A Tale of Sparkles and Black Magic

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Final Chapter
Chapter 7

Chapter 1

The Duel Monster Spirit Realm: A land where science and fantasy work both in opposition and harmony, where fantastical beings war and befriend pedestrian creatures, and the development of culture never follows a natural line of evolution. Vast deserts, lush forests, frozen tundras, enormous oceans, and infinite shadow realms all exist without any sense of geographical cohesion. Medieval castles, modern military bases, fantastical temples, and many more are frequented regularly by beings of all shapes and sizes. A world inhabited by the monsters, known as Duel Spirits, that make up the game of Duel Monsters, created by one Pegasus J. Crawford and adapted from magic games Ancient Egyptians would play for power and wealth.

Within this fantastical realm existed a library known for vast amounts of arcane knowledge, collected from all across the realm, simply known as the Royal Magical Library. Populated by miles high bookshelves and tended to by faceless, purple-cloaked figures, this was the premier destination for aspiring master Spellcasters. Advanced magic could be studied here for those deemed worthy or under the tutelage of a master. Truly, this was the final destination of all magic users who called the Duel Monster Spirit Realm their home.

“AGH! Come on, Sensei!”

A purple-robed man with matching hair, a conical hat, and holding a pointy green staff sighed. He placed the book he was perusing back on the shelf and turned to face his pupil, a blonde, sweet-looking girl with pink cheeks and a similarly-shaped outfit colored blue and pink, but with a skirt that showed off a good bit of her legs. Her staff was the same colors as her outfit but with a yellow, swirly tip. Her face was that of the supremely childish and impatient, typical of his pupil. It was a shame, given her sheer potential.

“No,” he replied strictly. “Return to your studies, now.”

His pupil, known throughout the realm as the Black Magician Girl, but known personally to him as Mana, stomped her foot in frustration. Her normally pink cheeks turned a noticeable shade of angry red as she glared at him.

“You’re making me study basic magic! I know that stuff by heart. I’ve known it forever, Mahad!”

Mahad, known throughout the realm as the Black Magician, themselves both servants of Atem, formerly the Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh, matched her glare but remained composed in his reply.

“I brush up on the basics myself from time to time. It’s important never to forget your roots. You’ll get a vacation eventually.”

“Eventually!?” she groaned. “At least let me study Resurrection of the Dead or something more advanced!”

“One step at a time,” he said with conviction. “Now go. I’ll be over there to check up on you in a little while.”

She wailed and stormed off, knocking through one of the faceless caretakers who reacted dispassionately.

Black Magician sighed and picked another book off the shelf. She was a handful, no doubt, but both as a teacher and a friend, he was committed to her magical growth.

Black Magician Girl sat at a long table, an enormous tome opened before her, filled with arcane matrices and equations and all kinds of stuff she’d long since memorized and knew by heart, having pulled off the spells a million times over the course of her incredibly long-lived life as a Duel Spirit. Her face held all the focus of the undead, staring blankly at the pages and occasionally wandering somewhere else to the room. Not helping matters was how dark and dreary most of that particular section of the library was, greatly lacking in windows to the outside. Not helping matters any further was how sunny it currently was outside. All the boredom broke her mind down as time went on, pushing her to think about things that were actually exciting.

Such thoughts led her to all the adventures she’d had with both Mahad and their master. Lots of world-ending catastrophes such as the rise of Leviathan to more personal conflicts such as helping the Nameless Pharaoh regaining his memories. All the studying was boring, particularly whenever she wasn’t allowed to learn something new, but getting a chance to put her studies into practice against big bad villains made it all worthwhile. Going all zap! zap! pow! pow! Black Burning! was so much fun!

Her mind eventually turned toward one event in particular. A couple of years ago, she and her mentor found themselves in a duel between their master and a purple unicorn creature under the control of the Seal of Orichalcos, a spell of evil that stole the soul of whoever lost a duel in which it was played. Only by forcing a draw in the duel were they both able to come out safe. It wasn’t until later when her master surprisingly stepped through a strange different dimensional ‘Window’, as he called it, and told them how that one duel was merely a small part of a greater multiversal event. An event which saw the formation of a multiversal hub called the ‘Singularity’ that connected every single world affected by it, including the world of her master with the Spirit World acting as a bridge in between them for some reason.

Out of everything her master had told them, the land of Equestria was by far the most interesting place from his descriptions. A colorful land full of monsters and magic? Populated by such cute and kind ponies and other races, including many she was familiar with? Best place for a vacation for someone like her who’d seen most of the Spirit Realm already. And that world was little more than a short walk away from her current position to boot!

The tome before her was eventually forgotten. She buried her face in her arms, her mind now brainstorming ways she could give her mentor the slip and make it to the Window. The library was well staffed and Mahad had told them all to not let her leave without his permission. Footsteps sounded outside the room, no doubt one such cloaked figure or even some of the guards that had been stationed here to guard the Window. The guards she could deal with, but Mahad would track her down the instant he realized she was gone. She admired him greatly, but sometimes that power and sharpness could really bite her in the butt.

The footsteps entered the room, coming towards her. She lifted her head up and turned around, thinking she’d find one of the library’s staff. To her great surprise and immense delight, they were a person she not only knew but was extremely great friends with. A fellow magical girl with a similar dress sense to her own but with green and purple colors and darker blonde hair.

Black Magician girl squeed, jumping from her seat and rushing over to her friend as she began perusing book spines.

“Magician’s Valkyria!”

She threw her arms over the shoulders of her friend, embracing her in a warm hug. Magician’s Valkyria made no reaction beyond a casual grunt of acknowledgment. Same old Valkyria.

Black Magician Girl broke away from the hug and came around to see her face. “What are you doing here? I thought you were called for a summons with Hades?”

“It went quicker than expected,” she replied. “Thought I’d brush up on some material on my way home.”

Black Magician Girl groaned. “I wish I could love it like you do! Black Magician won’t let me study anything bigger. You have no idea how much I want to learn Resurrection of the Dead!”

“I know all too well.” Magician’s Valkyria took a book off of the shelf and flipped to the first page.

Black Magician Girl leaned against the bookshelf, staring absently up at the sky-high ceiling above her; it was the best place to see the sun in this dark, boring room. Having a good friend here was a much-needed reprieve from all the boring, unnecessary studying.

“Do you ever get curious what kinds of worlds we might find on the other side of the Window?” she asked. “Everything my master told me sounds so exciting! Imagine how the Spirit Realm would change if we established connections!”

Magician’s Valkyria sighed. “Is that where you’re going with this?”

“You mean, do I want to go beyond the Window to take a vacation? Yes, yes I do! Can you help me with that, please!?”

“I’ll never accuse you of beating around the bush.” Magician’s Valkyria finally made eye contact with her never-smiling face and furrowed brows. “Why should I help you do something that’s going to get both of us in trouble?”

“Because we’re friends?”

Magician’s Valkyria stared deadpan.

“Okay, okay, how about this? You help me and I’ll help you get together with Warrior Dai Grepher. All the way until you succeed, I promise.”

That did the trick. A noticeable blush crept across her friend’s cheeks. Her face struggled to remain stoic.

“... Curse you.”

Black Magician Girl giggled. “Which one?”

Black Magician navigated the halls of the Royal Magical Library towards the room where his pupil was, hopefully, studying fervently. It wasn’t likely at all, but he hoped one of these days she might learn the importance of reinforcing one’s past learnings. He wouldn’t be half the Spellcaster he was if he hadn’t applied himself in such a way.

He made it to the study room and scanned it from corner to corner. He spotted his pupil sitting at a desk in a shadowy corner, hunched over a tome. Satisfied, he turned to leave, then paused. Black Magician Girl hated working in the shadows. He turned back into a room and walked at a brisk pace toward the imposter. A sigh sounded from them as he approached. Closer now, the shadows no longer obscured the coloration of the imposter’s dress. He immediately saw who it was.

“Magician’s Valkyria,” he addressed her.

Another sigh. Magician’s Valkyria turned to face him. “Black Magician.”

“Where is my pupil?”

“You know where she is. So, what’s my punishment?”

“That’s a matter for a later time.” Black Magician hurried his way out of the room, down the halls towards the room housing the Window, all the while pondering his choice of words for his student.

He turned a corner and nearly grit his teeth at the sight laid out before him. All the guards that were standing watch over the entrance lay on the ground, blushes coloring their cheeks with uncouth, lovestruck expressions. The door was slightly ajar, a small sliver of light shining through. He stepped forward and opened the door, beholding the sight of the large rectangle of different dimensional space hovering above the floor, surrounded by mundane supplies and storage items. The white expanse beyond, the Singularity— he had never once stepped foot beyond the threshold.

He ventured one step into the room. Then another. A strong feeling of dread washed over him. His steps became more hesitant the closer he got. What kind of unholy terrors might lie beyond? All the more reason to go in after Mana, but still hard to force himself forward. He eventually shook himself free of such doubt and crossed over into the Singularity. The infinite expanse of white was populated by dozens upon dozens of other different dimensional spaces. Off in the distance, he could even see figures that he assumed were dimensional travelers. One of the many ‘Guides’ intended to help such travelers hung in the air nearby. He approached it, uneasy over the odd, seemingly random design— a set of darkly-colored spheres set in a cross pattern.

“A blonde girl in magician attire with a staff came through here some time ago,” he said. “Where did she go?”

Equestria.

Equestria… Ah, yes! The place his master described during his recounting of the Convergence. A land he described as… quite saccharine, a place far beyond his ability to fit in with. But his pupil would be safe there. Let her have her vacation, he decided, she’ll be studying twice as hard and long when she gets back.

And if she stayed too long then he’d come through himself to force her back home.

Chapter 2

Rarity opened her eyes feeling refreshed after her good night’s sleep, ready to tackle another day of dressmaking. This day, more than any other, she had to get perfect. Hoity Toity wouldn’t accept anything less than absolute perfection, especially after her first go around with the fashion critic. She got out of bed, did some stretches, then entered her design room. The design currently on her drawing board needed a few extra touches, touches she wanted to get out of her head and onto the page before she lost them. That took little more than a few minutes for an expert seamstress such as herself— especially when it was inspired by a good friend’s star motif.

What followed was a fairly standard morning routine— shower, tidy up her bed, eat a quick breakfast, and take stock of her supplies. Satisfied that everything was in order, she left for the train station. Hoity Toity was to arrive in about an hour, meaning she had a little time to go fetch some food from the market.

She took a sniff of the fresh morning air, relishing in the sunny sky, thankful the pegasi had cleared the schedule for the next few days of any storms in light of the upcoming festivities. The Ponyville marketplace was busier than usual, filled with ponies and other creatures bustling about, purchasing food and other refreshments and party supplies. Along the way, she passed by a Crystalvision situated atop a table— the sound was only barely audible over the cacophony of chattering ponies all around the market. The image showed a green pegasus mare with a crystalline microphone staring at the similarly-colored camera crystal, somewhere up in Canterlot with a similar level of activity occurring behind her.

"Things are getting hectic in Canterlot as preparations for the festival are well underway. Two weeks after the Storm King’s invasion of Canterlot and you wouldn’t know all of ponykind was nearly enslaved with how cheerful everyone is! This promises to be an event on par with any Summer Sun Celebration! This is Green Gale, reporting for—”

“Howdy, Rarity!”

Rarity turned toward the familiar voice. “Oh, Applejack! I was just on my way to your stand. Why aren’t you there?”

Applejack shrugged. “Figured I’d let Apple Bloom take over. She’ll do fine.”

Rarity would have complimented her friend for her willingness to trust her little sister. Instead, the mote of unease in her friend’s voice told her that something was off. It didn’t take a genius to guess what it might be.

“You’re still reeling over what happened last week, aren’t you?”

Applejack smiled softly. “And I thought I was s’posed to be the one good at pickin’ out hidden truths.”

They shared a soft chuckle before Rarity said, “What happened last week was bad, but it could’ve been far, far worse. At least nobody died.”

“Yeah, true.”

“Let’s put that firmly behind us and look forward to the festival, what do you say?”

“Sounds like a mighty fine idea, Rares.”

Applejack led Rarity to her stand whereupon she purchased one apple as a snack on her way to the train station. A lot had happened recently, but she and her friends had come through in good health… well, for the most part. She was reminded of this when she stepped onto the train platform, spying Twilight and Spike near the edge.

The princess of friendship was still wearing her horn cast, wrapped tightly around the injured appendage. Well, injured was probably being a little [i[too generous for something was, quite literally, severed in half by a laser. Rarity shuddered, her friend’s screams of agony still fresh in her mind. The fact that it was even healable was shocking, but also a massive relief. Spike held a small little bag in his tiny hands, standard for him now that Twilight couldn’t use her magic to pull things from her pocket dimension storage space, having to rely on him more for carrying things around in addition to her mouth.

“Twilight, darling! And Spike, too!”

Her friends turned to face her, waving as she approached. “Hello, Rarity,” Twilight said. “You here to meet Hoity Toity?”

“Indeed I am!” She stepped around a crowd of ponies and came to her friends’ side. “Are you here to greet somepony yourself?”

“Yep!” Spike said. “We’re getting another visitor from another world!”

“Oh, really…” A wave of apprehension washed over Rarity. “Someone actually… pleasant, to put it lightly?”

“Don’t worry,” Twilight assured her. “Princess Celestia personally vouched for them. Apparently, it’s someone I met back during the Convergence. Not Celestia, me, specifically.”

“And who might that be?”

Twilight shrugged. “I dunno. But whoever it is, it’ll be a good person.”

They waited in silence afterward. A loud whistle eventually blew in the distance and the tracks began rumbling. The Friendship Express came into view around a bend, thundering down the rails, smoke billowing into the air. Everypony on the platform watched as it rolled into the station, coming into a stop perfectly aligned with a hard screech of its brakes. The doors opened soon after once the post-trip checks were completed and the small number of passengers spilled onto the platform, mixing with those ready to depart. Rarity noted that many of the passengers looked very uneasy, casting sidelong glances back toward the rearmost coach. She scanned the crowds for Hoity Toity but couldn’t find any sign of him.

“Do you see Hoity Toity anywhere?” Rarity asked her friends.

“Nope,” Spike said.

“Me neither,” Twilight said. “Where’s our guest...?” she whispered.

A few seconds later, a distinctly non-pony creature stepped off of the rearmost coach. They were a humanoid— female, judging from the hair and facial structure. Rarity’s attention was immediately drawn to their odd, otherworldly attire. It was as though someone had taken the traditional image of a witch, pointy hat and all, and given it a beautiful makeover full of vibrant colors and swirly, aesthetically-striking design touches. Whoever the girl’s tailor was was a genius— Rarity suppressed her rising jealousy as best she could.

The girl stepped onto the platform and scanned the crowd which was putting as much distance between themselves and her, holding her staff behind her back in a playful, coy manner, smiling innocently at everypony.

Twilight drew in a sharp gasp. “No way…”

“Hm?” Rarity said.

Twilight ignored her, rushing up to the girl who looked taken aback by her approach before a sense of familiarity colored her eyes.

“Black Magician Girl!?”

“Wait, you’re that purple unicorn from that duel my master fought.” She gave Twilight a once over. “When did you get wings? And what happened to your horn?”

“In order: Long story and a story I’d rather not talk about,” Twilight replied. “What are you doing here!? I thought you were just a Duel Monster— wait, Yugi said something about there existing a world for duel monsters.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “Pardon me, Twilight dear, but I would prefer to be in the loop here. Who is this?”

Twilight opened her mouth to respond but was beaten to the punch by their guest.

“Call me the Black Magician Girl!” she said, twirling her staff and striking a very stylish pose. “Destroyer of undead! Protector of the innocent! Student of the Black Magician and faithful servant to the Spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh! And, right now, in desperate need of a vacation after studying too much.”

Twilight stared deadpan. Rarity could practically see the gears in her head struggling to comprehend that last sentence. She decided to continue before the conversation became too awkward.

“Might I ask you a question, Miss Magician Girl?”

“Black Magician Girl,” she corrected. “And sure.”

“Was there by chance a gray stallion with fancy white hair and purple shades on the train? His name is Hoity Toity. I was expecting him on the train but he doesn’t seem to be here.”

Black Magician Girl thought for a moment before remembrance flashed across her eyes. “Yeah! I saw a pony matching that description back up in Canterlot. I think someone spilled a drink on him and he wanted to change or something.”

Rarity sighed. “That would be him then. I suppose I’ll have to wait for the next train.”

Black Magician Girl turned back to Twilight. “So you’re Princess Twilight Sparkle, huh? You’re not as tall or as regal-looking as Celestia.”

Twilight waved her off. “Don’t worry about that. My role is mostly symbolic, but I do have official duties.”

Black Magician Girl turned to Spike. “And you’re Spike, then? Nice to meet you.” She held out her hand and Spike shook it.

“That was a pretty normal reaction,” Spike noted. “You have dragons in your world?”

“Lots and lots,” she replied. “Of all shapes and sizes. Good and evil. Even baby ones like yourself.”

“Hey, this here baby dragon is every bit as mature as you all.” Spike flexed his arms in a way that was more adorable than masculine. All three girls giggled at the display.

“So you’re here for a vacation, are you?” Rarity asked. “Why Equestria specifically out of all the worlds in the Singularity?”

“Because this world sounded the cutest!” Black Magician Girl cheered.

“... Cute?”

“Yep!” Black Magician knelt down and closely examined Rarity’s mane. “Though I gotta say, you have amazing taste in hairstyle, Miss… Oh, I didn’t get your name.”

Rarity chuckled. “Call me Rarity, dear. And your taste for wardrobe is truly otherworldly. So interesting. Is that standard attire for magicians where you come from?”

“I’ve always kinda been stuck wearing this, but it’s really cute so I don’t mind.”

“Oh my stars, well, that simply won’t do! You simply must allow me to put together some new dresses for you. And no, I won’t take no for an answer!”

Black Magician Girl looked confused at her before turning to Twilight.

“That’s just how she is,” Twilight explained. She gestured for her to follow. “Let’s get going. We’ll stop by Rarity’s place during our tour of Ponyville before we get you settled in at my castle.”

