> The Sun and the Clover
>  by BG9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Clover's Successor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A dime piece, she was, a perfect portrait of femininity with long locks of hair reaching past her shoulders, rows of gold and red like a rainbow. Anon simply could not keep his eyes off her until a nudge to his right, the culprit another girl sitting down next to her. Her hair was a shade of light blue – so light in fact that he nearly mistaken it for white – garbed in a witch outfit decorated with stars.

“Don’t even try it,” She said with a smirk. “She’s way out of your league.”

“Out of my league?” Anon repeated quizzically.

She nodded, like a detective putting a case together. “Right. You must be new to Canterlot High.”

That he was, he’ll give her that. He’d only transferred to this school from another nearly 4 states away. Anon was about to realize, however, just how out of place he truly was.

“Well yeah,” He confirmed. “Just transferred today actually.”

The girl rolled her eyes, almost as if in exasperation.

“Well as I’ve said before, she’s way out of your grasp. Sunset Shimmer, not only is she a noble, but she’s also saved the school from magical anomalies multiple times.”

Anon was no longer quizzical, but skeptical, fixing this girl with a skeptic look. Is she insane? Does she suffer from schizophrenia? Magical anomalies? A noble?!

“Alright, is this some sort of bullshit initiation? Trying to see what the gullible newbie can fall for?”

It was now her turn to look at him quizzically, now longer mildly amused, before disbelief came over her. “Wait a minute: you do know what kind of school this is, right?”

Anon let out an impatient sigh. “If I say yes, will you leave me alone?” He asked.

She only giggles. “Not likely. To be honest, you should be thanking me; The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t talk to just anyone you know?”

Alright, it’s official; this girl is a nutcase. A nutjob. A complete nut, A complete bag of nuts. Anon could only hope that the rest of the students were normal, or at the very least, not as unhinged as the girl next to him. He turned his head back to Sunset Shimmer only to see that she was now focused intently on him, both of their heads whipped away, almost as if being caught doing something shameful. Trixie rolled her eyes once more.

“But honestly, you do know what kind of school this is?”

The repetition of her earlier question made him feel uneasy. “It’s just a high school.”

He tried to mask his uneasiness, but he failed horribly, Trixie’s eyes widening. “I think you’ve gotten on the wrong bus,” She said. “Perhaps, this may clue you in.”

She presented to him, her hand, the back of it. He watched with growing shock, her hand began to glow a vibrant blue forming a mark; a wand, it seemed, with a blue mist around it. And just like a magic trick, it vanished no sooner than it had appeared. As wide as dinner plates, Anon’s eyes were.

“How in the world did you do that? Some kind of illusion?” Anon asked, enthralled.

Trixie giggled again. “It must be fate, a mere mortal wouldn’t even be able to see the bus, let alone cross the barrier surrounding it. You must have latent magical potential.”

Anon’s face went pale. A joke. This had to all be a sick joke. An elaborate prank to screw with his mind. Magic? And an invisible bus? No damn way this was true. He caught another glimpse at Sunset only to be surprised even more. She wore completely different clothes from what she was wearing mere moments ago, and in her hand a metallic, two-pronged stick with an orange-red light at the end. Anon took a deep breath.

“Alright, so say I believe in this magic thing? Where do I go from here?” It was the logical question to ask.

“Well get enrolled here,” She gave a sly smile. “Unless of course, you want to be executed for meddling in our affairs.”

He turned his head back to Trixie only to see that she too had changed her clothes in the blink of an eye, now wearing a blue robe. “Do I get a robe like that?” He asked.

She held in a laugh. “You humans always crack me up,” She said. “Of course not, this is a two-year robe and you’re obviously a newbie; you’d never get into a two-year class. Your little crush up there has a five-year robe.” She explained.

Anon nodded. “How many years are there?” He asked.

“Same as your cute little human schools: 12 years. Your latent ability will determine what year you qualify for,” She said. “I wouldn’t hold your breath for anything higher than year one.”

Anon finally felt his nerves begin to relax. “Ok, ok, this isn’t so bad. Magic is pretty cool.” He assured himself.

Trixie only smiled coyly. “Oh you and I are going to get along just peachy newbie.” She said.

A scowl painted his face. “I have a name you know?”

His scowl only deepened when she shrugged nonchalantly before her face lit up. “Oh, you may want to hold on; things are about to get… turbulent shall we say.” She warned.

No sooner had she said that had his body been utterly crushed as the bus lurched forward like a plane in take-off, the g-force alone was enough to make his body feel like melted butter under a steam press. He could no longer write this off as some elaborate prank once the pressure had vanished. A dazzling array of blue and white light lay just beyond the window, making it look as if they had just been sucked through a wormhole.

In no time at all, Anon found himself in a place that was both familiar, yet different. The bus soared over a town with cobblestone pathways and stone houses, ripped right out of medieval England. But that wouldn’t be the most surprising sight as right in front of the bus lay a castle so massive, it may as well be five to six castles amalgamated together. It almost looked as if itself was another town.

“Get your mouth off the floor rookie. That’s Canterlot High, the one and only school for mages.”

Hearing Trixie’s voice snapped him out of his trance. “It’s absolutely massive, I’ve never seen a single structure so big.” He marveled.

She scoffed. “It has to be this school receives nearly 100,00 students each year, and that’s the average. Anything less massive wouldn’t do.”

Anon was simply floored at this point, besides himself, baffled at the surprising turn of events. It was hard to imagine something on such a scale to be feasible, let alone possible. Magic at this point didn’t seem so out of the realm of possibility anymore. He heard footsteps walking down the aisles, his gaze raising to meet the cutie he had his eye on. In her hand a checklist as she passed rows of prospective and returning students until she finally made it to his row.

“Anon E. Mouse.” She said, certain this was his name only to ask to clarify.

“Correct.” He confirmed.

She nodded. “That’s a name I’ve never heard before, let’s see here.” She said, flipping through the pages on her clipboard, a shocked expression coming across her face. “Well this isn’t something you see everyday; a student with no history of magic and doesn’t hail from a magical bloodline.” She stated, simply amazed. “A student like yourself has only been seen since the Magic Silver Age.” She said. “Can you use a Magic Crest yet?” She asked.

“Magic Crest?”

His repetition of her question confirmed her suspicions. “I’m not surprised you don’t have one. You see; a Magic Crest is the amalgamation of a mage families work, dating back generations.” His continuously furrowing eyebrow showed that she was making no sense in his eyes. “Think of it like this: the Magic Crest is passed down from family heir to family heir and is the culmination of each previous heir’s magical ability. Everything such as their memories, abilities, and talents will be directly transferred to you. This is usually done when the previous heir of the family relinquishes their title to you.”

If Anon was confused before, he was haplessly baffled now, his brain a mess of mush and magic mumbo jumbo so hot he could barely comprehend half of what she just said. She sees his distress, smiling sympathetically. “Here, let me show you.” She said, presented her hand to him. And just like Trixie’s hand before her, hers began to glow with an orange and red in color. Next, a symbol similar to the Yin-Yang symbol appeared, this time utilizing a sun with an S sliver separating two contrasting globes of golden and deep red.

“My family is matriarchal, meaning the heir is female, mine was given to me by my mother. My family specializing in Solar Magic. My mother’s memories and magical ability have been transferred to me and I’ve been recognized as head of the Shimmer Family.”

Trixie scoffed once more. “Sunset got lucky.” She said. “Usually people don’t acquire their Magic Crest till their 30s or 40s, sometimes later. I still have yet to claim my own.” She explained.

“I only ask if you have a Magic Crest to see if it may have been planted there without your knowledge.” Sunset continued. “It’s not uncommon for mages facing prosecution to transfer the work of their family to their children, or even strangers in some cases.” She said. “Hold out your hand please.” She requested.

He obeyed her order, holding his hand out, a rush of butterflies fluttering in his stomach when her hands grasped his own. “This isn’t going to hurt, is it?” He asked cautiously.

She shook her head. “Not at all. It’s a simple trick really, all you have to do is run your own magical energy through someone’s hand and-” Her explanation was cut short, both her and Trixie’s mouth were agape as a bright green clover enveloped his wrist. Neither of them could believe what they were seeing.

Anon raised a skeptical eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Is the Crest good or something?” He inquired quizzically.

Sunset quickly composed herself. “When we arrive at the school, we’re going to the headmaster’s office immediately.”

Shit. The headmaster’s office? Immediately? That was never a good sign. Sunset rushed back to the front of the bus, Trixie tapping his shoulder with a serious expression on her face.

“Does the name Clover the Clever mean anything to you?”
> Judgement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He thought for a moment. Clover the Clever? It certainly didn't sound familiar.

"Why? Is he someone important?"

Trixie looked almost offended by the question

"she is one of the most influential and accomplished mages to ever take a breathe on earth is who she is. She invented an entire genre of magic and is theorized to have saved the entire magic world from extinction! That is who Clover the Clever is!"

"Clearly an important figure in our history."

"Important doesn't even do it justice! But she is also one of the most puzzling figures in our history books. Nearly one thousand, five hundred years ago, she vanished without a trace. And you have her Magic Crest."

"How did I end up with that?"

"I was about to ask you the same question." she said "Do you have any weird dreams? Any memories you're not sure are your own?"

"I can't say I do. I don't have dreams very often. Certainly no memories I'm unsure are mine."

"Well if anyone will know what's going on, it's Headmaster Rom." Trixie chuckles to herself "Oh I only wish I could be there to see the look on your face when you meet him."

"Why? Is he an odd person or something?"

Trixie could hardly contain her amusment

"Oh you'll see." she said "It would be impolite of me to spoil such a grand surprise."

The bus began to descend as it approached the castle ground, coming to a gentle stop outside of the tall stone wall that surrounded the entire thing. After a few seconds, the bricks slowly began to move on their own, creating a hole big enough for the bus to pass through. The bus drove a few feet to a large black tower before coming to a final stop and the driver instructed everyone to exit. As Anon exited however, Sunset grabbed his  shoulder and pulled him to the side.

"So Trixie just explained everything to me and-"

Sunset cut him off

"You have no idea of the gravity of this situation. This is a discovery of untold proportions. For now you must maintain absolute secrecy you understand? I can't guarantee someone won't try to kill you and steal the crest from your corpse. It's more valuable than the entire world."

"Apparently she was a pretty influential person so I hear."

"That's an understatement. She created an entirely new field of study by age fifteen. A new field study that, to this day, is one of the most challenging to master. There are headmaster's with family tree's extending back to the dawn of magic who haven't even come close to the level that Clover was. She was a visionary. The best comparison I could draw to that of mortals is that of the Wright Brothers. She fundamentally changed the way the magic world behaved and saved it  from certain doom."

Two burly men in black robes begin to walk towards them and Anon could feel sweat run down his neck. These were the type of people who looked like they could break him in a thousand different ways with their bare hands. One of them spoke in a deep, forceful voice.

"The headmaster wishes to speak with you. This way please."

Sunny whispers "Don't worry about them. They're security guards here for the school. Very trustworthy."

"You too, Sunset Shimmer." the other one said

Sunset looked confused but didn't question them, merely followed close behind. They followed them to another tower not far off. Inside, at the base of the long spiral staircase were ten floating orbs, each of different colors. The first man places his hand on the white orb, instantly vanishing. The second man grabs Anon's arm with quite a bit force, making sure it was on the white orb as well. He felt a sinking feeling before blinking and seeing he was in a completely different place.

In front of him was a hallway that led to a circular room. The walls were just one giant book shelf the stretched the entire perimeter of the office. At the end of the hallway was a large wooden desk with papers, books, and pens scattered about. A large red carpet lined the floor and the whole office seemed to have a dim blue glow to it, yet there were no obvious signs of any light sources. It was as if the room itself was glowing.

"Welcome to the White-Gold Tower Mr. Mouse. This way please."

The man gave him a strong nudge and he walked down the hall, Sunset following close behind. The security officer that entered before they had was already standing at the desk. He rang the bell and a creature walked out to the desk. Anon could hardly believe his eyes as he saw a spider with close to thirty eyes and a circular mouth with sharp jaws walk towards them.

"Is this the one you discussed?" he asked one of the guards

He had a surprisingly human voice. It was deep but welcoming, almost like that of a sweet and loving grandfather welcoming his son home after not seeing him for years. Yet those pitch black eyes and tiny hairs covering the entire body of this grotesque beast were so off putting.

"Yes sir." said the guard "The one with the crest."

The giant, disgusting spider turned it's thirty eyes to him

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am the headmaster of this school, Rom. But most simply call me Headmaster."

"The pleasure is mine." Anon managed to choke out

"So." he started, his voice becoming noticeably more stern "How was it you came to posses a magic crest of one of the greatest Magi who ever walked the face of this world?"

"I'm not sure, sir. In fact, up until now I had no idea magic even existed."

"Is that right? Hm." 

Rom began to pace back and forth, each of his eight legs making a noticeable thump as it hit the floor like that of a dumbbell hitting carpet.

"Well there is one way to be sure that you're telling the truth. Keep in mind however that if you're lying to me you will almost certainly be executed."

"I understand, sir."

"This way please."

He followed Rom to another desk to the right of the larger one. He reached into  the cupboard above it and pulled out a cup filled to the very brim with water. It was amazing that he didn't spill a drop while  placing it down on the desk.

"If you'd please place your hands at base of this cup without touching it and concentrate hard on the center. It will determine whether or not we enroll you or throw you in the dungeon for high treason against the magical world. No pressure."

Amazing he could be joking at a time like this. Anon did exactly as he instructed yet nothing happened. The glass of water simply sat there. Rom studied the glass closely, as if observing something completely invisible to him.

"Ah yes. It's clear to me now." he paused for a moment "You are indeed innocent. Consider yourself enrolled. However a word of caution: tell no one of your crest, at least not until you're able to defend yourself. People far more powerful than I would surely have an interested in removing it from you."

Anon nodded, letting out a huge sigh of relief

"Yes, sir. I won't tell a soul."

"Happy to hear it. You're dismissed. Please go to Tower Forty-Two for your orientation. Sunset can lead you there. I believe you're heading the orientation this year correct?"

Sunset nods

"Yes, sir. It's an honor."

"An honor you've earned. Anyway, you are dismissed. If you use the green orb you'll be able to get there instantly."

He and Sunset started to walk down the hall before Rom called out to them again

"Oh and one more thing before you leave."

Before he even had time to react, Anon felt a searing, unholy pain in his eyes. It was as if someone had taken a hot iron bar and pressed it directly against his eyes. It took everything in his power not to scream in pain. As quickly as it appeared however, the pain was gone.

"Sorry about that. I placed a rune inside your eyes. If your eyes should ever detect a threat more powerful than you can handle, the rune will activate and summon me directly to your defense. It is quite painful however. I hope you'll forgive me."

He rubbed his eyes, the vision finally starting to return.

"It's fine. Just a little warning next time?"

Rom simply waved and Anon and Sunny teleported to the forty-second tower for their orientation.
> Generosity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In just a blink of an eye Anon and Sunny stood in a large auditorium. Literally hundreds of students sat in the seats overlooking the theater. It was like a rainbow. Students dressed in robes from white to pink and every color in between. Not only that, but it was packed with people of all ages, some looking as young as ten while others looked to be retirement age. This really was one hell of a place. Anon was half expecting to be woken up by an alarm clock at this point. It was hard to believe this was anything but a dream.

"Psst! Anon! Over here!"

It was Trixie, sitting at the end of one of the middle rows. With her blue robe and pointy hat she really did look like a stereotypical witch. He walked through the rows, taking a seat beside her.

"So," Trixie began, holding back laughter "How'd it go?"

"Well you weren't wrong." he said "The headmaster was definitely not what I was expecting."

"You mean a talking spider?"

"Yes. Let's just say I'm pretty well convinced about this whole magic thing now."

Anon cocked his head to see Sunset Shimmer take the stage, followed by four other girls.

"Oh! Quiet. The show is starting." Trixie said

Sunset pressed her wand to her neck and her voice amplified nearly two fold, as if she were speaking into a megaphone

"First I would like to thank the students of last years Fourth Consulate for electing me as Lead Assistant Orientation Director. We will now list the students who will be under our care for the reminder of the season."

Sunset flicked her wrist and from her wand a list emerged. She read down the list the names of fifteen students, Anon's being one. 

"Would the students I just named please make their way to the stage please."

Trixie nudged his shoulder

"Good luck newbie."

Anon snickered at her before walking up to the stage to stand in a line with the other students

"We will now be determining what robe and house you qualify for." Sunset explained "You will each step forward one by one to be judged in the order in which you were called up"

A nervous looking young man stepped up first and Sunset aimed her wand directly at him. The little ball of light at the end of her wand zoomed out, going straight into the man's chest. The man's entire body flashed green three times. After the orb returned to Shimmer's wand, she made a quick jot on her clipboard and the next student stepped up. Sunset performed the same action, only this students body glowed brown and flashed four times. Each student went up seemed to flash either green or brown, sometimes rarely another color and all of them flashed anywhere from one to six times. Finally Anon was up.

The ball shot straight into his chest. It was a burning feeling, but nothing altogether unpleasant. Almost like taking a shot of whisky, but the burn was a little deeper. His body shined a bright yellow and flashed a total of five times. Sunset made another quick mark on her clipboard and the remaining students got their assignments. Once that process was completed, Sunset crumpled the paper and shot it with her wand, making it burst into flames. From the flames, small embers sprung forth, striking each student in the chest. Instead of being burned however, a button was now pinned to their chest. Anon's read L:Y H:5 

"Each of you have been given a button with your assignment on it." Sunset explained "The L represents your level or year and this is signified by the color of your robe. Brown is the first year, blue the second, green the third, yellow the fourth, red the fifth, orange the sixth. No new students are permitted to practice beyond orange. if your button states a different color than the ones just listed, please notify me. Next your house. There are six houses here: Magic, Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Generosity and Kindness. The order in which I listed them are in the order in which the flashes were. For example Magic is one flash, Honesty two, Laughter three, and so on"

Anon rolled his eyes. Those were some dumb names for houses. Sunset continued her explaintion

"These are the values this school hopes to help you cultivate and the pillars to magic." she said "I belong to House Kindness. One you go into the next room you will be able to get your robs and directions to your dorms. Any questions?"

He looked at his badge again. Fourth year, Generosity House. He couldn't wait to rub that in Trixie's smug, second-year face. What was weird was the house assignment. Anon wasn't all the generous, in fact he was rather selfish by most metrics. Perhaps it matched you with the value you were most deficient in.

"No questions? Excellent." Sunset pointed to a door at the left side of the room "Then if you would step through that door there you will be given your next instructions as well as a method to reach me. Remember, my priority is your success so never hesitate to drop in for help whether it be with class or personal trouble. Good luck."

Anon and the other students filed into the the next room, a long, stone hallway with a desk halfway down. The desk was odd in the way that it was barred, as if it were some sort of jail cell. Sitting at the desk was a rather portly old man in a purple robe.

"Please form an orderly line and hand me your badges." he called out "Once you do I will give you your robe and instructions on how to get to your dorm."

The line moved pretty fast and he was there in no time. He was handed the man his badge and the man chuckled a bit.

"Generosity house huh? Could've been worse. The House Headmistress is quite strict though. Hopefully you're ready to preform military grade excellence."

In a flash of purple light, a long, rather ratty rucksack appeared at his feet and the man slid a piece of paper through the bars.

"On that paper you will be given instructions on how to get to your house and the room number as well as how to unlock the door. You will be getting at least three roommates as well."

"Thank you, sir."

He picked up the bag and was surprised by the weight. It must of at least been thirty or more pounds. No way there were just robes in this thing. Anon made his way to the end of the hall and outside, opening the slip of paper. The sky had become overcast and a chilled wind brushed his body. The sooner he got to the House, the better. He unfurled the paper to find it had quite a bit  of information on it. His name, address, birth date, even his hobbies. Then of course the directions. It was all the way on the other side of the campus.

He groaned and began to make his way to the House. No use complaining about it. Especially since it looked like it could rain at any moment. As he made his journey he began to appreciate just how absolutely colossal this area was. Not only was it large in terms of amount of space it took up, but the scale was also impressive. Some of the towers were as tall as sky scrapers. Gargoyles and intricate stone work were present on almost every building, like some sort of grand cathedral. Even the pope would be humbled in a place so grandiose.

It took Anon a full half hour just to get to Generosity house, thankfully the rain hadn't started in that entire time. The house looked almost like a mini castle, moat included. It was about as wide as a small apartment building and extended a mere three stories into the air. It's entrance was a large wooden draw bridge and the front door was adorned with two long white banners, each only displaying a single blue diamond at the center. It certainly was nothing short of  immaculate. Even the dirt itself seemed to sparkle.

"You got generosity house too huh?"

Anon nearly jumped out his skin. He was so busy admiring the architecture that he didn't even notice a beautiful woman with long black hair standing beside him.

"Oh, my apologies. Did I startle you?"

"No, no it's alright. I was just lost in thought is all."

The girl held out her hand

"The name's Coloratura. It's nice to meet you."

He shook her hand

"Anon. It's nice to meet you too."

"So what color did you get? I got blue. Pretty good for someone who just started I'd say."

"I'm a yellow."

Coloratura let out a little chirp of surprise.

"Wow! You must be pretty impressive at magic then!"

"Sorta..." Anon shifted around a bit "Guess you could say I have a strong magic crest."

"Oh really? What family do you come from? I bet you're a noble."

Well shit. Really should've seen that one coming.

"Uh... well my family likes to keep their affairs private. We're somewhat of an up and coming family and we don't really want to rock the boat."

Coloratura smiles sweetly

"Fair enough I suppose. I come from the Countess family. We specialize in musical magic."

"Musical Magic?"

"I know, I know." she said "It's not the most productive field or the one that leads to the most wealth. But I still firmly believe it has it's place in the world. We can't allow the soul of magecraft to be just be dominated with the science of it. The heart and the soul of magic have just as much value."

"Very true, very true."

At least he was doing a pretty good job at pretending he knew what he was talking about. And, by saving grace, the draw bridge begins to lower, distracting Coloratura from the conversation at hand. It seemed odd though. Out all of the students they were the only two at the gates of Generosity house. Maybe the rest of them would filter in later.

"I heard the headmistress here is pretty strict." Coloratura remarked 

"I did too. The guy back there said something about hoping I had military level perfection. Pretty intimidating."

"He said the same thing to  me. We can handle it though. It's pretty good preparation for mage craft if you ask me. A  good mage is a detail-oriented mage. At least that's what my mom always said."

The drawbridge finally tapped the ground, allowing the two to walk inside. It was even more impressive inside. The inside was made entirely from white marble and shined like a fresh cut diamond. Anon swore he could see his own reflection in the tiles. He could tell just from the lobby that the headmistress ran a tight ship. At the far end of the lobby was a girl in a pink robe, sitting at the desk.

"You're the new students I assume? Greetings. My name is Blossomforth, I'm Assistant Headmistress of Generosity House. Can I see your papers please?"

They walk over towards the desk, handing Blossomforth their papers. She gives them a quick skim before giving both of them a stamp.

"Excellent. We're please to welcome you here in Generosity House."

With a quick tap  of her wand on each paper, the writing completely changes. Now it had a list of rules and a calendar for the month. Blossomforth then placed two items on each page, a key and a dark purple diamond.

"I gave you a key to each of your rooms and your Generosity Stone. Do not lose either. Your orientation for Generosity House will begin at Nine PM tonight right here in the lobby. All you need is the generosity stone. Also, from this moment onward, you must be in your robes at all times. Any questions?"

The two of them shake their head

"Excellent. It's going to be a lot of information right out of the gate but I promise it gets easier. In the mean time feel free to go out into town to get the items on your list or just to tour. Classes do not officially begin for another week."

"Why such a long waiting period?" he asked

"A few reasons: first to give new students time to adjust. And two to give more senior students a chance to gather the materials they need. Some of their lists can be quite extensive and complicated."

"Thank you, miss Blossomforth." Coloratura said

"Oh and one final thing I forgot to mention: in your rooms you will find a student manual. Please read it thoroughly as it explains our school wide rules, House rules, and punishments for breaking them."

"We will."

They both begin to head too the stairs

"So which room did you get?" Coloratura asked

"403, you?" he replied

"Same actually. Looks like this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

"Sounds good to me. Weird they don't divide the houses by sex though."

"It's always been that way. Mages are much more... well behaved, to put it in a politically correct way, than mortals are. I'm surprised you didn't know that. Are noble families not teaching culture like they used too?"

"Well... I guess you could say I'm just a slacker."

Coloratura wiggled her finger

"You really shouldn't slack so much."

"Who are you, my mom?" he sarcastically replied

"Oh hardy har har."

The two of them laugh and make merry small talk as they head up to room 403, where the surprises would only continue.
> Welcome to the Wonderful World of Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment Anon entered the room he dropped his rucksack to the floor. Felt like if he carried it a second more his spine would snap in two. The room was quite nice for a college dorm room. The carpet was  blue and the walls white, a stain glass window at the end of the room overlooked the field towards the left of the house. The were two bunk beds on either side and beneath the window, a desk. A bit cramped, but not bad all things considered. Outside the rain began to pitter patter against the window, every now and again the sound of thunder cracked in the distance. Coloratura laid down on the bottom bunk on the right side.

"Well I think I'm going to nap a bit before going out to get my school supplies." she said with a yawn

"Works for me. I'll be here."

Anon took a seat at the desk and pulled the ruck sack and opened it to see just what was weighing it down so much. The first thing he found was a small scroll, inside it containing his schedule and a supply list for each class. Alchemy 403, Duel Etiquette, History: Magic Golden Age and Magic Silver Age, and Conjuration 401. Not really a bad grouping for first classes, except alchemy of course. That sounded incredibly boring.  The supply list was quite extensive, especially for alchemy. At least two books for each class, three for history, beakers and other lab equipment for alchemy, a wand, a journal, a planner and much, much more. This was going to cost him an arm and a leg! He very much doubted the five dollars and fifty cents he brought for lunch was going to cover even a single item on the list.

Anon reached back in his bad to see what else was within. Five sets of yellow robes, with three matching pairs of black boots and white silk gloves, a large leather book and a medium sized wooden chest. No wonder this thing was so heavy. He took one of the robes and, being sure to be out of view of the now sleeping Coloratura, tried it on. It felt great, like wearing pajamas. The leather book was next for investigation. He opened it up only to find the pages completely blank. Was this a journal or another trick?  He put the book to the side and in the time it took him to go through the list, Coloratura had woken up.

"Well that was the fastest nap I have ever seen. Did you ever get any sleep?"

"You didn't notice?" she asked "I altered time flow in my own body. I got close to five hours worth of sleep by running my mana through my body so thickly that it slowed my own internal time."

"Can you explain that to me like I'm an idiot?"

"Basically it's like this: I ran mana through my own brain and essentially fooling it into believing that time is going slower. So while I only got maybe fifteen minutes, I tricked my brain into believing it got more using a principal called magic dilation." she explained "Obviously it's not something you can use over and over, since eventually the actual lack of sleep will catch up to you, but it's good in a pinch."

"I'm just going to pretend that made any sense."

"For someone who comes from nobility you sure seem to know little about magic."

"I never said I came from a noble family."

"You're awfully lock and key aren't you?"

"A bit, yes."

"You want to go shopping for school supplies with me?"

"Sure. The problem is I don't have any money though."

There was a long pause

"You don't come from a magic family, do you Anon?"

Anon tensed up. What did he say that gave him away?

"How could you tell?"

"Any two-bit mage knows that transactions in the magus world do not occur with mortal money. We did away with it nearly forty years prior to the most famous age in history, the Magic Golden Age. Everyone is taught that in like grade school."

He leaned his back to the wall. No point in hiding things now.

"Well you caught me. I'm the first in my family to be a mage. Didn't even know I had the ability to preform magic."

Coloratura pauses a bit again, nodding and getting a smile

"Walk with me." she said "We'll go shopping and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

The two of them exit Generosity House, the rain starting to dissipate, and make their way to the town across from Canterlot High. It was quite the bustling area, full of all sorts of oddity. In the span of two minutes, Anon saw saw a monkey with two heads, a talking spear selling items at a booth, and a unicorn wearing a suit and tie while walking on two legs.

"Stay by me and let me do the talking." Coloratura said "They'll be able to tell you're a newbie and try to screw you."

Anon does as he's told, following closely as they walk through the cobblestone streets. It seemed more like a circus  than an actual town. After walking for about five minutes, they come to a large, ornate steel building and walked inside. It seemed so out of place in a town where most architecture  was made of  stone. The inside was a bit musky, leaving barely any space to walk. There were tomes on the shelves that seemed thousands of years old, staffs of all shapes and sizes, even body parts in jars. Towards the back of the room sat a rather old man at a desk missing one of his eyes.

"Welcome to Jerry's General Supply." the man said in a jolly, welcoming voice "Here for school supplies I'm guessing?"

Coloratura nodded

"That's correct. We'd like some wands."

"Right this way young lady."

The man, with a bit of effort, got up and took them into another room. The entire wall was lined with all sorts of wands. 

"Take your time. When you're ready to make your purchase, just see me at the front desk."

Coloratura tapped his shoulder

"This is a good time to go over the basics of wands. Not all wands are created equal. There are several categories:  Short wands, medium wands, staffs, and specialty wands."

Coloratura picked up a small wand, no bigger than a small dagger

"Short wands come in lengths anywhere between a single inch, to five. These are most often use for projectiles, fighting, and, in some instances, alchemy." she picked up a slightly longer wand "Medium wands are what you might call all purpose. You can use them for just about anything however they won't be as ideal for things other wands are more suited for."

She set the two wands back down and continued

"Staffs are for advanced magic, things like changing weather patterns, powerful magic arrays, and other highly advanced spells. You most often see staffs in grades 10-12 and beyond. Finally, specialty wands are exactly how they sound. Wands made for specific purposes and conditions."

"Alright. Not too difficult to remember" he  said "I'm guessing I'll get a medium and a short wand then?"

"Precisely. I'll teach you more basics of using wands when we return home. But one more thing to note: take a closer look at this wand."

She holds the wand close to his face and he noticed that it was full of grooves, almost like a circuit board.

"To create a wand you need three things: wood, circuit lines, and a heart string." she said "Wood will largely determine the flavor of the wand. If I were to use ceder for instance it will give my mana a energetic quailty. This is good for beginners or those with a calmer flow of mana. By contrast, if I were to use conifer wood it would give my mana a cool, relaxed property, lending it easier to control. Do you know what type of mana you have?"

"Not a clue."

"That's fine. It's really easy to find out. I'm going to teach you a little trick called threading."

Coloratura closes her eyes and places her arms on his shoulders, freezing in place

"My... god."

Anon felt his stomach turn in knots. Cat was out of the bag now.

"I'm guessing you know the reason I'm here then."

"Yes. That's absolutely... unfathomable. Don't worry though. Your secret is safe with me." she said "In the mean time, we shouldn't practice here."

Coloratura picks up a quite a few different wants, each with different wood and carvings. She then walks up to the shop keeper, shakes his hand and leaves.

"What was that just now?" he asked "you didn't pay, you just shook his hand."

"Like I said, Magus don't use money like mortals do. A more efficient way of exchange is with energy. But not just any sort of energy. You see mana is a special thing. It not only contains raw power, but information. Have you ever heard of something called the Greater Magic?"

"I haven't."

"It's something all mages strive for. The Greater Magic is the wellspring from which all mana, all life, and all information originates. It's what mortals mistake as God. Given enough mana, a mage can access this wellspring for a finite amount of time, usually only a few seconds."

"That's one insane goal."

"It's not just a goal. It's a necessity." she said "You see, having this great power comes at an immense cost. The Greater Magic constantly seeks to have what was stolen from it returned. If you do not have enough stored mana it will absorb your mana slowly over time until eventually it kills you. This is why it's not only a goal, but a necessity to exchange mana. Not doing so could prove fatal."

"How would you notice when you're magic is being siphoned?"

"With training you can store mana in your eyes and see it happen in real time. In general, if a mage does not exchange mana for a month they will slowly start to weaken. So the solution, quite cleverly, was to make this process monetary. The better the quality of the mana, the longer you can hold off the Greater Magic's influence."

"What is it exactly? The Great Magic?"

"I wish I could tell you. It's less of a physical thing, and more of a concept like that of gravity or inertia. It exists on its own plane of reality and even now the mage world at large understands almost nothing about it."

The two of them arrive at a musty old book shop. To Anon's surprise, Sunset Shimmer was also there.

"Hey, Sunset!"

Sunset turns and smiles 

"Hey there. I see you've made a friend."

"Yeah. This is Coloratura, my roommate."

The two of them shake hands

"It's an honor to meet you Lady Shimmer." Coloratura says, doing a little bow

"Please, no need to be so formal."

"You're exactly as the rumors describe. So kind and laid back."

Shimmer turns back to Anon

"So how are things?"

"Good." he said "Coloratura was just running me through some magic basics. Wands, the Great Magic and such."

"Good. She's teaching you things every mage should know. You got your schedule I presume?"

"Yes I did. Alchemy, Duel Etiquette, History and Conjuration."

"We'll need to teach you how to properly control your magic before you take those classes, especially before Conjuration. Don't want your condition getting out."

Sunset turned to face Coloratura, as if reading her mind

"You taught him how to thread didn't you?"

Coloratura bows, as if prostrating

"Yes m'am. I deeply apologize. I am honor bound as a mage never to reveal the secret to anyone else."

Anon was surprised. He didn't realize Sunset carried so much weight and respect around her. It was as if she were talking to the president of a country.

"No need to apologize." Sunset said "Just tell no one of this. I assume you know the gravity of this situation."

"Yes m'am. You can even restrict my speech if you feel it necessary."

"That won't be required. Thank you."

Sunny again turns back to Anon

"Once you're done gathering your supplies I'd like to see you in Kindness House. Don't worry. I know all about the initiation and will have you returned to Generosity House before 9."

Sunset presses her wand against his temple and just like that he knew the exact directions to get to Kindness House down to the exact longitude and latitude.

"Thank you Sunset. I'll be there."

"Good. If I'm not there by the time you arrive just wait in the lobby."

The three go off to browse the various selection of books.

"She's pretty impressive. I had no idea her reputation carried so much weight behind it." he said

Coloratura smiles, as if thinking of an idol

"She's beyond amazing. She comes from the Shimmer Family, a family most well known for their role in the preservation of magic and mana. They often take the roles of doctors, healers, therapists and the like. They specialize in Solar magic. It's extremely versatile."

"You're saying they take mana from the sun?"

"No. In fact the Shimmer Family doesn't use mana at all. They draw their power directly from the sun. Will mana is the most wide spread and efficient way to use magic, it's not the only way."

"I was meaning to ask about that." Anon said, tapping his foot "Something about this doesn't add up: If the Greater Magic is constantly siphoning off magic, and a mage can only access it for mere seconds, how do you prevent all the magic in the world from slowly vanishing over time?"

"There are three ways in total: One is the way most mages do it, by using the magic granted from the Greater Magic and trading around with one another to maintain their level of magic. The other is through Sunset's and by Clover the Clever's way. I presume that's why Sunset is so fond of you."

Anon's face turns a deep shade of red

"F-fond?"

"Clover the Clever and the Shimmer family have history together. The Shimmer family uses a similar brand of magic that Clover invented, the magic of life itself. The Shimmer Family hasn't used actual mana in well over a thousand or so years. All of their power comes directly for the sun."

"How is that ever possible? The Sun is a ball of plasma, it's not living."

"You need to stop thinking like such a mortal Anon. Mortal laws of science are not present here. Life energy lives in all things. The trees, the grass, the rocks, even space itself. I only know the basics, as life magic is one of the most difficult schools of magic to master, but essentially the Shimmer family made a pact with the Sun. In exchange for the power they must give something in return. Life magic always demands a toll on the caster."

"What did they give up?"

"You'd have to ask Sunset, though I doubt she'd tell you. A Mage Family of her stature would be reluctant to reveal chinks in their armor. Though I can assure you the price was high. There is no way you could make a pact with a Celestial body and not pay an enormous price for it."

"That's insane."

"That's not even half of it. I don't know much of history but Clover the Clever is legendary for having a solution to this problem. She was able not only to use life magic without any cost, but she also used life magic to maintain her own mana indefinitely. The Shimmer Family was there with Clover during the entire affair. But then she vanished before revealing the trick of how it happened. Many a mage have tried to figure it out from Clover's own research notes, but to this day we still have no idea how she did it." she said "However, even since she disappeared, every one hundred years or so, a mass explosion of mana is released that replenishes the mana of nearly every mage, preventing mana from slowly petering out. It's hard to see a connection between the two. Whatever Clover did, many believe it had something to do with the Greater Magic."

"I feel so unworthy. I feel like I've been touched by a god."

Coloratura giggles

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You didn't choose to be given that crest. You'll figure it out piece by piece. Who knows? You may follow in her footsteps."

"I can only hope."

The two of the gather all the books they need and start to check out

"So what's the last method?" Anon asked

Coloratura became very serious all of a sudden

"There is one last method but it must never be used. Do you understand me?"

"I understand."

"The final method of obtaining magic power is through that of a curse. And it's something only the most evil of people do."
> The Price of Power
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You can maintain your power through Curse. It's sort of an offshoot of life magic whereby instead of making a pact with another body, you force someone to make a pact with you." Coloratura said "Sometimes this can result in the target losing a limb or an organ, but most often is maintained through taking of life. IE you kill someone and absorb their mana."

"That's horrific."

"That's just the start of it. These contracts are no small matter. Death is not an opt out of them. So they are essentially slaves for all of time to the person who enacted the contract. Not even their soul can find rest. However it is a double edged sword. Most often times, if someone uses curses they too often they will go mad."

"That's pretty dark."

"We have a gift. And many don't want to give that up. Curses are of course outlawed by the Magic Council and people who get caught will often face life imprisonment, but it doesn't stop people from doing it, especially when they become elderly and have a harder time maintaining their power. The most common offenders are the elderly since the ability the exchange mana wanes with age."

The two of them stood in silence, collecting the required reading and heading back to the streets. Coloratura looks up at the sun then back at the school.

"Why don't you head back up to the school to meet with Sunset, Anon. I'll get your alchemy supplies."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Thanks Coloratura. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it."

Anon made his way back to the school and to Kindness House, his brain functioning with the precision of a GPS. Kindness House was quite similar looking to Generosity House with a few important differences: the stone used to make it was a light yellow color and the castle banners were emblazoned with three pink butterflies rather than a single diamond. Not only that, but the stain glass windows all had multi-colored panes and depicted beautiful designs. One was especially striking: it illustrated Sunset Shimmer, a yellow halo above her head and what appeared to be angel wings. A sun poked through the top of the window, it's rays casting light to the thorns at the bottom of the illustration. It was absolutely magnificent.

"It's so tacky isn't it?"

Anon nearly jumped out of his skin. Sunset had made her way next to him completely undetected.

"Sunset!" Anon said, clutching his chest "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you like that!"

"It's alright. So how did you get your own stain glass window anyway?"

Sunset smiled to herself, looking at the pane of glass.

"I saved the school from a near catastrophe. During my second year here, a disgruntled student planted a large amount of thorn root and added a magic spell to make it grow to incredible sizes. The thing about thorn root is that not only does it carry a deadly muscle toxin on it's thorns, but it's also incredibly demanding in terms of nutritional need. Having a small garden can completely deplete the soil for a few miles. If allowed to keep going, the thorn root would've caused massive damage not only to the ground, but it would weaken the earth to the point of collapse."

Sunset pointed to the angel wings, running her finger down the various grooves in the window until it reached the bottom

"Using my magic I was able to destroy the thorn root and breathe life back into the soil. Even for someone with my power it was a tremendous effort. The ground was so depleted that the soil was a bare white color and had developed large cracks. It took nearly all my power to reverse the damage." 

"That's incredible Sunset. Solar magic is amazing."

"It really is. I'm very thankful for this gift." she said "I'm glad you could make it here. Let me show you around."

Anon followed Sunny through the two massive black iron doors and into the house. It was quite the comfy area. The inside was lit all sorts of colors thanks to all the multi-colored windows surrounding it, like some sort of kaleidoscope. The floor was nothing but red carpet and various couches and lie about the house. Sunset let him up two stories and down a few doors to her room.

Sunset's room was just as comfy. There were only two beds in this room and the walls were a pale yellow. At the end was a wood desk and a window with red silk curtains. 

"I'm going to teach you some of the basics of magic." she stated "How to thread you mana through objects and how to make your mana appear more normal to onlookers. You have a wand correct?"

He nodded, reaching into his robe and taking out one of the wands Coloratura gave him. Sunny examined it, a little smile  forming on her face.

"You friend certainly seems to have a flair too her."

"Flair?"

"You wand." she said "It's a redwood with X-type circuits and, from what I can tell, a silver heartstring."

"Can you say that again in plain English?"

"Oh right. I forget I'm speaking to a newcomer.  The wood determines the type of enhancement it'll have. Redwood, all things considered, was a good choice. Redwood will give your mana a bolder and more robust enhancement. Meaning it will be much easier for you to utilize what is dormant within you. However it's the rest that makes me laugh. X-Type circuits are most commonly used for a high degree of mana control, often used in artistic magic. While a silver heartstring is often used to give shape to what's in a persons mind, conjuration specifically. But it's a bit of a wildcard heartstring."

"Can you explain this whole thing to me? Coloratura ran me through the basics but didn't go in depth with it."

"Absolutely. You'll need to know this in order to thread magic." she said "I already told you about wood composition, and to name every wood and it's quality on magic would take hours, however there are much few strains of the other components."

Sunset took out her wand and began writing in light on the air

"Circuits fall under two umbrellas: orthodox and unorthodox." Sunset points to the divots in the wand "You see how the indents follow a pretty straightforward pattern? You have an orthodox circuit. This lends a great deal of control to your mana at the expense of some potency, or raw power. Unorthodox is exactly the way it sounds, a random mishmash of circuits. This gives you little control to the point where, if you're not skilled in threading, the entire wand will explode in your face, like a gun with a clogged barrel. However it gives you a greater increase in potency and can have some unpredictable qualities depending on the circuit type."

Sunset writes all this information down a beautiful, sparkly light and starts to pace back and forth

"You got all that?"

"Yeah. It's quite a lot though. I have no guarantee I'll remember all that."

"Don't worry. You've got the entire week to get the basics down. After that information will be given at a much slower and more digestible pace."

"I had no idea magic was such a technical field of study."

"You don't even know the half of it." Sunny points back to the writing "Anyway, next is the type of circuit with which there are four: A-type, U-type, X-type and Y-type and each can help in a particular brand of magic. A-types are most constantly used for offensive magic as A-type circuits allow the shortest, most straight forward path for mana to travel through. U-types are almost exclusively used for lab-based science. The circuit travels down one end and up the other. This makes them ideal for mixing, siphoning, exchanging, and isolating. You can get quite creative in how you use it. X-Type is a rather interesting type. It functions like that of a U type only the in and out cross one another. Take a look."

Sunset points to the wand's circuits. Sure enough, they intersected multiple times, making an X, no doubt the source of it's name.

"I get it. And the other ones make a similar pattern according to their name?"

"Right, or at least  vaguely similar. These are only the most common of types." she said "X-Types are special brands of wand, essentially combining the streamlined nature of an A-type with the versatility of a U-type. Which should be just perfect for a beginner while we learn where your talents lie."

Sunset cleared the light in the air and began to write again.

"Finally is the Y-type. Y-types expand further on the X-type but in a different fashion. They are often used by people who are gifted with a condition called Diamanaectasis. Essentially what it means is someone is born with two different types of mana. And they can use the Y-circuits to combine the mana into something incredibly strong and potent."

"There are different mana types?"

"Yes. But we can go over that later. For now let's teach you to thread magic. This is, bar none, one of the most important skills you can learn as a mage. Especially if we want to preserve Clover's legacy."

Sunset handed him the wand back, walking behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders. Her soft, warm skin filled his stomach with butterflies.

"Alright I'm going to aggravate your mana by transferring some of my own into your body. Since your power is dormant, this will help tease it out. Just for a quick FYI, mana does not like to be mixed with other mana and without practice on mana assimilation, it can cause you to get a condition called mana sickness. I'll be teaching you this skill as well further down the line."

"You're not going to make me sick are you Sunset?"

She giggled

"Of course not. It won't take too much to get your mana aggravated. Certainly far below what it would require to make you sick. Now hold still and relax. This won't hurt a bit."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sunset glow a warm yellow color much like that of a campfire. His brief calm was quickly interrupted with what felt like a lightning strike on his back and his vision going completely dark.

Where was he? Who was he? What was he doing just seconds before this?  He blinked open his eyes to find he was in a field, a pretty girl sitting beside him. She had long red-gold hair that seemed so familiar but he just couldn't place it. The girl wore what seemed to be priest robes and looked quite distraught.

"Why won't you just give it a rest Clover!?" the woman yelled at him "Can't you see that this is the end!? If you try this you will die! What makes you think you're any different than any of the other mages who tried before you!?" 

The woman began to shed tears

"Why are you so stubborn? Why can't you see how this will kill you in the end?"

Anon began to speak. However the voice and even the words were not his own.

"Because I will do anything to protect this world. Even if it costs me my life."

His vision went black and the scene changed. He was in some kind of lab. The walls looked as though they belonged to a tree. Again, the yellow-red haired woman was present along with another woman with dark blue hair.

"You really are a genius Clover." the yellow-red haired woman said "I never would've thought that about making pacts with non-sentient objects. Just think of how much power and strength the sun would hold! And, as a female the sun, will only enhance my latent abilities further."

Anon spoke again, but the words and the voice were not his own. In fact it sounded as if it belonged to a female.

"Exactly. As the sun represents femininity, the moon represents masculinity. So this means that only females can inherent the magic crest from here on out."

"Right. And the price shouldn't be too steep. Which is surprising. You'd think it would be bigger."

"If my calculations are correct, and let's face it, they're never wrong, you shouldn't be too damaged by the end of it. And if I use life stitching, I can heal you like new."

The blue hair woman chimed in

"What about me though? If the moon represents masculinity how will I form a pact with it?"

Your voice chuckled

"Anyone can. But since the moon has  a masculine nature it just won't enhance your abilities. Unlike Celestia though, you'll be able to pass down your crest to any heir you like."

The scene changed once more, this time to a horrific sight. Anon could feel tears streaming down his face as he saw the what was before him. Celestia was in the center of a large circle, the entire right half of her body burned charcoal black.

"Celestia! Celestia please say something!" 

Celestia begins to cry and shake violently, writhing in agony.

"I-it hurts!" she screamed "I thought you said the cost wouldn't be great!"

She let out the most blood curdling, bone chilling scream and like that, Anon was back in Sunset's room. He turned around to her shaking.

"Sunset... are you alright?"

Sunset steadied herself

"Sorry..." she said weakly "I accidentally triggered the memories of your magic crest."

Anon looked down. So that was the price Coloratura was talking about. No doubt Celestia was Sunset's ancestor.

"Are you burned as well?" he asked

Sunset turned around, pulling down her robe to reveal her bare back. It was entirely burnt black.

"But that isn't the worst of it." she sighed "My family paid a terrible price for this power: every male child we conceive miscarries and every husband the heir of the family takes dies within the span of five years. To make matters worse, the burns go deeper than skin. My very soul was burned. That's why my skin can never be healed."

Anon's eyes go wide and his teeth clench

"Sunset... I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It was a new field of study after all. There was no way to predict how steep the price would be. This is why life magic is a very difficult study to engage in. If you are not one hundred-percent right in your calculation, it will cost you dearly. There's no way they could've known."

"I'll remember that."

Sunset takes a deep breath

"Ok let's try this one more time. I'll be sure not to trigger any memories this time."

She pulls her robe back up, putting her hands back on Anon's shoulders

"Here we go."

Sunset's body glowed once again. This time he could feel what was almost like pressure rising withing his body.

"Ok. Now try to push that energy through your wand."

Anon lifted his wand in front of him and, to his surprise, the power flowed through it with almost no resistance. His mana was a very pretty light green color.

"Good work. I want you to practice that this week. You're dismissed."

"Sunset are you alright?"

"I'll be ok. I just need a little time alone is all."

He nods

"Alright. Thanks for the lesson."

And with that Anon exited the room, leaving Sunset alone with her despair.
> The Colors of Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon made his way back to Generosity House with Sunset's condition heavy on his mind. He could only imagine what kind of pain she suffered though. To know the person you marry would die within only five years. Life magic really was a dangerous tool. What price did Clover have to pay, he wondered? The sky was starting to dark outside and he checked his watch. Seven PM. Initiation was getting close. He hurriedly made his was down the winding stone path back to his House and back into his room. To his surprise, Trixie was there. 

"Well, well seems we got the same house." Trixie mused "And same room assignment no less."

"Nice to see you, Trixie" he said, slumping on the bed

"Everything alright, Anon? You seem pretty down."

"It's nothing. I'm just tired."

"You ought to know you can't lie to a mage like Trixie like that. Your mana is very distressed and shaken up."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. Mana is very responsive to emotion. You're essentially... oh what do you mortals call it... wearing your emotions on your clothes?"

"On your sleeves. But close enough."

"So what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it. And shouldn't."

Trixie starts to pace back and forth, her shoes lightly tapping against the wood floor

"let me guess: Sunset tried to teach you threading and unlocked the crest memories huh?"

"How did you figure that out?"

"I figured she'd try to teach you how to thread your magic." she explained "And I know there Sunset is pretty bad at interacting with magic crests. I bet she just tired to mix both of your mana's together like a novice. It can be tricky to get right."

They both went silent for a little while. Anon just couldn't tell Trixie the Shimmer family's secret.

"So what's this initiation thing?"

Trixie gets a smug smile and giggles a little

"You should know by now that I love seeing newbies squirm. No way I'm going to tell you. But I wouldn't anyway. If I did Head Mistress Rarity would have my hide."

"I hear she's pretty strict."

"She is. But she isn't so bad so long as you do what you're told, exactly the way she tells you to do it. That's pretty much the best advice I have for generosity house: do what you're told exactly the way you're told to do it."

"Seems simple enough."

"It can be a bit tedious at times. But when all is said and done Rarity is a great Head Mistress. She is pretty well versed in most magic and is always willing to help you in your studies."

"Sounds like I lucked out then."

"I'd say so. There are better houses but all things considered Generosity House is not a bad place to be."

Anon looked towards the side of his bed and saw Coloratura had already been here. All of his books and alchemy supplies  were in a neat little stack next to the head of the bed. He looked through some of the books, checking the Conjuration one first. Trixie let out an excited gasp.

"Lucky!" she whined "I've been wanting to take conjuration for so long. But it's a fourth year class. I plan to make it my specialty."

"What did you say the Lulamoon family excels in again?"

Trixie grins

"A brand of magic called Performance Magic. It's a pretty big umbrella term for a range of skills. Conjuration, manipulation, illusion, the like. Conjuration always was the most interesting to me. It can be tough though."

"Any advice for a newbie?"

"Nothing that your teacher won't tell you on your first day. Conjuration is similar to mortal math in the way that it's very straight forward but takes a lot of practice to be good at."

"Well math was always my worst subject so that isn't inspiring any confidence."

"You'll be fine I promise. Just practice and you'll get it."

Coloratura opens the door

"I see we have a new roommate." she said "Who are you?"

Trixie stands up and puts her hands on her waist

"The Great and Powerful Trixie, heiress to the Lulamoon family crest."

Coloratura cocks her head

"Lulamoon... that does sound familiar."

"I'm guessing you come from a theatrical line? My family name is really only recognized in artistic circles."

"Close. Music. The Countess family."

"We're semi-famous stage performers. We're not well known enough to break out of the theater bubble yet in terms of influence. But I intend to change that."

"You intend to become a noble?"

"That's the plan."

Coloratura sits at the desk

"So who's our fourth bunk mate?"

As if on cue, the door opens again and another person walks inside. It was a girl of short stature, covered in freckles and had short green hair. She had the fashion sense of a senior citizen, wearing a tacky sweater and sweat pants.

"Hi. My name is Wallflower Blush. What's yours?"

Both Coloratura's and Trixie's mouths dropped

"Blush?" Trixie gasped "You mean the same family who invented memory magic?"

Wallflower sighs

"Yep. The very same."

Trixie turns to Anon

"This girl comes from a family that was got honored in nobility three years ago by the government. The current head of the clan invented a new magic called Memory Magic. He invented something called the Memory Stone, a tool that can change or erase a persons memory at will."

Wallflower looked extremely uncomfortable

"Are you alright Wallflower?" Anon asked

"I'm ok. It's just I have some big shoes to fill is all."

"That must be difficult trying to succeed someone who invented a new school of magic."

"You don't even know the half of it. I feel like I'm running for president. Anyway, it's nice to meet all of you. What are your names?"

The three introduced themsleves

"So who are the noble families?" Anon asked

Trixie jumped to answer

"There are Six currently: Shimmer, Montage, Sombra, Cadenza, Sparkle, and, of course, Blush." she said "Each of them is credited with changing the magic world in a monumental way and thus have more voice in the government. They're second in power only to the king."

Wallflower looked stunned

"Anon did you grow up an orphan or something? How do you not know this?"

"I'm the first in my family line to possess magic."

"Jeez. Talk about something that only happens once in a blue moon."

Wallflower takes out her wand and with a flick of her wrist poofs into an orange robe. A sixth year. Even with that robe on it didn't seem to make her any less awkward.

"So what is life like for a noble?" Anon asked

"Annoying, full of rules and expectations, boring more often than not and full of shallow suck ups." Wallflower grunted "But hey, at least we have money right?"

The sarcasm was dripping from her voice

"Sounds like nobility isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"It really isn't. But there's nothing I can do about it now."

Anon checked his watch: eight thirty. Nearly time for the initiation ritual.

"I'm going to head down to the lobby." he said

"You do know we still have a half hour before the ceremony, right?" Coloratura commented

"I know, but might as well."

In truth it was due to Anon's anxiety over being punctual, a trait inherited from his mother. He felt his hairs stands up on end as he remembered. His parents! His worry was over briefly however. Not like they cared about him. They probably didn't even know he was missing. He exited the room, quite annoyed and Coloratura followed.

"Are you alright, Anon?" she asked

That's right. He had completely forgotten that everyone in the room could tell what he was feeling from his aura. That was so annoying.

"I'm fine."

"You know you can't lie to me like that right?"

"I know. I just..." he sighed "I just don't want to talk about it."

"Well I can still keep you company. You don't have to say a word."

"Why do you care so much? We just met."

"I'm an empath. It's a bit of a weakness of mind. I don't like seeing people upset."

He and Coloratura walked down the marble steps and into the main foyer, sitting down on a red silk couch seemingly pulled straight out of antiquity.

"You mages sure are fond of antique stuff." Anon said

"Yes. One thing you will learn about the mage world is that it is extremely traditional. It's one of the highest values we hold. That's why so much are architecture hasn't advanced beyond then seventeenth and eighteenth centuries."

"I think it's beautiful honestly. A lot of modern houses certainly don't have the same flash and attention to detail that yours do."

They both sat there, casually passing the time on various subjects until there were only five minutes left. Anon was surprised that within that time, only four other students had arrived. Were all the other houses this empty?

"You nervous?" he asked

Coloratura smiled

"A little. But I think I can handle it. What about you?"

"A bit yes. You mages operate under some strange rules."

"You'll get used to it in time, I promise. Our culture isn't as different from mortals as you think."

Five minutes passed and right on the dot, a beautiful woman in an all white robe with well done purple hair and prim glasses walked into the center of the lobby, Blossomforth by her side.

"Welcome." the woman said "I am Head Mistress Rarity, head of the White family, leader of the Way of White, and head of Generosity House. It is a pleasure to meet you. You all have your diamonds I assume?"

The six students display their diamonds

"Excellent." Rarity walks over and takes all six diamonds, setting them on the spotless floor "This is a simple exercise. I want you to simply thread your mana through the diamond. Fear not, no magical information will be visible."

They all walk to their diamonds, doing as instructed. The gems begin to change color, Anon's glowing a deep, sparkling green. Rarity looks at each gem closely, inspecting them with remarkable care.

"Yes, yes I see." Rarity said, a look of awe on her face "Fascinating."

One she finishes looking at each of the gems, she put her hands around Anon's. The gem opens up just slightly and a beam of blue light shoots out, branching into a bunch of other beams, each a different color that formed almost a root like system. Rarity was completely entranced by the sight.

"Incredible. You have quite the intriguing shape Anon. It's ancient, yet... modern. So down to earth yet so idealistic. Quite something. I'm eager to see what it will transform into."

Rarity places her hands on Coloratura's gem. It opens up into a beautiful mist of light and color, similar to that of the Aurora Borealis.

"Absolutely splendid." she said, giving a small golf clap "I can already tell you are going to produce some positively splendid art." 

Rarity continues down the line, each gem producing an impressive array of colors and shapes. Each were different from the last.

"Absolutely spectacular." she said "I humbly welcome each of you to the Generosity House. As official members I will now grant you access to the back. Follow me please."

Anon and the rest of the students follow Rarity to a door behind the front desk. She pulled out an ornate white key and unlocked the door, allowing each of the students to file in. The sight was incredible. The room was filled with what seemed like hundreds of gems just like their own.

"As a member of the Generosity House your gem will be displayed here for all of the school's life. Every person who has ever passed through this house has a gem here."

"Head Mistress?" Anon asked

"Yes?"

"What exactly does the gem represent?"

"An excellent question." she smiled "These are special gems known as Seeker Gems and they reveal a persons innermost personality and traits in the form of a lights. And, just as a person's personality changes as they grow, so too do their colors. That's why, at the start of every year, I take each group of students to do this again based on how long they've been part of Generosity House. It's always so fascinating to see how people's colors change over time."

"That's amazing."

"It is. It really is a pity that this will be my final year here. I've grown attached. I know my successor will do just as well though."

"Who will be your successor?"

"It isn't determined by me. Once a Head Mistress graduates the other Head Masters and Mistresses pick a new student to fill the vacancy. Who knows? It may even be you."

"A new student can qualify?"

"Yes. And it wouldn't be the first time it's happened either. You see the qualifiers for the position aren't merely based on magical prowess and experience, but rather personality, responsibility and charisma. As Headmistress or Master, you are the face of the entire house and must act accordingly. One may very well be the most gifted mage to ever walk these halls, but if they don't have the personality for it then they won't be selected."

Rarity walks back to the door, holding it open

"You are dismissed. If you need anything please let me or Blossomforth know and we will try to accommodate if possible. And remember that you are granted full time access to this room and may use your gem again whenever you wish too."

"Thank you Head Mistress." the group said in unison

"Why you are quite welcome."

They all exit the room, Anon and Coloratura heading back to their quarters. Inside, Trixie was creating a wisp of light with her hands while Wallflower sat at the desk, reading. 

"So, how was it?" Trixie asked

"It was pretty neat." Anon said "You got me all nervous for nothing."

Trixie laughed

"That's my job. How else will you be a mage if you don't expect the unexpected?"

"The same way I would if you weren't making me scared of things I shouldn't be."

Coloratura placed her hand on his shoulder

"You've had quite a big day." she said sympathetically "How's this all resonating with you? I imagine for a mortal coming into this magic world is a bit of a culture shock."

"Sorta. It was certainly a lot of information all at once. But us mortals have a lot of stories about things like this. So I'm more excited than nervous."

Coloratura looks confused

"Mortals know about the world of magic?"

"Not really. We just write a lot of fiction about it."

Trixie shrugs, making the whisp of light move this way and that

"I suppose that isn't too unusual. Up until about halfway through the Magic Bronze Age, mortals and magus lived shoulder to shoulder. And we all know how that turned out. I believe the mortals call it the Salem Witch Trials."

"We were always taught that that was a product of mass hysteria and delusion."

Trixie snorted

"That sounds about right. Mortals always had a very hard time accepting the concept of things like magic, despite the fact that they seem to crave that sort of power."

Wallflower closed the book she was reading, getting a nice big stretch in

"Well I think I'm going to turn in for tonight. You guys going to Eclipse tomorrow?"

"Eclipse?" Anon and Coloratura say in unison

"Oh did nobody tell you?" Wallflower asked "Throughout this week there are going to be a bunch of events. Tomorrow will be Eclipse. It's essentially a tournament of sorts. News students are barred from participating but it really is quite the spectacle. Sometimes even the upperclassman compete. And that is quite the show. It'll also be a great opportunity for you to study magic firsthand"

"Sounds like a blast." Anon said

"Well it's tomorrow from dawn till dusk. I'd highly recommend going."

"I'll be there. You want to go Coloratura?"

"Sure I suppose. Sounds like fun."

"Trixie?"

"Of course the Great and Powerful Trixie will attend! She's participating after all."

"Really? I thought you wanted to specialize in Performance Magic."

"Eclipse winners are decided upon by more than just offensive capability. It's a show of talent and skill. And the winner gets a prize. It's a different prize each year but they're always very valuable."

Wallflower nodded "Last year the winner got an automatic A in any elective course of their choosing."

"Wow. You weren't kidding."

"Exactly. Not only that it's a mark of excellence. And excellence is influence which is near everything in the mage world, especially if you intend to become nobility."

"Do you intend on competing Wallflower?"

"I don't think so. It's too much effort."

"You mages live in quite the complicated world."

"I  could say the same for you mortals." she retorted "Anyway. I'm hitting the bed."

Wallflower climbed to the top of the left bunk bed, pulling the covers over her head

"I think I'll follow suit." Coloratura added

"I guess I'll do the same then." Anon agreed

Trixie scoffed

"Going to bed at nine-thirty? What are you children?"

But her taunts fell on deaf ears, for the three students were already fast asleep.
> Eclipse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Anon awoke the next morning, the sun hadn't even peaked over the clouds. Both Trixie and Coloratura were still asleep, but Blush was just getting dressed.

"The showers are on the first floor to your right" she whispered

He nodded, taking a new robe from his ruck sack and walking with Wallflower to the first floor.

"Have you signed up on the chore board yet?"

"I haven't"

"Then you should. Head Mistress will have your hide if you don't. This is the perfect time too. The board is first come first serve. So the easy jobs are still available"

They walk to the front desk, picking up a clipboard with various tasks on it. He skimmed down the list, trying to find the job with the least amount of effort involved. He decided on mopping the men's restroom while Blush chose sweeping the main foyer. The two then walk into their separate showers.

The men's showers were just as immaculate as the rest of the house. Not a speck of dust or grime to be seen. It was so clean he almost didn't want to sully it with a shower. Anon removed his robe and turned the shower on. It even had soap and shampoo, things he would've packed had he known he had a one way ticket to crazy town. After a nice long soak, he dried off and put his robes back on. Outside, Wallflower was patiently waiting for him, her hair a giant poof.

"I realized I forgot to tell you:" she said "the dining hall is on the second floor, fifth door to your right."

"You coming with?" 

"Nah. I still have to get my hair in order. I'll meet you up there alright?"

"Sounds good"

They both go back up the steps, Anon departing at the second floor and going to the dining room. It was quite hard to miss. The doors were large, gold and ornate, the handles depicting the heads of lions. The inside was just as high class. The floor was the same white marble as the rest of the house and the walls had paintings depicting grand scenes of battles and events. The tables each had a long silk cover and the chairs were well cushioned. He felt like he was attending a ball for the wealthy and elite. After serving himself and sitting down, Trixie entered as well, hair a mess and dark circles under her eyes. She grabbed some coffee and sat beside him, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"Morning, Sunshine." Anon jabbed

Trixie merely groaned, taking little sips of her hot coffee

"What? Going to bed at 9:30? Are you children?" he mocked, mimicking her high pitched voice

"Oh har de har har." Trixie growled

Wallflower and Coloratura soon joined them as well. It seemed that sleep didn't effect Coloratura's appearance in the slightest. It must be nice, waking up the same way you went to bed.

"You guys ready for Eclipse?" Wallflower asked

"Once Trixie finishes her second cup of coffee, she will be." Trixie mumbled

"So what are we supposed to expect?" Coloratura asked

"It's always quite a spectacle. My favorites are always the squash fights."

"Squash fights?"

"Yep. The selection is completely at random. Meaning that, on occasion, upperclassman will face lower classman and get absolutely slammed. It's always fun to watch because the newbies always feel like they have a shot."

"I have to admit that does sound like fun."

Wallflower checks her watch

"Well it looks like it's dawn. I'm going to go check the lineup."

Both he and Coloratura get up. Trixie, however, remained seated, still sipping her coffee.

"Trixie will join once she's awake."

"We'll be sure to tell you who you're against."

She just nods as the three make their way to the arena. It wasn't too far a walk, being just a stone's throw away from Kindness House. The arena itself wasn't overly impressive, just a big circular stage with wooden stands. Even at this early hour, nearly every seat was taken. As he scanned the stands, Anon noticed something odd. There was a segment almost completely empty, except for a few groups of  people, Sunset being one of them. He tapped Wallflower's shoulder.

"Hey Wallflower. What's that over there?"

"Oh that? That's reserved seating for nobility."

"What aren't you over there too?"

She looks down for a moment, biting her lip

"Let's not talk about that."

They had made it just in time. A man in a long black coat and top hat carrying a cane walked to a small wooden platform in the middle of the stage. He looked like Snidely Whiplash. The man pressed his wand to his neck, amplifying his voice.

"Welcome one and all to the 455th annual Eclipse. I thank you all for coming. I am sure you're all just waiting to get started so allow me to cut to the chase!"

The crowd roared with a thunderous applause. As it died down, the  man continued.

"I am pleased to welcome not one, but two of the Noble Families here today, the Shimmer family and the Sombra family. We are very pleased to welcome you to Eclipse."

The crowed roared with applause again. The Sombra family looked rather creepy. There were four of them in total, all of them wearing black robes with the skull of a stag painted on the chest and none of them showed even the slightest sign of emotion. Anon's eyes returned to the man at center stage as he pointed his wand to the air and multiple beams of light zig-zagged across the sky to form a chart.

"What? What is it?"

Coloratura pointed to the left side of the brackets. The second match of the day was between Sunset Shimmer and Trixie. Wallflower laughed a bit.

"Oh man. Trixie is going to be absolutely smashed by Sunset. She doesn't have a prayer.

"You think they're that unevenly matched?"

"Oh yeah. I've seen the Shimmer family's magic firsthand. I can say for certain that no amount of performance magic Trixie pulls will ever be enough to match Sunset."

"I still think Trixie is going to give a good fight."

Coloratura crosses her arms

"Even if she somehow manages to beat Sunset she'll have to fight Chrysalis after that. And there is no way she could ever beat someone from the Sombra family."

"Why's that?"

"They specialize in assassination magic."

Anon's jaw tightens a bit

"They wouldn't kill her would they?"

"Absolutely not. But they wouldn't need too. What I'm more worried about is that they'll try to disgrace her in some way. The Sombra family is the only noble family next to the Shimmer family to have been around since the Magic Golden Age. They tend too... be a bit elitist let's just say. They're also fans of using underhanded and dirty tactics to win. They don't like challenges to their power."

Wallflower seems to be getting excited

"I hope the Shimmer's and the Sombra's face off. Those are always a quite a show to watch. I'm already getting chills."

The man puts his wand back to his neck and speaks again

"Without further ado, let's get over the rules." the man begins to pace back and forth "Rule one: there is to be no killing or any magic that may cause permanent harm. Rule two: any school of magic is allowed. Rule three: matches may not go on for longer than thirty minutes or both contestants will be disqualified. Now will the first contestants Daring Do and Fleur De Lis please take the stage!"

The crowed became even louder the before, cheering like a bunch of crazed lunatics.

"This should be a good watch." Blush said "Daring made semi finals last year. Though I've never seen Fleur compete. I wonder what kind of magic she uses."

Daring and Fleur took opposite sides of the stage. Daring looked like something out of an Indiana Jones novel, wearing a pith helmet, a brown explorers jacket with at least twenty different pockets and short black hair that hung just above her shoulders . Fleur was quite the contrast, wearing a dress of all things, her long hair, well groomed hair done to perfection.

"Ready? And begin!"

In a puff of smoke, both the man and the platform he was standing on vanished, leaving no barriers between the two contestants. Daring lifts her arm in front of her, her hand displaying her magic crest. It was a golden compass. Fluer responded in kind, her crest being a spade the glowed a bright blue color. They stood their for a total of ten minutes, not budging an inch.

"Why are they just standing there? Aren't they going to attack?"

"They're feeling each other out, trying to guess how strong the other is." Wallflower explained "They're also trying to put as much magic pressure downwind as possible. Essentially they're posturing. Puffing their chest out." 

"This isn't nearly as impressive as I thought it would be."

"Just wait. They'll got at each other soon."

The glowing stopped and they charged at one another with impressive speed. Daring pulled out her wand and stuck it in the ground then just kept on going, trying to land a punch on Fluer's face. Just seconds before her fist made contact, Fluer pointed her wand directly at daring, firing a blue ball of light. Daring dodged perfectly landing a punch square on her jaw.

Fluer put some distance between them and pointed her wand in the air. Twenty threads emerged from the tip. As they scattered, Daring fell to the floor, as if an invisible hand was pressing her down.

"That can't be right." Anon said "None of the threads are touching Daring. Did she do something else?"

Coloratura nodded

"Fluer is incredibly skilled. Those threads are made of pure mana. And since they're pure mana she can easily make them completely transparent to the naked eye. This is a skill you'd seen 11th years using."

