//------------------------------// // First Mission // Story: Holy Knights of Equestria // by Dashguy //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle ascended the stairs of the highest tower in the Canterlot Royal Palace with firm, purposeful steps. She was a very pretty young girl, with her pale skin, soft facial features and slender frame. She had light violet eyes and long, straight darker hair with a brilliant rose streak going down the middle. Her bangs were perfectly leveled, trimmed above her upper eyelids and her sidelocks were trimmed at shoulder level. She wore an ordinary, clean white button-front shirt and a sleveless purple sweater on top with a perfectly tied tie. A black leather belt kept her short pleated skirt in place, preventing it from swaying too much and showing more of her smooth thighs. Her black leather boots were neatly polished. The final and most distinctive piece of her attire was a purple long coat, the hood of which swayed wildly, left and right, with every step she took. It wasn’t until she reached the richly ornate wooden door at the end of the hallway on the upmost floor that Twilight stopped, took a small breath and knocked twice in succession. “Queen Celestia?” A majestic voice echoed from the other side of the door, “Come in, Twilight.” Twilight pushed the door open and stepped in, her head bowed respectfully. “Excuse me.” Queen Celestia greeted Twilight with a warm smile. “You’re quite early today, my faithful apprentice. Have you perhaps devised a new strategy for today’s training session?” She was tall and stunningly beautiful, with perfect, milky-white skin, a gorgeous face and soft magenta eyes. Her hair shone with the colors of the aurora; vibrant shades of blue, green and pink, and was so long it went down her waist, flowing softly behind her as if carried by a perpetual breeze. Her exceptionally well-toned arms and back only added to her appeal. She wore sandals and a long, pure white, shoulder less dress with golden trims. The vertical cuts at the sides of her skirt revealed her long, shapely legs. The fabric pressed tightly over her ample bosom and firm, bulging buttocks, highlighting her hourglass figure. On her right hand, she carried a golden halberd. A combination of a cross-shaped spear and two curved axe-blades of equal size mounted on a staff, with the other extreme ending on a round, dull tip. Twilight took a deep breath and straightened herself. “I’m afraid I’m here to inform you that something terrible is about to happen, Your Majesty.” Queen Celestia’s smile vanished and her brown furrowed slightly. “What is it?” Twilight’s expression turned grim. “My continuing studies of the arcane arts have led me to discover we are on the verge of disaster!” She looked around, leaned closer to Queen Celestia and whispered hurriedly, “Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal.” Queen Celestia blinked puzzled. “I’m afraid you lost me,” she said with all sincerity. Twilight bit her lower lip. “The Maiden in the Moon! Nightmare Moon! The longest day of the thousandth year coincides with the Summer Sun Celebration!” she said exasperated. “The same Summer Sun Celebration you will preside the day after tomorrow!” Queen Celestia sighed softly. “Your diligence is undoubtedly one of your greatest virtues, my faithful apprentice, but you have to stop reading those dusty old books.” She paused and then added chidingly, “Researching the past should not come at the expense of sacrificing your present.” Twilight’s mouth opened and closed like that of a fish gasping for air. “B-But Duchess Cadance’s vision—!” Queen Celestia swiftly placed her index finger over Twilight’s lips to silence her, making her cheeks turn a nice shade of red. “No buts, my faithful apprentice,” she said firmly. “The nature of Cadance’s vision has already been discerned. And while we’re on the subject of the Summer Sun Celebration, I have a mission for you.” Twilight pouted, but said nothing. “What’s the matter, my faithful apprentice?” Queen Celestia asked bemused. “I thought you would be more excited at the prospect of having an opportunity to prove yourself worthy of becoming a Holy Knight of the kingdom of Equestria.” Twilight sighed. