Sins of the Ancients

by Tundara

Chapter Seventeen: The Wizard, the Dragon, and the Moon

Sins of the Ancients

Chapter Seventeen: The Wizard, the Dragon, and the Moon

"Upon the Great Grey River, two Towers rise.
A war of Two, the death of One, North and South divided."
-From the Prophecy of the Purple Wizard

Luna entered Roxholm upon Tyme not at the head of the procession of knights and paladins, but hidden inside her carriage. A wet cloth held in a telekinetic grip, the Goddess of the Moon tended to Sir River. Beside Luna sat Abtuan, the wizard having rejoined the group a short ways outside the city walls. He sat with a pensive frown, long fingers rapping against his chin, as his eyes looked down on the wounded knight.

He had taken a quick look at the wound, Sir River's eye leaking a thick yellow fluid that stank of corruption, on entering the carriage.

"This wound is beyond my powers to heal," he said, laying the compress Luna had made to help with the infection back down. "She must be taken to the Arcanum. I know of only three men who could heal this. One would laugh as he watched her die, while another is far across the mountains. That leaves only my good friend Mattemeus, Arch-Mage of the Molded Fist. Matt is a good, honest man. He will help her."

"There is a kernel of doubt we detect in your voice, friend Abtuan," Luna muttered, wetting the cloth again in a bucket and ringing it back out before again dabbing at the knight's face.

A hesitant frown played at the wizard's eyes for a brief instant.

"He is... strange, even amongst wizards. I blame him spending a century as 'Razzel the Wise', pretending to be a witch and mad-woman. He was never the same after he returned. I think he actually started to believe his own act."

Luna arched an eyebrow, but didn't ask for clarification.

They passed through the city gates a moment later. The interior of the carriage falling dark and the shod hooves of the horses echoing loudly as they entered a short tunnel. On exiting the tunnel, Luna counting no less than four sets of thick steel banded doors, they were greeted by a great explosion of noise.

The streets were alive with people dressed in every colour. They danced and sang, minstrels at every street corner. Merchants sold their wears from hastily erected stalls. People stood on the roofs overlooking the road, many throwing dry rice or rose petals down on the procession of knights and Luna's carriage. Young girls and women pranced barefoot up to the knights, handing them white lilies or embroidered handkerchiefs.

"It is probably best for you to take a disguise, your Divine Majesty," Abtuan said, waving through the small tinted window at a group of scampering children.

Luna just nodded and began to channel her magic. She had been thinking that changing her appearance into something less strange to the locals would be useful. It'd only be until she found Twilight and a way home, after all. Transmutation magic was something of a specialty of Luna's, along with Illusions, and she was a fair hoof at enchanting.

Settling on a design that was suitably close to the humans, Luna began to transform. White light surrounded her body, and she began to shrink and change. A collective gasp overcame the crowd as the light spilled out of the carriage and through the street. As quickly as it came, the light vanished. In its departure, the light left a much different looking Luna.

Gone were all her equine traits. Instead, a young woman in her late teens sat beside Abtuan. Her features were sharp and strong, with high cheekbones and a small mouth beneath a straight nose. Her hair was identical to her mane, as were her lustrous eyes, but instead of a dark coat she had skin the colour of polished pearls. Luna also maintained her horn as well as her wings, while on her hips were her cutie marks. What she hadn't accounted for, however, were clothes.

Blushing a little, Abtuan quickly pulled the curtains of the carriage closed.

"You seem to have forgotten something, my dear," Abtuan said, barely holding back a chuckle as Luna looked down at herself.

"No, I think I got everything right," she said, twisting and turning to get a good look at the changes.

Luna decided she was perhaps a little too lanky, and with another flash of magic, made a few minor adjustments.

"There, that's perfect."

Abtuan just shook his head.

"Clothes, my dear, you forgot clothes."

"Oh," Luna said, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Again, magic shone from the carriage, and when Abtuan next looked Luna was wearing a flowing elegant black and royal blue dress. The moon in its various phases adorned the hem in silver thread, while a scarf of gossamer cloth draped over Luna's shoulders above her wings and down her front. Luna's mantel had become a necklace holding a jewel studded amulet in the shape of her cutie mark. She'd lost her crown somewhere in Tartarus, and in its place sat a simple silver tiara with a single large sapphire.

"Much better, my dear. You look simply divine."

"At least I look the part, then," she said, returning her attention to Sir River.

For the next half-hour the carriage and knights made their way through the city. Everywhere, they were met with the singing and adulations of the crowd. Luna couldn't help but smile.

It had been centuries even before her banishment that Luna had experienced such a reception. After her cleansing and banishment, Celestia had tried to welcome Luna to Canterlot with a festival, but the nobles had been suspicious and the commoners afraid. Blocking the sunrise for almost two days hadn't endeared her to the populace. It was a rocky start that hadn't begun to recover until Nightmare Night.

Crossing a bridge, the procession made their way to a tall tower overlooking the slow moving river. Here the festival air of the city died away, though the music and laughter could still be heard. This part of the city had a more oppressive and weighty air about it. Pressing her lips into a thin line, Luna could feel her horn tingling as they approached the tower.

This tower was a nexus and focal point of magic, she realised. Luna could hear a deep thrumming heart-beat of energy pulsing from the tower's depths as the carriage rolled to a stop. It seeped into the very ground, making her slippered feet jitter with each beat as she stepped out of the carriage. Waiting for them in front of the tower was a crowd of robed men and women.

Their robes were as varied in colours as the coats of ponies. Pinks, beiges, greens and vibrant blues created a chaotic mesh of colour. They stood in five loose groups. The group on the far left all wore pointy hats with wide brims. Next to them was a group that all had long beards that reached their toes, even the women. In the middle were wizards wearing simple skull-caps. Further on stood wizards that had cloaks and shoes covered in bells so that the crowd jingled and jangled with the slightest movement. These wizards all reminded Luna a bit of her old friend Star Swirl the Bearded. The last group all had a bird of some kind that was perched on shoulders, arms, and in a few cases, heads. From the gathering of wizards stepped four of their number. Each held a long staff, and bowed deeply to Luna when they were only a few paces away.

"If I may introduce my colleagues," Abtuan said, stepping up beside Luna.

She was surprised to see that from somewhere he had procured a wide brimmed pointy hat.

Abtuan indicated the wizard with a long beard. "This is Vespa Half-Moon, Arch-Mage of The Bound Aether."

Vespa bowed low, sweeping her beard back over her shoulder in a fluid motion.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mistress of the Moon," she purred as she came out of her bow.

Luna had to wonder if facial hair was something normal to human women, or just these wizards in particular.

"Next, we have Tom Jaguarson, Arch-Mage of The Tempest."

Nodding sharply, the swarthy skinned wizard said, "Charmed."

"This is my good friend Mattemeus, Arch-Mage of The Molded Fist."

"A delight! A true and most marvelous delight!" Mattemeus gushed, jumping forward a half-step to take one of Luna's new hands into both of his and give it a vigorous shake. "I was just saying to dear ol' Tom about how excited I was to finally meet the fabled Goddess of the Moon. You cannot imagine how fascinating all this is. I mean, a real LIVE Goddess?! It's unheard of! Oh, and just look at your wings. Fabulous, fabulous!"

The bells sewn into Mattemeus' robes gave a long ringing chorus as he continued to shake Luna's hand, a wide smile plastered across his face. Luna was rescued moments later by a slightly irritated glower from Abtuan. With an apologetic little chuckle, Mattemeus released Luna and stepped back into the line.

"And finally we have old Ptomey Half-Moon, Arch-Mage of The Unbreakable Wall."

With a falcon so old that it hardly had any feathers left perched on his shoulder, the equally ancient and wizened looking wizard gave a short half-bow, the joints in his back and hips popping from the slight movement.

"Don't let my looks fool you," he said in a wheezing chuckle, "I can whoop just about anyone of these youngsters. Yes, even you Tom. I know the look you're giving me. I'm not that blind, yet."

Luna gave a shaky smile to the Arch-Mages. Even back in Equestria before the war of the Sun and Moon, their appearances and mannerisms would have been considered eccentric. In the modern Equestria, it's have been looked on as borderline insanity. Luna found she liked all the gathered wizards. It was like stepping back in time to good memories.

Everything about the city and its occupants reminded her so much of the few good days before her banishment.

While Luna and the Arch-Mages were being introduced, the knight's had retrieved Sir River from the carriage and placed her on a litter. Seeing the wounded knight, Mattemeus jumped forward, his bells jangling.

"Oh, dear me, this looks no good at all," he said as he came up beside the fallen knight.

"Can you help her?" Luna asked, hope filling her voice as she stepped up beside the bell covered Arch-Mage, her wings giving a soft little flutter.

