//------------------------------// // Between harmony and order II (P10) // Story: Midnight Station - Part 01: Twilight faces the Dark Martial March // by Khampostel //------------------------------// At one end of the war room, Balor was shaken by a disturbance that ran through her entire body. This was an ominous sensation that foreshadowed a massive shift in the balance of magic. Balor had been born with the ability to perceive these changes, and since then, there had been very few times she had felt something similar. Even among those few occasions, she had only experienced a more intense sensation once, when she challenged the great patriarch. Surprised and with her senses on alert, she quickly turned her gaze towards the rest of her companions, who were attentively observing the magic mirror. The expressions on their faces reflected the gravity of the situation. The magic mirror swayed at a point not far from where Ceridwen was located. That was one of the marked locations where the princess and her companion were supposed to have taken refuge. Minutes earlier, Balor had witnessed the previous encounter between Ceridwen and Twilight. After it concluded, she had informed her companions that the princess had already reached her limit of effort, and from that point on, the battle would be dominated by Ceridwen. So confidently, she had withdrawn to continue analyzing the magical objects they had obtained from the ponies. But now the situation had changed... "What does this mean, Balor?" Mannah asked in a serious tone. Balor examined the enchanted water mirror more closely, took a sample, and analyzed the magic reflected in it. A dark smile appeared on her face. This was what she had been waiting for. "My great sub-leader, Mannah, it's time for you to relinquish control of this operation," she responded with a solemn air. A gentle drizzle fell on one end of the Great Barrier, accompanied by a fresh breeze and a barely perceptible mist. For someone who had dedicated their entire life to the exhaustive study of natural phenomena using strictly the scientific method, this drizzle would be inexplicable. Considering the limited size of the dome enclosing the surrounding atmosphere, such meteorological phenomena should be impossible. However, for Ceridwen, there was a simple explanation: magic. This dome, also known as the Great Barrier, was the place where Twilight and her friends had been trapped. It was created using a spell very similar to the one protecting the realm of Cunabula. Like this one, the Great Barrier created an atmosphere of a beneficial microclimate for those sheltered inside it. Although they shared similarities, the differences were more notable. The Great Barrier was considerably smaller than its counterpart, had a more limited duration, lacked environmental restrictions, and did not offer security in its solidity, as it did not require great magical power to break it from the outside or inside. Taking into account all these disadvantages, along with others that had arisen during the initial planning, one might think that the Great Barrier would not fulfill its purpose of enclosing the princess and her allies. That reinforcements from outside would soon arrive to free them without much effort. But that would never happen; Ceridwen was as sure of that as she was of the dawn. Balor had added more than one magical barrier to that place; in fact, they were layers upon layers of magic, all tied to the main spell of the Great Barrier. Both inside and outside, the layers of magic had been placed to give the Knights of the Order all the necessary security so that the princess could not escape or receive reinforcements. Of course, all this magical overload would make the barrier collapse even more quickly, but Balor had overcome this last obstacle with a clever solution. A time spell. Using her own lifespan, Balor had extended the duration of the barrier for three days. The cost for Balor would be three years of her youth. Although channeling so much magic was a considerable effort, Balor did not hesitate to complete her task. To do this, she had to enter a period of dormancy while casting the spells simultaneously, one of her best abilities and one she was most proud of. With the protection of her companions, Balor was not interrupted and successfully completed her work. Ceridwen was calm; she had more than a day to find Twilight, but since they were in a battle of great importance for their nation, she definitely would not allow such a waste. Using her magic, Ceridwen hurled a large rock towards an abandoned building in the distance. The dilapidated structure immediately exploded into pieces. ("There are only three more places left," thought Ceridwen.) Immediately, she prepared her next projectile. Behind her, Badwhiz still covered her, and the crystal cube floated at her side. The next target was an abandoned well; this time, she would use a much larger and sharper rock. Suddenly, a disturbance in the atmosphere interrupted her. Behind her, Badwhiz shrank as he also sensed the unexpected change. Something had happened. Dropping the rock she had lifted, Ceridwen assumed a defensive position again. Behind her, Badwhiz once again raised his magical shield to protect her from the possible threat. Around them, the atmosphere had changed. The drizzle, like the wind, had stopped, and the mist that had prevailed in the area until then dissipated without a trace. It was as if nature were holding its breath. Then, an explosion. A beam of light emerged from the place where she was supposed