The giant stone snake broke free from the earth, with glowing red eyes and a muzzle wide and open, as if it was going to devour all of Equestria. In a spiraling track, it crept all the way up the mountain top, and from there, gazed down at the helpless world below. And then… it froze.
A black, round object with red, rotating edges was floating nearby. Sitting inside the flying device were none other than Skeletor and Trixie. The dark master of evil stopped the flow of magic he had been pouring from his horn into the mountain to shape and control the giant snake. He grinned up at his finished masterpiece. "Now, Trixie… now my fortress of evil is finally complete. May all ponies who behold it shake in their horseshoes, and may all tremble in fear when they hear the name: Snake Mountain!"
Trixie lowered her head. "It is indeed a glorious monument of your power, my master," she said. "Soon, all the ponies of Equestria will be at your feet. Serving a dark lord of your greatness is truly an honor."
"Yes, and don't you forget it," Skeletor nodded. "Now, back to the throne room. We need to discuss our next steps in conquering Canterlot."
The saucer-like vehicle descended and flew inside the mountain, through an opening just big enough for it to fit through. It then landed in a big cave that was outfitted with lots of tools, weaponry and machine parts.
"My lord!" A three-eyed cyborg mare bowed down when Skeletor stepped out of the vehicle. "I hope ze Roton met your satisfaction. It is a vonderful machine, no?"
"It was… satisfactory. I am still surprised that a pony who used to be a photographer knows as much about machinery as you do, Tri-Klops."
"Photo Finish always had ze best equipment… now zat I, Tri-Klops, am in ze service of ze great Skeletor, it is only befitting zat I provide him with ze best equipment as well."
"Very well… keep up the good work, then. Loyal and hard-working servants will be rewarded."
Tri-Klops lowered her head again and then followed Skeletor and Trixie as they left the cyborg's workshop/hangar.
The corridor they were following lead them deep into the mountain. Over the past weeks, the underground base had been expanded, new tunnels had been dug and the whole place had been transformed from a mere hideout into a palace befitting a king of darkness. The throne room was intimidating to anypony who set hoof in it. The grisly throne seemed to grow out of the ground. Tall spikes and spires surrounded it and statues of monsters and demonic entities were standing on both sides of the room.
When Skeletor and Trixie entered, almost all of the remaining servants were waiting inside. The only one missing was Mer-Mare… who was currently occupying one of the fortress' dungeon cells. Everypony bowed down and waited until Skeletor sat down on the throne, with Trixie standing at his side.
"My loyal followers," Skeletor spoke in a booming voice. "It is about time we took back what is rightfully mine! With Celestia gone and Luna reduced to nothing more than a squawking nuisance, Canterlot will soon fall. We shall reduce the castle to rubble, and Snake Mountain will be the seat of power for the new ruler of Equestria!" He stood up to his full height, his eyes and horn glowing with raw power.
Of course, his servants knew what he expected them to say. As one, they began to cheer: "All hail Skeletor, future king of Canterlot and all of Equestria!"
Skeletor then raised a hoof and everypony became silent once again. He sat back down. "We have assembled some of the most powerful sun-changed in existance. Twilight Sparkle's little medley of circus clowns won't be a threat to us. Still, we need to be cautious. To bring down Canterlot's army, we need raw power. Faker… is your queen willing to support us with troops?"
"Um…" The changeling scratched his head. He knew it was never a good thing to bring bad news to a powerful overlord such as Skeletor. "My apologies, Lord Skeletor… but Queen Chrysalys is not convinced that your own power will suffice. Her Highness refuses to let her soldiers fight in an open war until you can prove to her that your powers combined will be enough not just to win, but also to reduce the losses to a minimum."
"WHAT?" the dark lord thundered. "Unacceptable! How dare she put the welfare of her lowly underlings above my glorious dreams of conquest? I offered a hoof in partnership… I offered her one half of Equestria so she and the rest of you changelings have more than enough ponies they can drain to feed. And this is how she thanks me?"
