As Star began to regain consciousness, he felt a soothing aura wash over his body. It felt comforting, like a mother nurturing her child. He then felt his strength returning, he heard voices fill his ears.
“Is he going to be okay?” asked one voice.
‘That sounds like,’Shy,’ he thought.
“Yes, I’ve restored his strength so he should wake soon,” spoke a regal voice.
‘Princess Celestia...?’
Star slowly opened his eyes.
“Look y’all, he’s startin’ to come around,” spoke a voice with a familiar southern drawl.
Star awoke to see his friends and Princess Celestia hovering over him. As he sat up, he looked around to see that he was lying on a luxurious bed. It was fairly large (big enough to fit his friends, himself, and the princess), dressed in the finest silk sheets, the mattress felt like he was sleeping on a cloud. He saw the various amenities that came with the room (i.e. the large pearl vanity, the garnet dresser, the balcony that has a view of the city, and the grand bathroom [complete with a personal hot tub]).
“Am I in heaven?” asked Star.
They all shared a brief laugh. Before he could say anything else, Star saw a flash of yellow followed by a tight embrace.
“Star, I’m so glad you’re okay. You scared me half to death,” Fluttershy spoke, as she cried into his shoulder.
Star felt saddened, but kind of happy to hear how worried she was. He then began to gently stroke her mane.
“I’m sorry to worry you, ‘Shy. But I'm okay now,” Star softly spoke.
After a few sniffles, Fluttershy was finally able to calm down and released her embrace.
“You’re right, Star,” sniffled Fluttershy.
She playfully punched him in the arm.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” she huffed.
“Yes, ma’am,” smiled Star.
Princess Celestia lets out an amused giggle.
“I see you two are very close.”
“Yeah, we are,” Star blushed, as he rubbed the back of his head.
Star felt Celestia’s motherly personality fade as her demeanor changed to a more serious one.
“Pardon me for asking, dear Star Driver. But may I ask where you got that pendant?” she asked.
“From my mom. She gave it to me when she came back from one of her archeological digs in Saddle Arabia,” he answered.
“I see... Might I have a look at it?”
“Umm, sure your highness.”
He lifted the pendant from his neck and placed it in her hands. Her eyes widened upon further inspecting the item.
‘There’s no doubt in mind now,’ she thought. ‘With the arrival of this pendant, she won't be too far behind.’
She then returned the pendant to the hands of Star Driver and let out a deep sigh.
“Star Driver...”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Fluttershy told us that you were kidnapped before your match, is that correct?”
“Yes, it is,” explained Star. “They called themselves the Moonstone Wolves. They were hired by this weird hooded stallion to try and get me to join this group called the Abyssal Knights.”
As she heard that name, Celestia's visage changed that of concern. She then stood in front of her vanity and contemplated on the next course of action.
‘I see... I didn’t think that would be making their move so soon....’
“Is something wrong, princess?” asked a concerned Twilight.
She turned to face the Elements. As they saw her face, they knew what she was about to say would be of great importance.
“Yes, my faithful student. I fear Equestria is in grave danger,” Celestia spoke, her words laced with worry.
“Danger?!” they all responded.
“Yes, it seems an ancient enemy has returned to exact her revenge.”
“Ancient enemy?” Star asked.
“Allow me to explain,” Celestia began, as she used her her magic to depict her memories.
“You see long ago, during the reign of my mother and father, we traveled to the foreign land of Saddle Arabia on a diplomatic expedition. We journeyed across a vast desert and came upon the Whitestone Palace, we were greeted by the King and Queen of the land.
“Welcome Lord Cosmos and Lady Gaia of Equestria. I trust your journey was a pleasant one,” asked the king.
“Indeed it was,” smiled King Cosmos.
“Shall we begin the peace talks between our two lands?” asked the queen.
“Indeed we shall, but can we find something for my daughters to do? They easily distracted and it's doubtful that they would be able to stand still during our talks,” requested Queen Gaia.
“But of course,” the king spoke.
