Chapter 12: Change of plans

Twilight awoke, blinking away the lightheadedness. However, what she awoke to was laughter, very loud laughter. Standing up she looked back. From the look of everything they had all somewhat just fallen into a pile when they passed through the mirror. Atop the pile was a cream colored Unicorn with a long graceful looking horn light brown flowing mane and one metal leg hoof and all. However this Mare was not laughing in amusement, she was laughing very directly at what looked like a very old gray furred bipedal wolf. It took her a few seconds but she was convinced she was looking at Taara and Baldir. Spike was the next to stir from his sleep.

“Twilight?...what is going on? Are…are we home?”

Twilight looked all around, they were not in the small outpost she had first entered the obsidian mirror from. No this was a place she was unfortunately familiar with. This was… “The Crystal caves….Spike we are below the Crystal empire…”

Taara helped up a few of her other mages all turned into unicorns. Both Baldir and his two companions turned into wolves and for some reason Taara found this incredibly hilarious. Spike found her laughter insulting, mumbling something about how humiliating it was to be turned into a dog. Though as they stirred Baldir and his two friends did not much at all mind the change. Ra’shala however, seemed to have not changed at all. Other than becoming shorter and over all a little fluffier she did not seem to have changed.

“Aye…we just have to be a little careful Twilight… it seems as though before now our two worlds were dilated to eachother in time. Time moved faster in our world than it did in yours…a LOT faster… which is probably a good thing in hindsight….it was like 240 years in our world…”

“Taara how do you know all this?...” Twilight eyed her friend over with a suspicious stare.

“Heh…I brought an anchor from our time… just in case something like this were to happen. And low and behold it did… the anchor activated… which means something is pulling on it. Time is pulling on it to be exact, its also the reason we were knocked unconscious….our physical bodies could not keep up with the change in the flow of time… never the less… if this is the Crystal empire…then lets go and meet that friend of yours…and your brother…I am eager to meet more ….”

Taara chuckled trotting uneasily along the path. The whole four legs bit threw her off, enough for Twilight to smile and get a good laugh out of it. She remembered how awkward it was to learn to walk on two legs the first time. Baldir seemed to be happy with his new form. Taking to it like a fish to water, She always found it somewhat disturbing how such an old and muscularly large person could move about so quietly and now it was twice as bad. He seemed to love to run in the shadows without making so much as a peep of noise. Spike was a bit chatty with the mages as Taara seemed to be mentally cataloging everything they came close to. Ra’shala as usual was in the shadows where she felt the most comfortable, easily twice as stealthy as Baldir. It was all so much, Twilight nearly had to hold back tears. She was finally home and soon she would be back in the presence of those she loved so much.

Stepping out from the cave Twilight’s eyes adjusted and she stared in shock. The land ravaged. The great majestic crystal buildings had old heavy burns over them, large cracks, and a banner she did not recognize flew over the main tower. It was clear that the city was no empty, very few ponies were in the distance, Twilight could tell they were Crystal ponies but she did not get a chance to get close enough. Before them two heavy set Pegasus landed giving a death glare.

“Who are you!? And why are you in the Crystal caves?” Leveling their spears at the group Taara gave a slow sarcastic laugh, raising a hoof but then correcting herself to use the new magical organ attatched to her head. Her horn began to glow when Twilight raised her hoof.

“Hold it!... this is my land…we do things my way…don’t just rampage…alright?”

The glow faded and she smiled with a nod. “Very well…but I will save the day if your plan fails” She smiled warmly nudging Twilight playfully.

“We need to see the princess…and we need to see her now…”

The guards scoffed. “By what authority do you intend on making such a demand?…”

Twiligh pushed aside her cloak and spread her wings wide. “By my own authority… as princess Twilight Sparkle, princess of friendship…” The guards noticeably flinched staggering back in fear.

Stammering and stuttering they both nodded firmly. “Y…yes your majesty…right away…” Twilight looked back, somewhat surprised to only see Spike and a group of unicorns. Baldir, Ra’shala and the companions were all gone. Twilight just sighed, those were experienced warriors and assassins. They knew what they were doing so she would not question where they went.

