Broken Prideby lunabronyChapters1 - Poor Unfortunate Souls 2 - Friends on the Other Side3 - A Whole New World4 - Hellfire5 - Not One of Us6 - I See the Light1 - Poor Unfortunate SoulsThe outlands. A desolate, uninviting place of death and fear. Ruled primarily by hyenas, especially since the fall of their leader some years ago. Since then they'd more or less charged forward on their own. They weren't the smartest of creatures, nor the most strategical. But even they knew better than to avoid listening in on the whispered conversations that came from higher up the hill, guarded by the looming skulls of elephants. Eavesdropping could be viewed as insubordination, and insubordination could be viewed as betrayal. Betrayal, of course, meant death. However, even that didn't stop a pair of overly curious hyenas from trying to piece together what little of the conversation they could hear. They were rude and rather stupid creatures, pushing each other aside. "Get your butt out of my face." "Get your face out of my butt!" "I asked you first!" "Shut up, I can't hear!" From further up the hill, voices were speaking quietly. Voices that most surely would not have appreciated being overheard had they known. The pair of hyenas didn't recognize either of them, but that was nothing new. The hyenas numbered in the hundreds, it was impossible to recognize everyone by voice alone. "Is it time?" "Nearly. All of the pieces aren't quite together yet." "Well what's taking so long then?" "The pride is on alert. I've told you this before. We can't risk having them put up their guard before we're ready. The result could be absolutely catastrophic to the plan." "Well, we can't have that, can we?" "Certainly not." "Very well. My patience wears thin, but continue as we've discussed. What's the worst they can do? We outnumber them." "Indeed we do." The voices stopped then, and the two hyenas bolted back into the rest of the group before they were caught. *** Pride Rock. A place of beauty, a place of majesty, a place of renewal and strength. Feelings of inspiration and wisdom that resided in those that lived there. Normally, it was a happy place, although it had seen its dark days just like any other had. Good times and bad, although nothing quite significant in the past few years. It was the location of many fights and battles, and a resting place for many who had fallen. On this day, the rain had driven away most of its inhabitants deeper into the system of tunnels. They took shelter in caves and underneath various ledges. A few lone lionesses could be seen, shivering and wet, walking slowly down the embankment. They had been out hunting, but returned unsuccessful. Although most of the animals were left to their own devices, a more pressing matter was at hand in a cave near the top of the rock. Two lions were present in the cavern, the elder of which was laying down on a bed of moss and grasses. He looked tired, worn out, unusually so in spite of not being that old. He was breathing heavily as if having just run up a large flight of stairs, though he did not seem to possess the energy to stand. The second lion was pacing endlessly back and forth. "Be still, Saxon," the elder ordered. "Your mindless pacing is distracting." "With all due respect, Sire," the younger lion replied, "There is nothing to see out there except rain. And you know I become restless when you are ill." "Then at least pace elsewhere so the rock will be eroded evenly," the King replied. "I'm not that sick, in any case, so you can calm yourself." "You've been unable to stand for almost a week now," Saxon said worriedly. "Perhaps my age has caught up to me. Have you considered that possibility?" "Age has nothing to do with it! It's the hyenas again, I can feel it!" The King looked up, wisdom in his eyes, but his mane was beginning to bristle with impatience. "Oh, you can feel it, can you? And what evidence do we have? Do you really propose we go to war with the hyenas again just because 'you can feel it'? Besides, I have not had interactions with the hyenas in weeks." "Well maybe they poisoned the watering hole, or-" The King raised a paw. "Enough. Do not make accusations with no validity to base them on. As far as we know, I've merely caught a particularly strong case of influenza." "Influenza?!" Saxon cried incredulously. The King sighed. "If you really feel that strongly and must inquire about this, you know who to call." Saxon thought for a moment. "...Zazu?" He asked. "The same." "But I thought he was retired." "He is, but he's still loyal to the Kings Service, whoever the King may be. I know of someone who can help you get to the bottom of this, and Zazu is the only one who knows how to contact her." Saxon scratched at his ear with a hind paw. "Her? Who is her? Who could possibly help us with a situation like this?" The King just smiled softly. "Find Zazu, and tell him to contact Celestia. That's all I can tell you." Saxon just shook his head, but bowed his head respectfully and headed out into the rain to track down the old hornbill, muttering to himself. "Celestia... what could she possibly do? How can she help us?" "That is my concern," Came the response, and that was all he was going to get on that matter. As he rounded the corner of the base of Pride Rock, Saxon came to a favorite tree of the hornbills, one that Zazu often frequented. He peered up into the pouring rain, squinting past the water and barely able to see. He couldn't even tell if the bird was there. "Zazu!" He called. An agonizingly long moment of silence followed. "What?" Came the irritable reply. Oh, good. "A message from the King." This seemed to get the birds attention, and the faded blue bird glided down to land in front of the lion. "I've been asked to tell you to contact Celestia," Saxon said. Zazu looked shocked. "Again? After all this time?" "I suppose? Who is this Celestia? What does it mean? Why is she important?" "It means," Zazu replied, "That we have less time than we thought." And with that, in a flurry of feathers, he disappeared into the rain, leaving a very confused and frustrated Saxon behind. 2 - Friends on the Other Side2 - Friends on the Other Side Shortly after the meeting with Zazu... Canterlot, Equestria "Hurry up, Fluttershy, we're going to be late!" Twilight insisted, keeping a steady stride as she trotted down one of the elaborately decorated Canterlot halls. She seemed to know exactly where she was going, and why wouldn't she? Even before she'd been selected to deal with the admittedly annoying wings that now pressed against her sides, she'd known every crevice of this castle. "I'm coming..." Fluttershy said quietly, weaving her way around a guardspony heading in the opposite direction. "Oh, excuse me..." "Isn't this exciting?" Twilight gushed. "A summons! It's not very often that a princess summons a princess!" "Isn't that like... princessception or something?" Fluttershy asked. "That's not a word, Fluttershy, you should know that," Twilight said kindly, approaching a pair of Royal Guards guarding a large set of doors. "At the very least, I should know that. I own thirty seven dictionaries after all." She turned her attention to the guards. We're here to see Princess Celestia," she announced. "She's expecting us." The guards exchanged a glance. The one on the left spoke first. "We've been informed to be expecting you, but there was nothing about the yellow one," he said. "Oh, that's alright, I can take the train back home, and-" The doors swung open of their own accord, and a maternal voice echoed from within. "Guards, please stop trolling my guests. Come in, the both of you. And do hurry." Twilight and Fluttershy did, and the doors closed behind them. Princess Celestia paced nervously back and forth. This concerned Twilight, as she did not like seeing Celestia upset, but what concerned her even more was the large object sitting behind the alicorn. She blinked several times, as if not looking directly at it would make it go away. "Princess?" She asked cautiously. "...Is that..." Celestia paused and looked up, looking over the two of them. "Thank you for coming," she said, and looked over at the large object. "I thought you might recognize this mirror. Yes, it is the same one you used before." "Do you intend for us to use it? It hasn't been even close to thirty moons yet... isn't it closed?" Celestia cracked a smile. "That world is closed to you for now, yes, but there are others. A prism has many sides, after all. There are many worlds, some of which I know about, but many more which remain hidden to me. My place is here." Fluttershy spoke up, which was saying something. "And... why did you call for me as well?" She asked. Not a complaint, but more of a confused clarification. There was a gentle smile from the alicorn. "Because I'm told there is a war going on in this other realm, and you are one of the most influentially persuasive ponies that I know. I couldn't think of someone more suited for the task." Fluttershy's ears went back. "A war? Oh, goodness..." "Are you sure it's safe?" Twilight asked. "I'm sure. I would go myself, but I am needed here. Zazu will assist you in my absence. He has since retired from the King's Service, but I still communicate with him on occasion as an Ambassador." "Who's..." Twilight began. It was at that moment that the mirror rippled, and a fairly old blue hornbill soared out of it, landing on Celestia's shoulder, and dipped his head to the both of them. "Salutations! I am Zazu, messenger to the King. At least I was, in days long past. The pride is in grave danger. Our King is very sick, and fears dark