Chapter 7: Homecoming
Midnight, Scootaloo, Rainbow, and Blue Streak skulked through the desert, using whatever they could find as cover. Finally, they came to a massive boulder with a large crack big enough for them to fit inside along the South edge of the mountain the fortress occupied..
The four squeezed in as Midnight used an earth seal spell to widen the space and close off the crack so they wouldn't be seen. When they were safe, Blue lit a portable lantern to give them light.
“Alright, first we need to get a better understanding of the enemy,” Midnight said, “Ready, Scootaloo?”
“I don't know. This thing sounds... not fun,” she replied, absently rubbing the angular off white helmet on her head. “Why didn't that stupid cat send it to us before we had to head out here?!”
“Have you met that guy?” Rainbow asked. “He's more than a few apples short of a bushel.”
“Yes, but he and his wife are both invaluable assets,” Midnight reminded. “Anyway, let's look at the instructions... thank the goddess Miss Charm wrote it. 'Hello, I hope this thing works for you. Miss Scootaloo might be interested to know this device was built from reverse engineered tech from the excavation of the same lab that gave her her sight in the first place.”
“That doesn't make me feel any better,” Scootaloo grumbled.
Midnight ignored her and continued reading. “'It's really quite interesting how...' The next three paragraphs are pretty much just talking about how amazing the tech is they found in that hell hole.
“Here we are. 'To activate the helmet, just say the line, 'Helm of the Ancients, lend me your sight.' It was Shiro's idea.' ...You're kidding me.”
Scootaloo groaned. “Do I have to say that?”
Midnight sighed. “Apparently you do.”
“When I see him again, I'm gonna hit him,” Scootaloo warned.
“Officially, I must recommend you not do that,” Midnight stated. “Unofficially, a weakened dark arrow won't leave any trace.”
Scootaloo growled in frustration and said, “Helm of the Ancients, lend me your sight.”
The helmet hummed to life and Scootaloo's world shifted. Everything behind, beside, above, and below vanished. Everything ahead, however, exploded into sight. She could see much farther than she had ever seen, but it was just as disorienting as Miss Charm warned.
As she looked around, Midnight continued. “Alright, this is why Miss Charm said to use this thing somewhere secure. It says the helmet hijacks your motor control, so your body won't move, but your perception will.”
Scootaloo said, “This is... I don't know how, but it's awesome and sucks at the same time.”
“How's that work?” Rainbow asked.
“It's like... an adrenaline rush, but my whole body's numb and I can't use the energy.”
“That does sound like it would suck,” Blue chimed in.
“Yeah, but I can see through the entire mountain,” Scootaloo said.
“Good, then we can do what we're here to do,” Midnight said. “What do you see? Where's our target?”
“I'm counting at least a hundred of those monster ponies, maybe two hundred,” Scootaloo observed. “Those things look disgusting. Their magic's all twisted and wrong. I don't think they're natural.”
“What about Starswirl and that d-dog wannabe?” Rainbow asked.
“Starswirl's walking through a hallway near the back, but...” Scootaloo focused on one unusual point. “What the hell?”
“What's wrong?” Midnight asked.
“There's a big block of nothing,” Scootaloo replied, baffled by the strange void.
“A 'big block of nothing'?” Midnight parroted questioningly.
“You know how even rocks have magic? It's not much, but enough that I can see it.” Scootaloo explained. “This is just... nothing.”
“So... an empty room?” Rainbow ventured.
“No, if it was just empty room, I could see through it. I can't see through this at all.”
“Sounds like Maudrainium. It negates magic,” Blue offered. At the confused looks he got, he explained, “I used it on a couple jobs.”
Midnight pondered this for a moment. “So, either he's protecting something from prying eyes, or more likely-”
Scootaloo suddenly screamed, collapsing to the ground.
“Scootaloo!” Midnight rushed over, ripping the helmet from her head.” Scootaloo, what happened?”
Scootaloo took several shuddering breaths, trying to get herself under control before replying. “He... he was heading to the blank room, so I focused on it, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever was inside. When he opened it, though... I don't know what's in there, but it has more magic than I've ever seen. Even that Nag-Ta guy wasn't that bright.”
Midnight felt a twinge of fear pass through him. Nag-Ta was one of the most powerful beings he'd ever known. To think there was something or someone more powerful...
“We need to get back, now.”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
When they arrived back at camp, everything was already gone. Not a trace of Dawn Shield ever even being there remained. Midnight smiled at the sight.
Scootaloo trotted off and stomped a hoof next to a small, withered shrub. “Right here.”
Midnight's seal flared with an earth spell and the ground dropped in around Scootaloo. He, Rainbow, and Blue followed her down, Midnight raising the ground behind them.
“Welcome to Chateau de Badlands,” greeted the posh voice of Rarity. “How did it go?”
“We got plenty of intel, some of it worrisome,” Midnight said. “Can you get everyone together? I'm going to check on the gear real quick.”
“Of course.”
The newly excavated underground complex was impressive to say the least. The trucks were parked close by, and beyond was enough space to house every one of them and their equipment for an extended siege if necessary.
Midnight decided to actually inspect it later. Instead, he approached his brother, the human sorting out everything they brought.
“How're my boys?” Midnight asked.
Jacob looked up with a smile. “They're good, but I'm sure Ymir is feeling left behind, all cold and alone.”
Midnight rolled his eyes. “We don't need that much firepower, and it's not maneuverable enough for this engagement.”