The Pegasus guards took them deeper into the city, Twilight grimaced at the damage done to the city. Something was very wrong. Even the Crystal ponies had lost their shine. Twilight’s mind churned wondering why Cadence would allow such a thing to happen, or shining armor for that matter. Making their way up the grand tower Twilight worked out a line of questions and concerns after she let her brother and beloved sister in law know that she was back. However, all her thoughts were blown away when the doors opened.

There on the Crystal throne was an alicorn that she had never seen before. Very light pink coat with cyan colored mane. She looked familiar but Twilight could not place it. Whoever it was Twilight still had questions.

“And just who is this?...” The alicorn stared down at Twilight. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she saw Twilight’s wings.

“So then… a new alicorn comes to take my place?....Im sure you will come to see that will be a little harder than you think….”

Taara nudged Twilight and whispered. “Who in Oblivion is that?...”

“I don’t know…but we are going to find out…” Twilight cleared her throat and put on her best smile. “Ahem… well you can relax… I am not here to take anything from you… I am just looking for Princess Cadence….”

The ponies all about shuttered and eyes wide they stepped back, some left the throne room in a hurry as the Alicorn stared down at her. A wry smile spread across her lips. “My mother is indisposed at the moment….and… if you come calling her by that name…then… you must be…” She giggled looking down at Twilight with narrow angry eyes.

“My auntie…. Princess Twilight Sparkle…Goodness… you have been gone for quite some time now haven’t you?... Everypony thinks you are dead…. What say you… I make sure they are not disappointed?” Twilight’s eyes shot wide looking up as the alicorn leveled her hoof at Twilight and Taara. In perfect sync the guards all drew their spears.

Twilight quickly took a step forward. “No please… wait we can still resolve this”

The new princess scoffed. “Not that I don’t enjoy hearing ponies beg for their lives but I-“

Taara cut her off with a hearty laughter waving her hoof dismissively at the alicorn princess. “Oh I am sorry you poor dull beast... Twilight here is just a little soft hearted… she’s not begging for HER life….she’s begging… for yours”

The slightest shift in air pressure combined with Taara’s comment made the Alicorn leap from her chair taking flight just as a heavy axe cleaved through the Crystal throne with little effort.

“Damn it woman…if you would have shut your damned mouth I would have that ugly assed horse’s head in my hands right now…”

Twilight waved her hooves about frantically. “No no no  no please we can still resolve this please.”

Taara shook her head staring up at the flying princess. “No… I am sorry Twilight…things plans have changed…even you are out of your element here… whatever happened here… this is not the Equestria you knew… and we must act to preserve ourselves…that and do you really think you can stop Baldir?...”

Twilight frowned and nodded. This was another thing she had learned during her time on Nirn. There was a time for peace and friendship, then there was a time to fight, even if she feared for Cadence’s wellbeing. All of that would have to wait.

The guards rushed in only to be met with the far more combat focused Tamrielian destruction magics. A line of unicorns, with Taara at the lead blasted the guards back with ice, fire, and lightning.

“Don’t just stand there… KILL THEM ALL!!!” The flying princess glared in anger before suddenly shrieking in pain as an arrow popped through her wing. Screaming and shrieking all the way down. Ra’shala leaped from her spot in the shadows high up drawing a blade as she descended tip first at the downed princess. However, when the princess’s lips parted, her voice rang out.

“Bronze Armor!!!”

The ground rumbled and there was a streak of magical energies as a light brown glow flashed through the air and scooped up the downed princess. Standing tall a lean powerful alicorn stallion glared down at them. Heavy shackles bond his legs and around his neck. He looked almost void of sentient thought. Whatever it was about him he was thoroughly dominated by magic. However, the concerning thing was the seething power that flowed off of him. It was the same dark magic that Twilight had seen before the first time she was in the Crystal Empire. This stallion was possessed by the same magic that Sombra used. Only he had no control, he was just a vessel to the power and the magical shackles about him dominated that power and from Twilight’s view bound that control to the princess.

