Walking down the stairs slowly and with caution, Harry Potter and the Student Six made their way to the next chamber. As they walked, their steps echoing off the stone floor, one thought crossed their minds. They knew that just at the end of this flight of stairs, the answer to this entire mystery waited to reveal itself. Though if they were being completely honest, just the very idea over what they might find terrified them ever so greatly.
That being said, they also knew that their entire future depended on them seeing this through to the end. Knowing that if they were to turn back now, all the sacrifices they made to this very moment would be pointless. That all the moments that their other friends decided to part during this stage of the journey would all have been for naught. As of right now, the only thing keeping them going forward is knowing that ‘failure’ and ‘quitting’ were not the options to make right now.
“Get ready, you guys,” Sandbar spoke. “You never know what scary challenges await just down these stairs.”
“Hah! I ain’t afraid of nothing,” Smolder replied smugly. “I was born ready to face any villain who wants the stone so badly… just not as much as me… *HIC!*”
“Yeah… I can totally see that…” Gallus remarked, his left eye twitching.
Just then, as the team were halfway down, Harry Potter winced and groaned. He could feel the scar upon his forehead burning ever so fiercely. Ocellus, right beside the boy, did her best to help him relax.
“It’s okay, Harry,” Ocellus spoke softly. “Just take it easy… it’s almost over.”
By the time they reach the end of the stairs, Yona saw someone just inches from the very last steps.
“Yona saw someone!” Yona whispered harshly.
“Do you think it could be Snape?” Silverstream asked nervously.
“Only one way to find out,” Gallus answered. “Get ready…”
Once they finally made it down the stairs, the person that Yona saw came into full view. The person was staring upon the reflection of the ‘Mirror of Erised’, which sat just at the very center of the otherwise empty room. Only when the person came into view, basked by the light above, to their surprise it was not Professor Snape. The figure before them wore a very familiar turban, his very pale white skin shined under the light. They knew this figure very well, though their meetings were often brief.
“You?” Harry spoke.
The stranger turned away from the mirror and turned his gaze toward Harry and the Student Six. Much to their surprise, the man standing before them is none other than the Hogwarts Dark Arts Professor himself… Quirinus Quirrell.
“Professor Quirrell!?” The Student Six spoke, in shock.
“Hello children…” He answered quietly.
“No…” Harry shook his head. “I-It can’t be. Snape, h-he was the one—”
“Yes,” Quirrell interrupted. “He does seem the type, doesn’t he? Next to him, who would suspect p-p-p-poor st-stuttering Professor Quirrell?”
“You’re the one who’s been behind this evil plot?” Ocellus asked. “From the very beginning?”
Hearing the two questions at once, Quirrell merely gave a sly smirk.
“On the contrary, little Ocellus… I can’t take all the credit.”
With a gesture of one arm off the side, shadowy figures emerged from the pillars in the room. To the shock of the Student Six, very familiar faces revealed themselves. Lord Tirek… Cozy Glow… and Chrysalis, making their way from their hiding spot. They slowly marched to the center of the room, standing beside the evil sorcerer.
“Gosh and golly gee!” Cozy Glow said sarcastically. “How lovely to see you all again.”
“So the rumors are true…” Sandbar confirmed, wide-eyed. “You three really are free!”
“Did you really think you’d seen the last of us, little pony?” Tirek sneered. “You sentence us to eternal torment, in a stone imprisonment nonetheless, and all of a sudden we’re gone forever?”
“You were the ones who tried to take over Equestria multiple times!” Silverstream shot back. “You can’t really blame us!”
Chrysalis released a haunting laugh, as she stared toward the group of students.
“Poor simple foals…” She mocked. “You should know by now that no power in the universe can keep us encaged forever.”
The students then turned back toward Quirrell.
“What I don’t understand is how you could have possibly traveled between worlds,” Sandbar said confused. “From what we’ve heard from Headmare Twilight, the Mysterious Benefactor has to be really strong in order to break the magic cast by the royal sisters and Discord.”
