• Published 21st Dec 2011
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Filly Fantasy VI - The Return of Magic - The Wyld Stallynz

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In Which the World Changes Part 4

“Do you see any more?” Pinkie Pie called out to her gunners.

“Negative,” Maud Pie replied in her deadpan voice.

On the other side of the airship, Limestone Pie stamped a hoof. “All clear.”

From her position at the stern, Marble Pie shook her head.

“Okay, good,” Pinkie Pie said, letting out a long, deep sigh. “I don’t know how much more my baby could take from all those Imperials. I’ve done more repairs on this ship in the last month than I have in years.”

Limestone Pie trotted up to the Party of One’s captain, a scowl on her muzzle. She always had a scowl on her muzzle, but this one appeared meaner. “We should just cut our losses and get out of here. Ever since we picked up that group at the opera house, things have gone from bad to worse.”

“No way, jose,” Pinkie Pie replied with a shake of her head. “Call me crazy, but I like our new friends. This is the most fun I’ve had since… since… oh.” She fell silent, drooping her head.

Rolling her eyes, Limestone Pie headed back to her station, saying over her shoulder, “You’re crazy.”

Sighing, Pinkie Pie grabbed hold of the wheel and began steering the ship towards the Floating Island. “Yeah, maybe I am. But crazy or not, I’m going to make sure my new friends get back safe.”

“Pinkie.”

Pinkie Pie swiveled her head, finding Maud Pie standing next to her. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“We have incoming.”

“Wha—whoa!”

The airship rocked from a large impact, tossing ponies to the deck. Pinkie Pie managed to keep hold of the wheel and fought to righten the ship back to its correct orientation. No other impacts came and soon the Party of One was sailing smoothly through the sky once again.

“Report!” Pinkie Pie shouted out. “What hit us?”

“I did. My apologies.”

All eyes tracked upwards. Hanging upside down from the balloon, carefully clutching the underside so as to not puncture it, Tritoch stared down at the crew. He let go, dropping to the deck with much less force than his jarring entrance. He looked over the ponies, noting the wary and weary expressions directed towards him. “I mean you no harm. I am the esper that Twilight Sparkle and her companions sought out. I am looking for her. Where is she?”

A low murmur spread through the crew, Tritoch’s keen ears easily picking up the sounds of distrust. He opened his beak to speak but somepony else beat him to it.

“Hey, mister birdy guy, if you’re looking for Twilight, she’s over there.” Pinkie Pie pointed towards the Floating Island, hovering just over a mile away.

“Thank you. I figured as much but couldn’t be sure. I’ll leave you in peace.” He spread his wings and made to take off, but a hoof prodding his talon brought him up short. He looked down, spotting Pinkie Pie looking over his talons with a frown.

“Wow mister birdy guy, you must have been in quite the tussle. You got bruises and cuts all over.”

Tritoch snorted, a stream of cold vapor leaking from his nostrils. “Yes, gifts from that metal monster the Empire attacked us with. It took a lot to destroy it and I have been slowly recovering ever since. But I’m not about to sit around while others do the fighting. I’ve had my fill of that the past thousand years.”

“Well, we’re on our way over there too. Wanna hitch a ride with us? It’ll let you rest a little longer.”

Cocking his head, Tritoch said, “You would not mind?”

“Nope!” Pinkie Pie replied, pumping a hoof into the air. She suddenly whirled around and ran down the stairs to the lower quarters. Everyone hardly had time to blink as she returned carrying a package on her back. She walked up to Tritoch with a large smile plastered over her muzzle and presented the package to him. “Here. A little something to perk you right up.”

Tritoch eyed the wrapped box dubiously. “What’s in it?”

“Well, you gotta open it to find out!”

Declining to ask further questions, Tritoch plucked the package from Pinkie Pie’s back and made a precision slice with a talon. The packaging surrounding the box slid off and another cut popped the folded cardboard open. Using his wing as a lever, Tritoch tipped the box over, dumping its contents on his other wing. A clear bottle containing a red liquid now rested on his appendage. “What’s this?”

Pinkie Pie hopped to her hind legs, pointing at the bottle with her forelegs. “That there is a little something a chocobo friend of mine left with me just before we left Vectorlot. He said to only use it in emergencies since it’s really hard to make. Chug it down and you’ll feel super-duper in no time!”

Tritoch retained his skeptical look. “I’m not sure something like that will work on an esper. Besides, wouldn’t this be of more use for someone else?”

“Hey, it’s worth a shot. I mean, we’re going to help the others any way we can, but I’d take the bet that you’ll be more useful than us once we get to that island.”

