Final Fantasy Equestria: New Beginning

Chapter 11

Servant of Zodiark

(Mountain Path, Cutie Mark Vault)

“I am delighted that you’re all interested in our cutie mark vault.” Starlight said as she lead Twilight and the others up the mountain path with Double Diamond following from behind. “We hope someday that everypony in Equestria will make a pilgrimage here to our little village and to have their’s removed too.” While Starlight continued to talk, Twilight and her friends began to talk to each other out of earshot of Starlight.

“This must be the reason we’re here.” Twilight said as Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow at her.

“Pilgrimaging?”

“No, helping those ponies get their cutie marks back.”
“Oh, are you sure Twilight? Maybe they miss them a little, but even they didn’t seem all that unhappy.” Fluttershy said as Twilight shook her head.

“Then why did they wanted to meet us in secret? And why did they ask us not to tell Starlight who told us about the vault? Other you was right to be suspicious about this place. Something is not right.” The Alicorn said as she looked forward to see Starlight motioning them to follow her through an entrance of a cave.

“Just through here!” She said before walking into the cave. As Twilight and the other followed after Starlight, they soon come across a giant glass like container that housed many different types of cutie marks. The group’s eyes widen in both surprise and shock at the many cutie marks stuck behind the vault as they soon turn their attention on Starlight. “Behold! Our cutie mark vault!”

“I have never seen anything like this.” Twilight said as she saw Starlight heading over to an oddly shaped stick sticking out on a pedestal.

“And this, is the staff of sameness.” She said before picking it up to show them. “It was one of the great sage Meadow Brocks nine enchanted items. We are incredibly blessed to have it here. This is the tool that allows us to free ourselves of our cutie marks.” She said before looking over at Twilight and her friends. “I’m curious. How did the subject of the vault come up?”

“Oh, some ponies were telling us on how much they missed their cutie marks and-”

“Pinkie!” Twilight said as the pink party pony let out an ‘oops” and covered her mouth.

“Were they? Well, it seems you inspire all sorts of free thinking...don’t you?” Starlight said as she drew a bit closer while glaring at the group.

“Oh, heh, we certainly didn’t intend on causing disruption to your charming little-”

“Good, let’s just make sure of that~” Starlight said, interrupting Rarity’s sentence as it caused the white unicorn to back away from her in fear. Only to quickly move over towards Twilight and the others when she felt herself backing up into Double Diamond. As she did that, the group soon notice some of the ponies that they saw in town appear from within the cave and surround them.

“It’s a trap!” She yelled as she noticed a magical beam heading towards her, only for it to be blocked by a magical barrier of light. “Huh?”

“What the? How did you do that!? There was no way you could’ve cast a spell like that so quickly!” Starlight yelled as she fired the same spell again as it bounce off and went flying into the cave.

“Aw yeah! Nice one Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said as the Alicorn scratched her head in confusion.

“But, that wasn’t me Rainbow Dash.” Twilight said as she touched the barrier that was surrounding them. Upon touching it, her eyes widen as she felt a surge of aether flowing into her body followed by an odd motherly voice echoing in her head.

“Hear...Feel...Think…” It said as Twilight quickly jolted her hand away and stumbled back a bit from the barrier.

“You okay sugarcube?” Applejack asked as the alicorn shook her head from feeling that surge of aether flowing into her.

“Y-Yeah...I-I’m fine...just..did any pony hear that?”

“Hear what?” Fluttershy asked with a worried look on her face. “Did something happen when you touch the barrier?”

“Yeah, I heard somepony say something. But...I don’t know who.” She said before hearing the ponies outside of the barrier hitting it to try to break it. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now we need to get out of here and meet up with the other Fluttershy.”

“Can’t you just teleport us out of here?” Rainbow Dash asked as she noticed Twilight’s horn glowing for a moment before vanishing.

“The magic from this barrier is interfering with my magic for some reason.”

“Good to hear that.” Starlight said as she began to take aim with her staff and fired a more concentrated magical beam at the barrier. “Sooner or later, that barrier will break. And when it does, your cutie marks will be mine and you will be taken to be reformed.”

“Darling, I do hope you have another plan if this barrier does fall?” Rarity asked as Twilight shook her head. “Oh...anypony else have a plan?” She said before looking over at Rainbow Dash. “That doesn’t involve tackling Starlight all at once.” Rainbow Dash deadpans before folding her arms and snorting in annoyance. As she did that, the ground around them began to shake as pieces of the earth underneath spewed out around them and pushed the ponies banging on the barrier away.

“Thank Hydaelyn you girls are okay.” said a familiar voice as everyone looked up to see the white mage floating above them. “Glad I gave Pinkie one of my crystals in case I was too late.”

“Crystal?” Twilight asked as she looked over at Pinkie who was hold said crystal in her hand as she waves it. “So that’s where the barrier came from.”

