The warm wind from the south blew up a film of fine dust. Not really sand, it was finer and more insidious, it crept everywhere in the smallest interstice, the smallest opening. We breathed dust, we ate dust, we lived in dust.
In any case, dust was all that was left in this land. Dust and ghosts, too many ghosts.
Yes, there is something else here, up in the sky. The sky, that expanse that dominates us all, uniformly blue, always and desperately blue. And there, in its center, in its zenith, the one that never moves, this cruel star that burns more than it warms, that blinds more than it illuminates. The Sun. The imperious and tyrannical Sun.
A movement was made between the rocks, something, or rather someone was there, in the shadows. Something alive was treading this dry and arid ground. Some life dared to venture into these barren and parched lands. This had not happened for... Far too long.
The first figure stepped forward, daring to venture out into the light. It was a bipedal creature that stepped forward, compact. A large piece of off-white cloth covered most of his massive body. A turban covered his head, a pair of bovine horns emerged, a veil concealing his face. With each of his steps, a deep black hoof was revealed from under the djellaba. The minotaur paused for a moment, blew loudly, then motioned to the rest of the party to move forward.
In the background followed an equine creature. Its striped, two-tone coat identified it without a doubt: a zebra. The mane and tail, thick and frizzy, were both braided with wooden beads. Her wrinkles at the corners of her eyes showed the many years she had already lived.
Half a meter above, hovered one of those hybrid creatures, a mixture of feline and bird. The griffin also wore a turban to protect its head. The bright white feathers contrasted with the dull brown coat. Only the feather at the end of the tail stood out: it had been colored in a rainbow shade.
The next creature in this improbable saraband was another quadruped. Its colored skin, in bright and gaudy hues, evoked the pony of yesteryear, but a pair of elytra covered membranous and transparent wings. They quickly gave information on the identity of its owner. Plain eyes without pupils and an insectoid body dispelled any doubts about its identity; a reformed changeling of the Thorax lineage.
A fifth companion followed behind the distant descendant of Chrysalis. He followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, almost in his shadow. The fiery light reflected off his scaly body and small bipedal form. The ruff and eyes were emerald green, the rest in shades of blue from ultramarine to steel. Although the young dragon was in his second decade, he was no more than three apples tall. Above all, he had no wings, proof that he was not yet pubescent.
This was the opposite of the last creature, quadruped and massive. Unlike the first figure in the line, it was wearing almost nothing. Its only accessories were a feather headdress and a small leather pouch connected to a cord around its neck. She was a buffalo, a young teenager who had not finished growing, but she was already almost as massive as the minotaur who led the way.
She was pulling a two-wheeled cart. The vehicle had been built for the expedition, but it kept creaking with every step. Dust had crept into the axle. Almost all the space was taken by a heavy black stone stele, covered with strange runes, undoubtedly magical. The whole thing must have weighed more than a ton.
The six walkers had a slow but steady progress in the middle of the furnace. Each step followed the other with resolution. After what seemed like an eternity in the midst of this barren, motionless expanse that only the parching wind disturbed, the lead creature stopped. The minotaur opened his djellaba, took out a compass and a map. The griffin joined him in two beats of his wings.
“So?" asked the winged creature.
“We must be there.”
“Finally!”
“Go check it out."
Nodding to the hybrid feline, the minotaur resumed, "Copper Field warn the others, we'll follow you as soon as you secure the perimeter."
Without adding a word, the griffon took flight and headed in the direction indicated, a dune from which emerged an enormous rocky mass. After his first turn, he landed carefully. The ground was unstable. The scout ventured towards what he had seen from the sky, an anfractuosity at the limit of the rock and the dune. The indications of the guide were good, but the cave's entrance was obscured by an absurd amount of sand and dust, leaving only a small hole to enter through.
Cracking one of those alchemical light sticks, the adventurer went further forward. The yellowish glow, similar to that of fireflies, illuminated a succession of dry planks crossed by two well oxidized steel beams. We were indeed in a tunnel of the old railroad. The map, so hard to acquire, had been right.
The gallery was turning to the right. The griffin thought to himself, even here, with the relative protection of the darkness and the real coolness of the underground, it was always the same, mineral and sterile. Not a single spider web or lichen, nothing alive, not even a cockroach.
Suddenly, at the bend in the tracks, the torch flickered the shadows of something bigger. First a car, then a whole train appeared, emerging from the darkness where it had long been sleeping.
The pink paint had long since peeled off. The suitcases had been left there, scattered, some open. Their contents had long since been reduced to lint by the ravages of time. Going back up the convoy, the griffin became even more cautious. Two cars, the coal wagon and the locomotive. It was impossible to go any further, the gallery had collapsed. It was easy to understand why those two had never reached their destination.
No visible bones or other traces of violence, nor ghosts on the horizon, at least at first sight. As a precautionary measure, it would be necessary to ask the zebra for an exorcism, one could never be too careful, especially if there were burned dreamers.
"How long has he been gone?" asked the young dragoness, tucked away under an umbrella.
