My Little Ponys' The Count of Monte Cristo

by kahnac

A Daring Rescue

Shining tried to activate his magic, but it was no use. All that came out were some sparks. "He's-...he's right. My magic is gone...and I can't feel it anymore." The other tried, as well, but couldn't ignite their horns to cast any form of spells. They were rendered completely helpless by an unknown force known only to Tirek, himself. And watching their futile attempts amused him so. "That's right! It's a spell of advanced, and incredible proportions that was created specifically for this purpose: to drain every ounce of magic in this world, and leave it helpless as I rule all...by taking that very magic for myself!"

"That's the real reason you took control of Prance, isn't it?!"

"Indeed, your 'grace'." Tirek mockingly said. "I needed the financial, and economic resources to finalize my plan/
He then looked to the Balrog, and said, "And perhaps this accursed beast may prove useful, as well." He then raised up his right arm, let red lightning course through it, and closed it into a fist. The result was a massive, cage cart made of pure iron which held the Balrog inside. He called for Gargoyles to push the Balrog to the lair, then opened a portal to said lair. A dozen of them did so before the portal closed. The ponies were stunned by this display. "How?" Shining asked. "How can you still use magic?"

"Let's just say this armor was forged to hold my own magic in my body without losing it to another force. As for the alchemy?" He raised up his metal hand to flaunt the red stone on the back. "Let's just say....I couldn't live without my Daemon Stones. The soul is the ultimate power, after all." He laughed maniacally, as Shining quickly realized the implication behind what Tirek was talking about. And knowing he used ponies souls to make that stone disgusted him to no end. "You really are a monster, Tirek. Even more than that demon who attacked you....but at least we could all see its nature up front."

Tirek huffed as he produced one of his cigars, lit it, and took a long, billowing puff. "You say evil, but I don't care. This is all just a goal to me. A game to which there are no rules." He then grinned wickedly. "And I have a game just for you, Dantes: if you can reach your family, and rescue them within the hour, i'll let you go free. If you fail, well......you should already know that." Shining glared at the centaur. "You coward! If you hurt my family, I swear, i'll-"

"The clock's ticking, Dantes, and you have no time to waste. Get to work, or say goodbye to your dearly beloved, and your unwitting son." Tirek opened one final portal. "Either way, I still win." His laughter echoed from the portal as it closed, leaving an enraged Shining Dantes in its wake. "TIREK!!!" he roared as the fire continued to consume his home. He didn't care, however. He was simply stewing in his anger, sorrow, and suffering. Wondering, at first, how it came to this. But then a hoof to his shoulder pushed him out of his thoughts, and Bertuccio said, "Sir Dantes! You must regain yourself, or your family, and all of Equestria is as good as doomed."

"He's right, Zatarra." Garble said desperately. "You've never given up before, so you have to keep going on!"

"And we'll be there with you to see this through!" Pharynx proclaimed.

Shining's senses calmed as his loyal servants - no, his loyal FRIENDS - reached him, and brought him back to his senses. "You're right." he said. "This calls for a daring rescue. But we need to hurry. Trixie, Thunderlane: warn the Princesses, and tell them to bring their forces to Tirek's fortress. Bertuccio, Jaccapo, Pharynx and I will go on ahead, and break into the castle ourselves!" Both ponies looked to one another, then nodded to the unicorn and ran off. He then turned to Pharynx, and said, "Pharynx, have you continued spying on Tirek like I told you to?"

"It's all i've been doing these last few days." he said. "I know where his real lair is - the one he's hiding under the Midnight Castle. Follow me!" he shouted as he took to the air.

"Lead on." Shining said. "I lost my family once before....and I refuse to lose them again."

---

The group that was Cadence, Albert, Sunburst, and Starlight stayed huddled together in a cage as they watched Tirek make the final preparations to his plan. While the others were scared, Cadence still had some courage left in her. "You won't get away with this! Shining, and Twilight will-!"

"Will do nothing!" Tirek interrupted, drawing close to his vortex spell. "This magic circle was designed to syphon the magic of an entire land in a matter of days. First from the equine races...then the beasts tied to the essence of magic...and finally every, single artifact in Equestria: including the Elements of Harmony, if those six foals brought them here. Normally, it requires a 3 day period, but thanks to your little wizard there, I was able to accelerate the process. Something for which I must congratulate you on." He knocked on the cage. "See what you can do with the proper motivation," he laughed as he pinched the unicorn's cheek. Sunburst then lowered his head in shame, and said, "I'm so sorry, everypony. I did what Tirek wanted, and now....Equestria will be lost."

"It wasn't your fault, Sunburst." Starlight said as she hugged her friend. "He forced you to do all this."