“That would be a problem then…” A mysterious voice spoke. “That is if Quirrell and the Benefactor are one and the same entity… wouldn’t they?”
From behind the Mirror of Erised stepped none other than the dark-cloaked figure themselves… the Mysterious Benefactor. The students’ eyes widened in shock, as they meet the mysterious figure for the first time. All this time, they assumed Snape was the one in league with the Mysterious Benefactor, if not the Benefactor himself. Only not it just switched to being Quirrell the whole time. Now they know that neither of their previous guesses of who the Benefactor was are correct.
“You’re the Benefactor!” Ocellus shrieked in fear.
The Benefactor merely nodded their cloaked head slowly. An evil laugh escapes from the dark opening of their hood.
“You really thought you had it all figured out?” They said mockingly. “No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you think you know, you could never guess who we truly are. You only know when we decide. Every time you think you gain another step in knowing our identity, you will always be seven steps behind.”
All this was quite a shock for the kids, but none more so than for Harry himself. And still, so many things didn’t make any sense. It was as if this entire mystery had more questions than answers.
“But-but that day, during the Quidditch match,” Harry pointed out. “Snape tried to kill me.”
“No, dear boy,” Quirrell smiled evilly. “I tried to kill you!”
Harry eyed Professor Quirrell in disbelief and confusion. The Student Six gasped in shock.
“And trust me, if Snape’s cloak hadn’t caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded, even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse.”
“Snape was trying to save me?” Harry asked.
“And I thought Snape hated our friend,” Gallus gasped.
“This is so heavy,” Smolder spoke, stunned.
“Very heavy,” Yona agreed.
“I know you were a danger to me right from the off,” Quirrell continued. “Especially after Halloween.”
“Then-then you let the troll in,” Harry accused.
“Very good, Potter, yes,” Quirrell nodded.
“All this time, it was Professor Quirrell we were after, not Snape!” Sandbar gaped.
“How right you are stupid little pony,” Quirrell spoke sinisterly. “As for your quarry Potter, Snape, unfortunately, wasn’t fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the 3rd floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone.”
As Quirrell turned back toward the mirror, Harry’s scar began to hurt again, and the boy grasped the burning spot with one hand.
“But he doesn’t understand. I’m never alone. Never. Now… what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?”
“Use the boy…”
Harry looked around, wondering where the voice is coming from. The Student Six heard the voice too, as they looked around the room.
“Guys? Did you hear something?” Gallus asked.
“I heard ‘something’ all right,” Sandbar nodded.
“Me too,” Silverstream said softly.
Quirrell quickly turned toward Harry, pointing aggressively toward the boy.
“Come here, Potter! NOW!”
Harry began to climb slowly down the stairs, toward Quirrell and the mirror. But Smolder quickly flew ahead and blocked his way.
“Harry, hold on a second!” Smolder spoke. “This could be a trap. You know this!”
Without heeding Smolder’s word, Harry kept walking down the stairs.
“Harry, wait!”
Smolder began to fly after Harry, until the rest of the Student Six held her back preventing her from doing anything.
“Smolder, no!” Sandbar urged.
“Tell me…” Quirrell spoke. “What do you see?”
Harry gazed toward the mirror deeply. For a few seconds, he see merely his own reflection standing beside Quirrell. Just then, his reflection reached into its pocket and revealed what resembled a gleaming red ruby… the Philosopher’s Stone. Harry stared in amazement, as his reflection smiled and winked, before putting the stone back in its pocket. The Student Six could not believe what they just witnessed.
“Do you guys see what I see?” Silverstream asked.
“Yeah…” Gallus nodded, in shock. “I saw it.”
To know for certain, Harry Potter reached into his pocket… and realized he could feel the stone. It was no trick, the stone was truly in his pocket. He looked up again.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Sandbar said.
“What is it?” Quirrell asked, glancing at Harry. “What do you see?”
