Tale of a Trickster: Harmonius Magic

Bright-Side Brony Proudly Presents

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A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Tale

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Tale of a Trickster

Harmonius Magic

Prologue

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An old tower stands high above the trees, made of a dark-shaded stone, and well-maintained wood. It's owner, Karrathius A'Stath, Demigod of Time. He and his students reside here, learning, practicing, and battling the evil that threatens the world.

Among these students is Stalemate, a young trickster, and once-was mercenary. He aspires for glory, and prefers to work alone. It is this student that is now walking through the ancient, but well kept stone halls of his school and new home. Despite being relatively new at this time, he knows his way through the labyrinth of rock and windows quite well.

His worn, leather boots lightly tap the ground each step as he walks toward a set of old double doors. His hazel-shade eyes lock upon the handle as his gloved hand reaches for it. The knob turns, and he pulls open the door to reveal an almost gym-like room. It is spacious, and obviously enchanted, with it adorning specifically placed runes. The floorboards are particularly clean and prepared, as this room is used often.

Stalemate walks in, leaning his metal, and gem socketed staff on the wall. He then reaches for his neck, and a click is heard as he takes off his light blue cloak of silver lining. He folds it and places it next to the staff, leaving him with his leather clothing. He makes one last check of his brown hair before he decides he is ready to go on his next adventure.

He turns to his right to see his teacher there, patiently waiting for him to prepare himself. Karrathius, called Karithe by most, is taller than most humans, being around seven feet tall. He wears a dark yellow tinted cloak, with similarly tinted shit and leggings. His boots and gloves are made of a red metal, and lined with gold. His gloves, boots, and cloak are all enchanted for particularly different purposes. Finally, Karithe slightly leans his weight on an ancient wood staff, enchanted to be tougher than metal, and socketed at the top with a powerful, magic enhancing gem known as a "Tear of the Gods". Karrathius is obviously no mere wizard, even to the naked eye.

"Hello, my student. I would assume you are ready to leave?" Karithe asks calmly while striding up to Stalemate.

"Of course, Karithe, but you still haven't told me where we are going," Stalemate replies with his own calm voice.

Karithe nods, before gesturing to his staff and cape. "This will be no short trip, Stalemate. I would advise keeping your items on hand."

Stalemate looks to his stuff and back to Karithe, who remains unmoving. He then moves back to his cape, unfolds it, and ties it back around his neck. Letting it drape down, before grabbing his staff.

"Can you still tell me where we are heading?" Stalemate asks as he and Karithe start to walk toward the back exit.

"First we will head to the town just south of here to gather your two friends, then we will begin our venture to the Lennwood. Letherious has been having trouble with some rampaging undead, and has personally asked you and I to come and rid his company of this threat," Karithe explains as they exit the tower, and start on the dirt road to the nearby town.

Stalemate nods, satisfied by the answer. He then looks around at the nature. Leaves shine a bright green in the afternoon sunlight, and trees stand tall and mighty, belittling the meek beings below their presence. Critters of all sorts scamper through the flora of the woodlands, going about their day much differently than the sentient species do.

Stalemate returns his gaze forward to notice the branch just at eye level. His face promptly hits the branch, leaving an annoyed Stalemate with a headache.

After finishing with his observations on the forces of Mother Nature, Stalemate starts noticing the town entering his field of vision. Some would debate wether to call this large grouping of buildings a city or a town. The entire town has a light orange-yellow tint to it, leaving it feeling almost fiery, in a welcoming way. The inhabitants themselves are elven, but they welcome all races, including half elves, humans, orcs, even naga.

Stalemate and Karithe eventually approach the gates, where two guards, and a captain stand watch. The guards look at Karithe and Stalemate, before nodding, and telling the men on the other side to open the gates, in which they do shortly after.

As the gates reveal the town, so too do they reveal two figures that are familiar to Stalemate, almost in a bad way. The first, the tallest of the two, is an elven female. The assassin wears black clothing and cape, as well as a hood to conceal herself. She out front holds two katanas, expertly crafted, and designed to kill. She wears a belt in which a flintlock pistol is holstered, as well as a pouch of who-knows-what. She often hides throwing knives in her cloak and boots, ready to fight anything.

