“Now then, state why you have come here,” the esper Tritoch said to the Returners. The group huddled together, surrounded on all sides by espers. Some of the magical beasts looked ready to pounce on the ponies at any moment, though Tritoch’s presence kept them at bay.
Gulping, Twilight Sparkle stepped forward. She let out a slow, shuddering breath, then closed her eyes tightly. Seconds later she snapped them open, revealing iris-less eyes awash with pure white magic. Two flaming wings erupted from her back, her mane and tail becoming writhing flames, while the rest of her coat changed to a blazing yellow. Her morph complete, Twilight flew up into the air, hovering in front of Tritoch’s beaked face. Tritoch squinted slightly from the intense light Twilight gave off, but otherwise remained still. “I am Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Maduin and Twilight Velvet. I’ve come here on behalf of the Empire. They want to make peace with you and stop all the fighting. Will you speak with them?”
Tritoch narrowed his eyes at the pony turned esper, letting out a snort of ice that quickly melted from Twilight’s flaming body. “Stop all the fighting? Is such a thing possible? I have been trapped for a thousand years and yet I am set free only to find that nothing has changed. What makes you think that anything will be different now?”
Despite her fearsome appearance, Twilight’s muzzle fell into a mournful frown. “Please, you have to believe me when I say that not all ponies are bad. We don’t want to see any more lives lost. The Empire, the ones that held your people captive, has suffered after your attack. They’ve realized that they made a mistake and want to set things right. Please, give us one more chance.”
“Don’t listen to her!” an esper shouted. “She’s just trying to lure us into a trap so they can kill us and take our magicite!”
Rumbles of agreement passed through the rest of the espers. Some took threatening steps towards the Returners left on the ground.
With a single wave of a wing, Tritoch sent lances of lighting to strike inches away from the advancing espers. They quickly retreated back.
“Stay where you are or I will not miss a second time,” Tritoch said. Seeing that the espers were sufficiently quelled, he turned his attention back to Twilight. “As for you, Twilight Sparkle, words alone are not enough to convince me that you mean what you say. Therefore…” Without warning, lighting snaked out from Tritoch’s wings, enveloping Twilight in a sphere of electricity in the blink of an eye.
“Twilight!” Spike cried. He took a deep breath, but Rainbow Dash tackled him to the ground before he could let it out.
“Don’t worry, she’s got this!” she said, though her frantic voice gave away her fear.
Above, Tritoch unleashed bolt after bolt of electricity, keeping Twilight ensnared. Her entire form remained obscured, keeping anyone from seeing her fate. With a flex of his wings, Tritoch willed the ball of lightning to shrink. Above the din of discharged power came a wail of pain from within the sphere, louder than any pony could possibly make. The electric ball shrank again, becoming smaller than Twilight’s body allowed. Twilight’s wail became an ear piercing shriek, so high pitched that it could no longer be heard except by the most sensitive of ears.
A small point of red light pulsed briefly within Twilight’s magical cage. Tritoch narrowed his eyes, pushing more into his attack. The light faded.
Only for the light to return, blasting outwards in a flurry of fire and rage. Tritoch’s cage shattered in an instant, allowing the full fury of Twilight’s inferno to slam into him like a runaway Phantom Train. Blasted backwards, Tritoch crashed into the cave wall, a heap of charred wings and scales. His form slumped to the ground, barely managing to catch himself on his talons. Senses a millennia old, but not dulled, screamed at him to move. He looked up in time to see Twilight shooting down at him, hooves outstretched in preparation to strike.
“Enough!” he bellowed, holding up a talon. Twilight screeched to a halt, her power ready to be unleashed at a moment’s notice. “Enough. I have seen enough.” Forcing his features to remain neutral despite his injuries, Tritoch arranged himself into a sitting position. “Your conviction is true. I will talk to the ponies you speak of. Let us all hope that they mean for this pointless war to stop.”
