//------------------------------// // The Hippocampi: Part 2 // Story: The Overworked Alicorn // by BreakDown //------------------------------// The Hippocampi: Mortis the Black A flash of black magic and a burst of feathers was the only warning before Mort and the elements appeared back behind Sugarcube Corner. The elements were for the most part merely disorientated from the long range teleportation. Pinkie and Applejack on the other hoof had far more extreme reactions. Pinkie pie bounced around happily, pleading with her uncle Mort to let her 'do it again', over and over. Applejack however, groaned and ducked over to a garbage pail to heave up the contents of her stomach. "Ugh... Ah asked to not do that again!" the apple-mare groaned pitiably. Rainbow Dash couldn't contain a snicker as she looked at her southern accented friend while she practically hung off of the trash can. "Aw suck it up AJ, it's not that bad," the cyan mare stated with a wave of her hoof. The prismatic pegasus got a scathing look from Twilight, who then turned to her orange coated friend. "Sorry about that Applejack, Mort's the fastest way from Canterlot to Ponyville. If we're going to properly get ready for this trip we had to let him teleport us," Twilight stated. She was concentrating on the task at hand, getting together whatever provisions she would need for the trip to see the Hippocampi and save the princesses from Faust's tower. That was all that was keeping the little lavender unicorn from completely freaking out about thinking her teachers 'mother' was an evil villain. Once all was said and done and the princesses were saved, she planned on throwing herself at their mercy. Which meant she was trying to think of what she might need at the place she would be banished to... "Don't mean ah have 'ta like it," Applejack muttered. She didn't know what it was about the way Mort teleported around, but it seemed to make her violently ill. "Aww c'mon girls! Stop procrastinating! We have to get all our stuff ready for a real live old fashioned adventure! Woo!" Pinkie exclaimed with a wide grin. The pink party pony wasn't, in the slightest, surprised that Faust was an alicorn. Nor was she surprised that Celestia and Luna had managed to unleash some ancient evil in Faust's tower. She wasn't even all that surprised that the Hippocampi were real. Honestly, the most surprising thing she'd heard all day was that Faust was actually even older than her uncle Mort. "Pinkie Darling, how does any of this count as an 'old fashioned adventure'?" Rarity questioned with a frown. The pink party pony suddenly stopped her bouncing and frowned. She looked at Rarity with a flat expression and raised a brow with a shake of her head. "We're a group of friends on a quest to save two princesses from a distant tower infested with ancient evil. It is a tower that no pony has ever been too, or that none have ever returned from in several centuries, and we have no idea what waits for us inside. Not only is the embodiment of death our ally, but an ancient immortal being is our guide to the undersea city of the hippocampi. Which by the way, is the location of the only way into her tower," the pink party pony explained flatly. Rarity blinked for a moment, opened her mouth, and then closed it. "Oh dear, you're right," Rarity realized with her eyes wide. Pinkie nodded her head with a roll of her eyes, then stopped and tapped at her chin. "Oh yeah, and did I forget to mention that since we're all 'Knights of Equestria' we're technically the gallant knights off to save the princesses?" Pinkie added thoughtfully. Twilight openly gaped and stared at pinkie, then closed her mouth and widened her eyes when she realized that the pink party pony was right. "That's actually a text-book example of a classic adventure story," Twilight stated with wide eyes. Though technically they were actually missing the classic 'knight in shining armor' from the equation. Or even the youthful hero who comes into his / her own along the journey. Then again, that character always ended up in a romantic relationship with at least one of the princesses or his / her companions. As far as Twilight knew, there was no pony with any of those traits among their group. Oh, and there was no Dragon, all those old adventures typically had a dragon. "AS INTERESTING AS ALL THAT IS, I FEEL I MUST REMIND YOU THAT WE HAVE A BIT OF A SCHEDULE TO KEEP," Mort reminded the elements. His voice caused the majority of them to jump, Pinkie doing so with a grin. Clearly the pink party pony only wanted to jump because she thought it looked like fun. "Oh right of course!" Twilight exclaimed and galloped off. The rest of the elements glanced at one another and then rushed off alongside the little lavender unicorn. Pinkie merely grinned and bounced off to Sugarcube Corner, leaving Mort to await them in silence. The grim galloper sat down and lowered his head, his sickly green flames for eyes dimming as he awaited their return. He hated to admit it, but Faust had dredged up quite a few memories that he would have preferred to leave buried. If for no other reason then to save himself the shame of knowing them. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and as he sat alone, his memories seemed to consume his mind and pull him back to when he was still young... Mortis was a blind pony, his eyes were dead from the time he was born. He was abandoned as a foal by his parents, and adopted by Lord Umbra, who had placed a magical tether on him. The link allowed Mortis to 'follow' him around, but would still often bump into things. The link worked differently for Lord Umbra, he could call on Mortis' power to bolster his own. He felt it fair because in his opinion, a blind unicorn had no right to use magic at all. The little colt knew this, he also knew that he was only with his 'father' now because the older unicorn wanted to have an ace up his sleeve. They had traveled with a convoy of unicorn guards into a mountain ringed place known as Dream Valley. From what Mortis had learned by listening to the guards, it was a very strange place. Every pony worked