After the events of Khaoios, another enemy awakens from a long exile, bent on destroying Equestria. With the assistance of an ancient ally, it is now a race against time to stop this enemy before it unleashes its deadliest power...Pestilence.
Three months after the events of Khaoios' rampage, the inhabitants of Equestria remained in a status of fear. No creature have they every encountered was so terrifying as him...until now. A creature exiled over time is disturbed only to become Equestria's Reckoning, devastating its capital. However, the discovery of an ancient relic lost through time is the only weapon that can seize him. Only problem is...locating it. Join Twilight and her friends as they search for this relic before this creature decimates Equestria to a vast wasteland.
Any questions about the story, please visit: The Element of Time FAQ's ______________________________________________________________________________ CREDITS: Show and Characters by Hasbro/DHX/Lauren Faust Story Writer, OC's, Ideas, & Locations: Thunderwing250 (Me, of course) Story Editor: COMING SOON Story Proofreader: COMING SOON Character Design (Xenxus): Foreshadow Vector Drawing and Digital Painting (Cover Art): COMING SOON
“Three long months have gone since Khaoios’ defeat in Manehattan. However, his defeat may have not been his last, for I feel it was only a minor setback, forcing him to retreat. Though I have to agree with my master, this was only the beginning, for more danger is about to come. For now, I’ve noticed ponies feel uneasy. A creature of unknown origins, striking Equestria and its inhabitants without warning truly scared them. Myself, included.
As for Princess Twilight Sparkle, she has learned many new and ancient spells to prepare her for future battles. In additions to the spells I have taught her, I taught her some of the ancient languages. Mostly “Nautilian”, Paguseus’s and Titannus’s spoken ancient language. Teaching her this was quite the challenge, but with her young mind, she was able to pull through. Teaching her the language, however, she would not be allowed to speak it publicly. While I was her teacher, I still felt a sense of uneasiness. From my perspective, in order to defeat the Bronco-Titans, we must understand their history. Without understanding them, they will become immovable objects. All we can do now is wait and monitor Equestria to see if the Bronco-Titans arrive to ravage it and regain their power on the throne. However, the biggest problem we have is, which one?”
There was a silence over the night sky of Equestria. The moon shone bright, high in the sky, as stars twinkled like blinking lightbulbs. Passing through the sky, Princess Luna monitored her subjects, sleeping and dreaming. Traveling near the Smokey Mountain, she heard a deep, low sound, echoing from the mountain itself. Curious to see what it was, Luna landed on the flat plateau on the side of the mountain. The noise seemed louder here than ever. Approaching a cave, she walked in slowly, thinking that perhaps it was a dragon. Unfortunately, she was wrong, for the sound was walking and she recognized the booming, heavy sound of hooves.
“Hello? Anypony there?” she called out.
Whatever was walking frightened Luna to an extent. Continuing her call outs, the sound rumbled, then suddenly ceased. Luna didn’t hear it again. She turned, only to confront a shadow of dust that seemed to have come from nowhere. Fear taking her, she bolted past it and took of straight into the air. The shadow witnessed her flying away, and faded within the cave.
Luna, too frightened to look behind her, flew as fast as she could back to Canterlot. With only a few hours remaining until the dawn, Luna remained in the castle, scared to even walk outside.
Down below, Doctor Hooves, was worried by Luna's behavior. When she didn't come outside again, he walked into a nearby alley and opened his bag, revealing a crystal orb.
“Report?” a voice asked.
“Nothing bad. Unfortunately, I saw Princess Luna flying at incredible speed back into the castle. It is unusual of her to do that but it seemed as if she was scared of something,” Doctor Hooves reported.
“Hmm, that is quite strange. You and the Archivist will question her in the morning, but for now, you may pull out. Your job is done,” the voice replied.
“Of course, my master,” Doctor Hooves replied.
“One other thing. The Architect requests that you take Princess Twilight Sparkle with you, to visit Luna. She may be of use,” the voice replied as the crystal orb’s light died down.
Doctor Hooves began to think to himself. The only thing that troubled him was, how could a princess, especially an alicorn who once became Nightmare Moon, fear something, forcing her to retreat? Throughout the rest of the night, that notion continued to puzzle him.
Morning came, as Princess Celestia raised the sun. However, at that moment, she noticed her sister, fidgeting as she lowered the moon. Sensing a presence of fear, she walked over to Luna.
“Luna? You seemed to have had trouble lowering the moon. Is everything okay?” she calmly asked.
“Oh, no worries, sister,” Luna nervously responded. “I just had some trouble flying last night, and I'm a little tired. You know…”
Celestia raised an eyebrow.
Luna must be hiding something, she thought.
Luna looked nervous, like something bad occurred to her. Respecting Luna’s response, Celestia reluctantly dropped the issue for now. Something truly frightened her sister, and Celestia was going to find out.
In Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle began practicing some old spells, from one of Star Swirl the Bearded’s books she had possession of since their recent return from the ruined Castle of the Regal Sisters. Spike remained in the back of the room, sorting out books when he saw Twilight struggling.
“Um… what are you doing, Twilight?”
She looked through them and noticed one particular spell, written in an unusual language.
“La… laaaaa… che… van… tu… se… var… eee…” Twilight grunted. “AH!!! I can’t believe that Star Swirl wrote some of these spells in different languages. It’s as if it wasn’t supposed to be translated.”
Before Spike could speak, a voice was heard from the doorway.
“That’s because it’s not supposed to.”
Twilight turned and noticed the Archivist. She walked over, towards Twilight.
“But why?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Well first, I want to ask you where you found that book? In what section? And were there any books next to it?” The Archivist asked.
“Well… um… I only found this book, on the historical section inside this strange room that looked like a cave,” Twilight replied.
The Archivist squinted.
“Understood,” she said as she walked over to the book and read it.
Reading it for a while, she closed it and dropped a candle on it. Twilight yelped, but the Archivist held her back when she tried to douse the flames. It was too late: the book was gone.
“Hey! Why did you burn that book? I wanted to learn it!” Twilight angrily said.
The Archivist, satisfied, headed for the door, but turned to speak before she left.
“It is illegal to speak the ancient language, Twilight Sparkle. In addition, Star Swirl broke the ancient laws of attempting to rewrite one of the master’s spells. If he were still alive, he would’ve been found guilty of treason. That’s why I burnt the book. To save you from a harsh sentence. Anyhow, this a matter for another time. I, along with Doctor Hooves, must request your assistance,” The Archivist responded, leaving Twilight speechless.
Twilight took a moment to register her words and walked a bit closer, curiously.
“With what?”
“Canterlot. Luna encountered something in the Smokey Mountain, where you went to remove the Dragon from the cave. I believe she found something else in there. However, we've never been up the mountain,” The Archivist said. "I'd appreciate if you'd answer some questions."
At the doorway, Pinkie Pie arrived, waiting to greet Twilight, unfortunately was stopped by The Archivist.
“Umm… where you going, Twilight?” she asked.
The Archivist stepped in.
“She is going to Canterlot for something important. But she’ll be right back.”
Pinkie Pie stared and stared for a few seconds.
“Okieedokieelokiee,” she said slowly as she turned and hopped away.
The Archivist tilted her head.
“To be honest, I still can’t get accustomed to the Element of Laughter,” she said.
Twilight giggled.
“Let’s get a move on, since you mentioned this is important. I would be happy to answer all of your questions,” she replied.
Twilight looked for Spike.
“Spike. While I’m gone, can you fix up the remaining books?”
Spike smiled.
“No problemo, Twilight. I’ll get them done…whoa!” Spike said, tripping over a book.
Twilight smiled back, and joined The Archivist. Soon, the two were headed their way to Canterlot.
On the Smokey Mountain, a group of six pegasi journeyed up the mountain as a regular hangout. However, what they would encounter would be something that would haunt them. As they jumped around, doing tricks, and showing off, they quickly ceased their activity after hearing a deep rumble. The six walked in to see what it was, only to flee right out again after seeing a shadow with red eyes glow.
Watching the world speed by through the windows of the Pony Express, The Archivist turned to look at the mountain, miles away, and could only sense one thing: danger. Twilight Sparkle noticed her troubled look.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
The Archivist was silent for a few seconds.
“I sense something. But, what?” she replied.
Twilight stared at The Archivist for a few moments, curious.
“Madame Archivist?” Twilight asked.
“We’ll know more once we see Luna,” The Archivist replied.
Twilight sat, puzzled. Trying not to let it bother her. While resting for a few minutes, a voice came to her.
“Twilight Sparkle…” the voice echoed.
She turned to look for who was calling her name, but couldn't see anypony at all.
“Twilight Sparkle! Beware! Beware!” the voice echoed.
Twilight jumped, breathing heavily. The Archivist turned to her with a frown.
“What happened?” she asked.
Twilight tried to catch her breath.
“I don’t know. All I wanted to do is take a nap, until this weird voice came to me and echoed my name,” she panted.
The Archivist tilted her head.
“Echoing your name. Anything else?” she asked curiously
Twilight’s eyes locked on The Archivist's.
“It echoed, “BEWARE”. Not sure, why, but that’s what it said,” she replied.
The Archivist shook her head.
“Do not worry. It was perhaps a memory,” She replied.
Twilight wasn't sure, but she smiled nonetheless. The train began to slow down.
“Guess this is our stop,” Twilight said.
Outside, Doctor Hooves stood on the platform, waiting for the two ponies to get off the train patiently. He approached them with a serious look on his face.
“The Princesses are in their quarters as we speak, and are awaiting our presence,” he said; he nodded towards the castle and began to walk.
The Archivist nodded and she and Twilight followed Doctor Hooves to Canterlot Castle.
Inside, Celestia was trying her best to comfort her sister. Yet again, she was struck with fear. Luna began walking around, shaking, only to tremble onto the floor. The Royal Guards assisted her in getting up, but she just couldn’t. Celestia had never seen Luna this frightened before. Suddenly, the door opened and there stood Twilight, The Archivist, and Doctor Hooves.
“Guards. You may leave us,” The Archivist ordered, and the guards politely left the room.
“Strange that they listened to you,” Hooves scoffed.
“I already briefed them on the situation and told them this involves the five of us only!” The Archivist responded.
The Archivist shook her head and walked over to Princess Luna.
“Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. I am The Archivist, and this is my assistant, Doctor Hooves. Of course, you know Twilight Sparkle. We came to ask you a few questions about something you encountered early in the morning.”
Princess Celestia seemed somewhat suspicious, but she trusted Twilight, and instead went along with it. The Archivist sat in front of Luna and leaned her horn against Luna’s.
“Now, I need you to stay perfectly still,” The Archivist said, as her unihorn and eyes glowed.
Both ponies began to glow, and soon, the Archivist entered Luna’s memories. She watched as she performed her usual routine. Then she came across the Smokey Mountain and noticed Luna entering the cave high up the slope. The was a deep, terrible sound, forcing her to flee without even looking back. After a few minutes of going through her memories, the two awoke.
“Are you alright, Princess?” Twilight asked Luna.
“I’m alright,” Luna said, but despite her words, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.
Celestia rushed over in a panic, sheltering her sister with a huge wing.
“What on earth did you do?!” she snapped.
“Princess Celestia! Will you please understand, she’s in shock? I did nothing to her, but only view her recent memory,” The Archivist replied, trying to keep her voice level despite her irritation.
Celestia frowned, but she nodded..
“What was it then?” she asked. “What harmed my sister?”
The Archivist shook her head.
“I do not know. Whatever it was prevented me from seeing it. However, Twilight Sparkle was ordered by you to remove a dragon on that mountain. Which I must ask,” she said as she turned her attention on the other unicorn, “do you remember something strange up there during that time? Anything unusual in the cave?”
Twilight tried to think back to that moment. However, the only thing she remembered were the number of attempts they tried to get the Dragon out, until Fluttershy convinced it. Then, she remembered Rarity speaking of treasure.
“The treasure. I remember Rarity mentioning dragons have tons of treasure, but when he left the Smokey Mountain, he left his hoard behind. Usually dragons take their gold or they come back to the gold pit as if it were a nest,” Twilight responded. “I guess if he didn't take it, it wasn't his. But then I wonder whose it was?”
The Archivist’s eyes widened. She turned to Doctor Hooves, and whispered in his ear. Finished, he walked out of the room. The Archivist turned to the Princesses.
