//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - The Wayward Return // Story: Tartarus Infernum // by Sunderbraze //------------------------------// ********** High above the city of Canterlot, higher than any winged creature could fly, Celestia materialized in a CRACK of golden light. A powerful aura of energy surrounded her, levitating her in midair—the air was so thin that even her powerful wings were useless. Celestia took a deep breath and looked into the sky, teleporting a sizable distance upwards. She teleported again and again, covering a distance of several miles with each jump. Higher and higher into the atmosphere she teleported, still holding her breath. When she could hold it no longer, she paused, casting another spell—a thin golden shield—to protect her from the rapidly decreasing air pressure. The princess continued her ascent, increasing the speed of her teleportation. The sky slowly darkened as she continued upwards, and stars began to poke through its azure veil. The higher she went, the farther she was able to see, allowing her to teleport greater distances at a time. Celestia did not know exactly where she was going, but she knew what she was looking for, and the altitude it was at. She paused her journey for a moment, turning and viewing her kingdom from space. It had been hundreds of years since she had been this high into the sky, and the breathtaking view never ceased to amaze her. Returning to her teleportation, she reached her destination a few minutes later. She was now over twenty-two thousand miles over Canterlot—this was the place. Looking around her, Celestia hovered in place and scanned the empty space around her. It took a few minutes of searching, but she eventually found what she was looking for. A floating cylinder-shaped building, black as the night sky, was melding almost perfectly with the dark space behind it. If she had not known its general location, she never would have noticed it. The princess teleported one last time, rematerializing directly on top of the structure. Moments later, with a flash of deep blue energy, another pony teleported onto the satellite’s top. His entire body was concealed in a thick blue bodysuit, over which he wore a dark blue cape. A grey mask concealed his face, and a tall wizard’s hat rested atop his head. Golden bells adorned the trail of his cloak, as well as the brim and tip of his hat. A long white beard poked through the bottom of his mask, and his solid yellow eyes shone through its eyeholes. “It’s been a long time,” Celesta said, her voice echoing in the magical bubble around her. The pony across from her reared his head backwards, appearing to laugh, but making no sound. Embarrassed, the princess remembered that they were in open space. Pausing his laughter, he lifted a blue hoof and pointed downwards twice, indicating for the princess to follow him; he teleported downwards into the structure. The interior of the satellite much resembled Twilight Sparkle’s library in Ponyville; bookshelves covered the cylindrical walls, and a small loft bedroom with a circular pillow sat on the second floor. However, the bookshelves, floor, and ceiling were all made of a sleek black reflective material, and there were no staircases or ladders. As Celestia and the mysterious shrouded pony reappeared in the center of the structure, the princess’s hooves clacked onto the floor, while the other pony remained stationary in midair. He was levitating himself with a faint haze of blue energy. Celestia could sense that the gravity was artificially maintained by some sort of spell, as well as the air circulation. “Ah, Celestia,” the bearded pony laughed. His voice sounded ancient, yet carried an energetic cheerfulness. His mask moved along with his jaw as he spoke, yet his voice was not muffled. “You always did know how to give me a good laugh!” “It’s been a long time, Starswirl,” Celestia repeated, trying to smile off her embarrassment as she willed her golden shield to dissipate. “Too long,” Starswirl the Bearded replied musingly, hovering at a slight angle and observing the alicorn curiously. “You know, I always do appreciate a visit from my oldest friend.” “That’s a new attitude,” the princess told him. The ancient wizard laughed and began to levitate himself upwards. “Last time we met, you didn’t seem very keen on seeing me again.” “Oh, two hundred and twenty six years’ll do that to you,” he replied, lifting several books from the shelves. “You of all ponies know the bittersweet taste of nostalgia. Even for battle!” “Combat is one thing I do not miss,” Celestia admitted, shaking her head sadly. “Raising Equestria into a pacifist nation was very difficult…” “Regret is nostalgia’s evil twin, I suppose” Starswirl hummed, floating down in front of her. He paused for a moment, and broke the silence with a sudden CRACK of blue magic—he dematerialized all of the books that had been