The Alicorn Warrior

Chapters

Act I - Chapter 1- Discovery and Revelations
Act I - Chapter 2 - Arrival and Combat
Act I - Chapter 3 - The Calling Out
Act I - Chapter 4 - Answers for One, Please!
Act I - Chapter 5 - Breaking the Chains
Act I - Chapter 6 - Beginnings(Rewrite)
Act I - Chapter 7 - Small Talk
Act I - Chapter 8 - Past Enemies
Act I - Chapter 9 - Fights and Feelings
Act I - Chapter 10 - Trickery
Act 1 - Chapter 11 - Aftermath
Act I - Chapter 12 - I...See...You...
Act I - Chapter 14 - Consequences
Act I - Chapter 15 - Unforeseen Circumstances
Act I - Chapter 16 - Polar Opposites(Rewrite)
Act I - Chapter 17 - An Unanticipated Lesson
Interlude - Nothing is What it Seems
Interlude - Analysis
Act I - Chapter 18 - Bleeding Hearts
Act I - Chapter 19 - The Traveler and the Goddess
Act I - Chapter 20 - The Assassin and the Showmare
Act I - Chapter 21 - The Showmare and the Resistance
Act I - Chapter 22 - The Named and the Lies
Act I - Chapter 23- Under the Mask
Act I - Chapter 24 - Shadows of the Star
Final Update. Chapter 25?
Prologue(Rewrite)
Act I - Chapter 13 - The Room of Treasures

Act I - Chapter 1- Discovery and Revelations

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Co-authored by computerneek
Edited by Skittlebug

Chapter 1: Discovery and Revelations

It might have been a valley of little more than rock and dirt in the sweltering sun of a Badlands afternoon, but that didn’t stop the local populace from flourishing. Dragons, kirins, and ponies alike wandered the valley floor, exploring a marketplace made up of similarly varied vendors. There was no law to break in the Badlands, so many of the products sold would have been confiscated by the border patrol of most countries. Not that it mattered - anypony desperate enough to come here had been banished from the League of Nations, led by Equestria, and so couldn’t cross the border anyways.

This was not so for a group of six ponies and a dragon walking in one end of the marketplace. Many of the existing shoppers ignored them; one or two opportunistic ponies approached them, believing them to be new banishees, from their disheveled appearances. They declined all the ‘help’ offered, though, and shopped around for a few minutes before huddling together outside a cafe that served enchanted drinks.

"Ah don't think she’d be here, Rainbow,” Applejack muttered, glancing nervously around the valley; there was something about this place that put her on edge. “This place is just screaming dangerous to me.”

"Well, it’s the best lead we’ve got so far,” Rainbow answered, also glancing around nervously. “This place is on my nerves too- but at this point, it’s probably the only place we haven’t looked.”

“And the first place we’ve been to that doesn’t appear on any map,” Pinkie scowled, her mane hanging uncharacteristically flat against her neck. It’d been doing that a lot. “I feel like a party wouldn’t be welcome here.”

“It took us the better part of four years to find this town,” Starlight grumbled. “What’re the chances Twilight is here?” She paused. “Yes, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy, who had been trying to gain her friends’ attention in the least attention-grabbing manner possible, flinched at the sudden attention. “Somepony was talking about being unable to see a match with ‘Sparkle’ at the hotel over there.” She pointed a hoof.

“A match?” Rarity asked. “What kind of… match?” She spoke the word with a certain flair of distaste.

“That’d have to be a gladiatorial battle,” Starlight scowled. “We already know those are pretty popular around here.” She glanced at Rainbow. “Dash, were there any arenas in the area?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nope. I can check again, though.”

“Let’s hope that’s not necessary,” Applejack muttered, and stepped slightly aside to stop another patron on his way past them, into the cafe. “Hello, Sir- we were interested in watching the match, but seem to have lost the info. Could you point us to it…?”

The patron, a grey earth stallion with a grumpy facial expression, snorted. “We don’t have an arena here,” he stated. “Too flashy. It’s twenty leagues due east. All the brochures are at the Arena.”

“Got it, thank you,” Applejack nodded her head thankfully, and withdrew; the stallion continued on his way. She turned back to her friends, the pinkest of which now had a slightly fluffy mane. “Here’s hoping we’re not chasing shadows… again.”

Starlight nodded. “Celestia help us.”

The better part of four years earlier...

Starlight Glimmer checked the clock on the wall once again, and scowled at the door. “Lesson one, and you’re late,” she grumbled. “Unless…” She shook her head. “No, you wouldn’t have forgotten about it. And you wouldn’t be avoiding me either, I think. So why half an hour…?”

Finally tired of talking to herself in an empty library, she trotted out. Perhaps Twilight had meant to refer to a different one of the Castle’s four separate libraries- something which made no sense to her, since they could be made into a single, larger library without issue- when she’d told her where her first lesson would take place.

But as she checked the various libraries, they were all empty.

As she walked steadily up the passage from the fourth one, Starlight couldn’t help but feel like something was… off. She checked the kitchen as she passed; empty. She knocked on Twilight’s bedroom, no response.

She pushed the door open.

Empty.

Where had Twilight gone?

She cantered down to the Cutie Map. That would tell her.

She was feeling distinctly uneasy.

She quickly cast her spell on the map.

Nothing.

Twilight was out of range.

Which shouldn’t have been possible- this thing could find anypony on the entire continent!

She had just barely drawn in her breath to call for Spike when it happened.

She felt her Cutie Mark respond to the magic of the Map. It was calling her.

Seven cutie marks formed over the map- no, six; the last one was Spike’s head.

Five of the six Elements of Harmony were represented in the floating symbols. Twilight’s Mark was absent, having been replaced by her own.

The seven symbols spread out and started circling the entire map.

The entire map.

At the same time, to Starlight’s horror, Twilight’s throne darkened, the purple gemstone fading to grey.

Spike trotted in, stifling a yawn. “Mornin’, Starlight,” he greeted. “Got a call from the…” He trailed off, staring at the map.

Starlight looked back at it. “Twilight’s gone.”

Right at that moment, Twilight’s cutie mark appeared, right on top of the Castle- then whisked off towards the badlands, and faded into nothing about halfway there, before repeating.

“Is that a clue?” Spike asked, jumping up on the table to look.

“Spike,” Starlight muttered, half-stunned. “Take a letter. To Princess Celestia.”

It took Spike about three seconds to retrieve a quill and parchment from his mini-throne. “Got it.”

Princess Celestia arrived in a flare of bright golden light at about the same time as Applejack, the last Element Bearer to arrive, trotted in the door. “What in tarnation-?” Applejack began, staring at the Cutie Map spectacle.

“Twilight is gone,” Starlight stated, without preamble, before looking up at Princess Celestia.

Princess Celestia looked… vulnerable.

“What-?” Starlight asked. “Princess Celestia?”

Princess Celestia took a deep breath, tears rolling down her face. “I… I made a horrible mistake,” she stated.

“What is it?” Rarity asked.

“I…” Celestia began. “I banished Twilight last night. F-For using time magic.”

Starlight blinked. “That-!” she began, but Celestia cut her off.

“That was a terrible mistake,” Celestia declared. “And-!” She took a deep, shuddering breath.

“That was me,” Starlight stated. “I used the time magic, and nearly destroyed Equestria in the process. If you want to banish me instead, go ahead. Everypony knows I deserve it.”

Celestia stared for a second. “And compound my mistake? Absolutely not!” Her voice had some steel in it as she refused, but that quickly disappeared again. “When I did it, I was… influenced. I don’t know what did it- banishment is a last resort, and time magic has a habit of punishing its own abusers, so I don’t usually enforce it. But something- something made me banish her.” She sighed towards Starlight. “Meaning, even if I hadn’t made such a mistake, I would never banish you for time magic.”

“Well, can’t you just, you know, un-banish her?” Rainbow asked.

“I can’t,” Celestia stated. “The magic of Equestria doesn’t know her. That’s why the Element of Magic has gone dormant.” She gestured towards Twilight’s throne. “She can’t enter our land unless the magic of the land knows her. And the only way to teach it about her…” She took another deep breath, visibly steeling herself. “I… I have a mission for you. For all of you.” She looked across them. “I… I will make you seven Wardens of the Land. Your mission… is to find Twilight, and bring her back.”

“But if she can’t cross-?” Starlight began, leaving the rest unsaid.

She nodded. “The… the only way to teach the magic of her once again… is for a Warden of the Land to touch her whilst standing on Equestrian soil.” She looked across them. “That is your mission.”

“That sounds simple enough,” Spike stated. “Where is she?”

“I have no idea,” Celestia informed them. She looked at the map. “That… looks like a clue, but she could be anywhere out there. One moment.” She closed her eyes, and her horn glowed brightly.

Back in Modern Times…

Six mares and a dragon stopped on the approach to the massive arena they’d finally located, after almost two full days of hiking east.

“Listen,” Rarity, who had signaled for them to stop, hissed.

They all went silent, and listened. They could hear a chant coming from the distant arena.

“Spar-kle! Spar-kle! Spar-kle!”

It repeated over and over.

“Well,” Rainbow muttered. “We’ve found something named Sparkle. That’s new.”

Everyone looked at her.

She looked back at them. “Let’s get moving!” she barked, and took to the air with a shockwave of rainbow energy.

Draw out the fight, Twilight told herself. Give them what they want. They’ll pay better.

She really didn’t like participating in these fights, but Celestia had thrown her out, and she had been unable to reach her friends- it was all she had left.

And even if she had been able to reach her friends, it wasn’t like she could cross the border back into Equestria. Her biggest regret was that she had never been able to say goodbye.

She expertly dodged the massive dragon’s smashing claw, and snarled at it. “Close one,” she stated aloud, even though it was actually nothing of the sort; she’d only made it look like it was one.

The spectators roared. They loved the style she’d developed, where she’d make it look like she was losing, before becoming ‘desperate’, turning the tide, and winning by the slimmest of margins, She only rarely killed or permanently injured her opponents; usually, she was able to knock them out… which had the extra effect of looking like she was only barely strong enough to defeat them.

Over the noise of the spectators, she heard a sudden boom in the distance. A sudden, familiar boom.

She dodged the next swipe on autopilot, sending a magic pulse out to scan the area around the arena. That could not have been a Sonic Rainboom.

Her pulse got back.

It was.

Twilight’s game had suddenly changed. Her friends- the other Element Bearers- must be nearby. And, for their own safety, she could not allow them to interfere with this fight. Which, she knew they would try. Just like she would, had she walked in on Rainbow fighting a gladiatorial battle in the Badlands.

Fortunately, that was fairly easy. None of them had entered the arena, or its immediate airspace, just yet- so a simple dome shield over the entire thing was enough.

She flapped out of her draconian opponent’s reach. One of his wings had been chopped in half during a fight with another dragon the month before, rendering him flightless. She gazed at him, sized him up… and realized that taking into the air had been a stroke of genius. Her goal had shifted to ending the fight as quickly as possible, without letting on that anything had changed- and the old dragon had attempted to follow her into the air, only to crash right back to the ground on his injured wing.

“Ah-Hah!” she announced, flying higher to avoid his fire breath and conjuring magic missiles with which to bombard him. The discovery of a crippling weakness would always bring a swift end to a fight.

He still put up an impressive fight. She made it look like she had to maneuver hard to avoid his fire breath, flapping at least three times as often as was necessary for the maneuvers she was performing. The crowd roared, chanting her name continuously. She felt a couple of impacts against her shield, then another signature she’d memorized so long ago.

Starlight Glimmer had come as well, and was trying to find a way through her shield.

She used a rapid sequence of completely ineffective magic missiles to shroud herself in confusion. While they were ongoing, she layered her spellwork, teleporting a quill, parchment, and ink to her. She scrawled just two words on the parchment, before teleporting all three away once again… though the parchment went straight to Starlight, rather than back to where it had come from.

Starlight was, after all, the only one that might have a chance of penetrating her shield.

Wait.

-Twilight.

Author's Note

Chapter 1 has been rewritten, so if you didn't read it yet, reload page or something.

Act I - Chapter 2 - Arrival and Combat

Author's Note

Chapter 2's finally released! Thanks for your patience! Chapter 1 has undergone a complete rewrite with the help of my co-author, computerneek, so go check that out to follow chapter 2. Hope you enjoy and leave a comment if there's anything wrong. Stay safe!

Act I - Chapter 2 - Arrival and Combat

The Alicorn Warrior
Written by iAmSiNnEr
Edited by Skittlebug
Co-authored by computerneek
Chapter 2- Arrival and Combat

Wham!

Rainbow slammed into the lavender dome of energy over the arena mere moments after it appeared, and fairly bounced off of it, falling to the ground. “Ow owowowow,” she complained, rubbing her forehead with one hoof while Rarity put her down with her magic, having caught her short of an even more painful landing.

“How many times do ya have to do that, Rainbow?” Applejack asked. “At least this time, somepony stopped you from charging right in and involving yourself with the battle!”

“But Twilight’s in there,” Rainbow argued back. “We have to help her!”

“But it might be Twilight in there,” Applejack corrected. “And if she is, she’s been living out here for years, and can take care of herself for a few more minutes.” She sighed, and turned to Starlight. “On that topic, do you think you can get us through this barrier- to at least see what’s going on in there?”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “If you want to see, just have Rainbow fly over the dome and look in. But…” Her horn glowed, and she nodded. “Yep, this is Twilight’s magic, all right. And if she’s locking us out, she both has a reason to do that… and knows we’re here.” She glanced up at Rainbow. “She probably expected you to come charging into something dangerous, and acted to stop that. Very possibly saved your life, Dash.” She sighed, looking at the barrier. “I’m going to make an opening for us, then we’re going to walk through to watch from afar, no matter what is going on in there. Twilight can obviously take care of herself right now, and we won’t be of any use if we get ourselves killed.” She angled her horn down, and fired a beam of energy into the barrier.

Rainbow scowled, looking at Starlight’s beam; it didn’t disappear, maintaining a continuous presence. “Are you done yet?”

“Patience, Dash,” Starlight ordered. “I think I can break through it, but the only way I’m getting in within the next hour or so is if she lowers the barrier. So I’m not even trying to mask my spell from her.”

Then, there was a sudden pop of air, right in Starlight’s face. Her spell shattered in moments, and she leaped backwards with a small scream of surprise.

“Whazzat?” Pinkie Pie asked, her mane mostly puffy once again- it’d been getting progressively puffier ever since Starlight had confirmed the origin of the barrier.

Starlight snatched the piece of parchment out of the air with her magic and, breathing deeply to calm herself down, examined it. “She… She wants us to wait.”

“Wait?” Rainbow demanded. “What for?”

“Hay if I know,” Starlight barked back. “But she’s obviously got a reason. We’re going to wait for her.” She glanced at the arena. “Here, where she’ll know where to find us.” She placed the parchment flat on the sand in front of her, where everypony could see it, and Rarity broke out her picnic basket.

“Get down here!”

“Can’t catch me!” Twilight pranced back and forth in midair, taunting the massive dragon. Now that he’d revealed his weakness, she needed to make him feel like he was winning- then, he’d get careless, and give her an opportunity. And as usual with dragons, the first step was to get him to blow fire. Once he did- she was well within the range of his fire breath- she could exhibit a little bit of panic, let him get full of himself, and take him down a peg.

That was what she did, and what gave her the charm, in the people’s eyes. No matter who she was up against, she started by sparring close, with a fair fight. Then, when she got bored, she’d push them to reveal a weakness she’d spotted to the entire audience, and exploit that weakness to infuriate them, get them to reveal a hidden strength. Then she’d play victim, get them to overestimate themselves, and win.

That was, perhaps, the main reason they loved her so much. That worked every time. She knew there were dozens- even hundreds- of betting pools going around, about exactly how much it would take to stand up to the Sneaky Sparkle, as she’d come to be called. And every one of her opponents, over the last year and a half or so, had been utterly convinced that they wouldn’t fall for her ploy.

She did a quick barrel roll, showing off her maneuverability while she rained little magical firebolts on the dragon. “Can’t Catch MeeeeEEEeeeEEEeee,” she sang.

But that was why she fought normally for the first while: That gave her more than enough time to read them.

The dragon roared in fury. Gotcha! She told herself- then effortlessly tracked the edge of his following fireball with the very tip of her tail, while yipping in feigned terror. The dragon snarled, grinning, and started blasting fire at her, bolt after bolt.

She let her attacks fall off completely as she wove her way through the air, dodging columns of fire. A few times, she deliberately crashed into something, and waited to ‘recover’ until just barely in time.

“Ah-Hah!” the dragon announced, between gouts of fire. “You’re toast!”

She sighed as she dodged the next couple fireballs, then used another couple as cover as she dove to the ground behind him. He’d gotten careless, and was firing randomly into the air. She looked around at the stands, made a quick pose for the crowd, and turned to start building a large, flashy magic ring in midair, facing the massive dragon.

The crowd went wild. They knew she’d already won, and he just didn’t realize it yet. There’d only been once when she’d had to resume fighting after reaching this point.

Her ring was standing, and she was yawning exaggeratedly to the crowd, for a whopping ten seconds before the dragon stopped blowing fire to taunt her again. “Ha Ha,” he jeered. “How was that? You still alive up…” He started looking around. “Where’d you go?”

“This is boring,” she complained loudly.

He yipped like a terrified puppy as he spun in a circle, lashing out with one claw. He knew as well as she did that the fight was over.

Before he got to her, though, she activated her ring. She blew him clear across the arena, wrapped in thaumic lightning bolts. Perhaps her favorite thing about her draconian opponents was that they could tolerate a lot more abuse than anything else.

When he landed and slid to a stop, he lay where he fell, completely unconscious, but still largely unharmed. She posed for the crowd, and listened for the announcer.

It seemed to take them forever. “And the Sneaky Sparkle has vanquished her challenger once again!”

The announcer went on to discuss some of the other attractions going on that day, but Twilight ignored it, instead heading for the door out of the arena at a casual trot. She knew the crowd knew she was powerful enough to blow her opponents to dust with her opening move- but where was the fun in that?

And besides. Starlight hadn’t drilled at her shield since she’d sent that note, though she had registered a few impacts from the air. Probably Rainbow Dash, watching the fight and fearing for her.

She stepped out of the ring, underneath the stands, and turned down the empty passage. Her work here wasn’t done yet- but while she’d been amusing herself with the dragon, she’d thought of a way, time, and place for her to meet her friends.

Well… old friends. She wasn’t sure if she could even still call them friends, after the years of silence. She certainly missed them, and hoped that they hadn’t gotten themselves thrown out of Equestria as well. Whether they had or not, this was all she had. She couldn’t abandon it for them.

She made a quick glance up and down the passage- it was clear. She summoned her writing tools and a fresh piece of parchment, wrote one word and a code- “Meet 3d”- and scrawled a quick map on it, and sent them back away before checking the passage again. She never knew when someone would come looking for her- and out here, she never spoke to anyone that wasn’t very important. That made the fights with her even more of an attraction, since that was all they ever saw of her- and her fans always wanted more.

As such, she was actually pretty rich, and wasn’t sure what to spend it on any more. Even when she disguised herself and hit the town, she couldn’t spend anywhere near as much as they paid her. She was, after all, the biggest attraction in this part of the Badlands… and was starting to attract more fans from further away. Two entire settlements had already sprung up nearby because of her.

She was sure she could force her way back into Equestria. She’d examined the magic that was blocking her a few times- and had only stopped when she’d remembered that Celestia had thrown her out, and hadn’t let her back in. She was clearly unwanted, and hadn’t wanted to start a war with her mentor.

A door next to her opened, and the stagemaster stepped out of it, yawning. He paused. “... Twilight,” he muttered, surprised. “You’re done early.”

“He was a pushover,” she shrugged. “With one wing clipped, I couldn’t draw out the fight for very long.” She sighed. “I was thinking about taking a vacation in a few days, perhaps spend a couple weeks exploring the desert. That going to be okay?”

“As if I could stop you,” he shrugged, then glanced back at his desk. “I was going to ask you to do something like that soon anyways- the Arena has been at capacity for every one of your fights all month, and it’ll give us some much-needed time to expand the thing.” He looked back up at her. “Feel like stretching your vacation to a full month? If so, we can probably account for future growth at the same time.”

She tilted her head contemplatively. On the one hoof, she’d have more time to help her friends, if they happened to have been banished as well. On the other hoof, she’d have no income for a whole month.

She grinned, silently berating herself. At her current expense levels, she had more than enough to comfortably last her- she did some quick mental math- six years. That wouldn’t be an issue at all.

“Yeah, why not?” she chuckled. “So, I know I’ve already got a match for the day after tomorrow, but shall we call it after that?”

He nodded. “Yeah, there’s nothing else on the docket right now. Had another potential contestant in my office earlier, while you were winding that dragon up, but he wasn’t sure yet.”

“Really?” she asked. “What was he?”

He shrugged. “Weak little pegasus with an artificial wing and a major limp. You could probably laugh him out of the ring.” He tilted his head. “As a matter of fact, he didn’t look much better than Quick Leash did when you were done with him.”

Twilight wrinkled her nose. Quick Leash had been the master of this arena when she’d first been captured- and he’d forced her to kill a lot of times. Now, though, there had been a change in management after she broke free of her metaphorical chains and dealt with Quick Leash. Everyone thought it was Hard Line, her stagemaster- but no, it was actually she who was in charge, who had completely reinvented the battle concept and drawn in thousands more spectators than any other arena. Most of the money they made went right back into the Arena, for the renovation and maintenance fund.

“Did he really think he’d stand a chance?”

Hard Line nodded. “Yep. I think I got him convinced, though- he said something about a friend being willing to fight for him. Your reputation for drawing out the best and the worst in each of your opponents, and leaving them alive at the end, has gone far.”

She nodded. “I’m glad.”

Act I - Chapter 3 - The Calling Out

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Act I - Chapter 4 - Answers for One, Please!

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Skittlebug

Co-authored by computerneek

Chapter 4- Answers for One, Please!

“She’s Twilight.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, the Sneaky Sparkle is properly named Twilight Sparkle. She’s just… Well, she has a reputation. You’d have to see one of her matches to understand it, though- it’s like… She has this power, but she doesn’t use it. Frankly, she doesn’t need to- she’s got her technique down pat.” Then she scowled. “Though it seems to change with each match, it still follows the same general pattern every time. Makes it very hard to follow, at times, but I’ve managed to learn quite a bit.”

She spotted more than one raised eyebrow, before Rainbow spoke.

“So… How would somepony talk to… her?”

She winced. “For most? You don’t. She only ever meets with the truly important ponies. That said, the Arena has been shut down for a month, for expansion- so it’s entirely possible you could run into her on the street or out in the desert somewhere.” She paused to take a breath. “So, does anypony or drake else want something to drink, or…?” She gestured with her notebook.

“Ahh… Can we talk, or…?” Rarity asked, seeming uncertain.

She rolled her eyes. “Well of course, I own the place and it’s not too busy right now anyways. But if Pinkie is to get her food, I’m going to need to tell my cook what to make.”

“So,” Cold Cuts began, sounding confused as Twilight returned to the kitchen. “I… guess they’re customers? But…”

She shrugged. “They’re old friends of the Sneaky Sparkle. It seems they were hoping to meet her here, but, well, you know.”

He nodded. “I do. So, how did you get those menus…?”

“Hmm? Oh, that? It’s a sacred art, called Menu-do. Only the finest servers can ever manage it, let alone master it.”

He blinked a couple of times. “... Okay. So, what’d they get?”

That was one of the things she liked about him: He never asked too many questions, and always respected the strengths of others- including the ones he couldn’t understand. In practice, that meant he thought she knew a very large number of ‘sacred arts’ that were actually accidentally-cast magic spells. At least that one had been planned.

“Mostly drinks, but we’ve also got a food order already. The pink one- her name is Pinkie Pie- must’ve memorized the menu last time they were here. She wants a daisy banana cream pie.”

“That’s the one you invented, isn’t it?” He chuckled. “It’s been pretty popular.”

She smiled. “Yep. Anyways, she also asked for a pumpkin cream sundae, and the others are reading their menus, so…” She shrugged her wings, trotting over to one of the counters to start making the sundae. It’d only take her a minute- and Pinkie’s pie would take a lot longer than that for him to make.

“Well,” Starlight muttered, lifting and opening her menu. “We’ve found her.”

Rainbow opened her menu flat on the table. “But what next? We can’t exactly drag her back to Equestria.”

Rarity, however, looked at Starlight. “When you say she’s Twilight, how sure are you?”

Starlight looked back, and spoke in a low tone. “Very. Same magic signature as that shield three days ago. But she obviously doesn’t want us yakking about it here, so order something. She’ll probably come find us on the street or in the desert sometime, as she said.”

“She seems… different,” Fluttershy muttered.

“Of course,” Starlight answered promptly. “She’s been out here, all alone, for the last four years. We’ve had each other, but even we have changed some. At least they didn’t make her kill that poor dragon.”

“Well of course not,” Gusty Serenity stated so suddenly that everypony jumped, trotting up with Pinkie’s sundae balanced on a wingtip. “Nobody has to fight the Sneaky Sparkle. At least, not any more. And she never kills… well, anymore.”

“Anymore?” Starlight asked.

“Well yeah. When she first arrived at the Arena, she was dragged in by Quick Leash and his gang, and they forced her to kill or be killed.” She shrugged her wings without upsetting Pinkie’s sundae, and held it out to Pinkie, who accepted it in an oddly normal manner. “Two months later, she adjusted, and turned on him. Hundreds had tried before her, all to no avail- but that time, lots of griffins died, and there was a change in management. Now, Hard Line runs the place- and now, nobody is forced to fight- they go in voluntarily.

“You can challenge anybody in that Arena, if you want- and as long as they’re willing to take you on, you can fight them in a contest of strength. Then of course, Sparkle is willing to take anyone on- though Hard Line will try to dissuade the ones that won’t have even a snowflake’s chance in Tartarus, like that poor stallion Sparkle knocked unconscious last year by greeting him from behind.”

“... Wait,” Rainbow muttered. “She knocked somepony out by greeting him?”

She nodded. “Yep. I was there. It was a very… short match. He marched his way into the middle of the Arena, yelling for her like all the idiots do.” She shrugged. “We call ‘em idiots because when they do that, they then proceed to lose in a really silly way within five minutes or less. Like this stallion. She, as she always does, entered the Arena after he did. I think she raised an eyebrow at him, before slipping around behind him- she moved through the shadows, so he didn’t see her- and walking up behind him. Then…” She paused.

Fluttershy squeaked, and hid behind her mane.

“She… whacked him from behind?” Rainbow suggested.

“Oooh! Oooh! Oooh!” Pinkie said, waving one hoof in the air, half-eaten sundae held in her other hoof. “She threw him a party!”

Spike raised an eyebrow.

“... Presumably, she greeted him,” Starlight deadpanned.

Gusty nodded. “Yep! She just said ‘Good morning’ in a normal, conversational tone. He screamed, and leaped into the air… then fell down flat and didn’t move. She poked him a couple times, shrugged, and trotted back out of the Arena with her victory.” She paused to look around at them. “Um, did you want to order some food, or no?”

Silence held for about three seconds.

“Uhh,” Rainbow muttered.

“I mean,” Gusty shrugged her wings. “This is a cafe.”

“How about,” Spike muttered, browsing through his menu. “This… gem souffle?”

“Gem souffle?” Rarity repeated.

“That’s not even possible,” Rainbow stated.

“Uh, yes it is,” Gusty stated simply- then she flipped Rainbow’s menu over, and pointed at one of the little list entries on the back. “See? Right there. It’s in the main portion of the dragon menu, since it’s actually edible for them. But Cold Cuts back there is a pretty good gem chef, according to the few draconian customers we’ve had. I think the average is four point six one three stars.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “What about for pony food?”

She smiled back. “That one starts with four point nine seven and has twelve decimal digits.”

“... Right. Um…” She flicked quickly through her menu. “Nothing I’m familiar with in here, so… I’ll take whatever you’d recommend, I guess.” Then she looked at Pinkie. “And how did you order the one pie in the entire menu off the top of your head?”

Pinkie shrugged, then spoke in time with Gusty. “A hunch.”

Then Pinkie turned to Gusty. “Wait a minute.”

She grinned. “A hunch to that too. And that. Perhaps you should watch some of Sneaky Sparkle’s matches sometime.”

“Definitely,” Pinkie agreed, before upending the remainder of her sundae into her maw.

Then Gusty looked at Starlight. “And she probably picked it because it’s the one item on the menu that I invented myself. Well… the one pony-edible item on the menu.” She grinned at Spike. “Gem souffles didn’t exist either, until I arrived on the scene.”

“Well then,” Rarity flicked her mane, opened her menu… scowled, paged through it, and sighed, laying it flat. “I must admit, that pie is the only thing in this menu that I recognize, both from Equestria and from elsewhere in the Badlands. So…” She shrugged. “Chef’s recommendation, I guess.”

Gusty chuckled. “Oh, this’ll be a fun one.” She scribbled something on her notepad.

Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at each other.

“I’ll take…” Rainbow poked randomly at her menu, which still lay face down on the table. “That.”

Gusty snorted. “No you won’t. Have you even read what it is?”

“Huh?”

“That’s roasted cockatrice feathers, Dash.”

Rainbow practically leaped backwards, right off her seat. “It’s WHAT?”

“Roasted cockatrice feathers,” she repeated. “Not only that, but it’s impressively toxic to ponies. You’d turn to gravel before you finished the first bite… then catch fire.”

“Oh boy,” a voice trailed in, from the direction of the kitchen. “What happened this time?” It was the chef, trotting out with Pinkie’s pie- and glancing at Rainbow, lying flat on the ground.

“Uh-!” Rainbow began, flipping herself upright.

Gusty chuckled. “She stabbed at the back of the menu.”

Cold Cuts let out a snort of laughter. “Oh boy. What’d she get?”

“Nononono!” Rainbow yelped.

“Fried ‘Trice.”

He laughed. “Yeah, definitely not. That’s only even edible to Smoozes anyways.”

Gusty chuckled again. “Eh. But don’t worry, we got enough fun coming. Already got a server’s recommendation and a chef’s recommendation coming.”

He grinned, hoofing Pinkie her pie. “Yeah, that will be fun, won’t it?”

“Well of course, what kind of party wouldn’t be fun?” Pinkie asked.

“The Grand Galloping Gala,” Gusty answered instantly.

Pinkie flinched, then nodded in agreement.

Cold Cuts wrinkled his nose. “I never could stand galas either. That’s actually why I left Equestria- they kept asking me to go to those terrible things, no matter what I did!”

“Wait. You left Equestria? I thought you were banished!”

He shrugged. “Well yeah. Every fifteen minutes or so, there’d be some new gala that somepony would want me to attend. And I got so sick and tired of ‘em that I figured I could make it by myself a little further from civilization.” He shrugged. “Glad I ran into you, Gusty. Finally got back to doing what I enjoy.”

Rarity gasped. “You- You’re- You’re The Cooking Baron!”

He rolled his eyes. “I was The Cooking Baron, yes. But I haven’t been for almost ten years now, and I don’t plan on going back. I’m staying here, as Gusty’s chef Cold Cuts, and anypony with a Gala invitation is going to be served fried ‘Trice.”

Everypony shuddered. Even Gusty did.

Then he shrugged. “Not really, I’m not homicidal. And it’s a bit stupid to shoot the messenger anyways, especially with Sneaky Sparkle’s occasional crime sweeps. But their answer is always going to be a no.”

“Crime sweeps?” Rainbow asked.

“Yep,” Gusty nodded soberly. “Every once in a while, the Sneaky Sparkle will show up at some town or another, silent as a ghost, and enforce the rules for a little. Nobody ever knows when she’ll show up, nor where- we’ve tried, but we can’t find a pattern. She’s only been through this town a dozen times that I know of, in the last few years, but she could be by anytime. And rumor has it she’s around a lot more often than people realize, since there isn’t always someone breaking the local law.” She scowled. “And by the time anyone realizes she’s there, she’s gone.”

