The Alchemist

Chapters

Chapter 2: Reh Tseraed Retsis
Chapter 3: Eht Tsimehcla
Prologue: Alchemist's Rhapsody
Chapter 1: Remmus Nus Noitarbelec

Chapter 2: Reh Tseraed Retsis

“There has to be something in here that will help us,” Twilight sighed in frustration as she sat down yet another useless book.

“Twilight, dear, what are we even looking for?” Rarity questioned as she pulled a book off one of the many shelves in the library.

“I don’t know,” Twilight answered as she laid her head down on the table before her, “that mare said magic didn’t- and would never- affect them. That’s got to be a clue, but I’m finding nothing on the subject.”

“What about the other clues?” Pinkie Pie questioned as she bounced over “they said a mama didn’t give birth to them, but instead they were made from a cauldron. That’s a clue, right?”

“Yeah, it is, but I can’t I find anything on that either,” Twilight answered with a sigh.

“I think I might be able to help you,” An unfamiliar spoke that sounded almost like that of a filly’s “I’ve been pursuing those three for years.”

Twilight turned to see an unfamiliar unicorn mare with a dark blonde coat standing behind her. Her mane and tail- which were styled into messy half curls and tied into short ponytails- was a gradient of icy blue, blonde and pastel purple. Indigo eyes stared sharply at Twilight and seemed to be sizing her up. The mare was dawned in witch-like apparel- a plain, charcoal grey corset, a purple saddle with livid lace and a short, jagged black skirt that covered her flanks. Icy blue and pastel purple stockings decorated her back legs while her forehooves were covered by short, icy blue gloves decorated with skulls of shades of pastel purple and pink. Atop her head sat an elongated charcoal grey hat that- like a typical witch’s- curled up at the end. Her hat seemed to have a pair of eyes and a mouth of its own with sharp, jagged teeth. In her indigo magical grasp, she held a wooden staff adorned with a round, ruby colored jewel.

“Who are you?” Twilight questioned with a suspicious glare.

“My name is Cauldron Bubbles,” The mare answered “like I said, I’ve been pursuing those three for years. The mare that did most the talking was Hijinx. The other mare was Abra Cadabra and the stallion was Abra’s brother, Alakazam.”

“Fitting names,” Twilight grumbled under her breath “why are you after them?”

“To make a long story short, those three stole my whole life. They stole my whole life’s work. All my spells, potions, books, ingredients- pretty much everything I owned, ” Cauldron Bubbles explained with a sad sigh “they even stole my pets! I used to have a cat named Rupert, three bats named Lunar, Blood and Star, and an owl named Cary, which was short for ‘Apothecary’. I loved my pets, but they could have always been replaced at any given time. The most important thing they stole from me was my daughter.”

“Aren’t you a little young to be having children, darling?” Rarity questioned.

Cauldron Bubbles looked over at Rarity with a look of both shock and offense on her face.

“I’ll have you know I’m in my late twenties!” Cauldron Bubbles exclaimed as she loudly tapped her staff against the floor “why does everypony assume I’m that young just because I’m short and have a high pitched voice?!”

“Because of that, darling,” Rarity quipped “your height and voice.”

“Tch- whatever,” Cauldron Bubbles huffed “that’s not even the point. You want my help or not?”

“We’d love your help,” Twilight said with a smile “and in return, we’ll help you get your daughter, pets, and belongings back.”

“An offer I can’t refuse,” Cauldron Bubbles said with a grin.

Cauldron Bubbles trotted over to the table Twilight sat at and planted her rump in the empty chair next to her. After adjusting herself to a comfortable position, the small unicorn conjured a thick book which landed on the table with a loud thump. The leatherback book was embroidered with foreign symbols and numerous alchemical sigils of different sizes and colors. In bold, swirling letters the word ‘Alchemy’ was embroidered in a sharp lime green color.

“What’s this? A book on Alchemy? ” Twilight questioned, “I’ve heard of it before, but I thought it was another lost art.”

“It’s all but lost, I’m afraid,” Cauldron Bubble answered “Hijinx, Abra Cadabra, and Alakazam were created through alchemy. Fortunately, this was the only book they left me.”

“That would explain why magic didn’t affect them,” Twilight said, “and that means they weren’t bluffing about anything.”

“Mmhm,” Cauldron Bubbles hummed with a nod of her head “that master of theirs is highly skilled in alchemy. I’m not sure who they are, but whoever their master is is somepony we should definitely never underestimate.”

“Right,” Twilight nodded in agreement “we’ve dealt with powerful creatures and power-thirsty ponies before, but it’s always bad to assume a new villain is just like the rest.”

“I think I’ve seen their master once, when I was trying to locate my daughter,” Cauldron Bubbles said, “all I remember is a hooded figure, but whoever it was seemed to be a pony- or a pony-like creature to say the least.”

“Ugh, typical villain,” Rarity sighed in disgust “I don’t understand why such power creatures wear such rubbish clothes.”

“Yeah, you’d think to be super duper smart like that, they’d know something about fashion,” Pinkie Pie bounced with agreement “not that I really know anything about fashion. I know a lot about cakes and yummy, yummy super sugary treats though!”

“So, this alchemy book you’ve got here,” Twilight began “I assume it’s not going to tell how or where to find Hijinx or her master?”

“Well, of course not,” Cauldron Bubbles said with a laugh “but it will teach you alchemy, which is going to be essential if the need to fight Hijinx, her buddies or her master arises.”

“Of course,” Twilight said with an enthusiastic smile “it would definitely even the odds if we learn alchemy.”

“If only we had Starlight with us,” Rarity said with a sigh “if she could learn it too, we'd be unstoppable against Hijinx and her master.”

“Don't get so down,” Cauldron Bubbles said “you’ve got Twilight and yourself. You're both talented unicorns.”

“My magic is more suited to fashion,” Rarity said.

“All the more reason to learn alchemy, right?” Cauldron Bubbles questioned, “it might seem unconventional, but you never know when your fashion magic could come in handy, especially when coupled with alchemy.”

“I suppose you've got a point, but what about Pinkie Pie?” Rarity questioned.

“Alchemy doesn't discriminate. Literally, anypony could learn it if they could,” Cauldron Bubbles answered “she can learn it too. Plenty of great alchemists were earth ponies.”

“Learning alchemy isn’t going to be a breeze,” Cauldron Bubbles added, “if you thought magic was tough to learn, you’ll find it’s comparatively easier than alchemy.”

“But isn’t alchemy just throwing a bunch of stuff into a bubbly pot and saying some funny words?” Pinkie Pie questioned.

“It is, but there’s more than to it than that,” Cauldron Bubbles answered “the more complex alchemical spells, like creating a living being, for example, take a lot of hard work and finely attuned skills. The slightest mismeasurement will ruin everything.”

