The shyest pony of all the Mane 6 made a choice, no pony else can devulge on. She has to stay strong enough, or else she will... Fail. Fail the Master of their order. Fail the entire "Order of the Night". Failure... The one thing that cannot happen.
The Order of the Night has existed long before the first defeat of Nightmare Moon. Their work has rippled through the ages of Equestria and has influenced both young and old, the brave and influential, and even the shyest of ponies to join their fight against the invisible grip of evil. The Red-crossed Ponies.
The one pony, dear to every pony and woodland creature alike, has made a choice to help the new addition to the royal court from within the shadows. The tremours of evil grows more frequent each passing night with whispers of the "Red-eyed monster". Messages of disappearances across the world grows greater. Alicorn and unicorn numbers are dwindling fast since the first message came from the Italimane Headquarters. With the Bureau of the Everfree Forest, the task at hand might seem easier but will one faction be enough?
The full moon was well into the sky, basking all in a soft hazy glow. Stars twinkled to its exceptional beauty. Clouds were scattered but thundered softly, threatening to spill as they gathered with the help of Cloudsdale new wind system. A single mare pegasus, hooded in white robes, flew through the clouds as she poofed some out of existence, trying desperately to stay out of sight. She hastened her pace and looked behind her ever so often. Fortune favoured her when no pony was seen following her.
A sting to her back scrunched up her face in pain with every flap of her wings. Her right wing was cut deep in the recent battle not twenty minutes prior. The battle was monstrous. She has not seen this much slaughter in many moons. Blood... So much blood! She closed her eyes and still saw the fresh scene behind her lids. Tears formed silently as she forced herself forward instead of turning back.
Clanking metal and agonizing screams was heard far and wide from the smoky battlefield. Fires burnt where ponies in red and white yelled in pain and anger everywhere within its eeriness. The white clad mare shook her hoof free from blood. She loathed the stench of death these Red clad ponies always brought with them. Compared to her old life, running away always seemed like the most logical way to go but... Knowing their plan, running was the last thing on her mind.
The mare looked around and saw her allies were hopelessly outnumbered. More enemies just kept pouring in. Flicking her left hoof, the blade activated with a satisfying shuck. She charged forward, flapping her wings to jump, skilfully slicing open an artery. Red spurt on red as she manoeuvred through the battlefield. A brutish red unicorn stomped into her path as they glared at the blood staining each other's attire. A smirk tore his face.
"Crikey, it seems like you're a feisty little one," he taunted. His Austallion accent dripped from every word. She just snorted in defiance but it only made the unicorn's smirk widen. He levitated his axe from his side and readied his stance.
A quick flap of her wings, she dove for his neck. The blade poised to kill but steel reflected her infuriated face when an axe blocked her path. Her blade cracked as the tip went flying. She was shocked at his strength but quickly steadied herself as she kicked off his back and landed with a thud behind him.
"Aww, did I break the little filly's toy?" The unicorn turned. His axe ready with an evil glint from a nearby fire. Receiving a huff as the pegasus looked down at her blade. Cracked. Broken. "Please don't cry. Let me help you FIX IT!" With a bright flash, he teleported closer and brought down his axe.
She cringed her eyes and inevitably shielded herself. The loud slash of steel meeting flesh rang through her ears but she felt nothing. Was she already dead? She peeked down and saw no blood but the same could not be said for her defender...
A black pegasus stood on his hind legs between her and the red unicorn. He looked down at the axe, now embedded in his flank. With hazy eyes, he looked at the mare and breathed as he fell, "R-run."
"NO!" She bent down next to him.
The unicorn plucked his weapon free from the corpse and roared with laughter. "What's the matter, mate? Aren't you going to honour your saviour's last wish?" He towered over her.
The mare's eyes widened in terror as she watched him raise his axe once again. She turned her head and closed her eyes, preparing for the end.
SHUNK!
The mare yelped in pain. Her wing, bleeding heavily onto the ground. Not understanding how she is still alive, a thud of a body quickly became her answer. An arrow skilfully placed in the crook of his neck, signalled her escape. Galloping a few moments, she took to the sky. The battlefield raged on below as splatters of red was seen of both ally and foe.
