Shadows Over Equestria, Part 2
The demon roared, and a pulse of shadow erupted from Arzakon’s hand, a beam of necrotic magic directed straight at Twilight. Twilight reacted swiftly, shooting back with a concussive blast of her own, pushing against the dark assault until it halted in place. The two beams struggled against each other, until Arzakon’s own attack dissipated, and he was struck in head by Twilight’s spell.
As Arzakon stumbled for a moment, Twilight took to the air. Channeling the power of fire, her mane ignited into flames, and an intense blast of heat and plasma erupted from her horn, barreling towards the shadowed being. But Arzakon was prepared this time, and a shield of glowing alabaster momentarily surrounded him, Twilight’s assault dissipating harmlessly against it.
Twilight’s jaw dropped. That was white magic. A demon of purest darkness, black as black could be, and he had harnessed white magic with the utmost of ease. Twilight shook her head and resumed her assault, spewing a jet of fire from her horn. Arzakon responded once more. A pulse of magic from his hand, and Twilight’s fire spell dissipated into nothing. A counterspell. Blue magic.
Arzakon followed up his defensive spell with a thrust of his hand. Power crackled between his claws, and a burst of lightning shot from his palm. Red magic. The electric attack struck Twilight painfully and forcefully, and she shrieked in agony as her body convulsed, the pain forcing her out of her fire-maned state.
Then, as she feel to the ground, Arzakon’s magic called to something beneath it, and a web of entangling vines surrounded Twilight. Green magic. The vines gripped Twilight all across her body, surrounding her and binding her legs, wings, tail, and horn. She was completely immobilized, unable to fight back, even her magic suffocated by the vines’ complete vicegrip on her horn.
Twilight felt the unmistakable pulse of Starlight’s magic, and then the vines were gone. She collapsed to the ground, still too exhausted to move, and saw as her friends began confronting the demon in unison.
“Alright, girls!” said Starlight. “Take him down!”
A rainbow-colored streak shot forward, circling Arzakon with blinding speed. Then, before Arzakon could begin to follow the motion, Rainbow Dash doubled back and performed a u-turn. She carried her momentum as she flew with her front hooves forward, driving them both straight into Arzakon’s face. The impact left a sickening crunch that sounded like shattering bone, and Rainbow quickly retreated as Arzakon staggered on his feet.
And then Arzakon was immediately struck by a massive stone obelisk flying through the air. Applejack had lifted one of the monuments of Ponehenge onto her back with great ease, before tossing it above her, spinning around, and bucking it with all of her strength. The boulder completely shattered from the force of impact, breaking into innumerable small pebbles that flew out with explosive force. Starlight’s horn glowed, momentarily surrounding the ponies with an aura that shielded them from the shrapnel.
Arzakon staggered backwards and clutched his arm in pain. He howled in purest rage, but the sound was immediately drowned out by an explosion of cannonfire. An enormous glob of something sticky and pink spewed forth from Pinkie’s Party Cannon, enveloping Arzakon in what smelled and looked like chewed bubblegum. He struggled against the sweet-smelling mass, but every motion only ended with him becoming more entangled.
“Fluttershy, try to stare him down!” said Starlight. “See if you can stop him from escaping!”
“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked, her shaking uncontrollably as she attempted to hide herself beneath her wings. Slowly, she peered out from behind her feathers. “U-um, okay... I-I think can try.”
Just as Arzakon finally managed to struggle free, he was suddenly set upon by a pair of intense, piercing eyes. His body immediately seized up, Fluttershy’s stare managing to hold him in place.
“Hrhkk... Y-you...” Arzakon only managed to barely choke out a partly-coherent statement. Head to toe, his body seemed almost completely paralyzed.
“Good going!” Starlight called out. “Rarity, Sunburst! Lend me a horn, will you? We’ll blast him together!”
“Oh dear,” said Rarity. “Are you sure about that? You know I’m not the best at offensive magic. I can barely even manage a simple stun spell.”
“Doesn’t matter! Every little bit counts!” said Starlight. “Now, come on! Fluttershy, get out of the way!”
“R-right!” said Fluttershy. She quickly zipped away, leaving the demon dazed and befuddled. As he shook his head, Sunburst and Rarity joined Starlight by her side.
Then, with a trio of glowing horns, Arzakon was blasted with an intensely powerful beam of energy. Greenish-blue magic shot forward, with slightly deeper blue and warm yellow streams surrounding it, wrapping around Starlight’s magic in a double-helix.
The combined blast from the three unicorns impacted Arzakon straight in the center of the chest. He screamed in agony as it pushed against him, drilling into him with immense force. Starlight grunted in exertion, and the central beam intensified in power. With one final push, the attack pierced straight through the demon’s chest, exploding out the other side of his body and streaking into the sky.
As the magical assault finally dissipated, Arzakon collapsed onto one knee. The hole in his chest had already begun to repair itself, strands of shadow forming from the edges, weaving new skin over the gap in his body.
“H-how?” Arzakon groaned. “I feel even weaker than before... How am I so powerless?” As his injury finally healed itself fully, he clutched the space on his chest where there had once been a hole in it. His eyes went wide, the pure white space within them struck by sudden epiphany. “No! My spark! What have you done to my spark!?”
