The Mixer Chronicles

by Mixer

Moon's Zenith

The Mixer Chronicles

Book Twenty Four:
Moon’s Zenith

Ivy was pacing by the airship.

Three days ago she told me that she would be back in two, but the resupplying was taking longer than expected.

“Miss Ivy, the resupply you requested has been complete,” a worker said to her.

“Great, “ she said hurrying to the wheelhouse.

“I’m sure they are fine,” Amira said joining her.

“Well, I just want to be sure,” she said flitting from gauge to gauge.

Satisfied that everything was in order, she quickly coaxed the airship to a cruising altitude.

“Hold on,” she said, giving it full throttle from the start.

After a sudden lurch, the airship was speeding towards the city, eating up the dry ground.

“No...” both of them said when they saw curls of smoke on the horizon.

As they neared the city they were greeted by a sight that chilled both of them to the bone.

The walls of the city were crumbling in sections, leaving large gaps in places. There were chunks missing from the palace, revealing some wrecked rooms. Minotaurs were camped in and around the city cheering their victory to the airship.

All of these things paled in comparison to the giant black dragon that was curled around the spire of the palace.

The great beast saw the airship and spread its wings, letting out a roar and a gout of flame.

Amira stood paralyzed on the deck while Ivy ran to the wheelhouse to turn the airship around.

“This can’t be happening,” Amira wailed.
--

The Lunar guard, Haakim, Alim, Luna and I trudged onwards through the desert, tired, thirsty and broken.

Trottson was bleeding from his shoulder, Brick’s armor was broken in places, leaving bruised patched of coat exposed. Star Shine was leaning on Thunderlane, limping on his three good legs. Haakim’s royal robes were torn, his tattered armor hanging off in scraps. Luna still had her broken ribs, along with a few new cuts along her side. Alim was one of the better off ones of the group, although his horn was chipped from a minotaur’s club. I had a cut along my left flank, and my tail was cut shorter from when we fled the city.

“There is a rock up ahead where we can rest out of the wind,” I huffed from the front of the group.

“Good, we need a rest,” Rose said weekly.

When we got to the rock, those of us that could without injury, flopped on the ground, our sides heaving.

“The sun will be setting soon,” Alim said, surveying the surrounding desert.

“Then we will rest here until it does, then we have to press on,” Haakim said.

“Press on to where?” Phalanx asked, his right wing missing a considerable amount of feathers.

“I... I don’t know,” he said.

We sat in silence, recovering what energy we could while the sun set.

“We should get ready to move soon,” Alim said.

“Wait... do you feel that?” Brick asked.

“Feel what?” I asked.

“The ground shake,” he said.

Alim and Haakim looked around, their faces worried.

“Hmm, it’s gone now,” Brick said.

Alim let out a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”

“Why?” Brick asked.

“It could mean there were enemies coming,” Haakim said.

“Like them,” Rose squeaked as six ponies, clad in black robes appeared to rise up out of the sand.

We gathered together in a tight group, Haakim and Luna in the middle, as the six strangers advanced on us, brandishing scimitars.

“Who are they?” I asked.

“Desert raiders,” Alim hissed.

Four more of them appeared from the sand and they made a circle around us.

One of them held up a hoof and pulled the wrap from his face, revealing dark brown fur and green eyes.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of the great sheikh to be wandering our desert?” he asked us.

“What do you want?” Haakim spat.

“Such hostility,” the desert pony said coolly.

“If you’re going to rob us, get on with it,” he spat.

“Now why would we rob you? You all look like you’re fresh from a scrape with a cactus,” he said.

“A dragon attacked the city,” I said.

“Oh, so the stranger does have a tongue,” he said.

“Yes, my name is Mixer, and we would appreciate any help you can give us,” I said.

“Help? You think they can help us?” Alim questioned.

“They obviously can survive out here better than we can,” I retorted.

“Not only does he have a tongue, but a brain as well,” the desert pony said surprised.

“So can you help us?” I asked.

“We can, and that was our intention from the beginning,” he said, as the rest of the desert ponies lowered their swords.

“What?” Alim and Haakim both asked.

“You city dwellers may have forgotten the prophecies, but we can still recognize the moon goddess when we see her,” he said.

“What?!” all of us repeated.