"We already told you, Saphir, less than an hour," the changeling replied.
“Shouldn't we go and see? Maybe he needs help?” insisted the reptilian being.
"No. We'll turn around if he doesn't come back, period. That's what a scout is for; he knows it, we know it" commented the buffalo.
"Kids, stop wasting your breath. He's coming back," the minotaur said cutting in and pointing toward the horizon where a brown dot could be seen growing closer each second.
The griffon landed a few steps away. He conversed for a brief moment with the zebra who in turn nodded with a serious air to each of the griffon's statements
"So?" asked Saphir.
"We'll be able to get to safety," the avian creature replied.
"So cool! I couldn't take it anymore," laughed the little dragoness. "You're doing great, Leeroy."
"Kid, if you can't keep up, Copper Field thinks you should have stayed home," grumbled the imposing minotaur. "There's no place for the weak here."
Faced with the sharp remark, the little reptilian began to tremble, clutching her parasol with vigor.The phalanges of her claws whitened under the effort, then with a dry crack, the parasol's handle gave way under the pressure.
"Damn, that I am clumsy, I will go to repair it"
Swallowing a sob, the dragoness picked up the debris of her accessory and then walked away, hiding incipient tears.
"You shouldn't be so hard on her," the zebra disapproved. "You know that kind of remark leaves after-effects."
“She's too nice and too young. Copper Field still thinks she doesn't belong here.”
"It's her element, it's obvious. You worry about her, as we all do. But that's not the way to move her forward, not by expressing it like that."
"It was necessary, if Copper Field doesn't do it, who will? You should be careful, Stripe, you're getting soft with age."
The zebra sighed. Yes, she was softening with age, but she also saw Copper, her friend, closing in more and more with time.
The camp was finally set up. It hadn't been easy to get the wagon in here, but they had made it.
Crazy About Horse allowed herself a sigh. She was a good buffalo, a brave girl, a warrior and a survivor. Her companions, her family, her clan, her tribe, and even the entire Twilight Lands were counting on her. This expedition was their last hope.
She had been standing in front of the tunnel entrance for almost four hours now. She knew this because of the small fire that was finishing burning. After all this time, the dry wood from the railroad ties was burning very well. Having plenty of fuel was a rare luxury, so she might as well enjoy it. Having a hot cup of tea is always pleasant, paradoxically one can bear the heat better afterwards.
The sun was always in its place. The limits between light and shadow had not moved. Why should it change? The solar star had been stationary since... Since the great catastrophe and the change of age in fact.
It was a tale for little calves today, but it seems that in the past the Sun was not fixed in the sky. It moved, it passed beyond the horizon and gave way to something called the Moon. A kind of second luminous star, but which illuminates more weakly and without producing heat. A kind of Night, but softer. Just thinking about it, Crazy found it completely unbelievable.
Oh, the Night, she knew well, as did all the living beings in the Twilight Lands. The Night is a land without light and without warmth, a place of boundless cold. It is an icy and desolate land; the land of the Windigos.
In the legends, it is said that all these lands were once a rich and prosperous kingdom, a green land of peace and recklessness; Equestria... The place ended up merging with the time. To speak of Equestria is to evoke the blessed time of a lost paradise.
Today life is only possible on the thin strip of land between the icy desolation of Night and the burning desert of Day. Only the Twilight Lands remained alive. It was his home, a thin strip wedged between two unbearable hells. It is said that this name was given in honor of an ancient heroine of the old days. A great warrior who would have defeated many adversaries.
Crazy didn't understand everything, but she was here to find relics that belonged to this great figure of the past and to her fellow fighters. They would be, it seems, powerful artifacts. So powerful that they could defeat the terrible thing that haunts these lands, the thing that froze the Sun.
These old things had better be powerful. It was risky to go so far into the territory of the Day.She could find them, she would find them! There was nothing anyone could do to stop her.
Many heroes had tried it in the past. Great sagas narrated these attempts, but each one met the same end, defeat and death.
"You should get some rest, you've been here for a long time keeping watch."
Surprised in her thoughts, the cow turned around. It was Stripe, the zebra, who had come from the end of the tunnel to take over. In principle, it should have been the changeling's turn. Crazy About Horse didn't like it when the plan changed.
"Why is it you?" she attacked aggressively.
"Sternum still needed to rest, you too, I want you tomorrow, fresh and ready."
"What about you?"
"Oh, you know, I'm just an old mare, at my age we sleep much less often."
"Well, try to preserve yourself too, old mare."
"Don't forget to drink the tea against the dream, before going to bed it is essential... "
"Talking over her elder," the woman finished her sentence. By dint of the zebra repeating it like a leitmotif, Crazy knew it by heart.
"Or else, some unwanted guests will come", yes I know, but your thing is infectious."
"Proof of its quality," the senior chuckled. "We can only see that."
The zebra smiled at the disgusted face of the buffalo. Although she was the most massive of her companions, she was also the youngest, a child who had barely entered adulthood.
