The Sirens Remorse: Resurgence of the Dazzlings

by TheronSniper

Ch. 7 Solar Eclipse

The smoldering castle still screamed with agony as the damage from the titanic beasts had fatally ruptured from within flying away from the once majestic monument to friendship. Though the rain of its waning walls finally calmed to a light drizzle, it was nonetheless a ruin from which nothing but an awesome magical being could all but restore it to its former glory. It could be easily seen from the wider swathes of Ponyville town limits even from the rolling orchard hills of Sweet Apple Acres. A farm whose owners had all but left it when the great giant of destruction had swooped from the little village and set it aflame, leaving the elder within the farmhouse locked down for any more danger to come and protect the apples. The real threat however was far beyond those feeble eyes and deteriorating hearing of the green apple colored pony, for deep within the acres of fruit trees where no one could find them were the two exiles.

Awaiting in the fjord, the taller of the two stood on watch as they awaited for the arrival of the gemless sirens, the human girl, and Yellow Tail unaware that they would never come no matter how long they waited. His eyes darting back and forth worried if the infamous Arcana mages might be on their tails. The mage could feel his magic returning slowly bit by bit as the natural mana winds were absorbed back into his being further aiding the natural restoration of his well, Yellow had said that would happen with being magically capable creatures as they were. Akin to placing a potted plant back into the sunlight after being stored in a windowless room. It was not a strange notion to Emerath who had heard further claims from Seraph who was a griffon of his own word. Having received his magical abilities through that lost book he acquired the same benefits as well as the downfalls of a unicorn, especially magical exhaustion which ran the risk of using his own body and life forces as magic. Sometimes the Maneland mage wished he took the primary magic health courses spread throughout his learning years instead of taking them in the very beginning.

From his inner thoughts, stimulated of course by his compatriot who seemed to be enjoying real food once more the germane wizard used the meager little magic he had already amassed to pluck the juicy red delicious from their stems. His pudgy face jiggled like two water balloons with each chew and bite of the succulent treats, by then there were fifteen apple cores discarded laying about the stallion and the quivering backpack ruffling about to his right.

“Where are those merfolk?! Blast, they should have arrived by now?” the vigilant wizard scanned the deeper ends of the plot they hunkered in, seeing only birds and rodents.

“Vere are zey indeed? Perhaps a day or two here might not be zat bad Emerath? Come enjoy zes fine heavenly vonders!” Schrodinger chuckled lightly as he devoured the last fleshy morsel of the apple he held in his magic, the pack soon burst open after a tiny clawed hand ripped off the one buckle which kept the lid secured.

“I’d rather not my good friend, this area will soon be swarming no doubt with Royal Guards and even those red dastardly fools. I for one do not wish to be sent back… not again.” The Manelandian had brought out and held dearly the little medallions of which still held the preservation spell guarding them from danger. After merely feeling that they were still in his possession he quickly hid it back under his own ornate robe from prying eyes feeling the warmth of the heated metal that adjusted to his own.

A short belch erupted out of the germane pony, “Zoses fools… ack! You reminded me of vhat I hoped to set aside.” He sighed before noticing the little ruckus of the package he hid through a dimensional pocket portal before they jumped through the gateway.

“Yes Schrodinger, the Arcana has likely seen Inferno’s little act and is probably ready for some of us at least. If that Sub Warden back in the prison world seemed to hint at anyways? It is best by sundown that we head back to our homelands before they lock down the ports. Bellends would do that and spark some kind of wanted poster panic just for us!” Emerath groaned as the escape routes he had meticulously plotted before the return ran through his mind.

The older gentlecolt arose to his hooves and stood before the parcel wondering what was stirring within bumping the flip lid of fabric, “Ve still have to figure out how far ve are into ze future… I can already see it von’t be very good.” his wrinkled eyes squinted as the pack opened up.

“That was something we were already mentally prepared for thankfully, in a way… I’m kind of glad we won’t be seeing our old friends and family. We can both start with a clean slate and I can bring my fellows into the light, perhaps if they’ll understand then I can once again try to demolish that stone once and for all.” The notion came to him how he would bring some kind of fighting force to repel those accursed bat ponies, for once the obstacle was removed then the full light of the gods could back all his promises he’d make to the Maneland.

