//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: Arrival // Story: The Guitarist // by Kiniro //------------------------------// The Guitarist Chapter 17: Arrival My long walk with Shining had to been the longest I had ever had even as we navigated our way through the Royal Palace. But what I believe made it the longest was the immense dread that I began feeling. I think even Shining Armor had noticed it during our walk. As we arrived to the Throne Room, Shining had just looked over to me and stuck out his hoof. I looked at him and grabbed his hoof with my hand and gave one last simple shake. "I wish you the best of luck Kiniro." Shining commented. "Thank you, I'm going to need it." I responded. "Now I must take my leave, I have also been instructed to create a magical barrier with the royal guard to protect the Castle so that nothing comes in or out, and please protect my sister." "I will do my best." I had promised. Shining proceeded to open the door to the Throne Room. As I walked inside, I saw the six ponies putting on what appeared to be pieces of jewelry and the Princesses stood ready for my arrival. Once inside the throne room, I heard the door slam shut. This was it. "My journey was coming to an end." I thought to myself, but there was no turning back, it had to be done. "Kini!" Twilight ran over to me and jumped on top of me. "Promise me that you'll never forget me." "I promise Twi, I promise." I responded, I had noticed that she was wearing a tiara on her head. "By the way the tiara suits you." "Its a piece of the Elements of Harmony." Twilight said with a slight blush. "The Tiara and the jewels that the other girls are wearing are just the physical representations of the Elements of Harmony. We are actually the spiritual and embodiments of the Elements." "I see, so how will those help me get back home?" I asked. "I'm not so sure. But I was told that Luna devised the plan since she found a way to pull you half way. Based on the story given, she can push us back through, and then Celestia will use her magic to push us the rest of the way, she just needs a little bit of an extra push and magical signature to get us there, that's where the Elements of Harmony come in." Twilight explained. "Hmm magical signature..." I thought to myself. "Hey! What about that song of Lutie that made that there golden apple you gave me!" Applejack interrupted. "That's a good idea, than she can use my magical energy to find another similar source because I know I'm not the only musician who can play the song! I'm just the only who can channel magic through my guitar!" "Wait I don't understand Kiniro." Twilight stated. "Ok so its like this, any musician in my world can perform some of the basic songs that I showed you back at the library, but I'm the only one who can channel my magic through my guitar by using the musical notes played as my spell words. Think of it my guitar being your unicorn horn." "Oh! I get it, just like how any unicorn can perform some basic magic, but only few of us can master it!" Twilight responded. "Exactly. I'm just the first who mastered the magic of the music, but many can perform its basic spells. I was teaching two others, but... they are no longer alive." I explained, and I suddenly had a source of inspiration. "I'm sorry about that Kiniro." Twilight said sadly. "Its ok Twi, their sacrifice won't be in vain if we succeed today." "Now I have an idea. Princess Celestia!" I called out. "Yes Kiniro?" Celestia answered. "I have an idea, its a long shot but we might not need the Elements of Harmony to give us that extra push in magic to transport me back home. Luna's plan suggested she push me half way, and you push us the rest with some help of the Elements of Harmony. But I have a better idea, and it will get you your magical signature that you're looking for." "Please explain Kiniro." Celestia asked. "Ok, I figure that since I'm not the only musician in Midgard, and if any warriors, magicians or musicians are still alive. They would be fighting Satan Morroc as we speak, granted the world hasn't fallen completely." "Go on." Celestia said. "So if there are any other musician alive, they would be using some of the basic spells that any musician knows to help keep their allies alive. So by that logic. I need to perform the song of Lutie to give you some of my extra magical strength and a musical magic signature to go by, and you can get me home, and if anything I know that the one place that would be the heaviest defended would be Pronterra. Where my old friend Lightning Strike, Colonel of the Royal Guard of my world would be defending, and his troop Battalion would be there." "Very very good observation, but you think it will work young Kiniro?" Celestia asked. "Its a long shot, but I believe it will." I responded. "I think it will keep the folds open long enough to allow us to pass through and back with enough time to spare." "Very well we shall attempt this. Are you all ready?" Celestia asked. "Ready!" the six ponies and I called out. "Luna are you ready?" Celestia asked. "I believe so my sister." Luna responded. "Ok here goes one song of Lutie coming up!" I began to play a whimsical melody but and my guitar began to glow light blue. As I continued to play the song for its duration, I began to see