It seemed like a normal day in the city of New York, but one wouldn't know just by looking at the cover of a book. Inside of a house in Queens, a teenage girl with light purple skin, Indigo hair with a pink strip, and glasses was organizing her suitcases filled with books, clothes and other things. On her nightstand a letter sits with a strange crest at the bottom of the letter. She closed her trunk before picking up said letter and had a bright smile on her face. "Twilight, do you have everything packed for school!?" A woman's voice called out from downstairs.
"Yeah mom, I'll be down in a second!" Twilight called out before folding up the letter and placed it in the drawer of her nightstand. She then made her way downstairs before ducking under a plate that flew by and rested on a table. She then sees her mother, Twilight Velvet, making scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. "I have everything packed up for school. I have my books on magic, wizarding history, mythical creatures, herbology…"
"Did you remember to pack clothing just in case?" Velvet asked with a small chuckle.
"Of course mom." Twilight then sat down at the table as your mother came by with her breakfast. "I can't wait to get Ilvermorny, all the magic I'll get to learn and everything."
"Now Twilight, you know me and your father are really excited for you to go to the same school we used to go to, but I'm a little concerned with…" Velvet trailed off with a concerned look on her face. "The goblins."
"Mom, that's just a rumor." Twilight told her. "There's no way goblins are trying to rebel against wizards."
"Some rumors can be true, Twilight." Her father, Night Light, told her as he came in wearing a suit and tie. "Everyone at the ministry has been looking into it and we still don't know what they're up to. We still want you to be careful while you're at school."
"I promise." Twilight replied after finishing her breakfast. Velvet took out her wand and used it to levitate Twilight's plate over to the sink before she used her magic to bring a small rectangular box over.
"One more thing before you head to school." She told Twilight before sitting the box down in front of her. "We have a feeling you'll want a little bit of help to catch up with the other students, so we pulled a few strings and got you very special to help out with that." Twilight opened the box to find a golden necklace with a gold dragon pendant with jade metal in it.
"What is it?"
"It's just something we got from a friend in China." Night Light told her as he took the necklace and put it around her neck. "When you need help, just tap the pendant and the rest will just come to you." They then heard the doorbell ring by someone. "Oh she's here." Night light quickly went up to the front door and opened it as he was greeted by a woman who has white skin with green, blue, and pink hair while she was wearing a long white robe with gold outlines. "Hello Professor Celestia."
"Morning Night Light, I see you've gotten ready for work." Celestia mentioned as he let her in. "How's it going in the ministry?"
"Very well, but with the rumor of goblins and everything…" Night Light told her. "But I believe you're here for something else, or someone."
"I believe I am." Celestia walked over to Twilight, who quickly stood up from her chair. "I see that you're more than ready for Ilvermorny."
"I am professor." Twilight replied. "I have everything packed upstairs and everything."
"I hope you have been keeping up with your spell casting." Celestia mentioned before Twilight pulled out a wand from her pocket.
"I have, professor."
"Twilight had made very great progress using a borrowed wand." Velvet mentioned with a proud tone. "Can't wait to see what she can do with her own wand."
"Well after she's been sorted into a house at the school, we'll see." Celestia said before she pulled out her wand and waved it. She then cast a spell to bring Twilight's luggage down before she cast another one that seemed to make them vanish. "One more thing before we go, I should let you know that there are two other students that are accompanying us to Ilvermorny and they are also going to be fifth year students as well."
"Really?" Twilight asked in surprise. "Well when are they going to get here?"
"They're outside with two of the professors." Twilight was confused by that before Celestia walked out the door. Twilight and her parents followed behind and they saw a carriage with a few luggage being loaded onto the back by a man and a woman with wands. The man has dark blue skin, pure white hair as he was also wearing gray and silver robes. The woman had bright yellow skin and orange hair while she was wearing a whistle around her neck with dark blue robes with a bright yellow in the center looking like a lightning bolt.
Standing next to the carriage are two teen boys around Twilight's age as one boy has yellow skin with blue hair while he was wearing a black hoodie with blue jeans. There seems to be a blue shield with a lightning bolt on the right shoulder of his hoodie as well. The other boy had white skin with yellow hair with a little white streaks as he was wearing a black jacket with yellow lines going down the sleeves and a blue shirt while he wore black pants.
"Twilight Sparkle, meet Professor Mist Cloak and Professor Spitfire." Celestia introduced the man and the woman. "They'll be your professors at Ilvermorny."
"A pleasure to meet, Miss Twilight." Cloak said as he shook hands with Twilight while Celestia was loading Twilight's luggage onto the carriage.
"Just to let you know, I will be your broom riding instructor and I'll make sure that my students will always respect their brooms." Spitfire told her before she gestured to the blue-haired boy. "This is Flash Sentry, I've taught him a few things and I have a gut feeling that he'll be in the Wampus house when we get to the sorting ceremony."
"Professor Spitfire has been saying that after my first three lessons with her." Flash said before he walked to Twilight and offered a handshake. "Nice to meet you."
"You too." Twilight replied as she shook hands with him before she looked at the other boy. "And I take it that Professor Cloak taught you some basics?"
"Light Crest, and yes." He replied with a small smile. "I'm a bit eager to get to Ilvermorny, all the spells we're going to learn and who knows what else will be in store for us." Celestia finished loading Twilight's luggage onto the chariot but the others before walking over to the others.
"Alright, everything should be ready for us to go." Celestia told them before she looked at the three soon to become students. "From what I saw from Twilight and what your two professors have taught the two of you. You three will be forced to be reckoned with when you each get your own. We're almost ready to depart. It's a pity we didn't have a bit more time to spend on spell-casting."
"Thank you, Professor Celestia." Light said with a smile. "I can't wait to learn more when we get to Ilvermorny."
"Yes, it's really nice of you and the other two to help us before the term begi--" Twilight sentence was cut off when three people apparated near them. One was Twilight's older brother, Shining Armor, while the other is his wife, Cadance, who was holding a cage with an owl in it. The third one was a man with blue skin and orange hair as he was wearing plaid red clothing as he looked a little confused to where he was before he turned around and saw Celestia and the other professors.
