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Welcome to MLP-Comics-Universe, a group dedicated to all things and everything from the MLP IDW world, as well as anything else comics.

If you've ever enjoyed the story arcs such as: "Nightmare Moon", "The Return of Queen Chrysalis" and "Reflections", or the micro/Friends forever series, then this group is for you! Make sure to read the group info, and we hope you enjoy your visit and or stay. ;)

Ever been curious about the My Little Pony comics? Is your store missing that issue you've always wanted? Check out this website, and have the whole catalog at your finger tip- er, your computer screen. :D


newlunarrepublic.fr/livres/


If you wish another folder for a specific arc, just contact me or our founder. - Johesy :)
Hey all!

Just wanted to say that our founder, Brillonsloup, is taking a temporary hiatus from the group, as she is currently not feeling well. Please wish her all the best as she overcomes her sickness. :aww:

On the other hand, Saturday, May 7th is Free Comic Book Day. A prime time to get your hands on the latest (and any you missed) MLP issues, and comics in general. Be ready to raid your local comic book store next weekend.

Here's the details:
www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/…

Happy Reading!
-Johesy
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nightmare rarity by spirovefrfrv
Broken Hearts and Shattered Hopes by skodadav
Alternate Luna by Pirill-Poveniy
Because You Believed in Me by InuHoshi-to-DarkPen
Nightmare Rarity Story Arc
Nightmare Rarity by Darksly-z
Nightmare Rarity - Speedpaint by WhiteQuartzTheArtist
MLP Comic Redraw-Rarity's Transformation by Faith-Wolff
Cnquered by Shadows by AssertiveShyPony
Reflections Story Arc
Princess Trixie-Flash Animation Style by CreativityAgent99
Humble Trixie by Melisareb
Evil Sisters by PoniesSucks
{MLP} - (Sombra and Radiant Hope) - Rest by Selena9966
Neigh Anything Story Arc
Meant to Be by raritylover152
Making a Comeback by EmeraldBlast63
Quantum Fail by Pony-Berserker
At The Mall : Color Version by lonewolf3878
Zen and The Art of Gazebo Repair Story Arc
Infatuation. by Neros1990
So you love Big MacIntosh, fleetfoot ? by Nyastraaaaaa
Commission:  I saw him first! by AleximusPrime
BigFoot by Underpable
My Little Pirate Friendship Ahoy Story Arc
Fluttershy and Gil by Cartoon-Eric
After the Fact: Friendship Ahoy by MLP-Silver-Quill
Corial Reef by Eeveewhite97
Pirate Hoofbeard MLP by KorakDuHart
MLP Comic Inspired Crafts
Flag of Abyssinia by Thurnisu
Nightmare Rarity by yumenoAMIDA
MLP Nightmare Rarity Plush (commission) by Little-Broy-Peep
Sombra and Radiant Hope by krowzivitch
Fiendship Is Magic
Destiny Fulfilled by KaijuCadpig
Princess Amore-Flash Animation Style by CreativityAgent99
Emperor Incintatus-Flash Animation Style by CreativityAgent99
Gaiman-Flash Animation Style by CreativityAgent99
Comic Ponies and Characters
Krumple Horn's Shadow by AndoAnimalia
Temperance Flowerdew-Flash Animation Style by CreativityAgent99
Rainu (Rainbow Dash X Danu) by CreativityAgent99
Just Doin' a Little Shoppin', Sugar by CreativityAgent99
Literature
Grogar Summons Other Villains chapter 8The Western side of Equestria, besides the great desert in the South, had several forests. There, even mountains were green from the trees growing on them. Unlike the desolation in Eastern Equestria, the western shore also had cities and towns. Another notable difference was that in the middle, it continued beyond the pony maps, into a territory called "the Undiscovered West". Named for how it should have remained. For beyond the lush forests and pony lands, a realm of scorched wastelands could be found. In that kingdom, a large army, consisting mostly of centaurs, gargoyles and similar monsters, was marching towards Equestria. Those soldiers were led by a house-sized centaur-like creature. His lower half was that of a giant dark blue scorpion with wings. The upper body wore matching plate armor. While his visible skin seemed orange. That entity had antlers, similar to those of moose and reindeer. Between them laid a sturdy crown. On his back, there was a cape made from a gargoyle. Meanwhile, various creatures, mostly ponies, filled the streets of Equestria's towns and cities. They were hugging each other and cheering. In one hospital bed slept a yellow mare with short purple hair. She moved while twitching — "Ow! Aaow! What's that sound? Ow!" "It's the sound of celebration. Every pony, every creature, who died in the dragon attack has been returned to life. Many are overjoyed to see each other." — answered a different voice. It came out of the mouth of an armored white unicorn with a red mane. "Ow! Albi-ow! Albion? Is that really you?" — said the twitching mare. She turned towards him. The armored white unicorn smiled and approached that hospital bed — "Yes, Diamond Hoof, I'm here. And you are alive. That is worth celebrating here." The yellow mare with short purple hair got out of bed. She opened the wide window and looked outside before asking — "At this height, if I jumped out to hit the ground head-first, would I break my neck and die quickly?" "What?!" — gasped Albion. His friend rushed out of the window — "Let's hope so." Blue mist engulfed the falling yellow mare. That power brought her back to a hospital bed right next to Albion. His horn was glowing in a similar color — "The hospital staff barely managed to keep you alive… Why are you trying to end your life?" Diamond Hoof grabbed onto the white unicorn, bending the yellow armor with her strength — "I saw him, Albion... I saw the monstrous and magnificent entity I was told about... Ow! That mechanical monstrosity radiated unnatural terror... Even undead and elementals, literally fearless entities, were overwhelmed by panic." While breathing heavily, that mare began to weep — "I can't endure the fear inside me… I just can't… Sorry… the memories of that glare are making it hard to live… Albion, please end my life… Please…" "No. But I will be here for my friend. Things can get better. Things will get better. Starlight recovered. So you will recover too." — replied the armored white unicorn while hugging Diamond Hoof — "Please have hope. Equestria needs you." "Sorry, Albion… I really don't want to be alive anymore… what if I try to kill myself in battle? That would endanger our comrades… Equestria doesn't need that…" — said the strong yellow mare with short purple hair — "I should have died when I saw that magnificent terror… as fear rushed into me, I felt all my bones crack… my life was fading away…" "But you survived! We are talking, right now, because you are still alive." — replied the armored white stallion with a red mane — "And that should continue. So you could keep using your great strength to help others. Your father would be proud." "I wish he was here… I wish he would hug me and say that everything will be alright…" — the unicorn's friend spoke while hugging him — "However, the magnificent terror makes heroism not worth it… sorry… I won't be able to endure such dreadful presence again…" "Diamond Hoof, you are strong and brave." — said Albion — "You can conquer your fears! I believe in you." "The terror that ruined me wasn't like a sense of danger… It is not similar to my greatest fear…" — The yellow mare sighed — "Nor to being stuck in magical nightmares… I'm glad you don't understand… now please let me die..." "You're right… I do not understand… but I also don't want to lose my friend!" — replied the armored white unicorn with a red mane — "There are many who care about you. Please remain alive for us! Please…" "Albion, I don't think I can… That mechanical monstrosity is too scary for me to live…" — said Diamond Hoof. Her friend hugged her closer to himself — "I'm sorry you experienced such dread. We shouldn't have sent you through the portal." "I do not regret going through it… Starlight and Stygian were saved… Grogar's lair and army were destroyed, I broke that ram's frontal hooves." — smiled the yellow mare with short purple hair. Albion asked — "Were there any other recent things you don't regret?" "Sleeping! I had a pretty cool dream." — his friend answered — "It was uniquely realistic. Everything moved in real time. The strangest thing was my full awareness. But the dream didn't become lucid. Instead, it was like watching a movie." "Oh, and what was that "movie" about?" — asked the armored white stallion with red mane. Soon came an answer — "At first, it seemed like some sort of celebration. Maybe a gala? I wore a pretty dress. After noticing a dark unicorn mare with bushy blue hair, I attacked her." "Seems rather aggressive. A soldier should have better control over their emotions." — frowned Albion. Diamond Hoof nodded — "Yeah. Perhaps that mare was incredibly evil? However, she seemed worried for two other ponies." "Did that unicorn use bystanders as shields?" — asked her friend. The yellow mare with short purple hair replied — "From what I saw, no. She fought like a talented civilian. We managed to ruin our dresses. While watching that dream, I saw myself use a part of life force called ki." She extended her hoof forward. Soon that part of her began to glow yellow. Diamond Hoof's eyes widened — "Woah! That is so cool! Albion look, my hoof is glowing like in the dream!" "Huh, interesting. This could be useful. Perhaps it was more than a dream? What else happened?" — asked the armored white unicorn with red mane. His friend answered — "Well, our fight ended in a collision, launching us away from each other. After that, celebration noises woke me up." "Some ponies say that dreams connect us to alternative versions of ourselves. This could be one of such situations." — said Albion. Diamond Hoof opened her mouth, then quickly closed it. Her eyes began to glow white. "Wait… the Tree of Harmony is showing something to me. I can see… Celestia and Luna fighting that mechanical monstrosity!" — she said — "Through great struggle, they turned him into a statue. Then that magnificent and monstrous entity shattered. Yes!" In the same town, but much further away, there was a street full of ponies celebrating. Suddenly, out of the air, large black and yellow flames erupted. They had the height of a house. The nearby stallions and mares stopped dancing. In front of them stood a giant, muscular, black and red centaur. He had a long white beard. His horns, like those of bulls, were even longer and black. They began to glow orange. A similar energy orb formed between the centaur's horns. The ground began to melt, acting almost like water. Sinking and boiling ponies screamed. Their manes burst into flames. "Ahahaha! It is nice to hear you ponies suffer!" — said the centaur. He rushed through a building. Then another one and another one, until a whole line of structures was pierced. All of them crumbled. Ponies who could, were running away. The centaur's mouth opened wide. Out of mares and stallions, energies flew inside, increasing the monster's size. Affected ponies collapsed and became strengthless. Their colors dimmed. A volley of iron spears hit the centaur like a furious rain. Upon impact, each one got dull. "Awww, you still think you can defend yourselves? Pathetic!" — yelled the giant black and red monster. The door of Albion's and Diamond Hoof's room slammed open. An armored light purple pegasus rushed in — "Lord Tirek has been spotted attacking this town." "Together with the local firefighters, you two should focus on rescuing and evacuating the civilians." — said the white unicorn with a red mane — "Diamond Hoof, use Grogar's bell to make portals. But be careful. That centaur might be looking for that artifact." "Yes sir!" — both mares saluted him. The light purple pegasus flew out of the window. She saved ponies from falling rubble. Colorful winged lizards, two times bigger than stallions, were pulling civilians out of the boiling ground. They also freed those who were trapped by ruins. Rescued but wounded creatures were brought further away. There, unicorns in white coats magically healed them. The giant muscular centaur rushed towards that place. High in the sky, a large cloud became an ice structure. It fell in front of the red and black monster. But the centaur continued to fly, shattering the frozen cloud. An enormous wave of fire pushed him back. That power came from the mouths of four teenage dragons. Other colorful winged lizards threw chunks of rubble at the monster. A piece of brick wall fell into the centaur's mouth. He munched it like a large cookie. Pegasi squads were flying around and taking civilians further away. Suddenly orange lights engulfed all those ponies. That energy brought them closer to the centaur. Their bodies shielded him. Seeing this, dragons stopped their attacks. The giant muscular monster punched the ground, causing a white shock wave. All pegasi and colorful winged lizards around him were knocked down. The trees were uprooted. Nearby buildings trembled. Great stone spikes emerged under every laying dragon, smashing into them. Then the centaur opened his mouth wide. Out of nearby dragons and ponies, energies rushed out. But before that power could reach the monster's mouth, a frozen cloud smacked into him with an explosion. Orange energy released the pegasi and young dragons. Most of them fled helping other civilians evacuate. A sword with a light blue blade flew towards the centaur. That weapon shone blue, like the horn of a nearby armored white unicorn with red mane. By trying to stab the monster, the sword got bent. Blue magic kept using that weapon to cut the centaur. However, each strike only blunted the blade. Albion spoke — "Lord Tirek, leave this town. Or I will turn you into a mouse!" "Oh really? Hahaha! Little unicorn, I don't think you understand whom you're up against." — smiled the giant muscular monster. The armored white unicorn stood firm. His horn fired a blue beam at Lord Tirek, engulfing the centaur. Albion's magic tried to change the monster's size and shape. But the centaur inhaled all that power and got slightly bigger. Lord Tirek began approaching the armored white unicorn — "As expected, pathetic display of "power". For that, I will beat you into a bloody mush." Diamond Hoof's friend shot him repeatedly. The centaur crushed each beam into a ball before devouring them. But when that monster tried to grab the last one, ice encased him. The frost layer grew from Albion's beam. Soon a whole hill of ice formed. It was so thick that the centaur couldn't be seen. Then the top of that ice hill began to glow orange, melting the whole frost structure. Breaking out of it, Tirek said — "Neat trick, but this won't save you again." "Who said I'll need saving from you?" — asked the armored white unicorn with red mane. Orange light brought him closer to the giant muscular monster. Between Albion and Tirek appeared several pillars. With a