together, the Pegasi controlled the weather, the Unicorns of course used magic but did so for the betterment of others, Earth-Ponies grew splendid food for all, Flutter-Ponies or 'Breezies' cared for animals and manipulated the winds, and Sea-Ponies or 'Hippocampi' controlled the tides and currents of rivers and seas. Lord Umbra was of the mind that unicorns were superior to all other races. After all, only a unicorn could actually use magic. The colt didn't speak against his 'father', but he wasn't sure if that was right. He didn't really have much of a choice in the matter anyways. He was to be silent unless spoken too, and right now his father was more concerned with the ruler of Dream Valley. Tales of her power were widely known even in to the tribes beyond the hidden valley. Ponies from the outer tribes were growing more and more curious about the strange being, an 'Alicorn' if the stories be true. A pony with the wings of a pegasi, the magic of a unicorn, and the raw stamina and endurance of an earth-pony. Beyond all that, it was also said to be an immortal. If the stories of this being were true, then not even his father could possibly battle it. Of course Lord Umbra didn't believe the tales, he didn't think it possible for such a being to exist. After all, in his mind a unicorn was perfect, if this 'Alicorn' did exist it would be even greater than the unicorns. As such, Lord Umbra assumed the stories were just that, simple stories, ones that were spread by the populace of Dream Valley to ward off invaders. Again, Mortis didn't know, and as they continued to make their way into Dream Valley, he wondered what would happen next. "Look sire, there is the tower in which it lives," one of the guards declared and Mortis ears swiveled in the guards direction. He couldn't see them, but he heard the clinking and clanking of their armor as they surrounded he and his father on all sides. "It is, impressive," Lord Umbra admitted, his voice deep and jarring. Mortis knew that his father planned to take Dream Valley for his own. However, his father hoped to use his words in order to do so, rather than brute force. He was a very charismatic pony, he could convince others to do what he wanted quite easily and had done so for years. Even if the being was an alicorn, which he denied actually existed, he would sweet talk it into an alliance and find a way to do away with it. He was certain that nothing about this creature was immortal. Mortis felt his father was, honestly, in denial. Regardless of what he thought, he was now on his way to the Tower in which this 'Alicorn' lived. Mortis felt his hooves itch, his tail twitch, and his teeth shake and knew something would happen. Whether it would be good or bad he couldn't really tell. But he knew something was going to happen. He listened and continued to trot at his fathers side, he heard ponies whisper about them. They seemed surprised and even scared by armored unicorns. The colt wasn't sure what to make of that. In his own home it was quite common to see armored unicorns. Or at least he had assumed so, he always heard their armor as they trotted around back home. "Mortis, stop slouching," Lord Umbra suddenly hissed. The little colt's head shot up and his dead green eyes looked around, unseeingly. His father's own armor made a noise he couldn't quite place. His fathers armor seemed to be made of something different then what his guards wore. It was probably lighter, or perhaps heavier, he really didn't know. All he knew was that it sounded different than that of the guards. The colt on the other hand was given saddlebags, horseshoes for the trip that were quite painful, and a little hooded cloak of sorts to keep him warm. "Sire, perhaps Mortis needs to rest, he is just a colt," one of the guards noted from the side. Mortis ears twitched and he thought the voice was familiar. Ah yes, it was Light-Bringer. Light-Bringer was perhaps one of the most noble of the guards under his father's command. However unfortunately that did little to help him rise to prominence in his fathers guard. His father was not a stallion who particularly liked the more noble warrior. "He is also my son," Lord Umbra growled. "and we are almost to the tower, I see no reason to stop now," the lord stated sternly. Mortis merely sighed, he heard Light-Bringer mutter under his breath and all fell silent amongst the guards. His father was not a gentle stallion. He was harsh and perhaps even cruel, Mortis was well aware of that fact, but there was little he could do about it. Mortis suddenly noticed a sound he'd never heard before, his hooves clopped against a new kind of stone, it was all new and his senses were barely able to adapt to them. And then he heard a voice he would never forget. "Hello, my little ponies, what brings you here?" the voice belonged to a mare, it sounded kind and gentle to Mortis. It sounded of warmth and love, but also of a lonely sadness. Mortis found that perhaps he liked this voice, and he wondered to whom it belonged. "A-are you the one wh-who rules this land?" His father stuttered, that was a surprise. Perhaps the tales of the 'Alicorn' were true after all. That also meant Lord Umbra had been wrong, something he was actually not used too. If the alicorn really was real that also meant the stories were true. If the stories were true that meant that he was standing in front of a potentially immortal, all-powerful being. Suddenly Mortis really wished to shrink in on himself and disappear. "Indeed I am, my name is Faust," The kind warm loving voice replied. Oh and the all-powerful, potentially immortal being also turned out to be a mare. His father was horrible around mares, he always thought he was better than them. This wasn't going to end well, he didn't need to feel his ear twitch to know that. Mortis shuddered as a sudden feeling welled within him. His ears swiveled all around yet he became lost in a fog of sound he could not escape from. "I am Lord Umbra of the outer unicorn tribes," his father began but his voice was soon drowned out by another. "And just who might you be little one?" The voice was unnervingly