Chronicles of the Protectors

by LeoFalsetto

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Sad
Length: 10773

The future of Equestria lies in a dystopian state. Since the outlaw of magic, and the forced capture of all magic casters, the mythical country has never been the same. It is up to one special unicorn and her friends to restore order once again.

It has been 200 years since the start of the decline of magic in Equestria. A few years after Twilight Sparkle's coronation, a war spawned in Canterlot, that inevitably saw the complete outlawing of all forms of magic, and eventually, the overthrow of the princesses.

200 years after the start of the decline, a lone unicorn finds herself in a lonely jail cell, after being separated by her mother ten years prior. She has little memory of the outside world. All that she can hope for is that some day, any day, a time may come when magic is no longer outlawed, and Equestria can live united by peace once again, like in the stories told by her grandmother.

Today, however, something happens that breaks the mold, and it just might give her the chance to show her worth, and attempt to reunite Equestria once more!

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-30 09:51:01 UTC

Jailbreak

Entry 583-

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the date that the world changed.  It was 200 years ago today that the decline of magic began. My mother told me as a filly that magic was outlawed a few years after her grandmother's sister, my great, great aunt, took part in the war that spawned the ban.  I was raised in the ban, having to practice my magic in private.  I suppose that it was the ban that made me want to learn all about the art of magic.  My grandmother told me that her mother and her aunt had a friend like me once, a long time ago.  Their friend, as they told me, had a cutie mark and skills in magic, just like me.

Thinking of which, it's been about ten years since I've seen my mother.  About that many years ago, the guild, Degnemico, began locking up any Unicorn they found.  I was apart from my mother when Degnemico raided our town. I was captured, but I don't know what happened to my mother. The last I heard, she escaped, but I can't be sure.  I haven't seen the outside in ten years. If I recall, it was about ten years ago that the Princesses were overthrown and exiled by Degnemico.  The last I saw of the sky before I was locked up was it frozen in a constant state of twilight, as the sun would no longer rise, and the moon would no longer set.

I've no idea when, or even if, I'll get out of here.  All I can hope for is that someday, any day, a time may come when magic is no longer outlawed and feared, and Equestria can live in peace again, like in the stories told by my grandmother...

The mare trailed off as she wrote, her eyes seeming to review the words over and over again; A recollection of what she knew of the outside. A chronicling of the decline of magic.  She couldn't help but allow a smile to creep over her face when she read over the final paragraph.  'Equestria living in peace again.' She thought, 'If only...'  The mare was sprung from her trance as a pegasus guard approached the bars.

“Here ya go.” The guard said gruffly, looking down at the mare before him.  Her coat was a pristine white, only slightly dirtied by the jail cell holding her.  Her mane was a curly light purple color, her sharp eyes a calming teal.  The guard noticed how through all of the cutie marks he's seen, not once has he come across one like this mare's.  Her cutie mark was of a blue, four sided diamond, illuminated by a sparkling teal shaped aura in the form of a six pointed star.  The guard recalled how he could probably recite this unicorn mare's appearance in his sleep, having seen her so often for so long.  He slid a tray of what the prison calls 'food' beneath the bars and is quickly on his way, however, not before muttering under his breath: “Unicorn scum...”

The mare dragged the tray closer and began to eat.  Having been fed nothing but the same sorry excuse for food twice a day for five years, the mare had come to be used to the taste of the gelatinous mass that was her only sustenance.  'They only feed us enough to keep us alive...' She thought, 'I suppose they don't want to just kill us, so they're acting only one step above that.'  The mare soon finished her meal and kicked the metal tray over to the bars, listening to the familiar rattling as it skidded across the cold stone ground.  The noise attracted the attention of the familiar guard, who arrived quickly to collect the tray.  As he bent down to pick it up, something strange caught the mare's eye. Something she had not seen in too many years.

A strange dark brown aura began to shine on the ceiling above the guard.  As the aura grew more intense, the ceiling began to crack, making way for a large boulder to fall from the work, landing square atop the guard's head.  He offered only a grunt as he fell forward, slamming his face into the bars and dropping the tray in the process.  From one glance, the mare could tell that the guard pinned against the bars was either unconscious or dead. Either way, she was sure he wouldn't be a problem anymore.

Her vision was snapped to the wall behind where the guard was standing.  In her amazement, the wall began to crumble slightly, offering way for a maroon unicorn stallion to step through, his horn glowing the now familiar dark brown.  His deep brown eyes focused on the mare in the cell.

“Magia Sperare?” He asked, sounding quite rushed, his voice deep and stoic.  The mare nodded quickly in confirmation.  Without another word, the unicorn stallion let loose a singe bolt of magic, destroying the lock on the cell entirely, allowing the door to swing freely.  “Follow me.” The stallion commanded.  Magia quickly joined his side as they ran through the halls of the prison.  Magia took one last look back at the guard she had grown so accustomed to being harmed in such a way. She honestly couldn't care any less.

Turn by turn, the duo rounded the halls of the prison, not once encountering a guard. Magia figured that whoever this unicorn was, he must have created a diversion before moving in.  Her thoughts on this matter were quickly shattered, as they rounded one final corner, before being faced by seemingly hundreds of prison guards, each holding some form of weapon, save for the guard captain, who stood out in front, speaking to the pair.

“Surrender yourselves now, and no harm shall come to you!” He shouted, his voice holding a stern yet commanding tone.  Magia noticed the unicorn stallion glance back at the stone wall behind them and begin to illuminate his horn.

“Grab onto me and close your eyes!” The unicorn stallion commanded loudly.  Magia quickly did just that. She heard the guards begin charging them, and could do nothing but stifle a gulp as she awaited her demise.  Suddenly, she felt the stallion grab hold of her and leap backward toward the wall.  Magia felt something cold and almost moist hug her body tightly.  She felt as if she was being condensed in cold liquid lava.  The strange sensation seemed to feel dry, while offering the illusion of a bubbly moisture pressing in around her.  She realized that her and this stallion were traveling through the stone walls of the prison.  Magia soon felt a cold breeze wash over her, signaling that they were now outside.  She cautiously opened her eyes to see the outer wall of the prison behind them.

The unicorn stallion carefully lowered Magia and himself to the ground.  He quickly jerked his head and began to run, prompting Magia to follow, as she did.  The duo tore across the landscape, as Magia took her first glimpse of the outside world in years.  The ground rolled by rapidly as they ran across the barren landscape.  The earth seemed nothing but dirt and dust for miles, rounding off at mountains just before the horizon.  Not a single existence of life was present beside Magia, the unicorn stallion, and the guards pursuing them.

After running for what seemed like hours, the stallion stopped quickly and pulsed energy into his horn, aiming it at the ground.  Before Magia's eyes a small hole appeared in the ground.  He grabbed Magia quickly and jumped in.  He pulsed his horn once more and brought a layer of dirt above the hole, blocking them in.  The unicorn illuminated his horn, lighting the darkness around them.  Finally stopped and safe, the unicorn spoke up.

“I suppose you desire answers, and I am more than willing to offer them.”  The red unicorn said, looking toward Magia.

“Yeah. Let's start off with your name.” Magia commanded.