magic is at work. If he falls... I don't know what we'll do." The bird looked worried. "Celestia has told me of your experience with the magical arts, as well as your fairly high success rate with such things. Will you help us get to the bottom of what's going on?" Fluttershy and Twilight exchanged glances. "Of course we'll help!" Twilight announced. Fluttershy looked a bit less enthused. "If you say so..." Zazu continued. "The conditions are simple. Meet with the King, scout around, see what you can find out, if anything. I'd be forever grateful if you could get to the bottom of this. Just be sure to return here within three days." "What happens in three days?" Fluttershy asked. "The door-" "-closes." Twilight finished. "Is that right?" Zazu nodded. "Very well, we accept your task. Fluttershy, expect a bit of disorientation," Twilight warned, and stepped forward through the rippling mirror. If this sort of trend continued, she really was going to have a hard time trusting mirrors again. Fluttershy seemed as if she'd rather be anywhere but there at that particular moment, and gave a soft sigh. "If it means helping my friends and cute little animals, I'll do it," she said bravely, and followed through the mirror. Zazu and Celestia exchanged a glance. "I suppose you didn't tell either of them that we're not exactly dealing with cute little animals?" Zazu asked. "Well, the nearby meerkat colony perhaps, but they are a fairly neutral affiliation," he said. Celestia shook her head. "I do my best to avoid meddling in other worlds whenever possible," she said. "But Twilight is one of my best. If anything is out of the ordinary, I have nothing but full confidence that she will find it and take care of it. Have you ever experienced anything like that before?" Zazu hesitated. "Once, many years ago. But those are years long past, the pridelands have been under new rule for some time now. Such is the circle of life," he said. Celestia nodded. "Very well. Go then, and keep an eye on my little ponies. See that no harm comes to them." The hornbill saluted, and followed the two mares through the mirror. 3 - A Whole New WorldFluttershy flew through the interdimensional transport, landing flat on her nose. A nose that was fairly larger than she remembered. Fortunately her stance remained quadrupedal, an experience which Twilight had talked at length about while quite blatantly expressing her displeasure at said experience. Feeling a bit odd, a quick glance at herself revealing the toned body of a yellow lioness. Fluttershy had seen such creatures before in books, but never been up close to one. This was rather not the way she'd intended on meeting one. Zazu exited through a rock wall behind them several moments later, and upon spotting her, quickly darted out of the cavern which contained nothing else except a fairly disoriented looking purple lioness. "Sir! They're here." He made his way into the sky after that. He was quite fast, for such a small bird, and disappeared from sight not long after that. "Well. This is… different," Twilight sighed, looking about at Fluttershy. Fluttershy tried her best to give a comforting smile, but failed rather significantly. "It's not that bad," she said. In truth she rather disliked it, she looked rather frightening and hated the thought of scaring off all the little animals. A rather large lion made his way into the cave they'd been ejected into, and spoke. "By the looks of you two, you must be Sparkle and Fluttershy." He said. "Twilight," the former unicorn corrected. "But yes." "My name is Saxon. I am the acting ruler of this Pride during our King's illness. He summoned for you." Twilight bowed her head slightly. "Good to meet you, sir." Saxon rolled his eyes. "Spare the formality. This is serious. Our Pride is in danger. Strange forces threaten our way of life. We have only two males in this Pride, one of which is near death. The hyenas have been gathering in number, and are unusually strong. I fear outside forces are at work." Twilight nodded. "And you wish me and Fluttershy to help? Why?" "Your reputation precedes you. You have a fairly impressive success rate." "I don't know how much I can do without my magic," Twilight said. "Although I've managed before." "That is what you have the meerkat tribe for. They will assist you in matters of dexterity should you need it, but do not call upon them unless it is truly necessary. They can be... stubborn." "The two of you need to meet Rayou. Our soothsayer. He has been keeping the King alive and warding off the evil that plagues this land." Saxon said gravely. "He's just outside." With that, he departed for the exit. Fluttershy and Twilight followed slowly out into the cloudy morning, glancing at each other. "We are going to have a long talk about your animals when we get back," Twilight warned. "I don't know how much of this I feel comfortable with." Fluttershy gave a weak smile. "Oh come on. Lighten up. What's the worst that could happen? We get to see new critters and make new friends, don't we?" "Welcome!" A voice said. Fluttershy jumped. The two were greeted by an eccentric baboon, carrying a long staff. "Hello, hello! Thank you for coming, my friends. Especially in such trying times." Fluttershy eyed the staff curiously. "What a pretty stick you have," she said kindly. Rayou gave a toothy grin. "It belonged to my father. He christened several of the Kings which have ruled here in the past.. He taught me everything I know, and passed on not long ago." Fluttershy didn't seem to be expecting that, and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "Such is the circle of life, my friends. How can I help you?" Fluttershy spoke up. "I was hoping you could help us. Seen any mysterious or evil creatures around lately?" "Not that I can think of, no." "Well, that's all we can do. We tried." Fluttershy tried to leave, heading back for the entrance to the mirror, until Twilight grabbed her by the tail. "Fluttershy! I'm sorry, Rayou. What have you seen, so far?" The monkey gripped his staff. "I have been occupied casting warding spells to keep out the dark forces trying to harm these creatures. I have used every healing trick I know, and the King still suffers." He sighed. "If what Saxon says is true, I fear we may not be ready for the forces that plague this land." Rayou shook his head. "In the meantime, you have had a trying journey. Return to your cave momentarily to gather your strength, and soon enough Saxon will have further instructions for you." He gave a warm smile, and hobbled off. Fluttershy gave Twilight a look, and they gradually made their way towards the cave again. "What a nice monkey," Fluttershy said. She curled up on a patch of moss, with Twilight laying nearby. "Don't worry, Fluttershy. We'll figure something out. We have a whole new world to explore. I just wish we had more time to do it." "I know. It's exciting. It's scary, but it's exciting." Twilight and Fluttershy each took a turn napping for about an hour, careful not to fall asleep for too long. Near mid morning, the two rose, having been briefed on the mission, and wandered out of the cave to overlook the scene. Pride Rock rose high and proud into the sky, almost deceiving in how calm it was. Fluttershy looked over at her. What do you want to do first?" "We're here for a reason. The King is sick, remember? We have to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. So I think the most sensible option would be to head straight towards the problem itself. We need to meet with the King." 4 - HellfireTwilight's sleep that first night had been plagued with worry. She'd woken frequently, only to pace back and forth until restlessness drove her back to the ground. Things had been calm lately. Much too calm… in her experience, that usually meant something bad. Fluttershy was asleep in the corner of the cavern, seemingly untroubled by the events that had thus far taken place. Or, if she was, she didn't show it. The moons soft glow in the entrance of the cave was disturbed by a large shadow, to which Twilight instinctively raised her head. The stranger revealed himself to be Saxon. And he did not look as if he'd come for midnight tea. "Twilight. A word. Now, if you please." Now that was more like it. Twilight rose, and followed him outside. "Yes?" she asked. He looked out across the darkened savanna, worry creased across his face. "I have received notice that hyenas have been congregating around the Graveyard. More so than usual. Take one of the hunters with you, and investigate. They have no business on our land. They know of our long standing agreement, and their presence violate the peace pact." The purple lioness was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Is there mud or dye? My coloration will be a liability. as I don't think many of your females are lavender." Saxon nodded. "Of course. Near ground level, towards the rear of the Rock." Moving quickly, Twilight made her way down to the ground, and towards the mudpits. Only one other lioness was awake outside, who rose as she entered the muddy pool to darken her fur. "I am Raine. We must move quickly if we are to return before daybreak. No need to worry everyone else with matters that can be handled quickly." Twilight just gave a sly smirk. "Why should I worry? I've handled far worse before." The two cats departed shortly thereafter, making their way towards the Graveyard. A group of hyenas were stationed near the entrance, arguing. "I don't understand this nonsense. What are we supposed to do with hostages?" "Shut up and do what you're told. We're not paid to think." "We're not paid at all!" *THUNK!