"Can I help her? Of course I can help her! I am the Arch-Mage of The Molded Fist. Even if her head had been loped clean off her neck, I could 'help'. Re-attach them, if you will. Except at that point she'd be dead, so, it'd all be rather moot as to saving her. No, no, this is easy in comparison. A little healing magic, or perhaps a lot, now that I get a look at this eye."

Mattemeus lifted the compress, ran a finger through the rank yellow pus, and tasted it. Luna gave a disgusted snort, her face wrinkling. The other Arch-Mages all gave similar protests.

"Yes, defiantly 'a lot' of healing. This wound is bursting with corruption, poor lass." Lifting his heavy staff, the Arch-Mage of the Molded Fist placed a hand over the ghastly wound. "I've not seen a wound this corrupt since, well, since I left Great Bear. Such a quaint town. They have the nicest grapes. And their ice wines are to die for. Such a wonderful explosion of tastes on the pallet. I think I still have a bottle of the '73. Been saving it for a special occasion, and what could possibly be more special than meeting a real live goddess?"

As he rambled, magic flowed from the wizard into Sire River. Luna detected the gritty texture of Earth elemental magic mixed with something else. This other form of Aether was soft and supple, bending and singing under the direction of the Arch-Mage's spell. Sir River gave a grunt as the spell faded, and then opened her eyes, both of them clear and strong.

"And Bob's your uncle," Mattemeus said, clapping the butt of his staff on the cobblestones. "I must say though, Princess Luna, I am surprised that you couldn't heal the wound yourself. Star Swirl wrote at lengths about your talent in transmutation."

Of all the things Luna had been expecting, the mention of her long dead friend was the last. Her mouth fell open, and she barely heard Sir River asking what happened after the fight, and how she was still alive. An image of the old stallion, his silver flecked black beard bouncing as he laughed down at his two students, a pair of young Alicorns, came flashing to the forefront of Luna's memories.

He had taught Luna and Celestia so much about magic. Of all the unicorns they'd met during the hectic days of their youth, Star Swirl had been the most open minded and kind. He was, in no small part, responsible for so many of the social changes that had come about and created Equestria. From his apprentice, Clover the Clever, to Celestia's own ideals of unity and harmony, Star Swirl had been the beginning point. And then, one day, he just vanished. No pony ever knew what had become of one of the most important wizards in Equestria's history.

"You knew Star Swirl?" she asked breathlessly.

"Only through the history books. Father of the Amniomorphic spell, and one of the greatest Arch-Mages of the Molded Fist, or 'hoof' as he preferred. He wrote many books on the sister Goddesses he helped train. Also on how to properly boil a beat-root. Added the bells to the official vestments of Transmuters. Great man, Star Swirl, great, great man. You'll have to tell me all about him, when we have a chance to sit and chat with some tea and crumpets."

"Ma'am, you should get moving. You are expected at the palace," Abtuan whispered in Luna's ear when Mattemeus broke off his jumble of words. "We shall meet you there."

Propelled along by Abtuan's hands, Luna found herself returned to the carriage, a dozen questions or protests dancing on the tip of her tongue. She didn't even have time to speak with Sir River, to distracted by the mention of Star Swirl. Luna's thoughts were too busy, like a swarm of bees, for her to properly react until the carriage began to move and rejoined the feasting and singing crowd. Alone with those thoughts, Luna resolved to find some time in the very near future to sit down with the Arch-Mage of the Molded Fist and hear what he knew of her old mentor.

It wasn't too long before the carriage again rolled to a stop, and she was helped out by Sir Pegelius. The knights had formed a column on either side of the carriages door, and with their hands clasped behind their backs, they watched her intently. At the end of the column stood the other two Paladins, and Sir River. Her face glowed like the sun, and Luna felt a smile touch her own face at seeing the knight recovered. She added 'speak with Sir River in private' to her mental list of things to do, then walked down the column.

At the end, with Sir River and the Paladins, was a large crowd. Arrayed in neat ranks on either side were hundreds of soldiers, their white and gold tabards bright in the sun. At the head of the soldiers, crown glinting with a thousand diamonds, stood a fat jovial man that had to be the King.

He strode forward on powerful legs, and in a graceful bow, took Luna's hand and brought it up to his lips. Surprised at the contact, Luna looked to the Paladins for guidance. As the most senior Paladin, Pegelius stepped forward.

To Luna he said, "May I present his Majesty the King, Ronald Blackcloak the Fifth."

Then to the King he said, "Your Majesty, may I present her Divine Majesty, the Goddess Luna."

"I must say, I am pleasantly surprised to see that, for once, that old busy-body Abtuan was correct," the King said in a deep rumbling voice as he straightened. "For a lady as beautiful and elegant as you could be naught but a Goddess."

Taking Luna's arm in his own, the King began to lead her past the lines of soldiers. As they passed, the soldiers would take a knee and lower their eyes to the ground. It was such differential treatment that Luna had not seen even in the old days of Equestria. Behind the King and Luna, first the Paladins, and then the knights fell in line.

"I have taken the gesture of preparing a grand ball for your arrival, and as you've already seen, the city rejoices and feasts."

In a chorus of laughter and jokes, Luna was lead to a grand hall. It nearly rivalled those of Canterlot, but instead of being made of pure white marble, it was made from great slabs of granite that conveyed a more martial strength. Along one wall ran a table heaped with steaming platters of every sort of foodstuff. In a corner played a band. Luna saw violins, lutes, a double-bass, some long wooden flute-like instrument, and even a harpsichord. Filling the hall in a swath of colours that rivaled any gathering of ponies for diversity were what had to be the nobility.

The nobles all dipped their heads as the King and Luna strode past, only raising them once the King had taken his throne, and Luna had seated herself in an equally opulent throne on his right. Both were carved from solid oak with jewels and gems embedded into the wood. While the King sat on cushions of a rich velvety red, Luna's throne was a dark royal blue.

Once seated, the moment Luna dreaded above all others when it came to such gatherings arrived, and the slow meandering introductions and greetings of the nobility began. Luna had a lot of practice since becoming a Princess at feigning interest in the greetings of sycophantic nobility. Her smile was polite as each in turn stepped forward and spoke words of honeyed poison for her benefit.

This was Celestia's arena, not hers, Luna knew. She was the wrong sister to have found herself in front of a gathering of nobility in a foreign country. Luna doubted she'd be able to carry the same grace and humility Celestia would have been able to portray had their places been reversed. But Luna at least knew the game all nobility, no matter race or society, played and could manage not to make a fool of herself. To that end, she was polite, sweet, and didn't say much. All of which seemed to please Pegelius, who hovered in her shadow while the other Paladins, and Sir River, mingled. The other knights hadn't followed Luna into the hall. Where they had gone, she didn't know.

For what felt like hours it went on, the festival in the city outside filtering in through the hall's open windows. As the last noble, a minor lord from an outlaying town, was introduced, and Luna thought she might finally be able to go sample some of the food on the table, a series of sharp cracks echoed through the hall carrying with them a sharp tang of ozone and magic. A collective intake of breath swept the nobles and a few even let out curses.

"No, no, no, I'm telling you, the Towers are the White-Gold Concordant and the Great Oath of Suman!" shouted the instantly recognizable voice of Mattemeus. "Plain as plain can be."

"How are either of them 'Towers'?" snarled Tom Jaguarson, a lit pipe twitching between his lips and sending up a thick stream of acrid smoke. "They were treaties, signed centuries apart. No, no, the Towers are clearly Twilight herself and... someone else."

"Ha! You don't know who it could be either!"

"Gentle-wizards, please, we have arrived," the old voice of Ptomey cut through the argument. "We can discuss the interpretation of prophecies later. For tonight, let us feast on the Kings coin. Been so long since we got invited to a proper feast. Last one I can recall was before the fall of Sumanthor, and that was such a dreadful affair. All that glowering between the priests and nobles."

Feet shuffling, the aged wizard pushed his way through the muttering nobles, making a line straight for the table of food. The remaining four Arch-Mages all stepped up towards the throne, and sweeping of their hats in the case of Abtuan and Tom, flicking her beard over her shoulder for Vespa, and ringing like a Hearth's Warming Eve carriage in the case of Mattemeus, they bowed.

"Pleasure, Ma'am."

"Good to see you, your Divine Majesty."

"How do you do, Lady of the Night?"

"G'day."

And then as one the four wizards stepped to the side and continued their discussion in heated tones that drove back any noble foolish enough to approach. Luna couldn't help but smile, covering her mouth in an attempt to not offend the nobles. Just as she was about to stand and join Ptomey at the table, and maybe get something to fill her begging stomach, a warning bell began to toll.

The nobles grew hushed as a second bell joined the first, and then more and more began to ring.

The wizards carried on their argument as if nothing was happening.

