It was unusually calm. For entire 2 days there were no crazy spirits, evil apprentices, armies of gryphons or anything like that, stopping the group from travelling to their location. When Hase heard the stories too, he was surprised:

" So, you are saying me, that the Destroyer had harnessed death and because of a mysterious moon magic it just produced the Nightmare Spirits? "

" Sure. " Vortex replied to his son.

The evening Hase stared at the stars.

" You enjoy stargazing too? " Twilight came nearby and lied on the grass.

" I enjoy anything, that will distract me from my life. From the day I was born my life is a constant battle. Every time I get to know something more about that who I am, there is a great battle. My whole life is one big battle. I just want... I just want to live a normal life in a normal house, " he glared at Rarity " , with a normal marefriend and normal friends. "

Twilight noticed who he was looking at and grinned, She sang the song with the tree. Instead of getting cross, the mane of the stallion revealed his happiness.

" Remember when you all sang this in New Equestria? While Hawk and Rarity were kissing. I think... I think he loved her because of me. While Hawk was me, he loved Rarity for a whole year. And after he left, he dumped her in less than 2 months. Do you think she knows this? "

" Yes. I am sure. Hawk just isn't like he once was, while he was you, " the lavender alicorn replied " , and I think she loves you too. "

" But my life will never be normal, will it? I wish it was like it once was, before i started all of this. Before my father came to life, before I met my old friends, before Rarity was the Widow, before Fluttershy was the Shyulk, before Applejack was Captain Equestria, before the lords. Now she's normal again, but I'll never be. Before I was a science experiment with many powers. Now... it's even worse, because it cannot be undone. "

For 10 seconds the two ponies stared at the stars, before twilight could think of the right answer:

" Hase... many ponies crave for what you have. Once Trixie was ready to lose herself for such power. "

" And it didn't end up well. This won't have a happy ending either. "

" Why? Those weapons don't say who you are, you say this yourself. They don't bend your will. they might of been forged for destruction, but they can also be used for creation. "

" And what if what the spirit told me is true? What if I am destined to be evil? You still haven't figured out how am I able to use magic, or how do I have the power for so hard spells, that no normal unicorn can perform, have you? "

Twilight felt uncomfortable:

" No. I haven't. This research had a dead end. But if you believe you are good, than good you will be. "

Hase smirked:

" That sounds like a lesson from some of Granny Smith's old mare tales. "

" There's lot tah learn from these ol' mear tales! " Applejack passed nearby

" She's right. " Twilight supported her friend " Do you know, that most of those stories are true? "

" Oh. So I should warn Scotaloo, that the headless horse is real, when we come back... if we do come back. "

Twilight looked at the stalion. He wasn't showing any signs of being worried, but still looked sad.

" We will come back. Come on, we've beaten, beg my pardon, you, Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, Rarity... "

" I heard that. " Rarity's voice was heard from the nearby tent

" I mean Nightmare Rarity! Also all of the lords, one by one, your foalhood fellows, your dad... How can a swordspony be much different? " Twilight smiled, while she remembered all of those fights

" Well, if we should be honest... you didn't defeat me, but just slowed me down, you just cleansed Luna from the spirits, not totally destroying the Spirits, Chrysalis... well, basically Cadence and Shining Armour did this one.  Discord...  if he was playing serious, he could of easily defeated you. Sombra... I'll count that for a victory. You only dealed with 1/2 of the Spirits, while on the Moon, but since you didn't know for the rest, I'll count this for one. The lords... as with Discord. If I was playing serious, instead of watching you from a cloud and eating popcorn with Discord... "

" Wait a second. " Twilight grinned " You don't count them right.... wait, you ate popcorn the whole time we were fighting the Lords? "

" It was a big box. " Hase smiled in responce to his friend's amazed face

" So... any time you could of just jumped on our way and knock us out, stealing the medalion and defeating us... forever? "

" Yes, but as Discord says, where's the fun? That's what makes us different from the others: we don't fight for evil itself. Or even victory itself. " Hase explained

" Well, you know what Sombra or Chrysalis would of done, don't you? " the lavender alicorn asked

