Combat Magic

by totallynotabrony

Chapter 15

“This is clearly a bigger problem than we thought.” Rarity looked at the rest of them gathered around the table back at the cabin. While she knew that she was stating the obvious, Rarity felt like it needed to be said anyway.

“We weren’t expecting anything like that,” muttered Veronica. “We know that some anti- vampire and werewolf substances exist, although I don’t think we’ve ever seen it used as an aerosol weapon for area denial.”

“It’s scary,” broke in Jenny. “Kind of humbling, too. You get used to the idea of being a big, bad immortal and then something like this comes along that takes you down a peg.”

Bear nodded in agreement, but said nothing.

“What scares the shit out of me is that Mr. Wright was ready,” broke in Morgan. “We didn’t get a chance to toss his hotel room, but I would bet that we would find some sort of advanced detectors, either for magic or nonhuman beings.”

“I’m pretty sure he had blocking charms,” commented Rob. “I didn’t hear anything from his mind.”

“That in itself is pretty powerful magic,” said Morgan. He looked at the psychic. “Believe me, if I could keep you out of my head, I would. Also complicated was the magical negation he used on me. Whoever this guy is, he’s got some of the most powerful supernatural defenses we’ve ever seen.”

“And yet he didn’t attack with magic,” observed Bear. “Everything he had was for protection only.”

“Didn’t you say that—what was her name, Purity?—hated magic?” asked Rarity.

“They probably don’t think of defensive measures as actual enchantments,” said Morgan. “Besides, Purity can’t be completely abstinent from magic. She wouldn’t have lived so long otherwise.”

“Some sort of magical hypocrite,” muttered Rob. “Nice.”

“I’m going to call up some old friends,” said Bear, getting up from the table. “We could use the help.”

Rob’s eyes widened as he saw who she meant. “Really? That seems like a bit of overkill.”

“Who?” asked Rarity.

“Loowitlatkla, the fire goddess of Mount St. Helens,” supplied Bear.

“That’s the kind of overkill I can live with,” said Morgan.

Rarity decided that she would much rather have the native spirit of a volcano on her side than not. There was something she needed clarification on, however. “You’re just going to call her? They get telephone reception in the realm of the gods?”

“By ‘call up’ I meant ‘summon.’ We need to visit the mountain tomorrow.” Bear rolled her eyes. “Provided that nothing else happens before then.”

Magical studies had never been Rarity’s cup of tea. She was aware that darker, more complicated spells were out there. Summoning powerful entities was rumored, but nopony really talked about it. Twilight might know about the subject, but Rarity was sure her friend would never do something that skirted the border of decency and common sense.

The Princesses were close enough to gods that most ponies didn’t aspire for something more. On Earth, perhaps that view was different. Rarity did not know how the deities between her planet and this one compared, but suspected that she would return home at the end of the month with more questions than answers.

Bear recruited Jenny and Rob to help her plan the summoning. Morgan and Veronica began setting up a security system around the cabin that combined science and magic to hopefully detect anything approaching and be hard to foil.

The security system was complex and multilayered. It incorporated magic detectors, cameras, heat sensors, and other gadgets Rarity had no clue about. The various subsystems were integrated in such a way to be redundant and fail-safe.

For example, the magic detectors would not respond if there was a strong anti-magic presence in the area, so enchanted objects that the detectors would be constantly monitoring were placed. If something blanked out the signal, then there was anti-magic in the area. At least that’s how Rarity understood it. She just wanted to go back to making clothes.

That didn’t come to pass, however. With all the preparations and other activities going on, Rarity was the only one without an assigned task. Therefore, she was picked for first watch that night.

The concept of watch made sense. Even with the security system and sleeping light, nothing would replace an awake guard. The rotation was set up in four-hour shifts.

Rarity sat downstairs, weapons strapped on and bored out of her mind. The first hour or so hadn’t been bad. She’d gotten to watch the sun set and heard the subtle sounds of night creatures beginning to stir.

