//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Reawakening // Story: The Never-Ending Ending // by 5u0myn0n4 //------------------------------// Sunny Starscout, and her friends Izzy Moonbow, Hitch Trailblazer, and siblings Pipp Petals and Zipp Storm were chasing down a mysterious hooded pony through the mysterious forest. The shadowy pony had stolen the Unification Crystal from the Crystal Bright Lighthouse, and they were in hot pursuit of the thief. "Stop, thief!" Sunny Starscout exclaimed. "Come back with the Crystal!" Hitch exclaimed. The pack was led by pegasi Pipp and Zipp. Zipp was a speedy pegasus, and had nearly caught up to the thief. But they were cunning, and frequently used magic to make themselves teleport ahead of them. Everypony continued the chase, until the hooded pony found themselves in a corner of a rocky cliffside. They turned around, and Sunny and friends had them blocked at every exit. "You're surrounded! You've got nowhere to run! Now show yourself, and give back the crystal." Sunny exclaimed. But the hooded creature was not distraught. In fact, they began to chuckle. The creature undid their hood, revealing themselves to everypony. They were a tall slender pony, with both wings, and a horn! Their mane was a shiny bright blue, and almost seemed unnatural. The alicorn laughed at Sunny and gang. "She's an... alicorn?" Pipp asked. "But Sunny, you're the only alicorn, right?" Izzy asked. "You want the Unification Crystal back? HA! Kid, you don't even know HALF of what this crystal does." they said. "Yes I do. We need the crystal, and its pieces united, so that Equestria can have magic!" Sunny said. "See, that was the impression I got too, but it seems there's a lot more to it than just that. I thought removing that Crystal from the Crystal Bright House would've taken away your magic, but you ponies still have magic abilities." they said. "She's right. Why didn't removing the Crystal turn off the magic?" Zipp whispered. Sunny was about to reply, but she halted herself when she realized she didn't have an answer. "But no matter. The next phase of my plan will swipe all of your magic powers away! I'm sure of it!" the shadowy alicorn said. The alicorn charged their magic, and suddenly, Izzy disappeared, and reappeared behind the alicorn. "Izzy!" everypony cried. The alicorn had Izzy trapped in a magic bubble. "Don't worry guys. I'm safe in this bubble. If I can't get out, then that means threats can't get in." Izzy assured. Sunny's friends leaped into action. They ran in differing directions, to try to throw off to try to disorient the alicorn. Hitch used his new plant magic to extend out heavy roots in the alicorn's direction, and Zipp flew forward to try to retrieve Izzy. But the shadowy alicorn was always one step ahead of our heroes. She lit her horn and chopped Hitch's vines apart. And she kept Izzy out of reach of Zipp. But thankfully, Sunny made it to Izzy, and summoned her alicorn powers to undo the alicorn's spell in a bright glow. "Thanks, Sunny. For the wicked cool save!" Izzy said, hugging Sunny. The shadowy alicorn growled, but they were none too distraught. "Look!" Pipp shouted. The hooded figure ran into a cave entrance on the side of the cliff. "Come on, she's getting away." Sunny exclaimed. "Right!" everypony affirmed. Sunny made her wings and horn glow bright, and led the way for everypony through the cave. Sunny ran at a great speed, and everypony followed her into the dark cave. Though this was no ordinary cave. The walls and floor were flat, as if this was some kind of temple. "Come on, guys. We can't let them get away. Guys?" Sunny looked behind her, and saw that she had been separated from her friends. "I think we made a wrong turn!" Izzy's voice echoed from somewhere in the temple. "Which way did you go, Sunny?" Hitch's voice echoed. "Just follow the light of my..." Suddenly, Sunny's alicorn magic dimmed, and her wings and horn dissipated away. "Never mind..." "I don't see any light!" Zipp shouted. "We are hopelessly lost! Why did we go into this dreary cave!" Pipp's panicked voice echoed. "Stay calm! We're going to make it out of here!" Sunny shouted. Sunny listened past the panicked screams of her friends, and could hear the heavy steps of the shadowy alicorn, and continued her pursuit. Sunny had reached a large chamber with nothing much going on, but nevertheless, seemed to have some significance. It wasn't before long that