• Published 5th Mar 2018
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Midnight's Shadow: Tainted Legacies - Ponibius



Midnight is a rising star among the magi, and an opportunity to follow her ambitions opens up when an archmagus retires. But the conclave to pick the next archmagus reveals a tainted legacy as long-forgotten foes push Midnight to her very limits.

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Chapter 10

After finishing my interview with Daylight, I returned to Siderael, Emeraude, and Stalwart, and took them aside to one of the currently unused chambers within the main keep of Castle Arcana. ‘Twas a simple storage room where food was kept, and while not ideal for a meeting it served our purposes. ‘Twas there that I told them most of what I had learned; I left out the fact that Daylight claimed I was his sister, for that was a matter I wished to discuss with Mother before telling anypony else, but there were plenty of other details which they needed to know.

Siderael crossed his arms over his chest and hummed unhappily. “That simultaneously tells us much and not nearly enough.”

“Quite the mystery.” Emeraude flashed a toothy grin. “It seems whoever murdered Archmagus Tempus took great measures to hide their tracks.”

I nodded. “‘Twould seem so, if Daylight is being forthright.”

“And do you think he is being honest with us, milady?” Stalwart asked. “You suggested it as a possibility that he or someone he conspired with may have removed his memories.”

“I have his words,” I told them. “The paranoid part of my mind considered that possibility, but the more I think on it the less likely it seems. If he was the murderer, ‘twould have been far simpler for him to simply slay Tempus and leave his slowly cooling corpse on the floor, as it might have been many hours before anyone found it. As a skilled pyromancer he would even have had the power to destroy the body completely and thus the evidence of the misdeed. What is more, he could have done so without setting the whole tower on fire and drawing so much attention. Neigh, if this is all a part of a scheme to get away with murder then ‘tis an extremely poor one.”

Siderael sighed and nodded. “I must agree. Daylight does not make sense as the murderer based on what we know.”

“Unless there is something to what Lady Topaz said about Tempus switching factions at the conclave,” Stalwart pointed out. "'Tis possible this was a crime of passion instead of intention."

I shook my head. “I think that unlikely. The hour is late in his life for him to suddenly turn against Mother. If he was of a mind to do so then he would have done so after becoming archmagus. In that position ‘twould have been difficult for Mother to directly oppose him. Suddenly changing his allegiances now would put the retirement he so valued at risk. Such feckless behavior would make Mother his mortal enemy, and she would have withdrawn every promise she’d made for his retirement.”

“An astute observation.” Emeraude grinned as she propped her elbows up on a cask. “So the question you should ask is who had a reason to kill an old, retiring archmagus who wanted to withdraw from public life?”

I frowned. “I have been trying to figure that out. I do not see any reason for Daylight to have done it. I think Topaz the more likely suspect, especially considering how quick she was to take advantage of the opportunity presented by Tempus’ murder.”

“A bold plan if she did it, but is she really responsible?” Emeraude asked. “Such a plot could destroy her if she were discovered. Indeed, she would likely be executed for such a foul deed. Is that the type of thing a consummate politician would do?”

“Mayhaps a desperate one,” I mused. “Mother did not believe she was going to win, and Topaz’s faction has been out of power for a decade. She has the means to have committed the act, and supporters as well. They might have acted without her knowledge.” She must have been desperate to have allies such as Duke Chivalrous, and he was not the only lowly ally of hers. Granted, not all of Mother’s allies are saints, but the majority of the more important ones are at least competent at their roles.

“Those are good points,” Emeraude allowed. “But is the conclave the only possible reason Tempus might have been murdered? Have you considered any outside factors?”

Siderael raised an eyebrow. “What other reasons would there have been for killing an Archmagus?”

Emeraude flicked her mane with a hoof. “You tell me. You two are the magi here—surely you would have a better idea of why someone might have cause for slaying him?”

“He might have enemies we are unaware of,” I admitted. “Every Archmagus has them; political opponents, rivals, and supernatural creatures they have offended.”

Siderael huffed. “We might need to interview those closest to Tempus, then. They might give us insight into who else to look into.”