Her escape was fortunately quick but her body was not used to this kind of pain. Begging silently for some relief, the mare fluttered down to the ground. "If only- I was just a little br-braver back there," she huffed as she came to a stop in the middle of the Everfree forest. The strain on her wing lifting somewhat.
Clanking metal, echoed through the forest as her ears twitched left and right to find the source. A faint voice of a stallion boomed through the silence right behind her, "Come on men! We cannot lose that Assassin!" The whinnying of following stallions became louder far too fast for the fleeing mare's liking.
"Oh no!" Looking around desperately for an escape, she found none but one.
Up.
Risking her tattered wing, she flapped hard and ascended into a giant oak tree. "I just hope their pegasi don't spot me," she whimpered softly. With much effort, she perched herself about twenty feet off the ground.
She clung to the trunk's shadow as the approaching soldiers reached the base of her tree. The silent collie with the leading stallion skidded to a stop and sniffed the ground. "Halt!" The stallion commanded and bent forward on his front hooves to inspect what the dog was looking at. "What is it girl?" He asked.
The hound snarled and sniffed around the edge of what looked like a blotch of red in the disappearing moonlight. "Blood. Still fresh," the stallion analyzed as he watched it seep into the ground. The collie howled towards the tree, grabbing everypony's attention. The lead stallion looked towards the tree in question. He narrowed his eyes to see if he can spot anything.
The hooded pegasus held her breath and stayed as still as she could. The rustling leaves giving her somewhat of a cover. She silently prayed to whoever was watching over her right now. Risking a glance down at the formation, she recognized the collie. The brown coat and white markings were certainly unmistakable, 'Winona?' She could not believe her eyes but unfortunately, the dog saw her and growled louder.
The stallion continued to look but even the moon was proving useless as the clouds kept her light from penetrating the tree. He turned to him fellow soldiers, "Get ready men! She's close." He smirked when a red four-pointed cross over the mantle on his back, shimmered in the nearing flashes of lightning. "Tonight... Their Brotherhood dies." Dark laughter filled the air as the soldiers' smirks almost split their muzzles.
The mare continued to stare at the collie in disbelief. Its large black eyes bore into hers and saw nothing but pain and agony. Winona tore her eyes away from the mare and sniffed the ground again.
The pegasi hovering over their leader, looked at him with anticipation, "What are your orders, sir?"
Just then the hound howled and sprinted off into the direction of the tree and past it. "Follow the hound and kill the mare on sight!" He galloped after the collie as his succession followed.
The mare in the tree stayed still until she heard nothing but the wind rustling leaves. Deeming it safe she looked down once more. Clenching her teeth, she soared back down to earth. The ground came up way too fast. "EEP!" she swerved almost crashing into a boulder. "Oof!" She smashed into the dirt chest first when her wing failed her. Slightly dazed, she took a few seconds to catch her knocked out breath.
Limping to a stand she looked at her wing. Nearly every feather was drenched with blood, effectively grounding her. Noises broke through the silence. She perked up her ears to hear if anypony was close by. Only crickets and hoots of an owl reached her ears but that didn't make her any more at ease.
Lifting her face to the moon, she sighed in defeat. This fight was the worst they had in years. She will definately be disappointed with this loss but at least she cared more for the ponies under her rule.
Sitting where she was, she bit the bottom edge of her robes and tore off a long strip. Carefully applying the makeshift bandage to her wing, she stayed vigilant to her surroundings. Her wing kept sending hot spikes of pain up her back as she limped forward, "I h-have to get home..." Her head started to feel funny, "...and soon."
She looked up to the stars occasionally for navigation whenever a small patch was visible between the thunder clouds and cooling air. She walked on for what felt like an eternity. Each step, more exhausting than the last. Her hooves buckled under her more and more. 'How much further?' She asked through drooping eyelids.
A low growl from behind, plucked her from her hazy thoughts as she tripped over a root. Landing near glowing golden orbs trained in on its prey as the creature cleared the tree line next to her.