wave of his hand, the centaur shattered them into powder. "Sarion…" — he sighed. Slightly further stood a humanoid taller than a pony, but significantly shorter than a teenage dragon. He wore a fancy red cloak and had long purple hair. His skin was light blue. Around the neck, there was a necklace with a golden cross. That humanoid held a large two-sided poleaxe. He nodded — "Yes, we meet again, Tirek... I saw how you attacked this town. Tremble in horror. Time has come for your execution!" With those words, two pairs of dark wings formed on Sarion's back. Almost like a fired arrow, he flew to decapitate the centaur. Upon contact, the weapon deformed. Vibrations forced the humanoid to release the handle. The giant muscular monster's head smacked into Sarion, launching him into a brick wall. Something similar to a dark and monstrous pegasus attacked the centaur. With each hit or bite, that creature only damaged its own hooves and mouth. Soon the thestral crippled itself. "We allowed you and your pet to escape. But this time, you won't be so lucky." — said Tirek as he swatted away that dark and monstrous horse. Sarion was bloody. He trembled standing up. The thestral's body healed quickly. The dark and monstrous horse rushed to the humanoid. Sarion hugged the thestral's head. His steed began to magically heal him. Through bloody coughs, the humanoid spoke — "Thank you Bartholomew… But you know how I like pain." A white shock wave smashed them both into a brick wall. Then orange lights engulfed Sarion and his thestral. That power brought them closer to the centaur. The humanoid was wounded even more than before. Sarion reached towards Lord Tirek. Out of the humanoid's hand rushed a white thread with a blue glow. It instantly wrapped around the giant centaur. But the monster moved and the thread was torn apart, disappearing like an extinguished flame. "What?! Impossible! The thread of life is unbreakable!" — shouted Sarion. He was shaken. Lord Tirek smiled — "Not to my strength." Behind him, four teenage dragons opened their mouths. Out of them, waves of fire rushed out. Those flames smashed the centaur further away into the ground. Orange energy released Bartholomew, Sarion and Albion. The white unicorn's beam froze the giant muscular monster. A new ice hill formed. The red and black centaur broke out of it. Outside that town, civilians were rushing through a yellow spiral surrounded by small black clouds. Near them, in a cyan flash, a group of ponies appeared. One of them was a pale pink unicorn mare. Her mane was purple with a teal line in the middle. That pony wore a dark gray amulet with a red gem. Around the jewel, there was a pair of wings and a one-horned horse's head. The pale pink mare disappeared in a cyan flash before returning in a similar way with a group of civilians. After doing that multiple times, she said — "I think that this is the last group. All of the other buildings are empty." "Then after they evacuate, we can go fight Lord Tirek." — replied Diamond Hoof. That yellow mare with short purple hair had a rope around her neck. Attached to it was a green stone bell. The other pony asked — "Diamond Hoof, are you sure you will be able to?" "Yeah, I'm feeling much better now." — nodded the yellow mare with short purple hair. Soon they were alone. The magical spiral faded away. Both mares disappeared in a cyan flash, appearing on a tall building. An enormous orange beam collided against a huge wave of fire. The centaur was approaching the squad of dragons. With each step, his hooves made deep holes in the ground. From a side, Sarion kept trying to use the thread of life to hinder Tirek. The pale pink unicorn mare began teleporting around him. With each appearance, she fired a great cyan beam at the centaur. Most often it was his face. But the neck, bellies, sides, shoulders, back and other parts also got shot. One cyan bolt missed. That energy quickly went beyond the sky and rushed through the cosmos. It destroyed many asteroids of various sizes. In another star system, the cyan power bolt pierced a massive solid planet. In a blink of an eye, the explosion of that world reached its moons. Albion's armor had melted on him. That unicorn was magickless and strengthless. The teleporting mare brought him further from the giant muscular centaur. While magically healing Diamond Hoof's friend, she spoke — "Lord Tirek is a lot stronger than I ever imagined. Even with the alicorn amulet, I can't harm him." "None of us can. But we won't give up!" — replied Albion — "Since you are here, it means that the civilians have been evacuated. So it was worth it to keep that centaur busy." Between the orange beam and the wave of fire, a yellow spiral appeared. It was surrounded by small black clouds. Out of that spiral, Diamond Hoof rushed towards Lord Tirek. She punched the centaur's abs, causing a white and black explosion. The monster was pushed away and got slightly smaller. The grounds shivered and cracked. Nearest buildings moved before falling. Then the yellow mare with short purple hair looked at her hoof — "Aaow! That hurts so much! Ow!" Despite the pain, she hit Tirek again and again. Each punch decreased the centaur's size. They also caused earthquakes and shock waves, shaking the whole town. The flames from four dragons pushed the centaur further. But that fire couldn't touch the yellow mare. Soon Lord Tirek was less muscular and only four times the height of a pony. His horns were in a similar shape, but the beard got shorter. On the centaur's wrists appeared bracelets. Because of the earthquakes, most of the town was in ruins. "Uuugh! Ah… Aaow! Ow! Hurts so much… Ow! Ah… Hgggn! Aow! Ow! Ah… ow!" — groaned Diamond Hoof while on the ground hugging herself. Her frontal hooves were bloody. The large and muscular centaur was approaching — "Are you done yet?" When that monster was close enough, the yellow mare jumped and grabbed the white beard. She began to quickly punch his face repeatedly until her leg broke. Tirek's height now only tripled that of a pony. Albion's friend screamed — "AAGH! AAOW! OW! AH… OW!" A white thread with blue glow wrapped around the muscular centaur. Cyan energy engulfed him and became solid. The monster struggled and grunted before breaking out — "I'm still NOT WEAK ENOUGH TO BE HARMED BY ANY OF YOU!" He then punched the ground, causing a white shock wave. Diamond Hoof rushed through it. Her other frontal leg was glowing yellow. With it, she hit the centaur a few more times. Tirek grabbed that hoof. The yellow mare tried kicking him with a back leg, but the centaur grabbed it as well. "This is for Grogar!" — he said while crushing Diamond Hoof's limbs like fragile soda cans. Then the monster broke them. Lord Tirek quickly defeated the other heroes and took the green stone bell. Orange light brought Bartholomew, Sarion and the pale pink unicorn closer to Tirek and Diamond Hoof. The centaur's mouth opened. Out of the heroes, energies rushed out towards it. On the horizon, banners were rising. They were carried by armored centaurs, gargoyles and similar monsters. "No…" — whispered Lord Tirek. The big and muscular centaur's power dropped the heroes before their energies could reach his mouth. The monster turned around, created an orange portal and leapt into it. "Bartholomew, heal the yellow pony." — said the blue-skinned humanoid. And his steed did just that. Diamond Hoof's legs were as good as they were before the fight. She smiled — "Wow! Thank you very much!" "Thanks for saving me a couple of times during the fight." — said Albion. He bowed for a bit — "I'm grateful for your help. From what I heard, your names are Sarion and Bartholomew? My name is Albion, she is Diamond Hoof and that's Starlight Glimmer." They all disappeared in a cyan flash. Meanwhile, in the Northern Equestria, there stood the tallest mountain in that country. On top of it was a large cave system. There the large and muscular centaur was walking. He threw the bell. Yellow and black light engulfed the artifact, bringing it closer to a big blue ram with a red harness. The bell was attached to a special place near the chest. That blue ram smiled — "Well done, Lord Tirek, well done. But you are diminished, did Diamond Hoof use my bell against you?" "I was expecting her to, but she didn't. Would have been easier for me to take. However, that mare's punches reduced my power and strength." — replied the centaur. The blue ram asked another question — "One more thing, are you feeling alright, Tirek? I can feel a lot of fear in you." "My father has invaded Equestria…" — said Lord Tirek. There was a pause. A big crystal ball flew to them. Through it they saw the army of centaurs, gargoyles and other creatures. Grogar spoke — "Oh… King Vorak's soldiers are indeed in Equestria…" The crystal ball showed gigantic dark blue legs like those of a scorpion. Tirek backed away and looked at the blue ram — "Perhaps a temporary teamwork with Twilight Sparkle would be a good idea? I do not like ponies, at all. But my father… " On a faraway island, there was a different army. An army of robots. Consisting mostly of mechanical ponies, wolves, bees, house-sized beetles and other things. That place had many statues of a monstrous fish-mare. An enormous mansion was being built by many pale featherless hippogriffs with bright green pupils. While working, they were all repeating a catchy song. Two gigantic creatures were talking. One of them was a purple lioness-mare with wings. The other was a green and monstrous fish-mare. She was swimming in the air as if it was water. The purple sphinx said — "So I hope to not make Pharaoh Blue King regret forgiving me." "Such hopes should motivate you to be loyal to my master." — replied the giant, green and monstrous fish-mare. As they continued to walk and talk, the green siren gruffed — "Uuuuuuugh! When is he arriving?! I want to massacre sphinxes. Now!" "So do I. That will be my revenge. However, Pharaoh Blue King told me to wait. So WE will wait for him." — said the giant, winged, purple lioness-mare. Suddenly, in front of them, but slightly further away, appeared white-blue flames. Those fires quickly became taller than the two giantesses. Various robots arrived and kneeled at it. Then in the middle of the white-blue energy there was a view. Two young ponies could be seen. One of them was a pink pegasus filled with freckles and light blue hair. The other was a white colt with longer and pointier ears, similar to those of a jackal. The teeth were sharp. He was wearing a dark blue headdress and something similar to a white skirt. Unlike the pink pegasus filly, he was standing on back legs. "Children?! We should tear them apart!" — said the green siren before opening her mouth. Bright red energy rushed towards the view in the white-blue flame. The purple lioness-mare kneeled — "That's… that is Blue King's colt form…" "Greetings Opera Oyster." — said the white colt while looking at the giant green and monstrous fish-mare. He then looked at the purple sphinx — "And Neferet. I hope you two had enough sleep. I'm calling to inform you why I'm late." "My master is a child?" — asked the green siren. The white colt with pointy ears asked — "Were you expecting my monstrous and magnificent appearance? Celestia and Luna shattered that part of me. So I killed them both." "How should I know that you really are Blue King?" — asked the giant green and monstrous fish-mare. The white colt sighed. Neferet stood up and spoke — "Pharaoh Blue King, I can eat this siren alive." "What?!" — shouted the green siren as a white flash made her fall. She opened her mouth at the purple sphinx, but no red energy was coming out. Neferet pounced on Opera Oyster. Blue King frowned — "No." The purple sphinx got off the green siren. In another white flash, the fish-mare regained her powers. The white colt looked at her — "Opera Oyster, I understand your confusion. Yes, I really am Blue King. This is me without my robotic armor." "I am outside of the universe. Beyond its timelines and alternative realities. There is no distance here, because this "place" is beyond space. We are waiting for Twilight Sparkle. That is why I will be late." "Then WE shall wait for your arrival, Pharaoh Blue King." — said the giant purple lioness-mare. She kneeled. Blue King smiled — "Good girl! I wish enough patience for both of you." The white-blue flames disappeared. Opera Oyster and Neferet continued their conversation. Then squads of gigantic winged lion-ponies attacked the island. Blue King's soldiers and the purple sphinx began to fight them. A gray flash made the green siren fall. In the human world, next to a street, on a stone block, there was a horse statue. Nearby stood fourteen people. After a colourful explosion and some loud cheering, they all rushed through the stone block as if it was mist. On the other side, there was a bright and colourful tunnel. Each human became a pony along the way. They walked and talked until a small white hoof bursted out of a wall. Then a whole white colt jumped into the tunnel. He was wearing something similar to a white dress, a fake light blue beard and a dark blue headdress. That pony had makeup and face paint. The teeth were sharp. His ears were longer and pointier than those of normal ponies. That white colt walked on backs legs — "Greetings, Twilight Sparkle! My name is Blue King." Meanwhile, a battle was going on at Opera Oyster's island. Giant colorful lion-ponies were fighting against various robots. One purple sphinx was helping the mechanical soldiers. After a while, small white-blue flames erupted. Blue King appeared with a bubbly light blue drink. The fury of battle was replaced by overwhelming terror. None of the attackers could move. They were collapsing on the ground. Except those who began using their weapons to kill themselves. "What mess! When I called in, everything seemed prepared for the invasion." — said the white colt. One of his hooves shone white-blue. Various flashes tried to affect the pointy-eared pony. He looked towards the purple sphinx — "Neferet, the extermination of the sphinxes will be my gift to you." "But I see that squads from Siwa are already on this island. Some of them keep trying to negate my power… if these are your friends, please tell them to stop. For their sake…" "They are not my friends, your majesty." — said the giant purple lioness-mare. There was great thunder in the sky. Blue King smiled — "Not your friends? Well, they aren't my servants or slaves either. And they certainly aren't innocent bystanders. That leaves us with… enemies! And enemies gET OBLITERATED!" He raised his hoof. A colossal white-blue fire tornado formed. That fury shook the land, the sea and the sky. Almost all sphinxes on the island were torn apart and burnt out of existence. Neferet was the only exception. After that, Blue King beat up Opera Oyster....