“There is a possibility that she may have encountered another dragon, only this one is much fiercer. That’s all I can think of as of now,” she said.
“I... I don't know what it was,” Luna muttered.
Twilight turned to the Archivist.
“We'll find out, Princess, don't worry,” she said. “Archivist, what do we need to do?”
The Archivist picked up her head.
“We need to go up to the mountain and see for ourselves. It’s the only way,” she replied.
The room was silent for a while, until Twilight looked down at Luna. The alicorn had shut her eyes tightly and Princess Celestia kept her close. Twilight nodded.
“Okay. I'll do it. I'm sure my friends would be happy to help if it'd help the Princesses.”
Outside the room, Twilight walked beside The Archivist.
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked. “It seems like you don't really think it's a second dragon. Why?”
“The dragon challenged whatever was in there for the treasure, and apparently, the dragon lost, but instead was provided shelter. Very unusual,” The Archivist responded.
Twilight remained silent, in thought, throughout the rest of the way. Once outside and near the train station, Doctor Hooves met them.
“Sorry, Twilight Sparkle, can you give us a moment?” he asked
Twilight nodded and slipped away, but she kept her eye on them. She tried to edge closer, curious to hear what they were saying, but the noise around was too loud. She instead heard the train whistle and the shout of the conductor. She headed towards the train and glanced back, but the others were still talking, with very serious looks on their faces.
“Are you coming?” Twilight called out.
“No,” The Archivist yelled back. “Get your friends together, and we’ll me you in Ponyville.”
“Okay, if you say so!”
Twilight hopped onto the train and it departed back to Ponyville.
The Archivist watched it leave intently and then turned her attention back on Doctor Hooves.
“What did the master say?” she asked him.
“He said, keep our distance and report anything from the mountain,” Hooves replied.
The Archivist rubbed her chin.
“One other thing. The master ordered us to burn any books containing the forbidden ancient spells,” Hooves finished.
The Archivist nodded.
“Funny, I was going to report to him regarding that,” she replied. “I, for one, went through that entire library, but with Twilight finding that one book, now I have the suspicion there may be more.”
“Well, I can assure you, Master Star Swirl may have taken a few of Alteros’ books, which he--” Hooves was interrupted.
“Do NOT mention anything about that alteration spell to him,” The Archivist snapped.
“Why?” Hooves asked.
“Twilight read one of Star Swirl’s books and noticed he translated the destiny spell. And you know exactly what that spell is,” The Archivist said.
“So that’s why her friends had mixed cutie marks. For that matter, how strange that Alteros mentioned friendship, when they know not of it,” Hooves said to himself.
“Yes. Lucky for her, she was able to reverse the spell. Anyway, back on topic. Is there any other orders he gave?” The Archivist asked.
Over in Ponyville, Twilight regrouped with her friends at her home to hear the news.
“So this, whatever, was there before we stopped that dragon?” Applejack asked.
“I’m afraid so, and we need to go back up there and find out what it is,” Twilight sighed.
Fluttershy shrank.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe there’s a bigger dragon. A much scarier dragon. A much, much, bigger, scarier--!” She gulped.
“Oh come on, Fluttershy! You dealt with that dragon before, and I think you can do it again,” Rainbow Dash said.
“But, I don’t think I can,” Fluttershy nervously replied.
“Darling, you can do it. We’ll be beside you,” Rarity said brightly.
Pinkie Pie hopped in happiness.
“Yeah! Come on, everypony,” she said.
“Don't worry Fluttershy, it might not even be a dragon,” Twilight said.
She was reluctant to say that it might be worse, but she didn't want to get ahead of herself.
As Twilight gathered her belongings, she was surprised to notice everypony froze in place. Even Spike was frozen while carrying a bag. It was as if time had stopped, but then a shadow appeared behind her. Turning around, she jumped when she confronted a tall alicorn. Backing up in fear, it spoke to her.
“Twilight Sparkle!” the alicorn said.
“Y…yes?” she asked.
The alicorn walked out of the shadow and by surprise, it was the Master of Time himself. His pelt was dark as night but his mane sparkled and shifted in colours of the ocean. His bright blue eyes focused down on Twilight, making her feel rather small.
“I am Timaeus, Master of Time. I have come to you on behalf of myself, my fellow Masters, and the Architect,” Timaeus said.
Twilight couldn't come up with any words; she only nodded.
“I have come to you because you have been known to possess a series of ancient books, found in the library of the ancient sisters? Do you have them, as we speak?”
Twilight nodded again.
“I see.” Timaeus sighed. “Unfortunately, I must confiscate them due to the dangers they hold. Something ponies would not understand.”
Twilight then realized what The Archivist had said to her. She looked up to Timaeus.
“The Archivist mentioned the same thing to. She even burnt a book while I was reading it, which I found to be quite rude, to be honest.” Twilight replied.
Timaeus smiled just a little.
“She was doing what was instructed of her,” Timaeus replied.
“Why, though?” Twilight asked curiously.
Timaeus shook his head.
“In time, Twilight Sparkle. Everything is patience,” he replied.
Twilight sighed, disappointed, her ears drooping low. Timaeus smiled sympathetically.
“You are a responsible pony. Very well. Some spells are known to have dangerous, or even life threatening consequences. That is why we rewrote those spells in a dead language, to prevent anypony from translating them. For example, what you witnessing around you now is referred to as the Ancient spell, Time Halt. I can stop time itself, as well as freeze everything in place. And once the spell finishes, time will continue, only a few minutes behind.” Timaeus revealed. “In the hooves of a villainous pony, you understand how devastating this could be.”
Twilight understood him, however she felt there was more Timaeus was withholding. Timaeus’s form began to fade before her eyes.
“Before I take my leave, remember this, Twilight Sparkle. If The Archivist or any of our apprentices witness an ancient spell book in your possession, you are to hand it to them. No exceptions. It is for the safety of Equestria, as well as yours. Do I make myself clear?” Timaeus said.
Twilight knew Timaeus was serious and she nodded.
“Fare thee well, then, Twilight Sparkle. We will meet again,” Timaeus said as he faded away.
After a few seconds, everything returned back to normal with her friends continuing as if nothing happened. Applejack turned.
“Ya coming, Twilight?” she called out.
Twilight forced a smile and hoped she wasn't visibly shaking.
“Yeah. Be right out,” she replied.
Twilight turned to Spike again.
“I’m sorry, Spike, but I need you to stay here and stay safe. If anything goes wrong, alert the Princesses. Do you understand me?” she asked.
Spike looked disappointed, but he nodded.
“Okay, Twilight. Please be careful,” Spike replied.
“Don’t worry, Spike. You have Owlowiscious to keep you company,” Twilight said.
Spike looked up and saw Owlowiscious.
“Hoo”, he said.
Suddenly, Fluttershy appeared.
“Oh yes, can you please take care of the pets, while we’re gone?” she asked.
At that moment, Twilight's friends came in with their pets. Spike gave a thumbs up.
“Don't worry about a thing, guys, I'll hold down the fort while you're gone!”
Twilight gave him a tight hug before she and the others
Soon, the group gathered by the main road to head towards the Smokey Mountain. Before they even made it down the road, a group of pegasi crashed down in Ponyville. Twilight and her friends, along with nearby ponies, rushed to their aid, only to find them shaking in fear.
“Hey! What happened?” Rainbow Dash demanded.
The young pegasus ponies continued to shake.
“Its… It’s... ” one of them stammered.
“It’s what? What?!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
Fluttershy pushed her.
“Rainbow! They're scared!” she said.
“Oh come on, Fluttershy! I only asked them what happened,” Rainbow Dash said defensively.
Fluttershy tried to comfort them until Twilight walked over.
“What happened?” Twilight calmly asked.
“Princess Twilight. We’re sorry. We only wanted to hang out, until we saw this shadow,” one of the frightened pegasi said.
“What shadow?” Applejack asked.
“Something scary,” another said, and she began to cry.
“There, there. You’re safe now,” Fluttershy said.
“Do you remember what it looked like?” Twilight asked the young pony.
“It was a shadow,” one other young pony said.
Twilight studied what they had said, and began to think. She couldn't for the life of her figure out what could be lurking within the cave.
Within five minutes, the Archivist and Doctor Hooves arrived.
“So, it appears another occurrence has happened from the mountain?” the Doctor said.
“It looks like it,” The Archivist whispered.
She walked over to Twilight.
“Anything?” the Archivist asked.
“This young pony went up the mountain and said the thing in the cave is a shadow. He doesn’t know what it is though,” Twilight said.
The Archivist lifted her head and remained silent. Twilight tilted her head, but then The Archivist walked away without a word. Annoyed, Twilight followed her.
“Did you hear what I--?"
“I know exactly what you said, Twilight Sparkle,” The Archivist said. “We must journey up the mountain today, and may need to spend the night.”
“Yes, I know. I don't mean to be rude, Archivist, but that was our plan all along.”
The Archivist smiled.
“Good.”
Within the next twenty minutes, the ponies took their leave and began their journey to the Smokey Mountain. However, high above the clouds stood five Windegos, watching them like vultures. Within an instant, they vanished, as soon as Doctor Hooves looked up.
Nightfall came over Equestria, halting the ponies from advancing any further. Knowing that their journey would be long and tiresome, they decided to set up camp on a nearby cliff. As they finished making their tents, each one fell asleep.
Twilight was having trouble sleeping and awoke barely an hour later to find the Archivist sitting near the fire, thinking. Curious, she walked over and sat next to her. There was a long silence between the two.
“You need rest, Twilight Sparkle, for we will be leaving as soon as the sun rises,” The Archivist insisted.
Twilight shook her head.
"I can't sleep. Happens to me all the time when it comes to life-at-stake situations, if you know what I mean," she replied.
"I see," The Archivist replied.
“Madame Archivist? Can I ask you something?” Twilight asked.
The Archivist turned.
“Yes?”
“I don’t understand why I have to wait for all this, when we could just go up the mountain and find out what is going on. And all this nonsense with the spell-books... You're hiding something from me and, as Princess, I want to know what it is,” Twilight said.
The Archivist scoffed.
“I’m guessing Timaeus came to you?” she replied.
Twilight raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. Wait, how did you know?” Twilight responded.
“Let’s just say, that even though you can’t see certain things, something is always watching. In this case, instead of us, who understand a little more about Equestria’s history, the Master of Time, himself, came to you,” The Archivist said. “Timaeus, Paguseus, and Alteros are very protective of their spells. What you need to understand is that there are reasons why certain things are kept underground. And, Royalty or not, you need to respect that.”
Twilight exhaled.
“I understand,” she replied, unable to help a pout.
“Why so disappointed?” the Archivist asked.
Twilight shook her head.
“I really wanted to understand Equestria’s history now, but everypony keeps telling me to wait,” she replied.
The Archivist sighed.
“Ever hear about the Legend of the Element of Time?” she asked.
Twilight shook her head.
“I thought not. Well, it’s a pretty interesting story. A mare around your age and of royalty wanted to know the “true” knowledge of Equestria, however she was denied that information. Upset and angry, she journeyed to the temples in search of the Element of Time. Now, legend has it that the Element of Time possesses knowledge from before. In other words, if one wanted to study the past, the present, and the future, one would seek out the Element. It also includes the ancient spells such as the Time Travel spell, such as the one you used from Star Swirl's library. That’s another issue I must discuss with you later.”
“Tell me more about the Element, though,” Twilight said. “Please.”
“After years and years of searching, this mare knew her time was running out and at last she made it to the Tower of Kronos,” The Archivist continued.
“Tower of Kronos?” Twilight repeated curiously.
“Yes. The Tower of Kronos was the resting place for the Element of Time. Anyhow, this mare journeyed within the Tower in search of the Element until she reached the top and came face to face with the Element itself. Satisfied with her accomplishment, she took the Element and soon gained all the knowledge of Equestria. Unfortunately, it came with a heavy price. Gaining this knowledge, the Element of Time realized she was not worthy enough to wield the it, which and it turned her into Stone,” The Archivist continued.
“Turned to Stone? But that spell could be reversed, couldn't it?” Twilight asked.
The Archivist shook her head.
“Any spell the Element of Time casts cannot be countered nor reversed. If the mare was turned to stone, it was the Element that sensed she was unworthy. I must mention though, the Elements of Creation along with the Ancient elements were created to keep balance, not to upset them. If one steals one of the elements, the element would attack the user, causing him or her to be stone for all eternity,” The Archivist finished.
