Dawn Star: Canterlot Mare
A shiver went down my body as I trotted down the snow covered cobble roads of Canterlot city, it was winter now and deadly cold out. I had a wool hat and coat on yet still the freezing pierced my skin. Icles had grown off the sides of buildings and snowponies littered the streets where fillies and colts had made a large enough army of snowponies to overrun the city. Although a well placed fire spell Or a sudden movement of the cloud layer abover Canterlot would soon put an end to any snow uprising. I smiled at that thought and shivered again, these were the kind of times I wished I had wings instead of magic so I could just fly up to the cloudlayer and kick it all away and let the sun warm my skin. But there were various flaws in that plan. I don't know how I could cope without magic, brushing my mane, holding things, mainly I don't know what I would do on those long nights during heat without magic. I mean.
The reason I am out in the Celestia-damn cold is because a member of my new team up here in Canterlot is well, sleeping. Again. I will give my team one thing, they cast spells very well wen they want, but when they start casting sleeping spells on ponies so they sleep through Hearths Warming isn't very practical. They do make me laugh however. My team is considerably smaller than in Manehatten, from about twenty I now control four, young, powerful mages. Two stallions and two mares. I am currently tracking down a mare by the name of Skyla. I was hunting her down because I was the only one who had thought about creating a counterspell to ever prank spell my team casts. I shouldn't complain though, they cheer me up and I am far from innocent in all these magical pranks. We aren't at work until after the holidays anyway. Why not have some fun?
I could see Skyla's house from here, a light green colored house with the most percuilar looking roof in Canterlot. It wasn't a proper square, or triangle, or circle. It was very odd. But unique. I trotted toward the doorway of her house and knocked, then quickly put out a hoof near the only torch hanging at her doorway. It was dim and not very effective, but it gave some feeling back to my one from hoof that I still had, the other, the, the one I lost. Was now unfortunately made of wood. It felt strange walking on it and gave me a limp every time I stepped but it was better than not having a leg and I was getting used to it. It was unbelievable how may fire retardent wards I had to place on this thing though. One spark and it was alight like the sun. Even when wet.
I couldn't hear anything from inside and punched a hoof into my face at how long it took me to figure out why. I cast a quick spell and the door unlocked, I swung it open.
Inside it was freezing! No better than outside, I lit the dead fire with magic and left the burnt wood to smolder as I moved through the mouse, there wasn't much interior to Skyla's place apart from a few chairs and ornaments. I soon found the stairs and ascended toward the sound of snoring. There were only two rooms upstairs, a closed door, presumably Skyla's bedroom and the other the bathroom, I quickly used the later one. I trotted toward the closed door, limping as I went. My wooden leg making a strange sound on the creaky floor. I opened the door and steeped inside. There she was, Skyla was sleeping soundly in the double bed of hers, the blankets were twisted and thrown about like she had had a fight with them, and promptly lost by the looks of it. She was younger than I by a good few years with a shorter, blue mane and a bumblebee colored coat. Her cutie mark, clearly seen where a bit of blanket had been thrown about, was a blue magic energy ball weaving in and around a red cross, showing her talent for healing spells. She was definitely a valued member of the team of mages conducting experimental and highly dangerous spells. Skyla had probably saved more of us from certain injury on more occasions then I could count. Three I think.
Besides the obvious war with her bed, the yellow made looked rather peaceful asleep. I was almost tempted to leave her, but if left until the spell faded at the very least she would need to pee very, very, very, very badly. So if I woke her now, she would just have a minor hangover and some confusion.
I began to cast without even thinking about the spell now, these past few months of practice in the castle has definitely boasted my magical ability. I could successfully cast more than one offensive spell against a target without passing out. That I still didn't quite understand, Celestia did attempt an explanation, that one requires nearly double the amount of magical focus to actually cast a spell against a living target, it's pony nature. We aren't meant for war. But with the 'volunteers' that turn up from time to time has helped, thankfully I haven't killed anypony and missed every shot deliberately, but I dunno what that would mean in the later run, if there is another threat. Skyla stirred suddenly and I focused again on the spell. I saw eyes slowly open and I released the spell. Skyla looked up to me with those emerald eyes.
"Oh. Dawn?" Skyla said, her voice squeaky and young. "What are you doing here?" She asked. I smiled as she sat up, putting a hoof to her head slowly.
"Sleep spell, don't worry, Tanko is cleaning up for the rest of the month, til after Hearths Warming." I replied.Skyla smiled and stood up, shaking her head slowly.
