Chapter 19

Canterlot Castle, Ballroom

Many of the ponies were ambling about enjoying the company, food or music provided to them. The guests that Princess Celestia had left behind were becoming impatient as she had been gone for more than fifteen minutes. What irritated them more was that it was all for the sake of some unknown colt. Luna, who was enjoying a cocktail over at the bar, decided to calm the guests. She too was curious as to what was taking her sister so long. With a deep sigh she slugged the remainder of her martini and flew over to the grand staircase.

“Remain calm ponies; I am certain that my sister shan’t take much longer. In the mean time I will take her place in greeting all of you.”

Luna’s words seemed to calm the irate guests at least for the time being. The lunar monarch motioned for one of the guards to come to her side. “My sister usually does not delay so long in such affairs, it begins to worry me. Take Twilight Sparkle and investigate the matter.”

The guard nodded as he made his way to the dining area. Twilight was sitting at a table, busy enjoying a slice of blueberry pie a la mode. Rarity and Fluttershy were dancing to an upbeat tango. Iron was at the bar chugging a few beers down, while Applejack was talking shop with Carrot Top. The guard gingerly tapped Twilight on the shoulder to get her attention.

Twilight immediately dropped the spoon she was levitating. “Oh umm hi can I help you?”

“Ms. Sparkle I require your assistance in finding Princess Celestia, it seems she has been absent for quite some time now and Princess Luna has become worried. If you would be so kind as to aid in my investigation, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Princess Celestia went missing? I hope she’s alright. Should I bring anypony else along?”

“I don’t believe that will be necessary.”

Twilight teleported both herself and the guard to the top of the stairs where Celestia was last seen. She made her way over to the balcony and caught a strange smell in the air. It almost smelled like the air after a thunderstorm, almost as if the air had ionized. She gasped recognizing the smell. Somepony had recently teleported. The guard looked at her, a look of confusion on his face.

“Excuse me Ms. Sparkle, is there something wrong?”

“I think I have an idea what might have happened to the Princess. A teleportation spell was just recently used here. What bothers me is that very few ponies can perform that spell. I’m not even sure if Princess Celestia can do it herself, or at least I’ve never seen her do it before.”

“So whomever was with her majesty must have been a powerful unicorn.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “It certainly seems that way. Give me a minute so I can conjure a tracking spell. I should be able to trace the resonance of the spell to pinpoint it’s secondary location.”

Twilight concentrated and after a minute a smirk appeared on her face. “I got it, but she teleported to such a strange place.”

“Where exactly did she go?”

“The throne room. I’m not really sure why she would be there. Grab onto my hoof, we have to get there as quickly as possible.”

They both arrived in front of the throne room, not expecting to find both of the doors sealed from the inside. The guard went up to the doors and tried to open them, but was hurled back by a wave of blue magic.

“What in the name of Faust is going on?”

“Hmm it looks like whoever abducted Princess Celestia didn’t want anypony to get in. It’s quite a powerful hex spell. I’m not even sure I could cast something like this. Stay here; if the spell sealing the door is this complex I’m going to need Princess Luna to assist me.”

Twilight teleported back to the dining hall. “Princess Luna I’m going to need your help. It’s about Celestia; I think she’s been foalnapped.”

Luna bit her lip. “It is as I feared then. Did you discover her whereabouts?”

“Somepony sealed the throne room with a powerful hex, she’s probably in there. Whoever the culprit is they certainly know some very power spells. I’m sorry but the hex was too strong for me to disenchant, that’s why I need your help.”

“Very well Twilight Sparkle, gather the remaining elements and we shall punish this whelp who dares to foalnap my sister.”

The Mane Six and Luna stood in front of the throne room, each of the six mares baring their regalia. Luna was in the middle siphoning extra magic into them so a canceling spell could be used to break the hex. Twilight’s eyes glowed white as she levitated, channeling the remaining five elements into a rainbow colored beam straight at the door. Within seconds the hex shattered. Luna and the six gazed in horror at the scene that greeted them.

Celestia was lying on the ground next to the throne, her coat dirtied and her mouth covered in blood. She was much smaller than before, her mane and tail back to their original pink color. On the throne sat an imposing white alicorn. His man billowed like a thick cloud of fog, his blue draconic eyes scanning the room. Luna rushed over to her fallen sister.

