56: The Amazon Rookie

BARDO, THE UNDERWORLD

When Hades reached his throne room, he found his general already waiting for him; he'd sent Adonis to summon him before Echidna returned. The ghost stood with his back to Hades, looking out the circular window.

"Dan my man!" Hades greeted, spreading his arms. "Are you ready for some wanton violence and destruction?"

Dark Danny chuckled, turning to face Hades. "Am I ever not? What did you have in mind for me?"

"Picture the toughest stronghold on the entire planet," Hades said. "An island full of warriors, trained from birth to be fighters and killers. Incidentally all women, but hey, who am I to judge? They're already a little below maximum efficiency due to the golden apples, but they're still a pretty big deal. What I want you to do is, to put it in the most simple way possible, get rid of them. ALL of them. Oh, and given recent patterns, a team of goody-two-shoes heroes is going to turn up to stop you. Kill them too."

"That sounds perfect," Dark Danny replied. "I assume you mean the island of Amazon?"

"BINGO!"

"Easy," Dark Danny boasted. "I'll sink the entire island. Compared to it, Atlantis will look fully repaired."

"Whoa there…" Hades put up his hands. "You don't exactly know the full story on Atlantis. There will NEVER be a sinking like Atlantis. But now we're just talking details. I trust you more than anyone else to put Amazon AND Jerk-ules AND my little ponies OFF the map."

"Even after what they did to Echidna?" It wasn't an expression of concern. Dark Danny grinned.

"Dan my man, let's not kid ourselves," Hades replied. "You and I both know that you pack a bigger punch than all of those monsters COMBINED."

"That we do. Are you going to send any of your imps to report on me?"

"No. You have a spotless record. I only send Pain and Panic to report on the ones I don't trust."

"You sent them after Echidna."

"Her priorities are the kids. Which, by the way, Eris is gonna be busy picking up from Thebes so Echidna doesn't pitch a massive hissy, so you won't get any help from her."

Dark Danny nodded in affirmation. He didn't feel as though he needed any help from Eris anyway.

"The point is, Echidna may WORK for me, but her agenda doesn't exactly match mine, and there might just come a day when she decides to duck out on me," Hades explained. "But you?"

"Doing your work is too satisfying," Dark Danny confirmed. "There's nowhere I'd be happier than carrying out executions for the Lord of the Dead."

"That's what I thought. Now go hit those Amazons with your best shot!"

"Consider it done." Dark Danny leapt upward, phasing through the roof, shooting upward, setting a course for the mortal plane of Olympic Greece.

Even if the ghost came crawling back the way all Hades' other warriors had, Hades would know that Dark Danny had given it his all. And there was still one last ace to play in case of that. But this was one mercenary he didn't expect to see lose. Within a matter of hours, the island of the Amazons would be below the sea, every Amazon drowned, and all that stood in Hades' way taking up residence in Tartarus. Of course, they would qualify for Elysium, but Hades knew how to sway the judges. How to put drachmas in Minos' pocket in the courts. How to slip rocks onto Osiris' scale. Then Hades would spend his time coming up with a unique punishment for every one.

And if all that didn't send a clear message to Olympus…what would?

THE SEAS OF OLYMPIC GREECE

The boat that took Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Hercules, Meg, Phil, Pegasus, Cassandra, Icarus, Pit, and Zoë across the sea towards the island of Amazon was far bigger than the small barge that had brought the Equestrian trainees and company from Chryse to Kirra. (Which Phil lamented he'd probably never get back, because walking back into the Kirran harbor would be like poking a hornet's nest.) Phil and Hercules traded off steering; the wheel was mounted abovedecks, so everyone milled about atop the ship to converse.

Zoë had finally decided to reveal the news of her expulsion from the Garden. She didn't mention what Amphitryon had said to her before Hesperia's call, and she did not even give the slightest inclination of her romantic feelings toward Hercules, but otherwise, she was perfectly frank:

"They rejected me because I gave Anaklusmos to a mortal, and, moreso, because I assisted a mortal in battle. I have cast my lot among mortals and it is among mortals I must remain."

Her news brought silence. Then Pit: "Man, that bites."

"I'm sorry," Twilight added.

"Me too," Hercules said from his place at the helm. "I can't believe it. I'm the reason you got kicked out. I shouldn't have – "

"Thou should not regret anything," Zoë snapped. "I made a choice. It was not as though I was unaware of the potential consequences. Thou art…thou art ALL important to me. If my lot is with thine, so be it. I will not have any further discussion if it is not of the practical sort."

"So let's get practical," Applejack countered. "Where d'you plan on livin'?"

"I will find a home when it becomes necessary," Zoë answered. "I have faith in my ability to provide for myself."

"So now that that's over with," Phil grunted, "anyone else got any big confessions to get off their chest? Huh? No? Good, then let's – "

"Actually," Cassandra interrupted, "I might have one."

"Oy…" Phil groaned. "I didn't mean LITERALLY."

"Even if it's important to our entire mission?" Cassandra raised a brow.

"What is it?" Rarity asked.

"So far, we've been focusing on each mission on its own," Cassandra stated. "I see what the next disaster is, we head towards it. But I never told you about the really BIG disaster that comes at the end."

"What comes at the END?" Twilight was suddenly rustled.

"Right before you came to see me about Athens," Cassandra confessed, "I had another client come in and ask if there was going to be a big disaster over Greece in general. Actually, come to think of it, it was Thanatocrates."

"HIM AGAIN?" Icarus groaned.

"It is a little weird that he turns up involved in everything about this…" Twilight muttered.

"What do you think?" Rarity asked her.

"I don't know," Twilight admitted. "There hasn't really been a pattern other than that he shows up. And he wasn't even at Abacus Valley. Just a weird coincidence, I guess."

"Anyway, as I was trying to say," Cassandra went on, "he asked if there was gonna be some kind of huge apocalypse type disaster, and I saw something and told him about it. And I haven't told you what it is yet."

"What did you see?" Pinkie asked, bouncing up and down in suspense.

"I saw the sun plunging out of the sky, and the land enveloped in total darkness," Cassandra recalled.

At that moment, three spoke in unison:

Twilight said, "So that's Discord's plan."

Zoë said, "So that's Eris' plan."

Hercules said, "So that's Hades' plan."

They stopped short, all looking at each other. "We KNOW it is Eris!" Zoë insisted. "We saw her in Abacus Valley!"

"And Hades is just idly sitting back and watching the show?" Hercules retorted. "No way."

"I guess we don't have any real evidence about Discord being involved," Twilight admitted. "I'm just convinced he's in this somewhere, somehow. Maybe I'm just used to thinking that ever since I found out that he was responsible for everything that happened to us since we left Equestria."

"Since you finished that Starswirl spell," Rainbow Dash corrected.

"Um…I'm sorry to interrupt…but…what about Maleficent?" Fluttershy brought up. "She's obviously trying to do bad things…things that involve chaos…what if she's involved?"

"Are we gonna keep naming suspects until we've decided we're the victim of a cosmic conspiracy a hundred strong?" Phil groaned. "We saw Eris. End of story. Eris is going to knock the sun out of the sky and make a big old stew of chaos out of it."

"So how do we stop that?" Twilight asked.

"You're the team strategist," Cassandra retorted.

"Well, I can't think of EVERYTHING!" Twilight moaned. "Especially not when it comes to a goddess messing with the sun! The last time I had to deal with that, it had already been stolen and we had to track down and deal with Nightmare Moon AFTERWARD!"

"The sun is usually kept up on Mount Olympus," Pit said. "Right now, only one of us will actually be let through the gates. Not to brag, but that's totally me. I could go up and monitor it."

"But we have no idea WHEN the sun is going down," Meg pointed out. "You could be on guard for years."

"What if Twilight's on to something?" Pinkie asked.

"I just said I had nothing," Twilight reiterated.

"No, you told us a plan!" Pinkie said. "We wait for the sun to get stolen, then we follow it and deal with Eris!"

"Or we could challenge Eris right away," Rainbow Dash offered.

"Because that worked out so well last time," Rarity huffed.

"Pinkie Pie did kind of remind me…" Hercules mused. "If we see the sun go down, we can see the fire trail from Apollo's chariot, and we'll know at least which direction to go!"

"Let's say Hades has it, though," Twilight countered. "The Underworld is on a different dimensional plane. How do we know if the sun crosses it?"

"The chariot will head in the direction of the portal to the Underworld on this world," Hercules stated. "And if nothing else, if we can't find it on this world, Hades IS a prime suspect. It's worth checking out anyway."

"So that's our plan," Twilight stated, sounding less than enthusiastic. "We…wait for a disaster to happen. Then we clean up the mess."

"But that plan's always worked for us before!" Pinkie Pie pointed out.

Twilight cracked a smile. "True."

"Hey, Pinkie Pie," Meg said, leaning over the ship railing. "Guess what?"

"What?" Pinkie zoomed beside her, looking out over the railing. The shores of Amazon were visible. Pinkie knew what that meant. She gave a great gasp and then cried out:

"WE'RE THEEEEEEEERE!"

AMAZON, THE BORDERS OF OLYMPIC GREECE

The "rookie," as everyone called her, looked out toward the horizon. She noticed the approaching ship.

"Told you an enemy ship was coming for our apples," she said. "Was I right, or was I right?"

"You were right, rookie," another private in the Amazon army said, putting down her spyglass.

"We apologize for accusing you of attempting to divert us from the tree so you could take it for yourself," another said.

