//------------------------------// // Plans // Story: My Glory // by Eclipse Guardian //------------------------------// -Canterlot- Tirek laughed as powerless ponies ran away from him in terror at having their magic drained. The centaur was now two stories tall and heading for the palace, searching for the princesses. 'Soon their magic will be mine, foolish equines should've kept me imprisoned within their goddess' prison.' He gathered his powerful magic between his black horns then unleashed a destructive blast. “Flee in terror!!.” He laughed with evil glee. Several meters behind the centaur, a group of white armoured ponies dressed in battle robes took up places around the city. Waiting for Tirek to make one wrong move. “Wait for the Matriarch's signal.” One of them whispered. The others nodded before heading to their designated points around the city. “Let's hope the beast doesn't notice our trap before it's complete.” -Celestia- The two princesses and their group of guards reached the gates of Canterlot within a few hours after fateful encounter in the Crystal Empire, thanks to Celestia's powerful magic. But now the sun princess found herself breathing heavily from her exertion. “Ready yourselves for battle...” Celestia panted. “I have already told the other guard battalions of Tirek's attack.” Celestia stated to Cadence who had opened her mouth. “I sent a telepathic message to Luna also, she'll be here within the hour. Now.” Celestia opened her wings to bask in her Sun's warm light. Cadence looked away from the bright light. 'Celestia is surely a powerful alicorn...is she certain she can't take Tirek on herself?' The pink princess shook her head. 'She's been acting even stranger ever since we escaped from Diamanda.' Cadence had a thought about Celestia's recent behaviour, she was acting more than just reckless but her aunt was even displaying less and less empathy for her own guards. 'What is happening to her?' “Cadence. Stand back...something is coming...” Celestia flew over the gates and into city to get a better look... “What is this!?” Cadence snapped her head up at the shout and flew up also. ... ... ... Canterlot was a halfway frozen in solid crystal. “What happened!?” Cadence nearly lost her balance as she also noticed Tirek in the distance who was nearly covered in crystal as well. “Damn equines!” Tirek shouted as he sent a beam of magic to the church knights, but his attack was sloppy which made it irritatingly easy for the ponies to evade. “Stop dodging and die already!!” Tirek was in a rage at this point as he struggled to keep his crystallized body moving. “You are not strong enough to defeat me!!” Celestia landed on a rooftop. “I wonder if this was a part of her plan?” Her fiery mane waved about as her magic returned. The blue glow in her eyes brightened as her pupils narrowed into slits. Tirek eventually managed to snatch one of the annoying ponies around him with a hand. “Die!” Magic flared from his horns and headed for the captured pony... Until Celestia intervened. The sun princess teleported the pony away from the battlefield before the beam could hit him, then with a twist of her horn Celestia knocked Tirek off his hooves with a devastating blast of plasma. “Agghhhh!!” Tirek smashed into a group of buildings that crumbled beneath his massive bulk. “Well, well if isn't Princess Celestia.” Tirek smirked as he stood back up. “...” Celestia gave him a cold stare. “Tirek, stop this. Don't you remember our previous encounter?” The centaur chuckled. “Oh, I do Celestia. But this will not be like last time, this day I will have your magic!” He charged at her. Time seemed to slow for Celestia as Tirek rushed at her, she took note of Cadence hurrying around gathering as many civilians as she could alongside her faithful guards. 'Get them out of here, Cadence. While I deal with Tirek, hopefully my sister and Penumbra will be here soon.' She ducked out of the way from Tirek's charge. “Have you gotten slow, Tirek? Or has age finally caught up with you?” She taunted with slight mirth. The centaur changed his course and unleashed another beam at her which she easily evaded. “How dare you, equine!” Using his fists, Tirek punched against Celestia's barrier but it refused to yield against his might. “What the!?”He questioned with shock clear on his face. Celestia was surprised also but when she went to say something, Diamanda's voice rang through her mind. 