The royal guards all glanced around in confusion as the unicorns of the palace had detected a massive surge of magic, and then silence. It was as though three powerful forces fought one another and two were abruptly silenced. However they came on guard when a red aura engulfed the door and it swung open to reveal the creature known as Jasper Montgomery strolling into the throne room. He then approached the throne and sat down.

One guard approached him, “What are you doing?!”

Jasper smirked as he took the seating stance reminiscent of one of the jarls from Skyrim, “Simple, I called The Gambit and triumphed. So I’m testing the new throne.”

“You’re lying!”

“Really,” Jasper snapped his fingers and the frozen princesses appeared before him, “They say differently.”

The guards looked to the statues then the human, “You’ve all been educated on the law. Plus I’m a guy with some arcane knowledge in my head thanks to Miss Sparkle. So to put it simply,” he then coldly stated, “Bow before me.”

The guards had no choice but to obey.

*

At that very same moment, Twilight was doing something that surprised everypony present. She was hurling books everywhere after cycling through them for information.

Rarity ducked to avoid an encyclopedia, “Do you think we should say something?”

Applejack dodged several hardcovers, “Ah wouldn’t recommend it.”

“AHA!!”

Rainbow hovered above her head, “What aha?”

Twilight placed a massive old looking tome down in front of them that had a book mark in it, “I knew Jasper had been doing something when Spike and I went to sleep every night.”

Twilight placed a hoof on the section of the magic book she had lent him, “See here! It seems he had been looking through various sections of the book for specific spells,” her eyes became focused, “The spell he used on the princesses was the petrification hex. With the fact that he possesses the Gem of Ages, it’s no wonder he could perform it so easily.”

Fluttershy raised a hoof, “Um…what is the Gem of Ages?”

Pinkie Pie pulled in a massive window that displayed the comment bar, “Yeah, everypony has been driven nuts on how little it was explained,” she tapped her chin, “Although the magic book clarifies how he knows spells, even though it was mentioned he borrowed it from you.”

Everypony just stared at her as she folded the window up and stuck it in her mane, “Just saying,” She then stared at the reader, “pay attention now.”

Twilight shook her head quickly, “Right…,” she then hoofed through one of the books that Spike seemed to have brought up from the basement, “Alright let’s see here…Gem of Ages….here we GO!”

Twilight then cleared her throat, “Now the Gem of Ages, like the Alicorn Amulet, is a powerful magical artifact. It also shares the Amulet’s unknown origin, no pony knows who made it or why. But the earliest recorded occurrence of its usage was when Starswirl the Bearded & his apprentice Nickel Flamel studied it in great detail. From Starswirl’s notes, he claimed the gem itself has the capability to make even a mundane pony become on par with the most skilled and powerful magic users. Thing is, he later discovered that the more it was used the more it would literally burn up a ponies life force.”

Rainbow Dash scratched her head, “So it’s like a double edged sword?”

Twilight nodded, “Exactly! But from the notes Spike left here, it seems Jasper encased it in the gold to eliminate the drawback. But it seems that it’s only dulling it, I noticed steam rising from his gauntlet which means his little weapon isn’t entirely perfect. The princesses were told of the gem after the research was concluded and sealed it away. I’m so glad Spike found these notes, now we might have a-” she then blinked, “I just realized something, where is Spike?”

Rarity nodded, “I was wondering that as well.”

Pinkie Pie stuck her head outside and looked around and gasped, “Girls…I found him.”

All the ponies rushed outside and Rarity shrieked. Spike was lying inside of the bush beside the front door, frozen in stone. A small sticky note was attached to his shocked expression; Twilight pulled the note from its place and read it out loud.

“Mama don’t like tattle tales.”

Twilight gritted her teeth in anger as the note combusted, “That does it! Girls, get the elements. We’re going to pay his highness a visit.”

*

If it had been several minutes earlier, the ponies could have found Jasper sitting in Canterlot. But that was not the case. He had long since teleported away and appeared at the Crystal Empire with a battalion of guards backing him.