“If you don’t mind me asking Starlight, but could you stop trying to force other ponies into giving up their cutie marks and return the ones you took from the ponies of this town?” The white mage asked as Starlight laughs to how casual she was when asking.

“I could do that...or I could do this!” Starlight aimed her staff at the white mage as she fired a magical beam at her, only for the mage to quickly dodge out of the way and counters with a cluster of stones heading towards the light lavender unicorn. Starlight yelps as she quickly pulls up a barrier to protect herself from the oncoming attack and looks over at the other ponies that lived in Our Town. “Don’t just stand there. Get her!” The White Mage turned her attention toward the ponies with equal marks on their flanks as they began to circle around her to prevent her from escaping.

“Come on now everypony. Can’t we talk about this?” The white mage asked as the ponies soon tried to tackle the pegasus to the ground, only for them to be pushed back against the wall of the cave by a powerful wind spell. The glow from her staff quickly died as she looked around at the knocked down ponies with a smile on her face. “Good talk everypony.”

“No it wasn’t…” Double Diamond said as he groans in pain along with the others. The pegasus expression change into a frown as she looks up at Starlight who was giving her an annoyed expression while walking a bit closer to the mage.

“You are an..interesting pony White Mage. You’re able to perform such strange magic, even though you’re a pegasus. Might I ask how is it possible?”

“Would you believe that I’m from another world similar to that of Equestria but different and we’re friends in that world?” She asked as the light lavender unicorn snorted in amusement.

“You expect me to believe that? Don’t make me laugh.” She said before aiming her staff at the white mage. “Listen well pony, because I’m going to make you an offer that you can’t refuse.”

“Thirty-five.”

“Wait what?” Starlight asked as she stared at the white mage in confusion.

“Oh, don’t mind me. Please continue.”

“...Okay. You are a unique pony if you haven’t already realize it by now, and an interesting one at that. Why not considered on joining us? Don’t you know that having a cutite mark isn’t a blessing, but a curse?”

“Two.”

“You’ll end up losing your friends. You’ll be left alone with no pony to help you, nor anyone you can trust. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place to call home where everypony is equal and not special.”

“Eighteen.”

“By joining us, you’ll have a place of your own. To teach ponies that having a cutie mark doesn’t make you special. You can even teach them how to use magic as well seeing how you’re able to do it.”

“Fifteen.”

“If you help me by lowering that barrier around Twilight and her friends. We can make that dream a reality. When I reform her and the others, Equestria will soon come to Our Town and will want to have their cutie marks taken away. Then, all shall be equal and the two of us will be the leaders of Equestria.”

“Three.”

“Okay, that does it. What the hay are you doing!?” Starlight yelled as the White Mage couldn’t help but chuckle a bit from what she was doing.

“O-Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to be rude like that. It’s a little hobby of mine that me and Rainbow Dash used to do back when we were fighting the soldiers from Garlemald. I hear these “turn against your friends” speeches so often that she and I started making mental notes of when we hear certain or similar lines like that...I guess I should be thinking it to myself, not out in the open.”

“....Are you...are you serious? You think this is a game!?”

“Seventy-five.”

“You know making light of this only proves how much in denlie you really are in.”

“Fifty-five.”

“Will you stop acting like a little filly you jerk!?”

“One-hundred sixty-six.”

“Dear Celestia’s flank. Stop that!!”

“Ninety-five.” The White Mage said as it caused Twilight, her friends, and the ponies from town to laugh a bit. This caused Starlight to blush in both annoyance and embarrassment from this mare embarrassing her in front of everyone in the cave.

“I am going to shove this stick up your flank if you don’t stop that!”

“Um, at least take me out to dinner first if you want to do that to me...also that will be ten for somepony saying something like that to me.” The White Mage said as she quickly ducked her head from an oncoming magical beam heading for her face.

“I will not be made fun of by some mare with delusional problems. You will take me seriously!”

“I do take you seriously. It’s just a bit sad having to go through this again.”

“You’re not making any sense! What’s that supposed to mean!?” The White Mage raised her hand as she fired off a ball of water at Starlight. The mare quickly jumped out of the way of the oncoming spell as she noticed the water spell hit the wall and the backlash of it hit Starlight. Water dripped down onto her body as the equal sign on her flank vanish to reveal her actual cutie mark. Everyone in the cave gasped in surprise from this as Starlight tried to cover the cutie mark up with her tail.

“What you’re doing is wrong. Manipulating other ponies to give up their cutie marks just because you lost your friend to one isn’t right.”

“Starlight, is this true?” Double Diamond asked as he slowly began to pull himself up. The mare didn’t say anything at the time. All she did was glare at the mage with malice before hearing Double Diamond speaking up. “You said cutie marks were evil. You said that they lead you to nothing more then pain and heartache.”

“T-They do! Don’t you see!? Look at what having a cutie mark made her do!?”

“Then why?” asked a mare as she pulled herself up from the ground. “Why did you take ours and not give up your cutie mark?”

