//------------------------------// // A New Land // Story: My Little Mages: The Lost Student // by Foxhelm //------------------------------// An hour later, Celestia, Cadance, and Luna, who were in nightgowns which were surprisingly both on theme for them and able to project their regality, (Twilight’s own nightgown, by comparison, was on point for her cute librarian vibe that she seemed to emanate from time to time but failed to give off the regality of her new station), Spike was out of his tuxedo and Shining was still in his ball suit. With them was a handful of guards in their uniform, counted among them was Flash Sentry still in his ballroom suit, joined Twilight et al in the room with the mirror that Sunset and her cohorts used to enter and exit the castle. Twilight et al just finished telling them what happened. “How did this happen? Where were the guards on patrol in this area?” Shining asked as he was fuming to the guards. “Who let this breach happen?” None of the guards spoke up, they knew Shining while not pleased with what he might have viewed as a break in protocol, which it wasn’t, was really angry over that his sister could have been killed and the first who would challenge him… well, it would not end will. Flash took a breath and stepped forward. “With all due respect, sir” Flash started, “you are the one who let this breach happen. You ordered most of the castle security and royal guard to protect the all the government officials and dignitaries of our national allies, all of whom are staying in another part of the castle. You also assigned more than the normal guard to guard against threats actually from the outside of the castle. And sir, you elected to simply leave Princess Twilight’s security in my hands alone, Sir.” Shining was not too fond of that answer, but Flash was telling the truth, Shining had been so focused on external threats he neglected possible internal ones. Shining took a calming breath, realizing he was actually more angry with himself and that he shouldn’t take it out on the other guards. “Fine. But how did they even get into the palace in the first place, we have more security around the facility than normal. It was so tight a spider should be hard pressed to get in without authorization.” Shining muttered as he tried to figure out what happened. “Well, they did exit through this mirror. Must have cast some spell on it to enter and exit the castle through it.” Pinkie said as she pointed to and walked up to the full body mirror. “But what’s so special about it, given that it’s located so deep in the castle?” Pinkie then started tapping on the mirror. “This is no ordinary mirror,” Luna started to explain as she had her magic encircle Pinkie Pie and pulled her away from the mirror stopping her from tapping on the mirror and to be with the rest of the group, “it is an artifact from a time long past that leads to another realm.” “Um, with all due respect, Princess Luna, when you say ‘a time long past’, how long ago are yah talking, and when ya said ‘to another realm’, could ya be a little more specific?” Applejack asked getting to the heart of the matter, this was not a time for vagueness. “It was made by Star Swirl the Great and predates Bullion’s coronation as king of the Magicborn in his own youth, by about 100 years,” Celestia answered as she walked to the mirror. “Wait a minute, wait a minute! It predates Bullion’s coronation! Bullion, the king that ruled the three founding tribes, tenuously, for 500 years as the legend goes?” Applejack asked. “That is not a legend, Bullion’s reign was in fact 500 years, Bullion the Undying, as he was once called. So yes, which would make the mirror about 2600 years old.” Luna answered the paladin. Everyone turned to face Luna and in utter shock shouted “2500?!?!” After that pretty much everyone’s mouth dropped open, only Cadance was not shocked to the point of being agape. “Hold on, if Star Swirl made the mirror 100 years before Bullion’s reign and Star Swirl was alive through that entire reign and into both of yours’ early reign, just how old was Star Swirl when he finally died?” Shining Armor recovered first and asked the question on everyone’s minds. “Ridiculously,” Celestia replied leaving everyone but Luna again agape, “We have no idea why it exists or its purpose, but Clover did teach us how to use it,” Celestia answered all the while looking at the mirror. “A lesson I haven’t shared with either you or Cadance, Twilight,” Celestia said, during the last part, as she angled her view to see Twilight alone. “But how did those thieves know? Who were they? And why would they want the Elements? And how did that ‘Sunset Shimmer’ know you?” Twilight asked pulling her hair. No one noticed it because they were all focused on Twilight, but Celestia froze for a second at the name. “I have ruled over Mystica by myself for almost a millennium,” Celestia started to answer whiles she still looked in the mirror. “And as a demigod I am mortal, so I had to make arrangements for my inevitable end,” she continued as she turned to face everyone, “One of those plans is engaging in apprenticeships and given my long life thus far, I have had almost a hundred before you, Twilight.” Celestia took a breath, “Sunset Shimmers was the last apprentice I