"Twi-ght?" A blurry pink figure's teeth zoomed in and out of view. "T-light!"
"Put her down Pi-ie. You're making it worse, darling," a pony spoke from the side.
A groan escaped the lips of the shakee. "Oh, she's waking up!"
"Give her some room y'all," a slightly less blurry orange mare stepped up beside the bed. "Are ya alright, Sugarcube?"
The library door suddenly slammed open, "Where is she? Is she alright?" A concerned feminine voice broke through the silence beneath. Clopping hooves echoed up the wooden stairs as the purple mare's eyes began to re-adjust. A white mare unicorn with a lilac coloured mane stood her ground with a pained expression.
"Mom?" Twilight sat up suddenly, shocked at the sight.
"Oh, Twilight! When the news reached me that you fainted, I feared for the worst. Especially after that incident in the Everfree..." The overly concerned Twilight Velvet reached her daughter's bedside. The others backed up to give them some space in the small loft.
Twilight sat up, "I'm still not sure what even happened there myself. How did you even find out about me?"
"A certain dragon let me know," they all looked down to Spike. A certain Princess glaring daggers.
"I'm sorry, Twilight. I had to!" Spike hurried down the stairs in un-rather Spike-like speed.
"And the battle?" Twilight fiddled with her bed covers not meeting her mother's eyes.
"My dear, the whole of Canterlot knows about that by now. A few of the palace guards went to investigate and found it to be a battleground." She paced a bit, "Honey... They requested that you... return to the Canterlot Castle. For your own safety," Worry dripped from every word. "I strongly agree with them."
"Well, there is really no need for them or you, to worry. I'm perfectly safe here. Besides... I need to get to the bottom of this mystery and to be able to do that, I need to stay here with my friends," she looked at her mother with determination. "I have to look for a certain pony, too."
"That's right. You only mentioned the name briefly, darling. Bor... something. What was it again?" Rarity stepped forward once more and put her hoof on the bed.
"It's Borgia. I... I know I have heard that name somewhere before..." Twilight thought hard. "Uhm..." She jumped out of bed and spread her wings, "Italimane! The same as that robed pony."
The others stepped back in surprise, "Yup, she's fine," Pinkie Pie nodded satisfied.
"Robed pony? You mean the one we chased deeper into the forest?" Rainbow asked hovering over them.
"Yes," Twilight nodded and hopped off the bed.
"Wait wait wait..." Rainbow waved her hooves in the air. "You actually spoke to that guy?"
"Uhm..." Twilight touched her bandaged neck. "Yeah. He's the one that told me to find Cesare."
"And you're just going to do as he says?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes. I just don't know how I'll get him here though." I don't want to see my friends get hurt because of something I can't do, she thought.
"You're royalty now 'Princess Twilight'. You'll figure something out," Rarity flicked her mane in obvious confidence of her friend's skills.
"I guess I will," she smiled nervously. "So have any of you seen Fluttershy yet?" Twilight walked past her friends towards the stairs, eager to change the subject.
"Nope," Applejack followed closely behind. "We even went back ta Zecora's ta see if they were there but no one answered... Again," she followed her friend downstairs.
"Where do you think they can be?" Twilight sat down near the door in deep thought.
"I have no idea, darling," Rarity followed closely and sat down. "No one seems to know," she shrugged.
"I think they are just pretending not to be there!" Pinkie voiced her opinion. "You know with that creepy hooded pony that was there in the forest and all..."
"Pinkie might have a point there," Rainbow said as she landed across Twilight. "Zecora did look nervous about something when I saw her. Maybe that pony was the reason!" She concluded with a nod, satisfied with her friend's answer.
"But all of you were nervous when we saw Zecora for the first time. Ironically... She was wearing a hooded robe that day, too," Twilight thought back, "Maybe this is just a big misunderstanding as well."
"Maybe but if that is true, why did he run?" Rarity asked.
"Did he say anything else to you after you chased him down?" Rainbow pushed for more.
Twilight looked at her mother nervously as only shocked eyes looked back. "Nothing... of substance except the request to bring Cesare here. My question is… Why here?" Twilight finished as a thick silence settled over the room. It became clear that no one can come to any sort of conclusion. Twilight cleared her throat, the cut on her neck stung a bit. "So... How long was I out?" Twilight looked between them all.
"A couple' hours. Spike took good care of ya" Applejack purposefully said the last sentence louder for a certain purple dragon to hear.
