“Fluttershy! Fluttershy!” Cadance had to resist the urge to shake the small pegasus. “Fluttershy, please be okay!”
Fluttershy's eyes opened. “I...Cadance? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back in the...the Crystal Kingdom?”
Cadance sighed with relief. “Thank goodness. No, I never left.” Her eyes narrowed. “I just let Grogar think so. I've been looking for Aunt Celestia and Fancypants.”
Fluttershy tried to rise. Cadance gently held her down. “Fancypants is missing? When did he get back? Are Twilight and—”
“No, it's just him. Don't move, you'll make your leg worse. A doctor's on the way.” Cadance tried not to look directly at the injury—just the sight of blood generally made her sick. “I couldn't tell you he arrived because I had to keep Grogar from seeing me, and he never left your side.”
She frowned. “Speaking of Grogar, where is he? How on Equestria did this happen?”
“Grogar. He...he pushed me.” Fluttershy's eyes widened. “Ca—Princess Cadance, you've got to get to Luna!”
“He pushed you?” Cadance reared up, voice raising. “I'll club that jerk into mutton! He can't just—”
“Please, there's no time! Grogar's leading her into a trap! She's in the throne room, and—”
Cadance heard nothing more, for she had turned on trap and started running at throne room.
Cadance was a very good runner, of course—one had to be in order to foalsit a unicorn. The throne room was all the way beyond the courtyard, though, so she had quite a bit of running to do.
Far, far away from Canterlot, right at the edge of the Equestrian Southern Borders, a hooded red figure made its way into a cavern.
It was a small cavern, Somnambula noted; just a few meters in was the cave's back. She'd never been here before, and had she not been given an excellent set of directions, she would surely have passed this cave by without another thought.
But her directions had been sound.
She held up three crystals—the blue crystal, the little silver one, and a large yellow one. Her golden eyes began to glow. The blue and amber crystals began flashing frantically, but she only smiled.
Quiet yourselves, my little ponies. It's far too late for that now.
The stone forming the back wall began to turn black.
“Auntie!” Cadance called. She paused running to turn and buck open the doors to the courtyard, then rushed out.
Without gardeners, the courtyard had become a weeded wasteland. Only the presence of alicorns—who were, after all, part earth pony—had kept the original plants alive. The weeds, excited at the absence of their supernatural oppressors, had taken advantage and accelerated their growth tenfold. Already they were scraping Cadance's underbelly, running over the stone path like a parasite seeking a new host.
Cadance bolted over them. She could see Luna now through a window—her aunt was walking down the hallway through the door on the other side of the courtyard. Grogar was at her side.
“Auntie!” Cadance shouted again. It was no use. Luna, engaged in conversation with Grogar, could not hear.
They were nearing the throne room now. Cadance's eyes narrowed. Fine. If she couldn't do this subtly...
Her horn acquired a soft azure glow. If she could just make the window shatter, Luna would notice, and something could be done. It was a somewhat tricky spell, since she wasn't very good at kinetics, but she had always prided herself on being able to perform adequately when stakes were dire.
Before she could start the spell, though, something hit her in the face. Hard.
She fell, landing in the tall grass. She looked up to see a mangy old donkey standing on the path. In his teeth he clutched an old baseball bat. She recognized him instantly. “Bray!”
Bray approached, saying something that probably would have been threatening had he not had a bat garbling his words. Then he raised the bat and brought it down on her head.
Cadance would know no more for a while.
Luna and Grogar hurried down the hallway. Grogar was deathly silent. Though Luna didn't speak, her mind was racing. How could Somnambula have accomplished this? The action the Witch of All Ages sought to take should have been impossible. Especially since the dragons still kept her prisoner.
“Grogar, how did—”
“Silence! No time!”
Luna scowled, glancing over at him. “But the dragons—”
“We must make it to the throne room!”
She rolled her eyes. “Then why walk?”
“You may run, if you please.”
Luna did so, quickly passing Grogar by.