"Ah Celestia, there you are." The man said as he walked up to them while Shining Armor and Cadance walked up to Twilight.
"Shine Spell, glad my rather cryptic description of our location did not thwart your finding us." Celestia mentioned as she shook hands with Shine. Flash and light then noticed Twilight giving Shining Armor a loving hug before she did the same with Cadance.
"Well, I'm apparated two more vaguely defined destinations than this." Shine replied with a slight chuckle. "Though, I confess I may have miscalculated slightly on my first try. Gave quite the fright to some theatre-goers in the West End."
"It's really great to see you again, but what are you both doing here?" Twilight asked both Shining and Cadance.
"Whay, I can't see my little sister off on our first day to Ilvermorny?" Shining asked rhetorically before he noticed Flash and Light. "I take it these two are also going to school with you as well?"
"Well yeah, I'm Flash Sentry and it's nice to meet you." He said as he offered a handshake.
"What's that you got there, Miss…?" Light asked when he noticed the owl in the cage.
"Cadance, Mrs Cadance, Shining's wife, and this is a little going away present for my sister-in-law." She explained as she gave Twilight the cage.
"Thank you, Cadance." Twilight said it before Celestia placed the owl cage on the carriage with the other two owls just as Twilight hugged both her brother and sister-in-law.
"I must say, it's been much too long." Cloak told Shine. "When I received your owl, I must say I--"
"Hey, why don't we continue our little conversation and the carriage on the way to school?" Spitfire suggested. "I'm pretty sure Luna will not be happy if we arrived late for the ceremony."
"Right, of course." Celestia spoke up. "Why don't we speak en route to Ilvermorny? We have a start-of-terms feast and a Sorting Ceremony to get to. I definitely do not want my sister to be upset if she starts it without me."
"Well I guess this is goodbye." Velvet said before she gave her daughter a hug. "Be sure to write to us when you can."
"Promise." Twilight replied before she went to hug her brother, sister-in-law and father goodbye.
"Well then, as long as you don't mind me tagging along for the ride?" Shine asked of them.
"Not at all, sir." Flash replied as Twilight and Light nodded in agreement. The Carriage door then opened on its own as each of them started to step inside.
"It's been ages since I've been to the school." Shine mentioned. "Would be good to see the old pile of rocks." Before he climbed in, he gave one look around with concern. Once he was done, he climbed on in before the driver whipped the reins to make the carriage move. Twilight's family watched as the carriage she and those inside the carriage took off into the sky before Shining noticed someone around the corner of their house. He quickly walked over to see who it was before he turned a corner and saw no one there.
The carriage flew high above the ground and through the clouds to not be seen by any Nomags. While it continued to fly, the passengers inside started to have a little conversation. "Glad I caught you before you left for Massachusetts." Shine told them.
"Just barely." Spitfire added with a slight chuckle.
Shine chuckled back before looking at Flash, Twilight, and Lights. "And who are your traveling companions?" He asked when he gestured to them.
"Three new students." Celestia answered with a proud smile, while Shine just looked confused.
"New?"
"Yes sir, we're starting school as fifth-years." Light explains for the three of them. "Professor Cloak was the one who gave me the basics of spell casting."
"Spitfire is my mentor the entire time." Flash added.
"And Headmistress Celestia mentored me." Twilight finished with a smile.
"How extraordinary." Shine complimented.
"It is, indeed." Celestia agreed. "None of the faculty has ever heard of anyone being admitted to Ilvermorny so late."
"Nor have I." Shine mentioned.
"Of course, as the other fifth-years will have been honing their magical skills for four years now, I took it upon myself to make sure that I make one of these three get up to speed with a bit before the term begins." Celestia mentioned before she looked at Cloak and Spitfire. "I've asked them to help with the other two."
"Well, you three couldn't have asked for better mentors." Shine told Twilight, Flash, and Light. "Professor Cloak is not only an exceptional teacher, he is also a remarkably intuitive, and gifted, wizard. Spitfire is very determined as he has this whenever she's on a broom, I dare say she can make any Quidditch team give a run for their money. As for Celestia, well, there's a reason why she's the headmistress of Ilvermorny."
"Mr. Shine is prone to flattery." Spitfire mentioned to the three. "I think it's one of the reasons he's risen so far at the Ministry." Both Celestia and Cloak let out a chuckle before Shine pulled out a newspaper from his pocket.
"Have you seen this?" He asked as he unfolded the newspaper and the headline read 'Ranrok's Goblin Rebellion: Truth or Gobbledygook' with an image of a goblin looking around next to it.
"We have." Celestia answered. "Opinions differ as to how great a threat Ranrok really is." As the professors were talking with Shine, light looked out the window and noticed something odd flying underneath the clouds. He couldn't make it out before it suddenly disappeared under the clouds.
"Although I've yet to convince my colleagues at the Ministry, I believe he is a significant threat." Shine mentioned. "And it was your wife, Cloak, who elected me to his activities months ago."
"Rose?" Cloak asked in shock. "How?"
Shine let out a sigh before continuing. "She wrote to me about Ranrok before she died, wondering what the Ministry knew about his activities." He then sent the newspaper aside before pulling something else out from his pockets. "Before I could respond, I received this. It was the last thing she sent me, Cloak." He held out a cylinder made out of a strange material with a strange symbol that looked like a swirl like flame on the center of it. It came via her owl, but with no correspondence. I can only assume--"
"That she had to get rid of it quickly to keep it safe." Celestia finished as Cloak took the container.
"I bet my own room that she had to keep it safe from Ranrok." Spitfire added as Cloak looked it over. "What's in it?"
"I don't know, I cannot open it." Shine told them. "Whatever magic protects this is very powerful indeed.