'You will have the strength to face him. Together, nothing can stand in our way, Tia.' A loud boom sounded behind her as Celestia turned her head to see a massive pillar of crystal rise up out of the ground. Avec grinned at her from within it. “Good evening, Princess!” He welcomed as he bowed his head gracefully even as Tirek and Celestia turned their full attention to him. “Are you trying to steal my victory!?” Tirek demanded as he stepped forward. Avec shook his head. “Oh not at all. I merely wanted to watch you destroy each other since this land is doomed anyway.” Celestia's mane and tail seemed to burn hotter at his remark. “...” She watched as Avec revealed the gem from the gardens. “What are doing with that?” “Taking it. It's only the first step to Utopia after all.” Avec said before vanishing with the gem in hand. Celestia searched the area with her magic but was interrupted by Tirek who had punched her barrier with his fist. “Pay attention, Princess!” He sneered. 'I don't understand why that cultist was here, but I'll deal with him and his pitiful cult later.' Celestia within her barrier span through the air for a moment before she caught her balance. “You know, it was rather considerate of those cultists to free me from that prison you and your sister subjected me to.” He charged at her again. Celestia nimbly evaded his dual horns than clasped her hooves around one of them. “Hnng!” Tirek felt his entire bulk being lifted from the ground one moment, than he smashed face-first into the street below. “Keep trying, princess.” He grunted. With a powerful flap, Celestia launched higher into the air gathering energy within her horn. “You have vastly underestimated me, Tirek.” Her draconic eyes narrowed at him as she looked down. “I have more power than you could ever have, equine!” Tirek shouted as he sent another beam at her in rage. The beam was sloppy at best, so Celestia easily dodged to the side. “This way!” Tirek slammed his hooves, anger surging through him from the taunt. . “Get back here, and give me what I came for!” He lunged at her. The princess ignored him, while avoiding more of his rage induced magic. 'He's panicking...' She saw some miles away two flashes of darkness. 'They're here!' Celestia circled Tirek and summoned golden chains of magic to restrain the centaur. “As if these feeble things could-” He suddenly found himself swarmed by dozens of Vamponies and dark grey Changeling drones. “Dark World creatures!?” He attempted to shake them off but Celestia's chains held firm. “Back to Tartarus with you!” Luna shouted as she wrapped more of her own chains around him. Penumbra stayed outside of the city, staring at the crystals that had engulfed most of the buildings and even some unfortunate ponies. 'Dia did this, didn't she?' Tirek unleashed some more blasts of energy in the background, but Penumbra was busy studying the spell matrices. Celestia flew overhead, her brilliant sun not affecting the nocturnal vamponies below. “Penumbra must be protecting them somehow.” She knew the sun wouldn't harm them but their natural abilities would be incredibly hindered. 'Be quick, Celestia. Or you will miss your chance.' Diamanda's voice whispered within her mind. Celestia twitched as her teeth grew into fangs. 'No, the Nightmare is breaking out! Diamanda!' 'Do not fight it. You need that strength to defeat him.' 'Nightmares are not something you can mess with.' Celestia pressed as she forced Diamanda from her mind and refocused on the fight. With his limbs held down by magical chains, Tirek decided to take their magic since they were close enough. “Too bad for you!” He opened his mouth. “Luna!” Penumbra shouted. The lunar princess was immediately teleported far way from Tirek's magic range. Penumbra grit her teeth. 'That's it!' She formed a cone of hard magic in front of her than bullet dove at Tirek's head which snapped one of his horns in half. She grinned at his cry of pain. “No one touches my mate, except for me!” This brought a hot blush to Luna's cheeks. Tirek struggled to break free of his bonds, his anger rising. “Damn you all!” Despite all of the magic he had stolen even that wasn't enough to overpower the alicorns. 'Just how powerful are they!?' He gazed into each of the mare's eyes to find them all slitted like a dragon's. 