Chapter 6 : Phantoms.
Luna tracked the Malum. It had not changed its location. Either it was still busy healing or it was simply waiting for them. Luna wondered if it was capable of using the magical knowledge it had absorbed. If it was carrying offensive magic from a different world, that would only make their next confrontation all the more pleasant. Luna was capable of producing a barrier that was large enough to cover three of them if they were standing next to her, which was not practical. She thought about how they were going to defend themselves. The armor her guards were wearing would stand up to heavy abuse. She didn't need to worry about them. Trixie undoubtedly knew the same spell Luna had in mind. Derpy Hooves seemed to be immune to the Malum, but she wore no armor and was not capable of using magic. Luna needed to focus on protecting her.
As for weapons, Trixie had her black powder and her two faithful guards were armed and ready. Derpy Hooves had picked up a large rock and Luna's staff was still resting comfortably on her back. That was all they had to work with and it would have to do. It was better than nothing. Luna smiled. She was more worried about her companions than she was herself. Compassion was a rather easy virtue to follow.
The Everfree Forest was near. Their target was straight ahead. They were approaching the shrine from the side, so their path would not be marked. With Luna as their guide, they didn't have to worry about getting lost. They heard somepony galloping towards them right before they entered the forest. The ponies stood ready to receive whoever was coming to meet them. Athena burst free from the brambles, followed by two arch mages. She looked absolutely horrified and had undergone quite a beating. Her comrades were in similar shape. One of the mages had lost her clothing while the garb the other wore was hanging on by its threads. Athena didn't seem to notice Luna and her team. She looked up at the sky and began laughing maniacally before doing a brief dance on her hind legs which ended in her collapsing in the dirt on her side. She was happy to be alive. The two court mages recognized Princess Luna and immediately bowed.
"Princess, I am called Red Iris. My partner is Hunter. We are both at your service. May we humbly ask what day it is?" Iris asked.
"There is no need to be so formal. It is Midweek," Luna replied. "Are you injured?"
"Midweek? We were only in there for a couple of hours?" Hunter exclaimed.
"What happened?" Biggs asked.
"It's the Presence! I think it's right behind us. You're all real, right?" Iris asked.
"Of course. You are safe now," Luna said.
"If you say so," Red Iris said, looking back into the forest.
Nothing ever went as planned. This complicated their quest. There were a few reasons why the forest was still declared dangerous and why venturing inside was recommended in groups or in the company of a few guards. One remaining threat was known only as the Presence. Weaker now than before, it was rare to encounter it unless a pony ventured too far into Everfree. Those unlucky enough to be caught by it were sent on a nightmarish journey through various parts of the forest while it toyed with their sanity.
"New plan. Burn down the forest," Trixie said, smiling nervously.
"Better plan. Send ahead a scout. I volunteer Trixie," Wedge said.
"Best plan. We all go in together, we all go out together," Derpy said.
"The princess sides with the best plan and will not hear any arguments," Luna said.
A distinctive, annoying laugh attracted their attention to Athena, who had fully recovered from her cowardice. She sauntered up to them arrogantly and viewed Luna with a significant amount of contempt before turning to her exhausted escorts.
"Mages, incapacitate this mare," Athena ordered, pointing at Luna.
"Why?" Iris demanded.
"She has escaped the dungeon. Surely you have heard what she has done? For all we know, she could be in cahoots with the thing that has ravaged Ponyville."
Red Iris and Hunter looked at each other, completely dumbfounded.
"That's hard to believe. It looks like she's ready to fight it," Iris said.
"Is she? Can any of us be certain? After all, she has spoken with Discord. Would it not best to leave this decision to Celestia?"
Neither of the mages moved.
"Allow me to put this to you in a different manner. If you do not follow my orders right this instant, I will assume you are sympathetic towards her. How would you like to be court-martialed and dishonorably discharged like these two guards will most certainly be? Speaking of which, what are your names?" Athena asked Luna's guards.
"I'm Finn and this here is Randy Butternubs," Wedge replied, crossing his eyes so that he looked like a fool.
"Do not get yourselves in more trouble. That is magical armor you're wearing and you must get permission to have it on. State your names, soldiers."