“We can talk more on the way to our home,” he said as five enormous scorpions rose from the sand, each carrying a rider and a small platform on it’s back. “Come,” he said, climbing onto one of them.

“You expect us to ride those?!” Rose asked horrified.

“They’re friendly, I promise,” he said, patting it’s exoskeleton.

He helped Luna and I onto his, and the others each reluctantly got onto the others.

“Is everypony ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” Luna and I said.

“Then let us make haste,” he said.

The driver of our scorpion manipulated the reigns, or what could be called reigns, and soon we were speeding across the desert.

“Normally we would travel underground, but this way is faster," he said.

“So what is your name anyway?” I asked.

“My name? My name is Malak,” he said.

"So, Malak, what was it you said earlier about the moon goddess?” I asked.

“You have to ask?” he questioned. “I would have thought that you would know, seeing as how you travel with her,” he said.

“Do you mean me?” Luna asked.

“Of course mistress,” Malak said.

“I think there is some explaining to be done,” Luna said.

“Of course, as soon as we reach our destination,” he said.

“And where would that be?” I asked.

“Our home in the desert, a lone mountain, provided by the moon goddess for our people to prosper,” he said.

“Luna?” I asked.

She just shrugged.

We traveled through the desert until a lonely spire of rock came into view.

We quickly approached the great rock and entered through a small cave entrance.

It was amazing, on the inside the rock was almost completely hollow, bridges spanning across the empty space.

“Come all, the prophecy is coming to pass!” Malak shouted into the cavern.

The call echoed around the cavern until a group of ponies met us, each of them with a similar eye color, and all with dark shades of fur.

There were whispers and murmurs as they saw Luna.

“Come, let me explain,” Malak said, gesturing to another cave entrance.

When we went inside we saw that the entire length of the cave was painted with a prophecy, starting at one end, and ending at the end of the cave.

“Let us start from the beginning,” Malak started. “Long ago, there were two goddesses, the sun and the moon. The two lived in harmony for centuries while the ponies of this land grew and developed. As time went on the sun became jealous of her sister. The ponies cherished the night, when the gifts of the desert showed themselves, and ponies could move freely without fear of the day’s heat. During the day, the ponies could work and play, but they always worried about the heat, and constantly looked for water to slake their thirst. This caused the sun goddess to banish her sister to an earthly form, taking away her power to bring the night. After three days of scorching the earth, the sun goddess had to relent, but she did so in a deceitful way. She took her sister’s power for herself, bringing both the day and the night.”

We were nearing the end of the cave now.

“It is said, that the moon goddess was forgotten, wandering the land until a great threat from the past returns. It is said that when this threat arises, the ponies of the desert will be lead by the moon goddess, and defeat this great foe, heralding in a new age for our people,” Malak said, finishing.

“Wow,” we all said.

We followed him back out of the cave, and now it seemed that all the desert ponies were waiting expectantly for us.

"If you are the moon goddess, then please, show us your divine armor,” he said.

“Should I?” I asked.

She nodded.

I reformed her armor and soon she was wearing the elegant armor.

The desert ponies all bowed before her.

“It is you,” Malak said. “Come, come, we have something for you,” he said.

We followed him past the bowing ponies to a building that hugged a cave entrance.

When we entered the was a shimmering pool of water and a blade mounted on the far wall, in the shape of a crescent moon.

“This pool will restore you and your champions,” Malak said. “And the blade is yours.”

Luna walked over to the blade, staring at her reflection in the steel.

“I will leave you now,” Malak said.

“My sister and I will have to have a talk about this when we get back,” Luna said.

“So what are we going to do?” Trottson asked.

“Can you remove my armor?” Luna asked me.

I did as she asked, but kept the plates in form.

She dipped a forehoof in the water, sending ripples across its shimmering surface.

“Well?” I asked.

She then stepped into it, moving to the center, where it was up to her neck.

When she stepped out, all of her wounds were healed, and her coat shinned.

“Wow,” Rose said.

I was the next one to test the waters, fully submerging myself.

The water was cool, and felt amazing.

When I emerged from the pool, I noticed that my cuts had fully healed over, and my tail was it’s full length.

“Mixer, your scar,” Luna said.

I looked in the blade, seeing that where once the scar was dull , now it was a silvery color.