"Indeed. And all I had to do was threaten the one pony he cared for more than anything in the world. Such pathetic sentiment." He gagged. "But now, thanks to him, decades of planning have finally come to fruition." He then produced a dull-blue, rectangular bell, then proceeded to place it in the middle of the generator fuming dark magic. "I will rule this world as the Darkness consumes all. Noone can stop me now. Not even Dantes."

---

Shining slid under the Gargoyles legs while cutting them both. Then proceeded to twirl his lower legs up in the air to kick away any incoming Gargoyles, before jumping to his feet, and cutting down a few more. Garble, and Pharynx were doing well for creatures without magic: Garble simply used his knife skills and his fire breath, and Pharynx changed into a Bugbear that swatted Gargoyle after Gargoyle away. Lucky for them, the spell could not steal natural abilities of other species. And Bertuccio was proving he was as skilled with a blade as his master. By the time they had cut down the last Gargoyle in their path, Pharynx was flying them into the castle. They took down any gargoyle that crossed their path as they ran down the hallways, until they finally reached the throne room. Finally able to take a breather, Shining asked, "Where to now, Pharynx?"

"The entrance is in his private chambers," Pharynx pointed, "behind the throne."

"So what are we waiting for?" Garble asked.

That became the group's cue to continue running, or flying to their destination. They went through the door directly behind the throne, and found Tirek's room. Pharynx then changed back to his true form, and led them to a hidden door behind a portrait of Tirek, himself. The passage was dark, and hard to see in, but they had a dragon in their group, so there was no worry there. When they tried to enter, however, all four of them were knocked away by something hard. Grimmwing had been waiting for them. His scythe brandished to kill off the intruders before they could reach Tirek. He saw Pharynx, and decided to finish what they started. He swung, and swung, but Pharynx was agile enough to dodge the baphomet gargoyle. He then saw one of Shining's swords lying on the ground, and picked it up in his mouth. "Let me cut that down to size for you." Grimmwing mocked.

But after swinging his scythe again, and preparing to finish Pharynx, the Gargoyle felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Pharynx had run him through the heart with the sword just before he could strike again. Now the beastly general was left grunting, and gasping in agony as he was left confounded. "A bug?" he groaned, not believing this would be how he died. "A.....bug?" And finally, he slumped to the floor, finally dead. Pulling out the sword, he asked, "Is everyone alright?" When they all gave their affirmations, he said, "Good, because now we'll need your fire, Jaccapo." Garble nodded in understanding, and used his breath like a torch as the group collected themselves, and ran down the stairwell.

It was so far, and so deep, it felt like it would go on for miles below. But finally, they reached the massive cave. And all of them were shocked to the sight of so many ponies being now being held in prison cells along the walls. The sight reminded Shining of his imprisonment, and he grit his teeth in response. "So this is how Tirek built it all. Well, now it all comes to an end. You three: free the prisoners, and lead them out of here."

"But, Zatarra...what about you?" Pharynx asked with concern.

"I'm going to finish this...once, and for all." he said with determination.

"But...Tirek will be expecting you!" Bertuccio said worriedly. "You can't just face him alone."

"No. I agree with the boss." Garble Jaccapo said in understanding. "This madness has gone on long enough. And only you can end it...your grace." He then placed a friendly claw on Shining's shoulder, and said, "Even the Abbe would understand. Good luck." Shining smiled as he looked, and saw his comrades also smiling in belief of their friend, and master. He nodded, and said, "Thank you. All of you. I couldn't have gotten this far without any of you. And I know we'll see each other again when this is over."

And with that, he ran down the catwalk leading to Tirek's primary cave, while the others looked for a way down and up. They found it in a path dug out of the stone cliff, and made their way down. Like Shining, they were taking down any Gargoyle that was in their path. By the time they reached the cells, they had finished off the last of Tirek's regime. Now there was only the prisoners to free. Telling everyone to step back, Garble took a deep breath, and shot a fireball at each lock of the dozens of cells. With the ponies free, the trio led them to the pathway, and back to the surface. All of them looking back on their friend, and hoping he would be alright.

---

Shining finally arrived in Tirek's cavern, and was shocked by what he saw: the balrog hung up in a cross position, held by iron chains. He shook off his shock, and ran inside. Within the chamber, pillar-shaped glass tubes reaching to the ceiling were filled to the brim with liquids - and the same red stones Tirek possessed swimming in them, seemingly acting as a power source. Near the center of the room was a large mystic circle, with six items placed in a smaller circle in the ring of the glowing sigil. Each one was covered in a sphere of blue magic, that was firing beams of the same magic into a much larger orb the size of medium boulder. And in front of it was a thing few creatures in equestria have ever seen before: technology. Some manner of machine with tubes, and wires hooked into it was in the process of continued construction. All of these things were hooked up to a sigil made of copper, but the shape of the sigil was unknown. It was simply a three-horned mark with a trident-shaped bottom.

