Rainbow Dash galloped down the streets, even as she instructed her listening artificial program.

"Tank, evac anyone south of Bale Street, notify first responders and medics, get Nurse Red Heart down here ASAP."

T.A.N.K responded immediately. "Will do, Awesome Dash." The appropriate information flowed into her ear, relevant where necessary, filtered where not, as she just gazed up at the invading alien menace, trying to discern what tech she could employ against it. It was anarchy. Though there was no sign of an actual attack just yet, the vessel was stirring up such destruction just by being there, it easily brought to mind the same sort of attack Appebloom had led 5 years ago.

Getting behind her, Discord conjured up a spell, throwing up his hands, sending a huge gust of air back at the encroaching winds. Almost immediately, the whole area died down and calmed, the air stilling. Discord gave Rainbow Dash a wink, smug in his superior spellcrafting.

She rolled her eyes, but silently thanking him.

And they begin approaching the ship, there was a flash of light, and then the ship had dropped down a column of light. And when it faded away, two new ponies stood in the middle of the street. Obviously some sort of short-range teleportation. They weren't your typical ponies, either. Both were on the larger side, but one was simply enormous. Easily as big as Fluttershy's alter ego, he was toweringly big, huge forelocks, mighty shoulders, and a muzzle full of sharpened teeth that looked more appropriate on a wolf than a pony. His horn was a curved, red instrument of destruction. This was Considius.

Standing beside him was an earth pony, even though he was an earth pony, Dash could see pegasus wings behind him. His coat was all black. He was small, though not nearly tall as his counterpart. Discord quickly knew who this is. It was Sombra.

"Hear me," he spoke, his voice measured and controlled. "I am Sombra, Headmaster of the Black Order, Herald of Tirek. Rejoice, for you are about to perish at the hooves of the Children of Tirek. Be thankful... that your meaningless lives will now contribute..."

Rainbow Dash, having heard more than enough, cut him off. "I'm sorry, Equestria is closed today. You have to take back your ship and get lost. Now"

Unused to being interrupted, Sombra raised an eyebrow, then looked over to Discord. It was obvious enough he bore the Element of Kindness, and thus to him alone he would deign to speak.

"Element Bearer... does this witless fool speak for you?" He asked, with a wave of his not-natural feathered wings, indicating Rainbow Dash. The Iron Mare frowned, already not liking this male more and more by the minute.

"Certainly not, I speak for myself," Discord said, rubbing his hands together, it creates a spark of magic. A cerulean ring of glowing runes encircled both his fists. "You are trespass in this city and on this planet. You will leave now."

"Meaning get lost!" Rainbow Dash added.

"Yeah!" Fluttershy said defiantly. Then, when Considius's cold gaze fell on her, meekly added: "pretty please?"

"They exhaust me," Sombra complained to his counterpart. Considius growled darkly, stomping the ground with his front hooves.

"Bring me the Element."

Already thirsting for a fight and eager to obey such a command, he started forward, ready to crush all four of them into so many smears on the pavement. The ground seemed to shake as Considius stomped forward, taking his time of it. Let them see their doom coming.

The best way to battle a brute like him was with an equally powerful creature, so Rainbow Dash glanced back at Fluttershy. "Flutters, you want this one?"

Trying to hide under her pink mane, Fluttershy shook her head. "Uhm, no, not really..." she said, then drew in a deep breath, conquered her fears, and let her anger come to the fore. "But I guess I have no choice really..."

"It's alright, Shy... you've got this," Dash said convincingly, trying to comfort her. "It's good to have you back."

"Uhm..."

Glancing back at her friend, Rainbow Dash frowned as she watched Fluttershy doing her darndest to get mad... but seemingly failing to 'hulk out' as the fillies were saying these days. Like flexing a muscle, she'd start to turn, bulk up a fraction or so, then release it whenever she stopped holding her breath. It would have seemed adorable... if they weren't being approached by a walking incarnation of destruction.

"Fluttershy, what's wrong? Where's the other mare?"

"I... I don't know..." she replied. "We uh... we've kinda been having a thing lately." She didn't really want to delve into the details right now.

