//------------------------------// // Long Live The Queen // Story: My Little Mages: The Nightmare's Return // by BrassHeart //------------------------------// MY LITTLE MAGES: THE NIGHTMARE'S RETURN LONG LIVE THE QUEEN ~~~~~~ The Alicorn, Princess Celestia’s personal galleon, hovered in the night air above the Starfall Plains, a perfectly flat expanse of grasslands between Camelot and Magiville. At Celestia’s bidding, the crew of the Alicorn had taken the lifeboats and abandoned ship, at least temporarily. The small lifeboats had flown off unseen, the invisibility charms over them successfully disguising their presence. The crew had been confused, but Celestia didn’t need to do much convincing. When an immortal demigoddess tells you to do something for your own safety, it is usually a good idea to follow her orders. Celestia closed her eyes as she stood in the middle of the windswept plains. It was in this spot – this very spot – that she had used the Elements of Harmony, forcibly binding them to her soul, and sealed Luna – no, Nightmare Moon away. She had almost died in the process; the Elements of Harmony were not meant to be used by only one mage. The Arch Mage looked up at the full moon, and the silhouetted face on its surface. She could hardly bear to look at the moon for too long; too many memories. “Steady, old girl,” Celestia said to herself, raising her golden staff. She turned in a slow circle, her staff parallel to the ground. The eight-armed sun on the end of her staff gave off four flashes while Celestia circled, leaving behind a floating point of light each time. The four stars were slowly approaching Celestia, mirroring the stars approaching the moon. It wasn’t a coincidence. Celestia raised her staff above her head as the four stars began to pick up speed at her unspoken bidding. Her staff began to glow like the sun as the four stars in the sky vanished behind the moon, and the face on the moon began to fade away. Celestia took a deep breath to calm herself. “Let’s begin,” She said, and she struck the earth with the butt of her staff. Golden lines of light emerged from her staff, and they began to spread and split, drawing an enormous spell circle around Celestia. It was her own design. Every rune, every angle, every last part of the circle was crafted over the past thousand years for one purpose: purification. The face on the moon disappeared, and there was a bright flash of multicolored light. When it faded, an armored woman was standing in front of Celestia, and she wasted no time lunging at the Arch Mage with a double-bladed spear. Celestia’s spell circle roared to life. Dozens of golden chains sprang from the ground, wrapping around the armored woman and stopping the spear only inches from Celestia's face. Celestia’s eyes began to blaze as she fed more and more magic into the spell circle. The golden chains began to glow white-hot, and the woman trapped inside them screamed as the chains seared her. Behind Celestia, and far above her, a dark storm cloud approached the plains, moving against the wind. A ship made out of rotten wood emerged from its cloudy camouflage, crewed by sailors just as rotten and decayed as the ship. A single word was painted on the prow of the ship, next to the skeletal figurehead: Hades. The Hades, silent as death, flew past the Alicorn, going as close as they dared to the center of the magical maelstrom that was Celestia. The Grand Master of the Shadow Blades was standing on the prow, eyes fixed on Celestia. "Darkness, guide my hand," He said, and he jumped. The shadows seemed to reach up from the ground to cushion his fall, and the Grand Master landed without losing speed, running straight for Celestia with a sword in his hand. The grass didn't even rustle as he moved through it. “Give me back my sister!” Celestia yelled at the woman chained in front of her. The woman’s screaming became mixed with laughter. “I am thy sister!” She shrieked, her pale, sharp face twisted in pain and anger. “Liar!” Celestia screamed, pouring more magic into her spell. The woman screamed even louder, and cracks began to form on her skin, letting out a bright light. It was working, Celestia realized. Her spell was working. Just a few more minutes of this, and… …Oh. Celestia’s staff fell from her hands as she looked down at her chest. There was a sword sticking out of it. Celestia looked over her shoulder at the dark-clothed man responsible for stabbing her in the back. “What have you done?” She said breathlessly as her spell circle, and the chains it had conjured, vanished slowly. The man said nothing, only planting his foot in the small of her back and pulling his sword free. Celestia fell to her hands and knees as blood began to seep out of her chest. She didn’t notice it. She was too busy noticing the black metal greaves in front of her. With what remained of her strength, she lifted her head, and stared into the azure, predatory eyes of the thing that called itself her sister. Celestia felt herself start to cry when she saw the cracks on the woman’s porcelain skin seal shut as the woman smiled down at her darkly. “Good evening, dear sister,” Nightmare Moon said, and she kicked Celestia in the face, knocking her to the ground. Celestia could feel the warm blood on her face, and the cold metal as Nightmare Moon pressed a foot to her throat. “Whatever is the matter? Will