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The day that followed was fairly uneventful. Another day of deeply appreciated downtime as preparations are made for the next departure. Nothing worth writing home about, but still a day I appreciated. The night that followed though..... Hoo boy...

I fell asleep aboard the Alabaster in the loving winged embrace of my dear Novo. And before long, I felt myself become aware as if I was no longer asleep. When my senses came to me, I found myself in... It was difficult to say. I did not recognize my surroundings in the slightest. What had my dreaming mind conjured up?

It was a vast stone temple of sorts. Wide open halls that I would assume were not designed for human use. Quite possibly for a race of creatures of greater size. Indeed, the archaic gilded decor along the walls in some spaces reinforced my assumption that it was a temple of significant importance, yet not one I recognized at all. Was it something I had forgotten about? Or was it my dreaming mind grasping at straws and cobbling something together as a product of bits and pieces of vague memories in the back of my mind?

Even so, the nature of my lucidity told me all I needed to know. I was not alone here. And so I called out with my voice echoing around the vast stone chamber. "Luna...? Nightmare Moon...?"

"I am here." I heard a voice speak from nearby in the shadows. The lighting was dim and provided only by ornate sconces lining the walls. The form of Nightmare Moon stood before me as her dark body blended in all too well with the shadows. She stepped forward with a slight smile on her lips. "Luna and I had agreed to hold off on these dream duels until you and Celestia were back on decent terms with each other. It would not do for some of us to be at odds with each other in such a situation."

"Yeah, I was getting the impression that we would be finding trouble here tonight... I just wish I knew where we were. This scenery...isn't ringing any bells." I replied while gazing around at our dimly lit surroundings. With the chamber being so large, it must have been the most important location in the temple. How much more was there? Although I did happen to see a large open window set into the far wall. Almost like it was there to allow something to enter and exit. And beyond that window were...ominous crimson clouds that were heralding a quietly brewing storm of sorts. There was little thunder, but arcs of lightning could be seen periodically.

"Nothing you recognize? And yet, the air oozes with a certain malevolence... Let me summon my sisters before the situation can escalate. They will not want to miss this." Nightmare Moon spoke before her horn was coated by its magic aura. Two portals opened beside us. And through them stepped Celestia and Luna. Nightmare Moon turned to her sisters as the portals closed behind them. "Good evening, sisters. It would seem we are in for an interesting evening this night."

"Yes, I was wondering when our next session would be happening. Are you ready, Celestia?" Luna retorted before casting a glance up at her eldest sister. Celestia looked back down at her without a word before turning her gaze to meet mine.

The two of us shared a moment of silence as we both began to smile solemnly. We stepped towards each other and embraced. Things were getting better. I had faith in her. And it was wise to avoid any such dream sessions until that night since any tension between us would interfere with our ability to collaborate while under fire. I whispered to her, "You ready for this?"

"I am... I've missed this. Being by your side here... Let's not let anything come between us again. Forgive me again for all the trouble I put your trust through lately, James." Celestia retorted quietly. She felt lovely in my arms. That smooth silky coat rubbing subtly against my bare chest... It was only then I had noticed that I was wearing nothing more than the undergarments I had fallen asleep in. I released the Princess of the Dawn from my grasp and glanced down at myself. Celestia noticed too and chuckled while smiling at her sisters. "Ladies, I do believe our knight in shining armor here is missing something."

"Allow me." Luna spoke before a flash of magical light engulfed me. I found myself clad in my full suit of enchanted winged armor with my helmet upon my head, its intangible plume extending from the backside. The Lunar Shield was affixed to my left arm as the Celestial Sword's hilt jutted up from just behind the top. I was ready for whatever awaited us. "There, much better. Now then, what do you suppose is waiting for us here? There's not much to examine in this great hall."

"I really wish I could say where we are, but I don't recognize this at all. Like my mind was trying to remember something, but just pieced stuff together to make this... I have no clue of who or what might be associated with this world. Or if there's even anything else beyond that window. And with a sky that color... I don't think I want to find out." I explained now that all three of the royal sisters were with me. It really was a struggle to remember. The temple hall was vast, but empty with fairly minimalistic yet glamorous golden decor lining bits of its walls. Almost...generic in appearance. Maybe deceptively so. All that was left to discover was who our opponent would be for the evening. I could not imagine there not being a threat lurking in such an empty and ominous location.

Celestia slowly turned her head to scan the dimly lit hall around us. "Whoever uses this temple... It looks like it was designed for giants. And that window there... I'm almost expecting something to come flying in at any moment now."

We watched that rectangular gap in the far wall for a moment in anticipation for something to come flying in through it. But nothing happened. We all glanced at each other in silence as we came to a silent agreement. We began to approach the far end of the hall with nothing but the distant rumbling of the storm and our own armored footsteps echoing around the place. There was something set out before the window. A circular raised section of the floor that served as a large podium. Easily large enough to hold a large dragon... Wait...

A realization came to me as I felt something in the air. With the vast open sky lined with crimson clouds as far as the eye could see, I muttered in puzzlement. "Does it feel like...we're not even on solid ground? Like...the air is thinner than it should be?"

The three royal sisters turned their gazes to me. Celestia tapped her hoof on the floor. "Now that you mention it... It's almost the same kind of feeling I get when standing on an airship... Are we floating in the sky?"

Before we could move, I noticed that Nightmare Moon was standing rigidly stiff with her eyes focusing on the sky beyond the window ahead of us. Luna then asked, "Something wrong, sister?"

"I do believe I have discovered who this temple was designed for." Nightmare Moon retorted with her eyes glued to the crimson vista outside the temple. Her eyes then narrowed in anticipation. "It would seem this temple was crafted with dragons in mind."

"What makes you say that?" I asked before we all turned to gaze at the window. And sure enough, something soared past it in the distance. A distinctly draconian form in flight. "Uh oh..."

"That form... It did not appear entirely unlike dragons that are native to our world. Did you happen to cross paths with a notable dragon of great size at some point?" Luna asked as I recalled that the presence of dragons in Equestria takes a lot out of their fantastical nature in the culture and media from the world I hail from. I was convinced that whoever we just caught a glimpse of was not anyone I had ever met in Equestria. But then who could it be?

"No... No, the only dragons I ever really encountered up close are Spike, Smolder, Ember, her squadron of volunteers participating in the war, and a pack of young punks back in the dragon lands. I never bumped heads with..." I started to explain before I suddenly froze. That same draconian form shot up into view from below and hovered in place with that crimson skyline behind it. Its form was dark, it wingspan impressively large while having a very slender frame. With shocking speed I would not expect from something of that size, the darkened form hurled itself forward and into the temple's main chamber. With a firm thump, it expertly landed upon the round raised section of the floor before us. It took me a moment, but my eyes soon went wide as this dragon of jet black scales and crimson wings lifted its head to gaze at me with eyes of jade. "Her...?"

"You know this creature?" Celestia asked as my royal companions adjusted their stances to brace themselves for a confrontation. The dragoness before us had a distinctly menacing presence while standing on all fours, those massive wings almost looking disproportionate to her long and lithe body. The membranes of her wings' undersides were a brilliant crimson, as were the scales lining her chest and belly. She was large, but nowhere near as massive as the dragons of Equestria can become. Bangles of platinum were clasped around her wrists, throat, and tail while the spade at the tip had an equally silvery blade affixed to it. The first joints of her wings even had very pronounced blades attached to them, though it was difficult to say if they could be used in a fight. White markings of sorts were set into her scales on her brow and under the eyes while more were upon her shoulders. Six symmetrical spines on her head reached straight back and ended in very sharp points. Her form was sleek and distinctly feminine. If it was not for that glare and the very menacing sharp points on certain parts of the body, I would even dare say the dragoness could be considered beautiful.

I gazed in confusion and surprise at who was sure to be our opponent for the night. This was an entity I had all but forgotten about. A dragon from a world of which I had virtually no firsthand knowledge of. But her form was extremely recognizable. For as little as I knew about the world she hailed from, this dragoness proved herself to be someone I could not easily forget about. And thus, there she stood before us. A product of my memories. What little there were. As this dark dragoness gazed down upon us with a cool contemplative scowl, I spoke her name. "Cynder..."

"With a name like that, surely this dragon is one you crossed path with in Equestria. It fits with their naming conventions." Luna remarked while I too noticed the irony of that name. Ember. Smolder. And now Cynder. Such a name would not be out of place in the dragon lands. But I knew better. This dragon hailed from a world I did not even know the name of. A world whose geography and history were a mystery to me.

"Are you quite done?" The dragoness before us hissed most villainously. Her voice oozed a cunning malevolence and succeeded in silencing us. Her eyes of jade narrowing, she scanned the four of us for a moment. "Strange creatures... Interlopers from another realm, perhaps? Regardless, you are trespassing upon the halls of my master. And his arrival is nigh. You will be removed lest you flee now."

"We will not retreat, wyrm." Luna boldly declared as the most diminutive alicorn among the three royal sisters stood defiantly before the dragoness towering over her. Her beautiful teal eyes narrowed into a scowl as Celestia too stood ready for a confrontation. "If you are to be our foe for the night, we are ready for you."

Rather than be wary, this dark dragoness smirked with devilish delight. "You think you can intimidate me? Foolish little mares. You need to learn how...complicated life can be."

"No. You are a fool to think we will be so easily intimidated. We possess power the likes of which you have never seen. I must wonder if you possess enough power to be a challenge for us." Celestia then spoke with a smirk of her own. She looked fired up and ready for a chance to flex her magical might against a worthy opponent who would not be too out of place in Equestria. For once, we were in our element. The Princess of the Dawn then glanced at the Princess of Dreams. "Are you ready for this, Nightmare...Moon? Sister?"

I too realized that Nightmare Moon had been completely silent since the moment Cynder revealed herself to us. And I saw why. An unblinking and almost horrified look of alarm set into her unnatural eyes. Cynder too noticed the black sheep of the royal sisters gazing up at her and raised in eyebrow in curiosity. Nightmare Moon then finally spoke softly, "No... No, you... You are not what you seem to be..."

"I beg you pardon? You mean to say that I am not my lord's vassal?" Cynder spoke with a smug and slithery hiss in her voice. But it was then that it started coming back to me. As little as I knew about Cynder, I did know this. That voice... Her words were not her own and Nightmare Moon could sense it too.

Before I could even say anything, Nightmare Moon's almost feline eyes narrowed into a piercing glare of realization. "No... Save me your words, parasite. I too was forged from dark forces cast upon my sister of the night and this...presence... It feels so very similar. I can sense it within you. A voice. Whimpering in dreams, bound in the shackles of endless nightmares... Luna, you can sense it too, can you not?! Much like you were when we were still one!"

Luna's eyes opened wide in a sudden epiphany. Her blue magic aura surged around her horn. "I... Yes, I sense it too! A presence lies trapped within this foul wyrm... You are not truly the being that stands before us! You are merely the product of a parasitic presence holding some poor soul against their will!"

"Silence! There is no curse cast upon me! I have been a servant of my lord since the day I hatched! I have served year after year. And now, he finally stands ready to return to this world and make it his own. As it must be!" Cynder roared with deceptively convincing conviction. As if she was truly speaking what she actually believed. But I knew the truth too. This was not truly Cynder. That poor little thing... She was still in there somewhere.

"There's no reasoning with you... You're just a thrall to that guy. But there is someone in there." I said once I got the opportunity. The only real question was whether or not we could save her. Could we? And how?

As Cynder snarled in irritation with her words failing to convince us, Nightmare Moon then glanced at me with her wing raised between us. "James. Stay your sword for now. I cannot simply stand here and let this parasite take its host with it to the grave. I will extract this wretch from whoever it has sunk its hooks into."

I was in the process of reaching for the Celestial Sword's hilt when she stopped me. And I nodded while lowering my right hand. I could see that firm determination in her eyes. Nightmare Moon truly emphasized with the dragoness that now lay trapped in her own body. An experience she and Luna once shared. The Princess of the Night looked equally ready to try and save whoever was under that shell. Cynder was not truly our opponent. She was a victim we needed to save.

Luna then cast her gaze up at Celestia and asked, "Can I trust you to refrain from using your mightiest spells this time, sister?"

"I understand the situation at hoof, Luna. I'll be careful not to overdo it." Celestia nodded with an understanding smile. While she had not experienced what they had, she surely understood the motivations of her two sisters. As did I. And I knew that whoever was being held by this shadowy parasite could be saved.

"You overestimate yourselves." Cynder declared as she scowled in annoyance. "Save me? You don't even know me. So allow me to introduce myself properly."

Cynder then suddenly spread her imposing crimson wings with her head lifted high. She pushed herself up to almost stand on her hind limbs with her paws raised high like open hands, towering above us in the process. A flash of lightning and rumbling thunder from the storm outside the window filled the temple hall. Cynder's hands became coated in a flickering aura of what looked like dark flames as she roared, "I am the herald of the Dark Master's return! And you will all make a fitting tribute to his triumph!"

We had to throw ourselves backwards with flaps of our wings to evade the incoming wave of tainted flames that were unleashed in a burst when Cynder came down hard, slamming her hands into the floor to send out that fiery shockwave. With shadowy embers lingering in the air, we stood ready while I glanced at Nightmare Moon. "You're calling the shots here. What's next?"

"I will see if I can catch hold of whatever curse has infested her body, but I doubt she will make that easy for me. I suspect I'm the only one of us who can do it too." Nightmare Moon retorted as Cynder seemed to be focusing her glare specifically upon the Princess of Dreams. She could likely detect something unusual about her that she did not sense from the rest of us. If Nightmare Moon actually could attack her in a way we could not, then she was surely Cynder's greatest threat. "We will see... Be on your guard, but restrain your uses of force! Do not slay her!"

"Understood, sister!" Luna barked as we stood ready. With my sword sheathed, I readied my right hand for the use of magic instead. Although I made a mental note to avoid any use of my mighty solar magic unless it was requested of me.

Cynder was quick to act before we could. With a roar, a burst of green fire was unleashed from her maws. The four of us scattered before it could reach us, taking to the air to use the sheer size of the hall to our advantage. Luna then called out to me while staying close, "You are familiar with this beast! What should we expect from her?!"

"Her?! Well, she can... I mean... I... Uh..." I began to stammer during a brief respite. It was only then that I came to a jarring conclusion. "I...don't know! I barely know anything about her! And I know nothing about what she can do in a fight!"

"You know nothing about our adversary's combat prowess?! That makes this interesting..." Luna growled in what appeared to be a complex fusion of frustration and interest. While I had intimate knowledge about all of our previous opponents in the realm of dreams, Cynder's abilities were an enigma to me. Unleashing shadowy fire shockwaves from her hands. Bursts of sickly green fire from her throat. Were these even abilities she possessed in the first place? What else was there to discover about her?

Cynder broke into a gallop as she tried to chase Nightmare Moon down. With a another burst of green fire launched ahead of the Princess of Dreams to force her to stop, Cynder came to a sliding stop as she turned sideways to lash out with a massive sweep of her tail. Nightmare Moon was only barely able to forge a barrier between her and the lethally sharp blade on the tip of Cynder's tail. This was a very different kind of opponent that we were not used to facing. While possessing all the same intelligence and awareness we did, Cynder's movements and means of lashing out was decidedly feral and animalistic. Even moreso than anything I had seen among Equestria's people.

"Away from me, parasite!" Nightmare Moon roared upon blocking the deadly swing of Cynder's tail blade. With a flash, she used the teleportation spell to place herself far behind the dark dragoness. And with a flash of her horn's deep blue magic aura, Nightmare Moon struck Cynder in the back of the head with a burst of magic lightning. "Fall to me!"

"I think not!" Cynder growled with a glance back at the Princess of Dreams. Those eyes of jade glared with a growing irritation at the dark alicorn. With a sweep of her slender and long body, Cynder made a half rotation of her body and swooped towards Nightmare Moon on crimson wings. While the hall's ceiling was still too low to allow her to gain much altitude, Cynder had enough room to actually fly.

Luna, Celestia, and I took this opportunity to strike from a safe distance. Luna unleashed a burst of ice spikes while Celestia and I hurled spheres of magic fire towards the charging dragoness. But just when it seemed she would be struck from both sides, Cynder utilized an ability I could not have foreseen. Her body...dissolved into a mass of what I could only describe as enchanted black smoke. Our spells passed harmlessly through her intangible form before she regained her original draconic body in only a second. Nightmare Moon did not even have the presence of mind to erect a defense upon seeing such an unanticipated defense. "What sorcery was that?!"

"The kind you can only dream of." Cynder smugly growled as she was soon upon the Princess of Dreams. Nightmare Moon attempted to ready a spell, but was quickly shoved to the floor as Cynder brought her hand down onto her opponent to slam and pin her to the floor. Sinister green flames flickering between her parting jaws, Cynder was in a prime position to get one opponent out of the way.

Acting more on impulse than anything, I thrust my right hand out towards Cynder as I cast the levitation spell. Cynder was even briefly distracted to find herself coated by a billowing aura of golden yellow. With a swing of my arm, I hurled her to the far side of the temple as a thunderous thud rang out through the hall. Cynder only barely managed to stay standing after the impact while she cast her wrathful gaze upon me. "Was that you, little one?"

