//------------------------------// // Part 14: You're Using Two Weapons!? That's Cheating! // Story: Celestia's Chosen Hero... is Carl? // by Joey JoJo Shabadoo //------------------------------// At the edge of the small town of Ponyville lay the Castle of Friendship, towering over it, as a symbol of strength and harmony. However, moping just outside it’s royal entrance, an Earth pony, sat with his head in his hooves. Completely oblivious to the Castle's splendour, instead bored to tears, as he waited for what seemed like an eternity. As he lingered on the steps, like a miserable lump, a pale pegasus, fluttered from the sky above to greet him. “Hello, Carl.” “Hey, Flutters.” He replied. “Um, why are you sitting on the castle steps all by yourself?” “Twilight kicked me out... again.” “Oh, dear. What did you do this time?” “Nothing.” Even Fluttershy wasn’t gullible enough to buy that poor excuse, as she raised an eyebrow. “Okay, maybe I wouldn’t stop shit-talking Unis whenever he opened his mouth. But, can you blame me? The guy’s an asshole.” “Aren’t you being just a little, um.... aggressive?” “I’m not aggressive! You shut your face!” Fluttershy returned his insult with a jaded stare. “Okay, so I’m aggressive. What are you gonna do? Schedule a therapy session?” “Goodness, no. I like you, just the way you are.” “Oh.” Carl wasn’t used to receiving compliments that weren't backhanded, but it was somehow refreshing to know, someone liked him, just for being him. “Hey, what the hell are you doing here, anyway?” “Twilight wanted us all to have a friendship meeting. To make sure we’re all ready for when Mephisto returns.” “Heh… friendship meeting.” Carl chuckled to himself. “Anyway… I suppose I should head on in…” Fluttershy slowly opened the door, but felt bad about leaving Carl outside, all alone. “Hey-” “Just go inside, Fluttershy.” He interjected. “But… are you sure?” “Your friends are waiting for you, don’t worry about me.” “Okay, promise not to get into trouble for me?” “I promise nothing.” Fluttershy went inside, leaving Carl to return to his thoughts. He looked over the peaceful town of Ponyville, from atop the stairs of it’s royal palace, pondering how such a tranquil world of cute talking animals could house such a dark, dangerous, destructive force of nature. “Almost wish I was here just to solve some gay friendship problem, at least then my life wouldn't be at risk.” He complained to himself. “Well, well… you’re looking rather miserable. Did Twilight forget to feed her pet?” Carl looked towards the bottom of the steps to find a blue pony in a strange purple cape and wizard’s hat. “Who are you?” “Oh, dear. How could you possibly forget moi?” She cleared her throat and rose on her hind legs, as fireworks fired in all directions, exploding around her. “I am: The Great and Powerful Trixie!” “Oh, yeah… How could I forget this migraine.” Carl winced. “Perhaps you also didn't forget the promise you made?” “The hell are you talking about?” “At Rarity’s boutique? You owe Trixie, remember?” “Fuck’s sake. You do realise a psychotic demon mist is flying around possessing people, right?” “Trixie shall hear none of your excuses. You will fulfill your promise, or face the consequences.” “Oh, yeah? And what are you gonna do?” Trixie shot Carl with a stream of magic. It didn’t hurt, but his throat tickled. He attempted to yell a string of mocking profanities at Trixie, only to discover his voice was completely shot. “You dirty, conniving bitch!” Was what he wanted to scream, but all Trixie saw was a disgruntled miming performance. “What was that? Trixie couldn’t hear you.” She smirked. Carl continued to scream silently, only to grow even angrier and scream even more nothing at her. His silent thrashing had Trixie in stitches. “I love this spell.” He soon tired himself out, as Trixie ascended the stairs. “Now, if you promise to help Trixie with her little errand, Trixie might give you your voice back.” Carl rolled his eyes in displeasure. “Was that a yes?” She asked. Carl reluctantly nodded. “Good. First, I would like you to escort me to Twilight Sparkle’s library. There are some spell books Trixie wishes to read.” She instructed. He reluctantly opened the doors to the castle. He may be going against Twilight’s orders, but he hardly ever followed them anyway. “Thank you.” Trixie arrogantly strolled past Carl, until he stepped on her cape, forcing