bitter at Starfleet for everything that's happened." Applejack said. "No excuse to release an ancient evil from a many-year nap, but still."

Remembering that Discord was involved with Stammadon's release made Fluttershy's ears fall. "If only I could talk to him. Maybe I could convince him that, whatever he's doing, it's the wrong thing. Revenge is never the answer."

"I wouldn't dream of worsening your mood, but this is Discord we're talking about." Rarity stated. "I also hope he's not planning a 'take over Equestria' plot, but he probably does have a score to settle with Starfleet, especially given how they must have treated him on Conva."

The pegasus felt her fingers clench into a fist, remembering what she had heard of Conva from Rhymey. When he told her of the horrible treatment that the prisoners received there, he seemed prideful of Starfleet for resorting to that level of cruelty. "I choose to believe there's still good in Discord. One day, we'll see each-other again. I just hope he's doing alright now." Changing the subject to something more positive, she turned to Applejack. "Also, congratulations on you and Rarity becoming a couple."

"Oh, thank you, dear!" Rarity beamed, holding the earth pony's hand and causing her to blush. "I'm honestly wondering why we didn't start sooner! Then again..." She looked around, noticing that some of the Starfleet guards were giving the duo suspicious stares that only stopped when they stopped holding hands. "If they saw us, they would be shouting up and down that I 'belong with Spike'."

"But Spike's already in a relationship. A happy one, too. Pinkie told me about that." Fluttershy replied, remembering the exposition she had just heard.

"I'm certain love will triumph soon. It had to." Rarity said, with Pinkie almost providing dramatic triumphant music with that line.

"Yer damn right." Applejack quickly pressed her lips against the unicorn's cheek, causing Rarity to rest her head against her lover's head.

Fluttershy almost considered telling the group about what Rainbow Dash was doing, but she remembered that her friend needed more time until the Lunar Warriors settled into their new home. A part of her couldn't wait for her friends to hang out once more, only this time, it would be away from Starfleet's watchful tyrannical eye.

For now, the four friends would enjoy some food and a lot more catching up. Despite everything that had happened, the bond of friendship they had remained unbreakable.

Meanwhile at the Mysterious Island...

Luck was finally on the side of the Night Warriors, as their new home proved to be quite optimal. There was a lot of food and plenty of space for the group to establish a new base of operations. Despite the chaotic environment, things were peaceful on the island. It helped greatly with how the group was settling in.

Still, the group would find themselves meeting the green-scaled creature as well, the reptilian one playfully chasing Ditzy Doo. "You almost got me! Again, you almost got me! You're getting good at this!" The blonde pegasus giggled, happily playing with the curious one.

"Now, this is wholesome." Vinyl said, resting against the beach as she soaked up the sun's rays. She then turned to Octavia. "So, how's the place, babe? I feel like I should retire here soon."

Right now, the cellist was finding herself riding atop two sea turtles, their wheels driving quickly across the sand. "How did this even happen?!" She cried out, her arms waving around as she tried to keep her balance. Vinyl would get up to help her, but she had to prevent herself from chuckling at the sight.

Rainbow Dash watched this all happen, crossing her arms as she smiled. "You did good, Dash. You did good." It was like a massive weight had vanished from herself. To see everybody having a good time AND ensuring Starfleet wouldn't mess things up was giving her a major confidence boost. It also made her think of inviting her friends over to the island. 

Before she could think further about that, Thunderlane tapped her shoulder. "Hey, uh, I was wondering about something. What's her name?" He asked, pointing to the reptilian creature still playing with Ditzy.

"I dunno. I'm still workshopping that." Dash admitted. "But I promise it'll be a super awesome name! Something like..."

"Coral." Big Macintosh stated, the stallion leaning against a tree. "Because she lives near the sea? Is that good?"

The creature heard that name, giving an excited mewling noise as she raced over to Big Macintosh, sniffing him before pushing him into the sand, nuzzling him. "Yeah, that's a pretty cool name." Dash nodded.

Zecora chuckled as she watched her boyfriend get nuzzled into the sand. The stallion also felt like he was getting tickled, causing him to give several giggles. "That name has filled her with so much cheer. Still, what shall we name the other creature drawing near?"

Everybody turned to the larger creature lurking within the jungle, the beast looking with a protective eye. He was growling at first, but he seemed to determine that the newcomers weren't threats, given how they weren't' hurting Coral. He continued to stand there, watching this all happen.