thou not say hello?” Celestia said nothing, too busy trying to gasp for breath. Nightmare Moon clicked her tongue disapprovingly, and looked at the man dressed in black. “Thou hast done well, Shadow Blade,” She said. The Shadow Blade pumped a fist in the air above his head. “Long live the Queen!" He shouted. "Long live the Queen!" Chrysalis cheered from the Hades, and the Undead manning the ship gave an appreciative moan. Nightmare Moon looked down at her feet as the ground began to rumble. Two-dozen werewolves leapt out of newly-formed holes, making a wide circle around Nightmare Moon. The werewolves howled at the Queen of the Moon, adding their voices to the cheering in their own way. "LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" Iron Will, up on the Hades, bellowed, his voice drowning out all the others. "Whatever. Long live the Queen," Nightshade said in a bored voice from her perch in the crow's nest. "Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" Nightmare Moon raised a hand, and the chanting instantly stopped. She looked down at Celestia, who was struggling to get Nightmare Moon's foot off her throat. Nightmare Moon pushed down even harder, a vicious grin on her face. "Oh, thou know but an inkling of how long We have waited for this day, sister," She said. "Didst thou actually believe thou was the only one capable of creating a plan?" Celestia gasped like a fish out of water, trying to get air into her lungs. "How doth it feel, having a thousand years of waiting and planning end in failure? And the only one to blame... is thou." Nightmare Moon looked at the Alicorn out of the corner of her eye. "Tell me... is the crew still aboard?" She asked. Celestia's eyes widened in fear. "No... don't...!" She begged. Nightmare Moon smirked, and she gestured up to the Hades. "Destroy it," She ordered. Celestia's eyes widened, and she pushed against the foot on her throat with renewed energy. Nightmare Moon laughed at the futility of the attempt. "This is thy own fault, Celestia," She said as the Hades turned so her starboard side was facing the Alicorn. "If it was not for thy hubris, thy stupidity..." The cannons were being loaded. "...Then none of this would be happening." The cannons gave a thunderous report as they fired, and their payload punched through the Alicorn's hull. For a few seconds, there was silence. Then, the cannonballs detonated. The Alicorn shook as the magical explosives went off in her belly, and the ship was blasted apart, the flaming debris floating down like feathers. Tears streaked down Celestia's face as she tried to scream with rage, and Nightmare Moon only laughed as she watched the wreckage. "Thou hast failed, Celestia." Nightmare Moon lifted her armored foot off Celestia's throat, but the Arch Mage didn't have time to draw in a breath before it came back down like a guillotine. There was a disgusting snap, and then, nothing. ~~~~~~ Magiville’s town square was happily abuzz with activity as the townspeople gathered to await the celebration. There was a general atmosphere of good cheer in the air, despite the numerous people dashing around to put finishing touches on the preparations. Twilight Sparkle did not run, but walked through the crowds without a care in the world and a checklist in her hands. “Food…” Twilight looked over at the banquet tables, where Applejack and the rest of her family were setting out heaping platters of steaming food. “Check.” Twilight turned her eyes skyward and noticed Rainbow Dash hovering about, dispelling the last few clouds with arrows of wind magic. “Weather, almost done,” Twilight said, crossing it off. “Took her long enough,” She added under her breath. There was a loud clatter. Twilight turned her head to look at the source. It was Fluttershy, fussing around with a fallen bird perch. A few songbirds were flying around her, chirping excitedly. “Music, good enough,” Twilight decided, crossing it off. “No, you colorblind nincompoop! I said light red, not pink!” Rarity’s voice wafted over the crowd as she chastised one of her assistants. “There’s a difference!” “And the decorations are under control,” Twilight said, crossing the final item off the list. “I think everything’s ready.” Twilight looked to the brightening eastern sky, and her eyes lit up as she saw the approaching silhouette of the Alicorn. She turned around and cupped her hands around her mouth. “THE PRINCESS IS HERE!” She shouted to the crowd. Every pair of eyes in the town square turned to the east, as the Alicorn majestically sailed over Magiville, slowing to a halt above the town square. A silhouetted figure, disguised by the darkness, stood at the prow of the ship, wings of metal floating at her back, and her hair flowing through the air like water. It was undoubtedly Celestia. Fluttershy’s birds began to sing the opening notes of the anthem, and the crowd bowed to Celestia. “I guess I might have been wrong about Nightmare Moon,” Twilight whispered to herself, bowing lower than any other member of the crowd. The crowd straightened as one, looking at Celestia eagerly, waiting for her to usher in the sunrise. Celestia raised her double-headed spear, wreathed in dark light. Twilight’s pupils narrowed to pinpricks. The eastern horizon lost its red and orange hues, turning back to midnight blue as the sun retreated, and the moon rose to take its place. The