> Dear Diary - The Second Book
>  by TheNorthernT
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The armor weighed heavily on him, more than usual. He couldn’t figure out quite what for. A long day’s sleep and his usual routes had all been followed. He even had had an extra half hour of sleep.

The restlessness caused him to pace back and forth in front of the door. Luna was louder than usual in her studies. From the occasional word he picked up, he could make out something about Nightmare Moon. She had been obsessed with that topic since the day she had returned. He couldn’t do anything but assume that she wanted answers for something.

An unexpected sound came from the room she was in; the shattering of glass and a cry of pain. His instincts forced his body into action long before his mind caught up to the situation, bursting in the door with his horn lit. A figure, winged, was about to fly out of the window. Luna laid on the bed, not moving.

“Halt!” he shouted on instinct, erecting a barrier, preventing the attacker from escaping. “You’re no-”

Just as he grabbed the attacker by the arm, a purple beam of light sent him flying into the wall. His own barrier disappeared as he felt he lost consciousness. How could she?

The last thing he heard before it went black was a familiar voice, one of the other guards of the castle, shouting for medical attention for Luna.

**

“You’re absolutely sure about this?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he sat on his knees, in the throne room. Whomever of the court in the castle had been assembled for this hearing. “I got a good look at the would-be assassin. It was Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

He dared a glance up at the Sun Princess. Her otherwise regal expression was twisted into a scold.

“You do understand that I cannot accept such an allegation against the Crown without more than one man’s, however honorable, word? As of now, you are, until further notice stripped of your rank and are to make yourself subject to an investigation while the Royal Guard looks into the matter. If you were merely mistaken, or fate should have it that you are telling the truth, you will be reinstated with all your benefits and privileges intact. If you are found guilty of attempted perjury, you will spend the rest of your life in exile.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Princess!” someone ran into the room, shouting. “I just received word from the gates that the Princess was seen leaving town. They tried to apprehend her for questioning, but she overpowered them.”

Celestia’s expression went from a scold to disbelief. For the first time in his years as a guard, he saw her speechless. Everyone were quiet.

“Very well,” the Sun Princess regained her posture. “Rise, Knight-Sergeant Hen Runner, your station is from this moment reinstated. And further I decree that the fugitive, Twilight Sparkle, is hereby stripped of her royal duties and privileges. Spread the word to the law-enforcers of Equestria that should she be spotted, she is to be arrested on sight. If she will not come willingly, I authorize the use of whatever non-lethal force necessary to subdue her, or to stall her long enough for the Royal Guard to arrive. As the crime requires a full investigation, she is not, under any circumstances, to be killed before she can stand trial here in Canterlot.”

“Your Majesty!” another interruption came. “Your- your sister, her conditioned worsened. We discovered too late that her wound was poisoned. She- she didn’t make it.”

The Sun Princess disappeared before Hen Runner’s eyes. He knew that she would never accept the news of Luna’s death without making absolutely sure they were right. He got to his feet and started to head for the exit. Spoken or not, his orders were clear: Capture Twilight Sparkle, whatever the cost.

> Chapter 1: Waking Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

Betrayal! …

I was lying on my back. That much I knew. A pain in - well, everywhere – left me believing that I was at least alive. What the hell had just happened? I had probably been in an accident and landed in a minor coma, having fucked up dreams while I were. Something about Equestria and a Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. And something about shapeshifters.

For what felt like an eternity, I just lay there with my eyes closed. Wherever I were, it couldn’t be good for my back; it was hard and uneven. An urge to let myself fall asleep again crawled from my stomach.

Out of curiosity more than anything, I fought the urge. I could go to sleep later. Right now I wanted to know just what the fuck had happened, and where I was. My eyes began the reasonably painful experience of opening up.

It was midday, or maybe later. The sun was out, but hidden behind a veil of green. Around me I saw a forest, a sight that was met with an increased heart rate. What the fuck was I doing in a forest? Well, there were forests where I lived, but this one just looked strange. Out of place. The plants surely didn’t belong to any forest where I lived.

Had I been visiting somewhere? Holiday trip or something? I had no idea, and I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to find out what happened to me. An image of jet black skinned women with wings running towards me and some purple skinned, horned and winged girl popped into my head. I associated the name “Twilight Sparkle” with the purple one. Freakishly clear picture too. I had to be halfway asleep still.

With slow, shaking movements, I turned myself around. It would be easier to get up if I were on my hands and knees. Before I could do much more than turn my head, a surge of adrenaline made me practically jump to my feet, regardless of the pain. Twilight Sparkle laid on the ground besides me, her eyes closed and a small trail of blood coming from the tip of her horn.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” I mumbled, stumbling myself closer to her and mostly falling on my knees. I didn’t have energy to use on sitting down. My first thought was to try to feel her pulse, but she was breathing so heavily that I was assured she was still alive. Thank Many-Headed Talos!

“C’mon,” I said to myself, trying to get some contact with her, but Twilight didn’t react. My heart pounded heavily in my chest, causing a pulse of pain every time. Looking around, I saw that there weren’t much to go by as far as navigation went. If there was a road on this forest, we weren’t on it.

My attention turned back to Twiligth when a thought reappeared; her horn was bleeding. No longer did I concern myself with where we were. The stream of blood was small, but didn’t appear to coagulate quickly like a small wound should.

Looking around for something to bind it up with, my heart rate grew. I needed something to stop the bleeding! I couldn’t risk letting her die here!

Leaving her side for just a minute, I started to touch the various leaves on the plants around us, looking for something suited for bandaging. One of the plants, with a dark green color and thick leaves, would probably do better than anything else here. Now I just needed something to tie it with. Perhaps I had something in my clothes…

I hated myself for wasting time looking for a plant to solve my problems. My clothes, for fuck sake! Hastily I began ripping cloth from my shirt, making them as long as I could. Before long, I had enough to use.

After I tied the bandage, with some trouble, I moved Twilight over to her side and put her arm under her head for support. I crossed the legs, so that if she fell out of the position naturally, she’d lie on her stomach rather than back, to prevent her from chocking on her own vomit. If she vomited. Better to be on the safe side.

Once I assured myself that there was nothing more I could do, I sat down on the ground again, resting my arms on my knees and my head on my arms, keeping one eye on Twilight and the other searching for signs of life around us. My heart’s pace was eventually reduced to a bearable level.

“What to do when…” if… “Twilight wakes up?”

I asked the question aloud, perhaps no more audible than a whisper. With an imposter acting as Celestia-

Holy fucking Hell, the thought hit me, perhaps for the first time. We had been a puppeteer’s plaything for as long as Celestia had known about this. The way we were unable to trust one another after the “revelation” that I wasn’t the Changeling, then being sent back to Ponyville to look more into the matter.

We had been home for a couple of days now and our only saving grace was this. Me and Twilight being lost in some forest, one of us bleeding and unconscious. Our frien- Twilight’s friends – captured or dead. Celestia was captured too.

Something occurred to me; was Luna an imposter too? Assuming for the sake of it that the dream visit had not been done by Molly, wouldn’t Lune, the real Luna, have warned me if she was captur-

I froze up as I felt a cold tip against my neck. It was sharp, being pushed against me just enough to notice, and hard enough to ensure that I couldn’t make any move without a wound. I assumed it was a spear of sorts.

“What is this? A stranger, whose smell is a… miss…?” A woman’s voice, but deeper than usual. The spear tip left my neck. “It gave me quite a fright, daylight crackling and magic light. The Everfree Forest has its way; little stirs in the light of day. But perhaps I spoke too soon, we better move before the rise of the Moon.”


> Chapter 2: Zecora the Zebra
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

I think I met one of the few other Outsiders in the Ponyville area. Then again, I can’t be sure…

In a glance to my left, I saw a clearing. In it, the sunlight only reached the top of the trees, from a long angle. It was sometime in the afternoon. It felt like we had walked for an eternity. It was warm outside, but my insides were cold.

To my right a woman with white skin and an odd shape of black tattoos all over her body walked. Her hair was styled in a Mohawk, seamlessly transitioning between the shaved head and the hair, which both shared the same color scheme. Around her neck was several golden rings, and she had similar earrings and wristbands on her left arm. She was clothed in a brown cloak, with a sleeveless top and shorts underneath that looked to be made of animal hide. Her feet were bare, save for three golden bands on her right leg.

The woman had a hard face, appearing without smile or joy, and her eyes had a color of greenish-blue. They were intense and flickering, as if she looked for something. Constantly I could see her turn her head around for new angles, sniffing her nose, only to look over at me with a disapproving scold that looked like it went through me, as if I wasn’t really there. I assumed my scent interfered with something she tried to pick up, and she simply was too lost in her mind to even notice I noticed. Her nose was shorter and a little wider than Twilight’s, and she had fuller lips. Her tattoos seemed like a stylized artist’s interpretation of a zebra’s stripes, but with a more coherent pattern to it and a lot of artistic licence, seemingly emanating from her spine. She used the spear as a walking stick in her right hand.

Between the two of us, we carried Twilight Sparkle, taking her arms over our shoulders. She had yet to regain consciousness, but the bandages seemed to have stopped the bleeding. Or perhaps it was only masking the bleeding, giving me a false sense of security. I tried to push the thought from my head.

Neither of us had said anything since she said we needed to move. I didn’t know her name, but I assumed she was acquainted with Twilight. In between her searching for signs of something, she gave worried glances to the Princess. Or perhaps she was just a Good Samaritan. Regardless, I couldn’t help but feel suspicion creep into my mind. The Changelings could imitate the forms of other creatures. Who was to say that she wasn’t one of them, taking us to a place better suited for subduing us? At least that way, she wouldn’t have to drag two bodies to where she were going to take us.

It didn’t matter, I told myself as I thought I heard something. It turned out to just be a bird. We were at her mercy one way or another, with Twilight unconscious and me unarmed. I had lost my daggers when we fled the room with the pods in the Changeling lair. And I had no idea of how to navigate this forest. I presumed Ponyville wasn’t too far off, but considering who we had seen in the pod, I’d be careful about going back there. It was a known home for Twilight, so it would surely be watched to see if she returned. How long would it take for “Celestia” to find out about our escape? I could only assume she already knew. Only safe assumption to make.

“Careful, and keep your mind on the task! For Sun’s sake, that is all I ask,” I had lost my balance for a moment, almost landing Twilight face-first on the ground. Some damned tree root or something. The woman scolded me in the same rhyming fashion she had spoken to me before, notably lacking any patience for further mistakes.

The path we followed stopped in front of a large tree which wouldn’t even have registered as strange to me. The woman led us in between some roots, revealing a door.

On the other side of the door, my mind could only turn out the word “Hag”. The shelves were filled with flasks containing liquids in all colors, books with strange plants on the covers and scrolls written in a language I did no know littered every free space, chemistry setup that made Twilight’s look advanced, yet somehow less impressive. The walls were filled with masks and dolls, spears and shields. From the roof, an assortment of dried leaves and roots hand. And it was all crowned with a large cauldron in the middle of the room, over a fire that burned with a green light, giving the room a dulling sensation. Its scent reminded me of wilder and more humid pastures, places I had never been.

Without saying a word, the woman gestured for me to let go of Twilight. I did, and she switched her grip, carrying the girl over to a bed hidden from sight. From what I could see, it was simply an elevated part of the floor, with an assortment of pelts. Careful not to touch Twilight’s horn, she began to undo the bandage. To my relief, the bleeding had stopped. Standing up, the woman appeared relieved as well.

“I could not have asked the Spirits for a greater boon, her wound should be healed fairly soon. To cure an internally broken or shattered horn is all but in vain, but she was lucky, it was only sprained. Quiet and rest is what she’ll need, so sit and, while we wait, let us feed.”

The continued rhyming should have registered more with me, but my attention was focused on Twilight. My heart felt lighter from the moment I heard that it was something that would heal by itself and soon. How soon was something I asked myself, but it didn’t do much to tamper with my newfound mood.

Around me, I saw the woman scuffle around, opening drawers and, to me anyway, invisible cabinets integrated into the walls themselves, taking out a small table, maybe two feet tall, and some variation of a salad. Like her home, which looked a lot like Twilight’s to me, it had its own feel and twist to it. Everything was in order, but felt more “wild”. I couldn’t really describe it much better than that. Savage, perhaps, but that felt wrong too.

Before too long passed, I was seated opposite of the woman, on the floor with the table between us. The salad looked inviting, but I didn’t touch it before she raised her eyebrow at me, glancing down at the food. I felt like I would insult her if I didn’t eat, so I picked up one of the fruit-looking pieces and started to chew. It actually tasted much better than I expected it to do, with must have been visible in my mannerism, as she seemed pleased with herself when she too started eating. Besides the salad, she offered something that looked like water, but had a strange taste to it. I couldn’t make any sense of what it was, it was too feint for me to pin it down.

We ate in silence. To this point, I had yet to say anything to her, and I could feel her eyes on me. I kept my eyes firmly planted in my food. Despite that I felt better with every passing minute, I wasn’t sure what to say or how to look at her. I was just some stranger eating her food.

“So, tell me lad, what adventures have the two of you had?”

“We- I,” I started, unsure of how to tell her what had happened. But it struck me that I shouldn’t tell her what happened anyway. I didn’t know her, and if Twilight did, she’d have to make that decision. “I don’t know if I can tell you. It’d be her decision. And, I don’t want to sound rude, but who are you anyway”

I nodded in Twilight’s direction, swallowed and looked the woman in the eyes. They were curious and perhaps a bit suspicious. I’d have placed a wager that mine were too.

“I am Zecora, daughter of the Enchantress Shia. By her Grace I still walk this land, and in her honor, I kept her training close at hand. Potions and poisons, fluids that alter lives; this caused me to come to this forest, where rare flowers and weed thrives.”

“Potions and poisons? Are you an herbalist?”

“I could be described as such, curing ales for those without much. I never charged for my aid; I have no need, I live on no land which has to be paid.”

“And the poisons?”

“The Everfree is a dangerous place; you never know what you might face. And do not worry, my spear drew no blood. If you were poisoned, that’d be most odd. But, tell me boy, who are you? So far, you haven’t let my questions through.”

I realized that I had followed up what she said too fast to allow her a chance to do more than answer my questions, feeling a blush come to my cheeks. I introduced myself, giving her a little bow of my head. I didn’t want to stretch my arm across the table, even though the meal was done.

“And yes,” I noted as she was about to open her mouth, perhaps more irritable than she deserved. “I have a name and scent that is not from around here. I am well aware.”

“You must have been told before, or else you wouldn’t be so sore. And the apology for your rudeness is accepted, but better manners in the future is expected.”

“But I didn-“ it hit me as soon as I began. “Yes, I’m sorry about that. I’m just, well, a bit on edge. I’ve had a shit day.”

“So I would think, Twilight’s condition made my heart sink. But now you know she will be fine, so why be rude and why whine?”

She raised an eyebrow in my direction. I felt she had a sense of authority about her I couldn’t explain. It unnerved me, making me think back to the Changelings. Was she one of them?

“I don’t know,” it was all I could come up with in response to her question. I wanted to tell her about the Changelings, but stood by my decision to let it be Twilight’s choice. “How long ‘til she wakes?”

“I don’t want to wake her without giving her time, but by tomorrow, it should be fine. The horn will take longer still, but after tomorrow, I’ll let her follow her own will.”

“Tomorrow?” that was a bit longer than I had hoped. But it couldn’t be helped. No reason to argue with the herbalist. Or alleged herbalist. She had to have more knowledge of Twilight’s horn than me. Everyone in this land had to. Something else hit me though. “Speaking of poisons, do you know the antidotes for, erhm, more exotic ones? Or natural ones?”

“Of poisons I know many a thing; like most snake bites can be cured with a Lunar Moth wing. Rarer ones are of a similar kind, say, which one did you have in body or mind?” Again she raised an eyebrow at me, glancing nervously over to Twilight.

“Don’t worry, Twilight isn’t poisoned. I-“ I stopped, trying to act like I had just started the next sentence wrong. It didn’t look like it went over well. Before I even could think of something to say, she looked like she was expecting a lie. It was no backing down now. “I, on the other hand… I might be. I don’t know for absolute sure.”

“And which poison might this be, shall we say, hypothetically?”

“Well, um… Changeling poison…” Zecora didn’t look like she heard me. My voice had to have faded away.

“I fear you must repeat, anyone but Fluttershy speaking in such a meager voice is quite the feat. It is too low for me to hear, I do not have a Dragon’s ear.”

“Changeling poison…” I repeated, a little louder.

“That is-“ she was thrown of her rhythm, stopping the sentence there. It almost looked like her tattoos lost some of their color. Without saying anything else, she jumped to her feet, sorting through the myriad of scrolls and books with haste. Her reaction made a cold feeling grow from my stomach. It couldn’t be good if this was her reaction.

“Now I see you were tense and filled with fear; no wonder, your doom might be near. But there is only one way to be sure: I’ll need to examine your blood to make sure it is pure.”

She walked over as she spoke, with a vial in her hand. When she said “blood” she stuck me with a small needle to the arm, right into one of my veins. Since it took me by surprise, I didn’t have time to get nervous. It stung a little, and I got a little dizzy at first, but it didn’t get any worse than that. As soon as she had a small sample of my blood, she grabbed one of the many flasks and poured some of it on her fingers. As she rubbed it on the stream of blood, it coagulated almost immediately. She took the vial away, over to her chemistry setup. Or perhaps alchemy was a better description for it, since it seemed to almost have magical effects.

“What do you mean by my doom being near?”

“Changeling poison is magical, powerful and rare. My antidote’s effect is dependent on how you did fare. To know if the potion needs to be weak or strong; you’ve been poisoned for how long?”

“I dunno, two, three weeks?”

She stopped what she was doing and looked back at me. “I see, and yet your mind appears to be free. If you’ve been poisoned for that length, your mind must have an abnormal strength. Tell me, is a black, winged girl something you can see?”

“Not since a day or so ago. She have popped in and out of my head for some time though, but yesterday it stopped. Last I remember was that she tried to distract me from-“ I stopped, realizing that I had started to tell the story of what had been going on. “I- Twilight should be the one to tell the story…”

“Vile creatures, I thought I could free them from my mind, but I should have known they were never far behind. Not long after the Royal Wedding they were assumed to be dead, but I should have left to make sure of it instead. If the demons have made their return, there is much we’ll need to learn. The last time I crossed paths with the demons in changing skin, there was no way for me to win.”

“They’ve got Princess Celestia. And Twilight’s friends.”

There was nothing I could say that summed up what had been going on as well as those two sentences. I didn’t care about keeping the events secret anymore. If she was one of them, it wouldn’t make much of a difference in the long run. But if she wasn’t, her knowing who couldn’t be trusted could only be a good thing. Zecora looked to be speechless at the news, trying a few times to form a sentence. Then she just shook her head.

“These are grave news indeed; this will destroy us from the inside, with the Doubting Seed. For us to be able to build trust, an antidote is a must. Until that is done, I cannot leave you free for long.”

“Wha-“ I was about to ask her what she meant by that, but was interrupted by something being thrown in my face. A powder of sorts, with a strange blue glow. I thought I could see the night sky in it. Distantly I felt Zecora take a hold of my arms, tying them to something. My legs too. I couldn’t fight it, my body simply wanted to sleep. My mind agreed, sleep would feel good right about now.

> The Lost Chapters: Hen Runner's Pursuit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The armor weighed heavily on him, more so than usual. But this time he could think of several reasons. Perhaps flying in comfort of a royal carriage made his bulky stiff defenses much more awkward. Perhaps it was the fact that he was still awake: It was past noon when he left Canterlot and his sleep cycle had become attuned to night patrol over the past three years. The most likely cause however was the reason his usual routine had been disrupted and why he was currently traveling in the royal carriage.
 
Hen Runner had requisitioned the royal carriage out of necessity. Flying was the quickest way to get to Ponyville. The carriage was enchanted to fly on its own, merely obeying the directions of its occupant.
 
Knight-Sergeant Hen Runner of the Equestrian Royal Guard was in pursuit of a traitor. The night before he had witnessed the assassination of Princess Luna by her sister’s former protégé Twilight Sparkle. Since she had escaped when he discovered her treachery, word had been sent out to every major city in Equestria that Twilight was now a fugitive from justice. So far the news of Luna’s death had not been released, but Hen knew it was only a matter of time before word got out. The Royal Guard was worried it would cause a panic outside the capital and they all wanted Twilight Sparkle apprehended as soon as possible.
 
In addition to Ponyville, a squad had also been sent to Hen’s former commander, Shinning Armor, in the Crystal Empire. Nobody had seen Celestia since she had fled the courtroom when told of her sister’s death. With both it’s rulers indisposed, Equestria was more vulnerable now than it had ever been in the nation’s history. There was no telling how long Celestia would be in mourning, so the squad had been dispatched with an urgent request for Shinning to return home and resume his position as Knight-Commander and temporary steward to the throne.
 
Since Hen was the one who had identified Shinning’s sister as the assailant, he was glad he would not have to face him when Shinning arrived in Canterlot.
 
Hen Runner was not travelling to Ponyville alone. Two golden chariots followed him each containing one unicorn and one earth pony member of the Royal Guard. Each were heavily armed and armored. Flying in front of them in a V-formation were three pegasi. They wore the black and purple armor of Princess Luna’s personal guard. In the all too short time since her return to Equestria, Luna had found it easier to be around her own gender. As a result, most of her guard were female, as were two of the three pegasi before him.
 
Now that their mistress was dead, her former guard was honor bound to assist in finding her killer. These three had been the first to volunteer.
 
“Knight-Sergeant Hen Runner” The dark grey pegasi in the lead called back to him “Ponyville is in sight. What are your orders?”
 
The aging soldier straightened up in his chair and addressed the others. “Unless Twilight shows herself first, our primary target will be the Golden Oak Library. Black Rein, Jade Caster and I will approach the library while Dappled Willow and Halberd secure the train station. You are not to let anyone leave or enter the town without being thoroughly searched.” Hen made a deliberate choice to pair the spotted unicorn mare with the brown earth pony. He knew first hand just how dangerous Twilight Sparkle was. Until she had been apprehended, nobody was going to be separated from the main group without at least one unicorn to accompany them.
 
“The pegasi will be keeping watch overhead incase of an ambush. Remember to watch the Library and keep a look out for any of the other Element bearers. Until proven otherwise, we must to regard any and all of the former princess’ companions as probable co-conspirators and potential hostiles.”
 
As they passed through the clouds Ponyville came into view. The carriage and the chariots slowly began their decent. The Library was in the center of town and there was plenty of open ground around it. Hen Runner decided to land right in front of the tree. There was little point in trying a sneak attack, since Twilight would have known they’d be coming for her sooner or later. That’s even if she was foolish enough to return here after her crime had been discovered.
 
As the wheels touched down on the ground, Hen and the Royal Guard leapt out to assume their positions. Dappled and Halberd raced off to the train station. Hen Runner took point while Jade and Black Rein stood at his shoulders. Luna’s personal guard circled around the tree at a safe distance, ensuring that anyone inside the Library couldn’t escape undetected. Even with Twilight Sparkle’s skill at teleporting, the tell tail pink flash would not go unnoticed through the many windows.
 
Hen Runner erected a barrier around himself and the other Royal Guards. Together they approached the door, marching in unison until they halted a few feet away. Hen Runner cleared his throat and delivered his ultimatum to the candlestick painted on the front of the door.
 
“Twilight Sparkle, former princess of Equestria: You stand accused of high treason against the crown. Show yourself and surrender peacefully so that you may be taken back to Canterlot to answer for your crimes. If you do not you shall face the wrath of the Equestrian Royal Guard.”
 
Hen Runner waited, but no response was forthcoming. There were no sounds coming from inside the Library and the door remained still. Even though it was looking more likely that Twilight wasn’t home, Hen’s words were as much for the benefit of the onlookers as they were a formality. He could hear a few people gasp in surprise as he made the announcement.
 
“Jade, the door.” He said to the green female unicorn on his right. Her horn glowed, as did the handle on the door. The black stallion on Hen’s left raised his sword as the door swung open. Inside was round, open space which appeared to be as much a living room as a library. More importantly it was devoid of any living creatures. Hen Runner sighed: Although he would never admit it to anyone present, a part of him was relieved.
 
Black Rein grumbled as he lowered his sword. “Looks like the bitch is long gone sir.”
 
“Don’t be too sure, Knight Errant Black Rein.” Hen Runner cautioned, “She could still be concealing herself. And even if she has fled we shouldn’t let our guard down. Twilight could still have left a few traps waiting for us. We still need to investigate the premises for any clues to her whereabouts or a possible motive.”
 
Hen Runner stepped forward then turned sideways to address his companions. “You two stay here while I clear the rest of the tree house. Once I give the all clear we can begin our search in earnest. If anything happens, don’t enter the Library unless I call for you. Is that understood?”
 
“Yes Sir,” Dark Rein frowned, but nodded. Jade Caster however reached out to put a hand on Hen’s arm.
 
“Commander,” she said in a worried tone. “You don’t need to prove anything to us. Not a single member of the Royal Guard blames you for what happened last night.”
 
Hen Runner gently pushed her hand away “It was my watch and my responsibility, Knight Protector Jade. Since I failed to prevent her escape, I am honor bound to capture her.” He said sternly “Besides, I’m the senior officer and I have the most experience with magical special operations. I have the highest chance of surviving whatever might be waiting for me inside. No point in all of us getting caught.” He reasoned.
 
Jade straightened up and nodded “Yes of course, sir. Sorry, sir.”
 
Hen Runner turned around to face the Library again. Shrinking his barrier down to fit snuggly around his person, he crossed the threshold. As he walked into the room he glanced around, taking in all the furniture, shelves, doors, windows, the fireplace and the stairway embedded in the wall. When Hen Runner reached the center of the room, his horn began to glow brighter. He emitted a brief humming pulse that emanated outward in a thin band of light. It was a detection spell designed to reveal any hidden enchantments over a small area. It touched everything in the room, but apart from some residual mana from some levitation spells, there was nothing.
 
“Nothing.” Hen Runner said out loud to himself.
 
“Sir?” Jade called from the doorway.
 
“Stay where you are, Knight Protector. I still have several rooms left to go.” He called back.
 
“Yes, sir.” She replied.
 
Hen Runner ascended the stairs, keeping an eye on each step as he set foot on them. Most of the second floor was taken up by Twilight’s bedroom, with one set off to the side for her assistant Spike, as well as a bathroom. Hen checked Twilight Sparkle’s room first. It was divided into a lower floor with a loft for the actual bed. There were no traps there either but the room looked as though it had been cleaned recently. The bed was made, but there was a faint smell in it that Hen Runner couldn’t quite place. The dragon boy’s room was smaller and like Twilight’s it had also been cleaned. The bathroom was also well kept. There were no curses or hexes waiting in any of them.
 
Having cleared the upstairs Hen returned to the ground floor. The door to the cellar was right next to the staircase. Hen used his magic to open it.  He was surprised to see that it went deeper than the main reading room was tall, and it was filled with a strange collection of scientific instruments. He didn’t try to guess what their purposes could be, all Hen Runner understood was that the Golden Oak Library was indeed unoccupied except for him. Hen’s horn sent out one last pulse to confirm the room was safe. Then he quickly turned around and walked back into reading room.
 
“All clear, tell the Pegasi to land and come inside.”
 
The Black Rein came in first while Jade signaled the circling signaling pegasi with a few sparks from her horn. They soon land and joined the others in the reading room. Hen Runner took off his helmet and pulled up a chair at the reading table in the center of the room. He scratched the top of his mostly bald head. What little hair he had was low on the back of head in a ring between his ears, and tied in a rogue knot.
 
After a few moments of silence he looked up to address his troops.
“Well, it’s clear now that Miss Sparkle is no longer here, and likely not in Ponyville either. It’s not clear if she’s been here since she attacked Luna, but right now we have no idea where she is at the moment. Since we’re not in any immediate danger, I’ve decided to send Jade and Dark Rein back to Canterlot until further notice.”
 
“Sir?” Jade asked in confusion.
 
“Luna’s Guards should be more than enough to search the Library and interview the locals. We’ll keep Halberd and Willow on alert until we know for sure that she and her friends are not in Ponyville. It wouldn’t be a good idea to keep so many Royal Guards in one place until we know where Twilight is headed.” Hen Runner explained.
 
Jade looked disappointed but she held her tongue.
 
“Right now we need mobility more than anything. Twilight has day’s lead on us. Once we know where she is, I’ll send for you. Now get going.”
 
“Yes sir.” Jade and Black Rein said in unison. They turned and left the building.
 
Hen Runner turned to Luna Guard. He spoke first to the dark blue female “Raven Racer. You check the dragon boy’s room.” Then he addressed the cream colored female, “Whisper Winds you check the cellar. Iron Wing.” He said looking at the dark grey pegasi “Check Twilight’s bedroom, that’s the one on the right at the top of the stairs. When I did my sweep of the Library there was a faint scent on the bed I didn’t recognize. I think it might have been the stranger they brought with them to Canterlot a few days ago. You’re the only one of us that met him. Do you think you could recognize his scent?”
 
Iron Wing nodded stoically “It was very distinct, I’d know it if I smelled it again.”
 
Hen Runner nodded “Good. I’ll be searching this room. Be on the lookout for anything that looks like it’s been handled recently or is relevant to the assassination.”
 
“And one more thing.” He added raising a finger as the pegasi turned to go. “I know how some of you must feel being in the home of Luna’s killer. No doubt you are tempted to take out your anger on her possessions.” His eyes went back and forth between the two female pegasi. The bitterness on their faces had only become more deeply set since they left Canterlot.
 
“However this is still a public building, and vandalism will accomplish nothing. I expect you all to conduct yourselves with dignity and pride befitting the defenders of Equestria. Plus you are all far too old for me to be cleaning up after you. Now get to work.”
 
The pegasi saluted and went to carry out their orders.
 
Hen Runner stood up and crossed the room to Twilight Sparkle’s writing desk. The sunlight from the window over the desk showed that there was hardly a speck of dirt on the wooden surface. He opened the lid and began examining the contents. It was mostly quills, blank parchment, and spare ink: nothing that could provide him with any clues.
 
Hen glanced down casually at the waste paper basket on the floor beside the desk. Twilight or her dragonling assistant apparently didn’t have the time to empty it before they fled. Picked up the bin and emptied it’s contents on the desk. It was full with used crumpled parchment, but there was something else that caught Hen Runner’s eye: a slightly folded scroll with a broken seal.
 
Hen Runner brushed the other papers aside and carefully flattened the scroll out on the desk. It was receipt from an antique dealer in Manehattan meant to confirm the delivery of a set of curved daggers that, according to the date on the receipt, had been delivered to the library only three days before. The picture at the bottom of the receipt left Hen Runner with little doubt as to what they were used for. He recognized the horse head pommel on the daggers as the ones he had seen on the alicorn assassin’s belt when he charged into Luna’s chamber.
 
Hen Runner sat down at the desk and began to tug on his grey mustache. He started to consider where Twilight might have fled. It was obvious that there was more to her treachery than just killing the Moon Princess. What she planned to do next was anyone’s guess.
 
If she was still in Equestria, then Hen doubted she intended to remain in hiding for very long. She would most likely stage another more public event to undermine faith in Celestia’s leadership. Perhaps she and her friends were preparing to attack one of the major cities. Maybe they would take control of Cloudsdale and disrupt the weather all over Equestria. Or even use the Elements of Harmony to attack Canterlot openly. He had heard just how powerful the elements could be. Even the entire Royal Guard would be hard pressed to combat such a force, and Celestia’s currently distraught state made her especially vulnerable.
 
Outside of Equestria there were even worse possibilities. She could have formed an alliance with the diamond dogs, griffins or even the dragons. Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, had a well-known affinity for animals. Her own assistant was a dragon she had hatched herself the day she received her Cutie Mark. There was also the stranger she had brought with her to Canterlot. Even though he looked and spoke like a pony, he was of a species even Celestia herself allegedly could not identify. His sudden unexplained appearance, just a few days prior to Luna’s death, couldn’t be a coincidence.
 
There was one more possibility that occurred to Hen Runner: If the other bearers were in league with Twilight, who’s to say the conspiracy only went that far? Hen could think of at least two other people that had a close relationship with Twilight. Two people who stood to gain from Equestria’s current fragile state. One of them might even be on his way to Canterlot at this moment.
 
An alliance between the Elements of Harmony and Shining Armor and Princess Cadance actually made sense. Twilight had only recently become an alicorn, and, by all accounts, the transformation had been completely unexpected on her part. Meanwhile Cadance had been a princess since the day she came to Canterlot as Celestia’s adopted niece. It was not hard to imagine that she might resent Luna’s return, or that becoming ruler of the Crystal Empire would’ve made her more ambitious. Getting Shining away from Canterlot could have provided a good opportunity to turn him against the Heavenly Sisters. Or perhaps Shining had always had his eye on the throne, and had allied himself with Cadance when Luna and Celestia proved beyond his reach. And if anyone could have turned Twilight against Celestia, it would be her former foal sitter. Or her big brother. Everyone in the Royal Guard knew how close they were.
 
Hen Runner shifted uncomfortably in his chair, weighing each option. Unless the others found some evidence, he couldn’t justify acting on any of his suspicions. Even if Shining had betrayed Canterlot and they were playing right into his hands, there was nothing he could do at the moment. He was still honor bound to capture Luna’s killer, a task he intended to complete. Hen would just have to wait for Shining to show his true colors in Canterlot. If he proved false, Hen or one of the other Knight-Sergeants would have to deal with him. It would not have been the first assassination Hen Runner had carried out in Celestia’s name, but chances were it would probably be the last. Shining Armor had become the youngest commander of the Royal Guard in history for a reason, and Hen was not a young man anymore.
 
During this contemplation, Hen had been sitting in the chair sideways to the desk. It was part of his training to never leave his back turned to the door, but he wasn’t paying any particular attention to the points of entry. Just now he caught some brown shape moving out of the corner of his eye. He turned quickly to identify it.
 
Perched on the reading table in the center of the room was a brown owl with a tan underbelly. It stood there regarding Hen Runner with a blank expression. Hen looked around. He assumed that it had flown in through one of the windows.  He stood up and faced the bird. His horn glowed and he shined a beam of light at the owl. Aside from a confused “who” the owl didn’t react at all as Hen Runner scanned him. Once he was sure the bird wasn’t under any type of spell, he approached it curiously. Hen reasoned that since the owl seemed to be very at home in the library, there was a good chance he had been Twilight’s pet.
 
“I don’t suppose you could tell me where Twilight Sparkle is? Or why she killed the Moon Princess?”
 
“Who.”
 
“No, Who’s on first. I’m asking about Twilight. The alicorn that lived in this library.”
 
“Who.”
 
“Well this is going nowhere.” Hen Runner frowned. It was possible the bird could provide some information, but Hen did not have the knowledge or the means to perform any further examination.
 
Iron Feather, Raven Racer and Whisper Winds returned from their searches. While the two females regarded the Owl with a mild wariness and curiosity, Iron Feather maintained his usual stoic complexion. Hen Runner also noticed that he was carrying a book under his arm.
 
“Never mind the owl, it’s harmless. I suspect Twilight may let him have the run of the place. Anything to report?”
 
“No sir. No clues in the cellar.” Whisper Winds replied.
 
“Hardly anything in the dragon boy’s room to begin with, just a stash of comic Power Ponies comics and some cleaning supplies.” Raven Racer said.
 
“And what did you find Iron Feather?” Hen said, turning to the senior pegasi.
 
Iron Feather handed Hen the book. “I found this in the bed stand in Twilight’s room. You were correct, that was indeed the stranger’s scent. He slept there last night, along with Twilight.”
 
“Well that’s hardly surprising, just makes it all the more likely he played some role in turning her against Canterlot.”
 
Hen examined the book title: A Study of the Alicorn by J.R.R Topaz. He noticed that there was a bookmark near the back. It opened to a chapter titled ‘magical properties unique to alicorns: theoretical applications.’ The Knight Sergeant decided to read it and see if it might be relevant to Luna’s murder.
 
It began by repeating the storied origins of the Heavenly Sisters. Luna and Celestia had become alicorns when they learned to wield the Elements of Harmony. As alicorns they achieved near immortality as well as the ability to command the Sun and the Moon. The author theorized that this implied the transforming unlocked the ability to manipulate the primal forces of the cosmos. If this was true, it meant that alicorns themselves could be manipulated into serving as conduits, either by trickery or by having their power harnessed in some way. The idea disturbed Hen Runner greatly as he closed the book and placed on the table.
 
“What did it say?” Whisper Winds asked.
 
“Some troubling ideas, but nothing that can help us locate Twilight at the moment.” Hen Runner replied, scratching his chin.
 
What had Twilight intended to accomplish by killing Luna? Perhaps she believed that with Luna dead she could usurp the power of the Moon? It was not unheard of: After banishing Luna, Celestia had assumed her sister’s duties in addition to her own for more than a thousand years. But surely Twilight could not hope for Luna’s powers to pass to her while Celestia still lived?
 
If Twilight intended to usurp the powers of both the Heavenly sisters, then she certainly had the means to do so. The Elements of Harmony had proven to be more powerful than single princess, and now there was only one left. It would certainly be easier to overpower Celestia in her current state. Whether Twilight intended to kill her former teacher or simply incapacitate her and manipulate her powers was anyone’s guess.
 
Hen Runner frowned: “I suppose if we want to find out where Twilight and the other elements went, it’s time we started questioning the residents to see if anyone saw something.” 
 
“Very well, sir.” Iron feather said.
 
“What about the owl?” Raven Runner asked. “Who,” Replied the owl.
 
“He might still be able to tell us something, and we can’t risk it flying back to Twilight Sparkle and revealing our plans or anything that could give her an intelligence advantage.” The Owl tilted its head to one side, as if it was confused by Hen Runner’s words.
 
“Raven, go into town and see if you can find a big enough bird cage for our friend here.”
 
“Yes sir.”
 
Hen Runner’s horn glowed and held the owl in place while Raven left to find the cage. The owl hooted indignantly at his confinement.
 
“You should be grateful.” Hen said grimly “This is a mere inconvenience, I know people who are having a far worse day than you.”
 
**
 
After Raven returned with the cage, Hen Runner and his squad set out to investigate the homes of the Element bearers. The closest was the home of the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie, at Sugarcube Corner.
 
When they reached the bakery, a woman in her middle thirties, with blue skin and hair like cupcake frosting was sitting on the front porch, smoking. Judging by her apron, Hen Runner assumed she worked there.
 
He addressed her formally “Excuse me, madam, I am Knight Sergeant Hen Runner of the Canterlot Royal Guard, here on an urgent mission on behalf of Celestia herself. Is this the residence of one Pinkamena Diane Pie, also known as “Pinkie”?
 
“Indeed it is. I am Mrs. Cake and my husband and I own and run this establishment. Pinkie works part time as our assistant, and we rent out the loft above the store to her.”
 
“Is she in at the moment?” Hen Runner asked
 
“I’m afraid not. She left early this morning, and she hasn’t come back yet.”
 
“Do you know where she went or when you expect her to return?”
 
Mrs Cake shrugged “She wouldn’t say. All she said was she was going out with her friends and that Twilight had made her Pinkie Promise not to tell anyone what they were doing or where they were going. And you never ask Pinkie to break a Pinkie Promise.” She finished, shaking her head. “She should be back soon though. Pinkie could never leave Gummy by himself for more than a day.”
 
Hen Runner digested this information. It certainly was starting to look like the Elements were in league with Twilight at this point. This was going to make his job that much harder. Perhaps he would be calling back Jade Caster and Halberd sooner than he thought.
 
“Sorry to inconvenience you, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to take a moment to search Pinkie Pie’s room as part of our investigation.”
 
Mrs. Cake took a long drag on her cigarette. “I was afraid of that.”  She stood up and stamped out the cigarette before turning to open the door. Hen Runner and the others followed her inside.
 
“Listen” she said as she led them through the store “You lot weren’t exactly subtle when you arrived here, and word gets around. I heard you were outside Twilight’s house a little while ago, talking about treason. You think our Pinkie is involved somehow?”
 
“Well we can’t say for certain until we’ve searched her room.”
 
“Well, she and Twilight are close, but treason? There must be some mistake. Twilight would never betray Equestria. Just what exactly is she supposed to have done anyway?”
 
“I’m afraid I can’t say at this point in the investigation. But I assure you, there is no mistake Mrs. Cake.”
 
“I just can’t believe it.”
 
Just then a thin man with a short beard and yellow skin came down the stairs. He stopped short when he saw Hen Runner and the pegasi.
 
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen, what can we do for you? Is something wrong, Buttercup?”
 
“I’m afraid they aren’t here to buy anything dearie. The Royal Guard says they’re here at the order of Celestia to search Pinkie’s room.”
 
“Oh dear.” The man said, fidgeting with his red and white-stripped bowtie as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “I know Pinkie can be a bit rambunctious, but she’s never gotten in serious trouble before.”
 
“I’ll explain later dear.” Mrs. Cake said as the man walked over to stand beside her.
“Knight-Sergeant, this is my husband Carrot Cake. Carrot dear, this is Knight-Sergeant Hen Runner of the Canterlot Royal Guard.”
 
Carrot slapped his forehead “Oh right, sorry I didn’t introduce myself.”
 
“Never mind, I’d like to conduct the search as soon as possible. Please do not attempt to leave the premises until our search is concluded. We may need to question you afterwards.”
 
Mr. Cake rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Weeeellll… we do have three orders that need to be delivered by this evening.”
 
“We’ll try to get this over with as soon as possible sir, again we apologize for the inconvenience. Whisper, stay down here with the Cakes” He said to the cream colored pegasi.
 
“We understand; Pinkie’s room is just at the top of the stairs, you can’t miss it. And don’t worry about Gummy, he’s harmless.” Mrs, Cake said.
 
“And just who is this Gummy?” Hen Runner asked suspiciously.
 
“That’s Pinkie’s pet baby alligator. Sometimes he likes to chew on things, but it’s fine because he doesn’t have teeth.” Mrs. Cake explained.
 
“We’ll keep that in mind.”
 
 As Hen, Iron and Raven headed up the stairs Mr. Cake called after them. “Please try not to make too much noise. The twins are taking a nap.”
 
Upstairs, the sign that read PINKAMENA’S ROOM in big pink letters left little doubt. Considering her personality, Hen expected her room to be a lot messier than it turned out to be. There wasn’t much to search. There was a waterbed, a bin full of candy, a mirror on a nightstand, a cabinet full of party supplies and a bathtub with shower curtains. There were even less clues here than at the Library.
 
“Commander,” Raven called from behind the shower curtain “I’ve found the reptile.”
 
She came over to him holding the tiny alligator by the tail. It looked up at Hen Runner with a blank expression in his big pink eyes. Hen rolled his eyes: this was going nowhere.
 
“Alright, I think we’re done here. We’ll see if the Cakes know anything and then go investigate the Carousel Boutique.”
 
“And what shall we do with the pet, sir?” Iron Feather asked.
 
“Might as well leave him in the Cakes’ care. We’ve already got one pet to look after, and I don’t think we can learn anything from this one.”
 
Raven Runner placed Gummy on the bed and he watched them leave the room.
 
Downstairs, the Cakes could tell them little about what Pinkie Pie had been up to in the past few days.
 
“Pinkie has a tendency to behave impulsively, that’s why she only works here part time. We have no idea where she’ll be most of the time so we try to accommodate her as much as we can.”
 
“Sounds like a lot of trouble” Hen observed.
 
“Oh no.” Mr. Cake said, “When she is here, Pinkie always works so hard and she always sees her job through, even if she does get sidetracked. She can be a bit wild, but that’s what we love about her. She never runs out of energy and she’s also the best party planner in Ponyville.”
 
Mrs. Cake added, “Honestly, ever since she’s moved in, she’s been like a daughter to us. And she’s been a great help with the kids.”
 
“Have you noticed anything strange about her behavior recently?”
 
“Well, strange is relative when it comes to Pinkie.” Mr. Cake joked “But then… she has seemed a bit less ‘exuberant’ since she and her friends returned from Canterlot a few days ago.”
 
Mrs. Cake shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “That may have had something to do with that stranger who’s been staying with Twilight.”
 
Hen Runner perked up at the mention of that individual. Perhaps they had finally found a lead.
 
“Can you tell me anything about this stranger? How he arrived, his behavior, what effect his presence may have had on Twilight and the others?”
 
Mrs. Cake looked off into the distance with a smile on her face. Hen heard Whisper Winds chuckle softly. Mr. Cake spoke up.
 
“Pinkie said he’d been staying with Twilight ever since he appeared in her Library two-three weeks ago. I only met him briefly. He seemed friendly enough, but a little… bewildered. Cup got to know him a little better than I, didn’t you dear?” He said nudging his wife and giving her a playful grin.
 
“I certainly did dear.” She said smiling back at him. “Poor boy certainly was a bit lost, heard him talking to himself once while he was walking past the shop. He had a hard time getting used to the way things work here in Equestria. Didn’t stop him from getting intimate with several girls here, including our dear Pinkie. But, then again, he did show up when they were in heat.”
 
“Did he now?” Hen Runner asked as he stroked his mustache.
 
Even if it didn’t bring him closer to finding Twilight, this new information was filling in some blanks. Hen Runner suspected that the stranger’s appearance coinciding with the girls’ heat cycle might not have been by chance. Perhaps he had planned on seducing Twilight and turning her against the Heavenly sisters. If he had been sleeping with Twilight then it was possible he had been the one researching alicorns. A bit chauvinist perhaps, but for now it was the only theory with any evidence behind it.
 
“Is there anything else you can tell me about him?” Hen asked.
 
A smile crossed Mrs. Cake face again and her cheeks flushed a slightly darker shade of blue as she thought for a moment.
 
“Nothing that could be of any help to you dear.” She shrugged.
 
Hen Runner got to his feet “Well, if and when she does come back, please let us know. It’s very important that we talk with her.”
 
The Cakes nodded. “We understand, sir, have a nice afternoon.”
 
When they had all left the Bakery, Hen turned to the two female pegasi.
 
“Assuming what the Cakes said is true, then none of the other Elements of Harmony should currently be in Ponyville. Since I doubt we’ll need all four of us to continue searching, so I’m sending you two off to keep watch. Be on the lookout for Twilight or any of her friends returning. If you see them, do not try to engage any of them by yourselves. Report back to me immediately,” he paused briefly. “Iron Feather and I will continue the search on foot. If we run into trouble I’ll signal you with red sparks. If I want you to return, it will be green sparks. Understood?”
 
The cream and the dark blue pegasi nodded and took off. Iron Feather and Hen Runner continued on to the next stop: Carousel Boutique.
 
Once again, the woman in question was absent when they arrived. All of Twilight’s friends were indeed no longer in Ponyville. As he and Iron Feather entered the Boutique, Hen decided that he would send Halberd and Willow back to Canterlot as well. There was no more point in them watching the train station than there was having Jade and Black Rein with him at the library.
 
The bottom room of the building was stocked with materials and supplies such as mirrors, dress form mannequins, and movable screens. Obviously nothing suspicious at first glance. The upper floor would be Rarity's bedroom. Hen instructed Iron to keep searching the Boutique while he went upstairs. As he climbed up to Rarity’s personal living space, a thought occurred to Hen Runner that made him chuckle. In just one afternoon away from Canterlot, he had already been in more women’s bedrooms than in his past year as a Royal Guard.
 