"We don't have time for a thing!" Dash reminded her. "That's a thing, right there!"

Punctuating her remark, Considius swatted aside a chunk of debris as he began to pick up speed, snarling darkly.

She let out a groan of frustration but nothing come out. Discord, who was beside them, look back and forth between the two mares and shake his head.

"Flutters, you're embarrassing yourself in front of your future husband"

"What?" Both Discord and Fluttershy said. Fluttershy's face beat red while Discord gave her a glare, his face warmed up a bit.

Focusing on what she was supposed to be doing, she kept trying but was met with an equal lack of success. "I'm sorry!" Fluttershy protested. "It's like like I can't, or she won't, or-!"

Rainbow Dash swiftly lay a wing over her panicking comrade, gently ushering her back. "Hey, hey, it's okay, really... you, watch her!" she commanded Doctor Whooves, who nodded. Fluttershy scampered behind the wizard as Rainbow Dash took the fore, tapping a hoof against the plate of armor covering her left hooves. Instantly the armor broke apart, spreading, nanomachines spreading out as magical energy flowed through the metal, encasing Rainbow Dash in bright red steel. In mere moments, Rainbow Dash had become the Iron Mare. The Iron Mare Mark VIII or the more awesome name she called: ThunderDash.

Considius loped forward, then picked up his speed further to a charge, snarling as he closed on Rainbow Dash. But she was more than ready, flaring out her metal-covered wings. Each tip had a miniature star designed into the metal, and the magic built up and flowed from each of them and towards her chest as she reared up on her hind legs. Seconds before Considius reached her, a burst of intense magical energy shot forth and bowled over the pony, sending him flying through the air towards his smaller counterpart.

For his part, Sombra barely flicked a wing, telekinetically knocking Considius off course so he would be spared while he crashed into a nearby deli. He didn't even flinch.

"Fool," He muttered.

He threw a wing forward, feathers spread, and directed her next attack at Rainbow Dash, knocking the Iron Mare into the sky. Rainbow Dash swung around and flew into the fray, shooting blasts of energy from her armored wings. Sombra deflected, uprooting tree branches and building blocks to both attacks and defend, making the whole landscape hazardous. Doctor Whooves stepped forward, conjuring up a shield to protect himself, his mentor, and Fluttershy. Discord glanced back at her, but she still wasn't transforming, either unwilling or unable to summon the hulk. As such, she was only so much dead weight, and the Master Of the Strangeness needed to get her out of there.

"Miss Fluttershy, if your large friend won't be joining us," He said, aiming his left hand at her, he made a circling motion on his right one.

A portal opened up underneath Fluttershy, and she went crashing through, barely managing to flare out her wings before she landed rump first in the middle of the nearby park. Away from danger.

Now she's out of danger, they turn their attention on the threat in front of them. Discord made a slicing motion with both of his hands to cast his spell. Just as his spell almost completed, Rainbow Dash comes between them and shot a laser beam at Sombra.

Sombra just lifted his wings and the beam splits into two, destroying two cars beside him.

"We gotta get that element out of here"

"It stays with me" Discord insisted on keeping the element with him.

"Exactly. Bye" She charges at Sombra, avoiding pieces of buildings that were being thrown at her.

Sombra moves his head slightly as Considius threw a car at her, smacking the armored mare aside, then following it up with a mighty charge that knocked both of them clear through a building and out onto the other side. They crashed down into the middle of Golden Oak park, Considius smashing into a carriage and knocking it over, while Rainbow Dash rolled to her hooves and flared out her wings.

Fluttershy poked her head out from behind a tree, watching the battle as it continued to unfold, unsure of what to do.

"Fluttershy, I could really use some backup!" Rainbow Dash called out to her, even as she dodged to avoid another blow from Considius's claws. He picked up a carriage with it and threw it over their heads, smashing into the side of a building.

"I'm trying! Honestly, I'm trying!" she proclaimed.

Rainbow Dash nodded, well aware her friend would never try to hold herself back with others in danger like this. Catching sight of danger, she streaked forward, knocking Fluttershy out of the way of a dark crystal shard meant to impale her, and then swung around for another blast of elemental magic at Considius, who deflected it with a crystal shield. The reflected energy instead sliced through tree branches, knocking more than a few down on Fluttershy as she cringed fearfully.