"It looks like goblin metal." Shine told them after inspecting the container before he pointed to the symbol in the center of it. "That symbol…"
"What's that glow on it?" Light asked as he pointed to the symbol.
"I don't see a glow." Cloak mentioned as he looked it over again.
"Nor do I." Shine said as Twilight and Flash looked closely at the container.
"I… I see it too." Twilight mentioned as she saw some sort of glow on the symbol of the container.
"Me three, it's right there." Flash told them as he pointed to the symbol.
"Are you sure?" Celestia asked the three as they nodded in response. Cloak then handed the container to light and just when he placed his hands on both ends of the container, the glow on the symbol spread out in the edged lines before the container opened up to reveal a key with the same symbol on one end of it.
"What the… how did you open?!" Spitfire asked in shock just as Light was about to touch the key.
"Wait!" Cloak stopped light from touching the key before taking the container. "We do not know what--" The back of the carriage was suddenly ripped off by a large dragon wearing some sort of collar around its neck. The three professors and their students held onto what's left as three owls flew away. The six of them watched as the dragon bit down and destroyed, as well as killed Mr Shine. After seeing Shine being killed, Twilight looked towards the front and saw the Thestrals appear before her. The driver looked behind and saw the dragon approaching as he tried to make the Thestrals go faster.
The dragon opened its mouth as it was prepared to shoot a fireball right at them. "JUMP!" Celestia shouted before they all jumped to dodge the fireball and the driver quickly apparated out. Twilight, Flash, Light, and the professors began to fall from the sky before Cloak noticed he lost hold of the container. He tried to grab hold of it, but it only made it fall farther away from him before it opened up and the key fell out.
"The key!" Cloak called out before Celestia saw the dragon coming towards them.
"Lock hands, quickly!!" She told the others as they quickly grabbed hold of one another's hands. "Accio!" The key was quickly pulled into her hand just before the group vanished when the dragon's jaw was about to chomp down on them.
In a cave somewhere, a red squirrel was moving about before the group suddenly appeared and scared it off. "Are you all alright?" Celestia asked before Twilight let out a painful grunt.
"Twilight, what's wrong?" Flash asked with concern as she held her side.
"She's hurt." Cloak said before he stood up and handed Twilight a small bottle filled with green liquid. "Take this. It's a Wiggenweld Potion. That stuff'll right you in a second." Twilight drank up the potion as Light noticed they were in an unfamiliar place.
"Where are we?" He asked as Celestia was pacing around.
"Poor Shine… I can't believe he… What the hell got into that damned thing!?" She exclaimed. "Attacking a carriage midair? A typical dragon would never…"
"Celestia?" Twilight spoke up as Celestia took a deep breath and let it out.
"What exactly happened?" Flash asked as they all looked around. "We grabbed each other's hands and he pulled the key close to us before… What happened?"
"We're not sure." Spitfire responded. "But that key that was in the container was definitely a Portkey."
"A Portkey?" Light asked.
"I've read about them, they're enchanted items to bring whoever touches it to a pacific place in the world." Twilight said as she stood up with a little help from Flash. "I'm feeling better now. Do you think we should look around a bit more?"
"If we are to find out where the Portkey took us, I believe we should." Cloak said before he pointed forward to the entrance of the cave. "We should see what's out there."
"But you three, stay close to us." Celestia told the three teens. "We've no idea who created this Portkey, or why." They soon made their way out of the cave and found themselves on the side of a cliff near the ocean. They could see ancient ruins sitting on a large rock.
"How far did that Portkey take us?!" Light asked once they saw where they were.
"Farther from America then the carriage traveled." Cloak mentioned. "We're somewhere in the Scottish Highlands."
"He, those ruins up ahead!" Twilight pointed out. "Do you think…?"
"The Portkey was taking us there, yeah." Spitfire spoke up. "This day is not exactly a day any of us have planned."
"But Rose sent that Portkey to Shine for a reason." Celestia pointed out. "And I believe that she, and now Shine, died in pursuit of whatever it was meant to lead to." She then turned to the three teens. "If any of you are sure you're alright, and wouldn't mind indulging me, I'd like to have a look around."
"So would I." Spitfire spoke up next. "It's not every day you get to go sightseeing."
"It does sound fun." Light said. "My father was an explorer and an adventurer, so it would be exciting."
"I guess the sorting ceremony can wait until then." Flash mentioned before he noticed Twilight looking a bit uneasy. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Just still feel a little uneasy about the dragons." She admitted as she stroked her ponytail.
"It's alright, we just stay close and stay together." Flash assured her with a warm smile. Twilight looked at him before the others as she thought about it for a bit, then gave a nod in response.
"Alright, let's go." All six of them then started to look for a path to the ruins.
"Mind your step." Spitfire warned as they were moving alongside the cliff.
"So Professor Cloak, I heard your wife was an explorer but where do you think your wife found that Portkey that brought us here?" Light asked as they climbed up a small ledge.
"A good question." Cloak said as they continued on. "Rose spent years searching for evidence of a long forgotten form of ancient magic."
"'Ancient magic'?" Twilight repeated as Flash helped her up a ledge.
"Yes. A powerful magic wielded by a rare few, that seems to have been lost to time." Celestia explained as they jumped down a small ledge and continued on. "You see, Hogwarts Castle was built by, and is itself, a stronghold of that ancient magic. But where could Rose possibly possess a Portkey?"
"I don't know, but I am certain it was to do with that search." Cloak mentioned as Spitfire looks towards the ruins.
"Over there!" She called out as she pointed towards a cave leading towards the ruins. "We can get to the ruins going that way!" They followed Spitfire as something was on Twilight's mind.
"But Professor Cloak, why was your wife searching for evidence of lost magic? She asked him.
"Rose wanted to understand why such powerful magic disappeared from the wizarding world, spoke of the good it could do." Cloak explained as they continued on. "But magic is no different than any power. What really matters is the one who wields it." They soon found their path blocked by some sort of wall that looked either ice or crystal.
"What is that, ice?" Light asked as Celestia inspected it.