“As for me,” Cuts sighed. “I just wish she’d stop by to have a bite sometime. See what the great Sneaky Sparkle thinks of my cooking.” He shrugged. “Whelp, I’ll be in the kitchen, whipping up a Chef’s Recommendation.” He said it like it was the name of a dish. “Lemme know when you got the rest of the order, alright?” He trotted back to the kitchen.

Rainbow watched him go. “... That has so got to happen.”

Gusty nodded, a mischievous grin developing. “Yes, yes it has.” Then she tilted her head. “And I think I forgot to pick up a notice from the Arena, so I’ll know when they open it up again, too.”

Applejack grinned as well. “Ought to be fun. You heading out as soon as we finish, or…?”

Gusty shrugged her wings. “I was thinking I’d take everypony’s orders up to him, then let him take over while I took care of that, actually.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay, here, have an update!

Act I - Chapter 5 - Breaking the Chains

Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait, everyone! Really was just fresh out of ideas and had some things to do irl. Hope you enjoy my longest chapter yet!
Also, prologue has been rewritten, with the fight removed to be added back in a flashback.
I've also been interviewed by a friend, Nailah! Go check out the interview here!

The interview is in a roleplay style, so be warned!

Act I - Chapter 5 - Breaking the Chains

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Co-authored by computerneek

Chapter 5- Breaking the Chains

The cafe was relatively quiet after Gusty Serenity left. A couple of other ponies showed up to place orders, and some kitchen help showed up as well. Nopony bothered the six mares and the dragon, though—save for Cold Cuts, when he delivered their food; it all smelled really good—and asked if they’d like anything else. Their answer had been no.

Eventually, Starlight broke the silence. “So, who all wonders if Twilight is actually going to show up?”

Pinkie looked at her incredulously. “Well of course she is! She said she would! And you know, breaking a promise is one of the fastest ways to lose a friendship…” She inhaled dramatically- and then a young mare from a nearby table bounded over to say the last word with her. “FOREVERRRRR!”

Starlight looked at the strange mare. “Uh… Who are you?”

The mare blinked. “What-? Oh, me? I’m Serene Peace.” She took a deep breath and turned to Pinkie. “Were you imitating the Great Sparkle? I love it when she does that!”

Starlight couldn’t help but notice when a mare, passing their table on her way in, used a purple hoof to draw her cloak just a little bit tighter when she heard that.

Pinkie blinked. Applejack spoke. “Imitating the Sneaky Sparkle?” she asked.

“Uh, no, not the Sneaky Sparkle, though lotsa ponies call her that. She’s the Great Sparkle to me.” She had a lot of energy in her, definitely. “It took absolutely forever for ponies to figure out not to promise to beat her in the Arena because every time they do…” She stopped herself, and seemed to deflate, almost exactly like Pinkie Pie. “... Ponies usually complain about me explaining,” she muttered.

“Ah, no, we won’t,” Starlight announced quickly, and at least a little bit distractedly; the cloaked figure had disappeared somewhere, and she couldn’t figure out where. “What happens?”

This brought Serene Peace back to her alarmingly Pinkie-like energy levels. “Oooh, ooh ooh ooh!” She bounced up and down.

Pinkie joined her. “It’d start with the contestant being all ‘I promise I will beat you’,” she told Serene.

“How’d you know that?” Serene asked, tilting her head. “I mean if you’re asking…”

Pinkie shrugged. “A hunch.”

“Don’t mind her,” Starlight informed Serene. “She does that to everypony.”

Serene giggled. “Hey, I do it too! Sometimes. But then, the Great Sparkle would be like ‘You know, I wouldn’t advise a promise like that. You don’t know if you can keep it’.” Her serious face made even Fluttershy giggle. “And they’d be like ‘Well, of course, I can keep it!’ And the Great Sparkle would be like ‘You know, breaking a promise is one of the fastest ways to lose a friendship’...” She trailed off, then leaned to the side and put her hoof up, to make an aside. “This is where she beats them down in three seconds or less, wins the fight, and poses over them.” Then she straightened up again, took a deep breath, and spoke with Pinkie.

“FOREVERRRRR!”

Then all three of them smiled.

And the third one, a cloaked figure with a mask that had just appeared next to Serene, shrugged. “Though I would argue that I was imitating Pinkie, not the other way around.”

Serene froze for a half-second, before turning to Pinkie. “P-Pinkie? Like, Pinkie Pie? The Great, the Wonderful, the-!” She stopped to take a quick breath. “The amazing party pony and friend of the Great Sparkle?”

Pinkie nodded, bouncing in time with her constantly increasing rate. “Yes! That’s me!”

Serene immediately clasped Pinkie’s outstretched hoof and shook it harder than Applejack had shaken Twilight’s when they’d first met. “Woohoo! You’re my role model! I wish I could be like you, and move to Equestria, and throw parties, and-!” She went silent out of what appeared to be excitement.

The cloaked figure shrugged. “Well, why not, Serene? Unlike me, and your mom, you weren’t banished.”

Serene gasped, whirling to stare straight into the hood. “Uh… Who…?”

Twilight Sparkle removed her mask, smiled, and reached out to put one hoof to Serene’s lips.

Serene spent a few seconds alternately vibrating and wobbling and finally settled on a more sedate pattern. “Why? Ponies that were born out here can’t enter Equestria, even if they weren’t banished themselves.”

“Because you were born in the Canterlot General Hospital three years before your mom was banished,” Twilight answered. “I know, I was there. Celestia wanted to show me something.” She shuddered. “And… when she banished your mom… she didn’t banish you, even if you were teleported with her. I was there for that too. So she can’t go back to Equestria, and I can’t, but you can.”

Serene blinked, jaw articulating for several seconds. “So… why are you here? I mean… you don’t normally start chatting…”

Twilight shrugged again. “To catch up with old friends,” she stated. Then she hugged Serene lightly with a wing. “And of course, it never hurts to make new friends, either. Even if I’m not using an alter ego this time around.”

“Speaking of alter ego,” Applejack scowled. “How come you ended up fighting in that arena? Ah thought you were more the studying sort.”

Twilight smiled. “Funny story, that.”

The Better Part of Four Years Ago…

It was time.

Twilight stumbled and nearly collapsed when the griffins shoved her into the Arena.

She’d known this was coming. How could she not? Once Quick Leash, which she’d learned her captor was called, had realized she’d made a friend amongst the other fighters, he’d started priming her to fight him.

But she couldn’t fight Hard Line. She just couldn’t. He was the stallion that had helped her come to terms with her task, come to terms with killing to survive. That was just the way it was in the Badlands. One had to kill… or be killed. He’d helped her to stop thinking of her opponents as people, but as creatures- not as animals, or even as enemies, as she’d thought of Starlight during that time fiasco- but as monsters. It didn’t make killing them anymore right, but it made it possible for her to stomach it.

She still had to concentrate to avoid seizing up before- or after- the deed.

And now, they were putting her in the Arena… against Hard Line. She couldn’t think of him as anything other than a friend. She couldn’t kill him. She couldn’t even fight him, any more than she could have fought Fluttershy.

Her head hung as she listened to the announcer, calling out the battle. Quick Leash would be up in the top box, with his announcer and a few of his griffin guards.

Yes, it was a battle to the death. Not all battles were that, as she’d quickly found out- but in a battle to the death, only one walked away alive.

She knew already that it would be Hard Line. He’d be the one to walk away since he was more experienced. He had killed ponies before. He would be able to kill her… and she wouldn’t- couldn’t- resist.

And she knew Quick Leash would be disappointed by her performance. It’d be absolutely unspectacular in every form of the word.

Not that it’d matter to her- she’d be dead before long.

It took Hard Line only sixty seconds to march across the Arena and slap Twilight in the face. “What are you doing?” he barked. “Fight!”

She didn’t move, ignoring the painful strike. She was an Alicorn- she couldn’t be harmed by blunt-force trauma. Or if she could, she had yet to experience a blow that could hurt her. He had a blade, though, and those could still hurt her. “I can’t,” she muttered, head still hanging.

He snorted angrily. “Of course you can! Now Fight!” He pulled her blade, a two-foot-long two-edged sword, from her scabbard, and yanked up one of her forehooves to push it into. She didn’t even stumble, her pegasus magic allowing her to shift her weight faster than she could think. “Fight!”

She shook her head. “I can’t,” she repeated. “I can’t kill you.”

He paused for a second, before punching her in earnest, allowing her blade to fall to the ground. “Yes you can!” he declared. “You’ve fought, and killed, before, and I’m no different! Now fight!” He struck her again.

“No, I can’t,” she answered indignantly. “I-!”

He cut her off. “Getting angry? Good! Hold on to that feeling, and FIGHT!”

“B-but I just can’t!”

“Listen to me, Sparkle. You have friends to get back to, don’t you? You need to fight so that you can right the wrongs against you and return to them. As for me?” Hard Line spread his wings. “I have no one. Cherish your friends and family before it's too late. I learned that lesson too late.”

At the mention of her friends, Twilight froze. She had mentioned them to Hard Line as a motivation to return to Equestria and when Hard Line heard, he had started to help her the next day. She never knew what made him decide to help her. Now she knew.

She could fight and survive because Hard Line was giving her the chance to go back to her friends in Equestria.

No, not could.

She would.

A maelstrom of emotions began to churn inside of her, and she began to feel something rising inside of her.

No. She would not kill her friend, she would find another way.

Hate for Quick Leash for what he had done to them bubbled to the surface, and Twilight turned to Hard Line.

“I’m not going to kill you,” Twilight stated. “I was once the personal student of Princess Celestia, not only for my intelligence but for my magic.” Twilight closed her eyes, pausing for a moment, thinking deeply. “There is always another way for those who look for it.”

Twilight grasped her locked magic. It hurt, but she needed this. She tugged at the magic and she felt the bonds unraveling a little, but they held strong. By this point, the audience was silent, watching the exchange between her and Hard Line, and Quick Leash was demanding why they weren’t fighting.

Twilight pulled harder at her magic and for the first time in weeks, she began to feel her magic again. After weeks of disuse, her magic had been restored, her mana levels had never been higher. Her magic was a raging maelstrom of power begging to be used, to be released. She gripped it and pulled.

The magic shot to her horn, the inhibitor rings breaking and falling down to the ground. Her eyes began to glow, and she grinned feverishly. She had gotten her magic back! She glanced at Quick Leash. He was barking and commanding all of his guards to apprehend her.

“Hard Line,” Twilight declared flatly, prompting Hard Line to look at her. “I want you to help me change this arena for the better. You’ve proven that you are more than capable to do it. Will you?”

Hard Line smiled. “Gladly, Sparkle,” Twilight smirked. “Look out!” he cried out, his eyes fixated on something behind her. Twilight simply smiled and lit her horn. The seemingly lethal arrows that were heading for her bounced off Twilight’s impervious lavender shield and fell to the ground uselessly

“Princess Celestia taught me a few tricks.” Twilight laughed. Ah, It felt so good to have her magic back again! “Being her student, she needed to teach me some self-defense. Without my magic, I couldn’t use those lessons. But now?” She grinned. “I can finally put them to use.” Turning to meet the incoming horde of griffins, she extended her wings to open into a wide, fighting stance.

“Come at me, for I am not afraid!”

Twilight materialized a shimmering lavender blade with her magic and sliced down the first griffin.

Yet, when she brought the blade scything down, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt that trickled through her heart. She felt bad, terrible almost, but the griffin had made that fateful decision to work for Quick Leash. But what if that griffin had a family?

She hesitated.

No. She couldn’t hesitate now.

This was a matter of life and death.

She shook that merciful thought out of her mind and focussed on what Hard Line had taught her. No, she couldn’t take any chances. The next griffin she saw was knocked down to the earthen ground with an intense magic bolt.

By then, the main horde was on her. Concentrating deeply, she cast a spell that she grasped from the distant depths of her memory and shoved it to the back of her mind in a frenzy. A huge explosion of magic burst from her horn knocked all the griffins in a five-meter radius unconscious before they even hit the ground.

Using her magic, she severed the next five griffins’ windpipes in a heartbeat, causing them to collapse onto the ground asphyxiating. Twilight was careful not to get too immersed in the killing and instead concentrate on her magic, else she might have stopped at the horrendous sight of what she was doing.

Not that she had the time to ponder over her morality, as another wave of griffins came rushing forward to apprehend her.

Gathering magic in her horn, she threw a fireball onto the next group of griffins, trying to ignore their wailing screams as they were burnt alive with mystical embers.

She then modified the air currents around them and caused the air in some places to solidify. The griffins heading straight for her smacked their heads into these solid blocks of air with a loud thud and fell unconscious before even having the slightest idea of what actually hit them.

Twilight had to give the griffins credit. Even after she had killed or injured so many of their friends, they kept on coming. She remembered a lesson from when she was younger. Griffins were fiercely loyal to their friends and if one was killed, others would definitely seek revenge. Even now, more griffins were flying over from one of the entrances.

Hard Line was by her side, cutting down the griffins that got close to her as she was slinging spells into the mix of griffins and the unicorn guards who had finally arrived. A horn sounded, the harsh klaxon sound blasting across the arena. The griffins started to retreat behind unicorn barriers into a tight formation. At the sight of this, Twilight stopped casting spells. It would only waste her mana blasting against the shields as there were too many unicorns holding the barrier.

“What now?” Hard Line asked nervously.

Twilight analyzed the situation.

“I can’t try a frontal attack… and there are unicorns who certainly know what they’re doing, so I can’t just try to dismantle the shield by modifying it. Although… yes!” Twilight exclaimed.

Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated. Her horn began to glow in anticipation as she cast a spell.

The ground behind the formation began to rumble and gather into a huge ball of stone and dirt. The griffins screeched in fear and scrambled to get out of the way. The unicorns holding the shield tried to run.

They had forgotten something.

There was no barrier behind them.

The ball fell and rolled towards them with an avalanche of rock and rubble. Crushing several of the griffins that failed to get out of the way, the ball scattered the otherwise orderly formation, causing the barrier to dissipate.

Hard Line grinned.

“Now, that’s more like it!” he yelled, believing that they had emerged victorious against all odds

But suddenly, the griffins began to back up towards the sides of the arena. “What are they-” Hard Line began.

“So you thought you could try to break free of my arena?” a voice spoke from above. Twilight looked up and her eyes narrowed. Quick Leash landed down on the arena floor with a loud thud and glared at them. “So you thought I became the master of this arena without fighting?” he scoffed. “Now, you will see what I can truly do.”

Slowly, he drew his sword out of its scabbard. Runes glinted along the handle as it radiated magical rays from its surface

“Oh, no...” Twilight whispered as she felt her resolve slipping away from her soul.

“What is it, Sparkle?” Hard Line asked.

“That’s..that’s a Spellblade, Hard Line.”

“What’s a Spellblade?”

Twilight just remained silent, her eyes widening at that legendary glowing sword, as she tried desperately to hold her ground.

Quick Leash laughed.

“A Spellblade is a blade that absorbs all magic, imbecile.” Quick Leash pointed the Spellblade at them menacingly. “It was in the possession of a griffin before I acquired it. And don’t think I need a Spellblade to defeat both of you,” he smirked. “I don’t.” He spread his wings. “And be grateful I deign to kill you myself. I have not killed anyone personally in ages. If you surrender, I’ll make it quick. If you don’t?” He smirked. “I’ll kill you as slowly as I can.”

“Never!” Hard Line roared and charged. He swung his sword at Quick Leash’s head. Quick Leash just simply rolled his eyes and danced away. Hard Line swung again and this time Quick Leash parried it.

“Choosing a slow death, eh?. Very good, at least I can entertain the audience for a time,” he spoke.

In a blink of an eye, he charged forward, executing a flurry of attacks on Hard Line, demonstrating an amazing display of his ability with that mystical weapon. Hard Line’s eyes widened as he backed up, barely blocking each attack. Frozen in shock at the sight of this mythical weapon, Twilight could only watch with widened eyes as Quick Leash bore down on her friend, his attacks virtually impossible to keep up.

“Sparkle! Help!” Hard Line cried out, knowing that it was only a matter of time when he would be surely caught out by Quick Leash’s blade. The sudden shriek for help shocked Twilight out of her daze, causing her to shake herself out of her stupor. As Hard Line parried the sword again, Twilight swung her own magical blade at Quick Leash. Faster than her eyes could follow, Quick Leash spun and parried her blade effortlessly. He smiled gleefully as the blade was readily absorbed by the Spellblade.

“You were a fool to challenge me, Sparkle. You really thought that your magic was sufficient to overpower me? HA! I think not. ” he shouted, as his blade glowed ever more brightly with the influx of Twilight’s magical aura. Twilight cried out in pain as her magic began draining out of her at a worrying rate

“No!” Hard Line cried out. He charged, but this time Quick Leash just casually pointed the Spellblade at him. A magical wave of multicolored energy gushed out from the tip of the blade, blasting Hard Line across the arena at a jaw-dropping velocity.

“HA! Just as much as it can absorb magic, it can use magic too, you imbecile!” Quick Leash yelled. Turning back to Twilight, he pointed the sword at her. “Now, give me your magic! ALL OF IT!” The sword began to draw magic from Twilight’s horn again and she bellowed out in pain as she felt her reserves begin to drain. “When I’m done, you’ll be nothing but a useless husk of skin and bone,” he laughed maniacally.

Twilight screamed as the pain grew and grew. Despite the immense amount of pain inflicted on her tortured spirit, she was contemplating plans and thinking of ways to stop Quick Leash. She wracked her mind desperately for a solution, clasping her eyes shut to focus away from the pain that came from without.

But after several long moments of deliberation, she knew that there was only one thing that she could do. She struggled to her hooves and glared at Quick Leash.

“You want my magic? Here, you can have all of it.” Twilight stopped resisting against the pull of her magic and allowed the Spellblade to draw the magic from her in spades.

“Yes, yes!” Quick Leash cried out, “The power coming in...it is incredible!”

Quick Leash could only grin with delight as his sword glinted stronger and stronger with sudden, random bursts of iridescent energy. The runic inscriptions lit up with an awe-inspiring radiance that almost seemed to shatter the blade into bits.

Yet, after many moments, the blade continued to draw energy from Twilight’s almost bottomless reserves of magical aura. The blade continued glowing brighter and brighter and brighter...

“No, NO! The power is too much, stop! STOP!” he yelled, as a burst of energy contained within shot out in all directions, accompanied by a powerful shockwave that ran through the entire circumference of the arena. In the blinding light, the sword’s structural integrity collapsed into a forlorn heap of metallic splinters that landed serenely onto the obliterated surface of the arena.

Act I - Chapter 6 - Beginnings(Rewrite)

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Act I - Chapter 7 - Small Talk

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Speccer

Chapter 7- Small Talk

The Badlands, Quick Brush’s home

The house was quiet, the silence permeated by occasional snores from the ponies that were sleeping. Twilight Sparkle was the only one awake, silently painting away at a canvas on the balcony. After she had told the rest of her story, they had all reacted with a wide range of emotions.

Applejack had been calm and collected, silently reassuring her with those eyes of hers. Rainbow Dash as usual had been loud and vocal and had expressed her desire to seek revenge on Quick Leash. Twilight had needed to remind Rainbow that she had already taken care of him before Rainbow settled down.

Rarity had shown obvious disgust and Pinkie Pie had just sat there for a while before disappearing into the house. When she’d returned, she had with her cupcakes on a tray. Twilight hadn’t questioned the cupcakes and had eaten some gratefully.

Spike had remained silent, choosing to just mull over what Twilight had told them. Starlight had felt extra guilty, but Twilight reassured her that it wasn’t her fault. Fluttershy, however, had just sat there in shock until Twilight told her the story was over. She then proceeded to hug Twilight, who returned it gratefully.

Another stroke on the canvas. Twilight found that painting helped her think, and her thoughts flowed smoother than they had a few hours ago. Twilight dipped the brush into a glob of green paint, and her brush glided gracefully over the canvas.

Finishing the final stroke, Twilight stepped back to admire her work. It had taken six weeks for her to paint this, owing to the fact that she needed to let some parts dry before she could paint other colors over them.

The painting was of the oasis that sat barely a mile away from her home. During the past few weeks, Twilight had visited it quite often to build up a good mental image. Twilight sighed contentedly as she sat down to appreciate her work.

“And yet, you say there are mistakes,” a voice came from behind her. Twilight turned her head to look, saw Starlight standing there. She trotted over and sat down beside Twilight.

“There are mistakes, Starlight,” Twilight slowly said.

“There’s always one or the other, Twilight,” Starlight replied. “What other ponies see as a work of art, you see as something that needs to be perfected. I can see why you’ve done so well here. All you want is perfection.”

Twilight smiled slightly. “I don’t see anything wrong with perfection, Starlight.”

“And yet,” Starlight countered. “You see the mistakes in everything. Sometimes, you just need to appreciate some things for what they are.”

“Maybe.” Twilight shifted a little as the cold winds blew through the balcony.

“Why are you out here in the middle of the night, Twilight?” Starlight asked.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to complete my painting. It’s been six weeks of work for this one.”

“Six weeks? No wonder it looks so good…”

“How are you, Starlight? I never did get down to giving those friendship lessons, did I?”

“I’m fine, thank you. As for the lessons, you have already given me those.”

“How so?” Twilight tilted her head.

“You introduced me to your friends. They could have ostracised me for getting you banished, but instead, they welcomed me as one of their own, and we’ve been watching each other’s backs in the desert and in some of the dodgy towns we passed through. I’ve learned a lot from traveling with them.”

“Of course. They’re great friends, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. They helped me get through some of my guilt, and that’s ironic since some of them are still feeling guilty about it all, but they helped me anyway.”

Twilight chuckled. “That’s them, alright. I’ve missed you girls all these years. Every time I think about you all, I always have to resist the temptation to blast my way back into Equestria. I also haven’t seen my brother and sister-in-law for years, too.”

“Your brother and sister-in-law?” Starlight was baffled.

“Haven’t the others told you yet? My brother is Shining Armor, and he’s married to Cadence.”

“Cadence? As in.. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?”

“Yeah.” Twilight nodded.

“You have no idea how jealous of you I am right now. You have royalty as family!”

Twilight smiled. “And I’m not royalty?”

Starlight laughed. “Of course you are, Princess. I nearly forgot.”

Twilight wiggled her wings. “How did you forget?”

“Oh come on. I just forgot. Can’t you just accept that?”

“If you say so…”

“How have you been these years? I know it’s been a rough few years for you, and I apologize yet again.”

Twilight waved her off. “As I said, there’s nothing to apologize for. I hold no grudges, and I still love all everypony the same. Celestia made a mistake, yes, but she tried to make up for that by sending you girls to find me. I still love her as my mentor and teacher.”

“Talking about Princess Celestia, do you really mean it when you said you might not stay in Equestria when you return? Your parents are going to be distraught. They already were when we were explaining the situation to them.”

“I was. I’ve grown the arena from a place where ponies fight to the death into a place where ponies can challenge each other in a contest of strength. I also own several establishments, including that cafe you went to earlier. It feels wrong just leaving all of this behind, you know?”

“I can’t pretend that I completely understand how you feel, but I get what you’re saying.”

“Thank you, Starlight.”

“I’ve never understood emotions much. Your friends-”

“Our friends, Starlight. I think you’ve earned the right to call them that.”

“Alright. Our friends taught me a bit, but I still don’t get some things. Even so, I’m trying my best not to become that bitter mare who almost destroyed the time streams in an attempt to get revenge against you.”

“You’ve apologized already, Starlight. Why are you bringing this up again?”

“I’m a bitter mare, Twilight. All this stemmed from because my fillyhood friend got his cutie mark first. All these years, I’ve been trying to find an actual reason why I did it, and I couldn’t. The only explanation I had was that I just couldn’t let go.”

Twilight closed her eyes. “Letting go of something is important, Starlight. I let go of my hate for anypony years ago, and it’s been better for me ever since. Living life without regrets is extremely important, and I can testify to that. Having fulfilled several of my dreams out here such as learning how to paint, I can say that I have never felt better in my life. Except missing you girls, of course.”

Starlight gazed into the distance towards where the horizon met the sky. “Have you ever felt really guilty until it eats you from the inside out?”

Twilight didn’t like where this was going. “No, Starlight, but-”

“Let me finish. I felt like that until one night where I was forced to tell everypony how I felt. After that night, I never felt like that ever again, just the occasional twinge of guilt whenever I thought of you. You know why?”

“Why?”

“Friendship, Twilight. I can tell how you six saved the land so many times. When there is true friendship, I felt like I could do anything. And with friendship, it helped me get over my feelings and I let go of the past. When we return to Equestria, I want to see Sunburst again. Our friends have convinced me of that much.”

“Friendship is magic.” Twilight agreed. “Even out here, friendship has helped me. I have a friend named Hard Line. He’s tough, sure, but he helped me get over killing for my life. I’m not saying that I’m a cold-blooded killer, but at least I was able to do it. He’s saved my life many times over, and for that, I’m thankful.”

“He sounds like a good friend.”

“He is.”

“Do you want to hear some of the adventures we went through in the desert? I can’t imagine they’d compare to your stories, but they certainly were adventurous, if nothing else.”

Twilight beamed. “Do I ever!”

“Alright. So there was this one cave where we encountered the…”

Author's Note

Just a quick SoL chat between Twi' and Starlight : D

Act I - Chapter 8 - Past Enemies

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Holtinater

Chapter 8- Past Enemies

Twilight awoke to hear the gentle snoring of Starlight leaning on her. They had evidently fallen asleep at some point last night after their talk. She smiled and closed her eyes. Waking up Starlight could wait for a while.

“Psst!” someone whispered behind her. Twilight turned her head to see Spike at the doorway to the balcony. “Can I join you?”

Twilight smiled. “Of course, Spike.” Spike grinned and walked over to sit down next to her. “You’ve grown wings!”

Spike flapped his wings a little, before nodding. “Yeah, I got them two years ago. It was the weirdest thing ever!”

“I bet it was, Spike. It was also confusing for me when I first got my wings,” Twilight replied. “So, what has my number one assistant been doing these few years?”

Spike twiddled his claws. “Oh, you know. Traveling the desert, looking for you, that sort of thing?”

Twilight wrapped a wing around Spike. “You all didn’t have to do that. I would have found my way back eventually.”

He closed his eyes. “But what sort of friends would we be if we didn’t come after you? I can’t be your number one assistant if you’re hundreds or thousands of miles away from me. I want to be there for you, you know. You raised me when I was young. I feel like it is time for me to grow up and become the assistant and brother you always needed.”

“Oh, Spike,” Twilight said lovingly. “You’ve always been my little brother and number one assistant. Even when I’m not around, I trust that you would keep things together in my absence.”

“Are you really not going to stay in Equestria? We want you back, Twilight. Ponyville, and us, we miss you. The castle isn’t the same without you in it. Equestria needs its Princess of Friendship back.”

Twilight laughed softly. “I’m still coming back, Spike. I was just laying out my options, but it is more likely that I’m coming back to stay in Equestria. Although I would make the trip back out here once in a while to visit my friends here.”

For a moment, everything was silent as both of them gazed at the scenery, enjoying each other’s company.

“Twilight, could you explain something to me?”

“Yes, Spike?”

Spike looked her in the eyes. “Isn’t it confusing, having that many different personalities and disguises? I can’t imagine having a different persona every day, it would drive me crazy!”

Twilight froze. “Different personas? I thought I was mostly the same!”

Spike shook his head. “You were a completely different pony. You were more confident, more laid back. You were nothing like the Twilight I knew.”

She glanced at Spike. “Really? I thought I only changed a little.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah! In Ponyville, you would make checklists almost every day! But here, you seem more relaxed, more in place than you ever did back in Equestria!”

Twilight considered him. “It seems I have changed more than I realized. But the Badlands certainly is a place for change. I had to adapt, you see.”

“I know that, Twilight, but you don’t seem like the same pony I used to know. Even so, I still love you the same.”

“Oh, Spike. Come here.” Twilight pulled Spike closer in for a hug.

“What are you- oh.” Spike relaxed into Twilight’s hug. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a hug from you.”

“You’ll have all the hugs you want, Spike. I’m sorry I ever left you in the first place,” Twilight whispered. “Forgive me for not being there when you grew your wings. Forgive me for everything I missed when you were growing these four years.” For a moment, both Twilight and Spike just stayed in each other’s embrace, enjoying the view.

Starlight shifted and yawned. “Wha-what time is it?” She glanced at Twilight and realized that she was leaning against her. Yelping, she scrambled up and blushed. “It’s not what it looks like!”

Spike let out a snigger, and Twilight chuckled as Starlight tried to recompose herself. “It’s fine, Starlight. I let you sleep a while longer. As for the time, it is a few hours after sunrise.”

Spike stood up and admired the painting that was left on the side to dry. “You painted this last night, Twilight?”

Twilight shook her head. “I just completed it last night. It has been six weeks in the making.”

Spike glanced back at her. “Six weeks? You certainly work hard at your paintings, don’t you?”

Twilight smiled. “I like taking my time to work at them. Makes it more satisfying when I finally complete them.”

Spike suddenly started. “Oh, right! I forgot why I came here in the first place! The girls wanted to tell me that Pinkie has prepared breakfast and they wanted me to wake you and bring you to the dining room they found!”

Twilight tried not to laugh. “I know where it is, Spike. I live here.”

“Oh. Right.”

Twilight glanced at Starlight. “If you two are fine with it, I’ll teleport us there. Much faster that way.”

Starlight nodded. “I’m fine with that.”

Hard Line gazed out at the ponies currently revamping the arena, tearing down old parts and expanding them so that they could fit more contests at the same time. He smiled in satisfaction as he checked the plans. Everything was going as they should-

“Sir!” a voice called out. Hard Line turned to see his secretary, Knot, heading for him, urgency in his eyes.

“What is it?” he asked.

“They’re here, sir. They’re back again.”

Hard Line’s eyes widened. “They’re back? What are they doing now?”

Knot’s eyes were grim. “They’ve started hunting down the ponies and creatures who fight in the arena, and so trying to discourage others from coming in and joining the contests.”

Hard Line growled. “Dammit. How many this time?”

“A hundred griffons. How do they keep getting more?”

Hard Line sniffed. “They’re not getting more, Sparkle just always sends them back with their tails in between their legs after giving them a sound beating and refuses to kill them. If they’re really hunting down our combatants this time, she’ll have no choice. She’s on vacation right now, but a carrier pigeon should be able to find her-”

“Already done,” Knot interrupted. “I’ve sent one already since the matter is urgent.”

Hard Line nodded approvingly. “I just hope she arrives in time.”

“It’s been so long since I had some of Pinkie’s pancakes!” Twilight said happily as she slowly consumed the flat cakes topped off with syrup that Pinkie had gotten from who knows where.

“You can have more!” Pinkie cheerfully said as she dropped more onto Twilight’s plate.

“Thanks, Pinkie,” Twilight replied. “So, how have you girls been doing these years? Fine, I hope?”

Applejack shrugged. “It wasn’t a picnic, but Ah survived just fine. Ah don’t know about the rest, though.”

Rainbow glanced at Fluttershy. “We’ve been okay. It would have been harder if we weren’t together, but we were, so we found you, like, in no time!”

Rarity sighed. “Does ‘no time’ translate to three and three-quarters years, Dash? I find that it doesn’t.”

Rainbow huffed. “You know what I mean!”

Fluttershy glanced at Twilight. “So, when can we go back home? I’m sure my animals are missing me,” she mumbled.