Twilight absorbed the information, which left her amazed and puzzled at the same time.
“That is quite interesting. I’m surprised it was never written in the books,” she said
“That’s because the Element of Time belongs to Master Timaeus,” The Archivist replied.
“I understand.” Twilight yawned. “Well, thank you for telling me that story. I’m gonna get some rest.”
The Archivist nodded and Twilight, trying not to yawn again, headed back for her tent and sleeping bag.
As Twilight and her friends slept, the Archivist looked up to the stars and began to think. Something wasn’t right about that moment. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.
Over in Canterlot, Luna awoke, gasping for air. Looking around the room, she noticed it was nightfall and struggled to get up and begin her duty. Suddenly, Celestia appeared at the doorway.
“Sister. You’re awake,” she said.
Luna put her head down, trying to catch her breath.
“Indeed,” she replied.
Celestia tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I think I know what I saw. However, it’s something we’ve never seen before,” Luna replied.
Celestia curiously walked to Luna.
“What did you see?” she asked.
Luna continued to breath heavily, still frightened about that one moment. She lifted her head.
“It wasn’t a dragon, but an Alicorn. An Alicorn I have never seen before…” She paused and her eyes grew wide. “No! I need to warn Twilight!”
Luna was about to spring to her hooves, but Celestia gently held her back.
“It’s okay Luna. I sent Twilight and her friends to investigate, along with two others. With their strength, I know they can stop this,” Celestia proudly responded. “I'll send a message on to Spike. I'm sure everything will be fine.”
“I hope so, sister,” Luna responded sadly.
Celestia turned to the window.
“I know. Have faith in them as much as I do and they’ll be okay,” she said.
The next morning, Twilight, and her friends awoke from a long night and continued their journey to the Smokey Mountain. The Archivist, alongside Doctor Hooves, followed from behind. As the group of friends gossiped, Doctor Hooves turned to the Archivist.
“I overheard you telling Twilight about the Element of Time. You know the master doesn’t like when ponies hear about the Element. It could bring danger,” Doctor Hooves said.
“Twilight means well, but she's been prying too much into the ancient knowledge, so I gave her little story about that,” The Archivist replied.
“So, you threatened her that if she found it, she would suffer the same fate by becoming stone,” he replied, disappointed.
“Threaten? I'd call it a warning,” The Archivist responded.
Within five minutes, the group halted at the bottom of the Smokey Mountain. Felt like a déjà vu to Twilight, only this time it wasn’t a dragon sleeping. Confident that they would resolve the problem, the group climbed up the mountain and avoided avalanche areas.
Half way up the mountain, Fluttershy began feeling worried thinking there maybe another dragon. Applejack turned and looked at her shaking.
“What’s wrong, sugercube?” Applejack asked.
“Oh. I’m just feeling and little scared. It’s like we’re going back up the mountain to stop a dragon,” Fluttershy whispered. “It's still scary.”
“Don’t you worry, now. We’ll keep you safe,” Applejack assured her.
“Really?” Fluttershy responded.
“You betcha, Fluttershy. As long as we’re together, we’ll stay strong,” Rainbow Dash replied, puffing out her chest.
From behind, the Archivist watched and observed the ponies’ attitude and determination with one another. More importantly, their strength with keeping each other safe, which made the Archivist smile. Doctor Hooves chuckled.
“Well now. This is the first time I’ve seen you smile, my friend,” he said.
The Archivist blushed.
“Well,uh... I’ve had my moments, and this is one of those moments. It just amazes me, how close these six are. It’s like they would put their own life on the line for one another just like that. I’m just speechless,” she replied.
“We’re here. Again,” Twilight said, looking at the cave entrance. “Alright, everypony, let’s go in together, but stay close. This seems stranger than before.”
She continued onwards as all her friends followed.
“Strange that the force of whatever lies in there did not react to our presence,” Doctor Hooves commented.
The Archivist noticed the unusual silence. She grimaced.
“Everypony stay alert,” she said. “Be cautious. We still are not sure what's inside.”
After a few minutes of walking into the cave, they all realized the dragon’s gold remained there. Yet, no dragon was in sight. The Archivist began to examine the gold to see if there is any evidence of something else lurking there. However, Pinkie Pie, hopping around, spotted a trail of scattered coins leading deeper into the mountain. However, the area Pinkie Pie was following looked darker that the rest. The Archivist grabbed an old, worn staff from the treasure and ignited the top as she brandished it in her magic.
“Oh, it’s absolutely dark. Even with that torch,” Rarity said
“And slimy, too,” Twilight grumbled.
The Archivist used her magic to brighten the torch, only to noticed carvings on the walls. The group were in awe as they tried to study the wall carvings. In the form of hieroglyphics, none of them could interpret them. The Archivist and Twilight walked closer and noticed something unusual. Shining the light to a strange-looking figure, she noticed something almost out of place beside it.
“Is that...?” Twilight began.
“Yes, Twilight. It’s the Element of Time. It appears when the Tower was destroyed, the Archivists of the Tower came here to carve out its history. However, it’s strange that I haven’t seen this, nor any written documents in the Temple of Inception’s Library. Truly strange,” The Archivist replied.
As they continued to study the walls, the group went deeper and deeper into the mountain, until they reached a massive hall, filled with giant pillars. Viewing these ancient ruins amazed the group, until The Archivist noticed a bright light in room. Running to the light, she noticed a large sarcophagus sitting in the middle of the room. The group followed and noticed the tomb. Walking around it, The Archivist observed the object carefully, and soon picked out an inscription on the top. Twilight walked next to her to see it.
“Do you know what it says?” Twilight asked.
The Archivist shook her head.
“For some reason, I don’t know. I’ve never seen this language before,” she replied.
Doctor Hooves blew away the dust from the top, and in shock, both he and the Archivist realized something. They shared a look.
“The Smokey Mountain is the Tower of Kronos!” they both said.
Twilight tilted her head.
“Whoa, whoa! Ya mean to tell us this is some kind tower down here?” Applejack asked.
“What even is a Tower of Kronos anyway?” Rainbow Dash demanded.
“It’s the Tower that houses the Element of Time. An ancient element said to contain powers beyond even the strongest Alicorns,” Twilight responded.
The Archivist continued to examine the sarcophagus, yet seemed rather puzzled.
“If this is the tomb of the young princess, then that means--”
Suddenly, a loud cry was heard within the Tower, only to echo continuously. Twilight cast about with worry, looking at her friends. Rarity and Fluttershy cowered together, while Applejack had a worried, confused frown on her face. Pinkie's expression was alert and she was a little twitchy. Rainbow Dash's fur and feathers were bristling and she pawed the ground with her hoof.
“Everypony, hurry, let's get out of here!” she announced.
“Gladly,” Rarity said.
She nudged Fluttershy, who hurried back the way they had come gladly. The others followed, but The Archivist remained. So did Doctor Hooves, who looked at The Archivist with a concerned frown.
“Come on, Archivist. We have to go,” Twilight pleaded.
The Archivist frowned. In her eyes, something was truly wrong.
“If this is the Tower of Kronos and she’s buried here, where’s the Element of Time?” she wondered.
As the wailing sound grew louder, Twilight couldn't help the fear building in her.
“Archivist! Come on, now, we have to leave!” she called.
Completely in disarray, the Archivist followed Twilight and the group out of the room. A wall of ethereal blue stopped them, an unnatural wind chilling the ponies to the bone. It took them a moment to realize what confronted them were spectral equines, Windegos.
Rushing out, their exit was cut off, trapping them inside. Surrounded by Windegos, the group stood their ground, forming a circle to guard each other's backs. The Archivist grimaced.
“Now I understand why nothing halted our intrusion. Something in here knew we were coming and now, we fell for their trap.”
Suddenly, the shrieking stopped and even the Windegos were silent until the stillness of the air was shattered by a horrible roar. Everypony turned to a bright light shining down the hall. In sudden fear, the Windegos vanished into thin air. Though the other ponies felt relief, Doctor Hooves began to shake with terror. Even The Archivist looked shaken.
“I know that roar, when I hear it,” the stallion said.
“Madame Archi…” Twilight paused, seeing the Archivist was in fear.
“We need to get out, now!”
Twilight and her friends were confused.
“What is it?” Rarity asked.
“Is it another dragon?” Fluttershy whispered.
“No… it’s Xenxus,” both the Archivist and Doctor Hooves said.
“He's far too powerful for us,” Doctor Hooves continued.
“RUN! NOW!!!” the Archivist shouted.
They needed no further prodding. The ponies took off as fast as they could, racing back towards the entrance as fast as they could. Despite this, strange, booming steps followed them up. Twilight, once again, felt deeply confused. She had no idea what was occurring nor who Xenxus was. She ran to the Archivist.
“Who’s this Xenxus?” she asked.
“Xenxus is an Alicorn.” The Archivist said.
“Khaoios’ brother. But Archivist, I thought he was locked away in Tartarus with his other brother?” Doctor Hooves said.
“Apparently not. It appears that he had escaped but the question is, how?” the Archivist replied.
The sound grew louder and louder, as the group approached a bridge. Not looking back, they raced across the rotten bridge after spotting light ahead. As they continued, the Archivist turned to check back over her shoulder. She saw a strange, pale form, equine, with a long head and pale eyes emerge from the darkness to let out a thunderous road.
Soon enough, the group saw the exit but as they reached it, Rainbow Dash, being the fastest among them, slammed straight into a barrier that blocked their way. Applejack hurried to pull her to her hooves, and Twilight charged ahead, her horn lighting up with magic. The Archivist joined her, and after a few long, painful seconds, the barrier collapsed.
They broke out into the fresh air, but there was little relief to be had. Hurriedly, with no time to get the wingless ponies to safety and not enough power to teleport everypony after such an exertion, they ducked behind some rocks to hide.
“Shhhhh…” Twilight said.
Xenxus prowled up from the cave, heralded by the terrible noise his hooves made. Twilight hesitantly peeked out from behind the rock, but she was too afraid to move to get much look at him. All she could see was that he was sickly pale and very, very large.
“I can smell you… I can hear you… I can sense your fear…” Xenxus said, his voice low and slithery. “Come out, come out, where ever you are… little ponies.”
The Archivist and Doctor Hooves remained as calm as possible, trying to keep the others quiet and calm. As Xenxus paced and the ponies shivered, Rainbow Dash grimaced and gritted her teeth. She nudged Twilight with her elbow and clapped her hooves together as if punching. Twilight hurriedly shook her head. Rainbow Dash looked at the others. Fluttershy, especially was barely holding it together. Taking a deep breath, before anypony could stop her, Rainbow Dash flew up to confront the beast.
She regretted it immediately. Xenxus had a towering figure, like an alicorn with both wings and a long horn on his head, but his face was long, almost reptilian and skull-like, and as his jaws parted, she could see dozens and dozens of sharp teeth. His wings were naked, moth-like and veiny. His eyes were pale pink, and though they didn't follow her, he began to sneer.
Before she could flee, he knocked her to the ground and stepped on her tail.
“Not so fast, my little pegasus,” Xenxus said.
Rainbow Dash tried to break free, but there was no way. Hurriedly, Twilight and the others jumped from their hiding place, much to the dismay of the Archivist.
“Now you listen here, you oversized, shark-faced varmint, you let our friend go, or else--” Applejack was interrupted.
“Or else what? What horrifying power will you use to defeat me, cur?” Xenxus growled.
The Archivist cringed. She got out from behind the rocks and stood with the others.
“I suggest you take this matter seriously, Xenxus. Release the pony and you will not be harmed,” The Archivist asserted.
Xenxus turned his head, and his eyes widened with surprise.
“Well, well, well... If it isn’t the witch, Madame Archivist and the good doctor, Hooves,” Xenxus teased.
“Let her go!” Twilight yelled.
Xenxus was silent for the moment and exhaled.
“As you wish,” Xenxus replied, before using his wings to blow Twilight and her friends towards a rock.
Twilight wasn't sure about her friends, but she bonked her head hard on the stone. Dazed, she struggled to get up. Xenxus turned to the group.
“You ponies have no idea who I am. Do you?” he said.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes! You’re Xenxus, the youngest of the Bronco-Titans. And there's nothing but evil inside your heart.”