Hovering in the air, Twilight Sparkle gave a firm nod. “Thank you.” Heaving a sigh, she let her esper power fade away. She drifted down until her hooves touched the cavern floor, her body returning to its pony state.
The other Returners rushed to her side and wasted no time checking her over. A few healing spells from Sweetie Belle allowed Twilight to stand without wobbling and a drink offered by Apple Bloom had the unicorn feeling her magic return faster than normal.
“Thanks, girls,” Twilight said once she felt well enough to speak. “What was that you gave me?”
“Oh, somethin’ Stardust and me whipped up,” Apple Bloom explained. “He gave it a funny name. Eth-ur or something.”
Movement from all around them brought their cooldown victory to a stop. The espers eyed them warily, grumblings of attacking them while their guard was down reaching their ears.
Tritoch slammed a talon to the ground, gaining everyone’s undivided attention. “These ponies are off-limits. You satiated your bloodlust against that city and yet you want more? The lot of you are no better than the Empire.”
“They had it coming!” one of the more daring espers shouted. The individual stepped forward, revealing himself to be a dark skinned humanoid as large as Maduin. The similarities didn’t end there, as the esper sported two black horns protruding from his head, surrounded by a mass of dark red hair. However, the esper’s face appeared more feral, like a wild animal. “They came into our world and took our friends. Then they tortured them for their magic so they could take even more. I say we head back to the Crystal Empire, get the rest of us, and then burn this world to cinders!”
More than a few espers in the cavern shouted agreement. The ones that stayed silent gained thoughtful looks, shooting the ponies caught in their midst baleful glares.
Cocking his head, Tritoch said, “What is your name?”
The lone esper thrust his barreled chest forward. “Ifrit.”
“Well then, Ifrit, we are at odds. If you, or any of you for that matter, wish to pursue that course, then you will have to get by me.”
Ifrit snorted and jabbed a finger at Twilight. “The half-breed there beat you. You aren’t that tough.”
Tritoch’s beak prevented him from smiling, though he gave it his best shot. “Then what are you waiting for?”
With the offer given, Ifrit roared and thrust his palms out, twin gouts of fire rushing for Tritoch. With a contemptuous sniff, Tritoch leaned down, placing his head directly in the path of the oncoming flames. His nostrils flared, streams of ice pouring out of them and impacting Ifrit’s attack. The two opposing forces clashed for only a moment before Tritoch’s ice overwhelmed the fire and continued on to the source. So quick was the counter attack that Ifrit had no time to react before he became completely encased in ice. Tritoch hadn’t even moved from his spot.
Tritoch admired his new sculpture before turning to the rest of the espers. “Anyone else?” None of the espers uttered a word. “Good. Bomb! Thaw him out before he catches a cold.” He returned his attention back to the ponies huddled in the midst of the espers' ranks. “Now then, let’s be on our way. Foolishness like this is exactly what needs to be avoided. I am eager to find out if peace has a chance.”
.o.O.o.
The return journey to Thamaresa proved to be much swifter when flying espers were involved. Rainbow Dash led the way, Tritoch and two other espers following. Riding on the back of Tritoch, the Cutie Mark Crusaders gaped as the world below them seemed to speed by faster than even Pinkie Pie’s airship. Trailing behind, the whale esper Bismark kept pace even as he carried Rarity, gliding gracefully through the air. Close by, a large crane-like esper named Palidor ferried Twilight and Spike, his powerful wings beating against the air to match the group’s speed.
Twilight appreciated the lift as it gave her time to rest and concentrate. Her face relaxed and her eyes closed, she let her mind drift out in an attempt to contact her father. Pinpointing his location proved to be an easier task than the first time she tried this in the Empire, but forming her thoughts in a coherent manner was another matter. So much had happened in the two days since arriving on Crescent Island that it was hard to focus her mind on a single thing. Hoping that he received the gist of, “go to Thamaresa”, Twilight tried just enjoying the ride.
