Magic: The Gathering meets My Little Pony. Utter chaos ensues.
Planeswalkers are mystical beings that can travel between universes. They have the power of near-infinite magic at their fingertips. When Garruk, a human planeswalker, chases his prey Liliana into the land of Equestria, he starts a chain of events that will lead ultimately to a war with Equestria. Twilight Sparkle, one of the four alicorn planeswalkers, must find a way to settle the conflict before her world is destroyed.
(A crossover with Magic: The Gathering. As such, it contains violence, spellcasting and ridiculous amounts of fun. Strewn about the story are links to relevant Magic cards. At the end of each chapter is a fanmade card related to the story so far.)
Since the founding of Equestria, it's been known that there have existed five basic forms of mana that make up the entire energy of the universe and beyond. These are as follows: White mana, blue mana, black mana, red mana and green mana.
White mana is focused on maintaining order and the good of the many. Wizards who use white mana typically summon smaller, efficient creatures that can keep an opponent locked down, or controlled. White spellcasters have many spells that keep themselves healthy and their servants alive. However, if a white mage is provoked, they may unleash a torrent of spells that will annihilate everything on the battlefield, be it friend or foe. White is a strong supporter of morality and justice, and dislikes red mana and black mana because of this.
Blue mana is similar to white mana in some ways. It also emphasizes control and order, but it does not care one way or the other about morality. Blue mages seek knowledge and wisdom. Users of blue mana typically summon anything from the smallest seafolk to the largest ocean-dwelling serpents. They prefer to deal with their enemies through non-lethal methods, such as incapacitating them with enchantments or unsummoning spells. Blue wizards delay until they can slowly wear their enemy out. Blue mages dislike red and green magic due to their spontaneity and impulse.
Black mana cares about one thing, and that is power at any cost. They seek an advantage for themselves, even if it means sacrificing their followers or destroying themselves in the process. Because of the price the black mages pay, they have access to many of the spells that other colors do. Black mages typically summon the dead to do their bidding, but can also call upon demons or vampiric . It is important to note, however, that black mages are not necessarily evil, just as white mages aren't necessarily good. It all depends on how they are used. Black mana hates white mana and green mana because they emphasize life and growth.
Red mana focuses on the present. It does not plan for the future, but uses its immediate resources to work hard and work fast. In a duel against a red mage, the fight can be over in a matter of seconds if one is not prepared. Red wizards can summon dragons or fierce warriors to overwhelm their opponent. They also have a mastery over destruction magic, allowing them to burn lesser creatures to cinders with a flick of their hooves. They are passionate about everything they do. Red mages don't get along with white mages or blue mages due to their overthinking of situations.
Finally, there is green mana. Those who are acquainted with green spells can summon large beasts to assist them. With a few powerful creatures at their disposal, they can turn the tide of battle simply by battling their opponent with sheer muscle. Whether on the offensive or the defensive, green mages have powerful allies to protect them. Green dislikes black and blue, as they are deceptive and misleading.
Nearly every being is aligned with a color of mana in the Multiverse. Some beings have a spark in them that, when ignited, allows them to cast spells beyond the level of any normal creature. These beings are referred to as planeswalkers. As of this writing, the only known planeswalkers in Equestria are the Princesses Celestia and Luna, who became alicorns when their spark was activated. It may be that either only planeswalkers are alicorns, or only alicorns are planeswalkers. However, there are bound to be more as time goes on. Planeswalkers have the amazing ability to shift between different universes, exploring a near-infinite web of planets and worlds.
Equestria has not had as many visiting planeswalkers as other planes have. Whether this is because of the current reign of order and peace is unknown. Some speculate that this plane may be hidden from other planeswalkers either by mistake or by the Princesses' will. This writer believes that it may be an attempt by the alicorns to maintain order. However, a planeswalker may someday come to visit Equestria. Perhaps on that day, ponykind will learn more about the Multiverse and those that inhabit it.
Twilight Sparkle set the book down, tapping a hoof to her chin in thought. "Wow, Star Swirl sure knew a thing or two about magic. I'm surprised he never ended up a planeswalker like myself."
Spike, who had been sleeping in a nearby chair while the alicorn read aloud, woke up with a start. "Huh? What? Are you doing another late-night reading session again, Twi?"
The lavender alicorn closed the book and levitated it back to its place on the library shelf. "Just finishing up, Spike. Go on back to bed." With that, she clambered up to the second floor and lay down in her bed. Since she had just recently ascended, she needed to learn more about her kind. Unfortunately, there was little information in Equestria. Star Swirl was one of the few wizards who had written of them, and he had long-since passed away. Maybe she would ask Celestia tomorrow about the lack of planeswalkers, she thought as sleep slowly took her.
In Equestria's capital city of Canterlot, many beings lived and carried out their day-to-day routines. The variety of those who lived there ranged from the smallest rats in the sewer to the largest dragons who guarded the nation's gold depository. Those who primarily lived there, however, were ponies. These relatively small equine creatures were the backbone of Equestrian society, the bread to the delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was law and order. They also happened to be one of the most common sentient beings in the universe.
Well, that particular universe, anyway.
On this day, the spark to a perilous and strange war was about to be ignited. It all started when a strange being appeared within the walls of the capital.
This particular being was known as Garruk Wildspeaker, a rather large (and hairy) fellow. He appeared to be a human, which in itself would have been strange; however, he was something more. He was a planeswalker, a sentient and powerful being with the ability to travel the Blind Eternities between universes. As a planeswalker, he was also a powerful mage.
Garruk was in Canterlot for one reason and one reason only: Liliana Vess. The witch was a fellow planeswalker such as himself, but she was twisted and amoral. She sought only her own gain and others' pain. And she needed to be killed.
