The train pulled up to the station, the lunar guards got off an escorted Luna, Twilight, and Nikolai off and into the streets. The streets seemed abandoned.
"Where is every pony?"
" The went inside Twilight, under the order of Celestia."
"Why would she do that?"
"So the ponies, wouldn't panic."
"Smart."
Luna took Nikolai and Twilight into the castle, She spoke to Nikolai.
"Celestia said that you are to be put in a cell. Sorry, she gets paranoid."
"I completely understand."
Twilight was a little anxious about this. Luna took Twilight into a guest bedroom.
Two lunar guards took Nikolai into a cell in a tower to the left of the hall. They asked him to disarm. He simply gave him his knife.
"Thank you. We will come back for you when the princess is ready for your trial."
"Okay, thanks."
The cell door shut and locked, the guards exit the room. It was completely quite. Nikolai took inventory on what he had. He still had that beer, a bit of stamina potion, and the potion he recently made. Nikolai looked over his wand and saw that the cracks were bigger, that is highly unusual. He drank a bit of that beer and observed his cell. A bed, of course. A sink and toilet, standard issue. a table and chair, nothing new. Nikolai sat on the bed and thought about home, he might never see the city with the copper pipes overhead and the chimneys puffing out steam, the airships flying through the air, the gorgeous spire in the middle of the earth lighting the way for the travelers of the wind. Nikolai didn't have much family to look forward to. His dad was a drunkard who should be dead for the amount of times he crashed his airship. His mom died giving birth to him. He didn't have any siblings, it would be nice to have some one to support. Nikolai's uncle was a airship engineer and taught him how to build one out of scratch effectively. That would be a project to do. His grandfather taught him how to bend magic to his will, his grandmother was born a mana leech and taught him how to control it. He also missed his instructor who taught him the seven magic elements, and taught him how to break magic and destroy all who oppose him. Nikolai is supposed to move on from apprentice to journeymen soon. Nikolai looked down at his enchanted silver necklace, it had a ice cold blue gem, He couldn't properly identify what gem it was, all he knew was that it was powerful artifact, he didn't know what it did but he wore it every day. Nikolai decided that was enough thinking for now and went to lay down, he dozed off until judgement time.
"Luna? where are we going?"
"To meet your companions."
"Wait. What?"
Luna took Twilight into the guest bedroom, all her friends were there. Twilight went into a silent panic attack. She just couldn't say anything.
"So, Nikolai think you are going to pass inspection."
"Piss off, I am probably going to fail because of you."
"Oh that would be a glorious sight to behold. A powerful mage dying to a weak little pony."
"Just shut the hell up. i always have a backup plan, and i also have a backup plan for that backup plan."
"Oh, this shalt be fun then."
"These are the facts as i understand them. 1. you can piss in the direction of off 2. I will survive through what ever it takes."
"Oh sure you will."
"Nikolai you know that if I die then you die too."
"OOOH how wrong are you. I would simply take you over and destroy everything."
"You would."
"Love you too."
Nikolai was shaken awake by a royal guard instead of a lunar guard.
"You are being requested for judgement."
"Okay. I will just go to the bathroom first."
"Of course." the guard waited outside for Nikolai.
Nikolai took the newest potion and chugged it completely. He went outside to the guard and went down the hall. The halls seemed extremely long with Nikolai's anxiety rising. The walls had the same repeating pattern of white on top and gold on bottom. It seemed mesmerizing. Nikolai and the guard reached the end of the line, the throne room. There was two pedestals, on the lower was princess Luna, on the higher was a tall white pony with pink, green, and blue flowing mane. That must be princess Celestia. She seemed to be on high alert. to the right of the door was some stands with 5 ponies, one was yellow with a pink mane and tail, one was orange with the same color mane and tail, another was cyan with rainbow mane and tail. one was pink with the same color mane and tail, and the last one was the pony he saved before. In front of the door a bit away was a long desk with 2 chairs. In the far chair was Twilight, sitting and looking stressed. The room had stained glass windows with pictures made into them. The room was the same color pattern as the hallway. Well... looks like it's judgement day.
"Please have a seat." Luna motioned to the chair next to Twilight.
Nikolai took his seat,he didn't look at Twilight.
"This is a judgement for wizard apprentice Nikolai Sanders."
Nikolai nodded.
"Tell us why you are here."
Nikolai thought to himself: cause shit didn't turn out the way I thought.