Legends of Magic - Chapter EightChapter Eight: Legacy of Darkness “Thoooo… gonna tell me what happened?” Lyra looked into the bespectacled eyes of her marefriend’s niece. “What happened with what?” “You know what I mean!” Twist showed no sign of restraint as she continued to badger her honorary aunt. She’d waited until returning home from school to be alone with Lyra, and she wasn’t going to waste this chance. “You go off to Canterlot with Princeth Twilight early one morning, you come back home the next night, and you don’t thay a word about it! Thomething ith up here!” She then shrugged and admitted, “And tell you the truth, I’m a little thick of being thtuck on the thidelineth.” The minty green unicorn rolled her eyes. “This from the filly who got a front row seat to Discord getting his skull pounded into the ground.” She then smiled reassuringly. “Twist, Twilight just asked me to help her with a research project. I can’t talk about it, at least not until it goes public.” That prompted a grin from the filly. “Doeth it involve what Princeth Twilight wath talking about with Thilver Thpoon?” Lyra grinned in turn. “Maybe.” The grin faded. “Anyway, you’ll get all the details when the project’s done and she’s ready to announce it. Same as the rest of Equestria. Right now, don’t you have homework?” “Yeah, but being nothy ith a little more fun.” The older mare giggled. “Can’t fault you there.” She then made her way to the door. “Anyway, I need to meet with her at the library. Bon-Bon shouldn’t be long in getting home from work, but in the meantime, you know what to do.” “Gotcha. I won’t burn the houthe down.” As Lyra left, Twist shook her head. She appreciated the trust that her guardians had in her to look after herself, but just because she had a cutie mark didn’t mean she wanted to be completely independent. Still, all she could do for now was hope that both her caretakers got home soon, and that everything would be fine. - “I’m rather surprised that Chancellor Neighsay was so accepting of Twilight’s report of what she saw in her vision.” Rarity stood among her friends within Golden Oak Library, patiently waiting for the last of their group to arrive. “From what I’ve been told, he seems the skeptical sort.” “Something tells me that he accepted that I claimed to see the contents of my vision, but not the actual contents of them.” Twilight idly slid a book onto a shelf as she continued, “And it probably helped that I admitted that there wasn’t any way to prove that what I saw was the truth. I’m honestly surprised that all of you believed me.” “Sugarcube, we’ve known ya long enough to know ya ain’t gonna lie to us, not about somethin’ this important.” Applejack shrugged and admitted, “Besides that, we already knew the potion was the real deal.” “And after all the other crazy stuff we’ve dealt with, nothing really sounds crazy anymore.” Rainbow Dash nudged her head towards the pink pony among them. “I mean, how many ponies would believe half of the stuff that Pinkie Pie has done?” The mare in question snorted. “I’ve got family who doesn’t believe half of the stuff that I’ve done!” That prompted a laugh among the gathered friends as the door to the library opened. “Sorry I kept you all waiting, everyone.” Quiver entered and admitted, “Didn’t get lucky enough to leave work early, but at least I met someone along the way.” Lyra entered the library after him and closed the door behind her. “So, we ready to get this show on the road?” “Yes, but it might not be the show that you’re expecting.” Twilight turned to Sour Sweet and ordered, “Lieutenant, keep watch on the library. I’ll brief you once we’re done.” “Yes ma’am.” The gathered group of ponies and one dragon made their way down to the library’s basement, and the soldier was left to herself. - Sunset Shimmer stepped into the bridge realm to find a familiar gathering of ponies before her, albeit with a few additions. “Hello everyone. Hi Lyra.” The minty green unicorn smiled, though it was clear that she was trying to muster her courage. Applejack cleared her throat. “Alright Twilight, the gang’s all here. What’s up?” “Indeed, I’m rather curious as to why this was so urgently needed.” Rarity nodded towards Lyra and added, “And why only Lyra is present from outside of the immediate circle whilst Moondancer and Sunburst are absent.” “Because what we need to talk with all of you about can’t be relayed to Moondancer safely right now, and isn’t something that Sunburst needs to be concerned with.” Twilight turned nervous as she amended, “At least, not yet.” Quiver frowned and turned to Lyra. “Does this have something to do with those recovered memories of yours?” Lyra nodded, then turned to address everypony else. “You all remember the royal wedding earlier this year? The one that got hijacked by Queen Chrysalis as part of an attack on Canterlot?” “And how you were put under her influence and turned into her puppet.” Fluttershy frowned at the mare’s nod. “I’m so sorry that happened.” “Me too, but that isn’t the worst of it. Minuette, Twinkleshine and I were all found in the caverns underneath Canterlot, by ponies that said they were with the government. They separated us, and I told them what happened. After that, they…” Twilight looked as though she wanted to interrupt, but Lyra raised a hoof and pressed on. “They messed with my head and altered my memories so that I forgot all about what happened. I didn’t remember what actually happened until the conditioning broke during that adventure with the Doctor.” She turned to Quiver with a sad look on her face. “I’m sorry for not telling you about this sooner.” “No, it’s alright, I had a feeling that if it was important, it’d come up again. Writer’s instincts.” The stallion turned to Twilight and asked, “I’m guessing that you’ve tried to address this with Princess Celestia?” The alicorn nodded. “She believes that Lyra fell victim to operatives of an agency within the Equestrian government, making use of immoral and illegal spells in the belief that they’re acting for the common good. She used another spell to confirm that what was used on Lyra were linked to spells related to an artifact from prior to the founding of Equestria, called the Memory Stone. We don’t have to worry about it, since it ended up in the human world long ago.” At Sunset’s alarmed expression, Twilight explained, “According to Celestia, her and Luna’s counterparts found it, and she herself destroyed it. But feel free to verify with them.” The alarm returned to her voice as she admitted, “Unfortunately, the spellwork that went into it was used to alter Lyra’s memories, and perhaps do worse. Celestia demonstrated a spell to confirm her suspicions, and Lyra and I have both tested it on one another. She came up positive, and I didn’t.” “And y’all’re worried that the rest’a us might’ve gotten hexed like Lyra did at some point.”Twilight nodded at Applejack’s summation. “Which is why we’re all here. I want to test the same spell on all of you, just to confirm one way or another.” “Whoa, hang on.” Rainbow Dash stepped up uneasily. “I’m not saying this is a bad idea, and I’m glad you’re asking permission and stuff, but what’s the chances of a false positive or something? I mean, Discord’s messed with all our heads, hasn’t he?” Twilight shook her head. “His magic operates on a different wavelength than what this spell is looking for, Dash. No chance of false positives there.” “Oh. Great.” She took a deep breath and stood upright. “Okay then, start with me.” Twilight nodded, and her horn took on its familiar glow for several seconds before the prismatic pegasus urged, “Come on, Twilight, we don’t have all day, cast the spell already!” The glow faded, and Twilight sighed in relief. “I have. You’re clean.” She looked about. “Next?”- Back in the library, Sour idly stood guard on the main floor and made herself appear busy with a broom. Even as she quietly cleaned, she kept her senses sharp. She doubted very much that a threat was on the horizon, but she didn’t want to be surprised by some random library patron. Despite this, her mind wandered. She knew full well the importance of secrecy, and of need-to-know. That in mind, she felt a little frustrated about being kept out of the loop regarding certain details. It was clear that a secret was being kept between Princess Twilight and Lyra Heartstrings, and while such things weren’t implausible, given their history, she felt more than a little suspicious about what it could be. Every instinct made her think that it wasn’t some harmless thing. She trusted the princess to put her in the picture when she saw fit, but… The bell rang to signal a new arrival, and Sour immediately put on a casual smile and turned to face the newcomer. “Welcome to Golden…” She barely caught her attacker and redirected them into the floor. Aside from them being a mare of average build, she could not determine any details. Most of that was thanks to her attire, an all-black suit that clung tight to her body and was made of stretchy but sturdy fabric. Whomever they were, however, they were stubborn, and kept up the fight, one hoof catching the floor even as another clung tight to her and tossed her into a wall. Sour put up a bubble shield and bounced off the wall, then popped the bubble as she rocketed back towards her assailant. A forcefield formed around her horn, nowhere near equal to Shining Armor’s but sturdy enough to serve as a good battering ram, only for her to be hit by an uppercut, her opponent having somehow evaded her at the last second. That, unfortunately, was enough to disorient her before another blow knocked her unconscious.- One by one, the rest of the gathered ponies were subjected to the spell, each one coming up clean. Sunset and Spike stood off to one side, with neither sure if they were merely being saved for last or if the spell simply did not work on beings that were not ponies, or weren’t currently ponies. They would likely find out before too long as only one pony was left to be checked. “Alright Applejack, you’re up, and then Spike and Sunset.” The farmpony sighed. “Alright Twi, Ah just hope…” Applejack was interrupted as Quiver shouted and pointed to the portal leading back to Equestria. “Incoming!” Heads turned as its surface glowed and a mare dressed all in skintight black cloth emerged and charged directly for him. The mare was fast, but not fast enough to evade Rainbow Dash at top speed. There was no surprise at the collision, however, and the mare pushed her captor away hard before she could successfully be pinned down. That was enough of a distraction for a bang to be heard and streamers to shoot out and ensnare the mare, thus allowing Twilight to cast a spell and render her unconscious. Twilight sighed in relief. “Nice work, Pinkie.” “Eh, no big.” Pinkie tucked away her Party Cannon and gestured to Quiver. “I had warning.” “Call me paranoid, but moments like that are ones that always make me suspect an ambush.” The stallion watched as Lyra slowly approached the downed mare. “Lyra? What are you doing?” “Really hoping that whoever’s under this mask isn’t the pony that I think it is.” Lyra reached down with her hoof, gritted her teeth, and pulled the mask off the mare’s face, only to gasp. “Oh no.” Her gasp was joined by more from the other mares present as they approached. Lying prone before them was none other than Bon-Bon. “Sweet Celestia!” Rarity turned to Lyra and asked, “I’m not sure if I should hope that you were right or not, darling.” “I was right, and that’s not a good thing.” Lyra turned to the rest of the group and explained, “After what happened with the Doctor, but before I told Twilight and Sunset about what happened, I told Bonnie that I loved her. When I did, she told me something, and…” She steeled herself and turned to Twilight. “Cast the spell on her. Now.” Twilight looked at her in shock. “She’s unconscious! She can’t…!” “I’m her marefriend! If that doesn’t count as next of kin, I don’t know what does! Do it!” The alicorn gulped, then did as she was told. Bon-Bon’s unconscious form spasmed and shook as the spell took effect, and a moan escaped her lips before turning into a frightened scream. The effects of the spell ended, and the cries were replaced with heavy breathing. Lyra then went back to her explanation as she knelt at her marefriend’s side to comfort her. “Bonnie told me that she used to work for an agency in the Equestrian government, one that got shuttered after Cerberus got loose from his post in Tartarus. After that, I started getting worried.” “That her agency and whoever messed with your memories might be in cahoots.” At his friend’s nod, Quiver scowled. “Well ain’t that grand.” “Bon-Bon must be some sort’ve sleeper agent,” Sunset reasoned aloud. “Something activated her, and she came in here to try and stop what Twilight was doing.” “Exactly my thoughts, and that leads us to one very important question.” Quiver turned his gaze back on Twilight. “Did Celestia tell you this organization’s name?” Twilight turned horrified. “No. She didn’t. And I…” “SMILE!” Heads turned back to Bon-Bon, who was now wide awake and shaking with terror. The shaking eased as Lyra held her in a tight embrace, and the mare came to her senses. After several deep breaths, she looked into her marefriend’s eyes and smiled. “Lyra…” Lyra smiled right back. “Hey Bonnie. Looking good.” The mare responded by taking Lyra into a tight embrace, her eyes already wet with tears. “I am so sorry, Lyra. So, so sorry…” The minty unicorn shushed and soothed her. “We can talk it over later.” At that, the exposed spy nodded, released her marefriend, then got to her hooves. She turned to her sovereign and made a small nod. “Thank you, Princess Twilight. You did the right thing. Lieutenant Sour Sweet is fine, but she’s gonna wake up with a big headache.” She then looked about and realized, “So this is the bridge realm.” Her eyes then settled on the human among them and said, “And you must be Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset crossed her arms. “Guilty as charged. Nice to meet you, Bon-Bon.” The mare smiled. “Likewise, but something tells me you already know my counterpart.” “Forgive me intruding, but I think we have bigger issues.” Quiver stepped in and tried to get everything back on track. “Bon-Bon, that word you said when you woke up, ‘Smile’. Is that the name of your organization?” The mare nodded. “It’s an acronym.” She looked over the gathered group and explained, “The organization’s full name is the ‘Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria’. It’s the latest iteration in a long line of groups that were founded during the first century following Princess Luna’s transformation into Nightmare Moon, and tasked with protecting Equestria and its citizens from all sorts of threats and dangers. Anything police forces or the Royal Guard weren’t set up to handle, we did. If something went bump in the night, we were tasked with bumping back.” She bowed her head sadly. “At least, that’s what we’re supposed to do.” “‘Supposed’?” an anxious Rarity ventured. Bon-Bon looked up at them, as if frightened for her life, but pressed on. “Somewhere along the way, at least since before we were all born, SMILE’s priorities shifted from keeping Equestria safe to maintaining a set plan of events. Agents were put in place in particular areas to ensure that those events progressed as expected. I was one of them.” She turned to Pinkie Pie. “They recruited me when I was a filly, right after I got my cutie mark. My first report to them was after a party you threw here in Ponyville, the one that Cheese Sandwich told you about when he came to town.” Lyra gasped. “I remember that party! We first met at that party!” Bon-Bon giggled at her marefriend’s recollection. “You said that my glasses were cute.” Applejack cleared her throat. “That’s very sweet, y’all, but why Bon-Bon? Why not some other pony?” “Bon-Bon, you said that you had your cutie mark at that point?” At the mare’s nod, Quiver nodded and turned to Applejack. “There you go. Not only does she blend in reasonably well, but her cutie mark indicates a talent for candy-making. That requires a lot of knowledge of chemistry, and chemistry has a lot of applications if one is properly trained.” He turned back to the spymare and added, “Especially if they happen to be a government sleeper agent.” Bon-Bon managed a rueful smile. “You catch on fast.” “I pay attention and have an active and dark imagination.” Rainbow Dash seemed a little squeamish at that thought, and tried to keep attention on what was important. “Okay, so you’re a sleeper agent. So that means that somepony else comes along and wakes you up, or you get triggered or something, and you give them a report?” The mare cringed. “Sometimes more than that. You remember Mare-Do-Well?” “Yeah, I…” Realization dawned on the prismatic pegasus, only to turn into barely-contained rage as she growled, “You guys were behind Mare-Do-Well?!” “I was one of four ponies wearing the suit. That runaway carriage? I was the one who stopped it. Don’t ask me who the other three ponies were, I can’t name them.” “But you’d left Ponyville for Canterlot…” Lyra went aghast as she realized, “You were activated.” “And for more than just a report. SMILE didn’t get shuttered, that was part of my false memories. What happened with Cerberus was part of the plan.” Bon-Bon turned back to Twilight and explained, “But how things happened with Mare-Do-Well wasn’t. Ever since Nightmare Moon’s defeat and Princess Luna’s return, there have been what the upper echelons at SMILE have referred to as ‘deviations’, changes from what they believed were to happen. Sometimes those changes were minor, but the Mare-Do-Well incident was one case where SMILE felt it had to intervene because critical individuals weren’t acting the way they were supposed to.” She gestured to the six Element Bearers and explained, “The six of you, specifically. When FROWN goes against the plan, they get worried.” Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “‘Frown’?” “The Friendship Ranger Organization of Worldwide Neighgotiations. That’s SMILE’s designation for the six of you.” Quiver scowled. “Well ain’t that a lovely bit of semantics.” At Twilight’s surprised expression, he explained, “It’s their little way of saying that they consider the six of you to be of lesser importance than they are. Which sounds better, a smile or a frown?” “Well duh, everypony likes a…” The bright expression vanished from Pinkie’s face as she realized his point. “Oooh, those subtle meanies.” Twilight’s expression grew increasingly troubled. “How many times have you been ‘woken up’, Bon-Bon?” “For just a report, once a week or so. It’s pretty much automatic. For more than that…” The mare mulled things over briefly before she admitted, “It’s not as often, but it’s a long list.” “I want it in writing. Before you leave this realm.” At the mare’s meek nod, Twilight then prompted, “For now, have any other SMILE operatives been working here in Ponyville?” “No permanent ones, but my handler comes into town occasionally, and the Flim Flam Brothers are considered part of the organization.” At Applejack’s alarmed expression, she explained, “Where do you think they got the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000?” “SMILE acquired it, probably from the pony who made it in the first place.” Something Sunrunner had told them about the misadventures of one of their old classmates bubbled up from Quiver’s subconscious, and his supposition was confirmed by Bon-Bon’s nod. “That’s at least two occasions where they deliberately acted to keep things on track from the sounds of it. Maybe three, depending on how Cerberus got loose from his post.” “Quiver!” Rarity’s tone was sharp as she interceded. “You’re not about to accuse them of every kitten stuck in a tree, are you?” The stallion rolled his eyes. “No, Rarity, kittens are more than capable of getting stuck in trees on their own.” Fluttershy nodded reluctantly at his argument before he continued, “That being said, there are three instances where we know for certain that they got involved, including Lyra’s memories being altered. And at least one where we can suspect their involvement. Something tells me it’s happened more often than that.” “Quiver’s got a point.” Sunset turned to Twilight and explained, “In the human world, if something like the changeling attack on Canterlot had happened, there’d be more of a response than what Equestria managed, even accounting for Chrysalis’ second attack when the Secretariat Comet came along. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are clear examples of that.” At the dumbfounded looks of the various ponies present, Sunset elaborated, “The first one was a sneak attack against a military facility that was meant to coincide with a declaration of war. The second one was a terrorist attack on a civilian target that led to thousands of innocent people being killed. Both events led to military retaliation and hundreds of thousands more dead. Comparatively speaking, Equestria up and forgot about the changelings after the wedding. Just washed its hooves of the matter and moved on. It doesn’t matter if Chrysalis and most of her hive are imprisoned, there should still be some ponies on alert.” “And it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if SMILE was somehow involved in that.” Quiver scowled as he turned to Lyra and Bon-Bon and asked, “But how many more ponies have had their memories messed with? How many more have been turned into sleeper agents, or used as pawns? Or all three?” Applejack scowled, then turned to Twilight. “That spell. Do it on me. Now.” The alicorn almost argued, but the expression on her friend’s face discouraged her, and she did as she was told. The spell was cast, and almost immediately, Applejack’s eyes glazed over, and she convulsed and groaned. To her credit, however, she did not collapse into unconsciousness. Rainbow Dash and Rarity quickly caught her and kept her upright, and she regained her senses. “Applejack?” The farmpony shook her head. “Ah ain’t a sleeper, Twilight, but…” She growled as she admitted, “They done messed with mah head. Probably the heads’a the rest’a mah immediate family, more’n once if’n Quiver’s right.” Sunset frowned then turned to Bon-Bon. “SMILE knows about the portals, and about the human world. What influence do they have there?” “I don’t know.” At Sunset’s surprise, the mare explained, “They know about stuff that’s happened, I know that for certain. But aside from me being activated to interfere with the system Twilight set up to alert her if anypony was in this realm, I don’t know if they’ve had any influence on it.” Pinkie gasped. “So you were the gremlin!” Bon-Bon managed a guilty nod before she continued, “Anyway, that brings up something else.” She turned back to Twilight and explained, “Ever since you met Sunset, more and more deviations have been happening. Not only have things gone differently from how they were expected to, but stuff apparently happened way sooner than SMILE was expecting. And that’s ignoring things that they never expected to happen in the first place. You making use of the bridge realm was one of them.” She turned to Quiver and explained, “You coming to Ponyville was another, same with Sunrunner entering the picture and that mess with the Doctor.” “And something tells me us finding out about SMILE is yet another example.” The spy in their midst nodded, and Twilight decided, “We need to tell Princess Celestia about this.” “No. That’s the last thing we should be doing.” The ponies present looked at Quiver in shock, Twilight especially. “But she has to be informed! There’s an agency in the Equestrian government that’s gone rogue and…!” “And when you told her about it earlier, she told you enough to confirm that she knew it was somepony in the government who did it, but didn’t give you a name! And she didn’t say that she’d do anything about it beyond that, did she?” At Twilight’s baffled expression, Quiver continued, “Think about it for a minute, Twilight! If she knew this was going down, if she had even the slightest inkling that this was happening, do you think for one minute that she would allow it to happen?! And don’t you dare give me any nonsense about ‘the greater good’! Too many atrocities have been justified by those words!” The bafflement gave way to terror as Twilight asked, “What are you saying, Quiver?” “That either she’s deliberately allowing all of this to happen, or that SMILE has some sort of influence on her.” Quiver’s tone was grim as he admitted, “And I don’t know which of those options is worse. She might be trying to protect you, or at least act in the belief that she’s protecting you, but that can only go so far.” An uneasy silence held in the bridge realm before Sunset scowled. “Quiver’s right, Twilight.” Before the young alicorn could protest, the former unicorn explained, “SMILE might not have any power on the other side of the mirror, but it wouldn’t shock me if they influenced things in Equestria, gave them just enough of a nudge to ensure that I played the role that was expected of me.” She shrugged and admitted, “I doubt they killed my parents or made me act like a brat, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they influenced Celestia’s actions towards me.” The uneasy silence returned until Twilight finally asked, “Then what do we do?” Quiver sighed. “I don’t know.” He sat down and admitted, “This is too big, Twilight. Way too big. SMILE likely has influence everywhere, and we don’t have a single weapon against them. We can’t even talk about them with anypony who isn’t inside this room. If they’ve got one sleeper agent out there, they could have more. For now, we have to wait, and hope for something to come into our favor before they decide that we’ve deviated too far from their plan.” Twilight trembled at that, but ultimately said nothing further about the implications. “Bon-Bon, can you continue acting as though you’re still under their influence?” The spymare shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t know for how long. My reports are sent in via fire-mail, but my handler could visit Ponyville at any time.” “Then that’s something else for the list. Give Lyra and the rest of us a complete description of your handler. If they come back, and you have no other choice, capture them. Nothing permanent, nothing lethal, just make sure they don’t get away.” Bon-Bon nodded. “What about us?” The spymare then turned to her marefriend. “Everything about us, that’s real, right?” Bon-Bon smiled and gently brushed her hoof in Lyra’s mane. “Every bit of it.” The smile faded as she realized, “But if SMILE decided otherwise, we could be torn apart in an instant.” Lyra brought a hoof up to meet her marefriend’s, then assumed a determined expression. “Then the instant your handler shows up, he’ll be lucky if he doesn’t get torn apart in an instant. They messed with both our heads, and they’re gonna regret it.” That moment of levity was lifted as the portal leading back to Equestria shimmered and Sour Sweet stepped inside with a furious expression on her face. “Library’s sealed and locked. Everypony…?” She instantly recognized the one pony that she hadn’t seen enter the bridge realm and charged her horn. “Stand down, Lieutenant!” Twilight stepped forward and explained, “Bon-Bon…well, Special Agent Sweetie Drops…isn’t a threat. At least, not anymore.” At her bodyguard’s surprised expression, she explained, “It’s a long story.” Quiver frowned, then turned to his cousin. “Sour, I think it’s time you were put in the picture.”- High atop the mountain upon which Canterlot rested, higher even than Canterlot itself, stood a structure resembling a small fort with a high tower at its core. Few were aware of it, as it was hidden from view by powerful spellwork, those responsible receiving no credit for their work and possessing no awareness of their efforts. It was isolated, situated high above Canterlot and thus the whole of Equestria. Exactly as intended by its occupants. Ivory Tower strode into a circular chamber, dimly lit by magically-charged crystals that provided just enough light for its occupants to see one another and the round table and six chairs at its center. She had hoped to be the first to arrive, but alas… “Well, you were right.” Her gaze settled upon two familiar ponies, one of whom was smirking at her. “FROWN-Magic did leave Canterlot when you said that she would. Terrible shame that you were wrong about the exact circumstances.” The mare wasn’t sure what caused her to scowl more, the remarks of Sterling Aide or the presence of the stallion beside him. An older, bespectacled stallion, white of coat and grey of mane, whose eyes weren’t visible on the other side of his glasses. What was visible, especially in the dim lighting, was his toothy grin, one tooth replaced with gold. “Sterling Aide. Doctor Auric.” The second stallion’s grin seemed to widen upon his acknowledgement. “Ivory Tower.” “Sterling Aide.” The new voice was flat, but clear enough to make certain that their discussion had ended as another stallion entered the chamber, his brown coat obscured by his dress shirt, black blazer and tie. At his hooves was a unicorn mare, slender of build and tall of stature with a white coat and a braided blonde mane. “Tiers Two and Three are gathered. We shall take our places.” The three nodded, and Sterling acknowledged their newcomers. “Furlong. White Flower.” The mare glared at the smug stallion as all the ponies present claimed their seats. “Rut off, Sterling.” If Furlong had any reaction to White Flower’s statements, he showed none as the five took their seats. The sixth was already occupied, not by a pony but by a portrait. “This meeting of the high council of SMILE has now come to order.” Further crystals illuminated the faces of those present, as well as the pony pictured in the last seat. The light remained dim, but sufficient. “Ivory Tower, your report.” The stern unicorn mare straightened herself to address the council. “I regret to say that events have once again occurred ahead of schedule, compared to what has been described in the Apocalypse Logs. Subject Sunburst has not only made contact with FROWN, but also the two anomalies. All three parties are now aware of the facts behind the Pillars of Old Equestria, and the importance of Ponehenge in this context has been established.” “And Subject Neighsay?” She allowed herself a small smirk. “It is currently unlikely that he will change the current educational policies in Equestria. Even assuming that he has not simply lied to the anomaly, and his attitude towards integration remains unchanged, there are ways of ensuring that things remain as-is. The status quo shall be maintained.” “Elsewhere, however, the status quo is threatened.” Sterling straightened himself and elaborated, “Even before the anomalies came into play, there had been fourteen incidents of deviation from the Apocalypse Logs. Since their intrusion into the proper flow of events, more than double that number have taken place, to say nothing of events that we had no knowledge of. Even as this most recent deviation took place, three more accompanied it. It was only because of our intervention that the events of S4E18 occurred, and…” “We are aware of these concerns, Sterling Aide.” Furlong’s tone remained flat, his features expressionless, but there was a subtle air of annoyance about him. “Have you any suggestions for addressing them?” “The anomalies need to be taken off the board. I say we dispatch the Widowmaker.” Reactions to the stallion’s suggestion varied. Auric chuckled, while Ivory Tower had a brief half-smirk. White Flower’s expression remained guarded, but Furlong was the only one to speak. “That is far too extreme a measure and it runs the risk of exposure. Subject Sunset Shimmer is beyond our reach, and the anomalies are too closely linked with FROWN that if they are taken out of the equation through less than subtle means, then attention will be raised. Attention that will lead back to us.” “And you have a better approach?” The pale stallion gave the slightest of nods. “Events are already in motion to deal with the primary anomalies, and other events are still to come that they have no ability to influence. And once those events occur, we will be in a position to restore our proper influence and reinforce Harmony, as dictated by the Apocalypse Stone.” “And should these efforts fail?” “They will not. Harmony shall be maintained, as Our Founder has mandated.” Furlong’s words were the final ones on the subject. The five ponies turned to the portrait, nodded, and rose from their seats. Their expressions remained unchanged, though the thoughts of some were more troubled than others. The last to leave the chamber, White Flower, turned back to look upon the portrait of their Founder before she departed. The portrait of Star Swirl the Bearded watched her go in silence. - Sour Sweet barely had a chance to process what she’d been told before Twilight started checking her over for SMILE’s machinations. “This… Sweet Maker…” “Ah know, it’s a lot to process.” The soldier shook her head at Applejack’s comment. “No. I mean, yes, it is, but… this explains an awful lot.” At the puzzled look of most of the others present, Sour explained, “We got a warning about the changeling attack on Canterlot, right? Well, fat lot of good it did us, especially since we knew shapeshifters would be involved.” She then turned to Rainbow Dash and added, “And all the horseshit that’s happened with the Wonderbolts? Crap like this sure explains why Spitfire hasn’t gone up on review, bare minimum.” “Based on everything I’ve been told, she should’ve gotten a JAG investigation immediately after what happened with Lightning Dust.” Quiver scowled as Twilight scanned over Spike, but kept his gaze firmly on the portal back to Equestria just in case. “I get the feeling that if anyone filed a report or complaint, it got buried.” “That just makes it worse.” Twilight quietly groused over how the very government that she served and represented had not only failed its citizens, but was actively conspiring against them. “Bon-Bon, I doubt it’ll be your fault, but something tells me that list is going to be incomplete.” “Better an incomplete list than none at all.” The exposed spymare was already at work on her list, thanks to a pencil and paper courtesy of the ever-prepared Twilight. She spat the pencil out and added, “Still, I get the feeling that mental manipulation and treason are the least of their crimes.” “All the more important that you get that down.” Twilight had moved on to Sunset, and the latter turned to her friend. “I’d lock that record up somewhere safe once it’s done, Twilight. You don’t want to lose it.” “Just to be on the safe side, I’ll make a copy and hand it off to you.” “Make several copies.” Quiver’s gaze was still on the portal back to Equestria as he added, “And I’d like one, if possible. I’ll need it for reference work.” “Oh no, Quiver!” Sour groaned. “You’re not going to start one of those conspiracy walls, are you?” “Of course not. Those things are next to impossible to hide.” He shrugged and admitted, “But I do have some spare notebooks and it won’t hurt to write down my speculations.” “I’m fine with that.” Twilight sighed with relief. “Well, Spike and Sunset are both clean at least. But there’s no telling who else we can trust.” “An’ nuthin’ stoppin’ these folks from messin’ with our heads in the future.” Applejack noticed the grin on Twilight’s face. “Or is there?” “You’d be surprised at what I’ve found at the Castle of the Two Sisters.” The young alicorn looked among her friends and said, “I should have something ready within a day or two. Regardless, we need to keep this to ourselves, at least for now.” What optimism she had faded as she added, “I just wish there was more that we could do.” “I guess for the time being, we’ll have to play things by ear.” Heads turned to Sunset, and she shrugged. “Hey, I might be a world away, but I’m a part of this. Even if all I’m giving is moral support.” Twilight’s smile returned. “You’re giving a lot more than that.” She turned to the rest and beckoned, “Go on back to the library, everyone. I’ll catch up.” The rest of the group did as instructed, and Twilight turned back to Sunset. “Well, that ended up being a lot heavier than I thought it would be.” “Which is saying something. I’m starting to think everything you discovered about the Pillars is going to be small potatoes in comparison.” “I’ll leave that up to you.” Twilight