MageAnons Marvelous Misadventures 10: The Castle of Illusion

>”Awoooo, this is Three Dog, and you listening to Radio Free Wasteland! Bringing you the truth, no matter how much it hurts!”

“What the hell?” you yell, falling out of bed.

>You forgot you turned on the alarm for an early morning wakeup.

>Dear GOD does your head hurt.

>You knew you’d have a hangover, but not THIS bad.

>You desperately need some Advil.

>Where is that bloody overnight bag?

>You scan the room, your tired eyes fighting you every step of the way.

>grabbing the mp3, you shut it off, and toss it onto the couch.

>It looks like your sleepover buddy has gone already, even though the sun isn’t up yet.

>What ungodly hour did you set the alarm for?

>5:30AM

>Good god why would you do that?

>Drunken stupor from last night.

>Last night...

>Oh man.

>This was going to be a strange morning.

>You remember that you left your overnight bag in the restroom

>You take a few steps, and are quickly stopped by the throbbing in your head.

>Yep.

>Gonna be a long day for sure.

>You can almost swear it’s so bad, you hear the sound of rushing water in your ears.

>You try and man up, and walk over to the bathroom door.

>Strange, you must have left the light on.

>You open the door

>Inside the shower is running, and you can see someone vaguely through the curtains.

>NOPE

>NOPENOPE

>NOPENOPENOPE

>Oh for fucks sake.

>Looks like a certain temporary roommate took the first shower for herself.

>You can’t handle all of this right now.

>Maybe the kitchen is cooking up some grub.

>But at this point, you’d just like some more peace and quiet.

>And maybe a cup of Joe.

 

>You take a quick sniff to determine the level of NASTY you are exuding right now.

>Somewhere between “What’s that funky smell?” and “Did someone fart?”

>Completely acceptable for now.

>You carefully open and shut the door to the guest room.

>Man, you need an ice pack or SOMETHING for this headache.

>You take a left, and head down into the main chamber of the castle.

>Usually it’s empty at this time, but you spot a small p0ny delivering a stack of newspapers to the front of the castle.

>May as well grab one.

>Carefully treading down the stairs in your still hung-over state, you grab the top one from the stack.

>Seems similar to what you had back home.

>The newspaper is called “The Chronicler”.

>How original...

>Looks like the weather is going to be colder today.

>Summer must be winding down.

>The cover story is about the freak storm that happened yesterday.

>Apparently the Princess refused to comment other than saying that there was a mishap at one of the local weather creation stations, and that Canterlot got weather that was meant for somewhere else.

>This writer sounded a bit sceptical of the comment, and goes on to recite other shortcomings of the Princesses rule, sighting the events of the Discord mishap a little over a year ago.

>Fucking journalists.

>You roll up the newspaper, and throw it under your arm.

>Maybe a stroll in the garden will help clear your head, and relieve some of the hangover.

 

>You open the large double doors that lead outside.

>The cool early morning air washes over your face

>If THAT doesn’t help wake you up, nothing will.

>You take a left again, towards the palace gardens.

>You’ve only been here a week or so, it’s quickly becoming your favorite locale.

>You walk through the dew-laced grass, taking it slow.

>The cool air is helping clear your head a bit.

>The moon is quite far down in the sky now, almost dipping below the horizon.

>You’ve never been too far in the garden, so you decide to go farther west this time.

>This place is littered with statues.

>Most of them are of famous p0nies who have been accredited for acts of heroism, or contributing something to p0ny society.

>You wander through the garden of marble

>There must be over 100 different statues out here

>To your surprise, there’s actually someone else out here

>You notice the cloaked figure staring at a particularly large statue.

>The statues garb seems eerily similar to your own.

>Except this one is fit for a p0ny, and has bells all around the base of the robe.

>The cloaked figure is merely sitting on a nearby bench, looking up at the massive statue.

>He turns to you, his face obscured by the darkness before the dawn.

 

>”Good morning to you Anonymous. You’re making quite the stir around Canterlot.” The cloaked p0ny says.

“Good morning to you as well, How do you know my name?”

>The figure chuckles “As I said, your making quite the name for yourself around town. What with being an alien and all.”

“I guess that makes sense.” You say, slightly wary of the mysterious p0ny talking to you “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister?

>”Call me Magnus. I take it you enjoy spending time in the garden?”

“Yes, it’s quite beautiful out here. Helps to clear one’s head.”

>”I know the feeling. Say, have you heard the story about this particular statue?”

>You look down at the inscription, “In memory of Star-Swirl the Bearded, Father of the amniomorphic spell,  and modern magic.”

“I have heard of him before, yet I do not know much. Apparently he has thousands of books to his name.”

>The cloaked p0ny laughs “Ah my dear boy, that is only the tip of the iceberg. It’s a shame they got the inscription wrong.”

“How so?”

>”The inscription should read OMNImorphic  spell. Such a travesty that simple terms cannot pass well through the channels of time.”

“Omnimorphic? Doesn’t that mean he was a master of transmutation?”

>”I see you are well learned in the arcane arts my friend. Perhaps there is some hope for this world yet. Yes, he was a master of transmutation, along with many other talents. He was not only the father of many modern spells, but also the tutor of the greatest minds the world has ever known. Truly a shame they could never give him a proper burial.”

“It seems like you know quite a bit about this character. What happened to him?”

>”No one knows lad, it’s been wiped from the History books. Some p0nies would much rather keep the past buried and dead. But the past can never truly die, now can it?”

 

>You hear a voice call out from behind you.

>It’s Princess Luna.

“Oh good morning Princess”

>”Anonymous who are you talking to?” she says with a puzzled look on her face.

“Oh, I just Magnus over...”

“Here?”

>The seat next to you is empty, and there is no sign that there ever was anyone there.

“What the hell?” you exclaim, waving your hand through the empty air.

>”Anon, are you feeling alright?” Luna says walking over to you.

“There WAS somep0ny right here! I swear!” you say

>”Somehow, it would not be the strangest thing to happen lately. Have you seen my sister around?”

>Oh god, how the hell are you going to explain last night?

>C:”I’m right here Luna, Good morning Anonymous.”

>Well that was convenient.

>L:”Ah, there you are. I almost thought you were going to be late.”

>Celestia looks, well for lack of a better term, rough.

>She must feel the same way you do.

>”Anonymous, would you care to join us for the Raising of the Sun?”

>You nod your head, and they lead you to another part of the gardens.

>You still can’t shake the feeling that you’re being watched.

 

>On the other side of the garden...

>The cloaked figure approaches the statue of a certain amalgamation of creatures.

>”How are you old friend?”

>The statue remains inert.

>”Oh come now; don’t take that tone with me. You know I don’t HAVE to let you out.”

>No response

>”Oh please, you’ve been cooped up for almost 1002 years now. What’s a few more months?”

>The quiet of the garden is only broken by the chirping of a few birds.

>”Yes I know that you had a hand in his presence, which I am still grateful for, but for now, you must play by MY rules.”

>The moon slowly sinks behind the horizon.

>”Yes, yes, the bargain still stands. You must have patience young man. Haven’t I taught you better than this?”

>The first few rays of morning light begin to shine through.

>”All will be revealed in due time. For now, we must let him gather their trust. Once he’s been completely accepted, we will strike. Besides, I must make a few more preparations myself. It’s quite hard performing physical tasks without a proper body you know.”