* Peering about, Twilight saw that one of the two had been laid flat and dazed. Less work for her. Raine nodded with grave concern. "We make our way inside and snoop around. I'll be right behind you. Stay quiet, and stay alert." "…the point?" A voice was asking. "It's not your job to know everything. Just do what you're told." Two hyenas passed by. There seemed to be a lot of stress amongst the ranks. It could break into a fullout mutiny before too long. Twilight and Raine slunk down one of the side paths, emerged into a large cavern where they hidden behind the old bones of a large animal. A cavern where dozens of other hyenas were waiting in perfect formation. A shadowy figure emerged from the back. Gray fur dominated the old lion where fur still grew at all, wounds evident from what appeared to be severe burns. Raine gasped, and Twilight could see horror etched on her face, although the former had no idea the significance behind the fear. The lions deep voice snapped, full of rage. "Just how STUPID are you all? I ask you to do one thing. ONE thing. And you can't even carry out a simple order. Give me one good reason why I even bother keeping you mindless fools around!" "We leave now." Raine whispered. "We can't be here." With little encouragement, Twilght turned and followed Raine out of the tunnels. Raine had seen enough. This was bad. Very bad. The leader was old and frail, he may be the one giving orders, but in all likelihood he was not necessarily the mastermind behind this mess. But the look on Raine's face meant he was important. She'd have to keep digging around. Twilight and Raine made their way back to the Rock, bursting into the cavern, breathing heavily from having run the entire way back, an impressive feat for even the healthiest of lions. "What in the world has gotten into you both? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Raine glared at him, chest heaving from exertion. "In a way, we have. The hyenas…. Scar leads them." Saxon blinked, unsure he'd heard correctly. "Excuse me?" "Burned… scarred… limping… it could be nobody else." The lion shook his head. "That's impossible." Twilight chimed in.. "They mentioned hostages." "If what you say is true…than we are indeed in grave danger, and this means war has once again come to Pride Rock. These attacks are intentional." Saxon growled. "What exactly did you see? Are they coming after us?" Raine shook her head. "Not that I can tell… yet." Twilight frowned. "I have a question." "Yes?" "...Where's Fluttershy? The yellow one?" There was a sudden moment of shuffling about and confused searching, before Saxon admitted "I thought she went with you," he said. "I arrived here shortly before your return, the cavern was empty." Twilight facepalmed. "Great. We need to find her, immediately." Saxon turned, and led her up the rocky slope outside. "I will send out a search team at once. While they do that, you come with me. It's time you met the King. He may be able to help you find your friend. I hope." Twilight lowered her head, and followed. The frail and weakened King was laying on a bed of leaves and moss, cryptic circles surrounded the area, painted symbols covered the walls. "Runes to aid in healing and protection," Saxon explained. "They likely do nothing, but hope can be stronger than the most reliable medicine." The King could barely lift his head, and gazed upon them both. "Tell me…what news do you bring?" Saxon approached. "Scar….lives, sire." His voice snarled with hate. The King laid his head down. "Then we are at war. Saxon…. Do what you must." It looked as if he was prepared to say more, but could not. He closed his eyes, laying his head down, and appeared as if sleeping. But Saxon knew otherwise. Saxon swore and ushered a shocked Twilight out of the cavern. The meeting had been a waste of time. "I apologize for putting you through such trying times. But you are our most valuable asset. We need to gather our forces. I suppose that falls to me now." "What do you have?" "Twenty three lionesses, one lion. The nearby meerkat colony is neutral, we may ask for their help, but they will likely not get involved." Twilight looked surprised. "A meerkat colony?" Saxon gave a sly grin. "Allies of ages past. Do you think we should talk to them?" Twilight looked down at the ground. "Perhaps. They may be useful." "Can you think of anyone who might try to hurt our pride?" "There are many possibilities. Sadly that's the world today. Their job is to cause pain, my job is to stop them." Saxon pushed at the ground with his front paw. "Very well. I will sleep on it. You may return to your cave. Be careful, as our forces have been informed that we are at war. You have been a huge help to us today." He turned, and made his departure. He paused only a moment. "We will find your friend, I promise." Twilight returned to the cavern as the first day began to come to a close. She looked out over the Pridelands, where hyenas were beginning to increase in number. They were getting bolder. She wanted to go get Fluttershy right then and there, but it would be idiotic to put herself at risk unnecessarily. Once the forces were in place, they'd take the Graveyard by force. "Be brave, Fluttershy." She whispered. "We're coming." 5 - Not One of UsIt was the middle of the second day. A storm had been rolling in the last few hours, and all hell had broken loose. It'd started out as a light drizzle, which had continued for some time ever since arriving in the Pridelands, but it was rapidly turning into a thunder-booming torrential downpour. Saxon ran up the slanted slope, breathing heavily. He entered the cavern where Twilight was pacing back and forth. Despite relentless searches for Fluttershy, she had not turned up. "The hyenas have broken the boundary. We are at war. This is your last chance to turn back." He obviously didn't know her very well. Fluttershy shook her head. "If you think I'm leaving without my friend, then you're insane. Nightmare Moon didn't stop me, Trixie didn't stop me, and Sunset Shimmer didn't stop me. No. It's time to finish this." She ran down the slope into the rain, leaving Saxon scratching his head and wondering what kind of name Sunset Shimmer was. Twilight had barely taken a few steps into the grass when nipping hyenas appeared from behind several rocks and snapped at her. She tried to press forward, but they proved too strong and too many for her, and she was forced back up Pride Rock. Hyenas were swarming below, barely being contained by the remaining lionesses. Fluttershy was not the only one who had gone missing. Much to Saxon's annoyance, several of the hunters had as well. Saxon was standing guard near one of the royal entrances up on the rock, and Twilight approached him. "You must stay here, Twilight." He warned. "Several of the others have already been rounded up." "But you can't go down there by yourself, if anything happens to you, your Pride is lost!" "Friends are worth a bit of danger, and I can handle myself. I've been doing this longer than you. I will see if I can find her. But please stay here." He left his post, running out into the rain. There was nobody inside, at least. Twilight and several dozen hunters were all that remained. A little while after he had left, two hyenas made their way up onto the Rock, grinning wildly. "Well well… look what we have here." Twilight snorted. "Two against one. Bit of an unfair advantage, eh?" The hyenas were unamused. "So here's how this is gonna work, you're gonna come with us, or…" "Yeah, you know that thing I said about the numbers? Meant it was unfair for you. Be thankful I don't have my magic, or I wouldn't be as nice." One of the hyenas nipped the back of her paw, and recieved a kick to the face before he went sliding down the muddy rock, snarling in annoyance. "That wasn't very nice… you better be careful or we'll have lion pelts over our cave. So if you don't want your friends to get the birdie boiler, I suggest you… what was that?" "RAAAAGH!" A loud bellow came from outside the cave, and a charging warthog knocked the second hyena clean off the side of the ramp. Twilight stared for a moment. She'd seen a lot of strange things in Equestria, but this was just odd. She composed herself and used the distraction to take care of the first hyena, who just glared at her before retreating completely. A female meerkat popped from behind the pigs ears. "Hey kid! Need some help?" "Yeah… guess who's still alive?" "Oooooh, a riddle. I like riddles," the meerkat said. Her companion rolled his eyes. "I don't think it's a riddle, Enna." Twilight gestured to the two of them. "Dare I ask?" The meerkat grinned. "What, the mount thing? It's a defensive mechanism, started up by a couple of outcasts several years ago. Quite genius, really." Twilight smiled a bit. She was lucky she had friends to rely on as well, and was rather frustrated that they weren't here. "Saxon told me to tell the colony that Scar is alive, does that have significance to you?" The warthog snorted. "That lunkhead is still kicking? I'll give him a knock upside the head to worry about. Don't you worry about a thing, miss! We'll take care of it!" He gave another bellow, and charged into the rain, presumably to spread the word. Across the Savannah, it was lioness versus hyena, an all out mess of a brawl. But not the good kind of brawl, such as jousting match in the Crystal Empire. The hyenas seemed unnaturally strong, and had been matching the lionesses in strength for hours. The lionesses would soon tire, and after that... Twilight didn't want to think about it. Twilight ran