"Yeah, there are times when I'd rather face the burnt dreamers than drink your stuff."
"Trust the experience of an old fool, it's better to stay away from them, fighting them is way too risky."
"Oh I'm not afraid."
"I suspect that you don't know fear, I can even say that it's a bit of your element, you have it in your heart."
While speaking the senior moved closer to the young bison girl and pointed with the hoof to her chest that she patted.
"These famous dreamers, what is so terrible about them?"
"You see, alas, our enemy does not only rule over the solar star, but also over the world of dreams and dreams, of everything that is asleep."
"What is asleep? Is it enough to be asleep so that it can attack us?"
"That's almost right, what threatens us are Her agents, but I digress. In fact She reveals what is buried in us, our worst nightmares."
"Well, if you don't have fear, you can't have nightmares, so I'm immune!"
"If only... The burnt dreamers are the unfortunate ones who succumbed."
"If they died, they are ghosts?"
"You can say that, they are people whose spirit was separated from the body and who were locked up for eternity in their worst nightmare, and again and again they have to start it over. They end up going berserk. They suffer so much that they try to share their pain in any way they can to ease it."
Frowning, Crazy About Horse became more serious as well. If the dean was giving her all these explanations, there had to be a reason.
"So if you force us to drink your drink before going to bed, it's so that we don't dream. And that since we don't dream, they can't... see us? Did I understand correctly?"
"Yes, in that I agree with you, that's how in their eyes, and therefore also in his, we hide ourselves."
"However, there is one thing that bothers me."
"Go ahead, ask me. If I can, I'll answer you or I'll stay silent."
"Sometimes you talk really weird. But that's not what I wanted to ask you. It's just why me, why us? The tribal elders came to me and said I should follow you and the others."
While continuing her tirade, Crazy had stood up and was now pacing in front of the dying fire.
"I talked to the others about it. Well, they don't know much. It was a bit of a circus with them, you showed up and told them to follow you. Only the minotaur seemed to know but didn't say anything. I think it's normal since you both knew each other before, right?"
"That's true. If I were to contradict you I would be lying."
"As far as we know, we ventured to His lands to find old relics from the old days, things from the time of Equestria. Some kind of super magical artifacts that belonged to great heroes, things so powerful that they could defeat Her."
"This is indeed what we hope for. From the bottom of our souls we hope so."
"But if these objects are so powerful, why didn't you try to do it instead?"
It was the turn of the zebra to get up, putting a hoof on the back of the cow, she sighed, then breathed a long breath before answering him.
"Believe me, it was tempted many times to find them. Alas these relics, the six Elements of Harmony, were lost. And more importantly, they no longer had any affiliated carriers."
"Affiliated carriers?"
"Yes, one person per element with which it is in harmony. I can see by your look that this seems quite ill-defined."
Indeed, Crazy showed an air of intense reflection, trying to assimilate all the information provided. Suddenly her face lit up.
"Wait, you say there are six elements... And there are six of us... Do you think that we would be the six carriers!?!"
Nodding approvingly from the zebra.
"But how can you say such a thing!"
"My job is above all to contact the spirits and to try to appease them, I am an exorcist. I only make potions and healing remedies on the side, I am not a great alchemist. In my younger years, I happened to come into contact with a willing spirit during the course of my activities. It was one of my predecessors, a zebra who, like me, was trying to alleviate the pain around her. Her name was Zecora and the previous carriers she was with. She solemnly told me that we were all, in this age, reincarnations."
"Wow! Impressive. But... To be covered!"
"No, I don't think that..."
A huge rock passed within an inch of Stripe's muzzle. The blast literally took away her whistle.
"Stonewolfs, I don't know how, but they found us," commented Crazy About Horse.
The assailants were two, their silhouette vaguely reminiscent of a wolf. An unhealthy greenish glow emanated from their mouths and eyes. These creatures of stone and sand are virtually immortal. They do not fear pain and have no flesh or blood. All that can be done to stop them is to destroy their bodies, entirely. Easy to say when faced with a mass of rock...
"Everfree's spirits, ancient and still as... "
"Stripe, take cover instead of blabbing! Or better go get the others."
The zebra nodded, then abruptly turned and then began to cavort toward the bottom of the tunnel. Wanting to take advantage of the opening, one of the two attackers dashed forward. Crazy was waiting for this move. With her head forward, she threw herself at the enemy, hitting him violently, pushing him back into the light, outside. She had a hard head, but to hit the rock with a ball stroke is not the best.
Surprised, the second wolf put a fraction of second to attack by the flank. Too late, with a rush, Crazy picked him up and threw him against the wall. The impact was so great that the wall cracked! The creature's head sat at an angle that was anything but natural with the rest of the body.
Already the first one was coming back, making the sand fly around him. Taking advantage of being in the half-light against an opponent in the light, the cow could dodge this attack without difficulty.
