In King Valfyre’s court, in Griffinstone, a flustered and puffed up Princess Gilda dashed into room.

“What is the matter Gilda, my daughter?” Valfyre asked his daughter with concern evident on his features.

“Palutena is alive! And there is something strange about her, different. I can’t put my claw on it.”

“Gilda, Palutena has always been strange, ever since I was a fledgeling, she came across as aloof, relaxed content to just watch things, then suddenly for no reason she’d take a nonsensical often direct action, or at least what seems nonsensical at the time. And what is this about her being alive? Of course she is alive,” Valfyre chuckled

“No! Father, I was told she was dead!” then she paused, “Hang on, how did you know her if she only recently surfaced?” Gilda asked in confusion while Valfyre chuckled.

“Gilda, she was only physically trapped, she could influence the world to a degree, like a chess master moves a pawn. Anywhere there was a shrine to her she could use that to extend her reach, and as her religion grew she gained longer range without the need to piggyback off of her shrines, it's the reason her influence didn't reach foreign countries as most banned her religion to stop her from having direct influence. As a young fledgling I met her, granted I never said it was in our country, and I wasn't a god at the time.

You see, I used to study in an Equestrian university, something about having exposure diversity of opinions as my father called it. Anyway, my roommate at the time, Bronze Blade I believe his name was, was a zealous worshipper of Palutena and at the time I was sceptical as one should be regarding everything and anything not firmly rooted in evidence based fact. However, I listened as he would tell me about her, and when he was finished he suggested trying a prayer to her. Now, as I was ultimately sceptical I didn't think much of it, let alone that it would work, I was just humouring him at the time.

'Lady Palutena, Wilt thee grant me an audience?’ I asked thinking she wouldn't answer, as she couldn't exist, I was sure of it. But as the words left my beak my world was flooded with light that coalesced into Palutena, she sat there floating and was see through, with a smirk on her face as if she enjoyed the reactions I gave her at the time.

‘Greetings mortal, you wished to speak to me?’ she asked, it took a while but I composed myself and nodded,

'Well then Valfyre, speak, what did you want to know’ She asked. How she knew my name alluded me, I had never told it to her and certainly kept my royal heritage a secret, she frowned for a second and sighed, 'let me guess, you didn't believe I existed?’ my eyes had widened in fear, and catching my expression her expression softened, 'Worry not Valfyre, I shan't smite you for no reason and especially not for non belief in me. That is the act of an evil and apathetic tyrant. I’ll tell you what,’ she said as a shrine appeared before me, 'take this with you to your home, your real home, you don't have to worship me for nothing. In fact, I prefer to build trust with my followers, pray for anything within my aspects or even just for a conversation. Granted, I can't fulfill all your wishes or requests to talk as there is only me, and I don't want people to become dependent on me.’ needless to say I nodded dumbly and took the shrine home, in fact it still exists here even after nine centuries.

After I got home from my studies, I brought the shrine with me, after all, I had gotten to know Palutena and something of a friendship grew between us and I had born witness to her powers. Now as you might imagine, my father thought I was crazy or had not taken his own words of wisdom seriously, and that this was some sort of rebellion and he voiced his opinion as such of course he wasn't mean about it.

So I called Palutena through prayer, 'what is it young Prince, I hope you’re not growing dependent on me,’ she chided playfully as she appeared as she’d done so the first time I met her. Although, this time she was bent forward and poked my cheek with her right index finger and her other hand on her hip. My father’s reaction was different than my own, 'how dare you deceive my son! You Charlatan!’

Palutena stood up straight, looking disinterestedly up at my father, 'that body is a mere illusion!’ he declared and ordered a unicorn to dispel it, the unicorn tried multiple times to dispel her but he was failing to even cause her to flicker. She walked up to the stallion and picked him up with one hand and stated, 'you think a mortal could dispel a god?’ Palutena asked my father with no small amount of disdain in her voice, tossing the unfortunate stallion away as she walked in front of my father, ‘that's no proof you're a god, you could just be more powerful than that unicorn!’ Sighing, Palutena turned my father into my mother. It was hilarious from my point of view, but my father or mother was still stubborn, so Palutena brought out the big guns so to speak. Our country was plunged into pure darkness, nothing cast light in the kingdom, not even the sun or the stars and moon and then Palutena appeared glowing, the only source of light, 'believe me now mortal?’ My mother couldn't comprehend such a thing and fainted dead away. Palutena sighed and returned everything to normal, however not before my actual mother found her husband turned wife and took a photo after she had finished laughing her beak off,” Valfyre chuckled as he finished recounting the past.

Gilda shook her head and refocused on why she was here, “Anyway, when I went to give my condolences as is customary, Palutena captured me and interrogated me, from the questions they asked they suspect us of the attempt on Palutena’s life because griffins attacked her and because it seemed like I knew about the attack when my prior knowledge shouldn’t have existed.”

“What!? Did she harm you Gilda?” Valfyre asked with a dangerous tone in his voice.

“No father, and she healed me just in case and apologised before releasing me once it was without a doubt that I wasn’t involved. But father, something is going on, somebody is trying to start a war between us and the ponies. This is serious father, I…..” Gilda was interrupted as a rift opened in the Griffin's throne room, in walked Palutena, Celestia and Luna, three of the four leaders of the ponies,

“Gilda is correct, this is a serious threat, they have orichalcum and someone or some people wants us to go to war with each other, Valfyre, and I wish to apologize for the rough treatment Gilda went through,” Palutena apologized sincerely, Valfyre grunted in response.