Sunny had noticed the mysterious alicorn in the room. It seemed as though she was waiting for her. "Excellent, you're finally here, but your friends aren't. This is going to be perfect." the alicorn said, gleefully. "I see you're a fangirl yourself, Sunny Starscout. Those badges are the symbols of ponies from past generations." "Yes, I'm well aware." Sunny said, deadpan. "You see, deep inside this temple are secrets a filly like you could never hope to comprehend!" they said. "So you're the one who's been chosen to wield the alicorn light magic? Really? You're so unremarkable! "Enough flattering." Sunny said. "You have the magic of an alicorn, and you hardly even want to use it. Alicorns are the most powerful of ponies, and deserve all the magic to themselves. But instead Sunny the goody goody four hooves would rather share magic with everypony! Bleh!" "I share the magic because everypony deserves to live to their fullest potential! Now give me the Unity Crystal so I can make sure of that!" Sunny said. "Suit yourself, Sunny. But I'm not done with this crystal just yet. You see, I don't just want the Unity Crystal." the alicorn said, gently placing the Unity Crystal onto a pedestal. "I've had my eyes on the three Crystals for a long time, ever since they were created and the magic was sealed away. But their power alone isn't enough to accomplish what I have planned, so retrieving them earlier would've been pointless. But now that magic has returned to Equestria, and a wielder has been chosen, the real fun can finally begin!" The Crystal started to glow, and suddenly, it shot out a beam of light, and latched its magic onto Sunny! A magic beam fired at Sunny, and captured her in a spell. Sunny's alicorn horn and wings were forced out, and her horn fired a stream of magic through the unification crystal, and onto a big stone statue sitting at the end of the temple. "AAAHHHH!!! No! Arugh! Stop it!" Sunny exclaimed. The alicorn's face beamed with excitement. The stone statue started to glow from bottom to top, as the spell progressed. The spell had completed. Sunny and the crystal stopped glowing. Sunny plopped onto the ground, too weak to get up and do anything. And in front of the alicorn where the statue once stood, now stood two big baddies. One angry, but weakened centaur, and one vile Changeling queen. "Oh, Lord Tirek! Queen Chrysalis! And Cozy Glow! It is an honor to be in your presence!" the alicorn said, bowing. Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis looked at each other with confused looks. "Who are you? And where are we?" Tirek asked. "My name is Opaline. I am a powerful alicorn who has bestowed freedom upon you three! I freed you from what would've been an eternity of suffering!" "Okay, but what exactly is going on here!?" Chrysalis exclaimed. "Well, what I just said. You spent a really really really really really long time in stone. So, using a combination of magic that took years themselves to figure out, I managed to set you guys free!" Opaline explained. The villains look at themselves, confused. "Well thanks I guess." Tirek said. "So... is there something you want from us, or what?" "What I want is pretty standard. I want all the magic in Equestria to myself! And who better to help me accomplish that than the mighty centaur who can steal a living creature's magic!" Opaline said. Sunny gasped, but she kept quiet so as to not catch their attention. "Steal the magic from Equestria, you say?" Tirek said, scratching his head. "Mmm hmm. A lot has changed, but there is still magic just waiting for us to take. Lord Tirek, bring me the magic! Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow, you are to assist him in that goal! And in exchange, I will grant whatever you three desire." Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis thought about Opaline's proposal. But they soon realized that neither of them were interested in following a leader again. "You heard her, Lord Tirek. Steal the magic!" Chrysalis said. "Indeed I did hear, and indeed I shall." Tirek said. Tirek opened his mouth, and started to absorb Opaline's magic. Her eyes turned gray, as the bright essence of her alicorn magic flowed into Tirek. She collapsed onto the ground, while Tirek grew in strength, and regained his muscles, and larger build. "Wha-huh? How could you do this to me! I freed you! You owe me a lot!" Opaline exclaimed. "Sorry, but I don't owe anything to