That was where he came in. He had been chasing her across the Multiverse in hot pursuit, but she was always one step ahead. But this time, he felt that he could end it once and for all. All he had to do was seek audience with the rulers of this strange world and ask for their assistance in finding Liliana.
As Garruk strode along the stone paths of Canterlot, he ignored the strange looks he received from the pony citizens. They were of no concern to him, as most had never done so much as hit another creature in their entire life. His real prey was lurking somewhere in this plane, and he knew just the way to find her.
A stallion dressed in royal guard armor stepped in Garruk's path, a mistake that few dared to make. "Excuse me, sir, but you're not allowed to-"
He pushed the pony aside, not slowing his pace as he advanced on Canterlot's castle. "Out of my way, horse. You're not who I'm after."
The guard looked surprised at this. Who did this overgrown ape think he was, ignoring an officer of the law? He hurried after him, once again stepping in front of the man. "Stop in the name of the law. None may see the Princesses without proper appointment."
Garruk towered over the stallion, an irritated look on his face. "This is an emergency. I don't have time for invitations." Once again, he stepped around the guard and continued on his way. The castle was only a short distance away now. He was so close to his goal, he could practically-
A rather dull blade poked Garruk in the small of his back. Slowly, he made a 180-degree turn and found the guard there once again, a spear gripped between his teeth. "Nopony may pass unless they go through me."
The man had no time for this. In a flash, he yanked the weapon from the pony and snapped it in two. "Well, I'm not a pony," he said before tossing both ends of the spear aside. The stallion did not move, his eyes widening and his hooves rooted to the ground in fear.
"Uh, right! Go on ahead, mister!" Before Garruk could do any more harm, the guard had darted away like a frightened foal.
Garruk let out a small chuckle. No simple equine would stop his hunt for the witch. He hurried off for the Princess's abode.
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Shining Armor was on his usual patrol around Canterlot Castle, just like any other day. He was itching to be done with guard duty so he could return to his wife, Cadence. They were taking a brief vacation from the Crystal Empire for a while, which meant that Shining had to once again assume his duties as captain of the watch. Sure, he was grateful for the job, but it sure did get boring after a while. Nothing ever happened during guard duty.
The captain's thoughts were interrupted as a guard galloped over to him, his tail between his legs. "Sir! Sir! Something's happened!"
Shining Armor blinked. "What is it, soldier? Somepony steal a sweetroll?"
"Much worse, sir. There's a big talking ape wandering around the streets. And he broke my spear!"
The captain chuckled. "Ha! You had me there for a second, soldier. Pssh, an ape."
"With all due respect, sir, this is no laughing matter!" The guard looked anxious. "It's heading right for the castle!"
Shining Armor gasped. "We must stop it, then. Gather as many soldiers as you can so we can detain it. I'll go and track it down." He was off like a shot towards the main gate of the castle to cut off the creature.
It only took him a matter of seconds, in his heightened state, to reach the gates. In front of him stood the largest and ugliest gorilla he had ever seen (Though, why a gorilla would wear clothes and carry an axe eluded him). Shining stomped a hoof on the ground and addressed the monster:
"You're not getting in there, buddy. Back away from the castle before I'm forced to arrest you."
The primate regarded him angrily. "What are you and all your little horse friends compared to one of my friends?" He whistled, and a gigantic four-legged beast crashed through a building and in Shining's direction. The stallion barely had the time to react; he lunged to the side just as the beast's horns pierced the air where he had been not moments ago. It skidded for a short distance before turning around and preparing for another run at him.
But Shining Armor had a plan. His horn glowed reddish-pink and he fired a magic aura at the creature. Arcane bindings encircled its legs, toppling it over and temporarily ending its rampage. He returned his attention to the ape. "You'll go no further. Stop now and your punishment won't be too severe."
But the hairy creature shook its head. "I will not be bound to the shackles of your laws, little pony. I don't have time for this." It turned and stomped off, continuing towards the castle. The captain of the guards knew he could not let this happen. He galloped after the ape and leaped into the air in an attempt to tackle it. But the hairy one did not even flinch. Before the captain could comprehend what had happened, the ape had shaken him off his back and thrown him a considerable distance. Shining collided against the wall of a residential building and collapsed on the floor.
"Wow, that is one... haa... powerful ape." He rose to his hooves with a great deal of effort. Looking forward, the guard saw that the primate was charging inside the castle. He had to protect the Princesses! The unicorn followed behind, his sense of duty overwhelming his immense fear.
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The sun goddess Princess Celestia sat upon her throne as she had done every day for over a thousand years. Her sister and fellow goddess, Princess Luna, was at her side. The two were currently listening to a cabbage vendor's complaints:
"Those pesky little foals are always knocking over my cabbage stand!" the stallion said. "Not to come off as rude, Your Majesties, but I wish there was a law against it. Don't you think it's-" Behind the vendor, the large and intricate double-doors burst open with a loud crack. Standing in the doorway was a giant creature that Celestia recognized as a human.
"I seek audience with you," he said bluntly, lumbering across the royal hall towards the alicorn. The cabbage vendor yelped at the strange figure and galloped out of the hall in a hurry.
The sun goddess stared at this man for a time. She was a bit shocked, to say the least; humans had been extinct since the early years of her reign. Not only that, but she could sense powerful waves of mana emanating from him. "You are not from here," she concluded after a short time. "Welcome to Equestria. I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister Princess Luna."
The man stood rigid, neither bowing nor threatening. "I am Garruk Wildspeaker, and I'm looking for someone."
