The Adventure of the Apex Legion

by DeffBwade

Chapter 16: Dissolution of Magic Part 3

Author's Note:

New cover art!

Previously on The Adventures of the Apex Legion

Do you all remember when I said that I found the whole Cozy suddenly being in charge of the school situation suspicious? Well right now, I find it even more suspicious.

"Do you all get the feeling that Cozy Glow's trying too hard to make us like her?" Gallus asked.

"I don't trust her. What's she up to behind those big eyes..." Smolder asked as she stretched her eyes to make them seem larger, and then started to bounce her horns with her claws, "...and bouncy curls?"

"And why Cozy pony coming out of catacombs so late at night?" Yona asked.

I stopped in my tracks. It might've been just the wind, but I could've sworn I heard some sort of...whispering.

"You guys go on," I said as I looked around the corner and deduced that the whispers were definitely coming from the catacombs, "Tell the others that I'm gonna go check what Cozy was doing below the school."

As I continued to walk, the whispers started to get louder. Not to the point of ear raping me, but it was as if someone was whispering directly into my ear. It was starting to make me a bit uncomfortable.

I can literally feel the sadness, the hatred, the anger. Pretty much any negative emotion that exists, I could feel. In fact, I myself was starting to feel a little bit sad and angry. Especially angry.

In the center of the room was some kind of ritual cultist shit. There was a giant, glowing red circular symbol...what was it called...I believe it's called a glyph, and six objects surrounding said glyph. I recognized them as the six artifacts we learned about a long time ago. I'm not gonna say the name of them as it's irrelevant and you probably won't care in the slightest. The artifacts seemed to be using magic to form some kind of magical sphere, and inside the sphere...was Counselor Starlight.

Now remember when I said that the negative feelings I was feeling weren't overwhelming?

Well, when my hoof accidently stepped onto the glyph, I was suddenly hit with a wave of negativity. Jesus. So much negativity.

"Counselor Starlight. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, don't worry. I'll be back with some help," I said.

Her only response was a nod and a face of reassuring confidence. That was my cue to leave. I flew back the way I came and proceeded to exit the catacombs.

"Cozy...what are you up to down here?"

---

The Adventure of the Apex Legion

Written by DeffBwade

Chapter 16: Dissolution of Magic Part 3

---

To say that the six students weren't on good terms with the Chancellor would be a huge understatement. Now, they held animosity towards the unicorn. He himself said that he believed that they were responsible for the disappearance of magic just because they weren't ponies.

And now, he's currently holding them in chains.

Neighsay apathetically tossed the six students into a random student room. Gallus and Smolder glared at him, but it didn't deter him at all.

"Since you refuse to explain your plot against Equestria and return the magic you stole, you will stay here while I summon your guardians to take you home," Neighsay turned to walk away before Sandbar called out to him.

"Wait," the colt said.

Sandbar has always been there for his friends, unwilling to abandon them in desperate times, but right now he needed a way to get him and his friends out. Seeing as he was a pony, he came up with a plan, but...a small part of him would chastise him for doing this, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"You were right about them from the beginning, Chancellor," he continued, "I see that now."

That small of him started to eat away at him as his friends gave shocked responses, and he could feel Smolder's and Gallus's glares burning the back of his head.

"I don't wanna anything to do with creatures that could threaten Equestria," he said with false seriousness.

"Wisely put, colt," Neighsay said before he used his amulet to free him, "Everypony will come to their senses. Eventually."

As he and Sandbar walked out of the room, Sandbar was only able to have one final glance at the look of hurt his friends had before he shut the door behind him.

---

"Come on. Come on. Where did you guys go?" I thought to myself as I flew through the halls. Literally no one was up at this hour. Again, eerie.

While it was a priority to give the princesses the word on what's beneath the school, I had to find my friends and let them know that Cozy is up to no good. I also had to know what kind of dirt they were able to find on the small filly. Call it curiosity if you will. I call it priorities.

I turned the corner and then found myself almost ramming into someone. It was Sandbar.