had before you. She was actually the most promising, even more than you, but she didn’t have your patience and unlike you, she saw that the knowledge she acquired was little more than a tool for power alone and that the power she would acquire was for power’s own sake.” Celestia then turned away and looked back to the mirror, “There are only a few things that haunt me… Sunset’s departure when she thought I was holding back what she believed she was owed... “ Celestia didn’t finish. “We need to get our Elements back. Teach us how to use the portal.” Rainbow Dash stated. “Go get provisions and all that you will need, Spike get Twilight’s things, I will teach her how to use the portal, I fear you might have to bring the Element of Honesty as well, Applejack. However, I fear Sunset will be expecting you six, maybe even Spike as well, so you will need something to throw her off.” Celestia informed as she looked at the six bearers and Spike. She then turned to the guards and singling out one of them, “Captain Sentry,” “Captain, you were promoted again?” Twilight asked caught off guard that Flash was yet again promoted. “Just last week,” said Flash with a sheepish grin, “I’m still not sure why or how I got promoted.” Cadance looked at Shining Armor with a playful smirk, most likely recalling when Shining had used almost those exact words. “Ahem.” Celestia coughed and everyone turned back to her, “Captain Sentry, I want you to accompany them.” “With all due respect, your grace, these six ladies have bested everything that has been shown as an obstacle in the past, I hardly think my presence would even be warranted.” “There is an old saying, ‘a single grain of rice can tip the scales.” Celestia countered. “I care for my current apprentice, sentinel. Also, Sunset will have many advantages where she went to, the odds are against the Bearers, we need to alter as many odds into our favor as we can, if that means adding additional variables, then that is what it needs to be.” Flash takes a breath and signed knowing he could not win this debate, “I’ll get ready. But before I go, is there anything that might help us, any knowledge about the other side?” “If there is any information regarding what lies beyond the mirror, Celestia and myself do not have access to it,” said Luna, “there is a good chance that this ‘Sunset’ character took all those resources with her when she left, assuming there were any records regarding the subject, to begin with within any of the archives. We,” she gestured to Celestia and herself, “know what we do because it was part of our more advanced studies before being given the official authorities we hold now.” “Well, we ain't gonna get our Elements back standing around here, Be back here in an hour, and Rarity, when it comes to packing up, if AJ wouldn’t back it, then you should leave it.” Rainbow Dash said as she started out. Rarity rolled her eyes as she and the rest followed leaving Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight alone. Twilight turned to the mirror and looked it over, this time she was much calmer than she was when Sunset escaped. She started to notice series of spirals and stars and while the same spirals and stars were on both sides of the mirror, they didn’t align. She then placed her right hand over one of the stars on the mirror’s left side and saw that it responded to her moving her hand up and down. “It must be some sort of realignment of the stars and spirals?” Twilight asked as she continued to match the stars. Once all the stars were matched she started to repeat it with the spirals, but they would not move. She then hovered her left hand over the mirror’s right side and she started to move the spirals to align with the spirals on the other side. “Looks like she figured it out for herself,” Cadance commented as the mirror itself started to glow like a pool with reflecting moonlight. “So it’s mostly aligning the stars and spirals?” “So how do we open it from the other side?” Twilight asked. “I wish I knew, Clover never thought to teach us, and I doubt Star Swirl intended it to go both ways, which is why Spike will be most helpful, as soon as you are ready to come back he can send a message back to us and we will open the portal from this side, unless you somehow arrange to learn from Sunset.” Celestia informed, “But you can cast a timer spell on the mirror, opening it at a selected time.” She placed her hand on the mirror and timer appeared above the door. “You better get ready.” Twilight nodded and left the room leaving the three with the mirror. Once Twilight was out of earshot, “There is more to this ‘Sunset Shimmer’ being your apprentice isn’t there?” Luna asked getting to the point. “We’re on your side, Auntie, you don’t need to hold information back from us. We can help you. Please stop playing your cards so close to your vest.” Cadance added only for both to see Celestia also walk out of the room, her demeanor cold and expression stoic. The two remain princesses sighed, “Was she like this when you both ruled?” “No, she was very much open to Us, but a millennium on her own…” Luna sighed, “Sometimes We wish Platinium, Hurricane, and Puddinghead never stepped down.” An hour later, Twilight was back in the room with the mirror in her normal clothes