"No, it's not cold enough here." She told him. "It appears to be some sort of enchantment. Someone wanted to block this path." She then turns to Twilight, Flash, and Light with a smile. "Why don't we see you three use that wandwork each of you have been practicing together? All three of you, take out your wands and focus on the center." The three teens looked at each other before they nodded and took out their wands. They took aim towards the enchanted wall before waving their wants to launch a few basic casts at it, causing some cracks to be formed in it. After a few more shots, the enchantment broke and the path was opened up to them.
"Nice work you three." Spitfire praised as she patted Flash on the shoulder. They then continued on their way as they slid down a steep hill before coming to the bottom. "That was a bit rougher than I'd expected." They continued on inclined up a tall ledge before the ruins were in sight but they were blocked off by a large gap.
"We're close now, it's just ahead." Cloak mentioned as he pointed to the ruins. The harsh winds blew as Celestia took out her wand and put her arm out to stop the three teens from coming close.
"Stand back!" She told them before she waved her wand. "Reparo!" With that, the rubble that was once the bridge started to come up from the water and repaired itself, revealing the way forward once again. They soon crossed the bridge and reached the ruins where they saw a statue of a bearded wizard with bells around his hat and a mural of some kind.
"Why would someone have built this here?" Twilight questioned as they looked around.
"I suspect they value their privacy." Cloak theorized. "That Portkey led us here for a reason."
"But why and who owned this place?" Light asked.
"Let's look around for anything that might seem, you know, out of place." Spitfire instructed as they split up to search for anything that might help give them a clue to what's happening.
"Hmm, according to this mural, perhaps our host of this place was a noted Seer." Celestia mentioned as she inspected the mural. Twilight, Flash, and Light suddenly had a feeling that just came to them.
"Do… Do either of you feel that?" Twilight asked the two boys.
"Yeah, I feel it and it's… It's like…" Flash trailed off.
"Something is calling to us." Light finished before they noticed a pathway just passed the statue. The three of them walked past the statue and noticed a wall in the back of the ruins. They walked up to it and saw the crystallized stone from before. "It's that enchanted crystallized stone again."
"Yeah, but what could it be blocking?" Flash questioned.
"I don't know, but it has the symbol that was also on the key to." Twilight mentioned before they walked closer and saw the crystallized stone expand wider and the three of them saw a room on the other side of it. "What's this? Professors, we found something!" The three professors soon came over to see the crystallized stone as well.
"How odd." Celestia said as she placed her hand on her chin with a raised brow. "Why would someone have conjured that enchanted stone here?"
"And how is there a room behind it?" Light asked which only confused the three professors.
"What room?" Spitfire asked.
"You mean none of you can see it?" Flash asked as he, Light, and Twilight walked up to the wall.
"No, I don't see anything there." Cloak mentioned before the three teens noticed something.
"There's that glow again, like the glow on the Portkey container!" Twilight point it out as they walked up to it and placed their hands on it. But the moment they did the crystallized wall just vanished before they all turned around and saw that they were no longer in the ruins.
"What in the world…!?" Celestia gasp as they were now in a room with a few columns and a goblin sleeping on a desk ahead of them. "We're in Gringotts."
"But how?!" Spitfire questioned. "What kind of magic do this anyway?" They then took notice of the goblin sleeping at his desk as the cautiously approach him. Celestia then let out a cough in hopes to wake up the goblin. When it didn't work, she let out allowed her cough which startled the goblin as he quickly awoke from his nap. When he composed himself, he saw the group and had a surprised look on his face.
"It can't be." He said before he had a smile on his face. "Just a moment." He then begins bumbling to himself as he walks down from his desk and over to them. "Welcome to Gringotts Wizarding Bank." He greeted them with a bow. "Vault number twelve, I presume?"
"Uh… yes." Celestia replied in an unsured tone.
"The key?" The goblin asked as he held out of his hand. The group looked at each other as they wondered which key to use before Twilight realized something.
"The Portkey that brought us here." She whispered to Celestia
"Oh yes, of course." Celestia said before she took out said key and giving it to the goblin. The goblin took the key and gestured to follow him.
"This way, then." The goblin told them as he walked over to a railing.
"Stay close." Cloak whispered to the three teens before they followed him. The goblin then let out a whistle before a cart came down and stopped in front of them.
"After you." He told them before each of them boarded the cart. Once they were all on board, the goblin took the driver seat and prepared to set off. "Keep your hands inside the card if you don't wish to lose them." The goblin then put the cart in drive as it moved forward and they went through the catacombs of Gringotts. They soon caught of you of many volts as they continued down the line.
"How many vaults are in Gringotts?" Twilight asked the Goblin.
"Hundreds." He replied. "In fact, you'll see quite a few on our way to vote number twelve. As we speak, we're just beneath the main lobby. The volts you see now are the newest."
"Are private entrances to the bank common at Gringotts?!" Celestia asked.
"They are most uncommon! Only with great wealth or power, or both, could have arranged for such a service!" They continued down the line until a waterfall of some kind was seen up ahead. "You'll want to take a breath!"
"A what?!" Cloak questioned before they passed right through the waterfall.
"That waterfall washes away all enchantments! It's a security measure!" The goblin explains to them. "Experience the Thief's Downfall before, have you?!"
"Heard of it!" Spitfire responded.
"These are the lower vaults that we're passing now!" The goblin continued.
"How deep are we going?!" Flash asked.
"Vault number twelve was commissioned shortly after Gringotts was founded over four centuries ago!" The goblin told them. "It resides in the deepest parts of the bank! Settle in, we've quite a distance to go." They soon came to a stop near a platform where a goblin guard halted them.
"Vault number?" The guard asked.
"Vault twelve." The goblin banker responded excitedly. "A momentous day!" The guard Goblin let out a small growl before gesturing to them to go on.
"On your way." He told them before Twilight, Flash, and Light noticed the arm brace the guard was wearing. It had some sort of glow on it, only it looked more dark red than the ones they saw before. As soon as the card started moving, the guard took another card and went in a different direction.