>The morning dawn casts ominous shadows from the statues.

 

>”I know I’ve been leaving hints. How else will I get them to follow the trail? This is OLD magic boy, procedures NEED to be followed. Hmm? Oh fine, I can at least do that. But try and keep yourself hidden alright? No need to go blowing your cover just yet.”

>The shadows cast by the morning light grow long across the garden. Some taking elongated shapes, twisted by a trick of light.

>A soft *crack* resonates as the stone covering the statues eyes chip away.

>”There, how do I look?” the cloaked figure says, pulling down his hood.

>The creatures eyes, now free of their stony prison, grow wide with shock.

>”That bad huh? Ah well, I guess undeath does have some drawbacks.” The cloaked figure laughs, as he draws his hood back and disappears into the morning light.

 

>Back inside the castle...

>You just finished watching the Princesses lower the moon and raise the sun.

>If you weren’t so hung over, your mind would be blown.

>For now, you just want a shower, and some Advil.

>Celestia asked you to meet her for breakfast once you were freshened up.

>How the fuck were you going to dance around the topic of last night.

>You strip down, and jump in the shower.

>The warm water soothes your achy bones.

>Sleeping on a tiny couch was not one of the most comfortable things you’ve done.

>You wash up, have a quick shave, and throw on your old pair of clothes that you finally got around to washing.

>They didn’t feel as comfortable as your robe, strangely enough, but it still felt good to have a proper pair of pants on.

>You hope Rarity doesn’t forget the pants.

>You grab your things, as after breakfast you really need to get back home.

>You’ve got an idea for a job, but you’re going to need help.

>You quickly tidy up the bed, and put everything back in its place.

>You open the door, and head downstairs.

>It’s almost like the palace is becoming your second home.

>The halls are filled with guards once again.

>Everything seems to be getting back to normal.

>They seem used to you being around now.

>Thank goodness for that.

>You head down to the dining room, and open the door.

>Inside, Celestia is sitting at the head of the table, where she sat last time.

>She’s reading the morning paper, wearing reading glasses, and sipping on a cup of coffee.

>The smell of the freshly roasted brew smells heavenly.

 

“Good morning Princess” you say, taking a seat beside her.

>”Hello Anon, sleep well?” she says with a smirk on her face.

“I, uhh...”

>”I am just kidding with you Anon. Now, yesterday I sent you a letter requesting your presence.” She says, quickly changing the topic.

“Yeah, I was talking to Princess Luna yesterday, and she said something about research?”

>”Yes, due to recent events that you are aware of, I have been doing research as to determine the cause of the strange weather events, and the anomalies in the Lines you mentioned. Much of the research into these areas was done by one Star-Swirl the Bearded. If you come across anything written by him, it is urgent you report it to me right away, as many of his personal texts have been lost.”

>Both of you take a sip of your respective coffees

>”The only other thing I can think of is to report anything that is out of the ordinary to me as well. Things that should not be where they are, and especially any magical anomalies.” She says, levitating a scone over to her plate.

“Alright Princess will do.” You say, grabbing a scone yourself.

>They weren’t Pinkie’s Chimmychangas, but they were the next best thing.

> The rest of breakfast is rather quiet, other than the Princess asking a few questions about your time in p0nyville.

>You recant the tale of your Sorcerer’s Apprentice moment.

>She laughs at the reaction the locals had.

 

>”Well Anon, I must cut breakfast short,” she says, rising from her seat “I have more research to do and some royal duties to attend to.”

>Finally working up the courage, you manage to say...

“Princess, about what happened yesterday,”

>“Oh now Anonymous, what’s done is done.” She says softly

>She walks over behind you.

>You can feel her soft coat brush against your neck as she leans in towards you.

>”Besides, I had a wonderful time.” She says, giving you a quick peck on the cheek.

>And just like that, she’s gone.

“I, I, uhhh, buhhh,” is all you can stammer out, like a broken record.

>Thank god there is no one else in the room.

>You have to get out of this crazy palace.

>You sit for another 10 minutes, trying to calm yourself down.

>You have a feeling all this is going to come back and bite you in the ass.

 

>Two hours later...

>Your back home in your comfortable abode.

>Your head is not pounding as bad, but you still feel a bit sick.

>Between all this morning’s events, you’re not sure if you can go through with your day as planned.

>You wanted to go around town, and post job offers for house cleaning.

>Since you have a knack for cleaning, and since you can reach most places that normal p0nies can’t, you figured it would be a quick way to make some cash to open up a shop.

>What kind of shop?

>You’re not sure yet.

>You mostly laid around for the morning, with an ice-pack on your head.

>Maybe tomorrow you’ll get stuff done.

>You close your eyes and try to go back to sleep.

>Just as you begin to pass out, you hear a knock at your door.

>Great, just what you need.

>You open the door, and it’s Rainbow Dash.

“Hey Rainbow, what’s up?” you say, shielding your eyes from the bright light.

>”What’s up? I should be asking YOU that after what I read in the newspaper this morning!” she says, throwing a copy of the Chronicler in your face.

“I read the paper already, apparently the Princess thinks it was some sort of weather malfunction.”

>”Not that Dingus, the story on the next page.”

>You flip over the cover.

>Your eyes grow wide.

>The title of the story, along with an accompanying picture, says “Mysterious Creature seen in the company of Princess Celestia!”

“Oh fuck.”

>You keep reading further.

 

>”According to sources, our very own Princess Celestia was seen exiting a posh restaurant with a mysterious creature out sources could only identify as an “Anonymous”. This creature spoke perfect Equestrain, and was apparently the royal guest of the Princess. Now to most this would seem like any other diplomatic mission by our glorious monarch, except for the fact that by the end of dinner, they were both completely HAMMERED! They were seen drunkenly wandering down the street towards the castle! It was at this point our reporters were stopped by none other than Princess Luna herself! This will not detur us however, as we dig deep until we find out the truth about this mysterious creature and its secret relationship with the Princess”

“HOLY FUCK WHAT HAVE I DONE” you scream

>Panic mode: ENGAGE

“Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man,” you say, pacing back and forth

>”Dude, chill out.” Rainbow says, shoving a pair of marshmallow hooves into your chest.

>”I rounded up all the papers before people got them while I was on my weather patrol.” No one in town knows it was you!”

“Seriously?”

>”Seriously.”

>You go over to the pantry where you keep your booze.

>sitting there is the rest of the bottle from last night.

>You were going to save it for a special occasion, but you think you know its destiny.

>You also know a certain p0ny likes to get into the hard stuff as much as you.

“Rainbow, this is yours now” you say, extending the bottle to her

>”Oh man! That stuff costs a FORTUNE!” she says, her eyes growing wide.

>She grabs the bottle from you, examining the contents.

“My only request is that you save some of it for shots one night when we all get together.”

>She extends her hoof

>Oh man

>You complete the motion, and bump her hoof with your fist.

 

>You spend the rest of the morning chatting with RainBRO Dash.

>man, this p0ny is such a bro.

>She tells you all about her time in flight school

>She also tells you about her Sonic Rainbooms.

>You find that a bit hard to believe, but at this point you’d trust this p0ny with anything.

>Well, almost anything.

>Your chatting away when, once again, your stomach interrupts your train of thought.

“Man, I am STARVED” you say, “How about we go get some lunch?” you say to your new bro.

>”Oooo putting the moves on me as well are ya?” she says sticking her tongue out at you.