As Hen Runner opened the door to Rarity’s bedroom he was greeted by a loud meowing sound. “Again?” He thought out loud as he looked down to see the source of the noise. From the floor, a small white Persian cat looked back up at him. It had a bow on top of it’s head and a haughty expression on its face as it approached him. Once Hen stepped inside and closed the door behind him, she unabashedly circled between his legs as if she appraising him. Hen rolled his eyes and dutifully bent down to scratch her behind the ears. The proud feline accepted his gesture and nodded up at him approvingly when he had finished. Then she walked over to the bed, jumped onto and proceeded to groom herself while paying Hen Runner no more attention whatsoever. Hen noticed that it had collar inlaid with opals, before proceeding to investigate the room.
 
Once again, there was nothing that Hen Runner could find that he could link to Luna’s assassination or Twilight’s plans. Rarity’s room was much like the one downstairs, except with more drawers and cupboards. Six dress mannequins along with several rolls of cloth, spools of thread, decorative gems and dress designs out on a desk. Food and water dishes told Hen that the name of the cat sitting on the bed was Opalescence, but nothing else offered insight to the owner of the store.  
 
The only thing that looked out of place was an arts and crafts project on the nightstand next to Rarity’s bed. Several baby blue sapphires had been arranged in the shape of a heart around two crudely drawn ponies. One was clearly Rarity herself while Hen assumed that the smaller one was a younger sibling. The image was slightly discolored and the paper had some dried damp spots, as though someone had been crying over it.
 
Hen considered taking it with him as evidence, but decided not to. He didn’t have any way of carrying it without folding it up and destroying the sapphire heart in the process.
 
Instead his attention turned to the cat. ‘I suppose I’ll have to take this one back with me. There’s nobody here and I doubt she’s an outside cat.’
 
He looked inside Rarity’s closet and found a carrying case with the same color opal on the front as on the cat’s collar. He also found a mouse chew toy that he placed inside the case. His horn glowed and the cat was levitated into the air. It flailed around and hissed indignantly as he floated her into the case.
 
“It’s not my fault nobody’s here to look after you.” Hen said as he picked up her food and water dishes. He left the room and headed back down stairs “And I bet you’ll be a lot more grumpy once you get hungry.”
 
Hen Runner found Iron Feather waiting for him down in the boutique. He looked nonplused as he noticed the carrying case under his arm.
 
“Another one, sir?”
 
“Yes, a cat this time. There wasn’t much else besides some artwork by her little sister. Did you find anything?”
 
“Nothing,” Iron Feather said nonchalantly. “Except Rarity’s sex dungeon.”
 
It was a good thing Hen Runner wasn’t drinking water when he heard that, otherwise he would have spat it out in surprise.
 
“Sex Dungeon?”
 
“At least I hope it was a sex dungeon. She wasn’t keeping anyone there at the moment at least.”
 
“Okay…” Hen Runner paused, unsure of how to respond further.
 
“There is some cat food upstairs. If you get that we’ll be on our way. We’ll have to stop by the train station on our way back to relieve Willow and Halberd, so hop to it.”
 
**
 
The sun had almost slipped below the horizon and the stars were beginning to shine as the two solders made their way back to the library with their unexpected luggage.  The other knights had departed back to Canterlot, while Hen continued the search with Luna’s Guard.
 
“Don’t you think this is odd, Iron?” Hen asked Iron Feather.
 
“What do you mean, sir?” the Royal Guardsman replied.
 
“I mean the pets. That even though the Element bearers appear to have fled, they still left them behind.”
 
“Perhaps they felt these would only slow them down.”
 
“Perhaps,” Hen Runner frowned “But at least Pinkie Pie left hers with the Cakes. Twilight and Rarity appear to have abandoned them completely.”
 
“They can’t have been that concerned about their pets’ welfare if they were willing to commit treason. Besides, the owl is probably more than capable of feeding itself.”
 
“True, but there’s something else that’s been bothering me…” Hen’s voice trailed off as he tried to remember something that had registered in the back of his mind. He stopped suddenly in his tracks as his eyebrows shot up underneath his helmet.
 
“Sir?” Iron feather asked as he stopped and turned to face his commander.
 
“Maybe you’re right. Leaving their pets might not mean anything by itself. But there is something else that doesn’t make sense about this case. That and leaving the pets behind makes it even more suspicious. I’ll explain when we get back to the Library.”
 
Once they got back, the sun was down and Hen knew there would be no moon out tonight. Setting down the indignant cat in the reading room, he sent green sparks out into the dark night sky. Raven and Whisper returned almost instantly.
 
Now that the whole team was present, Hen Runner began his explanation.
 
“I think we may have been approaching this whole pursuit the wrong way. There are two factors that simply don’t add up. First is the fact that Twilight and the Elements have apparently fled, while three of them have left their pets behind. Normally that wouldn’t mean anything, but it might be relevant because of something that happened last night when I discovered Twilight’s treachery. I didn’t recognize her when at first, so I didn’t have a personal barrier up when I tried to stop her from escaping. She could easily have killed me, given the element of surprise, but she did not. Given the circumstantial evidence we’ve uncovered so far, sparing me might have been a deliberate decision on her part.”
 
“Are you saying… she wanted to be discovered?” Whisper Winds asked.
 
“How should we proceed then, sir?” Iron Feather asked.
 
Hen Runner folded his arms behind his back and began to pace back and forth.
 
“The Cakes said Twilight and the others left town shortly after dawn. The first thing tomorrow morning will be to confirm the pet trend with the other Element bearers. Rainbow Run and Fluttershy reportedly lived alone so Raven Runner and Whisper Winds will go search their houses. Iron Feather and I will head to Sweet Apple Acres. We’ll meet back here at noon once our assignments are complete.”
 
“Very well, sir. But if Twilight wanted to be seen, what does that mean?” Whisper Winds asked tentatively
 
“Right now, I just don’t know, lieutenant ” Hen Runner replied to cream colored pegasi as he pulled on his mustache. “But I think we could all use some rest. That’s an order.”

> Chapter 3: Magic and Potions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

She’s an Evil Enchantress! She does Evil Dances! ... I don’t quite know where I got those lines from. Hell of an alchemist though…

My head hurt, but not like what had been the common feeling associated with it the last few days. I was hungry, having gone too long without eating, and it made concentrating difficult. I didn’t know which day it was. When I was put to sleep, it was afternoon. Now I could see the dark outside the window from where I lay. My hands were bound behind my back, and my feet to one another. I had been placed on a large pelt, similar to that Zecora had put Twilight on, but on the floor. I assumed it was because of a lack of trust, since Twilight wasn’t tied up.

The room was almost entirely dark as well, save for a few candles and an unnerving glow coming from Zecora’s cauldron. It was bright green and in contrast to it, I could make out Zecora’s figure. She was adding various ingredients I couldn’t make out, chanting in some language I didn’t know. Strangely, it didn’t seem to follow the same pattern of speech she normally had.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” a familiar voice asked, but it lacked the smugness or confidence I had come to expect from it. Molly was back, or my hallucination of her was anyway. “Oh my, tied up and bound? I wish I could get in on that, it would be so much fun. If you’d allow me, that is…”

I couldn’t help but stare at the Changeling, or what little I could see of her. Was she- no, that couldn’t be the case. It wouldn’t make any sense. I was just mishearing what she said. Or perhaps the tone she used.

“Nothing to say? Or perhaps you’re just afraid someone will think you crazy?”

No, I thought to myself. I just don’t feel any compulsion to answer.

My attention was turned away from Molly when I heard someone start to move around. Zecora appeared to have heard it too, turning to her right. In light of one of the candles, I saw Twilight getting back on her feet. She yawned and stretched her arms, before her eyes fell to me. I couldn’t tell how long she just stood there, looking at me, but after what seemed like an eternity, she turned to Zecora.

“There are so many questions to be found in my mind right now, but let’s start with the most obvious: Why have you tied up my boyfriend and stripped him of his clothes!?”

Glancing down, it struck me as strange that I hadn’t noticed that myself. Save for whatever was used to bind me, I wasn’t wearing anything. Why hadn’t Molly reacted to that? Or maybe she did.

“Twilight, stand clear. For if you interrupt, his soul will stay forever corrupt. You must leave this matter to me; it is his only chance he will have to be free.”

“He can’t be free if he’s tied up on your floor!”

“Twilight, please keep calm, I have no wish to inflict further harm. The cure needed is a powerful potion; hard enough to prepare without all your commotion. If I brew with carelessness or haste, all efforts will be a waste.”

“Wait, what!? What are you talking about?”

“Twilight?” I spoke, a tad duller in my tone than usual. Damned drug. As I began to speak, I remembered my own reaction to waking up. “Are you okay? What do you remember?”

“That we…” she hesitated, unsure of whether or not she was saying the correct thing. “We were investigating the Changelings? Then… I don’t know. I don’t know how we ended up here. I thought I dreamed abou- dear Celestia, it wasn’t a dream was it?”

No one answered. No one needed too. Twilight fell to her knees, quietly sobbing. Zecora helped her to her feet and onto a stool. My gut turned at the sight, and I cursed Zecora for tying me up so I couldn’t give her a shoulder to cry on. As soon as Twilight was seated, Zecora returned to her cauldron.

“Boyfriend?” Molly decided to speak up again. I ignored her.

**

After what seemed like an hour, or more, Zecora stopped chanting and adding to the cauldron. Twilight had been silent since a few minutes after receiving the bad news. The light reflected in her face revealed that she was, more or less, without any expression. She didn’t even cry. Just an empty stare at the floor. Occasionally she blinked, but even that seemed to move at a slow, irregular pace. At one point she had to close her eyes and rub her fingers against them.

I tried my best not to look at her. Every time I did, I was struck by the contrast of the girl before me with the one I had seen in the tunnels. There she had been willing, while not eager, to abandon her friends. It was almost cold calculation of what would be better in the long run. I had to assume that she had steeled her mind for this as best she could in the time leading up to our descent into the caves. One slip up, one moment of honest reflection on what she had done… if this was the result, I pitied her. And I had a hard time dealing with the sight of it, even more when the filth in my veins was the issue most pressing.

I flinched when Zecora came over to me, not saying a word. She took a hold of my arms, forcing me to my feet and guided me over to where Twilight had been lying. I tried to accommodate her, but she moved me with so little regard that I had enough trouble just holding my balance. Before I was put down on the bed, my binds were cut. I hadn’t noticed the dagger Zecora held in her left hand before now. She took an empty flask from a shelf, filling it with the concoction from the cauldron. By now it had gotten a murky orange color to it, and it reeked like rotten fruit.

“Any final words, Changeling Thrall? Any goodbyes? Or will silence be all? I do not ask for appearance’s sake; you will likely never wake. I hope you’ve made your peace, one way or another, you shall have your release.”

I looked over at Twilight. She looked away, deliberately avoiding my gaze. Then I nodded. No need to bother her with a forced farewell. I had done enough reminding her of what was real. I felt Zecora take a firm grip of my jaw, forcing it open, and pouring down the potion.

The taste was worse than the smell, making my jaw twist and struggle to shut itself, but Zecora heeded this no mind. Like the potion itself, my vision became murkier, and eventually I stopped struggling entirely. Try as I might, I couldn’t even lift a finger by the time my vision went dark.

A short, searing pain shot from my stomach, but subsided right away. I felt like I could move again, and my vision returned. Or maybe I were just able to open my eyes. Looking around, I wondered how long I had been out. Zecora and Twilight were sleeping. Getting to my feet, I didn’t want to wake them, so I moved as quietly as I could towards the door. I was just going to step outside for a few moments. Whatever had happened with the potion, it left me restless and sick of Zecora’s home. I just couldn’t stand the stench of the potion that still lingered in the air.

Outside my mind felt clearer, no longer clouded by the thick, awful aroma. It was still dark outside, but the moon was full this night, reflecting more than enough light for me to see clearly. Instead of sitting down like I had originally intended, I started pacing back and forth. I couldn’t help but feeling restless. I couldn’t sit still for the life of me.

I couldn’t worry much either, I realized. I assumed it was just a side effect from the potion, but at the moment I couldn’t bring myself to care about the situation we were in. Sure, Celestia was gone and so was most of Twilight’s friends, but I couldn’t feel down. I felt… I couldn’t really come up with a good word for it. Renewed? Probably. It felt like I had had a good night rest, a massage to get out all those pesky points of tension in my body and freed my mind from all worries. My body had to be celebrating the recovery by giving me a hormonal cocktail. Or maybe I was just high as Carl Sagan. Which would be pretty damn high. Regardless of the cause, I could get used to this feeling.

I found myself walking further and further in each direction as I paced. I had to fight the emergent urge to explore some of the forest around me. From what I had seen when I walked through it with Zecora, it was very different from any forest I had ever been in. Could it hurt to take a quick look as long as I stayed to the path?

The still reasonable part of my brain told me that, yes, that’d be a very bad idea. I didn’t know shit about this forest. And what if it was a magic forest? Finding my way back could end up being more or less impossible.

On the other hand, the other, significantly stronger part of my brain said that it wasn’t worth worrying about. We had survived the poisonous cure, so a stroll should be fine. But maybe I should leave a note. Huh, my mind making a compromise with itself? Odd.

In through the door again, I started to look through the various dressers and shelves for an empty piece of paper and something to write with. It didn’t take long before I found some parchment, a pot of ink and a quill. Something I had become increasingly used to write with since I ended up in Twilight’s bedroom.

Out for a walk. Probably back soon. If not, you should probably come look for me. I don’t know my way around this forest.

Looking at the note, I felt happy with myself. Except one little part of my mind which told me I was being a fucking asshole, but that part was quickly muted by the relief of getting to stretch my legs.

Leaving the house, and stench, behind, I looked for the most promising looking path. There were three or so going from Zecora’s house. The one to the right of the door looked like it offered the most light, so I went with that one.

The sounds of the forest were enchanting. Zecora had been right about little stirring in the day, but now it was busy as a city street. Strange, but soothing birdcalls, cricking of insects, fireflies flying in formations whose meaning was only known to them. A low growl, replaced by a whimper and paws running away from me. Somewhere to me left, in between the trees, I could see someone sitting by a fireplace. My first instinct was to head in that direction. So I did.

“Well met, stranger,” I said to the figure, confident and friendly. “Mind if I sit down? I was just out for a stroll.”

“Feel free. My warmth is for all who traverse the Everfree.”

From the voice I could hear it was a woman. I associated the voice with youth, beauty, a friendly disposition and, for some reason, Twilight Sparkle. She wore something akin to the cloak Zecora had, hiding her face and most of her body. What I could see of it, parts of the legs and arms, had a familiar brown color to it.

“What brings you to the Everfree, stranger?” she asked, staring into the flames.

“Oh, just on a visit. But I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to take a trip outside. I heard it mentioned that this place is livelier after nightfall.”

“You’ve heard right, all manners of secrets come out from the dark depths of the forest when the City Dwellers crawl to their beds.  Secrets not even the Great Zecora can fathom. Ah, dear sister, you’re back. Had any luck in the black of night?”

Another figure, dressed like the one already sitting by the fire, approached and sat down. Her voice was similar to that of her sister, but the association, oddly enough, turned to Pinkie Pie. 
Despite my carefree attitude, there was a part of me that found this strange. This newcomer didn’t seem to be anything like Pinkie Pie. She appeared to be calm and relaxed, not overly excited and all over the place.

“No, sister, no luck tonight. But I see you’ve fared better.”

“I really have not, dear sister. He was friendly enough to come sit down all by himself.”

Odd exchange, but it didn’t bother me. Not much anyway. I could have sworn I was wrong about the associations I made to these people.

“A willing participant? Most curious.”

“I don’t think he knows what we’re even talking about, dear sister. But I am sure he won’t mind keeping the two of us company for the night. Do you?”

“I do, actually,” I said, still confident and friendly in my tone. I didn’t pay much attention to what they said to one another. “I should go back in a little while. Don’t want to make my friends worried and all.”

“But you can stay for a little while, yes?”

The one who was here when I came touched my hand firmly, but gently, communicating that she didn’t me to leave. I blushed a little at the touch, for reasons beyond me.

“Sure, a little while should be fine.”

“Perfect.”

Even in my current state, I felt a chill run down my spine when that reply hit. The voice I associated with Twilight no longer was anything like it was. There was someone else that came to mind, metaphorically slamming me back to reality and snapping me out of whatever drug induced euphoria I had been trapped in. Molly, that fucking cunt of a Changeling.

I yanked my hand free from the woman, getting to my feet as quickly as I could. Neither of them seemed to follow what happened right away; by the time they reacted to me running away from them, I had already made it past a few trees. Not long after, I was back on the path, running in the direction of Zecora’s hut. Throwing a glance behind me, I didn’t see anyone pursuing.

With my heart beating in my chest, I felt I almost tore of the door as I rushed inside to wake up Twilight and Zecora. What met me on the other side was… I had no idea how to describe what had just happened. I was standing in the entryway to a familiar looking room, a room that should have been somewhere not here. How the clubhouse of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had found its way into the Everfree Forest wa-

“Damn!”

From the window on my right I heard a voice I was pretty sure I shouldn’t be hearing. My voice. Looking back to the bed, I saw a sight that I had become intimately familiar with some time ago.

Sweetie Belle and Babs Seed were on the bed, seemingly unaware of me. Babs had her feet tied and her hands tied behind her back, laying on her stomach with her hindquarters in the air. Behind her, Sweetie Belle stood on her knees, forcefully ramming a strapon into her ass. She had turned and waved for someone to come in through the window.

It was a surreal experience watching myself repeat the steps from before, down to the point where I leaned in to manhandle Babs. I could practically hear her whisper to me that we should turn the game on Sweetie Belle. But it wasn’t Sweetie Belle anymore.

Where Sweetie Belle had been, there was another figure. A taller figure, with skin jet black and a snake-like tongue. Her wings were that of an insect, buzzing barely audible to me. Babs’ eyes had something different about them too, when she looked back. There was a feint presence of a green glow to them.

When “I” walked back behind “Sweetie Belle” and gave her the surprise neck-grip, the Changeling didn’t react like I remembered it had gone down. She laughed smugly, looking over at the real me and gave me a wink, before she went along with the turn of events. She looked to be in a state of bliss when Babs made “me” fuck her ass, and she started with the strapon.

Babs’ expression was the complete opposite of what it had been. Instead of eager and partially sinister, her face was almost empty, save for a submissive flash when “Sweetie Belle” made her make out with her instead of me.

I couldn’t take looking at it. I rammed myself against the door to get it open, falling down from the platform the clubhouse was built on. Instinctively I closed my eyes as I hit the ground. It didn’t hurt, not even a little.

When I opened my eyes again, I was laying on my back, leaned against a tree, in the middle of the day. Above me, I saw two mid-teen girls, Scootaloo and Applebloom, looking down on me. Between them, the Changeling smirked down at me. Applebloom and Scootaloo had the same empty, submissive expressions I had seen on Babs Seed.

Jumping to my feet, I was prepared to push them out of the way, but I passed right through them. Looking back, I once again saw “myself” in a position I had already been in. I turned away as fast as I could, walking in a random direction.

It felt like it only took a second before I reached Ponyville, but it had to have taken longer. It was afternoon. At the edge of town, I saw “myself” again, but this time there were no Changelings. Only Scootaloo and Applebloom, pleasuring me with their mouths. Their expressions from the lake scene hadn’t changed at all.

“Bad dreams?”

The scene before me thankfully changed when I heard the voice. I couldn’t have been more grateful for this to happen. Luna had called me back to her throne room. She was sitting on the throne, smiling down at me. Not smugly or smirking like the Changeling, but with understanding. She looked exhausted.

“I- yes, very bad. Awful, in fact.”

“Then I am afraid this meeting will not leave you feeling any better,” she said, losing her smile in the process. “I fear I carry grave news, about what has transpired in Canterlot since you left.”

“I know,” my answer came before she was able to continue. “Celestia has been replaced by a Changeling. And I have bad news for you; Twilight’s friends have been captured.”

Luna looked like I had hit her in the face. Her mouth remained open for a time. She tried to keep a stoic expression, but the sorrow crept through.

“That… this is news I could never- I could never have anticipated that,” she said. Her voice was on the verge of breaking down to tears and wailing. Something I couldn’t blame her for. “That makes what I have to share a great deal worse. Your list of allies is shortening, and fa-“

Luna stopped talking and jumped to her feet. Running down the steps from the throne, she passed right through me. Turning around, I saw that a new figure had started to materialize in the room with us. The way Luna reacted to it, I assumed this was not simply part of my dream. Luna positioned herself between the two of us.

The figure formed into the shape of a man on his hands and knees, looking as if he was in severe pain. Beyond that he had long, black hair and wore a red cape, I couldn’t see much of him. Luna and I watched him for what felt like an hour before he was able to stand up. Luna’s stance said she was ready to pounce on him the moment he made the wrong move.

The man was tall, at least as tall as Celestia. His hair was pulled back, leaving the horn in his forehead visible. It was dark grey, fading into red. He had dark grey skin, contrasted to the lighter grey of the metal of his armor. Quite handsome and intelligent looking, with broad shoulders and a strangely alluring face. A strong jaw, straight nose, and high cheekbones. When he saw Luna and myself, he appeared worried.

“You have no right to be here!” Luna yelled, shooting a beam from her horn. By reflex he raised his arms to cover for his face, but when the magic stopped in front of him, he looked more confused than anything. A state he seemed to share with Luna. Then she grew angry. “By the power and privilege of the Moon, I banish you from this dream!”

She held up her hands towards in a ritualistic fashion, but the magic that came from them had about as much effect on him as the previous attempt. I wasn’t sure what to think about this.

“Nightmare Moon, a pleasure as always,” the main replied, now confident and with a smile on his lips. “Up to your old tricks, are we? Trying to find more obedient servants to hasten your return? Haven’t you learned by now, that forcing fate only ends in pain?”

“I am Nightmare Moon no longer!” Luna screamed at him.

“Oh?” the man looked a little uncertain for a moment. Then he smiled again. “How unfortunate. It seems whatever threat you may have been died with your previous form. I’m sure the story your defeat is a glorious tale, but I’m afraid I no time to bask in your humiliation. Begone!”

He raised his left hand, creating an orb that struck Luna. It had a deep purple color, surrounded by a dark mist. The same magic I had seen in Twilight’s eyes when she had struck down Molly.

“Now,” the man turned his attention to me. There was a certain annoyance to be found in his tone. “While I am pleased to see that the Cult is still working to spread my magic to every corner of the world, I must decline once more to reveal the secrets of my power to them. Until they can return me to life there is nothing you can give in return that would be of value to me. Now wake-up and release this tired dead king from your dream. And be sure to tell your Masters that I will no longer tolerate intermediaries. If they want to deal with me, they will have to come themselves. If they lack the sense to even send a unicorn in their place, then it’s no wonder the Night Mistress was able to detect you.”

I raised an eyebrow in return. What the hell was he talking about? Which cult?

“What masters?” I blurted out. Was he referring to Molly and the Changlings? Nothing about this made any sense.

“Oh, don’t tell me that…” he apparently had seen this reaction before, getting more annoyed, though it felt less directed at me. As he continued, his voice dripped of condescension. “Well if that’s the way it is, then allow me to dispel any falsehoods you may have been told. Those really nice people who picked you up from the gutter, or wherever they found you. The things they promised you: power, wealth, love or whatever they said to entice you. They were lying to you. They are using you as a conduit to communicate with me, so they can learn the secrets of the Crystals. They are actually part of the Heart Cult, and they want to use my powers to kill the Heavenly Sisters and establish themselves as gods. Now that you know the truth, feel free to wake up so I can go back to my rest. If you’re lucky, your death should be swift once they realize you have failed and become nothing more than a lose end.”

“Are you going to say anything that makes any sense what-so-ever, or are you going to continue to delude yourself in a fantasy of cults for the rest of the night?” I got more than a little irritated at his tone, shooting back with what sarcasm I could muster in my confusion of what he was talking about.

“Wait, no, hang on,” he put his right hand to his forehead, rubbing it. “The Heart Cult was destroyed by the Phoenix Guard… around the time of the Great Prophesy. That was something about a Madman proclaiming that a commoner would one day be elevated to the rank of Alicorn Goddesses. That was… at least 300 years ago.”

“Not very bright, are you?”

“Why don’t I hunt you down, kill you and see how well you handle the task of keeping a grasp of time and place? No? Didn’t think so,” a flash of anger made his eyes glow green, before they returned to normal. I noticed that he had a natural red color to them. “But if they’re gone, that means you’re in league with a hedge wizard of some sorts. Or working with the Princesses. Now, which one is it? Are the Princesses actually trying to contact me? I assume not, given Luna’s reaction. Shame I cannot harm her in dreams. Would make my life so much easier.”

He began sentences so fast that I didn’t even have the time to start a response before what could be best described as the “proper time” for me to speak, when he closed his trap and silently invited an answer. So I did

“Neither. Who in blazes are you, anyway? Why the hell are you in my dreams? I’ve had enough if you bastards invading my mind already!” some of the anger that had built under my surface came to show. A lot of it, in fact.

“Oh, fantastic…” the stranger looked more discouraged by the second. “I’ve been bound to the mind of a bloody amateur who doesn’t have the faintest clue about anything. I’ll have to be sure to remove any evidence of this incident once I return to the physical world. This is simply shameful.”

“Get it into your thick head already: I. Didn’t. Summon. You.”

The man scoffed and walked away. As he did, the room changed. It remained a throne room, but now everything was made from crystal. He sat down on the throne.

“If you’re going to tell a lie, at least try to make it consistent with the evidence. Even a she-troll with head trauma knows that much.”

“Fuck off, will you?” I followed him up the throne and pointed my finger right in his face. “If you really want to know what is going on, it is as simple as this: I was poisoned. Someone tried to cure me. The cure knocked me out and now I’m talking to some asshat who thinks he is better than everyone else!”

“Wait, poison?” his disposition changed immediately, to a more curious and less arrogant. “Which poison? I know my magic reacts with certain alchemical processes, but I’ve never heard of it forming a summoning spell of this magnitude.”

“You know what? I’m not going to tell you,” I retracted my finger and started to walk in the other direction. It gave me a good feeling to know he wanted to know something I knew, but wouldn’t get to.

“And why is that?” The room was turned so that I was walking in the direction of the throne again.

“Because you’re acting like an arrogant asshole and I want nothing to do with you,” I stopped walking. The two of us just stared one another down.

“Fine,” he said. Then he started laughing. “Kid, I got to say, I like your guts. Even in dreams, anyone who dared to summon me was fearful of threading on my toes. So you’re either the most reckless or the most ignorant person I have ever met. No matter. I am Sombra, rightful lord of the Crystal Empire, at your service. I’m interested in how you got the attention of the dear Night Mistress, if you don’t mind telling me.”

“You mean Luna?”

“Oh, so you’re even on first name basis? Interesting. Yes, I mean Luna.”

“Why do you care? You two seemed to hate each other.”

“Oh, don’t worry, we do. A great deal of bad blood between us. Mostly due to her role in killing me, but also about my cultists and her cultists killing each other to prevent the other from returning. But most about her killing me.”

“And why would she do that?”

“You’re joking, right? I was, and am, an ambitious king who never swore fealty to the Sisters of the Heavens. Introduce me to one ruler who claims to not have any enemies and I’ll show you a lying bastard. You think Luna or her sister would allow another kingdom to remain out of their ‘enlightened’ rule? Please.”

“I guess you’d be some kind of hero in your own telling then?” Sarcasm dripped from my words. He just laughed again.

“Me? A hero? Heroism is for soldiers. And fools. And poems. But mostly soldiers,” he grew more serious. “No. unlike Celestia, I am not so insecure that I need to claim noble intentions to justify my ego. By the time the sisters tried to kill me, Celestia actually believed her own propaganda. Did you know that Nightmare Moon was only created because Celestia was arrogant enough to claim all the love from their subjects for herself? I could almost pity poor Luna her exile had she not done the same to me.”

“I… did not know that,” I admitted, unsure if I should trust him. I remembered that I had never met the real Celestia, but if she was anything like the Changeling impersonator, she had struck me as wise and tempered. Was that really just a show? Then I started to remember what Twilight had said about Luna and Celestia never being completely honest with her. The Changling had also been rather presumptive when she examined my body. If the real Celestia was like that when it came to getting what she wanted…

I pushed the thought form mind. Something else came up though; I had heard the name Sombra before. “Why do you say they killed you? As I was told, you were banished. And if you’re here, you can’t really be dead, can you?”

“Ah, Celestia’s euphemistic phrasing to hide the fact that she and her sister failed to kill me. Let me show you what happened.”

The scene around us changed to a balcony overlooking the crystal city. In front of us there was a second Sombra standing, completely unaware of us. He was looking down on something. Then a blast from the skies nearly hit him. I could see Celestia and Luna fly towards us, shooting more beams. Sombra fired back with his own magic, but retreated into the palace as the balcony started to crumble.

“Why should I believe your side of this?”

“History is written by the victor, Dream Host. I’m offering you a view of events from my perspective. Believe what you wish. After all, you haven’t seen the factors that lead to this confrontation.”

“Like what?”

“Hmm, interesting that you should ask that question,” Sombra said. “But story time is ove. You’re waking up.”

**

I clasped for breath, feeling a pain in my chest. I opened my eyes, finding myself back in Zecora’s hut. Both she and Twilight were standing over me, with relieved expressions on their faces. I noticed a pendant that had been placed around my neck. Twilight looked tired, and there was a visible crack in her horn.


> Chapter 4: Night in the Everfree Forest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

Who is Sombra, and why is he in my head?

“Thank Celestia you’re okay!”

I was swept up in a hug by Twilight. I didn’t notice at first; my mind had yet to overcome the crack right down the middle of Twilight’s horn. What had happened while I slept? Zecora was silent, picking up a scroll from a nearby table, scribbling notes on it like she was possessed. Only when I felt a searing heat pressed against me did I react to the hug. As I reflexively pushed Twilight away, with a small groan of pain, I noticed that it was the amulet that hurt. It was shaped as a lion’s head.

“Geez, what is that thing?” I mumbled while I moved my hand to take the damn thing off.

“No!” Twilight grabbed my hand before it could reach its destination. I looked up at her with curiosity, and my heart fell in my chest. I had a strange feeling about what was going to come next. “The amulet, it is enchanted. We…”

She stalled, presumably waiting for me, or maybe Zecora, to say something. I didn’t, and Zecora had only briefly looked up from her scribbling when Twilight shouted at me, before going to back to writing whatever it was she felt was so urgent.

“We- there was a, a complication,” Twilight finally said, not looking me in the eyes. “Your body, it didn’t react well to the potion Zecora made. You were shaking profusely, and started to suffocate. She,” she pointed to Zecora. “said that these were the signs of a failed cure. I couldn’t…”

She stopped, but Zecora had taken an interest in what we were talking about.

“A Changeling’s poison has a mean streak; each person’s body and mind is quite unique. With a potion this complex and strong, there is much that could go wrong. Each ingredient must be tailored to your Head and Heart, or the mixture will simply fall apart.”

“And you had no way of knowing all the variables,” it wasn’t a question, but a statement. I didn’t try to hide my disappointment, but that didn’t mean I blamed her for not being able to cure me. She must have though she was working on borrowed time when I told her how long I’d been poisoned. That meant waiting to customize the cure for me was out of the question. Zecora nodded and went back to her scroll. “Then how am I alive?”

“The amulet,” Twilight said, hesitantly. “I enchanted it so it keeps the poison and cure from entering your heart and brain. I don’t think it is a permanent solution, I couldn’t risk trying to get any of it out of your body, but it should keep you going ‘til we find another option. I’m just glad we’re not seeing any side effects.”

“Hmph,” I let out, without thinking. If the amulet had caused this Sombra to manifest in my head, then this was probably no better than Zecora’s “cure”. I had half a mind to tell her what had happened, but there was something that nagged in the back of my mind. Even If what Sombra had said about the Princesses wasn’t true, was telling Twilight I had seen him really the best idea? I knew nothing about this Sombra character, nor did he seem to want something. Perhaps with the exception of me leaving him alone. Seemed like a pointless waste of energy to worry about him too, at least until he actually did something.

I saw that Twilight raised an eyebrow at me with an annoyed expression. “Sorry, I just have a headache. It wasn’t directed at you.”

“I feel this conversation might go far and wide; if you need me, I’ll be back in time. This house is protected from view, stay inside and so are you.”

The striped lady had finally put down her quill, looking like she thought herself to be the fifth wheel on the wagon. A feeling I had shared since I got involved in this stupid Changeling business. Without another word said, she was gone, slamming the door behind her.

“What was that about?” I asked, without really expecting an answer. Twilight looked to the floor.

“I thought I was alone when the cure started to fail,” she began. “I couldn’t just let you die, like I left the others. So I used the magic of Sombra to keep you alive. I don’t even know how long that will last…”

“I guess that makes us even, then?” I said, with a halfhearted wink. I wasn’t in the mood for jokes, but I couldn’t take where this conversation was going. Not right now.

“Ha ha ha, very funny,” Twilight rolled her eyes. It looked like she could burn through concrete with her glare alone. “Before you decide to make any more snarky comments, maybe you’d like to know that because I decided to save your life, there is a chance I can never use magic again!?”

I had to look away. That hurt, a lot. Not her being angry with me, because I had expected a less than pleased return for the comment. No, what made my insides twist around uncomfortably was the price of my life. I had had a bad feeling about it ever since I saw the crack in her horn.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“You didn’t what? Think it was such a big deal!?”

“No, I didn’t know what it’d cost you to keep me around!” Both Twilight and I had raised our voices, almost to the point of shouting. I continued more calmly, perhaps submissively so. “I just didn’t want to talk about it. I just wanted to be able to forget about this whole damned thing for a few minutes. It’s like I said in Cel- when we were in Canterlot; I’m not like you. I’m not a hero. And if it cost you your magic to keep me around, I wish you hadn’t.”

She forcefully embraced me in a tight hug, tightly holding on to me. I couldn’t see her face, but I felt the tears silently coming forth. She whispered.

“Just don’t leave me alone. I’m nobody without friends and family.”

“It’ll… be alright.” All I could do was to hold her, stroke her hair gently. We both knew that what I said was hopefully naïve at best. But, sometimes, maybe it was better to believe that it would be, if for no other reason than to allow yourself a moment of comfort.

We just sat like that for a while, not making the faintest sound. I cursed the Changelings for this whole thing in my head. And why was I even here? It was like a fluke accident. But, then again, why right now? Was there more to the timing than an accident? I doubted that. Or I would, if I had had any clue as to how I got here in the first place.

“I- I need some sleep,” Twilight let go of me after what seemed like an eternity. We didn’t look one another in the eyes. I nodded. I needed some air.

My clothes had been left on a table on the far side of the room, and as I finished putting them back on with a series of hesitant movements, I started to make my way towards the front door. I mustn’t have paid much attention to where I put my hands, since I suddenly felt something in my hand. It was glass, so I assumed it was a potion. But then I looked to see and saw my hand were empty. The feeling of touch disappeared immediately after. I had to be more tired than I thought.


**

Zecora was nowhere to be seen, so I simply chose the root that had the most appropriate height and sat down, enjoying the breeze that moved through the forest. My feet were dangling just above ground. Much to my disappointment, though it was surely for the best, I didn’t see anything that stood out around me. While Zecora had said that the forest was livelier after dark, it remained quiet and serene. Perhaps the borderline yelling had driven the creatures away. Or maybe Zecora had. Where was she anyway?

The time ticked away. I couldn’t tell how long I was sitting there without anything more interesting than my own breathing filled the air, and I was fine with that. Boring was a nice change of pace, but it was a double-edged sword.

With nothing to distract me, I found myself thinking about the events of the last couple of days. How the coincidences had allowed me to turn the tables on the Changelings by pretending to ask Twilight out on a date, only to have it convince her as well. How “Sweetie Belle” had taken me by surprise, even after “Applejack” had been exposed. Rarity’s breakdown and subsequent pretense that she was fine. Twilight’s sudden, though not unwelcome, claim to be my girlfriend. And, most of all, what had happened after we entered the tunnels.

Cursing Rarity, I tried to turn my mind to something else, but it failed. Why did she have to press the situation as she did? We could have prepared more, instead of walking straight into what could only have been an ambush! But no; she couldn’t wait long enough for that!

A pang of guilt came from my gut. I wasn’t being fair. Rarity had been emotionally compromised from the word “go”. How long had “Sweetie Belle” had an influence on her? And the way she attacked the Changeling after she had been revealed, Rarity must have been distraught to learn that her real sister had been abducted.

Then again, a part of me said, I never heard Rarity say anything of this. Twilight was the one who had claimed it was Rarity that made it a pressing concern. Had she had her own reasons to want to get that over with early? No, I didn’t believe that. She had seemed as worried as I had been about going after Molly so soon.

“Hey,” Twilight’s voice came from behind, followed by the almost inaudible ‘click’ of the door being closed behind her. She looked like she had gotten more control over her emotions, which surprised me. Whatever had been agitating her had to be rooted deep inside.

“Hey,” I said back, giving her as genuine a smile as I could muster. She was blushing. “Come on over and sit down.”

She did as I asked, avoiding to look me in the eyes as she did. There was something hesitant about her movements. Something gnawed on her. I assumed she was nervous about talking to me. I was nervous about talking to her, and I knew full well that I would be in her shoes too. After that blowout earlier, while it passed, there was still some tension between us. For my part it was because I didn’t know how she had reflected on what had happened. I could only assume it was much the same for her.

“Look, I’m so-“

“Don’t be. I shouldn’t have tried to laugh off what you tried to say, just because I didn’t feel like talking about it. It was selfish of me.”

I cut her off, more rudely than I had intended, but she didn’t take offense at it. I think she understood. In fact, I think she was laughing me off inside her head. She had gotten this devious little smirk on her lips.

“I wasn’t going to apologize for that,” Twilight seemed to have found something to lighten her mood about this situation, but I could hear the nervous undertone of her voice. “I know I was right about that.”

“Then what?” Dumbfounded, I tried my best to figure out what the hell was going on in her head. If not for the blowout, what could it be? Bringing me into the tunnels? Would make sense, but also be contradictory to her behavior.

“This,” her reply came fast, followed by taking a hold behind my neck and leaning in for a kiss. Once I had got–ten over the initial shock, I relaxed as I patiently waited for her to finish what she started. Instead of kissing me, however I was suddenly pushed backward. Sitting on a root, it wasn’t hard to get me off balance even if twilight wasn’t very strong. I flailed around, trying to spin around and catch myself. While managed to cushion the impact of my head, the rest of me landed hard stomach first on the ground.

“Hey!” I groaned. It wasn’t particularly painful, but it was rather annoying being tossed around like a rag doll again. It like that had had been happening ever since I came to this world. This time I just decided to just go with it and see what Twilight was up to. I noticed that she had climbed on top of me, sitting on my bum and leaning forward with her hands on my shoulders. At first I thought she was trying to pin me down. Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw that the hesitation was gone from her eyes.

Instead Twilight let her hands move down my back, maybe a centimeter at the time. I could probably have shaken her off me, but something drove my curiosity about what this was all about. She stopped at some tense spots on my back, massaging them, before she continued. It made me feel a lot more relaxed.

I closed my eyes. While I was on the ground, I didn’t mind. It wasn’t hard, nor dirty. Just grass under us. Between the massage and the soothing night breeze, I felt myself completely forget about the Changelings for the first time since Canterlot.

When she reached my lower back, I heard her beat her wings two or three times and the pressure from my back disappeared. Seeing my opportunity to move, I rolled over. Twilight was in the process of taking of her shirt.

I practically jumped to my feet and locked her in a kiss. Hastily, still keeping out lips together as much as possible, we moved towards the front door. My back slammed into it instead of slowing down, and as soon as the door knob was turned over, I fell through the door. I thought I was going to end up on the floor, and I would have, hadn’t Twilight used her wings to stabilize us.

We had to move slower once we were inside to avoid upending Zecora’s flasks, but we were focused on kissing than walking. I found myself being the one who walked backwards. My hands were at her chest and at her ass, cooping a feel as best I could through the clothes. 

Her hands had moved from my back to in between my legs, fiddling with the button and zipper.

The back of my knees felt the edge of the bed. Between my legs having nowhere to go, my pants starting to fall down and Twilight still pushing me backwards, I was forced to sit down. She smiled at me, making a gesture towards her pants.

I barely had time to get them down to her knees before she decided she had waited enough and turned around. She pulled her panties down too.

“I… want to try it… like this…” some of the hesitation from before was back, if only for a moment. Quickly I took the remaining step to get the joystick out in the open.

Twilight sat down on my lap in a position that made me hog dog her ass. It felt good and I wanted to continue doing it for a while longer, but instead I reached my arms around and took a hold under her thighs, lifting her up and backwards. She fumbled with her hands for a few seconds, before she got a hold of my erection.

Between Twilight barely ever having had sex and her pants preventing her from spreading her legs, it was a tight fit. If it hadn’t been for the relentless force of gravity, I might not have been able to get myself fully inside without several tries. Slowly I lowered Twilight down on me, met with moans, and somewhat unwelcome movements from her wings. The first time the wings moved, it took me by surprise, making me slip up a little. Two inches plunged into her before I regained control over her movements, met with a stunned “oh!”.

By the time my entire length had entered, we were both breathing heavy. It had been a slow process. As I was sitting now, I had little chance of moving, split between keeping the two of us balanced and the unfortunate position of my legs. Twilight had little more chance for moving.

As best I could, I started to make small thrusts and circle motions with my hips. Any and every motion had a reaction from Twilight, be it a moan or an attempt to do something back. The more I moved, the more intense she became.

“Ah!” she tried to suppress it, but it had to be loud enough for anyone in the clearing outside to hear her.

“Heh,” I spoke with little more than a push of breath. I wasn’t on the edge yet, so I tried to continue what I was doing. Twilight, however, rolled herself off me, tipping us both over to the side.

“We should… totally do that again…” she smiled. Like me, she seemed to have been able to push the thought of her friends from her mind for a little while. “Oh…”

Twilight saw my member still ready for duty, blushing. “I better take care of that. Looks…”

She pulled up her pants, to allow her to move easily, and got out of the bed. I still sat on the bedside. With some hesitation, she sat down on her knees in front of me and spread my legs further. At first she took a firm grip and slowly jerked me, but then she appeared to get an idea.

As she still had her bra on, she used a hand to pull it out from her body a bit, creating a gap between it and her chest. With her free hand, she guided my erection in. Once done, she shifted her hands to the side of her breasts, pushing them together. Slowly, with half an eye on the work she was doing and half an eye on me to see if I enjoyed it, Twilight moved up and down.

When she was sure I did in fact enjoy myself, she stopped glancing up at my face. Instead, she positioned herself so that every time she moved down, the tip of my cock entered her mouth. When it happened, she halted and used her tongue to lick it. First just on the underside, then on the tip and, after a few repeats, she used her tongue in a circle around the whole head.

“Twilight…” it got harder and harder to hold back. When I said her name, she correctly took it as me being close. In response, she pushed down a last time and kept me in her mouth, alternating between the tongue techniques she had been using. I didn’t have the option to let go; she made me lose control before I could.

I didn’t know how much I let out, only that Twilight kept herself from pulling away until I was done. She struggled and gagged a bit, but ultimately managed to swallow it. . She looked up at me with an expression that said she wasn’t sure if she liked it.

“I… think I’ll spit the next time…”

“Yeah,” I replied, somewhat distantly while I got my pants back on properly. I decided to add something. “You didn’t need to swallow for my sake though.”

“I know, I just-“ Twilight sat down in the bed next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her. “I did some… research… after I heard about you getting involved with some of my friends, and it appeared that guys really liked it when girls... swallow…”

This “research” sounded a lot like she had been watching porn, I thought to myself and had to stop myself from chuckling. I didn’t think they had something equivalent to the internet here, or if they did I hadn’t come across it, but I was sure that her library covered topics of every sort.

“Wait, why did you research it when you heard I… you know… with some of your friends?”

“Well, I-“ sitting up straight again, Twilight’s eyes were fixed on the floor. Her hands were stroking the same length of hair over and over, as if she didn’t even know she was doing it. “I hoped that since- since you were living in my house, we’d… sleep together. I never had a boyfriend before, or even a guy close enough to trust… during the season. And since you were the new guy in town, I hoped that I could… kinda claim you for myself… Wow, that sounded selfish and silly…”

“Oh.” It was all I could say to it. Then I shook my head and gave her a wink. “You should have said something. I wouldn’t have spent so much time running around town if I knew.”

“I… tried,” she was blushing, still staring at the floor. “But I was so nervous that I just ended up doing work all the time. And then Pinkie Pie came and took you out to see the town… and I couldn’t really say no without her getting suspicious… then I couldn’t get myself to go through with it the first time I got the courage up to share a bed with you, and-”

“Wait a minute,” I interrupted her. “You said that you got your hope up after I got involved with your friends.”

“Erhm… ha ha… I- I must have misspoken…”

"I don’t think so. You had fantasies about getting a guy all to yourself without competition, didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry! I know it is selfish and stupid! And it isn’t just because of sex I’m w-“

I held up a hand when she started to apologize. I had to laugh a little at her, which made her look like she felt a little better about it.

“Hey, don’t worry. Nothing wrong with a little jealousy or fantasy. And it is not like you’ve written erotic fiction about it, right?” I added the last part as a joke, but found my eyebrows occupying the upper levels of my forehead when her response was an inaudible mumble and avoiding my gaze. “Really?”

“I-“ she was playing with that strand of her hair again. “I kinda…”

“Haha. I need to read some of that sometime.”

“You would do that!?” beaming up, Twilight put a hand on my lap, looking me straight in the eyes. “For real? And you’re not just saying that to tease me?”

“And pass up a chance to see what sort of perversions go on in that head of yours? Not gonna happen, Miss Sparkle. Besides, what kind of a boyfriend would I be if we didn’t explore some of your fantasies?”

I gave her a wink and put my arm around her again. She smiled and returned to the position we had shared before, resting her head on my shoulder. One of her wings stretched out and around me. We both knew that sooner or later we had to return to the worries of our situation, but for now we just sat there, enjoying a real moment of relief, instead of the mutual pretension we had shared earlier.


> Chapter 5: Nightly Surprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,
We cannot stay here forever…

It was a strange feeling. I was smiling. Despite everything that had happened, I was smiling.

“So?” I asked, smirking at Twilight. She had had her eyes closed ever since her head landed on my shoulder. She appeared a little confused as she opened them and looked at me. “Weren’t you going to apologize for something?”

“I think I did,” after a good natured roll of the eyes, she closed them again. I nodded to myself. She sure made a great apology.

“Yelp!” Twilight jumped to her feet, covering her bra with her arm, while looking around for something. Someone had opened the door and was on their way in.

“Are you looking for this shirt? Next time; don’t leave it out in the dirt,” Zecora threw Twilight’s shirt to her with a shake of her head. I could sense a laugh being hidden behind her words. I found myself blushing and avoiding her eyes. Twilight reacted much the same way, and tried to mumble something. She was interrupted by the striped lady. “There is no apology or explanation required. I was young once too: I know what transpired. With hormones so strong and confrontational tone, I decided to leave you two alone. I am glad to see that I was right, you’ve clearly moved passed the cause for your fight.”