"That's the advantage of being able to fly." The rookie spread her wings. "You SEE more. At this rate, I'll be promoted to general by sundown!"

"Prepare to fire at the enemy ship," the general ordered.

A cannonball was loaded.

The command was given: "FIRE!"

And the ball left the cannon in a blast of heat.

"Ooh, hey, look!" Pinkie Pie cried. "They're setting off a fanfare to welcome us!"

"That's no fanfare," Meg realized. "They just FIRED at us!"

Hercules leapt away from the wheel, intercepting the path of the cannonball. He caught it, carried backward only minimally by the force, then lobbed it over the side of the ship, where it hit the water with a splash and sank.

"ANOTHER!" Meg called out.

Hercules caught the next cannonball, dumping it over the edge.

"Why are they firing at us?" Twilight asked worriedly.

"Because the Amazons are hotheads!" Phil grunted. "Shoulda seen this coming…"

After Hercules dropped the third cannonball into the ocean, Rainbow Dash spread her wings. "That's it. I'm flying ahead and telling them to knock it off."

"CAREFUL, kid!" Phil warned.

"Don't worry," Rainbow Dash said. "I got this."

She sped toward the island, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake.

"Enemy approaching Amazon ground," one of the privates reported, looking at Rainbow Dash through her spyglass. "Flying Kentauride."

"Ready the spears!" the general called.

Fourteen spears were drawn back, though one with hesitation. Where, the rookie thought, would another flying Kentauride turn up?

When the target came into sight, the general ordered, "FIRE!"

Thirteen spears went up into the air.

The fourteenth was dropped.

"WHAT?" Rainbow Dash zigged and zagged to avoid the barrage of spears; she summoned her sword, ready for more projectiles.

"Ready second wave of spears!" the general commanded. "Is there a PROBLEM, rookie?"

"HOLD FIRE!" the rookie cried.

"You can't call hold fire!" The general seized the rookie's wrist. "Only I can call that!"

"I know her," the rookie seethed.

"Dangerous?"

"No. At least she wasn't when I saw her last time. We should at least see what she wants."

"Hmph…I should have known," the general huffed. "Winged Kentaurides aren't exactly common, you know. HOLD FIRE!"

Rainbow Dash saw the women lined up below her, each dressed in a blue tunic and a matching mask, lower their spears. She took that chance to land, but didn't dismiss her sword. "What gives?" she asked. "We're trying to come in peace here, and…and…"

She noticed the rookie, and was struck speechless.

"Rainbow Dash," the rookie addressed. "How the hay did YOU get here?"

"ME?" Rainbow Dash blurted. "What are YOU doing here?"

"Getting the respect I deserve."

"You had said your vessel was attempting to dock in peace," the general reminded Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash stated, still stunned.

The general glanced over at the rookie – a golden-haired Kentauride with a teal coat covering her lower half, a pair of wings to match Rainbow Dash's, and a lightning emblem on her flank. "Then we'll hold fire. You're in charge of interrogation, private Lightning Dust."

The ship docked, and the group disembarked onto the beach to find thirteen Amazon warriors waiting for them, spears lowered. "Uh…hi," Hercules said. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Where's Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

"Right here," Rainbow Dash said, emerging from the woods nearby, her hands chained behind her back and her wings chained down. She was followed by somepony the other Equestrians knew all too well.

"LIGHTNING DUST!" Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack screamed.

"Yep, that's me," Lightning Dust said with a grin.

"You KNOW her?" Phil was taken aback.

"She's from our country," Rarity stated, distaste in her tone. "And she was an absolute brute!"

"Excuse me?" Lightning Dust countered. "I think you're just sore 'cause I'm tougher than all of you. They know my story here. How I was ranked above my allies. How I made sacrifices to get where I am. In fact – " She turned to the general. "General Myrina, Rainbow Dash here was the one who injured herself on the same training course where I set records."

"Um, I remember it a little differently," Rainbow Dash growled. "You were tough, all right. They ranked you lead and made me wing because you pushed yourself. But we were supposed to be a team on that course, and you pushed me until I hurt my wing and then you didn't care! And those SACRIFICES you were talking about? Those were my friends' LIVES when you made that tornado to clear out the clouds before everypony else! THAT'S why back in our country, they put me at your rank and kicked you out!"

Myrina gave a slight huff. "It sounds to me as though Lightning Dust's strength was rejected because of your weaknesses."

"WHAT?" Rainbow Dash cried.

"Here in Amazon, if you are weak enough to be injured and not carry on, you are left behind," Myrina explained. "We work as a team, but a team is only as strong as its weakest member. And we also keep in mind that things have to be done in the name of the greater good. I knew that Lightning Dust put innocents at risk to complete her goal, but it was a goal worth completing, and the innocents in question were obviously never in any real danger, because they survived without any injury."

"I can't believe this," Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Amazon is currently in a state of threat due to internal conflict," Myrina continued. "A certain object of value has appeared on this island, and while it remains to be seen who can take possession of it, we will not tolerate outside invaders taking what is rightfully the property of this island. Lightning Dust had you spared because she remembered this captive from her country of origin. But that doesn't mean you aren't here to take our treasure all the same."

"And you trusted LIGHTNING DUST not to take it?" Twilight retorted.

"She arrived before it came," Myrina explained. "She exemplified the Amazon way and made it clear that she wished to cast her fate with us."

"In other words, I finally belong somewhere," Lightning Dust stated, and it sounded more like a boast than a declaration of relief.

"Why HAVE you come to the island of Amazon?" Myrina asked.

Almost everyone put their heads together, trying to think of a way to phrase their presence there without mentioning that they did in fact want to deprive the Amazons of the apples. Applejack looked nervously at Pinkie and Icarus, who would be the ones, if anyone, to spill the beans.

And yet she was wrong. "We have come to bring peace by removing the golden apples," Zoë stated.

All others present gasped.

"Even I know that was bad," Icarus stated.

"So you ARE a threat," Myrina stated.

Every other Amazon but Myrina and Lightning Dust lifted her spear.

"Hang on!" Hercules protested. "It isn't as bad as it sounds, okay? The apples are causing you trouble! If you'd just let us talk to the queen, we could – "

"The QUEEN!" Myrina gave a few forced laughs. "She wouldn't bother."

"Oh, trust me," Hercules responded, "your queen and I know each other. We go back. She'll listen to me."

"The queen would be the best person to pass judgment on what to do with them," Lightning Dust pointed out.

Myrina gave a "hmph." "Then we shall take them to Queen Penthesileia," she stated, "and have her give a verdict."

"Great!" Twilight sighed. "I'm glad we could come to a compromise – "

"You will go as prisoners," Myrina commanded.

"WHAT?" Twilight barked.

"Don't argue," Phil hissed. "We're on thin ice already."

"But me, a prisoner?" Rarity moaned.

"Hey, if that's what it takes to convince ya we're not dangerous," Applejack told Myrina, "go right ahead. I won't be offended."

The others all nodded and mumbled.

"Chain them up," Myrina ordered.

Hands chained behind backs and wings chained down, the heroes made their way through the forest with the Amazons leading.

"So the Amazons are all mares?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I still don't GET that."

"There are stallions," Lightning Dust explained. "They just take care of the chores and the house stuff. The military is all mares. Just like in mainland Greece, every single military is just stallions. Same with the royals and the businessmares. Actually, coming from somepony who lived in a country ruled by two princesses and where mares ran most of the town, I would have thought you'd get it."

"That's true," Twilight recalled.

"And you're never going home again?" Rainbow Dash asked Lightning Dust.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Lightning Dust stated. "Zecora brought a bunch of this dark matter stuff into Ponyville, and I know when to take an opportunity. Of course I'm going back for visits. Sassy would blow her top if I didn't. And I've already got my vacation time approved with Queen Penthesileia."

Hercules held in a chuckle, but not very well.

"The point is, here, they actually care about strength and power and don't get caught up in the gushy stuff," Lightning Dust concluded. "I WANT to make a home here."

"It's not like anypony will miss you back home," Rainbow Dash grumbled.

"Awww, that was mean!" Pinkie Pie moaned.

Rainbow Dash grunted. "Fine. Sorry. So is this the entire military?"

"This is squad alpha," Lightning Dust explained. "There are several troops. Our general is Myrina. The other privates are Clonie, Polemusa, Derinoe, Evandre, Antandre, Bremusa, Hippothoe, Harmothoe, Alcibie, Derimacheia, Antibrote, and Thermodosa. I'm the team rookie, but I learn fast."

"Lightning Dust has shown incredible prowess over such a short time," Evandre confirmed. "Not to speak of her wings. Not something you often see on a centaur."

"That's how I spotted your ship," Lightning Dust said. "Makin' the rounds in the air. Before you know it, Queen Penthesileia is gonna make me a general and give me my own squadron."

Hercules giggled again.

"Do you think our queen is a JOKE?" Derimacheia asked, pointing her spear threateningly at Hercules.

"No," Hercules admitted. "It's just that when we were growing up, we didn't call her 'Penthesileia.' Even she thought that was too long!"

"And what did you call her?" Derimacheia asked, intrigued.

"Well, she just wanted to be called Tempest," Hercules answered.

The alpha squad led the captives to the Amazon palace, to the throne room where the queen sat on an austere throne raised above the floor before her so she could look down on whomever approached. Next to the throne was a jar that held an array of spears, in case she was attacked on the throne and needed to defend herself immediately. She was tall and muscular, with light brown skin, raven hair pulled into an immense and elegant ponytail, defined cheekbones, and a disapproving scowl. She wore a short-skirted gown of red, with maroon leggings beneath; brown leather sandals laced up her ankles and epaulets graced her shoulders while her calves and lower arms were also armored. From bust to waist she was enclosed in a glimmering golden corset – or perhaps "girdle" was the more accurate term.

