//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: The Reclused Wizard and the Mad Sorceress 
// Story: Nothing Special 
// by hironakamura 
//------------------------------//

The morning sun shines brightly on the isolated city at Equestria's end, The Crystal Empire. Its rays reflect and illuminate the city's crystal streets, houses and buildings. Peaceful pony folk go about their daily routine, going to work, opening their shops and meeting with their friends. Little pony foals play with each other as they head for their nearby schools.

One particular pony stands out in the crowd. With her grayish mulberry coat, sapphire blue mane and Cutie Mark in the form of a six pointed sparkle on her flank, the alicorn pony walks down one of the city's crystal streets and heads for a blue house oddly shaped like a pointed wizard's hat. Accompanying the alicorn mare is a small young dragon with light purple scales and harlequin colored spikes casually riding on her back.

"Do you think he's home?" Asked the small dragon.

"I hope so, Spike." Replied the alicorn pony. "I'm getting worried. We haven't heard from Starlight in days. I'm sure Sunburst knows where she is."

The pair walks up the stairs and approach the wizard hat shaped house. The pony knocks with a hoof on the tall, heavy, wooden, doors decorated by the theme of sun rays. They wait but no pony answers.

"I don't think he's home, Twilight" Said Spike. He looks around and notices the amount of unopened letters cluttering the house's mail box. "I don't think he's been home for days. Maybe he's at the castle?"

A panicked expression forms on Twilight's face. "Great. Now we have two ponies missing!"

"C'mon, We don't know if they're in any trouble." Spike turns over and lies on his back. He places his arms behind his head and leans on the back of Twilight's head. "Between Starlight studying with you and Sunburst working here as the empire's Crystaller, when was the last time those two spent quality time together?"

After hearing Spike's reasoning, Twilight slowly calms down, realizing that there is sense to what he said. "You're right, Spike. Maybe they're just enjoying some extended time off. I mean, Starlight and Sunburst have been pretty busy with their duties lately. Other than writing letters to each other, they haven't really been doing a lot of catching up."

"And we could always ask Cadence. Maybe the Princess of Love knows something about why a stallion and a mare would suddenly run off together." Joked Spike.

Twilight grins. "Really? What makes you think they'd want to suddenly run away together and drop off the face of Equestria?" She asked, humoring Spike's joke. "Now let's go see my sister-in-law."

The alicorn pony spreads her wings and leaps into the air with her dragon friend still relaxing on her back. They fly towards the center of the city which is a tall crystal castle shining brilliantly in the distance.

They arrive at the castle's main arch way where a crystal object shaped like a spinning heart floating on a spire is displayed for all to see. Twilight and Spike land by the object and make their way through the castle's carpeted halls. Past several Crystal pony Guards and several overly decorated, tall, stained glass windows, they reach the castle's opulent throne room where they are greeted by two familiar ponies.

"Hey Twilie! I bet I know why you're here." Said a light gray unicorn stallion with sapphire blue mane. His flank displays a Cutie Mark shaped like a blue kite shield decorated with a six pointed sparkle and three five pointed stars above it.

"I take it you're looking for your pupil?" Asked a smiling alicorn mare supporting a light grayish cerise coat and violet mane. Her flank displays a Cutie Mark resembling a light blue crystal heart with gold regal trims on both sides.

"Cadence! Shining Armor!" Twilight happily walks up to her sister-in-law and older brother. "You guys just saw me today. How is it that obvious?"

Cadence replies. "Our Crystaller, Sunburst, has not returned from his trip yet either. Most likely your pupil, Starlight, is still with him."

"You're not worried?" Asked Twilight.

Shining Armor reassures his sister. "Sometimes his trips take him outside of known Equestrian borders. He's been gone on far longer leaves before. Nothing to worry about."

"And to be honest, when Starlight came to visit, I was somewhat expecting it." Added Cadence, bashfully covering a grin with her hoof.

Spike, still riding on Twilight's back peeks from behind her head and looks at Cadence. "Wait a second. Wasn't it you that invited Starlight to visit the Crystal Empire a few days ago?"

Before Cadence could reply to Spike, the four of them were surprised as a lone distressed Crystal Guard bursts into the throne room. The guard is tired and panting as if he rushed here as quickly as possible from a great distance.

The guard presents himself to Shining Armor and performs a quick wing salute. "Sorry to interrupt, sir! We received word that Canterlot is currently under attack!" Said the guard with great urgency.

Twilight, Spike and Cadence over hear the news and share Shining Armor's surprise.  Shining Armor then asks the guard. "Under attack? Who would be bold enough to attack the Equestrian capital of Canterlot?"

"Is it Queen Chrysalis and a swarm of black changelings?" Asked Twilight.

"Is it a giant angry rampaging dragon?" Asked Spike.

At first, the guard was confused by the two consecutive questions, not knowing who to answer first but regains composure quickly. "N-no, your highness. Two unicorns forced their way into Canterlot castle and attacked the Two Sisters. Reports say the intruders resembled... The Princess of Friendships's sole pupil and our royal wizard, the Crystaller."