>You give her a playful punch in the side, as you two head off to town.

>Exiting the house, you notice the shimmering in the forest again.

“Hey Dash, do you see that?” you point at the strange trick of light deep in the forest.

>”Hey yeah, what is that?” she says flying over your head.

>”It looks like it’s coming from quite a ways in. Should we go take a look?”

“No. I’ll investigate later.” You say, trying to hide your level of concern “Let’s go get some grub bub.”

>Rainbow raises an eyebrow at you and catches up.

 

An hour later...

>You’ve just finished lunch, and Rainbow has gone off to take a nap.

>Chores and other things can wait for now.

>This mysterious glimmering needed to be resolved.

>Especially with what you’ve seen and heard lately.

>Something fishy was defiantly going on.

>You walk down the main street.

>It’s a quiet day today.

>You’d expect as much since it’s the weekend.

>Hopefully Twilight is in.

>Before you reach there however, a small shop catches your eye.

>It’s a quaint little shop with a watch and hammer sign.

>For some reason, you find yourself inexplicably drawn to this little abode.

>Opening the door, you find that it is a simple clock shop.

>Well duh, what did you think it would be?

>Maybe you could use a watch.

>This way, you didn’t have to carry your mp3 everywhere with you.

>And the batteries would last longer.

>You can’t see anyone currently at the desk, so you decide to take a look around.

>There are different types of clocks all over the place.

>From grandfather clocks all the way to simple pocket watches.

> A certain little watch catches your eye.

>It’s a simple pocket watch on a chain.

>It looks to be quite old, and the engraving on it is beautiful.

>”Is there anything I can help you with sir?” you hear called from behind you.

>Wait, did that p0ny have a British accent?

>Turning around, you spot a tan p0ny with a brown mane.

 

“Why yes, I would very much like to take a look at this watch. It’s quite a marvellous piece.”

>He trots over to you, making the same such shock at your English accent.

>”Ah I see you are a man of taste Mr. Anonymous. Yes this IS quite the beauty. I’ve had it in my possession for quite some time now.” He chuckles at the bad pun.

“You seem to know me, have we met?” you say, eying the curious p0ny.

>”In a sense dear boy, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Doctor Whooves, and I run this quaint little shop.”

>Wait.

>Doctor WHOOVES?

>Now this is too weird.

>This can’t be just a coincidence.

>You decide not to pursue this line of thinking.

>You’ve already mingled enough with alternate worlds, there’s no need to get involved in time-related shenanigans.

>”Are you feeling alright?” the Doctor asks

“Yes I’m fine, just an old memory resurfacing. How much for the watch?”

>”Normally 25 bits, but for you, 20 since you are such a well mannered gentleman.” He says with a grin.

>You pull out your coin-purse and count out 20 bits.

>”Thank you kind sir, if you ever have a problem with the time, come see me, I AM the Doctor after all.”

>Oh god what have you gotten yourself into?

“I will Doctor, thank you.”

>”It’s been my pleasure.” He says waving goodbye.

>You could almost swear he was whistling a familiar tune as you left the store.

>Your beginning to think your whole existence is nothing other than for the enjoyment of some higher power.

>Laughing at your random encounters and misfortunes.

>You shake it off.

>No need to get full existential now.

 

>You pull out the watch and wind it up to the time displayed on the clock tower in the middle of town.

>Its approximately Noon, so you’ve got plenty of daylight to go exploring in the forest.

>You finally manage to reach Twilight’s after your brief detour.

>You knock and open the door.

>As usual Spike is cleaning, and Twilight’s reading.

>Some things never change you guess.

“Hey Twilight, Spike, how’s it going?” you say

>S:”Hey Anon! Are we going for another lesson?” Spike says all eager.

“Sorry bud, not today. Hey Twilight, can I talk to you for a minute?”

>She doesn’t even look up from her book.

>Sighing, you climb the stairs up to where she’s sitting.

>You sneak up behind her say in a booming voice;

“Announcing her Royal Majesty Princess Celestia!”

>She falls out of chair, and scrambles to stand up.

>”Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.” She says over and over again

“Twilight.”

>She keeps going, trying to fix her mane.

“TWILIGHT”

>She’s rushing around, picking up books.

>Ok enough.

>You pick her up with your magic.

“TWILIGHT!” you yell and she looks at you

“Gotcha.” You say laughing.

>You even hear Spike splitting his sides downstairs.

>She’s not impressed.

>”ANONYMOUS! That was mean...” she says

“Oh come on. I didn’t mean it like that. You were just so absorbed in that book. I needed some way to get your attention.”

>”You could have called for me.” She says pouting

“I did. Twice.”

>”Oh. What’s so important that you HAD to interrupt my research?” she says looking a bit embarrassed.

“That’s the thing. It’s OUR research now. Celestia asked for my help researching as well. Besides there’s something that I need your help checking out.”

>”OH. IS IT A NEW BOOK?” she says, a smile spreading over her face.

 

“Not quite. Something’s wrong in the Everfree.”

>”What do you mean?”

“For the last two days I’ve noticed a strange shimmering coming from deep within the forest. At first I thought it was a trick of the morning light, but after both Rainbow Dash and I saw it just earlier today, I knew something was up. Are there any large structures located within or just beyond the Everfree?”

>Twilight runs over to a bookshelf and pulls out a large tome entitled: “The Abridged History of the Everfree”

>Abridged your ass, that thing was HUGE.

>”I know there are the ruins of an old Canterlot Castle there,” she says flipping through the book “But I can’t seem to find any records of anything else.”

>You begin to wonder back to what that Magnus character said earlier

>About things missing from books or tales told wrong.

>Maybe there was some truth to that weird encounter after all.

“We should still go check it out. Celestia told me to keep a look out for anything suspicious, and I think this qualifies.”

>”Alright, we should get the others to come along so-“

“No we can’t tell them.”

>”Why not Anon? We might need their help! The Everfree can be dangerous.”

“And that’s exactly why they need to stay put. The Princess said to keep this between the three of us and to try to be as inconspicuous as possible. Besides, we should be fine as long as we get out before nightfall. That gives us at least a good 5-6 solid hours.”

 

>Twilight looks a bit defeated at first, then says “Ok, I understand. We should head out now. SPIKE!”

>S:”Yeah Twilight?” he says, poking his head over the stair steps

>”I’m going to be gone for a few hours, keep the Library closed until I come back.”

>S:”Ok. See you later.” He says, and goes back to his cleaning.

“Grab some supplies for the trip. I want to make sure we are ready for anything that may be out there,” You say. “I’ll meet you by my place in half an hour.”

>Twilight nods her head.

>You head back into town to grab a few supplies.

>You buy about 20 feet of rope, and small med-kit containing simple things such as; Band-Aids, Gauze, disinfectant and other miscellaneous items.

>After making your few purchases, you teleport back home.

>You grab your overnight bag, and empty the contents.

>You pack it with your rope and med-kit.

>You also throw in your pack of chalk, your trusty pocket-knife, and for good measure some of those chimichangas in case you get hungry.

>As you gather the rest of your supplies, and change into your robe, you hear a knock at the door.

>Twilight is standing there, holding a ton of research equipment.

“No.”

>”But we need to document wh-“

“NO.”

>”The Princess will want to know what we find!”

>You grab your mp3 device and take a picture of her with the camera.

“There. Documentation.” You say, tossing her the device.