to attack a moment ago. Rising into the sky in a bright line, a purple spark soared high until suddenly stopping in the white sky of the Great Barrier. Ceridwen's eyes widened as she saw the figure of the pony observing her from above. It wasn't the princess or her companion. It was an opponent for whom she was not prepared. The newcomer began to descend slowly. Ceridwen observed every detail of her new opponent. The unknown alicorn had a mane with a design similar to Twilight's but with a slight gradient of color reminiscent of Rainbow Dash's. Her entire skin, of a light purple color, seemed wrapped in a faint glow of light that emanated from within. Both her horn and her strong wings emitted particles of sky-blue and lilac. She wasn't thin but not overly robust; she had a perfect proportion suitable for her size. And despite the calm expression on her face, there was immense power in every beat of the wings of this alicorn. Ceridwen, watching her approach like a storm in motion, was sure of that. Twilight-Dash finally touched the ground with the grace of a princess and the posture of a seasoned warrior. The magical lights accompanying her descent faded. The introductory show was over. Now, Twilight-Dash being just a simple alicorn, observed Ceridwen without any hostility or emotion. Certainly, Ceridwen did not perceive any hostility, but the tension that gripped her only increased. ("Does she want to talk?") she thought in vain. Ceridwen was surprised by the recent turn of events, but she still trusted that she could control the situation. She didn't need to be a magic scholar to understand that she was facing a fusion. "Release my friends and return to your home," ordered Twilight-Dash. Yes, those simple words that were not a threat were spoken in a firm and authoritative tone. Although this was only the impression she had. Ceridwen couldn't help but think of her former leader Danu. Even more, they reminded her of someone superior to him. Silence enveloped both adversaries. Ceridwen snorted slightly and immediately prepared another golden-enchanted rod with her magic. She had no words in response to her opponent. After all the tragic events in Cunabula the night before, there was simply no room for dialogue or negotiations. She wouldn't lend herself to that anymore. All that was left for her was to fight and fulfill her mission. *** "I guess that's a no," Twilight's independent mind thought disheartenedly as she observed her opponent's reaction. "Well, at least you tried. Can we do it the hard way now?" responded Rainbow Dash's independent mind. Both minds, separate and independent, shared the same body, cooperating to guide the thoughts and actions of Twilight-Dash. This fusion had its own independent thought, although limited, resulting from the combination of both lines of thinking. Of course, if a strong decision conflict arose between Twilight and Rainbow Dash, the fusion would pause and, in the worst case, unravel. But at that moment, both friends had no doubt about what to do next. "So be it," replied Twilight-Dash, breaking the silence. Ceridwen, who possessed Badwhiz's body, ignored these last words. Determined to take the initiative in the battle, she quickly prepared two additional rods and aimed them at Twilight-Dash. However, for Twilight-Dash, those movements were... too slow. Previously, when she was just Rainbow Dash, she would have praised her opponent's reflexes. But now, they caused her a bit of disappointment. In an instant, both thoughts, those of Twilight and Rainbow Dash, in sync and with a plan of action in mind, began their counteroffensive. With a sigh, Twilight-Dash flapped her wings and advanced towards Vainilla with incredible speed, making the world around her seem to be in slow motion. A smile formed on Twilight-Dash's face. Her advantage in speed was obvious, but she shouldn't get overconfident because she now needed to prove her endurance. She continued her unstoppable advance with the intention of piercing through Vainilla's magical barrier. Soon, her front hooves collided with the barrier. The magic bubble, which had protected her enemies from any attack until that moment, tore apart as if it were a paper cover. Twilight-Dash smiled even more; she had barely felt the impact. For a moment, she thought about laughing at the ridiculous defense she had just broken through, but she restrained herself; it was not yet the time to boast. With a firm gaze on her opponent, Twilight-Dash continued forward, getting even closer to the one she had previously called Vainilla. Then, finally standing in front of him, Twilight-Dash frowned; a doubt assailed her once again. Who was this individual? At this point, she wasn't sure who Vainilla could really be. She also wasn't sure about the plan he was carrying out against her. Judging by Rainbow Dash's testimony and what her friends had told her when they got off the train, she could deduce that this individual must have been hidden from the beginning, using the boy named Badwhiz to stage a show and draw the attention of Twilight and her friends. Once the boy had examined the terrain enough and set up a favorable situation in the battle, he would manifest himself through possession for a sudden attack. This would explain the change in attitude and abilities he began to show later on, with which he managed to surprise Rainbow Dash. However, it still didn't explain why the abilities Vainilla had now were different from those Rainbow Dash had initially described. Even his armor had changed. Besides, were so many