close, his father and the guards hadn't budged, how had she gotten so close to him? "Hmm, let me guess, your father doesn't want you to speak?" The voice questioned and he slowly nodded his head, practically shaking in fear. How could she move when his father was still speaking to her as if she remained in the same spot? "Don't worry, he can't see or hear anything I don't want him too right now," the kind voice explained, yet that only made Mortis worry even more. Clearly his father had not only been in denial, but had completely underestimated the true power of this 'Alicorn'. "I-I am Mortis," Mortis replied and listened as the mare hummed. "I see, and would you happen to be blind little Mortis?" she questioned curiously, he nodded his head once more, shaking like a leaf beneath her gaze. He couldn't be sure where she was, but he could feel her eyes on him, it was a strange sensation somewhere between frightening and exciting that he didn't know how to deal with. "Do you like it where you live?" the mare questioned softly. Mortis twitched, he didn't know how to answer that. He wasn't exactly fond of his home, ponies tended to treat him differently, not good different, bad different. He was blind and the son of the leader of his tribe, but he would be passed over for his blindness. Besides that it was a non-issue, his father had him magically tethered to him. "I-I'm m-magically t-t..." he tried to say but a hoof to his muzzle stopped him. "I didn't ask about that, I knew the second I scanned you with my magic," The mare stated. "I asked if you are happy where you live?" The mare's kind voice asked him once more. Mortis felt his eyes fall and scraped a hoof against the floor sadly. "N-no," he admitted and listened as Faust hummed. "Do you wish you could see?" she questioned. "Y-yes," he admitted once more and noticed his father's voice was becoming quieter. He also noticed that he could no longer feel the magical tether binding him to the stallion. "W-what's going on?" He questioned, a confused expression etched across his features. "I've actually been watching you and your father for some time now. Ever since you first entered Dream Valley to be specific. I've noticed how your father treats you, and I thought I could at least help you to see. He'll be outside for a while talking to 'me' so you need not worry." Faust's voice echoed while Mortis felt a warmth behind him. "You see, my mentor Majesty created a few special relics that let me see anywhere and everywhere I so desire in Dream Valley," the mare explained. Mortis was left in awe, he could hardly imagine such a relic, let alone comprehend that it was real. "Th-that's amazing," he declared softly. He heard a soft sigh and felt a pair of wings wrap around him. The wings were, to put it mildly, massive or at least he assumed so. They wrapped around him so completely in a soft downy blanket that his tired little body fell back and he nearly fell to sleep on the spot. Then he felt something metallic at his head but the rest was an impossibly soft furred chest, it was clearly several times larger than his fathers. Given that Faust was a mare, that was impressive to say the very least, thus he assumed that the mare was very very tall. "Majesty was an amazing mare," Faust's voice stated from over head and he tried to look up at her. "But for you, I think I know a simple way to see," she mused aloud, a laughing tone to her voice. "H-how?" Mortis questioned and felt a warmth nuzzle his side. "Can you feel magic?" the mare asked instead. Mortis blinked and slowly nodded his head. That was part of how his father's tether worked after all. "Good, then close your eyes," She ordered and he did as bade. "Now, feel the magic within yourself," She continued and Mortis bit his lip. His father's tether was no longer there so he could no longer feel his father's magic. But he knew what that felt like, so he tried to feel for something similar. He eventually found something similar, but it somehow felt darker, heavier, older, he couldn't really know how to explain it, but it felt different. "Good, now I want you to bring your magic to your eyes," Faust ordered and the little colt grit his teeth and tried to obey. His skill with magic was pitiable at best, but he knew how to control it's motions within his own body. He'd only learned to do it with his father's tether, and only when he was especially bored. He would make it feel like it was tethered to a hoof instead of his horn, or to his tail, his mane, his nose, he'd put the tether in all kinds of places simply to amuse himself. As such the little colt had little trouble moving the magic into his eyes. "Now, I need you to focus on your eyes for a moment and spread the magic outward," the mare ordered, much to Mortis' confusion. He did as bade regardless and felt a sudden sense of loss, stumbling on his hooves as it happened. "Good, now pull it back in, keep it within your eyes, and open them slowly," Faust finished with a smile in her voice. Mortis frowned but did as bade, he felt a strange feeling well up within him as he did. The little colt stopped for a moment, he took a breath and slowly opened his eyes. For the first time in his life, he saw something besides endless black. He felt his eyes widen as he saw wings, he saw feathers that shined so brightly he could barely comprehend them. The wings then opened and he saw a large room, a throne directly in front of him with a carpet leading up to it. He saw portraits of ponies to all sides of him, and slowly turned to see the 'Alicorn' herself. He was not sure what he had expected, he had never seen any pony before, but this mare had to be a beauty all her own. She was every bit as tall as he'd imagined, taller than he was while standing up even while she was laying down. She had a straight albeit messy mane and tail, her wings were large and folded at her sides, her horn was long and fluted, and her eyes were soft and kind. He barely even realized she was wearing a shining regalia, or that her body seemed to shimmer and shake with raw power ever so slightly. "Soul Sight," Faust stated with a