her to stop. “Hey! Watch it!” Carl pointed to his open mouth, hoping she’d return the favour, already. “No thanks. Trixie already ate.” Carl furiously pointed to his mouth again. “Oh, I see.” Trixie’s horn lit up, as Carl waited for her magic spell. A small spray can appeared and squirted it’s contents into his mouth as he reeled back from the shock. “It’s mint flavoured. That should help dull that nasty horse breath of yours.” Carl was mad, but he couldn’t deny that sweet, refreshing, minty taste and followed her into the castle. “Every time I come here, I’m amazed at how much wasted space this castle has. How does Starlight even navigate this maze?” Trixie continued to ramble about Twilight’s lame castle and how great it would look if she were in charge. Carl would have found it hilarious, if he still had working vocal chords to laugh with. “...anyway, where is Twilight’s library? Trixie is growing tired of wondering these confusing, empty halls.” Carl shrugged, not like he could tell her even if he did know. “Well, what good are you, then?” She criticised, seemingly forgetting why she forced him along in the first place. “Uh, what are you two doing here?” Asked a bemused pony. “Ooh, Starlight, finally.” Trixie bounced over to her friend for a hug. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Twilight’s library is, would you?” “Really, Trix. This again?” “Yes, this again! Trixie needs those spells! My show demands it!” “How the heck did you convince Carl to let you in here?” “He owes me.” “Is that true, Carl?” Carl answered, but naturally not a sound came out. Starlight was perplexed. “Are you doing that on purpose?” He mimed a frustrated: “NO!” in response. “Trixie, did you use the silencing spell on Carl?” “Me? Why would I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, need to use a silencing spell on some random, insignificant… okay, yeah I did.” Starlight sighed. “Okay, Carl. Hold still and I’ll have you back to normal in a second.” She fired a beam of magic at Carl’s face, tickling his throat. “How do you feel?” Carl belched. “Better. And, what the hell do you even need a silencing spell for, anyway?” “If you must know, Trixie uses it on hecklers.” She pouted. “Oh, I’ll show you a heckle...” Carl was raring for a fight, but Starlight, thankfully intervened. “Hey, how about we don’t fight in the middle of Twilight’s castle, while she’s in an important meeting.” “Fine with me.” Trixie replied. “But, Trixie isn’t leaving until Carl fulfills his promise, of escorting Trixie to Twilight’s library.” “Okay, but keep it quiet. I don’t want to disturb the others.” “Assfuck!” Carl bellowed. “What did I just say!?” “Sorry, just testing my vocal chords.” Starlight guided Carl and Trixie through the castle, around the meeting chamber and into Twilight’s library. The room was vast, with walls of crystal shelves, filled from top to bottom with books. Trixie was ecstatic, the amount of potential spells she could use for her show were seemingly endless. She didn’t know where to start, so she began looking at the cover of each book, tossing away the ones that didn’t interest her, as Starlight caught the stray books being raided from their shelves. As she skimmed through their pages, she soon realised she barely understood the theory behind any of them and quickly grew bored and sauntered around the room for anything that might catch her attention. She stopped and stared at the giant mirror contraption, at the back of the room. “Ooh... what’s this?” She asked. “That’s the mirror portal, Trixie. Don’t touch it.” “Can we turn it on?” “No.” “Fine.” She continued to examine the portal, hoping to find some kind of switch. “Now, what are you doing?” Starlight asked, impatiently. “Nothing.” Trixie smiled. “Weren’t you here to look up magic spells?” “Yeah, Trixie didn’t understand any of them, but this mirror portal though....” She wandered around the back of the contraption. “Trixie, I’m serious, don’t touch anything!” Trixie snickered to herself. “Oh, Starlight. I’m only teasing, you need to lighten- WAH!” There was a loud clang, as Trixie toppled over behind the mirror. Starlight scrambled to help her friend up. “Please don’t tell me you broke something!” “Oh, relax, I just tripped on this big, dish thingy.” Trixie kicked the dish thingy off her person, as Starlight levitated it into the light where she get a proper look at it. “Hey, I