“Now this is a bit of a game changer…we can still take them methinks….” Taara grinned happily readying another volley of destruction magic. However, she froze as the new alicorn, Bronze armor stared down at her with vacant wide eyes. Baldir even shuttered. “We have to leave… now Twilight... we are leaving…quick what is the quickest way out?”

Twilight glanced her way a little confused. But she would not object, she did not want to kill anyone at this point, she just wanted to leave. “back down the way we came…why whats going on?”

Spike too seemed to be in half a trance, he was still on Twilights back but he was definitely afraid of something.  Though it did not take very long for Twilight to get her answer. The ceiling gave way and dragons poured into the room.

“Oh… yeah.. um.. through the wall right here is a little faster” She gave a light smile as Taara blasted through the wall and leaped. Baldir and his two companions were leaping from high point to high point dashing their way through the upper areas of the room. First the Pegasus guards rushed to meet them, their blades danced and blood rained as fine steel glided through pony flesh. Then directly afterward as the dragons began swooping down upon the fleeing mages Baldir’s old paws raced down the dragon’s backs like mobile platforms beheading each dragon as they danced from dragon to dragon. Thankfully, as the dragons saw their comrades fall AND their soul ripped from their bodies to be consumed by this wolf creature, a new definition of terror flooded them, only to be erased as the dark green bubbly darkness magic dominated their minds and pushed them forward nearly the moment the fear of death struck them.

Baldir and his companions were last through the hole in the wall. All together the group fell. But the fall was broken by a gravity spell Twilight quickly whipped up to drastically slow their descent at the last moment.

“Alright everyone…hold on tight…” Baldir was about to ask what Twilight was talking about when her magic consumed them all and blinked them to the outskirts of the Crystal empire.

Twilight gasped loudly, out of breath and slightly singed. She had never teleported that far before. Or that many people for that matter. Her magical prowess was easily ten times what it was before, but still that spell had been extremely taxing. Nearly taking her off her hooves.

“Wow…Twilight…that was quite impressive….” Taara smiled as Baldir hauled her off her hooves.

“Agreed little horse… but next time less singing on the fur aye?” Ra’shala smiled nodding in agreement.

“Though… honestly… you could have chosen a better spot…we have to move before they spot us…we are only like two miles from the city…”

Happy just to be safe they started down the road moving further and further away.

“South and east yes?... according to your map here… all drawn by memory it appears as though you are quite good at this… even if it’s a little sloppy..” Ra’shala’s smaller clawed fingers traced over the details of the map before looking down at Twilight who had been so worn down by such a massive use of her power that Baldir reluctantly had to carry her. However, the reason she did not answer was clear.

“We should not have left… That princess had Cadence… she’s alive I know it… how could this have happened?...I don’t understand, why would princess Celestia allow this to happen?” She drooped her head defeated at the thought of how all that had transpired could have happened.

Baldir flinched, then nodded to Ra’shala who nodded back. Taara sighed looking over at Twilight. “Hey… not to add to your burden …but it looks like this place is even less friendly than you said…” Twilight summoned the strength to look up at Taara with a “what?” face.

“We are surrounded…they are in the trees…in the clouds…and in the bushes… more ponies… a whole lot of them…we really shouldn’t have taken the roads…” Taara’s horn began to glow when Twilight shook her head.

“No… please… let’s do this peacefully this time… no killing… please” Taara sighed and nodded.

“We know you are there… do us a favor and come out or we will burn this whole place to the ground and we will just figure out who you are from your burned corpse!...” The mages lined up with the others leveling horns and weapons waiting for a response.  Slowly out came a few ponies, clad in rusted half formed armor, they looked starved and worn down. One however who strode out, old and weathered mare, she looked to be about Taara’s age. The female earth pony brushed off the slightly more uniform armor that neatly fit her soft orange coat. It looked as if she was about to say something when her jaw hit the ground.

“…T…Twilight!?!?!”

The voice was much older but Twilight recognized it instantly and summoned up as much strength as she could to hop off Baldir’s back and weakly stand.

“A…Apple Jack?”