A green spiked purple dragon popped his head around the kitchen door, "That I did! Anything for my Twilight," Spike laughed nervously, still half hiding behind the door frame.
"I have ta say... It sure wasn't easy ta get a Princess through town full of reporters. If it wasn't for Rarity's quick thinkin', we would have been 'Please explainin' till this very minute," Applejack continued.
The younger mares laughed and snickered but Velvet still looked shocked and just shook her head. Twilight saw this and a dim flash of gold flickered over her mother's horn. "Mom. Is something wrong?"
Velvet walked up to her daughter's flank, "Can I speak to you in private?"
Twilight immediately recognized this tone. A tone that can easily be associated with an incoming scolding. "Of course," she sighed and reluctantly followed her into the kitchen. "You have been awfully quiet this last few minutes, mother."
"I've just been listening," Velvet walked on to stand a few strides further in. "I guess I just don't know my daughter as well as I thought I did. Just as her daughter barely knows anything about her family nowadays..."
Twilight was utterly confused by this statement, "I don't understand. What do you mean?" Twilight felt a change in the air.
"Well..." The white mare unicorn turned as her eyes shone white and her horn glowed gold. "I guess you'll find out soon enough."
Pinkie stood suddenly, "Oh no..."
"What's wrong, Pinkie?" Applejack looked over.
Pinkie pointed to her twitching tail, looking up as a book fell on her back. Suddenly the ground shook violently making the ceiling crack. "Everypony run!" They all galloped for the safety of the outdoors.
"What about Twilight and her mother?" Rarity shouted as more books began to fall off their shelves.
"I'm sure they'll come out now!" Rainbow shouted over the noise.
"I'll go look for them," Applejack yelled, already halfway back.
"No, Applejack! Wait!" Rarity's feeble attempt fell on deaf ears.
"Twilight? Twilight! Where are ya?" Applejack turned to the kitchen. Smoke filled the room from a single spot in the middle of the floor. The scorch mark beneath was left simmering with brightly glowing embers but no one was inside. Plates and utensils cluttered to the floor as more of the ceiling cracked above her. "Woah!" Dust with slivers of wood fell on her hat as she looked around for the missing mares. "Wha' in the hay?" Knives with a golden glow rose up slowly, assuming a life of its own. The knives whooshed past, embedding themselves through her hat and into the wall. Scared out of her mind, she galloped with all her strength towards the door as more deadly utensils flew by. Frantic hooves skidded to a stop outside the door to the library just as the shaking ground finally stopped with slight tremors. Loud crashing and thick dust plumed out of the open door but still… No ponies followed after.
"Where is Twilight?" Rarity looked to the door with dwindling hope.
"I don't know. They weren't there no more!" Applejack's face in complete distraught.
"What? Twilight and Velvet?" Spike face mangled in disbelief.
"Everyone is disappearing?" Pinkie gulped, "We could be next!"
"No!" Rarity reared, "I'm too beautiful to disappear!"
"Listen y'all, calm down!" Applejack took charge as she stomped her fore hooves silencing them. "No pony said anythin' about disappearin'. They could have simply teleported outta there!" But that doesn't explain those damned knives, Applejack thought in secret.
Rarity calmed herself, "You're right. They would be back any moment... Right?"
"Right."
Madam Mayor galloped up to the Library. "Are you girls okay? Is the Princess alright?" She heaved her breathe in deep gasps. Her frightened eyes searching between the ponies present. Two Earth pony town guards followed closely also searching left and right.
"We are, but... We don't know about the Princess. She's has disappeared but we expect her to pop back any second now. Her teleportation spells are excellent," Rarity tried to assure.
"I hope you're right, because all of my unicorn staff went missing right in front of me only a few moments prior to this supposed earthquake!" The Mayor looked towards Rarity.
"All of them?" Rarity looked scared.
"Yes. So far, I think all the unicorns in town disappeared but thank the stars you're still here, Rarity," the Mayor sounded a little relieved. "I better check the rest of the town and establish whether or not my fears are true," Madam Mayor turned and galloped towards the south part of town a few Pegasi town guards meeting her halfway. "Please send word immediately when the Princess reappears!"
"We will!" Rainbow answered back. She looked between the now dusty ponies standing beside her. "First Fluttershy and now Twilight."
"Woah there, Rainbow. We don't know yet if either of them are really missin'. For all we know, Fluttershy is still safe with Zecora, and Twilight...is safe with her mom," Applejack gave the other possibilities once more.