“Of course. My name is Duster.  I am a unicorn well trained in earthly magic.” Duster said. He kept his unchanging gaze fixated on Magia, awaiting her next question.

“How did you know my name, and speaking of which, why did you save me?” Magia asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Your mother.  She instructed me to free you and escort you to our safe-house upon her disappearance.” Duster answered.  Magia looked at him, her eyes wide.

“My... My mother?”  Magia asked, a look of disbelief across her face.  “Is she...”  Duster closed his eyes and turned away.

“I'm sorry.” Duster said regretfully.  “We identified the body shortly before I departed.”  He looked over as a tear rolled down Magia's cheek.  Magia clenched her teeth as the tear fell and darkened the dirt beneath.  With a deep breath, she turned toward Duster once more.

“You said 'we'.  How many more of you are there, and what do you want with me?” Magia asked sternly. Duster's expression finally changed, looking concerned about her lack of reaction to the news about her mother.

“There are four others beside myself.  You will meet them when we reach the city.” Duster said,  “We defy Degnemico and all they stand for.  We were prepared to begin our plans just before your mother departed.  In her absence, we need you.”  Magia's eyes widened in surprise as her mouth fell agape.

“You need me? What's so special about me?” Magia sighed, stifling a frown.

“We need your magical ability.  More will be explained when you are introduced to the others.” Duster answered.  Magia noticed his ear twitch as he perked up.  “We need to move. Hurry.”

Duster removed the layer of dirt above them, letting the small amount of outside light into the hole.  The ground beneath them began to rise, bringing them to the surface.  Duster stood close next to Magia as he illuminated his horn.  She jumped as a shard of the ground around them began to rise, separating from the rest of the earth around it.

“Hang on.” Duster said.  His horn let forth a burst of energy, sparking wildly.  Suddenly, the shard beneath them began accelerating across the landscape, levitating just above the rest of the ground.  Magia instinctively grounded her hooves, digging them into the shard, trying not to fall off.  As the landscape sped by, Magia noticed the brown, endless dirt begin to change.  There were small plants, and eventually trees, until finally, they were in an expansive grassland.

Seeing all of this so suddenly caused another single tear to fall from Magia's face.  It had been ten years since she had seen the outside at all, and seeing so much of it now nearly overwhelmed her.  As she took it all in, she and Duster quickly approached a dense forested area.  She looked on in shock as the shard beneath them did not slow, nor did the forest move.  There was clearly not enough space for their shard to fit between the trees.  Magia gulped loudly before looking toward duster, a bead of sweat on her forehead.

“Um, Duster!” She said loudly,  “There's not enough room there! We're not gonna make it!”  She locked her gaze on Duster's face,  staring horrified as his appearance remained unhindered. She jumped as she felt the shard speed up slightly, and she could swear that she saw him smirk.  Immediately before the shard slammed into the wall of evergreens, Magia slammed here eyes shut, awaiting the worst.  She was met with the sound of dirt and leaves shuffling quickly near her.  As she cautiously opened her eyes, she saw the ground before them shifting, pushing the trees just out of the way, spreading a path open for them.

As the forest came to a close, Magia's mouth rest agape once more as she saw the shattered remains of a once pristine white and gold city, laying upon the ground, destroyed beyond nearly all recognition.  Duster brought the shard to a sudden halt before the natural ramp leading into the runis. The sudden shock of the stop forced Magia's grip to come loose, sending her flying forward, meeting the ground a mere five feet from the shard.  As she turned, she saw Duster force the shard into the ground.

The Resistance

“Come with me.” Duster commanded as he turned and made his way into the ruins.  Magia ran after him, looking all around her.  The white walls were dirtied with the burden of time.  They had crumbled to their foundations, and their windows had shattered, leaving nothing but dust and shards littering their once glorious city streets.  Rubble and structural remains lay on the ground, peppering the landscape.  Magia could do nothing but look on, helplessly, as she followed Duster.

Duster quickly led Magia to a large building in shocking contrast to the city around them.  The structure before the duo was still it's pristine white color with a gold and purple trim, capturing the immense beauty the city once held.

“How is this building so... unscathed?” Magia asked, still shocked by the contrast.  Duster opened the door and entered, prompting Magia to follow.

“This structure cannot be seen by those who lack the horn of a unicorn.” Duster answered, moving forward, deeper into the building.  Before long, Magia came to the realization that this was a library, yet not just any library.  The artistic engravings and painted murals told her the significance of this particular library.

Duster and Magia soon entered a giant domed room, lined on all sides with filled bookshelves stretching to the ceiling, as high as they could without spilling the books they held.  Magia's eyes went wide at the sight.  Never before had she seen so much accumulated knowledge in any one place before, and she realized that the stories she had heard about this library were more than true.

Bringing her gaze to the center of the room, Magia saw two other unicorns there, as well as two dragons alongside them.  Duster greeted the group in his now common stoic way, and Magia overlooked the new beings before her.

First was a very tall, light blue unicorn mare.  Her mane and tail were a strikingly bright silver, each holding a white stripe within them.  Her eyes seemed to glow a deep blue, and were nearly as sharp as Magia's.  Her cutie mark was of a crashing wave, and the colors seemed to blend wonderfully with her  coat.

The next pony was a rather average sized unicorn stallion wearing a red robe with burnt orange borders.  His mane and tail were a dark red with orange undertones, almost imitating fire itself in shape and color.  His eyes glowed a light red and orange, seeming to split color down the middle vertically. Magia noticed that his eyes were a rather unsettling shape, almost as if they were stuck in a perpetual feeling of rage.  His coat was a burnt yellow, just on the border of turning orange.  His cutie mark seemed to be of a spiraled flame, stretching recklessly across his flank.

Finally, Magia observed the two dragons beside them.  They were both male dragons, and looked nearly similar, in height, build, and appearance.  First was a brown dragon, standing nearly a foot taller than the blue mare.  His eyes were a deep red, almost intimidating Magia as she looked at them.  His underside was colored a slightly lighter shade of brown than his scales.  The other dragon had dark red scales with a burnt orange underbelly.  His eyes, in direct contrast, were a calming blue.  His gaze appeared more relaxed than the brown dragon beside him.  The most striking difference between the dragons, however, was that the red  dragon had rather large wings, while the brown dragon had none.

Magia was snapped out of her observations as Duster waved his hoof, signaling her over.  As she approached, the blue mare stood at the front of the small group, meeting her.  She looked down at Magia with rather a rather calming gaze.

“Hello. You must be Magia Sperare.” The mare said. Magia simply nodded. She smiled as she looked over Magia, “You look just like your mother...  At any rate, my name is Flood.  I suppose that Duster has told you of his earth magic abilities, if not shown you.  If you haven't guessed by my name or appearance, my specialization rests in water magic, and Sparky over there does fire.” The mare motioned toward the yellow stallion, who growled slightly as he bared his teeth toward Flood.  Magia cowered slightly at 'Sparky's' angered glance.  Flood shot her a look, almost as if to say 'don't worry about him'.  Before Magia could respond, Flood stepped away, allowing the yellow stallion to approach. Magia took a step back as his intimidating eyes met hers.

