Captain Iron Will was watching his fellow soldiers, drafted citizens and friends alike, the people he wanted to protect. Indeed, a neutral observer might come to the conclusion that he was calm and filled by the desire to demonstrate confidence. This act was only for show, for his mind raced a hundred miles per hour.

He felt sorry for them. Iron Will had time to adjust, time to understand and to come to terms with the changes which transpired. But not mankind. His former people.

They were tossed into the cold water, not even remotely prepared for the reckoning, the foretold day, Dawn of Magic. The elders of the Druid Sanctum warned the clans in time, a privilege the humans never had. His chieftain, Fierce Blood, ordered the best hunters of the Blackhoof Clan to spread beyond Magoth and to aid the innocent, as well as to return with information about how other countries were taking the new era. He was a most honorable man, somebody worthy to be followed.

Iron Will sighed internally, if just the big chief would think the same, instead he only cared for the minotaurs, no other race. A narrow-minded, in his opinion, but understandable mindset. They had to tame their own land first, before they could entertain the idea of rebuilding international relationships.

However, time was a good they couldn’t effort to waste, Iron Will was sure of that.

He remembered well how Mayor Mare and the Wonderbolts reacted at first when he had revealed himself and how shocked they were when the minotaur told them about what Iron Will saw during his journey. Not all took it well, some were simply better in hiding their true feelings. It was like an unwanted confirmation, a cold slaughter of their last glimmers of hope that the world could be turned back, somehow, if they just tried hard enough.

A sad thing to watch.

It was time to repay their kindness, for trusting him by granting a stranger the honor of leadership, he could finally be useful by doing his job as the appointed captain of the Ponyville Militia. Besides, hope rekindled anew. Celestia, Luna, their students and others, they were all magicians, capable of wielding the very force most feared, because they didn’t understand. They could show their fellow humans that magic was not a curse, but a gift, if wisely used.

In addition, there were Luviel and Zecora, fellow not-humans, who would help these brave souls, too. Truly, hope had enough cinders left, something they all wanted to prove to the victims of Canterlot City, Fillydelphia, and to all who were manipulated by the warlocks, because they weren’t shown yet that not every magic user was selfish or dangerous.

He grinned to himself in anticipation. Iron Will would be the protector the citizens of Ponyville desperately desired, for as long as they accepted him.

“Captain Iron Will?" Soarin asked again, looking mildly concerned.

"Yes?" The disguised minotaur was trying to appear as if he was listening the whole time. It would be embarrassing to admit that he was daydreaming.

"D-do you think that we did enough to be prepared?" The usually laid-back man made sure that none of his subordinates listened in on them, "I have to be honest with you, I am worried that we will fail." He smiled sheepishly at the by Iron Will given silent treatment, "I know, someone in my position shouldn't think like that, but I just can't help it."

In the end, Iron Will smiled archly and laughed, “Iron Will doesn’t judge you, my friend. Having doubts when you are about to face war and death is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it makes you more reliable for those under you, because one can be sure that you still value the lives of others.”

“Y-you really think so?” Spitfire’s right hand had his doubts.

The giant gazed at the younger Wonderbolt, nodding reassuringly, “Who would you want to follow more? The hardened and cold-hearted general, who distanced himself from his own emotions to gain victory at all costs? Or the empathic officer, who acknowledges every subordinate as his responsibility and shows that he is still capable of holding on to his morals?”

Soarin chuckled sheepishly, more at ease now, “I think I get it. Thanks, Captain.”

"And here I thought that you are a chilled guy with his love for baked goods. I am very disappointed, Clipper," an invisible Lightning Streak suddenly stated in playful disappointment.

Soarin shrieked manly at the unexpected comment. He thought that nobody was near them.

Iron Will was at least surprised, but mostly displeased, “Senior Airman Lightning Streak. Did nobody ever teach you that it is very impolite to eavesdrop on a private conversation? Especially when one of the afflicted parties is your superior officer?”

The Chameleon Magic user had received a special task, to act as their invisible spy and to infiltrate the enemy’s rows during battle. If Fortune smiled upon them, then Lightning might even be able to return with important intelligence. Planned surprise attacks, troop movements, or perhaps the location of the hostile general, every detail could be crucial in order to achieve victory.

Lightning Streak possessed the decency to apologize for the intrusion before finally getting to the point, “My brother sent me. We have an uninvited guest at our doorstep and, well. Take a look for yourselves.”

That got the attention of both leaders. Senior Master Sergeant Fire Streak, older brother of Lightning Streak, was in charge of their snipers and responsible for keeping watch.

Soarin took a deep breath and looked determinedly at his subordinate and friend, “Show us.”

A lot of commotion was going on near the south gate. Some recruits were pacing up and down impatiently, jumpily waiting for the Adepts of Khom to arrive, others checked upon their weapon for a last time. Even the occasional Wonderbolt, who was trying to explain the newbies how to behave in certain combat situations, could be heard.

And then there was Luna, who yawned in boredom.

Celestia snorted and softly nudged her sister with the elbow, “Seriously? Keep it together.”

Luna winced slightly at the interruption of her stretching exercise, “What? You know how I get when there is nothing to do.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but not everybody can be as calm as you,” the solar knight hissed in annoyance.

The Lunar Magic user raised an eyebrow at her older sibling’s rude reaction, “Since when are you so snappy?”

Celestia frowned in embarrassment, looking straight into the other woman’s eyes, “I-I’m sorry Lulu. I just can’t stand our current situation. Who knows how many will die today because of those lunatics?”

Luna wanted to encourage her sister, and complain about the used nickname she had earned during their childhood, when suddenly one of the installed bells gave alarm. It was time. Both magicians nodded at each other and ran atop the wall, ready to face the approaching army. Celestia saw out of the corner of her eye that Fire Streak, who stood a little to their right, was mumbling something to nobody in particular, she knew better.

They looked down, only to be confused. The ‘army’ was merely made of a single person.

There the man stood in the middle of the street, gender recognizable because of his heavily muscled build and no hint of any female features, despite wearing a tightly sitting, black cloth cloak. The metal armor which surrounded parts of his body, and the like a tortured human looking mask, gave most present a very bad feeling about this stranger.

He stood tall and proud, arms folded behind his back, as if he was waiting for something. Then he spoke in a peevish and deep voice, “Citizens and defenders of Ponyville! I am Punisher Vyndrak, the leading commander of the Adepts of Khom.” He bowed mockingly, “I humbly ask you to surrender peacefully and no harm shall-” Suddenly, Vyndrak snorted loudly, cackling shortly after, like he had just discovered the funniest joke, “Forget it. You know what? Just give up and don’t make it any harder than it needs to be.”

Many Wonderbolts, some soldiers of the militia and braver volunteers from the townsfolk, but mostly the present magic users, who actually knew who this man was, gritted with their teeth or were seething at the warlock’s cocky attitude.

Luna, Celestia, Indigo Zap, Rainbow Dash and Lemon Zest were chosen to defend the south gate at the very front, while Rarity, Applejack and Sugarcoat were ready to support the second lines of defense on both sides of town, depending on where they were needed. It was a matter of efficiency, meaning that magicians with the more close combat orientated abilities were positioned near the inner city, when the chance to be riddled with holes by a barrage of gunfire or spells wasn’t too high.

The pregnant silence found its end when Captain Iron Will and Second Lieutenant Soarin approached the enemy’s leader as close as possible, looking down at the man in professional calmness.

“So, you are Punisher Vyndrak, the monster I heard so much about,” Iron Will started, now glaring at the warlock in a challenging manner.

“Oh? So you have heard of my humble self?” Vyndrak asked innocently, “My, I feel honored, Officer...”

“The name is Iron Will. Captain Iron Will for you,” the disguised minotaur corrected without missing a beat. “I can assure you that you and your sect will be hold accountable for your crimes.”

The Adept of Khom sighed dramatically in relief, completely ignoring the made promise, “Hopefully. You see, I have certain expectations to uphold and every good word could ruin my hard-earned reputation.”

Iron Will scoffed scornfully.

Soarin took over, trying to sound diplomatic, if barely, “This is our only and final offer. You and your people will send those demons you summoned back to hell where they belong, and in return we will give you a fair trial after you surrendered. That is more than your order deserves, you have committed unspeakably cruel atrocities.” He was thinking about what happened to Gloriosa and Timber, a told tale which was nightmare fuel in his opinion, “And don’t think you will have it easy, in case you decide to continue your mad campaign. We outnumber you, manifold.”

