"What the buck just happened? Did that really just happen?!"
Dawn's slumber was finished. She groaned from the velocity of the voice shouting in her head, and slowly sat up from her place on dark rocky ground to look around. They were back in the cave on Founder's Island. The darkness built on top of secrets. The secrets she had in the form of her notes.
Her notes...
Dawn used a light spell to shine through the darkness and check around. Nope, they were all gone. Dawn stomped her hoof and inwardly groaned from a bruise on her neck. The pony who attacked them was experienced.
"I don't know," Dawn answered to First Light. Then grumbled at the large stone ahead of them. A wall from the outside world. "But we're trapped in here."
"Who even was that?!" First Light shouted. "She wasn't like that before! She looked just like Narmeelah! Dawn, I'm freaking out!"
If anyone could freak out more than First Light, Dawn had yet to see it. The hooves in her head were practically bouncing off the walls. A routine she herself had down packed.
Dawn trotted up to the boulder and placed her hoof on its surface. The thing was covered in runes. Designed to be her grave. "I think it was Narmeelah's daughter," she assumed.
"There's another?!"
"Narmeelah is millions of years old. Saying she only had one daughter is the equivalent of saying I've only read one book my whole life. I'm sure there are hundreds out there. Now, how do we get out?" She tuned out First Light's rambling and focused. As far as they could tell, there was only one way in, and one way out. Physically.
But how about magically?
There was one way. If she could get out, that meant Heated Wings wasn't paying as close attention to her as she thought. Which gave her the upper hoof. Studying Dark Magic was honestly the most fun thing Dawn ever had the pleasure of enjoying. So many spells, so many opportunities. Shadow Jumping was one of her favorites. And there were shadows all over the forest.
After grabbing her pets, Dawn jumped forward at the wall with a light horn of black and melted into the liquid darkness. With a ripple of black on both sides, she graciously careened back out onto the path they used to get up to the mountain. A piece of cake. Heated Wings wasn't too bright. Oh, she was in for a surprise when Dawn got her hooves on her.
First Light peeked out through one of Dawn's eyes and scanned the landscape. "Well," she said in Dawn's voice. "That was easy. Let me take the Princess. I'm more experienced in Dark Magic than you are."
First Light fighting? Dawn took back over. "Sure, why not?"
She jumped into the air with her pets and flowed back home in the form of her black mist. Soaring through the trees in different streams and back into her home's window to form once again in her room. All was quiet and peaceful. Too peaceful. She placed Juniper and Sky Blue down on her bed then tip tapped her way out of her room quietly. Her hooves were so light, her weight was almost non-existent. Her ears were trained on everything she could listen to. Heated Wings could be anywhere.
But apparently not down in the living room or kitchen. However, there was something going on outside.
Dawn walked towards her window and peeked out at the commotion. There she was. Lying to that cute stallion and the rest of the town. She even had the faux worry face down to complete it. Aw, the poor handsome guy was worried about her.
First Light grumbled and scolded, "Focus, sis. What are they saying?"
Alright, jeez. Let's focus on the crazy disguised daughter of Narmeelah instead of the cute stallion. Dawn rolled her eyes but did follow the important matter at hoof. She was talking to Night Life, Lucky, and the rest of the villagers. Night Life was clearly worried about her. It was sweet. But the pony lying to them about her was a good actor.
"I didn't see her," she lied. She pointed a hoof back towards the mountain. "She was heading towards the caves and now she's gone like the rest of them."
Night Life stomped his hooves and stroked his mane. Jeez, must he be thousands of years old? He took a breath and said, "Alright, I'll go search. She couldn't have disappeared."
"AND I DIDN'T!" A large blast of black energy slammed into Heated Wings from her left and threw her into the front of another home. The villagers gasped and jumped before all eyes turned to the source to the voice belonging to an eerie shadow rushing out the newcomer's home.
Dawn trotted out her front door with a smoking horn and narrowed eyes on Heated Wings. "Thought you could get rid of me so easily, huh?" She asked. "Why don't you show everyone your true colors? Over a thousand years of lying is enough, don't you think?"
Heated Wings rose back to her hooves and smoldered at Dawn with hot air billowing out her nose. Her posture took on a battle-ready stance. Just like Dawn's.
"As the daughter of a supposed mogul of magic?" She replied. "I'd find it quite sad really."
Dawn jumped to the side before Heated Wings rushed forward to punch her in the face. And instead hit air. Dawn rolled back to a standing position and raised her wings to face her.
Heated Wings growled and taunted, "You should've stayed out of everything. You cannot stop fate!"
"Funny." Dawn rose to her hooves and took her stance. "I could say the same."