floating around him. “But enough reminiscing! We have work to do, do we not?” “I’m assuming you know why I’m here?” the princess asked rhetorically. “The Gates, yes! Such a fantastic explosion! I could see it from up here!” “It wasn’t so fantastic up close,” Celestia huffed, touching the corner of her jaw with her hoof. It was still tender and thin from having recently been healed. “Aye, likely not… I see that Discord’s prisoners have gotten loose as well.” ********** “You know of them?” Princess Celestia gasped, her eyes widening. “Of them, yes, about them, no,” explained Starswirl. "Little more than you do, I'm afraid, but I've seen a few interesting things since last night. Let's have a look-see, shall we?" The wizard’s hat glowed blue, and the black floor beneath them suddenly became translucent, revealing a spectacular view of Equestria from high above. Though it seemed like the floor had simply become invisible, it was clear that it was also enlarging the view, and all of the cloud cover had disappeared. “There’s been scattered movement since the explosion last night, but everything that’s come out so far has been very slow-moving. I assume our old friend is most eager to reach the city on the other side of the plains. Fillydelphia it’s called now, is it?” “Darkstar the Crazed…” Celestia said angrily, nodding. “He must be stopped…” “You know, every time you call him that, you’re feeding his ego?” laughed Starswirl. “Darkstar the Crazed, like he’s some kind of super villain from the story books!” “Well, by now…” the princess alluded, subtly reminding him of the passage of time. “In the minds of the common Equestrian, he pretty much is… Nearly two generations have passed, remember?” “Ah well, at least he’s powerless right now,” contemplated the masked wizard. He tapped his hoof against the translucent floor, causing the view of Equestria to rapidly zoom in towards the east, centering itself over a large grassy field with a black dot in the center. “Look at the stupid oaf,” Starswirl laughed. “He gave up his studies of the arcane for this! Old fool never even learned teleportation. Necromancy became his religion, and everything else became blasphemy...” Celestia looked into the floor at the small black dot of a pony as it trudged its way across the Dream Valley. The satellite did not zoom enough to show detail, but she could tell it was Darkstar himself. “Determined, isn’t he?” Starswirl chuckled, tapping the floor again. The entire satellite rotated subtly, centering the floor’s view over where the Gates of Tartarus once stood. There was only a massive crater there now, several miles wide. “He’s got to hoof his way there, so he’s of no concern for at least two days. It’s these buggers that are a more immediate threat... Blasted shadow birds, what did you call them again?” “The Nighthawk, and her minions,” said the princess, observing a series of small flying dots hiding in the shadow of the crater. They flew in circles like a swarm of bees around a hive; small purple trails floated behind their wings as they swarmed about. “Aye, she’s been spawning them since the field collapsed,” Starswirl explained, hovering over towards the left edge of the satellite’s view. “Speaking of the collapsed field, now that it’s gone, we can see what Tartarus truly is. Check it out!” “…A fortress?” Celestia asked curiously, examining the sprawling white walls and towers embedded into the mountainside. They stood out vividly from the brown rock around it. “Seems so,” Starswirl continued. “Couldn’t see into it before, looked like a big black blob, remember? I figured that was because the dilation was so intense, it even took light too long to reflect an image! That’s also why we couldn’t see what Discord threw in there.” “…Have you seen any sign of them?” Celestia asked, fearing the answer. “Sure have. We’ll get to ‘em in a minute. Nighthawk’s the fastest of all though, and she’ll probably have enough minions to confidently assault Fillydelphia tomorrow night,” replied Starswirl. He turned to a small floating pot in front of one of his bookshelves. “Tea? Can’t watch radar without a cup!” “No thank you,” Celestia responded politely, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. He chuckled and conjured a mug, pouring himself some of the pot’s contents, which smelled of fresh honeysuckle. “…What makes you so certain she will wait until tomorrow night?” “Well, remember when she first attacked?” Starswirl asked. “What was it…? Thirty-nine hundred years ago?” “Yes, she attacked Manehattan,” Celestia recalled. “Back when it was still the Ivory City… she had millions of minions then.” “I know you didn’t actually count them,” the wizard continued, “but millions is accurate. It’s my belief that she spawned one for every stallion, mare, and foal in the city—its population was 2.2 million at the time, was it not?” “That makes sense, in a sickening way,” Celestia