"A thousand pardons, oh Great One…" Faker whimpered as he crouched down, fearing the sorcerer's wrath. "But I am merely the messenger…"
"The nerve!" Skeletor snorted. "The impertinence!" His legs were trembling with anger. He had all sorts of insults and indignities for the changeling queen. The only reason why he kept them for himself was that even though he was a maggot in his eyes, Faker could still report them to his queen… and for now, Skeletor depended on her aid. So he calmed himself and sat back down on the throne. "Very well… then we need to follow our alternate plan. Before conquering Canterlot, we need to take over Crystal Castle and acquire the magical secrets stored in there… I will gain more power than anypony ever dreamed of, and afterwards… with the assistance of your queen, of course," he grinned in Faker's direction. "We shall reduce Canterlot to rubble!"
"A truly brilliant plan, my master," Trixie smiled. "And I am certain that you already know how Princess Luna's castle can be conquered in the easiest way…"
"Of course," Skeletor said. "But as you seem so intent on serving me, I shall let you share your own ideas with us first."
Trixie stopped herself from grinning smugly. Of course Skeletor had no idea how to take over Crystal Castle. Not only was it protected by the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, but also by Princess Luna herself, who still had all of her powers as long as she remained inside the castle. But over the past few days, she had been working on a plan that had a quite good chance of being successful, in her opinion.
"You are too generous, master," Trixie said. She then stepped forth, in front of the other servants. "You all know the ponies that wield the Elements of Harmony. You all had your experiences with them in the past. You know that they will do anything to help other ponies in need and that the safety of Equestria and their friends comes before their own. Together, they are a formidable force to be reckoned with." No one pointed out that just minutes ago, Skeletor had just said the opposite, calling them circus clowns… but nopony objected. Not even Skeletor himself.
"So the best chance we have is… to split them up. Divide and conquer, as they say. We have to create a disaster in a different part of Equestria, a disaster that will catch their attention. And when they rush to take care of it, our main forces can attack Crystal Castle at the same time. Without Twilight Sparkle and her friends, Princess Luna shall fall before our combined might. Allowing you, my lord, to acquire the castle's secret powers for yourself." She bowed in Skeletor's direction.
"Not too shabby, that plan," Beast Bird admitted.
"Yeah," Whiplash grinned. "We shall smash puny pony princess Luna!" To underline his words, he pounded the floor with his mighty tail.
"But… what kind of disaster can we create?" Stinkor asked.
Trixie smiled. "I'm very glad you asked, dear Stinkor. As it will be you who plays the most vital part in this plan." Using her magic, she conjured up a big map of Equestria. "See here? This is Whitetail Wood. A calm forest on the opposite side of Ponyville than the Everfree Forest, where Crystal Castle is situated. You will go there and make use of your powers… create a stench so horrible that it will be noticeable even in Ponyville. Do whatever else you can do. Destroy trees, hunt the wildlife, pollute the area, I don't care… as long as you catch their attention. In the meantime, the rest of our forces will gather near the Everfree Forest. And this time, we won't enter it from Ponyville's side, but from the mountains. Twilight Sparkle's little troop can't be at two places at once. Either they only take care of one problem at once, or they split up… reducing their numbers as well as their threat."
"A well-thought-out plan indeed," Skeletor nodded. "Excellent job, dear Trixie… and since I am so proud of you, I will give you the honor of leading the attack force on Crystal Castle."
"I am honored, my lord… wait, what?" Trixie's mouth hung open as she realized what Skeletor had just said. She wanted to be on the winner's side, but could she risk endangering herself by fighting Princess Luna on her home turf? She was certain of a victory, but she assumed Skeletor would keep her in Snake Mountain, where it was safe.
"You heard your mission, Stinkor…" Skeletor said as he leaned forward in his seat. "Do you have any objections?"
The skunk-like pony chuckled. "Oh no, master…" she grinned. "It'll be my pleasure to cause the biggest stink I've ever caused."
