One Down, Five to Go (A Magical Disturbance)
Fillydelphia; late-night around 10:30pm.
"What!? The Great and Powerful Trixie has a permit for this wagon!" Trixie shouted as she flung open the top section of the stable door that worked as the main entrance to her small wagon. Trixie taken aback when she looked out the door to find not the local police but three ponies and a dragon standing outside. The three ponies being one of each of the pony races, a bright orange unicorn, a pale purple earth pony, and a light blue pegasus. The pegasus' fur color reminding Trixie of her own. The dragon having pitch-black scales and being double the size of its pony companions.
"Um... sorry. I... we mean the Great and Powerful Trixie thought you were somepony else." Trixie said to her sudden guests. The light blue recovery from her momentary confusion.
"However, as much as the Great and Powerful Trixie would like to give another performance for her adoring fans. She, unfortunately, has to decline at the present moment. As it seems that even she, the Great and Powerful Trixie, has to get her beauty rest." Trixie said to her four guests in an over-the-top manner that only a stage performer with an inflated sense of self-worth would be able to accomplish. "So, if you will excuse her and allow her to retire for the night. If you still want to see her in her full glory. She is still performing a show in the early morning tomorrow." Trixie said in the same manner as before. Trixie stepping slightly out of the wagon so that she could give a more bombastic performance to go along with her self-indulgent words. Adagio barely being able to stop herself from having her mouth fall open out of shock. Adagio being brought speechless by the light blue unicorn that was in front of her. But for all of the wrong reasons.
"This is the bearer of the Element of Witchcraft, you have got to be joking." Adagio thought as she stared at the blue unicorn. She was clearly not a real magician. Adagio's faith in Sigma's plan beginning to crack at the sight of who was supposed to be the bearer of an object that could rival the likes of the Elements of Harmony.
"Oh, I can assure you we are not here for a performance, nor are we fans of any of your previous shows." Sigma said, taking a small step closer to the magician pony's wagon.
"Then why are you here?" Trixie asked being even more confused than before. Trixie beginning to heat slightly faster as well. If these four weren't any of her adoring fans then who were they? Trixie beginning to fear that she was mistaken and that they were members of the city's police force. Possibly even being officers who were currently undercover.
"We are here because of this." Sigma said holding the Alicorn Amulet in his claws. The red gem of the amulet glowing a bright crimson before slowly turning into a shade of light blue matching the coat of Trixie. The Element of Witchcraft calling out to its bearer.
Trixie recognized the Amulet immediately and panic rushed throughout her entire body.
"Um... the Great and Powerful Trixie has never seen such a trinket before! Now, if you will excuse her." Trixie stammered with clear panic in her voice. The light blue unicorn retreating back into the assumed safety of her small wagon. Trixie using her light blue magic to begin to close the door to the wagon.
"Does she now?" Sigma said sarcastically, stopping Trixie from closing the door to her wagon. The unicorn's rudimentary magic being nowhere near strong to match the might of a fully-grown dragon. Sigma using his greater strength to push completely open. Trixie retreating further into the small wagon. Trixie knew that her wagon was small but now being boxed in with nowhere to go with a full-grown dragon standing menacingly in her doorway did she realize just how small it really was.
"Then why did she recoil so strongly when she saw such a harmless trinket?" Sigma sarcastically asked Trixie as he stood inside of the doorway to the magician mare's wagon. Trixie shallowing an invisible apple in her throat as her heart began to beat at the speed of a runaway locomotive. Trixie wouldn't be surprised if the force of her heart caused physical damage to her ribs as it continued to beat fast and heavy.
"She-she... um..." Trixie stammered, her eyes very which way for any possible avenue of escape. She couldn't find one that didn't include straight making a break for the opened door past the large dragon. Something that would end well in any way shape or form. Even if she so how made it past the dragon she would still have to get past the three other ponies, one of which was a unicorn. A unicorn that likely knew more powerful magic than she did.
"That's enough Sigma. We aren't here to interrogate and arrest this poor mare." Adagio spoke for the first time. Sigma's actions coming to a sudden halt at her words. The dragon not expecting the Siren to object to his methods of coxing Trixie out. But stopping nonetheless.
"If you aren't here to arrest me, then why are you here?" Trixie stated, calming down slightly though being put on edge. If this four at her door weren't here to arrest her for her actions in Ponyville then why were they here? And more importantly. Why did they have the Alicorn Amulet? Trixie had just dropped in the woods surrounding Ponyville. How did they even find it in the first place?
"Tell me, the Great and Powerful Trixie. Have you heard of the Elements of Disharmony?"
Everfree Forest; just passed sunset around 7:00 pm.