Behind her a sinister crunching of stone on stone warned her that the other returned to the dance. It was not necessary to leave him the time to attack. Taking her momentum she dashed straight at the wall, horns forward. The sound of the brief charging cavalcade, immediately followed by the dull thud of the impact echoed throughout the cave. The stonewolf was now embedded in the wall. This one would not move for a while.
But the other, insistent, had thrown itself on the back of the warrior, biting her in the hocks. Crazy tried to turn around to gore it, but her opponent turned with her, moving so as to always be out of reach.
A third lupine head came through the opening, then a fourth. The rest of the pack was coming for the kill.
The buffalo girl had a thought of regret, it was the end of the road for her.
"Grifffffffooooonstoooooooooonnneee for eeeeeeeeeeeever!"
In a whirlwind of feathers and fur Leeroy threw himself into the fray. Quick as lightning but uncoordinated, he rained down blows with his beak and claws. Unfortunately, they rippled on the rock without breaking it. On the other hand, the fangs of the mineral beasts slammed into the void several times. The griffin was much too fast and light, even in a confined place like a railway tunnel. The wolves didn't stand a chance of reaching it.
While all the attackers were focused on the twirling fighter, a rib cage of rock suddenly shattered. A pair of fists, like sledgehammers, came down without preamble. Copper Field had arrived at his own pace, in short strides, with a light and discreet step. He had slipped into the fight without any of the monsters noticing him.
The minotaur was fighting with his bare hands, with a simple leather strap around his fists. The posture was that of a boxer, as soon as a blow was given he would get back into position, the guard high, the body still moving, his footwork describing an incessant staccato.
While some were fighting, others were busy in the background. Stripe and Sternum, the changeling, helped Crazy About Horse as best they could. As quickly as they could, they carried their large friend back to the back of the gallery for further treatment.
Suddenly a cry echoed throughout the cave.
"Everyone take cover!"
A split second after the warning, a tongue of azure blue fire shot through the corridor, turning it into a furnace for a moment. The two remaining stonewolves were swept up. They staggered out of the blast, the stone chipped and cracked from the impact, but they were still standing.
Copper Field gave them no time to recover. He grabbed one of them and threw him on top of the other, then threw himself on top of the other, elbow first, in a move that would have been appropriate in a wrestling match. The sound of the broken stone, like a dull gong, clearly indicated the end of the fight.
The bovine boxer got up, dusted himself off, and headed back to the underground. Passing in front of Saphir, he ruffled her crest and whispered a few words that only they could hear. The smile of the dragoness was enough to understand its content.
In a few quick strides Copper reached the camp. In its center Crazy About Horse was being tended to by Stripe, assisted by Sternum.
"So?" asked the minotaur without preamble.
"The wound is deep and at the level of the hock, very badly placed. If we had delayed, the ligament would have been severed. As for the rest, they are only slight cuts and bruises, nothing that attracts glory. But I am afraid that our friend can no longer pull the cart," explained the zebra.
"And without a cart, no stele. And without a stele, no invisibility spell", grumbled the horned biped. "If we get out of here in the Sun without it, we'll be as visible as the nose on our faces. It will detect us immediately!"
"I'm not going to be stopped by a minor injury."
Wanting to put her money where her mouth was, Crazy tried to stand up, but her legs buckled and refused to carry her. The warrior fell back heavily.
"Come on, it's not reasonable. The adrenaline from the fight has worn off, rest and let the Stripe drugs take effect," Sternum the changeling reprimanded her. "If Crazy can't pull the cart, then I will," he continued.
"You?" Copper Field doubts it, "you're too..."
"I am not too weak. With all due respect, Copper, stop trying to judge others," cut in the changeling.
"It pains me to admit it, but the cow is right," Leeroy said. "You don't have the strength or stamina to."
The griffin had just arrived in the company of Saphir, they had both returned together from the scene of battle, haggling much more slowly than the minotaur.
"On the other hand, if we put ourselves together, it should be fine, right? proposed Saphir, the dragoness.
"And how do you expect to do that? The cart is too small to put two people on it to pull it," objected the horned boxer.
"Oh, that's easy to tinker," replied the dragoness.
"And with what? We have neither tools nor materials," insisted the bovine
"But with that of course," said she while pointing at the train behind.
It had to be said that with "that", as she said, there would be no shortage of raw materials. Turning back to Stripe, Copper pointed to Crazy and barked more than he spoke.
"How long before she can walk?"
"Three to four hours and it's a challenge."
"Well, you have two hours. I'm going back to stand guard," With that he headed for the entrance.
"What a rude man," the dragoness snarled.
"Come on Saphir, not everyone is lucky enough to be born a princess like you," Leeroy replied. "And he's right about one thing, time is our enemy. It won't take him long to realize that four of his stonewolves have disappeared."
"Well, let's get to work then," said the dragon princess enthusiastically.
The walk had resumed. The invisibility spell was powerful since it allowed one to escape the gaze of a god or almost, but the enchantment had its limits. Thus it only worked if one was in motion. If you stopped for more than a few minutes somewhere other than in the shade, then Her gaze could catch you. The people of the Twilight Lands had paid dearly for this knowledge.
