All's Right With The World

by Dusty Tome

Chapter Four

Rarity soon recovered. She joined in the group’s laughter for a few minutes before straightening herself out and standing with a sigh.

Without warning, a haunting howl cut through the walls of the store, chilling the blood of everyone inside. Luna opened her mouth as if to speak, but a large wolf seemingly made of shadows cut her off, pouncing on her from the open doorway.

Rarity reached for her rapier, but before she could even move it towards her, the wolf vanished with a pained yelp. In it’s place was Luna, disheveled hair sticking out wildly, a large scythe whose blade glimmered like the night sky in her hands. Straightening her tunic and hair, she said, “Fear not, I merely fell.”

“With all due respect, Luna dear, I think I speak for us all when I say that that wolf was the cause of your ‘fall,’” Rarity stated gently.

Luna paled to an almost ghostly hue. “No, it cannot be. You saw the fenrir that assaulted me? Then— dear Mother,” she gasped, suddenly turning fearful. “We mustn’t tarry. We need to get to the Tartarus Gate, now!” Twilight nodded an agreement, flourishing her wrists and, with a rushing of air, the girls were gone.

Once they blinked back into existence before the Gate, Luna shot forward, spurred by a great gust from her wings, slamming the doors to the temple open. When the girls stepped into the church, they froze. In the center of the building stood the king, clothes raggedly torn and swinging a bastard sword wildly at the masses of snarling shadow creatures that surrounded him. Each swing scattered a few of the beasts, but more quickly replaced them, a roiling menagerie of every creature conceivable, warped into bleak parodies of themselves.

The king delivered a wide swing, leaving a wake of boiling acid and fresh waffles. He looked to Luna and the group behind her. Sweat matted his silver hair to his scalp, but he still greeted them with a snaggletoothed smile. “Welcome back, Goddess Luna. My, it has been quite a while, hasn’t it?” He swung his sword behind him, decapitating a shadow that had leapt over the corrosive, crusty barricade. “As much as I’d love to reminisce, this won’t hold them for long. A little assistance would be appreciated.”

Luna gasped, drawing her scythe again from the aether, before jumping into the combat.

Twilight turned to Rarity and Pinkie Pie, confused, but serious. “Pinkie, where are my sword and your hammer? And Rarity— Oh good, you’ve got yours.”

Pinkie giggled nervously, before replying, “Yours is under your mattress, silly, the last place you’d look. And I already have my hammer.” With that, Pinkie reached behind her, drawing what looked to be a miniature cannon, before pressing a button. It unfolded in ways that didn’t seem entirely possible until it became a rather large pink and blue hammer with a sharpened point on one side.

Twilight knew better than to ask. She just nodded and filed the information away for the next time Pinkie pulled that particular stunt. But now that she knew where her sword was, all it took to retrieve it was a sharp snap of her fingers. When the resulting violet haze settled, the sheathed blade was in her hand. By all rights, she should’ve been exhausted, but it barely felt like a warmup. She strapped the blade to her side, drew it, and filled it with her magic, energy running up the lattice and bursting into large violet flames.

Twilight turned around with a flourish of her armored coat. “Alright, ladies, looks like it’s showtime.” The three girls shot forward as the shadows rushed them.

Rarity took on a distant, almost unfocused look. An indigo mote on the tip of her rapier was the only visible sign of her magic, weaving a trail of light as the sword moved. The shadows came at her like a bolt of cloth, mindlessly trying to envelop her. Thus, she fought like a sewing machine, with regular, efficient, precise thrusts that worked towards a greater vision.

Pinkie Pie didn’t fight. She played, swinging her hammer as easily as a croquet mallet and in ways that would get her banned from any country club. Every downswing on some unfortunate umbral skull came with a burst of pink energy that propelled her up to the ceiling, where she could drop like a meteor and start the bouncing cycle anew.

Twilight unleashed the fire of her magic, channeling the rage in her heart into a massive wave of arcane fury that bit deep into the teeming horde. As she fought, she felt every memory of anger and sorrow surface, pouring them into ever deadlier magic and swordplay.

Luna danced, her scythe’s motions incredibly graceful for what such a cumbersome-looking weapon. Shadows burst into foul vapor when she neared them, her blade moving so swiftly that it seemed they simply could not bear the serene beauty of her motions. The Goddess of Night drifted about the temple like her moon across the night sky, trailing a wake of fading shadowstuff.