sighed, nodding at him. “Fillydelphia has a population of roughly seven hundred thousand… how long does that give us?” “At the rate she’s spawning them, she’ll finish tomorrow morning,” Starswirl said curiously, his hat glowing. “But she won’t leave the shadow of the crater until nightfall. Remember, she hates sunlight! Bugs her eyes or something like that. Never figured out why.” A small glyph-sized scroll floated from Starswirl’s bookshelves and hovered in front of the princess. “I’ve prepared a one-way ticket for eighteen of us. Specifically coordinated to Fillydelphia!” “You have been paying attention,” Celestia remarked, smiling at the wizard. Chuckling, Starswirl tapped his hoof against the floor again, causing the satellite to rotate away from the Nighthawk and into the Dream Valley. This time, it showed a v-shaped formation of dots moving across the plains, far ahead of where Darkstar trudged. They were also moving faster. “What are those?” Celestia asked, gazing at the dots; she counted twenty-four of them. “...They look like they could be ponies… but they seem slightly bigger.” “Not a clue!” Starswirl laughed. “It’ll be quite exciting to find out, won’t it? They’re from Tartarus, I know that. Too numerous and too fast to be the Zentnor… they haven’t left the crater yet, for some reason. I’ll wager these here are some of Discord’s!” “…Exciting…” Celestia nervously agreed. “...Perhaps the Zentnor were attacked by the Nighthawk?” “Nope, their magic-resistant armor would prevent her from sensing them. If you thought that was exciting, just wait until you see this,” Starswirl laughed again, tapping his hoof against the floor. The satellite rotated backwards slightly, showing a portion of the Dream Valley between Darkstar and the v-shaped dots. “What in the…?” Celestia’s eyes widened in shock. In the center of the satellite’s focus was a massive scaly creature, with a tail almost as long as its body. It was at least ten times the size of anything they had observed, and was actually a coherent shape, even when observed from space. “Another one of Discords!” the wizard exclaimed. “Look at the size of it! Bigger than most dragons! I’ll bet it’s some sort of up-scaled magnataur or something, judging by the shape.” “This is not good…” the nervous princess said, shaking her head. “Not good at all…” “Ah, I’m sure his size is all he’s got,” laughed Starswirl. “One blast from the Elements and he’ll probably be lizard goo. Oh, speaking of goo, you haven’t met my little friend yet, have you?” Their conversation was interrupted by a tiny squeak echoing throughout the room. Celestia’s head jerked upwards, searching for the source of the odd sound. ********** “Oh, it’s all right Trajo,” Starswirl said lazily, sipping his tea once again. “She’s not gonna hurt you.” “What… is that?” Celestia asked in bewilderment. A floating oval-shaped blob of reflective material slowly peered over the edge of Starswirl’s loft area. Its white body had two beady black eyes that fixed themselves nervously upon the princess. “Trajectorus,” replied the wizard, floating up to eye-level with the tiny creature. “Trajo, for short. Little guy was up here before I was!” Starswirl paused, his hat beginning to glow. Trajo’s blobby figure began to glow with a white aura, and his beady eyes shifted away from Celestia towards the wizard. “I’ve never seen a creature like that anywhere in the world,” Celestia breathed, staring at the odd being. “…It can use magic, too?” “Aye, an amazing little creature he is,” Starswirl replied. Although his concealed face prevented it from showing, his voice revealed that he was smiling. “Not a trace of ivory or any other magic-conducting material in his body… He’s just a floating mass of neurons!” “You said he was here before you were? …In orbit?” Celestia asked, as Trajo stopped glowing and started floating down towards her. “What kind of life form can survive in such a state?” “Hay if I know,” laughed the wizard, returning to his bookshelves. “I named the species Caelumi, but he’s the only specimen I’ve found.” He pulled a notebook from a middle shelf. “Scribbled my findings in here, if you’d like them for the archives.” “Of course, please bring them with you,” replied Celestia—Starswirl made the notebook disappear. “…If only we had more time, I’d have you tell me more of him.” “Ask him yourself, go on!” Starswirl told her excitedly. “He can only communicate through magic. He can hear us when we speak, but he doesn’t have a physical voice. Besides, it’s such an efficient method of communication. I can talk to him from anywhere in the world with it! Try it!” “Well,” said Celestia, looking at Trajo, who seemed fascinated with her flowing mane. “Shall we speak?” The little blob looked at the princess warily, but slowly levitated towards her face and started glowing white. “Just open your mind and let him in, I promise he won’t bite,” Starswirl said