A sense of dread and shock hung in the room like clouds of smoke. Twilight stared in sheer disbelief at the ominous newcomer before turning to Celestia for answers. The Princess’s face was hard and impassive, glaring directly at the one called Psyron.
She spoke, her voice low and tinged with something akin to fear, “Psyron, you.... you’re alive?”
Psyron’s eyes burned white hot as he smiled back at her. “Indeed I am, dear sister. No thanks to you.”
Rainbow Dash suddenly gasped out what everypony was thinking: “He’s your brother?!”
Psyron turned his head slightly to look at Rainbow, a smug smile still flickering across his fiery face. “Why yes, I am. Her elder brother, in fact. But of course she never told you about me, did she?”
He turned back to Celestia. “I believe you have much to explain to your subjects, Celestia. You can’t keep them in the dark forever....”
Celestia’s breath came deep as though she were struggling to control herself as she replied, “Leave my kingdom now, Psyron. You have no power here.”
Psyron’s eyes lit up even more and his flaming mane writhed about as he laughed harshly. “Ha! I have no power here? I seem to recall that the deep magics of Equestria give the power of the throne to the eldest living alicorn of the royal family; which would be me as of now.”
Celestia stood stone-faced, narrowing her eyes as she glared at him. His grin widened and he briefly glanced at Twilight and her friends before looking back at Celestia. “Of course you knew this all along... which is why you attempted to have me murdered.”
For the second time that day, Twilight Sparkle could feel her heart drop into her gut and her mind buzz in shock. She, as well as the other five ponies all slowly turned to stare at Celestia in disbelief. He was obviously lying; he had to be lying! Celestia would never do such a thing! And yet, the Princess’s face remain as stone-cold as before. She was not denying it. Why wasn’t she denying it?!
Psyron spoke as if reading her thoughts. “You don’t deny it, do you?”
After a few tense moments, Celestia spoke again, her voice surprisingly calm. “But the assassin came back. He reported that you were slain.”
“And then he died a few days later, is that not correct?” Although he was still smiling, Psyron’s voice was deadly cold. Celestia nodded wordlessly and he snorted, flames blasting from his nostrils. “You were a fool to think that I, Psyron, Prince of Black Magic, could be defeated by some lowly worm of an assassin. All it took was a few simple spells to mind-wipe him, insert false information saying that he had succeeded, and implant a poison in him that would kill him several days later. Of course, when I realized your plan against me, I decided to fake my death and flee, biding my time to return.” He smirked. “Not a bad feat for back then, if I do say so myself.”
Twilight could not stand it any longer. She leaped forward and whirled on Celestia, shouting to her in a voice of pleading despair, “Princess, he’s lying, isn’t he?! Please tell me that he’s lying!”
Celestia didn’t reply or even look down at her. She simply stood, staring straight ahead at her brother, her sides quivering with either fear or anger. Tears flowed from Twilight’s eyes as she stared up imploringly at her mentor. Had everything that Celestia taught her been a lie, too? What else was she hiding from them? Why was she not defending herself?
Psyron moved forward for the first time, striding up to Celestia in a path of flickering flames and pulsating energy. He continued his monologue as if there was no interruption: “And then you attempted to get rid of our younger sister as well....”
It was then that Celestia spoke out, her voice loud, clear, and quivering with rage. “That’s enough, Psyron. I wanted you gone because your heart and will for Equestria was full of darkness. You wanted to create war when the land needed peace. Your penchant for the forbidden magicks did not help your cause either. And with you first in line for the throne, there was no other way to save Equestria but to have you killed.”
So it was true. Twilight drew back from Celestia as though she had transformed into a venomous monster. The Princess that she had respected and loved all her life had just truthfully revealed that she had committed the act of attempted murder.... and on her own brother! This sudden thought made Twilight wish desperately that Shining Armor would come in and save them....
Psyron narrowed his burning eyes. “And when you took the throne, the power went to your head and you tried to be rid of Luna also. Of course, seeing no evil within her, you instigated her infamous transformation into the being of darkness known as Nightmare Moon.” He strode up closer to her sister, eyes fixed on her. “This gave you a perfect excuse to banish her to the moon, leaving the reign of Equestria all for yourself under the pretense that you had saved the land from evil!”
Celestia slammed her hoof on the floor and snapped. “That’s a lie! It was Luna’s own feelings of despair and bitterness that changed her, not me!”