In less than an hour, Thamaresa came into view. Rainbow Dash dove down, heading straight for an open plaza in the center of the village. The moment she came into shouting range, she said, “Hey everypony, listen up! We got some new friends we want you to meet!”
Villagers blinked at the sudden entrance of the pegasus, only for their jaws to drop upon seeing what touched down next to her. Tritoch landed gently despite his great size, then lowered a wing to the ground. The fillies whooped as they slid down his wing as though it were a slide, coming to rest before a wide-eyed Starlight Glimmer.
“Mission accomplished!” Scootaloo said, her chest puffing out.
Starlight was too busy staring at the large esper to answer. However, she did squawk in surprise when two others landed next to the first. As with Tritoch, Bismark and Palidor lowered themselves so that the ponies riding them could hop off. The Returners rushed up to Starlight, wide smiles gracing all of their muzzles.
Rarity gave a dramatic bow, tipping her Mare Do Well hat in the process. “Miss Glimmer, may I introduce to you the representatives for the espers.”
A few more seconds passed before Starlight found her voice. “I didn’t realize they would be so friggin’ big.”
A snort of amusement escaped Tritoch’s nostrils. “I assure you, we can become even bigger if we wish.”
Nearby ponies began to edge away from the new arrivals, inching towards anything that appeared viable as a hiding place.
Rainbow Dash took notice and flew up towards Tritoch’s head. “Hey everypony, don’t be afraid. These guys are here to help. We’re finally going to end this war!”
The villagers didn’t look convinced but some did stop their slow retreat.
Starlight loudly cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Um, y-you said you can get bigger. Does that mean you can maybe get smaller?”
“Does our appearance frighten you, little pony?” Tritoch replied.
Swallowing, Starlight rapidly nodded her head.
“Hmph, very well.” With no fanfare and no outward signs of magic, Tritoch and the other two espers shrank down until they were the size of a large stallion. “Better?”
“A little, yeah. Um, I’m Starlight Glimmer. I’m kinda in charge of this town.”
“Tritoch, at your service,” he said, dipping his head down.
Rainbow Dash smiled and clapped her forehooves together. “Great, now that we’re all friends, let’s get Zecora here so we can get everything sorted out.” She turned to Twilight, giving a hopeful look.
“Oh, uh,” Twilight said, fidgeting with her hooves. “Um, I haven’t gotten a response back yet. I don’t know when they’ll be here.”
“That’s okay!” Sweetie Belle spoke up. She tugged on one of Tritoch’s wings with her magic, gaining his attention. “We can show you around while we wait.”
Scootaloo brightened at that. “Good idea! You can get to know the place better. I’ll also show you all the best places to hang out!”
“C’mon, what are we waiting for?” Apple Bloom said as she began to herd the three monsters of legend towards a house set next to a cluster of trees. “We’ll show you our home first.”
Tritoch quirked an eyebrow at the fillies, but shrugged and allowed himself to be led away. He motioned for Bismark and Palidor to follow along. Soon, the three espers were traveling through a pony civilization, the ponies themselves watching them pass by as though they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Once they were out of earshot, Starlight trotted up to the Returners, a frown firmly in place. “They aren’t going to cause any trouble, will they?”
“I don’t think so,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “The leader and I had a… well, a bonding experience, I guess. I got a good sense out of him. He thinks the fighting is just as pointless as we do.”
“I hope you’re right. I really really do.”
.o.O.o.
Miles away, a sleek metal gunship hugged the northern coastline of Crescent Island. For now it remained motionless, save for the occasional bob from a passing wave. When night fell, it began to move, its engines churning at the lowest power setting to reduce noise.
.o.O.o.
Three days passed in Themaresa before Zecora, Trixie, and Maduin appeared at the village entrance. The three might have walked in with little fanfare had it not been for Trixie rushing ahead and loudly proclaiming, “Citizens of Themaresa! The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived to break bread with you and usher in a new age of magnificence!” She finished with a blast of tiny snow particles that sparkled in the daylight. A few nearby ponies oohed at the sight.
