//------------------------------// // Chapter 14-Behind The Curtain // Story: Solar: Hero of Canterlot City // by Royal Pony Dude //------------------------------// As a snowstorm was raging through Canterlot City, Solar was patrolling the city looking for Brisk Storm. "Looks like Brisk grabbed everything and bailed from his pad. So, Brisky, where are you?" Solar asked. At Canterlot High… "It's a good thing that my suit gives protection in cold weather otherwise I would break my wallet getting those expensive themeral. I have a lot of things on my to-do list. But none compare to surviving the second semester of school," Sunset said while walking to the school. It was a normal business day at the First National Bank of Canterlot. People were lined up in an orderly manner and were around to make the usual transaction or withdraw from their accounts, whether it be for personal or business reasons. Well, it was a normal day until purple smoke emerged from the vents and windows. The people coughed and got to their knees, the strange gas was too much for their lungs. They collapsed, trying to see what was going on. Nothing was seen at first until suddenly, a swarm of snakes appeared on the ground. Everyone jumped in shock and was pushed to a wall out of fear of being bitten. The doors burst open, and more smoke appeared in the bank. A person wearing a black cloak stepped inside, having a blue mask concealing his identity. He curled his metal-gloved hand into a fist. Everybody stared in awe at the costumed stranger making their entrance. "It appears my entrance has intimidated you all. I do not blame you." the stranger spoke. With a flick of his wrist, he brought everyone onto their knees through some unknown force. "W-Who are you?" someone managed to ask. "I am... Cavalier!" … … "The final will cover every of various biological systems. And be prepared to define several terms we have learned this semester. Survival of the Fittest, Natural Selection…" Mr. Facade said to the students as the bell rang and the students prepared to leave. "More review tomorrow, but start studying tonight!" Earning most of the students groaning. … … At the Canterlot Bridge… "Behold, another example of disregarding the sacred arts," Cavalier said as he appeared near an armored truck. "How about we banish you," A person grabbed a crowbar. "Magnum draconem advoco ut hos duos homines doceat qui numquam obliviscantur. Cavalier summoned a dragon that scared everyone on the bridge,, but with a snap of the figure's fingers, the dragon was gone. "Nice trick, class act!" Cavalier turned to see Solar mocking him. "Goes great cheesy magic act!" "You dare to call Cavalier a simple magician?" He asked her. "Fool! Cavalier is no illusionist playing parlor tricks, I am a master of the Arcane Arts!" Cavalier opened his palm and shot a sphere of electricity at the Solar Placing her hand out, Solar shot it down with a magic blast . "Funny. I know a thing or two about magic myself. And the only thing you're good at is talking in the third person." "We shall see. Somnus." Cavalier made Solar fall on her knees then Cavalier stood before her having a blade in his hands preparing to strike. As he lowered his sword, a red bubble suddenly surrounded it, rendering it useless for Cavalier. Solar managed a smirk as she got the strength to yank it off its arm. "Your will is stronger, should turn to the spiritual world perhaps be more of a formidable opponent but not today. Fulmen!" he admitted while bringing forth a thunderbolt and strike right at Solar. "I give you one chance to abandon your cargo!" Cavalier threatened the driver of the armored car. "I'm staying the heck in here," the driver said as Cavalier brought forth more snakes. "You have a choice. Save this peon and let me free or risk his life to catch me." Cavalier said as disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "You better choose wisely." Without even thinking, Solar used her magic to entrap the snakes in a field before they could so much as hurt the hostages. However, she accidentally threw them aside harder than she anticipated, making them crash into a wall. What she didn't expect, however, was the sound of metal clanging. Curious, she knelt down and grabbed one of the snakes, noticing sparks emitting from its body. Robots? Why would a supposed Master magic user like him use robots? "You okay?" Solar asked the driver as she helped him up. "Yeah, I'm fine, thank you." No doubt I'll run into him again. … … "Rainbow, is everything okay?" Pinkie Pie asked her. "Yeah, coming down, little something," Rainbow said, then sneezed a bit. "What's with the reading, Sunset?" "The latest issue of The Canterlot Weekly," Sunset said. "They're blaming the whole mess on Solar." "How come?" Pinkie asked. "How is she supposed to know she's battling someone who can match her magic." "I wouldn't worry about her, Sunset, this Cavalier dude is just like Trixie, hell I'll bet that's where Trixie got the idea of talking in the third person," Rainbow said. … … "Somnus. Cavalier forced the security workers of Mercer Corp to