Part 1: Big City and Forbidden Magic
The bright light of a new dawn flooded across the Saddle Arabian dessert, quickly waking Mystic Mind from his sleep. The emerald green unicorn stretched his stiff limbs as he rose from his sleeping bag, already missing his soft bed back home in Canterlot. Despite his less than ideal sleeping conditions, Mystic knew there was little reason to complain. It had been his life long dream to visit Saddle Arabia. After so many years of reading a ridiculous amount of books on every possible part of the culture he could find written down, he was finally here. The vivid paintings of the grand cities built around sparkling oases; soon he would be able to see what they looked like with his own eyes!
“Sir Mystic Mind.” The authoritative voice of the Saddle Arabian guard spoke from outside of Mystic's tent. “Your cart is ready to set off as soon as you are. Are you in need of any assistance?”
“Oh...err...No, thank you. I am quite all right!” Mystic replied awkwardly, snapping out of his daydream. “I shall be with you very shortly.” Leaping out of his sleeping bag, Mystic quickly threw on his forest green robe and darker shaded hood. He fumbled around the edge of his sleeping bag for a few moments, trying to find where he had placed his glasses. When he finally found them, he rolled up his sleeping bag and dashed towards the mirror at the front of his tent. Mystic looked closely at his outfit; nervously wondering if the guard would find his appearance to be presentable for the locals. Despite never considering himself a vain pony, Mystic always followed his routine of checking the symbol on the chest of his robes carefully. The symbol was that of his cutie mark; a bright green circular vortex of magic with curved arks sprouting from three points on the edge. This mark is what had earned him the title 'Mage of Mind'; a representation of his dedication to obtaining knowledge on the mechanics of magic. The symbol filled his heart with a warm sense of pride every time he looked at it, as it was proof of the results his endless studying had given him.
“Sir Mystic!” The guard called out again, this time with a greater sense of urgency to his voice. “We must make haste if we are to reach shelter before the heat of the mid day sun.”
“Oh, yes, of course! You are absolutely correct. I shall come out right away.” Pulling up his hood to cover his messy short red hair, Mystic rushed out of the tent towards the cart. With his eyes so fixated on his packed up gear, Mystic realized too late that his sleeping bag was slipping off from his back. Subsequently, the sleeping bag wrapped it's self around a tent pole behind him, dragging it out of the earth and sending the green unicorn hoof-over-heels into a messy pile of cloth and metal.
“Oh well...look at that.” Mystic said to the guard with an embarrassed chuckle. “It looks like I perhaps need a tiny bit of aid after all.”
The guard sighed, burying his face in his hoof. “As you wish, sir Mystic.”
Helping Mystic too his feet, the guard grabbed one corner of the tent cloth, helping Mystic fold it up. By the time they were done, Mystic was already sweating like a pig, breathing heavily from the physical task as he jumped onto the cart. By comparison, the guard was barely breaking a sweat, despite his more slender body being covered in heavy chain-mail. I hope I can soon get used to this heat like he has. Mystic thought to himself.
Walking ahead of the camel pulling Mystic's cart, the guard stomped his feet on the ground ahead of him, examining each footprint he made. “The sand is shallowest this way.” He explained to the camel. “Follow my lead.” Mystic looked out over to the dessert, but couldn't spot anything that could be considered a land mark. All he saw was an endless sea of dunes, rising and falling as the sands slowly shifted around him. Undoing the latch on one of his saddle bags, he pulled out a book and opened it to a bookmarked page containing old photograps of the Saddle Arabian landscape. Mystic took a great deal of care in turning each individual page, since this had been given to him on loan from Princess Twilight's library. The edges of the book were already frayed, with some pages barely remaining in one piece with how badly they were ripped. Still, despite it's age, Mystic knew that this book was incredibly important to his journey. All of the photographs were taken by various explorers from early equestrian history, documenting every little detail about Saddle Arabia, including some of the first ever communications with the native ponies.