A few seconds later, she arrived at the entrance to the throne room by the end of the hall. She skidded to a halt, horn glowing, and the door swung open.
She rushed inside, hearing Grogar follow. “So,” she said, looking around, “why did we come here?”
“I suggest you look closer if you don't already know.”
Luna stared. The windows seemed ordinary enough. Celestia's throne as well. “I do not—”
Then she saw it.
“Where in the million stars is my throne?”
“It appears to be missing.” Grogar walked up behind her. “Now, why would that be?”
“I—”
“The Witch of All Ages has never understood the concept of teamwork.” She heard Grogar chuckle. “I expect it did not occur to her to include a second throne.”
“Include a—”
Luna had been walking towards Celestia's throne, but now she stopped. She took a step back. “An illusion.”
“It would seem so.”
“Why would she—”
She heard the ringing of a bell.
The illusion winked out. There was a great clanging as glowing silver bars appeared in front of her, blocking the thrones. She spun just as an identical set landed between her and Grogar.
She looked up. The bars went all the way to the ceiling.
She turned back to Grogar. “What is the meaning of this?”
Grogar's eyes narrowed. “Stupid, stupid little foal. What is the meaning of it, you ask?”
He stomped his hoof and his bell rang. Out of the floor rose a hemisphere the same color as the bars. “What is the meaning of everything? Forcing me outside my city to deal with ponies? Turning on your own world so your shadow can reign, while mine must be smothered?”
Luna froze. She looked at Grogar. The ram returned her gaze.
“You knew.”
“How could I not?” Grogar looked up at the ceiling, growling. “I knew ever since you first left. You left your post, and you think to trouble me over what is the meaning of this?”
He leaned in, giving a fierce grin. “I intend to rule Tambelon once again. And I will not tolerate Equestria this time. Nor will I bear the intervention of Tartarus. I have the world now.”
Luna blinked. “Do you?”
Grogar turned away, laughing without mirth. “I have brought down the alicorn sisters. I have conquered Tartarus. And...” He glanced back. “I have the key.”
“Ridiculous. You don't even know what the key is!” Despite her words, Luna felt her heart beating rapidly. He couldn't know. And even if he did, he could never—
“Master!”
Grogar and Luna both looked. Standing at the entrance was a hideous donkey. Strapped to its back was something small and golden.
“Bray.” Luna's mouth was dry. “You...you live?”
Grogar smirked. “As long as he serves me, I keep him alive.”
“Of course. How happy for him.”
Bray rushed over to Grogar. “I have it, Lord Grogar!”
Grogar's bell swung sharply, causing the gold item on Bray's back to levitate into the air. Grogar eyed it, raising an eyebrow. “Why this, Princess?”
Luna didn't say anything.
“Of all the Elements, why Kindness to bind Tambelon?” His voice turned bitter. “Kindness for cruelty.”
Luna took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “It had to be bound away with something utterly unknown to you.”
“Anger on behalf of another. Bah.” The Element of Kindness floated over and clasped around Grogar's neck. He started toward the door. “Laughter would have served just as well.”
“You laugh quite often.” Luna's voice was just a murmur—she had to think of a way out of this.
Grogar stopped. He turned back, looking...a bit surprised. And quite angry. “So does a crow. Do you take the crow for a comedian?”
Luna's head cocked. She didn't respond.
Grogar waited. When it became clear she was not going to answer, he let out a growl. “Very well. Perhaps one with a healthier sense of humor will suit you better.”
“What?”
Grogar walked outside the throne room. “You never were very quick on the uptake,” he called back. “The Gate is open, the hound put to slumber.” He paused. When he continued, his voice was almost a hiss. “The Worm has left his hole.”
“Foolishness,” Luna snapped. “He is the last creature of Tartarus you would ever release.”
“Exactly. You are a quicker study than I'd assumed, Princess.”
Luna stared at the departing ram. Wait, what?
The door slammed shut.