It made me a little uncomfortable to know that Zecora spoke about this so casually, though I couldn’t figure out exactly why it did. Maybe it was because she viewed sex as a solution to a problem, rather than something to be enjoyed for it’s own sake. But she wasn’t exactly wrong, or, at least, I couldn’t think of an argument against what she said.

“Where did you go?” I asked. I had been curious about that earlier and that feeling started to find me again.

“To collect a plant that blooms under the moon; your need for privacy was most opportune.”

 “What sort of plant?” my girlfriend sounded interested. I didn’t find that surprising, given the chemistry setup at her home.

“An ingredient in a potion called the Owl’s Nightly Stare; a task that would last during your romantic affair.”

Again with a reference to what we had been doing. I had to think she enjoyed teasing us. Distantly I said “uhuh” or something to that effect.

“Where are you going?” Twilight asked me. Without noticing it, I had started to move towards the door. I stopped to think about it. Where was I going?

“I just want some air,” I said.

“I’ll come with you. I think I need some too.”

Zecora was left alone, smiling to herself. Before we shut the door behind us I saw that she was emptying the satchel she had carried with her. Purple leaves fell out on to the table.

**

Outside it was much like before. The breeze hadn’t changed at all, and no other creatures were there to disturb the clearing’s serenity. I sat down on the grass with my back against Zecora’s tree house. Twilight sat down beside me.

“How did you do it?”

“Do what?” she replied dumbfounded. My mind wanted me to ask how she had been able to leave her friends behind, but my mouth had taken on the responsibility of keeping the peace.

“How did you save my life?”

“I suppose what you really want to know is how I learned the spell,” I nodded in response to what she said. Twilight continued, with a tone that somehow denoted both pride and shame. “I… had to learn how to use Sombra’s magic to stop his return. Even then I knew I was only scratching the surface of its potential. His traps and tricks seemed impervious to conventional magic. Sombra was even able to block my brother’s magic with his. So I asked if Celestia to teach me more about it…”

“Did she?” I waited a few seconds after Twilight had stopped before I asked the question.

“No. She said some magic was best forgotten. So I started to experiment myself.”

I didn’t say anything to this, but it struck me as strange. She had always given me the impression of unfailing devotion to Celestia, despite not always being pleased with her secrecy. Was there more distrust there than I had first thought? Or was it nothing more than refusing to give up on knowledge?

“I asked Rarity and my brother to try to cast that type of spell, but they couldn’t do it, so I had to keep studying with what little I could do myself. Since Sombra had temporarily crippled Shining Armor before, I wondered how it would affect normal magic. Turned out it dispels it. It is the strangest thing since the time-travel spells.”

“Dispels it? That’s… I don’t know how I feel about that. It must be strange to know about if you have magic,” the comment about time-travelling was something I let go. If she had known how to do it, I was sure she would have used it for something by now. Or suggested it.

“Shining found it terrifying that something like that exists, saying something about it being a major threat to the Royal Guards. Rarity suggested we tried it on Cadence’s magic.”

“Why?”

“Because Cadence is an alicorn. Their magic is different than ours.”

“But aren’t you an alicorn?” the question blurted out of me.

“Not for long. I’m not able to do magic like that yet. I’m not even as powerful as my brother… I mean, I can do more types of magic than he can, but his barrier spells are second to none. He could protect a whole city with it, against the Changelings. And he could easily break any barrier I could create.”

“And you wondered what made this magic so powerful?”

“Yes, precisely! I didn’t want the knowledge to go to waste, because I knew I might need it someday. It didn’t effect Cadence’s magic more or less than conventional magic, but I already knew that.”

“But, how did you learn how to- I don’t even know what you did to save my life, not really, other than that you use it to control the poison. How?”

“Well… magic is sometimes an ingredient in potions. Some spells are made to either force a reaction that would require more heat or a dissolvent agent that couldn’t be added without, for example, ruining other ingredients. So I thought I’d try out how that magic worked on ingredients. It was… odd…”

“Odd? How so?” I tried to edge her on. I remembered Sombra saying something about this. Maybe Twilight had some answers.

“It seems to unlock properties of potions and ingredients that isn’t there otherwise, and it seemed to be able to - what is the word I’m looking for? Control? Something akin to that – to control them better? I don’t really understand it yet. I’m like a pioneer in a new field. No one has studied this magic since Sombra ruled the Crystal Empire.”

“Except Celestia?”

“… yes, except Celestia. And I don’t think she’s studied it, only remembered.”

“But, how can you can do this magic and Shining Armor and Rarity couldn’t?” I felt like I had missed something here. Or maybe I had just forgotten something.

“I- my talent is magic,” she gestured to her hip. I remembered the strange tattoo-looking things they called Cutie Marks. Twilight sounded humbled and proud at the same time. “And not magic like my brother, whose talent is magic meant to protect. I mean all magic. It is… quite rare. Only other one I know of in history is Starswirl the Bearded.”

“Oh…” what was I to say to that? It did answer my question, sort of. It was a strange concept, being good at being good at things. It’s like when someone who doesn’t know how an RPG works tries to spread out his or her experience points evenly over every skill set. That usually ends up ruining the game, but since Twilight and I were the only ones left, I guess the rules are different in real life. “I see.”

“Yeah…”

“So…” I began. I wasn’t sure why I was about to say what I was going to say, but something drove it out. Perhaps guilt for her horn, or Rainbow’s last words? Or maybe spending time with Twilight had sparked something in me, something I wasn’t familiar with. “When do we start?”

For the second time, she looked at me with a certain level of confusion. Again I had asked a question without giving the context. I had to stop doing that.

“When do we start on saving your friends? We’re not gonna stay here forever, are we?”

I could see Twilight fighting back a tear, and her voice became a little thicker as a result, if only for a few moments. It was accompanied by a smile.

“I- I don’t know. I don’t even know where to start…”

“Hmm,” I said. As Celestia was an imposter, she would undoubtedly send someone to the library once she heard news about our escape from the tunnels. But how long would that take? “Can’t we take a trip back to Ponyville? We’d have to hurry, but we might learn something?”

“Well, I could use some of my books,” Twilight reflected. She didn’t sound sure about it. “We’re going to need the Elements of Harmony sooner or later too, so we’re going to have to find a way to sneak into the castle and break the seal on the vaults.”

I could only assume she meant the one in Canterlot, which sounded like suicide. But she didn’t say we had to do that right now: Rescuing her friends came first.

“Do we know that they will keep your friends in the same tunnels?” this struck me as an obvious thing to consider. If they knew we knew, they would surely do something about it.

“No, so we’re going to need divination spells too… Yes, I think we need to risk going to the library.”

“I am sure your friend has his charm, but are you convinced he won’t lead you to harm?”

“Thank you, for the vote of confidence,” I retorted to Zecora. It was hard to say when she had joined us outside. She seemed to move much more quietly than Twilight and myself.

“I am sure you’re perfectly kind, but are you sure the Changeling is not still in your mind? And if that phrase is something you can conceive, is there a reason for me to believe?”

“I… appreciate your concern, Zecora,” with a smile Twilight turned to her. “But even when he was under the Changeling’s influence, he still managed to outsmart them. He saved my life. I trust him.”

My instant reaction was to make a mental note to tell Twilight to please stop portraying it like that. How many times would I need to remind her it was coincidence that let me do any of it?

“I apologize for doubting you are what you appear,” Zecora gave me a bow. “I am only trying to protect someone I hold dear.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, though it did sting a little. I could never be fully trusted again, could I? “Would you help us get in and out of Ponyville unnoticed?”

Both Twilight and I looked at Zecora hopefully. I didn’t know much about her, but any help was better than none. Besides she had managed to sneak up on me when we first met. I considered that a good sign.

**

Zecora led us through the forest at a brisk pace, avoiding the paths. Occasionally she would stop and look at the ground, or a nearby tree, before continuing. The forest was filled with various sounds, many among them birds and wolf howling.

I couldn’t help but try to look at almost every plant we passed, while keeping up with the others. There was something foreign about them, but I couldn’t quite say how. Maybe it was just the dim light playing tricks with my perception, but it looked like many of them either stretched after us, or tried to get away.

More than once we walked into holes of sorts. The ground seemed to lower itself for a few meters, before it rose again. I wouldn’t have thought of them as anything more than small changes in terrain if Zecora hadn’t changed our direction every time we walked into one.

“Why don’t we use the paths?” I whispered.

“The creatures that maintain these paths can be quite dangerous and shrill; these forests are not frequented by those from Ponyville.”

“And they mostly come at night… mostly”

She nodded to my response, but didn’t say anything further. She only put a finger in front of her mouth to indicate that I should stay quiet. That was just great. Good thing she had agreed to come along.

**

Maybe an hour or so had passed when we reached the outskirts of the forest. There were only a few more meters of forest and a bridge between us and Ponyville proper. It looked as though no one was outside.

Silently it was agreed that Zecora would go first, to see if there was someone waiting for us. All we could assume was that if the Celestia imposter had sent someone to the town, they didn’t know she was helping us.

As she crossed the bridge, a loud sound pierced the air. Zecora froze up, while Twilight and I scuttled in back the trees again. My heart pounded heavily in my chest when I peeked out. Zecora had started to move again.

While I watched Zecora, I couldn’t help but think about the sound. I assumed it was an animal, but which? Hadn’t sounded like any bird I knew. It was a shriek. She waved for us to follow.

Twilight and I ran over the bridge, wanting to spend as little time in the open as possible. Once we rejoined Zecora on the other side, the three of us continued into Ponyvile. We stayed close to the walls of the houses and in the shadows when we could.

The moon had started to set and the light disappeared quickly. Maybe three houses down the line, it was hard to say for sure, Zecora ran off ahead down an alleyway. I cursed to myself.

“Is someone there?” the light in one of the windows came on, right in front of us. Twilight thought quickly and embraced me so it would look like we were making out, while at the same time pulling us away from the window. The one in the window stuck her head out, trying to pierce the darkness. She had dark purple skin and a two-tone pink color in her hair.

Whoever this was, she was looking right at where we were standing. Her eyes, however, didn’t seem to focus on anything. Maybe we weren’t visible. After an eternity, she removed herself from the window and closed it. I could feel my shoulders climbing down from my ears. Twilight remained still.

I cursed to myself again, thinking about Zecora running. Where had she gone? And wh-

“Twilight!?” I had completely forgotten the door behind me. The voice from earlier sounded aghast. Letting go of Twilight and turning around, I tried to put on a ‘oops, we got busted’ face, hoping that her reaction came from being surprised at Twilight being out here with a guy at this hour or day. “Wh- what are you doing here?”

“Cherilee, I-“ Twilight’s voice shook, but she sounded glad that it wasn’t someone else who had found them. “I’m just out with… with my boyfriend. I didn’t know we woke you up… he he…”

“Right, okay. I’ll just… go back inside and pretend this never happened,” Cherilee’s expression didn’t change at all as she back away slowly, always keeping her eyes on Twilight.

My eyes were drawn to something behind her; a shadow approaching. Once it entered the light, I saw it was Zecora. I was about to gesture to her, when she pushed in with her foot at the back of Cherilee’s knee, forcing her down, and placed her arm around her throat, while the other applied pressure from behind. Mere seconds passed before she was out cold.

Zecora didn’t say anything, only gestured for Twilight and I to help her carry Cherilee inside. Every fiber of my being wanted to yell at her, ask her what the fuck went on, but my brain had enough reasoning power left to acknowledge that this was a conversation we couldn’t have in the street with an unconscious woman among us.

**

Once inside, we left Cherilee in her bed at Twilight’s insistence. I laid a hand on Zecora’s shoulder as we were about to leave again. I spoke with little more than a whisper.

“What the hell just happened? She was going back inside!”

“Her reaction did not sit right with me; Cherilee was terrified, that much I could see. Do you not think it a little bit queer? That the sight of you two filled her with such fear? I think it would be wise for the rest of the night, that you two should try to keep out of sight.”

“Zecora is right,” Twilight came to her defense before I could try to explain away the woman being afraid at night. “She works at the school; she’s used to catching people sneaking off for some… fun. I discussed it with her once, when she came in and asked for some materials on sexual education…”

I raised my eyebrow, signaling her to get to the point.

“She was afraid… of me…” saying the words out loud seemed to hurt. “And she shouldn’t have been. Surprised, yes. Not fearful.”

“Then we should go back. Screw going to the library and find somewhere else to get the knowledge we need. Something isn’t right here.”

“No,” Twilight shook her head. “I know which books in my library I need, and I don’t know where else to get them. There are copies in the Canterlot Castle library, but the Changelings would be waiting for us. And the big cities are too far away.”

“I- ok,” I wanted to protest, but decided against it. I knew I should, but I couldn’t, despite fresh knowledge of the catastrophe that had hit us because we took risks only the previous morning.

**

We managed to get from Cherilee’s house to the clearing of the tree library without running into anyone else. Ponyville seemed to be fast asleep. I hoped that since Cherilee would wake up in her own bed, she would dismiss what had happened as a strange dream.

Twilight’s home looked quiet. Making as little noise as possible, we hasted over to the front door. I could hear a feint “Who!” from the inside. Her owl was still alive then.

Inside we saw nothing at first. Without even the stars and moon to provide light, our eyes had to adjust to the dark. I closed the door behind us. I could hear Twilight and Zecora sniff in the air.

“Someone else has been here,” Twilight whispered. It was agreed without a single word said that this had been a stupid idea all along. Slowly we started to move back to the door again.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” the room was lit up. At the top of the stairs there was an older man, in golden armor, walking down towards us. He had a horn. Around him he maintained a magical shield. “I didn’t think you’d actually come back here.”

I tore up the door behind us, but wasn’t met with an escape route. Instead, I got a fist to the stomach from another man in armor. His was wearing black and purple armor and he had wings. I was unable to do anything other than double over in agony, gasping for breath. I felt my hands being forced behind my back and cuffed. Zecora and Twilight backed away from the strangers, further into the library.

“Your horn…” the older man mumbled, mostly to himself. His eyes rested on the large crack than ran down Twilight’s. Two more black armored pegasi had entered the door behind me. One of them, one of the two women, forced me to sit on my knees while she held me by the neck. She closed the door behind them.

The old guy walked towards Twilight while one of the Pegasi, the man who had greeted me with his fist, moved in on Zecora. She responded by taking out a small pouch from under her cloak. As she evaded the first strike, she opened it and gave him a small dose of it. I recognized it as the powder she had used to knock me out earlier. The man’s movements slowed almost immediately, before he just fell over, in deep sleep.

Taking down the pegasi prompted the horned man to fire a magic beam at her. ”Ugh!” Zecora groaned as she was knocked to the ground. Before she could stand up again, the remaining pegasi cuffed her too and kept her down.
 

Shit, I thought to myself, struggling to get free of my own binds as the old stranger approached Twilight.

“Twilight Sparkle, on the authority of Princess Celestia, you are under arrest for the assassination of the Princess of the Night.”

My mouth fell open. Not because of the accusation, or at least not because there was an accusation. Luna had been assassinated? When did that happen? She had entered my dream earlier this night.

“Stand down, Miss Sparkle. It is over.”

Twilight looked from me to Zecora and back again. Fear and guilt was all I could see in her eyes. Her shoulders sunk and she lowered her head, holding out her hands to be bound like the rest of us. I saw a tear fall to the ground and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed silently.

“No!” I didn’t know if I yelled it, or the word merely came in my head. Images of the Changeling Pods we had found flashed through my mind. In them I could see Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, Rarity… it was spinning in my head, faster and faster. When I couldn’t make out any of their faces anymore, the scene changed. Celestia was sitting on her throne, naked. Around her all guards had empty expressions with a green light in them. Twilight was on her knees with a collar around her neck. It was connected to a chain held by Celestia, pulling her in to serve her. Twilight’s expression was as empty as the guards’.

I closed my eyes, trying to get the vision from my head. When I opened them, I was back in the library, but something blurred my vision. Twilight had been bound. Zecora and myself were being forced to our feet, but it all seemed to be happening in slow motion. The old man looked at me with confusion and fear, as did everyone else in the room. I could feel everything in the room, as if I held it in my hands. Then the room started to tremble.

Something blinded me the same moment I felt the floor shacking. Instinctively I moved my hands to protect my eyes, finding to my surprise that they were free.  As I did, I felt a strange heat emanating from my eyes. The same heat was coming from the amulet concealed beneath my shirt.

When I could again open my eyes everything had changed. The library wasn’t orderly. It was a mess, with most of the books having been thrown around the room. Most of them looked badly torn. I felt a breeze come in behind me.

The guard holding Zecora down had been flung into the nearest shelf. Her armor looked liked it had been smashed apart. Apparently Zecora had escaped her cuffs and was getting to her feet.

I took a step forward. Then another. I couldn’t see her, but I knew exactly where Twilight was. She was trapped under one of the bookshelves that had fallen over. The old man, like the other guard I could see, had been knocked out and had his armor had been reduced to scrap metal. I could see he was still breathing and Part of me wanted to find something to plunge into his neck then and there. Better to let him bleed to death rather than become a problem again, but my mind stayed focused on Twilight.

As I began trying to shift the bookshelf away, Zecora came to help me. Turning my head towards her to give her a smile, I noticed an all too familiar purple mist trailing my movements. My heart sank in my chest.

With effort, Zecora and myself moved the shelf, revealing Twilight under it. She was fine, protected by a barrier of Sombra’s magic. How? It didn’t matter. My relief kicked in, knowing that she was fine. At the same time, the barrier dissipated.

“Wh- what are you!?” she yelled at me.

“Not the time, Twilight, trust me! We must get back to the Everfree!”

Zecora took her hand and forced her to her feet, using a knife to pick the lock on her cuffs. Her own must have taken the route of her clothes, which were tattered and torn much like the books. I saw she had gotten several cuts, but none appeared deep. As we turned around to leave, I noticed that the tell tail mist from Sombra’s magic wasn’t there anymore.

On our way out, I saw the guard that had held me in place. She had been blasted through the door, and there was a huge hole in her armor. Her chest was essentially naked and I could see a series of deep wounds. One of them was where her heart would’ve been. To be sure, I quickly checked her throat for a heartbeat. It wasn’t there.

As we ran, curious people came out into the street, only to scuttle back inside quickly when they saw Twilight.

> Chapter 6: Stones in the Green Ocean
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

I just did that. I really just did that…

We ran through Ponyville, back over the bridge and into the Everfree Forest. We didn’t even care about avoiding the path. We didn’t have time.

Twilight’s face, from what I could see between the heavy breathing and frequent glances in every direction, seemed pained and confused. After seeing Cherilee afraid of her, I had to wonder how much it hurt her to see the town she lived in flee her presence.

And the news of Luna being assassinated, the voice in the back of my head added. With her gone too, what mentors did she have left? This bothered me. I wasn’t sure if I believed whoever it was that had been in the library when he said Luna had been assassinated. I knew they were dressed the same way as the guards in Canterlot Castle, but deception had been the order of the day since I got here.

“Wha- what happened back there?” we slowed our pace a bit, not being able to run much further. How long had we been at it? I had no idea. We were deep in the Everfree. I couldn’t see anything of Ponyville. Twilight looked at me. “How did you do that?”

“I- I don’t- I have… no idea,” I spoke between short breaths, trying to get control over them again. We were standing in the middle of the closest thing to a road I had seen in the forest. It took a turn in front of us. “It just… happened… phew… I just need a minute to… catch my breath…”

“We should not linger here; the Timber Wolves are near!” Zecora held a hand up in the air.

“Timber W-,” I began, but she covered my mouth with her hand. Adrenaline was still pumping, so I couldn’t even be mad at her. My brain was still operating out of the “fight or flight” part.

“Wooden Wolves,” Twilight whispered to me, trying to give a fast explanation. I had to raise an eyebrow at that. The idea seemed incoherent. Then again, I had just blasted four guards from Canterlot with a magic spell I didn’t even know I could do. Compared to that, wooden wolves seemed downright plausible. The image of the dead guard seemed to linger in my mind. But, before I could reflect on it further, Zecora started to lead the way again.

**

As we came around the turn, my mouth fell open. A castle stood before us. It wasn’t quite as large as the one in Canterlot, from what I could see between the trees, and it was clearly a forgotten ruin. Nature had started to claim it for itself.

To get inside, we had to cross a meager looking bridge of ropes and plants, set up in between the barely visible vestiges of a stone bridge that had once stood here. A few more years and even that would no longer be visible.

“Why aren’t we going back to… the hut?” I whispered as we crossed. It felt remarkably solid for what it was. That said, I still didn’t feel at all comfortable walking over it, and I refused to look down.

“Many in Ponyville know where I nest; finding another is for the best. Returning to Twilight’s home was a big mistake; such a risk we cannot again take.”

“So, why the big castle in the middle of the forest? Won’t people look here to?” It seemed counterintuitive to be hiding in a castle rather than a hut. Sure it was bigger, but the castle was nowhere near as easy to overlook.

“Most people don’t know about it,” Twilight said. We came out on the other side of the bridge. From here, the castle looked even bigger, and I could see remnants of old houses on the ground. This place had been a town once, with the castle at the center. “I only knew about it because I read lots of old legends and maps. We’ll be as safe here as anywhere. Equestrians have been avoiding Everfree forest for centuries, so the existence of this place has largely been forgotten.”

I was going to ask why, but something told me I didn’t want to hear the answer. An old curse maybe? The way things had been going I would surely trigger something about it if I asked. Better to be ignorant and blameless right now.

“This is where Princess Luna transformed into Nightmare Moon,” it was as if Twilight had read my mind, the way she added on the sentence.

The front gates were unhinged, so we walked straight in. It appeared a lot like the castle in Canterlot did, just worn and falling apart. Rubble and pieces of wall and roof could be found strewn around on the floor. ‘Safe’ was not the word I would use to describe it.

Twilight led us through a few rooms, and up a flight of stairs. We ended up in a large room. It was empty, save for a large statue with five arms at the far end. On our way over to it, I noticed a collection of stone shards on the floor.

“This is where I faced Nightmare Moon, when she returned,” Twilight said distant mindedly. “I had just started to get to know Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Applejack. She destroyed the physical forms of the Elements of Harmony like it was nothing. I was overwhelmed by despair for the coming Eternal Night, until I heard the voices of my friends… sorry, I shouldn’t- I was just struck with the thought that I haven’t returned to this room since it happened. And…”

I could see it on her that Twilight would give anything to hear the voice of her friends again right now. Maybe that was why she had led us to this room? Did she hope to relive that moment?

“Anyway,” Twilight shook her head and got more serious. She turned to me, with a critical look on her face. “What happened back in the library?”

“I told you, I don’t know. I was overcome with a vision or something of you being…” I stopped, that was more than I had intended to tell her. There was no going back now. “I saw you mindlessly serving the false Celestia with a black stare… and a feint green light glowing in your eyes. Maybe it was just an image in my head, but that is the last thing I remember happening before the amulet started to go warm and I was blinded. When I could see again, whatever the amulet had done was already over.”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the whole truth. I had felt everything in the room as if I held it my hands. How could I tell her that I had pushed it all away just by wanting to, when I didn’t even understand it myself?  

“I see,” Twilight just said, looking out of a window. Zecora seemed to have disappeared on us. “It’s just- I don’t know what to think about this. How can the magic in an amulet work like that? Only unicorns and alicorns should be able to use the magic in an amulet like this, and yet you did. It makes no sense!”

She started to pace back and forth, frustrated.

“This is about more than that, isn’t it?”

“Well, I- yes,” she stopped, hanging her head slightly. “With Luna dead, I- I don’t know anymore.”

“I don’t think she’s dead.”

“But the Royal Guard said-“

“And you believe them?”

“You think they lied?”

“I think they were lied to,” I put extra emphasis on the last word. I didn’t think they had lied to us but I didn’t believe Luna was dead. I just didn’t. If she had been assassinated after she visited my dream, how did the Royal Guards get to Ponyville so fast? And if it had happened before she visited my dream, how had she visited my dream? Luna was alive: I could feel it. And I started to suspect that the bad news she was going to share with me had something to do with this.

“I need to talk to someone,” I blurted out, having been absorbed in my own thoughts. I must have interrupted Twilight.

“Huh?”

“Luna, I need to talk to Luna,” it was only half the truth. I also needed to talk to Sombra. He knew more about this magic than anyone. Maybe he knew what had happened? Twilight wouldn’t be much help on figuring out the amulet’s magic. And I still debated with myself if I should tell her about Sombra being in my dreams. No, I wasn’t debating it, when I thought about it further. I was going to tell Twilight everything when I had spoken to Sombra. “She visited my dreams when Zecora gave me the cure. If she’s still alive, she’ll show up again tonight.”

I looked at Twilight. She seemed a bit confused at the direction I had suddenly taken the conversation.

“I’m tired,” she answered me. “Getting some sleep would be a good idea. And if Luna comes to us, it will be all the better. Maybe she can help us plan ahead.”

I nodded, taking her hand.

**

Twilight and I backtracked to the entrance hall, along the way checking every door for a bedroom. She didn’t seem much more familiar with this place than I was, except how to get to that one room.

“Are you worried about Zecora?” I asked. Where had she gone?

“No, why would I be? She said she was going to restock on ingredients. She lives in the Everfree; she can take care of herself.”

“Wait, when did she say that?”

“Just before we entered the ruins. She said she often comes here for the rare plants that now grow wild in the gardens.”

“Oh…” it was all I could say. How could I have missed that? “Sorry, I must have been… Well, good, I just don’t want her to get hurt.”

“Yeah…” she sounded distant as she opened a room. “Finally!”

In what felt like the hundredth room we looked into we finally saw a bed. The room was clearly a bedchamber for someone who had served in the castle, since it only had the bare minimum of personal comforts. There was a single dresser, a stool and a bed that couldn’t have been made for more than one person. If Twilight and I weren’t close, I would have resigned myself to sleeping on the floor.

“Its old and dusty, but looks fine otherwise,” Twilight had started to inspect the bed. It had an old mattress of sorts, made from dried animal hide. “These old beds were made to last. Won’t be as comfortable as my bed, but it should do.”

She smiled at me, signaling that she wanted me to get in first. I decided to leave my clothes on, since there was no blanket or pillow. As I got into the bed, she walked over and pushed the door almost fully shut. A little light still shone in, but it was too dark for me to see much before my eyes adjusted.

Once I was in bed, Twilight came in after me. We shuffled around, trying to find the position that would give both of us the most space possible. I ended up as the Big Spoon, with her as the Small Spoon. It was as good as position as we could hope for, and this way I wouldn’t have to worry about being poked by the horn in the middle of the night. And I couldn’t complain about her hindquarters being pressed against my loins either. I closed my eyes after wishing Twilight a good night.

**

I thought I heard something outside the door. I didn’t know how long we had been lying here. Time was hard to tell. I hadn’t been able to fall asleep yet. I kept my eyes half-closed, peeking out from behind Twilight’s body.

The door opened and in the moonlight I could see it was only Zecora. I didn’t feel how tense I had become before the relief kicked in and I let out my breath again. I hadn’t even noticed that I had held it. She looked at us for a moment, smiling to herself, before she closed the door again.

“Are you awake?” Twilight whispered.

“Yeah. I can’t really sleep.”

“Me neither,” she seemed to press her bum against me a bit harder. “I do… Well… maybe we could try something to… never mind….”

I had to smile at the contrast between this time and earlier. Twilight had gone from pinning me on the ground as foreplay, to being nervous and hesitant. I didn’t say anything in response. Instead I reached around her body, placing my hand between her legs, and gently started to rub against her clit through her clothes.

“You said… said something about exploring my… fantasies, didn’t you?” She referred back to earlier this night, I assumed. I whispered “yeah” back to her, moving my hand into her pants.

“Okay then,” she sounded more nervous than ever. “Could you… me up and… like a…”

I couldn’t make out what she said fully, only a fractured sentence. Her voice had dropped to inaudibility at a few of the worlds.

“What?”

“I… uhm, this is so embarrassing… I- I want you to tie me up and… fuck me like a- like a bitch…”

“Like a bitch?”

“Yeah, well, you know, like using me for your pleasure… ever since Pinkie involved herself…”

I could only imagine how rosy red her cheeks had to be at this point. Was this a common thing among the bearers of the Elements? Fluttershy seemed to have enjoyed something like that too. But, then again, I thought, having power could lead you to wish for situations where you didn’t. It certainly made sense to me as an opposite of the dominatrix behavior Luna had exhibited. I chuckled to myself a bit.

“I’m sorry if that’s too wei-“

“You got any rope?”

I felt her tense up when I whispered my response into her ear, nibbling on it a little. I moved my hand out of her pants, placing it in front of Twilight’s mouth. My index and middle finger were sticky from her juices. Without hesitation she sucked them clean.

“No…”

“So let’s go find some.”

“No, it is okay… you don’t have to do this for me, it is a silly fan-“

“I’m not; we’re doing it because I want to do it,” I was getting a little annoyed with her hesitation. In fact, it made me want to take charge even more. Something hit me; maybe she wanted me to?

I pushed at her so she had to get out of the bed. She resisted me a bit, but budged when she felt I wasn’t backing down. Jumping out of the bed after her, I took hold of her hand and made my way out in the hallway. Checking all of those rooms had come in handy; I remembered a janitor’s supply room that looked mostly intact only a few rooms away. Twilight had this blush about her, and a small smile on her lips. Every time I looked at her she tried to hide it.

In the room I was thinking about we did indeed find some rope. It wasn’t much, but it was still in pretty good shape. Not something I thought Twilight could tear up during this. And, more importantly, it was enough of it.
 
Without waiting for us to get back to the bedroom, I bent Twilight’s arms behind her back, starting to bind them together. I noticed that her breath had grown heavier and that she was oddly stiff in any movements.

“Please, I’ve never done this with a guy before, so-“

“Don’t worry,” I replied, in as sugarcoated a tone as I could. She seemed to relax a bit when I did. As the knot was finished and I was sure her hands couldn’t get free, I pushed her up against the wall, face first. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough for her to feel it. My tone changed to a more sinister one, cutting of her reactionary outburst. “I’ll hold back… a little. I need to get back at you for slamming me into the ground earlier.”

Twilight flinched as I put my fingers in her mouth again, but didn’t say anything. She just did as I wanted and started to suck them. I had enjoyed dominating Fluttershy, but there was something else about this. Seeing Twilight bound and up against the wall gave me a sense of control that I didn’t have that time with Fluttershy. It hadn’t become apparent to me before now, but I realized I had longed for this. Perhaps it was because I really was in control for once, now that Molly was out of my head.

I stood behind her, pressing my erection against her ass through our clothes. Removing my fingers from Twilight’s mouth, I used one of my hands to keep her pressed against the wall. With my free one, I reached up under her shirt, feeling her up from the navel to her bra. I nicked a finger under it, pushing it above her chest. Her nipples were what I was after; with hard pinches and a little twisting, I made her moan.

Grabbing a handful of her breast, I pulled her around to face me. With our foreheads touching, I whispered gruffly: “If you’re not quiet, Zecora might hear us.” She was about to retort, but I stopped her by covering her mouth with the hand that had held her against the wall. I let go of her nipple with the other one, sliding it up her shirt to grab her by the neck. With a quick motion, I forced her down on her knees.

I let go of her completely for a few seconds; just long enough for me to get my cock out of my pants. I didn’t feel the need to undress more than absolutely necessary. Without any further ado, I placed my hand at the back of her head and pushed her mouth towards it. As she opened her mouth without question or hesitation, it struck me that she enjoyed the submissive role a whole lot. She smiled and blushed as my movements gave her directions she could respond to without thinking.

Her tongue moved around my erection, alternating between licking the underside and circular motions around the head, like she had done before. I let her do it for a couple of minutes, before I made another move.

With my hand still at the back of her head, I pushed forward and pulled her closer at the same time. She started to pull away almost immediately, gagging and grasping for air, but I didn’t give her much time to do so before I pushed in again. This time I knew she’d try to pull away, so I was better prepared to hold her in place. I didn’t hold her for too long though. It felt good, but pushing the gag reflexes... this wasn’t the time.

I pulled out of her mouth entirely. Twilight almost seemed disappointed for a moment, until I sidestepped and forced her upper body down of the floor. She was on the floor, with her ass sticking up in the air.

As her pants and panties came down around her knees, I took a grip on her ass cheeks, pushing them aside. I collected as much spit has I could and let it dribble out right above her butthole. Moving one of my hands over, I used the thumb to prod her ass, getting some of the spit in there, as it trickled downwards. Twilight wasn’t even trying to suppress the moans; I could see the juices flow freely from her pussy.

“Ah!”

I put my second thumb in her ass, using it to pull is slightly apart. The act sent shivers through her. I removed one hand to guide my member to the entrance. As soon as I removed the second thumb, I started to gently prod her. A couple of seconds later I put more force behind it, slowly pushing it in as deeply as I could get it. It was tight. Tighter than Rarity had been and even tighter than the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Nnyyaaa!”

The moan cracked halfway through and I saw Twilight go notably more limp. A quick glance behind me showed that she had just squirted all over the floor, and I hadn’t gotten more than half of me inside her. I continued to push, but to no avail. It was simply not possible for me to get it further in. As I pulled myself out again, Twilight looked up at me with half-closed eyes. She looked so happy.

Her look made me push in in her ass again, with greater force. I didn’t get any deeper, but I did get more whimpers. Almost half-heartedly, she got tighter as I pulled myself out again, as if she didn’t want me to leave. I obliged her, by pushing in again. And again, harder and harder. Every time I had to stop at the same point. Before long, I could feel the pressure start to build to the point where I had to hold back. My breath grew heavy.

“Just… one more… try!”

I was determined to get as deep in her as possible with the last thrust before I gave in. After having stretched her ass some already, I managed to get a little deeper, but not much. I felt myself start to cum even before I had to stop.

“That was… fun…” I spoke between breaths as I pulled out and helped Twilight back to her feet. She stood there with her pants and undergarments around her knees until I got the knot untied again. I couldn’t help but stare at the Cutie Mark a bit. The pink and white star with five white stars around it was actually kinda beautiful, in its own way. Not a tattoo I would have chosen myself, but then I didn’t have purple skin.

“Yeah…” Twilight didn’t seem to have much more to say to that. “Let’s… let’s get back t the room. I think I’m gonna fall asleep any second now…”

I nodded in agreement. Whatever had kept me awake earlier seemed to have disappeared from my body now. I let out a heavy sigh as I took her hand.

**

I awoke in the bed I remembered laying down in, but there wasn’t any sign of Twilight. Was I dreaming again? I made my way to the other side of the room. When I opened the door, I was greeted by the throne room I had seen Luna in in the last dream. So I was dreaming. Good. Luna herself was waiting for me on the throne itself. She didn’t look pleased.

“You’re dead?” I asked her. Sombra would likely come any moment now. I had to get it out of the way.

“Yes.”

“Then why are you here, in my dreams?”

“Alicorns are immortal. Only my body is dead. And it will return in another thousand years or so.”

“Ah, Princess Luna. A pleasure. And the Summoner, I hadn’t expected this reunion quite so soon,” I had been right. Just as Luna finished speaking, the tall figure of Sombra appear. He seemed to be in a cheerful mood. Luna scoffed and disappeared in a flash of blue light. “Hmm, I had expected her to put up a fight of sorts, like last time. Did Cer’Lola become a pushover in the last millennia, or is she playing at something else?”

“Cer’Lola?” I raised an eyebrow as Sombra walked up to the throne and took Luna’s seat.

“Old title for the one who just left us. The Night Demon, or Nightmare Moon. Now,” he leaned forward, resting his chin on his folded hands. “What happened?”

“How do you know something happened?” part of me was still determined to not tell him anything I didn’t have to.

“With anyone else I would have assumed you were lying before, but something tells me you have been mostly truthful towards me. I want to know what caused one of the Shards to suddenly activate. Either, by some amazing coincidence, someone capable of using the Crystal Magic happened to activate one merely hours after you summoned me, or you did something to activate it. I’m assuming the later.”

“I have no idea what the Shards are… but something did happen,” I drew my breath. Sombra just stared at me, waiting for me to continue. “W- we were ambushed. We were going to be taken back to the Changelings in chains when I cast a spell. It overpowered the Royal Guards, letting us escape.”

“And ‘we’ means Twilight Sparkle and yourself?”

“So, you’re saying that the spell I casted activated a shard?” I ignored his question. He seemed fine with it. Or did he? He didn’t seem to show much of what he thought at all. It was just a neutral, almost blank, stare.

“Yes, and this presents an opportunity for us,” he smiled. “The Shards are powerful, but useless unless activated. Which can only be done by tapping into the Crystal Magic. The Shards can bring me back to life. Do so and I will help you fight these Changelings.”

“And what else would you do if you returned?” this struck me as unnerving, how quickly he was willing to pledge himself to helping me.

“Take back my Empire from the Fellow Ascended, of course. But if these Changelings have the Alicorns worried, you can be assured that I would have just as much reason to want to drive them to extinction as you do. If they are a threat to the Alicorns, they will be a threat to me. And threats need to be dealt with, before they become a permanent problem.”

“Who is this Fellow Ascended, and why should I trust you to help us if you come back to life?”

“The Fellow Ascended would be the Alicorn going by the name of Cadence, if my memory serves. Like me, she was once mortal. Not so much anymore,” Sombra slouched on the throne and summoned a goblet. After taking a sip he continued. “You’re not required to trust me – by the way, this is the only way I can taste anything these days, so forgive my drinking – but I have this odd feeling you don’t have many other places to turn. I’m a powerful sorcerer, even without the Crystal Heart in my possession, enough to challenge an Alicorn. All you need to do is bring me back to the mortal world, and stay out of my way when I reclaim my throne.”

“Coming from me that wouldn’t mean much,” I said, referring to the last condition. “I wouldn’t be able to keep anyone else from trying to stop you.”

“Anyone in command of the Crystals is a force to be reckoned with, Dream Host. I do not care about the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Now that I have faced them before, I know how to beat them. Kill one and the rest of the Elements will be useless. After that, the only one among them that remains a threat would be the Marked by Magic.”

“And I wouldn’t let you do that!”

“If you say so. All I ask is that you stay out of my way. And if your care about Twilight, you’ll tell her to do the same.” He leaned forward and his eyes narrowed. “For now, either bring me back and we’ll be able to defeat the Changelings together. Once that is done, the Heavenly Sisters and I can go back to trying to kill each other if we choose. Or don’t and lose your best chance at survival. That Luna is dead suggests that the situation is getting out of control for you. What you ultimately decide means little to me. My return to the world of the living has already been ordained; it’s only a matter of time. Ah, but I see that I am overstaying my welcome. Not to worry, I can leave of my own volition this time. You might want to find out what has weakened the summoning spell since we last met.”

Sombra disappeared in a flash of purple and black magic, leaving me hanging. So he wanted me to return him to life in exchange for help against the Changelings. I really had to hear what Twilight had to say about this.

“So the Betrayer is gone,” I turned around. Luna had appeared once more. “What did he want?”

“He offered to help us defeat the Changelings in return for bringing him back to life.”

“I warn you,” Luna seemed worried. “Sombra has a heart devoid of compassion. He cares only for his own power. He’ll be your enemy the moment you’re no longer useful to him.”

“I know, he said so, but,” I hesitated. “But he also had a point; we don’t have anyone else who can help us.”

Luna shook her head.

“And he’s certainly powerful enough to beat them isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is. His is the rival of the Alicorn. He could be a great asset in the war against the Changelings, but that will only lead to another war with him. I cannot say I think it will accomplish anything,” she shook her head again, giving me a concerned look. “I am glad it seems I was wrong about you being in league with the Betrayer. For now I will meditate on what to do next, but you should wake up. Twilight will want to speak to you. I am afraid I already told her that Sombra was in your dreams. She was angry, but I asked her to not wake you up. My most sincere apologies if I caused a rift between the two of you.”

“A lot of fucking good that would do. You really are terrible with relationships, you know that?” I mumbled. In response she just rolled her eyes and disappeared again.

**

I opened my eyes. The moonlight was shining into the room. The door was open, and I could see Twilight standing by one of the windows in the hallway, back turned to me. I got out of the bed and walked over to her.

“Hey…”

“Luna told you?” the response was cold, but not hostile. I had expected her to yell at me. I affirmed. “I thought she would do that. Said she needed to talk to you about it.”

“You’re not mad?” I couldn’t believe she was being this calm. I laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Of course I am mad,” she brushed my hand aside, gently. She didn’t raise her voice, but when she turned to me I saw she had cried. “But I’m more hurt that you didn’t trust me to tell me right away.”

My insides would have felt better if I were burning alive. Anger would have been easy to deal with, or easier anyway. This calmer, disappointed Twilight made me feel much worse.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve. I…” My words just trailed off, trying to find the right words to say. It was hard, but eventually I found a way to tell her the truth. I took a deep breath. “I was afraid. I was afraid of what would happen if anyone else knew. I almost died when Zecora freed me from Molly. The last thing I wanted then was another intervention. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course I can. I still love you. I just want you to trust me the way I trust you. Don’t be afraid to tell me anything. You don’t have to be afraid of me leaving you because of it. If the Changelings, or Sombra or anyone else are trying to influence or control you, we can only fix it together. You don’t have to do it alone. You can’t.”

‘Love you’, the words felt unreal, as did the rest of what she had said. Was that why I had hesitated to tell her? I made a sound that I felt got an affirmation across. I didn’t do anything else to move or speak. I just stood there, staring out at the moon beside Twilight.

> Chapter 7: Day Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

The future has become uncertain, more than it already was…

The rest of the night had been spent in a restless sleep, untouched by the presence of either Luna or Sombra. The last time he had appeared, Sombra said he could now decline the summoning, and I was glad he chose to do so this time. It was uncanny knowing that I was summoning a spirit into my head every time I feel asleep. Or maybe he never left? Luna seemed to come and go as she wished.

That morning I woke up first. When I sat up, I saw Twilight lying beside me, closest to the wall. I felt a sting in the back of my mind. She hadn’t pushed the issue, but it still bothered me. I didn’t feel she had gotten over me not telling her the truth about Sombra. I bet it also hurt to hear it from Luna instead of me. If she had been angry and yelled at me, maybe it would have felt like the issue was settled. But then Twilight had been relatively calm the last time she was angry with me, and she had certainly gotten over it quickly. Maybe she was just a calm, rational person? I tried to think about something else; I was getting a headache.

“You’re awake already?” Twilight mumbled at me, with her eyes halfway closed. She looked tired. I affirmed her question. “Ugh, I should get up too… We need to….”

Twilight fell asleep again. I moved my hand over and stroked her hair for a few seconds, before I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead, by the base of the horn. I noticed she tried to hide a smile. Not fully asleep then.

Feeling a bit better, I stood up from the edge of the bed. I wondered where Zecora was. She knew where we had slept, but as I didn’t know where she spent the night, looking for her in this castle would be futile. Chances were I’d get lost.

Instead, I walked out to the middle of the room and sat down on the floor. The sun was up, but it was still low in the skies.  In the long beam of sunlight coming through the window I began to ponder our current predicament. I spared little thought for the tears my clothes had gotten, but what we would eat was a larger concern. We hadn’t brought anything with us, save for Zecora’s knapsack of alchemical wonders. I doubted that there would be any food stored here, and if there were, it would be molded.

“Miss Sparkle, it is an honor to finally meet you. It is a rare pleasure for such a lovely young woman to be an admirer of my work. And the Conduit; when I summoned you, I couldn’t have foreseen what would happen.”

I threw my head around, looking for whoever said that. The voice had been low and tickled in the back of my mind, like a song you couldn’t get out of your head. I jumped to my feet and ran over to the door, looking outside. Empty. So was the room we were in, save for Twilight and myself.

“What’s wrong?” I looked back to see Twilight coming out of the bed. She seemed worried at my sudden behavior.

“Nothing, I’m fine…” my answer was distant, as my mind hadn’t fully caught up to the question yet. It was still busy trying to figure out what the voice had been. “Wait, no, I’m not fine. I heard a voice. It sounded like it came from within my own mind.”

“The Changeling?” her eyes turned vigilant and I could see her listen for anything that might be what I was talking about. I shook my head. No, it had been a man’s voice; that was for sure. That hadn’t seemed to be a problem for shape shifters, or I assumed it wouldn’t be, but Molly had always kept herself female with me. “Sombra?”

“No, someone I don’t know.”

“What did it say?”

“Miss Sparkle, it is an honor to finally meet you. It is a rare pleasure for such a lovely young woman to be an admirer of my work. And the Conduit; when I summoned you, I couldn’t have foreseen what would happen.”

As I finished, I hoped she would have any idea what that could mean, but she looked as confused as I felt.

“Who is the conduit?”

“I dunno, it didn’t say anything after that.”

“You think that, maybe, someone are trying to contact us through you?” Twilight didn’t look like she believed her own hypothesis. “It sounded like this ‘conduit’ is a person. But for what?”

I didn’t know what I should believe. Twilight seemed to accept the words so quickly, but I hadn’t even convinced myself I didn’t just dream them up. Then again, I couldn’t dismiss that they weren’t just a delusion. Molly had made sure of that, and Sombra hadn’t made it any better.

“Do you think you’re conduit?”

“Well, I- what?” the idea hadn’t even occurred to me. Me the conduit: what sort of sense did that make?

“I mean, you’ve kinda become a conduit for Sombra’s magic, and- I don’t know, that’s probably a stupid thought…”

That made some sense but the way the voice had referred to the Conduit made me doubt it.

“But I wasn’t when I arrived here. The voice said it summoned a conduit, but I only started seeing Sombra a day ago.” I pointed out, rubbing the ridge of my nose a bit. “So I don’t see how it could be me. Luna said she couldn’t even enter my dreams before Molly bit me. And even then she only appeared after we confronted the Changelings the first time.”

“Yeah…” Twilight’s tone was hesitant, like she was thinking.

“You don’t have any idea who it could be?”

“Hmm, what?” she seemed to have missed my question. “Like, who said that?”

“Well, it sounded like they were someone you would know, if you admire their work.”

“Yes, but- I don’t know, most of them aren’t alive anymore. Few great sorcerers live today, and most of them are still just trying to live up to the old standard set by Starswirl.”

“Then what about Starswirl?” I was probably far off with that guess, but I felt I had to say something.

“He has been dead for hundreds of years.”

“Oh…” I really wish I knew more about these people and their world. It might have come in handy before now. Something hit me as I thought about it though. “Why do you assume it is a sorcerer?”

“I don’t know of anyone else who could have telepathically communicated with you.”

“Wait, you can do that?”

“No, but there is some work being done to try to figure it out. And if it is someone I admire, it’d almost certainly have to be a wizard of sorts.”

I nodded in response. There wasn’t much more to say to it. I just hoped it was a daydream, or something along those lines. Between Molly and Sombra, I wanted to get back full ownership of my mind.

> Lost Chapter 2: Arrival, Departure and Aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A heavy moan broke into the darkness. A pair of hand, soft-skinned and smooth, slowly moved across his stomach, working their way down between his legs. They made a point to start at the base of his shaft and pull up as far as they got, before they came down again.
 
**
 
“Ugh,” Shining Armor woke in the back of the flying carriage. Despite having to ride it several times in his career, he had never quite gotten used to them. Flying should be for Pegasi.
 