From the backpack that Paradox had nabbed after noticing it was left behind, the latch flipped open and there lay a most stirring development even more so for the exiles who heard the commotion. Catching an awe from the Master Mage who peered over was a baby dragon who possessed soft aloe green frills accompanied with luminous jade eyes, lavender hardened scales which could likely bear temperatures up to mid two thousand degrees Fahrenheit gleamed under the filtered sunlight from above like a wet pasture. Assuming he remembered the old ancient biologi classes he once taught, with the aid of tame calm dragonlings at the time. He knew who the backpack belonged to but couldn’t fathom how it ended up bearing such a creature, had Yellow Tail given her something which would hatch said specimen?

Those curious orbs constricting into slits from the exposure of the day looked about until they found the portly stallion, “Hhhh…hhhhhi… hhhiiiiiiii…” the tiny thing strained and panted like a common canine before even its own vocalizations were realized, the reptile perking up at hearing not barks or whines but a translation of another.

With wide eyes Paradox stood on all hooves, “Extraordinary!!”

Emerath had heard and looked behind him, that higher pitched voice set him off as a third being around them and not the obese wizard. Worried they had been found he panicked with the snap of a finger only to find Sparkle’s package alive with an Equis denizen and Paradox treating it like a human child would a shiny object.

“I vonder if it can talk? Say little one do you have a name?” the elder asked with a joyful smile while studying the baby dragon

“Sp…sssp…” the little drake forced himself to say something of an answer through a whole new tongue and vocals, “Ssssppiiiike!”

Both mages found themselves surrounding the one called Spike, they remembered the eavesdropping they did when scouting out suitable humans to help their cause under Yellow’s orders. Twilight owned a pet of some kind calling it that name with such adoration and love common of a pet owner. Though what had she owned that the portal would convert into one of the most dangerous monsters of their homeworld was beyond their wonderment.

The taller of the two mages inquisitively circled the nearly outgrown hatchling trying to ascertain a reason for its creation, “Hmmm… would a name like Twilight Sparkle mean anything to you little dragon? That is if you possess a deeper cognition that I believe?”

Both mages noticed Spike spring up as if he knew her by heart, “Spiiike! Ssspiike!” he bopped up and down inside the pack happy as a clam, “Where Twiiilllight!?” his tail wagged vigorously betraying his canine origin beating the fabric like a drummer.

“Interesting, so it has some form of vocabulary? I wonder where or how it learned to even speak like that? A parroting behavior maybe? Dogs are quite loyal as they are smart.” Emerath proposed making a second pass around.

Schrodinger however took to the puny thing as if it were a little puppy and rubbed its scaly protected cranium which was received with seemingly appreciated feeling, “Give me strength from zis adorablness! Ha ha!!”, Spike’s forked tongue waggled about his mouth like a limp eel.

Seeing the seriousness of the matter sapped away like a broken potion orb Emerath shook his head and ceased trying to understand the circumstance, “Safe to assume then this is not a security breach?”

“Zis? Zis a problem? Nein Emerath, tis but a pup und baby draco! Ve have to return him to Twilight, it is only proper thing to do?” earning a sigh of pain from the lanky magician before he returned back to his post on watch.

Plopping his flanks down onto the grassy ground away from the silly antics, Emerath shook off the pep from the little discovery as he resumed a stoic mood, “Try to at least keep your focus my fine companion? Remember when the time comes we still need to tend to our own personal loose ends. You have your records to confront the Arcana about and I have an errand to run. We’ll return Twilight’s pet as a debt repaid for our return, but we will have to make ourselves less obvious we’re wanted fugitives. That also means to… keep up that kind of positive easily distracted attitude of yours if you don’t mind. Makes us seem less like powerful wizards actually… for whatever passes as such these days.”

Schrodinger nodded silently as he morosely tore his ministrations from the friendly dragonling, taking a moment to look at his uniform he’d been banished with. Germane mages like any other school of magic had varying colors depending on level of mastery in the art, for one of his stature his appeared deep green with gold embroidery along the edges. Each Germane character spoke of his history from birth to his graduation into the second highest rank among his peers, his accomplishments, and his focus. Walking around in Arcana Eastern Sector attire would be an easy way to get pinned for an outsider especially in Equestria where even back then they were known for being skittish though their motto of being open to new friendships said otherwise to the Germanes and newly established Manelandians. Memories poured forth of the old life he use to live, the glorious mountainous landscape and the centuries old culture of food and music which in their own way told the tales which made the kingdom so stable.

