When Scar and Urgan Nagru returned to Pride Rock that night, they were furious to find the prisoners gone.
"How could you let them escape?" Scar demanded. "They were sitting in a locked cage. All you had to do was watch them!"
"You're one to talk," Silvamord sneered. "The three of you together couldn't even manage to catch one mousemaid!"
They all shouted at each other some more, and then they got so angry that they stopped talking to each other for the rest of the night. They just lay (or in Scar's case, hovered) in different corners of the cave, glaring at each other.
Eventually Woundwort and the two foxes drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Scar chose this time to float out of the cave and go look for Mariel and the other prisoners. He was also looking for Gabool, who hadn't come back to Pride Rock at all that night. Scar was worried that Gabool had gone rogue and was plotting against him.
But Scar didn't see anything until the next morning.
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As the sun rose over the jungle, Queen Savannah, King Saba, and all of their allies prepared to march on Pride Rock and take back their kingdom.
"We're up against a large horde," Savannah told everyone. "We must act as a guerrilla unit."
Gazan's ears perked up at that. He thought she had said "Gorilla unit."
"We gotta hit and run all the time, weaken the enemy by chipping away at their numbers," Savannah continued. "They may have the greater numbers, but we can still beat them! USHANTI!"
"USHANTI!" Saba and the members of the Lion Guard echoed.
"What does that word mean?" Pinkie whispered to Twilight.
Joshy overheard. "It means victory, wot wot. It's just like when the Long Patrol hares shout Eulalia," he answered.
"Victory, huh? Well, that sounds good to me," Rainbow Dash said.
Mariel was standing between Joseph and Spike. She squeezed each of their hands. "We're going into battle together yet again."
Joseph noticed the vine tied around her waist. "I see you still favor the old knotted rope."
"Aye, it's as good as any weapon when there's fighting to be done. Ready to give 'em blood 'n' vinegar, Spike?"
Spike said resolutely, "I'm not afraid of anything as long as I'm with you, Mariel."
Little did they know, Scar had been lurking in the trees and had heard every word. He floated back to Pride Rock to tell the other villains.
"There's an army heading for us, led by Savannah and Saba," he said. "We have to work together, stop fighting each other and fight the enemy."
"Fine," said the Foxwolf. "We'll show 'em we're not afraid to attack first."
"I never left an enemy alone in my life until victory was mine," Woundwort agreed.
"Where's Gabool? Has he come back yet?" Scar asked.
"No," said Silvamord.
Scar growled. "Fine. We can do this without him."
They got all their rat and hyena soldiers together and prepared to move out.
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When Savannah and Saba's army emerged from the trees, they found the evil team out on the plain waiting for them, with Scar at the front.
"Looks like your plan to ambush us failed," the evil ghost said. "Your time is over, Savannah and Saba. I rule the Pride Lands now."
"Oh no!" squawked Anga. "I thought we could take them by surprise! Instead we're caught in a standoff!"
Mariel nodded knowledgeably. "I've been in one o' those standoffs before. We just need to wait here until help arrives."
"But we're supposed to be the help that's arrivin'!" said Joshy.
"Maybe we should run past them at an angle, to intimidate them," Gazan suggested.
But Savannah and Saba were seasoned warriors, and they did not panic. With a cry of "USHANTI!", they threw themselves at Ghost Scar. Scratching and clawing, the three lions rolled over and over on the ground.
The two armies charged at each other and the battle began in earnest.
Mariel was in her element, striking out with her Gullwhacker here, there, and everywhere. Many a rat and hyena felt the sting of the knotted rope that day.
Joshy and the unicorns were shouting spells, sending great numbers of the enemy flying through the air.
Fluttershy found herself face to face with Silvamord. "I don't know who you are, but you're gonna regret messing with me," the vixen snarled. She slashed at Fluttershy with a knife! Fluttershy felt her face begin to bleed! She screamed!
Suddenly a stone struck Silvamord and she fell to the ground! Kita the ferret appeared, standing over her.
"You okay, Fluttershy?" she asked.
Fluttershy realized she only had a small cut on her cheek. "I'm wounded, but I'll live."
"Told ya I'd look after ya," the ferret boasted.
Just then Silvamord got up and thrust her knife into Kita's back! Kita toppled over!
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Fluttershy screamed.
Silvamord was about to attack Fluttershy again when Rainbow Dash came flying in. Her front hooves hit the fox like a freight train.
Rainbow Dash disentangled herself from Silvamord's body and stood up. The vixen lay unmoving. When Rainbow Dash turned her over, she saw Silvamord's knife lodged in her own heart.
But Fluttershy noticed nothing of this now. She was holding onto Kita, only aware of the ferret in her arms. A ferret who was just as dead as the fox now lying nearby.
"You did look after me, Kita," she wept. It wasn't fair. Every time she made friends with a ferret, that ferret died.
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Meanwhile Mariel was busy fighting Urgan Nagru. He swiped at her with his wolf claws while she lashed out with her Gullwhacker. Mariel was being pressed hard.
"Hey, wolf face! Why don't ya take on someone closer to your size!" a voice shouted. It was Spike. He ran up to the Foxwolf and breathed a blast of fire on him.
The Foxwolf wasn't hurt because the flames only scorched his wolf suit. With a roar of rage, he struck Spike with his wolf claws. Spike fell, bleeding in five different places, and let out a cry of pain.
Twilight was nearby and had just dispatched a hyena. She heard Spike's scream and rushed over to the Foxwolf. "You hurt Spike! You monster!" She hit the Foxwolf with a blast of telekinesis.
Urgan Nagru went flying through the air and hit a baobab tree head on. The wolf fangs of the skull that rested on his head were driven into his brain. Thus, the Foxwolf died by the symbol of his own power.
Twilight and Mariel knelt by Spike's side. "Spike, are you all right?" Twilight asked.
Spike winced as he shook his head. Blood poured from his chest. "I'm not gettin' up from here. I'm just glad I got to see you… one last time."
"No, no, no!" Twilight screamed. She tried to give Spike some magic healing spells but it was too late. The wolf claws had done their work. The young dragon's eyes closed for the final time.
Twilight and Mariel both burst into tears.