“Tia…can you hear me? Are you alright?”

Celestia eyes opened slowly. “Luna is that…you? Thank the creator. Frostmere…we must…stop him.”

“Is that the scoundrel who has dared harm you?”

“Be careful sister, he has my powers along with Discord’s and Chrysalis’s. I doubt that you can stop him.”

Luna kissed Celestia on the forehead. “Please rest Tia. I have brought the elements with me. Together we can smite him.”

Frostmere summoned a fireball to his hoof and began juggling it. “What a touching family reunion. I must say it is an honor to finally meet the illustrious lunar princess. Oh and it seems that you even brought Celestia’s pep squad.”

“I have never seen you before but my sister seems to know you. Your empty insults do little to provoke my ire, for with the elements behind me we shall defeat you.”

Frostmere clicked his tongue. “You seem to forget who has all the power, little Luna. I’m bored so I’ll tell you what; I’ll give you one chance to use your little toys against me. What happens afterward is entirely in your hooves.”

“Twilight Sparkle gather your friends and stay behind me! We shall blast this arrogant fool into oblivion.”

The six mares gathered once again, as they did when fighting Nightmare Moon. Luna erected a barrier to protect both Celestia and herself from the aftershock of the blast. Each of the elements glowed unleashing a powerful rainbow colored column of magic toward Frostmere. The white alicorn simply smirked as his body was consumed by the spell. There was a brilliant flash of light as the element bearers waited to see the result of their spell.

Twilight stood panting. “Princess did we do it? Is he defeated?”

“Certainly no creature could survive such a blast.”

The throne which the white alicon sat upon was in ruin; however standing there perfectly calm without a scratch on him was Frostmere, with a grin on his face. He began clapping his hooves.

“What a brilliant display! Too bad it didn’t work. A shame that you used your trump card at the very beginning of the battle. Shocked? Surprised? Well you shouldn’t be. I have far too much power coursing through my veins for those flimsy things to work on me.”

Growling in anger, Luna took flight. She concentrated her magic into the tip of her horn and fired a navy colored beam at Frostmere. He in turn threw up a lighter blue colored barrier, which absorbed her attack. He teleported behind Luna to strike her in the face with a fireball, but she flew underneath him and bucked him in the chest with her hind legs. Luna heard a sickening crack as the kick connected, certainly breaking a few ribs. A few seconds later he teleported again, grabbing her by the wing and tossed her into a column. A sharp tendril of pain shot down Luna’s back as her wing broke on impact.

Frostmere spoke through labored breathing. “Hahaha so violent! Desperation really brings out the best in everypony. You sister might have had all the grace and skill, but you have all the raw power and brute strength. I love it!”

“We shall see how much you love this, you disgusting masochist!”

Luna’s eyes glowed with a white flash as gathered the clouds from outside. The clouds became shrouded in her navy blue aura as they channeled pure electricity into her hooves. After a few moments her entire body crackled with electric power, after concentrating it into a ball she loosened a bolt strait at Frostmere. The bolt struck him at full force, frying the very flesh off his bones. The air was filled with his screams of agony as well as the stench of cooking meat. He lay on the ground minutes later, his coat charred and bloody, the feathers on his wings burned off.

Luna hovered over Frostmere, her own magic blade pointed at his throat. “You are defeated. Any last words before I send you to Tartarus?”

“Surprise…” Frostmere croaked.

A dull yellow aura encapsulated his body as his flesh and bones began to mend, within seconds he was back to his full glory. He head-butted the surprised Luna, this temporarily disenchanted her blade as she reeled back. Before she could recover, he took in a deep breath blowing out a breath colder than the frozen north. Luna was frozen almost instantaneously.

“Well that’s two regents down and one pep squad to go.”

Twilight eyes narrowed in pure hatred. “What have you done…I don’t care who you are! You’ll pay for what you’ve done to my friends.”

“I would choose your words more carefully, for I could smite you in an instant. Your rulers are nothing more than palace decorations and playthings. Celestia will make a fine pet don’t you think?”

“Don’t TOUCH HER!”

Frostmere ran his hoof through Celestia’s mane. “Now, now there’s really no need to get upset. You are the illustrious Twilight Sparkle I’ve been hearing about aren’t you?”