“Bad dreams, Sir?” a woman looked down on him. They had had to leave in the middle of the night, after the news of Luna’s assassination had reached them.
 
“Yeah, sure,” he said, but didn’t move. In his head he finished the sentence with “that’s as good a lie as any”. No, the dream wasn’t the problem. The problem was his sister. Or maybe the other Princesses. The news had been delivered by a Wonderbolt Messenger sometime after dawn. What the hell had gotten into everyone’s mind? Whoever it was that had identified Twilight as the perpetrator had a lot of questions to answer. Preferably while being chained in a dungeon under charges of treason against the crown.
 
Knight-Sergeant Hen Runner was the alleged witness. A good man, Shining had thought, if getting a little old for his job. What would prompt a man with an implacable service record to do something like this? To Shining’s mind, there was only one thing.
 
Celestia may have declared that the Changelings were no longer a threat, but to him they had never ceased to be a reality. Even now Cadence suffered the nightmares. She wouldn’t tell him what had happened, other than being trapped in the caves, but the hesitation he sometimes could glimpse in her eyes when they were intimate…
 
Intimate. He hated using that word to describe it. It hadn’t felt like it was intimacy there ever since the wedding. It was just sex. No, not even that. It was Cadence putting her own needs aside to please his, pretending to be fine, and getting insulted whenever he wanted her to do what she wanted and not what she thought he wanted. He had mostly gone with it to keep the peace in the palace while encouraging her to get help. If not from a professional, at least from her aunts.
 
He shook his head. He didn’t have time to think about his personal life right now. The Changelings. That was what was important. He remembered little to nothing about what had happened to himself, but if it was enough to get him, he doubted anyone else in the damned Royal Guard had a chance. And the only explanation for a rogue Twilight was a lying or bewitched Royal Guardsman.
 
Or a bewitched Twilight. Or a Changeling imposter, his brain told him, letting his heart descend to his gut and beyond. Or that. But regardless, he needed to get his hands on Hen Runner to get to the bottom of any of this. And Twilight. Or the one pretending to be either.
 
Canterlot appeared on the horizon.
 
**
 
Shining and the guard stepped off the carriage on a landing platform within the castle limits. Waiting for them was a tall, blond white-coated man wearing a tuxedo. He had a rose behind his left ear, as he usually did. He stood with his hands folded behind his back.
 
“Dismissed,” Prince Blueblood said to the guard. Shining noted that he was alone, something he didn’t believe he had seen before.
 
“Aren’t I supposed to be in charge?” Shining asked, not very friendly and raised an eyebrow.
 
“From dawn tomorrow, yes. Until then, I was appointed to be the regent for the regent. To give you time to settle in. But we are getting ahead of ourselves,” Blueblood smiled and reached out a hand. There was a playful and teasing tone to his voice as he continued. “The Soldier. Not enough skulls for you to bash in the Empire?”
 
“Blueblood,” Shining responded. He only shook his hand for a second or so. Deciding to humor him, he added “How did your last date go?”
 
“I think ‘cognitive dissonance’ is the only way to describe it, I fear. He was a true gentleman and had everything perfectly planned to the last detail… until we got to the bedroom. I would say it was a let-down, but that would imply that he actually got up.”
 
“Ever considered that was your doing?” with a smirk Shining glanced around. No one else in sight.
 
“Now, now, dear Shining,” Blueblood just laughed. “Are you sure you want to stroll down this road one more? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed watching you squirm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone quite so embarrassed before or since.”
 
The smirk, along with most of the blood, disappeared from Shining’s face, much to the pleasure of Blueblood.
 
“Have no worried, my dear Soldier,” he continued, now being the one with the smirk. “I haven’t told anyone. Nor will I.”
 
“And I suppose you have a price for that?” Shining would give anything for Blueblood to be stricken with amnesia about what had happened that night.
 
“No, I do not. I wouldn’t for the life of me do anything to undermine Cadence’s claim to you. Her obsession with you in the past alone is enough to make me want to stay clear of getting involved in that, save for teasing you. We are the only ones who know, and that is how it will stay.”
 
“What do you want?” he was tired of playing games. Couldn’t the Prince for once just come out with his intentions openly?
 
“Only what is best for the kingdom.”
 
”And how will this benefit you?”
 
“You’re paranoia does you no credit, Shining Armor. You are not prepared for the challenges of ruling Equestria. That is why I am here.”
 
“I’ve been ruling the Crystal Emp-“
 
“At Cadence’s side, whom, I remind you, have been trained to be a monarch. You’re a military man, and I would not dare undersell your qualifications as Knight-Commander of the Royal Guards, but this is politics.”
 
“Well, you- so what do you propose?”
 
“Simple. I take on the role of Regent Steward for the time of your reign, counseling you on the proper course of action and assuming responsibility for whatever tasks you consider fit. Transparency of my actions will be absolute, so you’ll be able to step in or review anything you see the need to.”
 
“And I need this why? I could appoint anyone to be Regent Steward.”
 
“Let me tell you something, Soldier: The nobility have been restless, at best, since the reappearance of Princess Luna. It was only made worse by the resurgence of the Crystal Empire and before the dust could settle on any of these changes, your sister becomes an appointed monarch herself, with no word even spoken about it to the noble families. There have been many shifts of power in recent years, Shining Armor, and none of them were met with smiles. Twilight Sparkle may be a celebrated hero, but a commoner nonetheless. And now she has assassinated the Princess of the Night. You are both her brother and a ruler of the Crystal Empire. You perfectly represent everything that makes the nobles uncertain. You’re going to need all the help you can get, and the only one who can offer you the validation you need in these times is someone of Celestia’s and Luna’s blood. You need me, and I am offering to take on this responsibility with no cost to you. I expect you to be present at the Council tomorrow morning, at dawn. Good day.”
 
He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but he could only stand there. He noticed that his mouth had been left open, so he closed it.
 
**
 
As Hen Runner regained consciousness, he became aware of another sensation beside the throbbing pain in his head and chest. There was a warm feeling that seemed to be coming from beneath him. He tried to place in his mind as he winced and prepared to open his eyes. Thankfully it wasn’t intense enough to be fire and not wet enough to be incontinence. The closest he could come up with was that it felt like a candle in a dark room looked. Strange, very strange.
 
He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand in a futile attempt to block out the spots of light behind his eyelids. He knew he couldn’t put off his return to the conscious world any longer. Hen did not fancy the disaster he was sure to find.
 
He blinked several times until the blurs became recognizable shapes. Thankfully it seemed as though someone had brought a lamp so Hen could see once his eyes refocused. He realized that he was lying on top of an overturned bookshelf, looking up at the ceiling. ‘Well at least the building is still standing. Not even my shield could have protected me from an explosion that powerful.
 
He grunted as he tried to prop himself up on his elbows. The prodding of the shelves against his back was replaced by the sharp pain of cracked ribs in front. His head was swaying like a fishbowl next to a train station.
 
“Don’t try to get up too fast. You aren’t in danger anymore.” Hen Runner felt a hand on his shoulder. He tilted his head up to see who the hand belonged to. It was connected to the arm of a middle-aged woman with pale amber skin and gray hair. She looked down at him with concern behind gold half rimmed spectacles and a simple red night robe.
 
“Where is Twilight?” he asked.
 
“Gone,” she said sadly. “She, Zecora and the Stranger were seen fleeing back to the Everfree forest.”
 
‘Damn,’ Hen was torn between disappointment and relief. Obviously, it would have been a problem if he had woken up with the Stranger standing over him, but it was going to be hard to explain to Canterlot how he had let her get away. There were going to be a lot of hard questions, and Hen knew he wouldn’t be able to answer all of them.
 
He turned his head to examine the destruction caused by the Stranger’s spell: It was bad. The library was all but demolished. Every bookcase had been knocked over and their contents strewn across the floor, most of them either blown apart or burned. Even the chemistry set on the table in the center of the room had been shattered. Hen looked down to see his armor hadn’t faired much better. It was so singed and dented that he was surprised the Stranger hadn’t blown a hole through it. That was worrying, Hen was sure he had at least tried to activate his shield when he saw the Stranger’s eyes and chest started to glow. And yet the spell had torn through his defense as if it wasn’t even there. He knew the others were not as fortunate as he had been.
 
Hen spotted two of his comrades almost immediately. Whisper Winds was across the room, lying on her front with her head turned to one side. He couldn’t see the condition of her armor, but it was probably as bad as his. Thankfully there didn’t seem to be any blood pooling beneath her so chances were she has still alive. Hen Runner guessed that the blast had knocked her body against the wall behind her and she had collapsed on the floor unconscious. As he looked on, two young women gently raised Whisper into a sitting position. One pink skinned and blue haired and the other blue skinned and pink haired, a color scheme that made Hen Runner suspect they were twins. They had to handle her gingerly as one of her wings was broken. Hen was relieved to see that her chest plate, though dented and burned like his, was still un-punctured. Thank Celestia for small favors.
 
Iron Feather lay in a heap at the foot of the stairway, the very stairs Hen Runner himself had descended earlier to confront Twilight after she had brazenly returned to the library. Unlike himself and Whisper Winds, it appeared Iron Feather’s armor was still relatively intact. An orange haired man with a head mirror and a grey-skinned woman that looked somewhat familiar to Hen were rolling Iron feather onto his back as well. He didn’t appear to be seriously injured. Aside from a few lost feathers, it seemed as though Iron had been affected more by Zecora’s dust than the blast.
 
“Is he alive?” Hen called over to them. The orange haired man turned and straightened his classes.
 
“Yes he’s fine, just appears to have gone beddy bye.”
 
“What?” Hen Runner asked, not sure if he had heard correctly or if the supposed doctor was trying to be silly.
 
The grey-skinned woman next to the doctor rolled her eyes. “If you thought that was bad, just imagine what it’s like having Doc Top as your primary care physician is. He means your fellow soldier here is in a very deep sleep.”
 
“Sorry,” Doc Top said, wincing. “I spent most of my career as a pediatrician. Some habits are hard to break. I can confirm that Miss Melody is correct in her diagnosis.”
 
Well that explains that, Hen Runner thought. He continued looking around the ruined library trying to find Raven Racer. Judging by Iron Feather’s condition, it would seem the severity of the stranger’s attack was determined by threat level. Iron Feather had been unconscious so the spell had merely put some space between them. Whisper Winds had been restraining Zecora and Hen Runner had been the only hostile magic wielder present. Hen’s heart sank: Raven Racer had been the one holding the Stranger down when his attack activated. He looked over to where the stranger had stood. The hinges had been blown off the door and Hen had a good idea where Raven Racer had ended up.
 
“The other knight, who stayed Ponyville with us, she’s outside isn’t she? What condition is she in?” Hen Runner asked, but he already knew the answer.
 
The Mayor frowned sadly. “Yes, and I’m afraid that whatever destroyed the library and injured you killed her outright. I’m sorry, Knight Sergeant.”
 
“Damn,” Hen Runner said simply.
 
There would be time mourning and anger later, right now rational thought was needed. Raven Racer’s death had confirmed his theory, but it was only part of this situation that made any sense. The attempt to capture Twilight had been a disaster. Not just because the Stranger’s power had taken them by surprise, but also because Hen had never thought for a second that Twilight would return to Ponyville. Why would she? She had to know that would be the first place the Royal Guard would look for her. Why would she walk into what was such an obvious trap if she couldn’t even use magic?
 
Hen thought back to the night before, trying to reconcile the Twilight he had seen in Luna’s bedchamber with the one he had encountered just an hour ago. How could there have been such a contrast between the two? Those cruel scheming eyes that blasted him across the room could not have been more different from the look of utter despair as he put her in handcuffs.
 
And then there was the horn. There had been no reports of Twilight being seen anywhere between last night and this. Hen, along with the rest of Canterlot, had assumed she was in hiding. What the hell could have happened between then and now to crack her horn like that?
 
Why had she come back in that condition? Had she been depending on the Stranger to save them? But if that was the case, why go through the charade of being captured at all? Nothing was what it had appeared to be.
 
Nothing was what it had appeared to be…
 
The revelation hit Hen Runner almost as hard as the stranger’s attack had. It was so obvious now that he almost struck his forehead with the palm of his hand. Only two things stopped him: the first was that his head already hurt enough, and the second was the timely arrival of Nurse Redheart.
 
Hen Runner saw the physician walk through the wrecked doorway and stand there a moment to appraise the situation. She was a short woman and had a stocky build. She had skin as white as her nurse gown and skirt and her pink hair tied into a bun under her nurse cap. Redheart’s expression was a mixture of bewilderment and sadness. Hen doubted that she’d had much experience with triage. Her eyes passed from the conscious Hen, to the sleeping Iron Feather, to the still unconscious Whisper Winds. She frowned, gripping her first aid satchel and took a deep breath.
 
“Aloe, Lotus, get her helmet off. I need to check for cranial damage.” She said as she walked over to them quickly and knelt down beside them. They did as instructed and Redheart ran her fingers through Whisper’s scalp. Her back was to Hen Runner so he couldn’t see her face while she performed her examination. He could see her take out her flashlight to check her pupils.
 
“Concussion obviously.” She said, putting the flashlight back in her bag. “I can use smelling salts to wake her up, but there’s a chance she won’t be coherent. In the meantime we need to check the torso for surface and internal injuries.” She looked back at Hen Runner over her shoulder. “Commander, how do we get the chest plate off?”
 
“There are two straps on each side, and a hook over the shoulders,” he replied. “The sports bra is also standard dress for females in the Royal Guard.”
 
Redheart nodded and reached into her satchel. She took out a small bottle and rubbed a pinch of the contents under Whisper’s nose. Her head jerked back a few times before the knight-errant opened her eyes. Her head wobbled from side to side as she groaned and gripped her head in pain.
 
“Knight-Errant Whisper Winds, report!” Hen Runner called over to her.
 
“Present… Commander,” she replied still in a daze. “What… what are your orders sir?”
 
“Stand down, Winds. The enemy has retreated and you are in need of medical treatment. Do you read me solder?”
 
Whisper Winds nodded, still holding her head. “Yes, sir.”
 
Redheart and the twins set about undressing the half lucid Knight-errant. Once the chest plate and back plate were off, Redheart held her stethoscope to Whisper’s back and told her to take a few breaths.
 
“Good, the lungs sound fine so there isn’t any serious damage to the chest cavity.”
 
She took the stethoscope out of her ears. “Cracked ribs appear likely, no need to check for bruising as discoloration has already set in. Which reminds me,” she turned to address Mayor Mane. “Be sure to get that helmet off before possible swelling sets in, otherwise we’ll have to cut it off.”
 
“Yes, of course, dear,” the Mayor replied, relieving the Hen of his helm. Redheart did the same for Whisper Winds. She felt around the back of her skull.
 
“An ice pack should help keep that down.” The angry red skin under Whisper’s collarbone gave the nurse pause. “We should run some cold water on that before we risk taking off anymore. I don’t want the skin to come of with it.” She frowned. “If the Knight Sergeant is as badly burned as this… I don’t think I have enough salve.”
 
“I have something that might help,” the blue haired girl spoke up. She pulled a small jar of ointment from the pocket of her sweatpants. “It’s something we use down at the Spa. Probably worthless medically, but it might help soothe the burns.”
 
Nurse Redheart raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
 
“Aloe’s right,” the pink haired girl replied, “It has a very high rate of customer satisfaction.”
 
Redheart sighed, “I suppose it’s better than nothing. Lotus, fill a pot with cold water in the kitchen and bring it back here. We need to cool her down first.” The pink haired woman nodded and left. The nurse turned to the other twin and handed her a roll of gauze. “Get her top off before you try to bandage it. Make sure you wrap the ointment tightly with this.” Aloe nodded.
 
Redheart stood up, still visibly flustered. She looked over at Iron Feather again, then over at Hen Runner.
 
“What happened to him?”
 
“The Zebra who was with Twilight blew some sort of dust in his face.”
 
Redheart gripped her satchel and ran her fingers through her hair with clear agitation.
 
“Damn, I never thought something like this would happen in Ponyville. And Twilight of all people… well I can’t say for sure anymore, but the Zecora I knew would have only used a temporary sleeping powder.”
 
The grey yellow skinned woman sitting next to Iron spoke-up. “Well, he’s breathing evenly and he seems to be resting peacefully.”
 
“His pulse is normal so he’s not under any kind of duress, mentally or physically,” the orange haired doctor added.
 
Redheard sighed with relief. “Good, I was afraid it would be something more sinister. One of you, get a pillow for his head. Since we don’t have anything that could counteract whatever Zecora’s used on him, it’s best to make sure he’s comfortable while the magic runs its course.”
 
So it’s safe to assume that was the real Zecora and Twilight at least. Hen Runner thought. But, if Twilight had been framed, why had she been absent from Ponyville for the whole day? And why had she come back so late at night, apparently unaware of what had happened in Canterlot?
 
Redheart sat down beside him and she and the Mayor helped Hen Runner out of his armor. Once that was done, she gave him the same examination she had performed on Whisper: Eyes, skull and lungs. Thankfully he was in at least as good condition as his subordinate. Hen watched the nurse’s sapphire eyes as she applied the salve and gauze to the black and blue blotches on his torso. He could tell she was dedicated and skilled at her profession, something Hen admired in any career choice. This was not the first time Hen had received medical treatment, but he still couldn’t help but wish that they had met under more fortunate circumstances. 
 
Once she had finished she looked up at him. “I think it’s best if you and the others come with me back to the hospital for overnight observation. Even if your injuries aren’t life threatening, you’re still in no condition to perform any strenuous activities.”
 
Hen nodded in resignation “She’s already long gone, and it would be foolish to pursue her into the forbidden forest at night. What arrangements can you make for my fallen knight?”
 
“Well, even though it hardly ever gets used, the hospital does have a morgue. She’ll be fine there until you can arrange transport back to Canterlot.”
 
Speaking of Canterlot.
 
“I need to get word of the confrontation back to the capital as soon as possible. Mayor Mane, do you have any messengers on call for an overnight trip?”
 
She thought for a moment. “Well, there’s always one.” She turned her head and called out the door,  “Derpy, are you out there? Could you come in for a moment?”
 
‘Derpy?’ The name didn’t exactly inspire confidence to Hen. A woman with blue grey skin, blonde hair and dressed in a nightshirt and sweat pants walked in. She looked around the room before finally spotting the Mayor. “You wanted to see me mam?” she said as she crossed the room, tripping over several books along the way. Hen wondered if she might be drunk, until he realized she was cross-eyed. But that didn’t exactly reassure him.
 
“The Knight Sergeant needs you to get a message back to Canterlot immediately. Non-stop overnight express,” the Mayor explained.
 
“Can do!” Derpy exclaimed. She turned to Hen and gave a salute, focusing one eye and then the other at him expectantly.
 
Hen Runner looked around. “Um… Can someone get a quill and parchment?”
 
“I’ll do it,” said the woman sitting next to Iron Feather. She made her way over to Twilight’s writing desk and retrieved the items, along with an inkpad and envelope. She came back and handed them to Derpy, and the Mayor gave her a book to write on. Derpy sat down in front of Hen and waited for him to begin.
 
“To the Order of Royal Guards in Canterlot,” Hen Runner dictated. “Twilight was spotted Ponyville late this evening. Knight-Sergent Hen Runner attempted to bring Twilight into custody with three of Luna’s personal guards. She managed to elude capture with the help of conspirators, who killed a knight-errant and incapacitated the rest of us. Request reinforcement of a full squadron of Royal Guards… Under the command of Knight-Sergeant Diamond Dust, post haste.”
 
Derpy finished scribbling the letter and one of her eyes looked back up at Hen. “Anything else?”
 
“Well I’ll need to sign it and put my personal seal on it before you go. And I’ll also need to make sure it’s legible,” Hen said, holding out his hand.
 
Derpy handed him the book and the pen. As he turned the book around to view the letter, he was prepared to see a trail of chicken scratches. He was rather taken aback to discover rather elegant calligraphy. Hen raised an eyebrow and looked up at Derpy. She smiled back at him:
 
“That’s how most people react when they see my handwriting. I use cursive because if I start and stop again for each letter, I can’t keep them in a straight line.”
 
“Hmmm,” Hen Runner though. I guess that makes sense in a weird sort of way.
 
Hen signed the dispatch, his signature much rougher than the rest of the document. He folded the letter and put it inside an envelope the third woman gave him. After the envelope was sealed, he pressed his signet to the inkpad and left his mark on the envelope. Then he handed it back to Derpy.
 
She took the message with a salute and turned to exit the library. Hen watched as she slipped on another book and caught herself on her way to the door. Once she was out of sight, he turned to the mayor.
 
“Is she really fine delivering that by herself?” he asked with concern.
 
“Oh, you have nothing to worry about. She’s a little clumsy on her feet and with her hands, but she’s a strong flyer. She’ll be able to find her way there as fast as any other pegasi, I promise you.”
 
‘Good’ Hen Runner thought ‘It would be nice to have something go right tonight.’
 
He felt Nurse Redheart’s hand on his shoulder. “I need to get Whisper back to the hospital to get her wing set now. And its time we got the rest of you out of here too.”
 
Hen Runner took one last look around the demolished library. “Well there’s no real point in staying here. Someone will have to look after the animals upstairs though.”
 
“I know someone who can,” the orange haired doctor. “Mane Goodall is the local vet, his clinic will have plenty of room.”
 
Hen Runner nodded as Nurse Redheart unrolled a stretcher and the mayor helped him walk over to it. Redheart scratched the back her neck nervously as he lay down on the stretcher. “Umm, just a formality, but we usually sedate pegasi while we set their wings. I’m not sure if we need to ask your… permission… or something, but they’re usually more cooperative that way. No offense.” She added looking over at Whisper Winds.
 
The Knight-errant merely shrugged. “If you’re going to put them in a cast, I’d rather be knocked out anyway.”
 
“Thank you for telling me, Nurse. I hope I’m not too heavy for you.”
 
“Oh needn’t worry about that,” Readheart as she took one end of his stretcher and the mayor took the other. “You may have noticed that there is a distinct deficit of men in this town. That means…” The mayor and the nurse grunted as they easily raised Hen Runner off the floor. “…Us girls have gotten used to picking up the slack.”
 
Hen Runner managed a meager grin as he was careered outside. “My boss is a goddess, I know better than to underestimate women.”
 
***
 
When Hen Runner awoke in the infirmary the next morning, the melancholy began to set it. He sighed as he tried to sit up in bed. He could see Whisper Winds laying the bed across from him with her wing in a cast, still asleep. They were both wearing faded green hospital gowns. He thought back to seeing Raven on the table in the morgue the night before: seeing the hole that had been blasted through her armor and into her chest. Hen had lost solders in combat before and at least it was safe to assume her death had been instantaneous. What bothered him was that he had been there and had completely powerless to stop the stranger’s attack. Worse still, if his theory was correct her death might have been completely unnecessary.
 
“Good to see you up, Commander.”
 
Hen Runner turned towards the sound of the voice, and saw Iron Feather standing at attention in the corner of the room.
 
“At ease, Knight-errant. How long have you been standing there?”
 
“Well, I woke up about an hour ago. Nurse Tenderheart briefed me on the situation, so thought it prudent to stand guard while you recovered.”
 
“Thank you, Iron, but I doubt Twilight will be returning to Ponyville any time soon with a broken horn.”
 
“With all due respect, sir, she’s not the one we should be worried about.”
 
True, thought Hen Runner, at least not the Twilight we met last night. It was the Stranger’s power that had defeated them last night. Hen Runner needed to take time to analyze this new threat before deciding on a course of action. There was precious little information to go on. All Hen could say for certain was that whatever power he had was capable of nullifying unicorn magic. That and the fact that it had targeted his knights based on their threat to his personal safety. But then Hen remembered something else: the Stranger’s attack hadn’t been triggered by his own capture. He had done it to protect Twilight.
 
Hen Runner needed to consider the implications of this. Could it be that the former princess was an essential asset for achieving whatever goal the Stranger was trying to achieve in Equestria? No, the circumstances of the encounter suggested otherwise. It was foolish to risk capture, and reveling such an ability, by returning the library after Luna’s assassination. That was even assuming the stranger’s presence in Ponyville was related to Luna’s death, which Hen doubted. All three of them, including Zecora, seemed to be genuinely unaware of what had happened in Canterlot the night before. And just how had Twilight’s horn been damaged?
 
Hen concluded that this was something else entirely. The Stranger appeared to have been motivated by genuine concern for Twilight’s safety. It was possible that they had become friends, or even lovers, in the time since he had reportedly materialized in her study. Despite her studious nature, Twilight had proved to have a knack for making friends quickly. This was the woman who had assembled the Elements of Harmony in a single day without even trying. But just what was the Stranger and what kind of magic had he been using? He didn’t have a horn, so he must have been using some kind of tool to channel so much power. Did it have anything to do with that warm feeling Hen had felt when he regained consciousness?
 
There was something else Hen had to consider. If the assassin he saw in Luna’s chamber really had been an imposter, then the situation was far worse than he had previously thought. Before becoming Luna’s Royal Guard, Hen Runner had served for many years in Special Ops for Princess Celestia. He had a natural affinity for detection so even if he couldn’t see through the assassin’s illusion, he would have been able to detect that there was one. In fact, throughout his entire military career, there had only ever been one time when he could not see through an impersonation. That was when Chrysalis had taken Princess Cadance’s place in Canterlot.
 
So, if this was some Changeling plot, Hen couldn’t be sure whom to trust. There was a reason he had asked specifically for Diamond Dust. He glanced over at Iron Feather again. Could he be a changeling in disguise? Unlikely. If they had presence in Ponyville, they never would have let the real Twilight appear in such an arbitrary manner. Hen Runner had learned the hard way that they wouldn’t risk exposing themselves until all their preparations were complete. Still, this was all just speculation: Hen needed was irrefutable evidence before he could challenge Celestia’s assertion that the Changelings had been eradicated.
 
Hen gave a heavy sigh and lay back down on the bed: Nothing to do now but wait. A knight didn’t live as long as Hen, especially performing the kinds of tasks Celestia gave him, without developing an appreciation for healthcare. Off the battlefield, doctor’s orders carried as much weight as any officer’s. Hen Runner wasn’t about to leave the hospital until he was cleared to do so.
 
 
As Hen Runner lay there thinking, the door opened and the doctor came in pushing a food cart in front of him. His skin was amber and his horn pointed out from underneath his brown bangs.
 
“Good morning, Commander. I hope you’re feeling better,” he said as she walked over to Hen’s bed and placed a tray on his lap. Hen Runner looked down at his breakfast grimly: Cup of juice, a cube of Jell-O and a lump of spinach. Still better than field rations.
 
Whisper Winds awoke as the nurse placed the second tray on her bed. She shifted around uncomfortably as she stretched her one good wing.
 
“Glad to see you’re awake. I’m your physician, Doctor Horse.”
 
Whisper Winds stretched. “How bad was it doctor?”
 
Dr. Horse’s horn lit up as he levitated the X-ray of Whisper Wind’s wing out from the bottom shelf of the cart. She sat up the get a better look at it.
 
“It a was a clean break so it’ll take about a week to heal.”
 
Whisper sighed and slumped down her bed.
 
“I know how much pegasi hate being grounded,” Doctor Horse said. “Our last winged patent actually tried to sneak out in the middle of the night. Now we have something to help pass the time.”
 
The Doctor opened the drawer of the nightstand by Whisper’s nightstand. He took out a thick worn book and handed to her. “Some Daring Do might help pass the time.”
 
Whisper held the book in front of her and examined the cover. “Quest for the Sapphire Stone. I haven’t read this one in years.” She opened it and started reading.
 
“We have the whole series. But don’t forget to eat your breakfast,” Doctor Horse reminded her.
 
“Um not to be rude doctor, but isn’t feeding patients usually a nurse’s duty?” Hen Runner asked.
 
“Usually,” The doctor replied. “But I figured if I was going to give you both an examination anyway, I might as well bring you your breakfast myself.”
 
Horse walked over to Hen Runner putting on his stethoscope. He performed the standard check-up: testing Hen’s blood pressure, taking his pulse, examining his throat and checking his breathing. Iron Feather looked on stoically, his arms crossed over his chest. Then the doctor carefully unwrapped Hen Runner’s bandages and checked his wounds. Hen winced as the doctor prodded his chest and examined the back of his head.
 
“Well, the swelling has gone down since last night and your skin is healing nicely. No sign of necrotizing tissue or infection. Your ribs are cracked but those will heal well enough on their own. As long as you don’t over exert yourself, I’d say you’re good to go,” Doctor Horse said with a smile.
 
“Where is his armor?” Iron Feather asked impatiently.
 
“The mayor is keeping them at city hall. I’m afraid they’re pretty much beyond repair. Even if they weren’t, I wouldn’t advise wearing it his condition. The extra weight will compress his ribcage,” Doctor Horse added.
 
Hen Runner sighed. “Well it looks like I’ll be commanding from the rear from now on, if Diamond Dust doesn’t decide to send me back to Canterlot.”
 
“All the more reason to enjoy your stay while you can,” A familiar feminine voice said. Hen looked up and saw Mrs. Cake enter the ward, along with Nurse Redheart, carrying a tray of cupcakes with rainbow colored frosting.
 
“Nurse Redheart!” Doctor Horse exclaimed. “ What are you doing at work? It’s not your shift.”
 
“I know doctor, I but I wanted to check in on the royal guards,” she replied as she walked over to them.
 
“And I baked you some cupcakes because I thought you could use some cheering up,” Mrs. Cake chimed in as she came to a stop at the foot of his bed. “Will that be okay doctor?”
 
Horse rubbed his chin. “I guess so.”
 
“Excellent,” Mrs. Cake replied, beaming. “Care to join us?”
 
“Hmmm, I really shouldn’t,” he said, regarding her tray of appealing confectioneries wistfully. “Knowing your cooking, Mrs Cake, I’d never be able to stop at just one. I should see about getting Hen Runner some proper cloths.”
 
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind,” Nurse Redheart offered. “I don’t have clinic duty this morning an I have nowhere to be.”
 
“Well, as long as you’re here, remember to change the Commander’s bandages before I get back,” Doctor Horse said as he headed for the door.
 
Hen called after him “There is some back up armor in the treehouse. Don’t try to open the suitcase, just bring it straight here.”
 
“Yes, Doctor,” Nurse Redheart replied before turning back to Mrs. Cake and snatching a cupcake off her tray.
 
“Iron, care to join us?” Hen Runner called to his subordinate. Iron Feather shrugged and came over to Hen’s bed.
 
“What about you dear?” Mrs. Cake said turning around to ask Whisper Winds.
 
“Huh?” She said looking up from her book “Oh, I probably shouldn’t. If I’m going to be laid up for a week, it’s best if I avoid sugar all together.”
 
“Suit yourself,” Mrs. Cake replied, turning back to Hen Runner and handing him a cupcake.
 
Hen Runner took a bite out of his. It tasted like strawberries, raspberries, carrots and grapes all  once. It was a combination Hen had never tasted before, but he rather liked it. He swallowed and took another bite. “This was very nice of you, Mrs. Cake. Thank you,” He said around a mouth full of sweet dough.
“It’s the least I could do to thank you for your service to Equestria,” she said as she took a bite of her own tasty treat. Hen Runner chuckled to himself. ‘If you knew half the things I’ve done in the service of my country, I doubt you’d even let me in your shop,’ he thought.
 
After Hen Runner finished his cupcake, he licked his lips happily. He felt much better now, all things considered. No point in worrying until Diamond Dust got here. For now, the danger was far away.
 
 
“Might I inquire as to where you’ll be staying, seeing has how the library is a mess?”
 
Hen Runner hadn’t thought of that. “I suppose we could just requisition another building.”
 
Mrs. Cake looked down at the floor, holding her hands behind her back. “I hope it’s not too presumptuous, but with Light Red Pie missing, we do have a spare room at Sugar Cube Corner. One of you could stay with us.”
 
Hen Runner thought about it for moment. Normally he would be against splitting his forces, but with Whisper already bedridden, the issue was redundant. He decided it would be permissible to allow Iron Feather to stay with the Cakes while he made other arrangements. A good commander always put the needs of his troops before his own. Plus it would give him time to investigate what he had felt in the library on by himself. For some reason he felt that should be done privately.
 
“If Iron Feather doesn’t mind, he can stay with you for awhile. Equestria is grateful for your assistance Mrs. Cake,” Hen said glancing over at the Knight-errant.
 
“Not at all,” Iron Feather replied. Perhaps Hen Runner was imagining it, but Iron seemed a little more cheerful, than his usual serious self. He certainly hadn’t smiled since they had started out for Ponyville the day before, but now his face was looking a little brighter. Maybe it was the sunlight coming in through the windows?
 
“Excellent,” Mrs. Cake said happily. “It’ll be nice having someone around the house who isn’t walking on the ceiling or burping magic.” She folded the now empty tray under one arm and audaciously took Iron Feather by the hand and led him out the ward. As they passed through door, Iron Feather turned his head and gave Hen a parting salute.
 
Nurse Redheart finished her cupcake and tossed the wrapper in the bin by Hen Runner’s bed. “Well, now that’s done, I suppose I should get to bandaging you up again before Doctor Horse gets back.”
 
She reached into the nightstand beside Hen’s bed. She took out another roll of gauze and Hen Runner pulled off his hospital gown to accommodate her task. As she bandaged him up again, Hen couldn’t help but notice that her eyes and hands kept lingering on his chest. He was old and his skin was sagging slightly, but Hen had always kept his body in top shape. He thought back to what Redheart had said last night about the ratio of males to females in Ponyville. He wondered if the attention she was giving him had something to do with that lack of available mates.
 
He looked over at Whisper to make sure she was still engrossed in her story. Then he leaned over and whispered to Nurse Redheart. “Are you this attentive to all your male patients?”
 
Redheart jumped and her cheeks turned bright red. “Sorry, that was totally unprofessional.”
 
“It’s alright,” Hen Runner said dismissively. He didn’t really mind, but now he caught himself stealing a glance at her chest. Even though her uniform was buttoned up all the way and fit her conservatively, he could still make out the shape of her breasts underneath. They were full and round and Hen had to stop himself from imagining her top open all the way down past her cleavage. He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. She was right: it was unprofessional.
 
Thankfully she didn’t notice him staring as she was still embarrassed from her own indiscretion to look him in the face. She finished wrapping the gauze and stood up to leave with her hands fidgeting nervously. “Ummm, have a nice day.” She said before turning and leaving the room.
 
Hen Runner would have liked to just forget the incident, but he soon realized a part of him wouldn’t allow that. He looked down and sighed in annoyance as the bulge under the blanket. He had worked with women long enough to not be embarrassed by the occasional awkward erection, but it was still annoying. Better get to the bathroom and deal with it quickly. Whisper Winds didn’t even notice him getting up. Hen hoped he didn’t run into any of the nurses along the way: his hospital gown did little to obscure his condition.
 
He made it down the hallway without incident, but before he could find the restroom, he caught whiff of a strong and unmistakable sent. There was an aroused woman somewhere nearby and he had a pretty good idea who it was. Hen followed he smell to a supply closet at the end of the hall. The door was slightly ajar, as though someone had closed it in a hurry. He peeked inside and saw Nurse Redheart. She was leaning against the shelves on one arm with her back to the door. Her skirt hiked up and her panties were down around her knees and she was masturbating.
 
Her scent was overpowering and Hen Runner couldn’t hold back any longer. He stepped through the door and advanced on the unaware nurse. He reminded himself that she had demonstrated an attraction to him, so she should be open to the possibility of copulating with him now. He reached her in two steps. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and spun her around, pinning against the shelves. She cried out in surprise “Commander!” before he smothered her voice with his mouth. Despite the ache in his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, feeling her large breasts and hard nipples against him through her uniform.
 
Nurse Redheart froze for a moment in surprise, but then she closed her eyes and surrendered to his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as their tongues slid together. After about a minute of being wrapped his embrace, she suddenly opened her eyes. She turned her head away to break the kiss and bit her lip to keep Hen from drawing her back in. “We can’t. Not like this. Your ribs.”
 
“Right,” Hen Runner said breathlessly.
 
She stumbled slightly as he set her down on the floor again. Hen slipped out of his underwear while Redheart finished taking off her skirt and panties. Then she hoisted herself up on the shelves and wrapped her legs around Hen’s waist.
 
“Push against me with your hips,” She said as she hung from the top shelf.
 
Hen grasped her waist with one hand while aiming his cock at her slit with the other. As the head connected he could feel just how wet she was already. Nurse Redheart moaned as he pushed inside of her “Oh yes. Now fuck me you stud.”
 
‘The women of this town don’t waste words’ Hen Runner thought as he gripped her waist firmly with both hands he carried out her demand. Normally he would have taken the time to start off slowly but not this time. There was a certain thrill to screwing so recklessly that he hadn’t experienced since his days as a cadet. He plunged in and out of her faster and faster, not really caring how long it he could keep the pace.
 
Redheart gasped and moaned as he thrust into her repeatedly. He could tell she was getting closer as she arched her back and her mouth fell open in a silent scream. He tried an old trick of swaying his hips around in a circle. Redheart trembled and her arms let go of the shelf. She wrapped them around Hen Runner’s shoulders as she pumped herself up and down on his dick. Hen spun around to lean his back against the shelves.
 
Redheart let out a cry as her body seized up and she came. Her thick thighs squeezed his waist in a vice, panting as she rode out her orgasm. But Hen wasn’t finished yet.  He sank down to his knees and laid Nurse Redheart down on the floor. Luckily closet was just wide enough to accommodate the length of Hen Runner’s torso. Redheard loosened her grip around his waist and Hen resumed fucking her.
 
He was getting tired by the time he felt his penis twitch. He buried himself up to the hilt as he came hard inside her. She panted as his cum shoot deep inside her pussy.
 
“Please… kiss me,” she pleaded. Hen Runner complied and their mouths locked together again. Hen was just about to separate himself from Redheart when he heard an impatient cough. He turned to see another nurse with blue-grey stripped hair and yellow green skin looking down at them. Her arms were folded across her chest and her face was impassive.
 
“Nurse Snowheart!” Redheart exclaimed in surprise.
 
“I’d hope this means the doctor cleared you to be discharged then, Commander?” She said in a deadpan tone.
 
***
 
‘Just what the hell was in those cupcakes?’ Hen Runner thought as he made his way back to Ponyville. After Nurse Snowheart had caught him and Redheart in the supply closet, Doctor Horse had returned with Hen’s spare armor set, which he wore now. It was a scouting uniform, designed to be lightweight and flexible. The only parts made of metal wear the helmet, a small breastplate, the vambraces and the shin guards. The rest was boiled, reinforced leather. It was much easier wearing this than the usual steel suit, especially now at the beginning of summer. In the past, Hen had worn even less while carrying out clandestine missions for Princess Celestia.
 
As he reached the town proper, Hen Runner considered stopping by Sugar Cube Corner and confronting Mrs. Cake about the contents of her desert. Then he realized that if she and Iron Feather had eaten the same cupcakes as he had, then they probably wouldn’t want to be disturbed for a while. Iron could use the excitement. Hen chuckled to himself: The man rarely showed any emotion whatsoever. It would also be a good excuse for Hen to investigate the library on his own. He wanted to make sure he hadn’t been imagining the feeling he’d had when he regained consciousness: It might turn out to be nothing. It was in Hen’s nature to conduct searches alone anyway. He wasn’t an introvert, but he didn’t like having an audience.
 
He found the library in pretty much the same state he had left it in. Most of the part of the square had been cordoned of with police tape. Hen assumed that was where Raven’s body had landed. As he stepped under the tape, it occurred to him that its presence was a bit of a non-sequitur given that Ponyville didn’t seem to have any police force to speak of. Perhaps the Mayor just kept some on hand in case of emergencies, Hen thought as passed inside the doorway. Ponyville was certainly small and prosperous enough that crime shouldn’t really be an issue.
 
As soon as he made sure there were no observers, Hen’s horn sent out another pulse as he scanned the room again. He hadn’t imagined, this time there was an unmistakable purple glow right where he had landed the night before. Hen wondered how he could have missed it on his first sweep of the premises. What might have changed since then? Then he realized that there was a chance that whatever it was had been dormant until the Stranger unleashed his attack. If Hen’s discovery and the Stranger’s magic were somehow related, that made recovering this object the highest concern.
 
Hen stepped closer to the overturned bookshelves. He used his magic to move it out of the way so he had an unobstructed view of the bare floor beneath. He saw a small trap door with a handle cut into the floorboards. That had definitely not been there before last night. Twilight Sparkle had been living in this library for three years: there was no way she would have overlooked something like this in all that time. And she certainly wouldn’t have left such an obvious clue about her ally’s power for Hen too find if she had abandoned the library ahead of time.
 
Hen Runner raised a magic barrier around himself before cautiously kneeling down to open the trap door. It was far too small for a person to fit in, as was the storage space beneath it. Inside there was nothing but a soft blue glowing crystal. Somehow Hen felt drawn to it, as though it had a glamor charm cast on it. The moment he touched it however, he knew something was wrong: He could no longer feel his magic. It would have been difficult to describe to someone who wasn’t a unicorn. The closest approximation he could think of was losing one’s sense of touch. Not as dramatic as the loss of sight or hearing: you barely noticed you had it, but you certainly knew when you had lost in.
 
Hen Runner pulled his hand away quickly, hoping to avoid any other effects the crystal might have in store. He was surprised to feel his magic return to him. Strange: If this had been a trap the effects would have lingered to leave him vulnerable. He touched the crystal again, and his magic was gone a second time. It wasn’t as though the crystal had drained him of his magic, but more like it had just been turned off. Hen picked it in his hands and tried levitating one of the many books that littered the library floor. He would have expected a shock or some type of pain from the crystal in response. But nothing happened: the book stayed where it was and the crystal merely continued to glow in his hands. Convinced (and certainly relieved) that the effect was not permanent, he held the crystal up to his face to examine it more closely. “What the heck are you?” Hen Runner mumbled to himself.
 
“Something far beyond your comprehension, I fear. If you want an answer, I suggest that you bring us to the Element of Magic as soon as possible.”
 
Hen Runner’s eyebrows shot up and he almost dropped the crystal in surprise. A sentient crystal was something he had never heard of before, let alone held. He certainly glad he had discovered it alone now: even for unicorns, hearing strange disembodies voiced in your head was never a good sign.
 
He slipped the crystal into the pouch on his belt. Again he forced himself to suppress his astonishment and confusion, and consider the implications. Why and how a crystal would be talking was a mystery, but he knew someone who might. If this crystal came from anywhere, it came from the Crystal Empire. And something that canceled out alicorn magic could be the work of only one person: Sombra. Obviously it was some sort of relic hidden away long ago before he was defeated by Luna and Celestia. And if it had been activated by the Stranger’s attack, then it would seem he had been using crystal magic as well.
 
But like everything else he had discovered since his arrival in Ponyville, this just raised more questions. How was the stranger able to use crystal magic if he wasn’t even a unicorn? Why would the crystal instruct Hen Runner to bring it to Twilight? Why would a crystal even be able to talk? How was any of this related to Luna’s assassination? Was it something else entirely?
 
Never mind that now, there would be enough time to discuss this with Diamond Dust when she arrived. Once I make sure she is the real Diamond Dust that is. Right now, Hen Runner decided it would be a good idea to regroup with Iron Feather.  If only to make sure he wouldn’t still be in a compromising position when reinforcements arrived.
 
He reached Sugar Cube Corner soon enough, walking up to the porch and knocking on the front door. He waited patently for someone to answer the door, hoping that Iron and Mrs. Cake weren’t still mating. ‘That would be impressive though and it would give Diamond Dust a good laugh.’ Eventually he heard someone moving around inside and the door opened. Mr. Cake answered wearing an apron and shorts. The combination struck Hen as less a fashion statement and more the result of Mr. Cake throwing on anything within arm’s reach.
 
“Are your wife and the Knight Errant still… copulating?” He asked simply. From the look on Mrs. Cake’s face when he had questioned her the day before, it wasn’t hard to tell they had an open marriage. While monogamy was the norm, such a thing was not uncommon in Equestria. It was more due necessity than lifestyle choice: husbands couldn’t always be around when their wives were in heat, so they would have to elsewhere for relief. Hen had served with females during their heat season, and dealing with it was considered a normal aspect of military service.
 
Mr. Cake rubbed the back of neck nervously. “Oh… yeah… the cupcakes. I’m afraid that was my fault,” He said as he stood to one side to let Hen Runner enter. “I think I may have given her the wrong ingredients while she was baking them this morning. That’s a little something invented by our Pinkie Pie, for her ‘special’ cupcakes.”
 
Hen Runner pulled up a stool at the table in the center of the room. “Its fine sir, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t let this happen again.”
 
Mr. Cake nodded. “It won’t Knight-Sergeant.”
 
Hen Runner sniffed the air and caught the faint scent of arousal in the air. He turned back to Mr. Cake. “So are they…?”
 
“Well, they were when I left. Its my day to make the twins breakfast you see. Usually we only sleep with other people when the other is out of town. Now I’m thinking the misses would like to have threesomes more often.” Mr. Cake chuckled.
 
Hen Runner turned his eyes up to the ceiling wondering if he should wait or go up and confront the two lovers now. He was surprised to find the adorable face of a cream-colored pegasi foal looking back down at him. It smiled back and let out a squeal of delight. Mr. Cake looked up.
 
“Pound Cake, what are you doing up there? You know you should still be in your nursery.”
 
He picked up a broom and began to shoo the rambunctious infant back towards the staircase. Hen decided to follow, wondering just how open the Cakes’ marriage was.
 
While Mr. Cake was directing “his” child back to the nursery, Hen went up the hallway to the Cake’s bedroom. He found the door to the bedroom slightly ajar. Looks like were in just as much of a rush as Redheart and I, he thought. Hen listened for a moment for the tell tale sounds of continued rutting. Thankfully there was no slapping flesh, heavy panting or bed creaking, so he decided to enter.
 
Iron Feather and Mrs Cake were still on the bed, naked. The knight-errant was sitting up with his legs over the side, while Mrs. Cake was lying next to him enjoying a post-coital smoke. Various items of clothing as well as Iron’s suit of armor littered the floor around them. They both looked fairly spent, so Hen decided it was time to collect his soldier. He coughed softly into his hand and the two of them looked up.
 
“Knight-Sergeant,” Iron Feather said in surprise, dutifully standing up and saluting with his dick openly hanging between his legs.
 
“Commander,” Mrs. Cake said pleasantly, sitting up with an uneasy smile on her face. “I’m afraid there was a mistake with the cupcakes. If you’re still in the mood I’ll try to make it up to you. Just let me finish this cigarette first.”
 
“Yes, your husband already told me. I appreciate the offer, but my urges have already been addressed. Have yours, Iron?”
 
“Yes, Sir,” he replied.
 
“Good. The reinforcements from Canterlot should be arriving soon. I think it’s best if we’re both present when they do.”
 
“Very well, sir,” Iron said as he began to reassemble his armor. Mrs. Cake watched him for a moment before looking back at Hen Runner with a concerned expression on her face.
 
“I do hope the special cupcakes didn’t cause you too much trouble, commander.”
 
Hen Runner shrugged. “I wouldn’t say it was an unpleasant experience, but a little forewarning would have been appreciated.”
 
