//------------------------------//
// The Stone Army 
// Story: The Island of Tambelon 
// by Rakoon1 
//------------------------------//

At the chamber in the tallest tower of the Tambelon castle, the Dark Mistress was sitting on the stairs that separated the place where the statue was from the fountain, holding a staff with a black stone. In front of her were five unicorn mares, each one having a scheme of one color: red, blue, yellow, green and purple, kneeling.

“It would seems the lights that are trying to prevent our master’s plan from coming true have arrived to our island” she said. “I can sense they have destroyed one stone pony with a powerful light magic. But I have to say I didn’t allow any attack.”

“Forgive us, Dark Mistress” the yellow one said.

“Don’t worry about that” the Dark Mistress told. “Because now we know our enemies are in Tambelon. These anomalies…”

She hit with the staff on the ground once and cards with the image of the heroes appeared.

“The alicorn princess with the original light and her little squad…” the Dark Mistress said. “They have been in our master’s way for too long. It’s time to eliminate them!”

And the Dark Mistress destroyed the cards with the staff, making them disappear like they were shadows.

“I have a new mission for you, my witches, so listen well” she said to the five unicorns. “Remove this anomalies. I want them gone. You can use the Stone Army, but be quickly. We have no time to lose.”

“Yes, mam” they replied at the same time.

“And to do it more efficiently, you will attack them individually, starting with one of the bearers of those elements” the Dark Mistress said, standing up and heading towards the fountain. “And I know who the perfect victim is.”

And Applejack’s image appeared on the water of the fountain.

“This one is particularly vulnerable at this moment” she continued. “It’s the perfect moment for one of you to attack.”

“Let me do that, mam” the red unicorn said. “I’ll get rid of that earth pony and destroy the element she represents.”

“Very well, I’ll trust in your capable hooves… Scarlet Burn” the Dark Mistress replied, without looking at her. “Now, all of you can go.”

The five unicorns bowed and then disappeared. 

Applejack didn’t know how to react to the fact that her long-lost father. It was like seeing a ghost.

“No… It can’t be…” she said.

When he looked at Applejack more carefully, Jonagold Apple recognized her.

“Applejack… Is that ya?”

And, without any other thought, he hugged Applejack. It took a few seconds for her to also hug him back.

“Wait, that’s AJ’s dad?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I thought he was dead?”

That made Twilight to look at her in a disapproval way.

“What?” the blue pegasus asked.

“I think Twilight didn’t like the way you AJ’s dad is dead when it’s pretty obvious he is not, because he’s right in front of us” Pinkie Pie said. “I thought it was pretty obvious.”

“So that means that’s… Jona’s grandfather” Star said.

“Yeah, but his name is also Jonagold, so I think it’s better for you to specify who you’re talking about from now on, son” Blue told him.

After a few seconds, Jonagold finished the hug and said, with tears of joy:

“Ah can’t believe ya’re here…”

But then his happy look became worried and said:

“Oh no, ya’re here. That’s that mean that…”

“That we came to Tambelon following a dream and the request of a dead ram wizard to help defeat an evil plan from the lord of all villains?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Yeah, that’s exactly what it means.”

That caused Jonagold to express a confused look and Rarity told him:

“Don’t worry, just go with the flow.”

“Well, independently tha reason why ya’re here, we need to go now” Jonagold said, while putting the apples on the floor in the wagon again. “It’s not safe here.”

“But, wait, Ah want tah asked…” Applejack said.

“Please, not now, dear” Jonagold replied, while connecting the wagon to him. “We have to go, before more stone ponies arrive.”

And he advanced, with the others following him, although Applejack took a while to do it, with a million of questions in her head.

After her minions disappeared, the Dark Mistress sat on the edge of the fountain and said:

“Scarlet Burn may be successful in taking down one of the Elements of Harmony, but that doesn’t put our plan from out of danger. I need to find the other light the Smooze warned me about, the light that brings destruction. I cannot allow it to prevent the master’s plan.”