across the Savannah, boiling with rage, intent on confronting Scar and his aid once and for all. Hyenas who were not otherwise occupied with battle took up chase with her, but once they saw her running straight into the Graveyard, they merely laughed at her stupidity and their attention left her. The questionably insane leader was inside, pacing back and forth, a wide grin on his muzzle. He was getting away with his plan, and he knew it. Behind him, several lionesses were imprisoned behind bone cages, her terrified yellow friend among them. Twilight stood on a rock, sniffed and winced. "Smells like moldy barbecue in here." She muttered. As of the moment, she was unseen by those below. Scar scolded an unseen hyena. "I may not be young, but I'm far from stupid. Do as I tell you!" "Is that part of the plan, sir?" "NEVER YOU MIND! GO!" Twilight snuck around the cages, the looks of the trapped lionesses quietly pleading with her to free them. She hissed quietly "Have you seen who's helping him? He can't be doing this by himself." "Someone is, but we don't know who. They're trying to kill Saxon. Saxon is the last male lion in this pride. If he falls, the pride will fall." Twilight facehooved. "Then he's just sent the hyenas to carry out the final part of his rotten scheming-.." An amused voice came from behind her. "Well, well, well. Come to save you friends from the birdie boiler, have we?" "Crap." Twilight knew she wouldn't have gotten away unnoticed forever, she'd just hoped it was going to be longer than that. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'm far too old to be able to fight like I used to. I'm merely calling the shots. Now…. What can I help you with?" Scar circled her, keeping his eyes focused on his catch, containing her near the others. Twilight fumed. "You can let my friends out and tell me what you're up to. How are your hyenas fighting so well? The lions should easily overpower them, and from what I understand, your land here doesn't have magic." "Oh you noticed that, did you? That's my secret. And I do hate telling secrets." She spat at him. "Nice thinking on your part, letting a few generations pass so they'd forget how you betrayed them the first time. But they didn't forget as easily as you thought they would, did they?" "Twilight, Twilight. You misunderstand me. Come, have a drink. We'll talk about it." He waved a paw towards a nearby pool of clear water. "How do you know my-" Fluttershy squealed. "Don't! It's poison!" Scar roared and smacked the yellow lioness against the wall, silencing her. Temporarily. "I have just about HAD IT with you sniveling little weasels!" Twilight glared at him. "You should not have done that, NOBODY hurts my friends! How do you know about poisons?!" Fluttershy snarled. "I'm guessing the same way he knows about dark magic." Her eyes widened. "Unless..." Twilight backed up against the cage. "Spill it." "No… no… I'm probably wrong, Twilight… that is, if that's alright... you're not mad are you? I'm sorry!" Scar strode forward and knocked her aside. "That's quite enough out of you! My plan is going quiet nicely, WITHOUT your help, thank you. Just you wait. I'll be King before you know it." Fluttershy remarked casually. "I don't think they let meanies like you be King." Infuriated, Scar turned around. "What did you say?!" Fluttershy leaned forward and bit down on Scars tail. He roared savagely, swiping at her. She ducked, and his paw shattered the old bone prison. "Gotta watch that temper, Scarface!" Twilight teased, before bolting for the exit with Fluttershy, leaving Scar fuming. "Get them!" On the way across the savannah, while being closely pursued by hyenas, Twilight glared at Fluttershy. "Now you want to tell me what you figured out back there?" Fluttershy sighed, and whispered something into Twilight's ear. A theory that made a disturbing amount of sense. Her eyes went wide, and she stopped in her tracks. "What?!" With that, she turned and shot like a bullet towards a large tree in the distance. 6 - I See the LightQuestions were swirling in Twilight's mind, teeth grinding in anger at having been deceived. She ran without stopping, until the tree came into view, barely able to contain her rage. Fluttershy had fallen behind, in an effort to distract the hyenas who had been following them. "YOU!" She snarled at the shadowy figure beneath it. "Yes…me." Rayou stepped out from beneath it, bony fingers clutched around his staff. "Surprised it took you so long to figure it out, really. Especially after all the things Zazu said about you." "So all of those protective wards and symbols were really…." "Not so protective." He smirked. "Quite the opposite." "You should be ashamed of yourself. You have disgraced yourself, and you have disgraced your father." She snapped, advancing towards him. Every step she took was another step backwards for him, pushing him deeper into the Tree. A tree embedded with powers that some might say bordered on the supernatural. The wind was gradually beginning to pick up, lightning streaking across the already rain-streaked sky. Rayou banged his staff on a root. "So I told a few lies. Scar will protect me. We will bring in a new era under Scar's reign, a new era that's long overdue." "He may protect you from me, but what about from your father?" "First of all, you know nothing about my father. So don't even attempt to play the guilt game with me.My father? He's dead. What's he gonna do?" A gnarled root reached out and grabbed Rayou's shoulder. A mystical voice spoke down from the skies, and it didn't sound pleased at all. "You have abused your power, and caused countless sufferings." Twilight circled around, grabbing Rayou's staff in her teeth. "Let go, you crazy cat!" He snapped. The two tussled over it, the old staff snapping in half from the exertion. "You fool! Do you know what you've done?!" The tree continued grabbing at him and began pulling him deeper into the branches. Twilight headbutted him, sending the two spiraling into the roots. Twilight looked behind her with absolutely no sympathy. "You could have had it all, Rayou. But you chose the wrong path." She turned tail on him and returned to the cavern in the downpour with Fluttershy to make final preparations. *** Things had seemingly been under control, leaving time for Twilight to catch a quick power nap. She didn't understand what it was about being a cat, she felt like sleeping all the time even when there were time restrictions. Thirty minutes would be enough. If she could just- Fluttershy came running in, out of breath. "Twilight, come quickly! We have to hurry!" She yelled. Well, so much for that. Twilight was on her feet in no time, scowling slightly. "Do these idiots never learn!?" "Apparently not. Hurry! Um... if you want to." They dashed out into the pouring rain, confronted by a familiar scene. Well, not familiar to them, but the other lionesses were watching in terror. Scar had cornered Saxon at the edge of Pride Rock, holding viciously onto his front paws as his hind legs scrabbled for a foothold. "You played the game well, King. But once I get rid of you…there will be nobody left to stop me!" Saxon just growled. One of the lionesses whispered. "We should really put a fence or something up there..." Twilight yelled towards the pair of them. "Give it up, Scar! You've already lost!" Scar nearly had a heart attack, the distraction giving Saxon the opportunity to begin the climb back up onto solid ground. "You lie! I will not lose again!" "Ask Rayou! His Father returned to him, very displeased!" Scar paled. "Rayou... failed?" Visibly shaken, he shook it off. "It's a trick... it has to be a trick." Saxon climbed up behind him. "It's over, Scar. You will NEVER be King." Twilight rose up against him, bringing her paw down to add to the already impressive collection of slash marks. "You can take the long way down, or the short way. Your choice. But first..." She rose up upon the rock, throwing her voice loudly across the battlefield. "SCAR, TRAITOR TO PRIDE AND HYENA, IS DEFEATED ANEW!" Fluttershy scowled at him. "Perhaps that will service as a reminder not to be such a meaniepants." This got the attention of the hyenas, and they were not pleased. Scar bolted from the scene, chased by snapping jaws. It was unlikely he would survive his latest humiliation, as this time he could not wait years for the event to fade from memory. Not long after, once the chaos had gone down, the rain had slowed to a bare drizzle, and the hyenas had once more been banished from the savannah, Saxon looked proudly over the visiting pair. "Twilight… I know you do not belong here. But if you wanted… the position of Queen remains available." It was a poor attempt at flirting. She smiled a bit at him. "No thank you. I've had rather poor experience with queens and have had quite enough of them. Would you accept an advisor from a 'visiting pride'?" "That would be fine." The portal was still open near the back of the cave, with Zazu standing near it. "I knew we made the right choice calling you two. You are welcome back any time." Twilight smiled faintly. "Thank you, but I think I've had quite enough realm jumping for quite a while." Fluttershy did not need to be told twice, and ran through the vortex towards home where her teddy bear was waiting. Twilight bowed her head. "Thank you for the offer, Saxon. But we are needed back at home. I wish you well." Following Fluttershy, she slipped through the portal. On the other side, Fluttershy and Twilight made quick work of the portal, sealing it off behind a heavy cabinet until it closed by itself the next day. Twilight looked at Fluttershy, who gave a soft squeak. "I hate mirrors," Twilight said.
