Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is not mine, if it was Celestia would be a Queen, there would be a overarching storyline. If you paid money to read this fanfic you have been ripped off. So scream terribly at the person who sold it to you until get your money back.

Equestria, The Northern Marches, Hannoveraner

They call Hannoveraner a Free City. In many ways this is true, its isolation and distance from Gran Equus, as well as its relative low Unicorn Population meant that the Chevaliers could afford to keep a small garrison in the city, giving the governor and many citizens a liberal interpretation of the law from Gran Equus.  However it was because of this that many knew the city by a different name then, Hannoveraner the Free City of the North, it was also Hannoveraner The City of Secrets, from even before the Cataclysm.  It's proximity to the Griffon Aeries to the north meant that the City possessed a thriving criminal underworld for smuggling, secrets in this city changed hands as often as money, often in exchange for more secrets.

It was here that one lone Magister, named Twilight Sparkle spent the last two years searching.  Ever since the Cataclysm, she has been searching for a way to find the Princesses and set the world right.  Her only clue, was a silver shard she recovered from Canterlot, one of the few that could be found.  In the days leading to the destruction of Ponyville she studied the shard curious as to why it managed to survive when so many did not.  

After the destruction of Ponyville Twilight escaped the Chevaliers and travelled from town to town, village to village looking for any sign of the Princesses, but finding none.  In the end she decided that, with the Chevaliers closing in on her, that she would retreat to her family's Estate in Hannoveraner.  The Sparkles were always nobility in Equestria and the Estate in Hannoveraner displayed it well, it did not have the same elegance as the old estate in Canterlot, but it served her purposes well. She had fond memories of the estate because her father was astronomer for the Canterlot Observatory and the Hills outside the city were the perfect to observe the northern constellations.  Her Mother, a Historian for the Canterlot University was considered a expert in the history of Hannoveraner and the Northern Marches themselves.  The thought of her parents always threatened tears in Twilight's eyes, but estate was still the perfect place to study this odd shard.

Sighing, Twilight looked up from her research and gazed out the window to the rising moon creating a silhouette against the Governor's palace and the relatively small Chevalier fort next to it. 'I worked all day again, of course how could you tell?' Sighed Twilight.  She prepared to go out donning her cloak and casting a illusion to hide her horn from prying eyes.  Secrets were powerful things, more so in Hannoveraner than anywhere else.  'And this secret stays secret.' she thought as she went to visit a old friend of hers, Grand Enchantress Moondancer.

Hannoveraner, The Enchanter Complex.

Thankfully spending two years here meant that the Chevaliers paid her no heed to her comings and goings from Moondancer's quarters and today was no different, 'Though they did seem a little tense today...' pondered Twilight as she entered Moondancer's office as a herald ran out of the office as if Nightmare Moon herself was after him.  Entering the office, Twilight found Moondancer looking out the window towards the docks where it seemed a commotion had gathered.

“I take it the herald gave you bad news? Eh Moondancer?” quipped Twilight, nearly grinning at the frustration suffered by the Unicorn Enchanter.

“Ha,” chuckled Moondancer turning to Twilight, “Its days like this I consider running off to the Wilds with the rest of them. Then again,” she continued gazing back out the window.  “I fear it will only get worse if I leave.”

“I still don't see why you take out the garrison, you outnumber the Chevaliers 2:1.”

“If we did the Garrison from Ironhooves would just steamroll through the Wilds to contain us, and that includes the Magisters in the wilds.”

Twilight winced knowing that Rarity and Fluttershy hid themselves in the Wilds and would hate for anything to harm them.  Sighing Moondancer retrieved two glasses and filled them with a wine from her personal stores. Hovering a glass to Twilight who accepted it graciously, “It's Appleloosan Cider Wine, 13 S.H.E (Second Harmonious Era) good year.  Any luck with the shard?”

Welcoming the liquid fire down her throat she answered, “Only that its made from Moonlit Silver.  Besides that not much. So what did that herald want?”