"Are you deaf? They said their names are Finn and Randy," Luna said.
Athena had a murderous glare in her eyes. She swallowed hard and decided to consent.
"Fine. All of you are now her accomplices. That includes Derpy Hooves and Trixie. I find it fitting that an outcast would build her party with losers like you two."
"Go back to the castle and play princess while you still can," Trixie said.
"But she can't do that. The adviser doesn't have any power of her own. She is just a consultant like you were when you were helping make bombs," Derpy explained to Trixie.
"How do you know that?" Athena asked.
"It's in the mail mare manual."
"Really?" Trixie asked, grinning broadly.
Luna and her two guards nodded. Trixie laughed darkly at Athena's plight.
"My, it would appear you're only good for your silver tongue," Trixie said.
"Iris. Hunter. We are leaving," Athena said.
"Seeing as how my integrity is in question, I would like to offer my services to Princess Luna," Iris said.
"Count me in on that as well," Hunter stated.
"You are coming back with me," Athena said.
"Woe to the useless earth pony who can't find her way back home," Trixie goaded.
"I am honored that you are willing to accompany us even though you are obviously exhausted. Instead of coming with me, I would like you to go to Applejack's barn and see how you could be of assistance there," Luna said.
"What about me? How am I supposed to get home safely?" Athena demanded.
"Surely Princess Celestia's adviser can figure out what she should do from here," Luna said.
"Pullin' rank," Derpy said happily making gestures to enforce what she meant.
"Okay. We shall do that. You're really going in there, aren't you?" Iris asked.
"It has to be done," Luna replied, nodding.
"Good luck, Princess Luna," Iris said, bowing once more with Hunter.
"Why not wait for the Elements of Harmony?" Athena asked, hoping to dissuade her team. "You're putting ponies in danger needlessly."
"It is rather foolish for us to rely on one thing and one thing only to solve all of our problems," Luna replied. "The Malum has caused a good deal of destruction to Ponyville. Who knows what it will do if we don't stop it now? My friends are free to leave whenever they want to. I did not ask for them to help me. They have volunteered to do so."
"Go then. Go meet your doom. I pray that Twilight and her friends are able to save you from the horror you are about to face."
Luna ignored her and continued forward. An immediate surreal sensation came over her as she entered the forest. They had all just stepped into another domain entirely. The forest was unusually beautiful, but that was merely a facade to hide whatever was lurking underneath the illusion. The area abruptly began getting darker. They could still see a full moon in the sky and the vegetation around them was not too dense. Derpy Hooves was even able to continue flying. Trixie cast a spell that lit up the area with a ball of light, which hovered above them in the center of their formation. Derpy became momentarily interested in the ball and poked at it a couple of times before she left it alone. Luna looked back to see if Athena and the other two mages were still visible, but saw nothing but vegetation. She continued forward confidently.
"I guess they weren't kidding when they said trouble was just up ahead," Wedge said nervously.
"It could be worse," Biggs mentioned indifferently.
The lighting was continuing to become inadequate. Luna cast an illumination spell and merged it with the one Trixie had brought forth. This doubled the power of the spell. It should have lit their path up clear as day, but it didn't. As they marched onward, it became unnaturally silent so that all they could hear were the sounds that each of them were making as they walked.
"Help!"
Luna almost jumped out of her skin. That hadn't come from any of her companions. They all turned to see Applebloom hidden in the darkness behind them. She did not bother stepping into the light now that she had their attention. Luna rolled her eyes. This was such a painfully obvious trap. Even Derpy knew something was up. There was no way Applebloom could have been right behind them. They would have noticed.
"The barn is under attack! Come this way! Hurry!" Applebloom exclaimed.
"Nopony move," Luna said.
She stood in front of Applebloom. The filly did not look like she had been galloping, but she did appear rather worried. Luna held her staff in front of Applebloom with the aid of her magic.
"We will go with you, but only if you are able to touch this staff," Luna said.
As Luna expected, Applebloom's eyes rolled into the back of her skull and her mouth dropped open, revealing a maw full of moving black fangs. An unnatural wail emitted from her throat. A large rock went sailing passed Luna's head and landed on top of Applebloom, who turned into dead leaves and twigs. Luna strapped the staff to her back and placed a hoof on the rock. She tossed it back to Derpy, who was still flying and caught it with both hooves.
