The League of Talented Magicians

This story is a fan-fiction of MLP:FiM. I don't own any of it. It belongs to Hasbro, etc, etc.

Don't sue. Seriously. That would be so uncouth.

Chapter 1: An ending to a Honeymoon

Shining Armor awoke with the most beautiful mare in the world in his arms. He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes in the warm temperature of Haywaii. It was only natural the two would spend their honeymoon in the loveliest part of all Equestria.  Of course, Shining thought that any place was lovely as long as Cadence was there. He shifted his weight ever so slightly, but the mare in his arms was awaking too.

“What time is it dear?” Cadence asked.

“Probably some time past noon” Shining replied without opening his eyes.

Cadence sighed and snuggled in closer to Shining. “Good” she said contentedly.

It was times like this that Shining was glad to be alive. He held Cadence tightly and thought back at how his life was pretty much perfect. He managed to meet the mare of his dreams back when he had just entered the Guard, when he and Cadence were still a colt and filly on the verge of maturity. Thinking of her had helped Shining cope through all the troubles of the Guard, his missions, and eventually all the troubles that plagued him as he became the Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard. Even the events that almost ruined their wedding seemed futile and distant as he held his wife in his hooves. He was about to fall back into a content sleep with his wife as there was a knock at the door of their hotel room.

Shining regretfully cracked an eyelid open as Cadence lifted her head.  She slowly moved out of Shining’s embrace and walked tiredly to the bedroom door. Shining followed her with his eyes, admiring how beautiful his wife was, even after just waking up. She paused at the doorframe and stretched, making Shining want to dash to her and bring her back to bed.  But she looked back at him and caught him staring.

“I’ll get the door” she said with a sultry smile as she walked out of the bedroom into the main area of the honeymoon suite.  Shining rolled onto his back and smiled, happiest as he had been in all of his life. He wondered what he would do with Cadence today. Maybe spend some time down on the beach, have some late lunch, go swimming or something, and then come back have early dinner, and then spend most of the night in their bedroom. Shining thought it was a pretty solid agenda for the day, but his dreams were cut short by Cadence’s  shaky “Shining, you might want to come here.”

Shining jumped out of bed, knowing something was amiss just by the sound of his wife’s voice. He briskly walked out of the bedroom and into the honeymoon suite’s main room and saw Cadence looking worried. It was apparent why though. The door was open, and Shining saw that a Royal Guard was at it, dressed in full armor.

“May I come in Sir?” he asked.

“Right away soldier.” Shining answered. As soon as he came into the room and the door was closed, Shining glared at him. “Why are you here soldier?” he asked with a certain malice. “You DO know I am on my honeymoon?”

The soldier looked ashamed for a moment down at the floor, but then he looked straight into his commanding officer’s eyes. “I was sent here by Princesses Celestia and Luna to call you back to Canterlot.”

“You mean Princess Celestia, and I repeat I am on my honeymoon” Shining answered stubbornly.

“No, I mean Princess Celestia AND Princess Luna. They both sent me here to call you back to Canterlot.  Princess Celestia told me to give you a message beside this. She said it was an ‘Elemental Emergency’” the soldier said stiffly. Shining looked to Cadence and his face paled. This was bad.

“Cadence, I need to go to Canterlot immediately. I’m so, so sorry” Shining said with abject urgency. Cadence stepped closer to him and hugged him. “You mean ‘we’.  I’m going too. I’m not about to be separated from you again” she said as her horn started to glow. Shining smiled and kissed her, crossing his horn with hers. His started to glow with magical power as well, and in a matter of seconds, both unicorn and alicorn teleported away from their honeymoon suite in Haywaii.

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The pair apparated in the throne room of the Royal Castle, surprising a few guards. The guards did not draw their weapons though, because they knew only a select few ponies could teleport into the castle, thanks to the royal sisters’ magical protection spells. When they saw that it was Shining Armor and Cadence Armor, they saluted.