precautions necessary if they wanted to eliminate them? Given the battles so far, her opponent had had many opportunities to defeat Twilight and her friends. Or was there another motive that she had not considered? Perhaps it was a wearing-down strategy intended to obtain the most information about the bearers of the Elements of Harmony while posing new and greater threats on the battlefield each time? It could be that they were not facing just one opponent, but several individuals. Probably disciples of the Order Knights who were trapped in Tartarus. The worst-case scenario was that their enemies were actually the same Order Knights. Because if that was the case... "Oops," Twilight-Dash dodged one of Vainilla's golden bars. "That was close; better hurry." The projectile had shot out at an extreme speed from one of his sides, but in the eyes of Twilight-Dash, it was like watching a very fast sparrow. Without further delay, Twilight-Dash started to move seriously. She circled around Vainilla to position herself at his back. There, two more golden bars shot at her, but she easily dodged them. She extended one of her front hooves and began rummaging in the back of Vainilla's mane. Then, she found something solid and pulled it out. It was a tiny crystal cube, almost identical to the one Vainilla had brought, but with an improved design and a more radiant glow. Twilight-Dash brought it close to her chest and could feel intense magic pulsating slowly inside. Her assumption had been correct. Just as she had imagined, Vainilla had hidden the real crystal where her friends were sealed, reducing it and placing it behind his mane. "Sorry for being so late, girls," Twilight-Dash said to herself, saddened. "Viiiiiiiiiiiiiiii," a whistle sounded. Twilight-Dash looked around. The false sealing crystal between Vainilla and Badwhiz began to glow. Vainilla, on one side, had started to move a little faster and was now slowly aiming his horn at Twilight-Dash. Shadow Badwhiz, on the other hand, seemed not to have noticed anything. "Villains collaborating... not the first time, but still annoying," Twilight-Dash had had enough of these types. She spread her wings and flapped them. Two intense air currents shot out against both enemies. Too slow to react, both Vainilla and Badwhiz were pushed by the gusts of wind in opposite directions, crashing into the rocks. And to finish, the powerful alicorn gave a strong kick to the false sealing crystal, sending it flying somewhere in the Great Barrier. "Was it really a trap?" Twilight-Dash thought, surprised, but quickly pushed that thought aside. She didn't have time to think about those things now. What she had to do immediately was take the real sealing crystal to a safe place and free her friends. Together, they could activate the magic of the Elements and face Vainilla and his allies. Even better, she could try to merge them together as well. "Why didn't I think of this earlier? Apple Pie? Rari-Fluter-shy?" With this in mind, Twilight-Dash teleported before her opponents could understand what had happened. *** "How dare she?" Ceridwen murmured furiously from the possessed body of Badwhiz. Being knocked down to the ground by her adversary was one thing, but simply leaving the battlefield when she had the opportunity to finish her off or capture her at that moment was another. She had already been humiliated in that way before, and now the princess repeated the same pattern. "That's enough," Ceridwen exclaimed coldly. Then she summoned a long string of black pearls; the amulet began to burn in the fire of her magic, ready to be used immediately. Ceridwen had decided to use heavy artillery. She had been ordered not to use items of that level, but given the recent turn of the battle, she at least wanted the princess to get a good glimpse of what she was truly capable of. So, before taking action, a voice interrupted her. "Ceridwen, my friend, let it go. I will take over the rest of the operation," this was Balor's voice speaking to her mentally. "Balor, let me finish!" Ceridwen replied forcefully through the same channel. "No, we all agreed that at some point in the battle, I would have the final say. That moment is now. So please, give me control of that body immediately," Balor responded with a cold voice and without any hint of sarcasm. Faced with Balor's urgent request, Ceridwen calmed down. It made no sense to fight among allies. Everyone had already agreed to avoid that, and she definitely wouldn't be the first to break that rule. "Destroy her, Balor. Restore Cunabula's honor," Ceridwen requested from her companion. It was a sincere plea that came from the depths of her heart. "I intend to do so, my friend," Balor concluded. At that moment, communication was cut, and they both switched places. Balor now possessed the actual body of Badwhiz. The armor had changed from orange to a deep purple. She looked around. The battlefield was a mess, but she wasn't concerned in the slightest. In fact, she was glad that Ceridwen hadn't made further progress earlier. Due to Mannah's initial resistance to her assuming leadership of the operation, Ceridwen had to prove the strength of the fusion between the princess pony and her companion. "Politicians..." Balor scoffed inwardly. After witnessing the overwhelming power of Twilight-Dash, the sub-leader of the Knights of the Order immediately relinquished leadership of the battle. Not far from where she stood, a shadow stood among the rocks. It was Badwhiz, but he looked pitiful. Even as just a mass of shadows and magic, his whole