The purple light of the comet had changed most ponies' lives a lot. Most were forced to stay awake during the night if they didn't want to be transformed. And even those that already were changed wished nothing more than to have the old, glorious, golden rays of sunshine back which Celestia had always provided them with.
But even though it wasn't the same sunlight as before, Fluttershy still preferred to spend most of the bright day active instead of the dark night. As a being that was now more plant than pony, she needed water and fertile soil, but also sunshine. So she spent most of the night in the warm embrace of the willow tree in front of her cottage, only to come back out at sunrise, caring for all the animals that still were dayactive. Naturally, this behavior distanced her even more from the ponies of Ponyville. Back when she was a pony, she used to love to go shopping and meet her friends in town… now the streets were empty and the only way she could buy everything she needed was to wait until sunset, which always left her a bit tired and weak.
But Fluttershy tried not to be too bothered by this. "After all, I still have my friends," she told a worried Angel. "They come to visit me quite often. And Applejack comes here every day to help me take care of my tree." She smiled. "Nopony knows how to handle a tree with care like Applejack."
And with those words, the littly pony dryad went on with her daily life, preparing the food for her friends in her kitchen.
Suddenly, she looked up from her work. "Something's wrong," she muttered. She could feel something was off… a nagging feeling that was gnawing at the ends of her roots. Cautious, with spread wings and a twitching tail, she walked outside. Everything seemed just fine… the sun was shining, the birds were singing, her animal friends were playing, there was a soft breeze…
Fluttershy nearly gagged when the wind carried a horrible smell past her. Never before in her life, not as a dryad or a pegasus, had she ever smelled something this bad before. "Oh… oh my… goodness…" she managed to bring out. She covered her mouth and nose and looked west. "Where is this awful stench coming from?"
And then she knew. She knew why she was so anxious, so worried, so concerned. Somehow she was able to feel that something very wrong was going on… something or somePONY was doing something awful to nature. Fluttershy had no idea how she was able to tell this, she just knew it. And wherever it was… it was where the bad smell was coming from.
"It's coming from the west…" she muttered. "And that means…" She gasped. "It's coming from Whitetail Wood! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh… all those poor little animals living there… the birds, squirrels, deer, mice, badgers and foxes… I must get to them. I must help them!"
She quickly ran outside and was going to spread her wings, when she saw Applejack coming up the road.
"Howdy, partner!" Applejack smiled. "You had a good night's sleep in that tree of yers, Fluttershy? Well then, let's take a look and see if it's as fine and dandy as always."
"I'm sorry, Applejack," Fluttershy apologized. "But I really can't stay around. There's something terrible happening in Whitetail Wood as this exact moment, and I need to go and help all the helpless woodland animals."
"Whoa there, nelly! Hold yer horses there! What's this about trouble in Whitetail Wood? That's where Rainbow and I participated in the Running of the Leaves, right? How can you tell what's happenin' there?"
"I don't know, I… just know! Please, Applejack, I have to go. Don't you smell it?"
AJ sniffed a bit, then she made a face. "Phoooey, that smells even worse than rotten and worm-infested apple cores. Whatever's happening there, it ain't natural. Yer sure you don't want me to help."
"I'm sorry… but I can't wait now. I have to fly there as fast as I can." And with those words, she flew off, leaving a bewildered Applejack behind.
"Something fishy's going on," the cowgirl muttered. "And ah'm sure not letting Fluttershy handle this all on her own. Ah'll go and tell the others and…"
"Applejack!" somepony shouted. It was Rainbow Dash. The speedster landed next to Applejack, wearing a leather belt around her waist, with the Static Rod strapped to it. Also, she was surrounded by the slight flickering of a force field, which protected her against the changing rays of the sun.
"Rainbow! Good thing yer here. Fluttershy left on her own, into Whitetail Wood. Ah'm afraid something dangerous is gonna wait for her there… we need to go after her and help her."