As he clapped his hands, his servants entered the room. They cleared a path for a somepony to enter the room. That’s when I first saw her. A young unicorn mare with a sand-colored coat, long flowing dark brown man, alluring harvest gold eyes. She wore a white sleeveless crew neck shirt, golden wristbands, golden sash, and a long white skirt.
“My dear Ehmah, would you be so kind as to give our visiting princesses a tour of our palace?” asked the king.
“Of course, sire,” Ehmah regally spoke.
She made her way over to us.
“Please to meet you. I am Ehmah, head servant to his majesty,” she spoke with a curtsy.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Ehmah. I'm Princess Celestia,” I responded, giving a curtsy as well.
“And I'm Princess Luna,” spoke my sister. “You're really pretty.”
Ehmah blushed at her statement.
“Why thank you, your highness. If you will follow me,” she said, as she motioned out of the room.
We followed her out of the room. As we walked through the palace she pointed out the various artifacts and treasures they've acquired over the years. After our tour, we came to the palace kitchen. There the chefs prepared quite a feast. The three of us got along well. As we ate in the Dining Hall, we began to discuss her lands and people as well as my own.
“Your country sounds lovely,” I spoke.
“As does yours, Princess Celestia,” she responded.
“Tia. You can call me Tia,” I smiled.
“Okay...Tia,” she sheepishly smiled.
“And you can call me Lulu,” Luna beamed.
“Okay then, Lulu,” she giggled. “And you can call me Ehm.”
“You two seem like really good friends,” Twilight commented. “What happened to make her your enemy?”
“Patience, dear Twilight,” Celestia spoke. “All in good time, but first we understand the past before we can determine our future.”
She then continued with her spell.
As the day went on, we started to show off our abilities with using magic. While we started off with basic levitation spells, we soon found ourselves performing more complex spells. She was a brilliant and amazingly talented mare. She was able to pull off some of the most complex spells with ease. Her abilities were on par with my own.
“You’re quite good, Ehm,” I said.
“You too, Tia.”
“Where did you learn such skills?” I inquired.
“Well...”
She motioned for Luna and me to follow her. She led us deep within the palace until we finally came to a secluded chamber.
“Here we are,” she stated.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“This is the Royal Treasure Room. Inside lies the source of where I learned my abilities.”
“Are we even allowed in there?” asked Luna.
“Well, royalty is allowed inside, but not servants. But luckily I haven’t been caught yet,” she winked.
We all shared in a short giggle. As we ventured inside, we saw various foreign artifacts displayed on mantles all over the room. While Luna buzzed around the room looking at the items that piqued her interest, Ehm led me to a book in the far corner of the room. It had a golden covering with ancient text scribbled on its borders.
“This is the Book of the Sages. It contains many ancient spells from all of recorded history. I’ve been studying for quite some time now.”
“I see. Have you shown the king and queen your magical prowess?”
“No! Since it is forbidden for the servant to be in here, I dare not show them the magic I have learned.”
“I see.”
After some time, we left the chamber. We then made our way back to the main hall. As we were walking back, Ehm shifted around nervously.
“Is something wrong Ehm?” I asked.
“It’s just...”
She looked at me with such fear in her eyes.
“Tia, promise me you’ll never tell a soul about me using magic,” she pleaded.
“Of course, I won’t tell. But why-”
“Swear to me...”
As I looked into her eyes, I could see the desperate plea in her eyes.
“I swear on my honor as a princess of Equestria,” I vowed.
She then hugged me to show her gratitude.
“Thank you, Tia.”
“You’re welcome, Ehm.”
“And you have my word that I won’t tell either,” Luna smiled.
“Thank you too, Lulu,” Ehm smiled.
As we walked down the corridor, we heard a voice call out to us.
“EHMAH~ There you are,” the voice happily spoke.
We then turn to see a figure running toward us. It was a young pegasus colt with an ochre coat, spiky brown mane, and youthful seafoam eyes. He was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt, gold belt, gold armband on his left shoulder, and white pants. He ran past the two of us and leaped into Ehm’s embrace. He nuzzled her neck.
“Ehmah...I missed you!”
“M-Moon?! When did you get back?”
“A few minutes ago. I couldn’t wait to see you.”