“For a week, she’s been holding that back,” Zecora said to Maduin. “I was afraid if she didn’t get it out, she’d have a heart attack.” Maduin snickered.
Trixie’s sudden display had the desired effect as townsponies, the Returners, and the espers headed towards their direction. Twilight reached them first, galloping up to Madiun who knelt down and accepted her bounding hug tackle. “You got my message! That’s so great!”
“We’ll need to work on that,” Maduin said, stroking Twilight’s mane. “I barely heard it. It wasn’t until we headed north that I managed to pick up your thoughts.”
Letting out a puff of air and rolling her eyes, Trixie walked away from the father and daughter scene. “Get a room.” She strode up to the espers, looking them up and down. “So you are the ones Twilight found. Funny, I thought you’d be bigger.”
Tritoch gave an amused grunt and lazily waved a wing to Bismark and Palidor. In seconds, the three espers grew in size, towering over Trixie and all other ponies in attendance. “Does this meet your expectations?”
Flicking her mane to hide a bead of sweat, Trixie nodded. “Quite.”
“I can feel an esper’s power within you, but it’s muted for some reason. How odd.”
“Yes, yes, but that’s none of your concern.” Trixie gestured grandly with a hoof, flaring out her cape and pointing at Zecora at the same time. “She has a few things she’d like to speak to you about on behalf of the Empire.”
Tritoch regarded the zebra, giving a nod. “Indeed.”
Trixie stepped away, allowing plenty of space for the two representatives. Zecora wasted no time, stepping forward to stand in front of Tritoch, and bowing deeply. “My name is General Zecora of the Empire. For you to hear what I have to say is what I desire.”
“Valigarmanda.” Tritoch inclined his head. “I too have a few things to say. First, I must apologize for the attack on your city. It was disgraceful. I disciplined those responsible and vow for it to never happen again.”
“Your words bring a lightness to my heart. I also vow to make sure our side does its part. We Imperials hold much blame, but I’m hoping we can work together to prevent further violence and shame.”
“I am willing to try.” Tritoch held out a talon, palm up. “I’ve seen what can happen when those with too much foolishness gain power. I want to prevent that from ever happening again.”
Zecora didn’t hesitate, placing her hoof within Tritoch’s offered talon, her smile reaching her eyes. “We have an accord. We will do our best to pay any price we can afford.”
The two gave a firm shake.
Off to the side, Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight and Maduin. “Well, that was easy.”
Spike nudged her in the ribs. “Hey, after everything we’ve been through, I can live with it.”
“Indeed,” Maduin said with a nod.
Rainbow Dash’s gaze swept over the gathered crowd, her eyes settling on Trixie who stood away from anyone else, looking bored. Firming her features, Rainbow Dash trotted over. Trixie spotted her coming but made no move to leave, simply maintaining a neutral expression. “Hey,” Rainbow Dash called to her.
“How eloquent,” Trixie drawled. “What do you want?”
“Look, Trixie, since everyone else is making friends and all that junk, whaddya say we bury the hatchet, huh?”
Trixie’s eyes shifted to Zecora and Tritoch who were speaking more quietly now that the main negotiations were over. While both still sported prim and proper postures, neither were tense, as though they were simply two people slowly getting to know one another. She watched them for a few more moments, then turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Sure, though there is little point to it. Trixie still plans to go her own way once we get back to Vectorlot.”
To Trixie’s surprise, Rainbow Dash smiled and patted her on the back. “Hey, that’s fine. I got things I’ve got to get back to now that this is all over. But, if you’re ever in my neighborhood, maybe we could team up or something.”
Despite herself, Trixie matched Rainbow Dash’s smile. “Trixie will consider it.”
“Sweet.
“You know, it’s too bad Pinkie Pie isn’t here. We could really go for a party to celebrate this whole peace thing and all.”
That was when a beam of light struck a building.