“Mayhaps.” I frowned as I considered that, liking the option less and less. Mother wished for me to solve this mystery quickly, or at least prove Daylight’s innocence so that he could freely engage in the conclave. Talking to multiple ponies would eat up valuable time, and yet more time would be lost following up on leads and looking into individuals Tempus might have offended during his long life.

“Is there any other lead we might look into?” Stalwart asked. “We can talk with everypony in the castle to find out what they saw, but that will take a great deal of time.”

“I think I might have something,” Subtle called from the doorway. She grinned widely as she leaned against the threshold.

“Subtle, I did not see thee enter,” I said.

“I was just eavesdropping to see if anypony else was doing the same,” she answered as she entered the storage room. “‘Tis always good to know if anypony is following you, or seems o’erly interested in what you are doing.”

“And is that the case?”

Subtle shook her head. “Neigh, not this time. As convenient as it might have been to have some dastardly rogue in a dark cloak hiding around the corner for us to catch and interrogate, no such disreputable pony has presented himself for us.”

“So what did you find?” Emeraude asked, her eyes narrowed.

Subtle tossed her mane as she passed by Emeraude to approach me. “‘Tis as much about what I did not find as what I did. Tick Tock is nowhere to be seen near as I can tell, and without bragging, I am normally very good at finding ponies. Nopony has claimed to have seen Tick since he left the dinner party and entered the Archmagus’ tower.”

“‘Tis possible that nopony remembered seeing him,” Siderael commented. “Or he might even have been slain in the tower and his corpse destroyed or removed.”

“Oh, those things are possible, but that is not everything I discovered,” Subtle said. “I also stopped by his room in the castle. Now Magus, if I may ask, did he have any of his possessions on him when you last saw him?”

I recalled my memories of when I saw him in the tower. “He was wearing his cloak. Poorly fitted too, if I might say, and of a quality Mother would never tolerate for her apprentice. I was surprised Tempus would allow his apprentice to dress so.”

Subtle rubbed her chin. “So he did not possess his saddlebags? Could they have been under his cloak?”

I shook my head. “Neigh, he is a thin pony and their presence would have been obvious. Why?”

“Because his saddlebags and several of his personal possessions were missing when I examined his room,” Subtle explained. “How many ponies do you know would take their valuables and their manebrush just to walk around their home?”

Emeraude’s eyes flashed in the gloom of the room. “Oooh, the mystery deepens.”

I began thinking over this new information. “Thou art suggesting he already intended on leaving the castle?”

Subtle smirked as she leaned against a shelf. “‘Twas either he or somepony else who decided to take several of his possessions. Though ‘tis curious that he did not have his saddlebags on him when you saw him.”

“‘Tis possible he had them stored someplace else,” Siderael observed, “or picked them up after leaving the tower. Though that raises the questions of why and where he went.”

“Then I suggest we ask him.” Subtle pulled out a small bag and presented it to me with a wide smile. “I found some of his hairs in his room. I trust you can use these for a tracking spell?”

I nodded and examined the hairs. “As long as they are his, aye.”

“They should be,” Subtle said. “I asked around, and he has kept no known amorous company, or even many friends. Not that he had much to show off in his broom closet of a room to start with.”

“Then I suggest we try and find Tick Tock.” I began preparing a tracking spell, my growing despondency temporarily pushed aside. “I congratulate thee, Subtle. This could be the break we need.”

Subtle gave me an exaggerated bow. “‘Tis my pleasure to serve you.” The corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk. “And I am sure you will remember this for the future?”

“Of course. I can hardly forget somepony so useful.”

Emeraude huffed and shot a scornful glare Subtle’s way. “Nothing you could not have done on your own. It just so happens the path you sent her on was the correct one, do not sell your own efforts short.”

Subtle smirked despite Emeraude’s dismissal. “What is the matter? Jealousy does not suit you.”

I sensed trouble brewing and immediately sought to quell it. “That is enough, you two. I need to concentrate.” That quieted them down, though they still looked at one another out of the corners of their eyes.

That settled, I cast the tracking spell before frowning at the results. “I have a signal, but something is interfering with it.” I closed my eyes and felt out with the supernatural sense granted by the spell. I could tell the general direction I needed to go, but only just barely. I could not tell Tick Tock’s distance, elevation, or anything precise.