"Professors, the armband that guard was wearing was glowing." Light whispered to the professors.
"Like the glow you three saw on the Portkey container?" Celestia asked the three.
"No, it was darker." Twilight whispered.
"We saw the same glow on the dragon's collar when it attacked." Flash added.
"What was that?" The goblin banker spoke up.
"We were just wondering about that Goblin back there." Cloak said casually.
"He watches over the oldest section of the bank." The goblin banker told them. "Rare anyone goes there anymore." After a bit of traveling down the rail, they soon came to a stop and a platform where a bank vault door can be seen. "Here we are." They all soon stepped off of the card and walked towards the vault.
"When was the last time this vault was accessed?" Spitfire asked the goblin banker.
"A goblin has been stationed at my desk for hundreds of years. In that time, no one has visited vault twelve, until today." The goblin walked up to the Vault and put the key into it before turning it. Gears can be heard being turned on the inside before the door opened and the goblin stepped aside. "Vault twelve."
"Thank you for your help." Celestia told the goblin as she stepped inside. The others soon followed her in but didn't see anything valuable inside.
"What do you think we should be looking for?" Flash asked the others.
"Not sure." Cloak responded before he looked towards the goblin. "Sir, I wonder if you might--"
"The instructions for vault twelve indicate that I am to grant access to the holder of the key, and then close the door." He told them before he closed the door as it locked itself. "Best of luck!"
"Well that's just great." Spitfire complained.
"What do we do now?" Twilight asked.
"That was certainly unexpected." Celestia mentioned as she put her hand on her chin. "Let's see… There has to be something here. Ah, Revelio! That might help us look for whatever that's here."
"Revelio?" Light repeated.
"Yes, a revealing charm." Cloak explained to him. "No time like the present. Let's see what we're missing, shall we?"
"Why don't we let our students use the spell?" Celestia suggested. "You three, take out your wands and focus." Twilight, Flash, and light took out their wands as they followed their mentors movements with their wands. They concentrated as they traced their wands before it felt like the spell just came to them. "Now, repeat the incantation."
"Revelio." All three of them said as they waved or once and they saw a faint sign in the distance of the room.
"There, I saw something!" Flash pointed up ahead.
"But, it was kind of faint to make out." Twilight added.
"Move closer to it and try again." Spitfire instructed. The group then moved closer to the end of the room before the three teens casted Revelio once more to reveal a door with the symbol from before.
"It's a door?" Light questioned.
"Well, it's a start." Cloak mentioned as he inspected the door. "There's that symbol again. I don't suppose you three seeing a way to--"
"Yeah, that symbol has the same glow as the one on the Portkey container." Twilight pointed out as Flash and Light knotted in agreement.
"How's it all connected?" Spitfire questioned.
"If what you three can see reveals the way forward, then I dare say we are about to discover the secret of this vault." Celestia told the three teens as she gestured for them to the door. "Lead the way." The three teens walked up to the door and placed their hands on the symbol. The moment they did, the room went dark and the symbol disappeared.
"Lumos!" The three professors casted as their wands lit up. They found themselves in a completely different area with multiple columns surrounding them.
"This is definitely no ordinary vault." Spitfire mentioned. "It looks like we need to earn our way out of here."
"What do you mean 'earn' our way out?" Twilight asked her. "Do you think this is some sort of test?"
"I believe we do." Celestia responded. "But to what end, we're not sure. You three stay close to us. There will be no Disapparating if things go poorly, not out of Gringotts." The group carefully ventured forward as they were looking for something that could get them out. They walked for a bit until Twilight, Flash, and Light saw something glowing on the floor.
"There's something up ahead." Light told the professors as he pointed ahead.
"What is it?" Cloak asked as they walked to where the glow is.
"It's the glow again." Flash answered. "But, it's on the floor now." The moment the three teams walked up to the glow, they felt some sort of surge going through them. They suddenly took out their wands and somehow expanded the globe that changed the floor into some sort of crystal substance as they fell to their knees.
"Are you three alright?" Spitfire asked them before they stood up. "What happened?"
"When we moved towards the glow, it suddenly seemed as if the ground was swirling about." Twilight explained. "But we're fine."
"Whatever you three did, you seemed to have caused the floor to change." Cloak mentioned as he looked down at the floor.
"But what about that statue?" Flash asked as he and the other two teens saw some sort of stone statue of a soldier under the floor.
"What statue?" Celestia asked as the three professors looked around the room for it.
"There's some sort of statue, but it's reflecting in the floor." Light explained.
"Hang on, I think I know a way for them to see it." Twilight said as she took out her wand. "Revelio!" She casted the spell and the stone soldier statue appeared before them.
"So that is when you saw in the reflection on the floor?" Spitfire asked when she saw the statue.
"Yeah, but the reflection is facing the wrong way of the statue." Light mentioned as he noticed the differences. "I mean, the reflection is still there, but it's and the statue's positions are in opposite directions." Twilight then noticed something when Celestia started to move around the statue and the reflection in the floor moved.
"Wait, when you moved, the reflection turned in the direction of the light." She told Celestia.
"Well, since you three can see the reflection and we can't, perhaps you three should cast Lumos." Celestia suggested. "Just follow our wand movements and concentrate." The three teens took out their ones and followed the professors' wand movements in the shape of a right side of V. As soon as they got it, they casted the spell and a light formed at the end of their wands.
"Okay, now the reflection is turning towards us." Light mentioned as the reflection moved towards them. "It does follow the light." Soon the reflection matched the soldier statue before the statue stood up and it topped the floor with its sword. A barrier soon covered the area they were in as more stone statues fell from the ceiling with swords in their hands.
"Look out!" Spitfire called out as the stone statue in front of Twilight raised its sword and prepared to attack her.
"Protego!" Twilight quickly cast a shield that protected her from the attack. The three professors then cast spells that draw the statues towards them before slamming them down onto the floor that destroyed them. Spitfire then cast a levitation charm to lift one up in the air before Celestia cast a destruction charm that destroyed it.