pulled a journal from her waiting panniers, as well as a folder. “That journal has all the relevant information I’ve uncovered connecting the Pillars, the Elements, Ponehenge, and that vision I told you about in my message. And that folder has copies of the rubbings that Sunburst made. Lyra and I were hoping that you might recognize them as something from the human world, given we know Star Swirl had contacts there.” “Well, let’s find out.” Sunset’s eyes lit up as she examined the rubbings. “Huh. I do recognize these runes. These are Elder Futhark. It’s a writing system that was used by Germanic tribes back during the first millennium. Quite a few people believed they had magical powers linked to them, even into the modern day.” She flashed an embarrassed grin. “I might’ve done some digging into magic belief systems during my down time. In hindsight, I discovered a lot of unpleasant stuff in the bargain.” “Well, do you remember enough that you might be able to translate some of it?” “Sure, but don’t expect anything big. For all we know, somepony just carved these for fun.” Sunset tucked the folder into her backpack as she laughed. “Wouldn’t that be funny if the translation was something like ‘Flash Magnus was here’?” Twilight giggled at that. “If he shares DNA with Rainbow Dash, he might just do something like that.” The levity faded as she added, “There’s also something else we discovered that I think you need to know about. All the details are in the journal, but I figure you should hear the main details directly from me. You remember me telling you about what happened when we returned the Elements to the Tree? That one light going up one branch?” At her friend’s nod, the alicorn explained, “Well, I think I know why. Assuming my vision is correct, Star Swirl and the other Pillars accelerated the development of the Tree, and basically created the Elements, by adding seven magically-enhanced gemstones to it.” “Seven? Stygian added one too?” Twilight nodded. “But for unknown reasons, his wasn’t acknowledged. At least, not initially. This means that there’s a Seventh Element of Harmony, one that’s been dormant for the last thousand years and might be on the verge of activating.” “Okay, but what…?” Sunset turned silent as she realized where Twilight was going. “You don’t think… that I triggered it?” “It’s the only logical explanation. You came in contact with the Element of Magic, and it reacted to you.” “Yeah, by turning me into a raging she-demon.” Sunset bowed her head and sighed. “I’m not saying that you’re wrong, Twilight. I just have a hard time believing it. I mean, why me? I’m not saying that Stygian and I don’t have a few things in common, we do, it’s just…” She looked her friend in the eye and asked, “Can you really see someone like me wielding an Element of Harmony?” Twilight gave an encouraging smile. “Someone who has seen the worst of herself, and overcome it? Who can look at something from perspectives beyond her own? Who stood against a fragment of the Nightmare and overcame it?” She arched an eyebrow. “What do you think?” Sunset smiled back. “I think I still have some trouble believing it. But I do appreciate the vote of confidence.” She got to her feet and slung her bag over her shoulders. “Anyway, it sounds like we both have a lot yet to do, and a lot to worry about. You more than me. Be careful, huh?” “I will. You do the same.” Sunset nodded, then turned and made her way back to Canterlot High. Twilight waited until she’d passed through the portal, then turned and made her way back to Golden Oak Library. They both had a lot to think about. - Principal Celestia slung her purse over her shoulders as she emerged from her office. The students might have gone home, but the work and responsibilities of teachers and school administrators didn’t end with the last bell. The door to the teacher’s lounge opened nearby, and she turned to see one such responsibility closing the door behind her. “Sunset? How did your meeting with Princess Twilight go?” Sunset slung her backpack over her shoulders. “Gave me a lot to think about.” She then looked her guardian in the eye and asked, “Principal Celestia, do the words ‘Memory Stone’ have any meaning to you?” That gave the older woman pause. “She’s just now told the two of you about that?” Her shoulders slumped. “Luna and I found it buried near the school back when we were students here, during my senior year. We found it while we were looking for something else, something far less dangerous. The instant the princess saw it, and realized what it was, she destroyed it.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a block of plastic, with a chunk of stone inside. “This is the biggest chunk of it that remained. No power, no magic, just a piece of rock. I’ve kept it with me as a reminder, that not everything from Equestria is brilliant and bright.” She pocketed it and added, “That said, the same can be said for this world. I guess this is something else for the list of things that I should have told you about.” Sunset shrugged. “Like you said, there were a lot of things that you couldn’t tell me. This probably wasn’t one of them, but still. I can understand you thinking that it wouldn’t be important.” “Except it is. I didn’t keep this from you on purpose, but I did hope that she had told you about it already. Obviously, I was wrong.” She sighed. “I guess living for over a thousand years causes you to become set in your ways. Thank God I won’t live that long.” The younger woman laughed. “You say things like that, you might just start tempting fate.” Sunset turned and made her way to the school’s exit. “Have a good night!” “You too. Have a safe walk home.” As Sunset stepped out of the school, Celestia moved to her purse and pulled out her phone, then dialed one specific number. “Come on, come on…” A voice answered at the other end. “Celestia?” “Megan. I hope I’m not calling at a bad time.” “No, it’s alright. I’m guessing this has something to do about Sunset?” “It does. Is there any way that we can speed things up?” “No Celestia, I’m sorry. I know she needs to know the facts, but my schedule won’t let me get out there for a few weeks yet. Any luck with Zecora?” “No. I can only guess that she’s waiting for her apprentices to ask Sunset.” Celestia scowled. “I hate this, Megan. She deserves the full truth.” “I agree, she does. But we don’t have any power over these things.” The scowl faded. “No. We don’t.” - As she entered the main level of Golden Oak Library, Lyra managed a light chuckle. “It’s funny. Before I left, Twist was talking about how she was tired of always being on the sidelines.” Bon-Bon shook her head. “Well, she should count her blessings that she’s on the periphery. Being in the center of the action is far more exciting than it has any right to be.” “Ain’t that the truth.” Applejack was already making her way to the door. “Pardon me, y’all. Gotta get home.” “Applejack?” The farmmare paused and turned as Lyra offered her most encouraging smile. “I know you’re probably not eager to talk about what happened today, but when you are, there’s plenty of ponies here who will be ready when you are.” Applejack managed a small smile at the sight of her gathered friends, all sporting similar expressions to Lyra. “Thanks, y’all. Ah’ll remember that.” As she departed, Spike looked up at Quiver and asked, “What do you think’s got Applejack down?” “I’ve got an idea, but I’m not gonna talk about it.” The stallion turned to his young drake friend and explained, “We’re all allowed to keep some secrets.” “Yeah, speaking of.” Spike dashed off to a table and plucked a newspaper from it. “I wanted to bring this up with Twilight, but I didn’t get a chance before now. One of the articles confused me, at least until Bon-Bon explained everything about SMILE.” He opened the paper to the article in question. “Take a look.” Quiver examined the article as others gathered around him, and once Twilight rejoined them, he turned to her and asked, “Twilight, were you planning on going to Rainbow Falls for some kind of official event?” “Yes, the Rainbow Falls Trading Festival. I was supposed to be there to oversee it, but first it got delayed, and then everypony else wasn’t able to attend when it was rescheduled because of other commitments. Why?” Quiver turned the newspaper around to reveal a picture of Twilight and the rest of her friends in attendance at said event. “Because I’m pretty sure you can’t be in two places at once.” Twilight gasped and claimed the newspaper in her magic. “I can’t! I wasn’t there! None of us were there! How…?!” She lowered the paper, and her gaze turned to the secret agent among them. “SMILE.” At Bon-Bon’s reluctant nod, Rarity offered, “But how? Applejack was the only one among us whose memories had been altered, and as Twilight said, she couldn’t be in two places at once.” “No, but we all know ways that they could make it look like she was there.” Quiver turned to Bon-Bon and explained, “Changelings. Either they’re working with a few isolated individuals, or they have some forced into their service like Bon-Bon was.” “Probably the second one.” The secret agent turned to Twilight and explained, “SMILE’s been tasked with capturing small changeling cells in the past. I took part in one such mission myself. And something tells me that a changeling might be even more vulnerable to their mind-manipulation spells than a pony is.” Twilight scowled. “Taking out small cells is fine and all, but apparently, they had foreknowledge of the attack on Canterlot and allowed it to happen.” Quiver’s eyes met hers as she declared, “They have to be held accountable for their crimes. They have to be taken down.” “And they will.” Quiver smiled. “We know about them. And when we’re ready, we’ll drag their plots out of the shadows and into the light for good.” Rainbow Dash grinned at the stallion’s declaration. “Okay, liking that confidence, but what makes you so sure that’ll happen?” Quiver’s answer was short and simple. “Faith.” - The walk back to Sweet Apple Acres was mercifully uneventful. Applejack was glad for that, as she had a lot on her mind thanks to the day’s revelations. A part of her had wished they had ceased with what they had learned regarding the Pillars, but alas, it couldn’t be that simple. Being part of a legacy that had been forgotten? A pleasant surprise. Made her feel just a little bit special. Finding out that there was some ancient conspiracy within Equestria’s government? Not at all a pleasant surprise. Finding out that operatives of said organization had messed with her head, and those of her immediate relatives? About as far from pleasant as anyone could get. She finally entered the door to the farmhouse to find her relatives gathered around the dinner table. “Howdy Applejack!” Braeburn turned to greet her. “Ready fer mah last meal before Ah head back to Appleoosa?” “Ah’ll join y’all in a minute. Gotta go freshen up.” Granny Smith laughed. “Times where Ah think she’s spendin’ too much time ‘round Rarity. Applejack never used to be so fond’a bein’ clean.” “Ah thought bein’ clean was a good thing,” Apple Bloom’s voice trailed as Applejack made her way into her bedroom and went to the photos on her wall. She gently took one off, then settled onto her bed with a wistful look on her face. She sighed. Pictured was her immediate family, shortly after Apple Bloom’s birth and her return from her brief stay in Manehattan. Right in the middle were her mother and father, with their youngest child held tight in Buttercup’s forelimb. For years, she’d thought one thing about them. Now, she was forced to think differently. “Momma, Daddy, there ain’t a day that goes by where we don’t miss ya. Where Ah don’t wish that you were here, to see Apple Bloom grow up, to just… to just be here.” She bowed her head. “When we lost you, Ah tried to take reassurance in knowin’ that there was a reason for it. The Maker had a plan, an’ all Ah was bein’ asked to do was have some faith, an’ Ah’d see the two’a y’all again when it was Mah time.” Anger crept into her voice. “But y’all didn’t die. Somethin’ else happened. The two’a y’all vanished, right in front of us, an’ it didn’t even take an hour fer them folks to come knockin’ on our door to mess with our heads. Mine, Granny’s, an’ Big Mac’s. Only two things’re givin’ me comfort in all’a this, that they didn’t mess with Apple Bloom’s head, and that the two’a y’all ain’t dead.” Her eyes narrowed. “At least, Ah hope ya ain’t. Either way, these sidewinders in SMILE done bit off far more’n they can chew. When the day comes, when me an’ mah friends’re able to drag their sorry plots inta the light, they’d better be prayin’ to the Maker, ‘cuz they ain’t gettin’ any mercy from me.” As Applejack replaced the photo and joined her family, she knew that she wasn’t going to tell her immediate family about this. She couldn’t, not at this point. Keeping this secret from them would kill her if she had to do so for too long, however. For now, all she had to keep her sane was the knowledge that she could talk with somepony about it, and faith that one day, the rest of her family would know the truth. to be concluded...
Legends of Magic - Chapter Seven B Twilight found herself within a familiar cavern, but briefly gasped as she took sight of its most prominent feature. The Tree of Harmony was still present, but it was smaller, reedier, and bereft of its crystalline branches. Nonetheless, the outlines suggestive of a sun, a crescent moon, and the same six-pointed star depicted by her cutie mark were still present. “Mah stars!” Twilight instinctively moved to one side, despite knowing that this was simply a vision, and turned to see Star Swirl lead his fellow Pillars into the cavern, with Stygian in the rear. Meadowbrook took keen interest in the Tree and asked, “Where did this come from?” “Alas, I do not know its origins.” Star Swirl approached the Tree and explained, “But in my travels and journeys, I have determined three things. The first is that this Crystal Tree, for lack of a better name, is ancient, far older than we know. The second is that its magic is of a similar sort to that of the Crystal Heart, which protects the Crystal Empire to the far north.” “I have heard stories of the Crystal Empire.” Mistmane smiled fondly. “One day, I hope to visit it.” “Perhaps you will, but that is for another day.” The sorcerer cleared his throat and continued. “The third is that this Tree could provide the key to ensuring Equestria’s future, and a means of maintaining harmony in the realm. But it needs to be nurtured, and we are the ones to do it.” Flash Magnus raised an eyebrow. “Forgive my skepticism, but this is a crystal. You don’t nurture a crystal like you do a plant.” “No, but this is no ordinary crystal. And nurturing it only requires something simple.” Star Swirl reached underneath his robes and produced a small crystalline cube that shined a brilliant white. “All ponies have innate magic within them, and we six, as I have said, embody the virtues that are needed to guide this nation going forward. We shall bond our magic to this crystal, and then bond it to the tree, so that it may…” “Forgive me, Star Swirl, but I think there’s a flaw in your plan.” Rockhoof stepped forward. “There’s seven of us, not six. Even the Princesses acknowledge it.” “And it is only right that we each bond our magic to a specific crystal, and then bond them to the Tree.” Somnambula smiled and turned to Stygian. “Together.” The young scholar looked between them in surprise. “Really?” Star Swirl scowled. “This stone is a gift from the alicorn tribe. They represent the best of all of the tribes.” “And where were they when the Windigoes attacked?” The great earth pony among them stood firm. “Where were they when we struggled against our individual foes? Or when we fought Basso Profundo? We cannae rely on them, and if we’re going to build this nation, we need to do so with our own foundations.” The sorcerer looked about, then frowned. “Very well.” He tucked the stone away with some frustration before he turned back to his fellows. “But I…” His frown deepened as he saw Mistmane produce gemstones from a pouch around her neck. “You planned all of this together before you came.” The wizened mare shook her head. “No, there was no concerted effort, though I think that most of us were all of the same mind. I was simply optimistic that such was the case, especially in light of other circumstances.” She began passing gemstones to her comrades and explained, “You are not the only one to know of this cavern, or of the Crystal Tree. I found it as well, and I believe that what we do here will indeed have great import for the future.” She passed a lone peridot to Stygian, then produced an amethyst and turned to Star Swirl. “Shall we perform the spell together, or do you wish to do it yourself?” “I can perform the spell myself, thank you.” Star Swirl claimed the gemstone and held it against his chest as his horn glowed a brilliant white. The gem, in turn, took on a brilliant glow of its own, which remained even as it left his chest. One by one, he repeated the spell, and soon, all seven carried a glowing stone. “Now then, to the Tree.” The seven turned to the Tree, their gemstones presented before them. The citrine held by Rockhoof was the first to rise, followed by the pink sapphire from Meadowbrook. Next the blue topaz from Somnambula, and then the purple garnet from Mistmane. They were followed by the ruby from Flash Magnus, the peridot from Stygian, and finally, Star Swirl’s amethyst. Even the sorcerer seemed surprised as the gemstones were pulled towards the Tree, and seemed to sink into its surface. And then the Tree began to glow, and grow. Its crystalline trunk thickened and swelled, and branches and roots grew and sprouted at a rapid rate. As its growth slowed and ceased, five branches formed and took on prominent forms at their ends, each one bearing one of five multifaceted gemstones. Flash Magnus’s gaze went to the branch that pointed straight up from the Tree, where he saw his now larger ruby. “Well, five are accounted for.” “Six.” Star Swirl cast a spell, and the star-shaped indent in the trunk opened to reveal the now similarly-shaped amethyst within. “As I said, six Elements.” The spell ended, and the indent snapped