It was an attempt to intimidate the commander of Jormun. At least 400 people were standing right now on the makeshift wall, along the entire southern side. More weren’t possible, or else the construction might break away, even in its enforced state. Hundreds of weapons were pointed at the punisher.

Vyndrak simply shrugged, “Well, what a waste of my time.” He barely turned around when he faced the brave souls who defied him once more, “But don’t come crying when you get injured. I warned you.”

This time he turned his back to leave for real. Soarin immediately nodded to Fire Streak, who gave the signal for the sharpshooters to take aim, they were the only ones within range. It was most likely a futile attempt, but the chance to end the greatest threat to Ponyville was worth the try. Nearly 20 sniper rifles aimed at Vyndrak’s back.

Celestia was simply watching the scene with trepidation and a glimmer of hope, that would be much too easy.

Fire lowered his arm, shots filled the air. As expected, it had not the desired effect. A black and purple shield surrounded the man, cracks marking the points of impact. Vyndrak’s face could not be seen because of the mask, but most were sure that he was looking at them in amusement, “How naughty of you, attacking me when my back is turned. I’m sorry to disappoint, but I don’t swing that way.”

Nobody saw it, because they were all occupied by the display of power, but Rainbow Dash and Indigo Zap were trying their best not to charge at the warlock in rage. If only to rip this ugly thing from his head.

When Vyndrak was back in the Everfree, and sure that he was out of sight, the punisher allowed himself to relax, “By Khom’s fat cock! Four more snipers and they would have killed me!”

No disrespect to his Lord, of course. Besides, he was sure that Beast Tamer Makara was fairly better suited for being interested in such topics. Surely she was a shameless Dark Elf, spreading her legs for the next secret. He smirked in his mind, not that he would ever tell her that.

The warlock didn’t expect Ponyville to have such numbers of trained soldiers at its disposal. His magic wasn’t weak by any means, but there were only so many bullets a shield could take before breaking apart. He was certain that he could take a few shots without enchantments before the punisher left their camp, his pride was the man’s biggest rival.

Vyndrak almost snorted at the idea of finding his end at the hands of those cretins. He couldn’t afford to perish yet, there was still so much suffering and death he had to create. Inventing new methods to take another life was an art in his mind, most people were just unspeakably plain when it came to creativity. Through his art, he would let others transcend, knowing that they served their purpose, and his vision.

But to understand the end, one had to grasp the beginning.

That was why he had chosen Dark Council member Grogar, the Lord Necromancer, as his master. It was beyond question, Great Executioner Tirek was strong and powerful enough to install fear and terror into their enemies’ hearts and a close, second choice. However, Grogar studied the secrets of life and death, something that could refine his elected craft.

Vyndrak sighed nostalgically, once he was a mere interrogator, but now? Now he was so much more. It helped that his father was such a strict person, always hitting him with the belt whenever he got drunk. Vyndrak had certainly an eventful youth. His first beating marked the moment when the punisher had discovered his fascination for pain and with what kind of methods it could be inflicted, how to elongate it, and what would happen when it was over for his... test subjects.

His father was one such person, he would never forget his maker’s last scream. Though Vyndrak had to admit, it was mostly revenge for what happened to his little sister. The old man deserved it after what he did.

“Nisha...” He banished the crawling feeling of loss from his mind instantly.

After a short walk, he reached his troops. Two of his for this campaign chosen commanders came to a halt in front of him, waiting for new orders.

“Commander Vyndrak! Is it finally time to attack?” asked an eager Dasher demon, the voice very scratchy, almost too painful to listen to.

The Lesser Demon who spoke had the same out of flames made hair, deformed ibex horns, skin color and impressive statue like his brethren, his eyes were infused by lust for battle. The difference was that he wore a jade colored leather vest, with carved black runes, white cloth armor around his lower half and leather boots, made from the same material like his vest. The skin of a fire salamander from Tartarus, nasty beasts. But most noticeable was his by their smiths crafted steel spear, as long as the demon was tall and with three sharp ends, similar to a trident.

“Yuogg.” It still felt strange to speak to a fully sapient Lesser Demon, normally they were barely capable of speech or higher thinking, if at all. Though a minion like that was perfect to command the other Dashers. Next Vyndrak acknowledged a man with the robe of an adept, “Dark Light. As expected, they think that they are safe behind their walls. Teach them a lesson in humility and breach their defenses.” His tone was more serious now, “But remember, capture as many civilians as possible alive. Oh, and they have more snipers than we had initially thought, take them out first.”

Dark Light wore no weapons on his body, counting on his fitness and magic instead. His hood was down, so one could see the features of an older, but fit looking human. A man with pale silver skin, slitted amber eyes and an almost bald head, if not for the rest of his white hair, which was made in a long ponytail, knotted and held together by braids every now and then.

The adept bowed, a to the punisher unknown accent was painting his subordinate’s words, it was most likely coming from a country of the far east, “As you wish, Lord Vyndrak.”

Vyndrak smiled darkly in satisfaction beneath his mask. They planned to encircle Ponyville, Yuogg and Dark Light would attack from the south, while Dylia took the north gate. A pincher attack.

His plan was perfect.

“What in Lady Dawnseeker’s name is wrong with this forest?!” Dylia thought furiously, growling lowly under her breath.

She already lost 20 demons and at least 8 acolytes because of the strangest events. Shivering trees, whose branches came down with utmost precision, slaying whoever wasn’t fast enough to dodge. They hit Frost Hounds mostly. Or with sharp rocks equipped pitfalls, perfectly covered holes in the ground nobody saw until it was too late. Two acolytes even dropped dead, literally. Both had a small hole in their neck, but no trace of any weapon. Every demon and soldier was ordered to keep their eyes open and to search for eventual attackers, nothing.

It was freaking the woman out.

Dylia managed to prove herself as the most talented acolyte of her unit. When her final test, meaning this invasion, was over, she could finally shed their organization’s lowest rank and starting her training to become a beast tamer.

If a fresh member of the Adepts of Khom managed to succeed in acquiring the basics, and not to die in the process, it was time for the next step. To choose a path of becoming. In her head, she already did, that was why Dylia swore her loyalty to the Dark Council member who held the title ‘Queen of Beasts’.

Vyndrak’s chosen leader had a natural talent for handling creatures and animals, the Demon fire had strengthened this ability even more. Ponyville was just supposed to be a milestone on her path. It was the reason why the greatest part of their menagerie was following her lead right now, besides other acolytes and enforcers, meaning a lot of Frost Hounds and two of their Terrorbeasts.

Sounds of combat were filling the air. Dylia huffed in annoyance, she would succeed and nothing could stop her, "Brothers and sisters, servants of Lord Khom! The attack on the south gate has already begun! Move it!"

Despite being in a hurry, she could have sworn that it smelled, even if only for a few moments, like somebody just took the biggest dump. Hopefully she was hallucinating.

“It seems we did our part well,” Zecora whispered in audible satisfaction, focusing on her friend instead of the leaving enemy, “Though it is interesting to see your skills up close. Are all emerald elves capable of using the environment and their magic like that?”

Luviel Dawnseeker absorbed the compliment like a sponge, but couldn’t help herself and winced at the sharp smell, “Thanks, but it really depends on your personal level of training, skill and experience. However, the flora of the Everfree Forest acts very strange," she replied in equal volume.

In all honesty, it was creeping her out a little, the trees almost behaved like thinking, breathing beings. They were much too eager to act on her command.

And her ability to convince plants to do what she wanted wasn't for free. Every action cost magic, it would leave her vulnerable, if she used her favorite technique too much. The more mana she used, the more exhausted the elf became. It was a dangerous balance she had to uphold. Still, the biggest advantage was that she could dispatch of her foes without leaving a trace.

Right now they were sitting in the broadest tree they could find, with as much leaves as possible to take cover.

Luviel let her eyes wander over the woman, who clearly acted like the leader. Shoulder-length black hair, pale rosy skin and two big red eyes with slitted pupils, her statue was not bad-looking, either. These curves alone would surely convince many to do what she wanted. The robe she was wearing marked her as a novice, much to the duo’s surprise. Still, the acting commander was smart enough to keep her guard up after losing some of her subordinates and dodged in time when another branch was about to crush her.

This latest action alarmed even the most clueless footsoldier of a hostile presence, forcing Zecora and Luviel to remain hidden for now. Worse, the smell was killing the Emerald elf on the inside. It was agonizing. Speaking of, she glanced at Zecora’s upper body, who noticed the analyzing stare immediately and winked in amusement. Luviel ignored it and continued her self-imposed task.