"I will start by saying, I am not here on my own will. I was being chased by wolves in a forest on my home world and i found a crystal tree. The tree sucked me into this world. I fell from the sky and was severely injured. Twilight came to my crash site and helped me. we traveled through that damned forest, and got ambushed and taken prisoner twice. The 2nd time we were approached by this bug queen or something, chrysalis i think. Twilight was cut up, but I made her cut me up more to free both of us, I incapacitated chrysalis and got Twilight and I out. We got out of the forest and Twilight got medics and we got healed. Then we were summoned here. And now, here we are."
"Mhm, Twilight, is this human speaking the honest truth?"
"Yes princess."
"You have passed part 1. Now I will judge your resolve."
"How would you do that?"
Celestia lowered her head and her horn glowed yellow, Nikolai's heart glowed through his chest. It was pure black and sucked the light from around his chest. Luna and Twilight's eyes were wide open in shock.
"Nikolai. I am sorry, you have failed and shalt be smitten were you stand." Celestia drew back and cast forward her horn.
Time slowed as Nikolai's quick reflexes kicked in. He saw the yellow bolt fly through the air towards his chest. Twilight slowly turned toward him with sadness, tears ran down her cheeks. Luna slowly looked down is disappointment. The ponies in the stands had stone faced expressions, while rarity had a shocked expression. Nikolai took his wand from the holster inside his robe and took it out. He aimed it at Celestia, but then re aimed at the bolt. The bolt struck the tip of Nikolai's wand and held its place, the tip shined bright yellow, showing the spell absorption in effect. TIme went back to normal, Nikolai was knocked back from the spell. Celestia sat on her throne watching in awe as were all the ponies in the room. Nikolai held the spell in his wand and flicked it at the ceiling leaving a hole in the roof. Debris fell down. the light reflected off the dust giving Nikolai a Divine look.
"I see that you won't go without a fight."
"And I won't fight you. I know that you are trying to make me seem like the bad guy." Nikolai raised his wand above his head, he saw the cracks were bigger. he pulled the wand on the desk.
"So be it, perish were you are."
"STOP." every one looked to Luna.
"He is not the darkness you see in him. I have seen that he is not darkness. It's his inner demons that are trying to corrupt him."
"Luna..."
"NO. I have been inside his mind, he fights himself every time he falls asleep. He has powered through darkness you could never imagine. it nearly took me..."
"Fine."
"Thank you for listening."
"Is there any pony in the stands that can attest to Nikolai's light."
Silence until rarity spoke.
"This human saved me from timber wolves."
"He saved me multiple times in the forest."
"Very well. Nikolai Sanders. you have passed our test."
Twilight hugged Nikolai closely.
"It's over, it's finally over."
Nikolai hugged back. "It's over."
Nikolai thought he was finally safe, that he would be happy from then on. He was dead wrong.
A explosion was heard and all the glass busted out of the room. Green crystals launched into the room from the sides and the ceiling. The crystals shattered and changelings came from them. These changelings had heavy armor and swords. This is not gonna be fun. The changelings formed a shield wall with deploy-able shields on their arms. The royal guards rushed them down and got slain. Nikolai grabbed his wand and made spears of ice and threw them and the shields, the ice penetrated and stuck the changelings on the other side. Twilight started to spray-an-pray the wall. The ponies in the stands started to get ready for battle, but got his with a knockout grenade from changelings climbing on the ceiling. Celestia got stunned as more crystals exploded in the room. Luna summoned her sword and started to slay the changelings. Large black wolves came in through the window and got a hold on Nikolai casting arm, he promptly stuck the beast in the eye with a ice spear he had in his hand. A much larger crystal broke through the ceiling. It stuck into the ground and exploded. Chrysalis came from the crystal and focused down Nikolai, she had a bandage where Nikolai stuck her with a knife.
"I have come back for you Nikolai, I was sure hoping Celestia was going to take care of you for me."
Twilight started to ready a spell, Nikolai stopped her. Nikolai took off his necklace and put it around Twilight's neck.
"Whats this, a goodbye forever gift?"chrysalis said jokingly.
"Hopefully not."
"Well, why can't you just simply just die?"
"Because I have the will to live."
"And i have the will to destroy you."
Chrysalis shot a green beam at Nikolai and connected his own ice blue beam. Blue green sparks shot off the connected beams. The blue started to overtake green. Nikolai was going to win. The green beam shot back to Nikolai's wand. The cracks started to glow white. He couldn't let go of his wand, he gripped it with both hands and tried to pull away. The beam snapped and the wand was still glowing, it was now glowing green. Nikolai look over to Twilight. Tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"Why are yo...."