It was with a forced march that we had to advance to the next shelter, a place that the Sun's rays could not reach. For the time being, it was in the shadow of a large stone bridge that once spanned the bed of an ancient river; now only a dried-up wadi remained where water was just a distant memory.
The hideout was much less spacious than the old railroad tunnel, but more importantly, it was much less safe. Not that the space between the two bridge's piers was insufficient, the reason was that this refuge had already been used during a previous attempt. It was therefore known to the enemy.
The break was not very long, a few hours, we could not afford more. It was necessary to take the road again.
Steps similar to this one followed one another. The next hiding place was supposed to be the carcass of an old ferry. Alas, rust had attacked the mass of metal so much that holes had appeared, literally, and that was the problem. Where the sunlight goes, Her gaze goes. So we had to continue without stopping.
When it was not the darkness that was not assured, it was to discover that the refuge had been purely and simply swallowed by the desert, swallowed up under the mass of dust and sand of the dunes, or worse, invaded by Her agents: stonewolves, burned dreamers or other spectres.
Additional difficulty, one could not advance straight ahead. It was necessary to make zigs and zags to try to find a shelter, a refuge in order to grapple some precious moments of respite. But the little rest that was taken was a sleep without dreams, on the qui-vive and the stress.
In these conditions, it was difficult to resist the heat, the wind and the dust. Three elements to which your will to advance was relentlessly confronted. And just like for the rock that submitted to it, they end up eroding you, slowly, insidiously. The thirst, the fatigue, it undermines you and diminishes you; yet you need the strength to take the next step and then the next in an infinite loop.
It was in a state of advanced decrepitude, which had nothing to envy to that of the undead of this desert, that the group finally arrived at their destination.
At the bend of a dune, a tower was discovered, going beyond the sands. The bluish crystal structure, slightly translucent, pointed proudly to the sky. However, cracks were visible here and there. Like the tip of an iceberg protruding from the waves, this tower hinted at something much bigger, buried underneath.
"How do we get in? There's no accessible window and digging to an opening will take us a long time," Saphir asked.
Her voice was hoarse, her throat parched, her lips chapped. Even her scales had lost their luster, turning almost white.
"If there's no opening, we'll make one," Copper Field replied. "Crazy?"
The buffalo girl nodded. After a quick inspection, they both stopped in front of one of the cracks in the wall. The two bovine creatures began to bang in concert, one with her head, the other with his fists. The stonewolves could certify to this, these two had no need of a sledgehammer to crush stone, even crystal.
Quickly a breach was opened. The interior was similar to those old pharaonic tombs. Although a little dusty, the atmosphere was heavy. Everything looked as if it had remained as it was, as if it had been frozen since the last time someone had entered here. It was necessary to scrape an alchemical stick to get some light, but everyone entered with a determined step, leaving behind the cart that had become useless.
On the floor was a soft carpet that muffled their steps. From the furnishings, one could tell that they were in a bedroom, recognizable by the large four-poster bed that took up most of the space. There was also a half-open linen cupboard and a dressing table with a mirror. The mirror had tarnished over time but there was a comb sitting on it, still with a few purplish hairs stuck between the teeth. One could have thought that the person had left yesterday if it wasn't for the film of dust.
The progress was slow and careful. Leeroy led the way, his eyes on the lookout, ready to notice the slightest trap. Then came Stripe right behind, her censer in her mouth, ready to exorcise the first ghost or specter that came along. Copper Field followed her a step behind, in a fighting stance. Sternum and Saphir were following behind, supporting Crazy who was still limping a bit.
On the wall were several hangings with the same heraldry, a purple and violet eight-pointed star. The personal coat of arms of the great heroine of Twilight. Stripe felt relieved. All her research, her life's work, had not been in vain. They were on the right track. This castle was indeed her old domain.
The corridors and staircases went on and on, each time leading deeper into the ruins, into the heart of the darkness. Finally the small group came to a large hallway. The main entrance door was open, its jambs smashed. Sand was pouring out of it, drowning much of the room. Numerous doors and staircases led from this area, the central hub of the building. Traces of ancient burns could be seen here and there, carpets were torn up, furniture destroyed. Traces of magical impacts half-faded on the walls. There had been a fight here, long ago.
The stories from there were more accurate and consistent. The double door in front of the doorway should lead directly to the main room, known as the dirty room of the map. Worryingly, the traces of fighting were in that direction.
According to the old description, the map room should be vast and circular, with a large round table of polished stone in its center. Seven crystal thrones, one of them smaller, should be arranged around it. The six largest would have a heraldry at the top of the back, the personal marks of the last bearers of the Elements of Harmony according to the saga. The table was, according to these legends, a powerful artifact, capable of locating just about anything.
It started badly, the lintel of the door leading to the room was cracked, the wall half collapsed. It was necessary to clear some rubble to sneak into the room. The interior was upside down. The large table in the center was cracked. Half of the thrones were smashed, one of them had been thrown against a wall. In several places the floor tiles had been blown up. An entire section of masonry bore the marks of combustion.
