Mercenary
Standing up slowly, the look in Gather’s eyes said it all; He wasn’t done yet. He stepped forward, causing the other ponies to back up in fear. “… You… you took... my power!” The stallion increased the speed of his steps, from a slink, to a walk, to a trot, to a full gallop, as his eyes reflected the demented state of his mind. “I’LL TAKE YOURS, AND START AGAIN! YOU’LL NEVER DEFEAT M-URNGH!?” Gather felt a massive force crash into the side of his face. His head became embedded in the stone pillar, as he turned his eye to see the cause: Vanish. The stealthy stallion had caught up to him, and smashed him into the wall of the Wedding Hall with a buck-kick of his hind legs, that made the impact he delivered to Spike back at the train station seem like a friendly tap in comparison.
“… H… H… Heh h… heh…” Vanish kept his stance firm and strong, until Gather’s body flailed slightly, and went as limp as a wilted flower, until finally, he stopped laughing. Vanish paused for a moment, before placing his rear hooves back on the ground. Kicking the lower section of the pillar near the newly formed crater, the minor vibration in it caused by his rear hooves, caused some debris to fall out of the wall, along with Gather, who lay motionless on the ground. As the ponies looked at the stallion that lay upon the floor, a familiar voice soothingly spoke from behind them. “… I knew… you could do it…” The ponies turned away from Vanish, seeing Princess Celestia being helped up by Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. It was tough, but they helped her to regain her stance as she continued what she had to say.
“Twilight, Vanish, Everypony… Thank you for saving Equestria from Gather. I care not to imagine what the world would have been like, had he succeeded… but his plan was not as perfect as he thought, it seems.” Twilight lowered her head, unable to agree with the princess, as a voice rose up from behind the lavender unicorn. “Princess Celestia, you are a tad bit naïve.” Vanish stepped forward, clearly weak from the day's events as he explained himself. “Gather’s plan was absolutely perfect. He had planned on every conceivable angle of attack. The only factor he had not considered, was his own power.”
Princess Luna stood up, before collapsing in a dazed, pained state. “Ex… Explain.” Vanish looked back at Gather. “He withstood the might of the Elements, twice. It wasn’t the ponies themselves that beat him. It was their will to win, a will to survive and withstand all he had, which caused his plan to falter. This resilience is something Gather could not predict, yet that alone did not foil his well-laid plans.” Vanish turned to Luna, walking over to help her up. “Princess Luna, it was because I knew, as soon as he took my power, I knew that just because I was a victim of having my magic stolen, did not mean that my horn was ‘gone’. The pressure I felt, was felt by my horn as well. That was his downfall: Something sudden, something unpredictable, something he could have never learned about from studying the archives, or through logical scenarios.”
Applejack looked at Gather. “I don’t get it, y’all. Why is his horn a-glowin’? Ain’t he out like a light?” Vanish turned his attention to his former client once more. “It seems the elements had an effect on his magic. I would surmise that his horn seeks a new owner; one who can wield its power.” Twilight looked up at her mentor, who smiled and nodded her head, granting her permission silently as Twilight spoke with confidence. “I’m positive that I can handle thi-!”
Vanish used his front hooves to shove Twilight back, stunning the ponies in the room as she stumbled towards them, hearing the stallion apologize as she regained her balance. “I’m sorry, Twilight Sparkle.” Vanish lowered his head to the horn, as a flash of light transferred two horns, his own and the horn of Gather, onto his head, prompting him to speak once more upon regaining the magic of the dual unicorn horns for himself. “This power will come with a responsibility, one that you have no need to perform. As for me, I must complete my mission.”
Twilight and her friends gasped at Vanish, who ran to the center of the room, renewed with magical energy and now focusing on his second horn, which was now indistinguishable from the one he was born with. It was no longer turquoise, the same color as Gather's coat, but rather the same color as his own coat: Dark, dark blue. As he focused, the magical auras in the air stopped floating whimsically, and went back into the horn, as if the horn was absorbing all the magic surrounding it. Twilight couldn’t do anything to stop it, and the ponies in the room had fear in their hearts as Vanish absorbed the last of the magical auras, taking the time to brandish the wings of Fluttershy and having his coat change its color once more, as well as the color of his horns, before fluttering to Princess Celestia.
Reaching her, he made a rather declarative remark to the wingless, hornless white alicorn mare. “Princess Celestia of Equestria, I ask that you lower yourself before me, if you please.” Shocked at the bold request, Princess Luna was thrown into a rage, as well as into her Royal Canterlot Voice. “How DARE you address royalty in such a manner, to ask it to bow to you! We will never submit to the threats of any creature, foul as they may be!” Vanish looked to Princess Luna, before landing on the ground, making the wings disappear from his back. He realized the problem immediately, and bowed towards the Princess of the Night. “I-I’m sorry, I wasn’t asking for a submission of power, if that’s what it seemed like! I’m afraid that I simply tried wording what I was hoping to say, to the best of my abilities. Please, forgive me.”
Princess Luna lifted a hoof up to her breastplate, stunned at the well-mannered display brought about by the pony that bowed before her. She was used to receiving this sort of treatment from common ponyfolk at times, but considering how she saw the pony who was bowing before her, and her sister, as a ‘Threat to the Land of Equestria’, she was surprised to see him being so humble. Twilight stepped forward. “Erm, Vanish? Why don’t you try asking, again? Better yet…” Twilight smirked at the noble stallion. “Would you mind explaining why you want Princess Celestia to ‘lower herself before you’, as you put it?”
