Shadows, Dreams, and War
The next morning, I decided to try to get Twilight’s mind off Spike by having her recount her adventures over the past few days. Her slouched stance and sunken eyes tell me that she did not get very much, if any, sleep last night. I doubt getting anything out of her before breakfast is going to happen. “What are you in the mood for this morning, Twilight?” I ask as I open her frigde. I look over my shoulder at her when she does not immediately respond. Twilight slowly lifts her head and looks at me vacantly. “Ah, I’ll just throw something together.” She returns to staring at the same spot on the table as last night.
Several minutes later, “You know, if you keep staring at the table, you’re going to bore holes through it.” My attempt at humor does return a small snicker from her. I continue prepping breakfast, quickly slicing several different types of fruit, and I even managed to snag enough flour to make a handful of pancakes. I made sure to add a pinch of magic to enhance their flavor. Twilight eats slowly, as if each bite tastes like ash in her mouth. “I know that my special talent isn’t cooking, but they can’t taste that bad.” She does not respond.
A few minutes into the meal and Twilight’s eyes light up. She says, “That little spell in the pancakes was a good call, while they are tasty on their own, that little bit of magic doesn’t hurt.” Her cool aloofness is quite unsettling, as if my magic was merely a young foal’s parlor trick.
“I only made them that way because I figured you’d enjoy them more.” I respond a little sheepishly. Resuming my usual businesslike stance, I add, “We need to prepare for today. I have a milestone for you all to meet, and enough day has been lost already.” Twilight slumps a little, “But before that, I want to hear a story.” She perks up slightly.
“Oh?” She enquires cocking her head.
“How did you become such a powerful magi?”
“Well, the short version is my special talent is magic. It’s hard for me to explain it, because I’ve always been extremely good at magic. I guess overtime, I’ve learned a huge variety of spells, and my power has grown with each one I successfully mastered. Princess Celestia always stressed that I make friends, but I never took her seriously.” I nod and Twilight continues, “Celestia sent me to Ponyville to check up on preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration and to make some friends, but, again, I decided not to take her seriously on the friendship part. Had not my friends been so stubborn and accompanied me into the Everfree Forest a few nights ago. . . I don’t know where I’d be right now.”
“So, what exactly happened during the Summer Sun Celebration? There was a tremendous magical disturbance a few days ago in Fooren. Almost all of us felt it.”
“Nightmare Moon returned. I and the other Element bearers defeated her, restored Luna, and freed Celestia. After that, Spike and I (she chokes a little on his name and needs a few moments to recover) came to live here.”
“So, Nightmare Moon returned. How did she escape her prison?”
“Well, we didn’t dispatch her, as I’m sure you guessed, we only freed the princess within. She escaped because after one thousand years, the stars aligned, and Nightmare Moon used their innate magical power to break the bonds holding her to the moon. I presume that Celestia was banished to the sun for the brief time that Nightmare Moon was free.”
The Elements of Harmony are perhaps the most powerful magical artifacts in the world. Yet they are controlled by six young mares barely into adulthood, intriguing. I think as I stand from the table. I clean the dishes with a flick of my horn.
Gathering up the other Elements only takes about an hour. On the way to the clearing, I began detecting a strange fluctuation emanating from deep within the forest. It felt vaguely like a dense pocket of Shadow, but it had been too long since I had served on the front lines. If there were Shadow within the deep recesses of the Everfree, then there must be a Queen or other Shadow source somewhere under the boughs of these dark trees.
After another long, hard day the Elements seem to be tiring beyond immediate recovery. I decide that it is time to teach them their first true Guardian ability. These poor mares are nearly collapsing from exhaustion, although I can see definite improvement beginning to emerge in their muscle tone (for those who didn’t have any) and overall stamina. To fix the fatigue issue, I call them into a circle around me. “I want you all to know that I am proud of how much dedication you are showing. I understand that I’m asking too much of you, and I am not blind. Even the mighty Applejack and enduring Rainbow Dash have their limits (both mares blush lightly at my compliments), and, today, we shattered them. To help you recover, and thus accelerate your training, I will show you the first Guardian skill young Shadow Duelers learn.”