He noticed Luna and me.
“Hello, who are you?”
“I’m Princess Celestia,” I said.
“And I am Princess Luna.”
He turned around to face us.
“Please to meet you. I’m Prince Moon,” he said with a bow.
“You know that’s not your real name,” huffed Ehm. “It’s-”
“No don’t say it! You know I hate that name,” he pouted.
“As you wish, young master.”
He let out a groan.
“Ehm, you know you’re like my big sister,” he huffed. “You don’t have to call me that.”
She patted his head.
“Of course...young lord,” she teased.
He puffed his cheek in annoyance. It was rather cute and heartwarming to see that the prince cared so deeply for one of his subjects. During our time in the palace, the four of us often hung out. Moon and Luna really hit it off (being that they were closer in age). The more time we spent with them, the more I could see how deep their love for each other was.
Even though they weren’t related by blood, the love Ehm had for Moon was the same as I had for Luna and vice-versa. In time we all became best friends, and I thought it would last forever. But fate has a funny way of changing one's plans. Things were going so well, until that fateful day when it happened.”
“What? What happened?” asked Star Driver.
“It was rumored that rebels were looking to overthrow the king and queen, and were willing to do anything to make it happen,” Celestia continued.
The day started like any other. Ehm, Luna, and I were eating lunch in the dining hall. While we were eating we noticed one of the royal messengers running through the courtyard.
“I wonder where he’s headed off to?” I asked.
Curious we followed him back to the main chamber. We remained outside the chamber doors, as he delivered his message.
“My Lord, I bring urgent news,” the messenger spoke, in between breaths.
“What is it?” spoke the King.
“The rebels known as the Abyssal Knights have made their move.”
“What do you mean?” asked the Queen.
The servant winced slightly before he spoke.
“I-It’s the prince...they have taken him hostage...”
The room fell silent as the news sunk in. I turned to Ehm and saw her face contorted a look a sheer terror.
“How could this have happened?!” bellowed the king.
With his head still hung, the messenger spoke.
“My liege, it was when the young lord requested to go into town. The rebels were lying in wait for his caravan an ambushed it,” he explained. ”They allowed me to escape to deliver this message.”
“Message?”
“Yes, they said to either surrender your throne or...”
“Or what?” asked the queen.
“They’ll kill your son.”
With that statement, Ehm tightly clenched her fist. I had never before seen her so enraged.
“Where are they keeping him?” the queen spoke, fighting back her tears.
“At the Eastcairn Fortress, at the edge of the desert.”
Before I knew it, Ehm had made her way down the hall. Luna and I chased after her.
“Ehm, wait! What do you think you can do?” I shouted.
When she looked back to me, what I saw in her could only be described as pure rage.
“I’m going to get my little brother back!” she coldly spoke, as she turned to head for the palace doors.
We both froze at her words. We knew she cared for him more than anything in this world, and after hearing that he was taken she would do anything to get him back.
“But you can’t go alone. In your current state, you’d end up getting yourself and Moon killed.”
She halted at my words.
“Then what should I do? Stay here while they hold him against his will?”
“I’m not saying that, but you need to be rational.”
She turned to me with a stray tear rolling down her cheek.
“Then what can I do? H-He’s my little brother…”
I knew all too well the pain she felt. If the situation were reversed and it was Luna, not even mother and father could stop me from getting her back. I trotted up to her and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
“Then we will help you get him back. Right, Lulu?”
“Verily...” she chimed.
After a brief sniffle, she gave us a sincere smile.
“Thank you...”
Later that day, we made our way to their hideout. As we arrived, we saw that the entrance was heavily guarded. But using our combined magic we easily overpowered the guards.
“These guys aren’t so tough,” Luna said with a smirk.
“Let’s keep moving,” Ehm suggested. “I’m sure they’ll be sending reinforcements.”
“Right,” I acknowledged.
As we made our way into the fortress we encountered many bandits. But one by one, we defeated all that stood in our way. Eventually, we came to the main chamber.
“Ehm this is it. Moon should be behind those doors.”