The shaman smirked impishly, “It’s all natural, I can promise you that.”

In order to keep the Frost Hounds from finding them, Zecora had prepared something to hide their scent. It reeked to the heavens, so that Luviel nearly lost her lunch when they smeared their skin with it, some kind of gray substance. The troll woman assured her that she would get used to it, after some time.

That wasn’t the case.

Nevertheless, the shaman’s newest creation was a death sentence for clothing, because the smell couldn’t be washed out, so they had to go in their birth suits. Thus, Luviel was once more drawn to a sight she couldn’t really describe. They were huge! It was like female trolls were born to mock other females for being smaller around the top.

The Mana Weaver huffed, “And it is like they are defying gravity! But how? Perhaps they are made of much more muscle than fat? Strong tissue?”

Zecora, not aware of her friend’s inner turmoil, shrugged, folded her arms behind her head and leaned against the tree trunk to relax, “Well, I hope you brought time. I don’t think we will leave this place anytime soon.”

Luviel cheered mentally in finest sarcasm. The Mana Weaver always wanted to bond with others by sitting with them in a tree all day, naked no less. She snorted, gagging instantly afterwards, because their bodies were literally covered by it, “I swear, it got even worse. What did you use? Animal feces?”

“Maybe,” came the joyful response.

The emerald elf groaned at her new friend’s poor attempt of being funny, “Cheerilee is right. Your sense of humor is the worst.” She couldn’t wait to get rid of this foul goo. A kingdom for a bath.

Prismia made sure that the portal was still open, before focusing on what was ahead of the Scion of Earth. At first she wasn’t sure what to expect beyond the gate, but it was calming to see that she didn’t have to search for long. “Just what is this place?” she mumbled to herself, impressed by the sight.

She stood at the edge of a mysterious, spacious room. No, not a room, a cave, the scion corrected herself. The entire place was massive and decorated by various sources of light. Monstrous patches of stalagmites stuck out of the ground, illuminating the surroundings in different colors, making it easy to recognize the sediment beneath her feet. It was a combination of gritstone and argillite, better known as sandstone and clay. She looked up, the ceiling appeared to be normal enough, if not for a few holes in it, some bigger than others. No other way led out of it, except the portal.

“Whoever built this place clearly had air needing people in mind,” Prismia concluded in wonder and admiration.

Though much more interesting was the giant plate in the very center, a tall construction with stone engraving. A small closed off chest stood to its left, decorated with some activated runes on it. Most likely to prevent theft.

She came to a stop in front of the plate, much to her surprise, the carved in words were written in plain English.

To whoever reads this message. I, Basalt Copper Pie, welcome you, Scion of Earth.

Such hospitality. But how could this man know what she was?

If you are here, then that means that you were ordered to retrieve the Tablet of Dust. The only other possibility is that you were captured and malevolent beings have forced you to awake the guardian from its slumber in order to open the gate. Should the second option apply, then I implore you: Don’t do what they want! The tablet must never land in the wrong hands.

Prismia gulped nervously, “Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all.” The word ‘never’ was even prominent, because it was thickly underlined.

You will find the item of your desire in the small chest to your right, put your hand upon the hand symbol, channel the your given elemental magic into the lock, and name the seven Pillars of Continuity in Kalamdur. Only then, will it open.

Good luck, fellow brother. May the Elemental Lords guide you.

She was wondering if the names alone would be sufficient, or not. In the end she decided to add the titles, better safe than sorry. Prismia looked down and saw the mentioned symbol of a human hand, put her own on top and did as instructed.

Kalamdur was not really a language one could speak in the typical sense of the word, it was more about using elemental magic to let it speak for you. Still, learning it was a pain at first. With faith in her heart, she started, “Rubyleon the Invincible, Sand Demon Pulvis, Cespes the Earth Caller, Dust Dragon Mother Rokka, Terrakon the Wise, Champion Duron and Omara the Undying.”

The runes which were covering the grave stopped glowing and an opening sound was heard, as if a door was unlocked. Carefully, she grabbed the top with both hands and lifted it up, using a little magic as backup. It was much heavier than expected.

There it was, but Prismia had no idea why it was called a ‘tablet’. The item looked like a radiant, dark brown orb, perhaps the size of a baseball. She took the object into her hand and was mesmerized by its pureness, the surface felt unnaturally smooth and the energy inside seemed to be alive. If she looked closely enough, the scion could make out fine lines along the surface.

Proud of herself, she recalled the words in her mind which would bring her back to the Elemental Planes soon. At least that was how Rubyleon had explained it, because she wasn’t able to call forth a portal on her own, yet. She was already giddy on the inside to finally return.

“Prismia!”

Of course it couldn’t have been easy for a change. Worse, it was a voice the Scion of Earth loathed more than anything else. With an aggressive sigh escaping her lungs, and after secretly hiding the Tablet of Dust beneath her robe, she turned around to face the intruder, “Well, if that isn’t the favorite dean of Canterlot City! You should really learn to keep your nose out of my business, Cady,” Prismia announced smugly, immediately noticing the third member of their fateful get-together and laughed at what she saw, surprising the duo with the faint sound of rumbling stones in her voice, “And who is this? Your little bodyguard?”

The teenager in question didn’t take kindly to being ridiculed like that, but Cadence motioned for her to remain calm and glared at the other woman. Though she was obviously fascinated and confused by Prismia’s true form, her expression brought a smirk to the half elemental’s lips.

“Cut the act! You avoided me like the plague since we got here whenever I tried to speak to you. What it this place? And where is High Fame?” Cadence had so many more questions, but time was short. They had to finish this matter as soon as possible to help the others.

“You are not welcome her, that is all there is to say.” Prismia rolled her eyes, annoyed by this encounter, “But here is a hint. Did you see the tuxedo outside, covered in ash? Now you know where this coward is, or what is left of him.”

This time the to the scion unknown girl gasped, as if she just received a confirmation, “So you m-murdered him! How could you?!”

“Easy there...”

“Sunset Shimmer,” the youngest of the three curtly helped out.

“Sunset Shimmer it is then. Look, High Fame was a rich, cowardly, perverted, but dangerous man. For normal people. Nobody will miss a creeper like him.” The Scion of Earth remembered well how she had to nearly break his wrist the first time they met when he became too interested in closing space between them, “He even killed Political Drive in a childish fit of hurt pride.”

Cadence sighed somberly, “We already know.” The former dean tried to fix Prismia with a pleading expression, “But what you did, what you are still doing, it hurts innocent people. Please, come with us and explain yourself. We are not here to harm you and I’m sure, when you told us your side of the story we can-”

“Oh, shut up!” Prismia screamed threateningly, the entire cave was shaking for a reason unknown to the duo in front of her, “You took my lifework away from me! My dreams! I lost everything thanks to your self-righteousness! Everybody had abandoned me, because of your actions!” She scoffed in contempt, “Though in hindsight, I should be grateful, because I found something much better than anything those spineless idiots from the school board could have offered me.”

“I am very sorry to hear that you were cast out for your beliefs.” Cadence looked down in, maybe regret? Sadness? Feigned sympathy? The Scion of Earth didn’t really care to be honest, “But you didn’t give me much of a choice than to stop you. You wanted to teach the future generations that life is nothing more than a competition, that the strong have the right to dominate the weak. Instead you should have tried to teach others that you don’t need to be gifted in order to succeed in life.” Sunset winced at the part about domination.

Prismia mock-yawned, “Are you done?” Cadence’s eye twitched.

The Phoenix Magic user chose the moment of silence to step forward and spoke up faithfully, “I think I know what happened. You thought that you were denied what was rightfully yours.” She shook her head in empathy, “I know how you feel.” Prismia bristled, not liking the used tone, “I was at this point myself, made the same mistakes, and paid dearly for it. All that, just because I thought myself superior. Whatever you think you found, or were promised, it isn’t worth the agony you cause others, nothing is. You have to believe me. This road you are taking right now, it won’t lead to a happy ending.” She gestured accusingly at the portal they all had to enter, “I mean, look at what you did to High Fame and those poor recruits! You opened a Life Gate by sacrificing their very essence to the golems!” The last two sentences were shouted in anger, disgust and a pinch of resentment.

The former dean of CPA titled her head at the strange name. However, she didn’t like its sound one bit.

Prismia blinked, making sure she heard that right. Suddenly, slowly, a dark expression painted her features. Earth elemental Magic illuminated her right hand and she snapped her fingers.