“How can a lil’ magic help us hoo cain’t use it?” Applejack asks.
“But you do use magic. Every time you buck a tree, you are unconsciously channeling magic. Every time a Pegasus manipulates a cloud, that is magic.” I respond.
“So all ponies have magic then?” Fluttershy asks.
“Yes, and no.” I answer, “Unconsciously, yes. Each of you use magic every single day without even being aware that is what you’re doing. Consciously, if you attempted to channel that magic untrained, the results could be potentially cataclysmic for you and anypony within several miles. Now, this Guardian ability is simply called ‘Communion’, and it will accelerate your body’s natural regeneration rates. This is accomplished by allowing the Creator’s energy into your being. This energy will flow through your souls like water through a dam. The power created by this flow will be consumed by your bodies to heal them. I must caution you though. This skill takes immense amounts of concentration and should not be used when under stress. Its healing ability is unlimited, but too slow for the heat of battle.”
Wordlessly, the mares sit in front of me, even Rainbow Dash. I power up my horn with a flash, Insight manifests. He says, “Each of you has a bonded Guardian, this Guardian has the most compatible personality with you. The Elements are a source of incredible amounts of power that you are permanently bonded to. Today, I will show each of you how to contact me and my brethren to heal.” Lifting my hooves, I cause three runes to appear in front of it. These are the words of power used by inexperienced magi to focus their magic into a spell, Twilight and Rarity are familiar with the arcane tongue, although the others have no idea what their looking at. “The words are ‘grun, nal, voorrune’. Which translates to ‘bind, purge, and heal.’” I release the runes and they hover freely in front of the Mane Six. I motion for them to come forward, and they do. I touch the runes, and they spark. “Each of you shall touch these runes, and the knowledge of the spell will pass to you.” I step back to give them space.
Each of the mares touches the runes in turn. Applejack grimaces slightly when her hoof makes contact. Rainbow Dash gently hovers over to the runes. Her wings skip a beat and she almost misses her landing. She draws herself up to full height and struts back to her place calmly. Rarity yips in surprise when the magic passes to her. She walks regally back to her seat her horn sparking a little sporadically. Pinkie bounces up to the runes and touches her nose to them. Her hair stands on end at the power surge. Fluttershy walks up to the runes timidly, her head hung low. She lightly touches the runes and eeps as the power courses through her. She quickly withdraws her hoof and curls into a ball below the runes. Finally, Twilight approaches. She charges her horn and uses it as a magnet for the spell’s energy. A tendril of power is drawn to her, and she gasps as her eyes dilate during the transfer. She helps the still cowering Fluttershy to her hooves, and they both walk back to their seats.
I look at Twilight curiously, wondering if my eyes deceived me, or if she actually had wings for just an instant. Only a flash, like lightning, showed them, but could she be a dormant Alicorn? Pushing that thought aside for now, I smile, “Congratulations! Now I want you to cast the spell and open your souls to the Guardians.” At this time, Insight dissipates. They each speak the incantation and immediately their bodies begin to glow a gentle white. Twilight sighs as she is fully relaxing for the first time in a few days. I observe as sore muscles loosen all around and bodies heal from two consecutive days of intense training.
After allowing them a few minutes to enjoy their paradise state, I enter the enchantment myself. Before me stand twelve figures chatting and/or watching their bodies through the ethereal fog. I hear heavy hoofsteps next to me and turn. Before me towers a being I have never met, but I have felt his presence before. The other Guardians speak of him as their leader. I bow before Justice. Nopony has ever manifested him and lived. According to the other Guardians, he can only be summoned by a pony who has mastered them, and only then for brief times. These ponies are considered paragons of the Shadow Duelers, for they were the best warriors and ponies among us. It is a shame that those who could summon Justice did not survive, for none are pure enough for his power to flow through without bursting the dam.