"But we need her and your help somewhere else," Rainbow insisted. "Twilight sent me… Princess Luna sent her a message just a few minutes ago. Crystal castle's under attack. The princess needs our help! The others are on their way, but Twi sent me ahead to inform you guys."
"Oh ponyfeathers…" AJ groaned. "When it rains, it pours… ah don't know if we can bring Fluttershy back here soon. Something's endangering the forest animals, and you know how she gets when that happens."
"Just great…" Rainbow groaned. "Okay, I'll go after her. You wait here until the others arrive." And then she sped off, as fast as a flying bullet.
Unlike the Everfree Forest, Whitetail Wood had always been a pleasant, bright place, with no monstrous creatures that could disturb the peace. It had been one of Fluttershy's most favorite places to go to, since this was the exact same forest in which she fell after falling down from Cloudsdale as a filly. This was the very first place on the solid ground that she had seen, and she had always treasured it as a beautiful place of nature.
She barely recognized it when she arrived after following the trail of the bad aroma.
Animals were flying in a wild panic from the toxic stench that was even worse for their sensitive little noses. Flowers and other plants started to wilt after being exposed to the toxic fumes. And the plants that didn't wilt were trampled or sliced apart by the claws of an unknown, ferocious attacker.
"I don't believe this…" the shy dryad muttered to herself. "This is horrible…" She landed in the middle of a ravaged clearing. All around her were the remains of shredded bushes. She then heard violent coughing and followed the sound until she saw a beautiful bluebird lying on the ground. The poisonous gases that hung in the air had been too much for him, he looked like he didn't even have enough strength left to fly.
"You poor, poor thing…" Fluttershy said as she gently picked him up, using her leaf wings to shield him from the fumes as best as she could. "Who on Equestria could have done such a thing?"
"You're looking for me, buttercup?" a raspy voice behind her asked.
Startled, Fluttershy spun around and was faced with Stinkor. The disfigured mare chuckled behind her gas mask. "Take a good look around you… this is all my doing. And I'm going to do much more."
"But why?" Fluttershy was devastated. "How could you do this? All those beautiful flowers and majestic trees… those poor, defenseless animals… Have you no heart?"
"Heart?" Stinkor laughed bitterly. "Maybe. I don't care anymore. All I know that I can't stand all those pretty, pesky things… Do you have any idea what it is like to look at all of this? Beautiful flowers, colorful birds, happy animals… it's like nature wanted to make fun of me." She gritted her teeth. "I used to be beautiful… but take a look at me now! What remains? A horrifying monster, nothing more. Why did I have to give up my beauty while the plants and animals stay the same? Why couldn't the light affect them too? It's just not fair!" she shouted.
"You poor pony…" Fluttershy said. "I'm awfully sorry for what happened to you. I wish there was anything I can do to help you."
"Well, too bad! There's nothing that can be done, daffodil. I'm stuck like this… but if I can't be beautiful anymore, neither shall these woods." Grinning like a madmare, she pawed the ground, the sharp claws ripping the soft soil open and the grass apart. "I will lay waste to everything…"
"You can't be serious!" Fluttershy gasped.
"Applejack, there you are," Twilight said. "Wait a minute… where are Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?" The unicorn was already in her transformed state. Spike was standing next to her, grown and ready for battle… even though he had a hard time keeping his eyes off Rarity, who stood nearby, a dragoness that was as beautiful as she was deadly in battle. Pinkie was talking to her rocky sisters, while Derpy showed Bon Bon her latest invention, the Road Ripper: A tri-wheeled, fast vehicle with several laser cannons at the front.
"Fluttershy couldn't make it in time… she's in Whitetail Wood. Rainbow's flying to get her, but I dunno how fast they can be here."
"We can't wait any longer," Bon Bon said. "Just before you arrived, I did a little scout flight. And I saw Skeletor's goons coming from the other side of the forest. I don't think Princess Luna will be able to deal with all of them at once."
"Then we have to go without them. We will pick up Zecora at her hut. Everypony else is here, hopefully that will be enough."
