Chapter 1 – Return of the Heroes
“How is the experiment going, Twilight?” Celestia asked as she walk up to her former student and follow Princess. Who was in the process of examining and experimenting with the new ‘Harmonic Powers’ her and her friends had now, and thus all of her friends where there (who all gave Celestia a respectful kneel) and of cause her number one assistance, Spike, who was helping by taking notes.
“It’s going great so far, Celestia, as we have already seen it’s very potent and may even be much more powerful than the elements, due to it being more ‘pure’ than when channeled through the Elements of Harmony necklaces. Also while it is still at its strongest when we are together each of us can use our ‘Harmonic Powers’ even if we are alone and still be very powerful, although the more of us that are there the strong our power seems to be.” Twilight said while looking through Spike’s notes and her own research plan to see what to do next.
“Very well, Twilight, continue you and your friends should know more about what you can do now.” She said as she smiled at the other mares.
“Yeah, it’s so awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a big and happy smile that Celestia would never forget.
“It is most certainly intriguing and very fashionable.” Rarity said in her high society voice as she seemed to go over in her head what accessories would go well with it.
“It’s intertin’ alright and ah’m sure if we ever need it to beat some monster or something it’ll be good to have, but not real sure what good it’ll be in everyday life.” Applejack always the honest practical pony.
“it’s nice.” The soft voice of Fluttershy could be heard as she sat among her friends with a happy smile.
“It’s gonna be great, we’re going to blast the greates monsters and evil in the face and have great parties.” The eccentric Pinkie Pie said, barely stopping herself from bouncing herself around the room in her excitement. As always her smile was infectious and her energy invigorating, but it was like something more was there.
“Bring me your notes when you are done, Twilight, see you all at dinner.” She said as she walked out to words of; “Sure Your Highness.” “Will be there.” “You bet.” “Sure.” “We’ll see.” See you there, Celestia.”
But she had not gotten more than a few corridors away before she felt a great burst of power and heard a sound that would hunt her dreams and waking thoughts for years to come; the sound of Twilight and her friends screaming in fear and calling for help.
As fast as she could she hurried back to Twilight’s laboratory to try and save Twilight and the other but the moment she entered the room it was already to0 late and she stood watching as Twilight and her friends, and Spike, was pulled into some black gate she looked into Twilight’s eye in horror just before she disappeared through it and it snapped close as it had never been there. In horror Celestia cried “TWILIGHT!!!”
Celestia sat up, sweaty, in her bed with a gasp, the cry still on her tongue as her room slowly came back into focus. Tears began to run down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hooves. “Twilight…” she cried to herself as the nightmare, despite Luna’s best effort, still hunted her dreams every now and then as she relived that last day she saw her Twilight disappear into that black gate and the horror in her eyes as all she could do was stand and watch. Around seven years had passed since they disappeared and still the same nightmare hunted her.
Looking out her window across the horizon she saw the moon being lowered and focusing her powers raised the sun, although even it’s warm rays did nothing to banish the chills of the nightmare.
She stood up and began to put on her royal golden crown, breast plate and shoes before making her way to the throne room.
On her way she met Luna, who gave her a worried look.
“A nightmare again?” Celestia nodded and Luna sighed.
“I’m sorry, Tia, but no matter what I can get rid of it.” She said as her head hung low.
Celestia nuzzled Luna. “I know, Luna, you have done all you could, I just have to beat it on my own.” Luna nuzzled Celestia back.
“As long as the guild stays unresolved you’ll never be able to lay it behind you. There was nothing you could do, Celestia, even if both of us were there, there was likely nothing that could have been done and it wasn’t you fault.” Celestia sighed.
“I know, Lulu, but I still feel responsible, had I stayed a little long I may have been able to save them.”
“Maybe you could’ve, maybe couldn’t we’ll maybe never know and dwelling in the past will neither do you or Equestria any good.”
“I know, Luna, and…I’ll try.” Luna gave Celestia a hug with her left wing.
“Just remember that I’ll always be here beside you.” Celestia smiled at her.