Celestia knew at once what this creature was doing here. "Wait a moment. You are a planeswalker. Just as we are." She gestured to her sister. This fact filled the Princess with worry. Never had there been a fellow planeswalker to arrive from another land! She had hoped that it would have stayed that way.
"I am. But it is not you who I seek. I'm hunting for a necromancer by the name of Liliana Vess."
"A fellow planeswalker, we assume?" said Luna. "We have not seen or heard of another until your arrival. Perhaps thou art looking in the wrong plane."
Garruk shook his head. "No. She is elusive. The witch may be hiding among the swamps and bogs of your land for malicious reasons."
Celestia did not feel comfortable around this individual. Just from his appearance, she could tell that he was a master of green magic: spells that involved summoning creatures and strengthening them. Typically his kind cared little for rules and society. "If that is the case, Wildspeaker, I will have my royal guards capture her. But we will have no 'hunting' in this land." Her voice turned stern. "We are a peaceful civilization. If anything were to interfere with our way of living, I would not be pleased."
Garruk frowned. "You don't know what you're dealing with. Vess will sow seeds of death and decay in your land if she is not cut down." He made a slicing motion with his hand to emphasize the point. "She desires nothing but power, and she will eliminate anyone that stands in the way of it."
The man craned his head behind him as the doors opened yet again, revealing Shining Armor and a small band of soldiers. "There's the hairy one! Arrest him!" The guards charged at him, spears at the ready. Garruk tensed and raised his heavy axe in preparation for battle.
But Celestia ended it before it began. With a quick blast of magic, she separated Garruk from his attackers and confined him within a magic bubble. "Garruk, I will give you one final warning: You can leave this plane of your own volition, or I can send you to the moon for a few centuries to consider your wrongdoings."
"My wrongdoings? It's the witch that's doing the wrong!" he shouted from within the bubble. "I must eliminate her! I must-" His last warning was not heeded, however. Garruk and the bubble disappeared with a flash.
Shining Armor wiped his brow with a foreleg in relief. "Good work, men! And... Princess Celestia, of course."
"Tia!" cried Princess Luna. "Stop thine lunar antics at once, please! Do you not remember what happened the last time you sent somepony to the moon?" The moon princess shuddered.
"Are you forgetting something, dear sister? I couldn't have sent him to the moon without the Elements of Harmony, anyways. It was a mere bluff to scare him off, though it didn't really work."
"Then where didst thou send him?"
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Garruk mumbled something about bananas and opened his eyes, looking at his new surroundings. The planeswalker was trapped in a stone room behind a set of metal bars that prevented him from leaving his prison.She hadn't sent him to the moon, thankfully, but to some dungeon.
He was about to cut down the bars, but his axe was gone. He spotted it just outside of the cage. Determined to escape, he tried to destroy his prison with magic. Unfortunately, the spell simply fizzled and died out. He tried again, but it ended the same way.
"Damn. Must be shrouded in some sort of spell. I can't break it at all." He had one last trick up his sleeve. He might be able to shift out of this plane, then shift back in again somewhere else. He concentrated with all his might. But something was stopping him. This prison was far more advanced than he had realized, for he couldn't leave! Perhaps he was simply tired from casting those spells.
From behind the planeswalker, a tiny homonculus also stood within the prison. "Now, how did I end up here...?" he spoke aloud, single eye widening as he saw Garruk. "Oh, hello. Do you know which way I would go to get to Ravnica?"
Garruk groaned. The moon sounded pretty tantalizing right about now.
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Celestia gave her sister a look. "It does not matter. The point is, we can't have any more planeswalkers here. Outsiders will cause chaos and calamity."
"What about the one he spoke of? The one named Liliana?"
The sun goddess thought. "Yes, he could be telling the truth. Shining Armor, take four guards to Froggy Bottom Bog in search of any strange goings-on. If you find another creature like this one, do not try and confront it. Contact me immediately."
The captain saluted. "Yes, Princess!" He turned and left with a hoofful of guards in tow.
Luna turned worriedly to her sister. "Dost thou think this means what I think it means?"
Celestia nodded. "We must speak with Twilight Sparkle as soon as possible."
In the sunny and bright town of Ponyville, seven friends sat down in the green pastures to enjoy a picnic and each other's company. One of them, a lavender alicorn with straight purple hair, grasped her picnic basket with magic and opened it. A blanket flew from inside the container, draping itself over a section of the grass. Plates and cups wrapped in the alicorn's magical aura followed after, landing gently on the blanket.
"There we are! Picnic's ready," she said.
Her friends gave her a smile. One of them, a young dragon by the name of Spike, licked his lips. "Where's the food, Twilight?"
"Hang on," said the alicorn. She levitated six daisy sandwiches from the basket, passing one to herself and her other friends. Then a large gem floated out, landing with a plink on Spike's plate. "There you go."
The dragon rubbed his hands together eagerly, lifting the gem to his mouth and swallowing it whole. Twilight's other friends also started eating, albeit in a much more polite manner.
"Thank you, Twilight," said a yellow pegasus named Fluttershy. "I'm so glad we could do this."
"I am, too." Since she had ascended and become a planeswalker like Celestia and Luna, she hardly had any time for her friends back in Ponyville. "I've been so busy that I've barely seen you girls in months!"
Rarity, a white unicorn, adjusted her mane with a hoof. "That reminds me, darling: how's your training coming along? Learned any new spells from the Princesses?"
Twilight looked down at her hooves, obviously uneasy. "Uh, a few. Though they want me to avoid rifting to any new planes for a while. They say that it's dangerous outside of Equestria for ponies."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "But you're more than a pony now! You have all the magic in the world in your hooves and they won't let you even explore?"