Knowing that I had her attention, I was prepared to be the next dedicated target of our enemy. Without a word, I proceeded to arm myself. But not by drawing the Celestial Sword. I needed a less lethal means to combat her that would likely not be a grave threat to her tough scaled hide. With the magic in my right gauntlet engulfing my hand, I conjured up a mass of magical flame in my grasp that vaguely resembled the shape of a sword. Cynder took note of this response to her challenge and lashed out at the three royal sisters with swift cunning. She unleashed a torrent of ominous purple lightning from her maw that crackled across the room, turning her head to catch all three of them in the crossfire before they could even respond. Her accuracy from such range was frightful as all three sisters either fell to the floor or were slammed into the far wall. Celestia groaned loudly, "A dragon...that breathes lightning?!"

"Where is all your bravado from a minute ago? Am I proving to be too much of a challenge for you?" Cynder asked with a mocking hiss of her voice. Truly, she was proving to be much more than we could have expected. The dark dragoness propelled herself towards me with a single flap of her great wings, but came to a sliding stop before me as she started to circle me like a predator contemplating when to pounce upon its prey. "But you... Not one to talk, I see... Silent and watchful... What do you have to offer?"

With the clicking of her claws against the floor reaching my ears while the thunder of the storm raging outside gently serenaded this duel, I tightened my grip on my sword of raw golden fire. Cynder continued to hiss at me with that slithery tone, but with more of a hint of curiosity in her voice. "What even are you...? You're not native to my world..."

"I guess humanity just never had a place among your kind." I spoke firmly before I hurled myself at her with a flap of my armor's wings. I came to a stop as I swung my sword out to my right. Cynder responded just in time by swinging her head up and away from me while her hands left the floor. I looked up as I could see this was not simply a graceful evasion of my swing. She was about to use the downward momentum of her body to swing her head at me from the left and likely gore me on those long frighteningly sharp horns on her head!

Not willing to trust my armor to endure such a hit, I quickly went on the defensive and readied my shield. Cynder did indeed swing her head down at great speed to smash her six horns right into my shield and sent me soaring away from her. I careened through the air before just barely making a safe landing upon my feet. She was just too big... Too flexible and powerful. If I were to try and use the cheapest magical techniques I could come up with, she would surely respond in kind with even more sinister tricks to one-up us in this duel. And that intangible shadowy trick would grant her moments of utter invincibility. I was starting to feel at a loss of exactly what to do here.

Thankfully, Cynder's momentary focus on me ended up being exactly the opportunity we needed. Out of the corners of my vision, I saw circles of icy mist forming on the floor between us. Cynder did not immediately notice or simply thought there was no significance to their presence and charged ahead at me. I tried to draw her attention even further as I pointed my flaming sword at her, trying to bait her in for a challenge. And sure enough, the instant Cynder's four feet stepped into those pools of mist, an icy crackling sound filled the room. Cynder let out a yelp as she suddenly became rooted in place, Luna's ice magic having shackled the dark dragoness to the floor by encrusting that frigid blue crystal over her feet! She was trapped! And Luna was quick to declare her role. "Now you're ours for the taking, foul parasite!"

"Ice?! I will...not let myself be...!" Cynder snarled as she struggled and strained against the icy masses that kept her pinned to the floor. Even with how tough that magic ice can be, I could hear the faint sound of it starting to crack. It would not hold her forever. Especially if she suddenly remembered that she could simply phase through them by briefly entering a shadowy state.

Nightmare Moon knew this too. And she was quick to act. Taking to the air, she stayed behind Cynder to remain out of sight. Her sable wings held her aloft near the ceiling as she lifted her horn high. But the magic aura that started to surge around it... It was not the usual deep blue color I expected. It was...black. Black as pitch. And when she brought her horn down, equally black jagged chains of a dark magical force shot forth from her horn and dug deeply between Cynder's shoulders. With a jerk of her head upwards, Nightmare Moon pulled on the chains that remained bound to her horn. "I have it!"

Cynder's eyes of jade opened wide as she felt those chains take hold. A look of utter horror filled her gaze. It was only then that she seemed to remember and proceeded to try and pull herself free with that shadow phasing trick. But it only went halfway, her body not completely transitioning being flesh and smoke before becoming whole again. Whatever those dark chains had taken hold of, it reached deeper than just her physical form. "No... No! Not this!"

Nightmare Moon pulled hard as her wings tried to carry her backwards. Cynder responded in kind by trying to resist the pulling of those chains however she could, flailing and screeching with an increasingly distorted voice. Luna had done her part to render Cynder vulnerable just long enough for the one nightmare in the room to cast her net. Now it was all up to Nightmare Moon as Cynder started to chip away at her icy shackles.

The three of us watched as Nightmare Moon struggled and pulled hard with her dark magic chains. That black aura... It was not something I had ever seen her use before, but it was clearly being used with a noble intent. A writhing shadowy mass was starting to emerge from Cynder's back as the chains began to reel in their prey. The Princess of Dreams then called out, "James! Celestia! Ready your cleansing light!"

Celestia and I glanced over at each other. Nightmare Moon was not calling for fire. No, only the irresistible glare of solar magic would suffice here. We both nodded in mutual understanding before taking positions at Cynder's sides while keeping a great distance from the struggling dragoness. I dismissed the sword of fire in my hand before holding my palm upward. I carefully conjured a small orb of volatile white celestial energy in my grasp, no larger than a golf ball. A little bit of that stuff goes a long way and I was not willing to risk adding more to it. I was certain Celestia was doing the same beyond Cynder's form as that shadowy presence was drawn further and further out of her body. It almost looked alive as it appeared to be trying to cling to her while her voice roared with a disturbing level of distortion to it. A voice that was surely not Cynder's own. "No! No, not like this! Lord Malefor, save meeee!!!"

With one final jerk of her head, Nightmare Moon ripped the corrupting presence from Cynder's body as the dark dragoness seemed to ignite. She was coated in a cataclysm of shadowy flames that clung to her entire form before collapsing to the floor with a crash with that aura destroying the shackles of magic ice in the process. The chains on the parasitic presence shattered and faded while a writhing billowing mass of indecipherable malevolence floated high in the air above Cynder's fiery form. Luna then called out, "Now! Destroy it!"

We had to act quick or else that...thing would probably just dive right back into Cynder and regain control. I thrust my right hand out towards the parasitic curse and hurled that orb of solar magic at it while Celestia did the same. Those two orbs of cleansing celestial fire collided in sync with the shadowy presence as a rumbling flash of bright light engulfed it. We had to shield our eyes, it was just so bright. And as the shine faded, the writhing form of the curse was gone. Purged by light. I muttered in some relief, "Was that it?"

All eyes fell upon the burning form of Cynder as she lay motionless before us. But she did not seem to actually be on fire. In fact, her form was shrinking by the second. We all drew in close and watched in caution. Even the general outline of her body was...regressing in some way. And when her size became virtually the same as maybe someone like Gilda, the shadowy flames faded away. Celestia then quietly asked, "Is she... Did we save her?"

Cynder was still. Silent with eyes closed. But she still lived. I could see and hear the faintest signs of her breathing. Her form had essentially reverted to a less sinister state with her muzzle being not as long or pointed as before, the six horns on her head now shorter and not quite as sharp as mere moments ago. Her wings were still an impressive size, but not as disproportionately large as before. Even the color of her body had changed. The sinister black and crimson hues of her scales and wing membranes had taken on the lovely floral hues of dark violet and rosy red. Her body's size was not the only thing that reminded me of Gilda. The structure of her body and limbs had a distinctly almost feline aesthetic. Almost made me think of a black panther. She began to stir and soon opened her eyes. Even those eyes of almost sickly green had changed. Those round irises were now a beautiful shade of aquatic blue or teal. She remained silent, but the creature before us showed no signs of hostility. Nightmare Moon, pleased to see the little dragoness purged of the evil that she had correctly identified, spoke softly to her. "Are you well, child?"

The dragoness hesitated in providing a response. She almost looked afraid. Or maybe just confused on how she could still be alive. When she did speak, it was not with the voice of a child or even a young girl. It was the soft cautious tone of a young woman. "Why... How am I still alive? Why didn't you...destroy me?"

"Why? Because that was not you. That was merely the manifestation of a curse infesting your being, was it not?" Luna asked in return as I began to understand the likely guilt this poor thing was suffering. She mentioned being under the influence of a vile being since the day she hatched. Her earliest memories to that very moment being those of serving as a hapless thrall. I dropped to one knee to bring myself closer to the little dragoness, but allowed everyone to speak uninterrupted.

"It... It was..." Cynder tried to speak before setting her head down on the floor with such a distant gaze set into her eyes. I brought my armored hand to her side and rested it upon her shoulder. "It feels like it was all a bad dream... But I remember everything I saw... Everything I did... Was that really not me?"

"Child..." Nightmare Moon muttered before lowering herself to the floor beside Cynder and draping a wing over the poor thing. "You were a victim of dark forces. And I am most familiar with how such vile curses can twist your mind. Shackle you within your own psyche while your body does and says things that are not truly your own. I could sense your calls for aid. So we rescued you. I understand your doubts. Rest now. You are free and no one will control you from now on."

With her wing covering my hand now, I moved mine from under Nightmare Moon's feathery touch and rested it upon Cynder's head. Decades of having no control over her own body, only just now being free to be herself for the very first time... I could not comprehend the sensation. I could not give her words of reassurance that she needed when I could not understand her experiences. So I said what little I could. "You're going to be all right..."

"I...hope so..." Cynder muttered before she pathetically curled up like a sleeping fox, her tail curling around her entire form. It was perplexing to see someone with the mentality of a young woman still behave in a distinctly feral manner. Even the ponies of Equestria have never behaved in such an animalistic manner around me for as long as I have lived amongst them. At least the duel in my dreams had ended on a positive note, even if such a duel was surprisingly brief.

Or so I thought. After a moment of respectful silence for the exhausted dragoness, the near silence within that great hall was broken by the cautious whisper of Celestia's voice. "Sisters... The podium..."

We all lifted our heads to gaze ahead. As did Cynder. And something was amiss. The large round raised section of the floor that lay before the only window in that hall now had a line of dark sinister blue flames rising from the very edges of that circle. Cynder's eyes opened wide in horror as she muttered, "No... No, he's actually here..."

"He...? Wait, you mentioned a name in your final seconds of being that curse's host. What was that again?" Luna asked as we all rose to our feet upon noticing this ominous sign. That podium... Was it meant to serve as a summoning device of sorts? It was only then that it dawned on me. Cynder was not our true opponent that night. She was just for us to warm up on before facing the real deal.

The name that she spoke... A name I knew even less than Cynder's own. But it came to me as a pillar of those unnatural dark blue flames erupted upward from the platform before us. "Malefor..."

"Truly a name reeking of malevolence..." Nightmare Moon growled as we stood ready. Cynder rose to her feet as well, but only to step backwards as she began to cower. She never blinked as her eyes remained glued to those dark enchanted blue flames. And as the ring of fire began to recede, a form could be seen within that mass of flames. Nightmare Moon called out, "Who goes there?!"

With the shadowy blue flames fading, an imposing dark form stood between us with the quiet stormy crimson sky behind it. While the contrasting lighting gave the illusion of making it appear darker than it actually was, there was one chilling constant about the entity before us. A pair of piercing yellow eyes that shone through the shadows. This creature was unmistakably a dragon, its body much more imposing and masculine than Cynder's during the moments of her corruption. I could see the imposing outline of three prominent spikes on the head, two curling up from the sides with one reaching up from the brow. Four small spines lined the outlines of its head in an X formation. It soon began to approach us. A deep powerful voice laced with just the faintest hints of some malevolent distortion spoke with not the slightest show of wariness. "Such strange guests I have received tonight... I have seen many eons, but nothing like you has ever been known to me."

He was calm. Too calm. As this creature stood over us, I could make out the hues of this dragon's scales. A shade of purple, but tainted with a touch of red to take on an almost bloodstained hue. Everything about his color scheme, from his yellowish underside to his massive wingspan to everything else about him, carried an air of some sort of corruption to it. As if his very being was consumed by a sinister force. But he did not have the same sort of presence Cynder did while still under the curse's control. He was entirely in control of himself. And his smug lack of caution conveyed a disgusting arrogance to us as he spoke again with that hideous voice. "You have questions, I am sure. Your eyes show no signs of recognition. Who is this creature before you, I am sure you are wondering. But I have not taken leave of my manners. I am Malefor. The Dark Master and herald of this world's imminent rebirth."

His piercing yellow eyes then narrowed as his smug tone became more accusatory, but filled with more of a tone of annoyance than genuine anger. "And I do believe you have taken something from me."

My eyes immediately glanced down at Cynder. She looked like she was on the verge of panic and quickly stepped backwards as she tried to hide behind us. She was dearly afraid of her old master. I did what I could and lowered the Lunar Shield over her while staying on one knee. Just to try and help her feel more safe under the unbreakable cover of my shield. Malefor objected wordlessly, his long tail curling forward a bit as it lifted itself before slapping firmly against the floor. His tail ended in a jagged bony blade that clacked against the stone surface.

All three of the royal sisters were on guard. Wings spread with wider stances. They could sense how direly dangerous this dark dragon lord was. Nightmare Moon snarled at him as her eyes became filled with a furious white glow. "Foul wyrm... You were the one who planted that parasite, were you not?"

"Perhaps I was..." Malefor spoke ominously with those eyes focusing exclusively on the Princess of Dreams. But before she could even attempt a fiery retort, he then added, "But it was no small wonder you were the one to tear the shadows from my loyal little thrall. And with a dark force that was not so different from it. You are as blighted as she was."

An unsettling choice of words... They shook the dark princess before us as her eyes lost that glow. She still growled at our enemy as she spoke, "No... No, I may have been born from the shadows, but I am still..."

"Are you certain you are not bound to the Dark Master that gave you life? Have you truly cast aside the chains?" Malefor asked as if he was not hearing what Nightmare Moon was saying. All while displaying an uncomfortable show of piercing insight that almost defied the extent of what a dream should be capable of perceiving. "Perhaps you are still merely a puppet on strings who has yet to be reminded. When the master calls and tugs on your strings, will you resist that call?"

This sounded utterly preposterous. I knew enough about Nightmare Moon to know that the curse which resulted in her birth was indeed the work of a mysterious third party that has not been identified even to this day, but she is no one's pawn. But when I glanced at her, I felt a chill when I saw Nightmare Moon frozen in unnerved silence. Cynder ducked even more carefully under the cover of my shield. Malefor did not even know us, yet his words alone were instilling my companions with crippling doubts. What sort of memories and thoughts was he preying upon?

Luna was quick to come to her sister's defense as she took a defiant step forward. "Enough of your lies! Nightmare Moon is a being of shadows, but her will is one of righteous fury! She is loved by our people and will never heed the call of evil ever again! You know nothing of what you speak, wyrm!"

Malefor only needed to give Luna a glance to put together an equally crippling response. "You would believe that, wouldn't you? You are pure of the shadows that once shackled you. But for how long, I wonder? It is still there, is it not? You still wonder if you have what you most desired. Have you truly gained that whose absence drove you to embrace the shadows the first time? Or do you long for the shadows once more?"

"You... You can't possibly know what I..." Luna stammered as she too began to cower in a strange way in the face of Malefor's observations. It was astoundingly uncanny. He did not show any awareness of this world being the product of a dream. He was not that aware. But...he was too knowledgeable about us. Not overtly speaking of information he should not possess, but still being a little too capable of reading us.

It was then that Malefor began to leave his spot as he began to walk around us. Prowling in a circular formation around the four of us. Whether subconsciously or not, we adjusted our positions to always be facing outward while Cynder stayed between the four of us, her smaller body still curled up in silent fear under the Lunar Shield. Malefor never took his eyes off us as I felt a perplexing dissonance between his behavior and his physical actions. He had all the cunning of a sentient mastermind, but his body language was much closer to that of a predatory beast. Like a lion circling several cornered gazelle while waiting for the earliest opportunity to pounce upon one. His jaws were lined with imposing fangs whenever he spoke and I was not sure if he was watching us or was focusing his gaze on just Cynder while waiting for the chance to get by our defenses to chomp down on her. She certainly seemed to think so whenever I glanced at her. The poor thing was quivering and desperately trying to hide her face from her former master.

"You all are so frail... All the power in the world and you can still be snapped in two just by remembering that which you would rather not think about. You all have weaknesses. And I have none." Malefor hissed as he sounded like he was sincerely enjoying picking apart my companions on an emotional level. It was not simply a strategy he was utilizing. He was having fun. And it only made bile boil in my gut the longer I had to listen to him.

"Leave my sisters out of this... You don't even know us! You can't know us!" Celestia finally shouted with a voice lined with unease. When Malefor passed before her, I saw those hellish yellow eyes narrow, but not in anger. He was smirking as his gaze met hers. She was next. And if he knew as much about her as I did by then...

"I know enough. And I can see enough in you. A crown reigning over an empire of failure." Malefor almost chuckled as Celestia showed the most stark look of horror in her eyes that I had seen among the royal sisters. Cynder muttered quietly under my shield with pleas to just not listen to him. Over and over, she muttered in hopes of him to just stop talking.

