The Emissary looked at Rainbow, pondering the question. “The Lich is…” It stopped itself. The Emissary just kept repeating, “The Lich…” Eventually, it just went quiet.
After a few moments of silence, it spoke, “Well to understand the Lich, you first need to understand Finn,” The Emissary said. It looked off in the landscape of the dream as it began to change, eventually resembling a grassland. Rainbow made a 360, looking at the excruciating detail the land offered. The Emissary continued speaking, “This,” It pointed to the landscape with its spider-like legs, “Was Ooo, Finn’s home.”
Rainbow looked around, ‘A large tree,’ she turned her head, ‘a mountain that looks like a face,’ she turned her head, ‘A…’ She squinted her eyes, ‘Pink Castle?’. Rainbow turned back to the Emissary. “Okay,” She said, “Well…” The Emissary was gone. She instinctively took flight.
A voice spoke from behind her neck, “Good thinking, we can see more from up here.”
She turned her head. Only to look right into its green eyes. “AH!” She screamed. Fear took over Rainbow’s body, her wings went stiff from the surprise. She turned her head and shut her eyes.
Rainbow felt colder all of a sudden. There was more wind hitting her coat. She opened her eyes and looked around. She shook her head. It took her a moment to realize that she was now falling to the ground. Her wings, however, eventually flapped.
“Jeez spider thing, don’t scare me like that,” Rainbow said, “It’s just rude.”
The Emissary deadpanned, “And here I thought that the great Rainbow Danger Dash was never scared.” Rainbow turned her head and looked at the thing, “You sounded like your friend Fluttershy when you screamed.”
Rainbow laughed, “Yeah I… guess…”, She froze, only her. “Wait, how… how do you…”
The Emissary interrupted her, “I’m a part of you Rainbow, I can read your thoughts like a book.” It looked off in the distance, “Here, fly over to that giant tree.” It said.
Rainbow obeyed and began gliding over to the giant tree. As she got closer, she could see windows, bridges, and doors on and in it. It slightly resembled the old Library Twilight used to live in, but it was much larger.
“What is this place?” She asked.
“This,” The Emissary said, “Is Finn’s house, he lived in it with his brother, Jake.” Almost instantaneously, two forms sprung up near a table in the corner. Rainbow studied the forms; one was obviously Finn, the other, however, she couldn’t recognize.
“Who is that?” She asked while pointing her hoof at the orange figure.
“That’s his brother, Jake the Dog.” The spider pointed out.
Rainbow walked up to ‘Jake’. It and Finn were sitting at the table with little weird things in their hoo-, ‘Hands,’ Rainbow thought, ‘He told me they were hands.’ She looked at what the pair were looking at. A moving picture. SHe looked back down to their hands and the little things in them.
“What they are doing right now is playing video games,” The Emissary said, “That’s what they would do to unwind.”
“And they were also hero’s right?” She asked, “Going around on missions and quests; saving other ponies? Right?”
“People.” The Emissary corrected, “But, everything is pretty much correct.” It continued. “Finn and Jake saved the world a number of times you know.”
“I didn’t.” Rainbow deadpanned, “He didn’t tell me anything while he had me.” She shook her head, “He did let me go through. He did stick to his word.”
“Finn, despite his… many many problems, he tends to stick to his word.” The Emissary said, “He holds the truth in very high regard.” Rainbow refocused on the human. He was smiling, looked refreshed, he seemed to be in high spirits. ‘Nothing like what I encountered with him.’ Her face scrunched, ‘He was brash, tired, hurt…’ Her mind continued.
She turned to the green spider on her back, “What does this have to do with the Lich?” Rainbow asked, she turned back and looked at Finn, “I already know about Finn.”
“It’s what Finn embodies, Rainbow,” It said, “He embodies the Blue Catalyst Comet.” It deadpanned, “He embodies all that is good, per se.”
Rainbow turned to the spider on her back, “And the Lich?” she asked with trepidation.
“The Lich embodies the Green Catalyst Comet, all that is evil.” It explained further, “Do you understand what I am saying here?”
Rainbow shook her head. ‘Do I want to know?’
“The Lich tried to break Finn,” The green spider said. Rainbow refocused on the human in front of her, he was laughing and smiling. He and Jake were having a conversation, one that probably happened long ago. ‘If it is a part of me and knows my memories, it probably knows Finn’s.’
“If it could do that, Ooo was the Lich’s for the taking,” The Emissary continued. The world began to change. It resembled a dark and gloomy area. It was gray, say for a giant green pool in the center of the room.
Rainbow looked over and saw Jake on the ground, horribly stretched out of proportion, wearing something on his head, and Finn wearing a pink sweater standing a few feet away, standing awkwardly. There were a floating blue and pink person above the green pool. And across the pool itself, was an abomination. It looked like a skeleton with skin on it, barely clinging to its form. There were old drapes on it, dirty and tattered.