recognise that dish thingy.” Carl called. “You do?” Starlight questioned. “Yeah, let me see it.” Carl snagged the dish thingy right out of Starlight’s grasp. Balancing it on his hoof, he examined it closely, but he didn’t see anything particularly special about it. Curious as to just how strong it was, he slipped his arm through the harness on the back and smacked it, as hard as he could, against one of the crystal pillars in the room. As the dish thingy bashed against the pillar, the impact left a massive cracked indent, as it reverberated on his arm, like a gong. “Woah, shit!” Carl cried. “Will you stop that.” Starlight scolded. “You’ll hurt yourself.” “Wouldn’t that be ironic.” “What do you mean 'ironic'? Where could you have possibly seen this, anyway? You’ve only been in this world for a few days….” As Starlight mulled over the information, it suddenly clicked. “Wait… is this!?” “What are you doing with that!?” Unis blared from the entrance. He marched towards Starlight in a flustered rage. “This is property of the Royal Guard. Return it, immediately.” “Hold up there, Captain.” Carl stepped in front of Starlight, eager to confront Unis on his shady behaviour. “What was Royal Guard property doing in Twilight’s castle, in the first place?” Unis was shaken, Carl was the last person he wanted to converse with right now. “It’s none of your business, commoner.” “Oh, okay, then.” Just when Unis thought he had successfully sidestepped the issue, Carl immediately spoke again. “Hey, Starlight. You know what that shield you’re holding is, right?” “It’s an ancient Equestrian artefact. A shield that can deflect any and all magic. The Sacred Shield.” She explained. Sweat rolled down Unis’ face, his nerves shaken. “Now, that’s odd.” Carl pondered. “I could have sworn a similar shield was stolen yesterday. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you, Captain?” Unis couldn’t stand Carl’s smug attitude, but he refused to play into his hooves. He took a deep breath and calmly explained the situation. “Nopony stole anything. As Captain of the Royal Guard, I have full access to the Castle’s weaponry vault, that includes the Sacred Shield. I simply took it without informing anypony, which is why the guards initially perceived it’s sudden disappearance as a theft.” Of course, Carl wasn’t satisfied with just that. “And the shadowy figure they saw?” “That was Mephisto. I’m not sure what he was doing, but he was caught nonetheless, so his actions are irrelevant.” “Alright, but that still leaves one question: Why did you take it?” “I don’t need to explain myself to you.” “Oh, don’t be such a whiny bitch, just tell us.” “I am not whiny!” “Um, Unis, what are you yelling at?” Fluttershy asked, overhearing the argument from the other room. “Oh! Carl, what are you doing in here?” “Just having a friendly chat with the Captain.” “Oh, that’s wonderful… but, also hard to believe. What are you actually doing?” "What I do best." With Unis refusing to cooperate, Carl had to fall back on his most powerful skill, good old fashioned bluffing. “I think I’ve figured out what you’re planning, Captain.” “Please, enlighten us.” Unis mocked. “I bet you thought you could use this shield to challenge Mephisto, all by yourself. Right?” “What are you babbling about? As if I’d do something so selfish and stupid.” “Yeah, I doubt Celestia would appreciate all the extra stress your heroic endeavour would cause her.” "Obviously." "Unless... you're going against her orders." “What...? What are you trying to accomplish with these ridiculous accusations?” Despite his calm, authoritative demeanour, Unis was sweating bullets and Carl could tell, he could always tell. No matter how hard Unis tried to keep his cool, Carl would always see right through him and he loathed him for it. Carl leaned into Unis’ face, creating even more discomfort for the young Captain. “Unis.” He quietly addressed. “Get out of my face.” Unis angrily muttered. “You’re not actually allowed to take the Sacred Shield, are you?” “Back. Off.” “You took it without permission, didn’t you?” “I said: ‘Back. Off.’” “You stole it, didn’t you?” “Back. OFF!” Unis unleashed a burst of magic, pushing Carl out of his personal space. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” “What!?” Fluttershy flew between the warring stallions, to confront Unis. “That's not true, is it!?” “Yes… it’s true. There are certain weapons that can only be used with the Princess' permission.” “But, you’re supposed to be a Captain. You can’t just steal things like that. Why didn’t you ask?” “I did ask!” Unis suddenly yelled. “But, every time I brought up the idea, Celestia... she would always give me the same answer. Let Carl deal with it. Carl can handle it. Just leave everything to Carl. Why!? What in the name of Tartarus makes that retched, vulgar commoner, so special!?” “I don’t fucking know.” Carl laughed. “That’s it. I am done playing your games! I'm putting an end to this petty squabbling!” “I think you’ve embarrassed yourself enough, already.” Unis snapped. He couldn’t take anymore. Celestia’s faith in what he perceived to be a mere nuisance was something he no longer cared to understand. All he wanted was to prove once and for all, that Carl was nothing special, just a commoner with an undeserved ego. He attempted to engage Carl, but was blocked by Fluttershy. “Stop! Fighting Carl won't prove anything!” “Move!” Without even thinking, Unis shoved Fluttershy aside, knocking her to the ground. Fluttershy let out a weak cry as she hit the ground, visibly shocked by Unis’ crassness. “What say you, commoner!? Do you accept!?” The ponies in the room were stunned by Unis' behaviour. As for Carl, a sudden strange feeling washed over him, after witnessing Fluttershy, batted aside like trash. A strange concoction of disgust, disappointment and utter contempt. These emotions all stirred within him, mixing together to form a calm fury. The moment Fluttershy's delicate frame struck the ground, it triggered an emotional reaction he didn’t even know he was capable of. An anger that wasn't just another childish explosion, but focused, like a laser beam and it was aimed solely at Unis. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? I thought you were supposed to be protecting these people, not smacking them around, like stray dogs. You think that just because you’re a Royal Captain you can treat the commoners like dirt? That because you have some arbitrary title assigned to you, that automatically makes you better than everyone else?” Unis glanced over at Fluttershy, briefly. His impulsive anger having already subsided, he wanted nothing more than to apologise for what he did, but the judgemental glares of the ponies around him kept him quiet, pinned to the spot by guilt. Even so, there was still one thing that pushed him out of his paralysis, his insane pride, urging him to best Carl, by any means necessary. “You… how dare you lecture me on how to treat others...” Before Unis could even begin his counterargument, Carl instantly interrupted him. “Shut up! I'm not finished! I may be an asshole, but I don’t go smacking people around for no goddamn reason. I just despise pompous, pretentious pricks who think they can control me, based on their status alone. Especially when they’re sycophantic, ass-kissers like you. Because, unlike you, Unis, I don’t suddenly keep my mouth shut when someone who outranks is within earshot, just to save face. I always punch above my weight class, I always challenge those who think they’re above me and I’ll always drag delusional dumbasses like you back into reality, to remind you that no amount of trophies or titles, will ever make you a better person than anyone else. Labels don't define you, you're actions do! Right, Twilight!?” Unis’ heart stopped, as he slowly turned his head to look behind him. Princess Twilight and the rest of her friends were right there, having been watching the entire conversation. “I figured you were the ones causing all this commotion.” Twilight groaned. “Pr-princess… I-I…” All Unis could do was stutter. “Unis, what are you doing? I’m not surprised by Carl’s behaviour, but you? I expected better from the pony who inherited my brother’s position.” “Oh shit!” Carl laughed. “You're following in the footsteps of Twilight's brother? I bet he never attacked his own subjects.” “Shut. Up. You. Dolt!” Unis snapped, forcing himself into Carl’s face. “You know nothing of the stress that comes from being the Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard!” “That’s no excuse for being a shithead!” Carl replied, pushing back. “Laughable, coming from you, ingrate!” “I’m not the one in charge of an army, stupid!” “ENOUGH!” Unis shouted. “I’m going to put you in your place, once and for all. Carl, I challenge you