1 - Poor Unfortunate SoulsThe outlands. A desolate, uninviting place of death and fear. Ruled primarily by hyenas, especially since the fall of their leader some years ago. Since then they'd more or less charged forward on their own. They weren't the smartest of creatures, nor the most strategical. But even they knew better than to avoid listening in on the whispered conversations that came from higher up the hill, guarded by the looming skulls of elephants. Eavesdropping could be viewed as insubordination, and insubordination could be viewed as betrayal. Betrayal, of course, meant death. However, even that didn't stop a pair of overly curious hyenas from trying to piece together what little of the conversation they could hear. They were rude and rather stupid creatures, pushing each other aside. "Get your butt out of my face." "Get your face out of my butt!" "I asked you first!" "Shut up, I can't hear!" From further up the hill, voices were speaking quietly. Voices that most surely would not have appreciated being overheard had they known. The pair of hyenas didn't recognize either of them, but that was nothing new. The hyenas numbered in the hundreds, it was impossible to recognize everyone by voice alone. "Is it time?" "Nearly. All of the pieces aren't quite together yet." "Well what's taking so long then?" "The pride is on alert. I've told you this before. We can't risk having them put up their guard before we're ready. The result could be absolutely catastrophic to the plan." "Well, we can't have that, can we?" "Certainly not." "Very well. My patience wears thin, but continue as we've discussed. What's the worst they can do? We outnumber them." "Indeed we do." The voices stopped then, and the two hyenas bolted back into the rest of the group before they were caught. *** Pride Rock. A place of beauty, a place of majesty, a place of renewal and strength. Feelings of inspiration and wisdom that resided in those that lived there. Normally, it was a happy place, although it had seen its dark days just like any other had. Good times and bad, although nothing quite significant in the past few years. It was the location of many fights and battles, and a resting place for many who had fallen. On this day, the rain had driven away most of its inhabitants deeper into the system of tunnels. They took shelter in caves and underneath various ledges. A few lone lionesses could be seen, shivering and wet, walking slowly down the embankment. They had been out hunting, but returned unsuccessful. Although most of the animals were left to their own devices, a more pressing matter was at hand in a cave near the top of the rock. Two lions were present in the cavern, the elder of which was laying down on a bed of moss and grasses. He looked tired, worn out, unusually so in spite of not being that old. He was breathing heavily as if having just run up a large flight of stairs, though he did not seem to possess the energy to stand. The second lion was pacing endlessly back and forth. "Be still, Saxon," the elder ordered. "Your mindless pacing is distracting." "With all due respect, Sire," the younger lion replied, "There is nothing to see out there except rain. And you know I become restless when you are ill." "Then at least pace elsewhere so the rock will be eroded evenly," the King replied. "I'm not that sick, in any case, so you can calm yourself." "You've been unable to stand for almost a week now," Saxon said worriedly. "Perhaps my age has caught up to me. Have you considered that possibility?" "Age has nothing to do with it! It's the hyenas again, I can feel it!" The King looked up, wisdom in his eyes, but his mane was beginning to bristle with impatience. "Oh, you can feel it, can you? And what evidence do we have? Do you really propose we go to war with the hyenas again just because 'you can feel it'? Besides, I have not had interactions with the hyenas in weeks." "Well maybe they poisoned the watering hole, or-" The King raised a paw. "Enough. Do not make accusations with no validity to base them on. As far as we know, I've merely caught a particularly strong case of influenza." "Influenza?!" Saxon cried incredulously. The King sighed. "If you really feel that strongly and must inquire about this, you know who to call." Saxon thought for a moment. "...Zazu?" He asked. "The same." "But I thought he was retired." "He is, but he's still loyal to the Kings Service, whoever the King may be. I know of someone who can help you get to the bottom of this, and Zazu is the only one who knows how to contact her." Saxon scratched at his ear with a hind paw. "Her? Who is her? Who could possibly help us with a situation like this?" The King just smiled softly. "Find Zazu, and tell him to contact Celestia. That's all I can tell you." Saxon just shook his head, but bowed his head respectfully and headed out into the rain to track down the old hornbill, muttering to himself. "Celestia... what could she possibly do? How can she help us?" "That is my concern," Came the response, and that was all he was going to get on that matter. As he rounded the corner of the base of Pride Rock, Saxon came to a favorite tree of the hornbills, one that Zazu often frequented. He peered up into the pouring rain, squinting past the water and barely able to see. He couldn't even tell if the bird was there. "Zazu!" He called. An agonizingly long moment of silence followed. "What?" Came the irritable reply. Oh, good. "A message from the King." This seemed to get the birds attention, and the faded blue bird glided down to land in front of the lion. "I've been asked to tell you to contact Celestia," Saxon said. Zazu looked shocked. "Again? After all this time?" "I suppose? Who is this Celestia? What does it mean? Why is she important?" "It means," Zazu replied, "That we have less time than we thought." And with that, in a flurry of feathers, he disappeared into the rain, leaving a very confused and frustrated Saxon behind.
2 - Friends on the Other Side2 - Friends on the Other Side Shortly after the meeting with Zazu... Canterlot, Equestria "Hurry up, Fluttershy, we're going to be late!" Twilight insisted, keeping a steady stride as she trotted down one of the elaborately decorated Canterlot halls. She seemed to know exactly where she was going, and why wouldn't she? Even before she'd been selected to deal with the admittedly annoying wings that now pressed against her sides, she'd known every crevice of this castle. "I'm coming..." Fluttershy said quietly, weaving her way around a guardspony heading in the opposite direction. "Oh, excuse me..." "Isn't this exciting?" Twilight gushed. "A summons! It's not very often that a princess summons a princess!" "Isn't that like... princessception or something?" Fluttershy asked. "That's not a word, Fluttershy, you should know that," Twilight said kindly, approaching a pair of Royal Guards guarding a large set of doors. "At the very least, I should know that. I own thirty seven dictionaries after all." She turned her attention to the guards. We're here to see Princess Celestia," she announced. "She's expecting us." The guards exchanged a glance. The one on the left spoke first. "We've been informed to be expecting you, but there was nothing about the yellow one," he said. "Oh, that's alright, I can take the train back home, and-" The doors swung open of their own accord, and a maternal voice echoed from within. "Guards, please stop trolling my guests. Come in, the both of you. And do hurry." Twilight and Fluttershy did, and the doors closed behind them. Princess Celestia paced nervously back and forth. This concerned Twilight, as she did not like seeing Celestia upset, but what concerned her even more was the large object sitting behind the alicorn. She blinked several times, as if not looking directly at it would make it go away. "Princess?" She asked cautiously. "...Is that..." Celestia paused and looked up, looking over the two of them. "Thank you for coming," she said, and looked over at the large object. "I thought you might recognize this mirror. Yes, it is the same one you used before." "Do you intend for us to use it? It hasn't been even close to thirty moons yet... isn't it closed?" Celestia cracked a smile. "That world is closed to you for now, yes, but there are others. A prism has many sides, after all. There are many worlds, some of which I know about, but many more which remain hidden to me. My place is here." Fluttershy spoke up, which was saying something. "And... why did you call for me as well?" She asked. Not a complaint, but more of a confused clarification. There was a gentle smile from the alicorn. "Because I'm told there is a war going on in this other realm, and you are one of the most influentially persuasive ponies that I know. I couldn't think of someone more suited for the task." Fluttershy's ears went back. "A war? Oh, goodness..." "Are you sure it's safe?" Twilight asked. "I'm sure. I would go myself, but I am needed here. Zazu will assist you in my absence. He has since retired from the King's Service, but I still communicate with him on occasion as an Ambassador." "Who's..." Twilight began. It was at that moment that the mirror rippled, and a fairly old blue hornbill soared out of it, landing on Celestia's shoulder, and dipped his head to the both of them. "Salutations! I am Zazu, messenger to the King. At least I was, in days long past. The pride is in grave danger. Our King is very sick, and fears dark magic is at work. If he falls... I don't know what we'll do." The bird looked