" Ahem. But this duo has no style... think of it. Chrysalis, with her swarm - feeding - love - destroying plan. Horrible. And King " Sombrero in the Frozen North " . Honestly, this stallion has no idea of evil, if his symbol is a dark crystal... "

" Symbol? " Twilight was confused

" Oh, you know... the villain's trademark. Something, that helps you recognize him or her. If you do something evil, but you don't want to reveal yourself in public, you leave a mark. A symbol, that says the ponies, that you are the pony, who did this evil thing. For Nightmare Moon... perhaps those dark misty blue clouds. Discord - cotton candy clouds, of course. But the Queen and the King have no taste. Seriously... some horrible looking insectoids and a field of dark crystals? "

" After we heard the story of Celestia, you know, about how all of the Changelings just suffered the curse of a Voidian, do you think, that they can be our friends again? " the purple mare asked

" I doubt it. Chrysalis would only agree, if she finds another source of food for her folk. " Hase replied

The stallion didn't feel when his eyes closed. When they opened again, however, it was morning. The tents were... burning?

" Fire! " the pegasus jumped back on his hooves. Strange, only the prequestrians answered his call. Luckily, they suceeded to put out the fire with the remaining buckets of water. There was a river nearby, so that wasn't a problem.

" Where are everypony? " Twister asked

" Look! " the eyes of Crescent spotted something.

A huge army. Their friends... either chained, or captured another way. Fluttershy, as the Shyulk, was fighting the walls of a spell, but they seemed to be unbreakable. The Iron Stalion and the War Marechine were standing on the ground, with their heads hanging. Obviously an EMP strike had disabled the suits and now Djarvis was trying to reboot the systems. Thor's hammer was in another unbreakable magic field, while Thor himself was chained in twice the number of the chains, than the ponies, that didn't have any super powers. Blaze the Fire Lord was captured in an orb of water, Hydro and Glace were in a circle of fire, that raised and melted every one of their escape attempts. Twilight and the Princesses were in the Eternal Bonds. The Black Widow had no suit on, and Hawk's bow was just next to him, but guards with whips guarded it.

Crescent immeadietly recognized the leader of the squad. After all, she had given him the scar herself.

" Remember me, Crescent? if you had let me take those amulets none of this would of happened! " the scared unicorn yelled at the mare. Crescent levitated two blades and threw them at him, but a force field around the stallion blocked them. He grinned:

" You still think you can solve all of your problems with knives? Those ponies you got here... Sabredance was right. They will be perfect hosts for his allies. But you... instead of fighting, why don't you just come with me? I can forgive. Don't fight, when there is no point. " the stallion looked at his old friend. But the unicorn mare just threw another two blades at him, together with the word:

" Never! "

" Than finally I shall have my vengeance! For each drop of blood, that fell off my wound that night, I'll take 10 galons! " the unicorn raised a knife and neared Luna.

" Vengeance! That's it! " Hase got an idea

" What? " Twister asked the pegasus

" If I concentrate good enough, I may summon the Bow of Vengeance! It's arrows pass through any shielding and we won't have to get closer! "

" What about that Spear? " Crescent nodded at Hase' newest weapon.

The stallion aimed for the army and a multicoloured bolt of energy was fired. A shield, that covered the whole army, stopped it. The pegasus got angry and fired two balls with his Chaotic powers, but the result was the same. The scared stopped half the way to Luna, turned to the four ponies, smiled and spoke:

" Try as hard as you can, son of Vortex. Nothing can breach this field. Or can it? Let's give you some motivation: we'll start with the ones, closest to your heart: your beloved and your father.

The stallion passed by the Princesses and the Lords and reached Vortex and Rarity, who were next to each other. As the knife neared the neck of the white unicorn, the head of Hase ached from anger. He let it out in a single word:

" BOOOOW! "

The knife was an inch of the mare's neck, when, amused, the unicorn turned to the pony again:

" Oh, you are trying to collect all of the weapons? Maybe there is hope for you. I should tell the Spirits, that you are a fit king for them. But sadly, first your little friend will have to die... " the scared turned around.