Rainbow flew up to get a better view. When she got to where the blue and pink person was, she looked at Finn. His eyes were green. It sent chills down her spine. Eventually, Finn’s eyes returned to normal, Finn took off the sweater and rushed the Lich. He stuck the sweater through its eyes, The Lich opened its mouth and did what looked like laughing as it was being killed, Finn then pulled harder on the sweater, The Lich’s skull fractured, then exploded.
The image of the treehouse returned in an instant. It’s calmness filled the air instead of the creepiness and eeriness of the Lich’s lair, Rainbow, however, was exasperated, “But… they won. Finn and Jake WON!” She caught her breathe “How did the Lich ever come back from that?” She turned to the Emissary, awaiting an answer.
The spider merely nodded, “Yes, they won… that time,” It sighed, “But they couldn’t keep it up.”
Images began flashing in Rainbow’s mind. She saw Finn, sword drawn, in some red crystal place. She saw the Lich, grab Finn’s shoulder and throws him aside. She saw Jake, again terribly mangled.
The flashes continued. Jake in a hospital bed, covered in black spots. Finn pulling up his sleeve, showing a black mass covered by something green. ‘His grass sword,’ Rainbow surmised. She saw a body on the ground, that looked somewhat like Finn, but larger and all gray. There was a large hole in the chest of the human.
Finn was crying over the body. He was shaking, both Finn and shaking the body as if trying to see if the man was alive. Jake stretched over to him and put his arm around Finn. Comforting him. She heard a voice, Jake, “Come on Finn, let’s go home.”
The flashes stopped, Rainbow was left in the treehouse. It wasn’t as bright as it was earlier. ‘How could something so evil exist?’ Rainbow thought, ‘Not even any of the villains we faced wanted to destroy the world.’
Another thought hit her, “He lost everything, his friends, his family, maybe even his mind.” The Emissary said, seemingly reading her mind, “Finn at one point was a hero, heck, maybe he still is, but that fight against the Lich, it changed him.” The Emissary's face seemed to grow even more depressed.
"Finn was looking for the magic bullet to destroy the Lich... he spent months trying to perfect his swordsmanship after Jake was infected and, well, after he found a lead on a bullet, he struck out on his own despite what his friends said." The Emissary looked at the Pegasus, "The Candy Kingdom was destroyed while he was off; he lost everything, when he found out, he climbed to the tallest tree he could and jumped, hoping to end his life."
‘This is so not cool,’ Rainbow thought. A question hit Rainbow. “If you knew the Lich was trying to… break Finn, why didn’t you tell him?”
The Emissary jumped off Rainbow’s back and crawled in front of her. “Finn wasn’t exactly er... stable after he lost his father after just finding him. Plus the swords… well… brain didn’t figure out what the Lich's plan was until well after he’d won.” The spider-like creature gave an audible sigh, “I guess Finn put it best; we lost.”
Rainbow was somehow on the verge of tears, “C-can we talk about something else?”
“Yeah, this is getting me all down.”
They sat in silence for a few moments.
The Emissary spoke up, “Is there anything else about Finn you want to know?”
“No… I don’t think there is.”
The Emissary looked at Rainbow Dash. “Here, I’m going to wake you up and try something.”
Rainbow cocked her head, “Okay?”
Twilight was used to late nights studying; staying up to complete some mission given to her by the Princess back when she was still just her student. She wasn’t accustomed to staying up late doing anything else. Especially waiting.
Twilight was shaking, she was nervous, She once again looks over the letter sent to her. Her hooves nearly began to move unconsciously as she picked up the letter she had received mere moments before.
Princess Twilight,
The report you sent me on the human, Finn, is, simply put, disturbing. I will shortly depart from Canterlot with a contingent of guards to help assist you. Please keep Luna from doing anything too rash in the meantime. If you do apprehend him, make sure he is kept under guard. We can’t risk him getting away. If he is indeed after the Elements of Harmony, have them moved to your castle for safekeeping. I shall see you soon.
Your friend and mentor,
Princess Celestia
Twilight glanced up to the door again, the pit in her stomach grew more. ‘Luna hasn’t come back yet from trying to catch Finn,’ her mind raced, ‘It’s been nearly a day, Celestia will get here at any second,’ one of her hooves reaches up and rubbed her temples. But the thoughts wouldn’t leave her mind, ‘Celestia. Coming here.’ Oh boy, was she not prepared.
She kept asking herself one question over and over again, “What am I going to do?” She said aloud, “Oh Celestia, what am I going to do?”
Twilight suddenly realized she was pacing again. ‘Once she gets here she’ll see that everything’s a mess, she’ll be disappointed for losing her sister, she’ll be disappointed for losing Finn.’ Her mind continued to rant, the thoughts in her mind growing darker.
She shook her head several times. She looked down to her hooves, she was pacing again. ‘Calm down Twilight,’ She thought, ‘I’m sure everything will be fine.’ The purple pony Princess took several deep breaths.
Twilight’s ears perked up, twitching slightly, ‘Hoofsteps,’ Her stomach sank, ‘She’s here early?’
The door to the map room opened up, the lunar guard captain walked in flanked by two of her guards. She marched with power up to the Princess and gave a bow along. The guards did the same.