to a Knight’s Duel!” “What? We don’t have to play cards again, do we?” Starlight quickly explained. “A Knight’s Duel is a serious, one-on-one battle between two ponies. You get one weapon each and you fight until you either surrender, or are knocked down for more than ten seconds.” “So, it’s a fight he’s looking for? Sure, I’ve been wanting to smash your face in since the day we met.” “What!?” Twilight yelled. “No! You can’t fight now!” “Stay out of this!” The rivals roared. “You two are impossible!” Twilight was finally at the end of her rope and gave in. “Fine, have your stupid fight, Carl, but you better not exhaust yourself, I don't want you half-dead when Mephisto shows up.” “If I defeat this commoner, then it’ll be proof that we never needed him to begin with.” Unis reasoned. “Shut up. Where are we doing this?” Carl asked. “The grove, where we found the Lightning Ball. We won’t be disturbed there.” “I’ll see you there in thirty minutes, Captain.” Unis stormed out of the room. “Wow.” Trixie gasped, suddenly feeling very out of place. “That was awkward.” “Trixie? Why are you here?” Twilight asked. “Starlight! Trixie’s bestest friend! How about we go get some ice-cream?” “Hey! Who’s been messing with my books!?” Thirty one minutes passed before Carl arrived at the grove, accompanied by Twilight, where Unis awaited him. Still covered in the scars left by the Lightning Ball, the grove was otherwise, calm with a slight breeze blowing through the trees, as the two combatants stared each other down. Unis with his determined scowl and Carl with his usual smirk. “Where is you weapon, commoner?” Unis asked, with the Scared Shield harnessed to his foreleg, ready for battle. “Twilight, prepare my weapon.” On Carl’s command, Twilight’s magic created a puff of purple light behind a large boulder, just beside Carl. Unis was immediately skeptical. “What are you planning?” “I’m planning on kicking your ass. Now, come at me!” “Very well.” Unis’ horn glowed with a silvery aura. His magic gathered in front of him, forging a sword of pure energy. “Hey, what the hell!? You’re using two weapons!? That’s cheating!” Carl objected. “Actually, Unicorn’s are free to use their magic during a Knight’s Duel.” Twilight corrected. “That’s not even fair.” “Alright you two, as per the rules of a Knight’s Duel. Whoever keeps their opponent knocked down for more than ten seconds, wins.” “Wait, are we starting now, or what?” Unis’ magic blade, swiftly carved through the air, catching Carl off-guard, as it sliced right through his bandaged leg. “WHAT THE FUCK! MY LEG!” The pain was searing and unbearable, but as Carl looked down, he realised that his leg was perfectly fine. It wasn’t detached, or even bleeding, his rag was also left completely intact. “It’s... still there? Then, why does it hurt so fucking much!?” “These magic swords are a technique used by the Royal Guard to neutralise particularly troublesome foes.” Unis explained. “Though, they do not slice off flesh, their magic tricks your nervous system into believing your limbs have been severed, so the pain is still very real.” "Sadistic bastard!" The blade came swinging at Carl once again, but every time it made a pass at him, he jumped, ducked and dodged to avoid it. It was an impressive sight, but Carl had also been completely zoned out by a single blade. Out of frustration, Carl leapt away a great distance, with the sword instantly following him. He stood on his hind legs and kicked a stray rock, like a football. He quickly lost balance and fell on his rear, as the rock flew up and smashed through the magical blade. “Ha! How’d you like that, you cheat!?” “Cheat!? Me!?” Offended by Carl’s outburst, Unis immediately turned to Twilight. “That rock counts as using a second weapon!” Twilight, once again, clarified. “Nope, the rules state that you can only bring one weapon. There’s nothing that says you can’t use the surrounding environment to your advantage.” "That's... not even fair." “Get fucked, Unis!” Carl taunted. “Fine… in that case…” This time, Unis summoned a pair of magic swords. He effortlessly directed them towards Carl, prompting him to throw his rock, hoping to smash them, just like before. However, the two swords crossed over each other and with their combined strength, resisted the rock’s force. With a series of quick, successive slashes they reduced Carl's rock to rubble before it could even