"So is the place that you were talking about Zecora?" Moon Dancer asked Zecora as three of them, herself, Zecora, and Theta made it to a small clearing near the edge of the Everfree Forest. The clearing being surrounded on all sides by the thick trees of the Everfree Forest. The clearing being an almost perfect circle in shape.
"Indeed, this is where. I do believe that there is A Darkness in the air." Zecora said gesturing towards, what to Moon Dancer was nothing more than an open field.
"It doesn't look all that strange." Moon Dancer said, not understanding why a seemingly unimportant clearing in the woods would be so important and cause Zecora to seek her out for assistance in discovering the cause of it.
"That's because just last week. This just another group of tall trees as I speak." Zecora said, Moon Dancer's violet eyes widening at the medicine mare's words.
"I see. So whatever had caused this was powerful enough to remove an entire section of the Everfree Forest." Moon Dancer said now kneeling down to inspect the grass of the clearing. Moon Dancer now noticing that the grass in question was indeed unusual. The grass was short and thinning cut, unusual for an area that doesn't see regular lawn maintenance. In a place like this the grass should go to at least her knees if not higher, but this grass didn't even go higher then the end of her hooves. Moon Dancer even now noticing what could be taken as scorch marks around the edges of the circle. Moon Dancer even noticing that some of the trees that bordered the end of the clearing were missing a few of their leaves. The leaves did not look like they had been removed by a skilled hand removing them one by one, no they were burned away. Moon Dancer even noticing a few of the charred remains of the leaves in question at the base of their respective trees. Whatever did this was sudden and powerful.
Instead of speaking Zecora simply nodded. Moon Dancer chalking up Zecora's decision to remain silent being that she either couldn't find an appropriate rhyme to work as a response or she simply didn't think it was necessary.
"Zecora, do you have any idea what could've possibly caused this?" Moon Dancer asked the medicine mare. Zecora already shaking her head no before Moon Dancer had even finished her sentence.
"I'm afraid not. Had I known I wouldn't have come to bring you to this spot." Zecora said taking a position next to Moon Dancer.
"Theta what do you think?" Moon Dancer asked their dragon companion. Moon Dancer wasn't expecting the dragon to be much help when it came to understanding what magical artifact could've actually caused this. But, it didn't hurt to ask. Perhaps he was able to notice something that she and Zecora had missed. Moon Dancer looking back at the white dragon to see that he was staring off to left. Theta seeming to be focused on something that was on the far
"I have an idea." Theta said as he walked over to the left. Theta stopping at the edge of the circle. Theta looking down at the ground beneath him.
"What did you find?" Moon Dancer asked.
"Footprints." Theta said simply still looking down at the ground.
"Well, this is a forest, probably just those of an animal." Moon Dancer said as she walked over towards where Theta was standing.
"Unless the Everfree Forest has dragons, I doubt it."
"Dragons!" Moon Dancer exclaimed looking at the footprints in question. Theta was right. There were several large footprints at the edge of the circle that led further into the Everfree Forest. Moon Dancer also now noticed that a few of the branches of the trees were broken, indicating that something large had mover through them. The tracks might have been mistaken as the ones of a bear but Moon Dancer knew better. These could only come from the feet of a dragon around the same size or slightly larger than Theta. A stunning realization that left Moon Dancer speechless.
"Could it be?" She thought as she looked over at Theta. The white dragon still staring silently down at the footprints in front of him. Theta's expression was neutral but Moon Dancer could swear that she could see the seething anger that was boiling just beneath the surface. In Theta's mind, only one being could've caused this. His brother, Sigma.
Well, Moon Dancer followed and agreed with the line of thinking she still needed to confirm her suspicions. No matter how clear they might be. Moon Dancer turned away from Theta back towards Zecora, who was standing silently behind the two of them. Zecora having a concerned and worried expression on her muzzle. The medicine mare had to be thinking the same thing as the both of them.
"Zecora, do dragons live in the Everfree Forest?" Moon Dancer asked, hoping that she would say yes and put her mind at ease. Though she doubted it.
"I am afraid to say that the only dragon that is in the Everfree. Is the one standing right by thee." Zecora said
"I guess that settles it then." Moon Dancer said turning back to face Theta. The white dragon was no longer looking at the ground but instead straight ahead. The rage that Theta was hiding just beneath the surface now having broken through and being shown all over his body. Theta's muscles in his shoulders were tense, his jaw was locked, an engaged snarl was plastered across his muzzle, and most interestingly to Moon Dancer. The three scars on Theta's neck were bleeding. They weren't bleeding that heavily, only a few drops but it was clear that they were. Theta hadn't seem to notice the fact that he was bleeding, or if he did he didn't care.
"Sigma." Theta growled.
Moon Dancer was about to reach out to Theta when the voice of another mare broke the evening air.