shut. “Not seven.” The last thing Twilight saw was the crestfallen look upon Stygian’s face, and all the Pillars save Star Swirl doing their best to comfort the scrawny scholar. - Twilight emerged from her trance, briefly shook her head, and beamed. “Oh my gosh…” “Twilight?” Spike approached her hesitantly and asked, “What happened? What did you see?” “I saw Star Swirl and the other Pillars, and Stygian.” The young alicorn’s gaze swept over the gathered ponies as she explained, “It must have happened after their battle with Basso Profundo. The seven of them came to the Tree of Harmony, each one with a gemstone infused with some of their innate magic, and bonded those gemstones to the Tree. It grew, and the Elements were formed.” “Whoa now, hang on a second.” Applejack regarded her friend with surprise. “You’re sayin’ the Elements came from them?” Sunburst’s eyes widened at the implications. “Their actions might well have accelerated its development, like adding fertilizer to crops to help them grow.” The farmpony nodded. “Ain’t a bad analogy, assumin’ you ain’t makin’ too many leaps.” A gentle laugh sounded from her side, and she turned to Quiver. “And what’s got you laughin’?” “Sorry, but…” The stallion regained control of himself as he explained, “It’s almost too perfect to be believed.” His gaze now went over each of the Bearers as he explained, “Remember that conjecture I was talking about earlier? Well, now it’s a theory.” He sat down. “Everypony has their biases, some way of viewing the world informed by their experiences. Star Swirl was no different. He was right about the best elements within us spreading light and virtue, but I think he was wrong in how they viewed them.” His focus turned to Applejack as he continued, “Sure, you need strength to fend off the forces of nature, but there’s more than one kind of strength. You also need inner strength, strength of character. The strength you need to be true to yourself.” The farmer smiled. “The strength to be honest.” Quiver nodded, then turned to Rainbow Dash. “Bravery is something to be applauded, but without good cause, it’s less bravery and more recklessness. You need something worthy to inspire that bravery, and Flash Magnus wasn’t brave to show off.” “He acted for his friends and comrades!” The prismatic pegasus beamed as she finished the stallion’s thought. “He acted out of loyalty!” Quiver then turned to Fluttershy. “Healers don’t do what they do for fame or glory. Their actions are performed because, deep down, they genuinely want to help others. And you need something special for that.” The gentle mare smiled. “A kind heart.” He then turned to Rarity. “Mistmane was famed for her beauty long after she sacrificed it to save her home and redeem Sable Spirit. That’s because true beauty isn’t on the outside, but on the inside. And she showed it by giving of herself to help others where she could, in ways big and small.” The elegant mare smiled. “A generous spirit.” Now to Pinkie Pie. “And the best way I know to spread hope and lift a pony’s spirit?” “Laughter!” The party pony giggled. Finally, to Twilight. “And sorcery is just one of a number of ways to express magic. The fact that Star Swirl’s journal reacted to you, and Meadowbrook’s mask reacted to Fluttershy, suggests some sympathetic magic between the two of you and the two of them. Each of you does your best to live up to those elements, and show the best parts of yourselves, just as the Pillars did at their best.” Quiver smiled and summarized, “Girls, you’re a legacy.” Neighsay cleared his throat. “As appealing as this theory is, if what Princess Twilight says is correct, then Stygian also contributed to the strengthening of the Tree. If that’s so, then why are there only six elements? By that logic, there should be seven.” Luna smiled and then prompted, “Sister, I think it’s time.” Celestia nodded, then turned to her former student. “Twilight, I must apologize. I’ve kept something from you, something related to the Tree of Harmony that I have only shared with Luna. I only did so because it was but a simple theory at the time, but given all that you have uncovered, that theory appears to have more validity to it than it did before.” The younger sibling continued where her elder left off. “Do you recall that when you returned the Elements to the Tree, two strands of magic went through it?” “Of course. One created the Chest, and the other went up a branch…” Twilight gasped. “Oh my gosh! You’re not saying that there’s now a seventh Element of Harmony?!” “That was my initial theory, but given the information that you have uncovered, I think it’s less that one was created, and more that another may have been there all along, lying dormant until triggered.” Celestia smiled. “And I think we both know who might be responsible for that coming to pass.” Twilight laughed, more than a little awestruck at the implications, before Rainbow Dash interjected, “Hang on! This doesn’t mean we have to track down a seventh key, does it?” “No, I don’t think so.” Twilight smiled. “Opening the Chest is meant for the six of us. The seventh Bearer, if they’re who I think they are, probably has their own trials to face. Assuming they haven’t done so already.” “But who…?” Applejack paused as she realized exactly whom her friend was thinking of, then laughed. “She’s gonna have her some mixed feelin’s about this.” “Can’t you say the same about the rest of us?” Twilight wondered aloud, “But what could that element be? And what would Stygian have represented if he’d been recognized as a Pillar?” Quiver shrugged. “Well, I don’t know about that seventh element, but if it were me, I’d say that Stygian’s virtue would be Vision. He saw a danger to Equestria, and he saw what needed to be done to defeat it, and assembled the group we now know as the Pillars of Equestria. That he didn’t get any credit for it is a tragedy.” “No kidding.” Moondancer approached the plinth upon which had appeared the projection of the Pony of Shadows and explained, “The other Pillars are at least fondly remembered as legends in their own right, but Stygian was forgotten in favor of what he became.” She sadly looked to Princess Luna. “I guess history does repeat if you’re not careful.” The Princess of the Night nodded solemnly. “Indeed. Stygian’s tale may have had a different start, but the road traveled led to similar places to mine.” She then looked up and asked, “Which raises the question of what happened to the seven of them.” “Actually, I think I might know!” Twilight stepped forward and explained, “Star Swirl and the Pillars pulled themselves and the Pony of Shadows-slash-Stygian into Limbo! The gap between worlds!” “That’s plausible, given Star Swirl knew how to travel between them.” Moondancer turned to Lyra. “It’s not impossible that he could figure out how to only go part of the way, rather than cross the entire gap.” The minty green unicorn grinned. “Especially given what else he came up with.” “And even better, I think that we can bring them back.” Twilight grinned eagerly as she explained, “And best of all, it’ll be like they never left! Limbo is a no-place! Time stands still there!” Quiver’s expression turned worried. “Um, Twilight…” “The first thing that we’d need to do is gather artifacts linked to the Pillars. We have Star Swirl’s journal, and we can easily borrow Meadowbrook’s mask from Cattail. That just leaves locating the other four…” The stallion approached the young alicorn and raised his voice. “Twilight, I think you need to…” “And after that, we can just bring them here, and reverse the spell! Granted, it might be difficult, but we know what we’re looking for, so…!” “TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Quiver then grasped Twilight’s head with both hooves and turned it to face him. “Will you stop for one second, use that big brain of yours, and think?!” Now satisfied that he had the young mare’s attention, he asked, “Now, the Pillars pulled themselves into Limbo in order to trap Stygian, AKA the Pony of Shadows, correct?” “Well, yes!” “Ergo, assuming that we’re able to find the remaining four artifacts and perform the spell, what would happen?” “We’d bring the Pillars back!” “And…?!” The gears in Twilight’s head started turning, and she realized what Quiver was getting at. “And we’d release Stygian in the process.” “And something tells me that in order to stop him, even with Star Swirl and the Pillars back in the bargain, we’d need the Elements of Harmony, or something like them.” Quiver released his grip on his friend’s head. “I agree with you, releasing Star Swirl and the Pillars would be a good thing. But now isn’t the time. There’s a lot here that we still don’t know. You need to wait, at least until after the Chest has been opened. Maybe after that, we can try and locate those artifacts.” Twilight sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” “Hey, if either of us should be apologizing, it’s me. I rough-hooved a member of the nobility.” The various Guardsponies present laughed as Celestia chimed in, “I don’t think that anypony will be pressing charges. Besides, you were clearly acting with the best of intentions.” The elder alicorn approached with her sister. “In any case, Mister Quiver Quill is right. One quest at a time, hmm?” Twilight nodded. “Of course.” Twilight looked around and managed a sad smile. “Still, with all of this, it feels like we’re leaving something unfinished.” “Maybe so, but I think we’ve found a lot of those puzzle pieces.” Sunrunner approached. “Maybe we don’t know where the Tree came from, but we know where the Elements came from. Plus, we’ve shed light on a part of Equestria’s history that had been dismissed as legend up until now. If that isn’t a victory, I don’t know what is.” That brightened Twilight’s spirits, and she smiled. “Alright then everypony. Let’s go home.” - Fortunately for the residents of Stygian’s village, the sleeping draught had worn off within an hour of the Siren’s defeat. Further, they were none the worse for wear, especially after receiving treatment from Meadowbrook and Mistmane, and they were more than pleased at the presence of the Royal Sisters. Naturally enough, celebrations were upon them. Stygian found himself of mixed feelings about this. Yes, the village had every right to celebrate, as a terrible evil had been defeated and ponies of great fame and renown were among them and responsible. But a part of him, perhaps fueled by envy, found himself wishing that his part had been acknowledged by his neighbors. As comforting as it was that his part was being acknowledged by the Royal Sisters and all of the Pillars save Star Swirl, it hurt that he was being outshine by them. As the scholar entered his home and considered his thoughts, he tried to take comfort in the fact that the deed had been done. Basso Profundo was defeated, and no longer of their concerned… at least, for now. Stygian looked among his books, and thought of the stories he had collected and the tales he had been told of his friends’ exploits. The realm was still young, and it would need defenders. Perhaps it had them. For now, Stygian needed to do what he could to help them keep the realm safe. And perhaps, with time, he would be seen as an equal to the Pillars. At least, he could hope. - As the Aurora made its way across Equestria, Quiver sat alone in the airship’s lounge and watched the world speed by far below. The others had likely retreated to the bunks that had been set aside for them or elsewhere on the airship, which left him to himself until they reached their destination. He didn’t mind being alone, at least in this case. It gave him time to reflect, even if it would only be for so long. Celestia had made arrangements for the airship to speed back to Ponyville and drop off most of its passengers there before returning to Canterlot, which saved him and many of the others the trouble of getting train tickets home. He certainly didn’t mind. The sooner he was back home and in bed, the better. “Excuse me.” His reverie was broken as he turned to see the one pony onboard that he had no genuine desire to spend time with. “May I join you?” Quiver shrugged. “It’s a free country, last I checked.” Neighsay sat at an empty chair at the table, and did his best to keep a neutral expression. “As much as I disagree with how you provided it, your advice to Princess Twilight Sparkle was sound. Thank you, for preventing her from making a terrible mistake.” “However?” “However, as insightful as you are, that doesn’t excuse your earlier behavior.” The older stallion locked his gaze upon the younger. “I have no expectation that everypony will like me, and am resigned to that fact. Life is not a popularity contest. Your earlier claims, however, are something that I refuse to ignore. Everything that I have done, every policy decision that I have made, has been for the good of Equestria. What you called me…” “Is completely accurate. Your actions and policies have been short-sighted, hypocritical, and bigoted, and despite your claims to the contrary, they’ve hurt Equestria far more than they’ve helped it. I’d elaborate upon how, but something tells me that would be a waste of my time.” “And by what logic…?” “Because I was raised by a pony like you, Chancellor.” Quiver’s gaze was now locked upon the older stallion, even as he shifted in his seat to help showcase his cutie mark. “You see this? I earned this cutie mark by writing a story as part of a school assignment, and then reciting it in front of my classmates.” “So I’ve heard. It was about Nightmare Moon, and surprisingly accurate.” “Well, you know what happened after that? I was mocked for my story, was suspended for trying to defend myself, and rather than try to hear my side, my father yelled and screamed at me as if I had burned down the house. He dismissed my story as horseshit, along with the tale of Nightmare Moon, and when he laid eyes on my cutie mark, he yelled at me to scrub it off and called me a ‘retarded little shit’. His exact words.” The hardened expression on the bureaucrat’s face softened. “What? How could he…?” “Might’ve been because I had a younger brother who’d been diagnosed as a low-functioning autistic, and that condition seems to be genetic. Might’ve been because his day had been disrupted and he’d had to drag my worthless plot home. Might’ve just been due to him being a bitter old goat of a stallion. His name is ‘Bitterhoof’, after all. Regardless, he’s never once shown any sort of regret about any of those statements. Even after I scrubbed my flank so hard that I had a bald patch for a week afterwards. Cutie mark was still there when the fur grew back, and he still thought that I’d faked it.” “But Nightmare Moon…Princess Luna…” “You want to know what happened when the papers reported on the return of Princess Luna? About the reveal that Nightmare Moon had been a real pony? He practically shoved the papers at me and then went into a rant about how Equestria and its citizenry were being lied to. ‘Alicorns don’t magically appear out of thin air’, he said. ‘You’d have to be a complete retard to believe anything these plotholes are telling us’, he said. All while glaring at me with the same venom as the day that I’d earned my cutie mark.” Quiver scowled. “Didn’t really discourage me from thinking that his stance hadn’t changed.” Neighsay, to his credit, actually looked shocked. “And I remind you… of him?” “From my perspective, Chancellor, you and my father are both cut from the same cloth. You’re both stubborn, and absolutely convinced that you are right and that everypony else is wrong, simply because you say so. Sure, there are subtle differences, but between authoritarian attitudes, specist policies and certain physical characteristics, the two of you are little different to me.” He gestured to his chin and explained, “It doesn’t help that you both have beards.” The chancellor unconsciously reached for his facial hair, before shaking his head. “Well, I am not your father. Like any sane pony, I cannot and would not support such behavior as his. And regardless, I am stallion enough to admit when I am wrong.” “You’ll forgive me if I don’t take your word for it. Authority figures have tended to fail me, and not just my father.” The older stallion noted the hard tone in the younger’s voice, and opted to turn discussion elsewhere. “Well, putting all of that aside, that still doesn’t explain your feelings regarding my policies.” “Then let’s elaborate on those. First, your hypocrisy. You’re the stallion in charge of Equestria’s schools and everything about them. Including what’s taught in them, and what isn’t taught in them.” Quiver raised an eyebrow. “Do you know how many schools have incorrect maps of Equestria? And how many schools have maps of the lands beyond Equestria?” Neighsay found himself uncertain, but did have a defense. “I’m hardly responsible for how funding is used by each school district…” “That doesn’t answer my question.” Quiver crossed his hooves in front of him and explained, “Chancellor, I’ve seen maps of Equestria that depict the North and South Luna Oceans as being one big Luna Ocean, and maps depicting them separated by the land bridge that leads to the Undiscovered West, in the same classroom. In public schools and at the college level. And as hard as it is to find maps that agree with one another, it’s even harder to find maps of the nations beyond Equestria’s borders. We have trade agreements with Abyssinia, but you’d be hard pressed to find any maps depicting it, let alone a pony who could point it out on said map. And that’s ignoring all the nations that came into existence in the wake of Equestria’s last big war with the griffons, or places like Farasi or Anugypt or Mortaurus. For somepony who takes such an active interest in Equestria’s national affairs, you seem very disinterested in ensuring that the youth of Equestria know anything about their neighbors, or nations abroad.” The stallion scowled. “That sort of thing has consequences, Chancellor. Consequences that Princess Twilight and her friends can tell you about first-hoof. Spike still gets looked down upon, despite having been instrumental in saving the Crystal Empire. There’s a zebra who lives near Ponyville, and she was treated as a pariah simply because she was different. A