touch the ground. “Oh shit.” He muttered. The blades darted over to a defenseless Carl and repeatedly stabbed into him, jutting in and out like pistons, before a final thrust sent him flying back over to Twilight. The distance between them having grown even larger. “Carl!” She cried, as he lay at her hooves. “Are you alright!?” “I feel like I was just stung by a swarm of hornets.” “Do you concede, commoner?” Unis asked. “Eat my ass!” “I’ll take that as a ‘no’.” Carl picked himself up, ignoring his pain and attempted to close the distance between them, the only way he knew how. By blindly rushing forward. The magic swords met Carl halfway, to cut him off, but using his powerful legs, Carl vaulted over the swords as they flew past him. As soon as he landed, he stumbled, but continued his charge, ready to knock Unis senseless with a running shot, but the moment they came face-to-face, Unis raised his shield and stopped Carl in his tracks. “Sorry, commoner, but you're pathetic flailing is powerless before my shield.” Unis’ swords locked sights onto Carl, but he kept pummeling away at the shield, despite his efforts clearly being futile. However, this was only a distraction, as soon as the swords got close, he promptly leapt backwards, leaving the swords to crash into the shield, destroying them. “That was close…” Carl sighed as he landed on his butt, again. “But, those swords aren’t much help, once I’m in your face.” “I’m ending this farce.” Unis’ body shined with a silver aura, until a ring of magic swords surrounded him, spinning around his body like razor blades. “Fucking... seriously?” “I’ve sealed off your only means of attack. So, what will you do now, commoner?” “Guess it's time to use my trump card.” Carl smirked, before immediately turning around and running away, with a high-pitched squeal. “You coward!” Unis angrily gave chase. Carl was fast, easily out-pacing Unis and his shredding swords. He headed for the boulder, Twilight left his weapon behind, and with all his might, threw his rock solid hoof into it, as it crumbled to pieces. “Well... that was kinda impressive...” Twilight muttered. “That hurt like hell.” Carl internally screamed, as he tried to hide the throbbing pain in his arm. “Those pebbles won’t save you!” Unis was closing in, Carl promptly leapt behind a large piece of boulder debris and kicked it. Unis raised his shield for protection, and effortlessly deflected it. Angered by such dishonourable tactics, Unis summoned more swords, and with greater focus and control, cut the boulder pieces to ribbons, before blowing away the remaining gravel and dust from blocking his vision, with magic. However, when the dust cleared, Carl was nowhere to be seen. “Where are you, you idiot!?” For those few seconds, Unis was stumped. He was certain Carl was hiding, waiting to make a sneak attack. Unis was surrounded by swords and Carl couldn’t burrow underground, which meant there was only one blind spot left for him to exploit, but by the time Unis realised this, it was already too late. Unis glanced upward, shocked to discover Carl, practically diving bombing towards him, and in his mouth, was his weapon. A giant, iron hammer. Unis fired his remaining swords to stop him, but the force of his fall was far too strong. They pierced right through him, but at this point, any pain Carl felt was irrelevant, as he continued his descent. There was only one course of action Unis could take, he raised his shield. Carl swung the massive hammer at full force, as it crashed into Unis' last defense. While the shield was unharmed, the hammer’s impact reverberated throughout Unis’ body. His world was spinning, his ears were ringing and his legs couldn't stop shaking, he was completely dazed. Carl’s taunts, smashing the boulder and kicking the debris, these weren't just the mindless tactics of a fool. They contributed to creating this one, solid opening. With Unis stunned from the assault, Carl rushed in and delivered the finishing blow, a hard punch straight into Unis’ face, that sent him rolling across the ground. Unis struggled to get up, as the pain from the punch and the shock from the hammer turned his legs to jelly. It was well over ten seconds before he regained his balance, but by then, the fight was already over. He lost. “Welp, I’ve proven my point. Can't remember what it was, but whatever. I’m outta here.” Carl announced, leaving the