Mysidia

Shining Armor could barely believe what had happened. Not only had his new friend overcome the trials of Mt. Ordeals, but he himself had successfully defended his friends from one of Golbez's evil lieutenants. It was a feeling that the white unicorn has not felt in quite a while. For the first time, Shining Armor felt almost proud and overjoyed. So overjoyed, he began tearing up.

"Yo! Shining Armor!"

The unicorn gasped softly and shook his head, hoping the others wouldn't notice.

"Wh-What did you say, Palom?"

"We're headin' back to the manor to tell the elder about how I, the great Palom, brought you--" he was interrupted by yet another smack on the head by a visibly annoyed Porom.

"No. Bragging," she warned. "Anyway, are you alright, Shining? Your eyes seem watery."

"Huh? Oh-oh no. It's just... liquid pride," he answered. "Just proud of my friend, that's all."

The kids shared a heartfelt laugh. Cecil then caught up with them. As they were returning to the Manor of Prayers, the villagers looked at and gasped; the man they had so despised had done the impossible and become a Paladin. Continuing on, the party went inside the manor and met the village elder and his aides who were surprised to see the man wearing the holy armor.

"Cecil! You've succeeded!"

"Yeah. I can't believe it either," said Palom. "Cecil exceeded our expectations."

"What?" Cecil asked. At this point, Shining Armor knew what their true purpose for the trip was and decided to confront the twins. However, them being children, he spoke to them softly, yet firmly.

"Palom... Porom... Were you really spying on us?"

The twins looked away, their expressions bearing guilt.

"Yes... It's true," the elder spoke. "I had them accompany to see if you were really trustworthy. You, Cecil, who once ravaged this village, and you, Shining Armor, a creature not of this planet."

Shining Armor was slightly taken aback. "True. I'm not from around here. But I just--"

"It's alright," said Cecil. "After all... I had robbed several citizens of the Crystal of Water and their lives. They had every reason to mistrust me."

"But..." Shining Armor wanted to argue, but he couldn't find the words.

The elder cleared his throat. "The most important thing is that you have become a Paladin and have shed yourself of the darkness you once had."

"That's not all," said Porom. "Shining Armor even saved us when we were at the mercy of a horrible demon!"

"A demon?" asked the elder.

"Not just any demon. But one that served Golbez," said Shining Armor. "I don't know what happened myself, but I felt this burst of energy when it was about to do away with all of us. And suddenly, my horn fired a wave of great magic and finished it."

"My word," the village elder said, then taking a glance at the weapon in Cecil's hand. "That sword! Where did you obtain it?"

"It was given to me on the summit," he replied.

Examining the sword, the elder and Shining Armor found some writing inscribed on the hilt.

"Is this...?"

"What is it? Some kind of legend?" asked the unicorn.

"It is! These are the words of an ancient Mysidian legend!"

"What's it say? What's it say?" said Palom excitedly.

Eyeing the words carefully, the village elder read the inscription aloud: "One born of a dragon bearing darkness and light. Shall rise to the heavens over the still lands. The moon's light eternal brings a promise to earth with bounty and grace."

"'The moon's light'? What does it mean?" Shining pondered. "I wonder..."

"What's the matter, Shining?" asked Porom.

"I was thinking about... what Princess Luna would say about this."

"Princess Luna? Who's that?" Palom inquired.

"One of the two rulers of Equestria, my homeland."

Cecil, while listening, thought back to when he overcame his past. There was still one thing he couldn't get out of his head, a question that desperately needed an answer.

*music fades out*

"The light at Mount Ordeals referred to me as 'son.' What was that light? And could it be related to this legend...?"

"You ask a valid question, to which I do not know the answer," the elder replied. "The legend has never been unveiled. For generations, we Mysidians have been told to pray for the fulfillment of this legend and to believe in the one with the sacred light. Perhaps you might be the one."

Tellah then cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "I do hate to interrupt," he said, "but we must go to Baron and defeat Golbez!"

"Tellah? Is that you?" the elder said, taking notice of the older man.

"Yes. It's been a while."

"We found him on Mt. Ordeals," said Porom.

"Yeah, and guess what? This old man mastered the Meteor spell!" Palom corroborated.

"What?" the elder asked, his eyes widened. "Meteor... the legendary spell unsealed? What is the world coming to?"

"I care not for the world's troubles. I solely wish to avenge my Anna!"

"Anna... Your daughter?"

"Yes. Golbez took her life, and now I intend to do the same!"

"Tellah!" the elder argued. "You must not fight with hatred in your heart! Moreover, you are in no condition to use that power!"

The sage simply scoffed. "If I die, so be it! And the sorcerer with me... no matter the cost!"

Tellah's words struck a chord with our heroes, but the elder simply laughed them off. "Still as stubborn as a mule, I see."

"Ha! Like you're on to talk," Tellah retorted.

The elder sighed. "Nevertheless, with your spells and Cecil's newfound power, you may be able to defeat Golbez."

"In any case, we must return to Baron to commandeer an airship fleet," said Cecil.