"Oh! Legion, there you are," Sandbar said, "I'm glad I found you. Listen, we need to get the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

I knew who the Cutie Mark Crusaders were. One of the members was that orange pegasus that tried to spy on my class with Professor Pinkie, and then sneakily attended my class with Professor Dash. I believe she said her name was Scootaloo. And I believe the other two members were named Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Could be wrong, though.

In case you don't know who the Cutie Mark Crusaders (CMC for short since the name is a mouth full) are, while I never talked to them personally, I can still tell you. To put it bluntly, they're just a group of fillies who help ponies their age to find their cutie marks, or the meaning of their cutie marks.

Basically they help foals their age that have an identity crisis.

I guess you can put it like that.

"Wait, what? Why?" I asked out of confusion, "Also, where are the others?" I asked as I looked around for our other friends.

"That's...why we need to get the Crusaders," Sandbar answered with slight hesitation and a concerned expression, "The others are in trouble. Chancellor Neighsay locked them up."

"...I'm sorry, what?" I said after a moment of silence before chuckling a bit, "Surely, I didn't hear you correctly. I mean, I'm pretty sure that you just said that Neighsay locked them up."

Sigh. Fucking Neighsay. But surely Sandbar had just misspoken. Right?

"I um...I did say that," he said.

"..."

"..."

"Huh. Interesting," I said with a calm expression while tapping my hoof on the ground and looking at the ground, "Any uh...any particular reason why?"

"He..." he said with more hesitation, "He believes that...they're responsible for the disappearance of magic. I uh...think you may know why."

He's right. I did know why. I didn't need to ask any more questions. I walked away a bit and just leaned against the wall, thinking. Pondering. Mentally ranting. With a bit of frustration starting to show on my face.

"I must have hit my head. Cause there ain't no way that he really thinks that the others are responsible for the disappearance of magic...just because they're not ponies."

But who am I kidding? Neighsay was like this the first time I met him. I remember that I wanted to punch in the teeth so hard that he would have to wear dentures the rest of his life.

"Fucking racist asshole," I muttered.

"Woah!"

"Don't 'woah' me!" I said as I quickly looked back at Sandbar, who had wide eyes at my profanity, but I didn't care, "Our friends are being held responsible for something they didn't do and are now locked up...just because they're not ponies!" I took a quick breath before continuing, "Do you know what racism has led to back where I came from?"

Sandbar shook his head.

"Apathy, discrimination, hatred, hostility, take your pick. And all that includes towards children and elderly," I lectured, "It even has led to one of the greatest tragedies in human history: the enslavement of all African Americans. All because of the fact that they were different."

Sandbar's eyes were widened now. I don't blame him. Slavery is almost unheard of here in Equestria. There are times where I wish Earth was a lot like this place. Equestria is a lot more...friendly and colorful. While Earth, compared to this place, is bleak. Not that I'm staying that I wish to stay here for the rest of my life. Earth is still my home and I have a family back there.

"So excuse me for being pissed at Chancelor Neighsay," I took a deep breath, "Regardless, I still don't understand why we need to get the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I mean why can't we just bust them out? My powers still work. I can probably break the door down."

"No," Sandbar deadpanned.

"Fair enough," I shrugged, "S-sorry about that whole rant by the way. I just needed to get it off my chest."

"It's cool. Don't worry about it," he reassured.

"You know, I know Neighsay isn't racist towards ponies, but I'm kind of surprised he didn't lock you up as well, seeing as we're both close to the others, " I said.

"W-well..." Sandbar said as he rubbed the back of his head out of nervousness, "I may or may not have said that he was right and that I didn't want anything to do with creatures that threaten Equestria."

"O-oh," I said, "W-well...that's...some big brain thinking I guess."

As Markiplier once said, this is big brain time.

"I just hope the others aren't too mad," Sandbar said with a droop of his ears.

"I'm sure they'll understand once you explain it to them," I reassured as I put a hoof on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he said, "Anyway, we need to get the Cutie Mark Crusaders so they can convince Cozy to distract Neighsay so we can break the others out."