“I'm Searing Sparks. Two bits of advice for you: Don't call me 'sparky', and don't get in my way.  You follow those rules, and you and I will get along just fine.” His gaze felt as if it was boring its way into Magia's mind.  She quickly looked away, catching a sight of Searing Sparks smirking devilishly as he walked away.  As Magia looked back up, she saw Flood shoot Searing Sparks an angry glance.  Magia finally found herself working up the courage to speak.

“This is the Royal Canterlot Library, right?” Magia asked, looking around, finding herself in a stunned daze once more.  Searing Sparks rolled his eyes.

“Oh great.  We're hiding for our lives, having waited for the final member we need to overthrow Degnemico, and she's already sidetracked.”  Searing Sparks huffed at Magia.  “I should have known we'd never find a replacement as capable as--”

Flood quickly smacked Searing Sparks on the back of the head, quieting him before he could insult Magia, yet as they looked over, they saw that the message had already landed.  Magia sat on the ground, staring downward, her face overcome with a look of sadness.

“I know I'm not the unicorn my mother was, and I know that I'll never be, but from what I understand, you need me, and there aren't any more replacements after me,”  Magia straightened her pose as a look of angry determination washed over her. “so how about you quit complaining, and help me to understand exactly what is expected of me.  Degnemico killed my mother, and I will not rest until I have my vengeance. So tell me, Sparky, are you going to help out, or are you just going to stand around being useless, because I'll tell you what it looks like you're doing right now.”  Magia's eyes sharpened as she stared into Searing Sparks'.  She noticed a look of defeat glaze over his eyes as he averted his gaze.

“Sorry.”  Searing Sparks said, looking down.  Flood stood in a state of paralyzed shock, looking back and forth between Searing Sparks and Magia.  Both stunned as to how quickly Magia picked herself up and turned her attitude around, and how she was able to force Sparky to concede s easily. Flood shook her head slightly as Magia approached her.

“So, this is the Canterlot Library, yes?” Magia asked, as if putting her recent outburst completely out of her head.  Flood looked down toward her, smiling slightly.

“Yes, it is. This library was the only building protected when the city fell. Would you like to hear the story?” Flood asked, holding her smile.  Magia's smile met hers as she nodded.  “Alright.  Around ten years ago, when Celestia and Luna were overthrown, this city fell. Not just metaphorically, however.  As you can tell, the entire city fell from the mountain upon which it was perched, shattering all of the buildings, and the castle, in the process.  As it fell, however, the highest level unicorns, gathered in this library to cast one final spell.  They vowed that they would protect this library with their lives, and so they did.  The cast  the most powerful protection spell ever recorded, shielding the library from damage, as well as making it visible only to beings with unicorn horns.  It is here that we have hidden from Degnemico for all these years, waiting for our moment to make our move to overthrow them once and for all, and reunite Equestria in peace once again!”  Flood seemed to stand determinedly as she finished her story.  She caught herself, however, and glanced toward Magia.

“That's where I come in, right?”  Magia asked, tilting her head at Flood.

“Exactly.” She replied happily.  “Um... I've been meaning to ask. How much magic do you know, anyway?”  Magia's head lowered at Flood's question.

“I'm sorry... I've been imprisoned and banned from all magic use for ten years.  I've been unable to cast for so long, that I fear the skill has left me.” Magia looked up sadly at Flood, who simply returned with a smirk.

“Nonsense! Magic never truly leaves a unicorn.  Sometimes, all you need is a little jolt to get things moving again.”  Flood winked past Magia.  Before she could turn to see what was happening, Magia felt a large, sturdy hoof slam her in the back of the head.  She shook her head violently before turning to face her assailant.  It was Duster, standing behind her with his common stoic, expressionless face.  Magia felt steam shoot from her nostrils as she lowered her pose.

“Why you little--”  Magia aimed her horn directly at Duster, as she felt it charge with a teal aura.  Suddenly, she released a powerful, transparent teal wall from her horn, pushing Duster back against a bookshelf, toppling all of the books within it to the floor.  Flood looked on happily as Magia calmed herslef and came to realize that her magic was still with her.  “I did it!”

“Indeed you did!” Flood replied, “Now, as you're back up to operating status, how about a demonstration?”  Magia felt a smirk crawl across her face as Flood smiled at her.  There was a sudden outburst from the other side of the room.

“Probably nothing impressive...” Searing Sparks said, just loud enough to catch Magia's attention.  As her gaze turned to him, her eyes narrowed, and her horn filled with a teal aura.

Before he could move, every book in the shelves behind Searing Sparks flew forward, creating a wall, pushing him toward her.  She cocked an eyebrow at his grimace when they finally came face to face.  His look of frustration turned to one of shock when he felt a strange presence grip his tail tightly.  Before he could object, Searing Sparks found himself hanging in the air, just a few feet above the ground.  He scowled at her, as if to scream 'let me down'.  At Magia's command, a few books created a makeshift platform beneath Searing Sparks, as he was dropped onto it.  The book platform quickly levitated upwards, stopping as it float above a bookshelf.  The book platform quickly disassembled, sending the books flying off in every direction, landing Searing Sparks safely atop a very tall bookcase.

“Very funny!” He yelled, sounding quite annoyed, “Now let me down!” Magia sighed happily as she shook her head slowly.

“Alright. I'll let you dow--” Magia was stopped mid sentence as Flood put a hoof in front of her.

“Only if you admit that she has an impressive bout of magic!” Flood called out, smirking happily.  Searing Sparks groaned.

“What? That? All she did was levitate some books! Let's see her do something more impressive!” Searing Sparks screamed. Flood scowled at him, before turning to Magia.

“More levitation than you can do! Don't worry about what he's saying.  You did gr--” Flood stopped speaking, as Magia channeled more and more energy into her horn.

With a sudden burst, a bright teal light engulfed the library, effectively blinding Flood, Searing Sparks, and Duster, who was looking on, rather amused.  As their vision faded back in, the trio was met with an astounding sight.  The books from the shelves formed together, creating a gargantuan anthropomorphic book-golem, with a single, glowing teal bubble atop the body.  The mass of books stood, nearly seventy feet tall.  It's body, formed of leather bound tomes, seemed held together by no more than a dimly lit teal skeleton, drawing the books toward it's frame. The colossus stood attentively, as if awaiting a command.  The trio's mouths hung agape.

“Let's get Sparks down from there, shall we?” Magia called out to the golem. It seemed to nod understandingly as it turned toward the Searing Sparks.  The golem raised an arm, opening it's hand as the palm reached Searing Sparks' level.  He cautiously stepped onto it, as the colossus safely lowered him to the ground.  Searing Sparks jumped from the golem's hand when he was low enough to the ground.  He gulped audibly as his hooves touched solid ground, ending his torture with a sigh of relief.

“Lookin' a bit sweaty there, Sparky.” Flood said, playfully.  Searing Sparks sneered at her, bearing his teeth.  With his gaze locked on hers, he channeled an orange aura into his horn, causing the sweat on his body to boil off violently, leaving his coat steaming menacingly.

Magia turned her attention back to the golem.  She shot a bolt of energy from the tip of her horn, striking the bubble atop the colossus.  The bubble dissolved into the air, as the dim skeleton within the golem faded and vanished.  Magia caught the books in her aura before they collapsed to the ground, and sorted them quickly back into the bookshelves.