Mrs. Cake took another drag of her cigarette. “I assure you, sir, I was caught just as much off guard as everyone else. I suppose it was just as well your other knight-errant didn’t have one; the broken wing would have made things difficult.”
 
“Indeed,” Hen Runner replied, as he stepped forward to help Iron Feather strap on his chest plate.
 
Once Iron was dressed, the two knights said good-bye to the Cakes and made their way to the town square. When they got there Hen was pleased to see that the reinforcements he had requested had arrived: A full squadron of 12 knights and their commander. Four pegasi, four unicorns and two earth pony knight-errants, two unicorn knight-protectors and one earth pony knight Sergeant. Since Canterlot was primarily a unicorn city while both Luna and Celestia had pegasi in their personal guards, only a few earth ponies ever rose to the rank of Knight-Sargent. The one standing before Hen Runner was an earth-pony he knew quite well.
 
As he and Iron Feather approached, the earth pony Knight Sergeant stepped forward to greet them with the two knight-protectors in tow. When they came face to face Iron and Hen saluted the knight sergeant and she returned it.
 
“Knight Sergeant Diamond Dust,” Hen said, as he removed his helmet
 
“Knight Sergeant Hen Runner,” she said, as she removed hers.
 
Her skin was robin’s egg blue and dabbled silver. The dots were so fine on her skin they looked like specks of dust, hence the name. Her hair was a dark shade of pink, almost purple. Her signature twin daggers hung on her belt.
 
“At ease. This squadron has been dispatched to Ponyville to reinforce this position as per your request. However, in light of recent events I have been authorized the acting Regent Shinning Armor to assess your fitness to continue command of this mission. If I feel it necessary I have the authority to relieve you of commander and lead the search for Twilight myself,” she said in a formal tone.
 
“Understood,” Hen replied “Permission to speak freely?”
 
“Granted.”
 
Hen Runner held his hand between them at about shoulder level. Still with a serious look on her face, Diamond Dust grasped it around his thumb and locked their forearms together. Hen Runner smiled. “It’s good to see you, partner.”
 
“It’s good to see you too,” she smiled back. “I wish it was better circumstances. Not to pour salt on the wound, but I think you were better off in Special Ops.”
 
Hen Runner only shrug, he was beginning so too. “Raven Racer is in the hospital morgue. You should get her back to Canterlot as soon as possible.”
 
Diamond Dust nodded. “Mighty Mail, Ace. Retrieve the body and get it on the carriage.” One of the earth ponies and a pegasi saluted and Hen pointed them in the direction of the hospital.
 
“Just tell me you found something. Shinning has assumed command in Canterlot and you can bet your ass he’ll jump on any excuse to discredit you. These two knight-protectors,” she pointed the unicorns standing behind her. “They’re not here for Twilight. Shinning sent them to keep you in line with me.”
 
Hen Runner regarded them for a moment. There were no factions within the Royal Guard. It was understood that Celestia had the final say in all matters and she had never permitted any disagreements to develop beyond personal rivalries. Before Luna’s assassination, Hen and Shinning had always regarded each other with mutual respect. These knight protectors were loyal to Celestia and the Royal Guard first, but that also meant if they thought Hen was unfit for duty, they would confront him of their own volition. Best to play it safe.
 
“I do, but first I have something to discuss with you in private,” Hen said.
 
“Just like old times? Sure,” Diamond Dust grinned.
 
“Iron Feather, you come too. It’s time I filled you both in on what my investigation uncovered,” Hen said, turning to head towards the library. Diamond Dust gave Iron a quizzical look, and then they both turned to follow him.
 
They passed through the foyer of the library to a nook that served as the kitchen. Hen looked out the window to be sure they weren’t going to be overheard, then turned back to the others.
 
Diamond Dust looked around the nook nonchalantly. “You planning on assassinating or hexing me in here, Hen? Should have taken me somewhere further away and not told me in front of the others. You two wouldn’t get far even if I let you kill me.”
 
Iron Feather scowled and Hen rolled his eyes. “You know that’s not why we’re here.”
 
“But you still haven’t told me why I’m here,” Diamond replied, her tone switching to one of slight annoyance. “Not that I wouldn’t love the chance to work together again, but asking for me specifically seems a bit odd, even suspicious for such an overt assignment. You and I never let our presence be known until the mission was complete.”
 
Hen looked back and forth between his two comrades and took a resigned breath. “Because I didn’t put everything in my dispatch. And since then I’ve made another discovery that I don’t want Canterlot knowing about just yet.”
 
Diamond Dust raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
 
“Before I tell you, I would like to ask you a question Diamond.”
 
“Sure,” she said.
 
“What was the call sign for our second mission together?” Hen asked.
 
Diamond Dust whistled. “Well that takes me back. We’ve been on so many and I do recall being sworn to secrecy.” She glanced sidelong at Iron.
 
Hen’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I remember every single one and considering how it turned out, it could hardly be considered a mater of national security by now.”
 
“Wow, you really aren’t taking chances, Hen. I haven’t seen you this paranoid in a while. But before I answer, what makes you think we can trust him?” Diamond asked, tilting her head toward the knight-errant.
 
“Only that I know for a fact he hasn’t left my side since the mission began. But until you answer my question, you’re just as much of a risk as he is.”
 
“Okay, okay, Hen, I’ll play along. The call sign was Whistling Mutter. Now do you have anything else to quiz me on?” Diamond Dust folded her arms over her chest.
 
Hen shook his head. “If that wasn’t obscure enough, then we’re all fucked anyway. Iron, are you willing to find out the truth behind Luna’s assassination? No matter where it might lead?”
 
“I swore an oath,” Iron said simply. “It is my duty to bring justice to those responsible for the death of Princess Luna.”
 
“Good,” Hen said. “Then both of you should know that I’m almost certain that the Twilight we confronted here last night is not the one I saw in Luna’s chambers.”
 
Iron Feather’s face turned grim, Diamond Dust’s eyes narrowed. “So unless she’s learned a duplication spell, you’re saying Twilight was a patsy?”
 
“It makes more sense than her deciding to murder Luna three years after she changed her back from Nightmare Moon,” Hen reasoned.
 
“But why would you think the one you met here is the real one?” Diamond asked.
 
Hen listed his reasons “One; she was with two known allies: the Stranger and Zecora the zebra. Two; her horn was broken…”
 
“Seriously?” Diamond asked incredulously.
 
“Yes,” Iron Feather said. “It was cracked.”
 
“Through-out the entire encounter she never once tried to use magic. She would have known better than to risk coming back here after letting me see her at the palace and live.”
 
Diamond Dust nodded slowly. “Any other reasons?”
 
Hen Runner scratched his mustache. “Her conduct and emotional state right up until her escape strongly suggested she wasn’t even aware of the assassination until I placed her under arrest. She was the only one who offered no resistance when we attempted to take her into custody. Her despair appeared genuine upon learning of Luna’s death. Her surrender seemed motived primarily by a desire to save her friends. Behavior much more in line with her reputation.”
 
“Then how did she get away?” Diamond Dust asked.
 
“It was the Stranger she brought to Canterlot a few days ago,” Hen replied. “He unleashed a type of magical attack I’ve never seen before. It knocked two of us out and killed Raven Racer in one shot. Iron Feather had already been put to sleep by Zecora the Zebra, so he avoided the worst of it.”
 
“So you think he might be the one behind all this?” Diamond Dust said in a serious tone.
 
“Not really, he’s far too careless with the real Twilight’s freedom to be a mastermind and too protective of her to be framing her. I doubt he was even aware he had this power.” Hen explained “If he had been he could have activated it at any point after we confronted Twilight. But instead his attack was released as a last resort in response to her emotional distress. But we’ll get back to the implications of his power later.”
 
“But then who would be framing her? And to what end?” Diamond responded.
 
“In all my years, there has only been one disguise I couldn’t see through. Diamond, I think you remember who that was,” Hen said grimly.
 
This time, Diamond Dust’s mouth fell open. Iron looked back and forth between the two knight-sergeants, unaware of the implications of Hen’s statement.
 
“Hen, do you know what you’re saying? Celestia assured Equestria that the Changelings had been destroyed,” Diamond Dust said.
 
“I know what Celestia said, and you and I also know she’s willing to lie when it suites her purposes,” Hen said coldly, “If she wasn’t we wouldn’t have had a job.”
 
“It would be advisable to prevent panic,” Iron Feather suggested.
 
“Okay… even if I accept this as a theory, you’re going to need more proof than that to convince the aristocracy and the rest of the Royal Guard,” Diamond said shaking her head.
 
“We’ll start looking for that soon enough. But there’s something else you two should be aware of,” Hen said. “This morning I came back to the library and I found something that wasn’t here yesterday. I’d felt its presence when I regained consciousness after the Stranger’s attack.” Hen reached into pouch “Needless to say, nothing I have told you two so far goes beyond this room. What I am about to show you is no exception.”
 
Hen shivered involuntarily as his fingers wrapped around the crystal and he felt his magic disappear. He doubted he would ever get used to the feeling.  
 
He held it out to show the others. They both stepped closer to get a good look.
 
“Interesting…” Diamond Dust said. Then she straightened up, “but I’m not sure what point you are trying to get across Hen.”
 
“I believe this was activated when the Stranger cast his spell. If I couldn’t find it when I arrived, and Twilight never uncovered it while she was staying here, then it needed a very specific type of trigger to be revealed,” Hen explained.
 
Diamond Dust scratched her head. “Seems a bit counterintuitive to hide a Crystal that can only be found by blowing up the building it’s in.” She said.
 
“I don’t think it was so much the type of spell, but the nature of the magic behind it.” Hen said
 
“Which is?” Iron Feather asked simply.
 
“Crystal magic. That’s why it also canceled out my magic shield,” Hen told him.
 
“Didn’t Celestia’s examination conclude he couldn’t use magic?” Iron Feather asked.
 
“He wouldn’t need to necessarily be magical. He could have found an artifact imbued with magical powers,” Diamond Dust said. “But he wouldn’t necessarily have control over it.”
 
“That would explain why the spell didn’t activate until he was desperate. I got a good look at him before I lost consciousness,” Hen recalled, “He seemed just as confused as I was. He might have not even have realized what it was when he acquired it. If he knew he would have tried to activate the artifact the moment he saw me.”
 
“But why was the crystal hidden here in the first place?” Diamond wondered, scratching her chin.
 
Hen decided it was time to put the crystal back in his pouch. The inherent vulnerability of being without magic was making him more uncomfortable the longer he held it. And if he tried thinking about Diamond Dust’s question, there was a chance the crystal might speak to him again. He still wasn’t ready to reveal that particular fact to Iron or Diamond, and he didn’t want the crystal inside his head at the moment.
 
“Well if it was activated simply by coming in contact with crystal magic…” Hen wondered aloud. “Then it would seem that whoever hid it was willing to rely more on chance than someone actually knowing the crystal’s location.”
 
“Clearly a last resort, but for what?” Diamond asked.
 
“Whatever the purpose was, I have a feeling this isn’t the only crystal that was hidden. If we want to find out more, we all know the best place to look for anything related to crystal magic.”
 
Diamond Dust chuckled but then Iron Feather spook up “Sir, I realize the discovery of the crystal is significant, but shouldn’t we be looking for proof of the changeling infiltration first?”
 
Hen looked up. “That’s true.”
 
“Do you think they have a presence in Ponyville?” Diamond Dust asked urgently.
 
“I don’t think so,” Hen Runner explained. “If they did they never would have let the real Twilight move freely inside the town and risk exposing their plot. They may of have tried to apprehend her at another location, which would explain her broken horn and the disappearance of the other Elements of Harmony.”
 
“And why she snuck back to Ponyville in the middle of the night,” Diamond Dust added.
 
“Where should we start looking then, sir?” Iron Feather asked.
 
Hen looked out the window. “The Everfree forest seems like a safe bet. Twilight and her accomplices were headed in that direction when they fled Ponyville. It would be the prefect place to hide an invasion force. We should send out patrols to watch the road going through it.”
 
He stepped past Diamond Dust and Iron Feather, heading back outside. “Sweet Apple Acres is right on the edge of Everfree, we should head there immediately and question the inhabitants.”
 
Diamond Dust smiled as she and Iron Feather followed Hen out of the library. “It’s nice to have some clandestine activity in this job again. It was getting pretty dull being cooped up in Canterlot for so long.” She rested her hands on the hilts of her daggers.
 
“If you say so,” Iron Feather said as he followed a step behind her.
 
*** 
 
It was mid day by the time the trio reached Sweet Apple Acres. The sky was clear as they passed under the arbor archway with a panel depicting the farm’s namesake fruit. There was a short wrinkly green skinned old woman sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of the farmhouse as they approached. When she noticed them she stood up on her wobbly legs to address them.
 
“Well hoody-do there, sirs, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres. The name’s Granny Smith. Heard about that terrible business down in Ponyville last night,” she shook her head sadly. “Never would have figured Twilight Sparkle capable of doing something like that. Damn shame.”
 
“Good day, Granny Smith,” Hen Runner said diplomatically. “I am Knight-Sergeant Hen-Runner. This is Knight Sergeant Diamond Dust and this is Knight-Errant Iron Feather.” He gestured toward his companions respectively.
 
Granny Smith nodded. “Well I’m afraid we can’t be much help to yer investigation, sir. Haven’t seen hide ner tail of Twilight or the others fer the last two days. Mah granddaughter AJ went missing the night a fore that. Yer welcome ta search for them yerself, they was last seen a-heading to the Diamond Tunnels outside ah town. I ain’t letin any more a my kin in there until we know what happened to AJ. ya’ll will be needin more than three ifin you mean to go in after ‘em.”
 
Diamond Dust looked at Hen Runner with concern.
 
“Do you know anything about what’s been happening in the forest?” Hen asked.
 
“Well…” Granny Smith began “The day AJ disappeared, Applebloom and her little club said they were going to the library to look-up something they found in the forest. Wouldn’t say what it was, shouted ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders Pathfinders’ as they run off.” She frowned sadly “When they came back, Sweetie Belle wasn’t with them and they was utterly despondent. Wouldn’t let on what happened and since then they’ve been spendin’ every minute uh the day hole’d up in their clubhouse. Big Mac is out there with them now. With AJ gone, He won’t let Apple Bloom outa his sight.”
 
“You said Applebloom is part of a club? Who are the other members?” Hen asked.
 
“Oh just her, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Her cousin Babs Seed also a member, but she’s in Manehatten and don’t visit very often,” Granny Smith answered. “Scootaloo is with Applebloom now. Sweetie disappeared the same day as AJ, so those two have been even more inseparable than usual.”
 
“How old is Applebloom?” Diamond Dust asked.
 
“She just tern’d 16 this year mam.” Granny Smith replied.
 
Hen Runner chewed his lip: this wasn’t going to be easy. Dealing with teenage girls was hard enough, but if she and her hadn’t told anyone else what happened, there was no other choice.
 
“I’m afraid time is of the essence. If you could direct us to the clubhouse, we’ll try to as considerate as possible in our questioning.” Diamond Dust said.
 
Granny Smith pointed her thumb back at the house. “Just past the orchard thataway, sir. It’s a bit outta the way but your Iron Feather should be able to spot it easy enough. Big Mac will be out there with his lady friend, Cheerilee. Tell ‘em I’ll have lunch ready by the time they get back.” She added, as she turned around and started ambling back into the house.
 
Hen turned to Iron Feather. “Iron, fly ahead and see if you can find the clubhouse. Diamond and I will follow.”
 
Iron Feather saluted and took off. Diamond and Hen followed, walking side by side as they headed off around the house and toward the trees.
 
“You have any idea how to handle this?” Hen asked bluntly.
 
“Can’t really say until we meet them,” she replied, “Despite what you men think, teenage girls aren’t a separate species.”
 
“No they just act like we are,” Hen Runner joked.
 
“Sometimes,” Diamond Dust admitted.
 
Hen Runner sighed. “Things were a lot simpler back in the old days. Back then it was just…” he was interrupted by an elbow in his side.
 
“We’re the same age. If you’re old enough to say the ‘good ol’ days’, then that mean’s I’m old enough to say the ‘good ol’ days’. And am not old enough to say the ‘good ol’ days’,” Diamond chided him.
 
Hen Runner smiled back. They were still technically middle-aged and the years had been kind to his former partner. Her amber eyes were as sharp as ever and that elbow had demonstrated she was still in top physical shape. It didn’t hurt that her face was easy to look. As they continued walking Hen Runner found himself reminiscing about how long they had known one another. They worked well together and in between missions they had become close friends.
 
That was when Iron Feather returned. He landed in front of them to give his report.
 
“I found the clubhouse. It’s a tree hut about a mile southeast from here. There are two individuals sitting at the base, most likely Big Mac and Cheerilee. I believe the girls are currently inside the structure.”
 
“Well then, lead the way Knight-errant,” Hen Runner replied.
 
A few minutes later they reached the clubhouse. It was a more remote area of the farm and the apple trees here a bit more wildly here. The structure itself was in a tree the middle of a small clearing. There were two people lying against the trunk as Iron Feather had said. One was a large red skinned, orange haired man dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans. He had is arm around a shorter woman who was resting her head on his chest. She had purple skin and two-toned pink hair and wore a flowered knee length skirt and light yellow collared shirt.
 
Hen Runner approached them ahead of his companions.
 
“Big Mac and Cheerilee I presume?”
 
“E-yup,” the man replied in a deep voice.
 
“I am Knight Sergeant Hen Runner. I’m here to ask your sister Applebloom about what she witnessed in the Everfree Forest.”
 
Big Mac frowned “Don’t think you’ll get much outta them, sir.”
 
Cheerilee chimed in. “Big’s been here trying to console them since yesterday, but Scootaloo and Applebloom have been keeping to themselves. They seem to be trying to block the traumatic memories with sex.”
 
Big Mac shot Cheerilee an annoyed look. Cheerilee recoiled abashedly “Did I say too much?” she asked.
 
“E-yup,” Big Mac replied.
 
“Are they engaged in sexual intercourse at the moment?” Hen inquired.
 
Big Mac tilted his head to point his ear toward the tree house above them. “Sounds like they’re taking a break,” he said.
 
“Commander, before you question them, there’s something should probably tell you,” Cheerilee said.
 
“What’s that?” Hen Runner inquired.
 
“I… I saw Twilight and the Stranger together last night. They were embracing right in front of my door. I tried to go back into my house, but then someone grabbed me from behind and strangled me until I lost consciousness,” she confessed, staring at the ground in front of Hen Runner. Big Mac stroked her hair in a comforting manner.
 
“Why wasn’t this reported sooner?” Hen demanded.
 
“When I woke up in my bed the next morning, I thought that it was dream until I heard about the explosion in the library. I tried to go see you in the hospital but they told me you had already left. Then I lost my nerve and went to see my boyfriend,” she said, wrapping her arm around Big Mac’s torso.
 
Hen Runner sighed. Better late than never, and at least this confirmed his suspicions. If Twilight had tried to pass off sneaking back into Ponyville as a midnight stroll with her boyfriend, then she clearly hadn’t been expecting to be arrested and charged with treason. This was definitely the real Twilight.
 
“Would you mind checking to see if Applebloom and her friend are in a good state to talk?” He asked Big Mac. “I understand the sensitivity of the situation, but it’s urgent we get this resolved as quickly as possible.”
 
“O-kay,” Big Mac replied. He got slowly to his feet, revealing that he was almost a head taller than Hen Runner. He climbed up the ladder and stood on the porch of the house looking in the window. He stood there a moment regarding the interior of the clubhouse before knocking on the door and entering. Hen Runner crossed his arms and tapped his fingers impatiently. Every second wasted meant Twilight Sparkle and the truth were slipping further away. 
 
Big Mac finally emerged from the clubhouse and called down to Royal Guard. “You can come up now.”
 
Hen and Diamond Dust climbed up the ladder while Iron Feather stood guard outside. When they entered the room they found the two teenage girls in a sofa with their eyes downcast. Big Mac introduced the yellow skinned one as his sister and the orange one as Scootaloo. The clubhouse itself was quite well furbished: Five chairs, shelves of books and comics, a stand with a microphone and a large map of Ponyville on the wall. There was also a king sized bed with a pair of fuzzy handcuffs still attached to one of the posts. Hen looked back at Big Mac, who was standing almost defiantly by the doorway. He wondered if the hulk had assembled the bed inside or simply carried the whole thing up the tree himself.
 
Diamond Dust introduced herself to the girls and pulled up a chair in front of the couch. She had a good deal of experience with interrogations negotiations, from both sides of the table (although in this case there wasn’t one). Most people thought it was simply a matter of psychological warfare: that you had to break the subject’s will in order to get them to reveal anything. The reality was quite different. Fear and intimidation were only part of the tools an interrogator had at their disposal. Torture was only used as a last resort, or in situations where you needed simple answers quickly. It was certainly out of the question in this case.
 
What really mattered was establishing a basis of mutual understanding. The girls were already clearly traumatized, so first Diamond Dust had to gain their trust. It was best to attain information in a round about way, try to put the subjects at ease and build up their confidence first. Avoid any judgmental statements; try to sound encouraging without coming off as patronizing. Celestia knows that’s the last thing those poor girls needed.
 
“Tell me, why do you call yourselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” She asked politely.
 
The two girls continued to stare at their feet before Apple Bloom mumbled something Hen Runner couldn’t quite make out.
 
“What was that?” Diamond asked.
 
“Because…” the purple haired Scootaloo spoke up. “… we don’t have our cutie marks yet.”
 
“Well that’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Diamond Dust said to the first girl.
 
“All the grown ups say that,” she replied in a country drawl. “But ya’ll already got your cutie marks. We were the only ones in our grade that haven’t got ours yet.”
 
“We got sick of waiting for them appear on their own, so we formed the club with Sweetie Belle to figure out ways to discover what they might be,” the Scootaloo explained.
 
Diamond Dust smiled. “That’s a good idea, putting all your heads together. As long as you keep trying you’ll get them eventually. And they’ll probably be the last thing you expected.”
 
“Don’t feel much like trying anymore,” Bloom said sadly as she tugged on the pink pink bow in her hair. “Not if it means ah keep losing friends and relatives.” Scootaloo wrapped her arms around her and held her close.
 
“Is that why you two were looking around the mines?” Diamond asked. “Was it something to do with finding your cutie marks?”
 
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom said with a sob. “We thought we might get our cutie marks by tracking. We went looking around the Diamond Dog Tunnels and we found some weird tracks. Then they changed into pony tracks so we figured we’d go to the library and look up what they were.”
 
Diamond Dust, Hen Runner and Big Mac looked at each other. Hen and Diamond’s expressions were grim, while Big Mac was alarmed. Unlike his younger sister, he knew exactly what sort of creature left transforming footprints.”
 
“Twilight and her boyfriend came back with us to investigate,” the orange one said.
 
“And what happened after that?” Diamond Dust asked.
 
Both girls bit their lips and help each other tightly. It was clear this was when the traumatic event had taken place. Diamond Dust tried to lead them on.
 
“Is that when Sweetie Belle disappeared?” She asked.
 
“Kinda,” Apple Bloom squeaked.
 
Instead of pressing the issue, Diamond Dust switched to a different line of questioning. “Does this have something to do with AJ’s disappearance as well?”
 
They both nodded.
 
Diamond Dust leaned in and spoke in a serious tone. “Listen to me girls: this is very important. Do you think you could show us where you found these tracks?”
 
“No way!” Scootaloo said incredulously. “Twilight and the others went down into those tunnels and never came back. What chance do you have?”
 
“Well that’s not entirely true,” Hen Runner cut in “I saw Twilight Sparkle just last night.”
 
“What!? Are you sure it was the real one?” Apple Bloom asked.
 
“Pretty sure. She was with the Stranger and Zecora the Zebra, when I found her. Someone impersonating her committed a serious crime in Canterlot. We came Ponyville because we thought it was her,” Hen decided to leave out that the crime was assassinating Luna. It was doubtful the girls had heard about it yet and they didn’t need to be told that one of the rulers of Equestria was dead while they were in this fragile state.
 
“Where is she? Did she say anything about AJ?” Apple Bloom asked.
 
“Or Rainbow Run?” Scootaloo added.
 
“I’m afraid we… scared them off before we could ask them any questions,” Hen said with regret. “I’m sure she’s still safe. It turns out there’s more to Stranger than we thought.” He added bitterly, remembering Raven Racer’s body in the morgue.
 
“They’re probably hiding at Zecora’s hut,” Apple Bloom said. “If you promise not to hurt them ah ken show you were it is.”
 
Hen Runner thought for a moment. If Twilight knew that Apple Bloom knew where Zecora’s hut was, then they were most likely long gone. What mattered now was searching the tunnels. He turned to Diamond Dust and shook his head.
 
“Twilight Sparkle and her friends probably aren’t there anymore, my friend scared them pretty badly and they think all of the Royal Guard is after them,” she told the CMC.
 
“Well now you’ve gone and made everything worse!” Scootaloo chastised him. “Twilight would never turn criminal unless she was doing it to help someone else.”
 
“I know that now,” Hen Runner admitted.
 
“What’s important now is that we search the tunnels for clues about what happened to her and her friends,” Diamond Dust emphasized.
 
“Yer a few apples short of a pie if ya think goin down there is a good idea,” Apple Bloom replied.
 
Hen groaned: this was going nowhere.
 
Diamond Dust had more patience. She sat there thinking for a moment, then spoke again in calm even tone. “Do you know my friend and I have fought the Changelings before?” She asked.
 
Scootaloo and Applebloom looked at her curiously. “When?”
 
“When they invaded during Princes Cadance and Shinning Armor’s wedding,” Diamond Dust said.
 
“Wait,” Scootaloo said suspiciously. “Twilight Sparkle was the one who found the real Cadance, and it was Cadance and Shinning who defeated the Changlings.”
 
“True,” Diamond Dust replied. “But we were there and we fought all the same. And we survived didn’t we?” 
 
“But so did the Elements of Harmony,” Apple Bloom pointed out. “And they still got captured by the Changelings in the tunnels.”
 
“Well we have a bit more experience with combat than they do,” Diamond Dust said. “And we came prepared. I brought a whole squad of heavily armed and armored knights with me. They’re waiting for my orders in Ponyville.” She put her hands on her daggers. “I’ve learned how to use these quite well, and my partner Hen Runner is really good at magic.”
 
“How good?” Scootaloo demanded.
 
“I’ll show you,” Hen said with a smile. He turned around and lit up his horn. A pink magical barrier appeared in the doorway beside Big Mac.
 
“Big Mac, try and break through that barrier,” Hen instructed the protective brother. “Hit it as hard as you can.”
 
Big Mac shrugged as he turned to face the door. He brought his fist up and slammed it into the barrier with enough force to demolish a house. The barrier shock but stayed were it was. Big Mac, however, was knocked off his feet and landed on his back on the floor between the two fillies and Diamond Dust.
 
“Wow,” Apple Bloom said in astonishment. “I an’t never seen nuthin’ strong enough t’ knock down Big Mac a’fore.”
 
“Actually he did that himself,” Hen Runner explained. “The magic shield merely reflects the force of the blow back at the attacker. Your brother must be as durable as he is strong to survive a punch like that.” He looked down at Big Mac, still laying wide eyed on the floor as if he had been stuck by lightning. “I hope you didn’t break any bones, sir. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
 
“Nope,” said Big Mac shaking his head. “I’m fine.” He turned his head to address Apple Bloom. “Looks like he can keep you safe while you take him to the tunnels.”
 
“Can Big Mac come with us anyway?” Scootaloo asked Diamond Dust. Big Mac looked over at her awaiting her answer.
 
She looked down at him with a mischievous smile on her face. Hen rolled his eyes; he had seen that look before. He could tell by her scent that Diamond wasn’t in heat, but that hadn’t stopped her from pursuing men in the past. There was a good chance poor Cheerilee would end the day in tears if Diamond decided she wanted a taste of Big Mac: When it came to men she usually got what she wanted.
 
Thankfully the smile passed and Big Mac and Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed not to have noticed.“I think he might prove useful,” she said. She pointed down at him. “If you promise to be careful about who and what you aim those punches at.”
 
“E-yup,” Big Mac replied. Diamond reached out her hand to help pull him up to his feet. Scootaloo and Applebloom got to their feet and stood beside him.
 
“Once we’ve assembled the troops, we’re going to march down there and see if we can find your friend,” Diamond Dust said confidently.
 
“Then what in the heck are we still doing here?” Apple Bloom said.
 
She and Scootaloo held hands and cried out in unison. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Rescuers!”
 
Hen grumbled to himself as the two girls raced out the door and down the ladder. If that turned out to be their catchphrase, it was going to get old real fast.
 
***
 
Once they had assembled the entire squad, The CMC led them off to the Diamond Tunnels. Hen was disappointed that the tracks had been filled in by the time they got there, but he wasn’t surprised. The tunnels were much closer to Ponyville than he thought they would be. If Twilight had managed to escape then they would have cleaned house as soon as possible. He just hoped there was still some proof they had been there.
 
Diamond Dust thanked Scootaloo and Apple Bloom for their help and sent them back with an escort. However, Big Mac insisted on accompanying them down into the tunnels. “If’n there’s a chance of finding out what happened to AJ, I gotta keep goin.” He said in is slow deep voice. Diamond and Hen agreed that he could come along.
 
Inside the tunnel was tall and wide enough for the pegasi to fly through. There were still no footprints: the Changelings had been thorough. Not that they would have left many footprints if they could just fly through the tunnels. Hen Runner led the way with his horn letting off a soft pink glow.
Aside from the noises of the troops marching and the flapping of pegasi wings, the tunnel was completely silent. Normally Hen would have preferred the quiet, but here it was a bad sign.
 
After about twenty minutes they ran into a problem. The tunnel they had been following terminated in a large chamber, with a dozen more tunnels leading out of it in different directions. Diamond Dust took off her helmet and ran her fingers through her hair.
 
“I don’t much like the idea of splitting up down here,” she said to Hen.
 
“Me neither,” he replied. “And I doubt the Elements of Harmony were foolish enough to split up when they passed through here. I’ll light this room up a bit brighter and see if we can’t find some clue which way they went.”
 
Hen’s horn glowed more brightly until everyone could clearly see from one end of the room to the other. The squad split up to examine each of the tunnels simultaneously. Hen was beginning to worry that the Changelings had been too efficient in their cover-up when Iron Feather called him over to the tunnel he had been investigating. He directed Hen Runner’s attention to the ceiling.
 
“See right there? There’s a faint burn mark there that the Changelings overlooked.” He told Hen Runner.
 
Hen squinted to make it out. Iron was right, there was a faint black streak in the dirt above them. It wasn’t much of a clue, but it was the only one they had.
 
“This way solders,” Hen called out. He showed the burn mark to Diamond when she came over. She shrugged. “I guess that’s enough.”
 
They continued down the new tunnel until it split into three. This time it was much easier to figure out which way the Elements had gone. Two of the tunnels ran forward almost parallel to each other, while the third was blocked by rubble. It appeared to have been deliberately sealed off.
 
“That’s where Twilight and the others went, isn’t it?” Big Mac asked in an angry tone.
 
“E-yup,” Hen answered.
 
“And that’s where they would’ve taken AJ?”
 
“E-yup,” Diamond Dust answered
 
“Then that’s where I’m a’goin,” Big Mac said as he strode forward determinedly.
 
“Remember what I said about where you aim those punches,” Diamond Dust reminded him.
 
“Don’t worry,” Big Mac said as he stood before the pile of rubble with his hands on his hips, sizing up the obstacle. From where he stood, Hen Runner couldn’t see Big Mac’s face, but he strongly suspected it was an expression he wouldn’t want directed at him. “One AJ, plus one Big Mac, plus one pile of rubble between them, equals…” He let out a grunt as he spun around in a blur to deliver a thunderous sidekick to the hapless pile of earth. It shook visibly and collapsed in on itself, now only half as tall as it had been before. He proceeded to stomp and tear the rubble into oblivion with his bare hands. Hen Runner and the others watched in awe as he threw aside the largest rocks as if they were tennis balls.
 
By the time he was finished, the third tunnel looked as though there had never been anything blocking it to begin with. Big Mac turned to face the Royal Guard, wiping his hands against each other. “…one less pile of rubble.” He finished simply.
 
Diamond Dust bit her lip hungrily. “An unstoppable juggernaut and good at math? That Cheerilee is one lucky girl.” She said.
 
Big Mac smiled bashfully. “E-yup.” He replied. 
 
Hen Runner turned to address the others. “This is good. If the Changelings thought that we couldn’t access that tunnel, they have left something in there that could prove they were here. Let’s get going.” He set off down the tunnel with his horn glowing brightly.
 
The tunnel was long and took many turns, which limited their line of sight. It was much smaller than the initial passage, Big Mac’s head brushed against the ceiling. After some time, the tunnel widened out. Then the group came to one last turn. Hen Runner knew they coming to the end and braced himself for what they would find again.
 
It was a large circular room with a tall ceiling. There was another entrance on the far side. Along the walls there were pods, or rather torn empty shells that had once been pods. Each one had been cut open and it’s contents removed. Hen wasn’t sure what they were for, but he was sure who left them there. He walked over to the nearest pod and kicked it with no small amount of distain.
 
The others would take some convincing. Nobody had ever seen a Changling nest before, or could even be sure that they even lived in nests. Up until the attack on Canterlot last year, reports of Changelings had been inconsistent and unconfirmed. What little literature there was only had the minimum of reliable information, the rest was merely theory or supposition. While Hen was fairly certain that pods of this size had never been connected to any other species, that in itself did not prove they were changeling in origin.
 
As Hen Runner turned his head to look back at the others, the changing position of the light revealed something on the wall that got his attention. He turned and squinted at it for a moment before he realized what it was
 
Diamond Dust called over to him “What is it Knight-Sergeant?”
 
Hen Runner stepped back a few feet and lit his horn up: “Tracks.”
 
The all those present, including Big Mac, turned their heads upwards. As Hen moved to the center the changing shadows revealed a series of footprints along the walls and ceiling of the cavern. They were like nothing Hen or Diamond or any of the others had ever seen. If Hen had to say what they reminded him of, it would be the front end of chicken tracks. Big Mac frowned “Ya reckon those were made by the Changelings?”
 
“It’s very likely,” Diamond Dust replied. “But it’s still not definitive proof.”
 
Hen Runner sighed. As much as he would have liked to throw the whole hive right in the court’s, and Celestia’s, face as proof, it wasn’t enough. Even without the gravity of questioning the Sun Princess’ claim, all this was still circumstantial. Until they had recovered an actual Changeling, there was nothing to be gained by revealing their findings to Canterlot. They were on their own. 
 
“Then these r where they kept mah AJ?” Big Mac asked, pointing at the pods.
 
“E-yup,” Iron Feather replied.
 
Diamond Dust spoke up “Since Changelings feed on emotions, it would be in their best interest to keep the people they replace alive as long as possible.”
 
“Well, now we know where they were keeping the Elements of Harmony, now we need to find out where they took them.” Hen said.
 
“How long is that gunna take?” Big Mac asked, the worry clear in his voice.
 
Hen Runner spoke up “I don’t know, but right now my partner and I have another matter to investigate.” He said looking at Diamond Dust.
 
“That’s right.” She said looking up “Knight Sergeant Hen Runner, I am invoking the authority of the Regent of Canterlot to relieve of the command of the search for Luna’s assassin and placing my subordinates in charge.”
 
“Ma’am?” Asked the brown skinned Knight-protector that had come with them to investigate the tunnels.
 
Diamond Dust turned to face him “I trust you and Blank Slate can handle the search on your own. I’d advise sending the pegasi out to do recon on any roads or rivers that pass through Everfree. Have the Apple Bloom lead you to Zecora’s hut and see if you can find any clues as to where Dusk Sparkle and her companions might have gone. Meanwhile keep watch on Ponyville. Monitor all travel in or out and be on the lookout for anyone acting strangely. Given all these pods we can’t overlook the possibility that they might have left a spy or two behind to monitor our activity. Lastly, and this is very important,” She said leaning in close “Always travel in pairs. You got that soldier?”
 
The knight protector nodded and Diamond Dust straightened up. “Good,” she said, “Because Hen and I are going on a road trip. Would you care to join us Knight-errant?” She asked, turning to Iron Feather.
 
Iron Feather looked down at the floor for a moment in thought. The he looked up as his eyes took in the room full of abandoned pods. He turned to face Hen Runner “I made an oath to bring Luna’s killer to justice. I understand the significance of what you and Diamond are looking for, but my mission lies in another direction.”
 
Hen Runner nodded. “It’s been my privilege to serve alongside you Iron Feather.” He said, extending his hand out towards him.
 
“It has been an honor sir.” Iron Father replied, taking Hen’s hand firmly in his own and shaking it.
 
“Suit yourself” Diamond Dust said, before turning to the rest of the soldiers assembled in the pod room “As my last act as your, commander, I order you to document this discovery and excavate these pods. Understood?”
 
“Yes, ma’am!” they responded in unison and saluting. Diamond Dust returned the salute and made her way through the ranks and back out through the tunnel they just came through. Hen Runner followed close behind her. They were off to requisition a train for an express trip to the Crystal Empire.
 
**
 
She walked through the city. Canterlot. She hated this place. Had ever since the damn catastrophe. At her side were Enman and Ebel. They had taken the form of something that hadn’t lived in this city for a very long time, as had she done herself. Being an unknown visitor had its benefits. No one was questioning ones behavior, for one. As long as no one had an intimate memory of long dead people, they would be fine.
 
In the sky she saw a carriage of gold arrive. Even from this distance she could tell what was in it; the prince, Shining Armor. She had to get out of this city. The Royal Guard had been increasingly suspicious since the night before, pestering everyone they could get their hands on, asking about Twilight Sparkle.
 
The tools. She had seen “Twilight Sparkle” flee the city. Like all of her kind, she could see through the disguise. Cephora.
 
“I am wondering if my sister is okay,” Chrysalis wondered aloud to Enman and Ebel. Their eyes narrowed for a moment.
 
“No, Mom, I don’t think she is,” Ebel shook his head. “Our family has fallen on hard times, no doubt about that.”
 
**
 
“Knight-Errant Dancing Silver, at your service,” a brown coated Pegasi with silver eyes and hair had entered Shinings chambers, saluting him. He smiled at her, shaking his head. She was a bit bulkier than most Pegasi, and had always favored strength over speed. Still, she had a narrow, attractive face with elegant curves and a cute nose. Her lips were thin, and she wore no makeup, but she was still reasonably attractive.
 
“Fuck the formalities, Silver,” he laugh, with fake cheerfulness. He was, however, glad she had been able to respond to his summoning so quickly. He had decided that sending word in advance would be a risk, so he had called for her after Blueblood had left. “It is good to see you. I want you to take command of the Royal Guards while I act as the Regent, and to set up a continuous message exchange with Celestia. I feel it is best if we can be certain of her location, should something happen.”
 
“Um, Shining?” Silver scratched the back of her head. “The Princess is in the castle.”
 
“What!?”
 
“Yeah, she has barred herself in her chambers, refusing to answer anyone. No one has dared enter, as of yet.”
 
Shining didn’t bother to reply to what she said, but instead waved for her to follow him and started to run in the direction of Celestia’s chambers. It didn’t take many minutes before he arrived, Silver flying behind him. With the Royal Guard’s gesture that indicated silence, Shining took a deep breath and opened the door to Celestia’s quarters.
 
The door wasn’t locked, which was strange. Inside the room there was a mess of books and scrolls on the floor, as if the Sun Princess had gone through them hastily and then just thrown them away. The Princess herself was clearly visible through the open doors out to her personal balcony. She was staring out at the sun, the only movement her body made was the natural shifting of her hair.
 
“Your Majesty,” Shining said, approaching her. She turned around and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. “Why are you here?”
 
“What? I- I mourn my-“
 
“You mourn your sister instead of trying to get to the bottom of what is going on? What happened to you, Celestia? When I got your summons to be the Regent Steward I assumed you were going to lead the investigation yourself, like any true monarch who cares for their people would do. Instead, I find you here, sobbing. Have you become so dependent on my sister and her friends that you’ve grown incapable of acting for yourself anymore?”
 
His voice rose as he spoke, and Celestia looked more and more doubtful. A feeling of guilt spread from his gut, but he ignored it. This had to be done.
 
“I- you’re right…” she eventually replied, looking down at the floor. “I can’t stay here, I need to find the one responsible for this. And it won’t do anyone any good for me to stay here anymore. Farewell, Shining Armor, I hope I’ll see you again soon.”
 
Shining didn’t say a word as she spread her wings, only nodded to her as she took off with an encouraging smile. But when he was sure she was out of earshot, it turned to a frown as he turned away and left the balcony. Dancing Silver looked at him, confused.
 
“That takes care of that problem,” as he brushed past her, he mumbled to himself.
 
“Um, what? I don’t follow. The Princess being here was a problem?” Shining stopped when he heard her question. His horn lit up, closing the balcony doors behind him and he did a quick swipe of the room. It harbored no magic, safe for traces of the customary wards on the door and windows, which had been deactivated.
 
“That was not the real Princess,” the reply had a pessimistic tone. He assumed that Celestia, if she really was a Changeling, would have taken command of the upper echelons of the Royal Guards, but he assumed it would be too much trouble getting an army under control. That is why he had chosen Dancing Silver, because she was not an officer, but a rank’n’file soldier of the Guard. She was also someone he had befriended in his time at the Royal Guard Academy, but never kept in touch with much since then, so she was effectively off the radar. She was one of the few people he felt he could trust in this city, as of this moment.
 
“How do you know? Because she was mourning her sister, instead of acting? Haven’t you acted irrationally out of grief before?”
 
“I am married to an Alicorn, and she said that nothing about this makes any sense. Alicorn doesn’t die, not permanently. Luna is still alive, even if her physical body perished. Cadence said she’d come back eventually, just like Sombra did. So either Celestia has somehow lost the knowledge of her own kind…”
 
“… Or that is an imposter that doesn’t know the Alicorn are immortal. You think the Changelings have returned,” Shining nodded, before Silver continued. “I thought the Changelings were dead.”
 
“That is what Celestia said. Maybe the real Celestia thought they were, or maybe the Changelings had put in the imposter already then. What I do know, is that most took it for granted that she was right, like she always seemed to be. And who are the people to say differently, if the ever-wise and courageous Savior Celestia declares Twilight Sparkle, the real Twilight Sparkle, to be an outlaw? At best, saying the Changelings are involved would be treated as mad conspiracy theories, and at worst you’d be greeted with a witch hunt. She is treated like a deity in her own right; her word is law and her thoughts, however moronic and simplistic they could possibly have been, is defined as wisdom. Her humble and humorous attitude to the commoners, that leaves nothing but a shadow to contrast the light of her ferocious and unflinching resolve when circumstance calls upon her to defend her kingdom and people, perfectly fits as the final piece of the puzzle. She is adored and celebrated; most people would die for her sake. I too, as I know the benefit her experience, kindness and occasional ruthlessness she brings to Equestria, and there is no worthier brow for the Crown to rest upon. This fake has to be stopped, and the real Celestia located. And I suspect that the only way to do that is to find my sister.”
 
“And to find your sister, we need Knight-Sergeant Hen Runner.”
 
“Get some people I trust. Off-radar people from our school years, and get them to accompany Hen Runner. If there is someone who can track Twily, it is he, but I don’t think he can be trusted to do the right thing when his orders to capture and bring Twily back came from the Princess herself. And I don’t think for a moment that Twily would be safe, even with my protection, in this city. Now get out of here, I have to prepare for the meeting with Blueblood and his ‘noble families’.”

> Chapter 8: Confession
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and I walked down to the castle entrance, where we were greeted by Zecora. I thought she looked tired compared to when we arrived, as if she hadn’t slept. By her feet was what looked like a heap of leather at first. It had a faint, unpleasant odor.
 
“By the hour’s end we must be gone, so please be swift and put these on,” the striped lady pointed to the leather heap. When I took a closer look, I saw that they were clothes made from leather, not unlike that Zecora herself wore. Hers looked to be new: the tares and cuts that had been left by my spell weren’t there. Putting on the clothes made the smell stand out even more. Were they fresh? Was that what she had been doing while we slept? Hunting animals and making us clothes from their hides?
 
“And where would we go?” I asked as Twilight and I started to get out of our old torn clothes and into the new ones. It wasn’t as though I would have any say in the matter, since I was still largely ignorant of this world beyond Ponyvile, but I still wanted to know. After weeks of struggling to figure out was the heck was going on around me, at least I wanted to be on the same page as everyone else before we left. I wanted know what reasons Twilight and Zecora had for choosing our destination. I was so focused on waiting for an answer I didn’t even remember to be a little embarrassed at undressing in front of Zecora.
 
“The Crystal Empire,” Twilight answered me. I was about to laugh, but she looked completely serious. Zecora nodded in agreement.
 
“But isn’t that, you know, part of Celestia’s kingdom?”
 
“My brother and sister-in-law rule there. If anyone can help us against the Changelings, it’s them.”
 
“You unleashed a dangerous force; it would be wise to investigate the source. You cannot always be on the run; for then our battle will never be done.” Zecora said solemnly.
 
“But why would they be the best ones to help us fight the Changelings?” I pressed Twilight.
 
“Cadence was the one they replaced when they attacked Canterlot. My brother would never let himself be tricked by another Changeling after that. Both of them have known me since I was kid so we can trust them. They know I would never… that I could never try to kill Luna or betray Equestria. And they’d never believe Celestia would believe that. If they aren’t already Changeling thralls, they’ll know something isn’t right.”
 
“And how do we know they’re not thralls?” I asked, skeptically.
 
“We don’t have much choice but to assume they’re not, do we? We don’t have anywhere else to go: the rest of Equestria thinks I’m a traitor so they’ll be waiting to turn us in or kill me themselves. We’ll have to go to the Crystal Empire sooner or later anyway.”
 
“Why?”
 
“Because we need to kn-“
 
“No, we don’t.” I interjected with no small amount of desperation in my voice. “Not if it means putting you in danger. We barely escaped the last time, and that was with just a few soldiers.”
 
Twilight sighed, and gave me a smile. “I have to save my friends. At least… I have to try. I… I know you want protect me, but…”
 
“But you’re a hero,” I replied, flatly. There was no getting around that. She had leapt into action we discovered the Changeling imposters, and she didn’t see why I had been hesitant to do the same. “You’d never be able to live with yourself if you didn’t do everything you could.”
 
“I’m sorry,” She said sadly.
 
“Don’t be. You’re a great person. I’ll… follow wherever you lead.”
 
I had a hard time saying the last sentence. I knew there wasn’t much of a choice, but it still bothered me. After escaping the Changelings, something compelled me to be braver than I thought I was. But, after the encounter with Celestia’s guards, I didn’t know anymore. What if I hurt Twilight the next time the magic was unleashed? I imagined the body of the soldier I had killed, but it had Twilight’s face looking out from the helmet instead. Even Zecora hadn’t gotten away unscathed. And what worse, what if I wasn’t fast enough the next time? I wasn’t even sure I could control this new power. I had only been able to use it when all hope seemed lost. Would it take that kind of desperation to trigger the attack again? Would I find a way to control it in time to protect Twilight?
 
I saw a tear shining in to Twilight’s eye, but she quickly wiped it away with her hand and turned to Zecora. “Do you have any ideas for what to eat? We’ll have to keep away from settlements as much as possible.”
 
