A student of her own

Princess Luna carried the light blue form of Ivory Wand on her back, both looking for any signs of the unicorn's mother, Trixie Lulamoon. They had been searching for some time now and the Princess of the Night was beginning to feel the first signs of tiredness, so she knew soon she would have to land and rest. She sighed as she made the trip back around the Canterlot Palace and found a place to land.

"Um, Princess Luna?" Ivory asked once they were on the ground and she had dismounted. "Yes, Ivory?" replied the Princess, as the unicorn walked round to face her.

"I was just thinking, maybe we are looking in all the wrong places, or rather wrong place ... like, what if my ma's gone somewhere else to get the dark King's army and bring back the King himself?" Ivory questioned.

"Hmm, interesting idea, Ivory," Luna said. "Where do you think your mother would have gone to do something like this?" she asked, holding her wings close to her body.

"Somewhere ... dark. Very dark and 'private', I think ... maybe an abandoned building or some ruins" Ivory suggested.

"I have an idea" Luna offered, "Would your mother know anything about the Everfree Forest?" Ivory nodded. "Alright, this is worse than I first thought, perhaps even worse than my first idea ... if she is going to the Castle of the Two Sisters, she may be trying to use some of the untouched magic that lives there" Luna stated.

The dark blue Princess made a scroll of yellowing paper appear out of thin air. "I am going to send my sister a note, so she knows where we are just in case she comes here instead" Luna explained just as she finished writing. "Quickly Ivory, we must go now" Luna commanded as she levitated the unicorn onto her back once more.

. . .

It was now midnight, and the lone figure of a mare could just be seen dashing away from the bright lights of the city of Canterlot. Trixie galloped through the small woodland that stood before the famed Everfree Forest. She had managed to get the inhibitor ring off of her horn using a red-hot iron and hammer and currently held in her magic the same sceptre she had used earlier to summon the dark King in her magic.

She gasped and eased into a trot as she entered the imposing forest. She looked behind her and could now just make out the figures of other unicorns coming closer; one in particular catching her eye. This unicorn had a dirty sand colored coat with a mane of bronze and smelled distinctly of burning coal.

Trixie smiled weakly and walked over to announce herself. "Lovely to see you showed up" Trixie said coldly as the sand colored unicorn threw off the dark trench coat she had been wearing.

Trixie looked up into her toxic, yellow eyes that stared back into her own. "I only came here for the King, not you, dear sister!" she spat.

"The King only cares for me, Mysteria" Trixie spat back, looking smugly into her younger sister's yellow eyes. "Besides, you should be happier" Trixie smiled sickly. "You're going to be an aunt again soon" Trixie said as she turned to leave.

"Trixie, you didn't?" Mysteria gasped as she grabbed her sister’s foreleg with her own. "Swear to me you didn't!" she begged, praying to the high heavens and even the Sun Queen herself that her sister hadn't been so foalish again. "Swear to me on our mother's grave you didn't!" she shouted. "First that Prince, now this ..." she trailed off.

Trixie raised an eyebrow at the other mare. "Oh, my dear lil' sister," Trixie cooed sickly to her younger sibling. "I am doing what I need to do, the King has promised me a place by his side, as his Queen" Trixie announced, pulling her foreleg away from Mysteria. "And you will be given a place as one of my ladies-in-waiting" Trixie added.

"What about Ivory, huh? What about your daughter?" Mysteria questioned, teleporting in front of her sister. "And what makes you think I want to be a servant to you?" she said bitterly.

"What about her?" Trixie laughed.

"You can't just … just forget about her!" Mysteria protested.

Trixie shook her head. "She is no longer mine. That ‘Crown Princess' took her to be her student" Trixie mocked.

Mysteria sighed and shook her head. “Trixie, what if you're making a mistake by leaving Ivory?" she observed. "She would still love you, even if she was now Twilight's student" Mysteria said, not allowing her sister to pass.

"Mysteria, what would you know about what Ivory does and doesn't love?" Trixie asked sickly-sweetly. Mysteria took a step back and snorted at her sister. "I mean, we both know you'll never have your own foals, so what would you know?" Trixie smiled as she walked away, leaving Mysteria to be swallowed by the group of unicorns advancing into the Everfree Forest.

. . .

"Skylar, Wait!" Crown Prince Zephyr shouted as he and his daughter stood out on the concrete runway.

"I can see her! She's coming, father!" Skylar called back as the chariot that held Crown Princess Twilight and Lady Rarity Fancy-Belle came into view.

Skylar flew into the air as the chariot landed with a small bump, then she turned round as the left side door flung open. First to emerge was Twilight, who then helped Rarity down. The lilac Crown Princess smiled as she saw her husband and daughter. "Oh, Skylar!" she cheered as she hugged the light purple Princess.

"Where are Royal and Fancy?" Rarity asked as she stood next to Twilight and her daughter.