The second person of the group is also hooded, but instead of leather armor he bears dark steel armor, light but strong. He holds two shadow-enchanted swords, and he is obviously tough and powerful. His face is completely concealed, with only his purple eyes glowing lightly in the hood.

The elf skips up to Stalemate, and yells out loud, quite loud actually.

"Hi, Stalemate! Do you remember me? You know, the one that-" She starts excitedly before Stalemate interrupts her.

"Yes, Janil, I am sure someone like you is hard to forget anyway..." Stalemate says, before mumbling under his breath, "No matter how much I try."

The second figure simply walks up and nods, before sheathing his swords and leaning against a tree.

"Do you remember Gardus also? He is that guy who-" Janil begins again, before being interrupted by Stalemate yet again.

"Yes, I remember him too, Janil," Stalemate answers, before sighing.

"So, Karithe, are we going to get going?"

Karithe nods, before gesturing to them, "Come, we must now venture north to Lennwood."

Janil and Stalemate are both excited about it, while Gardus does not show any clear emotion.

They all start heading back down the path through the woods, with Janil talking the whole way through. Her speaking slowly starts to annoy Stalemate, but shows no signs of disturbing Gardus or Karithe.

"-And then it cut Jackson's arm off, before I swooped in and-" Janil continued saying, before Stalemate finally had enough.

"Janil! Please, just be quiet! I was there, there is no need to recap everything we have gone through," Stalemate angrily states out loud to his energetic partner.

"Okie dokie, Stale," Janil says, before looking at the trees.

"Don't call me that, Janil," Stalemate replies to the nickname Janil has called him since they first met.

"Sure thing, Matey!" Janil answers, before going quiet as Stalemate sighs.

This is going to be a LONG trip... Stalemate thinks, before they all head down the path in relative silence. The afternoon sun just beginning to set on the horizon.

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Owls hoot and crickets chirp as they approach the autumn-looking woodlands known as Lennwood. Karithe stops them shortly before entering to inform them of something he deems important.

"Remember, always keep your eye out in Lennwood. The animals specifically look for small groups to hunt. Wolves and reavers wont be much of a problem, but it is the drakes and dragons that we have to watch our backs for. Despite their size, they can be sneaky when they need to be," Karithe informs the trio before him, to which they all nod understandingly, before they head inside of the darkened woods.

Leaves crunch underfoot, and frogs croak, showing all too well that this is, in fact, a forest. Stalemate looks around, while paying attention for any branches that may want a taste of his forehead. Gardus looks around calmly, his hand on his hilts, ready to fight anything that may jump out, and finally, Janil clambers and crawls all around, hounding her way towards finding anything that may be-

"Suspicious!" Janil yells, pointing toward a faint, yellow glow in the dark of the woods.

Stalemate and Karithe look to where she is pointing. While Stalemate is confused, Karithe comes to a sudden realization, and takes charge.

"Stay back, everyone! Keep watch of everything, that is no mere light, that is the glow of the Phase Reaver, a powerful being that can teleport anywhere it wants, and is an expert at mind games. Don't let it fool you into thinking you are safe, and don't let it sneak up on us," Karithe commands.

"Got it!" Janil yells as the yellow glow disappears.

They continue moving, watching all around for anything suspicious or alarming. Janil checks every bush and tree for the yellow... Thing. Janil then stands up, and looks at the sky.

"I love a nice challenge, but I will find you eventually!" She yells, before returning to searching, but this time in the most bizarre locations, such as in her own hood, digging into the ground, and opening the mouth of a squirrel.

"...Do you think it is gone, Karithe?" Stalemate asks, still keeping watch.

"Not likely. It tends to hunt beings of good, until they are dead, most of the time," Karithe answers, before he shoots a bolt of holy magic into the darkness, lightning the entire area up for a brief second. this reveals a humanoid silhouette with four arms and some sort of spear weapon.

"There you are! Come here, We found you!" Janil yells out, shaking her fist in the direction it was.