How fond the memories were to him and yet so was the competition to keep his studies funded, the gradual shift towards mechanization had affected the Arcana student body and staff. They originally focused on advancing key magic studies and application to help revitalize the agriculture of the lands which had since sapped away almost all the nutrients and minerals that devastated old kingdoms. Bits seemed to push towards industry which most of sound mind and consciousness knew was a bad route to enhance. He had been out spoken against the meddling of Noble Houses funding specific projects and drawing more and more scholars away from the good path. He might have even never found those notes and data had he not been rivaling the creator of the airships.

As a scholar himself it was an ever present realization that societies shifted after a hundred years or so, historical studies were a necessary requirement to becoming a mage in his homeland unlike the Scholar Arcana. As magic, as with history, was just as dangerous in itself if caution was not taken to avoid catastrophes that befell other unfortunates who let innovation dive past its limits. Everypony of Germane knew about the fall of Mycea, the dread lands of Novosok, the disaster that created the desert of Camel Karesh, and the massive crater from the desolation of the Blue research project by the Ibex. All horribly wrecked cities, kingdoms, and homes when unicorns or other mages from various capable species explored what should best be left to the forbidden archives of magic. Limits that should never be tested and yet were which bore the consequences for future civilizations to avoid, such was magic as it changed from species to species and greed in some aspect fertilized the groundwork.

All the two foreign ponies could do to keep hope alive was to bank on their homes to be at least still present, they could always acclimate to a new atmosphere of thought and law over time since no pony would even recognize them. Having no place to go back to would be far too devastating for their spirits, they’d long since gotten over homesick after the first two hundred human years. Now that they were back on Equis soil that hardiness was a glass pane just waiting to be shattered.

Paradox gazed back at the little reptile and could not escape from the small smile that came across his face, “Such a tiny thing vith no real problems… how lucky your vorld is.”

The germane ruffled the soft head crest which hadn’t yet hardened into sharp spines, the look of concern had dawned upon Spike as his empathetic senses detected. A little moment they shared was soon interrupted by an odd pop exploded behind them with a flash of red bathing the area for a few seconds. The wash of mana had the tall tale signs of a teleportation spell had been used to deliver somepony or something near them. The overhanging threat of Arcana retribution however was what the stallions were afraid of and even though their magic had only just barely been given a glass of water to a nearly depleted tank, they were ready to use what little they had. Not wanting to use the one capacitor gem they were given for emergencies only. Both their horns glowed faintly as repulsion spells were caste halfway, just enough to push an Arcana robot into one of the trees and bury them under apples. Spike and the backpack were pushed behind Paradox with a hoof knowing the little innocent one did not deserve any punishment the heartless could deliver.

They were set to unleash the offensive attack when whatever had manifested seemed to be anything but the dreaded foe. Sprawled on the earthy orchard ground like a mishap on an icy lake happened to be a sunny yellow orange pony smoking from the spell just used, with fiery mane and tail to compliment the features it subtle cues hinted at a mare. Red mana sparked around her as snaking arcs phasing into reality every second for a time, the sight of course flew over the stallion’s heads as they debated whether or not she might be an agent in disguise to get the upper hoof. Spike however was the first to take a bad liking to the arrival as he growled with tiny fangs flashed, the osteoderms that made up the spiny ridge of his spine seemed especially vibrant as his little tail swayed aggressively. For a little youngling he seemed like he could pack a punch as his viper-like eyes locked onto Sunset sensing the evil inside her, the thought to bark translated into hissing and poise.

The amber unicorn groaned as the power of the demon lord surged within her veins in a raw manner akin to the likes of stubbing the funny bone yet with a bodily wide effect. Pulsing like a hangover it would not be something she’d enjoy getting use to and the hope that it was a mere phase to her miserable future seemed bleak. Her horn blared with a stinging sensation which she’d never once felt in her younger years as a filly adapting to her mana, the spiral bone jutting forth from her forehead sparked a few times before the mystical energies subsided. Struggling to get to her four legs she stifled a groan as she did her best to overcome both the return of her original body and the shock of demonic magic to her system a far cry from what she was born with.

“Oooowww… feels like I… did get hit by that truck!” she grumbled as her internal gyroscope fought to stand up as a human would, not that her swirling head would allow.

Emerath released the repulsor spell as they stepped away cautiously and as quiet as possible, “Sweet shores it’s just a regular mare I think?”