“Just keep on lying to yourself, Celestia.” Psyron spat out. “Maybe someday those lies will come true! No, you allowed the ancient Demon of the Night to possess Luna because you knew that you could defeat it. Of course, you would have banished her forever, but you lacked the adequate power to do so.” Celestia was about to retort, but he cut her off. “Then when she returned and was changed back with the Elements, you had to warp your plans of domination a bit and forgive her; whether out of sincerity or beguilement, I am not to judge, although I suspect the latter...” He suddenly stopped. ”Which reminds me... “
He turned and stared down at Twilight, who had been listening all the while, enwrapped in utter confusion. Twilight felt his fiery eyes burn into him and shrank back to join her friends, who, apart from Rainbow Dash, sat solemnly on the ground, clinging to each other in shock.
Psyron smiled warmly at them and asked, his voice suddenly more gentle, although it still echoed ominously, “You are the six ponies who wielded the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon and Discord, am I not correct?”
As she nodded, a sudden realization slammed into Twilight. The Elements! They lay in this very room, waiting to be used against this new enemy. If they could only get to them, all of this trouble would be over! Bursting with sudden courage, Twilight stood up tall and glared at Psyron. “Yes, I am Twilight Sparkle, wielder of the Element of Magic.” She smiled defiantly. “You have just made a big mistake coming here, Psyron. You see, this chamber is where the Elements are stored, and all it takes is for us six to activate them and vanquish you for good!”
She looked up at Celestia. Even though Twilight had lost some respect for her, she was still the only one who could open the vault where the Elements lay. Celestia’s eyes moved and looked down at her, not daring to turn her back to her brother. She nodded once and her horn glowed. Twilight and the others turned and saw the vault at the end of the chamber open. Twilight gave a smug glare at Psyron and raced towards the vault, calling, “Come on girls, let’s show these invaders that they messed with the wrong ponies!”
As they ran, Dracona and Voltspark jumped up to go after them, but Psyron held out a flaming wing to stop them, whispering softly, “Not yet, my children. Just watch... and see what happens.”
The necklaces and tiara that represented the Elements of Harmony sat on the pedestal within the vault, each one glimmering and shining with beautiful power. Twilight picked them up reverently with her telekinetic horn and gave them to each respective pony. They all turned simultaneously and with a powerful flash, Twilight teleported them in front of Psyron. The alicorn stepped back into the ring of fire, his face unreadable. Twilight glared at him one last time before placing the tiara on her head.
Everypony watched as each of the Elements lit up in turn. Rainbow Dash’s Element of Loyalty; Applejack’s Element of Honesty; Fluttershy’s Element of Kindness; Pinkie Pie’s Element of Laughter; Rarity’s Element of Generosity; and finally, Twilight Sparkle’s Element of Magic.
Beams of lights began to shoot out from the gems, connecting together in a tall, spiraling rainbow that towered above everypony. Dracona and Voltspark stared in complete awe, cowering down slightly at the sudden display of sheer power. Psyron spread his wings over them in protection, his face still utterly without emotion. The six ponies closed their eyes as they floated up through the air, drawn by the powerful beams of light emitting from their Elements. Then Twilight’s eyes snapped open, now glowing pure white, and the rainbow-colored beam apexed at the ceiling of the chamber. As Psyron and his children stared up at it in amazement, it suddenly arced down in a beautiful blast of color, aiming straight for the three foes. Just as it hit them, Psyron’s horn glowed, and a shield of flame encased around them, but it was soon overwhelmed by the sheer force of the rainbow blast. The Elements continued to pour out power for several more seconds, bathing the entire room in its light and complexly covering all traces of Psyron’s fire.
Finally it subsided, and the six ponies slowly drifted down to the ground, their eyes still closed. Twilight stood with her head lowered, panting slightly from the exertion. She smiled and was just about to open her eyes, when she heard a slow clapping sound from across the room. She looked up sharply and her mouth dropped to the floor.
Psyron, Dracona, and Voltspark still stood where they had before, untouched and unchanged. The only effect that the Elements had done was to temporarily dispel the fire from the room. Psyron stood back, slowly clapping his hooves together, a smug smile on his face. “Well done, well done indeed. I never would have suspected that six ordinary little ponies would have been able to wield such power. Quite impressive.”
