My little pony:Adventure of Seresia

The Royal Garden, a masterpiece crafted with the dedication of many artisans, is adorned with carefully tended flower beds and meticulously designed layouts, giving it a distinctive charm. Normally, the garden is reserved for the leisure and recreation of the royal family, but during major festivals, it is opened to the ponies for public viewing. Apart from this, only the diligent guards who patrol the garden daily have access to it. Today, as usual, the guards were making their rounds, ensuring everything was in perfect order—no stray branches or leaves, no unauthorized intruders—and most importantly, safeguarding the statue at the center of the garden.

In order for this newly promoted guard to adapt to his surroundings as quickly as possible, the captain assigned him to patrol the garden. As he wandered aimlessly, he unintentionally ventured deep into the garden. The neat flower beds formed a square enclosure, with a small fountain placed in each of the four corners. The water spouted from the fountains connected in midair, forming a delicate curtain of liquid. At the center stood a statue, encircled by another ring of flowers serving as a barrier. The statue depicted Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, sealed away by magic.

Upon entering this part of the garden, the new guard was awestruck by the arrangement and curiously approached the statue for a closer look. As he scrutinized it, he suddenly remembered the captain’s instructions. Surely, this statue was the highly protected object that required extra vigilance.

“If I recall correctly... aren’t these the big baddies?” he muttered to himself, unaware of a pair of eyes peering at him through the gaps in the flower beds nearby. Hidden behind the flowers, the mysterious figure watched his every move. She then quietly pulled out a vial from the bag concealed beneath her dark grey cloak, pouring some powder into her hoof. She murmured an incantation as she lifted the powder to her masked face, removing her mask to blow the powder toward the unsuspecting guard.

The powder glowed faintly green as it drifted through the air like a snake honing in on its prey.

“What? Is it raining?” The sudden tickling sensation in his nose caused the guard to sneeze several times. As he recovered, he felt a cold, wet sensation on his head and looked up to see a dark cloud looming overhead. Mumbling complaints, he began to walk back to his post, but the rain quickly intensified, leaving him drenched and unable to see clearly. “What’s going on...? Why’s it raining so heavily all of a sudden? What are the pegasi up to?!” He grumbled as he rushed to find shelter from the downpour.

Once the guard was gone, the figure remained hidden for a few more minutes, ensuring the coast was clear before cautiously approaching the statue. Standing in front of it, she gazed at it with a sense of admiration, as if she were viewing a masterpiece.

“At last, I’ve found you… You’ve caused me a lot of trouble… You better not disappoint me,” she muttered to herself. Using her magic, pulled out an intricately carved pendant from her bag and placed it around Chrysalis’s neck. As she chanted another spell, the pendant melted like ice, its green liquid spreading across Chrysalis’s chest like vines before seeping into the stone and vanishing. After a moment, Chrysalis’s statue twitched, and pieces of stone began to flake off. When the petrification finally lifted, Chrysalis stumbled off the pedestal, releasing a roar of frustration that had been trapped within her before the spell had sealed her away.

“No!!!!” Chrysalis shut her eyes, bracing for an attack. But when nothing happened, she cautiously opened her eyes, scanning her surroundings. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were nowhere to be seen. Instead, standing before her was a cloaked pony. Chrysalis leapt back, eyes darting around as if searching for an escape or something else.

“Your Majesty, I’ve finally found you!” The cloaked pony’s voice carried a note of excitement.

“Who are you? And where am I?!” Chrysalis demanded, her tone laced with suspicion.

“Queen Chrysalis, you were turned into a statue by Twilight and her friends, and placed here in the Royal Garden. I just freed you from the spell.” The mysterious mare gestured behind Chrysalis. She turned to see the statues of Tirek and Cozy Glow, then examined her own hooves, still unsure of what to believe.

“Why would a pony help me?”

“Because I know how much you despise Twilight, and I happen to know her weakness.” Chrysalis narrowed her eyes, studying the cloaked mare, whose hooded gaze remained fixed on her. There was a subtle, almost imperceptible smile playing at the corners of the mare’s lips. After a long moment of silence, Chrysalis scoffed.

“If you’re lying to me, I’ll turn you into my next meal!”

“Of course, Your Majesty. The garden is full of guards. You won’t be able to escape alone. But before we leave, allow me to show you my loyalty. Please, step back.” The cloaked mare’s horn glowed as she swiftly inscribed strange symbols around the statue with her magic. She then took a small canvas pouch from her bag, scattering some white powder within the circle.

As soon as the powder touched the air, the space in front of them shimmered like a kaleidoscopic mirror. In an instant, everything returned to normal. The mare then tossed a small object into the circle, and it rolled toward where Chrysalis had once stood. Before their eyes, it grew into an identical statue of the former queen. Chrysalis stared in amazement at the flawless magical trickery,at least she would not be easy to turn this horse into food.

“Queen Chrysalis, follow me. We need to get to a safe place.” Having finished her display of magic, the queen felt a slight twinge of trust and, under the cover of darkness, followed the mare out of the garden.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?! Slacking off?!” Unfortunately, the rain-soaked guard was now face to face with his captain, who had spotted him lurking under the eaves, peeking outside like a clown. The captain’s shout startled him out of his stupor.

“Captain! It was raining outside! I just came in to take cover!” The guard quickly straightened up and saluted, speaking in a loud voice.

“Raining?” The captain grumpily waved his hoof outside, then stepped out himself. “There’s no rain here! The pegasi clear the skies every day, so how could it possibly rain?!” The captain yelled as he knocked the guard’s helmet hard, leaving him dizzy for a moment.

"You, go out there and take a good look! The ground's completely dry, where's the rain?!" the captain barked.

The guard, now pushed outside, stood in disbelief. Just moments ago, it had been pouring rain, yet suddenly there wasn’t a single trace left. He looked down, searching for even a small puddle, anything to prove he wasn’t lying. But to the captain, it looked like nothing more than an excuse from a lazy soldier.

"Enough, soldier! Attention!" the captain ordered sternly.

The guard immediately snapped to attention.

"I don’t want to hear any more of your excuses! If you’re trying to slack off, it won’t work! Honestly, you’d be better off faking sickness in bed than pulling this stunt!" The captain continued his scolding.

"Get back to your post, soldier! If I catch you slacking off again, I’ll make sure my hoof gets very well acquainted with your backside!"

"Yes, sir!" the guard responded with a salute, before retreating hastily toward his assigned area. As he passed by the section where the statue stood, a lingering look of disbelief still crossed his face. He searched desperately for something to prove he wasn’t making up the rain, but found nothing.

Then, as he neared the statue, a faint but unmistakable scent wafted through the air. His nose twitched as he inhaled, trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. After sniffing around for a few moments, his gaze settled on the villainous statue before him, his face now filled with confusion.

"Was this smell here before?" The thought echoed in his mind as his brow furrowed, his eyes locked onto the statue.

"Hey!!! Didn’t I tell you to get back to your post?! What are you standing here staring at the statue for? Are you enchanted by them or something?!" The captain’s shout came from behind him, startling the guard.

"Captain! I smelled something strange around the statue! I think something's off!" The guard responded quickly, his voice filled with concern.

The captain approached with a skeptical look, sniffing the air as the guard had done. After a brief moment, he scoffed, his face twisting with irritation.

"Of course it smells like something! Look around you, rookie!" He pointed to the blooming flowers surrounding the statue. "The place is full of flowers! It’s natural for it to smell nice! Are you trying to play me for a fool?! That’s it. Switch posts with another guard immediately. You're going to the training grounds for extra drills!"