“Do you practice alchemy?” Pinkie Pie questioned.

“I do,” Cauldron Bubbles said with a proud grin “if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here, now would I?”

“Oooo~ right,” Pinkie Pie said with a trademark giggle snort.

Twilight began to open her mouth to ask Cauldron Bubbles a question when her staff suddenly began to glow and flicker. Cauldron Bubbles sighed and rose from her seat at the table. From the look in her indigo eyes, Twilight could tell the flickering glow emanating from her staff meant nothing good.

“I have to go now,” Cauldron Bubbles said with a small smile “my family needs me. I'll return as soon as I'm able. In the meantime, just read over the basics.”

“Oh, and go someplace secure. Their master is going to target you sooner or later,” Cauldron Bubbles added “would be a shame if you got foalnapped before you could fight back.”

“Right, well, until next time, Cauldron,” Twilight said with a small smile.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie simultaneously waved goodbye- though the latter a bit more vigorously- to Cauldron Bubbles as the shorter unicorn teleported out of the library. Twilight turned her attention to the thick leatherback book sitting before her. The brown leather was worn with age and had certainly seen better days, but still appeared to be sturdy and useful. Magenta magic enveloped her horn as she used it to open the book. Turning to the first page, the words ‘Introduction To Alchemy’ greeted Twilight with big, bold letters. Twilight briefly skimmed over the lengthy passage before she begun to read it aloud to her friends.

Minutes turned into hours as Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie attempted to familiarize themselves with the basics of alchemy. Without Cauldron Bubbles there to help them, it was very difficult to do. Just as they were about to attempt another try at drawing sigils and practicing incantations, another unfamiliar unicorn mare trotted up to them. She was tall- almost as tall as Cadence- and looked thoroughly worn out and tired. Around her neck, a beautiful amulet shaped like an encircled hourglass twinkled in the light. The circle around the hourglass was bronze with bits of diamond here and there, while the main body of the hourglass itself was gold. The ‘sand’ of the hourglass was a mixture of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. The chain keeping the dazzling piece of jewelry around her neck was a beautiful shade of shiny silver. The mare’s coat was a creamy yellow color, her eyes were a dreamy blue and her mane and tail were styled in curling locks of a beautiful golden blonde color. All in all, the mare looked comparatively like a beautiful sunflower to Twilight.

“I heard what happen, your highness, and I’d like to apologize for arriving so late,” The mare spoke as she bowed her head respectfully “I missed the train so I teleported as closely as I could and galloped the rest of the way.”

“No need to be so formal, you can just call me Twilight,” Twilight said with a nervous laugh “er, uh, who are you exactly?”

“My apologies, your highness. My name is Almalthea, and I’ve come from far away in hopes to aid you in the defeat of the menace that has arisen- my sister,” The mare said, taking it upon herself to find a seat near Twilight “I’ve got information that I believe you may find useful.”

“Go ahead, darling, spill the beans as they say,” Rarity said impatiently.

Rarity tossed her mane out of her face as she sat near Twilight. Almalthea licked her lips and smiled warmly, albeit sadly, at Rarity.

“I guess I should start from the very beginning to help you better understand,” Almalthea began “as I said, my name is Almalthea. I’m one of the four daughters of a nobel, wealthy line of unicorns. I’m the oldest of six siblings, whom of which have long since passed except for one. My sister, she and I are very old. Over a thousand to be exact. I sort of lost count after my five hundredth birthday.”

The three bearers of the Elements of Harmony looked at each other with surprised looks on their faces. Before they say or question anything, their guest continued her explanation.

“Sadly, we’ve got another bad case of jealousy and hatred on our hooves,” Almalthea continued “just as Princess Luna grew jealous of her sister, mine grew jealous of me. My entire family loved and praised me, always giving me their full attention. Very rarely did my sister get any, and when she did, it was usually them scolding her for not being as good as me as far as magical abilities went. They scolded her for using alchemy and for becoming good at it when she was not very skilled at magic.

So when they eventually shunned her and kicked her out of our family for coming dead last in magical abilities out of all our brothers and sisters, she vowed that she’d return one day as powerful as Celestia- or at least close to it- and then ran off. We never saw or heard from her again until a few years later, when my parents held a grand ball at their house. The whole family came, except for her- at first. My siblings, who had moved far away, came back to our childhood home. My aunts and uncles and other family members whom I had no memory of came to celebrate.”

Almalthea took a deep breath in before continuing once more;

“It was nearing midnight when a sudden storm began to rage overhead. It was no normal storm. The sky was different shades of black and green. The rain was as red as blood and the lightning was as blue as a sapphire. The lights flickered and the atmosphere changed completely. Suddenly, before us stood my sister- all grown and in good health- along with several companions. She gave a brief vengeful, hate-filled speech before ordering her companions to attack. Those she did not kill, she transformed into stone statues- our parents included- and took them with her as prizes. A few lucky souls narrowly escaped. I myself barely managed to escape with some of the younger children who attended the ball with their parents. After that night, I vowed to do whatever it took to stop my sister and to rescue those she turned into stone.

In my long journey to accomplish this goal, I stumbled upon a rare amulet that grants the ability of immortality and eternal beauty. It’s the one you see around my neck now. It’s given me the ability to live longer and attempt to keep up with my sister. My sister has the gifts of immortality and eternal beauty as well, but hers is surely due to the miracles of alchemy.”

“I see,” Twilight said, clearing her throat. She found herself at a loss for words once again.

“I kept telling myself for years that I was doing it to save my parents and the others she took as stony prisoners and to keep others from falling victim to her once again,” Almalthea began “but now, I’ve come to realize I’ve been doing it to rescue not my parents, but rather my sister from the jealousy, hatred, and powerlust that’s consumed her. I want my little sister back.

I want to hug her and I want to love her and I want to make up for all the times I’ve turned my back on her when she needed me and for all the times I’ve stood idly by she became more and more of what she is now. I kept trying to tell myself it wasn’t my fault, but now I’ve come to realize and accept that, while it wasn’t entirely mine, I did play in role in creating the m… monster of a mare that my sister now is. I could have done something to prevent this, but instead, I just turned an ignorant, blind and now I’m paying the price.”

Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie simply stared at Almalthea, unsure of what to say. Words clogged in Twilight’s throat as she struggled to find something to say to Almalthea. Pinkie Pie dug at the hard crystalline floor with a hoof as she tried to think of something to say and Rarity struggled to form the words to say something. Finally, the words untangled in Rarity’s throat as she found something to say.

“We’ll do everything in our power to help you,” Rarity spoke, “we can’t guarantee your sister will be free from punishment, but we can certainly stop her before it’s too late.”