Luna and Nightmare Moon glanced over at their sister with eyes filled with shock. I knew enough by then about Celestia and any possible doubts she carries, but they knew her much better. She was probably the most vulnerable of the three. Malefor continued to smirk as he said, "Eons reigning upon the throne. And so many failures in that time. Nothing short of a miracle that your empire could survive for so long when built upon failure after failure. How much longer, I wonder. When will your failures finally cause your kingdom to crumble? When will the time be that your people turn on you for having always been a fool? Perhaps you should just give your crown to me. I will not fail as you have so many times."

"You will silence yourself now, wyrm!" Nightmare Moon roared while she and Luna turned to face Malefor as he began to pass before me. Magic lightning crackled around their horns as they stood ready for a fight. There was no doubt or fear in their eyes while they stood between him and their sister. Celestia remained silent, but the horror in her eyes had lessened. "Failure is meant to be learned from. And our sister has learned much! She is not a fool so long as she rises above her failures, never to repeat them!"

Luna then narrowed her eyes as she too glared Malefor down with an unexpected smirk upon her lips. "At least she has not failed like you have. Casting aside all you have for evil? That is the definition of failure."

This actually proved to be a much more effective retort than I could have expected. Malefor's eyes narrowed as he raised his distorted voice that echoed around the great hall. "All I have done is embrace power! And power is meant to be used! Good? Evil? Power knows nothing of the concept. Which brings us..."

Malefor then stopped before me as he regained his composure. His eyes narrowed as they met mine. "To you."

"Don't even go there with me..." I finally muttered now that I had drawn the attention of our enemy. And I had a very strong hunch of where this monologue was going. It was not the first time we had crossed swords with a dream entity that was more aware than it should have been.

My words did not reach him. Malefor was far too eager to try and crush me. And in such a predictable fashion as he began to speak words that I anticipated. "I can see it in your very nature. Are you truly...at peace, being among the meek and feckless? Do you sense it within you? The need to reach ever higher?"

"Don't listen to him... Don't..." Cynder quietly pleaded to me as the three royal sisters maintained their positions. They gazed at me in respectful, yet fearful silence. They too knew what Malefor was trying to exploit. But they have always known me better too.

Malefor began to pace before me, as if trying to intimidate me by combining his piercing words with the menacing movements of a beast ready to pounce on me. "Do you truly fear what may become of them if you embrace your true nature? You and I are not so different. But you cling to the illusion of belonging among those you are meant to establish your rightful dominance over. Is that not what..."

I had heard enough. During his entire speech, I was in the process of drawing my sword. With a swing of my hand, I drew the Celestial Sword and pointed its gloriously glowing white blade right at Malefor's face without leaving my spot. The hall became much more illuminated as my sword's pure white blade cast its light. Almost as if the sword itself was defying the dark presence before us. Disgust I rarely feel boiling in my gut, I spoke a very sincere warning towards the dark dragon before me as he pulled his head back in caution. "Finish that sentence and I'll cut your jaw off. You're not the first person to mess with me like this."

The silence in that hall was palpable. As if even Malefor was compelled to be still with the Celestial Sword's glowing blade aimed right at his face. I did not look away or blink once. Now that it was his attention I had, I took the opportunity to speak what I knew about myself. "I know where I belong. I know what I value. And I know what I want. And what I don't want is power. All I want is to be happy with the people and world I love. And to preserve what I value. And that's a fact. Got it?"

Now that it was his turn to speak, Malefor's gaze narrowed. I thought his eyes were finally getting irritated due to the light that was shining into his face. In hindsight, I think he was just trying to read me. And he soon frowned at me while his faintly glowing yellow eyes displayed the slightest hint of surprise. "You speak the truth. You are not one who will falter easily in clinging to your ideals."

To hear him actually admit to being wrong about me... Strangely satisfying. It was only then that I glanced back at the three royal sisters to see them looking more at ease by then. And as their eyes fell upon Malefor, their gazes became harsher with an almost unsettling display of loathing. As if his behavior...reminded them of something they had once dealt with before.

Malefor must have known he was not going to get anywhere in trying to break me with just words. He then adjusted his eyes slightly to look not at me, but the quivering dragoness under my shield. He let out a brief chuckle and said, "There's no need to hide her. She has served me well. Let her be on her way. I have no more need for her duties. For the time is near... And it cannot be delayed."

"You..." Cynder muttered before she suddenly stood up while pushing the Lunar Shield and my arm off in the process. She stared up at the towering dark dragon while very visibly quivering in terror, even if she had found just enough courage to stand before him. "You used me! I was just a puppet on strings to you! I'm not like you! All I've done for you... That wasn't me!"

She was on the verge of tears. Hearing Cynder yelling with that trembling voice was difficult to hear. I was tempted to comfort her in some way. Maybe just reach out to her. But Cynder took a step back as Malefor took a most domineering step towards her. That disgusting grin on his face... If I did not hate him by then, I was very close by that point. And that was not something I could say about any other opponent I had faced in my dreams up to that time. He continued to speak with that infuriating smugness, "Are you certain of that? Do you remember the pleasure you felt? The eagerness to carry out every task? Their pleas as you ack?!"

Out of nowhere, Malefor's head suddenly jerked up as if someone had grabbed him by the horns. And someone had. I saw a golden yellow aura coating the two horns at the side of his head. And before Malefor even knew what had him, his face was slammed into the floor! Celestia then shouted, "Would you just shut up already?!"

Cynder and I stared in stunned surprise as Malefor was left in utter disbelief while he hastily regained his footing. In just that instant, his air of dominance had faded now that someone had landed a solid blow on him. I glanced to my sides and saw the three royal sisters step forward with identical looks of a disturbing type of animosity in their eyes. Nightmare Moon then spoke without any unease, "That's enough out of you, wretch. We've heard enough. And we will crush you here tonight."

"Hmph... The hatred in those eyes... Am I not the first you've come to despise so venomously?" Malefor asked while finally showing a degree of wariness towards us. He hardly looked scuffed up at all from that blow.

"You are not the first we have faced to employ your brand of evil. And you've made the mistake of reopening old wounds." Luna spoke with a growl, any and all fear of this conniving dragon having faded. She then scowled at Malefor as she declared, "Mark my words, you will die here tonight! You've made a very powerful enemy, wyrm!"

I too took a step forward to join my royal companions at their side. But I then took note of Malefor's size as he let out a long wheeze of irritation that I mistook for a growl. I glanced at my sword and shield. Malefor was big. And so I said, "Ladies. That's a big dragon. I'm gonna need a bigger sword."

They knew exactly what I was getting at. Without missing a beat, Celestia and Luna cast their magic upon the Lunar Shield and Celestial Sword. They left my hands and joined together above us in a blinding light of yellows and blues. And when it lowered into my right hand, the light faded to reveal a mighty blade I had come to adore. A nameless greatsword as long as myself with a glowing white edge and the middle of the blade twinkling like stars set into the black night sky. I then effortlessly pointed my sword at Malefor as I said, "I think you know what happens next."

His eyes narrowing, Malefor still cast us a bitter smirk. "So be it. If I can't convince you of where your place lies, then join me for one last dance in the crimson sky as we bid farewell to the dying world below! If you will not be subdued, then you will be destroyed!"

The royal sisters did not waste any time in trying to put Malefor down right then and there. Each conjuring up different elemental magic of fire, ice, and lightning, they unleashed an explosive blast of the three elements at Malefor only for the massive dragon to fling himself backwards with shocking speed. Embers, sparks, and icy mist filled the air once the blast faded as we saw Malefor holding himself aloft just outside the window on his mighty wings. Just how fast was he to have evaded that?!

The dark dragon shot up in the air and out of sight with the royal sisters taking to the air to follow him. I stayed behind a moment longer now that a new tension was filling the air. It was time for the main event of the night. With the quiet storm rumbling on the horizon, I almost took to the air with sword in hand before I suddenly remembered I was not quite alone. I turned and saw Cynder still standing behind me. She looked...so unsure of what to even think. It must have been utterly bewildering to see Celestia get such an easy shot on a monster even she probably thought was invincible by then. I then asked, "You coming?"

Cynder took several steps back as she shook her head with disbelief in her eyes. "You're not... You don't really intend to face him, do you? Do you have any idea all he's done?! What he'll do to you?!"

I must confess there was a distinct advantage Malefor had over us that none of our prior opponents in the realm of dreams ever possessed. A profound lack of knowledge about our enemy. Even Cynder managed to give us an impressively hard time thanks to me knowing almost nothing about her. But I was still confident. Lack of knowledge or not, I knew Malefor was surely not quite as dangerous as at least one or two of our prior opponents. "No. And that's OK. I know we can take him."

My words only confused Cynder further. She then all but yelled at me, "Why?! What makes you so sure you can all defeat him?!"

I decided to not sugarcoat my response. I knew Cynder was too terrified of her former master to even try to stand against him, so I was not going to force her to help us. As I turned away and prepared to take to the air, I smiled at her. "We've dealt with worse."

Cynder would be safe if she remained behind in that temple. There was no one else around who would be a threat to her. With a flap of my armor's great wings, I propelled myself out through the window and ascended straight up into the crimson sky. But as I did, I quickly noticed something felt...wrong. I felt like I was far too high up to simply be flying on a high altitude. It almost felt like I was flying through a massive void rather than the sky of a world far below. When I glanced down, all I could see was the form of the temple's mostly flat stone roof and the crimson cloud cover below. It was just floating out there in the storm.

I saw the three royal sisters up above me as I hurried to approach them. I think they slowed down just enough for me to catch up more easily, but not a word was spoken once we began to ascend together. They all looked grimly determined as they cast their eyes to the sky above. I asked cautiously, "You all look like you really hate him..."

"Perhaps that's because your dreaming mind chose a horribly unfortunate kind of opponent for us to duel, James. We have faced similar monsters in our lives before, so we have learned to despise depraved overlords such as he." Nightmare Moon spoke with a faint growl to her tone. I dropped the subject right there. This was not simply a duel against an opponent conjured up by my dreaming thoughts. This had suddenly become much more personal for all of us.

When the temple was so far below that it appeared to be only the size of a coin, we finally came to a halt as we hovered in the air. Where had Malefor gone? The horizon of crimson storm clouds reached for miles and it was difficult to discern if there were any clouds around us that were blending into those that were much farther away. The storm had picked up in intensity, bolts of malevolent lightning blasting through the air periodically with an unnaturally quiet thunder rumbling in its wake. Possibly not even lightning at all. Celestia, eyes filled with a fury I had never seen before, shouted out into the abyss. "Come out, coward! We're ready for you!"

"So be it!" That distorted voice oozing with an unnatural malevolence filled the air before our eyes suddenly glanced down. I did not know how he did it, but Malefor had evaded our attention until we had completely passed him. The vile dragon shot up in the air from below with an impressively graceful spiral before spreading his wings and hovering ahead of us. He called out to us as the ominous storm raged on in the clouds around us, "You have meddled in the affairs of a world that is not your concern. A world that will soon cease to be before it is born again as mine and mine alone! If you are fortunate, you will live just long enough to witness that glorious moment. But be warned. I am well versed in more than just words."

"As are we, wyrm!" Luna shouted before she and her sisters readied their horns to unleash a barrage of their royal magic. I joined in as well, my left hand raised to channel Luna's magical energies for a blast of raw magical force. And when we fired those surging orbs of blue and golden yellow ethereal energy, Malefor did not flinch. He just hovered there and took it all at once as a flash of aquamarine exploded around him. I was sure that at least left him sore, but we were all in for a shock as he suddenly rushed forward from the flash on his mighty wings while looking hardly singed! We were all rammed together and were blown right out of the way. My armor insured I was only rattled by the collision, but the mostly bare bodies of my companions fared less favorably. I heard them all yell in shock and pain as they were scattered through the air. Battered, we regained control of ourselves and hovered in the sky to get our bearings. Luna yelled in irritation, "Barely fazed?! Very well! Don't make this too easy for us, wyrm!"

"For appearing so frail, you are all quite hardy to endure a blow like that. Perhaps I will enjoy this after all!" Malefor cackled in an almost gleeful fashion as his wings carried him across the sky and back towards us. Most creatures would have suffered significant harm in the face of the strongest magic Equestria has to offer, but he was barely fazed by that prior blast. Even with the odds being in our favor in terms of numbers, it was clear Malefor possessed an unnatural level of resistance to injury. We were in for a long fight.

The four of us regrouped and charged Malefor on the horizon. But with a shout he unleashed a literal asteroid field of fiery meteors from his maw. There was no way such a trick could be natural with that incoming storm of meteors almost looking solid. It had to have been magical in nature. There were so many... At least dozens! Nightmare Moon was quick to call out to us. "Scatter! We will fare better if we do not cluster together!"

And so we did. The four of us spread out in several directions to try and weave through this storm of fire. Luna was the first to make it out on the other side, but Malefor was already upon her! He suddenly closed the distance between them with shocking speed, his maws opened wide. "I'll start with you!"

"Cunning wretch!" Luna shouted as she only narrowly projected a spherical barrier around herself just in time. Malefor's jaws tried to clamp down on her, but that barrier was just too big around to actually fit in his mouth. I actually got a laugh out of him struggling to get a grip since it looked like he was trying to stuff an oversized jawbreaker into his mouth. Luna was quick to notice my presence as I made it through the meteor swarm since she then glanced at me. "James! Slay this wyrm!"

"Gotcha, he's mine!" I shouted as I hurled myself towards Malefor with the mighty sword in my right hand ready. But he was quick to improvise a defense. Malefor suddenly released his grip on Luna's barrier before suddenly swatting her right at me with his hand. I... I am not sure how to even explain the strange sensation of getting pelted by a barrier, but that felt solid enough. Luna let out a yelp as she crashed into me while I had to act fast to not fall out of the sky. "OK, that was clever... Well played."

I managed to break out of my fall before Luna could and rushed back towards Malefor. He let out a roar as he unleashed a more traditional dragon attack at me, a torrent of magenta flames being launched from his maw. I managed to weave around it as I saw Celestia and Nightmare Moon circling us from the sides to look for an opening. With an opportunity presented, I launched myself at Malefor with a burst of speed and lashed out with my sword as I passed. He only narrowly managed to pull away in time for me to only barely clip him with the sword's tip. It was a clean cut with little resistance, but probably not much more than a scratch. But I knew the power of my weapon by then. I would only need one good slash and this fight would be over.

Nightmare Moon and Celestia took Malefor's retreat as their time to make a move. Coating themselves in fire and lightning, the two royal sisters launched themselves into Malefor from the sides for a devastating collision of sparks and embers. This actually did catch him by surprise as the two alicorns rammed right into his ribcage. With a snarling growl, he spun himself in the air to slap the two of them away with his powerful wings. But as I observed, I glanced down at my sword and came to a troubling realization.

This was a duel the likes of which I had never faced before. Sky-high combat with no solid ground to be seen. And while I did manage to at least touch our enemy with that last swing, I suddenly came to understand just how little control I had over my weapon when I had no solid ground under my feet to use for leverage. Swordplay requires balance and posture to be effective, but what good is that if I have nothing to brace myself against? I had never been trained for this. Was I supposed to just wing it and figure out how to use nothing more than momentum to produce an effective swing?

Getting lost in my thoughts for a moment ended up being a grave mistake. Malefor must have noticed me hanging back as I pondered my predicament since I only just then saw him dive down and into a layer of crimson clouds that was passing under us. And in only a second, he had come up right behind me and was now hurtling directly at me with his jaws open wide. I only barely had enough time to look behind me to see him coming. It was frightening to see just how fast and responsive something so large could be with such a powerful wingspan. For just that moment, I lost all focus like a deer trapped in floodlights. I was not getting out of this attack unscathed.

At least that was what my mind was thinking at the time. Just when I was resigned to take this hit, something rammed squarely into my breastplate and pushed me right out of the way in the nick of time. Was it Luna? Did she get to me before he could? The whiplash from the sudden acceleration was jarring and left me dazed for a few seconds, but I did manage to gaze ahead at who was pushing me down through the air. And it was not at all who I expected. "Wha... You?!"

Cynder. She was there. I thought for sure she would not dare follow us into battle after all Malefor put her through, and yet there she was having just saved me from a certain hit. Her eyes were filled with unease as I gazed back at her in confusion. But almost as if she knew what I was thinking, she raised her voice. "I can't let myself be afraid when you all have the courage to face him!"

How brave. In the same way our actions inspired her, Cynder's show of courage inspired me as well. I found myself smiling as we fell through the air. It would be good to have an extra comrade with us in this duel. I then asked, "You sure you're up for this?!"

Cynder briefly closed her eyes as she gritted her teeth. I only then saw that her jaws contained no fangs at all. Not one tooth had a point to it. But that was beside the point. Cynder then nodded while displaying a smile that betrayed the uncertainty in her eyes. And she confirmed her answer with a vocal response. "I'm with you!"

Our resolve bolstered, the two of us broke out of our descent and shot up through the air on wings of scales and metallic feathers. Cynder stayed close as we hurled ourselves back towards the high altitude battle being waged above. Malefor was about to have one extra thorn in his side. I did not know how well Cynder would fare alongside the likes of the three royal sisters, but I was more than eager to see what she could bring to the table.

