Rainbow Dash reared up.

“Well I say it’s a dish best served heated…” she then slammed her forehooves down, sending forth bolts of plasma which sent the dark king flying into the opposite wall “…super-heated” Sombra chuckled.

“You ponies are just full of surprises…” he said, standing up, he then sent a bolt of chain lightning at Rainbow Dash, the bolt connected and jumped to the other five elements “…but you’ll have to do better than that to stop me” Twilight stunned him with an attack of mental ‘noise’, Sombra cried out in surprise before dispelling the chain lightning.

“Rainbow isn’t the only one with new powers” Twilight said, stepping forward and levitating her staff out of hammer space

“Indeed” Sombra said, scowling before charging towards them.

The first team of Neu-Toa led the school kids and their teacher through the streets.

“Guys?” Vinyl said “hold up, there’s something approa…UNGH!” she never got to finish her sentence as a bolt of red energy slammed into the unicorn, sending her crashing through a shop front.

“VINYL!!!” Minion exclaimed, running over to her. She was sat against the wall, trembling and she had a red aura around her “Vinyl, are you okay?” Vinyl cowered when he tried to put a hand on her shoulder.

“P-please…d-don’t h-hurt m-me” She stuttered, looking at him in fear. Minions eyes widened in shock

“Vinyl, babe” he said “I would never even think of hurting you, come on, we need to protect the kids” she shook her head.

“I-I c-can’t” she said, trying to back away. Minion sighed before opening the com-link.

“Guys?” he said “Vinyl’s been emotionally compromised, she’s been hit by a blast from a staff of fear, I can’t help you from now on”

“What! Why!?” Autumn exclaimed.

“Because I need to stay and protect her!” he shouted, causing Vinyl to cower in fear, he sighed before lowering his voice “you’d do the same if something happened to Vuur Koning” he then shut off the com-link.

“P-please…d-don’t leave me” Vinyl pleaded. Tears were starting to form in her eyes, Minion sat down next to her and pulled her close.

“I promise” he said “I will never leave you, I will always protect you, no matter what”

The crusaders and John ran through the streets and into an alleyway. A white Rahkshi appeared at the end of the alleyway and fired its staff, hitting Sweetie Bell. John took it out with several shots from his shot gun. They turned to look at Sweetie Bell, who hadn’t moved, she just stood there panting, she also had a white aura around her.

“Uh…Sweetie Bell?” Scootaloo asked “Are you okay?” she placed a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder and Sweetie Bell glared at her.

“Get…away” she growled, starting to walk towards Scootaloo, who had begun backing away “what have you ever done for me!?” she ignited her magic and launched Scootaloo down the alleyway.

“Sweetie Bell!” Applebloom exclaimed “What’s wrong with yawl!?” Sweetie Bell sneered and started to stomp towards her earth pony friend, who also began backing away until her flank was up against the wall.

“You never did anything for me either!” she said, before raising up a forehoof and punching Applebloom in the face, sending the earth pony sprawling on the ground. She went to walk towards Applebloom when she felt something poke the back of her head.

“Don’t make me pull the trigger” John said, Sweetie Bell snorted before bucking him down the alleyway. She sneered at Applebloom before turning and walking away.

“If the world isn’t going to love me?” she said “then I’ll teach it to fear me instead” she saw several walking down the street, he noticed her and waived.

“Hey, Sweetie Bell” he said, he then looked around in confusion “uh…where are your friends?”

“Which friends?” she growled, before sending him flying into a shop with her magic. The other Toa all pointed their weapons at her, if a little hesitantly.

“What the hell, Sweetie!?” Vapaa exclaimed, getting out his converted Desert Eagle and setting it to stun before aiming it at her. She growled before igniting her magic and ripping it out of his hands and pointing it at him “Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you!?”

“You’ve never been there to help me!” she said, Vapaa heard the click of the gun being set to kill and he went pale.

“Sweetie Bell” he said, getting out a throwing knife “I really don’t want to do this, but if you don’t stand down then I’ll have no choice”

“Go ahead!” she snarled, Vapaa hesitated and she sneered “you don’t have it in you, do you? Well let’s see if this changes your mind” she then pointed the gun at Orca and the other Toa tensed up

“Saphyrus” Vapaa hissed “now would be a good time”

“I can’t” the blue dragon said “she’s received mental training, just like us” Sweetie Bell snorted.

“If you really love Orca” she said “you’ll throw the bucking knife!”

“I won’t kill you, Sweetie Bell” Vapaa said, Sweetie Bell smirked.

“Then she dies” she said “in three, two…” a bolt of blue magic slammed into her, a shocked expression came over her face as her magic failed and she collapsed to the ground before falling unconscious. Natrix walked out of the shop holding an arcane crossbow.

“Check for her friends” he said “I think I saw them in the alleyway” Vapaa ran into the alleyway and found John sitting with his back against the wall.

“Are you okay, bud?” he asked, john nodded, if a little woozily.

“She bucked me in the head” he said “but I’ll be fine, check on the others first”

“Ow” Applebloom muttered, holding a bloody nose with a forehoof “that filly can really throw a good punch, I think mah nose is broken”

“Urgh, is Sweetie Bell okay?” they heard Scootaloo ask, and looked over to see her standing up unsteadily. One of her wings was hanging limply and twisted at an unusual angle.

“Scoots!” Applebloom exclaimed “your wing!” Scootaloo groggily looked at her wing.

“Oh...” she said, before collapsing and falling unconscious.

