The Island of Tambelon

by Rakoon1


The Plan is Enacted

After consuming the pink pearl, the Dark Mistress soon started to feel its great light power, something that only fueled the darkness inside.

“Amazing…” she said, continuing to smile. “This power… I can feel it passing through all the inches of my body. And it’s energy… it’s powerful enough to enact the plan.”

The Smooze, sensing the power, told:

“Hum, so that’s the power of one of the seven magical pearls…”

“Yes, it is, Smooze!” the Dark Mistress replied. “Behold the power I obtained to you so you can carry on our master’s desire.”

“Oh… Look how much it irradiates… I can feel the binds that hold me weakening.”

And a slimy dark hand came out and destroyed the statue that was there.

“It is finally the time for me to get out and cover everything in this pathetic world. I can now turn everything into our master’s vision. Yes, magic pearl… Give me more! I WANT MORE OF YOUR POWER!

At Applejack’s parents’ house, Moonlight’s body started to glow, what surprised the others.

“Moonlight!” Star called.

“Okay, I’m not a great specialist in pony physiology, but I think that’s not very common” Thorax said.

“What’s happening?” Buttercup asked.

“Ah don’t know, but Ah don’t like it one bit” Jonagold replied.

While feeling the power passing through her body, the Dark Mistress laughed manically and said:

“More… Release more of this incredible power!”

It was then that spines started to get out of her back, as if something was trying to get out. That caused a deal great of distress to Moonlight’s body. Tempest, still trapped in her mind, sensed that and, trying to get out, she said in a desperate way:

“No, stop it! This can’t go on… Don’t increase the power any further! It doesn’t belong to you! Do not release anymore of its power!”

And a light was released from her. The Dark Mistress felt Tempest fighting against her inside her mind and that caused a lot of pain, while a glow came out of her forehead.

“My forehead… is burning!” she said. “It feels like it’s going to split open!”

It was then that the pain was relieved and the Dark Mistress regained control. She could feel Tempest fighting her way out, but if she could hold it a little longer she would do her part. She just had to wait until the Smooze was released and then she wouldn’t need that body any longer. She would rip it open and rule the world. But when she prepared to do that, Tempest shouted, while continuing to try to break free:

“I will never allow that!”

And the vines that bonded her started to get loose…

Moonlight’s astral form was floating around an immense darkness. She wondered where she was, while trying to contain the fear she was feeling. It didn’t take long for fear to overwhelm her.

At that moment, a soft pink glow appeared and a voice called:

Moonlight!

She looked and, to her joy, she saw her pearl, while it played a song that Moonlight recognized as being the song Adagio taught her. Not wasting any time, Moonlight went to it and grabbed it.

“Thank goodness…” she said. “I was so nervous for not having it. This pearl has become now a part of me and I can’t bear to be without it.”

Tempest, that was now free and had brought the pearl to Moonlight, said, while observing her:

“That’s right. That pearl is a part of you, Moonlight. It’s like your heart. Don’t ever let it go out of your sigh again. And don’t be so eager to show it to others. Keep it safe and secure.”

Moonlight was then involved by a strange presence. She felt so secure with that presence that she fell asleep. She was with her head resting on Tempest’s lap, who was caressing her mane, while saying:

“It’s okay. I will protect you, Moonlight. Nopony will land a hoof on your soul or on your pearl… because I won’t let them. I will save you, I promise.”

Both the Smooze and the Dark Mistress could feel the power of the pink pearl getting weaker to their shock. At Applejack’s parents’ house, Moonlight’s body stopped glowing.

“It stopped” Star observed. “And I can feel her warm again.”

Star wondered if somepony else was protecting Moonlight’s soul.

At the castle, Twilight, Blue and the others started to search the castle for any sign of the Dark Mistress, but they couldn’t find anything. Once they get together, Applejack said:

“We couldn’t find anypony.”

“We neither” Blue told, as he arrived with Bright Night and Time Turner.

“It would be expected to exist some guards around” Rainbow Dash commented.

“I couldn’t detect anypony with my magic too” Twilight said.

“The force of Grogar and Dark Mistress relied mainly on stone ponies and we destroyed them all, before” Time Turner said.

“Well, that’s arrogant for sure…” Rarity replied.

“Let’s try the dungeons” Bright Night suggested. “We may find something there.”

“Then we’ll examine tha central tower” Applejack said. “We will search floor by floor an’ then move tah tha other towers. Twilight, ya should go with Blue, Time Turner an’ Bright Night.”

“But, Applejack, you and the others will need my element to activate yours” Twilight said. “I need to go with you.”

“Don’t worry, Twi, we will be fine” Applejack ensure.

“Yeah, don’t worry” Rainbow Dash said. “We already faced bigger threats than this one.”

Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy nodded, agreeing with them. Then, Twilight ended up accepting their idea.

“Okay, but be safe” Twilight replied.

Her friends nodded to them and then advanced to the central tower.

“Don’t worry, Twily, they’ll be fine” Blue said to his wife.

“Yeah… I guess” she replied.

Twilight and the three Generals went down to the dungeons that was even darker. Using their horns to have light, the four of them explore the place. It looked like the cells were all open and there was a lot of statues of ponies there, many of them being warriors.

“Wow… I didn’t know it could exist these many statues in a dungeon” Blue commented.

“Blue… these are not regular statues” Twilight said, while approaching one of them.

“What do you mean with that?” Blue asked.

Twilight touched the statue and she could feel the light of a soul inside, stuck in a body that just lost its light. Removing her hoof, she said:

“I think we’re before the Tambelon guard, and that’s saying the least.”

“Wait, are you telling me these statues are…”

“Ponies that lost their star seeds?” Time Turner asked. “You can bet your horn on that. That’s why Grogar created an army made fully of stone ponies.”

“He took the star seeds of all the ones that were close or loyal to Queen Nova so he could have no rebellions” Bright Night realized.

“I have to say it… He was a brilliant mastermind” Time Turner commented.

“Wait, if there’s these many statues here, then maybe…” Bright Night started.

“Then maybe Queen Nova is here too…” Twilight finished.

At that moment, a great tremor started to crack the ground under them.

“It’s looks like something is coming” Blue said. “Bright Night!”

She nodded and then created a sphere of light around them that started to took them away.

“Wait, what about them?” Twilight asked, looking to the petrified ponies.

“You don’t have to worry, my princess” Bright Night replied. “The stone of a being without a star seed can only be broken by a very intense dark magic. They will be fine.”

It was then that Twilight remembered something.

“The others are still up there!” she exclaimed.

The sphere got out of the castle and get to a certain altitude, before stopping. Twilight’s element started glowing as her worry for her friends increased.

“Girls…” she said.

Twilight’s friends were at one of the middle floors at the central tower when they felt the ground shaking.

“But… what’s going on?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack was able to sense something coming…

“Down there!” she exclaimed.

And an explosion happened, catching them, what caused them to scream. The bond that connected all of them through the Elements of Harmony allowed Twilight to hear that and her element lost its glow, as if it had lost its power out of grief for had lost its sister elements. Blue and the other two noticed that and became shocked.

“Twily!” Blue called.

Tears appeared on Twilight’s eyes, as she let herself fall on her own hooves. She knew through the cut of their connection that something bad had happened.

Blue looked up and told to the others:

“Guys, look at the sky!”

They did it and saw the clouds above the castle had become even darker and were thundering. They could see the top of the middle and highest tower and its roof was broken and a great darkness with demonic eyes started to emerge, but it wasn’t alone.

“Look down there!” Time Turner said.

Beside the Smooze was the Dark Mistress. She looked at them with a wicked smile.

“It’s Tempest…” Twilight said.