"T-timberwolf!" The mare shrieked. Standing with much difficulty, she tried to push the pain to the back of her mind. Poising herself, she flexed her hoof until the broken blade shot out into view.
The lone Timberwolf dug its wooden claws into the mushy ground at the sight of the blade. The mare stood her ground until the last moment. Using the full force of her hind legs, she jumped clean over the creature. Turning mid-skid, the creature snarled at its prey. The mare snorted, her breath coming out as small wisps of frosted air.
The two stared off at each other as a thunderclap from above, signalled the beginning of long awaited seasonal rains. The rains beat down harder each passing second but neither opponent was moving an inch. Another clap of thunder shot across the land, as did the Timberwolf.
Seeing the golden glow approach, adrenaline pumped through the robed pony faster and faster. She lifted her right front hoof. "I am sorry wolfy," she sidestepped and back sliced the Timberwolf's head clean off. Splintering wood and branches splattered all over the muddy ground under the heavy downpour. The golden glow of the timberwolf's eyes slowly faded as she approached the head, "Rest in peace, my dear wolfy." The mare said her condolences as she turned. The hot searing pain of her wing came like a sledgehammer to the back.
Flinching with each move, she looked at her right wing. The bandages were only tattered shreds. The branches that were once the creatures claws, was laced with tattered pieces of white cloth. Her wing spilt blood once more that mixed into the mud and rain. The adrenaline slowly receded and the pain and exhaustion back-hoofed her full force. Her legs buckled and numbed. Her world slowly drifted onto its side. The mare felt herself losing her battle for consciousness as soft splashes was heard approaching. Her vision blurred quickly as she only managed to spot a sparkle of gold on a black and white hoof. The mare tried to resist the darkness creeping into her vision but all was in vain when her world went dark.
"Do not fret, you can rest. Though you have caused commotion, which will set others into motion..." White flashes revealed her striped body hoisting the robed mare onto her back. "...these stallions will stop at nothing to see you dead. Remember the master's training, and all will be over through the one they dread." The striped figure continued on as she pushed back the hood over the mare's face. A yellow coat and a braided light pink mane was revealed "You're the only one dear Fluttershy. Only you can stop the one so sleek and sly." The striped figure trotted back to her abode as the flashes of lightning shot across the land.
The massive thunderstorm finally abated around midday. The storm got a little out of hoof and rumours are going around that the new machinery of Cloudsdale are at fault. No Pegasi are denying it but none are accepting the truth of it either. The sun's rays were welcomed by many of the ponies all over Equestria. A blue mare snoozed on a puffy white cloud just above Ponyville. The sun warming her feathers with its light fingers as life slowly grew beneath. A pink mare with an unruly pink mane hopped on her way happily with a huge grin. All the other ponies waved and greeted the pink mare on their way. A purple Alicorn yawned widely as she exited her library. Her head hanging low.
"Hey Twilight!" The pink mare popped up behind her.
The purple mare cringed at the sudden noise, "Not so loud, Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie leaned forward, "Sorry!" She replied in what can only be described as a 'loud whisper'. "What's wrong, Twilight?"
"I have a massive headache from last night's study session. Who knew the history on teleportation could be so taxing. And here I thought I already knew everything there is to know about it," her head throbbed. "Nhg... I better go see a doctor," she cringed.
"Why don't you just go to Fluttershy?" The blue mare fluttered down from her cloud with a big yawn, "She always has all sorts of remedies with her."
"She isn't here, Rainbow Dash. She went on that trip with Zecora to the waterfall, remember? You were supposed to take care of her plants and animals while she's away," Twilight reminded.
"I was? Uh, I mean... I'll be right back, hehe," She sheepishly shrunk away and dashed off to Fluttershy's cottage.
Twilight and Pinkie Pie continued forward. "So what did you discover this time, Twilight?" Pinkie hopped along Twilight, while she just hung her throbbing head again.
"Just a few dates and how to make the teleportation...quieter," she hesitated on the last word.