The first team of Neu-Toa led the school kids towards the town hall, only to find it blocked by Rahkshi.

“Well this was a stupid plan” Diamond Tiara sneered.

“You know what?” Scar said, walking over to the pastel pink filly “I’ve had just about enough of you” Diamond Tiara just smirked.

“It’s not like you can actually do anything to me” she said “you wouldn’t hurt an innocent little filly, would you?” she batted her eyelids and her eyes flashed red.

“Don’t push your luck, kid” Scar said, narrowing his eyes, before walked towards Autumn “Sister, I think we might have a little problem”

“What do you mean, brother?” Autumn asked.

“I think a certain little brat we all hate might be a shadow-pony” he said, Autumn frowned.

“Don’t do anything yet” she said “but keep an eye on her” Scar nodded before walking back towards the back of the group and keeping a wary eye on the pink filly. Autumn and Boris got their weapons out and crept towards the corner, they were about to charge when they heard a high pitched whistling that got louder and louder.

“WYVERN!” Boris exclaimed “GET DOWN!” everyone/pony hit the dirt as the ground in front of the town hall burst in to flames, obliterating the Rahkshi that were standing guard and a Wyvern clad in silver armour landed on the ground in front of them.

“What a minute…” Autumn said “is that…?” the flames sprang up and flowed into the red-armoured rider sitting atop the Wyvern.

“That magnificent, crazy, son of a bitch” Scar said, walking over and crossing his arms. Twenty 200ft. dragons landed on the ground behind Vuur Koning.

“I’ve already told you which targets to go for!” Vuur Koning said “Now get moving! We’ve got a war to win!” he got out his sword, thrust it into the air and sent a column of concentrated fire into the sky, the dragons all roared before taking flight.

“Vuur Koning!” Autumn called, Vuur Koning jumped off of the Wyvern and walked over.

*POV 1st person Vuur Koning*

“Hope I’m not too late for the party” I said, walking over and pulling Autumn into a hug.

“Well, you were needed a few minutes ago” Autumn said, stepping back

“What happened?” I asked.

“Vinyl got hit by a blast from a Turahk” she said “and Minion stayed with her to protect her, and I heard over the coms that something has happened to the Crusaders”

“Damn” I muttered, before turning to the group of school kids “alright kids, into the town hall, now!” Cheerilee led them inside and I turned to the other Toa, who were eyeing Lhikan nervously.

“Um, Vuur Koning?” Scar asked “Are you sure that thing is safe”

“’That thing’ has a name” Lhikan growled.

“Easy girl” I said, before turning to the Toa “this is Lhikan, she’ll be helping us”

“The Wyvern just talked…” Autumn said.

“Yeah?” I said “And?

“I always thought they were dumb-beasts” Boris said, scratching the top of his head

“And I still think the same of the tall green griffon” Lhikan said, snorting.

“Hey!” Boris exclaimed “I’m a Toa-hero!”

“Enough! We need to work together” I said, before running back to Lhikan and jumping back on the saddle “Boris, Scar, I need you to protect the town hall. Autumn, you’re with me, we’re going to the fly to the castle” Boris and Scar nodded before running over to the town hall and Autumn began hovering.

“Let’s get going” Autumn said, before flying towards the castle. Lhikan gave a roar before flying after her.

*POV 3rd person*

Twilight slid backwards from the force of Sombra’s attack, the rest of the Elements were either pinned against the wall by crystals or unconscious. Sombra sneered.

“You’re a skilled magician, I’ll give you that” he said, his staff began to glow a dark red “but now it’s time for your parting gift”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“As in it will part you” he said, smirking “Part of you here, part of you there and part of you way over there, staining the walls” he then fired the charged up magic at Twilight, who brought up a shield just in time.

“Even if…you kill me” Twilight said, straining “others will rise up and one day, you will fall!” she closed her eyes and when she reopened them they were glowing a pure white, her shield turned into pure, limitless magic before pushing the red beam back towards Sombra and sending him flying into the wall. Sombra groaned before standing up.

“H-how did…!?” he trailed off when he saw Twilight, she was much taller, with a longer horn and a long, ethereal mane that flowed in some unseen wind “Impossible, how did you reach full ascension so early?”

“Ascension does not have a set time in which to bestow its gifts upon a chosen individual, Sombra” she walked towards him as she said this “nor can it be taken as you tried, all those years ago, ascension must be earned and used for noble purposes, not to conquer and enslave. Henceforth, I release you of your curse” she then began to levitate and her aura of magic engulfed Sombra, before drawing out the Makuta virus from Sombra and restoring him to his original form.

“NOOOOOOOO!” Sombra exclaimed as the virus was ripped from his very being, Twilight brought the swirling black and green mass towards her and examined it before moving it away and looking at it in mild disgust.

“Be gone, spawn of Teridax” she then exposed it to pure, unfiltered light, eradicating any trace of it.

*POV 1st person Vuur Koning*

We were flying towards the castle when pure light shone through the windows, stunning us and sending us crashing into the ground.

“What the fuck was that!?” I exclaimed, standing up. Autumn was just as surprised as me, I checked to make sure Lhikan was okay before running into the castle with my sword and shield drawn. We entered the main hall and stopped dead in our tracks, Twilight had somehow reached full ascension and was extracting a black and green mass from Sombra, who was turning into a grey Stallion. I put away my sword and shield and smirked before crossing my arms “well, Teridax is fucked”

Next Chapter: 11 M.C. Escher F.T.W. Estimated time remaining: 19 Minutes