“No!” Ocellus called out, worriedly.
“Don’t tell him, Harry!” Yona called out.
“SILENCE!!!” Quirrell shouted.
The Student Six clammed up, clutching onto to each other and barely stepped back.
“I-I-I don’t like the way he spoke,” Silverstream shuttered, holding Gallus. “He seemed so nice…”
“I know Sil… I know…” Gallus replied, shakily.
As the students looked on frightenedly, Harry Potter looked towards Professor Quirrell, then back at the mirror, and then back at the Student Six standing on the stairs. Deep down, the boy was determined not to let Quirrell know he had the stone somehow.
“I-I’m shaking hands with Dumbledore,” Harry answered. “I’ve won the House Cup…”
“He lies…” An inhuman voice spoke.
“There it is again,” Gallus spoke, looking around.
“And it gets creepier every time I hear it,” Ocellus added timidly.
“Tell the truth!” Quirrell shouted angrily. “What do you see?!”
“Let me speak to him…”
“Master, you are not strong enough,” Quirrell spoke.
“I have strength enough for this…”
https://m.
As Harry backed away, rejoining the Student Six, Professor Quirrell reached up and began unwrapping his turban. All while his back was turned toward the mirror. Harry turned toward the Student Six, wondering whether he should try to escape with them, before turning toward Professor Quirrell again.
The man nearly finished unwrapping his turban, save for a piece covering the back of his head. When that one single piece of cloth remained upon his head, the Legion of Doom did something completely out of character. They all bent on one knee, bowing their heads as though in respect to whatever was hiding beneath the cloth. Their Benefactor, standing over them, smiled wickedly as their toothy grin unveiled underneath their hood.
Finally, Quirrell removed the turban completely, revealing a scary-looking chalk white face which craned around and opened his eyes. The Student Six and Harry all gasped in fear, as the face looked right at them in the mirror.
“Harry Potter, we meet again.”
Harry quivered fearfully, realizing just exactly who this is.
“Voldemort.”
The Student Six’s eyes widened as they gazed at the horrible face reflected off the mirror.
“Voldemort?” They all spoke simultaneously.
“Yes…” Voldemort rasped. “You see what I have become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own.”
“That’s why you killed that unicorn in the Forbidden Forest, isn’t it?” Gallus asked fearfully.
Voldemort released a raspy evil laugh, as he looked toward the young Griffon.
“Indeed. Had it not been for you pesky vermin interfering, I would have also been able to feed upon that pitiful unicorn you call a teacher. Or perhaps even the young princess, Twilight Sparkle. Yes… I know all about ‘her’… I wondered what Alicorn blood might do for me.”
At this point, the young students felt something more than mere fear. They began to feel a sense of anger… a flame of bravery burning from within their hearts. Looking toward each other, they stood in front of Harry defensively and ready for a fight.
“You will never get that chance, Moldy Wart!” Smolder mocked.
“SILENCE!!!!”
The thundering voice of Voldemort made the entire cavern shake all around them. For a split second, the bravery from the heroes began to dissolve as it melted off their faces. The face of Voldemort looked over toward the Mysterious Benefactor. For perhaps the only time, almost like seeing a ghost, an evil grin formed on Voldemort’s face.
“Ah… so good to see you once more, my most trusted ally.”
The Benefactor once more bowed their head for the Dark Lord.
“It has been far too long, old friend,” The Benefactor said. “We have patiently waited for this day when you would once again return. Our only regret… my regret… is having not been able to find something to allow you to regain your former glory.”
Another grin formed along Voldemort’s face, as he looked back toward Harry in the mirror.
“But there is something that can,” Voldemort confirmed. “Something, that conveniently enough, lies in young Potter’s pocket!”
Harry looked down at his side pocked in fear. He knew now that Voldemort knew exactly where the Stone was.
“RUN!” He yelled to the others.
Harry and the Students quickly turned heel, racing right out of the cavern.
“Stop them!” Voldemort yelled.