encouragingly. Celestia took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, clearing her mind. A thought or a voice—she couldn’t quite tell which, but something popped into her head, sounding as though it were whispering in her ear. “Interrogative: May we communicate?” Unsure how to respond to a thought, Celestia simply thought the word “Yes.” “Extrapolation: You wish to know more about Trajectorus?” the whispering voice asked. Celestia replied with another “Yes.” “Explanation: Origins unknown. Consciousness developed in orbit over Equestria estimated five hundred and fifty three years ago.” “You don’t know where you came from?” Celestia asked. “Explanation: Negative. Theory: Magiogenic organisms in the atmosphere collectivized into a consciousness over a period of twenty-six thousand eight hundred and two years.” “Magiogenic?” “Definition: Magic-based life form. Theory: Magical residue in the planet’s atmosphere caused airborne microorganisms to mutate and form into…” “Isn’t he fascinating?” Starswirl asked, interrupting their communication. Celestia opened her eyes again. “He’s never even learned the Equish language! He simply communicates thoughts that our brain automatically translates!” “He’s a magic-based life form?” the princess replied, her eyes wide. “How is that possible?” Starswirl shrugged. “I’ve observed him under a microscope for days on end, but he’s mostly made up of a bunch of floating neurons, held together by magical cohesion,” he explained. “Neither of us have a clue where he’s come from, just a few wild theories. "He wasn’t able to see when I first met him, and he used to be almost invisible. I taught him how to conjure those little visual cones to use as eyes, and to form that white shield around himself to stay together. Still working on a voice though, aren’t we?” Trajo’s blobby shape formed what looked like a mouth, and he squeaked. “Heh, he can hear, but a voice is a bit harder for him.” “Have you ever taken him to the surface?” Celestia asked, watching as Trajo floated around her. He was curiously observing her folded wings and cutie mark. “You seem to forget that I’ve stayed up here since last we spoke,” Starswirl chuckled, returning to his cup of tea. “Besides, he’s tremendously shy. I also worry about his exposure to contagions and such; if he truly has never left the upper atmosphere, he could be vulnerable to any number of things.” “Fascinating... But we really should get back to the task at hoof,” said the princess. “Oh, pish posh,” Starswirl huffed, his hat lighting up. Trajo glowed for a moment, and stopped observing Celestia’s tail. The wizard and his companion began collecting more books; Trajo was pulling some of them from the shelves with an aura of white magic and handing them over to Starswirl. “Let us finish grabbing some things, and I’ll be ready,” Starswirl said. “I’ve got a glyph that’ll take us to my archives in Canterlot. Trajo’ll stay here and keep an eye on the Dream Valley for us.” “That’s good to hear. Compared to what I expected, you seem rather eager to return,” Celestia observed. “I was afraid I’d have to drag you out…” “Oh, you convinced me I should return over a year ago,” Starswirl informed her. “How so?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Well, I have to say, I was quite surprised you didn’t request my assistance in dealing with Luna’s return,” the wizard explained. “Naturally, I, well… I snooped a bit, as always, and… Stop looking at me like that!” “Hmm?” Celestia asked innocently. She was giving him an obvious I-told-you-so glance, narrowing her eyes and grinning at him. “…Fine, I’ll admit it,” Starswirl huffed. “You were right! There, I said it. May I continue now?” The princess nodded triumphantly. “Anyway, I started tracking her movements with my satellite, and, well…” “Yes?” “Heh. Needless to say, I almost jumped out of my hat when I saw Twilight Sparkle and her friends wielding the Elements,” Starswirl admitted, regaining his cheerfulness. “In almost six thousand years I’ve never seen such a perfect matchup! You really did well.” “I didn’t do it intentionally, either,” Celestia informed him. “Well, I did give Twilight Sparkle a bit of a nudge, she had always favored books over ponies. Reminds me of somepony else I know.” “Doesn’t she?” Starswirl gushed. “I must say, I’m excited to meet her. All of them, really! Pinkie Pie is such a laugh; I can’t get enough of her! Her day-to-day life would make a hilarious comedy show.” “I’m sure you will meet her soon,” replied Celestia. “Luna is training the girls to use the Elements as we speak.” “Ah, how’s the old bird been readjusting?” Starswirl asked curiously. “I can’t imagine the kind of grudge she must hold after, well…” “She’s been coming along nicely,” Celestia replied hurriedly. “…Best not to bring that up, though.” Starswirl laughed. “And how about the rest of the family?” he asked, not making direct eye contact. “Cadance