"Girls?"
"Yeah but what if-" Rainbow started.
"There aint NO 'what if's'. THEM BOTH ARE FINE!" Applejack said with finality.
"Hey girls!" The voice yelled above their own.
The remaining friends turned towards the voice. "Pinkie Pie! Get out of the library, you'll get hurt," Rarity saw her hanging halfway out the kitchen window.
Pinkie waved them over. "Oh, relax silly. I'm fine but you really need to see this," she leapt off and disappeared back into the tree.
Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity and Spike quickly followed in. Pinkie was found standing in the slight smoke and dust and pointed to the object of intrigue. The scorch mark.
"What do you make of that?" Pinkie Pie bent down to poke at the embers.
The mark was perfectly round and large enough for them all to stand in. The wood's shimmering embers followed a series of both vertical and horizontal lines. On the far left edge was the beginning of a second circle that is cut off by the edge of the scorch mark.
"Have any of you ever seen something like this? I certainly haven't," Pinkie asked completely confused.
"I have never," Rarity shook her head.
"Nope," Applejack and Rainbow Dash chimed together.
"Spike?" Pinkie turned to him.
"No, but it does look kinda familiar," his brows furrowed when he inspected closer. "It was something that Twilight was studying recently," he tapped his chin in thought.
"What was it Spike?" Rainbow fluttered above him.
"It was..." He ran back to the library. It was a mess everywhere he looked. "Aww man! I just re-arranged everything this morning," he dove into a particularly large pile of books. A few seconds passed and he emerged from the pile.
"Anythin?" Applejack stepped closer.
"Not yet," he answered and dove into another pile.
"What is this book you're looking for, Spike? Maybe we can help you look," Rainbow hovered over the pile.
Spike popped out of the pile to explain, "It was a rather old book that came from the castle ruins. A book about ancient artifacts. I cannot remember the title but it had a weird round symbol on the front."
"Ya mean like this one 'ere?" Applejack slid a thick book in front of her. "Ancient Artifacts of the First Alicorns by Starswirl the Bearded."
"That's it!" Spike sighed in relief and opened it. With bated breath, everypony waited as the baby dragon paced up and down, paging through what seemed like an endless book. "No..." Page. "No, that's not it." Page, page, page. "NO!" The dragon fell to his knees. "This can't be!"
"Wrong book?" The frustrated Rainbow Dash landed next to him.
"No. Worse. I found it," The baby dragon turned the book to show them the page. There was a diagram that almost looked identical to the marks on the floor.
"What... What does it say Spikey?" Rarity moved to stand beside him.
Spike cleared his throat and started to read. "This diagram is of a magical orb that was created by the ancient Alicorn Purebreds of the very first civilization. It was used to build a better life for their creations. These creations were created in the Purebreds image but were not like them in intelligence, and so they needed guidance. These orbs helped them understand what the Purebreds wanted for them but somehow they were no more than foals without them. Their creations turned on them and the Purebreds had no choice but to use these orbs with force," Spike read. "They called the orb: The Apple."
"This is interesting and all…but how does this help us?" Rainbow asked, even more frustrated.
"Maybe it will if he reads more," Rarity answered.
"The Purebreds found that each of their four creations had a unique weakness to the Apple's power. The creature the Purebreds named the Unicorn were the most venerable of the four. Their ability to use magical arts of their creators made them much easier to control. The loss of their wings put all their energy into their horns. The Pegasi followed not far behind. Due to their lost horn, their wings became their magic. The Earth ponies were next due to their connection with the ground. The loss of both their wings and horns made them harder to control but is still possible with more effort. Lastly, the created Alicorns. Being the closest to their creators, their resistance for the artifacts are the greatest. Without the loss of their wings or horns, a greater resistance could be found in these Alicorns. The Purebreds later found that their created Alicorns could make more of their own kind from the other 3 breeds which led to an influx of resistance to their artifacts. It was problematic for the Purebreds as their fight with the other four creations was losing drasticaly," Spike was shaking.
"Are you alright, Sugarcube?" Applejack put a hoof on his shoulder when Spike finished.
"No. Twilight is in trouble! I just know it!" The baby dragon dropped the book with tears streaming down his face.
Rarity suddenly put a hoof around him, hugging him closely, "You don't know that Spikey. She would be back any minute now."
"She would have been back by now, don't you think?" Spike asked. Each moment more made his voice sound more hysterical.