"Very well. I shall grant you access to the Devil's Road. As a Paladin, you can safely travel the bedeviled path. Now is the time for me to retire to the Tower of Worship. I shall pray for your success."

"Thank you," said Shining Armor.

The knights and the sage were just about leave when Palom and Porom were about to join their ranks.

"Huh? What are you kids doing?" Shining asked.

"Palom, Porom," said the elder. "Return to your studies at once."

"No fair!" Palom argued. "You told us to help any way we can! We still have a job to do!"

"Elder, please allow to accompany him! And we still need to help Shining Armor find his friends!" Porom begged. The elder sighed, knowing how stubborn the twins could be.

"Very well," he said. "You have both overcome the mountain's trials and returned alive. Perhaps this is your fate. Cecil, Tellah, Shining Armor, please watch over them."

"B-But..." Cecil and Shining stuttered, unsure as to what the twins could do to help in their fight against Golbez.

"Are you saying you don't want us tagging along?" asked Palom, sadly.

"I'm sure we can be of assistance," Porom added.

"Come on," said Shining. "I'm not sure if--"

"Don't worry, old friend," Tellah said, addressing the elder. "I will keep an eye on them. As will these two."

The Paladin and the unicorn sighed in defeat.

"I feel tired," said Cecil. "Perhaps could we get some rest at the inn before our trip to Baron?"

"I guess so," Shining replied. "We've been traveling for quite some time."

It was agreed; the party went inside the inn, checked in and went to their room and climbed into their beds.

Later that night, Shining Armor opened his eyes and trotted over to Cecil. The Paladin was almost sleeping peacefully; however, he could only toss and turn given the recent events.

"Cecil," he whispered, hoping not to wake the others. "Cecil...?"

No answer.

"Cecil...!" Shining grabbed his shoulders, waking him up.

"Shining Armor...? It's the middle of the night," he complained.

"I'm sorry, but... There's something I want to talk about," the unicorn said, facing Tellah who was sleeping in his bed. Cecil immediately knew what was worrying his pony friend.

"Our concern is mutual, Shining Armor," the Paladin replied. "If we do not keep Tellah's temper in check, I fear what may become of him. And everyone around us as well."

The stallion didn't reply, but he still kept facing the opposite bed, worrying about the twins as well. Was he going to fail the twins as he did with Cadence and Rosa? Would they be lost to some unnatural disaster like Twilight and the others? These thoughts plagued Shining's mind as he closed his eyes.

"Maybe... Maybe we should just get some sleep..."

"Agreed," said Cecil.

Shining Armor walked back over to his bed and drifted off to a deep slumber, hoping Princess Luna would comfort him once more...

Meanwhile...

"Get in!" the soldier shouted as he pushed Rarity and Applejack into the cell.

"Why you ruffians!" the white unicorn yelled.

"You're gonna be sorry for this, I guarantee ya that!" Applejack added.

"LEMME GO, YOU JERKS!!"

"Stop resisting."

"I said, let. Me. GO!!"

"You dare throw us into the dungeon like common criminals?!" Luna shouted.

The dark blue alicorn and the cyan pegasus' words fell on deaf ears as the guards tossed them, Pinkie Pie and Twilight into the next cell. An angry Rainbow ran towards the guards only to be stopped by the closing of the metal bars, separating her and her friends from their captors.

"I OUGHTA BEAT YOU SENSELESS!"

"That's my line... little... horse... pony... thing..."

The girls turned to see a very muscular man with a great big bushy beard and goggles.

"Wh-Who are you...?" Twilight asked, uncertain of this human.

"The guy who built all those airships," the man replied, "that is, 'til I opened my big mouth to that 'King.'"

"CID?!"

"Huh?! How'd ya know my name?!"

"Lemme start!" said Pinkie Pie. "I'll give you the short-short-short version!"

"And that's how the Mane Six came to be the bestest friends. Next time, I'll tell you how we got captured by these mean old soldiers."

Cid could only stand there, dumbfounded by the pink earth pony's personality. Behind his goggles, the man's eyes blinked several times.

"Hey, don't you worry about it," said Rainbow Dash. "It's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie."

"Eeyup," said Applejack.

Twilight and Rarity nodded.

"So, how do we get outta this here dungeon?"

"Surely, there must be a way, otherwise we cannot rescue our friends," said Luna.

Mysidia

Meanwhile, Shining Armor and Cecil, along with Tellah, Palom and Porom woke up and gathered several items and equipment for their task of sneaking into the kingdom of Baron.

"Now where is this Devil's Road?"

"Over there, northeast," said Porom.

The party spoke with the black mage guarding the gate; once granted passage, our heroes stepped on the circle in the center of the room. Upon doing so, they felt themselves being teleported to the west...

Town of Baron

Soon, the party found themselves in a similar room, opened the stone wall-door and opened yet another door (wooden this time) and saw a familiar sight--to Cecil's eyes.

"We made it!" said Shining.

"We did," Cecil added. "But... There is tension in the air."