The pudgy Master Mage however was not convinced, “Some sort of trick! She’s of no magicks known to me!” he told as the fading demonic power soon vanished like steam in a freezer.

Sunset’s ears swiveled instinctively to their words yet oddly enough she couldn’t force her head to turn to them, too busy adjusting and worried about Andras and what he would do with her. Unable to say anything to her defense the mages began to withdraw deeper and deeper into the orchard feeling an overwhelming alarm that they were somehow in peril, what they hadn’t known the cause of it all was the influence of which the demon lord from the prison world was the cause. Even Spike moved along with them, for the pup knew the malice just needed to be kept away rather than engaged as that was a fool’s errand without a pack to back him up as his doggy brain deduced.

“Well can’t say we didn’t wait, come now my Germane friend I think it is time we make our leave. We’ll return our scaly cargo to his owner another way possibly?” Emerath turned tail and galloped away, his eyes wary of any traps lying in wait in their new path.

Paradox grunted as the latest dash would harry his barely restored strength, “Zis vasn’t in ze plans!” he grabbed the young dragon with his magic while discarding the backpack.

In minutes the poor lonely unicorn was then the last pony in the forest of ruby fruited trees, not even the small critters remained after they too had sensed the dread created from the possessing evil. Like a miasma of taint anything with some level of self preservation avoided the zone as if a fire was spreading outward. The quiet was however the last thing on Sunset’s mind forcing herself to overcome her dour state, she literally felt like she had been dragged through mud and standing water then left out in the sun to burn and worsen.

Though deep within her spirit she weathered the negativity as only Sunset Shimmer could, her human version that inhabited the human world made her see to that. She steeled her resolve as good as any person sea sick on a boat trying not to succumb to nausea. Trembling on her front hooves that were just aching for her posture to stand erect they made the first steps forward to distract her from the muddling of her situation, one step at a time until she managed to move a few feet forward.

“I… can do this!” she choked.

Her vision thankfully equaled out and stability leveled making the experience of teleportation noting but a fading memory, turning to the right and repeating the steps. It was an age old remedy that was taught to all unicorn foals learning their powers and jumping through portals as she had, few ever really overcame the sensation and backlash of the spell. The mechanics in which it moved a pony from one location to another destination had a huge effect on their biology, so for the many that would never adapt to it they simply needed to get themselves moving slowly. Ensure the blood flowed throughout their bodies, clearing the fog of the mind, and returning to homeostasis in which the teleport froze in order to enact the displacement.

She turned to the right again circling around a tree trunk, “You’re almost there girl, you got this.” she said with determination knowing the biggest issue with the spell was not of her fault but the foreign power used to power the magic.

Her breathing came down as everything seemed to right itself back, though some restlessness still jerked away at her body. Finally freedom came and the location of which she jumped to filled her attention like a kid in a candy shop. She surrounded herself in some kind of farm and deep within the fields as it seemed, almost no different than Sweet Apple Acres when Applejack invited her over before the Friendship Games. Perfectly pruned apple trees with dense canopies and ripening red hearts showing signs of careful attention to every acre of the land. The bark harbored no signs of pests, there happened to be a good ground cover of nitrogen providing pea plants and grass, and nary a single leaf to litter the otherwise clean grounding. It was a nice sight to behold when she had just escaped a collapsing hallway at the cost of her life, her ears only just then recovering from the shattering of crystal.

“Looks like I at least ended up somewhere peaceful?” she managed a grin.

The smell of apples permeated the orchard as chewed up remains had been mixed into compost that had been applied around each base for every tree. Slightly pungent like the fermenting figs would along the route to school on houses that had them growing freely, a light alcohol burn in the air but nothing too strong. A hint of cucumber from the greens that made up the recipe, almost exactly like how Applejack’s family mixed up every season to which the farm girl stated it was a closely held secret of theirs. There were others when she arrived though she couldn’t have seen them at the time perhaps they might be staff or part of the owner’s family that she might find some answers and warn Princess Celestia about the threat that arrived at Equestria’s doorstep.

She sighed, “Gotta get out of this place first, then I’ll get to Canterlot as soon as possible!” she said with determination which waivered when she considered Andras, would it even be safe to go near any ponies in her state?