>She is fascinated by the device and immediately starts asking questions.

>It’s going to be a long walk to the forest...

 

>Meanwhile on a cloud above P0nyville...

“It would seem our guest has caught the scent. It’s about time.” The cloaked figure says, resting lazily on his back.

>Beside him sits another cloud, although it is small and pink.

“Yes I know it’s only been a week. And I know I told you to be patient, but those rules aren’t for me, there for you.”

>The small pink cloud jabs into his side.

“Ohohoh, it would seem you’re a bit upset. Try and relax like me. We’ve got all the time in the world. Besides, the preparations won’t be ready for a few more months yet. When they brought the Temple down, they did a good job burying it. Do you know how hard good help is to find now-a-days?”

>The pink cloud bobs up and down.

“I know that. I mean, just last week one of the Gryphons opened a jar I told everyone specifically NOT too. Do you know how much of a hassle it is to clean up something turned inside-out? Not only does stuff get everywhere, but getting people to clean it up is even worse.”

>The cloaked creature pulls a large pipe out of a pocket, and lights it.

>The pink cloud extends and appears to be pointing down at the ground.

>The cloaked figure leans over the side of the cloud.

“Ah, so he asked the Student to help him eh? This will be entertaining.”

>The cloud takes a different shape, one of a stone.

“Yes I know she is one of the Element bearers. Specifically my favourite, but that is inconsequential now.”

>The cloud forms the shape of a question mark.

“You mean I never told you my dear boy? I used to wield one of them myself.”

>The cloaked figure chuckles deeply.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA_VeKxyfiU

“Can you see it?” you say, holding the purple p0ny above your head.

>”Just barely, but I see it as well.” Twilight says as you put her down

>For a tiny horse that looks like she is made out of marshmallow, she’s bloody heavy.

>The two of you set off into the forest, the light from the sun quickly diminishes from the overhead coverage.

>You head in the general direction of where the strange shimmering seemed to be originating.

>The undergrowth of the forest is extremely thick around here.

>You hear to occasional sound of wildlife coming from the forest.

>The magic is strong within this place.

>The twisted trees and gnarled roots nearly seep with magical essence

>This used to be a place of power.

“So what exactly are we looking for Twilight?” you ask

>”Well I’ve only been there once before, and it’s the ruins of the old Canterlot Castle. History doesn’t say much about what it was used for, and most times it was assumed as a summer palace for the royalty. How it got destroyed however varies, and whenever authors ask the Princess, she merely states that it was before her time.” She says

“Was there any word on who lived there, besides the royalty?”

>”Not really. Very little is known from before the founding of Equestria many years ago. And even after that, record keeping was not as it is now.”

“It’s a shame. I mean for a land so deeply steeped in magic, you would think there to be mo-“ you begin to say, and trip on an exposed root.

 

“OW Fuck.” You curse, holding a hand up to your bleeding mouth.

>You feel along your lip, and sure enough, it’s cut.

>”Anon, are you alright?” Twilight asks, her voice filled with worry.

“Yeah I’m fine. What the hell did I trip on?” you look back, and there’s nothing there.

>That’s weird.

>You get up, dusting yourself off, and carry on.

>The forest begins to thin out ahead, about five minutes later.

>The trees start becoming much more sparse, and a thick fog rolls in.

“Great. It’s starting to look like Silent Hill around here...”

>”What was that Anonymous?” Twilight says

“Oh nothing, just an old phrase from back home.”

>Hopefully that won’t come back to haunt you.

>You hear the sound of rushing water ahead, and slow your pace.

>Checking your new watch, it seems like you’ve been at this for half an hour now.

>Up ahead, you can make out what appears to be a large gorge.

>Twilight catches up with you and says, “I know where we are! It’s not too far now. There should be a rope bridge not too far from here.”

>Sure enough, after another few minutes of walking, you come across a rickety looking bridge.

>Typical.

>You decide to cross one at a time, with Twilight going first since she’s lighter than you.

>She makes it across no problem, and you carefully begin your trek across.

>The rickety bridge sways with the wind, and creaks under the strain of your weight.

>It seems to hold however, and you make it across with little trouble.

>”The ruins should be just beyond these trees.” Twilight says taking the lead.

>You follow behind her up the stony path that leads through a thin part of the forest.

 

>The trees here look different from the ones in the other parts of the forest.

>They don’t appear to be of the same type.

>You feel the bark on the one closest to you.

>Sure enough it feels,

>Softer?

>Must be to do with all the moisture in the air.

>Snapping out of your daydream, you look for Twilight, and she’s nowhere to be seen.

>You quickly jog up the path to see if she just went ahead of you.

>You emerge from the forest into a large open field.

>The sun appears to be sitting now, casting an ominous glow over the surroundings.

>In front of you is what appears to be the ruins of the an old Canterlotian castle.

>It’s separated from the main forest by a sheer drop.

>You look down, but are unable to see just how far down it goes, due to the fog.

>Everything here is covered in undergrowth and vines.

>This place must have been abandoned for at least 100-200 years.

>You cross the long bridge leading over the chasm.

>The stone archway before you depicts two unicorns beside a sun and moon.

>This must be Celestia and Luna.

>Just how long have they ruled?

>Pushing aside one of the old oaken doors, you see Twilight inside staring up at an altar.

“Why the hell did you run off like that?” you say, your voice bouncing off the walls.

>She jumps with freight “Oh Anon! Don’t startle me like that!

>Sighing, you make your way over to her.

“So what’s so special about this place?”

>”Well, this is where we found the elements of Harmony and defeated Nightmare Moon.”

“Nightmare Moon?” that’s a name you remember from the book you were reading.

 

>Twilight goes on to explain everything that happened on that night.

>How Nightmare Moon returned from a thousand years of exile, how she and her friends braved personal trials and used the Elements to free save Luna.

“Wow, I had no idea about Princess Luna...”

>Things suddenly got a lot more weird around here.

>Not to self, do not piss off the sun deity.

>The moon is not a friendly place.

>You know that first hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7pBcKlONnA&feature=related

>”And this is where we found the Elements.” She says pointing to the altar.

>It was of a simple design.

>Almost like a fountain.

>With the water spouts leading up to where the elements once rested.

>You exam the altar, but cannot find anything as to indicate anything of importance.

“Are you SURE you found them here?” you say

>”Yes I am sure! I WAS there you know.” She says taken a bit aback by your tone.

>Now is not the time.

>Detective Anon is on the case.

>You kneel down and open your traveling satchel.

>”What are you doing Anon?” Twilight asks

“I’m looking for any residual magic. If what you said about what happened on that night, then there should be some sort of power source around here, feeding energy into the dormant elements. Normally without any contact with magic, enchantments will fade over time, their essence leaking back into the world.”

>You take out a smaller piece of your used chalk, and pick up a nearby stone.

>You crush the chalk with the stone in your hand until it becomes like a fine powder.

>Taking the powder, you carefully walk over to the altar, being extra careful not to spill any.

>You take about half the powder in your one hand, and gently blow the dust over the altar.

 

>The six pillars of the altar begin to glow with the familiar pink glow of Ley line energy.

>”What is that?” Twilight asks, shocked by the strange glow.

“I’ll tell you later” you say, focusing on the direction the lines are coming from.

>They appear to be originating from the courtyard outside.

>You grab your chalk dust and carefully sprinkle it along where the line appears to be going.