“Almalthea, what is your sister's name?” Twilight questioned, “so we can start to put the puzzle pieces together.”

“She changed it. I can’t remember to what, but I think it started with a ‘v’,” Almalthea answered, “but her birth name is Cavatina.”

“Cavatina,” Rarity repeated “such an elegant name.”

“Yes, it is,” Almalthea agreed with a sad smile.

“Just a few hours ago, a mare named Cauldron Bubbles showed up,” Twilight said as she put a hoof on the alchemy book “she gave us this book and promised to help us defeat a powerful alchemist whom I’m going to assume would be your sister, Cavatina.”

“Cauldron Bubbles is an alchemist herself, you see,” Rarity said “your sister’s minions took important things from her- including Cauldron’s daughter. In exchange for teaching us alchemy, we agreed to help her reunite with her daughter.”

“It’s a win-win for the both of you,” Pinkie Pie chirped “you get your sister back and Cauldron gets her daughter!”

“It’s a win-win for everypony, darling,” Rarity said, “she gets her sister, Cauldron her daughter and us our dear friends and beloved princesses.”

“Oh, yeah!” Pinkie Pie giggled.

Almalthea looked at them with a sad smile. Twilight rose from her seat and trotted close to Almalthea. She draped a foreleg over Almalthea’s shoulders and smiled reassuringly.

“I’m all for libraries and reading books, but how about we take a break, find a cafe and chat there?” Twilight suggested, “I know you must be exhausted after coming all this way.”

“That would be lovely,” Almalthea said with a warm smile.

“That’s a marvelous idea, darling!” Rarity cheered happily.

“Woo! Fooood!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she jumped up from her chair.

The four of them laughed as Almalthea and Rarity rose from their seats. Using her magic, Twilight slipped the book Cauldron Bubbles gave them into her saddlebag. Wordlessly, the four of them trotted over to the library’s exit and left. They found the previously crowded street completely bare-boned and void of any ponies. After the panic and mayhem, Hijinx and her companions had caused, the crystal ponies had locked themselves inside in fear of having their faces rotated or their bodies switched with complete strangers. Those who hadn’t been affected had taken down the decorations as without the Princesses, there would be no celebration.

Twilight sighed quietly to herself as she led her friends down the street. After a couple of turns, they reached the small but popular ‘Crystal Café’. The door was locked, but after a few hard knocks on the door, the owner- an older unicorn mare with cream colored crystalline skin and a purple crystalline mane pulled back into a bun- reluctantly let the four of them inside. The four of them found a small corner table to sit at in the back of the café and ordered three glasses of water, a glass of chocolate milk and some hayburgers.

“So, uh, is there anything else you can tell us about Cavatina?” Twilight asked.

“I believe I have good bit of information you might find useful,” Almalthea replied, “some of it might be a bit out of date, though.”

“I think one of the most important things is looks,” Rarity said, “so what does Cavatina look like?”

“The last time I saw her, her mane and tail were honey yellow in color and styled into tight curls. Her coat was it’s usually cloud-white color and her eyes were pink,” Almalthea explained “Her cutiemark was a pink winged magical sigil beneath a decorative hourglass. She earned it after she started messing around with alchemy.”

“Her voice, what did it sound like?” Rarity questioned.

“Smooth, mature and a little low,” Almalthea answered.

“Hmm,” Rarity hummed “what else, what else?”

“Oo! Oo! I know!” Pinkie exclaimed “where does she live?”

“After she was banished from our childhood home, I have no idea where she ran off too,” Almalthea explained “I know she was temporarily using this cottage a couple of miles outside the outskirts of a small town, but when I got there, she was gone. Everything was. The cottage was almost completely empty.”

“Almost empty, you say?” Rarity asked.

“Yes. You see, the cottage still had all of the furnishings and utilities still inside,” Almalthea explained, “any trace of her being there was gone.”

“Aww, poo,” Pinkie Pie huffed.

They paused their discussion as the owner of the café trotted up their table with a tray of food and drinks. The older mare smiled warmly as she passed out their food and drinks to the appropriate pony.

“Sorry to have eavesdropped, your highness, but did I perhaps hear you mention a mare named Cavatina?” The owner questioned.

“We did, yes,” Twilight answered, “do you know her?”

“No, not personally, but I do recall a strange pony looking for a mare named Cavatina when I was a little filly,” The owner explained “she came to my home and asked my parents if they ever saw or met a mare name Cavatina. If I remember correctly, the pony was looking for a mare fitting your description to a tee.”

The three younger mares and Almalthea looked at each other with excitement. Huge grins on their faces spread from ear to ear.

“Do you remember who that pony was?” Twilight questioned eagerly.

“I didn’t catch a name, I’m afraid,” The owner answered “but I do remember what she looked like. She looked as if she was made from some kind of green rock or crystal, and she glowed slightly. She had wings and a horn as if she was an alicorn, but I’m not sure if she could actually use them.”

“An alicorn mare made of a glowing green rock or crystal?” Twilight pondered aloud “I’ve read about a mare like that before, but it was in a children’s book about fictional heroes.”

“Well, if she’s seen that mare, she’s clearly no fictional hero,” Rarity stated matter-of-factly “but I digress. We should pursue this lead, darling.”

“Thank you, ma’am, for the food and the information,” Twilight said with an appreciative smile.

“You’re quite welcome, your highness,” The owner said kindly before trotting away.

Pinkie Pie happily consumed her meal in one, comically large bite before chugging down her entire glass of chocolate milk. The others followed her lead and began to eat their meals.

“Between Almalthea, Cauldron Bubbles and that mystery mare, I’m confident we’ll take down Cavatina in no time,” Twilight said with a confident smile.

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Almalthea hummed happily in agreement as they continued to eat. It would seem Twilight and her friends were at the start of another epic adventure.

Chapter 3: Eht Tsimehcla

The day was bright and shiny, not a single cloud to be seen in the deep blue sky. A soft wind blew through the warm air and lightly billowed a young unicorn mare’s tight curly, honey yellow mane, tossing it gently against her neck and into her eyes. With a cloud-white hoof, she brushed the stray hairs out of her eyes and continued to pick various ingredients needed for a plant growth potion she had been working on. The young mare continued her search around her family’s garden and stopped when she heard her name be called.

Swiftly, the young mare left the garden and made her way to the voice beckoning her, the basket she carried in tow within her lime green magical grasp. Passing through a set of large ornate oak doors, the young mare entered a vast, regal-looking hallway. From the imported rugs to the plethora of family oil portraits, there was little doubt that a wealthy family inhabited the estate. Waiting for her in the hall was a tall mare not much older than her with curling locks of golden yellow, dreamy blue eyes, and a creamy yellow coat.