pleasant smile. "It allows you to see, not the physical, rather you are seeing the spiritual world around you," the mare explained. Mortis merely stared at her, and then at the world around him and stumbled on his hooves. It was all so different, so new and he wasn't sure how he should react to everything. "I-I-I... how d-do I th-thank you?" Mortis questioned with tears in his eyes. The mare merely smiled warmly and nuzzled his little neck. "Just live your life and be happy, my little pony," Faust replied while rising up and making her way to her throne. Watching the mare for a moment the little colt slowly turned and left. He looked back only one more time and the alicorn waved a hoof at his retreat. A slight smile worked it's way across his features as he left the tower. When next the colt would return to Dream Valley it would be fifty years later. When next he would return to the tower, he would be grown and desire not only the tower for his own. But also the mare who lived there... "Uncle Mort?" Pinkie's voice suddenly snapped Mort from his memories. The ancient alicorn glanced around and settled on the pink party pony. "Are you okay? My spine went all cold and usually that means your sad," Pinkie stated with a worried frown. Mort merely sighed and patted his 'niece' on the head. Pinkie was the granddaughter of his best friend, Binkman Daniel Pie, better known as Binky. Binky had been a servant to Mort for centuries, his life extended so long as he served the grim galloper. When Binky had eventually met Pinkie's grandmother, well, he stopped serving Mort. Mort had never been bitter about it though, he was happy for him. He'd been named god-father to Binky's son, and Pinkie had always endearingly called him 'Uncle Mort'. The grim galloper had taken a shine to the pink party pony, perhaps because she was so unlike himself. In any case he considered the pink pony as much his niece as she considered him an uncle. It was a rather strange relationship, he knew that, after all Pinkie was all about laughter and life, and he was, admittedly, a rotted out skeleton. "WHAT DO YOU NEED PINKIE?" Mort asked the mare curiously. "Oh, I was wondering if I'll need to bring my Party Cannon or not," Pinkie replied with a smile. The grim galloper stopped and hummed in thought. He admitted that the 'party cannon' would be useful only as artillery if they took it, but he doubted they would need a cannon. Rather, he doubted a cannon would be of much use against anything they went up against within the walls of Faust's Tower. "NO, I HIGHLY DOUBT IT'D BE OF MUCH USE," Mort replied honestly. Pinkie pouted for only a moment, then smiled and bounced away. "Oh well, guess that just leaves me some extra room," the pink party pony decided. "WAIT PINKIE," Mort called softly. The pink party pony, somehow, stopped in mid air and turned her head to the grim galloper. Mort wasn't sure, but he believed that a majority of Binky's otherworldly powers had been transferred to Pinkie. Walking on air had been one of them, as had passing through solid mass, and moving through other dimensions. It would at least explain why Pinkie could do the things that she did. Even if that was how she did such things Mort wouldn't remove the magic from her, she was his favorite little niece after all. "What'cha need Uncle Mort?" The party pony questioned with a smile. "BLUEBERRY AND PISTACHIO MUFFINS," Mort replied gravely. The muffins were important, not to him, he didn't really need to eat. They would be important for some pony else, one of two parties he'd hurt a very long time ago. Unfortunately that pony was going to be a bit of a pain to reason with, he was notoriously grumpy. The pink party pony raised a brow for only a moment before shrugging. "Okie dokie loki Uncle Mort!" She declared and fell back into her bounce to continue on her way. As she left Mort retreated back into his thoughts, and once there the grim galloper felt his mind cloud over. Memories of his horrid actions, of sick and twisted experiments. Of a unicorn gone mad with power. He also remembered how he had wanted Faust, how his desire for her had been an obsession. But most of all, he remembered one thing above all else, something he knew now had to be done to save Pony kind. He'd been sick, insane, had they left him alone he'd have likely done far worse than he managed. Which is why he remembered how she killed him... It had been fifty years since Mortis had gained his sight. It had been forty five years since he had discovered Black Magic. It had been thirty years since he'd started work on his greatest work, The Necronomicon. It had been only a scant two years since he had completed the book. It was a compendium of every Necromatic spell he had created, every potion he'd concocted, and every experiment he'd conducted. It was a living book with more than enough enchantments to kill any pony else who touched it. Besides him of course. And right now, he was marching through Dream Valley, an army of the living dead at his back. Two years ago he'd finished his book, and after that he'd felt he could finally take Dream Valley, and its beautiful ruler, for his own. His soldiers marched obediently, the lack of a mind or free-will made it easy. Zomponies were the most basic of his foot soldiers. They were utterly brainless with nothing to drive them but his will and their need to feed. They were little better than cannon fodder in all honesty. He had little use for them as a few Pegasi and Unicorn guards could easily take them down. Admittedly they had, which had surprised him. He thought the ponies of Dream Valley would roll over in a fight. He'd been wrong. The Ponies of Dream Valley did not just roll over in a fight. No. Apparently much like their ancestors they took matters into their own hooves in desperate situations. Yes, they had an all-powerful ruler, but they wouldn't force her to solve all their problems for them. The Earth-Ponies and Unicorns had worked together with Hippocampi to fashion extremely sturdy, yet light armor. The Pegasi used that and the clouds to call down lightning storms to fry the Zomponies with