'Is this?...No, how's that possible?!' He felt a new wave a terror course through him. Penumbra shivered as a wave of icy cold and warmth passed over her body. We will reign, Penumbra! We cannot let Tartarus fall into ruin like our sister's world! I first realized it when I learned how much I cared about all of you. More and more flashes of memory sprang to her as she opened a portal to Tartarus. 'Perhaps I can begin to right my wrongs, in this life.' Tirek's chains began pulling him toward the portal, his form shrunk as the chains themselves also drained the magic he stole. “No!” He yelled in defiance. 'Nightmares! That's what they really are! I thought they were only legends!' -Avec- The kirin smacked into an apple tree after his successful escape from Canterlot, but the mass teleport took a lot out of him. “They have gotten better in making anti-magic fields in the past few centuries.” Avec picked up the gem he stole from the gardens. “This is the last one.” “Avec?” A handful of cultists that had got away from the guards in Ponyville appeared from behind the trees of Sweet Apple Acres. “Good. Some of you weren't captured. Help me up.” Two of the griffon cultists hoisted his arms over their shoulders. “We need to hurry to the Crystal Empire.” “The Empire? But that's where the Crystal Queen is!” A pony said in alarm. “...Exactly.” Avec grinned as the other cultists' eyes glowed an eerie blue, except for the lone pony. “Don't forget whom you serve, Trixie Lulamoon. Your soul belongs to the Crystal Goddess.” Trixie flipped off her hood. “The Great and Powerful Trixie, belongs to nopony but herself!” She squared her jaw as the others began stepping toward her. “Trixie, was foalish for following you in the first place!” “You can't leave us, Trixie. You signed an oath.” Avec glared. Trixie huffed at that. “I beg to differ.” She reached into her cloak and tossed a smoke bomb at them. “Trixie never comes unprepared! Aha!” She swiftly dashed away as they coughed. Avec watched as Trixie disappeared from sight with a growl. “She's heading to the Matriarch. We must leave now and warn the Queen.” -Crystal Empire- Diamanda meditated on her throne surrounded by the cultists trapped in crystal, before her levitated four to five similar looking pink gems. Each emitted the familiar glow of her magic as she used them to watch the event in Canterlot with her mind's eye. “Hmm...Avec is on his way, Tirek has been defeated. Heh, I'm surprised my sister didn't kill the brute.” A servant mare laid a small glass near her hooves. "Thank you, little one.”The mare smiled as she left, happy to be of service. “You treat them well; despite your plans.” An icy voice whispered from above her throne. The white alicorn opened her eyes and glanced up at the large ice Phoenix perched on the backrest. ]“Oh, Lux. Have you finished your errands?” She asked politely. “Quite. Seems like Umbra is on the move. I personally think she is luring something or someone, since the centaur no longer has any use.” Lux shrugged. "Things are progressing faster than I thought.” Diamanda sighed gustily. ]“I'm getting closer to my goal.” She climbed to her hooves and headed for the hallway. “Lux, come.” The phoenix nodded its head at her gentle tone. “Aren't you all easy going and confident in yourself. The Nightmares are being released after all.” Lux said as he landed on her back. Diamanda chuckled. “They will not escape from their mental bonds just yet, since it's not what I have planned. They are merely a means to an end.” Crystal ponies bowed to her as she passed them by. “Nightmares are a fabrication of our thoughts and emotions, they seek to fulfill our deepest desires. Penumbra's perished when she died...” She wrangled in her boiling emotions. “I know Celestia and Luna have their own Nightmares still intact, but have them under tight seals.” Lux watched the scenery pass by as they wandered deeper and deeper into the palace. “Ah.” He chuckled a bit. “I know these darkly lit hallways are pretty and all, but is this truly where you were heading?” Diamanda stopped to look around before continuing on. “I am exhausted from all of this spell work. I will be heading for bed, Lux.” She pulled open a door at the end of the hallway. “Well then, I shall take my leave for now, Diamanda. Have a good rest!” Lux flew out an open