"My head." She grunted.
"Indeed, one of these days young Skyla, you will actually feel like that for alcoholic reasons, not magical." I muttered in response, she wasn't that young, hell if she was, she'd still be at school, but she seemed to have difficulty consuming alcohol. Or do anything besides study, and that has given her no help of good.
"I don't like it though, has a strange taste." Skyla muttered, clearly upset.
"That's the alcohol hun." I muttered. Skyla was silent for a while, just getting her head together I presumed. She smiled suddenly and fully stood up.
"Well we heading back to the castle?" Skyla asked.
"Well on paper we have the day off-" I began.
"But I wanna practice!" Skyla insisted, I wasn't liking this, why did I have to wake her up. "Can younteach me your orb spell?" She asked, by that she meant that glass orb full of fire that thus far only I could conjure up, the thing that burnt Manehatten. I hadn't used it in a while but sat up in the darkness of night thinking what to call it. I still had no idea. Flame Orb came to mind, but seemed a bit, mundane. I made a mental note to think of a name later. I began to walk away, to lead Skyla back to the castle, then realized I hadn't actually answered the question.
"Not today Skyla, I've been shooting all day so far so am a bit crippled in my might." I said, not really. I had done buck all all day so far, just really wasn't up to it. Especially with Skyla, as nice as she was and a valued member of the team, she was still the most annoying. And, not going against her, I was pretty sure she was gay. For me, and I didn't like that, once was enough.
I walked Skyla downstairs, she went slowly at first, but sped up as she went, the headache fading and reality kicking in. She immediately lit the fire again with a quick spell and sat down. Staring at me.
"Well if it's a day off and you won't teach me the orb spell, I might as well read." She grunted at me, stropping clearly. She levitated a book toward her and opened a page at random, the began to read.
I had to ask. "What you reading?"
"A Starswirl book; On to Topic of Immortality." She replied, ah, good choice. With all things considered for Starswirl he was a genius for his time, nowadays we know that near on all his theories were wrong but for his time he was centuries ahead. Saying Equestrian needs another Starswirl would be wrong, but saying Equestrian needed a researcher like him would be more correct. Starswirl was actually pretty dangerous, most of his spells he kept secret and the ones he did share had the potential to destroy the world. His most famous, DawnThief, a spell that could literally blow up the sun. Celestia was not best pleased.
Skyla giggled from her chair, should I go? I didn't know. Might as well, not doing anything. I stepped toward the door.
"Listen to this Dawn." Skyla muttered, I looked at her, if she was about to quote a book I had read about a thousand times I was going to get annoyed. She coughed, clearing her voice. Yep, she was. "During my research in prolonged life, I have discovered that it is only Alicorns that can become immortal, their combination of wing and horn gives them that immortality, not magic or genes. So no normal pony can actually become immortal unless they suddenly grow wings and a horn." Skyla said, with her best act of a stallion best she could make.
"Where was that going?" I asked. Skyla smiled.
"Its just funny how, he was classed as a genius back then but now we know it is actual alicorn magic that makes them immortal, they control purer magic thus don't become corrupt with disease and old age. The purer the magic, the healthier one is. That's why unicorns live longer than other races." Skyla said. Well first off, no. Alicorns aren't actually immortal, only Celestial and Luna are, a gift their mother gave them years and years ago. Nopony is sure how Faust is immortal, some rumours say its because she moves around so much, Death gets lost and gives up for a while. Secondly, only some unicorns live longer, Starswirls wife, an Earth pony. Lived nearly twenty years after his death, besides the fact the only reason he died was because of either a failed spell or jealous adept mage who murdered him, its not really known. Skyla studied hard yes, just with all the wrong things.
"Well, I'm going to go. I'll see you tomorrow at work. Bye Skyla." I said, before she started getting stuff wrong again.
"You could stay for dinner if you want?" She offered, oh mother of Celestia no.
"Erm, no thanks Skyla, I left the furnace on when I came up here." I replied quickly.
"Oh. Okay." She sounded disappointed. She paused. "What are you doing tomorrow? For Hearths Warming?" She asked.
"Working, like everypony else, then going to the castle for a meal with the princesses as I normally do." I replied, for once, the truth.
"I'm going to be alone tomorrow, after work." She muttered. I had a feeling she was hinting at something but I had already said I was going alone, plus I really didn't want to show up with my plus one being a mare, let alone this one. So I just nodded and left, trotting home as flakes of snow began to fall and the sun made its final approach at setting.