>It continuously lights up, indicating your going in the right direction.

>Following the line, you emerge in the ruins of the courtyard.

>Much of the castle has fallen due to time, but this place seems to have taken the brunt of the damage.

>There is a large tower in the back, and it appears that’s where the lines are pointing.

>It’s a large decrepit tower, but it still looks to be mostly intact, save for the facade.

>The damage here however does not look like it was time related.

>Twilight follows behind you, looking a bit nervous at all of this.

>You trudge forward through the thick undergrowth, carefully avoiding all the fallen debris.

>Something is not quite right about this tower...

>You look around the base of the monolithic structure.

>It doesn’t appear to have a door anywhere.

“Hmm, did you see a door anywhere that I may have missed?”

>”I don’t think so. Shouldn’t we head back soon? It’s getting dark...” Twilight says

“Not yet. There’s something here, and yet I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

>Wait.

>Of COURSE.

“Twilight, run your han-hoof along the walls and feel for and soft spots.”

>”Soft spots?”

“Yeah, like anything irregular in the surface, like a brick that can be pressed in, or a weak point in the wall.”

>The two of you go in opposite directions.

 

>You feel along the crumbling wall, the vines inhibiting your progress, but you can’t feel anything out of the ordinary.

>”Over here! I found something!” you hear called from the western wall.

>You dash over to the other side, and see Twilight pointing at a specific brick in the wall.

>There are no vines covering this brick, which is the first thing you notice.

>You rap the stone with your knuckles, and hear that it sounds hollow behind it.

>You work your fingers into the groove around the brick, and begin pulling away at the sealing.

>A moment later, and the brick pops loose, revealing a lever.

“Now this is where things get interesting,” you say, with a smile on your face.

>Even after everything that happened all those years ago, you still love the feeling of discovery.

>You grasp the lever, and pull with all your might.

>A coarse grinding sound fills the air, and a loud *Ka-chunk* can be heard coming from behind you in the ruins of the castle.

>You release the lever, which slowly slides back into place.

>”Anon, maybe we should come back in the morning when there more light?” Twilight says

“We’ll be fine Twilight, besides, we don’t know how long whatever it was that opened will stay that way. These are RUINS after all. Besides, we have an obligation to the Princess here.”

>She looks at you sullenly, she must be scared.

“Besides, I need your expertise on Equestrian lore to help me down there. I would be lost without you.”

>That brought a smile to her face.

>”Alright...” she says following behind you as you head towards the castle.

>Once inside, you notice the altar as slid aside, revealing a descending staircase.

>How cliché.

 

>You look down the staircase, and there are torches lining the walls.

>You grab the closest one, and with a snap of your fingers, it lights, filling the surrounding area with an orangish glow.

>The steps are quite tiny, but you should be JUST able to get down there.

>You carefully begin the descent into the bowels of the castle, with Twilight following behind you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSTFrXwpVFo

>The light from the moon begins to quickly fade as you descend.

>Suddenly a loud *Ka-Chunk* sounds from behind you.

>Any light from the surface fades, as the altar slams back into place.

“Well, now we have no choice but to keep going.”

>Twilight gives you her best “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME” face, but you fail to notice it due to the lack of light.

>After what seems like forever you reach the bottom of the stairs.

>You emerge in a large antechamber

>Twilight says it looks like the design and stylings could easily be ancient.

>Much of the room appears to be a crypt of some sort.

>There are many urns all around the room, and a few coffins built into the walls.

>Just as you begin to look around, you hear a soft sobbing from behind you.

>You turn around to see Twilight sitting on the floor, with her hooves on her face.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” you say kneeling down beside her.

>”WHAT”S WRONG? WERE TRAPPED DOWN HERE IS WHAT”S WRONG!”

“No we aren’t. This is a burial chamber, not a prison. There is ALWAYS a way out, as long as you keep a positive attitude and look for a solution.”

>You friend said that to you once.

>Minus the whole “It’s a crypt” thing.

 

“I promise we will be out of here in no time. But it wouldn’t hurt to take a look around now wouldn’t it?”

>She begins to smile at you, but just as quickly as it comes; it fades and is replaced with a look of sheer terror.

“What’s wrong now?”

>She start’s stammering, and tries desperately to back away from you, pointing in your direction.

>A chill runs through your body as you hear the groaning of a coffin opening behind you...

“Oh fuck me.” You say whirling around, just in time to catch a skeletal hoof, emerging from the coffin.

>Great, just what you needed.

>Skeletons.

>The coffin door busts open, revealing a full-blown skeleton p0ny.

>Its midsection is filled with a purplish glow, and it appears to be missing one of its hind legs.

>You hated skeletons.

>You hated Zombies more, but skeletons were almost as bad.

>You remember that one time in the bayou of new Orleans, man that was some funky shit.

>That however is a flashback for another time.

>Right now, you’ve got a moaning skeleton walking towards you.

>And a shrieking Twilight behind you.  

>You grab one of the nearby urns

>Damn this thing is heavy.

>You wait until the skeleton gets close enough, and you bring the urn down on its skull.

>There’s a sickening *crack* as the urn breaks, filling the air with dust.

>The creatures skull separates from its body, and the glow fades.

>Twilight has stopped screaming, and is merely sobbing now.

>You crunch the creatures skull under your boot, that way you make sure it won’t re-animate.

>Fucking undead.

 

>You run back over to Twilight, whose still crying.

>You wrap your arms around her and give her a huge bear hug.

“It’s going to be ok. You were really brave back there,” you say consolingly”

>”Can’t we just teleport out of this place?”

“No, something’s interfering with my magic. I wouldn’t trust it enough to try.”

>”W-what’s going on down here?” She says while drying her eyes.

“I don’t know, but we are going to find out, And I need your help. You OK now?”

>”I-i think so.” She says, standing up.

>You look around the room and notice a coat of arms on the wall.

>It’s of two staves crossed, and a star above them.

>You grab one of the staves off the wall.

>It’s heavy and made of some sort of metal.

>It should do in case of another attack.

>You grab the other and sling it over your back.

>You can never be too careful.

“Come on Twilight, we’ve got a bone to pick with the locals.” You say smiling at her.

>She nervously chuckles at your bad pun, and follows behind you as you exit through the far door.

>As you both walk through the door, you notice that the strange shimmering is back.

>You hear a crack of thunder, seemingly from nowhere.

>The weather must have taken a turn for the worse outside.

>It’s strange that you can hear it this far down.

>You focus your attention back to the task ahead.

>All around this empty room, the shimmering glows.

“Twilight, do NOT touch anything.” You say, setting your pack down again.

>She stays right behind you.

 

>You grab the staff off your back.

>Firmly grasping the end of it, you extend it and touch a piece of the shimmering room.

>Your staff hits something, but you are not sure quite what.

>The room is still relatively dark, save for the light of the torch.

“Something’s there, but we can’t see it. It must be an illusion or a cloaking spell.”

>Twilight pulls out a book from her satchel.

>”It says here that Illusion spells, when they have been around for some time, weaken and give off a shimmering. Unless the spell is re-cast, it would wear off. Most spells of this nature can be broken by subjecting the invisible object to a certain variance of light.”

“See? This is why I need you with me here.” You say, ruffling her mane.

>You open up your satchel, and retrieve your SUPER AWESOME box of chalk.

>Taking out one of each colour, you put the box back.

>You really need to make this stuff last.

>Who knows if you can find more?

