//------------------------------// // - XXXI - // Story: Solem Perditum // by PropMaster //------------------------------// - XXXI - “Spell Breakers, to the fore! With me!” Luna stood before a massive, sealed, stone door covered in black runes, shadow magic leaking from the arcane spells keeping the door shut. Behind Luna, a dozen unicorns stepped forward, joining their commander before the door. Luna’s eyes narrowed as she examined the runes. “This is it. I can sense the magic of the jewel we sent with Light Stride behind this door, though it is shrouded in powerful black magic.” “What do you suggest, my lady?” asked one of the unicorns, scrutinizing the runes carefully. “I do not think that I can break this door asunder,” Luna said, turning away and calling back down the passage they had been traveling. “Twilight Sparkle! Come hither! We have need of thy expertise.” From behind a rank of Royal and Lunar guards, Princess Twilight Sparkle approached, gazing past Luna to the sealed door. “Wow. It’s a good thing I saved my energy. That looks like an eighteen-point sealing mark!” Luna smirked. “I suspected that thou would know how to defeat this spell.” Twilight grinned fiercely. “I might be a namby-pamby pony princess now, but I’m also the Element of Magic.” Twilight approached the dozen unicorns that made up the Spell Breaker Division of the Royal Guard, smiling uncertainly at the Sergeant leading them. They looked very imposing, with their dark grey coats, black armor, and white manes. Twilight knew that it was just their helmets creating the illusion, and knew that they were just regular ponies underneath the facade, but they still made her a little nervous. She still hadn’t gotten used to commanding ponies... especially military ponies. Clearing her throat, she spoke with as much authority as she could muster. “Gentlecolts, we’re dealing with an eighteen-point seal, probably a variation on Clover The Clever’s Nine-Point Seal of Binding, done with shadow magic.” Twilight’s voice grew in strength as she spoke on a subject near and dear to her heart. “I think we’ll be able to break the seal if we arrange ourselves in Star Spark’s Empowerment Pentangle, with your Breakers at the points and cardinals, and the three remaining Breakers outside, lending their energy as-needed. Once we’re in position, we’ll use Mordenkainan’s Twin-Canceled Spell to unleash an unstable magic field... which I’ll take control of from the center of the Pentangle, and if I use it to cast Kivan’s Greater Unmaking... well, that should do the trick.” Twilight Sparkle smiled at the Sergeant, who looked at her with something between shock and awe. “That clear, Sergeant?” “Yes, Princess!” The Sergeant spun to address his ponies. “You heard the Princess, gentlecolts! Get to it!” The Spell Breakers scattered around the room, horns glowing as they laid down the pentangle diagram on the floor, using salt from their saddle bags to draw the diagram. They arranged themselves carefully, with a unicorn standing at the tip of all five points of the pentangle. Four more unicorns arranged themselves using a magical compass, placing themselves at the North, South, East, and West points of the pentangle’s outer circle. The three remaining unicorns spaced themselves evenly around the edges of the group, ready to lend a hoof. As one, they turned inward, towards the center of the pentangle, and Twilight daintily stepped over the salt lines to stand in the center of the diagram. She nodded. “Let’s get this door open. Princess Celestia is counting on us.” Luna took a few measured steps back from the diagram, and glanced over her shoulder at the waiting elements of the Royal and Lunar guard. Princess Cadance stepped out of their ranks to stand beside Luna, looking grim. “Let’s be careful, Twilight. There might be more than wards on that door.” “Indeed, Cadance speaks true. Thou will have us ready to defend thee against any devious traps that may assail thee!” Luna said confidently. “Thank you both,” Twilight replied with a smile, before turning to the Sergeant. “Go.” The Spell Breakers lit their horns, murmuring spells under their collective breath. The salt lines began to smoke and smoulder as they absorbed some of the building arcane charge. The pentangle properly empowered, they all launched simultaneously into a second spell. One unicorn buckled as the spell began to take shape, but one of the unicorns standing outside stepped forward, steadying him and pouring additional arcane energy into his frame to bolster him. The spell grew in power, a yellow glow building over the heads of the unicorns. In the center of the diagram, Twilight Sparkle exhaled slowly, closing her eyes and focusing herself, feeling the building magic around her. Her wings slowly spread open as she felt the unstable magic field coalesce into being, sending the manes and tails of everypony in the hallway before the door fluttering in a sudden wind. Twilight’s eyes opened as she grasped the unstable field and drew it into herself, utilizing the wild and raw power to fuel her spell. Her lips moved as she whispered the spell of Unmaking, and her eyes filled with violet light. There was a crack, and the sound of thunder, and when Twilight opened her eyes, the door was split into pieces, shattered. The unicorns of the Spell Breaker division had flung themselves to