“Sunset, watch out!” Cadence warned her companion, thinking the other magician was about to attack them.

The girl just wanted to do... something, but Prismia ignored the futile attempt when spikes of stone shot out of the ground, trapping them. In an instant, the scion closed the distance until she and Sunset stood eye to eye, if not for the fact that Prismia was even taller than Celestia. She leaned forward, almost touching noses with the insolent teenager.

“You are, what? 17? 18? And you already think that you have figured me all out?” She stared at Sunset as if the redhead with the golden locks was a new specimen, “But much more important, how do you know of the gate’s true nature?”

It really baffled her. The ritual she activated was supposed to be a spell unknown to earth, and in extension, mankind, for it drained the victim’s very life force. Not like necromancy, when the soul was involved, more that the concerned organism was vastly drained of all its nutrients. Blood, flesh, bone, it would all be absorbed, while the waste withered away to cremains, in order to reanimate the guarding golem by turning everything into raw energy. The sacrifice literally dried out in not even half a minute.

Sunset’s eyes widened, she stared at the ground before answering, “I read stuff.” Prismia had no clue what that meant and frowned warily at the dodging behavior.

Cadence glanced worriedly at her partner in this mission, before changing topic in another attempt to get more information out of her former friend, “So, your new look, the voice. Is that all thanks to your magic?” She called upon her White Magic, surrounding a hand with it, “See? I can use my own form of magic, too.”

Prismia didn’t show it, but she was seriously caught off-guard by this revelation. She eyed Sunset again, glimpsed at the gate behind them and looked back at the caged duo, thinking about the possible implications. The scion made a decision and smiled much too sweetly, “It was not a pleasure to meet you again Cady. This conversation is officially over.”

Cadence stared after the leaving founder of Justice, greatly offended, “H-hey! Prismia, come back here this instant! We are not done yet!”

Mentioned half elemental didn’t even turn around while replying, “But I am. Have fun going insane.” Her plan was to return to the Elemental Planes when she was back in Ponyville, leaving her pursuers behind to rot in this cave forever. Nobody would be the wiser.

Without a warning, Sunset Shimmer appeared in a moderate amaranth colored flash, right between Justice’s founder and the only exit, “Guess what?” she asked smugly, “I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well.”

“Since when can you do that?!” the still captured White Magic user exclaimed from within her prison, awed.

The scion raised a stony eyebrow at the unexpected act, “Teleportation? Is this your power?”

Sunset smiled knowingly, the next moment her entire frame was engulfed by tri-colored phoenix flames. After the heated light show abated, Prismia had to fight the urge not to whistle at what she saw. The teenager, who was just wearing a normal Ponyville Militia uniform mere seconds ago, was now covered by a very knightly looking armor, had an impressive diadem on her head, and held a crystalline sword in her hand, pointed at the scion. It was pulsating every now and then, most likely a magic weapon filled with energy, so Prismia analyzed in her mind.

“What kind of power is that?” she asked dryly, illuminating both of her hands with elemental magic, prepared to fight, “And don’t think I will suddenly surrender only because of your little transformation act.”

The former student of Princess Celestia couldn’t help herself but to smile proudly. She got this idea from the voice of her Phoenix Magic, when it told her that Sunset was a special case, because she had two forms of magic inside of her body. It needed time, but she eventually managed to find her own Equestrian magic again. Though something had changed, the color of her aura, when using spells as a Unicorn, had turned from cyan to red. Perhaps the geode had something to do with it? Nevertheless, Sunset was now able to use both, her Phoenix Magic and her Equestrian magic, an advantage she would gladly use.

Sunset let her sword disappear and followed Prismia’s example by illuminating her own hands with flames, “Didn’t you know? A good magician never reveals her secrets.” She frowned strongly, “Why can’t we just talk this over?”

“I agree!” Cadence added helpfully from the distance.

If she was being honest, the White Magic user was kind of happy not be involved in further escalations. It left a bad taste in her mouth, but her current abilities weren’t very helpful when it came down to fighting someone unlike the Umbrum which befell Sombra. At least not yet. A flaw she made Sunset aware of, Cadence was hoping that the founder of Justice wouldn’t find out, too.

Prismia glared at her personal nemesis and turned back to face the only obstacle in her way once more, “Are you two stupid or something? What makes you think I will just stop, or spill the beans for that matter?”

Sunset growled in annoyance, “You know exactly that we have more important problems to handle right now! So I’ll ask you for a last time. Will you come with us peacefully, or not?”

The Scion of Earth sneered at the hidden threat, “Sweetie, you are not the only one on a timetable here. Get out of my way!”

Prismia used the soil beneath them to shoot sharpened projectiles of stone at the younger magician, who created a wall of phoenix fire in response, the weaponized rocks shattered on contact. Sunset shielded herself from the shrapnel with a shield made of her Unicorn magic, while Prismia took the punishment without a flinch. Not a single scratch could be seen.

“Hm, she does seem to have quite a set of skills, if that move is anything to go by. I need to end this fast,” Sunset decided, greatly worried about her friends’ well-being.

Her eyes widened shortly at the magic circle, which suddenly appeared right where she stood, and immediately charged another teleportation spell, barely dodging a fate of being pierced by stony thorns.

“Where are-”

The Scion of Earth didn’t even had the time to finish her sentence, her enemy appeared in front of her and hit Prismia in the stomach with a by fire surrounded fist. It tickled.

Sunset yelled in pain and vanished anew, this time reappearing to the scion’s left, leaving a little more distance between the duo. Her gauntlet was the only reason she didn’t end up with a few broken bones. “Celestia dammit!” Sunset cursed in her mind, dancing on the spot and shaking her hand to numb the pain. She used her good one to point accusingly at a very satisfied looking Prismia, it was angering her all the more, “What was that!? It’s like I hit a brick wall!”

Sunset Shimmer’s adversary smiled thinly, “Do you need a minute? That happens when you hit enhanced stone.” A foreboding frown colored her face, “Warm-up is over. Art of Summoning: Lesser Earth Elemental!"

Two bigger magic circles came to be in front of the scion, the symbols and geometrical forms on the inside were different this time. Sunset was prepared, ready to defend herself. Not that the Phoenix Magic user really knew what to expect.

Beings, which looked like were made of living, dark red rock formations and loose earth, were crawling out of them. One per circle. Sunset noticed that they were roughly shaped like humanoid entities, with a very broadly built upper body, easily dwarfing even Captain Iron Will in terms of girth, though not as tall. Still, an intimidating appearance to behold. Both had thick arms, ending in hands with four digits. Lastly the heads, which were formed like spiked helmets, containing sharply shaped eye sockets filled by emerald green energy.

Sunset couldn’t believe it. This woman was capable of summoning familiars?! Or were those simply other golems? "Although, she called them 'earth elementals', so perhaps spirits of nature?" Nonetheless, she felt like she was missing something.

“Servants of earth, take care of this brat,” Prismia ordered calmly, speaking in Kalamdur. They made a noise reminding of scrunching pebbles, signaling their acknowledgement.

The Phoenix Magic user felt cheated, she couldn’t understand a word the founder of Justice just said. What made it even worse, they were much faster than a walking pile of earth and stone had any right to be. Soon the first elemental reached its target, the fist raised highly above its head in an attempt to smash her. She jumped to the side in time, making it hit the ground. The attack was strong enough to create large cracks around her former position. Sunset grimaced, this wasn’t good, she couldn’t dodge every single time by using teleportation, because it would waste way too much mana. She had to ration her power, so that Sunset could fight the Adepts of Khom later on, still.

But the young magician didn’t get time to think of a strategy, the second earth elemental was already closing in to go for a horizontal swipe, forcing Sunset to put up a shield. It needed a lot of concentration to keep up her protection. This time she used her magic to unleash another, bigger sphere of flames and shot it at the enemy who just attacked, covering its upper body with her own assault. The elemental recoiled and tried to put the fire out, but no avail, the magical phoenix flames were eating away from it. She already wanted to cheer in her mind, when she second elemental widely opened its mouth to spew sand at its friend, mercilessly erasing her hope of a fast victory.

Sunset would be angry in its place, too. A partly molten visage was now glaring hatefully at the young woman, she was sure of that, no matter that only one eye socket remained. The cracking knuckles told stories about its emotional state, if such a thing was possible. Truly, the combined stares of these summoned entities was unnerving, to say the least.

She chuckled nervously, “You know, my friend’s big sister has a pebble as a pet, his name is Boulder. Isn’t that a funny coincidence?”