>You break a small piece of each one off.

>Grabbing the blue one first, you bring it to the flame.

>It’s a neat little party trick you learned years ago, who knew it might help save your life?

>the flame crackles and hisses as it changes colour from a bright orangish red, to a sky blue.

>The room quickly fills with the light, but nothing changes.

>You try an assortment of colours until finally reaching the Royal Purple chalk.

>This time, as the room changes hue, objects start appearing in the room.

>It looks like at one time this place was a study.

>There are also torches lined along the walls, which you light with yours.

>The rest of the room illuminates, bringing everything into view.

 

>This had to have been some sort of study.

>The room was adorned with bookshelves, a few desks, and what looked like a workstation.

>The bookshelves, unfortunately, were bare.

>You take a quick look around the room for anything that could possibly be dangerous.

>Thankfully, the room is empty, but there is another door on the far side.

>You grab one of the desks and push it in front of the door you just came though.

>You don’t want any surprises while you’re looking around.

“Alright, it should be safe now. Let’s look around.” You say to Twilight

>First thing you decide to check out is the large desk to the north of the room.

>It’s a large wooden desk, with clawed feet at the bottom.

>The top of the desk is bare, save for a small lamp.

>You give the lighter a flick, but it does not turn on.

>Twilight is examining all of the bookshelves in case there are any left.

>You open the main drawer of the desk.

>Nothing inside.

>You open the side compartments as well.

>Same results.

>Sighing, you stand up.

>”Hey Anon, I found something.”

>You go over to the bookcase Twilight’s standing near.

>”It looks like a scrap of a book, but the characters are weird.”

>You take the piece of cloth delicately in your hand.

>It was in some foreign characters you’ve never seen before.

“Could be some older language, judging from the age of this place.”

>”Let me see it, I’ll see if there’s anything more in this book. “

>She sits down in one of the old chairs, which groans in protest.

>You continue to look around the room for anything interesting.

>There seems to be some shimmering left on the one wall.

>You bring your torch closer, and it reveals a portrait.

 

>It’s of an older p0ny, resting on a stump, a book in his lap.

>Quite the piece actually.

 >You move the torch away, re-concealing the painting.

>The workstation, of for a more precise assessment, the little lab set up looks well used.

>It’s got a number of empty beakers on it, and even a little fire pit underneath.

>it looks like it was well used for SOMETHING, but you’re not sure what.

>The more you look around, the more this is looking like a Alchemist’s or a Mage’s quarters.

>At least one from an old story book.

>You begin to wonder if the puniness of the p0nies names, can also extend to their occupations.

“See if you can find anything else in that book, I’m going to take a look in the next room.” You say

>Twilight looks up and nods.

>At least she isn’t as afraid anymore.

>You open the door on the north.

>It leads into a long and winding staircase.

>Wonderful.

>You begin climbing the steps, which you take two at a time due to their size.

>The staircase swirls around, ascending higher and higher.

>After about a minute of climbing you find a small hatch above you.

>Once opened, it appears that you’re inside the tower you tried to get into before.

 

>Why go to all the trouble of the long and winding path to get here?

>Maybe the builder had something to hide.

>Inside, you can see the stormy night sky.

>If there was rain in the forecast, shouldn’t it be wet in here?

>Looking up, you can’t much of anything, due to the lack of light.

>In the middle of the room however, you spot a large Bonfire.

>It’s not currently lit, but it looks like it extends to the torches lining the walls.

>You wonder...

>You take your purple torch and toss it into the pile of logs.

>They quickly catch, and the fire illuminates the stairs leading to the top of the tower above.

>A line of fire runs across the floor and along the walls.

>As the fire spreads to the torches on the walls, it reveals that the tower must ascend quite high.

>You yell back down to Twilight to get up here.

>Why did they never invent elevators?

 

>Meanwhile back in Canterlot...

The Castle lights are growing dim...

>It was late in the evening now.

There’s no one left...

>The halls were silent, save for the few guards wandering the halls.

But me...

>Princess Celestia was quietly snoring away in her chambers.

And Him.

>Luna’s night time watch in the tower is peaceful.

>A cloaked figure wanders through a specific wing of the library.

So the Next time...

>the figure walks up to the large hourglass located in the centre of the room.

You go to Canterstone

>He fills the top part of the hourglass, and it slowly starts to trickle down.

>It should be about 2 years before it runs out.

>He leaves a note on the glass window and disappears into the night.

Don’t go alone.

 

Back in the Castle of Illusion...

>”Ugh, just..how...high...does...this...place...go...” Twilight says, grasping for air, as you finally take a rest.

>You’ve got to admit, you were getting tired as well.

>The stair case pile doesn’t stop from getting higher.

>You look down the stairs you just finished climbing.

>No way...

>It looks like you JUST STARTED.

“Uhh,Twi, it looks like we’ve got a long way to go.” You say

>”Oh for Buck sakes!” she yells.

>You’re a bit taken aback by her use of language.

>But at this point, you were feeling the same way.

>You sit down on the step behind you and pull out two of the cherry chimichangas, and hand one to Twilight.

>It doesn’t take you and her long to finish the snack, considering you haven’t eaten in hours.

“Ya know, this reminds me of an old story I heard years ago.”

>”Oh, and what’s that?” she says

“It was about a King, A Princess, and a few knights.”

“The King was elderly, and his health was failing. He needed a smart successor in order to ensure prosperity for his kingdom.”

“Without a son, he had no one to pass his kingdom off to.”

“So he decided to hold a contest.”

“The King placed his daughter at the top of the tower, and said whomever climbed to the very top, would retrieve her hand in marriage, ensuring their future as King.”

“There was a trick however. The tower was a veritable motherload of traps and tricks.”

 

“Many knights and Princes tried to scale the castle, all in vain.”

>You take a long draw on the canteen you brought earlier, and hand the rest to Twilight.

>”So was anyp0ny able to make it to the top?” she says after finishing what was left of the water.

“Nope. The kingdom fell to neighbouring monarchs, and the King’s rule was cut short.”

>She looks a bit shocked by the ending “So what’s the positive side of this story?”

“It means there must be something quite valuable up top for someone to go to this length to hide it.”

>You get up brushing the dust from your pants.

“There has to be some trick to this place. I just can’t figure it out.”

“It’s like we can see where we need to go, but we can’t reach it.”

>You begin to ponder your next move., when you spot Twilight walking up the stairs backwords.

“What the hell are you doing?” you say, puzzled by her actions.

>”Well, since you said if we can’t get to where we can see, the we should be able to get where we CAN’T see.”

“That makes...”

>Damn, she had you there.

>Soon enough, Twilight disappears from view.

“Wait for me!” you say, quickly making your way up the spiralling staircase backwards.

 

>You finally begin making progress up the baffling tower.

>You would think with all the pegasi around, it would have been found much sooner than this.

>As you gradually climb the tower, you begin to notice the dip in temperature.

>Soon enough, you can see your breath in front of your face.

>After a few more minutes of climbing, your back bumps into a wall.

>A metal door blocks the way.

>On the front it reads “Herein Lies Clover the Clever. Student of Star-Swirl the Bearded and Co-Founder of Equestria. May She Find Peace from Her Madness in Death.”

>”But that doesn’t make any sense!” Twilight says

>”Clover the Clever never went insane! She was a well respected authority on magic and politics for YEARS after the founding!”