Just as he thought the match was as good as over, Daring tapped her foot  against the ground twice. The ground beneath Fluer's feet began to tremble and quake, as if a mini earthquake had been set off. he ground cracked below her, causing her lose balance and release her hold on Daring's body.

"How did she do that? She wasn't even using her wand."

Wallflower let loose a devilish smile

"She did use a wand. Just very cleverly. Remember when Daring stuck her wand into the dirt? She used something called a remote spell. Though this is the most brazen way I think I've ever seen it used. Remote spells are often used to set traps and are set using small, sometimes invisible magic circles. You can attune them with a specific magic, say to make a mini earthquake." 

"But how did she do that if the wand is all the way over there?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

Wallflower presses her wand against his temple and his vision completely changed. It was as if he was looking through an infrared camera. A giant, golden circle was present on the entire area.

"That's incredible."

"You're telling me. Daring was just playing Fluer. The moment she stuck her wand into the dirt, she won the match. She's just toying with her. She could end the match right now if she wanted too. Not only that, but since she used her wand instead of a rune she can change the effects at will."

Daring got up and brushed herself off and in less than a second it was over. A large hand made of stone rose from the ground and grabbed Fluer, completely immobilizing her from the neck down. The referee counted to three and the match was officially concluded.

"This is an important lesson." Wallflower said "One of the most important skills a mage has is creativity. If tackled head on Daring would no doubt have lost to Fleur, her magic is simply too versatile to be countered with a straight forward strike. But Daring outsmarted her knowing she couldn't both use her threads and see the giant rune she placed."

"I'll be sure to remember that."

Trixie finally shows up, taking a seat next to Coloratura.

"It's about time Trixie." he said "You missed the first match."

"Blah, blah, blah. Who cares? Did you catch who I'm up against?"

"Bad luck Trixie. You got Sunset Shimmer."

"Bad luck? Ha! As if I could ever lose to her."

"What makes you so sure?"

"She may have power but the Great and Powerful Trixie is beyond power. She's cunning. And that's all the strength Trixie needs."

The announcer steps back in the middle of the ring

"And for our next match we have Trixie Lulamoon against Sunset Shimmer!"

"Guess that's my cue."

With a flick of her wand, Trixie popped into the ring, having no clue what she was getting herself into.
> Like A Bug under a Magnifying Glass
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie took her cape and threw it into the air, a cascade of multi-colored fireworks and smoke flying into the air. Sunset's entrance was far less flashy with here merely walking into the ring. She had a very somber look on her face, seemingly almost stoic. The ref gave the signal and cleared the ring, allowing the fight to start.

Sunset wasted no time. She gracefully waved her wand above her head and a waterfall of sparkles rained over her body. A halo manifested above her head along with two massive wings of light. She looked as if god himself had blessed her. The dazzling display even had Trixie intimidated. But she wasn't to be deterred so easily.

Trixie pulled the wand from her sleeve and set a few darts of clear blue light towards Sunset. Sunny didn't even have to move, her wings shrouding her body and protecting her from harm. Trixie didn't give up, firing volley after volley of darts at her wings.

"Do you know how to do anything el-"

Before Sunset could finish her sentence, one of the darts exploded into a large plume of black smoke. But even this was futile. Her wings cut through the smoke like a hot knife through butter, exposing Trixie trying to flank her to the left. Sunset pointed her wand at her and in an instant, her magic crest appeared on Trixie's forehead. Wallflower crossed her arms and scoffed.

"Welp, Trixie's finished." she said

"Really?" Coloratura asked "How do you figure?"

"You'll see shortly."

Sunset lowered her wand, her bland, stone like expression not budging an inch.

"I'll give you one change to give up." she said

"Ha! As if the Great and Powerful Trix-"

She showed no mercy. Trixie fell to the ground, doubled over in pain. Sunset's face finally changed to that of a glare.

"Give up."

Trixie tried to resit, but the pain just became worse. It felt like every bone, every muscle, every nerve ending was being run across with by a red hot knife.

"I give!" Trixie screamed "I give up!"

Her cries were agonizing, as if someone had a boot on both of her lungs. The mark on her forehead vanished and, with it, the pain. Even though the pain had ceased, Trixie could not muster the strength to get up, instead laying on her hands and knees before finally being escorted off the stage. Both Anon and Coloatura were completely confused.

"What in the world was that?" Anon asked

"It's a special type of rune called a Sigil." Wallflower explained "Think of it as a step up from a normal rune. Though these are often used for torture. The long and short of it is that Sunset placed a brand upon Trixie's head and threaded her mana through it in a very specific fashion. The overload of magic then causes the branded to experience an unholy amount of pain. The moment that mark appeared on Trixie's head, she was finished."

In a few short minutes, Trixie joined them, holding an ice pack against her head.

"Are you alright Trixie?" he asked

She snickered  "That was a cheap trick."

Wallflower shook her head

"I'd call that less of a cheap trick and more of a mercy kill. She could've done a lot worse to you but she opt'd to end the match quickly. If you can't counter a Sigil then you could never have beaten her."

Trixie huffed and crossed her arms, mumbling to herself.

"I'll take her." Trixie grumbled "Just watch."

There were three more matches before Sunset was up to fight again. An what a spectacle it was. Magic that caused hallucinations by slightly disrupting brain waves, one that allowed someone to cloak their body in a thick layer of magic the acted like armor, even one that turned any surface into a sticky, gum like substance from which one couldn't break free. It was amazing just how diverse magic usage was. And it's power seemed dependent on creativity, rather than raw mana. Finally the main event was here: Sunset Shimmer vs Chrysalis Sombra. It was time to get a first hand look at assassination magic. 

The two took to the stage. Chrysalis was as odd looking as her name. She wore a rather skimpy black dress with a large fur coat. Not only that, but her hair was green. She walked with a sort of smug confidence, as if signifying that she had one the match merely by walking onto the stage. Sunset lifted her wand, taking the same form she took during her battle with Trixie, only this time with a little something extra: behind her back was a large, golden circle of light, similar to that halo on her head. It was as big as she was tall and lining the circle where six spear heads. Anon turned to Wallflower again.

"Any idea what she's doing?"

"Not messing around that's for sure. She's already broken out the chains of creation, chains so strong it could bind a god to earth. Looks like she's going to try to end it quickly."

Chrysalis merely smiled and lifted her wand, covering herself in what looked like glitter before slowly walking towards Sunny. The points on Sunset's back began to jostle a bit before revealing the chains they were connected too. They were beautiful white-gold chains that looked almost as if you could push your hand through them, yet still looked so solid. Sunset began to move the tip of her wand in a tight, fast circle. As she spun the tip faster it began to glow brightly, forming a ring of light.

She released the ring, flinging it across the stage towards Chrysalis's face. She, however, didn't budge an inch. The  moment the ring touched her body, she turned into a large cloud of black smoke. Sunset tried to cut through the smoke with her wings, but unlike with Trixie, her efforts were wasted. The mist slowly began to surround her and then hitting her left right and center. It was as if Chrysalis was the mist. But Sunset was far from giving up

The spears on Sunsets back shot out, coiling around the mist. The tighter the chains became, the more the mist faded, eventually exposing Chrysalis' arm. The chains were literally forcing her back into her physical form. With each inch the chains pulled, Chrysalis' body materialized more and more, and the vortex shrunk. The smoke began to swirl around like a tornado and the arm started trying to drag sunset into the vortex. Shimmer lost her footing and was dragged in, being pulled around and around. As she was flung around the tornado, tiny cuts began to appear all over her body. The smoke was filled with tiny shards of glass. Anon could see what she meant when Wallflower said they played dirty.

Sunset shot one of the chains into the ground, making it act like an anchor to get herself back on her feet. She slowly fought against the turbulence, making her way back to the ground. By that point, however, the glass had ripped her body to shreds. Another one of her chains wrapped around the smoke and began pulling Chrysalis back into her physical form, this time with far more ease. The smoke quickly vanished as she was now completely bound in the chains.

This was the end. But not in the way Anon was thinking. Chrysalis let out an absolutely ghoulish smile and press her wand against the chains. Sunset got a look of pure terror on her face and instantly her form faded away, the chains along with it. Sunset fell to her knees before uttering two words.

"I submit."

The crowd began to roar with a mix of cheering and booing.

"What happened?" Anon asked "Did Chrysalis cheat?"

Wallflower shook her head

"No. She just exploited the biggest flaw in Sunset's magic technique. You've practiced threading right? And know about mana sickness?"

"Yeah. Sunset was actually the one who taught it to me."

"Well this expands on that principal. Sunset is basically using her magic almost like cloak around herself. It lends quite a bit of offensive power. But it has one crucial flaw: mana agitation. Essentially what Chrysalis did was force her mana into those chains, a physical manifestation of Sunset's mana. Think of it like pouring salt on a open wound. It's a cruel tactic but an effective one all the same. Even the best of mages can't stand against it for long."

"Is she going to be ok?"

"She should be. From direct observation it didn't seem that she injected her with enough mana to cause her any permanent physical harm. However in the moment that Chrysalis touched her wand to the chains, the pain must have been excruciating."

As Chrysalis exited the ring, Sunset sat there on her knees, shaking from the sheer pain. She really took a beating. She was covered in blood from all the cuts she got from the broken glass and her mana was shocked. A pair of students walked onto the stage and put her on a stretcher, carting her off.

"I'm going to go check on Sunset real quick." Anon said

"Suit yourself." Blush replied

Anon pushed his way through the crowd to the area where the students took Sunset away. She was in a small tent a few feet off from the stage. When he pushed through the tent flaps Sunset was nearly completely undressed, covered head to toe in band aids and gauze. Sunny blushed bright red, pulling the sheet over her half naked body.

"O-oh sorry!" Anon stuttered

"No it's alright. I just didn't know you were coming."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm ok. Just angry at myself for getting so careless. The pain has mostly subsided now. I should've know she'd try to disrupt my mana like that. I got too cocky."

"You did well out there Sunny."

Sunset lifted her eyebrow

"Sunny?"

"Oh sorry. Do you not like to be called that?"

She smiled

"I actually kind of like it honestly. It's cute."

"You magic is amazing Sunset. I've never seen anything quite so beautiful."

Sunset blushed again

"You are quite the flatterer."

"Just calling it like I see it is all."

She shifted positions with a loud groan.

"Get ready to see the other huge benefit of Solar magic." she said

Sunset peeled off all of the band aids, being sure to cover her bare breasts with the sheet. She took a deep breath, her body emanating a warm, golden glow. Anon's eyes widen as her wounds begin to emit profuse amounts of steam before finally closing up. It was as if she never got hurt in the first place.

"One of Solar magic's strongest points is medicinal magic. I can use my mana to heal everything from small cuts to serious cancers. Unfortunately I am unable to heal the scar on my back or cure my relative infertility. That's why it's a curse I suppose."

Sunset let out a big stretch, using her wand to poof a new change of clothes and getting out of bed.

"Well,  back to it then." Sunset said

"You ok Sunset? Not to insult you or anything but that was a pretty big defeat."

"It's alright. You can't win every battle. Unfortunately assassination magic is the Shimmer families Achilles heel and Chrysalis is the most gifted Sombra in close to eight generations. I went into the match knowing I'd be defeated."

"That's still pretty rough though"

"I'm fine Anon. Really. You can't win every fight. One thing you'll learn is that there's always someone better and more skilled than you are. It's life"

"I guess you're right."

"Want to learn some more magic basics with me?"

"Don't you need some rest after that?"

"I'm good. I promise."

"What about Eclipse?"

"You can always go back if you want. But I'm pretty bored of it at this point."

Well he certainly wasn't about to pass up more magic lessons with his cute crush.

"Sure. Let's go."
> Power Beyond Understanding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon trailed behind Sunset back to Kindness House and to her room. Once inside she sat on her bed, pulling out her wand and tapping it lightly against her knee.

"I'm going to teach you the four basic spell schools every mage must know:" she said "illusion, manifestation, encasing, and manipulation. Nearly every school of magic will draw upon one of these four basics. Allow me to demonstrate."

Sunset placed her wand against the front of his head, just above the nose. Suddenly his eyes began to see all sorts of colors and the room distorted. It was as if he had taken a hit of LSD. The moment she drew her wand away, his vision returned to normal.

"That was illusion. The process of changing one's perception of reality. This is manifestation."

Sunset pointed her wand up and a large ball of warm light filled the room.

"Next, encasing."

Sunset turned her want to herself and her body began to glow a brilliant amber. 

"Now encasing isn't always that obvious. But it is very useful in the way that it can strengthen objects and shield your own body from magic attacks, illusion included. If you ever plan to fight, this skill is essential.  Finally I'll show you manipulation."

Sunset pointed her wand to the desk and a book flew straight of the top and into her hand

"Eventually I'll teach you how to mix and match them and at some point, use them all at the same time. We'll start with encasing as it's probably easiest of the bunch."

Anon pulled out his wand

"Alright. Let's do this."

"Actually Anon, and try not to take offense to this, but I think we'd be better to start with a kids wand."

"A kids wand?"

"Yes. These wands are really good for beginners. It's an A-circuit so the magic is easy to flow. They're also made in such a fashion as to provide ample strength to your latent magic."

As much as he didn't want too, he couldn't help but take exception to that. Sunset reaches into a trunk under her bed, pulling out a rather small, pain wooden wand, handing it to him.

"Now I want you to channel your mana around your body in a tight weave." 

Anon points his wand forward, causing Sunset to immediately slap his hand down.

"Hey! That hurt!"

"Never, ever point your wand at someone or something you don't want to hurt." she said, annoyed "That is rule number one of wand safety."

"That's just like gun safety."

"Gun safety?"

"Have you never heard of guns?"

"Are they the mortal equivalent to wands or something?"

"Not quite. But they are quite dangerous. generally used to take the lives."

"How very mortal-like. So obsessed with taking lives."

Anon just shrugs off the comment and tries to concentrate. He could feel power welling within him, almost like a pressure growing within his chest.

"Anon relax!"

He opens his eyes and is surprised by the seen. It was as if a small explosion had taken place. Books were against the wall, sheets ripped from the bed, and papers strewn all over.

"What happened?"

"You mana got a bit hectic. I'm not surprised. Clover's power must be incredibly difficult to control. Even I'd struggle to do that."

"Any tips for controlling it?"

"Sort of. It mainly requires meditating and practice.You sit down and focus your mana on a single point or a wide area depending on what you're going for. It's like a muscle. One that you need to train in order to control. Unfortunately for you it's like the muscles of a heavy weight champion."

"Seems simple enough."

"That'll be your homework then." she said "By the end of this week I want you to have your mana under control and encasing down. Then we'll work on the others."

"Will do. Thanks Sunset. Do you want the wand back?"

She smiles sweetly

"Keep it for now. It'll be a lot easier for you to learn basic magic with that."

Anon nodded and made his way to the door

"Thanks for the lesson, Sunset."

"Anytime. It's what I'm here for."

He walked down the halls and towards the exit. Upon closer viewing. he could see Kindness House. Rather than the thick marble walls of Generosity, this house had simple green wall paper and was lined with large windows and beautiful paintings of nature. It was a lot more homey than Generosity House was. He wondered what all the other houses looked like. Where they all unique?  

Now it was a question of what to do next. He didn't particularly want to start his homework, but Eclipse didn't seem too fun either. He was just starting to walk back towards Generosity House when a loud siren began to ring through the entire campus, making him nearly jump out of his skin. It was like an air raid siren. He heard footsteps running behind and and hardly had he turned around did a hand grab his shoulder. It was Sunset.

"We need to get inside. Now."

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, but it's not good. That particular alarm means we're being invaded by a hostile force."

They both couldn't walk more than two steps before being surrounded. A circle of people in black robes and face masks aimed their wands at you. Except they weren't people at all! Behind their masks was nothing but milky black, as if they were shadows that gained sentience. Sunset pulled out her wand.

"Stay behind me." she said

As Sunset pointed her wand a hand grabbed her wrist. A woman in a long, blue, hoodless robe stood before them. She was absolutely magnificent, like a queen. She stood tall, her face almost stoic and her hair seemed as if it were made from the universe itself. It almost seemed intangible as it waved in the win, it's black background full of tiny white lights. It was as if he was looking at a goddess. Before either of them had a chance to react, the woman placed her hand over Sunset's mouth, knocking her out. Whoever she was, she was far more powerful than anyone he had ever seen before. Maybe even more powerful than the headmaster. He disposed of Sunset without so much as blinking. He was entirely at her mercy. She turns her head to Anon, her expression not altering in the slightest.

"Are you aware of whom I am?" she asked in a gentle, yet thundering voice

Anon was so afraid he couldn't even form the words to reply. Instead, he merely shakes his head.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nightmare Moon, the Mage in the Moon. You have something that belongs to me."

Anon felt a large bead of sweat run down his face. Now that he thought of it, she did seem familiar. It then hit him like a ton of bricks. She must have been the third person in the flashback, the one with the blue hair. Her face was the exact same. But how was she alive?

"Aw don't give me such a terrified look." she chuckled "I have not yet fully formed. I'm merely a projection. My seal has begun to weaken and fray."

"Then... why are you here?"

For the first time, the woman smiles

"To find the successor of Clover's bloodline. And I finally found him."

"How is that possible? There's no way you could've known."

"Oh you poor naive boy."  

She placed her hand on his own and like that, the crest glowed.

"For a mage like myself, I can sense the power in that crest light years away." she said "It's no coincidence it's appeared now. Clover thinks she can stop me a second time. Well both you and her are about to see what a miscalculation she made. Prepare yourself boy. I will be back. Next year during, Nightmare Night, you'll see me when the sun and moon collide. I hope you're prepared."

And like that she vanished, along with her gang of ghouls. Anon fell to his knees. Even as just a project, Anon felt so much power coming of  her it was as if  her mere presence was exerting force. He shuttered to think how strong she would be fully manifested. Sunset quickly awoke.

"Anon! Are you ok?"

Anon took a deep breath, finally starting to get a hold of himself

"I'm ok."

"We're in trouble. Major trouble."

"I can tell. The Nightmare Moon person's power is ungodly."

"The first mage of the Shimmer clan, along with Clover the Clever, fought her and sealed her away into the moon. Apparently that fight was just barely a win. She is powerful beyond measure. Like Celestia, Nightmare also made a pact, but with the moon instead. It was a huge mistake. Since the moon is the sign of masculinity and she was female, it corrupted her, turned her completely mad."

As he feared. She was the third person in the flash back. Meaning she was just as powerful, if not more so, than Clover and Celestia. He climbed to his feet, helping Sunset up.

"Sunset."

"Yes?"

"Is there any way we can access specific memories within my magic crest? I want to know more about this firsthand."

"There may be." she replied "But lets go to the headmaster first and report to him what happened. They're probably still scrambling to figure out what just happened. The last time something like this happened was over half a century ago."

They both rush to the headmasters office as quickly as their legs would take them. The second they entered, four black robed students had their wands at their necks.

"H-hey take it easy!" Anon said

"Scan them." One of them said forcefully

Another ran a long line of light down each of their bodies

"They're real. Let them through."

They hurry down the hall to find an extremely distressed Rom pacing back and forth across the room. Sunset bows.

"Headmaster."

He stares at them for a moment, a look of relief filling his face

"It's good to see the two of you alright. But you are in grave danger." he said "Did she tell you anything? Mention any plans?"

"You already know what happened?"

"Yes. That magic energy is unmistakable. I knew it the second she entered."

"She did mention a plan." he said "she said that I should expect her on Nightmare Night of next year. When the sun and moon meet."

"We will make the appropriate counter measures. Though given the circumstances I fear nothing we do may be enough. Until then I'm assigning two of the strongest mages we have on campus to be with you at all times."

Rom lifts up two of his long hands and claps twice, two more black robes enter. One was tall with mint green hair while the other was rather short with pink, blue, and white hair. They looked like they meant business. The one with tri-colored hair had four long staffs inside a hug satchel connect to her back. The staffs were as long as she was tall, each with a unique color and gem at the top. The green haired one had a belt full of wands of all different sizes.

"Anon, Sunset. I'd like to introduce you to two of the strongest mages we have here at Canterlot: Lyra Heartstrings and Bonbon."

The two both did a little curtsy

"For the foreseeable future, these two will not let you out of your sight. So you better get antiquated." Rom said

Sunset interjects

"Headmaster. If I may speak."

"Please."

"Won't this just draw more attention to him? It's a secret for now about his magic crest but if he has two body guards at all times people are going to get suspicious."

"I wish there was an alternative. But the rune I placed inside him had no effect. If I had to guess, the rune registered the amount of power in  Anon's crest and assumed he was that strong in turn. Meaning I haven't any other choice."

"I trust your judgement, sir."

"I am thankful for your trust. You are dismissed."
> All Knowing and Completely Unaware
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you ok?" Sunset asked as they exited

"I am. Just a bit shaken up is all."

"That's natural. To be honest I'm a bit rattled myself. Just go back and get some rest ok?"

"I will. Thank you Sunset."

Sunny heads back in the direction of Kindness house while he and his new best buds for life followed him to Generosity House.

"So what were your names again?" he asked

"Lyra Heartstrings." the green haired woman said

"Bonbon." said the other "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"What kind of magic do you both specialize in?" he asked "You both look like you're armed for magic armageddon."

We're both very versatile, drawing on a verity of different magic schools," Lyra said "But if I had to choose my strongest suit, it'd be a type of illusionary music magic called Breath of the World."

"I am best at a school of magic called cataclysm magic." said Bonbon "I also specialize in spacial magic."

"Spacial magic?"

"Yes. Basically I can create another space with my magic alone. It's why I need staffs. It requires quite a lot of mana. Care for a demonstration?"

"Absolutely."

Bonbon pulls one of the staffs out of the bag wrapped around her shoulder. It appeared to be made of a grey wood and had a tall jagged pink gem. She set the base on the ground and a large, intricate circle of light formed beneath them. He blinked and was in a log cabin, complete with a roaring fireplace, a kitchen, and a bed.

"That is incredible." Anon said in awe

"Not only is this 100% real, we're also in another plain of reality known as Closed Space. Meaning that if you're ever in danger I can whisk you away to this place and your would-be assassin would have to travel the multi-verse in order to find us." Bonnie said with a smug smile

"That's absolutely amazing."

Bonbon was clearly appreciative of the attention

"I'm glad you think so. I guess you could say that Lyra is brawn and I'm the brain. There's no fight Lyra can't win and there's no situation I can't escape from. Together we're a perfect team."

"I feel a lot safer about my chances of getting through this now. This magic really is impressive."

Bonbon tapped the ground with her staff and the scene around them melted away, as if pouring water onto fresh paint. Lyra looked around.

"So which house did  you end up in?" she asked

"Generosity."

"Not bad, not bad. Bonbon and I are both in Magic House."

They began to head back towards Generosity House

"So what's Magic House like?"

Bonbon's eyes got a glint in them and she got a spring to her step

"It's absolutely amazing. Only the best of the best students get selected for Magic House, hence the name. All of the students there and talented beyond words." she gushed "And some of the magic I've seen is beyond interesting."

"I love the Headmistress too." Lyra said "She's very nice. A bit of a perfectionist. But really laid back all things considered."

In a few minutes they reach Anon's house and he heads up to the room. Lyra leaned next to the door.

"I'm going to watch right here. Bonbon will keep guard inside."

"Sounds good." Bonbon said "We'll switch in two hours."

Once inside, Bonbon takes out a short wand and starts writing runes in light around the perimeter of the the room.

"What are you doing?"

"This is what's called a barrier. It's an offshoot of basic rune magic. Right now I'm writing terms on conditions. Essentially whatever I specify in this writing will determine who can and can't cross the barrier. Of course one can always use a counter spell, which would take a considerable amount of time, or just brute force their way in. But that would take a considerable amount of magic power to do. So you can rest assure that next to no one will be able to enter without my say so."

Wallflower, Trixie, and Coloratura are all sitting on their beds with strange looks on their faces.

"Who are your new friends?" Trixie asked

Anon explains the situation to them, leaving them only more confused than before. 

"That can't be possible though." Coloratura said, shaking her head in disbelief "No one can survive sealed away that long. The Greater Magic surely would have siphoned away all their mana by that point!"

"I don't know the entire story. But I'm planning to delve in the crest memories again and hopefully find out."

Coloratura got a bit giddy at the idea

"This is so exciting. A first hand account from Clover's perspective! A lot isn't known about her due to poor record keeping back then. Make sure to tell me so I can write it all down."

"I promise I will."

Bonbon finally finishes the barrier.

"There we go. I've taken pretty much everything I can into account. However do be on your guard. I can't think of literally everything in existence. So always keep an eye out for trouble."

They all nod. Bonbon removes the satchels full of staffs and sits against the door.

"So this is Generosity house huh? First time I've ever been here. It's quite nice."

"Are students not allowed to visit other houses?"

"They can only visit by way of invitation. By that I mean an actual written or spoken invite. It's a code of honor that predates our recorded history. Some ancient custom among early mages."

"Mages really do have quite a rich history."

"That we do."

Anon turns too his bunkmates

"Do any of you know how to activate crest memories?"

Wallflower nods

"Yes, but you shouldn't attempt it on your own, not yet anyway." Wallflower explained "First you need to learn how to exchange mana"

"Activating crest memories uses mana?"

"No. But it does use information, something the Greater Magic also has it's all seeing eye on. If you're not careful it can steal the crest memories as well."

Anon pulls up a chair and sits down

"Can you explain that to me? What exactly is the Greater Magic?"

She shrugs

"It's a very complicated concept, something that takes years of study." she said "Even then we still don't entirely understand it. It exists outside of space and time. It knows all, yet is unaware. It's from where all life begins, and all life ends and where mana originates. We're not even sure how humans were able to access the Greater Magic to begin with but we know that magic originated from it. They would've done it during the time humans were still drawing pictures on cave walls. And yet in the modern era we can't access it for more than a few seconds."

"It almost sounds like a God."

"That's one way of looking at it. But it seems less like a God and more akin to a force of nature, like a black hole or a hurricane. It doesn't think about it what it's doing, it just does it."

"How do you know so much about it?"

"My father. He actually created Memory Magic by mistake. His real goal was, and still is, to access the information contained within the Greater Magic."

"That sounds dangerous."

"Beyond so, especially when it comes to information. My dad had five people on his team. Three of them had their brains fried to the point where they became vegetables, unable to do anything other than eat through a tube. The rest went into a state of madness, babbling incoherently." she said "My dad was the only person lucky enough to escape with his mind in tact. This is why it's important you either have someone to anchor your information or are able to do it on your own. The most pressing fear is that the crest will overtake you. You will lose all your memories and have them replaced with Clover's. Sort of a psudo reincarnation. The other outcome is that the Greater Magic will steal the memories and magic of the crest, removing the very concept of Clove the Clever from the memories of not only you, but everyone."

"That's absolutely nuts."

"It is, which is why you need to wait before accessing them. If you're not careful, the results will be catastrophic."

"You mean you can't do it?"

"I can but I've only been trained to anchor myself. I wouldn't even know how to anchor someone else."

"Do you know anyone who would know?"

"I bet Miss Glimmer would. She is the head Illusion teacher. But she won't get here till school proper starts."

Anon sighed. He was getting impatient. He wanted to know the secrets of Clover. To find out why he of all people was granted such an important power. And what her goal was.

"Might I offer a suggestion?" Bonbon asked

"What's suggestion?"

"I know someone who specializes in Magic Crests. She's a bit... how should I put it... off the books." she said "She will be able access all of the crest memories. She'll demand a price, but the opportunity to see Clover the Clever's past will be more than sufficient."

"Really? When can we see her?"

"Her shop is closed for today, but I'd be happy to take you tomorrow."

"Excellent. Thank you Bonbon."

"Happy to help."

That night Anon had the strangest dream. He was standing in a forest with trees so tall he couldn't see the tips of them. Directly in front of him was a small circular stone house with a metal gate. The gate depicted the sun and the moon joining together at the top. In the center was a lion with it's jaws around the joined sun and moon.

The gate opened into a pitch black room with a single sound emanating from it. Hundreds of rattlesnakes, shaking their rattles angrily. With an unusual sense of relaxation, he stepped inside and the door shut behind him. It was so dark he couldn't even see his own hand, the only thing he could hear was the rattles, drilling into his head like jack hammers. Even through the darkness he could just barely make out the silhouette of a figure in the center of the room.  The figure uttered four words. He strained to make them out over the rattling, but to no avail. Then, like lightning, the snakes attacked him in unison.

He jolted awake, covered in a cold sweat. What in the world was that? He turned his head too the window to see the sun just barely peaking over the clouds. Wallflower had fallen asleep on the desk, a book her pillow while the others were softly snoring in their beds. Anon tip toed to the door and opened it, finding Bonbon just outside. The way she sat was eary. She sat crisscross, her glossy, empty eyes staring at the wall without so much as blinking. Her body was perfectly still except for her chest rising and falling. It was like she was a doll. Anon reaches his hand to her shoulder. Before it made contact he had a staff to his throat.

"Easy, easy! It's me!"

Bonbon breaks out of her trance

"I apologize, I didn't mention this." she said, cracking her neck "Don't touch me when I'm in this mode. I give my loosely conscious body rules that if anything disturbs it, it is to attack the target. Luckily I managed to get a hold of myself just in time. Otherwise you'd be missing your head right now."

Anon's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"Oh shit."

"Oh shit is right. In the future, communicate with my conscious through this."

Bonbon handed him a circular gem that was blue in color. It was rather warm to the touch, as if it had been left on a heater for a while.

"What's this?"

"It's an stone I enchanted that allows people to communicate with my my consciousness in Closed Space."

"Thank you."

Bonbon gives a big huge stretch. 

"You go ahead and get ready. Then we'll go see the Lady of Dreams."
> Lady of Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure this person can be trusted Bonbon?" he asked as he got dressed "Not that I don't trust your judgement or anything, but given the nature of my magic crest..."

"Yes. She's very isolated. Very cagey. But there also is the caveat: she demands a toll, something of equal value for the reading she does. Which is exactly why you'll be fine. There are mages who would trade their entire life's work for even two seconds in your crest memories. If you allow her to access them not only will you be able to learn Clover's past, but she'll pretty much be indebted to you for life."

"And she'll keep the bargain?"

"You don't have to worry, Anon. I have the utmost confidence in her."

Anon pulls the robe over his body

"You ready to go?"

"As soon as Lyra gets back."

Bonbon rolls her eyes

"She went to get some pony stuff."

"Pony stuff?"

"Yes. Lyra is... a bit of a dork. Ever heard of a show called My Large Equine?"

"I can't say I have."

"It's a dumb kids show Lyra likes."

Anon giggles

"She has quite a personality."

"Oh you don't even know the half of if."

Lyra walks down the hall with a large, yellow horse plushie in her arms and a fish stick in her mouth

"Sup! Mind if I put my Flutter Butter in your room?"

"Flutter Butter?"

Lyra taps the plushie

"Mhm! The best Equine on the show!"

"Lyra, just put the pony toy in their room so we can get going. We have important work to do." Bonbon said, annoyed

"It's not just a TOY, it's a COLLECTIBLE!"

"Whatever, just put it in the room."

Lyra does so and they all start walking to the dining area

"So what's this thing we're doing today?" Lyra asked

"We're seeing the Lady of the Water."

"I thought it was the Lady of Dreams." Anon said

"She's called by many names. The two most common are the Lady of Dreams and the Lady of the Water."

Lyra's eyes light up

"Exciting! It's been ages since I've seen her."

Anon walks up, gets a tray full of food and sits back down

"You guys aren't getting breakfast?"

Lyra smiles, pulling the half eaten fish stick from her mouth

"I already had my breakfast."

Bonbon blushes a bit

"I'm trying to watch my figure, if you must know."

"Suit yourself"

Anon digs into his food and they make their way into town. The sun was now half way up on the horizon but the temperature outside was still quite chilly. As they both walked down the long stone path towards town, Bonnie notices Anon's shivering.

"You seem a bit chilly."

"J-just a bit." Anon said through chattering teeth

"Here. Allow me to help."

Bonbon pulls a medium sized redwood staff with a smooth green gem, placing it against his chest. The gem glowed slightly and all of a sudden he felt as if he had just gotten out of a sauna. 

"That's much better. Thank you"

"Just tell me if you get too hot. I can dial the temperature up or down accordingly"

He liked this side of Bonbon. It was very motherly and warm. She spoke to him as a mother would to her child. They make  their way to the outer limits of the school, just beyond the wall.

"Lyra, if you would."

"On it"

Lyra places the tip of one of her wands into the ground, tapping it twice, and in the blink of an eye they were in another part of town. A large stone fountain filled with mossy green water sat at the middle of the four large, seemingly empty buildings. Not only that, but the buildings completely surrounded the fountain, making it impossible for anyone to walk in or out without climbing them.

"Now for the real fun." Bonbon said, pulling out a staff with a smooth red gem

With a large puff of smoke, they were now the size of ants, standing on the rim. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Next to the water spout was a house floating above the water. It was quite a nice house too, reminding him of a doll house his sister owned. Lyra pulls out her wand again, freezing the water in such a way to make a path to the house. Lyra goes first while Bonbon trails behind Anon, leaving him in the middle of the two. One they reach the house the ice breaks up behind them, destroying the path.

The inside was just impressive. It was like an antique shop for the weird and unusual. There were books of all shapes and sizes, heads in jars, a bird with the head of a dog, there was even a town on a shelf full of tiny blue people. Bonbon calls out.

"Miss Jubilee! I have a customer. One with a very, very valuable form of payment."

A woman walks out from behind a door next to the front desk. She had red hair pulled up in a top bun and walked with a cane, even though he could tell she had no need for it. She dressed as if she were part of the Victorian era, wearing a long black dress extending to her ankles.

"Greetings Bonbon." she said in a thick southern accent "And Lyra too. It's been quite some time."

"Anon, this is Cherry Jubilee." Bonbon said "Otherwise known as the Lady on the Water."

"Greetings, Miss Jubilee."

"Greetings. I presume you want answers to that dream you had last night? The one with the gate and the snakes? You want me to read your crest memories too, don't you?"

"You knew that?"

"Well of course I did! I'm a fortune teller."

"She sells herself short." Bonbon said "What you're seeing right now is the only person in the entire world who is able to communicate directly with the Greater Magic without losing her sanity."

"Are you serious? That's possible?"

"Well I can't do it for very long. I assume you're aware of the system I use?"

"System?"

"Yes. In order to do what I do without losing my mind, I exchange with the Greater Magic. That's why my payment policy is to pay only what you're willing to lose."

"What a minute. So does that mean I'll lose my crest memories?"

"No. I don't need to access the Greater Magic in order to tap into your crest memories. And I'd advise against using them as payment anyway. They're too valuable for anything I have to offer you. For crest memories all I'll need is some mana. We'll discuss what your dreams mean after we go through some of the memories."

"Only some?"

"Yes. You see you have to walk a fine line with crest memories. If you explore them for too long, the crest memories will become your own memories. You'll lose yourself."

Just like what Wallflower said. Lyra steps forward.

"I'll go ahead and do it. You can use my mana."

"As you wish."

Lyra and Cherry shake hands. Just like that, the deal was done.

"Come, sit down down." she said "Let's see a bit of Clover's life shall we?"

Anon followers her to the adjacent room and sits in a chair. Cherry places both hands on his shoulders and his crest begins to glow brilliantly. Once again you feel as if lightning had struck him in the spine and he awoke in small room. Celestia Shimmer sat at the far end of the room, slouched against a wall, her body unscorched while the woman who he knew as Nightmare Moon was looking at a beaker full of green liquid. This was before the pact with the sun. 

He, or Clover rather, looks down at a book. It was written in what appeared to be runes he'd never seen before, yet he was able  to understand every character. It was speaking about life energy and how it's power was theoretically possible to harness.

"Cele. Cele wake up!"

Celestia snorted and jolted awake

"Uh wha?"

"I swear you are the laziest person I have ever met, Celestia." the blue haired woman said

"Shut up Luna!"

Luna chuckled, going back to her work

"This doesn't seem like a viable alternative at all!" Clover said, frustrated "The cost for the magic is just too high. There has to be a way to mitigate the damage."

"Clover... " Celestia sighed "Maybe we really should just let this happen. The Greater Magic is reclaiming what it's lost. It's a natural process. Perhaps humans should give up magic. It's not the end of the world."

"I can't possibly let that happen. With magic anything is possible. We have made mortals lives so much easier because of it. Remember the pyramids? Stonehenge? Magic is invaluable to the modern world."

"Of course I do. But mortals will get by without it. It's not like they haven't before." Luna chimed in, not lifting her eyes from the beaker "Face it. We can't challenge such a fundamental force of nature. We may as well try to put out the sun with water or slow down the speed of light with breaks. It cannot be done."

"Just because they can, doesn't mean they have too. And with magic anything is possible. There must be a way, there has to be. I will find a way to save the magic in this world. I will."

"We should really know by now that there's no talking you out of a goal you've set your eyes on." Celestia chuckled

"Wait a minute..." Clover paused "Eyes! Celestia you're a genius!"

The scene fades to black and another one takes it's place. This one was far less jovial. Anon's body felt smaller now, like was a child. It was dark and the moon was out. He stood in the middle of a corn field. There were at least twelve people tied to  crosses while knights with torches stood in front of them.

"Mom! Dad!" Clover screamed

Two people tied to crosses looked over at him, no doubt Clover's parents. Her mother was beautiful, a tall woman with long red hair and piercing blue eyes. Her dad was quite a muscular man with a thick blonde beard. Both of them looked as if they had been tortured. A man went down the line with a torch in his hand.

"You are hereby sentenced to death by his highness King Author Pendragon for the practice of Witchcraft." the man said "What say ye in your defense?"

"We are guilty." Clovers mom said "But I beg thee under god. Please spare my child. She is completely innocent of this corrupt art."

The man nods

"Thine request shall be honored."

The man went down the line, asking each prisoner the same question and usually receiving silence.

"Very well. All twelve people present here today have been found guilty of witch craft. As such you will now be sentenced to death"

A second knight steps forward and walks in front of the first man in the row, kneeling down and lighting the base of the cross with his torch. Slowly the man begins to burn alive. His screams were agonizing. The knight moves down the row, lighting each cross one by one until finally he reaches Clover's father

"I have your word as a man of god that my daughter will be kept safe?" he asked

He nods

"By the honor of Author himself I assure you of it"

Clover's dad lets out one last sigh

"Alright." he said calmly "I accept my fate."

"NO!" Clover screams, running towards her father

She grabs his leg and Anon's  body felt like it was being poked by a thousand pins and needles. Her dad's body began to grow a complex system of green glowing veins that began to force their way into Clover's own body. He could tell exactly what was happening: Clover was taking her father's magic crest.

It happened in an instant. Clover put her hands into the dirt and the entire ground erupted, sending the knights flying.

"GET HER! SHE'S A WITCH!" one of the knights yelled

Clover ripped out both of her parents crosses from the ground, carrying them in each hand with a super human strength and began to run like the wind. The scene faded to black once more. The next thing he knew he was by a river. Both of clovers lay there, motionless in the now red water. Her mother's body was covered in a dozen arrows while her father, seemingly uninjured floated there, clearly dead. The memory ended with a loud, blood curdling scream.

Anon came back with a jolt. He was back in the house again. Both Bonbon and Lyra look frightened.

"Anon? Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Why-"

He brushed his face and realized tears were streaming down his cheeks. Lyra folded her arms.

"You were crying a lot. And just before you came too you let out the most horrendous scream I've ever heard. Those must have been some pretty dark memories."

Anon explains to them what he saw while Bonbon furiously writes it all down.

"That's nuts. I can't believe mortals killed her parents. It's amazing she didn't seek vengeance after that."

The room fell to silence for a while.

"I want to see more." Anon said

"I can't I'm afraid. You know what will happen if I keep going. However I still can interpret your dream."

Cherry pulls up a chair beside him

"The symbolism of you dream is... puzzling to say the least. It could be quite good or quite bad."

Cherry flicks her want and a large leather books flies into her hand. She opens it, reading through the text.

"The sun represents femininity and the moon masculinity. When they come together, they symbolize a perfect being. The lion is meant to represent the soul. Essentially what the door is saying is that either you or someone else will absorb a perfect being, becoming one yourself."

"A perfect being?"

Cherry flips through the pages of the book

"Yes. There are numerous references throughout the world of the mural you described." she explained  "In ancient times, mages were obsessed with becoming god like beings. We had three wars due to this very desire only to find that it was not possible. You'd have to essentially absorb the Greater Magic itself and assimilate with it, a feat not possible for any human."

"So what does the rest of the dream mean?"

"This is where it becomes troubling. The second half of your dream, the part with the snakes is essentially a punishment. The snakes, representing evil, attack you in pitch darkness. I hope, for your sake, you never try to achieve such an insane ideal as becoming one with the Greater Magic. For it will cost a price beyond your imagining."

"I would never even imagine such a thing."

"I'm glad. Hopefully time doesn't change you."

Cherry stands up

"Feel free to look around the shop for anything that catches your eye. If not, I have no further business with you."
> You're Not Alone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once back outside and at a normal size, Bonbon places a hand on Anon's shoulder

"Are you alright?" she asked "That was quite a bit to take in."

"I'm ok. I just need some time to decompress."

"You want to head back to the school?"

"Yes, please."

"Lyra."

"On it."

Lyra pulls out her wand and in a flash you're back at the castle gates.

"Why not just teleport us back to Generosity House?" he asked

"If we did that the school's alarms would raise a yellow flag." Lyra explained "Essentially we wouldn't be marked as intruders, but we would have a bunch of security swarming us to make sure we weren't a threat, which is a needless hassle."

"That's annoying."

"It is but it helps keep everyone safe at least. Can't really take chances with power like this."

Anon nodded and head inside the castle. He hated to admit it, but that whole experience, the vision and the dream, left him pretty shook up. Becoming one  with the Greater Magic? Was such a thing even possible? Would he really one day ever want to do that? Was there something in Clover's memories that would allow him to do it? Something in her research? What was it the Clover was searching for anyway? And how did she prevent the close of the age of magic? 

It wasn't hard to put two and two together that she was trying to find a solution to the Greater Magic siphoning away magic and, that in the process, she created Life Magic. But how did she get there? And why did she vanish just prior to the start of the Magic Golden Age? What sacrifice was Celestia referring too? He wanted to hit his head against the wall. He thought going through the crest memories would help him understand more but it only gave him more questions.

Anon walked back into his room, slightly fuming and sat on his bed trying to wrack his brain and figure out what this all meant. Everyone was gone except for Trixie, who was still slowly waking up. Trixie turn in her bed with one eye open, staring at him.

"How long have you been awake?" She yawned

"Quite a while."

Lyra tapped his leg

"I have an idea."

"Anything at this point."

"Why not go into the castle library?" she proposed "Maybe we can find more information about Clover there. I know she's not very well documented, but there should be at least something. And since Bonnie and I are 11th year students we can get you into places normally cordoned off."

"It certainly wouldn't hurt. I need some time to unwind a bit first."

"Feel free."

Anon pulled out the children's wand Sunset gave her and began to practice encasing. Or tried to anyway. His mind wouldn't stop spinning long enough for him to focus. He just wanted to know. Especially the biggest question of all: why him? Of all the people in the world to give one of the most powerful crests in existence, why on earth was it him?

"You alright, Anon" Trixie asked

He crossed his arms

"No, I am not alright."

Trixie smiled, flicking her wand and changing instantly into a new robe.

"Walk with me."

Anon looked at Bonbon

"Can you conjure up a room so her and I can speak privately?"

"Absolutely." Bonbon said

Bonbon took out her pink gem staff and in an instant they were on a beach. The provided a warm glow while the waves softly crashed against the shore. Trixie looked at him sympathetically.

"What's going on?"

Anon tells her about the dream and what it meant, as well as the crest memories.

"And I just don't know how it all fits together. Most of all I don't understand why I'm the one who was chosen. Why not pick some noble or someone with a long mage history like Lyra?"

"I wish I had the answers to those questions." Trixie said "But I know you'll find them. Clover had her reasons. They don't call her clever for nothing."

"Well she doesn't seem that clever if you ask me." he sighed "I wish I was mortal again. Or at least didn't have the burden of this crest laid at my feet."

"Really? Why?"

"It's so much power being a mage. So much responsibility. Too much."

"But you're not alone. You have me. Sunset. Coloratura. We're all here to help your brave this storm. It's new and new can be scary. But we won't leave you alone through it all."

"But what if I can't do it? I have only a year to prepare to fight one of the most powerful mages in all of history and  I can't even get encasing right!"

"You'll do it."

Trixie puts a hand on his shoulder

"But you won't do it by yourself. When that day comes we'll all be fighting right along side you. We'd never let you stand up against a titan like Nightmare Moon alone."

Anon lets out a sigh or relief

"Thank you, Trixie. That makes me feel a little better at least."

"Glad I could help. I know this is all hard and confusing, Anon. But no matter what happens or how hard it gets we're by  your side."

"Thank you."

"Anytime. Anon if you ever need a pep talk or a shoulder to cry on, you can always count on me. To be honest, I feel your pain."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Being part of a mage family is very difficult. Most families want to take nobility status, be set for life. You're expected to be perfect, to have everything figured out."

"I can only imagine the pressure. There's already a family who occupies the spot of nobility you want to attain isn't there?"

"Yeah. I don't want to get too deep into it. I'm just letting you know. I've had a rough time of it too, especially with the idea of undue responsibility. And I'm here if you need someone. I may not know what's it's like to bare one the crest of one of the most influential and accomplished mages of all time, but I do know what it's like to be a small fish in a big pond. "

"Thank you, Trixie."

"Ready to go back out?"

"Ready."

The scene once again looked as if someone had thrown water on a freshly coated painting and they returned to their room. Anon sits back on his bed.

"So Trixie." he said "What classes are you taking?"

"I'm taking my second performance magic course, stage arrangement. Then botany and Insight."

"Insight?"

"It's a precursor course to Divination, the study of fortunate telling and foresight. It's not the field of performance magic I intend of perusing, but I find it interesting nonetheless."

"What branch of magic does it fall under?"

"Illusion."

"What about Life Magic?"

"You sure are curious today."

"I think it'll help me understand Clover a bit better."

"Life Magic falls into a combination of both Manifestation and Manipulation." she said "It's why it was so ingenious during that time. No one had ever thought to combine the two. It's practically of a school of magic it's own right, but those are it's base components."

"That's really interesting."

"Anything else mister twenty questions?"

"Nah, that's all."

"Good. If you need me I'll be in the shower."

Trixie walks out, leaving him with only Lyra and Bonbon

"Can we go to the library?"

"You changed your mood fast." Bonbon commented

"Trixie gave me a good pep talk."

"Well if you want to I don't see why not."

"I'll go with Anon." Lyra said "You get some sleep. That dilation can be pretty tough on your body."

"Dilation?"

"It's how Bonbon is able to stay half conscious to protect you during the night." Lyra said "Basically she runs such a large amount of mana into her own body that she slows her internal time by a third. So for every hour we experience, she only goes through twenty minutes. It's good for staying awake for extended periods of time but it really wears on the body after a while."

Bonbon lets out a yawn

"That sounds like a good idea. If you need me, I'll be in Closed Space."

Lyra and Anon exit and walk across the castle grounds. They had to walk a good two miles before they finally reached the castle library. It was quite impressive from the outside. It was a large, brass dome with two large towers in the front. They walked in through the large steel gates. 

The inside was amazing, like something out of Renaissance Europe. The dome was entirely painted, depicting a scene of two mages fighting one another. There were book shelves as far as the eye could see. Not only that, but some of the books were actually flying about the library. The Library itself was three stories, each story seeming to comprise more books than the last. He followed Lyra to and old iron elevator with a man standing beside it.

"We want to go to level four please." she said, flashing an ID

The man nodded and motioned into the Elevator

"Yes, right this way please."

They both get on the elevator and the man uses a wand to press the button. To his surprise, they began to sink into the floor.

"By the way," Lyra said "You can't tell anyone I let you do this. I'm not technically supposed to do this."

"My lips are sealed."

"Good."

They sink lower and lower for a total of five minutes. Anon was surprised by the sight. It was completely pitch black.

"Welcome to the hidden fifth floor of Canterlot Library."

"Why is it so dark?"

"It's customary. The motto of the Library is 'Duces Cæci Sumus Omnes Ad Veritatis' or We are All Blind to the Truth. To embody that spirit, this part of the library remains shrouded in darkness, to humble us and remind us we are not as smart as we believe to be."

"No offense, but I find that tradition silly."

"I could say the same about many mortal traditions."

Lyra pulls a wand from her belt and a large amount of light cuts through the darkness. There were once again rows and rows of bookshelves stuffed with books of all shapes and sizes. However they could only see about five feet in front of them so there was no way of knowing how far it extended or even where the walls were.

"How are we supposed to find a book on Clover in all this? We can barely see the direction we're going."

"Easy. We call upon the Keeper."

"The Keeper?"

"Allow me to show you."

Lyra claps her hand twice and what sounded like a thousand tiny legs tapping on the floor began to get closer at an alarming speed. Finally the thing making the noise came into the light. It was utterly horrifying, like something out of a nightmare. It was a long, centipede like creature at least half as tall as them. Only it had long, dirty black hair, a big red horn in the middle of it's face, and  giant, sharp jaws curved into an unnerving smile. It's eyes were completely white and it turned it's head slightly to the left, as if it were an animals studying a new object. It had hundreds of tiny legs poking out from it's hair and the body extended so far back that it was out of view from the light.

"We need everything you have relating to Clover the Clever." Lyra said

The hideous monster nodded slightly, it's smile not fading for a single second. It crawled on the bookshelf and disappeared back into the thick darkness. He could still hear the awful tapping of it's thousand little legs the entire time.

"What the hell was that thing?"

"That's the Keeper. It's a creature that came from the Abyssal Trench and one of the few that won't eat your head off or tear you limb from limb. He looks pretty scary but  I assure you he's harmless."

"The Abyssal Trench?"

"Right. It's the dimension the lies between our world and the Greater Magic. It's pitch black and filled with an unholy amount of monsters."

"You mean it's actually possible to get to the Greater Magic?"

"In theory. However no one who's tried has ever succeeded. It seems to go on infinitely, like space. No matter how far anyone goes they never seem to reach anything." she said "It's also highly dangerous due to all those monsters."

The tip-tapping of the legs begins to get closer again and the Keeper appears, dropping a small pile of books on the floor.

"Good boy! Here's something for your trouble."

Lyra takes out her wand and poofs a bucket full of dark brown sludge into existence, giving it to the Keeper who happily gobbles it down.

"Let's head back up to the surface. Be a lot easier to read this stuff in the light." 

Lyra conjures a bag to put all the books in and they return to the elevator, riding up and returning to Generosity house. The books were quite ornate and old, some looking to be on the verge of falling apart. Anon took a look at the first book to catch his eye: A Comprehensive Look at Clover the Clever: What We Know So Far. He opened it up, allowing a large amount of dust to escape.

"Damn how old is this thing?"

"Most of the books about Clover were done during the Magic Silver Age, so close to seven-hundred years old more or less."

Anon began to pour through each of the books but, unfortunately, was left with little that he wasn't already aware of. There were only three important  things of note: 1. Clover was last seen in a place called the Heavenly Forest, home to the World Tree, 2. Clover was highly interested in using the Greater Magic to the magic world's benefit, rather than seeing it as an obstacle to be overcome and 3. Clover's battle with Nightmare Moon left her mortally wounded and near death at the end of it. But it was through this near death experience that she discovered life magic

By the time he  was finished reading it was already two o'clock. Both Coloratura and Wallflower had returned, their arms full of snacks and a few various items like stuffed animals and toys.

"What are you working on?" Coloratura asked

"Trying to figure out more about Clover's past." he said "Unfortunately even with all these books I didn't learn too much."

"You ought to take a break for today. I know! Why don't you join me and Trixie at the World's Eve tonight?"

"World's Eve?"

"It's another event the school is putting on this week. It's a huge fair, similar to the ones you mortals have, only far more interesting. This time it's in the Heavenly Forest."

Anon cocked his eyebrows. He certainly couldn't turn her down now.

"Alright I'll go. When time is it?"

"It starts at seven and goes till three in the morning. Oh and another thing: you'll be expected to be in formal dress. We'll have to do some shopping to make you presentable."

"Sounds good. Let's do it."

"Follow me. I'll take you to one of the nicest shops in the town."
> World's Eve
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon accompanied Coloratura into town and followed her down a few winding streets, finding himself in front of what appeared to be a small stone chapel. The inside was rather dark, the only lighting being candles. Even in the dim lighting, however, he could see row after row of clothes stretching throughout the tiled floor.

The clothes were quite different from the ones he was used too. No suits or dresses, but lots of robes. Unlike his school robes, these ones were very intricate and made of higher quality fabric. Each seemed to have an insignia on them, even the option to put your own on.

"Alright," Coloratura began "We're going to need to get you something nice. Since we can't put your crest on, we'll just use the school coat of arms. Any color preference?"

"What best represents Clover?"

"I'd say green. It was the color of her aura."

"Her aura?"

"Another term for mana. You see, mana comes in distinct flavors. Yours is also green, probably due to Clover's mana running through you."

"Does the color signify anything?"

"I'm no expert in it,"  she said, rummaging through a few racks "but it can represent a lot of things. Personality, temperament, mood. Sunset is far more knowledgeable about it than I, you should ask her."

"I will."

Coloratura keeps scanning the racks of clothes before finally finding what she was looking for

"Perfect! This will go beautifully on you."

Coloratura pulls out a bright green robe from one of the racks. Even without any insignia it was quite ornate. On the cuffs it had white silk furls and a small overhang of dark green fabric down the left arm coming to the elbow. A medium-sized sash wrapped around the sash, the same dark green color as the overhang. It came with green silk gloves and fur boots.

"Are all mage outfits unisex like this?"

Coloratura puts her hand on her chin

"Well yes and no. Our outfits are certainly distinct between the genders but in much more subtle ways. For example:"

Coloratura pulled another outfit from the line, this one was more of a tunic however with a big white under suit.

"While the boys wear robes, we wear tunics like this. The tunics will often be intricately decorated. Most male robes will typically only have one insignia on them: their family crest, or if they haven't yet become head of the family, the coat of arms of their family, school, or guild. The female ones are a lot more complex. I'll show you what I mean when we get back and you see what I'll be wearing."

Coloratura walks up the counter and exchanges mana with the clerk. With the flick of his wand, the clerk engraved the school crest onto the center of the robe, a simple yellow sun. Once outside, Anon notices that color has drained from her face.

"Are you alright?"

"I am. That was just," she panted "A lot of mana."

"We need to get you some more then."

Anon extended his hand

"No, that's ok. I've got a solution for this."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial full of glowing blue liquid

"This is mana in it's physical form. All I need is a drop and I will be completely replenished."

She pulls off the cap and pours a small drop into her finger. Her skin absorbed it instantly and the color returned to her face.

"You mean the Greater Magic doesn't steal it?"

"Nope. It's to dense and heavy for the Greater Magic to interact with. However it does evaporate over a long period of time, about ten years."

"How is it even possible to condense mana that way?"

"Through a pressure spell. This bottle has a rune engraved on it so that anything within it is subjugated to and insane level of pressure. The pressure inside is similar to ten times earth's gravity."

Anon looks at it closely

"It's so beautiful."

"It is, isn't it?"

The pair return to their rooms and Coloratura begins to rifle through a chest, pulling out her tunic. She wasn't kidding about it being ornate. The entire thing was covered in various patterns and shapes.

"Women's tunics are extremely special. It's tradition in mage families for the mother to make it. Every year, during my birthday, a new design is added to represent that year. Thus, every tunic for every girl is unique."

Anon studies it closely

"So what do some of the stuff mean?"

She points to the two fish that take up a large portion of the chest

"I was born in February so the first thing to be added was the Pieces sign."

The next thing she points too is the shoulder cuffs. On each cuff was star made out of music notes, each music note a different color.

"That right there is my family crest."

She points to the bottom of the tunic which depicted a large circle with a dot in the middle and lines equidistant apart around the outside.

"This is the alchemical symbol for lighthouse and represents my mana. A very bright, pure stream."

Anon looked at the rest of the tunic. It was filled with literally hundreds of different symbols, all organized in a way to make it aesthetically pleasing

"This is amazing. What a cool tradition."

"I'm glad you like it."

Coloratura looks at the clock

"We better get ready." she said "Don't want to miss the festival do we?"

"Will it really take three hours to get there?"

"It'll take around two for me to get ready."

"Ah I see. Well I guess I'll try this on."

"Please do."

Anon goes into the school bathroom and changes into his new attire. It was surprisingly comfortable. The fabric was like velvet against his skin. He looked in the mirror and felt like royalty. Never in his life had he worn something so nice. His life... in his pursuit to learn about this new world he had nearly forgotten it. What was his family doing, he wondered? Did they miss him? Were they looking for him? Probably not. His sister would probably worried about him but when she went off  to college they lost touch. He missed his sister. Not like he could tell her any of this. She'd think he went nuts.

Anon returned to find Coloratura was gone. Probably in the bathroom doing more preparation. Trixie, however, had returned.

"Hey, Trixie."

"Hey."

Trixie looked him up and down

"Nice outfit. I'm guessing you're accompanying us to the World's Eve tonight?"

"Yes."

Trixie flicks her wand and is instantly in her tunic, only her under suit was a dull blue. Much like Coloratura's, her tunic was packed with various symbols and designs.

"I like yours as well. Very intricate."

"You know why it's so intricate?"

"Yes. Coloratura explained the tradition to me."

"Good. I've always loved this little aspect of our culture. It's a shame it's female exclusive."

"It is. It's such a unique way to dress." he said "So what exactly is World's Eve? I know it's a festival, but what is it in celebration of?"

"It's to mark the discovery of the World Tree. It's said that primeval humans first discovered mana from the sapling of the World Tree. Some also say that the tree's roots directly connect to the Greater Magic, even that it's the origin of all life. whether it's true or not nobody really knows. The tree is also nourished solely on mana. At twelve midnight every year, all the attendees of the festival place their hands on the tree and feed it their mana, allowing the tree to continue living and growing."

Lyra chimed in

"You're not to do it however, Anon. We have to keep the utmost secrecy about your crest."

"I won't. I'm guessing you and Bonbon will be coming with us?"

"Yep. But you'll hardly see us unless there's trouble. It'd look too suspicious if we were around you all the time."

"Sounds good to me. No offense but having no private time is a bit annoying."

"It's a common complaint with people who aren't used to 24/7 body guards."

"So how long has the tree been around?"

"As long as humans have had magic." Trixie said "Back before humans even painted on cave walls or discovered fire. Nobody is certain how long the World Tree has been around. But we know it was around long before humans even knew how to talk."

"And we first found it when it was a sapling?"

"Yep."

Trixie gets a huge smile on her face

"I can't wait for you to see it. Let's just say it's a tad larger than trees in the mortal world."

"How big?"

"You should know by now I love keeping newbies in the dark."

A few hours later Coloratura emerges. Anon's jaw was practically on the floor. She had her hair in a tight bun and makeup  done in a way to make her face snow white. She had strong blush on her cheeks and blue eye shadow. It reminded him of a Geisha.

"You look beautiful, Coloratura."

She giggles

"Why, thank you."

Trixie grumbles

"Aren't you going to do the traditional hair and makeup of your family?"

"No." Trixie spat

Anon cocked his eyebrow. Someone was jealous of the attention.

"Well we better get to the trolley." Coloratura said

Him and the two girls walk out to the front of the school where a large line of what looked to be cable cars waited. Only there were no tracks, they were just sitting in the grass. As they loaded on, Anon saw Sunset Shimmer. She looked absolutely immaculate. Her hair was also done in a bun with two braids running down either side connecting to it. She wore a long gold tunic. Rather than the designs simply being stitched in, hers were made with rose gold diamonds that shined in the light. Her lipstick was a bright gold and she had deep black eye shadow and liner. She certainly looked like she was of noble birth. Anon walked over next to her

"Hey, Sunset. Mind if I sit by you?"

Sunset's eyes widened 

"Anon." she said, surprised "I wasn't expecting you to come. Please, sit."

She scooted over, giving him room.

"I assume they told you about this whole tradition?" she asked

"Yep. The whole thing from the festival to the outfits."

"I really like the one they picked for you. Green is a great color on you."

"Thanks. You look amazing yourself."

Sunset blushes a bit

"Thanks, Anon."

Anon starred down the rows to find Coloratura and Trixie with their arms crossed and looking away from one another.

"Hey, Sunset?"

"Yes?"

"Can you give me some of your female wisdom?"

"I'm not sure I have much of that, but sure."

"Ever since we started to get to the trolley, those two have been going at it. Do you have any idea why?"

Sunset looked confused

"Did they not tell you about that part of the event?"

"What part?"

"Well, before everyone puts their hands upon the Great Tree, a large dance is held. If I had to patent a guess, I'd say they both want a dance."

"Is it really that important or are their standards just that low?"

"It's incredibly important. It's seen as a status symbol. It's also a bit of a faux pas if you're a female without a partner."

"I bet as a noble you must have a line of guys wanting to dance."

Sunset got a look of pain in her eyes and rubbed her belly

"Oh... right... I'm sorry, Sunset."

"No, it's alright. I'm used to it at this point..."

"Hey, Sunset."

"Yes?"

"Would you mind if I danced with you?"

Sunset got a look of wonderment in her eyes

"You'd do that?"

"Of course I would."

He could see some tears forming in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back.

"Thank you, Anon. That gesture means a lot more than you think."

The cable car lurched forward and began to climb into the air.

"Anytime, Sunset. You're a good friend."

"I feel the same way."

The cable car seemed to rip through reality in the same way the bus did when he first arrived. They traveled through a tunnel of dazzling lights for around an hour before finally reaching their destination. Anon's mouth was agape. Trixie wasn't kidding about the tree being large. From back to front it must have been a least mile long. It was beyond tall, so tall he couldn't even see the top. Along the branches were lights, even a few houses. At it's base were hundreds of stands and surrounding the tree was a large forest that extended as far as the eye could see. This was it. The last place Clover the Clever was ever seen.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" Sunset asked "No matter how many times I see it, it never ceases to amaze me. The fact that something can grow so large and be so old is just completely beyond me."

"No kidding. I didn't even think it was possible for something to get that big."

"If only you could see the roots. Your mind would be really blown then."

The cable car landed and everyone shuffled off, Trixie and Coloratura making their way back to him and Sunset.

"So what should we do first?"

Coloratura pulled out a little pocket guide from her pocket.

"Well the actual ceremony doesn't take place till midnight. So we've got quite a while to spend with the shops and mini events."

Anon decided to take a chance. He extend his arm to Sunset.

"Sunset."

Sunset's face glowed a deep red and a large smile folded on her lips.

"Thank you, Anon."

They locked their arms together while Trixie mocked them.

"Oh Anon." Trixie said in a silly voice "You're such a manly man. Oh take me!"

Trixie made lewd noises and bumped her hands together. Coloratura couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry about that, Sunset." he said "Trixie is kind of a jerk sometimes."

"I don't mind. Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"You're the first boy to ever act this way around me." she said "Most know my family curse and stay as far away as possible."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'll make sure this is a night to remember then."

He swore Sunset's face couldn't get any redder

"Thank you."

They walk down the rows of shops. Most of them were selling uninteresting garbage and food. What really caught their attention was some of the mini events. It really wasn't all dissimilar from a county fair. Things like bobbing for apples, darts, stage shows and the like. As much as they liked to differentiate themselves from mortals, they weren't so far from one another. They walked to a target shooting game with prizes.

"I want to see how well you've been practicing. Win me one of those prizes." Sunny said

"Absolutely." 

Anon picked up the wand provided

"The rules are simple," the clerk said "Fire a small to medium dark of magic. Depending on where you hit the target you'll get a prize. You have three chances."

"Simple enough."

Anon took aim with his wand, focused, and to his surprise, actually manage to fire a bolt. It completely missed of course. He took aim and tried again. Miss. For some reason the bolts had an usual tendency to swing to the left. Anon took position to the far right, hoping to compensate, and fired. He hit it dead on in the bulls eye. Sunset got a huge smile.

"Nice shot."

"What can I say? I have a great teacher."

Anon picked out a large plushie of the Keeper, giving it to Sunset.

"Thank you."

"Anytime. I actually met that thing in person."

She looked surprise

"You've been to the hidden level of the Canterlot Libraries? How?"

"Lyra got me in."

"Lucky! I've been dying to get in there. But only eleventh and twelfth years are allowed." she said "Is it as dark as people say?"

"Darker. Even when Lyra was shinning her light we could barely see five feet in front of us."

"They really do take that motto seriously."

"So what do you want to next?"

Sunset points to the merry go round

"Let's do that."

"Sure thing."

Sunset climbed on one of the plastic horses and held her hand out

"Saddle up, partner."

Anon climbed behind her and she rested her head against his chest. Anon wrapped his arms around her waist and she melted into him. He had so many butterflies in his stomach he thought he might fly away.

"You really are a gentleman."

"And you're a beautiful young lady."

They looked across at the World Tree, the horse slowly rising and falling as they went around and around. It felt like time was standing still as they sat there in the embrace. After a while, the ride finally ended and for the next few hours they did various mini events. Anon seemed to be a lot more athletic than he remembered, winning Sunset several prizes. Finally, an hour before the big ceremony, they sat against the edge of the forest, starring out onto the World Tree.

"This night has been absolutely magical." Sunset said

"Well it isn't over yet." Anon said with a smirk "We still have a dance, if you'd be so kind to have one with me."

She smiled wide

"I wouldn't miss it for anything."

A long silence sat between them and he noticed Sunset beginning to lean in. Anon happily reciprocated and, slowly, their lips met in a clumsy kiss.
> Dawn of the First Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

They sat there for a while, their lips connected before finally breaking. Anon's heart felt like it was going to pop out through his chest.

"That was... incredible." Sunset aid

"It was. Thanks for my first kiss."

"It was mine too."

"Care for another?"

"I'd be disappointed if we didn't."

They kissed for a second time

"You're an amazing woman, Sunset."

"You're even more amazing than I am. Most guys are scared of me. I don't blame them. Not many people want to die five years after marriage."

"Hey, Sunset."

"Yes?"

"I might be coming on a little strong here, and forgive me if I'm being too forward but... I would be honored to call you my girlfriend."

A long silence filled the air

"But... the curse."

"If it means being with you, I'd happily bare it's weight. Besides, it's only after marriage right? So we've got quite a few years between us left."

Anon turned his head to find tears streaming down her face

"I-I'm sorry!" Anon said "Did I hit a nerve?"

Sunset hugged him so tight he thought his ribs might crack

"No, dummy." she blubbered "I'm just... so happy."

"So what do you say?"

"Yes, of course, yes!"

He rubbed her back as she cried for a while, her makeup running down her face.

"Well we've got thirty minutes before the dance." she sniffled "I need to go redo my makeup. Meet me at the base of tree near the stage."

"I will." he said "girlfriend"

Sunset began to giggle uncontrollably 

"I'll see you in a bit boyfriend"

They both take their leave and Anon makes his way to the stage at the base of the tree. People were already starting to congregate. It was going to be packed. He walked up to the tree. It was even more intimidating up close. He placed a hand against a tree and instantly felt a shock against his back and his vision go dark. He knew this sensation, it was the same one he felt every time he accessed crest memories. The scene opened with him staring at Celestia.

"This is it. The culmination of all my research." Clover said

"Are you sure about this? You know the moment you do this... you're never coming back."

"If it means allowing magic to continue in this world, it's a burden I'm willing to bear."

The two stayed silent for a long while

"And Luna?"

"I can't save her. We had to seal her away, there was no other alternative. She's not Luna anymore... she's Nightmare Moon. Should the seal ever weaken, I have a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yes. I can't say it out loud though. Luna's aura is still strong here. She could be listening. But trust me when I say I have a sure fire plan to stop her should she come back."

"You and your plans..." Celestia said "Do you really have to go?"

"Yes. This must be done." she said "I love you, Celestia."

"I love you too, Clover."

The scene ended and he returned to the present. This really was the last place she was. Whatever she did to extend the age of magic, she did here. Damn visions. They always left him with more questions than answers. Just five minutes before midnight Sunset returned, he makeup flawless once again. Anon walked over and gave her a hug.

"You look amazing."

She smiled brightly

"Thank you."

In quick order a band made it's way to the stage and began to play a quick, energetic song. He twirled Sunset round and round. They danced like they'd never danced before. The rhythm carried through their bodies, making them twist and turn, bounce and bob. The music ended with Sunset being held inches from the ground by Anon's arms, her feet starting to lift in the air. They were both panting like crazy.

"You're quite the dancer." Sunset breathed

"Thank you."

The music rolled out a slow tune and Anon helped Sunset back to her feet. They took position, one had on each other's waist, the other raised and clasped together. As the slow, elegant beat moved, they did as well even throwing in a few pirouettes in for good measure. Just as the song ended, they kissed once more. Sunset hugged him tight.

"Thank you for tonight, Anon. This has been probably one of the best nights of my entire life."

"It was my pleasure, Sunset. And I'd agree. This will definitely be a night to remember."

"Tomorrow I'll have my mom sew a clover on my tunic so I'll never forget it."

"I'm honored."

They break from the embrace, Sunset holding his hand.