"Flutterhulk, please! Please, we need you! Come out! PLEASE!"

For a brief moment, half of Fluttershy's face was that of the Flutterhulk, dark yellow and huge, saying the word "NO!" Before she was returned to her shy character.

"What do you mean no?! Why?!"

_______________________________________

When it came to geniuses, few compared to Rainbow Dash. She'd mastered complex air stunt before she was out of the Wonderbolt. Dissected and re-worked difficult algorithms in an afternoon. Read difficult times on advanced mechanics. For fun. Heck, she even masters spells and counterspells that was not possible for a pegasus. And all of that genius had been poured into her latest, greatest armor, the Iron Mare Mark VIII.

Even so, she was having a hard time keeping up with Considius, who was physically stronger, tougher, and seemed to be even faster than his massive bulk would suggest. He shrugged off her attacks and battered her out of the air each time she came around for another swing. Energy attacks that would tear through three-inch steel armor plating he let slide off his back like so much rainwater. Unstoppable Force had met Immovable Object, and it was only a matter of time before one was bound to give.

Eventually, it was her. A massive swing of a hoof the size of her head swatted her out of the sky and sent her crashing through a tree, shattering into kindling. While uninjured, she was stunned by the blow, and Considius took advantage of this to stomp the ground and conjure up some dark crystals, which engulfed her body in sharp spikes. She would break free, but it would take her a minute.

And he wasn't giving her a minute.

Considius charged forward with a horrible roar, his blood red claws about to impale Rainbow Dash...

... when it came to a sudden jarring halt.

Interposed between the two was a young mare little better than a colt, who held off the shadowy monster pony with her bare hoof. A familiar looking mare in red and blue spandex and a web themed prevalent across her entire uniform.

"Hey there," she greeted nonchalantly. Then, glancing over her shoulder, made sure the Iron Mare was alright. "What's up, Miss Dash?"

Instantly recognizing the Spider-Stallion, albeit surprised she was here, Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped behind her faceplate. "Kid, what're you doing here?"

"Field trip to Canterlot," she started to explain until Considius seized her with his magic and hurled her aside, resuming his assault on Iron Mare. Fortunately, the precious few seconds had given Rainbow Dash time to escaped, and she blasted him with a fuschia wave of energy that sent him reeling.

"Uh, what's this pony's problem, Miss Dash?" asked Scootaloo as she swung around for another pass.

How to sum up all that had transpired thus far? Rainbow Dash did her best to do succinctly. "Uh, he's from space. He came here to steal a necklace from a wizard"

_______________________________________

Wings fully extending, the earth pony with pegasus wings levitated up a number of bricks from the streets below. A flicker of his feathers and each was weathered down to sharp spikes of stone. Another flick and they went hurtling towards the two wizards standing against him. He was undoubtedly very strong.

But their teamwork is better. Using his magic, Discord picked up a piece of metal and looked at his companion. Knowing what he was about to do, he does the same and both of them change the two piece of metal into a U-shaped slide.

The spikes heads towards discord, hit the slide and exited on the opposite direction Doctor Whooves was holding, that was aimed toward Sombra.

Knowing his planned backfire, he grabbed up a carriage with his mind to block the spikes, catching more than a half dozen, but one streaked past and struck the side of his head, drawing blood. He snarled angrily. A flick of his wing and a fire hydrant burst from the ground, slamming into Doctor Whooves and knocking him back.

Seconds later, Sombra was caught by a magical rope and was flying through the air. Discord caught him but the pony was vastly stronger and had the advantage of the momentum. Discord tried to roll and throw him off, but he rolled with him and flung both of them upside down into a wall. Then, before he could respond with his magic, The bricks in the wall began to roll over Discord, trapping him against it. Holding him secure.

He looked at Sombra. "I didn't know you were this kinky Sombra," He said.

"Your tricks are quaint, honey" Sombra taunted smugly, adding his own not-so-sexy voice.

"You must be popular with children."