A soldier burst in through the doors, and in a strong voice shouted, "Dragon! A Dragon from the north flies over the city."

All the nobles eyes shifted from the soldier, to the King and Luna, then to the five wizards.

The wizards still continued their argument, oblivious to what was going on around them. At last, as a deep rumbling roar overtook the hall, the wizards broke off their conversation and turned towards the throne.

"Well?" was all King Roland said, his tone of voice carrying centuries of interlaced meaning into the word.

"Ah, yes, so I see," Abtuan said, peering out a window. Luna looked over in time to see a great shadow pass over the castle accompanied by a gust of wind to the beat of massive wings. "Wasn't expecting her until this evening."

"May we humbly suggest you send someone to greet the dragon?" piped up Ptomey from the table, a half eaten chicken leg sticking out of his mouth.

Snapping his fingers, the King pointed to a knight that had been standing still as a statue beside the door during all the introductions. Bowing slightly, the knight and soldier exited the hall.

"Now, friends, let us continue our feast. I am sure this dragon is just putting on a show because we have such an honoured guest among us!" Clapping his hands, King Roland got the musicians to play a jaunty tune, and the nobles relaxed a little. "The beast wouldn't dare to attack, not with five Arch-Mages present."

Luna pensively watched the sky outside the windows for any sign of this dragon, the Kings words doing little to reassure her. She could feel a change to the flow of Aether around her, like a shift in the wind out on the sea, and she a ship flush with sails. There was a familiarity to the sensation, but it was hard to place it among the torrent of Aether flowing through the world. Her wings spread a little, and Luna stood, eyes peering into stone in the direction of the feeling. The nobles gave a collective awed murmur as Luna slowly stepped down from the throne.

Closer and closer the source of the feeling drew, until it was just beyond the hall.

Then the doors to the hall were thrust open again, and the knight the King had sent to greet the dragon stepped through, and in a clear ringing voice said, "The Princess Jasmine Blackcloak and company."

In a hail of murmuring voices and surprised exclamations, three women stepped into the hall.

The first Luna recognised almost instantly as Twilight. It had only been a little over a week from Luna's perspective since the two had spoken in that bleak shifting grey waste. But the smile that touched her lips fell the moment Luna got a good look at Twilight.

Her robes were torn and covered in dirt, and in a few places, blood. There was a haggard look about her eyes, like she hadn't been getting enough sleep, but a smile still touched her lips. Twilight limped as she walked into the hall, and she held her right hand close to her stomach in a protective gesture. When Twilight spotted Luna, there was a moment of confusion that pinched her face, then understanding as her smile glowed with hope.

Luna spared hardly a glance to the child on Twilight's left, but did appraise the woman on her right. Like Twilight, Luna recognised her from the very short time she'd seen her in the Winterlands, though the transformed dragon wore none of her armour. Unlike Twilight, she wore an expression of concern and thinly veiled contempt, one directed to the sea of petty nobles.

Both practically pulsed with power to Luna's eyes. It was vastly different than when they'd been in the Winterlands. Here, the flow of Aether seemed to highlight and enhance the impression given, where before it was hidden. They also had deep, deep pools of Aether, unlike the human wizards and their enchanted weapons, who were only connected to the flow of Aether about them. Except, something was off about Twilight's pool.

Narrowing her eyes, Luna tried to understand what was wrong, and then it hit her. It was being suppressed.

Celestia had been reluctant to tell Luna about Twilight, but one of the few things Luna had learned was that Twilight, as a filly, had more magic within her than any unicorn should have been capable of containing. As Celestia put it, Twilight's body should have burnt away from the power within it, like paper trying to contain a flame. To help train Twilight, Celestia had placed wards around the magic, afraid that without them Twilight would destroy herself trying to harness her power.

That was what Luna was seeing, she realised, Celestia's wards. Just beyond them was a well of almost unfathomable energy. Luna wondered if Twilight was aware the magic was there, hidden away. Compared to the dragon beside her, it was like placing the full moon next to the sun. The dragon, as bright and deep as its power ran, and it was impressive, it still paled in comparison to that which was locked inside Twilight.

Luna wondered why she hadn't noticed this when she had gone to Ponyville on hearing about Twilight's 'accident'. The only explanation Luna could give herself was that she wasn't looking, and that the strength of this worlds Aether just highlighted the pools of magic so much better. It was like they were swimming through a phosphorescent lagoon underneath a moonlight night.

Opening her arms wide as she had seen the knights do when greeting each other, and as Twilight had done in the Winterlands, Luna strode quickly across the hall, and wrapped Twilight in a hug.

"Twilight Sparkle, it is good to see you again," Luna said, using middle-equish in the hope that their conversation could be kept from the prying ears of the humans around them.

With a hiss of pain, Twilight stepped back from Luna, drawing her right hand closer to her mid-section. For a moment, a very brief moment, Twilight looked confused, and then she replied in the same tongue, though her accent was thick and heavy.

"Princess Luna, you can't imagine how surprised I was when I learned you were in the Protectorates." Light and happiness danced behind her eyes, eyes that for all their differences from the violet orbs of the Ponyville Librarian, contained the same hope and spark of life. "I have so many questions. About home and how you got here, but they'll have to wait."

Luna looked over her shoulder to see that King Roland, as well as all five Arch-Mages, had gathered behind her. Each was giving Twilight an appraising look.

"Daughter, what is the meaning of this?" King Roland snorted, indicated the torn and filthy robes with a wave of his hand.

Twilight didn't look confused at being addressed in such a manner, rather she looked relieved. But, before she could respond, the Arch-Mages all rushed forth, their voices forming a collective tumble of gushing words.

"The Purple Wizard, bless my soul," Mattemeus said, grasping Twilight's good hand and shaking it vigorously.

Tom Jaguarson slapped her on the shoulder, saying, "Well, look at you! I'd not be amazed if you'd just stepped through Hellfire and back!"

"She's a Prime, just as the prophecy predicted," Vespa cackled stepping up beside the older Half-Moon.

Ptomey for his part was busy trying to swallow a mouthful of mashed potatoes and veal while Abtuan clicked his tongue eyes flashing like a vulture inspecting a carcass.

"Hmm, yes, yes indeed, this is most interesting. I wasn't expecting it to be Jasmine. I shall have to give her a stern lecture if she returns."

"Could one of you doddering old fools tell me what in the Hells is going on?" The King practically roared, his volume overpowering even the minstrels and din of gossiping nobles.

Through the sudden imposing silence cut a new voice, one that dripped contempt and venom through every carefully intoned syllable.

"Is it not evident? The herald was incorrect. That is not Jasmine Blackcloak, they she looks the same," said a man in dark blue robes covered in pink and white cherry blossoms.

Luna blinked a few times as she looked towards the man, obviously another wizard, if clothing was anything to go by, having not noticed him in the hall before. His face was gaunt and sunken, with a well trimmed pointed beard and moustache. He was tall, almost the tallest person in the hall, with long slender arms and legs, and a staff polished a shiny black held in his leathery hands.

Then Luna went stiff as her eyes alighted upon the two people the trailed in his wake.

The first she didn't recognise. He was a short round man with an ill kept beard and watery pale blue eyes that seemed to leer at everyone present, even when his face was set in stark neutrality. His robes were pure white with gold trim, and he leaned on a pine staff. Beside him was the necromancer who had tried to capture Luna. The woman smiled politely, and winked when she noticed Luna shooting a look of rage mingled disgust in her direction.

In a flash the Arch-Mages formed a solid line, separating Luna, Twilight, and the King from the newcomers. Realising who was in their midst, the nobility scampered backwards, many shouting even darker oaths than those given in surprise at the Arch-Mages unconventional arrival.

"Locke, you are not welcome here," Abtuan said, his tone like steel and his tongue flint.

"Welcome or not, here I am. How could I stay away on such a momentous occasion? Was it not said, 'In the Hall of the King she will be greeted by all the High Wizards, their power and knowledge collected under one roof for the first time in peace and brotherhood'? And am I not the Arch-Mage of The Whispers?"

"We don't recognise that title," Vespa spat.

With a flick of her wrist, and a small tingle of magic, her beard vanished, as well as Mattemeus' bells, Ptomey's bird, Abtuan's hat, though Tom Jaguarson kept his skull-cap. Luna could feel the tug on the Aether as all five of the Arch-Mage's in front of her began to prepare spells. The two wizards at Locke's back likewise began to draw on their magic, but stopped when the self proclaimed Arch-Mage of The Whispers gave them a look. Luna had only felt such loathing, and such tainted power, once before in her life; when she had succumbed to the Nightmare and tried to create eternal night.

"No, we will not fight you here. Too many innocents would be harmed, and none of us want that, do we?" Locke smiled towards the gathered nobles, and then to the city beyond the hall's windows. "No, for now, how about we just talk, as old friends should."