“Well... I must say that I've never seen anything quite like that before... Well done, I suppose.” Searing Sparks commented, clearing his throat.  “I have one quick test for you, however.  Your mother proved very useful with one particular spell, and I must ensure that you are the same.”  Magia tilted her head as Searing Sparks filled his horn with energy.  Without warning, he let loose a spiral of fire, selectively burning the bookshelf whereupon he was trapped. Within seconds, the bookshelf and all of the chronicled knowledge upon it were no more than a pile of useless ash.

The trio turned toward Magia expectantly.  She felt intimidated as the three of them eyed her, waiting for her to do something.  She racked her mind quickly, recalling all of her magical knowledge, trying to think of something to do.  Suddenly it struck her.

Magia smiled as she channeled her energy.  Her teal aura spread toward the pile of ash, encompassing it entirely.  She closed her eyes as she licked her upper lip, concentrating intently.  In a swirl of nonexistent wind, the ash began to rise from the pile, assembling itself back to what it once was.  Every shard of wood, every fiber of the leather binding, every blotch of ink in the words, all of them recreated themselves under Magia's command.  The teal aura faded, and once again, the bookshelf stood proudly, holding it's knowledge securely upon its shelves.  Magia felt a drop of sweat roll down her forehead as she opened her eyes, smiling proudly at her work.  As she looked around, she was met with approving and impressed gazes from the three unicorns.

“Very well done.” Flood said, approaching Magia's side.  Searing Sparks nodded in agreement, as Duster stood apart, nodding as well.

“Your magical prowess may indeed rival your mother's, if not surpass her.” A voice unfamiliar to Magia spoke.  “I've certainly never seen her conjure a golem of any kind. Quite impressive indeed.” Magia quickly looked toward the source of the voice, as her attention was drawn to the two dragons that she had seen when Duster led her to the library.  She had forgotten about them until now, however.  She opened her mouth to speak, but the other dragon spoke up first.

“I'm sorry.  We should introduce ourselves.” The brown dragon said.  “I am Tera' Ventus Dator, and this is Qul Ventus Dator.” He motioned to the red dragon beside him.

“Are you assistants to Duster, Sparks, and Flood?” Magia asked, intrigued.

“Yes.  We have been apprenticed since our birth.” The red dragon, Qul, said.  “I am the assistant of Searing Sparks, and Tera' is the assistant to Duster.” Magia cocked an eyebrow at this, turning toward Flood.

“Do you have a Dragon assistant, Flood?” She asked.

“I used to.” Flood replied, looking down.

“Our sister, Biq.” Terra spoke up. “She defected to Degnemico a few years ago.”

“Wait, why would an assistant to a unicorn support a guild that's completely against magic?” Magia asked, still very confused.

“We don't know.  She simply left one day.” Tera' said. He appeared saddened to recall this.

“I'm sorry.” Magia said. She quickly changed the subject.  “So, now that we're here, what exactly is the plan?”

“Alright, listen up.” Searing Sparks instructed.  “It's been rumored that there is one unicorn of the resistance out there somewhere. A very, very powerful unicorn. One who can see all across Equestria.  The legend states that if he witnesses an unimaginable feat of magical prowess, he wil make himself known, and summon the unicorns involved to his presence.”

“We figure that if we do that, and if the legends are true, that he'd be able to help us take down Degnemico!” Flood said.  Magia listened happily, feeling more interested and determined than ever.

“The legend also tells of the mightiest dragon the world has ever known, in size, ability, and power.  He is supposedly a very close friend of the master unicorn.” Tera' said, his arms corssed.

“Does this legendary unicorn have a name?” Magia asked.

“He calls himself choS.” Duster spoke up, finally.

"An unimaginable feat of magical prowess"

“So we display our mastery of magic, and then choS summons us to his presence.  Then, with him on our side, we take Degnemico down for good?” Magia asked, summarizing the plan.

“Exactly! But...” Flood said, “We've been trying to think of anything on a large enough scale that we could do to catch choS' attention, and so far, we've got nothing good.” She nodded sadly.  Magia turned, lost deeply in thought.  She walked to one of the windows and looked out into the ruined city. After staring for a few minutes, her ears perked up, and she turned back to the group.

“Wait! I've got it!” She proclaimed, smiling happily.  The entire group turned to look at her, expectantly.  “What if we raise the city?”  Flood tiled her head.

“What?” She asked, smiling dumbfounded.

“Canterlot!  What if we put it back on the mountainside!” Magia said, still as excited as ever.  “That's sure to catch the attention of choS!”

“Preposterous!” Searing Sparks called out.  “This city has been resting in this crater for ten years.  There's not enough magic in the world to lift something of this size, and even if it could be lifted, how would we reattach it to the mountainside?” Magia smirked at his questions, taking them in stride.

“Don't worry.  I have an idea...” Magia said.

“Alright! Does everyone know their part?” Magia asked.  Duster, Flood, and Searing Sparks stood in a line, attentively, facing the stone ramp into the ruined city. The trio nodded determinedly as Magia took her place at the front of the line.  “Then lets do this!”

Channeled her horn, sending teal energy sparks flying every which way.  She licked her upper lip in concentration, as she carefully encompassed the base of the city in her aura, tinting the white stone a bright teal.  She closed her eyes tightly, clenching her teeth.

“aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!” She screamed in physical duress as the ground beneath her hooves began to crack.  To the disbelief of the unicorns, the city began to rise slightly, inching from it's resting place upon the ground.  As the city rose further and further upwards, the ground around the resting crater cracked and crumbled, giving way as the city lifted higher and higher into the air.  Within minutes, the entire bowl supporting the city was free of the crater, and was visible, shedding chunks of rock and dirt as it lifted higher.  “NOW!” Magia yelled, her voice sounding overly tried. The three unicorns nodded simultaneously and jumped into action.

Duster began, channeling his horn.  Standing on the edge of the crater, he burrowed a hole straight down from the center of the pit, stopping when he hit water.  He ceased his magic and nodded toward Flood.

Flood took her place on the crater rim, looking toward the burrowed hole.  She forced energy into her horn, and quickly rocketed the water upwards in a jet, striking and pushing the bottom of the city's bowl, propelling it upwards faster. As Flood turned to Searing Sparks, Magia called out.

“Wait!” She yelled.  “I can do a little more with this!”  Her hooves cracked the ground more and more, as they began to sink inward slightly.  She reeled her head upwards with force, shooting the city up faster.  The jet stream of water continued pushing upwards, aiding Magia's efforts.  As she felt her energy running thin, she jerked her head harmlessly toward Searing Sparks, prompting his action.

Searing Sparks quickly began to use his magic to boil the water jet, adding the power of steam to the jet of water, forcing the gargantuan city upwards, faster, and faster.  Magia's eyes remained closed as the city neared it's resting place on the mountain.

“Stop! Right there!” Flood called out as the city met with the crater on the side of the mountain where it once stood, and soon would again.  “Come on!” She shouted to Duster and Searing Sparks as Magia held the city stationary without their aid.   In a sudden burst, Magia teleported Duster, Flood, and Searing Sparks to the mountainside cliff just in front of the airborne city gates.