“...Spark?” said Twilight. That was it. He had mentioned the spark. An epiphany bubbled up into Twilight’s thoughts, and a grin crept its way across her face as she stood up to her hooves. “That’s right! The Great Mending! The very nature of the planeswalker spark was changed sixty years ago! Planeswalkers are no longer the godlike beings they used to be, and that means you’re now just as mortal as every single one of us!”
Arzakon’s eyes snapped open. “What!? N-no! You lie!” His eyes closed, and a frustrated snarl escaped from his throat. Slowly, he stood himself back up to two feet. “No... It doesn’t matter what you’ve done to me. Even with my spark altered, I am still far more powerful than any of you could ever hope to be. Once my strength recovers, this plane’s mana will be mine for the taking. My shadows will extinguish all of the hope and light your world has ever known! So make peace with your lives, as they too will soon be snuffed out!”
Arzakon cackled madly, a deep, reverberating laugh that sent shivers down Twilight’s spine. Then, in a swirling cloud of shadow, he disappeared. As he vanished, Starlight approached and rested a hoof against Twilight’s shoulders.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I think I’m alright, thanks,” Twilight replied. “That was really impressive how you coordinated that, Starlight.”
Starlight blushed slightly. “Oh, well... It’s nothing, really. I just couldn’t stand the thought of seeing you getting hurt.”
“In any case, I’m grateful for all of your help,” said Twilight. She looked around, seeing the anxiety written on everyone’s faces. Only now, after taking a look at them all, did she truly understand the situation before her. She wasn’t merely fighting alongside her friends, but alongside the most legendary ponies in all of Equestria. Her chest felt light as she considered the things that she might be able to learn from them, but the more rational part of her told her in no uncertain terms that there were more important things to worry about.
“So where’d that scary demon guy go, anyway?” said Rainbow Dash.
Somnambula shook her head. “That, we do not know. It is a riddle we must solve ourselves, and quickly.”
Meadowbrook glanced around, at the ruined stone obelisks. It was clear from the lines on her face that she was distraught. “Just how long have we been gone?”
Sunburst tapped a hoof to his chin. “Well, let’s see here... it’s difficult to say, since timekeeping systems weren’t quite as advanced back when you were still around, but based on all the evidence I’ve seen... I’d guess somewhere around one thousand, one hundred, and fifty years.”
Every single one of the Pillars went silent. Sunburst’s explanation had no doubt startled all of them, and they could only stare as the weight of the information struck them.
Stygian, however, did not seem to share in their astonishment. His eyes narrowed and his body stiffened as he walked towards Twilight, shooting her a glare. “More than a thousand years of peace, then. Centuries have passed where Equestria had naught to worry of evil. And you...” He jabbed a hoof at Twilight, poking her in the center of the chest. “...You have the sheer audacity to undo it all? For what? To save us when we never asked to be saved? To bring us back after the world has no doubt forgotten of us already? Your actions have doomed every single living thing in all of Equestria!”
“I...” Twilight nearly flinched at the accusation. Stygian’s words made her feel like a chasm had opened up within her chest.
“That’s enough, Stygian,” Rockhoof cut in. “She only wished to help us, and an alicorn is a powerful ally besides. She and her friends are strong, and we may be able to use their help.”
“You said it!” said Pinkie. “You should see all the other villains we’ve managed to take down. There’s Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, that time Starlight Glimmer nearly erased the entire world from history through an accumulation of temporal paradoxes... we’re friends now though, so it’s cool!”
The last part of Pinkie’s statement immediately drew the attention of the ancient ponies. Starlight, meanwhile, shrank back, her ears folding against her head.
Flash Magnus broke into a grin. “Sounds like you’ve had a few adventures of your own. I’m sure we’d be able to take down Arzakon even faster if we work together. So, what do you say?”
Stygian closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils, before letting the tension out of his body with a sigh. “...Alright. Fine. I suppose we’ll need all the help we can get. And besides, I... I think I more than anypony should know the value of giving second chances.” He looked to Twilight, determination twinkling in his eyes. “And I think I know exactly where we’ll find Arzakon.”
“Thank you for being understanding, Stygian,” Twilight replied. “We’ll need a plan though, before we can confront him. Let’s head back to my castle and see if we can figure things out before it’s too late.”
With a series of nods, the group followed Twilight as she began leading them back to Ponyville.
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Twilight had soon gathered her friends, as well as their new companions, around the Cutie Map. She oversaw the map as it projected a holographic image of Equestria over itself, showing the entire nation from a bird’s-eye view. The ancient ponies stared at the map in silent wonder as the gentle light of its magic washed over the throne room.
“Goodness!” said Meadowbrook. “This magic feels just like the Tree we planted!”
“The tree?” said Applejack. “Hold on, you don’t mean the Tree of Harmony, do you?”
Somnambula’s smile shined off the light reflected from the Map. “That we most certainly do. A friend of Star Swirl’s gave us a crystal seed, said to be born from Harmony herself. We poured our magic into the seed, nurturing it into something that would grow to protect Equestria.”
“When we saw the Tree of Harmony last, it was only a sapling,” Mistmane added. “Even then I could see the beauty it would one day bestow upon the land, but I never imagined it could grow something this breathtaking.”
“Wait, hold on,” said Flash Magnus. “You’re saying this castle grew from the Tree of Harmony?”
“Yup! And it’s all thanks to us!” Rainbow boasted. “Man, you should have seen it! We all seemed completely powerless at first, but then we were all ’whooosh! zap!’ And then we defeated the bad guy, and Twilight got this sweet castle, and we each got our own thrones! It was totally awesome!”