Night Life rushed in between them and held out his hooves before a fight could break out. "Whoa, everyone stop just one second! What is going on?!"
"Simple!" Dawn glared past to Heated Wings. "She's keeping us in here. She works for Narmeelah and I think is a relative of her. She was never thrown, she volunteered herself. She's our warden. She just threw me in a cave and tried to seal me inside."
Night Life looked back to Heated Wings with curious yet stern eyes. "What is she talking about? You're working for Narmeelah?"
Heated Wings glared up to him and rose back up from her hooves. That sneaky little filly. Ruining mother's plans. She spread her orange wings. And with a simple flap, the pony Dawn fought with was standing there once again. It was a literal reincarnation of Narmeelah. The secret was out.
Night Life jumped back when she shouted, "Did you seriously think you could just leave?! Without my mother you wouldn't even be standing there! The end of times is coming whether you like it or not! There is nothing you can do to stop it!"
"Actually, there was!" Dawn used her magic to move a wiggling Night Life out of the way. Then glared across to Heated Wings. "You, however, burned my plans to ashes didn't you? Well that makes me very upset. And it also makes my other side upset too. You see the thing about me is..." Dawn took her steps forward. "I'm not really here. I am a living form of magic."
Heated Wings raised her eyes and looked to the ponies standing nearby. Then back to Dawn. "What are you talking about, you little filly? Magic cannot take on a conscious form."
"You're not the only one with secrets." Dawn's body slowly changed. Her coat gradually changed from violet to black starting at her hooves. The crown on her flank dripped with red. Her coat was as smooth as glass. Her eyes were no longer violet, her mane was black and wet on her face. Heated Wings' face slowly flipped when Dawn grinned her mouth really wide and showed her fangs of sharp teeth."I have a few myself. Have you ever met two ponies in the body of one?"
And this was why Equus needed to be reset. Heated Wings rushed forward and jabbed her hoof with a destination for First Light's muzzle. But just like she was trained, First Light spun around and used her wing to slap Heated Wings to the side. Then bucked her back into the wall of another home.
Before she realized what was happening, First Light burst into existence on Wings' right and grabbed her feathers. Then pulled her out, threw her around and slammed her back into the wall face first. Night Light seethed with Lucky and the rest of the crowd. That had to hurt.
Heated Wings was tired of this. Did she seriously think she could defeat a pony of ancient magical power? Heated Wings sent magic into her hooves and knocked First Light back. Then whirled around and slammed her hoof straight into her chest.
Night Life gasped and shouted, "DAWN!!!"
Dawn's reaction was a slow look down to the hoof embedded in her body. Then an unseen glance up to Heated Wings' eyes. Heated Wings snarled into her face with an evil grin. "You didn't seriously think you could beat me in a fight like this, did you? Your time is up, Princess."
Or so she thought. Heated Wings attempted to yank her hoof back out, but was surprised to find actual resistance. She looked down to the point of impact, at the tendrils that took a tight hold. Then back up to First Light's amused face.
"And you seriously didn't think..." She made her horn glow a deep black. "That you could kill magic itself with your hoof, did you?"
Dawn shot a bolt of black directly into her face that sent her flying out yelling and once again into another building. Then when she looked up, received a nice thick wooden board to her face.
Heated Wings dropped onto her back with her face to the sky unconscious. She would no longer be a threat. Dawn took back over her body with a rush of her will. She faced the astonished crowd of fearful ponies and pointed down to her.
"We have to tie her up and get out of here. A war is coming."
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The clock over the doors leading out of Twilight's office moved the time by. Followed by her work. It was no longer as pleasing as it was before. Just repetition. She no longer had something to look forward to by the end of day. Her family was dead. She would be going home alone.
She decided to go dress-less today and chose only to wear her crown. Then sat back down behind her desk and worked in silence. Breakfast was once again brought in right before she wrapped up. Then stared with a nonchalant eye at a picture of her family on her desk. The one where she and Madun were posing with little filly Dawn in her hooves. Smiling. It was a lovely time back then. When Dawn would run through the garden and tackle her father on her back. When she would break something on accident, get in trouble, then be held after her time-out. Now... Now time seemed meaningless.
Her reminiscing was interrupted by a knock that blew her back into reality. She hoped her babies—like everyone else—were able to find peace in the Everlasting Sky.
Twilight relaxed back into her padded seat and called, "Enter!"
The door opened and in walked Gardeen with five more documents tucked in her right wing. Her white coat seemed to be spotless today.
"The contract," she announced. "Like you requested." Twilight nonchalantly glanced down to them when they were placed on her desk. "The Senate Board and City-State Officials approved of its authenticity. They just want to make sure it pleases you."