“A lot of things aren’t making sense anymore.” You say, pushing the heavy door open.

>Inside was a simple room.

>A giant stone coffin lies in the middle of the room. Beside it, a giant suit of armor, designed for a p0ny.

>There is a small pedestal next to the entrance of the room.

>You examine the inscription on the pedestal.

>It reads “Ye who seeketh the unholy iris must first grasp it from mine cold dead hooves. You will face trials three, and should you succeeded, you will be deemed worthy. If thou shouldst fail any of thine perils, thou whilst serve as a trial for another. Be brave fair traveler, for not even in Death does Duty End.”

>You read that out loud, and Twilight looks ready to bolt back down the stairs.

>You have to admit, even you’re a bit leery about this.

>It’s like something out of a novel or a movie.

 

>There’s not much else to the room, save for a few windows.

>You carefully tiptoe into the room, careful not to disturb too much.

>The suit of armor looks like it belonged to a Unicorn at some time or another, and carried a spear in it’s mouth.

>Twilight stays put, afraid to move.

>That’s fine with you.

>This is where those few years in spec ops kick in.

>You carefully begin sliding the cover off of the coffin.

>It slides off relatively easy, dropping to the ground with a thud.

>Inside is the simple skeleton of a p0ny.

>However, it’s wearing a strange necklace.

>Its of a eye with a strangely colorful crystal inside.

>You pick it up without thinking.

>Its gorgeous.

>The way the purple light shines off it.

>How it refracts everything around it, combining it into single beam of light.

>It’s almost...

>Hypnotizing.

>You bring it closer to your eyes...

>You just gotta wear it...

>Just for a sec...

*THWACK*

>You sent for quite the loop as your turn around.

>The suit of armor, which was stationary just a moment ago, is trudging towards you with its spear point directly at you.

>The amulet’s been sent flying towards Twilight.

“Twilight! Get the Amulet and Run!”

>She quickly grabs the amulet and runs down the stairs.

“Alright, you wanna fight?” you say to the animated armour, “Let’s fight”

>You were hoping you wouldn’t have to do this.

 

>The animus lunges at you with the spear

>You quickly side step it, and smack it upside the head with your staff.

>The wood splinters, sending shards flying all over the room

>The armoured monstrosity doesn’t even seem fazed.

>It turns, much quicker this time, swinging the spear at your head.

>You duck as the metal stick whizzes over your head.

>Deciding to switch up your tactics, you throw all your weight into the armor.

>Once you’ve got a good hold of it, you press your luck, and manage to flip the empty suit over.

>It crashes into the ground, leaving cracked tile in its place.

>You back away slowly, trying to catch your breath.

>The creature slowly begins to rise once again.

>This thing was NOT going to give up.

>The cracked tile however gives you an idea.

>As the construct begins trudging towards you once again.

>This time however, you were ready for it.

>It lunges towards you again, and you sidestep the spear

>As the creature fully extends the spear, you grab the neck of the spear.

>With all might, you swing the spear, and the suit of armor towards the staircase.

>It tumbles over, and begins to fall down the stairs

>You’re surprised that worked.

>You race after the falling construct and yell down the stairs.

“TWILIGHT! HEADS UP!”

 

>The metal clanking grows fainter and fainter, until there is a final resounding crash.

>You run down the stairs, which thankfully started functioning normally.

>Once you reach the bottom, there’s a massive hole where the Bonfire used to be.

>It’s almost pitch black, save for the ominous glowing coming from the pit.

>You quickly illuminate the room with a spell, revealing Twilight huddled in a corner.

“Twilight!” you yell, running over to her.

>She’s got the necklace around her neck.

“Are you OK?” you say.

>She’s just kind of staring into space.

>You wave your hand in front of her face

>No response.

>Man, you didn’t want to do this...

*Slap*

>You give her a slap on the back.

>She shakes her head

“Glad to see your back. Come on, we need to get down there.” You say pointing to the hole in the floor.

>She doesn’t respond, but nods her head.

>The hole in the floor doesn’t look too deep, and you can see the remains of the suit of armor.

>You shoot another ball of light into the hole, illuminating another chamber.

“Alright, it looks like we’ve got to get down there. Climb on my back, I’ll get us down.” You say motioning to Twilight.

>She’s shivering quite a bit as you pick her up.

>She’s going to need a stiff drink after all this.

>You’re going to need a couple.

>You look for the highest part of the rubble pile created by the suit’s crash, and jump down.

 

>You land quite smoothly, despite the looks of the floor.

>The suit of armour is destroyed and cracked all over.

>There’s no way that thing will come back.

>Twilight’s grip on your back tightens.

>She’s not going to want to get down any time soon.

>Just another burden you decide to shoulder.

>The spell illuminates what appears to be a large test chamber.

>A medieval test chamber.

>At the far end in a cage lies the remains of a huge beast.

>You can’t even tell what the hell it’s supposed to be, but it has multiple heads.

>Three to be exact.

>There’s all sorts of beakers and chemicals scattered everywhere.

>You’re lucky this place didn’t explode when the suit came crashing down.

>You walk over to the monstrous cage.

>The fuck was this thing.

>The crystal locket that you found around Twilight’s neck begin to heat up.

>The fuck is going on?

>You gently pull the locket off her neck.

>It was glowing, and almost red hot.

>It quickly gets too hot, and you drop it on the ground.

>You bend down to pick it up, when you hear a groaning from in front of you.

>Oh no.

>The locket continues to glow, giving off an eerie purple light.

>Oh please no.

>The groaning turns into moaning, as dust begins to swirl around the room.

>OH PLEASE GOD NO.

>Nothing can prepare your jimmies for this.

 

>You rush to the other side of the room as the cage explodes.

>As the dust settles, your worst fears are realised.

>The Skeleton of the creature is alive.

>A piercing roar fills the room, as the creature smashes through a nearby wall out into the night.

>You simply stand there, mouth agape.

“Twilight.”

>”Yeah Anon?”

“What was that?”

>”An animated Skeleton of a Hydra.”

“I thought so.” You say calmly.

>Dude, just your friendly neighbourhood mental organ here, how’s it going?

Oh pretty bad, how’s it up there, you nice and cosy?

>Yeah man, got some sage advice for ya here.

Oh? What would that be?

>MAN THE FUCK UP AND DEAL WITH THE SITUATION.

I dunno man, freaking the fuck out sounds like quite a good idea.

>Remember S.A?

Yeah...

>remember how THAT turned out?

Yeah...

>Want to finally deal with it?

I guess...

>DAMN RIGHT YOU DO BOY, NOW HOP TO IT!

Sir yes SIR!

>The wall busted by the Hydra leads out into the cool night air.

>The shivering and frightened p0ny on your back is not making things easier.

>Now that you’re out of that infernal tower, you’ve finally able to get the hell out of here.

>Now is not the time for any theatrics.

>You spot the unholy abomination thrashing its way through the forest.

>And it’s headed towards p0nyville.

>At the rate this monstrosity is lumbering, it’ll be in town within the hour.

>You turn around and grab the infernal necklace that started all this.

>It could come in handy.

 

“Twilight, how’s your shield magic?”

>”Shield magic? Not good. Brother’s better.”

>Great

“Alright, I need you to focus” you say, staring her in the eye as you put her down.

>It looks like the poor thing’s suffering from shock already.

“I need you to focus on your brother. I need you to picture his home.”

“A-alright” she says.