"Queen Penthesileia," Myrina began. "We captured these prisoners on our shore. They have come to steal the golden apples from us."

Tempest stood, stamping the floor angrily, and Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Meg all flinched. Phil, Icarus, Cassandra, and Pegasus exchanged disdainful glances. Zoë held her gaze firmly, and Pit didn't seem to be afraid either. Hercules laughed nervously.

However, instead of unleashing her fury upon the prisoners, Tempest glowered at her alpha general. "Myrina! WHY did you bring my friends here in chains?"

"Friends?" Myrina was taken aback. "They admitted freely they were here to – "

"I don't care," Tempest snapped. "Alpha squad, you're going to take those chains off the prisoners."

"But, queen Pen – "

"NOW!"

All the women in the squad worked quickly and furiously to undo the chains; the linked metal hit the floor in a great clatter, to Tempest's satisfaction.

"Now, alpha squad, you're dismissed," Tempest ordered. "All of you. I want to speak to the captives ALONE."

Myrina looked thoroughly steamed while Lightning Dust appeared perplexed. In the end, all of the Amazon soldiers did as their queen commanded.

"That's better," Tempest growled. "Now, was Myrina right? Are you really here to steal our apples?"

"It's nice to see you too," Cassandra grunted.

"We weren't going to take them for ourselves," Twilight said hastily. "What we wanted was to fix it so the tree wouldn't be harmful anymore. We sort of have a magical way to take care of that."

"You'd better be telling the truth," Tempest snapped. Then she sighed, and her entire demeanor relaxed. "Because if you are, that would solve all my problems. Ever since that tree grew, I've had to constantly order the subjects of this island NOT to touch it until we can find a civilized way to decide who gets the apples! And that includes me. Until I can come up with a solution, I'm kept too busy stopping my soldiers from killing each other over them to focus on doing anything else!"

"But thou cannot give the apples to any of them," Zoë insisted. "It would only worsen the situation. Athena herself ate of one, and it is very possible that she has instigated civil war on Olympus itself by hiring Nemesis to do her dirty work!"

"I have tried forbidding it," Tempest admitted, "but then my soldiers try to steal apples and I have to post troops to guard the tree! My beta squad is guarding it as we speak, and my gamma squad is posted to catch any members of beta squad who try to take apples themselves! It's a nightmare!"

"Let us handle it," Applejack insisted. "When we're done with the tree, nopony will make a fuss."

"As a good queen, I must take all of Amazon into account and not take at face value recent information from outside, even if it is from trusted friends," Tempest stated. "In my mind, it is only fair that I find a compromise that works for everyone."

"But our way DOES work for everyone," Rarity growled.

"Rarity," Twilight said, "how would you feel if Celestia brought in something we didn't know about to deal with a situation we weren't fully aware of without involving any of us? I know it doesn't sound fair, but Tempest does have to think about her own people."

"And my own people are generally suspicious of words that come from Kentaurides," Tempest added. "Myrina refused to take Lightning Dust into alpha squadron until I absolutely decreed it. I take it you're from her country. You have the same characteristics."

"We know each other," Rainbow Dash said, "but we're NOT friends. She got us hurt a LOT. And speaking of that! Do you REALLY believe on this island that being strong is more important than looking out for your friends?"

Tempest sighed, then sat back down on the throne. "That was the Amazonian way for decades," she stated. "My mother Hippolyta enforced it, and she only abdicated the throne to me this year. The entire military – no, the POPULACE is still stuck in the age of my mother."

"And you?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I believe strength is important," Tempest asserted. "I don't believe the weak should be soldiers. And I don't want my troops to be anything but the best. But at the same time, I don't believe the fallen should be left behind, I don't believe the weak are worthless, I don't believe soldiers should act in ways that harm their comrades…and I DON'T believe it's a sin to smile!" She seemed particularly vehement about that last statement, though she hadn't cracked a smile since the captives had entered the room. "What I want is a reasonable compromise between my mother's ways and the ways I learned on the mainland. Mainlanders are too soft…but mother was FAR too harsh. Lightning Dust is an interesting case. I don't like that she caused you harm, but she hasn't caused harm to my troops, and she has valuable skills. I get the sense she belongs here."

"She got that sense too," Fluttershy pointed out.

"So now you see what you've arrived into," Tempest concluded. "I'm sure my mother would want you thrown in the dungeon, and I'm sure Myrina would want me to cut off your heads, but I'm not going to punish you. Or ask you to leave. Just stay away from that tree until I've come up with something. You're free to go. And if anyone gives you trouble, refer them back to me."

"I knew I could count on you, Tempest," Hercules replied with a smile.

"Don't expect me to get all sentimental about our younger days," Tempest replied.

"Permission to speak?" Rarity asked.

"Go ahead…" Tempest allowed.

"Well, I just couldn't help but notice that MARVELOUS golden…is that a girdle?...you're wearing," Rarity pointed out. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

"It's terrible armor," Tempest replied. "Gold is too soft to deflect the tougher blades. But it's royal tradition to wear. Potential Amazonian queens have to go through a challenge to earn it, and it's the highest honor known to Amazon. I nearly lost the honor because SOMEONE gave me assistance I didn't ask for on my quest to earn it." She glared daggers at Hercules.

Hercules just looked at the ground.

"Though that didn't end up having entirely horrible consequences," Tempest mused. "It's what got my mother thinking that maybe strength on its own wasn't enough to qualify for earning the golden girdle, and after a discussion with my father, I accepted the girdle under the conditions that I would try to rule with more compassion than my mother did. After all I've been through, I know that was the right choice. And I eventually would have made it on my own."

"What kind of challenge did you have to undergo to earn it?" Rarity questioned.

Tempest opened her mouth to answer. Then her eyes widened. She was silent.

"Uh…Tempest?" Hercules ventured.

"Well," Tempest said, half to herself, "it isn't the best solution, but it's the only one I have."

"Whaaaaaat is she talking about?" Icarus asked.

Tempest stood. "About the tree. If the women under my command want to win gold, they're going to have to do it the traditional way."

"That's a bit vague," Meg pointed out.

"I will explain it more in my public address," Tempest said. "I encourage you to attend it if you want at all to have a chance to do whatever it is you want to with the tree."

"When and where?" Meg asked.

"In the Amazon agora, as soon as possible," Tempest said. "I have to prepare for it. You can go wait there."

She made to leave through a side door before Hercules said, "It was really nice catching up with you!"

"Hmph…" Tempest sighed, rolling her eyes. "Your presence here isn't unwelcome. That's all I'll say." Then she disappeared through the door.

"We better hustle down to that agora if we want to know what her plan is," Applejack said, and the group turned to make tracks.

"She said it would give us a chance to do our work on the tree," Zoë pointed out.

"And I just KNOW it's not going to be simple," Rarity sighed.

The forest and the city on the island played a close game of territory, the trees coming right up to the edges of the city limits. Nature was visible everywhere, including the agora. This combined with the setting sun cast darkness across the stone of the streets.

Messengers carried the news out that all of Tempest's warriors were to gather in the agora, and they lined up in neat rows. The group of ragtag heroes ended up in the back of the crowd, and when Myrina noticed this, she glared at them, full of hate but knowing she could do nothing, as they would not be there had Tempest not decreed that they be shown mercy.

At last Tempest herself appeared, dressed in full regalia – golden earrings, golden bangles, and golden anklets were added to her dress, as well as armor for her upper arms and thighs. Her head was covered by a solid and shining helmet.

"Sisters!" she cried, raising her spear.

Hercules, Icarus, Pit, Phil, and Pegasus were suddenly quite aware that they were the only males in the entire agora.

A rousing cheer went up from all the troops.

"I've come to a conclusion about our apple problem," Tempest stated. "I believe that the most fair way is to ask you to earn gold the way I did: through the challenge of the girdle." She paused to let the crowd take that in. "Each squadron shall select one representative to take part in the challenge. It is not merely the one who survives the night who will receive the reward, for that would likely end in multiple winners. Instead, I will grant the apples to whomever reaches the tree first, as we all know it conveniently happened to grow on Girdle Rock. The winning squadron will divide the apples among themselves…or do whatever they wish with the tree, so long as a conclusion is reached. You may select your representatives now."

Most of the alpha squad looked to Myrina, but she knelt. "I wish to nominate Lightning Dust as our representative."

"REALLY?" Lightning Dust beamed.

All other Amazonian soldiers not in alpha squad set to whispering: Lightning Dust had obviously been chosen because she could bypass all the challenges by flying…

"In that case, to make it fair," Tempest said, "I will not disallow the use of wings, but if any representative, and I mean ANY representative is seen above the canopy of the trees, that squadron will be disqualified from the competition!"

"Then I accept!" Lightning Dust replied. She knew that even with the power of flight at her disposal, she would still have to face wildlife, and flying at top speed in thick forestation was no game. At the same time, she was still confident she could beat every other warrior to the tree.

One by one, the other representatives came forward. Beta squad nominated Aella, a muscular woman shouldering a massive double-bladed axe. Gamma squad nominated Glauce, a spear-bearing woman with fire in her eyes. Delta squad nominated Lyce, a tiny woman who shouldered an enormous javelin. Epsilon squad nominated Andromache, a heavily armored woman who drew a broadsword. Zeta squad nominated Thiba, who wore clothing that bore sheaths for daggers on her limbs, stomach, and back.