fall to their knees. "I summon the dark forces, show us your master plan for this sully world." Lighting came down at the building, then three more security guards show and armed their guns. "Serpentes domino tuo subveni!" Spellcaster called forth three serpents and surrounded them; they fired but it did nothing. "Fools, your technology can't hurt them, but don't touch their poisonous skin." "Hey, don't mind me, I'm getting down on a cold," Solar said. Cavalier fired a lighting bolt at Solar which made her dodge. "The world's Gesundheit!" So, what did I miss? Other than getting tagged by your willing weakening spell." "Nothing, I saved the best for last and it's just for you. Fledermäuse umgeben die Sonnenfinsternis und zerstören sie!" From his cloak several bats departed from him and swirled around Solar. "Beat it you flying rats!" Solar picked up a chair and hurled it at three bats that dispersed upon contact then proceeded to punch seven of them. "Flying drones," Solar examined the broken metal before destroying the rest of them with a fire blast. "Guess Cavalier isn't quite the technophobe he claims to be." "My work here is done, Farewell!" Cavalier vanished in a cloud of smoke once it was clear he was gone but not before Solar followed him to the storage unit. Cavalier walked behind a curtain, without knowing that Solar made herself invisible to make her invisible so he couldn't see them. "Where am I?" Solar pondered as she looked around then realized she was in a prop house. "Prop house. Rainbow was right. Mr. Fiasco is nothing but smoke and mirrors. Misdirection. And now for the man behind the curtain." Before Solar reached the curtain, Cavalier threw a smoke bomb down, then lighting bolt came down, forcing her to dodge. "Enough with the Latin, I know it's an act!" "Ah, but it's a good one and the Latin adds just the right touch!" Then two robot arms came out of nowhere and tried to grab her, but Solar did an ice blast and froze them solid then shattered it with a kick. Then a train came making Solar braced for it but it went right through her. "Another illusion projected on mist," Solar said, and then Cavalier appeared right in front of them. "It appears you are catching on, but what is illusion and what is reality?" He summoned a spell circle to trap the Solar inside where a tiger and serpent closed in. "So many threats to life and limb, but which is real is which is not?" "There's only one way. Ignore what I see and hear. And let my instincts kick in," Solar blindfolded herself. The tiger lunged itself at Solar only for it to go through then her head flashed making an ax come down on her but it missed. The serpent came right and she didn't move as it disappeared, then once her head flash came right on time when a giant bear was on and tried to slash them, but Solar busted its arm and used it to destroy it. Her headflash one more as darts came but Solar went invisible making them go right through. "Your magic tricks are good, but ain't effective, so about putting the show on hold and finish this?" "As you wish." Cavalier snapped his fingers and multiple versions of himself surrounded Solar. "Are that hard-headed, your illusions won't work on us," Rock Roller said. One of them charged forward. Solar ducked below his fist and shot him with a sphere of fire, causing him to vanish. "Huh. Guess you weren't the real one, but there's still more where that came from." she huffed and kicked back another Cavalier before spinning her body and driving her foot into his hip, making him disappear next. Another Cavalier jumped in with a sword. Solar blocked it with her magic and shot a small beam out of her hands, pushing the fake Cavalier back lightly. It too vanished in smoke. "Oh somebody doesn't want to play," Solar saw Cavalier going behind the curtain as she used her magic and threw at the real one with the bot releasing smoke. "Dormi!" Cavalier called his will-weakening spell but Solar grabbed his glove. "Misdirection. Magic spell to sap my will? Or odorless and colorless gas to bring me to my knees, I'll take a hard pass." "Built-in remote control, nice," Solar said before smashing it. "I guess underneath that mask in a face," Solar exclaimed as Cavalier unveiled his face. "Congrats, it's me," Cavalier said in his normal tone. "Say you're quite familiar," Solar got a good look at him and then figured it out. "Your Show Tell? One of Gecko's flunkies on the boat. What made you decide to strike solo? " Solar sighed "Simple, ever since you busted on the boat, I decided to take my chances of being a supervillain, with my tricks I make big bucks." "Unfortunately, your gags and illusions won't be needed where you're going," Solar said. Hours later, as Cavalier was taken in by the police a drone was hovering quietly above them recording everyone. At an unknown location… "Look like the cops, fell for it, boss," Mechanic said on his earpiece. "Both them and the Rainbooms recovered nothing. Everything that you asked Spellcaster to rob is still here and accounted for." "Of course, everything is going according to my master plan."