Malefor had not yet noticed our approach now that he had to contend with Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare Moon engaging him in an aerial dogfight. From a distance, he appeared to be launching meteor swarms from his jaws instead of traditional fire. And he was impressively hard to land a shot on with stunning displays of responsiveness and speed in the air. If a simple sparrow can veer away from an obstacle while flying along faster than the swiftest stallion can gallop, then it should have come as no surprise that a large dragon with an equally impressive wingspan could be just as agile in the air. I glanced at Cynder and asked, "Are you dragons always that nimble in the air?!"

"You'd be surprised!" Cynder called back to me as the three royal sisters were repelled for the moment. As he caught his breath, I saw the faintly glowing yellow eyes set into Malefor's face turn our way. Cynder's resolve wavered for just a moment as our approach was detected. "He sees us..."

"You... You dare show yourself to me now?!" Malefor roared in disbelief as he saw his former thrall in my company while we soared towards him. He sounded annoyed at first, but then that smug air of entitlement returned to his tone as he called out over the storm. "Or have you returned to serve your master once more? Your timing could not be more impeccable, my dear."

Cynder's wings ceased to flap as she began to lose speed. Her eyes quivered in dread as I am sure old memories came to the forefront of her mind. "No... Never... I'll never submit to you again! I'm not here to serve you! I'm here to stop you!"

Malefor burst into distorted cackling at the notion of Cynder even trying to stand against her former master. And it was sickening to watch. It would have been a prime opportunity for my three royal friends to charge him, but they still kept their distance for the moment. Malefor then roared, "Ha! You?! Defeat the Dark Master himself?! I am not so certain that is what you wish. You feel it, don't you? We are still connected. It's not too late to return to..."

"Shut up or I'll make you shut up!" I shouted as my irritation with Malefor reached its breaking point. The more he prodded us with twisted words stabbing at any doubts we had, the more disgusted I became. With a powerful flap of my wings, I propelled myself forward on instinct more than thought. With that newfound momentum, I came in with a passing swing as I tried to gut Malefor from below. It was a very close call. He only barely ascended enough for the tip of my mighty blade to just barely pass under him. At least I did successfully silence him. And while annoyed that I missed, the fact that I came that close to landing a passing slash filled me with a sense of a eureka moment. "Huh... So that's how I do it... Momentum!"

Now that I had a better idea of how to generate force for a sword swing in the air, I was feeling more confident on how to approach Malefor. And he most definitely had no experience facing off against human warriors wielding proper weapons. But just as I turned around, Malefor retaliated by coming in at me. Even though I knew trying to block an attack with my sword was a stupid idea due to no solid ground to brace myself against, I instinctively assumed what otherwise would have been a respectable defensive stance while resting one hand on the back of my sword's blade for support.

I realized at the last moment that trying to block an attack this way would still result in me being flung across the sky and tried to back away with a flap of my wings. I still held up my left arm on instinct in the hopes that the white vambrace on the back of my pauldron would provide as least some protection. Malefor may have predicted this since he went into a rising loop in order to lash out with the longest part of his body. With a swift snap of his tail, Malefor swung the jagged bony tip of his tail right up at me.

I got lucky. I was just far enough back for Malefor's tail to miss me. But the tip still managed to do something. The tip just barely clipped my left arm and sent me tumbling through the air with a clank and knocking me off balance. Cynder once again had to rush into me to push me away from another attack as Malefor tried to unleash a stream of unnatural fire into me. She called out to me as Nightmare Moon and Luna went on another strafing run with lightning magic flying from their horns. "I won't listen to him! I'll stay strong if you stay with me!"

"Right, don't let him get... Wait..." I started to say before I happened to notice my left arm felt a little lighter than it used to. I then glanced at it to check for damage. While my gauntlet was still intact, I noticed something was missing. That blow had torn my white vambrace right off the backside of my gauntlet! "Hey! My vambrace! Where'd it go?!"

"I got it!" I heard Celestia call as she swooped past us. I glanced in her direction as Cynder and I shot across the sky. Indeed, there it was. An elongated hexagon of shiny white metal falling from above. It was honestly surprising to see how far that blow had flung it. A few seconds later, I saw it being sent right our way as it quickly dissolved into a liquid state to reattach itself to the armor it belonged to.

But against all odds, that was not how it went. Cynder pushed herself off me to allow us to come out of that fall. And as fate would have it, she ended up getting in the way as my vambrace's liquefied form splashed right into her instead! Cynder shrieked in surprise as the liquid metal quickly began to mold itself to her body. "Huh?! What is this?! I can't get it off!"

"Hey, that's mine! Give it... Hang on now... No, don't fight it! It's OK! Maybe it can help you!" I shouted in annoyed protest at first before suddenly realizing that it might be best to let her use that enchanted metal for now. It was not like those vambraces would do me much good in such a confrontation anyway. The liquid metal did not impede Cynder's wings as she flapped hastily to keep herself aloft. Celestia quickly returned to the fray to join her sisters in keeping Malefor preoccupied for the moment. Maybe they would even take him down before we could return.

"It's...hardening..." Cynder whimpered in unease. Having just been freed from a parasitic curse just minutes earlier, something that almost seemed alive clinging to her like that must have been very uncomfortable to her. With such little metal composing that vambrace compared to the rest of my suit, there was not much to go around. What did end up forming was stretched rather thin. And the result did not even cover Cynder's entire body. All that ended up being forged from that single vambrace were two pieces of armor that were separated from each other. A white plate of sorts with gold patterns affixed to her back almost like a dragon's equivalent to barding and masklike helm set over her face. Thin ribbons of that metal even curled around the two most prominent horns on Cynder's head to help secure it in place. It was not much, but I had the suspicion this armor was not simply there for show. Even if it did look good on her. Cynder then looked my way with her eyes looking at me from a pair of holes in the front of the helm. "I think it stopped... What is this stuff?"

"Long story short, you're wearing a piece of my armor now. It's kept in a liquid state when not in use and isn't picky about who gets to wear it. Although with what little there is on you now... I gotta say it looks good on you." I explained in brief while knowing that what little was covering her would not protect her from much except maybe for her head. A little armor was still better than none at all.

"I don't really feel much safer... But I guess that hardly matters...huh?!" Cynder began to say before her gaze was drawn upward. Malefor had unleashed another volley of fiery asteroids, but something had changed. These were charged with electrical energy and had taken on a malevolent purple hue. Worse, they were forcing our companions to take desperate measures as these energized meteors seemed to be homing in on them! And some were heading for us as well! "Those won't miss!"

"I got it!" I replied as I thrust out my left hand. I channeled the ice magic in my left gauntlet to try and counter the incoming swarm of stray meteors with my own wall of projectiles. A mass of large ice spikes materialized in the air and shot forth to intercept them. The magnetic meteors were drawn to my own icy projectiles with them all exploding in flashes of purple lightning and icy shards that plummeted into the crimson abyss below. "What else can this guy do?"

"I... I wish I knew! If I had any information to share, I would!" Cynder called with a look of helplessness in her eyes. She really wanted to help, but probably felt powerless among the almost godly entities in her presence. "I've never actually seen Malefor in battle! None have challenged him directly like this! I have no idea what he can actually do!"

"Then we'll just have to find out the hard way, right?" I retorted with a certain excitement filling my heart. Disgusting as he may have been, Malefor was an intriguing opponent so far. I was curious of what else he was capable of throwing at us. With my wings holding me aloft, I grasped my sword firmly in my right hand. "We should get back up there. They need us."

After taking a long breath, Cynder steeled herself and nodded at me. "Right... I'll... I'll do what I can. Just let me stay close to you and I'll try to stay strong."

"You've got this, Cynder. You gave us a hard enough time earlier, so I'm sure you've got the right tricks up your sleeve. Let's go." I said with my hand held out to her. Cynder must have mistook that gesture for an invitation since she then placed her hand...paw...digit into my grasp. I decided to just roll with it and shot up into the crimson sky with Cynder following.

Malefor was proving to be cunning as he clashed with the three royal sisters trying to shoot him down. He was just so shockingly fast in the air and did all he could to make himself a hard target. Even diving into the crimson clouds that passed nearby and changing direction to make where he would emerge a game of chance. Celestia finally grew frustrated with the dark dragon's cunning and charged an orb of shining solar magic at the tip of her horn. "Enough of this! Those need to go!"

Luna and Nightmare Moon retreated as that burst of solar magic was launched into the clouds Malefor had just dove into. With a rumbling boom and a flash of white light, a miniature supernova went off to utterly vaporize the cloud down to nothing. And there was no sign of Malefor. Celestia called out in triumph, "I got him!"

"Did you now?!" That twisted voice called out from just out of my field of vision. Malefor rushed forward with a swift glide and rammed Celestia on his outstretched wing. Luna and Nightmare Moon tried to stage a rescue and intercept him, but they too were caught on the hardened frames of his wings and were thrown off with a quick aileron spin of his body. Bruised and stunned, the three royal sisters fell from the sky as Cynder and I began to close the distance. Malefor turned around and hover in place, his sinister eyes taking note of Cynder's new attire. "What's this? That armor is much too bright for a tainted soul like you... I'm certain I can forge something much more fitting for you..."

"Enough... Enough! Just shut up!" Cynder roared at her former master before I could even try to intercept him. I noticed something about the two horns her helmet was bound to. Was that...Celestia's golden yellow magic aura billowing around them? Even more shocking was her mouth. Bright white light was beginning to fill her jaws! "I... I AM NOT YOUR PAWN!!!"

Only then did Cynder try to use a sort of breath attack. But instead of dragon fire, only the raw scorching power of solar magic exploded from her maw like a laser! We all looked on in stunned silence for just a moment, but none was more shocked than Malefor. Without a word, he desperately tried to veer away from the rapidly approaching beam of celestial energy. I thought for sure it would miss. And it almost did. Just when I thought it would slip right by him, Malefor let out a call that sounded somewhere between a screech and a roar. I saw it. That beam of solar magic engulfed his left arm. And a second later... All that remained of it was a blackened stump stopping just below the elbow! Just like that, his left hand and half of his arm was gone! Nightmare Moon called out to us in shock as she and her sisters shot back up into the air, "What the devil did you just do?!"

"I... I did that?" Cynder muttered as her armor's magic became dormant again. I could barely believe it myself. That piece of armor, its color bearing Celestia's pale coat hue, carried her own magic in it like my right gauntlet does? I have no idea how she was even able to access Celestia's most powerful magic, but I was not about to question it. Wearing that armor vastly improved her capacity for combat. And with that power, she destroyed the hand which once held her chains. It was such a poetic reversal in hindsight. Cynder raised a hand to her helmet and the two horns that it clung to. "What sort of power did you give me?"

"My power. I mean that was an accident back there, but whatever helps. You now have access to my most powerful spells, if you can figure out how to cast them. Use them well, Cynder." Celestia explained as she hovered beside us. She almost looked tempted to laugh at how she gave my liquefied vambrace to our draconic companion entirely by accident, yet it only served to put her on our level.

"You... You ungrateful wretch! You have maimed me!" Malefor roared as his right hand clutched the charred remains of his left arm, his great wings holding him aloft while his voice sounded very pained. With nothing but sheer hate in those glowing yellow eyes, he focused his wrath entirely on the dark dragoness beside me. "This... This will be your final mistake! I'll see to it there's no place for you in my new world!"

Cynder's eyes narrowed in defiance and newfound courage. I am sure she knew she was much more capable of handling him now. "Do your worst... We're ready for you! I hope..."

"Perish!" Malefor roared with a torrent of purple dragon fire exploding from his maw. Even from that distance, his aim was shockingly precise. It went right for Cynder. She yelped and curled her wings forward in a desperate act of defense, but something more happened. Celestia's golden magic aura flared up around Cynder's horns again before she was encompassed by a yellow magic barrier. The worst she suffered was being blasted across the sky. I reached out for her in concern, but relented when I saw Cynder break away with the barrier fading as she swooped elegantly through the crimson sky back to us. Malefor, clearly frustrated from the sheer inefficiency of his attack, called out in irritation. "What must I do to break you?!"

"You won't break me! Not now... Not again!" Cynder shouted before launching a sudden barrage of bright solar magic bursts at Malefor. He responded more effectively this time by unleashing a volley of red meteors again. While this did prevent Cynder's shots from getting through, the sheer explosive power of those solar magic shots essentially nullified Malefor's assault. With the dust clearing, the three royal sisters were already on the offensive with Celestia leading the charge while cloaked in a fiery solar aura. She attempted to ram Malefor as he began to show signs of desperation in trying to stay away from her. Clearly, he was beginning to fear the light. Cynder hovered near me as she watched her former master trying to flee Celestia's fiery form, "I can't believe the kind of power this has given me..."

"I guess he did us a favor by knocking my vambrace off for you to wear." I retorted as I took note of what a twist of serendipity that little misfortune turned into. I then asked, "How you holding up?"

Cynder glanced me way with those beautiful aquatic eyes as I saw a hopeful smile on her very wide lips. "I'll be fine as long as I have you here with me. Your courage is my courage, all right?"

"Good to hear. Let's get back in the fray. Can't let them steal all the glory." I retorted before we shot up into the sky. Malefor attempted to repel Celestia and Nightmare Moon as they came in for another ramming strike by spreading his wings wide and going into a spin. Those great wings whipped a powerful vortex that caught the two sisters and threw them around before he sent them flying in opposite directions. Luna had the wisdom to stay back and prepare he own assault as she conjured up many large ice spikes before hurling them ahead at him. They were very large. Easily as tall as I am. And that gave me an idea. "Hey, lemme get some of that!"

Growing frustrated on how I had to get overly creative on using momentum to generate effective sword swings, I used a teleportation spell to place myself on one of Luna's ice spikes before using the levitation spell with my left hand to take hold of my new vehicle with invisible reins and guide its path as I raced across the sky. With my armor's wings serving as rudders, I now had a means to keep my feet grounded and my sword ready for passing strikes. It was almost like using a sword while riding horseback. "Oh yeah, this'll do fine! I'm coming for you now!"

Malefor did not notice me at first since I was still tucked in that incoming barrage of ice. He was swift enough to get out of the way in time, but jumped when he saw one of those spikes veering to the left to pursue him. He noticed me on my approach at the last second. "You?!"

"Gotcha now!" I yelled as I came in for a passing slash on his right. I swung my blade and definitely hit him that time. The faint sound of flesh being cleaved by a blade reached my ears as I passed him with that swing of my sword. When I pulled away to look back, I saw Malefor writhing as he kept himself aloft. A shallow cut going down the entire length of his right side was spilling a dark crimson fluid. "Finally, we're getting somewhere!"

"Truly, I have underestimated all of you..." Malefor growled as his voice hissed with pain and frustration. I was already guiding my icy vehicle for another pass as I raised across the sky at exhilarating speeds. Why did I not think of this before? By now, all five of us were making a dash for Malefor from all directions. Still stunned from the piercing pain of that long gash on his side, Malefor threw his head back and roared to the sky. "I summon the power of the storm! Smite these infidels!"

The crimson clouds around us began to emit lightning in much greater frequency. Before we could even try to anticipate what was coming next, Malefor's defense came from above. Bolts of fuchsia lightning began to rain down all around us. It was futile. There was no way we were getting through that unscathed. One by one, I saw my companions getting zapped out of the sky. I put my faith in my armor and hoped that it would endure this magical lightning storm. I still weaved back and forth on my approach to make myself a harder target.

I very nearly ran right into a bolt of lightning that came down before I veered away in a panic. Malefor continued to just hover there while surrounded by the falling barrage of unnatural lightning, mostly likely keeping up the focus necessary to keep the storm going. I tried getting creative by conjuring up a flurry of large ice spikes identical to the one I was riding around on and kept a tight formation of them floating around me as I rushed through the air, trying to find an opening in the storm. Whenever I had the premonition that I was about to be struck, I jumped to another ice spike and anchoring my armored feet to it. This proved to be a wise decision as I bounded from one icy foothold to another as some did get obliterated out of the air with a direct lightning strike. I became bolder with each successful evasion until I finally found the courage to change course and hurl myself right at Malefor.

I was sure I was going to have time to send my sword's blade right through Malefor's face, but the fact that he just hovered there while surrounded by that constant barrage of falling sinister lightning should have been a sign I should have kept my distance. Just when I was so sure I was about to land a decisive blow, I felt pain course through my entire body as my senses went haywire. All I remembered after that was a sensation of falling. My armor did nothing to stand up to that lightning strike... There was no magic in that lightning. It was raw electric energy. Something my armor was not designed to endure.

I felt myself become weightless as something caught me and brought me up onto my feet. A soft cushion of crimson cloud was below me as I found all five of my companions starting to rise to their feet while in very visible discomfort. Only Nightmare Moon was entirely standing by then. She wheezed uneasily, "He was able to summon the storm itself... A very resourceful foe indeed..."

"We... Can we still get to him?" Cynder asked with a strained voice. Electric shocks are never easy to walk off. We were still reeling from that assault. We were soon all back on our feet with our eyes gazing upward. Malefor was looming far above us. Why had he not attacked during our moment of vulnerability?