“Mother wants you to go with her and Hartley to take the aptitude test at Lady Scordatura’s Academy for the Magically Gifted in the next hour or so,” Spoke the taller mare.

“You’re kidding right?” Questioned the smaller “mother knows I’m not gifted at magic. Certainly not like you, at least.”

“She’s desperate,” Answered the taller, “she said this family is one of noble, highly gifted unicorns, not one of all-gifted-but-one noble family.”

“She should find a spell to improve her vision because it’s obvious that- no matter how much I study and practice- I’m just not. Good. At. Magic,” Grumbled the smaller.

“I know, Cavatina, but just go to please mother,” Spoke the taller with a sigh “if anything, do it for me. Please?”

“Why? So I’ll never hear the end of it from mother and father? So I can embarrass myself and this family even further?” Snapped Cavatina with an angry glare “I won’t go. Not even for you Almalthea.”

“Come with me, then, and I’ll teach you something before you go,” Said Almalthea with a kind smile.

“Why do you suddenly care about my magical abilities?” Snorted Cavatina “why do you suddenly care about me?”

“Whatever could you mean? I’ve always cared about you, you’re my little sister,” Said Almalthea with a hurt expression “and I love you to death.”

“You know exactlywhat I mean, Almalthea!” Exclaimed Cavatina “you’re just like the rest of them! Selfish, arrogant, self-centered, stuck up! You only help when it benefits you more than the other pony involved! None of you love me at all!”

“I am none of those things!” Snapped Almalthea “I help others because it’s the right thing to do, not to make myself look good! If anything, you’re the stuck-up, self-centered and selfish one around here! And I dolove you! As if you deserve it, though!”

“How am I the stuck up, self-centered and selfish one?! All I have to do is breathe around here and I’m scolded and treated like a lowly servant!” Shouted Cavatina.

“You really want me to answer that question?? Maybe if you’d tried harder, you wouldn’t be such a failure!” Shouted Almalthea in equal volume “oh, wait, I’m sorry, I forgot that’s all you’re good at! You were born both a failure and a mistake, and both is all you’ll ever be! Nothing more, but probably less! You’re the most useless unicorn to ever grace the face of Equus! How do you even flounce around here knowing how utterly useless and worthless you are to this family? Not to mention a complete disgrace with a disregard for every moral and every tradition this family has!”

Cavatina paused, her mouth agape, as she stared half in shock and half in anger at Almalthea. Cavatina’s patience and temper had been wearing far too thin over the years and she had been nearing her breaking point, but now, her elder sister had officially pushed her past it. She could feel the anger she had suppressed for all these years rising up into her chest and burning like a hot flame. Her face morphed into one of extreme pissed-off-ity as her eyebrows furrowed deeply in anger.

“I have tried far harder than you in everything this family does! I work way past my limit and push myself far harder than I should have to!” Snapped Cavatina “why is failure all anypony sees in me, huh? It is only because I’m just a little different? Some family you lot are! I’m a talented young mare who works hard, studies hard and tries hard at everything she does! If I tried any harder, I’d surely pop a brain vessel or two! You know what? That’s it! I’ve had enough of the way I’m treated around here! If you keep it up, I’m going to make you regret it!”

“What’re you going to do? Throw a stupid plant growth potion at me?” Quipped Almalthea in a snarky tone.

“Why you little-”

“Cavatina! Almalthea! What in Celestia’s name is going on here?” Interrupted the voice of an older mare.

“Cavatina is refusing to go with you and Hartley to take the aptitude test,” Said Almalthea in a calmer tone “and making a big deal out if it, might I add.”

“A big deal?! A big deal?!” Repeated Cavatina in angered tone “you’re the one making a big deal out of things! You’re the one who started calling me a failure and a disgrace! She even called me useless, mother!”

“Is this true, Almalthea?” Questioned their mother.

“No, it is not, mother,” Lied Almalthea “I merely suggested helping her practice her magic until the three of you left and she went and blown it out of proportion. She’sthe one who’s been name calling.”

“Cavatina! We’ve taught you better than this!” Snapped their mother “you’ve left us no other choice, my dearest daughter. We love you with all our hearts, but you’re too unstable and too unruly to be living here anymore.”

“WHAT?!” Shouted Cavatina nearly at the top of her lungs “mother, how could you just believe her and not even hear my side of the story?! How could you kick me out just because I’m not as good as Almalthea?! How could you kick me out for being different?!”

“Enough! I don’t want to hear another word from you!” Shouted their mother “you have been a curse to this family the moment you were born! I nearly died giving birth to you and do you repay me?! By being a defective, sick child who uses pseudo magic because she’s so utterly useless when it comes to the real thing- that’s how! Almalthea is no pedestal child, so there is no reason for you to treat and criticize her as such! She’s not perfect, but at least she can actually utilize her birth given abilities! From this moment on, if any one of us ever sees your face around here, we will not hesitate to eliminate you!

“You make your father and I very embarrassed every single waking moment of our lives! You’ve ruined our reputation and have made no efforts to fix it! This is a family of nobel, talented unicorns! Not utterly useless unicorns who walk around practicing fake magic! Cavatina à la Cadence Hauptstimme, you are hereby disowned and banished from this family for the rest of your life! I am only going to give you twenty minutes to gather your belongings and leave the premises!”

Cavatina stared at her mother with an intense expression of shock, anger, and disgust. Her expression then morphed into one of pure, intense hatred as she looked from her mother to her eldest sister. Gritting her death, she stopped a hoof angrily against the marble floor.

“You’ll regret this! I’ll make all of you regret this!” Cavatina shouted “every last one of you will pay for your actions! Starting with you, mother!”

Her mother and sister’s expressions became tinted with fear as Cavatina continued to bellow out threats. Angrily, in a bright flash of lime green, Cavatina disappeared from the hallway. Almalthea looked at her mother with a face of worry.

On the other side of the estate, Cavatina appeared in her room. As anger and hatred began to well up in her chest and swirl around her mind, nearly clouding her thoughts, she began to pack everything she owned related to alchemy.

‘I won’t dare bring anything given to me by them,’ she thought bitterly to herself as she stuffed a stack of books into one of her red and white-laced suitcase ‘I’ll come back someday and make them pay for all that they’ve done to me.’

Satisfied with what she had packed, Cavatina’s horn lit up with lime green magic as she found herself suddenly standing a mile from her house. Angrily, she did an about face and stomped away, mentally swearing she’d form a plan of revenge and make them pay.