“Is that going to be a problem?” Siderael asked.

“Mayhaps.” After thinking it over, I came across a solution. “Let us go outside the castle. I have a plan that might aid us.”

Stalwart frowned. “But ‘twas Lady Shadow’s instructions that you were not to leave the castle.”

I suppressed mine irritation at my bodyguard trying to restrict my movements. Admittedly, he had a point; Shadow would not like it if I left the castle without her knowledge, but I had my reasons for doing so. ‘Twas tempting to go to Shadow and explain mine intentions, but there were reasons not to just yet.

“Mayhaps, but thou art still here to watch me. And thou wouldst not have me do something I should not, neigh?”

“Neigh, but she was still clear in her instructions,” Stalwart said. “We should go to her. She would wish to hear what you have discovered, and might even send a trusted magi to find Tick Tock.”

I shook my head. “That will take valuable time. Something may happen to Tick Tock while we search for Shadow, especially if she decides to send somepony else, and we do not even know for certain if Tick Tock actually knows anything. We could end up wasting her time if this comes to nothing. What is more, someone close to her might intend on disrupting our investigation. We do not know who all might have been involved in Tempus’ murder, hence the need for secrecy for now.”

Stalwart frowned as I listed off my reasons. “I do not like this, milady.”

“A great many things are not ideal at the moment, Sergeant.” I started towards the door to put an unspoken end to the debate. “Though I promise that I intend on bringing Tick Tock to Shadow once we find him.”

That seemed to console Stalwart enough for him to go along with me. “Very well, Magus.”

We headed outside of the castle, and there I cast a spell summoning the Great Unkindness to me. Soon dozens of ravens were perched on the roofs above us, and one of them landed on my back. Trinket bowed deeply to me. “What do you need of us, Raven Queen?”

“I am looking for a pony.” I cast an illusion spell and created an image of Tick Tock for the Great Unkindness. “I wish to capture this pony, and I need thine aid in the matter. I believe he is somewhere in this general direction within the city, though he might be outside its walls.” I motioned in the direction my tracking spell was leading me.

Trinket bowed deeply once again. “Very well. We will find this pony for you.”

As one, the Great Unkindness took flight.


We headed into the city after our quarry. Despite the late hour, the streets were still fairly busy from the conclave. Following my tracking spell proved difficult, as the interference grew worse the closer we got to Tick Tock. That was curious in and of itself; if he was using a spell to block my tracking spell or any means to detect him, it should have blocked my spell outright. My personal tracking spells were more than sufficient for this task, but the basic spell I just used could easily be thwarted by somepony that knew what they were doing. Mayhaps he was someplace that had natural magic interference?

‘Twas another mystery on top of all the others.

Still, where my tracking spell failed the Great Unkindness succeeded, for Trinket flew down to land on my back about half an hour after I had given him his task. “Raven Queen, we have found him!”

“Where is he?”

“In pony-nest down the street. Unkindness show you.” Trinket took off and a flight of ravens led the way down the street.

“Good news?” Siderael asked as he watched the ravens.

“Death! Doom! Blood! Skulls!” they cawed as they flew.

I nodded. “Aye, the Great Unkindness is showing us the way to Tick Tock.”

“Well and good,” Stalwart said as we trotted down the street. “I am eager to put this behind us.”

Siderael grunted in agreement. “The sooner we deal with this the better. Though it does bear asking how we will approach this: I take it we are to take Tick Tock captive?”

“Aye, I would have answers from him,” I answered. “That is the entire reason we are trying to find him, after all.”

“And if he has any friends?” Siderael asked. “Specifically the types who might not appreciate us taking their friend away for questioning involving the murder of an archmagus?”

My eyes narrowed. “I have not come alone.”

Siderael smirked. “Of course, how silly of me.”

“Let us hope it does not come to that,” Stalwart said, taking his place by my side. “But remember thy training regardless.”

“I shall.” Stalwart had been training me in the basics for how to defend myself without magic, though I would hardly consider myself anywhere close to a martial master. I had learned much, but I possessed no natural talent at such things. Using magic was still a far better option for me in combat.

