The Magnificent Six

by Paradise Oasis

Final Lesson- The Gathering Storm

Final Lesson- The Gathering Storm

"Twilight's on her way back! Twilight's on her way back!" The gleeful Surprise hopped happily around the room. "I can't believe we're gonna get our wands tomorrow night! I'm soooo nervouscitied!"

"It's been a thousand years and a change of the language we're speaking." Applejack snorted, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "And I still say 'nervouscited' is not really a word."

"Awww, don't be so grumpy, AJ." Glory giggled, licking her friend's coat clean. "All that stress is making your coat sweat, and we need to look our best for the ceremony."

"Ohhh, can you believe it girls? By this time tomorrow, we're gonna be the new protectors of Ponyland!" Firefly exclaimed, zipping around the room in excitement. "Fighting bad guys, spreading the message of friendship... this is gonna be sooo cool!"

"Trust me, Firefly, it's not really all that big of a deal." AJ assured her. "You'll be amazed at how little our lives will actually change. It will seem small in comparison to everything we've gone through, actually."

"Please don't rain on Firefly's parade, Applejack. We're all really excited about this!" Glory snorted, as she began to style the orange filly's mane. "Besides, how could you possibly know what it's like being a harmony bearer?"

Before AJ could form a response, Posey suddenly came galloping into the room, her eyes wide in panic.

"Girls, girls! Oh, it's terrible!" The yellow filly whinnied urgently. "It's a total disaster, I just know it!"

"Calm down, Posey. It can't be all that bad!" Firefly replied, landing beside her. "Now, what's got you so spooked, kid?"

"Steamer and I just saw smoke pouring out of the volcano of Gloom, and he thinks the witches are up to something!" Posey whined, looking around between the girls nervously. "And when we went to tell the princesses, they told us that something called the alicorn amulet got tossed into the volcano to get rid of it!"

"WHAT?!? The alicorn amulet's been found!?!" Applejack yelled, doing a double take at Posey's revelation. "And who in Hades thought it would be a good idea to toss it to the witches?!?"

"Well, if the witches are involved, it can't be good." Glory added, moving on to AJ's mane, "But what the heck is the alicorn amulet, and why's it got you and Posey so worried?"

"Sit down girls." Applejack told the others, shoving an irritated white unicorn away from her. "I've got a story my granny Applejack told me, that her granny Applejack told her..."

"Ohhh, story time!" Surprise exclaimed, floating over to the bed to listen. "I shoulda had Butter Pop make me some buttered corn!"

.....

"...so that's the whole situation, guys." Steamer finished explaining, the other three colts listening intently. "Twilight and Tornado are on their way back here, and Hydia now has one of the most powerful cursed artifacts in the history of ponydom."

"We need to gether the other stallions, and mobilize at once!" Thundercloud snorted, stamping his hoof. "We'll march on that old crone's lair, and bury her and her daughters in a lava landslide!"

"Are you insane, man?!?" Fireball snorted, narrowing his eyes. "Our intelligence reports indicate Hydia's summoned her entire coven to the volcano for some sinister purpose. Even if we attack them with the full might of our unicorn and Pegasus battle corps, we'll still suffer untold casualties taking on their combined spellcraft!"

"Tactics and odds... that's all you think about, isn't it Fireball?" Thundercloud snapped, spreading his wings in anger. "This isn't us playing with your little toy soldier ponies on the floor at home as foals anymore. Ponies lives are at stake here!"

"And this isn't you tying a bath towel around your neck and jumping off the roof as a foal, Thundercloud!" The unicorn hissed back. "Running and jumping to everyone's rescue without a plan'll get everybody killed!"

"And waiting too long on one of your dumb plans will get even more ponies killed!" The Pegasus angrily snapped back, stamping his hoof. "We need action, and we need it now!"

"Impulsive hothead!"

"Cowardly egghead!"