Flash lightly chuckled to himself. “I think I like your style.”
Stygian cleared his throat. “While I don’t want to interrupt your camaraderie, we have something much more important to worry about. Arzakon is retreating to regain his power, and I know exactly where he’s going.”
A pulse of magic came from Stygian’s horn. Twilight immediately recognized it as the same kind of dark magic that she had used when attempting to recover the Crystal Heart from King Sombra. Then, on the map, a swirling cloud of darkness appeared above a small, unassuming village to the east of Canterlot.
“There,” said Stygian. “That’s where we’ll find Arzakon. In the Hollow Shades, deep within the Well of Shades.”
“The Hollow Shades?” said Applejack. “Ah think Ah’ve heard of that place. A distant branch of mah family lives there. Supposedly, anyway. Ah ain’t never seen them in family reunions.”
“If any part of your family ever lived there, they haven’t done so for many centuries,” said Stygian. “Even in my era, the town was destroyed by the time I’d discovered it. Its entire population was no doubt slain by Arzakon’s foul magic.”
Applejack could only look back at Stygian in horror, her expression shared equally by all of her friends.
“Geez,” said Spike, “that’s kind of dark.”
“I’m aware,” Stygian replied dryly. “While others may shun the darkness, I embrace it out of necessity. Those who spend their entire lives under the light are blind to the evil that lives in shadow.”
Applejack reached up and adjusted her hat with a hoof. “Well... Ah’d say you didn’t have to be so blunt about it, but considering who Ah am that’d probably be a mite hypocritical on mah part.”
“B-but, what’s this about a... a...” Fluttershy gave an audible gulp as she spoke. “...W-well of Shades?”
“The Well of Shades was where Arzakon was imprisoned,” Stygian explained. “I... I was called there once, in a dream. He tried to tempt me with power, exploit my fears, and use me for his own purposes. Had it not been for a friend’s help, I would have fallen for it, too.”
Meadowbrook place a hoof over her chest. “Oh, Stygian, honey...”
Stygian shook his head. “I appreciate your concern, Meadowbrook, but I’m not the one you should worry about. Arzakon has no doubt returned to the Well of Shades. Even through his imprisonment, his dark magic was able to corrupt the Well, and eventually all of Hollow Shades itself. Even after more than a thousand years of absence, it would no doubt still be enveloped in his own shadow. There is no better place for him to wait and recover his power.”
“Oh, dear,” said Rarity. “You’re not planning on sending yourselves back to Limbo, are you? After only just managing to return?”
Stygian opened his mouth to respond, but was almost immediately cut off.
“Wait,” Twilight interrupted. “Stygian, hold that thought. I know you were planning on sacrificing yourself again to stop Arzakon, but I think I know another way to take him down.”
Stygian’s jaw hung loose. “I... You do?”
Twilight nodded. “I think I understand the reason why Arzakon is so formidable. You see, even though his magic is based on black mana, he was able to almost effortlessly use all the other colors of mana to complement it. And I think I know how we can beat him without having to sacrifice anypony.”
“I... you do?” said Stygian. “But what do you mean by ‘colors?’”
“It’s not something you would have heard of in your time,” said Twilight. “But I’d recently discovered that all forms of magic can be separated into five different colors: white, blue, black, red, and green. Each pony’s personality, attitude, and beliefs determine what colors they’re aligned with, which in turn determines what kind of magic they can use just as much as their tribe or heritage. For example, my magic is based on blue, red, and white magic, while Star Swirl’s would have likely been based only in blue. ”
“Well, that’s interesting and everything,” said Stygian. “But how is that supposed to help us?”
“It’s extremely rare to see someone with an affinity for more than three colors,” Twilight explained, “and I used to believe that only the most otherworldly and godlike beings in the multiverse could use all five colors at once. Arzakon, however, has somehow managed to find a way to harness mana that’s entirely foreign to his own power. This is his greatest strength, but it could also be his greatest weakness.”
Stygian and the Pillars all shared a look. “How so?” said Stygian.
“Well, I still need to go over the calculations for a bit,” Twilight replied. “But drawing from five different colors at once would theoretically leave him uniquely vulnerable. It’s extremely difficult to weave more than three kinds of magic together, as I said, and attempting to do so should allow a window of opportunity. Hold on a second.”
Twilight teleported away, into her own private bedchamber. She grabbed a quill and a scrap of parchment from the drawer in her bedside desk, then began quickly jotting down calculations she needed as they came to her in her mind. Then, in a flash, she was back in the throne room.
“I’ve got it!” Twilight exclaimed. “See this?” She levitated the parchment over and placed it in front of Stygian.
“I... yes. But I’m not sure what this is trying to say.”
“It’s the way we’ll defeat Arzakon!” said Twilight. “The reason you rarely see anyone use more than three kinds of magic is that every color you use spreads your magic thinner among them. Beyond three, if anything disrupts your ability to draw from one of your colors, you’ll have a difficult time using magic at all.”
Stygian’s eyes lit up. “And if we can disrupt Arzakon’s mana, we can defeat him!”
“Exactly!” said Twilight. “Since Arzakon has all five, it will only take a comparatively small disruption to counteract his power. But in order to do so, we’ll need to find five individuals who each represent the colors of magic in their purest forms. If they all channel their power against Arzakon at once, it should disrupt his ability to draw from each of their colors. And fortunately, I happen to know exactly who those people are.”