As Coral then chased after Octavia and Vinyl, the others backed away from the jungle. "Him? I was thinking 'the Big One', but he's so hardcore that he deserves an way better name." Rainbow Dash said. "Maybe...Doomstomper? Skullcruncher?"

She continued to list various names, while Big Macintosh looked towards the ocean. "Give it time, sis. I'll be coming home soon. Soon as we save the world, that is." Holding Zecora's hand, he walked across the beach, taking in the light of the sun. Pretty soon, he and the rest of the group would continue to set up the new base of operations.

However, Zecora's attention turned to the volcano, her eyes narrowing at the bomb in the center. "It would be best if somebody kept a watch on that mysterious thing. I can only imagine what kind of destruction it could potentially bring."

Princess Luna was still in Canterlot, sleeping until night came, but she was sleeping with a content smile. 'Rest well, my warriors. We have much to do soon.' She thought. However, her own dreams would start to drift towards memories. Memories involving a certain person that had been released from his imprisonment.

'Stammadon...do you still remember the times of joy we had? The times of us looking at the stars and exploring Equestria? The times before everything went wrong? '

Back in the Circle of Wrath, the Helluva-Verse...

Standing atop a mound of defeated enemies, Stammadon sighed. "Like always, nobody is able to defeat me." He had traveled across Wrath, defeating every demon who dared challenge him. Given that this was, well, Wrath, there were plenty of opportunities for battle.

Night had come and, when he looked up, he found himself utterly displeased to see that there were no stars. "No. That's in the past. I must look to the future." He said to himself, shaking his head.

The more Stammadon thought of the future, he realized he wasn't just thinking of the battle that Mokushiroku promised him, but he also thought of what every fight after that. Just more victories over...and over...and over again. "Fighting is all I have. I should be satisfied. I am satisfied." He told himself.

Something felt missing, though. Something he had done his best to tell himself that he didn't need anymore. The more he thought about it, though, the more he felt a yearning for it. "Grrrrrgh..." He growled, the flames of his mane burning brighter. "It's not fair. I'm finally free. I have an opportunity to continue my conquest. Why am I not HAPPY?!"

Growling even more, he jumped off of the groaning mound of defeated foes, storming further across Wrath. He looked at the ground as he did so, his expression looking more solemn. "This ache in my heart. Why won't it go away?"

Back in United Equestria, across several locations...

Miles away from the town of Appleloosa, the desert remained as quiet as ever. The rustling of a tumbleweed occasionally broke the silence, but, for the most part, it was as peaceful as ever.

That is...until the earthquakes happened again. The whole desert shook, scaring the animal away as entire mountains almost crumbled from the intensity. These earthquakes had been happening ever since the portal incident that had occurred because of Hyper Zetton and HADES' fight. Long story short, something was now stirring within the ground.

And it was starting to wake up.

Meanwhile, in Griffonstone, many more things were stirring. They were much smaller than the beast within the desert near Appleloosa, but they were even more vicious. For many years, they had laid dormant. One of them was already active, digging through the ground as it sought food.

It looked around with bulbous compound eyes, its mandibles clicking together as its large caterpillar like form dug through the ground. It would be a while before it reached the surface, but, once it did, others of its kind would rise with it. 

There was also something burning hot was dwelling even deeper within the mountain. Actually, the heartbeat of two massive creatures could be heard if one was close enough. 

Finally, Grand Ruler Celesto woke up with a sudden gasp. He panted heavily, covering his forehead as he thought about what had happened. He didn't even notice that Celestia was not in the same bed as he was, as she was most likely having a loving moment with Chrysalis (long story, again). He didn't know that, but still.

At first, Celesto wanted to blame Luna, but he then remembered that he had placed a spell that would block any attempt from her to look into his dreams. Yet, for some reason, he had seen something in his dreams that utterly terrified him. "What is happening? Am I...trembling?" He wondered.

He had seen a sea of blue flames, as well as a horde of horrific creatures rising from the fire around him. They all appeared to be drooling blood...and something was standing over them all. Like with the monsters, he didn't know what he was looking at, but it was HUGE.

A single word was spoken in the dream. A word that would haunt him for quite some time.

Ragnarok.

TO BE CONTINUED...