grove with disinterest. Twilight was left alone with Unis, who was so ashamed by his loss, all he could do was sit and stare at the dirt. “You fell for his tricks again.” Twilight critiqued as gently as she could, hoping not to wound Unis’ pride even further. “I don’t understand. I overwhelmed him, he was helpless and yet, in the span of seconds it was all over. How does he do it? How does he have such confidence in what are nothing more than mere bluffs?” “Carl's confidence in his ability to read his opponents, is no bluff. You underestimated him and you paid heavily for it, by playing right into his hooves.” “Underestimated him...?” “Unis, having a strong sense of conviction is fine, but against a trickster like Carl, things like honour and justice mean nothing to him. He only plays to win.” Just then, a thought echoed in Twilight’s mind, a sudden epiphany. “...'justice means nothing to him'…? That can't be the reason... can it?” “When I became Captain, I took it as a sign of my superiority. That I was one of the strongest Unicorns in Equestria. The idea that somepony of my stature, would ever have to take a risk in order to overcome a problem was terrifying. If my strength wasn’t enough, than no one’s was and I could never allow a danger that powerful to threaten our people. That fear forced me to believe that my power was absolute and unquestionable, but it seems those beliefs have been disproven. My power blinded me.” Twilight felt nothing but empathy for Unis. She too, understood the fear one faces from the massive responsibility their position brought them. “It’s okay, Unis. Everypony messes up sometimes, but as the Captain of the Royal Guard, you just gotta pick yourself up and try again, right?” “Not this time...” “What?” Unis removed his helmet, freeing his long, grey mane. “I am no longer Captain Unis of the Royal Guard… from now on, I’m just Unis Guardna.” “You’re not seriously quitting?” “If there’s one thing this battle has taught me, it’s that I‘m not fit to be a Captain, at least not yet. I let my emotions get the best of me and for such petty reasons. Besides, what kind of Captain loses to a mere commoner?” Unis laughed. “What will you do now?” “I'm not sure, but for now, I would like to be left alone with my own thoughts.” “Alright, I suppose I’ll have to lug this helmet all the way back to the castle, myself.” “Thank you, Princess.” Whilst Twilight and Unis remained in the grove, Carl had returned to the castle. He planned on spending his time relaxing inside, while he waited for Mephisto to show up, but it seemed his wait was far shorter than he expected. He spotted a familiar face hanging around the entrance. The scarred criminal pony he met in Canterlot. Despite the convict’s confused expression, Carl didn’t hesitate to confront them immediately. Carl lunged at the criminal, who cowered in fear from the sight of him. “Gotcha, prick!” “Oh, Celestia! Not you again!” The criminal cried. “Alright, Smokey! Let’s go!” Carl put up his dukes, but was soon deterred when he saw his opponent scared stiff. “Uh, Mephisto?” Carl asked, tapping on the frightened convict’s head. “You in there?” “If you’re talking about that smoke thing, it’s gone, okay.” “What?” “It just dumped me here. I don’t even know where I am right now.” “You’re outside Princess Twilight’s castle, so unless you want to get arrested again, I suggest you get lost!” “Y-yes, sir!” The criminal quickly made themselves scarce, but Carl was still bothered by Mephisto’s disappearance. “Wonder why Mephisto abandoned that guy...? Meh, I'm sure we'll figure that out later.” Carl returned to the castle, with Twilight returning soon after. As Twilight entered her throne room, she found her friends all gathered around the table talking, but with one pony sitting in a place he shouldn’t. “Carl!” She called. “Get out of my chair!” “Hey, Princess. Your butt must be hard as steel, if you find this slab of stone comfy.” Twilight promptly levitated him out of her seat. “That’s what the cushions are for.” “What’s with the helmet?” “It’s Unis’” “What? Did he lose it?” “He… gave it up. He’s not a Captain anymore.” “Holy shit, was he really that salty?” Twilight dropped Carl from her spell. “Can you at least show a little remorse for your actions.” “Hey, if Unis wants to quit being a Captain, that’s his decision.” “Yeah, but don’t you feel even a little sorry…?” “He’ll be