Twilight and Spike and led as they made their way off the train platform and into Ponyville. Black Magician Girl marveled at the exotic sights around her. The town of Ponyville resembled a remote country town, thatched roofs and all, but far livelier, more populated, and exceedingly colorful. They passed through what was clearly a marketplace, then through an area situated in front of an enormous building which was probably the residence of the town magistrate or whatever the equivalent was in this world. Some of the buildings were utterly bizarre in their construction such as one which sported an odd combination of magenta, purple and brown colors with white decorations and candles on top and a delicious smell wafting from inside.

“That’s Sugarcube Corner,” Rarity explained when she asked. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake run the place while our dear friend Pinkie Pie helps them; she's currently away in Canterlot helping set up the festivities. If you’re in the mood for a treat, that’ll be your stop.”

“Sounds great.” She pointed to another brick building off in the distance with her staff. “What about that place?”

“That’s the Ponyville Schoolhouse,” Twilight explained.

“It’s nothing like the Magical Academy…” She spotted a number of fillies and colts playing in the field next to the building. “Do they teach magic there?”

“No, it’s just normal school stuff,” Twilight continued to explain. “Princess Celestia has an entire school dedicated to teaching unicorns magic up in Canterlot that I actually went to. Ponyville was founded mainly by earth ponies, so things here are predominantly geared towards their needs.”

“What’re things like in your world, Black Magician Girl?” Spike spoke up, shifting the bag in his hands. “You said there are dragons there. How similar are things to Equestria from what you’ve seen so far?”

“Well, what do you want to know?” she asked.

Spike opened his mouth only for Rarity to hold a hoof up to forestall him. “Let’s not get too carried away, Spikey. Just a few questions at a time.”

Spike looked none too displeased. Black Magician Girl giggled.

“I don’t mind, Rarity,” she said. “Well, I was kind of surprised by the train. There’s a demon train in the Duel Monster Spirit World called Dekoichi that torments those who attempt to ride it. It… took me a little convincing from your princess’s guards to get me on the, what was it called?... Friendship Express?”

“Fascinating,” Twilight said. “And are there any ponies?”

“Not many, but the Spirit World is so big. There are parts of it I’ve probably never even heard of.”

“Well, I could be inspired for the rest of my life if even a hundred of them had outfits as striking as yours, darling,” Rarity said, studiously eyeing her clothes.

Some time passed in silence afterward as they continued the tour of Ponyville, eventually making the trek toward Rarity’s boutique. A point came where Black Magician Girl had her fill with the alien architecture and started focusing more on the citizens of the quaint little town. All the wary states they flashed her way were understandable at first, but after a little while, she got the distinct feeling that it wasn’t a simple case of them being uneasy around a creature from another world. They actually appeared to be afraid of her, as though she had sharp fangs, wicked claws, and gleaming red eyes like the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Either they were incredibly xenophobic, or there was something she didn’t know.

“Twilight, why are they all looking at me like I’m an undead?” she asked.

Twilight glanced around at some of the surrounding ponies. She sighed and looked up at her with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, I should’ve warned you of this earlier. The truth is that we had a really bad experience last week with a human from another world.”

“Twilight, do not use such descriptors for that… that…” Rarity shuddered. “That monster. No one, not even Sombra, was as inequine as that monstrous psychopath parading around as a charming gentleman.”

“Yeah, he totally deserved to die!” Spike said.

“Spike!” Twilight said, shocked.

“You agree with me don’t you?” he asked back. “We nearly lost our friends because of him.”

Twilight said nothing, defeated.

“Who was he?” Black Magician Girl asked. “What did he do?”

“He didn’t give his name,” Rarity said. “And he wanted to go around, draining innocent ponies of their blood to make them mindless zombie servants. Fortunately, quite fortunately, everypony who he drained was fixed back up with Celestia’s magic and we decapitated him. But ever since then, everypony has been wary about getting visitors from beyond the Singularity, especially human ones.”

“Sounds like you were terrorized by a vampire.” Black Magician Girl puffed up her chest pridefully. “I’ve had experience. A little sunlight is enough to kill them, at least until they’re resurrected by their master— undead have a habit of never staying down, no matter how many times you take them down.”

“Well, we’re done with all of that now,” Twilight said. “Try to ignore everyone’s stares if you can. They’ll warm up to you eventually if you show you’re trustworthy.”

“No problem!” Black Magician Girl said cheerfully.

They eventually made their way across town to Rarity’s boutique. The overall design of the place stood out in stark contrast with the surrounding town— more elegant, intricate, as though it had been brought in from a different, more high-class town. The inside was every bit as colorful and ornate as the outside and clearly set up to be a shopping center of sorts, but one that was far more polished than any storefront she’d ever seen in the Spirit World.

“What are these?” she asked, pointing to some weird statue-looking things shaped like ponies.

“Ponyquins,” Rarity explained. “They’re used to show off new designs to potential customers, see how they might fit you.”

“Wow, that’s useful.”

Rarity left everyone inside the front lobby while she left for a back room, returning a few moments later with a strange object levitating in a magical nimbus next to her. The identically-colored nimbus surrounding her horn immediately clued Black Magician Girl in to how magic was utilized by unicorns in this world. Looking at Twilight, she realized the thing over her own horn was a cast; was that an injury taken from their previous otherworldly visitor? Maybe, but if it wasn’t anything to worry about as they said, she needn’t ask.

“Now, hold still for me, darling,” Rarity said. A thin, yellow paper with markings extended from the object in her magic. She held it up to Black Magician Girl’s waist, immediately cluing her in that it was to take her measurements— far more convenient than anything she’d seen in the Spirit World. Amazing little things like that would make her decision to vacation here worthwhile.

Twilight decided to speak up while Rarity continued taking her measurements.

“You came at a great time. Everyone’s getting ready for a nationwide celebration in a couple of days after we saved Equestria from invasion.”

“Sounds exciting,” she replied. “Different parts of the Spirit World get invaded all the time, like this one war we call the Invasion of Chaos. Who invaded you?”

“Some cornball named the Storm King,” Spike said, waving his hand dismissively. “Honestly, he was nothing compared to his minions. I’m embarrassed we almost lost to him.”

“We had to travel across the nation in order to find a way to beat him,” Twilight said. “As you can expect, having to fight off an entire invasion, then having to fight against a powerful otherworldly foe immediately afterward was a lot to go through.”

“Indeed, darling,” Rarity said, moving her attention to Black Magician Girl’s chest and arms, “we certainly do deserve a chance to unwind and have fun after all that. Set your staff down, please.”

Black Magician Girl did as instructed and Rarity continued her work. “I was commissioned by Hoity Toity to design some new dresses to be shown off at this festival, so you know my interest in your attire runs deep if I’m taking time out of my busy schedule to make some extra dresses based on it.”

“You said everyone is uneasy around humans,” Black Magician Girl said, frowning. “I wouldn’t ruin their fun time if I joined in, would I?”

“Like I said before, they’ll warm up to you if you show you’re trustworthy,” Twilight said. “Being associated with a Princess of Equestria will help towards that end as well.”

“The main festivities in Canterlot will be broadcasted live all over Equestria via Crystalvision. If you decide to join me up there, I imagine you’ll end up stealing much of the spotlight. I hope that’s alright with you.”

Black Magician Girl smiled. “Oh, I love attention! I could even show everyone my magic!”

“Now that’s something I’d love to see,” Twilight said.

Rarity finished taking measurements after a short while. She waved everyone goodbye when they left the boutique, heading to Twilight’s castle. Twilight, Spike, and Black Magician Girl spent most of the walk chatting about their lives as well as reminiscing on the brief time they saw each other during the Convergence. The castle came into view as they left Ponyville proper and Black Magician Girl stared in awe at the wide array of colorful crystals that made up the building material. That is, until the sun reflected off of it into her eyes, forcing her to cover them.

“Yeah, that’s a problem a lot of ponies have complained about,” Twilight said with a nervous laugh. “The castle kinda just built itself. We warn ponies not to come around at this time of day.”

They made their way up the castle’s front steps and through the massive front doors. Black Magician Girl couldn’t help but compare the front hall of the castle with… well, pretty much every castle she’d ever been in, but especially the Royal Magical Library. The cool color scheme and star motif certainly helped set this place apart from any other place in the Spirit World. Twilight sent Spike off to make a guest bed while she gave Black Magician Girl a tour of the place. Kitchen, sitting room, recreational room, all standard stuff up until…

“...You like reading?”

Twilight stepped into the library next to her. “You wouldn’t believe how much.”

If she’d forgotten everything that happened over the past few hours, Black Magician Girl would’ve believed she was still inside the Royal Magical Library. The tall bookshelves situated all around her actually looked more perused than over half the tomes back home, which was very impressive since, presumably, Twilight was the only one who made use of them.

“I don’t think I’ll need to come here,” she said. “I need some time away from studying.”

“That’s okay,” Twilight said. “You’re a guest here. Anything you need to feel comfortable, make sure you tell me and I’ll be happy to accommodate.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh! Would you like a more formal introduction? You’re of higher stature than most otherworldly guests we get.”

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

Twilight appeared to think over her words for a moment before she cleared her throat.

“I, Princess Twilight of Equestria, formally welcome you, Black Magician Girl, to the land of Equestria. May your stay be a pleasant one and may you make many lifelong friends during your time here.”

Chapter 3

Black Magician Girl, Twilight, and Rarity met up sometime later as the next train’s arrival approached. Hopefully, this ‘Hoity Toity’ would be on board. Black Magician Girl was pleased to see all the ponies in town now seemed a little more relaxed with her presence— having the local ruler at her side apparently went a long way towards reassuring them. Some of them even looked particularly curious at her, especially a mint green unicorn mare with a strange yellow, hand-shaped glove over her hoof— the smile splitting her muzzle was almost maniacal like she was going to charge at Black Magician Girl and do unspeakable things to her.

“Is there something wrong with her?” She pointed with her staff to the unicorn.

“Oh, that’s just Lyra Heartstrings,” Rarity said. “Consider her to be the last dedicated humare in the world.”

“Humare?”

“A few years ago,” Twilight explained, “our close circle of friends ‘invented’ the concept of humans through fiction and a fandom sprung up. They called themselves humares, but the popularity kinda died down over time and the recent incident didn’t help matters. Lyra is the only one left that really clung to it all. Of course, seeing a real, live human walking around is going to make her more than a little giddy.”

Black Magician Girl gulped. “Is she gonna attack me?”

“Oh, heavens no, darling!” Rarity said, aghast. “You must trust us when we say Ponyville is filled with kind, respectable ponies!”

“Sorry, I have a lot of experience being hounded by people who love cute things…” It was her greatest pride whenever she was part of a duel with her master. In the Spirit World, however… she shuddered as some unpleasant memories resurfaced.

They made it to the train station in good time. The crowds were thinner this time around, owing to it being later in the day with the sun close to the horizon. Everyone parted for the group of three, allowing them to pass unabated across the train platform. Black Magician Girl heard little hoofsteps scampering behind her. She turned, only for her eyes to suddenly track a little gray colt as he dashed between her legs.

“Eek!” She instinctively pulled her legs together.

“What’s the matter, darling?” Rarity asked.

“Humans are very modest about their bodies, remember?” Twilight said. “Especially girls who wear short skirts. They don’t like it when someone gets a view from underneath.”

“Uh, no, no, that’s not it,” Black Magician Girl tried to reassure them. “I don’t think he saw anything. I was just acting on instinct.”

“Would you like me to design your new dresses to be more modest?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t mind short skirts, but keeping my personal space would be nice.”

“Say no more, darling.”

Twilight and Rarity positioned themselves in front of and behind Black Magician Girl. “Consider yourself protected,” Twilight said.

Black Magician Girl giggled. “I feel safer already.”

They took a place at the edge of the platform and waited patiently for the Friendship Express to arrive. It wasn’t long before they heard the whistle in the distance, followed soon thereafter by the train thundering into the station. The new arrivals stepped onto the platform, switching places with those intent on traveling to Canterlot for the festivities.

“Aha, there he is!” Rarity said.

She led them over to a stallion fitting the description she’d given earlier. Black Magician Girl assumed his posture was the pony equivalent to every royal or similarly high-class spirit she’d ever met, those who prioritized their outward appearance to the masses rather than being true to their feelings. In other words, no fun to be around. But if he was just here for business, then that wouldn’t be a problem for her.

Hoity Toity noticed their approach. His eyes were obscured by his shades, but his face snapped to Black Magician Girl the moment she came into view. She paused, unsure of whether she should be nervous or happy he was taking an interest in her.

“My my,” he said, lowering his shades, showing the surprise in his eyes, “I certainly wasn’t expecting to see something like this.”

Black Magician Girl tilted her head. He hadn’t seen her up in Canterlot? Pretty much every pony hadn’t been able to take their eyes off of her.

“Hoity Toity!” Rarity said. “Was your trip a pleasant one?”

“About as well as the last time I was here,” he said. His eyes seemed to waver between Rarity and Black Magician Girl. “Let’s discuss our business somewhere less noisy and… pedestrian.”

“Of course! Let’s go back to my boutique right away!”

“Yes. Let’s. Actually…” His posture returned to its previous stoic neutrality and he adjusted his shades. “Bring your human friend as well. I wish to speak with her.”

“Really?” all three girls said in unison.

“Yes, I do believe I spoke loud and clear.” He took off down the platform.

What could he possibly want with me? Black Magician Girl thought. She shared a confused look with Twilight and Rarity before they set off after him. The trip back to Rarity’s boutique was mostly uneventful. Rarity and Hoity talked about fashion stuff that both Black Magician Girl and Twilight couldn’t follow. That conversation continued even after they arrived at the boutique. Twilight and Black Magician Girl took spots on Rarity’s ‘drama couch’, as she called it, watching as she showed Hoity Toity the designs she was working on for the festival’s fashion show.

“Mm, yes,” Hoity Toity said, examining the drawings with a superbly critical eye, “these will certainly do. I approve of their inclusion in my fashion show.”

“Oh, thank you Hoity Toity!” Rarity said cheerfully, lightly stomping her hooves on the ground. “You can expect them to be finished and arrive on time in Canterlot!”

“Yes, good to hear. I hope a little extra work isn’t too much to ask for, though.”

“Pardon?”

Hoity Toity turned to the drama couch. He strode over to Black Magician Girl while she looked quizzically at him. He spent a moment inspecting her clothes before speaking.

“What is your name?” he asked.

She blinked. “... Black Magician Girl…”

“Hm, strange name, though, I suppose that’s to be expected with a strange species. Miss Magician Girl, how would you like to be the central attraction at my Festival Fashion Extravaganza?”

“What!?” Rarity said.

Twilight and Black Magician Girl were taken aback. “Really? You want me to be a part of it?”

“Yes. Your attire provides exactly the kind of exotic touch we need more of in the fashion industry. Not to mention, an exotic figure like yours would certainly draw more eyes to the show.”

Black Magician Girl felt a slight blush cross her cheeks. “Um, thank you…?”

“Will you do it?”

Black Magician Girl thought about it for a moment. It sounded fun, being the center of attention, but it also sounded like something different from anything she’d ever experienced before. She cast a glance to Twilight who offered her an encouraging smile.

“Oh, don’t be afraid, darling,” Rarity said, strolling over. “You’ll have me for support, so don’t be afraid to make yourself the center of attention!”

Another moment of thought, Black Magician Girl smiled and said, “I’ll do it!”

“Magnificent!” Hoity Toity said. He turned to Rarity. “I trust you’ll make equally impressive dresses for her?”

“Consider it already in progress!”

“Good. Good. I think I’ll stop by the cafe before I leave for Canterlot.” He exited the boutique on his own without so much as a wave goodbye.

“He’s not a very sociable person, is he?” Black Magician Girl asked.

“Not really,” Twilight said.

“Well, looks like I’ve got twice the workload to get done,” Rarity said, giving an exasperated sigh. “Rest assured I’ll finish it in time, so you enjoy your vacation here in Ponyville in the meantime!”

“I plan to!” Black Magician Girl replied cheerfully.

The Everfree Castle, standing tall and proud within the Everfree Forest, a historical sight that had seen many landmark events throughout its thousand-year-plus existence: The rule of the Royal Sisters, the fall and banishment of Nightmare Moon, the redemption of Princess Luna—

—the defeat of an otherworldly terror.

An immortal terror. The former Bearers of Harmony had fought this terror and believed they had defeated it. But no. Even as they returned to their normal lives, it remained alive. Greatly weakened, but alive. It couldn’t go out in direct sunlight, meaning its attempts to escape the crevice where it had fallen were restricted to nighttime; a time where sight was limited, not to mention its inability to effectively scale rock walls.

Rage coursed through it. This land was within its grasp. It was to be the eternal ruler of all those lowly ponies. Now it was stuck underneath a small rock formation, safe in the shade, but effectively trapped, unable to die or regain its strength. All it could do was scream, damning those ponies for what they’d done. Over and over.

His one and only hope was that a living creature would pass by, one big enough that he could graft his own head onto...

Chapter 4

Spike woke up feeling like he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep. He sat up, pondered his capability to get out of bed for all of five seconds before falling back down. He must have dozed off again as the next thing she knew, the sun was shining a little brighter through the window. He groaned, burying his face in the pillow. An ache in his groin told him he needed to visit the bathroom if he didn’t want to change his sheets so, with a resigned sigh, he rolled out of bed. He remained in a groggy state the entire trip down the hallway to the bathroom. The faint sound of running water reached his ears, but he didn’t fully register it. He reached up, pushed in the doorlock and—

“AH! BLACK BURNING!”

“Whoa!”

Spike sidestepped a ball of pink magic that shot through the open doorway. It hit the opposite wall and exploded, showering the hallway with crystal shards.

“Whoa whoa, what’s going on!?”

“Pervert! Close the door right now!”

Spike cast his eyes into the bathroom—

“I SAID CLOSE THE DOOR!”

Spike slammed the door closed. A minute passed before Twilight came galloping down the hall, panic in her eyes.

“What happened!? I heard an explosion! Is anyone hurt—?” Her eyes settled on the hole in the wall. “How did that happen?”

Before Spike could answer the bathroom door slid open. Black Magician Girl stepped out, wearing two separate towels wrapped around her chest and her hips. Her entire body was dripping wet and her cheeks were a deep shade of red mixed along with their natural pink. The look she was giving Spike sent shivers down his spine; for a moment, he was afraid she might blast him with laser vision or something equally horrifying.

Twilight looked back and forth between them for a moment before she seemed to connect the dots. She glared sharply at Spike.