Soon more came down as they all prepared to defend themselves. "Expulso!" Cloak-casted as he destroyed one of the statues while the three teens were using basic casts to fight back against the statues. Each time one of the statues tried to attack them, they quickly used Protego to defend themselves while also counter-attacking with a Stupify to stun them.
One statue that was behind Twilight was about to strike if Flash had not quickly ran and tackled her out of the way before it could. "Thanks for that!" She quickly thanked him.
"Don't mention it!" He replied before quickly casting Protego to protect himself and her from an attack. Light then took out another one while the three professors took out a few more. It seemed like this fight was going on for a while before the last stone soldier was destroyed and the winds that formed the barrier around them were becoming more harsh.
"Stay together, quickly!!" Celestia called out before they all quickly gathered and stood back to back with each other. Soon the room went completely dark and there were no sounds to be heard.
"Professor Celestia?!" Twilight called out with concern before she and the two teen boys took out their wands and casted Lumos. Once their wands lit up, they found the three professors had vanished without a trace. "Where'd they go?"
"I don't know." Flash responded as they looked around. "Looks like we're on our own."
"Guys, look…" Light spoke as he noticed some sort of wisps of some kind with each step they took. "What is that?"
"I don't know, but it seems like these wisps of magic are leading us somewhere." Twilight mentioned as she noticed them going in one direction.
"So let's follow the wisp then." Flash suggested as they followed the glowing wisps to where they're going. They soon spotted up ahead on the floor that looked very familiar to them. "That's where they're leading us. That glow again." They each step into the glow before waving their one to expand it around them, causing the floor to change yet again only they saw three statues reflecting in the floor.
They understood what they needed to do now as they casted Revelio to reveal three statues above the floor. "Looks like we have to line up the statues with the ones in the floor." Light mentioned before he looked towards the other two. "But we know what will happen after…"
"If it means finding the professors and a way out of here, it looks like we don't have a choice." Twilight mentioned as she casted Lumos before lining up one of the statues with its reflection.
"Let's stand together," Flash spoke next as he casted Lumos and lined up another statue with its reflection.
"And fight together." Light finished as he casted Lumos and lined up the final statue with its own reflection. Each of the statues stood up before topping the floor with their swords. Soon more statues fell from the ceiling as the three teens prepared to defend them off. Flash casted Protego the block off an attack from one statue while Twilight struck a few of them with a basic cast. They each were together to fend off and destroy each statue before they quickly stood back to back when the barrier surrounding the area grew more intense.
The room went dark again and they casted Lumos to see where to go as they saw the wisps of magic appear again. They once again followed the Wisps to where they were leaving as they sprinted forward. They soon saw a statue of the symbol of a headache before they saw the glow again on the floor. Once they stood in the glow, they named their wands and instead of statues or the floor changing, the statue changed into an archway that showed a different room through it. "That's different." Light mentioned before the three of them cautiously walked through the archway.
They soon found themselves in a large room where a bowl of water sits in the middle of the room with a locket floating above it. They looked around before Twilight carefully picked up the locket and looked it over. They then heard a door opening before they saw their professors enter the room. "There you three are!" Celestia called out with relief as they approached the three teens. "Where did you three go?! What is this place?"
"We don't know, but we found this floating above that… basin." Twilight answered as she showed them the locket. The three saw what she was pointing to and knew what it really was.
"That is no mere basin." Professor Cloak told her. "That is a Pensieve, for viewing memories."
"But what's a Pensieve doing inside a vault?" Professor Spitfire questioned.
"Maybe what's in this locket could show us what this is all about." Light suggested as Twilight gave Celestia the locket.
"Perhaps…" Celestia spoke before she opened the locket and poured the memory into the Pensieve. "Do as we do." She instructed the three teens as all six of them gathered around the Pensieve before dipping their faces into it.
The memory started to form as they saw a wizard wearing a blue cloak with stars all over it and a wizard hat with bells around it as he also had deep gray skin. Next to him is a woman with a purplish blue skin and mint green hair while she wore bright purple robes. The three of them seem to be waving their wands and creating the vault as there was some sort of glow at the ends of their wands. They seem to be creating pillars and archways around the room while the glow seems to be surrounding each thing that they created. "All is in place." The woman told the wizard as she put away her wand.
"The Portkey is well hidden? The wizard asked her as he walked up to the Pensieve.
"Perhaps too well." The woman replied. "I wonder if the path we've created…"
"May be impossible to follow? The wizard finished what she was going to ask. "It will only be impossible for one who cannot see traces of ancient magic, as I can."
"Your ability to see what others cannot will not be enough, Starswirl." The woman told him. "We are entrusting the ones who embarks on this path with powerful secrets, with knowledge others will do anything to obtain."
"Yes, and if we are correct, Mist Mane, the three witches or wizards who completes the trials will have proven themselves worthy of the knowledge and the responsibility that accompanies it." Starswirl told her as he took out a locket.
"We've done all that we can." Mist Mane said as she gave one last look around. Starswirl then took his wand and used it to remove a memory from his mind.
The group soon removed their faces from the Pensieve as they were surprised by what they had learned from the memory. "So that's what you three are seeing?" Spitfire questioned. "That glow that surrounded them?"
"Yes, that's what we've been seeing." Light responded as Twilight wondered something.
"This is very astonishing." Celestia mentioned in amazement.
"Professor, can we see magic?" Twilight asked as Flash and Light wondered the same thing.
"Traces of ancient magic, to be precise." Cloak mentioned. "The magic that Rose had always believed existed but could never…" He trailed off before looking at the three teens. "Rose, and perhaps Shine, died in pursuit of knowledge that has been dormant for centuries."
"And now you three, it seems, are the keys to understanding why." Celestia added. "We wou--"
"It all looks rather different than it did a moment ago." They heard the goblin banker saying from the other side of the door, sounding quite nervous.