worried. "Celestia has told me of your experience with the magical arts, as well as your fairly high success rate with such things. Will you help us get to the bottom of what's going on?" Fluttershy and Twilight exchanged glances. "Of course we'll help!" Twilight announced. Fluttershy looked a bit less enthused. "If you say so..." Zazu continued. "The conditions are simple. Meet with the King, scout around, see what you can find out, if anything. I'd be forever grateful if you could get to the bottom of this. Just be sure to return here within three days." "What happens in three days?" Fluttershy asked. "The door-" "-closes." Twilight finished. "Is that right?" Zazu nodded. "Very well, we accept your task. Fluttershy, expect a bit of disorientation," Twilight warned, and stepped forward through the rippling mirror. If this sort of trend continued, she really was going to have a hard time trusting mirrors again. Fluttershy seemed as if she'd rather be anywhere but there at that particular moment, and gave a soft sigh. "If it means helping my friends and cute little animals, I'll do it," she said bravely, and followed through the mirror. Zazu and Celestia exchanged a glance. "I suppose you didn't tell either of them that we're not exactly dealing with cute little animals?" Zazu asked. "Well, the nearby meerkat colony perhaps, but they are a fairly neutral affiliation," he said. Celestia shook her head. "I do my best to avoid meddling in other worlds whenever possible," she said. "But Twilight is one of my best. If anything is out of the ordinary, I have nothing but full confidence that she will find it and take care of it. Have you ever experienced anything like that before?" Zazu hesitated. "Once, many years ago. But those are years long past, the pridelands have been under new rule for some time now. Such is the circle of life," he said. Celestia nodded. "Very well. Go then, and keep an eye on my little ponies. See that no harm comes to them." The hornbill saluted, and followed the two mares through the mirror.
3 - A Whole New WorldFluttershy flew through the interdimensional transport, landing flat on her nose. A nose that was fairly larger than she remembered. Fortunately her stance remained quadrupedal, an experience which Twilight had talked at length about while quite blatantly expressing her displeasure at said experience. Feeling a bit odd, a quick glance at herself revealing the toned body of a yellow lioness. Fluttershy had seen such creatures before in books, but never been up close to one. This was rather not the way she'd intended on meeting one. Zazu exited through a rock wall behind them several moments later, and upon spotting her, quickly darted out of the cavern which contained nothing else except a fairly disoriented looking purple lioness. "Sir! They're here." He made his way into the sky after that. He was quite fast, for such a small bird, and disappeared from sight not long after that. "Well. This is… different," Twilight sighed, looking about at Fluttershy. Fluttershy tried her best to give a comforting smile, but failed rather significantly. "It's not that bad," she said. In truth she rather disliked it, she looked rather frightening and hated the thought of scaring off all the little animals. A rather large lion made his way into the cave they'd been ejected into, and spoke. "By the looks of you two, you must be Sparkle and Fluttershy." He said. "Twilight," the former unicorn corrected. "But yes." "My name is Saxon. I am the acting ruler of this Pride during our King's illness. He summoned for you." Twilight bowed her head slightly. "Good to meet you, sir." Saxon rolled his eyes. "Spare the formality. This is serious. Our Pride is in danger. Strange forces threaten our way of life. We have only two males in this Pride, one of which is near death. The hyenas have been gathering in number, and are unusually strong. I fear outside forces are at work." Twilight nodded. "And you wish me and Fluttershy to help? Why?" "Your reputation precedes you. You have a fairly impressive success rate." "I don't know how much I can do without my magic," Twilight said. "Although I've managed before." "That is what you have the meerkat tribe for. They will assist you in matters of dexterity should you need it, but do not call upon them unless it is truly necessary. They can be... stubborn." "The two of you need to meet Rayou. Our soothsayer. He has been keeping the King alive and warding off the evil that plagues this land." Saxon said gravely. "He's just outside." With that, he departed for the exit. Fluttershy and Twilight followed slowly out into the cloudy morning, glancing at each other. "We are going to have a long talk about your animals when we get back," Twilight warned. "I don't know how much of this I feel comfortable with." Fluttershy gave a weak smile. "Oh come on. Lighten up. What's the worst that could happen? We get to see new critters and make new friends, don't we?" "Welcome!" A voice said. Fluttershy jumped. The two were greeted by an eccentric baboon, carrying a long staff. "Hello, hello! Thank you for coming, my friends. Especially in such trying times." Fluttershy eyed the staff curiously. "What a pretty stick you have," she said kindly. Rayou gave a toothy grin. "It belonged to my father. He christened several of the Kings which have ruled here in the past.. He taught me everything I know, and passed on not long ago." Fluttershy didn't seem to be expecting that, and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "Such is the circle of life, my friends. How can I help you?" Fluttershy spoke up. "I was hoping you could help us. Seen any mysterious or evil creatures around lately?" "Not that I can think of, no." "Well, that's all we can do. We tried." Fluttershy tried to leave, heading back for the entrance to the mirror, until Twilight grabbed her by the tail. "Fluttershy! I'm sorry, Rayou. What have you seen, so far?" The monkey gripped his staff. "I have been occupied casting warding spells to keep out the dark forces trying to harm these creatures. I have used every healing trick I know, and the King still suffers." He sighed. "If what Saxon says is true, I fear we may not be ready for the forces that plague this land." Rayou shook his head. "In the meantime, you have had a trying journey. Return to your cave momentarily to gather your strength, and soon enough Saxon will have further instructions for you." He gave a warm smile, and hobbled off. Fluttershy gave Twilight a look, and they gradually made their way towards the cave again. "What a nice monkey," Fluttershy said. She curled up on a patch of moss, with Twilight laying nearby. "Don't worry, Fluttershy. We'll figure something out. We have a whole new world to explore. I just wish we had more time to do it." "I know. It's exciting. It's scary, but it's exciting." Twilight and Fluttershy each took a turn napping for about an hour, careful not to fall asleep for too long. Near mid morning, the two rose, having been briefed on the mission, and wandered out of the cave to overlook the scene. Pride Rock rose high and proud into the sky, almost deceiving in how calm it was. Fluttershy looked over at her. What do you want to do first?" "We're here for a reason. The King is sick, remember? We have to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. So I think the most sensible option would be to head straight towards the problem itself. We need to meet with the King."
4 - HellfireTwilight's sleep that first night had been plagued with worry. She'd woken frequently, only to pace back and forth until restlessness drove her back to the ground. Things had been calm lately. Much too calm… in her experience, that usually meant something bad. Fluttershy was asleep in the corner of the cavern, seemingly untroubled by the events that had thus far taken place. Or, if she was, she didn't show it. The moons soft glow in the entrance of the cave was disturbed by a large shadow, to which Twilight instinctively raised her head. The stranger revealed himself to be Saxon. And he did not look as if he'd come for midnight tea. "Twilight. A word. Now, if you please." Now that was more like it. Twilight rose, and followed him outside. "Yes?" she asked. He looked out across the darkened savanna, worry creased across his face. "I have received notice that hyenas have been congregating around the Graveyard. More so than usual. Take one of the hunters with you, and investigate. They have no business on our land. They know of our long standing agreement, and their presence violate the peace pact." The purple lioness was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Is there mud or dye? My coloration will be a liability. as I don't think many of your females are lavender." Saxon nodded. "Of course. Near ground level, towards the rear of the Rock." Moving quickly, Twilight made her way down to the ground, and towards the mudpits. Only one other lioness was awake outside, who rose as she entered the muddy pool to darken her fur. "I am Raine. We must move quickly if we are to return before daybreak. No need to worry everyone else with matters that can be handled quickly." Twilight just gave a sly smirk. "Why should I worry? I've handled far worse before." The two cats departed shortly thereafter, making their way towards the Graveyard. A group of hyenas were stationed near the entrance, arguing. "I don't understand this nonsense. What are we supposed to do with hostages?" "Shut up and do what you're told. We're not paid to think." "We're not paid at all!" *THUNK!