“What did I say about knocking?” she asked.

Spike gulped. “Always do it before I enter the bathroom.”

“Right, what do you say now?”

Spike turned to Black Magician Girl. “I’m sorry.”

Black Magician Girl sighed. “I suppose it can’t be helped.” She closed the door. Running water could be heard a couple of seconds later.

Twilight turned to the hole in the wall and sighed. “Well, this won’t be cheap to fix. Was that Black Magician Girl’s doing?”

“Yeah, it was her magic,” Spike answered. “Almost blew my head off.”

Twilight inspected the damage more closely. “That’s some strong magic if she’s able to cut a hole clean through solid crystal.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

Black Magician Girl exited the bathroom a few minutes later, looking clean as a whistle and with a spring in her step, totally over the previous unfortunate encounter.

“Your showers are so much better than what we have!” she complimented. Her eyes tracked to the hole in the wall and she blushed. “Oh yeah, sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight assured her. “Actually, how about you give us a demonstration of your magic before we eat breakfast? Somewhere a lot safer, of course.”

“Sure thing!” A confident smile split Black Magician Girl’s mouth and she twirled her staff. “I’ll show you the full power of a Black Magic disciple!”

Breakfast passed without incident. Twilight and Spike conversed with Black Magician Girl over cereal and toast— not that duel spirits needed to eat. They exchanged stories of their various adventures and shared details about their respective world’s cultures. Of particular interest to Black Magician Girl were the Elements of Harmony and the tree they’d grown from.

“That’s the kind of thing that would fit in Duel Monsters,” she said, fiddling with her glass of orange juice. “Like, you hold all six ‘Element’ cards, and then you can activate an even more powerful ‘Rainbow of Harmony’ card.”

“I remember liking the game when I played it against your master,” Twilight said, then grimaced. “I wish it could’ve been under better circumstances, though.”

“I’d totally play you if I had my own deck with me! I could let you borrow my deck and make another for myself using leftover cards.”

“Count me in too!” Spike said. “This game sounds like a lotta fun!”

Breakfast finished and the three made their way outside to see Black Magician Girl’s magic in effect. They retreated a great distance behind the castle to an open plain, far away from the nearest road, stopping once they reached the center.

Black Magician Girl turned to Twilight and raised her staff to her shoulder. “So, how should I do this?”

“Try not to blow up the ground,” she replied.

“Okay then.” Black Magician Girl placed her staff beneath her, sitting down on it like a witch’s broom. That proved to be a very apt comparison, as she then took to the air riding it, stopping about ten pony-lengths above the ground.

“Whoa,” Spike said, slack-jawed.

“Black Burning!” she shouted.

A crackling ball of pink magic formed at the tip of her staff, growing and distorting the air in front of her. With a smile, she pushed her staff down and launched the magic at the ground away from Twilight and Spike. It sailed through the air at blinding speed, hitting the ground with a loud boom and kicking up a gigantic spray of dirt and grass that stopped just short of Twilight’s and Spike’s position. The magic left a small, smoking hole in the ground.

Black Magician Girl flew back down, looking unsure. “Does that count as destroying the ground?”

Twilight stared deadpan. “You couldn’t just fire it at the sky?”

Black Magician Girl looked upward. “I wouldn’t want to hit any birds passing overhead.”

Twilight facehooved, then turned to Spike. “Is there anything we can afford to lose?”

“The garbage,” Spike suggested.

“That’ll do.”

Spike and Twilight left for the castle, returning a few minutes later carrying several black bags of what Black Magician Girl assumed was filled with their garbage— certainly different from how garbage disposal worked back home. They set the bags in a pile in the middle of the field and returned to her side.

“There you go,” Twilight said. “Have at it.”

“Alright, prepare for a show!”

She flew into the air again. There were only two more offensive spells she knew, both particularly powerful. She pointed her staff directly at the piles of garbage. The air at the tip of her staff crackled with electricity, forming a point of concentrated lightning.

“Thunder Bolt!”

The lightning discharged to the ground, exploding the garbage bags in a cacophonous boom that echoed across the plains. Burning trash scattered everywhere. Twilight opened her mouth, likely to protest, but Black Magician Girl beat her to the punch.

“And now for my final trick!”

Pink magic coalesced at the tip of her staff, growing and forming dual rings. She took a position high above the plain, dead center in the field of trash.

“Diffusing Wave!”

Dual rings shot forth from her staff in rapid succession, each striking an individual piece of trash per her aim. Each piece vaporized upon contact, leaving no trace of anything behind. It was a slow, methodical process as Black Magician Girl gradually cleared the surrounding area of all trash. It was also incredibly noisy, undoubtedly catching the attention of any and everyone in Ponyville and any potential travelers.

The last piece of trash was destroyed and Black Magician Girl nodded, satisfied with her work. She descended to the ground and couldn’t help but giggle at the looks of shocked awe on Twilight’s and Spike’s faces.

“I take it you liked the show!”

Spike came out of his stupor first. “That. Was. Awesome!”

Twilight followed suit. She cleared her throat and said, “Yes, well, that was certainly impressive. I’m assuming that’s high-level magic in the Duel Monster Spirit World?”

“Kinda. It’s high-level offensive magic, but it’s not the best overall. But I really wanna learn this one spell called Resurrection of the Dead.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped open. “Wait, you mean… your world has necromancy!?”

“Yeah…” Black Magician Girl tilted her head. “You don’t?”

“I wish we did,” Spike said, earning himself a light slap from Twilight. “Ow! What was that for!?”

“Remember last week...?”

“... Oh yeah, sorry.”

“Trixie must ask: What is with all the ruckus!?”

They turned to see two newcomers coming from over the hill in the direction of Twilight’s castle. Two mares, both unicorns: One was pink with two-toned purple and light green hair while the other was blue with silvery hair and wearing, interestingly, attire similar in shape to Black Magician Girl’s own. A fellow magician, perhaps? They crossed the plain towards them, all the while looking at Black Magician Girl with an almost studious curiosity, the blue mare, especially.

“Starlight! Trixie!” Twilight said, rushing over to hug them. “How was your trip?”

“It went well,” the pink mare said. “Thorax is fully established now and all the changelings are happy to have him in charge. But he’s very thankful to have us there whenever things get mane-pullingly unbearable.”

“Yes, the Great and Powerful and Reliable Trixie is all too happy to help a friend in need!” the blue mare said with grandeur. “Let this be known to all throughout Equestria!”

The pink mare, Starlight, looked at Black Magician Girl. “I see we have another otherworldly visitor. Hi, who are you?”

“Black Magician Girl!” she replied, tipping her hat in a showy fashion while donning a playful smile. “Nice to meet you!”

“So you are a magician yourself?” Trixie inquired. She looked up and down Black Magician Girl’s figure before settling on her hat. “Trixie would’ve expected otherworldly magicians to dress differently.”

“I don’t see you wearing a cute skirt!” Black Magician Girl stuck out her tongue.

“... No comment.”

Everyone shared a round of laughter before Twilight proceeded to get everyone up to speed on everything: Who everyone was, what they were doing here, and a few tidbits about their personal histories with each other. As soon as she explained a little bit about Black Magician Girl’s background, the fires of good-natured rivalry appeared in Trixie’s eyes. That is until Twilight explained that she was helping to destroy their garbage with her magic and all that rivalry instantly turned into surprise. It only made Black Magician Girl more interested to see what kinds of magic she specialized in.

“Well, if Twilight’s happy to have you here, then so am I,” Starlight said.

“Yes, as is Trixie,” Trixie said, still looking oddly at Black Magician Girl.

“I hope you won’t mind having to share the castle with an additional person,” Twilight said to Starlight.

“The castle is too big for that to ever be a problem,” Starlight said, dismissively waving a hoof. “But to change the topic: We were hoping you could book us a gig at the festival up in Canterlot. Trixie and I have been evolving and expanding her act and we’d like a good chance to show it off to the whole country.”

“The most I can do is send a letter to Princess Celestia,” Twilight said. “I’ll make sure to do it when we get back to the castle.”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Trixie said. “Before she leaves, Trixie would like to know something.” She turned to Black Magician Girl. “Is your magic only good for blowing things up?”

“Nope! I know lots of neat tricks! Did you want to see some?”

“Yes, please. Trixie wishes to know how you might stack up against her.”

“Sure thing!” Black Magician Girl retreated away. ‘Retreating’, as in, skipping with her arms to her sides while humming a merry tune. That playful demeanor ended abruptly when she dug her heel into the dirt and spun around, face hidden behind her hat showing only a confident smile. She twirled her staff and pointed it at the ground. Floating above the ground, four large top hats with question marks on them appeared. She gestured toward the ponies.

“Pick a hat and shoot it,” she said.

The ponies and dragon blinked, clearly confused.

“Trust me,” she said. “This is a trick my master loves to do with his opponents.”

A few moments of silence passed before Starlight stepped forward. A concentrated beam of magic coalesced at the tip of her horn and she fired it at the leftmost hat. The hat turned transparent upon being hit, revealing the contents inside: A cylinder with diamond patterns and more question marks. The magic beam entered the cylinder and disappeared.

“Trap activated!” Black Magician Girl cried passionately. “Magic Cylinder!”

The second rightmost hat disappeared, revealing a second cylinder containing Starlight’s magic beam in the form of a concentrated ball. The magic burst forth from the cylinder, sailing through the air towards everyone. They screamed. But halfway through the magic’s trajectory, the first cylinder shot forth under Black Magician Girl’s magic, coming to stand in its way. The magic entered the first cylinder again and was promptly redirected through the second again. Into the first and out through the second. Over and over. The ponies and Spike watched, transfixed, as the magic became caught in a never-ending loop. The cylinders gradually drew closer together until the magic became a solid stream connecting them.

Black Magician Girl brought the cylinders over to her and closed them together. The way they vibrated slightly showed the magic was still active. It took some time, but the vibrating stopped when the magic finally lost the last of its energy and she pulled the cylinders apart. Her magic tools disappeared in puffs of smoke and she faced everyone. She took pride in the awe etched across their faces, Trixie’s especially.

“What do you think?” she asked.

Trixie cleared her throat. “Trixie is certainly impressed, this she cannot deny.”

Everyone else concurred with smiles.

Black Magician Girl skipped over to them and leaned forward, meeting Trixie’s gaze with her own, excited eyes. “Can I see your magic now?”

“Trixie has a better idea.” She adopted a playful grin and thrust her hoof up at Black Magician Girl. “The two of us. Magical duel. This afternoon.”

Black Magician Girl blinked. “Magic… duel?”

“Not Duel Monsters,” Twilight said, stepping in. “Magic duels here are just a test of each other’s magical prowess against each other.”

“Oh, well… you’d lose in the first second, Trixie.”

“Trixie begs your pardon!?”

“I didn’t show off my best magic just now. If we battled each other, I could win with just one move.”

Trixie let out a shocked, indignant gasp. “If you think the Great and Powerful Trixie will go down so easily, you’ve got another thing coming!” She pressed her hoof firmly into Black Magician Girl’s chest and her snout against her face. “Meet Trixie in Town Square at five o’clock. And prepare yourself!”

Somehow, she produced a pink ball from thin air in her mouth and threw it to the ground. A plume of pink smoke burst forth, sending everyone into a coughing fit. Once the smoke cleared, they caught sight of Trixie cresting the hill leading towards the castle.

“What was that for?” Black Magician Girl asked.

“She’s extremely showy,” Starlight explained. “Competitive, too. She’s determined to be the best stage magician in all of Equestria, but she definitely respects your talent.”

“Were you serious about being able to win in one move?” Twilight asked.

Black Magician Girl nodded. “Yep! But we’ll just see how things turn out, won’t we?” She placed her arms behind her head in a casual manner. “So, what do we do now?”

“Let’s go see how Rarity’s doing with your dresses,” Twilight suggested.

“Hmm?” Starlight said.

“Black Magician Girl’s gonna be in Hoity Toity’s Festival Fashion Extravaganza.”

“Oh, that sounds interesting. First time a human’s gonna walk the catwalk. Or, duel spirit, I guess?”

“Wait, do I need to learn how to walk like you ponies?” Black Magician Girl asked, ignoring Starlight. “Last I checked, human fashion models have a particular way of walking. Strutting, is it called?”

“Don’t worry about any of that,” Twilight said. “If Hoity Toity wanted a humanoid as part of the show, he should expect you to present yourself like one. But if you need pointers, Rarity will be more than glad to help.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Good luck,” Starlight said.

“Thank you.”

The group returned to the castle. Twilight and Spike put together a letter for Celestia and sent it off. Starlight stayed behind while everyone else left for Rarity’s boutique. The small little town was as lively and bustling and utterly adorable as ever. Now the ponies were visibly far more welcoming and less nervous to see Black Magician Girl walking down the street. She waved to a few of them as she passed and they waved in turn, smiling broadly. At one point she passed by a trio of mares with flowers for Cutie Marks outside a flower shop that she presumed to be theirs. The trio noticed her approaching and quickly huddled together, but Black Magician Girl still caught a bit of their conversation as they passed.

“You think she’s really so powerful?”

“I dunno. We don’t know if those clothes represent power levels.”

“We’ll find out tonight.”

“I gotta be honest, I’m worried for Trixie more than her…”

Overhearing more conversations along their trip revealed that, somehow, word of the upcoming magic duel had spread very far in less than fifteen minutes. Black Magician Girl waited until Rarity’s boutique came into view before she posed the resulting question.

“Do ponies love gossip in this town?”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” Twilight said. “Especially Rarity. She’s all about gossip.”

“Trust me, there’s gonna be a huuuge crowd for that magic duel,” Spike added.

More eyes on her? Certainly not bad for Black Magician Girl, but it made her hope that Trixie could handle being utterly defeated in front of so many people.

They made it to Rarity’s boutique in good time, knocking and being led inside by the fashionista. Twilight and Spike took spots on the drama couch while Black Magician Girl stood in the center of the lobby, waiting for Rarity to bring out her dresses. When the unicorn returned, it was with an accompaniment of energetic, yet sophisticated music out of sight in another room, like this was, itself, a fashion show.

“Preeeesenting,” Rarity began, her horn aglow, “the first-ever garments tailored for an otherworldly being in Equestria.”

Two dresses floated into the room and held in the air before Black Magician Girl. She inspected them from top to bottom, finding herself pleased with their appearance. Both were crafted based on the general aesthetic of her normal clothes but used additional fabric to create a few extra embellishments. One was colored two shades of green and rather plain in comparison to the other which featured a star motif set against a black, night sky backdrop. Dark and mysterious versus nature, an odd contrast, but she supposed Rarity would have to be particular about her choosing if she was working under a strict time limit.

“How do you like them, dear?” Rarity asked.

“They’re ultra cute!” Black Magician Girl replied. “Thanks for making them for me. I wish I had money to pay you.”

“Think nothing of it, darling. Seeing your smiling face while wearing it is enough payment for a friend of a best friend. Go on, try them on! The changing room is right there.” She pointed to a small room on the other side of the room, about the size of a closet.

Black Magician Girl grabbed the dresses and made her way to the changing room. Slipping out of her normal clothes, she held the green dress up to the mirror and examined it. It went down as far as her normal skirt and the sleeves were about as long, but…

“Is everything okay, darling!?” Rarity called.

“The chest area is a little… small.”

“Let’s see it for ourselves!”

Black Magician Girl slipped into the outfit, finding that, indeed, the chest area was quite restrictive. Her breasts threatened to spill over the top— not a big deal in front of ponies, but an inevitable problem if she was going to take them back home. She stepped out of the changing room, showing off the outfit with a playful twirl.

“Oh, it looks splendid on you, darling!” Rarity said, stomping her hooves. Then her eyes fell upon Black Magician Girl’s chest. “Ah, I see your point. Not to worry, I’ll make the necessary adjustments before the festival. Try the other one on!”

Black Magician Girl swapped the green dress for the starry one. Looking at herself in the mirror, she preferred this one over the other. The darker tone reminded her of her mentor and the night sky motif was beautiful. No doubt, some duelists back in the human world would find the new outfit even more appealing, like she’d tapped into her ‘dark side’ or some such nonsense. Human boys had some weird kinks.

“Oh my, you look absolutely stunning, darling!” Rarity said with sparkling eyes.

“I concur,” Twilight put in, nodding. “You look amazing.”

“So beautiful…” Spike mouthed, slack-jawed.

Black Magician Girl giggled and winked at him, to which she swore she could see hearts in his eyes. Rarity and Twilight were none the wiser to the exchange.

Black Magician Girl changed back into her normal clothes and handed the new dresses back to Rarity, who levitated them into the back room.

“I hear you’ve got a magic duel this afternoon, darling,” she said. “Best of luck.”

Word travels ridiculously fast around here, Black Magician Girl thought. “I won’t need luck, but thanks anyway.”

“Why don’t you have some tea before you leave?” Rarity suggested.

“I don’t need to eat or drink.”

“Still, you’re here on vacation. Sampling local cuisine is a staple of any good vacation.”

Black Magician Girl turned to Twilight and Spike, the matter of whom was looking normal now. They both made an ‘it’s okay’ gesture.

“Alright, I guess it’ll help kill some time.”

They all retreated into the kitchen whereupon Rarity prepared the tea. Camomile, she called it. They drank and chatted casually for about an hour before leaving. The tea was good, as was having such great company. This vacation was going great so far, all the more reason for Black Magician Girl to be glad she defied her mentor’s orders.

Footsteps approached. Did his ears deceive him? Was someone actually approaching? Someone intelligent? Someone he could use as an escape from his accursed isolation at the bottom of this canyon. He pressed his ear close to the ground, listening closely. The footsteps — no, the pattern wasn’t that of a bipedal being — were strolling along the canyon wall. Considering the residents of this world, the new arrival was probably one of those ponies from Ponyville— that name would never not be ridiculous. He waited, patiently, until the new arrival came into view between the rocks surrounding him.

It wasn’t one of the ponies. No, it was a zebra. Black stripes and everything, just like the kind he’d seen in zoology textbooks at the university back home. Only for the briefest of moments did he ponder the specific branches of the evolutionary garden of this world— what mattered was setting himself free. Tendrils erupted from the bottom of his neck, grabbing a small stone nearby and banging it against the wall of his prison. The sound attracted the attention of the zebra for only a moment before they looked back to the canyon wall, tapping it in a peculiar manner, as though they were searching for something. He banged the rock again, this time attracting their attention more fully.