"Well all that's left is the give mana to the Great Tree. Honestly I'm not interested. Want to head back?"

"Sounds good. Not like I can participate anyway."

They walk back to the cable cars and hop on. Just as the car was taking off, he looked back at the tree. It was beautiful. With all the mana being poured into it it gave off a beautiful green glow that extended to the forest. It was then he realized that the forest, too, was part of the World Tree. The mage world was truly a sight to behold. Back at the castle grounds, Sunset and Anon gave each other one last kiss.

"Well I have to get back to my House. Thanks again for tonight. Boyfriend."

"I'd do it a hundred more times. Girlfriend."

The two giggles and went their separate ways, Anon returning to his room. Bonbon and Lyra followed soon after.

"Way to go rookie!" Lyra said

Anon smiled tiredly

"She really is amazing isn't she?"

"Look at that Ly. Completely lovestruck." Bonbon giggled

Anon looked around and realized he hadn't seen Wallflower all day

"Do you guys know where Wallflower went?"

The mood instantly plunged

"Did you not know?" Lyra asked

"Not know what?"

"Wallflower told you about the people who worked on the project that spawned Memory Magic right?" Bonbon asked "Well one of the people who went mad from the exposure to the Greater Magic was her mom. Every time a nice event comes up that requires a tunic, she always vanishes. I don't blame her. Poor thing."

Anon wanted to go and help her, but after being awake for nearly twenty hours, he could hardly keep himself awake.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"Go to bed. You've earned it."

Anon climbed into his bed and fell asleep near instantaneously.

The next few days passed relatively uneventfully. It took time, but Anon mastered each of the basic disciplines except for Illusion which he was struggling with. He even managed to learn his first life magic spell, making plants grow from nothing. Things were moving along at a steady pace. Finally the morning of the first day of school arrived and he received a guild list. Guilds were essentially the equivalent to fraternities and sororities in the mortal world only with two key differences: they were related to a specific area of study such a alchemy or insight and there were literally hundreds of them. The list was over ten pages long. All of them had different requirements for entry.

Coloratura joined the Music Guild, Trixie the Performance Guild, and Wallflower the Manifestation Guild. Anon, however, remained undecided. It wasn't required by any means, but he did want to join one. Coloratura looked down from her bunk, her big, D-cup boobs hanging over the edge.

"Hey, Anon."

"What's up?"

"Decided on a guild yet?"

"I haven't. There are just too many too choose from."

"Why not choose one of the more general guilds?" Trixie interjected "You seem to be pretty gifted when it comes to Manifestation. Probably your mana type."

"Are we ever going to find out what my mana type is?"

"I thought your little girlfriend would've shown you." Trixie snickered "There's a test for it. I'll show you tomorrow."

"Well I'm off to get some breakfast." Anon said

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Bonbon followed him out.

"Hey Bonbon?"

"Yeah?"

"It just occurred to me. How is it that the cafe is stocked with food at all hours of the day despite there being no staff?"

"Good question." she said "But I think you already know the answer."

"You mean you can actually create food with mana? That's nuts."

"It takes a lot of training to make food as good as what the school offers. It's mostly year eights and above who do it. Their training really does show."

"Mana is so versatile. Are there any limits to it?"

"Yes actually." she said "There are things that, while theoretically possible, you could never find the amount of mana to achieve. First one coming to mind being large scale mana dilation."

They walk into the kitchen

"How so?"

"Theoretically you could use this concept to stop time entirely. But I've never heard of a single person being able to do it, even if they have multiple high level mages doing it. And the reason for it is due to the Greater Magic."

They grab some breakfast and sit at a table.

"How?"

"It's due to a principal called the Expansion Effect. I won't get to technical with it, but essentially at a certain threshold of mana expelled, the Greater Magic will actively start to steal mana away rather than passively. The more you move past the threshold, the higher the toll of mana will be."

"How are we able to give mana to the World Tree then? There was so much the tree was glowing."

"It's one of the many mysteries of the World Tree. No matter how much mana is expelled, so long as it's given directly to the tree, the Greater Magic won't intervene."

"What happens if you lose all your mana?"

"Death usually. But you'll feel it long before then. You have to keep your mana level within a certain range. What will happen often is it will first make you deeply sick, then induce paralysis. After that you die."

"Scary."

"You don't have to worry about that though. Since you're using life magic you never have to worry about such things." she said "Your power comes from the plants and trees around you, thus circumventing the need for mana altogether."

The both eat in silence for a bit before Bonbon breaks the ice again

"Excited for your classes?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what to expect. Something tells me it's going to be a little different from mortal school."

"Oh yeah. A bit more flashy. You'll do fine though. Just make sure to take good notes."

"What about you? Don't you have any classes?"

"Yes. You."

"Me?"

"Yep. I'm trying to get my major in being a body guard. You're what mortals would call my senior thesis."

"That's pretty nice. A lot better than what we have to do. Normally we just write long, boring papers."

"It is nice. And I'm certainly getting some valuable experience for sure. I doubt I'll ever have a job with stakes so high. So if I can do this, I can do anything."

The two finish eating and head back to the room. Anon began to pack some of his books in the bag the school gave him.

"You're not actually taking a bag, are you?"

"Yeah? Why not?"

"You are so new it hurts." Trixie snorted

"What's wrong with the bag?"

"It's the ruck sack you got during orientation. You'll like like a newbie."

"Coloratura? Is that true?"

Coloratura put her books in a trunk then shrunk it down so it fit in her pocket

"Don't ask me." she said "I'm a new student too remember?"

"Wallflower?"

"If it bothers you so much." Wallflower said rolling her eyes

She zapped the bag, transforming it into a plain grey backpack

"That spell will wear off after a day so you might want to think about going and getting an actual backpack."

"I will. Thank you Wallflower."

"Happy to help."

They all exit the room and head to the lobby. To their surprise, Headmistress Rarity, who had been seemingly absent the entire week, was seeing the students off.

"Ah Anon,Coloratura, Trixie, and Wallflower." Rarity called out "Wonderful to see you. I hope you have an excellent day. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Rarity clearly cared quite deeply about the well being of her House occupants. She was almost like a mom. They say their thanks and walk off in separate directions to their classes. It almost pained him to do so after spending such a fun week with them. Anon pulled out his schedule from his pocket. Alchemy in Tower Five. As he made his way over, Sunset joined him.

"Hey, sweetie." she cooed

"Sweetie?" Anon giggled

"Do you not like it?"

"No I love it," he paused "cutie."

Sunset giggled in return

"So where are you headed?" Anon asked

"I'm going to my first medical class. It'll be a breeze for me I think. You?"

"I've got Alchemy 403, then after the Conjuration."

Sunset got a glint in her eye

"Oh I remember Conjuration! You're going to love the teacher. She's quite the card."

"Who is it?"

"Gusty the Great"

"That's quite the title."

"And she's more the earned it. She has a bit of an odd personality so just brace yourself. You'll like her when you get used to it though."

After walking together for about fifteen minutes, their paths finally went in other directions. They both hugged and went on their merry way. Anon walked into the tall blue tower, making his way to the top. It was a long room with at least five rows of desks, each seating about ten people. There were no windows except for a small open sliver at the front of the room that let some light in. To his surprise, Bonbon and Lyra didn't sit beside him, instead opting to take too adjacent corners of the room. It was pretty smart. Together they could see the entire room, no blind spots.

In a few minutes about forty of the fifty available seats were taken. It was a bit claustrophobic and stuffy. A girl that sat beside him caught his eye. She had red hair done in an unusual style. She clearly had long bangs but opted to tie them with a hair band above her head, forming a odd front bun. She wore a large purple sweater and a red skirt. Anon decided to make some small talk.

"Hey."

"Hi." she responded, rather annoyed

"I'm Anon, a new student here"

Her mood instantly shifted from annoyed to highly interested

"So you're the unusual newbie everyone keeps talking about?" she asked "The one who's the boyfriend of the heir to the Shimmer Family no less?"

"I didn't realize I was so well known."

"You're just an unusual case. The last time a person from a non-mage family came across mage powers was nearly 650 years ago. And they are a very positively viewed character in history. Not to mention you're dating an noble. To say you're an odd case is an understatement. You're weirder than a snow storm in July."

"Oh. Well I hope you don't view me that way. I'm just a normal guy."

"Not at all. Sorry. I thought you were just trying to pick up on me." she said "Boys always seem to think with their dicks."

He stays silent, not sure how to respond to that

"Oh I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself. Name's Moondancer. I'm a 5th year and deputy headmaster of Magic House."

"Oh really? You must be really gifted then."

"Something like that. I just have a rather peculiar and rare style of magic that isn't practiced often."

"What magic?"

Just as he asked a woman bursts into the door. The teacher no doubt.

"Shh. I'll tell you later." Moondancer said

The teacher spoke in an extremely monotone voice

"Greetings everyone. My name is Maud Pie and I'll be teaching you Alchemy this year."

Anon sighed. If she talked this boring she'd probably bet suited teaching dream magic.

"Now if you would please open your books to page three."

The class was about exciting as Maud's voice. They learned about basic metals and properties they had. Yawn. Not only was the subject matter dry, but Maud's perfectly monotone voice made him want to take a nail and drive it through his eye socket, just to make his heart hadn't been gotten bored it stopped beating. he hour long class felt like it took over forty years. Finally they were let loose, Moondancer by his side.

"God that was so boring. I thought I was going to die."

Moondancer giggled

"That's professor Maud for you."

"You've had her before?"

"She teaches all the Alchemy courses here. She is unbearably dull."

"So what is your magic?"

"It's something called Memoir Historia. When's your next class?"

"In an hour. Why?"

"Would you care for a demonstration?"

"Absolutely."

Lyra and Bonbon trailed closely behind, hands close to their weapons. The look in Lyra's eyes showed distrust. 

"Let's go to the old oak."

He follow her through the castle, eventually stumbling on a large oak tree with glowing pink leaves near the wall.

"Now, watch and be amazed."

Moondancer lifted her wand into the air and a myraid of glowing multi-colored lines branched out, forming what almost looked like a complex web of branches. Then, as if something from above let out a single drop of light on top of the branches, a single bead of light traveled down the intricate array and into her wand. The branches vanished and a beautiful beam of pink light shot into the air.

"Historia is a lost magic handed down from Luna Moon." she said "It allows me, or my wand rather, to communicate with the Greater Magic at no risk to myself. It pulls a random spell from within the Greater Magic and allows me to cast it with perfect mastery."

There was that name. Luna. Was it the same Luna that became Nightmare Moon?

"That's incredible. How are you able to do it?"

"It's not a perfect spell. But essentially it transfers the information directly to my wand rather than me, preventing mental degeneration. But, since my wand has no consciousness and can't pick and choose, that also means the spell is completely random."

"You should really think before using such a powerful magic so frivolously." Bonbon said

"Yes, mom." Moondancer mocked

"How did you get a spell that belonged to Luna?" he asked "Wasn't Luna one of the mages that traveled with Clover the Clever?"

"It's been in my family for generations. My family was on of the few survivors of the the Magic Ancient Age that have made it this far. Only three did. Us, the Shimmer family, and the Sombra's."

Anon paused for a while

"How well can you keep a secret?"

"Why?"

"Because if this spreads around, I could get killed. It's why I have these two."

"I can keep a secret. But if you really don't believe me, we can make Oath Pact."

"What's that?"

"It's a tool practiced by ancient mages, one of the few tools commonly used today. It's a contract that's upheld by the Greater Magic itself. When the two parties enter an agreement it binds their souls, to the point where not even death will allow them to break the contract."

"Alright, that seems fair."

Moondancer flicks her wand and a silver scroll made of light comes into existance

"It specifies that you are to share with me everything you know regarding the secret you intend to tell me. If I tell this secret to anyone else in any way, including hints or be secondary means, my ability to do that will be burned before I complete it."

"What does that mean?"

"Say I try to tell someone this secret. Before I am able, all memory of what you're about to tell me will be completely burned out and erased."

Anon turns to his two bodyguards for conformation and they both nod.

"Alright. I accept."

They both sign the pact and it vanishes into thin air

"I'd start talking quick if I were you. If you don't then you won't be holding your end of the deal and will combust into flame." 

He explains to her that he inherited Clover's Crest and how she seemed extremely interested in the Greater Magic as a solution to extending the age of magic. Moondancer could hardly believe her ears.

"Wow. That is... a lot. I don't know what to say. I knew you were an unusual case but this is a whole new level of crazy."

"Is there any resources you might have to help? Any books? Anything?"

Moondancer thought hard

"Tonight at ten o clock meet me at the school gate. I think I have something that could help you. But it's at my home and I've never actually cared to look at it until now."
> Old Wounds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moondancer checks her watch

"Well I need to get back to class. See you tonight." she said, running off

"You shouldn't have done that." Bonbon said "Oath pacts are a great way to get yourself into deep trouble. Luckily I was able to read it in full. You didn't even bother to glance at it."

"Yeah." he agreed "In hindsight that was a dumb idea."

"When you go to her place tonight we will follow behind quietly." Lyra explained "Do not tell her we're there. Tell her that we took the day off."

"You're awfully suspicious."

"We have to be. You have a magic crest people would literally kill millions of people to have your crest. Like... imagine if it was possible to gain all of Einstein's knowledge. Can you imagine how many mortals would do just about anything to get that?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Clover the Clever is one of the most, if not the most, prolific and renowned people in our history. It could even be used to gain a permanent seat in the King's High Court."

"The High Court is a step above nobility. They are some of the highest ranking and accomplished mages in the current era. There are seven in total and they all live in castles that make our school look like a children's playground. Do you see what I'm saying?"

He nods

"Sorry for being so careless."

"Don't worry about it." she said "You're new to this life. It's a culture shock."

"Do you think I should tell the king?" he asked "Being a member of the high court sounds pretty good if you ask me."

"You'd be executed for sure. You having that crest violates not one but two of the most sacred laws we have as mages: mortals are expressly forbidden from the magic world and having a crest that isn't your own without express consent of the previous owner. What someone would likely do, if they were smart, is drag you before the king and demand a seat in the court in exchange for you."

"We'd also be executed for helping you" Bonbon said "Along with everyone even tangentially associated with you as co-conspirators."

"Why do it then? Why put yourselves at such great risk?

"The crest is the valuable. We, as well as the rest of the mage world, deserves to know how Clover lived." she said "If the king ever got a hold of it he would horde the knowledge for himself to strengthen his own power. Many have speculated that she is the reason we still have magic today but, of course, nobody knows how. Imagine if nobody knew how the person who discovered electricity did it? It's in the best interest of the mage world to know."

"So who is the king anyway?"

"King Tirek. By far one of the worst and most authoritarian kings we've had. Luckily the way our government is structured it's prevented him from becoming a tyrant. But nobody knows how long that will keep him at by. Every day he hammers away more and more of the foundations of our state."

He couldn't believe he was so at risk. He always thought the risk came from hitmen and the like. But the threat was just as present from wider society as well. It was like he was a ticking time bomb. And all someone had to do was overhear and the powder keg would explode. Anon looked at his watch

"Damn we got to get to class."

He and his body guards quickly rushed to the conjuration class. It was, of course, at the top of another tall tower. They made it just minutes before it was set to start. The classroom itself was quite small and unusual to say the least. On the ceiling hung about a dozen cages, each with a strange animal inside: a bird with two heads with red and blue feathers, a blob of black muck that had dozens of eyes sinking in and out it's sludge, and, worst of all, a turtle with multiple snakes coming out from inside the shell. Bonbon and Lyra took different positions from last time: Lyra taking position next to the door and Bonnie using magic to cling to the ceiling, the shadows cast by the point of the tower almost completely obscuring her from view. If he hadn't seen her do take the spot, he'd never know she was there.

Like the room, the class size was far smaller, only about ten people. Once everyone was settled it, a woman with green and red hair sat at a desk at the front of the room. She was wearing a checkered red robe and was slightly pudgy. Her piercing emerald eyes cut through the room like a knife, as if she was trying to find an impostor among them. She addressed the room.

"Welcome to Conjuration lovelies. I am your professor, Gusty the Great."

She spoke in a very upper class, official voice, almost as if she, herself were royalty. She took out her wand and tapped her desk twice. One of the cages up above opened, releasing the two headed bird. After flying about the room it landed on Gusty's shoulder, cawing in her ear. Gusty nodded and looked up, chuckling.

"Bonbon if you ever wish to be a body guard one day you simply must get better at hiding your presence." she said, looking right at the spot she was hiding in "I thought I taught you better."

An eep is heard from in the rafters were Bonbon was hiding. Anon looked back at Lyra to find her giggling like crazy.

"Back to the matter at hand: welcome to Conjuration. In this class you will learn to summon creatures from the Abyssal Trench and you will learn how to control them in an efficient manner. Can anyone explain to me what the Abyssal Trench is?"

A girl's hand shot up. It was Daring Do, the same girl who fought Fluer during Eclipse!

"The Abyssal Trench is the boundary line between our world and the Greater Magic. It was discovered by Starswirl the Beared during the Magic Silver Age and is home to otherworldly creatures."

Gusty does a little golf clap

"Excellent, excellent. Yes, as Daring described, the Abyssal Trench is what separates our world from the world in which the Greater Magic resides. A world of monsters and nightmares untold."

Gusty lifts her wand and points it to the floor in front of her.

"I summon thee, Firebrand."

A purple light fills the room and from the light, a blue bird appears. However the blue color wasn't from the feathers, but the flames burning on it's skin. It let out the most bone chilling caw he'd ever heard, as if someone were strangling it. The bird flew around with it's wings vertical to the floor rather than horizontally, cawing it's horrible caw over and over before Gusty finally banished it.

"Now does anyone know what that creature was?"

Daring raises her hand once more

"A Firebrand. A species of flaming hawk. Very dangerous and will eat humans if they're in the area. They often shoot flaming feather balls made out of a toxic concoction in it's stomach that turns to fire when in contact with the air."

"You seem to be quite adept Miss Daring Do. Are you planning to make Conjuration your specialty?"

Daring shakes her head

"Not entirely. I want to become a Monster Hunter, just like my parents."

"Very dangerous line of work"

"It is. But that's why I'm here."

Gusty walks back to her desk and starts to use her wand to write across the air in light

"Monster Hunters preform one of the most crucial jobs in the mage world. Often, these creatures will escape the Abyssal Trench and make their way into our world, or worse, into the world of Mortals. It is the job of a Hunter to capture and destroy these creatures. Though it can be quite the task"

Another girl raises her hand

"What's the most dangerous creature inside the trench?"

Gusty thinks for a moment

"That is quite a tough answer. But if I had too chose, it would be a being called a Nightmare."

Gusty draws what looks to be scribbles in the form of a large creature with long arms and short feet. It had four beady red eyes and no mouth.

"The Nightmare, or by it's more technical name, the Typhoid, is a being made from the matter within the trench itself. As such it can transform into whatever it deems worthy. It's been known to mimic human speech and appearance, though it can be rather easier to see through it's disguise. However defeating it is a different matter entirely"

She draws a circle around it

"To beat a Typhoid you must encase it with your mana and crush it, something only the most adept mages can do. Since it can change forms so freely this can be near impossible, unless done quickly." she said "Now that we're done with that little tangent, we will each be practicing summoning and taming a creature from the Trench. There are two spells you need for this."

She begins drawing in the air again

"To summon, you must merely picture the creature you want in your mind and provide the equivalent mana to take it from there to here. For the creature we'll be summoning, it won't require much mana." she explained "The second is a fair bit more challenging. This is the taming spell called Fortunda. It's an illusion spell that requires you to change the brain chemistry of the target to bend them to your will. However the other option is to use a Sigil however that would take a bit more time."

Oh great. Illusion. The school of magic Anon was weakest in. Gusty points up to the cage that housed the black-grey blob full of eyes. It was as if the eyes were floating around in the goo, coming up for air every now and again.

"Today we will be summoning one of those. They are fondly called Eyesores. Would anyone like to try it first?"

Daring's hand shoots up faster than a lightning strike

"Show us how it's done Daring."

Daring walks up to the space between Gusty the students' desks and closes her eyes, pulling out her wand. She took a deep breath, aimed at the floor and a small purple light shined appeared. When the light cleared, an Eyesore was on the floor. Daring took another deep breath.

"Fortunda."

A tiny ball of blue light shot into the Eyesore, though it didn't seem like anything changed. Gusty smiled.

"Now show us that it's devoted to you." Gusty said "Command it do something."

Daring nods

"Eyesore, expend yourself."

The terrible creature seemed to become solid all of a sudden, shooting portions of it's body out like spikes. Gusty is very pleased.

"Well done, well done. Eyesores never do that unless it's as a last line of defense." she said "A+ for today."

Daring flashes a confident smile

"Now for the third lesson, dispelling. This is the simplest of basic conjuration. To send a creature back all one must do is stop the flow of mana directed at it. Daring, if you would."

"My pleasure." Daring said

Daring seemingly does nothing but stand there as the creature slowly faded out of existence, as if it were a ghost.

"Very well done. You may sit back down."

Daring travels back to her seat. Anon swore he could actually see her ego inflating.

"Now, who wants to try it next?"

Anon decides to just go for it and raises his hand.

"And your name?"

"Anon. Anon E. Mouse."

Gusty looked puzzled

"I know quite a few people and mage families but have never heard of yours."

"I'm the first in my line."

Lyra looks like she's shitting bricks. Apparently he wasn't supposed to say that. Gusty gives him a dirty look.

"Ah. You're the mortal-born everyone's been talking about. Fine, fine, show me what you can do."

Anon steps up to the front of the class. Time to put all his training to the test. He gets a clear image of the Eyesore in his mind and points his wand at the floor. Sure enough, it appeared. Gusty gave a rather unimpressed shrug.

"Now try to command it to your will."

This part, as expected, was much more challenging. Try as he might, he simply couldn't get it to do what he wanted.

"Work on it. Next."

Anon dispelled the Eyesore and returned to his desk, defeated and embarrassed. The rest of the class consisted of the same exercise until finally it was time to depart. Outside Bonbon and Lyra looked concerned.

"You really shouldn't have said that." Bonbon said

"Why not?"

The two look extremely uncomfortable

"This is going to be a hard lesson for you to learn, but there are mages among us who are not... let's just say they're not very fond of mortals."

"I'm guessing Gusty is one of those people?"

"Yes. So just be prepared. This class just got a lot harder for you because of that."

They began to walk back to the house

"So why do mages have such bad blood with mortals?"

"Long ago, mages and mortals used to live side by side." Lyra said "I'm no history buff, so I can't say what set it off, but there was a large war between us and mortals. There were also a lot of executions of people suspected to be mages. We've wiped much of this history away from mortal consciousness, made them believe it's fairy tales and such. But us mages... we have not forgotten."

"I saw that in one of Clover's memories. Her parents were butchered right in front of her for being mages."

"Gusty's grandparents apparently participated in that war. Prejudice is a hard thing to shake I guess. I'm not altogether sure why she hates mortals specifically, but that's the long and short of it."

"I'll just prove to her we're not all the same."

"All I can say is good luck." Bonbon said "She is very stuck in her ways. If you want to try, more power to you but what I'm saying is... don't hold your breath."

"All I can do is my best."

They return back to the room and Anon lays down. He was surprisingly exhausted. Preforming magic really takes it out of you. The only other person who had made it back was Coloratura. She giggled.

"Rough day at class?" Coloratura asked

"I had to preform a spell six or seven times. Feel like I've just run a marathon. Not to mention it was in my weakest discipline: Illusion."

"You'll get it. Just keep practicing."

"I know." he said with a yawn

"You should take a nap."

"Nah I'm good. I have some alchemy homework I need to get going on."

"Oh? What?"

He pulls out a list

"By the next time I go to class, the day after tomorrow, I will have need to have brewed this potion. It's supposed to be a flavor enhancer."

Coloratura looked at the list

"Ah this isn't to challenging."

"It isn't. I used to bake all the time at home."

"How have your mortal family be taking this? Do they even know you're away?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh, sorry."

"So what about you? What classes did you have?"

"Mana Rhythm and enchantment."

"What are those?"

"I love Mana Rhythm. I can already tell I'm going to have a ton of fun in that class. Basically, by moving my mana through the air, one can make vibrations and music. It's kind of a music magic starter course. Want to see?"

"Absolutely."

Coloratura pulled out her wand and started moving it up and down, like a conductor. He couldn't believe his ears. It was like he was right next to a symphony. He could hear violins, trumpets, guitars, symbols. And it was all performed expertly.

"My goodness." he said in awe

"You like?"

"I love. That was absolutely magnificent Coloratura."

Coloratura blushes a bit and giggles

"Thanks!"

Anon checked his watch. Two o'clock. He just had to wait a little longer. Then he'd be able to see the secret in Moondancer's basement.
> Traitor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie burst into the room, climbed onto her bunk and pulled the covers over her, placing the pillow over her head.

"Are you alright, Trixie?" Anon asked

"I don't want to talk about it." she snapped

Both he and Coloratura gave a "oh shit" look at one another. In a few minutes, Trixie got up again and put on a new robe.

"I'm going out." she spat

Before any of them could get a word end, she slammed the door behind her. Whatever it was that happened today really got under her skin.

"You think we should talk to her?" Coloratura asked

Anon shook his head

"She looks way to heated."

Coloratura just shrugs

"So I've been curious about something." Anon said

"What's that?"

"What is the Way of White? You know the organization that Rarity is part of."

"It's not an organization, it's an ancient religious order. I'm not extremely well versed, but before the establishment of modern things like states and governments and the like, mages would organize themselves in religious orders and tribes. The Way of White is one of the only religious orders left,  the only other being the Blades of Mercy. Both of them are remnants of the Magic Ancient Age."

"You think Rarity would know anything about Clover?"

"Not likely. The Way of White isn't what it used to be and many of it's historical records have been lost. Rarity herself doesn't seem to be a very strong adherent anyway."

Anon just shrugged. Now was time for the waiting game. He swore the suspense would drive him insane. He checked his watched every minute on the minute. As painful as it was, time went by faster than he thought. He looked down at his watch. It was nearly time. Getting up from his bunk he motioned to Bonbon and Lyra.

"Once at the gate we're going to be out of sight." Bonbon explained "Should you need our help, just make this sign with your fingers."

She made three quick gestures with her fingers. It was a simple 3-2-1.

"Alright. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."

"I agree." she turned to her partner "Ready Lyra?"

"Ready."

Half way towards the gate both Lyra and Bonbon vanished as if in thin air. As promised, Moondancer was waiting for him.

"Ready?"

"Ready. I have a question though."

"Save it. The Black Ones are out tonight."

He followed her down the path and out of the school

"The Black Ones?"

"Yes. Think of it as the schools security force."

"I haven't seen anyone."

"Are you an idiot? Of course not. Their goal is not to be seen."

They walked down to the city and hitting a brick wall. She grabbed Anon's hand and tapped the wall three times in different areas. In a flash of light, they were in an all white room with a wooden box in the center. Anon looked in awe.

"Spacial Magic." he said

"Right. And it's a strong sort. The type even your friend won't be able to get into."

"Wait, you knew they were following me?"

"I'm more observant than I look. But I brought you here for two reasons. One to give you the artifact and the other to explain something."

"What?"

"First let me explain to you this artifact."

She walked over to the wooden box and opened it up. Inside lie what looked like a pearl, broken in half. The pearl periodically pulsed with a warm green glow.

"This right here is how I know without a doubt Clover didn't die that day. This sphere is a long dead mage tradition. Back in Clover's time, mages would sometimes put a portion of their magic crest into these and they would react according to the mage."

"Ok. What does this all mean then? The fact that it's cracked in half doesn't seem like a good indicator of safety."

"It means this: she's alive. See how it's pulsing with light?"

"Yes."

"The reason it's pulsing like that is only because her magic lives still."

"Wouldn't it just be reacting to my magic crest?"

"No. See it's more personal than that. It takes information of the magic crest the moment it's inputted. Think of it as a time capsule in a sense."

"Is there any way we can use this to track her?"

"Unfortunately, no. At least not in any way I've ever heard about. However there is something we could try: sometimes mages would put messages inside them. I don't know how useful it would be, but if you run your mana through it, Clover's mana, it could reveal it."

"Alright. I'll give it a  go."

Anon did as instructed, threading his mana through the pearl. The mana coalesced to form a hologram. It was Clover the Clever. It was he first time he'd gotten a good look at her. She had short blonde hair, piercing emerald eyes and a small skinny frame. She wore the most stereotypical witch outfit you could think of. Long green robes, a staff and a pointed hat. She appeared to be no older than thirteen. She spoke.

"Well hello! It's me Clover!" she giggled "I don't really know how to do this but... Let this be the start of my mage career! I know I'll be the successor and not my sister!"

And that was all that was there. But nonetheless, they learned something interesting. 

"Incredible. Clover had a sister? It's not mentioned in anything I've ever read!"

"That can't be right. I watched a memory of clover's from when she was a small child. There's no way she had a sister, much less one that was older."

"Unless..."

"Unless?"

"After Clover's parents were murdered she was adopted by a orphanage known as Crookback Home for the Needy."

Moondancer got a concerned look on her face

"What's wrong?" he asked

"This complicates matters. The orphanage is closed due to it being haunted by an evil spirit. They're what are known as wraiths. Spirits who are so consumed by hatred and malice they're tied to the place of their death, forever seeking vengeance on those who enter."

"Is anyone alive that has any connection to it?"

"Not so far as I know. It closed nearly a thousand years ago. However it's managed to stay in perfect condition this entire time. Due to the wraith no doubt."

"What should we do?"

"What you should do is find someone with a knowledge in exorcism magic. A monster hunter would be you best bet. Then you should either talk to the spirit if they're cleansed or try to get documents from the orphanage. There's bound to be records of Clover in there somewhere."

"Amazing. To think she could be alive all these years later."

"With life magic, anything is possible. Before we go, I have one thing left to say."

"What's that?"

"Be on your guard. Once we get out I'll have to go into hiding. I'm being watched."

"By who?"

"The less you know the better. But know this: they are watching you as well. And neither of your body guards even realize it. Don't trust anyone. Am I clear?"

"Wait, what? Are you saying there are enemy spies?"

"There's no time. I'm going to send you out of here. But heed me I say, don't trust a soul."

Before he could lend a word to protest he was pushed out back onto the street. There, Lyra and Bonbon, were waiting. He opened his hand to see the pearl and put it in his pocket.

"I know this was a terrible idea!" Bonbon said 

"Are you ok? What happened in there?"

Anon was about to speak up when he heard the words ring in his mind. 'Trust no one.' 

"I'm fine. And nothing. Nothing happened."

Bonbon looked skeptical.

"I know you're lying to me. Spit it out or I'll make you."

At this point he had no choice. But not here. Anon put his finger up to make a hush sign and Bonbon nodded. He'd have to figure out a plausible backstory to avoid telling them.
> Invitation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

They walked slowly back to the dorm. Anon realized he didn't need to lie, just tell half the story. They'd probably be his best hope of exercising the wraith, or knowing someone who could. As they entered Generosity House, Rarity was waiting with an unhappy look across her face.

"Anon." she said "A word please. In private."

"Yes m'am."

He turned back to his body guards

"We'll be waiting in the room." Lyra said 

"Right."

He followed Rarity down a back hallway. He was going to get his head bitten off for sure. Rarity walked to the end of the hall with and stared at a painting. It was a beautiful oil painting of a long wooden table inside a castle. It looked like something straight out of a mediaeval tale. Rarity grabbed his arm tightly and touched the painting with her wand. With a flash of light, they were both forcefully pulled in.

The inside was strange. It was like walking into a room made of oil paint. It was flat, yet had dimensions. He was having a hard time figuring out just what this place was.

"Welcome, Anon, too the meeting place of the Way of White. Of course I am the last surviving member. Tell me, how much do you know of us?"

"In truth, not much at all. A friend of me told me you were established in the magic Ancient Age, also that you were a religious order."

"Correct. And do you know to what god we owe our loyalty?"

"No."

"The Greater Magic."

"Alright... I'm sorry, I'm just having a hard time knowing the point of all this."

Rarity sat down in one of the chairs.

"I've been watching you closely." she said "You've been trying to find the truth of that crest. Right now our goals are similar."

"How do you figure?"

"As I'm sure you've realized, Clover is connected with the Greater Magic somehow. It's in my interest how and why. And I'm willing to help you in all ways I'm able too. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You must become a member of the Way of White."

"Sure I suppose."

"It's not so simple as that. There is a ritual to earn you corona. It's a ritual mages practiced since ancient times. I know you're not very familiar with the ancient rites of mages but..." she paused "let's just say they tend to be quite painful and difficult."

"How painful are we talking?"

"Quite. So painful in fact I fear you aren't ready for it. It will send your magic abilities to new levels and allow you to briefly commune with the Great Magic safely. I'm going to personally prepare you for the procedure."

"Like right now?"

"No. This will take a month at least." she said "I hereby dismiss you from all chores and will give you a lot of extra leeway with assignments. I'm also extending the amount of times you're allowed to call in sick."

Normally this would make him pleased but it really sounded like this was going to be so taxing he could hardly do anything else

"Do you have any questions?"

"What will I be doing?"

"Mostly strength exercises and mental resilience. We'll also be putting your mana through its paces. You have a tutor correct?"

"Yes. Sunset Shimmer."

Rarity raised her eyebrow

"Cozying up to the elites are we? Never mind." she said "I want you to give her this note."

she flicked her wand and a big scroll appeared right in his hand

"But one thing to remember: you are not to tell anyone else of this, understand? The Way of White's Customs are not to be shared with those outside the circle."

"Alright. I promise."

"Good. I'll let you take your leave then. Oh and one other thing."

She tapped her wand on his hand, causing his magic crest to pulse once

"Should you ever need to return to the painting for any reason, all you have to do is place your hand on it. This painting is protected by extremely powerful magic and only those with permission are allowed entrance."

"Thank you Miss Rarity."

"Please. Refer to me as Rarity or Grandmaster from now on."

Anon left the painting with his head spinning. Way too much was happening all at once. A traitor in his midst. Clover's previously unheard of sister. Wraiths. And now exclusive entrance to an ancient and once powerful religious order through an extremely painful and arduous rite made by mages in the stone age. It was all so crazy he could write a book on it. Maybe he would some day, when this was all over.

Anon returned to his room where Bonnie and Lyra, as well as the rest of his bunkmates were waiting. Trixie was fast asleep, while Coloratura read some sort of tome. Wallflower was absent. Bonbon hardly wasted a moment before throwing you and Lyra in closed space.

"Ready to talk about what happened back there? Was worried like crazy about you."

"Sorry about that. I didn't want to say this were others might hear." you said "I found another piece too the puzzle: apparently Clover had a sister and she haunts the orphanage they used to stay at. I need to track down a monster hunter with exorcism magic. She'll likely be able to fill in a lot of blanks."

"I'd say that was too crazy be true" Bonnie said "but honestly nothing surprises me these days. Did you learn anything else?"

"Nothing. Do you know anyone who could help us with that?"

"I've got a few people who would be useful yes. I'll talk to them tomorrow."

"What did Rarity talk to you about?" Lyra asked "You were with her for quite a while."

"Just scolding me for being off school grounds after curfew. She's got eyes of a hawk apparently."

Bonbon returned them to the real world. Wallflower had returned and was writing in a notebook. She looked up, surprised.

"You guys sure look serious." Wallflower stated

"Don't worry about it." Anon said "We're all good."

"I won't press you."

He reached his bed and plopped down. With barely another word spoken, he fell into a slumber.

That night he had a repeat of the nightmare he had before. The large gateway, the room full of rattle snakes, the figure speaking only four words. He awoke with a jolt early in the morning. He leaned his back against the wall. The stress was starting to get to him, he felt. He needed a vacation. Yet, it seemed, the hardest was coming further ahead still.

"Psst." a voice hissed through the darkness "You awake too?"

"Trixie?" he whispered in response

"Yeah. I have could hardly sleep at all last night."

"That sucks. What got you so worked up last night?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"The nerve is that raw huh?"

"Be quiet. Anyway. How are things at your end?"

"Stressful. I don't think I realized how much I signed up for."

"You're telling me."

Anon hopped down off his bed

"What're you doing?"

"Just looking at something."

He looked hard into the darkness and found it. It was the box of Bonbon's belongings. It didn't feel right, but he had to make sure she wasn't the traitor Moondancer spoke of. Lyra too. He reached out and touched it, only to receive a painful shock. Then he felt it, almost like a menacing presence.

"It's not nice to snoop through people's belongings."

Bonbon stood behind you, clearly unhappy.

"Sorry."

"Don't sorry me. Why were you going to try to go through my stuff."

"Curiosity is all."

"Well please keep your curiosity of my personal belongings to a minimum would you?"

"I will. I apologize."

"Thank you."

Anon got back to his bed

"So, Trixie."

"Yeah?"

"You said you'd show me a way to figure out my mana type. Still up for that?"

"Absolutely. It's a simple task really. We can do it a breakfast."

"It's really that simple?"

"Oh yeah. I can pull it off with a single spoon."

A few hours later and after so much needed showering, he and the rest of his room sat down for breakfast. Trixie held a spoon in front of her.

"There are two main umbrellas of mana, each with four subtypes. The two umbrellas are energetic and relaxed. While the subtypes are illusion, manifestation, encasing, and manipulation."

"Oh. Those are the main schools of magic."

"Precisely. It's from those four schools that all other magic stems from. Now for the test: if your mana is illusory, like mine, this will happen."

She pressed on finger to the spoon and it began to change color and shape

"My mana is also energetic. You can tell from how pronounced the effect is. Coloratura yours is relaxed right?"

"Right." she replied

"Then you can be next."

Coloratura took the spoon and placed it in front of her

"My mana is a relaxed manifestation. Like so."

She put her finger on the spoon and quietly a song was heard, almost like that of a music box

"Ya get it?" Trixie said

"I think so."

"All you have to do is thread your magic through the spoon."

"Is there any reason we're using a spoon in particular?"

"Metal is a good medium to view this in. Metal tends to trap and slowly release mana."

Anon put his finger on the spoon and threaded his magic through it. To his, and the rest of the tables surprise, the spoon curved upwards and a small garden erupted from the metal.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're just like Clover the Clever. You have two mana types at the same time, manifestation, from how the spoon gave way to a garden, and manipulation from it curving upwards like that. Obviously it's supremely energetic too."

"Is that common? For the same mana types to be passed on?"

"It varies from family to family."

Wallflower changed the subject, apparently bored by the whole thing

"What classes do you have today?"

Anon reached into his pocket and pulled out his schedule. He always made a habit of keeping things like that close whenever he first got it. To his surprise, he was free all day. Which meant more time to spend with Sunset.

"I'm free all day."

Wallflower rolled her eyes

"Me too."

"Not happy with a day off?"

"No, just bored is all."

"Don't you have homework?"

"Like I said, bored. What about you two?"

"I've got music class." Coloratura said

"I've got history class" Trixie groaned "So boring."

Lyra nudged his shoulder

"So what's the plan then today?"

"I have to do some more work with Sunset. Maybe we can visit the Lady of Dreams again to explore more crest memories."

With breakfast over, Anon and his body guards walked outside of Generosity House. To his surprise, Sunset was already outside waiting.

"Oh. Hey, Sunset." he said "Wasn't expecting you."

"Well you should. I plan to do this more often when I can. Walk me to class?"

"Sure thing. I was hoping we could do some more magic practice today."

"Absolutely."

He had to sneak that note to Sunset without Bonbon and Lyra seeing. And he knew just the way. He hugged her tight, making sure her body and, more importantly, her bag, was out of their view before slipping it inside.

"Well aren't you just romantic?" she giggled

"What can I say? I'm hopeless."

They all began walking to another far point in the castle, past a wonderful garden. It was full of plants he'd never seen before, full of magic no doubt. There was a lie of blue flowers with petals larger than your entire body, a few plants with razor sharp teeth and tongues, even a few that uprooted themselves and began to walk across the ground using their roots as feet, whistling as the strolled the dirt. He knew he shouldn't feel surprised, but seeing it in real life was like something straight out of a fairy tale. It just didn't feel real. Sunset locked her arm around his.

"I see the garden has caught your eye."

"Yes. No matter how many oddities I see it just never feels real."

"Do you miss it? Your mortal life?"

"It's hard to say really. I think I'd enjoy this life a lot more if I wasn't carrying the crest of an ancient, powerful mage."

"That's fair I suppose."

It was every so slightly chilly outside and rain clouds were gathering. Hopefully whatever Rarity wanted Sunset to study with you wouldn't be an outdoor event. Once at the south side of the castle, Sunset gave him a big hug and left.

"What were you passing there? A love letter?"

He tensed up. Bonbon had eyes of a hawk.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

Lyra giggled

"No need to be shy. You both are so cute."

"Quiet, ok? While we wait for Sunset to finish in class, anything fun we can do?"

"I've got a fun idea. Let's go fishing."
> Let's Catch a Fish!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Finishing?"

"Yeah. Trust me, you'll like it."

"I'm guessing these aren't any normal fish."

"That's right. Lyra, go talk to Pear Butter and Bright Mac would you?"

Lyra pouted

"But I want to see his reaction! You're going Ethereal Pound aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Ugh fine. But make sure you tell me what happens."

"Ethereal? What are we fishing for ghosts?"

"Close. You'll see when we get there."

They began to walk out to the castle gate when suddenly they were nearly surrounded by a large group fo students from various years. One stuck out ahead of the pack, almost as if they were leading an entourage. Her hair was a bright pink with white highlights at its end and a wreath sat lightly on the crown. She was tall and wore a white rob signifying her 12th year status. Whoever she was, she commanded respect and importance. Anon felt a hard elbow in his side from Bonbon. She was visibly nervous.

"Do exactly as I do and let me do the talking." she whispered sternly

He could hear the shakiness in her breath. Whoever this woman was, she was clearly not one to be crossed if a mage as powerful as Bonbon was afraid of her. Bonbon bowed before her, right arm extended out, left foot back. Anon copied the pose as best he could.

"Greetings your majesty, to what do I owe this honor?" Bonbon asked

"Greetings your majest-"

Anon got another painful elbow to the ribs

"Lift your heads," she said "I wish to speak to your contract."

She had at once a beautiful elegance and an extreme, unquestionable authority to her voice, it was as if he were being addressed by none other than the Queen of England. Both Anon and Bonbon stood up.

"Yes, my lady." Bonbon said

"Sweetie Drops is it?" she asked "Please prepare a closed space for he and I. I wish for us to discuss this matter privately."

Anon watched Bonbon visibly cringe at the name 'Sweetie Drops'

"As you command, my lady." she said through gritted teeth, pulling out her staff

In not time at all the two were transported to a white space. The woman began to pace.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked

"I'm afraid I don't. I can tell you're important though."

"Observant. My name is Vignette Valencia, youngest daughter to his majesty, the king and eleventh in line for the throne."

He couldn't help but feel nervous. If she knew about his crest he could be in for a world of problems.

"To what do I owe the honor?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You may be a mortal, but I know you aren't stupid. You are in possession of the crest of one of the most powerful mages who ever existed, a one Clover the Clever."

He tensed up tight and didn't say a word.

"Fear not. I have let no one else know of this, in fact, I wish to be allies rather than adversaries."

"And how would we go about that?"

"Simple really: You continue your search for how you came in contact with Clover's crest and report your findings to me semi regularly."

"I've a feeling it isn't as simple as that."

"Of course not. My price for leaving you alone is this: when you find the secret of the crest I want you to give it to me. Do this and I will let no harm befall you, I may even give you a seat in the court. Refuse and I shall report this to the king and he can do the honors of executing you for high treason."

"I guess I don't have much choice then, do I?"

"I knew you would be reasonable."

To his surprise, the closed space vanished. Valencia made a smirk.

"Eavesdropping were we? No matter. That deal goes the same way with you, remember that."

She walked into the crowd and out the school gate, her adoring fans following close behind. Anon turned to Bonbon.

"What in the world was that all about?"

"Seems we weren't as careful as I thought. Just do as she says for now. She wasn't kidding when she made those threats."

"Why give me this deal at all though?"

"She plans to use you as leverage. You remember her saying she was the youngest daughter, 11th in line right? If she were to bring it to the King that she had the secret to Clover's magic, she could easily make it a bargaining chip for the throne, either as an exchange for it or as a way to overthrow the current king."

"What about what she called you?"

Bonbon looked down, her face stricken with pain. It looked as if she was trying to prevent herself from crying.

"I don't want to talk about it. Come. We have fishing to do."

He remained silent and just followed her. Once near the city, she walked to a sign post, covered in moss. She preformed a mana exchange and whispered into the pole.

"Ethereal Pond."

It suddenly became colder, as if the winds of a blizzard had rushed through an opened door. A ghostly, semi transparent horse-drawn carriage appeared, only there were no horses and no one holding the reins. It's form seemed to be fluid, the structure changing from one minute to the next, however never straying too far from something that would be clearly considered a horse-drawn carriage.

"Hop on."

Anon nervously stepped into the carriage. He looked down in his seat and could very clearly see the ground, as well as the rest of the outside. It was like slightly misty glass, only it had no feeling to the touch. There was a loud crack of a whip and with a strong, sudden lurch, the carriage jolted forward. It was like he was on a rollercoaster. Every turn was sudden and violent, it's speed ever increasing. He had to close his eyes to prevent himself from puking all over the car. It took mere seconds to arrive at their destination. He quickly got out. Bonbon began to laugh at his expense.

"Fun ride?"

"No, not in the least."

He got up, steadying his stomach and looked around. They were in what looked to be swamp. Only it was night time. The only light was from that of the giant full moon hanging high in the sky. It was so bright and gigantic, he could hardly tell the sun wasn't out.

"What is this place?"

"The Ethereal Swamp, home to the Ethereal Pond. Here. Eat this."

Bonbon reached in her pocket and pulled out a dark green herb.

"Why?"

"It's to prevent you from losing your mind. You'll see why soon. But I'd advise you hurry."

She downed another herb of the same type herself. Anon followed suit. It tasted awful, as if he were eating raw snail slime mixed with some cleaning fluid. It took everything he could not to spit it out.

"Ugh!" Anon yelled "What is that?"

"It's something called Jinsy Grass." she explained "It helps fortify and protect your mind from other worldly creatures. Now listen closely. Can you hear it?"

Anon listened closely. It was unmistakable. There were whispers coming from every direction. Some of the voices talk of mundane things like 'where is my cat' or 'did I forget my keys?' while others sounded much more sinister. One in particular being 'he has to die, it's the only way.' It was chilling.

"What is this? Ghosts?"

"Sorta. They're ethereal beings, not ghosts, like the lost souls of humans and not wraiths, lost souls that become violent. We call them Cursed Ones but nobody really knows what exactly they are. Listening to their words for too long will drive anyone insane."

"That's downright scary."

"It's fine. You have nothing to worry about. With this Jinsy Grass we can be here for a total of eight hours. Just stay by me and you've nothing to fear."

"If you say so."

"Follow me. This is also a great opportunity for you to practice your magic."

He followed her down a thin mud path until they arrived at a pitch black lake. It looked as if it were filled with tar rather than water. It smelled about as good too. Bonbon pulled out her staff.

"The fish we're trying to catch here won't respond to just any run of the mill bait. They have a taste for magic. I'm going to teach you a great exercise for manifestation."

"Sounds exciting."

"Oh just you wait."

She held her staff in front of her

"Take your wand out and do as I do."

He did as he was told and waited

"Next you need to thread your mana through the wand and release like a string. Like this."

A bright green line emerged from the top of her staff

"I'll do my best."

He pointed his wand forward and began to thread it through. All of a sudden his vision began to get fuzzy. He rubbed his eyes and turned only to see someone completely different standing beside him. It was Celestia, covered in a large scar that covered half her body at least.

"I'm telling you Clover. This is a bad idea. Look at what happened to me. This will only end in disaster."

He spoke in Clover's voice.

"I'm telling you it was just a miscalculation! A big one at that, but a miscalculation nonetheless. If we using the Ethereal Pond as an anchor, Luna will come out of this without having to pay such a heavy toll."

"If you're wrong about this, I'll never forgive you."

"Well it's a good thing I won't be wrong then, huh?"

There was a woman with clear blue hair standing at the center of the pond, somehow standing just atop it's surface.

"Go ahead Luna! Make the pact!"

"Right."

The rest was fuzzy. He could only make out a few images. A red moon, a swirl of ghosts, and a scream. He the snapped out of it.

"Anon!" 

He shook his head

"What was that about?"

"I got another flashback. I saw Clover, Celestia and Luna again. Luna was going to make a pact with the moon. I don't think it went well."

"Anything else?"

Anon described the vision in detail

"Interesting." she said "I wonder what it all means?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"We'll talk to the Lady of Dreams about it later. In the meantime, let's continue our adventure shall we? Try again."

"Right."

Anon threaded his magic through the wand, this time forming a perfect line. It was strange. It was as if it were no effort to him at all this time around. As if he just somehow 'knew' how to do it. It had to have something to do with the vision.

"Good work. Ok. Now cast out."

The two of them drew back and sent their lines flying into the pitch black pool.

"Now you'll know when it bites beca-"

Before she even finished her sentence, Anon felt a strong, hard tug on his wand. It was painful, as if he were being drawn out by his large intestine through his belly button. He couldn't retract the line, however. Whatever was pulling him was not about to let go. Bonbon got a lot of fear on her face and quickly grabbed him tight.

"Ok I need you to listen very carefully if you don't want to die: You need to quell your fear and start absorbing mana. Has anyone taught you that?"

The pain was getting worse by the minute. It was pure agony.

"N-no." 

"Now is the time to learn then. To absorb your mana thread in reverse. Thread inward instead of outward."

He bit his lip hard and did exact as ordered. The problem was that whatever had gripped his mana string was one hell of a beast. No matter how hard he struggled it didn't seem to relent.

"I," he gasped, barely being able to talk through the pain "I... I can't. It's... too strong."

"Just hang in there. I'll fix this."

Bonbon stripped her robes off till she was in nothing but underwear. He'd have enjoyed the view a lot more if it didn't feel like his insides were being pulled out through a hole the size of a drinking straw. Taking only her staff, she dived inside the pool and began to swim out to were the line was being pulled. Instantly things began to go south. From inside the pool large ghostly hands began to pull at her, as if they were trying to drag her below the surface. Not only that, but her skin was rapidly losing color. In a mere 15 seconds her skin resembled that of a corpse.

She reached the point at which his mana was being tugged and began to fire magic into the pool. He could feel whatever was in the depths yank hard every time a blast of magic connected. It remained stubborn, not giving up an inch of ground. Bonbon cursed to herself.  She lit up her staff once again and shot it at the mana string, cutting it off. Anon let out a yell of pain as she did, but the worst was yet to come. Like a stretched rubber band being broken at its weakest link, his mana bounced back, ramming into his body all at once. It was a pain unlike any other pain he had ever felt. It was like that same feeling of disembowelment, only in reverse and with the speed and weight of a freight train. Anon screamed bloody murder and rolled on the ground as his entire body pulsed with agony.

It took him a good five minutes for his body to stop ringing before he noticed. Bonbon hadn't returned to the shoreline. With immense effort, he climbed to his hands and knees. His entire body felt as though it were made of glass, each movement a tremendous struggle. He looked left and right but Bonbon was nowhere to be seen. There was only one place she could be. Beneath the waves of the pitch black pool.
> One Foot in Yesterday, Another in Today
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With all the strength he could muster, Anon got to his feet, taking his wand with him. He had to save Bonbon. He walked as fast he could to the lake and start to rush inside. It was intolerably cold. It was as if he had just taken a dip in the waters off the coast of Antartica. Nonetheless he persisted, swimming out to where he last saw Bonbon. Once he arrived at what looked to be the spot he dived in. He couldn't see a thing. It was as murky inside as it was above. He'd never find Bonbon at this rate. He felt the same bony hands pulling him that were pulling bonbon. He hand to find her quick.

He swam and swam but it was no use. The water was just too thick and too murky to find her. He was quickly running short of breath. He began a rush to the surface but the arms pulled down hard, keeping him in place. He did what he could to struggle but the hands simply wouldn't relent. His strength was rapidly fading and his entire life was flashing before his eyes. Was this the end? Was this where he'd meet his fate? He aimed his wand to the surface and, in a last ditch effort, poured as much mana as he possibly could before finally blacking out.

When Anon returned to consciousness he was in a bed. He blinked open his eyes. A hospital bed by the look and feel of it. He tried to sit up, only to meet a sharp, piercing pain in his abdomen that made his vision double. He looked around to see Sunset coming down the hall.

"He's awake!" she said

He could hardly make it out through the ringing in his ears.

"Sunset?" he groaned

"Yes! Here. Your head must be spinning."

Sunny aimed her wand and began to preform her sun magic. It was so wonderful. Like a gentle ray of sunshine on a perfect summer's day, only throughout his entire body. Slowly the pain faded, as well as the ringing in his ears.

"What happened?"

"You nearly got yourself killed that's what happened. Jumping in to the Ethereal Lake? What on earth made you think doing that was a good idea!? You're lucking you weren't cursed!"

"Bonbon." he uttered "Is she ok?"

Sunset looked down

"She isn't dead if that's where you're wondering. However... ok is not the word I'd use to describe her state at the moment..."

"What's wrong with her?"

"She's... she's be marked."

"Marked?"

"Yes. She has the Black Mark. It's an ancient and very powerful seal. That mark makes it so that mana cannot escape or enter her body. She will suffer from acute magic sickness before long and eventually pass..."

Anon cursed under his breath.

"What is it you two were doing there?"

"Bonbon wanted to take me fishing. When I cast my line of mana into the pool, something big, and I mean really big, hooked on it. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't pull it back. Bonbon swam to the middle of the lake and tried to fire some shots at whatever the hell was under there but it just didn't give up. So she cut the line and the mana shot back into me." Anon said, shuttering at the memory "I have never in my life been in so much pain. It was indescribable."

Sunset had a look of confusion mixed with anger

"She WHAT!?"

"I'm guessing that wasn't a good move."

"Given the circumstances I don't blame her but... shit. This is worse than I thought. We're going to need to get you somewhere quick."

"What happened? What did that do?"

"A whole host of things. You'll see soon enough. But don't you worry. You'll be fine. Basically what'll happen is..."

Sunset's words became quieter and quieter until he could no longer make them out. The world around him began to swirl and melt, as if reality itself was failing. He was falling into memory again. It wasn't like normally was, however. It was just flashes. A red sky. A black lake. Three old witches. A hollowed out tree. Feelings as well. Happiness. Anger. Excitement. Even love.  The memories smothered him. They swirled and and pushed and shoved at his own memories. Was he dating Sunset or a strange man who's face he couldn't recognize? Was that him graduating a magic academy or somewhere else? Was his name Clover or Anon? Or something in between the two? He couldn't tell. 

Then, out of the strange mixture of memories something striking emerged: nothingness. A void. It was empty in all directions, just an endless expanse of darkness. Yet, somehow, it felt as if just beneath the surface of that void there something great, something ultimate. He reached and stretched, trying his hardest to touch that 'thing' that he knew was there. 

He woke up with a start in a cold, dark room. It looked like as castle dungeon. His head was spinning and his muscles ached. It was like waking up from the worlds worst hangover. Anon strained his eyes in the dim light to see a wooden door a few feet from his bed. The room was small and circular, with a desk sitting naught but a hairs distance from the edge of the bed. There were no windows and just a single candle to light up the entire room. As he lifted himself to a sitting position he noticed one hand chained to the bed.

Apart from being chained down, something was off about his hand. It felt wrong. As if it didn't belong to him. He compared both hands in the dim light. Something was certainly off. His right hand, the bound to the bed, was softer and thinner, almost feminine, while his left was unmistakably his. 

Before he had more time to ponder what was happening someone opened the door. It was a woman in a blue robe and hat. In the darkness he could hardly make her out until she got closer. He called out to her.

"Who are you?"

Chills ran up and down his spine. The words coming from his lips were not his own. Rather, the voice was that of someone entirely different. It was a strange mishmash of both his own and a very squeaky, high pitched voice.

"Fear not. It's me, Rarity."

The woman was close enough for him to see her face. However, that was not Rarity standing before him. It was a woman he'd never seen before. A woman with long white hair and an old, wrinkly face. But Rarity's voice was unmistakable. He put his head in his hands. What was going on?

Looking down at his person, he could see something very surprising. A pair of breasts. Was he turning into a woman? Before he had even a moment to complete the thought, his form seemed to change all over again, as did the scenery around him. He was in a meadow now and standing before him was a large bearded dragon. It spoke plain English.

"Anon. You must listen carefully-"

The dragon changed shape into a tall, bearded wizard wearing a blue robe covered in stars. He couldn't explain why but for some reason he felt an overwhelming sense of pride and respect for him, as if he were his idol since birth. Yet he couldn't even name him.

"-self. You need to distinguish between your memories and hers. To do this-"

The form, again, changed. This time to something horrifying. It was what appeared to be a shadow with read eyes. It opened its mouth to reveal sharp jaws. It spoke in a hissing, sinister voice, like that of a snake if it could use human speech.

"It's absolutely critical you find the center. Otherwise we'll lose you and-"

It changed one final time, this time to a graveyard. He recognized this memory. It was his. One he'd sooner forget. He was just eight years old when this memory took place. It was the funeral of both parents caught in a freak airplane accident. Something was off about the memory however. The color was all wrong, completely black and white. Not only that, everything was dead still. He stood there at his parents graves after the funeral, his uncle trying to pull him away before night arrived.

He stared closer. Something was missing. The stuffed bear! When he was young he never went anywhere without it. His left arm was folded in such a way that proved it should be there. He looked around. It didn't take him long either. Just up the way, near the church was the bear and it was oozing with color. He quickly ran to get it, placing it back in the arm of his younger self. The scene exploded with color and began to move as normal.

"Come," his uncle said in a thick dutch accent "If you stay out too long you'll catch cold."

"I don't want too." he said

"If you come, I'll have grandmama bake her famous chocolate chip cookies."

It made Anon's stomach rumble. He remembered that. Whenever he was low and in the dumps, she'd bake those cookies. Instantly cheer him up. The scene faded into black and as the light returned, a new scene had taken its place. It was almost like watching a stage play. There he was, in his freshman year of high school. It was his first moment of heroism, all for the girl of his dreams. One of the town bullies was doing a shake down, going to each and every kid and asking them for a tax in exchange for not getting a bloody nose. He stood between him and the girl and took the beating like a champ. The girl, ultimately, didn't fall for him but it was a mark in time for him turning from boy to man.

Like the last scene however, it was black and white and frozen. No doubt he had to do the same again. He looked around carefully for what was missing. The diary. That girl had that thing on her person everywhere and always. It was a beautiful leather diary with her name sewn into it. He looked around for it eventually finding it nestled in a tree. As he touched it, he felt a chill in his spine, the kind you get when you see something that makes you afraid. No matter where he looked, though, there seemed to be no threat in sight. He climbed the tree and retrieved the diary putting it back about where he remembered it. This time the scene just melted away instantly.

The lights filled the room again. This memory was not nearly as rosy as the last. It was his uncle kicking him out of the house in his third year of high school. The door was open and his uncle stood at the foot of it screaming at Anon who was begging mercy. He had done something unforgivable. Something even his uncle's near infinite compassion could not overlook. It hurt him just to look at the memory. He searched for what was missing, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. It didn't even take him more than 30 seconds to see. It was his most treasured possession: a silver locket in the shape of a heart containing the image of his deceased parents. He placed it back around his past self's neck and the memory played again.

"And I don't want to see your face here again until you've proven you're no longer a monster!" he screamed "Show me something worth a damn!"

The words cut him like a knife. He had no choice but to watch on.

"Uncle I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please-"

"Get out of my sight!"

The door slammed and the lights dimmed. The next scene was familiar, yet unsettling. It was the reoccurring nightmare. He opened the gates to reveal the room full of snakes. This time, however, the room was now shrouded in darkness. What was worse, he couldn't see a single snake. Yet the rattling was everywhere. A woman stood on a chair, a blindfold over her face. He could make out a single word.

"Lieandel!"

He awoke with a start, covered in sweat. He was in a hospital bed, however it was a private room. He looked at each hand. Both of them were his.

"Am I me?" he tested

His voice was the same he'd grown up with. Deep with a few cracks. He'd never been so happy at the sound of his own voice.

The large wooden door to his hospital bed opened up. It was Sunset. She seemed quite sad.

"Oh, Anon." she sighed "Just how many more days are you going to be like this?"

"Sunset!"

She looked shocked

"Anon! Is that you? Like you, you?"

"It's me, me!"

She ran over and hugged him tight

"Oh Anon. I was worried sick."

"What the hell happened?"

"Your a clover's memories were fusing together. Pretty bad it seemed. You would be in your hospital bed swearing up and down that you were Clover the Clever and that if you didn't go now Nightmare Moon would swallow the earth. Other times you'd just scream. For hours."

"How long have I been like this?"

"Nearly two weeks. We were starting to wonder if you'd even come back to us. Thankfully Rarity's magic seemed to do the trick."

"What exactly did she do?"

"At great peril to herself, she began to access the crest memories along with you. It was a huge gamble. If she succeeded, she could talk directly to you and guide you to your memories, preventing the fusion. If she failed though, she'd have been in the same boat as you."

"Is she alright?"

"She's fine. Pretty fatigued from the exertion, but fine nonetheless."

Sunset took a seat on the chair by the bed

"So what was it like?"

"Horrible. I was a terrible mish mash of both memories that wasn't 100% faithful to either. It couldn't tell what was what or who was who. The environment around me changed on a whim and my form went from female to male multiple times."

Her eyes lit up curiously

"How did that feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I mean, it isn't every day someone gets to live life in both bodies. What was clovers body like?"

"A bit flabby I guess. Soft. It really wasn't clover's body though. More like a rough cross between the two of us."

"Did you-" she bit her tongue "Never mind." 

"Don't tell me you were actually about to ask if I knew what her junk felt like?"

"Never mind that ok!" she yelled, her face beet red "Did you see any more of clovers memories? Anything important?"

"Nothing really of note. Except one thing. I have this reoccurring nightmare. It's no doubt a memory from clover rising to the surface. I walk past these two stone gates into a dark room filled with snakes. A woman says three words but I can't hear a thing. Until now. The time the room was filled with light and I could make out one word: 'Lieandel.'"

Sunset put her hand to her chin

"I can't say that's a word I've ever heard before. If I had to put money on it, I'd say it was in Mother Tongue."

"Ancient tongue?"

"It's a catch-all term for the various languages the witches of the ancient age used. Before we had really studied these things, it was believed magic gave humans the power of speech, hence the name Mother Tongue."

"Anyone who could translate it?"

"It's possible. I'm not the one to ask though. Rarity may know. She's quite the historian. If she doesn't know, I'm sure she could find someone who does."

"Speaking of. Did you get that note?"

"Yes. I'm surprised Rarity wants to initiate you. I'd assume taking in a mortal would be tantamount to heresy."

"So you know what we're going to be doing then?"

"Briefly. But we'll worry about that later. You'll need some time to recover. Not to mention,"

Sunny reached into a bag beside the table and dropped three large books as well as a large stack of papers on the counter

"You've got homework to do. Lucky Rarity pardoned you. Otherwise you'd have been suspended at this rate."

Anon rolled his eyes

"Oh yes, nothing more I'd like to do right now than two weeks worth of missed homework."

"It's important Anon. If you're going to be a mage this is the stuff you need..." 

She trailed off

"Anon."

"Yes?"

"What do you want to do? Say we solve this mystery and everything turns out alright. What do you want to do then? Will you turn your back on magic? Or make a name for yourself?"

The words rang in his mind again. 'come back when you prove that you're not a monster'.

"I don't know, Sunset."

"No one would blame you if you went back to your family after this."

He looked down, staring at the crest on his hand. The green clover. The thing that changed his life forever.

"No. I have nothing to return to."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's not talk about this any further."

She gave a sympathetic, yet sad look.

"I'll respect that. One day though I want you to open up to me. But in the mean time, let's get cracking on those books."

"Before that, there's something else that's been troubling me."

"What's that?"

"Nightmare Moon. Any word on that?"

"That's not information I'm privy too I'm afraid. The headmaster will doubtless know."

Anon shuttered at the thought. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that the headmaster of the school was a disgusting spider monster.

"Once you're back and recovered we can request an audience with him first thing."

"Audience? You make him sound like a king."

"In some ways he is. He is head of the largest mage academy in the world after. And he's been around for heaven knows how long." she said "but no more of that stalling."

She opened the alchemy text book

"Chapter too, the importance of a clean work station."
> Popular Myths
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm telling you Sunset if I have to hear one more thing about vials, gaskets and strange mage plants I'm gonna turn into an alchemy paste!"

Sunset giggled. They two had been stuck in that hospital room for three days. Doctors said he wasn't allowed to leave until they could be assured his mana was flowing normally for long enough. Everyone had come in to see him during the time. Trixie, Coloratura, Wallflower, even Lyra. Bonbon however, was absent. He had some idea of what might be going on in regards to her, but he was too afraid to ask.

"Well the doctor has finally given you clearance to leave. And I figured I'd give you a little getting better surprise. Especially since you did so well on all the homework."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" 

Sunset reached into her brown satchel, hesitating for a moment. She was nervous, even had a bit of blush to her face.

"You've been out of the loop for a bit being sick and all but uh... there's a big event coming up marking the transition between the late sun and rising moon. I-It's an old mage tradition I-I'll explain it to you some other time b-but uh..."

If she got any more flustered he'd have thought Sunset were going to propose to him.

"I was wondering," she said, pulling out a beautiful necklace with a glowing emblem of her crest "Would you go with me to the Great Moon Ball?"

"I'd be honored too. Tell me what it's all about."

"Well, according to an old mage legend, there was once a beautiful maiden named Rising Moon. She was princess of a great kingdom and was destined to take the throne. Her brother, jealous of her ascendance, had her kidnapped by a powerful dragon. The king sent his best knight, a battle mage by the name of Late Sun to vanquish it. He did so, but there was a curse within the dragon the sealed the maiden away inside the moon. The princess's love shone so bright that the moon began to glow throughout the night. The knight waited by the spot where he fell the dragon day in and day out, waiting for her return. It's a silly celebration, but it's sort of a... um..."

"Sort of what?"

"A celebration of t-true love..."

"Moving awfully fast aren't we?"

"I-I'm sorry I didn-"

"No it's ok I'm kidding. So tell me what we do. How does the ball work?"

"There's a lot you need to do in preparation. First we exchange a special necklace with our magic crest on them."

"How am I going to get that? Especially with mine."

"Easy. Lyra can help your create one. She comes from a long line of mages who create speciality magic items and wands."

"I'm guessing these necklaces are far from ordinary."

"Right you are." she said "there's a bit of a process. Don't worry though. It's nothing too intense."

"Next, as Late Sun did before the night of the curse, you're to have dinner with me at my home."

"Oh really?"

"Really. However you'll need to look your best. Especially since my family can be very... shall I say 'picky' to put it kindly. I've already asked Wallflower to give you some etiquette pointers."

"It's nothing complicated is it?"

"Not really. But you'll need to pay attention. The final piece is a dress robe. Normally this would be made by your family, but since you haven't a mage family of your own, I made one for you myself. You can find it in the chest in your room. I think you'll like it a lot."

"You've gone through quite the trouble for me."

"It's the least I can do." she said "do be sure to try it on when you get back to your dorm. The ball is going to take place at the end of the month."

"I'm just happy to get out of this awful hospital bed."

Anon got up and paused before reaching the door

"Before we go..." he paused "How's Bonbon?"

Sunset looked down

"She's... not well. Doctors give her a year left."

He gripped the door handle tight. Sunset walked up and hugged him.

"You are not at fault for this, Anon. In fact, if it wasn't for you, she wouldn't even have a year left."

Anon clenched his fist

"I have to say, I'm not really liking this whole chosen one crap."

Sunny continued embracing him, saying nothing

"Why did Clover choose me? So many amazing and talented mages out there and I'm the one she picks. Why?"

"I know you'll find the answer. And I know it wasn't a fluke. Whatever reason Clover had, it had to be a good one."

"I hope so. I really hope so."

"Let's head back to Generosity House."

"I want to see Bonbon."

Anon could feel her grip around his belly tighten

"You shouldn't."

"I have too. I can't just leave her after all this."

"She's in room 342, the floor just above this one. But..."

"But what?"

"Prepare yourself is all I'm saying."

"Come with?"

"Of course."

The pair walked up to the next floor, reaching room 342. Bonbon was hooked up to all sorts of strange machinery. Her right arm was pitch black and oily, as if it been dunked inside a pit of tar. She wasn't even conscious. Sunset clinged to his side.

"What on earth is wrong with her?"

"This is what happens to mages effected with acute magic sickness. The skin slowly beings to poison and rot from the stale mana. Since she was marked, the Greater Magic can't siphon away any mana either. It's a slow and excruciating death. She'll likely spend most of the year comatose to combat the pain."

Anon felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"And there's no cure? No magic that can help with this?"

"If there were, we'd have used it." she said "She's as good as gone."

"There has to be some way. Something we can do to fix this."

"Come on, Anon." she said, pulling his arm "You're going to worry yourself silly if we stay here."

"No! There has to be some way to right the wrong I made!"

"Well, there is one way."

Both he and Sunset nearly jumped out of their skin. Lyra was standing right next to the window.

"Lyra, Jesus." he said "Nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry, Anon. Recovering well?"