Mystic sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He had considered making the journey without any clothing, as the majority of ponies would do. It would certainly be a more practical means of keeping cool than his heavy robes. Despite this, he knew that with his mission of scientific representation for the Canterlot university, he would make a better impression on the Saddle Arabians by dressing in his distinctive scholarly attire. Mystic couldn't wait to get to the city, which he had read as being build around an oasis. The thought of taking a dip in a cool spring pool made his destination enticing him so much! Rustling through his saddle bag once again, Mystic's horn lit up with magic to unfold out the letter that he had been given from Princess Twilight. All of a sudden, the cart came to a dead stop, nearly sending Mystic toppling back over into his luggage.
“Sir Mystic, please cease the use of your magic at once!” The guard bellowed in command. “Must I remind you again that, due to recent events, all unicorn magic is indefinitely banned from use in Saddle Arabia? Do you really want to see yourself arrested by local officials so soon upon arriving?!”
Mystic bowed his head in apology, immediately stopping his levitation spell. “You are correct. I forgot about that, sorry sir. I shall do my best to remember this rule. This was just a momentary force of habit, you understand?”
“I understand quite well, Sir Mystic,” the guard grumbled in reply. “See that you quell this habit quickly, as I doubt that there will be much I can do for you should you be caught using magic in the middle of a city.”
“Yes sir. I understand, sir.” Without another word, they continued off on their journey. Pinning the scroll open under his foot, Mystic began to read the letter written by Princess Twilight.
Dear Sir or Maddame
I, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and resident of Ponyville, do hereby confirm that the Mage of Mind from Canterlot University, Mystic Mind, is here on scientific business, in agreement with Saddle Arabian loyalty. He is here to study the nature of Earth Pony magic, specifically in reference to the Saddle Arabian skill of shifting sands. Mystic Mind has declared under oath that he shall abide by all specific laws and cultural customs set by the Saddle Arabian royalty. He shall work along side the local scientists and scholars in order become acquainted with the methods of research, producing a study that will be of significant benefit to all ponies within Equestria. Any questions, concerns, or other information that should require further clarification may be taken up with the Saddle Arabian authorities, including the Prince and Princess who have graciously allowed such a mission to take place. On behalf of all Ponyville and Canterlot royalty, I thank you for your time and patience with this matter.
Yours Faithfully, Princess Twilight Sparkle.
With the symbol of Princess Twilight's cutie mark stamped at the bottom, there could be no doubt that this was indeed official. Although there was one glaring omission from the letter; something which Mystic had been instructed to keep top secret. While his primary goal as stated was true, he did have a secondary goal. Through the studying of Earth Pony magic, Mystic hoped to gain a possible alternative to sealing the gates of Tartarus. Princess Twilight and the council of friendship had gotten lucky the first time. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that they could not risk the escape of someone like Tirek ever again. Needless to say, any ideas of interfering with the current operations of Tartarus was, at best, a touchy subject. Many of Mystic's colleagues had kept their lips firmly sealed about the whole thing; insisting on changing the subject to other matters instead, such as the Rainbow magic used to thwart Tirek's rampage.
A valid field of research, in of it's self, it is. Mystic thought to himself, letting out a disgruntled sigh. But those fools should know that we cannot ignore the subject of Tartarus forever! Even Cerberus is not completely infallible. There needs to be a better fail safe for when the magical beasts have another lapse in judgement!
“Sir Mystic, we have arrived!” The guard announced. Mystic immediately leaped to his feet, feasting his eyes on the magnificent buildings ahead of him. Behind the curved city walls, he could easily see the tall, cylindrical spires that were a defining staple of Saddle Arabian architecture, with each spire topped off by broad, arrow-head roofs. Many of the tallest towers had long bridges extending out from them; some made from simple connections of wood and rope, with others cut out from thick stone, carved into narrow arches over the streets below. What drew Mystic's attention the most was the long, extended walk ways, spanning out from the towers into the open air.
What possible practical application could those serve? Mystic thought to himself in query. Unless the Saddle Arabians have somehow mastered the art of flight magic as well, those ledges seem to be rather pointless. Not exactly what I'd call safe for use as a balcony either.