“A curious sound my ears have heard,” they said in a feminine voice. “What manner of creature might it be: A squirrel, a skunk, a bird?

Rhyming? Another oddity to puzzle the brain. The zebra approached the cluster of rocks he was hiding under. Her eyes widened once she noticed him and she broke into a gallop. Upon reaching the rocks she ducked her head into the opening, her muzzle mere centimeters from him.

“What happened to this poor creature!?”

He acted quickly before she could get off another rhyme. Pressurized fluid built in his eyes, releasing in one devastating shot in the form of twin beams that pierced through the zebra’s face and skull, killing her instantly. Her body fell over, kicking up a small cloud of dust, her lifeless, fisk-like eyes staring at him in shock.

It took a while for him to build up enough fluid again to decapitate her head and then even longer to graft his head onto her body. Thankfully, the cloak she was wearing proved effective at protecting him from the sunlight, but by the time he’d fully adjusted to the new body, the sun would probably set.

The white princess, the one that could control the sun, was a nuisance he’d need to wipe away before he could rule over this world.

Chapter 5

Ponyville was eerily silent and sparsely-crowded when Black Magician Girl, Spike, Starlight, and Twilight left the castle. The time for the magic duel was fast approaching and, judging from the lack of life throughout the town, everyone had left to see it unfold. Sure enough, the sounds of chatter reached their ears the closer they got to Town Square until they caught sight of the large throngs of ponies gathered, talking excitedly to each other and pointing to a very large stage that had been set up in the center of the Square. A stage upon which Trixie stood with a large, box-like object and a table next to her. She was very visibly enjoying the attention of the crowd, drinking it in like freshwater from an oasis.

“She’s come a long way since her first time in town,” Twilight remarked.

“Definitely,” Spike said. “Amazing what a few years’ difference can make.”

“And good friends,” Starlight added.

“What’s that stuff she has?” Black Magician Girl asked.

“Stuff for her act,” Twilight answered.

“Act?”

“Her magical expertise is focused more on putting on a good show rather than utility or offense. We did fight once before, but she had the help of an artifact to make her more powerful. From the look of things here, she’s somehow planning on incorporating her stage props into her battle strategy.”

“Wonder what that’ll be like?” Starlight said.

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

They entered Town Square, immediately attracting the attention of the crowd. Black Magician Girl was surprised to see a number of banners featuring a stylized drawing of her waving above the ponies’ heads alongside many featuring Trixie. Crowds of adoring fans were nothing new to her, but to amass so many in a new world so quickly? She hadn’t even done anything noteworthy here yet. But it wouldn’t do to not put on a good show for any fans in any world.

The crowd parted with applause, allowing Black Magician Girl to make her way through to the stage while Twilight, Spike, and Starlight took places among everyone. Trixie cast a continuous challenging gaze her way as she climbed onto the stage and took her place across from the magician mare. A string of colorful scarves, as well as some type of playing cards different from those of Duel Monsters with black and red patterns against white backgrounds, floated off of the table in front of Trixie in her magic. The box next to her had question marks running along the front, nearly identical to Magic Death Boxes from back home. In theory, Trixie had the advantage because she’d seen most of her spells whereas Black Magician Girl hadn’t seen anything from her. But only in theory. In reality, victory had already been determined.

The crowds continued to cheer wildly until a gray-maned mare with a beige coat stepped onto the stage and raised her hoof, quieting the crowd.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, thank you all are coming! It is my honor to welcome Black Magician Girl to our fair town of Ponyville! May the rest of her stay be a splendid one!”

There was another round of cheers before she continued.

“Now, onto the duel! Here are the rules: No spells that will severely injure your opponent physically or mentally; no spells that extend beyond the edge of this stage; defeat comes when one yields to their opponent. Do the combatants agree to these conditions?”

Both Trixie and Black Magician Girl nodded.

“Then on my count, let the magic duel commence.” She began counting down while making her way off the stage. The crowd stared in rapt silence, excited anticipation clear in their faces. “3… 2… 1… Begin!”

The first thing Black Magician Girl did was summon her Magic Cylinders, placing them directly in front of her to protect against any projectiles Trixie shot her way. That’s what she expected Trixie to try off the bat, but her expectations were immediately subverted when Trixie levitated the cards over instead. The thought that they might be explosive crossed her mind only briefly as she trusted Trixie wouldn’t break the rules of the duel. But then what could they be?

“Pick a card,” Trixie said, no small amount of confidence in her tone. “Any card.”

The cards spread out before her. Confusion took root in Black Magician Girl’s mind. This wasn’t how she expected the duel to begin, but she decided to play along. The various patterns meant nothing to her, so she just picked one with cute little hearts. She showed it to Trixie.

“Psyche! Fifty-two pickup!”

The cards exploded all over the stage, startling Black Magician Girl. But her fright subsided quickly when she realized they weren’t doing anything besides floating harmlessly down to the ground. Black Magician glanced down at them, confused, before looking back up to Trixie, but the mare was already inside the Magic Death Box along with the line of scarves.

“Prepare for a grand performance the likes of which Equestria has never seen!” Trixie called out to the crowd.

The box closed. It then proceeded, despite Trixie's size being enough to fill up two-thirds, to detach into three identical parts before floating into place, forming a straight line. Black Magician Girl decided to take initiative and fire a subdued Black Burning at the center box. But before the projectile hit, all three boxes disappeared in a flash of light. Teleportation. Which meant Trixie could come from anywhere. Of course, assuming it worked the same here as back home, teleportation had a vital weakness.

She relocated herself to a different part of the stage and primed her Magic Cylinders, anticipating an attack at the spot she was just at. But instead of that happening, she felt something blast her back, knocking her down to the stage and kicking up some cards. Groaning, she looked up to see one of the boxes with the door open, Trixie’s disembodied head grinning at her with her horn glowing. Black Magician Girl pointed her staff at her, only for something to hold her back. Looking back showed that the second box had appeared behind her and shot out the scarves, wrapping around her wrist and pulling her back.

“Clever, is Trixie not?” Trixie said haughtily.

Black Magician Girl smiled. “Not enough.” She twisted her wrist so that her staff pointed towards the scarf box. “Black Burning!” Her magic exploded the scarf box, showering the stage with wooden splinters and tattered cloth to a chorus of ‘oohs’ and ahs’ from the crowd.

Black Magician Girl giggled a little at the shock and frustration in Trixie’s eyes.

“A good magician keeps multiple tricks up their sleeve!” Trixie cried.

Her box disappeared in another teleport. Black Magician Girl swiveled her head around, hoping to catch Trixie when she came out of her teleport. She walked around a little, darting her eyes back and forth. The crowd was practically on the edge of their metaphorical seats with anticipation.

That anticipation turned to surprise in a second’s time. Black Magician Girl felt her backside getting blasted again, knocking her onto the floor and kicking up some more cards. A groan escaped her and she hoisted herself to her feet, taking care to keep her butt pointed away from the audience. Trixie smirked down at her from her box for a moment before teleporting away again.

Something wasn’t right. Somehow, Trixie was able to tell where she was standing coming out of each teleport. No doubt magic was involved, but the exact nature was impossible to decipher without a greater understanding of how magic in this world worked. But there was one thing she could reliably rely on: the audience.

She stood right where she was, turning her attention to the ponies in the crowd. She focused on their faces, specifically, the movement of their giant, expressive eyes. Seconds passed. Tension mounted, creeping through her like an army of scarabs. Even the slightest movement would draw her attention.

But nothing happened.

Confused, she walked around a little more, wondering if her positioning had something to do with the tracking magic being used. Then all of the ponies’ eyes darted to a point to her left. In a split second, she repositioned her Magic Cylinders to absorb the oncoming blast. The magic went in one cylinder and quickly exited the other, sent careening towards a panic-stricken Trixie head in the box. Her horn lit and she teleported out of the way just in time.

Now she had a way to counter Trixie’s tricks. Over and over, Trixie tried to sneak attack her only to continually fail as Black Magician Girl continued to use the audience’s reactions to counter effectively. Trixie grew increasingly frustrated with each successive failed attack, becoming sloppier and more frantic in her actions. All the while, Black Magician Girl continued to ponder how exactly the tracking magic worked. That part where Trixie took a bit longer to attack than usual had to be a clue.

“How are you predicting Trixie’s teleports!?” Trixie wailed after a dozen or so failed attacks.

“How are you predicting my own movements?” Black Magician Girl countered. “Wanna trade secrets?”

The face that Trixie made in response was picture-worthy, a mixture of frustration, shock, disbelief, and anger, distorted as if by the work of an abstract painter. She couldn’t help but giggle at how funny it looked.

“Trixie will win regardless!”

Black Magician Girl shot a light Black Burning at her, only for Trixie to quickly disappear in another teleport. She kicked the stage in frustration, sending a bunch of cards scattering around. Teleport abuse was probably the cheapest tactic any magician could employ, but at least the audience wasn’t growing bored. Yet. She stood on edge, watching the audience’s reaction again. The seconds passed in tense silence. No one’s eyes shifted direction. More seconds passed. A full minute. Two minutes. Now the audience was starting to get confused, but it was clear to her that the secret to Trixie’s tracking magic was exposed; she just needed to find it.

It was a gamble to take her eyes off the audience, but she took it, glancing all around the stage for anything out of the ordinary. Even with alien magic, some kind of sparkly stuff or flashing lights or anything of the sort should be visible, especially since she could see magic on the ponies’ horns whenever they used it. But there wasn’t anything like that which she could see. Trixie still wasn’t coming out of her teleport, so whatever she wasn’t seeing was still in effect.

Then her eyes glanced downward. For a second, she didn’t think much of the cards still scattered everywhere, but then one particular detail caught her attention; her feet weren’t touching any. An idea sparked in her brain and she touched a nearby card with the end of her staff, switching her gaze back to the audience. Their eyes shifted to the right, prompting her to reposition her Magic Cylinders for yet another reflected attack before Trixie disappeared again in a screaming rage.

She smirked, reaching down and swiping several cards off the stage. She then walked over and repeated the same with another bunch. This repeated over and over until she’d gotten rid of every card, save for one. The audience was staring rapt with excitement again. Twilight, Spike, and Starlight, especially, were mouthing words of encouragement to her. The last card she gently nudged to the center of the stage, careful not to directly place a finger on top of it. Next, she retreated to the edge of the stage and quickly slipped off one of her boots. It took her a few tries, but she eventually managed to land it on top of the card.

Trixie’s box appeared between her and the card, the back turned to Black Magician Girl.

“Wait, wha—?”

She was cut off when Black Magician Girl fired another Black Burning, destroying the box instantly with an accompanying cry of surprise from her. Splinters showered everywhere, followed by a burst of pink smoke that covered center stage. When it cleared, Trixie stood with her full body intact, the remaining third of the Magic Death Box next to her, looking about ready to explode from frustration— was that steam coming out of her ears?

Wordlessly, Trixie fired off several magic blasts at Black Magician Girl, only for her to easily reflect them with her Magic Cylinders like all the rest. The shots all sailed past Trixie, tearing holes in the curtain behind her. The damage was enough to cause the bottom half to fall down, eliciting a surprised gasp among the crowd.

“THAT’S IT!” Trixie yelled.

Her horn enveloped in a pink glow. The Magic Cylinders were enveloped in the same glow and yanked away from Black Magician Girl over to her. Her face changed from frustration to smugness instantly.

“Haha! The Great and Powerful Trixie has stolen your ultimate defense with a simple bit of telekinesis! Do you have the means to continue this fight now that Trixie commands this power!?”

The crowd collectively ‘oohed’. Trixie soaked in the attention like a sponge.

“Two can play at theatrics,” Black Magician Girl replied before clearing her throat. “Yes, I, Black Magician Girl, personal student to the renowned Black Magician, slayer of undead and cutest magical girl across worlds, have the means to end this fight with one simple spell! Or, should I say, a trap.”

“Bring it on!”

Black Magician Girl pointed her staff at Trixie, who positioned the Magic Cylinders in front of her.

“Hexagram Curse!”

A magic circle surrounded Trixie, making her and the crowd gasp. A yellow line moved back and forth across the inner edges, forming a hexagram shape surrounding Trixie’s body while the outside formed a green barrier filled with runic language. The whole thing started off transparent before fully materializing after a second. At that moment, Trixie’s horn stopped glowing, causing the Magic Cylinders to drop to the stage.

Black Magician Girl placed her staff on her shoulder and winked at Trixie. “The duel is over.”

“What the—?” A small pink spark flew off of Trixie’s horn, but nothing else. “Why— Why can’t I use my magic!?”

“A Hexagram Curse completely immobilizes anyone caught within,” Black Magician Girl explained. “It also blocks their magic, so until the trap is lifted you can’t do anything. Unless you have the means to continue without your magic…?”

Trixie glared icy daggers at her. Were this a real fight, no doubt, she’d be filled with murderous rage at being completely and utterly incapacitated so easily. She tried to fire off her magic a few more times while struggling against the curse’s physical barrier but failed. Eventually, her body slumped and she held her head low, eyes closed in silent resignation.

“We have a winner!” Mayor Mare announced. “Victory goes to Black Magician Girl!”

The crowd erupted into an uproarious cheer, pounding the ground in applause. Black Magician Girl did a curtsey for the crowd and winked, making a V sign with her fingers above her eye. Once she was done soaking up all the applause and the crowd began dispersing, she undid the Hexagram Curse, allowing Trixie to move again. She tested her horn, finding her magic to work just fine again.

“Why didn’t you use that curse right away?” she asked.

“It wouldn’t have been very fun if I did that, now would it!?” Black Magician Girl giggled. “I have to admit, you’re pretty good yourself. If I couldn’t use Hexagram Curse, you would’ve stood a real chance at beating me.”

Trixie’s eyes lit up, then she seemed to reconsider and coughed into her hoof. “Yes, well, Trixie thanks you for your attempts to massage her bruised ego. But rest assured, this has only motivated Trixie to train harder, to become not just the greatest stage magician, but the greatest magician warrior in Equestria. Mark her words! But for now, she must prepare for her part in the festival tomorrow!”

She procured another smoke ball seemingly from nowhere and threw it down at the stage. Once the smoke cleared, she could be spotted running off in the distance, disappearing quickly around a building. Now that she’d seen Trixie teleporting her boxes around, Black Magician Girl had to wonder why she didn’t just do that after throwing down her smoke balls?

“You were so amazing, Black Magician Girl!”

“You’re the bestest ever!”

“So cute, yet so strong, too!”

“Can I have your autograph, please!?”

Black Magician Girl turned back to see many ponies standing in front of the stage, staring up at her with wide, adoring smiles, many of them holding notepads and quills in their hooves and magic.

“Of course!” She sat down on the stage. “Form a line and I’ll give you all autographs. Anything for my adoring fans!”

The crowd cheered.

“This is a complete one-eighty from last week,” Twilight said, staring at the ponies lining up in front of Black Magician Girl.

“Totally,” Spike said.

“She’s got that natural charm about her,” Starlight said. “It’s like if Pinkie Pie was a human and good with magic.”

“Oh, there are little nuances separating the two,” Twilight said. “But it’s good that her vacation is going well. This is exactly the kind of experience Ponyville needed after what happened last week. It’s a shame that their opinions can be swayed just because one bad apple came through the Window even after we’ve had several good guests.” Her eyes swept across the line of ponies waiting to get Black Magician Girl’s autograph before settling on a sight at the edge of Town Square. “What’s that?”

“What?” Starlight said.

Twilight pointed her hoof at a hooded figure watching the scene, face completely obscured. “Is that Zecora?”

Starlight and Spike looked where she was pointing. “Yeah, those are her hooves,” Spike said. “Why’s she wearing her cloak?”

“That’s strange,” Starlight said.

It might have been a trick of the light, but Twilight thought she caught a glimpse of something yellow poking from underneath the hood. Zecora looked in their direction, holding her gaze for a moment before disappearing around a building out of sight.

“You think something’s wrong?”

A knot grew in the pit of Twilight’s stomach. Something definitely wasn’t right.

“You guys go back home,” she said. “I’m gonna go check out her hut.”

“You sure you don’t need my help?” Starlight asked, worry present in her tone.

“... On second thought, we might need all the firepower we can get.”

“Twilight?” Spike said, concerned.

It took a long time for the line of Black Magician Girl’s fanponies to receive their autographs— seeing their smiling faces helped alleviate some of her worry. Once they were gone she approached Black Magician Girl.

“That was a lot of fun!” she said happily. “I’m so glad I came here!”

“Yeah, it was thrilling,” Twilight said, nowhere near as passionately. “Mind if I ask a favor?”

“Sure thing!”

“Would you mind coming with us through the Everfree Forest? We need to check on a friend of ours.”

“Everfree Forest?”

“It’s the big, spooky, scary forest outside of town filled with monsters,” Starlight explained.

“Oh, well of course!” Black Magician Girl twirled her staff. “No monster will prevail against me!”

They made their way through town to the edge of the Everfree Forest in short order. The sun was nearing the horizon by that time, casting the land in an orange glow. Time was of the essence.

“I see what you mean by spooky and scary,” Black Magician Girl said, staring at the thick woodland swaying ominously in the breeze. “What kind of monsters are in there?”

“Chimeras, hydras, lots of big carnivorous species,” Twilight said.

“It makes reaching Zecora kind of a pain in the flank, really,” Spike said.

“Well, we manage to get through just fine when we’re together.” Twilight stepped across the treeline. “Let’s go. Keep your eyes peeled for any signs of movement.”

Black Magician Girl fell into step behind her with Spike in between her and Starlight who brought up the rear. The sneaking suspicion that Spike might pretend to walk too close so he could look up her skirt crossed her mind more than once, but she trusted Starlight to keep an eye on him, trying to concentrate on the trees surrounding them. The Everfree Forest certainly wasn’t like the rest of Equestria. It felt vastly out of place, almost like it was a scab on the otherwise perfect skin of this world. Easily the least fun place to be that she’d seen so far which made her ponder who in their right mind would choose to live out here.