His eyes did not appear to be looking at us. He was instead seeing past us. What was happening below? After a moment, he let out a triumphant cackle. "Yes... Yes, now is the time! This has been a most interesting swan song, but the curtain call has arrived! Now there is no stopping the cogs of fate!"

"That can't be a good sign... Stop him now!" Celestia shouted with a hint of fright in her voice. I too suspected there was something big coming and readied my wings. Even with our bodies still stinging from a direct lightning strike, we all launched ourselves skyward at Malefor for a combined assault. "This stops here! You're mine, you wretched beast!"

"I think not! Now fall! I will be with you shortly!" Malefor called down to us. Just when I thought we were about to come close, he practically screamed down at us. And from his maw came a cyclone of gale force winds! There was no possible way to fly against it. We only held out for a few seconds before we were all sent falling out of the sky. Tumbling and disoriented, we had no way of knowing which way was up. Were we going to fall to our dooms into the abyss below?

In a strange twist of fortune, solid ground did indeed come into view below in the form of the temple that we had first arrived in. I thought we were going to have to land on the roof at that rate. Instead, another roar from Malefor above shook the entire sky as I felt a shockwave rattle my armor. And the roof... The temple below was torn open as its entire roof was shattered and scattered outward! The royal sisters worked quickly to catch us all in a levitation spell to slow our descent and insure we would land safely back in the temple's vast main hall. We stood there for a moment with our eyes turned to the exposed crimson sky. Luna muttered warily, "Back here again... Whatever for?"

"The time... No... Are we too late?" Cynder muttered with a panicked whisper. As if to answer her words, a tremor filled the temple. Walls cracked and collapsed. Fissures tore through the floor. And with those gaps in the floor... A sensation much like how you might feel when standing inside a descending elevator. And it only grew stronger with every passing second. Cynder's eyes opened wide as she called, "We're falling?!"

"It has begun!" That voice called from above. Malefor came diving right at us before breaking out of his descent and landing firmly upon the floor in the very room we had first seen him. A look of vile excitement filled his faintly glowing eyes as he stood before us, even with his left hand still missing with only a blackened stump in its place. "The end times are upon us! Enjoy the ride. It will be the last thing you ever do! Unless you think you can still defy the world's fate!"

A palpable sense of urgency filled the air as that sensation of falling made itself known. Indeed, the sky around us appeared to be ascending, but it was very much the opposite. Whatever force had been keeping the temple aloft in the sky had suddenly failed. And I had no idea how much time we had until we hit the ground below! Or was there even a land below for us to collide with? Although a hint of confidence did fill me now that I was back on solid ground. I was in my element now and could finally use the skills I had developed to get the most out of my mighty sword. But time was of the essence. Whatever was about to happen, we had to act fast!

Glares of stubborn defiance filled the eyes of the women around me. Malefor was no longer our greatest threat. Time itself was much more likely to decide this battle than anything else. Malefor was surely looking to outlast us if possible. Nightmare Moon then glanced at me out of the corner of her eye as she spoke with a smirk, "What a climatic situation we've found ourselves in. Let's make this a night to remember!"

"Right, let's wrap this up fast!" I called while bringing the hilt of my sword into both hands. I charged first with more four companions spreading out to flank our opponent. Malefor laughed before unleashing an orb of fire at me. By this point, I was too pumped to be intimidated and countered by slashing my sword right through the orb to obliterate it. Malefor grunted in surprise as I lunged at him for a heavy slash. He once again proved just how responsive his wings were by flinging himself to the left, but was quickly blindsided by Luna and Celestia firing off explosive bursts of magic right into him. Flashes of blue and yellow filled the air as the concussion launched Malefor back at me, but I had to fling myself backwards with a flap of my wings to avoid getting crushed by his own body. "Hey! Careful there!"

"You insects! Swarming like ants! What must I do to stamp you all out?!" Malefor roared as Nightmare Moon and Cynder rushed him from the right. But Malefor was ready and brought his wings forward before flinging them up. Utilizing some form of wind magic, he blew us all away with a gust. Cynder and the royal sisters were saved by what was left of the walls at the sides of the main hall, but I was thrown completely across the entire temple with most of the walls between all the rooms having lost most of their form. With nothing to catch me, I was lucky to come to a stop at the far end of the temple and plunged my sword's great blade into the ground for some desperately needed leverage. If I got thrown out of the temple, I would surely get left behind and have to struggle to catch up with the plummeting structure. And there would be no way to do that once it reached terminal velocity.

As I stood at the very edge of the temple and far from the battle that was unfolding, curiosity got the better of me as I turned and peered over the edge of the temple's outermost walls. And a sense of horror filled me as I struggled to comprehend what I was seeing. I was witnessing a situation that defied all logic and sense. Something that could only happen on the whims of a dream. We were not simply falling out of the sky. We were in high orbit and on a collision course with the world below! A spherical planetary body stood far below in the void of space, but it was not as tranquil as I was expecting. A worldwide volcanic cataclysm was underway with a supervolcano wide enough to be easily seen from so high up in the process of erupting right under me. Colossal fissures that surely must have been miles wide were starting to snake across the surface. And the volcano itself... It was situated dangerous close to right where the temple itself was falling. I was filled with an unbearable tension as I immediately suspected that the world below had turned into a colossal bomb and the temple was going to serve as the detonator. We had mere minutes to avert this apocalypse and there was no way we would succeed while Malefor had the ability to interfere. I yelled to myself, "What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?!"

Dream or not, the situation was desperate and I did not want to wake up from this nightmare by experiencing the horror of being at ground zero of a meteor strike. With the temple's outer walls beginning to become coated by the fiery signs of atmospheric entry and those trails of visible hot air rising from the fissures that ran through the floor, it truly felt like the end of the world. It was enough to distract me from the fact that this was just a dream and felt far more real and consequential than it should have. With time running out, I readied my sword and rushed through the temple on foot out of fear of being carried away into the sky if I dared to take to the air.

The temple layout was not entirely flat. I had to hurry up slopes and ruined stairs to get back to the main hall. And I had to immediately duck behind what was left of one such wall right when I was about to reach the main hall when Malefor unleashed another torrent of meteors across the room. This made me realize that despite being all but grounded, Malefor was not at a disadvantage. While he had less room to maneuver now that he was not out in the open sky, we too had far less wiggle room with Malefor's means of attack being able to cover a wide range. I grasped my sword as I stood ready to step out of hiding and make a move. "And here I was thinking we had faced worse... Come on!"

I could not hesitate too much. Not with us rapidly running out of time. I rushed into the main hall and sprinted across the floor with my sword hoisted over my shoulder. Malefor tried to unleash a torrent of magenta flames into Cynder as she galloped along, but she phased right through it in the form of a shadowy mass of smoke for just an instant. It was good to see she still possessed the ability to use her old tricks now that she was free of his influence. Malefor snarled in frustration, but his eyes then opened wide as he noticed my approach. I grasped my sword hilt in just my right hand as I prepared a heavy overhead swing to cleave right through him. "Gotcha now! I just need one!"

"By all means, try!" He roared as I lunged forward with a flap of my wings and brought my sword down hard. But I was foiled as a massive barrier of orange mystical energy surrounded the dark dragon. Everyone else joined in with a barrage of magic projectiles in an attempt to overwhelm his defenses, but Malefor just blew us away with a shockwave of magical might as that barrier exploded outwards. I once again found myself landing outside the main hall as I was reminded of just how large the battlefield was only to see Malefor vault over the ruined wall as he tried to come right down on me.

Reacting more on instinct than thought, I managed to avoid his crushing stomp with a quick teleportation spell to move myself about twenty paces back while getting myself back on my feet. Malefor grunted in surprise as he found me having vanished in a flash of light before quickly noticing me ahead. I snarled with a harsh sigh and took my mighty sword into both hands. "Never thought I'd get to take the role of a dragon slayer."

"Then slay me... If you can!" Malefor called with his distorted voice. I expected him to make the first move and assumed a more defensive stance with my weapon. He unleashed a burst of more magic meteors from his maw, but something had changed. These were not a hot molten red or an electric purple. These...were a shadowy blue while wreathed in equally cool flames. I swung my sword in an attempt to swat them out of the air, but one still got through and struck my left gauntlet. Missing vambrace or not, I suddenly felt a burning sting radiate through my arm as my armor did nothing to keep out that unnatural power's searing effects. I yelled and swung my arm as the lingering blue embers faded, Malefor sneering at me in delight over my obvious agony. "You would be wise to not overestimate yourselves... I have yet to give my best!"

"What is this?! Gah, it burns! The armor does nothing!" I yelped as I tried anything I could to make the burning stop. While it did soon start to fade, my distraction with that pain was enough for Malefor to send me flying with a sudden sweep of his tail. I was fortunate that it struck me squarely in the side of my cuirass and not just below where it ended or I surely would have had some broken ribs after that. I narrowly kept myself from falling down again by using my wings to hold myself up upon reaching the floor. And during my tumble, someone had caught up and had introduced herself with a burst of a solar breath. Malefor only barely repelled it with a barrier spell before I saw Cynder come gliding in swiftly and coming to a quick stop ahead of him. The royal sisters were most likely nearby and were gauging the situation before charging in.

The situation looked impossible for poor Cynder. Thoroughly dwarfed by Malefor, I thought she was about to be crushed. But she snarled in defiance while keeping herself low to the ground. My left hand clutched at the dent in my cuirass and the sore spot it left under my armor. Even with us running out of time, it would not do us any favors to be reckless here. I flinched as Malefor let out a quick shout to unleash a bolt of purple lightning from his jaws. Cynder tried lunging to her left and would have run right into that lightning had her shadowy dash effect not kicked in. Malefor was ready for her and launched an explosive ball of fire just ahead of her to try and cut her off right when her body solidified again, but this resulted in a very different evasive response. In a flash of white light, Cynder appeared several feet away from where she first landed. I jumped at this display as I called out, "Teleportation?!"

Cynder was very quickly figuring out how to make Celestia's magic work for her. Solar magic, barriers, and now teleportation. Malefor also growled in surprise before he tried to blast Cynder with more explosive fire bursts, but she teleported to safety each time as if she was using this as an opportunity to test herself. When Malefor became too frustrated and tried to catch her with a wide sweeping flame breath attack, Cynder simply used her wings launch herself above it. She thankfully was not carried up and out of the temple, but she still called out in stubborn defiance. "I'm not afraid of you anymore! You won't break me!"

"Then I will still make you kneel!" Malefor roared with an even more intense burst of lightning from his jaws. Cynder still evaded with another teleportation spell bringing her back to the floor. I heard her let out a growl of sorts as the her armor's magic aura coated her two horns. And then... Her claws and the blade on the tip of her tail. They became wreathed in white flames. I took a step back. This was about to become a very personal brawl and it would be unwise for any of us to interfere.

Malefor blew Cynder back with a burst of wind magic from his jaws while her flaming claws raked the floor. She then broke into a swift sprint like the sleekest panther while Malefor unleashed bursts of that vile blue fire at her. Flash after flash, Cynder abused the teleportation spell to make herself utterly untouchable as she rapidly closed the distance. Malefor then performed a most unexpected trick as he tried to anticipate where she would warp to next by starting to lift his tail as he launched another small volley of blue meteors as Cynder. I reached out to her as his tail's tip shot down in an attempt to impale her on its jagged bony tip, but I shouted in relief to see Cynder just narrowly slide out of the way with that spiked tail piercing the stone floor with ease. Completely unprepared for an assault, Malefor shrieked as Cynder's flaming tail blade slashed up at his throat.

That slash burned Malefor more than it cut into him. But knowing that those were the same flames that claimed his left arm reminded me of just how easily such heat could destroy him. Malefor snarled in pain before trying to chomp Cynder in his jaws. Utilizing finesse I would never expect out of such a feral creature, Cynder performed a desperate roll to get under Malefor before slashing into his underside with her scorching claws. Malefor had no choice but to fling himself forward with a flap of his wings just to get away from her. The more pain he experienced, the more furious he looked. He was gradually losing control of the situation. And I could see that loss of control was something he really could not stand.

Cynder quickly righted herself and sprinted right for Malefor once again. Such fury in those eyes... She was too furious to let fear take hold of her now. It only made me more wary of jumping in to assist her. No doubt the royal sisters too were keeping a safe distance for similar reasons. Galloping swiftly while keeping herself very low to the ground, Cynder weaved around every fiery assault Malefor screamed at her. His yells were sounding more and more bestial with every failed attempt to strike her, giving me the impression this dark dragon lord was devolving into a mere mad beast.

Right when Cynder was about to get right under him, Malefor caught her by unleashing a stream of magenta fire right down into her. Cynder came to a complete stop as I held my breath. But when the flames ceased, I saw she was coated by a golden yellow barrier. Malefor barked in frustration and prepared another assault only for Cynder to dispel the barrier and use her wings to fling herself right into his chin for a ramming attack from her horns. Malefor probably ended up biting his own tongue in the process. Once her momentum wore off and she was right in front of his face, Cynder went into a rapid somersault and swiftly slashed her tail blade repeatedly right down the middle of Malefor's face. He shrieked in agony as that veritable burning buzzsaw cut and burned him all at once. I saw no blood being spilled, so that wound was probably being cauterized as quickly as it was cleaved.

Blinded by pain, Malefor made a desperate move and threw himself at Cynder while she was momentarily held aloft. And he succeeded. My heart stopped as I saw the much smaller dragoness clutched in his jaws. Primal fear must have taken hold since the fiery auras coating her claws and tail blade immediately faded away. All at once, the royal sisters swooped down from the upper floor that they had been watching from while I too made a desperate dash towards them. I reached out with my left hand and shouted, "Drop her!"

Malefor grunted in satisfaction now that he got the upper hand against his former thrall. With a swing of his head, he flung her towards the edge of the temple perimeter to have her cast out into the void beyond. Cynder yelled in fright with her body tumbling helplessly. I came to a stop and reached out to her, channeling the magic in my left gauntlet. She quickly lost all forward momentum and floated in the air as Malefor began to contend with the three alicorns that were now trying to overwhelm him with combined magical assaults. He and Nightmare Moon even got locked into a struggle as she tried to blast him with magic lightning while he pushed back against that beam of blue electricity with a stream of magenta flames.

Cynder flailed in the air as I pulled her over to me with her body coated in Luna's blue magic aura. She was still distraught over having been held in the jaws of a much larger beast and had lost all composure. I brought her to the floor and draped my arm over her. "You're OK! I got you! Easy there!"

The dragoness in my grasp glanced left and right with her teal eyes opened wide. "That... That was frightening... I thought I was done for... Thank you!"

"It's cool, you're fine. Take a second." I said while trying to ignore the tension of the situation to calm my companion down. I patted her lightly on the head and said, "We've got this. We'll win in the end. We can take him. All right?"

"Yes... Yes, I believe you! I felt unstoppable for a minute back there! I don't know what this power is, but I think I'm getting the hang of it!" Cynder spoke out as the air was filled with the noise of the mayhem happening around us. The floor shifted below as the fissure separating a chunk of the temple resulting in our elevation rising several inches above the section Malefor was standing upon. We would have to mind our feet to avoid getting tripped up by the temple's increasingly erratic layout. Cynder looked around as the fiery meteor aura rising past the edges of the temple walls were reaching ever higher. I did not even want to look over the edge to see just how much closer we had come to impact. Cynder looked at me as she tried to keep a brave face. "We don't have long... I'll try to use this gift you've given me properly..."

"You're a fast learner. I think you'll figure out more of what it has to offer pretty quick." I said before rising to my feet. I shook my left hand as it still stun from the supernatural burns I surely received underneath. I then readied my sword in both hands. "I'm gonna take another shot at him. You ready?"

Cynder spoke confidently, "I'm with you. Go ahead. I'll cover you."

I charged ahead with swift strides, my sword ready. Malefor repelled the three sisters with another massive barrier that shoved them all away. But just as he saw me coming while I jumped the edge of the floor he was on now that is was higher than the other, Cynder made her move. A volley of white fireballs flew over my head and exploded at the floor to force Malefor to jump back. I rushed through the embers and made a great swing of my sword. Malefor only barely stepped back in time to avoid it, but I did not relent. I continued to approach while minding my footwork, forcing him back further and further as I flowed from one swing to the next. I could see fear in his eyes. The bright glowing white edge of my sword would make quick work of him. My companions relented in their own assaults, no doubt out of fear of catching me in a case of friendly fire.

Tiring of my slashes not connecting while Malefor desperately tried to keep his head out of reach, I performed one last slash to bring my sword down and line it up for a piercing stab. I took hold of its long hilt in both hands and threw my entire body into a lunge to impale him on my blade. But Malefor was cunning enough to see this coming just in time. He jumped just high enough to have my blade go right under him and then used his downward momentum to slap me with his hand hard enough to send me spiraling to the floor.

I did not even have time to rush to my feet. Malefor was already upon me. He pinned me to the floor with his one remaining hand and hurled himself forward with his wings, dragging me along the floor as I desperately tried to keep my face from touching it. Sparks flew from my armor as it scrapped against the ruined stone floor. Even worse was that my companions could not easily attack with risking hitting me as well. And if they tried to grab and throw him with levitation, I would get dragged along for the ride as well. Malefor relished this opportunity as I heard him cackle above me before he suddenly turned sharply and chucked me clear across the room and through the crumbling wall of a higher room in the temple. Its weakened state allowed it to crumble easily and take out some of the impact, but that blow and the resulting fall to the floor still knocked the wind out of me.