"Theta!?" The voice of a mare that Moon Dancer didn't recognize shouted. Moon Dancer's noticing Theta's eyes, which now seemed to gain a slight tint of red to them, widen as he whipped his head back around in the direction to where the voice that had just called his name.
The mare that had spoken Theta's name was an amber-colored unicorn with teal eyes, and a flowing mane and tail of red, orange, and yellow. The mare's hair along with her coat making it look like her head was on fire. Theta's expression seemed to relax at the sight of this new intruder. In fact, his anger snarl turned into a look of confusion.
"Sunset Shimmer?" Theta said to the amber-colored unicorn.
"What are you doing here?!" This Sunset Shimmer asked Theta. Zecora looking to be taken back just as much as Moon Dancer was by the intrusion of this other pony.
"I could ask you the same question."
Everfree Forest, a few minutes earlier.
After arriving from the train station Sunset had broken off from Twilight and Zulu. She stated that she just wanted to take a look around Ponyville and get acquainted with the small town before settling in for the night. Twilight was hesitant to let Sunset walk around the streets of Ponyville just before nighttime, but she ultimately relented and allowed Sunset to go about her walk.
In reality, Sunset wasn't spending this time to get acquainted with the small that had been increasingly growing in prominence since Twilight Sparkle's journey there for the Summer Sun Celebration. She was instead going to the Everfree Forest where the magical disturbance that had brought them to this area in the first place was supposed to have occurred. Sunset wanting to do some early study of the region on her own before the true investigation would begin with Twilight and Zulu the following day.
Sunset wanted to prove her worth and that she was committed to changing for the better of not just herself but for the rest of Equestria. She was still Princess after all. She could act like one. And so Sunset made her way through the dense forest. Making sure to use her horn to cast a tracking spell so that she didn't end up getting lost. Sunset still wasn't completely used to using magic yet, but a simple tracking spell would be good practice before she got more comfortable with more complicated spells.
It not taking long for Sunset to find what she was looking for. A small clearing in the Everfree Forest not far from the border between the outskirts of Ponyville and the Everfree Forest itself.
Sunset was about to walk into the clearing and investigate the magical disturbance in question when she heard three distinct voices from the clearing. Sunset's moments coming to a halt and her dunking into a group of bushes in order to hide from sight and observe what was going on.
The first of the three being a yellowish-grey unicorn that seemed to remind Sunset of Twilight for some reason that Sunset could not explain. The second was a zebra, an unusual sight for Sunset certainly. She knew that some zebras lived in Equestria she wasn't expecting to come across one in the Everfree Forest of all places. The third and last one was a large white dragon that had a startling amount of similarities to Theta. Wait a second.
"Is that... Theta?" Sunset thought as she stared at the white dragon in front of her in disbelief. Her mother had said that Theta had disappeared and that the Alpha didn't even know that he was. Was that a lie? She had to find out for sure.
And so Sunset stood up from where she was hiding and trotted over into the open clearing. The unicorn and Theta both talking to each other on the far end of the clearing. She couldn't hear what they were saying but they were clearly discussing the area around them.
"Theta!?" Sunset called out to the white dragon, catching his attention. The white dragon whipping his head around to look directly at her. A seemingly engaged snarl disappeared from his muzzle and was replaced by the look of complete surprise and confusion the moment he set eyes on her.
"Sunset?"
"What are you doing here?!" This Sunset Shimmer asked Theta. The other two of Theta's companions being clearly taken aback at her intrusion.
"I could ask you the same question."
Everfree Forest, present time.
"Wait, so Twilight and Zulu are here? In Ponyville." Theta asked Sunset, the amber-colored unicorn nodding her head in agreement.
"Yes."
"And you three are all here to investigate this same magical disturbance?" Theta continued his line of questions. The white dragon gesturing to the clearing in the forest that they were currently standing in. Sunset giving him another affirmative head nod in response.
"Yes, you were actually supposed to join us, but just when we were about to leave Princess Celestia informed us that you were no longer in the Crystal Empire." Sunset said, giving Theta even more questions that needed to be answered.
"Really?"
"Yes. She said that you disappeared and not even the Alpha knew where you went. Is that true?" Sunset asked.
"It is," Theta said simply.
"Really, why?"
"That's... personal." Theta hesitated to answer. Theta's gaze darting away from Sunset for a brief moment and onto that of Moon Dancer. Theta hoping that the amber unicorn didn't notice his lapse in self-control.
Sunset had noticed Theta's gaze wandering over to the yellowish-grey unicorn. She wasn't sure why she would matter in this situation but she didn't press further. Theta's issues were his own and it wasn't her place to involve herself in them unless given one.
"I see." Sunset mumbled as she awkwardly looked for a way to continue with this conservation without coming across like she was abruptly changing the subject. Sunset surrending when she couldn't find one and decided on asking what he and the others had found out before she arrived.