body appeared diluted and opaque, like soot clinging to clothes. The disoriented shadow pony turned his head, searching for his companion. He saw Balor and immediately ran toward her. However, he stopped a few steps away upon realizing belatedly that it was no longer Ceridwen. Badwhiz bowed as respectfully as he could. "Lord Balor, the princess escaped with the sealing crystal. We didn't have the power to stop her..." "I believe you. You spent much of your limited magic attacking her, and now that you're exhausted, you've become a burden." "I'm sorry," replied Badwhiz, shrinking. "Don't apologize. After all, you are weak." At the words of his mistress, Badwhiz hung his head in sadness. Now, his heart also sank. But Balor wasn't finished. "Tell me, boy, what do you think is the greatest decisive factor in a battle?" Badwhiz, who was tired, didn't have the strength to think too much about the answer to that sudden question, so he could only say the first thing that came to mind. "Power," Badwhiz answered simply. "Hmm," Balor murmured. Then she lifted a small rock from the ground with her magic and placed it on the palm of her helmet. She turned her back to Badwhiz and looked at the horizon of the Great Barrier. There, hidden somewhere, was the fusion she had to defeat. "Having power is desirable. I won't deny that. However, there is another factor that always ensures the winner's victory," as she spoke these words, Balor began channeling her magic into the rock she held. "This factor is the key to all wars and the secret to any peace." A wind blew, swirling dust around them. "It is deception," Balor declared. Suddenly, the rock she held sparkled, and in the blink of an eye, it had transformed into the real sealing crystal in which the Knights of the Order had trapped Twilight's friends. Shortly before, in a rabbit burrow, Twilight-Dash was analyzing the sealing crystal cube. "Twilight, seriously, can't we just crack it open like a nut with our hooves?" "This is a very delicate object, Rainbow Dash. If we make the slightest mistake, it could explode with all our friends inside or trap us as well." "Really?" Rainbow Dash's independent mind insinuated arrogantly. "I don't think so, but there are possibilities. Maybe a hex-revealing spell will give me clues. Uhpm. No, a six-phase arcane analysis should be enough..." Twilight's independent mind continued to think aloud about other options to initiate the deciphering of the cube. "Ugh!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, the pegasus was already starting to regret not finishing the previous battle. If she had, she would have enjoyed taking down the villains and avoided continuing the fusion with Twilight. Then she wouldn't find herself listening to all the nerdy and incomprehensible suggestions passing through her friend's mind. Several minutes had passed in this task, and for Rainbow Dash, the situation was becoming unbearable. Then, unexpectedly, it happened. "Huh?" Twilight-Dash exclaimed the moment the sealing crystal cube sparkled and transformed into its fake version. "What the heck?" Just like before, this fake crystal continued whistling, like a boiling teapot, or rather like a bomb about to explode. A violent eruption erupted on one of the hills within the Great Barrier. In the distance, Balor observed the result of the conflagration. As she had calculated, the explosion had not destroyed the fusion of the princess and her ally. "Predictable..." Balor muttered inwardly. Then she glanced back. There was Badwhiz, who had an expression as if waiting for her to say something more. "What a child..." Balor thought. She had a good opportunity to give a speech to Badwhiz at that moment, but she didn't. Balor wasn't that kind of person. Her master, on the other hand, would have done it. He was an exemplary person who never missed the chance to teach his ideals to others. He was someone Balor admired, even though she never could earn his approval. Even now, she could vividly recall the sermons he used to give her for her shortcomings. "... we, the Knights of the Order, defend our nation with truth. Not with lies. It is beneath us to resort to deceitful arts or vague speeches. Remember that by using the same weapon, the knight takes it as an extension of himself. If this weapon becomes the lie, the knight will lose his purpose and become just another criminal in the eyes of justice. Punishment will not be delayed to reach him..." These had been the wise words she had received from her master. She hadn't been a good student, and it was quite obvious she wouldn't be a good teacher either. She truly didn't feel capable of teaching Badwhiz properly. "Don't make that face, boy. It's not the time for lessons." "Huh? I apologize... I will keep your words in mind, Lord Balor," said Badwhiz somewhat confused, bowing his head. "Keep them in mind, boy, but don't take them too much to heart. It's just common sense, and in practice, lies don't always work. Besides, peace can also arise in other ways. Like from true sacrifices..." Balor murmured, looking somewhere into the sky. Badwhiz found his teacher's behavior strange but said no more. "All right, that's enough. Now I'll dissipate your consciousness and complete the mind domination spell." As she finished speaking, the shadowy figure that Badwhiz was made of began to dissolve like smoke in the wind. As the consciousness of the pink-maned pony began to wander in some hazy and drowsy place. Badwhiz's last thought at that moment was about his pet, Beak. He still trusted that it would be okay.