She wanted to sleep. In fact, Rarity had come within a hair of complaining about missing her beauty rest, but realized that it wouldn’t go over well. Not only didn’t the people care, survival was much more important. Rarity herself was learning that. And so she sat with nothing to do, not even clothing to work on. Observing everything that happened on the security system and around the cabin took top priority.

Rarity did allow herself a moment of self-reflection, however. Coming to Earth had been random chance. She could have picked any card that was offered, but had gotten the one corresponding to the Sol planetary system. She wondered how her friends would react to being in this situation. Truthfully, she was almost glad that it was her taking on this assignment if it kept them from having to experience it.

She sighed. Sometimes being the Element of Generosity gets me in over my head.

Shifting the rifle that lay across her knees, Rarity settled in to wait out the rest of her watch.

---

“Give me the short version,” said Purity, speaking into the telephone.

“The unicorn shot me in the upper leg and the rest escaped,” said Mr. Wright. “I got into my automobile and followed them, but they attacked with a grenade. I received a head trauma in the wreck. I’m very sorry, madam.”

Purity took a moment to reply as she finished making a few notes. Fighting six-on-one was never good, even with secret weapons. It would be difficult to justify punishing Mr. Wright for losing track of the unicorn and the government team even if she were an especially vengeful leader. Purity believed herself to be benevolent, even if her dedicated cause often involved the murder of magic users.

She glanced across the page she had been writing on. It was full of scribbles that looked nothing like human text. It was her old language, a system that was in use by only her organization. She finished the notes and picked up a rubber stamp to mark the page with her personal seal before filing it away. The design bore a passing resemblance to an equid hoof.

“I’m glad that you’re still alive,” she said to the telephone.

“Thanks to the defensive measures we developed,” replied Wright. “They worked perfectly. Pity we have no experience with unicorns or ways to counter them.”

That had been an oversight on Purity’s part. She never expected to encounter such a thing on Earth. After so many years of being the only transplant from another world, it was a huge revelation.

“Keep me updated,” ordered Purity. “As soon as you’re able to.”

“It won’t take long,” said Wright modestly. “I would work through any pain for you, madam.”

His loyalty was inspiring. “Thank you. We have a very important task to accomplish.”

Comments

[Anonymous Assassin]

Well... summoning a fire goddess. That's a new one!

[Lazo]

I find it kind of funny that Purity would find her Unicorn problem gone within a month if she simply waited.

[totallynotabrony]

2172798 Ironic, isn't it? The millenia-old immortal can't wait a few more weeks.

[Nightmare Wolf]

I'm not sure if someone else suggest it, but I'm betting, that Purity is some kind of alicorn bitch, that was banished by Tia, Luna or maybe their parents.

[Pia-chan]

Oh my now I can't wait for the next one. Nice chap!

[Lazo]

2172921

Indeed. But oh well, where would be the fun in that?

[Dementia Ravenmane]

I want the first thing the Fire Goddess says when she is summoned to be "Ready to set the world on fire, hehehe". Because then i will have an awesome reference to read!

[Lithl]

2172798>>2172921
Isn't this whole month-long experiment a prelude to possible diplomatic negotiations between Equestria and the other worlds in question? Even if Purity waits a couple weeks for Rarity to leave, there's the potential for more ponies showing up. Hell, there's the potential for Equestria, unicorns, and magic becoming public knowledge.

2172932
If Purity was an alicorn, wouldn't she be more knowledgeable about unicorns?

That said, I still want to hold out for Pupa, despite the fact that she's obviously not Rarity.

[Nightmare Wolf]

2175092 Might be true, but there are some bits, that hint, that she has some conection to equines.

The design bore a passing resemblance to an equid hoof.

Maybe changeling queen?

And about knowledge of unicorns, that was Wright words.