They were about two minutes into their trek when they heard a scream. It sounded like a tiger. The sound filled the dark forest, a cry of pain and despair mixed into a horrific, shrilling cacophony. A flock of birds abandoned the forest canopy somewhere out of sight. The first scream was quickly followed by another, even more shrilling one, then another, softer, yet no less horrifying third. Everyone covered their ears, but no amount of pressing could block the sound out completely. The screaming lasted for a solid minute before disappearing as quickly as it started.

“Was what that?” Black Magician Girl asked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said. “Wait… if there were three screams… could that have been a chimera?”

“There aren’t many things that could take down a chimera,” Starlight noted. “If it got hunted down, that means there’s something even bigger in this forest.” She shuddered.

“We’re not going to be eaten, are we!?” Spike asked, gripping the sides of his head.

Twilight appeared to ponder for a moment before saying, “The only thing that would, or even could hunt down a chimera is a dragon, but there wouldn’t be any dragons here now that we’re allies with Ember.” Her face became a mask of dread. “I don’t know what it could be…”

“Twilight?” Spike said, placing a claw on her leg, fear lacing his tone.

“We need to find Zecora, fast.” She took off in a gallop down the path. “Hurry up!”

Everyone matched her brisk pace through the forest, eventually coming upon an old-fashioned, very tribalistic hut set among the trees. Twilight ran up to the door and knocked loudly.

“Zecora! Zecora! Please answer the door!”

Everyone waited for a short while, but no response came.

“C’mon Zecora, answer the door, please!”

Still nothing.

Twilight tried opening the door and was surprised to see it wasn’t locked. She stuck her head inside for a moment before coming back out.

“Nothing. Something is definitely wrong here. Zecora was just in town; if she was coming back home then we would’ve caught up to her.”

“You don’t think she got eaten by whatever’s in the forest, do you?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m sending a letter to Celestia straight away. We’ll get the Royal Guard to conduct a search for her.”

“I hope your friend is okay,” Black Magician Girl said.

“Thanks.”

He waited in the next clearing over, listening closely for the group to leave. Once they did, he turned to his prey, a chimera that hadn’t known when to shut up even before it screamed. It laid before him as nothing more than a bloody, headless carcass. All three heads were gone, sliced off by his Space Ripper Stingy Eyes. Thankfully, the forest’s canopy sufficiently shaded him from the sun, making it safe to remove his head from the zebra’s body and onto the new vessel.

All the while he transferred his head, he pondered whether that magical girl, Black Magician Girl, as she called herself, would be an obstacle to his quest for dominance. Never would he have thought that a girl who dressed so provocatively and was so full of cheer could also be so powerful. Certainly nothing like the women from his world. Quite the opposite as them, in fact. But she was incredibly childish, more than likely not a real threat to him even with their similar levels of power and cunning. Such feeble minds were easy to break under the right pressure.

He finished transferring his head. This new body would serve him well in scaling Canterlot Mountain once he adapted to it. There, when the festival was underway, he’d kill the royal sisters and drain their blood. Without them, the ponies would bow before him, too afraid to stand against the one who murdered their beloved princesses. That title still confused him, but it was a different world, one where the word princess could easily have the same meaning as queen. This world was a bit too saccharine for his tastes, but having access to magic would make that all easy to tolerate.

Chapter 6

The day of the festival was upon Equestria and it showed throughout the populace. Ponies buzzed with excitement and chatter, going from venue to venue in their own cities enjoying food and games and socializing. Every city was decorated in ways unique to each, streamers and colorful lights being universal elements.

Pinkie Pie had helped in Canterlot, leaving the ponies of Ponyville to fill in the party pony’s horseshoes at home. All things considered, they’d done a good job. Town Square was lined with carnival booths, filled with games of all kinds. The sounds of bells ringing whenever a prize was won broke through the chatter from the crowds every once in a while. In addition to the usual decorations, a giant banner was strung across Town Hall saying, “Enjoy Yourselves!” and that’s exactly what everypony was doing. Those who hadn’t journeyed up to Canterlot were gorging themselves on food, lining up for the booths, or just hanging around talking with each other. A certain yellow pegasus was more intent on staying away from the large crowds in her cottage, choosing to watch the fun and merriment up in Canterlot on her Crystalvision set with her animal friends.

While Spike and Starlight Glimmer went about enjoying themselves in the festivities, Twilight and Trixie sat on Rarity’s drama couch, watching as the fashionista refitted Black Magician Girl’s outfits with stretchier fabric used for the torso area. Now that she wasn’t so restricted, the sheer comfort these new dresses afforded her was brought into sharper focus. It was like a piece of the Sanctuary in the Sky had been woven specifically for her. It made the idea of going back to her normal clothes far more difficult to consider.

“So, how do you like it?” Rarity asked.

“It feels amazing!” She held her breasts up in her hands, moving them up and down, relishing in the freedom they now had. “I wish I could pay you for such amazing clothes.”

“Well, there is one thing you could do,” Rarity replied. “I would love a chance to expand my business into your world.”

Selling clothes in the Spirit World? That was a new concept to her.

“Duel Spirits have a wide variety of body shapes,” she explained. “There’s a good number of human types, but I don’t know how much money you could make. Money isn’t a common practice; most monsters are hunter-gatherer types if they can even talk to start.”

“Oh, even a little bit is fine,” Rarity assured her. “Being able to share my passion with more people is greater than monetary value.”

“Well, my fellow spellcasters might be interested. Except my mentor.” She blew up a wuff of air, flipping her hair. “He’s too stuck up to play around with his appearance.”

“What is your relationship with this Black Magician fellow anyhow?” Rarity asked. “Your feelings toward him seem complex.” Her eyebrows wiggled playfully. “Might you have some possible romantic affection towards your teacher?” she asked, earning a round of giggling from Trixie and passive neutrality from Twilight.

Black Magician Girl felt a blush creep across her cheeks. “N-no, don’t be ridiculous.” She huffed. “It would be improper conduct for any student of the Black Magician to seek such a relationship with him. Besides, he’s as straight as an arrow, not interested in romance whatsoever.” She sighed. “I’ll admit, a part of me finds that boring. But that’s just how he is.”

“And what about you, darling? Might you have a crush on somebody?”

“No. I’m too busy kicking butt to worry about getting a boyfriend. I have lots of admirers in the human world as it is, so I’m not wanting for attention from boys who want to claim me as their own.” She shuddered as unpleasant memories resurfaced, things she’d rather have never seen. “You’d be horrified to see some of the things people want to do to me out of some perverted form of affection.”

“Ah…” An apologetic look crossed Rarity’s face. “Perhaps I was rather insensitive. My apologies.”

“It’s okay. I do look up to Black Magician as a great teacher, though. I hope to be as powerful as him someday.”

“I may not know much about magic in your world compared to ours,” Twilight spoke up, “but you seem pretty powerful already.”

“Believe me, my mentor’s knowledge and power far exceed my own. But I’m going to match him someday, mark my words.”

“Well, good luck,” Twilight said.

“Indeed, always strive to do your best,” Rarity added.

“Indeed, running competition is necessary to keep the Great and Powerful Trixie from falling behind in her own drive to become better. Perhaps your mentor wouldn’t mind taking on another apprentice…?” Trixie flashed her best puppy dog eyes.

“Oh no, that trick isn’t going to work on me,” Black Magician Girl said. “Nor is it going to work on my mentor. I’ll ask him on your behalf, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“Trixie will keep her hopes to a reasonable level. Let him know that she’ll be a good student and do whatever he asks of her.”

“I will.”

“Until then, Trixie must do her best to steal the show up in Canterlot with her dazzling display of magical prowess!” She turned to Twilight. “Thank the princess for giving me the opportunity to make it big.”

“That would be the third time you asked, but yeah, sure,” Twilight replied with a smile.

They spent some more time chatting before the time eventually came to go to the train station. Rarity packed all of her dresses and a few accessories in a suitcase, neatly arranged and wrapped in sealed plastic. Trixie did the same with her magic show supplies. Passing through town, they overheard a Crystalvision.

“Green Gale here. The festivities are well underway up here in Canterlot, as you can see. Races from all over Equestria numbering in the hundreds are absolutely filling the streets, enjoying the assortment of activities on offer. Of course, the highlight of the festival will be Hoity Toity’s Festival Fashion Extravaganza. Word on the grapevine is that a special, otherworldly guest will be the highlight of the show. We look forward to seeing how that pans out in light of recent events in Ponyville…”

“The news sucks,” Trixie said.

The other ponies nodded their agreement. Black Magician Girl remained silent, not knowing what they were saying. The train station was mostly empty, save for the last remaining batch of ponies wishing to journey up to Canterlot. The train arrived in good time and they all boarded, taking seats near the back where there were no other passengers, granting them the freedom to be as loud and boisterous as they wanted. The train took off soon after, rolling out of Ponyville Station into the great woodland between it and Canterlot.

“We’ve got some time to kill before we arrive,” Twilight said. “I’d love to hear some more stories about what things are like in the Duel Monster Spirit World.”

“I as well,” Rarity said. “More specifically, I’d love to know what places would be best to trade my dresses.”

“Trixie admits to being curious about your world as well.”

“You all sure love to know everything about my world,” Black Magician Girl remarked. “Is your world not that interesting?”

“We haven’t gotten to visit your world, darling,” Rarity said. “But you’re here, in our own world, experiencing it for yourself.”

“Good point.” Black Magician Girl thought for a moment. “Well, here’s something new to say. There’s a forthcoming event that has come to be known as the Cybernetic Revolution, one that many prophets throughout the land believe will either destroy the old ways or self-destruct, spreading chaos and destruction.”

“That sounds rather grim,” Trixie said.

“It should be for Rarity,” Black Magician Girl continued. “Those who subscribe to the old ways consist mainly of warriors and spellcasters, the majority of whom are humans. If our fate proves disastrous… well, let’s just say that most machines don’t much care about wearing clothing.”

“You’re surprisingly casual talking about the potential destruction of everything you know and love,” Twilight said, worried.

“I believe that magic and machines and even undead can live together in harmony. But sometimes, you need to give those who refuse to believe that a little kick in the bum to shape them up.” She giggled. “Of course, sometimes they refuse to listen no matter what you do, so that’s when you gotta use lethal force. Not that undead ever stay down but beat them up enough times and they’ll eventually realize they’re fighting a losing battle.”

“... Trixie doesn’t know whether to be impressed or horrified by what you’re saying.”

“Can’t say I feel the same, not after what happened last week,” Twilight said. “But I’m just glad we won’t have to face that reality again, at least while the extra protection we gave the Window lasts.”

“I concur wholeheartedly,” Rarity said.

At that moment, they felt the train’s brakes suddenly activate, making them all lurch forward while the loud screeching of the brakes grinding against the rails filled their ears. Then a loud bang sounded from the head of the train, followed a second later by the coach they were in falling off the rails. They tumbled all around the coach, screaming in confusion and fear as it slid along the ground. A loud crash signaled the coach’s impact with a tree, bringing it to a halt. Cries of pain and despair filled everyone’s ears from the other coaches and the faint smell of smoke hung in the air.

“Is everyone okay!?” Twilight called.

“I’m fine, darling…” Rarity droned.

“Trixie is too,” she added.

“Me too,” Black Magician Girl added.

She pulled herself up off the floor. Or, rather, the window, as the coach was on its side. The ponies were thrown around the coach in tangled heaps, their suitcases flung open and luggage littering the sideways seats and windows. None of them had any visible injuries, at least.

“What happened?” she said.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said.

The rear door of the coach opened a few moments later and the conductor crawled inside. “Is everyone alright?” he asked.

“We’re fine,” Twilight said. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Come on, get out.”

One by one, everyone filed out of the rear coach, gathering on the grass nearby the derailed train. The sight was horrifying and puzzling. The entire train was spread horizontally across the tracks with the coach roofs facing away from them. Several ponies, including the driver and firepony, were escaping the wreckage, helping each other and doing what they could to treat each other’s minor injuries.

“At least everyone seems to be okay,” Rarity observed.

“Look,” Trixie said, pointing with her hoof.

They followed where she was pointing. The train engine’s wheels were sliced apart with only the top half remaining attached. A short distance away from their own position they spotted the lower halves lying on the grass near the treeline.

“What could have done that?” the conductor asked aloud.

As if on cue, a new figure emerged by hopping from behind the train onto the middle coach, drawing everyone’s collective attention along with a few surprised gasps. They were a hideous fusion of a goat, a tiger, and a snake, but instead of having the heads of those animals, two headless corpses hung limply while the center had a blonde, male human head. A head with an evil, sadistic grin as he sized them all up like prey.

“You thought you had gotten rid of me,” he said in a tone that tried, and failed, to come off as charming. “But Dio Brando never dies!”

Chapter 8

The city of Canterlot was abuzz with activity. Packed like sardines, some carnivorous creatures would say. A particularly large group of ponies’ attention was fixated on the decapitated statue head of the Storm King, the air filled with the bright flashes of dozens of cameras. One couldn’t take a step without someone’s eyes tracking you, so it stood to reason that one pair of lovers took it upon themselves to escape through the city gate and venture down the trail a little way, hiding behind a tree.

“Think we’ll be safe here?” the mare asked, giving her lover bedroom eyes.

“Don’t worry about that,” the stallion replied, leaning his face closer to hers. “This is the only place we can go for a chance at alone time.”

They nuzzled each other passionately, closing their eyes as they willingly lost themselves to the comforting warmth of each other’s hormonal-induced infatuation. The sounds of the festival were gradually lost, their focus solely on each other. Time itself became irrelevant, as did their surroundings.

Suddenly, the stallion went rigid, breaking his muzzle from hers.

“Oh, Sticks, don’t stop,” the mare said, nuzzling him with increased fervor. “Don’t ruin the moment.”

The stallion said nothing. The mare’s senses gradually drew into sharper focus, bringing with them an odd rhythm of desperate, choked cries from her lover.

“Sticks?”

The choking stopped. The mare opened her eyes. A hideous, monstrous parody of her lover stood before her, its grotesque visage mere inches from her own. She didn’t have any time to scream before she felt teeth sink into her flesh, followed by something being injected into her bloodstream in brief, continuous shots. With each shot, an overwhelming thirst clouded her mind. All she could think about was blood and flesh, and how much she craved both. This feeling remained even as a giant chunk of her neck was ripped away, followed by wet, chewing sounds. The injections stopped. She fell to the ground, stayed limp for a while, then rose up on her hooves. The front gate of Canterlot stood up the trail, beyond which the sounds of the festival continued. So many frolicking, delicious ponies to feast upon…

“Turn them all as quick as you can, both of you,” a charming, charismatic voice said behind her. “This world will be mine to rule before the sun rises again.”

“Of course,” the stallion droned.

“As you wish,” the mare droned as well.

Princess Celestia stepped out onto her balcony, followed shortly by her sister, Princess Luna, the latter of whom visibly tired as a result of just waking up. The setting of the sun and the rising of the moon was scheduled to begin soon, but both sisters first wished to glimpse the festivities. The spirit of the populace was bright, a recovery that they’d feared would be slow to make after the incidents of the past few weeks, but their little ponies had proven their strength. Their ability to push through the sadness to the light of dawn spoke to the true power of Harmony and Friendship.

The crowded streets below the castle were filled with swarms of ponies and other creatures enjoying the festival. Excited cries and friendly chatter mixed together, music to their ears. It made her happy to have passed out earplugs to all citizens not wishing to participate; the idea of sleep in this state was as impossible as all the things Discord often created on a regular basis. Thinking about the draconequus, it was a shame he was still on vacation through the Singularity. What kinds of worlds was he visiting, she wondered?

“Sister, what is that?” Luna asked, pointing with her hoof.

Celestia followed where she was pointing. Out in the distant sky, she spotted a colorful dot high above the Equestrian Plains. It grew bigger and bigger, flying closer to Canterlot. The colors became more pronounced, showcasing purple, blue, pink, and blonde-yellow. The object took on a definitive shape, striking a lance of concern through Celestia upon realizing what it was. Or, rather, who they were.

“Why would Twilight and Black Magician Girl be flying up here?” she asked, more to herself than to Luna.

“I do not know, Sister,” Luna replied. “But surely something is not right if they’re traveling here by flight rather than by train.”

“It must be something urgent,” Celestia said. “But then why wouldn’t Twilight have Spike send a letter?”

They watched as the two sped through the skies on a straight course to Canterlot. The closer they got, the more clear the worry and desperation in their faces were. A couple of pegasus guards shot up to intercept them as they attempted to cross into the palace’s airspace. A brief conversation between Twilight and the guards ensued after which the latter escorted them towards the balcony Celestia and Luna were standing on.

“Twilight!” Celestia said cheerfully, trying to hide her concern so as not to share it with her former student. “What is the meaning of this surprise and unusual visit along with our newest guest?”

“Princess Celestia, that monster from last week is still alive!”

The answer didn’t register to Celestia immediately, the joyous atmosphere of the festivities on the streets below still a comfort to her conscience. That comfort was shattered a moment later. Week-old memories resurfaced in her mind. She had stood upon the balcony of her ancient home, the place she’d both banished her sister and gained her back a thousand years later, standing across from a monster hailing from another world. A monster that she hadn’t known about for more than a minute beforehoof and who certainly hadn’t looked the part, but she trusted Twilight’s word when her former student said that the blood-sucking creature posing as a human man was pure evil. An evil beyond the likes of anything their world had ever seen.

But that evil had a weakness: The light of her sun. A single blast of sunlight from her horn was all it took to send him tumbling over the edge of the balcony to the ravine below, his body disintegrating before her eyes. How did he manage to survive?

“He’s coming here, isn’t he?” she asked, deathly serious.

Both Twilight and Black Magician Girl nodded.

“My knowledge of this monster is only secondhoof,” Luna admitted. “Would I only be a hindrance to your efforts to combat it?”

“We need all the help we can get,” Black Magician Girl stated. “But this is a vampire that can only die by sunlight. Can you two bring the sun back up? Please?”

Celestia bit her lip. “Certainly, but I fear evacuating everyone while also explaining the situation will take time we do not have.”

“Let us focus on keeping our subjects safe,” Luna said.

“Right.”

They lit their horns, beginning to reverse the coming of night, but a shift in the sounds of the festivities caught everyone’s attention. Peering down to the streets below, at first glance, there didn’t appear to be anything different in the disposition of the crowds. Still lots of loud noises and wild movements. Then Celestia got a closer look at the faces of several of the ponies. Confusion colored their faces as they stared in the direction of the city gate. Tracking her eyes over the crowd closer to the gate, the disposition of everyone began to change. More frantic stares and attempts to push through the crowd, trampling over each other in their haste. Then her eyes reached the area close to the gate and her heart caught in her throat.