Pinkie skidded to a halt, "Quieter?!"
Twilight flattened her ears at the sudden noise, "The volume Pinkie!"
"Oh, sorry," She zipped her lips. Literally...
Sigh... "Teleportation, especially mine, is a very loud occurrence. It is when all the magical particles gather expanding a portal and a loud 'pop' is heard. According to the history books, a whole village of unicorns in the early 12th century, practiced this and perfected their teleportation. It said the ponies also branched off in certain areas of expertise," Twilight breathed in deep to calm her aching head.
"Mmpf mmhepf mnp?" Pinkie asked.
"Huh?" Twilight looked back, seeing the mare's lips still zipped shut. Rolling her eyes, she unzipped Pinkies lips with her hoof.
"And what areas are those?" Pinkie hopped alongside her once again.
Twilight shuddered at the thought, "Emergency professions like the police or doctors. There is another, but… Luckily we don't have use for that anymore."
"What was the last one?" Pinkie popped up in front of her.
"Doctors?"
"No, the other last one," Pinkie widened her eyes expectantly.
She sighed in defeat, "Assassins."
Gasp! "What?! Why in Equestria would we need something like THAT here?!"
Twilight cowered away from the volume, "PINKIE!"
"Oops, sorry," she apologized in her loud whisper.
"I am not sure of why but I'm sure I can speak to Princess Celestia about it on my next trip to the Castle," Twilight was relieved when they finally reached the hospital.
After nearly an hour of waiting for the doctor and standing in line at the pharmacy, Twilight and Pinkie finally made their way back to the library. Twilight's head felt a little bit better at least.
"Hey guys!" Rainbow dash hovered above them, stretching her limbs from her nap. "I just ran into Zecora. She lo-"
"Not exactly. Zecora said Fluttershy is staying with her for a little while, but she didn't say why," Rainbow shrugged.
"Maybe we should throw them a 'Welcome Back' party!" Pinkie jumped excitedly.
"I don't know, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash continued, "Zecora looked kinda nervous about something."
"Maybe we should go and see what it is," Twilight proposed. "Maybe we can help," she continued.
An orange mare trotted up to them, "Howdy y'all. What did I hear about you 'going to see something'?"
"Hey, Applejack. We were just going to see what Zecora and Fluttershy are up to," Twilight enlightened her.
"Oh. Can I join you lot as well?" The country pony smiled.
"Of course!" Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash sang together.
"Thanks y'all. But um... What about Rarity?"
"We can pick her up on the way," Twilight smiled
After a half an hour of trying to convince Rarity to join them in heading to the Everfree forest, they all finally left. Walking past town hall, the mayor was unusually busy. Press ponies and spectators huddled closer shouting questions from all directions.
"What do you think they are all here for?" Applejack asked curiously.
"I'm not sure but we can find out," Twilight changed the course of their heading. The crowd's mumbling got more restless as they neared.
"Madam Mayor! How can you explain all the blood trails in Ponyville?" A dark brown unicorn shouted over the other levitating his recorder closer.
"Is Ponyville still safe for its citizens?" A dark blue mare asked out of turn.
The Mayor looked between them all, it didn't look like she even knew where to begin answering. "It's a difficult time for Ponyville to say the least but rest assured! It is still safe. The scene found last night has not jeopardized our safety at all. The proper authorities are busy investigating and trying to piece together what happened. It is said that these ponies were prepared for an onslaught but their allegiances are unknown. More news will be released soon but for now, that is all that can be said," The Mayor's eyes looked bewildered but continued with a determined look. "Never in the history of my Office has this ever occurred. Be assured I will try my best to keep this supposed threat at bay!"
"Onslaught? Threat?" Applejack asked, looking back at her friends. All of them shrugged. "What in tarnation has happened?"
"I- I don't know," Twilight stepped closer her interest piqued at their riddled speech.
"I don't think we should bother the mayor now, dear," the whited coated mare cleared her throat.
"Who said we're asking the Mayor, Rarity?" Twilight replied and trotted up to the nearest reporter. "Um, excuse me? Miss?"