fine, Twilight. Look, see? He’s right over there.” “Wait, what?” Twilight swiveled around to find Unis on the other side of the throne room, still wielding the Sacred Shield and looking distressed and tired, clearly having just ran from the grove. “Princess!” He called. “I’ve just learned of some critical information! Please, bring your friends and follow me!” “Unis, are you okay!?” Twilight asked. “Still salty?” Carl added. “Shut up, Carl!” “Carl?” Ignoring Carl's quips, Twilight continued. “What did you find out?” “We don’t have much time, I’ll explain on the way.” “Alright. Girls, let’s go!” As they quickly prepared to leave, Pinkie hopped past Carl. “You coming?” “I've already said it before, I ain’t doing shit until Celestia shows up.” Carl answered. “Okay, see you later!” “Whatever… I’ll be rummaging around in Starlight’s room, if you need me.” Unis lead the group across town, sprinting the whole way, making it difficult for Twilight to ask him for any details. It wasn’t until they reached the edge of the Everfree Forest that they finally got a chance to slow down and talk. Their frantic galloping slowed to a casual trot, allowing Twilight to catch her breath and finally question Unis. “”Where… are we… going…?” She wheezed. “There is something hidden in the Everfree Forest you must know about.” “Was it really necessary.... for you to drag us…. all out here?” “It’ll be far easier to explain, once you see it for yourself.” “See what?” "Something incredible." "Where did you even get this information?" “Let’s just say, Mephisto has abandoned his old host and he wasn’t too thrilled about it.” “You mean that criminal? What was his name again?” “It’s not important.” Continuing their journey through the Everfree Forest, the girls were lead through the murky bog until they came to a cliff side. Without hesitation, Unis slid down the side, with the others soon following. “We’re here.” Unis announced. “But, I can’t see anything.” Twilight expressed, her vision blocked by the incredibly tall grass that stretched on for, what seemed like an eternity. “Beyond this grass, lies Mephisto’s secret. Even I’m not sure what lies ahead, be cautious.” Wading through the foliage, the group reached the center of the encompassing meadow. They were left in awe at the sight of the towering black crystals before them. “No way... “ Twilight gasped. “These are the Black Crystal Monoliths.” “You’ve heard of them?” Asked Unis. “Yeah, in an old book. They’re extremely rare stones, capable of absorbing any and all kinds of magic. I should have known they’d be hidden away, deep in the Everfree Forest. Seems, Mephisto is trying to use them for something, we should return to the castle, before he shows up.” As Twilight was about to head back into the grass, she bumped her face into a solid wall. “What the-?” As she regained her senses from her collision, she noticed the purple wall was blocking her path. A wall that reached high into the sky, stretched around the crystals and concealing them in an inescapable barrier. Twilight quickly examined the barrier. “This is... Mephisto’s magic?” “What?” Applejack questioned. “But, I thought he needed to possess somepony to use his magic?” “Yeah! And he couldn’t have possessed any of us!” Rainbow Dash added. Twilight pondered for a moment. “He must have already found a new host and somehow followed us here.” “What do we do!?” Fluttershy cried. “Stick close together, as long as we have the Elements of Harmony, we can still defend ourselves.” A mocking laughter suddenly echoed throughout the meadow. “Defend yourselves!? Princess, I don’t think you fully comprehend the situation you're in!” “Mephisto! Where are you, you coward!” “Coward? I’m sorry, but weren't you the ones planning on running back to your castle to plan a sneak attack!? I, however, have been in plain sight this entire time!” “What!? Where!?” “Maybe, if you stopped darting around like a frightened dog and looked at what was right in front of your face, you would have figured it out by now!” Twilight and her friends looked ahead, but there was only one other pony with them, the one who lead them there in the first place. “Unis…?” The Captain turned around, wearing the same sickening smile that was plastered across the faces of all of Mephisto's victims. “Wrong again, Princess!” “No… you didn’t…” “But, I did! Oh, but don’t look so sad… this is where the real fun begins!”