It was true. Despite looking peaceful, an oppressive atmosphere hung over the town. They could feel it as the wind blew at their backs.

"Who's there?"

The group turned to a villager.

"Cecil? Cecil Harvey, is that you?"

"Yes," the Paladin replied. "We seek the aid of Cid Pollendina."

"Cid? Oh no."

"What has happened?"

"He spoke out against the King and had gotten arrested!"

"WHAT?!"

"Oh, excuse me!"

They turned to see a young woman approaching.

"What's the matter?" asked Tellah.

"I saw a strange monk with some soldiers," she said. "They seemed to be looking for something."

This new information grabbed the party's attention. They made their ways towards the inn and found a familiar monk sitting at the bar, sharing a drink with two of Baron's soldiers.

"Yang?! Is that you?!"

The monk turned around and faced the two knights in confusion.

"Yang, it's us! Shining Armor and Cecil!"

"Cecil..."

"Yes."

"Baron's knight turned traitor, along with one of the interlopers! Seize them!"

"Yes, sir!"

"What?!"

The guards got up from their seats and charged toward Shining Armor. Cecil intercepted them and shielded his friend. He then kicked the soldier back to his partner. Yang assumed his fighting stance.

"Why do you insist on fighting us?!"

"Silence, you insolent wretch!"

"Yang! Stop!"

Shining Armor then shielded Cecil with a barrier knocking the monk back onto the bar.

*music fades out*

Yang clutched his head, groaning. Upon opening his eyes, he was shocked to discover what he had almost done.

"Cecil! Shining Armor! Forgive me," he said. "After Leviathan attacked us... I cannot remember a thing."

"Don't tell me you have amnesia," said Shining.

"It must be," answered Tellah. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have been used by Baron."

Cecil stepped forward and helped Yang back on his feet. "What happened to Rydia and Edward?"

"And what about the ponies?"

The monk hung his head. "Rydia... was swallowed by Leviathan." The knights gasped, unable to believe one of their friends was gone for good. Tellah, too, lowered his head.

"And the others?" Shining asked worriedly.

"The ponies and Edward? I do not know... Where are we anyway?"

"In Baron," Tellah replied. "Let's go elsewhere so we can discuss everything in private."

"Agreed," said Cecil. The party went straight to the front desk and met directly with the innkeeper.

"Thank you all for taking care of those soldiers. You and the white pony are more than welcome to spend the night here."

Cecil bowed gratefully; he and the others went upstairs and found their room. After getting comfortable, it was time for a conversation.

"Yang," the Paladin began, "this is Tellah the sage. His daughter and Edward were..."

"My daughter loved him enough to sacrifice herself for him," Tellah continued.

"I am sorry for your loss. I am Yang of Fabul," the monk introduced himself, bowing.

"Well, I'm the prodigy of Mysidia! My name's Palom," the boy boasted, prompting another sigh from his sister.

"Feel free to ignore my twin brother. I am Porom," she said.

"I can't believe you were oblivious to so much!"

Porom then knocked her brother on the head once again.

"Palom! Apologize!"

"No, he is right," said Yang. "Please forgive my actions."

"But you had amnesia. Of course they'd control you," Shining stated.

"Well, first thing's first. We must find Cid," said Cecil.

"Sneaking into the castle won't be easy," Tellah replied.

Yang subconsciously reached into the pockets of his pants and found something. Taking it out, he asked, "What is this?"

Taking a closer look, Cecil's eyes lit up. "This is the Baron Key! Of course! They must've given it to you when they gave you command of those guards. With this key, I believe we'll be able to find Cid."

"Right!" the twins said in unison.

Baron Castle

"So, what do we do now?" said Rainbow Dash.

"What do you mean, Dashie?" Pinkie asked back.

"What do ya think, Pinkie Pie?! We're in prison, Shining Armor and Cecil are gone, AND we're probably gonna get EXECUTED without knowing what happened to Fluttershy and Spike!"

"Now, calm down, girls. Calm down," said Cid. "I got an idea."

"Yeah?"

The pilot clutched his stomach, moaning in apparent agony. "Ooh... I'm so damn... hungry... Guard... Guard!"

"What do you want?" the guard said rudely.

"My stomach... it hurts..."

The man simply scoffed.

"Please! It hurts!"

"Shut up!" he said, approaching the cell. That was when Cid grabbed the soldier and grabbed the keys. He then delivered a straight right hand, knocking the guard in one blow.

"Gotcha!" he chuckled, unlocking his cell. He then proceeded to free the other ponies as well.

"Methods aside, we thank you, Cid," Luna spoke.

"Don't mention it. Now let's teach that 'king' a lesson he'll never forget!"

"Ah, yeah! Payback time!" said Rainbow Dash, punching her hooves together.

And so, Cid and the Equestrians escaped the dungeon, ready to confront the King of Baron once and for all. Little did they know, they would find themselves reunited with the other party members.

Author's Note

My apologies if the SpongeBob time card comes out of nowhere.