Charging her hoof with darkness, she passed it over the surface of the water and said:

“Show me what the Smooze saw. Spirals of light… One… Two… Three…”

And three lights appeared, positioned in a triangle, being blue, sea-green and lilac in color. It was then that a voice said:

“Awakening… The time has come for the light guided by the three talismans… Let the destruction begin!”

That voice resonated in her head, as the voice was very familiar. It was then that there was an explosion on the water that caused the Dark Mistress to retreat, panting. That disturbance was also felt by Blue, who had a headache as he felt the same feeling like his dreams.

“Those three lights…” the Dark Mistress said. “I was so close to find out what they were. But somepony interfered with my sigh.”

While following Jonagold, Blue thought about the voice he heard. It was asking for awakening, telling about the destruction and the three talismans. Was it trying to tell them to collect them or not?

Following her father closely, Applejack asked, a little exasperated:

“Can ya please tell me what happen’d that day? How can you be alive when everypony else think ya’re dead?”

“Applejack, Ah know ya want answers, but…” Jonagold started.

“But what?!” Applejack asked. “Ah have tah wait ‘til we get tah another place? Why can’t ya tell now?”

“Ah, Applejack, I think it’s because of that thing that attacked us” Fluttershy said.

“What brings the question: what was that thing?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It was a stone pony” Jonagold replied. “Grogar used to use them as law enforcers, but with him not here, the Dark Mistress and her minions have been use them to harass all the inhabitants.”

“Oh, I heard rumors about them through the other changelings” Thorax said. “They are statues reanimated by dark magic. They have no emotions, no life…”

“That’s why the Elements destroyed it” Twilight realized. “It was pure evil.”

“Wait, did he say the other changelings?” Jonagold asked.

“Yeah, I am a changeling” Thorax said.

“But you don’t have to worry, he’s good and our friend” Moonlight told.

Although apprehensive, Jonagold just went along with that statement.

It was then that, suddenly, stone ponies appeared from the ground, corning them.

“Oh no, they found us!” Jonagold exclaimed.

“This is bad…” Thorax said, nervously.

“Don’t worry, Thorax, we can handle this” Star told, while covering himself with Kurama’s energy.

“Hold on, Star, we can handle this” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s time for a rainbow show.”

And she and the others prepared to use the Elements of Harmony, but when the rainbow link started to appear, a fireball appeared and hit Applejack on her shoulder, throwing her against the ground and breaking the link.

“Applejack!” everypony called.

“Ah’m okay…” she said, sitting and taking her hoof to her burned shoulder. “It’s jest a li’le burn.”

And an evil laugh was heard and, levitating in the air above them appeared Scarlet Burn, who said:

“Well, well, so you are the invaders I was talked about, the ones who came to disrupt the master’s plan.”

“Who is she?” Blue asked.

“She’s Scarlet Burn, one of the Dark Mistress’ top minions” Jonagold said. “Be careful, she’s dangerous.”

“Please, we already face a ten-tailed monster with hundreds of her size” Rainbow Dash said. “She’s nothing compared to that.”

“I don’t think you should say that, Rainbow” Fluttershy said.

“You should listen to your friend, because without that friend of yours that got burned, you can use those things you have around your neck and I‘ll make sure it stays that way. Stone ponies, attack!”

And the evil monsters, ready to attack. Everypony started to fight as well as they could, but t seemed that nothing could hit them. Only Twilight, Blue and Star’s magic seemed to be working, but it wasn’t enough.

“This is not good…” Twilight said. “These things won’t go down!”

“Of course they won’t” Scarlet Burn replied. “They were created by pure dark magic. There’s no power in this world capable of defeating the stone ponies.”

“That witch talks too much” Kurama said to Star. “I know the stone ponies and I know they have one weakness, beyond the elements.”

“And now you tell me?” Star asked cynically. “You know, that information would have come in handy a few minutes ago.”

“Uh, don’t be such a crybaby” Kurama said. “You were only facing one and you dealt with it quite nicely.”

“So, what do we do?”

“These things are made of dark magic, but without a body, they cannot exist and that is made of stone” Kurama explained. “And…”

“As they are made of stone, they can be melt by using lava” Star concluded.

“Good, I can see this place hasn’t turned you completely dumb” the nine-tailed fox replied. “Do you still can do it or you want me to call Son Goku to help.”