"So, do you know what happened here?" Sunset asked.
"What, no. But we do have a very firm idea of who did it." Theta said, glad about the change of subject away from himself and back to the issue at hand.
"Really, who?" Sunset asked surprised. Sunset not expecting that Theta would be able to deduce exactly could've been behind this in such a short amount of time.
"You see those dragon tracks." Theta said to Sunset, pointing one of his claws toward the dragon tracks that led off into the Darkness of the Everfree Forest.
"'Yes, why?" Sunset said, already seeing where Theta was going with his wording but choosing not to spoil his attempt of raising a little bit of suspense until he revealed who he thought was responsible for this.
"Those aren't mine." Theta stated, confirming what Sunset had already been expecting. Theta was clearly meaning his brother Sigma. Sunset was not surprised that Sigma was involved in this in some way. Why she wasn't sure but at the moment that was secondary. Why Sigma was doing something was of secondary importance at the moment when how he was doing and with what was far more important.
"I see. Do you think he is still nearby?" Sunset asked. A brief smile spreading across his muzzle. Pleased that Sunset was following his train of thought.
"Unlikely, he likely wouldn't have stayed in one place any longer than was absolutely necessary." Theta said speaking of Sigma. It was unlikely that he would still be in the area. His brother was an opportunist, even before his betrayal. He would only do things if they benefited him, and once they no longer did he would dispose of them in a rapid and efficient manner. Theta had seen it time and again when the two of them were going up. He just never thought that eventually he would be included in Sigma's ever-growing list of decarded tools.
"I agree. So now what?" Sunset asked.
"Do you know where Twilight and Zulu are right now?" Theta asked.
"Yes, she said that they would spend the night at her treehouse library before going out to research this place tomorrow morning. I just went out on my own just to get some early scouting down and just happened to run into you." Sunset explained to Theta.
"I see. In that case, we should head over to her place and tell the two of them about what we had found." Theta said to Sunset, the amber unicorn silently nodding in agreement. Theta then shifting his attention away from Sunset and over to that of Moon Dancer and Zecora. His other two compansions having stayed mostly silent throughout his conservation with Sunset Shimmer.
"Moon Dancer, Zecora, do you mind if I go with Sunset Shimmer to Twilight's place?" Theta asked.
"Actually, I wouldn't mind it if I stayed by your side for a little longer. If that was ok with you of course.
"I would like to do the same. Any knowledge that I can give will help put an end to Sigma's game." Zecora added.
"In that case, then we should get going. It is going to be dark soon and I would like to get to Twilight's place before the sun sets."
"Understood, lead the way." Sunset said, the amber unicorn following after Theta, Zecora, and Moon Dancer towards where Twilight's library was located. The four them certainly going to give Twilight and Zulu a surprise once they arrive.
Fillydelphia, just before dawn around 6:00 am the following day.
"Wait, so you are saying that the Great and Powerful Trixie is the 'bearer' for an Element of Harmony?" Trixie asked Sigma. The black dragon having spent the night and early morning explaining exactly what the Elements of Disharmony were and how she was indeed the bearer for the Element of Witchcraft.
"Disharmony, but yes. You are." Sigma stated, slightly correctly Trixie for what seemed like the hundredth time that she had mistaken the Elements for Disharmony for their Harmonic counterparts. At this point, Sigma was thinking that she was doing it on purpose just to see if it would irritate him
"But all she did was spend her entire life savings in buying it. How would just that make it so that she was the bearer of something so powerful? Of course, the Great and Powerful Trixie would be one of the bearers... but... why?" Trixie asked Sigma. The cyan unicorn still continuing to speak in the third person. Something that Sigma found odd, but not annoying, at least not yet.
"It's not that you were the first to wield the Alicorn Amulet, many others have before you, it is the fact that you were the first to truly unlock its full potential." Sigma answered. His answer not really helping Trixie as it seemed to have added even more questions to her ever-increasing list.
"How so?"
Sigma was about to answer Trixie's question when the voice of the amulet itself spoke up.
"The Elements of Harmony didn't choose their bearer because they were the single best individual to embody their respective Element. No, they were chosen because once they were all combined each of them would be able to work as a single cooperative team. The combined cohesion of each member allowing for each of their respective The Elements of Disharmony were no different. You were chosen because you were the best mare to embody the Element of Witchcraft. Instead, because once my fellow Elements of Disharmony are found and their bearers join our ranks, or combined might and cohesion would be able to go up against and defeat that cursed Element of Harmony." The Amulet explained.
"So... are you saying that Twilight isn't the most powerful unicorn to Equestria?" Trixie asked. The amulet's words igniting a small competitive spark inside her.