Twilight suddenly felt herself shake all over in disbelief. The Elements hadn’t worked. They had failed. She looked back at her friends, who all wore the same expression of shock. Fluttershy began to weep softly and Applejack sat staring at Twilight, her eyes telling of her sheer confusion.
Twilight then turned to Celestia pleadingly. The Princess looked down at her in sorrow and bewilderment. Apparently she had not expected this outcome either. In just one day, every hope they possessed had been torn apart. But why didn’t the Element’s work?
She found herself speaking this out loud, and Psyron answered, his voice tinged with amusement. “The Elements of Harmony were created to protect Equestria itself. The previous foes that you unleashed it upon had made direct changes to the very essence of the land, and thus were affected by the Elements. I, however, have not come to bring about eternal night or eternal chaos; I simply come to reclaim what is rightfully mine.” He grinned wider. “I don’t suppose the Elements are against justice, are they?”
Tears of rage suddenly built up in Twilight’s eyes and she whirled on Psyron, screaming, “Why are you doing this?! Why can’t you just leave us alone?!”
He frowned and stared down at her. “You don’t seem to understand, my dear. I am only carrying out justice; it is my right to be ruler of Equestria, and I am not going to let anything stand in my way!”
Suddenly the doors to the chamber flew open and a regiment of Royal Guards raced in, led by none other than Twilight’s brother, Shining Armor. Twilight’s heart leaped for joy when she saw her, but her exuberance was not for long. Psyron slowly turned his head and glanced at the guards, a smile playing about his mouth. Shining Armor stepped forward, his horn glowing with energy and a long spear at his shoulder. When he caught a glimpse of Twilight on the other side of the fiery alicorn, his eyes hardened and he ground his teeth, snarling at Psyron, “Get out of Canterlot and leave my sister alone!”
Dracona and Voltspark had also turned to face them, each crouching down and preparing for battle. Dracona’s hooves morphed into long-clawed hands and her tail into a scaly dragon-like one. Electricity arced over Voltspark’s body, leaping off of his horn and creating a field of lightning around him. Psyron smirked. “Now what made you think I was going to hurt anypony?” He made a slight upward motion with his horn and a wall of fire erupted between himself and the guards, completely separating them. He turned back to Celestia and smiled wickedly. “You’ve made two moves in a row, Celestia. Now it’s my turn.”
His eyes began to glow white-hot and purple energy spewed from his horn. Celestia leaped in front of the six ponies as the beam of magic energy shot out. She lowered her horn and formed a wall of her own magic before her, blocking the energy beam. Psyron laughed. “So, trying to fight back now, are we? Heheh.... how futile.”
He leaped high into the air, his gigantic flaming wings unfurled. Fire licked and wreathed around his body as he sat in the air, his eyes glowing brighter than ever. His voice crackled and resounded around the chamber as he laughed again, “I have been storing up spells for centuries, sister! My skill in the black arts is far beyond even your comprehension!”
Another beam of energy shot down and shattered Celestia’s shield. The ponies gasped in shock and Fluttershy fainted as an energy globe quickly wrapped around Celestia, encasing her in a bubble of flickering magic. She slammed her hooves, wings, and horn against it, trying to escape, but it was of no use. Psyron drew the energy prison closer towards him, a maniacal grin spreading across his face.
Before Twilight could react, Rainbow Dash shot forward like a jet, screaming, “LET HER GO!”
Voltspark too, blasted forward, but Rainbow was ready for him and dodged out of his way. She had almost reached Psyron when Dracona’s lithe tail lashed out and wrapped around her, yanking her to the ground. Twilight leaped forward, but Voltspark knocked her back into the others before forming an electric cage over them. Twilight teleported through the cage, but in her blind rage forgot the other ponies. Dracona hurled Rainbow Dash back across the room and through the cage, leaping through the air to grab Twilight. Rainbow screamed in pain as she flew through the electric barrier and hit the ground with a thud, now trapped inside. After helping up Rainbow, Applejack and Rarity glared up in hatred at Voltspark, who hovered above them, smiling evilly. Dracona slammed Twilight on the ground and pinned her down with her claws and tail, hissing viciously in her ear, “Make one move and I snap your neck!”