window as Diamanda trotted into her personal chambers. And there stood a pitch black mare with a translucent, flowing white mane, arrogantly smiling at her. “Diamanda...” Umbra greeted. Diamanda adopted a cold smile and trotted right before the faux alicorn. “The Heart is mine, Umbra.” She forced. The dark creature backed away with a slightly panicked look before it straightened its features. “Oh, I'm not here for that.” It giggled nervously. “Just wanted to see you up and about after all of these years.” Diamanda flared her large crystal wings to emphasize her size. “I am just fine, Umbra.” She backed Umbra into the balcony railing. “Weren't you busy with that foolish centaur?” The alicorn questioned as she rose an eyebrow. Umbra fluttered its wings at Diamanda's icy look. “Oh, he was sort of...defeated and imprisoned once again.” It grinned back. "I know that. But what was the purpose of you staying so close to him?” Diamanda pressed a cold hoof against the smaller being's chest. Umbra chuckled at that. “Could you blame me? He was giving off enormous amounts of destructive energy, I crave that type of magic!” Umbra hollered with a blissed out look. Diamanda closed her eyes and gestured with her head for the creature to leave. “Do what you want.” She replied with a huff as Umbra vanished in a puff of black energy. Diamanda summoned the Crystal Heart gazing into its reflective surface. ...Don't....do this... Diamanda grinned madly at the voice. “Oh, and what are you going to do about it? You have no power to speak of. This world is corrupted, disfigured, unclean, drenched in despair.” She pressed the Heart against the glass of her window. “Even my own little ones are tainted by this world's chaos and I can't let it fester any longer.” The voice within the heart screamed as Diamanda sealed it within a chest. ...You are not...yourself...she needs...the real...you... "What nonsense are you spouting? Everyone needs me, and I am the real me. There is no other, Diamanda!” She yelled as her grin grew. ...Your pain...you must accept...it...you must... ]"Don't speak to me of pain, I am all too aware of it.” Diamanda shook her head in agitation. ...Please...they need...the real you...Diamanda...who loves...who feels...who does not...harm others... For just a moment, Diamanda hesitated and considered the Heart's words. 'Maybe...' She closed her eyes in remembrance of her world. “No. I am too deep into this to give up now.” She stepped over to the window. [i]“I could not stop here, even if I wanted to.” The Crystal Heart wept, unable to understand why Diamanda refused its heartfelt words. ...You are...going to destroy...yourself...and everything...you care about...you cannot...trust either Lux...or Umbra... Diamanda snorted. “They serve my purposes, they serve me.” ...You...foolish...mare...you do not...remember what they...truly are... Then the Heart fell silent. Diamanda ignored the heart once more not wanting to listen its warnings.“Before I go to sleep...I should...” Diamanda fought against her fatigue as she remembered a particular pony she greatly missed almost as much as her fellow alicorns. “This can't wait any longer...” She whispered before leaving the room. -Canterlot- Penumbra clapped her hooves together to close the portal to Tartarus after Tirek was once more imprisoned within its depths. “That is that.” She saw Luna and Celestia flying over. “Nice spell work, Tirek will not be coming back a second time.” Luna smirked. “Of course, Penny. Would you have expected anything less from us?” She nudged her sister who smiled back. “The two of you really saved me and Equestria from Tirek, I thank you.” She bowed her head. Luna gestured to Celestia's flaming mane. “Before anything else, sister what about your mane? You seem yourself but you're showing signs of corruption, are you alright?” The white princess recoiled. “What? Do I not look alright to you?” Celestia huffed uncharacteristically. Luna and Penumbra shared a look. “It's a simple question, Celestia. No need to get offended.” Penumbra replied. Celestia blinked as she shook her head. “I'm sorry...I'm not sure what came over me.” The alicorns looked to each other in concern. “Let's talk about this at a later time, we need to ensure that our ponies are safe.” The darker mares nodded after a moment and they all set off after the evacuees. ... ... ... Celestia and Luna sat in the throne talking with the numerous ministers. “The damage done by Tirek was quite extensive, your highnesses. It will take some time and resources to repair everything...” The Minister of Finance explained. Penumbra was busy trying not to stand out, her black coat made the task nearly impossible. 