It was a mad-scientist's dream come true, and his family was here somewhere. As he approached the machine, he looked around frantically. Until he heard a familiar voice cry out, "Shining!". He turned to the right, and saw four ponies - three he knew, one he guessed was Sunburst, as he recalled her description of them. He raced over to try, and break them free...but then a wall of fire broke off his charge. It remained there, with no way to pass around it. Shining quickly deduced the culprit, and turned around to meet Tirek's gaze. The centaur was smiling in amusement as he said, "To think, we haven't spoken a word to each other as Tirek Danglars, and Shining Dantes for over eighteen years...and now, we meet twice in one day. Most amusing how that happens, isn't it?"

"Except i'm not laughing, Tirek. Now let my family out, and let them go."

Tirek grunted in irritation, and asked, "Why would I do that?"

"Because I beat your little game! I got here before the hour went up! So now, you have to honor the deal!"

"Now, now, Dantes!" Tirek laughed. "You should know better than that. The goal wasn't to find your precious family: it was to SAVE them." Shining's eyes narrowed as he growled, "You backstabbing-"

"How else do you think I came to power, fool? It wasn't by association with royalty, or favoritism, like you. I had to scrape, and tear my way through life to get to where I am today. Had I left well enough alone, I would never have become General, or Lord Tirek. I would be stuck in a lower rank than where I belong instead of you." Shining shook his head in disdain. "I still can't believe you. I never asked for any of this to happen, you know. I never asked to be promoted without warning. And I sure as faust didn't ask to be forced to carry a letter from Nightmare Moon, herself. Yet you blame me for things out of my control? How petty can you be?"

"No, no, no! You miss the point, as usual!" Tirek shouted. "I blame you for being favored over me to the point you were able to take what should have been mine! I struggled to get where I was, and yet you had everything handed to you on a plate! Leaving me to starve in your wake!" His eyes then narrowed. "There was no possible way I could allow such an affront go unpunished. That's why I played upon the respective envy, and ambition of two foolish ponies who would do anything to get what they wanted. You were one young stallion that was the price to pay for love, and glory, while standing in the way of "precious justice"."

"You're talking about Sombra, and Neighsay, aren't you?" Shining asked.

"Indeed, I am."

"But why? Why involve them in a conspiracy like this? That's the one thing I don't understand."

"Not even they understood how far my plans, and ambitions stretched." Tirek said. "They were a means to an end to get rid of you, and secure my position. Yet, they proved useful pawns who fulfilled their roles. Even so, their usefulness would only extend so far, if they knew the truth of my goals - which no long includes "El Spada's" treasure, by the way."

Shining raised a brow, and asked, "Okay, if that's true, then what are you really after?" Tirek chuckled sinisterly at this as he explained, "To rule a world plunged into darkness. Do you see this bell in the generator there?" He pointed to the sigil machine, and Shining noticed a dull, blue bell being electrified in the middle of it. "This is the key to the true power of The Vashtar - or The Darkness, as it were. For years, i've had Sunburst build me a dimensional gateway generator that leads to the infamous "Realm of Darkness". Thanks to my newfound symbiosis with the blue bell, I was able to devise the means to access that realm. And how to absorb the powers of Darkness. All it requires," he showed his metal hand again, "are the living souls of mortals. I will open the gate to The Realm of Darkness, and sacrifice the souls of every living in this world. Then, with the magic these artifacts have gathered for me, rule it as its God. All will be torn down, and recreated in MY image."

"You can't be serious!" Shining exclaimed. "If you do that, then The Darkness will overrun this world!"

"What do I care? The Darkness holds no power over me. Rather, I will use its power to rule this world." Tirek proclaimed. "It is unstoppable."

Shining grunted as he brandished his sword in his hoof, and prepared to fight. "I'll stop it. After coming this far, there's no way i'll let you win." He then charged, and kicked Tirek under the Vortex circle. He then charged the centaur, and once he was close enough, jumped into the air, and readied to run Tirek through. But then a bladed, metal gauntlet used Tirek's sword to block the blow. To Shining's shock, Tirek was transforming as he drew upon the Balrog's essence. He was no longer even a centaur. He had become a full-fledged demon, himself.

"Now, let the final game begin."

Author's Note:

Hopefully, Tirek's plan makes some sense now.