"Nice throw," Luna said.
"Is that it? Are we safe now?" Trixie asked hopefully.
"No, not yet. Let's keep moving forward. The shrine should be just up ahead."
That was a lie, but they had no reason to doubt her. The Presence already had them. They could be anywhere in the forest. If they were lucky, this would not take very long. Luna pretended that she knew where she was going. They came upon a clearing with a large lake that was completely unremarkable and more than likely uninhabited. She veered right and continued down the path next to it, growing steadily more agitated. If the Presence would show itself, she could end this game quickly. She wondered if it would be wise to provoke it. That might encourage it to become even more devious. Entities like the one they were dealing with preferred to remain hidden like cowards. Luna checked on how her team was doing. Derpy Hooves seemed immune to any form of stress while Trixie looked relatively nervous. Biggs and Wedge started talking to each other quietly, recalling better moments in their lives.
Their tension lessened and they began to relax a little. Luna heard something splash in the lake. She stopped walking and checked to see if the sound had come from a threat and saw something moving towards them beneath the surface of the water. It was impossible to tell what they were dealing with. The ripple it made while swimming through the still water was quite large so it definitely wasn't a bass with enough luck to survive the creatures of the forest.
"Get away from the water!" Trixie screamed as she fled the scene.
"Do not separate from the group!" Luna ordered, pulling her roughly back into the formation with a simple spell.
The team backed away from the lake just as whatever was beneath the surface reached the shore. There was a tremendous splash as a prehensile hand formed out of the water rose up in front them. It grabbed Biggs and pulled him into the lake. Wedge called out for him dramatically, which did absolutely nothing. Luna immediately plunged her staff into the water. The liquid veered away from it much like jelly for a moment before the innate power of the staff activated. The lake began boiling as protective magic spread through the water, seeking out their new adversary. An immense explosion erupted from the surface of the lake, sending water flying everywhere.
"Wedge, get Biggs now!" Luna ordered.
Wedge began taking off his armor so that he wouldn't sink once he dove in after his friend.
"No, keep your armor on! Don't worry, you will be fine! Remember, it's magically tempered!" Luna shouted.
He nodded and jumped into the water after Biggs. Luna cast a repulsion spell that was amplified by the staff. It was merely an incantation meant to drive any sort of creature malevolent or otherwise away from the person casting it. Ponies had gotten pretty good with that sort of magic over the years.
Luna wished there was more she could do. While this sort of magic did hurt the opponent, it failed to leave a lasting impression.
A wave of water formed near the center and broke free from the rest of the lake, throwing itself directly at Luna. Trixie intervened and cast a barrier spell that would shield them from the incoming water while Derpy flew out of the way. A transparent magenta dome covered Trixie and Luna. The wave crashed against the barrier, which held strong. Trixie grimaced and dug her hooves into the ground as the water soaked the earth around them. At the last possible moment, her barrier broke under the strain of the attack. Since she didn't release the spell of her own accord, Trixie was left feeling rather disoriented. Derpy tossed her rock in the lake to no effect and then led Trixie to safety while Luna put more of her power into the staff.
"Yield!" Luna shouted.
Biggs and Wedge surfaced, gasping for air. Derpy flew out to them and offered the two guards her front hooves, which they grabbed eagerly. She beat her wings as hard as she possibly could and managed to glide them over to the shore and help both of them out of the lake. With that finished, Luna pulled the staff from the lake and placed it on her back.
"Run!" Luna ordered.
Trixie was still not in any condition to flee. She was still resting where Derpy had left her. Luna carried her with a spell as they fled from the lake back into the forest. Luna accidentally slammed Trixie's head against a tree. The sound her skull made when it came into contact with the bark made Luna wince. Her hat came loose, but Luna retrieved it and made Trixie hold it in her mouth. Derpy flew close to the ground, navigating the thick vegetation with a series of acrobatic twists and turns that would make even the most seasoned Pegasus pony shake their heads in disbelief.