Quirrell snapped his fingers and fire erupted all around the room, trapping poor Harry and the students with the evil syndicate. Seeing there was now no way out, the Student Six knew their only other option… was to fight. The students all looked back toward the evil organization with a ready stance.
“Alright, no more playing around!” Smolder growled.
“Let’s get some!” Gallus said loudly.
“Destroy them all!” Voldemort ordered the Legion of Doom.
The Student Six and the Legion of Doom charged at each other and the battle began. The Mysterious Benefactor merely smirked with a light chuckle, fading into the shadows, and leaving their followers to handle the kids. Three different battles took place: Lord Tirek charged and fired his burning magic toward Sandbar and Yona, as they dodged and charged toward the centaur; Gallus and Silverstream flew in hot pursuit of the cackling Cozy Glow; and all the while a back-and-forth shootout took place pitting Chrysalis against Ocellus and Smolder.
As Chrysalis barrel-rolled past the swarm of fireballs unleashed by Smolder, she zaps a beam of green energy toward the young dragoness, propelling her toward a nearby pillar and she crashed with a yell.
“SMOLDER!!!” Ocellus called out.
Ocellus tried to reach out toward her friend, only for a green beam to scratch a line in her direction. She skid to a halt, gasping fearfully as she timidly looked up. The fiercely Changeling hovered over the frightened little girl, smiling evilly toward Ocellus.
“You never should’ve abandoned me, you ungrateful little bug!” Chrysalis snarled. “I bring you into the world, I groom you to steal all the love in Equestria, and I even arranged a place for you amongst my armies, and this is how you repay your own Queen!”
“Y-Y-Y-You are not my Queen!” Ocellus stuttered, trying to be brave.
“Your pursuit of friendship poisoned you, little wretch! But you always were weak… now I will see to it you serve ‘no creature’…”
Chrysalis charged the energy within her horn, as Ocellus closed her eyes tightly and quivered with fear. Before Chrysalis can unleash her assault, a fireball strikes the Changeling Queen on the side and sent her back. Chrysalis cried out as her right arm scolded with a heavy burn. She growled as she turned back as Smolder hovered over her, snorting smoke from her nostrils.
“Get away from her you witch!!!” Smolder growled.
“You will seriously regret this indignity!” Chrysalis warned, standing up. “You’ll—YEOW!!!!”
Something chomped on her rear and sent her high in the air. Ocellus, assuming a bite-cuda form, snapped her jaws on the Changeling, tugging hard as she dug her teeth on her former ruler. The Changeling Queen roared and tried to shake Ocellus off as the young Changeling held on tightly. Smolder then jumped behind Chrysalis and locked her in a choke hold, tightening her arms around the Changeling’s neck as she twisted her head side to side.
In the meantime, a battle of strength commences between Lord Tirek and Yona. While the Yak proves herself to be a very strong creature, holding her own against the legendary menace, Tirek pushes back with his own power. It is seemingly an even fight between the two, though Yona can feel herself inching back.
“Without magic Yak, you’re nothing but a scared little girl under a mound of muscle!” Tirek grinned.
Just when Tirek has Yona down to her hind legs, Sandbar trots rapidly toward the pair. Bounding along Yona, he leaps off her back, twists around, and lays out a dropkick with his hind legs against Tirek’s face. The buck knocks Tirek back, clutching his face and moaning in pain as Sandbar lands on his feet. Yona looks up, as she sees Sandbar shining under the light and his mane flowing like something out of a dream as he turns back toward her. A smile forms on Yona’s face before another moan draws the pair ahead.
Having lifted his hand down, Tirek rolls his lips and spits into his palm… revealing some loose teeth. Looking back toward the pair, Tirek hurls the teeth away with a growl before snapping his neck.
“Oh you just made a big mistake boy!”
Charging up his horns, Tirek fired red beams toward the pair with a mighty roar. Before they could hit Sandbar, Yona pulled him away as the beams left a scorch-mark on that very spot. The Earth Pony finds himself carried along Yona’s back, as she rushed around the room with Lord Tirek in hot pursuit.