The ancient ponies all stared at Twilight, as though expecting an answer. Her friends, meanwhile, immediately gave her a knowing look.
“Gonna call the Jacetice League, huh?” Rainbow joked.
Twilight shot Rainbow a glare. “Please don’t be disrespectful of the Gatewatch. You might not care, but I do.”
“Twilight, darling, are you sure you want to call the entire Gatewatch here?” said Rarity. She rubbed her foreleg with a hoof. “Liliana and haven’t exactly gotten along...”
“I know Rarity, I know,” said Twilight. “I don’t really like the idea of having to bring her over, but we don’t have a lot of time. If we don’t act now, Arzakon may become too powerful for us to ever defeat.” Grabbing onto the parchment with a hoof, Twilight stepped back from the table.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” said Twilight. “Hold the fort for me until I return.”
Her horn sparked to life, and Twilight teleported back to her own room. Gathering the supplies needed for planeswalking was normally a task she devoted extensive preparation for, but right now she didn’t have the time. A small pair of saddlebags, the note containing her calculations, and the map of Jace’s teleportals were all she needed.
Once all of the things she needed were gathered, Twilight’s horn sparked to life, and she teleported away.
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As Twilight arrived on Ravnica, she found herself, as usual, in the middle of a populated street. Thankfully, her presence had failed to attract attention. Quick reflexes and equally quick thinking had taught her to apply an invisibility spell the moment she arrived on the plane.
With another simple illusion, she dismissed the invisibility and assumed her usual human disguise. From there, she quickly glanced at the map she’d taken with her, finding the nearest place where she could find Jace’s sanctum. Sure enough, an entrance was within a disused alleyway, far from the attention of the public, not far from where she’d arrived.
After a short knock on the door, Twilight was greeted by the perpetually-stern face of Lavinia.
“Princess Twilight. To what do I owe your presence?”
A slight tingle of annoyance formed within Twilight’s core. Lavinia had always insisted on referring to everyone by their formal titles, much to her chagrin. “I need to speak with Jace. It’s an emergency.”
Lavinia’s eyes scanned Twilight’s form. There was always an alertness to her mannerisms, as though constantly looking for some kind of threat. “The Guildpact is currently busy, but he may be able to readjust his schedule. Come in.”
Twilight quickly followed Lavinia into the building. Sure enough, Jace was hunched over a desk in the common room, a truly gargantuan stack of paperwork laid out before him. Twilight couldn’t help but wince sympathetically at the sight of it. As Lavinia left the two to their own devices, Twilight dismissed her illusion as she approached.
Jace briefly gave Twilight a glance, before turning back to his work. “Good to see you, Twilight. Sorry I can’t give you a more proper welcome.”
“Doesn’t matter. No time,” said Twilight. “How quickly can you assemble the Gatewatch and get them to Equestria?”
If Twilight didn’t have Jace’s full attention before, she certainly had it now. “I take it this is an emergency?”
“Long story short, yes,” Twilight replied. “There’s a powerful demonic planeswalker that’s threatening our world, and we’ll need all of you to help deal with him. Tell Liliana to come, too.”
“You must be truly desperate if you want her help.”
Twilight didn’t respond. She preferred to let her unamused stare do the talking for her.
“Sorry. I’m just saying, you two never exactly got along. And to be honest, I don’t know if I’ll even be able to convince her to return to your plane.”
Twilight exhaled softly, trying to ease away the building anxiety in her chest. “I know. I think I know how you can get her to come along, though. I’m fairly certain the planeswalker we’re facing is the reason the Chain Veil has such dark power.”
A very loud, harsh noise escaped from Jace’s throat, as though he were suddenly choking on something. “I’m sorry, what?”
“His name is Arzakon,” Twilight explained. “He claimed the Chain Veil was created to prevent him from entering the plane of Shandalar, and that his power imprinted on it, somehow. It’s just a hypothesis so far, but I think the Chain Veil’s curse is a result of it twisting its bearer into a reflection of Arzakon himself.”
Jace adjusted his cloak, then turned to face Twilight more closely. His eyes still carried the same twinkle of curiosity, but the crease on his brow was laced with concern. “And you want to bring Liliana to the one who gave the Chain Veil its power? I’m sure you understand, that could end very badly for all of us.”
Twilight could feel hear ears splaying against her own head. She hadn’t seen Liliana at her worst, and she’d hoped to Celestia that she would never have to. “It’s... It’s crazy, I know. But I wouldn’t be doing this if we had any other options. I don’t think we can use the Elements of Harmony without the Tree of Harmony dying, and letting the Tree die could cause irreversible damage to our plane’s mana. We’ll need her to stop Arzakon, and we need to stop him quickly. The fate of our entire world is at stake.”
Jace scooted back from his chair and stood up, pulling his hood over his head. “Give me an hour or so, I’ll have everyone ready. We’ll meet you at your castle.”
Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Jace.”
As Jace turned to walk away, Twilight channeled her inner magic, and planeswalked back to Equestria.
————————
“...And that’s the plan. Any questions?”
As she glanced around the throne room, Twilight could plainly see the anxious looks written on everyone’s faces. In particular, the more ancient of the ponies gathered were especially unsure.
“You never told us you were a planeswalker,” said Flash Magnus. “How do we know you’re really on our side?”
“Flash!” said Meadowbrook. “Be nice! Can’t you see she’s trying to help us?”
“What?” said Flash. “I’m just saying, they don’t exactly have the best track record with us.”