Lightning Dust, Aella, Glauce, Lyce, Andromache, and Thiba lined up before Tempest, each going down on one knee to pay respect. Other women, civilians, watched from the streets; even a few of the men watched from the doorways of homes.

"There will be one more competitor," Tempest declared. "The landing party that arrived on our shores this evening has convinced me that they are worthy of participation. Therefore, they too will be allowed to select a represent – "

"WHAT?" Myrina screeched, and the rest of the warriors, as well as most of the civilians, put up a great clatter at this.

"SILENCE!" Tempest ordered. "As your queen, I declare that they have the right to select a representative!" She fixed her gaze upon the group in the back. "Preferably a female representative."

Hercules, Icarus, Pit, Phil, and even Pegasus knew full well that if they selected a male representative, he would be killed on the spot.

They also knew, as did the rest of the team, who had to represent them. Everyone stepped back but for one. She'd hoped to be chosen, but still was slightly flattered when her teammates stepped back, wordlessly agreeing upon her nomination. So she approached Tempest.

"I will represent my friends," Rainbow Dash said. As she stood by Thiba, at the opposite end of the lineup from Lightning Dust, she shot a glance at her old rival. "And I'm going to win this thing for them."

"You wish," Lightning Dust retorted.

"Representatives will follow me to begin the challenge," Tempest stated. "For I am also competing to represent the royal court."

No one objected to this.

"Come morning," Tempest said, "we shall have our decision."

Tempest, Lightning Dust, Aella, Glauce, Lyce, Andromache, Thiba, and Rainbow Dash left the agora, and all eyes were upon them until they disappeared from view.

"Rainbow Dash is good for it," Applejack said. "She'll win this. I mean, she took down Echidna!"

"If you're so sure," Zoë objected, "why did you feel the need to say it out loud?"

"Because I know we're all a little bit worried about her," Applejack admitted, "and I know that what we all need to hear right now is that she's gonna be okay."

Not that she was going to win; not that she was going to save Amazon. What the friends of Rainbow Dash truly needed was the belief that she would, in fact, be okay.

Tempest led the representatives to the edge of the deepest, thickest forest on the entire island. "We shall spread out and begin at different points," she ordered. "Then, on my mark, we all enter."

The eight women split up, distancing themselves across the border.

Though Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash were still at opposite ends, they found a way to glare at each other.

Tempest, in the center, cried out, "BEGIN!"

Six humans ran into the forest; two Kentaurides spread their wings and began to attempt to fly between the trees.

Aella walked directly into a thicket of carnivorous plants, each bearing a toothy set of jaws, twice as tall as she was. The plants began to salivate, as incredulous as that would seem for a plant. Aella waited.

When the first one struck, she cut it down. They only attacked one at a time – they wouldn't risk colliding with each other or ending up with only half a meal by competing with each other – and in doing so made themselves the perfect targets, one at a time.

The chopped off stalks drooped to the ground. Aella trod over them as she moved forward.

A leopard snarled, pawing the ground. It gave a roar before it charged.

Glauce waited for it, then ducked it, jabbing her spear upward into its stomach. The leopard was caught in an expression of complete surprise before it departed from the realm of the living.

Glauce removed her spear, taking a rag from her pocket to wipe it clean. It wouldn't do to have the spear bloodied from the last conquest before moving to the next one.

Lyce observed the ground before her. It was covered in plants bearing almost neon green leaves in a distinctive shape. She recognized these plants. They were extremely venomous. Even one brush could lead to death.

She took several steps back, then rushed forward at full speed, holding her javelin as far back as she could grip it. She planted it into the ground just before the plants, hoisting herself into the air, and then let go, sailing over the poison leaves.

She landed on the other side of the patch proudly. The javelin would have to stay back on the other side, but she drew a shortsword from her belt; she was never without a backup plan.

Andromache waded through the river, which went up to her waist, feeling the rush of the cold water. She was vigilant. The water was slightly muddy, and in the darkness, it wouldn't be easy to figure out if something was approaching.

She was able to see the movement as it approached her. She drew her blade. When the crocodile lunged from the river, she cut it down immediately. The waters carried its lifeless body downstream.

At another point of the river, Thiba attempted to cross the rapids. She hopped deftly from rock to rock as the waters swirled violently below.

Her footing slipped on a wet surface. She found herself immersed in cold water, and for a moment, she panicked; then she came to her senses. She struggled to the surface, gasping in air. She drew a dagger from her back, jamming it into a crack in one of the rocks. To this dagger's handle she held tightly.

And not a moment too soon, for Andromache's kill floated downstream and knocked into her; it surely would have dragged her down had she not had an anchor point on the rocks. As it was, she only lost grip with one hand, keeping hold with the other. She regained her hold on the dagger handle, using that point to pull herself up, out of the water, back onto the rocks. She attempted to wrench the dagger from its anchor point, but the blade broke from the handle. She reflected upon her luck that such a thing hadn't happened while she was in the water.

She leapt over the final length of rocks and hit the opposite bank.

Tempest had run this route before, but that didn't mean it was easy. She slid down an incline of rock, careful not to lose her balance – in the past, she had slid down on her back, scraped up by gravel; older and wiser, she surfed down on the soles of her sandals, head held high. She made sure to come to a stop before she was dumped into a tar pit.

She plucked a large vine from a nearby tree, making a loop. She harnessed a tree branch overhead, gripping the vine and then pushing off, swinging over the tar.

She landed expertly on the other side, and then was distracted momentarily. A while ago, the sun had set completely, leaving the island under Morpheus' blanket of night. Utter blackness, that night had been, with no stars. But now, the sky seemed to be a different color entirely.

It was starting to turn murky green, the color seen before destructive storms.

Rainbow Dash sped between the trees, keeping on guard to avoid crashing into any of them. She entered into one clearing, where a horde of giant spiders immediately set upon her, but she spun in a circle, letting the aura waves of her sword push the creatures back long enough for her to continue.

She found and entered a cavern, dropping to her hooves momentarily. She took a few tentative steps.

The ground fell away from her.

Leaves and sticks had been arranged over a pit filled with writhing vipers. Rainbow Dash quickly flung out her wings, gliding over the pit. She thought about the implications. If the trap had been set up for the course, and had been fully covered when she had encountered it, then nopony had fallen into it and met an end with the snakes. Now that she'd uncovered the trap entry, nopony else would fall into it.

Moving onward through the cavern, Rainbow Dash passed beneath an elaborate face carved on a roof; a great crack ran down it. "Oh, no, don't mind me at all," it grumbled. "No, honey, don't pay any attention to the big old ex-booby-trap that hasn't been functional in years…"

"No offense," Rainbow Dash told the ceiling, "but I don't have time for this right now." She spotted a crude exit in the cavern, walking through it.

Her jaw dropped at the sight before her. A grand stairway led directly upward to the summit of a mountain. Atop it glimmered the golden tree with its destructive apples.

"YES!" Rainbow Dash cried, setting hoof on the stairway.

Another figure burst through the exit at top speed, slamming on the brakes when she saw Rainbow Dash. "YOU!" Lightning Dust snapped. "WHY do you have to get in my way EVERY SINGLE TIME? Can't you let me have ANYTHING?"

"Lightning Dust, you have to listen to me," Rainbow Dash said. "We didn't exactly make it clear earlier. We don't want the tree to HAVE it. If we don't use the Elements of Harmony on that tree, it's just going to bring all sorts of disaster. I mean, it's already got all of your troops fighting and competing, and…and…" She looked upward. "And I just got a reeeaaaally bad feeling about that green sky."

"It's just a storm," Lightning Dust insisted. "And I don't believe you, you liar. You just hate that someone's finally giving me respect after you thought I didn't deserve it."

"Okay, that bugged me a little," Rainbow Dash admitted. "But you know what? If you found a place that works for you, then good for you. That's not what this is about at ALL. If you let me win this, my friends and I can SAVE Amazon."

"Even if you are telling the truth," Lightning Dust said, spreading her wings, "then I KNOW I can save this island from whatever comes on my own, and better than you could have! And I will after I win!"

"So it's going to be like that." Rainbow Dash spread her own wings. "Then may the best pegasus win."

They didn't count down, but they launched at exactly the same time, one leaving a trail of rainbow, the other a trail of lightning. The stairs below them became a blur, the wind whipped faster and faster against their faces.

One second, Rainbow Dash was ahead, knowing she would reach the rock first. Then Lightning Dust was ahead, and Rainbow Dash feared. Then they were equal again, and what would happen if they reached it at the same time?

They wouldn't find out.

A ghastly noise sounded from afar, like a siren, and at first neither pegasus paid it mind until it became louder and closer. It wasn't like a siren at all, Rainbow Dash realized. It was more like a living being wailing. Not in pain, not in anguish…in some sort of sick joy, keening in falsetto.

With the wail came a punch of pure energy through the air. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust were both knocked out of their flight, hitting the stairs roughly just below the summit. Once down, they could feel that the ground was, ever so slightly, shaking.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Rainbow Dash cried once it all subsided.

"I don't know and I don't care," Lightning Dust said with gritted teeth, getting up. "I was winning!"

"WINNING?" Rainbow Dash yelled. "That thing shook the whole island, Lightning Dust! I have to go see what it was! It could have hurt all my friends!"