The Arch-Mages all released the magic they had begun to channel, letting the Aether return to its natural flow. A thick tension still lingered in the air as Locke stepped forward and past the other Arch-Mages.

Taking Luna's hand in his own, he brought it to his lips in a manner identical to the King. Looking up after his lips brushed her fingers, he said, "My deepest apologies for the actions of my daughter the previous night, little Moonsong. She mistook my meaning when I asked her to ensure your safety. Amends will be made to those she has harmed."

Luna blinked, looking towards Pegelius, who stood with a dark fury burning behind his eyes and his good hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Luna felt she was a fair judge at knowing when someone was lying to her, but Locke had her completely confused. His words sounded extremely sincere, but she knew what she had heard the previous night, and it certainly hadn't been her protection that had been a concern. But what really threw Luna off was the use of a name no one but Celestia knew. Only her adoptive parents had called her Moonsong.

Shuddering at the memories that ancient name conjured, Luna slipped her hand free.

"I am not sure if I believe you," Luna said honestly.

Locke just bowed slightly, then turned to Twilight.

"And, at long last, the Purple Wizard, miss Twilight Sparkle."

"Seems like everyone knows who I am these days," Twilight mumbled.

"The price of fame," Locke said, while the short fat wizard behind him just snorted. "And let me introduce my children. This is Kayla Rutland, and Duke Kevin Rutland."

Twilight's head snapped up, her eyes almost glowing with sudden hate that left Luna breathless. For a moment she wondered if she was seeing it wrong, but Luna knew there was no other emotion that it could be pouring from Twilight. Twilight hated him, with every fiber of her being. Twilight made to step towards the ugly man, her good hand clenched into a fist, but was stopped by the dragon. For a second Twilight seemed to want to struggle and launch herself towards Kevin Rutland.

"She is the one everybody believes is the famed Purple Wizard? Ha, Jasmine, the Purple Wizard? Ha!" The white robed wizard laughed, his voice a nasal sneer.

"Oh, I could stomp you into the ground," Twilight snarled, and this time Luna was sure she saw her eyes glow.

Luna would never have guessed Twilight could act in such a way. What had happened to the inquisitive little librarian that had helped her one Nightmare Night, Luna wondered. She had been a bit high strung, to be sure, the infamous Smart Pants Incident was proof enough of that, but this was rage and hate Luna hadn't seen in ponies. Or rather, not since herself.

"It is too soon, you're not ready to face him," the dragon hissed into Twilight's ear.

Taking a deep Twilight nodded, and the moment she felt the dragon release her shoulder, she spun and punched the Duke square in the face. A stunned gasp escaped the nobles, and the Arch-Mages, all six of them, dropped into expressions of concern and worry. Even Kayla, who had looked on with such manic glee as her summoned abominations were ready to pounce on the knights guarding Luna, had an expression of extreme shock, her free hand covering her mouth.

Spitting on the ground in front of Twilight, the Duke snarled. "You're challenge is accepted, Jasmine."

Locke quickly turned, and looking down on his son, said, "Do not challenge her, apprentice." He stressed the last word. "Destiny and fate are woven as tight about her as any I have ever encountered. She will crush you as a boot crushes an ant."

"You are wrong. You are all wrong. She has played you all for fools. It's Jasmine's greatest power, and I will prove it to you. I accept your challenge, Jasmine Blackcloak."

"The challenge has been witnessed," King Roland said, his voice heavy and weary. "Wizards," he added, "Always causing trouble. Bane of any decent King."

"Wait, can some pony tell me what is going on?" A confused, and angry, Twilight asked turning towards the King.

"Why, you challenged me to a duel, and I have accepted, of course," said Duke Kevin Rutland, his face alight with dark glee. "The arena, in one hour, and we will end this farce that is you being the Purple Wizard."

* * *

Standing beneath a dank stone arch just outside the grass field that filled the arena, Twilight wondered again what had compelled her to hit the Duke. Other than how his smug grin made her blood boil, or how he was responsible for so much of the pain and suffering that had hung over Twilight like a cloud since getting stuck in the Protectorates.

But it had been more than that.

Standing there and finally facing the man responsible for the deaths of the Conrads, for sending the assassins that had chased her into Black Mountain Sanctuary, Twilight hadn't seen a man, but a monster. Not a real monster, all slavering teeth and wicked horns, but a monster never the less. Something evil, wicked, not a pony, and needing to be destroyed. The sensation had been a thousand times stronger than what Twilight had experienced before.

What scared her more, however, was how much she liked the hate. It felt good to hate him, to have a focal point for all the pain and rage that had built over the month and a half she'd been away from Equestria.

Twilight was a well read pony, and one of the many topics she'd studied in her young life included topics on psychology. Nothing she'd ever read ever indicated anything like what she was feeling. It just wasn't normal for ponies to want to hate to the degree she felt. Oh, sure, there were bullies and a definite hierarchy among ponies, and ponies could hate just like any other creature, but not find actual enjoyment in hate. The only creatures that Twilight knew that felt such emotions were the griffons.

Which, in a way, made a scary sort of sense. Humans and griffons had so much in common. They were tribal in nature, very divided amongst themselves and constantly fighting over territory. Both were also omnivores, hunting and killing prey for sustenance.

The logical reasoning part of Twilight was leaping about shouting that this feeling had to have something to do with being sentient and yet still capable of inflicting harm on others. The emotional part was just repeating 'grind that smug bastard into the ground until his bones crack'.

It was also that part of her, the part that was eager for this fight, that listened as a rolling wave of support surrounded her.

Luna and Ogopologos both stood with Twilight. Ogo, as Luna had taken to calling the dragon after being formally introduced, had helped mend Twilight's hand and finish healing her leg, as well as the shallow gashes on her back. The wounds still throbbed and ached a little, but at least there wasn't the stabbing pain whenever her hand was jostled. Both were staying mostly quiet. Luna had expressed some concern about how out of character Twilight's actions had been, but otherwise was there for her.

Then there were the Arch-Mages; all six of them.

This was more of a surprise. Twilight had thought that Locke would be with his son, but instead he had joined the Arch-Mages, despite having been moments away from fighting them, to support her.

"Kevin doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'moderation', but he is no fool. He won't open with his most destructive spells, but only because it could level half the city."

"Wait, what?" Twilight and Luna both asked together, a chill creeping up Twilight's back. "I thought you said that this arena has wards placed around it to prevent spells from leaving the field."

"Wards are only so good," Ptomey said, with a shake of his long silver hair. "Did you see the Duke's cord?"

"Yes, he had eight knots," Twilight said thinking back to one of the first lessons she'd received. How, for wizards, the number of knots indicated their tier of mastery. But something bothered her. "But that makes no sense. There are only seven tiers of magic, I thought."

The Arch-Mages all laughed as one.

"Only seven tiers? While that is technically true for practical purposes, there is an eighth tier. It contains the Sigils."

"Sigils?"

"Magical symbols, that when properly inscribed, can have tremendous effect. With the proper Sigil you can raise mountains or sink islands into the ocean. They are the most powerful and closely guarded spells." Locke raised a long finger and leveled it with Twilight's nose. "And no, we will not teach them to you. Even I shudder to imagine you casting a Sigil."

Abtuan and the other Arch-Mages gave Locke a sour look, one that said in unspoken words that it was unlikely Locke would teach her anything.

"Keep moving and don't let your guard down. Wait until he has an echo in all four cores of his staff, then strike. The match doesn't end until one surrenders or is incapacitated. Killing is possible, but forbidden. However, I don't put it past my son to strike to slay you and worry about the consequences afterwards. Understood?"

Twilight nodded and gulped back a bit of fear. Now that she was having more time to really think about what she had gotten herself into, Twilight was beginning to feel the familiar tug of anxiety. She was out-matched, already sore and stiff, and her opponent had already been trying to kill her for months. She'd have given a lot right then to be home with Spike, a nice new book open in front of her.

She was brought out of her reverie by a blast of horns announcing the beginning of the challenge, and signalling for her to step onto the field. Steadying herself, she stepped out into the late afternoon sun and was greeted by the thunder of ten thousand voices roaring approval. The arena had already been in use, sporting a match of something call Cricket, that had to be stopped. Even from the stone room where Twilight was being briefed on the rules she'd heard the discontent. The noise had turned to one of excitement when it was announced that it was a wizards duel, and one involving the hated Duke Kevin Rutland.

As she walked to the center of the arena Twilight waved to the crowd. Her robes were still torn and had blood and mud mixed into a rust coloured stain, but she wasn't limping and her ring was in its proper place. Plans and strategies spun in her head, all of them quickly dismissed. She was at a grave disadvantage, Twilight knew, with only a ring.