In response the damaged earth elemental picked up a stone, nearly the size of Sunset’s head. It pointed at its newest possession, then at the magician, only to crush the rock like it was nothing, making strange growling noises to emphasize its plan. Not the most diplomatic way of getting one’s point across, but it made a very compelling argument, she had to admit.

Cadence could barely look. Sunset dodged and teleported to keep those things from reaching her, one time she even used her flames like an improvised impetus to shoot herself away from them, but she knew very well that the Phoenix Magic user wouldn't be able to dodge forever.

"Aren't you going to help her?" Prismia asked curiously, now standing in front of Cadence with a suspicious frown and crossed arms.

The White Magic user tried not to swallow at their closeness, she was completely at the other woman's mercy. Cadence racked her brain for excuses, she needed to buy time, "It's not like I don't want to help her, but we didn't follow you to fight." A surge of courage filled her voice, "Pris, what happened to you?"

For the first time since they met, the scion's eyes softened a little, "Huh, I didn't hear this nickname in years." She shrugged, "I was given the chance of my life and took it without hesitation. There is nothing else to say."

Cadence wanted to scream, it was incredibly frustrating at times. Talking to Prismia was like finding a new book with a very promising title, only to find out that it had blank pages. Most people opened up to the former dean on their own accord because of her compassionate and caring nature, though not her former friend. No, Prismia would only reveal any sort of details when she felt like it. Always.

She wanted to know more, but the Scion of Earth beat her to it, “You know, I still haven’t decided yet what to do with you.”

The former dean summoned her magic anew, fully aware of her action’s futility. However, she would not go down without putting up a fight after everything she went through. A somber grimace dominated her face, “It doesn’t need to end like this.”

Prismia hesitated. She certainly didn’t regret disposing of fools like High Fame, nor sacrificing others like the two recruits, as long as she could fulfill her mission. Cadence shouldn’t be any different, the very woman who took from her what she desired the most when they were younger. But a small part in the back of her mind refused vehemently to do the deed. Why? Was it, perhaps, some sort of misguided attachment in remembrance of their past relationship? Because they were once best friends?

It would be ridiculous, though the Scion of Earth wasn’t sure, either. Her lips formed into a thin line.

The White Magic user noticed the mysteriously glowing eyes immediately, Fleetfoot’s description came to mind, alas too late. The next thing Cadence knew was that her mind was assaulted by an outside force. It was like the world’s strongest sleeping pill was trying to wrestle her down, demanding her unconditioned surrender. She nearly fell to her knees, barely able to keep herself from losing her footing by using her arms as two defying pillars, a stubborn act of resistance. She glanced up, a grave mistake from her side. Another wave of tiredness, this time even stronger than before, overwhelmed her senses. Their short-lived battle of minds was over.

Still, the little in the end smile irritated Prismia. Had this woman finally lost it?

She ignored the nagging feeling in her gut, let the stony cage disappear and loomed above a passed out Cadence. Faint movements were the only indication that the White Magic user was still alive. Even in her current state, Prismia’s former friend was still fighting. It was almost admirable.

“Don’t you dare touch her!”

Her eyes widened at the voice’s proximity, she turned around instantly to face the more annoying one of her adversaries. She wondered in brief bafflement where the lesser earth elementals were before her vision faded away.

Sunset didn’t like to admit it, but she was in a pickle. Those things were much stronger than she gave them credit for, a miscalculation which nearly cost the redhead with the golden locks dearly. However, Sunset Shimmer’s biggest problem was not a lack of strength, but time. The longer they had to deal with Prismia, the longer they wouldn’t be able to help the others against the Adepts of Khom.

A change of plan had to be made. After all, dodging them and putting up shields all the time was a waste of stamina and energy.

“I hope this works.” Sunset prepared herself while sending a smug smile at each of her foes.

She didn’t have to wait for long. Both elementals charged at the magician again, one came from her right, the other from the left. In response, Sunset summoned her angelic phoenix wings and took to the air, higher and higher, until she was shortly beneath the cave’s ceiling. She saw that Prismia was approaching Cadence instead, hurry was of the essence.

Meanwhile the elementals of earth took notice of their enemy’s new ability and growled at each other in sounds which reminded of moving stones, in various frequencies. They concentrated and called forth their own magic, their hands were engulfed by a dusty wind. It was a spell to enhance their physical abilities for a short time. Each of them broke off a big stalagmite from the ground and aimed for the magician, who observed the elementals’ summoner in silence. They tossed their improvised missiles at Sunset, who dodged the first one in time, but not the second. She fell, seemingly wounded.

The lesser elementals took her fall as their cue to run at their target with full speed, aiming to smash the young woman between their enhanced fists. They closed the distance in a few seconds, ready to strike, then their target vanished in a flash. Their eyes, or eye, widened at the sudden disappearance, they were already in progress of swinging at her with unrestricted power, it was too late. The earth elementals were of equal statue and almost pulverized the other partner’s head. Their now lifeless bodies fell to the ground, breaking apart on contact with the hard floor.

Sunset, who was high in the air again, sighed heavily in relief. She had surrounded her body with a thin layer of a shield spell to take on at least one of the stalagmites. It was her proudest achievements in terms of magic since she came to this world. Normally a Unicorn simply erected a big, thick shield to prevent any damage. But Sunset Shimmer wasn’t Princess Celestia’s protégé for nothing. One of their biggest projects during her lessons was mana control. It took years of training, but one day she succeeded and managed to obtain complete mastery about her mana output. As a consequence, she experimented with the efficiency of some more common spells to minimize the costs, creating a method to surround her body with a thin, finely crafted layer of magic, nearly invisible for the common eye. It was a shield spell like any other, only much more controlled. However, this technique needed an awfully big amount of concentration, the smallest distraction would have made the spell collapse, exposing her to a world of pain and most likely death, when she thought about the sizes these rocks had.

The Unicorn-turned-human frowned with puckered lips, she never told a soul about her own form of a shield spell, not even Princess Celestia, because Past Sunset was so full of herself. She had firmly believed that nopony deserved to know about her achievement.

Sunset shook her head and switched her attention to the others, the girl’s heart nearly stopped because of what she saw. Cadence wasn’t moving, laying motionlessly on the ground. Worse, Prismia let the cage disappear and stood above the vulnerable magician like a judge.

She pushed herself forward with all the speed Sunset could muster and announced her presence with a loud warning, Prismia wasn’t fast enough to dodge the Phoenix Magic user’s palm. Her ability to see another person’s memories wasn’t something she was proud of. One could argue that it represented the power of empathy, but on the other hand it was a massive invasion of privacy. The mind, every being’s most sacred realm, nothing more than an open book for her to read, if she so desired. To some degree it always felt wrong when she used her ability.

A by now well-known white mist clouded her view in the moment she touched Prismia’s forehead.

Sunset knew that she was about to see the world through another person’s eyes and wondered what kind of memories she would witness. The world took shape, color and sound until she found herself in front of an open locker. A much younger, but gorgeous Prismia stared at a mirror, prettying up her eyelashes with mascara. The only difference between her normal appearance, of which Sunset only caught a glimpse from the distance shortly after their arrival in Ponyville, and now, was the visible age gap and that the cold woman’s eyes seemed to be much brighter than today.

“Say cheese!” a female voice ordered cheekily.

“Huh?” Prismia glanced in the direction where the words came from, only to be blinded by a flash of light. She had to blink a few times to regain her view, “Wah! Cady!” the younger version of Justice’s founder exclaimed in bewilderment before she looked at the mirror again, gasped at the accident above her right eyelid and tried to glare a hole into the one responsible.

Cadence giggled cutely and Sunset felt a faint spark of competitive female jealously in her metaphorical chest. Mi Amore de Cadenza was drop-dead beautiful, in a more adorable kind of way, but not to her disadvantage, more the exact opposite. Her hair was a little shorter and done in a ponytail. The younger White Magic user held an outdated white cellphone in her hand, while her uniform was made of a royal blue colored shirt, a purple crest with the outline of a unicorn’s head was sewn-in upon the right side, and a white undershirt beneath. Nothing else was visible from Prismia’s current point of view.

If Sunset remembered correctly, then they wore the uniform of Canterlot University, meaning that the fancy looking hallway could only belong to said institution. Small paintings of various topics covered the walls.

“Is there something you want?” The watching redhead could hear the smugness in Prismia’s voice, “Or do you need some romantic advice? Honestly, I really don’t understand what you see in this dork, he is at least three years younger than us. What was his name again? Shining Shield?”