"Both of you, cut it out!" Lightning yelled, stepping between the two arguing equines. "I know you're both worried about the safety of your fillies and the rest of the herd- believe me, I'm worried about AJ. But tearing into each other isn't going to defeat those witches."

"You're right Lighting, this won't solve anything." Thundercloud replied with a sigh. "Steamer, why in the heck did they toss the amulet into the witches' volcano?"

"Someone neglected to tell Silver Rain about the witches living there. She thought the thing would be melted down." Steamer explained. "By the time Twilight explained to her about Hydia... well, it was too late."

"What do the Princesses plan to do about this whole mess?" Fireball inquired, trying to calm his nerves. "I hope they have some idea how to neutralize the threat before the order of gloom can figure out how to utilize the amulet's dark power."

"Cadence and the others have decided to wait until after the ceremony tomorrow, to send a message to Ponyland's enemies that we are not afraid." Steamer replied. "They will be ordering the stallion generals to launch a strike force afterward."

"That is a sound tactical decision." Fireball nodded in agreement. "There is no way that Hydia and her cronies could figure out how to utilize their new acquisition that quickly."

"Well, I for one really don't like this at all." Thundercloud scowled. "But I trust the princesses' judgment."

"Say guys, why don't we do something to get our minds off all off this mess?" Lightning asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey Steamer, wanna head out to the castle's race track? Bet I can beat you in the 2,000 meter gallop!"

"Sounds like fun." The engineer pony replied. "I do need some time away from those smoky machines."

"I think Fireball and I'll pass, guys." Thundercloud narrowed his eyes at the other stallion. "I'm challenging him to another came of Strategy!"

"You're on!" Fireball grinned, levitating a game board with the pieces out of the closet. "But I'm warning you, if you try another all out offensive instead of relying on more thoughtful tactics, you'll lose again just like so many times before!"

"Okay then, see you guys later." Steamer said with a laugh, as he trotted out of the room. "Try not to burn the Royal Paradise down while we're out."

"I hope Tornado gets back soon." Lightning said with a sigh, as he followed the engine pony. "I don't know how much longer I can keep the peace between these two bozos without him."

...

"All right, so I made a mistake." Princess Silver Rain snorted, looking down from her throne at the ponies assembled. "How was I supposed to know that's were the witches were? Who in thier right mind lives in a volcano?"

"You would have known, your highness, if you had paid attention to your lessons on royal politics and current events like your mother wanted you to." Tornado chastised the Princess. "I've personally heard from your teachers about your study habits when they're in the library."

"The fault also lay at my hooves, Thane Tornado." Bright Bramely admitted ashamedly. "I too should have been aware Hydia had taken refuge there, but I had not been paying much attention to affairs in Dream Valley. I-I just didn't think the affairs of the herd of outcasts was really that important."

"Well, what you didn't think was important, may come back to bite all of Ponykind in the flank." Twilight looked up at the princess. "Will their be any further problems between the Crystal ponies and regular ponies?"

Silver Rain shook her head. "Emerald Ray was the primary instigator of most of the problems, and with the amulet gone there is nothing left ot have a dispute over." The ruler of Misty Mountain sighed. "I'm going to institute a series of integration programs so these two groups of ponies can come to understand each other better. These tensions cannot be aloud to cause something such as this again."

"That will be a welcome change, my princess." Bramley looked over at the now-crystal Twilight. "Speaking of changes, how long until you go back to normal, Duchess Shine?"

"The beautician at the salon told me that it should wear off in a few weeks." The unicorn looked over her glittering translucent physique. "While I do find it extravagantly beautiful, every moment of being like this reminds me of that slithery creep of a crystal stallion."

"Well, at least your name is more appropriate- Twilight Shine." Tornado chuckled, which earned the stallion a scowl from Twilight . "Sorry, just trying to put some humor into the situation."

"I've already contacted Four-Speed, and he is already preparing his vehicle for the return journey." Princess Silver Rain told them. "I wish to again thank you both for aiding our domains in this critical situation."

