(Welcome to my next update. Hope you're all ready to see the full truth behind Stygian come out.)
Last time, after getting an invite from Shining and Cadence to perform at the Crystal empire, the band and their pony friends set out for the empire. However their fun was soon interrupted when Stygian activated the amulets he gave Cody, Jeremy, and Sabrina turning them into his loyal servants and steal the Crystal Heart. Can the ponies break them free from this trance or are they gone for good.
"What's wrong with them?" Twilight asked in worry.
Cadence and Discord concentrated, as the master of chaos spoke, "I am sensing dark magic radiating off them from somewhere."
"If we can find out where it's coming from we can break its hold on them." Cadence added.
"Then let's get them. They're not that tough," Rainbow said, as she attempted to tackle Cody, only for the boy to dodge her attack, "Whoa!" she gasped.
"Cody couldn't dodge that, especially from Rainbow Dash." Spike noted.
"Whatever has hold of them is making them quicker and possibly stronger." Twilight said.
"So we got to keep them still." Discord added.
"Be careful, we don't wanna damage the Crystal Heart." Cadence warned them.
"Let's go!" Jeremy called, as the three took off.
"Not so fast." Discord snapped his digits and suddenly ice appeared below them causing them to lose balance and slip.
"I'll get them!" Applejack whipped out a lasso from her hat and started doing a rope trick before launching it to hogtie them.
Sabrina grabbed her friends and rolled aside to avoid the hogtie, "Pitiful." the girl said.
"Yoo-hoo!" Pinkie called, as the three turned around to come face to face with Pinkie's party cannon that shot confetti in their faces, causing them to wobble blindly until they fell once again, with their amulet slipping out into the clearing.
"Hey, what're those they're wearing?" Rainbow asked.
They all saw the amulets, as Rarity spoke, "Whatever they're wearing they look so tacky."
"Tacky yes, but they're the source of the dark magic radiating off them." Discord said.
"We have to get them off." Fluttershy said.
"Done." Shining said as he used his magic to rip the amulets off their necks.
The dark aura vanished from the three, as their eyes returned to normal, "What the, what happened?" Sabrina asked.
"Did I get married while I was asleep?" Jeremy asked.
Cody who regained his senses saw he had the Crystal Heart, "Uh, what do I have this?"
"Long story, but we'll explain inside." Cadence said, as she used her magic to put the Crystal Heart back in its spot reactivating the magic barrier.
Jeremy spotted Shining levitating the three amulets they were wearing and asked, "Hey, what're you doing with our amulets?"
"These amulets were causing you three to act evil." Shining explained.
"What?" they asked.
"Come on inside." Twilight said, as they went back into the castle.
In the throne room, Twilight and the others were explaining to their three human friends what they were doing moments ago, "Oh my God. We tried to steal the Crystal Heart?" Cody gasped.
"I'm afraid so." Cadence nodded knowing his regret.
"I feel like a jerk." Jeremy sighed.
"We all do." Sabrina patted his shoulder in comfort.
"Guys, where did you get these amulets?" Twilight asked.
"A friend we made gave them to us." Cody explained.
"Well, this friend is no friend at all." Shining replied.
"What?" they asked.
"Whoever gave you those amulets was the one controlling your minds." Cadence said.
"Who was it that gave them to you?" Discord inquired.
"He told us to keep him a secret from others." Jeremy answered.
"I wonder why?" Rarity asked the girls in sarcasm.
"Guys, this friend brainwashed you, we need to know who it is." Twilight told them.
The three seeing they were played all along answered, "Stygian Desolate."
"Stygian Desolate?" the girls asked.
"Who is that?" Rainbow asked.
"He said he was a former student of Princess Celestia." Sabrina explained.
"A former student?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, he had her picture with him and everything." Cody said.
"This is serious." Cadence told her husband who nodded.
"I better send a letter to the princess, maybe she has more info on this student that he wouldn't tell them." Twilight said, as she and Spike went off prepared to right a letter.
Cody out of impulse growled and kicked a pillar, "I can't believe we've been played like fools!"