which included a dull blue robe with large golden cuffs, pink pants and brown boots that went up above her ankle. She also had a backpack with a bedroll and some traveling rations. Twilight’s friends were in their usual clothes, save Rarity who was wearing flats in lieu of the heeled shoes she normally wore, and they all had similar packs, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, being Earthborns, had larger packs with more of the gear the group might need. “Well, we are about to go into a brave new world.” “You’re seriously going to leave without me,” everyone turned to see Flash not in the golden colored armor that was the standard uniform for ESM soldiers, but in a Guard expedition outfit that was colored in dull browns and greens. However, his aura mark depicted was patched over his heart and he was otherwise armed and armored with an arm-sword sheathed on his left side and a blue heater shield with a yellow lightning bolt painted on it was secured to his left arm. On his back was his own pack, which was slightly larger than what any of the girls had, and definitely bigger than Spike’s, also of note was the patches of cloth on the suit that could be used to cover the signina if the need should arise hanging snuggly next to the points that had his mark. “First you try to give me the boot, then you left without a note, and now you’re stringing me along. I get you want only the best man, but could you cut a guy some slack?” How Flash said all that with a straight face, even he couldn’t figure out, but a second later he started to chuckle. “Sorry for the bad joke, but the air is so thick with seriousness, you’d need a saw to make any progress.” “So are you going to be a gentleman and let the ladies go first?” Rarity asked. “And have Shining breathing down my neck for letting civilians go into a potentially dangerous area without forming a security perimeter? Sorry, but I got enough monkeys on my back, I can do without that ape.” “Making jokes about my brother is not going to help matters.” Twilight deadpanned. “You’re going to have to catch me to make me apologize.” Flash then winked and then took a breath. He then looked in the mirror and in an instant ran through it drawing his sword as he entered the portal. “Did he just… Man, I gotta know how he did that.” Rainbow Dash asked as she realized that Flash ran at lightspeed. “Ah think the fact that his flash having no effect on us, not even making a sonic boom, should be addressed first.” Applejack pointed out. “Well, we ain't getting answers standing here,” Rainbow commented, but as she started to the mirror she was the first to notice that Applejack, brought with her the Element of Honesty. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to bring that?” “Honestly, no. But we might end up havin’ ta use tha Elements and if this one is back here.” Applejack pointed out. “Also they might have planned Ah leave it behind and sneak back ta get it. If it’s always on mah, it’s less likely tah be stolen.” “That makes no sense, except for us probably needing them for some big problem that needs rectifying,” said Rarity. “Yeah, there’s always the chance you could lose it through happenstance,” said Pinkie, “like forgetting it where you bathe, it gets snagged on something as you pass by a piece of the environment jutting out, or it’s pawned for the local currency.” “Ah would never do somethin’ like that,” said Applejack. “Oh, we all know you wouldn’t,” said Pinkie, “but I never said you would do the pawning.” Applejack’s gaze drifted to Rainbow and Rarity, both of whom gave somewhat sheepish grins which prompted Twilight and Fluttershy to have their palms meet their faces rapidly. The whole thing hadn’t even officially started and they already had problems cropping up. To make matters worse, they also had to contend with who knows how many unknowns in addition to the girls that had snuck in with Sunset Shimmer. “Hey girls, are you coming or not?” came Spike’s voice as he headed for the mirror, “Oh and Twilight, we’re going to need to hide the fact I’m a dragon. Who knows what kind of trouble we’d have if we don’t.” Pinkie gave a huge smile, “I know just the disguise!” Flash waited on the other side of the portal, his sword back in its sheath, which was little more than an open patch of grassland close to a temperate rain forest, as Flash could tell by the excessive amount of moss growing on the trees and the low-level clouds-mist-fog mixture around him. And late in the morning, not yet midday by the position of the sun in the sky. After around a minute or two, the girls finally exited the portal. First was Applejack, she was scanning the area as if she trying to detect something. “Nothin’ Evil around.” Applejack said just before Rainbow Dash came rolling out and had her bow ready. Clearly, Rainbow Dash has been watching too many fictional military based action films, if she paid more attention during her semester at Wonderbolt Academy she would have learned that an infiltration is based on stealth. Next was Fluttershy who was much more cautious, a little too cautious for Flash’s liking, then Pinkie Pie came skipping out like it was a walk in the park, a huge smile on her face. Rarity followed, however, she strutted through as if she owned the