An explosion of flaming debris rained down across the entire village. Before anypony could even scream, another blast ripped through another house, reducing the structure to kindling in seconds. Now thoroughly panicked, villagers ran for their lives, seeking shelter where they could from further attacks.
“Incoming!” Rainbow Dash shouted a second before a rocket impacted the space the Returners and espers occupied. Hastily thrown up shields saved them from being incinerated, managing only to toss them aside like leaves caught in a wind. Groaning, Rainbow Dash picked herself up from the ground, spitting out a combination of dirt and blood. She reached for Thunder Blade, but she only got it halfway out of its sheath when she received a fisted talon to the head. She slumped back to the ground.
Just before she blacked out, she heard a familiar voice say, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.”
.o.O.o.
Gilda couldn’t revel in her victory for long. The rest of the Returners and the espers quickly regained their senses and were already preparing spells to fling her way. Scoffing, she whistled and a trio of Guardians stomped into the village, one plowing through a home as though it wasn’t even there. The giant magitek surrounded the Returners, taking aim.
“So, I bet you're wondering just what’s going on,” Gilda said, sneering. “But that would be a waste of breath because you’re all going to die anyway.” She raised a talon—
—Tritoch roared and charged, crashing into one of the Guardians and forcing it away from the others. The rest let loose with everything they had on the remaining two machines, spells and elemental weapons chipping away at their metallic hides.
Gilda sighed, shaking her head. “Always gotta ruin my fun.” She reached behind her, unstrapping a flail from her back. Summoning up a wind, Gilda flung the weapon at the largest target available, Bismark. Carried along by unnatural force, the flail struck Bismark next to his blowhole, causing a wail of pain.
One of the Guardians registered the reeling opponent and turned its attention to the esper. Ignoring the Returners attacking it, the Guardian opened fire with its main cannon. The superheated beam of light pierced through Bismark’s blubbery hide. The esper spasmed once, then drifted to the ground in a gentle fall. His body flashed, the once graceful whale now replaced with a floating piece of magicite.
“Mine,” Gilda said, directing her winds to bring her the shard.
The act did not go unnoticed. Palidor let loose a screech and flew after his comrade's remains, his form glowing bright with magic. Gilda conjured gusts of wind to batter at the esper, but Palidor muscled through, aiming his long beak at the griffon’s chest. At the last second, Gilda focused her winds on herself, propelling her high into the air with Palidor scraping against her tail. Gilda descended while drawing a knife and managed to land on Palidor’s back before the esper could reorient himself. The knife plunged deep into Palidor’s neck, forcing a wet gurgling sound to escape his beak. Moments later, his body erupted in light, a magicite shard dropping to the ground.
Gilda picked the magicite up, a sense of warmth emanating from it. “Two for two.” She turned towards the battle still raging. One of the Guardians was missing a leg, making movement difficult and firing at its targets almost impossible. The other still functioned but the concentrated attacks the Returners threw at it made it unlikely that it would remain that way for long.
Chuckling darkly, Gilda pulled out a remote and pressed a red button. The disabled Guardian began beeping in increasing intensity, reaching a crescendo. Once the beeping reached a continuous whine, it exploded.
The shockwave spread throughout the village, knocking ponies off their hooves and rocking houses off their foundations. The Returners, closest to the blasting zone, were flung like rag dolls. Gilda chuckled again and readied her remote, her thumb hovering over a second red button.
A muscled claw knocked it away, sending the remote flying.
Instinct taking over, Gilda swiped at her assailant but a second claw caught her leg, trapping both her talons. She kicked with her free hindlegs, but her attacker held her out at arm's length, more than enough to keep her lion claws from reaching anything fleshy. Concentrating, Gilda tried magic next, but a red haze ran down the arms holding her and covered her entire body, sealing up any magic she tried to summon.
Entirely helpless, Gilda looked up. Maduin’s steely eyes stared back.