A turquoise coated mare turned to look at her, "Yes? Can I help you?" She spotted Twilight's cutie mark, "Oh my. My apologies, Princess," she bowed deeply.
"That's quite alright," Twilight helped the mare up. "I was wondering if you can tell me what are you all doing here? What happened?" Twilight raised her hoof to point around her.
"I really shouldn't tell anypony but for you, your Highness... News came in about two hours ago, apparently about twenty or so ponies died last night in what looked like a battle. I wasn't there myself yet but I hear the scene is gruesome. Please don't tell anyone I said anything," the mare pleaded.
"Alright. So do you know where this scene is?" Twilight pushed a bit more.
"Yes. It lies not far from the heart of the Everfree Forest. About five minutes' walk towards the west once you're there," the mare explained further.
"Thank you, Miss," Twilight nodded her thanks.
"You are most welcome, Princess," the mare smiled nervously.
Twilight just managed to turn to her friends when the crowd seemed to swallow her every escape, bombarding her with questions.
"What does her Highness have to say about this incident?" A black stallion squeezed his hoof through to be noticed.
"I don-"
"What does the Princesses plan to do about this situation?" "Is Equestria in jeopardy of a new threat?" "Will the culprits be brought to justice soon?" Each pony yelled their question over the previous. The questions flowing into each other made Twilight's head ache again. "Who are these ponies, your Highness?"
"STOP!" Twilight teleported out of the crowd with a loud white flash. "I don't know much about it at this point in time. What I can tell you is this: I will get to the bottom of this!" Twilight stomped her hoof with finality. The crowd backed down slightly. "Come on, girls," She trotted away with her friends in tow.
After a few moments of silence between the five mares, "Are you alright, Sugarcube?"
"No! You know I don't like being put in the spotlight like that. And what is it with all those ponies spouting that nonsense?" Twilight growled. "Equestria is the safest place on Earth!"
"Come now, darling. We will find out what happened when we go to the right ponies," Rarity said nervously, slightly out of breathe from keeping up with the enraged Princess.
"But I don't even know where to begin. I can go straight to Princess Celestia now but what if this is just a rumour?" Twilight stopped and her friends stood still by her side.
"Then why don't we go take a look ourselves?" Rainbow suggested. "That way we can go visit Zecora on the way there."
"Yay! Maybe I can throw my welcome back party after all!" Pinkie hopped excitedly.
"I still don't think that is such a great idea," Twilight shook her head at Pinkie. "We need to get to the bottom of this. But at least we can start with Zecora. She lives in the Everfree Forest so maybe she saw or heard something."
"Yeah, but what I wanna know is why she was so nervous earlier..." Rainbow dash said thinking back.
"Now that is suspicious," Rarity mumbled.
"Well we're not going to find out anything standing around here," Twilight turned and started towards to forest. The rest of the group followed silently, only watching the new Princess as she trot ahead.
About a half an hour passed when they finally knocked on Zecora's door. "Zecora? Are you here?"
No answer.
They knocked again. "Zecora?" The group jumped when the bush rustle behind the tree house.
"Hello?" Twilight peeked around the trunk. A moving shadow caught their attention, "Hey wait!" A sudden burst of white made the group cringed from it. When their eyes re-adjusted the shadow was gone. Twilight closed her eyes, her Alicorn powers homing in on the magic trail left behind. "This way!" Twilight dashed off deeper into the forest.
Galloping hooves followed after, "Are you sure about this Twi?" A concerned Applejack yelled above the wind.
"No, but I'm sure we won't be disappointed!" She galloped harder using her wings to push her forward.
"But what about Zecora and Fluttershy?" Rainbow kept up above her, swerving every now and then to avoid low branches.
"They can wait! Now we must find that pony!" Twilight took off. She struggled to stay in the air but her fury got the best of her then disappeared with a loud pop.
"Twilight!" Her friends yelled in unison.