"What about Tavi and her DJ friend?" Pinkie asked. "Didn't they want to come?"
"They both agreed that they need to improve their battle skills, so they agreed to stay behind in Canterlot, in case my brother and the rest of the guard need some help with defending the castle from any surprise attacks," Twilight said.
"No problemo, Twilight," Pinkie smiled. "The assembled Heroic Warriors are ready to roll out."
"The… what?" Inkie asked her sister, raising an eyebrow.
"That's us, the Heroic Warriors," Pinkie said with a grin. "I thought our team needed some sort of cool name, so I came up with one of my own. You like it?"
Rarity rolled her eyes. "Darling, I think we have more important things to think about than naming our group."
"Okay, I think this is enough smalltalk… you all ready?" Twilight asked. All around her, everypony nodded.
"Then let's go… for Equestria!" Twilight jumped on Spike's back and raised her sword.
And the Heroic Warriors ran into action.
"Oh please don't…" Fluttershy shouted. "I'm begging you, don't do this. It's not their fault that you look like this."
"I don't care!" Stinkor yelled and released yet another cloud of poisonous fumes. The cloud of stench surrounded Fluttershy and the smell became almost unbearable. In the soft grasp of her wings, the little bird started coughing even harder.
"Stop it!" Fluttershy shouted. "He'll die if you keep this up."
"Fine, let him die. One less annoying creature on this world. One less stupid bird that shoves his prettyness and melodic voice in my face. Songbirds are the worst of all… I had such a beautiful voice… the ponies loved me for it. Seeing them at my concerts, hearing them shout my name… it always made me so proud of myself…" Fluttershy looked closer at the skunk-pony. Was there a tear in one corner of her eye? "But this is over… no more… NO MORE!"
With a powerful leap, Stinkor vanished in the foliage above them. Fluttershy didn't see her anymore, but she heard the panicking chirps of young birds flying for their lives.
"No…" she whispered. Then she narrowed her eyes. "You won't hurt them."
She gently put the bluebird onto a soft patch of grass… then she extended two vine-like tendrils from her mane and pulled herself up into the trees. She lowered herself down on a branch, directly in front of the surprised Stinkor.
"I could understand that you are feeling bad and that seeing those beautiful things around you is horrible for you… I could even understand you if this was just a small little tantrum. But you didn't just cause a stench and trample a few flowers… you endangered my friends! And you do not, I repeat, you do NOT! HURT! MY! FRIENDS!"
And she gave the skunk mare the fiercest stare she had ever managed up to now.
Stinkor started to sweat. The stare out of those green, shining eyes was unnerving. She wasn't really afraid, but it was giving her the chills. A pony like this… changed by the sun… not into a monster, but into a delicate flower creature… and yet she was able to look so fierce, so determined. It was unfair…"
"Such eyes… such beauty in those eyes… you little dandelion… not fair… it's not fair… IT'S NOT FAIR!"
Fluttershy gasped when something happened that had almost never happened before… a creature resisted her stare!
Stinkor roared as she jumped at the moss mare, slashing at her with sharp claws. Fluttershy pulled herself to safety with the use of her vines. With an angry snarl, Stinkor leapt up and cut through the vines.
Fluttershy winced… that really hurt. It was the first time plant parts of her had been damaged. Unable to hold herself up any longer, she fell through the branches and on the ground. Before she could stand back up again, Stinkor landed on top of her, pressing her down with all her power.
"You silly little pansy… you think you're so much better, so much prettier than me? I'll shred that mane of yours to pieces… I'll make a salad out of your wings…"
Never before had Fluttershy been as afraid as she was now. Her stare didn't work, a ferocious pony creature pinned her to the ground, and the horrible stench of her opponent was taking away her breath. The dryad coughed a few times as she felt her strength being drained away…
"Please…" she wheezed. "Please…"
In the meantime, the Heroic Warriors had arrived at the main gates of Crystal Castle, where all of Skeletor's troops were already waiting for them. Luna was standing on top of the castle and fired potent spells at them.