startling efficiency. That tactic had been what had kept his armies at bay for several months. Then he'd decided he'd had enough and introduced them to his next creation, the Windegos. They were shock-troops, they were slightly more intelligent than the Zomponies, created freezing cold winds, and both inspired as well as fed off of hate and anger. With the pegasi fighting off the Zomponies, growing to hate them over time, it was a massacre. The Windegos had quickly decimated the supposed aerial superiority that the pegasi had held out for so long. The Windegos continued forward, destroying any pegasi in their way which allowed Mortis to resurrect them to bolster his dwindling Zompony army. Or so he had assumed. If only he'd taken even a moment to look back, he might've realized the numbers were strangely light on enemy casualties in the first place. Or he might've noticed how there were few, if any, corpses rising to actually bolster his ranks. In fact, had he turned back he'd have seen those bodies seemingly smirk, then turn to ash as his magic touched them. It was strange how hindsight made him feel like such a foolish idiot. Regardless, after that the unicorns had their turn. They had erected powerful multi-layered barriers to keep the Windegos at bay. Mortis knew that the unicorns of Dream Valley couldn't have created the barriers on their own. Faust had clearly helped them this time. That had spurred him on, and so he had unleashed his most dangerous creations. Creatures even he had been reluctant to release on the world. Of course he felt it was necessary to achieving his goals, thus he released the Sinisteeds onto Faust's Tower. Sinisteeds.They were a horror unto themselves. Crafted from the spirits of the living then twisted and changed into a nightmarish beast. Wraith like entities that move like the wind itself and leave only devastation in their wake. They feed off of fear, misery, and despair. Only the most pitiable of Mortis' enemies had ever been changed into such creatures. So naturally 'Lord Umbra' his former father had been among the first of their number. The Sinisteeds were seemingly immortal, untouchable, and indestructible. At the time, Mortis had only found one weakness in them, besides his control over them. Regardless, he had unleashed the Sinisteeds onto Faust's Tower. Alongside the Windegos the two spirits of anger and misery had worn down the mental fortitude of the ponies within their barrier. Once they were unable to hold the barriers up, he had marched inside. He had thought that with all those defenses taken down he would have little trouble dispatching whatever remained inside. He'd been wrong. He'd been so very wrong. It was the very moment he entered the tower that all his careful plans and dreams had been utterly derailed. Still he'd trotted within calmly, a smirk on his face as his glowing eyes shined like sickly green flames. In the entryway Faust herself sat, a very stern scowl on her face. Unlike him she hadn't changed, still the same, still as beautiful as always. "So we meet again," he had said while approaching. Fifty years and decades of research might have made his magic powerful. However his body had aged greatly, a beard hung from his chin and the black armor he wore felt annoyingly heavy. He had wished so much to be as everlasting and eternal as Faust was, to be able to remain a youthful stallion into infinity. "Seems that way," Faust had not been happy to see him, her voice was cold as ice. She had glared at him with enough hatred to leave him utterly terrified. He hadn't shown it at the time, and he'd felt so confident with his Windegos and Sinisteeds at the ready. If he hadn't been such an arrogant fool he'd have realized that he was trotting to his doom and staring at his executioner. "I have the advantage here Faust, your guards will do you no more good," the necromancer stated. Of course it had been like a bit of Lord Umbra's arrogance had rubbed off on him. Of course if ever asked he'd never admit to that, instead he would deny being arrogant. "You really think my guards need to protect me?" Faust had asked with such a calm tone. Her head tilted, lips lifted into an amused smirk, and a single brow raised. It was clear that she found his, admittedly, laughable attempt at her as little more than a joke. He'd not appreciated that in the least. "Of course not, but I do know that even you can't possibly stop everything I have at my disposal!" Mortis replied sternly. He didn't know what he expected, a moment she'd been across from him, then suddenly, he had to look up. Now she was standing directly in front of him, a pair of heavy chains hanging at her sides via crimson magic. Faust had been frowning deeply, her eyes set into a stern glare. "Then you forget that I can make you see what I want you to," the pure-white alicorn stated and then knocked the Necronomicon from his hooves. Her magic grasped it from the air and then teleported it away a second later. All tartarus broke loose a moment later as Faust jumped back. The chains went taught and yanked the heavy iron-doors closed behind him, cutting him off from the rest of his forces. His Sinisteeds and Windegos made to attack her, but she'd shined a light on the Sinisteeds. The single weakness of their kind was that they were like shadows, so of course the light could destroy them. The pure-white alicorn had then landed on her hooves and smiled serenely, her eyes closed as if lost in her memories, her horn glowing brightly. The Windegos were hit by what Mortis could only call a warmth, a warmth that melted them away and knocked him back. Another second, his Zomponies were incinerated with a Burning Charm. In a matter of moments, the necromancer was disarmed and isolated from his army, his remaining minions destroyed, and now Faust was glaring at him heatedly. What was more frightening than the fact she had done so, was the fact it had seemed almost effortless to her. "H-how did you," Mortis tried to question her, but the mare interrupted him. "You remember my teachers artifacts? The ones that let me see anywhere and everywhere in Dream Valley?" the