“Heh, I bet you think the tables have turned, don’t you?” Gilda sneered. “I had you caged up for years and now you have me at your mercy. So, what now? Gonna finish me off?”
“Yes.”
Gilda only had a second to process that word. Fire ignited over Maduin’s claws, sending searing hot pain into Gilda’s trapped arms. She screamed, thrashing violently against her bonds, but Maduin’s grip did not falter. His fire washed over her entire form, burning her feathers down to the roots and searing the flesh beneath. Gilda roared in agony until the flames reached into her very core, snuffing the life from her heart. Even then Maduin did not stop, pouring his magic until only ash remained of Gilda’s body. Finally, he let go, letting Gilda’s remains float away in the wind.
He swayed on his feet, dropping to one knee. Maduin coughed, spitting out a splotch of blood. Taking in deep, long breaths, he let the feeling of vertigo and nausea pass before he rose back up.
Only to jerk as a sword stabbed him in the back and through his chest.
“Gotta say, that was down right vicious of you,” came Gilda’s voice from behind him. “Too bad you only took out my shadow. Got that idea from when you guys escaped the Magitek Research Facility.” The real Gilda kicked Maduin forward, the sword ripping out of his body. The esper slumped to the ground, a pool of blood pooling in the dirt. “But don’t worry, your magicite will still be useful to me.”
Maduin let out one final desperate gasp, then his form shimmered with white light. Once the light faded away, a piece of magicite was all that remained.
.o.O.o.
In the desolate and storm filled cavern where the gate to the esper world resided, a spark of blue magic briefly appeared at the tip of the rocky spire set in the center of the maelstrom. All at once, the winds and lightning ceased, leaving the cavern completely still. Minutes passes, the silence so profound that it was as though the world itself was holding its breath.
The blue light returned, with a vengeance. Reality was ripped apart as the gate exploded back into existence, filling the cavern with sound once again. Moments later, an equine figure strode from the portal, taking his first steps back into the world of ponies in over a thousand years.
“Move quickly,” Sombra ordered. More espers began filing out of the gate, heading towards the cave entrance at the end of the bridge. “Our kind are in danger. I can feel it.” Once the final esper cleared, Sombra shot a bolt of magic from his red horn at the portal. The chaotic swirling of the portal stabilized, leaving it rotating in a more controlled manner.
“Is it wise to keep it open like that?” one of the remaining espers asked.
“No, it is not,” Sombra said. He turned away from the gate, following after the others. “But we need a way to quickly return once we find our people. Casting the spell to open it again would take too long if we are being pursued. I’m willing to take the chance.” He closed his eyes and concentrated. His flowing red cape split down from the back and flared out, forming two blood red wings. Sombra gave a mighty flap and rose to the air, using his new appendages to catch up with his advancing subjects.
“Hold out for just a little longer. We’re on our way.”
.o.O.o.
Gilda inspected the three magicite pieces floating in front of her. It were times like these she wished she had lips to properly smile. “All that wasted time draining them in those tubes when all we had to do was this.” She grasped the magicite of Bismark, marveling at how something so small could contain so much power. “Now to find a few dimwits to bond with these and we’ll be on our way to making the strongest army in the world again.”
Something tickled at the back of Gilda’s mind, a feeling of wrongness that grew by the second. She looked up, scanning the area. The Returners were still out for the count and weren’t looking to be getting back up any time soon. The remaining Guardian stood at attention, its systems ready to act should any hostiles come close. The feeling kept growing, Gilda’s senses all but screaming for her to leave. Quickly stuffing the magicite in her talon under her cape, she reached for the other two.
A fireball from above forced her back.
Gathering her magic, Gilda readied herself for the large esper that had led the weaker two. However, it wasn’t Tritoch that descended down, but a creature resembling a dragon. Grey scales covered a bipedal frame, while large leathery wings beat at the air to slow its descent. It spotted the two magicite shards and turned a hateful glare at the griffon.
“You will pay.”