“Armor. His name is Shining Armor,” Cadence corrected with reddened cheeks. “Besides, he has the most adorable little sister ever! You should really consider babysitting, too, you know?” she advised with a much too forced smile.

A poor attempt of distraction. Nonetheless, Prismia decided to humor her friend, while using a handkerchief to remove the misplaced mascara, “Oh please, we both know that I’m not the type.” She finished her act of cleaning and stared accusingly at the cellphone in her friend’s hand, “So, why the embarrassing picture?”

Cadence smirked, “Don’t be so melodramatic. I simply decided to take photos to laugh at when we are older.”

“So you think we will stay friends? Even after graduation?” Prismia inquired in honest interest.

“Weeeell, we do know each other since our childhood. So, yeah, why not?” Her bright and optimistic signature smile returned in full force.

The younger Scion of Earth wasn’t fully convinced, “Do you really mean it?”

A tight, but caring hug was the answer, after a few moments, Prismia returned the gesture. Sunset could nearly feel the smiles on their faces.

“I promise,” Cadence added warmly, “I will never let you down.”

Another memory came into existence. It seemed like some time passed, because the Phoenix Magic user had the impression that she, or Prismia in this case, was taller than before.

“B-but sir! I-I don’t understand!” Unfathomable disbelief could be heard from the now slightly older woman.

They were most likely in somebody’s office, Sunset concluded, a middle-aged man was sitting behind a big desk, looking at them like they were a waste of his time. His moderate turquoise eyes were narrowed, the back-combed dark grayish azure hair and a perfectly trimmed and cared for goatee couldn’t hide the fact that he was in his late forties to early fifties. The wrinkles on his light gray skin were very prominent, same for the sharp nose. He was a lanky man, who wore a white suit with a red tie around his scrawny neck. In short, Sunset didn’t like him on first sight.

“You heard me, Ms. Prismia, but I concur that our decision may cause confusion, so I will repeat myself. Your application for the position as dean of Crystal Prep Academy was denied.” His nasal and patronizing voice only strengthened her opinion of him, Sunset could very well imagine some arrogant Canterlot Unicorn noble in his place.

Prismia slammed her hands upon the desk, not that the man cared, “Director Neighsay! I must protest! The last time we spoke you had assured me that I would become CPA’s next dean. What changed?”

Neighsay leaned back in his chair and didn’t say anything, his face didn’t display a single emotion. Someone knocked on the door, “Ah, our esteemed guest has arrived.” He raised his voice, “You can come in.”

Prismia turned around to face the unexpected visitor, just to gasp at the person’s identity. Sunset couldn’t fault her for it. Cadence, who looked like a spiting image of the present magician, although a tad younger, entered the office and displayed the same reaction as her friend. “P-Prismia?”

The very awkward silence was interrupted by a chuckling Director Neighsay, “I guess introductions are no longer necessary, I take from your reaction that you are already well acquainted with each other. Though I am glad to see that you followed my invitation, Miss Amore.”

Prismia span around and glared furiously at the now smiling man, “What is the meaning of this?!” She pointed at the shell-shocked Cadence behind her, “Why is she here of all people?!”

Neighsay’s expression returned to its normally stoic state in a heartbeat, “Miss Amore paid the school board an-” he frowned a little when saying the next part of his sentence, “-unannounced visit two days ago. However, she did so in order to warn us of your... secret agenda.”

Cadence flinched when Prismia glowered at her, “I-I didn’t know what to do otherwise! You just wouldn’t listen! The students of Crystal Prep are much more than a future workforce you can simply form after your own image and you know that.”

Sunset was sure that the sound of grinding teeth had a much more personal meaning than merely being a bad habit of Prismia, “You lying, treacherous...! I can’t believe that you would go behind my back! How dare you looking down upon me?!”

First signs of tears appeared in the corners of the younger Cadence’s eyes, “Prisi, please! I didn’t mean to-”

“Stop calling me that! And cut the self-righteous act!”

“Ladies!” Neighsay warned impatiently, “You can have this chat later, not now, not here. As for the matter of electing Crystal Prep Academy’s next dean, the school board came to a decision.” He gave Cadence a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. Sunset saw enough faked smiles in her life to fill an entire compendium, “Miss Amore, it is my pleasure to announce that it will be you, who shall succeed Dean Mirage. Hopefully you will fulfill the position as good as she did.”

“But she didn’t even apply for the position!” Prismia countered angrily.

He rolled his eyeballs, slowly, “Miss Amore is an accomplished and well-liked individual. Every professor at Canterlot University, as well as the people who evaluated the skills she displayed during her teacher training, had nothing else but praise for Miss Amore. CPA is in dire need of a competent dean, somebody who listens to the students’ problems and knows how to advise them effectively. Becoming a functioning member of society is not only a matter of grades, as it seems to be your misguided belief Miss Prismia, it depends furthermore on social interactions with one’s peers. An aspect your vision lacks completely.”

Cadence glanced between Director Neighsay and her still fuming friend, she sighed fatefully and bowed her head humbly, “It would be my honor.”

Prismia stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.

This time Prismia’s eyes took in every detail of her hands, which looked like they belonged to a masterfully chiseled statue, meaning that this memory most likely displayed the woman’s first time she transformed into her otherworldly state. Then she looked up, Sunset was glad she didn’t have a body right now, she would have choked in initial shock at the sight in front of her.

It was an upright standing massive giant made of a to Sunset unknown bright silver rock-like mineral and some kind of deep red crystals, perhaps oversized rubies. It reminded her of the golems she had to fight earlier, just much more imposing and on an entirely different level in terms of strength. It was easily over 5 meters tall, the entire body protected every now and then by thick formations of assumed red gem. Though its arms and legs were broad and looked too heavy to move, she was sure that its sluggish appearance was nothing more but deception. Dark purple energy filled round sockets which stared at Prismia with a judging gaze, and wisdom.

The transformed woman looked around and found herself surrounded by Treants and earth elementals similar to the ones Sunset had to face earlier, waiting. She bowed almost reverently, “Master Rubyleon. What happens now?”

The living mountain’s mighty jaw opened and, much to Sunset’s immense surprise, it talked, with an ancient and rumbling voice, “Congratulations to your ascension, Scion of Earth.” The words, based on no language the Unicorn-turned-human knew, sounded as strange and foreign to her ears as always. But because it was Prismia’s memory, she could somehow understand this gibberish. Then it switched to common English, “First you shall be granted the rank of a Depth Seeker. A position meant for scions of the oldest of the five elements.”

Sunset’s metaphorical eyes widened. Scion of Earth, that sounded similar to the rank of Abacus Cinch, who was made a Scion of Fire. Could this mean-

“Back off! Now!”

Prismia found herself on the ground, panting heavily. She raised her head to see a groaning Sunset Shimmer, who was gracing the ground with her presence as well a few meters away.

Though much more important was what in Lord Granrok’s name just happened. It should have been impossible to invade her head. All earth elementals were naturally immune to any form of mind invading magic, a reason earth was called the unbending element. Even a scion like herself was protected to some degree when it came to such trickery. Enchantments were added to her outfit to ensure her mind’s safety. But whatever this girl did, she simply overcame Prismia’s mental defenses as if nothing was there.

What kind of power could be so potent? It took a lot from her to cut the forced connection between them, resulting in a negative feedback. It explained their current situation.

“What did you see?” Prismia asked in frustration, still a little wobbly on her legs.

Sunset stood up as well and let her gaze wander over the taller woman, at first in confusion, next realization, lastly in determination, “Enough to know that you are just like Cinch,” she admitted, glaring accusingly at the scion, “How many of you are out there?! Was Canterlot City not enough for you and your masters?!” Sunset skipped the question about her geode given ability on purpose, no reason to reveal the Elements’ existence.

Prismia scoffed and rolled her eyes in amusement, “Are you delusional? I had nothing to do with its fate.”

“Do you think I’m stupid? I know about your magic’s origin, Ms. Scion of Earth, or the similarities between you and Abacus Cinch. Don’t you understand? This Rubyleon is clearly using you!” the Phoenix Magic user warned pleadingly.

Prismia cracked her fingers and summoned her elemental magic, an ethereal aura surrounded the woman’s body, “So you finally know where I got my powers from.” She returned the glare, “And how dare you insult him? He helped me when nobody else did!”

Sunset’s words were filled with sympathy, “I saw a few bits about you and Cadence. Once you were best friends. I’m sure she would have helped you.”