pure-white mare questioned sternly. The utter calm on her face had been terrifying, she had decimated all his forces in a matter of moments, and somehow she was still calm. "Y-yes," he had stuttered fearfully. In that moment it had almost been like he was a colt again, a stuttering and fearful little colt before an all-powerful being. "Then you should realize that my forces weren't just holding you back all this time. They were also leading you here so I could lock you inside, away from your army. Sure I'll probably have a heck of a time trying to take out all the stragglers, but at least without you I won't have an unending army of them," the mare stated, eyes narrowing onto him further. Mortis own eyes widened as he realized what had happened and why so few had actually died from protecting the mare. The pure-white alicorn had been watching the whole time, saving all she could while also keeping an eye on his troops for weakness. Zomponies, Fire. Sinisteeds, Light. Windegos... "W-wait, h-how did you d-destroy my Windegos?" the defeated necromancer had questioned. For the first time since this had started, Mortis saw a smile cross Faust's face. "The Windegos are an entity which feeds off of anger and hatred, so I simply exposed them to something without anger or hatred," the mare replied academically. She had then took in a breath and looked down, her eyes misting over with un-shed tears. "So to be rid of them, I simply remembered my friends, and let that feeling tear them apart," the mare explained, then looked back to Mortis with a scowl. "And now we come to you, Mortis the Black," She stated darkly, scowl deepening as she approached the necromancer. Mortis shook, his father's armor felt even more annoyingly heavy as the mare soon stood over him. He backpedaled slowly, trying desperately to escape from her. However her magic dragged him back by his tail, her scowl deepening as she took in a breath through her nose. She then exhaled and her scowl turned to a disappointed frown, she shook her head and began to tap her hoof into the floor. Mortis didn't know what she would do next, he was without his army, the majority of his magic was necromatic and he didn't have any curses he wanted to hit this mare with. He desired her after all, what would the point of this insane campaign be if he had to destroy her? "As much as I would love to simply be rid of you, I'm not a violent mare," she had said so with a sigh. "So I will give you one last chance to give up and leave my lands forever," the pure-white alicorn stated. She glared at Mortis as he shook in her magical grasp. "So, what say you, Mortis the Black?" the mare asked him pointedly. The stallion felt his ear twitch and his back leg kicked slightly. He took several deep breaths but his panic was becoming overwhelming. Which is why, Mortis made the last mistake of his mortal life. He shot a quick sleeping curse at the mare. It wouldn't harm her in any way, she would just fall to sleep for a while. The necromancer still didn't want to hurt her, some part of his mind still thanked her for granting him his sight. Yet still he had miscalculated and underestimated the mare once more. The spell seemingly passed through her, a deep scowl crossing her face. This was because she hadn't been where he had thought she was. She had caught him in a perception charm, and he suspected he had been within one the entire time. "Really? I mean c'mon, really?" she questioned incredulously. He had squirmed under her gaze as she snorted furiously. "I give you one chance, one chance to turn back and leave my lands peacefully. One bucking chance to get out of my sight with your hide intact and what do you do? You try to curse me!" she roared furiously. The Necromancer did not whimper, but he did shake as she glared at him. "That's it Mortis! No more chances, I am so done!" the pure-white alicorn growled and stomped a hoof into the ground. The stone was cracked by her great strength and Mortis shuddered fearfully. The mare didn't seem to notice as she leaned back and tapped her hoof thoughtfully. "Now how do I deal with you exactly?" She wondered with a frown. She looked over the aged unicorn several times to try and decide on her next action. Eventually the alicorn stopped and closed her eyes, a look of resignation passing over her features. She turned back to Mortis and snorted a breath through her nose, eyes calm yet stern. "I suppose I'll have to use one of Majesty's three spells to be rid of you," Faust decided with a frown, less angry and more unsure of herself. "The first I could use is apparently very painful," she began while tapping her chin. "It would turn you into a tree, petrifying your body and slowly changing you into one in the most excruciating way it can," the mare stated flatly, without any emotion. Mortis felt his blood run cold. "The next one is mind breaking, you'd be turned to stone potentially forever, frozen forever and unable to move, yet still fully aware," Faust explained while lifting Mortis into the air. The Necromancer would admit that he whimpered pitifully as he prepared himself for the last spell. "Finally, the last spell is utterly painless, and Majesty used it only once" Faust stated while staring Mortis in the eye. The Necromancer watched the mare's horn began to glow crimson, and wondered what was going to happen. That was when he heard a sudden 'pop'. There was another, and yet another. Soon Mortis looked down and his eyes widened in shock and fear. His back hooves had started to turn into bubbles. Those same bubbles that made up what had once been his hooves were now popping out of existence with startling speed. "While painless, this spell makes you bubble away into nothingness, erasing you completely," Faust explained. Mortis looked up to the mare with wide eyes. The mare merely sighed tiredly and turned away from the Necromancer, trotting away as the bubbles continued to pop. "My little ponies don't protect me Mortis, I protect my little ponies," She said cryptically as she left. The necromancer was silent, unsure of what to do or say, and before he knew it the bubbles