"No, she is close but no. There was another candidate in the running to be the next . A candidate that had eliminated themselves for the running as the next bearer due to their own misdeeds." The amulet said being purposely vague, though was able to take a guess as to whom the Amulet was referring to.
"Who?" Trixie asked excitedly. The cyan unicorn was giddy with excitement that the unicorn that the amulet was talking about could've possibly been her.
It was not her.
The sight of the cyan mare's excitement causing Adagio to roll her eyes out of both disgust and a reaction that she could only best describe as deja vu. The Trixie's action reminds Adagio a little too much of another cyan-colored mare that she had spent most of her life being surrounded by.
"Great, now there are two of them." Adagio grumbled internally as she shifted her gaze slightly over to her left where Sonata was standing inside of the small wagon. The blue Siren looking just as excited as Trixie. Sonata clearly in a pleasant mood at the prospect of having a new friend to have fun with. The sight of a clearly excited Sonata brought the briefest of smiles to Adagio's muzzle. Adagio didn't hate Sonata, nor Aria. Sure they were a little bit of a pain in the ass to her, but they were her pain in the ass. And she would want it any other way.
"It matters not anymore..." The amulet began only to be interrupted by Sigma.
"Something which I agree with." Sigma interrupted, quickly changing the subject. Something to which Adagio was pleased. But came to the annoyance of Trixie. Though the magician held her tongue, at least for the time being. A decision that Sigma found interesting. Clearly, despite Trixie's eccentricities, she still had the basic understanding of when it was the time to air her grievances, and when it was best to simply remain quiet.
"However, a more pressing needs to be discussed at the moment." Sigma continued, drawing in Trixie's attention even further.
"Oh, and what would that be?" Trixie asked.
"Well, we can't exactly defeat the Elements of Harmony with only one Element of Disharmony. Now can we?" Sigma sarcastically asked Trixie. His words making Trixie do a double-take and realize her childishness.
"Oh... I guess not." Trixie stated sheepishly a light blush spreading across her muzzle as she averted her gaze from Sigma in shame.
"She's definitely doesn't have an elevator going all the way up to her head." Adagio heard Aria grumble underneath her breath. The other Siren's words getting a small chuckle out of Adagio. No, Adagio didn't hate the other two Sirens that she had traveled with for longer than she could remember. Which was a long time. Sure they were a headache at times but they were her headache. A headache that she had long since gotten accustomed to and knew how to deal with once it arrived. Aria and Sonata were the closest things to a family that Adagio ever had, and no matter how much they might annoy her. The connection that they shared was something that she would never give up. Not for anything.
Trixie either didn't hear Aria's taunting or didn't care as she continued onward as if the Siren hadn't said anything.
"Then what exactly do we do next anyway?"
"Simple, we move on and find the next one and don't stop until all six Elements and their bearers have joined our ranks."
"Oh...clears throat... Of course, the Great and Powerful
"Right..." Sigma said disinterestedly. Trixie's eccentricities now starting to get on his nerves
"Anyway..." Sigma finally said after the awkwardness of the silence between the five of them in the small wagon became too loud to ignore any further. "Amulet, where is the next Element of Disharmony located? And furthermore is this Element's respective bearer within a reasonable distance away from them." Sigma asked the Amulet, their business in Fillydelphia was finished, at least for now. Now it was time to move on. It would be foolish of him to think that the ponies of Equestria and his treacherous brother wouldn't be curious as to why he was in the Human World, to begin with. Sigma expected that his brother wouldn't stop until either one was dead, and once Theta learned just exactly what Sigma was planning he knew that his brother's search would only just grow in desperation.
"Give me a moment while I attempt to locate another of my brethren." The amulet stated before falling silent once again. And as it did complete silence fell upon the small wagon as while. Though not due to awkwardness between these new allies mend you. Rather, due to how each and every one of them were eagerly awaiting the Amulet's answer. Even Sonata fell completely silent with an expression that could be described as an extreme focus on her muzzle. The cyan Siren's raspberry-colored eyes being located on the red gem of the Amulet. Speaking of which, the gem began to glow a bright red once again before it began to flash in regular intervals of around a second or so. The flashing of the Amulet quickly began to pick up pace over time as it continued to scour the entire world for another one of the elusive Elements of Disharmony. The red flashing of the Amulet briefly changing to a yellowish-orange before quickly swapping again to a purplish-pink color before stopping and fading out completely.
"Alright, I believe I have located the next Element and luckily the bearer is also within close proximity to where it is located." The Amulet finally stated catching the attention of everyone inside of the small wagon.
"Excellent, where?"
Ponyville; at night around 9:30 pm.
Inside the Twilight's treehouse library Theta, Sunset Shimmer, Moon Dancer, and Zecora met up with Twilight and Zulu so that could inform them of what they had discovered at the site of the magical disturbance.