By the time I made it to my room in the castle the moon was out and the night guards were on duty. The day had gone surprisingly quickly but I supposed I had done a lot today. As I reached my room I remembered how I hadn't actually eaten anything. I turned to trot down to the food court I came face to face with a royal guard.
"Miss Dawn?" He asked.
"That's me?" I replied. Miss Star, my last name is star.
"Come with me, trouble down at the tower." He said, meaning the mage tower I presumed. I nodded and he led the way. His voice had been, I don't know, cold? Like it wasn't his own. It was a bit odd, I also noticed the lack of cutie mark on his thigh. This guard was very odd and was most likely a new recruit the way he stumbled a little in the heavy armour. I had warn it once, and it felt very strange so I couldn't blame him. I limped forward on my wooden leg as he lead the way through the castle.
I quickly realised that this guard wasn't actually taking me to the mage tower, instead he lead me down a twisty corridor down countless flights of stairs. Three more cutie mark-less guards appeared beside and behind me on our trip and something was definitely wrong here.
"As much as I love exploring the uncharted parts of Canterlot-" I began, but was promptly interrupted by one of the guards.
"Trouble at the tower, please Ms Dawn, follow me." The guard who I had first met muttered. I began to cast a spell, this was getting weird.
"Okay, I'm going now, this is getting strange." I muttered. Somewhere in the darkness, a voice laughed.
"I'm so sorry how my. Pets, have treated you Dawn Star, let me explain. They are dead, and can only say a few things. Now, the one to your left is about to knock you out, we shall be meeting soon." The random voice said, I turned to me left spell ready, but too late, a piece of wood came smashing down and I passed out, bleeding.
A light was flickering when I awoke, hurt and I looked around the darkness in a blurred haze. All I could see was the outlines of maybe, a dozen ponies, scattered across wherever I was. I heard laughter, the same as earlier. I tried to get up but couldn't, I was bound by either magic or rope, I wasn't sure.
"Show yourself creature!" I shouted, a few ponies moved about, one groaned but had nothing intelligent to say. The laughter came again and a silver light of a horn began to glow. There was a face, the light was too dim to see any detail, but certainly my capturer, and a stallion.
"Good evening Dawn. I hope my, creations, didn't harm you too much." The pony said, laughing a little. His voice was strange and sounded foreign, but also educated, a lot higher than anything Dawn had received, she had failed in nearly everything but magic training, and history.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I shouted at the face. In all fairness, this wasn't the best way to handle the situation but I didn't like where I was so will naively panic, all three legs pushed against my magic bonds.
"My name Ms Star, is Karah Vlad, I deal with a, certain, kind of magic. All I want is to simply thank you for what you have done." The pony replied.
"Thank me?" I replied, what a way to thank somepony.
"Yes, you see. I am Fear." The pony muttered, what? Oh. Ohhhh. "The thing the Changelings declared war over, they gave me bucket loads of power from feeding off their war, and when you and the Princesses destroyed them, I thought I was going to have to kill you." This Karah Vlad pony said. I was worried and strained against my bonds again. But his horn only gave off more light.
"But I was wrong, I gained so much more power from their destruction than I ever could with their pitiful battles and Hive Mind. So Dawn Star, I thank you." He continued.
"You are behind Manehatten's destruction?" I asked.
"Well, no. You destroyed it. Nopony else. You killed how many? 2 and a half million, how many were foals Dawn? How many?" Karah asked, releasing his grip on me slightly. I stayed silent and he repeated the question. "How. Many?" he asked, and started squeezing magic around my neck, I struggled to breathe for a moment but decided it wasn't a good idea to die today. This stallion was going down.
"There- there were." I began, he let go off me altogether and I fell, I wasn't even on a chair, it was just how he had formed his magic, he had such concentration. "My last count before I cast, was." I paused, Karah's horn began to glow again.
"Dawn, you are trying my patience." he grunted.
"Just under a million, 987 thousand, and sixty-three exactly, all under the age of ten." I grunted, I had killed so many.
"Wow." Karah muttered, smiling. He began to clap his hooves together slowly and the fake guards nearby also clapped. Karah began to laugh. "I thought-" he stopped to giggle. "And I thought I was a murderer. You killed nearly a million children, let alone all those Changelings, and the adults. You have more blood on your hooves than Celestia herself!" Karah shouted into the darkness, walking away for a second, he quickly reappeared however.