"Royal's with Fancy. She got a bit upset earlier" Zephyr chipped in, bobbing his head to the white unicorn mare. "Oh, Twilight? The Sun Queen sent this to you, we just got it" the pegasus levitated the scroll over to Twilight, who held it without bothering to read it.

"Whatever did Royal get upset at?" Rarity asked, turning to face the Crown Prince.

"Well, before we got Twilight's letter, Fancy and I both thought the girls were just ... overreacting” he explained as they began to walk away from the runway.

"Oh, I see ... thank you for letting me know" Rarity smiled at the Crown Prince as she quickened her pace.

"Come on, we have to get back soon; I think Uncle Fancy's nearly at his wit's end!" Skylar said as the group stopped while Twilight and Rarity cast a teleporting spell.

. . .
An hour before the arrival of the Crown Princess and Lady Rarity.

Queen Celestia sighed as she looked out across the city of Canterlot. She shook her head as she retreated back into her bedroom, closing the glass French doors behind her. Suddenly, the Queen gasped as a scroll of paper fell down in front of her. Embarrassed by her own reaction, Celestia regained her composure and picked up the scroll in her golden magic. She cleared her throat as she began to read.

"Dear Tia, I have found Twilight's student, Ivory Wand. I believe there is grave danger nearly upon us, Sister. Ivory saw her mother, Trixie, speaking to The Dark King. Trixie is going to the Everfree Forest - to our old home to be exact - to try and bring The Dark King back to life. She has also rounded up the King’s remaining followers to assist with his return. I wish for you to let Twilight and her family know that Ivory is safe. Princess Luna.

Celestia looked back down at the letter and read it again. Had Ivory ran to Luna? she asked herself. In a way, the Sun Queen was relieved. After her talk with Twilight, she had somewhat 'come to her senses', although she would not admit this, not to herself, nor to anypony else, not even her sister. Grunting, she took out her quill pen along with her signature golden scroll and began to write to her nephew, who she knew would be at the Manor House.

. . .

Princess Luna and Ivory Wand landed just at the edge of the Everfree Forest. The dark blue mare paused and looked around, scanning for any danger. Then she looked down at the young mare that was dwarfed next to her and smiled as the unicorn looked up at her. "Is she here?" Ivory asked, concern bleeding into her voice.

"I do not know, Ivory," Luna stated, a kind smile on her face.

"What if something's happened to her?" Ivory asked the Princess of the Night as she began to look deeply at the forest's edge.

"Nopony would do that, Ivory" Luna cooed, smiling at the young unicorn mare.

Turning quickly to face the Princess, Ivory fixed her with a stare. "You would have!" Ivory shouted. Instantly regretting her decision as the alicorn looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "I-I mean in the past you would have ..." Ivory trailed off. "Sorry, your Highness" Ivory whispered.

"It is okay, Ivory" Luna smiled as she closed her eyes. "In the past, I was angry at many ponies and not just your mother" she explained. Ivory smiled weakly as she and the dark blue mare moved into the Everfree Forest.

. . .

Crown Princess Twilight, Crown Prince Zephyr, Princess Skylar, Lord Fancy Pants, Lady Rarity and Lady Royal Blue approached the edge of the imposing and threatening Everfree Forest. The unicorns all shivered as a gash of cold, winter-like wind blasted them. Twilight looked over at her daughter, who looked horrified at the forest. The purple alicorn sighed gently and trotted over to her daughter, placing a wing over her body.

"It's okay, Sky" Twilight cooed and smiled as she looked down at her daughter.

"I just hope Wanda's okay" Skylar sighed. "If anypony's hurt her, I don't know what I'll do" Skylar admitted.

As Twilight sighed and looked forward, Royal Blue walked over to the two alicorns. "It's okay, Aunt Twilight, I'll stay with Sky if you want me to." She smiled.

"Thanks, Ro ... but I think Sky will want to come along, "Twilight said as the younger alicorn nodded in response.

"Okay, I'll still be here just in case" Royal replied as she smiled.

"Well, come on!" Rarity trilled, her voice tinged with a hint of fear; she could never truly shake the dread away that the Everfree drilled into her. "I'm not getting any younger by just waiting out here!" she chirped as she trotted in, her head held high.

"Well, come along everypony!" Fancy smiled, slightly bemused by his wife's behaviour.

At this, the other members of the party fell in and trotted after the white stallion.

. . .

Trixie came to a stop right in the exact middle of the castle that formerly belonged to the two Royal Sisters. The light blue unicorn mare felt her chest fill with pride, she had completed her task at long last! Now, she would be granted everything she had ever wanted - no, everything she ever deserved was finally within reach. The unicorn huffed and turned around to see an ocean of other followers loyal to the dark King standing behind her. She could see her sister standing in what had become the 'front row'. Even now, she looked so disgusted with Trixie, she even shook her head. How pathetic! Trixie thought angrily. She could not even be bothered to fake happiness about this.

