The desert dwellers this war has brought them all out of hiding. Most of them haven’t been seen since. The Naga and many others are now seen again. But this is the issue most haven’t seen the others for many years. They hide more than they ever have. The rollers, the naked mole rats, the jungle walkers, The avians, and the final ones the turtle race. I don’t remember much about them but there are still many of them they won’t show themselves but they’re going to bring forth the truth and the truth is we need them and I wish I could understand why we didn’t think of this sooner.

Written by Emerald the queen of the Naga.

_____________________________

Through the Eyes of Emerald

It’s been so long since any of us have been out here on this island. This island used to be part of many of the kingdoms of the Desert dwellers. My guards surround me and don’t know why the Storm King is here. I worry he is going to turn on us after this. I learned some stories recently—those who hold the Howling dance long enough start to gather those who held it before. I am not here alone but with the other dweller leaders. It’s been three years for all of us. So much happened to us over those three years. It’s strange though, that most of what happened was to gather the allies and try to bring the new sand dwellers out of hiding.

“Verde, do your flyers see anything?”

The queen of the Ferrum looks up at me, she turns to her people chittering in their tongues and after a while, she turns back up at me and shrugs her buggy shoulders. The Ferrum normally are the first to spot something coming from the water

“Honestly Emerald since the change in the stars the Sandhooves have been less willing to help us. It’s taken them time to be able to read the stars now and when they spoke to their leader. She said they will be here soon.”

I release a deep sigh. The zebras haven’t been much help since the seers lost their minds when the stars changed. Maybe it’s for the best that the zebras used to hate the stars. But the other community that is not here is Peace Rock. Peace Rock said they will be here when the war starts.

I glance over to see Phammaxia. The queen of the tunnelers has been much happier since she heard Ruby is alive. The poor gal almost died during the three years because she refused to eat. Her race almost fell apart because of her love for the little bug.

“It’s been so long since the hero has been gone. I know full well if a story is ever written. Beezen will ask most of us to write in it and I will do so. Those deserve to know what has happened over the three years the hero has been gone.”

A Ferrum quickly lands, chittering to their queen. Verdie nods looking at them and she gasps. Turning to me quickly

“Emerald the airship is coming. But it’s falling apart. It looks like something attacked them before they could get here. From what I was told all of them are alive and…. Ruby laid her eggs. But something else. Ruby gave something to the scout.”

I see a letter given to Verdie. I look at the wording on the envelope. ‘Open when my judgment is passed. Let the DJ read it to everyone.’ These are the only words so she knows what her judgment will be. I worry no one is going to help her at all. I have a bad feeling it’s going to get much worse for her. I look at the others and wonder what will happen to us when everything is said and done. Before I could say anything else a voice sounded out.

“I see them!!”

We all look up to see the airship coming. The poor ship is barely holding together so the scout was correct. When it lands it takes awhile for them to come out but Pinda and the NCR troops part of the NCA stop her from moving any further. I watch while she is led off and the friends wait. The moment we all stand by the friends and heroes. I look over to them, seeing the wife of Ruby and her new friends. So it is true she had made more friends and they all have moon-touched weapons like the others. So there is a chance we can win. Before I even think of the past. The Storm King comes up to us and he nods.

“My dear queen of the Naga. I have a request. Please come with me alone.”

I nodded and followed him to a place where we could talk privately. He led me to an old warehouse still used. He nodded to the workers and they left. He is helpful here and he must do a lot.

“You said you have a request?”

The Storm King gave a nod.

“Yes, I saw you got a letter from Ruby. I want you to do whatever is requested on that letter and give it to the DJ.”

I was confused. How did he know?

“I am sorry, how did you know?”

The Storm King chuckles.

“Majesty caught Ruby writing this letter and she read it. Majesty told me what was written in there. I hope you understand. Now I need to get going and let the workers get back to work. I hope you survive this coming war Emerald the Naga needs their queen. I hope you all survive it. Whatever Wheel Tread created out there near Rainfall. I worry about what it is. I keep hearing a song. Flames of truth. The flames shall finally seek us all.”

The Storm King leaves his guard mare Rot turns to look at me. The mare is so beautiful. Why is she called Rot? I never understood it and she stayed a moment looking at me and smiled showing her teeth.

“Please survive, old friend.”

I finally get a good look at her. It’s one of the mares who I met during my early days. I see now why she is called Rot. She is the mare who I never told the others about. Who fell into a vat of strange fluid in one of the old bunkers and lived for a long time. She can never die only when her head is removed. I close my eyes remembering the last three years and at least that one moment of my past.

____________________________

Young Emerald many years before Rainfall.

I was still learning to become queen during these days. I did many things which would have angered the old one of the past. Some of them still lived and had the sickness but it never made sense to me till I learned what I did when I found my parent's grave. At this time though I left to become at least till this moment in my life a hero to try to help this dead land. My friend is a mare I knew as Life Song. A lovely red-colored mare who had the power to bring flowers back from the dead and she went everywhere with me till this moment.