had reached his neck, his jaw, his face. Soon all that was left of him were his eyes, and a few moments later, even those would be gone as well. And when that final 'pop' finally sounded, no pony would expect that Mortis the Black would return someday. "Uncle Mort, are you sure you're alright?" Pinkie questioned while waving a hoof before the grim gallopers eyes. He 'blinked' for a moment and tilted his head as the pink party pony looked at him worriedly. Unfortunately he didn't have an answer for his niece, not this time. "Um, well, look I got the muffins," Pinkie offered with a worried smile. She was somehow holding the bag of muffins on her outstretched hooves while looking to him. The grim galloper merely nodded his head and the flames that made up his eyes went out. They were essentially closed right now and he was returned to the darkness. Blindness was a much more apt description in his case. After all, he'd been blind before he had met Faust, it was only thanks to her kindness that he could see. Equally, it was only thanks to her killing him that he became an Alicorn. He owed everything to her. and how did he repay her? The pale pony felt a sigh pass though his body, whatever he still had that passed as a heart constricted within his chest. In his youth he'd been insane, he'd hurt the pony who had given him his sight. In the back of his mind, the grim galloper knew that he'd likely live Faust's anger at him for all of eternity. "I DON'T KNOW..." he finally answered and in his conscious mind, he felt he didn't deserve her forgiveness... Celestia and Luna felt extremely well rested. While their beds back in Canterlot castle were far more luxurious, the old bunk beds had something that they lacked. They had memories in them, memories of a better time. They had left their regalia behind in their old room and trotted through the tower as average ponies. It also didn't hurt that the regalia could be a bit cumbersome after a while. It also didn't hurt that the didn't have any appearances to maintain, thus could 'let their hair down' so to speak. Regardless, once they had awoken from their slumber they had set out with renewed vigor. They were determined to find the Golden Door today, and would let nothing stand in their way. They had already looked through several new doors, found dozens of interesting rooms, yet no Golden Door. "I am beginning to hate this tower," Celestia admitted with a frown. She was trying very hard not to lose her calm demeanor, but this fruitless search and the confining spaces were really starting to take a toll on her. "Tia, I have been having a thought," Luna suddenly stated. Celestia glanced to the younger alicorn with a raised brow. "The tower, all day when we looked for the Golden Door we found nothing, yet when we tired the tower led us to our old room," the lunar alicorn noted with a frown. The older alicorn frowned as well, her thoughts traveling back to when they had been young. Their every search for Dream Castle had ended with a disappointing failure. Every time they grew tired Faust always found them and took them to bed. Was it possible that the tower had missed them, and wanted to play as if they were still fillies? "Then do you believe this is all a game to the tower?" Celestia inquired. She wasn't sure how she felt, but if it was all a game to the tower she didn't see a point to it. She also had to wonder why the hall they were trotting through was stretching and growing. She didn't mind a less confining space but it did strike her as being a bit odd. "Perhaps, it would make some sense considering all that has happened," Luna replied. The lunar mare was even less sure of how any of this really worked. The only pattern she'd seen thus far was that the tower kept them away from whatever they actively looked for. However on the flip side it seemed to lead them to places that they needed to go to, War Helm had been such a thing as it had answered a long unanswered question. It had given them a bit of peace of mind to know the psychotic specter wasn't just laying dormant somewhere a pony could accidentally awaken him. "If it is a game, then what are the rules?" Celestia wondered aloud. "Tis possible there are no rules," Luna murmured, then clicked her tongue. "Or more likely, that the rules are meant only for the tower itself," the lunar diarch suggested. Her suggestion earned her a raised brow from her older sister. "We seem to have no limit to what we can do, barring of course the obvious limitations of the tower itself. The tower however likely cannot simply keep us in one spot indefinitely as we have yet to come across such a situation," the younger alicorn explained thoughtfully. The older alicorn hummed for a moment, thinking over her sisters observation. "Seems about right, but that means the tower has no limit to how often it can change it's halls so long as they don't come to a dead end," Celestia reminded with a frown. Luna inclined her head, realizing how much of a problem that could be for them. If nothing else the tower could keep them aimlessly wandering for the rest of eternity, or at least until their mother finally returned. "Truly sister, we have found ourselves in a most perplexing situation," the lunar alicorn grumbled. She raised a hoof to her head as she thought about the insane 'game' the tower was playing with them. Even if they were to by some miracle find the Golden Door, closing it would be the least of their worries. After they closed it, Luna felt that they would likely continue to aimlessly wander the tower merely searching for a way to entertain themselves. "Do you hear that?" Celestia suddenly questioned, breaking Luna from her thoughts. The lunar alicorn frowned and narrowed her eyes. Her ears swiveled all around until she heard a loud thundering sound, as well as the sound of a pony galloping. A scowl crossed the younger alicorn's features as she remembered who the only other pony in the tower currently was. "Aye, I would assume the pony is that ruffian from before," Luna grumbled irritably. Celestia smirked and bumped her flank into her sisters. "Oh come now Luna, I