"I did what I had too." I muttered, feeling tears forming, come on Dawn, now isn't the time to cry.
"Did you?" Karah shouted. "Well that is just fucking perfect then!" he continued, pacing about again. "Well why don't we take a visit to all the families who didn't get to see their children or brothers, sisters, mothers. Shall we? Ask them if they think their lives were worth it?"
"It was either that or Equestria's destruction." I felt weak now, I had a felling he was feeding off this somehow.
"Where families could be together? Not apart, they could have evacuated, gone out of Equestria. Gone to Horsca for all I care, but no. Because of you, they had to go out with a bang." Karah shouted, smiling, he laughed again. "Not that I am complaining, just you killed so many maybe you should be the all powerful necromancer and me just a humble pony."
"Necromancer?" I asked, I knew what it was, but Equestria was a country with so little dark magic unicorns that the word was barely registered as a kind of mage.
"Yeah. Necromancer, you know. Summons the dead, tortures victims til submission and beyond, dark magic. Who do you think these brain eaters are?" Karah replied, pointing a hoof the guards.
"Oh sweet Celestia, that's why they don't have Cutie Marks." I muttered, figuring it out.
"And only respond with certain phrases and words. They. Are. Undead Dawn." I stood up from where I was on the floor, considering I was getting used to three legs this was still an effort for me.
"You killed all these, they corrupt their soul to your will." I muttered, limping over to one, it just looked straight into the dark, straight through me.
"No, I only killed one, then that one killed another, those two killed two more, and it continued, I have nearly a three quarters of the royal guard under my control, and so many more, all hidden, in plain sight above and below ground. I was hoping to resurrect the Changelings but why waste perfectly good magic on creatures like them, when I can have trained, strong soldiers. No they can't change into other forms, but beggars can't be choosers."
"What, what will you do?"
"Well, Dawn, that is between me and myself, you will be let free. I will begin my planning and you won't hear about me again until it is far to late. Now, I fell you can have a reward, I am debating whether to kill you first, or let you survive, but watching Equestria and the world die seems a bit cruel. So I'll tell you what, me and you will have a duel, no magic. Just arms, whatever you choose. Now, get out of my sight Dawn Star, and do not return here." Karah said, his eyes going darker at that last remark. "Not that I will stay here much longer anyway, Celestia patrols these parts constantly, always gotta be on the move. I would love to corrupt her, but that would cause a panic, the monarch of the land, just repeating one phrase over and over." He giggled again. "Although that's not a bad idea."
"You're a monster." I muttered.
"Are you still here? Go home Dawn, think of your sins and look to the darkness which is coming your way fast." Karah replied, a door behind me opened and a few of the undead guards walked through. I followed.
In front of me was a long flight of stairs back to the castle I presumed, I knew that the moment I was back I would report this pyscopath to Celestia and all of Equestrian would one alert. I began to gallop up the stairs as to give myself and these undead as much room as possible, they didn't seem to come after me, but it didn't mean they weren't following.
As I had thought the stairs brought me all the way back up to the main castle, so I presume they knocked me out and casually dragged me down the hundreds of stairs. I was panting and out of breath by the time I was up them and felt embarrassed at the fact I was so unfit, although it was no help with a missing leg, even if I did have a wood fake one on, I really needed something more stable, like metal.
I paused my limping. Us, metal infused with magic could give me fake feeling. So even if the leg is fake, I could at least feel something was there. I smiled, now was not the time to be pondering this but I needed something to think about on my limp to Celestia.
"I would need a good enough forge, knowledge of forging, knowledge of forging with magic and the magic to do it, but other than that it is an otherwise flawless plan. I made a note to go down to the castle blacksmith and talk to him. The magic I would have to give, being as the only pony above me in the castle was Luna, but the highest command above mine was Twilight, followed by Cadence, Shining Armor, Luna and finally Celestia. I didn't really have anyone to talk to. So I guess a raid on the library was in order.
I made my way through the castle, which I had slowly been getting used too. My first few weeks here, maybe first month, I had constantly getting lost, evidently I ordered a guard escort to lead me around but since my travels mostly confined me to the city, throne room, dining hall and my room. I had eventually gotten the layout of some of the castle.
I walked through the double doors to the throne room, wide open Twilight and Celestia stood talking, Luna stood to the side and Cadence was next to her. Well something had happened in my presence that meant all four princesses were here. They all stopped talking as I limped forward, Celestia looked at me, I wasn't sure if it was anger, happiness, confusion or all three. I had done something possibly? But what?