***

Thousands of miles away from the Crystal Empire, deep within the Undiscovered West, nestled at the edge of a small clearing sat medium sized cottage. Although very weathered and time-worn, the cottage seemed out of place. It looked as if it more belonged in a small village rather than in the middle of a vast forest. Tall, dark trees loomed all around the cottage and the bright shining sun seemed to completely shun the cottage and everything around it. Half-wilted from the lack of sun, wildflowers sprung up in patches all over the lawn. In neat rows, stone statues of ponies were lined up, each one seeming to stare at nothing with looks of terror on their faces.
Flora aside, the entire area seemed devoid of life. The lack of wildlife only added to the eerie atmosphere swamping the cottage. The cottage itself was in desperate need of maintenance. The stonework needed repair, as time and weather had eroded some of the grey blocks. The wooden shutters only just barely clung to the sides of the dirtied, rectangular windows.
The state of the inside of the cottage was much better than the outside. Save for a couple of cobwebs and a bit of dust, the inside of the cottage was relatively neat and tidy. The decor of the house was simple with a hint of elegance. The couches were framed with wood and the cushions were black and draped with white lace. Two matching chairs sat on either side of the couch. A small, circular red-and-white rug sat beneath a glass table, the iron legs curling elegantly. The carpet, which stopped at the near the kitchen, was grey in color.

On the wall, three oil paintings hung side by side. The leftmost painting depicted a young unicorn mare with cloud-white skin, tight curls of honey yellow and pink eyes standing proudly. The middlemost painting depicted a proud, noble family of six young unicorns and two older ones. The rightmost painting depicted a spectacular white mansion in front of a blue, cloudless sky.
Nearby, the kitchen was a bit small and simple, with utilities commonly found in most cottages. The countertops were black granite and reflective. The stove and other utilities were black in color with silver or white accents. The tile flooring of the kitchen were made of grey stone with pea green and dirty yellow mixed in. Off to the left of the kitchen was a single wooden door. Just past that door was a small staircase which led to the upstairs portion of the cottage. Upstairs, two average sized bedrooms sat neat and tidy. One seemed to have been left untouched, almost frozen in time. The other, however, seemed to have seen regular usage. Across the hall from the regularly used bedroom was a small bathroom.
Back downstairs, past the door near the kitchen sat a large basement. The floor was wooden and covered in a series of magical circles and sigils. The walls were lined- save for space where three ingredient-filled shelves sat- with bookshelves, each one filled to the maximum with an assortment of books. In front of the shelves containing ingredients, in the middle of magic sigil, sat a large black cauldron which was filled with a mix of lime green-dark green bubbling liquid.
To the right- when coming down from upstairs- a small hallway and a wooden door gave access to a network of enchanted jail-like cells. A good number of the cells were empty, but the rest were occupied by an assortment of beasts and ponies. Among them, a certain rainbow pegasus, yellow and pink pegasus and an orange farm pony, as well as a certain student of the Princess of Friendship, were locked behind the cold, grey bars. In separate, nearby cells, three familiar princesses were locked inside.

“This totally sucks!” Rainbow Dash complained.

“I'm not quite sure who that pony is, but soon as I'm able, I'm gonna kick some flank!” Applejack growled.

“M-maybe if we a-ask nicely, they'll let us go,” Fluttershy said quietly.

“Fluttershy I know yer the Element of Kindness, but do you really think that pony’s gonna let us go just ‘cause we ask ‘em nicely?” Applejack questioned.

“It never hurts t-to try, though,” Fluttershy said “right?”

“The most important thing right now is to get a bearing of where we are,” Celestia said from her cell “we also need to figure out their intentions.”

“Their intentions were to obviously foalnap us and put us in these cages!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“I think she meant why they foalnapped us and what they plan on doing with us,” Starlight spoke up “if they’re powerful enough to successfully kidnap three princesses, three of the Elements of Harmony and somepony like myself, they’ve surely got malicious planned for us.”

“You’d be correct,” A voice suddenly spoke.

Everypony seemed to jump or flinch in surprise at the sudden input. The voice- which sounded low, smooth and mature as well as feminine- came from an eerie figure lurking beneath a hooded cape. Behind the figure stood two tall unicorn mares with emotionless expressions on their faces.

The mare standing to the right of the hooded figure was the tallest of the three. She stared at Rainbow Dash and her friends with fierce, blood red eyes. Her coat was grey and her mane and tail- which were styled into simple curls- were black with streaks of red. The other mare behind the hooded figure was the shortest of the three. Her coat was a dappled livid color and her eyes were a dark indigo. Her mane and tail- which were dark navy blue in color- were styled into a single, sweeping wave.

The hooded figure reached up a dark forest green hoof and removed the hood from their head. The removal of the hood revealed a unicorn mare wearing a wicked grin on her face. Her mane- which was a slightly lighter version of the mare with the dark navy blue mane- was styled similarly to their friend Rarity, the only differences being that a curved spike came before the curls and that her bangs included a short curl similar to the larger ones in her mane. Fierce red eyes stared at and sized them seven of them.

“My original plan was to only foalnap Celestia and Luna, but when I saw the rest of you all your own out in the open, I couldn’t resist snatching you up,” The mare spoke “and now that I have all of you, I could do more than triple the original damage I intended to inflict.”

“I will only ask you once; who are you and what do you plan to do with us?” Celestia spoke firmly, holding her head high.

“Ah, don’t worry, Celestia. You and Luna will soon find out,” The mare said with mocking chuckle “as far as who I am, well, the name’s Valystine, but you can refer to me as ‘The Alchemist’. The mares behind me are Rosemary Adelaide and Bone Marrow. Rosemary is the grey coated mare, Bone Marrow is the livid dapple coated mare.”

“They’re only two of my many minions,” The mare added.

“No matter what you do to us, whatever it is your wicked plan may be, you will not succeed in the end,” Luna said sternly “Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and Pinkie Pie WILL save us.”

“Is that so?” Valystine questioned mockingly “I look forward to that moment.”

Valystine looked back at Rosemary Adelaide and Bone Marrow with a wicked smile. With a nod of her head, she gestured for them to approach Celestia and Luna’s cells. Valystine returned her gaze to the cell Rainbow Dash shared with Fluttershy and Applejack, her wicked smile growing larger.

“I have special plans for all of you,” Valystine began, looking at Rainbow Dash “but I think you will be my favorite.”

“U-um, excuse me, m-miss Valystine,” Fluttershy piped up quietly “why are you doing this to us? What do you hope to gain?”

Rosemary Adelaide and Bone Marrow paused their task as they looked over to their master, their eyes, and ears eager to hear their master’s answer.

“What do I hope to gain?” Valystine repeated with a small chuckle “power, first and foremost, but more importantly: recognition, acceptance. Recognition of my abilities and talents, and recognition of the arts I study. Acceptance that it’s okay if a unicorn isn’t particularly good at magic. Acceptance of the arts I study.