Psyron drew the trapped Celestia next to him until they were finally face-to-face. His smile had disappeared and he glared directly into her eyes. “Your day of reckoning has come, sister. Even if you have changed, your past sins are not absolved. It’s time for justice to prevail; my justice!” He paused and narrowed his eyes, glancing around the room. “It’s just a pity that our dear sister Luna could not be present as well. I’ve missed her so very much...”
As if on cue, a blast of blue light opened up in between Psyron and the six trapped ponies. Twilight’s eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. There was one last hope after all.
Psyron hovered lower to the ground, his eyes curiously fixed on the swirling blue energy. A regal form stepped out of the portal, her mane swirling about her like evening mist. Her dark eyes peered over the room, taking in everything, then she spoke, “What is this sorcery we see before us? Who-“ She suddenly stopped and gasped in shock when she saw her sister trapped in the globe of energy and the very tall flaming alicorn next to her. Luna stepped forward menacingly, her voice now low. “Who art thou and why have ye attacked the Princess Celestia?”
Psyron smiled down at her joyfully. “Luna, my dear sister! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! My, have you grown...”
Luna narrowed her eyes and stared up at him curiously. “Do I... know thee? Why do ye call me sister?”
Psyron smiled and dropped slowly to the ground, still holding Celestia in mid-air. “I am your brother, Psyron. Do you not remember me?” He paused and nodded as though suddenly realizing something. “Although I suppose being possessed by a demon and imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years would have some effect on your memory. That is understandable.” He glanced slyly back at Celestia, who simply sat, returning the glare.
Luna frowned and pointed a hoof at him. “But if thou art my brother, then why do ye hold our sister captive? If thou is here to bring about harm to her, then I can assure thee that I will fight thee to the end!” Her horn glowed slightly and the mist whirled around her.
Psyron stepped back and peered at her silently for a few seconds. It was then that Applejack took advantage of this and yelled, “Princess Luna! You’ve gotta help us!”
Luna whirled around and stared in horror when she saw the six ponies, trapped. She had not seen them at first upon entering, but now that she knew they were in danger, her anger boiled. She whirled around and faced Psyron, her wings outstretched and her eyes glowing dangerously. Psyron frowned and raised an eyebrow as she began to stalk towards him, her teeth clenched and mane swirling about furiously. The eerie monochromatic glow of her eyes made Psyron falter slightly, but his magical barriers still stood.
Luna’s voice was viciously low as she glared at him, her accent now gone. “You are going to let these ponies free right now or I will tear you to pieces; whether or not you are my brother!”
Psyron blinked and remained silent. Luna had become far more dangerous and powerful than she had ever previously been. That fusion with the Nightmare Spirit had given her great potential, even when released from it. This would definitely be worth looking into.
Then he smiled; a dangerously calm smile that Twilight knew could only mean trouble. Luna had kept on striding towards her brother, her deadly glowing eyes fixed upon him.
Psyron suddenly flew up into the air with his wings, whirling fire down at Luna. She gave a terrifying screech of rage and leaped through the flames at him, but a large beam of energy knocked her to the ground.
Psyron nodded to Dracona, who wrapped her claws around Twilight’s neck and squeezed, causing her to gasp in pain. Luna whirled towards them and Psyron spoke. Any trace of humor or smugness in his voice was gone as he growled, “I really don’t want to hurt you, Luna. After all, I have no vendetta against you personally. However, I must ask that you stand down and acknowledge the fact that I have the upper hoof. If you do not comply, then my daughter here will crush Twilight Sparkle’s neck. I really don’t think you want this to happen, and, quite frankly, neither do I; but harsh measures must sometimes be taken to ensure that justice prevails. Do you understand?”
Luna stood staring hard at Dracona and Twilight for several moments, remaining silent. Twilight gasped and struggled, but Dracona’s grip with strong.
Psyron spoke again. “Time is running short, Luna. Make your choice.”
Finally Luna turned back to him and replied, her voice still dangerous but not as threatening, “Very well. If you promise not to harm them, I will stand down.”
Dracona released her grip on Twilight’s throat, and she lay gasping for air.
Psyron smiled. “Good girl. Now, if you are smart, you’ll stay out of my way and let me carry out my justice.”
A dome of fire arced over Luna, trapping her inside. She remained calm, however, as though she had expected it.
