Mark of Baen

The girls stared in muted astonishment at the mare that, without any noise, had infiltrated Twi’s castle and was currently warming her flank in Twilight’s throne.  Green maned mare smiled almost devilishly at the girls as she lay lengthwise on the throne.  The mare scanned the girls with her eyes, those cold green eyes that seemed to pierce each and every one present.  After a while, the mare shrugged and rolled onto her back, kicking her hind legs out as she stretched.

“Mmmmm, I must say, though this throne is made of the oddest material,” she sighed in mild bliss, “It’s quite comfy.”

Rainbow snorted and flew over to the throne, “And it’s NOT. YOURS,” she gestured her hoof in a shoowing gesture, “So move your butt out of Twi’s throne before I kick it out!”

The green maned mare tittered lightly and looked at the pegasus in amusement, “Oh?  Why on Earth would you resort to such action when you haven’t met me?”

Spike was a trembling mess when her eyes landed on him for a mere moment, Rarity noticed this almost immediately and she put herself between the mare and Spike.

Rarity narrowed her eyes at the mare, “Hold on a moment…girls,” she turned to the others, “From the way Spike described the pony who froze him….I think she’s the one who did that horrible deed!”

Everypony present narrowed their eyes as the green maned pony giggled in devious glee, “But of course!  The drakeling ate my precious book and he needed to be punished.”

Twilight stepped forward, “Your ‘precious book’, almost caused a major catastrophe!  If anything, YOU should be the one who is punished for attacking Spike and forging that…HORRIBLE piece of literature!”

The green maned mare’s smile vanished, “You’d best watch your tone Princess, one could take that as a threat,” though her look lacked a smile, her voice as well as the air contained a dark edge to it.

Twilight looked to her friends who went to move with her, but she raised a wing and looked to Rainbow Dash, “Rainbow, you and the girls stay back for a moment.”

Rainbow blinked in confusion, “But Twilight!”

Twilight fixed her with a ‘trust me’ look.  The rainbow maned pegasus huffed and joined the assembled group behind the young monarch.  Twilight closed the distance and stood before her throne as the green maned pony stepped onto the floor.

Twilight narrowed her eyes and stood tall; she tapped her front hoof on the ground sharply, the thrones receding into the floor.

Applejack gawked, “When in the hay could they do that?”

Twilight gave a half smile to her friend, “I figured it out after the castle was repaired after the Four Harbingers fiasco.”

The green maned pony tilted her head as she gave a light smile, “So you do intend to have an audience with me then?”

“Far from it,” Twilight spread her wings, “by order of Equestrian law, on the charges of attacking an Equestrian resident and forging an item of dark power.  You are hereby under arrest, effective immediately; you shall be apprehended and brought before a royal court hearing to decide your fate.”

The green maned pony chuckled, “Oh really?”

Twilight nodded as a purple ring of mana appeared at the base of her prisoner’s horn, “Yes, really.  I don’t know who you are, or what you are planning, but it ends now.”

“Oh, quite the contrary,” the green maned pony’s eyes flashed a dangerous green and the mana ring shattered like glass, “I’m just getting started.”

Twilight stepped back in shock but regained herself, lowering and preparing for an attack.

“Just so we can get introductions out of the way,” she calmly stated, “I’m Lady Vida, it’s good to meet you in person,” she smirked with sinister mirth, “Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight’s wings ruffled with unease as the two mares circled each other, “What do you want with me Vida?”

“Oh, tsk tsk, it’s not what I want with you my dear filly,” Vida chided, “It’s more what I want with your kingdom.”

Twilight went full on prepared mode at that remark, “Whatever you want to make of Equestria, we won’t let you have your way!”

Vida cast a look at the princess that radiated power, “Well then, you are welcome to stop me.  Go on now, blast me, trap me, banish me,” Vida challenged, “if you can.”

Twilight’s horn lit up immediately and she fired a blast of magic at the unicorn.  The magic too the form of a rough V and flew the air like a boomerang.  Vida raised an eyebrow, he horn lighting up with its sinister green magical aura.  Before the attack could reach her, a thing square of green energy sprang up before her and canceled the attack on impact.  Both magical construct’s disappearing.

“Hm, a full body binding spell, rudimentary appearance with adequate power modification to neutralize magic, such an interesting combination,” Vida nodded for a moment but fixed Twilight with an unamused look, “But so academically predictable.  Do you take me for a regular unicorn Princess?”

Twilight blinked in surprise a Vida’s horn lit up brightly, “Please do not take me for a novice,” the green sorceress half grinned, “For that kind of assumption is likely to lead to your defeat.”

Vida let fly a massive blast of raw magic that sped toward Twilight like a cannonball freshly fired.  Twilight quickly snapped up a mana wall and blocked the projectile, the wall faded soon after but Twilight was winded.  The strike alone carried much power behind it, and she had to project similar power to cancel out the attack.  That much output winded the young princess as Vida slowly advanced, a green mist emanating from her horn.

“Winded just from a strike like that,” she shook her head as the girls growled in anger, “such a pity.”

Twilight looked at Vida, a spark going off in her mind as she flashed with a massive burst of colors, Twilight stood before the green sorceress in her Rainbow Powered form.

“You said something about assumptions?”

Vida lowered her head as her features darkened as a massive concentrated stream of magic blasted toward Twilight.  Twilight grit her teeth and sent an equal sized blast at Vida’s, the two magic blasts collided as both ponies were deadlocked in the magical struggle.  Vida had failed to take into account that Twilight’s magic reserves were much deeper than many thought, that coupled with her magical aptitude made her a worthy opponent when she didn’t hold back.  This had proven only once before, the massive amount of torn up land outside Ponyville was proof of that.

Vida narrowed her eyes in concentration and spoke in a low voice, “Hm, it seems you are stronger than I thought….this could prove to be a problem,” she looked to the side, “If this continues….”

Vida tilted her head upwards and the two blasts, still connected, shot through the ceiling.  Twilight turned her attention quickly back to where Vida stood, but before she could act, Vida vanished in a flash of green light.  But when she vanished, her voice seemed to linger for a few moments.

“Another time perhaps…but rest assured, next time will be different.”

Twilight exhaled in relief as her Rainbow Power subsided, “Phew…”

Rainbow flew to her friend’s side, “You alright Twi?”

Fluttershy quickly inspected her, “Did she hurt you?”

“No….,” Twilight looked around, “she didn’t…”

Applejack titlted her head, “What’s the matter?  From the sound a things, you’re thinkin somethin isn’t right.”

Twilight looked around and realization dawned on her face, “She was testing my strength.  Seeing if I was a threat….whoever this Vida is, I can tell you all right now, she must be planning something big.”

Pinkie Pie pouted, “Awww, but I was going to throw one of my, ‘Everything is Spectacularly Swell’ parties!  Now we have to thwart an evil villain, and all after Baen came back from vacation and went back ON vacation.  Weird right?”

Twilight blinked for a second and rubbed her chin, “Yeah….weird….”