Twilight smiled. “No worries. We can go as soon as you are ready. Before we leave, I’ll have to settle some things first so that we can-” she never finished her sentence. A pigeon flew through the window and smacked right into her face. “What-”

The pigeon hovered there. It chirped and waved a claw that had a letter tied to it. “A note?” Twilight frowned. “I told Hard Line that I was on vacation! What could possibly warrant him sending a carrier pigeon?” Using her magic, she pulled the letter from the pigeon and opened it to read it.

As she scanned the letter, her eyes widened. “They’re back?” she muttered. “Dammit. I thought, after the last time, they wouldn’t want to try again…”

“Who’s back, Twi?” Rainbow asked, looking at her. She turned to meet Rainbow’s gaze, concern apparent in Rainbow’s eyes.

Twilight sighed. “You know how I took over the arena forcefully from the old owner, Quick Leash? Well, we bit off more than we could chew. It turns out he was backed by a griffon crime organization that was heavily invested in that arena for their profits. Since then, they’ve been sending their members in every few months to try and reclaim the arena. Normally, they would just try to sabotage the arena, but this time, they’re hunting down the contestants.”

Twilight got up. “I have to go and help. I’ll be back later,” she turned. “I’m sorry for interrupting this, and leaving right before we can go back home, but I promise I’ll be back.”

Rainbow got up. “Wait just a minute, we want to help-” In a flash of light, Twilight was gone.

Twilight appeared next to Hard Line in a flash of light, the air displacing around her as her teleport set her down there. “Where are they?” she demanded.

“That was fast,” Hard Line commented. “I wasn’t sure if the carrier pigeon would get to you in time.”

“I was in the area. Cut to the chase, Hard Line,” Twilight said. “Where are they?”

Hard Line glanced at Knot. “Tell her, Knot.”

Knot looked at Twilight. “The biggest group is headed straight for the arena, whereas smaller groups have broken off to look for our contestants. I’ve already warned our contestants to stick together to prevent them from being picked off one by one, so that’s taken care of. Unfortunately, this means that the arena is undefended, and the staff and workers that are currently here are easy pickings for the group that’s headed our way, which is why we need your help. Apologies for disturbing your vacation.”

Twilight waved him off. “This is an emergency, and since I facilitated the change in management, I should be here. This time, I’m ending it here. I might have to leave the Badlands to return to Equestria due to a new development, and I’m not allowing all my hard work to go to waste.”

“A new development?” Hard Line asked curiously. “You were unbanished?”

Twilight shook her head. “Something else. For now, let’s settle the problem once and for all.”

Hard Line nodded. “Agreed.”

“There they are,” noted Knot, glancing beyond the walls of the arena. “They’re almost at the gates.”

“Tell the workers to leave via the back entrance,” Twilight decided. “I want no innocents in this mess.”

Knot nodded. “It shall be done.” He flapped his wings as soon as he finished speaking, already on his way to the workers in order to inform them of Twilight’s decision.

Twilight glanced at the gates. “And here they come.” The gates swung open, and fifty griffons stepped into the arena. Once they saw Twilight, some of them looked wary, but they stood their ground.

A burly griffon stepped forwards. “Return the arena to our organization!” he demanded. “Or face the consequences!”

Twilight shook her head. “When the arena was under your organization’s management, so many creatures died. I will not have more of that.”

The griffon sneered. “Such heroism. Do you know what happens to heroes, Sparkle? Do you think you’re a hero? Is this what this is?”

“I just wanted this place to be better,” Twilight stated firmly.

“You wanted power,” The griffon nodded. “Yes, you just wanted power. You say you want this place to be better. You did a coup! You did a hostile takeover from our management! You caused more deaths than there would have been if you had just let us continue!”

“Wrong,” Twilight snarled. “There was a death almost everyday. If you do the math, there would have been almost a thousand and a half deaths by now. I only killed two hundred of you griffons.”

The griffon laughed. “The statistics don’t matter, Sparkle. Let me tell you a story about a hero. There was a country once that was under siege by another that was only winning because they had a monster on their side. The prince of the country under siege learned to fight just to help save his citizens. He killed the monster and became a hero. Do you know what happened to him? Do you?”

Twilight shook her head.

“He was exiled,” the griffon sneered. “Even after he had saved his country, he was exiled from it. Heroes never get a good ending. So, do you want to be a hero?”

Twilight considered him. “He still saved his country, right? Even if the hero never gets the good ending, at least they do save someone.”

The griffon smiled grimly. “Well. It seems that I have failed to persuade you. Time to die. You’ll find that we aren’t the same griffons as we were when you last faced us.” He lifted his sword into the air, and the griffons charged.

Author's Note

I apologize for the late update, guys, but finally, here we are.

:V And I'm even more sorry for a cliffhanger on such a slow update.

A new fic is also coming soon, so watch out for that 👀

Act I - Chapter 9 - Fights and Feelings

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Speccer

Chapter 9- Fights and Feelings

Twilight grimaced as the griffons charged towards them. She never did like fighting, but they were the ones attacking her and she would defend herself.

The last few times they had come, she had used a few well-placed spells to injure, knock out and scare them. This time, she intended to try the same tactic to send them back to wherever they came before she had to resort to killing.

Lighting her horn, she cast a repulsor spell, which threw about a quarter of the group backwards and they slammed into the ground. That was a quarter that would be out of the fight for now. She lit her horn again, and picked up several of them in a levitation spell and threw them against the wall.

A crossbow bolt was fired at her, but it slammed into a shield that she reactively put up. Twilight rolled her eyes and fired a bolt of pure magic at the ground in front of the griffons, which she had expected the griffons to back away from, but what she didn’t expect was the lead griffon to barrel straight forward and the bolt to slam into him, throwing him backwards. She frowned. Something was not right.

While she had been distracted, a griffon snuck up behind her and sliced his sword down. Immediately, one of her magic wards repelled it and the sharp end sliced into the griffon’s front claw, and the griffon collapsed. Twilight sighed. She had put up magic wards after the last time some creature had snuck up on her.

Lighting her horn, she teleported into the middle of the group and smiled grimly. “Surprise!” she called out and lit her horn, a wave of magic blasting outwards in a circle, hitting the rest of the griffons squarely in their chests, blasting them backwards. She smiled in satisfaction and turned away, scanning the arena for any remaining griffons.

Suddenly, eight crossbow bolts hit her wards and rebounded. She spun around, to see a sight she did not expect. The griffons were getting up, not even dazed from the magic blast she had just done. As she was watching the griffons get up, a sword slammed into her wards, and this time the wards lost some of their power and she was pushed forwards a little.

Spinning around, the griffon whose sword had sliced into his claw was standing there, holding his sword aloft, preparing for another charge. Twilight’s eyes widened. How was he still standing after that injury?

A roar of sound from behind her, evidently the rest of the griffons attacking her. Lighting her horn, she teleported away, not wanting to fight in the middle of the group. She appeared in the spectator box and looked down. As she scanned the griffons, she frowned. All fifty seemed well, albeit with some cuts and scratches. In fact, even from being thrown around, none of them seemed to be in pain or dazed.

Lighting her horn, she scanned them for magic spells. As she did so, all of the griffons raised a crossbow and fired at her. Eyes widening, she teleported away. Even her wards and shields could not take that much damage. As she appeared behind the griffons, in the spectator stands, her scan finished and she instinctively raised an eyebrow. Some creature had cast an unknown spell on the griffons.

She did a mental headcount and counted fifty. Her eyes narrowed. How had they not lessened in number? At the very least, the one she had hit with a magic bolt should have been taken out of the equation.

“Last chance to surrender, Sparkle,” the lead griffon called out. “And we’ll let you leave.”

Twilight smiled grimly. “Nah,” she replied. “No chance of that.”

“Very well. Go on, boys, tear her apart!” he shouted. As he said that, the griffons charged. Twilight sighed. If they weren’t about to give up, she’d have to make them give up.

Materialising a dark purple blade, she teleported into their midst and sliced the sword along their legs, causing them to fall over. Using her back hooves, she bucked the nearest one in his chest, sending him flying. As she did so, she heard something crack. Grimacing, she concentrated on the fight. It wouldn’t do to get distracted in the middle of a fight. It would be fatal for her.

Lighting her horn, she sent a wave of ice towards the nearest griffons, freezing them in place as she sliced the blade down into vital muscles for moving. She had to be precise for this. Luckily, her magic was more than up for the job. The quick and precise slices along their muscles sent the first few into spasms. As she brought her blade up to attack the next one, a blade slammed into her wards from behind her. Spinning around, she cast a spell, and it slammed into the griffon squarely in his chest, sending him flying.

Immediately, Twilight quickly teleported away, as a blade sliced down on the spot where she was before. Teleporting back in, she bucked another one of the griffons in the back, and the sound of something crunching could be heard.

Lighting up her horn, she dodged the next barrage of crossbow bolts, and cast a spell. As the remaining griffons rushed her, they failed to notice the icy floor, and slipped on it, their claws scrabbling to regain balance. Twilight then fired a repulsor spell, which sent the rest flying.

Twilight surveyed the scene. Most of them had suffered injuries that would take them out of the equation. Dusting herself off, she turned to leave and take care of the griffons hunting down the arena's contestants.

"Watch out!" Hard Line yelled.

Hearing his shout, Twilight spun and parried a griffon's blade with her own. Using her earth pony strength, she pushed him back and sliced the sword along a tendon in the front right claw, causing him to lose his grip on the sword. After that, she methodically slammed the blunt end of the sword into his face, sending him sprawling.

Movement from behind her. Twilight reacted, and teleported away in the nick of time as twenty crossbow bolts were fired at her last location. Appearing behind the group, her eyes narrowed. How were they getting up? The injuries she caused them should have prevented them from attacking her again, which confused her.

"Heh." The burly griffon pushed himself up. "You are confused. Rightfully so. Did you think that my employers would send us back without anything else, knowing that your strength far exceeds ours? This time, he hired a mage, to cast a spell that would allow us to feel no pain. Any damage you cause to us will only stop us for a moment. We will not pass out from pain. We will not die from pain. The only way you can kill us is a straight thrust into our hearts or cutting off our heads."

Twilight sighed. It would seem she had to kill them. "Why is it," she wondered out loud. "that every villain always reveal their weaknesses?"

"What weakness? I see no weakness-" the griffon ceased speaking as Twilight teleported and sliced off his head.

"That weakness, idiot." She stated as she teleported again, and stabbed another squarely in the heart. The next few minutes she methodically sliced and stabbed, ending the griffons' lives.

Before long, every griffon lay dead on the ground, either by their head being cut off or a sword stabbed cleanly through their hearts. Panting slightly, Twilight teleported back up to Hard Line. "That...should be all of them," she muttered.

Hard Line nodded. "There are still the ones hunting down our contestants, but for the moment, take a breather. I know that you hate killing. Take this moment-"

"They didn't give me a choice," Twilight murmured. "They kept coming, and since they felt no pain, I couldn't stop them. All I could do was to end their lives. What is the point? Of killing? Of death? They could have lived. But they just wouldn't take the hint."

"It's not your fault," Hard Line informed her. "They were the foolish ones. They were the ones who challenged you. If you still feel guilt, remember that if you had given the arena back hundreds would die. This is morally right."

She sighed. "I know, but it doesn't make it any better-"

"Twi-?" A voice called out. Twilight turned to see Rainbow hovering in the air, horror in her eyes. "What- what did you do-?"

Earlier

"Gah!" Rainbow cried out in frustration. "Where'd she go?"

"I would assume the arena, darling. She said she had to help, after all," Rarity remembered.

"Then let's go!" Rainbow flew around the room. "We have to help her!"

"Not so fast, sugarcube," Applejack glanced at her. "We don't even know where the arena is from where we are."

"Easy peasy!" Rainbow exclaimed. "I'll just fly up and see!" Once the words left her mouth, she flapped her wings and flew out of the window, ascending into the air.

Scanning the area, she took note of her surroundings. Twilight's house was just on the edge of the town that stood next to the arena. Rainbow frowned. There seemed to be something happening in the town. Also, why did Twilight ask them to meet at a town three days away from the arena when she lived right next to the arena? Rainbow shrugged. Twilight must have had her reasons.

Flying back in the window, she landed next to the rest of the group. “The arena’s right next to the town that this house is in. We could just go over, and arrive in less than ten minutes.”

“Right then,” Starlight decided. “Dash, you head over first to help her out, and we’ll make our way over.” Rainbow nodded, flapped her wings and in the next moment was soaring over the town.

“Twilight…” she muttered. “I hope you’re fine…” Flying over the town, she glanced down and her eyes narrowed. A griffon was chasing a blue coloured pony. “Didn’t Twi say that griffons were attacking the arena contestants?” she wondered out loud. “Right then.”

She dived, heading for the griffon. Once she was within range, she slammed a hoof into the griffon’s face, sending him sprawling. “I hate bullies!” she called out, ascending into the air. “I hope you feel that tomorrow!”

As Rainbow flew on, she did not notice the griffon getting up with hate in his eyes.

Within a minute, she had arrived at the arena. Hovering over the arena, she looked down and her eyes widened in horror. Twilight was teleporting around, calmly ending the griffons’ lives. Every time she teleported, she sliced off a griffon’s head or stabbed her sword into the griffon’s body.

After a few minutes, Twilight teleported onto the podium next to a pegasus, panting slightly. Even from the distance, Rainbow could see that she was tired. Shaking her head, she flew downwards. She had to get to the bottom of the situation.

“-it any better-” Twilight was saying.

“Twi-?” Rainbow called out. “What- what did you do?”

Twilight turned slowly, her eyes meeting Rainbow’s eyes. “I did what I had to do,” she said regretfully. “I was defending myself.”

“But why did you kill them?” Rainbow asked, “You could have just simply knocked them out, or- or-”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Watch out!” Her horn lit up, and her magic shoved Rainbow aside as she leapt forwards and deflected a crossbow bolt off her sword.

Rainbow spun, to see the griffon she had sucker punched earlier. “You...will die!” he promised. “The rest of my group is coming, and they will kill you all!”

“What?” Rainbow breathed. “How are you still standing after I punched you with all my strength?”

Twilight grimaced. “They don’t feel pain, Dash. Which is why knocking them out or causing an injury that would normally stop them doesn’t work.”

Rainbow gasped. “They don’t feel pain? But-” Twilight shoved her aside, and a few crossbow bolts whizzed past.

“What did you do?” Twilight demanded. “I thought I told you to stay in the house! I can settle this myself! Now, you’ve angered every other griffon and they’re all coming now!”

“Don’t kill them, Twi,” Rainbow said quietly. “Death isn’t the answer to everything.”

Twilight didn’t answer her, choosing to watch the incoming horde of griffons. Her eyes narrowed. “Hard Line, didn’t Knot say there were only a hundred?”

The pegasus nodded. “He did say so, yes.”

“Then why is there more than a hundred heading for us now?” Rainbow turned to look outside of the arena, and her eyes widened. A horde of griffons was flying towards them, their eyes alight in a murderous light.

“This is bad,” the pegasus decided. “They can’t feel pain, which means there are only two ways to stop them. And Sparkle is tired, which means she can’t handle all of them by herself.”

Twilight glanced at the pegasus. “Don’t underestimate me, Hard Line.” her horn lit up in a bright lavender aura. “I still have a lot of fight left in me.”

Her horn blazed, and Twilight ascended into the air, her wings flapping furiously. “You want the arena back?!” she yelled. “You’ll have to go through me!”

Twilight shot forwards in the air, and the griffons squawked in surprise as she slammed into the front of their horde, her horn awash in a bright lavender light. Yelling, she discharged her spell, and the first twenty went down with their eyes unseeing, her magic having stabbed a magic dagger into each of them.

Spinning in the air, she cast another spell, and a wave of magic blasted outwards in a ring, slamming into the griffons who were about to attack her, and sending them sprawling down towards the ground. Swinging her sword around, it blazed with an unearthly purple glow, and she stabbed it through the next griffon.

Grimacing, she lit her horn, and a wave of ice hit the next wave of griffons, freezing them instantly and sending them plummeting to the ground. Pulling up a shield, she deflected the hail of bolts heading for her, and cast another spell, severing the next few griffons’ windpipes.

As she whirled around to face the rest of the griffons, she noticed that the rest of them were still rushing at her. “Why do you throw away your lives like this?” she shouted. “You know I can easily kill you, why do you keep coming?”

The griffons paused, and glanced at one of their fellows, a brown unassuming griffon. Hovering in the air, he spoke. “We know we will die. Our families will never want for anything more if we do this. After all, we know we aren’t the ones to take you down. We simply are the distraction, the ones to tire you out for the mages our employers have sent to kill you.”

“What mages?” Twilight demanded.

“You’d like to know, wouldn’t you?” the griffon sneered. “But I’m not telling you. Go on, boys, let’s rip her apart for her-” a fireball slammed into him and the griffons around him, and burnt them to ashes.

Twilight sighed. “The more you talk, the longer you stay alive. The less useful the information you reveal to me, the shorter your life is. Your organization is a blight on this world, and I want it gone. When you all ran the arena, so many died. I was almost one of them,” Her eyes narrowed. “And you still have the audacity to try and take it back. Do you think I would stand for it?”

The griffons roared, and charged. Twilight sighed, and lit her horn. “Enough.” Her horn glowed a bright orange, and a gout of flame spewed out and burned through the griffons heading for her. “You never stood a chance against me,” she explained. “I have learnt many combat spells in the last three years from unicorns who spent years surviving in the arena. And the one thing I do best is learn. Of course, I don’t want you all dead, but you gave me no choice-”

A black shield appeared in front of her and deflected the flames back at her. Twilight’s eyes widened, and she teleported away just in the nick of time. As she reappeared four metres to the left, she glanced down. Twenty unicorns had suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She scanned the area using her magic, and found magical residue next to the group of unicorns. “A portal...so that’s how you were coming…” she muttered.

“Surrender, Twilight Sparkle!” one of the unicorns called out. “We of the Dark Order will kill you if you do not. Surrender now, and our employers promise to let you go, alive!”

“The Dark Order?” she murmured. “Who are you?” she asked. “I’ve spent years fighting the organization, and I’ve never heard of you being part of them!”

A female unicorn stepped forward and inclined her head. “My name is Arshelle. The Dark Order is our little group of mercenaries that work for gold. We were hired to take you down, and kill you. We were also the ones who enchanted the griffons to feel no pain. Of course, that didn’t work as well as we thought it would. But, we are more than confident that we can kill you. Even if you are an alicorn, you surely have depleted mana from all those battle spells. We are twenty, and outnumber you. Surrender now, and we will let you live.”

Twilight sighed. “I’ll never surrender. The moment I do, is the moment I die. I do this because I know if I surrender thousands will die once again. I cannot let that happen. Why are you doing this? You know that so many will die if their organization has control of the arena once more.”

Arshelle shrugged. “We don’t care. All we care for is being paid. If you don’t want to surrender,” she pulled a staff out. “We will have to do battle.”

Twilight raked her gaze over the unicorns. “So be it.”

As soon as the words left Twilight’s mouth, twenty bolts of magic were fired at her. Her eyes widening, she teleported. Appearing behind the group, she fired a repulsor spell at them.

As the spell was about to make contact, the staff held by the unicorn named Arshelle glowed and the spell bounced off a shield that suddenly appeared. “We aren’t defenceless,” Arshelle called out. “This staff has over a month’s worth of mana inside and is enchanted with dozens of wards to protect us. You stand no chance, even if you are an alicorn.”

“We’ll see about that,” Twilight muttered. Her horn lit, and she drew a complicated symbol in the air. As soon as it was finished, she admired her work. The symbol of Gemini, the symbol of the trickster. Her smile widening, she activated the spell.

A purple glow filled the air, and the unicorns blinked as the bright light filled their vision. As soon as the light faded, they glanced at Twilight. Only, there wasn’t just one.

Twenty copies of her were hovering in the air, and all of them had their horns lit. “It is not I who stands no chance,” they said, their voices overlapping each other. “It is you. You stand no chance against me, who has had over fifteen years of magical training, and has one of the highest amounts of raw magic ever recorded in the history of Equestria as an unicorn. Time to see if your month’s worth of mana can stand up to me.”

Their horns lit up in a bright purple light, and a barrage of spells were blasted at the staff, the bolts twisting and warping with the strength they had been cast with.

Author's Note

And bam, a new chapter so soon. I was inspired so I wrote this in record time, hehe.

And also, thank you all so much for 140 followers!

Also, a joke from my editor/friend.

"Twi-?" A voice called out. Twilight turned to see Rainbow hovering there, horror in her eyes. "What-what did you do-?"

mass gryphoncide
/ˈˈɡrɪfɪnsʌɪd/

noun
the killing of a lot of gryphons by another.

Act I - Chapter 10 - Trickery

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Helped by Xrevias

Chapter 10- Trickery

Twilight smirked as the mercenaries’ shield went up, defending her ‘attacks’.

The shadow clones were in fact illusions, and Twilight was using them to buy herself some time to think. After all, even though she was an alicorn, that much mana wasted would drain almost three-quarters of her reserve, which was not a consequence she wanted to pay.

She did have a plan in mind, though. They were standing on earth. Earth and dirt could be magically manipulated without wasting too much mana, and she was counting on that to be able to take down the mercenaries without killing them. Keeping them alive was crucial; she needed them for her plan.

Her horn lit, and she cast her spell. “Lesson one!” she yelled as her spell activated. “I may not be able to brute force it, but you’re fighting the alicorn that took lessons from Princess Celestia!”

The earth beneath the mercenaries shifted, and the dirt morphed to water, which the ponies fell into, dropping their staff. Immediately, the shield collapsed, and Twilight smirked as her aura wrapped around their staff and brought it to her as the mercenaries floundered in the water.

“You cheater!” a mare named Arshelle shouted as she clambered out of the newly created water pit, coughing. “That’s not fair!”

“Is anything ever fair in war and battle?” Twilight countered. “Besides, you’ll want to listen to the deal I have for you.”

Arshelle raised an eyebrow. “What kind of deal?” Her expression was intrigued, interested to hear what Twilight had planned for her group.

“I will be leaving for an undefined amount of time,” Twilight informed her. “And I do not feel safe about leaving the arena undefended from a griffon organization that wants this place back. If you agree, I have stores of gold in a vault, which would be enough to satisfy your wants and needs comfortably for more than four years.”

“What are you asking?” Arshelle demanded.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m asking you to accept my gold and protect the arena from the griffons. Can you do that?”

“How much gold are we talking about?” Arshelle asked suspiciously. Twilight smirked at her words and lit her horn.

An image of her vault showed itself to the group of mercenaries, and their eyes widened in greed. “Satisfied?” Twilight asked, grinning inside.

“But what happens when the gold runs out?” one of the other unicorns asked.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I run a literal money-making business. I’m sure Hard Line would be able to indefinitely pay you to protect the arena.”

“That I agree,” Hard Line concurred as he trotted up to address the group. “The only problem is, are you to be trusted?”

Arshelle glanced at Hard Line. “If you pay us and satisfy our wants, we’re trustworthy enough,” she promised. “As long as you don’t go back on any payments, I think it would work. Besides, the griffons are only paying us a very small fraction of what this job could bring us.”

“Of course-” Twilight paused as a commotion was heard at the gates. “What’s happening over there-”

“Stop right there, Sparkle!” a voice she recognized yelled from the gates. Twilight turned, and her eyes widened at what she saw.

Thirty griffons had surrounded her friends, holding them at sword or crossbow point.

Rarity waved nervously. “Hello, darling! This is quite the pickle, isn’t it?”

“How did you figure out that they were my friends?” Twilight demanded.

The lead griffon, Tipok, who had spoken earlier, laughed. “I’m not telling you-”

“I know, I know!” Pinkie waved. “These scary griffons were trying to attack another pony, so you know what I told them?” she made a scary face. “I said, ‘Twilight’s my friend, if you try anything she’ll come to scare you off!”

Twilight facehoofed. Still the same old Pinkie, huh?

“If you don’t surrender right now,” Tipok said flatly. “We will kill your friends. And the only kind of surrender we’re accepting is three inhibitor rings on you and you tied up. We’re not taking any chances.”

Twilight growled. “You dare-?”

“Yes, Sparkle,” Tipok interrupted. “We dare. Argon wants this place back, and this time we can’t return as failures, or else he’ll kill us. Now, you will either surrender, or your friends will DIE.” Another griffon pressed a blade deeper into Fluttershy’s neck, and Fluttershy whimpered.

Twilight materialized an axe. “How about I kill you instead?”

“K-kill?” Spike stammered. “What?”

Twilight brandished her axe. “This will not go down good for you,” she warned. “Touch any of my friends, and you won’t even get a shred of mercy.”

“I think we’ll take our chances,” Tipok said grimly. “We hold the ones you hold dearest to. Come closer to us with that axe, and they die.”

“You kill them, you lose all your leverage,” Twilight reminded Tipok. “And then there’ll be nothing to stop me from killing all of you and razing your organization to the ground.”

“Well then,” Tipok grinned. “A simple solution. We kill one to prove our point. Etsy, kill the yellow one.”

Fluttershy whimpered, trying to fly away, but Etsy pulled her down and began pressing a blade deeper into her neck.

“No!” Rainbow cried out. “Twilight, do as they say! Fluttershy cannot-”

All hell broke loose as the ground erupted from under the griffons, as tendrils of magic wrapped around the bird-like creatures. The griffons squawked as they lost their grips on their weapons, dropping them on the ground.

Twilight smirked, her horn lit in an iridescent lavender. “Lesson two! Don’t keep on talking, your opponent could be doing something while that happens!”

The griffons flailed in the air, the tendrils wrapping around them again and again, making it so none of them could move an inch.

“W-wha-?” Rainbow gawped at the sight.

“You threatened my friends!” Twilight yelled as she flapped her wings and flew up so that she could be at eye level with Tipok. “Nobody, no creature, no pony is EVER allowed to threaten my friends!”

“Tw-twahlight?” Applejack called out. “They’ve learnt their lesson. Maybe just turn them over to the authorities or something?”

“There are no authorities,” Hard Line said smoothly. “The Badlands run on a system where we settle everything ourselves. So Sparkle has two options. Either kill them or leave it to the town ponies to decide their fate. Honestly, killing them would be the better option here.”

“B-but-” Spike glanced between the squirming griffons held by the tendrils and Twilight. “Isn’t there another way?”

“They almost went through with killing Fluttershy, Spike,” Twilight’s eyes were hard. “And that is something I will not just forgive and forget.”

“What’s the matter?” Tipok jeered. “Dragons get softer after the years- ack!” the tendrils tightened around him, cutting off his air supply.

“You do not get to say anything useless,” Twilight growled. “Anything else that is useless that comes out of that mouth of yours will result in your death. And I mean it.”

Tipok laughed. “Do I look like I care-” the tendrils tightened again, choking the griffon.

“Alright, that’s it-” Twilight began.

“Twilight,” Starlight said seriously. “Don’t do this. You’re not the Twilight we knew in Equestria. Where is the Twilight who gave ponies second chances? Where’s the Princess of Friendship?”

Twilight paused. “I am no longer a princess,” she said slowly. “That ship has long sailed, Starlight. But… second chances. You do make a point.”

Starlight beamed. “See? I knew you weren’t completely gone-”

The tendrils crushed Tipok, killing him instantly. “A creature like him doesn’t deserve a second chance.” Twilight declared. “Willing to threaten innocents just to get his way?”

“W-what?” Starlight breathed as she backed up. “B-but-”

Twilight’s gaze hardened. “I’ve spent four long years here, Starlight. If there’s one thing this place has taught me, is that if you ever let go of your enemies because of mercy, they always come back for more.” she gestured at the dead bodies around them. “Most of these griffons I gave a chance. I refrained from killing them. But what do they do? They come back and threaten the townponies. They threaten my friends.”

“Twi?” Rainbow whispered. “Look at Flutters in the eyes.”

Twilight turned to look Fluttershy in the eyes. “Wha-?” she paused.

Fluttershy’s eyes were scared, fearful. It took Twilight a moment before her chest tightened as she realised that it was not the griffons that Fluttershy was scared of, but of her. She glanced at herself.

I must sound and look scary right now, Twilight realised. I’ve changed, haven’t I? The Badlands have changed me. I’m no longer the mare I once was, no matter how much I try to lie to myself.

“Don’t kill them, Twilight, darling,” Rarity said, before glancing at the limp body of Tipok and correcting herself. “Don’t kill anymore, darling. Come back to us. Show us that you are not a cold-blooded killer who kills just because they can.”

Twilight’s gaze softened. “Fine. For you girls.”

“Yippee!” Pinkie cried out and jumped in the air. “Let’s have a ‘Twilight’s Not KIlling Anyone Party!’”

Twilight chuckled. You never change, Pinkie.

“But the question arises,” Hard Line called out. “What should we do with all these griffons? We can’t just let them go without some kind of deterrent.”

“Uhhh…” Rainbow shrugged.

Arshelle stepped forward. “If I may?” she asked.

Twilight tilted her head. “Hm?”

“I have a suggestion, if you please. We of the Dark Order have a few contacts in the Trikon Town,” Arshelle continued. “As you know, Trikon Town is the most secure place to keep the ones you’ve defeated locked away for a very long time.”

“Trikon Town….” Twilight pondered the name. “I remember that place. I visited it a few years back to deposit Quick Leash after I heard of it. I suppose we could try it.”

Hard Line tilted his head. “Indeed, Trikon Town would be a good place to store these miscreants. Only one out of a thousand inmates ever escape, and that’s a very high estimate. Why didn’t I think of it before?”

“Uhhh…” Rainbow was glancing from Twilight to Arshelle to Hard Line. “Care to explain what’s Trikon Town?”

Twilight inclined her head. “Of course. Trikon Town is run by Trikon, hence the name. The entire town is a prison, where you can store your prisoners for a sum of money. The money goes to making sure the prisoners don’t escape, their food, and their lodging.”

“And Trikon’s wardens are extremely good at their jobs,” Hard Line added. “I have yet to hear of an escape during the time I’ve been around, although I hear there was maybe one a long time ago.”

“So...you’re gonna put them in some kind of prison?” Spike asked.

Twilight nodded. “I believe so, yes. It would be the only alternative to a public lynching or death by my hooves.”

“Public lynching-” Starlight shook her head. “Forget it, I don’t want to know.”

Twilight nodded gravely. “You definitely do not want to know.”

Twilight cast another spell, and the tendrils lowered the griffons to the ground, but still stayed firmly around them, making sure they didn’t escape.

“I will arrange for the transport,” Hard Line offered. “And then we’ll find the Dark Order’s contacts so we can arrange for their imprisonment.”

Twilight nodded. “Could I have some privacy to talk to my friends?” she requested.

Hard Line nodded. “Of course.” he started ushering the Dark Order to the arena’s private rooms.

“Girls…” Twilight began.

“Twahlight….” Applejack said softly. “Why have you changed so much? The sweet gal I knew wouldn’t hurt anypony.”

Twilight sighed. “Applejack, I’m sorry. But this place, the Badlands,” she gestured around them. “It’s dangerous. If I hadn’t killed when I needed to, I would have been dead. I’m not comfortable with killing, but sometimes it’s necessary.”

“It’s not,” Rainbow immediately replied. “The Wonderbolts used to be a military unit. Spitfire told me before of the stories that the war veterans passed down. Killing changed them. They had this look in their eyes, this killer look. From then on, the Wonderbolts never served as military again.”

Twilight gazed into the distance. “Ah. Princess Celestia never told me this before.”

Fluttershy wrung her hooves nervously. “Twilight… could you promise us that you will never kill again?”

“You know I can’t,” She whispered. “Sometimes it really is needed.”

“At least promise not to kill unless you really have no choice,” Starlight said. “You saw how you scared Fluttershy.”

Twilight sighed. “I can do that. I’m sorry, everypony, for changing so much.”

Pinkie bounded up to her and hugged her. “Don’t worry, silly! We’ll always be your friends!”