"Starlight and Sunburst? That doesn't make any sense." Twilight whispers to herself, more confused than surprised at the guard's report.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Shining Armor asked the guard.

"Yes sir. It was the last message we received before Canterlot's lines fell silent." The guard replied.

Shining Armor turns to Cadence. "We don't really know what's going on yet but in case the Empire get's attacked, I want our defenses to be ready."

Cadence nods at Shining Armor. "Take care, dear."

Shining Armor gallops out of the throne room's well decorated tall doors quickly followed by the lone Crystal Guard messenger.

Twilight walks up to Cadence. Her normally cheerful demeanor is replaced by a very serious one. "An attack on the Two Sisters is no joke. That's what you do if you want to get banished for a thousand years. Spike and I are heading for Canterlot to sort this out."

Twilight spreads her wings, preparing to take off but Cadence stops her. "Twilight, wait. Before you leave, I have to tell you something." The other alicorn pleaded, returning an equally serious look. "Certain events are about to take place. Whatever happens, you must believe in your student no matter what. Do you understand?"

"Geez, that's not ominous at all." Commented Spike sarcastically, now sitting upright once again on Twilight's back.

Twilight exchanges confused looks with Spike then turns to Cadence again. "I don't understand but I'll remember what you said. I promise, I won't lose faith in my pupil." Twilight spreads her wings and flys away. She and Spike fly out of the throne room's open doors at top speed as Cadence looks on.

Meanwhile, at the Kingdom of Canterlot, the interior of the throne room of the Two Sisters is illuminated by an eerie turquoise light. Dozens of Royal Guards lie motionless over the regally decorated marble floor of the throne room. They're all fast asleep, under the effects of some spell.

At the center of the throne room, just in front of the throne, the source of the eerie turquoise light is a large crystal. Suspended and motionless within the crystal is a dark blue  alicorn mare with sapphire blue mane. Her Cutie Mark is the symbol of the moon. Another alicorn mare with a light fuchsiaish gray coat and multi-colored mane of light cerulean, light cobalt blue and pale heliotrope stands beside the crystal. Her Cutie Mark is the symbol of the sun.

The sun marked alicron looks at her suspended partner in shock. "Luna, my sister! No!" She tries to reach for the crystal but is enveloped by turquoise magical energy now levitating her in the air. She looks back at her attackers, a unicorn stallion and a unicorn mare. Nothing special about them. Just a pair of ordinary looking little ponies.

The sun marked alicorn's horn begins to glow with the golden light of her magic in an attempt to free herself but turquoise chains of magical energy slowly creep around her horn and her body. The gold light from her horn fizzles and she struggles against the chains.

One of the attackers, the unicorn stallion, walks up to the chained alicorn. He wears an old, blue, shabby wizard's cloak decorated with many five pointed stars. The edges of his once opulent cloak are torn and damaged in several places. His face hidden by the wide brim of an old, blue, patched up, pointed wizard's hat.

He raises the brim of his hat with a hoof revealing a gentle face behind round glasses that could have seen better days as the left lens has a visible but thin crack running across it. "Hello, Princess Celestia, my former mentor. I'm sorry but we can't let you use your magic right now." He greeted with a smile.

Celestia looks at her second attacker. A unicorn mare wearing an old, plain, crimson sorceress cloak with its edges also ripped, damaged and worn from use. Her face hidden by the shadow of the cloak's old hood. Her horn glows with a turquoise colored light illuminating an evil grin.

Celestia recognizes them both. "Starlight? Sunburst? Why are you doing this?" She asked, confused and afraid.

Sunburst replies. "I'd tell you but you'll be out before I-" A flash of turquoise light encases Celestia in crystal. "-could finish."

Starlight walks close beside Sunburst and pulls back her hood. She has a sinister smiling expression on her face as she looks at Celestia now suspended in a glowing turquoise crystal similar to Luna. "Hm! That's what you deserve after what you did to us when we were foals."

Sunburst tips his hat at Starlight and smiles. "Your spell executions never fail to impress me."

"You think that's impressive? I'm just warming up." She boasted.

"I know but I like saying nice things about you." He replied warmly and then asks. "Are you ready to take on our third target?"

Starlight removes her damaged, old cloak and lets it fall to the marble floor. "I've dueled her before but what makes you think Twilight will come to Canterlot?"

Sunburst pushes his cracked glasses up and sits on his hind legs. "We could have taken Canterlot silently but my plan to take the Two Sisters was designed to make noise. Unlike the other princesses, your mentor's a meddling pony. Once she hears of this, she and her dragon assistant will come to the rescue."

Starlight's horn briefly flashes with turquoise light. She smiles cheerfully. "Yup, just as you predicted. Twilight's triggered one of my wards and is headed here right now."

"Good. I'll wait for you here." A malevolent and sinister grin appears on Sunburst's face. His eyes hidden behind the reflective glare of his damaged glasses. "Now go break your teacher's heart."

Starlight returns an evil smile and charges magical energy into her horn. A flash of turquoise light and she disappears, teleporting out of the throne room. Sunburst is left behind to quietly watch over the Two Sisters, the most powerful ruling bodies of Equestria now completely under their mercy.