Psyron then turned his attention back to Celestia. He spoke loud enough for everypony in the room to hear:
“Celestia, my sister, as the new Ruler of Canterlot and Lord of Equestria, I, Psyron, hereby decree that you be punished for your crimes against the deep magics of this land.” He paused for effect. “For attempted murder, usurpation, purposeful removal of the royal family-” At this he glanced down at Luna. “...and for lying to your subjects about these events for thousands of years, I hereby pronounce judgment upon you...”
The tension in the air at that moment was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Twilight stared up in fearful anxiety at Celestia, who still remained strangely calm.
Psyron continued, “...and decree that you be banished...” He briefly looked at Luna again. “...to the sun!”
Twilight bucked and struggled to break free as she screamed in despair, “NO! Noooo!”
Luna slammed herself against her fiery cage, her teeth clenched and eyes burning in pure anger.
Ignoring their desperate pleas, Psyron spread his wings out to their full length, his eyes closed and horn crackling and glowing with power. Celestia looked about her in desperation as the walls of her energy prison slowly caved in around her, changing to fire as they did. She struggled to escape the enclosing flames, firing bolts of magic energy around her, but it was all in vain. Psyron ground his teeth and shook with exertion, wreaths of flame and magic bursting from his horn. It was then that Celestia stopped struggling and turned to look upon her sister and the six ponies. Tears flowed freely from Twilight’s eyes as she watched the orb of magic fire envelop her mentor and ruler. Celestia’s face bore a surprisingly calm and regal expression, but her eyes were full of sorrow. Just as the flames enclosed her body completely, she locked eyes with Twilight and spoke, loud enough for her to hear:
“Be brave, Twilight Sparkle. I am sorry...”
A huge flash of light burst forth from where the Princess had been, swirling outward for a few seconds before imploding upon itself and disappearing into wisps of smoke.
Psyron gave a long rasping sigh and slowly dropped to the floor, folding in his fiery wings as he did. Twilight Sparkle huddled down as best she could and ground her teeth in sorrow. She was gone. Princess Celestia was really and truly gone.
Psyron strode over to where Luna sat glaring daggers of hatred at him through her tears. He sighed and looked at her with narrowed eyes. “It had to be done, Luna. I believe in royal justice, and such was that.”
She continued to glare at him as she replied, her voice soft and dangerously calm. “You will pay dearly for this treachery, Psyron. No amount of spells in Equestria will keep you from my wrath.”
Psyron stared levelly at her for a moment, his face slowly dropping into a frown. He snorted and turned away, rasping, “I really hoped that you would understand my plight, Luna. After all, you too know what it is like to have your own flesh and blood betray you and cast you out like a common criminal.” He turned back to her. “I thought you might actually appreciate the sense of poetic justice that I dealt during my judgment. But alas, it was not to be...” His horn glowed slightly and a small ring of smoke formed on the floor behind him, bunching together in a dark cloud. He stared directly into Luna’s eyes and continued. “I don’t hate you in the least, my sister, but if you will not join my kingdom, then I must put you aside for now. I can’t have you getting in the way of the path to a glorious new Equestria.”
He glanced behind him at the small cloud of smoke and smiled slightly. “You see, I have another ace up my sleeve that seals my dominance for good.” He stepped to the side and the smoke behind him cleared, revealing a figure standing beside him.
Twilight and Applejack both gasped simultaneously, “Amethyst?!”
The dark unicorn’s head remained bowed, her mane flowing down over her face and concealing it. Psyron looked over at the ponies and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you have met my youngest daughter, I take it? How interesting.” He strode over to Twilight and peered down at her, briefly glancing up at Applejack as well. “I assume that she told you of her plight? Of how her evil father planned to take over the world and she didn’t want to have any part of it? Of how she possesses the power to destroy all life as we know it?”
Twilight didn’t know what to say. After the many terrible shocks and tragedies that had taken place in succession, nothing surprised her. She looked over at Amethyst, who still stood mournfully gazing at the floor. Psyron narrowed his eyes, awaiting an answer, but none came. He shrugged and strode back to Amethyst, gently kissing the top of her head. He whispered to her, but loud enough for everypony to hear, “Obsidia my darling.... why don’t you do your father a favor and show these poor little foals what you can do....”