“I know and…thank you sister.” She said as they entered the throne room and stopped as they found the guards gathered around something in front of the throne.
“What is going on here?” Luna asked as they walked closer and the guards turned to them.
“We’re not sure, You Majesties, a little while ago an arcane disturbance appeared in the throne room and when we went to investigate we found this strange orb.” Here he and the other guards stepped aside so Celestia and Luna could see what it was.
Laying on the floor was an orb with weakly glow arcane rune and glyphs but at a closer inspection it wasn’t laying on the floor but hovering about half a cm above the floor.
“Strange…” Celestia said as she took it in her magic making the runes and glyphs glow a little brighter, “never seen anything like this, Luna?” She asked as Luna began to examining it to.
“No, Celestia, I’ve never seen anything like this either, and between the two of us I still know more about the arcane arts than you, I’ve never seen those runes or glyphs before.”
“Hmm…” Celestia humm’ed as she examining the arcane rune and glyphs, “any idea what it could be?” she asked while continuing to examine it.
“I’ll say it’s an arcane spell orb, an arcane orb containing numerous and likely powerful spells made to work together but I have not seen a spell orb since before my banishment to the moon and they were far less sophisticated than this one and also nowhere near as powerful as this one seems to be, but the knowledge to make them was lost long ago, I think Star Swirl the Bearded once research them but never finished his research. I think some of his notes are still in the archives but I don’t think they’ll be much help.” Luna said as she sat back to think.
“I see,” Celestia said while turning the spell orb, “But maybe we should take…a…look…any…” Celestia trailed of as her eyes went wide as she stared at a particular glyph.
“Celestia?” Luna asked concerned.
“It can’t be.” Celestia’s voice was shaking, as well as her magical grip on the orb.
“Celestia what’s wrong?” Luna asked as Celestia began to shake.
“This glyph there is only one other pony who knows it.”
“Who?” Luna asked as she looked at the glyph that Celestia had found on the spell orb.
“Its creator…Twilight Sparkle” Luna looked at Celestia in shock.
“Do you think it’s from Twilight?” Celestia sighed.
“I don’t know, but if anyone could create this it would be her.”
“True,” Luna said as she studied the orb more closely, “but it seems like it’s almost out of power if we want to activate it we need to repower it first and I’m afraid even you and I together may not be able to do so safely,” Celestia looked at her and was about to say something when she saw Luna’s smile, “But with Cadance’s help we should be able.” She said with a smirk.
Celestia smile back at Luna. “How fortunately that we are meeting her and Shining Armor at the memorial today.” Luna smiled back at her.
“How fortunately indeed, Celestia, how about we go meet them now, after all I’m sure they are already there, they are always early.”
“Indeed, let’s go sister.” Celestia said with a smile and the orb floating beside her as she and Luna left the throne room to make their way to Ponyville and the memorial of Twilight and her friends.
“How are you feeling?” Cadance asked her husband as they sat in front of the memorial looking at the statues of Twilight and the other.
“As always Cadance,” he looked up at the face of Twilight’s statue, “I miss her.” Cadance placed her left wing over his back.
“So do I, Shining, so do I.” They sat in silence for a while after that until they heard the sounds of wings flapping and looked up to see Celestia and Luna approaching. Cadance furrowed her brows. “That’s strange they should be here yet, they usually first come later in the day when the others have arrived.”
“They must have their reasons” Shining said as they both looked at Celestia and Luna landing before them.
“Good morning you two hope the trip was comfortable.” Celestia said with a smile.
“You sure are in good spirit today Aunt, what has happened?” Celestia just smiled as she pulled a strange orb with glowing runes and glyphs in front of her.
“If I’m right we may finally learn what happened to Twilight and her friends.” Those words made both Cadance and Shining stiffen and look at her.
“Ho…how so?” Shinning got out while looking at the orb.
“This was found in the throne room this morning after an arcane disturbance appeared and it has one of Twilight’s personal glyphs on it.” That made Cadance look up at Celestia.