place. “Oh come on Spike, it’s not too bad. We all think you look cute,” came Twilight’s voice as she finally passed through the portal. A second later a small purple furred dog, well more of a puppy, with a greenish-gray underbelly, green eyes, a darker shade of green fur on its head and ears a lighter shade of green than the eyes. It also had a spiked collar with a dog tag that had Twilight’s aura mark on it, and on the hind legs were patches of light gray fur shaped like a rhombus, a pentagon, and a triangle. “But I don’t want to be cute!” the pup said in Spike’s voice. “You could have turned me into a human and let me keep my fangs.” Flash could not help but chuckle a little, but he stopped, “Alright, this area appears to be clear. Now we just have to find which way they went, they have a three to four-hour head start and they know this place. Let’s move out.” As he pointed out a set of human footprints, they were hours old and how they weren’t worn away, Flash couldn’t imagine. He didn’t fully trust them but he had few other options. After an hour of walking, following a nearby river and coming across nothing but normal animal, nothing magical like the creatures back in Mystica, no unicorns, no flying horses, no manticores, nothing, even a single parasprite would have been a welcomed sight to Twilight et al. It was as if this place had almost no magic. As the next hour started the band arrived a ledge, looking beyond it, they saw a city. The city was not more than three kilometers away. It looked to be more advanced than Magivillie, but far from matching Manahatten, Chantalot or most of the other advanced cities of Mystica. Within the city was a castle, which looked older than the Castle in Chantalot but newer than the Castle of the Two Sisters, “Well, hopefully we can understand their language and they ours,” Flash commented before taking the lead again, addressing the fact that they might not speak or write in the same language. “Can’t we rest for a moment?” Rarity asked as she sat down on a fairly large rock. Pulling Rarity back to her feet with the enchantress’ backpack, “If wah can get a room at an inn, ya can sleep until the storm king cometh, Sugarcube.” “Well shoop-be-doo-shoop-shoop-be-doo, the storm king, might as well say when the Seaborns rise from the depths. Like that will ever happen.” Rainbow Dash dismissed as the rest continued to walk ahead and to the city. Rarity pouted, but the thought of soaking her feet later was enough to keep her going. “Well Nightmare Moon turned out to be real,” Pinkie Pie pointed out. “Say, let’s play a game, 20 questions. Okay, Spike, think of something.” Rainbow Dash groaned as Pinkie started asking questions at lightspeed. At that moment in the city, at an open-air restaurant, Sunset was silently steaming in anger, with her cohorts seated around her as a server placed six glasses of water on the table and a pitcher for them, No one said anything, Sour, Lemon and Indigo could not keep their hands off the respective Element they took, happy at their handiwork. Sugarcoat was silently drinking her water as Sunny seemed to be in thought about some matter “How did Abacus even know where to look for the portal?” Sunset final shouted as she slammed the table, her hands on fire. “I advised against underestimating my mother, dearie.” Sunny started. She knew she was poking a bear but Sunset had dropped the ball having forgotten the other powers at play and Sunny had already fulfilled her end of the deal, but Sunset could use a reminder, “She has dealt with more people that have opposed her than you and for longer than you have been alive. One doesn’t become Baroness of Midnight Castle and keep it for as long as she has without knowing how other contenders tend to think. Why do you think Longhorn is still little more than a gang leader and his gang is all but gone.” Sugarcoat then took off her glasses to clean them and turning to Sunny, “While all that is true, Baroness Cinch did advise you that, and I quote, ‘no one wins the game of power, at best you die without having lost, it’s all come down to others’ perceptions and expectations, and how to met or exceed them, and the best way to not lose to exceeded expectations.’ unquote.” “Doesn’t explain why we left the trail.” Indigo pointed out, no longer reveling in her victory over Rainbow Dash. “Because we still need the Element of Honesty, how do you expect them to find us if they didn’t have a trail?” Lemon asked as she bobbed her head to beat of whatever song she was playing. “SHOUT! SHOUT! LET IT ALL OUT!” Sour removed one of the earphones and shouted, “SING TO YOUR MUSIC ON YOUR OWN TIME! WE’RE IN A MIDDLE OF A DISCUSSION HERE!” Recovering from the audible assault, “Alright, fine.” Lemon pouted. “Well ladies, are you ready to order?” came the voice of the server as he tried to make his presence know tactfully. “No, there are six more of our group coming, they should be arriving shortly. But maybe a light salad.” Sugarcoat said and the server left the group. “Well aside from Sunset dropping the ball with her Element, the plan has gone as it should.” As Twilight et al walked into the city, they stood out and not only for their pack and the fact that Twilight herself was a demigod. They have been in populated cities