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked Theta and Sunset. The two of them having just informed her of what they had found at the site and how they were certain that it had been caused by Sigma. Though they were also made sure to include that they weren't as to how and why he had accomplished the feat in question.
"Yes, we are all in agreement that the only one that could've caused this was my brother Sigma." Theta stated simply and directly.
"I see. So Sigma did in the procession of some unknown magical artifact. That's disconcerting but doesn't really help us find out what exactly he could be using and more importantly for what purpose." Twilight thought out loud as she put all of the information that she had been given by the others together and thought of a possible solution to the new issue that they had been presented with.
Twilight stroked her lower chin with her hoof as she silently combed through all of the information that had been presented to her. Twilight shifting her attention over to Sunset. The amber unicorn had briefly worked with Sigma before, around the same time that this magical disturbance would've happened. She might know something in regards to what Sigma was planning, even if it was just something that she might have picked up that Sigma didn't actually want to reveal to her.
"Sunset, back in the human world. When you were working with Sigma did you notice that he was in procession of anything unusual?" Twilight asked Sunset. Putting the other mare into deep thought as she combed through her memories to find any that might stand out. Even if it didn't stand out at the time, that doesn't mean that it wasn't important now.
"Actually, yes." Sunset finally answered when she remembered something that Sigma had which didn't think much of at the time but could possibly be exactly what they were looking for. "Around Sigma's collar was a small red gem, kind of like ruby. Now that I think about it, it was very similar to the gem that made up your Element of Harmony."
"A red gem... wait..." Twilight spoke more to herself as a stunning realization came to her.
"What is it Twilight?" Zulu asked the purple alicorn.
"I'm not sure, at least not yet." Twilight asked Zulu before turning her attention away from the changeling and over to Zecora. "Zecora, did you ever find the Alicorn Amulet after Trixie dropped it in the Everfree Forest?" Twilight asked Zecora, the zebra's eyes widening at the question. Zecora seeming to have come to the same conclusion that Twilight had.
"I am afraid not. Forgive me, my error may have allowed for a much worse plot." Zecora said looking away from the purple alicorn.
"It's alright Zecora, at least now we can say that we now know the how in this puzzle." Twilight said trying to put the medicine mare at ease Twilight's kind words seeming to be effective as Twilight noticed a small but nonetheless warm smile spreading across Zecora's muzzle as she did so. Zecora shifting her attention back to Twilight as she deep her head in silent gratitude. Twilight mirroring Zecora's actions with one of her own.
"So, Sigma has the Alicorn Amulet," Theta stated, the true scale of this endeavor continuing to grow and grow.
"It seems that way, yes." Twilight confirmed.
"So, what now? What purpose could a dragon have with a powerful magical artifact?" Theta asked, he knew that dragon's had a small amount of magic mostly confined to their fire breath, but he didn't see how that could translate to the usage of a magical artifact designed to heighten the magical abilities of a unicorn.
"I think that I might have an idea." Sunset spoke up, catching everyone else's attention.
"What kind of idea, explain Sunset Shimmer." Theta asked Sunset.
Sunset didn't answer Theta's question immediately, instead, turning her attention over to Twilight. "Twilight, how would you describe this Trixie?" Sunset asked Twilight. The purple alicorn taken slightly off-guard by the question but answering it nonetheless.
"A trickster, a schemer, a mare that care about no one other than themselves. She pretends to be good at magic despite having worse skills than a young unicorn that had just started at Celestia School for Gifted Unicorn." Twilight said to Sunset. Everyone in the library being able to feel the barely contained rage and venom coming from the purple alicorn.
"Sorry, I don't know where that came from. Trixie and I weren't exactly... cordial to say the least." Twilight said defensively. The purple alicorn realizing just how mean her words regarding Trixie really were.
"Clearly." Moon Dancer grumbled underneath her breath. The purple alicorn still seemingly having not recognized her.
"Anyway, I met her not long after I moved to Ponyville. She was a traveling magician pony." Twilight continued, only to get interrupted by Zulu.
"Wait, that's a thing?" Zulu asked.
"I was just as surprised are when I found out about it. But regardless." Twilight said to Zulu before getting back on track.
"She tried to prove that he was better at magic than she really was and boasted about being able to capture an Ursa Major. She failed and if it wasn't for my quick thinking she could've possibly destroyed all of Ponyville when ponies of the town that were taken in by her cult of personality let loose an Ursa Minor. She left in a huff of both failure and embarrassment not long after." Twilight continued, explaining Trixie first visit to Ponyville.
"She later came back tried to get her revenge with the Alicorn Amulet. Revenge that she might have gotten had the Alpha not intervened." Twilight finished.
"An amulet that Sigma is now in procession of," Zulu added. Twilight nodding her head in agreement.