“Herbs and plants are my trade; from that much food can be made. If we have need of meat, there are plenty of creatures that are easy to eat.”
 
I smiled to myself, looking at the floor. I felt a bit useless in this group. I neither had any useful knowledge, nor would I be much help in getting us to the Crystal Empire. The best I could hope for was that if we were attacked, the magic I had unleashed before would activate again. But I didn’t hold out much hope for that. If we ran into the Guards again, they would target me first before attacking Twilight and Zecora.
 
While I was worrying, something else came over me. The voice I had heard earlier. I had tried to forget it since then, but now I realized something. Something other than Luna, Sombra and Molly had gotten access to my mind. Ugh, why was everyone trying to get inside my head? If this kept happening, I might as well go schizophrenic and save them the trouble of driving me crazy.
 
“Are you alright? Did you hear voices again?” Twilight broke my line of thought, sounding concerned. I looked up, seeing Zecora raise a skeptical eyebrow at me. Just fucking great. If she thought I was hearing voices again she’d probably tie me up and leave me behind. I hoped that the fact that had killed someone to protect her counted for something in Zecora’s mind. I felt a chill run up my spine as I thought about it.
 
“No, but I was thinking everyone who’s been in my head since I got here. Between Luna, Sombra and Mo- the Changeling, it’s starting to get really annoying.”
 
“Luna only goes into your dreams though,” Twilight said, giving me an encouraging smile. “And she visits everyone’s dreams at one time or another, so you don’t need feel like she singled you out.”
 
“Luna impacts more than she seems, it is no small mater to visit another’s dreams.”
 
Zecora’s comment didn’t make me feel better, but I appreciated that she was being honest with me. Twilight raised an eyebrow at her now, making me think that what Zecora had said didn’t necessarily match her view of Luna.
 
“I haven’t heard from the Changeling since you gave me your cure though,” I broke in, addressing Zecora before Twilight could object to her statement about Luna. She gave me a slight bow in return, accompanied by a smile.
 
“What is it like when Sombra comes into your dream?” Twilight asked. I had to stop and think about it for a moment, because I couldn’t really say it had felt like anything. Not the same as the Changeling, at least, which had been persuasive in ways beyond the words she had spoken. I could’ve sworn I had felt Molly’s physical presence when she appeared. But it wasn’t like that with Sombra at all.
 
“Umm.” I scratched the back of my head. “It feels a lot like when Luna enters my dreams. Like I’m awake and really in a different place.”
 
“Really? That’s what it feels like when Luna’s there?”
 
“That’s what it felt like.”
 
I got the last piece of clothing on that Zecora had made for me. It was oddly comfortable to wear, even if it felt slightly heavier than normal clothes. Not heavy, but heavier. I probably wouldn’t notice in after awhile.
 
“This moment can be spent to mourn,” Zecora began, looking at Twilight. Why did she speak in rhymes? I still had no clue. “Should you wish to honor the passing of the Night’s Alicorn.”
 
“Zecora, Luna isn’t dead,” I said, in a tone that made it sound like this should be as obvious as the sun rising in the morning. I didn’t know if was supposed to be common knowledge, but when I thought about for a second, I realized that Zecora probably had no way of knowing when Luna had appeared to me.
 
“Luna visited my dream after we came here Zecora. She said that Alicorns never truly die and that her spirit lives on even when their body doesn’t” I explained
 
“She told me that too,” Twilight added. Zecora had looked as though she wanted to question me about Luna’s appearance. Probably wondering how I could be sure Sombra or Molly hadn’t tricked me into believing Luna was still alive. I know I certainly would have wanted to that if I were her. She seemed surprised when Twilight confirmed my story.
 
“So the Royal Guard’s accusation was very odd; he’s probably being manipulated, poor sod.” Zecora said.
 
“Actually…” Twilight said, scratching the back of her neck “…It’s not exactly common knowledge. In fact, unless Luna entered his dreams and told him herself, none of them could have known she wasn’t really dead. If the Celestia in Canterlot is a Changeling she probably wouldn’t have known either.”
 
 Zecora frowned “Too keep such a thing secret is most unkind, especially for her subjects’ peace of mind.”
 
II wasn’t sure  I agreed with Zecora on that. That it wasn’t something known by most people could work out in our favor. Like Molly not anticipating that I could resist her control. If we were lucky, anyway. 
 
The striped lady seemed to disappear a bit into her thoughts. “You said Sombra was in your mind as well? What did he want, praytell?”
 
“He said something about ‘shards’ and bringing him back to life. Or, at least back to physical form.”
 
She just nodded in return. Twilight and I looked at one another, not really understanding what she was getting at or trying to find out. Did she have any knowledge of what I was talking about at all?
 
“Do you know something about this?” Twilight asked her before I could. Zecora shook her head.
 
“It could be just my mind wondering; it certainly sounds interesting. But what it means I do not know; now we must go.”
 
You and me both, lady, I thought to myself. Twilight seemed disappointed, but both of us caught up with the striped one quickly. She had started to walk out of the entrance without waiting for us.
 
**
 
I wasn’t sure how long we had been walking, but I was getting increasingly confused as to where we were. Zecora had abandoned the use of paths altogether, leading us through seemingly random assortment of bushes and trees. From time to time she stopped and examined something like the ground or bark on the trees, before setting off in a new direction. Twilight and I were content just following along.
 
Neither of us questioned straying from the well used paths through the forest; from now on we couldn’t risk coming into contact with anyone. Now the Royal Guard knew we knew they were after us and they knew we were in the area around the Ponyvile. We could only assume they would not give us a chance to surrender peacefully next time, and that they were actively pursuing us. And after the way I had destroyed those four Guards in the library, it was a foregone conclusion that they would be coming after us in full force.
 
We had stayed away from Zecora’s hut, and we hadn’t even stayed in the castle very long even though it was supposedly forgotten. By now we had left the Everfree Forest, and were passing through Kyne-knows-where in hope of eventually getting to the Crystal Empire. There was something surreal about all of this. I was out here, like I was part of a frikkin fantasy novel. I was reminded of a scene from the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. That part where the Nazgul attacked Osgilliat and Sam told Frodo about the stories he listened to as a child. He said that the most important stories were about people who could have turned away from their quest at any time, but still kept going. I couldn’t remember if that speech was from the books or they had added that in for the movie, but I distinctly remembered Frodo and Sam never going to the ruined city by the river. I doubted if Sam would say what I was going through at the moment was one of those important stories, because I didn’t really have anywhere else to go. But Twilight: she could’ve convinced Zecora to take us someplace far, far away and leave the Changeling threat behind. But she didn’t.
 
Thinking about it gave me an uneasy feeling in my gut. I had said it before, many enough times, but I had to keep reminding myself that Twilight was a hero. Not by accomplishments alone, but her attitude, the way she carried herself. Her resolve made me feel ashamed, and more than a little astonished. Twilight was attractive, intelligent, a frikkin princess, and a hero. So what the hell did she see in me? Even after I had been passed between almost every horny girl in town, albeit as much due to chance as Pinkie Pie, she still wanted to have a committed relationship with me? I wasn’t sure if I should be filled with pride or wonder what was wrong with Twilight.
 
It gnawed at the back of my mind that someone like her could actually consider me to be a hero. I hardly thought so, but Twilight credited me with exposing the fake AJ and Sweetie Belle, and saving her in the Diamond Tunnels. I certainly didn’t feel like a hero.
 
“Twilight,” I whispered. Both Twilight and Zecora looked at me and I made a gesture signaling I wanted us to stop for a bit.
 
“What?” Twilight looked at me with concern in her eyes. I felt a swarm of butterflies fill my stomach.
 
“Well, I-“ I started, but had to stop for a moment. This was going to be hard to say. “I want to say this before anything happens. If anything happens. Twilight, I love you. I don’t know what you see in me, but whatever happens, I want you to know, for sure, that I love you. Wow, that probably sounds like a stu-”
 
I had to fight back some tears while I said it, but I didn’t have to worry about Twilight seeing them. She didn’t even wait for me to finish before she embraced me in a tight hug. Even Zecora seemed to smile, before she turned away.
 
“Of course it is not stupid!” Twilight protested and broke the hug, before she gave me a kiss on the forehead. She had a wide smile. “Come on, we better get moving if we’re to defeat these Changelings.”
 
Heh, I thought. My silly little reassurance hadn’t shaken her resolve. Now that I’d finally said it I felt this odd sensation, like I was walking around with a big dumb grin on my face. Like nothing was wrong in the world. She already knew I cared for her, but it had felt good telling her now. And she looked like she was glad to hear it.

> Chapter 9: A Story and Wings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

A human, and two very strange ponies were walking in a forest… I wonder if that is how a joke about all of this would go…
 
It was getting late into the afternoon. I couldn’t tell how fair we had walked or even if we were still heading in the same direction. I could only blindly trust that Zecora had been able to keep us on course
 
On second thought, perhaps describing my trust in her as “blind” was unfair to the striped lady. Twilight trusted her and I trusted Twilight. Zecora had proven her loyalty to the Princess beyond a reasonable doubt, and that she was not in league with the Changelings. I assumed, with one of their kind on the throne in Canterlot, that the Changelings were the ones directing the guards we encountered at Twilight’s home. I didn’t like that I couldn’t prove that, but it was the only safe assumption to be made. And based on that assumption, Zecora helping us didn’t make sense if she was with the Changelings.
 
Then again, a voice said in the back of my mind. “Celestia” informing us that there were Changelings about didn’t make any sense either. Ugh, I wanted that part of me to shut its fucking hole for a while. I didn’t want to distrust Zecora right now. We were reliant on her being on our side. But I had to admit that, in light of the seemingly irrational actions the Changelings in the past, that this was a distinct possibility. We were out alone in the wilderness, which made us easy prey.
 
No, I told the voice. It was forgetting something: Zecora had cured me of the Changeling poison. That made absolutely no sense if she was a Changeling or a Changeling thrall. Is that so? It asked back. You almost died, and you don’t know potion-making enough to judge how well she did it. Perhaps she made a cure she knew wouldn’t work to force you into cardiac arrest. She said each cure had to be tailored to each individual, but it was Twilight’s magic that saved you after all.
 
I felt numbness spread from my stomach: I didn’t have anything to say to that. No counter argument. I didn’t want to believe it was true, but there was no way for me to prove it wasn’t so. In truth, if the cure was meant to kill me, this could be a way to salvage the assassination attempt.
 
“Are you alright?” Twilight asked me. She and Zecora looked at me from a small distance; I must have stopped walking at some point and not even realized it. I nodded in return and said something about feeling light-headed for a moment and ran to catch up with them. In a way it was true, it was a blow to my confidence in the striped lady. Was there a fiend of the worst sort behind the helpful hermit’s face? I also had to contend with the very real possibility of some of these thoughts not being entirely mine. I hadn’t seen or heard from Molly that I knew of, but would it be impossible for the projection to blend into my subconscious and sow distrust?
 
“Maybe we should stop and rest?” Twilight asked Zecora, who just gave her a half-hearted nod in return. Looking at her, I saw that her eyes had trouble keeping focus and remained almost half closed most of the time. I asked if she had slept at all since she found us in the forest and she shook her head.
 
“I could not take time to address my own tire, my lest I leave us exposed to the changeling’s ire.”
 
“Well you won’t be able to stay alert if you can’t stay awake.” I pointed out. “So take a nap now, for my sake.”
 
Even if it was hypothetically possible that she was a Changeling, that didn’t stop me from being concerned for her. I didn’t even realize I had made a rhyme until she let out a small chuckle and shook her head at me. She did, however, look around. Moments later, we were headed in a new direction. It led to a small, largely enclosed, clearing.
 
We didn’t enter it, in case there were unfriendly eyes in the skies, but sat down by a tree on its border, just out of sight. Looking around, I was impressed with the choice of location. The trees were plentiful enough to keep us hidden from anyone who was more than a few feet away, and from here we could keep an eye on the sky above. Now all we had to do was make sure we didn’t make any noise.
 
Zecora curled up by the tree, having given Twilight her satchel. “Wake me up when you think I’ve slept long enough. Making up for lost time is going to be tough. If we tarry too long here, we risk losing all we hold dear.”
 
We understood that perfectly and simply replied with a nod. I was starting to feel a bit tired myself; something about knowing that the next few hours would be spent silently waiting for our guide to get some well-deserved rest made my body feel tired. I expected Twilight felt the same, the way she yawned at me. But there was nothing we should do about it.
 
**
 
Twilight and I glanced at our surroundings, occasionally looking at one another as the time crept by. Zecora slept without making any noise, save for the faint sound of her breathing. As she lived in the forest, I suspected that she slept lightly, making conversation between Twilight and myself impossible. I wasn’t even sure there was anything I wanted to talk about at the time.
 
If I had to be honest, what I really wanted to do was to curl up with Twilight and cuddle until we fell asleep. I looked at her and gave her a smile. She blushed and smiled back. We hadn’t had time to be alone after I had spewed out my confession earlier. It was such a crude way to put it, but it really was the most accurate. I diverted my eyes to Zecora. I hadn’t given some eloquent delivery about my feelings. Twilight didn’t seem to mind though. She had seemed rather happy to hear it.
 
Looking at Twilight again, I saw that she had pulled down her shirt and was pushing her breasts together. Immediately I felt blood rush south of the navel. She had to stop using her hands to tease me so she could cover her mouth to stifle her laughter I gave her an exaggerated look that said, “OMG, what are you doing!?” in response, giggling a bit to myself.
 
“Now that I’ve had some rest, I’ll be able to assist you with my skills at their best.” Zecora yawned and sat up, giving me a quick wink. I assumed she was referring to what I had said before she went to sleep. I nodded. She probably would be. “Now, you two should get some sleep, we have far to go for the forest is deep.”
 
“We really shouldn’t…” Twilight said, hesitantly. I nodded. We needed to keep moving, not to lie down.
 
“I have to prepare us a meal; using that time to rest seems like a good deal.”
 
Twilight and I looked to one another. She did have a point: if we were to stay here for a little while anyway, might as well get comfortable. Zecora stood up, offering us the spot she had chosen. It was softer than where we had been sitting. I lay down first, followed by Twilight who partially lay on top of me, resting her head against my chest. Careful to avoid the horn, I planted a kiss on her forehead before I let my head rest against the grass.
 
**
 
I had recreated the image of my dream to that of Sombra’s balcony to the best of my memory. I seemed to have a moment before he, or Luna, would appear. But only moments, as the figure of Sombra started to materialize at my side. He raised an eyebrow at his current surroundings.
 
“Greetings, Dream Host,” he said. “I assume you want me to stick around for a little while tonight? As beautiful as the Crystal Empire can be, its scenery does get dull after a while. I’m sure you’d have better things to look at if you were free to control the environments of your dreams.”
 
“Yes. I was hoping you’d tell me more about the Shards.”
 
We looked at one another for a time, before he smiled. The scenery changed to the Crystal throne room, where another Sombra was looking at a heart made out of a soft blue crystal. It radiated its own light. “Of course. You can hardly aid me return to life without knowing anything about the tool for the job. And while I think the ritual is something we’ll have to go over later, I can share more of my story with you. Don’t worry, it is connected.”
 
“What’s that?” I pointed to the glowing heart. I didn’t mention that I had yet to make a decision on whether to seek his aid or not.
 
“The Crystal Heart; possibly the most powerful artifact in the known world. No one knows where it came from. It has always been part of the Empire’s capital. The history of how it came to be there was lost already in my time. Even more interesting, my people seem to be connected to it somehow.”
 
“Connected how?”
 
“Not quite sure,” another person was added to the scene. Unlike Sombra, her skin and hair was crystalline in appearance, as if she was a carved out masterpiece. However, she moved as naturally as any other person I had seen. “But I’m sure you can understand the suspicion. All those born in the Empire have an appearance like that. I did too, once, before I shed my mortality.”
 
The second person disappeared again, leaving only me and the two Sombras. The one crafted by the dream started to gets a similar gleam in its appearance and the red faded from the tip of his horn. He grew shorter, until he barely stood taller than I did. Then a man entered. He had a long white beard and wore a blue, unadorned robe.
 
“The Empire’s court mage and I spent many years studying the Heart. He seemed to welcome the chance to finally do so. My people had always revered it with zeal. Trying to tap into its power was considered blasphemy. I, however, did not care, for if I succeeded, and I knew I would, the opinions of mere mortals would no longer matter to me. The whole of the Empire could have risen up against me and it would’ve mattered for naught as long as I held the Heart.”
 
“And Luna and her sister?”
 
“Yes, the spike in the road. The festering cut in my hand. I feared that sooner or later, the Alicorns and their great power would come for me. Long did I try to hold off the inevitable through diplomacy, even as I would not swear allegiance. Doing so would endanger the secrecy of my plans, mean having ambassadors and governors running around the place to keep me in line. But it could only last for so long. So I had to focus on many aspects of mortality at once. I knew that should I attain immortality, there would still be the problem of returning to this world. I assumed, quite correctly, that I would restore myself in time, much like the Alicorn, but I wanted a way to hasten the process. That is where the Shards come into the picture.”
 
The crystalline Sombra disappeared and was replaced with Luna and Celestia. On pedestals around the room there was crystals of the same color as the Heart, looking like they had been chipped of it. Two of the pedestals were empty. The Heart itself, however, was untouched.
 
“Do you like the style I made them in? I got a sense of drama as I designed them,” he smiled at me, but grew serious. “What I had not counted on was how fast Celestia was able to gain insight into my research. I had thought the Shard’s significance to be safe from her, at least for a time. Perhaps she only suspected, or wanted to be sure, but what happened was disaster. She removed the Shards and hunted down the two I had given to those still loyal to me, and then lost them. So I had to rely on my immortality alone to return. It worked, obviously, but it took a thousand years.”
 
“And how would I go about finding one of the Shards if they are lost?”
 
“Hmm, I suppose you didn’t pick it up when you activated it. Which means that it is likely in the hands of whoever came after you to the scene. Ugh, to think the unworthy has a hold of such an artifact is shameful. I designed them to stay between the real world and dreams when not active. Who knows where they would have ended up once Celestia lost track of them? You best bet is where this ambush happened.”
 
“That’s not going to be possible.”
 
“Pity. In that case, I suppose I am wasting my time with you. You said Celestia’s guards ambushed you? In that case, I’d try breaking into the Canterlot Royal Vault.”
 
“So, you can’t help me locate another one?”
 
“No. In my death, I have a hard time keeping track of what transpires. Even now, when you’ve returned my consciousness, I can only see so much. And there are long stretches of complete darkness. We’ll see each other again.” With that Sombra vanished.
 
“Luna,” I spoke, hoping she would hear me. Nothing happened. “Cer’Lola…?”
 
The Night Princess manifested in a flash of blue. “How’d you learn my old name? Actually, I think I know. The Betrayer mentioned it. Right?” I nodded. “Hmm, no harm done, I suppose. What did you call me for?”
 
“I- I don’t know what to do…” I began. “Between the capture of Twilight’s friends, a Changeling being in charge of the Canterlot soldiers and not even having the tools for bringing Sombra back should everything else fail, I just don’t know what to do.”
 
“I wish I could offer more assistance, I truly do, but nature has to take its course for me. It will be a long time before I can walk the world again. I can only offer guidance.”
 
“And I’d take anything you have! We need help, but we don’t know where to get it.”
 
“The Crystal Empire.”
 
“What?”
 
“I am certain that Cadence’s mind is still her own, though she has remained secluded even in her sleep, unwilling to engage with me. She has been such for months already. She was never quite the same after her wedding. That’s when the Changelings first attacked.”
 
“So how can you tell her mind is her own?”
 
“Because I reached out to Cadence’s mind: The subject’s physical location matters not to me. I can see far enough to tell she knows you are headed for her city.”
 
“Then, how could it be that you didn’t know Celestia was an imposter?”
 
“Because Celestia learned to block me out a long time ago. Had she not, Nightmare Moon would’ve driven her to insanity. I think nothing of Celestia blocking my entrance to her dreams. It is to be expected.”
 
“So our best chance is to continue to the Crystal Empire.” Luna nodded.
 
“You’re waking up.”
 
**
 
“Slept well?” Twilight moved off me and got to her feet. I shook my head. I didn’t even feel more rested than I had before we went to bed, but I did feel more comfortable in our plan, knowing that Luna had reached the same conclusion as Twilight an Zecora about where we ought to go. “Yeah, me neither. I spoke to Luna.”
 
“So did I. She said that the Crystal Empire was our best bet.”
 
“And that Cadence’s mind was still her own.”
 
“And I spoke to Sombra,” I added. “He showed me the thing we need should we want to bring him back. A blue crystal, looking like it was cut from the Crystal Heart. He showed it to me,” I added the last line as she raised an eyebrow.
 
Zecora spoke up. “The Shadow King must remain dead; we’re better of finding other ways instead.”
 
“If there are other ways…” I mumbled to myself. With Cadence free of the Changeling influence, there might be hope, but I wasn’t overly confident. Sombra struck me as ruthless and cunning. Whether that was a good or a bad thing depended on if we still had a common enemy in the changelings.  After we dealt with them, If we managed to deal with them, was another story.
 
Zecora handed each of us flask full of a light green substance that seemed to be thicker than syrup. It didn’t look appealing but luckily it was nearly tasteless. Both Twilight and I had just accepted it and drank without question.
 
“Come on,” Twilight was the first to finish and get to her feet. Then she froze, “Wait, did you hear that?”

“What?” I asked the question as it was answered to me: The flapping of wings.

> Chapter 10: Wings and Pain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

I wish I could wake up. This has to be a bad dream…

Twilight, Zecora and I walked cautiously. The sound of flapping wings dropped in and out at a quite disquieting pace. I thought I saw a shadow from overhead, but if I had, it was long gone by the time I looked closer.

Zecora held up a hand and pointed to tree. It was creaking slightly and leaves were falling from higher up where the branches blocked our view. It looked like something heavier than a bird had landed in it.

Shit, I thought to myself. Whatever it was looked like it had found us already. Or not, I assumed it was a ‘no’, since nothing came down into the green ocean. Was it just resting, or what? My heart skipped a beat when the wings took off again and the sound of flapping died down once more.

“Anyone have any idea of who that is?” I whispered, while not being entirely sure if I wanted an answer or not. It didn’t sound like Changeling wings at all, which buzzed. I assumed it was one of the winged people, or a Changeling in the form of one.

“Could be any Pegasi,” Twilight answered me, barely audible. “But I have a bad feeling tha-“

Twilight cut herself off, holding a finger above her mouth. Whoever it was they were back within earshot. Again I saw a shadow over us. We were lucky there was a sheet of green in between, but it struck me as too thin for comfort.

It struck me that they were searching the area around us. We weren’t that far from the old castle, so maybe-

The realization hit me just as the sun looked down at me between the green above us. A moment later I shared a brief eye contact with Rainbow Dash. Even from here I could see the faint glow of green in her eyes. From the sound of it she landed in a nearby tree and was making her way down the branches.
 
“What was that?” Twilight asked me, whispering.

“Rainbow Dash. Or a Changeling that looks like her,” I replied bitterly. When she raised an eyebrow I pointed to the small opening above us. “I just saw her see us.”

“What?” Twilight and Zecora both looked like they didn’t believe me. Something landed on the ground not too far from us.

“Think about it,” I said. “If the Royal Guard did not follow us, and now someone is searching a near a location you,” I nodded to Twilight. “And your friends know of that’s not far from Ponyvile…”

“You think… Oh, Dash…”

Zecora took our hands and started to run to our right, away from where we had heard ‘Dash’ land. My heart raced and I felt an odd sense of familiarity in our current situation, but I couldn’t tell from where. Maybe a bad dream I once had?

Suddenly I was pulled to what was now our left; Zecora changed our direction once again. Throwing a glance over my shoulder I saw why: Dash had come up on our right and was now nearly right behind us. She had the knife she carried when we went into the Diamond Tunnels in her hand.

Every few seconds I looked back, and each time I saw Dash getting closer and closer. Sometimes she ran up on our side, forcing us to change direction, but never came at us directly. I was starting to have trouble keeping up with Zecora and so did Twilight form the look of it. I thought I saw a hopeful glimpse in her eyes, behind the cold realization that she was probably not friendly. Probably not even the real Dash.

**

I didn’t know how long we had been running, but I was certain that Dash was steering us towards something. Part of me wanted to just stop and confront her were we were, but I couldn’t ask Twilight to do that. Perhaps I should, but I couldn’t.

“Where… ugh… did she… go…?” I asked between breaths. Sweat was pouring from my forehead. I couldn’t see Dash anywhere. But I did hear the sound of her wings. “Fuck!”

I hadn’t noticed it, but we had stopped on what looked to have once been a road. There were no stones left, that I could see, but the trees stood such that it made a path going far in each direction under the open sky. In a brief moment I could see a figure in the sky.

“That’s not the real Dash, right?” I asked, with a molecule of hope in my stomach. Neither Twilight nor Zecora answered.

“Ugh!” Twilight and I were suddenly pushed aside. We fell over, looking up at Zecora. Why did she pushed us?

The answer came all too soon. I saw a flash of blue hit Zecora before she could even turn back from pushing us. The striped lady landed several meters away from where she had been standing.

I hasted to my feet, dragging Twilight up with me. Zecora didn’t move and I could see the splatter of blood around her body even from here. Tears filled my eyes, but I didn’t acknowledge them. I had to get Twilight out of here. My gut knotted itself painfully at the thought. It was too late for Zecora; I had to focus on Twilight. I-

A sharp pain came from my side. I felt my entire body tremble as it spread and I wanted to scream. Looking down I saw a blade, Dash’s blade in Dash’s hand. The world around me started to go black as I saw myself bleed. I started to fall down, but never saw myself land.


> Chapter 11: In the House
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

Am I dead? Maybe not: I feel like shit…

I was walking the forest. Or rather, a forest. Was it Everfree? I couldn’t tell. Was I back home? It reminded me of the forests where I lived, but I was unable to tell exactly why. It was too dark to make out much, and I was just judging by my gut feeling.

My mind strafed to Twilight and what had happened with Dash. For some reason I couldn’t work myself up over it. I knew I should be angry or fearful, but I wasn’t: I was completely indifferent. Maybe it was all a dream? No, I had thought that once before and it turned out to be wrong. But that raised more questions: Where was I? When did I get stabbed by Dash and how am I not dead yet? And where was Twilight?

Someone stepped on a fallen branch behind me. I spun around, only to be met by a familiar feeling; a blade was pushed into my side. Dash was standing in front of me, looking at me with a mix of pity and… lust? She stepped back, casting her blade to the side and started to fly in a circle around me. Faster and faster she went, until all I could see was a blur of blue with a stripe of her hair in the middle.

I felt myself being pulled up. Dash had come up behind me and taken a hold under my arms, lifting me into the air. She carried me out of the Everfree and I saw we were headed to the lake. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what happened next.

When I opened them I was on the beach, wet and with an aching body. Dash stood over me with her right foot on my chest, pushing me down. She was in the process of removing her top. It was cast in my face.

Her foot left my chest. Shortly after I felt another piece of clothing thrown at me. I didn’t even pull them aside. I just didn’t care anymore. Nothing I did would stop Dash from doing whatever she wanted. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me panic or struggle.

I felt her hands caress my member through my pants before she pulled them off me. Despite the wound, My blood seemed to still be mostly in my body because I got hard just fine. As I felt my dick free in the air, I heard a giggle and felt a tongue running along its length.

Dash’s skirt and panties were pulled aside; she sat on her knees above me, directing my erection to her slit. I could see her smug look as she pushed herself down. She took my hands and placed them on her chest. I was sure I could see crumbs around her mouth in all the rainbow’s colors.

Someone snapped their finger and the entire scene froze. What the hell was going on? Dash dissipated into blue smoke, leaving nothing behind. I felt myself unable to move, and then I saw Luna walking towards me.

“Thank the Maker” was my first thought, until I noticed that she was naked. She climbed on top of me, taking the position Dash had had. She pulled me up into sitting position and buried my face in her chest.  She flapped her wings to bounce up and down on my lap. I found my hands wandering, finding her ass and grabbing a hold of it. Right now I just wanted this to continue; it kept the other thoughts away.

Luna stopped and got off me. She smiled before turning her back, getting down on her knees with her face on the ground. Her ass was sticking into the air, waggling a little back and forth to entice me.

No, I said to myself. There was one thing to be forced, but I was not going to do this by choice.

**

I was panting heavily and sweating like crazy when I opened my eyes. “Luna” had turned into “Nightmare Moon” when I rejected her invitation. Looking around me, I assumed I had just dreamed. Or was I still dreaming? I didn’t recognize where I was. The evening sun shone in through a small window high on the wall over the bed.

I was in a bed, under a thin blanket, looking up at a dark brown ceiling. It looked old, but luckily not molded from what I could see. My heart sank in my chest and started to work double-time on pumping the blood when I felt the binds on my wrists and ankles. To the left I could see a plain chair where the clothes Zecora had given me, drenched in blood. So I had been stabbed. And Zecora really was dead. That killed my hope of it just being all a dream.

I had to hold back to keep from vomiting, and I was starting to sweat. The person who had a fucking chance helping Twilight had died to save us. Now I was the only one left to protect her and couldn’t even control the damned amulet. Why couldn’t the fucking thing have let me save Zecora? The voice in the back of my head yelled. It should have let me stop Dash. I should’ve been the one who died saving Twilight, not Zecora.

I stopped and thought about my thoughts for a second. Had I really come to care for her that much? I hadn’t realized it until now. Maybe being put in a life or death situation made things clearer.

Trying to spare my conscience, I forced my mind back to the situation at hand. If I had been stabbed and fallen unconscious, what had happened after that? And how had I come to be here? I could only assume the damned amulet was somehow responsible for my current predicament. What else could’ve saved me? Maybe Twilight? Judging by the fact that I was neither in chains or a changeling pod, she had probably been the one who brought me here. The implication that we were both still alive allowed me to smile a little. Despite all the shit that had befallen me, I could always remind myself of this sliver of silver in the storm clouds. Twilight Sparkle.

“Ah, I see Twilight’s special someone has finally awoken.” a woman’s voice, smug and confident, called by attention from the far end of the room. She had a light blue color to her skin, with dark purple clothes. She wore pants and a loose, V-necked shirt that showed a lot of cleavage under a cloak. It had lighter purple color and dotted with white, grey and grey-blue stars. Her face hidden under the brim of a… I could only say wizard’s hat. It was tall and pointed, with a large brim and a color scheme that matched her cloak. From underneath the brim of the hat I could see her hair; it looked white with a pale blue stripe in it, laid over her right shoulder.

I looked to her with a raised eyebrow as she approached. Was she a Changeling? Was this some attempt to make me lower my guard?

“I take it you’re the one who tied me up here?” I asked in return.

“Indeed. Twilight asked me not to, but even she could not go against the wishes of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” her hat flew off with a flash of multicolored light, revealing her face. She had an attractive face, high cheekbones and full lips. Her eyes were large and her eyelashes long. Her purple eyes spoke of understanding and hidden secrets. On her forehead I saw a horn.

Whatever reaction she was expecting, it wasn’t the one she got. “Stop laughing!” She said indignantly. But I couldn’t help it. I tried to suppress it to sniggering but I burst out laughing. It was too much. Was she for real, or was I dreaming again? I saw her face turn bright red and I bit my lip to stop myself. She actually looked kind of adorable when she was embarrassed, and I felt a little guilty for laughing. Finally, when I was able to keep a straight face, I took a deep breath and addressed her in a formal tone.

“Sorry, I’ve just been through a lot of shit recently. You mentioned Twilight: is she alright?”

“You’ll see in time,” Trixie started to walk over to me. Or perhaps strutting was a better word for it; her attitude told me he felt she owned the world. She sat down at my right side, leaning in. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but she positioned herself in such a way that I got a view straight down her cleavage. She was more buxom than Twilight, but not as much as Pinkie.  I tried to keep looking her in the eyes, but a couple of times my eyes short downwards. “What’s the matter? Can’t keep your eyes from wandering?”

It was my turn blush and I looked away. “What do you want?”

Trixie giggled and put a hand on my thigh. “Well… Trixie is curious. Perhaps we should see what makes you so special in the princess’s eyes?”

“I-“ I began a protest, but then I felt her hand right at my member, pushing gently down to cup a feel. Before I had time to voice my objections, Trixie hastily retracted her hand got to her feet. She straightened herself up and said something about not looking like I had a concussion.  A moment later Twilight came into the room. She moment she saw I was awake she rushed over to the bed and embraced me in a tight hug. I looked at Trixie over Twilight’s shoulder for a moment, before I closed my eyes. She put her finger before her mouth.  Don’t worry, ooh Great and Powerful Trixie, I thought to myself. I couldn’t take you seriously even if I tried, let alone accuse you of trying to seduce me with a straight face.

I smiled when Twilight let go of me, but it disappeared the moment I got to look at her. She had gotten a black eye and there was a thin scar over her nose. Her lower lip looked to have been ripped badly, though it was getting better. She only had her black eye partially open. Over her shoulder I saw bandages on her left wing. 

 “I-“ Twilight began, tilting her head to the side as she stared at Trixie. “What are you doing here?”

“Checking up on him. I think he just woke.”

“That’s my job,” I thought I heard a hint of jealousy in Twilight’s voice, but it could’ve been my imagination.

“Well, excuse me, Princess, but Trixie is the only magician here now,” Trixie flared up almost immediately. Twilight rushed to the bedside. I felt anger start to burn in my veins when I got a closer look at her; she had a black eye, a bad looking tear in her lip and bandages on her left wing. There was also a cut over her nose that looked like it would leave a scar.

“What happened?” I asked.

“You happened,” Trixie glared at me. Her tone was harsh. “After you killed the guards, you took Rainbow Dash’s knife and stabbed the poor tomboy. You would’ve killed her, if Twilight didn’t try to stop you.” 

“What? No! I would never-“ the burning was replaced by a cold that crept from my chest to the rest of my body. The room started to spin a bit and I started gasping for breath. I couldn’t even get a word out and I wanted to crawl into fetal position.

“I told you, it wasn’t his fault!” Twilight turned to glare at Trixie. I was just glad I wasn’t the one on the receiving end.

“He punches you in the face and it is not his fault? I suppose it wasn’t his fault when he broke your wing either?”

“It’s because of that amulet!”

“So we should take it away.”

“No, then he’d die!”

“I stabbed Dash?” What the hell had happened after she stabbed me?

Twilight gave Trixie a warning with her eyes. The blue girl shook her head and left the room. Once she was gone, Twilight sighed and started to untie me. “After… after Zecora… fell, Dash stabbed you. You fell over and I thought you were dead too. Then, just as she turned to deal with me, we were flung across the road. That’s when this happened,” she pointed to her wing and nose. “You were at your feet again. When Dash came at you, you just grabbed her by the throat midflight and slammed her to the ground. She tried to stab you again, but you trapped her hand, turning the blade into her stomach. When you let her go she collapsed and you took the knife to stab her again. I tried to stop you from going further and you punched me. That’s when I realized you weren’t in control.”

“I- I killed Dash?”

“No, that’s when the Royal Guards showed up. You made a lot of noise and light after you got stabbed. After you… dealt… with them, you just kinda fell over. That’s when Trixie appeared and took us here. Dash is in one of the other rooms.”

Once all the binds were off, Twilight embraced me again. “I thought I had lost you again,” she sobbed on my shoulder. “I was so relieved when I saw that your wound had healed. I don’t care it made you hurt me; that amulet saved your life.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, or how to feel. Part of me wanted to vomit. I had lost control and Twilight had paid a price for it. And I had killed more people. The Changelings had used Dash against us and I had nearly killed her too. On the other side, I felt relieved. We were alive, mostly, and Twilight still cared for me.

“How come you two go at each other like cocks in a fight?” I finally asked, thinking about how quickly a few comments had riled them. And about what Trixie seemed to have wanted to, erm, check out before Twilight interrupted.

“Two… what?” Twilight broke the hug and looked at me with a confused look.

“Oh, eh, just something some people do where I’m from. Make cocks fight each other.”

“Why!? That's so cruel!”

“No idea. It’s illegal. Most places anyway. But, seriously, what’s the deal with you two?”

“Trixie is a pompus showoff. Last time she was in Ponyvile I bruised her ego, so she’s got a bit of a chip on her shoulder. And now she blames you for attacking me when it was really my fault,” Twilight rolled her eyes. I nodded for her to continue. She drew her breath and let out another sigh.

“And how is that your fault?” I wasn’t sure I followed her. I was the one couldn’t control the amulet.

“I used that magic to keep you alive. I pushed that power on someone who never had magic. That makes it my responsibility.”

“To save my life. And it is not like you knew this would happen.”

“Doesn’t matter. What does is that because of me someone with no training now has to go around with an amulet that pro…” she stopped for a moment, with a look that told me something had clicked in her mind. “I made the amulet to save you. That was what I wanted- no, needed to do. I think the amulet might be… conscious, in some way.”

“What, like the One Ring?”

“The what?”

“Oh, eh, reference to a very popular fictional work,” I scratched the back of my head. I needed to keep the examples in my head, they just confused things. “You think the amulet has a will of its own?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time. The Alicorn Amulet turns people who wear it more and more cruel, whatever they would want themselves. And even I know next to nothing about Sombra’s magic. I think your amulet will act to save you, regardless of the cost. Because that’s what I did to create it.”

“Well, I- but- how does that work? How would that… thing even know when to act?”

“I don’t know. I’ll think on it some more. Maybe I can come up with a hypothesis sometime. Oh, I know I shouldn’t say this, but this is so exciting! We’re chartering new waters! If it wasn’t for the Changelings, I would have Pinkie throw a party to celebrate it.”

I had to smile. Good, she should find something to distract her, if only for a little while. It was good for her.

**

I woke up alone in the room. Twilight had insisted I get a little more sleep before we decided what to do next. I was tempted to stay in bed, but instead I swung my legs over the side and got to my feet. A couple of minutes later I walked out of the room, dressed the clothes Zecora had made for me. Someone had cleaned them since I woke up the last time. Outside I found a corridor, leading to a staircase going down.

“Hey,” Twilight smiled to me. At the bottom of the stairs I found her and Trixie sitting at a table. It looked to have been a living room of sorts, with a door into another room to my left and the entrance right ahead. The dusk was approaching quickly and soon the trees would hide the sun completely. What struck me as odd was that Trixie and Twilight seemed to be outright friendly to one another, at least in body language.

“How are you feeling?” Trixie asked. Her tone sounded a lot more down to earth.

“I’m fine… all things considered.”

“Good,” Twilight continued. “Look, I’m sorry you had to see us like that earlier.”

“Yes, it was beneath Trixie to act that way. Beneath Twilight too.”

It should be beneath Trixie to speak in the 3rd person, I silently replied in my mind. I smiled. “It’s fine. It happens. Sometimes we’re just so stressed out and worried we take it out on someone who had nothing to do with it. Right?”

“Right,” they nodded in unison. I thought I saw a blush come to their cheeks.

“I better go check on Dash’s wound again,” Twilight said distant mindedly.

“Dash is here?”

“In there,” she pointed to the door I had noticed to my left. “She’s been out for a long time. I’ll let you know when she wakes up.”

As Twilight disappeared, Trixie waved for me to sit down with her. I complied, but barely noticed that she started to talk. My mind was dealing with the issue of how I should feel about Dash being here. I knew all too well that she wasn’t responsible for what she did, yet… Both Rarity and I had broken the control before it got out of hand. Dash had killed Zecora.

“Are you ignoring Trixie?”

“Hmm, what? Oh, sorry, I was… lost in my own little world,” I looked up at the blue girl. She seemed a bit insulted, but that expression soon turned to a devious smile when I mentioned my ‘little world’.

“Oh, do tell. Were you fantasizing what Twilight interrupted earlier?”

“I- no, I was-“

“Don’t worry, Trixie won’t tell.”

“I was thinking about Dash-“

“A threeway with the tomboy? Hmm. Trixie thinks that’s an excellent idea.”

“... You’re not going to accept any answer that is not about fucking, are you?”

“None whatsoever.”

I had to smile, besides the blush that had crept into my cheeks. “Right, then let’s go with me fantasizing about a threeway with you and Twilight instead.”

Trixie smirked and glanced to the door Twilight had gone through, mumbling something I thought sounded unnervingly similar to “now that’s an idea”.

“So, why are you here?” I asked her.

Trixie let out a sigh. “When I heard Twilight was accused of treason, I knew something was wrong. So I decided to find her.”

“You didn’t refer to yourself in the 3rd person that time.”

“Trixie doesn’t know what you’re talking about. Trixie knows that little Princess Goody-Two-Shoes would never do something like that. She thought Celestia had gone mad. Then Twilight told her about the Changelings coming back.”

“I’m not sure if you’re mocking her or believing in her.”

“A little of both.”

“But why do you trust her so readily?”

“Twilight have told you about the Alicorn Amulet, right?”

“She mentioned it.”

“Right, well, I got a hold of the amulet and used it to take revenge on her. Exiled her from Ponyville, separated her from her friends. And I abused my power. I made life hell for the people that lived there and no one was allowed to enter or leave. But when Twilight beat me, she let me go. She still thought we could be friends, even after all that. I could never believe the girl who did that would ever do something like she was accused of.”

I nodded and decided against commenting on her speaking in the first person again. So Twilight had seen firsthand that the Alicorn Amulet had something of a will of its own. Maybe there was something to the idea that my amulet was the same. If only we could figure out a way to control it. I hoped I would never harm Twilight again.

> Lost Chapter 3: The Crystal Empire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

That evening Hen realized something: He liked traveling by train. It was more luxurious than coach or trolley, less perilous than flight and far faster than walking. When he retired hen considered touring the whole of Equestria by train. Maybe he could even convince Diamond Dust to join him. Her presence in the same car certainly had a calming effect on him. Or maybe that was just their increasing distance from the mess in Ponyville. Hen wasn’t sorry to leave that town behind.
 
When they had sent Derpy back to Canterlot with an update on the situation on Ponyville, Hen had added a request to have a formal uniform sent ahead to meet him at the Crystal Empire station. The leather armor he wore now, despite being lighter and maneuverable compared to his usual plate armor, still felt out of place in an urban setting. And he should at least try to make a good impression on his first visit to the Crystal Empire. There was a rumor among the Royal Guard that Princess Cadance hadn’t been seen outside the castle in months.
 
His companion Diamond Dust sat across from him. She had taken off her helmet and breastplate and was reading a pamphlet on the Crystal Empire in green t-shirt. Hen watch her eyes scan back and forth across the page.
 
“Hmmm crystal mud baths.” She looked up at Hen, “I wonder how that feels different from regular mud.”
 
“Maybe it’s rougher.” Hen shrugged “I’ve never found mud to be particularly cleansing.”
 
Diamond frowned “So it’s an exfoliate? No need to have a whole bathtub of the stuff then.”
 
Hen wasn’t listening; he was staring out the window letting his mind wander. He was trying to avoid spending the whole trip thinking about their mission. The length of the journey from Ponyville to the Crystal Empire was about as long as it was to Canterlot. Hen preferred to spend this time watching the darkened scenery pass by than worrying about questions he didn’t have answers for. He would have considered dozing off at the moment, but Diamond Dust had other ideas.
 
“Penny for your thoughts,” She asked prodding his shin with her foot.
 
Hen Runner sighed and turned to look at his companion. He stroked his mustache out of habit, waiting a second before answering. He hadn’t been thinking about anything in particular, but now another unpleasant question crossed his mind. In any other situation, considering their history together, there would have been no doubt as to the answer. After the events of the past three days, Hen wasn’t sure what he believed.
 
“Do you trust me Di? Do you really think we’re doing the right thing heading to the Crystal Empire?”
 
Diamond Dust blinked, taken aback by this uncharacteristic display of uncertainty from her partner.
 
“Hen,” She said solemnly “You are the best tracker I’ve ever had the privilege to serve with. Without your instinct and judgment, I never would have survived long enough to become a Knight Sergeant. Even though we haven’t caught the Changelings yet, I know you’re right about them being behind it. And I also believe that if you found a crystal that blocks magic power that is connected to magic wielded by the Stranger, then the Crystal Empire is probably the only place we might be able to find answers”
 
She leaned back against her seat and folded her arms across her chest.
 
“So, yes, I do trust you,” She smiled over at him. “Feel better?”
 
Hen Runner nodded in appreciation.
 
“Waiting didn’t used to bother me this much.” He shrugged “Maybe I’m just getting old.”
 
“That might be part of it, but this is different from when we were out in the field.” Diamond pointed out. “Back then things made sense and the mission was clear. Waiting just meant observing the target, learning their routines and maintaining cover. This? This is real waiting. We don’t have instructions from Celestia to guide us. Now we don’t where our investigation will lead, so we’re just adlibbing.”
 
Hen smiled as he considered her words. Diamond always had a way of helping him see the big picture. Her input had always been invaluable to him when analyzing the situation and deciding on a course of action. Outside of combat, she had always deferred to his judgment. After everything that had happened recently, it felt good to know his uncertainty was justified.
 
He decided it was time to tell her what he had been keeping secret since he showed her the crystal in Twilight’s tree house. Since they had requisitioned the train for a single express trip to the Crystal Empire, there were no other passengers and the attendants had been ‘encouraged’ not to bother them. Hen still glanced around the carriage for eavesdroppers before bringing up the subject.
 
“That’s not entirely true Di, I have one idea of where this investigation will lead us.” He said softly.
 
Diamond furrowed her brow and her eyes narrowed. “What have you been hiding from me Hen?”
 
Hen took a deep breath “I should have told you right away, but I didn’t think it was prudent to mention this particular detail in front of Iron Feather.”
 
“I’m a little hurt,” Diamond frowned. “But I suppose it’s better late than never.”
 
“When I first held the crystal in my hands at the library, it didn’t just take away my magic. It spoke to me.”
 
Hen waited to gauge Diamond’s reaction. Her expression barely changed, a testament to her discipline and experience in espionage.
 
“Well, what did it say?” She asked, her lips barely moving.
 
“I asked ‘what the heck are you?’ and it replied ‘something far beyond your comprehension, I fear. If you want an answer, I suggest that you bring us to the Element of Magic as soon as possible.’
 
A moment passed before Diamond responded. “Well,” she said raising her eyebrows, “I certainly understand why you hesitated to tell me that. You’re sure it was the Crystal?”
 
Hen nodded firmly “If anyone had been close enough to hear me, I would have felt their presence.”
 
Diamond leaned back and exhaled slowly. “Have you tried to communicate with it since then?”
 
Hen shook his head. “I haven’t had any time alone with the crystal since you arrived,”
 
“Why don’t you try it now?” Diamond suggested, “We’re alone and you said the effects were only temporary.”
 
Hen shrugged “It didn’t seem very helpful last time, but there’s nothing else we can do ‘till we get to the Crystal Empire.”
 
He opened his satchel and reached in to retrieve the crystal. He shivered involuntarily as he felt his magic disappear: Hen hated that feeling.
 
 Hen held the crystal at arms length. It was still giving off a soft blue glow.
 
“We’re not getting any younger,” Diamond interjected “I don’t like waiting any more than you do.”
 
Hen frowned, and then addresses the crystal “Can you tell anything? Why the stranger’s spell awoke you? Why you were hidden in the library? What will happen if we take you to Twilight?”
 
