Venquis walked towards the group, eager to join them. He greeted them once again and began to speak. "I spoke to Candace and she helped give us her support for the fight. She also gave us The Adamant Guard, which are four enormous crystal ponies who are completely immune to magic. I believe they will serve as fantastic heavy units. I have also located a location for me to perform my ritual, you can watch if you wish. Candace is not entirely pleased about her situation, so talking to her might help." He said to the group before turning to look at Nightmare Moon. "She would love to hear you voice right now." Venquis then looked at Star. "Candace wishes to speak to you in private. Guards are probably ordered to not arrest you, and will let you past." Venquis said. "Just be on guard, just incase...." Venquis then looked at the group than the sun, which was beginning to set. "I need to perform my ritual now. If you want to watch, you will find it's interest, amusing." Venquis then went back to prepare for his ritual, where he would be a changed forever.
Yclept shrugged,"there's lots of space in my mind, might as well learn of all I can...", Yclept said, following ven
"Go and watch the ritual, Silver Crescent. You know that you want to. I will go to the palace with Star Shimmer. I am looking forward to seeing Cadance again." Silver followed Venquis without hesitation. With Princess Luna transformed, Silver no longer had reason to fear for her safety. Nightmare Moon was more than a match for anything that Celestia could throw at her. She did not need a bodyguard.
(LONG POST!) Venquis made it back inside of the church of where he was going to perform his ritual, followed by Silver who walked in shortly after he arrived. By now, the moon was coming into the sky and a light from a broken window shined light at the exact location where Venquis was performing the ritual, allowing visibility to be easy. "Glad to see that you could make it Silver. You are about to see an event which no Ryborian in history has every performed. This should awaken my true potential, but of course. It has it's downsides.” Venquis said as he was correcting a slight mistake with one of the thousands of circles and symbols in the ritual. “There was a reason why i wanted to perform this at night. Once the ritual is performed, my body will render me in a brief unconscious state. If i survive, i will be awake in the morning testing out my new powers. But if i never wake up, well.... it’s an honour knowing you and our friends. And i will finally be making my choice that Sihana gave me for the afterlife.” Venquis said sadly, before walking to the center of his writings where he began to perform. The ritual itself is known to be relatively quick but also enormously painful, with a chance of death. If it were to succeed, the ritual would unleash the Ryborians true potential and increase his already present magic and physical power astronomically. Venquis then placed the Kilania directly infront of where he would be sitting, and where all the symbols lead too. He then closed his eyes as the symbols began to light up, a light turning the room from night to day. Venquis began to recite a famous verse from a prayer book known as the Tybirtha, one of several sacred religious book of the Ryborians. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we shall have peace with Sihana. Through her we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of Sihana. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because her love has been poured into our hearts through the choice which has been given to us. Under the name of Sihana, the choice is ours to make and to make alone.” The Kilania began to glow brightly as it’s energy was channelled across the symbols and beginning to unlock him. Venquis was now experiencing the worst pain he had ever felt physically, but did not cry out in the pain. The Kilania began to levitate off the ground as it’s energy was unlocking Venquis’s potential through the seals and symbols that he had created. Venquis began to levitate off the ground, not very high but was noticeable. As soon as it started, it had ended. The Kilania, the grey cube that Venquis had received was now empty and disintegrated into the wind, it’s purpose was fulfilled. Venquis, just as he said, was unconscious but alive. He fell unconscious as he was laying on a wall, with a wide smile on his face as he fell asleep.