Idly striding on in no specific direction as her thoughts ran wild, ‘If I allow myself to make any contact with anypony he might get them! He’s out to create conflict and those people who created that portal can’t be good! Worse yet if he can possess me… would he take over Celestia as well? Can he even do that? Can he even make me do things?!’

As tree after tree passed by one thought came back to her and one that scared her to the bone, freezing her hooves in place just before making another step. A flare of memory that slapped her brain like one of Rainbow Dash’s soccer kicks to the goalie, the Saandie from her Mental Library.

“No…”, she gasped, “… no, no, no no no noooo! Was that what it meant?! Was that a warning to all this? A prelude that I missed?!”

That black beast of a hex that invaded her mind, how it rooted itself into her very memories even to the ones that her involuntary bodily functions were attached to. How with a cleansing spell released before it was realized could have killed her by removing the ability to even beat her own heart, yet it only came to warn her before its own magic gave out. Had the nightly cursed visits that turned her into an insomniac through paranoia really use such tactics to get her to realize its own foretelling?

She began to go stir crazy thinking the sleepless nights were abstractly attempting to gain her perspective, to perhaps train her to resist the demon general within her before he grasped her. Her hooves backtracked then sent her into a twirling of sorts as she blindly trounced about, her maddened state lost to the possibilities she may have missed. Her careful calculations, all the research, clues she thought lead her to the right path and action all for nothing besides point her in a general direction that seemed hopeful. How little she truly understood it all, and past the breaking point for her with little ability to warn the kingdom for fear of Andras warping her actions and she’d be none the wiser. That was the sole warning she ever got when she researched deities and devils among the few books she got a hold of, the machinations of the human world evil were far more insidious than even the likes of Discord and even he mentioned it. She couldn’t comprehend the plotting of the great menace nor the depths it was willing to wait for an opportunity, she was a pawn to darkness once again only instead of her own misguided ambitions it was a reincarnation of Tartarus itself.

Whispers started to come to her ears rising from the depths of miniscule volume to an audible static, yet she still moved on in any direction. Bumping into a tree trunk periodically sparking a surprise out of her as if Andras were the one she hit, the little amber unicorn eventually stumbled after tripping over something soft. Her chin slammed into the dirt hard enough to jar her out of the chaos of her mental harshness after a foreword and over tumble, sending the poor mares world flashing back into reality swirling all the while.

Finally coming to a stop upside down, her vision soon found peace after a few tense moments with the whispers dying away, “Wha… owww...” she moaned feeling cotton balls in her skull.

Before her just three feet away had been something odd and the source for her freedom from the grasp of desperation, an obvious Crystal Prep backpack. Slightly torn as if something went through it from the inside, it bore no evidence of wear and tear. Which meant the pack was fresh and untouched by time thus far leading her to see that it had to come from one person and one person only.

Turning onto her side, “That’s Twilight’s… backpack?!”

She shook her head and steadily crept over to the parcel, investigating it to find loose purple scales and shredded notebooks caused by something sharp. Those had thankfully protected thinner compact books in the front to which she waited to touch them as she searched other pockets. Afraid to use her own magic she kept to her hooves and teeth to open the zippers and pop snap latches. She made short work of the other three compartments where she found things labeled with not only Twilight’s name but with her mark or cutie mark if she were a pony. Glasses case, pencil holder, calculator, notepads, notes, and various other things she’d expect a bookworm to possess. Finding nothing of value or interest she turned her attention to the books which she removed carefully and looked over them for anything that might be useful. Her eyes did not fail her as the very literature had been titled in Equish albeit rather dated and she could sense they were under a special spell that miniaturized them for ease of storage.

“No doubt this is Twilight’s doing, with our stolen magic no less.” She grumbled at both the fact that she couldn’t release the spell binding the books to make them readable and that the very girl who owned them she couldn’t even confront.

“Why does she even have an Equish written book?! She has to be involved in all this more than what I’ve seen. Celestia’s sun be my witness I will work from the shadows and save Equestria from the chain of events she’s set into motion.” She seethed putting away the books into their original place and worked her head through the straps so it dangled around her neck, “First things first… gotta test the limits. I may have an spirit of a Demon in me, but this is MY body and I will have it back!”

Sunset prepared herself to live off the land and skirt around to hear from the air of what was going around the kingdom. She made it through Canterlot to steal Twilight’s crown, how hard could it be to not frighten the civilians nearby?

Comments

[enderchangling]

Oh yay! New chapter!