The alicorn merely shrugged. "I don't mind. Maybe they're right." Twilight knew, of course, that the Princesses were just trying to protect her from the dangers of the Multiverse. Not all planes were as peaceful as Equestria, after all. There hadn't been an outsider from another plane in a long, long time. On the other hoof, though, she had a deep desire to explore the Multiverse. Not many ponies had that opportunity, after all! She raised her sandwich and opened her mouth to take a bite.
A bright white light flashed. Twilight blinked, and she was no longer in Ponyville. Looking forward, she found she was in the presence of Princess Celestia and Luna in a large and decorative marble room. The pony knew at once where she was: Canterlot Castle.
"Twilight Sparkle," addressed Celestia. "We need to speak with you."
The purple alicorn quickly got over the shock of being teleported, the feeling being replaced with fear. "What's wrong?" She was only to be summoned this way when it was of the utmost importance. "Is it Tirek again? Diplomacy issues with the Zebra kingdom? Or... Discord?"
The sun goddess shook her head. "No, my student. The day has come upon us at last."
Twilight blinked. "You don't mean... another planeswalker?"
Luna spoke up. "It is. We have one sealed in the dungeon for the time being."
"You mean there's more than just one!?"
Celestia nodded. "There is one hiding somewhere in Equestria. We have already sent your brother and several other capable soldiers to locate them."
Twi had little doubt in her brother's combat prowess, but she wondered to herself if he would be able to take down a planeswalker. Few ponies even knew what they were capable of except for the most high-ranking officials. Sensing the alicorn's doubt, Celestia spoke up again. "Do not worry for your brother. We have instructed him to avoid a fight and instead contact us when he finds the planeswalker."
"Which is precisely why we have summoned you," said Luna. "We must be ready to confront this intruder at a moment's notice. In our absence, you will watch over Canterlot."
The alicorn looked unsure. "Me? Why not Cadence?"
Celestia smiled at her student. "You are more familiar with alicorn magic, thanks to that incident with Tirek. We feel that it would be better to place the palace under your control. And besides, it will only be for a short amount of time."
"What should I do in the meantime?" asked Twilight.
"Perhaps you should speak with the captured planeswalker and find out what they know." Celestia and her sister stepped away from the throne and toward one of the room's many doors, beckoning for the student to follow. The three made their way down a set of stairs to a darker stone room.
Twilight looked around and saw a large man behind a set of iron bars that cut the room in half. He raised an eyebrow at the arrival of the Princesses, but otherwise showed no interest.
"Have you come to your senses yet?" he asked. "I've got a witch to kill."
Celestia shook her head. "Princess Sparkle here would like to ask you some questions, Garruk."
Twilight looked at the man, a bit intimidated by his size. Surely he could escape from his prison and crush her in an instant! But she remembered that the entire dungeon was indestructible. She gulped and asked her first question: "Why have you come here?"
Garruk sighed. "I told the taller ones the same thing: to track down that witch Liliana and seek revenge. If you let me out, I'll finish her and be on my way."
Celestia shook her head. "I'm afraid we can't let you go yet. When we have captured the planeswalker and dealt with her as we see fit, you may return to your home."
The man tightened his grip on the metal bars. "She's not yours to 'deal with'. I'm the one who's hunted her across the Multiverse and endured her evil curses, she's my prey."
The purple alicorn looked Garruk in the eye. "Are there any others?"
"As far as I know of, no."
"For the sake of Equestria and yourself, I hope you're right."
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Shining Armor and his troops waded through the mucky bog, eyes peeled and spears out. They could see no sign of any planeswalker, though; no tracks, no strange goings-on, nothing. Either they were hiding from somepony, or they just weren't here.
One guard groaned as he removed a pesky leech from his hind leg. "Captain, can we head back to Canterlot now? It's obvious this is just a wild goose chase."
Shining shook his head. "Not until we find the witch. If Celestia says for us to look here, then she must be here. Now keep searching, men!" The five of them spread out to look for signs.
After a half-hour more of searching to no avail, though, Shining was beginning to wonder if there was anybody here. Maybe it would be a good idea to head back... He shook himself free of that thought. Equestria's safety hinged on himself and the guards. They had to keep looking.
Just as the captain was about to say some encouraging words to his men, however, he heard a deep rumbling beneath his feet. He backed away just before a large, skeletal beast began to rise from beneath the swampy ground, its decaying flesh trembling as it was filled with unnatural life. Immediately, Shining raised his spear. "We've got company!"
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Celestia's horn glowed for a brief moment, and her eyes widened. Twilight looked at the sun goddess in worry, but the older alicorn quickly returned to her normal state.
"Your brother has told me he encountered a particularly necromantic monster within Froggy Bottom Bog. My sister and I must go and investigate immediately. Your time has now come to guard over the castle."
Twilight stared at the ground. "Okay, I'll do my best." Celestia put a hoof on her student's chin and looked her in the eye.
"Do not worry. Everything will be fine." And with that, she and her sister were gone in a flash of white light.
Twilight sat down on the floor of the dungeon. She had never been given such a big responsibility before, aside from the incident with Tirek. And what if everything wouldn't be fine? What if something happened to the Princesses?
Garruk stood in his prison, observing the alicorn. Perhaps there was some way that he could convince her to set him free. "You're worried, aren't you?" he asked.
The Princess looked up at him in surprise. "Yes," she replied hesitantly. "I mean, I have no idea what that planeswalker is capable of." She blinked, remembering something. "But I bet you do."
He nodded. "I might tell you if you let me out of here."
The purple mare thought about it for a while. "How can I trust you?"
"I'm a man of my word. Besides, do you have any other choice?"