"I see. So would you say that she doesn't engage in Magic, but in Witchcraft instead?" Sunset asked Twilight.
"I guess so. Why do you ask?" Twilight shrugged not quite sure where Sunset was going this line of questioning.
"Then my suspicions were correct." Sunset said vaguely, making the others in the room even more confused.
"What suspicions Sunset Shimmer?" Theta asked wanting Sunset to get the point of whatever she was trying to make.
"I know what Sigma is doing." Sunset stated, making the eyes of everyone else present in the library widen. Sunset finding the stunned silence as permission to continue. "He is trying to find the Elements of Disharmony and all of their respective bearers." Sunset said leaving the entire library speechless. The stunned silence continued for seemed like several minutes, though it was probably only a couple of seconds before Twilight cleared her throat and spoke.
"The Elements of Disharmony? Are those even real?" Twilight asked, finally breaking the stunned silence.
"Yes. They are real and they are just as powerful as their Harmonic counterparts." Sunset stated with absolute certainty in her voice. A certainty that made Twilight suspicious as to how Sunset had gotten such knowledge regarding the Elements of Disharmony in the first place.
"How do you know all of this Sunset?" Twilight asked the amber unicorn, growing more suspicious how she was so knowledgeable about such powerful objects of Darkness."
"I-I read about them in a book. It detailed what they were and what they were capable of." Sunset hesitantly answered. Sunset's stumbling over her words making Twilight even more suspicious of Sunset's knowledge of such a seemingly dangerous book containing such seemingly powerful and dangerous magic.
"How did you come across this book?" Twilight pressed. Twilight's question taking Sunset off guard.
Sunset hadn't expected Twilight to continue in her line of question regarding the Black Book. Did it really matter how she came into possession? Twilight said that she trusted her. Was that a lie? Did Twilight truly trust her or was she just telling her that she did in order to make her feel better?
No!
She couldn't think like that. Twilight was her friend. Twilight was smart, probably the smartest pony she had ever met in her life. Twilight doesn't actually
She couldn't. Sunset was doing better. She making up for her past sins. Twilight believed her, she had to.
"How or why Sunset came across this information isn't important at the moment," Zulu interjected. The changeling coming to the rescue of Sunset before she continued down the spiral of her internal thoughts.
"If what you say is true Sunset, then we have to stop Sigma. But how?" Zulu continued.
"We can worry about stopping Sigma when the issue arises. But right now, we need to find this Trixie." Theta spoke with renewed determination in his voice. He knew what Sigma was up to. Now all he needed was to know where he was and once his location was discovered he could end this once and for all. The thought, while igniting a fire deep inside of him, was also a bitter-sweet one.
"I agree, but doing so might be difficult," Twilight spoke, scratching her lower chin in deep thought. "Trixie left Ponyville before Omega's return and she is a traveling magician, so she could be anywhere in Equestria by now.
"True, but with Canterlot gone and Manehattan having been taken over by Omega's dragon forces during the battle rules them out of the question for now." Theta added, getting a few nods of approval from the
"What about Fillydelphia?" Moon Dancer spoke up for the first time, catching the attention of everyone in the library. Moon Dancer's heart jumping about thirty beats per minute when she noticed that the gaze of everyone had now fallen on her.
"Um... it is Equestria's second-largest city, after Manehattan, and has a rather large non-unicorn populace. Thus making such magic show much more effective. It is just "
"Hmm..." Twilight hummed to herself as she pondered the suggestion from Moon Dancer. "It's possible." Twilight finally added after a brief moment of silence complication. "Fillydelphia... makes sense. Trixie is many things, but a pony that seeks out the most difficult path to get something done is not one of them.
"Fillydelphia also has a large dragon population in its Dragontown, thus making it easier for Sigma to travel throughout the city unnoticed.
"He's right." Moon Dancer added, another blush spreading across her muzzle as she did. "Besides, even if neither of them are there we can still ask around and see if they had been there recently." Moon Dancer finished as she averted her gaze from Theta. The greyish-yellow unicorn doing her best to get her blushing back under control. Attempts that had been, so far, unsuccessful.
"Then it is decided, Fillydelphia it is!" Zulu
"Some of us should also return to Crystal Empire and inform the Princesses of our most recent developments."
"I'll do it. All of the Princesses need to know what is going on. Besides they could give as advice as to how we should proceed in the future. It might also help to see what the Alpha thinks about this whole situation as while."
"I'll join you as well, the Changeling Kingdom could also assist the Princesses in whatever they determine the best course of action to take." Zulu added, joining Twilight in her journey back to the Crystal Empire.
"Besides, I wouldn't want to be away from your side any longer than I had to anyway," Zulu whispered into Twilight. The changeling's words sending a shiver down Twilight's spine and throughout her entire body. Zulu's teasing igniting a small fire inside of Twilight, and a scratch that desperately needed to be scratched.