has been well; I trust you didn’t miss the wedding?” Celestia said, looking up at him. “Oh, I saw it alright, spectacular event,” Starswirl replied lazily, pulling two more books from the shelves and causing them to disappear. “Nice dodge, though. You know I wasn’t referring to Cadance.” “I have no idea,” Celestia answered, her demeanor suddenly shifting to an unsure abruptness. “But I suppose we’ll find out soon, won’t we?” “Ah, she holds her grudges well,” laughed Starswirl, collecting one more book before sinking back down to face the princess. “Do give her my best when you see her, though.” “Shall we?” Celestia asked, ignoring his attempt to continue the topic. The masked wizard laughed once again and nodded. His hat glowed again as a powerful blue aura enveloped Celestia and himself, and his yellow eyes darted across the teleportation glyph in front of him. ********** The princess closed her eyes as they teleported, reopening them a moment later to find herself face-to-face with a glamorous purple-maned unicorn. “Ah, here we are!” Starswirl exclaimed, floating past the startled mare. Despite the fact that they were no longer in space, the wizard continued to float instead of walk. “Rarity, this is an old friend of mine, Starswirl the Bearded,” Celestia informed her. “He will be joining our team.” “St-Starswirl the Bearded?” Rarity asked, unsure. She had heard the name before, but she couldn’t quite remember where. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, I’m-“ “Rarity, Element of Generosity,” Starswirl enthusiastically finished for her. “Pleasure to meet you!” Rarity blinked a couple of times, observing the odd fashion choices of the masked wizard. There was something off about him, going beyond his odd stylistic tastes. “Starswirl will join Luna in instructing you about the Elements,” Celestia said, as Starswirl floated through the archive. “I must leave, to… gather the last of our group.” “Is everything alright, princess?” Rarity asked, noticing her pause. “You seem… unsure.” “Indeed I am,” she admitted, her horn beginning to glow as she prepared a teleport. “Thank you for your concern, Rarity. Farewell.” “Goodbye, your highness,” Rarity said, bowing her head politely. Celestia smiled and returned the gesture, teleporting away in a flash of golden light. “So, Miss Rarity,” Starswirl’s voice echoed throughout the archives. “Has Luna has explained anything about the Element of Generosity?” “It doesn’t sound like the most glamorous task,” Rarity replied, looking around for the wizard. The row he was searching glowed faintly as he levitated himself. “If I understand correctly, I’m to absorb the pain of my friends as they fight in battle?” “Partially,” Starswirl explained, as Rarity approached the row he occupied. “Allow me clarify with an example. Say I throw a rock at Celestia, and it strikes her in the head.” “How rude!” Rarity interjected in annoyance. “Why would you present her as the victim?” “Hah!” Starswirl laughed, amused by her defensiveness. “The princess and I go way back, she wouldn’t mind if I jest.” “Hmph,” Rarity huffed disapprovingly. “Go on, then.” “Normally, the rock would hit her with full force,” he continued. “However, if you’re channeling the Element of Generosity upon her, the force of the strike will be reduced and divided between her and yourself.” “Reduced and divided?” Rarity asked, putting a hoof to her chin as she did the mental math. “So instead of splitting it fifty-fifty, what happens?” “It’s a complicated mutating algorithm based on how strong you are with Generosity, but it can be simplified by saying that Celestia would receive roughly one-third of the impact, you will receive one-fourth, and the rest is negated by the Element’s power,” Starswirl explained, pulling a few scrolls from the archives. “Just over half, and I’m to believe even more during your potential!” Rarity observed him carefully as he spoke, trying inconspicuously to catch a glimpse of his concealed face. She was unsuccessful, but she realized something interesting about his mask—it was too flexible to be ordinary mesh. It was enchanted by some sort of magic, allowing the fabric to change size freely as his jaw moved. This prevented his face from being revealed, regardless of how he moved his head. “Anywho, I suppose we should get started with your training,” Starswirl said, shelving all of the scrolls he had been observing. “We’ll need to work with the protectorate—Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Where are they right now?” “They’re in Canterlot Tower, training with the princess,” Rarity replied, recovering quickly from her curiosity. “I simply must know that spell he uses on his mask,” she thought as he floated down. “That, and why he insists on wearing such a thing…” “Hmm,” Starswirl thought aloud, his hat glowing. “It seems I’m slightly drained from teleporting Celestia and myself here. Could you