The trio jumped into action quickly, aiming to secure the city on the mountainside.  Duster pushed his magic to the limits, forcing the very mountain stone to bend and contort, wrapping around the hitches on the side of the city.  As he worked, Searing Sparks began to melt the stone around the border of the city and the mountain, causing a controlled lava flow on the crease.  Flood took the initiative and let loose a torrent of water, flash cooling the lava into hardened obsidian, finally securing the city to the mountain.

“WE DID IT!” Flood screamed, ecstatically jumping up and down with her remaining energy.  Duster's commonly expressionless face changed to one of accomplished, yet tired joy, and Searing Sparks smiled smugly, nodding victoriously, looking at the once more mountain-bound city.

Just in time, the teal aura around the base of the city flashed in release, before fading out completely.  Tera' and Qul emerged from the library, running toward the trio of unicorns.  They turned and looked from the cliffside, staring in awe at the colossal city, resting upon the mountain for the first time in ten years.

“She'll be tired after that. I will retrieve her.” Qul said.  He quickly flew off to get Magia.  Moments later, he returned, carrying an unconscious unicorn in his arms.

“Come on. Let's get her into the library.” Searing Sparks said, looking almost concerned. The rest of the group nodded, as they departed through the city streets, back to the library.

choS

Magia awoke, back in the Canterlot library.  As her eyes slowly opened, she was met with the warm, smiling faces of her new companions.  She forced her mouth into a smile to meet theirs, as she looked on weakly.

“Did we do it?” She asked, her voice sounding very tried.

“Yes! Canterlot is on it's mountain again, as it should be.” Searing Sparks said, a smug smile still adorning his face.  The news caused Magia to perk up further, forcing her eyes open as she sat up cautiously.

“Any word from choS?” She asked, sounding as if some of her energy was returning to her.

“Not yet.  I hope that he contacts us soon though. A stunt like the one we just pulled is sure to alert Degnemico to our location.” Flood said.

“It burdens me to say this, but we must recall the possibility that choS is nothing more than legend, and we've just called Degnemico to us for no good rea--”  Qul began to speak, yet stopped himself as he shut his mouth and placed a fist before his lips.  “Sorry.  I feel a bout of indigestion coming on...”  Qul stepped back as he belched loudly.  Within the fire of his belch, a single scroll materialized, dropping to the ground in front of Magia.  The scroll was tied with a fine red ribbon.

The group looked on in astonishment and disbelief at the sight before them.  A letter, undoubtedly from choS.  Flood was the first to look up from the scroll, directing her attention toward Magia.

“Well go on!” She said, catching Magia's attention.  “Open it!”  Magia nodded her head, and quickly grabbed for the scroll. She untied the ribbon and unrolled it, beginning to read aloud.

“I have witnessed your feat of magic, and must congratulate you. I wish to meet with you personally. As one final test of worth, cast the spell inscribed on the bottom of this page.” Magia read. She looked to the base of the page, and saw a strange, arcane emblem sketched onto it.  The symbol appeared as a six pointed star, surrounded by two circles.  On each of the star's points, there lay a strange, letter-like symbol, each of which was completely unknown to Magia.  The rest of the group quickly gathered around as she looked at the note in confusion.

“Do you recognize the symbols?” Duster asked. Magia began to shake her head.

“No... I don't...” She said, scanning the inscribed picture further.  “But... I suppose that at times like this, it's best to simply throw caution to the wind and try to cast it.”

“Be careful...” Flood said, “There's no telling what this spell does, or worse, what happens if you cast it wrong...” Magia nodded once more, feeling a bead of sweat drop from her cheek.

“Alright... Here we go...” Magia channeled her horn as she intently eyed the sketch, trying to form it in her mind, and channel the idea of it full of her magical energy.  She focused on simply filling the thought of the symbol with magic, instead of trying to determine a single type of magic to use on it.

As Magia channeled the drawing, the estranged symbols within the points of the star began to glow with a teal energy. Magia licked her upper lip again, concentrating very intensively.  Before her eyes, the now glowing symbols began to contort and change.  They elongated and duplicated, altering themselves from six symbols, into familiar arcane letters.  The letters moved about the picture and arranged themselves between the two circles.  When the letters came to a rest, and drained of their glow, Magia relaxed and stopped casting.

“This isn't a spell...” She said, her eyes narrowing, scanning the page in near disbelief.  “It's a teleport rune! I recognize the symbols in the circles! They're coordinates. Here, quick! Draw this on the floor!” She handed the page to Duster quickly as she ran and retrieved a piece of chalk.  Tera' took the stick of chalk and carefully recreated the runic icon from the page onto the library ground, being cautious to not mess a single line.

“Done.” He said, stepping back from the rune.  Magia looked over it, comparing the chalk sketch to the drawing on the scroll.

“Perfect!” She said.  Her voice held a definite tone of excitement and intrigue.  “Come on, everyone in!”

The entire group carefully stepped onto the rune, being careful not to scuff any of the lines.  When they were all in, Magia joined them, and carefully channeled the coordinates on the rune.  Suddenly, in a flash of teal light, they were completely gone, but not before Flood thought to let loose a large bubble of water, shot straight into the air.  As they vanished, the large droplet fell, splashing down on the rune and washing the chalk away.

Friends?

With a burst of blinding teal light, Magia, Duster, Flood, Searing Sparks, Qul, and Tera' found themselves standing within a strange, well lit hallway.  The floor was colorfully tiled, holding a single red, regal carpet that led forward from where they had arrived.  Taking the obvious next step, Magia began walking along the carpet, prompting the others to follow.  As they walked, Magia took note of her new surroundings.  The walls of this hallway were lined with giant, regal stained glass windows, each depicting an odd symbol.  There appeared to be seven in total.  They held images of pink butterflies, a red, yellow, and blue lightning bolt, yellow and blue balloons, apples, a magenta six pointed star, a sun and moon, and one that caught Magia's eye much more than the others.  There, resting in the stained glass window, was a trio of blue, four sided diamonds, each resembling the single blue, four sided diamond on her flank.  Magia's thoughts of intrigue deepened more and more, as she inadvertently picked up her pace.

They soon reached the end of the hallway, where they saw, silhouetted in the dim light of a giant arched window, a lone pony, standing, looking outward.  He fluttered out the wings on his back, as his head moved upward, revealing a horn of considerable length on his forehead. The entire group was in awe.  Not only were they before the most powerful magic user in the world, but he was the only male alicorn any of them had ever heard of. Magia cautiously yet confidently approached the alicorn.

“Hello... sir...” She said, still in disbelief at the sight before her.  She noticed the alicorn's ears perk upwards as his head tilted slightly.

“Sir?” The alicorn responded, with a strangely effeminate voice.  He began to turn.  “Do I look like a sir to you?”  As the alicorn faced the group, Magia's eyes went wide and her mouth hung widely agape.  The alicorn before them was a mare. Her calming purple coat glistened in the dim light, almost accented beautifully by the low light.  Her mane and tail had the same effect, colored a darker purple, with a single pink stripe trailing through them. Her eyes glowed brighter than all of the light around them, shining a sharp, regal purple.  She smiled charmingly at Magia, who quickly dropped to a bow before the alicorn.