"Fine." Twilight stood up and approached the metal bars of the prison. "Tell me what you know first, and I'll let you out."
Garruk looked at the mare, finally deciding to speak after a time. "Liliana practices black magic and summons the dead to do her bidding. She can even drain the life force of living creatures to keep herself healthy. Not only that, but she can put debilitating curses on her foes."
Twilight cringed. "That sounds awful. Why is she here?"
"I can think of a few reasons. I have heard that she's gathering power to destroy a group of powerful archdemons she made a deal with. She must believe that she can harness the mana of this plane once you're gone to become even more powerful."
The alicorn didn't know what to think. Celestia and Luna were in serious danger! She had to do something to help them. Yet, she couldn't leave the castle unsupervised. Maybe she could warn them somehow...
"Ahem. Your end of the bargain?"
"Oh." She unlocked and opened the prison door. "Look, if you can stop this Liliana..."
"Of course." He looked down at his feet. "But, uh... can you point the way out of here? I have no idea where I am."
Twi smiled. "I've got it." She let loose a spell from her horn, teleporting the planeswalker from the dungeon to Froggy Bottom Bog. No need to make him rile up the whole capital again. Then, without further hesitation, she rushed to find a quill and parchment.
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The zombified beast roared and charged the soldiers, bowling several of them over. One managed to bury their weapon into the attacker, but it did little to stop it. One of the guards was caught under the creature's foot and crushed. Shining Armor wasted no time, casting a communication spell to the Princesses. "We've found an undead creature in the bog! The planeswalker must be close."
Seeing that the monster's back was turned from him, the captain galloped toward it and leaped onto its back. The beast attempted to swipe him off, but he ducked beneath its massive paw and jabbed his spear into its neck. With a vengeful roar, it shook him off and raised a leg to stomp him. The captain rolled out of the way just moments before its leg came down, then got back to his hooves and took several steps back.
He was about to point his spear at the beast, but he realized he had dropped it. Looking around frantically, he found the now-broken weapon beneath the monster's powerful foot. It snorted, preparing to trample right over him, but two guards hurriedly rushed it and stabbed with their weapons. It howled in anger and bit down on one of the stallions, shaking him around like a ragdoll and tossing him to the side.
Shining Armor, desperate to save his fellow guard, cast the first spell that came to mind, a beam of light that pierced through the monster's chest. Its lifeless body collapsed in the marsh, slowly sinking back into the mud from where it had been raised.
The two remaining guards rushed to the wounded one's side, doing their best to tend to his injuries. Shining trotted to the soldier that had died and sighed. "He was a good stallion. We'll send his body to his family." Then, he levitated the corpse's spear to himself. It may seem disrespectful, but he needed it and the stallion sure wasn't using it now.
The injured pony slowly rose to his hooves with the assistance of his comrades. "Captain, what was that thing? It looked... unnatural."
Shining glanced back at his troop. "It was most certainly undead. The witch must be close."
"Closer than you think," said a sinister and feminine voice from somewhere out of sight. A black aura began to swirl around the dead guard, and a chill went up the captain's spine. The corpse awoke from its eternal slumber, eyes glowing a deep purple and skin paling by the second. Shining Armor held the spear in front of him cautiously.
"The witch! She's casting a spell on him!" cried Shining. And the planeswalker Liliana appeared before him, a pale and striking woman with black hair and strange markings upon her skin.
"Soon, you will all be my servants," said the witch. "Give in, and your deaths won't be too agonizing." The undead guard shuffled its way toward its former allies.
The captain scoffed. "Never!" He cut down the zombie with his spear and turned to confront the planeswalker. His guards joined him at his sides, both ready for combat. He remembered Celestia's warning not to fight her, but there was no way out. If the witch could summon more creatures like that, they would have to battle their way out.
Liliana merely chuckled, and with a wave of her hand an ominous fog rolled in. Shining Armor's eyes widened as the fog passed over them, and he immediately weakened. His guards coughed and sputtered, collapsing to the ground in a heap, but he maintained his stance.
"Your hexes... won't... stop me," panted the captain. He tried to stab the planeswalker with his weapon, but she easily sidestepped and knocked him over with a backhand. He was so weakened by the fog that he couldn't even stand. Liliana stood over him, hands on her hips.
"Perhaps I should keep you alive," she mused aloud. "You have a certain charisma about you that you just don't keep after undeath. I suppose I could just enslave your mind instead of zombifying you." The planeswalker crouched down and looked at the captain closer. "You'd make a fine commander for my army of zombies."
"N-no. I'll stop you, witch..."
Liliana laughed. "You and what army?" From behind her, there was a flash of white. Celestia and Luna stood before her.
"Stay where you are, Vess," ordered Celestia. "We have no qualms about erasing you from existence."
The death mage turned around, already sensing the immense waves of mana coming of the Princesses. "More of you pesky planeswalkers? It's like your type can never seem to stay away from me."
"You shall not leave here in one piece," threatened Luna, "unless you surrender immediately. We outnumber you."
Liliana tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "Why, yes, you do. That is, for now." She raised her arms, summoning four skeletal ponies from the bog. They approached the Princesses, swords clutched between their bony jaws.
The sun goddess was not impressed. She stomped her hoof, and a purifying wave of light washed over the skeletons. Their bones scattered across the swamp. "No games. If we must destroy you, we will."
"You thought that was all I had up my sleeve?" the witch asked. She clenched her hand as a shadowy ball began to form in her grasp. The two alicorns instinctively took a step back, but they were too late to prevent the spell. The witch launched the dark energy, striking Luna with it. The blue alicorn fell to the ground, convulsing as the shadow spell began to take hold. Celestia could only watch in horror as she saw a very familiar transformation take hold of her sister.