Rockhoof let out a snort. “Personally, I’d have thought we would all know better than to rush to judgment by now.”
Stygian turned and raised an eyebrow towards Flash, prompting the latter to back away slightly. “I would have to agree with Rockhoof,” Stygian added. “Arzakon grows stronger by the minute, and Twilight’s plan is the best chance we have at defeating him once and for all. Twilight, do you know when this Gatewatch of yours will arrive?”
“Jace said it would take about an hour to get everyone here,” Twilight replied. “So, based on that estimate, I’d say—”
Slam!
Twilight was abruptly cut off by the sound of the front doors opening. Four familiar ponies and one familiar deer moved through the entrance, quickly joining Twilight and the others by the central table. It was still odd, seeing the Gatewatch transformed by Equestria’s magic, but they were still easily recognizable as the planeswalkers she knew.
“We came here as soon as we could,” said Jace. “So, what’s the plan?”
“We were just going over it,” said Twilight. “I’ll be glad to explain it again, though. In the meantime, why don’t you introduce yourselves? Everypony, this is Jace, Chandra, Nissa, Gideon, and Liliana. Over here are Stygian, Flash Magnus, Mistmane, Somnambula, Mage Meadowbrook, and Rockhoof.” She motioned to each of the ponies in turn as she introduced them.
A perplexed frown appeared on Stygian’s face, and he turned to face Liliana. “Hold on. I’m feeling something strange coming from her. Is this the Chain Veil of which you spoke, Twilight?”
“Well—”
“Indeed it is,” Liliana interrupted. “It’s also none of your business. We’re here to defeat Arzakon, is that right?”
Twilight briefly closed her eyes and exhaled. Already she could practically feel the unease radiating off of her friends. “Yes, that’s correct. And we’re going to need each of you to do so. I’ve already devised a plan of action that can take him down.” Her horn flared to life, and a holographic image of Arzakon appeared before her, projected in place of the Cutie Map. In it, images of the Gatewatch surrounded him, while all the other ponies present stood behind the Gatewatch, hovering in the air.
As the phantasmal image of Arzakon roared, each member of the Gatewatch surrounded themselves in a powerful aura of color. Five line of colored mana erupted from them, surrounding and binding Arzakon in a cocoon of multicolored light. Then, each of the Pillars raised their artifacts aloft. Bright light emanated from each of them, until an illusory portal appeared before Arzakon. With little resistance, the demonic planeswalker was sucked into the portal, never to be seen again.
Twilight dismissed her illusion, and gave a satisfied grin. “As you can see here, if you all are able to channel your magic at once, you should be able to disrupt Arzakon’s mana long enough to leave him vulnerable. That will allow us to seal him away in Limbo without sacrificing anyone, where he’ll remain trapped indefinitely. Here Jace, feel free take a look at my notes.”
A flash of light, and the parchment that Twilight had written her notes on appeared before her. She levitated it over to Jace, who grabbed it and peered at its contents.
“The calculations appear sound,” Jace mused. “But putting it into practice will prove to be more difficult than working it out in theory.”
“We’re prepared to do whatever it takes,” said Stygian. “Arzakon must be stopped.”
“You underestimate me, Cloakface,” said Liliana. “I’m more than eager to confront this Arzakon fellow myself.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” Jace muttered. “That said, I can’t think of any other objections to this plan. Do you know where we’ll be going?”
“I think Stygian would be the best one to answer,” Twilight replied. “Stygian?”
“Of course,” said Stygian. “Arzakon will be found within the Well of Shades. There’s no time left to waste, so I’ll lead you there myself.”
“You go do that,” said Spike. “I’ll take care of the castle while you’re all away. I’ll shoot you a letter if something comes up.”
Stygian gave the others a nod, and began heading for the door. Soon the others followed, and they continued on their path to the final confrontation.
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With a name like ‘Hollow Shades,’ Liliana wasn’t expecting particularly bright and cheerful. Yet looking at it now, even she couldn’t have anticipated the darkness that hung over the landscape. Though it was broad daylight, she struggled to see more than a few yards in front of her. The entire town was an abandoned ruin smothered in shadow, with so much black mana choking it that it was practically made of black mana itself.
Liliana couldn’t help but smile to herself. Maybe this plane was worth visiting after all.
Stygian led the group to the center of the village, where a single well lay amid the deserted buildings. It was a simple structure, built from plain brown stone, with no decorations or markings that would call attention to it. By all appearances, it was simply an ordinary well.
And yet, the black magic that was pouring out of it was anything but. It was a powerful magic, and more than that a familiar one.
You are a fool to have come here. The Chain Veil is marked by him, and that mark will persist with or without him.
There it was again. That damned voice that had followed her across the multiverse for the better part of two centuries. Liliana furtively glanced around, expecting to see the Raven Man appear before her at any moment, but as always he remained elusive.
And then there was that pony, Stygian. Any being name like his had to have an affinity for black mana, and Liliana could feel it gathering around him the moment they had stepped outside the castle. Though he lacked any apparent strength, Liliana could tell that he’d constantly kept an ear out for the whispers of the darkness. He led the others toward the well, where they gathered around it in a circle.
“This is it,” said Stygian. “This is where we’ll find Arzakon.”
Applejack stepped forward and peered over the well. A blast of cold air erupted from its depths, nearly blowing her hat straight off her head. The sudden gust prompted a startled yelp as she jumped back, away from the opening.