anyone." Tirek said. "I don't obey any leader, other than myself. Especially not after our last leader, Grogar, aka Discord imprisoned us." Chrysalis said. "But Discord was a careless fool! I'm upfront! I'll be transparent with you guys, if you agree to follow my lead!" Opaline begged. "Not interested." Tirek replied. "But, you'll be lost without me. The world is very different from what you're used to! It'd be in your best interest if-" Opaline pleaded. "The only thing you have that I'm interested in, is all the magic that you say Equestria still has to take." Tirek said. "Magic that I will be taking, and keeping to myself!" Tirek used his magic to blast the temple wall, creating an exit. "Excuse me, for yourself!" "That's right, Queen Chrysalis. We spent an eternity together, and I'm frankly sick of you. Now buzz off and find your own evil niche." Tirek leaped up and fled from the scene. "Indeed I shall! I don't need magic absorbing abilities to rule over more of Equestria than you!" Chrysalis flew away and went in a different He and Chrysalis fled the scene in different directions, leaving behind an exhausted Sunny, a drained Opaline, and one more pony... Izzy, Pipp, Hitch, and Zipp finally made it through the temple maze, and caught up to Sunny, but they just barely caught the tail end of the events. "Everypony put your hooves up!" Izzy shouted. "Hey, that's my line." Hitch said. "What happened in here?!" Zipp exclaimed. Hitch ran up to Opaline and interrogated them. "Who are you!? What were those vile creatures that just fled?!" Hitch asked. "I refuse to tell you anything!" Opaline exclaimed. "Guys. If she won't explain, then maybe she will." Zipp pointed to a little blue maned pegasus filly. The filly laid on the temple ground, exhausted, and out of energy. The ponies slowly approached this strange pony. "Is she... alive?" Pipp asked. The pegasus irked, and opened their eyes. Her eyes widened as they were surprised to be surrounded by so many strange ponies. "What's your name, little one?" Izzy asked, softly. "M-my name? My name is... *cough* But the little soft spoken pegasus was outspoken by Opaline's evil laugh. "Bwahahaha!" They looked around, and saw Opaline at the exit. "But how?! That monster took your magic!" Sunny exclaimed. Opaline's assistant had arrived, and handed her master a magic potion that rejuvenated her magic. "My assistant Misty here came just in the nick of time with some dragon fire." she said, holding a half empty jar of dragon fire. "Now I'm recharged, and I still have the Unification Crystal!" "Misty!?" everypony exclaimed. "Misty Bright Dawn!?" Izzy added. "Uh-huh! It's me!!" Misty shouted. "Except uh... Bright Dawn isn't actually my last name." "I knew you were suspicious this whole time! But I never could've thought that-" Zipp started. "That I've never been to Bridlewood?! That I only had that sleepover so I could attempt to steal the lantern?! And that I was the dragon thief!" Misty said, interrupting Zipp. Everypony gasped at these startling revelations. "So you were the lantern and dragon thief!" Zipp shouted. "The failed lantern and dragon thief." Opaline corrected. "Every hunch you had was correct and you still never put two and two together, Detective Zipp!" Misty exclaimed. "Enough banter. Come, Misty. Let's watch Equestria crumble now that those two creatures are unleashed." Opaline said. "Yeah! What she said!" Misty exclaimed. Opaline spread her wings and flew away from the scene with the Unification Crystal. Misty turned around and realized that she'd left her in the dust. "Oh come on, Opaline! You said no more flying getaways! Errgh! It's too much distance to cover on hoof..." she said, trotting away. "Well, shoot. They got away." Hitch said, with his ears drooping. "Let it go, Hitch. We can't chase them forever." Zipp said. "Plus, it's just like you always say. The criminals always return to the crime scene, so she'll be back." "She'll be back, and she'll get what's coming to her. They all do." Sunny said. "And when she does, we'll get the Crystal back, before we completely lose the magic again." "On a totally unrelated note, what do we do about little dimple cheeks here?" Pipp asked, pointing at the little pegasus. "Oh that's right. We're sorry, we didn't catch your name, little one. What's your name?" Sunny asked. "...my name is Cozy Glow." she said. "Cozy Glow?" Hitch repeated. "That name doesn't sound familiar..." Sunny said.