Last but not least, Cozy Glow finds herself flying away from Gallus and Silverstream like three airplanes fighting a mid-air battle. They twist side to side, the Griffon and the Hippogriff trying to stay on the little Pegasus’ tail… in which case, very literally. Just as it seems Cozy has the lead, Gallus drops down and quickly lurches up beneath the filly and catches her with a yelp. Tackling the filly, they twist around before they eventually crashing onto the stone floor with Gallus on top of her.
“You endanger our friends, then you try to tear us apart!” Gallus listed angrily. “Now you’re trying to steal a precious artifact from our new friends! And to think I was starting to feel sorry for imprisoning a child!”
“If I wanted to hear from a spineless griffon,” Cozy Glow smirked. “I’d rip that spine and ask you myself!”
“That’s my boyfriend you’re talking to!” Silverstream shouted, from above.
A laugh escaped Cozy Glow’s lips, as if that’s the funniest joke she has ever heard in years.
“That’s your boyfriend?!”
Gallus and Silverstream snarled at the filly.
“You know Hippogriff, I figured a creature like you would be so desperate for affection,” Cozy Glow spoke mockingly. “But I didn’t realize you’d want it that bad! A hippogriff and a griffon! What a joke?! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!”
“You are just asking for more than a spanking, you insolent little—OWW!!!”
In a desperate act, Cozy Glow bite her jaws hard on Gallus’ one talon. The griffon tried to shake the filly off his grip, as she held on like a fish grasping a hook.
“GALLUS—AH!!!” Silverstream screamed.
Ocellus was flung away and crashed against Silverstream, sending the two girls crashing against the floor and the Changeling having reverted back to her original appearance. This left Smolder to deal with Chrysalis, as they rolled around the floor clutching each other’s throats and Tirek’s pursuit against their other friends continued. As they battled in the surrounding area, none of the fights did little to dilute the tension as Harry found himself face-to-face with Quirrell and Voldemort.
“Don’t be a fool!” Voldemort warned. “Why suffer such a horrific death, when you can join me and live?!”
“Never!” Harry shouted, shaking his head.
“Ha-ha. Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me, Harry, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back.”
As Voldemort spoke, Harry’s eyes turned back toward the reflection. On one hand, while he was addressing the fact that Voldemort was speaking to him, something else appeared in the mirror. And sure enough, the faces of Harry’s parents appeared before him. And for the moment, the boy felt tempted to accept the Dark Lord’s offer.
“All I ask for is something in return,” Voldemort gestured.
As if under some form of trance, Harry slipped one hand back into his pocket. And in his hand, he took the Philosopher’s Stone from his pocket clutching it tightly.
“That’s it, Harry,” Voldemort spoke approvingly. “There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Together, we’ll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone!”
Just as it seemed Harry would give in to Voldemort’s demands, tempted to do whatever it took to revive his parents, he suddenly recalled the advice that Dumbledore and Princess Celestia mentioned before, ‘The mirror gives neither knowledge nor truth…’. And just as the truth weighed in, his mother and father vanished from his reflection. Harry realized he was nearly deceived by the Dark Lord himself; he faced the wizard and his servant in anger.
“You liar!!!” Harry shouted.
“Kill him!” Voldemort ordered.
In an instance, Quirrell soared into the air and smashed right into Harry. They fall along the steps, Quirrell’s one hand clutched on the boy’s throat as the stone fell from Harry’s reach. The gasping from their friend caused Yona and Sandbar to turn around.
“HARRY!!!” Sandbar and Yona shouted.
The momentary distraction allowed Tirek to catch Yona and Sandbar off guard, clutching the pair in his massive grasp and lifting them high into the air. Yona and Sandbar struggled to break free as Tirek glared at the pair sinisterly.