Diamond waited for the crystal to respond, but she heard nothing. Perhaps it spoke only to Hen, or maybe it was only enchanted to speak once. She looked up at Hen to judge by his expression which one was true. Hen rolled his eyes and groaned in annoyance. Then he put the crystal roughly back in his satchel and looked out the window with a sullen expression on his face.
 
“Well?” Diamond asked with a hint of exasperation “Did it say anything to you?”
 
“It did,” Hen said derisively.
 
“What did it say?”
 
Hen made air quotes as he repeated the crystal’s reply: “Spoilers”
 
Diamond laughed and wrapped her hands around her stomach. “Oh dear, ho ho ho dear this is going to be one of those missions isn’t it?”
 
Hen nodded in silence. 
 
Diamond’s laughter died down and she took a deep breath. “Well, I assume that actually bringing the crystal to Twilight is our last resort?”
 
“I think it would be best, certainly not until we have some idea of what will happen if we do.” Hen stood up “It’s late, I’m going to see if the bar is still open, then go to bed.”
 
“Need some company?” Diamond offered diplomatically “You’ll sleep better if you relieve your frustration.”
 
Hen stopped to consider her offer. This was not the first time she had propositioned him while they were technically on duty, nor would it be the first time he agreed. But at the moment, Hen simply wasn’t in the mood.
 
“I promise, Di, I’m tired enough to fall asleep,” He said he stepped out into the corridor and turned toward the front of the train.
 
“You sure? Not even a blow job?” She persisted, tilting her head in an inquiring manner.
 
“Maybe after one of those diamond mud baths you seem so curious about. Maybe they taste different from regular mud,” Hen Runner grinned as he headed toward the door.
 
“Ewww,” Diamond called after him.
 
“Just pretend I’m Big Mac in from a hard day of plowing the fields,” Hen laughed as he opened the door and passed out of the car.
 
**
 
The rest of the trip passed uneventfully. Diamond and Hen met each other in the dinning car for breakfast. They traded war stories and joked about how dull their lives had become since retiring from frontline duty. Hen barely felt the weight of the mysterious crystal against his hip. Just after lunchtime, the train arrived at the edge of the Crystal Empire. Disembarking at the station, they were greeted by a welcome sight: Hen Runner’s formal uniform had arrived by courier. He thanked the weary Wonderbolt and signed for the package, then went to the restroom to change.
 
When he emerged, Diamond looked up from the magazine she was reading to give him an appraisal. Hen now wore a bright red jacket with a golden collar and cuffs. There was a golden sash across his chest and a row of silver buttons from his neck down to his waist. A think leather belt with a brass buckle held up his black slacks with a gold stipe down the side of each leg. On his feet he also wore a polished pair of dress boots, but Hen had also requested a pair of sneakers. Boots might look fashionable but they weren’t made for waking.
 
Diamond smiled and set the magazine down on the bench beside her, “You always did clean up real nice,” She said, standing up to approach him.
 
Hen smiled and offered her his arm; “Care to escort me to the Grand Galloping Gala, m’lady?”
 
Diamond laughed and took his arm: “Lead on, brave knight,” Hen left his leather armor with the stationmaster and they headed out.
 
They walked between the pillars that marked the beginning of the path into the Crystal City. Hen watched the Crystal Castle spire grow larger in the distance as they reached the outskirts. Ever the soldier, Hen Runner made sure to note the layout of the city as they made their way towards the base of the castle. The roads radiated out from the center in a geometric pattern. From the pamphlet Diamond had shown him, he remembered it was in the shape of a six-sided star. The roadways got wider towards the center before joining to form an open plaza around the base of the castle. More efficient for troop movement, certainly better than the random placement of Canterlot, but it also afforded an invading force an unobstructed route straight to the Crystal Heart.
 
The Crystal Heart stood at the exact center of the Crystal Empire. It floated in mid air between two cone shaped crystals, one coming out of the ground and the other pointing down from the castle, spinning slowly in place. The spire stood directly overhead. Four pillars arched upward, joining seamlessly to form the base of the castle. On the inner side of each pillar was a regular sized door at the top of a short stairway. Very defendable entrances, Hen noted, and the narrow passages behind them would help keep the defenders from being overwhelmed.
 
As they approached the pillars, both Hen and Diamond carefully observed the patrols. The Crystal Guards marched back and forth in pairs between the pillars. For the most part they appeared to be earth ponies, clad in silver colored, more ornate version of the Canterlot Royal Guard armor. Their skin varied between different shades of red-violet and the crystal sheen of Crystal empire natives. Hen and Diamond saluted them respectfully as they passed by.
 
“Sir Hen Runner, Dame Diamond Dust!” A voice called out to them. Hen and Diamond turned to see the source of the voice. A brown skinned man was walking out of one of the pillars towards them. He wore a three-piece suit with coat tails, breeches and ruffled undershirt. His coat and pants were the same shade of violet as the Crystal empire flag and judging by his wig, he was probably someone important. Hen also noted the oversized pearl cufflinks the man wore on his sleeves. No prizes for guessing what his cutie mark was. 
 
“On behalf her royal highness, Princes Cadance, allow me to welcome you to the Crystal Empire. My name is Pearl Cufflinks and I am the official regent.”
 
‘Regent?’ That word raised Hen’s concern. A regent was someone who was supposed to act as a temporary head of state, usually when the reigning was a minor, absent or incapacitated. Shinning Armor was in Canterlot, but Cadance was still in here as far as he knew. And since she was an adult, it that left only one possibility. And that was a problem
 
“Thank you Mr. Cufflinks. Might I inquire as to the Princess’s condition? I was not aware she had been taken ill before I left Canterlot.”
 
“Oh, I assure you commander, she is in perfect health. Merely that the princess has currently sequestered herself. Her word is law; I am merely a humble servant assigned to oversee the day-to-day administration.” Cufflinks said cheerfully.
 
Hen’s eyes narrowed as he searched the bureaucrat’s face for any sort of a tell. Thankfully, his words and manner appeared sincere, if a might pretentious. He turned to look at Diamond, who was awaiting his conclusion, and nodded.
 
“How long has she been like this?” Diamond asked.
 
Cufflinks sighed. “Unfortunately, her highness has not deemed it necessary to set foot outside the castle since Twilight became an alicorn. A pity, since we had only just been selected to host the Equestria Games. As you can see, we had only just finished the new stadium.” He said, turning to wave at the structure. Hen thought it was impressive, if a bit out of place being so close to the castle itself.
 
Cufflinks went on “The brief glimpses the people catch of her from the balcony hardly do justice to her radiance.” He finished wistfully.
 
“As she given a reason for her isolation?” Hen inquired.
 
Cufflinks shrugged “Cadance has personally assured me that she is occupying herself with important matters, the knowledge of she does not wish to burden her subjects with.”
 
“And you believe her?” Diamond responded skeptically.
 
Cufflinks placed his hand over his chest with an air of mild indignation. “Madam, it hardy my place to question the wisdom of the ruler of the empire.”
 
“Mr. Cufflinks,” Hen Runner persisted “We are here as part of an investigation in the assassination of Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria. It is a mater of the utmost urgency. The princess’s cooperation could prove vital to uncovering exactly who was behind it and what their plans are.”
 
Cufflinks adjusted his monocle and regarded Hen with skepticism “I was under the impression that the culprit had already been identified, and by your own testimony no less, Knight-Sergeant.”
 
“I cannot comment as to the specific details of what my own investigation has uncovered so far, as it is still on going,” Hen Runner replied, growing impatient. “But it now appears that Twilight did not act alone.”
 
“I see,” Cufflinks replied as he chewed this latest update over in his head. He folded his hands together and began dwindling his thumbs as he stared at the ground, “That is… most unfortunate.”
 
“Is there any way we might be able to gain an audience with Cadance?” Hen Runner asked in exasperation.
 
Cufflinks shook his head “I’m afraid not, sir, the princess’s wishes are very clear and absolute on this matter. Only myself, the staff and the Crystal Guards are allowed inside the castle, and the princess rarely ventures outside her private chambers. No outsiders are permitted entry without her prior consent. And I doubt she’ll be having a change of heart any time soon.”
 
Then Cufflinks looked back up and his face brightened. “But a can assure you that the rest of the empire is completely at your disposal. If you will both consent to an escort of Crystal Guards, You will find all your needs provided at the court’s expense. The princess hopes you will enjoy your stay and you are welcome to remain as with us long as you please.”
 
Hen rolled his eyes. It did not take decades of experience in subterfuge to tell that last part was pure diplomatic invention on the part of the regent. Such behavior was most unlike Cadance. The few times he had met the princess in Canterlot, she had been a very pleasant and warm individual. In hindsight her mood leading up to her wedding to Shinning Armor should have raised suspicions, but that was before anyone in Equestria had appreciated what the Changelings were capable of. The escort seemed to suggest outright suspicion rather than reclusiveness.
 
Hen was ready to excuse himself, when Diamond spoke up, “We are grateful for the Princess’s generosity, but before we can allow ourselves to indulge in her benevolence we would like some questions answered. We would not be able to enjoy our stay in good conscience if we were not at least aware of the reason for her absence.”
 
Hen smirked; Diamond always had a way of loosening tongues.
 
“I… I have been assured personally be her highness that her reasons are of the utmost importance,” Cufflinks said, taken aback.
 
“Oh, come now you must have some idea as to what those reasons are,” Diamond said, putting on a pleasant smile as she stepped forward.
 
“It is hardly my place to claim to know the mind of the Alicorn, Dame Dust,” Cufflinks replied.
 
Diamond put her hand on the regent’s shoulder in a reassuring gesture. “I’m sure someone who is a close to the princess as you are would have some idea. She obviously thinks highly of your judgment and abilities if she is willing to give the honor of running the empire in her name.” She started walking around Cufflinks, rolling her eyes off to the side. “If her opinion is justified, someone as important as you would certainly have some insight into Cadance’s behavior.”
 
“Well… Perhaps I have some idea what’s behind it,” Cufflinks replied as he fumbled with his monocle.
 
“Excellent!” Diamond exclaimed. She spun around in front of Cufflinks again, clapping her hands together and smiling with glee. Hen Runner kept his thoughts to himself.
 
“Please understand,” The charmed bureaucrat said lowering his voice so they both had lean in. “What I’m about to tell you must not be made public. It such information would be detrimental to the morale of the Empire.”
 
Hen nodded solemnly “You can count on our discretion as Knight-Sergeants of Celestia’s Royal Guard.” 
 
“Very well,” Cufflinks glanced around furtively to make sure they would not be overheard. “Ever since she returned from Twilight’s coronation, the princess has been very secretive. She has not held court in months and or set foot outside the castle. If I had to guess I’d say it was connected to her imprisonment by the Changelings last year. I don’t think she ever believed Celestia’s assurance that they had been wiped out. I have no idea why it would start affecting her so long after the fact, but it certainly fits her behavior. She seems to distrust everyone and has even distanced herself from her husband, Shinning. It’s only gotten worse since the news of Luna’s assassination.”
 
“But what has she been up to hidden away in the Castle? I imagine she must be putting all her time away from court to good use.” Diamond persisted.
 
“Cadance spends her days either in the Castle Library or in the old throne room.” Cufflinks scratched underneath his wig nervously, “She seems to be searching for something, but I’m not sure what. There is precious little literature on the Changelings in the royal archives; she could have memorized it all in a week. No one else is allowed to observe her while she is in those rooms.”
 
Diamond Dust took Cufflink’s hand in her own and shook it firmly “Thank you, Regent. It is reassuring to know that if we shan’t have the pleasure of Cadance’s company, at least she is in good health and her time is being put to better use.”
 
“Yes, thank you.” Hen chimed in and shook his hand after Diamond. It was a classic ploy that Diamond had executed flawlessly. Bureaucrats and the nobility were very susceptible to having their egos stroked. The greater the difference between their perceived importance and their real importance, the easier they were to use. Cufflink’s loose tongue had hardly proved a liability for Cadance or the Crystal Empire, but he had given them enough.
 
Cufflinks smiled, obviously pleased with himself “You’re most welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay. If you need anything please don’t hesitate to ask.”
 
“There is one thing.” Hen said “I’ve left a set of armor at the train station. Could you see to that?”
 
Cufflinks nodded “They’ll be waiting for you at the Crystal hotel when you check in.”
 
He turned and called over the two Crystal Guards who would be shadowing Hen and Diamond for the rest of their stay. Hen Runner sized them up as they approached. Mere men-at-arms were hardly a threat to seasoned veterans like Diamond and himself, but their presence sent a clear enough message: Mind your manners.
 
Hen and Diamond saluted their escorts, which the Crystal Guards returned stone-faced.
 
“I understand that it is their job to protect the safety of the Empire, but would it be too much to ask that Diamond Dust and I be allowed to converse privately while we are being escorted?” Hen asked the regent.
 
The guard’s faces remained expressionless, but then Cufflinks put his hands on their shoulders.
 
“It is the least you can do gentlemen.” He said
 
The two guards glanced down at Cufflinks then back at Hen Runner. They both gave a slight nod.
 
“You require directions?” Cufflinks asked, “I’m happy to provide any assistance you need.”
 
“Not necessary.” Diamond Dust said, pulling out the train pamphlet from her satchel.
 
Hen and Diamond said goodbye to the regent and left for their first destination: the library. The Crystal Guards hung back a few paces and Hen was about to whisper something to Diamond when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
 
“We’re being watched,” He said. 
 
Diamond nodded and they both turned around and glanced up. Standing on the balcony several stories above them was Princess Cadance. She was easily identified by her pink gown and purple-pink-white stripped hair. From this distance Hen couldn’t make out the expression on her face, but he could guess it was a scowl.
 
They stood there regarding each other for several moments before Hen thought of a way to end their standoff. He nudged Diamond Dust and together they bowed toward the Princess. Hen doubted her expression changes, but she did turn around and walk back inside without a word.
 
“Awkward,” Diamond summed up as they turned around to continue on their way. “So what’s your verdict?”
 
“If anyone should be paranoid about the Changlings returning, it’s her.” Hen said.
 
“That explains all the time in the library, but what could she be hoping to find in the old throne room?” Diamond asked.
 
Hen shrugged “Maybe a secret passage or hidden compartment?”
 
“Could she be a Changling?” Diamond suggested.
 
“I’d like to think Shinning wouldn’t let himself be fooled twice,” Hen said grimly. “Besides, changelings are supposed to feed off happiness and love. She would be starving herself the way she’s acting, even pushing her husband away.”
 
Diamond Dust nodded in agreement.
 
The pair checked into the hotel first so that Hen could switch into his casual shoes.
 
“What sleeping arrangements do you prefer and how long will you be staying?” The concierge asked.
 
“One Full sized bed, not sure how long we’ll be staying unfortunately. It won’t be long though.”
 
“That is a shame, perhaps you could stop by again sometime when our Princess is in a more welcoming mood.” She handed hen the key to his room “Room 312, we hope you enjoy your stay.”
 
Hen took the key and thanked her. Diamond squeezed his hand as they and the Crystal Guards exited the hotel. “Glad you’re finally taking some initiative in the bedroom,” She whispered.
 
“I may be old but I’m not dead,” he reassured her with a smile.
 
Soon the pair was standing before the Crystal Library. Hen and Diamond regarded the griffon statues flanking the stairway as they ascended towards the front door.
 
“We could take ‘em,” Diamond whispered. Hen chuckled. 
 
Inside there was a multi-storied hall that appeared to have been carved completely out of crystal. Books were stacked nine shelves high over three floors, Hen and Diamond had entered onto the middle one. Even though it was an impressive collection, Hen was skeptical they would find anything relevant to their investigation. Public libraries were hardly the place to store information on telepathic crystals that could stay hidden for a thousand years and then wake up with knowledge of contemporary events. But without Cadance’s help, it was their only option.
 
“Can I help you?” Asked the middle-aged, faded-purple librarian.
 
“We’re here to conduct research on crystal magic.” Hen answered.
 
“Well, I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place.” The librarian said, adjusting her oversized gold-rimed spectacles.
 
“Why is that?” Hen said, although he already had a good idea what the answer was.
 
“Well, obviously, the best place to look for information on that subject would be the Royal Archives. We still have books and scrolls that cover crystal magic, but you’ll get better results there. Sombra was the first to delve into the secrets of crystal magic, so only the most basic facts were public knowledge even before his downfall.”
 
Internally, Hen Runner groaned frustration: Their best hope for finding answers lay in the one place they were not allowed entry.
 
“Please, if there is anything to found on the subject we’d be most grateful.” Hen looked at her imploringly.
 
“You’ll find applied magical theory on the bottom floor, east wing. You might also try history.” The librarian instructed.
 
“Thank you,” Diamond Dust replied, and they proceeded downstairs to begin their search. Even if they couldn’t find anything directly related to the crystal he carried, there might be something about the nature of crystal magic that could prove useful.
 
The next two hours proved to be as fruitful as Hen had feared. There were several accounts of Sombra wielding crystal magic to enslave the Empire and threaten the rest of Equestria. Unfortunately, there was precious little analysis of the spells he created and no mention of talking crystals. Nor was there anything that would tell them exactly how crystal magic countered unicorn magic.
 
Although the purpose of Hen’s crystal remained unclear, they did manage to find a possible reference to it. A few of the history books described a cult dedicated to Sombra that formed back when he still ruled the Crystal Empire. Since he made himself powerful enough to rival the Heavenly sisters, some considered him a god. After Sombra’s downfall and the disappearance of the Crystal Empire, the Heart Cult became obsessed with bringing Sombra back from dead and claiming the secrets of crystal magic for themselves. It was said they believed his resurrection could be achieved through the use of powerful magic shards. Unfortunately, there was nothing more specific as the Cults appeared to have died out nearly 600 years ago.

If any sort of crystal was going to be used to revive demi-god, the one in Hen’s possession certainly seemed a likely candidate. What he was supposed to do with this information was unclear, as many questions remained unanswered. How or why were the Elements of Harmony connected to crystal magic? And how exactly would these shards supposed to bring Sombra back anyway?
 
The most annoying part was that there was still no definitive proof. Not about the changelings, not about Twilight, not about the stranger or about the shard. All they had to go on was circumstantial at best and pure conjecture at worst. Hen could not expect anyone to believe his claim as long as there was no real evidence to support it. He was lucky to have even one person that did.
 
Diamond herself was lounging in her chair staring up at the ceiling. Hen regarded her for a second before putting down his book and clearing his throat.
 
“I think we’ve done about all we can here Di,” He said.
 
Diamond looked over at him, “You wanna ask around see if anyone remembers something? Remember, just about everyone here was also alive back when Sombra was in power. One of them might know what we’re dealing with.”
 
“I doubt it,” Hen said standing up. “Sombra was a power-hungry tyrant who enslaved virtually the entire population of the empire. He would never share any of his secrets with peasants. They wouldn’t know anything that wasn’t already available here.”
 
Hen levitated the various books back onto the shelves while Diamond stood up and stretched.
 
“You know there’s still time left in the day.” She said to Hen as she looked out the window. “Let’s go down to the spa before dinner. I think we’re entitled to a little pampering for all our work.”
 
Hen considered this for a moment, then turned around and nodded. “I think we can use a treat. It’ll be good for my ribs and Cadance is covering our expenses after all.”
 
“Excellent,” Diamond Dust beamed “It’s a date.”
 
Hen smiled back.
 
The Crystal Spa turned out to be a soft blue octagon shaped building with a purple dome shaped like a hoop dress decorated with crystal hearts. Inside was a wide-open space with several lounge chairs and massage mats. The crystal mud baths were a pleasant surprise. It was like no mud Hen had ever seen. For a start it was the color of a granny smith apple. And it had a consistency closer to Jell-O than a combination of dirt and water. Skinny-dipping with Diamond was indeed relaxing and rejuvenating. Hen would have enjoyed it more if it hadn’t been for their escort watching them from the doorway.
 
After the mud bath they went out for dinner. They found a simple restaurant and shared an eggplant casserole with cheesecake for desert. Then they returned to the crystal hotel for the night.
 
“I think we’ll only be staying the one night.” Hen informed the concierge.
 
“Very well” she said, “Your luggage has been delivered to your room you can go right up.”
 
“Thank you.” Diamond Dust replied as they headed for the stairs. Their escort had returned to the castle but Hen knew that Cadence would be keeping a watch on the hotel that night.
 
***
 
Hen laid on the bed in his undershirt and boxers. The blanket was neatly folded at the foot of the bed, in preparation for what was to come. For once his mind was empty of questions and worry as he waited for Diamond to come out of the restroom. How long since they had been together like this? It was Hen being assigned to the night shift when Luna returned to Canterlot that suspended their occasional rendezvous. It wasn’t as though they had ever been a committed couple to begin with; perhaps what the young people would refer to as “mate buddies”. Hen hated that phrase; it seemed so crass and dismissive. He preferred the term comrades.
 
The door to the bathroom and Diamond Dust stepped out. She was wearing nothing but her helmet and her daggers in a belt around her waist. She sauntered over to the bed, swaying her hips seductively. Hen could feel himself getting rock hard as he watched her approach, his eyes drinking in her body.
 
The years had been good to his partner, thanks to her physical condition and natural good looks. The signs of aging were still there of course. Crow’s feet around her eyes, the slight sagging of her breasts and the crease in her skin where her flank met her abdomen. But her stomach was still flat and her chest was still round and full. The muscles on her arms were still firm and sinewy and her haunches still well defined. Her sultry smile was still as enticing and beautiful as it ever was.
 
She stopped at the side of the bed, turned to face Hen head on and saluted.
 
“Knight-Errant Diamond Dust reporting for inspection sir.”
 
Hen stood up and returned the salute: “At ease Knight-Errant.”
 
Diamond obediently relaxed her stance.
 
“Would you like to see my cutie mark, commander?” She said in husky whisper. Hen smiled as he watched Diamond fight to keep a straight face as she spoke.
 
“First a thorough examination is required,” Hen replied “Knight Errant, remove your helm.”
 
Diamond took off her helmet slowly, revealing her short-cropped pink hair. She flipped her hair as she set the helmet down on the nightstand.
 
“Do I pass sir?” She asked innocently.
 
Hen reached out to run his fingers through her bangs. “Your haircut is in compliance with regulation.” He said simply, before cupping her chin and leaning in to kiss her on the mouth. Diamond returned the kiss eagerly wrapping her arms around his neck. Their tongues slid against each other for a while before Hen pulled back.
 
“Dental hygiene is acceptable. Knight Errant, about-face.”
 
Diamond let go of Hen and turned around, making sure to rub her ass against the bulge in his groin. Hen’s hands slid around her waist and he set his chin on her shoulder.
 
“Disarm and present your weapons for inspection.” He whispered in her ear as he unclasped her twin sheaths. Diamond straightened up so that Hen could slide the belt over the curve of her ass. She then bent over to lower the belt the rest of the way. She remained bent over as she slid her precious daggers down to the floor, shamelessly grinding her flanks against his cock. Hen bent his knees to remove his boxers. Straightening up, he took firm hold of Diamond’s hips and pressed his erection between her ass cheeks
 
His hands slid up her torso to cup her breasts, still as soft and as tender as he remembered. Diamond sighed as his thumbs teased her nipples, which were already hard. Hen trailed kisses up the side of her neck.
 
“Hen… touch my pussy.” Diamond whispered
 
“Yes mam,” He replied.
 
His right hand abandoned her bosom and slid down her abdomen. His fingertips passed through the well-trimmed carpet between her legs to his goal. As he slid finger along her folds, he dug his fingertips into her left tit. When he touched her clitoris, Diamond let out a low moan.
 
“Ohhhhhh it’s been too long.” She said quietly.
 
“Indeed it has,” Hen confirmed
 
Hen sat back down on the bed, pulling Diamond Dust into his lap. She twisted her torso to wrap her right arm over his shoulder. She also reached her free hand behind her back to find Hen’s dick and begin jerking it. Hen leaned in to place his mouth over her bare boob while he tugged her other nipple lightly. His other hand continued to slide between her folds until two fingers finally pushed their way into her love tunnel.
 
As Hen’s finger slid back and forth inside her, Diamond’s hips squirmed and he heard her breathing getting more ragged. Finally she let out a soft cry and raised her hips to push Hen’s fingers in deeper. Hen removed his mouth from her tit and looked up at her.
 
“It sounds like you’re ready for the mane event,” He whispered
 
“I sure am,” Diamond breathed with a smile.
 
She crawled out of his lap and got on all fours in the middle of the mattress. Hen knelt behind her, placing one hand on her hip to steady himself. He grasped his cock with the other and angled it towards Diamond’s waiting wet cunt. When he pressed the head of his cock against her sex, Diamond’s whole body tensed. But instead of pushing in, Hen pulled back, then jabbed his cock against her swollen clit. Diamond shivered.
 
“You asshole, quit teasing and give it to me,” she moaned through gritted teeth.
 
“You asked for it,” Hen said smugly. He redirected his cock towards her hole. Gripping her hips tightly, he suddenly rammed it into her pussy. He buried himself up to the hilt and drove the air out of Diamond’s lungs. She mewed softly as he held himself there for a moment. She looked back over her shoulder and grinned at Hen with flushed cheeks.
 
“Well that was… almost to long.” She breathed.
 
Hen snorted at her and began thrusting. When he found a rhythm, Diamond began to rock her hips in back and forth along his member in time with his fucking. Soon they were both grunting and moaning as their wet slapping sex noises seemed to echo off the walls of their room. Every time their hips slammed together, the impact sent a ripple through their flesh. It reverberated across Diamond’s crossed daggers cutie mark as it did Hen’s: A black chevron with three gold circles inside it.
 
The rutting went on for some time, but neither of them reached climax. They were stuck right on the edge but couldn’t seem to break through. Hen was getting tired when he remembered something. Just behind Diamond’s cutie mark was an old scar. I souvenir from an encounter with a vicious Timber Wolf, one who thought his claws were faster than Diamond’s kick. The Timber Wolf had been wrong, but his claws had kept going even as his jaw was shattered.
 
Hen let go of her hip and jammed his thumbnail into her cutie mark right beside the scar. He dug it deep into her thigh as he gave her one last burst of speed. Diamond threw her head back and arched her back. With a cry, she finally came. She dug her fingers into the sheets as her body shuddered and her walls clenched down on his cock. Her juices flowed freely and that, combined Diamond’s cries of ecstasy, finally brought Hen to climax. He groaned with relief as he shot his seed inside Diamond. Ever the gentleman, Hen brushed her hair aside and planted a kiss on the nape of her neck.
 
Once his cock had finished twitching in her pussy, Diamond lay down on the bed and rolled over onto her back. She smiled up at Hen as she rubbed the sore spot on her pelvis.
 
“You remembered,” She said in a tired sweet voice.
 
“As if I could forget,” Hen said. “I was the one who dressed that wound.”
 
Diamond crawled up to rest her head on the pillows while Hen reached for the blanket. They spooned after he pulled the blanket up over their sweaty naked bodies. Diamond took his arm and wrapped it around her possessively. “We should do this more often,” She said.
 
“I agree.” Hen said as he brushed her hair away from his mouth.
 
“So you wanna head back to Canterlot first thing in the morning? Doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to get anything else done here.” Diamond observed.
 
“Hmm hmm,” Hen agreed. “Unless Cadance somehow completely reverses her position overnight, we’ll just be wasting time. Maybe if we can talk to Shining Armor we can get her to see reason.” Hen sighed. “Even if we don’t have any concrete proof, I’m pretty sure he’ll be more than happy to consider any alternative to his sister betraying Equestria.”
 
“Well at least we found out about the cult, that’s something.” She said optimistically. She patted his arm in reassurance before closing her eyes.
 
“True…” Hen’s voice trailed off as he considered the possibilities. They still had no idea how to counter the stranger’s new power, but knowing it existed gave the Royal Guard a chance in the next encounter. Nothing about the nature of the Crystal had been revealed save that a long dead cult had possibly sought it as a means of bringing Sombra back to life. And absolutely no idea how Crystal magic night be connected to the Stanger or Luna’s assassination. As he drifted off to sleep, Hen hopped they would find some real answers soon. He wanted this investigation concluded before the rest of his hair fell out.
 
They were awoken early the next morning by a knock at the door. Hen wrapped a towel around his waist for modesty’s sake before answering. When he opened the door he found a short Crystal pony woman in a brown uniform with winged shoes waiting for him.
 
“Pardon the intrusion, Knight Sergeant.” She said nervously “But I am here to inform you that Princess Cadance has officially invited both you and Knight Sergeant Diamond Dust to an audience with her majesty. She desires that you present yourselves at the Crystal Castle no later than an hour after this message has been relayed. Shall I inform her that you intend to comply with her wishes?”
 
Hen blinked in surprise at this sudden turn of events. He had dealt with royalty long enough to know that a summons from a Princess was an order in everything but name. He could not very well refuse it, even if his position as Knight-Sergeant didn’t obligate him to obey Equestrian royalty. It would only confirm Cadance’s suspicions, and no doubt earn the ire of her husband in Canterlot.
 
“Tell the princess we’ll be more that happy to accept her invitation once we’ve gotten dressed and had some breakfast.” Hen replied.
 
The messenger pony saluted “I shall deliver your reply posthaste. Your escort will be waiting outside when you are ready.” With that she promptly turned on her heels and sped off down the hall. Hen sighed and shut the door behind him.
 
He returned to sit down on the edge of the bed. Diamond was sitting up at the head of the bed with her arms folded underneath her still bare breasts. She and Hen regarded each other in silence for a moment.
 
“So it appears the Princess had a change of heart after all,” She said. Hen nodded.
 
“And yet somehow…” she continued in a sarcastic tone “… it doesn’t feel like a good thing.”
 
“That’s because it isn’t Di,” Hen replied sadly. “It really isn’t.”
 
**
 
After Hen and Diamond got dressed and grabbed some complementary muffins in the hotel lobby, they proceeded to the Crystal Castle. Their escorts were waiting for them just outside the front door of the hotel. As they approached the castle, Hen noticed that the curtains were drawn on the balcony. No public appearances today.
 
Cufflinks was waiting for them in front of the crystal heart with a politician’s smile firmly in place.
 
“I’m so glad you accepted her highness’s invitation. And your punctuality is most commendable.” He said clapping his hands together. Hen rolled his eyes.
 
“We were simply grateful princess Cadance had agreed to see us and wished to make a good impression.” He replied cheerfully.
 
“Indeed, the princess is looking forward to meeting you in person. I dare say your reputations have proceeded you.” Cufflinks said. “But before you can be allowed audience, there are a few precautions that must be taken. My apologies but her highness is nothing if not prudent. I’m sure you understand that until Luna’s killer is apprehended certain security measures are warranted. Even for distinguished guests such as yourselves. Can’t be too careful, can we?”
 
“Off course.” Hen frowned. Diamond glanced over at him. She knew Hen well enough to tell the regent mentioning that the assassin was still at large, when Hen was the one who had been assigned to apprehend her, stung his pride slightly. And apparently Cufflinks realized his faux pas as well. He covered his mouth with his hand as though he was trying to force his words back inside.
 
“My apologies, Knight Sergeant, I did not mean to be so indiscrete.”
 
“No, it’s fine,” Hen Runner shook his head. “In fact, if our audience with the princess goes as planned, it should bring us much closer to apprehending the villain.”
 
Cufflinks pressed his hand against his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. “Her highness will be quite pleased to hear that.”
 
He turned to address Diamond Dust directly, his hands fidgeting nervously as he spoke: “Sir Diamond, I regret to inform that your weapons must be confiscated for the duration of your visit to the Castle. I assure you they will be well looked after.” 
 
“I understand,” Diamond replied, even as she ruefully stroked their handles “If I were a princess, I wouldn’t want anyone wielding daggers around me these days either.”
 
She obediently removed her belt and handed it over to the butler standing next to Cufflinks. Once the transfer was completed, Cufflinks turned to Hen Runner. Hen bit his lip as he had a good idea of what the regent was going to ask him to relinquish.
 
“And your magic, Sir Hen. I apologize in advance for any discomfort it may cause, but there can be no exceptions when it comes to the safety of Princess Cadance.”
 
Hen nodded as a second butler stepped forward. It was prudent after all and he couldn’t very well raise a stink after Diamond had given up her daggers. He knelt down so that the butler could place the magic blocking ring around his horn.
 
As soon as it was fastened however, an alarm went off inside Hen’s head. He and Diamond were now extremely vulnerable and once inside they would be completely at Cadence’s mercy. Perhaps he was jumping to conclusions, but Hen’s years of experience in clandestine operations had taught him to trust his instincts. As Cufflinks lead them towards the entrance, he made sure to discretely get Diamond’s attention. When she looked at him, he made a forlorn expression. It was hardly a secret code, merely a subtle nuance that old friends would be attuned to:
 
Sorry I got you into this mess.
 
Diamond’s expression barely changed at all, except for one quick wink:
 
No regrets.
 
As the passed through the door into the castle, Hen could at least take solace in one thing. If Cadance did indeed have it in for them, then turning down her invitation would only have prolonged the inevitable. There would still have been an army of Crystal Guards between them and the train station, not to mention a pissed off Alicorn. Running was never an option once they reached the remote Crystal Empire. He and Diamond were good, but they weren’t that good.


> Chapter 12: Rainbow Dash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

Dash is alive… Not sure how to feel about that. Hopefully Twilight will know what to do…

How long was Twilight going to be gone? Trixie and I sat in silence, waiting for her to return, for some time. It felt like at least an hour had passed. Maybe Dash had awoken, or maybe Twilight had to tend to the wound.

In the absence of something to distract me, my mind started to attempt to recreate the scene from after I blacked out, based on what I had been told. How I had been able to deal with Dash the way I supposedly had was the hardest for me to picture. Dash was fast beyond anyone I had seen, and her little stunt in the forest before the whole Changeling nonsense began told me she probably had the precision to back it up. Mostly.

The differences between this and the first time the amulet activated struck me. When confronted by the Royal Guards in Twilight’s home, I had still retained some semblance of control. I had felt every detail of my surroundings, and I had supplied the will to stop the guards. Or perhaps I only thought I had. Regardless, this time I was already unconscious when it happened and my body had moved on its own. Had this amulet become an entity of its own, like “Molly” had been, as Twilight had suggested?

Then I was distracted from my thoughts for a moment. Trixie had started to blow on a lock of her hair hanging in front of her eye to pass the time. Her expression exposed how dreadfully bored she was. Again, like when she was at my bedside, I noticed that she had positioned herself so her cleavage was on display.

I tried not to let my mind go further down those lines, so I turned my head ever so slightly away to make it less convenient to stare. However, I had to admit, it was hard not to think about. Her earlier teasing had left me frustratingly susceptible to her current display. Something hardly needed to begin with.

Trixie made a sudden move I didn’t quite catch, but it served to draw my gaze back to her. She had moved her left arm, but for what purpose? The answer came almost immediately when I noticed that one of her nipples now rested gently at the edge of the neckline of her shirt. It had a slightly darker blue color to it than her skin. Blushing I looked away. Ugh, I was glad Twilight didn’t see that.

“It is a shame,” Trixie said simply, moving her garment back in place. Glancing to her I saw she had her devious little smile back, but showed no intention of continuing on her own. 

Alright, I’ll bite, I grumbled to myself in the back of my head. “What’s a shame?”

“That you’re not Rarity’s boyfriend,” I did my best to retrieve my eyebrows from the back of my head, making her chuckle. “Then Trixie could take advantage of her being the Element of Generosity and make her share, to see what she saw in you.”

I for a moment I couldn’t decide which feeling was stronger: the frustration or the urge to laugh at what she had said. Also it hit me, rather strongly, that I would have a hard time imagining Rarity sharing in such a way, Element of Generosity or not.

In the end I chose to say nothing at all and hope the conversation turned back to silence for the time being. Trixie was attractive to be sure, but I liked to think I had a little more integrity than that. I wasn’t about to jump inside a girl I barely knew just because Twilight and I were in different rooms for a few hours.

My mind wandered back to the dream I had had of Dash and Luna. Something about it had made me start to wonder. Or, more aptly, something about the way Luna decided to handle our private meeting all the way back when I first visited Canterlot and the feeling of the dream. It had felt a lot like the dreams where I was visited by Sombra or Luna, which made me curious as to whether the Luna in this one was just that, a dream, or if what was left of Luna had…

I buried my face in my hands. Was I really thinking about that? No, that was probably Trixie’s teasing getting to me again. Then again, if she had the power to enter and affect dreams, there was no telling how much being in a dream, that is to say in a consequence free environment, affected how she acted in it. Grand Theft Auto came to mind, or perhaps Saints Row would be a more apt example, given the nature of dreams.

“Are you ignoring Trixie again?” the blue one raised her voice a bit, looking rather annoyed at me. I had to blink a few times before realizing what she had said, or even that I was looking at her. I halfway expected to find myself drooling absentmindedly, but luckily that hadn’t happened. It felt like I had been spacing out a lot these last few days.
 
“Yes,” I retorted, with a devilish grin at her narrowing eyes and huffed up cheeks. Felt a little better to say than it should have, but she deserved it.

“I think you should go and try to talk to Dash,” Twilight entered the room and carefully closed the door to Dash’s room behind her before she spoke up. Both Trixie and I turned our heads in her direction as soon as we heard the door move.

“Wait, why him?” Trixie objected.

“She won’t talk to me about how she feels,” the princess dumped herself down by the table, carefully avoiding eye contact. I nodded. Yeah, perhaps she would be more open to talk to me.

**

“Hey,” I said as the door closed behind me. Dash was in a bed much like the one I had woken up in, laying on her side. Those wings had to be annoying to sleep with. She raised her head to see who it was and I thought I saw a glimpse of something on her face. I couldn’t make out if it was that she was glad to see me, or terrified. She sat up in the bed and I noticed that she was bare-chested save for some slightly dirty bandages, as if they had been on for a little while, covering the midsection of her stomach. She didn’t seem bothered about having her chest on display for me though.

“Hey,” she answered hesitantly as I made my way to the side of her bed. I sat on a small stool that Twilight had probably been using while she bandaged Dash. I gave her a smile I hoped was warm and forgiving, but I was distracted a bit by the bruises on her throat and back of her shoulders.

“How are you feeling?” She sighed and turned her gaze to the floor, swallowing. I continued to smile as best I could. “You can tell me at your own pace. If you want, we can talk about something else for a while.”

“No!” her voice rose, before she blushed and quieted down. “No. I- I want to talk about it. I just don’t know where to start. It’s just…  I’m the Element of Loyalty damn it! I’m supposed to be the one who will never falter from my friends’ side, and still it is always I who do. So if you want to know how I feel; I feel like shit. And now I’ve got this Changeling creep that appears to me and… and I don’t even know how long I can resist her…”

“I know what that is like,” I mumbled.

“Yeah, but you still managed to save people. All I did was to kill Zecora.”

“You helped save us in the tunnels-“ I began to protest, but she interrupted me.

“No, you saved the two of you in the tunnels. And you are the one whose loyalty to Twilight has never wavered. You’re much more deserving of my Element than I am,” I took a deep breath, trying to think of something to say in response to this, but Dash didn’t give me much of a chance to come up with something. “See? You can’t even think of something to say to make me feel better. It would be better if you just left me here and did what you needed to do. I’m worthless.”

“I- but-“ I was taken aback at how serious her tone was and the tears that started to form in her eyes. What could I even say to that? I knew I hadn’t felt much better when Twilight tried to comfort me when I was down like that.

“Since I already have my tits out, you can just fondle them as you like. Or do anything else you’d like to me. I guess that’s all I’m good for now: some quick physical relief. Celestia knows I’ve caused you and Twilight enough trouble already. No!”

I was about to berate her for seeing herself that way when she mashed her teeth together and vehemently shook her head. Her eyes shot to over my shoulders frequently and she got a pleading look to her whenever our eyes met.

“This isn’t you, Rainbow Dash,” I said, doing the only thing I could think of; I took hold of her head on each side, forcing her as good as I could to look at me and only me. “All the shit you’ve said about yourself? That is just the Changeling trying to break you. You’re better than that. I know you are better than that. Even when you were down like this, the only thing you care about is being there for your friends. Stay with me, Dash!”

Our faces were merely a few inches from one another and I could see her struggle to keep focus. “You’re a good and loyal person, still putting us higher than yourself. The Changelings can’t change that if you don’t let them. You let yourself stay behind to be captured so that Twilight and I could escape; don’t lose the will to fight them now! I’ve learned that if you can see them in your head, you can fight them. If I can do it, you sure can. The Dash I know would never give up on such a challenge!”

She pulled my hands from her head. I was sure her eyes seemed to be more focused, more relaxed. It would probably take a lot more for her to break the control, but I hoped it was a start. She embraced me in a hug as best she could from the bedside.

As she let go, I brushed my hand by her chest. When she didn’t react, I hastily moved my fingers in and pinched her nipple.

“Hey! What was that for?” she fumed at me, but I just laughed.

“Sorry, I had to check if you were back to your more combative self,” I stuck out my tongue at her, jumping back a step or two from the bed.

“Once I get out of these bandages, I’ll show you my combative self,” she retorted, putting her hands up like it was a boxing match.

**

“How’d it go?” Twilight looked up from the table the moment I came out of Dash’s room. I had insisted that the walking LGBT flag stay in bed until Twilight gave the A-Okay for her to get out, a suggestion met with much pouting.

“Fine, I think,” I saw that Twilight was blushing a little and, glancing to Trixie, I saw she had a devilish grin. What had they been up to while I was away? “I just had to drill it into her head that she isn’t worthless.”

“Like I’ve tried with getting you to see you saved us back… back before we lost the others,” Twilight pouted at me. I chuckled.

“Excuse me, but that are you two keeping Trixie out of?”

“Private affairs, for one,” I mumbled, thinking about her earlier teasing.

“He used to be under the Changeling’s control, and he saved our lives before we left Ponyville,” Twilight summarized quickly. “But he can still be a stubborn jerk, so he doesn’t want to admit he did that.”

“It was a coincidence, honey,” I put an arm around the princess, kissing her forehead.

“See!?” she continued to Trixie, who giggled. “Sometimes I think he says that just to piss me off.”

“It’s getting late,” I said, taking the last free seat at the table. I put my elbows on its surface and rested my chin on my knuckles. “What do you think we should do?”

“Try to get a little sleep, then continue to the Crystal Empire tomorrow.”

“Trixie will stand guard first,” the blue one said. “Trixie doesn’t want to be caught with her pants down if Rainbow Dash decides to act weird again.”

“That’s… probably a good idea,” I had to concede the point. I didn’t know how far gone Dash still was.

“You should go to sleep for now. I’ll just check on Dash quickly before I’ll join you,” Twilight smiled to me, casually throwing a glance at Trixie as she made her way towards Dash’s room again. I nodded and got up.

**

The ruins of the throne room of the castle in the Everfree Forest materialized around me, just as I wished of it. It was likely an imperfect recreation, but it had to suffice. I took my place in front of the remnants of the thrones.

“Luna,” I said, but nothing happened. I blinked. I knew I had gotten it to work before. Right, of course, wrong name. “Cer’Lola.” That worked.

“Oh, erh… Hey there,” Luna seemed surprised at first, looking at her surroundings, before she put on an obviously fake smile and pretense confidence.

“Hey,” I said back, with a warm smile, gesturing for her to take a seat on the throne beside me. She blushed a bit and looked at me strangely, but did as I instructed.

“Was there… anything in particular you wanted?” She asked, nervously, as she sat down.

“I have a question,” I finally said, slowly. I was scanning her face for reactions of any kind. She just nodded and didn’t meet my gaze. “About the last dream I had.”

“Oh, what did you dream about?”

“About Dash… and you.”

“A-about me?” her cheeks started to turn bright purple. I had halfway expected there to be some interference because we were in a dream, and I still had to be careful about trusting my eyes. So far I thought Luna was being honest in her appearance. I only had to sort out if she was blushing because I just said what I said, or if she knew exactly what I was thinking about because she was there.

“Yes, you showed up at a strange point in the dream, and… acted a lot like you did when we met in Canterlot. Was that just a dream, or did-”

**

“Hey, don’t fall asleep just yet,” someone gently touched my cheek before giving it a light slap. Twilight had climbed on top of my lower stomach. She was naked and grinned down at my face, with her left arm behind her back, groping a feel of my crotch. I had left my clothes by the side of the bed, something she seemed happy to take advantage off. And I was happy she was taking advantage of, as blood started to flow to the south of the navel.

“I’m awake, I’m awake. What’s going on?” I teased, feigning ignorance. Twilight leaned in onto my chest. I saw her arm fumble with something at the side of the bed.

“Payback,” she whispered as she pulled up a length of rope. “For our… castle tryst.”

“Payback? For what?” I ignored her newfound stage prop, putting my hands behind my head in such a way that she’d be able to bind them without much trouble. Smirking, I continued. “I don’t remember any tryst at the castle. We had a nice night’s rest? I think that was it.”

“Right, right,” Twilight inched her way up my stomach to get better access. She rested her chest on my face as she fumbled with the bindings, giving me the opportunity to motorboat her. She tried to hold back the giggles as she worked, but there was no point to it. “Hey, stop that! I’m trying to be dominant here!”

“Really!?” I said in an exaggerated shocked tone. “I am so sorry; I really couldn’t tell.”

Once my hands were bound, Twilight sat up and gave me another light slap to the face. As I tried to speak, she did it again. I tried a couple more times, but I never got out more than a word before she stopped me. She’s not going to back down, is she? I grinned to myself, which was met with another hit, this time harder.

“What do we say now?” Twilight said with a menacing tone in her voice.
 
“I was just going to say that I don’t think this is the most efficient way to do a massage.”

Smack! Ouch, that hurt. Not me, she didn’t hit that hard. But I could see her frustration start to boil over. I wondered how far I could push her; this was kinda fun.

“Oh, just use your mouth for something useful already!”

She stood up to adjust her position and sat down over my face. She used her legs to carry most of her weight, but shifted it over to me a little by little the longer I did nothing. I waited until I actually got uncomfortable to stick out my tongue and slowly eat her out.

Pushing inside her, I felt she had a bittersweet taste to her, but I couldn’t pin it down any further. The longer I kept at it, the more her juices flowed and the more she let her weight off me. On could see her legs tense to my sides. Digging my heels as best I could into the bed, I tried to push myself up a few centimeters.

Twilight looked startled at me for a moment; me changing my position ever so slightly had taken her aback. But it changed to suppressed moans as I began to suck and lick at her clit. 

“Wah-“ she gasped. I had gently bit down to pinch it and was met with a flow of liquid. Her legs lost their strength, putting the full weight of the princess on my head.

“Geff off!” I barked into her slit. She giggled and crawled her way back down my body.

“Thank you,” she smiled and closed her eyes as she laid her head at my chest, her body lying partially on top of mine. “Maybe I’ll pay you back… tomorrow… Sleepy time…”    


> Chapter 13: Fallen Stars
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

The days are blending together more and more. I am now locked between moments of happiness and long stretches of uncertainty and fear…

“I’m sorry about what happened,” I said. Luna had created what appeared to be her favorite environment for these dreams; the Canterlot throne room. “I was woken up. Rather rudely too. You should talk to Twilight about that.”

The last line was delivered with a smirk. She just nodded in response, which made me kinda glad. I wouldn’t have been much encouraged if she had just rolled her eyes or scoffed. She probably should have, since I was joking about the rude part, but that was immaterial.