But the main attraction was the dragon skeleton. For its species it was the body of a young teenager. It was a bit bigger than Crazy About Horse. Green highlights could be seen on the bony collar of the back. There were still some shreds of mummified skin, they let us see purple scales. If you added the absence of wings, there was no doubt that this was the remains of the great Spike, Number One Assistant, the Savior of the Crystal Empire.
The sagas regularly refer to him as one of the last heroes of Equestria and as one of the first of the Twilight Lands. At the time of the catastrophe he did much to save what could be saved. There are many contradictory versions about the odyssey he led with his companions, the three crusaders, at the beginning of this era. It is known that he tried several times to defeat her, finally he disappeared, swallowed by the desert of the Day.
There was another corpse in the room. A second damaged skull, was visibly embedded in one of the thrones. There was no trace of the rest of the body, it must have been exploded and scattered like a puzzle by the violence of the impact. The shape of this head was strange, an improbable assembly. Obviously it was equine in appearance, but its top was adorned with a broken deer antler and a spiral goat horn. Stripe had to make an effort to recognize the owner of this bone.
It was Discord the Herald of Chaos. A great hero now forgotten. The zebra was surprised to find his remains here. It was said that he had left this reality after the death of his love. How he ended up here, why he came back, so many mysteries that will remain forever unsolved...
"We have to hurry, our goal can't be too far away," said the exorcist to give her companions courage.
In response a demented laughter was then heard, echoing throughout the crystal building. Then a commanding voice sounded, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.
"Poor mortals, did you really think I was going to leave a place like this unattended? In fact, I was waiting for you."
In a glowing ball of fire, she appeared in all her evil splendor, flying just below the ceiling of the room, a good three meters above the floor. She was an alicorn, tall and slender. Her dress was immaculately white, so white that it became sparkling. On the other hand, her eyes were as black and dark as her coat was white. In contrast, her pupils, incandescent like coals, consumed you with their gaze. A spray of flame was her mane and tail. She was adorned with a diadem and a pectoral with the sun's arms. Both in solid gold, they reflected with their glitter the unhealthy gleam of the fire that was her mane. Her sharp, aggressive predator's teeth contrasted with the usual image of a peaceful herbivore that we have of ponies.
Her rump was strange, the cutie mark was not the same depending on the side you were looking at. On her right side is a large orange spot with a yellow representation of the sun: a circle with eight rays in a wave. On the left side, on the other hand... An inky black spot with a pearly white crescent moon; symbol of the night and dreams, the domain of her sister whom she had devoured. If Stripe had not studied the ancient stories she would never have known this kind of detail, which was not very useful at the moment.
The destroyer, the enemy, she was there, the simple fact of calling her by her real name could invoke her. But now that she was there...
Daybreaker, just by that name, the incandescent light shone in the middle of the darkness of the underground castle. By its mere presence the temperature had already risen several degrees. The glow it gave off reverberated off the crystalline walls, like mirrors. It was difficult to see.
"Grifffffffffooooooooonstoooooooooonnneee for eeeeeeeeeeeever!"
Leeroy was the first to lunge. Quick and spontaneous the griffon went all claws forward on the bogeyman who always terrorized his family. The interested party burst out laughing, contenting herself with setting up a magical barrier.
"You want to fight? Entertain me with this!"
An unhealthy red mist escaped from the alicorn's horn. It swirled in the air for a brief moment before seeping into the dragon's bones. Then the carcass began to move jerkily.
Before the undead had even fully risen, Crazy was already on top of him, head first. It hit him from the front at the level of the pelvis, exploding his coccyx. The violence of the impact was such that she unhooked his tail which ended up at the other end of the room.
Through the shreds of its mummified flesh, we could see an emerald green fire crackling in its throat. The skeletal puppet turned around and opened its mouth wide. But just as the jet of flame shot out, another tongue of fire, azure blue in color, struck the former number one assistant in the face. The two flames cancelled each other out.
Little Saphir had stood on the rest of the round table, spitting all she had of her breath.
"Well done half-portion, you have the merit of entertaining me," laughed Daybreaker.
"She's neither small nor weak, she's my battle companion," Cooper Field shouted as he grabbed a fragment of crystal throne almost as big as himself.
With a hoarse grunt he hurled it straight at the surprised alicorn. The piece of stone shattered on the magical barrier, which exploded with a sound like broken glass.
Leeroy, who had never stopped attacking, immediately took advantage of the opening, and threw himself at the throat of the mad mistress of the day.
On the ground, Crazy regained her momentum and lunged at the draconic bag of bones again. She hit him this time at the level of the solar plexus, and exploded several ribs. Not at all affected by this second attack, the artificial being grabbed with both hands the front legs of the cow. She then pulled and pulled and a sinister crack was heard. The warrior let out a roar of pain. The revenant kept this inexpressive air and continued his macabre work, but suddenly he froze.
