//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: The Summoning 
// Story: Dark Petrification 
// by bnewton 
//------------------------------//

	Cadance exits the lab, with a necklace glowing faintly. Soon after that, Trixie came in the door, and seated herself at one end of the table. She asks "Did you finish the enchantment?"

Cadance sets the necklace down on the table and replies "Yes, the enchantment is finished, however, we still have one task left to do."

Trixie takes the necklace, and clips it back onto her neck. She then says "May I know what that task is, Princess?"

"We have to perform the summoning ritual, not something most ponies can do, but we do need to get rid of this Malum or the Crystal Empire's shield will break down, which isn't something anybody wants happening."

"How in Equestria could the shield break down!? It's powered by the Crystal Ponies' happiness, right?"

"Exactly, and while they can fool themselves into thinking we'll all survive no matter what, that we'll all be rescued soon, they will eventually start to feel scared, and start venturing outside the shield, thinking that they aren't safe here, Crystal heart or no."

"Oh. Well, I'd very much like to know how this ritual is supposed to be carried out."

"Please wait here for a minute, I'm going to go get Shining."

Trixie, Cadance, and Shining Armor are soon walking to the balcony upon which a wooden effigy of a pony is propped up against the railing. Noticing the effigy, Trixie stops, but Shining Armor pushes her along with them. Now all of them are on the balcony, and Cadance turns to Trixie.

"Trixie Lulamoon, are you ready for the perils that lie ahead of you?"

"Yes."

"It isn't too late to walk away, you know."

"I've made my decision, I know full well what I could be getting myself into, but someone needs to do this, right?"

"Very well then. The ritual shall now begin." Cadance says grimly as she and Shining Armor focus their magic into Trixie's emerald necklace. The aura of the couple's powers are then amplified by the newly enchanted gem, and then it flashes with a light as bright as the sun- if only for a brief instant. The skies are cleared of the Malum that clouds everything outside the barrier of the Crystal Empire. A bright light flashes, and spirals down towards the effigy. When it touches the wooden pony, the Malum floods the pillar of clear air that was left behind by the ritual, but the effigy is covered in a ball of light.

An echoey-sounding voice calls out "Okay Cel- wait, who the heck're you?" A pony steps out from the rapidly-fading light and squints. The pony has a light brown coat, teal eyes, and a purple ruffled mane. The pony looks feminine in appearance but...

"Why don't you have wings, or a horn?" Trixie asked. The pony just looks at Trixie. She walks over to Trixie, and punches her across the face. The crowd below gasps.

"Because all you crystal-brained idiots didn't have enough power to get me any of those things, you nimrod."

"Oh, and I suppose Harmony has horrible manners too?" Trixie retorted.

The pony raises her eyebrows and turns around saying "Well, since I'm clearly not needed, I'll just be heading back now, since I was summoned by incompetents." Her fritzy purple tail swishes around, whipping Trixie's snout.

Cadance panics, and pleads "Don't go, please, we need you..."

"Hmph, you, need me? Then get Celestia to summon me, I've no power like this, I mean, seriously, the colors aren't even right!"

Fed up, Trixie yells "Celestia can't summon you because she is PETRIFIED you idiot!"

The pony turns to Trixie once again, frowning, and asks "Petrified? What blasphemy is this? Celestia can't simply be turned to stone." 

"Have you seen the sky lately?" Trixie snaps. The pony looks up and stares.

"So it's a little cloudy, what's the deal?"

"The deal is, that's not cloud, that's fog, a very magical, corrupt fog, at that."

"Oh, sure, and that warrants my improper summoning? Why haven't you simply asked the Elements to help you?"

This time, Trixie is the one to punch faces, as she topples the pony to the ground. The pony's snout drips blood. "You think you're sooo smart just because you've been spending time in the Etherplane, huh? Newsflash, bedhead, you're the last pony to turn to for the job, because every other capable pony is petrified, the rest of Equestria is corrupted by the fog itself, and we're in the only country that hasn't succumbed to the Malum! And to top it all off, we don't even know your stupid NAME!"

The pony gets up, and wipes her nose of the blood. "I see how it is now." She walks over to the balcony, and looks to the crowd below. "Well, congrats, little ponies, you've got Final Resort, now what are you going to do with her?"