Justice is an imposingg figure, his face masked by a golden helmet with drawn visor. He wears no neck or leg armor, but his chest plate is awe inspiring in its glowing, gold splendor. The white spear on his back glows in the same way his armor does, his shod feet leaving glowing hoofprints with each step. He walks slowly around me, as if weighing me on a scale. “Maybe someday.” His voice is harsh but friendly, powerful yet approachable. He truly is an Arch-Servant. “Come, I wish to show you something.” I look into his eyes for the first time. They are a bright, smoldering blue with trails of smoky light following them at every movement of his head. He walks pasts me, and I follow behind his shoulders as I should. He turns slightly and says, “What you are about to see will stir emotions you buried long ago. An old enemy who took much from you is here, and he has already begun his work. You know what must be done.” I nod without hesitation.
Several minutes later, we arrive at another clearing north of the training grounds. I feel heat rising as Indictment begs to be called. Before me is a Shadow Hive. Their Queen rests in the center, her tendrils holding Spike firmly as she examines his unconscious form. But that is not what angers me. The source of my rage is the Shadow warrior watching the Queen. His name is Despair. The Queen hisses, “He will do well.” With a-none-too-gentle swing she passes him to waiting Nurses who proceed to waken him. He does not struggle, for their illusion keeps him from seeing the truth. His attendants seem to be pony nurses collecting fluid samples to aid in his recovery. What they are actually trying to do is too vile for words. The Queen again hisses, “Hurry my daughters, if the Duelers finds us before we have the child, then the Dark Ones will have our hides.” I smile, it is already too late for them, too late for them all.
I awaken with a start, for the vision broke sharply. I observe that the Mane Six seem to be fairly rejuvenated in body, although their minds are exhausted. I wave them over. They come with a spring in their steps, except for the Pegasi, as they are flying to meet me. I look at Twilight with trepidation in my gaze, and she looks back quizzically. “While you may not want to know right now, I have news concerning Spike. There are two sides to this story, the bad side is that a Shadow Queen has chosen him to become a Taint. The good news is that I know where she is, how strong the camp is, and how I’m going to free Spike.”
Twilight stiffens as I deliver my report of the camp, and she seems to be preparing to bolt for the enemy should I name a direction. When I finish, she asks, “How can you, a lone pony, possibly defeat an entire encampment? We should all help you in the attack. All of us are close friends with Spike, but you’re just a stranger. Who better to save him than his closest friends and family?”
“I cannot endanger you like that Twilight. You are the lynch pin for the war effort both here and in Fooren. If any of you succumb to Shadow, then the war is lost.” I pause for a moment, “If you truly wish to help me ,there is something each of you can do.”
The others seem relieved to not be venturing deeper into the Forest, but Twilight appears as resolute as ever. I have my suspicions that if I don’t occupy her especially well, I’ll have two wounded Equestrians to drag home in addition to myself. I decide to teach each of the Mane Six a unique ability given to them by channeling their native Guardian. Twilight will learn how to project her consciousness into the planet’s natural magic energy, and Applejack will learn how to create short range shock waves from her hooves. Rarity will learn how to scan for specific compounds commonly used by Shadow, and Fluttershy will learn to harness her empathy to quickly identify and treat ailments in her fellow ponies. Pinkie will be responsible for counteracting Shadow propaganda using augmented joy bringing, and Rainbow Dash will learn how to synthesize clouds from raw moisture.
I return them to Ponyville and begin checking my gear. During my off hours in the past few days I set up a Waygate. I had brought a few small provisions with me in my saddlebags that I simply forgot about in all the excitement of my first day. Last night I was able to activate a crystal that allows me to connect with specific items back home. I chose several items to bring over. The most important of these are my sword, shield, bow, and armor. I also summon a handful of potions and strap them on as I begin preparing several dozen spells that might come in handy during the mission. I check and re-check over every piece of equipment before I leave, and once all preparations have been made, I set off. But before I depart, I tell the Mane Six, “While I have no doubts I will succeed, if you have a deity, pray to them for me. I’m going to need all the help I can get while I fight to save Spike.” Turning away, I begin the long hike to the camp’s location.