These were answers he would have to find out another time. The cart came to a stop outside the city gates, where two more Saddle Arabian guards were waiting for him. After the travelling guard spoke a few words in their native tongue, the two city guards opened the gates. Throwing his saddle bags and other gear over his shoulder, Mystic bowed to the guard and the camel that had brought him here, paid them the fare for their service and made his way into the city.
All of the houses stretched along the city street in long, uniform blocks; as if they had been all cut from the same block of stone long ago. Right at the end of the main street, Mystic could see a beautiful round temple, possibly dedicated to one of the several enchanted beasts that were widely known to roam the dessert. The shining teal dome filled Mystic with a rush of excitement, his body nearly shaking at the prospect of getting to look at all of the patterns and engravings up close. Just thinking about all of the ancient text gave the green unicorn a wide toothy grin that he hadn't made since the day he got his cutie mark!
Even through all this excitement, Mystic couldn't forget that he was still here on official business. Mystic held his right hoof up to his chest and took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled while sweeping his hoof out. It was a simple calming trick that he had learned from Princess Twilight, and considered where she was now, it was a method he trusted to be effective. After a few more deep breaths, Mystic walked into a nearby bar, eagerly anticipating a refreshing drink and a nice chat with some of the locals.
As he walked inside, Mystic took a good for moments to look around and become fully acquainted with his surroundings. Despite getting some estranged stares from one or two individuals, the majority of the Ponies just went about their business, paying little attention to the green unicorn who seemed to be walking around rather aimlessly. Mystic looked up towards the brightly coloured stretches of exotic cloth were strung up between the pristine white columns. Several exotic plants were placed around the room in brightly coloured ceramic pots, each one holding various flowers that gave the air a distinctive aroma. Mystic walked down to the far end of the bar, inhaling deeply to get a full whiff of the flowers' scent.
A gentle hoof tap in Mystic's shoulder made the unicorn nearly jump right into the plant pots in surprise. “Excuse me sir, is there anything I can help you with?”
“Huh?” Mystic gave a puzzled look at he turned around to greet the figure, before quickly realizing by the slim brown Pony's vivid crimson waistcoat and matching trousers that it was, in fact, one of the bar tenders working here. “Oh! Right, sorry. I was just so absorbed by the beautiful surroundings. I've wanted to visit Saddle Arabia for so long, I figured, why not make the most of it? I just can't wait to learn more about this place!”
“It is indeed quite beautiful sir.” The bar tender responded with a gentle tone, speaking perfect English despite his thick, eastern accent. “Is there anything I can get you to drink? Perhaps some of our fine local fruit juices shall be to your taste?”
“That sounds positively delicious, thank you.” Mystic replied softly, trying to keep his enthusiasm in check. “Do you per chance have any of that pomegranate juice I've read so much about?”
“Of course we do. So please, come right this way and be seated. Your drink shall be along shortly.”
Following the bar tender, Mystic walked past several low tables with purple cushions around them, choosing to sit on a wicker chair in front of the bar table instead. It only took a couple of minutes before his drink was ready, which Mystic sipped through a long straw with great delight.
“So I take it you've travelled quite far to get here, would I be correct?” The bartender asked.
“Oh yes, the journey took a fair couple of weeks to get here,” Mystic replied. “I currently reside in Canterlot, although I make regular visits back to my home town of Manechester. I must say, camping is not quite the form of shelter I would desire to sleep in, but I make do with what was necessary. With that being said, I've been here less than an hour and already those minor annoyances were all worth it in the end!”
“I can certainly tell you have become quite absorbed in our culture already. For what reason are you visiting Saddle Arabia? We are a bit out of the way for the sake of tourism.”
“Well, tourism is one purpose I have come here. I've been studying Saddle Arabia since I was a child, and this is a culture that has always fascinated me,” Mystic took another gulp of his juice before continuing. “However I am here on official business. I have been instructed by Princess Twilight Sparkle—you remember her, one of the royal overseers for the Equestria games—to study of Earth Pony magic with some local scientists. Earth Pony magic is a significantly more passive force than that of Unicorns like myself...”