* Peering about, Twilight saw that one of the two had been laid flat and dazed. Less work for her. Raine nodded with grave concern. "We make our way inside and snoop around. I'll be right behind you. Stay quiet, and stay alert." "…the point?" A voice was asking. "It's not your job to know everything. Just do what you're told." Two hyenas passed by. There seemed to be a lot of stress amongst the ranks. It could break into a fullout mutiny before too long. Twilight and Raine slunk down one of the side paths, emerged into a large cavern where they hidden behind the old bones of a large animal. A cavern where dozens of other hyenas were waiting in perfect formation. A shadowy figure emerged from the back. Gray fur dominated the old lion where fur still grew at all, wounds evident from what appeared to be severe burns. Raine gasped, and Twilight could see horror etched on her face, although the former had no idea the significance behind the fear. The lions deep voice snapped, full of rage. "Just how STUPID are you all? I ask you to do one thing. ONE thing. And you can't even carry out a simple order. Give me one good reason why I even bother keeping you mindless fools around!" "We leave now." Raine whispered. "We can't be here." With little encouragement, Twilght turned and followed Raine out of the tunnels. Raine had seen enough. This was bad. Very bad. The leader was old and frail, he may be the one giving orders, but in all likelihood he was not necessarily the mastermind behind this mess. But the look on Raine's face meant he was important. She'd have to keep digging around. Twilight and Raine made their way back to the Rock, bursting into the cavern, breathing heavily from having run the entire way back, an impressive feat for even the healthiest of lions. "What in the world has gotten into you both? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Raine glared at him, chest heaving from exertion. "In a way, we have. The hyenas…. Scar leads them." Saxon blinked, unsure he'd heard correctly. "Excuse me?" "Burned… scarred… limping… it could be nobody else." The lion shook his head. "That's impossible." Twilight chimed in.. "They mentioned hostages." "If what you say is true…than we are indeed in grave danger, and this means war has once again come to Pride Rock. These attacks are intentional." Saxon growled. "What exactly did you see? Are they coming after us?" Raine shook her head. "Not that I can tell… yet." Twilight frowned. "I have a question." "Yes?" "...Where's Fluttershy? The yellow one?" There was a sudden moment of shuffling about and confused searching, before Saxon admitted "I thought she went with you," he said. "I arrived here shortly before your return, the cavern was empty." Twilight facepalmed. "Great. We need to find her, immediately." Saxon turned, and led her up the rocky slope outside. "I will send out a search team at once. While they do that, you come with me. It's time you met the King. He may be able to help you find your friend. I hope." Twilight lowered her head, and followed. The frail and weakened King was laying on a bed of leaves and moss, cryptic circles surrounded the area, painted symbols covered the walls. "Runes to aid in healing and protection," Saxon explained. "They likely do nothing, but hope can be stronger than the most reliable medicine." The King could barely lift his head, and gazed upon them both. "Tell me…what news do you bring?" Saxon approached. "Scar….lives, sire." His voice snarled with hate. The King laid his head down. "Then we are at war. Saxon…. Do what you must." It looked as if he was prepared to say more, but could not. He closed his eyes, laying his head down, and appeared as if sleeping. But Saxon knew otherwise. Saxon swore and ushered a shocked Twilight out of the cavern. The meeting had been a waste of time. "I apologize for putting you through such trying times. But you are our most valuable asset. We need to gather our forces. I suppose that falls to me now." "What do you have?" "Twenty three lionesses, one lion. The nearby meerkat colony is neutral, we may ask for their help, but they will likely not get involved." Twilight looked surprised. "A meerkat colony?" Saxon gave a sly grin. "Allies of ages past. Do you think we should talk to them?" Twilight looked down at the ground. "Perhaps. They may be useful." "Can you think of anyone who might try to hurt our pride?" "There are many possibilities. Sadly that's the world today. Their job is to cause pain, my job is to stop them." Saxon pushed at the ground with his front paw. "Very well. I will sleep on it. You may return to your cave. Be careful, as our forces have been informed that we are at war. You have been a huge help to us today." He turned, and made his departure. He paused only a moment. "We will find your friend, I promise." Twilight returned to the cavern as the first day began to come to a close. She looked out over the Pridelands, where hyenas were beginning to increase in number. They were getting bolder. She wanted to go get Fluttershy right then and there, but it would be idiotic to put herself at risk unnecessarily. Once the forces were in place, they'd take the Graveyard by force. "Be brave, Fluttershy." She whispered. "We're coming."
5 - Not One of UsIt was the middle of the second day. A storm had been rolling in the last few hours, and all hell had broken loose. It'd started out as a light drizzle, which had continued for some time ever since arriving in the Pridelands, but it was rapidly turning into a thunder-booming torrential downpour. Saxon ran up the slanted slope, breathing heavily. He entered the cavern where Twilight was pacing back and forth. Despite relentless searches for Fluttershy, she had not turned up. "The hyenas have broken the boundary. We are at war. This is your last chance to turn back." He obviously didn't know her very well. Fluttershy shook her head. "If you think I'm leaving without my friend, then you're insane. Nightmare Moon didn't stop me, Trixie didn't stop me, and Sunset Shimmer didn't stop me. No. It's time to finish this." She ran down the slope into the rain, leaving Saxon scratching his head and wondering what kind of name Sunset Shimmer was. Twilight had barely taken a few steps into the grass when nipping hyenas appeared from behind several rocks and snapped at her. She tried to press forward, but they proved too strong and too many for her, and she was forced back up Pride Rock. Hyenas were swarming below, barely being contained by the remaining lionesses. Fluttershy was not the only one who had gone missing. Much to Saxon's annoyance, several of the hunters had as well. Saxon was standing guard near one of the royal entrances up on the rock, and Twilight approached him. "You must stay here, Twilight." He warned. "Several of the others have already been rounded up." "But you can't go down there by yourself, if anything happens to you, your Pride is lost!" "Friends are worth a bit of danger, and I can handle myself. I've been doing this longer than you. I will see if I can find her. But please stay here." He left his post, running out into the rain. There was nobody inside, at least. Twilight and several dozen hunters were all that remained. A little while after he had left, two hyenas made their way up onto the Rock, grinning wildly. "Well well… look what we have here." Twilight snorted. "Two against one. Bit of an unfair advantage, eh?" The hyenas were unamused. "So here's how this is gonna work, you're gonna come with us, or…" "Yeah, you know that thing I said about the numbers? Meant it was unfair for you. Be thankful I don't have my magic, or I wouldn't be as nice." One of the hyenas nipped the back of her paw, and recieved a kick to the face before he went sliding down the muddy rock, snarling in annoyance. "That wasn't very nice… you better be careful or we'll have lion pelts over our cave. So if you don't want your friends to get the birdie boiler, I suggest you… what was that?" "RAAAAGH!" A loud bellow came from outside the cave, and a charging warthog knocked the second hyena clean off the side of the ramp. Twilight stared for a moment. She'd seen a lot of strange things in Equestria, but this was just odd. She composed herself and used the distraction to take care of the first hyena, who just glared at her before retreating completely. A female meerkat popped from behind the pigs ears. "Hey kid! Need some help?" "Yeah… guess who's still alive?" "Oooooh, a riddle. I like riddles," the meerkat said. Her companion rolled his eyes. "I don't think it's a riddle, Enna." Twilight gestured to the two of them. "Dare I ask?" The meerkat grinned. "What, the mount thing? It's a defensive mechanism, started up by a couple of outcasts several years ago. Quite genius, really." Twilight smiled a bit. She was lucky she had friends to rely on as well, and was rather frustrated that they weren't here. "Saxon told me to tell the colony that Scar is alive, does that have significance to you?" The warthog snorted. "That lunkhead is still kicking? I'll give him a knock upside the head to worry about. Don't you worry about a thing, miss! We'll take care of it!" He gave another bellow, and charged into the rain, presumably to spread the word. Across the Savannah, it was lioness versus hyena, an all out mess of a brawl. But not the good kind of brawl, such as jousting match in the Crystal Empire. The hyenas seemed unnaturally strong, and had been matching the lionesses in strength for hours. The lionesses would soon tire, and after that... Twilight didn't want to think about it. Twilight ran across the Savannah, boiling with rage, intent on confronting Scar and his aid