“All ponies go back to your homes immediately! Twilight, you and your friends will come with us,” commanded Celestia. The crowd filed out of the castle. Suddenly, Rainbow’s cutie mark reappeared.
“Ah yeah, baby! I’m gonna keep an eye on you!” said Rainbow to her cutie mark.
“Rainbow, we have better things to worry about than talking to our flanks!” scolded Twilight.
“Luna, what is the threat we are dealing with?” asked Celestia once they all walked into the castle.
“I never told you, I thought they were dead,” said Luna as she walked sadly.
“Well, they’re not, and that one stole my cutie mark!” complained Rainbow Dash.
“I know, I know. When I first became Nightmare Moon, the first thing I needed was an army. I used my powers to combine a filly zebra with a dragon and gave it the powers of a unicorn. That first creation was Draco Snarl. After her success I created more, and eventually I had my army. They were extremely powerful and slavishly obeyed me. I told Draco that if I was ever lost or imprisoned that she would take control of the army and wait for my return. She has done what I asked. I thought they would have given up or died out long ago. I don’t know how they have managed to maintain an army,” explained Luna, shamefully.
“Wait, where did they stay when not in battle?” asked Twilight.
“Mount Fillymanjaro, the highest point in Hoofrica, land of the zebras,” said Luna.
“Then I know somepony that can give us answers,” said Twilight. The group searched the departing crowd until they found Zecora.
“Zecora, an army of dragon-pony hybrids are coming to destroy Equestria. Luna said they lived in Hoofrica. Do you know anything about them?” Twilight asked, hastily.
“Not just anything, tell us everything single ittey bittey detail!” added Pinkie Pie.
“The pony I saw goes by the name of Draco Snarl. Soared the sky, her and her friends. They wanted nothing but world’s end. They stole our fillies. They stole our colts. They gave nothing but scared jolts. They claimed they would return our young. Search parties found nothing when the year was done. They tormented us from where they lived. They did not stop until we had nothing to give. They then tried to command us all. Until they meet a zebra named Hero’s Call. He tracked the monsters for years and years. He helped defeat them, and all zebras cheered. Back to the mountain the creatures went. They claimed they would be back, and we would repent,” explained Zecora.
“They must have figured out how to duplicate my spell. They just kept making more of them. That’s how they maintained the army,” realized Luna.
“Well, can they be defeated?” asked Rarity.
“Yes, they’re just harder to kill,” responded Luna.
“And who knows how much bigger the army’s gotten! I mean, they’ve been populating for over 1000 years. They could have an army twice the size of ours by now!” added Applejack. One of the guards urgently burst in.
“Your majesties, a young pony was seen heading off in the direction of the monster!” said the guard.
“What! What did the pony look like?” questioned Celestia.
“She was grey with a blond mane, her eyes were crossed eyed, and she had a taser gun!” the guard said.
“Derpy!” responded everyone.
“I should have known that pony would get into trouble,” said Celestia.
“Oh, no! Oh no no no no no! What are we going to do?! Derpy could be dead or worse! Draco could have turned her into one of them! Poor Derpy, we have to rescue her, now!” panicked Pinkie.
“We will Pinkie, we will, but she’s on her own for now. We have to make battle plans. We have to defeat the army. Luna, recruit all soldiers from southern Equestria. Rainbow Dash will take western Equestria, Rarity will take northern Equestria, and Applejack will take eastern Equestria. Any able bodied pony is welcome to join. We don’t know how big her army will be, so we have to get our maximum number army!” commanded Celestia.