The second that Mystic mentioned he was a Unicorn, the bar tender shot him a suspicious glare, as did a few other Ponies who were seated close to him. “Well then,” The bartender said, trying to remain professional. “It does seem like you are...very well versed in the topic.”
“Oh yes, I am an expert on the subject of Magic!” Mystic exclaimed before noticing the expression on the bartenders face. “I am aware that your culture has taken somewhat of a distaste for Unicorn magic, though. And I respect that. I promise you I intend no harm. There is just so much here for me to study and explore. I'm a scholar of magic back in Canterlot, you see; A Mage of Mind, as they call it. I study magic for a living. Earth Pony magic is quite an enigma to most ponies. It seems to give Earth Ponies tremendous strength to tend to the land, but there is so much more of it yet to be properly outlined! I want to fully understand how it allows some Earth Ponies to have a minor sense of pre-cognition for vague and immediate events. I've even heard stories that some Ponies can even bend the earth it's self to their will just through stomping their hooves on the ground. Isn't that amazing? Magic within a Pony's body, with no manifestation into a directly acting force, somehow able to shift a significant amount of earth. Perhaps some of the temple inscriptions could be a form of written record on the subject? Or maybe it has some relation to the magical beasts that have become the stuff of many tall tales within this region! There are just so many possibilities I just can't wait to explore it all and find out for myself! It's just so exciting!”
When Mystic finally stopped to take a breath, the room had gone deathly silent. Mystic turned to look around the room, seeing for himself how every pony looking at him with a wide eyed stare and open jaws, almost as if they had seen a ghost! Before he could open his mouth to ask what was wrong, the bar tender reached behind him and yanked down his hood. “Heathen Unicorn!” The bartender cried in damnation. “You've cursed us all with your evil magic!” Too late had Mystic realized that his horn had lit up with a glow of green magic; an all too common reaction to his expression of enthusiasm.
“W-wait, hold on, I can explain! This was all a big mistake!” Mystic scrambled to explain himself, but already the bartender was ringing a loud bell to alert the local authorities. But what stepped through the door was not any of the nearby city guards. While vaguely pony-like in shape, these creatures were made entirely of sand and dry earth, slowly marching towards Mystic; their faceless heads fixated on the green unicorn. The entire bar erupted in the screams of terrified ponies scrambling to get away from the animated creatures. Falling off of his seat, Mystic swept his front hooves around him, trying to find something that would work as a weapon to defend himself with. Grabbing one of the flower pots from off the bar table, Mystic chucked it as hard as he could, aiming directly for the head of the golem. His projectile hit it's target dead centre on the forehead, smashing the sand creature's face into several small pieces. But this did not stop it's relentless advance. Mystic could do nothing more than watch on in terror, mortified that it was his magic that had somehow summoned these creatures.
Now mere inches away, the pony golem raised up it's front legs and leaped into the air, aiming to land directly on Mystic. The unicorn mage closed his eyes tight to await the impact, but instead heard a loud bang, followed by the sound of falling rocks. Opening his eyes again, Mystic saw two Saddle Arabians, both dressed in robes of bright red and orange, their faces covered in an orange cloth mask that only exposed their eyes to the outside world. They were armed with with large chains wrapped around their feet, making it easy to throw around their long weapons; a monk's spade and a large mace, both swung with heavy blows to smash the fragile golems to pieces. Immediately they both threw their chains around Mystic's legs, dragging the unicorn along as they dashed through the crowd of sandy creature's before they could reform.
“What in equestria is going on here?” Mystic yelled at the two warriors out of fear. “Where are you taking me?!”
“No time for questions!” One of the warriors said in a feminine voice. Stomping their hooves on the ground, somehow the earth responded, opening up to reveal a steep descending staircase in front of them. With Mystic in tow, the two warriors dashed down the stairs before the earth closed up again moments later. There was no trace of the three pronies left behind, s if they had simply vanished into thin air.