“Ah got a real bad feeling about this, y’all...”
“Come on, AJ, we’ve totally got this!” Rainbow reassured. Liliana could see from the subtle shivers in her body that her confidence was only an act. “I-It’ll be no problem, trust me!”
The ground rumbled slightly. A very loud crack came from below.
“W-what was that!?” said Rainbow.
“Brace yourselves!” Pinkie called out.
And then, the ground gave way. A massive circular fissure surrounded everyone, cutting a hole into the seemingly-solid surface that they’d been standing on. Screams echoed around Liliana as everything fell, dropping straight into the black abyss, sinking deep into the earth.
Pain wracked Liliana’s body as she landed, buried in a heap beneath other, unfamiliar bodies. She stood up, shaking them off of her as she climbed to her hooves. It was an annoyance, but she’d dealt with far worse before. Besides, she was exactly where she wanted to be.
As she finally managed to climb up onto all fours, she was greeted by the face of Chandra staring down at all of them, her wings beating at her sides as she hovered.
“What? Did some of you just forget you can fly?”
“It happens more often than you’d think,” Twilight grumbled. She stood up hesitantly, then grouped with the others as they took in their new surroundings.
It was plainly obvious now that the Well of Shades wasn’t a well, and almost certainly was never intended to be. The interior of the chamber expanded into a room filled stone columns and archways. At the far end of the chamber was a single stone door, a large hole blasted through it with seemingly explosive force. Wisps of smoke-like shadows slithered their way out of the hole, covering the entire room in a thick black fog.
A grin crept its way onto Liliana’s face. This was where she’d find the Chain Veil’s master. This was where she could finally free herself of its suffocating grip on her soul.
Suddenly a sharp, terrible noise came from beyond the door. All the other ponies seized up at its cry, but Liliana remained resolute, staring into the darkness with piercing, predatory eyes. There was no force of darkness in the multiverse that could perturb her. She was what nightmares themselves feared.
First the demon’s shadowy claw emerged, its talons digging deeply into the stone. The rest of its body soon followed, pulling himself out as he stood to his full height. He was a gargantuan being, more than ten feet tall, barely small enough to fit beneath the chamber. Little tendrils of darkness danced from his skin as he glared, the air itself becoming thick and heavy, as thought it were suddenly hostile to all life.
A low chuckle escaped from Arzakon’s form. “I should have expected you would come here. And would you look at that? You even even brought a few new friends along. I will be more than happy to grant all of you the deaths you so desire.”
Liliana stepped forward, meeting the demon’s gaze. “And is that supposed to scare me? I’ve heard more intimidating speeches from a third-rate melodrama.”
Arzakon’s eyes widened for a moment, then focused their gaze on Liliana’s form. “Well, now... isn’t this an interesting development? It’s been a long time, Necromancer. I had always hoped for a chance to meet you myself.”
Pride swelled within Liliana’s chest. “Glad to hear my reputation precedes me.”
Then, something happened that Liliana didn’t expect. Arzakon laughed. A loud, rumbling, impossibly deep laugh that reverberated with every inch of the Well’s stonework. “You think I was referring you? Now that is the greatest jest I have heard in centuries!”
“Excuse me? How dare you—” A sudden epiphany caught Liliana’s words before they could even escape her throat. The demon had looked at her, but there was someone else with her, someone she carried with her everywhere she went. “The Raven Man. What do you know about him? Tell me!”
“I’m afraid that is not your place to know,” Arzakon replied, his voice dripping with smugness. “I’ll be content with keeping that secret to the end of your pitiful life. As you die by my hand, you’ll die knowing that it is one more thing I have that you do not.”
Liliana’s teeth clenched. How dare he? Then again, she wasn’t exactly expecting cooperation to begin with. Before she could respond, however, Arzakon sent out a necrotic pulse from his hand. She reacted in turn, sculpting the ambient shadows into a tendril of putrid magic. Both dark assaults collided with one another, and Liliana struggled to push against the hostile magic.
It’s not too late to escape. Forget the others, you can still save yourself.
“Quiet, you!” Liliana growled. She struggled to stand against Arzakon’s power as it pushed closer and closer to her horn. Just when it seemed like it would strike her down, a barrage of concussive magical blasts struck Arzakon from all directions, followed by an intense burst of fire. The demon’s assault ceased, and he stumbled backwards before righting himself.
“Now, Liliana!” Jace called out.
Just as Twilight had explained on the way there, Liliana channeled her magic through the leylines of the plane beneath her, the very mana that Arzakon drew from. Her body pulsed with black mana as it began to rise into the air, followed by Jace, Chandra, Gideon, and Nissa. Then, from each of them, a line of colored mana shot from them and towards Arzakon. The lines snaked and twisted as they ensnared Arzakon in their grasp, and the demon struggled mightily against the bonds that now surrounded him.
“W-what!?” Arzakon roared. “What is this!?”
“Pillars!” Stygian called out. “Now is our chance! Prepare the sealing ritual!”
Each one of the ancient ponies raised their artifacts into the air. Bright, blinding light emanated from each of them, cutting through the darkness like a knife. Called by their power, a hole in the fabric of space itself appeared behind Arzakon.
Then, a beam of light shot forward from each of the six artifacts presented by the Pillars. The beams converged into a single point, converging into a massive orb of light that illuminated every corner of the chamber. From the orb, a larger beam shot forward, steadily pushing Arzakon closer to the portal to Limbo. An ear-piercing shriek escaped the demon’s throat as his legs were drawn into the hole. Somehow he managed to grasp the portal’s edge with a claw, as though grabbing onto the very plane itself.