Moondancer's eyes fell downcast, looking over to her desk she placed a piece of parchment before Twilight. It was a wanted poster. For Twilight.  “Somepony saw you in your moonlit escapades into the catacombs.  The Commander called in a Squad of Archangels, they arrived in the city today.”

Twilight spit takes “Archangels here! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.  I'm so close! I just have to translate this one passage to identify this blasted shard!” The shard in question was taken out of her saddlebag and placed on the desk.

Taking a closer look at the shard, Moondancer noticed something. “Uh Twilight? You said this is Moonlit Silver, right?”

Stopping mid rant Twilight turned to Moondancer, “Um yes why?” Looking over the shard as well.  It was then she noticed something in the polished surface of the silver. A pastel rainbow exactly like the mane of Princess Celestia and her cutie mark.  Realization hit Twilight like Twitchy Tail. “You don't think-” she began, but was cut off by Moondancer.

“Yes I do.” nodded Moondancer, as she lifted the shard, “This is most likely from a Moonlit Mirror.” then retrieving a book from her personal collection she continued, “Which call for a scrying spell.”

Accepting both the shard and the book Twilight looked over to Moondancer with a concerned look on her face, “Are you sure this is alright? You could get into a lot of trouble for letting a spellbook leave this place.”

Moondancer just waved her hoof dismissively, “Don't worry about it, that books not officially part of the collection anyway.  Consider finding the Princesses, your way of making up for missing my birthday all those years ago.”  Smiling Twilight left the Grand Enchantress's office and hurried to Eclipse before she ran into any unsavoury meetings.

30 Minutes Later.

'Fate you sadistic bitch!' Mentally screamed Twilight as she looked back at the three Archangels chasing after her through the streets.  On her way home she accidentally bumped into the Archangel Squad Captain, who for some reason decided to walk to the complex rather than fly, outside the Eclipse tavern before her nightly drink. Long story short, she was recognized and here she was running for her life.

“After her!” screamed the captain her wings raised as she flew overhead.

Turning a corner Twilight found herself at a dead end, cursing she turned back to try and escape, but found herself surrounded. The Captain stepped up to arrest her when a smoke bomb filled the alley.  Feeling a hoof drag her out of the smoke she didn't even look at her hero-though she had a good idea at who it was-as she made sure the Archangels hadn't yet recovered as they rounded the corner and into the Sparkle Estate.

Back with the Archangel Captain (A/N: But you know who it is right?)

“Dammit! She got away, Lieutenant!” shouted Rainbow when the smoke cleared and seeing that Twilight had disappeared.

“Yes Ma'am?” responded the Eager officer (A/N: Three guesses as to who this is.)

“Interview the witnesses and see if any of them saw Twilight Sparkle's escape, then meet us a the Governor's Palace.”

“Yes ma'am!” saluting before beginning her investigation.

“Good,” nodded Rainbow before remembering something, “Oh and Lieutenant?”

“Yes Captain?” looking back on her superior.

“Be Careful, there is no telling what scum lurk in these streets.” she warned her second in command.

“Of course Madam.” nodded the Lieutenant.

Nodding Rainbow and the rest of her squad continued to the Palace this time deciding to fly there this time.

'This is going to go over great with that hardflank Ferroense.' she grumbled as she touched down in the Palace courtyard and entered the palace.

Now Back with Twilight.

Panting Twilight gazed at the cutie mark of her rescuer and recognized it immediately: a pair of crossed swords. “Selim!” she cheered throwing herself around the Earth Pony Stallion, “I thought you were going to be in Gran Equus for at least another two days! When did you come back?” Selim Etconni was  a good friend to have in this city.  As a Sergeant in the City Guard and a noble he was a good friend to have in a city that dealt with secrets.  He held no prejudice towards the Unicorns and was more than happy to assist Twilight in keeping her midnight escapades hidden from the authorities.  Though he did not often show it, he to had his own reasons for seeing the return of the Princesses.