Shining looked around, noticing that the thrones were empty. He was about to ask one of the guards where the princesses were, when one of the guards put his hoof to his mouth, indicating silence. Shining and his wife stayed silent as the guards went behind the thrones and opened up the secret doors at the base of their backs with their spears. Shining’s eyebrows rose. The princesses only used this emergency room in times of…well, total emergency.

Shining quickly led Cadence to the back of the thrones and they descended the stairs underneath the now-opened door. The magic door closed and locked behind them, at the touch of the guards spears, and sealed the married couple in the granite lined tunnel. Cadence looked up at the closed door apprehensively, remembering the last time she was underneath the royal castle. Shining saw this and snuggled up next to her, giving her support as they walked on down the hall.

“S..so when was this built?” Cadence asked, her voice cracking with her fear of the place.

“The sisters had this built along with the castle, right before the banishment of Nightmare Moon. Even though it looks brand new, it’s at least a thousand years old. But don’t worry; it’s heavily protected by the sisters’ magic. The only thing that scares me is that they never use the hallway, and the bunker at its end, unless it’s a dire emergency; One that might require the use of the Elements of Harmony, or worse.”  Shining mused while they walked. Unfortunately, his musings only worsened Cadence’s fears. She snuggled up closer to him, making him notice how much she was actually shaking.  Shining laid his head across her neck, comforting her. He kept close to her like this until he saw light at the end of the corridor and heard some voices.  As the two got closer, they could easily distinguish the two voices of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but they also heard an unsettlingly semi-familiar voice. However, the subtle shake in Luna’s voice, and edge in Celestia’s made Shining all the more worried.

Shining and Cadence tenderly approached the wooden door that was starkly homely in this cold and protective place. They listened to the voices for a moment, and then Shining knocked on the door. The voices of the princesses and the third person went quiet. Then a “Come in” was heard and Shining opened the door.

The room that they married couple entered into was big, but not comfortably so. It felt like a large cage, but it was made a little more civilized by the large, warm rug on the floor, along with the low-sitting tea table in the middle of the room. The two royal sisters sat in plush chairs on one side of the table, Celestia holding a cup of tea while Luna quietly sipped at hers. They were greeted by bows from their cousin and her husband.

“Rise my little ponies.” Celestia said to the pair.

“Yes, enough of all that…sniveling. If I was the ruler again, you wouldn’t have to bow. Nope. You’d throw pies at each others faces. Oo! Or maybe tacos!” said the energetic, yet diabolic voice from across the table.  Shining rose quickly already knowing who it was. His horn glowed with vicious magical energy at the living statue across the table. Sure, Shining was surprised that the statue was talking and sipping hot chocolate from a mug made of bubbles, but that didn’t stop him from protecting the threat to his princesses and more importantly, wife.

“Whoa, hold on there dirt harry.” the Discord-statue said. “I am here peacefully. I’m actually working with you silly little ponies this time.”

Shining’s eyes narrowed and his horn grew brighter. “You’re full of….”

“Enough Shining.” Princess Celestia said. Shining’s horn dimmed and he cast a bemused sidelong glance to Celestia. “He speaks the truth my captain. Please, sit with Cadence. Luna and I will discuss everything as soon as you two are comfortable.” Shining dissipated his magic and led Cadence to the far end of the table. He first seated his wife, and then got into a plush chair next to her. They touched hooves under the table, not for romance, but for the very comforting act.

“Would you like some tea?” Luna asked. “Or hot chocolate?” Discord asked with a smug grin. Celestia sighed and Shining glared at him, while Cadence pulled his hoof closer to her.

“Enough playing with them Discord.” Celestia said briskly.

“But that is what….” Discord’s stone mouth seemed to grow over itself as Luna acted her magic upon his statue-body. Discord rolled his eyes and snapped his marble fingers, producing a zipper where his lips once were. He pulled it and freed his mouth from the stone, ready to say something.

“Last night ,” Celestia said cutting off Discord’s attempt at a rebuke. “An old enemy came back to us. He was and still is an ancient enemy, and he is the first of the great daemons to escape from Tartarus.”

“Who?” Shining asked scared and intrigued.

“My father.” Spat Discord as he checked his marble nails.