“Always,” Rarity agreed. “We’ll be there to pull you back whenever you fall from the path of Harmony together.”

Twilight beamed. “Oh, come here!” She lit her horn, and she dragged everypony into a hug. “I love you girls,” she whispered.

“What about me?” Spike grumbled by the side. Twilight laughed before releasing the rest and sweeping Spike into a hug. “I’ve missed you, my number one assistant. I promise you, we’ll go home, and we’ll be properly together again.”

Rainbow smiled. “Promise?”

“Promise,” Twilight confirmed. The group huddled together as they watched the sun rise into the sky, and for once in a very long time in Twilight’s life, she felt content.

“We’ll be leaving for Equestria after preparations,” Twilight decided. “I miss my family.”

Rarity smiled. “They miss you too, darling.”

Twilight grinned. “To us, and to our friendship!’ she cried out.

“To our friendship!” the rest of them chorused, shouting out loud. “And may it last forever!”

Author's Note

I'm sorry for late update :(

Act 1 - Chapter 11 - Aftermath

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Helped by Gastredner

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Chapter 11- Aftermath

After the commotion earlier, the day wound down surprisingly fast. Retrieving the money for an initial down payment on the mercenaries, arranging for the safe storage and transportation of the prisoners to Trikon Town had been troublesome, those griffons didn’t want to go quietly.

After last-minute discussions with Hard Line in regard to the arena during Twilight's absence, that saw her and her friends return to her abode no earlier than the early evening. Somewhat exhausted—mentally, magically, and physically—they did not bother with a lavish meal and after a short, slightly awkward dinner, her friends excused themselves to their beds and Twilight found herself alone on the little balcony she so liked.

Hidden into a niche and mostly covered with a heavy tarp to blot out the sun, Twilight rather liked to spend her evenings here, hidden away from prying eyes while being able to gaze upon the tips of the surrounding mountains and the mostly empty sky.

The setting sun illuminated the mountain tips in fierce reds, oranges, and yellows, and she quite enjoyed not just the looks, but also the sudden drop in temperature, savoring the short time between the hot and cold phases of the day.

And, with the troubles and turmoils of the day draining away into the silence and rest of evening and night, only the sound of the wind and the occasional desert critter rustling through the empty streets could be heard.

Without the silence, the soft hoofsteps in the corridor behind her might have gone unnoticed. With it, they might as well have been thunderclaps in Twilight's ears. She only needed to crane her neck a bit to see the hooves' owner in the doorway, her right front hoof raised, yellow ears laid back, shoulders and pink tail tucked in and a look in her eyes Twilight never wanted to see in the eyes of a pony she considered very dear to her.

"Still afraid of me?" she asked. Fluttershy looked away for a second before closing her eyes, scuffing her hoof on the floor two, three times, and taking a deep breath. Squaring her shoulders, she slowly walked onto the balcony, stopping only once she reached the floor next to Twilight's recliner.

"I don't want to be," she said, "but I tried to sleep and...e-everytime I close my eyes…"

Twilight rolled her head back straight and took some seconds to look at the sky, her gaze finding the moon's edge slowly rising above the mountains.

"The griffon?" she asked, before looking back at Fluttershy to see a meek nod.

"I always knew that I'd changed," Twilight began, "but I don't think I knew just how much I would have changed until I met you again. I don't really know what to think about it right now."

Twilight sat up to properly face Fluttershy before continuing.

"Strangely enough, I would have thought you to be one of the more understanding," she said to Fluttershy's utter astonishment. Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You are working with animals, Fluttershy. Maybe things are more different than I seem to remember, but I'm sure nature in Equestria isn't much less violent than here in the Badlands."

"B-but animals don't kill needlessly, Twilight," Fluttershy murmured, pawing at the ground, "and…ponies are not animals. I think..."

"No, you're right—we're not simple animals. That is why we strive not to kill. But it is necessary from time to time, as regrettable as that may be. As for the griffon…" Twilight trailed off, furrowing her brow while looking at the ground.

"Don't you think I tried? I do not remember the face of every griffon I threw out of the arena time and time again, but I can tell you: Most of today’s assailants weren't some innocent bystanders swept up in something terrible. I've rebuffed them more than once, gave them more than one chance—and yet they keep coming, threatening me, the arena staff, the people living close by…and now you."

"That doesn't mean that k-killing them is necessary, Twilight," Fluttershy countered, looking straight into Twilight's eyes. "There are always other ways if only we look for them hard enough! Like that prison!"

Twilight snorted. “These are the Badlands, Fluttershy. There aren’t really prisons, or anywhere to keep anybody we think are evil. The only one out there is Trikon Town, and that’s provided you pay for their stay.”

"Pay? W-what happens if you, you know…?" asked Fluttershy.

"They go from the paid-for confinement to the open confinement," Twilight answered.

"T-that doesn't sound so bad…"

Twilight had to repress an urge to roll her eyes. "Open confinement is called that because it is an unroofed slave labor camp, Fluttershy. The only thing it is open to is the sun. Sleeping conditions are appalling too; they sleep on the ground with no bedding. I”m already being very nice to the griffons paying for cells for them to stay in.”

"W-what!?" Fluttershy yelped. "That's horrible! Why doesn't anyone do something about that?"

"Who should do something about it?" Twilight asked wearily. "This is not Equestria, Fluttershy. The Badlands does not have a centralized government. There is no Royal Guard keeping the peace, no laws to determine how prisoners are kept or what is to be considered a just punishment for a crime."

"But, t-those poor beings…why would anyone do that?"

"Because running a prison is neither cheap nor easy, especially out here. Look around, Fluttershy. Finding water can be hard, and there is little in regards to edible plants or animals to be found. And unlike in Equestria, there are no taxes to help you provide for your prisoners. So, unless someone pays for them, you have to get what money you can get from the prisoners themselves."

Fluttershy shook her head. "There has to be a better way, Twilight. Maybe someone just needs to show them how to do it, why a government is good. Can't you do anything about it? You are a princess!"

"I was a princess in Equestria, Fluttershy. Here, I am respected, yes—but not because I run around and try to set up my own government. The people like me because I entertain them without harming others needlessly."

Twilight stood up and went to the balcony's railing, beckoning Fluttershy on with a hoof to follow. Once she heard her friend's hoofsteps stopping next to her, she continued. "If you were to follow this street down to its end, you'd find a nice little alchemist's shop on the right side. It is run by a rather nice elderly pegasus, and they do not sell anything too dangerous or ethically questionable in nature."

"That doesn't sound so ba—" Fluttershy began before Twilight interrupted her.

"They do sell unicorn horns, though. Pegasus flight bones, too, the last time I was there."

Twilight could see Fluttershy's eyes growing wide. "U-unicorn h-horns? B-but, to get that…" she started, before falling silent.

"Yes, you'd have to sever it off a unicorn's head. I actually have an agreement with them: They don't…source…it from living beings or anyone from this community, and I don't raise a fuss. That's what I can do, Fluttershy: Try to get the people to agree on what many would consider common decency. Sometimes, I can strong-hoof some of the more aggressive ones into keeping out of here or sway public opinion in a certain direction. But I'm not a princess here. And neither a mayor or any other kind of official. I guess the best description would be to say that I'm the extraordinarily mild-mannered schoolyard bully interested in the public good."

Twilight stepped back from the railing and sat down once more. "If I were to try and start my own government, the people would come together and question what it is that gives me the right to do that, Fluttershy. And, truthfully: What am I to say to that? That I deserve their unquestioning loyalty and to rule over them because I consider myself virtuous? That being an alicorn makes me inherently better than them?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, there's nothing I could say to them to get myself that kind of power. I'm doing what I can and, maybe, if I were to keep it up for some decades, or maybe centuries, people would agree to it. But right now, it is much too early for something like that. I'd not be seen as the benevolent ruler—I'd appear to be the power-hungry tyrant instead."

"I can see myself in you, Fluttershy. Back then, when I had just arrived. I would think and say the same things and, if I'm being honest, there is a surprisingly large part of me that still seems to agree. I wouldn't have sent those griffons to Trikon's otherwise. And yet, at the same time, I now have the experience to know just how naive it is, to see the myriad of ways it could all go wrong and they would come back to hurt me or the people living and working in and around my arena. And I can't help but wonder: Am I wrong? And, more importantly, if I am: Which part of me is wrong? The merciful Equestrian who gives chance after chance, no matter how undeserving the recipient may be? Or the realist from the Badlands, trying to be good within reason?"

Fluttershy still hadn't moved from her place at the railing, but her ears had attentively followed Twilight. The latter got up and went the few steps to her friend’s side.

"Or maybe, Fluttershy…maybe the rules are simply different, here and in Equestria. Maybe I'm right and wrong at the same time. But I don't think I'll be able to find any answers to that this evening. But seeing Equestria again might help—I've certainly missed it and its ponies very much. So…I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I'm sorry you had to see this just to find me, and I'm sorry if I have ever made you afraid. Especially as I am very thankful. I did not think I would meet you or my family ever again, and now, you've given me that chance. And who knows? Maybe we actually will find a way to improve the situation here. So…thank you, my friend." Twilight said before hugging Fluttershy. The pegasus, to her credit, only froze up for a split second before putting her own forelegs around Twilight.

Twilight held the hug for several seconds, eyes closed, and allowed herself a short reminiscence of the time before. Not long after, she and Fluttershy released the hug, but Twilight stayed close. "If you go into the kitchen, you'll find a small, green pot in the right most cupboard. In it are some roots of a desert plant growing further out. Put two in a cup and add some hot water—they are relaxing and will help you find your sleep. They usually do the trick for me," she said before trotting over to the corridor's entrance. "Good night, Fluttershy."

"Good night, Twilight," Fluttershy responded, still standing at the railing, but now looking at the alicorn vanishing into the corridor. The night fell silent again—silent enough for Fluttershy’s rather sharp hearing to catch Twilight mumbling to herself:

"Or maybe, we'll find out I've changed even more than I thought."

Author's Note

Hey all, so basically, last two weeks or so, I've been worrying about Chapter 10 and the not really good reception it got. But, somewhen around last week, I read a comment that really lifted my spirits up. Thank you to the person, (I've also thanked him in the comments), for helping me out of that loop that I almost sent myself into. I also apologize for my infrequent updating schedule, as due to school and occasional days when I'm just in a funk, being depressed because of overload of work and stress. My writing isn't all that regular, but I'll make you guys a promise; I will finish this story, whether it takes me years or not, or whether all of my readers are gone or not.

~iAmSiNnEr

(Also, thank you so much to Gastredner for providing quite a bulk of this chapter (: )

Act I - Chapter 12 - I...See...You...

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Chapter 12- I...see...you

Twilight opened her eyes to familiar surroundings. A brown polished mahogany desk stood in front of her, along with an empty chair. Two burly stallions stood in front of the door as if they were waiting for somepony. And Twilight knew exactly who they were waiting for.

“This is Quick Leash’s office,” she whispered under her breath. “But why am I here? And more importantly, how…?”

She stepped up to the stallions. “Why am I here?” she demanded.

The stallions remained silent.

“Hello?” Twilight asked. “You there?” She reached out a hoof to nudge the stallions. As her hoof was about to make contact, it passed through the stallion. Twilight yelped and leapt back in surprise.

“A memory…” she murmured. “But of whose?”

Voices filtered through the door as two pairs of hoofsteps got closer, one of them filling Twilight with hatred. “Him,” she snarled. “How-”

The door opened, revealing Quick Leash and a blue coloured griffon. “I understand,” Quick Leash was saying. “But the ramifications of having an alicorn-”

“What would an alicorn princess be doing so far away from her home country?” The blue griffon interrupted. “I see two ways this might have happened. One, she was cast out. Two, she’s on a foolish adventure that somehow brought her to us. Lady Shadowcrest would surely want us to capitalise on this.”

Lady Shadowcrest? Twilight frowned. I’ve never heard of that name...

“The thing is,” Quick Leash retorted. “I know her. Her name is Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. If her mentor, the princess of Equestria, comes looking for her, we’re all screwed if she brings hellfire down on us.””

Quick Leash sat down behind his desk and brought out a few papers. “Records show that she was severely dehydrated and was already starving,” he read. “The physician says that she’s been travelling for several days, at least a week, and her wings have not been in use for a long time, judging by their state.”

“That only proves my point,” the griffon argued. “If she was on official business, why did she not get any supplies? It just shows that she’s unwanted and would be a gold mine for the arena. Creatures from all over the Badlands will want to see an alicorn fight-”

“Larkin,” Quick Leash interrupted. “I was from Equestria. A princess will not simply be cast out. They stick together-”

“What about that Nightmare Moon incident then, eh?” Larkin countered. “We didn’t even know that was a thing until that day when the moon covered the sun. From our spies, we discovered Nightmare Moon was banished by her own sister. Princesses can turn on each other. Who knows? Maybe she offended the Princess of the Sun in some way.”

Quick Leash growled. “You’re not seeing this rationally. You may be Lady Shadowcrest’s deputy, but you still haven’t learnt how to see past profits. We should send the alicorn back, before any repercussions happen.”

“No,” Larkin stated firmly. “You said it yourself. I am Lady Shadowcrest’s deputy, and I make the final decisions here if she’s not around. I say we keep the alicorn, put her out on display for fights. If the reports are right…” he snatched a piece of paper off the table. “Her mana levels are enormous. She should be interesting to watch-”

“And here we disagree again, idiot,” Quick Leash said irritably. “She may have a high mana level, but think about it for a second. If you really want her to have free reign of her magic, you have feathers for brains.”

“You dare-” Larkin started.

“I do.” Quick Leash cut across him. “She. Is. An. Alicorn. Princess. Or was, according to your theory. She would have a high sense of righteousness. Do you think she’s going to allow what we’re doing here? If you want her to fight, we’ll have to put inhibitor rings on her, or else she’s going to break out, or worse, break out then release every fighter we have.”

“Bah!” Larkin tossed the piece of paper back at Quick Leash. “How is no magic fighting worth anything? The audience won’t be entertained.”

“What if we bring out some of our medium strength fighters?” Quick Leash mused, before shaking his head. “What am I saying? Why am I even trying to help you in this foolish endeavour?”

“Because I say so,” Larkin snarled. “Remember where you come from, Leash. Lady Shadowcrest could have had you executed. But you only lived because she saw your value. I’m beginning to think that she had miscalculated-”

“You doubt Lady Shadowcrest?” Quick Leash raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be sure to mention it in my next report to her…”

Larkin suddenly looked afraid. “I’m sure there’s no need for that,” he mumbled. “Okay, okay, she’ll fight without her magic.”

“Let’s just say I’m going along with your harebrained idea…” Quick Leash muttered. “Which I am still sticking to my opinion that it’s completely idiotic. But, let’s just say, theoretically, we go along with your plan of using the mare. I’ll offer her a choice. Fight for us, or no magic. Of course, I won’t mention the second option.”

“She’ll rake in the gold,” Larkin said gleefully. “Once the Badlands hear we have an alicorn, everyone will start flocking to us. They were already coming in droves when they heard that we have managed to get a dragon. A bit of a disappointment for them when they found out he had no wings, but we still earned quite a lot from that.”

“Not so fast,” Quick Leash said, annoyed. “You’re getting tunnel-visioned again. I still have to set everything up. If she’s as powerful as the reports show she is, I’ll need to hire a blacksmith to design us an inhibitor ring that can contain her magic. In fact, I’ll probably order five or six just in case she breaks one or two.”

“Fine, fine,” Larkin replied, his confidence setting back in. “Do what you need to. Get her set up and into that arena. I’ll be reporting back to Lady Shadowcrest today, do not disappoint her.”

“Of course,” Quick Leash sounded bored now that he was back in his element. “And I assume I’ll receive the usual commission? It was my ponies that found her, after all.”

“You’ll get your commission,” Larkin replied as he opened the door, about to leave. “Just get the alicorn into the arena. Goodbye.” The door closed as he left.

Quick Leash sighed as he stared at the pieces of paper he had on his desk. “Twilight Sparkle,” he murmured. “I can see that being catchy…” Twilight yelped in surprise as the scene dissolved, turning into a swirl of colours.

“How am I seeing this?” Twilight asked herself as another scene began to construct itself. “This shouldn’t even be possible…”

This time, she was in Canterlot Castle. For some reason, the place was eerily empty.

“Hello-? Oh, yeah, this is a memory…” she wandered the corridors, looking for somepony, or even anypony for that matter. The emptiness...it disturbed her.

As she turned the corner, she saw the two tall doors that led into the throne room. She blinked in surprise. I hadn’t even intended on coming here…

The doors swung open as Twilight neared, and this time she wasn’t even surprised. It’s as if somepony wants to show me something…

Princess Celestia stood there, and Twilight flinched a little as memories of her banishment came rushing back. She so wanted to hate her mentor for it, but she could not find that hatred in herself to do so. “Princess Celestia…” Twilight murmured. “I know you probably can’t hear me in this memory, but I want to get this off my chest. I don’t blame you for that day, well, maybe a little bit, but I have mostly forgiven you. Four years is a long time to think about the day I’ll finally see you again, and I’ve thought over how this could go several dozens of times.

“Maybe,” Twilight said ruefully. “When we get back together we can-”

“What?!” Celestia snapped. Twilight’s eyes widened as she backed up.

“Y-you can hear me?” Twilight squeaked, but Celestia gave no indication that she heard her. Celestia seemed to be distracted by something, her eyes focused on nothing.

“Twilight…” Celestia said sadly as her eyes refocused. “What have you done?”

“Princess,” a formal voice said from behind Twilight. Twilight blinked. That voice…

Raven Inkwell stepped into Twilight’s sight, her ever-present clipboard floating in front of her. “Princess Celestia,” she said respectfully as she sank into a bow.

“Raven,” Celestia said distractedly. “You and I have gone over this many times. You need not bow to me.”

“I know,” Raven said. “But you are the Princess of Equestria, and I am obliged to do so. You looked distraught when I entered. May I ask what is disturbing you?”

“Twilight,” Celestia replied after a moment’s thought. “I just felt a giant wave of time-magic from her castle. It shook the very foundations of time itself, and I am worried as to what has happened.”

“Time magic?” Raven said curiously. “Isn’t that forbidden magic?”

“It is,” Celestia said gravely. “Which is why I am conflicted. Normally, if it were any other pony, I would banish them, but this is Twilight we’re talking about, and she must have had a good reason-”

“Princess,” Raven interrupted. “If I may be so rude to interrupt, but you yourself said that you have no favourites. Princess Twilight is no exception. If you make exceptions for her, the others will start to question you.”

So it was Raven who convinced Celestia to banish me...Twilight was flabbergasted. But she’s the last one I would have thought to have done this! She’s never been anything but nice to me….

Celestia sighed. “I know. But-”

“Princess Celestia,” Raven said silkily. “You know that this is the right thing to do.” Twilight blinked. Raven’s tone had clearly just shifted suddenly from formal to persuasive. What in the…

“Princess Twilight is a threat to this nation,” Raven continued. “If you allow her to stay, she will only keep using her magic to shake the foundations you’ve built up, and cause chaos to run rampant.”

Celestia shook her head, but she looked confused now. “What…?” she mumbled. “Twilight isn’t a threat…”

What is happening here?! Twilight blinked hard, and then dug a hoof into both her ears to make sure she was hearing it right. Why would Raven do this to me?

“Banish her,” Raven said persuasively. “And Equestria will be safe. You know that this is the right thing to do.”

“Yes…” Celestia muttered. “I will.”

“And of course,” Raven smirked. “I was never here.” Only now did Twilight notice that Raven had her horn lit. “You thought of this yourself, and I am still settling the accounts for you.”

“You were settling the accounts,” Celestia muttered. “You were never here.”

“Celestia!” Twilight cried out, even though she knew Celestia couldn’t hear her. “Don’t listen to her! She’s using beguiling magic!”

Celestia nodded firmly as Raven slipped away, exiting the throne room and disappearing round a corner. “Twilight must be banished. This is too grave of an offence to let it slide.” She materialised a quill and parchment, scribbled something before her magic teleported it to Twilight’s castle. “Now…” a tinge of regret came into her voice. “Comes the hard part.”

The scene dissolved, and Twilight bolted upright in her bed, breathing heavily. So that’s why she banished me! Twilight stood up and looked out of her window. “When I return to Equestria,” she swore. “Raven, you and I will have words.”

Author's Note

Madness.

Act I - Chapter 14 - Consequences

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Chapter 14- Consequences

“You failed?” the stallion bellowed at the griffon, his voice full of rage. “Do you have any idea what will happen now?”

“I’m sorry!” the young griffon cringed. “It wasn’t our fault that Sparkle was that powerful!”

“We sent the Dark Order with you,” the stallion growled. “And they gave you all an enchantment to remove your pain sensors. How could all of you possibly fail?”

“She simply just killed us all!” the griffon cried. “I barely managed to get away-”

“Enough,” a silky voice said from the shadows. “What’s done is done. What we need to do now, is to plan for her return to Equestria.” An elegantly dressed female unicorn emerged from the shadows, a mask over her face, concealing her features. “Lady Shadowcrest’s plan will go ahead, whether or not Sparkle returns.”

“Illa,” the stallion inclined his head. “What a surprise to see Lady Shadowcrest’s personal assassin here.”

“Same to you,” Illa said dryly. “You’re not supposed to be here, Bastion. Wouldn’t Kreig have sufficed to get the information from the griffons?”

“I felt this needed my intervention,” Bastion straightened up, ruffling his wings. “The moment Sparkle reaches Canterlot, we will be exposed. We cannot risk revealing our hooves in the matter yet.”

Illa sighed. “Have you not learned yet? Lady Shadowcrest has plans for everything. We already have the support of the nobles, and our ally has both princesses sealed away. Equestria will be ours eventually, no matter what Sparkle does.”

“What about the doppelgangers in Ponyville?” Bastion asked. “Do we need to ask for them to leave as the Elements return?”

“Lady Shadowcrest has ordered for them to stay,” Illa said. “This way, we can confuse them, slow them down. However, they will not retain their disguise, but instead, they will take on other disguises.”

“Hmph,” Bastion nodded. “I can work with that. I shall send word to the wolves in the Badlands to slow Sparkle down to give us some time.”

“Lady Shadowcrest has also ordered for this base of operations to be destroyed,” Illa said. “She suspects that Sparkle will be able to track us down to here.”

Bastion frowned. “How?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Illa said. “Do as she wants, unless you want to be executed like Larkin. We cannot afford to be hesitant with respect to this matter. Even with all our plans, she has proven time and time again to be able to foil them.”

“Alright,” Bastion nodded. “What about him?” He jerked his head at the cowering griffon at the corner of the room.

“Kill him,” Illa decided without much hesitation. “Too much of a security risk.”

“W-What?” the griffon stammered.

“Of course,” Bastion nodded, before sending a knife flying into the griffon’s chest and into his heart with pin-point accuracy, killing him instantly.

“Inkwell has also requested for your presence in Canterlot,” Illa said as Bastion casually retrieved his bloodied knife. “She requires the Duke of Cloudsdale to be there.”

Bastion grunted. “Fine. Tell Inkwell I’ll be there, but make sure I don’t have to interact with her.”

Illa shrugged. “We all dislike her, I know, but do try to be polite, will you? Our ally is the only reason why we have been able to stage this coup and not let Equestria know.”

“Any word of the rebels?” Bastion asked as he wiped the blood off the surface of his sharpened blade.

“Nothing,” Illa replied, seemingly unconcerned. “They have disappeared, and there has been no sign of them. A pity, we could have used the unicorns to our advantage.”

“I still don’t know how they managed to figure us out,” Bastion muttered while he sheathed his blade. “For Sun’s sake, they didn’t even know Celestia that well.”

“They still were powerful unicorns,” Illa reminded him. “Do not underestimate our enemy, Bastion.”

“The Crystal Empire?” Bastion prompted, raising an eyebrow.

“None of the doppelgangers had been able to replace the Princess of Love,” Illa said. “Rumor’s that she knows what’s happening and that the rebels are taking refuge in her territory.”

“The Lord of Chaos is another problem,” Bastion muttered. “We’ve been able to keep him happy so far with a fake of the Element of Kindness, but it will not last forever. Once the actual one returns, they will find out that someone was in their place.”

“Hmph,” Illa rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she considered the statement. “Perhaps… I will make the arrangements and see if we can be rid of Sparkle. If she cannot pass the border in the first place, we can simply keep her out and sow doubt within the group. If she thinks she was lied to by her friends, we can surely exploit that to our...advantage.”

“Alright,” Bastion nodded. “I will take my leave now, and pass my regards to Lady Shadowcrest. Tell her the base will be destroyed within the day.”

Illa inclined her head. “Of course. See you in Canterlot, Bastion.” She vanished, teleporting away.

Bastion sighed, crossing the room and ignoring the dead griffon to open the door and exit. As he stepped out, he cast his gaze around the underground base. They had used it for so long, only for its destruction to be ordered because of Sparkle. He almost felt a pang of sentimentality for this place, but he had to shrug it off. Sacrifices must be made.

“Lord Bastion,” an earth pony came up to him. “I heard the base was to be destroyed. Orders from Lady Shadowcrest, apparently.”

“Yes,” Bastion said dryly. “Clear out all the artifacts and ship ‘em to the Canterlot base. Make sure the creatures are well sedated so that they won’t escape.”

The earth pony nodded. “Yes, Lord Bastion.”

“You will not know what is coming for you, Sparkle,” Bastion murmured to himself. “You may have taken control of your life, but you will not ruin four years of our planning.”

Illa appeared into a darkened hallway, stumbling slightly as the teleport threw her off balance. Regaining her balance, she straightened up and hurried down the elegantly decorated hallway, lighting her horn as she did so to give herself some light.

As her hoofsteps echoed down the hallway, she became aware of a presence watching her every move. Watcher, she thought dryly. Been years since Lady Shadowcrest created him, but he still gives me the eebie jeebies…

The lights began to turn on one by one, lighting the hallway up as the presence of Watcher withdrew, having ascertained that it was Illa that had teleported into the house. Eventually, she arrived at an ornate marble archway opening up to a large garden. Before her, there was the mare she had come to find.

“Lyia,” Illa called out, pulling off her mask as she did so. “I’m back.”

The unicorn mare turned around, her startingly blue eyes immediately obvious as she did so. “Took you long enough,” she muttered. “Lady Shadowcrest was getting impatient. Does Watcher know you have arrived yet?”

“Sister,” Illa chided. “I haven’t seen you in months, and that’s the only greeting I get?”

Lyia sighed. “I’m here because Lady Shadowcrest wishes to move into Phase Three now, and this requires my research.”

“You’ve found the way to defeat Sparkle?” Illa asked interestedly. Even as skilled as she was, she knew she could not measure up to an alicorn at full strength, much less one that had been strategizing in an arena for the last four years.

“No,” Lyia replied flatly. “But I have discovered something from my...interrogation of her parents, known associates and ponies she interacted with before. She has one fatal flaw, and that is her friends. Threaten her with them, and she will cave in. It has been done before, in her past battle against Tirek.”

“And?” Illa prompted.

“She gave in,” Lyia responded. “Gave Tirek all the magic he wanted. And it was in exchange for her friends. If we use that against her, her alicorn powers will be useless.”

“I’d like to have something more concrete than that,” Illa said doubtfully, frowning slightly. “We’ve been preparing for so long, and yet we still don’t have an actual, foolproof way to deal with her in the event she discovers our plan of deceit.”

“We do, actually,” a regal voice came from behind them.

Both Lyia and Illa sank down onto the carpet in a kneeling position, lowering their heads. “Lady Shadowcrest,” Illa murmured. “We did not see you coming.”

“Of course,” the voice said. “Watcher informed me where you were, so I made my way over. Arise.” At this, Illa and Lyia got up, giving Shadowcrest their utmost attention.

A beautiful-looking pure white unicorn mare stood there, looking at them with stern eyes. “Report,” she ordered. “What is happening on Bastion’s end?”

Illa nodded. “They failed to take out Sparkle and her friends. Our spies report that she has plans to return to Equestria within the week. This is a journey she will almost definitely make; she has done it several times before alone. Bastion is sending a detachment of wolves to slow her down.”

“Of course they failed,” Shadowcrest said, somewhat indifferent. “No mortal in history has ever managed to successfully kill an alicorn by brute force. We will need other methods, which is where you—” she turned to Lyia. “—come in.”

“Her one fatal weakness is her friends,” Lyia said. “From what I have found out, she will give even her life to protect them. As for any physical weaknesses, alicorns have almost no weaknesses, and the only one that I have found is that their wings can be broken relatively easily as long as you exert a sufficient amount of force.”

“Lady Shadowcrest, if I may,” Illa said respectfully.

“Yes, Illa?” Shadowcrest turned to her. “Speak your mind.”

“I think we can use Sparkle,” Illa said. “With all due respect, getting rid of her is what we need, yes, but what if we could stage it such that her death will be public?”

“What do you mean?” Shadowcrest said curiously.

“We have had to rely on our ally to keep Equestria in the dark about our coup,” Illa said. “But if we can show that Celestia is incompetent, we can replace her with a new ruler, preferably one that we know won’t betray us.”

“Hmph,” Shadowcrest gazed at the flowers around them. “A fair point, although we will need to flesh it out.”

“Of course, Lady Shadowcrest,” Illa nodded.

“There are several ways we can expose Celestia to be an incompetent ruler,” Shadowcrest mused. “After all, she made many mistakes. I shall think about it. Inform Inkwell that she will need to mantain the status quo for now, just in case Sparkle arrives earlier than expected.”

“One more thing,” Illa remembered. “Inkwell is calling together the Dukes and Duchesses of Equestria to Canterlot for the annual meeting. There, she has decided to issue our ultimatum; support us or lose their authority and titles.”

Shadowcrest nodded approvingly. “She’s certainly doing well in the position we gave her,” she said. “Very soon, Equestria will belong only to the nobles and aristocrats, as it was always meant to be. For too long have the alicorns lorded themselves over us. And, speaking of alicorns...do you have any news from the Crystal Empire?”

“Still on lockdown,” Lyia remarked. “The Princess of Love has cut off all contact from Equestria. For now, rumors say that she locked it off because the rebels managed to get to her and inform her of our deeds.”

“Then why has she not taken action?” Shadowcrest mused. “I have met her before, and she was certainly not one to wait and bide her time. If she knew that her aunt was no longer in power, she would most definitely come to her rescue.”

“We do not yet know,” Illa noted. “A barrier is up around the clock, preventing access from anypony on the outside. Owing to this, we have little information coming from within.”

“Hmph,” Shadowcrest sighed. “Fine. For now, inform the rest to leave the Crystal Empire alone. We will deal with them when the time comes… or perhaps even use Sparkle as bait.”

“Will you be coming to the meeting, Lady Shadowcrest?” Illa asked.

“No,” Shadowcrest said. “That would not be wise. Sparkle is expected to arrive soon, and if she figures out I was behind all of her suffering...she would not let me off easily, if at all. She might not remember my name; I did keep a low profile in Celestia’s court. But I will not take any chances. I will remain at home instead.”

“What about Blueblood?” Lyia asked.

At the mention of his name, Shadowcrest’s face darkened. “Whenever we hinted at the possibility of him switching sides, he has still refused. Unfortunately, we could not get rid of him. Since he is the Duke of Canterlot, many things would collapse without him. However, we cannot keep going like this. If he still refuses after issuing our ultimatum, then we will have to get rid of him...surgically.”

“I am still amazed he hasn’t found out that there’s a fake in Celestia’s place,” Illa said. “Every time he reports to her of treason, our ally just simply distracts him. How he has not put two and two together shows how blinded he is by his loyalty to Celestia.”

“He is not incompetent,” Shadowcrest noted absentmindedly. “As conceited as he is, he has managed to ensure that he is irreplaceable, which is why we have this problem in the first place.”