the floor, ducking away from the shrapnel. Twilight stepped over them as she approached the room hidden behind the door, Luna and Cadance joining her. The three alicorns stepped into the dark room, their horns alighting as one to brighten the interior of the room. Made from black obsidian, the floors were slippery and shone with reflected light like a thousand black mirrors. Circles of runes surrounded the center of the room, where Princess Celestia and Light Stride lay in crumpled heaps, still and unmoving. Twilight Sparkle sat down at the edge of the runic circle, afraid to pass over the runes on the floor for fear of traps. She frowned. “Are they...?” “They are alive, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna replied, smiling. Cadance sat down beside Twilight, watching Celestia intently. “So... how do we break them out of... whatever spell it is that Sombra has them under?” “I’m not sure. We’ll have to study it, but it’s probably...” Twilight halted mid-sentence, her eyes widening. Celestia twitched. Twilight leapt to her feet, glancing at Luna and Cadance. “Do you think...?” Celestia’s eyes opened slowly, and she lifted her head to regard Twilight, Cadance, and Luna. She smiled. “Hello.” “Princess!” Twilight danced anxiously at the edge of the circle of runes surrounding Celestia. “Sister, thou art awake! How is this possible?” Luna asked. Celestia laughed hoarsely. “A little friendship goes a long way...” she turned her head to fondly regard Light Stride. Light Stride did not stir. Celestia frowned. “Light Stride?” Reaching out one trembling hoof, Celestia shook him gently. “Light Stride, awaken.” When he didn’t react, Celestia got to her hooves unsteadily, her horn lighting in a golden aura, as she began to cast a spell on Light Stride. After a few moments, her horn flickered out. “It... didn’t work,” she said quietly. “Well, it worked for you! And that’s good!” Cadance smiled. “Don’t worry, Celestia, we’ll get Light Stride out of that trap as well. Now that we’re here, we can work on a solution together.” Celestia sat down heavily, pulling Light Stride close to her. She didn’t respond for a moment, before asking, “Where are we?” “Below the Crystal Palace,” Cadance explained. “We discovered a set of hidden tunnels to the north of the palace, that ran deep underground. There were wards hiding it from our detection, but with the gem Light Stride was sent with, we were able to locate the beginnings of the tunnel system. There were... many other rooms like this one. It’s like a magic dungeon down here... I can only imagine what Sombra used it for.” Twilight glared at the runes on the floor. “These look like some more binding runes, but I can’t be sure what else might be hidden in here. Before we can do anything, we’ll have to get these runes disabled. Princess Celestia, if you can help, we four should be able to handle this.” Celestia looked up at Twilight and smiled gently. “I can’t help you.” Twilight blinked, looking surprised. “What?” “My power is diminished in the circle of runes. You’ll have to break them from the outside... and, regardless, I’ve got something more important to do,” Celestia explained calmly. “But, Celestia, we—” Cadance began. “No,” Celestia interjected. “I have to go back. I know how to break the spell, but... Light Stride does not. He’s still trapped... and now he is alone.” Celestia smiled down at the unconscious guard, shifting him into a more comfortable position. “I refuse to leave him alone. He risked life and limb for me by throwing himself into the trap. What kind of ruler... what kind of pony would I be if I left him behind?” Luna frowned. “Sister, thou are making too much of this. The duty of a Royal Guard is to the crown, in its defense. He would be happy that thou were free.” “I don’t care,” Celestia replied. “This may be selfish of me, but I do not care, sister. I am going back into the trap. I will help him from inside the illusion, and you three can work from without to defeat the spell.” Celestia regarded the three alicorns with a gentle smile. “I trust you. You will find a way to free us both, if I cannot do it from within.” “Princess...” Twilight said softly. Celestia looked at Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, you of all ponies should know why I do this. Would you not give all you are... risk everything... for a friend?” Twilight stared at Celestia for a moment, before nodding slowly. “Of course.” Celestia nodded, and lay down next to Light Stride, covering him with one wing. “Be certain to get doctors down here. Regardless, once the runes are disabled, Light Stride will need to be given nutrition and kept comfortable while we all work to save him.” “Sister...” Luna breathed, before smiling. “Be safe.” “Of course.” Celestia closed her eyes, her horn lighting up as she allowed the magic of the trap to fall over her once more. After a moment, her body settled, shifting into the familiar pattern of sleep. Luna signed, and turned to Cadance and Twilight. “Let us begin. Light Stride is probably malnourished and dehydrated. We need to get these wards down and disable the runes, and get medical ponies here to attend to him.” “What about Celestia?” asked Cadance. “Celestia will be fine,” Luna replied with a smile. Twilight smiled at Celestia and Light Stride. “Dream well, Princess. We’ll be coming for you both.”