"Return fire!" Trixie shouted, and she and Tri-Klops returned the favor by firing their own spells and laser beams. Meanwhile, Clawful and Whiplash pounded against the closed gate with all their strength. Up to now, it didn't budge.
"For the princess!" Twilight shouted as she and her friends met the evil warriors in battle. Bon Bon and Zecora started an attack from above, but Faker and Beast Bird welcomed them with bared teeth and claws.
"Get away from that gate!" Derpy shouted as she rode the Road Ripper towards Clawful and Whiplash, shooting her guns. The Diamond Dogs yelped as they scattered.
"You vant a laser? I'll give you a laser!" Tri-Klops chuckled as she rotated her visor to shoot a broad laser beam at Derpy. The inventor gasped as she was blasted out of her seat. The Road Ripper crashed into a tree and fell over.
"Okay, I'll be very angry if there's only one scratch on it," Derpy muttered as she jumped to her feet. She spread her wings, showing off her laser bolt guns. Both she and the cyborg then exchanged fire.
Clawful and Whiplash wanted to run back to the gate, but then, in a large puff of pink smoke, two boulders appeared that quickly reformed themselves into a pair of ponies. "Going somewhere?" Blinkie smirked.
Trixie still focussed on her fight with the princess. She grinned smugly when Luna's attacks seemed to become weaker. She looked up and saw that the princess was worn out, barely able to stand on her four legs. But just as she prepared to deliver the final blow, Spike and Twilight came down from above and landed in front of her. "Stop right there! Whoever you are, this is as far as you go!"
Trixie chuckled. "Don't recognize me, do you? I guess it's hard to see the feeble stage performer in me… the comet turned me into so much more. I don't need an ancient artifact to boost my magic, Twilight Sparkle. Unlike your new self, I am wearing this new face of mine forever. Say hello to the all-new, all-better GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!"
"Trixie…" Twilight's eyes widened when she recognized the showmare. "You are one of Skeletor's minions?"
"Not just any old minion," Trixie boasted. "I am his advisor, his personal court sorceress, his second-in-command. What do you say? A nice promotion from what I used to be, isn't it?"
"Is that the only reason, Trixie?" Twilight sadly asked. "What did he promise you to keep you at his side? A safe place where you aren't discriminated for your changed color?"
"No…" Trixie hissed. "He promised me… revenge!" A searing hot fireball appeared at the tip of her horn and then flew at Twilight. However, before it could reach its destination, Spike simply swatted it out of the air.
"I never liked you, Trixie," he grumbled. "And you didn't get any smarter than the last time we saw you… firing a fire attack at a dragon? Not very smart at all. Now what do you wanna do? Try and fight Twilight and me at once?"
"No…" Trixie muttered. "I'll fight you… with the help of my newest minion." She focussed her magic and a glowing pentagram appeared in front of her.
"What's she doing?" Spike asked in surprise.
"I… I don't know," Twilight admitted. "But I sense a lot of power…"
"Appear before me!" Trixie shouted. "The great and powerful Trixie summons you… Draco!"
And with a loud roar, a dragon rose out of the pentagram. But it wasn't just any dragon… it looked like it was made of stars.
"Twilight!" Spike gasped. "Th-that almost looks like… the Ursa you banished."
"It's a constellation beast…" Twilight muttered. "But how? Back then, she couldn't even defend herself from an Ursa Minor… and now she summoned a Draco all on her own?"
"Poor little Twilight!" Trixie laughed as she sat on the Draco's back. "The comet's light gave me a gift… it made my magic stronger than ever. Strong enough that I might even be able to beat you!"
"We'll see about that…" Twilight muttered. "Ready, Spike?"
Spike's only reply was a loud roar as he flew at Trixie and her constellation beast. The Draco replied with a similar roar, and the battle was on.