Several days later I return to Ponyville with Spike in hand. My armor is dented and torn in many places. Blood seeps from several wounds, some much more severe than others. My wings hang limply by my sides. My back left leg is broken. Fortunately, they are minor fractures. I drag my nearly unconscious form through the center of Ponyville to the Library. I no longer care if the locals know that an outsider, and an Alicorn no less, has taken up residence with Twilight. On my back, Spike has not even twitched during the entire rescue. This would not be a problem if he was an Elder Dragon, but he is far too young to have been so quiet. I hope it is some kind of sedation magic the Shadow were using to keep him controllable.
As I stagger into the Library, it is late in the day, I am greeted by several gasps, followed immediately by celebration at the sight of Spike on my back. He stirs a little bit at all the noise, but I am not able to enjoy the celebration. My world spins and vision winks out to black.
I awaken in a warm bath. It is charged with magical energy. At the head is Rarity, and Fluttershy is at the foot. Applejack is standing at the door waiting on something. I can vaguely hear voices in the lobby, perhaps Twilight is calming the residents of town, and Rainbow Dash is seems to spinning some kind of story to help Twilight in that effort. I turn my attention to Rarity at last, and I can clearly see the compassion in her eyes. Slowly, I start to sit up in the bath, she moves to restrain me, but I give a “don’t you dare” look to her. She withdraws her hoof swiftly but still watches e intently. I sense a scan run through my body is I sit in the bath. I snap my attention to Fluttershy, for I would have seen Rarity cast the spell, and I see the glow fading from her eyes that confirms my suspicions. “Well done, Fluttershy. I honestly didn’t expect you to master that ability so quickly. What did you find out with that little scan?” I wince as the injuries throughout my torso throb. This reminds me that I have spent a little too much time studying and practicing, and not nearly enough actually fighting.
She smiles and hides behind her mane a little before quietly answering, “Well, you have several cuts and abrasions all over. A profusion of bruises, sprained tendons in your wings, and three simple fractures in your leg. I suggest that you allow Rarity and I to dress your wounds before you step out into the lobby.”
“Very well.” I see a stool set up in the middle of floor and carefully step out of the tub assisted by my nurses. My broken leg throbs with even the slightest movement and the lightest nudge sends shockwaves of pain racing through me. When I finally settle on the stool, my leg sticking out awkwardly, the medics immediately get to work. “How far did you get with your training without me here to push you?”
Rarity responds, “Well darling, we maintained those work-out schedules you gave us at the start. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to grow so fond of them.” She chuckles sheepishly. I notice she flexes her forearms as she mentions being fond of working-out.
Fluttershy adds, “After I mastered my ability, it became very useful in treating animals, and I might be able to line up a job at the hospital thanks to you.” I’m too busy gritting my teeth around a magical gag right now to respond as they are working on putting my leg in a cast.
Fluttershy continues, making note of my discomfort, “We’re going to have to set the bone. This is going to hurt. Ready?” I nod. “On three. One, two” *Crack!* I bellow into the gag as a tear runs down my face. Even caught off-guard like that, having a bone broken to set it is not an enjoyable experience.
Spitting out the gag, it dissipating almost instantly, I say, “Thank you ladies. I appreciate your willingness to help. I did not expect such kindness so quickly. Especially considering all the suffering I’ve caused.”
“Darling, if we thought you were responsible, you more than made up for it by returning Spike to us.”
“I’m not sure that what I brought is actually Spike. Something wasn’t right about him all the way back. He’s a young dragon, but he didn’t make a sound or stir even a little on the return trip.”
“Did you sense anything strange before or during your attack?” Fluttershy asks.
Before I could answer, Applejack came bustling into the room. She says, “Soup’s on Lightning. Y’all best eat up quick, the crowd out there is getting antsy.”