"My pleasure doesn't matter," Twilight made clear. She lifted up the sheets with her magic and stared at it. "I'll be happy once I get those Zebras. Then we can finally move on."
Gardeen limped around the large desk to stand at Twilight's side and state, "It won't be so easy. We'll be going up against multiple nations—"
"And they are knowledgeable, I know." Twilight lowered the form and turned to face Gardeen with her hooves tapped together, and a rear hoof crossed in her lap. "But we have so much more."
Oh boy. Gardeen breathed out her nose loudly and warned, "Twilight, if your time in office has taught me anything, it's that you never underestimated your enemies. You were thorough." She placed a tender hoof on Twilight's. "Please be careful with this."
Twilight sighed and acquiesced with a hardened nod. She hasn't been around for ten years, there's no telling what Equestria's been up to. No enemy is to be underestimated. Not even Equestria. After reading the contract, she approved it with a signing of her name at the bottom next to another line.
"Thank you, Gardeen," she said. Then passed it back over. "How is Pink?"
Gardeen always enjoyed talking about her wife. That smile would continue to brighten up Twilight's mood. "Much better," she answered. "She was terrified before, but is now taking it much easier. I feel this is the culmination of our lives. Well... Almost. I was going to ask her a question, but I also don't want to scare her."
Gardeen's thoughtfulness will be the destruction of her happiness. Twilight used her magic to bring over a bottle of water. Still without her horn. Gardeen would ask her about it, but later. "What is your inquiry?" Twilight questioned.
Gardeen took a seat next to her and sighed out how nervous she was. If it wasn't for her fur, Twilight would've seen the beads of sweat on her. "Well... Whoo, this is harder than I thought it would be. I was going to ask... What she thought about, maybe, starting a family?"
Starting a family? Twilight widened her eyes and clarified, "You want to be a mother?"
Gardeen shriveled under her stare and stammered, "I mean, it-it's just something I'd really like—"
Twilight immediately reassured, "No, no, baby that's great! I'm really happy for you! You have no idea how happy I am. Gardeen, I know about your past. The Fire Family knows how much of a struggle it was for you growing up, and saying that you want to start a family of your own is saying that you're really ready to move on. That you're ready to continue your own family line. Baby, I'm proud of you." Her voice lowered from excitement into sadness. "I'm sure Madun and Dawn would be too."
Gardeen knew this would be hard for her to talk about. But she really wanted to know. "I wanted to ask you a question. But I don't know if now is the right time. It may be too soon."
"You can ask me anything," Arcadia assured.
Gardeen scooted closer and motioned with a nod of her head to the family picture on Arcadia's desk. "What was it like for you?"
Twilight moved her gaze back to the photo and willed it to float into her hooves. The one of her family and herself. She sighed and felt a hoof over the glass' smooth surface.
"It was a bumpy ride to get there," she answered. "With a lot of unexpected results. But I managed to hold my filly in my hooves and tell her I love her over and over, again and again through it all. And I... I wouldn't trade it for the world. If I had to give up my throne for my daughter's life, I would. Loyalty is important in Psera, I know. But she was my only child."
Twilight blinked and looked up to smile at Gardeen's face. "As are you. I'm proud of you, Gardeen. And I would be honored to be there."
Gardeen wrapped her hooves around Twilight and pulled her into a hug. A tight one that she buried her muzzle into that Twilight eagerly returned.
"Thank you," she whispered. Then placed a kiss on Twilight's cheek on the pull back. "I'm sure the foal would love to have a Queen as a Grandmother."
Twilight snorted at the term 'Grandmother' and faced her desk again. "Grandmother?" She playfully repeated. "I'm still in my thirties, I haven't reached that point in my life yet. Give me a few years of just doing this and I'll turn into Molten." Their laughter at Twilight's joke died when someone knocked firmly on her door. Once their giggles were down, she cleared her throat and answered, "ENTER!"
The door pushed open with a light groan and in walked a stallion with a light red coat, a silver mane and tail that was as reflective as new steel, and dark blue eyes. He was wearing a white dress jacket bearing a mass amount of medals with a golden tie and white dress shirt underneath it all. He was around the same height and size as Gardeen. A fitting shape for someone like him.
He had a white captain's hat underneath his right red wing that he placed to the side so he could bow. "My Queen," he greeted in a hard voice. "My condolences to your late family."
"General Mack Land," Twilight soothingly replied. She and Gardeen prepped themselves into formal positions. "I was not expecting you today. Your condolences are appreciated. I'm guessing you have something for me?"