Arzakon’s eyes turned towards Liliana. “Y-you...! Wait! Don’t do this! I can help you! I can teach you how to tame the Chain Veil’s magic!”
Liliana’s pupils dilated. The magic that surrounded her began to falter, if only slightly.
“I know you seek to harness the Veil’s true power,” Arzakon continued. “Defeating me will not rid the Veil of its curse. Only I can show you how to control it. Join me, and I will teach you! Become my apprentice, and together we will rule the multiverse!”
And just like that, any interest Liliana had in the offer was shattered. Her lips twisted into a very nasty scowl.
“Sorry, Horn Boy. You must have mistaken me for someone interested in sharing.”
“No! Listen to me! No!” The light gave one final push, and Arzakon was sent barreling into the void. Without so much as a single noise, the portal then closed itself shut, leaving the shadowed planeswalker forever trapped behind it.
As Liliana felt the magic wane, she gently floated back onto the ground. Already, the darkness that had gathered within the Well was lifting. Despite the sinister construction and monstrous engravings, the chamber began to look more and more like the disgustingly saccharine plane she knew.
Twilight approached the rest of the Gatewatch, beaming. “You did it! My plan worked!”
“Hey, you underestimate us,” said Flash. “We took care of that monster with no problem.”
“But what exactly was Arzakon saying about the Chain Veil?” Meadowbrook added. “I don’t know about you, but I didn’t like the sound of that.”
“Like I said, that’s none of your business,” Liliana countered. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
“I think I do.”
Liliana’s ears swiveled towards the voice, a sensation that painfully reminded her just how wrong her new body felt. She turned to see Stygian glaring straight at her.
“You weren’t really interested in saving us, were you?” said Stygian. “You hoped defeating Arzakon would show you how to harness the Chain Veil’s power. That is, to harness his power.”
Despite the harshness in his voice, Liliana couldn’t help but smile at the accusation. It wasn’t a friendly smile, but it was still a smile. Stygian had proven himself remarkably perceptive, and the way his magic hovered just on the edge of darkness was truly intriguing.
“So what if I did?” said Liliana. “Your purple pony princess needed me for the plan to work, and thanks to me it went off without a hitch. I think you owe me some gratitude for that, hmm?”
Stygian’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “I know darkness. And I know what is and isn’t a threat. You may not be a threat now, but should you become one, you will have the greatest heroes in all of Equestria to reckon with.”
“There’s no need to flatter yourself so much,” said Liliana. “All things considered, I’m disappointed that I didn’t get anything I wanted out of this little journey. I’ll be taking my leave now, so you can feel free to be as self-righteous as you want.”
WIthout another word, Liliana turned around and planeswalked away. Something told her she wouldn’t be missed that much.
————————
“It is an honor to meet you again, Your Highness.”
Beams of golden sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows of the throne room. There, standing before Stygian, were the same two ponies that Star Swirl himself had mentored so many centuries ago. They both sat tall on their seats, towering above even the largest of ponies. It was no wonder they had needed to spend such effort to distance themselves from any claim of godhood.
Behind Stygian, many other ponies gathered. The remaining Pillars of Equestria, the chosen bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and three ponies and one deer that had called themselves the Gatewatch. Twilight’s own personal dragon assistant had joined as well, eager for a chance to be included among the group, as had Sunburst and Starlight Glimmer.
“And you as well, Stygian,” said Princess Celestia. “I understand it must be a major adjustment to return after such a long absence. You are free to stay here in Canterlot for as long as you like. I’m sure Luna would be happy to explain things to you.”
“You should be fine as long as you read the instructions before using the microwave,” Luna added.
Stygian shared a confused look with the other ancient ponies. He decided the question was best left for another time. “I appreciate your concern, Your Highness, but I don’t think I can stay in one place. This realm has grown in so many ways, and I want to see for myself what has changed. I was always something of a wanderer, besides.”
Rockhoof stepped forward and placed a hoof on Stygian’s shoulder. Despite nearly knocking the wind out of him, Stygian couldn’t help but smile.
“And we will travel alongside you as well,” said Rockhoof. “The world we know may be gone, but we will always have each other. Isn’t that right?”
Stygian felt the warmth of his companion seep into his body. Looking back, he could remember all the times together, all the hardships, and everything that had brought them back after they were broken apart. The thought of it all nearly brought a tear to his eye.
“Yes... yes, it itis.”
————————
AR ~3,395 — Months After The Death of Star Swirl
A grey thundercloud rumbled over the graveyard as the funeral procession finished. It was a dark day in Equestria, and the pegasi had provided fittingly gloomy weather to match it. As the last of the mourners finally left, Stygian was left alone, the rain soaking his mane, coat, and tunic.
Despite his status, Star Swirl’s tomb was not an extravagant one, like the tombs of Equestria’s nobles. It was a simple building, no larger than a shed, with few markings and no labels, save for a single engraving on the entrance shaped like his cutie mark. Star Swirl had always believed that monuments to himself were unnecessary: his legacy would would instead be kept alive across the ages through his many teachings and studies.
The tomb had already been sealed by the time that the funeral ended. Stygian couldn’t bring himself to attend, not while the other Pillars were present. Instead he had chosen to watch from the shadows, keeping as much distance as he could from the others. He had already accepted that he would never belong with them.