Luna's mane swirled with magic energy, and her appearance changed before everyone's eyes. Dark armor encased the alicorn, completing her transformation into the fearsome Nightmare Moon. Then she rose, standing in front of Liliana and quickly bowing. "How may I serve you, master?"
Celestia could barely believe her ears. What had the planeswalker done to her sister? Clearly something was not right at all. Liliana simply smiled and pointed at the sun goddess.
"Slay her," she ordered the Princess of the Night. The dark alicorn complied and charged at her sister with murderous intent.
Twilight Sparkle wrote furiously with her quill, hoping to send her incredibly important letter as soon as possible. "Dear Princesses, Garruk has informed me of the planeswalker Liliana's nature. I strongly advise..."
The lavender alicorn stopped when she saw a bright flash. Celestia appeared, with Shining Armor unconscious on her back. Both were covered in scrapes and bruises, as if they had been through a rough fight.
"Princess Celestia! And Shining!" cried Twilight. "What happened? Where's Luna?"
The sun goddess took a deep breath. "The witch Liliana has taken over my sister's mind. She nearly defeated me."
"What?!" Twilight couldn't make any sense of it. "Luna is against us?"
"Not Luna anymore," said Celestia as she placed Shining Armor on the floor with her magic. "She's become Nightmare Moon once again."
"How could it be?" The purple alicorn stepped away from her letter. "We saved her with the Elements of Harmony. She can't become corrupt again... can she?"
"It appears she has. I'm confident that we can save her, but we must first do something about the witch. Where is Garruk? Perhaps he knows of some way to defeat her."
Twilight looked down at the floor sheepishly. "Umm, about that... I kind of, sort of let him free to go fight Liliana."
"You what?" asked the white alicorn incredulously.
"I let him out of his prison in the hopes that he could help you fight her. I guess he didn't show up, then?"
Celestia did her best to remain calm and patient. "My faithful student, do you know what this means? There are now three planeswalkers running rampant throughout Equestria! We must find a solution at once."
Twilight had an answer almost immediately. "We'll go get the Elements and stop her! It's worked before, it will work again."
"Right," the goddess concurred. "Find your friends quickly, Twilight. Perhaps we may have to work with Garruk after all, if I can find him." She flapped her wings and departed from the castle.
Twilight figured that the castle being empty was now the least of her problems. After making sure Shining Armor was okay, she hurried out of the castle and flew back to Ponyville.
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Twilight Sparkle's friends had been very confused by the alicorn's instant disappearance. For a while, they had imagined that something bad happened. Eventually, though, they reasoned that she must have been called by the Princesses. The five ponies and Spike resumed their lunch quietly.
After a while of eating in silence, Applejack spoke up. "Ya know? Ah'm gettin' pretty sick and tired of Twilight disappearin' like that. Ah know she's got royal duties n' all, but is it really that important that she's gotta leave at a moment's notice?"
Fluttershy looked at her farmer friend. "I don't know, Applejack. What if it really is important?"
"Aw, shucks. Nothin' important has happened since the Tirek incident, and that was a donkey's age ago."
Rarity took a bite of her daisy sandwich and joined in the conversation. "Exactly, Applejack. That's a reasonable amount of time for another emergency to come up."
The earth pony nodded. "Ah know. Ah just miss talkin' with her is all. Ah'm sure y'all do, too."
"Of course we do," said Rainbow Dash. "But if the Princesses called her, it's for a good reason. As much as I hate to say this, the fate of Equestria is more important than hanging out with her."
After a bit more small talk and conversation, the six had finished their meal. Applejack stood up when she was done and tipped her hat to her friends. "Well, Ah hate to eat n' run, but Ah gotta help mah brother with some chores."
Spike stood up. "And I've gotta wait for Twilight at the... er, castle-thingy." They all were about to go on their way, but a very distressed Twilight Sparkle landed in the center of the picnic, knocking over plates and cups.
"Girls! There's a problem."
Pinkie Pie looked at the alicorn. "What is it? A grumpy pony that needs cheering up? Did I forget somepony's birthday? Or did Pumpkin and Pound Cake fall down the old well?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, it's much much worse."
Pinkie gasped. "Something worse than forgetting a birthday?!"
"There's an evil planeswalker in Equestria. She took over Princess Luna's mind and turned her into Nightmare Moon!"
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. "Not again. I thought she was done with that."
"Should we go get the Elements?" asked Fluttershy.
The lavender pony nodded. "That's precisely what I was thinking. Hurry, before things get any worse!" She and her friends darted off.
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Meanwhile in Froggy Bottom Bog, Liliana stood with Nightmare Moon at her side. "Excellent work, servant," said the witch as she began conjuring the dead soldiers back to life. "But you must pursue her and destroy her."
"Yes, my liege," replied the Princess of the Night. "I will find her." She spread her wings and took off to find her target. Liliana calculated that the mind control spell would last for still a while longer, so she hadn't a need to worry about it wearing off. Once the corpses of the fallen ponies began to live once more thanks to her spells, she beckoned for them to follow her.
She marched out of the bog with the zombies following behind her. Once she found her way out, she would search for the nearest town and take it over. With her magic spells and superior knowledge, she knew it would be a piece of cake. If these puny soldiers had been Canterlot's best, then she had no doubt that the rest would fall shortly.
Liliana made it out of the swamp and studied her surroundings. Far off in the distance was what appeared to be a small village. That would do fine, she thought to herself. Her forces stumbled in the town's direction, hungering for the flesh of the living.