"Yes... I-I would appreciate the assistance... Zulu... truly." Twilight stumbled over her words in a very unprincessy-like manner.
"Understood, so two teams. One going to Fillydelphia another returning to the Crystal Empire."
"Yes, Moon Dancer, Sunset Shimmer, and I will head toward Fillydelphia and search for any trance of either this Trixie character and/or of my brother's corrupting influence in Equestria. Hopefully, if we come across Sigma it would before he is able to come across Trixie and unite the Element of Witchcraft with its bearer." Theta said to Twilight, getting an admirative head nod from Twilight.
Sunset was about to object to being volunteered to travel alongside Theta and Moon Dancer to Fillydelphia. Sunset preferring to being able to return to the Crytal Empire and finally be able to spend some bonding time with her mother for the first time in years. Besides, informing her mother was a job for actual members of royalty anyway.
"No!"
She was royalty, maybe not officially, but she was nonetheless royal in blood. It was her job to perfect Equestria and all of her citizens that lived there from any threats that sought to destroy it. And Equestria wasn't the only thing at threat either anymore. She knew that if Sigma succeeded and was able to find and join the entirely of the Elements of Disharmony then nothing, not even the power of the Elements of Harmony, could stand against him. Her mother, as much as it pained her to admit, could wait. She had a job to do, and a lifetime of mistakes to make up for.
"I hope so too." Twilight said to Theta before shifting her attention over to that of Zecora. "And Zecora, what about you?" Twilight asked the medicine mare. Zecora having already put her hood overhead, casting her entire facial features in shadow.
"I shall remain in Ponyville. And make sure that the Darkness here shall not prevail." Zecora added, getting several admirative head nods of the others in the library.
"Excellent, if there is nothing else to discuss then I recommend that we all retire for the night. It is going to be another long day of traveling tomorrow and we will need our rest." Twilight said and so they did. Zecora doing her pleasant goodbyes and best wishes in the trails that were sure to come and the rest retired to sleep. Twilight retiring to her bedroom above the library, a bedroom that she still the night in alone as Zulu saw fit to follow her up the set of stairs to the room in question. Sunset easily being able to sense Twilight casting both a 'do not disturb' spell on the door to her bedroom and a 'noise cancelation' spell on the room as a whole. Sunset being mature enough to guess as to why. Sunset didn't care, what Twilight and Zulu did in the personal time was up to them not her.
Sunset, Theta, and Moon Dancer instead spending the night in the library guest bedroom. Theta being generous enough to allow Moon Dancer and Sunset to share the queen-sized bed that was inside of the room. Theta instead seeing nothing wrong with spending the night sleeping on the floor of the small room. Theta quickly got comfortable and drifted off to sleep. Sunset and Moon Dancer briefly sharing their respective 'good nights' to each other and climb into the bed, though making sure to give each other enough space to sleep unobstructed.
But just before Sunset fell asleep she felt movement on the other side of the bed. Sunset opened one of her eyes and spotted Moon Dancer quietly sneaking over to where Theta was sleeping and snuggling up to the much larger dragon. Moon Dancer quickly falling back asleep resting up against the larger frame of Theta. The greyish-yellow unicorn looking extremely pleased about being in the embrace of the white dragon.
A small smile spread across Sunset's muzzle as she looked at the sight of the odd couple. She was bothered by it, love was love. It didn't matter if some others might have found it odd, and it was her business to tell someone else who they could love.
The Sunset back over and enjoyed the benefits of having the entire guest bed to herself. Sunset quickly got comfortable once again and closed her eyes.
Then Darkness.
Our Town; midday, one week later.
"So I take it that this where the next bearer is located?" Adagio asked Sigma as the group of now three Sirens, one dragon, and a single unicorn stood atop a small hill that overlooked a seemingly insignificant village below.
"It doesn't look all that special," Aria interjected with a huff of disinterest.
"It's not supposed to, that's kind of the whole point." Sigma said to both Adagio and Aria while directing an irritated snarl Aria's way. A snarl that immediately made Aria flinch away from. A reaction that brought a small smirk to Sigma's muzzle as he shifted his attention back to the small town below. The town being the location, at least according to the Element of Witchcraft, to both the next Element of Disharmony and its bearer.
The Element of Deceit.
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I'm aware of this, and I apologize. I wrote the beginning chapters when I was a senior in high school in 2015-2016 and was still learning how to actually write and simply copying from the episodes was simpler, faster, and easier for me to do. Something that I now look back on as a mistake.
There have been multiple times that I have considered completely rewriting the opening chapters of the story so that the copying from the actual episodes isn't as much of an issue anymore. But I just have never gotten around to it as whenever I start to write it I get hit with writer's block and am never able to finish it.