“Yes I am she why does that concern you?”

“Why my dear it means everything to me! Do you not realize what you are?”

Twilight’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I-I…don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“Oh Celesita you clever little foal you hid the truth from her didn’t you? Go on now tell your precious student what she truly is.”

Celestia looked at Twilight with all the strength she could muster. Her eyes were hollow and dead, those of a pony whose spirit was utterly broken. Tears ran down her cheeks as she croaked out a reply.

“Twilight…I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me for what I am about to tell you.”

“What? Princess why are you crying? Did I do something wrong? Please…tell me.”

“No, Twilight you’ve done nothing wrong. It is I who has done you wrong.”

“That can’t be! You’ve always looked out for me, been there for me. How is that wrong?”

“Twilight everything that has happened in your life occurred because you are special. The fact of the matter is it was no mere coincidence that you became the element of magic. It was your destiny and I knew it from the day you were born.”

“I thought the elements chose their bearers when they exhibited the proper traits?”

“No…element bearers are born with them. All of you got your cutie marks at the same time because you magically bonded. You are the cornerstone of them all.”

“How did you know?”

“It’s because I’ve protected your family for centuries Twilight, ever since the very first of your line was born seven centuries ago. I did it to make up for the terrible mistake I made.”

“What happened?”

“I…I failed to protect my subjects. My cowardice blinded me. I was naïve in thinking that I could stop a conflict through negotiation. In the end I was betrayed and one of the few ponies that told me it was a trap…I failed him as well.”

“I still don’t understand what this has to do with me being the element of magic.”

“Twilight, the alicon sitting on the throne right now is your ancestor. He was born under the auspice of a powerful magic comet, which gave him extraordinary prowess in magic. Your bloodline ever since has always been adept with magic. That is why both you and your brother can cast such powerful spells; it is also why you are the element of magic.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “You mean I was born to wield magic…all this time and you never told me?”

“You have to understand it was for the best, it was for your safety. I didn’t want you to feel like an outcast or a monstrosity.”

Twilight began to sob. “I…need some time to process this.”

Frostmere bellowed with laughter. “Just how many ponies are you going to use in your twisted chess game Celestia? You just can’t help yourself can you? By the creator you even betrayed your own sister!”

Celestia laid her head on the cold stone floor, her hot tears forming a puddle next to her dirtied mane. The rest of the Mane Six gathered around Twilight to help comfort the poor mare as she sobbed with reckless abandon.

Frostmere hovered over to Twilight holding her by the chin. “My dear you have an opportunity. Come, join me and I shall teach you everything about magic you’ll ever want to know. You shall become a sovereign princess of Equestria and I the emperor. Your friends would also become nobles in my court, safe and happy. You are my great granddaughter, so it is only befitting.”

“I’m sorry but I can’t. As upset at Celestia as I am right now, she’s still the rightful princess. I know she did what she had to do to keep me safe. I know she cares about me and I forgive her. That’s what friends do.”

“That witch hardly deserves the affections you show her. Very well then, do not say I never gave you a chance to end this peacefully. My grudge was with Celestia, not you or your friends. However, I’m afraid that you are now my enemies. A truly retched turn of events.”

Frostmere concentrated his magic, firing a blue tinged beam at the ceiling. A large hole was created from the blast, from which he flew into the open air. He gathered magic until his horn was glowing in ethereal sapphire light. He fired the beam straight at the sun.

“Sun hear my cries, feel my presence, bend to my will. Celestia is broken, no longer able to control your might. It is I, Frostmere, who hereby take control of your majestic glory. Obey my beck and call, my will is yours.”

After a few minutes the entire planet shook, the sky pulsing with magical energy. The sun then began to shine brighter and brighter until it pulsed with a great white flash. Once the flash had died down the sun glowed with blue flames instead of its original yellow. Frostmere’s mane immediately transformed into blue flames, his cutie mark depicted a magic burst encircled inside a blue sun.

“Good now I am formally your new emperor. The sun belongs to me, as well as the moon. I think as my first act I shall imprison the six of you in the deepest, darkest dungeon of the castle.”