A psalmody rose from the back of the room. Heady fumaroles with the scent of incense spread through the room. Stripe sat in a circle drawn on the floor with salt. Her right hoof held her censer, her left hoof a rosary, the wooden beads of which she strung together in rhythm with her exorcism.
"That's enough! You have tired me out," Daybreaker exulted.
A conflagration of orange flame enveloped her and the unfortunate griffin. The howl of agony rose so high that one of the few remaining crystal windows exploded. The smoking carcass fell to the ground. A foul mixture of flesh, feathers and charred hair. The worst thing was probably that the unfortunate creature was not yet dead. Groaning in pain, he began to crawl, like the blind worm he had become.
"No! Leeroy! You're a monster!"
Saphir turned to her friend's killer with a tear on her face. She concentrated what breath she had left and let it out. The blaze was so intense you could see the rock on the back wall soften.
"Little girl, do you really think your flames have a chance of reaching me? Let me show you what a real fire is."
It was with an evil smile that the sun mistress emerged from the flames. Despite her boasts, the blaze had not left her unscathed. One could see that her jewels were deformed, the shape of the sun could hardly be guessed. But what was most visible were the large gashes that Leeroy had made in the middle of her face. Where the flesh had been cut by the claw, the fire had made furrows. Her horn was already glowing red and orange.
"Copper already told you that it's not a small one!"
With a roar the minotaur threw another block of stone, but the projectile never reached its target. It was frozen in the air by an orange halo.
"You got me once, not twice," the ancient ruler hissed.
She sent the rock back towards Saphir. The latter, surprised, tried to throw herself to the side but was too late. The crystal block, like a catapult ball, had crushed her lower limbs. The crash of the impact fell, one could see the carnage. Her left leg was under several hundred pounds of crystal. Her foot was reduced to a bloody pulp. The open fracture in her shin showed bone and pulp. The little princess had fainted from the shock.
Daybreaker laughed nervously at the sight of her work. Blood was flowing, people were suffering because of her. How she had missed that melody. Without paying attention, she had gradually descended from the ceiling of the room to better enjoy the agony of her victims.
"Copper will take care of this highness of mine. Crazy, Stripe! On the attack, all together!"
The buffalo, who had finished reducing the skeleton to a pile of bones fit for toothpicks, nodded. It was now or never. The two bovids dashed forward simultaneously, fist and head forward.
From the back of the room, the wisps of smoke seemed to grow denser, taking on an increasingly white and milky hue. It ended up taking an equine shape. We could see lightning in this cloud, the electric arcs that ran through it had a neon blue tint. The old zebra was in a trance, her eyes had turned white, she continued to chant but in an unknown language and with a voice that was not hers. She was no longer Stripe, she was the horse of an Iwa, she was possessed by the great Agaou-tonnerre, lord of the air and the war.
The imposing misty figure threw herself into the fray at the same time as the other two. Facing the three attackers, the psychopathic pony, still laughing, raised its barrier. Insufficient, the protection was pulverized. The fist of the minotaur reached her in the pelvis, the head of the female bison in the right shoulder. The cloudy mass poured a torrent of electricity into her body. She was not invincible.
The corpse was deformed by the impact and jerked nervously by the shocks, and fell to the ground like a rag doll. Strangely enough, the alicorn changed as life left it. She became a little smaller, her dress took on a purplish color and her hair a mauve almost black tint. Worse, her flank changed its beauty mark, and took the shape of an eight-pointed star.
"No this is not possible! This is not believable!"
In shock, the cloud had spoken with Stripe's voice. The possession was broken, already the cloud had lost its shape and was dissipating . The zebra stood up and moved as fast as she could toward the body. She wanted to be sure.
The body was not that of the former ruler but that of her former student and hero of the Twilight Lands. The one in whose name the great Spike had founded the refuges, the Princess of Friendship.
"Stay where you are. There must be a trap, the enemy must still be there," warned Copper.
Too late, she had left her protective circle of salt. A laughter sounded, the sinister bursts left no doubt about their sender.
"Congratulations, you are the first since Sunset to ruin my favorite toy so much. I think you've definitely broken it for me. I'm going to have a hard time owning it again, it's not as much fun when they're dead, you can't revel in their souls suffering from what you do with their bodies. I'll have to finish this myself."
The time for the tirade the three remaining heroes came closer, putting their backs to each other, in fighting position.
In a flash of light the solar alicorn appeared suddenly, unharmed, in front of the cow, the horn already charged with energy. The conflagration started at point blank range. The incandescent ray left no chance to Crazy. Her head was promptly charred, leaving the bones of the skull where a few shreds of flesh still clung, stunted and crimson.
The rest of the body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Copper turned as quickly as he could, fists coming down hard. But a wall of orange energy materialized less than a centimeter away from the disgraced face. Contrary to the previous times the protection did not give way.
The arms of the assailant on the other hand... The fingers, still clenched, were beading with blood. All the phalanges must have been broken under the force of the impact.
