<<<2011 Harmonic Era, Canterlot Castle, Twilight POV>>>

Oh how i hated Arcana, but at least he's helping, even if he is the one that took my Element of Harmony, Scootaloo didn't seem that scared of him, in fact she was relaxing on what looked like some sort of Timberwolf, hugging it, which just had the Timberwolf lay down and relax too. I was on my way back to the library where the girls were while going over the riddle in my head.

“Okay, so I know we have to go to Canterlot, then we need to find light within darkness, which is somehow connected to the painted glass, then we need to go to the first place we found, and i guess we already walked the path to get there… though I don't know where it is, then once we do, we’ll find my element, which we can then use to trap Discord in stone.” I think as I open the door, the girls look at me strangely.

“Sugarcube, what's going on? Scootaloo just came in and said somepony important wanted to talk to you near the Everfree then the both of ya just up a vanished on us right quick.” AJ asked, making me forget that I had basically just teleported right after Scootaloo said somepony important.

“Don't worry about it Applejack, but I've got good news girls, somepony told me where the Element of Magic is.” I said getting them to perk up quickly.

“Well where is it darling?” Rarity asks looking for it on me.

“I don't know the exact location yet, as it was given to me in a riddle, and no, Discord didn't talk to me, he's still spreading chaos.” I say before levitating a bag of bits towards me. “Let's just say that the answer is on Canterlot.” I say before walking towards the train station, the girls immediately following.

The trip was quicker than last time, and I went into the castle immediately, knowing the path from when we ran out of the hall, I found Celestia and Luna both talking with worried looks as i came in, they noticed me immediately and smiled.

“Twilight, i was wondering when you were going to defeat Discord, I was just expressing my worries to my sister here when you came in.” Celestia said up to me.

“It's good to see you again too Princess, but sadly we’re on a time limit, and this visit isn't about defeating Discord.” I say hugging her before nodding to the girls, who start to look at the windows quickly, confusing both of them greatly.

“I don't understand, what happened Twilight?” Celestia asks as Luna comes up to me.

“Well… it's a long story, and the simple explanation is kinda long, but since we don't know what we’re looking for, i might as well explain what's happened in the past twenty four hours since you last saw us.” I said as the girls kept up the search.

And explain to them i did, i explained how I was wrong about the labyrinth, how Discord got all of us to turn into our opposites, how we lost his ‘game’, how I was able to return all of us back to normal, how we confronted Discord, how my element was stolen by Arcana, who had saved Discord by doing so, how Discord is still spreading chaos in Ponyville, but slowly expanding outwards, and how Arcana gave me a riddle when he spoke to me, which made Celestia worry.

“Did he do anything to you?” she asks as the girls stop searching to watch us.

“Don't worry princess, he didn't do anything, just speak to me… though he has one strong grip for something that's not an Earth pony.” I say flexing my hand a bit, remembering how easily he caught my hand and grabbed it with the strength of an adult Earth pony stallion.

“Why do you say that Twilight?” Luna asks as she seemed to notice that I was still flexing my hand a bit.

“I may have tried to punch him…” I answered as I relaxed my hand.

“Tried?” AJ asks as she and the rest of the girls came up to us.

“Yes Applejack, tried, he caught my hand before it even reach halfway to his face… he then tightened his grip on my hand, telling me that if I wanted my element, I had to listen, he then gave me the riddle that brought us here.” I explain, getting their attention.

“What was the riddle darling?” Rarity asks, getting me to recall the riddle i was told not half an hour ago.

“The end of Chaos is the beginning of Harmony, your life forever in glass for your courtesy. The light within the dark and the first place you found, the path for you is already unwound. Tread the ground like the night before, and harmony will be forever yours.” I recall easily enough, he had a way with words, I'll give that to Arcana.

They seemed to be taken aback by that, before each one took different looks of deep thought, think about the riddle, I thought about where this riddle was going until I noticed a pattern on the floor, making me look up to my left to see our achievement against Nightmare Moon, who was really Princess… Luna… who was a light within a darkness! Meaning the the element was in the Castle of the Two Sisters! I immediately sprinted out of the room and for the train station, the girls calling for me by the time i was already leaving the castle walls.

“I can't believe it! He brought me to the entrance of where my element is and i didn't even realize it!” I thought as I jumped onto the train just as it was about to depart, which was going through Ponyville before heading towards Manehattan if the map I saw was anything to go by.

It took a little while, but I jumped off the train just as it was passing by Ponyville, i saw the town in a worse scene of Discord’s chaos nature than when we left, but that didn't stop me from traversing towards the Everfree and into the trees. It took a while, but I managed to find the castle and immediately ran for the entrance, only to be blocked by a hooded figure, who I assumed was Arcana.

“Out of my way Arcana, I don't have time to play your game and Discord’s game too.” I said walking to get around him, only for him to punch me, sending me a few feet back. “What the hay!” I say getting up to face him.

“First trial of Magic Ms.Sparkle, Attribute magic, your goal, knock me on my flank without using your magic on me, you get three questions.” the figure said, making me do a double take, as this pony was female.

“Okay… so no magic against you, but can i do magic on myself?” I ask readying a teleport spell to get past her and into the castle.

“Yes, but no teleporting spells unless your life is in danger, two questions.” the figure said, getting me to frown.

“If I don't follow these rules?” I ask, getting her to slump forward.