once and for all. Hyenas who were not otherwise occupied with battle took up chase with her, but once they saw her running straight into the Graveyard, they merely laughed at her stupidity and their attention left her. The questionably insane leader was inside, pacing back and forth, a wide grin on his muzzle. He was getting away with his plan, and he knew it. Behind him, several lionesses were imprisoned behind bone cages, her terrified yellow friend among them. Twilight stood on a rock, sniffed and winced. "Smells like moldy barbecue in here." She muttered. As of the moment, she was unseen by those below. Scar scolded an unseen hyena. "I may not be young, but I'm far from stupid. Do as I tell you!" "Is that part of the plan, sir?" "NEVER YOU MIND! GO!" Twilight snuck around the cages, the looks of the trapped lionesses quietly pleading with her to free them. She hissed quietly "Have you seen who's helping him? He can't be doing this by himself." "Someone is, but we don't know who. They're trying to kill Saxon. Saxon is the last male lion in this pride. If he falls, the pride will fall." Twilight facehooved. "Then he's just sent the hyenas to carry out the final part of his rotten scheming-.." An amused voice came from behind her. "Well, well, well. Come to save you friends from the birdie boiler, have we?" "Crap." Twilight knew she wouldn't have gotten away unnoticed forever, she'd just hoped it was going to be longer than that. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'm far too old to be able to fight like I used to. I'm merely calling the shots. Now…. What can I help you with?" Scar circled her, keeping his eyes focused on his catch, containing her near the others. Twilight fumed. "You can let my friends out and tell me what you're up to. How are your hyenas fighting so well? The lions should easily overpower them, and from what I understand, your land here doesn't have magic." "Oh you noticed that, did you? That's my secret. And I do hate telling secrets." She spat at him. "Nice thinking on your part, letting a few generations pass so they'd forget how you betrayed them the first time. But they didn't forget as easily as you thought they would, did they?" "Twilight, Twilight. You misunderstand me. Come, have a drink. We'll talk about it." He waved a paw towards a nearby pool of clear water. "How do you know my-" Fluttershy squealed. "Don't! It's poison!" Scar roared and smacked the yellow lioness against the wall, silencing her. Temporarily. "I have just about HAD IT with you sniveling little weasels!" Twilight glared at him. "You should not have done that, NOBODY hurts my friends! How do you know about poisons?!" Fluttershy snarled. "I'm guessing the same way he knows about dark magic." Her eyes widened. "Unless..." Twilight backed up against the cage. "Spill it." "No… no… I'm probably wrong, Twilight… that is, if that's alright... you're not mad are you? I'm sorry!" Scar strode forward and knocked her aside. "That's quite enough out of you! My plan is going quiet nicely, WITHOUT your help, thank you. Just you wait. I'll be King before you know it." Fluttershy remarked casually. "I don't think they let meanies like you be King." Infuriated, Scar turned around. "What did you say?!" Fluttershy leaned forward and bit down on Scars tail. He roared savagely, swiping at her. She ducked, and his paw shattered the old bone prison. "Gotta watch that temper, Scarface!" Twilight teased, before bolting for the exit with Fluttershy, leaving Scar fuming. "Get them!" On the way across the savannah, while being closely pursued by hyenas, Twilight glared at Fluttershy. "Now you want to tell me what you figured out back there?" Fluttershy sighed, and whispered something into Twilight's ear. A theory that made a disturbing amount of sense. Her eyes went wide, and she stopped in her tracks. "What?!" With that, she turned and shot like a bullet towards a large tree in the distance.
6 - I See the LightQuestions were swirling in Twilight's mind, teeth grinding in anger at having been deceived. She ran without stopping, until the tree came into view, barely able to contain her rage. Fluttershy had fallen behind, in an effort to distract the hyenas who had been following them. "YOU!" She snarled at the shadowy figure beneath it. "Yes…me." Rayou stepped out from beneath it, bony fingers clutched around his staff. "Surprised it took you so long to figure it out, really. Especially after all the things Zazu said about you." "So all of those protective wards and symbols were really…." "Not so protective." He smirked. "Quite the opposite." "You should be ashamed of yourself. You have disgraced yourself, and you have disgraced your father." She snapped, advancing towards him. Every step she took was another step backwards for him, pushing him deeper into the Tree. A tree embedded with powers that some might say bordered on the supernatural. The wind was gradually beginning to pick up, lightning streaking across the already rain-streaked sky. Rayou banged his staff on a root. "So I told a few lies. Scar will protect me. We will bring in a new era under Scar's reign, a new era that's long overdue." "He may protect you from me, but what about from your father?" "First of all, you know nothing about my father. So don't even attempt to play the guilt game with me.My father? He's dead. What's he gonna do?" A gnarled root reached out and grabbed Rayou's shoulder. A mystical voice spoke down from the skies, and it didn't sound pleased at all. "You have abused your power, and caused countless sufferings." Twilight circled around, grabbing Rayou's staff in her teeth. "Let go, you crazy cat!" He snapped. The two tussled over it, the old staff snapping in half from the exertion. "You fool! Do you know what you've done?!" The tree continued grabbing at him and began pulling him deeper into the branches. Twilight headbutted him, sending the two spiraling into the roots. Twilight looked behind her with absolutely no sympathy. "You could have had it all, Rayou. But you chose the wrong path." She turned tail on him and returned to the cavern in the downpour with Fluttershy to make final preparations. *** Things had seemingly been under control, leaving time for Twilight to catch a quick power nap. She didn't understand what it was about being a cat, she felt like sleeping all the time even when there were time restrictions. Thirty minutes would be enough. If she could just- Fluttershy came running in, out of breath. "Twilight, come quickly! We have to hurry!" She yelled. Well, so much for that. Twilight was on her feet in no time, scowling slightly. "Do these idiots never learn!?" "Apparently not. Hurry! Um... if you want to." They dashed out into the pouring rain, confronted by a familiar scene. Well, not familiar to them, but the other lionesses were watching in terror. Scar had cornered Saxon at the edge of Pride Rock, holding viciously onto his front paws as his hind legs scrabbled for a foothold. "You played the game well, King. But once I get rid of you…there will be nobody left to stop me!" Saxon just growled. One of the lionesses whispered. "We should really put a fence or something up there..." Twilight yelled towards the pair of them. "Give it up, Scar! You've already lost!" Scar nearly had a heart attack, the distraction giving Saxon the opportunity to begin the climb back up onto solid ground. "You lie! I will not lose again!" "Ask Rayou! His Father returned to him, very displeased!" Scar paled. "Rayou... failed?" Visibly shaken, he shook it off. "It's a trick... it has to be a trick." Saxon climbed up behind him. "It's over, Scar. You will NEVER be King." Twilight rose up against him, bringing her paw down to add to the already impressive collection of slash marks. "You can take the long way down, or the short way. Your choice. But first..." She rose up upon the rock, throwing her voice loudly across the battlefield. "SCAR, TRAITOR TO PRIDE AND HYENA, IS DEFEATED ANEW!" Fluttershy scowled at him. "Perhaps that will service as a reminder not to be such a meaniepants." This got the attention of the hyenas, and they were not pleased. Scar bolted from the scene, chased by snapping jaws. It was unlikely he would survive his latest humiliation, as this time he could not wait years for the event to fade from memory. Not long after, once the chaos had gone down, the rain had slowed to a bare drizzle, and the hyenas had once more been banished from the savannah, Saxon looked proudly over the visiting pair. "Twilight… I know you do not belong here. But if you wanted… the position of Queen remains available." It was a poor attempt at flirting. She smiled a bit at him. "No thank you. I've had rather poor experience with queens and have had quite enough of them. Would you accept an advisor from a 'visiting pride'?" "That would be fine." The portal was still open near the back of the cave, with Zazu standing near it. "I knew we made the right choice calling you two. You are welcome back any time." Twilight smiled faintly. "Thank you, but I think I've had quite enough realm jumping for quite a while." Fluttershy did not need to be told twice, and ran through the vortex towards home where her teddy bear was waiting. Twilight bowed her head. "Thank you for the offer, Saxon. But we are needed back at home. I wish you well." Following Fluttershy, she slipped through the portal. On the other side, Fluttershy and Twilight made quick work of the portal, sealing it off behind a heavy cabinet until it closed by itself the next day. Twilight looked at Fluttershy, who gave a soft squeak. "I hate mirrors," Twilight said.