"Oh boy."

"Yeah...about Cozy..." I said, "Call it paranoia if you will, but I don't think we can trust that filly."

"What? Why?" Sandbar asked before he remembered something, "Wait. Ocellus told us that you stayed behind to check out what's beneath the catacombs. What did you find down there?"

I, admittedly, was a bit hesitant to tell him, but that's the reason I was looking for him and the others in the first place. But what exactly was I supposed to say? That Counselor Starlight looked like she was part of a ritual? No, that's just stupid, but not far from the truth.

"I...I found Counselor Starlight," I said, which made Sandbar gasp, "She's fine, but she's trapped in some kind of...magical orb. I wanted to save her, I really did, but...I couldn't."

"Why not?" he asked.

"When I got close to it, it felt...dark...malevolent. Like it was turning me into some kind of...anti-me. I was...afraid to get any closer," I said before I shrouded my hoof, "Hm. It didn't seem to affect my magic. Actually, now that I think about it, it hasn't seemed to disappear at all."

"Yeah, it seems that way," Sandbar observed, "But...I don't see why we can't trust Cozy."

"Sandbar, think about it. Cozy herself said that Starlight left to go help Twilight and her friends, when in actuality she was trapped in the very same catacombs that we all saw her exiting," I explained, "And before you ask, no. That's not enough to directly accuse Cozy for the disappearance of magic. But you have to admit that it's enough to not trust her."

That's when I realized something.

"Oh god. Now that I think it...Cozy is the only one besides you, me, and the others that know that the catacombs even exist. And she also said that she didn't want our professors to know about it," I remembered, "Now...I'm wondering if the reason she gave us is the real reason."

"Mmm," Sandbar nodded.

"But like I said, it's just speculation," I repeated, "We've been talking for long enough. Come on, let's go free the others."

Sandbar nodded and we proceeded to run through the hallways towards where our friends were trapped.

---

Ever since they got locked into the room, Gallus has been trying for who knows how long to open the clearly locked door. He was so tempted to break the window or have Yona break the door down, but that would only make them look more suspicious and lead to more trouble. And also because he didn't want to pay for the damages.

"Still locked huh?" Smolder asked sarcastically.

"We got to at least try to get out," Gallus said.

"What's the point? Do you not remember Sandbar saying that he didn't want anything to do with us? If he's turned his back on us, then every other pony probably has too," Smolder reminded, which led to shocked expressions, primarily from Yona and Ocellus.

"Sandbar not turn his back on us! Sandbar is our friend!" Yona exclaimed.

"And Legion would never do that as well! He's as loyal as Professor Dash," Ocellus exclaimed.

"Pfft. I bet you're just saying that because you like~ him. And I mean like like him," Smolder teased with a smirk. Now was the time to do some teasing.

"W-what?!" Ocellus asked with a massive blush forming on her face, "I...I don't know what you're talking about!"

"H-how does she know?!" Ocellus thought, "Oh no! Does everyone know?!"

"Ocellus, come on. It's just that obvious. Right guys?" Smolder asked everyone else, to which they all nodded.

The changeling blushed even more. Surely she was good at suppressing her feelings. Surely she wasn't making her feelings obvious.

Right?

---

"Alright Ocellus, you're gonna be paired with..." Headmare Twilight paused, "...Legion."

Ocellus quickly blushed a bit before glancing at the pegasus sitting next to her. Without even looking at her or saying anything, Legion smiled and raised his hoof up for a hoof bump.

Blushing a bit more, Ocellus slowly raised her hoof up and bumped it against Legion's.

---

As Ocellus and Smolder walked to their next class, they happened to see Legion walking down the hallway towards their direction.

"Hey guys," Legion said as he passed by.

"H-hi Legion," Ocellus said with a blush.

Smolder couldn't help but smirk at the changeling's shyness.

---

"Okay Ocellus. Truth or dare?" Smolder asked the changeling as they and their other friends sat in a circle in one of their dorm rooms.

"U-um...truth," Ocellus answered.