I heard my companions yell in fury as Malefor no longer had a hostage to keep them at bay. Lightning of blues and purples shot up from beyond the crumbled walls of that room as they resumed their assault. I shakily rose to my feet and surveyed the fresh scrapes and dents to my cuirass. Malefor was more than capable of harming me and I had to accept that. And he was not done with me. I glanced up to see him leap over the walls as he came right down at me. "I'm not done with you!"

I grunted in shock before using my wings to throw myself backwards. He narrowly missed catching me with a stomp before spreading his wings to keep himself aloft in the air. In flashes of light, my four companions appeared around us with the use of teleportation spells to close the distance. They too held themselves a few inches off the floor with their wings spread. It was only then I noticed the great fissures that had turned the temple into a sort of jigsaw puzzle were creating a constant gentle updraft throughout the temple. That alone was enough to keep us airborne so long as our wings were spread. I was tempted to exploit this as well, but chose to keep my feet on the ground anyway.

"Stubborn wretch... Why won't you die?!" Nightmare Moon roared before summoning a storm of blue lightning to rain down from above. Malefor swooped across the current room with a graceful spiral as he was no longer hindered by the loss of an arm. He threw himself forward with a flap of his wings to try and catch Celestia and I with a ramming attack. If we got flung out of the temple at such high altitude, lord knows what would happen to us if we started falling without the temple to protect us from the effects of atmospheric entry. We only narrowly avoided this strike with a quick leap in opposite directions, but Malefor was quick to insure we would not get in a shot at his blind spots. He managed to do a complete rotation of his body to swing his tail and its jagged tip at us to force us to retreat even further back.

Malefor had us struggling to wear him down and he was becoming more and more reactive to the presence of solar magic. He knew how easily that searing celestial fire could destroy him after having already lost an arm to it. We were just too uncoordinated. This may have been a necessity to avoid catching each other in our own attacks and my companions absolutely needed to give me room to not get clipped by the unstoppable blade of my greatsword, but it was not doing us any favors. We had Malefor outgunned, but he was cunning enough to find means to outlast us. At that moment, time was our greatest enemy.

This continued on for a moment longer, the five of us trying to overwhelm him while chasing him from corner to corner of the collapsing temple. I got launched away by ending up on the receiving end of a fiery sphere that exploded in my face, but my armor held. Now at a much safer distance while Malefor had to contend with my companions from all sides, I had finally grown frustrated with his tenacity. I took the mighty sword into both hand and charged its blade with a lethal solar magic aura while building up a rotating swing for momentum. I called out in the hopes that they would hear me, "Get down!"

My companions did hear me and quickly dove for cover. Malefor was only barely able to see what was coming and only narrowly laid himself flat to the floor just in time. With a massive one-handed sweep of my sword, I unleashed a narrow wave of solar magic across the entire temple to try and cleave right through our enemy. It only barely went over his head as Malefor even went so far as to spread his wings flatly against the floor. Any walls that wave cut through were separated from the temple and were carried up into the sky with molten edges. I growled in frustration over just how close I came to ending that duel right there, "Oh, come on! I almost had him!"

That look of unease in Malefor's eyes told me that even he knew how close he came to being wrecked by that one slash. He quickly retreated to the main hall of the temple before we could gang up on him, but we wasted no time in pursuing him. But no sooner had we arrived in front of him did he unleash another roar of wind magic that threw us all the way across to the other end of the temple. Celestia growled in irritation upon landing beside the rest of us, "This isn't working! We can't just keep taking turns! We're running out of time!"

A lost as if he heard that, Malefor called out over the rumbling of the temple's constant descent. "Approach me if you dare! I will not be the first to fall!"

"Come on, let's rush him! Together now!" Cynder spoke loudly as she became ready to sprint. And we agreed. With wings folded, we rushed forward in a row. Leaping over fissures in the floor and vaulting up to the higher floors ahead without losing formation. I was at the center while Celestia and Luna galloped on my left with Nightmare Moon and Cynder on my right. As soon as Malefor came within sight at the far end of the temple, he did all he could to hold us at bay without leaving that spot. He unleashed a volley of electrically charged meteors that spread outward before trying to converge onto us. We scattered without losing speed, resorting to magical bursts to blast them away before quickly returning to formation.

I kept my sword hoisted over my shoulder to keep my left hand ready for magical projection as I rushed across the temple. The fissures that divided up the place needed to be passed quickly to keep us from getting scorched by the superheated air leaking up through them. And the floor was uneven in elevation. We had to jump up to avoid tripping on heightened edges and drop down to lower floors that sank a few inches. But we did not stop. Even when Malefor howled at the sky to summon pillars of fuchsia lightning to get in our way. It really felt like we were struggling through the arrival of an apocalypse.

In a snap decision, Celestia and Cynder broke formation and rushed ahead of us while Malefor tried to repel our approach with pillars of fire that rose from and floor and snaked from side to side. But when I glanced at Nightmare Moon and Luna, I quickly figured out why. They looked at me with determined smirks as their magic auras coated their horns. Together, we prepared our ice magic for an attack from above.

Celestia and Cynder shrouded themselves in golden magic fire and hurled themselves right at Malefor. He spread his wings to hover off the floor and projected another barrier around himself to hold them off. Just when they lost their forward momentum, he dispelled the barrier before lashing out with the back of his hand to literally slap them away. But that gave the rest of us time to finish our preparations. Malefor only barely had time to look up to see a massive slab of frigid blue ice floating above him. And when we brought it down, it shattered everywhere as he was smashed right into the floor with a roar.

We finally came to a stop and watched warily. Malefor was down. That blow would have surely killed almost anything else. Groaning in pain and exhaustion, he clawed at the floor with his one hand while trying to lift his head to look at us. "How... Where did you all find such power...? You are not like meddlesome ants... More like...fiendish scorpions swarming against larger prey... What...are you?"

For the moment, we had humbled him. Malefor was being forced to acknowledge that he was out of his league. Or having far more trouble than he had ever experienced against an opponent. Nightmare Moon, her eyes filled with more contempt than the rest of us, spoke firmly. "Our power is not of your world, wyrm. In Equestria, there are few that can claim to be mightier than us."

"You have proven yourself a most tenacious foe, dark lord. But we have dealt with your kind before." Luna added as it felt like we were on the verge of victory. And we probably had enough time to slow and stop the temple's descent. Once Malefor was out of the picture, we could surely salvage the situation.

Celestia then cast an unusually smug smirk towards the exasperated dark dragon before us. And her words mirrored my own thoughts from much earlier. "This duel was decided from the start wyrm. After all, we have triumphed over worse."

Saying that to Malefor's face proved to be an absolutely terrible idea. Upon hearing those words, his eyes shot wide open with utter fury. His voice low and wrathful, he growled at us. "I beg your pardon...?"

"Uh oh... I think you struck a nerve, Celestia..." I spoke quietly as we all took a step back at this subdued display of defiance.

"He is not only the most feared dragon in my world's history... He has long been known as the most arrogant." Cynder added as she too began to show signs of unease. Had we made a mistake?

"You would dare... You would dare insinuate...that there are those out there that stand above me...? That there are dark masters superior to I?!" Malefor growled before he began to roar as his one hand clawed at the floor for leverage. But around his body... Flickering dark blue flames... The same that burned my arm through my gauntlet. And from the blackened stump of his left arm, those flames began to compact around it before taking on the form of a sort of phantom arm. One that actually held him up! This evil power began to radiate around him like trails of blue smoke rising off of him. Rising to his feet, Malefor spoke firmly as he found his second wind. "If that is indeed the case, as absurd as such a notion may be, then I will just have to surpass those that came before! And I will rise above them by succeeding where they failed!"

We stood ready as Malefor snarled at us with that foul blue aura engulfing his entire form. He was no longer on the defensive. And he roared with his eyes glowing ever brighter with that fiendish yellow hue, "I will surpass them...by being the one to end you all!"

"I'd like to see you try! Come at us, wyrm! We are ready for you!" Luna shouted back at him before we very quickly had to scatter. Any and all fear in his eyes was gone as Malefor hurled himself forward on a flap of his wings. With both hands ready, he tried to grab us with a inward sweep of his arms. All three of the royal sisters unleashed a massive burst of their magical energies, but he hardly even flinched when they exploded into him! That vile aura seemed to be dulling any magical attacks. "Drat, what must we do to slay you?!"

Malefor no longer had any words to share. Eyes constantly shining with rage, he had gone almost entirely feral as he no longer feared pained. Even when Cynder managed to clip him with another solar breath, the worst he suffered was mild burns. And his new shadowy left arm was likely immune to damage entirely. I held up my sword in a defensive stance as I tried to contend with him when he came for me, slashing and striking at me with his hands. I especially tried to fend off his left since that would surely burn like hell if it hit me. "Agh, get away!"

After standing my ground long enough to focus for a teleportation spell, I got some distance from him before rushing in for a heavy slash of my sword. But Malefor had not completely taken leave of his senses. When I came in to try and bring my sword down into his head, his shadowy left hand extended in length to form a smoldering phantom blade! He parried my slash well before trying to swing that blade into me. Now locked in a clash of swords with a feral beast of all things, I had no idea how to even try to get around this. His body type did limit the flexibility of his own sword swings, but Malefor still had enough leverage to parry my own and that blade was much too long for me to get bold with. A strike from that would surely scorch me through my armor's defenses and I dreaded having to go through that again.

"Together now! Crush him!" Celestia shouted as all four of my companions came rushing at Malefor from all sides. After pushing away my sword with a hard push, Malefor lifted his phantom sword well past his right shoulder while I also saw him curl his tail in the opposite direction. I grunted upon seeing what this was telegraphing and retreated with a flap of my wings. With a massive swing, Malefor made a quick counterclockwise rotation with his tail's jagged tip and his phantom blade lashing out in a swift circular rotation. Cynder and Luna managed to get barriers around themselves in time, but Nightmare Moon and Celestia were not so fortunate. That bony tail spade smashed into Nightmare Moon from the side and probably broke some ribs while Celestia was repelled with that blade slashing down the side of her body. I saw a flash of red, but also lingering blue flames that seared her flesh. "Ah... Agh, it burns! It burns, what is this?!"

Hearing Celestia reeling in agony lit a fire in my heart as my own fear dulled. Channeling lightning magic in my left hand, I thrust my armored palm forward and blasted Malefor squarely in the face. I doubt much of it got through that evil aura, but the force behind it still caused his head to snap upward. I then pointed my sword at him with one hand and called out, "Come on, you bastard! I want a piece of you now!"

Malefor bared his fangs at me before roaring like a feral beast. Now that this duel had momentarily become personal, my companions stayed out of it to lick their wounds. Readying my sword, I flung myself at Malefor as he readied his phantom blade before I caught him by surprise with a hard kick up against his jaw. The earth pony might in my enchanted greaves and sabatons was much more than he expected as his eyes opened wide in shock. I tried to bring my sword down into him as I fell back to the ground, but he was quick enough to catch the blade in his teeth!

"Hey, let go!" I shouted in annoyance now that he was trying to yank me around by my own weapon. Malefor was much stronger than me and had no trouble pulling me along as he tried to wrest my sword from my hands. He finally let go while throwing his head to the right just to make me stagger from the sudden momentum. I glanced over my right pauldron and saw that his blade had reverted to the form of a shadowy hand and was about to try to crush me in his grasp.

I was completely into this duel now as my invigorated mind was now responding to instinct much more than rational thought. I was pumped. And with a quick flap of my wings, I hurled myself to the side before landing lightly on the floor. Malefor had just missed me, but I would not miss him. With a twist of my body, I turned and swung my sword hard. Had I been any closer, I would have likely cut through his entire head. Fortunately for him, Malefor swung his head to the left in shock as the tip of my sword only came close enough to cleave a chunk of his right horn from his head. Malefor, fresh fury in his eyes, turned to me and unleashed a stream of fire from his maw. But instead of the usual magenta hue, it had taken on the same shadowy blue that was enshrouding his body. It was as if his entire arsenal had been tainted by the evil force that was empowering him. Although I did manage to fling myself to the right to slide out of the way. Thinking quick, I then punted the chunk of horn on the floor right into his face. He let out a yell of pain as soon as that improvised projectile crashed into his snout. While that aura was holding up to everything else shockingly well, physical blows did not appear to be hindered by it.

I heard a shout as Cynder came swooping in to try and rake her flaming claws through Malefor's aura. She barely got a glancing slash in before she had to slide under a swing of his tail. I could not afford to slow down and tried to get in another slash while desperately trying to be mindful of who was around me. One wrong swing and I would cleave right through my companions if they were too close. Now that I had Cynder trying to make herself useful in this struggle, I tried to stay on Malefor's right. Even that was not enough as he was becoming far more efficient in repelling multiple attackers. With a roar to the sky, he summoned a wall of those tainted blue flames to force us back.

Those flames were not the only forces being summoned from below. I heard icy cracking as a trail of magic ice began to rapidly jut up from the floor from afar as Luna cast her spell. Cynder jumped aside at the last second as that rapidly growing trail of icy barbs chased Malefor down. But even those could not resist a stream of that tainted blue fire. Malefor roared at the approaching trail of ice and obliterated the entire trail as those flames scattered the shards to the wind.

I grew desperate to land a hit and rushed forward with my sword at my side. Malefor turned to see me coming, forcing me to act on impulse. I sought to prevent an attack by doing something quick and jabbed my sword's pommel into his snout. That was just enough to give me an opening. Malefor quickly shook off the jolt he received to his face and took a swipe at me with his phantom arm, but I was already on the move. With a great leap, I jumped over him and brought my sword down. With just one swing, I cleaved his entire right wing off!

Malefor shrieked like a beast as his severed wing fell lifeless to the floor. But this did not slow him down. Even with fresh crimson fluid oozing down his shoulder, Malefor yelled in rage as a phantom wing of that foul blue fire formed to replace the one that now lay lifelessly on the floor. I was not prepared and was slapped by that wing. Where his original wing would have simply smacked me away, this one filled me with an unbearable burning sensation that rattled my senses. In trying to cripple him, I had only given Malefor a new poisonous weapon! Celestia, her wounds having likely stabilized, quickly got herself between me and Malefor while I was staggering with pain and unleashed her mightiest magic wave into him to push him back. "Stay away from the blue flames! They burn like a poison!"

Just when the pain became more bearable, Malefor managed to charge right through Celestia's assault and toss her aside with his head. I tried to ready my sword, but he sent me flying hard across the temple with a hard swat of his right hand. I struck one of the few remaining walls standing at the edge of the crumbling temple and barely ended up on my feet. Now at the edge and a safer distance from the mayhem of this desperate struggle, I peeked over the edge to check how much closer we had come to planetary impact. And my blood chilled. In our inability to keep track of time, the planet below had grown much larger. We had only minutes left to end this!

Desperation flooding my senses, I turned my gaze back to Malefor ahead of me. He did not leave himself open. Rushing along the floor like a feral beast and hurling himself through the air as my four companions attacked from all sides. And he would still outlast us at this rate. Frustration starting to take hold, I took my sword in both hands and lifted it high above me. "Fine!"

A aura of surging white solar magic exploded around my greatsword's blade. I was going to end this fight as quickly as I could. I sprinted across the temple's increasingly uneven floor as I called out to all who could hear me. "Outta the way! He's mine!"

It would be too risky with how desperate the situation had become. I needed space to make certain I would not destroy my companions. And Malefor was quick to turn his attention exclusively to me. I threw myself at him with a flap of my wings for a burst of speed, but Malefor parried my slash with his own as his left hand formed into another large phantom blade. I swung hard and fast, everything at the edges of my vision a blur with adrenaline pumping through my veins. With the meteoric temple on the verge of reaching its destination, it was do or die!

After only several swings, Malefor sent me flying back with a swing hard enough to knock me off my feet. Even with my blade parrying his own. I managed to land against a ruined wall on my feet instead of just crashing into it. Before gravity could take hold, I hurled myself off it with a flap of my wings and went into a wild horizontal spin with my blade. With this attack requiring a suicidal level of confidence to even try to block, even Malefor had to hurl himself to the side as I soon came out of the spin and landed uneasily upon my feet. He tried to run me through with that impressively long phantom blade, but only clipped my left wing instead. He narrowly got his blade up in time to block another flaming slash of my sword.

Cunning as always, Malefor set me up for a trick I could not have anticipated at the time. He hopped back for more distance between us when I tried to take a swing and then made an impressively wide and hard swing of his own blade. Out of range, I stood ready to block. But even with virtually no mass behind that blade, it hit more than hard enough to tear my sword from my hands and send it clattering towards the far end of the temple! Stunned and left momentarily unable to think of a retort now that I was disarmed, I barely had enough time to see Malefor leap at me with his blade held high. Shrieks filled the air as my four companions called out to me.

The Lunar Shield had been absorbed into the Celestial Sword to create that might greatsword. My left vambrace had been torn from my gauntlet and cast onto Cynder. With only enough time to remember what few defenses I had left, I threw up my right arm and coated it with its golden yellow magic aura while bracing it with my left hand. That massive phantom blade came down hard and nearly forced me to my knees. My gauntlet's aura protected me from that evil blue fire, but how long could I last with Malefor bearing down on me?