“Which one?” Celestia pointed it out and Cadance looked at it closely and examined the glyph with her magick and a smile graced her face as she felt the familiar magical signature of Twilight’s magic, “it’s hers alright and her magic signature.” Both Celestia and Luna face hoof.
“Why did we never think of looking for a magic signature?” Luna asked aloud.
“We would of in time but we were already sure it was from Twilight so I guess it just never accrued to us, but never mind that we need you help Cadance to activate it.” Celestia said as placed the spell orb in front of the memorial as they all stepped back.
“Sure, Aunty, let’s do it.” They all three gather in an half circle around the orb with the memorial in front of them and began to pour their magic into the orb. It began to pulse with power and the arcane runes and glyphs became more define and their glow intensified.
The pulses of magic and the glow attracted a lot of the ponies of ponyville and soon most of the town was gather around and behind the three Alicorns as their magic flowed into the orb. Finally with a final pulse of magic the flow of magic from the Alicorns stopped and the orb just rotated around itself for a few moments with it glowing runes and glyphs before it stopped and gave a pulse of arcane energy that inscribed an arcane circle under it full of unknown arcane symbols, runes and glyphs then the orb seemed to break apart and the pieces moved to hang in the air for a moment before stone began to rise from the ground with in the spell circle gathering together to form what looked like a gate but he stone was not like any stone anypony had ever seen and it too was inscribed with arcane runes and glyphs, when it was finished the glowing core of the spell orb, which show to be and unusual gem of multiple colours floated up to the top of the gate where there was a socket for it and the moment it inserted itself it gave a pulse of magic and all of the runes and glyphs on the gate began to glow and then six symbols appeared on the top of the gate three on each side of the glowing gem a; purple, yellow, pink to the left going from left to right, and a; orange, blue white to the right going from left to right.
Then the space inside the gate was warped and began to swirl in many colours and looking through it six shadow could be seen approaching. Finaly the first shadow breached the gates surface as a purple hoof appeared before the rest of the pony appeared wearing what could only be heavy arcane robes in purple and blue and a cowl over its head only showing a purple horn and folded by its sides were a pair of purple wing and held in his magic grip was a staff with a dragon’s head in some kind of metal at the top with a purple gem sitting inside the dragon’s head.
Before anypony could say anything another shadow breached the gate’s surface to the left of the first show first and armored hood followed by the rest of the pony. The coat of the pony was orange but was cover almost from head to hooves in heavy plate armor which was gleaming white and gold with a cape of white, gold and orange and on it was the symbol of Sweet Apple Acres across the pony’s back was a large shield, that more than a few of the Royal Guards who had gather was sure they couldn’t wield, and a Warhammer.
Next another shadow stepped out to the right of the first. This was a white pony in seraphian white almost glowing robes with a white cowl with what looked like a glowing golden helo at the top, a white horn could be seen under the cowl and at its side held in its magic grip was a white staff with a brilliant blue crystal at the top glowing as well as gems and crystals all over the white robe.
Then another stepped out to the other side of the last pony. This yellow pony looked almost like nature made incarnate plants seem to grow from its shoulder pad and its wings seemed to be more like the wing of a bird of prey than a Pegasus Pony’s and across it’s robes could be seen the symbols of various animals and atop its head amidst its pink hair sat a circlet with two antlers growing out though its eyes were hard to see as they were hidden behind its pink flowing hair.
Then a shadow stepped out beside the armored pony. This one a blue pony with out-starched wings wearing mail armor that while giving good protection did not restrict movement and across its shoulder was a strange long rod and flowing from under its helmet was a mane of rainbows.
Finally the last shadow jumped out of the gate and landed beside the nature pony with what was obvious a big smile behind his facemask it was a pink pony with a dark pink mane bursting from the back of its helmet it had dark red and black armor and at each side was a dagger and in many of the pockets was numerous gadgets.
Then the first pony lifted her hoof and pulled the cowl back and with a sigh Twilight Sparkle said. “We’re home.”