"Cody, calm down!" Sabrina calmed him.
"Yeah, man, before you hurt yourself." Jeremy added.
Cody sighed as he calmed down, "Sorry, guys, but I just can't believe we trusted him!"
"Guy's a smooth talker, he knows the right words." Jeremy stated.
"When I get my hands on him, I'll rip his horn right off!" Cody growled.
"Cody!" Rarity gasped at his threat.
Twilight and Spike came back in, "I sent the message, and she replied back telling us she's coming here." the princess explained.
"Good, we'll await her arrival." Shining said.
In Everfree, Stygian was looking through his archive, while Crowl was confused, "Sir, you've just lost hold of the three humans, and you don't even seem to care!"
"Relax, Crowl. This minor incident still has merit to it."
"How so?"
"Now that they know the truth they will be coming back here to subdue me, and when they do I will release from the archive the strongest army I can muster up."
"I certainly hope you're not just making this up as you go along." Crowl sent him a look.
Stygian glared at him, "Do not try my patience, Crowl! Now leave me so I can concentrate."
"Yes, master." Crowl said, before taking his leave.
Meanwhile back at the Crystal Empire, Celestia and Luna arrived, and the group greeted them, "Welcome your highness's." Shining greeted them.
"We're glad you both could make it." Cadence added.
"When we read Twilight's letter we just had to come." Celestia said, as she looked to the three humans, "Now then, are you three absolutely certain the unicorn who gave you those mind controlling amulets was named Stygian Desolate?"
"Yes, we heard him say it." Cody answered.
Celestia levitated the picture she had of her and him, "Did he looks similar to this colt?"
They looked at the picture seeing it was the same one, "Yeah, that's the same picture he showed of us you two."
Celestia sighed, "I was afraid of this." Luna comforted her.
"Princess, who is this Stygian Desolate?" Twilight asked, wanting her answer.
"Stygian Desolate was like he told them a former student of mine long before you were, Twilight," she began, "He was very talented in the art of magic and was ahead of everypony else in his class. When he completed all the basic magic lessons I moved him up to learn more advanced spells." she used her magic to cast a flashback showing them Stygian as a younger colt learning magic under the tutelage of Celestia.
"He don't look so bad." Applejack said, seeing he didn't look like he was evil or anything.
"He was a different pony back then," Celestia answered, "But as the years followed, Stygian started seeking more magical knowledge outside Canterlot from very dangerous sources. Then when he was no older than all of you, he came to me one day."
They watched the flashback as Stygian entered the royal throne room, where Celestia was talking to her secretary.
"Princess Celestia," he began, "Oh, sorry I hope I'm not interrupting something."
"It's quite all right, Stygian. Is there something you need?" she inquired.
"Well, Princess. Regarding the experiment I presented to you the other day, with your royal permission I would like begin right away." he explained.
Suddenly Princess Celestia shot out of her throne and announced, "I forbid it!" this startled Stygian, her secretary, and the two guards surrounding her throne, "Forget this talk of harnessing magic from the underworld. That place must not be meddled with."
"Yes, I understand your concern, Princess," Stygian continued, "But my research is infallible. I've been thinking..."
Celestia held a hoof out to silence him, before speaking, "Stygian, for the sake of both Equestria and yourself, those thoughts are better to be left forgotten."
Stygian was about to argue back, but had nothing to counter, as he hesitantly answered, "Yes, Princess Celestia. Sorry to have disturbed you." he gave a look of bitterness before taking his leave.
"He looks pretty mad." Rainbow noted.
"Yes, I thought he'd take my warning and forget about it," Celestia said with guilt, "Unfortunately I put too much hope in him," the flashback revealed Celestia, and some of her guards storming into a part of Canterlot's castle, "For about a few weeks after my meeting with Stygian, we found traces of dark magic coming from one area of the castle. When we discovered what it was it left me in horror."
They saw the flashback revealing Celestia and her guards enter a chamber to see Stygian surrounded by dark magic, "Stygian!" Celestia called.