Amethyst, now revealed as Obsidia, raised her head and stared out before her. Her dark eyes, which had once been full of fear and desperation, were now cold and hard, matching the expression of her features. She placed one hoof forward and closed her eyes tight, shaking as she released magic energy into her horn. Twilight and her friends looked on in shocked wonder as Obsidia’s horn began to glow, and her body shuddered with power. Psyron stepped back and glanced at Luna, his eyes hard. Luna had been keeping her eyes fixed on her brother ever since Celestia had disappeared, but now she turned and stared at Obsidia. The little unicorn’s horn glowed with a black light, its energies swirling around her. Then something very startling happened.
A smooth crackling sound emitted from Obsidia as a slow but steady sheath of shiny blackness began covering her legs. Everypony watched in fascination as the wave of shimmering darkness encased her legs and spread over her body, ripping across her with a quickening pace. Soon her tail, neck, and head were also covered in the smooth blackness of obsidian. For a moment she remained still, frozen as through made of stone.
Then she moved. Her muscles writhed about, flexing out as if testing the encasement of smooth rock skin around her, and her eyes snapped open. No longer did they contain any hint of sorrow or fear; they were simply cold and emotionless, somewhat akin to a dead thing. As her eyelids lifted, the obsidian sheath coated over her eyeballs, completing her transformation.
Psyron spoke to her, his voice gentle, “Well done, my dear. Now focus your power towards your Aunt Luna.”
Luna stepped back cautiously as Obsidia’s cold gaze fell upon her. Her horn glowed again and the obsidian sheath rippled out from beneath her, coating the floor around her in its shimmering black glaze. Luna looked down in anxiousness as the wave of dark stone crept out towards her along the ground, crackling and shrieking against the floor as it went. It reached out along the floor, slipping under the dome of magic fire that surrounded her and creeping up towards her hooves. Luna looked down frantically and backed up as much as she could, trying to keep away from the reaches of the advancing glaze. Twilight and her friends could once again only watch helplessly as the smooth wave of black stone finally overcame Luna. She reared back in a panic as it encased her back legs, travelling quickly along her flanks and back, freezing her body in place as it went. She struggled desperately to break away from it, but onward it came, enveloping her shoulders, wings, neck, and front legs. As her eyes shifted back and forth in agony, Luna accepted her fate and took on one last expression of regal determination. The wave of smooth rock coated over her head until it joined together at the tip of her horn. The prison of fire crumbled down from around her and Obsidia gave a long gasp, sinking to her knees in fatigue.
Twilight Sparkle almost dared not look up at the frozen form of Luna, expecting the worst, but she gave in. She raised her head and stared upward, taking in every detail in the obsidian statue that was once Princess Luna. Her mane and tail had been captured in their perfect flowing shape, regally rippling out through the air as if blow by a breeze. She stood back on her hind legs, wings outspread as though arising to charge into battle. But it was her face that stood out. The expression of fearless power exuberated from her frozen features as though shouting out to all who looked upon her that she was indeed, a Princess of Equestria.
Twilight couldn’t help but feel admiration for Luna; even in the face of a terrible fate she had remained determined to fight on. Determined to find hope. In the midst of the seemingly endless trauma that had taken place this day, Twilight could feel the determination of hope rising within her, just by looking upon the regal face of the cold, solid black statue of Princess Luna.
Psyron walked over to his daughter Obsidia and lightly patted her head with his wing, whispering, “You have done well, my child.” He then turned and strode up to the statue of Luna, gazing at it with a strange mixture of sorrow and smugness. His voice was low and soft, but couldn’t hide a tinge of gleeful victory. “I am truly sorry, my sister. If there was any other way, I would take it, but alas, you chose to oppose me. How tragic. I will release you when the time comes, but for now, I have no need of you.”
Twilight’s eyes grew wide. Release her? So that meant that Luna was in fact, not dead? A small glimmer of hope flickered in her soul, but was quickly covered up when Psyron’s voice suddenly boomed out across the room.
“On this day the reign of two Princesses, Celestia and Luna, has ended, and a new era springs up in its place!” He turned and strode down the hallway, ignoring everypony he passed by. When he reached the great vault that had held the elements, he turned and rose up high, fire whirling around him.
“A new will grips the land! My will, my power, my destiny!” A maniacal grin slowly spread over his face once more and his eyes burned more intensely than ever. Magic flames burst and roared around him as his deep voice echoed out across the room, proclaiming to all of Equestria:
“The reign of Lord Psyron has begun!”