Emeraude hummed unhappily as she stopped in front of a restaurant with a roof covered by ravens. “I feel I must remind you that you have not bargained for me to fight on your behalf, Midnight—only for my council for the conclave and this investigation.”

“I have not forgotten the terms of our agreement. If it comes to a fight, I would not expect you to do more than I have asked. Though with any luck it will not. And I presume you could advise me on how a battle might proceed.”

Emeraude’s head turned as she examined the restaurant. “For one, I can tell you that a restaurant would be a poor choice if you wish to avoid innocents being harmed. Magi throwing spells around tend to destroy the building they are in, as well as anypony caught between the spellcasters in question.”

“I can clear it out readily enough,” Stalwart suggested.

Emeraude shook her hoof. “Not without alerting our quarry. If Tick Tick sees a guardpony telling everypony else to leave the restaurant, how do you think he will react?”

Emeraude brought up a good point. “Aye, or mayhaps we can take the fight elsewhere, if there is to be a fight at all.”

Siderael shifted his cloak to a more comfortable position, his gaze fixated upon the restaurant. “Perhaps, though I'm also worried about Tick Tock simply making a run for it. If he was involved in the Archmagus' murder then he knows ‘twill be the noose for him.”

“Aye. Capturing him is our most important goal, of course.” I took a moment to consider our options. “I will cast a spell to make us less noticeable to anyone inside. Sergeant, if it looks like there is to be a fight then attempt to clear the building. Siderael and I will focus on whoever our opponents might be, and if we can, move the fight someplace where fewer ponies can be harmed.”

“And I will find a way to make myself useful,” Subtle said from behind me. “Consider me our ace in the hole.”

No one objected to the plan, so I cast an obscurantism spell. It did not make us harder to see, just less interesting to anypony who happened to glance our way. It would not hold under close scrutiny, but it worked against casual observation. Thus we headed into the restaurant.

The establishment was still fairly busy despite the late hour. The main room was simply furnished, consisting of the necessities of a restaurant and little else. Based on the fact the building was surrounded by the businesses of local craftponies, it seemed to mainly cater to the ponies looking for a hearty meal in between bouts of work. We all started scanning the crowd, though I noticed Subtle’s sudden absence from our group.

“Over there.” Stalwart nodded to a table in the corner. “And he's not alone.”

He was correct. Tick Tock was sitting at the table, staring down into a mug with a forlorn gaze. Around the table were three other ponies in different colored cloaks, though I did not recognize them.

“Do you know any of them?” I whispered to the others.

Siderael shook his head. “I cannot say I do.”

Emeraude’s eyes briefly flashed as she studied the ponies around the table. “Probably because they are under an illusion.”

“But of course they are,” I groused as I studied the spells around them. Each one wore a spell intended to prevent them from being tracked by magic, the auras of which must have been interfering with my tracking spell. Their close proximity to Tick Tock would explain the difficulty I experienced. There were other spells about them, including the illusions Emeraude had told me about. I concentrated, exerting my will until I pierced their veils and got my first true look at Tick Tock’s fellow conspirators.

One was short in stature, possessing a perpetually bored expression, with a yellow coat and a lime-green mane. The second had a long green beard that partially covered his craggy features and a rough-looking brown coat. I did not immediately recognize them, but the third member of their party grabbed mine attention. It should not have been possible for him to be here, dead ponies were not supposed to reappear like ghosts from one’s past.

Some of his features had changed. He was now barrel-chested where he had once been thin, and his face had a chiseled look to it. His off-grey coat and striped-orange mane had stayed the same. But ‘twas his skull I truly remembered, for I could never forget that skull, or the pony it belonged to: Moonwatch. One of the ponies who had allied with the archtraitor warlock Hidden Facts and betrayed Celestia, going on to cause the disaster of Polaris’ Folly and create the Avatar of Nightmare Moon. The very pony who attempted to sacrifice me to her by plunging a silver dagger into my chest to carve out my bloody beating heart so my lifeblood could gush out as the energy from the ritual fed a hungry demigod.

“Trouble?” Stalwart asked, making me start and realize I had been glaring.