“Palutena, I can't say I am happy for what you did to Gilda. However, I understand the position and circumstances you were in, and I would have done the same. Still, this leaves us in the dark fumbling around for answers, so Palutena, elucidate, us as you normally have the answers,” Valfyre asked causing Palutena to groan at his pun.

“As much as I would love to aid you in that endeavour, the fact remains. I only have a theory on who it might be, and I’d prefer to wait for definitive proof,” she explained tiredly.

“Well what's your theory?” He asked.

“Hades, outside of normal war profiteers, he is the likely cause,” she continued.

“Oh drat, looks like the Griffin's out of the bag, nothing gets by you professor Palutena,” Hades snarked as he appeared in front of Valfyre, he turned to Valfyre, “tell me Gryphons, on a scale of one to ten, how pissed are you right now?” Hades asked as he now wore a shit eating grin as he dodged a slice from Valfyre’s halberd, “That's a bad kitty bird,” Hades chided as he dodged each attack, “not that this isn't fun, but I am afraid I must be going ladies, you know how it is, I’ve got people to conquer, places to destroy. Ta ta for now,” Hades left as the halberd blade of the irate Valfyre almost hitting him,

“well this has been an experience,” Palutena deadpanned as she reopened the rift home.

“Wait! If that overly flamboyant asshole appears again give me a call,” Valfyre said as he panted, Gilda walked over to help her father up.

Palutena gave the briefest of nods as they left, “you two were quiet,” she stated raising an eyebrow as they exited the portal,

“I was busy coordinating with our infiltration teams,” Luna replied distractedly,

“And I felt you needed more practice with diplomacy as it is preferable to using violence to solve things,” Celestia quickly added as she gave Palutena a kiss on the left cheek, causing her to smile as she returned one on Celestia's cheek.

“So this Hades is behind this, or at least part of this plot, what can you tell us about him Palutena? He seemed to know you and called you pretty?” Celestia asked, with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring.

Palutena sighed, “Hades king of the underworld, a flamboyant God who likes to toy with mortals for fun, although he goes further than Discord or myself go as we only prank or do something temporary, he will do something, laugh at it and then move on leaving the poor soul to die or live on in perpetual suffering. He is not above manipulating mortal and gods a like. He is quick witted and will do anything to remain in power and remain entertained. He is also not above reviving those who have died and using them for his own ends. Despite this he seems to have a certain level of respect for me either calling me smart or just flirting.

We have no direct connection, only awareness of each other, and he is content to watch events play out, usually as long as they don't affect him. When he wants something to happen he prefers manipulation and using puppets and pawns he can string along to fulfill his ultimate goals, which often include mass slaughtering of mortals. He may act affably and buffoonish at times but do not let that fool you, he is incredibly intelligent. His realm is Tartarus or the afterlife, home to demons, a monsters and Equestria's worst criminals. I am not confident that if we decide to fight that life in the area would survive.” Palutena explained,
“However, I find his sudden appearance suspicious, doubly so that he took responsibility, and confirmed his involvement. Hades would never reveal his hand to an enemy, he is naturally evasive and as such the fact that he did so means it's not the whole story, or he isn't responsible or he is and he’s just trying to throw us off the scent... arrrgh, why does that bastard have to be so two faced and manipulative.” Palutena ranted and generally having a tantrum over the frustrating god.

While she did so Raven walked in and handed Celestia a scroll,

“A strange alien purple glowing stone has been spreading from the meteor impacts and creatures nearby have mutated.” Celestia read it aloud.

Palutena sighed again, this time heavily, “that is a mineral called Eridium, not to be confused with Iridium with an I.

It is a normally inert ore that can be used as a power source or as a currency as it is normally very rare, it can also be refined into ingots which give of a by product called slag, which is highly mutagenic and increases damage caused by other elements like fire, electricity, ice and acid etcetera.

Sirens are connected with this ore, they are mares that are born with light blue tattoos from their heads to their feet on one side of their bodies, these mares have incredible powers that are varied, these are channeled through these tattoos and only six can exist in a universe at a time.

Eridium powers up a siren's abilities though they can become addicted and if they use it too much their bodies become dependent on it to function.” Palutena explained.

As Palutena leaned back against a wall, a guard burst in, “Your highnesses, there is an army being led by Runehorn outside Ponyville, he is demanding that Palutena gives herself up! He said if she doesn’t he will pillage Ponyville,” the guard finished and flinched away as he looked at Palutena, smoke leaving her mouth as she laughed psychotically, “it seems the minotaur have a death wish.”

Luna nodded and excitedly donned her armor similar to her armor she wore as Nightmare moon, however it was thicker and covered more of her body. She lit her horn and a white sword handle shot out of a portal, Luna grabbed the hilt in her hand and drew it, revealing an odachi.

Celestia also summoned her armor, it was golden like her regalia, a helmetless plate set, with stylised sun embellishments on her pauldrons and on her chest plate. Her weapons were a set of knuckled gloves, Palutena summoned Her shield and staff as she opened another portal after scrying the location of the minotaurs.

Runehorn grinned as he saw them approach, that quickly shifting into a grimace as he likely noticed their weapons. Runehorn wore next to no armor only caring to carry a small buckler shield and a sword reminiscent of a gladius, his body was covered in warpaints and cut an intimidating visage. All around them Eridium grew out of the ground spreading unchecked. Pools of slag littered the field, behind Runehorn stood a three thousand strong army, ready and waiting for his order to charge.