She had been shocked to see that the Arch-Mages, in addition to their staves, all had a second focus. Abtuan and Locke both wore rings on their left hands, while the others had a wand hanging by a leather cord on their belt.

Reaching the center of the arena, Twilight felt the hate build again watching the confident stride and evil glimmer in Duke Rutland's eyes.

Only a dozen feet apart in the wide arena, the wide open area easily large enough to host a Hoofball game, Duke Rutland sneered. "So, my love, it comes to this, as we both knew it would."

Twilight felt herself stumble mentally at the words 'my love', and almost didn't react in time as a wave of black energy roared from the head of Rutland's staff. Snapping her hands together and sweeping back her right foot, Twilight cut the black energy in half, the two parted sides passing her and tickling her senses with corrupt magic, with a wedge of glimmering purple energy. It wasn't any spell she could recall having learned, and had acted rather on instinct.

Skipping backwards, Twilight conjured a proper shield, the purplish pink shell appear in time to intercept a spinning blade of black fire. The hairs on her arms stood on end as the two spells connected and detonated in a shower of silver and pink sparks.

A Cone of Magic, and Magic Blade, Twilight said to herself as she continued to move backwards to put more distance between herself and Rutland. Both spells fused with Entropy. She shuddered to think what either could have done to her if she hadn't been able to block them. Twilight couldn't fuse Entropy herself, but Jasmine's spell-book told her how, and the effects. Had either spell hit her they would have drained and eaten at her very soul, the energies flowing along the Aether to Rutland.

Judging herself to be about thirty feet apart, Twilight brought her hands together in front of her, fingers linked together and palm outward. Breathing in through her nose and exhaling from her mouth, she felt the stirring of magic in her breast, just above her heart. Fire, pure and brilliant blue-white, rolled from her palms, the once green grass turning to ash as it roared towards Rutland.

Laughing, he grabbed the hem of his cloak, and in a twisting motion vanished. Through the air flickered a dark wisp of magic Twilight followed with her eyes as she ended her attack and began the long count for her ring to lose its echo. Shadows seemed to pull together as Rutland re-appeared off to the left.

Ice filled Twilight as she saw he was smiling like this was the greatest game.

He mouthed a word, one Twilight couldn't hear over the roaring approval of the crowd. But Twilight could feel the pull of magic and Aether all about her, circling in closer and closer. Then, over the noise of the crowd, she heard something. It was both a voice and not a voice, a thing and nothing.

It was Death's True Name.

Twilight's eyes went wide as she suddenly understood moments before it felt like she was hit by a stampeding dragon. A long scream tore through the arena as Twilight fell backwards, liquid fire pouring through her veins and pulling at her very essence. She could feel herself separating from her body, being pulled and tugged upwards and away. Twilight could even see the flickering image of a ghostly hand grabbing at her.

Pressing her eyes closed Twilight fought against the pull of the ghostly hand. She knew that she had to resist and fight with every fiber of her being. Screaming between clenched teeth Twilight forced herself to stand. The hand released her, and drifted away on the Aether.

"Impressive, not many can fight the Word of Death," Rutland called, a savage grin, like a wolf looking down on a wounded deer, crossing his round face.

Word of Death; Massive Echo, Forbidden magic. The words popped into Twilight's head, remembered from Jasmine's spell-book.

Twilight then coughed, a red stain on her fingers when she brought them to her lips.

Blood. Her blood.

Locke had been right, Rutland was trying to kill her.

In that moment Twilight realised just how deadly serious this fight had become. This was not the almost playful fight against Nightmare Moon or the wild, insane, but in its own way harmless antics of Discord. This was real, and Rutland had every intention of destroying her. But she had no spells that could come close to what Rutland was capable of casting. What Twilight would have given to have a staff rather than a ring.

Desperate, Twilight fired off a quick swarm of magical darts hoping that it would buy her a few more seconds to come up with a plan.

Looking a little disappointed Rutland swatted the magic out of the sky with a wave of his staff. Twilight didn't even see a shield spell, he just tore the magic of her spell apart.

Black fire began to coalesce above Rutland's staff.

Twilight could feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickle, and though she didn't know what the spell he was casting was called, she knew she couldn't be hit by it.

Dropping into a defensive stance Twilight created the strongest barrier she could. She didn't have to wait long for the spell to be tested.

The black ball of fire tore through across the arena with a long wailing scream, leaving a crackling streak in its wake. The moment it touched Twilight's barrier, it exploded in a howling roar. Even through the cool wall of water around her, Twilight could feel the foulness of the magic. She barely had time to re-enforce her barrier before a second identical explosion engulfed her.

Twilight, panting from the exertion of maintaining her spell, guessed that the cores of Rutland's staff had to all have an echo and dropped her barrier.

It'd take a few seconds for her rings echo to abate, but she hoped that it'd be quicker than what Rutland staff was capable. This was her opportunity, and as soon as Twilight felt the last traces of echo leave her ring she called on her most devastating spell. Fist punching the air, the arena was filled with the tang of ozone and the sharp report of thunder as a bolt of lightning blasted across the battlefield.

Only to be deflected by a glimmering field of silvery light away from Rutland and towards the arena stands. Along the walls a wave of blue-green magic flared, the power of Twilight's lightning bolt swallowed by the arena's protective wards.

Again Rutland's body become like shadow, flitting across the arena in the single beat of Twilight's racing heart, and re-emerging only feet in front of her. His free hand shot out, grabbing Twilight by the neck. She let out a short strangled gurgle and clawed at his arm.

"I am greatly disappointed in you, Jasmine. I thought you'd put up far more of a fight then this," he growled, his foul breath clawing at Twilight's nose as she fought for breath.

Releasing Twilight, Rutland shoved her back. Reddish-black energy began to coat his hand as another spell Twilight couldn't identified was called upon by the Duke. He laughed as he walked towards her, the air around him crackling with energy.

How was he still casting, Twilight wondered as she scampered away from Rutland on her back. His staff had to still be carrying an echo. The fight hadn't been going long enough for it to lose the echoes from all his spells. Most or all had to have been high or massive echoes. So how was he doing it? Then Twilight noticed the ring on the hand reaching towards her and she understood. He had two foci and was using the ring for the quicker casting spells.

The realisation wouldn't help her if she didn't get away, Twilight knew. Not that she could think of anything that would stop Rutland.

Stop Rutland. Stop the fight. Twilight knew what she had to do.

"I surr-"

Before Twilight could finish the words she was picked up and tossed across the arena, tumbling and rolling to a painful stop. The crowd exploded in furious booing.

"Ah ah, you aren't getting out of this so fast, my love," Rutland said as he again flickered across the arena to Twilight.

Laying on her back, Rutland towering over her, Twilight knew she had to do something unexpected.

How she wished she had her unicorn magic. Closing her eyes Twilight tried to find it, knowing it was pointless. But then. deep inside, Twilight felt that little ember of her magic, the magic she'd known her entire life, even if she couldn't always direct it. The ember that had risen to save her and April on that stage all those weeks before. Behind that ember though she felt something else. A wall of some sort.

Desperation flowing through her, Twilight hammered into that wall. Above her, Rutland walked in a circle, his hand still coated in magic. He was talking, gloating, and the idea burned at Twilight. Growling at herself she raged against the wall harder.

"I had honestly thought this would be more of a challenge. When I gave you that spell-book as an engagement present I thought you'd actually study it. Not go traipsing off with that useless band of adventurers you formed. Did you really believe you could escape me?" Rutland paused, looking down on his victim.

The wall was beginning to break, and behind it Twilight could feel her magic, flowing, flickering, warm and welcoming. She just needed a few more moments.

"Soon I will be the Arch-Mage of The Whispers, and unlike my father, I won't skulk about in the shadows clutching at the relics of the Ancients. His search for the Crown is a fool's errand. I will tear down the Arcanum, brick by brick, and drive the wizards underground as they have done to Necromancers."

More cracks formed in the wall, spreading and growing as Twilight's magic sensed it's mistress and tried to re-unite with her.

"I will then find the Dead Masters, and I will force them to bow before me. I care not for this Kingdom except that it is home to the Arcanum, and I no longer require you're assistance in bringing it low. So, die, Jasmine Blackcloak, my love."

In a shower of ethereal sparks the wall shattered. Power; wonderful, simple and pure, roared into and through Twilight like the winds of a hurricane. Her eyes opened, and purple fire curled from them. Twilight began to lift into the air as she heard a great rush of energy silence the watching crowd. It was incredible, she hadn't felt such energy since she was a filly at her test to enter Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom had awakened her magic. It was pouring out of her, filling the air with a purple halo of light.

Rutland jumped back, his face covered in a look of pure shock.

"What is this?" he snarled.