"Like they haven't been through worse?"

"It…it shook the whole island!" Rainbow Dash scarcely wanted to admit how frightened she felt about that. "The whole island…Lightning Dust, the other Amazons might be in danger!"

She turned away from the tree, spreading her wings. "I'm going!"

Lightning Dust began to gloat, "You'll be disqualified for going above the – "

"I DON'T CARE!" Rainbow Dash screamed. "EVERYPONY'S IN TROUBLE, AND I'M GOING TO HELP THEM! I don't even LIVE here! This is your HOME! If I were you, I'd want to defend it, or at least see if it needed defending! But if you want to win those stupid apples, fine. Go ahead. I'm not going to stop you."

She took off, the rainbow in her wake making a great arc over the forest.

Lightning Dust turned her attention to the tree. She merely stared up at it, how it glittered, how it beckoned.

Rainbow Dash's words played over and over in her head.

"I hate you, Rainbow Dash," she muttered as she too turned away from the tree and took off into the air, speeding to see what had come upon her homeland.

Below, Lyce grinned as she saw the trails of rainbow and lightning sail overhead. She had little idea of why they were going in the opposite direction – yes, she'd felt the ground shake and she'd heard the wail, but she'd viewed it only as a temporary setback – but she was filled with glee that alpha squad and the newcomers were both losing their chances.

She rushed ahead to the entrance of the caverns, leaping over the booby trap that Rainbow Dash had uncovered, sliding through the hole in the wall, expecting to see the stairway to Girdle Rock before her.

She came face-to-face with Tempest, who put up her hand. "Halt."

"WHY?" Lyce moaned. "I'm almost there! YOU'RE almost there!"

One by one, Aella, Glauce, Andromache, and Thiba arrived as well, pushing and shoving. Tempest was glad to see that not one had perished on the course. "This competition is at an end," Tempest said.

"Do not tell me," Andromache growled, "that this is because the rainbow representative from your pet faction has been disqualified."

"Of course it isn't!" Tempest snapped. "You all felt the disturbance, didn't you? We're under attack from something!"

"A weather pattern," Glauce said.

"That was no weather pattern," Tempest insisted. "What storm sounds like that? That was the cry of a living…" For whatever reason, her instincts told her to change her choice of words. "Of a sentient being! Some monster has brought this green sky, and its attack shook the ground!"

"Only lightly," Thiba pointed out.

"On the outer reaches of the island!" Tempest growled. "What we felt was obviously the edge of an attack that hit hardest at the CENTER!"

The other five took this in, silent.

"Whatever has happened," Tempest said, "it needs our attention! We must go! NOW!"

"But…" Aella reached out toward the apples.

"If that's all you can think about at a time like this," Tempest barked, "it's only proof that those apples are dangerous magic. Hercules and his friends were right. I should never have even let you have the chance at them! Now let's GO!"

When she made an about face, running back the way she'd come, Aella, Glauce, Lyce, Andromache, and Thiba, after a moment's hesitation, followed her, drawing their weapons, trusting their queen.

Rainbow Dash didn't know what to expect, and Lightning Dust even less so. Rainbow Dash recalled the past attacks. There was no towering monster like Orcos in sight. She wondered about Gorgons, or about an invasion from the mainland. She even wondered about Nemesis and her quest to punish all who dared touch the apples.

Lightning Dust concentrated not on theorizing about what lay ahead but how she would face it. She still carried her spear, and ran through drills with it in her mind, how she could use it to her advantage.

The two Kentaurides touched down in the agora, and despite all Rainbow Dash's theorizing, despite all Lightning Dust's confidence, both were horrified.

"No," Rainbow Dash muttered. "No, it can't be…"

The buildings of the agora were all rubble. The Amazon women and their male consorts lay in the streets, unmoving, obviously battered, weapons at their sides. The street was cracked.

"What could do THIS?" Lightning Dust asked.

"I don't know," Rainbow Dash said. "We have to see if they're all just knocked out or if they're really…if they're really…"

"MMMMPH!" A muffled vocalization sounded from the edge of the square. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust rushed toward the sound.

They passed the prone forms of Cassandra, Meg, Phil, Pegasus, and Icarus. As for the others of that group, a strange sight awaited Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust: Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Pit, and Hercules were each tied up with a sort of ethereal green rope, and their mouths were covered with green plasma, making them unable to speak. Zoë was nowhere to be seen. Rainbow Dash noticed that the other five Kentaurides were all dressed as Mahou Shoujo. The implications horrified her. Whatever had struck, they had tried to take it on at their strongest…and it had bested them all.

Rainbow Dash noticed the panic in the eyes of her friends, as though they were trying to warn her of something. Before she or Lightning Dust could say or do anything, a deep male voice sounded from behind and above them:

"Are they dead? No. None of them. After all, the little ponies were missing one of their best friends, and the Amazons were missing their queen. As satisfying as it would have been to kill them all, it will be even more satisfying to kill the Amazons as their queen watches helplessly."

Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust turned to see the speaker. Lightning Dust screamed audibly.

He floated in the air, a neon green vision, arms folded. Dark Danny grinned maliciously.

"But now that you're here," he said, "I can get started on killing my little ponies."

Tempest, Aella, Lyce, Glauce, Andromache, and Thiba rushed through the forest together, cutting down whatever dared stand in their way, an easy feat for six Amazonian warriors. They would not stop, they vowed to themselves, until they reached the agora, until they could see what had happened.

But between them and the edge of the forest stood another woman. "HALT!" Zoë barked.

"You would give ORDERS to the queen of the Amazons?" Andromache practically roared, drawing her broadsword.

"STAND DOWN!" Tempest barked, and all six Amazons did as Zoë had originally demanded and halted. "Why do you stand between us and civilization?"

"Because thou art attempting to do battle in mortal ways with something that is not mortal," Zoë explained. "The monster that has attacked this island is no monster in the traditional sense. He is one of the undead."

"How is one of the undead so strong?" Tempest asked. "And how would he have escaped from Hades?"

"It has been considered ever since the apple trees sprouted," Zoë stated, "that Hades himself is involved. This spirit takes the form of a mighty warrior, but he is still a ghost. Mortal weapons will not harm him. All of thy squadrons attacked him after the first…wail subsided, and all fell. He became incorporeal at will, and their blades passed through him. They lie unconscious in the streets, and he waits for thy appearance so that thou mayst witness his slaughter of them all. Among my party were those with weapons that could harm him, but he knew of this and he subdued the threats. All but one. I knew thou wouldst return…I knew I could not take him on alone…and I saw the ghost discard the Celestial Bronze weapons he separated from Hercules and Pit so they could not harm him. He was not able to take the Kentaurides' Eldritch weapons, but he has forced them to dismiss them with this capture. I fear the same will happen to Rainbow Dash. Thou art our last hope."

"And what do you want us to do if our weapons can't hurt him?" Tempest asked.

"Didst thou not hear me?" Zoë snapped. "I recovered these blades from Hercules and Pit!"

Only then did the Amazons notice Pit's double blades, joined at the hilts, stuck in the ground near to Zoë. She held out her hand, showing a bronze hair clip within it. In a shimmer of light, Anaklusmos revealed itself in its true form.

"Take them," Zoë commanded. "Use them. Split Pit's blades and three of thee can attack. I will also have my arrows of light. Now, before the ghost destroys what is left!"

Tempest gripped Anaklusmos by the hilt. "Andromache," she commanded. "Thiba." She selected them based on their proven ability to work with blades. "Take the other blades."

Andromache drew the double blades from the ground, splitting them and giving one to Thiba. Zoë took her bow from over her shoulder and held it before her. Without any further discussion, Zoë, Tempest, Thiba, and Andromache plunged out of the woods.

"NO…WAY!"

That was Rainbow Dash's response to Dark Danny's threat as she swung her blade toward him. He dodged it, and she transformed quickly into the weather witch, calling upon lightning to infuse her blade. She sent it crackling toward him; green light emitted from his eyes, and the two powers cancelled each other out.

"MMM MMM MMMMHMMMM MMHMM!" Pinkie Pie tried to scream through her ectoplasmic gag.

A blast of green knocked into Rainbow Dash, sending her flying toward a wall; she put out her wings in time to figuratively put on the brakes and stop herself midair. Another blast overpowered that, and she smacked into the side of one of the buildings still standing.

Rainbow Dash immediately got back into the air, putting up her blade. The green clouds swirled, and lightning struck her sword. Dark Danny just chuckled.

When the wave of water, lightning, and rainbow colors came surging toward him, he let out another ghostly wail.

The wave that made up Rainbow Dash's attack shuddered, then broke apart and disappeared. The high keening noise pierced the ears of all still conscious; Rainbow Dash was knocked to the ground. The ground shook violently, and the walls that still stood began to come down, many toward hapless, unconscious innocents.

"NO!" Lightning Dust zipped to and fro, shoving everyone she could see out of the way. The walls did come down, but they hit the empty streets.

Rainbow Dash lay on the ground a moment; every bone in her body hurt. She began to stagger to her hooves. Her vision swam.

"I don't blame you," Dark Danny's voice pierced into her system. "You had no way of knowing you could not stop me. But you know it now. And your friends will die."

"No…NO…" Rainbow Dash's vision cleared enough that she saw Dark Danny hovering over her friends, saw the terror in the eyes of those still conscious but bound.

Dark Danny hesitated a moment. Then Lightning Dust phased right through him, spear first, in an attempt to attack from behind. She faceplanted on the street.