Without hesitation, Ehm used her magic to break down the door. All eyes were on us as she busted the doors open. Upon inspection of the room, which I calculated about 25 bandits present, we saw Moon in the center of the room bound by rope. When he saw us his eyes lit up.
“Ehmah...Tia...Lulu...you came to save me,” he smiled.
“Of course, no one could stop Ehm from saving you,” I grinned.
As Ehm made her way into the room, I could sense that something was wrong. As she approached Moon, one of the bandits stepped in front of her.
“B-Boss... We didn’t expect-”
‘Boss?’ I thought.
The bandit is sent crashing into a nearby wall by her fist.
“Be silent, you insolent fool!” Ehm darkly spoke.
The others went to check on their companion.
“Boss, what was that for?” asked one of the guards.
“YOU FOOLS! DO YOU REALIZE HOW'VE YOU RUIN EVERYTHING I’VE WORKED FOR?!” Ehm bellowed.
‘Worked for? What is she talking about?’ I questioned.
“I told you fools to wait for my instructions before carrying out the plan.”
“But we thought that-” started another one of the bandits.
“SILENCE!”
He immediately closed his mouth.
“Ehm, what’s going on?” I asked.
This was met with a maniacal laugh.
“What’s so funny, Ehm?” asked Luna.
“You haven’t figured it out yet, Your Highness?” she mocked. “I’m not just some lowly servant.”
She used her magic to pin me and Luna to the wall.
“I’m actually the leader of the Abyssal Knights.”
“What...you’re...their leader...?” spoke Moon in disbelief.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way, little brother,” she said, as she teleported to his side. “But I never meant for you to be involved.”
“So, you’re the one who had him kidnapped?” I said, trying to break free.
“No, that was these idiots,” she glared at her followers. “They acted against my orders.”
“But what do you possibly gain by doing this?” Luna asked.
“It’s simple dear Lulu. Revenge!" she said, as she walked toward us. “You see, Moon’s father took something dear to me, and now I going to take everything that is dear to him.”
She summoned the Book of Sages.
“What’re you going to do with that?” I asked.
“Upon studying this book, I learned of a spell that will allow me to create magical items that will give me the power to rule this land,” she began. “But in order to perform it, I needed someone of the royal family to be present.”
She turned to Moon, who gazed at her with fear in his eyes.
“I just wish it was your father instead of you,” she sighed.
“Why...Why are you doing this, Ehmah?” spoke Moon, as the tears welled in his eyes.
As she walked over to him, I tried desperately to break free.
“Please understand, Moon. This was the only way I could avenge my people,”
“Your people?”
“Yes, but I just hope one day you’ll be able to forgive me.”
She stopped in the middle of the room. Ehm then opened the Book of Sages to a specific page.
“Bring me the items,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” shouted one of the bandits.
He quickly departed the room. Within a few moments, he brought an assortment of artifacts ranging from an old crown to a dusty-looking pendant.
“With these seven items, I will rule this land,” she spoke.
Her horn lit up as she prepared to cast the spell. In a bright flash, the artifacts and Moon are engulfed in a golden aura.
“What are you doing to him?” asked Luna.
“I’m going to take some of the royal magic and fuse it into these artifacts,” explained Ehm.
“But he’s a pegasus. He doesn’t have any magic,” I stated.
Ehm merely chuckled.
“Every member of the royal family carries magic within them, no matter if they aren’t a unicorn.”
As she continued the spell, Moon's body began to glow. I saw the sheer look of horror appear on Moon’s face as the seven formed a circle around. He is then levitated into the around. When he looked into her eyes, he pleaded with her.
“Ehmah...please...”
“It will be over soon, little brother.”
“Ehm don’t!” begged Luna.
With her horn lit, she continued the spell. She shot a beam of light into Moon’s chest. After a few seconds, his body was illuminated with a bright golden light. His body then shot beams of magic into the seven items. As he was being drained, Moon let out a painful scream.
“Stop it, Ehm! You’re hurting him!” I barked.
“It’s a small sacrifice to pay,” she coldly spoke.
Though I and Luna struggled to break free, our efforts were for not. After what seemed like an eternity, the spell was finally complete. Moon then collapsed onto the floor.