"The safest of journeys back to the Royal Paradise." Bright Bramely agreed, as the two unicorns bowed to her and the princess. "And may fortune smile upon the both of you."

"It's really a shame I didn't get to show you around my hometown more, Twilight." Tornado told her, as the two trotted out of the throne room. "I really wanted to show you the candy store, and some of the local restaurants, and-"

"We'll save that for another time, Tornado." The filly interrupted him, a worried look on her face. "Right now that amulet is a more pressing is a more pressing matter we have to worry about."

"Don't worry, Twilight." The blue stallion reassured her. "The telegraph we sent back to Princess Cadence was a sufficient warning. I'm sure the princesses and the other harmony bearers will have formulated a plan by the time we get back."

"I certainly hope you're right." Twilight sighed, as they trotted down the mountain path towards the big monster truck.

"Ahh, there you two are!" Four Speed chuckled, polishing the chrome on his truck's bumper. "You two ready for another fast and wild ride?"

"Oh, I'm just thrilled to be riding in this behemoth again." The unicorn rolled her eyes. "Just try not to make it as bumy this time, okay?"

Tornado opened the door to the back seat for her with his magic. "After you, milady." He whinnied, standing up and bowing.

"Oh my, aren't we suddenly the gentleman." Twilight replied coyly, suddenly flashing Tornado a sensuous smile that made the unicorn blush for some reason.

"Twilight... are you felling okay?" Tornado asked her nervously, as he climbed into the truck after her. "Something doesn't seem right."

Twilight merely stared at the bewildered unicorn, as Four Speed hopped into the front seat, and started up the engine.

"Hey guys, you're just gonna love this!" The earth pony flicked a switch with his hoof, and a glass windshield raised between the front and back seats. "Pretty cool, huh? Now I can listen to my tunes while I drive, and not bother the two of you at all!"

The truck started bouncing down the hill at a rapid pace, as Four Speed popped an 8-track into his dashboard radio, and blared rock music all through the truck.

"Were cold slither, you'll be joining us soon! A band of Vipers, Playin our tune!" The earth pony driver sang along with the music track. "With an iron fist, and a reptile hiss, we shall rruuullee!"

"Ugh, that earth band, Cold Slither!" Tornado said in disgust. "Can you believe he's listening to that garbage, Twilight?" When no repose came, he looked over at the pink unicorn. "Uh, Twilight?"

She was staring at the stallion intently- the way Surprise did before pouncing on a freshly baked chocolate cake. Her eyes burned with a fire that made the stallion even more nervous.

"Tornado, would you mind coming over here?" Twilight asked in a sultry tone. "I think Four Speed forgot to turn the heat on in here, and it's really cold."

"Twilight, what's gotten into you?" Tornado asked meekly, sliding slightly away from her on the seat nervously. "You're not acting like yourself."

Worried at first that he might be dealing with another imposter, the unicorn stallion scanned her with his horn. To his horror, he found that this was the real twilight, but something else was very much amiss.

"Awww, come here, Tornado." She whispered, slinking across the seat to him. "Wouldn't you like to get to know me a little better?"

"Twilight, try to control yourself!" Tornado pleaded. "You're still under a bit of the effects of the love poision, a-and combined with that hypnotic music-"

They suddenly hit a bump, sending Twilight bouncing on top of the jittery unicorn. Looking down and him, the grinning unicorn narrowed her eyes. "Time for a little horseplay."

The stallion's eyes went wide. "Twilight- wait- we're not- neither of us have ever-not that I don't want- maybe we should- EEP!"

The music blaring from the speakers, drowned out the noise from the back the entire trip home.

Comments

[FleetlordAvatar]

Tornado you lucky devil

[Reisentanith]

And then they bucked.

[La Vallett1]

So Twilight has borderline raped Tornado? I don't know if I should call him lucky or not.