The esper stared at the bottle for a few more moments. “Ah, the hell with it.” Rather than uncork the bottle, he raised his wing and plopped it into his open beak. The bottle shattered as he snapped his beak closed, but Tritoch didn’t seem to mind. One gulp later and the contents of the bottle, and the bottle pieces themselves, went down his gullet.

Even Pinkie Pie was taken aback by the act. “You know, I think Rainbow Dash would call what you just did ‘hardcore’.”

Tritoch didn’t comment as his wings snapped wide open and he let out a piercing shriek that made all the ponies cover their ears. His cry to the heavens over, he folded his wings back and let out a content sigh. “If I hadn’t experienced it, I wouldn’t have believed it. Whatever it is you gave me worked. I haven’t felt this good since before I was frozen.”

“GLAD TO HEAR IT!” Pinkie Pie shouted over the ringing in her ears. Banging a hoof against her head didn’t seem to help, so she settled with heading back to the airship wheel and directing the Party of One towards the Floating Island. “NEXT STOP, THAT AWAY! YAR!”

.o.O.o.

The path leading up the hill proved tricky to navigate; mainly because there wasn’t one. The fight with the Ultima Weapon had completely rearranged the landscape, including the way up to the Returners’ enemy. It took several minutes of careful magic usage, pegasus positioning, and a little bit of earth pony engineering to make a new path for the non-fliers of the group to make it up the hill.

It also took a lot of coaxing and pleading to keep Rainbow Dash from darting off on her own.

At last, the Returners crested the hill and came upon a sight that made their blood run cold. Emperor Blueblood and General Gilda stood in front of three massive statues, motes of magical energy passing between the stone structures at regular intervals. Blueblood had his back to them but Gilda faced forward and waved a claw in greeting.

“You know, I’m kinda glad you twerps took out that big monster. Was a little worried it’d turn on us next before Bluie here got a handle on these babies.”

“You’re gonna wish it was that thing that got to you first!” Rainbow Dash sprung forward, Thunder Blade at the ready.

A sharp yank on her tail prevented her from getting too far. “Dash, simmer down and let me do the talkin’,” Applejack said after spitting out Rainbow Dash’s tail. She walked forward, gently pushing Rainbow Dash back and took a deep breath. “We’ve come here to stop ya, but I’d rather we avoid anymore fighting if that’s all the same to you. So how ‘bout we all head back to Fillygaro and put back a few rounds of cider?”

“You waste your breath, Applejack,” Trixie said, standing off to earth pony’s right side. “They’ve made it this far so no way will they stop now.”

“My wayward general is correct.” Blueblood tore his gaze away from the statues, turned, and gave his full attention to the gathered Returners. “At last I have what I've been seeking all these long years. This world is mine and no pony or esper can stop me now.”

“Says you!”

That was the only warning Blueblood received as Rainbow Dash blasted forward, her sword aimed at the emperor’s chest.

Blueblood simply raised a hoof to the sky, then pointed it at the oncoming pegasus. At the speed of thought, a sparkling white mote separated from the statues and intercepted Rainbow Dash mid flight. She didn’t have a chance of evading it. The mote struck Rainbow Dash in the chest, immediately locking up her joints. With no cry or flailing of limbs, the pegasus dropped to the ground, skidded a few hooves, then remained still.

The remaining Returners weren’t so inactive, crying out for their friend and charging towards the Imperials. Smirking in triumph, Blueblood directed more white motes to fly out, striking each of his enemies down with pinpoint accuracy. One by one, the Returners fell as Rainbow Dash did.

All but one. Trixie, wide-eyed at the power on display, could do nothing but watch as each pony, zebra, and dragon, young or old, was reduced to nothing more than a stiff body. She lifted her head, fully expecting to be taken down at any moment, but no white mote came for her.

Blueblood smiled as he stepped forward, walking past the Returners without a second glance. He stopped a few hooves away from Trixie and gestured for Gilda to come to his side. “Behold, General Trixie, at what I’ve tapped into. While you and your friends were keeping busy with the Ultima Weapon, I have finally gained the power to command the statues to do my bidding.” He swept a hoof back, indicating her fallen comrades without losing eye contact. “This is just a taste of what I’m now capable of.”

Swallowing back against a dry mouth, Trixie said, “Then why did you spare me?”

“Because I want you to come back to my side, where you belong. With you and Gilda, nothing can stop us.” He tapped a hoof smartly against the ground. Gilda swept back her cape with a flourish and reached behind her back. As her talon retracted, a long, glistening sword followed. She stepped forward and presented the sword to Trixie.