“Ah... Interesting that you’ve learned about me. I’m guessing the witch told you a lot about me… and how I am the deadliest of my brothers. Yet, I must ask, how is that dear, Princess Luna? Has the princess of the night identified her own nightmare?” Xenxus growled.
Twilight’s horn began to glow.
“That's none of your business, you monster!” Twilight yelled.
Xenxus examined Twilight’s anger for a short moment, his ears lifting. Her outburst made him grin.
“A monster you say?” Xenxus replied, revealing his deadly and venomous fangs. “I am beyond that of a monster, but more of a deadly serpent.”
Twilight couldn’t answer.
“Intriguing. I must ask, what is it you truly fear, my dear Twilight Sparkle? The destruction of Equestria, the fall of your Princesses, the annihilation of your friends?”
The Archivist tried to hold down Twilight, but she fought back to stop him.
“No! You leave them out!”
Twilight charged, only to get thrown by the wind from a beat of Xenxus's huge wings. Creating a huge cloud of dust, Twilight tumbled back. Her friends struggled to get up through the wind and the ponies hurried to Twilight’s aid. Rarity reached her first and helped her up.
“Are you okay, darling?” she asked.
“Yeah. I’m fine,” Twilight rudely replied.
Assisting Twilight, everypony looked around and noticed Xenxus had vanished, as if he disappeared into thin air.
“Where in the heck did he go?” Applejack demanded.
“There's no way to know for sure,” The Archivist said. “He's able to travel at incredible speeds.”
Twilight's eyes went wide and she looked at her friends with worry.
“He mentioned Princess Luna! He might have gone to Canterlot,” she said. “We need to get back there as fast as we can.”
“I could probably use my Sonic Rainboom to help me at least get there fast to check in,” Rainbow Dash said. “Nopony's faster than me!”
“Remember, Rainbow Dash, Xenxus is no pony. He travels at the speed of a crashing meteor,” Doctor Hooves commented. “Unfortunately, even you would not be able to outpace him if he reached full speed. However, if he is traveling, knowing his aptitude for stealth, keeping himself low-key along his way will certainly slow him down.”
Rainbow Dash pouted.
“And you shouldn't go alone,” Fluttershy said quietly. “It's too dangerous.”
“Fine, fine,” Rainbow Dash said. “But then what do we do to stop this freaky guy?”
“From what I remember the only thing that stopped Xenxus was the Element of Time. That was because slowing down time greatly weakens Xenxus, especially when it comes to speed. In addition, the major advantage we have over him besides the Element of Time is daylight. Xenxus is nocturnal and at the same time, he’s half blind. Revealing himself in the light will blind him completely, losing his focus. But for now, we can only depend on the Element of Time,” The Archivist said. “He's too clever to allow himself to be caught out in daylight.”
“So our only hope to stop him is the Element of Time? Great, where is it?” Applejack asked.
“That’s the problem. After the princess used the Element of Time, she was turned to stone and the Element itself disappeared. The only one who knows its true location is its creator,” Doctor Hooves continued, turning to look at Twilight. “The same Alicorn you saw at your castle.”
“Timaeus,” Twilight concluded.
“Yes,” Doctor Hooves replied.
“Like me, you can communicate with them telepathically, which I will teach you at a later time.” The Archivist said.
Understanding what both Doctor Hooves and The Archivist said, Twilight began to feel pressured, but knew with her friends at her side, they would overcome Xenxus’ power. She sigh.
“Okay then. Let’s save Equestria” Twilight spoke.
Her friends cheered for her, while Doctor Hooves and the Archivist both smiled. Together, they all hurried back to Canterlot.
High in the skies, Xenxus passed over many towns and cities, striking mayhem through the land. However, his main focus was on the heart of Equestria: Canterlot. Charging and shrouding himself in thick fog, he roared out loudly, shaking up the heavens from above.
The Archivist and Doctor Hooves heard it, and quickly urged the group to hurry on. Over in Canterlot, the bellowing echo could be heard clear as day, and the Royal Guards got into their positions. Princess Celestia, who was still with her sister, commanded all her guards to be on the lookout and attack anything that seems unusual. Following her orders, one guard hurried to the armory, while two others remained behind, standing watch. Once outside, the guard turned to other squads.
“All units, hold your positions!” he yelled out.
One by one, every guard prepared their spears and bows, ready for the unexpected. For five long, anxious minutes, they locked their eyes on the sky, waiting for whatever was coming, until the bottom of the castle exploded, knocked everypony off their hooves. They tried not to scatter in panic and began looking around, but they could not find whatever it was until one guard ran from the gate.
“IT’S UNDER US!” he yelled.
Every guard hurried to the ledge and looked down, and began to fire their magic, spears, and bows. However, they realized the explosion came from the mountain below the city, as if something were inside. Trying to be effective despite their fear and confusion, they split up two large regiments. One remained, monitoring the bottom of the castle, while the other marched out to head inside the mountain.
Celestia appeared from her balcony and looked down.
“What has happened?” she called out.
Before anypony could reply, another explosion was heard, only this time, something blasted up through the courtyard, shaking the entire castle like an earthquake. Everypony shook, desperately trying to find out what it was, until the creature revealed himself from the fog. Celestia and the guards watched as the form of a monstrous alicorn emerged through the mist. Luna, struggled to walk over and pointed.
“It’s him!” she said, only to faint from exhaustion.
“LUNA!” Celestia cried out, and within seconds, Xenxus began to use his magic to blast the castle.
With beams of power, the guards retaliated with magic of their own, as well as tossing spears and shooting arrows. Unfortunately, every shot they made, Xenxus dodged with extreme speed. As the unicorn royal guards charged their magic, Xenxus’ horn glowed, and soon his hooves glowed as well. Suddenly, he slammed down on to the ground, creating an impact that sent a shockwave throughout the city. The buildings trembled and something low in the grand castle hit a spark and was set ablaze.
As the guards stood back up, they noticed they couldn’t summon any of their magic. Xenxus watched them and sneered.
The ponies found themselves off guard and unprotected. Powerless, they began evacuating the castle. Down below, the ponies watched as many ran into their homes to seek cover, while others fled the city in fear. Creating such mayhem, Xenxus then blasted the castle again, only to blow up one of the towers, creating falling debris. Fire began to spread, but to their surprise, Xenxus backed off and began, somehow, to grow.
In their chambers, Celestia cradled her unconscious sister, watching the strange, terrifying scene with rage in her eyes. She knew she couldn't leave Luna, though. The guards weren't strong enough to protect her. She turned as she heard her doors fly open and a guard rushed in.
“Princess, please, you need to evacuate!” he insisted. “The castle is burning! Our soldiers can't use magic, his power seems to cancel out ours. You need to get out of here!”
Celestia's heart ached. She wanted to fight this monster, but if she were brought down for even a moment, Luna was open to all attacks. She grimaced.
“You need to focus your attention on everypony else,” she ordered. “I can handle myself and my sister. Don't worry for us.”
“But the fire--!”
Celestia gave him a tired smile.
“No fire can harm me. Take care of yourself.”
As the evacuation went on, Twilight and the rest finally arrived at Canterlot, but they were too late. Xenxus had arrived and they watched as everypony fled the city. Twilight and the company ran to the path leading into the city and quickly raced to the castle, but were held back because of the fire. Scared for the Princesses, Twilight headed straight for the door before a guard met her and grabbed her shoulder.
“Princess, you need to leave, now!” he said in a panic.
“What happened? Where are Celestia and Luna?” Twilight demanded.
“I... I don’t know. This alicorn is too powerful!” he replied.
“Where are they?!” she yelled.
“I don’t know. They’re probably still in the castle. It’s too late! Everypony is evacuating,” The guard insisted.
Twilight’s rage grew.
“I’m not leaving without them!” she yelled, and before anypony could stop her, she was flying up into the castle.
With a sigh, The Archivist turned to Twilight’s friends.
“I’ll go after her. However, I would like all of you to assist the ponies out of the city. That includes you, doctor,” The Archivist said.
Applejack understood immediately.
“Don't have to tell me twice! Come on, everypony!” she replied as they quickly dispersed.
The Archivist turned to Doctor Hooves.
“If I do not make it out, send a distress message to the masters. Tell them, Xenxus is alive and that assistance is required immediately,” she said.
Doctor Hooves nodded.
“Understood!” he replied as they both hurried away in different directions.
Inside the castle, desperately looking for Celestia and Luna, Twilight rammed through the doors and hurried to the throne room. She was relieved to see the smoke hadn't reached there yet, but they weren’t there. Worried, she then ran to their bedroom, but to no avail.
“Celestia! Luna?! Please, answer me if you're here!” she called.
No voice she knew answered, but her blood ran cold as she heard a deep chuckle as a reply.
It was lucky that the group from Ponyville had arrive when they did. They evacuation was complete, no small feat, and the extra power of more organized hooves had certainly helped the guards out. Applejack brushed sweat from her brow as she and the others hurried up the hillside to the refuge the other evacuees had sought. She was taken aback, however, to see Celestia lying there in the grass, cradling her unconscious sister in her forelimbs.
“Princess!” Fluttershy cried. “Thank goodness!”
“Twilight found you, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Celestia frowned slightly.
“I'm happy to see you're all safe,” she said, “but, no, I haven't seen Twilight? Where is she?”
Her friends shared a look of fear.
“She ain't with you?” Applejack demanded.
Celestia shook her head, though all of them stalled and looked back at the city with horror as they heard an explosive sound come from the castle.
Twilight didn't have time to react as the floor under her exploded, sending her back to the wall. Before her, the pale form of Xenxus raised up from the hole in the floor like a ghost. Twilight, already covered with cuts and bruises, got to her hooves with a frown on her face, puffing out her chest and spreading her wings.
“Where are the Princesses?” she snarled.
Xenxus smirked.
“Do you really think you can scare me? You are nothing but a mere insect to me. As for your Princesses, I already dealt with them. Now, it’s your turn,” Xenxus replied.
Twilight felt such rage, far greater than before. Her horn began to glow bright.
“I'll make you regret that, you monster!” Twilight shouted.
Xenxus smiled.
“Good, show me your rage and hatred of me. Show me that your anger can defeat me, little insect!” Xenxus laughed.
Twilight, with all her strength, charged at Xenxus, shooting her magic at him. Xenxus flew back, dodging each shot, but Twilight carried such rage in her that the air behind her blasts crackled with magic. Even the monstrous alicorn felt it clinging to his body like static. He sneered. Twilight's magic smashed through walls and windows and she tried her hardest to strike him, but he was like a ghost. He came at her quickly, knocking her to the ground, but she jumped out, her body letting out a huge burst of magic. It didn't hit him, but the edge clipped his neck. He frowned and flapped his wings, hard, and bowled her over, knocking her back against a wall.
“Khaoios almost defeated you,” he growled, “but now, I shall finish you and your friends. One. By. One!”
As Twilight struggled to get up, Xenxus's horn lit up with crackling, blue magic. He lowered his horn and, with a sound like thunder, his magic shot straight at her. Before it could connect, the Archivist jumped in front of Twilight, summoning a force field, blocking his magic.
“You!?” Xenxus snarled.
“Princess. Get out. Leave Xenxus to me,” The Archivist insisted.
“No, I can't!” Twilight cried. “He did something to the princesses, he--!”
“The Princesses are fine. Xenxus is only playing games with your mind,” The Archivist replied.
Twilight's face was locked in a frown. It was almost as if she hadn't even heard. Xenxus let out a frustrated snort and swung his horn as The Archivist, knocking her away.
“BEGONE, YOU WITCH! THIS IS BETWEEN THE PRINCESS AND I!” Xenxus yelled.
The Archivist's barrier blocked her impact into the wall and she dropped back down onto her hooves.
“Princess, go!!” she insisted.
“No, you don't understand, he--” Twilight was interrupted.
“ENOUGH WITH YOUR BLABBER!!!” Xenxus yelled out in rage.
Dodging each of his shots, The Archivist knew Twilight was no match against him. She had no choice but to help. For the first time, the Archivist felt confused: it was almost as if her words towards Twilight hadn't been said at all. She has to distract Xenxus and get Twilight out of the burning castle.
As the pillars and ceiling began to break, piece by piece, the battle enraged, Twilight and the Archivist used as much magic as they could against the might of Xenxus, but even so, they were no match for his excessive speed. Using every bit of his magic, Xenxus shot at both of them, creating explosions, ripping the castle apart and causing them to tumble down the mountain and onto the homes down below.