Blood flew everywhere. Ponies with wide-eyed, dead expressions and sharp teeth ripped into the flesh of their fellows. The screams of pain from the victims were, mercifully, drowned out by the noise of the crowd. Celestia could only stare, wide-eyed with shock and horror, as her little ponies turned to cannibalism. Then her eyes caught sight of a particular group of ponies situated away from the larger crowd. Several deep gashes and missing chunks of flesh covered their bodies, the wounds gushing blood. But what caught her attention was their faces, contorting and twisting, losing the light of life. Their expressions turned blank, mindless with hunger, and rose to their hooves, joining the other cannibals in attacking the unturned trying to push through the crowd. Celestia tore her gaze away when a pair of adults, one stallion and one mare, fell upon a young filly that might very well have been their child and began devouring her.

“Sister, what is this!?” Luna cried in horror, panic, and confusion.

Celestia gulped. Fear settled over her. “He’s back.” She turned to her sister. “We must hurry, Luna!”

“Right.”

They lit their horns, closing their eyes as they reached for their respective celestial bodies.

“CELESTIA! WATCH OUT!”

Celestia opened her eyes. Before she could speak or make a move, she felt a sharp impact hit the side of her head. Darkness overtook her before she could form a thought.

Everyone stared, mouths agape with horror, as Celestia’s and Luna’s bodies fell to the balcony. Two medium-sized holes ran through both their heads, the result of a familiar set of laser eye vision. The guards were left speechless, tears ran from Twilight’s eyes, but Black Magician Girl kept her composure. She strode to the side of the balcony and peered down, sighting Dio Brando in the castle gardens, meeting her gaze with his evil, sadistic own. The necks on either side of him no longer hung limp, now wrapped around and grafted onto the center one.

“Get the princesses’ bodies back inside and put a barrier around the palace,” she instructed Twilight and the guards. “Leave Dio to me.” She hopped onto her staff, floating in midair.

Even without turning around, she knew Twilight was too emotionally distraught to act. “I promise my mentor will revive them, Twilight,” she said with conviction. “Them, and everyone else dead because of that monster.”

There was a short few moments of silence, all the while she never tore her gaze away from Dio. The monster was waiting for her to come down to face off with him, she knew. With the princesses gone, she was Equestria’s best line of defense against him. As far as she was concerned, this would be a walk in the park compared to her battle against the Vampire Genesis and his undead armies. At the same time, Dio had already proven to have some tactical prowess; he wasn’t to be underestimated.

“I trust you,” Twilight said, sniffling.

“We’ll have the barrier up right away,” one of the guards said.

“If you need reinforcements, don’t hesitate to signal for us,” the other said.

Black Magician Girl nodded. She gently rode her staff down into the gardens. Dio tracked her descent, but never once attempted to blast her out of the air. She landed on the ground about ten meters away from him. Stone statues and hedges decorated the gardens on either side of them, but the space in between was clear. A giant hedge wall sat about fifteen meters to her right, likely a barrier between the gardens and the city proper. She took note of that especially.

Before they could exchange any words, the atmosphere began to darken. Confusion rang through her for a brief moment before a glance toward the horizon clarified what was happening. The sun gradually dipped below its place above the horizon, sinking and leaving the land enveloped in night in a matter of seconds. The moon, however, didn’t raise to replace it. The only sources of light remaining were a few lit oil lamps and the stars above. Dio removed the hood covering him and promptly shredded it with his tiger’s paw, letting the scraps fall to the ground.

“I hated having to wear that horrid thing,” he said, lips split into a satisfied, dark grin. “Finally, my domain is cleansed of impurities.”

“You need the sun to keep the world from dying,” Black Magician Girl pointed out. “If I hadn’t promised to revive the princesses, you would’ve just doomed this world.”

“You’re fighting for a group of people you don’t know much about,” Dio said snidely. “These ponies had the means to raise and lower the sun and moon long before the princesses existed. They can do so again under my rule.”

Black Magician Girl twirled her staff and pointed it at him. “Not gonna happen, stupid.”

Dio quirked an eyebrow, bemused. “It’s a pity that the greatest obstacle to my rule must be one so childish. I would much prefer to fight someone I can at least respect as a fellow intellectual.”

Black Magician Girl felt a vein threaten to pop in her forehead. This guy was going down hard!

“Preparing to activate the shield!” called a voice from above and behind her.

“Wait, let us in first!”

Black Magician Girl turned her head, spying a green pegasus mare with an entourage of other ponies holding oddly-shaped crystals bolting through the air towards the palace, a group of zombified pegasi chasing them with manic eyes and snapping, hungry jaws. They dashed forward with wide, panicking eyes, landing upon the balcony next to a small group of unicorn guards.

“Drop it! Drop it! Hurry!”

The guards’ horns lit up in a shared golden nimbus. An identically-colored shield sprouted overtop the palace, quickly spreading out like a water fountain to cover the entire perimeter. The zombie pegasi crashed into it one after another just as it dropped in front of their path of flight. Each impact sent a ripple through the shield, but, thankfully, none were strong enough to break through.

“Quick, get the camera crystal rolling!” the green pegasus mare quickly said to her fellows. She rushed to the side of the balcony, staring down at the gardens, eyes filled with anxious excitement. “We need to broadcast this! Our world’s hope rests on the shoulders of that girl!”

She and one of her fellows floated off the balcony. They pointed one of the strange devices they carried down towards the gardens while she began talking excitedly. Black Magician Girl just huffed and turned back to Dio. He was smiling up at their newfound audience.

“Now all of Equestria will get to see the downfall of their final savior,” he said.

Black Magician Girl ignored his statement, replying with, “I look forward to being able to undo all the death and pain you’ve caused for these poor ponies.”

“Oho? Will you now? But you’ll be causing more death and pain than me.”

“What do you me—?”

“Zombies, come to me!”

At that moment, a great roar sounded from beyond the palace perimeter— the combined cries of several hundred perverted souls, a vow to obey their master. A stampede of hooves sounded, drawing closer in a short time. The hedges parted in several places, spilling forth zombie ponies in single files. They gathered around the palace gardens in organized formation, their blank, dead stares fixated on Black Magician Girl. She grimaced, shifting her staff to point between them and Dio, shifting her eyes between them.

“Attack my minions!”

Chapter 9

All the festivities across Equestria, before so vibrant and energetic, came to a screeching halt as the horror unfolding in Canterlot became known. In every city and town with access to Crystalvision, all the children were herded away from sets while most of the adults watched, eyes glued to their screens, nervously holding their breaths. Those who weren’t aware of Black Magician Girl’s arrival quickly realized her intention to protect Canterlot Castle, and also horrified to see her surrounded by hundreds of zombified ponies. The monster wearing a chimera’s body stood before her, a sight somehow more intimidating despite only being a singular entity.

Rarity had arrived back to Ponyville with all of the train’s passengers, quickly informed everyone of what was happening, and joined them in watching and praying for Black Magician Girl to emerge victorious. She, along with all of her closest friends, stood at the forefront of the crowd clustered around the town’s Crystalvision. The feed remained trained on the castle gardens and the unfolding confrontation between the monster now known as Dio Brando and Black Magician Girl.

“You don’t think something happened to the princesses, do ya?” Applejack asked, looking up at the star-strewn night sky, devoid of either the sun or moon.

Rarity looked around at all the ponies joining them in watching the Crystalvision. It was impossible to know what they were all thinking, but it stood to reason that at least some of the concern and fear etched into their faces was a result of the ominous change in the sky. That was certainly the case with all the foals constantly asking questions to the adults tending to them.

“We should believe in Black Magician Girl,” she said after a few moments. “She has indicated that her teacher can revive the dead, so the stakes aren’t as grave as we might think.”

“Oh crap!” Rainbow shouted.

On the screen, Dio Brando’s mouth moved and he made a motion with his tiger’s paw. All at once, the zombie ponies charged. Black Magician Girl took flight on her staff, but all the pegasi among the crowd were still able to swarm her. Magic blasts filled the screen as she fought back like a cornered rat, blasting zombie ponies away with reckless abandon. The desperation in her face was clear even with the distance between her and the camera crystal and with a golden barrier in the way. A good number of the zombie ponies rushed past her instead. A second later, ripples began running through the barrier as, presumably, they began bashing it in an attempt to break through to the castle.

“She needs help!” Rainbow shouted, taking flight.

Applejack glared at her. “Rainbow Dash, don’t you go doing anything stu—”

She didn’t get to finish her warning as Rainbow was little more than a blue speck in the distance in a split second.

“Oh, horseapples!”

Rarity put a comforting hoof over her orange friend. “Everything will turn out okay, Applejack,” she soothed. “I am certain.”

Applejack sighed. “I get that. But you’d think she’d’ve learned to think before actin’ by now. Ya know?”

“True. True.”

“Zombies, break down that shield!” Dio instructed. “And kill that girl if she gets in your way!”

Black Magician Girl took flight on her staff, but all the pegasi were still able to charge her. She fired off Black Burnings one after another, knocking around the zombies like bowling pins. Holding her own against the pegasi was easy enough, but the constant sounds of zombies bashing against the shield were a constant reminder that she didn’t have much time. Dio watched her with sadistic glee.

“Surely you have the power to overcome all these zombies?” he taunted. “Or perhaps you don’t wish to be responsible for hundreds of innocent deaths?”

Black Magician Girl grit her teeth at him. She had promised that her mentor would revive everyone Dio killed, either directly or indirectly, but using Resurrection of the Dead hundreds of times? That seemed like too much to ask for even him as his student. At the same time, reversing zombification didn’t seem like a possibility. Her hesitance towards utilizing her most powerful magic was chipped away with each passing second.

“That hesitance is the mark of your pathetic humanity!” Dio shouted.

A new round of laser vision shot from his eyes, directly towards her. She summoned her Magic Cylinders, catching and redirecting the attack back at him. But she didn’t have time to see the results as another pegasus charged her. It reached before she was able to get another attack off, resulting in her being knocked off her staff from its blow. She landed hard on her bum, only having a second to wince at the pain before a horde of ground-bound zombies rushed her. She turned and ran across the gardens, hopping over a hedge before calling her staff back to her. It appeared back in her hand and she hopped on it, taking to the air again just a second before a zombie’s jaws snapped the air where her foot was. She repositioned herself high above, firing off a few more Black Burnings at some pegasi and dodging another round of laser vision from Dio.

I have no choice, she finally decided. Mahad, please uphold my promise.

Dual pink rings formed at the tip of her staff, gathering power with each passing second until they were the size of her entire body. Dio continued watching with sick amusement as she pointed her staff at the crowd of zombies. She shot a brief glance up at everyone on the balcony watching the fight. No, everyone in Equestria watching. She said a silent prayer that they’d forgive her for what she was about to do.

The magic discharged from her staff, sending the dual rings shooting at individual ponies, over and over, all throughout the crowd. Each hit vaporized its target on contact, leaving no trace of their bodies behind. Dio watched, smug, as she proceeded to vaporize every single zombie in the gardens over a chorus of shocked gasps and protests from those up on the balcony. He didn’t try to attack her, content just to watch her get her hands dirty. Stallions, mares, even foals, and non-pony creatures were all killed by her hand. The fact that it was in self-defense did nothing to lift her spirits, but she couldn’t let her sadness cloud her judgment. The final dual ring projectile sailed towards Dio, but he effortlessly dodged it, leaving it to crash into a pony statue, shattering it into many tiny pieces.

“How do you feel, knowing now that you’ve murdered more people than even myself?” Dio taunted.

Black Magician Girl didn’t give a verbal reply. Instead, she raised her staff towards Dio again. He had proven to be near indestructible, but she still had a few attacks to try to beat him into submission with.

“Thunder Bolt!”

Electricity gathered at the tip of her staff, shooting forth at blinding speed towards Dio’s head. In the time before the attack reached him, he was only able to move his enormous chimera body about a centimeter to the left. The thunderbolt struck dead on, covering his form in a blinding light, the crackle of electricity filling the air. Dio’s agonized howl filled the air, but it was impossible to see how effective the attack was through the light.

The light faded after a few moments. The smell of burning flesh reached her nostrils; a good sign. Dio’s form laid on the ground, charred black spots littering his body which spasmed every other second. On the balcony, she could hear the ponies cheering with glee. She wasn’t, not when she knew a vampire’s strengths and weaknesses.

Dio’s laughter reached her ears, silencing everyone. His forelegs dug into the ground, hoisting him up, revealing the horrifying, disfigured state of his face. A single good, maniacal eye stared at her. She stood her ground, matching his evil gaze with her defiant own as his face reformed itself.

“Do you really not know what you’re up against!?” He then proceeded to slice off his tiger’s paw, letting it fall to the ground. A second later, thick tendrils sprouted from the resulting stump which immediately got to work reattaching the severed arm. The whole recovery took less than a few seconds. “My body is enhanced beyond that of puny humans! A mere bolt of lightning means nothing to me! The only thing that can kill me is sunlight, and I’ve removed the only pony who can use it against me. For now, at least, but my reign will be eternal regardless.” He pointed at her, his posture resulting in a very awkward, yet flamboyant pose. “I’ve seen your power for myself, and I know you have nothing capable of defeating me, Black Magician Girl!”

“Then how about this, bub!”

A blue blur with a rainbow contrail shot across the gardens in a fraction of a second. Dio had no time to react before his face was caved in, blood flying from his mouth in response to a blue hoof attached to a very pissed-off pegasus mare giving him a venomous look. Time seemed to slow down, allowing Black Magician Girl to take in all the details of Dio’s pain. His body careened across the gardens, smashing through several more statues and plowing through the ground, eventually coming to a rest at the edge of the gardens.

The pegasus zipped over to Black Magician Girl, the burst of wind kicking up her skirt, making her yelp, and shove it back down.

“Here to help,” the pegasus said, saluting.

Black Magician Girl blinked, off-put by the pegasus’ sudden appearance. Their choice to help seemed more the result of recklessness than bravery. She was more of a liability than anything, regardless of her speed and strength.

“You’re Rainbow Dash, right?” she asked.

“In the flesh!” the pegasus answered, puffing out her chest with pride.

Black Magician Girl kept Dio in her peripheral vision while she continued talking. “I understand you want to help, but if you don’t have magic, then you’re only putting yourself in danger against Dio’s power.” She put herself between Rainbow and Dio. “Leave this to me.”

“As if! Two heads are better than one. Let me weaken him for you.”

“Wait, no!”

Rainbow Dash shot off like a blazing bullet just as Dio recovered from his injuries. He didn’t have any time to prepare before Rainbow Dash launched into a barrage of punches, zipping all over his giant chimera body to strike each body part. Murderous rage colored Dio’s face beneath the resulting agony. Rainbow Dash gave one final punch, sending him careening across the gardens again, this time into the barrier protecting the castle. He bounced off it, falling onto the ground in a tangled, bloody heap. Black Magician Girl seized the opportunity, charging up for another Thunder Bolt. It fired successfully, striking Dio before he could get up. But nothing happened, aside from a large plume of steam rising off his body.

Seeing that confused Black Magician Girl. Then seeing Dio’s smirk made it clear he’d done something to protect himself. Rainbow Dash took flight, charging towards Dio for another assault. In the short span of time before she reached Dio, Black Magician Girl realized what Dio was doing.

“Rainbow! Stop!” she cried.

Rainbow’s hoof reeled back for her first punch, aimed directly between Dio’s eyes. Everything happened at a breakneck pace but was still clearly discernible to Black Magician Girl’s perception. Rainbow’s hoof iced immediately upon contact with Dio’s head, her scowl melting away, replaced with confusion and fear. The ice quickly spread along her entire hoof, freezing everything below her shoulder.

“What the—?” She fell to the ground, her frozen foreleg shattering upon impact. Her resulting scream was drowned out by Dio’s laughter.

“I was feeling thirsty,” he said. “Fortune once again favors me.”

He dug his claws into Rainbow’s coat, drinking her blood while she attempted to push away, her face contorted with pain.

“Yes,” Dio said, intrigue mixing with his evil grin, “your blood is very powerful. I suppose having my face disfigured was worth it for such a meal.”

“Stop it!”

Black Magician Girl fired off another Black Burning, but Dio managed to dodge the attack at blinding speed, disappearing and reappearing several meters away in the span of a second with Rainbow in tow.

“Yes, yes!” Dio laughed maniacally. “I have the ability to claim the magic that courses through you ponies alongside your blood. That sweetness, that tangible burst of energy… it’s only fit to be wielded by one of my genius!” He easily dodged two more attacks, all while Rainbow’s attempts to escape grew more sluggish, eventually stopping by the time her face was as dead and hollow as all the other zombies.

Black Magician Girl felt tears run down her eyes. All the innocent deaths that she couldn’t prevent were becoming too much for her to bear. Trying to attack anymore was pointless, so she didn’t try, instead stopping and watching as Dio drank the last of Rainbow’s blood before tossing her undead carcass to the ground. Soon enough, she rose on her hooves, staring at Black Magician Girl with the expected blank stare. She readied her staff, waiting for Rainbow to charge with wide, hungry jaws.

“J-Jerk.”

Both Black Magician Girl and Dio adopted looks of surprise. That surprise visibly grew as Rainbow turned around, staring up at Dio.

“Die jerk!”

She lunged forward, sinking her newly sharpened teeth into Dio’s body. He winced in pain, but it was a simple matter for him to push her off.

“Why are you attacking me!?” he asked, pointing to Black Magician Girl. “That’s your target, minion! My vampiric essence should have a complete hold over you!”

Shakily, Rainbow stood up. Black Magician Girl caught a brief glimpse of the defiance in her face before she turned to face Dio again.

“I never abandon my friends,” she croaked out in a raspy, guttural voice. “Including my friends’ friends.”

Dio scowled. “Useless!” He lifted his forelegs, bringing them down upon Rainbow’s head. Her skull was instantly smashed against the ground, scattering bone fragments across the gardens. Black Magician Girl was too stunned by her ironclad defiance to react.