“Alchemy is all but forgotten now and all anypony ever praises is magic. Magic this, magic that. I’m good at magic, but it was never enough for them. No, not for them. I was the defective child who couldn’t learn magic as quickly as others. I was the defective child who turned to ‘pseudo magic’- as they called it- but it was her who was brilliant, it was her who was great and it was her who was amazing at magic. She was the best child they could ask for. I was the worst.

“She was a gift, I was an accident. That’s how they put it, and you want to know what I did to them? I turned them into stone statues. Everyone last one of them, except for my siblings, but they’re all dead, except for one.”

Valystine paused for a moment to recollect herself and clear her throat before continuing more calmly;

“Now, to answer your other question. Why am I doing this to you? Because if I can take down and enslave the most powerful ponies in Equestria, I can conquer it with ease and- once I do that- I’ll get what’s duly and rightfully mine.”

“I-I don’t quite u-understand,” Fluttershy said “who is ‘them’ a-and ‘she’?”

“What’s it to you? ” Valystine snapped “you don’t need to know every detail about my life.”

“She was just tryna understand ya,” Applejack snapped back “we’ve dealt with a lotta folk like ya before, ya know. We can help ya get what ya want without the whole enslaving and conquering part if ya j’est let us go, pardner.”

“You’re joking right?” Valystine questioned with a laugh “are you sure you’re destined to be dusty farmpony? Because to me, it seems you’re better suited to be a comedian.”

“Why you lil’-” Applejack cut herself off and took in a deep breath “yer lucky I’m behind these bars. If I weren’t, I’d be kickin’ your flanks right ‘bout now.”

“You have me thoroughly convinced your true calling is comedy,” Valystine quipped, “you tell some rather hilarious jokes.”

“Wait, excuse me,” Starlight piped up “sorry to burst your bubble, but Applejack is right. They’ve dealt with a lot of villains wanting the same things. They were defeated and most changed their ways. It’s not too late to turn back and let us go before you do something you regret.”

“And completely abandon the plans I’ve been formulating since the day Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon? Tch- yeah right,” Valystine snapped “you’d have better luck convincing Discord to give up chaos.”

“Wait, what? You were alive the day Nightmare Moon was banished?” Starlight questioned, her eyes wide with shock.

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?” Valystine sneered “I’m over a thousand years old, not that it’s any of your concern.”

“How can this be? You’re not actually an alicorn, are you?” Starlight questioned.

“Ha! Me? An alicorn? Now I’m starting to think you’re all truthfully destined to be comedians,” Valystine snickered “no, you idiot. I’m a unicorn.”

“Then how have you lived so long?” Starlight questioned.

“Ugh, why are you all filled to the brim with questions?” Valystine groaned “I’ll let you figure that out on your own, but I’ll give you a hint; I’m an alchemist.”

“Alchemy made you immortal, Valystine? How so?” Cadence piped up- tired of keeping quiet- as she approached the front of her cell.

“Well if it isn’t the princess of love and shiny ponies,” Valystine chuckled “while I’d love to answer more questions, I’ve got get back to work.”

With that, Valystine to turned and began to trot away. She stopped near her minions and watched them force Celestia and Luna out of their cells, then trapping them within their magic fields. Cadence, Starlight and the other half of the Elements of Harmony watched as they were taken away and forced out of the room.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Starlight said with a sigh “we’ve got to figure out how to get out of here.”

“We tried using our magic, remember? It doesn’t work in here,” Cadence said, “this whole place seems impenetrable.”

“We’ve just got to think of something,” Starlight said, stomping a hoof “if we don’t, they’ll do the same thing to us as they’re doing to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna- whatever that may be.”

“I see your point, but- and I hate to admit it- we’re helpless down here,” Cadence said, “whatever happens, I have faith Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity will save us.”

Starlight sighed and flopped down onto her haunches. She pawed at the ground with a hoof as her mind raced with all the things Valystine could be doing to Celestia and Luna. If she could only figure out how Valystine became immortal, Starlight could formulate a plan. Before she could begin to form any sort of plan, Starlight was snapped from her thoughts when a strange but incredibly cute earth pony mare suddenly appeared before her, causing her to yelp in surprise. The mare’s icy blue eyes were lidded and she looked as if she were sleepy. Her mane was styled into synthetic-looking strips of pastel blue, yellow and green curls and her skin looked as if it were made of glass that had been tinted slightly in light blue. Starlight quickly got to her hooves and took a few steps away.

“My name is Sight Seer and I was sent to here by my master,” Said the mare, her voice sounding dreamy and sweet like honey “she wanted me to inform you that you were next on her list.”

“On her list for what?” Starlight questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Allow me to show you,” Sight Seer said, her eyes beginning to glow a bright light pink.

An unnerving sensation washed over Starlight as her own eyes began to glow as well. Her vision soon turned to black, but then slowly faded and cleared to reveal a large room, the floor covered in an array of magical sigils drawn in chalk and the wall lined with bookshelves, except for space where three smaller shelves sat holding various bottles, bags, and buckets. In the middle of the room, a large cauldron sat atop a large magical sigil. Before Starlight could figure out where she was exactly, Valystine appeared in front of the cauldron as Luna and Celestia appeared also in the room, encased in a dingy green, sphere-like field of magic above large sigils on either side of the room while Rosemary Adelaide and Bone Marrow stood by either princess.

Starlight watched as Valystine’s horn began to glow. Different bags and bottles began to float off their shelves and hover above the cauldron. Carefully and meticulously, Valystine put various ingredients into cauldron as she mumbles incoherent words under her breath with a devilish grin and her cold, red eyes seemingly glowing. A puff of smoke of suddenly rose from the cauldron with a bright flash of light. Below the cauldron, the sigil it sat on began to slow glow bright green. In a slow trickle-like flow, the sigils leading to Luna and Celestia began to glow the same color and stopped when they reached the sigil directly below either princess. The spheres containing either princess began to glow until Starlight could no longer see them while the sigils on the floor continued their trickle flow to another large sigil.

In that third sigil, the shadowy outline of a pony-like being began to form. Large, spiny wings grew from the back as an elongated horn grew from the head. Starlight attempted to rush over and stop Valystine but found she was powerless and could not interact with anything. Without warning, the vision Starlight had been experiencing suddenly ended, pulling Starlight back into reality as she sat all alone in her cell. Sight Seer was gone and the air filled with eerie silence.

“Oh, no,” Starlight whispered beneath her breath.

Prologue: Alchemist's Rhapsody

Born unto the world unwillingly,
From the moment of her first raspy cry
To pierce the heavens,
She was thrust into a world of glass puppets,
Where the world was her stage,
Fate the puppeteer,
And her family the strings.