"Yes. But go on. How can we save her?"

"There is one thing that we can use. Something we can use to kill two birds with one stone: the legendary blade Excalibur. It was something Clover used to eliminate King Arthur all those years ago."

"She killed King Arthur?"

"So the records claim, though the details are fuzzy. You'd think the assassination of one of history's most notorious mass mage killer would be something rife with explanation. All we really know is that Clover killed him and she sealed the blade away."

"How can we use it to cure Bonbon's sickness?"

"Easy. It is said that whoever wields the blade is granted a single wish. No doubt we'll learn some more about Clover along the way. It's a win on all fronts."

"Where is it?"

"That's the rub of the matter. it's in some ruins beneath the King's old castle, in the mortal world no less. And it's sealed away with some very powerful magic. Many a mage has tried to excavate it, all to no avail. But if there is anyone who can remove a seal Clover, herself implemented, it's the bearer of her crest."

"Can't argue with you there. I'd be happy to accompany you."

"I will warn you though. It's going to be dangerous. All sorts of magical phenomenon have gathered around the place."

"I'm not worried about the risks."

"You can't honestly be thinking of going can you?" another voice chimed in

You, Sunset and Lyra all jumped again. It was Lady Valencia in all her glory.

"What is this grand central station?" Anon jabbed

Vignette, clearly not amused, wiped out her wand and tapped it twice. The world around them stood still.

"You should remember your place, mortal." she hissed "I am not one of your buddies at school. You will address me with the respect due me."

Anon felt a large bead of sweat trickle down his face

"Now I suggest you chose your next words more carefully this time." she said "You don't actually intend on retrieving excalibur do you?"

"Of course I do."

"Do you understand the implications of such an action? Removing Excalibur from its tomb will spread like wildfire throughout the mage world. By some novice with no magical history no less. They'll put it together eventually."

"I can't just let her die."

"You won't retrieve the blade or I'll make you wish you were the one in that bed. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." he said through gritted teeth

She tapped her wand twice again and time flowed as normal. Not only that but she was gone. Both Sunset and Lyra looked bewildered

"What on earth was she doing here?" Sunset gasped

"She knows about the crest. She's black mailing me into handing it over once I learn its secrets." he said "Don't worry though. I fully intend to retrieve that blade. I'm not simply going to stand by and watch Bonbon die."

"Excellent. We'll set out in two days." Lyra said

"Works for me." he said "why two days though?"

"I need to get some help. Like I said, retrieving this isn't going to be a simple task. It's above my level of skill, at least alone."

"Well now that, that's settled." sunset gripped his arm "back to Generosity House?"

"Yes."

Once they were a good distance away from the medical wing, Sunset whispered into his ear.

"I'm going to try and get Valencia off your back. Since my family in part of the court, we may be able to put pressure on her to back down."

He nodded

"It won't be easy though. She by far has to be the sneakiest and most clever of the king's children. And man does she hold a grudge. But I don't care if I have to call in every favor. It's trouble for all of us if she's around."

"I don't now how I'm ever going to be able to repay you for all these favors."

"Don't worry about it. Though there is something... never mind. We'll speak about it later."

"What is it?"

"A conversation for another time. Come."

The two walked back to Generosity House. Rarity was standing at the gate, seeming to take notes. She waved Anon over.

"Seems you're needed." Sunset said 

She gave him a big hug

"Take care. Be safe."

Anon returned the hug

"Always. I'll see you soon."

Anon strode over to Rarity. She didn't take even a second to look up from her notes.

"Recover well?"

"Just fine. I'm well and back at 24/7."

"Good." she said "I have some unfortunate news though. We'll need to speed up your initiation process. Walk with me."

Anon followed behind her, walking into the secret meeting place inside the painting.

"No doubt you've heard of Nightmare Moon."

"Yes. Encountered her. I'll never forget it. The difference in power... it was like heaven and earth."

Rarity began to pace

"She was weak then," she explained "and she's been steadily growing in power. According to our experts observing her, we have maybe a month before she regains all of her power again. And you don't even know combat magic yet. Hell, you don't even know life magic. I've made the decision to suspend your classes. From now on your sole focus will be on facing the current threat."

"I realize it's a silly question..." he said "But why me? I mean we have mages like you, Rom, and countless others I'm sure I'm not even aware of. I'll do all I can to help of course, but why am I the one who has to take her down?"

Rarity let out a sigh

"Because the only way to defeat her is to use spell from Clover's brand of Life Magic. I poured over as many tomes as I could trying to find a way we could combat her. And there's a big problem: her soul is so bound to the moon she has become basically immortal."

"She can't be killed?"

"No. In the past, at least from what I can uncover, Clover used some sort of sealing spell. What the spell is, I have no idea."

"I guess I'll have to dive back into memories again."

"I'd take a break from that for a while. But my point still stands: you need to be combat ready. I'll be putting you through the trails soon."

"How soon?"

"In a week I hope."

Anon looked down

"What are our chances?"

"I can't say yet. It'll all depend on how you mature within this month. But I trust in you. And in Clover's decision. She chose to pass the crest onto you for a reason. I won't question her."

Anon gritted his teeth, feeling anger all of a sudden

"What if she was wrong?"

Rarity turned to face him and took a seat beside him

"Are you alright?"

"No, I am not alright! I'm supposed to save a world I only learned about weeks ago and I nearly killed a friend!"

Anon out his head in his hands

"This is all too much. I'm no Clover. I'm not a hero."

Rarity rubbed his shoulder sympathetically

"I know it seems hopeless right now. But you are going through a process many mages before you have undergone. And you'll come out the other side stronger for it."

"You don't know that."

"You have to have some faith. In yourself. And Sunset."

"Sunset?"

"She clearly likes you a lot. If for no one else, do it for her sake."

He lifted his head

"You're right."

"That's the spirit."

"Rarity can I ask a favor?"

"Of course."

"You're an accomplished mage right?"

"I'd consider myself that, yes."

"In two days time, I'm going to be retrieving the ancient blade Excalibur with the help of Lyra and a few of her friends. Any chance you could join us?"

"Excalibur? Well I suppose if anyone could break the seal, you could. I'd be happy too."

"Thanks, Rarity. And thanks for the talk."

"Of course. I won't lie to you, Anon. This month is going to be harder than anything you've ever faced. It's going to be painful as well. But I have confidence you can do it."
> Storm Clouds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Welcome back!"

Before he even knew what hit him, Coloratura had given him a tight embrace. From through her shoulders he could see Wallflower with her head in a book and Trixie tracing circles in the air with her wand

"We were so worried about you!" Trixie said

"You're alright, right?" Wallflower chimed in

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just good to be out of all the craziness." he said "How are you all?"

"Wonderful, just wonderful." Coloratura said "I've gotten nothing but A's in all my classes."

"Alright I suppose. I'm just trying to get some magic to work." said Blush

Trixie merely mumbled something about being bored and about too much school work. Anon walked straight to his bed and sat down. It felt like the first time he had gotten a real chance to himself. A chance to think. There was all the time in the hospital, sure, but things weren't escalating like they were now. Lyra was no where to be seen, no doubt preparing for the raid. The more he thought about it, the more nervous it made him. Nightmare Moon was going to be there. He was sure of it.

He couldn't forget when they met. It was burned into his mind like a scar. She was so powerful it was as if her mana itself had a presence of it's own, like that of gravity. How was he going to be able to compete with that? That level of power didn't even seem possible in several lifetimes, much less in the limited time he had now. Coloratura suddenly sat beside him.

"What's got you down?" she asked "You know that whole incident at the lake wasn't your fault right?"

"I know. It's not that. It's..." he paused for a while "Coloratura... Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Do you think I can do this? Do you think I'm worthy to be Clover's successor?"

"It's not my place to say. However Clover thinks you are. Far be it from me to question the decisions of one of the most prestigious mage's to ever exist."

"I wish I could talk to her myself. I have so many questions to ask her. So many things I want to know."

Coloratura grabbed your hand

"My mother always told me this old wizard saying whenever I'd get in moods like this: Peas can't be made to boil if the sky doesn't trust the trees."

Anon had a look of utter confusion on his face

"What in the world does that mean?"

"It's based off an ancient mage tradition. Mages would often channel mana to cook food such as peas. Back then, however, they believed that mana was the sun shining through their soul."

"And the tree bit?"

"The tree part is a reference to those around you. You have a big part of to play. But you're not alone in this. And you have to trust those around you, otherwise the sun won't boil your peas."

"That... has to be the silliest thing I've ever heard. But I love it." 

Coloratura just giggled

"Feeling a bit better?"

"I suppose so. I'm just stuck in my head."

"Well then let's get you out of your head then." she said "Here. I've got a fun game for us to do."

That spent that night playing various wacky traditional mage games. Meanwhile, in an old, forgotten crypt in a long forgotten wood, a plan was being formed. Nightmare Moon finally had the strength to be caporal full time. She was slumped against one of the coffins, dressed in dark blue robes. A single candle lit the space in which they occupied. They being her and the rest of the cult that had waited faithfully for the promised day of her return. A hooded figured approached her offering cup of raw mana. As was expected, the cult had be kidnapping mages from far and wide, melting them down to nothing but their mana circuits and using the resulting mana to fuel their mistress. Nightmare Moon took a long sip before setting it down.

"I'll require mana more potent soon." she said in her signature soothing yet menacing voice "What's the word on Clover's sorry excuse for a successor?"

One of the cultists removed their hood, revealing a stark head of red hair and curly mustache

"Rarity intends to put him through the Way of White Trials. If he survives this could prove to be a problem."

Nightmare simply snickered

"The Way of White." she said in a mocking tone "I assumed they'd all but been forgotten. Always a thorn in the side of people with ambition. How is his combat skills?"

"They don't exist." the man said, keeping his head bowed "But they are going to start training him before long."

"Well they're a couple hundred years too late aren't they?" Nightmare stared up into the sky "Oh, Clover. I can't help but think you have some sort of hidden plan. You always were one for the obtuse and the odd. I won't let my guard down like I did the last time."

"One more thing my lady, if I may."

"Speak, Flim."

"In two days time they're planning to retrieve the Holy Blade Excalibur."

Her mood changed from that of relaxed and smug too angry and concerned.

"That is a problem. It will grant a wish to whom soever wields it. Clever indeed. Well we'll just have to go and stop them won't we? Flim, Flam. Get yourselves prepared. We're going to confront our little trouble doers."

"And what of me, milord?"

"Oh, Vignette. I have a special task for you."

The next morning Anon was woken up earlier than normal. It was Rarity.

"Come. We need to start preparing you for your trials."

Anon rubbed his eyes and checked his watch. It was just past 3 in the morning.

"Why so early?" he yawned

"We'll need at least 24 hours over four days to fully prepare your body for what's to come."

Anon got up and followed Rarity dow a long hall way towards the top of the building. She pulled a book from the bookshelf only to have the thing slide open, revealing another set of stairs. Once at the top, there was another door that looked as if it had been around since the dawn of time. It was full of ancient hieroglyphics and symbols. Rarity took a deep breath and pulled out her wand. She said something in an inhuman language and from her back emerged angel wings and a bright halo. Her hair turned a bright blonde and her eyes scarlet. She looked as though she had descended from heaven by a divine decree of God himself. She touched the door with her hand and the entire thing lit up like a Christmas tree before slowly opening wide. Her form evaporated shortly after leaving Rarity noticeably exasperated.

"You see that form I took? That's the ultimate goal of all of this."

"What is that form exactly?"

"It's a small piece of the Greater Magic. I'll explain more as we go through each trial."

"How many are there?"

"There are seven in total."

They stepped into the room behind the door. It looked as though to be a hybrid of a planetarium and a cathedral. The ceiling was a large dome depicting constellations while the wall panels surrounding it were stained glass depicting different people and events.

"What is this place?"

"One of the original meeting places of the Way of White at the hight of its power. Each panel you see shows some of the greatest mages who ever graced the organization."

"It's incredible."

"It is."

He could hear the sadness dripping from her voice. It was the sadness almost akin to a parent talking of a child they'd lost.

"Are you alright, Rarity?"

"I'm fine."

She reached into her robe and pulled out twelve candles, handing him six.

"Put these candles evenly spaced next to the windows. Then we can begin."

Anon did as he was told and joined Rarity back in the middle.

"We are going to prepare you for the first and easiest trial, the Trial of Day. This will awaken the power that lays dormant within you. However, it will come suddenly and rapidly. It's not uncommon for those unprepared to have their bodies torn in pieces or their magic circuits completely destroyed as a result. This also may cause an overflow of memories which could cause yours and Clover's personalities too conjoin. To prevent this we must do one simple thing: absorb the smoke from these candles."

"What makes the smoke special?"

"Once you light them with your mana, the smoke you absorb with act almost like a buffer. It will make the resulting explosion far, far less intense and less rapid. Of course the drawback is this will make it exceedingly more painful. Unfortunately it's the risk we'll have to run. We'll have to be here for 24 hours total so get comfortable."

"I'm ready."

"Good. The go ahead and light the candles."

Threading his mana through his wand, he lit each candle individually and a gentle smoke began to rise throughout the room. It had a very nice smell, akin to that of fresh rain.

"So what are the trails then?"

"I explained the first Trial, the Trial of Day. This will be followed Trial of Rain, the Trial of Earth, the Trial of Stars, the Trial of Life, and, finally, the Trial of Rest. Don't be fooled by the name though. The Trial of Rest will be the hardest trial you'll face."

"What do they all entail?

"I can only explain each trail as you experience them, unfortunately. Such is tradition."

"Why focus on tradition now?"

"Because that's what it means to carry this faith. I can't simply drop certain principals whenever it's convenient."

"I wish I could say I understood."

"I hope you will. By doing this you'll be taking my place."

"Taking your place?"

"You'll know when the time comes. For now, let's just focus on the task at hand shall we?"

"You're being incredibly cryptic." he said "I don't appreciate it."

"I apologize."

"Perhaps you can answer me this question then: what happened to the Way of White? Are you the last member?"

"I am the last member of this ancient order. When I was young, no older than 15, our entire order was butchered. We barely had time to react."

"By who?"

"A group of cultists that worshiped Nightmare Moon. They saw us as an anathema to what they were trying to achieve and believed we'd be a force strong enough to oppose her resurrection."

"Why did they miss you?"

"They didn't know I existed at the time. I was off attending this very school after I had gone through the trials myself. As far as I know they still don't know I exist."

Anon looked down

"I'm sorry, Rarity."

"It's alright. I'm happy actually. Even though the circumstances could be better, I'm taking in the first recruit since myself. It's up to you of course, but I hope you'll carry on what I teach you to future generations."

"Why haven't you trained anyone else?"

"The cult still exists today. And are far stronger than I could hope to match. If they were made aware I was rebuilding the Order they'd come to wreck vengeance for sure. But with you... with you maybe there's a hope that the Way of White will be as prestigious as it once was."

"I'll do what I can, Rarity."

"That's all I ask. I'm sure being mortal born this all must sound a bit crazy."

"We have similar sorts of religious orders in the mortal world. Of course without all the crazy trials and powers."

The smoke above their head began to coalesce, almost as if it had a mind of its own.

"This is one of the more fun preparations. The smoke, being that it's generated of your mana, can act in very interesting ways. Take a look."

The smoke shaped itself into a clover, the changed again into that of Sunset's crest with a heart around it. Anon began to blush profusely.

"Aww. Someone's thinking about his crush it seems."

"Stupid smoke..." he grumbled to himself

The smoke shifted again, this time into a form he wasn't expecting. It was Clover herself. The smoke spoke. It said one single phrase

"You cannot win."
> A Wrench in the Works
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon felt bewildered. Was Clover talking to him directly?

"Don't be alarmed." Rarity said calmly "This is your mana speaking unconscious desires, fears, and thoughts."

"Really?"

"Yes. Though I'm not sure if these are your own or Clover's. It's been reported before that previous holders of the crest can hold such deep regrets that it can still permeate their mana after they've passed on."

"That's incredible. Almost as if it was alive."

"Mana is very much alive. It is the Greater Magic, after all."

"I thought mana was a gift given by the Greater Magic."

"Many mages have forgotten where we came from and our centuries old relationship with magic. Mana isn't simply an energy source as many would claim. It's not just coal for burning. Mana is a living breathing thing. It records all of our earthly experiences, it's information but conscious unto itself. It's not a gift of the Greater Magic, it is the Greater Magic living within us."

Anon stared at his left hand, Clovers crest glowing a brilliant sparkling emerald. The more he stared at the more he felt emotion coming from it, similar to the feeling of looking into an animals eyes and being able to sense what it's feeling.

"What's it saying to you?" Rarity asked

"It's not saying anything. What I do feel from it though is fear."

As Rarity and he did the preparation, Sunset was doing a bit of preparing herself. She had returned to the family manor to prepare for the coming festival as well as figure a way to throw a wrench in Valencia's plans. Her manor was located in a pocket of space she could access at any point by use of her crest. 

Sunset placed her hand against the wall of her room and her crest flashed twice, opening a portal on the wall. She stepped through and set eyes upon her family home once again. It was many centuries old, yet still somewhat modern. The house was an impressive six stories tall made of smooth red brick and limestone. It had an old English style, looking almost akin to a castle, and was surrounded by a wide, full garden. She walk to the front door, tall, black and made of mahogany. Before she could even slam the knocker, a maid opened the door.

"Greetings Mistress." she said, her head bowed "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Is my mother home? Or any of my sisters?"

"I'm afraid not. They've gone for a meeting with the High King."

"With my sisters?"

"Yes. It's the annually scheduled summit between the Noble Families and the King."

Sunset got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew this wasn't correct information. The annual summit wasn't for another six months, it always took place in late November. Not only that, the maids of the house we bound by oath never to lie to the masters of the house.

"Why wasn't I informed!?"

"Your mother wished not to disturb your studies."

"I need to go to the High King's Domain right away."

Sunset felt a sinking feeling. It wasn't like her mother to keep her out of the loop on these matters, especially something as important as this. The High King rarely consulted with the Noble Families unless it was absolutely crucial. It was even more rare for more than the head of house to be present for these meetings.

"Yes M'am." she said "This way, please."

Sunset followed the maid down the hall and into the back garden. Towards the far end she approached a large marble statue of a man with a beard. The first High King. Only five were constructed, one for each family and were the only entrances to the dimension known as the High King's Domain. Sunset touched the statue with her wand and a portal opened.

Once she crossed the threshold she was greeted by the familiar chill. She had only been her once as a child and the fear was similar now. Something about the place felt off. The castle was tall and looming, made of white marble and black roofing. Gargoyles hung all across the walls, silently guarding the entrance. Sunset quickly made her way down the bridge that crossed the moat. Instead of being a small sea filled with sharks or crocodiles, the moat was simply empty space that expanded on forever and ever. If you fell, you'd never hit the bottom.

She walked through the center garden, past several hallways and into the throne room. The throne room felt even more magnificent than she remembered it being. It was a long, open room with four tables on the sides and one in the middle closest to the door. The walls were made of pure gold and across the bannisters hung the flags of each family respectively.  There, all the families were gathered at their table. Twilight Sparkle with her mother Twilight Velvet sitting on the left table closet to the king's throne. Across from her was Sunset's family, consisting of her mother and five younger sisters. Beside Twilight's family was the Candenza Family, with head of house Lady Amore and her teenage daughter, Mi Amore Cadenza. Next to Sunset's family was the Sombra Family, with Lord Sombra and his air Chrysalis. At the end table to the right sat the Montage family, consisting of only Juniper Montage. Finally, at the right end table sat Wallflower's father with Wallflower Blush. The family's were arranged based on the number of years in service to the High King, past and present with the left side and position nearest the king signifying the longest number of years.  

At the throne was the High King Tirek, hidden behind a large vail the obscured most of his appearance. As tradition demanded, no one but a select few could set eyes upon the king's form as it was considered sacred. All of the King's children were missing. All but Valencia.

As Sunset burst through the doors the entire meeting stopped. She was breaking several hundred ancient codes but she didn't care. Something was obviously amiss. The kings booming voice echoed throughout the room.

"You dare intrude on this meeting in such a manner?"

Sunset's body was forced into a bow out of her control and immediately wracked with a searing pain.

"Explain yourself, Sunset Shimmer." the king commanded "You answer shall determine the punishment befitting you."

"Forgive me sire. I was concerned when I heard there was a meeting taking place and I was not invited to attend, especially considering as I am acting head of the Shi-."

Sunset reached for her neck. She couldn't breathe. She tried to struggle against the invisible force slowly crushing her windpipe but to no avail. Her vision began to double and her life began to flash before her eyes. Just as she was sure she was about to die, the force released its hold on her beck, dropping her to the floor in a panting, coughing mess. Echos of giggling could be heard coming from Chrysalis.

"Since you position as head of house is new I'll forgive this transgression this once," he said "But next time it will be the last mistake you make."

As Sunset gathered her breath she returned to the bowing position

"Permission to speak, milord."

"Permission granted."

"What is the purpose of this meeting?"

"Why don't you come and join us? We are just getting ready to start."

"Yes, milord."

Sunset quickly took a seat by her mother who didn't meet her gaze. The display that had just occurred was a sign of ultimate humiliation amongst the nobles. For a new head of house, this was akin to social suicide. Not only that, it tarnished the entire family's name. The king began his speech.

"I am sure you are all wondering why I brought you here today. I have come to inform you that I am to be married once again in one month's time. All family's and their head's are expected to to be there."

The room was filled with silence. The king hadn't been married since his wife passed over a hundred years ago, by his own hand no less.

"The woman to who's hand I am taking" the King said "is Nightmare Moon."

Throughout the rest of the day the smoke filled more and more of the room Rarity and Anon occupied. There were few more instances like that of the smoke saying messages. When Rarity wasn't meditating she told Anon stories of the Order. Apparently quite a few had taken up prominent positions in mortal affairs like politics and business. But the 23'd hour the smoke had filled nearly the entire room. Anon was fast asleep, only for Rarity to wake him.

"Now for our final part of preparation."

Anon rubbed his eyes

"Yeah?"

"You know how to thread mana in reverse right?"

"I do."

"You're going to do that, however this will be a bit more tricky. This smoke is laced with your mana. You need to take it into your own body. All you have to do is place your want to your nose and thread it past your wand and into your lungs. Does that makes sense?"

"Sort of. Let me give it a try."

"Don't do it too fast. Else you lungs may explode. Thread with each breath you take."

"Alright."

Anon put his wand to his nose and took a deep breath in. It took a few tries to get the smoke into his nose, but eventually he figured out how to do it. The entire process took an hour to complete.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine I guess. I expected to be coughing at least."

"Good. We'll do this again over the next few days and then proceed with the Trial of Day. For now, we're done."

"Glad to hear it. Thanks Rarity. I enjoyed this time together."

"As did I. You can go out through the door. I'll be here a while longer."

"Alright. I'll see you around. And I'll see you tomorrow for the raid."

"Right."

Anon walked dow the steps and back into the dorms, then into the courtyard. It was nice to breathe some fresh air after having to sit in the smoky room for so long. He turned to the side to see Lyra standing at the edge of the courtyard, staring at the rising sun.

"Lyra?" he called out

"Oh, Anon. Finished the first trial already?"

Her voice was sullen and tired. Clearly Bonbon was weighing heavy on her mind.

"Just preparations for it."

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes. I've asked Rarity to come along if that's alright."

"The more's the better. With in reason of course."

"Lyra."

"Yes?"

"Do you blame me for what happened?"

There was a long pause

"No. As much as I wish to, I know in my heart that if I were in that situation I'd have done the same. Neither you nor Bonbon could've known this would happen. I just wish it could've been me and not her."

"I'm sorry."

"I forgive you."

"I promise I'll use my wish on her."

Lyra clenched her fists tightly

"I was thinking about that. And... I was thinking it'd be better to use the wish to defeat Nightmare Moon for good."

"You can't be serious?"

"I love Bonbon. She has been my sister in arms for as long as I can remember. But given the entire situation..."

"Lyra!"

She turned to him, tears rolling down her face

"The fate of all of the mage world is at stake. If we don't defeat Nightmare Moon there won't be a world for Bonbon to enjoy for much longer."

"Clover the Clever defeated her once before! I'm her successor and I'll do it again! I'll use my own two fists if that's what it comes too!"

Lyra grabbed him by the shoulders

"This isn't the time for heroics! If Nightmare Moon wins the entire world, both mage and mortal will enter an era of oppression the likes of which you can't imagine! Clover the Clever couldn't finish the job the first time so how on earth will-"

He slapped her hard

"I've made my choice. I'm going to cure Bonbon and I'm going to defeat Nightmare Moon."
> Succession War
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is an outrage!" shouted Wallflower's father "Wedding with the murderer of one of the greatest mages to ever exist is tantamount to treason! You think we'll just let this happen!?"

Wallflower's father was not what you'd characteristically describe as a noble. He was tall and skinny, with glasses and a rather messy style of short hair. He wore his beard out long and full and rather than wearing robes like the other families, he wore a lab coat.

The whole room filled with whispers and murmurs. The silhouette of the king rose from its seat.

"As the king my word is law."

"You're no king if you marry that wench. I hear by invoke my Right to Succession!"

The whole room was dead silent. By invoking this right, he was directly challenging the kings status to the throne. This right hadn't be invoked in nearly six centuries, much less by a newcomer.

"Very well." He said, calmly "I acknowledge you right. Who stands by our would be ruler?"

The tension in the room skyrocketed. Whoever sided with the loser would be punished severely for sure.

"Now hold on a moment." a voice echoed from behind

It was Sombra. He stood tall with a mean glare in his eyes.

"Before we go further, surely there must be a good reason for this marriage. I'd like to hear our lord's reasoning for such a bold decision before resorting to such drastic action." 

"Outrageous! No explanation could possible be worth-"

"Silence!" the king boomed "My reasoning is as pure as I am. I wish to negotiate with her. Try to steer her off the war path."

His eyes were filled with rage

"Lying snake!" he yelled "You are and always have been a tyrant, always looking to grant more power onto yourself. My evocation stands."

"Very well. Those who should side with me rise their hand."

The Sombra family, the Montage family and the Sparkle family rose their hands. The Cadenza family, the Shimmer family and, of course, the Blush family sided on his behalf. Wallflower pleaded with her dad.

"You can't do this! There's no way you'll be able to stand up to him! You'll be killed for sure."

He just smiled

"Don't worry. I have a plan for this." 

Tirek emerged from behind the vail, dressed in fine silk robes

"So be it. Since the vote is evenly split we will settle this as those long past have always done. A trial by combat."

Sunset yelled from across the room

"Don't do it! You can't beat him!"

"Quiet, Shimmer." he said

He turned back to face Wallflower and extended his hand. Wallflower began to get tears in her eyes.

"My daughter, it is time for you to make our family great. I trust you."

He grabbed her hand, the wallflower family crest shinning brightly.

"Dad don't!"

In a flash of light he passed the crest and unto Wallflower. She was now head of house and a noble while her dad was now without most of his power. He took out his wand and faced the king.

"Now. Let's see what you're made of King Tirek."

Tirek began to have a fit of laughter

"Even as you stand before me without your teeth you're as confident as can be. I may miss you."

Tirek reveal his staff and took a strong pose.

"At least they can say you died with dignity."

"At least."

Anon was walking through the school grounds trying to get the edge off after his contentious encounter with Lyra. Slapping her wasn't the best move in retrospect. But the idea that she'd just abandon Bonbon offended him to the core. He'd find a way. He couldn't bare the idea of saving the world while sacrificing the person who risked life and limb to save him.

As he took his stroll he noticed something was off. There was tension in the air. The regular jovial, happy voices of students taking their break was instead replaced with whispers and panicked faces. He noticed that each of them had a paper. He heard running footsteps behind him. It was Coloratura.

"Anon, you have to take a look at this!"

She shoved the paper in his face. He pushed it back and read the headline. It stated simply "Head of Wallflower family killed after challenging the king." Anon's eyes went wide.

"What? This can't be right."

"It is."

He scanned the page quickly trying to find news of Wallflower

"What happened to Wallflower? Was Sunset there too?"

"Apparently she was. Though nobody knows what's happened."

"We have to find a way to contact them."

"We can't. They're likely still in the High King's domain. No messages will be able to sent too or from."

"Damn it." he cursed

Coloratura hugged him tight

"I hope they're both ok."

"I hope so too."

The day passed by slowly. Every second he was wracked with more and more worry. It wasn't until late that evening that Sunset returned, heading straight for Anon's room. He rushed right to her and hugged her tightly.

"Sunset! I was so worried."

Sunset hugged back tightly as tears rolled down her face.

"What happened?"

Sunset tearfully explained the events the occurred. Wallflower's father didn't even last two footsteps ahead of him. He died near instantly. Wallflower Blush herself had been imprisoned.

"What do we do now?" Anon asked

"I don't know." Sunset replied

"We can't just leave her there!" Trixie said "She'll be executed for sure!"

"She's awaiting trial isn't she?" he asked

"Yes but the king is a tyrant. He'll kill anyone who opposes him."

"What do we do then?"

"We have to break her out. We have too!"

Sunset shook her head

"No one in all of history has ever successfully broken out of the kings jail. The place is impenetrable." 

"But!" Trixie protested

"I said no! We can figure something out. We just can't afford to be rash right now. We'll find a way. I'm sure I can think of something, use my royal privileges to work something out. Until I do though you can't be hasty."

Trixie slammed her fist against the side of the wall.

"God damn it."

"I know you're angry right now. But we have to play our cards right or things will get worse. We have to be extremely careful going forward. No doubt they'll have more eyes on me for siding with Blush."

Anon sighed

"This is bad. We can't have the king breathing down our neck like this."

"What's done is done. Just tread carefully is all I'm saying. Don't say anything you'll regret."

"So what does this mean for the sword?"

"We have to go through with it," Sunset said "We don't have much choice at this point. Knowing Lyra, she'd probably go with or without us."

"Are you coming?"

"No. Things are way too hot right now for me to be making any risky moves like that. I can give you this though."

Sunset rifled around in a satchel tied to her waist pulling out a smooth red stone. Beyond the clear stone was Sunset's crest glowing brightly. It felt warm to the touch, as if it'd been laying in the sun all day.

"What's this?" he asked

"It's a mana stone. The material has a special property of being able to store mana for an extended period of time. If you find yourself in a bind all you need to do is crush it in your hand. When you do you'll get the power stored inside. I don't know what you'll find down there but hopefully this will be enough to get you out of trouble."

"Thank you, Sunset."

Coloratura sighed

"I wish we could come."

"It's alright. Lyra said she'll be bringing friends. And Rarity will be tagging along as well."

The new day began without much delay and at the crack of dawn. Lyra instructed him via a secret note beneath his pillow to meet her just outside the castle grounds. He prepared as best as he could, taking a small bag with a wand, the mana stone and a few other essentials. and scurried off to the meeting place. There he found Lyra, Rarity and three others.

"Glad to see you've made it." Lyra said "Allow me to introduce our friends. We have Nurse Redheart, a true talent in the field of healing magic, Flitter, an expert in shielding magic as well as familiar summoning, and, finally, her sister Cloud Chaser a master lightning mage."

"We've got quite the team together." Anon whispered

"Yes. Let's hope it'll be enough."

Rarity placed her hand on Anon's shoulder

"Stay close by my side. Whatever happens, do not get caught alone."

"Right."

Lyra called for a horse drawn carriage, the same one bonbon used during the trip to the lake. As the rode high into the clouds the mood was intense. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"So where are we heading?"

"It's a bit complicated." Rarity said "We're going to London, but not as you'd know it. We're going to cross into London's shadow, a parallel universe. It's like London only the inhabitants are mostly monsters and demons."

"Clover picked quite the place to hide it."

"There's a reason no mage since her time has ever been able to recover it."

The carriage descended beneath the clouds, dropping them off just outside the city. Lyra pulled out her wand and it began to pulse lightly, almost like a metal detector. He followed the group closely until they reached a shadow.

"The signal seems to be strongest here." Lyra said "Are you ready?"

The whole group nodded

"Lets lock arms."

Everyone did so and Lyra placed her wand against the shadow. The world around them seemed to blink out of existence for a moment. When it came back it was London, but bathed in ghostly shadows and pale light. It was quiet and completely devoid of people or activity. Not even the sound of wind could be heard. It was unnerving. 

"Alright." Lyra said "According to previous accounts, the sword should be inside the Tower of London. Luckily we're pretty close. We have to move quick and quiet."

The group began to file down the streets, checking each and every corner for enemies. As they closed in upon the castle, they could see monsters of all shapes and types gathered around it. Flying circles around the tower were tall vulture like beasts with two heads each and rows of fangs lining their beaks. Every now and again they'd let out a bone chilling caw.

"The sword must be emanating so much mana that it's attracting them." Redheart said "Like a beacon. This means they'll be in a feeding frenzy."

Anon felt his heartbeat quicken and his breathing become labored. He felt like he had been dropped bleeding into an ocean of starved sharks with nothing but the clothes on his back. Nurse Redheart turned her head and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Be calm." she soothed "We have very capable fighters on our side. This is nothing for us."

"Sorry. I'm just not used to this is all."

Lyra took the lead and made a plan.

"Alright. I'll take front with Cloud Chaser. In the center we'll have Flitter, Anon and Redheart. To the rear, Rarity. Flitter I need you to cast a barrier to protect us. Should that fail, protect Anon at all costs. Got it?"

The group nodded. Flitter removed the staff attached to her back and began to chant. Like a fountain spewing water, blue energy began to emanate from the top of the staff until it formed a bubble around the group. Everyone got their wands at the ready.

"Alright. Let's go."
> The Secrets of Life Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wallflower sat in her quiet damp cell all by herself. She wanted to sift through the crest memories her father had given her but the shackles on her wrists were made of a special mana absorbing material. Any attempt she would make at magic would instantly be stored in the shackles, memories included. What memories did her father want her to see? No doubt she'd be able to see what he learned from the Greater Magic. But that couldn't possibly be the plan he was referring too.

She had a week until her trial. But she knew it would be nothing but a kangaroo court. They'd remove the crest by force and take her life in the next instance. The King had been envious of her dad's ability to commune with the Greater Magic and his reluctance to share what he'd learned angered him. As far as Tirek was concerned, she was just an unneeded risk, likely to seek revenge on her father's murder. Tirek may be unrivaled in strength, but he was incredibly cautious and calculating. As strong as he was, he wouldn't risk the potential for someone to grow stronger than he. Wallflower began to hear footsteps coming down the hall. It was a visitor, an important one at that. The man stood in front of her cell and bowed.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance." he said in a regal and formal tone

She scoffed

"What does the king's oldest son, Shinning Armor, want with the daughter of a traitor?"   

"Nothing in particular. I just want to offer a deal."

"Any deal you could make with me is bound to come with a whole host of drawbacks."

"I assure you, you have naught but to gain." he said "Marry me."

"Marry you!?"

"Yes. Marry me and we can use your family crest as leverage in the court. See talk is quite rife at the moment. It seems your father communicated with the Greater Magic more than once."

"He what?"

"Indeed. Whatever information is stored in that crest may be just the information needed to freely exchange with it while keeping one's mind. You, of course, are the only one with the ability to access it at the present time."

"Why would you tell me all this? Why not just trick me and take the crest for yourself?"

"Because my darling."

Shining Armor knelt down

"From the moment I laid eyes on you I was in love. I wish to take you as my queen." he said "With the power of your crest we can remove Tirek from the throne and together rule as true head's of state should."

"I don't buy it." she said "You never seemed to show interest in me before."

"I was waiting for my time. And the time is ripe."

"No." she said "I refuse."

"Suit yourself. You have a week to change your answer. Or, of course, you could just hand your crest over to Tirek and be executed promptly after. The choice is yours."

Wallflower heard his footsteps slowly fade down the stone path that led to the exit. Could he really have meant all that? Out of all the King's children, Shinning by far was the most moral of the bunch. That wasn't saying much of course. But she did hold the power in this situation. And Shinning didn't actually ask the crest be given to him in exchange for her freedom. She looked up at the ceiling. It's not like her alternative was much better.

Back in the alternate world, Anon and the others were making steady progress. The beasts had yet to take notice to their approach. As they neared the courtyard entrance, they could see the beasts in better detail. They were in a frenzy alright. They were bashing themselves against the wall, biting and gnawing at the dirt and even trying to take pieces out of one another. The yard was littered with corpses, both mage and monster.

"Why are they ignoring us?" Anon asked

"The shield I'm using doesn't allow mana to emanate outside. Normally this wouldn't be enough to hide our presence for monsters such as these. But they've been whipped into such a frenzy from the mana the sword is exuding they can barely notice us." Flitter explained "So long as we don't cause too much of a stir or use an excess of magic we shouldn't alert them at all."

All of a sudden, Rarity put her hand over Anon's eyes

"Everyone close your eyes! It's a memory eye!"

Anon closed his eyes before removing Rarity's hand from his face

"What is a memory eye?"

"A beast that can cause insanity just by looking at it. Thankfully it wasn't looking directly at me or else I'd have been drive mad."

"Where is it?" Cloud Chaser asked

"The far end of the right wall."

"So we just don't look over there?"

"It's not that simple. These things are quite fast. If it changes it's position we'll be in trouble. We'll have to make our way blind."

"Don't worry. I have a spell that can guide us." Lyra said

"Don't!" Rarity whispered loudly "If we use more mana than what we're using we'll alert the monsters."

"Anyone know how to get there then?" Anon asked

"Yes. I think I can get us there" Redheart replied

Redheart moved to the front and everyone grabbed the shoulder of the person ahead of them. They inched forward slowly but surely. Sure enough, Redheart got them to the tower doors. Once inside they opened their eyes, breathing a sigh of relief.

"So how do we find it?" Lyra asked

"Easy. I'm pretty mana sensitive. I'll just go to were the source is strongest and-"

In a matter of moments Redheart was turned into solid stone.

"What happened!?" Anon cried

"Don't panic." Rarity said "She just trigged a trap."

She pointed down to Redheart's foot. It was standing on an intricate glowing circle.

"It's a rune, likely placed here by Clover to prevent people from entering."

"Can we reverse it?"

"Yes. Just give me a second."

Rarity pulled out her wand and placed it against her shoulder

"Holy Magic: Curse Removal."

The stone cracked and broke away, returning Redheart to her former glory. She fell to the ground gasping for air.

"Thank you for that Rarity." she panted and coughed "Sorry about that. I got careless."

"It's alright. Flitter. Anything you can do to help detect traps?"

"Yes. But I'd have to take down the shield. That means no magic from here on. Else we'll have a hoard of angry demons on us."

"Do it. It's the risk we'll have to run."

Flitter lowered the barrier. In its place rose a wide circle of green light at chest level.

"Now don't let your guard down. There could still be physical traps like tripwires and such. Keep your eyes peeled. Redheart, lead the way."

Anon was impressed by Rarity's natural born leadership. She took the reins of this operation like a pro. The crew ventured further on down the hallway, their eyes scanning above and below for any physical traps. Every time a magic trap was found the circle would suddenly flash red, alerting them to the threat. After about an hour of walking they came across a door that was sealed tight. As they got closer, Clover's crest began to shine brightly. So hot his hand felt like it was going to burn.

"You're up, Anon." Lyra said

Anon nodded and put his hand to the door. The door flashed green and opened up wide to a staircase leading down into a basement. Rarity was the first to try to step through, only to come into what felt like an invisible wall.

"What is this?" she asked annoyed "Anon can you get rid of it?"

"I can try."

Anon passed the threshold with no issue whatsoever. The girls, on the other hand, all kept hitting the same invisible wall.

"It seems you'll have to go it alone from here." Rarity said

"Go it alone!? But there's no way I'll make it!"

"Don't worry." Flitter said "I figured something like this might happen. So I came prepared."

Flitter handed her satchel over to Anon

"Inside my satchel you'll find four crystal sculptures. Each one is a familiar. If you find an enemy you can't defeat simply smash it against the floor and it will come to your aid. The red one is a fire ape, the blue one a water fairy that can heal wounds, the yellow a lightning snake, and the white a holy horse. Each familiar can only be summoned once for ten minutes so use them wisely."

"I will."

"Good luck, Anon. Don't do anything rash ok?" Rarity asked

"I won't."

Anon filed down the stairs, the door closing behind him. Just as he went out of earshot, more visitors arrived.

"Well this is an unfortunate turn of events." a woman's voice chuckled "I wonder if greenhorn down there will survive the horrors inside that crypt."

Nightmare Moon walked up to meet them with two hooded figures by her side.

"Oh he'll survive. I know he will." Rarity said

"I'm sure he will." she said "And when he comes back he'll have us to greet him. Flim, Flam. Take care of our guests please. All except for Rarity. I've got special plans for her."

The figure to the right removed his entire robe and bit his thumb. He then transformed into a large white wolf, three times the size of a black bear and twice as vicious. The one to the left let out a his, revealing two long fangs from his mouth.

"Rarity. You and I will take the vampire. Flitter and Cloud Chaser, the werewolf." Lyra said "Redheart, watch our backs."

"Got it." Redheart said, wand at the ready

Anon slowly made his way down into a crypt lined with countless bones and coffins. Luckily it was a straight path so far. As he made his way down the bones began to rattle, almost in unison. Anon put his hand on the red statue, ready to throw it at a moments notice.

To his relief it the crypt was calm and quiet, even if it was quite dark. He could hardly see two footsteps in front of him. How in the world was he to find a legendary artifact in this darkness? He put his hand on the side well and inched forward. His hand felt the old musty coffins and a bone here and there. All of a sudden, the torches on the wall began to light one by one. He look around nervously. Down the hall he could hear footsteps. They were slow, heavy foot steps. Stranger still, after every forth step he heard the sound of chimes, like those used by priests during ceremony.

The creature creeped closer step by step until it was finally within view. The hairs on the back of Anon's neck stood on end. It was a person or, more accurately, a corpse. It had gray, dried out skin and was dressed in an ancient and ripped ceremonial dress. Its face was covered in bandages, all except for a completely vacant left eye socket. In its right hand it held a large silver thurible lined with chimes, while in its left it held a long golden staff with a clover at the top. It slowly turned its head towards him, as if it could see with its eye socket. It began to shake and shutter violently before lifting the thurible up and ringing it loudly, spraying ash all over the tomb.

As the ash flooded the tomb the bones inside the coffins began to rattle. The dead beat against their coffins loudly like a symphony of evil drums. Anon reached inside his satchel and grabbed the red statue. His mind was racing. It was everything he could not to turn tail and run. The coffins began to break and dried out, well preserved corpses began to drop to the cold sandy floor. Anon threw the statue down and in a large flash of light a gorilla with fire for fur appeared. It let out a loud roar and began to charge the dead.

The beast made quick work of the corpses, punching through in them like a hole puncher does paper. But it was too little effect. As soon as most of the dead had been slain, the beast slammed its staff against the floor three times and they rose once again, their wounds sealed up as if nothing had happened. He'd have to take care of that beast while the ape distracted the corpses.

He slowly got closer to the demon using the ape as cover. When enough dead had been defeated he charged right for the demon. It took its staff and jabbed him right in the gut. As he staggered back he looked around. The dead hadn't risen again. That was it. He just had to prevent it from tapping its staff against the ground and it'd be all but powerless. He fought through the pain and grabbed its staff arm and looked at the ape.

"Now!"

The ape ran for the demon at breakneck speed. The demon began to shake and shutter again. It lifted its thurible once again and shook it forcefully. Hot ash spilled out, blinding both him and his familiar. Before he knew it, it was gone. The ash slowly dissipated, pointing his path forward. Unfortunately for him, however, it was the same place that demon was heading. He could clearly make out the footprints in the stand.

He kept going further into the crypt until he came to a large door covered with plant life. It was stunning, as if an experienced gardener had been taking care of it for years. Anon touched the door and got a shock to his system. It was a memory again.

Clover was walking with a great bearded man. He could feel an intense sadness coming from her.

"Damn him!" Clover yelled "Damn him to hell!"

"Clover." the bearded man said "Please."

"No! I can't stand this!"

Clover hit the wall and great vines and large flowers sprung forth. The man grabbed her shoulder and embraced her.

"There was nothing we could have done. All we can do now is making her sacrifice meaningful. No one will be able to harness this power for evil ever again."

"I'm sorry..." she whimpered "I-I'm... I'm sorry."

Clover began to sob

"Come. Let's lay this curse to rest. Once and for all."

When Anon came to the door was open, the plants dead. The ape was no were to be found. He steeled himself and move deeper within. After a small walk the crypt entered into a large circular room. The walls were lined with coffins and water poured from holes in the ceiling into the large well below. The only thing connecting his side to the other was a thin stone bridge. At its center was a rather ornate coffin. That had to be it.

He walked to the bridge but stoped just before touching it. At the long side of the bridge was the demon, standing perfectly still. It was just watching, observing his movements. He slowly made his way out onto the bridge and to the coffin. The demon didn't move at all.

"What are you?" he called out

It didn't answer.

"Do you work for Clover?"

No answer. Anon lifted up his hand, showing the crest.

"I'm Clover's successor. I mean no harm. Nightmare Moon is back. And I need to use king Arthur's sword to defeat her, hopefully forever. Can you help me?"

The demon turned slightly and pointed further inside.

"Are you trying to tell me Excalibur is further inside? What's in this coffin here?"

It didn't move a muscle, simply standing and pointing. His burning curiosity wouldn't allow him not to check however, especially after the welcome it gave. For all he knew this could be some trick. He touched the coffin and once again was pulled inside a memory.

Clover and the bearded man stood over the coffin. Inside was a woman with long red hair.

"Oh Meadowbrook." the man said sadly "Your father would be so proud."

Clover had tears rolling down her face. She knelt down and placed what appeared to be a sword wrapped in tarp inside the coffin.

"I may not have ever been a good child," she whimpered "But you were the best mother I could ask for."

The memory faded again. Bingo. This had to be the place. Anon reached out to put his right hand on the coffin to remove the top. The was one problem however: it was missing, replaced with nothing but a stump gushing blood.
> Awaken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon's vision doubled and he let out a scream, falling down on his back. The pain was unreal. He looked around and could see the demon, mere feet in front of him, his arm in its clutches. The water fairy! He had to get the water fairy! He reached around for the blue statue. As he pulled it out the demon slapped it away, letting it fall into the depths below.

"No!" Anon yelled

He felt weak. He was bleeding out fast. This was really it. This was really where he was going to die. His entire life flashed before his eyes. He was suddenly filled with a sense of peace. Clover was wrong. He closed his eyes and lay against the coffin. He felt happy. No more obligations. No more saving the world. No more magic. Just peace. His mind began to grow foggy. What was he even here in the first place for? It didn't matter. Surely someone more capable than he would rise to the challenge.

As his consciousness slowly receded he had one final thought. Sunset Shimmer. It hit him like a freight train. His eyes shot open. He was going to live! His body began to fill with emerald green light. His blood rose from the ground, coalescing and flowing into his arm. It quickly hardened into a brand new arm. He couldn't believe it. He did it. He preformed life magic. The demon took its staff and ran it through his stomach. It was strange. He felt no fear. No pain. He grabbed the staff and once again summoned the great light. The staff began to turn into a garden of plants and moss that creeped up the demon's arm. No matter how much it tried, it couldn't pull away. Anon got a look of determination, looking at it directly in the face with a glare.

"Disappear." he said

The demon struggled as the plant life slowly consumed it, eventually reducing it to dust. Anon pulled the staff from his stomach as though it were nothing, healing it in one fell swoop with his hand. This power felt incredible. His body was oozing with energy and life, he felt as though he could move mountains. If he could harness this power fully he could win. He knew he could.

As he got to his feet he noticed every spot his limbs touched grew with plant life. Life magic was overflowing within him, so much so he could hardly control it. But he had a job to do. He could admire his newfound powers later. He removed the coffin lid to find the coffin completely empty.

Outside the crypt, Anon's team were in dire straights. Flitter was the only one left standing. She'd cast a strong barrier around her fallen comrades, but she was tiring fast. Fending off opponents this strong wasn't easy, even for a mage as experienced as she was. Nightmare merely laughed, enjoying the spectacle. 

"My, my. You seem to be getting a bit tired. I wonder how Clover's Successor is doing? You think he's even alive?"

"Of course he-" flittered said between her panting "Is. He won't... fail us."

Flim slammed his paw into the barrier again

"Strong one this girl." he said in a gnarled, beastly voice "Can I eat them when she finally fails?"

"Share with your brother." Nightmare said

Flam began to throw a volley of high speed punched at the barrier as well

"I can almost taste the blood from here."

Flitters arms began to shake from the strain. The color had drained from her face. She was fading fast.

"Anon." she pleaded "Please hurry."

Anon looked to wear the demon was when he entered. Maybe the blade really was down there. As he walked he noticed his senses were enhanced. Everything felt ten times as intense as it did previously. He didn't even need the torches to see anymore. It was like daylight. He ran to the other side of the bridge. Even his physical strength had improved. He was running at twice the speed he normally did. He came into another long hallway to find another room hidden behind a cast iron gate. He pushed it open and looked in awe. It was like a nature sanctuary. It was a long square room with a lake its center. There were flowers, trees and bushes along every wall of all different shapes and types. Animals frolicked freely along the boundaries. 

At the far end of the pound was a deer looking straight at him. It was tall long lines of its fur glowed a bright green. In its mouth it held the sword wrapped in tarp, the same one from the memory. Anon slowly approached the pond.

"Excuse me, mr. deer. I'm going to need the sword. My friend is very sick and only that blade can cure her. I'm Clover the Clever's Successor if that means anything."

The deer looked at him quizzically. It put the sword down and stepped on it with its hoof to keep it in place.

"Your crest means little to me, human." it said in a stern masculine voice "Clover the Clever entrusted us with the sanctuary to keep the sword from human hands. We are bound by that oath."

"If you don't give it to me the whole world will be destroyed. Nightmare Moon has returned."

"And if you take the sword from this place our world will be destroyed sooner than that."

"What do you mean?"

"The magic this blade exudes is the only thing keeping out sanctuary alive. If it leaves this room all plant life will cease, with us following soon after."

"I can fix that. Look."

Anon put his hand on one of the trees, letting it grow twice it's size

"I've finally figured out life magic."

"Very amusing, human. But that won't be enough to sustain life here. As soon as you leave the magic you just used will fade as well."

Anon sat on the ground

"There must be a way for both of us to leave here happily."

One of the butterflies landed on his shoulder

"There is one way." it said in a squeaky child voice "You have a mana stone! If you fill that with your magic it will be able to sustain us for a while. But you'd have to return the sword at some point."

"Is that acceptable to you? I give you my word that I will return the sword once Nightmare Moon is slain. She'll be at full power in a month's time. So I'll return it to you by the end of that battle."

The deer stared at him a long while

"I am trusting you with my and all of our lives human. If you are indeed the one Clover chose to succeed her, I will treat your word as hers. Please do not betray that trust."

"I won't."

Anon took out the mana stone sunset gave him and began to thread magic into it. Within just a few seconds it was so full it nearly cracked.

"Here. It's completely full."

The deer took the sword in it's mouth and tossed it to him while an owl cam and snatched the stone from his palm

"Thank you. I promise you won't regret this. I'll return it as soon as I'm able."

Anon turned around before the deer shouted at him

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I can sense it. Your friends are in trouble, beset by forces far stronger than they. You'll need help."

Two bears emerged from behind the trees

"Please allow them to assist you."

"Thank you. I appreciate the trust."

Anon ran back out into the crypt, the bears in tow. They were back to the surface within minutes. Flitter was barely hanging on by a thread.

"Oh, Anon." she whispered "Thank god."

She fainted before another word. Nightmare Moon chuckled.

"Well, well, well." she laughed "Those are two faces I didn't think I'd ever see again. Just how long has it been Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger?"

"A few thousand years." the bear on the right said "Missed us much?"

"Not particularly. As you can see, I've made quite a few strides since I used you as guinea pigs. I even created a vampire soon after that."

"Allow us to return the favor." the bear said "Ready, Sky?"

"Ready, Vapor."

"Anon we'll take care of her too goons. You go ahead and fight Nightmare."

Anon slowly removed the cloth revealing a long claymore with a glowing yellow blade.

"As you wish."

Coloratura sat beside Bonbon. She'd been coming once each week. She knew she was unconscious but it just felt wrong to have no one by her side. It was a nice quiet place to study to boot. As Coloratura began to take notes on her textbook explaining intermediate hypnotism music, a large flash of golden light filled the room. She put the book down only to see Bonbon sit up, as healthy as the day she was born. She got tears in her eyes.

"He did it! He actually did it!"

Bonbon look confused

"What happened?"

"When you went in to save Anon at the lake you got an extreme case of mana sickness. Some sort of curse by the lake. Of course there was no way to cure you. So Anon, Lyra, and a few others went to retrieve Excalibur so he could use a wish to save you."

Bonbon look at her hands

"He what?" Bonbon said "That idiot! Lyra must have gotten into his head!"

"What do you mean?"

"If he was going to use something as powerful as a wish granted by Excalibur he should've used it to defeat Nightmare Moon once and for all, not save me!" she said angrily "How long have I been out?"

"A while. There's a lot you need to be caught up on."

Back in the other realm, Anon prepared for his fight with Nightmare. She looked down at him sternly. Anon slowly walked next to Flitter and placed his hand on her back. The group was bathed in green light and just like that, they were healed. Nightmare's eyes widened. She lifted her hand up and snapped her fingers.

"Flim. Flam. We're going."

"What!?" Flim said "But I was just about to eat them."

"Come with me or stay and die. I won't ask again."

"Oh no you don't!" Anon yelled, racing forward with sword in hand

As he swung the sword to meet her head, Nightmare took out her wand and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"As much as I'd love to fight you here and now, the time is not yet right. But don't worry," she chuckled "I won't leave you wanting."

Her lips met his and a sour taste filled his mouth

"You can thank me for my little parting gift during our next, and certainly last, encounter. Farewell for now."

A portal opened beside Nightmare Moon and both she and her henchmen followed through it. Once it closed, Anon fell to the ground, coughing and wheezing.  

"What the hell did she do to me?"

Rarity put her hand on his shoulder

"We'll have to find out later. We just kicked the hornets nest."

Anon lifted up his head. The monsters were no trained up him and his group. And they were hungry.
> The Moon Rises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightmare Moon returned to the crypt through the portal, her cronies in tow. She took a seat on a nearby coffin and rested her chin on her hands. It was the tell tale sign that she was deep in thought trying to figure out a plan. 

"Flim," she ordered "Assemble the team. We have much to discuss."

Both Flim and Flam had reverted to their form and were exhausted. Being in such an intense battle had put them into a blood rage that was hard to quell. During a blood rage they would become more animal than human, attacking anything in sight. But regardless of their energy, they'd not refuse to serve their lady.

"Yes m'am."

Flim went throughout the crypt, rousing the members of the cult, few in number though they were. It only consisted of Flim and Flam, the three half-siren sisters Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze, Tempest Shadow, and of course, Nightmare's second in command and love interest, Discord. Discord had held the cult together through thick and thin and was the one responsible for Nightmare Moon's resurrection. Despite all this, he remained quite tight lipped about the past and his feelings for her.

Each member of the cult was outcast from society. Flim and Flam for being monsters. The half-siren sisters for the crime of having a siren mother and a human father. Tempest, an especially odd case, had magic so strong it destroyed her magic circuits entirely at age 5. Discord for delving into magic long considered taboo and forbidden. Everyone described Nightmare Moon as some great evil, a calamity that would engulf the world. Yet she was the only one who took these poor and down trodden under her care. She trained Flim and Flam how to control their blood rage and become human. She equipped Tempest with technology that allowed her to use magic again without circuits. And she gave the sisters a home when they had no where else to turn. To them she was someone who would change the world for the better.

"My friends. We are in the final stages. I am nearing full power once again."

Nightmare Moon stood up and began to pace

"A great battle is coming. It will test all of us, including me. I won't mince my words. Some of us my not even come out the other end. But the world we are fighting for is one without an oppressive monarchy. Without those who would scorn us for inheriting powers we had no business in choosing. Be brave. Stand with me."

Adagio raised her hand

"If I may ask, my lady." She said rather timidly "What is our plan?"

"To obtain the power of the Greater Magic."

The monsters piled on against the side of the door, clawing, scratching and howling.

"How do we get home?" Anon asked

"There's an exit just a little ways past the tower. We can use that." Redheart said

The sound of glass breaking was heard throughout the Tower. Demons began to pour in. Anon reached into the satchel and pulled out the white statue, smashing it against the ground. They'd need all the help they could get. A majestic white unicorn appeared. It began firing bolts of holy magic at the monsters.

Anon began his own counter attack, excited to try out his new found power. He pushed forward with his enhanced speed, dodging the claws and snapping teeth with ease, lopping off heads and limbs with Excalibur as if he'd been wielding it since birth. As he neared the door of the tower something felt off. His hearing was fading and his strength draining rapidly. Before he knew it, his eyes closed and he was out.

"Anon!" Rarity yelled, sprinting too him

A large dinosaur like creature with a hundred eyes or more began to clamp its jaws around him. Rarity activated her corna form and scooped both him and the sword up with record speed. With a large leap she flung herself back to the rest of the group.

"Redheart!"

"On it!" she said

"Flitter!" Lyra yelled "Get a barrier up. We'll give you cover!"

Lyra began to shot large balls of light from her wand while Cloud Chaser summoned storm clouds from thin air. They began to chase the demons, zapping them with large bolts of lighting. Flitter summoned a barrier while Redheart scanned him with her wand.

"He'll be fine. Just over exertion. But he'll be out of commission for at least a day or more. We have to get out of here now."

"Follow me." Rarity said "Lyra you take left, Cloud you take right."

Redheart pulled Anon onto her back in a piggy back position and they began to mover forward. Luckily, Anon gave them just enough room to escape to the entrance. But their problems were just beginning. The vultures they saw coming in began to swoop down at breakneck speed. The third one to fly down scooped Lyra up in it's jaws and began to fly to it's nest.

"Lyra!" Cloud Chaser yelled

"Get Anon back! I'll be fine!"

"Cloud Chaser can you handle this?"

"Yes. You go get Lyra."

Rarity took a deep breath as long wings made of light emerged from her back. She bolted into the sky and gave chase the vulture. Lyra lay in its jaw between two teeth, her wand hand incapacitated. She hit the beak with her free hand.

"Lyra! I'm on my way!" Rarity shouted

Rarity extended her wand and shot a beam of white light at the vulture, grazing its wing. In its pain, the beast opened its mouth for a mighty caw. It was just enough for Lyra to free herself. She shot a flaming ball of mana into the roof its mouth and jumped out into a free fall. Rarity flew right alongside her, catching her in her arms.

"Thanks, Rarity. I would've been done for for sure."

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I got lucky enough not to land on its teeth."

The vulture turned around and began to gave chase. It appeared it wasn't going to let its meal off so easy.

"You keep flying," Lyra said, moving to her back "I'll play offense."

Lyra aimed her wand and began rapid firing a volley of energy balls. Now that the vulture had a clear view, it was much more agile. It swooped and dived around all of Lyra's attacks and was rapidly closing in.

"This isn't good. That thing's too quick for me to land a blow. Can you go any faster?"

"To be honest I'm about to drop. We'll have to ground soon or we're going to take a long fall."

"Shit." Lyra cursed "Ok. I've got an idea."

Lyra pointed her wand and began to summon all the mana she possibly could

"Ok. Here it goes."

Lyra fired a great blue ball of raw mana into their air. It lasted only a few seconds, but in that time every beast in the area raced toward it like their life depended on it. Lyra slumped down on Rarity, panting hard.

"Well," she gasped "That's about all I got in me."

Rarity caught sight of the rest of the group waving them down and quickly made a landing.

"Come on," Flitter said "Lets get out of here!"

The darkness faded, giving way to a new memory.

"Clover... I'm sorry." a voice said

He blinked his eyes open to see the bearded man. His head turned to see an entire town engulfed in flames.

"Why?" Clover sobbed "Why did she do this? I thought I had everything right!"

Clover yelled in anguish while the man simply stood and watched, a stern, serious look on his face. Clover held up her hand.

"Please. Starswirl. Take this from me. You have too. Take my crest and kill me after. I don't deserve this power."

"You know I can't do that."

"First Celestia... now Luna... I destroyed my best friends lives. I can't take it any longer."

"Clover." he said "You have to live. You are the only one who can put their souls to rest. Without you and your magic they will be forever tormented."

Clover wiped the tears from her eyes, having a Eureka moment.

"I get it now." she said "I know what I have to do. Why didn't I think of it before? The World Tree!"

Anon woke up with a jolt in his own bed and a screaming headache. His entire body was aching now that he thought of it. He sat up only to hear

"You idiot!"

Anon rubbed his eyes and got a picture of his scolder. It was Sunset.

"What did I do?" he asked, followed by a long groan. It was difficult to even speak.

"You pushed it too far and nearly got yourself is eaten is what you did."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard you learned Life Magic finally. But you can't just use it willy nilly, especially without proper stamina training. You nearly gave yourself a heart attack from the strain."

"The strain?"

"Right. Mana puts strain on the body, the same way things like lifting weights and marathon running does. And you did the equivalent of a couch potato doing a triathlon at full sprint in 90 degree heat."

He certainly felt it. Every cell in his body was humming with a dull pain. Just the act of seeing was painful to his eyes.

"I'm..." he strained "Sorry."

"It's ok. I was just sick with worry is all. Get your rest."

"The World Tree." he said

"What about it?"

"I had... another memory." he said "Clover said the key too... all of this was... the World Tree."

"We'll sort it out later." Sunset reassured him "Please just conserve your energy. If you push yourself too much you could go into cardiac arrest."

Anon was out again before he ever heard the end of first sentence. Sunset just sat beside him, holding his hand.

Meanwhile, back in the High King's Domain, Wallflower was being subjected to all sorts of deals and brown nosing. Shinning Armor had ordered the chefs to prepare some of the finest food they were capable of making. Tenderhoof, Shinning's younger brother, had the tailors fit her with fine silk robes and had a bed fit for a queen installed in the cell. The other royal children visited her regularly. All except for the youngest daughter. That was, until that day.

"Having fun getting the royal brown nosing treatment?" Valencia giggled

"If you've come to offer me some grand scheme of how we would rule just so perfectly together I'm not interested."

"Oh quite the contrary. I want to break you out of here. You see, our goals at this moment converge. I want you out of this cell as much as you."

"And it'll only come at a large price won't it? Who do you want me to betray? What backstabbing character assassination should I carry out your grace?"

Valencia just chuckled

"Touchy aren't we?" she said "No. You see the act of you being out of this cell is all the compensation I require. You're putting my plans into chaos with your presence. All I ask is that you let me break you out and go into hiding. Do that and you can consider you debt to me payed in full."

"I can't help but assume your plans spell doom for us all. Was it you who put the king up to marrying Nightmare Moon? I always heard the king was obsessed with power but this is ridiculous."

"Not at all. He made that choice of his own will."

"I don't trust a word out of your mouth."

"That's your choice I suppose. But I would think carefully on that offer. You only have so many days before the king removes the crest by force. And that would be bad news for both of us."
> I am Human
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset sat by Anon's bed, doing her best to complete her homework. Despite his still rough condition, Rarity insisted he keep doing preparation for the trails of the Way of White. No matter how much she protested she just wouldn't have any of it. She'd go back to her room but she was sick with worry. Something about being near his bed just helped her feel at ease. Her silent study was broken as Coloratura and Trixie entered the room giggling like school girls. Sunset couldn't help but let her temper get the better of her.

"What are you two giggling about? Can't you see I'm working here?" she snapped

"Sorry, sorry." Trixie said, with obvious insincerity " We're just excited. We're going on a quest."

"A quest?"

"Right. You can come if you want."

"What are you two planning?"

"Well we talked to Anon's two new bear friends. And they informed us of some really interesting stuff." Coloratura said "We were talking about what each of our specialities were and they let us know of these lesser known items owned by the greatest bard and illusion magic specialist to ever exist: Songbird Serenade. The first is a flute that is said to strengthen your allies and weaken your enemies."

"Don't all bard's musical instruments do that? Isn't that the whole purpose of them?"

"Yes but this one is above all the others. Songbird herself made it. It's supposed to be far powerful than magic instrument that had come before or since."

"The second one is ever better." Trixie said "It's a page from her legendary Tome of Illusions. Just one look at it will bestow you with expert level knowledge of illusionary magic."

"Sounds like items so powerful will be in a dangerous spot." Sunset said

"Anon's new friends said they'll help us. Butttttt..." Trixie said "If you wanted to come with us we wouldn't refuse."

"I already told you I can't do anything risky right now. The king is watching me closely."

"Suit yourself."

"Are you sure you should even be doing this?" Sunset asked "I don't mean offense but two low tier mages like yourself might get hurt trying to find something so valuable."

"Low tier!?" Trixie yelled

Coloratura butted in

"We... or rather I figured it may be a bit dangerous. So we're taking some help from the friends you brought back. Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger I think their names were."

"Pretty good choices. Just... be safe alright? Anon needs all the friends he can get right now."

"How is he anyway? I heard the expedition went a bit rough."

"Very. It was a resounding success but Anon pushed himself way too hard. He needs a wheelchair just to move around. Idiot nearly blew out his magic circuits and gave himself a heart attack."

"I'm glad he made it all things considered."

"I am too. He's something we've desperately needed for a long time now."

There was a knock on the door followed by the two bears that ventured back with them from the other world

"You both ready to retrieve the items?" Vapor said in a low growling voice

Sunset stood up

"I want to express my gratitude to you both. Without you there's no way-"

"Don't even mention it. It was Nightmare Moon who made us this way. We should really be thanking him for giving us a chance to fight again, even if it was in vain."

"Speaking of fighting. Do you two know of anything we might use to defeat Nightmare Moon? Our historical records are lacking to say the least."

"Unfortunately not. We were not much of a presence for the battle that took place between Nightmare Moon and Clover. However our leader Angel Wings could tell you more. She witnessed the two fight on more than one occasion was was pretty close to Clover in her later years."

"I'll have to pay them a visit then." Sunset said "Where is the place you're going exactly?"

Trixie piped up first, not being able to contain her excitement

"The Great Southern Layline."

Sunset's eyes widened

"You cannot be serious."

"Of course we are!"

"And how exactly are you intending to survive the miasma? You know the same miasma that curses any who inhale it."

"I found a solution actually." Coloratura said "There's a pretty simplistic spell that acts almost as an oxygen mask and keeps you from inhaling the mist. It's time limited and I only have the strength to cast it once but it should be enough to get us through unscathed."

"You make me sick with worry." Sunset said

"Just trust us. I promise we'll make it through in once piece. Not like we're going to be meeting any creatures or mages there."

"Alright. I'll trust you. Just please exercise caution."

Meanwhile, back at crypt Nightmare Moon sit by a coffin running her fingers down the side of it intently. She sat by it often yet never gave any rhyme or reason as to why. For the first time in a long while Vignette was alone with her. It was time to extract information out of her as best she could.

“I’ve never asked until now, but what is your end goal exactly?” Vignette asked, taping her chin

Nightmare simply chuckled to herself

“It’s simple truly. Simpler than it may sound on the face of it. I wish to rewrite the world.”

“Rewrite the world?”

“Yes. Do you know how I came to be what I am? Do you even know what it is I am?”

“It never crossed my mind. I knew you weren’t human nor mage but, the again, most of those you run with aren’t.”

“Indeed. I am the second closest thing this world has to gods. I suppose you could call me a demi god.”

“What’s the first?”

“The Greater Magic. When Clover preformed her experiment and intertwined my soul with that of the moon, something incredible happened"

Nightmare moon stared at her glowing crest, a dark purple crescent moon

"I could see the memories of the moon itself. As are all things in this world, the moon is a living being. I saw millennia of struggle. Constant war, struggle and rebirth. It was then I realized there was only one way to end all of this: It was to absorb the Greater Magic and write the world anew.”

Valencia looked with wide eyes, eyes conveying that of amazement but also that of hunger. She, like her father, had an insatiable lust for power. And such an idea was the greatest power of all. She wanted more than anything to ask for instructions on how to reach this status. But she knew better than to doubt Nightmare Moon’s intelligence. She was, if not more so, as crafty as she was. Nightmare Moon lifted herself from her seat.

“It’s time we were on our way. The Great Moon is coming. And we must make preparations.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to the Great Southern Layline.”

“The Great Southern Layline? But isn’t it under a hex?”

“Yes. We’re going to break this hex just you and I. Being that we are already hexed, we are the perfect people for the job.”

Valencia was filled with a primal rage. It took everything she had not to charge at her. It was the one thing that made her lose all sense of rationality: the fact that she had been hexed at birth. Nightmare chuckled.

"Excuse me, excuse me." Nightmare said with a smirk "I didn't mean to press a nerve."

"Don't look down on me! I won't allow it! Not even by a self proclaimed demi-god!"

Nightmare's demeanor changed instantly and a serious expression replaced her smile.

"You think I look down on you?"

"Why wouldn't you? Everyone does."

"Valencia you and I are the same. I hold nothing but pity for you."

"I don't need your pity, Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare Moon walked to the entrance of the crypt.

"Please." she whispered "Call me Luna."

Trixie and co traveled via stagecoach to the destination. Even as fast it went, it would be two hours to arrive at least. The two bears did their best to sandwich themselves in the center of the car.