“Princess!” Magia exclaimed.  “Please, forgive my assumptions!”  The alicorn bent down and touched a hoof to Magia's. Magia looked up, still in awe, as the princess smiled at her.

“Do not fret.” The princess said. As she looked deeply into Magia's eyes, her expression changed, as if she had seen something that she had not seen in a long time.  “You...” She said, her face and voice holding a surprised and nostalgic feeling.

“W-what is it, princess?” Magia asked.

“Hmm?” The princess was lost deep in thought as she looked into Magia's eyes. “Oh! Nothing! I apologize.” She looked toward the rest of the group as Flood stepped forward cautiously.

“Are you the one known as choS?” She asked.

“I am, yet I presume that this one knows my true title.” She replied, smiling at Magia.

“Yes.  Princess Sparkle.  Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Magia recalled, bowing once more. Twilight rolled her eyes slightly, as she bowed down to pick Magia up once again.

“Exactly. My name is Twilight Sparkle, princess of Equestria.  I saw your unbelievable feat of magic, in putting Canterlot back where it belongs.  It truly does my heart good to see that royal city back in it's rightful place, overlooking all of Equestria.  I assume the library is still intact?” Twilight said.  Flood nodded as a smile began to crawl across her face.  “Now then, you know my name. Who are all of you?”

“My name is Flood. I am well trained in the conjuration and control of water in all forms.” Flood said, standing confidently.

“I am Duster.  I hold control over solid earthen materials, able to bend or alter them to my will.” Duster proclaimed, his face remaining stoic as ever, as he stepped forward, standing next to Flood.

“I'm Searing Sparks.  My magic focuses on heat and fire, in conjuration and control.” Searing Sparks said, stepping next to Flood and Duster.

“We are the brothers Ventus Dator, Qul and Tera'.” Tera' said, stepping forward alongside Qul. Magia stood, ready to introduce herself as well.

“And you are Magia Sperare.” Twilight said, looking toward Magia.

“Yes.” Magia confirmed, looking at the princess with a look of confusion.

“I know you through your eyes, for I have seen them before.” Twilight said, looking into Magia's eyes again.

“M-my eyes?” Magia asked, taking a step back.

“Yes.  The glow from beneath your eyes... I have seen it only once before, a long time ago.” Twilight said, “Please, come with me.” Twilight stretched a wing around Magia as she led her toward the stained glass window containing the trio of four sided blue diamonds.

“This symbol...” Magia said, looking at it more closely.  “It's similar to my cutie mark...”

“Exactly.  You have the family blood of a great unicorn in your veins. Tell me: do you recall the name of your great grandmother?” Twilight asked.

“Her name was Sweetie Belle.” Magia answered, looking toward Twilight.

“And do you know the identity of her sister? Your great, great aunt?” Twilight asked further.

“I-... No.” Magia looked down, and then back to the stained glass window.  “My grandmother told me that she was very rare. A one of a kind. Yet I never knew her name...” Twilight nodded.

“Well, she was certainly right in that regard.” Twilight said.  “Magia. Tell me if you know the name: 'Rarity'.” She looked toward Magia, who was tilting her head.

“Yes. She was one of the holders of the elements of harmony. The element of Generosity, if I recall...” Magia racked her mind, trying to remember all she had studied of the time before Degnemico. “Why?”

“That brilliant unicorn... is your great, great aunt.” Twilight said. Magia's eyes widened at this revelation, as she looked at the stained glass window in a state of disbelief. “I can see the spirit of harmony living on in your soul.  The spirit exists in every member of your family linked by blood.”

“But I don't think I understand, princess...” Magia said. “This astounds me, and I understand that I have the spirit of harmony within me, but what does any of that mean?”

“In her final hours, my dear, dear friend Rarity had a vision, shown to her by the spirit of harmony within her.  She told me that one day in the very distant future, a very powerful unicorn by the name of Magia Sperare would arrive before me.” Twilight said, recalling the past.  She seemed noticably sorrowful when speaking of Rarity.

“So? Did she say anything else?” Magia asked. Twilight closed her eyes as she smiled and nodded.

“She told me that this unicorn would be the one to decide the fate of Equestria.” Twilight said, looking toward Magia.

Magia stared forward, unable to convey any emotion. She moved her mouth, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came out.  Her mind was blank, as this prophetic news stunned her so greatly.

“M-me?” She finally choked out. “I will determine the future of Equestria?”

“Yes, Magia. I'm afraid that this burden rests on your shoulders.” Twilight said, nodding slowly. “However... That does not mean that you must bear it alone.  You have the aid of your friends behind you, prepared to aid you at a moment's notice.”

“My friends...” Magia turned and looked at the group behind her, each smiling happily toward her.  Magia couldn't help but smile back. She had seen the group as a set of faithful companions, yes, but now she was seeing them as her friends. A feeling that she had almost forgotten flowed back into her as she stood tall, smiling determinedly back at her friends. She turned her attention back to Twilight.

“Magia... There is one more friend you have on your side as well.” Twilight said, smirking slightly at Magia, who met her with a confused look. “You have me.  It is my sworn duty to protect the sanctity of magic, and friendship.  You will always have my aid.”

“Thank you princess.” Magia smiled happily at Twilight, who quickly matched her gaze.

Friendships never truly die

“You must not forget, Magia.  You have the spirit of harmony within your soul.  At any time, you may call upon it for help, and it will answer.” Twilight said. Magia looked down, lost in thought.  She quietly tuned out the world around her as Twilight walked toward the rest of the group.  All sounds and images around Magia faded out as she felt another spirit within her body, forcing it's way forward. Though Magia knew she was temporarily relinquishing control of her body, she felt no fear. Only serene calmness.  Then, without warning, everything went dark.

As Twilight spoke to the rest of the group, they all failed to notice Magia not moving, until she spoke up.

“Ah, so I see that it has finally happened.” Magia said, though it seemed as the voice was not hers, as it almost echoed out from within her throat, vibrating strangely through the air.  Twilight's eyes went wide as her ears perked up.

“That voice...” She said, slowly turning around.

“You still remember my voice, Darling? I'm flattered.” Magia said in her new found voice.

“R-Rarity!” Twilight exclaimed. She ran toward Magia, and embraced her in a hug that can only be experienced by long lost friends, separated by the boundaries of life and time.

“Oh Twilight, dear! It's wonderful to see you again!” Magia said.

“You too, Rarity.” Twilight felt her eyes begin to well with tears.  “How are you speaking to me right now?”

“Magia called me.  I felt her summoning the spirit of Generosity, and you know that I was the last to hold that title. So, through that, I suppose that I was drawn here, into her body.” Magia explained.

“She's channeling you?” Twilight asked, almost in disbelief.  “That kind of magic is so drastically complicated, though.”

“Did I not tell you that she would be quite powerful?” Rarity asked rhetorically, speaking through Magia.

“Then I suppose that there is no further doubt.” Twilight said. “Magia will be the one to reunite Equestria in harmony.”

“It is exactly as the spirit of harmony showed me.” Rarity recalled. Twilight thought for a moment.