"You're not even alive!" she grunted, getting to her hooves.

"And your weapon is pitifully mortal," Dark Danny replied.

Lightning Dust could only watch in horror, not knowing what else to do, as the ghost prepared to strike the bound.

"ATTACK!" Zoë cried, running into view, bow loaded. She loosed an arrow of light; it pierced Dark Danny's shoulder, causing the ghost to howl. He ripped the arrow away, turning to face Zoë. As he rushed toward her through the air, Tempest approached from his left and Andromache from his right, each slashing with a blade. He was able to float out of range of Andromache's blow, but not out of Tempest's; Anaklusmos caught him on the upper arm. He then blasted both women with green, sending them through the air and toward the ground, but Thiba then approached from behind, leaping to plunge a blade into Dark Danny's back. He sensed her approach, turning to grapple with her and throw her aside; as he shoved her away, another light arrow punctured him, this time at the base of his spine. Zoë was on the move, shooting arrows as she ran; Tempest and Andromache were also back on their feet, and Thiba readied herself for more.

While Dark Danny struggled with his four challengers, Lightning Dust ran toward Rainbow Dash. "Your sword actually works on him!" she said in shock.

"It's a special sword," Rainbow Dash replied. "But…it wasn't enough…"

"Then give it to me!" Lightning Dust barked.

"It wouldn't WORK for you!"

"Then go help my queen and fellow warriors! Don't just stand there and do NOTHING! We need all the help we can get against this ghost!"

"All the help we can get…?" It clicked in Rainbow Dash's head. Her sword could, in fact, do what mortal weapons couldn't.

She ran towards Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Pit, and Hercules, slicing their bonds; the green bands melted away. Carefully, she used the tip of her blade to pierce the green ectoplasm that covered each mouth. "You've gotta get back in there!" she cried.

"But Meg…!" Hercules argued.

"You don't even have a SWORD anymore!" Pit reminded him. "Zoë picked up our weapons when they fell!"

"And that's what they're fighting him with," Rainbow Dash realized. "That's why their weapons work!"

"We can get Meg, Icarus, Phil, Pegasus, and Cassandra out of here," Pit said.

"But what about everyone else?" Fluttershy cried.

"We'll try to get everyone we can out of the area," Hercules said.

"I'll help," Lightning Dust volunteered.

"Little miss 'leave the weak to suffer' changed her mind, huh?" Rainbow Dash snapped.

"I…I have to protect my home!" Lightning Dust sputtered. "They're like my family!"

Rainbow Dash understood. Lightning Dust had finally found something, someone worth protecting.

"Let's GO!" Twilight cried, and she, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy galloped toward Dark Danny.

Pinkie Pie hesitated. "You can't help them, Lightning Dust!" she insisted.

"What's wrong with it NOW?" Lightning Dust snapped; Hercules was already hoisting the bodies of several – starting with Meg and Icarus – over his shoulders while Pit picked up Phil and flew off with him so quickly as to be able to return within a minute and grab another survivor.

"It's what I was trying to say!" Pinkie asserted. "You have to use the narrative cliché! I kept saying that through the green stuff on my mouth! 'Use the narrative cliché!'"

"The WHAT?"

"The part of the story where you and Rainbow Dash set aside your differences, and then you can do things that nopony else could!"

"We'll call that a last resort plan!" Lightning Dust growled. "Right now, YOU need to get over there and help your friends!"

Despite the severity of the situation, Pinkie Pie saluted. "Okie-dokie-Loki!" She sprang after her friends.

Tempest was slammed into the ground by a beam of green; ectoplasmic bonds wrapped around her to keep her still. She struggled against them but could do nothing. Anaklusmos slipped from her hand and hit the ground before vanishing in a flash of light. To her left and right, Thiba and Andromache were also bound, though each still clutched her temporary weapon.

Dark Danny's eyes angrily sought Zoë out as she shot arrow after arrow. He batted them each away. Finally, thoroughly annoyed, he belted another ghostly wail, one meant only for Zoë. The full force slammed into her, and she dropped to the ground, unconscious. She was then bound by green ectoplasm for good measure.

Dark Danny, thinking he could rest on his laurels, turned around and saw Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity encompassed in a floating sphere of light, all transformed into Mahou Shoujo with weapons drawn – with the exception, of course, of full blown weather witch Rainbow Dash, still with weapon drawn – and all glaring at him intensely. Twilight shut her eyes briefly, and when they opened, they lacked distinction between iris and pupil, just glowing with bright light.

All Rainbow Dash could think was that they didn't have a good one-liner for before the rainbow light of the Elements struck the ghost.

The rainbow burst from the sphere. It arced through the air.

Dark Danny let loose another ghostly wail, an ongoing shockwave of energy.

The two collided, and just as the power of the Elements had with the Black Blood of Voldemort, they remained in collision, pushing against each other, neither getting the upper hand.

Until the energy of the wail slowly forced the rainbow of the Elements back upon its bearers.

As he set down the survivors he'd gathered outside the radius of destruction, Hercules was startled to find Anaklusmos materializing in his hand. After all, its true bearer could never really lose it, and Zoë had transferred her ownership of it to him; he realized that she or whoever had been holding it must have lost it somewhere during the struggle.

"Hey, you got the thing back!" Pit said, flying in another survivor. "Just in time, too! They're losing!"

"They're WHAT?" Hercules cried.

Lightning Dust flew in two survivors, a stranger in her arms and the general Myrina on her back. "Rainbow Dash and her friends are using some weird rainbow power, and it clashed with that energy that ghost was releasing. And he's winning."

"That sword can hurt him!" Pit said. "Get behind the ghost and stab him while he's distracted!"

"That's how I lost Anaklusmos in the first place!" Hercules moaned. "When he struck you down, I was trying to sneak attack him from behind, and he sensed me! I…I can't do it!"

"Yeah, well, it's that or we ALL die!" Pit insisted. "Who even COULD sneak up…on…"

They'd both seen who could do it. They both looked at her.

"Hey, he caught me last minute and I went right through him," Lightning Dust argued.

"So go faster," Pit advised.

Twilight had hoped that Dark Danny's voice would run out, but apparently lacking the need to breathe prevented that from happening. The rainbow she and her friends emitted and kept pushing was now almost completely obliterated; only a short stretch of bright color was visible before them. She noticed that it was even brighter than when they'd used it against Voldemort, augmented by Rainbow Dash's weather powers, no doubt. All things considered, that meant this ghost was far more powerful than Voldemort.

And Dark Danny knew it, too. In a few minutes, no, in a few seconds he'd have them overpowered. And from there, he would win.

The blade shot through him from behind, a burning sensation piercing past where his spine would be if he had one, through his chest. The ghostly wail dissipated as his cries turned to those of pain. He knew that he'd been struck with a weapon far more than mortal.

When he relinquished his energy, the Elements of Harmony rushed over him. Caught in the bright rainbow, he gasped, "What…is this…"

"The narrative cliché, I guess," Lightning Dust said proudly, hands still on the hilt of Anaklusmos, which was hilt deep in Dark Danny's back.

With one final cry of rage, Dark Danny dissolved into golden dust, which blew away. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony touched ground, reverting to ordinary clothing and powers. Above, the green of the sky faded away, leaving blackness studded with glimmering stars.

"You think he's…gone? Like, for real?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That was the same dust that the children of Echidna turned into," Twilight answered. "So probably not. But he's gone enough for now."

Lightning Dust landed as Hercules and Pit returned to the square. "This is yours," she said, handing Hercules Anaklusmos.

The ectoplasmic bonds Dark Danny had created vanished along with his form, and Tempest, Andromache, and Thiba all stood. "THE THREAT IS OVER!" Tempest called out, and Glauce, Lyce, and Aella came forth while Andromache and Thiba handed their own blades back to Pit.

All around, the unconscious stirred, coming back to perceptiveness, to wakefulness. They looked around, bemoaning the destruction, but it seemed no one was truly hurt.

"What happened?" Aella asked Tempest.

"I shall tell you all what happened," Tempest said to all who were in the agora. "The seven Kentaurides present banished the threat of that ghost from our shores. Andromache and Thiba also fought bravely, as did…" She noticed Zoë staggering to her feet. "As did she." She then nodded toward Hercules and Pit. "They helped evacuate the agora. We were truly blessed by the gods to receive a visit from such heroes at a time like this. However, there is one in particular whom I would like to commend. Even when the odds were stacked against us all, Lightning Dust gave her all to make sure none were hurt, and she did much work to evacuate the helpless as well. Because of her drive to make sure that her fellows were safe, I wish to promote her to lieutenant of alpha squad."

"Wh-what?" Lightning Dust stammered. "Really?"

A slightly bruised Myrina approached Lightning Dust, clapping her on the shoulder. "Congratulations."

"A wise decision," said another woman, older, emerging into view.

Tempest was taken aback. "Mother!"

"Queen Hippolyta!" Hercules gasped.

"Queen no more," Hippolyta barked. "Penthesileia – "

"Mother, please," Tempest sighed.

"Tempest," Hippolyta corrected. "In my day, the ones who would have earned a promotion would have been the ones who fought the hardest! You definitely chose NOT to do that."

"We need to be more caring towards each other as a whole," Tempest argued. "That is the only way we can learn to truly work as a team!"

"You see that. I didn't," Hippolyta admitted. She turned to where Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Hercules, Zoë, and Pit were gathered. "And I guess I have you to thank for getting rid of our little ghost problem."