"So what happened to this place exactly?" Trixie asked

"Nobody knows for sure." Coloratura said "It used to be a place where the Order of the Southern Mages gathered for ceremonies in the Magic Ancient Age. Then one day, during the Silver Age the layline began spewing a toxic mist the hexed anyone who breathed it in. Gave them horrible deformations and made their magic circuits wither. With the spell I cast we have at most three and a half hours inside the mist before the magic wears off. We'll be given a thirty minute warning at which no matter what we have to head back."

"Sounds easy enough. Nothing the Great and Powerful Trixie can't handle!"

Coloratura looked towards Vapor and Skystinger

"You both said you knew Clover right? How did you survive this long? What was Clover like?"

"Clover was a wonderful woman. She was headstrong, hot tempered and intensely stubborn but had a heart of gold." Vapor said "To answer why we lived so long is a bit more complicated. Nightmare Moon preformed numerous experiments to try to create vampires and werewolves that could shift too and from their forms. We were what she called "failed experiments". Due to the vampire material she used in our creation, we are somewhat everlasting."

"What do you think of Anon? Did Clover make the right choice?"

"I always trust Clover's judgement in things. She always had a nack for seeing the most uncanny ways out of a situation, solutions the average person would never even think to look at. Whatever her reasoning, I can be sure it was correct."

After a while of travel the cart stopped just short of the Layline on a ridge overlooking a deep pit. It was covered in a thick green mist and the entire area surrounding it looked dead. The dirt was white and cracked, the trees withered and bones of various animals and even humans were littered about. The crew got out of the cart.

"Alright. Let me explain the plan." Coloratura said.  "The artifacts we are looking for are said to lie somewhere towards the center inside of a cave. Since the spell I'm going to cast is going to take a lot out of me, I'm going to need to depend on you to locate it Trixie. All you need to do is make your mana attractive."

Trixie snorted

"Should I have it dress up in a sexy dress?"

"Very funny. I mean make it attract to other mana. You'll be able to sense large sources of power this way. If that fails, we'll simply need to look for it the old fashioned way. Any questions?"

The group stayed silent

"Good. Then I'll begin."

Nightmare Moon sat on the edge of the trench looking into the mist.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Valencia asked "How do you know it will have no effect on us?"

"Simple." she said "I will not let it. Stay close to me and no harm shall befall you. Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Then I shall take the lead."

Nightmare jumped straight into the mist as Valencia looked down. The mist seemed to be pushed away from her body just by her presence. Vignette followed suit, standing right beside her.

"What is the preparation we need to do here?"

"We must lift the hex. In order to be able to access the Greater Magic, we must be able to access each Layline and use their power simultaneously."

"How would you do that? Your body would be ripped apart from the sheer force of the raw mana! I get you're far from human but even someone such as yourself couldn't possibly handle that much raw power."

"Oh I won't be taking the power into me. Do you know what the Laylines are? what they truly are I mean."

"Magic stored in the ground with the formation of mana crystals right?"

"No. They are keys to the Greater Magic. Or rather they are the greater magic seeping into our domain."

"That doesn't make any sense. The Greater Magic is always trying to reclaim the mana it has lost. It's why mages constantly lose it if we don't exchange it with one another."

"There is much even you have left to learn about this world it seems."

Vignette again became angered. She was no different than anyone else. Everyone always looked at her as lesser. The girl born beneath the Wicked Tree, the girl who's birth killed her own mother, the girl shunned for her very existence! She clenched her fists tightly, doing what she could to quell her rage.

Nightmare Moon walked through the mist, heading towards the center point. As she did so Valencia noticed her black robe slip, exposing her arm. Her skin was pitch black, as though it belonged to a corpse. She looked back and pulled her sleeve up.

"What's the matter?" Valencia said, her voice shaking "Covering your shame? Is there something even the great and mighty demi-god Nightmare Moon is ashamed of!?"

She turned and faced her, pulling her sleeves back to expose her rotting black skin.

"We are the same you and I. Shunned for events out of our control. Hated for circumstances beyond your understanding."

She walked over to Valencia and hugged her

"What are you doing? Get off!"

"You are no Wicked Child, I am no demi-god. We are human."
> Without My Love, I am the End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coloratura finished her spell and what appeared to be clouds wrapped around their body, forming a space suit. As she finished, she looked visibly winded, sweating and panting, her face pale.

"Are you going to be alright?" Skystinger asked

"I'm going to be," she panted "just fine. I just need a minute. Trixie. Go ahead and cast your spell."

Trixie lifted her wand and threaded her mana into it, using it as a dousing rod. Soon enough she found it. There was an incredible source of mana only twenty or so feet from where they stood.

"I found it. You ready to go?"

"Ready." Coloratura said

"Ready." Skystinger said

"Ready." Vapor Trail said

They all hopped down from the cliff edge and into the mist. Sure enough, the suits prevented anything the mist from touching them. 

"So Vapor, Skystinger." Trixie asked

"Yes?" Vapor answered

"What's your relationship to each other? Siblings?" Trixie giggled "Maybe lovers?"

The two of them looked at each other and smiled 

"Siblings." Skystinger explained "We've been close since we were born. Without vapor I probably wouldn't have been able to endure all that testing."

"We gave each other strength and still do. One day we'll become human again. Whatever it takes."

They both nuzzled up against each other compassionately. Coloratura smiled.

"I'm glad you have each other. Once this is all over I'd be glad to join you to regain your human form."

"I would mean the world to us both."

Trixie stopped all of a sudden

"Do you hear that?" she said

"Hear what?"

"A flute. It must be the mythic flute!"

The three craned their necks to hear the flute but all they heard was silence.

"Are you sure?" Coloratura asked "I don't hear anything."

Trixie all of a sudden began to walk forward, as though she were in a trance

"Trixie?"

She gave no reply, instead she continued lumbering forward

"Shit. Do you think she was hexed somehow?"

"I don't know. But we better follow her." Vapor said

They followed closely behind Trixie. No matter how much they tried to hear it, there was no such flute. The further they walked, the thicker the mist became, so much so they could hardly see more than a foot in any direction. Finally they reached their destination. It was a large stone statue depicting a woman with angel wings and a halo playing a flute. She wore a robe at her ankle was a book. This had to be it. Surrounding the statue were at least fifty or so cloaked stone men, all kneeled before the statue with their heads down. Trixie assumed the same position. Coloratura got a chill down her spine.

"Trixie! Trixie wake up!"

"I hear on obey. I shall stand guard till the end of time, till you are reunited with that which was stolen. None shall disturb this place." Trixie chanted

In seconds Trixie was reduced to solid stone.

"Shit! What the hell do we do?"

"Don't panic." Vapor said "There has to be something we can do. She said 'I shall guard you till the end of time, till you are reunited with that which was stolen.' Whatever that is must be what will break the curse."

Skystinger walked over to the statue. There was a plaque at its feet in a language long forgotten. Or it would be to current mages. Skystinger, however, could read it clear as day.

"Come here. Look at this." he said "It reads 'till my heart is returned, none shall have refuge. I shall bring a curse upon the earth. Abandon hope, for without my love, I am the end.'"

"Not especially comforting." Vapor said

"Any ideas on what her heart could be?"

"Oh I have just the perfect idea."

The trio turned to see who spoke. It was Nightmare Moon and Valencia. Coloratura's eyes looked on in shock.

"That's the daughter of the king!"

"I suggest you think before raising your weapons against us." Nightmare warned "Not only are the two of us far stronger than both of you, our goals seem to be aligned. I know what the heart refers too. and if you want your friend to be turned back I'd suggest you listen closely."

The three stood still. They couldn't really argue. Their hands were tied.

"The heart Songbird covets so dearly is her music." Nightmare explained "So the legend goes, Songbirds closest friend and confidant made a deal with the devil. Her friend was madly in love with her, however she did not reciprocate. In exchange for his own soul, the devil would take what Songbird treasured most: her voice. Songbird, enraged by the loss, cast a hex meant to reduce the world to rot and decay, using the layline as a continual fuel and sealed herself in stone until her voice was returned."

"The devil? I've never heard of such a being."

"I'm not surprised. Many of the old world ways have been forgotten. But I'll tell you this much. Demons and devils do exist."

"So say I believed you on all this," Coloratura said "How exactly do we return her voice?"

"Simple really. We must take in back from the Devil. Though it will require a sacrifice and a heavy one at that. I, of course, can open a dialogue with the devil, however I'll need a sacrifice."

Valencia clenched her fists, her eyes filled with a deep anger. Was all of what she said meaningless, just a lie to get her to sacrifice herself? She removed her wand from her robe.

"You need a sacrifice do you?" her voice quivered "Well maybe this will help!"

With a scream Valencia halted time. She knew she never should have trusted a word from that snakes mouth. All she could rely on was herself. She pulled a knife from her sleeve and went straight for her heart. She'd then steal her crest. Just as the knife was about to make contact, Nightmare Moon clutched her arm.

"Y-you" Valencia's voice shook with rage "You betrayed me!"

"I did no such thing. I was going to sacrifice myself."

"You think I'd believe that!? It's all so clear to me now. I know why you brought me! You were going to use me as the exchange! I'll never forgive you!"

"The Devil demands a bodily toll. One which fate, nor god can ever restore."

Nightmare moon let go of Valencia's hand and opened her robe, revealing her body. Like her arm, it was blackened and dead.

"I have no such quandary about giving my body. Be it my heart, my lungs, even my eyes. I am not what you'd call living."

"Then why bring me at all? Why did you take me here? You think I can trust a word from your mouth!?"

"Because," she said "You are as my daughter, just as the rest of those under me are my family. Truth be told, I am afraid. And if this were to go wrong, if it does go wrong... I wish to pass my crest onto you. Valencia, I claim you to be my successor and rightful heir."

"Your... air?"

"Correct. I can't say with certainty that this exchange won't be the thing that finally kills me. I am everlasting, but the devil can take even that if he so wishes. If that happens, you must take my crest. You must carry my will and rewrite this world. That is my wish."

Valencia dropped the knife, her eyes red and teary.

"Do you trust me?"

"I don't know."

"Can you trust me?"

Valencia clenched her fists

"Ok. Ok. But if you lie to me I swear."

"Thank you Valencia. I'm truly happy."

Time resumed and Nightmare Moon stepped to the statue. She took a deep breath and began to chant in a language not heard in thousands of years. And evil, twisted language, one not meant for human ears. As she spoke the ground shook beneath them and winds began to rage. The sky above them blackened and began to thunder. Then, silence.

All of a sudden Nightmare fell to the ground and began writhing in pain. She endured it. She'd sacrifice her life for this. Finally it was over. Valencia stood by her side.

"Are you ok? What did it take from you?"

Nightmare Moon got up and rubbed her head.

"It seems I'm down quite a few organs. No matter though. I can endure."

The statue began to crack and shake, then exploded. The shockwave blew away all the mist and Trixie, along with the other men who were bowing before the statue, were returned to normal. A woman descended down slowly, the flute in one hand and the tome in the other. Her hair was a beautiful dirty blonde and she wore a purple flowing dress.

"My voice," Songbird said "My voice has returned. Who returned my love to me?"

Nightmare slowly go to her feet, shaking from the pain.

"It was me. I did it."

"I see. You made a pact with the devil to return my voice. What does such an evil and wicked woman such as yourself have to gain from freeing me?"

"You two know each other?" Coloratura asked

"Not formally. But I know of her." Songbird said, spite dripping from her voice "I know of how she nearly destroyed the mage world. The cursed Witch of the Moon."

Both Vapor and Skystinger suddenly charged at Nightmare. Now was as good a chance as any. Valencia stepped in between them and her newfound master. With lightning speed she shot two magic blasts at each of them.

"Come on." Valencia said, lifting Nightmare on her shoulder "Let's return home."

Before any of them had a chance to react, Nightmare opened a portal and they vanished instantly. There was nothing more they could do. Songbird's feet touched the ground. Then, one by one, the hooded men began to drop like flies.

"What's happening!?" Trixie cried

"We're dying. I am dying. You see, my body was not meant to live this long, even if it was encased in stone. I'm rapidly aging."

She looked at the group with desperation

"I have a favor to ask." she said, her hair beginning to grey and her face becoming wrinkly "I need one of you to succeed me. I can't allow my crest, myself to die this way. I don't care which one of you it is. Just please take it before it's too late."

The group looked at one another nervously. This was one of the, if not most, talented and famous illusionary mages in the entire history of the world. Coloratura turned to Trixie.

"It's only right you receive it. You are the master of illusions after all."

"You mean it?"

"Of course. Just make sure I get the flute and we have a deal."

"Gladly!"

Songbird was withering like an old grape. Her skin was pale and her hair beginning to fall out.

"Hold out your hand." she said in a tired voice

Trixie held her out and Songbird grasped it gently. In a flash of light the crest was moved from one to the other, a beautiful sea green music note. Songbird smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered before falling to her side "I can rest easy."

Trixie stared at her hand with complete glee. She couldn't wait to dive into the memories. To learn Songbird's life and history. Coloratura picked up the flute and the tome. 

"Lets give her a burial. She deserves that much. Her suffering is finally over."
> The Trial of Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over the course of the next few days Anon healed incredibly fast. His newfound life magic was incredibly potent, so much so it manifested without his will. He'd often find plants growing from whatever he touched. He was even starting to be able to make living creatures, however briefly it was. All the while he kept Excalibur close to him. Or, rather, Excalibur kept close to him. It was more than just a sword. He could sense something inside it, like a soul. He swore every now and again he could hear faint whispers echoing from the blade, though he couldn't make out what it was saying. The moment he tried to listen closely it would stop. Thankfully they managed to keep the whole thing quiet. God knows the uproar that would happen should the magic community find out of his newfound treasure.

He spent the bulk of his time with Rarity preparing for the first trial without much contact with the outside. What made it worse was the fact that Rarity wasn't much of a conversationalist. Truth be told he was going a bit stir crazy from it all. It felt like an eternity to finally get to the end. The first trial. On the last day of preparation Rarity addressed him seriously.

"There are some things you need to keep in mind before we start tomorrow: The first being is you need to keep your sense of self. You don't happen to have an object you're strongly attached to do you?"

Anon thought for a moment, though he already knew the perfect object. Something that was never far from his person at any given time.

"Yes I do."

"Good. Might I take a look at it?"

Anon looked down a bit. He was always reluctant to reveal elements of his past to the mages. He didn't know why. Something about it always felt foreign and uncomfortable. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hexagonal locket. It was made of a glass the reflected brilliantly in the sunlight. Inside was the picture of his mother, his original mother. Not the thing that occupied his house now. He cautiously handed it to Rarity. The colors of the rainbow danced across her face.

"It's beautiful." Rarity said in awe "And they say magic doesn't exist in the mortal world."

Rarity took out her wand and gently tapped it once.

"What did you do to it?"

"I just put a slight amount of mana inside it. Should Clover's personality and memories overwhelm you, the magic of this locket should be enough to remind you of who you are. Now onto the second piece: Whatever you do, you must, and I mean must, remain in a lying position. Do not stand up or sit."

"Why not?"

"The pressure difference will cause your body, at worst, to exploded and at best to be horribly mutilated."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Meet me here tomorrow at the same time. I'll stay behind to make some preparations for the ritual."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

Anon lifted himself out of the wheel chair with ease, taking the locket back and walked out of the room and back into his own room. There, his friends were waiting for him. It was a relief to see them all after spending so long cooped up. Coloratura sat playing a strange looking flute covered in tiny fissures while Trixie sat pouring over a book the seemed to have completely blank pages.

"Anon!"

Sunset ran up and hugged him

"It feels like we've hardly seen each other in months."

"It has-"

Anon stopped mid sentence, realizing his very touch was causing more plant life to emerge from Sunset's robes.

"You don't even need a wand to tap into your mana. It's nothing short of incredible."

"It is. My body is full of life. It's difficult to control."

Sunset locked her arm with his

"What say we go out and relax a bit? Everything has been so turbulent lately. We need to relax a while."

"Sure thing. Where are Lyra and Bonbon by the way? I haven't seen them since I retrieved Excalibur."

"Both went on vacation for a week." Coloratura said "Apparently they needed a break from all this."

"I don't blame them."

All of a sudden there was a loud knock on the door. Without so much as any of them moving, the door opened and a very gruff looking old man in a wheel chair entered. He had a long red beard with various metal rings woven in and was missing his right eye. He wore what looked to be animal skins and a metal hat with horns, much like a stereotypical viking. Behind him were two large black cloaked students

"Greetings. This is the room currently occupied by Anon E. Mouse correct?" he said in a grizzly voice "My name is Ruftherford, current head of the Rutherford family and master of survival magic, I am also head professor for those wishing to specialize in monster hunting."

"A pleasure I suppose."

"Rom wishes to have a word with you. A new development has taken place that you must be aware of."

"May I attend?" Sunset asked 

"No, you may not."

"I won't go unless Sunset can attend."

Ruftherford laughed a deep chested laughed

"I always forget you're mortal born. I respect your courage, or blind stupidity. Fine, bring the girl along."

The two followed him down the hall. Once out of the room he tapped his staff twice and just like that, they were back in Rom's office.

"Greetings, Anon." he said "It has been some time."

Even after all this time, he couldn't get used to that ugly spider staring at him. All he wanted to do was close his eyes.

"It has been. What is this development?"

Sunset sneakily grasped his hand, he returned the gesture. 

"We've figured out Nightmare Moon's ultimate goal. Or rather the steps to it. One of the first steps seems to be the reawakening of the Great Laylines. Do you know what those are?"

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Back in Clover's time, Laylines were great sources of power. They are connected to the greater magic. In order to separate our world from that of the mortals, we had to seal them. If she were to awaken them again, the world of magic and mortals would become one once again."

"Why would she want to do that?"

"Unfortunately we don't know. But we do know how we can stop her: in order to reawaken the Laylines, she'll need the four Great Catalysts. These are stones that act as flint for ignition. Without them, they will remain sealed. Except for the Southern Layline which as already been reactivated."

"Can we destroy them?"

"Not possible. Even if we could I'd not advise it. Who knows the consequences that would have? Anyway, all we have to do is keep them out of her hands. Luckily enough we already have one here, the Great Western Catalyst. However that leaves two others out of our hands. One belongs to our sister school, which, although home to many great mages, is significantly smaller. The final one is the one I am most concerned about. The Great Norther Catalyst lines, as one might expect, in the north."

Rom got up and tapped a crystal ball. Light poured from it showing a very detailed map. Anon looked at it in awe. Sunset giggled.

"That's right. You've never seen the mage world have you?" She asked

"I always thought it was a collection of small pocket dimensions."

"So this brings me to the most important point," Rom continued "Our best chance to defeat Nightmare Moon is now. She has yet to achieve full power and we know exactly where she'll be heading. In a week's time she will be traveling to the Great Northern Layline. If we can stop her there, we may just be able to defeat her for good, especially now that you've learned Life Magic."

Rom got up and stood tall. As tall as a disgusting spider could anyway.

"Our plan is as follows: In a few days we will take an express to the North. Rutherford, Sunset, myself and whoever else you feel is strong enough that you can trust can accompany us. Anon, your number one priority is to master Life Magic is much as you're able. This is the chance we've been waiting for everyone. Do not let me down."

Wallflower walked down the prison hall. This was it. The end was coming. And all without her being able to access the crest memories. Since she had not relinquished it voluntarily, her life was now forfeit and her crest the kings property. A knight led her to the executioners chamber. There, Tirek and his children watched. All except for Valencia. Was she really being genuine with that offer after all? It was too late to tell now.

Wallflower was placed on a stone chair. For centuries this chair had been used for executions of some of the most powerful and threatening mages to ever exist. Serial killers, high ranking dissidents, traitors. And now her. She felt honored in a way, someone so unimportant and unproven as herself sitting in a chair were people the importance of Clover the Clever sat. A knight took position beside the chair.

"Wallflower Blush, you have committed high treason by harboring the crest of your equally treasonous father. You were given a week to relinquish the crest voluntarily and be spared your life, yet you have refused. For your crimes against the crown, you have been sentenced to death and your crest taken into custody of the king. Do you have any last words?"

Wallflower took a deep breath

"Whatever my father had planned will work. We will win. We will take you and Nightmare Moon down. Enjoy this rein while you have it Tirek. Your days are numbered."

"We shall now commence with the ceremony."

The knight took a glowing metal beaker with an IV sticking out of the top. He entered the IV into her hand where the magic crest would be.

"Removing the crest for storage."

In a puff of smoke her crest was dragged through the IV and into the beaker. It sat floating in the empty space, perfectly preserved. The knight then took out his wand.

"And now, the execution shall be carried out."

The knight put the wand to Wallflowers heart. She closed her eyes. Her one regret was not learning her father's plan for all of this. In another puff of smoke her life was taken.

The next morning Anon woke up with Sunset sleeping in bed beside him. He felt unimaginable bliss. He slowly got out of bed and gave Sunset a kiss on her forehead. She couldn't help but giggle.

"I didn't realize you were up."

"I wanted to join you up there. I know the first trial is today."

"She's probably not going to allow you in, you know."

"I know. But I can just sit outside the door."

Sunset got up as well, poofing into a new robe.

"Tonight we absolutely must go on a date. I'll have no more distractions."

"I'd like that a lot."

"You need your practice too. It's only a week away from the Great Moon Ball."

As excited as he was for it, hearing that made his stomach tighten. It was also only a week before Nightmare Moon achieved her full power. He still had yet to even come close to her at her weakest, much less her peak.

"I can't wait. I'll even be able to see your house. I imagine it's grand."

"For a mortal it will absolutely be."

The two walked outside only to find Rarity waiting.

"Sunset is not allowed to witness the first trial."

"I know. But nothing in your traditions say she can't wait outside right?"

"No, I suppose not." Rarity said sourly "Follow me please."

They both followed her down the hall until they got to the entrance of the secret room.

"This is where Sunset must stay."

Sunset embraced him tightly

"I'll be here waiting. Be safe."

"I will. And I'll give you something to keep you company."

Anon tapped the carpet on the floor and manifested a rose from the fabric.

"For my lady."

Sunny smiled, took the rose and kissed his cheek

"I'll be waiting."

The doors shut behind him and he was filled with a sense of dread and fear. It was time for things to get serious. Rarity had painted a circle on the floor with various runes scribbled inside.

"Now lay down in the center. And remember. Remain in a laying position."

"I will."

Anon lay in the center and began to sweat a bit.

"Remove your robes please. You can keep your underwear on. I just need to see your chest and limbs."

Anon did as he was told and Rarity got out a brush with black ink. She drew the same circle on his chest while writing the runs on his legs and arms. Rarity assumed a prayer position.

"I pray for this ones soul. May the Light of Greater Magic shine through it and give him safety. May his mind be filled with the majesty of true mana. May he learn what was once unknown"

The ink on his skin began to beam a silverly white. Then it happened. It was a subtle burning at first. But then he felt as though his body were ballooning, Every muscle and every bone screamed in pain. It felt as though he were about to burst open. 

Anon dug his nails into the ground and let out a scream. This was a pain even worse than when his manna was rubber banded back into his body during the fishing incident. His skin opened up and with force. Rarity kept watching, healing every would that opened. Every part of his body was bursting, even his eyes and tongue. Then, peace. He was standing at the edge of the World Tree. Only now it was far smaller. Instead of extending to the heavens, it was about the size of a normal tree, though a slightly taller. He lie looking up towards the branches, But something about this wasn't right. There was no sky above him, rather an endless white void. He hoisted himself up to a sitting position. His mind was foggy and dazed.  In the distance he could see a figure. It called to him, beckoned him forward.

He slowly got up and walked to the figure, almost in a trance like state. The closer her got, the more the figure revealed itself. It looked familiar, but he knew he'd never seen the person before. She had long green hair and soft emerald eyes. She stood slightly shorter than he and wore a long white gown. Above her head was a halo glowing a dull yellow and in her hand she held a long white staff that looked as though it were a branch off a birch tree. As he got next to the woman she smiled and placed a finger on his head.

Like a gunshot, he was suddenly filled with clarity. Five locations, each spread at the corners of the world. One was the room full of snakes, the same one he'd had numerous nightmares of. It was located in the west. The next was some sort of dark crypt in the north. In the east was a kingdom resting on the clouds. In the south, lay ruins beneath the waves. The final was the World Tree located in his location, the center. Whatever the woman wanted him to find there would be the secret to defeating Nightmare Moon.

He was back in the shine where the ritual took place. Large roots were wrapped around his body and a tree growing right behind his head. Rarity looked exhausted. He tried to lift himself up but the roots held firm.

"A little help please?"

Rarity jolted to her senses

"Yes, of course."

Rarity used her magic to rip the branches in half, allowing Anon to sit up. His whole body felt sensitive, something akin to that of what he figured molting would feel like.

"What did you see?" Rarity asked

"A woman in white with a white birch staff. She instructed me to go to five locations, each across the world."

"You've been given a divine mission. You saw the Greater Magic itself."

"The Greater Magic has a physical form?"

"Yes. It's far more than mere energy." she said "Did you receive any other special instructions?"

"No. I can start with any of them first."

"Then we know what we must do. We must make a pilgrimage to the World Tree."
> The Late Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Arms too perfectly to the hem of your robe. Legs shoulder width." Rarity grumbled "Shoulder. Width."

"They are!" Anon snapped back

"Are all mortals this lacking in manners?"

"No. We just aren't so traditional."

"Now show it to me again," she said "When she emerges down the staircase."

Anon let out a deep sigh. He bowed, left foot back, ankle arched at exactly thirty degrees, right arm around back with the middle finger at the waist line and left arm extended out at shoulder level.

"No, no, no!" Rarity shouted "Thirty degrees!"

A knock was heard at the door. Anon couldn't help but let out of sigh of relief. In walked Coloratura and Trixie. The two looked nothing short of elegant. Coloratura was dressed in beautiful long sleeved dress adorned with music bars mad with golden silk. On the chest in green was her magic crest. Trixie wore a robe in blue, complete with a hood and an extremely wide brimmed wizard hat, nearly as long as her arm. Despite its size it managed to rest comfortably on her head. White stars were scattered across the arms, skirt and chest, each with initials in them. Both Trixie and Coloratura held boxes in their hands.

"How goes the progress?" Trixie asked

Rarity groaned

"Slow. You can take the mortal out of earth but you can't take the earth out of the mortal it seems."

"You both look absolutely wonderful."

They both looked at each other and giggled wildly.

"Oh just you wait till you see what you'll be wearing."

Coloratura opened her box to reveal an emerald colored robe with a long cape. The arms appeared to be made of leaves while the chest was adorned with elk antlers. It even came with a wreath crown.

"We talked with Skystinger and Vapor to get an idea of what Clover might wear and this is what they came up with."

Anon winced a bit

"It's so gaudy."

"It's traditional." Rarity corrected

"There's a difference?"

Trixie handed him her box. Just as he went to open it, Rarity slapped his hand.

"Ow!" he cried "What was that for?"

"Tradition!" she repeated "In the box is your Jura, the necklace with your crest on it. If you show it to anyone but your true love, you'll be hexed."

"Do the two of you have someone you'll be going to the ball with?"

"Unfortunately not." Coloratura said "I've been so wrapped up in my studies I haven't had any time for boys."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie," her voice trailed off a bit "almost had someone."

"We've opted to help with the festivities instead."

"Well then you girls have a lot to take care of." Rarity said "Anon and I have quite a bit of practice ahead of us."

"We'll get out of your way head mistress."

The two scampered off. Anon felt a twinge of sadness. It was missing someone: Wallflower Blush. Ever since she'd been imprisoned he'd been worried sick. He knew they'd find a way. But he couldn't help but worry all the same. Rarity snapped her fingers.

"Focus. We have a lot more to cover. And just until tonight to do it all!"

"Yes head mistress." he rolled his eyes

After many hours of practicing posing, sayings, and various dances, he was allowed back to his room. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of Sunset all day. He pulled out the box contained his Jura. It was beautiful. A silver necklace with a three leaf clover and an emerald jewel. As he lay his fingers on it, it began to glow brightly, near blindingly. He noticed a note.

Dearest Anon. I apologize you and I could not create this together. Bonnie and I simply had to get away from all this for a while. We'll be sure to join you on your raid to the North. I hope you forgive me for the hair sample I took when you were not looking. It is said if anyone but your love gazes upon it you'll be hexed forever! Anyway, keep it close to you until the Great Moon Ball arrives. Knock her dead champ! -Lyra

Anon smiled to himself and folded the note back up. He placed the jewel back inside it's container and tried on his ceremonial robes. They even felt like nature, as though they were made from tree bark and week old mud. The sun we starting to set. It was time for him to greet his lovely lady.

"Anon E. Mouse."

Anon nearly jumped out of his skin. A black haired woman in a maid outfit stood by his window. Only she was not quite a woman. In fact, he could see straight through her.

"W-who the hell are you?"

"Be not alarmed. I am one of the Shimmer Family servants. I've served with them for over four thousand years now. I assure you, you can trust me."

"Come to take me to the manor?"

"Yes, sir. This way please."

The woman clapped her hands twice and a ghostly door materialized in the center of the room bearing the Shimmer Family crest. The woman ushered him forward.

"After you."

"Thank you."

Anon took the box containing his Jura and put it in his pocket, then stepped through the door. Next he knew, he was standing in a large garden. Ahead of him was a magnificent manor in a very old english style. Red brick, three stories and at least a dozen windows. 

"This way, sir."

He followed the maid down the brick laid courtyard

"I am pleased to welcome you to the Shimmer Family estate. Upon our acceptance into noble lineage in 9 AD as recognition of the Shimmer Family's first true heir, Celestia Shimmer, aiding Clover in her restoration of magic, we were given this estate and have lived here ever since."

She held open the door and he walked inside. Below his feet lay a marble floor depicting the family emblem surrounded by white marble. On the old wooden walls were pictures of many different people and,  at the center of two large stair cases, was an oil painting of Sunset Shimmer. The background was black and she was holding up a torch. However, the painting left little to the imagination as the only article of clothing covering Sunset's body was a long sash, just barely hiding her most sensitive areas. Anon felt as though he'd walked in on her in the shower.

On the ceiling was a large mural depicting a fair skinned woman with rainbow hair. In her hand was a large golden arrow and by her foot a silver bow. The eyes seemed to pierce into him, as though the stone mural was actually staring at him. The woman had a look of cold determination yet a sense of softness. The maid smiled.

"Ah I see the mural has caught your attention. That is our first true heir, Lady Celestia as she is often called. It is said the bow and arrow was give to her by the Greater Magic itself as a gift for her valor. The bow is claimed to strike true to any target within its sight and the arrow meant to destroy any enemy it pierces."

"Incredible. I wish I had family members so important."

A look of disgust washed over her as she remembered where Anon's lineage came from. 

"I'll go fetch the family. Please take care not to touch anything."

The maid hurriedly made her way upstairs. Anon could feel his heart rate raise. Now or never. Time to remember all of that stuffy mage tradition to really impress the parents. Or mother in this case. He could hear multiple footsteps making their way down to the main living room balcony. Six women stepped out, none of whom were the woman he'd fell in love with. They began to whisper amongst themselves, shooting glares in his general direction. Anon could make out a few phrases. Things like 'him!? He's the one!?' or 'I can't believe how far this family has fallen'. It certainly wasn't much of a confidence boost.

Finally the one he'd really wanted to see arrived. Sunset Shimmer. She was beautiful beyond words. Her dress was a bold crimson. Running up and down the arms were two dragons, their jaws meeting between her breasts were a large sun sat. She wore a rather musty looking crown with gem in the center that seemed to be on fire on the inside. Her hair was done up in a confusing series of buns that somehow fit together so perfectly. Since her shoulders remained exposed, he could see the tail end of the scar that was proof of her birthright. Over her face she wore a shawl making her expression nearly undetectable. Time to show his stuff. She walked to the center of the balcony. Time to wait for her signal.

"Good evening, my Late Sun." Sunset said, almost seductively

She did did an elegant twirl and curtsy. His move.

"Good evening, my Rising Moon."

As he went to bow he slipped, slamming face first into the floor. A roar of angry, hushed whispered followed. Anon quickly righted himself and preformed the bow effortlessly.

"I present to thee a gift." Anon said

He placed his hand on the ground and a beautiful bouquet of assorted flowers emerged. But he wasn't done there. He was really going to knock their socks off. With his other hand he manifested two humming birds who carried the flowers directly to Sunset. He stifled a chuckle as Sunset's mother and sister's jaws went agape. Sunset made her way down the steps and stood directly in front of him. She was even more stunning up close.

"Sunset Shimmer, as a token of my love I give you my Jura."

Anon held out the box and pulled off the lid. The beautiful emerald glistened almost blindingly.

"I accept you Jura. And to you, I present mine."

She held out hers. It was her magic crest, one side a beautiful dark red, the other a bright orange. They each put the others necklace on their necks and looked deep into their eyes. Anon smiled, as did she. Even through that dark shawl he could see how happy she was.

"Shall we make our way to dinner?" he asked

"Yes, please" she agreed "Mother, if you would."

Again, angry whispers soared across Sunset's family. Her mother, clearly begrudgingly, shuffled off to the dinning room. As tradition so commanded, the lady was to go first and he was to stay outside until the dinner was served. After dinner was the ball, held in the school's own ball room.

Anon walked into the dinning room, continuing to be impressed. There was a long silver table filled with enough food to feed a town. Above was another mural depicting a beautiful red haired woman fighting what appeared to be a devil with large jaws. At each corner of the room was a maid holding a spear, standing at perfect attention. That's when he noticed they all looked identical to the maid that walked him inside. There was no mistaking it, they were all the same person. Sunset sat at the far end of the table directly opposite him, he shawl pulled back over her head to expose her face. Her lips were a beautiful black and her eyeliner made her eyes look magnificent. She looked like a princess. He took his seat.

"Now, for the blessing." Sunset said, taking out her wand

Her eyes suddenly glowed brightly and she spoke in an ancient language. From her wand a large sun appeared in the center of the table before falling on the food, causing it no harm at all.

"We may eat."

Anon dug in. The food was better than anything he'd ever eaten in the mortal world. It was almost like it was something above food.

"So, Anon was it?" one of Sunset's sisters asked "What family do you hail from exactly?"

Anon look at Sunset who shook her head slightly.

"I don't hail from any family, however I seem to have a gift for magic."

"Life magic it seems. Quite unusual for someone new to our world." her mother said

"Yes. When I first studied I greatly admired the works of Clover the Clever. I want to try to replicate the magic she used, hence the Jura."

More hushed whispers 

"Where did you learn such an arcane and ancient skill? Some of the most gifted and accomplished mages couldn't even scratch the surface of it, in fact, Clover was the only person to ever use it so proficiently."

Anon felt sweat drip down his back. They were clearly seeing straight through him. And with their connection so close to the king it could lead to trouble.

"Now, now." Sunset interrupted "It wouldn't be proper to treat a guest in this manner, especially the husband to be of the head of the family."

He nearly choked on his food.

"Husband to be!?"

Sunset gave him a glare that said 'just go along with it'  

"Why yes my love. Don't you remember? You preposed to me but last week. Such a jokester you are. You should also know that you could land in hot water saying your illusions are life magic."

"Yes, Sunset, forgive me. I'm a mortal after all, we just can't get enough of jokes."

He could feel his heart rate sky rocketing.

"An illusionary magic?" her mother asked "Sunset I expected better of you than to deal with such an ugly school of magic."

"What do you have against illusionary mages, if I may?" he asked

Sunset made a pain stricken face and tapped her wine glass

"Ahem, if I may remind you this is no time for politics. And I believe the ball is due to start any minute now. Come, Anon. We must get going."

Sunset got out of her chair and pulled the shawl back over her face, quickly walking to him and locking her arm with his. Outside a white horse drawn carriage was waiting them. Once inside Sunset let out a large sigh.

"You really need to learn when to keep your big mouth shut you know that? If someone so close to the royal family finds out your secret we're as good as toast."

"Sorry. I got careless. Thanks for covering me back there."

"My sisters are clever, but my mom is worse. She still hasn't forgiven me for taking her status and prestige at such an early age. She'll do whatever she can to spite me, including throw you into the metaphorical fire."

"I'll be more careful next time."

"Enough of that. It's over now."

Sunset hugged his arm and leaned her head against her shoulder.

"You look amazing."

"So that thing you said... about your husband to be."

There was a thick silence across the carriage. You could her a pin drop.

"What of it?"

"Did you...?"

The silence continued

"Mean it?" she filled in

"Yes."

"Well... it's not exactly traditional for the woman to prepose but..."

Another long stretch of silence. Sunset's face dropped.

"Forgive me. It... it was silly to-"

Anon interrupted her sentence with a long kiss.

"You'll need to tell me all about what the proper way is some time."

Sunset looked in his eyes with a child like wonder, he mouth agape. She quickly shut it and turned beet red.

"Y-yeah. I-it's not proper for you to be out of the loop."

"Sunset."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Vignette walked out of the crypt, dagger in hand. The moon was high in the clouds. Nightmare Moon walked close behind her.

"Is this truly the right moment?" Nightmare asked

"Yes. I won't get a better time than this. The day has come to take my rightful place."

"I understand."

"Nightmar- Luna." she said "Thank you. For everything. I wish you luck in the north."

"You're welcome. Though my offer still stands. You can change your mind. Come with me instead."

Valencia gripped the dagger tight in her hands

"I want too. More than anything in the world. But... I have to do this. I must do this."

"I understand. Then please, take this."

In Nightmare Moon's hand was an ornate steel key

"What is this?"

"It is my most treasured possession. When the day comes that you need it, and that day shall come, you will understand its use. Rule wise. Rule well. And know you are welcome in my arms should you grow tired of your duty."

For the first time since childhood tears began to roll down Valencia's cheeks.

"You are a cruel and vile witch. I love you deeply."

"As do I. Now go. I shall depart for the north. And be safe."

"I shall." she said "Death to the King."
> The Rising Moon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The carriage touched down in a magnificent garden surrounded by candles. Already the rest of the students had gathered each in robes and outfits completely unique in style. It was something to behold. It took them no time at all to spot Trixie and Coloratura standing by a large fountain.

"Sunset, Anon!" Trixie yelled "How was your dinner?"

They both looked at each other nervously

"It was perfect, not a problem." Sunset said nervously

"Yup. It went perfectly."

"That's good to hear."

"So how does the ball go?" Anon asked

"Well it's mostly a social event. Until the end that is." Trixie explained "Then we preform the dance of Late Sun and Rising Moon with out partner as the moon reaches its peak hight. You've practiced haven't you Anon?"

Anon groaned

"Like you wouldn't believe. Rarity is a harsh teacher."

Trixie giggled

"Rarity the Stern we sometimes call her."

"I think we should give the two lovers time to enjoy the festivities," Coloratura said "Do stop by the front of the ball room around 11 would you? Yours truly is going to preforming."

"Really? That's quite the honor. I'd love to see it."

"I appreciate it."

He and Sunset walked out into the wider courtyard. Tall hedges made the walls as fireworks filled the sky every now and again.

"So what should we do first?"

"Like Trixie said, it's mainly social until the end when the dance takes place. So there's not much to do unless you're trying to climb the social ladder."

"Sounds good to me."

"Absolutely not." she said sternly  "We can't risk anyone finding out who you are, much less someone of prominence."

"So what does that leave us to do?"

Sunset smiled a mischievous smile

"I know a place you and I can beat all the stiffs here. A private quiet place, just for us."

"Sounds wonderful. Lead the way."

Anon followed Sunset through various tables and out a back door. Through there, she led the way down a garden to a thick gate she unlocked with her magic. He followed her through shrubbery so dense they nearly had to crawl through the brush to get through the thick layers of undergrowth. Finally, an opening appeared making way to an open garden filled with red-gold blooms, the same as Sunset's hair.

"It's beautiful." he said "What is this place?"

"Each family has a garden dedicated to them. The head of house is allowed to grant or deny access as they wish. In other words,"

"We're completely alone." he finished

The two blooming lovers sat on a stone bench beside twin statues of a beautiful woman. One of the shimmer family heirs no doubt. Sunset lay her head on his shoulder and they both stared at the stars.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Sunset said

"It is."

Anon became quiet all of a sudden

"What's wrong?"

he let out a sigh

"Do you think we can win? We sit here partying and watching the stars while Nightmare Moon has achieved full power and is planning god knows what else. While she's better than she's ever been I'm hardly above a novice."

She hugged him close

"I know exactly where you are now, even if the stakes weren't so high. Do you want to hear a story?"

"There was a time when I was weak and pitiful. I had a sister desperate to get the family crest and become heir to the family. All of my sisters are the wicked sort. They'd do nothing with this power but hurt others. So I made my choice. When I was just ten years old, hardly a knowing how to hold a wand properly, I went to prove myself worthy of receiving the crest."

With a flick of her wand she manifested a tiny sun over a closed bloom. As the sun shined it began to open, releasing a marvelous sent. It was then he recognized it to be the same scent Sunset used in her perfume.

"I went to vanquish the White Lady. She was some sort of spectral creature that was said couldn't be killed by any known methods. It had terrorized a town for on close to a century. I knew that if I vanquished that, it would prove unequivocally I was worthy to head the family."

"How did you do it?"

She hugged him a little tighter, gripping his arm with too much force. He didn't dare complain.

"It was... not the easiest thing to do. And it cost me a lot. I learned from reading some tomes in the Shimmer Family archive that a member of my family had actually tried to slay the creature. It killed her but in her dying breath she revealed the secret to killing the specter: all you had to do was return the bones of her daughter to her and give the daughter a proper funeral. With this the wraith would finally be able to rest in peace.

I did some digging. Literal and otherwise. Turns out the daughter was in a mass grave in the town. All I found was a single bone. I had to enlist the help of my former teacher and idol to keep the wraith from killing me. I succeeded in my task but... well... it cost him everything to do it."

Sunset once again squeezed tight

"What I'm saying is... you're not in this alone. You're inexperienced that's true. But you have the help of some fantastic mages. And we'll all happily give our lives in order to see Nightmare Moon put to rest once and for all."

"I hope you don't die Sunset."

"I won't. Who else will teach you?" she giggled

He smiled

"You're right." he said "With you Sunset, I can do this."

He looked to the far corner of the garden and saw something. A person. A small girl with long green hair and a rather tattered dress. She met his gaze and beckoned him with one finger. He felt something stir inside him. He had to see what it was she wanted. He got up.

"Anon? Everything ok?"

"Yeah. Do you see that?"

He pointed to the girl.

"I don't see anything."

The girl began to run through the brush. He knew, for whatever reason, he had to follow her. He began to chase her.

"Anon wait! Where are you going!?"

Sunset followed suit. He chased and chased for near fifteen minutes until he came to a clearing overlooking a pond. The girl had stopped, dipping her hands inside the pond to drink.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

She didn't speak, instead pointing back to where they'd came. The moment he heard what sounded like a bolt of lighting. It was far more intense, however. It felt like the sound shook the very earth he walked on. Sunset finally caught up to him.

"What the hell was that?" he yelled

Sunset got right up beside him

"This is bad. The king has been killed."

"The king? How do you know?"

"Whenever a king dies, a shock wave rings throughout the world, allowing the entire mage world to know instantaneously." she explained "What the hell were you doing?"

"I was chasing that girl."

when he turned back the girl was no where to be found. They both turned back to the school to see a terrible sight. It was burning. 

"We have to go back." Sunset said 

"Right."

The pond began to speak out of nowhere. It was Rarity.

"Anon! Sunset!"

They both ran to the pound to see Rarity's reflection in it.

"Rarity? What's going on." Sunset asked

"You must flee the school now. The kings private army has descended onto the castle. It's a massacre. They're killing everyone in sight. Head to north. Go to the Elk Station. I'll meet you there. I forbid you under any circumstances to return."

"Did you hear anything about Trixie or Coloratura? Are they ok!?"

Before Rarity could reply the pound rippled her reflection away. Sunset pulled him back.

"We have to go. If they're attacking the school they'll search the perimeter in no time."

Anon had a look of rage on his face. Green tendrils of mana swirled around him and the ground beneath him erupted into a bloom of flowers.

"We can't just leave! It's Nightmare Moon! She'll kill them all!"

Sunset hugged him tightly

"Please. Don't go. You'll get slaughtered too. We'll come back I promise. Please."

"But... " Anon shook with rage "But..."

"I know you're angry. But if she's here she'll no doubt be looking for you too. We have to retreat. Please."

He slammed the ground with his fists, causing a great tree to spring forth

"I swear when I come back here... I'll kill her."

The two ran down to a lamp post, calling one of the horse drawn carriages operated by a ghost. They both hopped in and were whisked away.

In the King's Domain, Vignette Valencia sat with a black steel knife in her hands, soaked in blood. The blood of her father and of the king. It was a gift from Luna and the only thing that allowed her to take the mighty king's life. Even with all her power, she was no match for the King in a fair fight. She turned her glance backwards.

"I know you're there."

She couldn't stop her trembling voice. Even though she hated this man more than anything in the world, the act of taking his life sent waves and tremors throughout her body. A man not so subtly hiding behind the corner was Flim.

"What do you want?" she hissed

"Mistress Luna instructed I wait just behind you, in case you require assistance."

Valencia looked down and chuckled

"That old Witch. She never learns." she whispered "Well I completed my task. You can return."

"Well... Luna also instructed I extend an offer to you to be your assistant. If you chose to accept, my will be as your will, my wand, yours."

"In fact... That sounds perfect. I could use some help making sure the royal families stay in line."

"As you command princess... or shall I say, queen."

Queen. She liked the sound of that. Queen Vignette Valencia. 

"Our first order of business is to bring the royal families in line. After that... We stop Anon at any cost."

The carriage carrying Sunset and Anon traveled at breakneck speed. they'd be in the north in just over an hour. But his thoughts were still back at the school. He saw the fire. It was massive. He was dreading to hear Rarity's first hand account. What she already said didn't bode well.

"How're you holding up?" Sunset asked gently

"Horribly. I don't know what I'll do if Trixie and Coloratura were hurt or worse."

"You have to believe in them as I believe in you. The two are rookies sure, but they're smart. They'll find a way. I know so."

"What do we do now?"

"If your vision was right, we have to gather information at these four places. They hold the key of defeating Nightmare Moon. So we have to push for it with all we have."

"I know. It's just..."

"You did all you can. And you will give it back to her ten fold. You can and will do this."

"Thank you, Sunset."

The carriage broke through the clouds revealing a vast snowy expanse with tall foreboding mountains. The sky was alight with colors. The carriage touched down just outside a crumbling, broken castle. It looked completely deserted, and the walls surrounding it were full of holes. The castle itself was quite a downgrade from the school. It had two worn towers and a single main complex with a cabin on the far left side of the completely destroyed gate. It was downright frigid, especially in the nice party clothes they were wearing. Luckily Sunset was known for her heating abilities, spawning a warming sun just above them. Only about five minutes later did a carriage arrive containing Rarity. She looked distraught.

"Give it to use straight." Sunset said

"Near everyone was killed. The ones who weren't were captured. I overheard some of the guards explaining they'd hold a public execution for them later."

"Did you see what happened to Trixie and Coloratura?"

"They were taken with the prisoners."

Anon let out a sigh of relief.

"Good. At least that means they can be rescued."

"Are you insane?" Rarity asked "We can't rescue them."

"Of course we can! We have too!"

"This isn't a fairy tale! Don't you get it? This is a trap designed to lure you right to them!"

"But..." Anon began to shake "We can't just..."

"I believe I can offer a solution." a voice from just behind the walls said

Everyone turned only to see what looked like a somewhat fat humanoid creature made of clay and tall yellow eyes.

"Welcome ladies and gentleman to the Elk Kingdom, home to Princess Skystar. Right this way. I will see to it your accommodations are comfortable."
> The Eternal Rose of the North
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Elk Kingdom?" Anon asked

As he said it something about it familiar. The whole place in fact was giving him an odd sense of deja vu, as if he'd walked through here before. It came with fond feelings, feelings of kinship, comfort and happiness. He stared at the dilapidated kingdom, which looked more akin to an a trade outpost than anything. The old wood was rooting from what seemed like centuries of frost and neglect. The stone the made the castle itself was no better, it looked so eroded that it might collapse from just a light breeze. The clay humanoid answered him.

"Yes. We were once a proud kingdom, founded in the magic ancient age. All that is left now is Princess Skystar, and I, her final servant."

"Can we speak with the princess?"

Both Rarity and Sunset gave uncomfortable looks, as if he'd just made some social screw up.

"Princess Skystar has been asleep for centuries. One of the Nine Sisters cursed her. She's been asleep ever since then."

"The Nine Sis-"

Anon was stopped with a hand over his mouth. It was Rarity.

"Hush! Do not say that aloud."

He felt the mood shift dramatically. The fear could be felt on the very air.

"I'll explain later. But for now you must never, I mean never, ever utter that or their names."

"I understand."

"Faithful servant, how do we address you?"

"Simply Golem will be suitable."

Golem waddled towards Anon on his tiny block legs. He glanced at him closely before put his hands on him. Clovers crest flashed for a brief moment.

"Ah, I see. I know now what it is you seek. Come this way please."

They followed him past the decaying castle around the back. There was a large graveyard and, at its center, the entrance to the crypt. It felt as though the air was getting colder, the atmosphere heavier. Golem opened the door to the crypt and what must have been three centuries worth of built up musk rush forth. Anon had to stop himself from throwing up his dinner across the floor. As they walked down the ancient stone steps, Sunset cast a small sun above their heads. Its warmth was welcome. His dress robes certainly weren't made for sub arctic temperatures. 

"So can someone explain to me what this is all about? Why is a princess in a dingy place like this?"

"You'll... see when we get there." Sunset said

"She's not dead is she?" he whispered

"Not quite. Just be patient."

They walked deep into the center of the crypt. A dim clydascope of colors filled the room, as though someone was shining light though stain glass, despite there being no light source. Six coffins surrounded a pedestal. Atop the pedestal rested a glass coffin where a beautiful autumn haired woman in a white dress lay holding a glass rose. The glass rose sparkled brilliantly, it was the source of the colors. Once again, Anon felt an overwhelming feeling of deja vu. The glass rose called to him, it was something with immense value. Not just monetarily but symbolically. He felt so many emotions pouring from it.

"Successor of Clover, I beg thee." Golem pleaded "Release the curse that binds my princess. If anyone can do it, it's you."

"Can I take a closer look?"

"Of course. But please be careful." 

"I will."

Golem removed the glass coffin top, allowing him to peer inside. Crest memories began to fill him once again. 

Clover as well as others stood by the glass coffin. It was a funeral of some kind. Clover clasped her hand tight around a rose, however this one was not made of glass. The grip she had hurt, the thorns boring into her skin.

"I'll make the Nine Sisters pay for this. How dare they side with him. The king! The one who will sooner lead us all to slaughter!"

She kicked the side of the wall with force. A tall, long bearded man placed his arm around her.

"Please, Clover." he said "Her sacrifice has bore a great gift. We must use it carefully."

"I'm going to use the Forever Rose to kill them all." Clover said "Then the king will be next. They will suffer for what they've done."

The man gripped her tightly, forcing her to look him in the eye

"As your mentor I forbid it. Revenge is the game of fools. Think of all I've taught you, the way of the Druids! Nature seeks not revenge. It simply is."

"That's all this has ever been about!" Clover cried "First Arthur took away my parents, then my village, and now skystar! And it was all with the help of the Ladies of the Isle of Apples. And now even Celestia and Luna!"

Clover collapsed on the floor before a new memory appeared. Clover was relaxing in a hot spring with Celestia and Skystar.

"This is nice." Clover said with a sigh "It's been too long since I just relaxed."

Out of the corner of her eye, Clover could see the large scar plastered across Celestia's back. Every time she glanced at it, she felt overwhelming guilt. Celestia had long since forgiven her, but the sin still weighed heavy on her.

"Enjoying the bath?" Skystar asked

She spoke unusually, like that of a creature trying to study human language and behavior. All of her mannerisms were off. Her eyes had a vacant stare and her face was completely deadpan.

"Yes, very much." Clover said "So the cave. What was it you called it?"

"The Cave of Eternity." Skystar said, robotically 

"Yes, that's it. How do you figure this will help us?"

"Inside lies the Forever Garden. Using it we can-"

The scene changed before she could finish. Both Clover and Skystar were sat in a dark cave surrounded by glowing blooms and an even brighter tree.

"It's more beautiful than I imagined it to be." Clover said

"Yes. Each of these roses holds the soul of one of my ancestors."

"Souls? Forgive me, but isn't that impossible given the nature of your species?"

"You think just because I'm artificial I am without a soul?"

Clover didn't respond, instead turning her head to the ground.

"This is the only solution we could come up with. Just as you fear the end of the era of magic, we fear the loss of our knowledge. The experience that makes us more than what we could ever be on our own."

Clovers eyes lit up

"That's it! The solution! Why didn't I think of this before! You're a genius!"

"The solution?"

"To the decline of magic! This is the key! With this magic will never fade!"

"I'm not sure I follow."

Clover began to skip back and forth.

"If we use this in conjunction with my Five Points, it's a way to story magic that even the Greater Magic can't remove."

"But the only way a Forever Rose is born is when someone of my race dies."

"Right. But if I use the Five Points I can overcome that. It's the perfect loophole!"

Another flash to change the memory. This time however, it was deeply disturbing. Nothing but flashes. A fire. Knights in armor. Blood. It was like he was witnessing raw, uncontrollable anger. Finally he woke with a start. He looked around only to see he was no long in the crypt but the main castle. Just in front of him a fire raged in the aging, soot covered fire place. Everyone else was asleep beside the fire. He let out a few deep coughs. The weather certainly wasn't agreeing with him.

Anon starred into the fireplace, utterly immersed in thought. That was a lot to take in, especially the last memory. What in the world was the Five Points? Was the Forever Rose the key to finding Clover? Why did these memories always leave him with more questions than they did answers? As he shifted in his sleeping bag, he felt something large nudging him. He couldn't believe it. It was Excalibur. He had forgotten it during the attack on the school. Along with his promise to the animals of the garden in that crypt where he found it. Where they still alive? What a mess everything was. He looked up through one of the holes in the roof only to spy what looked like silvery fox. It looked down at him intently, as though it knew exactly who it was. The fox waved its tail subtly and nudged its head. He got up and followed roughly where the fox was pointing. The beautiful creature waited outside, its paws barely crunching in the snow. It ran through the cemetery and into the crypt. Anon did his best to keep up with it, eventually meeting it at the glass tomb. The fox lay atop the tomb, looking down at the glass rose in Skystars hand. Whatever it was, whatever it could do, it was essential in defeating Nightmare Moon. He look around. No sign of Golem or anyone else. For the sake of the mage world, he'd need to do some grave robbing. He began to lift the case off the princess while the fox retreated to a corner of the room and watched. His hand slipped and it came down with a resounding crash. No point in trying to turn back now. He plucked the rose from her hand.

The moment the rose escape the Princess' grasp, her fair skin began to wither, her hair dried and began to fall. Before his very eyes she began to turn into nothing but bones. She really wasn't human. Her bones were not white, but an almost chrome like blue. Etched into the ribs were strange runes that gave off a light glow. Before he even had time to contemplate just what a mess he'd made of this situation, the fox jumped forth and snatched the rose.

"Hey! come back here!"

Anon chased after the fox but even with his enhanced speed gifted from the life magic, he was nowhere near quick enough. It was gone before he even exited the tomb. Golem came running out.

"What have you done!? You must retrieve that rose! It is of the utmost importance!"

"That fox took it!" Anon said

"Well track it down! I must stay with the princess. She must live! You have to retrieve it within three days or she'll never see the sunlight again!"

"I'll grab Sunset and Rarity. They'll know what to do."

Anon ran back to the castle as fast as he could and woke the two of them up, explaining the situation. He grabbed excalibur in his hand.

"Any ideas of where to start looking?" Anon said, coughing a few times

Rarity was shaking with anger

"When we find that rose I swear..." Rarity said "Come on. I have a few tricks I can use."

Sunset stared daggers at him as they followed Rarity outside

"I can't believe you." she said with a hiss "I understand the weight of this mission but I thought you were better than that."

"I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

"Didn't know what!?" Sunset snapped "That you shouldn't grave rob? That you shouldn't defile the dead!? Or is that custom just common practice for you sickening mortals!?"

Sunset's eyes went wide as dinner plates and she covered her mouth with her hands

"I..." she paused "I'm sorry. That was too far."

"It's ok. I'm sorry also. We'll make this right. Golem said we have three days."

Rarity walked to the middle of the clearing, pulling out a long wooden staff from what appeared to be nowhere. Her eyes filled with light and she slammed it to the ground.

"Oh Great One, I call upon your wisdom. Point us to the goal we must seek. To this I offer a sacrifice worthy."

Rarity pulled out a knife and, without a moments hesitation, cut her pinkie clean off. The severed pinkie became a small beacon of light.

"This will point us to the wherever the fox went."

"Rarity! Your finger!"

"We don't have time to worry about that now! We have to go!"

The beacon moved forward and the trio followed behind. It didn't take them long to find the fox, only it wasn't a fox anymore. There, holding the Forever Rose was Nightmare Moon.

"A pity we had to meet again so soon." she whispered

Anon became filled with a deep, primal rage. Without even thinking, he charged forward.

"Anon, don't!" Sunset yelled

Nightmare Moon just smiled and lifted her wand. With just a single flick of the wrist, he was sent flying straight into the side of a tree. A cascade of pain spread throughout his entire body. Moon just snickered.

"You're very lucky I need crest of yours. The way you charge into danger I'd have killed you a hundred times over."

Through the pain Anon got back up while Rarity and Sunset began to set up their own counter attack. Sunset began to fire bolts of flame at Nightmare Moon. She deflected them easily, as though brushing away flies. Rarity shot a bolt of her own magic, one that Nightmare Moon had to dodge.

"What's a matter demon?" Rarity taunted "Can't handle holy magic?"

"It has a certain distaste about it certainly." Nightmare Moon replied

Sunset raised her wand to her lips and began to blow against it. From her breath came a red-orange mist the quickly engulfed Nightmare Moon.

"Rarity!"

"Right!"

Rarity shot a bolt of holy magic into the mist. In a fabulous light show it burst into a large explosion, Sunset's intense flames combined with Rarity's magic sent her into a fit of screams. Before Nightmare had a chance to make her counter move, Anon swooped in behind her, excalibur in hand, the blade going straight towards the Witch's neck. As it came mere inches away from her jugular, what felt like an intense pressure filled every corner of his body. It was as though gravity itself had strengthened to the point where he could no longer support his own weight. The world around him became dark and a chilling, unnerving cold filled him. Not the cold of the north, something much worse. It was the chill of fear. All he could make out was Nightmare Moon's eyes, piercing the eyes like that of a hawk.

"I'm coming Clover." she said "I'm coming."

The pressure and darkness vanished, as did Nightmare Moon taking Forever Rose along with her.
> A Killer in the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vignette walked to the lowest level of the castle. Now without her father to stop her, she could finally learn the truth. The King's Archives were said to own information no one in the entire world knew of. If there was one place she could find the truth, it was here. The Curse of the Black Sun. What was its nature?  Was there a cure? And did it really warrant all the punishment and cruelty she suffered over the years?

She used her wand to cast a small ball of light above her head. This private archive seemed like it hadn't be accessed in millennia. Her father always said they were not to go down here. It filled her with rage. She just knew there was something down here he didn't want her to know. As she reached the end of the stairs, she was met with a wooden door. It was time to test her newfound powers.

"By the Ruler's Holy Light, I demand thee open." she said

A large eye opened in on the door and stared her down for a few seconds. A booming voice rang through the hall so loud it shook the walls.

"There is no Rule before me. Begone."

"What!?"

She slammed the door hard with her fists

"I demand by the authority of Vignette Valencia, youngest daughter of Tirek and 99th queen of the realm! Open this instant!"

"I'm not surprised you don't know." a twisted voice whispered from behind her

She nearly jumped out of her skin. When she turned, however, there was no one.

"I demand whoever said that answer! I'll have you beheaded!"

There was a giggle, distinctly female

"You hear that girls?" the voice said mockingly "This little welp will have us beheaded."

A deep chill ran down Vignette's spine. The voice was familiar, she'd heard it once before. It was a voice she'd never be able to scrub from her mind.

"My, my sister. I am so very afraid." another voice chuckled

"W-what?" Valencia gulped "What do you want?"

"We'd like to make a deal. An exchange if you will. You give us what we want, and we will tell you how to truly become Queen as your father and his father before him had done."

"For now, you are queen in name only." a third, slightly younger sounding voice said "And if you don't act soon, the noble houses may just see to unseat you."

"I know better than that. Anyone who makes a deal with you always regrets it."

"Oh we assure you, this will be mutually beneficial. We both have something the other desperately need. Sail to Avalon with the friends of a one Anon E. Mouse. From there we will explain our terms."

"Yes, yes. Come to the Isle of Fruit and all shall be made clear."

"What is your game?"

Silence. Vignette slammed her fist against the wall again. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. That was her one leverage over Anon, the one method she could use to defeat him no matter how powerful he became. But what would be the point of any of it if she didn't find the truth? Everything she was, everything she strived for was for what lied in the King's Archives. She had no choice. As she came to the surface she was met to the face of Flim.

"Flim."

"Yes, my lady?"

"You still have it, right? Glorias?"

"Yes m'am. Who do you need slain?"

"Not slain. Just protection. I'm sailing to the Isle of Fruit come morning."

"What?" he asked, his face turning white "Whatever for?"

"I've been summoned by the Nine Sisters. A trade. Anon's friends in exchange for information I desperately need."

"Queen Valencia, if I may speak so frankly... I think this is a grave error."

"I know. but if I don't get this information... I might as well be dead. So I stand to lose nothing."

Flim nodded

"Very well. I shall accompany you."

Back in the north, the trio had returned to the Elk Kingdom, broken and empty handed. Golem ran to the three as soon as he saw them.

"Please tell me you've got the Forever Rose."

They all looked down

"No." Sunset said "We were ambushed by Nightmare Moon. We tried our hardest but she bested all three of us."

Golem's eyes flashed once.

"That's ok... that's ok. There is still another method."

"What is it?" Anon asked

"You must free him. The Mad Druid."

"Absolutely not!" Rarity said "Surely there is another way."

"There is not. Please. You mustn't let the princess die! I beg of you."

"What's so dangerous about the Mad Druid?"

"As the legend goes, a druid lost his wife to an incurable disease. Overcome with grief, he began researching forbidden magic." Sunset explained "Necromancy and the like. It is said that his work is the origin for the dark magic we know as Curses and Hexes. As his name implies, his work drove him to madness. He became an unstoppable force of nature, threatening to destroy the entire world. With his last bit of sanity he literally sealed himself within the Great Northern Leyline, closing it for good."

"So how will releasing him help Princess Skystar?"

"Druids are protomages. They were among the first humans to be blessed by the Greater Magic. As such, they are not only incredibly powerful, but their mana is said to have healing properties beyond that anything known. In Princess Skystar's case, she could be revived and even regain consciousness so long as she doesn't completely die."

"Then we have no choice."

Rarity shook her head

"Absolutely not. As much as lament Princess Skystar, this would be akin to opening the gates of hell. Who knows how strong he will be? A regular Druid was said to be able to far more powerful than anything we can account for, much less one drunk on the power of a Leyline."

"I think I have something that could ease your fear. Here."

Golem held out his palm to reveal a necklace with that appeared to be the blossom of a forever rose at its center.

"They Eye of Eternity." Rarity said in a hushed tone "We can't use this. It's evil."

"Evil?" Anon asked

"The eye has a powerful Hex on it." Sunset said "Hexes are spells that draw their power from Curses rather than mana. This object in particular carries a great risk to it. Legend goes that centuries ago the king of the Elk Kingdom lost his son in battle. So angry at the loss, he found the mage who'd stuck him down in battle, pulled his soul out and placed it inside the amulet, along with all of his hatred, saying that he see suffering for all eternity, hence the name."

"How would it help us win?" 

"Snapping it in half would release a tremendous amount of energy. Probably enough to defeat the Mad Druid or at the very least weaken him enough to allow an easy finishing blow. However... being it's a hex it's likely to hurt us just as much. It could range from as simple as getting caught in the explosion or as severe as madness."

"It's not worth the risk." Rarity said "I know it may be tempting, but we must never use Hexes, regardless of the situation. No mage who's ever used a hex has ever been better for it in the long run."

"There must be some way to defeat him."

"I don't see how." Sunset said "Even with the eye, I'm not sure it'd give us enough of an edge. His power would be equal to that of Nightmare Moon, perhaps greater."

"Then we'll have to wing it."

Anon took the eye and put it in his pocket

"We'll use it only as a last resort."

"Anon!" Rarity said harshly "I forbid you."

"You aren't someone who can control me." he said "I'm my own person."

Rarity tightened her fists

"If you go through with this... if you indulge in the power of hexes... I will no longer be able to instruct you in the Way of White."

"Fine." 

Anon turned to Sunset

"Coming?"

She looked down and clutched her wand

"Yes."

"So be it." Rarity whispered before walking towards the castle

"Tell me where to find him."

"It's a bit of a trek. His laboratory was located in a cave in the mountains. This will lead you straight to it."

He lifted up his hand and a glowing sphere of light appeared.

"Just follow this and you'll be there."

"Right. Thanks."

After a bit of provision packing, the two were sent on the way. For hours they journeyed in complete silence. The scenery was idillic for a quiet walk like this. The forest was still, the only sound being the crunch of their shoes in the snow. It wasn't until the Sun began to set that Sunset said something. She gripped Anon's shoulder tightly.

"We're being followed." she whispered "Do not turn around and act natural."

Anon's heartbeat began to quicken. He'd not noticed at all.

"Who is it? Nightmare Moon?"

"Keep your voice down. And, no I have no idea who it is. But they're taking great pains to hide their presence. I only saw them by pure luck."

Sunset strained her eyes into the horizon.

"There. A cabin. We can take shelter there. Remember what I said: do not turn around and act natural."

"Right, right."

They walked down through a frozen lake to the cabin she spoke of. Despite the fact that it was just ten minutes to get there, it felt like every step was a mile. Every part of him wanted to turn around, perhaps run. Finally, though, they made it inside.

"What the hell was that?"

"It's one of the king's assassins."

Anon looked in horror

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Though he didn't count on me being here it seems. I've been trained to pick up on assassins, as being a member of one of the noble houses makes you a prime target for politically motivated killing. Whoever the new king is seems to know who you are and your secret."

It hit him like a ton of bricks. A member of the royal family who knew he was Clover's successor? There was only one person who met those criteria: Vignette Valencia.

"Shit."

"What is it?"

"I know who the new ruler is: Vignette Valencia."

"That's troublesome. Very troublesome."

Anon poked his head to the window and looked out at the scenery. Nothing. Not a sound, no footprints. 

"Is he gone?"

"No. He's just waiting and watching."

"What do we do?"

"One of us keeps watch for the night. Unfortunately, until he makes a move, we don't have many options."

"Who stays up first?"

"I will. You can't sense him like I can."

"How can you do that?"

"It's not hard really, however you need a bit of training to do it. It requires you to be able to sense sources of mana. It can take a bit of practice."

"You sure you're ok to do this yourself?"

"I'm sure."

"I'll leave it to you then."

"I'll wake you up if things get dicey."

"Right. Thanks, Sunset."

"Don't mention it."

As Anon drifted into slumber, Sunset couldn't help but stare at him while he slept. Looking at him made her think about the entire situation. When she really looked at it, it was much like how Celestia and Clover had their adventures. Was it some universal attraction? Perhaps reincarnation? Did such a thing exist? According to the epics however, the few they had that accounted for Celestia's life, it ended badly for the two heroins. Celestia's life after Clover's disappearance was characterized by tragedy and sadness. Would this history repeat? Would Anon end up vanishing to save the world the way Clover did? 

Sunset stared out the window and focused hard. She could see it clearly: a faint flicker of mana the assassin was using the hide his presence. He was sitting atop a tree a mere ten feet away. Why wasn't he attacking? What was he waiting for? If she made any moves he'd likely scurry off. If only Bonbon were here. She'd be able to do her dimensional magic to allow her sleep. She tried not to think about it. The destruction of her school, the place she felt most at home. Her friends held prisoner and awaiting execution. Every time she focused on it she could feel herself wearing at the seams. It made her want to fall into pieces. But she couldn't. Not now. She had to stay strong for Anon. If he saw her coming apart, a person orders of magnitude more powerful than he, who knows what effect that would have?

Sunset felt her lip beginning to quiver. She hated the quiet, hated the stillness. It made her think about everything, think about just how dire the situation was. She had to do something to get her mind off of everything. She got up and opened the door slightly. looking out onto the snow covered forest. The assassin was still there, waiting patiently. Time to go ask him politely to move along. Sunset walked out, wand at the ready, to his location. She got closer and closer but he didn't budge an inch. 

"I'm warning you," Sunset threatened "If you don't leave I'll hurt you."

Silence. He still wasn't moving. 

"Your choice." Sunset said 

She cast a stream of plasma straight into his hiding place. He was knocked back into the tree. Something was right. It was though he wasn't even awake. She slowly walked closer to where she flung the killer, getting a clear look at him. Immediately a few details jumped out at her:

He was without a doubt in service of the king. He wore the white half mask that had a horn jutting from the forehead. The eye plates were made in a way to completely hide the movement of the eyes from the outside. The mask's sides extend to just below the chin and the only part of skin showing being the chin and bottom lip. The rest of the uniform of course being nothing but a black robe. The other detail that surprised her was that this assassin was not a man, but a woman. But that was impossible. Only men were allowed in the corp of assassins. And there was no way one could be trained in such a short time. Not only that, but one of her arms was missing entirely.