Illa nodded slowly. “What are your orders now for me in Canterlot?”

“Keep a low profile,” Shadowcrest decided. “Do not engage unless absolutely necessary, is that understood?”

“Yes, Lady Shadowcrest.”

“Go, then,” Shadowcrest ordered. “And remember my orders.” Illa nodded, before putting on her mask again and teleporting away. “As for you,” she looked at Lyia. “I have something I need you to do…”

Author's Note

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Act I - Chapter 15 - Unforeseen Circumstances

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Writing assisted by MIGHTY_C

Chapter 15- Unforeseen Circumstances

Pushing open the door to the dining room, Twilight was surprised to see a carrier pigeon waiting for her on the table. “A carrier pigeon this early…?” She wondered out loud.

“Who sent that to you?” Rainbow asked interestedly.

“It came through the window ten minutes ago!” a cheerful voice said from behind them, prompting both Twilight and Rainbow to jump.

“Pinkie!” Twilight sighed, recognizing the familiar, bubbly pink pony. “Don’t surprise us like that!”

“Surprise?” Pinkie blinked. “I didn’t think you’d be surprised by me just telling you how long ago the bird came! Speaking of which, I think it has something for you, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded. “A letter,” she pried the letter from its legs, and the pigeon gratefully chirped before flying out of the window back to where it came from. “And it’s from…” she frowned. “Hard Line? Why is he contacting me?”

“Read it!” Rainbow urged. “Maybe something happened and I can get to kick some ass!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “First of all, Rainbow, you didn’t ‘kick ass’ when the griffons took you down, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah, I would have beaten them if they didn’t ambush us!” Rainbow brushed her off. “They just sneaked up on us and took us down after I knocked out the first two!”

Twilight shook her head and sighed. “Whatever. Let me just read this…” she opened the letter with her magic. After giving it a quick scan, she blinked in surprise. “What…?”

“Whazzit say?” Pinkie asked, looking over her shoulder on tiptoes.

“Sparkle,” Twilight read aloud. “Just last evening, the town’s ponies contacted me with a request. They’ve heard about your imminent departure, and I’ve since deduced that they inferred this from all the travelling materials you bought. They wish to see you in action one final time and give you a proper send-off. After all, you have been with them for four years, and it’s not unreasonable for them to want to ask for one last day of matches. If you accept my offer, be around at ten or so, and I’ll set everything up for the event scheduled for tomorrow. If you don’t want to, it’s fine, I’ll make some excuse on your behalf. Yours, Hard Line.” Twilight folded up the letter, and started to pace the room, deep in thought and contemplation.

“You gonna go?” Rainbow asked, her tone serious. “It sounds like they really really want this.”

“Ooh, ooh!” Pinkie bounced up and down excitedly. “It’s like a party! A Final-Fight-And-Send-Off party!”

“I think I might, honestly,” Twilight admitted. “It’s been a long four years, and they’ve been here for me the entire time. I guess I could just go back for a few days to give them this final request.”

“What final request, darling?” Rarity asked as she entered the room with Fluttershy, Applejack, Starlight and Spike.

“The townsfolk would like one final day of me at the arena,” Twilight summarised. “Because of me they’ve had a steady income from all the visitors all over the Badlands. Not to enlarge myself, but once I’m gone, that income is going to drop, and even though there’s still going to be the usual fights, I’m just not going to be there. They know they can’t stop me from leaving, so they’ve made a request for me to do one final day at the arena.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Applejack spoke up as she sat down, a plate of pancakes already there as Pinkie zipped around the room with the plates. “Ah mean, it’s not as if they’re asking for anything too much.”

“But don’t you want to go home, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked timidly in her soft, characteristic voice. “You said you did.”

“I did, yes,” Twilight admitted. “But I can’t just go just like that you see, do you know what I mean? I was already trying to think of how to explain to the townsfolk now. With this, I can kill two birds with one stone. I can satisfy them and leave on a parting note.”

“Then you should do it, of course,” Starlight said, sitting down too. “But how would this work?”

Twilight pondered over the question. “I believe it would be an open challenge, and anyone who wishes to come forward can challenge me openly,” she said. “Of course, I could be wrong, but it’s just my assumption.”

“Then I’d like to pit myself against you,” Starlight proposed, her tone suddenly turning serious. “Just to see if me training my magic in the last four years has improved my chances against you.”

Twilight smiled earnestly. “I won’t go easy, though!” she teased.

“That goes without saying,” Starlight affirmed, giving her a slight nod. “I won’t go easy too.”

“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?” Twilight asked, raising her eyebrows. “Very well. I am also interested in who’ll turn up to try their luck.”

“Yeah, who’ll even bother to try anyways?” Rainbow mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes. “From what we saw, you beat that dragon so easily, it’s not like as if any other pony can beat you-”

“Manners, Rainbow!” Rarity chastised. “But yes, Rainbow has a point. Who do you think would try to challenge you? You being an alicorn does give you a massive advantage, after all.”

“There’s a few that I know who will keep coming back for more,” Twilight started, as she tried to recall. “There’s a unicorn called Maul, who has magical aptitude, but lacks endurance; Linus, who is the complete opposite...and umm...quite a number, actually. They are at least a good sport unlike some of my other opponents.”

“Well, darling, know that we’ll support you no matter what,” Rarity assured her. “You can do whatever you set your mind to, and I’m certain you’ll be able to floor all of them. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded hesitantly, though her concern for Twilight was evident.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked.

“Is there going to be a large crowd?” she asked softly.

“Most likely, yes,” Twilight replied. “Remember that match with the dragon? And while I do recall you not being the best with a large crowd…” she lapsed into a thoughtful silence. “I could arrange for you all to get into a private viewing area, only for you girls and Spike,” she offered. “But if you don’t want to come, that’s fine too, you can just stay here and check out the house. But I’d really appreciate the support.”

“We’ll come, sugarcube,” Applejack affirmed. “We’re not much of friends if we don’t support each other, are we now?”

“Thank you,” Twilight smiled, before frowning. “I just realized something. Pinkie, where’d you get all the dough for the pancakes?”

“I got it from the bakery!” Pinkie beamed.

“How...did you pay them?” Twilight asked, silently hoping that Pinkie did not pilfer from the bakery under her nose.

“I didn’t!” Pinkie exclaimed cheerfully. “I just gave them a really good recipe of mine for the Ultra-Super-Duper-Frosty-Cupcake! They really really liked it, so they gave me a bunch of things in exchange!”

“Ah,” Twilight nodded. “For a moment there I thought you took the dough without paying.”

“What kind of pony do you think I am?” Pinkie giggled. “I’ll find a way to pay somehow, don’t you worry you silly-dilly!”

Twilight smiled before beginning to eat her pancakes. It certainly feels good to have them back around me…

“So we’ll have to extend our stay here, then?” Rarity asked.

“Yes.” Swallowing the bite of the pancake she just took, Twilight nodded. “But I’m sure you’ll find something to do in the meantime. For example, Rarity, there’s a seamstress three houses from here; she’s the one that designs the clothes around here, along with any other requests you might have.”

“A seamstress?” Rarity’s eyes gleamed. “Now, darling, why didn’t you tell me straight away? I need to see everyone else’s work so that I can improve on my own designs! Oh, and also add the fact that I haven’t touched a sewing machine for so long…”

Twilight chuckled. “I can send her a note, and let her know that a friend of mine is visiting. She’ll be glad to accommodate you, I’m sure; she’s designed a few things for me before. For my alter-egos, of course.”

“Thank you, darling,” Rarity nodded.

“As for the rest of you…” Twilight looked at them. “I’m sure you’ll find something to do, the town’s pretty diverse.”

Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “Yepperoni! So many different ponies, so many different shops! SQUEEEEE!”

“As for me, I’ll be making a visit to the Arena,” Twilight finished. “Hard Line wants me there so we can settle things for tomorrow.”

“You wouldn’t mind if I followed you, right Twilight?” Starlight requested.

“Of course not!” Twilight nodded. “Why, though?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I just want to check out the place,” Starlight uttered. “Look around a bit, you know?”

“Sure!” Twilight smiled. “I’m sure Hard Line would be more than pleased to answer any questions you have too; it’s the fruit of his hard work, after all.”

“Thanks, Twilight.”

“Well,” Twilight stood up, having already finished her pancakes. “I’ll have to go now, to get some things ready. I’ll meet you girls back here for lunch, alright?”

All of them nodded. “Okay!” Pinkie nodded. “I’ll be back here on the dot!”

“Great!” Twilight smiled. “Come with me then, Starlight. And uh, Rarity, don’t worry I’ll send that note ahead for you…”

A presence watched as the ponies exited the house, before smirking to itself once the door closed. “Well well well, Sparkle… what a nice house you have here, eh?”

He teleported, appearing in a room filled with weapons. “Shabby,” he tutted disapprovingly.

Teleporting again, he appeared in the room Twilight and Rainbow were in earlier. “Better, but honestly? Too cliche.”

This time, he appeared into a room filled with Twilight’s drawings and paintings. “It’s a shame she has to leave most of these behind…” he mused. “Perhaps I could arrange for something once this is all over, eh? Equestria would certainly like these…”

“Whatever!” Teleporting again, he appeared in Twilight’s room. “Pfft, thought she would have had some kind of secret thingmajig around. What kind of room doesn’t have a secret compartment? Booooooring.”

“The house is just so boring,” it complained. “At least Sparkle isn’t as boring…” chuckling to himself, he teleported away for the final time, leaving the house, leaving the echo of a laugh behind.

Author's Note

I just realized something.

Wouldn't this mean that Twilight is missing during Forgotten Friendship, EqG?

If that is so, correct me if I'm wrong...

SUNSET SHIMMER VOTED BIGGEST MEANIE BY THE WHOLE SCHOOL AGAIN! - says the school newspapers' headlines.

Jokes aside, I wanted to ask all of you a question. Would you guys like to see the evil side more often? I was considering writing more chapters of the evil side, but I wanted to get your input. Comment down below if you want more chapters like chapter 14!

Also, apologies for the short chapter, next one'll be longer, I promise!

Act I - Chapter 16 - Polar Opposites(Rewrite)

Author's Note

I've rewritten this chapter, hope everyone enjoys!

Act I - Chapter 16 - Polar Opposites(Rewrite)

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Writing assisted by MIGHTY_C

Chapter 16- Polar Opposites

“I am amazed at the sheer turnout today,” Twilight commented, gazing out at the crowd from the private viewing box she had reserved for her friends.

“It is probably your last official open challenge day,” Hard Line noted as he turned to face Twilight. “I have my assistant settling the challengers and allocating them their time slots. Of course, you won’t be fighting all of them, but it’ll be a tournament bracket, and the winner gets to challenge you once it’s done. After all, even you can’t fight that many.”

“What about the challenge I told you about?” Twilight asked. “You know, about how my friend Starlight Glimmer wanted to try?”

“Don’t worry,” Hard Line assured her, a thin smile emerging from his lips. “I have that scheduled as the opening fight, to start the day off.”

“I also noticed that you preemptively made sure that the betting stations had more than enough,” Twilight stated dryly. “Expecting a large number of bets today?”

“Mm,” Hard Line agreed. “According to my calculations, we’re going to have a larger number of fights than we normally have on a single day, so I had to make sure.”

“Twilight!” Pinkie popped up in front of her, and this time Twilight didn’t even flinch. “Do you know where we can get some snacks? I’ve looked all over, and I can’t find any!”

“There’s food stalls outside the Arena,” Hard Line said. “But I don’t think you’d want to make the trip-” But before Hard Line could finish, Pinkie zipped away, her pink mane being the last thing they saw disappearing into the crowd.

“Don’t tell Pinkie Pie what she doesn’t want to do,” Twilight advised. “Or what she could do. She’d just break reality like she always does.”

“Ah,” Hard Line nodded. “Perhaps I should concentrate on something I could understand.”

“That would be wise,” Twilight agreed, before turning around to look at Starlight. “Starlight, you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” the mare said resolutely, a burning determination radiating in her eyes.

“You know,” Twilight teased, chuckling a little. “It’s not too late to back out.”

“I’ll show you I have a chance at beating you,” Starlight smiled. “I’m no slouch, either.”

“No hard feelings though, right?” Twilight asked hopefully as she came forward to nudge Starlight’s barrel.

“Of course not!” Starlight replied incredulously. "What? Did you actually think that I would challenge you just for the sake of revenge?"

“Heh,” Twilight chuckled before clearing her throat. “Of course not. Just needed to make sure.”

“I also have a plan up my figurative sleeve,” Starlight added. “I am confident I can at least give you a run for your money, if not beat you. But I’ll do my best.”

“Leave the banter for the actual fight, eh?” Hard Line asked dryly. “In twenty-two minutes, you’ll both be down there, and you can show everyone your skills.”

“Talking about that…” Twilight turned her gaze back into the arena, trying to catch a glimpse of the commentator’s box. “Who’s today’s commentator?”

“I’ve gotten Bell to do it today,” Hard Line replied. “He arrived earlier today, and apparently he travelled through the night to be here today. His exact words were, and I quote, ‘I couldn’t miss this’, unquote.”

“He is pretty good,” Twilight mused, sighing. “A pity he retired last year after that griffon cut off his leg-”

“Excuse me,” Rarity interrupted as she walked in with the rest of the group. “Did you just say, cut off his leg?”

“Yes,” Twilight nodded as Fluttershy paled. “And he recovered from that, not to worry,” she assured them. “I made him another leg made out of metal, and he says it works better than the old one.”

“You know metalworking?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. “Ah wasn’t under the impression you were taught smithing.”

“As with my other skills,” Twilight said patiently. “I learnt quite a few here. Painting, smithing, fighting, all of these skills were learnt for me to be able to survive and live comfortably.”

“Ah,” Applejack nodded. “Understood.”

“By any chance, darling,” Rarity interjected. “Did you learn how to work with jewels and gems?”

Twilight stifled a laugh. “Rarity, have you seen any in this town?”

“No- oh.” Rarity blinked.

“Yeah,” Twilight nodded. “To get jewels in the desert, you’d need to dig insanely deep down to get even the slightest hint of one. It’s just generally not worth that much work. In fact, the sand you’d dig up would be worth more than the gem you’d find. It’s that deep here.”

“So that’s why we haven’t seen any, then,” Rarity pouted. “A pity. The seamstress I visited yesterday had so many good designs, they would just look splendid with a few gems.”

“It is what it is,” Twilight shrugged. “We make do, and besides not many of us wear extravagant clothing, the clothes that she designs are meant to be comfortable yet look aesthetically pleasing to the eye.”

“Of course,” Rarity nodded. “It makes sense.”

“I’m back!” Pinkie announced, suddenly appearing in their midst with a plate of cakes and waffles.” Hard Line flinched, while the group jumped in their seats.

“Pinkie!” Rarity chastised. “How many times have I said not to scare us?”

The mare in question shrugged. “I didn’t intend to scare you all,” she pouted, before brightening up. “Besides, snacks!” she presented the plate to them.

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said softly as she took one of the cakes in her hooves.

Rarity sighed. “Oh, alright. But I swear, one day, Pinkie, you’re going to give me a heart attack…” she levitated one of the waffles over to herself.

Rainbow looked over from where she had been staring down at the milling crowd, attracted by the food that Pinkie had brought. “That definitely looks good!” she exclaimed, grabbing one of the cakes for herself before stuffing it into her mouth all in one go. “Nd it astes good too,” she mumbled through the cake.

“Of course!” Pinkie beamed. “I made sure of that before I bought them using Twilight’s money!”

“My-” Twilight blinked. “Oh, right, I gave you that bag of coins this morning, didn’t I?”

“Yep!” Pinkie nodded enthusiastically.

“You two should get going now,” Hard Line pointed out. “We’ll be starting in fifteen minutes.”

“Right,” Twilight stood up. “Ready, Glim Glam?”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Welcome, every creature!” Bell shouted out to the arena with his magically amplified voice. “Today marks an important day, the day we say goodbye to the one and only...Sneaky Sparkle!”

The crowd roared at her name, cheering as loudly as they could. “She’s given the arena so much more to offer!” Bell continued enthusiastically. “She has given us a whole new world of entertainment, attracting so many creatures from all over the Badlands...I think I speak for all of us when I say I’m grateful to her. Plus,” he chuckled. “She did give me a new leg too.”

“So!” he shouted. “We’ll begin the day with a fight between Sneaky Sparkle and a new challenger, Starlight Glimmer! Let’s give it up for... Sneaaaaaaky Spaarkle!”

The crowd’s excitement rose to a fever pitch as the portcullis to the passageways under the arena opened with a characteristic creak, revealing Twilight waiting patiently, her eyes unfazed by the familiarity of the arena. Scanning her surroundings, she noticed that the arena was filled to the absolute brim with a roaring crowd. Seems like Hard Line wasn’t lying when he said that we’re going to be at peak capacity today…

“And now,” Bell continued. “We welcome a first-time challenger, Starlight Glimmmmmer!”

As the portcullis on the other side of the arena opened, Starlight trotted in confidently with a smirk on her face. Twilight frowned. What could she have up her sleeve…?

“Are you two ladies ready?!” Bell shouted. Both Twilight and Starlight nodded, lowering themselves into a battle-ready stance as the portcullis on both sides closed.

“Then…” Bell paused for effect, letting the roar of the crowd wash over them. “BEGIN!” he bellowed, sending the crowd into a frenzy as Twilight advanced, her horn awash in lavender light.

“Time to wipe that smirk off your face!” Twilight shouted as she released the spell, the bolt arcing towards Starlight. Starlight teleported away just as the spell was about to hit her, and the bolt slammed into a wall uselessly, cement flying everywhere.

Twilight whirled around, scanning her surroundings. No sign of- A stun bolt slammed squarely into her wards, pushing Twilight back a little from the impact. Twilight grunted as she dug her hooves into the ground, anchoring herself. So we’re going the invisibility route, eh?

“You can’t hide from me!” she yelled, flapping her wings to ascend into the air for a better view. Lighting her horn, she cast a spell. As the spell washed over the arena, she waited in anticipation for the reveal of the challenger. But even as the spell completely covered the arena field, no Starlight was revealed.

“What-?” Twilight blinked in surprise. “Oh, you sneaky sneaky little-” she swore under her breath. “Resorting to tricks now, I see.” Gotta conserve my mana, I still have another fight.

The crowd watched on with bated breath, nearly bringing every creature to the edge of their seat. This was the first time their champion had gotten this frustrated, and Twilight could sense the disappointed looks from the normally roaring crowd that she had not ended the match as fast as she normally did. Yeah, some of ‘em aren’t gonna win their bets...

“Damn it,” Twilight muttered under her breath. “How do I do this…?”

A pop from behind Twilight prompted her to whirl around, but it was too late. Starlight fired a blue-colored spell at her, shattering her wards instantly as she teleported away again in another brilliant flash. For the first time in months, Twilight was...vulnerable. How-? She clearly knows a spell that I don’t!

Time to up my game. “You can’t hide from me forever!” she shouted as she charged her horn to fire another spell.. “I’ve got spells you’d never have the mana for!” She fired the spell at the ground, causing the dirt and dust to shoot up into the air as she cast another spell, sending the dirt and dust into several mini tornados that she had conjured up.

“Dodge that!” she snarked.

The tornados spread over the field, churning up the ground as they searched for the challenger, making sure to spread as much dust as they could. Before long, her keen ears heard coughing from the northern portcullis. “Gotcha!”

Diving down, she materialized a lasso, throwing it towards where she had heard the cough. The lasso wrapped around something, and Twilight grinned as she yanked on the lasso, pulling what she thought to be Starlight up. As Twilight leveled down to the mystery object, she smiled. “Gotcha-”

Suddenly, the air around her exploded, and Twilight reeled back from the blast, her ears filled with nothing but ringing.

A trap! Twilight thought groggily, momentarily stunned. That sneaky little-

Before she could continue beating herself up, a barrage of spells was soon upon her, and Twilight was forced to pull up a shield, even as the ones she was too slow to stop slammed into her wards and were deflected away. The crowd was roaring in disbelief, their hollering even drowning out Bell's magically amplified commentary.

Starlight teleported in front of her, a wide grin on her face. Her mouth moved as if saying something. Twilight frowned. “What?” she asked. Starlight said something in response, and yet she still couldn’t hear what the other mare said. Enough of this! Casting a spell to clear the ringing in her ears, she immediately slung a stun bolt at Starlight.

The bolt passed through Starlight, and Twilight blinked as the illusion grinned back at her. “Didn’t expect this, did ya?” the illusion said. “Perhaps you sho-”

Out of a sudden, a bolt slammed into her shield as the illusion dissolved, “You forgot your own lesson!” the voice came from somewhere to her left, and Twilight twisted to try to find the source of the voice.

“You’re getting distracted now,” Starlight goaded as another bolt of magic slammed into Twilight’s shield. Where in the buck is she-

“Getting a little lost?” Starlight giggled from somewhere behind her, and Twilight whirled around immediately to try and find her, but there was no Starlight in sight. “I suppose, you are...kind of blind now, aren’t you? How about a little more? Take it as a little revenge for the dust trick you pulled on me.” A ball of sand splattered into Twilight’s face from inside her shield, causing her to splutter and rub at her eyes, the sand causing irritation everywhere it touched.

“Gah!” Twilight bellowed as the crowd’s whispers grew to loud murmurs. “Enough!” A wave of magic blasted from her horn in a circular radius, revealing Starlight immediately and sending her flying through the air. Clearing the sand from her eyes with a quick spell, she advanced on the mare.

“No more dirty tricks-” Starlight teleported away, leaving nothing but the ever abundant dust in her wake. “Gah! Hold still so I can-”

“What?” Starlight whispered teasingly from beside her. “So you can what?”

Twilight yelped, surprised by the sudden appearance of the mare beside her as she jumped. Starlight giggled and vanished in a flash again.

“Dammit,” Twilight growled. “I should have never agreed to this, you’re getting on my nerves.”

“Getting a little...touchy today, are we?” Starlight snarked as shards of crystal were fired at Twilight, slamming into her shield and weakening it bit by it. The barrage continued as Twilight was forced to feed more of her aura into her protective bubble.

“You little-” Twilight growled. Enough games.

“Eat this!” she shouted as she cast a teleport negating spell over the arena, making sure the mare couldn’t annoy her any longer. There was a yelp from behind her as a spluttering Starlight failed her teleport, the spell backfiring on her.

Now’s my chance! Twilight fired a stun bolt squarely at Starlight, but the bolt was easily deflected off the latter’s wards.

“And now the Sneaky Sparkle is attempting to make her comeback!” Twilight could distinctly hear Bell, even though she had already tuned out all noise except for hers and Starlight’s. “Will she manage it?”

Time to go all out now. Twilight stomped onto the ground, calling on her Earth Pony magic to send tremors through the nearby ground, and sending Starlight into a stumble. Dissolving her shield to conserve mana, Twilight flapped her wings to gain altitude for the high ground.

“Enough games,” Twilight stated plainly. “This ends here.”

“How about...no!” Starlight replied, firing a spell at Twilight. Twilight simply deflected it away using a quick slice of her horn.

“You fail to understand,” Twilight explained, shaking her head. “You’re right where I want you.”

Starlight blinked. “...what?” There was a rumble from the ground as Twilight smirked.

“You forgot your own advice!” Twilight grinned as a claw made of conjured stone and dirt swallowed Starlight up, before starting to crush Starlight. The stone claw stopped short of its objective however, as it was simply able to penetrate Starlight’s shield. Twilight lit her horn, applying more pressure onto the weakening shield. “Just say you submit, and this’ll be all over,” she offered.

“Never!” Starlight grunted from inside her shield. “I’m...not...a...quitter!”

Twilight sighed. “I already won, Starlight. Just give up, you can’t escape.”

“And Sparkle presents her endgame ultimatum to her challenger!” Bell shouted to the crowd as it cheered for Twilight. “Will it work? Let’s find out!”

“I can’t escape,” Starlight said resolutely. “But I can do this!” Twilight’s eyes widened as Starlight’s shield exploded, blasting the stone claw to bits and pieces. The stone sharpnel were thrown everywhere throughout the arena, and Twilight narrowly avoided getting hit by a rather large piece by swiftly banking aside.

“Time to show you I have a chance!” Starlight shouted, as a spell began building on the tip of her horn while a shield was erected around her. “Eat...this!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. An all-out attack? She shrugged as a shield popped into existence in front of her, causing the blast to slam into it, the roar of the spell deafening. After a few seconds, the barrage stopped. Dropping her shield, Twilight trotted forward and looked down at Starlight, the latter completely drained from her final attack. “That’s all you got?”

Starlight looked up, mystified. “What?” she breathed, scrambling back. “How?!”

“Larger mana well,” Twilight explained. “And it’s my turn.” She fired a stun bolt, and without enough mana, Starlight could do nothing as it slammed straight into her chest, knocking her unconscious and throwing her backwards.

“And the Sneaky Sparkle wins this one!” Bell roared to the crowd. “And boy, was that a close one!”

Yes, Twilight silently agreed as she gently scooped up the unconscious Starlight in her magic. It indeed was a close one.

Act I - Chapter 17 - An Unanticipated Lesson

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Interlude - Nothing is What it Seems

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Assisted by Mighty C

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Interlude Part 1- Nothing is What it Seems

As Twilight fell to the ground, the entire arena held its breath, most of them sure that the Sneaky Sparkle was only faking, and that she would get up in a moment and then beat Maximus.

After almost a whole minute of tense silence, whispers started to fill the air, doubt flooding through the spectators in a wave. Bell coughed.

“And so,” he said awkwardly. This wasn’t in any of the scripts he had prepared! Shuffling his hooves, he looked out at the uneasy crowd. “For the first time ever, Sparkle has been defeated and knocked unconscious by her opponent. I think I speak for everyone when I say,” he chuckled nervously, “this was an unexpected outcome.”

Up in the private box, most of them were frozen, staring down at Maximus and the unmoving body of their friend in shock. None of them had been prepared for this. Hard Line was the first to move.

“I have to get down there now,” he mumbled, his usual mask of indifference slipping away, replaced by genuine concern for his friend. Getting off his seat, he hurried into the passageways that would lead him down to the main section of the arena.

Rarity unfroze, her eyes sweeping over the scene. Something about Maximus unnerved her. She pawed the ground nervously as she peered over the railing, looking down.

As she locked eyes with Maximus, he looked up suddenly. Rarity’s eyes widened as their eyes met, something about Maximus’s eyes...disturbed her. There were no discernable emotions like Maximus wasn’t even a pony.

“Girls,” she said, suddenly aware of how shaky her voice was. “We have to get down there too, and help Twilight.”

At the sound of her voice, they looked away from the scene and slowly nodded, all of them getting up from their seats. “There’s something off about that stallion,” Applejack scowled. “Look at his expression. He’s not even surprised, happy, or celebrating. Instead, he just doesn’t care.”

Rarity nodded. “We can ask him once we’re next to him.”

“I swear,” Rainbow muttered, her wings twitching on her back even as she trotted into the passageways. “If I didn’t know this was just a challenge, I’d beat the living daylights out of him. Did you see how-”

“Yes, yes,” Rarity said impatiently. “He was toying with our dear Twilight. I saw it all, Dash. That and I know how to lip-read.”

Noise filtered through the passageways as the crowd started to rise from their seats and move off. Gone was the air of excitement. Instead, it had been replaced by a general sense of unease and dissatisfaction. There were groans from most of the audience as they realized the event was over, and many had annoyed looks due to them losing their bets.

As they arrived at the field, Hard Line was already barking instructions to a few ponies, and a medic was giving the unconscious Twilight a check over as he bandaged the few wounds they could see from her tumble to the ground.

“How is she, doctor?” Hard Line asked once the stallion straightened up. They held their breath as they approached, waiting for what he would say.

“She’s fine,” he replied. “Aside from a few scratches and cuts from where she slammed into the ground, I can find nothing wrong with her. Her mana levels are well above half, and she did not exhaust herself physically. After all,” he shrugged helplessly. “This is the first time I’ve had to check on Miss Sparkle.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said respectfully as they arrived. “When will she wake up?”

“Hard to tell.” He frowned. Packing up his box of assorted instruments, he looked at the group. “Could take a few hours to a day; it all depends on her. She could even wake up in the next hour; alicorn physiology is something I am not well-versed in, after all.”

As Rarity opened her mouth to speak, she noticed Maximus giving them a weird look, scrutinizing them. As their eyes met each other, the latter grinned before slinking off in the direction of the exit. “I’ll be right back, girls,” she heard herself saying.

“Where are you going?” Rainbow flew up to her face. “Twilight’s injured!”

Rarity gestured towards Maximus leaving the arena. “...oh. Well, I’m gonna go too-” Rainbow said after a pause.

“No, Dash,” Rarity interrupted. “I think he’ll feel better about answering questions from only one pony, not a whole group.”

“I-”

“Alright,” Applejack interrupted as she lifted Twilight onto her back with the help of Pinkie. “No need to argue with her, Dash. She knows what she’s talking about. As for you, Rares, we’ll be in…” She looked at Hard Line questioningly. “Where can we bring Twi to rest?”

“The medbay, or home, either one's fine, as long as she gets some rest,” he answered. “The day’s pretty much over,” he said as he gestured to the rapidly emptying stands. “But...it did end differently from what we expected.”

“Alright,” Applejack nodded. “See you latter, Rares. I expect you know where to go?”

Rarity nodded distractedly, her attention on the disappearing Maximus, before proceeding to follow him. He had just left the arena so Rarity was fairly certain that she should be able to catch up with him in no time. As she hurried after him, she glanced around nervously just in case somepony or something ambushed her. After recent events, as well as the last four years in this horrible wasteland, Rarity had learned that she could never be too careful.

As she rounded the corner of the passageway, she could see his tail disappearing into an alleyway between two houses right outside of the arena. “I have to catch up,” she mumbled to herself. I have a few questions for him. Wait, where did that bravado come from?

As she trotted into the alleyway, she saw Maximus facing a dead end. He facehoofed as he turned around to leave. As he turned around, he sighed as he saw Rarity.

“I knew someone was following me,” he muttered. “Just didn’t know who.”

“I just have a few questions for you, dar-” she stopped herself. That was only for friends and ponies she knew. “Nothing more, nothing less. I believe we have not been formally introduced, my name is Rarity Belle. What about you?”

“Don’t you already know my name? And why should I answer them?” Maximus challenged. “I could just teleport out of here.” He lit his horn, and it gave out sparks. “Or maybe not. I used more mana than expected, and I have no wish to use a,” he shuddered. “As they call it, a mana crystal. No point going through that discomfort just to get away.”

“Well then,” Rarity said, unfazed. “Will you answer my questions?”

“Nah,” he took a step forwards, and he stumbled as his hoof hit an errant rock on the ground, tripping over it. As he tumbled over, face first, there was an audible crack noise from his neck as his face slammed into the ground.

Rarity backed up in shock, her eyes looking at the unmoving body. “Mister Maximus…?” she asked weakly. “You okay…?”

Tirek, she thought, It’s honestly quite similar to how Tirek drained the magic from us, in fact.

There was no answer, and as she trotted forwards to help the clumsy pony up, she noticed a trickle of blood from where his neck was bent at an awkward angle.

Not possible! She backed up hurriedly, her face growing paler. But that’s ridiculous, preposterous even!

“Sir…” she trailed off as she looked at Maximus’s chest. It wasn’t moving.

“Oh, dear.” Her world went grey, and she fell over, her eyes closing as she fainted.

The white unicorn had fallen unconscious from shock, and the other?

Their eyes looked as if they were starting to fog, like the beginning of the coming storm.

The smug smile that remained on his face, betrayed the horrible situation he found himself in.

His mysterious nature left unsolved, his true face forever uncovered.

Or that's what Rarity would be thinking.