Like a good little puppet,
She obeyed the puppeteer
And subdued to the strings.
Every waking moment of her life,
And even her dreams,
Were carefully orchestrated against
Her own accord,
Like a nightmare disguised as a whimsical troupe
Played on an endless loop.

One day, whilst she danced upon the stage,
Just beyond the silver veil that shrouded
Her grey, mechanical life,
The puppet saw something,
Something she could not quite explain.
A bird adorned with colors never before seen
Flew about just out of reach,
Free from strings and bureaucratic fervor.

The puppet longed to perform alongside the bird,
But like an animal locked in an iron cage,
The poor little puppet could not leave her stage.
She longed to earn her wings,
And learn to flutter and flap,
But her strings and the unseen hand
That guided them would not allow
The little puppet to venture past her stage.

“The world outside is dangerous,”
The strings warned the little puppet.

“You are frail and made of glass. If you leave, you’ll surely shatter,”
The puppeteer apprised.

“And without us, you’ll go nowhere,”
They chirped in unison.

“Useless, worthless, weak and frail. If you leave, you’ll burn in hell,”
They chanted over and over again.

As the words spun fast ‘round her hollow head,
And tired of the charade she had long lived,
The little puppet clipped her strings.

“Mock and jabber all you please! Who needs strings when I’ve got these?”
The puppet shouted as she leapt from her stage.

Her fragile glass body begun to splinter and crack,
As a bright light begun well up inside.
In a brilliant display, the puppet miraculously,
Grew her own pair of feathered pride.
Glass clinked and clattered against the wooden stage,
As the once-puppet tore through the veil,
And set sail to the outside world.

Far and high, she flapped her wings
Adorned in laces of many colors.
The outside world was so full with color,
So filled with happiness and love,
That not once had she regret
Leaving the life she had lived before.
The world was not as it seemed,
But, so high up in the air,
And so far away, it was too late.

The sky turned flames of wicked hellfire
As the clouds turned to ash.
All around her, the world begun
To burn and crash
In a cascade of death and decay.
Amidst her panicked flight,
Her poor wings turned to dust.
In a blur of red and black,
Her fall from grace was a pity sight.

Among the fallen willows she now lie,
Crimson nectar and orange crackles,
And smothering dust filling her lungs.

“We tried to warn you. We told you you’d break. You’re going to suffer. Help is too late,”
Quipped a familiar voice.

“What’d we tell you? Weak and frail, you’d burn in hell!”
Quipped another.

“Burn in hell, you say? If I’m to burn in hell, you’ll suffer the same fate.”
She apprised with a wicked smile.

“Weak and frail, you’ll all burn in hell.”

Chapter 1: Remmus Nus Noitarbelec

The sun shone valiantly over the Crystal Empire. The sky was like a Sapphire twinkling in the morning sun and not a single cloud be seen. In the city below, ponies hustled about, buzzing excitedly with the chatter of the annual Summer Sun Celebration. A soft breeze fluttered through the crystalline streets, gently tossing about the manes of citizens and the decorations that were hung or pinned about the city.

The crystal ponies were particularly excited for this year's celebration, as it was being held in the Crystal Empire. Since being freed from the tyrannical clutches of Sombra, this was the Empire's first ever Summer Sun Celebration. Because of this, each citizen of the great crystal city took great pride in making this year's celebration one that nopony would forget. To ensure the celebration was a huge success, Princess Cadence invited Twilight Sparkle and her friends to come and help. Delightfully, Twilight had accepted her step-sister's invitation and- along with her friends- boarded the first train to the Crystal Empire. From the moment they had arrived, Twilight Sparkle and her friends did everything they could to aide the Crystal Empire.

The Princess of Friendship now stood a few feet from the Crystal Heart politely barking orders at crystal guards and citizens as they came and went. In her magical grasp, she held a long checklist that was only a couple tasks away from being completed. A very happy Pinkie Pie bounced up to Twilight with different colors of icing covering her mouth.

“All the yummy goodies you wanted made are all done and ready to be eaten!” Declared Pinkie Pie as she happily licked the icing from her face.

“Great. Thanks, Pinkie,” Said Twilight as she checked off another task on her list “all we need now is Rarity to finish with dresses and decorations she's making, then we'll be ready for the Princesses to arrive.”

“Speaking of Rarity, darling, I've finished with my assignment,” Said Rarity with a proud grin as she trotted over to Twilight and Pinkie.

Twilight ticked off the final box on her list and rolled it up happily. Everything was now completed with a half an hour to spare.

“We've got some free time until Celestia and Luna get here,” Twilight said with a smile “how about we go find the others and play some trivia in the castle?”

"Sounds like a fabulous idea, darling," Rarity said with a flip of her mane.

Twilight rolled up the scroll and tucked it away safely inside of the saddlebag strapped around her waist. The soft breeze blowing gently tossed her mane as she and her friends began to trot away. Before they could go very far, somepony called out to them. Twilight turned to see two crystal guards quickly approaching.

“Princess Twilight! Princess Twilight!” Called out a Crystal Guard as he approached the trio.

“You need to come with us immediately, Princess!” Called out the other.

“What? Why? What’s going on?” Twilight questioned, worry and panic beginning to fill her voice.

“We don’t know. There’s some kind of-of purple smoke covering the celebration stage,” The first guard answered.

“These strange voices are coming from it too,” The second guard said, “they’re reciting some sort of poem.”

“We’ll head to the stage, you two find Fluttershy, Applejack, Starlight Glimmer and Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said sternly.

“Yes, ma’am!” Both guards exclaimed in sync before galloping away.

As they galloped off to find the rest of her friends, Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie took off towards the stage Princess Celestia was to stand on as she raised the sun that night. They politely pushed past the sea of ponies currently crowding around the celebration platform until they reached the front. As the guards had said, a lavender colored, mist-like smoke shrouded the stage. Three distinct voices came from the smoke and took turns speaking. Two of the voices were female while the other was male. One of the female speakers had a higher pitched, raspy voice while the other spoke in a lower, maturer and smoother voice. The male’s voice was deep and gruff.

“‘The world outside is dangerous,’ the strings warned the little puppet,” Spoke the raspy female.

“‘You are frail and made of glass. If you leave, you’ll surely shatter,’ the puppeteer apprised,” Spoke the mature female.

“‘And without us, you’ll go nowhere,’ They chirped in unison,” Spoke the gruff male voice.

“‘Useless, worthless, weak and frail. If you leave, you’ll burn in hell,’ They chanted over and over again,” The voices spoke in unison.

“Useless, worthless, weak and frail. If you leave you’ll burn in hell,” The voices chanted together.

The voices repeated the phrase once, twice, thrice times before erupting into a fit of wild laughter.