She wasn't obviously wounded from what she could see. No wounds on the body and, as far as she could sense, wasn't hexed or otherwise magically injured. Sunset nudged forward, her wand pointed at the assassin's chest, and moved her hand to the mask. As her fingers touched the surface, the assassin sprung to life like a corpse awaking from the grave. With a machine like swiftness she swung her arm up to Sunset's wand arm and pinched her wrist hard, causing her to drop the wand.

Before she had a chance to react, the assassin was already going for the next blow. Like clock work, the black clad figured slammed her fists first into her joints, then right into the back of her neck. That's when Sunset realized she couldn't move anymore. She knew instantly what had happened: she had injected a minute amount of her own mana into Sunset's body with each strike, causing a small, isolated version of mana sickness. It was an ancient technique that required years of practice and an incredible level of skill to preform without either killing the target or causing their magic circuits to burst. If even slightly too much mana was used with the strike, it'd hurt the target in a way that would blow their cover. 

The killer picked up Sunset's wand and placed it at her neck, whispering a spell that caused her vocal cords to fail. Sunset, one of the strongest mages of any noble family, had been completely incapacitated within the span of just a few seconds, all with just the use of a single arm.
> Mute
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset did her best to flip on her back so she could see where the assassin was heading. as she feared, she was going straight for the cabin. She threw Sunset's wand far into the bushes, opting to pull a knife from out of her pocket. Sunset opened her mouth to scream however nothing but a faint wimper escaped. There had to be something, anything she could do to get his attention. 

Sunset's eyes scanned the surrounding landscape. Eureka. Just a few inches away from her was a branch nearly breaking from the weight of the snow. If she could just pull it down a little, the sound of that much snow hitting the ground could wake him. She used her chin, slowly but surely pulling herself into the clearing and to the branch. Inch by inch. She was almost there. Just as she was in reach, the assassin turned around and began to walk briskly towards her. No time to hesitate. She lifted her face and grabbed the pines with her teeth. The pain of them stabbing into her tongue and cheeks would've made her scream if she were able. With all her might she pulled down, causing a mountain of snow to come crashing into the ground, and into her.

Then, nothing. Sunset poked her head out of the snow. Anon hadn't woken up. Sunset felt hot tears trickle down her cheeks. This was all her fault and there was nothing she could do. If she'd just stayed by Anon's side this wouldn't be happening. She watched helplessly as the assassin turned back around and opened the door to the cabin, knife at the ready. A few seconds later, there was a loud crash and a yell followed by a splash of blood slamming against the window.

Nightmare Moon, meanwhile, had since returned to her warband. It was in the distant ruins of the north, a site where a historic battle took place. The place where she and her childhood friend Clover the Clever first fought and where she was also defeated. Not much was left of it, just a few crumbling stone supports and a dusty and broken marble floor. Everyone was in attendance.

"Step two has been achieved. Or at least it will be soon. It seems they're going to unleash the second leyline of their own accord to revive Princess Skystar." Nightmare Moon explained

"So what does that mean now? Where are we headed?" Discord asked

"I'd say we head east. But it's too dangerous. Better for them to handle that." she said "and we can't open the gates of the western kingdom, though no doubt Clover's successor can. Which leaves one place left."

The was a spike in tension across the group. It was the southern island of Avalon. A place feared even by the mighty Nightmare Moon.

"I'll head there with Discord. In the meantime I have tasks for each of you."

Nightmare walked up to the three dazzlings Adagio, Aria and Sonata. Sonata sat on the frost covered ground, using her magic to form small snow figures and having them fight one another. She was hardly listening. Even after all this time she was merely a child. She'd not changed since the moment Nightmare picked her and her sisters up. Aria sat beside Adagio, the both of them with scowls on their face. 

"How're you three doing?"

"I'm doing great! The snow is so pretty!" Sonata chirped

Luna giggled placing a hand on Sonata's head and ruffling her hair

"Are you ready to work, little one?"

"Hey I'm not little! I'm like three centuries old now!"

"Oh, yes. Forgive me." she said turning to Adagio and Aria "I want you three to head to the west and wait for Anon to arrive. When he does, wait for him to open the gate and retrieve whatever artifact he came for."

"What do we do when he finds it?" Adagio asked

"Take it and return it here. If I'm not here then go to the world tree." she said "As for the rest of you, I need you in the mortal world. There's something important that must be retrieved."

Sonata jumped up with joy

"Is this like a secret mission?"

Nightmare Moon smiled again, but this time her smile had a sense of pain to it

"Yes. It's just like that."

She turned around and began to walk out into the snow

"Come, Discord." she said with a shaky voice "We've got work to do."

As soon as the two were far enough away from earshot, Discord placed his arm around Luna.

"Do you think I'm making the right choice?" she asked 

"It's the only one we have." Discord said "With this we can save them all. Sonata, Clover, even you."

"You're right. I just wish... no. I can't let my mind wander."

Discord let go of Luna and stood a good distance from her. With a deep breath, his entire body filled with light. He became bigger and bigger, ripping his blue robes to shreds. He grew large scales, two giant horns and glorious iron colored wings , revealing his true form once again.

"Shall we depart my lady?" he said in a gruff, animal like voice

"Yes, my silver dragon."

She hopped on his back and with a gust of wind took off to the heavens.

The door was kicked open and Anon hid behind a table. His assailant stood just feet away. Anon took a deep breath and put his hand on the ground and had a branch shoot out from the wood just behind the assassin's head. She side stepped it as if she knew it was coming hours ahead of time. She tapped the branch with her finger and Anon's body was filled with searing pain. The branch immediately withered and collapsed. The assassin took out her knife and began to walk towards Anon, now motionless on the floor form the pain.

The old house began to quiver and shake. The stress of ages of snowfall and neglect coming to a head by Anon's magic coursing through the old beams. A loud snap rang through the house and before the killer could react, a large fifty pound support beam came crashing down into the back of her head. Her mask flew against the wall and, as she fell, her knife plunged straight into her stomach, coating the window in a thick layer of blood. The beam would've landed on her right arm if she had one, instead crushing her shoulder. Whatever magic she was using to stun Anon faded immediately and he got a look at her face. It was one of pure fear.

"P..." she gurgled "Please. I don't want to die. Please. I'm begging you."

Sunset busted through the door at just the moment, wand in hand.

"Anon! Are you ok?"

"Yes but... she's not."

"What happened?"

"I heard you leave and couldn't sleep. I saw the whole thing from the window so I set up an ambush, trying to stab her with a tree branch. It made part of the cabin collapse."

"I guess we better finish the job then."

"No wait! We don't need to kill her. Think of all the information we can get out of her."

"You're right. It's dangerous though. You saw what she did. She disposed of me in just a few seconds."

"We'll make sure she can't escape."

Sunset walked over to the assassin, now unconscious and face pale from blood loss.

"I'll keep her stable. Can you lift the rubble off?"

"I can try."

Anon placed his hands on the ground and tree branches jutted on the debris, lifting them off and giving her a few cuts in the process.

"Careful!"

"Sorry, sorry!" he said "It's still difficult to control it."

Sunset took out her wand and focused, firing gentle beams of yellow light into her wounds. She let out a little gasp.

"What's wrong?"

"Her body. Her circuits are completely messed up. Normally magic circuits extend outwards in branches, kind of like veins and arteries. But hers... hers go inward."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she can't actually use magic. If she tried she'd literally rip her circuits apart."

Sunset cast another spell into her free hand and began running it along her body

"My... my god."

Anon ran over

"What did you find?"

"This is... horrible. Her mana is poisonous. It's been hexed to act like venom." she explained "It means that she's in a state of constant pain. It makes sense how she disposed over me so quickly though. Only a little bit of this tainted mana is enough to incapacitate someone or cause them intense pain."

"Who would do something like this?"

"You said it yourself. It has to be Vignette."

Anon clenched his fists

"Is she really this heartless? How could she do something this cruel?"

Sunset looked down, not saying anything.

"Let's just heal her as best we can. It's entirely likely she's a bystander caught in all this."

"What about the Mad Druid?" he asked "We can't just leave her here. And if we don't keep going she'll probably not make it or escape."

"I don't know. I'll have to think. Until then get some rest." she said "I'll look after her."

"Thank you, Sunset."

"Don't mention it."

The next morning Anon woke to find Sunset fast asleep and the would be killer still unconscious, tied to one of the support beams. In the light of day he could get a clear look at her face. She was actually quite pretty, innocent even. She had short purple hair, her bangs just touching her shoulders. She had a peaceful look on her face, her lips curling into a barely detectable smile. Just as he was starting to appreciate each of her features, her eyes shot open. There was a fire to them but just as quickly as she opened her eyes, that fire faded.

"What?" she asked groggily "Where is this place?"

"Who are you?"

"Who am I?" she asked "I... I can't remember."

"You can't remember?"

She shook her head

"I can't remember anything. Who are you? and why am I tied up?"

Anon was perplexed but then he remembered the fight that took place. She was struck in the back of the head pretty hard. Did that cause amnesia?

"Sorry. We can't untie you just yet."

"Why not?"

"I'll explain everything to you when my friend wakes up." he said "Do you know your name?"

"No. I can't remember anything, none of it all."

Was this real? Or was she feigning ignorance in order to get him to free her? All of a sudden the girl's face began to coil in pain.

"What's wrong?"

She didn't answer, instead lifting up her leg in a single fluid motion and slipping through the ropes as though she were covered in oil. 

"Wait!"

The girl fell on her back, her expression full of fear and her arm in a defensive pose.

"D-don't come any closer!" she said "I'm warning you! I'll kill you!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" he said gently "Relax. I don't want to hurt you."

The girls eyes darted across the room, taking in all of her surroundings, their weak points, their strengths, escape routes and exploits in just a few seconds. She saw the blood on the floor and excalibur. Her mind instantly jumped to the worst.

"Y-you took my arm didn't you!?"

"No, I-"

"Shut up!" she screamed

She pushed off with a charge, her finger aiming straight for Anon's eye. Just before she could reach him, Sunset tackled her to the ground.

"Anon! Kill her while I have her down!"

"No you don't understand! She's confused!"

The girls in built training kicked in. In the same way a normal person would ride a bike, she jammed her fingers into Sunset's weak points, filling them with her venomous mana. In seconds she had estimated her hight and weight to put in just enough not to kill her. Anon didn't waste a moment. He put his hands on the ground and branches shot up from the ground, wrapping her up tight. 

"Let me go!" she begged

"Not until you relax." 

Anon walked over to Sunny and helped her up.

"You ok?"

"Why the hell didn't you kill her!?"

"You don't understand!" he said "She's got no memory."

"You believe that? She's an assassin!" 

"If she were she would've killed us when she had the opportunity. But she didn't." he said "she deliberately went for non lethal methods."

The girl struggled more, eventually giving up.

"Are you relaxed now?" Anon asked

She looked down, not responding.

"Well? I can't release you until we know you won't try to hurt us."

"I promise I won't."

"Good."

Anon released the branches and sure enough she just sat on the ground.

"So..." the girl said "what happens now?"

"Well... we're need to go vanquish a mad druid. We could use someone with your skills. Or you could go out on your own."

"My own?"

"Whatever you chose."

She stood up, adopting a confident pose.

"I'll go with you." she said "I'll go until I find a way to recover my memory."

"Sounds like a fair trade. What should we call you?"

She thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know."

"Why not Novo?" Sunset asked

"Novo?"

"Yeah. It's from a legend of this land. It's said that it was created when the Goddess of History, Novo, angered the God of Time by falling in love with a mortal and giving him magic. As punishment, the God of Time cast her memory of time across the world as snow so she could never retrieve it all. As such, the land was forever blanketed in ice."

"Novo..." she said "I like it. Then I will stay for now."

"Then shall we go, Miss Novo? Sunset?" he asked, picking up excalibur "We've got a druid to slay."
> The Mad Druid of the North
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took them another four hours to reach the mountain where the Durid's lab was supposedly located. A long path of stone stairs lead high into the peak, Novo had remained silent the entire way yet she was hyper focused. Her eyes darted every which way and her body was positioned as though she needed to strike any moment. Her body couldn't seem to relax, yet her eyes were cold and empty. They gave nothing away, no emotion, no intent, no life. It was like she was a robot wearing human skin.

"Are you alright, Novo?" he asked

"Yes." she said with a stoic, muted tone

"You seem a bit keyed up."

"I'm fine."

"A woman of few words are you?"

"What would you have me say?"

"I don't know."

She didn't reply, instead opting to walk at a bit more of a brisk pace. Anon turned to Sunset.

"Anything we should know going in there?"

"This will be one of the hardest fights we've come across. Druids were some of the most powerful mages to have ever lived. About the time Clover vanished they mysteriously disappeared as well."

"Can't be a coincidence. In the crest memories I saw what Clover thought of as her teacher. He was a druid."

"Yes, a particularly famous one: Star Swirl the Bearded. It's said he was the strongest druid to ever live, and live he did. He was nearly 250 years old when he vanished without a trace."

Novo quietly listened before turning her head slightly.

"Did you say Clover the Clever?"

"Yes." Anon said "For some reason, Clover's magic crest appeared on my hand some time ago."

She stared intently, yet, like always, without giving a single emotion away.

"I see."

"Any weaknesses we can exploit?"

"Durid's are known to have many weaknesses." Sunset said 

"Wrong." Novo said "They have one key weakness: Hex."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know. There's a lot of things I know, like in built reflexes. For instance, it only took me fighting Anon once to be able to completely read his fighting style and counter it perfectly." she said "Before he uses his magic, his left eyelid twitches exactly twice and he moves his right foot an inch sideways. If I look for those cues I can strike before he has a chance to use any magic."

"Impressive." Anon said

As he took another step the floor beneath him collapsed. Before he could even register that he was falling, Novo had swooped in, using her back as a surface to land on and keep him from falling into depths below.

"Thanks." he said, getting back to his feet

Novo kept walking forward, not saying a word.

"She is as cold as ice." Anon whispered to Sunset

Sunny elbowed him in the ribs

"Ow!"

"Don't be rude."

It didn't take much longer for them to arrive at their destination. A large rusted iron door extending nearly fifty feet high lay imbedded into the side of the mountain. It was full of strange symbols and runes.

"Incredible." Anon said

Sunset touched the door with her finger, immediately pulling it back after receiving a zap.

"The door," Novo said "There's a powerful magic barrier on it."

"How do we get around it?"

"Easy."

Novo placed her hand onto the door. The door glowed a brilliant blue and energy began to flow directly into Novo's arm. After a few moments, the barrier was gone and her arm glowed so brightly it was nearly blinding. Her arm clutched her black cloak tightly, clearly feeling a great deal of pain.

"Amazing." he said "How did you do that?"

"My magic circuits are backwards." she said in a labored voice "I can absorb magic with ease. However I can't use magic without hurting myself."

"Really?"

"Yes. The only exception is my own mana. The entire basis of my magic is absorbing mana from external sources and integrating it with my own."

Sunset put her hand over her mouth

"That's... that's so cruel."

"Why?"

"She.... she's basically poisoning herself. She's inducing acute mana sickness. Once her mana is toxic enough she can use it to poison enemies. Perfect for assassination but cruel beyond belief."

Anon looked back at Novo. She was trying to keep a cool facade but it was clear how what she just did affected her. She was covered in sweat and gasping for air.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be..." she gasped "Fine. It usually takes a few minutes for my body to completely assimilate the foreign mana. It's taking longer because this magic is so potent. I'll be fine. Let's go."

Anon and Sunset both pushed open the heavy door leading into a long dark corridor. Sunset cast her sunlight spell again and they began to walk into the cave's mouth. Something immediately struck Anon upon entering. A pressure. It was much like the pressure Nightmare Moon used to stop him from cutting her head off, like gravity itself was becoming more intense.

"You feel that?" Sunset asked

"Yeah. What is this? Nightmare Moon did the same thing."

"When mages reach a certain level of power, their mana becomes so intense their body can no longer contain it. It flows out into the world creating a sense of force that pushes in all directions. Of course this is a level of intensity beyond that of normal mages. Only a handful have ever been so powerful as this. Like I said, he's dangerous."

"That must make him at least on par with Nightmare Moon."

"Stronger I'm afraid. Nightmare Moon wasn't using an entire Leyline to supply her magical energy."

"What are the Leylines exactly?"

"No one really knows for sure. They're intense wellsprings of magic that seem to flow limitlessly. No one knows why or how they form or where that mana comes from. What's strange is the Greater Magic never seems to siphon any of it away. In the old days they were used as a way to replenish mana from those who either couldn't exchange mana themselves or were too old and frail to do it."

"Why were they closed?"

"They are the locks that keep our world on a separate plane to that of the mortal world. Without them, the worlds would reunite once again. After King Arthur's genocide of mages, the entire mage world vowed never to have the two worlds cross again.

Anon felt his foot bump into something tough and fleshy.

"What the hell was that?"

Sunset turned her light to where Anon's foot had made contact. They both gasped. It was Princess Skystar. She was nude but had no defining features on the body. No nipples, no genitals, nothing. It almost looked like a doll you'd buy at the store. As she moved the light closer to investigate they realized she wasn't the only one. There was a pile of motionless, expressionless Skystar's laying on the floor. Some were missing limbs, some missing features like eyes or finger nails.

"What is this?" Anon said, stepping back

"What you're looking at is what is considered forbidden magic." Sunset explain "Princess Skystar belongs to a class of being called a homunculus. They're humans made by magic rather than biological processess. The Mad Druid was the one who invented them and it is what made him lose his sanity."

"We should look around. Maybe there's information here that could help us." Novo suggested

"Good idea."

Sunset lifted her wand to the ceiling and cast a large sun, filling the room with light. The room was a stone living space and an alchemy lab, complete with a hearth, a bed, a bookshelf, an operating table filled with beakers and notes. There were piles and piles of Skystar bodies littered across the floor. The trio began looking through the notes. Anon picked up what looked like a logbook by the side of one of the beakers, opening to a random page.

Trial 1,452: test subject has limited cognitive function. After being subjected to a very simple matching objects test, both it's cerebellum and it's motor cortex completely fried. Test is a failure.

Trial 1,453: As with the pervious subject, subject 1,453 displayed very simple cognitive function. Gave a steady supply of my own bone marrow for it to consume. Cognitive abilities are slowly improving. Subject shows promise.

Trial 1,453(2): Subject died last night. Just as the subject was beginning to form more complex thought similar to that of an older child, its frontal lobe mysteriously collapsed in on itself. Brain death followed soon after.

Trial 1,454: Subject died again in the same as the pervious subject. Despite my efforts at strengthening the frontal lobe, it collapses in on itself without fail.

Anon read through page after page before skipping to the last entry.

Trial 8,092: I'm so close. But no matter how hard I try I can't implant the memories of my beloved into the body without causing complete neural shut down. Wether by a crest transplant, direct insertion, even giving them my beloved's preserved brain directly. Tomorrow I will be contacting the Nine Sisters. I've heard rumors she's found a magic that could allow me to resurrect the dead or provide an alternative way to commit the memory transplant. Their magic is new ground. I shall record my findings tomorrow

"Well I found something. Whatever happened to the Mad Druid, it was caused by the Nine Sisters."

"I found something too," Sunset said "It was in his personal journal. It states that it finally worked and he revived his beloved. But the final entires show he began hallucinating. He started hearing voices and began to lose control of his magic."

"Do you think he was Hexed?"

"Possibly. Either that or he made a deal that was more than he bargained for, similar to the curse that gave my family Solar Magic."

"You find anything Novo?"

"Just a detailed map of the laboratory. Good thing too. This place is a labyrinth. It stretches into nearly every corner of the mountain. "

"Good work. What do we do now?"

"I suggest we go meet him. Any points of interest along the way Novo?"

"None that aren't traps."

"Lead the way then."

The trio went down a latter in the floor by the bed and continued their journey. The closer they got the heart of the labyrinth, the more the pressure increased. In his pocket he could feel a faint hum. It was the Eye of Eternity vibrating. 

"He's got to be close." he said "that artifact Golem gave me is vibrating like crazy."

"Artifact?" Novo asked

"The Eye of Eternity." Sunset said "It may be able to help us defeat whatever we find in there."

After a traveling down a few different passages they came into a large open chamber. It was nothing like the rest of the fortress, in fact it was more akin to that of a sanctuary. Inside a large grass field covered the landscape covered in burnt flowers. A large magic circle lit up the entire room and, at the center, lay a dead tree overlooking what was once a pound. Instead of water, the pound had a giant encased in ice. It was hard to make out his appearance through the frost, but what he could see was what looked like a viking. He wore green chainmail and a hat with elk horns. As soon as the three stepped into the circle, his eyes opened and stared with anger.

"What do we do now?" Anon asked

"The ice must be a seal." Novo said "Let me see if I can break it."

Novo stepped forward, the druid's angry gaze following her the entire way, and placed her hand on the ice.

"I can't break this." she said "The Leyline is giving it an infinite source of mana. In other words, no matter how much I absorb, it'll constantly replenish."

"Any ideas then?"

"Maybe the magic circle can help us." Sunset said, looking at it closely "I've never seen anything quite like it though. It must be some ancient druid magic."

Novo traced the circle with her hand

"The circle has the same problem. It's drawing power direct from the Leyline." she said

"There must be something we can do. I didn't come all this way for nothing."

"Let's look around. Maybe there's notes that can help us."

They walked around the chamber, looking for anything that would be of use. The chamber, however, was almost completely empty of everything other than the druid, the circle and a few Skystar bodies. By the giant was a single Forever Rose, glowing brightly. Anon picked the rose from the ground. There was a massive blinding surge of light, followed by complete darkness and the sound of glass shattering.

"Sunset! Give us some light!"

"Right!"

Sunset sent a ball of light to the ceiling, illuminating the entire room. To their shock, however, the druid was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd he go?" Anon called

"I don't know." Novo said "I didn't hear any footsteps."

"Anon duck!" yelled

Anon instinctively turned around to see an axe, twice the size of his body, coming at him with speed. By just the hair of his chin he managed to side step the swing. Before he could even right his position, the druid had firmly planted his mighty fist straight into his gut, sending him flying into the opposite wall.

"Anon!" Sunset yelled

Sunset began to run towards him, only to run smack into the druid's leg. He had the speed of a cheeta and the strength of an elephant. There was no way they could win. They may as well be ants fighting a god. He wound up his arm, ready to send  Sunset flying. Novo sprinted towards, placing her arm on his back.

"Take this you monster!" she yelled, pouring her venom into his body

The druid screamed in pain and kicked Novo's leg, breaking it and knocking her back into the wall. He held his back, thrashing around as the venomous mana coursed through him. It was just the distraction Sunset needed. She ran forward and aimed her wand at his belly point blank. She put as much mana into the spell as she could, shooting a large beam of plasma that sliced his body in two beyond the shoulder. The druid collapsed, in more pain the before. He placed his hand on the circle and in just a few seconds his entire body regenerated.

Sunset looked on in despair. She put nearly everything she had into that, so much so that she was in danger of collapsing herself. The druid got too his feet and marched to Novo, axe ready to cleave her in two. He raised the axe up, like the hammer of god about to pass judgement. Just as he was about to bring the blade down, he stopped in his tracks. Novo opened her eyes. One of the skystar bodies had been knocked on top of her when she was flung to the wall. She propped the body up with her arm. Sure enough, he was completely entranced by it.

"One of you take him down now! He won't attack like this!" Novo yelled

"I'm out of mana." Sunset said "If I cast another spell I'll die."

"Anon!" Novo cried "Anon wake up!"

Anon slowly came too. His hand was bleeding. He'd been clutching the Forever Rose so tightly, its thorns had pierced deeply into his skin. His head was swimming and every part of him ached. He stared at the rose. He swore he could hear something. A voice. He held the rose to his ear.

"Release me." it whispered "Destroy the rose. Release me."

He slammed the rose to the ground. No good. Its crystal structure would take far more than that to break. Anon put his hand on the floor, his blood turning into tree branches. He slammed them as hard as he could into the rose. It cracked. Thing was tough as steel. He keep slamming the branches as best as he could in his dazed state. Crack. Crack. Crack. Finally it shattered. There was a massive shockwave and everything seemed to become still. The druid began to flail wildly, shouting bloody murder as he did. His body began to shrink and he yelled louder and loud before finally, silence. The druid, now a normal size, shot up.

"W-what? Where am I? What happened? Where is Skystar!?"

He had a very thick accent, sounding similar to that of a Scandinavian. His long red beard extended nearly below his waistline and his features were rough and scarred. It was like looking at a viking.

"My god." Sunset gasped "A druid. An actual real live druid. The curse was broken."

"Curse?" he yelled "What curse?"

"Mr. Druid, sir. Please relax and let me explain."

"That's Rutherford to you!"

"Yes, Rutherford. Please come with us. Your beloved is in danger. You're the only one who can save her."

"Well why didn't you say so before! Take me to her please!"

Sunset tried to walk towards her but collapsed. Anon quickly ran to her, propping her up on his shoulder.

"Novo? Can you stand?"

Novo pushed the body off her and got to her feet.

"I'm alright. It looks worse than it is."

When they made their way out of the mountain fortress they couldn't believe what they saw. All of the snow was gone, completely melted away. Now the land looked like a spring paradise. 

"What's with the surprised look on your faces for?" Rutherford asked

"This entire land used to be covered in snow." Anon explained "It'd been that way for a while apparently."

"A while?" he asked "How long has it been? I remember I sealed myself within the Leyline. That could be what caused the snowfall."

"I don't know how to tell you this Rutherford but... you've been incased in ice for nearly six centuries."

"Six centuries!?" he exclaimed "Surely you must be mistaken."

"Not mistaken, sir. The leyline combined with the curse essentially gave you everlasting life."

"Unfathomable... What of the Circle of Western Druids?"

"Long vanished I'm afraid. Every druid the mage world knew of vanished sometime three centuries ago."

"And my wife?"

"She's here. Well... somewhat. Whatever you did worked. It created a psudohuman. However we need you to revive her."

"Well we have no time to waste then. Let us go. We must make haste."

They took most of the day to get back. Rutherford went between deep curiosity about the events that had happened since then and complete silence and disbelief. One could hardly blame him. He may as well have woken up on another planet. 

"Rutherford?" Anon asked

"Yes m'boy?"

"Did you know of anyone by the name of Clover the Clever? Or Starswirl the Beared?"

He stroked his beard and thought for a while

"The names don't ring a bell I'm afraid. Though I did know of a child named Starswirl. But he was merely a baby, hadn't even grasped his first staff."

"I see. Thanks anyway."

Rutherford looked him curiously

"Boy. Who taught you?"

"Taught me?"

"Yes. Your female friend there. She said there were no druids left. Yet it's quite clear you possess druid magic, even if you are a complete novice by the looks of it."

"Wait... are you saying Clover's magic comes from druid magic?"

"I have not an idea of who that name belongs too. But if Clover was who taught you, they were a druid. An All-Nature druid by the look of it too, a rare gift."

"How can you tell?"

"Goodness boy, did your teacher not even teach you the basics? I can tell just from your aura."

"Well that's the thing... I'm the successor of a famous mage who went by Clover the Clever. She vanished three centuries ago and I somehow ended up with her crest."

"Crest? What on earth are you talking about?"

"A crest is a tool mages developed to pass down their knowledge and skills from heir to heir. It contains their memories and magic ability."

"Incredible! What a convenient tool!"

The group finally reached the old castle, Golem waiting in the same place they'd left him.

"My god. My castle is in shambles. A damn shame. It used to be a thing of beauty, a castle to put other castles to shame." he said "Tell me, where is my beloved?"

"Do my eyes deceive me? Is that Rutherford?" Golem exclaimed

"What is that abomination?" he asked in disgust

"We'll explain later. We must revive the princess." he rushed

They followed the clay creature to the graveyard and back into the crypt where the bones of the princess sat. The druid looked with a deep sadness.

"Do you know how to help her?" Novo asked

"Yes. I'm just..." he said "I'm just not sure I should."

"Why?"

"Well you saw why. Last time I did this I turned into a grotesque monster bent on destruction."

"You must." Sunset said "I know you've be hit with a lot of information today but it is critical she be revived. She could help us learn more about Clover the Clever and how to defeat Nightmare Moon."

"I don't know of who you speak of, but I can hear how big a threat this is in your voice."

He took a deep breath, and ripped a bone from his arm with his bare hand, placing it in the mouth of the skull.

"Stand back. I shall give my beloved life once more."
> The Princess Awakens, A Path Opens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A blinding light shone through the crypt. It was as if they were staring at the sun directly. As spontaneously as it had appeared, it vanished again. From Skystar's chest a glowing rose bloomed. Even thought it was coming straight through her body, there was no a drop of blood nor did the skin seem to actually break. It was ethereal almost. The princess opened her eyes.

"What?" she whispered "Where am I?"

"You're awake my love. You're awake."

Anon turned to see tears streaming down the druid's face and a large yellow-toothed grin. He gripped Skystar's soft youthful hand within his own crusty aged one.

"Who...?"  she asked "Who are you?"

"You don't remember?" he asked, doing his utmost to hide his disappointment "Tell us, what do you remember?"

"My name. My name is Skystar. I'm a princess of the Elk Kingdom. But beyond that... it's all blank."

"How can this be?" Anon asked "I saw you in the crest memories. You were around when Clover the Clever was. You must remember that name at least?"

"I'm afraid not." she said flatly "My name and my title are the only memories I have."

"It must've been that particular Forever Rose." Sunset said weakly "This Skystar may be the same body, but her mind has reverted to its base state. She's a homunculus after all."

"Damn it!" Anon cursed "She was the only lead we had here."

"There is another way, I think." Rutherford said "Tell me, is the Dragon King of Sgòthan still around?"

"Of what?"

"He's referring to what we call the King of the East." Rarity said "But he does have a good point. It's rumored that he figured out the secret to eternal life and has been around since around the time of Rutherford. However the kingdom is... less then welcoming to guests. Not only that, but the King himself hasn't been seen or heard from in near two centuries."

"He was said to have a library filled with rare and unusual items. One that could help us here is a thing called the Mask of Remembrance. It's said that whoever dawns it to physically relive lost or stollen memories. It should work on a  homunculus. The brain should still hold the memories provided it wasn't damaged. However there's one problem: it can only be used a single time. Seeing as it's been there for so long who knows if it still works."

Anon could feel Kovo's burning gaze from from behind him, cutting holes in his robe. Even though he wasn't in direct line of sight with her, it was as if she was making her intention physically felt without so much as moving a muscle. It was almost bone chilling.

"In the mean time though, I suggest we have ourselves a nice bath." Rutherford said, beating his chest with his fist twice

"A bath?" Sunset asked "At a time like this?"

"No better time to do it, especially in your cased. Now that the Leyline is open again we can use my special hotsprings. Not only is it nice and relaxing, but the mana from the Leyline tends to mix with the water. In other words, it'll be just the thing after that fight."

Sunset clutched her chest. He wasn't wrong. If she didn't get more mana soon she was liable to be completely drained of it entirely by the Greater Magic. Rutherford began to walk outside, prompting the rest to follow. It was a short trip from the castle, just ten minutes down a path. The spring was surrounded by large wooden spikes acting as a fence with a separated walk way.

"The left is for the ladies, the right for the men. Come, Anon."

"Right."

As they split into their gender segregated areas Anon caught one last glance at Novo. Once again she was starring daggers. He didn't want to have to think about it. Who's memories would he restore? What was the right choice? He couldn't think about it now.

Sunset settled into the hot springs. It’d felt like it had been ages since she just got to relax. She could feel the effects of spring immediately. The mana, now freely flowing from the Leyline, was mixing with the water, allowing her own mana to replenish at what felt like light speed. It was as if life was being absorbed into her pours. She turned her head to see Novo, still in her black assassin garb, waiting at the edge.

“What’s wrong, Novo?” she asked, “the water is perfect.”

Novo turn her head away, clutching the stump where her arm should have been.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed.” she assured her “I have a wound like that of my own.”

Sunset stood up showing the back of her naked body, charred from her shoulders to her hips. Kovo looked in amazement. 

“That burn. Something about it isn’t right.”

“Right you are. It’s the price you get for solar magic. It burns you to the very soul.”

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for. Come, join me.”

Novo reluctantly disrobed. Her small, frail body was covered in scars the most noticeable being one single scar that ran from her waist, up her belly, down each arm then around her shoulders and down her back. Sunset could tell what it was instantly. Surgery scars to reverse the direction of her magic circuits. It wasn’t a defect, but the product of a sick and twisted mind. Novo walked gently into the hot water, doing her best to get used to the sudden heat. She sat directly across from Sunset, never making eye contact. Even here she hadn’t left the battlefield. Her eyes darted from side to side, her body was tense, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. She sat in such a way that would allow her to jump onto dry land and into a fighting pose in the span of a few seconds. 

“Relax, won’t you? We’re safe here.”

Kovo jumped a bit

“Sorry. I didn’t even realize I was doing it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s all reflexive. All in-built.” Kovo stared at her hand pensively “It’s as automatic as it is to brush my teeth or use the restroom.”

“If we get the artifact, if we somehow recover your identity… what do you think you’ll do? If you remember your mission to kill the two of us, would you go through with it now?”

"You'd actually entertain the idea?"

"Yes. Thing is... I don't think we really need Skystar's first hand account, however useful it'd be. We were intending to find the crest memories without her anyway. I think Anon is just impatient. I don't blame him, but we did make a promise to you."

"You'd actually give it to me? Even considering the gravity of the situation?"

"I don't know. I'm just saying it's an option. But back to my original question."

Novo looked down

“I’m not sure." she said quietly "I never really thought about that.” 

“What will you do if the person you were wasn’t a good one?”

“I don’t know. I’d rather not kill again. Or fight at all, if I’m being honest. The whole process is so painful.”

“Tends to happen in a fight, yes.”

“No, I mean… every movement, every action hurts me.”

“From your mana you mean. Is it painful now?”

“No. well… not really. It’s just a dull ache right now. But when I’m actually in combat it’s searing. My arm feels like it’s filled with scalding hot razors trying to slice me open.”

“Well it’s said that Sgòthan is home to all knowledge, comparable to the King's Archives if not greater. Perhaps we can find something in there that will help you feel better, maybe return you to normal.”

“Normal?”

“I didn’t mean to cause offense.”

Kovo sank into the water a bit in a sulking manner.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. What are you hoping to get out of all this?”

Sunset looked at the starry night sky. She’d not thought of that. If they did win, if everything returned to how it was before what exactly was it that she planned to do? Go back to school? Settle down and have a family? Set out on her own to explore the world herself? She didn’t know.

“I couldn’t say. It never really crossed my mind.”

“You have no goal in mind?”

“None to speak of. I mean I’d like to finish school. Learn what I can about magecraft. But then what?”

“You’re a noble right?”

“Yes.”

“Why not take it easy? Live a life of leisure?”

“Because well… I can’t marry.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m cursed. And if I marry the one I love he’ll die within five years.”

“That’s a pretty steep price.”

Sunset lifted her hand up, staring at her crest faintly glow

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

The door opened to reveal Princess Skystar. She removed her clothes and got into the springs with them.

“Oh, Skystar. It’s good to see you.” Sunset said

“Likewise.” She muttered plainly

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes. I forget you aren’t accustomed to me. Since I’m a homunculus, my emotions aren’t well developed nor are my facial expressions.”

“Do you feel emotion?”

“Something akin to that.”

From the male half of the hot spring a loud booming laugh was heard. Sunset couldn’t help but be jealous. At least Anon had cheerful conversation material. However, Anon’s feelings couldn’t be further from that.

“Oh, come now boy!” Rutherford said, taking another big drink from his bottle of whisky “This is meant to be a celebration! Like the Spring Solstice or the Autumn Age Festival! Live a little!”

Anon just huffed a bit. He just wanted to relax after having the very same man knock him into a wall.

“I need my rest. We’ll be going to Sgòthan first thing tomorrow. I need to be rested for that. Speaking of should you really be drinking when we have such a big journey ahead of us?”

“Oh, I’m not coming.”

“Why not?”

“I’m returning to the home of my ancestors in the west. The home of the druids.”

“I have business too there as a matter of fact." Anon said "Would it be alright if I met you there after I finish my time in Sgòthan?”

“Of course, m’boy. As you don’t have a formal teacher, I’ll be more than happy too. In fact, I can give you your first lesson right now. In druid magecraft there is a basic concept called the Five Points.”

“I remember that. Clover spoke of them in a memory. Said she could use it to save the mage world.”

“Save the mage world, huh? Well, I don’t know if they’re quite that potent. They’re more like basic fundamentals. I’ll teach you the first point for you to practice. It’s something you can do without much input or assistance from me. The first point is a spell called Measga. All you have to do is thread your mana into nature and have them become a single force. There is one thing to be careful of however, the stronger the force of nature, the more it will try to control your mana instead. You can start by practicing on the stone here. I want you to draw out its memory, its emotion.”

"It's memory and emotion? It's a rock."

Rutherford scoffed, taking another big drink

"I see the mages of the current era have forgotten quite a bit."

"Actually, sir" he said "I'm not a mage at all. I used to be a mortal and somehow ended up with this magic crest without my knowledge."

"Is that right? Well all the more reason to learn then." he said "Now, try out Measga."

Anon picked up the stone in his hand

"Measga." he said

He felt something different instantly. It was like he was playing tug of war with his mana. The rock glowed a bright emerald green and he couldn't let it go. His fingers were glued to it.

"Steady now," he said "Don't try to overpower it. Get to an equilibrium, an understanding."

Slowly but surely he felt his mana and the lifeforce of the rock center. It was as though the two forces were becoming a single entity. The rock went from glowing bright emerald to being covered in veins of mana.

"Excellent, excellent! You're a natural m'boy! And now that you've done that, take a look at this."

Rutherfords arm flashed a bright red and he hit Anon so hard the water around him rushed back as if hit by a gust of wind. To his surprise, it didn't hurt at all. His skin wasn't bruised and he didn't feel so much as a pang of discomfort.

"Since your mana has become one with that rock, you've taken on properties of the rock and the rock in turn has taken on properties of you. This can be done with any substance, however organic ones are what work best. But keep in mind what I said: the stronger the force of nature, the easier it becomes to lose yourself to it."

"Incredible." Anon said "Thank you."

"Anytime. Do stop by when you've finished your time in Sgòthan. By the time you're done there I'll have restored the Western Circle to it's proper glory and we can begin training in earnest. A word of warning though: if you ever come in contact with king ask but two questions and two questions alone."

"Two questions? Why?"

"It's best I not tell you. It'd only serve to stress you out."

"Well that's pretty stressful if I do say so myself."

"Trust me, boy." he said heavily, finishing the bottle of whisky "There are things in life that one is better off not knowing, both spoken and experienced."

After the bath had concluded, Anon found Rarity waiting outside for him. She had a clear glare on her face.

"Did you use it?" she asked "The Eye?"

"Yes. Well... rather it activated without my input. It's how we were able to restart the Leyline."

Rarity let out a deep sigh

"I appreciate your honesty. However this means you can no longer be my student."

"Why?" he asked "I don't quite understand you."

"It's against the code. Anyone who uses cursed or hexed artifacts must be excommunicated. You're lucky I don't just abandon you entirely."

"Why are you so strict about this? I technically didn't use it at all. It literally acted on its own."

Rarity bawled her hand in a fist tightly and began marching away

"That will be all, Anon."

"So be it."
> I am a Rock
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had been flying in that carriage for what seemed like forever. Below them sand dunes and desert extend into the sunrise for what looked like forever. The group was unusually silent, but Anon didn't mind. It was nice to just stare out over the sand expanse.

"What on earth is that?" Novo asked

They all looked in the direction Novo was looking. It was a giant swirling sand storm. It looked like a hurricane, but more massive than any hurricane Anon had ever seen. It swirled for miles, five at least. Yet, strangely, it seemed completely static. Surrounding the massive storm was what looked like an ancient battlefield. Old, crumbling ruins were littered about along with what looked like rusty spears and armor.

"That is the reason nobody has heard from the king in over two hundred years." Rarity explained "According to the records, after a particularly grim battle in which no side was gaining ground, a giant sand storm rose from what seemed like nowhere. It's been there ever since. Anyone who's entered or has tried to disperse the storm has never been seen or heard from again."

Before anyone even had a chance to register the comment a giant burst of sand jutted from the storm, striking the side of the carriage, nearly knocking them out of the air. Then three more bursts of sand. The closer they got, the more aggressive the stand became until, finally, the carriage came crashing to earth. Anon screamed as he fell but before he knew it he'd stopped. Rarity was using a spell of light to gently bring them to the ground.

"What do we do now?" Novo asked

"We start walking." Sunset said

The storm was still a far way off. It'd take a day at least to get there by foot. Thankfully, however, the storm stopped spitting columns of sand at them. The heat was intense. It sucked every ounce of energy and enthusiasm out of his body. Novo seemed to be struggling too in that big black cloak she always wore. Not only that, she dawned her mask again. It was even creepier in the daylight. It was clearly made of human bone. The eye holes were made in such a way that there was only a small slit. Strangely though, Sunset and Rarity seemed unfazed by the oppressive heat.

"How are you," Anon gasped for breath. Even the air felt like it was on fire "How are you so calm in all this heat?"

Sunset looked shocked

"Oh my goodness. I completely forgot. Here."

Sunset pulled out her wand and tapped his head twice. Suddenly he felt an invigorating cooling sensation, like he was taking a nice cold shower. Anon breathed a sigh of relief.

"That feels incredible. How did you do that?"

"It's a simple spell many a mage learns as a child. It's very easy. All you need to is cast a shield of mana around you. Basically just thread your mana around your entire body to insulate it. Should be even easier for you since you don't use a wand."

"I'm surprised no one was really surprised by that."

"It was well known that Clover didn't use a wand in combat, though it was rumored she carried a tall white birch staff."

"A tall white birch staff huh?"

Anon remembered the vision. The woman was holding a staff of the same description. But she didn't look like Clover was described to look. It was said Clover had blonde hair, not green. If that wasn't her, who was she? Was she really some sort of god like Rarity said?

"You ok?" Sunset asked

"I'm fine. Just... thinking about something."

"Tell me about it."

"When Rarity preformed the Trial of Day with me I had a vision. It was the vision that led me to the Forever Rose and what's probably leading me here. There was a girl with a white birch staff but she doesn't have the same features that I've heard Clover was said to have."

"Interesting. What did she look like?"

"Green hair, green eyes. A halo above her head."

"That doesn't sound familiar, at least not in relation to any famous mages."

"Strange." Anon turned to Kovo "Are you alright?"

"I'm... fine."

"Here, let me help." Sunset said

As she pointed her want at Novo, she slapped her hand away

"Get that away from me."

"Kovo!" Sunset yelled "I was just trying to help."

"If you put your mana in me I'm going to be in extreme pain."

"Oh that's right..."

"I'm fine." she said "This is nothing."

"Don't you want to take off your cloak?"

"No."

They kept walking through the remains of the battlefield. It truly seemed like it was one bloody fight. Weapons were littering the field and they couldn't walk two steps without stepping on some heavily rusted armor. It looked like a might grinder. They walked until night fall, setting up camp just half a mile away from the never ending storm. Now Anon got to see what magic was truly capable of. Rarity pulled out what looked to be a large potion bottle filled with a glowing liquid. As she poured it on the ground, a tent sprouted up like a plant. Through the flap they walked into a mansion. It was a long hallway with a separate room for each member of the party. The walls were marble and lined with gold and the walkway had a nice red carpet. In each room was a nice big queen bed, a personal bathroom, an alchemy lab and a kitchen stocked full of food.

"My god, Rarity." Anon said "Where on earth did you get something like this?"

"It was a gift from my mentor. The best thing about it? Not only does it go back into the potion bottle after use, it takes on the shape of whatever I can imagine within three thousand square feet. It's a one of a kind gift. Took him years and years to create."

"You have good taste."

"Thank you."

Novo marched off without saying a word, claiming the room furthest down the hall to the right and shutting the door tightly behind her. They all looked at one another, not sure wether to leave her to her peace or to go after.

"Should I...?" Sunset asked

"I'll do it."

"If you say so. I'm going to go lay on a comfortable bed for once."

Anon walked down to the furthest room and knocked. No answer. He knocked again only to hear angry stomping to the door as it was flung open. A frizzy haired Kovo stood in the entry way, holding just one eye open.

"Is there something I can help you with? Or can I get back to napping?"

"Oh sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."

She grumbled, slamming the door in his face. Anon went into one of the unoccupied rooms. There was a window depicting a scene of a meadow. As he looked closer he swore he could see Rarity. But she was small, no more than ten or eleven and wearing a nice dress. The scene was frozen. There, Rarity had dropped some glass object, its contents all over the grass and an angry man yelling at her, pointing a finger in her face. She was half bent down, tears streaming down her face. Seems her mentor was even stricter to her than she was to him. He couldn't dwell on it though or, rather, he couldn't. As he fell asleep he had the strangest dream. It was the emerald haired woman again. She hovered above his sleeping body, looking down at him. Her smile was warm, almost like that of a mother lovingly gazing at her newborn. She stared for what seemed like forever and no matter how hard he tried, Anon couldn't move. After the longest time she reached into her robe pulling out a black orb with a glowing red feather suspended inside and placed it inside his pocket. It looked as though it were on fire. She gave a slightly more loving smile, as though she meant to say 'I'm so proud of you' after which he woke with a start.

"A dream?" he asked the air

He turned to his side only to feel something solid in his pocket. He scrambled to take it out. It was the ball with the feather. Was that real? What the hell was going on? He stood up and went outside his room. The first thing he saw was Novo in full assassins garb, clinging to the ceiling with her knife out.

"Novo!? What the hell-"

He was interrupted by a hard kick as she swung down.

"Novo!"

"Shut up!"

She put her hand over his mouth. That's when he heard it. People talking outside the tent. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but they were not voices belonging to Rarity or Sunset. Novo removed her hand from his mouth, putting a finger to her lips.

"I'll handle this." she whispered, gripping her knife again "stay right here. Don't move."

She moved completely silently to the opening of the tent then, quicker than light, bolted out. Anon heard yelling followed by the sound of throats being slashed. There was a loud call, followed by the sound of at least fifteen sets of footsteps running across the sand then, silence. Novo didn't return however, nor where Rarity or Sunset anywhere to be seen. Anon got to his feet and tip toed to the entrance, gazing through the crack. As soon as he did, however, a strong arm ripped him right out of the tent and onto the hot sand. He looked up at his assailant. He was built like a brick wall and wore a large white robe bearing a dragons face. He carried a rapier with an intricate guard at his waist and his face was completely obscured by the hood. Soon, two others wearing the same robe but in blue approached, stepping over the bodies of five other blue robed men. Victims of Novo's sneak attack no doubt.

"Take this one away. Put him in level three, cell five." said the man in white

"Sir!" 

The two others lifted Anon up by his arms. Anon struggled, managing to put his hands on the ground. He poured his mana into the ground, causing two tree branches to fire from the earth and knock the guards out cold. Anon dawned the coolest pose he could think of.

"It'll take more than that to stop me." he said 

The man in white was hardly amused. He unsheathed his rapier, revealing a beautiful gold blade.

"Seems we have a tough guy. Well, allow me to show you what a real mage can do."

Anon went to put his hands to the ground again. As his hands were half way to the ground, the man swiftly slashed his sword to the sky. The sword glowed and stand shot up where he slashed, hitting Anon straight in the chest and knocking the wind out of him. The sword itself as a wand. The man put his hood back revealing a bald head and a thick beard with a handlebar mustache.

"Listen here, boy." he said with force "My name is Igneous Rock, right arm of the King and his head executioner. My blade was made by him personally and commands the very desert itself. Make an attempt on my life again and I won't hesitate to kill you with my next strike. This is your only warning."

Anon stood there, frozen in fear. He knew he meant what he said. That attack was strong and he could feel him holding back. He knew if Igneous really wanted to, he could make the sand blow straight through his chest without so much as breaking a sweat.

"Now. Stand up and one of my guards will take you away. Don't even think about trying any funny business either. We have the other two women you were traveling with. And if you so much as look at my men wrong we'll make them a sacrifice to the King. Am I making myself clear?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Good. Now, take him away."

Two more guards appeared seemingly out of nowhere and lifted him up by his feet. As they did, the ball with the feather dropped from his pocket. Igneous eyes went wide.

"Where on earth did you get that?"

"I... I got it from a dream."

"Oh a clown, huh? Well then." he said, cracking his knuckles "Let's show him what we think clowns. Take him to my quarters. I want to deal with him personally."

The guards forcefully brought him to his feet and put him in chains. Another guard came down on a broom. They sat him atop it, shackling him to the stick in case he fell. The room blasted off like a rocket, going straight into the sand storm.
> The Nine Sisters of Avalon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vignette watched as this mis slowly began to part giving way to Avalon. The boat slowly puttered forward to the creepy looking island with Anon's school friends, Bonbon, Lyra, Trixie, and Coloratura on the hull. Flim stood by Valencia's side, his golden spear in hand. 

"Are you ready for this, my lady?" he asked

"Yes. I have no choice."

"Then I will steer us in. If you feel even a twinge of doubt, I'll turn the boat around."

"Thank you." she said "Flim?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"Because of my loyalty to Nightmare Moon. You know that."

"What makes you so loyal to her?"

"You ought to know that answer to that. She's charismatic, she's a natural born leader-"

"No, Flim." she said with a groan "I mean what inspired you to follow her in the first place?"

Flim looked surprised, stroking his chin

"What's with the sudden curiosity?"

"I just want to know. We could very well be condemned to a fate worse than death after this. I want to know why you'd risk that for me, even if it is in service of Nightmare Moon."

Flim walked to the side of the boat

"I and my brother were some of the few people left alive who knew what she was like before she turned into Nightmare Moon. She was a shy and awkward sort, normally kept her head down and didn't speak."

"Wait. So that means you knew Clover the Clever? And Celestia too. How on earth have you remained alive so long?"

"It's thanks to my brother. His vampire blood makes him practically immortal. He can still be killed by a sword to the gut like anyone else of course, but beyond that he'll live on eternally. When I was near death he gave me his blood, allowing me to stand here breathing today."

"How did that not make you a vampire as well?"

"It's due to my nature as a werewolf. Nobody knows why, but I can take on certain aspects of being a vampire like functional immortality without needing to drink blood or burning in the light of day."

"Incredible." she said

Flim didn't respond to that, instead just looking down.

"But anyway, continue." she urged

"The long and short of it is that she saved my brother and I. We grew up hard as orphans and she took us in, raised us. Even after she turned she never forgot that commitment to us. Deep down she's got a heart larger than life. To achieve her goals I will be called on, as well as my brother. And I will endure until then."

"What is her end goal?"

Flim looked at her for a while

"It's... not a thing I fear you could understand."

"Try me."

"Her goal is to eradicate magic from this world. She will call upon the devil to bring upon the end of magic."

"The devil..." Valencia said, remembering back to the time they freed Songbird "She spoke about that. But eradicate magic? Why do such a thing?"

"Because magic is a force of evil and cause of conflict. Despite what we're taught, magic time and time again has been used to wage horrific wars and allowed people to engage in evil experimentation. Man is not ready for this power."

"How does she plan to do that?"

"That is a question for Nightmare Moon, herself. Even I am not fully aware of the plan, only that at some point in the future I will be asked to give my life to see it realized."

Vignette clenched her fist

"Does she plan to ask me to do the same? What happens if I don't want to give up my brithright?"

"I won't lie. Either myself or one of Nightmare Moon's warband will be forced to kill you."

"Well.. let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Lets."

The boat parked just off the shore of the island allowing her to get a good picture of it for the first time. It was covered in tall green trees and plants, completely overgrown. It was hard to believe that the nine most powerful witches to have ever lived in a place like this. The two of them got out and walked into the dense tree line. The trees and plants seems to part of their own accord, making a clear path. No doubt they knew they were here. They followed the path to its destination, listening to the sound of the various animals singing their songs. At the end of the path they saw what looked to be a a large stone longhouse with a roof of hay. It was something straight out of the middle ages. As Vignette caught sight of it, she felt a deep chill corse down her spine. She remembered all the stories she was told about them as a kid. How any deal with them ended in disaster. How they condemned people to horrible and grim fates like skinning them alive or feeding them to wild dogs or worse. She was sure whatever deal they preposed, she'd come out the loser and lose majorly. But she couldn't bring herself to stop, even if every bone, ever nerve in her being wanted her to run away and not look back. She and Flim walked to the door and knocked. A voice came from just past the trees.

"Well girls, it seems our guest has arrived a tad early hasn't she?" a voice giggled

"Yes. Shall we great her?" another said

"Don't play games with me." Vignette said, trying to hide the shaking in her voice "My name is Vignette Valencia, rightful heir to the throne. I have fulfilled my end of the bargain and demand you do the same."

"So demanding." a third voice said

Three figures emerged from the tree line wearing pitch black cloaks and large pointy witch hats. There was a tall one, standing at least fifteen feet tall with a large oak staff, a second one stood at her shoulders, looking to be mid twenties, and a short one that couldn't be more than a teen. But Vignette knew better. They were notorious tricksters, able to shape shift into whatever form suited them best. Some theorized they were not human at all, but demons who dawned human flesh.

"Greetings." the tall one said "Allow us to make introductions. My name is Autumn Blaze. The one beside me is Lemon Zest. And of course, our youngest sister, Radiant Hope. I presume you've got the friends of the Clover's Successor?"

Valencia felt her self begin to shake. Two of the most dangerous sisters stood before her. Autumn Blaze was the second oldest and was said to command the very concept of poison and plague. It was thought one of her main hobbies was sending her rats to infest villages with the black death, just for her own amusement. Lemon Zest was thought to be fifth oldest and was nicknamed 'queen of the dead'. King Arthur himself had to fight off an army of corpses she raised nearly ten thousand strong. Even the most accomplished mages of this age or the previous ones had trouble maintaining more than ten thralls at a time. Not only that, Zest was the only mage known to be able to bring the dead's personality back, and thus have them able to use their own magic abilities. Radiant Hope, however, had made little mark.

"As agreed. They're in the boat off the shore. You can retrieve them as soon as you give me the information I need."

Vignette blinked and suddenly all of Anon's friends were at the feet of the sisters. She turned her head to side to side in shock. She didn't even feel so much as a change in the air current.

"I'd suggest you watch your tongue lady." Autumn said "You're liable to bite it off making demands like that."

"We are not vassals of your court, nor servants of the house." Lemon Zest continued "You shall address us with the respect we're owed."

Vignette couldn't hold back the shakes now. It was as though they exuded an aura of malice and murder. 

"N-now," he teeth chattered "How do I become queen?"

Autumn pointed left her arm extending far longer than any human arm should be able to.

"The west." Autumn said

"Head to the west and find the Tomb of the Old Lords." said Zest "There everything will be made clear."

"This isn't what we agreed. You said you'd tell me how to beco-"

In the blink of an eye, Autumn's face was right against Valencia's, with a look of anger and hatred.

"You don't make the rules here, welp. Make a demand of us again and I'll use your eyes for my broth."

Her heart rate sky rocketed and she went like a deer in the headlights. For the first time in her life, the great Vignette Valencia was scared stiff.

"Now. Off!" she yelled, waving the staff in her face

Her yelled sent a shockwave, shaking the trees and plants across the entire island. She and Flim made haste back to the boat and quickly sped off. The moment they were far enough away, Vignette sank to the ground and sobbed. By pure coincidence, Nightmare Moon was just arriving, spying the boat in the distance. She touched down in the same place Valencia had arrived, hopping off Discord who promptly turned back into a human form. Nightmare Moon took a deep breath, feeling the vibrant air fill her lungs for the first time in centuries.

"How many centuries has it been?" she asked herself

"Not enough if you ask me." Discord replied

"Well we can't turn back now. Let's go." she said

They began walking down the same path Vignette had treaded through not minutes earlier. Nightmare looked back to discord, a finger on her jaw.

"By the way. Have we heard back from Tempest Shadow yet? I sent her out to do some recon on Anon's group."

"We haven't in days no that you mention it."

"That's troublesome. Anyone we can spare to check on her?"

"No one we have that's capable of finding her. We'll just have to hope for the best unless we go after her ourselves."

"We'll have to do that then. But first, the Sisters."

In the west, Adagio, Sonata, and Aria had made a camp by the old fortress, atop the side of a mountain that overlooked the place. The fort itself was built into the side of the mountain adjacent, consisting of a tall outer wall, a large courtyard, and a giant tower. Despite it being abandoned for thousands of years, the stone hadn't so much as chipped or cracked. It looked as though it hadn't been deserted for more than a few hours. The three hadn't made camp in the fort due to the powerful magic barrier that surrounded the place. No mage had yet been able to break it down. No doubt Anon would be able to, if anyone could.  Adagio sat looking at it as the sun sank into the horizon. There was something so peaceful about the whole thing, so quiet. Her ears perked up. Quiet. In a forest. She listened as hard as she could. Even with her specialized siren ears, ears that could hear for miles off even in her human form, for any sound. Nothing. No pattering of small creature paws, no insect wings buzzing, no fish splashing in the pound near the fort. Dead silent. Adagio got chills down her spine. Something was very, very wrong. She turned to her sisters.

"Sonata, Aria. Be on alert."

"What's wrong, Adagio?" Sonata asked innocently

"Listen. Do you hear that?"

Sonata tilted her head up and cupped her ear

"I don't hear anything."

"Exactly. It should be far more active right now."

Aria looked around as a thick gust of wind blew from what seemed like nowhere, extinguishing the fire. They all stood up, looking in the direction of the gust to see two glowing blue eyes in the darkness. All of Adagio's hairs stood on end. She could vaguely make out the shape of the creature lurking in the trees. It was a wolf, and a big one at that.

"Aria. Sonata. Stay close to me. It's the Amarok."

Sonata began to shake.

"Y-you mean," she gulped "The giant wolf from the Abyssal Trench that eat's hunters who travel alone and is impervious to magic?"

"The very one."

The Amarok slowly walked out of the shade of the treeline and into the light of the moon. It was huge, taller than all three of the girls standing atop the others shoulders and looked as thought it were made of some ethereal substance. The Amarok was an ancient beast, probably one of the first creatures to ever escape the Abyssal Trench and make its way into their world. The druids had worshiped it as thought it was a forest god and made regular offerings in its honor. It lifted it's head into the sky and let out a loud, sinister howl.

"W-what do we do Adagio?" Aria asked

They couldn't run. The wolf was connected with the woods itself, being known to teleport from point to point in seconds completely silently. But any magic based attack would simply course through it's half-corporeal form. They would have to fight it head on, a beast no man nor mage had bested in combat since it appeared.

"We fight. Let us sing."

They nodded. They began singing their sacred song. As they did so they began to transform into hideous beats. They looked like giant sea horses with fish tails, two horse legs, and the upper half of their bodies. The wolf waited patiently for the transformation to be complete, as though it were trying to respect some ancient code of honor. As soon as they were fully transformed, the wolf took and aggressive stance and charged. The girls dodged and each tried to strike it simultaneously. It was futile. The Amarok dodged with ease. It was far faster than the girls could ever hope to be. Aria began to sing again, using her special song-based magic to form a beam of light at the Amarok. Like Adagio had warned, however, the beam simply went right through it's body as if it weren't there at all. They were powerless.

"We have to run!" Sonata yelled, turning around

"No, Sonata don't!"  

But it was too late. Fear had completely gripped Sonata and she began to race away. In the blink of an eye, the wolf had teleported on top of her, its jaws open, ready to tear her throat right out. It let out another sinister howl before going for the final strike.

"Conalteadh!" a voice yelled from the distance

The wolf glowed bright yellow for a moment and stopped, its jaws just centimeters from piercing Sonata's neck. Adagio and Aria looked to see who spoke. It was an old man with a beautiful fair skinned, autumn haired woman who appeared to show no emotion whatsoever. The old man had a large staff made of various animal bones with its tip consisting of elk antlers.

"Amarok." the man said with a powerful voice, slamming his staff into the ground "By the name of Rutherford, I demand you cease. An offering shall be made in three days time at this exact spot twice that of the girls."

Amarok looked at Rutherford and made a slight nod, vanishing into the night as quickly as it appeared. The sounds of the forest came back just as instantaneously. For now, the beast had left.

"Well if this isn't a surprise." he said, stroking his beard "Three sirens on sacred druid ground in a part of the world they aren't native too. To what business do you have here?"

"Who in the world are you?" Adagio asked "How did you get the wolf to stop attacking."

"My name is Rutherford, this is my wife Skystar. As for how I got Amarok to stand down, I simply used one of the five basic druid spells to channel the voice of nature through my throat. I will need to keep my promise however, that trick won't work twice." he said "But I forget myself. Who are you?"

The girls looked at one another, not sure what to say.

"How about this: You tell me your names and I'll give you shelter in Chalach, that fortress you see there."

"You can break the seal?"

"Why of course I can. Any druid worth his salt could do it with his eyes closed. Unless of course you want to spend the night with ole Amarok again."

Adagio sighed. They had no choice. The three began reverting into their human forms.

"My name is Adagio, the one with pig tails is Sonata, and the one who nearly got eaten is Sonata."

Sonata rushed to Adagio's side, hugging her tight.

"Adagio!" she cried, tears running down her face

"Shhh. There there. It's alright."

"Come with me then." said Rutherford "I'll give you protection and a place to stay on one condition: you help me prepare the offering to Amarok."
> The Dragon King
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anon woke with a start and looked around. He was in a jail cell, his arms and ankles bound in chains. Did he pass out? He ran through all he remembered. He remembered the camp. Fighting Igneous. Then flying into the storm. But after that it was all just a blur. He rubbed his head and looked at his chest in the dim candle light. His entire left breast we black. It wasn't a bruise or a burn, it was as if his skin was that of a corpse. He looked around worriedly.

"Hello?" he called out "Is there anyone there? Hello? I need help!"

A man in fine silk robes came to his cell

"Well, well. The thief awakens. Good. Igneous wants to give you his special treatment."

"Did you do this?" he said, pointing to his chest

"Quiet, prisoner."

All of a sudden he began to go into a fit of coughing. the kind of violent coughing that makes one's back ache. The man unlocked his cell. Anon steadied himself. Now was his chance. As soon as he grabbed his shoulders, Anon went to use his magic. Nothing happened. He tried and tried but no matter how hard he focused, no magic would come forth.

"Trying to use your magic on me, eh?" the man laughed "save it. Those shackles are made special. They are made of a material the disrupts the flow of mana. No matter how hard you try, you'll not be able to focus your mana strongly enough to make anything happen."

Anon began coughing violently again, not being able to stand. The man forcefully moved him to his feet and dragged him across the hall and into a large office. It was nothing short of impressive inside. The walls were lined with red velvet and the floors were white marble. Igneous sat at his immaculate wooden desk in purple robes similar to guard. Above his head was a small gold statue of a dragon eating its own tail.

"Good. Sit him down. I'll take it from here."

"Sir!"

The guard sat him in a chair in front of the desk and departed and Igneous lit up a long pipe.

"What is your name?"

"Don't have one."

He got up and walked over to Anon

"Let me clue you in on something, Mr. Don't Have One."

Igneous punched him in the gut so hard he coughed up bile

"I'm not much a fan of jokes. So I'll ask again."

He punched him again so hard his head began to swim

"What is your name?"

"Anon." he said "Anon E. Mouse."

"There see? That's better." he began to pace, taking a puff of his pipe "Mr. Mouse. How did you come in possession of one of the king's feathers?"

"King's feathers?"

Another hard punch

"I thought we reached an understanding. I do not like jokes."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Anon said in between coughs

"Really? So you're telling me you have a feather said to grant life eternal, a feather only found on dragon's wings and you don't know what it is or how you found it, is that right?"

He kicked the chair down and slammed his kneed into his stomach. Anon coughed so hard he felt his lungs might burst.

"That's quite the cough you have there." Igneous said

"Yes." he replied "I just got it."

"Where did you get the King's Feather?" he asked again "The thing you had in your pocket."

"I Listen to me I'm the successor to Clover the Clever. Clover gave that to me in a dream. It is absolutely crucial I speak to the Dragon King. I was told he knew Clover personally."

Igneous sighed

"It seems you like getting kicks to the stomach. Are you a masochist of some stripe?"

"I can prove it. Let me show you my crest. Nightmare Moon has returned and she'll kill us all if we don't act soon."

Igneous looked worried all of a sudden

"Nightmare Moon?"

"Yes. Please, I must speak to the Dragon King."

Igneous began to pace back and forth

"If what you are saying is true this is indeed troubling. But I must verify this is true. Come."

Igneous walked to the door and two guards came to his side

"Walk this one to interrogation room seven."

"Sir!" they said in unison

Once again Anon was picked up forcefully and dragged into a room down another hallway. This room was completely see through. As he entered, the shackles were undone and he was locked inside. Igneous looked through the glass.

"If you are indeed the successor of Clover the Clever, I ask you show your crest to us and preform life magic. If you do that then we may believe your claims."

"Gladly."

Anon held up his right hand and the emerald clover shimmered brightly, then placed it on the ground causing grassing to grow from nowhere. Through the glass there was a lot of nervous whispering.

"We believe your claim. For now though, you will have to keep a bracelet on at all times that prevents any use of magic. If you do that, we can grant you audience with the Dragon King."

"And my friends?"

"They will be kept as insurance in case you try to double cross us. Please understand, for all we know you could be some bandit who somehow stole it from someone else."

"Fine. But you better not lay one hand on any of them. Or I'll show you Clover's power personally."

Again, Igneous and the guards nervously whispered to one another. They unlocked the cell and attached a metal bracelet on his wrist.

"Follow me please." Igneous said

They travelled down a few sets of stairs and through a large iron door. Anon couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was beautiful. A vast, sprawling kingdom with giant stone buildings, some of which were the size of sky scrapers. In the distance was an imposing castle that looked much like ancient Japanese castles. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Igneous asked 

"Its more than beautiful."

"It was our king's last wish. He used his power to save use from the Great Calamity and give us an oasis."

"The Great Calamity?"

"Yes. Shortly after Clover vanished, everything began to go into chaos. First the Leylines closed, then all hell broke loose. Earthquakes across every corner of the world, tsunamis crashing into shores of every continent, tornados and hurricanes. It was if the world itself was imploding."

Igneous and Anon walked through the path up to the castle. Just before reaching it was a large golden statue of a well built man holding up a large pole arm.

"Who's that?"

"The king before he transcended human flesh. He, along with his brother, became the first humans to become dragons."

"You talk as if they're gods." 

"Some say they're angels. They're immortal and wise beyond measure. They're also beings that, when driven to ire, cannot be stopped."

"Let's hope I don't anger your king then."

"For your sake, I hope not."

They traveled past large iron gates and into a giant garden filled with fruits of all types. Past this grand garden was the castle, adored in nothing but black and white and crawling with guards in armor. Everything about the castle was nothing short of spectacular. Rare paintings, priceless artifacts, fine silks and marble. It was the picture of wealth. The throne room managed to be even better than the rest. It extend for fifty feet and was lined with tall golden columns, a guard standing by each one armed with large axes. At the end was a large stage with drapes of red silk. A outline was visible showing the visage of a man. Igneous bowed.

"My lord." he said "I bring troubling news."

"Speak." said a loud, booming voice

"This man claims to be the successor of Clover the Clever. He claims Nightmare Moon has arisen from her grave as prophesied."

There was a long pause before the outline got up and marched forward through the drapes. A blonde haired man emerged in a large red and gold cloak. His face showed an expression of bewilderment through his long gold beard.

"Is this true?" he said, now in a more human and measured voice

"Yes, my lord. He even demonstrated his ability to use Life Magic."

The king paused and waved his arm.

"All but Igneous and the Successor are dismissed." he said "We are not to be disturbed."

The guards, as well as several women, all made haste out of the chamber, closing the large doors behind them.

"So," the king began "This man claims to be the successor to my dear friend."

"You knew Clover?"

The flames from the torches flared with ferocity and the king slammed his foot to the ground. 

"Do not interrupt me, worm. You will only speak when spoken too!"

The king fixed his robes and started again

"If this is true, it can only mean one thing. Nightmare Moon has beset the world again, threatening to awaken the Devil within the Core to destroy creation. Is this accurate?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure what you mean by the Devil within the Core."

"Can you not see into Clover's past? Can you not see the devastation Nightmare Moon caused?"

"I've gotten glimpses. But, you see, I'm a mortal. I barely learned the fundamentals of magic not a month ago."

The king began to pace, his shoes slightly clicking against the marble floor.

"I find your story hard to believe. Clover? Giving her crest to a mortal? A mortal who can use complex magic after a month of basic training and was seen with one of the feathers of my wings? The very feather I had left in her care and have sought out for years and given to you in a dream?"

The king abruptly stopped and then began to burst out laughing.

"It's all so ridiculous that only the mind of Clover could've imagined it. Even in death she hasn't changed. Igneous, you may release his bind. Send word to release his friends as well. Send them to the royal guest room. Henceforth they will be treated the respect and authority due my royal advisors."

"Yes your majesty." Igneous said with another bow

"Now, come. We have much to discuss."