“I could drain every ounce of any magic within you until your bodies are as dry as husks!” Tirek snarled. “But in your case, I’m going to crush you nice and slowly till every bone in your bodies are crushed into dust!!!!”
Tirek slowly squeezes his palms as Sandbar and Yona scream in utter agony, while Silverstream and Ocellus lie unconscious, Gallus struggling to pry Cozy Glow off his talon, and Chrysalis pressing Smolder onto the ground. While the Student Six are trapped, Harry strains as Quirrell choked him harder to the point the boy squeaked for breath. All seemed lost for our heroes as the villains appeared to have the upper hand.
All of a sudden, as Harry Potter seemed to draw his last breath, he slapped a hand on Quirrell’s trying to get him off. And all at once, smoke furls from underneath Quirrell’s hand.
“Ahh!” Quirrell screamed. “AHH!!!!”
Quirrell quickly backed away, screaming in agony, and clutching his hand. Only to discover much to his horror, that his hand began to crumble into a mountain of black ash before it completely dissipated. Harry barely managed to get up and witnessed how his actions caused this predicament to occur.
“What is this magic?” Quirrell cried out.
“FOOL!” Voldemort called out. “GET THE STONE!!!”
Under Voldemort’s command, Quirrell marched forward and reached out for the stone. Seeing what Harry Potter needed to do, he placed both hands on Quirrell’s face causing it to steam up.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Quirrell and Voldemort screamed.
Quirrell backed away, clutching his face which began to burn horrendously. Harry looked on in shock as the Dark Arts professor crumbled before him, as he kept walking forward toward the boy. But his whole body, nearly turned to ash, finally gave in and he crashed upon the floor. The commotion caused Cozy Glow to look ahead and gasp, releasing her grip upon Gallus’s talon.
“MASTER!!!” Cozy Glow called out.
Suddenly, Cozy Glow squeaked as she felt a talon wrap around her tiny body. Gallus glared at Cozy Glow before turning off to the side.
“YO TIREK!!!” Gallus called out. “BATTER UP!!!”
Gallus hurled Cozy Glow through the air like a quaffle, the little filly screaming wildly as she soared toward the centaur. Tirek briefly turned just as the little Pegasus smashed right into his face, knocking him backward and releasing his grip on the other students. As Tirek tried to pry the little filly off her face, Yona rushed behind the centaur, took aim, scuffed her hoof, and then charged with a yell till she rammed the centaur in the rear. The blow sent the pair hurtling in the air screaming, just as Smolder kicked Chrysalis off with her legs. Chrysalis recovered just to see her cohorts flying toward her. Screeching, Chrysalis rolled herself from the shadow and sighed in relief… only for the shadow to change toward her direction and…
*SMASH!*
The Legion of Doom piled atop one another like a tiny mound. Groans and moans were heard as Tirek laid chest-first completely covering Chrysalis, her limbs twitching beneath the heavy Lord. Cozy Glow laid right beside her ‘friends’, her eyes rolling round and round as her wings barely flickered.
The students sighed with relief as they got back to their feet, Silverstream and Ocellus recovered as their friends help the girls up. They slowly returned to Harry’s side; the boy having been staring at his own hands. Hearing the group approach, Harry looks toward his friends and sighed with a smile as they reunited. They give a group hug toward each other, as they took deep breathes and stretched their sore limbs.
Then Harry turned toward the side and saw the stone lying upon the ground. He hurried over and picked it up, as the group looked down at the Philosopher’s Stone in the boy’s grip.
“So much trouble over such a tiny little stone,” Gallus sighed, touching the stone. “Such a small thing…”
“Yeah…” Smolder nodded. “Least it’s safe… that’s all that matters…”
As they gathered around the stone, a noise suddenly draws their attention. Harry and the students slowly turn around only to see a cloud of dust build up. Emerging from the dust cloud, the Mysterious Benefactor appeared before them its identity still covered with the heavy cloak. Though sore and tired, the Student Six gathered in front of Harry with fierce determination.