The esper took in a breath, but got no further as the Guardian opened fire. The dragon swerved out of the way and turned its attention to the greater threat.
Gilda beamed at the carnage. “Another one to add to my collection.”
A buzzing from her cape pulled her attention away from the fight. Grumbling, she pulled out a rectangular device with an antenna sticking out of it. She pressed a button and held it to her ear. “This better be good. I’m a little busy here.”
“Gilda, return to base,” a voice said, coming from the device.
“You gotta be kidding. I’m not done here.”
“The gate is open. This is the chance we’ve been waiting for. Head outside the village. A Sky Armor will be there to pick you up.”
“But—”
“That’s an order.” With a click, the voice was gone.
Gilda cursed and stuffed the communicator back under her cape. Giving one last, baleful look at the destruction around her, she turned and headed for the village outskirts.
.o.O.o.
When Sombra arrived at Themaresa, he found the village almost completely leveled. Half of the buildings had collapsed and the rest were badly damaged. Many ponies lay dead or dying next to the devastated homes while others rushed to help those that needed it. Even now, the fighting continued, the great dragon king Bahamut taking on a hulking metal monstrosity.
“Help Bahamut deal with that thing,” Sombra said to a pair of espers closest to him. “The rest, help the wounded. That includes the ponies. Move!” The espers did as commanded, flying towards the beleaguered town. Sombra himself touched down next to two discarded magicite shards, his wings reforming into a cape. With a frown, he gathered them up in his magic, grimly inspecting the deceased espers. “Maduin. Palidor.”
A surge of highly focused energy forced his attention away. The two espers Sombra had ordered to help with the Guardian now held the machine up in the air. On the ground, Bahamut planted his claws deep in the soil as he gathered power. A second later, Bahamut unleashed his most devastating attack, Mega Flare, at the bound Guardian. The espers frantically dove out of the way as the intense beam of super-concentrated heat blasted the Guardian to smithereens. It’s smoking husk crashed to the ground and remained still.
Giving a satisfied nod, Sombra walked towards the group of unconscious ponies near the center of the village. Magic emanated from many of them, his suspicions confirmed when he saw some adorned with cutie marks. One of them, a lavender unicorn, immediately caught his attention. Casting a third tier healing spell over the entire group took only a moment and soon after the ponies began to rouse. Sombra waited for them to regain their bearings before saying, “I have a lot of questions for you. I would appreciate it if you would answer them.”
Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. In the blink of an eye, she bowed. “King Sombra! What—how did you get here?”
Sombra inclined his head. “You know of me. That must mean you are Maduin’s daughter, correct?”
“Y-yes.” Twilight blinked and stood back up, her head swiveling around the area. “Uh, where is Father? He was fighting beside us but then I lost track of him.”
Sombra took a long, calming breath. He levitated over one of the pieces of magicite, offering it to Twilight. “I’m afraid this is all that is left of him. You have my deepest condolences.”
Twilight stared at the magicite before her. She reached out with her magic to take hold of it, her eyes fixed on the shard. For a long while, nothing existed to her except for herself and the fragment.
Without warning, the magicite flashed a blinding white light. Twilight didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. The next moment it was gone.
Another minute passed, with no pony, dragon, or esper willing to break the all-encompassing silence. Finally, a choked sob from Twilight dispelled the moment, the unicorn collapsing to the ground in a crying, heaving mess.
Her friends quickly gathered around her, giving their support any way they could.
.o.O.o.
In the bowels of the cavern that led to the esper world, Emperor Blueblood and Gilda stood before the wooden bridge suspended over a churning, storm filled chasm. On the other end of the bridge, the portal hummed and swirled.
“I’ve waited over ten years for this,” Blueblood said. A content smile on his muzzle, he trotted forward, his gait proud and sure.
Gilda fell into step behind him. “Whoda thought they’d make it so easy for us, eh?”
“Indeed. Remember this moment, Gilda, for we are taking the first steps towards a new, glorious world.”