Luna glanced back at the lake just in time to see another large wave crash against the shore. The water spread out as far as it possibly could. It was a valiant effort, but they were already far from the reaches of whatever controlled the lake. After galloping for another thirty seconds, Luna came to an abrupt halt.
"Stop, regroup, and touch the Staff of Justice!" Luna ordered.
Each pony did as they were told. None of them exploded into compost, so they were all real and accounted for. Luna healed Trixie while Derpy found another rock to use. Biggs and Wedge took off all their armor to shake the water from it. Luna noticed that the water began heading off towards the direction of the lake once it had hit the ground. She stomped on a droplet, which did not stick to her hoof and continued on its merry way once it was able to do so.
"That was nuts," Wedge said as he sat down.
The immediate area seemed safe enough to rest in, although that did not say very much. Luna no longer knew what to look out for. She had never come across any accounts of a killer lake in all the lore she had read. If such a thing existed, she couldn't rule out the possibility that the grass they were walking on might be dangerous. Luna kept herself calm. She was their leader and her demeanor directly influenced their confidence. Showing any hint of doubt was not an option.
She turned to Trixie, who was applying a healing spell to her skull. Luna did not want her act of valor to go unnoticed and now seemed like an appropriate time to point it out.
"Thank you for protecting me," Luna said sincerely.
Trixie shrugged indifferently.
"Thank you for noticing," Trixie replied as she adjusted her hat.
With all their armor off, Luna got the chance to look at the marks of her faithful guards. Biggs had a blue shield while Wedge had two linked red circles that Luna recognized as the symbol for infinity. Wedge caught her looking at it and snickered because he could tell that she was trying to figure out what it symbolized.
"Yeah. It means that nothing is impossible for me. I earned it over the course of a summer rather late in my life. I wanted a new bed and a couple of other things, but my parents wouldn't buy them for me since I was old enough to start working. Back then I was kind of a shut-in because I was still a blank flank, but I gathered up the courage to go look for work and I did a lot of odd jobs. Some of them were specialized, but I was taken in as an apprentice since certain establishments in Ponyville still follow that system because the local government takes community involvement so seriously. At the end of that summer, my mark finally appeared. I was hoping for a ball of fire or something a bit more radical, but I got this instead," Wedge explained.
"What made you want to become a soldier?" Derpy asked.
"I thought it would give me some direction in my life. I just don't know what to do with myself. That's a problem when you can do everything, I guess. I kinda wish it wasn't a two year commitment, but things have been going great so far," Wedge replied. "I love this part of the job. Adventuring, I mean. I didn't think I would, but it's just so cool."
"And what about you?" Luna asked, looking at Biggs.
"This mark actually runs in my family. We protect the weak and have been doing so even before Equestria was founded. I knew that this is what I wanted to do ever since I was a foal," Biggs said.
"Are we going to share our favorite foods next?" Trixie asked. "Trixie grows weary of this awful fun house. How much longer until we get to where we're going, princess?"
She knew it would not work, but Luna attempted to track the Malum. A sharp bolt of pain lanced right through her skull directly into her brain. Luna reeled back and grunted, suppressing a scream. Derpy held her rock above her head and looked around for something to throw it at while Luna's guards quickly put their armor back on and Trixie sighed in disappointment.
"You are no longer my sister!"
Luna's headache disappeared immediately when she recognized Celestia's voice. She knew what this conversation was about based on that one single sentence. An impenetrable blackness had silently surrounded them. A few trees were visible around the edge of the circle they were now trapped in, but nothing beyond that. Even the sky had vanished. Their small prison began looking like the castle at Canterlot. The grass and trees did not change in shape or texture, only color. A flourish of leaves rolled in and began constructing a much more sinister version of Luna and Celestia.
Night Mare Moon was defeated and heavily wounded while Celestia stood tall and victorious in front of her.
"Luna, if you can hear me, I'm sorry. I cannot break your curse, but I will find a way! Until then, I have to send you away from me before whatever power controlling you does irreversible damage."
"You filthy lying mule! You just want me out of the way! You have always wanted me out of the way! Fine, take your chance! Have Equestria all to yourself! Run it into the ground and destroy the memory of our family, you stupid gelding!" Night Mare Moon screamed.