kindly lead the way?” “Of course, right this way,” Rarity told him, trotting out of the archives. Starswirl floated behind her as they entered the hallway. “I must say, Rarity, I’m looking forward to working with you and the other Elements,” the wizard mused. “Especially Twilight Sparkle! Is she training with Luna as well?” “She’s, well,” Rarity began, trying not to make her friend sound lazy. “She’s resting at the moment. She stayed up all night last night and then got hit with this crisis this morning. And she teleported all of us from Ponyville to Canterlot… I’d say she’s earned it.” “Ambitious!” Starswirl replied excitedly. “Teleporting six ponies such a distance is no easy feat.” “I can only imagine,” Rarity continued, leading him through the castle. “She’s so pressured, the poor girl.” “Pressure makes diamonds,” the wizard chuckled as they passed a patrolling unicorn guard--he paused and stared at them. “Oh, I found what I was looking for, dear,” Rarity called to him, turning her head and fluttering her eyes at the dumbstruck guard. He blinked a few times in disbelief, eventually nodding at her. His eyes locked on Starswirl as the pair turned a corner. “Was that…? Nah… not possible… Nope. Didn’t see anything.” The guard shook his head and continued patrolling. Rarity led Starswirl out of the archives and through the courtyard, drawing several odd glances from the Canterlot nobility that milled about in the afternoon sun. “If it isn’t too bold of me to ask,” Rarity said curiously, understanding their confusion. “Why do you hide your face?” “Heh, if you saw it you’d know,” Starswirl laughed quietly. “Actually, my skin is quite sensitive to the sunlight and wind. Even the slightest UV rays can hurt! The suit protects me sufficiently, though.” “I see,” Rarity replied, gazing at his outfit for a moment. Her eyes were drawn to the white stars and moon on his cape. “The embroidery is very well-done, might I ask who sewed your cape?” “Princess Luna herself,” the wizard replied proudly as Rarity led him to the edge of the courtyard. “You’d be surprised at all the different arts she has mastered. She makes such little use of her skills sometimes, it’s just a tragedy!” “A tragedy indeed,” Rarity agreed. “She could easily start a trend!” “Mmm, is this it?” Starswirl asked, as they crossed the bridge towards Canterlot Tower. “This hall wasn’t even here last time I visited Canterlot. My, how things change!” ********** “Oh, when were you here last?” Rarity asked as Starswirl opened the door with his magic. Her question went unanswered—they were both taken off guard by what was happening before their eyes. Princess Luna and Rainbow Dash were locked in fierce aerial combat! Dash was soaring towards the princess, looking as though she were about to tackle her head-on in midair. Immediately teleporting out of the way, Luna reappeared behind her, instantly conjuring two wooden crates that she rapidly hurled at her. The crates struck Dash from behind as she tried to stop, shattering into dozens of wooden fragments. She was unharmed, but angry, and she turned back around and started charging at Luna again. With expert precision, Luna repeated the process, teleporting away and assaulting her with projectiles. “You are too predictable!” Luna’s royal voice boomed. She teleported again, not giving Dash another chance to charge. Luna reappeared behind Dash, kicking her square in the back with her hind legs. The pegasus grunted in pain as she flipped through the air, regaining control over her flight and swooping around. This time, Dash tried to catch the princess off-guard. She pretended to charge her, but stalled her wings at the last second, shifting her momentum around and zipping downwards. She arced around before reaching the ground and started charging at Luna from a different angle. “A minor improvement,” Luna boomed, dodging the charge. “But no matter what direction you attack me from, I will see you coming!” “Oh yeah?!” Dash thought. She suddenly turned around and smashed her way through one of the stained-glass windows of the hall, pulling up and heading into the sky. “Hmph,” Luna said, mildly impressed. “Thinking outside the box… That is a start.” She teleported to the shattered window, scanning Canterlot’s airspace for her foe’s rainbow trails. From the opposite side of the hall, Dash suddenly broke through a window and charged Luna from behind--she dodged the attack partially, but Dash’s outstretched hooves grazed the edge of the princess’s black necklace. “That was much better,” Luna boomed, watching Dash circle around in the sky. “But you continue to fly PREDICTABLY!” Luna fired a precisely-aimed jet of indigo magic ahead of Dash’s flight path—she flew directly into the attack, causing her wings to get burned by the searing magic. As Dash started to spiral towards the city below, Luna caught her with an aura of indigo magic, carrying her back into the