thought you two were really hitting it off," the solar diarch teased playfully. "Tia, we sincerely hope that thou speak in jest, if thou aren't then we must inform thee that thou art not amusing," the lunar diarch stated flatly. Celestia giggled quietly and smiled to her sister. However a second later they watched Daring race passed them. The two alicorns blinked and watched the mare race off for a way, then suddenly stop and turn to look at them with wide eyes. "What are you two looking at? Don't just stand there looking pretty! Run while you still can!" She shouted, then continued to gallop down the hall. The royal pony sisters were silent for a moment, then looked to one another. They blinked, clearly confused, and then turned as the deep thunder like sounds grew louder and louder. The halls of the tower shook and the thundering was soon accompanied by a deafening roar. The older alicorn sister felt her eyes widen when she recognized that sound and took a step back. "That sounds like a dragon," Celestia stated as Luna gulped. The thundering and shuddering halls did little to ease either sister, their hooves began to shake as the sounds grew ever louder. "A full grown dragon," Luna added while backing away. "A full grown and very angry dragon," Celestia continued with urgency in her tone. It was with that thought that the magenta dragon Daring had awakened came into view. The massive creature saw the princesses and snarled furiously. It inhaled and then exhaled a torrent of flames at the two. They didn't wait even a second before they quickly dashed into the tower in search of Daring. They heard the dragon roar as they galloped and yet still, only one question came to mind. "Where the buck did she find a dragon!?" Twilight sighed as she sat on the front step of her library. She had long since gathered what she felt she would need for their coming journey. She was now simply waiting for every pony else, Spike resiting at her side. "So she's Celestia's mother?" the said baby dragon asked with clear disbelief. He had always assumed that Celestia had no real parents, and was born from the sun itself. "Yes," Twilight replied miserably. "So then Celestia actually has a mother?" Spike continued to question. He was really just trying to wrap his mind around the idea that Celestia wasn't an ageless deity who had been around sense the beginning of time. "Yes, and Faust only adopted her when she was a filly," Twilight added. Now Spike gaped and sat back, not only did Celestia have a mother, but there were ponies around before her! "I think my perception of reality has been shaken to the core," Spike declared with wide eyes. Twilight felt a ghost of a smile cross her lips, then sighed tiredly. "Yeah well, how do you think I feel? I thought she was an evil villain!" Twilight reminded her assistant hotly. Spike merely rolled his eyes and looked at his sister figure with a smirk. "Twilight, I really doubt Princess Celestia would hold that against you," the baby dragon stated with a nod of his head. "How about Princess Luna?" the little lavender unicorn questioned flatly. Spike stopped, then thought about what might happen with Luna. Faust was her mother, Faust had taken her in apparently and raised her even though she was not her flesh and blood, and Faust likely had been the one to teach them about Magic. Given how Luna could over react at times, the idea of accusing the mare she thought of as a mother of being an evil villain? Oh... "I probably wouldn't mention it to her," Spike replied with a shudder. He knew Luna had a bad wrap, but it was no secret that she could really over react. "Gee, here I thought I'd go shout it off the nearest mountain," Twilight replied sarcastically. She then released a breath and closed her eyes, a hoof idly raised to the pendent she was still wearing. The little lavender unicorn had no idea where it came from, she assumed Faust had made it for her. But at the same time 'Nocturne' had been a part of a Charm, one that Faust had put on her and then left her within. That meant that it was the charm itself that made the pendent, or rather, it had been Nocturne that had made it. "Hey Twilight, It's kinda been bugging me for a while now, but what is that?" Spike asked while looking at the silver pendent. The little lavender unicorn blinked and then turned to face him. She frowned and looked down at the pendent as it shined in the light of the sun. "I honestly have no idea, I sort of got it from..." Twilight paused and then grimaced "... a dream," she admitted with a nervous grin. Spike raised a brow, staring at his sister figure silently for a long while. He then shook his head and muttered an 'only you' under his breath. "THAT'S ACTUALLY A LUNAR PENDENT," Mort's voice came, nearly shocking both mare and baby dragon out of their skins. Spike took several deep breaths, eyes wide as he looked at Mort. "Don't do that!" the baby dragon exclaimed, the grim galloper chuckling lightly. "Hiya Twilight, you ready to go?" Pinkie questioned with a wide smile. The lavender mare had to wonder, for the thousandth time, why the pink pony was so happy. She was also a little curious as to how Mort could possibly be her uncle. "What do you mean it's a Lunar Pendent?" Twilight asked Mort instead. The pale pony merely tilted his head for a moment, then hummed lightly. "I MEAN THAT'S WHAT ONE IN SILVER WAS CALLED, A GOLDEN ONE IS A SOLAR PENDENT," Mort began and then yawned. "Is there any significance to them?" Twilight questioned curiously of the grim galloper. Mort remained silent however, then hummed lightly. "I HAVE A FEELING YOURS IS SIGNIFICANT, REGARDLESS WE SHOULD GO AND MEET UP WITH THE OTHERS, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE," the pale pony replied. Before Twilight could question him further, the grim galloper trotted off. Pinkie grinned and bounced after her uncle, leaving Twilight alone with Spike. The little lavender mare sighed and then got up to follow them. She wished Spike a quick farewell and was on her way. The purple pony also had to wonder, what it would be like when they finally met the Hippocampi. TBC...