They began to walk down a side hall

"What about Novo?"

"Of whom do you speak? Another one of your friends?"

"Yes. She escaped into the desert by the sound of it. She was dressed in black, had a skull mask with a horn."

"You're traveling with one of the King's assassins? Your story becomes more amusing by the minute."

"She probably still thinks you're after her. I need her with me if I'm going to be able to defeat Nightmare Moon."

"Very well. I shall send for her."

They stopped at a large ornate door and the king unlocked it. Inside was a large office with two giant bookshelves on either side and a purple silk carpet leading to a glass desk. They both stepped inside.

"This is a nice office."

"Listen." the King said seriously "You are in grave danger coming here."

"Why do you figure?"

The king sat at his desk and rested his chin on his hands.

"Things are not as they appear. The Great Calamity changed the world more than most know. Only a handful of people have recollection of what it was like before it occurred."

"What are you saying? And who knows?"

The king sighed

"It's not so simple. I am one who still has memories from before then. However, the very act of telling you these memories would completely destroy the world, the fabric of reality itself would collapse."

"Destroy the world? You're not making any sense."

"There are five who know of what I call the Old World: Myself, Nightmare Moon, and the Three Sisters of Avalon."

"Three? I was told there were Nine."

The king sighed

"I mustn't tell you more. However, you crest memories. You say you've been having difficulty accessing them?"

"Yes. It's just random flashes."

"It makes sense. Clover is trying to prevent the world from inverting in on itself."

"You talk as if she is still alive."

"In a way she is." he said "I know where the truth lies. However you and you alone are the only one who can see it. It seems you can view the past without damaging reality as we see it."

"It sounds crazy but I guess I don't have much choice do I?"

"None at all."

"What can you tell me?"

"The world we live in is a lie, a fabrication. Once the veil is stripped away, hell will once again fill the world. I pray you learn to fix it when the time comes."

"Where do I go?"

The King suddenly shot up

"Quiet now. We're being watched."

Anon looked around and saw nothing.

"Come now. I must show you to your quarters."

The King put his arm on Anon's back. He felt something slip into his back pocket. As they walked back down the hall, the King tapped him twice on the shoulder began to talk louder than usual.

"As you can see, these tapestries were made in nymph silk and the paintings used with paint shipped all the way from the west. I was given the recipe from the King's Royal Archive. It was mixed with the black ink found only in the Avalon and invented by a Green Knight."

He was silent the rest of the way until they reached a large guest house on the west side of the castle.

"Now Clover's Successor. I pray and trust you get the rest you require. I'd make sure to double check all your bags so as not to forget anything. And whatever you do, do be sure not to stare too long in the mirror as it may be a health hazard. An adage of my people you see."

Anon closed the door behind him. Nothing about this was right. Why we he going on about nonsense? Anon reached in his pocket to see the King had slipped him a note.

"This place is no oasis but a prison. I am being held captive here by Nightmare Moon herself and have been for centuries. Trust no one for all among you are informants. You must escape at all costs."

The second he finished reading it the not burned to ash in his hand.
> They Will Know Fear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just my luck, Novo thought sitting atop a rock overlooking the sand storm. How was she supposed to get inside now? The guards had stopped coming after her and the one she managed to keep alive for information was under some sort of hex that made his tongue unable to give relevant information. It was powerful ancient magic. She'd not be deterred. She'd just have to wait. She'd find a way in sooner or later. Night fell shortly. Novo could survive this climate as easy as she could breathe. She had procured food, made a shelter and found a wellspring of water in just a few hours. She lifted off her mask and looked carefully at the inside. It was the one piece of her memory she had left. Carved in to the bone was an inscription that read "Beneath the clocktower, Midnight. Nov. 3rd." She had not an idea what it meant or the significance of the date. Yet there it was all the same. No matter how much she thought, how much she strained through her mind she could not remember anything past the time she woke up beside Anon and Sunset. That artifact that had the ability to restore memory, it was the only way. She didn't care the world was at stake, didn't care that everything could be ruined because of her. She had to remember who she was before. Why she had the body she had. 

In the distance she could see what appeared to be a group of people walking towards her. She pulled a knife from her pocket, ready to strike. She watched every movement closely. It wasn't right. This wasn't the movement of an organized military squad come to dispatch or capture her. At head head of the group appeared to be a woman. Judging by her gait, she had to be at least sixty or seventy. Surrounding her were about thirty other men and women varying from their teens to their twilight years. Novo put her knife back in her pocket but kept her hand on its handle. She couldn't be too careful.

"Young woman!" the head of the group called out "Young woman! What is it you're doing out there?"

"You first."

"We are taking the sacred walk of our ancestors. We'd love another person to walk with us, if you're up to it."

Just as she thought. Just harmless locals.

"No thanks. I'm busy."

The old woman drew closer, the light of her large staff finally giving her defined features. She looked Novo over a few times and the crowd behind her began erupting into hushed whispers.

"My, my. What is a member of the Salachar Tribe doing all the way out here? And why have I never heard of you?"

"The what tribe?"

"Girl how on earth did you not realize?"

With a slow brush of her staff, the world's colors became inverted. That's when she saw it: on her stomach was a triangle with three circles at each of the points. She waved the staff again and the colors returned to normal. Novo backed up a step, almost as though she were in fear.

"W-what was that? What did you do to me!?"

"Nothing. I merely made visible the imprint on your soul. It is that of our people. It's ancient practice for every member to receive that mark once they've proven themselves worthy members."

Novo stared in disbelief. 

"Come. Walk with us. I am Clan Chief Saffron Masala." she said "What is your name child?"

"Novo." she said "My name is Novo."

In the far west, Rutherford and Skystar were taking shelter in the old druid fort, all while in the company of their enemy. Rutherford had lit a giant bonfire in the center courtyard and went off to do heaven knows what while Skystar stayed with the three Sirens.

"So tell me," Skystar said in her usual monotone voice "What are three Sirens doing so far out west? I thought Sirens preferred the wet swamps to the south."

"Yeah well uh.. funny story about that." Adagio began

"We were sent here by-" Sonata interrupted 

Aria quickly shoved an elbow into her blue-haired sister's rib cage

"Ow!" Sonata yelped

Aria gave an angered look

"Sent here?" Skystar asked

"Yes." Adagio continued with a nervous smile "We were sent here by our uh... father to gather..."

Adagio quickly looked around for something to "gather"

"Bark! Tree bark."

Skystar starred at the trio without a single emotive response

"Eh are you ok?" Aria asked "I don't want to be rude, but you are rather... unexpressive."

"Yes." she said simply "I'm a homunculus. Expressing emotion is not something I'm able to do."

There was a long, awkward silence before Rutherford came back to the fire. He was dressed in all new robes. These were green woven with various animal bones and tree branches at the legs and arms. He wore a tall hat made entirely of stone and on his back carried at least six different staves.

"Enjoying yourselves?"

"Yes I suppose." Aria muttered

"Good. Well while I was away I managed to get something to eat." He said "Here take one, each of you."

He pulled out a stone platter full of cut slices of fish, cooked to perfection. Sonata looked mystified.

"Wait you mean I can just have this?" she said as the platter was passed to this

"Why of course you can." Rutherford said

"I don't have to fight you for it?"

Rutherford let out a might laugh, pulling a bottle of wine seemingly from out of his sleeve

"Not unless you want to of course. But I've a feeling the fight wouldn't be very fair."

Sonata looked as though she had just been given all the money in the world. She dug in with a mighty hunger, wolfing the slice down within seconds. Rutherford looked at the other two sisters.

"Well? What are you waiting for? I caught that fish on my way here and prepared it as I walked. You simply must have it."

Adagio and Aria looked at each other and at the fish before digging in as well.

"Odd aren't they?" Skystar remarked

"Now it's a party!" Rutherford said, pouring himself a glass of wine into a goblet he pulled from his other sleeve "Too your health, ladies."

He drank it down and let out yet another mighty laugh

"Come. We shall partake in dancing."

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Adagio said

"Come, come." he urged "We have hard work tomorrow. We must take this time to let lose. Here, have a drink I insist! A better wine you'd not drink in all of Europe."

"Europe?" Sonata asked

"What do you not know where it is you are?"

"We're not in Europe." Adagio said "We're in the Polaris Interim. It was created after the Great Calamity and Clover's disappearance."

"The what?" he asked "Clearly things have changed since I've been away."

"Yes. But any more than that I couldn't tell you. No many records exist of the time before the Great Calamity, or even what it was exactly."

Skystar looked as though she'd been struck by a bullet. She clutched he hair and images flashed through her mind. Knights bearing the crest of three crows flooded into a garden full of roses. There was a fire. A golden haired woman stood in their path but was cut down. As a sword was about slice her chest, the woman picked up a rose, calling out a enchantment that turned it a beautiful multicolor. It was then she blacked out.

"Skystar!" Rutherford yelled, bringer her back to life "Get a hold of yourself."

"I'm sorry. I... I think I remembered something. Something from my past."

"What was it?"

"It was back at the Elk Castle," she said, recounting the flash of memory

"Then we must get that Rose back whatever the cost. Perhaps even attack Nightmare Moon directly."

"That wouldn't be a good idea!" Adagio blurted out

He give her a skeptical look

"Why ever not? Surely a druid alone would be enough, much less a druid with three sirens in tow."

"She has a warband she travels with. Fearsome people. I've heard rumors of brothers. One is a werewolf and the other a vampire."

Rutherford stroked his beard

"A terrifying pair indeed, especially when working together. Fine. I shall await Anon's return then and train him to be a proper druid like myself. If he can be half the man I am, we'll be an unstoppable force."

"So Anon is coming here? When?"

"Whenever he concludes his business with the Dragon King. I just pray he can." 

Anon sat on his bed clutching his chest. The pain was unreal. No doubt connected too whatever black mark was there. There as a knock on the door. He could barely lift himself up to answer. A pair of twin maids stood in the doorway, behind them, the rest of Anon's friends minus Kovo.

"Anon?" Sunset asked "Are you alright."

"I'd be lying if I said yes." he said, gasping for air

The two maids lifted Anon by each arm

"We'll treat you. However it's best we stay here for now. Night is falling."

They carried Anon to the bed and lay him down

"Night?" Rarity asked "What's the harm in that?"

"It's when the mage killer comes out again."

"Yes. As the name suggests, he kills anyone who practices magic. He makes regular attempts on his majesties life but, as he is immortal, they are in futility. However since you showed up we fear he'll strike you instead."

"How long has this been an issue?"

"Since this haven was constructed. Perhaps you've heard of him. He's the infamous Mage Killer."

"Wait a minute..." Sunset said "The one that killed an estimated 50 mages in the Magic Golden Age and was never caught?"

"The very same."

"How is that possible?"

"Anyone who is a permanent residence here cannot die. We call it the King's Blessing. He is one such residence."

They removed Anon's shirt to see the black mark. It was even worse than last time, moving to cover the right half of his ribs and a good section of shoulder.

"Anon!" Sunset gasped "How long has this been there!?"

Anon let out a few coughs

"I noticed it first when they took me into the prison."

"Without a doubt it's black magic." Rarity said "It must've occurred when that relic Anon used to free the Druid activated. I told you it was a mistake to bring it along."

Anon let out a few more coughs. It was as if whenever it was exposed to open air the symptoms were worse.

"I don't have the energy to argue." He said "What's done is done. What do we do?"

"First we need to figure out what it is." Sunset said, holding out her wand

Her wand's tip lit up and she scanned the effected area

"Well Rarity was half right. The artifact did cause this, but it wasn't the main source. The hexed artifact awakened something previously dormant inside Anon. Whoever put it there seemed to have wanted it to go off at a set time. In other words, this was all one bad accident."

"A set time?" Anon asked "Who would do something like that?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Can you cure it?"

"Maybe. I'll have to run some tests first." she said "Just hold still. This may hurt a bit."

Nightmare Moon stepped out of the portal, Discord by her side. So many centuries since she'd seen the human world. Her warband kneeled down before her, their hard work done. With the two laylines opened and some connections made, the start of her plan could now begin. With a snap of her fingers, she dawned an intimidating armor set colored blue and purple, her face obscured by her a jagged mask.

"For too long we have suffered on the yolk of mortal oppression." Nightmare began "For too long we've had to hide inside an pocket universe, trapped inside a completed world. For too long we've had to decline while the humans have prospered. Well I say, no more. They shall pay in blood and more for the crimes their ancestors committed. They shall remember why it was humanity feared the world Witch and cursed the word magic in the first place. They will know fear like they've never imagined, a fear they will never forget."

her warband cheered at her words

"This is but the first step. Once the last two laylines are opened, the world will be as it once was. Magic and humanity will once again join and the Devil will be aroused from its slumber. So too, will the Greater Magic. To prepare for this time we must ready the artifacts that will allow us to make a request of the Devil. And finally this world will bend to our will. We will create a world worth living in dying in."

Nightmare Moon walked past her followers

"All those who wish to turn back must do so now. Anyone who betrays me going forward shall see no mercy and be giving no quarter."

Not a soul raised their voice in reply. She pulled a staff from her back and slammed it to the ground, a purple magic circle lighting beneath her feet.

"Good." she said, a wicked smile forming on her face "Then let us start with a bang."
> Opening Salvo
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She stared at the picture of her brother. It had been nearly two months since he went to that strange bus stop and he vanished. the policed gave up their search a week ago. They said to her and her mother 'it was as if Anon has simply gotten onto the bus and vanished into thin air.' She dread to think what might have happened to him. Kidnapped no doubt. And the last words between them were a fight. If she could take it all back she would have just to see him one more time. She turned and looked out the window to a strange sight. It was a woman in armor surrounded by robbed men and women. She held a staff and banged it to the ground. Like magic, an intricate circle lit beneath her as if from no where. All she heard were the words 'then let us start with a bang' before the ground began to shake. She opened the window and looked above, not believing what she was seeing. The vast night sky above her was opening into a large black void. Not the kind of void that is characteristic of space, there was not a single star shining. Just vast black emptiness. Then something came flooding out. She had to squint to really see what it was. Creatures. Demons. Grotesque beasts with long fangs, sharp claws and wings. She called down to the woman.

"What the hell did you do!?"

The woman turned to her and looked her up and down closely. A man with red hair whispered something into her ear.

"You're right Flam. The resemblance is striking." she looked at the girl "Girl. What is your name?"

"Anna E. Mouse."

"Sister to Anon E. Mouse?"

Her face went white as a sheet. Was this who was responsible for his disappearance?

"What did you do with him!?"

"Flam. Take her away please."

"Yes, my lady."

She watched as the man turned into smoke and appeared behind her

"Keep her out of harm. We may be able to use her as leverage."

"Yes, my lady."

She struggled but his grip was like that of a steel vice.

"Count yourself lucky." he said "For now you'll be spared the pain and agony all mortals rightfully deserve."

"Mortals!? What are you talking about!?" Anna yelled "You're crazy!"

"You'll learn soon. And you can thank your brother, Anon for this."

"I said get off!"

Suddenly her hand flashed brightly and a shockwave emitted from her body, knocking him straight against the wall. The force knocked him out cold. Anna looked at her hand to find a glowing tattoo of a clover.

"What the hell?"

She couldn't waste any time. She had to get out of her as fast as she could. She was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if she didn't fully understand it. She ran down the steps and went outside. All seemed normal at first until she looked off in the direction of the city center. There was smoke and in the dark she could clearly see fires rising high. Apart from the fires from the city, she could scarcely see a thing. If only she had... light! She look at her hand to see a fireball suspended above her palm. Despite its proximity to her skin, she couldn't feel even a slight burn. It was as though she was using magic. The rift in the sky was still open, demons pouring out by the thousands. In those numbers they'd make it to the country any minute. She clutched her head, a huge headache coming from out of nowhere. Her vision went dark for a moment and she saw what looked like a well furnished guest house. It was as though she was right here. In her right hand she held a stick and was running it up and down someone's chest. The chest was blackened, as though it was a corpse. Her face turned to see what body she was examining. It was Anon! She heard a voice.

"I don't think we'll be able to cure it, at least not with what we have here. We'll have to escape. It's the only way."

"How are we going to do that?"

"Did the King tell you anything?"

"No. Before we got here he just said some nonsense. Something about a painting, a Green Knight."

"That's it!"

"Anon, that's it!"

She snapped back to reality again. What was that? Suddenly a cold hand grabbed her arm once more.

"I don't know where you learned that, girl. But I'll be sure not to let it happen again. Just a little blood won't hurt."

She turned around to see the man again, only his skin had turned dark and grey and his teeth had become long fangs. His eyes were like cat eyes and his hair turned from red to pitch black. Before she could even try to wrench away, he sank his teeth in her neck. She was unconscious in seconds.

Anon woke with a start, gasping for air. That dream... it couldn't be. Nightmare Moon had invaded the mortal world and Anna, his sister, had his crest. That was just a dream. Right? Anon walked to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face then looked into the mirror. His blood went cold. Behind him was a tall man in a brown robe, a black sack over his face with three shields painted on it. He held a large knife in left hand and a wand in his right. Anon turned around only to see no one there. He then remembered the words the King said "looking into mirrors may be hazardous to your health." His heart began to race. He wanted to look back at the mirror to see if the apparition was still there.

"What's the matter, Clover?" a voice in a rough Yorkshire accent asked "Afraid to look back in the mirror?"

He looked around and could see no one. Just the dimly lit bathroom. He inched over to the door slowly, not taking his eyes off the mirror and turned the door handle. As he opened the door her felt a large body tackle him to the ground. He turned over to see the man, his knife getting ready to plunge.

"You thought you could hide from me in a new body did you, Clover? Thought I'd not recognize you?" he chuckled "And here I thought you was meant to be clever!"

"I'm not-"

The man started to swing his knife down into Anon's soft flesh. Just before it made contact with his left arm, the masked man was knocked into the opposite wall by a blast. Sunset had fired a burst of mana straight into his back.

"We'll meet again Clover. And next time you won't have any help." he said

He got up, straightened his robe and vanished into the air as if was nothing but steam. Sunset helped him to his feet.

"Are you alright?"

"As alright as I can be, I suppose."

Suddenly his crest flashed and he was plunged into another memory, mostly pictures with little context. He saw a butchers shop. Could smell rot and decay. Clover was chained to a wall in a dimly lit room, the man standing over her. Fear. So much fear. A title. The Mage Killer of Yorkshire. Then finally a name written backwards on a mirror, a name he couldn't make out. As he came back from the memory, he felt searing pain in his arm and chest. He started to cough excessively, not even being able to stand. It felt like he was about to cough his lungs out of his mouth.

"Anon!" Sunset cried, kneeling down "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

It took him a solid five minutes before the coughing died down enough to allow him to speak.

"It must be the hex." he gasped "I got another memory from Clover's life."

Anon pulled back his sleeve. It was what he feared. Him viewing the memory caused the hex too rapidly spread down his arm, all the way to his wrist.

"We really need to find a way out of this prison. We can't let this spread much further."

"I know. You said you had a solution didn't you?"

"Yes. But we need to wait till we can go back outside. It's only a hunch, but I think he may have given us a secret code. We'll need to access the Royal Archive here to learn more."

"So what do we do until then? I'm sure you can understand that after having a knife nearly plunged into my chest and coughing so hard it felt like my spine would break that I'm not all too keen on going back to sleep."

Sunset tapped her chin

"Why don't you tell me about you. What's mortal life like?"

"What do you mean?"

Sunset took her wand and sent a small, pea-sized sun into the air just above their heads. Despite its size, it lit them up perfectly.

"I mean surely it's different than the lives we mages live, what without magic and all."

"It is in a few ways. What do you want to know?"

"What is family life like? Without magic crests it must be wildly different."

"My family certainly isn't like yours that's for sure. Though I wouldn't say I like my family all that much, even my twin sister."

"You have a twin sister!? What's her name?"

"Anna."

"What is she like?"

"Cold mostly. We don't talk all that much. We're two very different people and tend to avoid one another."

"If only my siblings were like that."

"What are your siblings like?"

"Cutthroat and ruthless, especially my older sister. She still hasn't forgiven me for taking the family crest."

"I could think of no better holder than you."

"It does get exhausting though. Being the hero, I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean," Anon said with a sigh "all too well."

"I didn't really realize it but I guess we are quite similar in that respect. Thrust into responsibility we didn't want or ask for."

Back at the school things were looking bleak. Valencia had left Sombra in charge while she was away. Like her late father, Sombra was ruthless and unrelenting if not more so. All the noble families that had sided with the Blush family in their short lived rebellion had been put in the dungeon along with the school headmaster Rom. Rom was frantically trying to figure out a way to escape. He knew what stage of the plan Nightmare Moon was in, no doubt butchering the mortals to reawaken the Devil once again. The king's prison, however, was an unbreakable fortress. Twilight Sparkle walked down isle with two guards by her side delivering food to the prisoners. As she reach Rom's cage, she took out her wand, flicked it twice, and in that instant both guards were dead. She began unlocking the cage.

"Twilight. I knew you'd come through."

"Always. We need to get out of here now. Nightmare Moon is launching an assault on the mortal world. I'll release the Cadenza's as well and they can help us."

Twilight undid the locks on the other cages

"What about the Montage and Shimmer families?" Cadence asked

"Juniper is waiting for us outside her family house and Sunset is aiding the Clover's Successor in his journey. So, for now, this is all we have to stand up to Nightmare Moon."

"And what of Sombra and Chrysalis?" Rom asked

"How thoughtful you should be so concerned with us." a woman's voice said in the distance "Twilight, for aiding these traitors to the crown and killing the royal guards, you have been condemned to death." 

Both Sombra and Chrysalis stood at the only exit to the prison. Even though they were outnumbered, their speciality in assassination magic made them especially dangerous. The fact that they revealed themselves so openly only proved how stacked the odds were against them. Not only that, but Twilight was the only one able to use magic due to the shackles that bound Cadence, Amore and Rom.

"If you guys find an opening to escape, take it." Twilight said "I'll hold them as best I can."
> The Long Lonely Road Ahead
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vignette had finally reached the shores of her destiny, the west. It was largely untouched wilderness consisting of long grasslands and mountains. It was beautiful but full of hostile creatures, many of which suspected to have originated from the Abyssal Trench. Only the truly strong could survive here. No wonder it was the birthplace of the druids. She hopped onto  dry land and looked back at Flim who remained on board.

"What's the matter?" she asked

"I'm afraid this is where our paths diverge. Nightmare Moon is entering into the next phase of the plan and that takes priority. I must go to her."

"And what phase is that?"

"The Great Blood Sacrifice. To accomplish a wish of her scope, a large amount of blood is required to be spilled."

"So she's just going to butcher a bunch of innocents?"

"They are not innocent!" Flim said in a rage "No mortal on earth or any dimension is innocent!"

Valencia felt a harsh aura from him, one of malice and hatred. It made her think of Anon. He could have so easily joined her, used the wish from Excalibur to her benefit in exchange for protection or used it to put an end to Nightmare Moon once and for all, even give himself eternal life or riches. Yet he used it to save a body guard. She was no strange to the stories of the mortals of the old world, how they carried out a long genocide against mages causing the creation of the separate world all mages inhabit. But just as some humans were evil, so too were mages. If it weren't for mages and their research, vampires and werewolves would not be problem in the world. 

"I'm sorry." she said

"It's... alright. I must go. Good luck with your task, my queen."

"Thank you."

If she were right, the Tomb would be a good three days travel inland. Most of the trek would be simple, that was until she got to the Forest of Dreams, a forest with an unusual amount of activity from supernatural beasts. She'd have to be ever vigilant not to attract any creatures. Attached to her person was a long vial of spiritual incense slowly releasing it's repulsive sent to the air, a special rub that made her sent nearly undetectable, and, just as an extra precaution, her clothes were made of a special fabric that was harsh against the eyes of specters. This though would probably not be remotely enough. She'd need to rely on her skills alone. But if she were to be queen, it was a challenge she had to overcome. For two days she walked without incident. Each night she'd set up camp, cook a pot of sent dousing oil, put it in a vial, then left a pot on incense cooking over night. The closer she got to the forest the more unnerving it got. The leaves on the trees grew less and less, and the landscape around her grew more and more silent. A creeping fog became more and more thick the longer she walked and a deep chill overtook her. She knew she was truly in the forest just by the trees. All of them were dead and twist, looking like black, decayed claws jutting from the earth. There was an unsettling ambient noise throughout the wood. Not made by any animal, not even fully explainable. It was quiet, ever present, much like a ringing in ones ears, but one that made a person quake in fear. Valencia hugged her shoulders and kept moving forward.

For the first five hours of the walk things were quiet. No creatures, no disturbing cries in the distance. She felt truly and utterly alone, as if the world outside the forest had completely vanished. She kept walking, using a spell from her wand to act as a makeshift compass. The fog was so thick that without it, she'd be walking in circles within minutes. As she walked on she began to feel a sense of dizziness and lethargy, so much so she could barely stand. She lay against a tree, suddenly breaking out in a cold sweat and panting. She'd only been walking at a comfortable pace yet it felt like the entire five hours she'd be at full sprint. It had to be the work of some creature. She looked to the left and to the right. Nothing. No sounds, no footsteps, not so much as a gust of wind. It was completely silent. Whatever it was, it was concealing its presence far better than it should be. She had to get away. She pushed off the tree and didn't even make it a step before falling flat on her face. All of the strength in her body was being sapped right out of her, as though someone were drinking it through a straw. Her vision began to double and her thinking starting to become less and less cohesive. She looked up and could swear she could see her mom in the distance.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Vignette asked weakly 

"Get up, you embarrassment!" she shouted "Do you intend to embarrass me in front of all these people?"

"People?"

She looked around and in the mist there were shadowy silhouettes surrounding her, all of which resembled school children. She had large wicked smiles on the faces and began to point at her laugh the most sinister laugh.

"Look at her! What a loser!" they cried "A girl like her is sure to lose the family nobility!"

"I heard she's cursed!" another one whispered "she was born during the black sun, that means she's evil!"

"Get out of her devil!" 

Vignette's eyes sparked with rage. She lifted her wand and started firing blasts of mana into the distance. The kinds only laughed more.

"Look at her! She can't even use magic right!"

"Shut up!" Valencia yelled, firing off as many shots as she could "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

The shadows vanished, leaving her there, hair in a frizzy and eyes crazed. She turned around and saw her father. He said nothing, all he had was an expression of disapproval. It was a look he gave often right after shaking his head.

"Say something!" she cried "Don't just look at me like that! I said say something!"

The world around her seemed to set on fire and her dad was replaced by yet another shadow that resembled his image, only now its eyes were full of rage.

"You want me to say something?" I said, wrathfully "I'll say something alright. We always hated you. Your birth was a cruse not just unto you, but all of us. If it weren't for your curse, your sister would still be alive today!"

Valencia's face went white as a sheet

"Y-you don't mean that! You didn't see what happened!" she cried "I-It was an accident! It was! I didn't know the rock would fall like that! I didn't!"

She felt a huge rush of frigid air wash over her body and felt something behind her. She didn't want to look. She knew who it was. A hand touched her shoulder, its touch colder than ice. It pulled hard and forced her to look. It was a small girl, her body dead and gray with hair matted and dirty. Vignette let out a blood curdling scream and began to run at full speed into the woods, drooping her want and a bag of supplies as she went. She ran as fast her legs could carry her until she hit a snag on a branch and fell face first into a stream, her face slamming right into a rock at full speed. She lay there, blacked out and completely defenseless.

In the desert, Novo walked along with the members of the Salachar Tribe, the tribe that she was supposedly part of yet had no recollection of whatsoever. She remained quiet and reserved even though she had so many questions. Who was the tribe? Where did they come from? Why was she a member of it? Did she have family? Saffron chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked

"Nothing, girl. It's just that I can tell you want to ask questions but are holding them in. Go on. Ask away. We have another days travel before we reach the pilgrimage site."

"I doubt they're questions you can answer."

"Try me."

"Who am I?"

"Goodness." she said, pulling out a long ornate pie and starting to smoke "Have you lost your memory?"

She looked down

"Yes. I have no memory up until just a week ago."

"All the better you came with us then. What luck you have to find us as we travel to the hall of remembrance."

"What's that?"

"A tool that is much like the magic crests of the mages. It allows us to peer into the past of our ancestors."

"You're not mages?"

"In a sense we are. We just have a different word for it in our language. We call ourselves practicers of Cridhe. The mages would call it sand magic."

"Incredible. I had no idea."

"If you want, I can tell you your name. Your true name I mean. Along with the mark of the tribe, every member is given a sacred name, given by God. Do you want to know now?"

"Yes, of course."

"Tempest Shadow."

The name filled her with life. Tempest Shadow. It was strong, brutal, just as she was.

"Quite and intimidating name."

"Yes, and an old one too. A very old one."

"How old?"

"The last person to take up the mantle of Shadow was back during the Magic Golden Age."

"That... that can't be possible. That would make mean I'm nearly as old as the tombs of Egypt."

"Well, now I'm as interested in this as you are. For now we need to set up camp."

One of the men came running up through the crowd. He was covered in sweat and had a look of desperation on his face.

"Clan Chief! Clan Chief! You need to come quick."

"Calm down please." Sassy said "Tell me what happened."

"Demons! They're attacking group B! My wife is there and..."

The man began to sob

"I'll handle this." Tempest said "Where is the group?"

"Just a mile south of here. Please hurry!"

She began to run as fast as she could in the direction he was pointed out. She got there just as the sun was starting to set over the horizon. Two large and grotesque figures surrounded a group of twenty or so, one of them a woman who was very pregnant. One creature was a large black lizard covered in large armored plated scales while the other was a monstrously sized bright orange dragon fly, its long legs coming to sharp needle like points. Tempest pulled over her hood and put her mask on. She snuck around to the back of the dragon fly and lunged forward with her knife, driving it straight into the back of the monster. It cried in pain, lashing out its tail and knocking her off.

"Cease, interloper."the Lizard said in a deep voice without so much as moving its lips

"Kill her!" the Dragonfly said writhing in pain "Kill her!"

She took another knife from her belt

"Leave these people alone and I won't kill you."

"Humans." the lizard said in disgust "They never learn."

The lizard slowly charged forward with its mouth open and began to spit a disgusting green sludge. When it hit the sand it began to send steam into the air, as though it were melting. She knew it must be corrosive. She went running at it, dodging every spit of acid that came her way with ease and hopped on its back. She plunged the knife into its back. No good. The armor broke the steel in two without so much as getting a scratch. These scales were made of tough stuff.

"Sorry, that won't work."

The lizard whipped his tail forward and hit her square in her back. She let out a yell of pain and fell to the ground. As she lay there in agony, The beast opened its large jaws, scooped her up and swallowed her whole.

"Game over."
> The Red Thread of Fate That Binds Us All
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, are you well?" asked the King "I heard there was commotion last night."

Anon rubbed his eyes and scratched his head, letting out a yawn. 

"Behave yourself!" Igneous shouted "You are in the presence of Royalty!" 

"Sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night. Had a run in with that Mage Killer."

"I feared such an event would come to pass. Come. We can discuss while we walk. I have something you will doubtless find quite interesting."

He, Sunset and Rarity followed the king into another large section of the castle. Dragon adornments were every where, from the statues to the paintings. They were met by two gigantic doors both of which, of course, had dragons sculpted into them. Two female guards sat at the entrance each with a long glaive in their hands. The two guards bowed and stuck their weapons into sockets on the door as though they were keys. Just like that the doors opened to reveal an empty greed room with a large tome at the center resting on a stone pedestal. A large glass case surrounded the worn book.

"What is that?"

"A keepsake from my friend and your predecessor. It's Clover the Clever's Diary."

"Her diary?"

"Yes. It was the last thing I ever got from her." he said "Seeing as you're having trouble interacting with your crest memories, I figured this was the next best thing."

"Thank you."  he said taking a step forward

The king held his arm out, stopping him from going any further.

"There is just one problem though. Like many things you'll find in the castle, it's... adversarial to say the least. Observe."

The king extended his palm into the room only for it to catch fire instantly. The moment he pulled it back the flames quelled as quickly as they came.

"What do we do?"

"Clover seems to finally see fit to release me from the prison. You're here to do something no one else in the castle can do: undo the curse the binds us here."

"And how do we do that?"

"See here comes to the tricky part." he explained "If I mention to you how to break the curse, through first or secondhand, even though hints, my life will be snuffed out before I can even blink. To break the curse I can only direct you to my library. The answers should be in there, though I have never entered it myself."

"You can't enter there either?"

"No. Which is what leads me to believe the clue to releasing me from the prison may lie."

"Well I guess it's as good a lead as any. We'll start there then." 

"Good. Do tell me how you get on. And be careful. The closer you come to unveiling the secret, the more dangerous it will become. Every room in the palace will try to stop you. Trust nothing."

"I understand you majesty."

"Then I will leave this to you. If you need me, I will be in my throne room." he said "Igneous. If you'd be so kind to lead them to the library."

"Right away, sir."

They began to follow Igneous down a series of hallways and down a long flight of spiral stairs that led to rows and rows of books shelves. Rarity tapped both Sunset and Anon on the temple with her wand.

"I cast a spell on your mind that will allow you to read at ten times what you're normally able too. There are a lot of books to get through and we need to get this done as soon as possible." Rarity said "We'll each split up and meet back at the stair case in an hour. Any problems you yell for help."

They all nodded and went their separate ways. Anon looked around, trying to decide which isle to go down first when he saw a mirror at the end of the hall. He looked closely only to see the masked man with a bloody knife in his hand. He ducked behind one of the isles of books. This didn't make sense. He was supposed to only emerge at night. He peaked around back to the mirror to find it was empty again. Was he watching them? What was he after? He stood up and looked around. Maybe he could only interact with the physical world at night. Horrifying to think that this entire time he had been observing their every move. He had to stay focused though. Find a way out of this cage. He began to look over different books. Nothing stood out. A Practitioners Guide to Medical Alchemy and Spells, 3rd edition. Druids, Historical Fact or Mage Fiction? Everything you Needed to Know About Domesticated Spirits and More. None of it was anything even tangentially related to the mess they found themselves in. He scanned through half a dozen more tomes before finding something interesting: Who is the Mage Killer? He pulled the book from the shelf and looked at it. The cover was blackened and it had no author. He flipped it open only to find the pages were completely blank. He flipped through page after page but there wasn't a drop of ink on any of them. That's when he heard it: faint whispering. It was just barely audible, but it was there nonetheless. It was coming from the spine of the book. He put his ear to the spine and listened hard. He heard only a single distinct sentence:

"I have no name."

Suddenly a rush of air flew from the pages followed by large green tentacles. They wrapped around Anon's head and began to pull him towards the book. He nearly let out a scream before he felt a cold gloved hand around his mouth. A man whispered into his ear.

"Not so fast Clover. We wouldn't any help from your friends would we?"

The front and back cover began to grown long sharp teeth and Anon had to use all his strength to keep the book from closing on his head. He hand to think fast. He let go of one side and slammed his hand into the killers side, causing a large tree trunk to grow out his side. He didn't yell, just faded like some sort of ghost. The book released it's hold and Anon went flying back into the wall. Sunset and Rarity came running to his aid.

"Anon what happ-" Sunset stopped mid sentence

He turned around to see that in his fall, he'd knocked a painting to the side, a painting of an island with nine witches in black standing on a beach. It was a switch that opened the wall leading to yet another staircase.

"Are you alright?" Rarity asked, kneeling beside him

"It was the Mage Killer again. Psycho got me while I was reading a book about his identity."

"Did you learn anything?"

"No. The book was empty and when I read it, it became a monster that tried to eat me."

"A booby trap." Sunset said "We need to be more careful. Something... something about this isn't right."

"I could've told you that much."

"Not what I meant. About the king. About this kingdom. The things being said and what I've read don't add up."

"What do you mean?"

She looked over to the staircase to see Igneous staring at them, eyes like a hawk. Anon felt a chill down his spine. Igneous was closer in proximity to him than the others. If he'd been watching this whole time why didn't he help?

"Come. I'll tell you when it's more private."

The trio went down the hidden staircase and into a long dark room. Sunset lit some candles and the room instantly came into focus. Anon's face went as white as a sheet and he broke into a cold sweat. He recognized this room. He was tortured here, or rather Clover was tortured here. This was the basement he'd gotten vague flashes of. A rush of memories came back to him like a tsunami. Horrible pain. Horrible, horrible pain. His vision began to double and he felt to ground, out cold.

Vignette could hear the sound of a paddle softly trudging through water. She opened her eyes to see nothing but darkness above her. How long was she out? She sat up to see she was in a row boat. The water around her was nothing like she'd ever seen. It was like looking at space through a telescope. Long, multi-colored spiral galaxies and millions of twinkling stars. She looked up to see who was rowing. A short girl in long white robes with long emerald hair and striking green eyes stood at the helm, a white birch staff in her arms acting as an oar. Above her head was a blindingly bright halo. Her face was stoic yet something about it exuded maternal comfort, like that of a mother giving an reassuring glance to a frightened child. She looked down at the waking Vignette and gave a warm smile.

"W-who... who are you?" she asked "Am I dead?"

"What a silly question." the woman said "But if you're truly in wonder of such a mundane thing, let's go check."

"What? What is this place?"

"This place is everything. Every universe, every moment in time, every inch of space and all of creation." she said "This is the Great Ethereal Ocean."

Valencia's eyes widened. She was dead. She'd heard the old druid legend as a child: when someone dies, their soul gets guided across the Great Ethereal Ocean by the Lady in White, thought to be the being the gave humans the ability to use magic. She'd study the water and judge if that soul was worthy of heaven or eternal damnation. Valencia put her hand to her chest and could feel her face go white. She had no heartbeat, she wasn't even breathing. Before she had a moment to process this they had reached what looked like a great wood. On the branches of the trees were glowing fruits, many of which dropped off the vine only to have another one grow instantly in their place.

"Please step out." she said "Here we can check the state of your mortality."

"What's the point? If I'm here than I'm certainly dead."

"Not so." she said "You are very much alive."

"Then why am I here?"

The Lady in White stepped off the boat and extended her hand

"There is something you must see here."

Valencia took her hand and got out of the boat and followed the Lady down a slightly worn path. The forest was disturbingly quiet, yet it felt as though there were eyes on her. She followed her down the path to a single tree and watched as the Lady plucked one of the glowing fruits from the branch.

"Once you eat this fruit much will become clear. The path to your destiny or the path to your doom perhaps."

She stared at the fruit intently. Legend said these fruits were the physical representation of ones own life, sort of like the hour glass. No doubt this one was hers. 

"Go one. Eat it."

She did as she was told and took a bite. Suddenly her vision clouded and she began to receive bits of information. She saw herself giving a speech on a podium with roaring applause. Large banquets. A mighty castle. Then darkness. Followed by a image of her in chains and a large blade cleaving her head right off. She saw an image of her roaring back on the Great Ethereal Sea once more before being cast into, being damned for all eternity.

"T-this... This can't possibly be."

The Lady in White simply stared at her with a blank expression

"Surely this must be some mistake. I cannot possibly be doomed to damnation. I am to become Queen of all the mage world. I'd rule but rule honorably. I'd usher in a new era of peace and prosperity, I'd bring the mage world to the greatness it once held! I am destined for greatness!"

The Lady again stared at her motionlessly

"Surely this path can be changed. Surely this is but one future I have ahead of me. I am not a tyrant! I would never be!"

Valencia got up

"Damn you!" she said "Say something! Tell me what I am to do!"

"You will know what to do when the time is right. A critical choice lies before you in the future, a choice that will determine the future of the world. However you and you alone are the only one who can make it."

"What choice!?"

Valencia woke with a start. She was in some sort of cabin.

"Wonderful! You're awake!" a cutesy voice exclaimed

She turned to see a woman in black witch robes and a tall pointy hat. It was extremely traditional garb, worn by the Order of Obsidian Witches, an order that died out during the purges under King Arthur. 

"Who are you?"

"My name is Sweetie Belle." she said "And you?"

"Vignette Valencia."

"You're lucky I came when you did. You hit your head pretty hard and would've been eaten if I hadn't been out picking mushrooms for my special Fairy Moss tea."

She poured some in a tea cup

"Speaking of, care for a sip?"

"No, I need too-"

She was stopped by a sharp surge of pain down her back

"I wouldn't get up yet," Sweetie said "Like I said, you got one mean blow to the head. I gave you some medicinal herbs to help with the pain, but it'll take a few days before you're back on your feet again. You need to take it easy."

Valencia groaned 

"I'll take the tea then I guess."

She handed Vignette a cup before pouring one for her self. She took a small sip and let out a cute sigh.

"Mmm. This has to be one of my best batches yet. What were you doing out there anyway? This forest is treacherous you know." 

"I'm well aware." she replied "I've come on... shall we say critical business."

"Ooooh cryptic!" she giggled "I love it! So mysterious. Is it some sort of secret mission?"

This woman was strange. She looked to be at least mid twenties yet acted and sounded like a child.

"Something like that."

"Well if I can help in anyway you just let know!"

Just then a long line of ants started walking across the window sill towards Sweetie Belle. Only they weren't ants. They were tiny people she looked around to see they had come from a closet on the opposite side of the room. Inside the closet was a sprawling mini kingdom. A castle at the top of one of the shelves that lead down via paperclips to at least a hundred or so houses made from trash. The man at the head of the line making his way to Sweetie looked at Valencia and began to shout.

"What are you looking at? Take a picture it'll last longer!"

"Forgive him." Sweetie giggled "He's not found of visitors."

"What are these things?"

"Things!?" he shouted "Things!? We're the proud people of Annesberg! Not things! I swear you mages are all the same. All you ever do is-"

"Now, now Count, please. She meant no harm by it."

"No harm!? What are you covering for her now!? What happened too-"

Suddenly a loud hunting horn sounded followed by the sound of galloping hooves in the distance. The sound chilled Valencia down to her bones. It sounded almost as though it were not of this world, as if that horn was somehow inhuman. 

"Get down!" Sweetie said, pulling Valencia under the bed "Stay absolutely silent."

"But-"

Sweetie put her hand over Valencia's mouth. The galloping got closer and closer till it stopped right beside the house. It sounded like men in heavy armor getting of their horses. They were speaking in some messy, unintelligible grumbles. Suddenly the sound of vicious barking blood hounds was heard. They pawed at the door, barking ferociously. There were more unintelligible grumbles before the door was kicked in. Valencia's heart was beating so fast she thought it'd jump out her mouth. The invader moved, each step clanking loudly. He looked around, make a few more grunts then left. The horn sounded again and they round into the distance. After about ten minutes, Sweetie let go of her mouth.

"What the hell was that!?"

"That was King Arthur's Lost Company." she said, getting out from under the bed and dusting herself off "It was a gift from the Nine Sisters. After Arthur betrayed them, they cursed his best company. They wander these woods forever, mindless killing machines, doomed solely to kill. 

"You talk as though you witnessed it."

"Because I have." she said "My name is Sweetie Belle, last remaining witch of the Obsidian Order. I watched that very company butcher my Order before my very eyes when I was a child."

"Impossible! That happened near 5,000 years ago!"

She turned and smiled

"There is much about this world you don't know. It's a lie, a fiction. And it's beginning to come apart at the seams."

It was tight, hot, and smelled horrid. Tempest Shadow had hardly a moment to process what had happened. She was in the stomach of that Lizard. She pulled out another knife, the last in her belt and stabbed the stomach. No good. It was though it were made of rubber. No matter how hard she push the knife, the lining beast's stomach simply wouldn't break. A drop of digestive juice fell on her forearm. It was so hot she could feel her skin burning. She was in trouble. Big trouble. There had to be a way out, a weakness. She put her arm against the beasts stomach and began to absorb mana. This time was different though. It didn't hurt like all the other times, in fact, this felt warm and comforting. It wasn't mana at all. Soon she could see why. The stomach itself started to vanished, then the muscles, then the lizard in its entirety. She couldn't believe it. She absorbed the entire beasts life force! It was like Anon's magic but in reverse. She looked at her arm and saw the burn from the acid had been healed completely, leaving not a trace of pain.

"You saved us!" the pregnant woman said, giving her a hug

Saved. She saved them. She didn't know why, but this touched her in a profound way. Her eyes widened. She remembered something. A clocktower. A very old man in a long blue robe with a long silver beard. A woman with evil looking hair. 

"Miss?" she asked "Are you alright?"

"I'm... I'm fine. Come on. Let's get you back."

They returned to the camp Sassy and others had set up. They were makeshift wood huts with a large fire at the center. The sun was nearly below the horizon and the air becoming chilled.

"Tempest!" Sassy said "I see you made on well."

"As well as I could." she said with a subtle smile

"Come, sit with us. There are rights we must initiate."

She strode over to the fire and sat down, absorbing it's warmth through what felt like the palm of her hand. She was doing it again. Absorbing life itself. She could feel the warmth coursing through her veins, as though the fire was warming her very blood.

"Rights?"

"Yes. If you truly wish to become one of us and see the Hall of Remembrance, you must first take the reuniting ritual."

"What does that entail?"

"It's a simple ritual. First we prepare the red threads. Then you will face three trials"

"Red threads?"

"We have a legend in our tribe, that of the Red Thread of Fate. It's a thread that binds our entire tribe together, a bind that goes deeper than that of family. We give each member two. The first is one we each put a portion of our magic energy into and give to the new or reuniting member. They put it on their most valuable possession. The second is one you give to the person you love the most, to bind you together for all of eternity."

"All of eternity?"

"Yes. We believe that by weaving our magic energy through these threads, we form a bond of two souls together."

She just stayed silent. She had no one like that, no one she could call her own. But maybe this was her chance to start a new life, leave Anon's party even.

"What do the trials entail?"

"There is the trail of strength, the trial of wit, and the trial of loyalty. I cannot, however, tell you what these rituals are. One must face them blind."

"Do you wish to do the ritual?" Sassy asked

"Yes. I want to be part of this tribe."

"Then let us commence."

Each member of the tribe, numbering around forty, began to pass the thread around. Each time it changed hands a small flash of light appeared on the thread until it finally came back to her. She held the thread in her hands as delicately as she would hold her own child.

"Well?" Saffron asked "Put your mana into it as well."

She looked down and bit her lip

"I can't Sassy."

"Why ever not?"

"My magic circuits... they're backwards. I can take mana in, but not out."

"Oh my word. How did such a thing happen?"

"I can't remember. But judging from the scars, some twisted soul did it to me."

"Well then, there's only one thing to do." she said "Let's help her out shall we?"

"Help me out?"

"Yes."

Three other members, along with Saffron, formed a circle around Tempest. They said a chant in a tongue she didn't understand and suddenly the ground beneath her feet lit up. A small ball of light emerged from the sand and placed itself right into the thread. Tempest's eyes began to well up with tears. She embraced Saffron tightly.

"Thank you."

"You're quite welcome my dear."

She rubbed the tears from her face.

"I know just where to put it. A place I'll never lose sight of it."

She pulled her mask from her satchel at her side and wrapped it around the base of the broken horn.

"If I may ask, what makes that mask so special?" Sassy asked

"It is the only thing I have that connects me to my past. There's an inscription inside."

"I see. Then it is in its perfect place. The place it belongs."

The place it belongs. Sassy's words rolled around first in Tempest's tongue, then in her mind. She belonged, belonged here. She didn't belong galavanting across the world on some suicide mission to save the world from disaster. She belonged her, with family. For the first time she smiled and smiled true.

"Thank you, Sassy."

"You're quite welcome my, Child." she said "Now, we celebrate, for tomorrow you will suffer. But it will not be alone. For if you prove worthy, your family will be there to guide you every step of the way. We are bound together by the red thread of fate, for all time."
> The True Nature of the Greater Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I've finally got you Clover. Right where I want you."

Anon got up with a start and tried to move. To his shock, he was chained by his left wrist to the side of the wall. He looked around to see he was in the same place he remembered being when he fainted, only all the color had be drained. In front of him was the Mage Killer, sharpening a blade. Each scrape of the flint against the knife sent a bit more anxiety into his body.

"I told you I'm not Clover!" he said "I'm her successor! You don't need to do this!"

He abruptly stopped sharpening and clenched his fist tightly around the handle. He turned his head back.

"How many times must you lie to me? Do you think that will save you? You think that will make me give up my mission?" he asked, rage filling his voice "It says here: by Order of King Arthur, sacred and holy Monarch to the throne of Great Britain, Clover the Clever is to be killed or captured for her crimes against the throne including, but not limited too, blasphemy, murder, and treason."

He walked over to Anon, each foot thundering against the floor boards and held a scroll up to his face.

"You knew the rules! Magic is forbidden, you mages, you're evil, you derive your power from the devil himself!"

"That isn't true at all! We get it from the Greater Magic."

"Whatever you call it, its source is clear. It's a gift from the demons, a gift of evil!"

"That can't be true. You're lying to me."

"You accuse me of lying, witch?" he said, disdain dripping from his tone "Fine, I'll show you proof."

He rummaged through a desk on the side wall and pulled out another scroll, tossing it on the ground. It was a mission report.

"King Arthur's First Company, his best company, sealed away the Devil. That is why your precious magic is dwindling, that is why your mana isn't returning! It's only a matter of time before you mages are history. Such an evil energy should not be allowed to exist."

Before he could reply, the man's foot was planted firmly in between his ribcage and stomach. It came with such force and with such surprise, it nearly caused Anon to vomit.

"You like that devil worshiper!?" he said, giving another kick to his stomach "How does that feel!?"

Anon put his hand to the floor to use magic, but nothing happened. He didn't even feel any mana.

"Don't even bother trying to use your evil tricks on me. This is my domain, the World Unseen. It's what you mages would call the second plane of reality. You thought sealing me in here would be my doom but you were wrong. I will destroy you."

Anon looked around, spying a pipe on the floor. As the Killer turned around again to sharpen his knife, he got the pipe with his foot. With a might kick, he threw it hard, only for him to dodge it at the last second.

"Well I was going to torture you, but you're downright irritating me now." he said "I'll just kill you now and collect my reward."

He took the knife and thrust it straight into Anon's chest. He jumped and suddenly felt as though he was moving beyond his will. He spoke in a voice that wasn't his.

"I'm sorry old friend." a woman's voice said through Anon's lips "I can't let you do this, not now."

Anon pulled the knife from his chest and healed instantly. He grabbed the chain and it filled with green light.

"Tuigse!" the woman's voice said again and the chain shattered

He got up and walked towards the Mage Killer and watched as his hand turned to magma

"W-wait!" he shouted 

He thrust his hand through the man's chest like a hot knife through butter and pulled it back out again.

"May you travel the Great Sea in peace. It's over now."

Finally, Anon had control of himself again

"Clover was that you!?" he shouted "Clover!"

"Go to where the King showed you the diary. I cannot maintain this connection for very-"

There was a small flash of light and the voice stopped. Anon kicked the wall.

"Damn it Clover! Why can't you just tell me what I need to do!?" he wailed "Why does it have to be me who does this!? Why not Sunset or Trixie, anyone else!?"

He got no answer, just the sound of the stale wind seeping through the castle walls. At least she threw him some sort of bone. The diary. But would it still be under that curse? He had to at least try. He retraced his steps. This world was the same picture for picture as the real world. To his relief the giant doors were also open, thanks to Clover no doubt. He looked around and ripped a piece of the fabric from the banner off, throwing it inside the door. Nothing happened, it didn't combust. This world must be completely unaffected by the curse.

He walked inside the large room and removed the glass case surrounding the diary. He flipped through mostly empty pages until he got to a single sentence. It said Read Aloud: Thig Beo"

"Thig Beo" he said

The diary turned a brilliant bright blue and four balls of light emerged from the pages. The light furthest right came forward to the ground and transformed into Clover. She was tall, wore a beautiful red robe and had her emerald hair tied in a bun.

"Date. July 1st 6th century. I've been with the King for a week now. He's incredible. It's amazing someone with this much knowledge exists. If he doesn't know how to save mana from vanishing, he'll certainly be able to figure out a way. He's even decrypted the language the dragons use! He seems a bit off but I guess that's what comes with a such a great mind. Celestia and Luna have both gone to the king's archives to try to find any information they can. Annnnd I got these fancy new robes. All and all a wonderful week!"

Then came the second ball

"Date July 4th 6th century. I have terrible news... it appears Luna was right. Magic is derived from a fundamentally evil source... No matter how far we trace it back, it always seems to spawn of Black Magic. Luna's thesis was correct, Magic didn't give rise to curses and hexes, it was vise versa. Whatever the Great Magic is, it's no source of purity and good, rather malice and evil. Surely there must be some redemption in all this. Magic can be used for good, just look at the druids! I won't be dissuaded. Luna and Arthur are both wrong. Magic should not be eliminated from this world. It can be used for good if we only try."

after that the third

"Date July 10th 6th century. I think I have found a way to make everyone happy. I thought about what Starswirl always taught me, about how nature is an interconnected entity we're not separate from, above the Forever Rose those homunculus women use to story their memories and personality. They start as plain ole roses until they make a connect with them, forging a bond like that of blood between them and the rose allowing them to store their memories within before they die. What if I could use the principal to make a new breed of magic all together? The Five Points of Nature Magic already provide a good starting point. If I can just figure out how to combine nature magic with Mana, or replace it with it entirely, I could save the magic world from extinction and achieve power via pure means. More to come later."

The fourth and final ball of light took the floor. This time clover was in a thick green coat with large gloves.

"Date December 13th 6th century. My god... This is incredible. I can reach the Greater Magic! I can become one with it and change it's nature entirely! All I need is the Four Sacred Artifacts, a second magic crest and the World Tree. That and the spell to trigger the event. The Lady of the Lake would surely know it. I may even be able to try contract magic with Luna there. There's just one problem. Doing this fundamentally breaks the rules of the universe. A living breathing human can't travel any higher than the Abyssal Trench and that's only fourth strata of reality! If I were to use the World Tree to bypass all the other planes of existence it could bring about the end of the world. But it's the only way. I have to save Luna from the corrupting influence I placed on her and for the sake of the world as a whole."

Suddenly Anon went into Clover's memories again. Clover was at the World Tree, her body bruised and bloody. She put her hand against the trunk to steady herself and turned to see Celestia.

"You can't do this!" Celestia shouted "You'll die!"

"I have too." Clover uttered weakly "Luna she's... she's too strong now. If I don't do this, she'll shroud the world in darkness forever."

Clover began to shed tears down her cheeks

"And it's all my fault." she whimpered "If only I'd listened to you."

Celestia hugged her, giving view to her massive scar covering the right half of her body.

"You have to kill her. It's the only way. I give you my permission. She's not my sister anymore."

"No! I won't do it. If I active the Great Mechanism I can rewrite the entire universe. I can give her a normal life!"

"You could destroy the entire world!"

"I have to do this." Clover said "Please."

Celestia let go of Clover and clenched her fist

"Fine. I... I understand but." she bit her lip and began to cry as well "Two stones, two blessings."

Clover smiled brightly

"Two stones, two blessings."

The memory abruptly cut off. He was so close. He almost had all the information he needed. The name of the spell. He tried to go back into the memory but it felt as though it were missing entirely. Then it hit him. The Lady of the Lake. She said she could try using contract magic on Luna there. He saw a memory of Luna transforming at that black lake. When he was pulled out by Bonbon, a piece of of his mana was cut off in the struggle. The memory must be in that piece of mana! The secret to everything was in that lake. The secret to Clover the Clever, the fate of the world, to the universe. Inside that lake was the memory that would allow him to completely rewrite the universe. Just as he turned around to find his way out, he felt a knife run though his gut and a cold, tight hand grip his neck. All he could see was the Mage Killer's crazed face and greasy brown hair.
> Premonition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tempest prepared her tools diligently inside her tent. Shined and sharpened every knife, prepared a batch of poison, made a few smoke bombs, even shined her boots. She stared into her mask and read the message inside. It was only a matter of time before she found out what it meant. Who she was. She put the mask on her face and walked outside.

"Excellent." Sassy said "I see you're all ready to go."

"Yes. I'm ready for the first trial."

"Pear Butter. Be a dear and partner with Novo will you?"

A woman with golden bushy hair stepped forward. She wore a beautiful red traditional dress.

"Right away m'am." 

"She's going with me?"

"Yes." Sassy said "These trials require you to become one with the tribe. As such, you must have someone from the tribe accompany you. There is no greater way to form a bond than through mutual hardship."

"I suppose I can work like that. I'm better alone though."

Pear, to Tempest's immediate shock, gave her a huge hug.

"Nonsense!" she said with a giggle "We're going to be best friends I can tell."

Through her mask, Tempest rolled her eyes. Of all the people she hated in this world, she hated boisterous extroverts the most. Pear gave a look of shock when she realized Tempest's arm was missing.

"What on earth happened to your arm?"

"It's a long story." she said, annoyed

"I love long stories. And we'll have plenty of time to share and get to know each other!"

"Wonderful." Tempest said sarcastically

"Yes, very much so!"

Tempest groaned and turned back to Sassy.

"So what do we need to do to start the first trial?"

"To start the first trial you must make your way to the Pillar of Blood. It's a sacred battle ground that has seen true warriors born for centuries. Once there you must light the four pillars than ring the bell. Then you're done."

"That's it?" she asked "Surely there's something you're not telling me here. A catch."

"I can't right well tell you everything can I? I can only tell you how to complete it and how to get there, nothing more."

"I understand. So how do I get there?"

"Pear Butter knows. It'll be a three day journey through the harsh desert."

"Easy."

"Oh the young." she chuckled "So full of enthusiasm and fire."

"I'm technically older than you Sassy. By a few centuries."

"True, true. When you return, come to me with the proof. You'll know it when you see it."

"I understand." she said "Let's get going then."

"Oh we're leaving now? Let me get my bag."

Pear ran into her tent, tripping as she went. She came out with a backpack, clumsy filled and about to burst from the contents within. Tempest shook her head. This was going to be a long trial. With a few goodbyes they left camp.

"So where are we heading too?"

Pear pulled a map from her pocket and looked through it. 

"It'll be three days northward. We'll know we're close when we see the oasis."

"Seems simple enough. Any other landmarks we should watch out for?"

"None. Just sand, sand and more sand."

"Right."

"Say, aren't you hot in the black robe?"

"No."

"What's with the mask? It sure is creepy."

"That's private."

"So what were you doing before this?"

"That's also private."

Pear just gave a blank look of curiosity

"So mysterious." she said "So what do you do for fun? I love to sew and cook! Say do you like to cook?"

"I do not have hobbies and no I do not like to cook."

Pear pouted

"What's got you so grumpy all the time?" she whined

"I'm not grumpy, just no sociable."

"But that's so boring!"

"For you maybe. Now could you please be quiet for a while?

"Ugh fiiinnneee."

They traveled till nightfall. Pear's oath of silence lasted for all of a five minutes before she began to pester Tempest with more questions. What was her favorite food, who was her idol, what kind of magic she used and on and on. Tempest ignored it as best she could, spending most of the conversation giving one word answers and staring off into the distance. That night the moon was full and the stars were showing in all their brilliance. Pear had started a fire and set up a tent while Tempest merely sat on the cool sand. They began roasting various small creatures they had found while on the road and Pear pulled out a guitar from her bag. It was beautifully crafted, made of a red wood and covered in markings like flowers and butterflies.

"You brought a guitar? How is that supposed to help us?" 

"It'll help us by giving us music on the long road." Pear snipped "Not everything has to have a violent use to it ya know?"

"I know. But we have three days of travel ahead of us and we can't afford to be weighed down with useless things like that."

Pear look like she popped at blood vessel at the statement

"Useless!?" she asked angrily "This was a gift from my mom."

"Touching truly."

"You are not a very nice person."

"I never claimed to be."

"Despite that, I'll share my music. Even a mean old witch like you ought to appreciate it."

Tempest lay down on the sand

"Play whatever you want, I'm not listening."

"You're just going to sleep on the sand like that?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Isn't that uncomfortable? I have an extra sleeping bag in my pack you know."

"Again packing the unnecessary." 

"I was trying to be nice!"

"I don't need your charity."

Pear grumbled 

"I'm just going to ignore you and play music."

"Do whatever you want."

Pear strummed her guitar and began to play and sing. Tempest couldn't believe her ears. As much as she wanted to hated, it was undeniably the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard in her life. She played a slow serenade and everything around them seemed to stop to listen, even the moon and stars themselves. The song played for five minutes before she stopped.

"Did you like it?"

Tempest blushed and hid her face

"It was alright."

Pear smiled. She knew by the way she was acting that her music was as good as ever. Tempest just closed her eyes and went to sleep. She had an almost robotic way of being able to sleep on command. When she awoke she found Pear sitting there, guitar still in hand and mouth wide open. She walked over and kicked the sleeping girls leg hard.

"Ow!" she yelled "What was that for?"

Tempest didn't answer, instead throwing her bag over her back and began to walk into the desert.

"Wait! I'm not ready yet!"

"I'm sure you'll catch up."

"You need me!" pear shouted "Without me you can't find out where the trial ground is."

"True." she said, not stopping

It had been a few days since Vignette had left the island of Avalon in search of the key to truly become king. Radiant Hope had starred out across the sea every day wishing she too could leave. She pushed her hand out towards the sea only to feel what was an invisible wall surrounding the entire island. Clover's last act of rage against them, the Nine Sisters. She remembered it like it was yesterday. Inky Rose, who was then the most powerful and eldest of the sisters had killed the Green Knight. Clover, in a blind rage, had slaughtered nearly all of them. One of her friends had stopped her, but not before using the Green Knight himself and his infinite mana as a way to seal the remaining three in the island forever. Autumn Blaze said she had a plan to break free now that her successor was here. It scared her more than anything. What if her successor was here to finish the job? What if he came back only to slaughter the last of them. As much as she didn't like her sisters, they were still family. Lemon Zest came strolling down the beach to meet her, in her usual form as a beautiful red haired woman.

"Come. We have work to do."

She stood up and walked to her sister

"What is it?"

"We must start brewing the black brew. Anon will soon awaken the third Layline."

"That means the archangels will return!"

"Correct."

She followed Lemon Zest down the brick path into a straw cottage. Inside the brew was already cooking along side the cells housing Anon's friends, Coloratura and Trixie.

"What are you doing?" Trixie asked fearfully

"QUIET" Autumn Blaze shouted "Else I'll send the rats again."

Trixie visibly recoiled at the thought. She turned to Coloratura who was at in the corner, facing the wall, not saying a word.

"C-Coloratura?"

She nudged her shoulder and got no response. They must have punished her severely. The day before she had been yelling at them and then they took her away. All she heard that night were screams. Whatever they did to her must have been unspeakable. She watched through the bars as the evil beings made their brew. They were using all manner of illegal alchemy tools: spiritual essence, crest residue, live spiders. All substances that could only be sourced from death, grave robbing or misfortune. They were also used to for dark magic. Whatever this was, it wasn't going to make whoever drank it feel good. Each witch cut their arms and pours an amount of blood into the mixture, causing it to glow brightly.

"W-what do you plan to do with that?" Trixie asked

"I thought I instructed you not to speak!" Autumn raged once again "But... since you asked."

She began to cackle the most blood chilling cackle she'd ever heard.

"Your friend, Anon, is nearing the third layline and it's awakening. Meaning the planes of existence will become more easily crossed. This means the Archangels will soon return to the world. We intend to appease one of them."

"Why?"

"I couldn't tell you all my secrets now could I?" she cackled "You can be sure however, that the result will be... earth shattering."

The king sat at his desk, the talon in one hand and a skull in the other. The skull looked to be made of fine jewels yet had a distinct depression in the shape of a square at the back of the head. He looked at it fondly. A hooded woman entered the chamber dressed in find robes with what looked like hospital gauze over her eyes. She did a light bow.

"My liege."

"Report." the king said, not lifting his eyes from the skull

"He's close. The Killer of Mages has been silenced and Anon now knows the true nature of this world."

"Excellent. A pain in my side I couldn't be happier to be rid of." he said "Does he know of the Queen's revival process yet?"

"Not yet." she explained "However, as soon as he emerges from the Unseen World, Igneous intends to put him on that path."

The King smiled. Six thousand years had he sat here, resenting the prison Clover so eloquently made for him. The prison intended to keep him, the King of Dragons from the world that so rightly belong him. The world that feared his power. Now his dim successor was dropped into his lap, following his plan like a lamb following a butcher to slaughter. He looked at the ceiling and laughed.

"What say you Clover?" he roared "No clever schemes this time? No intents to steal what is rightfully mine?"

His mood abruptly changed from that of cheer to one of strong willed caution. He glared at the ceiling. 

"I won't be fooled, not like last time." he whispered "However dull he may be, I won't forget that the one leading him is Clover the Clever. I must always assume she has some sort of plot."

"So we continue with the plan then?" she asked "The plan we had before we were imprisoned?"

"Yes. We will cast off the curtains of this world and be it's one and only sovereign. No nine sisters, no Nightmare Moon, No Clover the Clever. The world is ours."
> The Queen of the Stars
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset Shimmer skimmed through the King's Library trying to find anything of interest. Some of the books were hundreds of years old, some thought lost to time. One in particular caught her eye: a book titled the Five Noble Families of the Mages. She could learn more about Celestia from this no doubt, maybe even Clover the Clever. She opened the rather large book. The first chapter, unsurprisingly, was dedicated to the first of the noble families: the Sparkles.

Of the Fix Noble Houses in the mage world, none possessed a more potent, more graceful, or more forceful style of magic than that of the Sparkle Family. Stellar Magic, Developed by the first member of the Sparkle Family, Starswirl the Beared, during the Magic Golden Age, was a force that could move mountains. It was said that during his youth he stared into the stars and vowed one day he'd harness the power for himself. Much like the Shimmer Family, who's folly to tame the sun scarred their very souls and made all male births stillborn, the price for obtaining such a violent force came with an equally violent cost.

"Go on ahead," Twilight said "I'll handle Chrysalis myself."

"That's suicide!" Amore said

"We don't have time! Nightmare Moon is slaughtering mortals by the thousands. We have to go now." 

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Rom is the only one with the power to beat Nightmare Moon other than Anon. We cannot wait another moment."

Chrysalis chuckled

"It's funny you think I'll give you that option."

She turned into fog before Twilight pointed out her wand, causing a shock wave that threw her against the wall.

"Go!" she yelled "I can handle this!"

They all began to run for the exit and Chrysalis glared daggers.

"You got lucky."

Twilight had a sullen look on her face

"Do you still resent me?" she asked "Is that why you've chose to stand against us, not with us?"

"My path is my own. Our childhood is nothing but a memory."

"Why do this?"

"Nightmare Moon will herald in a utopia. A world without magic, without fear and hatred."

"You say that even after Valencia killed your father?"

"My father was a bastard and a tyrant. But don't worry. Once you're gone Valencia will get hers."

"I see."

Twilight took what looked like a ballet dancers pose. Her wand hand extended forward with her other in the air, wrist slightly tilted so that the middle finger dangled above the center of her head. She stood on the toe of a single leg with her free leg bent so that to toe fit perfectly behind the knee. She made it look easy, but it took years of practice. Every muscle had to be in just the right place. She starred Chrysalis down with stone cold eyes, those of a woman who had foregone any emotional attachment to the situation. Eyes of a killer. The tip of her wand glowed brightly.

"Ursa Minor!"

A blinding light flashed causing Chrysalis to cover her eyes and scream in pain. Twilight, jumping from her position like a loaded spring, charged forward and put her wand right to Chrysalis's chest.

"Ursa Major!"

A strong, powerful beam of light scored straight through her chest with such force it nocked Twi on her back a bit. Chrysalis fell to the floor.

"I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to be this-"

Before Twilight could finish her sentence a hand grabbed her wrist with force, nearly breaking it.

"Spare me your speeches." she said

"Y-you..." Twilight said "you became a vampire?"

"Right. But that's not everything."

Twilight pushed up her wand again

"F-Formax!"

A shield of pure mana surrounded Twilight before Chrysalis breathed poison gas into the air. She threw Twilight to the ground and the gas completely filled the room, blocking her vision in the cloud. If she dropped the mana shield for even a moment she'd be dead in seconds. This poison was a special brew Chrysalis made, designed to poison mana itself. It infiltrated ones magic circuits and made their own mana poison. The only problem was Twilight couldn't maintain a magic shield of strength to block a vampire's savage blows for very long, five minutes at most. The first punch came like a hurricane. It was so strong she could feel her magic circuits cry in pain from the amount of mana she needed to withstand the blow. Even for a vampire, she was incredibly strong. She had to think so something, anything. She looked down at the floor. Only one option. She pointed her wand down. 

"Taurus!"

A large, fiery explosion expanded from wand, creating a wide hole beneath her. She landed on her feet, her muscles ringing from the shockwave of such a powerful blast so close. She forced her self to run and the vampire came down after her, claws extended, hoping to strike the finishing blow. Twilight took her stance again.

"Arcturus!"

She cast it just in time. Chrysalis' claws stopped just short of her as Twilight's body began to glow brightly, her pupils taking the shape of stars. Her former friend knew exactly what this spell caused: it was a suicide bomb. If anything cut her, or stopped her heart, her very mana would ignite and she'd go off with the force of a super nova.

"Is this you admitting defeat?"

"No. It's may way of saying we should stop."

"If you don't fight me I'll simply join with Nightmare Moon and kill the other nobles."

"All for a world without magic?"

"Yes." she said "And you should too. But I know better than to think the high and mighty Sparkle Family would ever renounce this life."