“I saw him die,” I said, half to myself, my body quivering as it burned with hatred. I remembered that night too well. How Moonwatch had a pillar of ice impale him through the barrel as he looked on with a shocked expression. How the shadows had drained the life from his flesh. How his body had gone slack as he became nothing more than a cadaver. Yet, despite all of that, here he was, alive.

How?

Siderael raised an eyebrow. “I do not wish to insult you, but he seems very alive right now.”

I ground my teeth together. “I shall correct that shortly.”

Siderael’s eyes narrowed. “I recognize one of them. The one with the brown coat is Tenebra Gravekeeper, a necromancer mercenary from Freeport. He is a dangerous one. We should be cautious.”

Emeraude turned her eyes to Stalwart. “It might be wise to clear the restaurant then.”

“See to it,” I agreed tersely.

“I will attempt to do so discreetly.” Stalwart pulled aside a serving filly and began a hushed conversation.

That left me to consider mine actions. “Corva, give me the most destructive spell thou knowest. I wish to smite that monster clean from this earth.”

“I do not think that wise,” Corva cautioned me. “Passing such a powerful spell abruptly would be stressful to thy mind, and ‘tis not the type of spell I suggest trying for the first time in the field. Thou wouldst be as likely to harm thyself as thine enemy, maybe e'en more so.”

I could not delay for debate. ‘Twas only a matter of time until the warlocks noticed that something was amiss and reacted. “Then teach me something to destroy Moonwatch so utterly that will will never return.”

Corva tsked within my mind. “A more prudent course would be for thee to accept mine offer of power. Do so, and thou wilt have more than enough magic to fulfill thy desires.”

I opened my mouth to accept her deal, but stopped as a flash of anger roared within me. “Thou art seriously attempting to make a deal with me now of all times?! Thou wouldst be so blatant in thy manipulations and attempts to take advantage of me?!”

“Do not be like that,” Corva chided. “I am attempting to help thee, as I always have. Moonwatch is going to be a dangerous foe, and I wish to ensure thy survival. Giving thee power would be the best way to see to that.”

I did not have time for this. Stalwart was working with the staff to clear the restaurant, and the warlocks were starting to see that the tables around them were clearing.

“Damn thee and thine unhelpfulness, then!” I screamed as I went on the attack. The glasses and mugs on the warlocks’ table shattered, and spikes of ice erupted from them to plunge deep into Moonwatch’s chest. His companions jerked away from him in shock as Moonwatch blinked and stared down at his impaled chest with a perplexed expression. The rest of the restaurant patrons screamed at the sudden violence and quickly made for the exits.

“Glad to see we kept this discreet,” Stalwart half-muttered as he spread his wingblades.

“Surrender and fall to the floor!” Siderael called out, his horn flashing.

“Damnation,” Gravekeeper growled as he tossed a napkin onto the table. “And here I was hoping to enjoy a hot meal in peace.”

“Ow,” Moonwatch complained weakly as he pulled a shard from his body.

I snarled, furious that Moonwatch was not already prone on the floor in a pool of his own blood. “Die already, as you should have long ago!” I lashed out at him with blue-black flames. Moonwatch’s companions scattered; Tick Tock ducked under their table while the other two darted in different directions to get away from the oncoming conflagration.

A red shield suddenly interposed itself between Moonwatch and mine attack. The flames struck the shield and scattered about the restaurant instead. Moonwatch flashed me an ugly, much too happy smile. “Well look who it is—exactly who we were looking for! And she came right to us!”

The lime-coated warlock’s eyes shot to the nearest doorway. “And I am very happy for you, Master, but I believe she is trying to kill you.” He then disappeared under an invisibility spell.

“I will rip out your eyes and feed them to my ravens!” I screamed. I extinguished every light in the room and struck out with the shadows to lash, scour, and rip at Moonwatch any way I could. In response, crimson beams of light shot out from Moonwatch’s horn into the grasping shadows. The two aetherial forces struck one another, creating a blast that tossed tables and chairs all about the room.

“Buck this!” Gravekeeper cried out and tossed a hooffull of teeth onto the floor. They burst into smoke a moment later, revealing a dozen skeletons who all turned towards us with cold blue lights in their eyes.