“Rarity... I hope that this is alright to ask, but...” She paused, “What is the afterlife like?” Rarity looked down and smiled.

“I'm afraid that I can't tell you that, Twilight, darling. But I will say this: It is glorious.”  Rarity said, smiling. “It's a shame you're an eternal alicorn, no isn't it?” She asked, jokingly. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle slightly as she felt more tears begin to flow from her eyes.

“I've really missed you, Rarity.” Twilight said, smiling as she wiped the tears from her face.

“I've missed you as well, Twilight.” Rarity said, beginning to tear up herself.  “Ah! I feel Magia coming back.  Twilight, please, tell her that she has my assistance, and that she must only call upon me as she did here, and I will aid her.”

“Yes Rarity, of course.” Twilight said.  Her tears began to dry as Rarity faded from within Magia, and Magia felt herself gaining control of her own body again.

The Dragon of Legend

Magia blinked rapidly as she looked toward Twilight, watching as she wiped her eyes.

“Princess Sparkle...” Magia sounded disoriented.  “What happened... Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” Twilight said, wiping the last of her tears.  “Just a bit nostalgic... Magia, I cannot stress this enough: You hold the spirit of generosity.  You must call upon it whenever you need to.  The Elements have done some amazing things in the past; I've no doubt that they can do it again.”

“Alright.  Thank you, princess.”  Magia collected herself, smiling at Twilight.  “I will cherish what you have taught me always.”  Magia turned and walked toward her friends.

“Well, Magia, what do we do now?” Flood asked, a smile stuck on her face.  “You're in charge.” Magia thought for a moment before turning back to face Twilight.

“We attack.” Magia said, closing her eyes.  “Degnemico has gone far enough, and it's up to us to stop them.”  The party nodded determinedly and confidently.  Magia gave a respectful bow to Twilight as she and the group turned and began walking back to the transport rune.

“You're not planning on walking all the way there, are you?”  Twilight called out. As Magia turned around, she saw Twilight, still standing before the window.  A massive shadow encompassed the entire room, darkening the hall.  A mighty windy noise rushed through the hall, as the light quickly faded back in.  Beyond the window rest a gargantuan purple mass, accented with green, resting on the charred ground below.  Magia ran to the window, peering out in awe. Her mouth hung agape as she gaze upon a colossal winged dragon, gazing back up at her with giant emerald green eyes, a look of solemn greeting on it's face.  Qul and Tera' ran over and looked out, each of them struck with disbelief.

“The stories are true...” Qul remarked.

“The Dragon of Legend exists...” Tera' completed.  They looked on in awe as the dragon's face began to stir, and it's mighty maw opened, just barely revealing a green blaze glowing in it's throat.

“Dragon of Legend?”  The colossal dragon spoke, slowly, yet mightily.  “Is that what they're calling me?”  The dragon laughed heartily.

“That's Spike.  He has been with me for nearly as long as I can remember.” Twilight said, smiling at him. “Can you believe that I hatched that giant dragon?”

“I have stayed by Twilight's side for my entire life.” Spike spoke once more, his voice booming and loud, yet joyous and calm.  “In over two hundred years, I have never left her side, nor has she left mine.”

“Two hundred years?” Qul sounded surprised, “Dragons seldom live over one hundred years.”

“Oh I've been meaning to die for about a century now.” Spike said, stifling a mighty chuckle.  “I just can't find the time to do so, I suppose.  Regardless, I will stay by Twilight's side for as long as she lives, so I'll have to wait just a few more millennia.” Twilight smiled as she shook her head joyfully.

The rest of the group had joined Magia in looking at the dragon. Spike finally grew impatient.

“Are you planning on coming out or not? I'm more than just something to stare at.”  Spike flapped his wings slowly.  Magia looked toward Twilight, her face reflecting a feeling of surprise and excitement. Twilight simply nodded affirmatively.  As Magia and the party descended, approaching Spike, his eyes grew teary, holding a hint of nostalgia.  “My... You look so much like her...” He said quietly, staring at Magia.

Spike lowered his wings to the ground as the party approached.  Magia trembled in awe as she drew nearer to the Dragon of Legend.  She herself was only as large as but one of his many scales.  She carefully stepped onto his lowered wing and climbed onto his titanic back, finding her grip amongst his rough, scaled body.  As the party shuffled onto Spike, Twilight, Qul, and Tera' stood aside, remaining on the charred ground.

“Princess Sparkle. Are you coming with us?” Magia asked, looking to Twilight. She simply shook her head.

“I can't.  There are others. Other unicorns, back inside the sanctuary.” Twilight said, “These dragons and I must stay here with them. That means that it's up to you to rescue all of the ones Degnemico captured.  You six are the protectors of magic, and it is my honor to bestow upon you the title of Magi.”

The party looked at Twilight in shocked confusion, as she looked upon them with a gaze of fabled respect.

“You truly mean that, princess? Magi?” Duster asked.

“I do. You four have shown the utmost selflessness in this dark time in taking it upon yourselves to fight. To fight for a once again unified Equestria, and for the freedom of magic. It is in this, that you have well earned the title given to only those who have proven themselves in the eyes of magic.” Twilight said, a look of pride in the party spread across her face.

“Thank you, princess.  It is an honor.” Magia said, smiling happily, feeling her eyes beginning to well up.

“Thank me later.” Twilight said, smiling.  “But for now, I think you have a world to save.”  Magia smirked at Twilight, before looking to her friends.

“Alright.  Let's go Spike!” Magia said. Spike began to flap his wings in response, mightily rippling the air around them.

“As you wish, Magi.” Spike replied, his voice booming, shaking the ground near him.

As the legendary dragon's wings beat more and more vigorously, his colossal body gradually began to rise, defying his size, and taking to the skies with the Magi.

Magia looked down as Spike rose higher and higher into the sky. She watched in awe as the ever changing landscape miles below rolled by at breakneck speeds.  Tundras turned to mountains, mountains turned to forests, forests turned to grasslands, grasslands turned to swamps.  Duster saw her admiring the world below.

“It once looked so much more majestic.” He said, catching her attention.  She jumped as she turned to look at him, before returning her gaze to the ground.

“I wouldn't know... I've been imprisoned almost all of my life, since I was nine.  This is the most I've ever seen of the outside.” She said, her voice sounding happy, yet withholding a hint of sorrow.

“You're only nineteen...” Duster said, his voice emulating the sorrow in Magia's.  “So young, and already charged with a task such as this.  I'm so sorry.” Magia looked at him, and shook her head as she looked down.

“It's not your fault.” She said, quickly quieting herself.

“Even so... It was my honor to serve with your mother.” He said, shooting her a small smile.  “You look just like her. Did you know that?”

“Yeah...” Magia replied, the happiness quickly draining from her. “I'm not half the unicorn she was, though.”  Duster looked at her in disbelief.

“What?” He asked, his eyes narrowing.  “As I see it, the opposite is true.  You have no doubt surpassed her every expectation of you.  Your skill, your resolve, your beauty.” Duster's eyes shot open as he caught himself.  His ears shot up, before lowering as he averted his gaze, hoping that his red coat would hide his blushing. Magia's ears perked up as she looked toward him in shock. As she saw him looking down in embarrassment, she smiled and blushed herself.