He rose back to his hooves and used his wing to softly shut the doors back behind him. Mack Land was a gentle yet stern commander of the Aerial Guard. Twilight met with him at her husband's funeral. When he vowed he would assist on planting spies in their fellow countries. They both knew that they wouldn't turn those Zebras over. It was best to have some ponies on the inside.
He approached the desk and raised a folder out from underneath his left wing. Even though that smirk didn't move, Twilight could already hear the terms "Good News" leaving his mouth.
"Some very useful information," he told her. "I thought I'd deliver this to you personally."
Twilight flipped open the folder and pooled out onto her desk images. These were bird's eye views of the west coast of Equestria. Right in Las Pegasus. Military Barricades along the entire eastern coast made up of Equestrian Royal Guard, Sea Ponies, and Dragons. Their defensive line was impressive, as well as their numbers. A ring of three consisting of magical sea ponies, the dragons on the beaches, and soldiers inside buildings holding spears, crossbows, and magic.
Twilight hummed and said more to herself, "It seems they've already made their decisions." She glanced up to Admiral Mack Land. "What are we doing about it?"
He happily answered, "We're optimizing our strategies and formations. Our spies on Eastern soil report that they haven't seen any Zebras in Equestria. They're going to press forward to the other nations. But they did report that Equestria was receiving military supplies and resources from Mount Aris, The Dragon Lands, Prance, North and South Neighton, and The Forgotten Land."
So a majority were supplying military supplies as a defense to protect the Zebras. Twilight growled and slammed the folder shut. A snap so loud that it made Gardeen jump. "Tell your people to look for weaknesses," she ordered. "If they find anything, note it down and have it ready in twelve days. Dismissed."
He saluted and took the folder back. Then quickly trotted out the doors with a fire to his tail. Once the door was closed, Twilight smoldered at the screen in her desk. "So... They don't want to hand over the Zebras," she said.
"Apparently," Gardeen murmured. Then asked, "So what are we going to do?"
"It's clear what they're already doing. They're preparing for an attack. Setting up defenses, training troops, and mobilizing everything they can get their hooves on. Queen Novo's sea ponies are using the oceans, one half of the Dragons are securing the beaches, the Pegasi, Hippogriffs, the other Dragons are securing the air, and ground ponies are securing the inside. They're waiting for us."
Twilight faced Gardeen and growled, "Well since they're preparing for a war, we will be too. Think we can get those portals running again?"
The portals? Gardeen gulped and answered, "Weapon Underground? Queen Arcadia, I don't think this situation calls for use of that weapon. They don't need to be swallowed."
"It's not for them," Twilight stated. She lifted her hoof and rubbed her chin. "I just had a small thought on how desperate IHT may get. Equestria is an overall friendly nation, yet they still host a lot of big troublemakers. Creatures like Discord, Tirek, Sunset Shimmer too is a reformed villain, as well as Starlight Glimmer..."
Gardeen knew the last two had a past that could only be described as 'life hanging'. Thanks to Arcadia, they were much better ponies. Twilight added, "The Changelings, all of them have a past that should be considered as highly dangerous. Along with many more. Their intelligence does not rival my own, but they are not to be undermined. And it seems IHT may get desperate enough to call upon them. I surely would were I in their place. Which brings me to our next course of action. Odega!"
A burst of flames at her meeting table and Odega was lying over it on her stomach smiling sharp blue teeth her way innocently. "Yes, Queen Arcadia?" She asked.
"I need you... To summon the Legends of Psera. All of them."
Odega stopped smiling and dropped a look of trepidation. "All of them?" She repeated. Even Narmeelah herself never summoned all of them at once!
Twilight's nod didn't appease her worries. "Psera must be protected from any threats," she explained darkly. "And every country off the East coast is currently a threat. We need every last asset we have."
Odega teleported over and worriedly recommended, "As much as I want to defend Psera your highness, there are some Legends even I'm a little scared of. Besides, I get the feeling you want... Her too."
Twilight smirked and stood from her seat. "Of course I do," she confirmed. "Maheera Dark will definitely be on our side once she learns of the events prior to this moment."
Well Odega couldn't argue her logic. Maheera may have been a large ancient Dark Magic wielding Draconequus, but she was also very defensive of innocent ponies, according to her own story.
Odega sighed through her nose and proposed, "Allow me to align the rest of us before we make any trips down."
Twilight could work with that. After all, Psera already had the brains. Now all they needed was even more solid muscle.
Mimi wasn't hard to track down. Well relatively speaking. It was still a challenge.
After IHT agreed unanimously that a war against Psera was inevitable, and that Queen Arcadia was definitely willing to attack all of them in search of the Zebras, the pony who rallied them all up was the same pony to track her down. Flurry Heart's search for Mimi was commenced by first asking ponies for her shape, size, color, and wings of course. Then being pointed in the direction.