Siderael shot a green beam of magic into the two closest skeletons, striking them in the chest. They fell to the floor and immediately crumpled to dust, but the necromancer was already running for the door, taking the momentary distraction to flee. “No you do not!” my fellow magus cried as he ran after him. Soon both of them were out of sight, and Stalwart interposed himself between me and the remaining skeletons.

I paid him no mind, for I had eyes for but one pony in this battle. I fired another overwhelming burst of blue flames at Moonwatch, the thrice-damned monster. The fire impacted his crimson shield and the flames washed over it, setting the whole back of the restaurant on fire. Moonwatch stood completely unharmed in the center of the destruction, throwing back his head as he laughed uproariously. “So firey! I see thou takeset after thy mother after all!” His horn started to glow brighter and brighter as he summoned forth his magic. “I suggest thou ready thy shield. This is going to hurt, and I would just hate to accidentally slay thee.”

His mockery only drove me to greater heights of wrath and frenzied rage. “You will be silent! I am going to rip out your tongue and strangle you with your own entrails!” I created half a dozen shadow blades and sent them slicing at him.

Moonwatch formed his own wickedly barbed crimson blades to intercept. Aetherical sparks scattered when the dozen blades clashed with one another. I grunted as I poured more magic into maintaining my shadow blades, which were whipping and whirling in slashes and parries as I tried to destroy the warlock. But nothing got through Moonwatch’s defenses as he seemed content to merely block and parry aside my attacks. It was all I could do to keep pouring magic into my spells to keep up the assault, but Moonwatch’s horn continued glowing brighter and brighter as he kept preparing to cast another spell.

This was madness. How could he possess so much magic?

“Midnight, watch out!” Stalwart called out. He attempted to move in on Moonwatch’s flank, but the remaining four skeletons barred his way. Stalwart’s wing blades were proving a poor weapon against their bones. The creatures lashed out at my bodyguard, caring not about any damage they sustained as they concentrated mindlessly on attacking. Slowly but surely they cornered Stalwart, and it became a desperate struggle for him just to survive as he fell back on using his hooves to defend himself.

Moonwatch smirked sadistically. “I warned thee to prepare thy defenses.” He leveled his horn at me, and a sulphurous odor filled the air as a great column of black fire blasted out

Mine eyes widened as I realized I had in fact neglected my defenses, and only barely got a bubble shield up in time to hold off the raging torrent of hellfire. My shield was struck with such force that I was lifted off the ground and flung back. I crashed through the restaurant wall and continued through the wall of the neighboring building. The world was but a blur through my shield as I was forced through the store’s shelves and then through the opposite wall. My shield finally shattered from the impact as I smashed through a third building, tumbling through the air, I hit a counter and barely a second later collided with a shelf on the far wall with bone-jarring force. My motion finally stopped, and I fell to the ground. Several pies fell on me as the shelf collapsed, only stopped from crushing me by the countertop.

For a moment that felt paradoxically both too long and too short, I lay out on the floor. My wits had utterly left me, so stunned was I by Moonwatch’s single spell. Slowly, too slowly, my mind took stock of the situation. The fight was not going well; my horn stung from casting so many violent spells in close succession, and even that pain was barely anything at all compared to how the rest of my body felt. I needed to rethink my approach if I was to destroy Moonwatch.

“Thou shouldst withdraw if thou art unwilling to take my offer,” Corva told me. “Thou art in danger of being overwhelmed.”

I growled and worked to push myself to my hooves through the pain. If I was lucky nothing would be broken. “No! I am not some helpless filly anymore! I will freeze the flesh from his bones and then grind those bones into dust.”

Corva tried to raise more protests, but I pushed her pleas to the side. I needed to concentrate on the fight. Eventually I managed to get to my hooves by leaning up against the bakery counter.

Moonwatch was lackadaisical in his pursuit of me, only just now picking his way through one of the holes leading into the blacksmith’s shop situated between the restaurant and the bakery. “I did warn thee to see to thy defenses,” he mockingly chided.

The voice of the warlock that had gone invisible earlier echoed from the restaurant. “Master, need I remind you that we are supposed to capture her alive. Not blow her to pieces.”