...replied Wright. “They worked perfectly. Pity we (as organization probably) have no experience with unicorns or ways to counter them.”

As for Purity, the quote:

She never expected to encounter such a thing on Earth.

suggest that she wasn't prepared to meet Rarity's kind on Earth, not that she didn't know them.

[Lithl]

2175164
> Maybe changeling queen?
As I said, I'm hoping Purity is Pupa, from The Three Sisters. I guess technically Pupa would qualify as a changeling princess, but w/e.

If you haven't read The Three Sisters and its two sequels*: Pupa is Chrysalis's sister. When Pupa and filly!Rarity are both mortally wounded, their bodies/minds/souls are merged in order to save their lives. The result is a changeling/pony hybrid that ends up being called... Purity. Purity takes up Rarity's life where she left off, and doesn't get discovered until Shining Armor and Cadence eject the Changelings from Canterlot, their spell slamming Purity into the wall and revealing her changeling nature.

* In the first sequel, Purity reconnects with Chrysalis. In the second, one of Purity's nieces (Chrysalis's daughter) comes to live with Purity.

[Nightmare Wolf]

2175345 Yes, I know "The Three Sisters". But this Purity don't fit in a slightest to the Purity of that fic. Purity in TTS was gentle, loving and caring, the whole other spectrum to this one.

PS. Take that into a 'spoiler'! I read TTS so it's done nothing for me, but you might spoil someone else's pleasure.
Like this [ spoiler][/spoiler ]

[Lithl]

2175406
Maybe, but it obviously can't be the same Purity, considering she's not Rarity. Adaptations are always possible with crossover/shout-outs.

The most recent chapter of The Powers of Harmony has a ton of shout-outs, from Echo the Diamond Dog (The Ballad of Echo the Diamond Dog and The Legend of Echo the Diamong Dog), to Doctor Who (the area Applejack finds herself in has vegetation reminiscent of the continent of Wild Endeavor, on Gallifrey, the homeworld of the Time Lords; “Boy howdy, almost seems like we’re on an alien world, don’t it?”), to Three Sisters. (In TPoH, Pupa was merged with a pegasus explorer/cartographer rather than with Rarity.)

[Nightmare Wolf]

2175501 Yes, I know Echo. I've read 188 fics in here, so if you mention a title, I probably know it... except "The Powers of Harmony ". Is it good? (no les shipping between mane six)

[Ew No Hooves]

Whadida tells ya. So yous and your supernatural friends are in a car chase wit' a wounded supernatural bounty hunter an' you wreck his car wit' a grenade thinkin' he's dead. Couple o' days later, and then the mook's still breathin'!
If I had a nickel for every time that's happened to me...

[Lithl]

2175545
The Powers of Harmony:
The Elements have become an actual part of the Mane Six, and they're slowly becoming more powerful, able to access new abilities. Twilight, for example, can instantly master any spell she sees. Fluttershy has become telepathic. Pinkie Pie can heal people. They're being accompanied by "echoes" of the Knights of the Zodiac, a group of elite guards that fought during the war between NMM and Celestia. The echoes are tied to the life force of a colt that's suspended above the entrance to Tartarus (part of a half-finished ritual by a NMM cultist trying to free NMM's army from Hell). The stasis spell holding everything together is wearing off, so Celestia wants the Mane Six to awaken their powers ASAP.

As the girls awaken new powers of the Elements, they're also manifesting features of other breeds of pony, presumably eventually each becoming alicorns (at least physically). Applejack recently got wings when she rewrote the truth of the world to save Granny Smith's life (what the Element of Honesty says is true, must be true). The last scene of the recent chapter has AJ asking Purity how to preen her wings, since she's currently with the two earth pony echoes and Granny Smith, while Purity has been living as a pegasus for years.

I like it a lot, although the author just put it on hiatus because he's going to focus himself on job hunting.

[joebob50]

awww shit! I bet you Purity is like chrysalis or something a few decades in the future from now