“Yeah, but I want to shoot it's big gun again,” Jacob said with a chuckle.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Twilight hummed as she scratched her chin in thought. “We can only assume it's whatever he took from Discord.”
“That was my thought as well,” Midnight concurred, “but did Discord really have that much power?”
“Well, he did twist Ponyville and Canterlot into his own twisted versions of them,” Lyra chimed in. “The amount of pure mana needed would be astronomical.”
“Unless he figured out the Comet Dust theory,” Twilight added.
“Not to enact a regional thaumic shift,” Lyra countered.
“Good point.”
“In Equestrian, for those of us that didn't go to some fancy magic school,” Applejack interrupted.
“Basically, either he was just that powerful, or he could pull mana from the environment, like Aurora, but probably the first,” Sweetie explained.
“It's a good thing we got our egghead to Equestrian dictionary,” Applebloom teased.
“Yeah, you guys would be totally lost without me,” Sweetie replied.
“Alright, enough,” Midnight put an end to the banter. “This is going to be our first priority. Scootaloo, did you see any underground structures?”
“Not a lot, and most of it only went down two floors,” Scootaloo said. “But I think there's a dungeon a just below that. It's small and full of metal but nothing else, so I didn't pay much attention to it.”
“That's a bit too far away to excavate a tunnel,” Applejack said. “Especially seein' as only Applebloom and Rarity got earth seals, and Rarity's magic's best suited for precision, not power.”
“Maybe if we can get a small team close enough...” Midnight pondered. “Scootaloo, how's your shadow walk?”
“It's pretty good,” Scootaloo said. “I snuck around Fluttershy's cottage and none of the animals saw me.”
“And I even told them all to watch out for her,” Fluttershy added.
“Twilight, how's yours?”
“Not as good as that, but I can supplement it with spell and illusions,” Twilight said.
“Alright, here's the plan.”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Aurora marched with the other foals, trying to blend in. Thankfully, the creature didn't come any closer. It just floated above the castle ruins, singing.
As they crossed a old rickety rope bridge, Aurora's nervousness skyrocketed, but so did her excitement. She had heard the story enough times to figure out that was the same bridge Rainbow Dash fixed to prove her loyalty. A part of her couldn't help but feel excited that she was going to the same place her mommy had found the Elements of Harmony and saved Equestria.
She only wished she was there under better circumstances.
Not long after they crossed the bridge, they passed through a massive broken door. Aurora's heart pounded harder and harder as they made their way through the old dusty halls and into a large room, centered by a huge pedestal she recognized from paintings. This was the very room her mommy and her friends' battle with Nightmare Moon started.
It was in this room, they became heroes.
Aurora swallowed hard, steeling herself for what was to come. Just like mommy.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Starswirl and Nag-Ta stood in the old map room of the ancient fortress. Before them, two windows floated in the air, showing two different locations.
“Your brother and sisters have arrived, thankfully without alerting our guests,” said the old wizard.
“Does that mean we're almost done?” Adagio asked. “I'm already sick of babysitting.”
“Are the foals secure?” Nag-Ta asked.
“Yes, they're all locked up and ready when you are,” Adagio answered.
Starswirl turned to the second window. “And you? Are you in position?”
Sombra grinned maliciously from the magical viewer. “I'm ready and eager. It has been far too long.”
“Wait for my command,” Starswirl ordered. “We shall commence in the morning. Be ready.”
With a flash of his horn, Starswirl banished the windows as he made his way for the door. “Remember, demon, these are noble ponies, despite being our adversaries. Do not use that claw of yours if you can help it. I would like to see them reborn in the new world.”
Nag-Ta smiled a sweet-poison smile. “I will try.”
Starswirl sneered as he left the room, heading toward the lower levels. He passed by more of those twisted abominations the demon brought with him. They disgusted the old stallion.
He took a deep breath, reminding himself they were just a tool; a means to an end. After everything was said and done, they, like their master, would be gone and the world would be as is should.
Down several flights of stairs, Starswirl went deeper and deeper into the fortress until he found himself in the dungeons. There, two of his daughters greeted him.
“Hi daddy!” Sonata cheered, joyfully.
“Hi, dad,” Aria said in her usual, uncaring tone.
“Girls, how is your brother?”
“He's still all-” Sonata finished with a crossed-eyed as she twisted a hoof by her head and whistled.
“Release him.”
The two sirens started singing a soft, short melody. Starswirl took a seat before the far cell, watching as his son stirred.
“Wha... where am I?” Discord asked, looking around in confusion.
“It is good to see you well, my son.”
Discord's eyes shot wide in shock as they found the old stallion. “F-father?”
“I apologize for what I did. I had no choice,” Starswirl said, looking genuinely regretful.
Discord, however, only felt anger boiling up. “You're 'sorry'? Y-you... You tried to kill me!”
“No, I didn't try to kill you, I simply couldn't avoid it,” Starswirl explained. “It was regretful, but your death wouldn't have been permanent. You would have been the first to be reborn in the new world.”
“You betrayed me!” Discord shouted. “You cut that thing out and left me to die, yet the princess was still able to save my life. You can't tell me there was no way to remove it without killing me. All you had to do was ask and I would have taken it out myself, instead...”
“You must realize what it is I'm trying to accomplish, my son,” Starswirl pleaded. “This world is broken beyond repair, but with the Chaos Stone it can be remade in our image.”
Discord glared at him. “No, it can't. You're messing with a power you don't understand. You can't control chaos. That's what makes it chaos. It will never do what you want it to. All you can do is point it in a direction and let it work.
“You'll make a new world, alright, but it won't be the one you imagined.”