Stygian turned around looking at his former teacher with red eyes, "Well, Princess, nice of you to join me."
"What have you done?!" she demanded.
"I only did what I worked years on researching, which you would never approve of me testing." he answered with no regret.
"You've allowed yourself to be infused with magic you've harnessed from the underworld?" she gasped.
"Yes. Since you were foolish to not allow me to do it myself I decided to go along with it anyway."
"Your plan to use underworld magic alone to revolutionize Equestria is madness!" Celestia bellowed.
"Once again you've failed to comprehend what my superior intellect in magic is capable of. Well sorry, Princess, but I've outgrown my role as your apprentice. Because now I'm off to the underworld to acquire the greatest dark magic of them all." he created a portal.
"Stygian, don't!"
"Stop him!" a guard called as they charged.
"See you around." Stygian said, before jumping into the portal that closed upon his departure.
The guards missed, while Celestia was left to mourn over the loss of her pupil like she mourned for the banishment of her own sister.
The flashback ended, as Celestia spoke, "There was nothing I could've done for him. He was far too obsessed to be reasoned with."
"Princess, what was Stygian off to acquire in the underworld?" Twilight asked.
"An archive containing Equestria's most darkest of magic spells; the Tome of Chaos."
Discord's eyes widened in shock, "But that's my book!"
"Your book?" the girls asked.
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.
"Thousands of years ago I archived some of my very magic spells and some that were too much for even me to use into an archive. I would use it for mischief purposes, until it was taken from me and banished into the underworld by a unicorn sorcerer known as Hooferus Starlight."
"So why didn't ya just go to the place to retrieve it?" Applejack wondered.
"Yeah, I mean somepony like shouldn't have a problem with anyplace." Rainbow added.
"Are you mad? I may be the master of chaos, but even I have boundaries I don't like to go past." he answered.
"You don't think he actually found it do you?" Sabrina asked the princesses.
"Based on what's been happening recently, I'd say it's a yes." Luna answered.
"So then he is the one that brought us here, but why?" Cody asked.
"I have no idea." Jeremy answered.
They all sighed, "So what do we do now?" Spike asked.
"I say we find Stygian, bring him in to face justice and force him to send us home." Cody said.
"I wouldn't recommend going off to face him without a plan," Celestia spoke up, "Besides, don't you have a concert to give tonight?"
"Oh, that's right." Cody remembered.
"I know it's been a long day for you three what with all that's happened," Cadence began, "Will you be all right to perform?"
"We'll be fine." Sabrina said.
"Yeah, nothing can stop the Summer of Fun." Jeremy added.
"What he said." Cody nodded.
"Ah, that's the band mates I've grown to love!" Discord scooped them up in a bear hug, and they laughed.
That night, all of the Crystal Empire inhabitants were gathering to the castle inside where a stage was set up. On stage were the bands instruments, while the band had yet to appear. The girls and Spike had front row seats, while Shining Armor and Cadence were in a royal box.
Cadence spoke up to address the ponies, "Welcome all to tonight's live performance of Summer Fun. Let's give them a big hoof!"
The ponies cheered as smokescreen filled the stage. When it cleared Cody, Discord, Sabrina, and Jeremy were on stage with their instruments. Cody spoke into a mike, "Good evening, Crystal Empire! Summer Fun is here to bring you Fun for the Summer!"
"Let's go!" Jeremy called into the mike, as the band started rocking out.
The crystal ponies started rocking out to their music, while up front Twilight and her friends were rocking with them. When the band finished, the crows roared with applause, as Jeremy sat his guitar down and called to the rest of the band, "Stage dive!" he ran to the edge of the stage and dove off.
The crystal ponies caught him and started tossing him up. Sabrina got around from her keyboard and took Cody's hand so they could dive together. Finally Discord did a dive, and all of the band members were being thrown up and down before they wre tossed back onto the stage, where Cody spoke into the mike.
"Thank you, Crystal Empire, and goodnight!"
(And that's the chapter. They now know the full truth about Stygian Desolate and now they must confront him and his dark magic. Don't miss next time.)