It was a simple lab used by the ponies of the past. It was a lab used to make some strange fluid we heard of to help keep creatures alive. But we learned something bad about this fluid. It worked but there was an issue.

“Life we need to get out of here!!”

The security found out we were there. Some of the ponies of the past are still here. But they have died so many times. They became living bones, and most didn’t even have skin anymore. I used my sword I had with me cutting the heads off the ponies. I'm trying so hard to make sure they don’t come back. We try to escape but one of the catwalks gives way and I watch while Life falls into the vat. I have no time to mourn. I have to get out of there. I take a deep breath and quickly slither my way out of there wounded and if I died I would have left my people with no queen and no way to make more of us. Well, other females would have taken over and it’s something I need to do.

So I took a deep breath again and finally made it home and after I did I swore off being a hero and gave my hope and dreams. I finally allowed myself to rest and become what my namesake is. I did what I had to and became a great queen. My life during the last three years before this time wasn’t much. I got my army ready to fight the upcoming war. But Beezen has been asking me to write about what happened to me. So I will do what I can to write it.

__________________

The last three years.

For my three years. I was trying to find a king. It took so long but I still haven’t found one. But we live for so long there is no need to keep looking. At least for now, we started a meeting to get the other desert Dwellers to show up. Sadly the meeting didn’t bring them out. It was going to take another thing to bring them out.

I went on my own to each area where all the remaining desert dwellers lived. Deep into the desert is a strange old roller ring. This was built to be a lab and used to be what the rollers were meant to be. When I get into the old roller ring I finally see the Rollers after so long. The rollers are what used to be called monkeys; they’re now a race of creatures who roll into balls and they call themselves the rollers.

One of them who is wearing heavy armor stands in front of me lifting his minigun.

“Hello Emerald, he is waiting for you. Just please give us all your weapons and gear. Then I will let you inside.”

I give a quick nod. I am removing all my gear and my armor to let them feel better about me being here. It’s something I am not fond of doing. But he wanted to make sure no one would come and kill him. It’s not rare for the leader of the rollers to be hunted.

“Good now. He was told why you’re coming. Are you sure you want to waste his time with this? He wants nothing to do with this hero you others created. This hero is your fault he wants nothing to do with the end of the world.”

I didn’t even counter because I knew if I tried this guard would do everything to make sure I didn’t get to see his leader. So I just allowed him to lead me to the leader. When we got to the leader a giant monkey sat there wearing heavy armor and the skulls of those who tried to kill him before.

“Ah Emerald, How long has it been an old friend? Oh yes, it’s been almost a hundred years. I am sure you’re here to ask me to help you with the hero who is returning?”

I let out a sigh

“No, Lou. I am asking you to help defend this land from Wheel Tread. You don’t need to do it to fight with the hero, you can ignore the hero. This land is our land. It doesn’t belong to Wheel Tread or the Storm King.”

Lou chuckles.

“I see so you wish to have us fight for this land. You don’t want us to fight because of the hero? You have changed my old friend. The Storm King has been correct about you. You’re the true leader to lead us to fight whatever that monster is that is going to be released from that orb near Rainfall.”

I close my eyes, nodding.

“Yes, I hope you understand we will fight for this desert. We will try to bring progress back. But not the progress Wheel Tread wishes.”

Lou chuckles

“Don’t worry Emerald, we will fight with you till the hero is placed in her place. We all know what is to come for her. Now we will come to the meeting so we know what will come. But you don’t need to get the other Desert Dwellers but the hidden ones to the meeting. They only want to meet you, Emerald, remember this.”

A deep sigh releases from my mouth

“I get the fact it’s not going to be easy to bring in the naked mole rats. But Ruby did try to talk to them at least once. I need to go speak to their queen.”

Lou nods.

“Take care, Emerald, I will head to the meeting place in a few days. Let the other Desert Dwellers know we will show up before the war starts. Oh, and Pinkie is waiting for you. She will be waiting for you in her main tunnel.”

I turn to Lou with a confused look on my face.

“Wait, you mean to tell me you all knew I was coming?”

Lou laughs.

“That was Artie's seer mind telling us everything again.”

A soft laugh left my maw. I knew full well the leader of the turtles still had a seer as their leader. I know when I go see them they won’t cause me any problems.

'What about the Avains are they easy to contact?’

Lou shrugs his shoulders.

“Their queen is a bitch like always. The jungle walkers finally got a peace treaty with the Avians after years of war. It sounds like they fixed this. The queen is allowing her daughter to marry their daughter and it turns out the Jungle Walkers king's daughter is a herder so they will be sharing a few males.”

I shake my head. Maybe I should do that instead of trying to find those who don’t meet what I consider strong. I need a king to give me the future.

“Alright, I will go meet with the others. Then maybe we can finally get ready to end this pointless war. This war has been on hold for too long. Many wonder why Wheel Tread is taking so long to start back up again. It has something to do with that creature he is summoning near Rainfall.”