flawless, faceless moon. a nightmare shall fall from the moon “No… no, no, no, no…” Twilight whispered. and eternal night The silver light of the moon filled the town square, illuminating 'Celestia' and the 'Alicorn'. The 'Alicorn' was not the beautiful sky galleon Magiville had been expecting, but a filthy, derelict ship that had seen better days. It was the woman standing on the prow that had Magiville's attention, though. It was easy to mistake her for Celestia in the darkness; her hair behaved the same way, but that was where the similarities ended. This woman was wearing armor of dark steel that showed off far more skin than was absolutely necessary, and an angular blue helm framed her cold, sharp face. shall be her boon "Subjects,” Nightmare Moon said, her voice cold as ice. “Good evening.” Not a single person dared to move. They only stood and stared in terrified silence. "Hey! Who the hell are you?!" Hundreds of pairs of eyes snapped upwards, looking in shock at the rainbow-haired woman floating above them. "Well?" Rainbow Dash said impatiently. "Are you going to talk, or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Nightmare Moon smirked and chuckled lightly. "Is this how thou treat all visiting royalty? With threats of violence thou cannot hope to fulfill?" She asked. Then, the air around her turned a shimmering violet, and she disappeared. With a similar burst of light, she reappeared floating in front of Rainbow Dash, glaring down her nose at the Elementalist. "Or was thy mother too busy whoring herself to teach thee proper manners?" "Congratulations. That was the worst yo mama joke I've ever heard," Rainbow Dash said, clapping sarcastically. "Now tell me where the real princess is." "Doth this answer thy question?" Nightmare Moon, showing something golden to Rainbow Dash. "Or should We explain it to thee with words small enough for thee to comprehend?" Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide with recognition and fear. "That’s – no way. That’s gotta be a fake! There’s no way the Princess could be…” "We speak only the truth, foolish girl. Thy beloved Princess Celestia..." Nightmare Moon dropped the gold trinket. "...Is dead." Celestia's gold tiara made a sharp ringing noise as it struck the ground at Twilight's feet. The Arcane Mage could only stare at it as she realized what it meant. It was, without a doubt, Celestia's tiara. The tiara she wore at all times. A dull feeling began to swell up from her stomach at the implications, filling every inch of her body with anger. Twilight's staff appeared in her hands, and she swung it with a roar, releasing a blast of magic straight upwards at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon's eyes flickered downwards, and she vanished in a burst of violet light, narrowly avoiding Twilight's attack. With a flash, she appeared in front of Twilight, who gasped when she realized there was a very sharp-looking spear being pressed against her throat. The crowd wisely scattered at Nightmare Moon's sudden reappearance. “Thou hast some nerve, daring to strike at Us,” Nightmare Moon said, staring at Twilight with contempt. “Speak. What is thy name?” “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said, her voice wavering only slightly. “Arcane Mage, representative of the Royal Court, and apprentice to Princess Celestia.” Nightmare Moon raised an eyebrow at that. "Apprentice? Quite an honor for one so young," She said. "Thou must be of a higher pedigree than the riff-raff of this town. Dost thou know who We are?" "...Yes," Twilight said. "You're... Nightmare Moon." Nightmare Moon blinked, bewildered. She sighed, and lowered her spear from Twilight's throat. "Clearly, Celestia's standards for apprentices hath fallen since the days of Starswirl," She remarked. "Let Us tell thee - all of thee - who We are." Nightmare Moon's body dissolved into a dark, star-filled mist, and floated through the crowd, whispering in her voice as it coiled around members of the crowd. “We are the Maiden of the Moon, the monarch who was eclipsed by the golden light of the sun,” The mist said, snaking around Applejack. The Paladin swung her arms at it, but the mist only laughed at her efforts. “The ruler wrongfully robbed of her throne when she dared to ask for the recognition she so deserved,” The mist continued, passing through Fluttershy, who was obviously so terrified she couldn’t even move. “We are the shadow on the moon at night. We are the monster who frightens thy children to behave,” The mist said, floating back up to the Hades, where it gathered back into human form. “Thou know Us as Nightmare Moon, but that is not Our name. We are…” Smack. Nightmare Moon blinked with the eye that had not been hit by a surprise projectile from the crowd. She pulled the offending item from her face, and stared at it. “…Did one of thou truly throw a pastry at Us?” She asked. “It is not a pastry!” A single voice shouted from the front of the crowd. “It’s a muffin!” It was like a dam had been broken. Almost like a single entity, nearly every member of the crowd screamed, and let their magic fly at the Hades. Balls of fire, blasts of light, waves of sound; there must have been a hundred different types of spells that slammed into Nightmare Moon, throwing up a huge cloud of smoke. After a full minute of nonstop attacking, the spells finally stopped flying. The