From above, Luna watched the battle. Her own battle had exhausted her, but now that Twilight and the others were here, she had new hope. "Fight, my friends…" she muttered. "I believe in your strength…"
"Get your dirty paws off her!" Rainbow shouted as she suddenly came dashing into the clearing. One swing of her static rod, and Stinkor flew off Fluttershy's back.
"You okay, Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked as she stood in front of her friend.
"Y-yes…" the dryad coughed. "Just give me a minute to catch my breath…"
"You want to protect the little weed?" Stinkor growled as she stood back up. "Fine with me… I'll shred your wings to pieces as well. Grass or feathers, doesn't really matter to me."
"Lay one more claw on her and you'll be sorry, punk," Rainbow snarled, twirling her rod around.
"Oh Rainbow Dash… please be careful, she's dangerous," Fluttershy said.
"Don't worry," Rainbow said. "I've had loads of training with this baby ever since Derpy first gave it to me. Hey, stink-breath! You wanna see my progress?"
"Arrogant little pegasus," Stinkor grumbled. "Waving a little stick around won't save you from me." And she ran at Rainbow Dash to attack her with her claws.
Rainbow quickly moved the static rod in front of her face and blocked Stinkor's attack. "That's strike one!" She leapt over a second claw swipe. "Strike two!" Stinkor opened her jaws to sink her teeth into her opponent's leg, but Rainbow quickly moved her rod so all the skunk pony's teeth hit was solid metal. "And strike three!" Rainbow smirked. "Any other moves you wanna try?"
"Just this one…" Stinkor growled as she released another stinking cloud, directly in Rainbow's face. The pegasus coughed when the toxic fumes entered her nostrils. "Oooh you… *cough cough* You dirty little coward… I'll show you… urgh…" She gagged. "Oh Celestia… I think I'm gonna be sick…"
Stinkor was ecstatic that she managed to take the bostful pegasus by surprise. It took all of Rainbow's willpower not to vomit on the spot, and that was all the distraction Stinkor needed. This time, she would not be able to block her attack. She got ready to leap at her…
And was very surprised when Fluttershy stepped in front of her friend. "I think that's more than enough trouble you've caused," she sternly said. "I won't let you hurt my friends anymore."
Stinkor grinned. "What are you gonna do, dandelion? Blow some pollen in my face? I think you need some more of my stench of evil…"
But when the next gas cloud came at Fluttershy… it floated right past her and Rainbow Dash. Stinkor was shocked when she saw that the plant pony was surrounded by a shimmering aura of green. The butterfly-shaped petals on Fluttershy's flank were wide open and released a steady stream of pleasant perfumes.
"Your bitterness has made you so angry and so jealous of nature's beauty that you failed to realize that nature is by no means weak and helpless." Fluttershy said. "You might be able to produce clouds of horrible stenches, but the smell of the trees, the flowers, the forest itself can overcome any bad smell." Rainbow looked at her friend with awe. Where was the shy little pegasus that barely had enough nerve to talk to strangers?
"If I can't overwhelm you with my stench, I'll just rip you apart with my claws," Stinkor growled and leapt at the dryad. But then, a pair of vines came growing out of the trees and wrapped her up, leaving her dangling over the ground.
Stinkor squirmed in the vines' grasp. "Put me down! Get those things off me! Gah!" She winced when the smell of the flowers reached her snout. "Make it stop… I can't stand that smell anymore… take it away… TAKE IT AWAY!"
"No!" Fluttershy said. "You will leave this forest… you will return to your dark master and never return. And you will tell him this: The forests… no, all parts of nature may not be under Princess Celestia's protection anymore. But as of today… they are under MY protection! Remember that well!"
With one simple nod, she commanded the vines to throw Stinkor to the ground. The skunk pony couldn't climb back to her feet and run away from the scene fast enough. Just a few minutes later, she had left the forest behind and was on her way back to Snake Mountain.