“She?!” Prismia roared in disgust, “Let me tell you something, you meddling, naive brat. Mi Amore de Cadenza abandoned me when I needed her most and stole my dream behind my back!”

“From your point of view, perhaps. However, I got to know her a little bit during our time together. She is kind and always willing to aid a friend in need, not really a person who betrays others. There must be a very good reason for what she did, every story has two sides. I think it is time to finally come clean with each other, don’t you think?” Sunset reasoned calmly.

Something about this girl rubbed Prismia the wrong way. Her behavior was unlike of how a teenager would normally react in a situation like theirs. “I have had enough of you and your idealism. Life is not a fairy tail where everybody gets a happy ending. I won’t just forgive her for what she did, end of discussion.”

Sunset glanced between the two older magic users, “Are you sure? It seems to me that your personal grudge is the biggest problem here.” She had to block an incoming rock by putting up a shield and couldn’t suppress a sly grin, “Did I hit a nerve?”

Prismia wrinkled her nose ever so slightly, “Sorry sweetie, but I have to make sure now that you won’t leave this place alive. You simply know too much.”

“I have a real name, you know,” the Phoenix Magic user reminded in audible annoyance.

The scion chuckled as if she had discovered something amusing, “It is nothing personal, your mannerism just reminded me of myself when I was younger.”

“We are nothing alike!” Sunset declared harshly.

“Oh please, I saw it in your eyes. You were bend on attacking me, but Cadence held you back to keep it civil between us.” She lost count how many times the unconscious woman had to act as a buffer between her and the richer snobs who thought they could bully other students without being told off, just because they were related to somebody with a name, or the offspring of a famous family. A fist to the face was not really a ladylike choice of problem solving, though effective enough to make it clear what the thought of pricks during their own time as students at Crystal Prep. “A shame that Cady can’t see us now.”

Prismia took a position ready to charge, and attack she did. Sunset knew that all bets were off this time. Lucky for her a fight between two magicians wasn’t only about physical strength, otherwise she would have a big disadvantage from the start. Her still throbbing hand was a reminder of the girl’s earlier mistake, when she tried to overcome Prismia’s natural defense with kid gloves on in order to avoid potential injuries the scion might have suffered otherwise. The former student of Princess Celestia didn’t expect such resistance.

Things changed. It was no longer a matter of containing the founder of Justice, a mere politician with very questionable morals and a unique form of magic, but facing a threat with unknown proportions for all of Ponyville. In addition to it, Sunset could gauge Prismia’s abilities after their first clash.

To make it simple, she could no longer afford to conserve her energy.

Prismia shot forward like a bullet, using the cave’s floor as an improvised surfboard. The earth even split beneath the scion like water. Sunset took a deep breath and glared at her opponent, meeting the faithful servant of Rubyleon the Invincible head on. Their by earth elemental- and fire magic covered fists met, a small shock wave whirled up wind around the duo. The older woman’s confident smile cracked a little, she didn’t hold back and was certain that the teenager wouldn’t be able to keep up, but their temporal draw said otherwise.

Acting fast, she attempted to hit Sunset with an enforced kick to the head, but her foe summoned burning, angelic wings of fire, creating distance between them. Her ignited palm pointed at Prismia, “Flame Prison.”

A sphere of fire left the Phoenix Magic user’s hand, touched the ground in front of the scion and took the shape of a ring with tall walls of flames, surrounding Prismia, who analyzed her current situation with a critical eye. Sunset used the opportunity and appeared in a crimson flash besides Cadence, touched her shoulder and reappeared in front of the open portal. After putting the former dean down she let her wings disperse and reacted just in time by diving to the side after hearing a sound of crumbling stone, she gasped in surprise when suddenly a long, thick spike protruded where the magician once stood. Sunset teleported anew and came to be to a kneeling Prismia’s right side, who was touching the floor beneath her with an illuminated hand. They were now both inside the blazing circle.

The Scion of Earth smirked at her scowling adversary, “Why so tense?”

Sunset glanced at Cadence before charging herself this time, not in the mood for another duel of words after barely dodging a gruesome death of ending up as a kebab and shot multiple small magic projectiles of Equestrian magic at the scion, who in response raised a wall of stone. But the former student of Princess Celestia expected such a move, teleported right behind Prismia and let loose a bigger fireball. The impact was strong enough to make Prismia crash with her just created protection, a pained yelp filled the cave.

First the earth elementals, now this fight. It all took a toll on Sunset’s stamina, she needed to take a break. The Phoenix Magic user decided to try it one more time, though she had to speak between breaths of air, “D-do you surrender now?”

Prismia coughed a few times in a desperate attempt to recover her own breath, leaning her weight against the damaged wall. It was most fortunate that Prismia’s body didn’t have any bones left when in this form, only her appearance reminded of the woman’s human-self, otherwise the collision might have caused a few broken bones or cracked ribs. She didn’t understand, it simply didn’t make any sense at all.

Yes, in truth her master recruited his scion roughly two weeks ago, but what nearly nobody knew was that she already trained her new abilities for five years by now, thanks to a very special area in the kingdom of the earth elementals, the Sunken Jungles. There was a place called the Forlom Oases, which was rich on rare plants, healthy trees bearing the most delicious fruits, clearest water, small, distributed patches of paradise. However, they were forsaken for a reason, because the oases bordered the Gate of Stone and the Azure Caves behind it, an ancient passage connecting the Sunken Jungles with the Burning Mountains, where, so her master had once explained, the fire elementals were residing.

All gateways between the various realms of the Elemental Planes had their own rules concerning time, meaning one of the most fundamental concepts of creation had no power over the transition zones. Time essentially jumped, depending on where you were. If lucky, you passed an oasis in which time slowed down immensely, but if not, then it could happen that taking a wrong step meant aging to dust in minutes. But stone was patient, stone didn’t care for the passage of time, a few centuries were of no consequence for an earth elemental.

Besides the Gate of Stone, which was connecting the realms of fire and earth directly, three more gateways existed. The Distorted Grotto, a long tunnel between the Burning Mountains and Roaring Oceans, Kym’vol, a hidden village on Wattom, serving as a connection between the Gleaming Isles and the realm of water. And lastly the Ageless Tower, a bastion from the outside, but the natural entrance to the Torn Heavens when one reached the last chamber.

And one such a wondrous place was where Prismia had trained. After going through countless experiments over eons, the earth elementals managed to map out an overview, recording how much time passed in which specific location. So it was to her advantage that she was sent to a place where she could train for five years without losing time in the real world.

So how could this girl keep up with her? Magician or not, normally she should be able to wipe the floor with every human being because of her experience alone.

She had a last trick left.

The flying shards of obsidian above Prismia’s shoulders suddenly vibrated and left their position, entering the woman’s stony surface at different spots by force, literally merging with her. Sunset stopped the own advance, being caught off guard by witnessing such an act of self-mutilation. Or so she thought, but there was no blood. Next the scion’s entire body changed in color to a glassy black.

Prismia’s voice sounded now much more like a higher pitched rumbling of large rocks, a female touch remained, “I didn’t plan to go this far, but you have forced my hand.”

Sunset chuckled proudly, “Well, I was told that-?!”

Not even finished with speaking, did the half elemental’s body already dissolve into obsidian dust, filling the air and covering the ground around the Unicorn-turned-human, causing Sunset to panic a little. She attempted to gain altitude and distance by using her phoenix wings in order to escape the mysterious substance. Suddenly the dust which was occupying the air moved instantly, faster than her eye could follow, and passed the girl, before partly reforming into Justice’s founder, right above a cursing Sunset Shimmer. Prismia, nothing more but a flying torso with arms, struck the Phoenix Magic user with force behind the punch, sending her foe flying to the ground.

Sunset tried desperately to pull herself together after getting the air knocked out of her system and created a shield just in time, though it shattered after she met the unforgiving floor, sent rolling on the ground afterwards. Fueled by adrenaline, the winded magician stood up and wanted to retaliate, when slim tendrils of stone shot out from beneath her, closng around Sunset’s legs, arms and neck, holding her still. Now all available obsidian dust reformed into Prismia, presenting the scion in all her dark glory.

“What are you?” she asked in honest curiosity, grasping Sunset’s chin between her fingers, staring intensely into the other magician’s eyes.

A futile effort to escape those thin chains was everything Sunset could manage in the moment, then she answered with a mocking snort, “What? Never saw a human teenager before? That’s just sad.”