Twilight just smiled, and then she frowned. Something was wrong, she realised. Her skin was beginning to burn and peel, her hair curling and smoking within the field of wild Aether. There was too much magic trying to escape all at once, and Twilight couldn't control it. Screaming as agony she'd never felt before flooded through her on waves of her own magic, Twilight released a burst of power that swept like a tidal wave towards the stands. Rutland didn't have time to summon a barrier or teleport before the wave slammed into him and pushed him into the waiting wall of wards.

Even above the roar of her magic, Twilight thought she heard a sickening crack as the Duke hit the wards. The defensive magic tried to hold back the rushing energy bombarding it, cracks quickly beginning to grow. The roars of approval from the crowd had barely started when it turned into screams of fear as the magic continued to flow from Twilight, the cracks in the wards growing and growing.

* * *

Ogopologos watched the duel start with a deep frown on her false face. She knew that she hadn't prepared Twilight for a battle against a seasoned and experienced wizard like Duke Rutland. She'd tried her best, sure, after learning about Twilight and Tracey's duel and the subsequent fight before the door into Black Mountain Shelter.

But wizards spend decades studying. A few weeks of relative time in the Winterlands couldn't counter-act that fact.

Still, Twilight wasn't doing too terrible and Ogopologos had hope her apprentice would succeed and win the fight. It was a faint hope, but it was there.

Beside her sat Luna, the Goddess of the Moon. Ogopologos liked her. She was shouting and hollering encouragement with considerable volume.

Ogopologos winced as Twilight cast a fire fused cone of magic. Even though the cone was maintained only a few seconds, it would cost Twilight many more precious seconds of time before her ring recovered. Worse yet, Rutland just spirit walked out of the blast using his own ring. Clicking her tongue in frustration, Ogopologos felt the strong urged to return to her natural form and just step on the human. Twilight was far too important to risk in this pointless duel. But then again, if Twilight was who everyone though she was, then she would survive this duel. Maybe not win, but survive.

Luna cried out in anger drawing Ogopologos back out of her thoughts and to the fight.

Twilight had collapsed and was screaming in agony. From the tendrils of corrupt Aether in the air the dragon could guess at the spell that had been used. Growling, she leaned forward and had to fight harder to suppress the urge to intervene. There was nothing she could do to stop the spell assaulting Twilight regardless. Frustrated with her impotence, Ogopologos watched Twilight squirm for a few more moments before getting back up.

Roaring her approval, the dragon clapped her hands, joining in the thunderous applause of the crowd. The applause grew, accompanied by the stamp of ten thousand feet, as first one, then another, entropy fused missile detonated against Twilight's shields. The moment the foul fire's abated, Twilight countered with a bolt of lightning. As Twilight's spell was deflected, Luna and Ogopologos both shared a look. They both knew, in that instant, that Twilight couldn't win this fight. Not with her current skill and knowledge.

"We have to end this," Luna said, making to stand.

"That is impossible," Locke said with a deep sigh from the other side of Luna. "He hasn't actually broken any of the rules and Twilight is still capable of fighting."

"But, that spell was clearly meant to kill her!" Luna snapped, drawing a gasp from April, the child sitting and squirming on Ogopologos' left.

The collected Arch-Mages all had dark looks, knowing what the Goddess said was true, but being tied by centuries of law. To interfere in a justly accept challenge would tear at a foundation of the magical community. Anarchy was the best possible outcome. If it became known that a wizards challenge was no longer sacrosanct; Ogopologos shuddered at the destruction that could follow if wizards began to duel and battle anywhere they pleased.

A groan escaped the crowd, drawing the dragon once again from her thoughts. Twilight was laying on her back as the Duke paced around her. He was taunting her, and then he stopped.

Ogopologos felt it more than even seeing it, the sudden change in the flow of Aether. Twilight began to lift into the air, carried aloft on two vibrant ethereal lavender wings of magic. Her eyes opened, and two great gouts of fire began to curl skyward. Skin crawling and mouth hanging open, Ogopologos shared a look of pure fear with the Arch-Mages and Luna.

The sensation of the magic was almost unlike anything the dragon had before experienced. Only as a hatchling, fresh and crying in an Ancient lab, had she felt this particular form of magic so strongly. Luna carried a hint of it about her, but it was the difference between seeing a painting of an ocean and being submerged in the rolling waves with no land in sight. Twilight's screams pierced the din of the crowd as the magic began to burn its way out of her skin.

If they didn't act fast Twilight being consumed by her own magic was the least concern. She could level the entire city and kill hundreds of thousands in the process.

Ogopologos knew exactly what she had to do.

Turning to the nearby Vespa, she snapped, "Get the child to safety," before snatching the satchel April held in her lap. Inside it was the one thing that could possibly divert disaster.

Leaping forward, Ogopologos didn't wait to see if her command was followed, or even heard. She had very little time to act. Passing through the wards as the wave of energy smashed into them, Ogopologos felt her carefully crafted transmutation torn apart. The arena trembled as the great dragon landed and pushed against the torrential power. Something dark blue flashed past her, the shape cutting through Twilight's unleashed magic like a farmers scythe through wheat. Each step felt like it took an eternity, when in reality it was only a few seconds.

Standing before Twilight was Luna, the true Luna, her star filled mane hissing as it was buffeted by the roaring Aether.

"My sisters wards have been broken!" the Alicorn shouted over the tearing noise of the magic flowing from Twilight, as well as the wizards screams. "I must reseal them!"

Ogopologos nodded once, but knew that Luna wouldn't be able to apply the wards with the Aether so uncontrolled. First they had to give the magic a controlled outlet, and there was only two artefacts left in all the world that could harness and channel such raw energy. Thankfully she had one of them. Hissing in pain as the Prometheus Dynamo connected to and began to feed on her own magic, Ogopologos brought the cylinder out of the satchel. She had to act fast, no creature with internal magic could stay in contact long with a Prometheus Dynamo.

There also wasn't time to explain her plan to Luna.

The Dynamo, its internal mechanisms already feeding on the magic just in the air, began to hum and spin. Quickly, Ogopologos shoved the other end into Twilight's hand. At once the sides of the Dynamo sprung open revealing the heart of the device. A loud hum filled the air as Twilight began to sink back towards the ground and the rush of her unleashed magic faded. The dragon tried to release the Dynamo, but found her claws were stuck to the device as it continued to feed on her own magic even as it gorged on Twilight's.

"Hurry!" the dragon roared to Luna, a hint of panic in her voice.

Dark blue magic sheathed Luna's horn as she stepped towards Twilight.

Magic still flowing behind her eyes, Twilight turned her head as if she was looking at an interesting painting.

"Ponyville. It burns..." she whispered. Turning her head to Ogopologos, Twilight said, "Save them."

For a fraction of a second Ogopologos was confused as to what Twilight meant, and then she felt the power of the Dynamo shift. It stopped pulling at her magic, and then there was a single large push. A sharp hissing crackle filled the arena that was followed by the thunder of a thousand bolts of lightning. Ogopologos felt every scale on her body tingle and be torn away from each other even as they were pushed together.

The arena vanished in a flash of white, and then the dragon felt herself flying. No, she corrected a moment later, she was falling, falling through an endless emptiness. She wasn't sure where she was, or where she was going. Only that she was like a comet hurtling through space. The power of the Dynamo still surrounded her, and then it too vanished.

Stars that were not stars flashed past the dragon, until one began to grow. Tucking her wings close to her side, Ogopologos tried to roll into a protective ball before she hit the star.

There was a brief cool sensation, and then it was replaced by the rush of wind warmed by a clear summer's day. Cracking her an eye back open, the dragon saw spread out below her a verdant green land of rolling hills and sweeping forests, and directly where she head, a quaint sprawling town of thatched roofs.

Opening her wings, Ogopologos was rewarded with a shuddering jolt that rippled through her entire body. Tipping her wings to angle her descent into a controlled flight, the dragon began to circle the town.

Already she could smell that something was wrong, more so than having been teleported who knew how far. The stench of demons was thick in the air, mixing with the more heady rural smells one expected. A scream, far below, drew her gaze. There, she saw a tiny purple and green speck.

And towering above it a demon Ogopologos had not seen since the Sins.

Tucking her wings to her side, the dragon began to plummet towards the demon. In her ears thrummed the greatest and strongest instinct a dragon could feel, the whole reason for the birth of her species clear in her eyes. Everything before became a half-forgotten haze. Nothing else was as important as this to her. Not Twilight, not where she had been taken, nothing but this mattered.

In a roar of fire, smoke, and vengeance, the Lady in the Lake dove towards Ponyville.

* * *

Awareness returned slowly to Twilight. The first thing she noted was that she was laying in a bed, a very comfortable bed. After weeks of travel broken only by the lumpy mattress of an inn, to wake in a real bed was divine.