One by one, the others waded into the pool and emerged with their wounds healed, even Brick's armor was repaired by the mystical pool.

“Are you ready?” Malak called from outside.

“Yes,” Luna said.

“It is getting late, and even you will need rest for tomorrow's battle,” Malak said, ushering us to another building.

This building looked more like a house, and a family of three was outside bowing as we approached.

“Is this your house?” Luna asked.

“Yes, m'lady,” a mare answered.

“We are glad to have the honor of providing a place for you to rest,” the stallion of the house said.

“Surely there are places where we need not displace the residents?” Luna asked.

“I’m sorry, but there are not,” Malak said.

“I’m sorry to trouble you then,” Luna said.

“Not at all,” the mare said.

The ten of us filed into the house and found that it was fairly spacious for a house in a cave.

We all found places to sleep, whither in a bed or on the floor, and then we all ate.

Some time in the morning, we were woken up by Malak.

“Come. If we want to make it to the city in time for the battle, we must leave soon,” he said.

All of us got ready, and Luna donned her armor, taking the crescent blade and I made her star blade.

“Let us go. To battle!” Luna said.

There were cheers from the desert ponies while we went to the cave where they kept their scorpions.
--

Ivy and Amira had returned to the other city after seeing the dragon, and now, from the airship, they led an army of Saddle Arabians.

Amira was now outfitted with ornate steel armor, with bits a silver on it, while Ivy was in her Lunar Guard armor.

“I will avenge my husband,” Amira said coldly, as they headed towards the dragon.

“We don’t know what happened to them,” Ivy said.

“What else could have happened? I know my husband would not abandon the city,” Amira said harshly.

“Well, it looks like we are approaching the city,” Ivy said as they saw the tip of the palace on the horizon.

When the city was in full view, Amira ordered the troops to a halt from the airship.

“I know that all of you fear to face such an enemy as this, but know this! We must fight and win! For the safety of our loved ones! For the continued survival of our very people!” she shouted, rousing cheers from the troops.

She then told Ivy to go man the cannon and fire a shot.

Ivy went below decks and lined up a shot with some of the minotaurs.

When the shot was fired, Amira cried, “To battle!”

The cannon continued to fire as the airship drew closer to the city.

The troops below met the tide of minotaurs, but they were vastly outnumbered.

Soon, without considerable losses, the formation started to waver.

A roar of triumph from the dragon broke the moral of the rear line, and they all began to flee in terror.

In the airship, it looked as if the end was near, when, like a beacon of hope, a thin line appeared on the horizon.

The sound of our war cries reached them even before they could see us.

Some of the minotaurs turned from the soldiers and faced the oncoming line of scorpions.

We smashed upon them like a wave, scattering minotaurs as the scorpions went to work with their claws, while some of the desert ponies used slings and spears to attack the minotaurs from their backs.

I used my crystals, while Luna used her twin blades to clear a path for us.

Cheers went up from the soldiers as the saw Haakim riding on one of the scorpions, holding two scimitars and slashing at passing minotaurs.

“Brick, Trottson, Mixer!” Luna called to all of us.

“What is it?” I asked.

They dismounted their scorpions and came over to us.

“We are going to slay a dragon,” she said.

“Hold on,” I said, concentrating hard on the location of us, the dragons, and a large open span of desert.

My horn glowed so brightly, that I could easily see it through my closed eyes.

When I opened them, we were far from the city, and the dragon was hitting the ground.

I huffed from the exertion, but created more crystals, making each of us unique armor before removing the guard armor.

Brick had large pointed pauldrons, and a crest on his helmet, a visor covering his face.

Trottson had two flared fins on the side of his helmet, and I made pieces of crystal that clung to to leading edge of his wing, creating a blade like effect.

I had no particular armor ornamentation, except for a blade in front of my horn.

All four of us faced the dragon who was now facing us.

"Foolish ponies, you think you can stop me? I will rule this world!” he bellowed unleashing a blast of fire at us.

Trottson and Luna took flight, while I protected Brick and myself with magic.

Luna made the first attack, her blades spinning like saw blades as she flew along the dragon’s side.

Two lines of damaged scales followed her, but the dragon was unhurt from the attack.

He retaliated by knocking her down with a swipe of his wing, sending her crashing into the sand.