The doppelgangers blew away in a chilly wind that swept through the area, which turned their trap into a bedroom. Gravure magazines were scattered everywhere. Junk was lying carelessly on the floor. Several board games were in the mess, beacons amongst the garbage. Wedge was flung into the middle of the war zone by an unseen force, landing face first on a dirty futon.
"Wedge, you're doing nothing with your life. Why don't you move out of my house and join the army like Biggs did? I'm sure his mother is so proud of him," a new said.
"Mom?" Wedge shouted incredulously.
"Hah, you lived with your parents after you came of age? What a loser," Trixie said.
Wedge face planted and was dragged back to where he had been by his tail. Mocking laughter filled the forest, which transformed into a playground. The silhouettes of three young mares appeared in front of them.
"Derpy Hooves, Derpy Hooves!" the chorus of sinister fillies chanted. "So cross eyed that every time she cries tears fall down her back! Derp for us, Derpy! Derp derp derp! Come on! Just one derp and we won't tease you for the rest of the week!"
"Aww, geez. Not this again," Derpy muttered.
"Ignore it. This is a pathetic attempt to break our spirits," Luna said.
More cold wind and compost blew into the area, changing it into a laboratory inside of a cave. There was a blueprint of some sort stretched across three trees. Several large powder kegs were lying beneath it. Another Trixie appeared in the center of their circle. She was jumping up and down as fireworks exploded all around her. Oddly enough, the strange sounds that normally accompanied Pinkie Pie while she was frolicking were emitting from the double's hooves as she bounded playfully across the lab.
"Pay attention to me! Pay attention to me!" the fake Trixie screamed.
"Oh, please. The Great and Powerful Trixie is not like that at all," the real Trixie said, clearly unimpressed.
"Trixie will stash enough black powder underneath Canterlot to blow it sky high! In the ensuing power vacuum, Trixie will rise above all else and rule with an iron hoof!"
"She only thought of that once or twice. Is this the best skeleton you can find in Trixie's closet? How about trying to insult the fact that Trixie is adopted? She is so over that."
"Trixie is adopted and - " the double began.
"And what?" the real Trixie asked sharply.
Her double stopped jumping around and glared at her before vanishing in a cloud of noxious gas, which did not linger for long. Trixie smiled triumphantly. They all turned to Biggs, who was clearly next. It was impossible to tell what secrets his life held. Morbid curiosity aroused their interest. At any moment, they would all see something embarrassing that he was trying to hide. The tension grew until it finally tapered off slowly. Crickets began chirping. Nothing changed. His expression was unreadable, but he couldn't figure out whether to be happy or sad that the Presence was clearly implying that he was boring.
A wash basin fell from the black sky and bounced off of his helmet. It exploded into dirt after it had served its purpose. Biggs rolled his eyes and took off his helmet, rubbing at his ears to get the ringing echo out of them. Wedge hid his face while Trixie snickered loudly.
"What was that all about?" Derpy asked.
"It doesn't have anything to show him," Luna replied.
"Because I'm boring," Biggs said.
"Given the circumstances, I'd call that an advantage," Luna said.
The darkness above them began looping down the trees like a snake. It did so quickly and when it reached the ground a head of a ram suddenly formed at the end of the serpentine body. The dark red eyes were meant to intimidate them, but at this point their senses had been sufficiently dulled. Derpy tossed her rock at it, but nothing happened. Biggs threw his disc at it, but the darkness separated where the disc would have struck and did not reform until the weapon had made its second pass. The thing regarded all of them for a moment silently. It then dissipated into a heavy black mist that began filling the area up.
"Quickly, grab hold of each other!" Luna shouted.
They did as they were told. The staff grew hot on Luna's back, but did not react. Whatever was happening, they weren't being attacked. After a moment, the black mist cleared. In the distance, Luna could see the shrine. This could just be another trick, so she did not say anything. The mist had once again formed into a serpent with the head of a ram. It was only wrapped around one tree now. With a subtle nod, the creature ascended into the sky, which was now clear, and vanished from sight. Luna had no idea what that had all been about or if that thing had actually been the embodiment of the Presence itself or something else entirely. Equestria had far too many mysteries for its own good.