Unbeknownst to the passed-out mare, a stallion stepped over the inert body, staring straight at the dead body of Maximus.

“Well, that’s a complication,” Maximus said, staring at his own dead body. “Well, at least no one will believe her if I remove the body,” he thought out loud, tapping his hoof on the ground thoughtfully. With a flash of his magic, the body was gone, teleported away to a location only he knew.

“Well then,” he stepped back over Rarity’s unconscious body gingerly, making sure not to disturb the mare. “Problem solved.” He started trotting away but paused as he was about to leave. Considering Rarity, he sighed as he cast a perception spell over the alleyway, making sure that no one would be able to see that the alleyway ever existed. “I’m not that bad as to let you be kidnapped while you were unconscious,” he whispered, before trotting away, leaving Rarity behind.

Author's Note

Sorry for the late update, and such a short one too!

Been busy with life last two weeks, but I hope we can get back to weekly updates after this.

Sorry! 😓

I promise next one will be longer.

Interlude - Analysis

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Assisted by Mighty C

Preread by Stinium_Ruide

Interlude Part 2- Analysis

Applejack frowned as the door refused to budge.

“What’s up with this door?” she murmured.

“Waddaya mean?” Rainbow asked impatiently. “Just push the door open, and we can let Twi rest on her bed or something.”

“Ah mean, the door is refusing to open,” Applejack gestured wildly at the door. “ There's no keyhole or anything.”

“Let me try!” Pinkie piped up, before moving forwards. “Hi! My name’s Pinkie Pie, could you let us in?”

“Pinkie, ah don’t think that’s going to work—” Applejack’s jaw dropped as the door creaked open slowly.

Pinkie giggled. “Silly Jackie! You wouldn’t know until you try it!” She pushed Applejack’s jaw back up with a snap, before bouncing into the house. “I’ll get a glass of water for Twilight!”

“The door has built-in enchantments,” Starlight observed, her magic scanning over it. “Twilight obviously didn’t trust locks, so she probably left space for certain ponies...like us. Although...the exact triggering keyword or mechanism is a mystery to me.”

“Hmph,” Applejack grunted as she trotted into the house. “You unicorns and your fancy spells. I don’t understand any of it, not at all.” Twilight shifted slightly on her back as they crossed the threshold of the door, the rest following right behind.

“How is it that you already have your magic back?” Spike asked as he closed the door behind them.

“Hm?” Starlight turned to look at Spike. “Oh, while I may not have a mana well as large as Twilight’s, I can regain it much faster than she does,” she explained. “Helps quite a bit.”

“Oh,” Spike nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Was someone here before us?” Fluttershy queried softly. “The paintings are a little...off.”

Starlight scanned around her. Sure enough, a few were crooked and out of place. “Probably shifted when Pinkie Pie rocketed through here,” she dismissed. “We got bigger things to worry about, like getting Twilight some rest.”

“Already ahead of you, sugarcube,” Applejack replied as she started ascending the staircase to the bedrooms. “Her bedroom is the fourth one on the right, correct?”

“If I remember correctly, yes,” Spike answered. “She goes into that room every night, so…”

“Alright,” Applejack nodded. “Wait for me in the dining room; ah’ll be down shortly to talk once I get our gal settled in and comfortable.”

“We certainly have quite a bit to talk about,” Starlight agreed.

“I’ll come with you,” Spike scrambled up the staircase after Applejack, hurrying after the mare.

Starlight stared after them as they disappeared up the staircase, before sighing and proceeding down the hallways to the dining room with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

“I noticed you were observing the match very closely,” Fluttershy said after a few moments of silence. “What were you looking for?”

“Just analyzing the match,” Starlight answered. “Twilight has certainly changed since we last fought before today.”

“Of course!” Rainbow snorted. “The egghead is always improving at whatever she does! I bet you the next time she gets the chance to challenge that Maximus fella, she’ll wipe the floor with him!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Starlight said uncertainly as they trotted into the dining room and each took a seat at the table, awaiting their friends. “I saw a few things I didn’t like that would be hard to overcome.”

“What did you see?” Rainbow demanded. “Tell us!”

Starlight sighed. “Well, when I was watching them battle it out…”

Earlier...

The audience roared as one as Twilight fired the first spell, the repulsor spell arcing towards Maximus. Starlight raised an eyebrow at the amount of mana in that spell. Why did you funnel so much magic into a simple repulsor spell? She wondered. Are you afraid of something?

The spell slammed into a block of solidified air, rendering the spell useless. “What a great move by Maximus!” Bell shouted to the crowd. “An unprecedented one, but certainly would have wasted less mana than if he threw a shield up!”

Starlight’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t unicorn magic…the spell I cast to give me magic sight tells me that much...

Maximus said something to Twilight that she couldn’t hear, before firing a spell at Twilight. Starlight’s eyes tracked the spell as it arced towards Twilight, the latter taking to the air in favor of conserving mana.

The spell suddenly twisted in mid-air, heading squarely for the alicorn in the air. Starlight’s eyes widened. What in the...a heat tracking spell?

She leant forwards in her seat unconsciously as the crowd gasped at the unnatural turn of the spell. “Now that’s something you don’t see every day, folks!” Bell happily told the audience. “Certainly a worthy opponent for our one and only Sneaky Sparkle!”

Starlight watched as Twilight pulled up a shield to defend herself. As the spell slammed into the shield, dissolving into nothingness, Starlight frowned. Maximus is drawing attention away from himself...what is he planning—

Starlight gasped. As the crowd watched Twilight recover from that attack, Starlight sensed more than two wellsprings moving through the field, but yet only Maximus and Twilight were visible. Someone’s out there, her eyes narrowed. And they’re using my camouflage spell. But at the same time, there’s something different about it…

“What’s wrong, darling?” Rarity looked at her concernedly.

“Nothing,” Starlight said hurriedly, keeping her eyes on the scene. “Just surprised at something, that is all.”

“Very well,” Rarity nodded, before returning to look at the challenge.

Twilight’s horn began building up a fireball, and Starlight could sense the amount of mana put into that one fireball from where she was sitting. That’s a rather strong fireball you’re building, Twilight… I hope you know what you’re doing.

Twilight released the fireball, and the crowd gasped as one when a wall of stone rose from the ground to defend Maximus from the raging maelstrom of flames. As the fireball slammed into the wall, Starlight felt a wellspring behind the wall melt away with her magic. Her eyes widened, she looked down on the scene with bated breath. It could only mean one thing. Twilight had killed Maximus.

But yet, the stallion himself was right under Twilight, she could clearly detect a wellspring with the same thaumic profile as Maximus under Twilight, just camouflaged. Starlight averted her eyes as the field went bright as if someone had turned the lights up to maximum. There were several cries of shock and surprise from the audience at the sudden brightness, too.

Clearing her vision with a quick and simple spell, Starlight watched as Maximus fired a red-colored bolt at Twilight, but it was easily repelled by the alicorn’s wards. Twilight whirled around in mid-air, her expression calm but Starlight knew better. Inside, the alicorn was seething, that much she could tell from the intensity of the spells she was firing.

Even Bell had gone silent as the battle was cranked up a notch, Twilight sending a wave of raw magic out in every direction, causing Starlight to flinch and her magic sight spell to fail momentarily. But it had done its work, revealing Maximus to everyone right below Twilight.

“We definitely felt that!” Bell laughed as he told that to the audience. “What an effective way to disrupt your opponent’s spells and tactics!”

Sure enough, Maximus wore a surprised expression on his face. Something boomed from above the arena, and the audience looked up just a fork of lightning blasted down straight for Maximus. Somehow, the stallion turned it aside with a combustion spell, causing an explosion in mid-air.

The audience was holding their breath now. Something had changed, they could feel it in the air. The stakes had been increased.

The earth rose in a mass, enveloping Maximus as Twilight shouted something to the stallion that they couldn’t hear. “And a bold move by Sneaky Sparkle!” Bell roared at the crowd, having found his voice again. “Will it pay off?”

No, Starlight thought numbly. She had recognized the signs. There are several teleport anchors set up on the field, and Maximus obviously plans to use those…

One of the teleport anchors activated, and Maximus dropped onto the field on the other side of where he and Twilight had been fighting.

“How did he do that, folks?” Bell grinned. “Guess we’ll have to find out!”

Twilight sent a barrage of spells towards Maximus, and Starlight felt two wellsprings wilt and fade in that barrage as Maximus hastily activated another teleport anchor in quick succession to make it look as if he had simply sidestepped the spells. That’s something to tell Twilight later…

Maximus’s mouth moved as he said something before he activated another teleport anchor to appear behind Twilight. “Watch out, Twilight—” Starlight began, but it was too late.

A red bolt seared Twilight across her back, sending her tumbling across the field. For some reason, her wards did not stop that spell. An original spell…created by himself…

Twilight sprung upwards in an instant, firing a wave of spell at where Maximus had fired the spell from, but it just hit the wall as yet another teleport anchor was activated.

“And Sparkle is looking to finish this quickly!” Bell shouted as the crowd started muttering among themselves. “I sure hope no one gets injured severely…” he said as an afterthought.

Several teleport anchors activated, and a barrage of spells was fired at Twilight, forcing the alicorn to pull up a shield hastily. There’s definitely more than one pony there!

Twilight retaliated with a wave of water, sending Maximus tumbling to the ground coughing and spluttering. Starlight leaned even further forwards, all her attention focussed on the scene.

A few words were exchanged between Maximus and Twilight, before several spikes burst out of the ground, heading for Twilight. Twilight simply roared and stomped on the ground, breaking the spires into dust. Earth pony magic… Starlight thought, amazed. She definitely has fine control over the three tribes’ magic…

The two ponies slung spells back and forth at each other, before Twilight grew impatient and fired a relatively powerful spell at Maximus, forcing the unicorn to use the second last teleport anchor that Starlight could sense.

Yes! Starlight celebrated. You almost got him, Twilight!

“Who are you?” Twilight bellowed so that the entire audience could hear her. “What do you want?!”

Starlight’s eyes widened as the final teleport anchor was activated and Maximus appeared right next to Twilight. Starlight tried to shout a warning, but the stun spell slammed into Twilight squarely, sending her flying and falling down onto the ground.

Impossible! How did he—

Twilight groaned on the ground, her horn sending out sparks. As Maximus approached the downed alicorn, said alicorn swung her hooves out, kicking the stallion in the gut and throwing him backward.

You got this, Twilight! Starlight cheered Twilight on silently.

Twilight forced herself up, before moving over to Maximus. She said something before a spell erupted from Maximus’s horn and Twilight fell for what Starlight knew inside was for the final time. The alicorn would not be getting up from this one.

Come on, Twilight… Starlight was suddenly aware of her friends bearing similar expressions of worry on their faces, all leaning over the banister. Don’t let the cheater win...

And with one final spell, Sneaky Sparkle had her first-ever loss.

“So that’s how he won!” Rainbow exclaimed. “He cheated!”

“Not only that,” Starlight nodded. “Someone else was on that field, helping him. Several times I felt his wellspring fail and run out of mana, but someone obviously was providing him with more mana or he had mana crystals.”

“Ah can’t stand cheaters,” Applejack growled from behind them as she trotted over from where she had been listening from with Spike. “Once Twilight wakes up, we should tell her.”

“We definitely will,” Starlight agreed. “She needs to know that she technically won.”

“Then she’d be happier!” Pinkie Pie chirped, suddenly appearing in front of them, causing the group to yelp.

“Probably, yeah,” Rainbow agreed after she recovered.

“But then,” Fluttershy whispered. “Didn’t they say there were no rules except for no killing?”

“But he had a friend there,” Starlight slammed a hoof onto the table. “That can’t be fair.”

“We can let...what was his name again? Hard Line?” Applejack thought out loud. “We can let him decide, Twilight said he was the master of the arena.”

“Yep,” Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “That he is! Thought, a bit of the grumpy pants.”

“Um, girls…?” Fluttershy tried to get their attention, but to no avail due to her softness.

“The sun’s setting,” Spike observed. “I’ll go see what Twilight has in her pantry and cook up something for us.”

“I’ll help!” Pinkie added cheerfully.

“Girls?” Fluttershy said a little louder, and this time everyone heard her, turning their heads to look at her.

“Yes, Flutters?” Rainbow asked.

“Where’s Rarity?”

Author's Note

The frequency of uploads might be slower, I'm losing motivation for this period.

Sorry guys, I'll try to pick the story's pace up when my motivation comes back. For now, I'll post when I have the motivation and inspiration to actually write a good chapter.

But thanks everyone for sticking with me!

For The Alicorn Warrior, recently I've feeling like it's more responsibility than something I want to write, which is why I'll be taking some kind of a break because I haven't had much motivation to write The Alicorn Warrior recently.

I apologize for this guys, but I really don't feel like forcing myself to regurgitate chapters that aren't even enjoyable to me anymore. I have several projects that I left on the side to focus on TAW, neglecting them, including several other story ideas. Perhaps we'll return to a more frequent/stable upload schedule when I pull myself together.

I truly am grateful for everyone's continued viewership, even after the quality went down. Thank you all!

To clarify, no, we're not a hiatus, however, uploads will be slower and more infrequent.

Act I - Chapter 18 - Bleeding Hearts

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by myself because my editor is asleep and I'm tired

Chapter 18 - Bleeding Hearts

Can a god fall?

Can a god bleed?

Can a god be defeated?

What if that god isn’t even a god at all?

What if they’re simply an extremely powerful mortal?

Easy. They can bleed. And they can fall. And when they fall, they fall hard.

Darkness.

Enveloping darkness surrounded her.

A tiny prick of light, provided by a candle, burned strong in front of her.

For years, that candle was her only source of light.

Twilight could see barely anything but darkness.

But just only this week. When her friends arrived.

There was light. Seven different colors of light.

Twilight bolted upright, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Immediately, her eyes began scanning the room, looking for anything that could hurt her. Something. Anything. She noted her simple room, the desk, and the wardrobe.

As soon as she ascertained that there were no threats in her vicinity, her horn light went out.

My horn? I didn’t even realize I was preparing a spell… I must be even more paranoid than I thought-

She gasped as her memories of the day hit her with the weight of a freight train, sending her mind into overdrive. I lost…

Maximus. The name echoed through her mind.

Who is he? No, what is he? Twilight mused. No, that’s not the important thing. What’s more important is what he said…

Destiny lies, fate tricks you. You've thrown off Destiny's chains already, don't let Fate drag you back into their world. Make your own destiny, forge your own fate. Your life is yours to change. Remember these words, Sparkle, when you're faced with an impossible choice.

“What does that mean?” She wondered out loud. A cursory glance outside of the window revealed that it was nighttime, and with a quick sweep of her magic she knew that her friends were asleep.

I shouldn’t have lost.

I’m weak.

I got surprised.

How am I supposed to be who I am if I couldn’t even beat a unicorn?

Sure, he was cheating, but I’m an alicorn, aren’t I?

You’re just weak.

No.

“Oh, Twilight, you’re awake,” a sleepy voice suddenly said from the foot of her bed.

Twilight flinched a little at the sound, before looking at who spoke. A purple baby dragon, with green spikes running down his back stared at her. How did my magic not detect him here? I’m losing my touch.

“Spike…?” she said softly. “What are you doing here?” I lost. She pushed the thought away. Not now.

“Oh,” he shifted uncomfortably, “I thought you might need some company. Remember how we slept together when I was smaller?”

“Yes,” Twilight whispered. “I remember. Those were simpler times.”

“Yeah, well, nothing’s changed,” he straightened. “I’m still your baby brother and number one assistant, and nothing’s ever going to change that. How are you feeling? Better? Need me to get some water-” His eyes widened as Twilight swept him into a hug with her magic.

“Oh, Spike…” Her eyes watered as she looked at him. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there to be the sister I was supposed to be.” I failed. I lost.

“Twi,” Spike said sharply. “It’s not your fault. None of it was.”

“But it was!” Twilight wailed. “If only I hadn’t been so weak, hadn’t been so stupid, if only I just-”

“Twilight!” Spike almost shouted. “Did you banish yourself?”

“N-no?” Twilight looked at him in surprise.

“Then it’s not your fault,” Spike stated firmly. “Never was, never will be.”

“What about what I do here?” Twilight sniffled. “I had nightmares for the first year. Then they slowly faded, and I got fewer nightmares. Am I… am I becoming a monster? I saw your expressions when I killed those griffons…” I’m a monster, and they hate me.

“You’re not a monster, Twi,” Spike leaned against her. “You just changed.”

“I…” Twilight ran her tongue along her lips, her lips cracking slightly as she did so. “I missed you, baby brother.” I don’t belong.

“I missed you too, Twi,” Spike said softly.

“I won’t ever leave you again,” she promised. “I’m here now, and I’m never letting go.” Spike nodded at that.

“Anyways,” Twilight sighed. “How are the girls? You know, like how did they react?”

“Oh yeah!” Spike’s eyes widened. “You just reminded me. Is Rarity back yet?”

“Rarity?” Twilight frowned. “Why?” We’re- I’m not supposed to be here.

“She didn’t come back, even when it got dark,” Spike answered. “Rainbow wanted to go search, but Applejack said that Rarity could take care of herself, and that it was dangerous in the dark.”

“Well,” Twilight released a wave of magic, before wincing.

“You okay, Twilight?” Spike immediately asked. “You shouldn’t be using your magic.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Twilight replied. “Rarity’s back, all right. I can sense her in the…” She paused. “What is she doing there?”

“Where’s Rarity?” Spike almost demanded.

“She’s in my kitchen,” Twilight frowned. “Or rather, the room in the kitchen where I keep my alcohol. What is she doing there?” I lost. She grimaced, trying to push the thought away. Not important! My friends are more important than my ego!

“Let’s go check on her!” Spike hopped off the bed.

Twilight nodded, following behind Spike as they navigated the house to go to the kitchen. As they passed by the main room, she noticed the paintings were...off. Some weren’t straight, and some looked like they weren’t in the proper place. Her eye ticked. Organization...Need...to...be...organized…

“Not now!” she snapped at herself. My friend requires me…

“Twi?” Spike turned around. “Who are you talking to?”

“Nobody,” she forced a smile. “Just myself.”

“Alright,” he said dubiously. “Tell me if there’s anything wrong, okay?”

Twilight nodded as they entered the kitchen, and she halted as she took in the scene.

Rarity was slumped over the kitchen table, a bottle of wine in her hooves. Several others lay by the side. She looked up as they entered, their hoofsteps alerting her. Looking at Spike and Twilight, her bloodshot eyes blinked. She had obviously been crying.

“Rarity?” Spike hopped onto a chair to be at Rarity’s level. “What’s wrong?”

Twilight nodded. “Tell us, Rarity. We’re your friends.”

“This isn’t a dream,” She whispered.

“It’s not. What happened, Rarity?” Twilight tried again. The next few words that Rarity spoke sent a chill down her spine.

“I killed him…”

Author's Note

Sorry for such a short chapter :(

But I swear, I packed so much lore into this 1k.

Let's see if anyone can catch the hints I placed...

I had a short burst of inspiration, and Calliope won't let me sleep until I post this.

I hope you enjoy! Now, time to see if I can sleep...

Act I - Chapter 19 - The Traveler and the Goddess

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Chapter 19 - The Traveler and the Goddess

An icy storm surrounds the city of crystal;

A goddess hides away in her empire.

She now seeks the answer to why her world has collapsed around her.

She looks for a loved one, for one of her fellow goddesses.

A traveler traverses the lands.

His face, shifting every so often.

The traveler is a third wheel; an unintended factor.

With knowledge he shouldn’t have, he sets out on his quest.

He brings information to the weary Goddess of Love and her beloved.

And for her, Hope accompanies him.

The door to the tavern slammed open. A cloaked pony stepped in as gusts of wind blew inside, making the curtains sway. The ponies in the tavern looked up, scrutinizing the new arrival in silence as the earth pony at the bar counter looked up and scowled.

“Shut the door!” he bellowed. “You’re letting the snow and cold in!”

The howl of the winter storm outside was muffled as the stranger closed the door, before he gingerly trotted to the counter and took a seat. Once he had settled down, the tavern had roared back into life as the crowd returned to their individual, private conversations.

“The storm’s getting bigger.” Sliding off his hood, a blue unicorn stared at the earth pony behind the counter. “Give me the best drink you have.”

“Ain’t seen you ‘round these parts before,” the earth pony commented as he focused on pouring the unicorn a tankard. “Rarely anyone outside our villages comes this far up North. I mean, sure, there have been more tourists ever since the Crystal Empire had returned...but our village is really off the beaten track. What’s your name, stranger?”

“Maximus,” the unicorn promptly replied. “Or you can just call me Max. And yours?”

“Dirty Glass,” he grunted. “So, what brings you this far North?” He slid the tankard over to Maximus, the liquid inside sloshing at the sides.

“Oh, I’m just traveling to the Crystal Empire.” Maximus grinned as the earth pony stiffened.

The tavern had gone silent again, all of the patrons now staring at him with a look of hostility in their eyes. “What business do you have there?” Dirty Glass carefully asked. “The Empire is closed. Everyone should know this.”

“Oh, just wanting to meet the Princess—” he broke off as every unicorn in the room dragged their stools aside and stood up, their horns flaring up. “Oh, come on, Captain, don’t you recognize me?”

“Bloody hell,” the earth pony cursed. “You?”

“Yep,” Maximus smirked. “Now, now, Captain Oak. Tell your ponies to stand down. Just wanted to test your defenses.”

Oak scowled. “If that’s really you, Traveler, what’s the password?”

“Nimble Terry Chack Check,” Maximus stated without a flicker of hesitation. “And with a cherry on top.”

“Stand down,” Oak sighed as his figure transmogrified to reveal an armored unicorn, the crest of the Crystal Empire proudly displayed on his breastplate. “It’s the Traveler.”

The unicorns grumbled as their own disguises melted off them, revealing more armed soldiers. “What is it this time, Traveler?” Oak asked as he pulled out a seat for himself. “Level One? Level Two? I hope it was worth your time traveling all the way up here.”

“This time, my information is even more important,” Maximus said, ignoring the tankard in front of him in favour of staring at Oak. “And by the way, your defenses are inadequate; my disguise wasn’t broken when I popped in.” ”

“Shut up,” Oak snapped. “It’s not our fault your spells bypass almost every ward we can conjure. Spit the information out, and you can leave with your payment.”

“Oh, no,” Maximus let out a throaty laugh. “This one's for the Prince and Princess’ ears only. Code, TS. Tee, Ess.”

Oak froze, his gaze boring into Maximus’s eyes. After a few moments of silence, he unfroze. “You sure?” he finally asked, the skin around his eyes taut. “Months of silence on that end, and you always said you never had information on that front.”

“Well, now I do.” Maximus grinned triumphantly. “So now you know why it is only for their Royal Majesties only.”

“If you’re messing with us…” Oak threatened. “Code Tee Ess is nothing to be taken lightly. You yourself know how important she is to Their Majesties.”

“Of course,” Maximus leaned back in his chair. “Who do you take me for? What are you waiting for? Send out the message!”

“Already done,” a burly earth pony to their left uttered. “They’re on their way. They also sent a message ahead to warn you that if you were joking, you better be running by the time they arrive.”

“Whatever,” Maximus shrugged. “I’m not lying. Besides, I have an interest in this too.”

“Yeah,” Oak snapped. “An interest for money. You’re just leeching off Her Royal Highness—”

“I can take care of it from here, Captain Oak,” a gentle voice spoke from the other side of the room, where the stairs were. Both Maximus and Oak looked over to see an alicorn standing there with a white unicorn stallion beside her. “I’d like to have some privacy with the Traveler, please. If he is speaking the truth, we need to hear this, alone.”

“You heard the Princess!” Oak shouted after a moment of hesitation. “Clear out!” In a matter of moments, everyone in the room vanished except for Maximus and the two new arrivals.

“Spill the beans,” the unicorn demanded. “Tell me: where is she?!”

“Now, now, Prince Shining Armor,” Maximus chided. “Manners. I’m the one with the information you need.”

“You dare—” he started forwards, but the alicorn held him back with her magic.

“I apologize for my husband’s rudeness, Traveler,” Princess Cadance murmured. “He is just worried, as am I. Shall we start over again?” Shining scowled, but Cadance stared at him with a pointed look.

“Sure!” Maximus cheerfully said.

“Greetings, Traveler, we meet again,” Cadance smiled warmly. “I see you’re in a different body from the last time.”

“Indeed,” Maximus nodded. “I needed a change. Anyways, my last form had a bounty on it.”

“Can we stop beating around the bush and get to it?” Shining exploded. “Tell me where my sister is so we can go get her!”

“Not so fast.” Maximus stood up. “I am unable to tell you where she is.”

“So, if you’re not going to give us her location,” Cadance mumbled softly. “What information do you have for us then?”

“I would if I could,” Maximus replied, shrugging. “But her location...somehow it’s been enchanted to appear on no map. I have tried tracking her, but it didn’t work. Anyways, it doesn’t matter. She’s coming back.”

Shining and Cadance turned and looked at each other. “To Equestria?”

“Yes.” Maximus nodded. “But that is not what I am here to tell you. Your spies would have told you that she was in Equestria eventually. I have more...substantial information.”

“Tell us,” Cadance pressed. “If what you tell us is truly important, I will give you whatever you want. I shall spare no expense to bring my sister-in-law home, and keep her safe from whatever is going on with Aunt Celestia and the nobles.”

“Something big is happening in two weeks,” Maximus murmured mysteriously. “She will be involved in it.”

“What?” Shining raised an eyebrow. “Impossible. None of our spies have reported anything on such a large scale.”

“Nobody knows about it...yet.” Maximus grinned. “Only I do.”

Shining groaned. “Is this from your imaginary friend Destiny, again?”

“Take it as you will,” Maximus stated as he started for the door. “You can choose to trust me or not. But to show my sincerity, I will not be asking for payment for this. I genuinely want you to have enough time to prepare for what’s ahead. Two weeks: that is all the time you have before you might lose her...forever.” With that, he threw the door open, and disappeared into the shadowy storm.

“Wait!” Cadance called out, galloping to the door. A entropic flurry of snow and ice cooked by her own storm pelted her senses.

“Inform our contacts in Equestria,” she said in a low voice. “We’re going there.”

“But—” Shining started.

“No buts!” she almost yelled. “We need to get there before Twilight does, or she’s going to be lost to us forever! Isn’t that why we made this storm? To keep our ponies safe from them? Now. We’re going to Equestria to bring her back, and make sure whatever’s going on with Auntie Celestia and Luna doesn’t affect her too.”

“Of course,” Shining nodded as he joined her side, staring out into the winter storm. “I only wish we’d have more information than just ‘something’s about to happen’...”

Author's Note

As a note, don't be afraid to comment down below what you think! I read every comment, I just don't reply to all of them. Feel free to ask questions, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

I appreciate all comments and love all analysis of my chapters, and I was really happy to have those two analyses last chapter :D

Also, do tell me if you guys like the new front section paragraphs I'm adding...

Also, I might be adding the cutie marks of the main character of the chapter to the top of the page, let me know what you think! Cadance's cutie mark is just a test, might remove if y'all don't like it.

Act I - Chapter 20 - The Assassin and the Showmare

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by me because my editor is busy

Helped by Skippex

Chapter 20 - The Assassin and the Showmare

A pink colored petal fell to the ground.

A pure white unicorn mare knelt down, scooping up the petal in her hooves. "We're almost there, love," Shade whispered. "Hold on. When we have complete power...I'll save you. Hold, on, Crest, hold on."

“I know you’re there.”

A hooded pony froze as she heard the voice. Impossible! This place is supposed to be secure. I will escape, or my name is not-

“Show yourself,” Illa impatiently said, twirling her blades. “Come out, rebel scum. I’m tired of you all resisting.”

Tr- I am not scum! The hooded pony huffed silently. It is you who is scum, supporting a false princess!

“I know you’re there, Trickster,” Illa repeated. “Your own informant gave you up, telling me where to find you. If you help us access the Crystal Empire, we won’t kill you.”

“Never!” The hooded pony blurted out. “I will never betray Princess Cadance!”

“Very well,” Illa brandished her blades. “Prepare to die, Trickster. Know that at least at your end, you fought well.”

The hooded pony sighed. “Do you really think me that helpless? I am the Trickster, the greatest illusionist to exist! You cannot keep me from escaping!”

“I know that,” Illa smirked. “Which is why I brought help. Lyla, if you may?”

Lyla-? The hooded pony’s eyes widened under the hood as a shimmering wave of magic passed through the cavern, washing over her. “What did you do?!” she shouted from behind the rock wall she was hiding behind.

“Prevented you from teleporting anywhere,” Illa confidently replied. “Now, you have nowhere left to run. Face me for a chance to escape, or die like a coward.”

Escape tunnel probably not found yet, she analyzed the situation. The main exit definitely surrounded. Escape tunnel is past that mare, which means...she came to a conclusion.

Lighting her horn, she fired a spell at Illa. The assassin crossed her blades quickly, deflecting the spell off the twin stiletto knives. “Cheap shot!” she shouted. “Show yourself?”

“Ugh,” the hooded pony muttered as she weaved her spells. Once she was done, she released it, letting it spread into the cavern.

She trotted out from behind the wall, showing herself. “Here I am!”

Illa was quick to react, rushing forwards with her blades, slicing at her. She dodged sideways, activating the first of her six spells. A rock golem peeled itself off the walls, stomping towards Illa.

“Rock golems?” Illa asked. “Really? Your illusions aren’t fooling me, I’m used to them!” She sliced at the hooded pony again, aiming for her neck. The pony backed up in a panic, her hood falling off in the process. As she felt the hood falling, she hurriedly scrabbled at it, but to no avail. NO!

As her hood fell, an azure unicorn mare with a light blue and silver mane, and violet eyes was revealed. Her eyes widening in panic, Trixie backed up.

“Trixie Lulamoon,” Illa stated dryly. “I should have known. Who else would have your skill at lying and tricking others?”

“Trixie is flattered,” Trixie replied. Since she knows now, time to lay on the third-person speak. “That you know of Trixie’s name and of her prodigious skill.”

“Oh, no,” Illa sneered. “I only know you because of the Alicorn Amulet fiasco. Did you know Princess Celestia had notes on that?”

Trixie flinched. “What?”

“Indeed,” Illa pointed one of her blades at Trixie. “Interesting notes, I must say. She even seemed grateful to you a little, helping Sparkle on her journey of Friendship.”

“Shut up!” Trixie snapped, activating her second spell. Arrows, fired from seemingly nowhere, thudded into the ground in front of Illa. “There’s more where that came from!”

“Please,” Illa put her hoof through one of the ‘arrows’, dissolving the illusion. “You’re an illusionist, not a fighter. Surrender now, and I’ll make it quick.”

Trixie activated her third spell, and a roar resonated through the cavern.

“A roar?” Illa was unimpressed. “Like I’d believe you have a dragon down here.”

“No, but Trixie has this!” Trixie slung a stun spell at Illa, but the assassin simply deflected it off her blades.

“You’re just delaying the inevitable at this point, Lulamoon,” Illa started trotting towards Trixie, who was backed up against a wall.

“Trixie will not lose to some backwater assassin like you!” Trixie shouted.

“Backwater assassin?” Illa growled. “I am Lady Shadowcrest’s most faithful vassal and her most loyal! You will not besmirch her name-”

“Yeah, yeah, your Lady Shadowcrest is a treasonous mare!” Trixie shouted, activating the rest of her spells. Her body shimmered as she pushed mana into her spells. I hope this works…

“Not!” Illa retorted. “She’s better than you think!” Reaching Trixie, she sliced at Trixie. Trixie dodged aside, but slipped on an errant rock and fell down, her legs splayed out.

Illa pointed the edge of her blade at Trixie’s neck as she tried to get up. “Oh, no, you’re not going anywhere. Any last words before we arrest and capture you for high treason, Lulamoon?”