But before he completely turned around, something stuck in his back. He fell on his knees. The stallion felt the arrow burn it's way through his muscles. A nearby soldier pulled it out, before it killed him. Though it hurt like hay, the unicorn stood up on his hooves with the help of two of his troops. Again he smiled and greeted the son of Vortex:

" A hero... a hero wouldn't of been able to summon such a weapon so quickly. A hero would know when to give up. But you are ready to sacrifice the world for the ones you love. You aren't a hero. And besides, how did you think you would kill me with an arrow, that doesn't make me bleed? "

" If you want blood, you've got it. " Hase referenced the Es/Ds song as another arrow hit the scarred between his eyes. Immeadietly after that, he fired four melting arrows in the chains of Pony and Dash. The iron ponies assaulted the army from the inside. The unicorns, producing the force field, got distracted and it fell apart. Now nothing could of stopped the attack of the Prequestrians. While Hase guarded their backs and shot surprising arrows, Forge swung his hammer around him and moved forward. The Hammer gained momentum quickly and soon Forge was in the eye of a hammer tornado, that smited everything on it's way. One soldier somehow went between the hammer and Forge, but he was quickly eliminated by Hase, who shot an arrow in his throat. Unlike before, now the arrow didn't pass through the pony's neck, burning everything on it's path as before, but remained in his throat. The horrible part was, that the soldier somehow avoided the hammer again and left alive, trying to get the arrow off his neck. But after he did so, a strong stream of blood flowed through the hole and the pony fell on the ground.

Hase tried to use non- lethal arrows. He found out, that he is able to fuel the arrows with Chaotic magic. So instead of using lethal arrows, he tried to make them non- lethal. He fired an arrow at a pony, who was going to hit Thor in the neck. After the arrow hit the soldier, a lightning bolt struck the nearby two troops, stunning them. Obviously Thor got inspired from this, because he summoned a huge thunder, that cleaned a whole squad of his way. Hawk joined the bowpony party and fired an arrow after an arrow. His arrows were just as effective as the Bow of vengeance' magic arrows, so the two archers decided to compete.

" Four. " Hawk noted, after three ponies were disoriented from miniature flares from an arrow, stuck in their friend's left flank. Hawk hit them with his bow and they fell unconcious.

" Five. " one of the dark arrows of Hase detonated in mid- air, freezing 5 ponies.

" Six. " one of Hawk's arrows split in 6 pieces in the air and hit a group of soldiers. Apparently there was some kind of paralytic toxin in them, because the ponies fell like if they were statues.

" Seven. " One of the arrows opened a sand hole in the ground. Seven ponies sunk in the ground to their necks, and than it closed again, leaving the heads out.

" Girls, you're both pretty. Now can we get back to the fight? " Natasha Romanoff, wearing the Widow, jumped nearby and kicked a soldier, that was going to hit Hawk.

Though all of the ponies fought like one, the soldiers were too many. Hase barely appeared to stop the pegasus fighters from hurting him seriously. He had to move the Shield of Horror too fast. And in the air he was an easy target. So he landed on the ground, put the bow in it's magical quiver on his back, that miraculously appeared together with the bow. Enough archery for today. It was time for the real combat.

As he landed, the pegasus swung his whip at a nearby soldier and pulled him in front of the nearby Twilight, who together with Applejack and Wanda Maximoff were attacking one of the squad of archers, that were a pain in the flank for Hase, while he was in the air. And this pony came just in time. A second before the pony turned to smoke from the burning touch of the Whip of Rage, it served as a living shield for the purple alicorn, guarding her from a barrage of arrows. The arrows burned, before they got to the Scarlet Witchmare, and Captain equestria hid behind her shield, but the arrows would of proved fatal for the young princess. She nodded at Hase and together with the other two mares eliminated the squad. Meanwhile the stallion with the multicoloured mane continued on his way with the Whip of Rage and the Berserker mace levitating around him. In the beggining Hase mainly used the flexibility of his whip to keep the enemies far enough, but later they became too much for such strategy, so he put the whip back in it's bag and attacked with the mace. Red oreol shone around the pegasus, guarding him from any harm. When Hase first used the Mace, he didn't think while attacking. But now he fought with clear mind and didn't let the Art of War guide him.