"Dawn Star. Glad you could join us." Luna muttered slowly. What have I done?
"We have just had a visitor." Celestia said.
"Oh?" I asked, maybe I should just stay quiet.
"My Step mother." Celestia muttered. Oh okay, so Faust had appeared, possibly to tell them about the void and portal and whatever else she was going on about after Manehatten's fall.
"What did she tell you?" Celestia asked, buck, I couldn't remember exactly, I didn't understand it fully.
"That the Multiverse?" I began, wording the phrase slowly to try to jog memories. Then it hit me. "The Multiverse is fighting The Void, there are multiple mes and yous, and I'm required for some sort of spell later down the line, she never explained it fully, or if she did, I still don't understand." I added.
"Yes. Faust came to you and told you all this, and you didn't think to tell us?"
"I would have bought she had already told you. May I just ask quickly, why did she say 'step' mother. I thought Faust was mother to you and Luna."
"That is correct, but not us." Celestia said. "You see, Faust created the original Equestria thousands of years ago which is where she favors most, her daughters Celestia and Luna, are the originals. Me and Luna, yes the same ponies, but different examples. We aren't the originals. Every Celestia is told this along with advanced knowledge of the Multiverse, far greater than anything of any ponies understanding, it took me alone four thousand years to learn it. I have only lead ponykind for seven, nearly eight."
"Ah. So why are you all here? What's going on?"
"Well, Faust used to be able to transport herself from world to world tovoid easily, however on her visit her, she was nearly a ghost. Her mind was here, but not her body. She told us that the first of the three. Some Siren named Haste I believe, is about to destroy the Void. However there is a chance of cutting off any and all portal technology. After she said that, she vanished, and is right. As of now we cannot transport off world, and nothing can come here. Until you, Dawn. Reopen the wounds of the Multiverse."
"But why me? How, I thought it was just this world a few months ago. I don't know the first thing about portal or teleport spells." I gfunyed in reply.
"There is a prophecy. One told since Equestria's beginning. Let me try to remember." Celestia muttered, her horn glowing. What looked to be a ghost of a piece of stone slowly appeared in front of the princess. Words slowly formed on it. Eventually, it read:
In Equestrian History there will be but Three.
Three to save the Light, and destroy the Dark.
Three to stand apart.
Then to come together after the Fall.
One not of this world.
But of Terra, a broken world of opposite.
Full of chaos and love, hate and peace.
Who came with the Wilds, and left with a bang.
The second who fought Fear.
And who failed in losing
A made of the Mane, a city of Fire.
To bring the Mult- back.
Through Flame and Unjust.
The last, but not least.
As red as his Mane.
A warrior at heart.
But will fall in the end.
These three ponies, stand divided and dammed, but soon to a god, who thy call Faust.
Shall the portals be open.
And war of the worlds.
It seemed like a poem, but half of it didn't even rhyme. I made a point of telling the princess. Cadence laughed where she stood, unmoving.all eyes on me.
"Well, no. This is an age old scripture. Forged even before our founding, during the Dark Wars between the three tribes. So this has been translated to Equestrian." Celestia muttered, I nodded.
"So I am the one to face Fear?" I asked, Celestia nodded.
"Who, this Fear is, we cannot know as of yet. But as soon as he is defeated. I'm sure Faust will explain more to us, if she can get here."
I remembered that Karah asshole and opened my mouth to speak.
"I can explain that!" The oh too familiar voice boomed behind me, I turned to see Karah walking toward us, heavy, black armour on. A likewise huge sword being held up by magic floating above him. The zombie guards had likewise weaponry and armour on as they marched behind him.
"You!" Celestia, Luna and myself said in unison.
"You know this pony Dawn?" Luna asked.
"Yes I was about to explain, he captured me, that's why I came here. To warn you, but all this about the prophecy kept me from it. I'm sorry Celestia, I failed." I muttered, looking down, self pity was going to get me nowhere brain, nice job.
"Its okay Dawn, really. Now, run, call the guard. Gather the militia. This pony is a criminal and will be executed." Celestia ordered, I nodded and galloped toward the only door not being blocked by undead.
"Always the same Tia, judge, jury. Executioner. I am Fear, the thing that will rule Equestrian, now. Come get some." Karah muttered. I looked to Celestia before leaving, all of the Alicorns had their horns glowing, I should stay and fight. But if it took four Alicorns to take this guy on,what help would I do but rally the troops?
First the army, then I needed my team.