The king now stood his ground, faintly warping the area around him, drawing in foes. Impossible colors lined the edges of his blade and the space around him. He dispatched foes slowly, almost teasingly, always with a single stroke but never the same move twice. Two-handed, one-handed, no-handed, even a few blows that seemed to involve legs. Or tentacles.

Soon enough, the remaining shadows fled in dark blurs and hisses. In their wake, the Tartarus Gate became visible, along with the hairline crack that marred it.

As the girls caught their breath, Luna said, “I would speak to my friend of old. Stay near should more of the fiends return.”

Rarity went to examine the stained glass windows, Pinkie chose to watch the people milling about below, seemingly oblivious to the commotion that had occurred, and Twilight climbed to the roof of the temple, watching the star-dappled sunset over the ocean, calmly dangling her legs over the side, humming softly.

“Don’t you move. Can’t you stay where you are, just for now?” Twilight sang out in a gentle, melancholy tune, before humming again.

“You have a beautiful voice Twilight. Might I join you?” asked a calm voice from behind her.

Never opening her eyes, Twilight agreed, “Of course, Luna. I suppose the stars coming out earlier than normal is your doing?”

“Yes, among other things.” Luna leaned back against the next tier of the roof, her thin legs dangling beside Twilight’s. “I owe you an explanation and an apology for what transpired in the temple earlier. I never anticipated that you could see the shadows, and I never meant to draw anyone else into this conflict. For that I am truly sorry, but I thank you for your help.” When Twilight simply nodded in acknowledgement, she continued, “You seem strangely calm, especially for the day you have had. May I ask what is on your mind? My vow still holds; I will gladly help with anything, even if all you need is an open ear.”

When Twilight finally opened her eyes, they sparkled with a faraway, determined stare. “Ever since I was little, after I lost my mom, I hated the Goddesses… hated you. But now, I’m not so sure. I must sound silly, bearing this hatred for someone I never met, thrusting grief and resentment onto someone who seemed infallible, who was supposedly watching over us, guiding fate and protecting us.

“Now? Now I see that maybe you’re just as lost as I am, maybe even more, I don’t know. I used to stare at the moon, and feel this anger building inside, shunning the stars and the sun for the same reason. I look up now, and I see this beauty that I blocked off with a stupid, childish grudge. It shaped my world, turning me cold and cynical. Losing my family changed me. I’ve been broody and quick-tempered, blunt when I wasn’t being passive-aggressive. I avoided friends, drank too much, and never felt moved by anyone. I lost my parents, that much I understood. I never thought I’d lose myself too.” Twilight turned toward Luna, “When you showed up in my house, all of that crashed down around me. After meeting you, getting to know you a little, I feel like maybe if I stay with you I can find my reasons. Maybe I can get the answers I used to cry myself to sleep over. I’ve decided, I’m gonna go where you do. That’s what Mom and Dad would want me to do, I think.”

Luna smiled, turning back to the stars. When she heard Twilight hum again, she joined her. Together under the stars, for the first calm moment that day, the girls shared a nocturne.

After some time, Luna heard a sound from below, and, rousing Twilight from her silence, hopped down from the roof. When they got to the large marble and mahogany doors, they saw Pinkie, Rarity, and the king, sharing a conversation. As the girls approached them, the king broke into a fond smile. “Ahh, dear Goddess Luna, I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age. What has it been? Almost two thousand years?”

Luna chuckled, “Two thousand, three hundred and fifty two, by my count. You have aged quite well, Scoddri. And becoming a king? Well, I knew you were a natural leader after all.”

“You flatter me. Well young ladies, I believe introductions are in order. I am King Scoddri Von Anagram, third king of Alteneera, protector of the west, and second general to the Goddesses during the war of the Gods. Nice to meet you.” He bowed low, sweeping his mismatched robe wide.

And so, introductions and exchanges were shared, and the king invited them all to convene in the castle’s library, at the behest of the Goddess. When they reached the castle, Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie released a collective gasp. Seeing the elegant building up close for the first time brought a new light to it.

The castle was massive, covered in ornate reliefs and carvings, with crenelations dancing atop marble and stone towers that seemed to support the very heavens. Front and center were a truly huge set of iron, gold, and oaken double doors, studded here and there with pearls and pieces of obsidian, all glinting in the soft moonlit glow.

The king guided them through halls and foyers, all elegantly decorated and furnished, before leading the group to the royal archives and ushering them to a table. As he sat at the head of the table, he spoke. “I suppose you all think you’re due an explanation. Fortunately, so do I. After all, you can actually see those blasted things. Given that, both Goddess Luna and I believe it’s time we explain the past. Take notes, there may be a quiz later on.”