They first pointed her to the train station, which then lead her all the way into the bustling streets of Canterlot, then Ponyville, then deeper to the coastline of Las Pegasus.
And only then did she realize what she said before. That she would be waiting at the old ports in Las Pegasus. It wasn't that old. Only around fifteen years of age. According to mom, the Equestrian-Psera Trade Facility was built to allow trade. Psera apparently had something similar in their country. She also heard traveling was expensive. Which meant that the item being traded had to be expensive and worth the time and effort.
The trade facility consisted mostly of Warehouses and docking ports. When Flurry arrived, she could see the tall beacons in the sea far out that would flash in light to attract the incoming Aquatas and direct them to the reported port for docking. Then they would drop off the package, stay for awhile, then disappear again for another three day trip back to Psera.
Flurry had a feeling she would be seeing Aquatas again really soon.
Without delay, she made haste towards "Building B", the first and relatively smaller warehouse in the entire abandoned facility. It consisted of four warehouses and smaller buildings, along with the area where the humongous steel block sat. It had dwindled in size over the years and looked more brown thanks to rust. Psera had sent them more than they actually needed.
Her hooves traveled desolate sidewalks until she arrived at her destination: The doors to Building B. A pair of dark grey steel with a brass rotary handle. Out of everything here, these remained fairly untouched. Strange.
She twisted the knob and pushed it open with a hollow groan to show the inside. It was even more empty than she imagined it would be. There was literally nothing inside. The Pserateps took everything back that they brought with them. Even the lights. All that remained was a shell. Looks like Flurry was using Magic to search around.
She scanned her surroundings throughout the building and came up with nothing. No signs of warmth, something that she could easily track. She slowed to a stop directly in the courtyard of the facility and sighed in frustration. How hard was it to find the only Pseratep left here on Equestria?
"Lesson number one!" Was all Flurry heard before she felt her hooves suddenly sweep out from under her.
She fell with a grunt on her side and used her magic to create a shield before Mimi arrived in all her long winged glory. She dropped down next to her from above and smirked into her bubble.
Her hoof raised towards the sky when she said, "Never look for a Pseratep on the ground of all places. We're Pegasi, we're in the sky a lot more than on the ground. That's the first place to look."
Flurry pursed her lips and nodded up to her after relinquishing her bubble shield.
"Noted," she sourly said. Then accepted the hoof when it was offered to get her upright. Maybe next time just tell me instead of throwing me on my side."
"A Pseratep who isn't me would not do that. They're trained to kill, not talk."
Once she was standing again, Mimi brushed off her coat with a wing and stated, "Now. If you're here, then that means you were looking for me. And since you're alone, then that means either Equestria's just reckless or they have accepted my peaceful proposition."
She's good. Flurry smirked and answered, "We have accepted your proposition. Mother and father along with my aunts aren't fully trusting of you, but they trust my judgement. Do not make them—or me—regret it."
Mimi walked past Flurry and started heading back to where she came from. Building B. "Do not worry," she assured. "When I'm done reforming your defenses, you will be up to par with Psera's. Their queen on the other hand is an entirely different matter."
Flurry caught up to her when the sound of their hooves bounced around the corridor of Building B. "Can you help us stop her?"
Mimi glanced over to Flurry and answered, "Stopping Queen Arcadia is the equivalent of stopping a rushing Psera train with a brick wall."
"So... Is that a yes?" Flurry hoped. A hope that was immediately dashed.
"That is a definite no. Queen Arcadia's magic is strong enough to rival all of the Elements of Harmony, the Magic of the two pony sisters combined, and the Staff of Magic."
Flurry stopped walking and repeated, "The Staff of Magic? What's that?"
Mimi slowed her speed to a halt and turned around to face her. "The Staff of Magic is an ancient relic made of Darkness that was used way before the Two Pony Sisters' great-grandmother was even born. It sucks all the magic and life from the dirt, and shoots it back out in a strong wave. It registers as an eight point five on the Scale, whereas the Elements of Harmony register as a four point six. The Princesses are a three point nine. It's been sealed away in Tartarus to keep out of the hooves of other ponies. And we may need it."
She turned around and continued walking with Flurry who asked, "Wait, we're going to TARTARUS?!"
"There are many a pony whose expertise in magic lie in Tartarus. They are strong and they are intelligent. If you have any hope of defeating Psera, let alone Queen Arcadia, you're going to need three specific creatures I have in mind. They are strong and can take apart your castles with their bare hooves. I will bring it up with the Princesses when I see them."