"Who do you...have a crush on?" Smolder asked with a smirk, causing the changeling to blush madly.

"Ooh~. Somebody's blushing~," Gallus teased.

"Ooh! Who is it? Who is it?" Silverstream asked.

"Now hang on. Hang on. Don't press her. Can't you see that she's nervous about answering the question? Believe me, I would be very nervous as well," Legion said.

Ocellus's eyes started to sparkle a bit from the pegasus standing up for her...until she became more nervous from Legion wrapping a hoof around her.

"Don't worry Ocellus. Whatever is said in this circle, stays in the circle. Right guys?" Legion asked everyone else, to which they all nodded.

Ocellus gulped, and with as much courage as possible, she meekly...let out an 'eep' and then turn into a mouse and scurry away out of the door.

Everybody just stared at the door not saying anything.

"Meh. Whatever," Legion shrugged, "Can't really blame her. Back when I was 13 years old, I was asked who I had a crush on, and I ended up chickening out as well."

---

Okay. Maybe not.

It was ironic because she was literally a creature of love.

"Does...does Legion know as well?" Ocellus asked with a shaky voice.

"Nah. We all promised not to say anything," Gallus answered, "I think the real question is how does Legion not know that you like him?"

"Look! That's not the point I was trying to make. The point is that Sandbar and Legion probably aren't coming for us," Smolder said.

"W-well...maybe Sandbar just said what he said so he and Legion can snoop around and find out what's going," Silverstream said with hope in her tone.

"I don't know," a voice said as the window suddenly opened and Sandbar started to climb inside, a crowbar in his hoof, followed by Legion peering over him, "That sounds too clever for a couple of ponies to come up with."

Yona then put on a face of glee and tackled Sandbar onto the ground.

"Yona knew ponies were still our friends!" she exclaimed.

Ocellus turned to the window and saw that Legion had a look of...nervousness.

"Oh no! Does Legion know that I like him?!" Ocellus nervously asked before she remembered something, "No. Gallus just said that he doesn't know. I think I'm good."

---

Literally less than a minute ago

"I'm just saying dude. I could just punch the door down," I said as Sandbar and I walked outside the school, "I think it would be a lot more cool."

"Yeah. No. I mean, it would be cool, but no. I think it'd better if we do something more...discreet," Sandbar said with a crowbar in his hoof, "And besides...I don't want you to end up having to pay for any damages."

"Yeah. Makes sense," I said. After all, I only get paid 60 bits a week. Not that I'm complaining, of course, "But do you even know which window we need to open?"

"I...um..." Sandbar stopped in his tracks as we looked at all of the windows that were on this side of the building alone, "...oh."

"And I don't think we have the time to just check every single window. Nor do I even want to," I said, "Luckily, I can just use my magic to listen for our friends voices. Just give me few seconds."

I took a deep breathe and focused my magic to listen to the environment around me. Fortunately, all that training has made me able to determine direction and distance on stuff that I hear.

And as if luck was on our side, I was able to hear them just a few windows away. And on the ground floor.

"Huh. That was easier than I thought. I thought I would have to end up-"

"Pfft. I bet you're just saying that because you like~ him. And I mean like like him," I heard Smolder say.

"W-what?! I...I don't know what you're talking about!" Ocellus yelped.

"Ocellus, come on. It's just that obvious. Right guys?" Smolder asked, to which I heard voices of agreement.

Oh. Juicy gossip I see.

"Huh. They must be talking about Ocellus's crush. Color me intrigued. I wonder who it could be-"

"Does...does Legion know as well?" I heard Ocellus ask with a shaky voice.

"Me? What do I have to do with this?"

You naive child.

"Nah. We all promised not to say anything," I heard Gallus answer, "I think the real question is how does Legion not know that you like him?"

...

"W-what?"

Comments

[SethFilms]

Rip the secret XD

KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK!!!~

[ARandomLonelyDude]

"W-what?"

Me when I realize that my crush has a crush on me(I am surprised by the fact that she is real)

[Prince Jules Moonshade]

Oh boy he finally knows! Wonder how that’ll play out.