crowd held its breath, waiting to see what damage their attacks had done. The smoke cleared. Nightmare Moon was checking her reflection in the blade of her spear. She looked up when she realized the attacks had ended. “Was that all?” She asked. At those words, the crowd of mages came to an unspoken consensus. ‘Screw this, I’m out’. “Absolutely pathetic,” Nightmare Moon said, turning away from the sight of the fleeing crowds. She felt a slight pressure on her back as another spell hit her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Twilight Sparkle, still standing in the plaza as the rest of the crowd ran. “Murderer!” Twilight screamed as she swung her staff, throwing more and more spells at Nightmare Moon. The magical orbs of light bounced off Nightmare Moon’s armor harmlessly. “Shall I kill her, Your Majesty?” The Grand Master asked, stepping out of the shadows. Nightmare Moon shook her head. “Nay. She poses no threat to Us,” She said. “We have wasted enough time here. Take Us to Our old palace posthaste.” “Yes, Your Majesty,” The Grand Master said, stepping back into the shadows and vanishing. Nightmare Moon looked one last time at Twilight Sparkle, still throwing spells. “Give up, lowly apprentice,” Nightmare Moon said, pointing at Twilight with a single finger. With a brisk motion of her hand, Twilight was sent flying by an unseen force. She landed in a heap, her vision ringed with black and the wind knocked out of her lungs. She gasped for breath, desperately trying to fill her lungs with air. She lifted her head, her vision swimming, and saw the Hades in motion, flying towards the Everfree Forest. Five familiar people surrounded Twilight, crouching down next to her. “Twilight, you okay?” The easily recognizable voice of Rainbow Dash asked. “Fine… I don’t have time to… lie down,” Twilight grunted, standing up with the assistance of her staff. She stumbled a bit, and was caught by Applejack. “Easy there, partner,” The Paladin said. “You took quite a beatin’ from that tumble.” “It’s nothing. Just a little bruising,” Twilight said, pushing Applejack away and shuffling off in the direction of the receding Hades. “I have to… avenge the Princess. Have to stop… Nightmare Moon.” She swung her staff with as much strength as she could muster, but in her addled state, she could only create a small spark that died out after only a few seconds. “What exactly are you trying to accomplish, Twilight?” Rarity asked, laying a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I have to stop Nightmare Moon… before she can…” Twilight scanned the skies for the Hades. It was nowhere in sight. Twilight growled in anger. “I have to stop her. I told the Princess, I told her…” “Are you nuts?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Were you not paying attention when literally the entire town couldn’t even scratch her?!” “She murdered the Princess!” Twilight yelled, thrusting Celestia's crown in Rainbow Dash’s face. “If I don’t at least try to stop Nightmare Moon, then Mystica will… Pinkie, get off!” “Nuh-uh!” Pinkie said, her arms wrapped around Twilight’s midsection. “It really, really looks like you need a hug!” “I need you to get off!” Twilight said, wriggling out of Pinkie’s grip. “By the Goddess, you are so naïve! This is not a problem that can be solved by a hug!” “Um, I hate to interrupt, but it’s not really a problem that can be solved by charging in without thinking. I mean, that’s what I think. It might actually be a problem that can’t be solved at all,” Fluttershy spoke up, reminding the others that, yes, she was there. Twilight took a deep breath, and her shoulders slumped. “You know what, Fluttershy? You’re right,” Twilight said. “I need a plan.” “Hold on, where in the sam hell do you think you’re goin’?” Applejack asked as Twilight turned on her heel and ran off. “None of your business! I have to stop Nightmare Moon!” Twilight shouted back. “Do you think we should… follow her? Before she does something stupid?” Rarity suggested. The others murmured their agreement. ~~~~~~ Spike was dreaming about Rarity lying in a bed of gemstones and gold when the door slammed open and he was rudely awoken. He blinked blearily as he picked his head up from his basket, and saw Twilight pulling books from the shelves, flipping through them, and then throwing them aside. ‘Twilight? What’re you doing?’ Spike asked, lazily crawling out of his basket. “No time to explain, Spike,” Twilight said, tossing another book over her shoulder. “I have to hurry. Every second I waste is a second I could have spent researching.” ‘Researching? For what?’ Spike asked, glancing out the window. He wasn’t bothered by the fact that it was the middle of the night – he had no idea what time it was – but then he looked at a clock hanging on the wall. ‘…Why isn’t the sun up? Is the Princess late or something? Ow, hey!’ Spike rubbed the spot on his head where a book hat struck him. “The Princess is dead, Spike,” Twilight said, moving on to a different bookshelf. “Nightmare Moon is real, and she killed the Princess.” ‘WHAT?!’ Spike shouted in disbelief. ‘The Princess can’t be dead! She’s the Arch Mage! The Keeper of the Sun and Moon! The Queen of Phoe-’ “She’s dead, Spike!” Twilight yelled, turning on her familiar in a rage. Spike cowered at the rage in his master’s eyes, but his stance changed when Twilight’s eyes began to soften. “She’s… she’s dead, and it’s all my fault.” ‘What? Twilight, it… it wasn’t your fault! How can you possibly think that?’ Spike asked. Twilight brushed her eyes with her sleeve, dispelling the beginnings of a few tears. “Because I couldn’t… couldn’t convince her that Nightmare Moon was a threat, and I didn’t try to argue when she said that it was just a fairy tale,” Twilight said, her voice cracking. “If I had been more persuasive, if I had done more research, maybe she wouldn’t be… be…” Twilight pinched the bridge of her nose and bit her lower lip as she slumped against the bookshelf and slid down it to sit on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. Spike scampered over to her, prepared to offer any sort of comfort to his master, who was trying to fight back tears. The front door opened again, less forcefully this time, to show the five mages Twilight had met that day, with Applejack at the front. “Twilight, are you…” Applejack began to ask, but stopped when she noticed Twilight’s current position. Twilight looked up at them, trying to look strong despite the tears gathering in her eyes. “Wha-what do you want?” She blubbered. “Gu-go away. I don’t… don’t want to… snfff… see you.” “We’re here to help, Twilight,” Rarity said, ducking under Applejack’s arm to step into the library. “I don’t need your help. I don’t want your help. I never asked for your help! Leave me alone!” Twilight demanded, picking up a book and throwing it at Rarity. The book was caught in a light blue aura of magic before it could hit Rarity, and was directed down to the ground. “Friends don’t need t’ ask friends for help,” Applejack said, crossing her arms. “I’m not… friends with any of you,” Twilight said, standing up with Spike on her shoulder. She started to count on her fingers. “One of you forced me to meet her insane family, one of you almost killed me, one of you wouldn’t shut up, one of you practically kidnapped me, and one of you broke into where I was staying and tried to shoot me with a cannon. If that’s what counts for friendship in this backwater town, then I’m not interested.” “Oh, for the love o’ the Goddess,” Applejack grumbled, stepping out of the doorway. “Come here, you big knucklehead.” Much to Twilight’s surprise, Applejack stepped up to Twilight, grabbed her by the back of the head, and pulled her into a firm hug, taking care not to slam Twilight’s head against her breastplate. Twilight tried to struggle against her for a moment, but Applejack’s grip on her only got stronger. Then, Pinkie Pie hopped over and joined in on the hug, followed by Rarity, then Fluttershy, then a grumbling Rainbow Dash. Twilight felt the warmth of five bodies being pressed against her, but for some reason that she couldn’t explain, she felt… more. Her entire body felt warm, inside and out. Her muscles began to relax, and she soon couldn’t see anything through the tears gathering in her eyes. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she felt what she was feeling while she was being embraced by these five strangers. She had only met them the day before, but here they were, trying to comfort her in her time of need. She couldn’t take it any longer. With a pitiable whimper, Twilight began to sob. “I’m… so scared,” She admitted between tears. Applejack stroked the back of her head. “Shh. Don’t worry. We’re all scared,” She said quietly. “It’s nothin’ t’ be ashamed of.” ‘Twilight… I am being… crushed… by Rarity…’ Spike grunted in Twilight’s mind. ‘Don’t… save me… this is how I want to…’ There was a low grumble from somewhere between Twilight and Rarity, slowly increasing in volume. Twilight’s eyes shot open. “Off,” She said suddenly. “Off! Everybody off!” “Just enjoy it, Twilight! I told you hugs solve everything!” Pinkie Pie said. Twilight continued to struggle. “That’s not what I meant!” She said, finally creating enough room for herself to grab Spike. The young dragon’s stomach was quivering, and Twilight broke out into a massive smile when she saw it. “She’s alive!” She squealed, pointing Spike at the ceiling and squeezing his belly. Spike opened his mouth and let out a massive belch, accompanied by a burst of green flame. The hug around Twilight broke up as the huggers jumped back from the sudden fire. When the burp ended, Twilight almost threw Spike away in her eagerness to grab the scroll that fell out of the fire. She quickly turned it over to look at the wax seal, and what she saw made her start laughing and hugging the scroll to herself. “She’s alive! She’s alive!” “What on earth are you talking about? Who’s alive? Where did that scroll come from?” Rarity, the first to recover, asked. “It’s a letter from the Princess! She cast a spell on Spike that would let us send letters back and forth instantaneously! And look!” Twilight said, shoving the scroll in Rarity’s face. “That’s her seal! There’s no doubt about it! She’s still alive!” Twilight tore the seal off the scroll like a child on Hearth’s Warming, unrolling the scroll and reading its contents with a huge grin on her face. As she read, her grin faded. The scroll fell from her shaking hands. “No. No, it’s not possible. She can’t…” Twilight uttered, all traces of glee gone from her face. Rarity scooped up the scroll. “May I…?” She asked, pointing at the scroll. Twilight, curled up into a ball, nodded. Rarity looked at the scroll and began to read