The stallion chuckled at his friend's antics, “I was, but then I heard of a certain purple mare getting into trouble with the Archangels, you wouldn't know anything about that, eh Twilight?”

Blushing graciously Twilight returned to asking Selim about his time in Grand Equus.

North of the City.

Spike touched down north of the City and allowed the Apples and Pinkie Pie get off.

“Well,” stated Applejack, looking down towards the city and then back to her brother and sister, unfortunately Granny Smith was too old to come with them and so went to Appleloosa to stay with Braeburn, “we're here what now?” she asked looking at the juvenile Dragon.

Here Spike tossed a sizable wallet to Big Mac who caught it, “Find a Pony named Kingfisher, he's usually at the Eclipse Tavern in Old Town, he should be able to find you some work to get you back on your feet.”

“Thanks Spike I appreciate it.” sighed Applejack as the Dragon flew back across the Wilds trying not to think of what those damn Chevaliers were doing to her home.

“Uh sis?” Applebloom's voice broke Applejack out of her reverie, “Yeah Applebloom?”

“Can I see Scootaloo when he get into the city?”

“How do you know that she's here?” asked Applejack thinking back fondly on those good old days, with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, before all this madness.

“She wrote me that she'll be in Hannoveraner for while because of her work.”

“What does she do?” asked Big Mac wondering what the orange Pegasus could be doing.

“She never says so I'm not sure.”

Thinking it over Applejack nodded, “If we find her then you can go see her as much as you want. This is going to be our home for a while it seems.”

Applebloom cheered offering her siblings a splash of laughter in these uncertain times.

“Yeah!” shouted Pinkie Pie, wrapping her hoof around Applebloom's neck, “And when we do find her we'll throw a big party and invite all our friends! Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and everypony else! I'll make a big cake with...” again Pinkie's rant had to be stopped by Applejack interrupting.

“Hold on sugarcube. What makes you think that anyone else we know could be here? Especially Twilight last I heard she had gone underground.”

“Why not we're here aren't we?” asked Pinkie before turning back to Applebloom and kept telling her, her plans for the Party they were currently stuck on the subject of Cupcakes as they continued down to the city.

Smiling at the two Big Mac turned to Applejack, “You made the right decision, you know that right?”

Applejack snorted, “Yeah then why do I feel like just found out the rodeo was cancelled?”

“You're just homesick, that's all. Besides look at them.” he said turning to Pinkie and Applebloom still going on about their preferred Cupcake recipes, “Do want her here or with the Chevaliers?”

Applejack shivered trying not to think about it, “I guess your right, your a smart pony you know that righ'?”

Smiling at his sister he just said, “Eeyup.”

Perhaps life in Hannoveraner, won't be too bad after all.

The Edge of the Everfree Wilds

Three Ponies exited the Wilds wearing cloaks that hid their faces as they gazed down from the hill onto the City of Hannoveraner.

“Well,” began Rarity, “There it is Hannoveraner, with any luck the Archangels haven't gotten to Twilight and she is still in the City.”

“But where do we start?” squeaked Fluttershy, “Hannoveraner is huge.  We can't just look for her in every crowd.”

“Don't worry,” Observed Trixie as the trio began their descent in the city, “If Twilight is here then she is probably hiding in the Sparkle estate.”

“Wait, Twilight's family have a estate here?” asked Rarity looking suspiciously at Trixie, “How do you know?”

“Well Trixie wouldn't be a very good sister if she didn't know her sibling's contingencies would she?” quipped Trixie shocking the duo behind her.

“Sister!” Exclaimed Rarity, while Fluttershy just looked shocked, “How?”

Nervous Trixie just said, “Half-Sister actually, let us just say our Father was young and foalish and leave it at that alright?”

A look of realization passed over their faces and well the trot to the City Gate was quiet to say the least.