“Take this,” the griffon said, her eyes sparkling with malice. “Use it to kill the others. Once these punks are gone we’ll know you’re back with us. Then we can have some real fun.”

Trixie examined the sword offered to her. The blade was pure ivory in color, with diamond and spade shaped indents of deep red along the wide end. Two crescent grooves on both sides of its razor edge were cut out, giving it a deadly elegance. The guard was no less spectacular, a brilliant combination of gold and a wing design, like a bird in flight. The rest of the hilt, from the grip to the pommel, consisted of tightly woven leather that ended with a pearl tip.

It was the most beautiful sword Trixie had ever seen.

Mouth set to a thin line, Trixie levitated the sword from Gilda’s open talons and held it up. A quick spark of magic confirmed that the weapon was compatible with her runic power. It was as if the sword had been made just for her.

Trixie tore her gaze off of her new gift, drifting towards the Returners scattered across the hilltop. She took calm, measured steps, passing by Returners on either side, until she stopped in front of one pony in particular.

Trixie hovered her sword to Twilight Sparkle’s throat.

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment,” Trixie said, no emotion whatsoever in her tone. “You, laid out before me, at my mercy. But I would show you no mercy and end your infuriating life, taking my rightful place as Blueblood’s top magic user.”

Twilight didn’t respond, unable to do little more than stare up at the other unicorn.

The sound of clopping hooves behind Trixie alerted her that Blueblood had drawn near. “I knew fostering that rivalry between her and you would someday produce results. Now that little Twilight here is no longer needed to fulfill our dream, remove her from your path and claim your destiny.”

“Yes,” Trixie said, nodding. “Trixie thinks it’s time to do what needs to be done.” She raised the sword, tip pointing down and ready to stab it into a fleshy sheath. She let out one long, calming breath.

Trixie swerved, the sword twisting in midair, and plunged it into Blueblood’s chest.

The emperor jerked, letting out a gurgling gasp. He looked down to see the very sword he had granted Trixie with now buried to the hilt within him, then back up at the mare herself. His body began shaking.

Sneering, and with no more words to say, Trixie hardened her grip on the sword and flung Blueblood away, the blade tearing from his body. The stallion landed hard on the ground and flopped down a few hooves away from the statues.

Trixie lifted her sword to the sky. Even with it coated in blood, it still shone with majesty. “Trixie will be keeping this, seeing as she has now saved the day. It will need a name though." Her gaze briefly shifted to the two pony statues and the crowns atop their heads. "How about, Save the Queen? That seems appropriate.” With her newly christened weapon, Trixie turned to the only threat left to deal with.

Gilda stood dumbstruck, her eyes flickering between Trixie and Blueblood’s body. With a screech, she pulled out a knife and threw it at the nearest Returner, Scootaloo. Trixie focused, catching the knife in her aura before it could reach the filly, but the distraction paid off. Running for her life, Gilda raced to the statues, grabbing hold of one of the pony shaped ones. “Statues, I am your master now! I command you to strike that traitor down!”

There came a hum of building power. From the centerpoint of the statues, a bolt of pure magic lanced out at Trixie, forcing her to dive out of the way. “Yes, this is more like it,” Gilda said. “Do it again!” Another streak of magic erupted, but Trixie was ready and channeled runic through Save the Queen. The attack hit, but deflected at the ground, causing an explosion right at her hooves. Trixie was sent flying, landing roughly several hooves away. Gilda saw the unicorn struggling to rise.

“Don’t know why Bluie didn’t do this in the first place.” Sparing a glance at the downed emperor, Gilda snorted and gripped the base of the statue and pushed. With surprising ease, the statue began to slide, emitting a low crackle as the energies surrounding it began to shift. “The hell with what Blueblood said. If I can get these things in the right position, I can absorb all their power myself.” Putting words to action, Gilda shoved the statue further away from the others. Satisfied, Gilda rushed over to the second pony figure, this one a little larger than the first. Grunting, Gilda pushed the horn and winged pony until it formed a perfect triangle with the others. The air positively glowed with magic now, the power seeping into Gilda’s very being.

“Yes, it’s all true,” Gilda practically purred. She stood in the center of the trio where the magic was densest. “Most of the magic in the world was sealed up with you guys and now it’s all mine. Give it to me! All of it! I’ll finish what Blueblood started and show that Storm Dragon who the boss is now!”

So far into her euphoria that Gilda failed to see a large figure jump up from below the hill and charge. It impacted the larger of the two pony statues, pushing it back towards the center. Gilda squawked in surprise, lashing out on instinct. A magical bolt, summoned from the power of the statues, struck the larger pony of stone, causing a shockwave that knocked the newcomer back. As if in retaliation, the statue fired its own bolt, striking the dragon figure. The dragon statue began to vibrate, a high pitched whine building around it, followed by chips of stone flaking off of its surface.