Rarity immediately rebuts, “He’s not going anywhere until we’ve finished patching him up!”
Applejack is a little taken aback, “Ah know y’all have ta medicate him before he goes out there. But it’ll take awhile for him to finish eatin’ anyways.” They scowl at each other briefly.
“Um, ladies?” I interject, “I’m the one who needs patching, and I will decide how much I need to eat before taking care of the public’s questions. Before you rebut me (I hold up a hoof to keep them from arguing), where’s my armor?”
Applejack responds, “It’s in y’all’s room, why?”
“Wait here until a few minutes before I’m ready to go out. When the time comes, I want you to set up my armor in the lobby on a stand.”
“Why would you want everypony to see that mess?” Rarity asks, recoiling in horror.
“I’m going to use it to make a point. They need to understand exactly what threatens them.” I respond calmly.
Several minutes later, Fluttershy declares that only a handful of injuries remain to be bandaged, and the small talk ceases. Applejack hastily dismisses herself and trots from the room. Rarity starts making sure my bandages are nice and clean. I halt her and don my Unicorn disguise instead. She looks at me quizzically, and I remind her that it will cause less of a disturbance if a Unicorn addresses the townsfolk. Currently, the princesses do not need to perceive me as a challenge to their thrones. Fluttershy assures me that they aren’t like that, but I still hold to my doubts.
I hear Applejack brushing ponies aside and detect the clanking of armor, the many gasps and statements of shock tell me the locals are astonished at the damage. Slowly, I stand. I instruct the two mares to flank me once we’re in the crowd. They do so gladly, as the pack of ponies in the lobby press against us. Many of them immediately start shouting questions. Some are angry, others afraid, and still others confused. I can see so many different expressions in the sea of faces before me. Carefully, so as not to bump anypony, I limp to where my armor stands guarded by Applejack, Pinkie, and Twilight. I turn to the crowd and begin my story.
“Ten days ago, I left Ponyville by backroads to enter the Everfree Forest. Under those darkened eaves I hunted for an enemy both ancient and foul beyond words. These creatures are known as Shadow. They are the physical incarnation of all things evil in our world. Their birth is fueled by our mistakes, and they perish when we ponies choose good over evil. These abominations I hunted for three days before I found their spawning ground. It was there that my people’s war with them broke out in your land, for that, I am sorry.” I pause and wait for them to register what I just said. The reactions are as varied as the questions had been, but before they flood me with more, I continue, “War is a terrible thing. My people have known it since our beginning. While times of peace were plentiful in our history, that same history has taught us that peace is just an eye of the storm. We fight so that peaceful nations such as Equestria do not have to. Today, The Shadow War has begun in Equestria. Today, they know I’m here. Today, Shadow will begin abducting and using your own against you. But all is not lost. For today, I bring news of a Shadow Hive burned, a Queen slain, and a prisoner rescued.” They seemed to be uplifted by the good news, although I could several skeptical faces in the crowd.
Continuing my story, “When I arrived at the Shadow Hive, I was surprised they had no perimeter defenses. Their guards were few and far between, and they had few of the typical facilities. This Queen was young, and she didn’t expect the speed of my strike, or how powerful I truly am.”
“My first step was to locate where they held prisoners. To my disappointment, they held them right under the many-tentacled body of the Queen. I could sense the evil magic she was weaving over Spike from my hiding place, but I could also sense his good nature fighting her. But he wavered, and I could not delay. I waited until twilight and struck. Unleashing my fury upon them, their startled soldiers were swept aside as chaff. The fizzling corpses serving to bolster my momentum. Spells, sword technique, and the element of surprise rendered their forces destroyed in only a few minutes. I summoned great spells of destruction and razed their base to the ground.”