"Hey, I think we're back on track," Derpy announced, spotting the structure in the distance. "Is everypony okay?"
None voiced otherwise.
"Wow. They certainly didn't spare any expense on that shrine, did they?" Wedge asked.
"What can we expect once we go in there?" Biggs asked.
"The shrine will be a rectangular battlefield with a high ceiling. Nicodemus himself sleeps in the middle of the main chamber. He's in a gold sarcophagus. The lid is made out of plate glass so that he is visible to visitors. We should try to avoid disturbing it if we can. The rest of the structure is built with marble and there's just the one entrance in the front. To show our gratitude for his service, we often deposit gifts inside. Most of the items he cherished in life are also stored in there," Luna explained.
"Yikes, he must have been a hoarder. That shrine is almost as big as the post office," Derpy said.
"It's just very elaborate. They tried to match it with his sacrifice," Luna said. "Don't worry about breaking anything, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. We should focus on keeping the Malum contained inside since it won't have as much room to move around."
"You can't say a cool line and be all like poof you're done after you poke him with your staff?" Derpy asked.
"No. Perhaps with five enchanted staffs and five other alicorns I could, but I do not have that luxury. I suspect that the Malum can use offensive magic. Keep that in mind while we fight. Try not to get too close to its limbs, either. If it wanted to, it could stab us with those. Trust me, they're quite sharp," Luna said. "I want to show you what a regular barrier spell looks like in case you didn't see what Trixie did earlier."
She cast the spell. A transparent blue dome with hundreds of tiny stars encased her, Trixie, and Wedge. Biggs and Derpy had to get a little closer to her to get inside.
"This is the best I can do. It can protect against a physical, magical, or ethereal attack, but it can only do that for so long before it breaks. The mental strain involved in casting this spell is slight, but the force of the attack can leave the caster disoriented if it is strong enough. Biggs, Wedge, you are both wearing the best armor our army has to offer. You have little to fear. Trixie, you might want to stay close to me. You too, Derpy."
The dome vanished.
"Do not get overconfident because we are so well equipped. The Malum will be fighting for its life. Remember that. Please be careful. I want all of you there when the portrait they will make in our honor is uncovered," Luna said.
"Screw that. I'll buy the first round of salt at the Bareback Tavern when this is over. How's that sound?" Wedge offered.
"Sign me up for the buffet!" Derpy declared.
"That's the spirit. Let's give it all we've got," Luna said.
"Trust me, I will. I'm not going to fail you this time, ma'am," Biggs said.
"What he said," Wedge stated, nodding in agreement.
"This is exactly what Trixie wanted to do today," Trixie said sarcastically.
The team walked to the shrine. There should have been stone statues of various creatures that had come a little too close to the hub serving as tacky lawn ornaments, but they were all missing. The double door to the entrance had been destroyed. There was no light inside the structure and they could not see very far inside. They were all prepared to fight, but Luna gave no indication that they should charge inside. Instead, she gestured for them to hold off.
"Stand back, I'm going to try and use diplomacy," Luna said.
Trixie encased herself with a barrier. She made it big enough for Biggs and Wedge to fit inside. Derpy remained in the air, seemingly incapable of wing fatigue.
"Be our guest," Trixie said.
Luna faced the entrance.
"Malum! I know that you are in there! I am offering you the chance to surrender and release the souls you have harvested. Do so and we will do what we can to send you back to the world you came from, even if it means dealing with a Lich. If you prefer to stay here, we could make that arrangement. Should you choose to fight, you will lose. There is no question about that. I will give you a minute to respond."
A red fireball came sailing at her from inside the shrine. Luna set up a shield just in time to absorb the blow, which knocked her back. The grass around her was singed, but the fire dissipated into the air before it had a chance to devour anything. Such a spell ensured that the mage using it wouldn't be caught inside a burning building after they had finished off their opponent.
"I was actually hoping that would have worked," Wedge said.
"All right, time's up, let's do this!" Derpy shouted. "Princess Lunaaaaaaaa!"
Derpy Hooves charged headlong into the shrine, fueled by her impromptu battle cry.
"Did she just – " Biggs began.
"Save her!" Luna shouted.
They followed Derpy inside, ready for anything.