A sarcastic smile on her lips, the evil mare turned towards the boxer and whispered to him.
"Handsome brown, now I'm not playing anymore."
Without giving Copper time to compose himself, she projected him with a powerful wave of telekinesis against the opposite wall, which he crossed as if it were a simple sheet of paper. The boxer found himself rolling into the entrance hall.
Without even giving the minotaur a chance to get up, Daybraeker teleported to his side, pressing her hoof against his chest. She began to slowly increase the pressure, enjoying the mournful sound of the ribs giving way and slowly breaking under the impact.
It was with a roar of pain that Copper grabbed her leg, opening his fists in a terrible effort. A shock of electricity went through the bloodthirsty ruler who released the pressure. In the now opened fist was an electric buzzer, the good old joke of the electric handshake, it always surprises.
Offended, Daybreaker finished off the minotaur with a blast. Copper Feild could die with a smile on his face, but he was still a magician, trained by the Lulamoon dojo, and that's how a magician should bow out.
Inwardly the former sovereign was infuriated. The vile one, he had made her go out of her mind, he had had a quick death that he didn't deserve. Too bad there was still the zebra. Although she was old, her agony would keep her entertained for a while at least. With the dragoness she had two toys, until at least... She got tired of it.
It was at a leisurely pace that Daybreaker returned to the map room. What was the point, the fight was over, she had won, once again...
The old mare was at the dragon's bedside, livid and dead. A pool of blood had formed from her crushed leg. The artery had probably been severed. Damn, one less toy. Heroes are definitely not what they used to be.
"So are you ready for your ordeal, zebra?"
"You've been defeated but you don't know it yet."
"Haha, haha, she has a sense of humor."
"You are blind, your pride is eating you up."
"Honestly, what did you expect? To be the new Elements of Harmony? And in this unlikely team you would have been what? The Element of Magic? That was pathetic. You're not even a unicorn. Besides, there wasn't a single pony in your pitiful gathering. No way the elements would recognize you."
"Who says that was our intention? Our purpose was quite different."
"What?"
The bloodthirsty psychopath's gaze changed, decidedly these sowbugs didn't make her laugh at all.
"Your gaze was averted, now hope is ours."
With her magic the alicorn grabbed the exorcist, grabbing her by the throat, making her levitate a few inches off the ground.
"What do you mean, wretch!"
"You said it yourself, the Elements of Harmony first we had to recover."
Tightening more and more on the windpipe of her victim, the mistress of the day felt the anger rise to her muzzle. It is by murmuring that the zebra continued.
"Your lack of faith dismays me. The five of us here have only a menial task.
Five and not six... In rage the alicorn finished crushing the throat of her prisoner then threw her away. Suddenly she became aware that she was missing one. What she had taken for cowardice was in fact well thought out. Where was the changeling?
Sternum was uncomfortable. He knew that his friends had gone on a suicide mission. He had to, but it hurt him to do it on the sly. Only Copper and Stripe knew about it. The other three didn't know the true purpose of the mission. If they had, would it have changed the outcome?
Now he had to get back upstairs as soon as possible. His companions could not hold back the plague of the Day forever.
The light, the surface, was very close. From the depths of the castle came a fearful cry of rage. She had understood. The shape-shifter began to run. His flanks weighed down by a well loaded satchel.
Stripe’s indications had been clear enough. The elements were where the spirits had indicated, hidden in one of the books of the library. The book was lost between the shelves. Only the thick cover remained, the rest had been completely hollowed out. It was a kind of diary about friendship. It had been a great literary success, one of the last before the great catastrophe.
The release, finally. The harsh light of day blinded him for a brief moment.
The next moment, in a burst of fire, Daybreaker teleported to where her star had allowed her to feel a presence. It materialized at the entrance of the underground, about fifty meters above the ground.
As quickly as he could, the changeling frantically removed the tarp from the cart, uncovering the polished stone slab.
Daybreaker fired a fiery beam at the insectoid creature. But a shield of energy formed in front of him with a sound like broken glass. At Sternum's belt a light bulb had just shattered.
Another one of those alchemical charms. Even dead, this zebra was thwarting her plans. This time Daybreaker would do something about it. Concentrating her energy, the ruler of the day channeled her magic into a ball of pure heat at the tip of her horn.
To speed things up, Sternum took on the appearance of Copper, and with his large hands threw the stele to the ground, upside down. If the first side was a powerful spell of invisibility to divination, the other side was not blank. A recall spell.
With a clamor of protest and frustration Daybreaker sent out her spell. The light of a mini sun illuminated the desert. The sand was glazed over. The castle was swept away. In the center of the crater there was still some black stone debris, the only indication that something was there. But there was no trace of Harmony's elements.
She knew that, by their nature, the six elements were indestructible. If they weren't there, then this bug had succeeded, it had fled.
Author's Note
Here is an intro text.
Again, English is not my mother tongue, so if there are any grammar or meaning errors, please let me know.
Because of the translation all the rhymes in Sprite's lines were skipped.