"Someone's coming." Spitfire said as she and the other two professors moved the three teens behind them.
"Who were they?" An unfamiliar voice Asked as it sounded like they were coming closer.
"I don't know." The goblin banker responded. "But sir, you shouldn't be in here." The door was opened up to reveal the goblin banker with a few other goblins guards and one goblin who was wearing a dark cloak and armor on his shoulders and arms while his eyes were red.
"I was right." The goblin in black said after seeing the three professors and the three teens.
"Ranrok." Celestia growled as she and the other professors glared at him.
"Seems my reputation precedes me." Ranrok mentioned. "I was beginning to think no one was ever going to visit Starswirl's vault."
"And why are you here?" Spitfire questioned as she, the two other professors and the three teens took out their wands.
"No need for that." Ranrok told them as he held his hand up to them. "Just give me whatever it is you found here, and we can let bygones be bygones." None of the professors responded as they just glared at him before the goblin banker approached Ranrok.
"Sir, they had the key to the vault." He told Ranrok, who slowly turned to him with a dark look.
"Choose your next words wisely." He warned the banker with a growl.
"I only meant that the instructions for vault twelve were quite clear." The goblin banker explained. "Sir, I must insist. I was to Grant access only to one with the key. And you didn't have--" Twilight, Flash, and Light saw a dark glow on Ranrok's armor as he used some sort of magic to quickly lift up the goblin banker before slamming him down on the ground so hard that it killed him.
"I have no patience for traitors." Ranrok mentioned before looking back at the professors. "Now, where were we?"
"We're not giving you anything." Cloak grunted as Ranrok let out a small chuckle.
"Mmh well, perhaps your young friends here will be more helpful." Ranrok said as he gestured to Twilight, Flash, and Light.
"You will not lay a hand on our students!" Celestia declared before she shot a beam of magic right at Ranrok. But to their surprise, he seemed to be unaffected by her magic as he stopped it with just his hand while the three teens saw his armor glow dark yet again. Then with his other hand, he knocked all six of them back and they skid across the ground. They all then heard a strange sound as the floor that surrounded the Pensieve became liquid before something rose up front. It looked to be a suit of armor that glowed white carrying a sword that looked to be ten ft tall.
The guardian took its sword and swung down at Ranrok and his followers, causing a small tremor that pushed them back. Ranrok fired dark magic at the guardian as the three professors and the three teens stood up from that attack. Light then noticed the archway had some sort of mirror with some sort of forest area behind it. As the goblins attacked the guardian, Light went over and theorized that it was the way out for them.
"Everyone, I found a way out!!" He called out to the others as the guardian was pushed back into a pillar before it swung its sword and destroyed the pillar behind it. Celestia quickly pulled Cloak out of the way as quickly ran over to the archway and placed their hands on the mirror. They closed their eyes tight as all six of them suddenly vanished when the pillar nearly fell on top of them.
They all let out a gasp before they saw they were no longer in the vault but in a forest area. "Are you three all right?" Spitfire asked the three teens.
"We're fine." Flash said as they looked around. "But what happened back there?"
"I have never seen a goblin so powerful." Celestia mentioned in shock. "He seemed wholly unaffected by my magic."
"The armor he was wearing, it had this dark glow like the goblin guard armband and the dragon's collar." Twilight told her. "That must be why he was unaffected. What kind of magic was it?"
"And where are we?" Light added before the three professors recognized the area as they had smiles on their faces.
"It can't be." Cloak said as the three professors were amazed at where they were. "It seems those who set up the Pensieve, the locket, and the path to both, wanted someone with your ability to end up here."
"And where is here?" Flash asked before Spitfire pointed to a Lamppost with two signs pointing into different directions.
"Let's just say, we have a sorting ceremony to get to." She said with a smirk on her face.
"Are… Are we…?" Twilight trailed off as she, Flash, and Light were amazed at where they ended up.
"Come along now, we're already late for it." Celestia told them as all six of them started walking. This area they have been transported to is the place they were going to from the start: Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
They soon made it to the castle and stood in front of a large door within the castle. Celestia pressed her ear against the door and could hear commotion coming from the other side. "Good, we haven't missed the Sorting Ceremony." She told them before she walked up to Twilight, Flash, and Light with her wand out. "I'm no expert, but this seems more appropriate." She waved her wand to change their clothes to match the school's uniform. "Now, I need to study this locket as soon as I can, but first we have to contact the Ministry."
"Yes, they would want to know about Shine's death and be warned ofRanrok." Professor Cloak agreed.
"Now you three need to keep all that's happened up to this point between us." Spitfire instructed the three teens.
"Of course, we won't breathe a word about it." Light replied.
"You have my word that I won't tell a soul." Twilight promised.
"Same for me." Flash told them.
"Thank you. Now, ready for the Sorting Ceremony." Celestia asked before she opened the door and peeked her head through. The room was filled with a few students with the professors on an upper balcony. A woman with blue skin, night blue hair, and wearing black robes with a starry night sky pattern going down her dress with silver lines waved her wand and put a cloak on a student after said student was sorted into a house. The woman then noticed the door was opened and saw Celestia there as she had an annoyed look on her face. The woman let out a sigh as she made her way to the door when Celestia backed away and looked at the three teens. "Luna is coming this way."
"Oh boy…" Spitfire groaned with an eye roll.
"Prepare yourself to meet the vice headmistress, you're astronomy professor, and my little sister." Celestia told the three before Luna came through the door.
"Celestia, where have you three been?! Luna scolded them. "I had to start the ceremony without you!"
"There were complications." Celestia told her little sister. "We were on our way here before a dragon suddenly attacked our carriage and--"
"Complications? Dragon?" Luna repeated before she rubbed her forehead.
"It seems the goblin problem has--" Cloak tried to add.