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Garruk made his way swiftly through the forest. It appeared that the alicorn's spell had put him further away from the swamp than he had thought. Focusing on the energy around him, he detected several different spikes of magic. Two were rather far away, but he could feel two more approaching quickly. He was familiar with these; he had a hunch that it was the Princesses.
The man raised his axe. He'd been hoping to avoid attracting unnecessary attention by killing them, but if it came down to it, he was both willing and able. Nobody stopped his hunt for Liliana without severe consequences.
Closer and closer they approached. Finally, a blur of white burst from the clearing, stopping in front of him. It was Princess Celestia.
"Garruk, I-"
No time for talk. With the knowledge that actions spoke louder than words, he raised his axe and swung at the Princess's neck. Had the alicorn not ducked, surely his attack would have made her a foot shorter. When his swing failed to connect, he raised the weapon again.
Celestia cast a restraining spell on the hunter, binding his hands together and stopping him outright. "Very little patience, I see," remarked the white pony. "As I was going to say before you attempted to behead me, I have come to a decision. I will help you find Liliana, on one condition."
Garruk struggled against his bindings to no avail. He sighed in resignation. "What is that condition?"
"When you have finished your deed, you leave this plane and never return."
The hunter scoffed. "I wasn't planning on coming back anyway. You have yourself a deal."
Celestia sparked her horn and Garruk's restraints disappeared. "Excellent. Unfortunately, it appears that Liliana's taken hold of my sister."
Garruk could feel a dark presence all around them. "Even more unfortunately, I think she's here."
His hunch was confirmed when a beam of dark magic carved a swath of destruction through the trees, approaching them quickly. The two planeswalkers dodged to either side, narrowly avoiding annihilation. A jet-black alicorn appeared before them, sharp teeth flashing in a sadistic grin.
"Luna, please!" begged the sun goddess. "Rebel against your master! Do you wish to suffer the same fate as last time?"
"I wish for only one thing, Celestia, and that is for your destruction." Nightmare Moon rushed her sister, but Garruk stood between the two with his axe. A swift strike with the weapon sent the moon goddess reeling in pain. "How dare you!" she cried.
Celestia cringed at the sight of Nightmare Moon's injury. "Do not kill her, Garruk!"
Garruk sighed. "Do you always have to make things complicated?" He whistled, and a great tusked beast appeared in front of them. The creature stood defensively, eager to protect its master and his companion.
The black alicorn regarded this beast with little interest. She concentrated and summoned three shadowy pegasus ponies from the Æther. The pegasi tensed and leapt at the beast, engaging in a fierce battle with it. Celestia, meanwhile, searched for the right spell to detain her twisted sister.
"Are you going to help or what?" demanded Garruk as he strengthened his creature with an enlarging spell.
"I'm wracking my brain for the spell right now," explained Celestia. "I haven't done this in a thousand years, cut me some slack!" The enlarged beast fell as the shadow ponies overwhelmed it with their sheer numbers. Nightmare Moon trotted past the defeated creature and made her way menacingly towards her sister.
"Ah, my dear sister. Always too much of a coward to take a life. Now it will be your downfall."
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" cried a voice from a short distance away. Curious, Nightmare Moon tilted her head and searched for the source of this outburst. Lo and behold, six familiar ponies stood together. Upon the necks of five were necklaces, and one had a tiara atop their head.
"Ah, the Elements of Harmony," said the Princess of the Night. "Come to stop me again, have you?"
Twilight Sparkle nodded. "This isn't you, Princess Luna! Snap out of it, or we'll have to do this the hard way!"
Celestia looked at her student. "Be careful, Twilight." She and Garruk were preoccupied with fending off the shadow pegasi that were quickly advancing on them.
"Give up, little ponies. This is my true form, and I will no longer be hampered by your friendship. I will not bow to anypony but Liliana!" Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes, a purple aura beginning to envelop her horn.
The purple alicorn pursed her lips and glanced back at her companions. "Girls! Use the Elements!" Slowly, the six ponies rose into the air, a brilliant light surrounding them. Their eyes glowed white.
But Nightmare Moon would have none of it. She unleashed jet-black tendrils from her horn that, in a flash, wrapped around Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus let out one squeak before the appendages tightened around her and turned her to stone.
In an instant, the others dropped from the air and landed in the grass with a thump. They stared in complete disbelief as the tendrils released their grip on the pegasus statue, which fell to the ground.
"Fluttershy!" screamed Applejack. The earth pony was the tentacles' next target. Within seconds, she was also petrified. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity scrambled to their hooves, desperately trying to avoid the same fate as their friends. But alas, none could escape. Finally, only Twilight was left unscathed.
"How could you?" cried the purple alicorn as the tendrils advanced upon her.
Nightmare Moon merely scowled. "I do what Liliana wishes."
Celestia tore her attention from her struggle with the pegasi to call out. "Twilight! You must flee! Quickly, escape to another plane!"
The alicorn gulped. Her mentor wanted her to planeswalk? But... she wasn't even sure if she knew how! She was about to tell the sun goddess so, but she felt a tendril creep up along her torso and wrap around her. She had no time. Without hesitation, she closed her eyes and concentrated.
Get me out of here, get me out of here, get me out of here.
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There was absolutely nothing. No sound, no light, no feeling. What was happening? Had she been petrified? The alicorn had never experienced this before in her entire life. But all at once, her senses returned. Twilight could feel a peculiar type of stone beneath her hooves.
It was time for her to get her bearings.
The pony opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of a street. Lining the road were buildings of all sizes with smokestacks poking out of them. Black smog filled the air, making it difficult for Twilight to breathe at all. This was nothing like Equestria's clean, crisp air.