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, the last time you told me you had a mission for me I ended up cleaning all the windows in the Royal Palace by myself…” Queen Celestia tilted her head. “It helped you hone your levitation skills, didn’t it?” Twilight threw Queen Celestia an unamused look. “And the one before that you sent me to buy all of your groceries five minutes before the Grand Market’s closing time.” Queen Celestia nodded sagely. “Yes, your teleportation skills greatly improved from the experience.” Twilight’s right eye twitched. “And the time you sent me to clean the stables?” Queen Celestia closed her eyes. “A magician must have a mind of steel…” Twilight groaned, eliciting a giggle from Queen Celestia. “Don’t worry, my faithful apprentice,” Queen Celestia said. “This time, I’m sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration.” “Really…?” Twilight asked dismayed. Once again, Queen Celestia giggled. “I’m just kidding, Twilight.” Her smile vanished and her expression became serious. “This is an official mission.” Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise. “But first…” Queen Celestia casually waved her left hand. “There’s the matter of today’s training session.” In just an instant, the room furnished with rich wooden furniture around them vanished and they found themselves standing in the middle of a training arena, surrounded by high walls and with the sun shinning brightly above their heads. Twilight nudged the hood of her coat and called, “Spike! Wake up!” A moment later, a short, chubby baby dragon with purple scales and bright green fins emerged with a groan. He let out a big yawn before looking at Twilight with half-closed eyes and asking, “Is lunch time yet?” Twilight smiled. “No, Spike, it’s time for our training match with Queen Celestia.” “Did you tell her about the whole Nightmare Moon thing?” Spike asked while rubbing his eyes. Twilight shook her head. “We’ll talk about it later. For now, we’ll do as we practiced.” Spike hopped down from inside Twilight’s hood. He stretched his limbs, made a few hip circle motions and slapped his cheeks. “Alright,” he declared enthusiastically. “I’m ready!” Queen Celestia stood firm but relaxed. She held her halberd with the head pointing towards the ground, while her left arm hung lazily at her side. “Remember, my faithful apprentice, don’t hold anything back,” she said confidently. Twilight frowned, lowered her stance and turned her torso slightly sideways. She extended both arms forward, elbows slightly bent, and pointed at Queen Celestia with her index and middle fingers. To her right, Spike bared his fangs and readied his claws, trying to appear as threatening as his baby frame would allow him. Nobody made a move, and for a while, the only sound was that of the gravel dancing at the behest of the wind. Just then, Queen Celestia tilted her head ever so slightly. That was all it took. Twilight threw her hands upwards, fingers intertwined, and called loudly, “Icicle Castle!” The wind howled, Queen Celestia’s breath became visible and, in the blink of an eye, her whole body became encased in a gigantic column of ice. Twilight immediately turned her attention to Spike. Paying no heed to the sudden, thunderous sound of ice shattering into a million pieces and the burst of hot air on her face, she pointed at him with her index and middle fingers and called loudly, “Enchantment: Giant Growth!” Spike grinned eagerly. His body began growing at an alarming rate. Short, stubby arms and legs became powerfully muscled limbs. A pitiful tail transformed into a mighty weapon. His neck elongated and his head became serpentine, with sword-like fangs. Huge leathery wings erupted from his back and, where a baby dragon once was, now stood an adult the size of a two-story house. Letting out a deafening roar, Spike charged forward with his jaws open, heat and the smell of sulfur emanating from the inside of his mouth. He reared his head back and breathed a torrent of fire towards Queen Celestia. But far from being intimidated, she simply raised her halberd and the flames parted as if they had a mind of their own and were afraid of touching the tip of the weapon. “Have you forgotten, you two?” Queen Celestia asked. “Fire holds no secrets for me.” “No, we did not.” Queen Celestia looked over her left shoulder to see Twilight was now standing behind her. Twilight waved her hands in a circular motion and called loudly, “Endless Whirl!” The flames began encircling Queen Celestia instead of avoiding her. Faster and faster, they grew in size and intensity, shooting upwards until they became a massive fiery tornado visible even from beyond the walls of the Royal Palace. “COMBINED TECHNIQUE! DRAGON TWISTER!” Suddenly, the wind died down and the flames disappeared as if they were never there, leaving a perfect circle of scorched earth behind. In the middle of said circle stood Queen Celestia, her figure immaculate. She did not have a single speck of dust on her dress or the slightest trace of ash on her hair. Twilight’s jaw dropped. Spike clawed the ground in front of him nervously as he looked between Twilight and Queen