His hoof reached out to claim the Eye of Kindness around the sorceress' neck, but it flared with bright amethyst energy, forcing Sombra to recoil in pain.

Now it was Discord's turn to be smug. "Aww did it hurt honey?" He was about to poke him but remembered his current situation. "It's a simple spell, but quite unbreakable."

"Then I'll tear it off your corpse," Sombra proclaimed venomously, grabbing Discord by his collar and hurling him to the ground.

Hitting a car and rolling a few away from him, Discord got on his knees and spread his arms, conjure up the power of the element to be used on Sombra. Before he could cast the spell, he was restrained by metal cables courtesy of Sombra. He fights with his might but the cables were too strong, forcing him to cancel the spell he was about to cast.

He was getting hard to breathe, as one of the coil advancing menacingly wrapped around Discord's throat, threatening to break his neck as it tightened.

He saw Sombra hovering above him and said: "You'll find... removing a dead man's spell... troublesome..." He choked out.

Sombra glared. "You'll only wish you were dead," he promised. He tightens the cable around Discord's throat enough to stop air from entering.

The Master of The Strangeness passed out, unable to breathe, and Sombra levitated a chunk of the ground to carry him. It might have seemed as if he was finally in possession of his goal, but Discord wasn't out of tricks just yet. And neither was the Cloak of Levitation. It flexed, loosening the restraints, then took off flying, carrying Discord easily despite him still being unconscious.

"No!"

Sombra flared out his wings and took off in pursuit like a bat out of hell, snarling dangerously.

_______________________________________

Their pursuit through the skies of Ponyville did not go unnoticed, as the Cloak flew Discord right past Rainbow and Scootaloo's life or death struggle with Considius.

"Kid, that's the magician, go!"

"On it, Miss Dash!" she replied, shooting out a web line and giving pursuit. Sombra surged past, fanning his wings with a practiced, even casual ease. He didn't even bother to look back as he threw a telekinetic wave to knock a billboard at Scootaloo. She flipped gracefully over it and continued to follow. Sombra furiously flung everything at the cloaked sorceress speeding away from him, knocking over lamp posts and tearing up streets for material, until finally one of them caught the tail end of the Cloak of Levitation. It dropped Discord... web link slung out and grabbed him in mid-air, saving him from a nasty collision in the streets.

"Gotcha!" proclaimed Scootaloo. She proceeded to bring him in, anxious to get as far away from these ponies as possible. Alas, such was not to be.

A beam of light shot down from the alien vessel far overhead, at the command of Sombra. He was not going to lose his prize now. Discord was drawn upwards, and unable to find proper purchase on another surface, Scootaloo the Spider Mare was quickly yanked up after him

"Uh, Miss Dash! This elevator is going up!"

"Hold on!" she replied, locked in horn-to-horn combat with Considius. His greater strength eventually threw her off. The great brute of a unicorn kicked her aside with his hind leg and then stomped the ground as he turned. Black crystals erupted out of the ground where Rainbow Dash fell, pinning her in place. Grinning, he charged her way, intent to impale her on his horns. He leaped...!

... and fell through a portal opened clean in his path by Doctor Whooves, falling out the other side in the frozen wastes at the northernmost pole of Equestria. Snarling, Considius turned back to the still open portal and charged towards it, but Doctor Whooves timed his spell perfectly, and cut it closed seconds before Considius's head fit through. Fluttershy scampered backward as the tip of the claw landed dangerously close to her hooves, kicking it away from her.

Rainbow Dash burst out of the black crystals. "Whooves, you just got yourself invited to my wedding!" she declared, then flapped her wings and shot into the sky, using the boosters on her hind hooves to give her more speed. It didn't take her long to catch up with the ship, though it was already climbing higher in the atmosphere, and she could still see Scootaloo clinging to the side. That would be problematic.

"T.A.N.K, unlock 17-A."

The command confirmed by T.A.N.K triggering a remote controlled suit of her own special design to be launched from Rainbow Tower, speeding past Rainbow Dash herself and up into the sky, homing in on the Spider Stallion Scootaloo.

"Kid, let go," she instructed. "I'm going to catch you."