“The resistance knows the truth!” Trixie shouted defiantly. “That’s not Princess Celestia, and Shadowcrest is simply just pulling the strings to continue ruling!”

“Very well,” Illa nodded. “Go to sleep, traitor.” She raised her blade, before slamming the flat side of it down to knock the mare out. But to her surprise, the blade passed through the azure colored unicorn.

“What?!” Illa breathed. “Impossible!”

The illusion of Trixie dissolved, and Trixie appeared at the other side of the cavern. “Everything is possible!” she shouted. “Eat this!” She stomped her hoof on the ground, lighting up runes all over it.

The cavern rumbled, sending showers of rock and rubble falling. “You would collapse your own safe house?” Illa said in disbelief.

“It’s no longer safe, is it?” Trixie retorted. “Princess Cadance will find the traitor to the resistance! You will no longer be able to foil our plans!”

“Mark my words,” Illa swore. “I will kill you, Lulamoon. Live your life well, because I’m coming for you.”

Trixie simply smirked as the ceiling of the cavern fell, showering Illa with rubble. Illa grimaced, and lifted the anti-teleportation spell as she teleported away just before a large rock slammed into where she had been.

Trixie stared at the collapsing cavern. Ugh. Another safe house gone...the princess needs to find the traitor, and fast…. And with that thought, she teleported away.

Author's Note

Hey everyone!

I thought an Equestria update was long overdue, so here you go!

It will be split into two parts, what's happening now and what happened.

part 1 is here, hope you enjoy!

Act I - Chapter 21 - The Showmare and the Resistance

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited Mostly by Stinium_Ruide

Helped by Skippex

Chapter 21 - The Showmare and the Resistance

Three and a half years ago...

“The Alicorn Amulet?” Shadowcrest murmured as she tapped her forehoof on his chin. “It’s currently locked away, but we will need to keep a watch on Lulamoon just in case.” She raised an eyebrow. “Corrupting influence…hmm... If this is true, Lulamoon would be a Level Three threat. See to it that the Guard knows, Illa.”

The darkly-clad shadow bowed its head. “Yes, my Lady.” With a flash of aquamarine light, it teleported away.

“The Princess’s private notes are certainly interesting,” Lyla noted, her eyes feasting on the disorganised pile of manuscripts that littered the desk. “Several decades of meticulous research and spying on her own subjects.”

“This only shows how unfit she is to rule,” Shadowcrest muttered as she leafed through a thick book filled with cursive hoofwriting. “She’s been manipulating Equestria since several decades ago.” She heaved a sigh. “Even if she was a good ruler…”

“What is on your mind, my Lady?” Lyla asked, her attention diverted. “You seem...troubled.”

“That bug,” Shadowcrest spat, slamming her hoof onto the mess of papers. “I didn’t say I wanted to banish Sparkle, but yet she pushed the Princess into doing so. She was bucking blinded by revenge. If we didn’t have any need for her, I would’ve just disposed of her.”

After stacking the papers into an orderly fashion, Shadowcrest slammed the book shut . “Now, we’ve lost the Princess of Love, and the Elements of Harmony are off on a wild goose chase. What if something attacks us now? Ugh. This is all a mess, and not what I had planned.”

“It’s not too late!” Lyla reassured, trying desperately to calm Shadowcrest down. “You have come too far for such a tiny hurdle to interrupt your plans.”

“I hope that is so,” Shadowcrest muttered. “We had to take emergency measures and replace the two princesses once I heard Sparkle was gone. Princess Luna would have found us out almost immediately once she started investigating; the bug left too much behind. Not one for subtlety, is she?”

“At least you have a backup plan for that,” Lyla said, shrugging.

“I prayed that I would never have a use of it.” Shadowcrest exhaled deeply. “I’d like to keep her as an ally, as hard as it may be. Her subjects are...useful. Anyways”—she stood up, putting the book aside—“I have a meeting with the Duke of Fillydelphia. .”

“Good luck, my Lady.”

“I don’t need luck,” Shadowcrest muttered angrily as she moved off, leaving Lyla alone in Celestia’s now barren quarters.

Lyla looked up as the door closed, a hint of relief flashing across her face before she wiped that smirk off her face.

Trixie sighed as she trotted down the road to Ponyville. Ugh. Trixie cannot understand why security has been ramped up. It makes it so much harder to smuggle in dangerous fireworks…
“Halt!” a voice called out, prompting Trixie to freeze in her steps.

“What?” Trixie snapped without looking at who spoke. “Can’t you see the Great and Powerful Trixie is walking—” She looked up to see two Royal Guards looking at her impassively by the entrance of Ponyville. “Oh.”

“You are Trixie Lulamoon, yes?” the one on the left questioned.

“Of course.” Trixie huffed. “There can only be one Great and Powerful Trixie! Do you see any other pony that looks like her?”

“You are under arrest on orders from the Crown,” he stated flatly. “Do not resist.”

“Wait—” Trixie blubbered. “What did Trixie do to—”

“I have an arrest warrant from the highest authority,” he replied. “We can either do this the hard way, or the...”

“Never!” Trixie backpedaled swiftly, intending to start running. As she prepared to throw her signature cloud of smoke, a blinding flash of light met Trixie’s eyes, and all she saw was darkness.

Trixie’s head swayed.

Trixie’s everything hurt.

“Uuuuugh,” she groaned as she pushed herself up, her mind spinning. “Where...am—is Trixie?” She dragged her eyes around, taking in her surroundings. “Oh, not another cell!”

Pristine marble tiles greeted Trixie’s vision. A flaming torch was the only source of light that penetrated the darkness, its smoke rising serenely into the air. Wrought iron bars surrounded the hapless blue unicorn as she tried to bring herself up on four hooves.

“Trixie is amazed at this place…” she murmured to herself. “Is this Canterlot Prison?”

“How do you know? Have you been here before?”

“Of course not!” Trixie snapped without the slightest hesitation. “Definitely not! Trixie has never been in prison—” She paused. “Who just spoke?”

Silence.

“Oh, come on!” Trixie protested, throwing her hooves in the air. “Trixie is not losing her mind!” A snicker.

“Who are you?” Trixie asked. “Tell Trixie now, or—”

“Or what?” the voice replied. “You have an inhibitor ring on you. What are you going to do?”

“Clockwork!” another voice scolded, his voice echoing from the sides of the hallway. “What is Princess Cadance going to say if she heard you? We’re here to help her, not ridicule her!”

Trixie sat down. “Trixie is losing her mind. She is hearing voices,” she muttered. “Trixie must be in a dream.”

“No, no,” a hooded pony appeared in front of her cell, his invisibility spell wearing off. “You’re not in a dream. Far from it, I’m afraid.”

Trixie stared at the stallion. “Are you a guard?”

“Nope!” another hooded pony cheerfully said as her invisibility spell wore off. “We’re not even supposed to be here!”

“Then what are you doing here?” Trixie questioned, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Here to make fun of Trixie? Trixie has had enough of that.”

“Nothing of the sort,” the mare assured her. “We’re here on behalf of a friend.”

“A friend?” Trixie asked suspiciously. “Trixie does not have— Trixie means, none of her friends would have the means to get somepony into a prison.”

“Fortunately for you,” the stallion said. “You’ll meet her soon. Just as soon as we get you out of here. Or rather, you will get yourself out of here. We’ll be helping.”

Trixie blinked. “What?”

“Clockwork, you’re getting too far ahead,” the mare chided. “We haven’t even explained anything to the poor mare!”

“Get on with it, then,” the one Trixie assumed to be Clockwork grumbled. “We have…” he checked his non-existent watch. “Eleven minutes before the drug I slipped the guard wears off and he wakes up.”

“Enough for me!” the mare replied happily. “Do you want the long version or the short version?”

“Short version, please,” Clockwork interrupted as Trixie opened her mouth. “I know how long-winded you are, Flora, and we haven’t got much time.”

“Fine,” the mare Clockwork called Flora pouted. “Basically, we’re part of a resistance group opposing the new regime. Surely you’ve realized something’s wrong with the princesses? And of course, for reference, Clockwork and Flora aren’t our real names.”

Trixie nodded slowly. “Trixie supposes that is true...the princesses have been making weird decisions of late.”

“And they’re getting weirder,” Flora informed her. “Recently, they’ve sent out a threat list. You’re on it, which is why you were arrested. The p- our leader, after realizing you were here, sent us to get you out to ask you if you can help us. If you don’t want to help, that’s fine, we’ll bring you somewhere safe. After all, you don’t deserve to be here.”

“Hmph,” Trixie huffed. “What would Trixie be required to do?”

“We understand you have a skill with illusions,” Clockwork answered. “We can use that in our efforts.”

“And why would Trixie help you?” Trixie queried.

“To bring Equestria back to what she was,” Flora said seriously. “For the greater good, you know?”

“Of course,” Trixie muttered. “It’s always been for the greater good. Will I be meeting the princess?”

“The princess-?” Flora hesitated. “Wait, how did you know-?”

“You let it slip,” Trixie said pointedly. “If Trixie remembers correctly, you mentioned that Princess Cadance would be displeased with Clockwork because of what he said.”

“See?” Flora turned to Clockwork. “I told you she was smart!”

“Not smart,” Clockwork corrected, but he sounded impressed. “Just a good mind for details and what ponies said.”

“Let’s just say Trixie agreed to join your resistance,” Trixie said. “How are you getting her out of here? There’s no keyhole in this cell, the Canterlot Prison is much more secure than that. You need the magical aura of the warden.”

“We have a pony on the inside,” Flora explained. “We’ll get them to arrange that instead of being tried for your supposed crimes at the Canterlot High Court, you’ll be transferred to the Manehattan High Court to stand trial. On the way, the transport will take a detour past a cliff.”

“No,” Trixie backed up a little. “Trixie is not jumping off a cliff.”

“You will if you want to escape,” Clockwork said grimly. “One of the guards will unlock the transport’s door for you. Get out, and jump. We’ll be waiting for you. Anyways, you have time to make your decision. We’d understand if you don’t want to. For now, we’re out of time. I hope to see you…”

“Wait!” Trixie cried out as the two ponies vanished.

“Stop right there, prisoner!” the guard shouted as Trixie burst out of the carriage, running for the cliff. “Prisoner escaping!”

Last chance, Trixie! Are you jumping or not?

As she reached the cliff, looking back at the guards chasing her, she made her decision. Trixie has made a lot of mistakes in her past. Maybe helping this resistance will make up for it. She looked back one last time.

As the guards reached out for her, she jumped.

Prisoner 883 jumped off a cliff. Body not found. Prisoner assumed to have escaped.

~Telegram from Manehattan High Court to the Canterlot Guard Station~

Trixie glanced around in wonder as the self-driving boat rowed itself into a large cavern. Several ponies were trotting about, talking to each other in low tones. As the boat came to a stop, she recognized the shape of the pony waiting for her at the pier.

“Is that you, Clockwork?” Trixie asked slowly.

“Yes,” the green-colored stallion nodded. “Come on, we’ve got some things to do before you’re officially a part of the resistance.”

“Where is Trixie?” Trixie wondered out loud. “This is a very large cavern.”

Clockwork chuckled. “Thank you, Miss Obvious. This is one of the abandoned mines underneath Fillydelphia that we’re using as a communications center for the resistance.”

“Is this place safe?” Trixie asked nervously.

“Of course!” Clockwork replied indignantly as they trotted down into one of the smaller tunnels. “We’ll be meeting the princess soon, she’s already here to meet you. She meets every single one of our recruits, you see.”

“That’s...nice of her,” Trixie replied.

“Here,” Clockwork stopped at a door. “Go in first, I’m going to get her. Oh, and ignore our guest. We caught her snooping around and the princess wanted to have a word with her just in case.”

“Guest?” Trixie raised an eyebrow, but Clockwork was already trotting away.

Trixie nervously pushed open the door, entering the room. Inside, there was a bare desk and two chairs, along with what looked like a cell at the side with a forlorn-looking mare inside of it. As soon as Trixie entered, the mare perked up.

“Are you part of them?” The mare demanded, springing up.

“N-no?” Trixie stuttered. “At least, Trixie doesn’t think so. Not yet, at least.”

“Good,” the mare nodded. “Get me out of here.”

“Wait, what?” Trixie blurted out. “Who are you?”

“Lieutenant Shine of the Fillydelphia Attache Corps,” The mare answered impatiently. “Get me out of here, and I promise I’ll put in a good word for you, Lulamoon.”

“How do you know my name?” Trixie asked suspiciously.

“Your face was sent to every Guard Station three hours ago,” Shine said. “I was checking the mines if you were hiding there two hours ago, before they jumped me and put me in here. You escaped, didn’t you?”

“I’m not going back,” Trixie said defiantly.

“You won’t, if you help me,” Shine promised. “I can pull some strings for you. You’re only Level Two now, down a level after they assessed you and sent you to Manehattan. You’re not much of a threat, I’m sure they can overlook your crimes for helping me bust a resistance outlet.”

“No.” Trixie flatly said. “Trixie promised to help, and Trixie never breaks her promises. Trixie wants to make up for her past mistakes. You can stay there. Trixie is going to see if-”

Shine started laughing. “Miss Lulamoon, good job!”

“Wait,” Trixie looked at her with a perplexed expression. “What do you mean?”

Shine grinned. “You passed the test. You can come in now!”

The door opened to reveal two ponies which Trixie recognized as Flora and Clockwork. “I knew you could do it, Trixie!” Flora beamed.

“You see,” Clockwork explained. “We needed to test your loyalty. And I think you’ve passed.”

“Indeed she has,” Shine smiled as her coat underwent a change of colors, her disguise spell wearing off. Trixie’s eyes widened as she realized who she had been talking to. The door to the cell opened, and Princess Cadance stepped out.

“Welcome to the resistance, Miss Lulamoon,” Cadance smiled warmly. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine with us. I hear you want to make up for your past mistakes? I’m sure you’ll do much, much more than that.”

Author's Note

An excerpt from a torn-up piece of paper found in the ruins of a resistance safe house. Most of the pieces were retrieved and reassembled to form what looks like a diary entry from a resistance member. Note that this is not the whole entry, several pages could not be found.
To be honest, I don’t know what Princess Celestia is doing.

She’s given more and more powers to the nobles, and they’ve begun a regime that even the [Unreadable] cannot ignore.

Our spies have noted that orders have been sent out to every Royal Guard with a new threat order. From what we have been able to discern, there are four threat levels.

Level One - If seen, to be arrested at sight. According to what we know, if anyone is categorized as a Level One threat, the Guard has been ordered to bring them in alive. No violence is needed in most cases, and only level one stunning spells are allowed against them.

Level Two - If seen, to be arrested on sight. Although, in this case, the Guard has been authorized to use level three stunning spells against Level Two threats.

Level Three - Level Three threats arrangements are more interesting. The Guard have been authorized to use level five spells against them, but are ordered to leave them alone unless told otherwise. Level Three threats include dangerous mages, members of our resistance, and monsters. They are normally left to trained individuals such as [Unreadable] and certain members of the nobles’ elite.

Level Four - I find this disturbing. Level Four is a kill on sight. We have not been able to find out who is on this list, but what we know is that whoever is on this list is extremely dangerous, or at least supposed to be dangerous.

Oh, and one thing I’ve found out. Princess Cadance is not on any of the threat lists. Why? I don’t know. However, there are orders to arrest her on sight for treason. Ugh. Is that really necessary for just locking off her country to protect them?

At least most of Equestria’s day-to-day lives have not been interrupted. However, we note that they’ve been hunting down dark mages more fervently, and there have at least been two or three captured. Several fights have been observed, and where they took place damages are high.

Damn it all.

What is Princess Luna doing? I’d have thought if her sister went mad she’d do something, but noooooooo. She supports her!

On that note, where is Princess Twilight?! She disappeared a long time ago, and we have orders from Princess Cadance herself to keep looking for her. The Elements of Harmony are still in Ponyville, along with their pet drake. If some real threat appears now, we’re bucked. We don’t have the Element of Magic. And for some reason, orders have been given out to arrest her on sight for treason, same as Princess Cadance. Ugh. What is even happening?

That being said, I find it highly suspicious that every fortnight, a food package, enough for eight ponies, is sent to the Badlands. Why? I don’t know.

Gah. I wish I had something better for the princess. I’m one of her most trusted agents and information coordinator, and I can’t even find out such simple things.

I should really tear this diary entry apart. Just in case they find this safe house.

But just in case I decide to keep it…

Signing off,

Clockwork.

End of the diary entry.

From this, we can note that they have spies in many sectors. One of the most alarming is that they are in our distribution system and have access to secure Royal Guard channels.

Princess Celestia will need to be alerted that they have our threat order list, and it will need to be brought up at the next meeting that the resistance knows that we are currently hunting dark mages. But for now, they do not know the reason why.

Send this through to the Canterlot Guard Station, no delays.

Captain Nimble, Manehattan Guard Station.

(Also, this will be the last Trixie chapter. Back to regular Twilight content after this!)

Act I - Chapter 22 - The Named and the Lies

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Chapter 22 - The Named and the Lies

“You did what now?” Twilight asked, her eyes twitching.

Empty glass bottles littered the scene before her. “I...I killed him!” Rarity threw her head back, her chest rising and falling unsteadily. “Dead! All because of me…”

“Twi…” Spike looked at her. “Why is Rarity acting like this?” He had subconsciously begun to take a few steps back away from Rarity.

Twilight stepped towards Rarity and illuminated her horn. “Go to sleep,” she whispered gently. “When you wake up, it’ll all seem like a bad dream…” Obscure thaumic symbols lit up in the air as Twilight’s horn shimmered in the light.

“Isn’t that—” Spike gasped.. “Princess Celestia said never to—”

“Shh.” Twilight put a hoof into his mouth. “Princess Celestia isn’t here, and our friend needs help. And to do that, this spell will be necessary.”

“B-but—”

Rarity shuddered as the spell made contact with her, its effects spreading throughout her body. Within seconds, her body slumped down and she lost her magical grip on the bottle. Twilight caught the bottle inches before the floor, her magical aura encapsulating it as she gingerly brought it to rest onto the nearby table.

“I...killed...him…”

But before she could continue, her eyes rolled back as she fell into a slumber. Slowly, her erratic breathing slowed to a steady rhythm.

Once Rarity had fallen into a deep slumber, Twilight’s horn light flickered out as she let out a sigh. “The sobering spell would have been easier,” she commented, “but this, this gives our friend some time to rest. Once she’s more lucid, we’ll talk to her.”

Use telepathy; we can find out what she’s—Twilight shook away the thought. What’s wrong with me? This isn’t me.

“Alright, Twi...” Spike relented. “But Princess Celestia did make you promise never to—”

“Circumstances change.” Twilight gently lifted Rarity up in her magic. “Look, isn’t this better than letting the effects of alcohol take its course? I should know. Remember the month after I escaped from Quick Leash? I took to the bottle. Every night, I saw their eyes in my dreams. The ones I was forced to kill. The ones”—she looked outside at the moon—“the ones I could not stop Quick Leash from forcing to fight.”

“Years out here have enlightened me, Spike,” she whispered. “Equestria is peaceful, yes. But at what cost? Look. Look what banishing the wrongdoers have done. We became an elitist community, forcing out the ones we did not like. Was it not the case with Zecora? We hid from what we did not know. We pushed away the unknown.”

The purple dragon wrung his claws. “What are you talking about?”

“Change is coming, Spike.” She started trotting towards the door to bring Rarity up. “And I’ll be at the forefront of this change. When I return, I’m petitioning Celestia to allow them. Remember that little filly? Her only crime was being the daughter of a mare who threatened Equestria’s perfect image. Her mother sold prohibited drugs, yes, but that doesn’t make her filly deserve to be out here too.”

“She was nice,” Spike admitted. “Alright, fine. I’ll help you with whatever you need, Twi. Just tell me what to do.”

“Always the faithful assistant.” Twilight ran a hoof over Spike’s head fondly as they trotted into the main room, heading up the stairs. “For now, we’ll go back. And we find out what’s wrong with Celestia.”

“Twi?” Spike put a claw on Twilight’s shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Of course I am!” Twilight replied instinctively. “Why do you ask?”

“You lost to somepony...for the first time,” he answered absent-mindedly. “Don’t you feel anything?”

Clever drake. “Not really,” Twilight lied. “First time for everything, right?” I’ll rip that stallion apart the next time we challenge him. Show him who we are. This time, we won’t play around.

Twilight shook her head forcefully. No. That’s not who I am.

Then who are you?

Twilight pushed open the guest room door, revealing the sleeping forms of Applejack and Rainbow Dash on the guest beds, snoring away. She gently set Rarity down on the third bed, before backing out of the room slowly and closing the door with a soft thud.

“I’m serious, Twi,” Spike insisted. “You don’t seem okay. You look like something’s going on in that head of yours. I know you. You don’t take losing well.”

“Maybe I’ve changed, alright?” Twilight almost snapped. “I’ve got bigger problems than losing. Sure, my magic is unstable right now because of it, and I had to use all of my concentration just to cast that sleep spell, but it doesn’t matter.”

“Your magic is unstable?” Spike blinked. “Is that why the left side of your face keeps twitching, like…” he paused. “Wait. Why do you have that strange, flickering aura over the left side of your face?”

He knows. “Nothing much,” Twilight lied after a pause. “Just the usual wards.”

“Twilight.” Spike stood in front of her, looking straight into her pupils. “You can tell me. I’m your assistant and brother. You can tell me what you’re hiding.”

Pain. Twilight screamed as the sword sliced at her left eye, scoring a wound on the left side of her face.

“I said it’s nothing, okay?” Twilight repeated. “I can handle it.”

Twilight looked at herself in the mirror, a scar running down the left side of her face, running through her eye. “You look like a monster.”

“And I’m saying you can’t,” Spike stated firmly. “Tell me.”

“You could use an illusion spell to cover up the scar,” Hard Line suggested. “Since you hate it that much. Can you really not heal it?”

“It was the first thing I tried when we were free. The sword was enchanted.”

“I can’t, alright?” Twilight shot back. “It’s been taken care of.” She turned away, choosing to stare into her paintings wordlessly.

“Twi…” Spike softly said. “I know you’re hurting. We’re here now. You don’t have to keep that pain trapped inside of you.”

“What would my friends think of me?” Twilight cried. “I don’t look like I did anymore! I look l-like a monster!”

“If they were truly your friends, they wouldn’t judge you.”

“I can handle it,” Twilight repeated. “It’s nothing important.”

Why won’t it work? I’ve used every spell, every healing method! And yet they all failed!

“If it’s nothing important, can’t you just tell me?” Spike insisted.

Twilight ran a hoof down the pale red line running down her face. “I’m a broken pony.”

I’m not Twilight anymore. I don’t look like her. I could pretend to be her without the scar. But with it…

It just shows how much I’ve changed.

“Just…” Twilight breathed in and out. “Leave it alone, okay? I’m not ready. Don’t press me on it.”

Twilight brought the sword up, slicing it through the stallion who had wounded the left side of her face. Through a mist of pain and blood flooding her left eye, she fell to her knees onto the ground as the stallion collapsed in a pool of blood.

“Alright.” Spike’s shoulder sagged reluctantly. “But remember I’m here. We’re here. You can tell us anything.”

“I know,” Twilight turned her gaze towards her paintings and frowned. “Did one of you girls move my paintings? They’re not aligned properly…”

“No.” Spike shook his head. “Nobody had touched them. I noticed they were already misaligned when we came back.”

Her eyes flicked to the painting at the bottom left corner of the room that was displaced slightly to the left. Panic gripped her heart as she immediately dashed to the painting, and frantically pushed it aside. “No no no…”

“What is it, Twi?” Spike asked, hurrying down the stairs.

Twilight heaved a sigh of relief once she saw the blank wall behind the painting. “Something very dangerous,” she answered ominously. “That no one should ever find. I locked them away because they should’ve never been created.”

“What’s that?” Spike scratched his head.

“I can show you.” Better to change the subject. Maybe he’ll forget.

“Isn’t that dangerous? We should just leave them in th—

“It’s perfectly safe,” Twilight interjected him with a dismissive shake of her hoof. “I need to check on it, anyways.”

“I guess.”

A shimmering gleam of light flashed as Twilight attempted to uphold the fading illusion on the left side of her face. She squinted her eyes as she now focused on disabling the intruder-deterring traps that surrounded the hidden compartment.

“I didn’t know you had a basement,” Spike murmured, peering down. “Looks like no one’s been here in a while.”

“It has been a year since I was here last,” Twilight replied nonchalantly as she descended the stairs. “After all, this was a mistake.”

“What was a mistake…?” he trailed off before his eyes were met with a reflective glimmer. . .

Three, long glass displays stood before the duo. Within these cases, however, revealed four glowing, runic blades. A greatsword floated seemingly serendipitously in the centre of the first display. Thanks to the gold inlay, a faint, yet fierce yellow glow emanated from its majestic hilt.

The second display proved no less brilliant. Two clashing scythes stood frozen in time; the contrasting reflection of the polished onyx and the diamond on either blade upon the glass surface appeared most juxtaposing. Finally, a massive battleaxe sat serenely in the last case, its runic inscriptions on the blade illuminating its reverent surface.

"Spike, these are my mistakes. Glory is the sword. She was forged by the best smiths in the Badlands to be my weapon in the arena: flashy and powerful. The scythes here are Alpha and Omega, the—”

“The legends...” Spike swallowed anxiously. “They symbolize the beginning and the end…Does that mean what I think it means?”

“Yes,” Twilight nodded her head solemnly. “They were created to defeat those that wished me harm. Alpha, to begin the fight, and Omega, to end it.”

She shuddered. “Alpha is filled to the brim with light magic, and Omega is saturated with dark magic. Alpha is the yin to Omega’s yang. I should have never created them.”

“Then why did you?” Spike blurted out, before pressing his lips shut.

“I needed something to protect myself from the atrocities of the Badlands,” Twilight trotted towards the four weapons. “This was the result. I had tried to destroy them when I found out that infusing alicorn magic into these weapons was dangerous. The feedback loop...it destroyed my first house.”

“Oh.” Spike stared at the axe, awe-struck. “But what about the axe? You haven’t ment—”

“Justice,” Twilight said grimly. “To bring justice to those who deserve it. I infused the pyrogenic auras I had into it, and this is the result.”

“Are you just going to leave them here?” Spike walked closer to the glass cases. “Wouldn’t it be unsafe?”

“True,” Twilight nodded. “Which is why I will be storing them into my dimensional pocket. Riskier for I cannot expand my whole mana well, or else the pocket will collapse and everything inside expunged with extreme prejudice, but I have no choice.”

“Right,” Spike looked at the weapons and shuddered. “I get chills just looking at them. How much magic did you put in them?”

“A lot,” Twilight replied stiffly. “Which in hindsight, was a mistake. Even if they’re impervious to spells and can pack a punch stronger than more than half of my offensive spells.”

“That sounds good!” Spike pointed out. “Why are they mistakes, then?”

“Because if they’re ever stolen,” Twilight explained. “Whoever has them would have powerful magic at their disposal. And not to mention the dark magic I filled Omega with. You think Sombra was dark? Omega has almost twice the strength of the spells he used.”

“Why do you even know dark magic?” Spike grimaced. “Princess Celestia never taught you any of those spells.”

“I taught myself,” Twilight answered. “There’s a lot of banned books floating around in the black markets around here, and I got some for… academic purposes.”

“Oh,” Spike said softly. “Makes sense.”

“I wish I never forged them,” Twilight muttered. “Now they’re just something extra to worry about.”

“Who knows?” Spike offered. “Maybe they’d come in handy someday. Well, not Omega. That scythe gives me the creeps.”

“Maybe,” Twilight shrugged noncommittally. “Time to put them inside my dimensional pocket.” With a flash of light and a grunt of effort, Twilight cast the spell, and the cases disappeared.

“There’s that,” Twilight said as Spike yawned. “You must be tired,” she teased as she nuzzled him. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“I’m not tired,” Spike protested weakly as Twilight hoisted him up onto her back, chuckling.

“I’ll see you in the morning, little brother,” Twilight whispered as Spike shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

And I’ll make a decision as to whether to tell them of my scars then.

Both physical and mental.

Author's Note

Sorry for the expo dump, but we're back to regular Twilight content now :)

Act I - Chapter 23- Under the Mask

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by no one because Stinium is reviewing and I'm lazy to find someone else

Chapter 23 - Under the Mask

The moon shone over the silent town, shadows gathered in almost every corner.

Twilight relished the shadows. Contrary to popular belief, she did not perform her best in the open. She definitely was not at her best when hundreds, perhaps thousands of creatures were watching her in the arena.

In the darkness, she was in her element. It was partially why they called her the “Sneaky Sparkle”. Nopony, or creature had their eyes trained on her. Nothing could see her.

Slinking through the darkness, she glanced back at her house. I should be back before they wake up.

My mana’s not full, she scowled, her lips curling in an expression of distaste and disgust. What can I do to regain some?

Scanning through her active spells, her brow furrowed. Her wards, the protection spells over her vital organs, and the subspace were all needed. What else - Ah. The illusion spell.

Fine. She arched her head back, and shuddered as the familiar feeling of a spell dispelling spread throughout her body. Slinking up to a nearby window, she looked at herself in a reflective surface without the illusion spell for the first time in four years.

A jagged scar ran down her left eye, the eye itself glowing slightly due to a constant ward on it to keep the exposed, unhealable, tissue uninfected. Damn that bastard, she scowled at her reflection. Several small scars could also be seen on her throat, but they were mostly hidden by the shadow her chin cast across her chest and throat.

Her eyes locked onto the angry red scar on her left eye. Even after years, she could not yet find a counter to the poison that the sword had been imbued with. The enchantents on the sword had made it no better, making sure that every medical remedy did not work on the scar. Only her most potent healing spells had made some leeway, and even those only saving her from losing her eye.

No matter for now, she decided. I have my patrols to do.

Hard Line had once asked why she preferred to sleep less than two hours at a time.

She never gave him a straight answer.

But the truth? She preferred never to slip into REM sleep, and let her consciousness float away from her body to dream. Or rather, have a nightmare. The first few days she allowed herself to dream, she saw their eyes. Haunting her, accusing her.

And yet, Luna never came. She had the same nightmare, one night after another, and the Guardian of Dreams never came. Once two weeks passed, she refused to go to sleep long enough for the nightmare to come.

The few times she did, she always woke up in cold sweat. She could never forget. How could she? It was never in the nature of ponies to kill, harm, or maim. Or rather, that nature had been erased. Slowly blown away by the winds of time. But even the deepest, buried instincts could be brought out once there was a need to.

Once she had spent a month in the arena, she could start to feel it. The call to fight, the power flowing behind the three main leylines that augmented her magic. Unicorn, Earth Pony, Pegasus. All three had buried roots, originating from thousands of years ago.

The three tribes had once clashed. History blurred the details, made it more mild, but Twilight understood once the instincts had started flowing in.

The innocent nature of Earth Pony magic had been a facade. Manipulating nature, breaking rocks with unbelievable strength? A general would have utilized these skills without hesitation. Vines, called upon to strangle or immobilize their enemies would be essential to a tide of a battle. Enough Earth Ponies could cause an earthquake.

Pegasi had no inkling of what they could do. Manipulating weather was only the tip of the iceberg, and creating a tornado to funnel water upwards was only the beginning. Rainbow Dash had once said she could summon lightning if she tried. At the time, Twilight thought she was boasting, that her ideas had been from a comic book of sorts.

It was the contrary. How many times had Twilight utilized the skills of pegasi to disable griffons? Pegasi commanded the skies and weather, bending them to their bidding. A pegasus who was knowledgeable and skilled enough could set hellfire upon their enemies. Pegasus leylines flowed with power. Augmented with lightning, a well-placed pegasus could cause havoc to any army.