“Turning my attention to the Queen, I saw that she was trying to slither away, but her permanently bloated form hindered every movement. I attacked her just as viciously as her minions, despite the many, minor injuries they inflicted upon me. Our battle was more equally matched, for I was tired from destroying her base, and she was enraged by watching her children die. It was she that broke my leg, but not before I had positioned her to be slain. As one of her slithering arms crushed me beneath it, my sword flashed as it struck through her skull. She died without a scream, just astonishment. She slumped and began to fizzle as defeated Shadow always do.”
“I retrieved Spike, and spent six days traveling back to Ponyville. My injuries slowed me down, Spike’s dead weight did as well, and the unforgiving terrain of the forest was a further obstacle. Finally returning here, my appearance, bleeding, limping as I was caused quite a stir. I understand your concerns, but now is not the time for further discussions, for I need to heal and discover the full extent of the damage done to our dear Spike.” I stepped down into the crowd and, flanked by the Mane Six, threaded through to crowds to the back of the Library where my bed called to me.
I wait until the mares have ushered the last of the Ponyvillers out before beginning their next lesson. I will need help to recover quickly. When they enter, I tell them, “Thanks to the ministrations of Rarity and Fluttershy, my recover has been expedited. But the war will rage on with or without me. To speed my healing along as much as possible, each of you will learn a healing spell.” I smile at their shocked expressions, especially Applejack’s. “Earth Ponies have the ability to call upon the planet itself to restore injuries, harden themselves, or even compromise the ground on which their enemies stand. Unicorns through a simple enchantment can heal the most grievous of wounds if they have the power. Pegasi may call upon the weather to send cleansing rain to restore those who need help, or squash the morale of the enemy. But these are all advanced spells.”
Fluttershy looks concerned because she cannot summon clouds at will as Rainbow Dash recently learned to. Rarity looks concerned because her magic is not very powerful. Applejack just scowls at the floor. She knows I’m right, but she is not a fan of using magic herself. To her, magic is cheating the way nature intended things to be done.
“I understand that half of you are worried that this spell will not be very helpful. Your concerns are valid. Fear not. Your Guardians will assist you. Just as Communion restores your bodies, this spell, called simply ‘Restore’, will allow you to call on them to heal those around you.” Again I summon the runes, this time the spell calls for “Koog, vocii, staan”. They quickly learn the spell, even Fluttershy does not hesitate to touch the runes, but the effort it took for me to create them nearly drained me completely. “Each of you must cast this spell on me, and we will learn how much affinity you have for the healing arts.”
Applejack tries it first. Her spell heals a handful of small cuts and bruises. The healing leaves no scars, which tells me she has a dormant affinity for this type of magic, but it is a power that must be coaxed from her. Pinkie’s healing causing every remaining open wound to seal itself with a scab that is more like skin than dried blood. Her healing will have a longer, less potent effect, but with a little practice she will be able to accelerate the most desperate of recoveries by weeks. Rarity’s attempt removes the injuries on my face and chest completely. It is a powerful spell, but her obsession with cosmetics prevented her focusing on the more bothersome injuries. Fluttershy seems wiser, her spell is so potent that I feel the muscles in my wings stitch back together, and my leg has almost completely mended. Twilight is last. Her spell is so strong it feels like my body is being supercharged. Energy bursts through me, leaving me breathless as every remaining injury (however slight or grievous) is simultaneously healed. I look at her amazed, my mouth hanging open.
She blushes, “I told you I have an affinity for magic. I guess it’s more than an affinity, huh.” She rubs her head, embarrassed.
Quickly finding my voice, I respond, “Never has a magi produced such a powerful healing spell on the first casting. What you have Twilight is expertise with magic. You are an up-and-coming Arch Magi. If only you could study at the Foorenian schools, then your powers would be unfettered by the fears of those around you. There you would be more than a prodigy, you would be a name to watch. You will do great things, Twilight. Perhaps Equestria will one day be ushered into a new Golden Era under your leadership.” I say this because I know I saw wings, and a crown, on her when she cast the healing spell. Twilight is a dormant Alicorn, and all she needs is the right push to Ascend.