Moonwatch rolled his eyes. “She is fine, I can see her crawling around over there. I am merely softening her up. Now leave me to my work.”

“Very well, Master.” The invisible voice did not sound convinced.

While Moonwatch had been temporarily distracted by his fellow warlock, I had been busy. I cast an illusion over my horn to hide that I was engaged in spellcasting. The illusion would not have held up to close scrutiny, but it would have to do against what I hoped was an incautious foe. Next, I cast another illusion over the interior of the blacksmith’s shop, making it look like nothing was changing about the walls as I picked up everything I could see or feel within the shop with my telekinesis. Daggers, nails, hammers, and all other sorts of metal devices levitated into place around Moonwatch.

I struck. Scores of objects flew and pierced his body from every direction. I grinned with savage satisfaction as I watched him get turned into a pincushion. That grin slowly vanished as Moonwatch did not fall, but merely looked himself over with no more concern than a pony who had been struck by snowball instead of just suffering a dozen mortal blows. How? How could he still be standing?

Moonwatch smirked at me. “Is that the best thou canst do? I am called Moonwatch the Undying for a reason.” He started casting a spell. “I cannot be slain.”

A dozen red spheres of magic shot into the bakery and spread through the room. I had no time to run on my shaky legs, so all I could do was cast the strongest shield spell I could. A harsh whine came from the spheres and then they exploded. My entire world became an explosion as the bakery was reduced to ruin. My shield cracked and my horn throbbed in pain as I barely held the shield together. Lumber and half-destroyed objects fell on top of my shield, resulting in a solid layer of refuse covering me. The bakery was nearly gone, and even a quarter of the blacksmith shop had been blown away.

“Art thou okay under there?” Moonwatch called out with false concern. “I would hate to think I damaged the Conduit. My compatriots would be most upset with me if I did.”

My body trembled upon hearing him call me that again. A word that reduced me to an object, a thing, a mere objective in their grand plans. I roared and knocked aside the refuse that covered me. Black lightning crackled across my horn and mine eyes too went black as I summoned forth the most baleful magic available to me—a spell Corva had recently taught me to harness the resonance from the considerable ill-fortune I had suffered from in my life.

“I am no conduit! My name is Midnight Sparkle, and I will be your doom!” I cast an entropy curse, the evil eye malocchio at Moonwatch, and blue and black magic swept over him.

Moonwatch cast a spell spell and raised a leg to try and ward off the spell, but his shield had been intended to block direct attacks either consisting of energy or the elements, not this curse. It fell over him, but when nothing initially happened he slowly lowered his leg to show a befuddled expression on his face. A cocky grin returned to his features. “Ha! Is that the best spell you can manage? It didn't even do any—”

A sudden crack of broken timber came from above Moonwatch, and seconds later an anvil abruptly crashed onto his head. His neck bent at a wholly unnatural angle and he fell to the ground in a heap.

I grinned viciously at the sight before me. “Survive that!”

As though to spite me, Moonwatch’s horn started glowing. His head snapped back into place with an audible crack, and to my growing horror he stumbled back to his hooves. He rolled his neck before facing me. “As I was saying, is that the best thou canst—”

The entropy curse was not done yet, for an out-of-control cart smashed through the half broken wall of the blacksmith shop and ran Moonwatch over. The barrel-filled cart came to a rest on top of the warlock. There was another crack of breaking lumber from the second story of the shop as a piano slowly slid and then fell. It crashed onto the cart, smashing the barrels inside and causing the axle to crack and break, crushing Moonwatch underneath. Strong drink leaked from the barrels and covered the area around the cart, then burst into flame as a lit oil lamp fell off of its precarious perch on a damaged nightstand.

Stalwart stumbled his way from the restaurant, nearly tripping over skeletal remains as he did so, but stopped to stare in sheer disbelief at the scene in front of him. “...do you think you got him?”