The last tribe. Ponies thought Unicorns were the strongest, being able to cast spells at will. Twilight now knew that to be false. Unicorns were more skilled, more versatile, yes, but they had never the brute mana force to face off against the other two tribes. For what could Unicorns do if an Earth Pony opened a fissure to swallow them? What could a horn do against a powerful storm?

Unicorns needed their mana to even face off to the other two tribes. They had limitations, and those limitations held them back. Pegasi and Earth Ponies could call upon their abilities at will, held back only by their physical limits. And even those limits could be pushed past. Unicorns, however, were only as powerful as the size of their mana wells.

Sure, mana wells could expand. But how much? Twilight knew that her own had only increased by barely three-quarters from when she was a filly. It was only when she became an alicorn her magic had been increased tenfold. The Earth Ponies and Pegasi had so much wasted potential.

Her alarms pulled her back to the present. Months ago, she had set magical alarms everywhere to warn her of a potential sandworm attack, and several had just triggered. Most likely the desert predators coming in to take advantage.

Sandworms had incredible magical sensitivity, compensating for their lack of sight, hearing, or smell. They most likely had sensed that her magical aura was weaker, not as encompassing as before, and they wanted a buffet.

Twilight snarled as her tripwire spell three hundred metres away from the town triggered. They thought her weak, and they wanted a feast. Well, she’d show them. She promised the residents when they moved in she’d protect them. She wouldn’t break that promise, not now. Even when she was weak.

One hundred metres and closing in. Twilight flapped her wings, and ascended into the air. Looking off into the distance, she saw the mound of sand moving towards the town. With an almighty bellow, she let loose a fireball, turning the sand it slammed into to glass. With a screech, a sandworm burst through the glass, mouth open wide.

Twilight dived, pulling the first item she could feel out from her subspace. To her surprise, Alpha emerged. The scythe glinted in the weak moonlight, the power flowing along its edges. There was no time for hesitation. As soon as Alpha was fully out of the subspace, Twilight sliced it along the sandworm’s side, causing it to screech in pain and turn to try and eat her.

That was a mistake. As it opened its mouth wide to swallow her, Twilight redirected Alpha’s blade to point at the throat. Concentrating, a ray of light blasted from its tip and into the sandworm’s throat, ripping through its soft insides. The sandworm roared as its insides burned. Within seconds, it fell to the ground, flames licking hungrily from the inside.

Twilight examined Alpha. As much as she loathed to admit it, she had missed its familiar weight. She used to take Alpha out on most of her patrols, electing to leave its twin, Omega, behind. Eventually, she had stopped bringing Alpha out, due to her being uncomfortable at how powerful it was.

But she could feel Alpha. She felt Alpha’s joy of finally reuniting with her mistress once again, her magic once again melding with the alicorn’s own. Twilight had never intended for Alpha to be able to have a consciousness, but alicorn magic had its own ways of acting. Alpha could not speak, but Twilight could feel her emotions.

“I won’t trap you away again,” Twilight whispered. “Will you grant me your strength again?” The scythe pulsed out a brilliant white light, and Twilight smiled in relief. She had need of Alpha’s strength for the days ahead, for she did not know yet what they would face back in Equestria.

The ground rumbled. Twilight sighed as she raised Alpha into a battle-ready stance. For more sandworms were coming. They had felt their brother’s fall, and they wanted blood. Brandishing Alpha, she cried out a battle cry.

“Come! We are not afraid!”

Author's Note

I have returned!

Well, uh, not really. Exams are ongoing, which is why this chapter is rather short. But good news! Exams end 7th October, which means the next chapter will most likely be on the 8th. Watch out for it!

Act I - Chapter 24 - Shadows of the Star

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Chapter 24 - Shadows of the Star

There are those who indulge in their shadows. They are dangerous.

And then, there are those who deny their shadows. They can be trusted.

And Twilight Sparkle? She denies she has a shadow. She is the most dangerous of them all. After all, those who deny the existence of their shadows are the ones at the most risk of falling.

When sunrise came, the ponies of the town were already awake. They had been awoken by screaming. The screams didn’t come from ponies.

A crowd had gathered at the edge of the town, gazing at the carnage. Dozens of sandworms, coyotes, and giant scorpions had been ripped apart or stabbed to death by some unknown entity. In some cases, some looked like they were burnt to death. And for one or two, some sort of energy had ripped through them, leaving nothing but a few bones or scraps of skin behind.

A few were still alive. Their screams and cries rent the air, causing the crowd to wince. Two brave souls were already out in the sand, putting the remaining out of their misery. Even though no one knew who was the one who had massacred the creatures, a single name was on their tongues.

Sparkle. The only one they knew that had this kind of power.

Twilight crumpled onto her bed, her entire mana reserves depleted. The battle had taken a toll far greater than she had expected. Was it just her, or were voices whispering to her?

“Shut up,” she snapped weakly, letting Alpha fall out of her grip and onto the bed beside her. Kill. Maim. Destroy. “Quiet.”

Your birthright. Yours. “Go away.”

Give in. Power. Be a god. “I don’t care. I just want to sleep.”

Twilight? Are you okay? “I said, shut up!” Twilight snapped as she sat upright. Her eyes widened as she saw who she had shouted at. “Oh, I didn’t-”

“It’s fine,” Starlight smiled weakly. “It’s just...everypony’s worried about you. You stumbled into the house, your eyes bloodshot and carrying scythes that had green blood all over it. Did you have anything to do with…” She glanced outside the window, where the carnage could be seen in the distance. “That?”

“I’m fine,” Twilight forced out, making herself look at Starlight to seem sincere. Scythes? Plural? “You can go.”

“What happened to your eye?” Starlight asked, noticing the scar and the angry red tissue. “You didn’t-”

“No,” Twilight said shortly. “It’s an old injury. Just, please, leave me alone.” You’re not thinking straight.

“You’re not okay,” Starlight said, unconvinced. “I can sense traces of dark magic on you, Twilight. You’ve been using spells you shouldn’t have.”

“What does it matter?” Twilight yelled. “I dealt with the problem! I killed them all! I destroyed them! All that matters is the result!”

“Yes,” Starlight said quietly. “The result. The one that ends in you shouting at me. Where’s Twilight?”

“She’s right here,” Twilight snarled. “And if you can’t see it with your own bloody eyes-”

“Twilight, put down the scythe,” Starlight whispered.

“What do you mean?” Twilight growled. “I already put Alpha down!”

“The other one, Twilight,” Starlight gestured. “The black-colored one.”

Twilight looked at her left hoof where Omega was, dark magic pulsing off it. Her head cleared for a moment, and she hurriedly let go of Omega. As she did so, her memories came rushing back to her in a rush.

During the battle, Alpha wasn’t enough. She had summoned Omega to help her. Without her safeguards, Omega had filtered dark thoughts into her. She had thrown herself into the battle with a bloodlust she normally wouldn’t have had.

And now? Her own friend was scared of her.

“I’m so sorry,” Twilight blabbered. “I didn’t mean to-”

“Shh,” Starlight whispered as her horn lit up. “Rest.” The last thing Twilight saw as she drifted into sleep was her friends at the door, peeking into her room. Spike’s eyes lasted the longest, before everything was black.

“Hello?” Twilight called out to the darkness. “Anyone there?”

Nothing answered, her voice echoing into the darkness.

“Echoes,” Twilight murmured. “I’m in some sort of room.”

Suddenly, her world shook. “What’s happening?!” Twilight shouted in a panic.

The very air in front of her ripped open. “Twilight! I’m finally able to-” the tear closed, before reopening again. “We have limited time! You must-” the voice cut off as the tear briefly closed before opening. Twilight sensed that this was the final time that the tear was going to open. “Imposter! My sister!” The tear closed for the final time.

“What?” Twilight rushed to where the tear had been. “What do you mean? Who are you? You sound familiar, but I don’t know-”

You are an alicorn. Twilight paused.

Fit to be a goddess. Listen not to the liars and naysayers. If you wished it, you could send the world into eternal Twilight.

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t want that.”

Very well. We shall speak again.

Twilight saw no more.

Somewhere, a white-colored alicorn slumbered. A tear fell, streaking down her cheek slowly.

On the top of the Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia sat on her throne, looking out at the petitioners in the court. Her lips curled up in a wicked smile as more ponies bowed to her, their adoration for the princess evident. As the next petitioner came before her, her power only grew.

In an unknown room, a petal fell from a rose.

In the land of ice, the Traveller sipped at his cup of tea, considering his next move. The age of Maximus was over. He had fufilled his purpose. Maximus would disappear. He looked out from his spot, the tip of the tallest mountain. He looked at the framed picture of him and a yellow pegasus in his hoof. He smiled. With a flick of his tail, he was gone, to take on his next role.

Somewhere in the Badlands, a changeling fled his hive, his wings glistening.

In the depths of the caves under Canterlot, a messenger arrived. The seal broken open, Trixie’s eyes widened as she read the contents of the letter that was delivered.

In her home in the desert, a lavender alicorn slept, her shadows creeping up on her.

Author's Note

And bam! We have come to the end of Act One of Three!

I hope you have enjoyed the story so far.

I'm so sorry for the delay in posting.

As a reward for getting this far, I'll inform you of the Acts' names.

Act One: Finding Twilight
Act Two: Return to Equestria
Act Three: Regaining Equestria

Thank you for reading!

Final Update. Chapter 25?

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Prologue(Rewrite)

Author's Note

Prologue has been rewritten. Old version can be found here . Rewritten prologue was edited by Speccer.

Minor addition by Dapper Mutt

Prologue(Rewrite)

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Skittlebug

Edited by Speccer

Co-authored by computerneek

Chapter-Prologue

The winds blew around her, going so fast they whistled in her ears. The sand blew into her eyes, and her attempts to keep the sand out were in vain. Her throat, parched from days of trekking the unforgiving desert, hurt. She dragged her hooves along, and struggled to keep her mind clear, always looking at the horizon to watch for a city or town she could stay at. But as always, for the past few days, all she saw was sand.

The sun glared angrily at her, seemingly reflecting Celestia’s anger. Her wings hung limply by her side, and she could barely lift them up, let alone fly. Twilight’s hooves ached, she really needed rest. She sat down and looked around her with bleary eyes. She had barely gotten any sleep for the past few days, always needing to keep the makeshift fires burning so that the wolves wouldn’t get her.

Like the past few days, she summoned her magic, and cast a spell to draw out water. The spell drained almost half of her magic reserves before she was able to get a few mouthfuls; the desert was that dry. Twilight didn’t complain. She kept silent, as her hooves took a break. For the first time in days, she remembered what happened back in Ponyville that had led to this happening. It would take a long time to remember everything, but she needed the rest anyways.

Twilight watched as Starlight waved goodbye to her friends. Starlight had immediately taken to them, which wasn’t hard as they were easy going and had been nothing but nice to Starlight since she had been announced as Twilight’s newest student. Granted, Rainbow had been a bit apprehensive about it, and didn’t trust Starlight yet, but Twilight had assured her that Starlight had reformed. After that, Rainbow had slowly warmed up to her.

Twilight yawned. It had been a long day, after all, what with fighting Starlight several times in different timelines. Her magical reserves had been drained and were almost empty.

“Starlight, your room’s this way.” Spike was leading Starlight to her room. It was bare, but it had the essentials—a bed and a desk. In time, Starlight would fill it up with memories, but that was for later lessons. Twilight was already looking forward to planning all the friendship and magic lessons that she would teach Starlight. She yawned again. Trudging up the stairs, she collapsed into her bed. Suddenly, her door opened.

“Twi’! Princess Celestia sent a letter!” Spike entered the room, and he was out of breath after climbing all of the stairs. What was so urgent that her mentor had to send it late at night? She thanked Spike, and walked him back to his room, before retiring back to her room to read the letter. Twilight unfurled it with her magic, and read it.

My… faithful student.

It has come to my attention that you were using a large amount of time magic, and I felt it shake the foundations of Equestria. Did I not tell you the dangers of it the first time you asked about it? I am very disappointed with your actions. Starswirl locked away all of his scrolls containing time magic for a reason. You could have caused a catastrophe! Because of this, I have come to a decision. This letter is imbued with a spell. I will know when you have read this. When you read this, I will teleport to you, and tell you what I have planned. Know this, I am more disappointed with you than I have ever been in my life.

Your Princess,

Celestia.

As Twilight read the letter, a flash of white magic blinded her. Princess Celestia stepped out of her teleport, and looked around at Twilight with- was that anger and disappointment in her eyes?

“Twilight.” It was an unfriendly statement, unlike her mentor’s usual friendly ‘Hello, Twilight’. Twilight had read the letter and knew why she was here. She opened her mouth to try to explain, but Celestia’s magic clamped her mouth shut. “I do not want to hear any excuses, Twilight.” Celestia’s eyes burned with unforgiveness.

Twilight was afraid. Her mentor had never gotten this angry before, not even when she had accidentally blown up her room when she was a filly.

“The amount of time magic you have used was too much. I felt it from Canterlot, and it shook the foundations of our very world. As a punishment, I have decided to banish you. You do remember the mare I banished in front of you as an example, don’t you?” Twilight’s eyes widened. The magic around her mouth released.

“Nonononono, Princess, it wasn’t me who-” Princess Celestia’s eyes bore into her.

"I have lived for over 1,000 years, and in that time no pony other than Starswirl has learned to exploit time on their own to any significant degree. It is only you, my student, with access to such knowledge, who can do so." Twilight opened her mouth to butt in at that, but Celestia was adamant. "Do not lie to me Twilight Sparkle — you've done this before, and now this utter catastrophe originates from your home!? Murder trials have been decided on less!" Celestia began to wildly gesticulate her right forehoof. "You're shaking the foundations of our world, and I'm left to sew the rifts in time and space! These are forces you're not meant to play around with! This is not some puzzle for you to solve; you are betraying the safety and security of the world as we know it, and I am completely done with you." Her hoof slams into the crystal floor with all the might of a goddess, and with a booming crack everything burns white.

When Twilight blinked away the white spots in her eyes, all she saw was the desert. She couldn’t even see Equestria’s borders anymore! She looked around her frantically. There was nothing but sand. So what she read about banishment was true. The spell was a randomised teleport, and it would deposit her randomly outside of Equestria. The banishment spell essentially erased all magical traces of her in Equestria, and the ancient magic that protected Equestria would not allow her back in.

Twilight struggled to her hooves. She had to find a town or city so that she could send a letter back into Equestria to her friends and family for help pleading with Celestia. For now, all she could do was survive. She shivered. It was late at night, and the desert was chilly at night, due to the lack of clouds. She had to build a fire, or she would freeze to death. It took the better part of an hour before she was able to gather enough dead bushes to build a small fire. With her horn, she cast a small fire spell. The fire devoured the dead bushes hungrily, burning into the dry vegetation.

A wolf howled. Twilight jumped in fright. She had read about the desert wolves before. In the book, it said to not approach them, as they had powerful jaws and their coat was impervious to most magic, except for fire and lightning. It was a good thing she had built a fire, then. The fire would keep away the wolves. The dead bushes were being consumed faster than she liked. Twilight looked at the ever dying fire and sighed. Her magic was almost depleted, but she could do this. She transformed a huge chunk of sand into a pile of firewood, and set that on fire too. Now her fire was a roaring blaze, and it kept her warm.

Twilight remembered a book that she had read—Basic Survival 101. In it, it had detailed how to create a small alcove in the sand so that she could curl up comfortably in it. She dug into the sand, creating a small alcove. Twilight curled up in it. As she closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep, another wolf howled. This time, it had been closer. Twilight was afraid now. She evidently couldn’t fall asleep, as if the fire burnt out while she was asleep, the wolves would attack. She wanted to live long enough to return to Equestria. She sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Twilight struggled to her hooves. It was dawn, and the wolves were gone, having slipped away when the first vestiges of light began to shine upon the desert. During the night, she had ascertained that it was the Badlands that Princess Celestia had sent her to. The Badlands was the only place a desert this big existed, and also one of the only places that the desert wolves lived. But the fact that it was the Badlands heartened Twilight. She knew that in the Badlands, several towns and cities had sprouted up, built by banished ponies, and their descendants. She could seek shelter in one of these towns, and try to contact her friends and family in Equestria.

As she trudged through the desert, she realised she was hungry. Twilight looked around her. Barely any vegetation grew in the desert, so she decided on flying to try to find some food. She opened her wings and flapped. Before long, she was soaring over the desert, scanning for a town or an oasis she could rest at. As she flew, she saw nothing. Nothing but sand. Slowly but surely, the hours slipped by. Her wings grew leaden, and they could barely flap anymore. She glided down to the ground, and collapsed. She had never flown that long before. She desperately needed water to drink

Twilight focused her magic, and cast a summoning spell that targeted water. Almost three-quarters of her magic reserves were depleted before a few mouthfuls worth condensed into a ball in front of her. Twilight released the spell, concentrated on levitating the ball of water, and began drinking greedily. Not a few seconds later, the water was gone. It was approaching night, and she began preparing as she had done the night before.

The wind howled. Twilight spun around and peered out into the distance.

Was that... a sandstorm!

Twilight immediately gathered up everything with her magic. Transfigured logs or not, it took a lot of magic to get those logs, and she was not about to waste them. The sandstorm howled in the distance, heading for her with a speed greater than any winds during a storm in Equestria. She scanned the area around her. The desert presented no hiding spots. She grimaced. This would take a lot of magic, but she was not looking forward to spending any time in a sandstorm.

Using her magic, she lifted a huge amount of sand up, creating a small hole that she could stay in. As she levitated the sand up, she cast a spell to transfigure the sand into planks of wood and lowered them over the hole as she hopped into it. With a final anti-elements shield over the wood planks, she curled up in a ball, waiting for the sandstorm to pass.

Throughout the night, the wind howled and bit into her, and sand flew everywhere in her makeshift shelter. The sandstorm raged above her, trying to get to Twilight.

“Skrrrrt,” a noise came from the corner of her shelter.

Twilight blearily turned her head, scanned for the source of the noise. A small desert bug had just burrowed into the shelter. Its wings were torn, possibly from the sandstorm raging above. Twilight tilted her head. The desert bug looked at her warily, staying away from Twilight, yet trying to get as close to the makeshift fire as possible.

Twilight considered the bug. She was no Element of Kindness, but she could do this. Lighting her horn, she cast a spell on the small desert bug to repair its wings. The bug squeaked as it felt the magic run across its spine, but calmed down when it realised that its wings were repairing. The wings knit together, and membranes grew in places where there were holes. The desert bug squeaked and flapped its repaired wings.

“Skrrrrt!” It chirped in joy as it flew around the makeshift shelter. Twilight smiled. She had been able to bring joy to something in the barren desert. Finally, the desert bug settled down, and scooted closer to the fire. It was still wary of Twilight, but it understood that Twilight meant it no harm. Twilight smiled once more, and finally fell asleep for the first time in three days.

Wolves howled. It was the eighth night, and Twilight was even more hungry than before. She had been able to get water using a spell, but food had been scarce unless she wanted to eat the insects that lived in the desert, which she didn’t. They reminded her too much of the desert bug she had met a few days ago. Speaking of which, it had disappeared the morning after, but it did leave a leaf behind. Twilight had appreciated the gesture, small as it was.

The wolves howled again, closer than before. Today was the first time she had caught a glimpse of one of the wolves. It had stared at her from the gloom with blood-red eyes, before Twilight had chased it away with a burning stick.

Twilight shivered. The wolves had been getting braver by the day, coming closer and closer. She had barely been able to keep them away with burning logs spread around her.

Suddenly, a log burned out.

A growl, and a wolf leapt forward over the burnt log. Twilight’s eyes widened, and she dodged as the wolf attempted to bite into her. Panicking, she cast a quick fireball spell and tossed it into the wolf. The wolf howled in pain, and leapt away. Twilight hurried to replace the burnt out log with a fresh burning log. As she levitated a new burning log over to the empty space, she saw three desert wolves staring at her, hungrily licking their lips.

Twilight rubbed her eyes. Another mirage! For the past few days, she had been seeing several mirages, and every time she saw one, she would rush towards it in joy, only to find out that it was a fake image.When she had seen a shimmering oasis in the distance, she had trudged wearily towards it, only to find that it was another mirage.

She sighed. She had not drunk water for the past few days, as she had been trying to build up her magic reserves. Her wings sagged by her side, and Twilight had not found the time to preen them. Feathers hung out and at this point, they served no purpose other than to keep Twilight warmer at night, she was that tired. She also sprouted a few scratches on her hooves from the desert wolves. She had burnt one pretty badly in defense, but the rest were more wary of her now, and only attacked when she was nodding off. The wind had gotten stronger the past few days, and more often than not the sand blew into her eyes. The sun felt hotter than before, but Twilight dismissed that as a wild thought from the days wandering in the desert.

It was the thirteenth day and Twilight could take no more. She collapsed on the desert floor, and closed her eyes, wishing with all her heart for a miracle to drop out of the sky and save her from the pain that she had endured from both hunger and the scratches from the desert wolves. Twilight opened her eyes blearily and stared out ahead. She blinked. Was that a town ahead of her? It seemed to be teeming with ponies and… were those griffins? A circular structure was erected behind the town, and it loomed over the town. Twilight tried to rise, but her hooves gave out under her.
So close, but of course, I can’t reach the town. Twilight thought bitterly. Definitely not a mirage, since mirages can’t fake life, and I can see the griffins and ponies. Twilight felt her consciousness slipping from her grasp. She sighed, and slowly closed her eyes. As her mind began to shut down, a shadow loomed over her, and a claw extended into her vision before everything went black.

Act I - Chapter 13 - The Room of Treasures

The Alicorn Warrior

Written by iAmSiNnEr

Edited by Stinium_Ruide

Chapter 13- The Room of Treasures

Twilight glanced out of the window, rubbing her eyes to wake herself up.

What was that dream? She wondered, her initial anger ebbing away to give way to her analytical side. It sure looked as if someone was guiding it...the doors opened for me, and everything seemed to be exactly ready for me to come in and watch the proceedings...

That end, though… a spark of anger inside her ignited as she recalled the look on Raven’s face, but she put it out. She had put me through so much…

She sighed as she stretched on her bed, looking outside. The sun hasn’t even risen yet…

We’re leaving for Equestria today, aren’t we? She hopped out of her bed and onto her hooves. I should probably see what I want to take with me.

Pushing open her door, she stepped into the familiar hallway that she had walked for the last three years since she had acquired the house. It seems a shame to leave all the memories I’ve kept here… she blinked. Memories! That’s right! How could I forget…

She hurried down the hallway, making sure not to make any noise so as to not wake the others up. The carpet probably helped, muffling most of the noise from her hoofsteps. Turning a corner, she stopped at a dead end, a wall right in front of her.

Well, not really. This should be where I kept them…. She trotted through the ‘wall’, and as she passed through the wall, the air around her shimmered, the wall being a simple illusion to keep unwanted intruders away.

Behind this fake wall, there was a staircase leading downwards, which Twilight knew led to where she kept the items she needed. Trotting down the staircase, she glanced at the runes laid on the walls around her. I was really paranoid, wasn’t I? A thaumic energy emanated from these orbs of power, seeking to repel even the most stealthy intrusion into this place.

After a minute or so, she arrived at the bottom, where there was a wrought iron door set into the wall. Now, let’s see… Her horn lit up, pulling the door open. Instantaneously, the runes on the handle lit up, recognising her magical aura, and allowed her entry into the room.

As the door swung open, Twilight trotted into a large room where various artifacts and valuables were kept on display, including the broken remains of Quick Leash’s Spellblade. This was where she kept all the items she deemed too dangerous to fall into the wrong hooves.

But she was not here for these items today, and instead she headed straight for the back of the room, where glittering crystals of all colors were laid out neatly on the display stand.

Memory crystals. Designed to be able to hold memories as their name would suggest, Twilight had found them useful, being able to watch her own memories from the viewpoint of a spectator. She had used them to analyze fights, discovert her own mistakes, and improve on them. Today, however, she had an entirely different purpose.

Which should I bring with me? Twilight wondered. I can’t bring them all, there’s just too many…

A particular yellow crystal caught her eye. Wasn’t that the one where I had to face that thunderbird? She mused. That was a particularly hard opponent. Add that onto the fact I couldn’t use my magic…

Perhaps...I should revisit some of these? Twilight wondered. It’d certainly help with deciding which few to take with me.

Alright, then, Twilight decided. Let’s see… She looked at the crystals displayed there. How about...this one? She reached out for a green crystal, and as her hoof made contact with the crystal the world around her dissolved.

She was fighting a giant sandworm, the creature had already eaten three of the town’s inhabitants. Every time she fired a spell at it, it was either deflected off its strong hide or it just burrowed underground.

Twilight fired another spell, but it was deflected yet again. The sandworm and her were at an impasse, neither could get anywhere as both were not giving an inch. The sandworm roared at her, the ring of sharp teeth showing themselves as it opened its mouth.

“Die!” Twilight shouted, this time firing a blue-colored bolt into the mouth. The spell entered the worm and it convulsed as the spell did its work, burning away its insides with blue flames.

Twilight shook her head as the scene dissolved. I almost forgot how immersive these were…

“Twi..?” a familiar voice came from behind her.

Did she follow me? Twilight turned around to see Rainbow Dash there, looking around curiously. “What’s all this, Twilight?”

Seems like the runes worked as intended...allowing only friends in...

“The most dangerous artifacts and items I have collected over the years,” Twilight frowned. “So, please don’t touch any of them unless I say you can. Besides, how did you find me?”

Rainbow yawned. “I normally wake up early for a flight, but when I opened my door I saw you creeping along the hallway so I decided to follow ya. Then when you went through that wall, I knew that I made the right decision following you! Why didn’t you tell us you had secret rooms?”

Twilight sighed. “As I said, dangerous artifacts and items. Some can explode if you don’t handle them properly, which is why I put them in blast-proof casings. Especially that one,” she pointed at the remains of the Spellblade. “I’m still not sure if that still can absorb magic.”

“Is that the magic-sucking sword you told us about?” Rainbow asked, interested.

“Yes,” Twilight said tersely. “And please don’t touch it.”

“Ooh!” Rainbow exclaimed, rushing forward to another item on display. “Whazzat?” she pointed at an amulet.

“Long story short, mind control shenanigans,” Twilight muttered. “I’ll probably destroy it when we leave.”

Rainbow glanced around the vast array of artifacts and knick-knacks. “You know...this is a large collection, even for four years,” she said. “Where’d you get this many?”

“I acquired some from traders,” Twilight explained. “And some just by coming across them. As long as they’re dangerous, I prefer to keep them close so no one else could use them.”

“That sounds a tad bit paranoid,” Rainbow observed pointedly, frowning.

“Paranoia can save your life in the Badlands,” Twilight murmured. “Many times have I kept my own life because I took many precautions. Before, in Equestria, I would have never wanted to learn the warding spell. Now, I learnt it because they’re extremely useful to ward off sudden attacks.”

“Sudden attacks?” Rainbow got the meaning. “Who’d want to assassinate you?”

“Oh, you know,” Twilight sighed. “The usual griffons, some idiots wanting my position, the normal stuff.”

“Normal?” Rainbow blanched at the thought of that. “Attempted assassinations aren’t normal, Twi.”

“For me, it is,” Twilight said grimly. “We have no laws out here, the only way a murder can be punished is if a friend or associate of the killed goes after the killer.”

“That sounds dark,” Rainbow muttered. “But I guess that makes sense.”

“Right,” Twilight tilted her head. I did promise to tell the girls everything. At least Dash is a little stronger than the others, maybe I could try this out on her first?

“Dash?” Twilight asked. “Remember when I promised I would tell you girls everything?”

“Yeah?” Rainbow nodded.

“Go on,” Twilight encouraged, meeting Rainbow’s eyes. “Ask me any question, and I’ll answer them.”

“Well…” Rainbow tapped a hoof on the ground, glancing away for a moment. “First of all, what are those?” She gestured at the memory crystals.

“Memory crystals,” Twilight answered, surprised at Rainbow’s question. “I can store memories in them and revisit them whenever I want.”

“Revisit them?” Rainbow asked thoughtfully. “So, like, basically easy memory access.”

“That’s it, yes,” Twilight nodded. “Except that you’re going to be watching the memories from a spectator’s point of view.”

“Why haven’t we heard of them before?” Rainbow wondered. “Like, in Equestria.”

“Oh, they do exist in Equestria,” Twilight said sagely. “But thing is, more and more kept getting broken, and the knowledge of how to make them were passed on to fewer and fewer ponies, though they still remain in academic literature. One can easily fabricate them with reference to these, and I was one of those few who-” she looked up. “Rainbow Dash!” The pegasus had wandered off after getting bored of Twilight’s history lesson.

“Yeah?” Rainbow poked her head out from behind one of the display cabinets.

Twilight huffed. “If you ask a question, I expect you to be able to stay until I’ve finished answering it.”

“What?” Rainbow protested. “Yeah, yeah, I got what you said. Only eggheads like you find the way through books and make them. What else is there to know?”

Twilight blinked. “You...actually listened.”

“Mhm,” Rainbow nodded. “I just don’t like staying in the same place too long. Don’t worry,” she winked. “I’ll listen to your lectures. After all, I haven’t listened to them in four years.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Whatever. What are you so engrossed in?”

“This,” Rainbow gestured. “Why is there just a bunch of rocks?”

Twilight peered at the display cabinet. “Rocks?” Her eyes widened in recognition. “Oh.”

“Oh, what?” Rainbow looked at her.

“I forgot these existed,” Twilight admitted. “Those aren’t rocks. These are just giant mana channeling crystals I shrunk down. Not exactly dangerous in their own right, but if used by the wrong creatures could be disastrous.”

“Why?” Rainbow asked. “They don’t seem so dangerous to me.”

“You can literally amplify your spells using these giant crystals,” Twilight explained. “For example, it can expand the range of your spells at least a hundredfold.”

“Wha-” Rainbow blinked. “Then why aren’t there many of them?”

“They’re found in the Dragonlands,” Twilight told her. “And the dragons ate most of them, they’re one of the dragons’ favorite snacks. After all, what better gem to eat than one that’s so magically potent?”

“Oh,” Rainbow nodded. “Cool.”

“You know,” Twilight glanced back at the memory crystals. “Before you came in I was looking through the memory crystals, seeing which I should take with us back to Equestria.”

Rainbow looked at her curiously.

“Would you…” Twilight asked cautiously. “Like to look at one with me?” Let’s see her reaction...

“Sure!” Rainbow said cheerfully.

Twilight nodded. “Prepare yourself, then.” Her horn lit up, and the both of them entered the memory.

Rainbow blinked as the memory ended. “Wow…” she mumbled. “Now I know that dragon wasn’t your strongest opponent…”

“Yeah,” Twilight nodded. “I faced much worse than him. Didn’t help that the dragon couldn’t fly.”

“Mhm,” Rainbow nodded. “Y’know, the group’s never been the same without you.”

“Oh?” Twilight turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

“Pinkie got a little distant and less cheerful,” Rainbow explained, sighing as she continued. “Only when we found you again, she became her usual self. Even Applejack was a little more withdrawn. The only pony I think didn’t change was Rares, she kept the group going.”

“Ah,” Twilight nodded. “Well, we’re back together now, I hope we can go back to where we were before.”

“Same here, Twi, same here,” Rainbow replied.

“Wanna get out of here?” Twilight asked. “I think I’ll collect whatever I want later, it’s almost breakfast time and there’s some things I need to discuss with everyone.”

“Yep,” Rainbow agreed. “Itching for a bit of a flight myself too, I think I spent too much time here.”

“Then let’s go, shall we?” Twilight let Rainbow go first, and the both of them left the room without looking back as the door closed.

Author's Note

Comment down below if you would like to see a memory in a blog post

No promises, though, exams are coming.