"You know, you and your military remind me a lot of someone we met in another country on our travels," Twilight stated. "Another queen of warriors."

"You were friends?"

"Yeah," Applejack said. "An' I hope we can be friends too."

"To me, you are all friends of Amazon," Tempest declared.

"Then so be it," Hippolyta confirmed.

A great cheer went up through the streets.

"There is still the matter of that tree," Tempest remembered. "It was causing many of our problems. I have made my decision to award the tree to the landing party."

"We'll get rid of it so that none of us have to deal with it," Twilight promised. "Rainbow Dash, you know the fastest route to it, right?"

"Right," Rainbow Dash said. "Just a second first."

She approached Lightning Dust. "It's kinda funny. Back home, at the Wonderbolts Academy, I would have been really angry to see you get any kind of rank like that. But now I'm kinda happy for you. Weird, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Lightning Dust agreed. "And I woulda hated seeing you get all this attention."

"You think we coulda made that unstoppable team Spitfire said we were?"

"Not really," Lightning Dust admitted. "You and me, we're still pretty different. You're stronger than I thought, and I'm not sure how much that matters anymore…but you're still pretty soft. But it works for you. Me, I'm the kind of mare that belongs with the Amazons."

"I'm glad you found your place," Rainbow Dash agreed. "It works! So…good luck with the new position."

"And good luck with your vigilante heroism," Lightning Dust replied with a wink.

"Okay," Rainbow Dash said, "let's go!"

She led Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy towards the woods and the tree.

"We should check up on the others," Hercules told Tempest. "Since it's so late, mind if we stay here for the rest of the night?"

"I suppose we could put up with you for the night," Tempest answered.

"You mean put us up for the night."

"I said what I said."

BARDO, THE UNDERWORLD

Mozenrath was slightly hesitant to enter the great hall. He couldn't say he'd enjoyed the last lesson, though he was determined to master the art of Apparition at the speed of darkness. He was well aware that the next lesson had to be a step up from that.

He approached Hecate with an air of confidence, not wanting to betray even the slightest hint of trepidation. "So what is it now?"

"I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle this one," Hecate began. "You know what Echthroi are?"

"I know the word means 'enemy.'"

"They're creatures of pure negativity and chaos," Hecate cleared up. "Most are pure darkness, but there are quite a few that are also pure light. Echthroi seem to come in flavors of absolutes. The beings that ran the cosmos during the time of the great chaos, even before the Olympians were born, controlled them and used them as minions. And now, as more and more sorcerers are pushing what can be done with dark magic, it turns out a fair amount of mortals can call on them too. Make nice with them, and they'll do a lot for you. But if they get the idea that you're not the boss…" Hecate made a slicing motion across her throat.

"So what do I do?"

"Connect with it through the darkness. I'm going to call one for you that's darkness, not light, so you won't have to worry about that barrier. Make it do what you want. Get creative. Have it climb the wall. Chase Lukos and Aetos around the hall."

"HEY!" both wolves barked in unison.

"I'm going to give you one of the weakest classes of Echthros there is," Hecate stated. "One so low that most of the mortals that deal with it are mere wizarding politicians."

"So I should have no trouble conquering it," Mozenrath inferred.

"I didn't say that," Hecate replied. "Now be ready."

"I am."

A shimmering of darkness, a portal, appeared in the air before Hecate; she fixed her eyes upon it, calling forth what she wanted. It shambled out, into the crystal hall: a tall being, with the appearance of a cloaked humanoid, far taller than Mozenrath or Hecate. No features were visible beneath its hood or even up its long sleeves.

As soon as it entered the hallway, the Dementor turned its hood toward Mozenrath. He couldn't see a face beneath it – some sort of magic prevented him.

He didn't remember when he hit the floor, lying on his back, struggling to look up at the thing. Mozenrath was practically paralyzed, first by the utter draining away of all his confidence, of all the little happinesses he'd had in the corners of his subconscious that he'd forgotten he was even proud of…it no longer mattered that he could Apparate at the speed of darkness, or that he had Xerxes as a loyal companion, or the fact that somewhere out there he had a confidante, or that he had any magical power at all. Then he was stricken by fear. Utter fear of…what exactly? He didn't know. Not the creature, not directly. He was just afraid. The closest he could come to defining it was the fear that he would completely implode on the spot, painfully and with no promise of afterlife.

The Dementor advanced upon him, sensing that its prey was down. It breathed in the rush of emotions coming from the target. It shambled forward until it stood over Mozenrath, hood tilted down to see him better.

Mozenrath did nothing but hyperventilate.

"TIME OUT!" Hecate snapped her fingers, and the Dementor disappeared. "WHAT was that? Were you even trying?"

"I didn't EXPECT that," Mozenrath growled, standing. His sanity, as he thought of it, was starting to come back. He remembered what happiness felt like, though he sure didn't feel it at the moment. He had to remember what anger felt like, and THAT came rushing back in full force.

"Are you afraid of a little fear?" Hecate asked. "That's what Dementors are. Lesser personifications of fear. I'd hate to see you go up against a Nightmare if you can't even handle a Dementor."

"I CAN HANDLE FEAR!" Mozenrath screamed. "Do you KNOW what I fought to get this?" He held up his right hand, clenched in a fist. "I fought my way past greater fears than that years ago!"

"Then, obviously, you forgot how to do it."

"Call it back."

"Are you just going to fall on the ground again?"

"CALL. IT. BACK."

"Fine. Your funeral." Hecate waved a hand, and the darkness appeared in the air. Another Dementor shambled into the hallway.

Fueled by rage, Mozenrath blasted the thing, again and again. With fire, with lightning, with gusts of wind. He drew a shamshir from Hammerspace and charged at it in hypertime, holding the blade to slash at its chest.

It ate his rage. He slipped into time as mortals knew it, shuddering, sword in hand.

"STOP!" Hecate waved a hand, dismissing this Dementor. "You can't just beat it into submission! I told you to connect with it!"

"I'm not going to let fear get the better of me," Mozenrath snarled.

"Well, your anger at it is just giving it more fuel," Hecate pointed out. "You're losing it because you're too busy nursing your wounded pride!"

"I can DO this!"

"Fine. Destroy it, then. If you can. But then you won't have it to work with. And then the lesson has no point, and I have no reason to actually be teaching you anything."

"You would dare claim that I'm not good enough because of one…of one…"

"Dementor," Hecate filled in. "So you do still think you're good enough?"

"I know I am."

"Then connect with this one." Hecate gave no further warning before the third Dementor entered the room.

Given no choice, Mozenrath sent the shamshir back into Hammerspace. He reached out toward the Dementor with his right hand. The fear washed over him. He just let it do so. He looked around his mind – past the blankness that had allowed him to become a panther, past the fortress containing the door to anywhere.

He found a sort of tendril, in his mind, tenuously linking him to darkness, a great sea of darkness. And when he really examined this, he found that a similar tendril was attached to the Dementor. He sent a thought rocketing down his end of the channel and into the Dementor's. Another opportunity, he pointed out. Not me, but something else you can have.

The Dementor halted. It stood perfectly still. As it and Mozenrath stared at each other, Mozenrath felt the fear lessen. The Dementor wasn't feeding upon his emotions anymore. When Mozenrath had his right mind in entirety, he gestured with his right hand.

The Dementor didn't change pose, but Mozenrath picked up a quizzical sense from it, as though it was asking: is this what you want? Really?

He affirmed that he did, gesturing again towards the winged wolves against the wall.

The Dementor turned slowly, then descended upon Lukos and Aetos. The wolves whined shrilly, charging away from the Dementor.

Hecate grinned. "Congratulations."

Mozenrath told the Dementor that it could rest, and he was able to send it back to the darkness.

"I knew you could do it," Hecate admitted. "But not without me testing your pride first."

"You're horrible," Mozenrath stated, though he was grinning madly.

"You want to quit?"

"No. Not now. What comes after this?"

"Tomorrow, the last step. For now, more practice with the Echthroi."

Five Dementors rose up behind Hecate, and in a matter of seconds, they had moved to stand behind Mozenrath, as he bid them.

AMAZON, THE BORDERS OF OLYMPIC GREECE

The "landing party," as Tempest referred to them, got to sleep in a cluster of rooms in one wing of the palace. Before they retired to bedchambers, they gathered in a common room, waiting for Cassandra to induce the next vision.

It took all but the very last of the mist. "The three Fury queens," she announced. "Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera. They're going to attack Colchis. Alecto herself will sit on the throne." She shook her head; her consciousness returned. "Wait. Colchis? That's a place I've only seen in geography textscrolls."

"It's not on the mainland?" Rarity asked.

"It's across the sea," Meg said. "Kind of a tough voyage. But we can make it."

"So the Furies," Applejack added. "What are we lookin' at with them?"

"Trouble," Pit said. "They're three of the most powerful creatures in Greece! And they know how to hold a grudge."

"From what I hear," Phil said, "Megaera is a tough customer in a brawl. Tisiphone is more of a magic type, with a thing for illusions. And Alecto's the brains of the entire operation."

"We'll be ready," Hercules stated definitively.

"Yeah," Twilight agreed, not as definitively.

"We should get some sleep," Rainbow Dash suggested.

"Just so long as we don't need to poke you with an Amazonian spear to get you out of bed in the morning," Applejack joked. Then goodnights were said and most retired to bed.

Zoë waited for the others to go to sleep before leaving the wing, then leaving the palace entirely.