>You draw a quick circle around the two of you.

>You hope she’s ok

>You hear the familiar *pop*, and your outside a rather large home.

>From the surroundings, you can tell it in a rather high class town.

>Probably Canterlot.

>You knock on the door.

>There’s no answer.

>You bang on the door.

>”Alright, alright IM COMING.”

>The door slowly opens revealing a sleepy white stallion with a blue mane.

>This better be...” he begins to say, before noticing you and Twilight.

>”TWILY!” he says, rushing over to her.

>”What in Tartarus happened!” he says, his magic horn glowing.

“Ok. 1. No time for explanations. 2. She’s in shock. 3. If you don’t come with me right now, A lot of p0ny’s are going to die.”

>Smooth Anon, smooth.

>Another p0ny comes to the door.

>This must be Princess Mi Amore Cadenza you’ve heard about.

“Twilight’s in shock. Get her comfy. We’ll be back.” You say grabbing on to his mane.

“Now we go.”

>You forget to draw the circle as you feel the familiar *pop*.

>Luckily you appear outside your home.

>”Ok, you better start explaining right now, or I swear to Celestia...”

>You grab his head and turn it towards the forest.

>The creatures many heads are already visible from this distance.

>Trees fall and splinter everywhere, and the roaring can easily be heard now.

>”OH”

 

“Yeah. Oh. Now listen, because this is VERY IMPORTANT. I need you to wake everyp0ny in the eastern part of the town. Tell them to head for Sweet Apple Acres. It’s far enough that they won’t be in any danger. I’ll take the west. Once your clear, get back to the centre of town as fast as you can. I’m gonna need that shield ability of yours.”

>”You can’t expect to keep that thing out?!?”

“No. I expect to keep something else IN.”

 

>The two of you split up, quickly covering a majority of the town.

>You port yourself all over town, escorting those who are elderly or need assistance to AppleJack’s farm.

>Luckily Shining Armor gets there before you in time to explain what’s going on.

>The hardest was getting the Cake’s to leave their store.

>You promised them everything would be fine.

>You actually had no idea if you’d be able to keep that promise.

>Not if what you’ve got planned goes wrong.

>the roaring gets closer.

>Great

>You estimate you’ve got at another 3 minutes at the most.

>Your running has left you completely drained.

>TOO BAD BODY, I DONT WANT TO HEAR IT.

>One last stop.

>You arrive at Twilight’s house.

>You open the door, and run upstairs.

“SPIKE!” you yell.

>”Oh hey, where’s Twilight?” he says, rising from his bed.

“No time. Emergency. Need to get you to Sweet Apple Acres.”

>You grab the bed the little dragon, bed and all, and run outside.

>A ear splitting roar rocks your world.

>Too late.

 

>”A-anon? WHAT IS THAT THING?” Spike yells pointing a clawed finger at the skeletal creature.

>Oh shit.

“Spike, hold on tight.” You say, bolting towards the centre of town.

>The monstrous creature roars, seeing you flee and races after you.

>Its thundering footsteps echo behind you.

“SHINING! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!” you scream

>SA”BY THE CLOCKTOWER!” YOU HEAR

>As you bravely flee for your life, you see a massive bubble of energy over the middle of the town.

“OPEN IT! OPEN IT!” you scream

>The front of the bubble opens and closes around you, Spike and Shining Armor.

>The thundering behemoth arrives, and begins smashing away at the energy bubble.

“Ok, listen carefully, I need you to take Spike and get outside the shield. Once you’re out, let that thing in.”

>the creature smashes the bubble again, and Shining winces trying to keep the spell active.

>SA”But what about you?”

“Promise me one thing. No matter what happens, do NOT let ANYTHING out until everything inside stops moving.”

>The shield suffers another staggering blow.

>Shining stares at you like you just told him you once killed a man just to watch him die.

“Dammit just GO!” you say shoving him outside the shield.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpSHC1dqX1o

>The sudden shock opens the shield open like planned.

>The monstrosity slowly lumbers towards you.

>DO IT.

>It lowers towards you.

>DO IT NOW.

>It sniffs the air around you.

>The pendant around your neck glows green.

>RELEASE IT.

>The Creature opens its maws as the shield closes.

>YOU CAN DO IT.

>You jump back as the creatures jaws snap at the space you occupied.

>Using the massive channelling circle you created earlier, you whip a fireball right in-between the middle head’s jaws.

>It roars at the sudden assault, it’s prey fighting back.

>You dash around it, throwing a brilliant flash of light above the creature in an attempt to daze it.

>the creature spins on the spot, in an effort to crush you with its skeletal tail.

>the flash goes off, illuminating the night.

>The creature stumbles, as you make your way behind it.

>Unfortunately Shining Armour’s shield spell also encompassed the mayor’s office.

>the creature stumbles from the flash, into the building.

>the wood house splinters and cracks as the creature tumbles.

>You begin another barrage of fireballs, each striking the glowing centre of the beast.

>It seems unfazed by your assault, and roars in anger.

 

>You need to switch tactics.

>So much for fighting fire with fire.

>The creature charges you at full speed, the rattling of its bones fills the air.

>You try to dodge out of the way, but it grabs you with its talons, hoisting you up in the air.

>You struggle against the creatures iron grip, trying to wiggle free.

>BOY.

>It’s vice like grip increases in strength.

>YOU THERE. BOY.

>Your starting to black out.

>USE. THE. AMULET.

>In a desperate act, you grab the amulet your wearing in one hand, throw an ice spike at the creatures head with the other.

>A massive shard of icy fury flies from your hand, impaling one of the creatures three skulls.

>The impact sends bone shards all over the place, and your dropped from the creatures grip.

>You fall, feet first, and hear a sickening crunch as your left leg shatter on impact.

>You howl in pain, the amulet in your palm glows brighter.

>LET. IT. BURN.

>The pain in your leg burns through your veins.

>You feel as if your whole bodies on fire.

>The creature howls in pain and its two remaining heads lunge for your crippled body.

>You remember a tactic used by soldiers back in a war on earth.

>When they were faced with certain defeat, they would go out in a blaze of glory.

>You decided you would as well.

>You invoke the full strength of the channelling circle, and expend nearly all of your energy for one last spell.

>Your very air feels like it’s about to catch on fire.

>And for the first time in many years, the sun rises at night in Equestria.

>You light up the night.

 

Epilogue:

“So, what do you think?” says the cloaked figure watching the lightshow above p0nyville.

>the little pink cloud beside him bounces happily up and down.

“I know it WAS more violent than I expected as well. He’s got some serious issues that one. You made a fine choice.”

>The pink cloud flutters beside the cloaked figure.

“You know, he reminds me a bit of you.”

>The pink cloud shakes angrily at the cloaked figure.

“I know, we still have plenty of time, and the Necklace should give us the distraction we need for now. Until then, I must be off up north. I trust you can hold down the fort until then?”

>The cloud bobs up and down.

“Good. I will return in time for Hearths Warming eve. Until then.”

>The mysterious cloud flying over p0nyville begins it’s slow departure to the north.

>The pink cloud remains behind, watching the medic’s desperately try to sort through the burning rubble that was once the town hall.

>They pull a familiar ape like creature out of the mess.

>He would live to fight another day.

>That’s a good thing, the little cloud thought.

>His presence was needed to ensure the master’s plan would make sense.

>But then again.

>What fun is there in making sense?