"Goblins too?!" Luna interrupted. "Look, we'll have to discuss this later after the ceremony. Because I am not in the mood for any rumors at the moment." She then turned to the three teens. "As for the three of you, you three will enter the room and stand by the wall and wait for your name to be called on and you'll step forward onto the Gordian Knot in the center of the room. The rest will follow after that." She went back into the room with Celestia and the other two professors following behind. Twilight, Flash, and Light followed behind them before Celestia pointed towards a wall for them to stand against.
Every professor on the second level of the room looked down as Celestia stood tall and cleared her throat. "Twilight Sparkle!" She called out as Twilight took a deep breath and made her way to the center of the room. Once she stood on the Gordian Knot, she saw four statues surrounding her. A Horned Serpent, a Thunderbird, a Wampus, and a Pukwudgie. She waited for something to happen before the gem set into the Horned Serpent's forehead would glow, meaning that she had been sorted into the Horned Serpent house. Celestia then took out her wand and waved it to put the Horned Serpent house crest on the right side of her uniform.
A Pukwudgie then walked up to her and let her out of the room as Celestia spoke up. "Flash Sentry!" She called out before Flash made his way to the Gordian Knot and waited to be sorted. After a few seconds the Wampus let out a roar before Celestia waved her wand and put the Wampus house crest on his uniform. A Pukwudgie guided him out of the room just as Celestia called out the last student. "Light Crest!"
Light then stepped up to the Gordian Knot and waited for one of the statues to react to him. Just then, the Horned Serpent's gem glowed, the Wampus road, the Thunderbird beat its wings, and the Pukwudgie statue raised its arrow into the air. The professors talked amongst each other as they were surprised that all four statues reacted before Celestia spoke up. "Well, this is the second time that all four statues have reacted and want the same student. Light Crest, since all four statues have reacted to you, it will be your choice to which house you would like to be in." She instructed him.
Light took a deep breath as he looked amongst the statues around him before he gave it a thought of which house to be in. He then smiled before looking up at Celestia. "I chose Thunderbird." He told her as she smiled before she waved her wand and put the Thunderbird house crest on his uniform. Another Pukwudgie then took him by the hand and gutted him out of the room. It then guided him to a room where Twilight and Flash stood in front of a counter with a few rectangular boxes stacked. "Is this where we get our wands?" He asked the Pukwudgie who guided him there.
"Yes, and it'll be just a moment." The Pukwudgie responded with a female voice. She then took the borrowed wand from Light as the other two took the wands from Flash and Twilight before they left the room. They then heard someone coming around the corner before they saw an old man coming towards the counter.
"Hello, you must be the fifth year students we heard about." The man spoke. "I'm Craft Wood and it's very nice to meet you, although quite surprising you're starting out as fifth years. Now, let's get you your own wands shall we?" He then looked towards the stacked boxes as he looked around before he spotted one and carefully pulled it out. "Let's see, why don't one of you try this one." He said as he opened the box and took out a wand and handed it to Twilight.
"Okay." Twilight took the wand and wondered what to do next.
"Well give it a wave." Craft told her. Twilight then waved the wand before it suddenly sparked out of her hand before it bounced around the room. Craft used his want to quickly hold it back and place it back into the box. "Apparently not this one." He then muttered to himself before he used his wand to pull out another box and over to him. "Try this one." He told Flash as he took the wand out of the box and handed it to him. Flash then gave the wand a wave which caused it to create a strong breeze that nearly pushed them back if Craft hadn't stopped it. "Nope, definitely not that one." He put the wand back in the box before searching each box. He stopped for a moment as a thought came to him. "I wonder…"
The three teens then saw him go into the back of the room and pulled out three boxes. He looked at them for a moment before returning back to the counter. He then set each box down before opening them to reveal the three wands inside. Craft then gave each of them the wands and the moment each of them took hold of their wands, there was a bright light shining down on them as their wands glowed bright. "Did… Did you both feel that?" Light asked Twilight and Flash.
"Yeah, it was like some sort of connection." Twilight mentioned as she looked at her wand.
"Like this wand was meant for me." Flash added before he noticed Craft had a look on his face. "What's wrong, sir?"
"It's very curious." Craft said before he looked at the three. "You see, I had worked with a Pukwudgie on these wands for many years and I remember every wand ever sold. No two wands are the same as they each have a different core within them. Some of them are common while others are rare. But it just so happens that each of your wands share the same core, a Wendigo spinal cord if you will. It's not always clear why, but the wand chooses the wizard."
"Does that mean that they're triplets?" Twilight asked before something came to mind. "And what do you mean when you say it's very curious?"
"Because many years ago, three students who were also submitted to the school as fifth years were chosen by three wands who also shared the same core." Craft explained to them. "A White River Monster spine and those three students did great things back then."
"And who owned those wands?" Light asked before Craft had a confused look on his face.
"I don't remember their names, but I do remember that they did great things back then." He told them before placing a hand on Light's shoulder. "And I think it's clear that we can expect great things from the three of you as well. Now, you should be shown to your dormitories and I'm sure you're very eager to start your classes tomorrow." Even left the three alone as they wondered who the three students were from long ago and why Craft couldn't remember their names.
Author's Note
Twilight and Light are both purebloods while Flash is half blood if any of you were curious about what they were. Flash's dad is a wizard while her mom is a No-mag
And this is the Ilvermorny uniforms:
This is Celestia's wand, but it's more white: 
This will be Luna's wand:
This will be Twilight's wand:
This is Flash's wand:
And this will be Light's wand:
If you could go to Ilvermorny and you had to get your own one, which court would you choose?
Common cores (relatively easy to obtain, sometimes by trading):
Jackalope antler
Thunderbird tail feather
Wampus cat hair
Snallygaster feather
Phoenix feather
Rougarou hair
Quetzalcoatl feather
Unicorn hair
Dragon heartstring
Chupacabra spine
Winged Horse feather/hair
Rarer cores (due to difficulty in getting them or the need for gifting from the being):
Horned Serpent horn
White River Monster spine
Dryad hair
Pukwudgie thorn
Sasquatch hair
Nixie hair
Wendigo spinal cord