She took a step forward, but immediately tripped over something. After regaining her footing, the mare turned her head to examine the object.
It was one of the Elements of Harmony. She glanced all around, finding that all five of them were strewn on the floor. Hers was still safely on her head. She levitated them up, one by one, and placed them in her saddlebag. She would need them to...
To...
What the hay was she going to do? Her friends were all petrified, and Garruk and Celestia were hardly a match for the strength of both Nightmare Moon and Liliana. Without her, Equestria would be doomed!
Twilight calmed herself. No need to panic. That would be the last thing she wanted. What she needed to do was formulate a plan. There had to be some way of stopping the threat against Equestria. What she really needed were allies to help her.
That's when the alicorn had a brilliant idea. It was risky, but it was also her only option. Nopony could deny that two heads were better than one. If she could recruit other planeswalkers to stop Liliana, then it might turn out okay. The trouble would be finding reliable-
The purple mare froze as she felt a hand rustling around in her saddlebags. Twisting around, she came face-to-face with a curious green creature with a club. Its hand retracted from the bag with Applejack's necklace in its clutches. Then, it sprinted down the road with its precious cargo.
"Hey!" Twilight shouted. The young pony flapped her wings and charged after the creature. "That doesn't belong to you!"
The thing merely snickered and doubled its pace. It was surprisingly quick, putting quite a bit of distance between Twilight and itself. She struggled to keep up, especially with the smoke invading her lungs. Whatever this place was, the air was absolutely sickening. Thinking it better to pursue on hoof, the princess landed and followed the thief into a dark alley.
"Gimme my necklace back!" Twilight ordered. "Don't you know who I am?"
The goblin looked back at her and laughed... before running straight into a brick wall. It lay spread-eagle on the ground, the artifact just out of its reach. Twilight at last levitated the necklace and put it back into her bag. Examining the goblin, she found it to be unconscious. Must have hit its head quite hard.
As she was turning around to leave, she was greeted by a horde of other goblins just like the last. They all held various bludgeons in a very menacing manner.
"Oh, horsefeathers," cursed Twilight. The goblins charged, leaving her no way out. Save for one, that is. She sparked her horn and teleported behind the mob. The goblins, dumbfounded by the disappearance of their prey, stood around in confusion for a brief moment. That gave the alicorn just enough time to slip away unnoticed and flee from the alley.
After she was sure she was safe from the creatures, Twilight looked to the horizon to get an idea of where to go next. Unfortunately, her view was blocked by spires and buildings that truly scraped the sky. However, she did notice that there was less smog in the distance. Deciding that was her best bet for now, she hurried off on foot in that direction.
Along the way, she saw quite a few different citizens of the city on their way. The alicorn saw everything from lizardmen to humans (like Garruk?) to large minotaurs all traveling up and down the street. She caught mutterings of things such as "foundry street" and "Izzet" and something called a "guildpact". Some of the people stared at her, but others merely looked forward and kept to themselves.
After a brisk walk, Twilight began to notice a change in the scenery around her. Whereas she had seen factories and foundries before, now there were many marble buildings and courtrooms. Occasionally large eagles flew overhead. She was actually surprised to find that she recognized many of the animals around here. This plane must share quite a few similarities with Equestria.
Finally, the alicorn spotted a rather large building that was adorned with elegant decorations, blue-and-white banners, and gold-colored trim. It seemed like something that Rarity would appreciate for its appearance. Twilight studied the sign emblazoned across the front of the building.
"Azorius Public Relations Headquarters," read the alicorn. "Well, I'm sure they can explain to me where I am." She trotted inside.
Twilight found herself in a marble-white room, much akin to a lobby of some sort. The interior of the building was just as ornate as the outside, but it was more difficult to appreciate due to the number of citizens inside. Many were waiting in line as a receptionist spoke with a person in front. A sign on the wall read, "Estimated wait time: 20 minutes."
Twenty minutes? Twilight had no time for waiting, she had to get help as soon as possible! But at the same time, she couldn't just cut in line. Not only was that wrong, but it was also breaking the rules! She couldn't stand to do that.
So the mare waited. As the minutes ticked by, the line moved forward at a snail's pace. It felt like it would take an eternity! Thankfully, though, she finally reached the front of the line after about a half-hour.
The receptionist was an adult human, hair tied in a bun and blue robes on. "Welcome, how may I assist you?" asked the woman in a bored tone. She didn't even bat an eye at the appearance of such a strange creature.
Twilight looked at her. "I don't know where I am."
The woman sighed. "This is the Azorius Public Relations Headquarters."
"Oh, I know that. But, I don't know what this city is called."
An incredulous blink. "You're in Ravnica, the City of the Guilds. You know, the entire hub for the guild activities? Shouldn't you already know this?"
The alicorn frowned. "I kind of, sort of just got here. By planeswalking."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "A planeswalker?" She flipped through a booklet in front of the desk and read something carefully. "Take the door on your left and wait there until further notice." The woman glanced over the mare's shoulder. "Next."
"But I still have-"
"Next, I said."
Twilight sighed and trotted to the aforementioned door, turning it open and stepping inside. This room was not at all complicated; it was simply a square room with gray walls and gray floors. In the center of the room was a small metal table with two chairs. She sat in one with some difficulty, waiting patiently. In almost no time at all, a human with dark hair and blue robes stepped into the room. He sat in the chair opposite her. At once, she felt a rush of mana emanate from him. Surely he was a planeswalker too!
"Greetings," said the man without a hint of emotion. A white marking on one of his eyes stood out to her.
"Hello," replied Twilight. "My name's Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?"
"I'm Jace Beleren," replied the man. "And welcome to Ravnica, planeswalker."