"Janil, I don't that that is going to wor-" Stalemate is thrown to the side magically as a large, evil-looking spear stabs where he was. Stalemate is thrown into a tree, before he rolls down and gets up shakily.

"Hey! Not nice!" Janil says before drawing her pistol and shooting at the demon-like being.

The thing teleports behind her and grabs her with a large, yellow claw of 4 fingers. It then throws her at Karithe, whom stops her magically and puts her down.

Stalemate comes up behind the thing, and tries to use fiery elemental magic to burn it, but the beast sees it coming and counters, grabbing him and lifting him up.

"Hey! Put Stalemate down!" Janil says, with Gardus and herself charging at it.

"Don't charge after it, you-" Karithe starts, but it is too late, as the other two approach, the demon teleports them all away, leaving Karithe alone.

"-Will get... By Nez'Gar's hammer this isn't good," Karithe says, before rushing off toward the capital of Lennwood Company to organize a search group. Stalemate and his allies have made a mistake that may have just cost them their lives.

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Princess Celestia sits upon her throne, reading the letter her student sent her just a few minutes ago.

"My Dearest Teacher, my continuing studies of pony magic have led me to discover that something bad is going to happen. For you see, the mythical mare in the moon is, in fact, Nightmare Moon; and she's about to return to Equestria, and bring with her eternal-"

Celestia is interrupted when a flash of yellow light shines in the room. She rolls up the letter and quickly takes notice of the demonic being in the center of her throne room. She lets loose a light gasp at how it is holding 3 (presumably) unconscious creatures.

Immediately the royal guards spring to action, with four charging at the beast. Celestia holds out her hoof to stop them, but the beast itself strikes the first blow; teleporting behind a guard and grabbing him, before impaling him upon it's spear.

Celestia's eyes narrow as her horn charges with a beautiful golden light, before it shoots a beam at the beast from behind.

The beast turns around, in which it is hit in the face by the beam of light. The beast is sent flying into one of the marble pillars, breaking it easily. It rolls over and stands up, shortly before fleeing from the fight through teleportation.

Celestia heaves a long sigh before looking at the three guards staring at their fallen brother-in-arms. His gut is stabbed right through, leaking his blood onto the floor at a continuous rate. The guard's eyes have lost their color, as well as his face. Celestia bows her head, and dismisses the guards to organize a proper, honorable burial. One of the guards lift the body, and they head out.

Celestia turns to look at the three figures it was holding. She then calls for other guards to come, just in case they are hostile when they wake up. Five royal guards enter the room, armed, and ready. Celestia nods before her horn glows again, and she touches it down to the brown-haired head of Stalemate; Using magic to return him to consciousness.

Stalemate coughs roughly, causing the five guards to jump into ready stances. Celestia regally waves her hoof, and they relax, but the tension is still in their eyes.

Stalemate rolls over, and slowly opens his eyes, and he immediately notices the pony standing over him. His eyes widen as he speaks out and stands up, causing the guards to once again ready their stances.

Celestia clears her throat, before speaking.

"Hello, fair being. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of these lands, and princess of the sun. You are currently in the land of Equestria, and I personally welcome you," She says.

Stalemate blinks, before looking around.

"Uhm, where are we?" Stalemate asks aloud, looking at the guards, then back to Celestia.

Celestia looks at Stalemate, then to her confused guards.

"What is it saying?" One of them asks.

"I'm not sure..." Celestia starts, "Hmm."

"Guards, put them in a guest room, I will have a translator here by the hour so I can speak to them," Celestia orders.

She turns to Stalemate, and her horn glows. Stalemate falls to the ground, and the guards pick them up, before leaving the room.

Celestia looks at the pool of blood on her floor, and sends for a maid with a sigh, before heading back to her throne to finish the scroll Twilight has sent her.

"I really hope we can get more insight on this soon," Celestia says.

She opens the letter, and continues reading the note her student has sent her.

"Nightmare Moon may be the least of our problems compared to this being that attacked..." Celestia states, before she closes the scroll, and brings up her own paper. She levitates a bottle of ink over, and starts writing.

"My dearest, most faithful student, Twilight..."