"He does have a point, Rarity. I'm really gettin' worried, too," Applejack watched the still open door.
"All this worrying is making me hungry!" Pinkie blurted and trotted back to the kitchen. Disbelieving eyes followed her until she disappeared beyond the door.
In a dark cavernous cave, a golden orb floated above a brown unicorn's head. The light filtered down, illuminating his red eyes. "At last! The plan is finally coming together and now I have the final piece of my beautiful puzzle," he stepped closer to what looked like a cage.
A purple alicorn cringed in pain as she looked up at the light weakly, "Where am I?"
The brown unicorn grinned evilly, "You, mio bella, are in a place no one has been to in over 300 years. I should know because we built it as a foothold in the hopes that our family's future endeavours might succeed."
The mare scoffed, "And what family is that?"
"The Borgias," he stepped closer to the cage, shedding light on his prisoner. "Principessa Twilight. We finally meet formaly," he bowed mockingly.
"You're Cesare?" She stood with a tremble.
"Si. The one and only," Cesare smirked.
"What do you plan on doing with me?" Twilight asked as she kept her brave face but felt a restriction on her neck.
"I don't think I'll need to explain it," He paced in front of her cage as two other ponies joined his side. The ponies eyes were glowing white and their horns glowed bright gold. "I'll just show you, Altezza," Cesare turned and the orb illuminated his targets and laughed victoriously.
Twilight gasped, "Mom! Dad!"
Stars finally started to appear as the soft blue glow of the moon rose in the night sky. The sun's final rays gave way to a brilliant purple setting as two ponies walked up a secluded path up the Canterlot mountain. The white unicorn and the red pegasus chatting loudly as they did.
"Do I look alright?" The unicorn asked as he trotted a few paces ahead.
The pegasus rolled his eyes and gave a grin, "For the thirteenth time, you look fine! This is just a briefing for a new assignment."
"I know but you know how this Meastro can become when her subjects doesn't look respectable in her Order," the scar tugged on his lips at the recent memory of said event.
"Si. But luckily I'm just the advisor to this upcoming mission of yours," the pegasus sighed in relief.
"Bene, at least I will have somepony to talk to," the unicorn inspected his surroundings. "We should be close."
"Si," the pegasus nodded.
The two ponies trotted along soundlessly past a few trees. They finally came to a stop where a huge round boulder stood in their path. A large symbol was engraved at its base.
The two ponies looked at each other then back. "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted," they chanted together when the strangely bent triangular symbol burned white. Growing brighter, it was almost as if the light pushed the boulder from the ground revealing a tunnel beneath.
The two ponies moved quickly down the tunnel and not long after, a load crash was heard at the exit behind them. Torches flickered to life revealing a large circular room with arches of various sizes. Each looked like they were filled with an infinite abyss of secrets. A great pointed stone arch was built was set right across the entrance. The arch flickered a series of silver words over the stones… La shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine. The two ponies smirked at the sight as they stepped through.
A silver armoured pony with bat wings and yellow snake eyes awaited them. A guard of the Order, "Welcome. My Master has been eagerly expecting you," the guard bowed in greeting. "Please follow me."
The ponies followed without question until they reached huge gold double doors. Two unicorn guards opened the doors, "Mistress. Your guests from Italimane have arrived."
Behind a finely carved desk, a hooded head lifted. The shimmering black cloak blew gently on non-existent wind as she stood and walked around the desk, "Ah. We are happy that thou hast finally arrived. We have been waiting for quite some time."
"Si," The pegasus stepped forward. "Please forgive the lateness of the hour Meastro, but we have had some unexpected circumstances hinder our arrival," he apologized.
She walked up to them, "That is quite alright. After living for over a millennia, we tend to learn how to tolerate time. But if the fate of our land is at stake, well..."
"We can certainly understand that..." The unicorn stepped into the Master's view.
The black robed pony looked over to him, "My, my, my... Now this is certainly a surprise… Ezio Auditore. We have been waiting far too long for your return," she chuckled as her eyes displayed several emotions beneath. "Thou did not mention to us that thou are letting another accompany you, Machiavelli."
The pegasus smirked, "And ruin the surprise? I thought you knew me better, Meastro Luna."
The Master shook back cowl. Her dark mane shimmered in the dim light as she stared at the white unicorn with a faint smile tugging on her lips, "Yes, perhaps we should have."
Mio bella – My beauty
Principessa - Princess
Si - Yes
Altezza - Highness
Meastro - Master
Bene – All right