Twilight tried to understand why she was in a bed. The last thing she could recall with any clarity was Duke Rutland standing over her, taunts flowing off his poisonous tongue. As Twilight tried to move she became aware that her entire body was stiff and sore. The slightest movement made her skin scream in protest where it touched fabric. So, Twilight laid as still as she could, only moving her head ever so slightly.

Beside her sat Princess Luna, the Alicorn in her natural form and her eyes closed. From the slow shallow breaths the Princess took, Twilight guessed she was asleep.

"Princess?" Twilight tried to speak, but found her voice hoarse and dry. A parched cough made her wish she'd stayed silent as her entire body ached in protest.

Luna's eyes snapped open at once, however, the soft teal orbs turning up in a smile as they saw Twilight awake.

"Shh, shh, don't move. Mattemeus has done his best to tend to your wounds, but even he can only do so much."

A glass of cool, refreshing water was brought up to Twilight's lips.

"Where am I? What happened?" she asked as the water soothed her throat.

Luna chewed her lower lip, and Twilight got the distinct impression that the Princess was debating exactly what to tell her. Using her magic, Luna lifted up a cloth coated in some pungent ointment, and brought it to Twilight's forehead. A cool sensation spread from the cloth, soothing some of the ache in her head.

"You are in the Arcanum, you've been asleep for over a week. As to what happened, what do you remember?"

At first Twilight was shocked to hear that she'd been in bed a week. Questions and worries spun through her mind. Deciding that going over her memories would help her understand, Twilight shared what fragments she could recall. Nodding slowly as Twilight spoke of the duel, ending where her memories faltered, Luna again chewed her lip.

At last the Princess spoke again.

"Let me answer you with a question, Twilight Sparkle. What was one of the very first things my sister ever said to you?"

Pinching her brows together, and receiving a small ache of pain in reward, Twilight thought back to that day so long ago when she'd first met Princess Celestia. It had been her entrance exam into the School for Gifted Unicorns. Dash's Rainboom had set off her magic and it had started to randomly affect those around her. Celestia had stepped in and calmed her with only a simple look and said.

"Twilight Sparkle, you have a very special gift. I don't think I've ever come across a unicorn with your raw abilities..."

Her voice trailing off, Twilight saw Luna nodding and smiling.

"What I am about to tell you doesn't leave this room. No pony, or human, can know this, though many here suspect it now." Luna paused to make sure that Twilight understood the gravity of her words. When Twilight nodded meekly, she continued. "You know the tale of my banishment, and my return, yes? But what you don't know is that I didn't free myself, and neither did Celestia."

"Yes, I know that. The stars freed you. I watched them that night approach the moon and then the shadow called the Mare in the Moon vanished." Twilight turned her head slightly, puzzled at why Luna was talking about this old subject. The Nightmare Moon incident had long been dealt with and resolved.

"You saw that?" Luna's voice held a note of surprise, and mirth. "I don't think just any pony could have seen the stars do that."

"Princess, I'm not sure what this has to do with any-"

"Shh, it'll all become apparent," Luna hushed. "Now, what you may not know is that I can't feel the stars like I used to be able to feel them. They have grown distant and tend to sulk. And here, they may as well be flecks in on the horizon for all I can sense them."

"But, aren't you the Goddess of the Moon and the Night?"

Twilight could feel a great bubble of confusion trying to sort itself out in her head. Every pony knew that Celestia was the Sun and the day in addition to being the head of state. It was an oddity, having an immortal goddess in charge of a nation. Though Equestria was run like a Constitutional Monarchy, it was more like a Theocratic Empire. Celestia's word was law, and who would go against the very embodiment of the Sun? To do so would be lunacy!

Luna, though, just smiled and shook her head slowly.

"Partly correct. While I am the Goddess of the Moon, I am the Guardian of the Night. When I first returned and you cleansed me of the taint of the Nightmare, I was also a little confused as to why the stars were being so persnickety with me. They've been a real hoof full, I don't mind telling you. Now, another question for you. Celestia told me a lot about your training and how for a long time she had to keep a series of wards in place so you didn't over-use your magic and hurt yourself. Can you tell me if or when she removed those wards?"

Confusion growing, Twilight answered. "They were removed the morning before she sent me to Ponyville. Why?"

"And they were fully removed?"

"I think so? I mean, it was a bit overwhelming at first having so much more raw energy available for my spells and I was so happy and proud that Celestia trusted me enough that I didn't need the wards anymore."

"Oh Tia, you were always too secretive, I fear," Luna whispered, just barely loud enough for Twilight to hear. "Twilight, my sister didn't remove the wards, she just moved them a bit. I can't be certain how far she moved them, but you were still only accessing a fraction of your true magical potential. You can also see the problems this would cause, yes?"

Twilight blinked slowly, her mind racing as she tried to process what she had just heard and its implications. Celestia hadn't given her full access to all her magic? And what she had been able to tap into was still just a fraction of her true potential? But, that was impossible, Twilight wanted to say. No unicorn could contain that much Aether, it would very literally consume her, burn her away into dust and ash on the wind.

"You understand I see. Now, unicorns are built to store and access magic. But humans aren't. This worlds Ley Lines are oversaturated with Aether and scream and beg for release. I'm not sure if you can feel it because of the limitations of the humans, but if you were a unicorn still it'd be very clear to your eyes. But, because this words Ley Lines are so saturated, the humans only need to be able to connect to the Aether to use magic. You are seeing where I am going with this, I hope."

Nodding slowly, Twilight finished the thought.

"The spark I felt, there was something behind it. A wall I didn't see before. I was trying to bring it down because I needed the power to fight Duke Rutland. If behind it was all the magic Celestia had sealed off..." Twilight shuddered, wondering what her lost memories hid from her. "What happened?"

"The wards cracked and your true potential began to force its way to the surface. But that body was never meant to contain any magic, at all. It's amazing it held the embers it did. Had Ogo and I not acted this city probably would have been destroyed."

A chill swept over Twilight and tears came to her eyes. She could have destroyed an entire city. There were hundreds of thousands of innocents living in Roxholm upon Tyme. Twilight was thankful for her Master's and Luna's actions, though Twilight wondered where the dragon had gone. Surely, she would stay with Twilight as well. It wasn't like there was anywhere else for her to go.

"Where is Ogopologos?" Twilight asked, and instantly regretted the question as a profound sadness encased Luna's features.

"She is... gone." Luna shook her head. "I hesitate to say she is dead, though the other dragons all believe you slew the Lady in the Lake. She used a terrible artefact on you, something that was being held by the child you traveled with."

"The Prometheus Dynamo?" Twilight yelped in fear and surprise. Despite the aches in her body, Twilight sat upright, and was immediately overcome by a wave of nausea. "The last time I touched that thing it tore open Doors wherever I looked."

Luna just shrugged, her wings fluttering in mild agitation.

"Whatever that artefact is supposed to do, it sucked up your magic like a sponge water. You then mentioned Ponyville, and then Ogo just exploded into a blue-white mist of energy and vanished." Gently, Luna pushed Twilight back down into the bed. "You lost a great deal of magic to the device, and it's only been slowly recovering, despite how much Aether flows through this world. I've done my best to repair my sisters wards, but she was always far better at Abjuration than I. It'll take you a long time to fully recover. Years I suspect, to be honest, given the amount of magic you expelled and how slow it's recovering."

Twilight shivered, not fully comprehending things. A part of her understood what Luna was telling her and where it all lead, but another part of her wanted to reject things. She was just a simple unicorn and librarian, that's what she had come to believe and see when she looked in a mirror. What Luna was saying threw all that out a window, lit it on fire, then danced on the ashes. But Twilight, ever inquisitive, couldn't help what she next asked.

"What am I?"

A softness came over Luna's features, and she gave a motherly smile. It almost looked out of place on the young looking Alicorn.

"You are Twilight Sparkle, my sister's most faithful student. Beyond that, I cannot say. You are not a unicorn, that is for certain, but beyond that? I do not know."

"Am I an Alicorn then?"

Luna looked pensive for a moment, then shook her head slowly. "I don't know. It's possible. Celestia and I don't know where we come from, only that, once upon a time, we wandered Equestria among the Earth Ponies, but as unicorns. We don't know who our parents were, or if we even had parents. But I do know that we can have Alicorn offspring. Cadence is proof of that."

A distant sadness crept onto Luna's face as she looked out the window to the horizon over the shingled roofs of the city.

"I miss Cadence. She was the best foalsitter ever," Twilight sighed.

Laughing, Luna shook her head.

"And that, my dear Twilight Sparkle, is yet more proof that there is more to you than being a mere magically gifted unicorn. Having the Goddess of Love as a foalsitter? Didn't that ever strike you as odd?"