Twilight was the first to attack. She shot a flurry of purple bolts at the new solar alicon. He allowed most of the bolts to hit him, the bolts only slightly burning his coat. Laughing he teleported behind Twilight giving a swift kick to her gut, launching the mare across the room. Not wasting a moment Rarity ignited her own horn and levitated a few shards of broken glass leftover from the collapsed ceiling. The shards hurtled towards Frostmere, one of them embedding itself in his eye. He howled in pain shooting a blue fireball at the offending mare, only for her to be saved at the last minute by Rainbow Dash.

“Grrahhhghh you will pay for that you insolent bitch!”

Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to fly at the snowy alicon at full speed, knocking a few of his teeth out. Summoning his chaos magic once again, the wounds began to heal. With a flick of his horn he captured Rainbow Dash in his aura transforming her wings into stone. Dash screamed in pain and horror as she plummeted to the ground. As she struggled, Frostmere shot another beam of energy from his horn that completely turned her into stone.

“Two down four to go. But just to be sure…”

Frostmere wrapped the unconscious form of Twilight in his blue aura, turning her into stone on the spot where she had collapsed. Tears of rage formed in Rarity’s eyes.

“How dare you! You are nothing more than a callous brute. Even if Princess Celestia wronged you, it does not give the right to be so cruel. To my very dying breath I shall never call you my ruler.”

“Don’t worry you’ll be joining your friends soon enough. I’m sure all of you will make lovely lawn decorations for the new Canterlot gardens.”

In a state of blind rage Rarity’s horn glowed a pale blue as she began to levitate summoning more magic than she ever had in her entire life. The ground beneath her began to split as hundreds of diamonds swirled around her. They began to coalesce and form a giant shimmering spear, glowing in pale blue light. Rarity hurled the spear with all her might, slamming it straight into Frostmere’s chest. The spear hit with enough force to pin him into a nearby wall.

Coughing up globules of blood Frostmere cackled. “Well now what a surprise. I didn’t think you had that much magic in you. I suppose anger makes us do incredible things. Too bad, I could have honed your skills. You could have become a powerful mage.”

Calling on the power of the sun Frostmere set his body ablaze in magical blue flames. The flames burned so hot that it melted Rarity’s diamond spear. The solar magic also rejuvenated his battered flesh as he unleashed a bolt of dark blue energy straight at Rarity.

Rarity cringed as the bolt raced towards her. She was about to accept her fate when she saw a yellow blur fly out in front of her. Before she could react, she was pushed to the left. Much to Rarity’s horror she recognized the stone figure in front of her. Fluttershy had jumped in front of the beam to save her life.

Rarity trotted over to the statue planting a soft kiss on the cheek. “No…why did you do that? I never got to say goodbye. I promise my love, I will avenge you. Sleep well my sweet…sleep well.”

“So you two were lovers hmm? I am not so heartless as to separate you. Be still for you shall be eternally entwined with your lover.”

Before Rarity could react she was petrified while embracing Fluttershy, a few of her tears clattered against the ground as they too became stone. Pinkie howled in rage at the sight only being held back by frightened Applejack. She knew that neither her nor Pinkie had any magic of their own to fight the powerful alicorn. Physical attacks were just having absolutely no effect and the magic that was used merely irritated the monstrosity, like a gnat trying to punch a bear. Applejack wished that her family and her lover were here, so she could hold them one last time. For now though she had to keep a clear head for her own sake and for Pinkie’s.

Frostmere once again sat upon the throne. “Poor earthponies. You have no magic to fight me, no wings to escape, yet here you stand. I commend you for your bravery. My wife was an earthpony you know. For that reason alone I feel pity for you. Surrender and I may consider sparing you the fate of your friends. I am not without mercy.”

Applejack glared at Frostmere. “Do ya honestly think after all ya did to mah friends that I’m gonna lay low like a snake and surrender? You got another thing comin’ to ya!”

“I admire your honesty but you still reek of fear. Do not be ashamed, I shall not judge. Fear is a healthy emotion to have, for it allows us to survive. You have family and lover do you not? If you cannot surrender on your own terms, then do it for them.”

“Ah do and the reason ah ain’t surrenderin’ is for their sake. Yer a tyrant and ah can’t rightly let ya go on imposin’ yer will on everypony else. I’d hate mahself even more if I surrendered to your slimy hide.”

Frostmere rose to the celling. “Then you have chosen your fate. So it was wanted, so shall it be.”