Brick rushed over to her as the dragon was about to bring a foot down on Luna.

“Hey princess,” Brick said, his armor keeping him from faltering as the dragon pressed on him.

I extended the pauldron spikes on Brick's armor, causing the dragon to stumble backwards.

Trottson went for an attack, sending punches flying at the dragon as he flew past its face.

“Foolish ponies,” he roared as he began to take off.

“Ready Brick?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said as I picked him up with magic, hurling him at the dragon as Trottson flew past its wings, shredding them as he past.

The dragon roared as he fell to the earth, Brick impacting on him as he tumbled.

The dragon got back up after falling and Brick was now on it’s back, trying to beat on it.

I created a ring of crystal and made it large enough to fit around the dragons muzzle, stifling his ability to use his breath.

Trottson flew down by Luna and I, asking what he should do.

“Do you think you can handle being an arrow?” I asked.

He nodded, and I held him with my magic, hurtling him past the side of the dragon’s face.

The dragon swatted at Trottson as he past, scaring the side of its face with his wing blades.

I created crystal spears and arrayed them in the air above me.

I flung them at the dragon, trying to find a weakness that could topple the beast.

One of the crystals stuck in his hind leg and he growled in pain.

“Luna!” I called pointing at the spike protruding from the dragon as I flattened out the end of it.

Trottson distracted it while Luna flew around a swinging claw and gave the flat part of the crystal a mighty buck, driving it deep in the limb, causing the dragon to fall over.

I sprinted to the front to the dragon, looking it in the eyes as it started to recover.

I loosened the muzzle enough so that I could hear the beginnings of a flaming torrent.

“You know, I know how dragon-fire works, meaning I can make it backfire!” I yelled, as I slammed his mouth shut as he started to unleash the flames.

He howled as the flames rolled around inside of his mouth, the hungry flames backfiring, burning the dragon on his unprotected innards.

Soon there was a smoldering smell, and smoke was rising from the dragons nose.

Brick, you okay over there?” I called, once the dragon’s eyes had rolled back into his head, and his struggles had stopped.

“Yeah,” he called, back pushing a wing off himself.

I unsealed my helmet and took it off, sitting down on the sand.

“I don’t want to have to do that again,” I said.

“That was a neat trick,” Trottson said.

I unsealed his helmet as well, and started to remove my armor.

“Yeah, the thing was getting the chance,” I said.

“Well, I’m glad we took this thing down,” Brick said.

The dragon roared, coming back to life after having it's insides burned.

Luna rushed at it, bringing her crescent blade in an upwards swing to the beast's throat.

It gargled as the blade slid in between the scales, finding flesh.

She landed near us, wiping off the blade.

"I wonder how the others are doing?” Luna asked.

I unsealed her helmet and started to remove their armor as well.

I rolled onto my back, exhausted after all the magic use.

“I don’t know, but they should be winning,” I said.

Trottson pulled me up, “Well let’s go see.”

“I hope you don’t intend us to walk,” Brick said.

“We’re not that far from the city, just far enough away so that we would be undisturbed,” I said.

“Then we can walk,” Luna said.

The four of us started to walk, and soon we could see the city over a sand dune.

The minotaurs were nowhere in sight, and the soldiers were cheering.

“Looks like we won,” Brick said.

When we approached the army, we were welcomed by both the desert ponies, and the city ponies as heroes.

Alim and Haakim were on the airship, meeting Amira, and the Lunar guard had gathered there as well.

“You would not believe the day I’ve had,” I said to Ivy as she rushed to meet us.

“I bet,” she said.

“Thank you so much, all of you,” Amira said.

“Yes, we all owe you a debt of gratitude,” Malak said, walking up the boarding ramp.

“An we owe you an apology,” Haakim said.

“We accept. I hope this means we are free to come and go in the cities now?” Malak asked.

“Yes,” Haakim said.

“Boy do we have a story for Celestia,” I said.

Author's Note:

Luna is best dragon slayer!
Also, I've only got one more big adventure before this grand journey comes to a close.

Comments

[Mixer]

Wait, hold the phone I have a dislike?

[MudslingAccountInactive]

Good stroy - I'm gonna check out the previous chpater for details but still awesome job with the dragon fight and the lore of the moon godess

And yes; Luna is best dragon slayer.