Eventually, the fight moved near the river. It was a clever move, because after Hase looked back, he saw, that the enemy was pushing them to the high cliffs. So with the magic of the Void he created a wall, shrouded in darkness. Dusk helped him decrease the light and the enemies didn't understand about the wall at all. He gathered the whole group around him and spoke:

" I'm sad to say that, but no spear, hammer, mace or bow can deal with the number of the enemy. They are pushing us to the high banks of the river. If we fall, those of us, who can't fly, won't survive. So we need another plan. Fear will be the best option. "

" So, you'll use the Shield? " Luna asked

Hase shook his head:

" It won't work.Those soldiers are trained to have no fear... from the normal. If we create something, unseen utill now, then we might find their weak spot. If we all use our powers to create the ultimate monster, they can do nothing but run. " the pegasus smirked.

Meanwhile the soldiers were wondering what happened. Suddenly there was a thick mist - a trick of those wizards for sure. Such ponies threatened the wellbeing of the millions of families of the Empire, Sabredance said. He used that to motivate them, of course. Secretly he had a deal with the Spirits - to bring them the perfect host for their Queen, a mare, called Rarity. So the warriors were ordered to bring the group alive. But they continued to bump into trees. The commander felt stupid. Their genious plan stopped... by a tree. Or many trees?

Suddenly the earth shook. Again. When it shook for the third time, a 30 feet tall dragon jumped out of the mist and stood in front of the army. The soldiers have slain many dragons, so they just threw spears at it. But they were magically diversed. A dragon, that was able to use magic? Now that was different. The soldiers stepped back. The dragon was brown in colour, but burning red lights passed through his whole body, including his wings, made out of ice, that constantly melted, but grew again.

" I am the Elemental Dragon, wielder of the elements. What are you doing in my foresssst? "  the dragon husstled

The commander went in front of his troops and replied:

" Monster, get off our way or get slain. We are looking for something far more dangerous than you. "

The dragon didn't like those words. He grabbed something in his front claws and lifted them. it was Hase and Loky.

" Oh, you mean those weaklings? They are no match for me, the Master of the Sun and the Moon. " the dragoon squuezed the two ponies.

Loky vanished in bright light and Hase turned to smoke. In the same time the clouds formed a hole, through which the sun was seen. The moon came in front of it. Some got scared from this and attacked the dragon. The dragon either put them on fire, freezed them with it's wings or just grabbed them in his claws and threw them back at their army. The dragon roared, which echoed through the whole valley and the helmets of the soldiers fell of their heads.

" I don't fear you, beast! " the commander rushed at the dragon and threw his spear at him. The dragon just shrouded in darkness. There was blue light and suddenly the commander ran out of the cloud, without realizing, that he ran in the wrong way. He realized when his back was pierced by one of the crystal nails of the dragon. The soldiers didn't need anything else. They just threw their weapons and ran in direction the passage.

" Well, that was funny. " Pinkie noted.

The mist vanished. The magical wall faded. The ruby eyes of the dragon lost their living shine and the monster fell apart, turning to ice, stone and some gems.

" Nice work everypony! " Hase congratulated them.

The whole thing was just a scheme. If the soldiers saw what happened backstage, they would of never ran away. The dragon was built after Landrock formed the stones and Glace made the ice wings. The ice lord stopped them from melting, while the fire blood ran across the dragon's surface, hiding the cracks between the stones. The magic, diversing the spears was just Breeze's wind. Neither Loky or Hase died. Actually the victim of the reptile was just Loky's copy, and Hase vanished a part of a second before he was smashed. The trick with the sun eclipse was made by Luna and Celestia.

The pegasus felt something covering his wings. When he turned around, he saw a dark robe with holes in it's end, as the wing of a changeling, but otherwise it almost looked like a normal robe. It was just his size. He knew, that this was the Robe of Illusion.

Now he got almost all of them.

The group looked at the castle. They got no more than a day, untill they reached it.

" The end is near. We should be careful. " Crescent spoke. Next Chapter: Dark End Estimated time remaining: 19 Minutes