My companions did not rush in yet. The situation was delicate, but I had to act fast! How much longer did we have until the planet below would take us with it? Malefor snarled and growled as he tried to force his blade down onto me as we glared right back at each other from just inches away. And through that bestial fury, I saw it. That smug triumphant smirk. And those growls turned into a familiar distorted chuckle. He was so sure he had me and that I would be crushed under him.

Those eyes... That smirk... That laugh... It was just enough to remind me of how much I had grown to loathe this beast over the course of a single night. The magic aura around my right gauntlet began to billow more fiercely. And seconds later, that aura was replaced by a scorching white fire of solar magic! I made my intentions clear as fierce defiance filled me. "Oh, I am gonna BREAK YOU!!!"

Pushing with all of my enchanted might, I threw Malefor's blade straight up as he staggered from the shove. And with my hand coated by that searing celestial energy, I lashed out and dug my armored fingers right between his eyes! Had he not been charged with that evil shadowy aura, that probably would have been the end for Malefor. But even with that aura dulling the effects of my solar magic, he immediately lost all composure as I took hold. An agonizing horrified howl screamed from his throat as Malefor writhed and flailed with that burning light blinding his vision and burning right into his face! He could not even speak! And I had him literally by the face!

My burning fingers anchored to his face, Malefor tried in utter desperation to dislodge me as I quickly adjusted my footing to pull on him. I gritted my teeth in furious silence, staring him down at arms length while too close for him to try and strike me with his phantom blade. Just how painful were those celestial flames if he could no longer think logically enough to strike me at point blank range? The dark dragon twisted and swung himself every which way as we all plummeted to our dooms with the fiery meteor aura at the edges of the temple rising higher than ever. And still, I did not let go. Even when Malefor tried to unleash a torrent of fire at me from inches away, I managed to respond in time by pulling myself up and out of the way with a flap of my wings. Without letting go once, I twisted myself around as I landed on Malefor's head, pulling hard upwards to jerk his head back as I did all I could to either burn or rip his face off. There was no way he could reach me while I wrangled him from behind his uneven crown of horns.

This could only go on for so long. Just when I thought I had him, Malefor finally managed to repel me in the one way he could. I was thrown from him as an explosion of that tainted blue fire burst from him in all directions. My drive all but faded as that awful burning radiated throughout my entire body. I hit the floor with a clatter far from Malefor while I could see him wheeze in exhausted relief. His right hand covered his face as an uneasy lull in the tension rose. And when he lowered his hand, I could see several black points on his face that looked like pieces of charcoal. How keep did those burns go?

"You wretch... You...conceited pest! I will not let you savor the honor of seeing this world's final seconds! You die now!" Malefor roared as he regained his composure. There was nothing but hate in those eyes as he readied another breath attack. I could barely even push myself up as that searing pain was slow to leave me. I expected the worst once Malefor unleashed a volley of shadowy blue asteroids my way. I feebly held out my right hand, hoping to at less generate a barrier.

I was reminded that I was not alone. In a flash, my four companions appeared before me and unleashed a wave of magic and raw solar breath to blow away Malefor's decisive attack. Nightmare Moon then called back to me, "On your feet when you are able, James! Time is short!"

"What must I do to humble you insects?!" Malefor roared as the three royal sisters shot forward on their wings while coated in fire and lightning. But Cynder stayed behind. Rather than join in the attack, she turned her attention back to me and hurried to my side.

"You don't look hurt... Are you all right?" She asked with only a barely composed tone of voice that betrayed the sense of panic that was in the air. Even the sky around us had changed from crimson to a stormy black. We were already inside the world's atmosphere and had moments to go.

"Everything hurts... What even is that power he's channeling...?" I groaned with my hands trying to push me up to my knees. Cynder moved her head under my breastplate and lifted to try and help me up. I finally got to my knees and remained there for a moment to catch my breath. "The pain's starting to fade, but... Really, what is it?"

"A cursed power... Something only he had the audacity to try and master. And you've seen what it does." Cynder spoke grimly with her eyes glancing back at the battle that was still raging. She sighed in frustration as she shook her head. "It feels like we'll never break him at this rate... He'll outlast us to the end..."

"Magic just doesn't hit as hard as it should with that aura in the way..." I muttered as I too was deeply disappointed how exposing Malefor's face to solar magic for around half a minute did little more than cause severe burns to his face. I shoved the equivalent of the sun itself in his face and he was still going. If Malefor was truly not the mightiest foe we had faced so far in the realm of dreams, then he was by far the most infuriatingly tenacious one to date.

As the floor shifted under us again, something rolled our way. The chunk of Malefor's right horn I had cut off. My eyes narrowed as I remembered kicking that right into his face. It hit him as hard as it should have if that response he gave was of any indication. Physical blows...were not effected. That was when it hit me. "I think...I have one last shot up my sleeve to put him down for good."

Cynder glanced at me in surprise while I held out my right hand. In a flash of a teleportation spell, I summoned my mighty greatsword to my hand. I then explained, "I'll hang back for now. Just need the right opportunity. Try to get him to face my direction and expose and vulnerable spot, all right?"

My draconic companion watched in curiosity. I rose to my feet and began to hold my sword aloft with levitation magic, holding out my hands to balance the blade over my left while keeping my right just behind the pommel. Cynder's eyes opened wide as she caught on. "I... I see! I'll do what I can!"

She rushed back into the fray while I stood back at the far end of the chamber we were in. I watched and waited. Sweat trickled down my face as my nerves started to burn. There was a lot riding on this one shot. Malefor was far too distracted to notice me standing so far away, even with the bright white glow of my sword's edge. If I missed, I might not get another chance. My only hope was to hurl my sword at him from afar and insure it hit something important. And I was not trusting it to fly right into his face.

Precious seconds ticked by as I quietly complained to myself while ignoring everything else around me. My eyes were focused entirely on Malefor as he contended with bolts of magic and direct assaults from his enemies. I pleaded softly, hoping they would create the opening I needed. And finally, it happened. And all thanks to Cynder. She suddenly dove in front of Malefor when he was completely facing my direction. And with a mighty breath, blasted Malefor in the face from below with a gout of golden fire magic. Not so much as to harm than to repel. My eyes went wide as I saw what I needed. Malefor had been pushed up so hard that he was standing prominently on just his hind legs. My eyes and magic focus locked onto his exposed chest, I hurled my sword forward as hard as I could muster.

Soaring as swiftly as a javelin, my greatsword shot across the room as I guided it along. And it could not have gone better. A horrified gasp burst from Malefor's throat as my sword plunged unhindered into his chest, burying itself to the hilt. Everyone just stopped and stared while jumping back as the dark lord fell onto his hands with his right desperately clawing at the hilt of the sword that had most definitely punctured a lung. The aura of shadowy blue continued to outline him, but it could do nothing to save him from a wound from within.

Cynder swooped to my side as I watched with grim satisfaction. I was sure that wound enough would not prove fatal in time, but it was only the first step in wrapping up this desperate duel. The royal sisters looked on while I held out my right hand, Cynder's eyes glancing up at me as she stood ready to assist if needed. Malefor had no words. He gasped for breath as a trickle of crimson fluid oozed down the hilt of my mighty sword while he tried so very hard to keep the pommel from reaching the ground and risk pushing the blade deeper.

His faintly glowing yellow eyes gazed at Cynder and I as he gasped for breath. It was jarring to see how stubborn and durable he had been just a moment before only to be completely helpless with a blade run through his torso. I stared him down with a glare as I began to channel my right gauntlet's magical energies. And Cynder did the same as her two most prominent horns became coated with an identical billowing yellow aura.

Malefor's eyes opened wide in horror. I am sure he felt it. A subtle warmth growing in the blade lodged in his body. The tiniest bit of the blade that was still exposed at the crossguard began to glow even brighter. He looked down to confirm that he was not feeling something that was not a precursor to some grim fate. But when he looked ahead at us, his eyes were filled with desperate fury. He knew he had been caught. He was snagged in a trap that there was no way out of and he could not stand it.

"You... You... You think this will..." Malefor gasped as his wheezing became more coherent. The magic auras around my gauntlet and Cynder's horns began to billow more intensely. I knew my sword could be used as a conduit for my elemental magic, even from a distance. And there was no way that shadowy power would nullify something coming from inside his body.

Malefor, even in the face of death, refused to let go of his colossal pride. Even when helpless, he roared at us in a final act of defiance. "This can't be the end! I am the Dark Master! I am eternal! I am the one who will see this world reborn as it should be! I...! I...!"

"You're dead." I declared as I clenched my armored hand into a fist. And so it was. In an instant, Cynder and I set him alight with the scorching white flames of the sun itself. Malefor's entire body became engulfed in searing celestial fire as his roars turned into shrieking howls, his form flailing and twisting as he only had seconds to live. As much as he deserved to spend his final moments in agony, his cries were hard to listen to. Like a demon in his death throes, his dying screams were only made more unnerving by the distortion in his voice. And all we could do was watch.

It felt like it was taking too long. He should have been incinerated down to nothing in only a few seconds, but he still continued to writhe and screech. It was as if the shadowy power flowing through him had completely backfired by prolonging his suffering. And even in the clutches of unfathomable agony, Malefor was not about to let us get the last laugh. Cynder soon muttered as Malefor's screams became less frantic, "He... Is he...?"

Like a cornered beast, I saw the flames coating his boating not flailing as much as before. Malefor was struggling against the pain. Trying to find his footing. My eyes shot open wide as I recognized the vague outline of a crouching beast in the flickering flames. He was going to try and take us with him!

My first instinct was to glance down to check on Cynder before I could jump away. But instead of looking like she was about to fling herself to the side, she instead looked like she was ready to throw herself at Malefor. Why? Was she seriously underestimating the destructive heat of solar magic? My fears proved true as she readied the magic around her horns before leaping forward with a flap of her wings.

"What're you doing?!" I shouted as I made a snap decision. Catching Cynder in a levitation spell and bringing her to my right hand, I turned and hurled her to my left. And that... It gave Malefor just enough time to make one final move. I saw him coming out of the corner of my eyes as he rushed across the room, ramming into me as he charged ahead hard to fling us both right out of the temple. And in the few seconds we made contact, the flames...

I quickly learned why Celestia always advised me to use extreme caution when handling solar magic. My armor's wings and even the backside of my cuirass were practically evaporated by the solar magic as I was pushed through the air. And for just an instant, my bare flesh was exposed before Malefor separated from me. I was stunned by the pain that now radiated throughout my backside. My armor only barely prevented me from being burned away to nothing as Malefor and I fell beyond the edges of the ruined temple as it now plunged towards the world below without its master.

Malefor's flaming form became limp virtually as soon as we were both thrown from the temple. And seconds later, the flames engulfing his body as he plummeted beside me faded away. And nothing was left of him. Incinerated down to the marrow. All that remained was my sword as it too plummeted far below me in pursuit of the temple. My helpless body was creating too much drag as I could only tumble helplessly. The dying world below spanned outward over the horizon. Was it too late to stop the temple's descent by then?

Something soon shot up past me as I found myself gazing up into the sky. Something was diving right towards me. With arms outstretched as she plunged towards me in sheer desperation, Cynder was going into a swift dive to catch up to me. I was stunned and dazed from the sheer amount of pain stinging me through my burns, but I weakly reached up to her. Her streamlined body finally catching up to me, her hands both tightly grasped my hand before she spread her wings to slow our descent. And her voice... She shouted at me, "Why?! That should've been me! It should've been me who...who..."

She... Did she really intend to stop Malefor while destroying herself in the process? Did I save her from carrying out a suicidal counterattack? There was not much time to think or ponder and I just did not have the energy to even try to call out over the wind. But I was quick to notice Cynder's gaze adjusting. A look of horror filled her eyes as she gazed past me. "We... We failed!"

I managed to turn my head enough to look down as we fell. And there it was. The temple still plummeting like a fiery meteor and right towards the supervolcano that now sat below like a gargantuan molten crater. And there was no sign of the royal sisters slowing its descent. It was too much mass traveling too fast. There was no way they would stop it in time. And just when the temple plummeted so low as to be almost impossible to see, it happened. A distance blast was heard as a very visible shockwave expanded out from the epicenter of the volcanic cataclysm happening below.

I was filled with overwhelming dread and a sense of helplessness as I witnessed that world's dying moments. The countless cracks lining the world's surface began to branch out more. A veritable spider's web of fissures spreading across the planet as the world even began to glow with molten light. There was soon almost no solid ground to see beyond the glow of the glowing fissures. My grip on Cynder's hands tightened as I knew this was the end.

Even dozens or hundreds of miles above that world, I could hear the planet itself letting out its last groans of life. Rumbling and hissing could be heard so far below. And seconds later, it was over. The world below erupted in all directions as a blinding wall of fiery doom rushed skyward towards us. I closed my eyes as I braced myself for the end.

And yet...it was not the end. The roar of the world's final breath soon faded. And then, only a silent stillness filled the air. I was not awake. The dream had not ended. Ever so cautiously, I barely peeked through one eye. And all I saw was white. Just an empty white void. And I was floating weightlessly in that void. But I was not alone. Still clutching my hand with eyes squinted shut was Cynder.

I still felt sapped of my strength from the burns lining my backside. I did not even want to imagine how it looked back there. And the tension had faded. I could finally let myself relax. The stillness around us was broken by the subtle flapping of feathered wings. They soon stood before us. Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare Moon approached and gazed at us with dear concern, any and all harm done to their bodies having been mended. Luna spoke first with a relieved sigh, "That...was much too close... It was all we could do to insure our survival."

The sound of a voice was enough incentive for Cynder to finally open one eye. And she was very surprised to see us all still alive. "We... We survived? And...where is...this? Is this...what happens when the world ends and there is no one left to recreate it?"

"No, child. There was no saving the old world. In order to insure we would not perish with it, my sister and I had to work quickly to wipe this realm clean." Nightmare Moon explained with a more solemn tone than expected. And with a flash of her magic, I was healed. My burns were gone and my armor restored. She then looked at me and asked with a more humorous tone, "Now do you understand why we advise caution when you utilize solar magic?"

"Yes... Oh god, yes... My armor barely put up any resistance to that stuff..." I groaned as my nerves sang in relief. Just not being in pain was invigorating after that. Cynder and I were soon lowered to the unseen floor as the silence encroached around us. Our only comfort in that deafeningly silent white void was the reassuring presence of the royal sisters beside us.

Cynder took one good long look at the three royal sisters before us while also glancing over to my healed form. She then asked, "Are you...goddesses of creation? Then...you can do it! You can restore the world back to how it was, right?"

"Perhaps... But only if..." Luna replied before looking at me with a gaze of concern. "James... Do you remember anything about that world?"

It suddenly dawned on me as I felt a strange sensation of loss and failure. I knew enough about Cynder. I knew enough about Malefor. But the world they hailed from... Nothing. I knew nothing of its people. Its culture. Its geography. Nothing. Even trying to imagine what it may have been like resulted in me drawing a blank. Dreading how Cynder may react, I shook my head. "No... Nothing. All I knew of it were Cynder and Malefor. But that's it. I know...absolutely nothing about it."

Celestia finally looked down at the young dragoness while glancing over at me. "I'm sorry, child. We cannot restore a world unless we can remember it. And we have no memories of the world you came from. Do you?"

Cynder's eyes opened wide in shock as she gazed up at us. "I... All I remember was through a haze of...corruption... I remember...things I don't want to remember... That wasn't even really me... I didn't even really start living until you...you came and..."

The finality of the situation had hit her. Cynder slumped to the ground and bowed her head as she rested with a distant look in her eyes. I suspected she had gone into shock. She did not speak or move. Just rested there with her gaze directed at the ground.

I felt compelled to comfort the poor creature. The closest thing to a home she ever had, gone forever. I could not fathom it. Even if it was just the product of a dream that could never be replicated, there was a certain harrowing aspect of seeing that Cynder was her world's sole survivor. I brought myself to the ground and sat beside her before setting my helmet aside. I rested my hand on the base of her neck, but did not get a response. I glanced up at the royal sisters and asked, "Could you at least...create a world around us that we can relax in? Something easy on the eyes and senses?"

"Consider it done." Nightmare Moon declared as she and Luna cast their magic to weave a new world around us. The white void was quickly filled with soft colors and a fantastical environment that was all too fitting with the fairytale element of stories about dragons of yore. A mushroom grove with towering fungi that sported spotted caps and gently babbling brooks flowing nearby. The soft glows of fireflies dotted the open air. The equally luminous glow of a full moon above us shone through a thin mist that filled the grove. Easily the kind of dream a child may have after a fairytale bedtime story. Nightmare Moon and her sisters then bowed to us in respectful silence before walking away to leave Cynder and I in peace. Although they did not go far and remained together to engage in a quiet discussion.

I kept an arm around my new companion while she idly rested her head against my armored chest. She breathed deeply in both physical and emotional fatigue. So much happened in just one night. It was surely a lot to take in. I remained silent to allow her to speak first whenever she desired. And she did eventually break the silence. "What was it all for... All I knew was being Malefor's little pawn from the moment I hatched... But it wasn't really me... I could see...and I could hear... But everything I saw... It was like being chained inside my own head... Am I...still responsible for all I did?"