Huffing, she trotted over to where a sort of medieval 'stand' stood in the middle of an imposing stage that had a curve at its 'brim', where the 'front row' including her sister were. Trixie levitated the sceptre to the stand and locked it in place. She smiled wickedly to herself as the eyes of the dark King himself became visible, but only to her. Trixie was surprised as she was under the impression that the dark King was 'far too weak to do this'.

"My King, is something wrong?" she asked quietly as the low hum of ponies' voices began to fill the old castle, "Trixie could go and fix it!"

"I sense somepony near" the dark King spoke. "Somepony who was not invited to our little party" he added with a hiss.

"Trixie will send others to check and deal with our unwelcome guest!" the unicorn promised as she signalled for three armor-glad unicorns to move out of the castle. "See?" she confirmed to the dark King.

"That will not be enough, my dear. For you see, I sense many unwelcome ponies closing in ... I also sense somepony who ... 'reminds' me of you" the dark King said. "She is close, with another mare. Ah" Sombra smiled malevolently, "It would seem that it is dear Luna."

Trixie's heart sank. Ivory had brought the Moon Princess along, she thought, how dare her daughter even know of the Princess who rejected the dark King! Trixie thought. "I ... will deal with them!" she said.

"No, you will not ... it would be a waste of our strength. You have already sent three followers away" Trixie's ears folded against her head. "We must act right now" the dark King declared as he sank back into the sceptre.

Trixie moved back to the edge of the stage, gaining all of the unicorns' attention as a small reward. She cleared her throat and made a small spark with her horn. She smiled as she finished her spell. Her voice would now only be heard by her fellow followers and none of those uninvited guests. It would also be louder, so every member heard it loud and clear. "FOLLOWERS OF THE KING SOMBRA!" Trixie addressed everypony. "THE TIME HAS COME FOR OUR KING'S GLORIOUS RETURN" she declared as she took a moment to look across the faces of all the unicorns; they were looking at her, not with a cringe or amusement, but with respect. Trixie guessed they all already knew she would be their Queen.

"YOU WILL ALL PLEDGE A PART OF YOUR SOUL SO THAT OUR KING WILL HAVE HIS STRENGTH!" Trixie commanded the others. "ANYPONY WHO DOES NOT TAKE THE PLEDGE WILL BE DESTROYED" she warned. A few unicorns took half a step back, but they quickly resumed their places. She smiled as she made a small spark appear from her horn. "I COMMAND ALL OF YOU TO JOIN ME, AND USE YOUR MAGIC TO HELP OUR KING RETURN!" The unicorns all cheered and made the same small spark appear from their own horns.

Within seconds, the whole room was filled with brilliant light. Trixie managed to open one of her eyes and looked behind herself, to where the body of Sombra’s form began to rise into the air. She smiled wickedly as the King's infamous eyes began to burn from out of the form, followed by his head, legs, body, and ... wings? Trixie gasped as the dark King finally emerged, fully presented.

Trixie shook her head and spoke. "B-BEHOLD! THE DARK KING!" she announced.

. . .

Outside the castle, Princess Luna and Ivory Wand stopped dead a few metres from the entrance to the castle. The dark blue mare looked down at the young unicorn mare who gazed back up at her. She sighed and shook her head. Suddenly, there was the sound of hoofsteps close behind, Ivory and Luna turned their heads towards the sound as three armor-clad Royals Guards appeared, their faces stony and heads pointed down low.

"What are you doing here?" Luna demanded. The guards didn't respond, but only continued their approach. Luna made her own horn sparkle; she knew she was outnumbered, but maybe if she could buy a few minutes for Ivory, this could be stopped. "I command you to tell me why you are here!" the Princess shouted to the numbed guards. She looked behind her to Ivory, who tried to make her small spark somehow seem threatening. "Ivory, go - go to the castle!" Luna hissed.

"But, what about you?" Ivory questioned as she took a step back.

"Go on, I will be fine" Luna smiled weakly as Ivory nodded and began to gallop away.

The three guards jumped into the air, their horns pointed at the Moon Princess' neck. Suddenly, there was a bone-shattering sound just ahead of the alicorn mare. The Princess gasped as she opened her eyes and found the three guards knocked out just in front of her hooves. "What in Celestia's name ..." the Moon Princess trailed off as the forms of six ponies appeared moving forward.

"Princess Luna!" Luna smiled as the lilac Crown Princess trotted over to her. "We got Celestia's message! You found Wanda!" she gasped.

"Yes, I did" Luna smiled.

"Where is she?" Skylar chirped with Royal hiding behind her. "Is she okay?" the young Princess asked.

"I ... sent her ahead" Luna said quietly.

"Pardon, Princess?" Rarity questioned.

"When the guards showed up, I told her to go to the castle" Luna explained as she looked out to the castle, where she could just see Ivory jumping into the building.

"Alone?" Zephyr and Fancy asked in unison.

"Y...yes, I thought that if I could fight off the guards and give Ivory a chance to get to her mother or the dark King ..." Luna trailed off as all of the small company moved forward to get a view of where the castle stood.

"We have to help her" Skylar said.