numerous apples beginning to fall and once I saw 8 fall, I stopped playing. "Well looks Iike I'm back up to full strength, here one for each of you, take them. "But Kiniro won't this drain you of your power a bit?" Applejack asked me. "This many apples? I normally produce over 40 during an entire song. But this is just a small portion of my song." I explained with a smile ."I can play this song numerous times before I become fatigued. Not to mention the apple I gave you applejack was when I was already fatigued. I noticed Applejack's jaw drop almost to the floor. "So you mean to tell me that the one apple you gave me before was a weak apple?!" "That would be correct little lady" I responded back with the appropriate draw a for a light joke. "So these ones could be..." Twilight mentioned. "A hell of a lot stronger." I chuckled. "I'd recommend that you take them, they will help all of you." Both Princesses and the Elements of Harmony approached the apples and inspected them, but naturally Applejack being the first to have ever eaten one, she was the first to set the example this time. "Come on gals! They won't hurt, you'll get a sudden rush of energy, but nothing else!" Applejack said while munching on her apple. "Kini... when did you get back to full strength?" Twilight asked me. "Shortly before I met you." I responded. "I wasn't sure, as I hadn't played any of my basic songs since the night I spent in Applejack's barn. But playing this song this time showed that I was ready and either at full strength or pretty close to it." Following Applejack's example, the other ponies and the Princesses ate their apples. Shortly followed by a series of "wow's" of amazement of what the golden apples could do. Alot of them commenting randomly on how much stronger they felt. I had even gotten the same reaction from the Princesses. "Is every one ready?" I asked. "We are ready!" The six elements of harmony said in unison. "My sister and I are ready." Luna commented. "And we will do our best to assist you from this side!" Celestia agreed. "Its do or die." I said and looked over to Twilight. "Whatever happens I want you to know I love you." With those final words, I saw both Luna and Celestia begin to use their magic powers. Luna began to use her magic to focus at one point of the throne room near the door we had entered, and it was making an extremely loud noise. The door began to shift in many ways, I covered my ears of the deafening screech and just watched in amazement. "Celestia! Have you been able to find a similar magical signature to the song I played?!" I yelled over the sound of Luna's spell. "Yes young Kiniro! I have located a similar magical signature and I see a castle in my mind where its located!" Celestia yelled back. "Bingo, I was right! Don't lose it Celestia! Luna its all on you now!" I yelled out. "I am trying Kiniro! But I'm trying to focus to open the portal from this end but I feel something is blocking me!" Luna screamed out. "Push harder Luna! I know you can do this! I believe in you!" I yelled. "Yes my sister! Push! I believe in you also!" Celestia commented and with our two combined words of support what seemed like a portal appeared in the doorway, as if to distort time and space as we knew it and I began to see light appear through it. I saw... I saw someone... I saw... "LIGHTING STRIKE!" I yelled and it appeared he heard me, he turned over to to see me straight through the portal. "Help is on the way!" "By the gods! You're still alive! Are you alright!" Lighting yelled out. "Is everything ok?!" I asked. "No. With the Queen Missing and Pronterra under siege, the high council is dead. I'm all that's left of the line of succession! So if you are going to come quick we need you now!" Lightning Strike yelled out. "We are coming! Hold on just a bit longer!" As I prepared to jump through the portal. I heard a deafening roar that sounded like... No. Please don't be here. "Do you think that I'd allow you to return Kiniro?" I heard in a very unsettling voice. "I knew you were the only threat to me no matter where you were, so I waited for you to try to return and now... you have given me access to another world to consume!" I recognized the voice, it was Satan Morroc and now he knew where I was. "You don't scare us Satan Morroc! I could have taken you down before, but I was not ready and my allies were not ready! But this time we are!" "Are you now... why don't we test this shall we?" Satan Morroc yelled in a deafening roar and with those words pushed himself through the portal and materialized in the throne room infront of me. There stood the giant beast smiling to the new bounty that I had led him to. "By the gods... what have I brought to Equestria... How could I be so foolish to play right into Satan Morroc's trap!" I thought to myself. "You will not ravage this land like you did my home, I will stop you, we will stop you!" I yelled at the beast. The battle that I had awaited for with baited breath and with much despair was here. I knew that it was possible that we might not survive this encounter, but I had to try, not just for my world and its safety, but for Equestria, for my friends I left behind, for my friends I made along the way, and for Twilight, failure here was not an option for me any longer. End of Chapter 17.