Meanwhile, the guards quickly (but not without a little trepidation) escorted Nightmare Moon and Star Shimmer to the palace. Cadence's attention was drawn to something near the back of the throne room when the two companions entered, and when the ruler of the crystal kingdom turned around, she was initially taken aback by her aunt's new form. "Oh my! Auntie Luna? Or... Should I call you Nightmare Moon?" She shook her head. "I guess it's no matter...if you had wanted to engulf the world in eternal night, I suppose you would've done so already. And we all know that desperate times call for desperate measures... And these certainly are desperate times." She narrowed her eyes at Star Shimmer. "The Amethyst Witch." She turned her attention back toward Nightmare Moon. "You'll have to forgive me, Auntie, but I must speak with the Witch alone." Taking her leave, Cadence led Star Shimmer to the very room where the Crystal Heart resided. It was glowing faintly, providing a weak protective barrier around the castle and its environs. The princess motioned to the crystal. "You know what this is, don't you?" Star Shimmer's voice shook as she answered, "Of course I do. It's the Crystal heart. It destroyed Sombra." Cadence nodded. Then she sighed. "You...if I understand correctly, it was you who summoned Sombra to our world. Is this true?" Star shamefully hung her head. "Yes, your Highness." "Why? Were you possessed?" Cadence asked with a completely flat affect. More of a statement than a question. "No, your Highness..." "Then why? Why did you doom your kind to a life of servitude and brutality?" Star sighed. "I was foolish. I wanted the power he offered to me." Cadence mockingly asked, "And this power...you have it now?" Star lip quivered. "N-no..." Cadence was silent for a long while. Star thought for sure that her end was near, and was about to speak in her defense when the princess spoke again. "The crystal heart...we are connected. It speaks to me, not with a voice, but with emotions. It is saddened that one of its children would turn against all the others... A tear came to Star's eye. Cadence approached the crystal pony and wiped the tear from her eye. "You feel it, don't you?" Star stifled a sniffle. "I...I've never known such sorrow..." "You too are connected to the Crystal Heart. All if your kind is, in some way. Tell me, Star Shimmer, do you still covet power?" Star thought on this for a few moments, before finally answering, "I covet knowledge, Your Highness. All knowledge is power..." Cadence glanced over at the Crystal Heart, which briefly glowed dark purple, before returning to its normal cyan color. The princess nodded in response. "The Crystal Heart accepts this answer. It knows that you have learned from your experience." Then, Cadence smiled for the first time since holding court with the Mage. "Very well. I've prepared a gift, a boon if you will, to mark your continuing atonement." Cadence produced a smal box from beneath he wing and opened it. The box contained a circlet, just large enough for the crystal pony. In the front of the circlet was a small, horn-like protrusion. "I call it the Unicorn Crown. It will allow you to cast your spells without the use of your ritual stars... Just like you had always wanted." Star Shimmer was astonished. She bowed deeply, even before the circlet was placed on her head. "I...I don't know how to thank you!" "Use your new power for Goodness and Harmony. That's all I ask." Cadence lowers her horn and tapped Star Shimmer on the shoulder. "Now rise, Court Mage Star Shimmer." The Court Mage did as she was told. She had a broad smile on her face. A tear started to form at Cadence's eye. She absently whispered, "Sunshine, sunshine..." "Is...is something wrong, Your Majesty?" The princess shook her head. "No. It's just that..." "What, your Majesty?" "She would've liked you." It was the princess' turn to stifle a sniffle. "You two would've been good friends..." Star Shimmer could guess at who "she" was, and nodded. "I would've been honored to have been her friend." ------ When Star Shimmer returned to the throne room with Cadence, she seemed like a new pony. Her coat glistened like it never had before. Cadence found Nightmare Moon where she had left her. "Our allies are ever-increasing, Auntie. I have a good feeling about this."
Cobra walked to the walls, noticing a familiar hooded figure ordering and preparing his men for the attack. he climbed up the stairs and approached this figure a smile upon his face. "Robin Hoof, Midnight's Redeemer and Bringer of the Final Eclipse. Its good to see you my friend." The two hugged before Cobra spoke again. "So I see you were stripped of your alicorn powers once more. At least they got the gender right last time. Anyway any news of Midnight, Crimson and Ocean." Robin shook his head revealing his uncertainty. "I have yet to contact them in this time of war. Since I fled Equestria with my merry stallions or as you know them the Earls Archers; All my contacts were severed from the resistance." Cobra nodded as he and Robin left together to meet back up with Silver but Robin didnt know that so it would be a nice little reunion surprise.
After observing the ritual, Silver walked out of the chapel and headed for the city wall. As he walked with Holly, the wind blew a familiar scent into the Timber-Wolf's sensitive nose. She barked excitedly and ran forward to greet Robin. When Silver saw what had gotten Holly so excited, his face darkened. "What trickery is this?" He flew at Robin in a rage and tackled him to the ground. "Who are you and why are you here?! Robin Hoof died years ago! Celestia gave him a royal funeral!"