"Fluttershy…" Rainbow said in a voice full of awe. "That was truly awesome! But… I don't understand. Why doesn't she like the aroma of your flowers? They smell so nice…"
"I think I know why," Fluttershy sighed. "The cursed sunlight transformed her into this monster… forced her to be surrounded with that bad smell she produces forever. Maybe she got so used to the bad smell that every good smell is now… bad for her."
"Almost makes me feel bad for her," Rainbow muttered. She then looked around and saw the destruction Stinkor had wreaked up to now. "But what she did here… that's something no normal pony would have done. Unforgivable!"
"The forest will need some time to heal," Fluttershy said. "Maybe I can help speed the process up… and help the animals come back home. But first, we need to get rid of the remaining toxic clouds… can you help me, Rainbow?"
The speedster smiled. "Anytime you ask, Shy."
And with that, the two pegasi took off and started clearing the forest from the bad clouds, blowing them away with their wings.
Trixie gasped when the shield she had erected broke under the assault of magic projectiles Twilight was firing at her. At the same time, her Draco howled in pain when Spike spat searing hot dragon fire at the constellation beast. It got even worse when a smaller dragoness flew up next to him and added her own stream of blue dragon fire.
Hastily, Trixie looked around. The situation didn't look very good. Applejack was smashing her metal hooves into the scaly body of Whiplash, throwing him back and into Tri-Klops, causing the cyborg pony to lose her aim on Derpy. At the same time, she heard Faker's yelps as the changeling was stung again and again by Zecora the bee-zebra. On the other side of the battlefield, Inkie and Blinkie were playing volleyball with the battered body of Webstor.
She grimaced. "I had no idea they had so many warriors… and I hoped Stinkor would distract even more from us. If only Skeletor had fought alongside us, we could have easily won…" She mumbled a few curses and then shouted: "Attention, minions of evil! Retreat! All troops, return to Snake Mountain!"
Her Draco flew up into the air, away from the twin streams of fire and the barrage of magic spells. All over the battlefield, her allies took their best chances to run away from the fight.
"Stop!" Bon Bon shouted. "You're not getting away that easy… tell me where you're keeping Lyra, now!" And she fired a couple more energy bolts at the retreating Beast Bird.
"Ask the fishes!" Beast Bird grumbled as she flew a loop, grabbed Bon Bon from behind and threw her down into a small pond in the forest. She smirked when the neo-pegasus came back up to the surface, sptting water, her feathered wings wet and soggy. "Next time, loser!" she shouted and flew after her fellow minions.
"Shall we go after them?" Spike asked. "I can catch up with that fake dragon in no time, no problem at all."
"I don't doubt that, Spike," Twilight said. "But we need to make sure Princess Luna is all right."
"Besides, I don't really think you are in a condition to fight much longer, my dear Spikey-Wikey," Rarity said with worry as she looked at the burns and bruises Spike had received during the fight. "That nasty thing left sooo many scratches on you… We need to get you back in shape, my poor, brave dragon."
A silly grin appeared on Spike's face. Rarity's words were enough to make his insides feel like molten butter. "Whatever you wish, my love…"
"Spike's not the only one who needs to be patched up…" Derpy muttered.
"Is there another pony with a wound?" Zecora gasped. "A healing remedy shall be found."
"Not a pony… but just look at my Road Ripper!" Derpy complained. "I'm going to need at least three hours to repair all of the damages done to him."
Zecora was not the only one to roll her eyes.
Spike carried Twilight up, where she jumped off his back, landing next to Luna. "Princess! Are you all right?"
"Yes," the princess of the night nodded. "Thanks to all of you, I am. I can use all of my powers here in the castle, but the comet's light made my attackers so much stronger that I couldn't fight them all off. But for now, Skeletor's forces have been repelled."
"But what if they come back?" Spike asked.
"Then we'll be ready for them, Spike," Twilight said. "We will protect Crystal Castle, Canterlot and all of Equestria from any evil that might threaten it. Because we are… the Heroic Warriors!" And she struck a heroic pose.
"I knew you'd like the name!" Pinkie cheered.