Hazy images crowded close to me as I tried continuously to cast the sight spell that Amara had taught me. I heard them speaking, but I didn’t pay them much mind until I heard the accented voice of Azure snort.
“And here I was thinkin’ to be getting used to some other body,” she said. “It’s seeming to be the same old one t’me.”
“Same,” rumbled Gleam Star. “Sorla, can you stand?”
I ignored him, still hurling mana into the spell. It was almost as if something was swallowing it as soon as I drew it in.
“Sorla,” Azure began, a blueish shape moving towards me. “Are you…”
Anything further was interrupted by the earth trembling and shuddering under our hooves, the movement so violent it hurled Azure to the ground. As the soil beneath us shook, I felt mana surge through me, wild and untamed, the surge dying out as the quakes subsided.
“Wild mana,” I whispered, not understanding. “But this hasn’t happened for hundreds of years, thousands, maybe.”
“What’re you on about?” asked the wary voice of the Unicorn mare that had accompanied me through the vortex.
“The quakes,” I said. “They’re being accompanied by massive surges of primal mana, but such devastation should have more of an effect on the surrounding land.” I grimaced. “I can’t cast the spell I was using to see anymore. Is there any rifts or cracked ground about?”
“Not that I can see nearby,” Gleam responded, his heavy hoofstep coming closer. “Here, I can bear your weight until you can move about on your own again.”
I struggled to my hooves but pushed aside the proffered one that I felt. “I’m fine walking on my own,” I said. “I’ll just need you to give me directions or a lead of some sort. I’m not sure if it’s the portal causing the difficulty or something else.” I didn’t mention how it felt like all the mana from the quake had surged through me and disappeared. I didn’t want to think that I was suddenly empowering the mad queen that had broken all of my safe havens in the recent past.
She landed, ears twitching and turning. The scent she had caught had suddenly vanished as the ground trembled. But instead of annoyance, she felt elation as a fresh wave of strength washed through her.
Taking to the air again, Chrysalis cast about for her quarry, manic glee played across her features as the tiny ponies she flew over ducked away out of confusion and fear.
And it was delicious.
Sunset and Twilight were focusing on Indigo Zap and Lemon Zest, getting them flight ready while Rainbow Dash idly hovered, darting around as she talked to Fluttershy. I found it odd that simply with a connection through the Elements, They were able to keep some semblance of self despite the conjunction of their two spirits. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stay sane if I had suddenly been blended with an alternate version of me. Especially if they hadn’t had the same redemption opportunity I had. The clashing of personalities inside would likely have driven me insane.
“Watch out!” Sunny Flare cried. I caught the hurled stone in my aura without even looking up, used to her loss of focus when she managed to succeed on lifting something.
“You have to keep a calm push,” I said, letting her retake the stone and setting it down again. “Emotions can alter the effect of a spell if you aren’t aware of them and how they’ll react. Anger can turn a gentle spell dangerous, just as confusion can cause it to fizzle out or react differently.”
“But your magic isn’t like that,” she said, the tip of her tongue sticking out as she levitated the stone again, the aura surrounding it much more stable this time.
“I’ve had years to get a handle on mine,” I said. “And even though the magic seems a little odd here, it’s still similar enough to what I’m used to that I know what to do to get it to work. I’m not going to trust teleportation magic just yet, but things like barriers and levitation I can trust.”
The sound of hooves clapping together signaled the end of the Pegasi training course.
“Give your wings a rest, girls,” Sunset said as she settled onto the ground. “We’ll test speed next.”
“Let’s see if you’re worth all the talk, Zap,” Dash chuckled.
“Anytime, featherbrain,” she replied. “I bet I’ll beat you as easily as my cousin Lightning Dust did back in sophomore year.”
“She didn’t beat me,” the rainbow-maned pony protested.
“Wait,” Applejack said, looking off to one side. “Is that Azure?”
Twilight looked, then nodded. “But which one?” she mused. “This world’s or Equestrias?”
I turned and as soon as I saw who was with her, I felt my heart sink a little as growls of anger surged through some of the assembled ponies, Applejack in particular.
“What’s she doin’ here?” the farmer bit as she saw Sorla.
“Imperial decree,” Azure replied, dipping a bow to the Alicorns. “Cadence gave her conditional pardon until this crisis is over.” She reached out and helped the scarred and blinded Unicorn forward, the flickering green circle of sigils revolving around her horn unnerving me just as much as the horrible sight of mantic circles branded onto her side.
“So, what have you got to say for yourself?” Sunset said.
“Only that whatever I might have done,” she said in a voice that held pain that I recognized. “Chrysalis has enacted a spell that is likely going to result in a lot of ponies dying without even knowing why.”
She looked over at us, her useless eyes blinking as they not quite settled on any pony. The Shadowbolts cringed at the sight of the barely healed wounds on the former enemy of Equestria.
“What happened to you?” Sour Sweet asked quietly.
“Pride,” she replied, her head hanging. “Pride and clouded judgement. With the exception of the brands, all of this I did to myself by trying to take something that wasn’t mine.”
“And the brands?” Rarity asked.
“Chrysalis’s doing,” Sorla said, the pain and sorrow growing as she lifted her head and looked in the general direction of Applejack. “And in a way, it will lead to the justice you are owed, I suppose, for what I did to you.”
Sunset’s horn lit, the red light clearing away crusted blood and matted hair from around the brands, allowing us to see us clearly just what sort of spell had been carved into her.
“Sweet Celestia,” I said as I saw the symbols engraved around the outside. “Life transferrence regeneration.”
She nodded, head hanging again.
Twilght shook her head in disgust. “Chrysalis is using you like a living mana crystal,” she said as though she had something sour in her mouth. “Overriding the spell cost by using a surrogate mana supply.”
“It’s worse than that,” Sorla said. “She took the spell I tried to use on you all on the overlook and altered it slightly, trying to get somepony caught in a transdimensional rift. But the existence of the portal in your castle caused the spell to fluctuate and form a matrix unlike what it was supposed to do.”
“Your counterparts are all comatose in the Crystal Empire,” Gleam Star said, looking at Twilight. “Just as many ponies are without memories of who they are, some even missing their cutie marks.”
I felt a stab of memory at that mention.
Azure spoke up. “We were tasked t’bring her to Princess Sunset in hopes that She could solve this pest of a problem.”
“I’m afraid the spell has had a rather annoying affect on us as well,” Sunset said. “Our memories are a little jumbled and some of us are harboring more than one personality inside our minds. The Twilights may have gotten a handle on it, but the rest are at half power at best and many of the things I’ve learned are hazy and indistinct.”
“Starlight is probably the only Unicorn on this side that can clearly think or cast spells at the moment,” Twilight said, the voice evidently the princess one. “I’m sure my student can help us solve this mess just like she did the last one.”
“But there’s no throne to destroy, nor hive to steal, nor life to ruin,” hissed a voice that made my blood run cold. “So I’m afraid she’s out of options this time.”
I turned and found Chrysalis standing behind us, her shark’s teeth gleaming in the sunlight. She looked at me, as though I was the only thing she saw.
“Shall we play tag yet again, Starlight?”