“Show yourselves and tell us who you are and what you want this instance!” Demanded Twilight as she stepped closer to the stage.

The voices begun to laugh louder, seemingly at Twilight now.

“I am Princess Twilight Sparkle and you will answer me!” Twilight barked.

“Cool your jets, princess,” Sneered the mature female voice “is nopony allowed to have fun in your kingdom?”

“Who are you? What do you want?” Twilight questioned sternly.

“Who am I? Who am I?” The voice countered.

As the voice begun to laugh loudly, the smoke shrouding the stage quickly dissipated towards the edges to reveal two mares and a stallion standing. Big smirks spread from ear to ear on all three of their faces. The mare who stood in the front appeared to be the leader. Her coat was a shade of dirty lavender and her eyes were two different colors. Atop of hazy yellow eye whites stared magenta and green eyes. Her mane was styled into a mohawk in the back that morphed into pointed waves in the front. The mohawk section of her mane was dark purple with two broad stripes of medium lime green in the middle and at the bottom. The other portion of her mane was white with three wavy strips of lime green. Her tail matched the mohawk part of her mane color wise and was short and spiky.

Standing behind her to the right was the other mare. Her mane and tail were brown in color and styled into similar to the other mare’s, only it was a bit wavier. Her coat was a soft shade of yellow and was accented by dark blue swirling, curving lines all around her legs, stopping at the tops of them. Similar markings sprouted from a heart-shaped marking of a similar color in the middle of her chest, going all over neck but never once going onto her to face or back.

Standing next to her on the other side of the first mare was the stallion. If not for the lack of markings and a slightly different styling of the mane and tail, he would have been identical to the second mare. Their very physical characteristics told Twilight they- in some way- were related.

“Well, I don’t really expect me to know you who I am,” Said the first mare “not yet at least.”

“To answer your question, Princess Egghead, it’s not what we want, but rather what our master wants,” Said the second mare.

“And that would be for you all to know that our master has your precious, pathetic pony princesses,” Said the stallion “ha! Try saying that five times fast.”

“Precious-pathetic-pony-princesses, precious-pathetic-pony-princesses, precious-pathetic-pony-princesses, precious-pathetic-pony-princesses, precious-pathetic-pony-princesses!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with a giggle-snort.

“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight scolded.

“Sorry,” Pinkie Pie half-laughed with an apologetic smile.

“Tell us immediately what you have done with our Princesses!” Rarity demanded.

“And ruin the fun of the game? Psh- no way!” The first mare laughed.

“Who ARE you?!” Twilight demanded, her eyes scowling in anger “I’m only going to ask you one more time.”

“The name’s Nunya. Nunya Business,” The first mare snickered “coincidentally, that’s my pals’ names too!”

“I don’t want to, but if you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to make you regret your actions,” Twilight said sternly, her horn lighting up with magic.

“Ooo~ I’d love to see you try, Princess Egghead,” The first mare sneered “in fact, I want you to. Do it. Make me ‘regret’ my actions. I’d love to see you make a fool of yourself.”

“My name is NOT Princess Egghead!” Twilight growled, “I’ll give you one more chance to tell me your names and your intentions!”

“We've already told you our intentions; to tell you we’ve got your princesses,” The first mare says coolly “Sunbutt, Moonbutt and Heartbutt. You'd better tread carefully, Egghead. You're next.”

“Wha-? How dare you!” Twilight snapped “nopony talks about the Princesses like that! To Tartarus with you!”

Ponies looked on with bated breaths as a beam of magic shot forth from Twilight's horn. The magic enveloped the mare and begun to glow brightly. In the blink of an eye, the magic dissipated. Onlookers gasped in surprise and started to whisper in worry. There, on the stage, the mare stood firmly in place- a huge, wicked grin spread ear to ear- as she stared at Twilight.

“What?! How can this be?!” Twilight exclaimed, “you should be in Tartarus right now!”

“Yeah, see, here's the deal, Egghead,” The mare snickered “I’m impervious to magic. Them too. Magic does not- and will never- affect us.”

“See, we're not flesh, bone, and blood like you,” The second mare piped apprised “not in the same way, at least.”

“We weren't conceived from the womb of a mare,” The stallion said “no, on the contrary. We were birthed from a cauldron.”

Twilight looked at them in horror, as did everypony else. These three ponies were not true ponies. As they had said, they were not birthed by a loving mother, but rather from a mixture of ingredients a few incantations. Twilight had a hard time understanding how this could be possible.

“Aw, don't look at us like that,” The first mare chuckled “our… condition… isn't impossible. As our master likes to say, 'The improbable is not impossible’.”

Twilight found herself at a loss for words. As did Rarity and Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, one more thing before we go,” The first mare smirked, “it's going to be hard to save the day when you've got a little less than half your friends, isn't it?”

“What?” Twilight questioned.

It suddenly dawned on her that Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Starlight hadn't shown up to help yet.

“You- ah! Give us back our friends!” Twilight growled.

“So you can ruin the fun just like that? No way!” The first mare snapped “have you not caught on to our game yet? Telling you our names and our master’s name would be practically spoon feeding you clues and giving you back your friends and princesses would make things way to easy.”

“We know good and well the good guy will always win in the end,” The second mare said, “but that doesn't mean we can't make it hell for him until then.”

“In other words, you'll probably end up winning this battle in the long run,” The stallion said “but until then, we're going to have fun making it hard for you. We're going to carry out our master's every order to a tee.”

“With that, we'll take our leave,” The first mare said with a wave of her hoof as she bowed.

“It would be rude to show up to a party without at least bringing some presents, no?” The second mare asked her cohorts.

“You're right,” The first mare agreed “that would be very rude of us. How about we give them our presents? Look at them just prancing with anticipation at the thought of our wonderful gifts.”

“We hope you like them,” The stallion snickered “we give them with sincere love from the bottom of our non-existent hearts!”

With a wild cackle, magic enveloped their horns and shot out into the crowd of ponies. Several onlookers cried out in either pain or shock- or a mixture of both. Twilight turned to see several crystal ponies with their faces upside down. A few were missing their faces entirely while others lamented discoloration or inverted coloring. Twilight overheard a few crying out their bodies had been switched while others showed symptoms of a prank gone wrong- almost as if they had just pranced through a field Poison Joke.

Twilight turned to confront the troublemakers, only to find an empty stage. Defeatedly, she sighed and angrily stomped the ground with a hoof. They had gotten away, had most of her friends and the Princesses. Twilight knew next to nothing about them and stopping them from completing their plans- whatever they were- nearly seemed impossible.

"Twilight, whatever are we to do now, darling?" Rarity questioned worriedly.

"What every great problem solver does," Twilight answered "we research until we can find some sort of lead. Luckily, the Crystal Empire has a pretty decent library."