“Do you really think so?” She asked, “About my mother, that is.”

“I do. If you hold any doubts about your ability, do not forget that you have me by your side always. I will fight for you, no matter the cost.” Duster said, looking determinedly at Magia, his eyes locking with hers. Magia cocked an eyebrow and smirked. Duster quickly caught himself again. “I-I mean us. We! We will fight for you, no matter the cost.” The red fur on his face began to grow a darker red once more. Magia met his blush again as well.

“Thank you, Duster.” She said, her eyes remaining locked with his for a few more moments, before she returned her gaze to the ground.  Her eyes widened as a gargantuan, dark structure quickly swam into view. “Is that it?” She motioned her head forward, toward the complex.

“It is.” Spike's booming voice called out.  “It is from there that Degnemico operates, capturing unicorns and holding Equestria in a state of horrible dismay.”

“Then it's up to us to put a stop to them.  Do you have any suggestion on how to attack, Spike?” Magia asked, looking toward the mighty dragon's head.

“If I drop you on the west roof, you may enter through the skylight. From there, you must work your way to the main structure. In there you will find the office of Tropo Rex. He is the one you want.” Spike explained.  “If you remove the head, the rest of the body will quickly rot away.”

“Can't you help us fight?” Flood asked. “You're big enough to smash the entire complex easily!”

“I'm afraid I cannot do that.  I made a promise to a dear friend many, many years ago, just before she passed.” Spike said.  “I promised that I would never, ever harm another living being, for as long as I lived.” A silence befell the group.

“Are they aware of our intrusion yet?” Searing Sparks asked, breaking the tension.

“I imagine the sight of a colossal dragon happened to catch their attention, yes.” Flood said.

“So we'll be facing heavy opposition.” Magia said. “Is everyone ready, then?”

“We are.” Duster said, looking intently at the complex, before turning to look at Magia. An appearance of concern swept over him.  “Are you?”

“Yeah.” She said, smiling at him.  “Alright Spike, put us down.”

“As you wish.” Spike said.  He quickly descended, landing on the ground just beside the west tower.  He extended his wing upward, resting it on the roof of the building.  “Good luck, Magi.” He said.  As the last of the Magi stepped off of his wing and on to the building, Spike took to the skies once more, flying back in the direction of the sanctuary. Flood's eyes shot open.

“If they follow him back, they'll find the princess, and all of the other unicorns in hiding there!” She said loudly, looking over the group.

“Then we stop them before they get the chance.” Searing Sparks said, charging violently toward the skylight before them.

“Wait! We should try to be stealthy about this!” Flood said, halting him.

“We just arrived on a dragon roughly the size of this entire complex.  I don't think espionage is an option anymore.” Duster said, stepping up to the skylight.  He raised his fore-hooves, and harshly slammed them down onto the glass and metal structure, shattering it inward violently.

“Let's go.” Searing Sparks said, jumping into the hole.  The other Magi quickly followed, landing their hooves onto the shattered glass coating the floor, cracking the bits beneath them.

As they looked around, they found their entrance to be clear, with no hostiles anywhere in the room in which they landed.

“Alright. We have four buildings between us and this 'Tropo Rex'.  We'd better get moving.” Flood said, approaching the east door.  Magia stopped her.

“Wait! If you don't think before you act, you'll get yourself killed. Especially here!” Magia said. “Don't you think it's a bit too quiet here, considering the stunt we just pulled?”

“You're right.  Our opponents need to be nearby.” Duster said. “I would guess that they are just beyond that door.” He pointed toward the east door near Flood.

Degnemico

A lone, sturdy pegasus sat in a darkened room, looking over a large desk, covered with countless papers of questionable content and importance.  The only light in the room came from a window, stretching from the floor of the room to the ceiling, and between both walls.  The dim light from the window shone off of one of the pegasus' wings, which was jointed and crafted from silver colored metal.  The minimal amount of light just barely made visible his features.  He was a deep, deep blue in color.  His mane and tail were a menacingly dark black, with no shine to them whatsoever, and his eyes were a dim gray, his left closed slightly due to a deep scar crossing it, stretching from his hair-line to the middle of his muzzle. His cutie mark seemed to resemble a black feather, dripping a dark ooze from around it.

A frail looking light orange Earth Pony quickly burst in through a door on the other side of the darkened room. He charged toward the desk and the pegasus urgently, his yellow mane and eyes bouncing around frantically.

“What is it, Fervorulo?” The pegasus asked, his voice deep and menacing, creating an echo within the large, dark room.

“It's Canterlot, sir! The fallen city!” The frail pony, Fervorulo, said, sounding almost out of breath.  “I-It's... It's back on the mountain.”

“What?” The pegasus asked, his gaze and voice sending a chill down Fervorulo's spine.

“It's b-been re-bound to the mountain, sir.” Fervorulo repeated.  The pegasus closed his eyes tightly.

“I want units there, searching for whatever unicorn scum or otherwise could have lifted tat mountain from it's crater in the ground!” The pegasus shouted.  Fervorulo reeled back in fear, shutting his eyes tightly.

“Y-yes sir! Right away sir!”  Fervorulo quickly darted out of the room, as the pegasus stood and approached the oversized window, staring out it intently.

“So it's finally happened. The time of rebellion is finally upon us.” The pegasus spoke to himself. He aimed his head downward and smirked menacingly, bearing his teeth.  “But it will be crushed.  Just as the age of magic has fallen, so too, shall this rebellion.”

Tropo Rex

The dark pegasus stood before his window, looking out at the world before him.  The frail orange earth pony, Fervorulo, stood beside him.

“Isn't it beautiful, Fervorulo?” The pegasus asked.  “An entire nation, stricken without destructive, harmful magic.”  His teeth clenched as he spoke, slowly looking over at his metal-bound wing.

“Yes, sir.  Such a sight indeed.” Fervorulo answered, sounding very unsure.  The pegasus looked at him angrily.

“Do you not agree, Fervorulo?” The pegasus' voice altered, striking fear into the frail pony beside him.

“I-I do agree, sir!” Fervorulo said frantically, shaking as he stared out the window.

“Has there been any word from Canterlot?” The pegasus asked.

“Yes sir.” Fervorulo said, turning toward him.  “We found this, there.” Fervorulo reached to the desk behind them and grasped a scroll. The pegasus forcefully snatched it from him, causing Fervorulo to jump back in shock. He looked over it frantically.

“This symbol...” The pegasus said, not moving his attention from the page,  “Did you find out what it means?”

“Uh... No, sir...” Fervorulo said cautiously, idly stepping away from the pegasus.  “No one here recognizes the symbols, and we've no way of researching them any more...”  The pegasus glared at Fervorulo, his eyes threatening to bore into his mind.  He crumpled the scroll and threw it behind him.

“No matter.” He said, “There is not a being on this planet that can stop me now. Me, who has single hoofedly purified a nation. Me! The mighty Tropo Rex!  I am invincible!” Tropo's wings flared outward, the metal bracing on one shining in the small amount of light.  Fervorulo gulped audibly as Tropo Rex laughed maniacally, staring madly out the window.