Crashing down; homes were flattened out, and some of them engulfed in flames. From their refuge on the hill, Princess Celestia, in all her years as ruler of Equestria, had never seen something this chaotic and destructive before. Carrying her unconscious sister, she felt that the search for answers had to be made. This time, she would not hesitate to get them by force.
Suddenly, Fluttershy pointed her hoof to an explosion in one of the towers and a pink barrier flew down from it, glinting against the rising smoke.
“Look! It’s Twilight!” she said.
“She’s in danger! We gotta help her!” Rainbow Dash quickly responded.
“I'm not sure there's much we can do,” Applejack sadly responded. “Most of us can't fly and even us that can, well... Remember what happened last time?”
“All we can do is support her,” Rarity said.
“Whatever! I'm going!” Rainbow announced.
She was off in a coloured blur before anypony could stop her. As soon as Pinkie Pie tried to speak, an explosion was seen and this time, Xenxus revealed his true form for all of the Canterlot ponies to see high above the city. Celestia was stunned.
“I… I have never seen him before. Who is that?” she asked.
Before the anypony could reply, Doctor Hooves walked up.
“Your majesty, a moment alone, please,” he insisted.
Celestia frowned and then turned to the other ponies.
“Can I trust you to watch Luna?” she asked.
“Abso-fudging-lutely, your Highness!” Pinkie Pie said.
“She'll be fine for just a moment, Princess,” Rarity said gently.
Celestia couldn't help a small smile and she left her sister, then joined Doctor Hooves as he led her to an isolated, quite area away from the refugees.
“So, you'll tell me what's going on?” she asked.
“What you see there is Xenxus, the Bronco-Titan of Famine and Obliteration. Another ancient creature hidden from your history, just like the previous one,” he said.
“I… Wait… Khaoios?” Celestia replied.
“Yes. He is also Khaoios’ younger brother. Now, why he came here to attack Canterlot, I don’t know,” Doctor Hooves continued.
Princess Celestia frowned.
“Then what must I do?” she asked.
“Keep yourself safe. Hidden. Protect your sister. Your disciple and her friends were given a specific mission and it is their responsibility to finish it. However, the encounters with the Bronco-Titans are unexpected and thus we cannot interfere. As you have said, have faith in Twilight and she’ll be alright,” Doctor hooves said, and he smiled a little.
Princess Celestia took a deep breath and nodded.
As the city slowly burnt, Twilight and the Archivist continued to use their magic and dodge all of Xenxus’ shots. Unfortunately, they started to become exhausted from this long battle as the smoke from the fire affected them. On a nearby tall building, the Archivist’s legs shook with exhaustion. Xenxus surprised her and knocked her away, leaving Twilight defenseless. Twilight turned to see The Archivist, unable to move. She couldn't get the Princesses out of her mind. With whatever strength she had left, she flew as fast as she could back to the burning castle In a blink of an eye, Xenxus appeared right in front of her and using his magic, like a burning electric pulse, he knocked her back down onto a roof of another building. This time, she couldn’t move. The impact had affected both her magic and use of flight. She thought she heard a voice calling to her to get up. Her eyes caught a glimpse of blue and rainbow above. She struggled, but Xenxus was not going to allow that. Rainbow Dash charged him with a roar, but a swift whip of his tail sent her spiraling and crashing through a hole in a nearby roof.
“Time’s up, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Xenxus said as he charged at her.
At this moment, Twilight felt deeply frightened, until suddenly, a portal on her left appeared and by surprise, Timaeus emerged, knocking away Xenxus with his magic. With such a powerful force, Xenxus was not only pushed back, but thrown far into the burning castle, and an explosion followed in his wake. Suddenly, half the castle exploded and tumbled down Xenxus still inside. As it crashed onto the ground, the fire continued to burn, until Xenxus scrambled out of the wreckage and retreated.
Twilight heaved herself up, breathing hard, and spread her wings to fly, but Timaeus held her gently by the shoulder.
“M-Master Timaeus?” Twilight stammered.
Timaeus smiled reassuringly.
“Take a deep breath, Twilight Sparkle. You will be alright.”
“B-But he--! But I--!”
“Twilight Sparkle. There is only one thing that can stop Xenxus. You must use the Element of Time. The Archivist mentioned it to you, yes?” he said.
“How did you know?” Twilight asked.
“I know a lot more things that you can imagine, young Twilight Sparkle. For now, I shall follow Xenxus and keep him isolated away from populated areas. Your task is to find the Element of Time.”
“But the Element of Time disappeared after the princess wore it, didn't it?” she asked.
“That is why you and your friends will go back in time and retrieve it before the Princess does. Though it may change that part of history, you must take it and go to the lower levels of the castle. There you will see a mirror. Go through it and you will arrive back in present time. Do you understand me?” Timaeus said.
“Wait? What about the rest of the ponies?” Twilight asked.
“They will be fine. Now go.” Timaeus commanded.
Twilight turned as the Archivist walked to her.
“Go. We’ll be fine,” The Archivist said.
Understanding Timaeus’ words, Twilight hurried to help Rainbow Dash out of the wreckage and, together, they started heading towards the hillside. As they left, Timaeus watched as Xenxus flew further and further away from Canterlot. Observing the damage, he noticed most of the structures below still stood in one piece. As for the castle, only half stood with fire still raging.
The damage to Canterlot made Timaeus feel a sting of regret. He turned to The Archivist, who had moved up to stand at his side.
“Archivist, summon the ponies back so they may seek shelter, including the princesses. I will open a time portal for Twilight Sparkle and her friends,” he said.
“Master… I know this isn’t the appropriate time, but don’t you think she’s gone through enough? Pressuring her increases her rage, as I’ve observed,” The Archivist asked.
“Twilight Sparkle is much more powerful than she realizes. She must learn how to control her emotions and remain focused on her task. Have faith in her and she and her friends shall succeed,” Timaeus answered.
“I see,” The Archivist replied. “What should we do about Xenxus? He’s caused a lot of destruction here and I fear he may continue his rage elsewhere.”
“Leave Xenxus to me. Your task is to keep the inhabitants safe and calm them until the demon is defeated. Do you understand?” Timaeus said, taking flight.
“Yes, Master” she replied.
“Until then, remain safe,” Timaeus said.
At the hilltop, Twilight’s friends met her and Rainbow as they landed, piling onto the alicorn to give her a hug.
“Twilight, darling? Are you alright?” Rarity asked.
“I’m fine,” Twilight said, but she sounded exhausted.
“We were worried about you, sugarcube. What happened?” Applejack asked.
“I... I tried to fight Xenxus, but I...! But he... Celestia...”
“What about me?”
Twilight's head jerked up and her jaw dropped as she saw Celestia approach her, smiling gently. Before she could stop herself, she jumped at the tall alicorn, hugging her tightly.
“He said he...! Oh, never mind! I'm so glad you're okay!” she said, holding back tears. “Is Luna okay?”
“Luna is unconscious, but I'm sure she'll be fine,” Celestia assured her, hugging her gently. “I'm glad you're safe.”
Twilight pulled back and rubbed her eyes on her hoof.
“Awesome, everypony's back together,” Rainbow Dash said, “but Twilight, c'mon, you gotta tell us what's going on. After that mess, no way this is over, right?”
Twilight nodded and waved her friends in close.
“We need to go back in time to retrieve the Element before the ancient princess does. Once we do that, we need to go to the lower levels of the tower to a mirror.”
“But who in the hay was that monster?” Applejack asked.
“And what about that big black alicorn?” Rainbow Dash added.
“And, um... Sorry to butt in, but what about all these poor ponies out here?” Fluttershy said.
Doctor Hooves walked over.
“The Archivist and I will handle that,” he replied.
“Thanks,” Twilight said gratefully; she looked at her friends. “I'll explain everything later. Come on, girls, we should get going.”
Sensing Twilight and her friends ready to go, Timaeus from afar, opened the time portal before them. One by one, they went into the portal. Inside, they flew through a vortex and dropped down what felt like a roller coaster ride. Fluttershy screamed for her life as Pinkie Pie laughed the entire time. A bright light appeared in the distance, spitting the ponies out of the portal. As they flew out, the light dimmed.
In Canterlot, Doctor Hooves joined The Archivist, who repeated Timaeus's words to fill him in. With their guidance and the comforting words of Princess Celestia, the citizens began their descent from the hillside, back to the city. Doctor Hooves assisted injured ponies, while Princess Celestia carried her unconscious sister on her back. The Archivist observed the citizens around her, similar to a dream she had had. Fear continued to strike the hearts of these innocent ponies young and old and yet, she never felt such sympathy towards them as she did now.
Entering the city, some of the buildings had burnt markings, but luckily, most except those directly below the castle remained untouched. As The Archivist gathered foals and the injured, Doctor Hooves took many of the able-bodied mares and stallions to look for food and water.
Princess Celestia walked tall, trying to seem strong for her subjects, but up close, it was clear that she was deeply affected. The Archivist joined her as she took a moment to pause inside a what was once an inn, intact except for the shattered entrance-way.
“I can’t believe that this is happening... A beast that not only attacked us physically, but mentally, and emotionally. I… failed my subjects… I failed my sister.”
Celestia couldn't help her eyes from watering.
“Don’t blame yourself, Princess. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel,” The Archivist said. “Strange that I usually don’t feel sympathy, but just observing their faces tells me how they feel. We’ve all been caught off guard from Xenxus’ attack. I know you were upset at us before for keeping secrets, but this here is the reason. We never wanted these Bronco-Titans to reawaken, and we never wanted ponies to challenge them if they showed up. We thought if you didn't know, they wouldn't feel provoked and less ponies would be harmed in fights like this. I suppose we were wrong in that regard.”
Princess Celestia now understood what she meant. However, she felt doubt and sorry at the same time. Throughout the entire time, she knew that this may have been the most unexpected attacked by another alicorn in Equestrian history and the result was devastating.
Laying her sister in a bed inside one of the rooms, Celestia stood and watcher her silently. Hoping her sister would wake up, she walked to the window and stared at the half destroyed castle. All she could feel is failure, losing her own castle to an unknown ancient alicorn. She remembered Doctor Hooves’ advice on having faith-- faith in her most loyal student, Twilight Sparkle, completing her mission and defeating this devilry.
Twilight Sparkle. I have taught you many things. Now, you must do your duty and defeat this demon. If you can hear my words, know that I, Princess Celestia, always have faith in you. She thought.
While ponies of Canterlot slowly recovered, Twilight awoke from a sudden daze. She looked around for her friends.
“Is everypony okay?” Applejack asked.
The ponies moaned as they slowly got up. Each of them looked around, observing their whereabouts.
“Where… are we?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I think the better question is, when are we?” Twilight said.
Twilight and her friends looked around the area, puzzled. She stood up.
“We are approximately two thousand, three hundred years before Xenxus attacked Canterlot,” she realized.
Her friends looked at her.
“And how the heck do you know that?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously.
Twilight turned, eyes wide.
“To be honest, I have no idea. It just came to my mind,” she replied.
Twilight’s friends just stared at her. Applejack shrugged.
“Eh. Weirder stuff's happened,” she said.
The ponies took a short while to regain themselves and catch their breath before heading out again. They journeyed back up the mountain, however they noticed a long flight of stairs leading to the tower. Going higher and higher, the temperature began to drop. Finally, after a long hour up the mountain, they arrived at the Tower of Kronos, only to witness a pony in a cloak walking in.
“That must be the Princess,” Twilight whispered.
“Princess?! Where?!” Pinkie yelled out in excitement.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack covered Pinkie Pie’s mouth to keep her silent and the whole group ducked behind some snow and rocks. The Princess in the cloak, turned and observed the area. She didn't see them, and she walked into the dark tower. Twilight got up and slowly went from rock to rock, avoiding detection.
“Come on. We gotta follow her.”
“Oh but, it looks dark… and cold… and scary…” Fluttershy whispered.
“Oh come on, Fluttershy. If we’re gonna save Equestria, we're gonna have to go to dark, scary places,” Rainbow Dash said, and she gently elbowed her. “It's not like a mysterious, dangerous ancient artifact is gonna have its lair in a bright, warm bakery full of flowers and bunnies.”