hall and dropping her painfully onto the hard marble floor. ********** “Time out!” another princess’s voice called out. Cadance, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie galloped over to their fallen friend, and Rarity galloped away from Starswirl to join them. “Oh, Dashie,” Fluttershy said nervously, enveloping her friend with a pink stream of healing magic. “You shouldn’t ask Luna to be so hard on you...” “Agh…” Dash said, sitting up and flexing her wings painfully. “That’s not fair, princess! How am I supposed to fight that?!” “You asked me to give you my best,” Luna replied, landing across from the pegasus. “That was not even close. Forgive me for not obliging your request entirely...” “Ah think she’ll forgive ya, princess,” Applejack said, patting the angry Dash on the back. She noticed Starswirl floating towards them. “Looks like we got some company. Who might you be, mister?” “Starswirl the Bearded,” Luna boomed suddenly, causing the ponies around her to cover their ears. “We have not seen you for millennia…” “Luna!” replied the enthusiastic wizard, floating in her direction. “I’ve missed you, kid!” “I’m sure,” Luna replied dismissively, turning to face Applejack. “We will perform another exercise with Applejack, and then Rarity shall be included. Prepare her accordingly.” “Straight to business, then,” Starswirl said, slightly disappointed. As Luna and Applejack began their noisy training session with wooden crates, the wizard floated over to Rarity. “Activating the Element of Generosity is simply a matter of willing it so, just as you’ve done before,” Starswirl explained. Applejack was struck head-on by a wooden crate. “Ah-huh,” Rarity replied, trying not to be distracted. “The Elements are fueled by their corresponding emotion, yours being generosity,” the wizard continued. Luna had taken flight and was now pelting Applejack with projectiles from above. “Thoughts, memories, situations—anything that triggers the emotion can power your Element,” Starswirl told her. His hat glowed, and a blue light began to envelop him. A stray shard of broken crate flew at them, bouncing off of the weak shield Starswirl had just conjured. “Generosity can be fueled by self-sacrifice, so the desire to keep your friends from harm at any cost is a good start.” “Aren’t they being a bit rough?” Rarity asked concernedly. Applejack pulled a feint charge, sidestepping as Luna teleported, recovering fast enough to almost strike the elusive princess. “Naw, that’s foal’s play,” laughed the wizard. “Especially for the Element of Honesty. She fuels herself with the desire for truth and justice—those hits probably feel like taps on the shoulder.” “And I reduce what she feels even further?” Rarity guessed, as Applejack ignored a blow to the face. She was more angry about the displacement of her hat than the strike from the crate. “Indeed you do,” Starswirl confirmed, lowering his shield as Luna concluded the exercise. “It’s theoretically possible for Dash or Applejack to get blasted through a stone wall and feel practically nothing. When all of the Elements work together, it truly is a force to be reckoned with!” “Shall we begin?” Luna cut in, ignoring Starswirl and focusing on Rarity. “I believe I’m ready,” Rarity told her, stepping over towards Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “Go easy, princess, if you would…” “Rainbow Dash, you will go first,” Luna ordered, as Applejack stepped aside. “Rarity, stay off to the side, and channel your Element. Focus on the entire group.” Closing her eyes and thinking hard, Rarity attempted to do as Starswirl described, focusing on her willingness to sacrifice for her friends. The purple gem on her Element began to glow, and everypony in the room felt a slight tingling sensation on their skin. “We begin now,” Luna said. Her horn glowed as she enveloped a nearby column with a powerful indigo aura. It was ripped from the wall, causing the entire building to rumble. “You’re not kidding around, are you?!” Dash shuddered, baring her teeth and taking flight. Without bothering to respond, Luna hurled the entire column at her unprepared target. Dash crossed her hooves in front of her head, preparing for the worst. She and Rarity both grunted in pain as soon as the column impacted—it split into dozens of fragments, showering smaller bits of stone onto Starswirl’s small shield, which protected the rest of the group. “Is that all-“ Rarity started to ask, ending her sentence abruptly as she opened her eyes. It took her a second to realize what had just happened. Out of nowhere, Luna lifted telekinetically lifted a fragment of the column and forcefully projected it at Starswirl’s head. It bounced off of his shield—he shook his head sadly. “That is all,” Luna said bitterly. “Simple enough. We will now practice with fire magic.” Applejack gulped—it was her turn. Luna's tense mood seemed to be worsening by the minute.