“I...I...I had to you fools! How could I collect your cutie marks without my magic!?”

“But you said the staff had all the magic we need? So that shouldn’t be a problem right?” Double Diamond asked as Starlight snorted in annoyance.

“That staff is a piece of wood I found in the stupid desert. It’s my magic that makes removing cutie marks possible. Without me, you all would be living miserable lives thinking you’re better than everypony else if it weren’t for my magical ability!” She said before making her way over to the White Mage. “I brought you friendship, I brought you equality, I created harmony!”

“You didn’t bring them friendship, equality, or harmony. All you did was lie to them to get what you wanted.” Applejack said as the light lavender unicorn rolled her eyes.

“So what? Everything else I said is true. The only way to be happy is to be equal.”

“Except for you!” Rainbow Dash yelled as Starlight turned her attention at the cyan pegasus and was about to use her magic, only for the pegasus mage to use her magic to push her back away with stone two. The unicorn let out a yelp before tumbling backwards a bit before stopping herself with her magic.

“I would like to resolve this without the need for violence. Would you please be so kind as to surrender peacefully so we may-”

“You think I’ll give up just like that!?” Starlight yelled as she reached into her saddle bag to pull out a dark purplish crystal. “Don’t make me laugh! I still have an ace up my sleeve!” She said before her horn glowed as she poured some magic into the crystal. Once she did that, a dark portal appeared beside her. Out of the portal came Lahabrea as the atmosphere around them quickly became heavy and dark.

“I had a feeling you would call upon me. But I would’ve expected it to be later than sooner.” The ascian said as he turned his attention toward Fluttershy and the elements of harmony. “Hydaelyn’s chosen champion. I can see why you would need my assistance.”

“You know that mare?” Starlight asked as she looked over at the White Mage.

“Personally, no. But the one she serves I know far to well.”

“Ascian, what are you doing here?” The mage asked as she moved closer towards Twilight and the others.

“I was summoned by this mare to assist her in whatever it is she needs. And giving how she’s been exposed by you, it would seem that she would need my help indeed seeing how she’s dealing with you.” He said before pulling her by the arm towards the portal. “We need to leave for the time being.”

“What? But you said-”

“What I’m about to do will most likely get you hurt. Go through the portal and you’ll be sent to someplace where they won’t be able to find nor trace you.” he said as Starlight was a bit hesitant on going through it. “Would you rather be captured by Twilight and her friends?” Starlight looked over at the ascian for a moment before looking back at Twilight and the others as she glares at them.

“I’ll be sure to get you all back for ruining my town. Especially you, White Mage.” She said before walking through the portal of darkness and vanished. The ascian smirked underneath his hood before looking back at the White Mage and the others as a dark aura surrounded himself.

“It would seem we have found a new ally from this world. To think that there would be a mare that can rival that of an alicorn. She will be quiet useful to us in the coming days. But I doubt you’ll be around to see it.”

“AJ, Fluttershy, and Rarity. You three needs to get everypony out of here. I’ll hold him off as long as I can.” The White Mage said as she raised her hand towards Pinkie Pie as the crystal she was holding flew back over to her. “I hate to ask this, but I need Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash’s help in distracting him.”

“Oh I’ve been itching to deck that jerk’s face when we saw him in the desert.” Rainbow Dash said as she was about to charge at the ascian, only for Twilight to stop her from doing so with her magic. “Hey! What gives!?”

“We can’t go into this blindly Rainbow Dash. We need a plan if we’re going to make this work.” Twilight said as she looks back at AJ, Fluttershy, and Rarity. “You three get everypony out while we help out the other Fluttershy. We’ll follow after you once we’re done.”

“On it sugarcube!” AJ said as the three began to help the ponies out of the cave. Twilight smiled for a moment before looking back at the ascian as she moved next to the White Mage.

“Any idea on how to stop him?”
“Sadly, I don’t. But we’ll worry about it later once we chase him off.” She said before noticing the ascian performing a summoning. “Which might take longer than expected.”

“I have more important matters to attend to. But fear not, warrior of light. We shall meet again. That is if you can survive this fight.” He said as dark portal appeared in between him and the ponies. Out of the portal came a monsterous chimera as it lets out a loud glass shattering roar with in the cave as it glares at the warrior of light and the Elements of Harmony.

“Dear Celestia! What is that thing!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight took a step back out of fear of this strange monster. The White Mage glared back at the beast for a moment before looking back at the ascian making his leave.

“I have never seen a creature like this before.” Twilight said as she looks over at the White Mage. “What is it suppose to be?”

“Dhorme Chimera…which is gonna be a problem seeing how we’re going to have to fight it instead of the ascian.” The White Mage glaring back at the beast for a moment before looking back at the ascian making his leave.

“Till we meet again.” he said before disappearing into the portal.

“This could be a bit of a problem.” She thought before casting protect onto herself, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie. “Applejack, what in the twelve is taking you so long to get here...?”