//------------------------------// // Battling the Ancients, Part 1 // Story: Sunset Rekindled // by EldritchNexus //------------------------------// Hotrod Sterling sat in his office, when Mauve Mirage entered. "Howdy-do, Ms. Mirage." said Sterling. "So, have ya done what I told ya? "I'm quite done with it, thank you very much." said Mauve. Then she seized Sterling by the neck, holding him up with her front hooves. "But if you make me do anything so degrading ever again, I'll." "You'll what, Councilwoman?" asked a rough voice coming from a corner of the room. Mauve let Sterling down and then turned around. There was a stallion sitting on a chair in the corner. Mauve couldn't tell who it was, since he was wearing a large black overcoat with matching bodysuit, as well as a balaclava and gas mask so that his coat, eyes, and mane were perfectly concealed. "And who the devil are you supposed to be?" asked Mauve, rolling her eyes. "They call this here fella...'Master Zed'." said Sterling, grinning. "Not the name I woulda chosen, but..." "I've never heard of him." said Mauve Mirage, narrowing her blue eyes. "The boys back West sent him, least that's what he told me." said Sterling. "Came here just a couple hours ago." "So you're the only one that was sent to assist us in apprehending those vagabonds?" asked Mauve, skeptically. Master Zed climbed out of his seat, put on a spiked helmet that was on the chair beside him, approached Mauve, and looked into her eyes intensely. "I'm the only one you need." he said. "Assuming they live to make the return journey, that is..." "What do you mean?" asked Mauve. Sunset Shimmer blasted the second Maul-Ra with a burst of magical energy, but the creature dodged it by jumping, doing a cartwheel in mid-air. The first Maul-Ra lifted the two objects it held in its claws, and pulled the handles. Two greenish-white flames burst from the fronts of the objects and a projectile of matching color jettisoned towards Sunset, who dodged it with a surprised yelp. "Did...did it just shoot lasers at me?!" Sunset exclaimed, as she got back up. "I don't care what they're using." Trixie stated. "The Great and Powerful Trixie shall challenge their little lightshow with one of her own!" Trixie's horn glowed, and an arc of lightning shot forward, singing the right hand of the second Maul-Ra and breaking the weapon it held into three pieces. But the Maul-Ra just as quickly swung the other weapon, and fired another projectile that hit Trixie square in the front, causing her to double over in pain while simultaneously getting knocked against the wall. "Trixie, you okay?!" said Lightning, frantically turning to look at Trixie. "Lightning, look out!" Trixie gasped, as the Maul-Ra aimed its gun again. But it was too late, and another projectile swatted the pegasus out of the air, sending her crashing into the wall, and landing on top of Trixie. Sunset growled, as her own horn glowed brightly. She fired a beam of her bluish-green aura at the other weapon, disintegrating it along with the hand that held it. The Maul-Ra roared viciously, and then lunged forth, seizing Sunset by the roots of her mane. It lifted her up in front of its bestial face, and bellowed loudly as it swatted her out of its own hand with the stump of its arm. Sunset was knocked into the wall, where she lay in a daze. But before she could do anything, the one-clawed Maul-Ra grabbed her by the tail, and hauled her back down the corridor and into the tunnel. The other did the same with Lightning Dust and Trixie. Sunset opened her eyes in a daze, and she found herself laying on her back across a cold stone floor. Her vision was blurry, but she was able to decipher the dark, pale equine shape looming over her. The figure was very tall and had a long, shaggy black mane that extended down his neck, with knots and curls dotting its length. His body was generally gaunt and unfed, but Sunset could still tell there was a lot of strength within. "King...Nelphyn, I presume?" asked Sunset. "Sunset Shimmer, we meet again." said the cold voice of King Nelphyn. His face was practically emotionless, but fairly animated nonetheless. "You and your friends have come all the way from the safety of Canterlot Castle...just to die by my hoof." "My friends? Where are they?!" Sunset said frantically, getting back up. "Right...here, Sunset." Lightning Dust's voice rose up behind Sunset. Sunset turned around, and saw Lightning Dust and Trixie slowly getting back to their feet, groaning in pain. "So, you're the big bad dude that's causing all this trouble." said Lightning Dust, steadily approaching Sunset's side to face Nelphyn. "I am doing nothing more than reclaiming what is rightfully mine." said King Nelphyn. "Nearly a thousand years of absence has left Saddle Arabia under the rule of pathetic imitators of its original empire." "But did you have to invade an entire city to do that?" asked Sunset. "Mareusalem was a warning to the others, as to what will happen if the rest of Saddle Arabia refuses to submit to their true master." "You do know that's completely crazy, right?" asked Lightning Dust. "You would think that." Nelphyn said in a louder, clearer voice. "But your precious Equestria has become too attached to these infidels, so they don't understand what I am doing is the right thing." "You also tried invading Equestria long ago." said Sunset. "Only so that my influence could spread