“Your armies have fallen, Benefactor!” Sandbar pointed. “You’ll never win no matter what you do. It’s you against the seven of us now!”
“Yeah! Yak smash!” Yona stomped, aiming her horns.
“… So you say…” The Benefactor spoke, with a smile.
All of a sudden, a bolt of electricity exploded against the Student Six before either can draw their wands. The six screamed in agony over the energy emitted through their bodies, leaving them unable to move away. As the Benefactor kept the children busy, the dust cloud rushed forward, Voldemort’s face roaring and it zipped right through Harry Potter!
“Arrrrhhhhhhhh!!!!” Voldemort roared.
“AHHHHHHHH!!” Harry screamed.
And as Voldemort flew away, Harry Potter fell to the ground along with the Student Six as they crashed on the stone floor unconscious. The energy faded as the Mysterious Benefactor gazed toward the fallen heroes, breathing heavily. As the malevolent being stood over them, the Legion of Doom recovered and rejoined their leader as they loomed over the unconscious group.
“These are supposed to be Equestria’s best that they can offer?” The Mysterious Benefactor asked mockingly. “They are not fit to have a mantle over their walls. Now… we take the stone and Voldemort’s resurrection will be complete…”
The Mysterious Benefactor slowly reached for the stone, clutched in Harry’s outstretched hand, and touched by the Student Six in some form. The Legion of Doom followed behind their leader, grins forming across their cheeks as victory was just near. But just as The Mysterious Benefactor was just inches from the stone, a bright light starts to form and for a brief moment the Benefactor’s eyes were caught. The stone within Harry’s grip began to glow brighter and brighter, so much so it caught the trio off guard.
“What’s happening?!” Cozy Glow asked.
All at once, a sudden realization hit the Mysterious Benefactor as a gasp escaped its hidden mouth.
“No… NO… IT CAN’T BE!!!”
And before anymore could be said, the stone seemed to explode in a ball of light. The Mysterious Benefactor and the Legion of Doom shouted as they were propelled back by the great magic before completely disappearing in a ball of light. The light illuminated the whole room, shining off the reflection of the Mirror of Erised. And as the light hovered over the group, Silverstream briefly moaned and slowly opened one eyelid as something else emerged from the stone.
Prying itself free from the ruby red mineral, a shadowy being drew itself high into the air. Though her vision was faint, it scarcely resembled a unicorn, tall and proud hovering toward the ceiling. But then appendages broke free from its back, revealing a lengthy pair of wings greater than the biggest bird in the world. To Silverstream’s surprise, an Alicorn emerged from the stone releasing a gasp of air as it slowly dropped down to the floor with all four hooves touching down. It’s mane flowed much like their rulers from Equestria, it stood tall and muscular as it slowly turned his head around the room. Silverstream had little strength left to lift one of her claws toward the air, as if reaching out for the magnificent being before her and her fallen friends.
“Princess… Celestia…”
The figure slowly loomed its head toward the fallen Hippogriff, glancing upon her and the group for a moment or two. Then it stepped toward the group, as Silverstream’s vision began to fade and her talon droops toward the ground. By the figure stood over the hippogriff, who was unable to get a good look at the being before her. It slowly tilted its head toward her, briefly showing glowing teal eyes staring curiously at her. As its head leaned toward the side, Silverstream’s vision finally faded, and her world went black…
<>
In the darkest corner of Equestria, a place that cannot be found on any map, a bright light briefly flashed the dead landscape. Shouts and commotion are heard, as the Mysterious Benefactor and the Legion of Doom rolled across the ground before coming to a halt. Breathing in and out, the Legion of Doom slowly got to their feet when they were drawn by heavy growls. Slowly they look up as the Mysterious Benefactor stood with its back toward the group, its eyes glowing blood-shot red and steam streaming from the face of the hood. As it hovered off the ground, causing pebbles and dust to rise from the floor, it reeled its head toward the ceiling with a mighty roar…
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”