"I'm not going to act like I can emphasize with that. That's a sort of experience I can't really imagine in my head." I said softly with my armored embrace tightening slightly. I gazed up at the sky as I continued to speak. "I guess it's impossible to not feel a contradictory sort of guilt for something like that... It wasn't you doing all that. It wasn't your choice to do it. But it was still physically you, so...I guess that sense of being guilty by proxy is to be expected. But you were just a tool for Malefor. A puppet on strings. Your actions were his. But we cut those strings tonight. And now you're just...you. Right?"

Cynder finally lifted her gaze to look up at me. The look of shame in those eyes... But also a glimmer of hope. She said nothing, as if pleading with me to reassure her more. And so I did speak with an armored finger gently lifting her chin. "You were very brave tonight. You were amazing. We wouldn't have gotten rid of Malefor without you. Thank you."

"No..." Cynder muttered as she sounded on the verge of tears. Before I could even try to calm her, she rested her head directly against my chest. "Thank you.....for being kind. For giving me courage. For...telling me what I needed to hear."

"Cynder... Are you going to be OK?" I asked softly with my hand stroking the back of her neck and down to the armored plate still affixed to her back.

"In time, I think... It's not like...I had a life to go back to. The world I knew...would've hated me... They wouldn't understand if I tried to explain... I would just always be known as the Dark Master's favorite pawn." She said with a wistful sigh. I tried to not think too hard about a world filled with people that did not even really exist, but I was not going to dismiss Cynder's sentimentality. They were real to her. She then brought a hand to my armored thigh and muttered, "I guess you can say I've been asleep all my life... Trapped in a nightmare I could never wake up from... I didn't finally start to live...until you all found me tonight."

"That is...such a sad thing to say." I said with a sigh. The more I thought about the context of Cynder's words, the more it stung. I continued to hold her as I whispered, "But...you still have plenty of time to make up for those wasted years, right?"

"I do... Lots of time left... And I'm glad...I had you there for me at the start." She said before lifting her head to gaze up at me. "I'll...try to not think too hard about everything that came before. It's...a new day. I... I can still be better than I was, right?"

"Cynder... You're a good person. I believe in you, all right?" I said with the utmost sincerity. It would surely take a long time to shake off old doubts from half a lifetime of being a spectator to her own body, but she was off to a good start. "Just take things one day at a time. It'll be all right."

Cynder brought a hand to her face as I saw her wipe a tear away. She then spoke with an almost weepy chuckle, "I... I don't even know your name... Who are you?"

"James. Just...James." I replied while placing my fingers over her other hand. She was starting to smile. And what a lovely smile it was. And a very wide one with how little she had in the way of cheeks to cover her teeth.

"James... It doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard... But I won't forget it." She said very sweetly with probably the happiest look in her eyes I had seen that night. A look of hope. "You...were all amazing tonight. I hope we can meet again someday."

To meet again... In the depths of my dreams. One cannot truly control what their mind will show once they fall asleep, but I felt a faint desire in my heart. I too wanted to see Cynder again in another time and place. If it was possible. "I hope so... I think...I'll miss you."

"Then...don't leave. Not yet. Please?" Cynder softly pleaded as her beautiful teal eyes gazed up at me. I could find no words to say. So I acted instead. I put my arms around her and pulled the delicate dragoness into an embrace. Just to hold her in that moment of peace. And that long sigh she released from her lungs... It was oozing with contentment. She was at peace.

A minute went by as we held each other without a word. And only then did the royal sisters return to us. But before a word could be said, they rested upon the ground around us. Luna then softly asked, "Are you well, child?"

"I... I think I'm getting there..." Cynder muttered as our embrace loosened. She cast her eyes to the three beautiful mares around us. "I don't know who you are...but I'm glad you found me tonight. You...saved me. Even after all that..."

Nightmare Moon, who was to my right, extended her left wing and draped it over Cynder. She spoke kindly, "Save you tears, child. We could not leave you suffering like that. Rejoice, for you are now free."

"Right, I am... I don't know how you literally pulled those chains off me, but you did... I won't ask how." Cynder said while also sounding somewhat confused. She had no idea how the royal sisters' magic works. Let alone that which is exclusive to Nightmare Moon. But like her, I was not going to inquire. Although Cynder did say, "Just...thank you. For everything. Thank you for being kind... For understanding. I... I'm glad that the first faces I got to see after I was freed are so...friendly. I...needed this."

"I'm sure you did, child. We are familiar with how such magic affects the poor souls it seeps into. We do not fault you for anything you may have done while under that vile wyrm's thrall. And you most certainly redeemed yourself by assisting us as well as you did." Celestia explained while they all smiled kindly at our new friend. It felt good to be in the company of friends after such a harrowing ordeal. And in such a magical locale. Celestia then mirrored my thoughts and said, "Although I have to say... That battle was...wild. Certainly something to write home about. I can't remember the last time I ever found myself in a battle that extreme."

"Yeah, Malefor proved himself to be quite a ridiculous opponent in the end... Man, I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't expect that... We'll sleep well tonight." I retorted as we all were careful to not mention the nature of our presence in that world. I did not want Cynder to know that she only existed as a dream. Which...sounds utterly heartbreaking in hindsight as I write this...

Cynder had nothing to say to that. I doubt she even wanted to think about the fallen dark lord. But a moment later, I felt a familiar sensation. A strange rippling effect through the air. Morning had come. And it was time to wake up. And yet...I was not ready. I was not ready to say goodbye to Cynder.

I looked at the three royal sisters as they looked back at me. I glanced down at the oblivious dragoness resting against me. She did not sense anything was amiss. I was unsure of what to even say without causing an alarm, but Luna understood. For a moment, her horn was coated by her blue magic aura. I felt another ripple through the air, but only for something to quash it. Forcing it to stop. I glanced at Luna as her aura faded before she spoke in a whisper. "Fifteen more minutes."

"Thank you." I whispered in reply as I suspected she reinforced my sleeping mind to stave off waking for just a while longer. Although now that I knew exactly how long that I had before I would awaken, I turned my gaze to Cynder. "What do you want to do now?"

"I..." Cynder muttered before rising to her feet and stepping out of my grasp. She then took a few gentle steps past the royal sisters as she said, "I...need to take a walk... To think."

I assumed she just wanted to be alone and remained where I was seated. But before she got much farther, Cynder stopped and looked back at us. Or rather, her eyes were focused on me. She frowned with a pleading gaze in her eyes. And then I understood. She wanted to take a walk, but she never said anything about being alone. My royal companions smiled at me with Nightmare Moon even nudging me to stand. And so I did. I rose to my feet and left my helmet behind. I wanted to feel the wind in my hair.

Cynder too disarmed herself. She wiggled her body to get the plate of enchanted metal to fall from her back before bringing her hands to her head to pry her helmet off. With her body now bare aside from the bits of shimmering platinum that had always been on display, Cynder and I looked back at the royal sisters. I knew I would be seeing them again in the coming hours, but it may have very well been the final time Cynder would ever see them. Her voice oozing a humble gratitude, she spoke softly to them. "Thank you again... For everything."

We continued on through the mushroom grove while the three princesses of Equestria stayed behind in the mist. I said nothing to allow Cynder to think in peace. Although I did allow my eyes to glance down at her. She walked along with a truly feline sort of grace, tail swaying with every step. She truly was beautiful and I felt so very relieved to see her safe and free. And she appeared...happy. Even if just a little. I can only imagine how much more poorly emotional adjusted she would have been if we had not been there for her when she really needed a kind soul to turn to. I had to say something. "I'm...really glad you're all right."

"And I'm glad you were all there with me tonight. I just...want to put this all behind me... And just...keep moving forward." Cynder replied while glancing up at me for a moment. She did sound relaxed, but also troubled after all she had seen. I soon noticed Cynder's pace starting to pick up. I had to increase pace to a brisk walk as my armor rattled with the extra locomotion. Cynder then spoke up as we strode through the grove, "I... I want to run!"

"Then let's run." I replied as we gradually picked up speed. In seconds, we broke into a quick jog. And even then, Cynder began to sprint like a hunting panther. My enchanted greaves insured I would keep up with her as the mist blew past us, mushrooms towering overhead under the glow of the silver moon with the grass rustling under our feet. This felt meaningful. And I was sure Cynder dearly wanted me to keep up with her.

I heard Cynder huffing with her lungs working harder to keep her running at top speed, but she sounded like it was easy for her to exert herself like this. We ran. Running through the grove, passing under towering slender mushrooms that released shimmering clouds of spores overhead. Cliffs began to rise up as we began to descend a path down into a deepening ravine. It felt...magical. All we had at that moment was each other as we ran ahead into the night.

It was not much longer before the ravine opened up before us. A glorious wide chasm with small waterfalls spilling into a gentle river below and glowing mushrooms curving out of the cliffs and rocky ledges. With nowhere else to run, Cynder and I did the only thing we could. We spread our wings and dove through the air.

Such a sense of exhilaration and wonder filled my senses as we swooped along through that enchanted chasm. Like something out of a fairytale. Glowing butterflies or moths fluttered all over under the misty moonlit above as we weaved around the towering mushrooms that reached up from far below. And as she soared along on her glorious wingspan, I could see a smile on Cynder's face. I called out to her, "Having fun?!"

"The most fun I've had in my life so far!" Cynder called back while looking and sounding genuinely happy for once. We both smiled as we swooped through the chasm while a great forest spread out ahead beyond the edge up ahead. We descended and went into a glide as we rushed through the forest of towering trees and the many spotted glowing mushrooms lighting the way. I was almost expecting to see something below on the ground or trekking the forest paths. Gnomes, elves, maybe even some fluttering fairies. But we were all alone there. And that suited us just fine.

Cynder never strayed far from me. If there was a point where we had to break formation to fly around a tree, she would veer back towards me to the point where our wingtips were almost touching. She would often look at me while I looked back at her. No words were spoken, but only because they were not needed. That smile was all I needed to see. And what a lovely smile it was.

We very suddenly reached the edge of the forest and shot out over open water. The vast ocean lay spread out before us. The moon was still vaguely in the sky, but now the rising sun was peering over the horizon as the ocean shimmered a golden hue below us. With nothing in the way and nowhere to go, we flapped our wings to gain speed and descended. We soared as swiftly as we could just maybe several inches above the rippling ocean. But then, something burst from the surf far ahead as I took notice. "Thar she blows!"

An utterly colossal whale, most likely a blue whale that far larger than one could ever naturally reach, exploded from the surf as it breached. It easily rose a couple of miles into the sky as the leviathan let out the gentle call of a whale, thousands of gallons of shimmering seawater falling from its body. As the whale stopped rising and held itself almost vertically, it began to lean backwards and was showing signs that it would fall right into our path. Instead of veering away, Cynder and I were feeling bold. My companion called out to me, "We can make it!"

And so we rushed ahead as swiftly as our wings would carry us. The tension was invigorating, the risk great. Precious seconds ticked by as the hulking leviathan of the deep leaned ever further towards us. We giggled and muttered in unease as we shot ahead as low as possible over the surf. We laughed in hysteric borderline panic once the whale cast its massive shadow over us. And mere seconds after we left that shadow, a massive splash was heard once the whale fell back into the sea. We did not slow down as we cheered in relief with a huge wave chasing us for a moment. It was reckless, yes, but what did we have to lose at the time?

And then... The finale. The ocean below opened up below us as if it was a massive pool with the bottom giving out. The horizon fell away too as we began to soar over open air with the stars of the night sky filling the air with glimmering lights. Cynder and I glanced around and at each other in confusion. Where were we? What happened to the world around us?

Our unspoken questions were suddenly answered as several celestial objects came up behind us and soon shot past us. A swarm of comets were flying alongside us. We were soaring through the depths of space! Celestial bodies lined the horizon around us with the comets leaving trails of shimmering light. Our eyes lit up in wonder as we tried to not get left behind by the comet swarm.

We swooped around them, sailing the stars with these celestial travelers. I even stuck my hand into a comet's tail just to see what would happen. When I pulled it out, I gazed awestruck at my gauntlet. It was encrusted with glimmering stardust. Cynder saw this and smirked at me as she veered closer. I watched in surprise as she tilted to one side to dip her entire left wing into the comet's tail. A few seconds later, she rolled through the air to the other side and did the same with her right wing. I watched in awe as she began to soar again. Each wing of rosy red and dark violet now shimmering wings of celestial gold that left trails of sparkling light in her wake.

Cynder's eyes lit up as she beheld her wings and their new decorations. I gave her some space as she began to play around with this new feature. She went into a graceful aileron roll, spiraling in place as the twin ribbons of light being left in the wake of her wings too began to twist into swirling patterns. I could not take my eyes off of her as Cynder began to swoop around me in a circular fashion, orbiting me in flight as she went under and over me with the greatest of ease. She was just having so much fun as we soared along with those shimmering comets while taking some of their radiance to be used for our own entertainment.

I watched closely as I noticed Cynder reaching out to me during her constant spinning. And when I reached out and took hold of her hand, she took me along for the ride. We spun around and around through the void of space while constantly looking down at each other. But it was then I noticed the horizon becoming more and more bare. The comets began to disintegrate. And our wings began to no longer keep us aloft. We were beginning to descend as our spiraling started to slow. Cynder noticed this as the stardust coating her wings and my gauntlet peeled away and asked, "What's happening?! Why...can't we keep flying?!"

It was time. I could only stay asleep for so long. And my body was waking up fast. The horizon fading into a white void as I felt a weight over my body from something I could not yet see. I was still asleep, but I was only holding on by a thread.

I gazed at Cynder while she stared back at me. Our hands held on tightly as our wings failed us. We began to plummet with barely any wind pushing against our faces. A sting of disappointment in my heart, I tried to be as transparent as my heart would allow. "It's...time for me to leave."

"I'll...see you again, right?!" Cynder asked with a look of dread in her eyes. Her little hands grasping mine as firmly as mine held hers, all I could do was nod in hope. I did not want this to be the last time I saw my new friend. Dream or no dream.

Cynder tried to smile. And with a yank of her arms and a flap of her wings, she pulled herself forward and clung to me with her great wings wrapping around my armored form. I too held on tightly as I held the dragoness against my chest. I closed my eyes as I prepared to awaken. And as my senses went dull while plummeting into that white abyss, I head Cynder speak one last time. And with such a tender and meaningful tone of voice. "I'm with you."

My eyes opened and I found my arms holding nothing. And I felt...so woefully disappointed to find the source of that voice no longer in my embrace. I lay where I was and just stared at the ceiling. It was just a dream...but that last stretch towards the end felt like so much more...

I was quickly reminded of where I was and that I was not alone. Someone rolled over in bed next to me. And a the touch of a finger was felt upon my cheek. With a turn of my head, I saw the beautiful face of Novo before me. She smiled warmly like she always does every morning, but that smile became a look of concern when I could not bring myself to smile. The beautiful hippogriff queen caressed my cheek as she asked in that wonderfully soulful voice of hers, "What's wrong, honey? Bad dream last night?"

"No... No, I wouldn't say that. It was...quite the adventure, to be honest. I'm looking forward to documenting it today. But...I also..." I explained before once again turning my gaze to the ceiling in thought. "I...also made a friend... And we had to say goodbye before I was ready. The dream ended...while I held her in my arms."

"Aw, that's so sweet, baby. Had an interesting time and got to meet someone special? Those are always good dreams. But if you're disappointed you've got no one to hold..." Novo said before I noticed a quiet chuckle in her throat. Novo then reached over me with one arm and pulled me to cause my body to rotate in her direction. I then found myself pressed up against her beautiful fluffy body with her arms around me and her beak almost pressed to my lips. "Then how about you cuddle with the prettiest bird in the world for a little while?"

I could not resist her usual wit and found myself firmly embracing my beloved queen. There was a reason why I always spend the night with her and she had just reminded me why. "Novo... You really are the best."

"You better believe it, honey." She cooed to me before her beak gently touched my lips for a tender morning kiss. We stayed there for a moment longer as my hands dragged through fingers through that wonderful coat of feathers covering her body. But we could not stay in bed much longer. Novo then touched a finger to my nose and whispered, "How about you shake off those lingering bad feelings with a hot shower? Mama's feeling too clean from last night to bother, so I'll go whip you up some seafood omelets."

"Thanks, dear. See you soon." I said while we reluctantly released each other from our embrace. A hot morning shower was just what I needed.

As I sit here writing this, I cannot help thinking back to those wonderful final minutes. It was lucid... As if it really happened. And for a short while, it felt like Cynder was as real as I am. If only... She would not be out of place in Equestria at all. If...only...

It will not do me any good pondering the impossible. And I have more pressing matters to focus on. From the sound of things I have heard being discussed out in the halls of the Alabaster, tomorrow will be the day we continue our advance across the Empty Plains. It is about time too. We cannot delay for too long lest we end up on the receiving end of another wave of the enemy when we are not ready.

One more day of rest before we head out. I think I am about as ready as I will ever be, especially after that wild session last night. Time to pack up this entry and see what is happening around the camp today.