aloud. “‘My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle’,” She read, “‘If you are receiving this message, then I am… then I am dead, and Nightmare Moon has returned. I am ashamed to say that… …I have not been entirely truthful with you. But I assure you, the lies that I told you were for your own protection. Yes, I knew that Nightmare Moon was going to return. I was responsible for banishing her, and it has always been my deepest regret. I had to cover up all traces that she was real, and turned her into little more than a fairy tale. Banishing her was my choice alone, and I hoped that I would be able to correct it without any assistance. Unfortunately, since you are reading this, I must have been incorrect. I do not know what went wrong. Perhaps I was betrayed. Perhaps the spell I had been preparing to defeat her failed. That is not important. What is important is that you are still alive, Twilight. You are Mystica’s only hope to defeat Nightmare Moon. You must use the same magic I used to banish Nightmare Moon and destroy her. …Please apologize to Spike for me. This is probably going to hurt.’ What does that mean?” Rarity wondered, lowering the scroll to look at Spike. Spike shrugged, then his stomach began to rumble. “Ooh! I wanna do it! I wanna do it!” Pinkie Pie said, grabbing Spike off Twilight’s shoulder and squeezing him. Spike’s eyes bugged out of his head as he belched out a stream of fire ten times larger than the flames from earlier. The fire continued for almost ten seconds before petering out, leaving a large, ornate chest on the floor of the library. ‘The… pain…’ Spike groaned. He burped out another burst of flame, depositing a second scroll. ‘I’m… going to faint now.’ Spike’s head fell forward, and he started to snore. Fluttershy took Spike from Pinkie, cradling him like a child. “Oh, you poor thing,” She said. Rainbow Dash looked over the chest from Spike’s first belch. “What’s this thing? There aren’t even any hinges!” She noted, giving the chest a good kick. Rarity picked up the second scroll. “Have patience, Rainbow,” She said, clearing her throat to begin reading. “‘This chest contains the greatest magical weapons in all of Mystica… …Five of the Elements of Harmony. Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, and Generosity. They are the tools that I used to banish Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago, and the only thing that she fears. Twilight, you and the five mages you met today – yes, five, I know about Pinkie Pie – must bear all of the Elements and defeat Nightmare Moon. I know you have viewed having friends as a waste of time, but you must place your faith in them. They will help you on your mission, and it is through them that you will discover the final Element, the one that brings them together: the Element of Magic. Regretfully, the last Element of Magic was destroyed when I sealed away Nightmare Moon, and the other Elements became dormant. The Elements will be awoken when they are given to their proper Bearer, and the chest - I know, no hinges - will open when you finally understand the lesson I have been trying to teach you all these years. Once that happens, the Element of Magic will finally be ready to return to the world. Your destination is my old palace, in the Everfree Forest. Nightmare Moon is certain to go there to find the Elements, but little does she know that I moved them, and that I left behind something of a parting gift. My only regret is that I will not be able to see the look on her face when she realizes that I have pulled a fast one over her. Well, I also regret that I died, but that’s different. Anyway, my trap will give you a few hours. Travel directly south through the Everfree – the palace should be hard to miss. Nightmare Moon will most likely be in the Chamber of the Elements, and finding your way there through the palace should not be difficult for you, Twilight. The old palace shares almost the exact same layout as my palace in Camelot, so just follow the path you would take to get from the front gates to my study. You’ll find the Chamber of the Elements there. Leave immediately. Don’t stop for anything. I do not know what dangers you will face on the way, but I have utmost faith in your abilities, Twilight. I wish you the best of luck. Your teacher, who is proud to have called you her student, Celestia “…And that’s all she wrote,” Rarity said, setting the scroll aside. The six mages were silent, still trying to process the new information. “Hold on. Let me get this straight,” Rainbow Dash, now sitting on top of the chest, said. “Princess Celestia is giving us a weapon that can defeat Nightmare Moon, but it’s missing a piece and she didn't tell us where to find it. Am I the only one noticing how stupid this plan is?” “If you have a better idea, we’re all ears,” Twilight said, standing up and wiping her eyes. “All right, since apparently you five are integral to this plan, let’s get going. We don’t have any time to lose.” “You feelin’ better?” Applejack asked. Twilight shook her head. “Not at all. But I don’t have time to cry. Princess Celestia has given me a mission, and I intend to do it. I’m no use to Mystica if I can’t stop crying,” Twilight said. She clapped her hands together. “Now, first things first…” Her Tome materialized in her hands, and she set a hand on the chest allegedly containing the