I finally left and led through the desert. It normally would take a few days but desert dwellers know how to work this desert and even have magic to make the sun don't bother us or even the sand storms. The guard leads me to the way into the naked mole rat tunnels and It’s not as bad as it used to be. The guards look up at me and they wear strange glasses since they’re normally blind. But they have been finding ways to fix this.

“Ah, Queen Emerald, welcome. She is waiting for you.”

I look back at the guard who led me here. He gave me a nod, rolled off, and just left. I watched while he left into the sand storm and it flowed around me and I followed the guards of the queen of the mole rats into the tunnel.

It took awhile we finally got to their Queen Pinkie sat on a throne she was not very fat she looked ready to fight. She is trying very hard to do what they can now. It’s becoming something that will not end well for anyone.

“Ah, there you are. I heard you’re getting ready for a war hmm?”

I gave a quick nod.

“Yes, I am getting ready for the coming war.”

Pinkie chuckles, shaking her head.

“I see you think this war is going to cause many of us a problem, correct? The only problem is going to be the hero. If you can promise us that she will be put to justice for what she has done to this land.”

I close my eyes, sighing.

“Yes, we all will put her in her place and bring her to justice. I am not happy to say it but she hasn’t done anything but bring hope to this land. That is the biggest guilt of all to bring us hope to this dead land.”

Pinki smirks

“Yes, that is the biggest threat of all to this land of hope. Someday we will need hope for the water to return but this time we can’t allow it to happen.”

I closed my eyes, sighing I knew then during these three years before she returned. I would help bring the end to the innocent creature. The poor magic eater didn’t even wish to be here to help us to begin with and now we are talking about the end of her life.

“The NCA has come to help with this and they brought a judge. It’s not going to be as simple as most think and now I got to accept this guilt for the rest of my life. I know full well I will be the one to cause the entire Desert Dwellers to turn on her after this war.”

Pinkie laughs.

“Too late for that my friend. It’s always been something we all knew what was coming later on.”

I give a nod.

“Now I need to get to the final forest to speak to the Jungle walkers and the Avains.”

Pinki nods.

“We will open our tunnels again for you. The scent of the Magic Eater is still within those tunnels. I hope you understand we are trying to clean those tunnels. Now you take care my friend and we will get ready for the war ahead.”

I let out a soft chuckle and followed the guide to lead me through the tunnels. I noticed the tunnels are now connected to the Tunnlers tunnels and it’s pretty impressive how an old enemy is willing to work together. It’s not something I would have seen but we know full well this won’t last after the war.

It took at least a few days to go through their tunnels. I heard their songs and ate their food. It was a pretty interesting experience unlike normal. What is odd though at the moment it’s very peaceful. Too much blood was spilled on these sands after Ruby’s judgment. We just all surrendered to the Storm King so we could be ready to fight them. But we weren't even ready for Ruby at all. It’s all we could do just to get ourselves into high positions to work with Wheel Tread.

Finally, make it to the forest. I look around seeing the old camp of Ruby and her friends finding ways. I walk through the forest, the vipers and other creations ignoring me. I get to the jungle walkers. All the wolves and so on and vipers, even other creatures, are creations of the ponies. When I get to their main home. I saw the wedding of the prince and the princess of the avians. The prince is a dread viper and the avian is an owl. I grab the king and queen of both and lead them away.

“Ah, Emerald welcome. We are ready for your fight. Just one thing I am sure the other dwellers know what is at stake?”

I let out a sigh

“Yes. Ruby will be placed on trial.”

The viper nods and the Avain nods and I don't stay long after. The next three years I brought out an Alliance treaty bringing all of the Dwellers under one banner now it was time to wait for the hero to return for her final stand.

____________

The heroes return

It has been a long time coming and now we are finally ready. I watch while the hero is taken away and she looks back at all of us. She stops the guards no longer taking her away and Pinda tries to keep her going.

“No, I got something I need to say.”

Ruby flaps her wings and flies above us.

“You all have been here for me and the others. You’re all ones who came together not only with your hatred for me. But for your hope. Now I see you all are willing to turn on me. I hope you understand what you’re going to be doing when the time comes.”

Before I could say anything jumped out of the water was the strange creation Omega I had been told about, it landed behind the soldiers taking Ruby away, and aimed at them with its weapons bringing them out.

“This is my defense, this creature who is here to save you and or die trying. Now I will go with Pinda. You may stand out, Omega, they will let me go peacefully.”

The giant creation makes a few sounds, shrinks to a smaller size, and jumps on Ruby’s back and she goes back to following the soldiers and Pinda. I figured Ruby would become stronger. But she has to know she can no longer allow her luck or pain to stop us. I look at the letter that says to wait till my death. I glance back up watching her leave. I wonder what her story was. I wonder what her pain was to get the stars back.

Next Chapter: Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Moochick and Legends. [Arc Five start] Estimated time remaining: 22 Minutes