“No matter, I have all the power I need just with her blood. Although, I suppose I should commend her for being strong enough to resist my control,” he said, kicking away what remained of her body. He turned his attention back to Black Magician Girl. “It’s time to finish this!”

He sped across the gardens towards her. She barely had any time to react as he took a swipe at her with his paw, jumping out of the way before taking flight on her staff. Dio shot round after round of laser vision while she swerved in midair. She wracked her brain for a plan, anything that could take him down now that he was supercharged. The only thing that could kill him was sunlight, but the only thing she could do was try to beat him down enough until he couldn’t fight anymore. She needed her mentor to fix everything, but leaving to go after him would mean abandoning the ponies long enough for Dio to potentially take over. There was no easy solution, but the longer she was forced to be on the defensive, the more she was afraid there wasn’t a solution at all.

“Is there nothing you can do, Black Magician Girl!?” he shouted gleefully. “Then perhaps you aren’t the obstacle I assumed you to be!” He pointed to the barrier. “That barrier can’t withstand my power, but I haven’t been attacking it because I assumed you would at least give me a good challenge! It’s time to claim the princesses’ thrones for myself!”

He turned to face the barrier protecting the castle and shot another round of laser vision. A very sizable crack was left where the pressurized fluid struck. The ponies watching from up on the balcony shrieked with alarm. Dio continued striking against the barrier while Black Magician Girl charged up a Diffusing Wave. It was the only attack she had left which could potentially defeat him. It had a set charge time, so she was forced to watch Dio hammer against the barrier with reckless abandon, enlarging the crack into a spider web pattern.

Silently, so as not to alert him, Black Magician Girl launched the Diffusing Wave while Dio’s back was turned. It sailed through the air, a single dual ring that would annihilate him upon contact. Dio raised his paw into the air, preparing to bring it down upon the barrier for one final, critical blow. Instead, he swung it around, slicing off his tail with one clean strike. It ended up taking the hit in his place, vaporizing instantly. Black Magician Girl felt her heart sink.

“Now, one final strike!” Dio exclaimed. “Finally, the thrones will be mine! I’ll finally have a world to call my own, free of Jonathan Joestar, all the power and riches I could ever want, and without anyone who can stand up to me once I destroy the Window!”

He raised his paw again, bringing it down. The despair clutching Black Magician Girl was heavy. She had failed everyone. There was nothing left she could do to protect this world. More tears streamed down her eyes.

“I’m sorry, everyone!”

“I hope that includes me, Mana.”

Black Magician Girl had all of a split second to register the voice before a purple blast of magic sailed past her, kicking up a short burst of wind that lifted her skirt. But she was too distracted by the sight of the magic hitting Dio’s head, blasting it apart like a watermelon, scattering bits of his brain all over the gardens. His body slumped to the ground and began twitching, no words coming from him. She turned, slack-jawed, as she saw Black Magician step up next to her, brow furrowed with worry but even more disappointment.

“Mahad...?” The sight was unbelievable.

“We’ll discuss your punishment for running away after we deal with this monster.” He prepped his staff as Dio’s exploded brain began regenerating.

Chapter 10

“Mahad, what are you doing here!?” Black Magician Girl shouted, breaking from her shocked stupor.

“I told myself I would come after you if you failed to come back after a couple of days,” he explained, never once keeping his eyes off of Dio’s regenerating head. He smiled softly. “Imagine my pride when I come here to see that you’re protecting innocent people from a creature out of nightmares. Am I correct that this creature is a vampiric chimera of sorts?”

“Y-yeah, something like that,” she replied, still a little shaken. “It’s only weakness is sunlight, but—”

“Hold, my pupil,” Black Magician cut her off. “Ready your staff.”

Dio’s head finished reforming. The expression that adorned his face as he looked at them was like looking into the eyes of a gorgon; petrifying to one held in the grip of fear. But having her mentor by her side gave Black Magician Girl the boost of resolve she needed to stand tall, confident that the fight was already won. Dio looked between them, his eyes eventually settling on Black Magician, deciding that he was the bigger threat between them. Even Black Magician Girl’s pride had to agree with this observation.

“Throw a hundred otherworldly opponents at me, I will slaughter them all!” Dio shouted. Whereas before his demeanor boasted of self-assuredness, now, mixed in with the maniacal gleam in his eyes, there was a noticeable amount of worry. “I won’t lose my chance for power to the likes of you!”

He fired yet another round of laser vision.

“Behind me, Mana!”

“Right!”

Black Magician Girl stood behind her mentor. He raised his staff, conjuring a Mirror Force variant of the Holy Barrier magic before them. Dio’s attack bounced off like a rubber ball, sailing back towards him at blinding speed. So fast was it that he didn’t have enough time to protect his body with ice. The lasers blasted clean through his forehead, piercing his brain, eliciting a gasp from him. It didn’t do any major damage, but the intended effect was successful: Black Magician had showcased his strength, that which dwarfed Black Magician Girl’s own tenfold.

While Dio was recovering, Black Magician turned to her. “Finish what you were saying before.”

“Right.” She kept her voice low, hopefully out of Dio’s earshot. “This land has a pony who raises the sun named Princess Celestia. Dio killed her, but if you can perform Resurrection of the Dead on her, she can use her power to kill him once and for all.” She refrained from telling him about the promise she’d already made about resurrecting everyone who’d died.

Black Magician, expectedly, had reservations about performing the high level magic. “If that’s what it takes,” he said after a few moments of deliberation. “Where is she?”

Black Magician Girl pointed up at the balcony. At that moment, Dio recovered from his latest injury. With a furious cry, he charged directly at them. Black Magician put up yet another Mirror Force shield to meet Dio’s paw as it swiped down at them. Dio pushed against the magic with all his might, visibly straining under the incredible power of its caster. Black Magician Girl felt her heart skip a beat when the shield cracked a bit, but Dio was quickly blown backward, landing haphazardly splayed over a hedge.

“Mana, it’s time to unleash our combined power!”

“Right, my teacher!”

They joined their staff tips together. A ball of crackling purple magic appeared between them, growing with each passing second. The power was so great that it propelled them into the air.

“Black Twin Burst!” they cried in unison.

The magic discharged in the form of a stream, flying down through the air at lightning speed. Dio only had time to lift his head before the magic hit his body, exploding him into a shower of blood and guts that littered the entire surface area of the gardens. Black Magician Girl wailed as several chunks of him rained down upon her, getting all over her clothes and in her hair. Frantically, she tried to brush it all off while Black Magician just shook his head, exasperated by her behavior, as they gently descended back to the ground.

“Ick! Ick! Ick!” she repeated. “By Ra’s wings, please let these stains come out!”

“Enough, my pupil,” Black Magician said, drawing her attention. Dio’s flesh began regenerating as he spoke. “I’ll make my way inside and revive this Princess Celestia. Your job is to keep Dio distracted for long enough.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, unmindful of the blood patch he was touching. “You’ve held him off for so long already. Can I trust you to do it for a little while longer?”

“Of course you can!” Black Magician Girl promised. “Don’t I do a great job distracting you already?” she added teasingly.

“Regrettably, yes.”

He disappeared in a teleport, reappearing up on the balcony. He exchanged a few words with Twilight before she led him inside, out of Black Magician Girl’s sight. She turned her attention back to Dio, patiently waiting for him to regenerate. Various ideas for how she could mess around with his flesh crossed her mind, but it ultimately wasn’t worth the effort if she had to touch it with her fingers. A few good ideas did form in her mind for how to distract Dio.

Dio’s face reformed a few seconds later. He snarled at her, but relief showed on his face upon seeing that Black Magician Girl was on her own now. Whether he might have had any inkling of what their plan was didn’t matter. Black Magician Girl pointed her staff at him, to which he prepared his feet to dodge. She smirked. Instead of launching an offensive projectile, a green hexagram pattern appeared, entrapping Dio much to his confusion. Runic language appeared around the circumference, completing the Hexagram Curse.

“What is this?” Dio tried touching the hexagram pattern. It was solid, and the lines were tight enough that his following attempt to escape was thwarted. He growled, trying again but to no success.

“Seems like you might need to work out a bit,” Black Magician Girl teased, drawing his attention. “I know a few duel spirits that love working out. Maybe you’ll get a chance to become a spirit and meet them.” She giggled.

“You bitch!”

Dio fired off another round of laser vision, which she easily reflected with her Magic Cylinder, hitting the reflected shot in his head. He was boiling with rage by now and began struggling even harder to break the Hexagram Curse once he recovered again. As powerful as her magic was, it could still be broken by physical means, and Dio certainly might be capable of doing so. But she was amazing at distracting people.

“Hey, Dio, what kind of girl do you like?” she asked, trying to come across as sweet and innocent.

He made no verbal response aside from growling again, glaring icy daggers at her. Once his gaze was on hers, she turned around and, without any hesitation, lifted up her skirt. Her panties were presented clear as day under all the different light sources from the stars, several oil lamps set up around the gardens, and the light given off by the golden barrier. Dio’s eyes lit up and his cheeks flushed pink, prompting Black Magician Girl to wink and giggle at him

Dio shook his head furiously, resuming his death glare at her. “I will not fall to such childish attempts at seduction!”

“Who said I’m trying to seduce you?” Black Magician Girl blew a wuff of air, flipping her hair while adopting a disinterested look. “Really, you’re not my type. I’m more into muscly guys who know how to handle a sword. Oh, and fight for the side of good, of course. Also, your hair isn’t spiky enough for my liking.”

The rage coloring Dio’s face could melt steel. She blew him a kiss for added effect, prompting him to attempt slicing the Hexagram Curse with his laser vision. This didn’t work, thankfully, so he tried freezing it, again with no success. He roared and began hammering it with his limbs, even chomping on it with his fanged jaw. His efforts, whether he knew it or not, did have an effect on the curse. Black Magician Girl could feel the strain on the magic with each blow, both physical and vampiric, the visible effects of which, while apparently invisible to his eyes, she could feel within the magic.

Minutes passed without him ever pausing his attempts to break free of the Hexagram Curse, even to try attacking her again. Black Magician Girl glanced up at the balcony every now and then but never once did she see her mentor or a revived Celestia. Resurrection of the Dead was a spell that took a long time, so, essentially, it was a race against time. A race that Dio began gaining ground on as she started feeling an enormous strain on the hexagram. He must have noticed visible cracks on the surface as a wide smile split his face. He increased his efforts. Maintaining the curse was enough of a strain on Black Magician Girl’s part, so she didn’t put forth the extra effort to keep it in place.

Finally, with one final, mighty slam, Dio smashed the Hexagram Curse, shattering the magic into hundreds of green sparkles that dissipated into the air. Without even bothering with her, Dio immediately charged the barrier and began furiously pounding against it. Black Magician Girl stood by silently, allowing her magic to recharge rather than attempt to stop him. The barrier visibly shook under his blows, the crack from earlier reappearing and growing larger as he continuously attacked it. His efforts spoke to a desperate realization that the tide of battle was now working hard against him. Black Magician Girl glanced up at the balcony again.

She smirked.

With a final blow, the shield shattered, dissipating much the same way as Hexagram Curse. Dio let out a mighty, joyous cry. His gaze turned upward, at which point his cry was immediately silenced. Standing tall and regal on the balcony, Black Magician right beside her with his arms crossed and looking severely down at Dio, was Princess Celestia. Her horn was lit, expression a mixture of determination and serenity.

“No!” Dio shouted. “I’ve come too far to fail now!”

He dashed forward towards the castle wall. Another round of laser vision was shot, cutting a hole in the wall big enough for him to fit through. He dashed forward, intending to hide within the castle’s shadows, to protect himself from the sun. He only got his upper body beyond the walls before another Hexagram Curse entrapped him. At this point, panicked, fearful breaths began escaping him. His lower body was still laid on the grass of the gardens, out of the shade’s protection.

The sky lit with the warmth of the rising sun from beyond the mountain. Black Magician Girl watched, relief and hope filling her heart, as the sun gradually crested the mountain, climbing higher and higher into the sky. The sunlight spread across the gardens, creeping closer to Dio’s position. His face was that of a man staring into the jaws of death, frightened beyond measure. The sunlight reached his lower body, at which point it instantly disintegrated into dust. He cried out in immense agony.

“You’ll pay for this with your lives!” he shouted.

Losing his lower body broke him free of the hexagram, allowing him to begin crawling deeper into the castle, leaving a trail of blood and organs in his slow wake. Princess Celestia leapt off the balcony, spreading her wings into a graceful glide to the ground. Black Magician teleported off the balcony while Black Magician Girl stepped forward to meet them. All three of them stood side by side, staring at the broken, bisected, inhuman form of Dio Brando. Locking eyes with them, even when defeat was guaranteed, he still met their gazes with his enraged, murderous own. The idea that he was about to die was, apparently, hard for him to accept.

“Dio Brando, for your crimes against my little ponies…” Celestia trailed off, closing her eyes. Looking at her, Black Magician Girl could see she was conflicted. Her next words came out a little forcefully. “I sentence you to death. This time, the deed will be done.”

Dio fired another round of laser vision, only for Black Magician to conjure up another Mirror Force barrier which deflected the blast. Dio appeared to try again, but no pressurized fluid escaped from him this time. Another try once again yielded zero results. The panic in his eyes made it clear his power had been drained. The rage disappeared from his eyes, replaced by a pleading look.

“May you find peace in death,” Celestia continued, ignoring his silent plea for mercy.

She lit her horn, charging it with the full power of sunlight. Dio began pleading directly, begging for her mercy, but it quickly became clear that none was coming, so he tried to escape. He crept forward, using his forelegs to pull himself forward, back turned to the three of them. Celestia’s charging magic made no sounds, but the light it cast grew brighter the longer it took. Once she cast the magic, there was no doubt that Dio knew even before it smashed into him. His entire body lit up in a blinding white light, screams filling the air around them. The last coherent words he ever spoke reeked of petty delusion.

“Impossible! I’m Dio! I’m Dioooooo!”

He went silent. The light remained for several more seconds before fading. Nothing but a gigantic pile of dust remained where Dio’s stolen chimera body was a moment before. A gigantic pile of dust that scattered as a light breeze blew through the hole in the castle.

Black Magician Girl slumped to the ground, exhaustion overtaking her. “Finally, it’s over.”

“So it is,” Black Magician dryly noted.

Celestia’s gaze never left Dio’s ashes as she said, “What could inspire such evil in a person?”

“Such people exist aplenty in the Spirit World,” Black Magician said. “Evil comes in many forms, from many origins, but it never stops growing until heroes stand against it.”

“Well said,” Celestia said.

The flapping of wings behind the three of them drew their attention to the arrival of Green Gale and her crew. Excited smiles decorated their faces.

“You did it! You saved all of us!” she cried, looking at the three of them. “Equestria is saved from that monster!” She hurried forward, shoving a crystal in Black Magician Girl’s face. “How are you feeling now!?”

Black Magician Girl glanced down at the crystal, confused, before saying, “Really tired. I need to recharge my magic.”

“Excellent!” She shifted the crystal over to Black Magician, only for Celestia to gently brush it aside with a wing, glaring sharply at the excited pegasus.

“There will be plenty of time for interviews later,” she said. Her gaze fell upon Black Magician Girl. “Perhaps now is the time to explain to your teacher the promise you made?”

Black Magician’s eyebrow raised. He glanced down at her as well, confusion written plainly across his face. Black Magician Girl felt a lump form in her throat at the same time her stomach twisted into a knot. There was no choice other than to confess, but a small part of her tried to calculate how far she could run before it was too late, regardless.

A nervous laugh escaped her before she said, “Well, I maybe, sorta, kinda promised you’d revive everyone that Dio killed. Like, every single one.”

Black Magician’s face didn’t change, but she could imagine all kinds of verbal lashings running through his mind about making promises that she couldn’t uphold herself. But before he could speak any of them, a sealed scroll popped into existence before Celestia’s face, surprising everyone. She used her magic to undo the seal and proceeded to read the contents, a smile breaking out onto her face by the time she finished.

“It appears the Royal Guard has located Zecora’s decapitated body,” she relayed, teleporting the scroll away. “I do believe all of Dio’s victims are accounted for with that.”

Everyone waited for Black Magician to give his answer. He remained stoic, unreadable, much to Black Magician Girl’s continued anxiety and annoyance. Eventually, and much to her surprise, he reached a hand down to help her up. She accepted his hand, hoisting herself to stand upright, adopting a posture of militaristic obedience. Now wasn’t the time for silliness, not by a long shot.

“How many victims are there?” he finally asked.

Black Magician Girl blinked. “Um… I dunno. Hundreds, at least.”

Black Magician rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Then this will take a while. You will be helping me.”

It took a moment for his answer to register. Black Magician Girl’s eyes widened, she smiled broadly, and her hands clasped together.

“You mean you’ll be teaching me Resurrection of the Dead!?”

Black Magician nodded.

Black Magician Girl’s eyes sparkled, only for her teacher to put a hand up, forestalling her cheer.

“You’ll be cleaning the library when we return. Every week. For three moons.”

Horrific images of her cute outfit covered in grime and dust materialized in her mind. Not to mention cobwebs. Lots and lots of cobwebs. She gulped, forcing herself to nod her acceptance.

“Also, you must promise not to mention anything of this to the Demon King,” Black Magician added. “I doubt he would mind us using this power en masse in another world, but better safe than sorry.”

“I understand.”

“Good.” Black Magician pushed past the ponies, gesturing for his pupil to follow.

Celestia placed a wing over Black Magician Girl as she followed, falling into step beside her. She lightly nuzzled her, making Black Magician Girl slightly blush.

“I am forever in your debt,” Celestia said softly. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

“You’re welcome.” A thought crossed Black Magician Girl’s mind and she asked. “What’s death like for someone who isn’t a Duel Spirit?”

The question, surprisingly, prompted a giggle from Celestia. “I’m not exactly a normal person in this world, so my experience is different from that of my subjects,” she explained. “Rest assured, however, that death should not be feared. I can only assume that same advice might apply in your own culture.”

Black Magician Girl raised an eyebrow. “You don’t like giving straight answers, do you?”

Celestia rolled her eyes upward in a cheeky manner.

Final Chapter

All along the streets of Canterlot, hundreds of ponies, many of whom dazed and confused but all of whom otherwise healthy, sat on the cobblestone being tended to by dozens of guards and maids from the castle staff. Green Gale and her crew fervently traveled to and fro, interviewing ponies and other creatures who were well enough to speak. A week had passed since Dio’s death, and all the Crystalvisions throughout the country remained tuned in to the aftermath. That every single one of Dio’s victims was revived by magicians from another world filled everyone with both immense relief and intrigue.