“Now look what you did!” Gilda roared, finally getting a good look at her attacker. It was an esper, demonic in form. “You won’t deny me my chance!”

Ifrit grunted as he picked himself up and prepared to rush back in. He stopped as the sight of the statues, now glowing in a kaleidoscope of colors, caused his face to fall. “Oh, no. No, this can not be happening.”

Slowly, but with gaining intensity, the entire island began to shake and rumble. A burst of magic blasted out from the statues, the wave washing over the Returners still comatose on the hill. From the corner of his eye, Ifrit could see several of them begin to stir, but his full attention was on the figures of stone. It took the arrival of another esper touching down next to him to tear his gaze away. “Tritoch! Don’t just stand there, we have to get them back into alignment!” he said over the cacophony of the island shaking apart.

Tritoch spared a glance to the recovering ponies littering the hilltop before focusing on the task at hand. “I don’t think we have much time. Show me how it’s done.”

“I’ve got this one, you get the one over there.” Ifrit pointed at the smaller of the pony statues before heading towards the larger one. “Get them close togeth—”

A magical force pressed down on him, forcing him to the ground.

“You didn’t listen!” Gilda’s voice could be heard, coming somewhere next to the statues. “You won’t take this away from me!”

Using every ounce of strength he possessed, Ifrit crawled his way towards his target. Inch by agonizing inch he gained ground. Distantly, a small portion of his awareness could tell Tritoch was also struggling against the increased gravity but was still moving closer to his goal. The pressure increased but one final lunge placed his claw against the larger pony statue.

The magic holding him down suddenly dissipated. Not wasting the opportunity, Ifrit shoved against the statue, pushing it closer to the center. Bits of stone rained down on him but he ignored them, concentrating on completing his task. He planted his feet into the ground and heaved. The last thing he felt was a serene calm descending over him, followed by a single white feather drifting down. It landed on his cheek, and for the first time in a long while, he felt peace.

.o.O.o.

Tritoch gave a cry of defiance as he finally pushed his statue up against the others. His labor complete, he stepped back and took stock of the situation. Gilda was still up next to the dragon statue, her body glowing with raw magic.

He stepped around to get a better angle when his talon brushed up against something soft and warm. Looking down, he saw a stallion laying in a pool of blood, the wound in his chest gushing out even more red liquid. The pony was most likely dead from so much blood loss, but Tritoch reached down and grasped the stallion in a talon anyway. The pony’s family would most likely want to properly bury him once this was over.

With one talon left, Tritoch flew up over the statues and reached down for Gilda. Wild magic buffeted him on all sides, but his powerful wings kept him steady. Aiming carefully, he made one final lunge, catching the griffon between his claws. Gilda screeched and thrashed in his grip but was no match for Tritoch’s strength. With a beat of his wings, Tritoch began to rise up.

He only made it a few hooves when a stray bolt of magic struck him dead center in the chest.

Tritoch let out a wail that split the air. He fell, taking his two prisoners with him. His body crashed into the dragon statue, toppling it over. There came a bright flash of white from the impact, and when it cleared, the statue, Tritoch, Blueblood, and Gilda were gone.

.o.O.o.

“Oh, gosh, this doesn’t look good at all,” Pinkie Pie said as she wrestled with the controls of the Party of One. The moment they had passed overhead of the Floating Island, Tritoch had taken off. It wasn’t long after that that the previously clear skies around them suddenly developed dark storm clouds. Now Pinkie Pie was fighting to keep the airship stable as rain and lightning buffeted the ship on all sides.

Luck was with her as Limestone ran up to her, her expression more excited than Pinkie had ever seen. “I found them! Turn starboard and start descending! I’ll signal when to stop!” Without waiting for confirmation, Limestone ran back to the side railing.

Not that she needed it, as Pinkie Pie grinned and twisted the wheel sharply to the right. The airship plunged with gut lurching speed, but the crew held on and began preparing for boarding. Ropes and cable ladders were thrown over the side while others began preparing medical rooms for the injured. Moments later, Limestone raised a hoof and Pinkie Pie cut the engines and pulled back on the wheel. The Party of One’s bow rose up at a forty-five degree angle, putting enough force and wind resistance to come to a complete stop.

Once the airship was steady and parallel with the ground, Pinkie Pie wiped her brow. She patted the cutie mark on her flank and said, “Don’t know if I could have done that withoutcha. Thanks.”