“And hear him complaining about disturbing his peace, no thanks. Don’t worry, I think I can still use the lava nature in a way to destroy them. I just have to use my specialty…”

Turning then to his mother, he said:

“Mom, protect everyone. I’ll use that spell.”

Realizing what his son was talking about, she nodded and created a barrier to protect the others.

“Do you really thing a barrier can stop my army?” Scarlet Burn said. “How pathetic…”

“Of course not, but you really shouldn’t underestimate us” Star told. “That’s because… we won’t never let you win.”

And, having said that, he rose his hoof and started to create his Spiraling Star, adding the lava nature he got from Son Goku, the Four-Tails. Scarlet Burn was caught by surprise with that. She couldn’t believe the power Star was showing. She had never seen anything like it.

The young alicorn prince then threw the Spiraling Star, throwing it in a way that caused it to go around while passing through the stone ponies, catching it then. After it hit the stone ponies, they just started to melt like an ice cream until they were nothing more than deformed stone, now solidified because of the natural temperature. 

Scarlet Burn couldn’t believe a simple child had been able to destroy her stone ponies, but she wouldn’t allow herself to get out of there completely defeated. So, she disappeared.

Twilight undid the barrier and everyone went to congratulate him.

“That was amazing!” Moonlight exclaimed, while hugging her coltfriend and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, Moonlight” he replied.

“How did you know you had to use the Spiraling Star with lava nature to defeat them, son?” Twilight asked.

“Well, a friend helped me realize how to get to that” Star answered.

Applejack, still feeling the pain of the burn, had let herself get behind, relief that they were now safe. It was then that, appearing a few distance from her was Scarlet Burn, who created a fireball, aiming it to Applejack so she could end what she has come to do. But Jonagold, who looked at her daughter, noticed the evil unicorn, ready to attack.

“Watch out, Applejack!” he shouted, while advancing.

Applejack turned and saw, with terror, Scarlet Burn throwing the fireball at her. But then Jonagold positioned himself in front of her, ready to receive the attack, much to Applejack’s astonishment. But the fireball then disappeared suddenly.

“What the…” the witch asked.

“I think you really should have made your homework about us” Blue said, still with his horn surrounded by magic.

And then Twilight created magic binds that immobilized Scarlet Burn.

“Now, what should we do with her?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I propose to get rid of her.”

“Rainbow Dash, don’t say nonsense!” Rarity’s exclaimed. “We’re not savages!”

“I agree with the rainbow head” Kurama said to Star. “End her.”

“But, Kurama…” Star started to protest.

“Don’t come with your sentimental speeches” Kurama told. “Try to see beyond the appearances.”

At first, Star didn’t know what he meant, until he realized he wanted him to use his empathic powers. He used his power and then noticed what he wanted to say.

“She’s not what she appears to be” he said.

“What do you mean, Star?” Twilight asked.

“You’ll see” he said, extending his hoof.

The young prince then created a Spiraling Sphere, adding the lava nature to it. Taking flight, he advanced to Scarlet Burn and hit her. To everypony’s surprise, her appearance cracked until it broke, revealing she was also a stone pony, who then melted like the others.

“So she was one of them” Moonlight said.

“Wow, I clearly didn’t expect that” Thorax said.

“Me neither” Pinkie Pie said.

Applejack was still astonished by the fact her father was about to let himself be hit to protect herself.

“Ah can’t believe ya would sacrifice yerself tah save me” Applejack said.

“Of course, Ah would” he replied, with a smile. “Ya’re mah daughter and ya’re very important to me.”

And so, Applejack smiled and went to hug his father again, this time without any resentment, and he hugged her back. The others observed that scene, happy to see they have made peace with each other.

At that moment, Blue felt like he was being watched. He looked around, but he saw nopony, despite his instinct was telling him otherwise. Twilight noticed that and asked:

“What is it, Blue?”

“Nothing…” he replied, deciding it was just his imagination playing tricks on him and then advanced.

Observing them on a higher altitude were two ponies, with their identities hidden with hooded cloaks. A slight light could be seen irradiating from their bodies.