'Maybe I should change my coat colour, everypony is avoiding me as usual.' Sometime later in the night, with every able body out and about repairing the damage to the city of Canterlot, Penumbra wandered away from the main hall of the palace. She trotted around aimlessly until she came across a strangely familiar oak door guarded by a pair a Solar Guards. “This room...” She mumbled. “Ma'am? Do you have some business here?” The stallion on the left asked somewhat uneasily due to her appearance. Penumbra raised her wings in response. “I am Empress Penumbra of Tartarus, and I will be spoken to with proper respect!” She glared at them. The guards saluted her in quick succession. “Apologies, Your Majesty!” They still had not opened the door for her. “Well?” Penumbra tapped a hoof. The stallions started then swiftly opened the door for her to which she nodded curtly and stepped in with a regal gait. She actually found Luna waiting for her inside with a small book and a helmet floating in her levitation field. “Luwa?” Penumbra asked as the door closed behind her. “Oh there you are, Penny. I have to talk to you about my sister and Diamanda.” Luna walked down the staircase leading to the upper floor of Penumbra's old tower from when she was Twilight. “And your servant...Echo.” Luna gestured with a wing as the shade stepped out from behind her. Instantly Penumbra glared at Echo which made the much smaller being shiver in anxiety. “What is she doing here?” Penumbra growled. Luna laid a hoof on Echo's shoulder in a reassuring manner. “I have spoken with her. And I have come to a understanding regarding her attack against me and my sister.” She still did not truly trust the shade and she still had not forgotten Echo's attempt at stealing her magic, but she knew better than judge a book by its cover. Despite her words, Penumbra continued to glower at Echo. “She attempted to kill you, Luna! Including your sister! No servant of mine should ever be able to harm you.” She took a threatening step forward. Luna had a determined look on her face as she placed herself between the two of them. “Penumbra, please. I have spoken to her and she is deeply ashamed for what she has done. Echo was even willing to take whatever punishment we gave out if we were so inclined.” “You should.” Penumbra peered over Luna at the trembling Echo. “Fine, I will hear you out. But your reasons better be good, Echo.” She warned as she sat down. -Diamanda- The white alicorn gently placed a tiny red/black crystal atop a large pile of similar ones in the center of the floor. Diamanda was currently deep within the basement levels of her royal palace inside of a domed room. Runes of all sorts surrounded her and the pile of crystals, ponies dressed in white and gold robes wielding gold adorned staffs also stood around the room chanting in some ancient dialect. Lux soon flew into the chamber, circled a few times around Diamanda's head then deposited another crystal into the pile. “This would be the last one, Diamanda. I just hope you know how to reverse the spell.” Lux said with concern. Diamanda snorted gustily. “I may be tired, but my special talent IS Crystals.” She glanced at the crystal 'statues' of ponies that had fallen to her judgment. “Turning these interlopers into their now pure state heavily suggests how good I am at it.” The bird rolled its eyes at her. “I never said you were bad at it, you have just been trapped in a prison of your own making. Thus, I only voiced my concern for your supposed faulty memory.” "Quips like that are a sin you realize.” Diamanda snarked back. Lux chirped. Diamanda frowned. The ice pheonix hopped back as Diamanda lit her horn and began her spell. “In any case, I need my daughter back.” “The second unicorn you need...well I'll keep looking for the last one. There are lots of ponies to cover after all.” After giving his farewells, Lux flew back up the stairs. "With my daughter returned, Cadance will surely...” Diamanda closed her eyes. “...time for you to awaken.” She smiled.