“How are ya feelin’, Trix?” Rainbow Dash asked from her spot on the street, rubbing a sore spot on her head. Apparently, she was one of the last ponies to be revived. That was weird but totally cool. She vaguely remembered Dio stomping her head in, but after that, nothing. Nothing but a total blank spot in her memory.

“She is feeling fine, thank you for asking,” Trixie replied from her spot next to Rainbow. The haphazard manner in which she was splayed out suggested otherwise, but Rainbow kept silent. “How about you, Zecora?”

The zebra said nothing. A closer look revealed she was sleeping. Amusingly, a sizable snot bubble had formed from one nostril, growing smaller and bigger as she breathed in and out, respectively.

“Better than us,” Trixie said, putting her head back on the ground. A sorrowful look crossed her face. “I can’t believe I almost killed Twilight.”

“Hey, hey,” Rainbow attempted to soothe her, “it’s not your fault. That jerk had you under his mind control. Don’t feel bad for something you had no control over.”

“Trixie appreciates your counseling, but it doesn’t make the pain go away.” She turned her head to smile at Rainbow. “Trixie wishes she had your stubborn heart.”

“Hey!” Rainbow said, giving her a sharp glare.

Trixie retained her smile. A second later, they burst into shared laughter.

“What do you think is happening up in the castle?” Rainbow asked once they settled down.

Trixie turned her head to look up at the castle. The hole Dio had made was currently undergoing repairs, while his dusty remains were being brought by boat to a remote area of the South Luna Ocean, far away from any civilization, to be scattered; with his extraordinary penchant for escaping death, no chances would be taken. Black Magician and Black Magician Girl had been invited to the royal chamber once they were finished reviving everypony. No reporters were allowed inside, hence, why Green Gale was currently scrambling for interviews.

“Trixie has little doubt they are receiving the utmost praise,” she replied. “After everything they have done for us, they deserve it all.”

Royal guards lined the carpet leading to the thrones, saluting for the otherworldly magicians as they walked between them along with Princess Twilight Sparkle. Music wasn’t added upon request of the magicians, more specifically, Black Magician, owing to a desire to keep the pomp to a minimum. A little flair wasn’t something that Black Magician Girl minded, indeed, feeling like royalty wasn’t something she could ever not want. But she was content to simply smile brightly for everypony and wave. Better still, she was wearing the nighttime-themed dress Rarity had made for her, much to her mentor’s visible confusion when he’d laid eyes upon it, but raised no objections. Her normal clothes and the green dress Rarity had made had been sent to her living quarters back home.

The stained-glass windows they passed were of particular interest to her. They depicted heroic deeds from Equestria’s past, both ancient and recent, according to Twilight, who appeared in several of them along with her friends. The very last window, the most recent one, caught both hers and Black Magician’s attention as they passed. Basic depictions of them both stood tall and proud over a similar depiction of Dio Brando, holding their staves together with magic crackling between them, Celestia’s sun emblem set in the background. The idea that they were now a part of this world’s history forever after almost brought a tear to Black Magician Girl’s eye.

They stepped to the base of the steps leading up to the twin thrones, Princesses Celestia and Luna staring down at them with warm smiles. All the guards on either side bowed while the princesses stood up, spreading their wings wide.

“Black Magician. Black Magician Girl,” Celestia addressed them individually. “For your combined effort in bringing down Dio Brando, as well as undoing all the death and tragedy caused in his wake, please accept our eternal thanks.”

“We don’t know how much interest you two have in visiting our world more regularly,” Luna picked up after her sister. “But, should you wish it, we would be honored to grant you two official citizenship status.”

“That sounds pretty nice,” Black Magician Girl said. “It might be nice to build a second life here, away from all that stuffy royal stuff. What do you think, my teacher?”

Black Magician shrugged. “I don’t mind. But my duties as a magician come before everything else.”

“What is your wish now?” Luna asked. “Normally, we would prepare a banquet and festivities for any hero of Equestria, but it is my understanding, Black Magician, that you came here to retrieve your pupil?”

“Indeed.” He glared sharply at Black Magician Girl, to which she wilted under his gaze. He eased up after a moment, however, returning his attention to the princesses. “But I can arrange for an official visit to your world at the earliest convenience. It’s only fair that my pupil is allowed to enjoy her newfound fame.”

“Thank you, my teacher!” She threw her arms around his waist, nuzzling her face into his side.

“Please remain dignified,” he whispered harshly.

The ponies all shared a round of laughter before Celestia instructed Twilight to escort the two of them back to the Window.

“Thanks for everything,” Twilight said along the way. “I’m so glad you came along when you did, otherwise, we might not have been able to defend ourselves.”

“Fate was on your side, that’s for sure,” Black Magician Girl said. She pondered for a moment. “That’s kinda interesting, that fate between two completely separate universes might be intertwined. What do you think, my teacher?”

Black Magician shrugged. “My first inclination is to believe that it was divine intervention, but who can say?”

A giggle escaped Twilight, drawing Black Magician Girl’s attention back to her. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Nothing, nothing,” Twilight said, waving her off. She looked to Black Magician. “So, what would you say about allowing me to visit your world sometime? This Royal Magical Library sounds amazing!”

“I would certainly not be opposed to playing host to a foreign dignitary,” Black Magician replied, showing no real excitement or annoyance. As usual.

Boring.

Twilight eventually brought them before the door leading to the Window, guarded by the same two guards as when Black Magician Girl first arrived. She thought, at least; the guards looked way too similar to each other.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now,” Twilight said, smiling wistfully. “Gotta say, I never would’ve thought back during the Convergence that Yugi’s most cherished monsters would end up visiting Equestria on their own.” She blushed. “I’m sorry to say that I didn’t think much of you two back when I saw you.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Black Magician Girl said cheerily. “I thought you were cute. And still do.” She reached down and booped Twilight, causing Twilight’s blush to deepen.

Black Magician rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Let’s just go,” he said.

Twilight waved them goodbye as they stepped through the Window, disappearing out of sight within the Singularity. From there, it was a simple matter to ask the nearest Guide to summon the Window leading to the Duel Monster Spirit World. A posse of guards met the two magicians as they stepped through the Window back into the Royal Magical Library, relaxing their spears once Black Magician assured them that everything was alright, that they weren’t afflicted with any magical maladies.

“Now then,” he said once they’d dispersed, all except for two who took their places on either side of the door leading to the Window. “Time to put you back to your studies.”

“Can I study more advanced magic?” she asked, hopeful.

“No, you’re going to finish what you were doing before you ran off.”

“B-b-b-but you let me learn Resurrection of the Dead!”

“Yes, and now you’ll finish the basics once again before you get to learn anything in between or greater.” He turned down the hallway. “Run off again and you’ll be cleaning the library for a hundred moons.”

“Oh, come on!” Black Magician Girl wailed.

Her teacher’s footsteps rounded a corner, quickly disappearing elsewhere in the library. She spent the next several minutes despairing silently to herself before, with a great sigh, she dragged her feet through the castle towards the reading room she’d been in over a week ago. The book she’d been reading was right where she left it, devoid of any dust, meaning that her teacher made someone clean it off while she was gone. She wasn’t sure whether to be more impressed or annoyed by that. She sat down and began perusing the page she’d left on, once again, too bored to really pay attention to the contents she’d read countless times before and perfectly memorized. Eventually, her focus deteriorated to the point that she laid her head on the table, closing her eyes.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, or whether she’d dozed off, but the sounds of approaching footsteps brought her back to attention. Turning towards the door, a spike of joyous energy shot through her at the sight of Magician’s Valkyria!

“It’s time you returned my favor,” she said before Black Magician Girl could get a word out. A slight blush colored her cheeks. “Warrior Dai Grepher is in town.”

Black Magician Girl immediately stood up from her chair, ran over, and saluted her best friend. “Matchmaker Magician Girl is at your service!”

Cleaning the library for a hundred moons was a small price to pay for helping a good friend.

Chapter 7

Black Magician Girl’s confusion over the new arrival played second fiddle to the grotesque appearance he sported, especially the headless necks hanging limp on either side of the smirking, sadistically grinning head of the one calling himself Dio Brando. But the ponies’ reactions were far more expressive and terrified. Everyone around the train screamed and fled as one herd, retreating down the line and gathering in a panicked group behind them.

Dio eyed them with sadistic glee. “I would expect such a reaction from people who know they cannot beat me, yet, past experience has told me you’re still planning on fighting me to your last, dying gasp. Perhaps it would be easier to simply give up entirely? My rule cannot be complete without subjects to rule over, after all.”

Black Magician Girl broke her gaze away from Dio and onto Twilight, disturbed to see the princess’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks and mouth agape.

“Snap out of it, Twilight!” She lightly bonked her on the head with her staff.

That seemed to break her trance. “How is he still alive…?”

“What’s going on?”

“That’s the vampire who terrorized us a week ago,” Twilight explained. She faced Dio with a look that tried to come off as challenging, but the fear was still clearly visible in her eyes. “How are you still alive!? Princess Celestia blasted you with sunlight!”

“I used my claws to sever my head from my body before your princess’ power fully disintegrated it,” he explained, never losing his menacing glare. “It was a desperate gamble, but the success of which proves fate is on my side.” He turned his body around and reached a foot up to point towards his ear. Three moles lined up perfectly could be seen adorning it. “I once visited a black market merchant who told me that these moles were a sign of good luck.” He cackled, the sound vibrating through the surrounding trees, a horrid sound that made Black Magician Girl’s skin crawl. “That fortune follows me even in another world!”

So this was the new big bad guy, was he? Not what she expected from her vacation, but any opportunity to kick butt was an opportunity that Black Magician Girl was happy to take. She stepped forward and raised her staff, pointing it at Dio in a challenging manner.

“You won’t do any more harm to these ponies, or anyone else!” she declared.

“Oh ho, you’re challenging me?” Dio said. “Your powers are impressive, I’ll admit, but you have the maturity of a child. Not to mention, I’m more powerful than I was a week ago.” At that moment, two beams of pressurized fluid shot from his eyes, hitting the ground in front of her and kicking up a dirt plume. “That power requires me to sacrifice a large amount of bodily fluid, something my old human body had in greatly limited quantity. But this new body has a surplus of it, meaning I can use it to my heart’s content!”

Another round of laughter escaped him before he took another shot, this time aiming over Black Magician Girl’s head towards the ponies. They all screamed and instinctively ran away, but Dio’s attack would have reached them anyway.

Would have.

Black Magician Girl summoned her Magic Cylinders right above her head, catching the fluid jets and deflecting them right back towards Dio. He smirked, holding his tiger paw right into the stream’s path. It impacted, but instead of cutting through, the liquid instantly froze upon contact. Glittering ice shards sprayed the ground all around him as the stream barreled into him. It was easily, quickly negated, leaving him completely uninjured.

“I easily match your power,” he taunted.

Twilight stepped forward. “I knew something wasn’t right, but I should’ve known you were involved. What did you do to Zecora?”

“Zecora?” He appeared to mull over the name before realization struck him. “That zebra? Her body served me well in escaping that crevice your lot left me in after our last encounter.”

“You monster!” Rarity cried, tears streaming down her eyes.

“Get everyone back to Ponyville,” Black Magician Girl told her pony friends. “I’ll deal with this monster.”

“Right,” Twilight said. She turned around. “Everyone, we’ll lead you back to Ponyville. Stay in an orderly group and we’ll all be safe.”

“There’s no escape!” Dio shouted.

Another round of laser vision shot from his eyes. He swept them across the trees on either side of the tracks, sending them tumbling down with thunderous crashes, blocking the way back down the line. Screams filled the air as ponies backed away from the makeshift barricade.

“Run for the forest!” Trixie shouted, bolting away.

Dio leapt off the train towards her, claw outstretched. Black Magician Girl fired off a Black Burning straight towards him. The attack was successful, hitting him dead center in his back. The resulting explosion broke him into two larger halves, both hitting the ground and kicking up giant dirt plumes. But he didn’t stay down. His upper half proceeded to kick off the ground, lunging towards Trixie. She didn’t even get a chance to glance back before he pinned her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

“Trixie!” Twilight cried.

“Let Trixie go you monster!” she shouted with equal parts fear and defiance, struggling with all her might beneath his tiger’s paw.

Dio didn’t answer verbally. Claws extended from his paw and sank into her flesh, making her gasp. Pained cries escaped her, but it was what happened next that chilled Black Magician Girl and made everypony in the crowd scream again. Trixie’s skin grew visibly less lively and more hollow, turning a shade of dark green as blood was drained from her body and absorbed into Dio’s own. Her eyes glazed over and she let out a choking gasp. Her attempts at struggle grew visibly weaker in just a couple of seconds.

“STOP THAT!”

Black Magician Girl raised her staff, pointing it directly at Dio’s head. But before she could fire off another Black Burning, Dio raised Trixie’s body to cover him like a shield. Black Magician Girl held the staff in place but didn’t fire. She grit her teeth, rage consuming her as she was forced to watch, along with everyone else, the last bit of life being drained from Trixie’s eyes before he let her drop to the ground. Her body went limp, face buried in the grass.

“The blood of you ponies certainly tastes as sweet as the disposition of your world,” Dio said. While he spoke, the lower half of his body moved by itself across the ground, reaching him and reattaching itself to his upper half. “It makes me all the more eager to taste that of your sun princess.”

He finished regenerating after a moment before bolting through the trees in the direction of Canterlot.

“We need to stop him!” Twilight cried.

“So… thirsty…”

The voice, so hoarse and weak, made the hairs on the back of Black Magician Girl’s neck stand up. Slowly, terror gripping her very Duel Spirit’s soul, she turned to see Trixie’s body standing up. Her face, before so cute and adorable, was now a zombified horror, hollow and filled with a twisted perversion of liveliness. Her body was in a similar state, the bones beneath her skin visible through her coat which itself was drained of vibrant color, now a muted shade of its natural blue. Everyone stared at the undead unicorn with equal parts shock and terror.

Trixie fixed her gaze onto Twilight, hunger overcoming her features. “So thirsty!”

She lunged towards Twilight, who tried to run, but Trixie proved surprisingly fast. She pounced on Twilight, baring sharp fangs that she didn’t have before. Everyone screamed again, but no one harder than Twilight. Trixie lunged her head downward, only for Twilight to smack her hoof dead center onto Trixie’s muzzle.

“Ow!”

Trixie stumbled backward, falling onto her rump. Twilight scrambled to her hooves.

“Everyone, run!” she screamed.

The ponies were several steps ahead of her. A giant stampede of terrified ponies ran around the opposite side of the blockade as Trixie, tripping over themselves in their desperate attempt to escape her as their continued screams filled the air. Rarity joined them, desperately trying to instill a semblance of calmness and order to the chaos.

“I’ll get everyone to safety, Twilight!” she shouted over the screaming cacophony. “I believe in you!”

Twilight nodded. The stampede cleared out in due time, the screams dissipating into the distance as everyone followed the rail line back to Ponyville. Trixie got back to her hooves, flashing a blank look towards Twilight and Black Magician Girl before it morphed into a semblance of anger.

“I need food!” she shouted, a guttural cry only capable by an undead being. Her horn glowed, enveloping Twilight and lifting her off the ground slightly.

Twilight struggled against the magical bind furiously, but Trixie’s magic proved unbreakable. And without her own magic, she was a sitting duck while Trixie charged, baring her fangs dripping with saliva.

“Help!” Twilight cried.

“On it!”

Black Magician Girl intercepted Trixie’s path, drawing her attention. She raised her staff to her side, swinging it like a baseball bat right at Trixie’s head. The impact came with a sickening crunch, sending Trixie careening across the rail line into the surrounding woodland. Black Magician Girl winced at the smattering of blood on her staff. More important than the cleanliness of her staff, however, was the injury it dealt to Trixie.

The magic binding Twilight blipped out of existence, allowing her to drop safely to the ground. But any sense of relief she might have felt was overshadowed by the fear and concern etched into her face as she looked towards Trixie.

“Trixie…” Tears began forming in her eyes. “What did that monster do to you?”

“Vampires are known to have brainwashing abilities,” Black Magician Girl explained. “Not like this, though…”

“What do we do?” Twilight asked, pleadingly. There was so much hope in her eyes, and that’s what made Black Magician Girl’s answer all the harder to say.

“I don’t know how Dio’s power works, so I don’t know if we can undo it without harming her,” she said solemnly. At that moment, Trixie made her way out of the treeline, hunger still visible in her hollow gaze. Black Magician Girl raised her staff, causing Twilight’s eyes to go wide with shocked realization. “But there is one thing we can do.”

“No… No!” Twilight wrapped her hooves around Black Magician Girl’s arm. “Don’t kill her!”

“It’s the only way to put her out of her misery.” Trixie darted towards them, horn glowing again. Black Magician Girl felt the magic envelop her staff arm, so she switched control to her other arm, aiming it squarely at Trixie. “But I promise she’ll be revived. My mentor will revive everyone that monster kills.”

She fired off a Black Burning in spite of Twilight’s continued protests. The magic sailed through the air, hitting Trixie square in the head. In the next split second, Black Magician Girl thought she saw Trixie’s face turn surprised before the resulting explosion scattered dozens of blue, fleshy chunks all over the clearing. Trixie’s disembodied head landed right in front of them, her lifeless eyes staring blankly up at them. Blood dribbled from her mouth, pooling onto the ground. Black Magician Girl thought she saw a glimmer of relief in her face. She hoped that whatever the afterlife in this world was, that Trixie would be happy there for her temporary stay.

Twilight knelt on the ground, crying over Trixie’s head, body wracked with choking sobs. Black Magician Girl allowed her a few moments of grief before she nudged her to stand back up.

“We need to get moving,” she said in a respectful tone. “We need to beat Dio to Canterlot and warn everybody.”

Twilight wiped some snot from her muzzle and nodded. “Right.”

Black Magician Girl sat on her staff and Twilight hopped on behind her, wrapping her hooves around her shoulders.

“Hold on tight,” Black Magician Girl instructed.

Twilight’s reply was quickly drowned out by the sound of the wind rushing through her ears.