minotaur came to Ponyville to do business, and various ponies casually called him a monster without a second thought despite him committing no crimes and doing nothing immoral or illegal.” He then gestured with one hoof. “Which brings me to your bigotry. The fact is that under your watch, Equestria’s schools became segregated. Not only is that against everything Equestria stands for, but it’s caused nothing but trouble.” Neighsay turned defensive. “That was done for a multitude of reasons.” “Ponies separated from non-ponies in our schools? I’ve no doubt that you had a multitude of reasons, but I doubt that many of them were properly benign. And that ignores the fact that lives were disrupted, and friendships damaged because of ponies and non-ponies being plucked from one school and dropped in another like interchangeable parts in a machine.” “It has long been my opinion that non-ponies, regardless of their race, are better off being taught by their own kind.” “And what if their own kinds hate us?” Quiver’s expression didn’t shift. “You and I both know that one of the big things that led to the last big war between Equestria and the griffons was a rising attitude among them about griffon superiority over ponies, over how we were an inferior race. That attitude hasn’t gone away, Chancellor, despite everything that was done after the war to stamp it out. And what do you bet me that there’s some resentment amongst the various minorities in Equestria over how they’ve been marginalized and treated? I grew up in the inner city of Indianapoloosa, and there were more than a few donkeys, old and young, who had nothing but contempt for ponies, mules, or donkeys who were part of a system that they thought was oppressive.” He crossed his hooves and explained, “That’s where the short-sightedness comes in. You created that situation, and it’s eventually going to fester into something terrible and nasty. One that will cause a lot of pointless bloodshed, and even more resentment and contempt once everything is said and done. And not just in major cities like Manehatten, Phillydelphia or Indianapoloosa, but places like Ponyville. Something like it almost happened in Appleloosa not too long ago between the ponies and a nearby tribe of buffalo. You want to fight that? End segregation. Encourage ponies and non-ponies to look at one another as equals rather than as lesser creatures, oppressors, or something to be feared and hated for what they are. You might not be able to end animosity between various creatures, but you can do a lot to mitigate it. All that’s needed is a better way, and the courage to pursue it.” Neighsay regarded the stallion before him in silence, before he slumped back in his seat. “You raise a compelling argument. It’s hard to believe that a stallion like your father could instill such attitudes into you, and still sound so abusive.” Quiver snorted. “My opinions are my own, not my father’s. Though he’d still agree with me that segregation is bad, just for different reasons.” The older stallion frowned thoughtfully, but opted to turn discussion elsewhere. “No questions about how I knew of your Nightmare Moon story, then?” Quiver shrugged. “Princess Celestia runs a school. You’re in charge of how schools are run. That one or either of you would interact with other teachers or school administrators isn’t too much of a stretch, even if you running into Principal Fairweather or Miss Persimmon in particular is unlikely.” “Well, Fairweather was part of the delegation sent by Indianapoloosa Public Schools alongside his predecessor as superintendent of that particular district. I will admit, them having that particular piece with them would beggar belief.” He gave the younger stallion a curious expression. “But why tell the story the way you did? So far as most foals your age at the time knew, Nightmare Moon was little more than a boogey-mare.” “I wasn’t like most foals my age.” A sad smile crossed his lips. “One thing that both my parents encouraged me to do was to question things, and keep an open mind. What foals get told is one thing, but whether or not it’s factual is another. Sometimes that’s due to deliberate lies, other times negligence, but regardless, the truth can always get distorted. I went digging beyond what was in the children’s section of my local library, and that’s how I found what was closer to the actual reality behind Princess Luna’s fall.” “Among other things, it would seem.” Neighsay almost smirked as he admitted, “At this rate, you’ll start saying that Grogar exists.” Quiver uncrossed his forelimbs, and tapped the table between them with one hoof to emphasize each example he gave. “Nightmare Moon. Discord. Changelings. The Crystal Empire. Star Swirl the Bearded. All of them were very real, and all of them were practically forgotten by history up until recent events proved that they were real. At the rate things are going, it wouldn’t surprise me if Grogar was not only real, but could be out there waiting for the right time to come back.” He then shrugged. “But I wouldn’t complain if I was wrong.” At that, Neighsay laughed. “Nor would I.” The stallion got back to his hooves. “You’ve given me a great deal to think about, Mister Quiver Quill, but one thing doesn’t require much thought on my part. Your father was wrong about you. I can only hope for his sake and yours that he realizes it before it’s too late.” “Well if you don’t mind having a little bit more to chew over?” At the older stallion’s raised eyebrow, Quiver explained, “The zero-tolerance pilot program in Indianapoloosa? Probably not as successful as you’d think. Fairweather has a tendency to puff himself up, especially if it lets him kiss up to authority figures like yourself. I didn’t straighten up because I feared further punishment from the schools, and the ponies who did worse crimes have long been getting away with it. Primrose Thorn, for example.” “Great-granddaughter to Congressmare Amaranth Thorn? The only mare to be rejected from the School for Gifted Unicorns?” “The very same. She and two other fillies assaulted a fourth, sheared off her mane and trapped her in a restroom. The filly was punished as a result, and Primrose got off without a hitch from Fairweather. That filly’s family filed a police report, but nothing was ever done about it. All because of her family connections.” Quiver got to his hooves himself. “Just ask Lieutenant Sunrunner about it. She was the one they assaulted. And all that ignores what she recently got into in Ponyville. Regardless, I suppose that it’s something for you to look into.” As the younger stallion trotted out of the lounge, Neighsay’s expression firmed. “Indeed it is.” - The Aurora slowly descended on the plains to Ponyville’s north until it came to a smooth landing. Hatches opened and gangplanks were extended, and the majority of its passengers disembarked. “I am so very glad that we’re home.” Quiver yawned as he idly walked among his friends as they departed the airship. “Even putting aside my job, something tells me it’s gonna be a busy day tomorrow.” “Yes, but remember, we’ll all have to wait until late in the afternoon.” Rarity smiled. “Working around everypony’s schedules and all that.” As the stallion nodded in acknowledgement, Twilight stood at the edge of the gangplank with Spike at her side. Celestia approached her. “I’d be careful about how you break the news to her, Twilight. There’s no telling how Sunset will take it.” “Still, she needs to know.” The young alicorn turned to her mentor and smiled. “And she will. By the end of the day tomorrow.” The elder alicorn nodded. “Good luck then.” Her protégé trotted off to join her friends, but before the last of the departures could join her, he was interrupted. “Spike? One moment.” Spike paused, and quietly approached the princess. “What’s wrong?” Celestia grinned conspiratorially. “Nothing. I just didn’t want you to forget about this.” She then produced a cart, within which rested a fair-sized package. “It’s all ready for her.” The young drake whooped. “Awesome!” He then took the cart by its handles. “Thanks. And thanks again for all the help with this, Princess Celestia.” “It was my pleasure, Spike.” The young dragon then rejoined Twilight and the rest of the departures, and the gangplank was retracted and the hatches closed. Celestia sighed and made her way back into the airship. One day was over, and tomorrow was waiting. With any luck, it would be fruitful for everyone.to be continued...
Legends of Magic - Chapter Seven AChapter Seven: Legacy of Light The party stood at the outskirts of Stygian’s village. By some stroke of luck, Basso Profundo hadn’t ventured far from it, and seemed content to indulge himself with the local population. How much of it was good luck, however, remained to be seen. Stygian stood off to the side as the Pillars downed Meadowbrook’s potion. He understood Star Swirl’s logic behind him holding back and not aiding in the struggle. The young unicorn was an amateur scholar at best, rather than some grand hero of legend like the ponies before him. Nonetheless, one thought pervaded his mind as he watched his idol rally the others. “Pillars of Equestria…” That he wished he was there with them. “…to battle!” As one, the six charged forth. Flash Magnus, appropriately enough, acted as the tip of the spear and shot through the air. He buzzed past the Siren, who laughed. “What’s this? Come to greet your new lord and…?!” He was interrupted as boulders pelted him from below courtesy of Rockhoof. Basso growled and spat a beam of magic from his maw, one that was swiftly blocked by Magnus and his shield. He growled and commanded, “Attack them, my slaves! Defend your master!” The townsponies, previously lethargic or fighting among themselves, rounded upon the Pillars. Many were swiftly distracted by Somnambula, and galloped after her only to fall and seemingly vanish into solid earth. The illusion spell faded as Mistmane looked on placidly and Meadowbrook released a sleeping draught into the newly-revealed pit. Basso growled even as the two pegasi continued to zip around him, neither holding still enough to allow him an easy target. Bright flashes then appeared before his eyes, which caused him to cry out in shock. No longer needed to cast illusions, Mistmane had turned her attention to creating flares with her magic. “Star Swirl, I do believe now is as good a time as any!” Star Swirl nodded in agreement, but as his horn glowed, the gemstone embedded in the Siren’s glowed with bright, almost overwhelming light. Basso Profundo, in turn, convulsed and cried out in pain before falling to the ground. He landed with a hard thud, seemingly unconscious. The Pillars stood in surprise, but kept their distance. Rockhoof, despite himself, couldn’t help but ask the question that was on each of their minds. “Did we do that?” “No, land-dweller.” Heads turned towards the coast, and the Pillars readied themselves as they lay eyes upon two more Sirens. “You did not.” From his vantage point, Stygian went pale. “Oh no…”- High in the Equestrian skies, an airship softly soared. It was small as far as airships went, somewhere between two and three hundred feet in length, but with comfortable enough space onboard for its passengers and small crew. Its exterior was simple and understated, but elegant in its own way, and its interior was little different. Quiver Quill laughed as he surveyed the interior. “If anypony told me that I would be hitching a ride on the personal airship of Princess Celestia herself, I’d think they were crazy.” “Well, even the crazy ones are right some of the time.” Celestia smiled and briefly turned her gaze around the ship’s lounge, the various bearers as well as the members of Twilight’s research team clearly pleased with the amenities. “I insisted that the Aurora not be this ostentatious thing when she was commissioned. Seeing Blueblood’s excesses with his own airship gave me plenty of reason.” “Well I’d say that you made the right choice.” Twilight was seated at a round table, her newest bit of research material laid out as she examined its contents. “And I’m glad that it was available for us. Thank you.” “It’s no trouble, Twilight.” The elder alicorn’s gaze then went to the rest of the research team, as well as their unofficial new addition. “And regardless, it will be more than worth the time.” “Here’s hoping.” Celestia departed, and Quiver then turned to the unicorn stallion among them. “So, Sunburst. I hear we have you to thank for a lot of ponies being saved in the Crystal Empire recently.” The bespectacled scholar shrugged. “I didn’t do anything special. I just happened to know about a spell that could protect all of us non-natives to the Empire when all of those temporal shifts occurred. I just wish that I knew what had caused them.” He didn’t notice Quiver’s brief smirk before he continued. “In any case, this isn’t anything compared to you finding Star Swirl’s journal, or being able to decipher his horn-writing.” The brown stallion shrugged. “The latter was practice, the former was dumb luck.” “Dumb luck and somepony owing you a favor.” Lyra grinned and playfully nudged her friend with one hoof before Sunrunner playfully ruffled his mane with one wing. “So, any theories?” Quiver raised an eyebrow at his friend’s remark before his marefriend prompted, “Come on, Quivs. Don’t hold out on us. Something’s gotta be percolating in that brain of yours.” The stallion frowned as his gaze went to the journal. “Well, I do have a couple things cooking. One is less of a theory right now, and more of a conjecture. I’m not comfortable sharing it, at least for the time being.” Twilight set down the journal and regarded him. “And the second one?” “Star Swirl wrote in that journal that the one who gathered the Pillars together was transformed into a Pony of Shadows. He doesn’t name him, but we can safely conclude from Meadowbrook’s diaries that it was Stygian. That Star Swirl didn’t name him is suggestive. He might not well have held Stygian in high regard from the start.” Quiver frowned. “Then again, Star Swirl wasn’t exactly a paragon of virtue himself.” “No, he wasn’t.” Twilight frowned herself, then turned to another table. “Lieutenant Pixie Dust? Could you come over here please?” The thestral approached. “Was wondering when you’d get around to asking me about the Pony of Shadows.” The young alicorn made a sheepish expression. “To be fair, stories like that aren’t exclusive to the Hollow Shades. Still, maybe you can shed some light on things?” “I can try.” The mare pulled up a chair and explained, “You all know that Hollow Shades is one of the oldest settlements in Equestria, right? Well, there are ruins there, traces of a civilization that existed decades, maybe centuries prior to the time of the founders.” “That’s not implausible.” Moondancer looked about the rest of the group and explained, “Some new settlements will build upon the ruins left by older ones, if only to save time.” “Yeah, but there’s one structure they didn’t do much building on.” Pixie Dust’s attention was firmly fixed on Twilight and Quiver as she continued. “There’s a structure underneath the town. Nopony goes down there, mostly because of the old legends. The only way in is through an opening in the town center that looks like a well. Between that and the stories, it’s called the Well of Shades. According to them, a long time ago, a pony ventured down there and released something dark and terrible that had been sealed away.” Quiver raised an eyebrow. “Like ‘Nightmare Moon’ dark and terrible?” At the thestral’s nod, he thoughtfully rubbed his chin with one hoof. “Interesting.” “Maybe the Nightmare wasn’t the only force of dark magic in existence?” Twilight timidly offered. “Or it and whatever force Stygian bonded with are somehow linked, parts of a greater whole that was torn asunder long ago.” Quiver sighed. “We may never know.” At the opposite end of the lounge, Neighsay regarded the group with a scowl as Celestia joined him. “You look as though you have a great deal on your mind.” “As well I should. Princess Twilight has chosen to surround herself with less than agreeable company.” The alicorn smirked. “You just don’t like the fact that he shouted you down.” “The shouting and disrespect is one thing, but those accusations…” The bureaucrat seethed. “Who is he to make such claims anyway?” “Mister Quiver Quill?” The smirk didn’t leave Celestia’s face as she explained, “Only the stallion who saw my sister’s return coming years in advance. You remember that conference a few years ago, when the pilot program for the zero-tolerance policy was discussed?” “Yes, but…?” Recognition clicked across the bureaucrat’s face. “Him? That was the colt who wrote that story?” The previous scowl was now replaced with an expression of astonishment. “I didn’t realize. I’ve long wondered how a colt so young could fit together the pieces needed to find the truth behind that mystery.” Celestia’s smirk turned into a grin. “Then why don’t you ask him?” Neighsay went silent, and found himself thinking that doing so would be the most prudent course of action. For now, however, there were more pressing issues to deal with.