.o.O.o.

“Hurry up Sparkle, we don’t have much time!”

“I’m trying, Trixie, hold your horses!”

The duo of ex-Imperial unicorns ran from Returner to Returner, casting healing magic as fast as they could. The binding on them had lifted the moment Ifrit had crashed into the statues but a lingering stiffness kept them from moving all that quickly. Trixie hadn’t wasted the opportunity and began attending them, keeping her hooves crossed that whatever was happening with the statues wouldn’t interrupt her until she was finished. Twilight had been the most receptive to her magic, cutting the job down by half.

Unfortunately, the constant shaking of the island and the darkening of the skies made it clear that things were going to get worse instead of better. Trixie had no desire to be around to see how bad it could get.

Trixie had just finished getting Sweetie Belle up on her hooves when a cable ladder bonked her on the head. Eliciting a swear that made Sweetie Belle blush, Trixie bit down any further words and grabbed hold of the swinging ladder. “Thank whatever gods are watching over us.” She shoved the ladder into Sweetie Belle’s hooves. “Don’t just stand there, get climbing.”

“But what about Scootaloo and Apple Bloom?” Sweetie Belle asked, her voice cracking.

“The faster you get up that ladder, the faster they can follow you up it. Now go!” As a final incentive, Trixie poked Sweetie Belle in the rump with the tip of her sword.

With a squeak of fright and a touch of pain, Sweetie Belle rushed up the ladder as fast as her little hooves could take her.

“And don’t look down!” Trixie yelled up at her. Whirling around, Trixie began directing the recovering Returners to grab hold of any available ropes and ladders and get ascending.

The island shook harder than ever, with a large piece nearby dropping away to the distant earth below.

The Returners doubled their efforts to scramble up the ladders.

Zecora had just grabbed hold of the bottom rung of a ladder crawling with Returners when the land lurched away below her. Not daring to look to see how far the drop was below her, Zecora climbed up to her salvation. So intent on reaching the airship, she missed seeing Trixie, the last pony left on the island, drift away.

Alone on a crumbling island high in the sky, Trixie watched the Party of One sail away to safety. She yelled at the top of her lungs for them to come back but the gale force winds drowned her out. Lighting up her horn, Trixie cast spell after spell to generate a lightshow to gain attention but the magical imbalance caused by the statues fizzled them out. Drained and tired, Trixie slumped to the ground and wept. No pony was left to see her tears so it didn’t matter if she cried or not.

The Floating Island rumbled one last time then disintegrated into thousands of rocky chunks.

From above, a streak of rainbow light pierced through the rubble. Seconds later, Rainbow Dash burst out from the collapsing landmass, carrying Trixie in her forelegs. “Does everything have to be so dramatic with you?”

Trixie, for once, kept her mouth shut and held onto Rainbow Dash for dear life.

The two touched down on the Party of One’s deck minutes later, quickly being mobbed by the rest of the Returners. Hugs and congratulations were given all around. Pinkie Pie tossed streamers and confetti while promising to throw the biggest celebration of her life for what she dubbed, “Saving the Entire World Party”.

A bolt of lightning grazed the side of the airship hull, cutting short their jubilation.

Twilight Sparkle ran over to the side of the airship and looked down. “I… I feel it.”

“Feel what?” came Shining Armor’s voice from behind. The rest of the group fell silent, waiting for Twilight to speak.

“Magic.”

Spinning around, Twilight faced her friends. “The seal holding the three statues has been broken. All the power that’s been held within them is being released to the world.”

The Party of One shook from the massive amounts of turbulence generated by the storm surrounding it.

“Well, that’s great and all, but what now?” Spike said, his claws digging into the deck to keep himself stable. “It’s like we’re living through the end of the world instead!”

Twilight nodded, her face pensive. “I know. It must be the planet getting accustomed to so much magic all at once. We just have to ride it ou—”

A shockwave of tremendous power struck the Party of One from below. The concussive force snapped the hull in half like a twig. Above, the balloon ruptured, sending it and the vessel it was still attached to careening downwards. Throughout the chaos, ponies, zebras, and dragons alike screamed.

.o.O.o.

Water gushed from the seas and oceans, flooding large patches of land.

Mountains rose and fell in minutes when once it had taken hundreds of years.

Winds ripped through trees, stripping them of their leaves within seconds.

Lava burst out of volcanoes that had once been long extinct.

Fields of grass grew rapidly, forming forests of tall reeds.

Lightning struck throughout the world, scorching the land.

The entire planet rearranged itself to adapt to the influx of magic.

.o.O.o.

On that day, the world changed forever…

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