She and the guards rose, “Your majesty,” The captain started, “My guards and I scoured the entirety of the Everfree, there was no sign of Princess Luna or the human Finn,” Somehow Twilight’s stomach sank even further. “There was, however,” Twilight perked back up, “This book.”
The captain, using her leathery wings, reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a large and obviously well-used book. Twilight read the title of the book, ‘The Enchiridion.’ She turned to the Lunar guards, “Was there anything else found there?”
“Nothing physical Princess,” Twilight’s eye’s perked up, ‘Physical eh?’ She smirked, 'Something magic perhaps?'
The captain continued, not noticing the obvious delight Equestria's newest monarch was having, “However, there was a large amount of magical ambient magic. It was strikingly similar to the magical disruption that occurred a few days ago.” The captain swallowed, "We also found the magical signature of Princess in the general area."
Twilight nodded, “Thank you, captain,” Twilight rubbed her head, ‘I am tired.’ She looked back to the captain. “You and the Lunar guards have had a rough day. Enjoy the rest of the night off.”
“Thank you, your highness.” The captain and guards both bowed to the Princess, rose, then walked out of the room.
Twilight yawned. She looked over the seams of the book on the table. ‘Well used obviously.’ She ran her hoof over the book’s cover. Parts of it began falling off. She pulled away. Her hoof shaking slightly. ‘Ok Twilight,’ She thought, ‘A Restoration spell,’ Her magic took hold of the book. ‘Let’s be careful.’
She began applying the spell to the book. The purple hue growing brighter as she began applying more power. Twilight spied a look at her work. The book’s cover began to look much less used and youthful. She smirked at her work. ‘Should be readable now,’ Twilight began lowering the amount of magic in her spell.
Her horn was still growing brighter. Her smirk fell into a flat line, then took on a scared face. Her horn, despite trying to cut off the spell, was still giving magic to the book. ‘How in the world!?’ She shut her eyes tight, putting all her effort into closing the spell.
Her mind went into overdrive into closing the spell. At the same time, her spell went into overdrive, draining her magic by the second. Her mind could barely process what was going on. The magical drain began to take its toll on the Princess.
On a whim, she reached with her hooves out to the book resting on the table. The Princess then threw the book to the wall. The extreme change in distance between her and the book broke the magical connection.
Twilight huffed, sweat was dripping beads down her head. She could already feel her magic replenishing Twilight’s wings ruffled as she breathed in and out, her brain returned to her, ‘How in the… How could a book? What the…’
Twilight hesitantly got up. She looked out one of the many windows in the room. The moon had moved significantly, the colors of morning began breaking the dark blue of the night. Twilight hesitantly tore her gaze away from the window and to the book that had stolen hours from her.
She reached out with her hoof this time and touched the cover. Flakes were still falling off. Twilight barely cast a silencing spell on the room.
“That INFERNAL BOOK!” She screamed.
After a shower, quick nap and breakfast, Twilight finally calmed down. She rested her head on the map table as she waited for her friends to arrive. Her head moved on its side, making her look straight at that book.
‘I didn’t even get to start reading that book!’ She thought, frustrated, ‘If that was Finn’s book…’ she sighed and shook her head. “How could a being with no magic wield such magic?” She questioned out loud. She turned her head away from the Enchiridion.
*Clop*
Twilight’s ear twitched at the sound of a distant hoofstep. ‘At least they’re finally here,’ Twilight relaxed a bit more at the thought of her friends.
*Clop**Clop**Clop*
‘I just hope that all this gets sorted out soon. The last thing we need is war.’
The hoofsteps stopped, working on; Twilight could tell that there was some sort of pause in whoever is outside of the majestic door to her ‘Throne room.’ Twilight balked at calling it that though, she rather preferred calling it the ‘Map Room’, or ‘Table Room.’
After waiting a few more minutes, Twilight raised her heavy head and looked at the door. She expected to see her friends any second; Applejack and her helpful nature, she’d probably tie Twilight to a bed and tell her to get some sleep, Pinkie and her energy would probably be comforting Fluttershy, Fluttershy would be as shy as ever given recent events, Rarity would comment on some new dress, Rainbow....
Twilight’s mind trailed at her incapacitated friend. ‘She’ll never be allowed to join the wonderbolts without her leg.’ She sighed, ‘Not even with my help…’
Her mind doodled on Rainbow and the incident that took her leg, ‘She said it wasn’t Finn, but… who else could it be?’ She thought, ‘There’s literally been nothing else other than him, it’s like death and destruction follows him everywhere.’ She shook her head, ‘Finn foalnaps Rainbow, gets caught trying to steal the elements, he escaped the castle, he cut off Rainbow’s leg.’
‘I just can’t get a reading off of him,’ She put her hooves to her temples, ‘He said he was a hero, Rainbow said he was a hero, but a hero would never do anything like that… unless there-’
“Princess Twilight?” A concerned, elegant voice said.
Her mind went blank.
She turned around and put on a semi-fake smile, “Princess Celestia!”