Celestia, completely at a loss at what to do next. Queen Celestia chuckled softly. “Is there anything else you would like to try, my faithful apprentice?” The words snapped Twilight out of her stupor. Tracing a zigzagging motion with her index and middle fingers, she called loudly, “Shock Stinger!” A single lightning bolt erupted from the tip of Twilight’s fingers and mercilessly struck Queen Celestia. She winced as the lightning crackled and sizzled, binding her body like a snake constricting its prey. Twilight shouted, “Go, Spike! Tail Crash!” Spike roared and swiftly turned around, slamming his giant tail against Queen Celestia with the strength of a landslide, the intensity of the impact kicking up a cloud of dust. Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Did we do it?” However, when the dust settled, Queen Celestia stood free, unfazed and holding Spike’s tail with just her left hand alone. She squeezed, making him wince in pain, and whispered two words, “Magic Cancel.” In the blink of an eye, the adult dragon turned into a baby once again, hanging upside down as Queen Celestia held him by his tail. Spike grinned awkwardly. “Hi…?” Queen Celestia smiled back and, without warning, hurled him away like a pebble. Spike screamed as he sailed through the air, desperately flailing his tiny arms. But just as he closed his eyes and braced himself for impact, Twilight materialized out of thin air and caught him in her arms. “Are you okay, Spike?” “L-Look out!” Twilight looked up to see a massive fireball heading towards her and swiftly teleported out of its way, reappearing back on the ground. Holding Spike firmly with her left arm, she threw her right hand out, ready to launch another spell at Queen Celestia. Or so she would have, if Queen Celestia had not vanished from her sight. Twilight suddenly felt the familiar cold of steel pressing against the back of her neck, and in that instant she knew it was all over. “Touché.” Twilight sighed. Holding Spike with both arms, she turned around to see Queen Celestia leaning casually against her halberd. “I was pretty sure our combined attack would have had some effect,” Twilight said with a defeated smile. “Guess I was wrong…” “Don’t forget the purpose of our training sessions is to help you take your magic skills to the limit without the fear of hurting your opponent,” Queen Celestia said as she straightened herself. “Not to seek a victory." She extended her left hand towards Twilight and whispered softly, “Invigorate.” Both, Twilight and Spike closed their eyes and basked in the warm light. As it faded, so did the exhaustion from the battle. “Now, about the mission…” Twilight straightened herself. “Yes!” “…I believe I’ll let Captain Blueblood explain the details.” Twilight followed Queen Celestia’s gaze towards the tall, pale and handsome man approaching them. Captain Blueblood had long, flowing blond hair and deep blue eyes. His silver armor gleamed under the light of the sun and his light blue, golden-trimmed cape fluttered behind him, giving him an appearance befitting of a noble. Twilight respectfully bowed her head to him. “Sir.” "Perfect timing, Captain," Queen Celestia said. “Could you please brief Twilight on the incident you told me about before?” “Of course, Your Highness.” Captain Blueblood smiled and turned to Twilight. “We have received an urgent request for help from the mayor of Ponyville.” “Ponyville?” Twilight asked. “Isn’t that where the Summer Sun Celebration is going to take place?” “That’s correct,” Blueblood said with a snap of his fingers. "It seems one of their wagons was attacked by a dragon while traveling down the valley of the Unicorn Range. Fortunately, the occupants managed to escape unharmed.” “A dragon…” Twilight pursed her lower lip thoughtfully. “Was it a tyrant dragon or a clay dragon? They are both well-known for inhabiting mountainous terrains, but if we’re talking about the Unicorn Range, the area is home to a sizeable population of wyverns, althought they do not attack humans unless they are starving or their nests—" Queen Celestia cleared her throat and Twilight quickly stopped talking. “S-Sorry,” Twilight muttered embarrassed. “I’m afraid the Mayor’s letter did not go into details,” Blueblood said, not bothered by the interruption. “But the valley of the Unicorn Range is one of the main paths leading to Vanhoover, the only city with access to the North Luna Ocean, and if there’s indeed a creature preying on the lives of our fellow Equestrians there, then we cannot stay idle.” His smile vanished, replaced with business-like frown, and he pointed at Twilight. “Therefore your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to investigate this incident and exterminate whatever creature was responsible for the attack, be it a tyrant dragon, clay dragon or wyvern.” Twilight’s brown furrowed in determination and she declared firmly, “Leave it to me.” Spike nodded, his expression mirroring Twilight’s. “Excellent,” Captain Blueblood said satisfied. “You should go see Ponyville’s Mayor first. And make sure you outfit yourself properly before leaving.” Twilight nodded firmly. “I’ll be back before noon with a full report.” “There’s no need to hurry, my faithful apprentice.” Queen Celestia interjected. “Once you’ve fulfilled your mission, I want you to take the rest of the day and enjoy what Ponyville has to offer.” Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Your Majesty?” “Then, after the Summer Sun Celebration concludes, we can return together to Canterlot and you can give me your report on the way back.” Queen Celestia smiled and asked, “What do you say?” Twilight smiled brightly. “Yes, Your Majesty!” With one last respectful bow, Twilight bid them farewell and headed to fulfill her mission. Captain Blueblood watched Twilight leave and, as soon as she was out of sight, he turned to Queen Celestia and said, “Your Highness, with all due respect, do you think she’s ready to deal with something like this? A dragon is not something any Holy Knight can handle, much less an apprentice.” He paused before adding, “Even if she has her own dragon familiar.” Queen Celestia chuckled. “You saw the display of magic from behind the castle walls, didn’t you, Captain? Twilight Sparkle possesses an outstanding potential, moreso if we consider the fact her magic power has not awakened yet. I have no doubt one day she will become one of the most powerful magicians in the history of Equestria.” Queen Celestia looked up wistfully. “Until then, she needs to refine her strength to stand against the darkness that is to come.” Captain Blueblood nodded. Twilight barely felt the wind as she stood on Spike’s back, even when the baby dragon, currently transformed into his adult form, flew above the clouds and across the sky at astonishing speeds. Her outfit remained the same, but now she sported metallic shin and forearm guards, as well as a metal breastplate. On her right hand, she carried an ornate metal staff, the upper tip of which held a small purple jewel. “So we pulled an all-nighter for nothing?” Spike asked, his voice deep and gutural, befitting of his adult size. “I’m sorry, Spike.” Twilight replied, looking down. “It’s just that, when I found that passage on that old copy of Predictions and Prophecies, I thought there could be more to Duchess Cadance’s vision, you know…” She sighed dejectedly. “Guess I got ahead of myself.” “Hey, don’t sweat it!” Spike said enthusiastically. “We got ourselves an oficial mission, didn’t we?” Twilight smiled. She lifted her gaze and set it on the horizon. “Yes.” It didn’t take them long to reach the outskirts of Ponyville. “We’ll land here, Spike, just in case,” Twilight said. “I don’t want to risk scaring anybody.” Spike wordlessly complied. She levitated down his back and, with a whisper of Magic Cancel, turned him back into his baby form. He swiftly climbed on the back of her longcoat and took his place inside the hood, leaning over her right shoulder as she made her way into the town. Ponyville was small and with a heavy rural feel. The roads were made of dirt; the majority of the houses were timber-framed with thatched roofs and overhanging upper floors. Still, it was a very pretty town. Nearly all of the houses had potted plants on their windows and sides of the front door, every single one of them filled with vibrant colored flowers. A small river flowed through the town, with multiple bridges strategically placed along its course. Despite its size, Ponyville was a buzzing beehive of activity. The sound of music and the excited chatter of the crowd mixed with the rich smell of food filled the air to create a truly festive atmosphere. A small group of knights respectfully mingled with the civilians as they kept their eyes open for troublemakers. Twilight finally reached a large open area in the middle of the town, at the center of which stood a three-story, wooden building fancily decorated with ribbons and banners of wonderful, sunny colors. “This must be the Town Hall.” She opened the doors and told the receptionist she had an appointment, after which she was escorted to the mayor’s office. As she raised her left hand to knock on the door, a voice suddenly echoed from the other side, making her jump on her toes. “IF ONE OF THOSE CONSARNED HOLY KNIGHTS DOESN’T APPEAR FROM BEYOND THAT DOOR RIGHT NOW I’M GONNA GO THERE AND KICK THAT DRAGON’S ASS MYSELF!”