Zoë found the Amazonian temple to Hera upon a slight hill. She walked inside, beholding the great statue of the goddess. The temple was empty; her footsteps echoed. The road to the temple was also empty. Zoë felt as though she was the only one awake that night, though there obviously had to be Amazons on guard.

"Hera," she whispered at first. Then, realizing just how alone she was, she raised her voice. "I beseech thee."

Life rushed into the statue. "Why have you called me?" Hera asked.

"I have been going over events in my mind," Zoë said. "There is a mystery surrounding Hercules, and I believe thou knowest the answer. This is the only time I've had to speak to thee."

"What sort of mystery?" Hera sounded miffed.

"At Abacus Valley, Nemesis accused Hercules of a crime: of standing upon Olympian ground while he had mortal blood within him. There is no doubt that he is the son of Zeus, but Nemesis declared him to have a mortal mother. When I met Alcmene and Amphitryon, out of curiosity, I discovered that Alcmene had birthed a child, but lost him. Iphicles. It is my suspicion that Iphicles did not go to Hades that day, but to Zeus. Thou art the one who would know whether or not this is true. Although I suppose Zeus would know, but to speak to him is practically impossible, while I know thee to listen, my goddess."

For a while, there was silence, as Zoë's hypothesis hung in the air. Then Hera sighed. "It is true. Hercules is the son of Zeus. But he is not my son."

Zoë nodded.

"He was one of many demigods Zeus fathered," Hera went on. "He took on the form of Amphitryon to conceive him with Alcmene. The Fates bestowed upon him a prophecy of an invasion of Olympus for which we would need the greatest hero ever born, and he selected Alcmene as the ideal mother for the child. Alcmene never knew because of his disguise."

Zoë drew breath sharply at the description of Zeus' deceit. Of course, it wasn't beyond him, she knew that, but it was still a terrible thing to imagine, him taking the form of someone Alcmene trusted.

"Alcmene birthed the child we needed," Hera went on, "and we brought the boy to Olympus, making it appear as though he had died on the mortal plane. He was announced as the son of Zeus and of me. It was easier for the gods to accept that their great savior was not the product of another of Zeus' scandals. And much easier for Hercules to accept that his father was incapable of anything so…immoral. Even in the name of the greater good."

"Did thou bearest ill will toward him?" Zoë asked.

"Why would you ask?"

"Because thou hast borne ill will to the other children of Zeus by mortal women," Zoë stated.

It was something that had always perplexed her: why Hera took out her anger on the demigod children, who had not chosen their fate, instead of Zeus himself. But then again, what could she do to him? He was the king of the gods. Nearly omnipotent, nearly omniscient, unbelievably strong.

It took Hera a while to answer. "I was not happy with the arrangement. But I knew what had to be done. I welcomed the child with open arms. And then he was stolen from me. Stolen by Hades, and chance put him back in the arms of the very woman who had birthed him. Perhaps it was fitting."

"Wert thou angry with Zeus?"

"Incredibly. But what could I do?"

"I thank thee for telling me the truth, Hera," Zoë said.

"Do you intend to tell Hercules?"

"Time will tell whether or not it is the right thing to reveal, your highness."

"There have been rumors, Zoë. Rumors that you love him."

"Then let there be rumors." Zoë stood. "Thou hast answered me, and I have what I need."

"Then go and make your decision."

The statue was still, but Zoë eyed it even after it had stopped moving. Then she made her way out of the temple, her thoughts flying, piecing together into a new belief.

BARDO, THE UNDERWORLD

Dark Danny appeared on the banks of the Styx. The wounds on his ghostly skin were just healing over. He materialized there on his hands and knees, gasping for air.

Hades approached him, flinching. "That bad, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it."

The two made their way to the throne room to discuss what had happened. Dark Danny related the events: he'd had the entire island of Amazon on the cusp of destruction, but a chain of coincidences involving the trading of the Celestial Bronze weapons had led to his temporary end.

"Well, at least you did some damage," Eris said, giggling as she materialized on the sill of the circular window. "It was quite a show."

Dark Danny sighed. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I'm surprised Hades hasn't exploded," Eris admitted. "I was so looking forward to seeing his anger."

"It's really more of a 'disappointment' kind of feeling," Hades related. "I mean, this was Dan the man. He didn't screw up, but all the same, he was overpowered. That doesn't look good for us. Luckily, I have one last ace to play, and no offense, Dan, but she's even stronger than you. Plus she's got two sisters you do NOT want to cross. And the last tree is far enough away that it will distract our heroes long enough for us to knock the sun down over the Grecian mainland."

"So now we've diverted from trying to kill them to merely holding them off," Eris said with a mock pout. "I didn't realize you gave up so easily."

"I am NOT giving up!" Hades raged, flaring slightly orange. "I am trying to be REASONABLE about this for once! I'm still hitting them with everything I've got. It's just that after the last five times, I kinda figured that there's a pattern with them beating my warriors. I could waste time trying to figure out their weaknesses…OR I could focus on readying everything for the finale, and if they turn up there, they won't be able to have a LICK of influence."

The doors to the throne room opened. Eris, Dark Danny, and Hades all looked at the newcomer, expecting Facilier, expecting Medusa, expecting someone they'd seen before. They saw the hooded goddess, covered in her cloak of shadows.

"Now I thought," Dark Danny said with the air of one who'd been somehow betrayed, "that THAT…" He looked from the hooded goddess to Eris. "Was HER."

"It's complicated," Hades said. He hadn't expected her to turn up. He wasn't prepared at all. "Dan, go tell Alecto to get ready for the assault on Colchis tomorrow."

"Gladly." Dark Danny pushed past the hooded goddess and left the room.

"And you. Eris," Hades commanded. "Out."

"Oh, but this is where the fun really begins," Eris laughed. "With your little deception."

"I said OUT."

With a roll of her eyes, Eris floated up, out, backward, down, and was gone from view.

"So what's the story?" Hades asked. "Actually, I was just thinking. The Colchis thing? Might be a little too close to the mainland. So I was actually wondering, and this is a long shot, could you get another batch of apples from that tree of yours? We could plant them around the world and send the brats on a wild goose chase while the real action happens between Olympus and down here."

"No, Hades," the goddess said, pointing at him. "We cannot delay them further. We must prepare for the final stage. As soon as the Furies have done their business for you, you will call them back, and we will launch our attack, sun and all."

"And why the rush?" Hades asked.

Her hood had become slightly dislodged. It wasn't as though she even needed it, with only the two in the room. But Hades still caught a glimpse of the golden hair, of the pink skin.

"Because the Hesperide suspects," Hera stated.

Chapter 56:

· Rewatching "The Ultimate Enemy," I actually have to hand it to Dark Danny. He IS more powerful than any of Echidna's children. Just the range of stuff he can do, starting with the ubiquitous ghostly wail…I feel I made the right choice in saving him for now. (But just think what that says about ALECTO…)

· Lightning Dust as an Amazon is a concept I've been wanting to play with for a long time. What I didn't expect is for her to become more sympathetic than Trixie, because in canon, the opposite is actually true. Dusty doesn't learn her lesson while Trixie repents.

· The squadrons are based on Amazonian names as they appear in different writings. Admittedly I got this list from Wikipedia, so I may be wrong if it's wrong, but all the Amazonian names are apparently from recorded myth. (With the exception of Lightning Dust, of course.)

· I have actually kind of convinced myself that Tempest in HTAS is supposed to be Penthesileia. The names sound similar – one is just way easier to pronounce. Tempest is another character I was really looking forward to seeing a few years down the road, especially after her arc in HTAS with the golden girdle.

· Why men in Amazon? For a reason I actually didn't get to explore in writing here. Maybe later. In HTAS, the Amazonian women get all the roles of men while their husbands are effeminate housewife types. Pardon me, but I LOVE that. I pity I didn't get a chance to put Tempest's dad in a cameo talking about how bay leaf spices up common dishes.

· The carnivorous plants, crocodile, giant spiders, tar pit, and sassy ceiling-crushes-you trap are all HTAS canon. The rest of the obstacles on the challenge for the girdle, I made up.

· You will note a few examples of me pulling absolute bullshit. For example, I didn't feel like making a genocide of an entire island population, so Dark Danny waited for Tempest to watch her people die. And you knew how that would end. If it makes you feel better, you can imagine there were some offscreen deaths of nameless characters. Or not.

· Also bullshitting that Celestial Bronze can hurt incorporeal beings.

· The Echthroi and their treatment is something I struggled with a lot philosophy-wise. I wasn't sure how to portray them respectfully…and then realized that we're talking about Hecate and Mozenrath here, so respecting them wouldn't matter! So, will I explore whether or not all Echthroi are really pure evil? Yes. But not here, and not with these characters.

· I rank Dementors as low on the scale of Echthros power because, as Hecate said, the people who command them are mostly politicians. Echthroi will rank higher depending on who controls them. At least that's my plan.

· The idea of Hercules secretly having been a true demigod is a concept I've ALWAYS loved to play with. It not only puts the myth back where it was and adds a dark twist, but it gives Hera back some character as the nasty one. Speaking of which…

· You all either saw that last Wham Line coming from a mile off or you spat your drinks at the screen. Hera as a villain is another idea I LOVE. The particulars of her working with Hades, how long she's been involved, and why she's even willing to go against Olympus will all be discussed later. I will say this much: NOW you understand how they got Nemesis on the team.

· In the meantime, though I don't think I can play any of it here, this entire setup has gotten me liking any ship combo of Hades/Alecto/Dark Danny. No, that was not relevant to anything.