Vanish saw the problem, and knew what to say in order to rectify his error. “I’m sorry if it seemed like I wanted you to bow before me, Princess, but it really can’t be helped.” Vanish scratched his smoke gray mane, as he tried to cover the red on his cheeks while they became flushed with embarrassment. “… You’re too tall for me to be able to focus clearly on my magic, which I need to do in order to give you back your unicorn horn… and wings, for that matter.” Some of the ponies stifled their laughter, including the princess herself. It was true: Princess Celestia was the tallest pony around, so asking her to lower her head in order to place something on it, be it a horn or a crown, would sound a lot like asking her to perform a submissive act of bowing in defeat. Understanding what the stallion was asking of her, the Princess of the Sun lay gracefully upon the floor of the Royal Wedding Hall, crossing her forelegs and laying her head atop them with great poise. “Very well, Vanish. I feel you’ve earned my trust enough, for me to give you this chance at redemption.”
Vanish paused for a moment, seeing the sincerity in Princess Celestia’s eyes before turning his head away. “… Redemption… Hmm…” Turning his attention back to the regal alicorn, his second horn glowed with an aura of magic, as he placed it on Princess Celestia’s head. Seconds later, the ponies could see her horn slowly, magically materialize on her. Without a struggle, without pain, Vanish had successfully managed to transfer the horn back to her. As Princess Celestia sat up, Vanish walked behind her in order to place the alicorn's wings back onto her barren back.
Brandishing her wings, Princess Celestia felt renewed like never before. She had lost her horn and her wings, and without them, her rights to rule as the regal Princess of Equestria. With them she felt a familiar, yet newfound magical burst of energy flow through her, as she gave rise to the sun, letting all of Equestria know that another day had begun, ready for whatever it may bring them. Princess Luna had calmly sat down, smiling at her sister's exuberance, and didn’t notice until she turned back around that Vanish had walked over to her, placing her wings on her back while she was distracted, before tapping the crown of his head, as if motioning to Princess Luna for her cooperation. Lying down, she graciously accepted her own horn, and walked over to her sister, as they nuzzled one another in joy of being reunited with their magic, and each other, with Equestria safe to rule for another day.
Vanish proceeded to walk to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, giving them back their own horns, and to Cadance, her wings. They thanked Vanish kindly for doing so. Although they were still in significant pain from what he did to them, they could look past that for now, simply happy to be with one another, as the dual-horned unicorn walked back over to Twilight and her friends, questioning the confusion clearly prominent on the face of the white unicorn. “Rarity? You look like you have something on your mind. Please, my dear, don’t keep me in suspense.” Rarity was surprised to hear herself being addressed by the stallion, but voiced her thoughts aloud. “Well, I was just wondering how Scootaloo came out here, when there were guards ordered to make sure that she and her friends were going to stay inside the castle.”
Hearing her name cause her to perk up as she gave a wry grin before chuckling and responding to the stylishly-maned unicorn. “Oh! Is that all? Well, I had a little help!” Scootaloo pointed to the door, where several ponies had been standing. The Wonderbolts, including Spitfire and Soarin’, complete with their flight suits, had gathered by the entrance to the Wedding Hall, along with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, as well as Derpy Hooves, all of whom had smiles of relief on their faces as the filly continued to speak. “See? Soarin’ and Spitfire came by the castle, claiming that they were asked to bring us to the Wedding Hall by the Princess!”
“It was the least we could do to help.” Soarin’ helped Spitfire walk up to Rainbow Dash and Vanish. Spitfire clearly had not recovered, as indicated from how she was walking, though she spoke as if she couldn't even feel the pain. “Looks like you guys did it. I’m glad to see you all safe and sound.” Spitfire was cheerful, but clearly fighting the pain, as she had the best doctors treat her while she was in the Infirmary; Soarin’ insisted on it, after all. “She’s got to head back for some more rest, but the doctors said she can walk around as long as she doesn’t strain herself.” Vanish nodded to Soarin’. “I cannot thank you enough, Soarin’.”
Seeming troubled, Vanish crossed his hooves before activating the magic of his original horn, which could only be naturally discerned by how it was placed on his head normally, while the second horn was to the left of the first. Using his magic, Vanish brought his saddlebag and hat from the other room, as he moved the hat away, and moved the saddlebag to a nearby pillar. “I must thank you all for your help in stopping my former clie… Gather, from succeeding in his mission. With that in mind, please accept this as a token of my gratitude.”
Twilight closed her eyes and joyously trotted towards Vanish, as others joined her in gathering around the grateful stallion, in order to accept whatever he had for them, as he blocked his double saddlebag with his body, and used his magic to open a flap, though Twilight was hesitant in accepting something from the unicorn stallion. “Oh, there’s no need to pay us back, Vanish! If it wasn’t for you, we never would have stopped his pla-AAH!” Hearing a quick gasp from her friends, Twilight could only briefly open her eyes as a cloud of pinkish-orange smoke seemed to assault everypony around her, except the stallion that stood before her, the stallion naturally being Vanish, himself. Twilight felt incredibly tired, and could hear other ponies collapsing around her, as she knew what had happened: Vanish had used the powder from the train once more in order to put her, and all the ponies around her, to sleep, as she tried combatting her fatigue by protesting weakly, to no avail. “… Wh… No…”
Collapsing, Twilight could only see Vanish walk behind her before losing her view of him, having to be content with hearing him speaking to somepony she could not see. "… lrigh…" "…f you wa…" "…’ll do exa…" "…ather…" She tried so hard to listen, but the powder was much too potent for her to shake off. Feeling the effects of the sleeping dust that had been thrown into her face, she tried turning her head, but the floor had simply begun to feel too comfortable, and the embrace of sleep, too warm to escape. As her eyes closed, she shed a single tear, fearing the worst had begun, and that she was now powerless to save anyone she cared for. “N-No… The Princess… the fillies… the girls… Vanish… Why?”