Elements. It vanished, reappearing as an illustration in the Tome. Rainbow Dash yelped and crashed to the ground, glaring at Twilight. Twilight ignored her and clapped her Tome shut, making it vanish. “Now, what’s the fastest path through the Everfree?” Twilight asked. “Around it,” Applejack said bluntly. “Nobody ever goes int’ the Everfree Forest.” “And nobody ever, ever comes out!” Rainbow Dash added. “There’s big, spooooky monsters in there! Hydrates and Mandarins and Cockadoodledoos…” Pinkie Pie started listing off. “Um, I think you mean Hydras, Manticores, and Cockatrices, Pinkie,” Fluttershy corrected her. “And that’s just the fauna. Even the flora in the Everfree is dangerous, and not even Druids can influence them. It’s impossible to get into the forest because there’s so many Whomping Willows around the edges, and if you get past them without being smashed into a quivering, unrecognizable pulp, you have to deal with leechvines, and if you get past them without having your body sucked completely dry and left to rot, you have to deal with mandrakes, and if you can get past them without waking them up, you have to deal with…” Rarity put a hand over Fluttershy’s mouth. “The point is, there’s no way to get into the forest. And for good reason,” Rarity said. “If we want to get to the old palace, we’d have to be able to fly, and unless you have a skyboat in that Tome of yours…” Applejack and Rainbow Dash both grinned. Twilight smirked. "Let's go outside real quick." ~~~~~~ “Oh,” Rarity said. “You do have a skyboat in your Tome. Of course.” “Shotgun! You all heard it! I call shotgun!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, backflipping into the Charon. “Ooh, wait! I take it back! Twilight, can I fly it? Please? Pleeaaase?” “No,” Twilight said without a moment’s hesitation. “It’s hardly a first-class yacht, but I suppose it will have to do. Applejack, would you please give me a lift up?” Rarity asked. “Why, certainly,” Applejack said, smirking. She grabbed Rarity under the arms. Rarity’s eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. “This isn’t what I…” “Heave-ho!” Applejack grunted, tossing Rarity into the Charon. Rarity glared at Applejack as the Paladin easily climbed into the boat. “I could have bruised, you ruffian,” She said. “That’s Paladin, thank you very much,” Applejack said, offering Twilight a hand. “Um, are we all going to be able to fit?” Fluttershy wondered, staring at the Charon uneasily. “I mean, it looks like it can only fit five people, so that means that… that one of us would have to stay behind. And, um, I volunteer.” “Nice try, ‘Shy,” Rainbow Dash said, hovering a bit off the ground. “I can fly, remember? There’s enough room in the boat for you.” “But don’t you think you should be, um, saving your energy?” Fluttershy suggested. “Fluttershy, just get in the boat,” Rainbow said, pointing at the boat sternly. Fluttershy sighed. “I hate flying,” She mumbled as she climbed into the boat. “Twilight, you’re a good pilot, right? Have you ever, um, crashed?” “I’m a great pilot,” Twilight said. “…But have you ever crashed?” Fluttershy repeated her question. “Do you really want me to answer that question?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy thought about this for a moment, then shook her head. “Good,” Twilight said, grabbing the tiller and feeding magic into it. The Charon’s sail swelled, and it took off, Rainbow Dash in pursuit. “Uh, Twilight? The Everfree Forest is that way.” “I knew that, Pinkie.” “Then why were we flying…” “I knew that, Pinkie.” ~~~~~~ The Hades slowed to a halt above the ruined towers of the old palace, set in the middle of the only part of the Everfree Forest that wasn’t covered in trees. The animals of the Everfree knew not to come here. Nightmare Moon floated down from the Hades, touching down in front of the crumbling walls around the palace. She stood in front of the heavy gates, as if contemplating her next actions. “Knock knock,” She said, clenching her fist and punching the air in front of her. A massive fist formed from the shadows behind her, copying her actions and striking the stone gate. It withstood one strike, but a second made it crumble. “Home, sweet home,” Nightmare Moon said, walking through the empty arch. “A pity this place hath fallen into disrepair. I quite liked it.” Nightmare Moon followed a familiar path through the ruined castle. Through the overgrown courtyard settled between the castle walls and the castle itself, through the once-elegant front hall, and through the dark corridors until she finally reached the massive stone doors that led to the Chamber of the Elements. Nightmare Moon brushed the doors, feeling the magic that had sealed the Chamber shut for hundreds of years. With only minimal effort, the magic came undone, and the doors swung open. Nightmare Moon smiled as she stepped into the Chamber. “How foolish, Celestia,” She laughed as she looked at the branching pedestal in the center of the room, and the five stone orbs it carried. “The most powerful magical force in existence… and thou left it here to rot.” She continued to chuckle as she lifted the five stones in her magical grip, orbiting them around her as she inspected them. “The only thing that can defeat me,” She mused. She raised a hand above her head, grinning triumphantly. With a yell, she brought her hand down, making the five