“MOON!” we both shouted.
“Yes...at long last. I have the fabled Millennium Items in my possession,” Ehm spoke with glee.
“Millennium Items?” I wondered.
“Yes, my dear Tia,” she replied, as she walked over to pick up the seven items. “Each one of these items has their own unique ability, but together they create a force that will be unmatched.”
Ehm picked up each. As she placed each item on her being her body began to glow.
“Yes...I can feel their power coursing through my veins. It's incredible!”
“However something happened that I don't think even Ehmah could've foreseen,” Celestia sighed.
Believing that she had secured her victory she released us from our imprisonment. As I looked at the mare I considered a friend, I couldn't help but feel anger towards her.
“Why, Ehm? Why do this to him?”
“I wouldn’t expect a royal to understand the struggle of the common pony. When you’ve had everything taken from you, you realize that you no longer have anything left to lose.”
“And what about Moon? Did he mean nothing to you?” Luna asked.
She was silent for a moment then rebutted.
“He was merely a pawn in the grand scheme of things,” she darkly spoke. ”But, now I no longer have any use for him.”
She lifted Moon from the ground in front of her.
“Ehm...” groaned Moon.
“Farewell, little brother,” she spoke in a remorseless tone.
She then was preparing to use her magic to crush his body.
“MOON!” we both shouted.
But before she could do anything, Moon was released from her magical grasp. Ehm then fell to her knees in pain.
“W-What’s happening? Something is wrong! I can’t-AAH!”
She was then engulfed in a mysterious light green and black light. It turned out that the power of the items was too much for her body to handle, and it corrupted her very being. When the light faded, we gasped in horror as her appearance changed completely. Her coat is now dark gray her body is filled with various holes, her mane is now seafoam green and her eyes were now a light green. She wore a light green sweetheart neckline dress with green leggings.
“She looks like a changeling...” gasped Spike.
“Indeed Spike. The items had transformed her into the very first changeling,” explained Celestia.
“How is that even possible?” inquired Twilight.
“According to the Saddle Arabian folklore, whoever gathers the items together would be granted with untold power; however, if their heart is not pure the power would corrupt the user,” Celestia spoke.
As she panted heavily on the ground, she clasped her heart.
“What...What is this pain I’m feeling?” grunted Ehm.
“B-Boss...are you okay?” asked one of the bandits.
She looked at her hands.
“What happened to me?” Ehm shrieked.
“It’s because of the Millennium Items...” spoke a voice.
We all turned to see Moon standing on his hooves. There was something different about his demeanor. He no longer had a childlike visage, but rather one of a mature stallion.
“Moon? How are you-”
“It’s because of you, Ehmah. You have awakened the power that was dormant inside of me,” Moon explained. “And now, I must stop you!”
“And how will you do that?” she mocked. “I have the power of all seven Millennium Items on my side.”
When she tried to use their magic but was unable to activate anything.
“What is the meaning of this?” she questioned.
“Those items were born from my own power. So naturally, they will obey their creator,” Moon explained.
With one swift motion, the Millennium Items left Ehm’s body and hovered around Moon.
“How did you-” she gasped.
“I told you, these items will submit to their creator,” Moon spoke, with a smirk.
“How dare you mock me!?”
“It's over Ehmah. You and your coup have lost!”
“Nonsense! Men ATTACK!” Ehm ordered.
The bandits then charged at him from all sides.
“Moon, look out!” shouted Luna.
At that moment, his eyes illuminated with a golden glow. A strange eye symbol appeared on his forehead, as he expelled a bright light. Instantly the bandits were immobilized and collapsed onto the floor. As they were falling to the ground, Moon made his way over to Ehm.
“N-No...that’s impossible...,” she said, as she slowly backed away.
“Ehmah, please surrender. I really don’t want to hurt you, sis.”
I could see her tremble slightly at his words. With nothing left to lose, she charged at him.
“No matter if you are my little brother, you will not stop me from getting reven-”
She was cut off by a fist to the stomach. She then collapsed into Moon’s body. He then looked at her with a solemn frown.
“Ehmah...”