“Then you will never recover your Element of Magic, final question.” she replied getting me to ready my magic, when a question popped into my head.

“How many tests do i have to go through?” I ask getting ready to fight her, i could see a knowing smile just under the shadows of her hood.

“Four, no more questions left, we begin the test now.” she says before her hands light up in a spell matrix that I wasn't familiar with. “Cat’s Grace.” she says placing her hands on her chest before running at me, I jumped to the side before she could touch me.

“Okay, so i can only increase my natural abilities with my magic, so let's do a speed boost, only a minor one, don't want to go off the edge.” I think before using my magic to increase my speed.

“Good, you know what spells to use, but let's see if you can keep up.” she says before running at me again.

This time I met her charge and swung at her, only for her to twist in a way only a cat could, to dodge it and strike my side, injuring me, but not by much.

“You must give us everything you've got if you wish to pass, now try again.” she says lighting her hands up again. “Bull’s Strength.” she says before the spell faded into her again.

“Everything huh? Very well then, let's do this.” I say enhancing my body with my magic as much as I could before rushing her.

She threw out a punch before i could get close and I tanked it, even if it sent me back a few feet, when I looked up, I could see her standing there in a fighters stance, ready to continue our fight. So was I, so we charged each other, throwing kicks and punches so quickly that from another perspective it would seem that our arms and hooves were blurring in streaks of motion while out bodies were completely visible. We continued like this, each of us hitting each other at random intervals, each one hurting more and more, until i cross kicked her into the door, where she slumped slightly before catching herself against the door.

“Well I'll be, you certainly have a good idea about Attribute magic, and I can no longer stand without the world spinning, so you have completed the task, congratulations Ms.Sparkle, you've passed the first trial of Magic.” she says sitting down against the door.

“Thank you miss…” I say before remembering that i didn't get her name.

“Artimus, it's good to officially meet you Twilight.” she replies before taking out a purple crystal, it floated over to meet, when i looked at her confused, she smiled. “That's proof that you defeated me, there's four pieces, each trial will push you to your limits, maybe even pushing past them, but you better go inside, the next trial awaits.” she explains before standing up and pushing the doors open for me, I nod and enter.

The once ruined castle interior was now in pristine condition, as if it wasn't a thousand years old castle, on the other side of the room stood another figure, who nodded to me before walking to where the hole in the roof shone light from the now… setting sun!? Time must have passed faster than i thought.

“Welcome to the second trial, do you have your proof?” the figure asked, confirming that it was male this time.

I simply showed the V-shaped crystal to him, he nodded before the entire area was engulfed in darkness, except for the circle of light that came from the ceiling.

“Three questions before the second trial of Magic begins, ask now.” I heard from all around me, making me go into the light.

“Okay… what's the trial?” I ask, I know that it was a pointless question, but it helped me prepare.

“Your first trial was Attribute, now it's Instinct, you must fight me without sight, if you manage to hit me ten times, then you pass, no magic will be used during this trial.” he replied, letting me know the basics of what I have to do. “Two questions left.” he said, breaking my thoughts about how to defeat him.

“What are the crystals for?” I ask, feeling the first piece in my pocket.

“Defeat all of us and you will find out, final question.” he replied, making me huff in annoyance, i was hoping that I would get something definite, instead.

“Who planned all of this?” I asked, curious about what the answer was going to be.

“The one you know as Arcana has set this up, to test you, he will be doing this for the rest of the Element bearers at a later date.” the figure responded, making me bristle in rage, Arcana wanted to toy with me. “No more questions, we begin the second trial.” he said before the light around me vanished, leaving me in a dark room, with very little light to see.

This was one of the hardest tests of endurance that I've ever experienced, this pony was running around so quickly that I couldn't hear where he was coming from, only where he was. Meanwhile, he had no difficulty finding and hitting me hard in the dark area, my eyes were slowly adjusting, but not fast enough for me to find him, until i saw something flying at my head out of the corner of my eye, I ducked before it could hit me.

“Good job, you finally dodged a punch, now let's see if you can continue this and get ten hits on me.” he remarked before i stood up and stayed in place.

I had been running all over the place to avoid him, but i always got hit before I could do anything.

“You know, this is definitely one of the hardest things I've had to endure.” I said into the darkness, only to feel something coming from behind, to which I kicked back and felt contact.

“One down, nine to go, and if this is the worst you've endured, then you truly are pathetic, as not only are the remaining trials harder than this one, but there are creatures that not even your princesses could defeat, we have faced demons that would make any villain you go up against look like a cute little puppy, even Discord, and he’s Chaos incarnate.” he replied, vanishing from my limited sight.

It continued like this for what felt like days before I managed to hit him a tenth time, making the darkness retreat, revealing that it was now midnight, the girls and the princesses were most likely worried for me.

“Congratulations young unicorn, you have passed the second trial of Magic, and therefore, the second crystal is yours.” he says as an identical version of the first crystal floated over to me, I placed it into my other pocket.

“Thank you sir… but i have to rest before going through the other two trials.” say as i sit at the base of the statue that first held the Elements of Harmony.

“Of course Ms.Sparkle, rest, nothing will trouble you here.” the male said before i dozed off into a dreamless sleep.

Author's Note

Part two of Chapter 11... which makes 12... wow, i didn't think id make 12 chapters already.

Anyways, as always, stay terrifying my lovely little night terrors!