I decided not to leave that to chance. I was determined to put the title ‘Undying’ to the test. Blue magic shot from my horn and a circle of ice formed around Moonwatch and the cart. ‘Twas a sloppy base to make a magic circle out of, but I knew not if Moonwatch was indeed dead or would swiftly recover even from this calamity. Thus I concentrated, and then built up magic within the circle. A sphere of burning black and blue fire formed and hovered at the center of the circle. I sent my magic into it as I prepared my finishing blow. When I could no longer hold it, I closed the magic circle, releasing the stored magic within the spell.

A great explosion of magical fire erupted within the magic circle, and only its magical walls kept us from being consumed by it as well. Instead the spell’s energies were focused within the circle, and a column of magical fire shot straight up toward their only escape, blowing away what little remained of the roof of the blacksmith shop. Debris fell around us as the spell dissipated. All that remained within the circle was a scorched and blackened crater.

Stalwart’s head bobbed in satisfaction. “Well struck.”

I was unable to respond, breathing heavily, sweat glistening my coat from the immense effort I had just put myself through. The broiling clouds above us rumbled, and it started sprinkling. Unless Moonwatch could recover from atomization, he could not possibly have survived that last attack. And yet I carefully scanned the area, making sure he was not just lying in wait somewhere near me. There was nothing. It seemed his companions had beat a hasty retreat as well, or at least were very well hidden. My own companions certainly seemed scattered. I could only see Stalwart, with no sight of Subtle, Sidereal, and Emeraude whatsoever.

I was not sure how to feel about having lost sight of the warlocks and of the idea the rest might have escaped. A deep part of me yearned to crush more of them, to give them but a fraction of the fear and misery they had inflicted on me over a decade ago. But the more rational part of me noted that I was tired from the battle with Moonwatch and that it would be wise for me to take time to recover. I was not much use in a fight without my magic, and any battle with warlocks would require it. I started considering going after Sidereal, though where he was now I couldn’t say. Still, it would be good to know how his pursuit of the mercenary necromancer had gone.

But that idea evaporated when Subtle brought me a considerable bounty: Tick Tock, dragged towards me at daggerpoint. Tick Tock’s wide-eyed near-panic contrasted sharply with Subtle’s self-satisfied smile. “Good tidings.” She pressed her dagger to her prisoner’s throat to bring him to a stop. “I got our pony. He tried to sneak away during the fight, but I knew how badly you wished to speak with him. I ‘convinced’ him to come with me.”

My pleasure at Subtle’s capture of Tick Tock was only shadowed by the broiling hatred growing in me at the sight of him. He and the other warlocks he was working with must have been responsible for Tempus’ murder. ‘Twas too much of a coincidence that he was with them for it to be otherwise. We had spotted four warlocks and dealt with two of them, but that left us with the other two to still worry about. And those were only the warlocks we knew about. I needed information and I needed it now. I could be dealing with the most important warlock hunt of my career if Moonwatch was here. If somehow the rest of his cohorts from the Lunar Rebellion were here too...

I glared at Tick Tock and my voice came out in a snarl. “Thou wilt tell me everything. Now.”

He recoiled from me as best he could with a dagger held to his throat and whimpered.

“I said now!” I threw a pain spell Corva had been more than happy to teach me onto Tick Tock. He cried out in pain and spasmed, falling against Subtle, who had to scramble to maintain her hold without accidentally slitting his throat.

Stalwart blinked. “Magus, that is enough!”

My teeth peeled back in a snarl as my head snapped towards the sergeant. “It will be enough when he talks! This warlock is responsible for the murder of an archmagus, and his fellow conspirators for many, many more. And I am not about to let them slip through my hooves.”

Stalwart fell silent, though I cared not in that moment what he was thinking behind his stoic mask. My bodyguard pacified, I whirled back on Tick Tock, who closed his eyes and whimpered rather than face me. “Who art thou working with?!”

“Hidden Facts!” Tears ran down the face of the archmagus’ traitorous apprentice. “Hidden is in Fillydelphia!”

I released the pain spell upon hearing the name of the archtraitor of the Lunar Rebellion and the most wanted pony in all of Equestria.

Author's Note:

Thanks to my editors Chengar Qordath and Comma-Kazie for all their help, and to my pre-readers Brony Writer, wolfstorm56, Trinary, 621Chopsuey, Rodinga, PoisonClaw, and Swiftest for their hard work editing.