Twilight appeared in a flashes in her course of pursuit. The trail becoming stronger with each flash she took. "I got you now." Her final flash made her land in a rather strange clearing. The clearing had a round ruin in the middle, almost as if it was a tower of some sort some time ago. Beating hooves made her turn to face the pony in question. The pony skidded to a halt, silver strips flashed on each of the pony's front legs. "Who are you? I demand to know!" She pointed her horn, intimidating the stranger. She watched him carefully, his white robes and cowl unfamiliar to her.
"I'm sorry Madonna, but it is better you do not know," he gasped catching his breathe. The small vertical scar on his lips stretched as he smirked. His accent was familiar at least.
"You're… Italimane?" She asked not lifting her horn. He remained silent. Rage started to heat up in her for not getting her answers. The other pony just stared at her with shaded eyes. "Answer me! Who ARE you?!"
"I cannot say," he replied then a soundless white light encircled him.
"Oh no you don't!" Twilight jumped him. They tumbled to the ground and out of the light that evaporated behind them. Flashes of silver met Twilight's eyes as he pinned her down on her belly. A shing rang through her ears followed by a sharp sting against her neck. "W-what?"
"This blade against your throat has put many mortals out of their misery, Principessa," He pressed a bit harder to emphasize. "I have never tried the same for an immortal but for you, I'll be happy to make an exception if you try this again."
"No! Let me go! You will pay dearly if Princess Celestia find out about this!" Twilight countered.
"Not if you're dead," he said shortly.
Twilight gasped then remained silent and still for a few moments, "What are you going to do with me?"
"It's not what I'm going to do... It's what you're going to do. Those other ponies that accompanied you will arrive shortly so listen closely," he spoke into her ear.
"Twilight?" "Twilight!" Various voices broke through the songs of cicadas.
"Do this or else I might make you regret this day forever," he let go of her and disappeared into the shielding shadows of the forest.
She was frozen on the ground, mauling over this strange pony's requests. The sounds of her friends became louder each passing moment.
An orange pony trotted around the broken wall, "Twilight!" But her friend just kept staring ahead of her. "Twilight?"
"Oh my! You're bleeding!" An almost hysterical tone escaped Rarity, even if it was a small trail running down her neck. Twilight didn't even flinch when the overly concerned friend tied a dark blue scarf around her neck.
"Why do you carry scarves in the middle of summer?" Applejack asked when she was done.
"It's not the question of weather, Applejack, it's a question of fashion," Rarity winked at her.
"Uhm guys?" Rainbow asked for their attention. "What the heck is wrong with Twilight?"
"I don't know but I think I can guess what it is! I just LOVE guessing games!" Pinkie smiled as she sat down next to Twilight.
"Not now Pinkie. Twilight is hurt," Rainbow pointed out the seriousness of situation.
Twilight stood, surprising the group as they backed a few steps. "I need to find a stallion."
"Who?" Rarity asked raising a slender eyebrow.
"Cesare Borgia," Twilight said as the adrenaline seeped back making everything go dark.
"Twilight!"
In the shadows...
"Just a tiny bit overboard, don't you think?" A voice with a similar accent asked. A darkish red pegasus with a short black mane appeared from the shadows, and stood next to the robed unicorn.
"I know but who else can deliver Cesare to us without raising suspicion?" The unicorn watched the group of mares hoist the Princess onto the orange mare's back.
"True, but I truly hope you know what you are doing..." The pegasus turned again.
The unicorn shook back his head, revealing his white coat and ponytailed brown mane as his cowl fell back. "As do I." His bi-coloured black and white horn sparked as he turned.
The pegasus hummed in agreement, "So... Have you met my contact here?"
"No, she appeared to be out upon my arrival. That is when I was chased down by that lot over there," the unicorn nodded to the group leaving in the opposite direction.
"Did they discover your identity?" the pegasus asked, worried.
"No," he shook his head.
"Bene," The pegasus nodded, obviously relieved but then cringed. "We must get back now. She is waiting for us."
"Ah… It's been a while since we last spoke. I think I'm going to enjoy this," the unicorn chuckled mischievously as they galloped deeper into the shadows of the forest.
Madonna - Madam Principessa - Princess Bene - Good
"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