there." said King Nelphyn. "The princesses are powerful and just, but their teachings are inferior to my own. Equestria claims to be equal to all that are equine, yet the pegasi and unicorns get all the power." "But earth ponies are important, too!" Sunset said, quickly. "They tend the earth, and the farming, and..." "But their power is still limited compared to the others." Nelphyn rebuked. "Tell me, when was the last time you ever heard of an earth pony that used magic, or becoming an Alicorn?" "But earth ponies can't--" "Lies!" snapped Nelphyn. "Earth ponies can ascend to such levels of power. I myself have experienced it long ago." "The Elder Rock..." said Sunset. "A gift from the true gods, some might call it." Nelphyn said, calmly. "A gift for my kind. For those without horns or wings. I am the strongest earth pony that ever lived, regardless of size or breed. It's only right that an earth pony should ascend to true power. However, the infidels that took the power before my civilization could only proved that such power wasn't for everyone. They needed control and discipline of that power. I have both!" "So you can toss a few rocks around..." Trixie said. "That doesn't mean you can just use magic wherever you want." "Rocks?" King Nelphyn laughed in a high, wicked tone. "I can do more than throw rocks, little unicorn. I can reduce mountains to rubble, split islands in half, and open canyons as deep as they are long. Not all magic comes from a horn. But since none of you are earth ponies, it is no surprise that you don't realize that. I have magic of my own, as do all earth ponies. But my magic is physical and not because of spells, potions, or manipulation of the elements. But for the rest, there's this." He opened the front of his garment, revealing none other than the Alicorn Amulet. "This gave me more power than I could ever believe. All the power and skills of the three equine races, and then some." "Yeah, but it also corrupts you and makes you go nuts." said Trixie. "You need the willpower to control the Alicorn Amulet, something a mere unicorn doesn't have." King Nelphyn said. Nelphyn looked at Sunset. "Although I have to admit: You didn't do too bad with it back in the other world." said Nelphyn. "You must be very clever, not being able to use your own magic in that other world. How could you stand to be there, anyway?" "What do you mean?" asked Sunset. King Nelphyn growled. "Those pathetic, disgusting humans." said Nelphyn. "I hated them so. Not a moment passed where I didn't utterly despise that world and all that inhabited it. Weak and dependent on tools and technology to make a decent living. I don't know how you could stand to live among them, without even being able to use your magic. I would have left as soon as I arrived." "But why didn't you?" asked Sunset. "Ah...because my master ordered me to stay there until the time was right." "Your master?" asked Sunset. "Of course." said King Nelphyn. "Did you think that I would have waited as long as I did if I wasn't told to do so? I would have wiped out the entire human race long ago, Alicorn Amulet or not. But then, I would have gotten lonely being the only sapient being in that world." "But who...?" "It doesn't matter." said Nelphyn. "I will not bore you with further chatter. I will simply destroy you instead. Prepare yourselves!" Sunset gasped as King Nelphyn lunged forward with blinding speed, knocking aside both Trixie and Lightning Dust to seize Sunset by the neck. He started to tighten his grip intensely, all without changing his expression or making a sound. Pale red vapor began to emit from his vacant eye-sockets. "Since I admire your fortitude the most, Sunset Shimmer...you will perish first!" said King Nelphyn, whose grip was tightening harder and harder. "And then I will finish off the rest of your putrid pony-friends one at a time." Sunset could hear her neck-bones starting to crack, and she started to get dizzy. But she focused as hard as she could to focus her magic, and managed to blast King Nelphyn's gaunt face with a bright flash of her aura. However, even that wasn't enough to make him let go of her. But then... "Agh!" Nelphyn growled, as a surge of purple electricity scorched his back. "Let Sunset go!" Trixie shouted. "You want to fight somepony? Fight Trixie first!" Nelphyn slowly let go of Sunset, letting her drop to the ground to face the blue unicorn. "So, you really want to die first?" he said, flatly. "So be it. I can't resist a good challenge. But unfortunately, you'll have to do." "Wow, I haven't heard that line before." Trixie snarked. "You must be a very proud little sorceress, aren't you?" Nelphyn said as he approached her, apparently recognizing her. "The Great and Powerful Trixie, I presume. Your counterpart in the human world irritated me to no end. Now I'm going to do to you what I wanted to do to her." "Bring it on, Nellie!" smirked Trixie, whose horn was glowing. "You have not beheld the magical wonders of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" "Nor have you dealt with one who has truly mastered the true power of the Alicorn Amulet." countered Nelphyn. "Prepare to be vanquished by your ultimate superior." The Alicorn Amulet started to glow around King Nelphyn's neck, as did his eyes. The two stared each other down intensely, as the chamber fell silent. Sunset and Lightning could do nothing more than watch in awe at the two.