The wand exploded and so did Nikolai. The room was bathed in holy light, every pony but one was blinded. Twilight looked around as every pony else was stunned. She looked to Nikolai to find him gone. his clothes on the ground where he once was. Tears filled her eyes. She started to have a full on panic attack and couldn't breathe.
Nikolai woke up in a white room. He looked around and upon further inspection, the room extended infinitely in every direction. on his left was a table with some basic clothes. once he put them on he saw a person in front of him. She was smaller than Nikolai, her hair was bright gold, she was pale with ocean blue eyes. She looked familiar. Time felt slow as he inspected her. He realized that this person was his mother.
"Mom?"
"Hi son." She hugged Nikolai.
"But, aren't you de..."
"Wait. NO I CAN'T BE DEAD, NOT NOW!"
"Calm down. It's okay. I have come to bear good news and bad news to you."
"Okay, okay. Shoot."
"Good news, you will go back to Al'gathoria, bad news, your wand is destroyed."
"But... I don't want to go home. I have ponies I need to defend."
"Yes, he did say you would want that and that he would allow this."
"Who's he?"
"Your guardian angel."
"Micheal?"
"Who else."
"Okay, that's good, now what about my wand."
"He wanted to leave that part as a surprise. You can go back whenever you need to, remember, I will always look out for you."
"Thank you mother."
Twilight stood there shock and crying over the sudden loss of the only other being she truly loved. She didn't know what to do. Luna was locked in combat with Chrysalis and Celestia was fighting the wolves. The ponies in the stands were still knocked out. Twilight was losing hope fast.
A holy explosion happened in the middle of the room, All of the ponies look at it. Nikolai wearing all white clothes came down from the heavens, large wings made of the softest feathers carried him down to the ground. A large sword made of gold and silver sheathed on his back, his arms were covered in purple balls that circled around them. Nikolai touched down to the ground he went into a kneeling position. Nikolai stood up, and opened his eyes, they had turned the purest gold.
"Nice light show, it would be good for your second death." Chrysalis drew her sword and rushed Nikolai with it. He turned toward her and countered her blow with a quick draw of his sword. Her sword broke in half and fell to the ground. Nikolai grabbed her throat and held her up. He put his hand on the side of her skull, thumb on the temple and fingers below her ear. Blue fissures went across her skull.
"I SEE YOUR SOUL!"
A thick ice crystal enveloped both of them and froze them in place. changeling weapons snap froze when they tried to attack it. Twilight, Celestia, and Luna watched in awe. The crystal started to change color to gold with silver waves. after a couple minutes the crystal shattered, and Nikolai choke slammed Chrysalis to the ground, she was completely pale.
Nikolai looked to the unarmed changelings, he lifted his arms up into a L shape, and brought them down as quickly, a blue frosty wave raced on the ground. The changelings were completely frozen. Nikolai chopped down the iced over changelings. A wolf tried to jump on his back and was knocked to the wall with a flick of his wings. He iced up the walls and stopped any more changelings from coming in. Nikolai went over to Twilight.
"Are you hurt at all?"
"No just a little shaken."
"Good, we need to get everyone out."
A explosion knocked the ice walls to the floor. Changelings flew in lobbing fireballs. Nikolai caught one and returned to sender. Luna went to Nikolai.
"I can take the knocked out ponies to a safe place, Celestia can take you two."
"Okay."
Luna went to the stand and teleported out into were ever the hell she was going. Celestia went over to Nikolai but was caught in a fire trap preventing her from moving. Nikolai look to Chrysalis standing up in a offensive pose.
"Well, live and let die."
Nikolai swiped at her, she simply dodged. Nikolai tried to thrust into her, she grabbed the sword and threw Nikolai to the ground. The trap Celestia was in started to bring her into the ground, she got absorbed into the ground, likely brought to a lower level or cave. Nikolai got distracted and was met with a face full of green fire. Nikolai flapped his wings and knocked all the changelings back and bringing him back up.
"Rude."
Nikolai's arm lit up with fire, the ground around his feet started to be set ablaze. Chrysalis got out of the way and grabbed Twilight by the throat, horn lit up.
"Choose. Her life, or yours."
Nikolai looked to Twilight, fear in her eyes. Nikolai had a stare down with her. He thought of a great plan.
"Mine."
Green crystal shot from the ground and stabbed him through his back, damaging his spine and chest. He fell to his legs. He hoped that his plan would work. Nikolai in one fluid motion extended his wings, shot himself forward, grabbed Twilight and ripping off the necklace he gave her. In mere milliseconds They disappeared in a ice blue light. Chrysalis was very pissed. She had almost won.