His playful expression went neutral, his eyes focused on the past. “Long before the Goddesses came to this world, there existed a primal, dark magic. This magic twisted natural life into dark marionettes to further its own ends, namely the destruction of the resisting pockets of harmony and light on the planet, followed by the rest of the universe and beyond. When the Goddesses came, they fought back against this evil, containing it in a prison made from stone, fire, and the bones of the first Titans. It was before the door to this hell was sealed that the darkness gained form to speak to them. Standing at the gate, clad in fire and shadows, the twisted fiend who was once Azeroth, Titan of Death, spake, ‘Hear me now, harlots of light. I, Morkaidius, will blot out every speck of light from your hearts. I will fill this reality with hatred and fear until it runs over. You cannot contain me.’ As the gates closed, the Goddesses sealed the door with the five aspects of light, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty, using magic as an agent to bind and strengthen the seal. It is only with these six powers that the the doors can be unlocked fully, releasing Morkaidius to fulfill his goal.”

He stroked his goatee lovingly, watching Pinkie try balancing a vase on her nose, before continuing on. “This is where our contemporary ‘scripture’ begins, though it recasts the Battle of the Gods as a simple power struggle. The Goddesses, chiefly Celestia, sought to raise an army to combat this vile spread of Morkaidius’s influence on Man. Four such humans, Chrysalis, Sombra, Cadenza, and I, joined them, along with a small few who also didn’t fear his power. When the Goddesses realized the power we had wouldn’t be enough to silence the dark whisperings of the afflicted Titans, they gifted us four with hidden magics. To me they gifted the power of unbridled Chaos—which has made ruling a country very interesting—Sombra could strike down upon his foes with great vengeance and furious anger, Cadenza was given the gentle sweetness and raw fury of pure love, and Chrysalis could reflect and emulate the abilities of those who opposed her. Using these new powers, we, as their generals, cut down and sealed the shadows and darkened armies in Tartarus.

“When all was done and the war ended, none remained but the four generals and the Goddesses to witness the banishing of the dark legions. Before sealing themselves in crystal, and Faust in with the demons, the sisters assigned us to guard the four boundaries and watch over their growing children. For millennia, we have been the silent watchers, guiding Man along, and keeping the realms safe from Morkaidius’ designs. We decided that Sombra go North, and Chrysalis to the South, leaving me to the West, and Cadenza to tend the East.

“That is how the world has been for thousands of years, up until yesterday. When Luna’s crystal cracked, so too did the Gate. As she gained her freedom, so too did the least of the creatures sealed in Tartarus. That means at least one of my fellow guardians has been compromised. It may also be that Tirek, Morkaidius’ most prized son, is weakening the door while the Titan himself bides his time.” The king sighed softly. “They already have magic at their disposal, thanks to their dark puppeteer, it’s intrinsic to their nature, but the others are things those demons can’t touch alone.” He perked up. “So, any questions?”

“Wait, what?” Twilight blinked, confused. “Titans? What in the name of Luna’s bollocks are titans? I’ve never even heard of titans, not even in the stories that praise the goddesses.”

The king bore a bemused smile, and Luna blushed. “Well, heavenly naughty bits aside, Titans are the guardians and representations of natural magics. There is one for every element, wind, earth, fire, water, magic, and even silly ones for minor things like the oceans and volcanoes. I believe there are, oh, thirteen left. The darkness seems intent on possessing or outright killing them. The important ones just get reborn after getting obliterated.”

“If you’re an immortal guardian, then why are the shades attacking, and why aren’t you stopping them? And why are we the only ones who can see the stupid things?” Twilight glared daggers at the elder Guardian. Suspicious daggers. Tipped with questions. And mixed metaphors.

“Good men mean well. We just don’t always end up doing well,” Scoddri said with a sigh. “A lot of times we fail without a second word or chance to fix things. I may be immortal, Miss Sparkle, but by no means does that make me perfect.

“As for you lot, you can see the darkness because of the power that courses through your veins. Somewhere down the line, the powers that bind the Gates made themselves known through several bloodlines, in people who exemplified these traits. Needless to say…” The king smirked. ”Well, it’s needless to say. You should be able to figure out that much.”

Twilight nodded. “Rarity, Pinkie, and I are some of those exemplars.”

Scoddri beamed. “Good to see you’re as smart as Luna thinks you are. You will know the others when you meet them, as your blood will feel comfortable around them, feel like you have been friends or even family for years. Only the ones who are graced by these powers or the gifts of the Goddesses can see these beasts... for now. As soon as their dark master is free, then the world will be at risk.”