“Ooh, but that sounds lovely, though,” Fluttershy said.
Rainbow smacked her brow with her hoof and Pinkie Pie snickered. Rarity held Flutttershy's hoof.
“Darling, like we did before. As long as we’re together, nothing will happen to us, right?” Rarity responded nervously.
Twilight turned to Rarity and raised her eyebrows. She gulped. Feeling uneasy, she had to agree with Rainbow Dash. They journeyed into the tower.
Wounded from Timaeus's attack, Xenxus landed on a nearby mountain top to regain his strength.
“Master of Time, assisting the Princess?” he muttered to himself. “No… No! That’s impossible! I must… defeat her before--”
“Before what, Xenxus?”
Timaeus slammed to the ground before him, creating a shockwave. Xenxus was knocked to the ground.
“You! You should’ve been dead, Guardian. DEAD!” Xenxus yelled out in rage. “You were defeated! All of you!”
Timaeus grinned.
“Your temperment hasn’t changed, not one bit,” he said with a smirk.
“Go to hell!” Xenxus roared out.
Xenxus charged at Timaeus, only to miss him, slamming into a wall. He struggled to pull himself out of the rock as, behind him, Timaeus smirked and flared his wings.
“Not so precise now, I see. Have you lost your focus? Attacking in fear does you no good at all, Xenxus. You felt powerful causing havoc in Canterlot. A monstrous force dwarfing all ponies. But, with Twilight Sparkle and the Archivist, I’ve noticed how intimidated you became, which is why I am here. You are so scared that you could not help yourself but to try to regain your confidence, attacking ponies much smaller than you. But, you have picked the wrong targets, especially when they defeated Khaoios--”
“Save your pathetic speeches for those fools you call subjects. Disgusting!” Xenxus spat in disgust.
“Still trying to find a way to reclaim Equestria? You do know that you’ll fail. The Guardians for Harmony are the ones you should now fear. You will fail the same way your brothers have when you fought against us,” Timaeus said.
“The only one who will fail here, Master of Time, is you. There are worse things than I, and I will be here to see it realized. We will drag this wretched world into oblivion!” Xenxus replied.
His pale eyes flashing with rage, he roars and jumped at Timaeus, his burst of speed making him all but invisible. He hit the black alicorn hard, throwing him deep into the mountainside. The boulders rumbled and crashed downwards onto Timaeus, burying him alive.
“Hmph… Your mistake, Master of Time, is that you speak far too much. Well, if you would excuse me, there are more places in this world that deserve my attention. Do not worry, they will be given the same care as I gave Canterlot! Fare thee well, fool!”
Xenxus flapped his strong wings and soared into the sky and, with a burst of speed, was gone.
After a few moments of silence on the mountaintop, the collapsed stones began to rumble. Timaeus emerged, unharmed but for the dust on his fur. He turned his gaze skyward.
“So that’s how you are going to play. You’re lucky I’m here.” Timaeus exhaled heavily. “Maybe one day you'll lose the arrogance that prevents you from checking on downed opponents. But, I doubt it.”
He lifted off and shot off into the sky, tailing the monstrous alicorn, wherever he was headed.
At the Tower of Kronos, Twilight and her friends hurried to the deepest part of the tower in search of the element. As they got deeper and deeper, oxygen levels dropped and the air grew hotter and hotter, tiring the ponies out. It was like going down towards a volcanic crater, with increasing levels of stinking sulfur.
At last, they reached the bottom of the tower, only to notice the room was dark-- very, very, dark as if there was not a single crack of light. Though exhausted from the intense heat, Twilight used her magic as a beam of light to observe the room. Suddenly, she saw a strange pipe organ across the room. In excitement, Pinkie Pie hopped over to investigate it.
“Oh. This looks familiar! Like the one I played at the old castle. Boy, did I scare all of you,” she giggled.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned their faces in embarrassment.
“Nah, I wasn't scared,” Applejack protested, though she looked rather embarrassed.
“Yeah. It only… uhhhhh… made us lose our concentration,” Rainbow Dash quickly responded.
“Yeah right, Rainbow, you were bouncing off the walls, you were so scared” Applejack laughed
“Pfft, no way, you were way more scared than I was! I was like a rock!” Rainbow Dash boasted.
“Girls. Please. There’s no time to argue. We need to find the Element of Time,” Twilight said.
“Sorry,” both Applejack and Rainbow Dash said.
“How exactly are we supposed to find it?” Rarity asked.
“Did Timaeus say where it is?” Fluttershy said.
Twilight looked at the organ a little bit more.
“Well, from what he told me, he said there would be a mirror,” Twilight was interrupted.
“FOUND IT!!” Pinkie Pie yelled.
“WHERE?” they all asked.
Pinkie hopped up the top of the organ and pointed out a plated mirror on its face. Twilight cast her light on it, but as soon as she did, the mirror began to glow. Suddenly generating light on its own, it shot out a beam of light across the room to the darkest corner and onto a ledge where a huge hour glass sat.
“Well, would ya look at that!” Applejack said.
“Good job, Pinkie,” Twilight said. “Rainbow, can you help me bring that down?”
“Of course,” Rainbow Dash said.
Together, they flew up and grabbed the hourglass tightly, though it was very heavy. They were almost halfway to the ground when neither of them could bear the weight any longer and it slipped from their hooves.
“LOOK OUT!” Rainbow Dash yelled out.
Everypony dodged the hourglass as it crashed down onto the ground and shattered, sand and glass spreading everywhere.
“No, no! Everypony, look through the sand! It's gotta be in there,” Twilight insisted.
She and Rainbow Dash joined the others, sifting through the broken hourglass, but they found absolutely nothing.
“Twilight, darling, there's nothing here but sand,” Rarity said.
Twilight had to sit down, defeated.
“B-But... Timaeus told me it was here, I... I...” She was speechless.
Applejack walked over to comfort her. She, along with the other ponies knew this incident was only stressing her out. Twilight tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't do it. Though her friends were doing their best to comfort her, Twilight could only think about her failure and that hope was lost. Even as a princess, she felt such stress that it confused her to a point of affecting her emotions. Suddenly, she had a flashback of what the Archivist mentioned to her when Khaoios appeared.
Remember Twilight Sparkle, being a princess is a high responsibility, and can be stressful. By that, do not let your emotions get the best of you. If you fail, get up and keep going until you get it right.
Twilight then rubbed away her tears and stood up.
“I know the Element of Time is here, I just can’t-- Wait! Timaeus mentioned the mirror most of all! Not the hourglass! Maybe there's more to it!” Twilight quickly realized.
Suddenly, they noticed the mirror was still reflecting light on where the hourglass was. Desperately trying to find out, Twilight flew up and felt a cold draft.
“I found something!” Twilight said, pressing her hoof on the bricks.
“There’s just gotta be…” Twilight whispered, until a loud sound was heard.
The ground started to rumble and shook the castle, and then the organ was raised, revealing a secret passage, further underground. Twilight flew down and walked to the passage.
Back in present time, Xenxus arrived at the great city of Seaddle. Though a few disctricts were bustling, most of the city was slumbering peacefully. None of this mattered to Xenxus. Flying over to the active districts in the city, Xenxus unleashed his magic in a bright, electric pulse, cutting power as well as unicorn magic for a short period. As ponies panicked, Xenxus slammed onto the surface, scaring ponies off the streets. Others who had awoken to the disturbance screamed in terror.
“Yes, run little ponies, run!” Xenxus cackled.
He took flight, circling the city as more and more ponies fled to shelter. Xenxus watched with glee, picking out faces from the crowd, eager to watch their fear. Suddenly, one colt tripped, knocking himself to the ground. Laughing, Xenxus, flew down and landed heavily, cracking the ground before him. The colt's mother cried out with terror.
“Boo!” Xenxus spooked.
The monstrous alicorn's cruel tease came to an abrupt halt as a black blur jumped him from behind. Timeaus grabbed Xenxus's wing roughly in his mouth and threw him violently down the street. He stood, a buffer, between the fleeing ponies, the downed colt, and Xenxus.
“Run, young one,” he said to the colt.
As the colt stared up in shocked awe, his mother galloped over to grab him, and looked up at the alicorn with watery eyes.
“Thank you, your majesty,” she said, and she hurriedly dragged her son away to take shelter.
Timaeus was a little startled by her words. Though it was a kind gesture, Timaeus knew that he would’ve been better off addressed as just a good samaritan.
As the ponies fled to shelter, Xenxus heaved himself up off the ground and looked at Timaeus with fury.
“YOU AGAIN! What does it take for you guardians to die?!” Xenxus shouted, charging at the dark alicorn, horn lowered.
Timaeus frowned and shot magic to knock Xenxus away, but failed due to speed. Xenxus hit him like a meteor. Timaeus was knocked into a building, but kicked out before Xenxus could get a hold of him in his jaws, sending the pale alicorn crashing into another building just before the impact. Xenxus slid through stores that exploded in his wake. Hurriedly, Timaeus got to his hooves and hurried to follow him. Xenxus wasn’t there. He disappeared without a trace. Timaeus frowned to himself. Xenxus was hurt, so he couldn't have gotten far. He was probably still hiding in the city. He raised his ears high and looked around. He could barely see a thing, and the sounds of crumbling concrete and scared ponies overwhelmed him.
“Like a bat in a dark cave. Impressive,” Timaeus whispered.
Year ago, deep in the submerged Tower, Twilight and her friends entered a mysterious chamber at the end of the tunnel revealed by the mirror. At the back of the chamber, a sarcophagus that had the hourglass symbol above it stood, a cold mist wafting around it. Twilight excitedly ran over to it, but as she reached it, her body glowed with magic, levitating her.
“EEEK! Did a ghost get Twilight?!” Pinkie shrieked.
Twilight’s friends held each other tightly and Twilight began speaking an unknown language.
“Twilight?!” Applejack called worriedly.
To their surprise, the sarcophagus slid open on its own and, glowing in front of them, was the Element of Time. Its light shone into Twilight's eyes and a golden glow overwhelmed her for just a few seconds before all magic faded down, except for the Element itself.
Twilight fell to the ground and rubbed her head before she noticed the Element, glowing gently before her. Her friends rushed over.
“What happened?” Fluttershy asked.
“I know why the Element of Time hid down here. It’s as if it told me all its secrets of Equestria and the purpose of its existence,” Twilight said.
“Hold on there! You mean the Element spoke to you?” Applejack asked curiously.
“How can an object talk to you?” Rarity asked.
“If I remember correctly, the Archivist told m, that the Elements were known to have a consciousness of their own. With all of us together, I think it sees us as its second guardians,” Twilight replied.
“Did it say how to stop Xenxus?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yeah.” Twilight turned to face her friends. “The Element of Time told me the “Fossilization Spell” is what defeats Xenxus. If we use the Element of Time, we will defeat Xenxus.”
“Then let’s hurry back,” Applejack said.
When Twilight removed the Element of Time, the ground began to rumble and shake, causing rocks from the ceiling to crack and crash onto the floor. Rainbow Dash darted out of the way and then grabbed the shaking Fluttershy to heave her out the door.
“C'mon, everyone, run! Run!” Rainbow shouted.
She didn't have to tell them twice. They dashed out the door and back through to the entryway as the room shuddered and crashed shut behind them, sealing itself from the world.
Hurrying with the Element of Time, Twilight and her friends made it out of the Castle and ran as fast as they could back to Canterlot, which was newly built at the time.
As they ran beyond the Castle’s borders the Element of Time blinked, signaling Timaeus. He felt it in his mind. Timaeus smiled with relief. He reached out to The Archivist and Doctor Hooves.
“They found it,” Timaeus spoke telepathically.
From his hiding place just blocks away, Xenxus sensed the Elements’ presence as well. He rose up in a fury.
“No! I will murder that filthy pony!” he yelled out in rage.
“Leave Twilight Sparkle and her friends alone. Your fight is with me!” Timaeus yelled.
“Protecting the Princess won’t get you anywhere, Master of Time. Once I’m done with you, I’ll deal with them, slowly and painfully.” Xenxus sneered.
“You may try,” Timaeus replied.
Xenxus couldn't contain his frustration. Bursting through the rubble of a collapsed store, he dove at the black alicorn. Timaeus's set his horn ablaze and his fire spread like an unstoppable force of nature. Xenxus snarled, dodging the magic as it singed his wings, and flew flew towards a darker part of Seaddle. Timaeus followed and landed cautiously, observing the area.