Blushing, Twilight tried to squirm deeper into the covers of her bed.

"Well, no, actually. I thought she just did it for all the noble Houses foals. That Cadence liked and enjoyed being around foals."

"Ha! I may not know my daughter well, but I know that foalsitting isn't something she just does because she likes foals. She's never had any of her own, after all." Luna leaned over Twilight, and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder before Twilight could do more than gape at the revelation that Luna was Cadence's mother. "But enough of that. You have a long recovery ahead of you, Twilight Sparkle. The dragons have sworn that should you leave the city they will bring their vengeance down upon you. Couple that with your injuries and everything else, and I don't see us leaving for some time."

A wave of exhaustion sweeping through her, Twilight had to agree. She drifted off to sleep a few minutes later, her analytical mind sorting and processing everything she'd heard and learned.

Comments

[Tundara]

First off, this chapter's fight sequence was written to Two Steps From Hell - 72 Virgins and Two Steps From Hell - Swing-Set Murders. I've decided to start sharing the various chapter specific music I use for writing.

The bit with the introduction of the Wizards of the Arcanum took me a bit by surprise. I think I was channelling a bit of Rowling or maybe Pratchett there. It's also one of my favourite little things I've done in Sins of the Ancients so far. Years ago when I was first writing in the setting of Sins I used to have a lot more comedic and rather silly things, but its been toned down over time. This felt like a return to my roots in a way.

This chapter is also the longest at over 13k words. There is a LOT of stuff that is mentioned or happens as well. The plot line about the assassins and Duke Rutland is resolved. Twilight and Luna meet up. Bits about Twilight's past is learned. And, oh look, that spark of magic that saved Twilight way back in chapter 6 returns, and with a vengeance. Yeah, you didn't think that it was done and forgotten, did you? And that's just a few of the things this chapter contains.

Also, it turned out all the edits I thought I was going to have to do to the story... didn't actually happen. There have been a few very minor tweaks here and there, but mostly I just added the (awful) lines of the Prophecy at the start of the chapters. My feelings are mixed towards some of them. A few make me want to crawl into a corner in shame, others are all right.

As a teaser, the working title for the next chapter is 'The Harrowing of Ponyville'.

[warpd]

Wow, quite a bit happened in this chapter. Did the Duke survive or did Twilight vaporize him?
I did enjoy your introduction of the wizards. Hope to read more about them.
Luna's stars are back talking to her, that is pretty funny. They just need a good spanking.

[Tundara]

1401809

He is dead. I decided not to have Luna tell Twilight, as its not something I felt Luna would say after Twilight had just woken up. Also, there are enough hints and allusions that this marked the end of that particular sub-plot that it wasn't wholly needed to out-right have a character go 'He's dead, Jim'.

We'll be seeing a lot more of the Wizards in the next Twilight/Luna chapter. Vespa's long luxurious beard, Mattemeus and his bells, even Ptomey and his almost dead bird, plus more! Maybe. The wizards oddities were really spur of the moment, I've not planned how much I am going to use them to be honest.

[warpd]

1402065
Luna and Twilight have their work cut out for them if they were able to kill off the jerk.
Somehow when I read Twilight exploding with power I get a strong Phoenix vibe.

[Tundara]

1402157

As in the X-Man character? Hmm, I'm not well versed on comics, but I guess it's sort of similar? Maybe?

The fallout for killing the Duke is minor compared to the dragon's believing that the Lady in the Lake was killed, or the Arch-Mages and the display of magic. A lot of that is dealt with in Chapter 19, among many other things.

[Honey Mead]

Yay. Dragon vs Demon. Round 1 GO!

[Tundara]

1402851

Going to have Cadence vs Demon, Rarity and Jasmine vs Demon, Dragon vs Demon, Spike vs Wetting Himself. No wait, not the last one! But yeah, next chapter is action centric.

[Ranakastrasz]

"Every pony knew that Celestia was the Sun and the day in addition to being the head of state. It was an oddity, having an immortal goddess in charge of a nation. Though Equestria was run like a Constitutional Monarchy, it was more like a Theocratic Empire. Celestia's word was law, and who would go against the very embodiment of the Sun? To do so would be lunacy!"

I suppose this is the part where we start hailing the Lunar Republic, right?
That could actually have been a coincidence...

[Tundara]

1403117

Not so much on one hand. No Lunar Republic, though. I've been plotting and planning and thinking about how the ponies society would differ from ours. Imagine, if you will, if Jesus hadn't died two thousand years ago, but instead was alive and had been guiding and leading society all that time. Or Moses. Or Mohammed. Or any other prophet/messiah/religious figure. How would that change things? (No, not trying to start a religious debate here, I know I don't have many readers/commenters, but discussing real world religion is NOT something I want to do or encourage.)

So, Celestia is no different than how she's portrayed, mostly, in the show. Kind, benevolent, and wise from thousands of years of experience. But leading a society of very mortal ponies. It's not just Twilight who doesn't want to disappoint Celestia, though her fears manifest in her OCD and Anxiety attacks, but extends to the society as a whole. It's a core underlying part of the foundation of how they view the world. Celestia moves the sun and brings about the day. She has lifetimes of knowledge and experience. The hubris it would take to think that they know better than her is astronomical. Not even Blueblood would think he knew better than Celestia. They may have the arrogance to believe they know as much as her, but not more, and when she disagrees with their point of view, it can lay low even the most arrogant. And Ponies are not Humans. They are a herd society, not a tribal-hunter society like us.

That was the point of Twilight's ruminations just before the fight. She couldn't really grasp the change her biology was causing. Namely, that hate and anger supply a release of norepinephrine, which induces a state not unlike being high on crack. I've tried a few times to deal with how Twilight was experiencing emotions differently that what she expected, like after April's family were killed. Jasmine, by comparison, isn't getting that 'positive' re-enforcement. She's just a stone cold bi- uh, not nice person. >.> ... <.<

That's how I look on things any ways. I'm still working out a lot of the details, and maybe I never will work them all out.

[Ranakastrasz]

1403234

Actually, I was pointing out the possibly unintentional joke/reference there. Writing perfectly normal English can cause things like that, without intending it.

Still, That is useful information to think on, since it is specific to this particular Verse.

[Tundara]

1403448

Oh. huh... Didn't think of that.

I'm actually getting tempted to have an Intermission chapter that is just full of various world details. Things like how the ponies organise their armies, the details on how magic works, that sort of thing (that document has so many spoilers in it I'd have to hit it with a tactical redaction nuke if I wanted to post it before Sins is finished). I should also stop referring to this story as 'Sins' since I bet most people think of Past Sins by Pen Stroke, which I haven't actually read and know by reputation only.

[Ranakastrasz]

1403497
Hence why I pointed it out. Its easy to unintentionally do that. Or get people killed

3.bp.blogspot.com/-fxnR0YXzNg8/UB5bX5JpspI/AAAAAAAACR8/5-eKyZ6P8Ck/s1600/mate2.jpg

Yea, I can see why people would assume to to be Past Sins. Great story and Popular, and hence tends to overwrite other identification options by default.

Call it SotA. It has enough vowels to be pronounceable, so yea...

[Tundara]

1403526

SotA, that has a nice ring to it. Yeah, that'll work. Thanks.

Next, wow, over 100 comments now? (More than half probably my own, but still) Yay, never reached that milestone before!

Plus, grandma's are tasty, especially with some HP sauce.

[source1]

Even though I generally don't like stories with humans in them I cant help but love this story

It'll be interesting to find out exactly what Twilight is.

[Gyvon]

Damn. a lot of excrement hit the ventilation unit in this chapter.

[Tundara]

1406630

I'm honestly anticipating some people calling 'Shenanigans!' on my part for what I have planned in regards to Twilight. But, again, it ties into the greater mythos I've been building to house my stories, so, meh.

1415703

Wait until Chapter 18 is finished. I'm still blocking parts of it out. But so far I have all the Mane 6 in Ponyville but Applejack involved in some manner or other. Poor AJ, she's basically only made a few cameo's and hung around sorta on camera, but only to show that she's there. She really hasn't had anything to do, story wise.

I am hoping to get Ch 18 Monday, but, I'll be honest, X-Com: Enemy Unknown has mugged me of my time at gun-point. Stupid Firaxis making a sequel to one of my top 3 games of ALL TIME FOREVER!. I was just starting to get a life, finally! Jerks. *runs off to shoot down some more aliens and nick all their stuffz* Hehehehe!

[Tundara]

1513366

That is an interesting question. Spike's origins as the Lost Dragon aren't fully delved into in SotA.

[khatre]

Did Spike just find his birth mom? (or will in the next couple chapters?)
What will Ogo say when she finds out that he is Twilight's Spike? (i kinda assume that Twilight told her about Spike )