“So basically, we have to go and fix this? Rescue the Goddesses? Find these powers, stare down the evil and fire some weird freaking 'rainbow beams of fix everything'?” Twilight sighed, something she had been doing too often lately, and rubbed her growling stomach. “Incidentally, what is the going rate for rescuing Goddesses these days? Food would be a nice start…the good stuff mind you. And how does an immortal even become king?”

“You are an impetuous little whelp, too brash and angry for the world around you. I like you already.” The king chuckled brightly, rolling his eyes. “I’m king because a girl sitting in a puddle threw a knife at me.”

Pinkie raised her hand. “I thought you were king because you were appointed to watch over humanity.”

“That too,” Scoddri conceded. He turned back to Twilight. ”Any other stupid questions, Miss Sparkle? Done now? Goody. I hope you memorized everything, because I have no intention of repeating myself when you find the rest of your merry band.”

Rarity shuffled in her seat. “Forgive me, Your Highness, but there is something I wanted to know.”

“Go ahead. You could’ve already asked it by now if you hadn’t bothered with the formalities.”

“Er. Yes. Well.” Rarity cleared her throat. ”I understand how we can see these beasts, but I don’t understand how we can fight them. I’ve had my share of confrontations while gathering materials but…” She shook her head. “In the temple… I’ve never felt like that. It was as though something was wielding me as much as I was using my rapier.”

The king nodded. “You’re not far off, Miss Belle. You are, in some ways, an extension of the seal. Fighting those creatures is literally in your blood, an instinct as ingrained as breathing. It won’t guarantee victory against the nastier sorts, but it will certainly put you on a solid footing.

”Now, ‘the good stuff,’ was it? I’m sure that can be arranged.”

Scoddri clapped his hands twice. A woman in a beige skirt and suit hurried into the library, her pink hair giving way to gray. “Yes, Your Highness?” Her tone made it clear where those gray hairs were coming from.

The king smiled. “Ah, Marian. Everyone, this is my majordomo, Miss Marian Maria Mare. Incredibly useful woman, keeps the whole kingdom running more or less. Marian, we would like a banquet. Full spread. Say… twenty minutes from now?”

Miss Mare didn’t even flinch. “Of course, Your Highness. I’ll alert the kitchens.” She left with the same haste with which she arrived.

“You can’t possibly expect a full banquet in twenty minutes,” said Twilight.

“You can’t. I can, because I’m king. One of the perks, you see. Believe me, this is far from the most ludicrous thing I’ve asked for, that Marian has delivered on. As I said, incredibly useful, and she hardly ever plots against me.” Scoddri paused for a moment. ”Well, there was that time I found an assassin in my shower, but it may not have even been hers. Really, I think she just does it because I’d be disappointed otherwise. So considerate.”

Pinkie nodded. “That’s my aunt Marian alright!”

“Oh.” Twilight gave a little laugh. ”Well that explains everything.”

Scoddri quirked an eyebrow. “It does?”

“Is there some forgotten Titan of time and space that had pink hair? Because that would mesh perfectly with my current theory.”

“Not that I can recall.”

And yet, twenty minutes later, the main dining room had in it a feast fit for a king, a Goddess, and three embodiments of ancient virtues.

After the meal, the king offered the four girls rooms in the castle for the night, so as to avoid their walking home in the darkness. (“I suppose you could take the Twilight Express,” he’d said, “but I haven’t had such delightful guests in far too long.”) Pinkie and Rarity agreed to a room for themselves, leaving the pale Goddess with Twilight.

Twilight sat softly at the head of the large bed on one side of the room, watching Luna drag the moon across the sky on the other side. She felt drained, emotionally dead as what had happened that day caught up to her. Nothing she’d ever held onto was true, and it hurt. But now, there was nobody to pin it on. She watched Luna finish her magic, before stripping off her clothing, save the leggings and tunic.

They said their goodnights, and sleep found them.

Twilight felt the shadows coming down around them. She saw her mother standing there, but couldn’t move, couldn’t even scream as she was swallowed by darkness. Her father lay beside her when the darkness finally cleared. It was a horrible scene. She cried, yelling and heaving with terrified sobs and heart-wrenching shouts, until she felt a calm hand on her shoulder. When she looked, there was nothing around her, save a large circle of serene light. As Twilight looked up, she smiled. The clouds that had haunted her dream's sky vanished, and the stars in the sky seemed to move and form softly glimmering images in the darkness surrounding her, and for the first time in years, Twilight Sparkle slept calmly.