He approached a crystal guard pony, “I’m here to see Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance,” the pony raised an eyebrow at him, “I’m the new king of Equestria and I am ordering you to let me pass.”

The guard narrowed his eyes, “King or not, you have little power here.”

Jasper smiled, “Your right.”

He then pointed his right index finger and there was a red flash. Where the guard had stood, there was now nothing but a pile of steaming armor. The Canterlot guards all widened their eyes as Jasper strolled into the castle. The human glanced around until his eyes fell upon his targets.

“Greetings to the happy couple,” he bowed, “I am Lord Jasper and I’m here for two simple requests.”

Both royals were skeptical at the fact as Cadance tilted her head, “And those would be?”

Jasper checked the finger nails of his left hand, “I’m here to repossess the Crystal Mirror and take it back into Canterlot custody,” he raised a finger, “I’m also here to ‘acquire’ the Crystal Heart.”

At the mention of the two requests both royal’s got on the offensive, “Why should we give you either human?”

Jasper gave a small smile, “Well you could either give them to me willingly,” a dangerous flash appeared in his eyes, “or I could take them.”

Shining advanced on the human, “Listen here. I don’t know who you think you are, but you come into OUR kingdom and threaten US? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t blast you into the tundra!”

“Because if you lay a hoof upon the winner of The Platinum Gambit against Luna and Celestia,” he stepped forward, “Not only would you be attacking Equestria’s new king, but I will take it as a sign of war and retaliate so fast it will make your equine head spin.”

Shining backed up, “You declared the Gambit?”

Jasper gave a toothy smile, “Yes I did.”

“My lord, we have the mirror.”

Jasper turned to look at the reflective surface, “Excellent.”

Flash Sentry ran into the room and quickly bowed, “I apologize. I tried to stop them.”

Jasper raised a finger on his right hand, “Hold down the fort gents,” he blasted the glass which rippled with red energy, “I won’t be long.”

Jasper then stepped through.

*

The human emerged onto dirt and glanced around at the school before him, “Jeez, it was pretty accurate.”

With no hesitation he walked up the stair with a powerful stride and opened the door into the inactive hallways. He scratched his chin in slight annoyance at the fact that classes were still in session, but this was dismissed when he looked to his left and noticed that a school assembly was in progress. He then began to walk through the hall whistling Twisted Nerve from Kill Bill. As he passed by several lockers he stopped when he noticed a picture of the girls at the Fall Formal. He raised an eyebrow, and then he blasted the case into oblivion. He continued to whistle his tune as his pace quickened. Soon he came to the gym doors and threw them open hard shocking every student and teacher present. He casually strode among the shocked faces ignoring the teachers who were yelling at him. He walked onto the stage and approached Principal Celestia.

“What is the meaning of this!? Who are you?!”

Jasper responded by pushing her off the stage and into the crowd.

Shocked murmurs and gasped were heard as he took the microphone, “Good day Canterlot High. I am Jasper Montgomery, the new King of this world and the other one you’re all so familiar with. Now I have one question,” he scanned the crowd, “where is the one known as Sunset Shimmer? You realize you all are harboring a traitor to a kingdom right? I’m willing to grant you all leniency if you bring her forward.”

The room was silent.

Jasper merely smiled, “I was hoping you would do that,” he raised his right hand toward the ceiling as every light began to erupt into sparks and the metal above began to tremble, “Bring her forward so she can answer for her crimes!”

Something moved in the corner of his eye and he zeroed in on six girls making a break for the doors. He smirked and appeared in front of them.

“Leaving so soon?”

Sunset Shimmer backed up as the girls attempted to block her form Jasper, “Oh come of it.”

With a mere wave of his right hand the girls were pinned to the walls as Sunset was levitated off her feet, “So miss ex-student. Let’s have a little chat about what you've learned during your enrollment shall we?”

Sunset struggled against the magical grasp as she was pulled screaming from the school and back through the portal.