- The two new Sirens floated high above the settlement, their eyes fixed upon the gathered Pillars. The one who had spoken had a slenderer build than Basso Profundo, her scales with varying shades of green rather than red and orange. Such colors made the red gemstone upon her breast stand out all the more clearly as she and her associate descended. “Be at peace, land-dwellers. We mean no harm.” Star Swirl regarded them with suspicion. “And what proof have we of these claims?” The other Siren, closer in build to the fallen one at their hooves and colored in bright oranges and yellows, frowned upon the sorcerer. “The proof of us having dispatched our own kin in your aid should be sufficient.” “Mezzo.” The female Siren raised one limb to calm her associate, then turned her attention back to the Pillars. “Please, we ask of you the chance to explain ourselves.” “We would welcome such!” This voice caused surprise to form upon Star Swirl’s face as he turned to its source, then annoyance as he recognized the pair of teenagers and the scholar who descended to join him and the Pillars. The alicorn mare at the lead, her pink mane starting to shift into pastel hues, looked up at the Sirens and continued, “Though we ask that you explain yourselves to the whole of our party, rather than simply to our defenders.” The female Siren accepted that request with a slight nod, then gestured to herself. “I am Allegra Soprana.” She then gestured to her conscious associate. “This is Mezzo Spinto. Our third, Basso Profundo, lies defeated before you. We three are natives of Coltlantis, a nation which rests deep beneath the surface of the nearby seas.” The pink-maned alicorn stood tall. “And I am Celestia. Daughter of the House of Everstar, Princess of the Sun, and co-ruler of the Unified Kingdom of Equestria.” She gestured to the smaller alicorn at her left. “My sister Luna, Princess of the Night.” And then to the wizened sorcerer behind them. “Our advisor and protector, Star Swirl the Bearded.” Allegra nodded. “Highness. We offer our apologies for the actions of our compatriot. It would seem that he has wrought devastation upon your nation and kin. We assure you, we did not seek quarrel with you, though such assurances no doubt ring hollow given Basso Profundo’s actions.” She briefly turned to her fallen comrade. “This was not how things were meant to be.” “Then please explain to us how things were meant to be.” “We were meant to be protectors.” Mezzo Spinto kept a steely gaze upon the gathered ponies even as he explained further. “We were chosen by our holy rulers to defend our home beneath the waves, and granted these Siren Stones as tools to further that end.” “Though it would seem that not all of us were able to carry their burden.” Allegra gestured to her stone and admitted, “Basso left us, overwhelmed with the power he had been granted, and came here. We were forbidden to follow him, and only now came because we could not stand idly by any further knowing the damage he could cause.” Her gaze briefly went over the gathered Pillars as she admitted, “And it would seem that our arrival was fortuitous. You have many brave souls amongst your subjects, Celestia of Equestria.” Celestia nodded. “Your compliments are appreciated. What now for you and your associates?” “Now we return from whence we came, and trouble you no further.” The two Sirens reached down and collected their third, then rose up into the sky while Allegra continued to speak. “I doubt that our kinds shall meet again, but should that happen, I hope that it will occur under more pleasant circumstances.” The young alicorn nodded, and the gathered party watched as the three Sirens departed over the horizon. Once he was certain that the intruders were out of earshot, Star Swirl rounded upon his two charges. “What in the Maker’s name are you foals doing here?! I expressly told you not to follow me!” “And it is quite well that we did not follow your command!” The younger of the Royal Sisters rounded upon her mentor and declared, “We are the rulers of Equestria, Star Swirl! How are we to rule if you perform our duties for us?” “And how are we to learn if you do not give us the chance to try things for ourselves?” The elder sister joined Luna and added, “Besides, the instant the other two Sirens showed up, this became a matter of diplomacy. Had they not appeared, Luna and I would have stayed out of the battle anyway. You’d almost won, after all.” “None of that is hardly relevant! You might well be the rulers of this land, but it is my task to guide and protect you, and I cannot do that if you do not heed my wisdom! Things may have proceeded in our favor on this occasion, but that does not mean it will be the same in future!” “Perhaps.” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “But how are we to trust that you have our best interests at heart if you do not trust us with the truth?” Star Swirl glowered at his charge. “The issue here is not trust, but…!” A stifled laugh, and he turned to the most wizened of their number. “You have something to add to this discussion?” “Only that neither side is wrong.” Mistmane regarded her fellow mage with an expression that made clear he wasn’t going to dissuade her and said, “But given your secret has been exposed, there is no point in maintaining it.” The old sorcerer relented. “Very well.” He turned back to his charges and explained, “Yes, I did withhold information from you, but it was for your benefit and that of Equestria. The two of you are far too important to endanger on a quest to defend this realm.” “And would you have told us the full truth of what you had done upon your return?” Celestia gestured to the gathered Pillars, who had clustered together near Star Swirl. “Or introduced us to those you had gathered, so that we may bestow upon them proper thanks?” “From the way things seem, it is likely that he would not have done so.” Mistmane’s attention went from Star Swirl to the Royal Sisters as she gently smiled. “But no thanks are needed, your Highnesses.” “Aye, each of us chose to defend and serve the realm in one manner or another.” Rockhoof then gestured to one of their number in particular and said, “Though if one of us was most deserving of your favor, it would be Stygian. It was he who alerted us to the danger posed by the Siren and brought us together. Had it not been for him, we would not be having this conversation.” Celestia nodded and turned her attention to the scholar. “Very well then. Stygian, you have the gratitude of your sovereigns and your nation. Whatever reward you would seek, name it.” That took Stygian by surprise. “Oh, well, I seek no reward.” “Well do you perhaps seek employment?” Luna stepped up and offered, “We are of no doubt that there is room enough for you in Canterlot, and Star Swirl would likely welcome your aid in future matters.” The sorcerer stroked his beard. “Perhaps an assistant would be useful, if only to help me keep the two of you from getting into further trouble. What say you, Stygian?” Stygian didn’t immediately answer.- Dense forest surrounded the site of Ponehenge, but there was enough of a clearing to allow the party to step hoof onto it, albeit with a few branches and bushes being pushed aside with magic. The group found itself at a circle of standing stones, each one varying in height and with carved areas large enough for a pony to stand upon, surrounding a central stone platform with a recessed part to its middle. The area was clearly worn with time, but it nonetheless had an air of power and dignity to it, one that wasn’t lost on its visitors. “This is it.” Twilight looked about the site in awe as many of her associates drew cameras from their panniers. “Alright everypony, this is a major archaeological site. We need to treat it with the respect it deserves. Don’t touch anything until it’s photographed first.” Rarity fought back the urge to clear away debris until Sunburst photographed one of the rocky, vine-covered pillars from every angle. At the scholar’s nod, she pulled away the vines with her magic, and more pictures were taken of the uncovered stonework. “Rather curious carvings.” “They look like runes, but I’ve never seen ones like this before.” Sunburst cleared away what dust he could with his magic, and then produced paper and graphite. “I’ll make a rubbing. Maybe we can decipher it.” Lyra inspected similar runes elsewhere on the site and grinned. “I might have a few ideas about where to start.” Twilight and Moondancer grinned in turn at their friend’s remark as Rainbow Dash cleared away a vine. “Well, whoever carved those things had to do it a long time ago. The way this place looks, nopony’s been here for ages.” “An’ we’ll need a lot more ponies than just us to clear this place out.” Applejack nonetheless pulled a vine free from one bit of stonework. “Not to mention more time.” “Which means that this is now the task of a proper archaeological expedition.” Neighsay approached the young princess. “I suggest that you allow the experts to continue from here, Princess Twilight.” “Chancellor, the ‘experts’ have been more than happy to dismiss stories of the Pillars and Ponehenge as myths and legends for the last thousand years. How do I know they won’t just dismiss the proof of their existence as well?” Twilight idly set Star Swirl’s journal down on one bit of stonework before she turned back to the bureaucrat and continued, “Besides, you said it yourself, what we’re uncovering here has…” Twilight barely noticed parts of the book’s cover start to glow with brilliant light. She and Neighsay stepped back as the book opened and flipped through its pages, and glowing swirls of magic emerged from within. The swirls shifted into a figure that was all too familiar to many of the ponies present, a tall and slender stallion with a long grey beard garbed in a bell-adorned cloak and hat. “Star Swirl the Bearded!” Twilight exclaimed and approached the figure. “I can’t believe…!” “Twilight, wait!” Celestia approached her protégé and held her back. “That isn’t Star Swirl. It’s some form of magical projection.” “And it’s not the only one!” Heads turned at Quiver’s exclamation as further projections took form at the base of the other standing stones. These projections were of the other five acknowledged Pillars, their gazes cast towards the central platform. As the projections completed themselves, the one of Star Swirl cast a beam towards the central platform, only for an inky black form to take shape. First it was a sphere, then it started to sprout legs before coalescing into a pony-like form and breaking into maniacal laughter. Pixie Dust turned pale as she recognized the sight before them. “The Pony of Shadows.” Luna wrapped one wing protectively around a shuddering Fluttershy, her own expression sorrowful. “Stygian.” Those gathered backed away from the sight as the projection played out before them, but not one averted their gaze as the Pillars stood firm. Star Swirl’s expression was determined, and while the others shared that determination, regret could also be seen if one paid close enough attention. “You summon me at your peril, Star Swirl!” The Pony of Shadows locked his gaze upon the sorcerer as he bellowed, “Once I defeat all of you, this realm will embrace the darkness, as I have done!” The shadowy form sprouted wings, and vine-like tendrils shot out and ensnared each of the Pillars. As the skies overhead seemed to darken further, the Pony of Shadows laughed and continued to gloat. “Drawing me here will only make me stronger. You will never defeat me!” “We did not come here to defeat you.” With a flash from his horn, Star Swirl’s projection tore away his bindings, then lifted up a projection of the very journal that had led them to the site. A beam of magic went from the journal to Flash Magnus’s shield, then to a flower held by Mistmane, then a scrap of cloth held by Somnambula, to the mask worn by Mage Meadowbrook, and finally to the shovel held by Rockhoof before returning to Star Swirl, an unbroken hexagon of light and magic now surrounding the Pony of Shadows. As light build around him, the enemy looked about in surprise. “What are you doing?!” Star Swirl’s tone was determined and final as he declared, “We came…to contain you.” The six Pillars lifted themselves and the Pony of Shadows up from the ground, the latter screaming out in defiance all the while, until all seven were engulfed in a bright flash of light. All that was left behind of their projections were those of their artifacts, which fell back to the earth and shattered in bursts of light where they struck. Sour Sweet stepped forward, and looked about. “We all saw that, right?” “Indeed.” Luna approached and reasoned, “What we just saw was an impression of events from long ago. Bringing Star Swirl’s relic here was what allowed us to view it.” She turned to Twilight and explained, “It must have absorbed a great deal of ambient magic from not only the spell, but also Star Swirl. I suspect the other artifacts we saw were similarly affected.” “Which means if we’d brought Meadowbrook’s mask here, it might’ve triggered the same thing.” At Luna’s nod, Moondancer pointed at each pillar in turn and reasoned, “And all the other artifacts we saw the Pillars carrying, they were linked to them in their legends. At least, Netitus and Rockhoof’s shovel were.” “Ooh!” Pinkie Pie perched herself atop one of the standing stones like a mountain goat and declared, “Maybe that scrap of cloth Somnambula was holding was the blindfold she wore when she fought that nasty Sphinx!” “Which implies the flower had a close connection to Mistmane.” Rarity considered that. “I remember an illustrated version of that story, where she rescued such a flower from being snatched away by Silver Sable. Could it be the same one?” “Let’s not distract ourselves with the details.” Neighsay approached Twilight and noted, “The important thing is that we know what happened Star Swirl and the Pillars. They sacrificed themselves to save Equestria from Stygian.” Celestia sighed. “He never told me about this. Any of this. He shouldn’t have kept me in the dark. He…” “He probably thought that you had enough on your plate.” Quiver approached the princess and reasoned, “This all happened not long after you lost Princess Luna, didn’t it?” The elder alicorn nodded. “I assigned searchers to try and find them, based on what little information I had. I never heard anything beyond that.” Quiver frowned at that, but kept his thoughts to himself as Twilight sat on her haunches and reflected, “We might know what happened to Star Swirl and the Pillars, but we still don’t know anything else about this ‘seed’ they left behind.” She bowed her head. “Maybe this was all a waste of time.” “No. It wasn’t.” She looked up in surprise as Neighsay regarded her with pride. “Perhaps you haven’t found the exact answers that you were seeking, Princess Twilight, but you’ve nonetheless given us answers to one of Equestria’s greatest mysteries. It will be inconvenient to rewrite the history books yet again, but I think the printers will understand. I certainly do, and I am more than grateful for it.” “And you’ve given us a measure of closure.” Celestia smiled. “Besides, I don’t think you’ve exhausted every avenue.” “No, I don’t think she has.” Spike reached into his backpack and produced a familiar vial. “But this one’s a bit of a longshot. It’s what left of that potion Twilight got from Zecora, the one that clued us in on what was going on with the plundervines.” Twilight eyed the potion uneasily. “It did show me things related to the Elements before.” She swished the last dregs about. “But there’s so little left. And if I use it now, it’s gone. Besides, I’ll have no way of proving what I see, assuming I even see anything.” “Twilight, I don’t think we have a lot of options left.” Spike looked at her with what he hoped was encouragement. “Go on.” The young alicorn resigned herself, uncorked the last of the potion, and downed it. “I just hope…” And then the world went white. to be continued...
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This is a group dedicated to the universe or world of the MLP FiM Comics. Here you can discuss your favorite comics, share your favorite characters from the comics and just have fun. You may also submit some of your own comics as long as its PG or lower. You can also submit fanart from the comics
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:iconmysticsunrise87:
MysticSunrise87 Featured By Owner Nov 7, 2018  Hobbyist Writer
So how much of the comics are considered show cannon? I know the Legends of Equestria arc is since it set up season 7, or most of it.
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:iconsupermariofan:
SuperMarioFan Featured By Owner Aug 23, 2017
I recommend that anyone who hated the Reflections arc just stop reading the MLP comics right there and now, and re-evaluate their sanity. That arc was one of the best for all the world building, character growth and backstory it accomplished, yet I read that its reception was more of a mixed bag than anything. Is this fandom getting harder to please, or is it just my imagination?
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:iconaviatrix-ash:
Aviatrix-Ash Featured By Owner Jan 7, 2016  Hobbyist General Artist
Thanks for adding my Bat Mane6 and Captain Hoofbeard pics to your group! 

Totes joining cause I have a bunch more art based on the IDW MLP comics in the works now c:
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:iconbrillonsloup:
Brillonsloup Featured By Owner Jan 7, 2016  Hobbyist General Artist
You're quite welcome and I wanna spread the love of MLP comics to everyone one DA.

Thank you so much for joining and I cannot wait to see more IDW comic art from you in the future. Do you have a favorite comic arc? Mine would be the Bat pony arc and the Reflections arc.
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:iconjohesy:
Johesy Featured By Owner Edited Jan 7, 2016  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Of course, they were both really well done! I especially liked the hoofbeats piece. :aww:

Awesome! IDW artwork is a bit tricky to come across, so we'd gladly accept them! :thanks:
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:iconsaturdaymorningproj:
saturdaymorningproj Featured By Owner Jan 6, 2016
thanks for featuring my drawing to your gallery :D
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:iconbrillonsloup:
Brillonsloup Featured By Owner Jan 7, 2016  Hobbyist General Artist
You're very welcome just want to spread the love of MLP Comics to everyone and we get to find new comic fans along the way.
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:iconsaturdaymorningproj:
saturdaymorningproj Featured By Owner Jan 7, 2016
yeah the comics from IDW do need some love indeed, they told plenty of cool stories :D
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:iconbrillonsloup:
Brillonsloup Featured By Owner Jan 9, 2016  Hobbyist General Artist
I totally agree I've kinda lost some of my excitement for the show but I absolutely love the comics so much.
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(1 Reply)
:iconjohesy:
Johesy Featured By Owner Jan 6, 2016  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Yeah, no prob! It was a really amazing piece and I absolutely loved how it looked! :aww:
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