With the fight now over, we made our way back to the palace. Once Moon explained what happened to his father, he knew the fate that awaited Ehm and her minions. As they stood before both of the royal families, Ehmah and the others accepted her fate with dignity.
“Ehmah...you stand before us because of your treasonous acts. Do you or your followers have anything to say for yourselves?” firmly spoke the king.
“We needn't explain our actions to vermin like you!” hissed Ehm.
“Mind your tongue, wretch!” shouted one of the guards.
Unfazed Ehm continued to glare at the “vermin” king.
“For your crimes of performing a forbidden spell with the intent to overthrow our empire, we sentence you to be banished to the dark realm known as the Abyss.”
He then motioned to Moon to perform the dimensional spell. Heeding his father's command, Moon performed the spell. Within moments, a large dark violet portal appeared in the middle of the room. While the other bandits looked on with concern, Ehm's venomous gaze never faltered. They were all guided through the portal to what looked like an empty black void.
When Ehm passed us, she gave us a confident smirk as if she knew something we didn’t. With the last bandit through the portal, Moon began to close the portal. Just before the portal fully closed, Ehm left this ominous warning.
“This is not the end. Just know that I will have my revenge on you all. One way or another!”
With that, the portal closed.
“Wow...” said Star in awe.
“And on that day, it was decided to scatter the seven Millennium Items to the far corners of the world to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. For centuries, there have been guardians protecting them from generation to generation. It’s believed that should Ehm ever return from the Abyss, the seven guardians would arise to save us from her dark wrath. And with the appearance of your Millennium Pendant, I fear that her return draws near.”
Star looked at his pendant.
“I-I had no idea...”
“However, the other six Millennium Items were stolen from their sacred resting places.”
“By whom?” asked Twilight.
“We don’t know, but after these recent events we can only assume that the other items may be in the possession of the Abyssal Knights.”
Celestia looked deeply into the eyes of Star Driver.
“I’m counting on you to help with stopping Ehm, my dear Star Driver.”
“M-Me? What can I do?” he questioned.
Celestia then gave him a warming smile as she pointed to his pendant.
“Of all the Millennium Items, you possess the most powerful one of them all. When the time comes, it will be up to you to save us all.”
‘Geez, no pressure or anything’ gulped Star.
“In light of these new events, you will need to be more careful Star Driver. I will be counting on you,” she winked.
“Y-Yes ma’am,” said Star.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Applejack’s trademark southern smile.
“Don’t fret none, Star. You know we got yer back.”
“Thanks, AJ.”
“So why don’t we head out and check out some of the vendors around here? Y’all gotta be hungry after such a tough duel,” offered Applejack.
Before Star could respond, his stomach let out a loud growl that caused the other to let out a brief giggle.
“I guess I am kinda hungry,” grinned Star.
“Go and enjoy yourselves. I will alert Shining Armor to increase the security around the tournament,” said Celestia.
The group heads out of Celestia’s chambers.
“Thanks for everything, Princess,” spoke Star.
“Don't mention it, young one.”
Back at Pegasus’ chambers, Ehm concluded with her instructions of the second phase.
“So, do you have any questions my servants?” she asked.
“No, my mistress,” they answered.
“Good. Now, go and don’t you dare fail me!” Ehm coldly spoke, as her image faded from the vanity.
The three stood in an awkward silence before Sombra spoke up.
“Chrysalis, how soon can you and your children be ready to move?”
“Within a moment’s notice,” she playfully grinned.
“Perfect. Assemble a small group them and we’ll get things started right away,” he ordered.
“Understood.”
He turned to Pegasus.
“You can keep Celestia from learning about our actions,” Sombra mocked.
“How dare you speak to me with such-”
Sombra glared at the now fear-stricken Pegasus.
“Listen well, you only continue to breathe because our mistress has a use for you. But make no mistake should I find your presence a hindrance to her plans, I will personally make sure that you’re eliminated from the equation. Is that understood whelp.”
‘He means every word’ gulped Pegasus. ‘Why am I so intimidated by him?’
Pegasus then bowed to the unicorn monarch.
“Y-Yes, sire.”