Elements smash into the stone floor and break into useless shards. Nightmare Moon began to laugh. “NOW, WE ARE INVINCIBLE!” She cackled. She didn’t notice the golden mist seeping out of the shards of stone until it was too late. Her laughter died away as the mist began to gather into a glowing human form. “Did you REALLY think I was that dumb?” The golden human asked in a familiar voice. Nightmare Moon growled, her teeth bared. “Celestia,” She snarled. The glowing image of Celestia seemed to smirk. “Gotcha.” Quick as lightning, the golden mist surrounded Nightmare Moon, encasing her in a swirling shroud. Nightmare Moon screamed, and swung her arms madly to try and stave off the mist, but it was futile. She had been caught in Celestia’s trap. In moments, the mist faded, leaving behind the sound of Celestia’s mischievous laughter. Nightmare Moon brought a hand to her head. She was physically unharmed, but she had easily recognized the spell that had been cast on her. “Shadow Blade… Shadow Blade!” She screamed. “Come! Now!” The Grand Master of the Shadow Blades stepped out of the shadows as if he had been there the entire time. “Yes, my Queen? What would you have me…” He stopped talking as soon as he noticed that Nightmare Moon was starting to sway in place, and seemed to be having trouble keeping her eyes open. He was at her side the second she lost her footing, catching her and gently lowering her to a sitting position against the pedestal that had held the Elements. “That magnificent… witch! Even from beyond the grave, she finds ways to irritate me!” Nightmare Moon growled sleepily. “My Queen, what happened? Are you hurt?” The Grand Master asked worriedly. Nightmare Moon shook her head. “I am… fine. She knew… I would come here. She replaced the Elements with fakes, set a trap on them… A sleep spell. I cannot fight it much longer,” Nightmare Moon said, her eyes fluttering. “She moved the Elements… Must have found new Bearers in case of her demise… but who…” Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened slightly as realization struck her. “The apprentice. Of course. Blade, have Our army… search the forest for her. She will be coming here... Stop her. Kill her.” “What of Camelot?” The Grand Master asked. “Forget about Camelot. Find the apprentice. She is the only… threat to my rule. When I wake up… I want… the first thing I see… to be her… bleeding… decapitated… head…” Her own head fell forward, and she began to snore softly. The Grand Master stayed at her side for a few moments before stepping into the shadow of the pedestal and slipping through it as if it was water. ~~~~~~ The Grand Master stepped out of the shadows in the front hall of the castle. The Necromancer had settled into a dark corner, surrounded by a number of her Undead servants. Nightshade was perched in an empty window up above, obviously sleeping. Iron Will was in the process of strangling the Alpha Diamond Dog, while the werewolf’s two flunkies were trying in vain to stop him. When Iron Will noticed the Grand Master’s presence, he quickly let go of Roh-Ver’s throat and put his hands behind his back innocently. The werewolf glared at him menacingly as he rubbed his throat. “Are we to go to Camelot now, Master? IRON WILL!” The mercenary flexed his muscles, “Is prepared to lay down the hurt!” “We are not going to Camelot right now. Queen’s orders,” The Grand Master said. “The Queen suspects that the apprentice from Magiville will be making her way here, and she wants us to stop her.” “She would send all of us to defeat one mage?” The Necromancer hissed, stroking one of her Undead minions as if it was a cat. “Foolish. I shall take my Undead and find her myself.” "Now isn't the time for hubris, Chrysalis," The Grand Master said as Chrysalis stood up with the assistance of her Undead. "It is not hubris; it is confidence," Chrysalis said, smirking. "I have been killing mages in this forest since your father was a child. I will be more than enough.” “...Fine," The Grand Master said, thinking to himself that it would be very satisfying to tell the Queen that Chrysalis had failed because of her ego. "Find her, and kill her. Ensure that she stays dead." Chrysalis laughed. "You're no fun at all." ~~~~~~ Celestia’s body lay in the middle of the Starfall Plains, her hair rustling in the wind alongside the grass. Her heart was still, her skin was cool, and her neck was bent at an unnatural angle. She was dead. A single bird alighted on her shoulder, bathing her in a warm orange glow. The beautiful red bird nudged Celestia’s cheek with its beak, but there was no response. The bird seemed to shake its head and sigh mournfully. It knew what had to be done. The bird spread its wings and turned its beak to the sky, letting out a piercing cry. Its body began to glow like a hot coal, and tongues of flame began to spread over it and Celestia’s body. In moments, bird and mage were both gone, leaving behind nothing but ashes. A/N: And so ends part one of My Little Mages. My thanks, dear readers, for finding this story. But... please, if you have a spot of humanity in you, help my ego. Give it an upvote! Fave it! Leave a comment! Scratch that, leave a good comment! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like! Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell your frenemies! Get me more readers! Um, please. Part two begins tomorrow.