Trembling, he approached the tomb, and placed a hoof against the solid stone door. It felt cold to the touch, devoid of any life or magic. He closed his eyes and felt a wetness trickled down his cheeks, one different from the ceaseless rain pattering against him.
“Stygian, honey? Is that you?”
The voice was soft, but broke through the silent rain with the force of a cascading waterfall. His eyes snapped open to see Mage Meadowbrook approaching him. Behind her were the others: Flash Magnus, Mistmane, Somnambula, and Rockhoof.
Stygian’s lips curled into a sneer. “What do you want?”
Meadowbrook turned around, looking briefly at the others, before turning back to Stygian. The pain was written plainly on her face, visible even in the darkest weather. Her ears splayed against her head as she spoke.
“We just wanted to say... we’re sorry.”
Stygian was taken aback. “You... you’re what?”
“We’re sorry,” said Meadowbrook. “We all thought you were trying to steal everything from us by taking our artifacts. But when Star Swirl died... I guess we all realized that the artifacts weren’t what really mattered. We could all replace them if we wanted. But you? We could never replace you. We didn’t have any good reason for hurting you the way we did. Do you think you could ever forgive us?”
Stygian’s jaw hung loose. It had been more than three years since they’d turned their backs on him, and he’d expected to spend the rest of his days never hearing from them again. But now, they were all here. They had all come, just for him. He had never expected it, yet somehow it was everything he could have wanted.
His body seemed to move of its own accord as he walked over, pulling Meadowbrook into a hug. Before he knew it, he was surrounded on all sides by all of the pillars, all holding each other in collective embrace. His companions. His friends.
“I forgive you,” Stygian whispered. “And thank you. Thank you all.”
————————
Stygian, Shadow’s Advocate WB
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Advisor
Lifelink
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control another legendary permanent, you may pay 2 life. If you do, draw a card.
”I know secrets that are guarded by the world’s most vile dark powers. I share them so that the light may flourish.”
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he was able to almost effortlessly use all the other colors of mana to compliment it - complement
8552061
I keep forgetting those are two different words.
The electric attack struck Twilight painfully an forcefully
still to exhausted to move
1. And.
2. Too.
Capital N Necromancer. It's familiar, but I can't quite recall how...
In any case, I have to appreciate how the plan was basically "color-screw the WUBRG player, then kick him while he's down." A bit anticlimactic to have the plan go off nearly without a hitch, but still a good read and a good card. Seriously, excellent interpretation of Stygian.
Did... Did you just... Yeah, that was totally a Progress reference. What a gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=74227&type=card .
Good to see Lili went more than five minutes without betraying her friends. That's an academy record!
Capital N Necromancer... Only people that come to mind are Sauron and Nevinyrral...
8552679
He had a card printed in Time Spiral. That’s the only hint I’m giving you. ;)
8552986
8553059
Welp. Shows what I know. And I even played Duels 15, too. Now I'm just wondering why Wizards hasn't done anything with Garruk in three years.
8553044
That's not just his headcanon, either.
8553243
As acceptable an explanation as I can ask for. Though now I can't help but think that the Flimflam brothers could've saved a lot of effort by getting into the banking industry. I suppose having to share the wealth left a bad taste in their mouths.
And don't forget your abbacus!
I will admit that the confrontation with Arzakon went off a bit too smoothly. I would have preferred some actual land destruction, like with how Nicol Bolas was defeated that one time. Or maybe Lilliana's hesitation caused their plan to go awry the first time around, forcing them to actually fight him Archenemy-style, at least for a while.
I feel like this has the same problem as the actual S7 finale, where there are too many characters, and not enough time. Did Gideon or Nissa even get any lines?
8554977
A lot of these were problems that I was made aware of while writing, but couldn’t find a way to feasibly work around with the amount of characters present. A fight scene between Arzakon, the Mane 6 (+ Sunburst and Starlight), and the Pillars all at once would be so convoluted that it would be nearly impossible to write.
My aim with this two-parter was to reconcile the Season 7 finale with the canon I’ve established, and show how things are different in this particular timeline. I also wanted to focus more on Stygian as a character, which I feel I’ve accomplished well enough here. There are flaws, I’m certain, but I feel this story did what I intended it to do.
might need to declaw this sentence a little
So your headcannon is that the Raven man is Lim-Dul/ Marasil the pretender.
Neat.
Raven Man being Mairsil? Always nice to see the fanbases fave. theory getting some love. Especially since every single set implies that more and more...
Hmmm, pretty good. Generally not a huge fan of fics that redo established episodes on the whole, but this was very well done and good use of that idea. Not outright trying to 'retcon' anything or trying to give a 'better' version, but looking at what your Narrative has already established, looking at the new additions to Pony, and trying to see how those things that were different could be reconciled. Actually taking time to think through "Hmmm, if things did happen this way instead, how would things be different?" As well as what small, fundamental change could cause those effects, in this case, Planeswalkers and the character established as such. So yeah, for a general type of story I usually don't care for, this was the exception to that and how you do this type of thing RIGHT! In that respect, kind of loved it. It was very well done.
execution wise, not a lot to say, it did everything well, if a bit quickly, but not so much so as to feel overly rushed, for what it is, just a small story explain how the new revelations fit into established Story Narrative, very well done.
D'oh
Well that was neat. I'm always down for more lore on the Chain Veil.