(That was a bit unceremonious leaving Venquis...) Obsidian sat outside the church, balancing on one hoof on his staff, meditating. The second world was slowly draining of the excessive light magic inflicted by Celestia, but it was still too dangerous to stay there for long. He left the world and dropped onto his hooves and caught his staff. He stared out at the crystal kingdom and sighed. He began to turn back to the building, when a black Pegasus ran into him and knocked him over. He stood over him and glared down.
Obsidian kicked the Pegasus of him and stood up. He turned to Yclept. "We have a guest who is... Mute." He turned back to the pegasus, who just made a mocking face and ran a line with his hoof across the ground, before pointing to Obsidian's book. He jumped at Obsidian and a red, sparkling cloak appeared on his back, he spun, swinging the edge of the cloak at him. Obsidian dodged at the last minute, but the bladed edge caught his leg slightly, cutting a line into his leg. He leapt backwards to Yclept. "This is not a pony natural to our world."
"We'll, I'm not to knowledgable on extra-planer stuff, save angles & stuff...", Yclept says, throwing a shuriken at the pegasus & pulling out his crystal shortsword
The Pegasus held up his cloak and the shuriken vanished into it as if it had flown through an open door. He swung the cloak around, holding up the other side and the shuriken flew back out at the two of them. Obsidian jumped out of the way and ran up to the Pegasus, who jumped high and flew in place, growling. A dark voice echoed in both their heads. "You will give me the book and the Rhyborian. I am Jack Knife. It is my job to protect this world from that which should no longer be!"
Yclept turned ethereal & the shuriken passed through him, him, then turned back to normal,"i don't care who the buck you are, you're not taking a thing!"
Inside of the church, the effects of Venquis's ritual were quickly beginning to wear off. It seemed that Venquis had a faster metabolism then his previous one before. He did not change physically nor mentally, but in terms of power however... After what felt like five minutes was actually seven hours. Venquis woke up in the best condition of his life. He put his equipment back on alongside his armor and spellsword, and straightened up his bed mane. He was still dazed from some of the effects, but was considered to be normally awake. He walked outside, only to see Obsidian and Ycept fighting a black Pegasus who said that he wanted him. "Im right here..." he said coldly.
"You do not belong, Venquis of the Rhyborian royal line. Come with me or face a wrath that puts the Pheonix queen's to shame..." The voice echoed in their minds. Obsidian struggled to stay up despite his cut leg, surprisingly unsuccessfully. He clutched the book of the elements with the bad leg.
Venquis laughed slightly. "Do not belong he says...." Venquis said, cracking his stiff neck. "Im the very last Razora, the royal line which has ruled Ardelan for the past 25,000 years. I was the one who ended the Black War, i was the one who killed the majority of the Equestrian Royal family, Prince Eclipse and almost the entire royal guard highhandedly and i was the one who killed Dovian Frenzia." Venquis said slightly annoyed "You know who iam, but you now have no idea what im capable of. Im more than your equal, i almost surpass you in every way possible. You're wasting your time and mine. Leave."
"You fool... Your new power is why you no longer belong, just like the remains of Sombra in that fools book. This world is not built for beings of power like that, and it is my job..." He growled and swooped down at sonic speed, knocking Venquis off his hooves. "To remove them."
(Did this just turn into a god-fight?) Venquis seen the strange Pegasus coming and easily countered him once he lost his balance.The next thing he knew, Venquis was delivering blows that can snap bones in half with ease at a ferocious speed and punched the pegasus hard, sending him flying. The pegasus landed almost a hundred meters away and Venquis landed directly on his chest. When the pegasus looked again, Venquis was holding a air sword directly at his throat. "You should have let me sleep!" Venquis said in anger.
(Not a god fight. Think... Hermes versus Herculese. Jack is a messenger of sorts.) "Cute." Jack phased into the ground and his voice faded from their minds. "You do not belong amongst mortals Rhyborian. Remember that. Power corrupts." Obsidian stood with Yclept, hoping Venquis was okay. "This thing... I sensed his power. Too great." He sighed.