“You cannot hide forever, Xenxus,” Timaeus said.
Xenxus ducked out of sight, panting to regain his breath.
“If there’s one thing I remember, you cannot withstand the heat of the fire. And I know you hate the light,” Timaeus said somewhat smugly.
“Don’t you lecture me, Master of Time, I’m here to get my vengeance on Equestria after what had occurred centuries ago. You know it quite well!” Xenxus replied.
“Indeed, I do. However, that does not give you the right to take out your issues on these innocent ponies. In addition, you are an absconder. How you escaped, I have no idea, but I can assure you that we will take you down,” Timaeus responded.
Xenxus scoffed.
“Oh, Timaeus… You have no idea what’s coming. You may have defeated us, but now, I can assure you, this time, not only will we defeat you, we will drag all of Equestria to the depths,” he snarled.
“YOUR FIGHT IS WITH US! NOT WITH THE EQUINES! NOW COME OUT, DEMON, AND PROVE YOUR MIGHT!” Timaeus bellowed.
Xenxus blasted through a wall, knocking Timaeus down on the ground. Xenxus's hooves charged with energy, but before he could strike, Timaeus kicked Xenxus in the face, sending him through another building.
As the fight between the alicorns continued, Twilight and her friends arrived at the newly built Canterlot, heavily guarded.
“Okay, everypony, just follow me very closely,” Twilight said. “The Element gave me a path to follow. We're almost home.”
With the young Celestia asleep, Twilight and her friends slowly sneaked past the guards, making their way into the Castle. Once inside, they journeyed below the Castle to find the a strange mirror set up alongside many other interesting relics. Twilight led them to it.
“Here, this mirror can travel across worlds," Twilight said. “We go through here and we're back where we started.”
“How do you--? Wait, let me guess, the Element told you?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yeah,” Twilight replied. “Don't worry, it got us this far, hasn't it?”
Suddenly, hoofsteps on the hard floors startled them.
“Who goes their?” a guard called out.
Pinkie Pie, knowing that trouble was approaching, pushed all her friends through the mirror.
“Don’t talk, just go through!” she yelled, and they all disappeared.
Back in Seaddle, Xenxus continued his rampage as Timaeus defended the city. Using every bit of his magic, both Xenxus’ and Timaeus’ power began to decrease greatly. Knowing they were reaching their limit, each one took a corner and quickly rested to regain their strength.
Soon, The Archivist and Doctor Hooves finally arrived at the city. Though they had their fears, they were able to breathe a sigh of relief that it remained mostly intact and that the fight was taking place near the waterfront.
As they hurried to the waterfront, Timaeus landed nearby to meet them, but he was breathing hard and even his legs were shaking a little. The two ponies then ran to the exhausted Guardian.
“Master?” Doctor Hooves asked worriedly.
“Highly unusual for me… to lose my strength… but Xenxus is weak. We need to force him further out of the city,” Timaeus panted.
The Archivist then noticed Timaeus was wounded on his right side of his body.
“Master, you're hurt!” The Archivist said, eyes wide. “You aren't all powerful. You can't afford to keep draining all your magic like this!”
Timaeus smiled.
“You needn’t worry. Xenxus is in the same state as I. My only focus is weakening Xenxus to make him immobile,” Timaeus replied. “He must at least be slowed down.”
“What about the Princess?” Doctor Hooves asked.
“I believe she is on her way as we speak,” Timaeus replied. “Let’s keep Xenxus occupied until they arrive with the Element. Can I count on you two?”
“Yes, Master!” both the Archivist and Doctor Hooves replied.
Now recuperated enough to engage Xenxus once more, Timaeus, the Archivist, and Doctor Hooves looked around the city area for the pale, hidden alicorn. They didn't have to look far. Xenxus crashed to the surface, unleashing a shockwave, that knocked the three of them down, as well as nearby structures. As the dust and debris fogged their vision, Xenxus took flight and circled around like a vulture. Suddenly, a cyan lightning beam shot from below, blasting a hole through Xenxus’ wing. With a screech, the alicorn plummeted through the layer of debris in the air and slammed into the pavement below. He looked at his singed wing and snarled.
“You will pay for that, you idiots!” Xenxus yelled out.
Caught off guard, Timaeus and The Archivist summoned a grappling spell to hold Xenxus in place, but even so, it was not fast enough to catch Xenxus for on hoof, he was fast. Trying the best they can, they could only feel exhaustion from all the fighting.
Finally, arriving back in their point in time, Twilight and her friends landed within the ruins of Canterlot. They rushed out of the castle and hurried to one of the structures, housing ponies that have been injured. There she noticed Princess Celestia, still caring for her unconscious sister.
“Princess? Are you okay?” Twilight asked.
Celestia could only think about her reputation as a leader being in shambles after the attack and the welfare of her sister.
“Twilight, I have to be honest with you. I have never thought in all my years that I would let my kingdom fall to an ancient creature. You must stop him before he causes anymore harm,” she said.
Twilight knew what she meant and felt sorry for her.
“Princess, please, you need to know we think you did the right thing,” she said. “If Xenxus had managed to do anything to you or Princess Luna, we'd never be able to raise the sun or moon again and the whole planet would be done for.”
Celestia looked like she was still feeling guilty. Fluttershy tapped Twilight's shoulder.
“Show the Princess what we got. I think she has the right to see it,” she said.
Twilight nodded and presented the Element of Time, surprising ever pony in the room. Princess Celestia’s eyes widened.
“Is that…?”
“Yes. It's the Element of Time,” Twilight responded.
Immediately, she realized that time was of the essence. She looked at her mentor.
“Where did they go?” she asked.
“I don’t know. The monster fled, followed by the alicorn that saved you.”
“Timaeus…” Twilight whispered. “Maybe I can...”
She closed her eyes and thought hard, directing her energy towards Timaeus. She wasn't sure how to explain it, but she felt a connection.
Timaeus spoke telepathically.
“Twilight Sparkle, welcome back. Hurry to the city of Seaddle,” he said.
Twilight jumped and quickly ran to the doorway.
"I know where they are. Come on,” She said, jolting out.
Her friends watched as she disappeared in the night.
“Is it me, or is she getting, ya know? Weird with all these tele… whatever it’s called?” Rainbow Dash commented.
Celestia thought back to Doctor Hooves’ words, then The Archivist. Confused for the moment, she stood up.
“Where she goes… we will follow?” she muttered.
“Princess?” the ponies said.
Celestia looked down at her unconscious sister.
“I’ll be right back, sister. I promise,” she said, rubbing her head on Luna’s.
Explosions were heard by the waterfront as Xenxus continued his rampage, using all his strength to take down Timaeus, The Archivist, and Doctor Hooves. Eager to take the trio down, Xenxus unleashed his defense mechanism, his electro-magnetic pulse. Slamming his hooves on the guard, his shockwave took everypony by surprise, knocking out both magic and electricity. Blacking out the city, Xenxus saw his advantage: darkness. Able to move like a bat, he knocked Timaeus into a building, the Archivist into a pond, and Doctor Hooves inside a local store. Seeing his success for the moment, Xenxus sensed the presence of the Element coming closer. He knew Twilight and her friends were coming for him. He flew up to a tall tower, with a disc like top. He roared out, echoing through the night.
On the way, Twilight heard the sound only to fly faster to the city. Followed from behind, the other ponies heard the sound and continued their pursuit. Passing Ponyville, Spike looked out from the balcony and called out to them. Rainbow Dash flew over.
“Spike!” she said.
“Where’s Twilight?” Spike asked.
“Heading to Seaddle,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Hop on!”
Spike jumped on Rainbow Dash’s back and continued to follow. Down below the town square, some ponies awoke from the sound drawing them outdoors in confusion. Mayor Mare walked outside and looked around. Soon she noticed Princess Celestia, traveling with Twilight’s friends.
“Princess? This is an unexpected surprise. ” Mayor Mare spoke.
“I apologize for waking all of you, however I must ask that all ponies stay indoors. Something has been prowling the skies and I fear it will continue,” Princess Celestia asked.
“A what?” one pony asked.
“Oh… just some ancient monstrous alicorn with a nightmare face, named Xenxus bent on destroying Equestria, ” Pinkie Pie said flippantly.
Immediately, hearing those words, everypony ran into their homes and locked their doors and windows. After a minute or two, the town was silent. The ponies looked around.
“Whoa… that was fast!” Pinkie Pie said as she happily hopped off out of the town.
Mayor Mare looked up to the Princess.
“You don't need to worry, Princess. We’ll keep safe. Good luck,” she replied as she returned to her home.
Timaeus charged up to Xenxus, knocking him down from the tower, but he quickly regained his balance. However, his advantage ran out as power began to slowly restore itself and Xenxus was unable to unleash another burst of his negating magic so soon. As light was restored, The Archivist and Doctor Hooves glanced the area and noticed minor damages to nearby buildings.
“We need to avoid destruction made by Xenxus in this city. Canterlot was enough, but if he continues this...”
The Archivist looked troubled and Doctor Hooves turned.
“Madame Archivist?” he said.
“I sense Twilight is very near but I can’t communicate with her!” The Archivist said.
Doctor Hooves tilted his head.
“Xenxus’ magic was powerful enough to disable some of our powers,” Doctor Hooves replied.
“Worry not, I already told her,” Timaeus, speaking telepathically to both The Archivist and Doctor Hooves.
“Then we must continue to buy time until they arrive,” Doctor Hooves said.
“She better find us fast, because we won’t be able to hold Xenxus off for too long.” She sighed.
Timaeus sensed the Archivist’s feelings, and even he had to agree. Xenxus was not showing any mercy this time, but unleashing all his might on the ponies, even if that meant tearing down every single city. Determined to stop him, they continued to use whatever magic they had left slowing down Xenxus’ progress.
Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a purple and pink streak blazed through the sky as Twilight charged to Xenxus. Her horn lit up and she shot magic at him fiercely. He sped to the side, and the magic barely grazed him, but before he could gloat, he realized he was badly hurt on his wing.
“Impossible!” he whispered.
“Twilight!” The Archivist called out.
Immediately, they realized something glowing from her pack. Xenxus’, even with his half blind eyes, noticed the brightness as it blinked. Down below, Princess Celestia, Spike, and the rest of Twilight’s friends arrived and hurried to The Archivist and Doctor Hooves.
Xenxus finally concluded that he was at a major disadvantage. Unable to unleash his cancellation spell and weakened from all the fighting, he used whatever power he had left to attack Twilight. Celestia wouldn't stand for it. Through the dark, her magic shone like a beacon as she drew up a mighty spell before her. Timaeus smiled to himself and lit his horn up with energy and shot it forward, joining it with Celestia's. The Archivist stepped up and added her power as well. Their magic fused, Celestia threw it with tremendous force at Xenxus. With a massive impact, was struck and slammed to the ground, where he lay, dazed for long enough for Twlight to draw back to catch her breath. She flew downward to her friends.
“Spike? I thought I told you to stay in Ponyville,” she said.
“No way, Twilight. We're all worried about you,” Spike replied. “Maybe we're not really strong enough to be in this fight, but there's no way we all wouldn't wanna be here to cheer you on. Plus, I can't wait to see you stop the grin off that gross monster's face!”
Twilight could only be speechless and hide her tears of happiness as her friends all agreed. They were interrupted, though, by a mighty roar as Xenxus got to his hooves.
“I… WILL… STOP… YOU!!!!” he raged out.
Suddenly, Princess Celestia used her magic against, him knocking him to the a nearby hillside.
“I will not let you harm my subjects, you monster! Not only them, but for my sister, I will strike you down, you demon!” she yelled.
Xenxus found this attitude of Princess Celestia quite unsuspecting, yet he continued to fight, only to be knocked down again by Timaeus. Princess Celestia charged towards him, horn lowered, but was blocked off by Timaeus.
“Out of my way. This demon attacked my sister and my subjects. He must pay for what he did,” Princess Celestia asserted.
“Princess Please, he's baiting you! He wants you to unleash the same rage your sister went through when she became Nightmare Moon. He draws power from your negative emotions.”
In that moment, everypony knew what Xenxus was on Equestria for. The truth was finally revealed that he wanted the kingdom to turn against itself, by baiting the rulers to unleash their dark side. Princess Celestia then realized her sister's nightmare was to unleash Nightmare Moon and to use her to fight, devastating the kingdom. Xenxus stood back up, sneering.