The response earned herself a breath-taking hit to the gut. “I have it with your defying and smug attitude. Let me tell you a little secret, Sunset Shimmer. My master told me when all of Earth’s magic awoke completely, making it even possible to discover one’s own power when you remained a human. However, no matter how skilled you are, nobody should be able to keep up with me in an open fight after such a short amount of time. But here we are, a young woman who managed not only to defeat two lesser earth elementals all on her own, but with enough mana and, clearly, experience to counter me every step. So I hope you can understand my confusion.”

Sunset shook her head in convincing disbelief, “If it makes you happy to delude yourself. I know what I am, not my problem that you can’t accept the truth.”

She never cared for playing hero since the Fall Formal, like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, nor for fame, also like Rainbow Dash, at least not any longer. In fact, Sunset did what needed to be done, during the Battle of the Bands, the Friendship Games or Camp Everfree, because alternative options weren’t there. In addition, the Rainbooms were the first real friends she made in life and the Unicorn-turned-human wouldn’t allow it that somebody took them away from her. The portal was her responsibility, too. Equestria’s existence needed to be kept a secret from mad people like Prismia and Cinch. But especially from these elementals for that matter.

Acting stupid for long enough would hopefully do it.

Prismia hummed, shrugging in acceptance, “Have it your way then. Take your secrets into the grave for all I care.” Her left arm reformed into a sharp blade.

Sunset’s was taken by surprise, “Woah, woah! Pause! Do you really want to simply murder me like that?”

The half elemental blinked in slight irritation, “What did you think I would do instead?”

She had to admit, after everything she went through with her friends, this was a new one. Sunset closed her eyes and snorted, “Good, that means I can go all out after our little breather.”

Prismia huffed and took a swing, more than willing to end it.

Flames surrounded Sunset’s body in an explosive manner, forcing Prismia to back away. The younger woman’s stony shackles were immediately annihilated by the act, freeing the Phoenix Magic user. She opened her eyes, revealing two glowing orbs filled by cyan colored energy.

For Sunset it felt intoxicating, she had nearly forgotten the feeling of excitement, the thrill, when facing a new challenge. She always loved it to test her skills against other Unicorns, preferably the older members of the Sunlight Division, or magical beasts, to improve herself and to see where she stood in terms of strength. In the past, much to her shame, she only wanted to dominate her opponents, not anymore. Nevertheless, she couldn’t enjoy such a luxury whenever her friends were endangered, a handicap Sunset didn’t have to worry about in this very moment.

Small parts of Prismia’s body dissolved once more, the obsidian dust split and attacked Sunset at high speed from various directions at once. The trained magician summoned her with energy pulsating crystalline sword and a this time even stronger shield made of her phoenix flames held the assault off, again and again.

Prismia snarled under her breath. There the teenager stood in a straight, patient pose, her sword pointing downwards, its tip barely touching the ground. And then this irritating grin again, like Sunset Shimmer was excited for some reason. The sword’s reddish glow spread around her foe’s body, only to vanish after a few seconds, the weapon nothing more than a special, but duller looking piece of crystal now.

Sunset sighed in relief after being recharged to some degree, a challenging smirk on her lips, “Now we are even. Ready for round two?”

The Scion of Earth cracked her stony neck, making an unnerving sound. She stared briefly at the sword in disgust, “How annoyingly persisting.” Prismia transformed both of her arms into sharp blades and moved forward by dissolving her legs into dust.

Sunset was hoping to end their confrontation without having to resort to her blade, but luck was not on the young woman’s side, so she had to absorb its stored magic in order to keep up with Prismia’s new form. The weapon reacted to its wielder’s touch and returned what it was given by the Phoenix Magic user whenever she summoned her sword. Like a battery. Sunset dismissed her weapon nonetheless, not confident enough in her swordsmanship, yet. Luna began to teach her how to wield it, but the progress was slow, their available time to train short. And blocking a sparing partner was something else entirely in comparison to a real fight.

Strike after strike was aimed at Sunset, but the magician in question repelled every hit with her own by hardened flames surrounded arms, she jumped to the side when Prismia tried to slice her with both blades at the same time, enhanced by earth elemental magic. Sunset found her balance fast and pointed with her forefinger at the scion, shooting Prismia with a missile made of Equestrian magic.

The older woman’s robe took some damage below her chest area, sending her stumbling backwards. A mesmerizing orb fell to the ground. “Holy Celestia! What is that thing? It feels like its made of pure magic,” Sunset thought in awe.

Though what surprised her even more was Prismia’s reaction, a mix of shock and fear painted the half elemental’s features all of the sudden. She picked the mysterious item up in a moment’s notice and kept it firmly between her hands like the most precious of treasures. Prismia shook her head, mumbling something Sunset didn’t quite understand.

“It seems we have to postpone our little quarrel,” the scion of Earth stated forcefully, clearly unsatisfied, looking at her foe with a displeased expression, “Lucky you, Sunset Shimmer.”

Finally the phoenix magic user found her voice again, “Just what did I see?” she glanced at the opened chest in short confusion, then her eyes and mouth widened in realization.

Prismia chuckled mockingly, “Did the penny finally drop? Not that this knowledge will be of much use to you.”

Sunset growled, taking an aggressive step forward, “Three lives were sacrificed for that tiny thing and you act like it means nothing?! And what makes you think I will simply let you go?” She released a fireball at the scion from each palm.

Prismia disappeared, materialized a few meters further back and took a ring from her right hand, made of pure silver with a small emerald embedded into its center. A coy smile graced her lips, “Well, if you manage to survive against the Adepts of Khom that is, then perhaps we may meet each other again.” The half elemental infused the ring with her magic, concentrating on the words she was taught by her master to make this trinket work its magic, “Gate of Calling: Elemental Planes,”

Sunset charged another teleportation spell, she had to stop this woman.

“Sunken Jungles,”

The Unicorn-turned-human appeared right in front of the scion and jumped with outstretched fingers at Prismia to interrupt the woman’s focus by shoving her to the ground.

“Tartania.”

Prismia vanished in a brilliant flash of green light, making Sunset fly right through it. She landed unpleasantly on the stony floor and made a pathetic impression after contact. The former student of Princess Celestia screamed out in frustration, “Are you bucking kidding me?!”

Cadence stirred, her eyes were flattering, but she had trouble keeping them open, still. However, the White Magic user was awake in an instant after the memories of their current situation flooded back into her mind. She looked around and was thoroughly lost when her environment wasn’t made up of the foreboding cave they had entered to confront Prismia, but a small room with a long table, two table lamps, a few chairs and the sofa which served as her improvised bed in the moment. The interior, meaning the retro looking wooden walls were a dead giveaway that she was back in the Golden Oak Library.

The door opened and Sunset Shimmer stepped in, noticeably relieved to see the former dean awake, “Well, look who is back from the dead,” the teenager tried to joke. She took a seat besides the shaken woman at the edge of the sofa. “Are you alright?”

Cadence couldn’t believe her eyes. Sunset was wearing her uniform of the Ponyville Militia again, but her aunt’s former student looked like she lived through quite the encounter. Her skin suffered from multiple scratches, some longer and deeper than others, as well as the occasional bruise. She hugged the girl, surprising Sunset, “Am I alright?” She leaned back to take a closer look at her younger partner like a worried big sister, “What about you? Just look at yourself!” Cadence blinked after realizing that they were completely alone, “W-wait, where is Prismia?! And why are back in Ponyville?”

Sunset breathed out in annoyance, “It’s... complicated. Prismia, she escaped, so I brought us back through the portal.”

“H-how long were we gone? What about the invasion?!” Cadence inquired fearfully.

The Phoenix Magic tried to keep her cool, she was scared of the answer herself. How many of their group were still fighting? Was it already over? Were they captured by the enemy? Or worse? “Look, I couldn’t just leave you behind. Let’s-”

A deep rumbling interrupted them. At first only the floor beneath them vibrated, then the entire room. Maybe an earthquake, or so one might have guessed, though it didn’t sound, nor felt like it at all.

Cadence panicked, “By the Goddess! Are those footsteps?!”

Sunset didn’t think herself a religious person, but she prayed that her friends were alright up there.

Author's Notes:

Greetings my avid readers!

First of all, happy Easter!

Second, I can’t believe the last chapter was released nearly four months ago! God, I always want to write faster, but in the end I am never really satisfied with the results and end up editing the newest chapter like a mad man. I am very sorry and I hope you liked it nonetheless.

Thank you very much for reading and stay tuned!