"But you said to save the wizard!" She protested, her voice already strained. Unable to breathe, she yanked off his mask, which did little to help. The air was too thin. "I can't breathe...!"

"You're too high!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Most pegasus doesn't even go this high, there's no atmosphere to breathe!"

Scootaloo nodded dimly, clinging to the side of the ship with one hand. "Yeah, that makes sense..."

In an instant, she let go... not so much because she wanted to, but because she literally couldn't hold on any longer. As she fell, Dash's invention sped past, slapping onto her back. Nanomachines and finely woven spells wrapped over her in a fine layer until she was covered in a new, sleeker Spider-Stallion suit, one that even featured built-in breathers for high altitude. Deftly flipping end-over-end on an instinctive level, Scootaloo landed on all fours as she took in a deep breath.

"Wow... Miss Dash, it smells like a new carriage in here!" She breathed out in amazement.

She sped past him on her rockets, pausing long enough to give her a nod. "Good job kid, T.A.N.K send her home"

"Okay"

A parachute suddenly being deployed behind her. "Oh come-!" She didn't finish her words before she was yanked off the ship.

Dash quickly lashed on the ship, adjusting her wing settings, she fired a concentrated red laser from the tip to tear a triangular hole in the surface. With the vessel now open, she climbed inside, looking for which way Sombra and his captive Discord might have gone.

T.A.N.K chimed in at the moment. "Message for you, ma'am."

"What, now?" Of all the times...

"It's young Master Soarin."

Oh right, Soarin. In all the excitement, Rainbow Dash had almost forgotten all about her fiancee. Awkward. She retracted her faceplate and blushed softly as she pressed a hoof to her ear, trying to hear better.

"Soarin? You there?"

"I'm here," he replied, his voice coming through muffled and slightly static-y. Must have been interference from the ship. Or the altitude. Or both.

"Soarin, you're coming in a little distorted... uhm... look, I'm sorry about this, but we miiiiight have to reschedule our tonight's dinner."

"Why?"

She looked around the vessel, alien and ominous looking. "I'm... going to have to take a little trip..."

"You're on that ship, aren't you?"

"Kinda, uh... yeah," Dash replied.

"Look, I know you've got a job to do just... please be careful, Dash-... Dash-..."

The transmission was fading out. "Tank?"

T.A.N.K voice wasn't much clearer, since his phylactery was located in of Rainbow Tower, and wasn't designed for multi-planetary dispersal. In seconds, there was nothing but static. Angrily, Rainbow turned it off. It was just them now.

"Alright," she said, snapping her faceplate back down. "Let's go save the magician."

_______________________________________

Meanwhile outside, Scootaloo's parachute somehow manages to stick on the ship. Ditching the parachute, She quickly climbs up on an opening of what she could describe as its landing gear. As the compartment of the landing gear begins to close itself. She could only think of one thing only...

"I should have stayed at the bus..."

_______________________________________

With the battle over and the enemy ship retreating, Fluttershy made her way back to the wreckage to search for the wizards. She found Doctor Whooves just climbing to his hooves, shaking off a nasty headache. But no sign of the Iron Mare, or his companion. She did, however, brush aside a few loose stones to reveal a flip phone that has a star marking on the surface. It was Rainbow Dash's phone. The one she was going to use to contact Twilight. Glancing up, Fluttershy saw a glowing orange portal of magic, and the Doctor trotting halfway through it.

"Where are you going?" asked Fluttershy.

"Oh, uh..." he started, pausing to look at the mare. "The Tower is unprotected, so if Discord isn't coming back I need to protect it. I'm sorry. What're you going to do? Can I help?"

A whine formed in the back of her throat, but Fluttershy barely caught it before it escaped her lips. She didn't want to sound quite so needy, but she was rapidly running out of friends, Tirek was still coming, and without the Hulk, she was starting to feel very alone and very vulnerable. She did have one option left, however. "I guess I'm going to make a call," she replied.

The Doctor nodded, and the gateway closed behind him as he vanished. Fluttershy gently pressed a hoof on the call button.

"Hey, Twilight... uh... it's me," she began timidly.