“Oh yes, it's true,” he said. “But you're almost too far gone, aren't you? You can't even focus! You want to kill me yourself? I suppose it's the only way to stop me from tearing your sister apart!”
He spread his wings and Princess Celestia immediately charged towards him. She slammed into him, but then was knocked away by Xenxus’ powerful wings and he pounced her, biting her. She cried out but knocked him back with her horn. He stumbled away, but licked his lips. He had drained enough of her magic, like a vampire, to leave her weakened.
“PRINCESS CELESTIA!!!”
Twilight and her friends quickly ran over to assist the downed Princess. Xenxus turned to Timaeus.
“What will your pathetic queen say now, filth?” he laughed.
Timaeus charged in, but before Xenxus could knock him away with his wing the Archivist used her last bit of magic to hit him in the face. Knocking him into a rock, a cloud of of smoke and debris blinded the ponies for a short period. As the dust continued to billow, Twilight called to her mentor. Trying to get up, she looked up to Twilight.
“Twilight. He's right. Don't give in to... anger... Stop... him...” Princess Celestia fainted in exhaustion.
Twilight’s eyes widened. She could only feel sorrow, yet rage. Suddenly, the Element of Time, still inside her pack began to blink.
“What’s it doing, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked.
Twilight opened her pack and the Element began to float into the air, above Twilight and her friends.
“NO!!! THE ELEMENT OF TIME!!!” Xenxus yelled out.
Twilight turned.
“You'll pay, Xenxus,” she said.
She leaped at him and he rocketed upwards into the sky. She followed, shooting magic at him in fury. He sneered and dodged, and even though his magic was drained from so much fighting, she still couldn't hit him. He twirled in midair and slapped her down with his tail, and she crashed to the ground. Her friends made to race to her side, but she shot up into the air again. Celestia's words echoed in her mind, though. Twilight took a deep breath in the clean, sky air and tried to calm down. Yes, she was angry, but what she really needed was to be smart.
Xenxus came at her, putting her on the defensive, but she dodged out of the way, staying on the side of his body with the punctured wing. He was much slower, there, and the wind whistled through the membrane.
Watching from below, Fluttershy cradled Celestia's head as Rarity used her magic to help bandage her wounds. They weren't deep, but she was bleeding a little.
“We gotta help Twilight out!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“The battle's too fast,” The Archivist snapped. “And most of us can't even get up there.”
“What about you, huh?" Rainbow Dash demanded of Timaeus. “Aren't you a god or something? Help her out, for cryin' out loud!”
“I am not a god,” he corrected. “I am afraid of hitting Twilight with any projectiles. However--"
He was about to continue, but he felt Twilight begin to speak in his mind.
“Timaeus. I need you to distract him. Just for a moment. The Element said fire would work.”
The alicorn's eyes widened. He smiled a little. He summoned a ball of flame at the tip of his horn and then a second one, which he could hold in his hoof. He passed it to Rainbow Dash.
“It won't burn until you throw it,” he said. “Come with me. Your Princess has an idea.”
“She's not my princess, she's my friend,” Rainbow said with a frown. “I'm with you."
As Twilight danced in the air, rather suddenly, a light caught her eye, but she stayed staring at Xenxus. He faltered for just a moment. Twilight shot him in the other wing and he roared and raced towards her. He missed his mark by just a fraction as Rainbow Dash whipped her fireball at his head. The wind from his wings sent her twirling and, to her horror, the Element of Time plummeted from her bag.
The shimmering caught Spike's eye and he raced to catch it, having to dive along the ground to do so.
“I got got!” he called out.
Xenxus saw him at the same time as Twilight did, and he dove down to the ground. Hurriedly, Applejack and Pinkie Pie stood with him protectively and Rainbow Dash raced downwards to meet them.
“Give that to me, you slimy reptile,” Xenxus snared.
Spike could only freeze in terror as his eyes locked on Xenxus’ eyes.
“SPIKE, RUN!” Twilight yelled as she tried to right herself.
“Let’s see how much you care for him,” Xenxus whispered, and he raced ahead and knocked the ponies aside and sent Spike tumbling down the cliff. Luckily Rainbow Dash appeared to save Spike and flew to meet Twilight as she landed on the top of the hill to face Xenxus. From behind, the rest of her friends appeared by her side. Xenxus was deeply surprised.
“This fellowship is strong, but not strong enough to beat me.”
“Sorry, you ugly goon. As Twilight's friends, we’ll always be there for her to fight alongside her,” Rainbow Dash spoke.
“We don't need rage to beat you,” Twilight said with a smile.
Her body began to glow, as did those of her friends, and a full spectrum of colours emerged. To the pale alicorn's surprise, they emerged from the light glowing and transformed to utilize their Rainbow Power. He frowned and bared his fangs.
“You fools, don’t lecture me about friendship. A bond between friends dies away sooner or later, but the bond between siblings is invincible. I’m doing this in honor of my brothers.” Xenxus growled as he charged at them.
The Element of Time glowed and with the combined force of the Rainbow Powers, a bright light struck Xenxus head on, creating a radiant explosion from on top of the hill. The light lit up the skies of Seaddle like a bomb exploding and almost to a point of blinding ponies. After a few seconds, the light faded. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, and the rest looked and noticed Xenxus was turned to stone on the spot, frozen as he charged towards them. Suddenly, they looked and noticed Twilight continued to glow until her lower body began to harden into stone.
“No. It can’t be…! The Element’s side effect,” she whispered.
Before anypony could do a thing, Twilight was fully turned to stone. Terrified, her friends rushed over to her, but sadly, it wasn’t fake. She was turned to stone, indicating the Element of Time saw her as unworthy to wield its power, and vanished without a trace. Spike walked over and touched the stone. All he could do is cry.
“TWILIGHT! WAKE UP, PLEASE!!” Spike wailed.
Pounding on Twilight's frozen body, Spike slid to his knees, losing all hope. Twilight’s friends mourned in tears, each one begging for her to wake up. Doctor Hooves and The Archivist stood beside each other and could shed a tear for the loss. The Archivist fell to her knees.
“This is my fault. I failed you, my master. I’m sorry,” she cried.
Timaeus heard her cry and landed on the ground to observe the scene. He winced. Knowing how much Twilight dedicated her time to save Equestria from destruction, walked over to the stone. The Archivist and Doctor Hooves looked up. Twilight's friends tried to block his way.
“This is your fault, Timaeus!” Rainbow Dash flew up in his face. “You knew this would happen! You guys all knew that stupid Element of Time could do this, and you made her do it anyway?! Turn her back! Fix her right now!”
“You must'nt speak to the master like that,” The Archivist said. “He's--”
“I don't care!” Rainbow Dash said. “I don't care how big, or how tough, or how strong, you mess with Twilight, you mess with all of us!!”
Glancing at her response, he realized Rainbow Dash's loyatly towards Twilight was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Noticing her teary eyes, along with her other friends, he stood calmly and smiled slightly. Walking past them like nothing, he approached the stone unicorn and bowed his head. By surprise, his unihorn glowed and then the stone began to glow. The Archivist and Doctor Hooves walked up.
“Master…” Doctor Hooves whispered. “But... it's forbidden.”
“The Element of Time may have judged her unworthy,” Timaeus said. “But I have not. She has sacrificed more than enough already, don't you agree?”
At that moment, Timaeus spoke an ancient language that made Twilight's body glow. As the stone’s light died down, Twilight laid on the ground, breathing heavily. Quickly, her friends rushed to assist her in disbelief.
“You alright, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
“Wha… what happened?” Twilight groaned.
Pinkie Pie was about to explain, but she was drowned out by the weeping mess of ponies and the small dragon that all piled onto Twilight to hug her close. Pinkie Pie laughed through her tears and joined them. Twilight smiled bashfully.
“Wow… Wait. Did we win?” Twilight asked.
Her friends pointed and saw Xenxus, turned to stone.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Twilight hugged all her friends but then got up and headed towards Princess Celestia. She shook her gently and then gave her a small bit of magic from her own horn. Celestia opened her eyes. She smiled.
“I know... I know that look. Congratulations, my dear Twilight.”
Twilight smiled with relief and the others ran over and helped Celestia up. There were many hugs all around.
Timaeus, The Archivist, and Doctor Hooves watched them from behind, and each broke a smile. Timaeus walked to the stoned Xenxus and stared deeply at it.
“If there’s one thing you underestimated, Xenxus, it’s the courage these group of friends showed and the will to sacrifice. Something you and your brothers lack,” he whispered.
Twilight noticed Timaeus by what remained of Xenxus. Curiously, she walked to him.
“What happens now? To Xenxus and the Element of Time?” she asked.
Timaeus turned to her.
“I will put Xenxus in a place where he can never return to Equestria. As for the Element of Time, it found itself a new resting place, where it will remain undisturbed,” Timaeus responded.
“But, what happened to me, exactly?” she asked. “Through all that crying, they said the Element turned me to stone. I thought that was permanent.”
“You forget I made the Element,” Timaeus said gently. “I alone can reverse its side effects.”
“Thank you. But what do we do now? So much has been destroyed? What will we do?” Twilight asked.
“As a matter of fact, you don't have to do a thing,” Timaeus replied, as his eyes glowed.
Twilight awoke suddenly, not even aware she had been asleep, and noticed she was in her bedroom the same place she was much earlier. Curious, she looked over to see Spike who was sound asleep. Confused at what had occurred ran outside and realized it was the next evening. Witnessing the streets empty and quiet, The Archivist walked into her room.
“You’re wondering what had happened?” she said.
Twilight turned.
“Yes. But how. How did--?” Twilight was interrupted.
“Timaeus is the Master of Time, and thus he has the capability of controlling time itself. In this case, he returned everything back to normal. If you went around and asked everypony what had occurred, they will not respond because they do not remember. Something Timaeus is known for,” The Archivist replied.
“But the Princesses? The Castle? Guards?” Twilight asked.
“They are all fine. The Castle was restored to the way it was before. It was never destroyed. As for Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and the guards, they are all okay. What you need is rest,” The Archivist responded.
Twilight could only become speechless. How could one single Alicorn return everything back to normal? That made her think, but then shook her head. All she wanted to know was if everypony was okay. Satisfied, she waved to the Archivist and returned to her castle. The Archivist, returning a wave, wasn’t all satisfied, however.
Xenxus’ appearance on Equestria deeply questioned her to a point of major concern. More specifically, how did he escape Tartarus? As night fell, she too felt exhausted from a long night and decided to return to her home to rest. Yet, at the same time, she still felt troubled by the recent incident. Then again, she continued to ignore it and could only think about sleep.
As all of Ponyville went to sleep, a ghostly figure walked through the town, as quiet as a predator, seeking its prey. Once it viewed Twilight’s castle, the ghostly figure grinned.
“You will pay… Twilight Sparkle…” the ghostly figure spoke as it vanished.
Hearing the voice echo in her mind, Twilight awoke. Thinking it was only a dream, she fell back to sleep. Doctor Hooves, who happened to been awake, heard the echo in his mind, which he realized, from the start of Xenxus’ appearance, the entire incident was orchestrated. The true mastermind behind this was the mystery. Tired from the incident, he decided to rest and recuperate.
“First Khaoios and now Xenxus...? Something is truly wrong and Ifear something far worse will reappear. Yet…are we ready?”
As the long, starry night sky continued, crickets chirped furiously along the coastline. Crabs of all shapes and sizes scavenging for food went to a nearby hill of sand. There, ruins of a strange structure lay, undisturbed. Looking for food, the crabs came across an orange crystal, shining dimly. Curious, they approached it, only to be blinded suddenly, with a force, pushing them away. In an instant, the beach shook, like an earthquake, only this was no earthquake. Something was disturbed.
As the mountain of sand exploded, a large, suspension bridge-like structure was revealed, and there, a bright light shone, and a form struggled to its feet. Animals nearby fled in fear of the creature, only for its light to dim to total darkness. Standing up on its many legs, a crab looked up and noticed it was no ordinary creature. There was a long silence, until the creature roared out, echoing throughout the silent night. In Cloudsdale, StoneColt Hoover awoke suddenly from his sleep and ran to a window. He looked up into the night sky and could only think of one name… Khaoios.