before, but even in practically Earthborn exclusive cities like Appleloosa and Dodge Junction, there were a handful of Magicborn and Skyborn, and the same is true for almost Magicborn exclusive cities like Chantalot with a handful of Earthborn and Skyborn of the actual population, factoring out the ESM, heck even Cumula had a few Magicborn and Earthborn. But here, there wasn’t a Skyborn to be seen flying anywhere or a Magicborn electing to levitate a purchase from the stands to whatever bag or pack they have. “They all can’t be Earthborn?” Rarity commented as they all looked at the people. Most of the people, men, women, and children, looked at the group for a second, shook their heads and moved on, not like most of the residents of Manahatten. “Well, they all certainly ain’t the most welcomin’ bunch.” Applejack pointed out as she took off her pack and sat on it as she took a drink from her waterskin. “A lot like Sunflower Seed,” she muttered after finishing her drink. After taking another drink, “At least her little sister Babs actually writes tah Apple Bloom and the rest of the family their age.” “Maybe we can find the Elements with a spell, you know like that Detect Magic you tried on my uncle Tanzanite and Nightingale?” Pinkie Pie suggested to Twilight after seeing no one else had a plan. Twilight closed her eyes and took a breath before her focus gem started to glow. This was not unnoticed by the bypassers, all of them froze as their mouths hang open, as Twilight lifted into the air about half a meter, a purple light formed a line then shot from the focusing gem and flew in the direction of the open air restaurant Sunset and the others were at, the appearance of that line of purple light was lost on no-one. Twilight then floated back down to the ground and opened her eyes, “Follow me!” She ordered as she started following the line of light. The others followed, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Flash flying which only added to the shock of the people in the city. Spike was the last one of the group, “Wait for me! I have stupidly short legs!” He said which gave a few of the city’s residents reason to faint. After about ten minutes they arrived at the open air restaurant that Sunset and the others were at. As soon as they reached the table, Sugarcoat took out a watch she had, “You’re fifteen minutes late,” she deadpanned. She then actually looked Twilight’s group over, like the others of her own, as they all spotted Flash, Sugarcoat took off her glasses and cleaned them hurriedly as if she did not believe what she saw, granted the only one at the table not showing any signs of shock or surprise was Sunset. Once she was confident that Flash was not an illusion, “Although Soldier-boy is a nice addition.” Before Flash or Twilight could comment about Flash’s presences, “Well excuse me for not sticking to your schedule.” Rainbow declared fairly annoyed. “Now give us back our Elements.” Rainbow Dash ordered as she drew her bow from the quiver she had on her waist and readied it to fire at Indigo Zap. “Or do I have to force the rainbow down your throats!” Applejack lowered Rainbow Dash’s arms and bow, “Easy there, Sugarcube. We already made a big enough scene, murdering them ain’t gonna help us.” “Yeah, but it would make me feel better to see one of them pierced through the leg or arm,” Rainbow gritted. “So uncouth,” said Rarity and Sugarcoat in unison. “Well, I am a little peeved too, and if that means using less polite tactics to get my Element back, so be it,” Fluttershy commented, her eyes temporary flash red and the pupils took on a bat-like appearance, but it was a blink-and-miss-it moment. “Not helping,” Pinkie said plainly. She then turned to Lemon, “And we sang Eurobeat’s Discord together, does that mean nothing?” “Actually I had the Living Tombstone Remix playing, and you blasted me with a Bass Cannon.” Lemon countered. “You stole my Element of Harmony, Element-stealer.” Flash remained silent to this point, he coughed getting everyone’s attention before things further devolve. Once all the ladies turned to face him, “While Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity should have their Elements returned to them now, if for no other reason than to wrap this scene up.” Flash then pointed to all the people watching this interaction between the twelve girls. “We’re short an Element, namely the Element of Magic.” “I don’t have it,” Sunset answered. “It was stolen before we got through the portal.” “We, what we, dearie?” Sunny asked. “You mean, my entourage and I.” Sunny challenged. It was only then that Twilight et al noticed that unlike Lemon, Sour, Indigo, Sunny and Sugarcoat, Sunset didn’t have a matching lightning bolt depicted anywhere on her clothes. Before anyone else could say anything, “Well it doesn’t matter, in order for anyone of us to get the Element of Magic, we’ll have to play by the rules imposed by one who currently has it.” Sunset started while glaring at both Sunny and Twilight. “Who has it?” Twilight asked, electing to get to the point. Sunny elected to answer the question as she got up from the table and started towards the castle located in the city as if to lead everyone there, “My mother, The Lady of Midnight Castle, Baroness Abacus Cinch, dearie.”