"For your mother?"

"Yes. That alone proves magic is not worth salvaging. She was assassinated and for what? All to turn me into a vampire."

Twilight's skin dimmed and returned to normal, as did her eyes.

"You know I'm not your enemy. You know I understand."

"It pains my Twilight but if killing you will bring my mother back, so I will."

"How would killing me do that?"

"Nightmare Moon's utopia is timeless. No one will live, no one will die. Those who have already passed can rejoin us in the living. I'll be a normal girl again."

"You think she could do that?"

"Yes. She'll cut down the Greater Magic itself. The Greater Magic keeps all the souls of those who have died with in it. With it gone, death will be a thing of the past."

Twilight remained silent for a while

"Twilight." she pleaded "Join us. The world Nightmare Moon is creating is like that of heaven. No more fighting. No hunger. No death. Please."

"Fine. I'll join you. On the condition you take me to see Nightmare herself. I'll lay down my wand and subject myself to whatever security measures you deem appropriate. I want to hear it from her personally."

"Thank you, Twilight." 

They both hugged

"I knew you'd see reason. Come."

Chrysalis turned around. As she did all she felt was a cold chill of malice Twilight ran her wand through her heard, using Taurus to rip through her chest as thought it were paper. In the next instance Twilight removed the object the made her a vampire, her mother's bracelet, lodged deep in her heart. As Chrysalis fell, all she saw was Twilight's cold, murderous eyes. There was no soul behind those eyes, not an ounce of emotion. It was like looking into a machine.

Sunset flipped to the next page, continuing the description of the first royal family:

The stars, so irate at their power had stollen from them, placed a terrible curse on Starswirl that day, and all of his family to follow. All those who inherited the crest from then on would have their heart replaced with one of stone. They would become ruthless beasts, killing their fellow man without so much as a blink of their eye. In the stone heart that now replaced that of their human one, all that beat from it was the melody of hatred and wrath and in their wake, chaos. A demon wearing the face of a human.

"What're you reading?" 

Sunset jumped a bit. It was Rarity.

"It's an early reading on the Five Noble Houses of Mages." she said "More importantly, is Anon back yet? It's been a while."

"No I'm afraid. Igneous said he'd seek advice from the king."

"I worry about him. As strong as he is, he's a novice." she said "he reminds me of me when I was young and innocent. When I wasn't so jaded."

"You don't strike me as the jaded sort, Sunset."

"Being royalty does that too, especially when you have to assume those duties as young as I had too."

"I know how you feel in a sense." she said "Great power comes at great cost."

"It does. There are times I wish I'd never taken this crest. That I'd simply lived my life out as the shy, unimportant sister. But I knew that if my did my sisters would ruin my family name more than it already had been."

"It was a hard choice you made. But no one more fit than you to make it."

"Anon... he's the first thing in a long time to make me happy in this life. I wish I could take the crest from him. Carry his burden. He didn't deserve this burden."

"Did any of us really?"

"No, I suppose not. But it feels worse knowing he had a normal life. You and I, we know no better. Assassination, death, horrendous magic experiments for the 'greater good'. It's all part of our life since birth. But now a man who's biggest fear before was failing a math final has had the responsibility to save a world he never knew existed hoisted on his shoulders."

"He's handling it well. I think it a mistake to underestimate his resolve."

"If there's anything I can do to lessen that burden I will. Maybe give the life of being a noble who holds together a less than equitable system together some greater purpose."

"That's your reason for living?" Rarity asked

"Yes. He reminds me... he reminds me of my mentor. The one who gave his life for me so that I could inherit the power I now have. He acts and behaves just like he did. It feels like in some strange cosmic way, that I'm saving my teacher by saving him. Is that strange?"

Before she could answer a large portal opened up, dropping Anon face first on the floor, blood pouring from a large gash in his chest. Sunset's eyes widened and she ran towards him, pulling out her wand. She pointed it at the wound and cast a healing spell. Nothing. The wound didn't respond at all.

"What's wrong!?" she yelled "Why isn't this working?"

Rarity looked down at the knife and her stomach dropped. The metal, it was none other than the same popular metal made to neutralize mana. Bits of metal must have been caught in the wound. In other words, Sunset's healing magic was being absorbed before it could heal the wound. Rarity rushed to his side.

"Let me try something." she said

She whispered an incantation, one which Sunset didn't recognize. It was in a very ancient tongue. A sphere of light consumed the three of them. When Sunset opened her eyes she looked like she was in some sort of church. There was a large statue depicting a beautiful woman with golden wings. Rarity, now a child, was tied to the statue. A man addressed the crowd in the pews.

"In preparation of your return, we offer you this child as living sacrifice and vessel Archangel Eris. She will live as you live, let her body give you strength. The Way of White grants you this most holy offering!"

A scream ran through her mind as her eyes shot wide open to find herself back in the library. Anon's gash had completely sealed, despite the bits of magic absorbing metal still imbedded within his skin. Whatever she used to heal it couldn't have been mana based. Sunset stared at her, remembering the vision she had gotten.

"What are you? What was the memory?"

Rarity merely lifted her finger to her lips in a 'hush' motion. Anon got up, rubbing his back.

"I can defeat Nightmare Moon! I know how! Or a way to do it!" he yelled
> A Maelstrom of Suffering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Incredible." Rarity said "It was always said the Lady of the Lake was just a legend. To think it was real. Do you know how to talk to her?"

"No. But purifying the lake seems like the first step. When Clover made the pact with Luna over the lake, it turned pitch black. With any luck I could find out more about Luna with that."

"One problem though:" Sunset said "It's impossible to hold two crests at the same time. Your magic circuits would fry."

"Clover did it somehow. The only way to find out is to see more memories."

"And get rid of the back mark." Sunset added

"Right." he said "So what's next? We need to get out of here, out of this prison"

Igneous approached them

"There is a way to life the curse." he explained "We must revive the queen."

"Revive the queen?"

"Correct. The queen sacrificed herself to make this prison we're in to protect us from the Great Calamity. In order to undo that, we must bring her back to the world of the living."

"And how can we do that? Do we even know how?"

"It's the job only outsiders such as yourselves can do. The king will explain in further detail. This way please."

They followed him down the halls and immediately Anon picked that something had changed. Not only where there more iron clad guards, but the tension seemed to have risen dramatically. He couldn't place why, but he could just sense what almost felt like an undercurrent of anxiety coming from those suits of armor. They returned to the two large doors and this time there was a woman in a long black robe with a bandage over her eyes.

"Who's that?" Anon asked

"That is the King's royal advisor and court sorceress, Limestone. Of all the magic users in the kingdom, she's second only to the King himself. She specializes in black magic."

"Black magic?"

"Yes," she said "Contrary to what many would have you believe, black magic isn't such an evil force. Come. The king awaits."

The large doors opened and the king sat in his office, a suspicious looking skull on his gilded desk. He had a stiff, stoic expression and, despite the tension, was relaxed as could be.

"So" he began "Have you learned what you came to learn?"

"Yes. All we need do now is tear down this prison." he said "I was told you hand information on how to do that."

"Yes."

He pushed the skull forward, exposing the large square shaped hole in the back of the head

"This is the skull of my dear departed. She sacrificed herself in order to protect us from the Great Calamity that threatened to destroy us all. To tear down this magic is simple: there is a jewel that will fit into the back of skull. Once it's inside, it must be taken to a ritual site and we can cast the spell to awaken her again. Once that's done, the walls will come down and you will have any aid I can offer in the fight against Nightmare Moon."

"I imagine if it were so easy you'd have done it."

"Right. See those bound here cannot enter the chasm in which its kept. Not only that, but all magic is unusable once inside. This, and perhaps the most important piece, jewel is guarded by a dragon."

"A dragon!?" Rarity gasped

"You see the predicament." he said "However, I've had nearly five thousand years to come up with a solution to this problem."

He took out a key and unlocked a compartment inside his desk, pulling out a necklace with the feather he'd received from Clover in the dream. There was a faint red glow coming off it, as well as heat.

"Simply wear this and the dragon will be unable to harm you in any way." he said "This feather was the one piece I was missing. So long as you have it, the dragon will be powerless against you."

"But this means only one person can face the dragon." Sunset said

"Correct."

"Well then we better hope it works."

"You doubt my wisdom?"

"It's hard not to feel a little nervous when all that stands between me and hellfire is a necklace."

"Fair enough. Igneous, show him to the Chasm of Fate."

"Actually," Anon said "If it would be alright I'd like to get some rest first."

The king looked slightly annoyed but agreed

"Fair enough. I imagine almost dying would take it out of most people. How did you escape anyway?"

"I'm not sure. One second I had been run through, the next I was back in the library."

Anon looked at him skeptically 

"But I didn't tell you I almost died. No one did. Not since we entered this room."

The king's expression turned to that of a glare, as if he was telling him to watch what he said

"My ears extend farther than you realize. It's best you remember that."

"I'm make sure too."

"Igneous. If you'd be so kind to show them to their rooms so they might recover. We'll go after the dragon tomorrow."

"Right away, your Highness."

Once back at the room Sunset pulled him aside

"What was that back there?" she asked

"I've been thinking lately about this whole thing. Something about this just isn't adding up."

"How do you figure?"

"What I mentioned back there and the fact that he said this whole place is a prison. A prison that no one can escape. If no one can escape it, how were we captured in the first place? Not only that, for a man surrounded by agents of Nightmare Moon, he sure is comfortable keeping me out of eyesight."

Sunset put her hand to her chin

"You're right. Now that you think of it a lot of this doesn't make sense. Do you think it's a trap?"

"I'm not sure. It has all the markers of a trap yet... why? Why put on this whole charade? He is clearly a man of such power that he could easily kill all of us if he wanted too. And he had us imprisoned with magic blocking metal before. He clearly needs us for something."

"We'll have to keep our eyes wide open. Until then we really have no choice but to go along with this."

"Indeed. Thank you for letting me know."

Anon looked over to see her robe was full of notes

"What's all that?"

"Oh this? Interesting bits of information I found in the kings library. I've managed to dig up a lot. Missing parts about my own family history that many thought to be lost to time, the levels of reality, and most interestingly, the Archangels."

"Archangels?"

"Yes. I don't know how anyone didn't know this, but apparently the Leylines are not merely wellsprings of magic. They are something far more... I don't even know the word for it. But apparently these laylines are connected to the bodies of what they call Archangels. Four beings seemingly made of mana itself. The mages of the old society revered them as the mouthpieces of the Greater Magic itself. To the North was Auriel, said to symbolize peace and prosperity, Gabriel to the south, said to symbolize fertility and beauty, in the east, Raphael, who represented healing and mercy and finally, Eris, who signaled the apocalypse and disorder."

Tempest Shadow and Pear Butter were nearing the destination of the first trial after three days of bitter walking. The sight was nothing remarkable, in fact easily missed. It was a single stone pillar nearly half way buried in sand. Tempest looked around curiously.

"So what exactly is the first trial?" Tempest asked "How do we start it?"

"Easy. Come to the pillar with me."

Tempest did as she was told and stood right beside it

"Now we both put our hands on it."

They both did so only to have the pillar glow a bright green. Tempest felt as though she'd be punched in the gut.

"What the hell was-" Tempest tried to say before puking on the ground

Her vision began blurry and her throat felt dry, she fell to her knees and began to gasp for air. All of a sudden she was somewhere else entirely. She stood on a stone stage suspended in the stars. At the opposite end was a grave stone. The inscription on the stone read, in fine gold print, was the word 'past' in capital letters. She looked around to see Pear Butter there as well, her own gravestone at the other end. Pear's read 'alone'.

"What is this? Where are we?"

"We're on the starlit stage where we'll be judged by the Greater Magic itself. To succeed this trial, we must battle that of which we are most afraid, proving out strength."

"Simple enough I suppose. Lets get too it."

Tempest hesitated but walked towards the stone. She touched the inscription with her finger, feeling a cold touch. Shadowy figures, each adorned with Tempest's mask surrounded her. Tempest pulled out her knife and steeled herself.

"I am not afraid of you." she said confidently

The shadowy figured charged forth and Tempest threw some knives out at them. They passed through like their bodies were made of smoke. One of them flew right in front of her and forced it's air-like body into her mouth, causing her to inhale it. She suddenly felt a deep chill, as though her veins were being filled with ice. She then felt only one thing: pain. Pure, unfiltered, raw pain. Every part of her skin burned, every nerve felt as though it were being pressed by a red hot iron. The pain was familiar though. She'd felt it before but couldn't remember where. Another one of the smokey figures force it's way into her lungs. She heard things this time, voices.

"It's alright Miss Shadow," a woman's voice said "Tempest's magic can be easily tempered with a simple procedure. She'll never suffered from fever again."

"I'm sorry my child" the woman's voice said again "this must be done without anesthesia. You will be a weapon so perfect God himself would fear you."

Another one of the beasts came into her lungs, her vision was filled with visions. It had to be her past. She was young, no more than twelve or fifteen. She saw her arm, the same arm she'd lost, being strapped to a wooden table. Her magic crest, a purple swirl glowed brightly. Above her she saw a woman with deep blue hair.

"After this is over you will remember none of this. You will be an empty vessel, suited only for one purpose. A tool much like a blade."

A saw blade made of mana came down onto her arm and she cried in pain. She felt it's violation. That magic crest, it was everything. Her history, her family, the source of her power. With a single slice it was all gone. There was a deep intense anger that made itself apparent within her. That was hers! It was not theirs to take! And now that it was gone, it was gone forever. The anger consumed her like a wildfire. Without her crest, without her arm she was nothing more than a defective. It was the mark that showed her a true mage and just like that it was gone alone with her arm.

Another memory filled her body. Again, without any numbing agents, a saw blade carved up and down her body. A man pulled her magic circuits out and placed them backwards, including the ones in her head and eyes. It was a pain so intense, so filled with clarity, all she wanted was for the memory to stop. Finally she woke up by the pillar. Night had fallen. Pear had awoken as well, about as well off as she was. Her face was red and puffy and she hugged her legs. Again, a severe and burning anger consumed Tempest. She stood up and began walk into the desert.

"Where are you going?" Pear said weakly

"To go blow off steam."

Vignette sat at the edge of the table thinking deeply on what Sweetie Belle had said. This world was a fiction. No matter how many times she asked, Belle never gave an answer to what she meant by that. Sweetie opened the door and happily set some plates on the table.

"You'll love this," she said "It's one of my personal favorite dishes. I call it Lidge."

"Lidge?"

"Yes. It's a dish one can only taste to believe."

She put a bunch of ingredients in a large steel cauldron. Everything from strange blue mushrooms, to tails of animals she'd never seen before to strange goo like substances. What came out was something truly strange. It looked like a pie, yet it looked almost see through, as though it wasn't even real.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Valencia asked with trepidation

"Positive." she replied, taking a bite

Even as it was lifted into her mouth by the fork, it just didn't look like it belonged in this reality. She poked at it with her fork only to find it was like pressing through a thick jelly. She lifted it to her lips and took a bite. It tasted incredible, it was a taste she couldn't describe.

"Liking it I see."

"Yes. This is... incredible. I've never had anything even remotely like it."

"I learned from the best."

Vignette greedily ate the rest of it as though she'd not eaten in weeks.

"So what are you doing out here exactly?"

"Hiding."

"Hiding?"

"Yes. My mentor instructed me to come here and never leave until the tremors stopped. But I decided to stay."

"Tremors?"

"During the fight between Nightmare Moon and Clover there was a great earthquake. It was like the world itself was splitting into pieces."

Vignette shot up

"Wait you were around for the fight between Clover the Clever and Nightmare Moon!?"

"Of course. It was somewhere around twenty years ago."

"What!? That's impossible! Clover was alive over five centuries ago!"

"Not impossible. We live in a world of many secrets. But you will learn soon enough. I can't tell you now however."

"You can't just keep dropping bombshells on me like that."

"I'm telling you all I'm able to tell without reality coming apart. Believe me when I say, however, you will learn the truth soon enough. That boy you're working so hard to undermine, he's about to reveal to the truth the underlies this world."

"Anon?"

"Correct."

"So you think I've chosen the wrong side then. I'll have you know I'm not on Nightmare Moon's side per say. I've always been my own woman."

"From where I sit, you seem just as led by the nose as the rest of them."

"You don't know me."

"Oh but I do. I'm quite well verse on the goings on of this world."

Vignette went quiet

"Something wrong?" Sweetie asked

"Are you human?"

"Yes, a mage like I said, trained by the Order of Obsidian Witches."

"You talk as though you have omnipotence."

"Not quite. To put it lightly, my connection to the Greater Magic is far stronger than most."

"I don't know why even bother. All you do is talk in riddles."

"Then why don't I show you?"

"Show me?"

"Come, come."

Sweetie stood up and grabbed a silver staff from the wall.

"Let me show you the Well of Dreams. It won't show you everything but it should satisfy your curiosity."

"Alright."

Valencia trailed behind Sweetie out into the woods and down a small path that led to a cave. The cave was small, the inside no bigger than a small cottage. At the center of the cage floor was pool that glowed a beautiful blue.

"To activate it is simple: all you must due is donate a drop of your blood and drink from the water."

Vignette bit her finger hard enough to draw blood and let a single drop go into the pool. In response, it flashed for a moment. She then drank from it. The next thing she knew she was starring into a swirling maelstrom of what looked like ghosts.

"What... what is this?"

Vignette began to shiver and shake. She felt deathly afraid all of a sudden.

"What's this?" asked a monstrous, contorted voice "Why it's my collection of course."

The voice chuckled the most vile chuckle she'd ever heard. She turned around to see Sweetie Belle, her fact contorted into a hideous smile and her eyes exuded a murderous intent. Vignette's blood turned to ice and she felt a deep chill go down her spine. It was like looking at a monster wearing human skin.

"Go on." she whispered "Take a closer look."

Vignette raised her wand, her hand shaking

"D-don't come any closer. I'll kill you."

"Try it. I dare you."

She tried to fire a shot of mana but nothing would emerge. It was like she couldn't summon any mana at all.

"What's the matter?"

Vignette let out a scream, only for the horrific beast to push her down into the tempest. As she fell she only heard horrible screams, the screams of people who had been suffering for god knows how long. She shot up and looked around. She was still in bed. The bed in Sweetie Belle's cottage. She was covered in a cold sweat and panting heavily.

"Just a dream." she said to herself "Just a very very bad-"

Vignette stopped cold, a chill running all the way down her spin. Through the door to her room she could see Sweetie Belle, standing there with the same crooked smile on her face and the same cold, murderous eyes. She just stood there, not moving a single muscle. Vignette's face turned white as a sheet.

"What's the matter?" Belle asked "You look as though you've seen a ghost. Come. I think I have just the thing that'll help. It's called the Well of Dreams."

Tempest had found a tree and began furiously kicking it. She kicked it for hours but no matter how many times her leg slammed into the tree it didn't lessen the anger even a little bit. The revelation meant many different things. Not only did it mean that her entire family history, her heritage was lost, but it also meant that any memories prior the crest being removed were now beyond recovery. All she would remember now, besides those few memories seen during the trial, was her life as a human weapon. No happy memories, just pain. She kicked the tree harder and harder and, for the first time, felt hot tears begin to stream down her face. 

"How dare you!?" she yelled to the stars "That was mine! That crest was mine! It wasn't yours to take!"

With a mighty yell, her leg tore straight through the tree. She began to furiously punch the ground.

"Give it back to me! Give it back! My crest give it back to me!"

She began to dig into the earth, for some reason believing that if she just dug far enough somewhere it'd be there. Finally she crumpled into a ball and began to sob. 

"Give it back." she whimpered, clutching the stump where her arm should be "give it back."

Suddenly she took out one of her knives, aiming it squarely at her neck. It was a pain she couldn't hope to bear. If this was only a few memories, she didn't want to know the rest. As she began to run it to her throat, a hand stopped her. It was Pear Butter.

"Please." she said "Don't."

"Let me do it!" she yelled "This isn't a pain you could possibly understand!"

Pear hugged her tight

"Please just..." 

And for the first time in her life Tempest fell to pieces. Crying and crying in the arms of a person she'd barely known.
> The Knife that Cuts Deep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tempest's sleep was interrupted by the sound of Pear strumming her guitar. It was a slow, sad melody, each and every note dripping with melancholy. It reminded Tempest of everything that happened last night, in brutal stunning detail. She balled her hand into a fist.

"Would you stop that god damn racket!?"

Pear looked shocked and promptly stopped strumming

"I'm... sorry. I didn't know you could hear me."

"I'm sleeping can't you see that!?" she yelled

Suddenly, her nerves were wracked with pain. She knew what it was, the pain of having not having taken new mana into her system for too long. She clutched the stump of her missing arm. The second her fingers touched it she felt it's absence: the pain of that which she did not know, but could feel all too well.

"What's wrong?" Pear asked

"What does it look like!?"

Tempest shot up from her sleeping bag and began to march off into the wilderness once again, in search for a new tree to kick without mercy. Pear chased after, grabbing her wrist.

"You can't just-"

Something inside Tempest broke suddenly. She ripped her wrist from Pear's grasp and with one might swipe, kicked her straight in the stomach. Pear doubled over in pain, wheezing and coughing from the blow.

"I can do whatever I want to do."

She marched out into the shifting sands. All she wanted to do was commit violence. Hurt something beyond repair, make something beg for it's life only to take it without so much as blink in her eyes. She didn't care anymore. Not about the tribe, not about trials, not about Anon even. They could all die in a fire for all she cared. She travelled only a short while before the opportunity came: a rodent the size of a dog. She clenched her fist and leaped forward, punching the rat-like creature straight in the spine. It yelled in pain, a pain she relished. She began beating the poor creature senseless until, without warning, it was pulled under the sand, as if connected by a rope. It wasn't as though it borrowed or dug for cover, it was literally dragged by it's stomach. The earth beneath her began to shake and out of the sand rose a grotesque creature covered in long shiny scales, large pitch black eyes and massive sharp teeth. The teeth were so long that the beast couldn't shut it's mouth closed without puncturing it's own lips. It's head was massive, twice her hight and wider than a a few bookshelves. Above it's head was a long appendage akin to a fishing line that ended with the shape of the very same rat she was beating to a pulp. She clenched her fist again.

"Bring it you ugly piece of shit. " she said

She lunged at beast with a mighty kick. It's scales were razor sharp, cutting straight through her feet. She barely felt the pain, it was nothing to her. She kept kicking, turning her legs into a shredded mess. The beast whipped her with one of its large clawed arms, sending her flying a couple dozen yards. She tried to stand again to no avail. Her legs were so badly torn up that they simply refused to function. The beast jumped the gap between them, landing atop her at the waist. Tempest put her arm forward and tried to absorb the beast the same way she absorbed the two that attacked that pregnant woman. Just as her ability was about to start, she felt a massive throbbing pain. She screamed bloody murder. The beast moved closer up her body, it's heavy frame breaking each of her ribs on by one as it climbed. Tempest let out another ear piercing shriek of agony and the beast pulled out it's tongue, ready to have it's lunch. The last sound she heard before she blacking out was the sweat melody of a guitar playing a sad tune.

The next thing Tempest knew she was back in her sleeping bag. Her whole body ached. She blinked open her eyes to see Pear Butter sitting in a makeshift chair with her guitar on her lap. Her head rested on it's frame as she slept soundly. Tempest tapped her ribs. They were as good as new. She lifted her legs. Not as much luck. They were covered in bandages and the slightest movement sent small shockwaves of pain up and down her body. The sun was high in the sky, a little past noon by the look of it. Pear suddenly woke up.

"Oh," she muttered, still half asleep "You're awake."

"You saved me..."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm not about to leave a member of the tribe behind to be monster food."

Tempest put her arm over her eyes

"I'm not a member of your tribe," Tempest corrected "Perhaps I shouldn't be."

"Nonsense. Sure, you're not a member officially but we're in this together. So you may as well be."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because that's what my dad taught. I should always be kind even if it's hard."

"Your dad sounds like a fool."

"I can be mean if you wish me to be, miss single arm."

In a fit of blind rage, Tempest leaped to her feat, only to fall right back down and cry in pain.

"You little..." she said

"Like I said. My dad taught me to be kind whenever possible. Now please let me make it be possible. Because the lesson he taught me after that was to not let anyone walk all over me."

Tempest scoffed and began to try to get back to her original position on her sleeping bag. It proved near impossible. Any movement or weight on either leg was met with mind bending pain coupled with the fact that she had a single arm to work with.

"Let me help you." Pear said

"No!" she snapped "I don't need yours or anyone's help. I can do this myself." 

"Suit yourself. But we'll need to get going soon for the trial of wit. And those legs of yours won't carry you very far."

"You healed my ribs didn't you?"

"I did. Took so much energy that I had to nap. But, like you said, you didn't need anyone's help."

"Screw you!"

Pear sat back with her guitar in hand

"Just call for me when you want help."

Tempest tried over and over for hours. Each time she tried to roll even slightly too her back, the pain overwhelmed all of her senses and she fell down again and again. Her hair and face were covered in sand, her mouth dry and her belly empty. But she didn't care. She'd die trying if she had too. Night eventually fell and she still had yet to yield. 

"You sure are stubborn, Tempest."

"Shut. Up."

"We don't have time for this."

"I said shut up!"

"You asked for it."

Pear placed her guitar in a special bag that attached at her hips then picked Tempest up, placing her on her back in a piggyback position. 

"Put me down!" Tempest yelled, pulling her hair

"I'm not doing this to help you,"  she said "This is purely for selfish reasons. This is so I can finish the initiation. Does that satisfy you?"

She wanted to struggle but spending the day fighting a giant monster, then tossing and turning with wounded legs all without any food or water in the scorching hot desert was starting to take its toll.  She just couldn't fight anymore.

"Fine." she mumbled, like a child being forced by their mother to apologize

"Good."

The two of them began their journey across the desert to their next goal, a long walk to heaven knows were. The stars shone bright in the sky, giving them perfect visibility across the endless expanse of sand.

"You know the legends say this used to be a great sea?"

Tempest looked to the side, doing nothing but muttering something under her breath.

"According to legend, a man lost his son to the sea. So angry at the loss, he attempted to control it. He raged and raged against the waves, trying to bend it too his will. When the Mother of the Earth saw this, she removed the sea and all it's gifts as punishment."

"Cute story."

Pear went silent for a moment

"Why are you so full of anger?"

"How much time you got? I've got a nice long list."

"You are certainly more pent up now than when we met. Why? What's stirred up such a violent rage all of a sudden?"

Tempest clenched her fist tightly, so tight her nails dug into her skin and began to draw blood.

"Why do you care?"

"You have to trust me." she explained "We're partners in this. You can trust me."

"No, I can't and I won't."

"Suit yourself."

They arrived at their destination by sunrise. A small cave entrance. It looked so unremarkable that one would be forgiven for just passing over it entirely.

"Lets set up camp." Pear said

"We're not going to do the trial now?"

"I've been carrying you all night, remember?"

"Fine."

Pear gently set Tempest down, letting her back lean on the cave exterior and began to set up the campsite. She tapped her guitar.

"Just let me know if you want me to return your legs as they were. Or just sing you a nice tune to pass the time."

"We're not friends." she said snidely "We will never be friends. Ever."

"Fine. Keep playing the tough girl, miss one arm."

In another fit of rage she jumped forward, trying to attack her in any way she could. All she did was fall flat on her face and yelp in pain as the sand made it's way through the bandages and into her cuts.

"Just think of all the pain you could enact on me if only your legs were healed." she said "Or if you had more than a single arm."

Tempest let out a grunt of pure frustration

"If you bring that up one more time I swear I will kill you!" she yelled

"I'm sure, I'm sure. In the mean time, I'm going to get some sleep. Though feel free to wake me up when you want your legs back."

Pear let out another sly smile

"Though I can't do much about your arm."

Tempest yelled and slammed her fist into the dirt

"SHUT UP!"

"Night night."

Pear fell into a deep and restful sleep, waking up to the sound of whimpering. She subtly shifted around in her sleeping bag and peaked out to see Tempest. She'd crawled just a few feet  and managed to rip off most of the bandages in the process. Sand had poured into cuts, causing unimaginable pain. She sat there, pounding her fist into the sand over and over. Pear sat up and walked towards her.

"D-don't come any closer." she said through her tears "I'll kill you, I mean it."

Pear pulled her back up to a sitting position and pulled a first aid kit from her side bag.

"Lets disinfect these cuts."

She began to dab her legs with a cotton ball covered in disinfectant. All Tempest could do was watch with tears running down her face. Her legs were wrapped up again with a new set of bandages.

"Are you ready? This is the hardest trial, the of wit."

Tempest wiped her tears with her arm.

"I'm sorry." she blurted out

"I'm sorry too." Pear replied "What I said was unduly harsh."

Pear gently rubbed her hand down Tempest's scar where her arm should've been.

"It hurts doesn't it?"

"Every day. Every single day." she muttered "Every day I look at you with nothing but envy for that arm you have. Every time I see you doing things with both your arms I'm reminded of it's absence. It makes me so angry all I want to do is scream at the top of my lungs."

"You want me to tell you a secret?"

"Like what?"

"Like that I know exactly how you feel. Take a look."

Pear unbuttoned her robe and exposed her back. A tiny scary was visible just above the base of her back, almost like a precision slice by a surgery blade.

"See that little scar? When I was a young girl I was playing up in a tree and fell. As I did, a sharp rock hit me square in the back. It left me crippled from the waist down. The tribe doctor had a solution, to cut open my back and magically jump start my nerves to get them going again. As you can imagine, however, this came at a severe cost to me."

"What did it cost?"

"My eye sight."

"What!? How is that possible? You function as if you can see perfectly."

Pear lifted up her guitar and gave it a loving tap.

"It's all thanks to this baby." she said "This guitar and I are magically fused. As the air passes through it I can see, sort of. It's all a blurry, hard to understand picture. However, whenever I play my music that picture becomes clearer than ever. Of course I can only make out shapes, nothing insanely detailed. But it's still better than the vague awareness I have that helps me get around."

She turned her head back to Tempest and gave a smile, a smile clearly masking a lot of built up pain.

"So believe me when I said I understand, at least a bit. Obviously what you went through seems quite a bit more traumatic. But I know what you mean when you say all you can feel is an angry sort of envy when you see those with the gift that was stolen from you without your consent. The feeling of wanting to rip it out of their body just out of spite."

"Pear... I'm... I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

She put her forehead against Tempest's

"All is forgiven, if you can forgive me in turn. Lets take on this monster together. Not just that of the trials, but of our disadvantages. You and I are better than our weaknesses."

Tempest smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever

"Yeah." she said "Let's do just that. Can you heal my legs first?"

Pear picked up her guitar with a grin and gave a light strum

"I'd love nothing more. This song is the song of healing."
> A Lover's Dance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What are you reading?" Anon asked, looking over Sunset's shoulder

Sunset didn't lift her head from the pages, keeping an intense expression of focus as she scanned

"Historical documents. Mainly that of my family's progenitor: Celestia Shimmer."

"Can't you just go back through your crest memories to see that?"

"I would but it's the strangest thing: Everything prior to Celestia's death has been cut off. It's been that way since Celestia's first daughter."

Anon remembered what the King had said, that this world was nothing more than a lie. But what did that mean? Just what did Clover do when she assimilated with the Greater Magic? Was she even human anymore? How much of this world did she influence and in what ways? It was never straight forward.

"What have you found out so far?" he asked, taking a seat by her "Anything interesting?"

"Precious little I didn't already know. It doesn't make any sense. Both Celestia and Clover made an immeasurable impact on the mage world. Yet nobody seems to know anything about them, what they did in life, or even how they met their end. How could two famous figures have such little known about them? It makes no sense."

Sunset shut the book and took a good look at Anon

"How's the hex doing? Are you feeling alright?"

"I only feel it really when I use magic. Then it becomes intensely painful. So long as I don't use magic it seems unable to really effect me."

"How're you feeling about what comes next? We're almost out of this, but the hardest part is yet to come."

"Scared of course. Nothing gets the blood pumping like facing a dragon without the ability to use magic."

"Let's hope that charm works then."

"Let's."

Sunset looked at him closely, as though she were studying a painting. Her eyes scanned him form up and down, side to side, taking in his every feature and flaw.

"Sunset?" Anon asked in a worried tone

"You seem troubled by something. Something that isn't going face to face with a dragon."

"I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" she asked "You know you can tell me anything. We're partners in this."

"I learned something in my face of with the the mage killer. Chiefly that magic stems from evil roots. The Greater Magic isn't pure, it's malicious."

"Malicious?"

"I wasn't told many details. But even Clover herself admitted it: black magic didn't stem from pure magic, but the reverse. The reason magic began to fade during Clover's time was because King Arthur sealed away the devil, whatever that means."

"Why does that trouble you? It clearly can be used for good."

"I don't know. But that's not the only thing that troubled me: I saw Clover."

"You did?"

"It was only briefly. But I saw her, spoke to her spiritual form for a moment. She saved me from being killed by the mage killer, likely also brought me back to the physical world when I was trapped in that other plane of existence."

"What did she say?"

"Next to nothing. All she really told me was to find her diary. From there I only learned a bit about what our next steps are."

"What did she look like?"

"She was... beautiful." he said "she was in beautiful pink robe that glowed and she had long blonde hair down to her ankles. Her eyes... they were this magnificent emerald. One thing that struck me was when she killed the mage killed she said 'may you travel the Great Sea in peace' almost like it were a prayer."

"It would make sense. The Great Sea is believed to be one of the final levels of reality, the one right before the Greater Magic."

"Levels or reality?"

"Yes. There are seven in total: the physical world, which we inhabit, the World Unseen or sometimes called the Shadow World, the Mana Corridor, the Abyssal Trench, Eden, the Great Ethereal Sea and finally the Greater Magic."

"What is the Great Ethereal Sea?"

"It's said in legend to be the place where souls go to be judged by the Lady in White. But nobody really knows for sure. All we know is it exists. It's impossible for a living body to go higher than the Mana Corridor."

"Why's that?"

"The Mana Corridor is the primary place we draw mana from, though, suspiciously, the leylines don't seem to do the same."

"It's not from the Greater Magic?"

"It is. But the Greater Magic isn't really mana as we understand it. It's more like information."

"Information?"

"Yes. That's why most people who try to access the Greater Magic directly tend to go insane. Again, as it's so difficult to access, details are simply limited. We don't really understand it."

"And the Lady in White?"

"That'd be a better question for Rarity. The Way of White worships her as a deity. It's not really known if she truly exists, most think it a myth of the old world."

Sunset closed the book and once again looked at him with a strange fascination

"I've got an idea for us. When you're healed anyway. There is one interesting bit of information I learned from these books. Celestia and Clover had a secret technique of immense power they could only use together: The Starlit Connection."

Valencia stared at her captor with terror. For the firs time in a long time she began to shake. She was in deep trouble. Of all the things she could run into, she ran into an incredibly dangerous adversary: a dream demon. Incredibly rare, these beings were legendary tricksters. Instead of just eating their pray as most demons would do, they pleasured in toying with their victims. When she hit her had back then, she had never woken up. She was stuck in a dream state. The longer she remained, the more of her dreams the demon would consume until she became what is commonly known as a blank: a person devoid of memory and personality.  However, the demon was not invincible. It had one critical weakness: You had to beat it at its own game and be stronger than whatever weakness of your personality it was preying on. To survive she had to cast off what made her most afraid. Vignette stopped her shaking. She was going to be queen of the mages. It would take more than a dream demon to stop her. She was better than this, better than any mage who had come before and would come after. The demon's smile faded and it shut the door. 

Suddenly she felt multiple cold hands gripping her body, threatening to pull her down into the floor. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this. She could win. The hands pulled her through the floor and the next she knew she was standing on long road beside a cliff. Just ahead of her she could see a large boulder with the body of a young girl beneath it. She began to shake again. Vignette gripped her wrist tightly, doing whatever she could to stop the trembles.

"It's not real," she said through a shaky voice "It's just an illusion. None of this is real."

The sound of pebbles hitting the ground came from just above her. She looked up to see a large boulder being pushed by a corpse. The instant she saw it she let out a terrible blood curdling scream and began to take off in the other direction.

"I can't do this!" she yelled "I can't!"

She turned around only to find the boulder on the path and the corpse pushing it down after her. She screamed again, even louder. She was running so fast her legs physically hurt. Her father's words echoed in her mind:  'your birth was a curse not just unto you, but onto us all.' Vignette suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face forward, her eyes filled with rage.

"No. I'm not a curse."

The boulder came faster and faster until it came right into her, crushing her flat. When she opened her eyes again she was starring into a black sun. The sky above was red as blood and the ground like black tar. She lifted herself to her feet. She knew this memory. Whenever she was in distress she'd come to this world to talk to Nightmare Moon. The only woman in the world who'd shone her any kindness. Yet, now, the world was empty. Usually Nightmare would be sitting in a chair, looking like nothing more than a shadow. Vignette felt a sharp paint in her side. 

"Coward." a voice said "Killing your own father with this sacred blade while his back was turned."

She fell to the floor, spitting out blood. She turned to see her father holding the pitch black knife she'd used to take his life.

"The crown was always my right." she said, clutching her side "You were nothing but a tyrant and a bastard. I'll be better."

"You're no better. You never will be."

"I will! Without magic humanity can finally know peace."

Tirek grabbed her by the hair

"You may have stopped my heart but not me. I live within you now more than ever. We're cut from the same cloth. We're as ruthless as the other."

"I'll be better." she said "I'm not afraid."

"You lie."

The world around her changed. It was dark all except for a single shining light. She could barely see through the gleam but if she squinted hard enough, she saw it's figure, that of a crown. She began to run towards it but not no matter how fast she ran, it was always just out of reach. Just as her finger tips were about to touch it's beautiful steel shell, she tripped and fell into the darkness below. She woke with a start to see she was by a crackling campfire. Flim sat by it's edge, tending too it. His spear, Glorias, sat on his shoulder with the dream demon skewered on its blade. It was a small thing, no bigger than a mouse. It looked much like a ghost with a dull yellow hue outlining it and many eyes. It was round and delicate, like it would break open at the slightest touch. Looking at it, she almost felt pity for the poor thing. It reminded her of herself in a way. A small, weak being causing misery to those around her out of the need for survival. 

"Finally up?" he asked "It's about time."

"I..." she started "I don't understand. I thought you went to help Nightmare Moon."

"I was. But then I remembered I had to give you something. Luckily I came when I did. You were possessed by a demon. Seems you have a severe concussion as well."

"What happened to loyalty to Nightmare Moon over everything else?"

"This is exactly that." he explained "Nightmare Moon instructed me to protect you at any cost as well as give you this."

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a rather worn looking book. Vignette's eyes lit up with surprise. This was the first magic tome she'd ever studied, given to her by Nightmare Moon. Vignette studied Flim's face carefully. It looked melancholic and grieving, almost dead-eyed. His usually clean shaven face was now covered in hair, an unkempt beard that displayed his total lack of care.

"Is everything alright? You look troubled."

He stood up and stared into the distance, his expression unchanging

"I'm fine. It's just that my duty is nearly coming to a close."

"To a close? You mean that sacrifice you spoke of?"

"Yes."

"That's why you didn't go back for her, isn't it?"

He looked down at his feet and said nothing

"So what was it like?" he asked "Being possessed by a dream demon?"

"Terrible. Though, strangely, I'm feeling an odd sense of calm."

"A good one I hope."

"Yes." she said, standing up

"Would you like for me to accompany you?"

"Of course. We're getting close to our destination anyhow. The Tomb of Kings."

Nightmare Moon stared out at the destruction she'd caused, holding the forever rose delicately in her hand. She reveled in it. The mortals that had caused her and her sister so much pain were now paying for it a million fold. It was indeed required for the plan that she bathe the earth in blood, but she couldn't deny the sick satisfaction she took in it all. A bloodlust unlike anything she'd ever felt before overtook her.

"Nightmare Moon!" a voice called out "We've come to stop you!"

She smiled and turned around to see her challenger. Not one, but almost all of the noble families: Twilight Sparkle, Mi Amore' Cadenza, her mother Amore',  and Juniper Montage along with the head of the school, Rom.

"Come to stop me have you? Isn't that a job for the Clover's successor?"

"We'll have to see won't we?" Twilight asked "Taurus!"

A large blast of flames flew out of Twilight's wand all for Nightmare Moon to brush it away effortlessly. Nightmare tapped her staff to the ground twice.

"Tuiteam." 

A massive amount of pressure suddenly emitted from all directions, causing Twilight and the others to fall to the knees. The force was so great that the ground beneath them cracked. Nightmare lifted her staff high and her form became black as tar. The moon sat just above where her staff was raised, as though it was resting on the head of her staff. The moon began to shine brightly.

"Tonn Na Gealaich."

The earth began to shake and a massive beam of light exploded from her staff, causing an unparalleled explosion miles wide. Everything within the blast radius was reduced to ash, leaving nothing but a large crater in it's wake. Nightmare Moon barely worked up a sweat.

"This is what true magic is. It's a thing you could never compare too."

She took her staff down and began to turn, when her chest suddenly glowed a bright pink. An outline of a heart made itself visible on her chest. 

"What? Impossible."

She looked around to see where the spell came from. Nothing. All was quiet. She was then struck in the back with a ball of fire that came from nowhere. She studied the area closely. It had to be an illusion. It made perfect sense considering the Montage style of magic. She equipped her staff again and began to pour raw mana into the air. Slowly but surely the illusion began to fall apart and break.

"That was clever. But you'll need to do better." Nightmare Moon whispered

"Mom!" Cadence yelled 

"Right!"

Cadence and Amore' stood chest to chest with each of their wands pointing forward, their hands clasped together.

"Dannsa an Leannain!" they said in unison 

The same heart outline that was on Nightmare Moon's chest now appeared on theirs. The two were doing their most famous technique: The Lover's Dance Sigil. It was as risky as it was deadly. By connecting the magic circuits of the hearts of all those involved, they were now connected as though by blood. All those effected by the spell now had to preform a dance. If mother and daughter could complete it uninterrupted,  Nightmare Moon would die from heart failure. However, should they be stopped, even for a moment, both Cadence and Amore' would die instantly.

Rom stood in front of the pair as they began their dance while Juniper and and Twilight began to throw everything they had at Nightmare Moon. Twilight threw up her hands and began to to collect an unparalleled amount of mana into her core. She was about to cast some of her most powerful spells: that from the twelve major constellations. Juniper dove in to give her more time.

"Neo-fhìor." Juniper said

Nightmare Moon's vision began to buzz like static from a TV set. Colors changed, things moved into different areas as though they were teleported there and body parts changed positions at random. Nightmare Moon simply sighed. She lifted up her staff and began cast the spell that left the miles long crater again.

"Gemini!" Twilight called out

Two massive fish made of light began to circle the ground below Nightmare's feet. They spun faster and faster until they abruptly stopped, firing a massive green beam of light into the sky. No sooner did she do this that Cadence and her Mother both finished their dance. Nightmare Moon clutched her chest and fell to her knees. It was over.
> The Eastern Trickster
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tempest stood up on her feet. They felt better than new. They were perfect and all without a single scar. She shot a few kicked into the air.

"That song was beautiful." Tempest said

"I hope the healing was just as beautiful."

"Oh yeah. My legs have never felt better." she said "You ready to do the trial of wit?"

"Ready when you are. We can leave our stuff out here. We'll be exiting the way we came."

"Any idea of what we'll find down there?"

"It's individual to every person who experiences it. There's no way to know until we do it."

"Then I guess we'll just have to hope for the best."

They both walked into the mouth of the cave and down the path. The cool chill of the inside felt incredible after spending so much time in the desert heat. The deeper they went, the darker it became. Pear had no trouble in such an environment, navigating as though it were perfect daylight. Tempest, however, was not doing nearly so well. She kept bumping into walls, stubbing her toes against various rock formations and finally tripping and falling flat on her face. Pear helped her to her feet.

"Here." she said gently "Just hold my hand. I'll be your eyes."

Tempest shut her eyes and extender her hand

"Ok." she said "I trust you."

"Oh," Pear giggled

"What is it?"

"Your hand is so soft. Hardly the hands I'd expect of someone with your skills."

"laugh it up, chuckles." Tempest sneered

Pear let a large smile slip across her face as the line and began to guide tempest through the cavern. They walked on and on, deeper and deeper.

"Where does this trial start anyway?" Tempest asked

"It'll be at another pillar, just like the last one. This pillar is just at the heart of the cave. It's a bit of a hike but it won't take us too long. Thankfully this place is monster free."

"How did you manage to get me out of that monster's grasp anyway?"

"Easy. Using my guitar, I played a melody that put it in a dream-like trance."

"You can mind control with that?"

"Sort of it. The strength of the mind is an important factor. The stronger and more intelligent the target, the more energy it'll take to maintain that control and I have to play continuously without missing a single note."

"How did you pull me out from under the creature while you were strumming? Thing was so heavy it broke my ribs."

"I told it to move and it did. After that, I grabbed you and ran like the wind. Luckily for us the creature wasn't very fast. But between that and healing your ribs I was so exhausted I fell asleep."

"I'm sorry I put you through that."

"It's ok. I know what you were feeling in that moment. Can't say I haven't made equally stupid decisions while in a head space like that."

As they walked down to the cavern's lowest point, the sound of rushing water could be heard. They crossed over a very old and very creaky wooden bridge. Below them the water glowed a brilliant blue.

"What is the place?" 

"It used to be a place of worship, kind of like a church."

"Your," Tempest bit her lip "Our tribe worships inside caves?"

"Not typically. This one, and the two others, are special. This one's significance of course being related to the fact that it's where the trial of wit comes into play."

They travelled a bit further until they came to a large circular room with a stone pillar at its center. The wall was covered in a strange green moss that glowed bright enough to illuminate the entire room around it.

"Are you ready?" Pear asked

"Ready."

They both put their hands on the pillar at the same time and the room began to fill with gas. The gas began to take a form of what looked like an angel, She wore a beautiful white dress and had two large ram horns on either side of her head. Not only that, her hair was pink. She looked angelic yet, at the same time, malicious. She sat in mid air with a smile.

"Good day," she said in a seductive voice "It's been so long since I've been summoned. What's the occasion? An initiation? Funeral?"

"An initiation." Pear answered "We're here for the trial of wit."

The being stared at them like a starving man would after not eating food for two weeks. Her feet touched the ground and spun around the pillar with a single hand. She spun without a single movement, like she was willing gravity to do it for her. As she stopped, she flipped upside down and stood atop one finger. Her dress remained exactly as if she was standing right side up, completely defying the laws of physics. 

"Good, good." she said "I should warn you though. For this trial should you lose, well... you'll become my slaves for eternity. Are these terms acceptable to you both?"

Tempest and Pear looked at one another then back at her, nodding in unison. She chuckled.

"I always love the over confident."

"Who are you? What are you?" Tempest asked

"Me? Some would call me a demon. Many a succubus. Others a lower order goddess. My name, however, is Silverstream."

Silverstream snapped her fingers and a table appeared from nowhere. Tempest looked in surprise.

"No wand." she said in shock

"Does that really surprise you? Your friend can do it too. What's his name... Anon."

"How do you know that?"

"I know many, many things. But enough questions. We've got a rite of passage to conduct. Please, sit."

Pear and Tempest sat in the chairs provided and Silverstream pulled two cups and twelve dice from behind her back.

"For this first test we're going to play a mortal game. They're some of my favorites. This is a game called Liar's Dice. The rules are simple: we'll each scramble the dice in the cup and make bets on how many of dice of a certain number there are between all players. You can either accept the bet or call the bluff. For example, if I were to say there are three five's and I have two and you have one, the win goes to me."

"Easy enough." Pear said

"Good. Then who's first?"

"We're not all playing at the same time?"

"No. It's a trial of wit. As such, both of you must be tested individually. You can, however communicate with the other during the game."

Pear whispered in Tempest's ear

"Leave this one to me. It's a sure victory. Using my guitar I'll be able to see the dice."

Tempest nodded

"You first then?" Silverstream asked "Then we shall start. Best two out of three."

They both put their dice inside the cups and began to shake, slamming them down at the same time. Silverstream checked under her cup.

"I say there is at least two three's."

"I say there's four."

"You're bluffing."

They both removed their cups and, sure enough, there were four three's between the two of them. Tempest smiled. She was right. With her ability of sonar this was a cinch for her. They each scooped their dice back into the cup and rolled again.

"I wager there are three five's." Pear said

"I wager four sixes."

Pear concentrated to get a better view with her sonar. There wasn't a single six. A complete bluff.

"Bluff."

Silverstream smiled and they both lifted their cups. She couldn't believe it. Silverstream did indeed have four sixes. But that was impossible. She knew what she'd seen. Her sonar was never wrong, it couldn't be wrong. She had to have cheated

"You cheated!" Pear said

"Oh did I?" she asked in a coy tone "And how would you know that? You can't even see. Unless... you cheated to somehow by using magic that allows you to see inside the cups. In which case it's alls fair in love and war."

Pear began to sweat. She must've known of her guitars ability from the beginning. She didn't even mention she was blind. Whatever this demon was, it clearly had insane amounts of observation or, worse, clairvoyance. Tempest stared daggers at the demon, looking for any sign of cheating but she saw nothing. No hand gestures, no facial changes, nothing. Whatever she was doing was completely undetectable. 

"Time for the tie breaker." Silverstream said with a chuckle

Pear began to audibly pant and her hands trembled as she placed the dice back inside the cup. Silverstream smiled devilishly.

"What's the matter? Succumbing to the pressure?"

"I'm fine!" she hissed

They both shook their cups and slammed them on the table. Pear was shaking like a tree in a strong breeze now. Tempest watched even closer now, her sharp eyes studying everything from Silverstream's breathing to the movements of her eyes. She looked for something, anything that gave away what she was doing.

"I wager that there are two four's."

"I wager t-three two's." she stammered

There. Right as she made her bet Silverstream's eyes briefly flickered to the right. Not only that, the knuckle of her third finger on her left hands twitched very slightly. But why? What did it mean?

"I call bluff." 

They removed their cups and the three two's Pear had before had had mysteriously all changed. Pear's face changed to one of pure anguish as a light green mist rose from her body. In a single instant, her soul was torn from her as her body went completely limp. She was dead.

"That should complete preparations," Rutherford said, tossing the last log onto the neat pyramid "Sonata do you have the hemlock?"

"Right here!" Sonata said with childish glee

Skystar walked through the tall grass with a tall beaker full of yellow smoke, Aria by her side.

"You got the firefly essence?" he asked

"Yes." Skystar replied curtly

"Good. Then we can summon the Amarok and make our offering."

Rutherford took out his staff and Skystar took his free hand. Adagio and her sisters simply sat at the sidelines to watch.

"Are you all ready?"

"Ready." the sisters said in tandem

"Good." he said "Gairm a-mach!"

Skystar's skin suddenly turned a brilliant blue and her eyes filled with light. The sky began to darken and the tower of wood instantly set itself ablaze. From the thick cloud of black smoke the Amarok appeared. It looked at the group with its deep black eyes. It was far more calm this time.

"It is time for each of us to make our offering." Rutherford explained "Sonata, you first."

"Right." she said

Sonata stepped forward and held out the hemlock. The Amarok stepped in front of her and sniffed it curiously before licking it up into its jaws.

"Aria, you're next."

Aria walked up to the wolf and held out a white flower with a slight glow too it. The wolf, again, sniffed it and gobbled it up.

"Adagio."

Adagio came forth with a branch of white wood. She, however, was nervous. As she walked to meet the wolf, she tripped, her hands slamming straight on its snout and breaking the branch in half.

"Get back!" Rutherford yelled

Thunder began to boom in the sky and a heavy rain fell to the earth. The Amarok shook with rage and bore its massive sharp teeth. It howled in a way that sent chills down one spine, the kind of howl that sounded doom. Before Adagio could scream the wolf vanished like a ghost. The rain pelted harder and the winds picked up.

"Get inside the keep!" Rutherford said 

The girls looked at one another, a bit stunned from what they'd just witnessed

"Now!" he yelled

They all began to run back, with only Rutherford and Skystar remaining. As they retreated behind the walls of the crumbling keep, the three sisters looked back. The trees were full of small specks of light. They were eyes glowing in the darkness, staring out with a murderous rage. The tall Druid let out a sigh and lifted his hand to his nose. He stood firm, pointed his staff forward and shouted

"Dealanaich!"

A mighty bolt of lightning struck the tree line and set it ablaze. Skystar dug her fingers into the dirt and with no effort at all, pulled a chunk of earth twice her size from the ground and tossed it into the inferno. They both ran back to the keep where Rutherford stopped, slammed his staff too the ground and cast another spell.

"Uàrd dealanach!"

Another bolt of lightning struck the earth at the center of the keep and suddenly silvery white runes appeared around its perimeter. From the burning tree line, strange green beings emerged. Their faces were mangled and contorted and their bodies in unnatural shapes. They ran straight for the keep. As soon as they came to the line of runes their bodies fried, as if struck by lightning. Adagio and her sisters were all hugging each other in fear. Skystar approached them and kneeled.

"Are you girls alright?"

Sonata began to cry and hugged the homunculus, like a child hugging their mother. Skystar returned the hug, slowly running her fingers through the crying girl's hair.

"There, there." she said "It's alright. Fear not. We're safe here."

Rutherford joined up with the rest of them and put his staff back on his back. Adagio shot up.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to trip I just got nervous and-"

"Silence." he said "Your apology is not needed."

"What do we do now?"

"We have a few options, all of which will rely on you. Come with me back to the keep. We can discuss it there." he said "Let's just say our job has become much more difficult."

Sonata continued to cry in the woman's arms and Aria looked on with annoyance. 

"Would you stop crying you little shit!?" Aria snapped

"Hush now, Aria." Skystar whispered "Sonata. Sonata?"

"Y-yes?" she whimpered

"I need you to do something for me."

"W-what?""

"I need you to be really brave, ok? I want you to look at me and tell me your favorite color."

"My favorite color?"

"Yes. Can you do that?"

Skystar spoke with such a gentleness that neither Sonata or Aria could help but feel calm. Even though her face didn't display a trace of emotion, she exuded a maternal warmth that could be felt for miles.

"It's... it's pink."

Skystar ran her fingers through the hair at the top of Sonata's head.

"Good girl," she cooed "Now, what's your favorite animal?"

"A horse I think."

"And what sound does a horse make?"

"Neighhhh!" Sonata said with a giggle

"Good job. You were so brave. Come. Let's get you inside for a bath. We don't want you to catch a cold. Hold my hand please."

Sonata did so and Skystar turned back to Aria

"Come. You as well."

"Fine." Aria huffed

The trio went inside the keep to find Rutherford pacing at a table in front of a very anxious looking Adagio

"There's no other way?" she asked "Surely there has to be something. Can't we just kill the thing?"

"No, we cannot just kill the thing" he said frustrated "This is a wrath you've brought upon us and it's one that only you can amend. We set out tomorrow. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir." she said

"Adagio." Skystar whispered

"Yes?"

"Come. It's bath time."

"Bath time?" Adagio asked "Do I look like a child to you?"

"Come now. All your sister's are coming so you might as well. Especially after being in that cold rain."

"That makes it ever worse!"

"Fear not," she reassured her "Our tubs come with privacy panels. No one will be able to see your exposed form."

Adagio sighed

"Fine. But you better not be lying."

"I'd not lie to you."

Skystar ushered the sisters down a long flight of stairs, through a corridor and into a room containing eight wooden tubs. Sure enough each one had a privacy panel that looked as new as the day it was made, unlike the rest of the keep's crumbing form. She pulled three hoses from the wall and began to fill up the tubs with water, already steaming hot. Sonata was by her side the entire time, looking quite pleased with herself.

"How does it come out already hot?" Sonata asked

"The hoses are equipped with special runes that pre-heat the water as it flows through it."

"That's so cool!"

Aria gave a look of disgust

"She's so stupid."

Adagio smiled gently

"I'm glad. She deserves a bit of joy once and a while."

"Now undress and I will-"

Skystar suddenly fell over, completely limp. Sonata watched in horror as her body slammed against the floor with a resounding slap.

"Skystar!" she shouted

"I'll go get Rutherford." Adagio said running back upstairs

In a few seconds Rutherford came down. His expression wasn't shock, but that of disinterest.

"What's wrong with her?" Sonata said in a weepy voice

"Nothing serious."

He pulled his staff back out and gently rested it against Skystar's back. Her body filled with blue light and just like that she was back on her feet as though nothing had happened. Sonata hugged her leg.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes." she said "I merely over exerted myself is all. It's nothing to be concerned with."

Rutherford abruptly turned around and marched back upstairs and Adagio followed close behind without alerting him to her presence. She followed him up a spiral staircase and into a tower where he closed the door behind him. Adagio pressed her ear against the door and listened closely. All she heard was weeping.
> No Reward without Sacrifice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a loud knock at the door that Anon rushed to answer. It was Limestone with a rather serious look on her face. She stood sternly at attention with both arms at her side.

"The king wishes for us to begin to ritual." she said

"Already?"

"Yes. We're short on time as you know. How much longer until the curse completely consumes your body?"

"I guess you're right." Anon said, standing up

Sunset looked with concern. The mark's progress was progressing faster. It had taken nearly three days for the mark to reach half his body. Now the mark had climbed down his other arm and had wrapped around his neck, it's tendrils starting to creep up his chin. Limestone was right: he didn't have much time left. Worse still, they had no idea how to remove it. Just thinking about it was starting to stress Sunset out.

"Bacon hair." Limestone said with a hiss

"Bacon hair!?" 

"Yes. The king requests your presence as well."

Sunset stood up angrily and marched towards limestone, putting a finger in her face

"Listen to me. You may be able to talk to your subjects like that, but I am a noble! I won't be treated like common rabble. You address me with the same respect due your king."

"I don't recognize illegitimate royalty. Your title is worthless. The only legitimate royal here is the king."

"Illegitimate!?" Sunset asked in disbelief

"Yes," she said "Anyone who's family linage partakes in the practices of forbidden and blasphemous magic has no place among true royalty. Your blood is barely fit to occupy a common peasant."

Sunset's eyes lit with a fire nearly as potent as her magic

"How dare you suggest such a thing!?"

Limestone bit her teeth, clearly wanting to say something but being unable too.

"Come along." she said, turning around and walking away

"Answer me!"

Anon grabbed Sunset's shoulder

"Don't let her push your buttons."

Sunset ripped her shoulder from his grasp

"Shut up!" she snapped "What would you know about it? You're nothing more than a mortal who's pretending to be something he isn't!"

The second she said it, Sunset covered her mouth with her hands. Anon's eyes flashed a look of genuine pain before his face fell. Without a word, he followed behind Limestone.

"Anon wait! I didn't mean it!" she clenched her fist in desperation "Anon!"

Sunset turned to Rarity for assistance who merely pushed her head into a book as if she was too engaged with the material to listen. Sunset looked down a followed on well behind until they reached the king's chambers. The king's chair was turned around and he sat gazing out of the window.

"Are we finally ready to begin?" he asked calmly

"Yes. Can I take a weapon with me?"

"Use whatever means you have available to you. Anything you think could help in defending against the dragon."

Anon tapped his side and sure enough excalibur was there. He'd only noticed it recently, but the blade seemed too teleport to his waist whenever he needed it. 

"Anything else I should know before going in? Any tips?"

"Nothing more than what I've already offered. Here."

The king turned around and passed the feather to Anon then pointed to the door.

"Igneous if you'd be so kind as to escort Anon to the Chasm. Sunset Shimmer, you stay with me. I've something to discuss with you."

As Anon walked back to the door he didn't make eye contact with Sunset. She gripped the side of her robe trying to suppress the urge to cry. The doors shut behind them and he followed Igneous down a series of pathways and corridors sinking lower and lower into the bowels of the castle. When they finally arrived at the doors of the Chasm they were in the very lowest point. All around them were walls of dirt supported by black stone pillars. The door itself was black with gold accents and nearly twenty feet tall. Anon put the necklace around his neck and steadied himself. His heart thumped in his chest.

"Be not afraid." Igneous said "As long as you have the necklace there is no way the dragon can harm you."

"Can't it step on me? Put me in it's jaws?"

"It could." he admitted "However this dragon prefers long range attacks to close. Especially with that weapon you're holding. It'll think twice before rushing you. However I want you to remember something important: feign strength. Pretend  you know exactly what you're doing and that the dragon is nothing but an ant beneath your boot."

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"This dragon in particular is very cautious, almost to a fault. It doesn't know you and when it sees that you're not only immune to its fire, but wield excalibur, he won't be likely to simply recklessly charge at you."

"You speak as if you know it intimately."

"I do. He and the king in particular share a long history."

"What history?"

"That dragon is what allowed the king to ascend and it was his former best friend."

"Best friends with a dragon? I wish I could say that was too absurd to believe."

"Not nearly as surprising as learning the heir to King Arthur himself is not only standing beside me, but that he's serving his father's archenemy, Clover the Clever."

"What?" Anon gasped "Now I know you're pulling my chain."

"No. I'm surprised not you, nor anyone else around you has realized it. That blade is all the proof required. Observe."

Igneous gripped the blade's hilt and tried to pull it out. To Anon's surprise, it wouldn't budge. It was as if it were cemented inside.

"Excalibur doesn't respond to just anyone. Only King Arthur or those who have his blood running through their veins can ever wield it. It simply won't accept any other master. In a more blunt way of speaking you are the living, breathing son of King Arthur."

Tempest shot up and took out one of her knives

"I'll kill you!" she roared

"I wouldn't try that if I were you." Silverstream said "If you strike me, I'll be forced to take your soul too. But fear not. You can save your friend yet."

"How?"

"Easy: You beat me in two games. The first, for our deal and the trial of wit. The second, for her soul. However, you must bet something else in return. Something of great value."

Tempest balled her hand in a fist

"I'll give you my remaining arm." she said

Silverstream gave a look of lust and excitement. She could hardly contain herself.

"Fantastic!" she cried with joy "I accept. Now what game should we play next? Since I picked last time, I'll give the choice to you."

"Let's do some target practice. With bows and arrows."

Silverstream lifted an eyebrow with confusion

"You? Hold a bow and arrow with just a single arm?"

"What's the matter?" she taunted "afraid you'll lose to a cripple?"

Silverstream smiled from ear to ear and snapped her fingers, causing the table to replaced by two targets against the far wall.

"Your soul is going to be simply delightful. I can already tell."

They both took their places at a line. Tempest laid on her back and took the bow in her foot, placing the arrow in between her big and second toe then drawing the string back over her body.

"The rules are simple: First to one-hundred wins. The center is worth fifty points, the middle ring twenty five, the outer ring ten. Since I'm nice, I'll even make it the best two out of three again. We start when you're ready."

Tempest took a deep breath. She'd study Silverstream hard this time. She would crack this code. She pulled the sting back and let the arrow fly. As soon as it left the bow, Tempest's eyes moved to watch the demon. Just as before, Silverstream's eyes flicked to the side and her knuckle twitched ever so slightly. Despite her arrow being perfectly on course to hit the center, it got the outer ring instead. Now she had no doubt that whatever she was doing had something to do with those movements. 

"Good try. My turn."

Silverstream knocked her bow back and sent it flying right into the center, scoring her fifty points. She had to figure out what she was doing by the next round or it was all over. It had to be magic based. She could use that. But how? Tempest wracked her brain for any solution that would allow her to overcome it.

"What are you waiting for?" Silverstream asked "You know that running out the clock isn't a thing here right? We'll play to the end of time if we must."

"Right, sorry."

Tempest once again knocked her bow back and sent it flying forward. This time it hit the inner ring, scoring her twenty five points. Silverstream was clearly displeased and a smile formed across Tempest's face. Without another word, Silverstream knocked her bow again and sent her arrow flying. This time her arrow hit the outer ring, seeming to change course mid air. 

"What did you do?" Silverstream asked with bubbling rage

"Me?" she asked in a mockingly innocent voice "Absolutely nothing. I'm an honest girl, you see. I always play fair and square."

Tempest pulled back another arrow and let it loose. It was close this time, right on the edge of the center. She studied the demon's reaction closely. She didn't give much away, but her eyes said everything she could possibly wish to know. Her hunch was working. It wasn't clairvoyance as she'd feared, just clever use of magic. Any normal person would never be able to detect the subtle movements she made, but Tempest's well trained assassin's eyes could detect something as minor as a change in a person's breathing. Silverstream knocked her bow and fired again. Her arrow didn't even strike the target this time.

"My, my. How embarrassing." Tempest chuckled "Can't even beat a girl with a single arm."

Silverstream stared daggers at her and clenched her fists.

"Yes. Quite embarrassing."  she said "Your move."

Tempest fired another arrow only to have it turn straight upwards and strike the ceiling. 

"My, my, my. What happened? What a poor shot." the demon said

Tempest clenched her teeth. Her trick wouldn't work past a certain threshold of mana being used in the spell without it being detectable. Silverstream clearly didn't know what she was doing and she had to use that to her advantage. Whenever she used her magic to misdirect the arrow, or keep her own on a perfect course, Tempest would siphon just enough mana from the surrounding air into her own body, rendering the spell null. If she timed it just right, she could prevent it from having any effect whatsoever. If there was too much mana in the air, however, her hand would glow and completely give it away. The same was true for Silverstream. She had to toe the line between too much and too little force.

The two went through each round of the target practice, doing their best to counter the others' attempts to cheat. By round three it was anyones game. Tempest had a score of ninety while Silverstream had eighty-five. Tempest just had to hit the target one more time and her friend's soul was saved. No doubt Silverstream was going to be bold to prevent it. She took a deep breath and pulled the arrow back, sending it forward. The arrow visibly moved from side to side as the two fought to throw off the other. The arrow was careening towards the back wall. Tempest had no choice. She had to put more pressure on. Her hand glowed a beautiful green glow and she managed to siphon off just enough energy for it to strike the outer ring. Silverstream smiled.

"Ah," she said "So that's what you were doing."

She snapped her fingers and Pear's soul returned to her body. Pear let out a few gasps, as though she'd been holding her breath too long. Tempest ran to Pear, hugging her tight.

"You're ok!"

"W-what happened?"

"You lost and the demon took your soul. I got it back though."

Pear returned the hug

"Thank you, Tempest. You're a true friend."

"That was well played I have to admit." Silverstream said, clapping her hands slowly "I wasn't aware you could absorb mana without physically touching the target. I wonder how well your little trick will work with our next game? For our final game we'll be playing a little game called broom raising."

Tempest cursed under breath. She was in deep trouble now. The only way to ride a broom was to project mana into it, a skill she couldn't preform. She had as good as lost already.

"That isn't fair!" Pear said "She can't use magic like that!"

"I don't see that as my problem." the demon chuckled

Pear suddenly got a very serious look on her face and looked at Tempest dead in the eye

"I know how we can beat her. Or at least have a shot."

"Tell me."

Pear's eyes looked away as she lifted up her right arm. Her magic crest glimmered beautifully.

"No." she said in disbelief "No, no, no, no, no. I... you cannot make me do that."

"You have to pass this test. I won't hear any words to the contrary."

"I said no!"

"You saved my life!" she cried "My arm is worthy compensation."

"I saved you because I wanted too, not because I had too!"

Tears began to run down Tempest's cheeks

"Please." Pear said "It's ok. Just win this for me, ok?"

Tempest's face contorted in pain and she pulled out a short sword, placing it right at the shoulder.

"I'm sorry." she whispered

Valencia and Flim looked to the sky as a ferocious downpour ensued. They heard a booming, bone chilling howl, one that couldn't have come from any normal animal.

"What the hell was that?"

Flim removed Glorias from his back and kept it at the ready

"I don't know. Whatever it was, it's not happy."

"Let's just keep moving." Valencia said "According to the map we're nearly on the tomb."

In just an hour's more of walking the rain ceased and they reached a wrought iron fence. Behind it was graves of all shapes and sizes, from simple wooden crosses to elegant family mausoleums. The fog was thicker here than it had been anywhere else, barely allowing for more than a few feet's visibility. The two walked down the line of fence before finding the entrance. The grass inside was taller than the surrounding areas, so much so it was up to their waist in some places. Valencia didn't like this at all. Between the fog and the grass there were far too many places for monsters and wraiths to hide.

"So what do we do now?" Flim asked

"I'm not sure. They simply told me to go here and everything would be made apparent. Let's look around. Surely there's something here that should give us some clues."

The pair began to search through the graveyard. The closer they got to the center, the more numerous the graves became. Finally they had reached the heart of the graveyard. A white marble crypt stood in a stone circle with two sconces lit with green fire. Above it stood the statue of a man on horseback with his head broken off, sword in hand as if he were preforming a cavalry charge. On the crypt's mouth was an inscription in an ancient mage language that read 'No Reward Without Sacrifice' in thick black letters. No doubt whatever she had to do was inside.

"This is where out journey ends, Flim." she said "I must do the rest on my own."

"I understand. I'll remain out here."

"Thank you." she said "For everything."

"I was just doing what I was ordered."

Valencia just smiled and pushed through the doors of the crypt, pulling one of the sconces off the wall and walking down its ancient steps. Flim sat beside the crypt and stared into the sky above. A fitting place for it all to finally end. He put Glorias against the crypt wall and let out a final sigh before he evaporated into thin air. The only marker that he'd ever existed being top half of his skull, which remained even after his duty had be fulfilled. His last words carried on the wind:

"I'm coming home, my love. I'm coming."