“It is of no concern. One must simply accept that people will wake up unexpectedly if one is to approach them in this manner.”

It could have been me, but she seemed almost relieved when she said it was of no concern. That was odd. Not being annoyed by it would be one thing, but relief? Why? Had the question I tried to ask upset her? And, if it had, was that more because of it being a possible false allegation, or that there was some truth to it? Bah, there my mind went again. Why did I think these things about Luna?

“I’m glad you’re not upset,” I smiled. “And the question I wanted to ask would have been rude. Forgive me, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between the dreams like this and the ones who are just dreams.”

“I gladly forgive you. I too understand this difficulty. I have been asked such questions many a time, from less respectful subjects.”

“Subject?” I couldn’t stop myself from blurting it out. It struck a wrong note in me to be addressed as such. Then again, an actual monarchy was rather strange to me too. Technically I had lived under a royal line back home, but effectively they were not rulers. They were glorified figureheads, with little real power and certainly no practical grounds for calling anyone their subjects. Maybe on paper, but paper is thin and easily torn. Or maybe I was just overthinking it. To Luna, I was sure my experience with monarchy was as strange to her as hers was to me.

“Am I not a princess of this land, in your eyes?” 

“Sorry, it’s just… I’m not from here. I’m not used to this sort of thing. We elect people to represent us, based on popular vote, along the lines of certain rules that are not allowed to be broken.”

“Truly? How does such a system fare?”

“It’s only as good as the people voted into power,” I shrugged. “I guess it is the same as a monarchy in that regard: It all comes down to the people in charge.”

“You must share more of this system should everything return to normal. I speculate it could be an interesting social experiment. Perhaps it even would work better than our current system. Or perhaps people would simply vote for my sister regardless. I would be hard pressed to describe their attitude towards her as anything but worshipful.”

“You sound a little bitter about that,” I noted, hoping I didn’t cross a line.

“I love my sister with all my heart, but I will never let myself be blinded again. Not by the Beast and not by her. Nor will I lie about who she is.”

“And would you feel okay with telling me who your sister really is?”

“I think you have earned that right,” Luna sighed. Getting up from the throne, she changed the scene around us. We were in a large courtyard; similar to the one I had seen in Canterlot. In front of us was Celestia and behind us were masses of people. There was a statue of a hollow sun, in two dimensions, behind her. As the real sun entered it from the perspective of the crowd, they fell to their knees. Luna darkened the skies and unmade all the people except the two of us. “My sister loves to be the ruler of the people. She sometimes shows signs of not wanting to be treated as a goddess, but she could change that at any time she wanted. She could simply stop exploiting the public’s infatuation with her at every opportunity. By not making the Summer Sun Celebration to such a spectacle. By not dressing and living in such a way that it reinforces her authority and perceived divinity. And her rewri- uh… never mind.”

“And what about you?” Never mind what? Had she been about to say ‘rewriting’? If so, was it the same as what Sombra had talked about?

“I once wished I had the hearts of the people. It led me to the Beast. When I returned I was glad to be free of it. I tried to become more, what is the word? Humble? Not sure. I tried to become more appealing to the masses, make friends who did not see my crown, with some success. I withdrew from that when it just made me more like my sister in their eyes. If she would let me, I would leave all the nonsense of royalty behind and return to the Everfree Castle to do what must be done far away from the praise of commoners. I do not want it. I- I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t have gone on like that. You must think me foolish…”

“No, I would never think that foolish,” I barely let her finish her sentence before I broke in. “Not wanting to be treated as a goddess… I’d rather call it humility than foolishness. And humility is admirable. Well, I think it is.”

“You’re being too kind. Perhaps being the Beast taught me something useful after all. A lesson to pass on to Cadence and Twilight, though Twilight hardly needs my help avoiding such a path. Little Miss Perfect. Apologies, that was beneath me.”

“Why do you call her that?” I found the phrase partially strange to hear, but also a bit fitting. It had struck me that something like that could be said about her. I didn’t think Twilight was actually perfect, in part because I didn’t even know what that would mean for me. However, I could certainly understand the sentiment if she lived up to someone else’s idea of perfection.

“I- jealousy, I am ashamed to admit. Even sharing my station, she has remained more… common, in the view of the people. I either induce cheerful fawning or fear wherever I go and am recognized. Forgive me: I have said too much. If you would allow it, I would like to be alone for a while. I have things I need to rethink.”

I gave her a nod. I thought I had some insight into how she felt. Something about it all made me think that she had carried these thoughts inside her for a long time, and now they had emerged because someone were willing to listen and did not put much expectations on who she should be. There was no flash of light or anything when she left; she just faded away.

With a heavy sigh, I was about to try to end this dream, yet something nagged at the back of my head. Perhaps it would be best if I spoke to him, if for no other reason than to let him think that I did not control the summoning.

“Sombra,” I mumbled. The effect was immediate; the man appeared in a flash of purple and black.

“You don’t sleep much, do you?” I shook my head in response. Sombra, as I expected, took a look around at the darkness and scoffed, before he changed it to his own throne room. He took a seat on the throne. “I am pleased you had the time to sleep now. It is my pleasure to be the bearer of good news.”

“Good for me, or for you?”

“Both, assuming you still have not solved your problems. I have located the Shard that was activated.”

“And you couldn’t do that before because…?”

“For the very simple reason that I have no grasp of the world as it does not pertain to the Heart’s power in this… shadow of a life. That is to say, I can always feel their magic once they have been activated, but not where they are. Except now; the Shard is in the Crystal Empire. Someone with access to the castle would be my guess, perhaps the Usurper herself. I have felt it come near the… shall we say, place of my rebirth.”

“So the castle in the Crystal Empire is the key to bring you back, and now someone has brought the Shard there. I see, that’s… maybe it is good news, but I’m on the fence about helping you. Why should I? You’ve already threatened those close to me.”

“A threat? Hardly. A threat is meant to alter behavior through the concept of avoidable use of force, physical or otherwise, in the future. What I am saying is that when our mutual enemy is taken care of, I will take back what is mine. And there is nothing you can do to convince me not to. Hence it is not a threat, just a courtesy of letting you know what you are getting involved with.”

“And why should I take your help then, if you’re just going to create more problems for me?”

The man smirked. “Feel free not to. But as I’ve said before: You’re not giving me much reason to think you have any choice left. From where I stand, it seems very much like the options available are to lose the Crystal Empire to me, or to lose everything. I am certain you will see the lesser evil in time. If not, I will simply bid my time for my return and deal with the issue then. Now I bid you farewell.”

As he disappeared, I felt a mixture of hatred and despair. So casually had he just stood by what he intended to do, about the fact that he would take back the Crystal Empire and perhaps even kill Twilight in the process. Yet, like I had contemplated many times before, it really didn’t seem like there were any choice left to take. What would it take to convince Twilight not to stand against him? She had beaten him before, when he did not know her, but now that he did?

“Cer’Lola,” I said. I needed to talk to her again, to ask her a question.

“What is it?” she seemed wary of the place around us. “You spoke to the Betrayer. What did he say?”

“Nothing he hadn’t already. I just need to know how powerful he really is.”

“I will try to explain,” she ushered in an empty void, complete blackness, around me. In front of me a figure started to form, which I recognized to be Twilight’s mark, but the colors were wrong. It was venom green and dark purple. Another one in blue and gold appeared to its left, and another matching Twilight’s colors to its right. “These are the known Marks of Magic in our history. Twilight Sparkle, Starswirl the Bearded and, you probably guessed it, Sombra.”

Only the green and purple Mark remained as the others faded. In it, I could see the shadows of a man fighting two Alicorn, holding his own for the time being.

“There is no limit to the potential of such a Mark that is known. My sister and I believe that one-day, Miss Sparkle will surpass us, just as Sombra did. In our battle it became clear to me that individually, neither of us could have bested him. If he cannot be stopped before he regains his strength, there may not be a way to banish him again. I will not return to the world of the living for hundreds of years, and neither Twilight nor Cadence are powerful enough to help Celestia bring him down.”

“But Twilight beat him once already,” I pointed out, almost in desperation. When I realized I was trying to find a justification to bring him back, it sent a chill up my spine.

“In a manner of speaking. She and her friends charged the energies of the Crystal Heart, which allowed Cadence to banish him once more.”

“What about the Elements?”

“It is possible, I admit. The Elements are indeed powerful beyond comparison. Yet I do not feel confident they would be enough to stop our dear Betrayer. The Elements are unreliable; they will only be of use to those chosen to wield them. And they have only become more so with time. Once my sister commanded the Elements alone. They were a potent weapon in her hands. Now there are six bearers: take out any one of them and none can be used. This is how Discord nearly won. Only his own sense of humor and need for chaos allowed for his defeat. Sombra will not be foolish enough to simply drive them apart. Knowing him, he will ensure someone dies before they can turn on him.”

“And if we give him what he wants? What if we hand the Crystal Empire over to him, without a fight?”

“Then we can only prepare for the vengeance he has in store for us. My sister and I tried to kill him and failed. I doubt he will have forgotten.”

I nodded slowly. Yes, that was what I feared. Fight the Changelings without him now and most likely lose, or fight the changelings with him and most likely lose to him in the future. I sat down where I stood, burying my head in my hands. This was getting frustrating, trying to figure out which was the lesser evil.

“How are you feeling?” Luna put her hand on my shoulder. Sombra’s Mark disappeared and we were moved to an open clearing. The forest around us looked a lot like the Everfree. Above us the moon shone brightly.

“Just tired of this whole thing. If we can’t find a way to deal with this without the Betrayer, we’re not getting anything done. Lose now or lose later. Maybe we can get the Elements together again, but I have no clue where they are.”

“The Elements are in the Canterlot Vaults.”

“What!? Why didn’t you say so? Wait, how do you know?”

“Celestia put them there. Alas, I have no clue about the Bearers.”

“Oh, sorry, I-“ I swallowed and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, I thought you meant that- I mistook what you meant with ‘Elements’.”

“It is forgiven. I understand your stress,” she took a seat beside me. I noted that she didn’t look right at me, but only onto the ground before us. “When Discord first took power, we too felt powerless. Only by seeking out the Elements could we amass the power to stop him. Before we had that power… Celestia and I often let our stress out on one another. It may have torn us asunder, had we not found a solution.”

“If Celestia once wielded the Elements, does that mean someone new, someone who are not the current Bearers, could master their power?”

“I truly do not know. The Elements are impossible for me to predict. Perhaps. Are you thinking of yourself?”

“Eh- why not?” I scratched the back of my head. “I’ve already gone from no magic to whatever the hell is going on with the amulet.”

“Indeed? I wish I knew. Certainty would be such a boon in these times.”

“Tell me about it,” I mumbled in return, not really directed at her. It was a strangely overused phrase, but I didn’t really know how else to put words to it: at least not shorthand. I wanted to change the topic a bit. All this doom and gloom just didn’t do it for me. “What was it like, before the Beast came? What was Equestria like?”

“Much like it is now. What I did not expect when I returned was that so much had remained the same. More interesting is the time before the Alicorn; a world we witnessed, but never thought us interested in. Before the time of the Crystal Empire there were no living gods. The earthen ones worshiped the Sun as a primal force. The Pegasi worshiped the Four Winds that carried them. And the Unicorn held no such beliefs, for they had been gifted with the power of magic.”

Around us I could see a representative member for each step forward, bland in their figure, yet distinct from the others in clothes and stature. The earthen one, as Luna had called them, was tall and broad in farmer’s clothes. The symbol of the Sun was featured prominently on the right side of his chest. The Pegasi wore light clothes, nothing covering the joints, with a large open section on the back. And, lastly, the Unicorn wore an elaborate robe in many colors, where purple and gold featured prominently. Without warning they were encased in ice.

“Then the Windigo came: terrible spirits of ice and death. Small were the chances the mortals would overcome such creatures, but they did. Their spirit was strong, noble.”

“That is when you and your sister intervened?” I asked. She gave me a clever smile.

“Yes, but not of my own will. You must understand, we had yet to become what we are now. I was the night, the veil that covered the world. The cold nights that took the lives of the foolish and the foolhardy. The Windigoes were not an affront to my being.”

“Then that means Celestia represented life and growth, yes?”

Luna nodded and the scene changed again. A great orb of fire fell from the skies and someone I recognized as Celestia thread out of it once it landed. Her skin was as I knew it, but her hair was flame. Day became night and a darkness enveloped Celestia. From it came Luna, jet black in color, with a mane of liquid frost.

“Living with a mortal body changed my perspective. I gained insights I had thought impossible in the struggles of life and death, the emotion of fear. It would not be untrue to claim I have changed a lot more since then than my sister has. Changed to be more like my sister than it would seem to you. If I were to be honest with you, I would look at my old self with fear. Even the Beast does not scare me as much as what I once was. From there the story is simple: Celestia took the old role as the Sun and became a living goddess. At her side I became the same, the deity of the Night. The people feared me and loved her. And the more I became like Celestia, the harder it was for me to accept the fear and denial of love.”

> Chapter 14: A Not-So-Rude Awakening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary, 

Do I side with the devil or the demons?

I woke, but did not open my eyes. It seemed like Luna wanted to tell me something as I woke up. I wondered what it was.

No, my mind answered me. You got it the wrong way around. She did everything she could to not tell you. I didn’t know why, but I felt this was true. What did that mean? As I pondered this question, I started to notice a warm feeling in the nether regions. Twilight had decided to pay me back now?

When I opened my eyes, my mouth fell open as I took in the sight before me. Trixie, bare chested, still with her hat, sat at the end of the bed. Someone had placed me so that my legs were hanging over the edge, giving her access to my member. She was slowly sucking on my head. I hated myself for noticing that she was better at this than Twilight.

The first reaction I gave was to try to pull myself away, but as I did Twilight came up behind me, putting her hands on my shoulders. Her chest, still clothed, pressed against by back. Turning my head to the side, I noted she had a deep blush. “It’s okay. I heard what you said to Trixie. I thought it would be better just to show you that I- that I’d be willing to… try things you want to try too…”

“Trixie kinda likes this,” Trixie made a loud popping sound as she pulled herself off me. I couldn’t see a hint of being ashamed or shy in her face. She nodded to Twilight. “Perhaps you should run down and check on Dash, now that he is awake. We don’t want to leave her alone for too long at a time.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” the purple one seemed relieved to have an excuse for leaving for a while. As she walked out, Trixie began to lick along the length of my shaft.

“TrixieI did not expect it to go this smoothly,” she said as the door to the room closed behind Twilight. Her tongue stopped moving and she instead gently stroked it with her left hand.

“So you weren’t just teasing,” I stated, fighting back a roll of my eyes. Her touch sent shivers up my spine.

“Trixie was merely teasing you, but this,” she gave my member a little poke with her finger. “Turned out to be a nice bonus.”

There was this devious little smile on her lips as she leaned in to start to use her mouth again. Instead of working the head as she had done, she took it a little further every time her head had been back up. Her tongue hugged to my underside, circling at the top, before it went down.

That clever little… I found myself unable to speak for a moment as I appreciated the sentiment she had given me. The pressure was approaching the breaking point. It was getting harder to not buck my hips forward. “You were just hoping to get Twilight into bed.”

Twilight’s footsteps approached the door, making Trixie increase her pace. By the time the princess entered the room, I was making thrust motions uncontrollably. As two became three, Trixie went down with full force. I noted she barely had any gag reflex as I filled up her mouth. She moved herself backwards ever so slightly, to prevent me from shooting right down her throat. Her hat fell off.

“What are-“ Twilight said before she was cut off by Trixie forcing her into a deep kiss. She had pulled off me before the last of my cum came out, leaving some to fall on my skin. The princess’ expression was part confused, part aroused. When the blue one broke the kiss, I saw Twilight swallow. Her blush had grown even darker than it was before. “Oh, wow…”

Yeah, you said it.

“That was fun,” Trixie had found her top. “We should continue this later, when we don’t have to watch over Dash.”

**

“How are you feeling?” Dash was getting dressed. I had volunteered to keep an eye on her while Trixie and Twilight made what they could for breakfast.

“Like shit,” she bluntly retorted. Her eyes were bloodshot and her movements slow, like she hadn’t slept much. Every now and again she stopped what she was doing and stared absentmindedly over my shoulder until she saw I noticed. “Does it get any easier?”

My eyes went to the floor while I shook my head. “No. Not until you break their hold.”

“You’ll help me get through it, won’t you? I hate to ask, but I don’t think I can do this alone.”

Maybe it was just her being tired, but I thought I saw tears in her eyes. Tears she refused to shed. I could only nod in response, despite being fully aware that I had no idea how to help her. I had broken free, yes, but I didn’t even have a clue as to how I had accomplished that.

“It is surreal,” Dash continued, finishing up with her clothes. “I know sh- it isn’t really there, but it feels so real when it touches me. And even when I know I can’t listen to it, its words ring so tempting in my ears.”

“I know what you mean. When Twilight, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and I went to the Diamond Tunnels the first time, the… Changeling… it made me stand still while they tried to take care of Twilight. I had to fight my own body. But this was also when I managed to break free. Maybe it is easier to break it when they have to keep control and you can feel their limits. I really don’t know..”

“So it is going to get worse before it gets better. I so look forward to the future now.”

“Come on,” I said, gesturing for the door. As we passed through and headed over to the kitchen table, I started to feel numb. I still couldn’t remember anything from after I was stabbed, what had happened in the fight. They had told me I killed again. And what were we doing now? Heading for the Crystal Empire was hardly a plan. Maybe it would work, but what was the point? We had barely left the parameters of Ponyville and nearly failed already. It was just dumb luck that had saved us.

“Are you alright? You look pale,” Twilight put a hand on my shoulder as I dumped my body down on one of the chairs. I put my elbows on the table and my head in my hands. “Hey, talk to me, okay?”

“I’m… not feeling well…” I said defensively, glancing at Trixie and Dash. Twilight followed my gaze confused for a moment, before she seemed to get it. She nodded and headed towards the stairs.

“We’ll be back shortly,” she reassured the blue girls. I staggered to my feet after her, moving more slowly than I should or could.

**

“This isn’t about what I did this morning, is it?” Twilight asked nervously as I closed the door to the room I had slept in. I looked at her a moment, not noticing I had my mouth open for a few seconds and then I shook my head. She let out a sigh of relief, though her expression remained worried.

“No, it is just… Ugh,” I groaned. “It’s just stupid. My feeling, that is. It is just that…” I paused, not sure how to phrase it. “Might as well be blunt: what the fuck are we doing? We got no long term plan, no idea what we will find in the Crystal Empire and no real way to defend ourselves.”

“You got your amulet,” she hesitantly stated. “That has to count for something.”

“Yeah, it counted for you losing your magic and a couple of lucky escapes. I just…” I sat down on the bed, burying my head in my hands. “I just don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do the next time. I can’t… It bothers me to have to rely on luck.”

Twilight took my hand with hers, smiling. “We’ll figure something out. We always do. Once we get to the Empire, Cadence and Shining will know what to do.”

“And if they don’t?”

“I told you: Then we’ll figure something out.”

“Always the hero,” her smile was infectious, making me look away to try to maintain an air of seriousness.

“So are you,” Twilight planted a kiss on my hand and pulled on it.

No, I’m not.

**

“What was that all about?” Dash looked at us as we came down. She and Trixie were seated around the table, eating a salad of some sort. There were two extra wooden bowls on the table.

“Private,” Twilight brushed her off, but giggled. It made me uncomfortable for a reason. Perhaps it was that it sounded like it was something sexual that way. I saw Trixie giggle and give me a jealous glance, while Dash just looked away.

“If you say so, Egghead,” Dash teased back.

“Oh, aren’t you creatures just precious? We should thank you. Had you not pushed us so far, we might never have embraced the power. You have earned a painless death.”

I spun around, looking at each girl in turn. None of them seemed to have spoken, nor had it sounded like any of them. Well, maybe it did sound a little like Twilight. She shot a meaningful look in my direction, to which I nodded. This was the second time something like this had happened. Voices from nowhere or in my head, I would guess. Better than a Changeling hallucination trying to manipulate me, but not much.

“Here, eat up,” Trixie gave me one of the bowls. Twilight got hers from Dash. “Trixie thinks we should move as soon as possible.”

“I agree,” Twilight said between mouthfuls. “It has almost been 36 hours since… well, we should move. I doubt we’ll be safe here for much longer.” She took a step closer to me, lowering her voice. “Keep an extra eye on Dash. Her wound might be wearing her down, no matter how determined she seems.”

> Chapter 15: Entry 40
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

The moments of peace become more precious to me. My companions seem to be of the same mind, Dash especially. She has taken to recusing herself whenever she can, not wishing to be near anyone. When I catch her alone for the few moments she is allowed, she could be mistaken for talking to herself, but the look she gives me makes it clear that the Changeling manifest still. I try to comfort her, knowing more than I would like of just how much it can influence someone, but I feel my efforts are in vain. Over the last few days, I have been sure I was nearing a milestone, yet every time she just stops talking, eyes going blank.

Part of me is unsure of how far I want to delve into the depths of her problems. She has made a few comments about how she should have been stronger than this, being the Element of Loyalty, and her envy for my ability to remain loyal despite the creature’s effect on me. She shed silent tears as she did, trying not to show me. From time to time, I see flashes of desire or hate in her eyes, directed at me or the others. Whenever I do, I put a hand on her shoulder, but she pushes it away. Yet I get the feeling that she would like nothing more than to let me in, to let me help her. And, what more is, I am starting to get the impression that this makes her feel guilty. Not just for her betraying her friend and princess, but for the situation to be so that I am helping her the best I can.

Ever since we left the house in which I woke after being attacked by Dash, I have seen repeatedly how uneasily she sleeps. She trashes around all night, with naught but a few spare moments of peace of mind when she wakes. Or perhaps I am being unduly optimistic that they offer her some comfort, for as I write this it becomes more and more clear to me that it might be for my own comfort I tell myself that.

Trixie is usually the one to speak, falling between a concerned use of first person and a haughty and arrogant tone while speaking in the third person. As of now, I am unsure of which one I find the worse to listen to.

That might sound like an ungrateful take on her, but it is really not. Or, it is, but it is just one of the elements playing into the role she has taken on in our little group. However poorly I express my feelings to the others, I am most grateful she is here. She prepares our meals, set up what little in terms of camp we have and pack it all down again. A couple of times I have found Twilight resting her head on her shoulder. She may be interested in Twilight beyond as a friend, but for now she gives her the comfort of one and have not shown any signs of trying to take it further. This is perhaps what I am most grateful for, that she sticks up for Twilight as a friend.

Trixie remains a bit playful with me, but I honestly don’t mind. It is quite distracting, for both myself and Twilight, which I can only count for the positive. We always end it before it goes too far, of course. She is perhaps more careful about that than me, presumably not wanting Twilight to think she is trying to steal me away. I have also refrained from telling Twilight that Trixie might have feelings for her. This is not the time and place for it. Perhaps when we reach the Crystal Empire and have the luxury of proper privacy and a little bit of time to think about it before acting on the information.

And, I may regret writing this down, but I am also hesitant about telling Twilight about it because I do not know what Twilight would do with it. One of the last things I would want to experience is to lose her. Perhaps an unfounded fear, I know, but my feelings are not rational. My greatest fear is perhaps that Trixie could be a better partner than I have proved to be, yet I would not wish anything on Twilight less than the best she can get. If my heart ever makes up its mind on this, I might do an entire entry to just note that down: Such are the mixed feelings I harbor on this.

Fair Twilight, on which this burden lies. Hero. That is the only word I have for her. It still strikes me how easily she picked up the torch to deal with the resurgent Changelings. To this day I still do not fully comprehend it, and I likely never will. Every step of this path I have wanted to turn and leave, to run away from this conflict. It would be easier; I might even get to live out a whole life before the past could catch up to me. But I haven’t. And every time I ask myself why, I get the same answer: “Twilight.”

It is not even what I share with her, the feelings we have for each other. It is that in her presence, something inside me finds a source of inspiration. I am not a hero, whatever Twilight might claim of me. I am too afraid, too incompetent. Luck is my only contribution. But, when I am near Twilight, I feel myself wanting to do the right thing. The old me would perhaps not object to the hero name, but it would not be right to accept it.

Twilight is in pain, that much I can see every time I lay my eyes on her. The image of her clutching to me, asking me not to leave her, still haunts me. Losing her friends… I can only imagine how it must feel. And now that Dash has returned to us, showing what we can expect from the others, if they even still live. I wish there was a way for me to soothe this pain, but there is not. I have but my company to give and that will never fill the hole surely left open in her heart.

In my sleep, I rarely get pause from the worries of what is now my daily life, as Luna and Sombra visit me. My body rests, but my mind is always awake, tiring slowly, but surely. I do not know why, but something tells me that I cannot let up in summoning the Betrayer every time I fall into my dreams. For whatever reason, keeping up the illusion that he is not summoned by my choice strikes me as the only reasonable approach. I would not hold it past him to suspect, or even know, but I will follow my gut in this.

Luna is another story. I continue to get the feeling she is holding something back, something important. She seems close to tell me, then I wake up, left wondering what she is hiding. I wish I could be sure if it was something of importance to the task at hand, or if it is simply something that is important to her personally. I certainly hope for the latter.

She continues to drill into my head the importance of preventing Sombra’s return. I do not object to the idea in general, but we are at an impasse on how to solve the issue of the Changelings without him. Luna herself claim her body will take centuries, if not millennia, to reform, so she will not be of much help to us outside what she can offer in knowledge.

And then there is the amulet. It has saved us twice, but I wish I knew a way to control it. I nearly killed Dash and harmed Twilight. What would happen the next time it activated? It tears at me, for what is the right thing to do? Stay with Twilight and risk her life? Or leave and risk her life? They both sound awful to me. Yet, I have to admit, I think perhaps staying will do less harm, given what might happen if I abandon her. She has lost enough loved ones.

I better leave the pen here; Twilight wanted to take the next shift. I would let her sleep until it was Trixie’s time to take over, but I’d never hear the end of it. She worries much about me, perhaps more than I do about her. It is touching. Whatever comes, I know I have been lucky to know Twilight Sparkle, and privileged to be able to claim we became more than friends.

> Chapter 16: The Crystal Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

I see the Crystal…

The day was blue, sun standing tall in the skies. In truth, I had to wonder why there hadn’t seemed to be much change in the weather over last few days. More accurately, ever since we had left the Everfree. Like all the previous days, it was getting too warm for my comfort and there was little shade to seek refuge in.

To the west, we could see the mountain where Canterlot was located. From this distance the city itself was mostly hidden away. Now that we had left the forest, we focused on moving quickly and watching the skies in case we were spotted. But there didn’t seem to be many people around. To avoid a repeat of the ambush in Ponyville we were avoiding the smaller settlements. Even if we hadn’t been fugitives, the Changelings had made it unwise to associate with strangers.

The land had been surprisingly rugged, covered with hills and crags. Perhaps this was what had allowed us to remain undetected for this long. Trixie referred to a farm of sorts that we passed, which looked like the physical manifestation of despair, as a “rock farm”.  This confused me to no end but I didn’t enquire further because I wanted to retain a little bit of my sanity. And if it turned out a “rock farm” was anything like it sounded, my sanity would shatter instantly.

Now we were moving into more open land, verdant and almost uniform as far as the eyes could see. And, in the middle of it all was a great city, perhaps more than Canterlot. Twilight, Trixie and Dash’s moods improved considerably when it came into view, so I was sure it was our destination. At first it looked normal enough for any extravagant city, but the way it reflected the light from the sun made me reconsider just how appropriate the name was.
 
Until now I had assumed that Sombra’s had the representation of the Crystal Empire Sombra had given me was embellished an attempt to impress me. But as we drew closer to the city, it did seem to be made of crystal. The first question that came to mind was why it was like that, though the answer was probably because some ruler had wanted it to be like that so they could show off to others.

“Looks like we’ll reach it by nightfall,” Twilight said. I nodded; that seemed like a fairly good estimate to me.

We continued to walk in silence for a couple of hours. Despite our optimistic view on the chances of reaching the city without incident, we all continued to watch for any activity on the horizon or in the skies.

“There!” Trixie whispered, pointing to the distance. A small group seemed to have left the Crystal Empire and were headed right towards us.

“What should we do?” I asked, looking at Twilight. She sighed in return, pausing for a moment.

“Let’s just meet them,” Twilight finally said. “It’s broad daylight and we must be visible from the city. If Cadence believes I’m a traitor, then we don’t have any hope regardless. Don’t worry though,” she added with a smile to me. “Cadence knows I would never betray Celestia.”

I could see that she added ‘I hope’ to her statement in her mind, but I smiled back and nodded. We stopped, watching the strangers approach. A part of me wondered if it was a coincident and they would pass us by, not seeing us and letting us be on our way. I knew this to be false, of course, as they were headed straight for us, but perhaps Twilight’s optimism had rubbed off on me. She had certainly rubbed against me often enough for that to be a possibility.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” a brown coated man approached, wearing a suit of armor similar to the guards in Canterlot and a rather out of place monocle. He flanked by six other men and they all had a crystalline appearance that I couldn’t stop starring at, try as I might. The man gave a bow, which showed off his bald head. “My name is Pearl Cufflinks, regent of the Crystal Empire. It is my honor to welcome you and your… companions to our great Empire. The Crystal Princess wishes to speak with you post-haste.”

“Regent?” I asked, exchanging a glance with Twilight.

“It will be our pleasure, Regent Cufflinks,” the purple girl quickly said, trying to hide her worried tone and cutting off any elaboration on my comment. “It will be good to see Cadence again.”

“Follow me then, if you please,” Cufflinks adjusted his monocle, turning around. His escort waited for us to follow him before forming the rear guard. “I am pleased to see that you made it here before Canterlot’s Royal Guard found you. We have been most worried that you might be caught.”

“Does that mean you don’t think Twilight is a traitor?” I asked, feeling my heart skip a beat while I waited for his answer.

“I consider myself to be an educated man, both in politics and history,” the regent answered, his words short and to the point. “Even without the Crystal Princess’ assurance that Princess Twilight Sparkle would never betray Equestria, the claim would be highly dubious. In truth, and forgive me for my bluntness, but I fear the people of Equestria are too blinded by their love to Celestia. Being a citizen of the Great Empire, I have been spared such indoctrination. This allows me to see the world more objectively.” 

“O…kay…” I got the feeling of having been shut down from any further conversation. Indoctrination seemed to me to be the same sort of behavior as rewriting history and Celestia had again been accused of it by an outsider. On one hand, Twilight was so admiring of her, both as a ruler and mentor. But on the other hand, Sombra, this Cufflinks and even Luna painted a somewhat darker picture of her. I frowned to myself as I recalled what Sombra had said about Celestia believing ‘her own propaganda’.

**

My eyes darted from place to place, barely having time to look at one thing before something new caught my attention. The Crystal Empire was absolutely beautiful. As far as I could see it was forged exclusively from crystalline materials. The lights reflected from every angle, giving momentary glimpses of rainbows that disappeared when I took a second look. Even the people escorting us and those we passed on our way had this effect, but they seemed to be every bit as mobile as Twilight or I was. When Sombra had showed me this city, it had seemed so dull. In person was something quite different.

At the center of it all a tower stood above the rest. It rested on four pillars, blue and white in color. It’s height dwarfed the rest of the town, with several spires besides the main one. Around it there were always a par of guards in sight, armed and armored. Looking up, I saw a figure on one of the many balconies; it was a woman, of that I was fairly sure even at this distance, and had a light pink coat and multicolored hair. Almost as soon as I turned my gaze to her, she disappeared.

“The Crystal Princess, Mi Amore Cadenza. Her Majesty prefers ‘Cadence’,” Cufflinks answered my unstated question. “Her appearances on the balcony do her radiant beauty no justice, as you shall see soon enough.”

“And Shinning Armor?” Twilight asked.

“He left for Canterlot when you were declared a traitor. He is acting Regent of Equestria, but we have reason to suspect most of the Royal Guard follows the orders Celestia gave before she appointed him. He does not believe you are guilty any more than Cadence does.”

I saw Twilight brighten up a bit, but both our expressions turned dark. Shinning Armor could have walked into an ambush in Canterlot. But at least her brother did not suspect her of treachery. 

“Now, follow me if you please. We must prepare you for meeting Her Majesty.”

**

I felt unease as the guards searched the girls and I in a side room of the castle entrance. Trixie had a ring of sorts placed on her horn, which she looked less-than-happy about. Twilight mumbled something about it preventing magic. My question was: then why not just take it off? As the guards turned around, I saw Trixie try to do just that, but it seemed to be stuck.

All of us were presented with a new set of clothes. Trixie refused to try them on, insisting that her own were more than good enough. Twilight, Dash and I, on the other hand, were happy to have something new. The girls were given dresses that matched their skin and hair color, and had a symbol of their cutie mark, while I was given a simple black and white suit. No tie though, for which I was glad.

“You look smashing, as Rarity would say,” Twilight whispered to me. I found myself blushing, but shook it off.

“And you look gorgeous,” I replied. I wasn’t exaggerating either, as the dress emphasized the curves of her body, while letting her retain a look that said ‘I’m probably smarter than you’.

“Now, please do as I do,” Cufflinks looked to Trixie and me, giving an overstated bow. His right hand was held at his chest, while the left one was stretched out. He put his right foot backwards. I, somewhat clumsily I had to admit, followed his example. Whatever else, I had little wish to offend royalty more than I already had. Trixie did too, but with more flair and she worked in a way to take off her hat in the same move.

“Hmm, it will have to do. Now follow me.” 

**

We were escorted into a throne room, not unlike that in Canterlot, save for the crystalline look. On the throne sat the woman I had seen on the balcony, patiently watching us approach. She was the first person I had seen here that appeared like Twilight and myself. She was roughly as tall as Luna, with an elegant white dress, defined hips and generous bust. At each side of her two guards stood.

“Welcome,” Cadence smiled at us. Her tone was warm and welcoming, if a little tired.

“Twilight!” the same voice shouted at us from our left. A door in the back slammed open and Cadence came running out. She had scratches and torn clothes. Her eyes and horn glowed with a familiar green and purple light; crystal magic.

“Princess!” the guards were on the Cadence at the throne in an instant, holding her to the ground, doing their best to counter her magic. She yelled at them and at the new arrival. Trixie took hold of Dash, pushing her away from the throne, fearing if she could be influenced still.

“Cadence!” Twilight exclaimed, running up to the newcomer, embracing her in a hug.

“Twilight!” I shot after her, trying to come between them. “How do you know she is the real one?”

“The magic,” she pointed to it. “Only Alicorn and Sombra can use it.”

The real Cadence nodded, pushing us aside. She approached the imposter, drawing a dagger from the best of one of the guards. Without hesitation she planted it in the neck of the pretender, holding her free hand in front of its mouth. Slowly, but surely, she slit its throat. A pool of green blood formed on the floor; by the time she was done, the imposter had the form of a Changeling. When the lifeless insect fell to the floor, I noticed she was at least a head taller than any other Changeling I’d seen before. She had a slimmer build, like Princess Luna, and her eyes had slit pupils. I looked over at Twilight for some sort of explanation.

“Chrysalis…” Twilight said in almost a whisper. Hesitantly approached Cadence and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at Twilight.

“I’m… It’s over. She is dead.”

I saw a tear run down her cheek. “How long were you…?”

“Not long: only a day or two. She caught me inside my study. Thank Celestia that Sombra’s old magic is the key to much of the old castle.”

In the background, the guards carried the body away and sent for someone to clean up the blood. Trixie and Dash slowly approached, visibly shaken.

Twilight firmly turned Cadence around and hugged her tightly. “You are amazing, Cadence. You always were. And now you’ve saved our lives again.”

The Crystal Princess eventually broke the hug and smiled at Twilight. Then her expression turned to horror as her eyes fell on her horn. “Twilight! Your horn! What happened?”

“She pushed her magic too far while saving my life,” I answered, feeling a pang of guilt.

“Always the hero,” Cadence gave the other princess a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll get you medical attention. You deserve nothing less than the best.”

“Rainbow Dash also needs help,” Twilight said. “She was bitten by a Changeling.”

Cadence nodded. “And there is another matter. But we can wait until morning. You and your friends look like you have been through hell.”

The Crystal Princess led us to the door in the back she had come from. As we were about to pass through, she pulled me aside for a moment.

“I love Twilight with all my heart,” she whispered, her eyes piercing into my very being. “If you break her heart, I’ll do to you as I did to the Changeling.”

I felt my heart stop for a moment. “I… I’d never do that… if I could avoid it…” I mumbled eventually. 

“I believe you,” she finally said, giving me a content smile. “She has chosen well.”


> Chapter 17: The Heart Wizard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary…
For the first time in a long while, I feel like we are safe, however temporary…

“You have arrived in the Crystal Empire. I am pleased,” Sombra smiled at me. I asked him how he knew, to which he laughed. “The same way I felt the Shard was here: my old throne. It resonates whenever another source of my power is near.”

“I’ve still to find the Shard,” I replied with suppressed rage and fear. We had come this far, but still had no other solution. Damn Sombra and damn the Changelings.

“You’ll find it.”

“And how are you so sure?”

“Because Princess Sparkle is a hero and will not back down from this challenge. And you’ve already betrayed the nature of your feelings for her. You’ll do what is necessary to save her.”

“Helping you isn’t saving her,” I retorted, to which he just smirked. “You’re just another conflict to happen.”

“Only if you oppose my return to the throne of the Crystal Empire.”

“Until you decide you want to expand your Empire.”

“Just as the Heavenly Sisters once did with their empire. There is little to put us apart, save for me achieving immortality by my own means. Your perception is biased because they are the established order. The ones who have indoctrinated yourself and Twilight.”

“So you’d present yourself as a god as well?” I said with a grimace. 

“I have no need to portray myself as a hero. When I return to my throne, the truth that Celestia has tried to suppress will return with me. I will be a ruler, not a god. And Celestia will no longer be a god in the eyes of the people.”

A laugh broke through the air. My laugh. “And how do you think you will accomplish that? She has been adored and worshiped for longer than anyone can remember.”

But Sombra just gave me a calm smile. “Her godhood is already faltering. That much even I learned when I returned to the world. She needs champions to act for her and I have heard whispers of her tasting defeat. Once I rule my Empire without bowing to her, the people will see the limits of their ruler and her champions. Gods do not have limits.”

I wanted to give an answer, but there was nothing to say to that. I felt my blood boil at his implied threat to Twilight. Instead I found myself asking another question. “When I do have the Shard, what do I do with it?”

“Simple. Go to my throne room. As you approach the throne itself, the Shard will start to emit its power and all you need to do is direct it. Call out my name and the magic will draw my essence back to the world.”

“Seems a bit too easy,” I pointed out.

“It was hard enough to create the Shards and even make this process possible. I thought it best to ensure that even lowly servants would able to complete the ritual itself.”

“Or incase your servants had to coerce an outsider into bringing you back.”

“Exactly. Perhaps you are cleverer than I thought,” he nodded.

“You prepared for your death rather well,” It was a genuine compliment.

“When one goes up against self-proclaimed gods, one needs to plan carefully,” he replied. “Time to wake up.”

**

I opened my eyes. It was still dark outside. Sitting up, I saw a bundle of clothes placed on a stool next to my bed. They were more casual than the ones I had been given the day before: a dark set of pants and a white t-shirt, with a comfortable pair of shoes to go along with it.

Looking around in the empty room, I wondered about Molly. How could that… thing I had seen in my head have been surprised when I gave it a name? Was that all an illusion? Just a trick played on my mind? The real counterpart seemed to be entirely oblivious to it. Yet, Molly had helped me figure out Rarity was under Changeling influence. How? And why?

With a sigh, I got to my feet. My feet and stomach ached when I just sat there, restless. I didn’t want to spend the night walking the castle, but I couldn’t just stay right here. It was driving me crazy.

“You!” the moment I walked out of the room I had been assigned, a crystalline woman stopped me. She wore the armor of the guards here. “The Princess told us you might be up and about. Please, follow me. She and Miss Sparkle await you.”

“Twilight is awake?”

“I am only to relay what the Princess told me,” the guard brushed my question off. “Now follow me.”

**

“Twilight!” I said, embracing her in a hug. The guardswoman had led me to a study where both princesses were. Cadence’s blue magic was holding Twilight’s horn and I could see the cracks slowly mend. “Your horn.”

“Cadence said I should make a full recovery,” she smiled back at me. Behind her I saw the woman in question give an affirmative nod to me, but her face carried a troubled expression.

“What is it?” I let go of Twilight, talking to Cadence.

“There is a matter of… concern we have to deal with. I didn’t want to do it before you were both here,” she opened a drawer on a desk in the corner, taking out a square black box. Her fingers hesitantly opened it; inside was a gem in bright blue color.

“What is that?” Twilight asked.

“The Shard,” I muttered under my breath. I continued in an audible tone. “How did you get it?”

Cadence set her eyes in me, her eyes narrowing. “Chrysalis took it from a pair of Knight-Errants who arrived from Canterlot. She didn’t know what it was so she ignored it. What do you know about this thing?”

“It has the same magic that the Crystal Heart, right?” I asked. Cadence nodded. “Then I’m sure it is a Shard.”

“Wha-“ the pink princess began asking about it, but Twilight interrupted her.

“It’s an item that might change our luck in the fight with the Changelings. If we can figure out how to use it.”

“I know how to do it,” Twilight barely got to finish what she was saying before I spoke. Cadence started to look confused.

“Help how?”

Twilight and I exchanged meaningful glances. Would it be right to tell her? This would affect her more than anyone. It was her kingdom that was the price. Twilight took the word first.

“It’s… a long story. I’ll fill you in later. First we need to know if this thing can even be of use to us. I don’t really want to touch that thing…” 

“It’s safe to the touch,” Cadence reassured, taking hold of it herself. “But it is… odd. It whispers things. It says it want to talk to you two.”

“Of course it does,” I blurted out sarcastically. The weeks since I had gotten here had been filled with shape shifters, mind-control, what I could best describe as ‘dream walking’, whatever it was Pinkie had put those cupcakes and an amulet that had saved my life twice on its own. A talking gem would have to appear sooner or later, because what else was going to happen? I blushed a bit in response to my outburst. “I’m sorry, I’m just not very surprised is all.”

Twilight and Cadence blinked at me a couple of times, before the shorter of them laughed nervously. I felt my blush deepen, looking over at the gem in Cadence’s hand instead.

“I’ll take it,” I said, stretching my hand out. “If it wants to speak to us, might as well let it.”

The light skinned woman nodded, handing it over to me. My stomach fluttered, while at the same time I dreaded the moment when it would touch my skin. Just what I needed: another thing speaking inside my head. At the same time, if this thing spoke and it was indeed a Shard, perhaps it had some real answers at last.

“Miss Sparkle, it is an honor to finally meet you. It is a rare pleasure for such a lovely young woman to be an admirer of my work. And the Conduit; when I summoned you, I couldn’t have foreseen what would happen.”

Right in front of me, a man appeared. He had light grey crystalline skin and a short, white jawline beard and a long flowing hair of the same color. He was clad in a simple blue robe, unadorned. He had piercing eyes, dark violet in color, looking from Twilight to myself as he adjusted his sleeves. He spoke with a gentle smile.

“Who are you?” Cadence erected a barrier around the stranger. He chuckled and simply walked through it.

“Not physical, that is for sure,” he bowed to her. “The Usurper. Though I would name you the Liberator. I thought you would be taller. Is it true you played a part in delaying the Betrayer’s return?”

Twilight and I had stood in complete silence ever since his first words, staring at him, then one another and back to him again. The stranger picked up on this, looking curious for a moment. Then something seemed to have dawned on him.

“You saw this moment coming, didn’t you?” he asked me. “My, you truly are a Conduit.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” I retorted. “You summoned me?” He nodded. “For what purpose?”

“You were to be my way back to the mortal world. But it did not work. Instead, you were displaced in this dimension. For what it is worth, I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“You…” What was going on here? He had tried to use me for that? How, and why?

“And now you have absorbed quite a bit of power. First the magic of the Changelings, and now the power of the Crystal Heart. You truly are something. I wish I had time to study you prope-.”

“Okay, okay, stop for a moment!” Cadence raised her voice, interrupting the stranger. She frowned at him. “Before we ask anything else, we need to know who you are.”

 He merely smiled, nodding to Twilight. “Please, feel free to introduce me.”

“But I don’t…” Twilight fumbled her words.

“Of course you do. You just have to peer through the falsities the Princess of the Sun has spun about my being. Perhaps this will aid your efforts?” he waved his hand and small bells started to appear at the folds of his outfit, and a blue wizards hat atop his head. However, these changes dissipated almost immediately.

“Starswirl the Bearded…” she said softly.

“Yes. And no,” Starswirl replied. “I am indeed the masterful magician of legend, and in my old age I did sport a beard like the one I have now. The stories of the bells and long beard, even as a young man, came later.”

“But I don’t know you were-“

“One of the Heart People? Much had to be changed after the Betrayer was banished, including my heritage and history. So Celestia made me a mere unicorn, rather than the man who unlocked the secrets of immortality. All because my greatest success could have become her undoing and that may still be fated. I succeeded in making the Betrayer immortal after all.”
 
A silence fell over the room. I glanced at the faces; Starswirl was content, almost happy. Twilight seemed conflicted, not sure what to say. Cadence’s eyes burned with rage.

“You served Sombra,” she stated coldly. He nodded.

“Yes.”

“And he betrayed you,” I added. Again he nodded.

“That is how he got his nickname. He thought me a fitting subject for an experiment of his own. Alas, I must say that he was as successful as I was. I have been stuck in this little gem for a long time. And it would seem that his skill at containment spells are indeed unsurpassable. Even with knowledge that would fill any library many times over, powers above any mortal in history and unfathomable amounts of time to ponder a solution, I am still imprisoned. What you see before you is merely a projection, allowed by the Conduit’s ability to channel magic.”

“Why did you want to talk to me?” Twilight broke in.

“In truth, I am more interested in the Conduit,” Starswirl admitted. “And even more interested in your conflict with these Changelings. I wish I knew more about them. Only brief glimpses through this cage. Their power is indeed interesting. Poison, right?” He looked to me. I nodded. “I thought so. Heart magic has certain effects on alchemical procedures. My hypothesis is that the poison in your veins has given you the ability to channel the very magic needed to counteract it. Who knows what you could become able to do in time, with proper tutoring and injections?”

“Brainwashing and drugging,” I corrected him, to which he chuckled.

“I suppose it would be. You would need to be particularly focused but alas, that is not within my abilities at this point. And I presume Miss Sparkle will not take such risks with you. But we have more important matters to discuss; the Changelings themselves,” Starswirl turned serious. “What are your plans to defeat them?”

“We need to use the Sha-“

He nodded, glancing to Cadence. “I see. That could solve a great many of your problems. Do you know what to do?”

I sighed, thankful that he had not gone into detail about the Shard. Cadence would surely have strong objections.

Twilight spoke up, looking nervous and unsure of herself. “Cadence, can you take us to the old throne room? We can only use the Shard there.”

The eyes of Empire’s ruler narrowed, looking from me, to Twilight to Starswirl, before she reluctantly nodded.

**

The old throne room was quite difference from what I had seen in my dreams. It was made of crystals, but they had a dull, muted grey color to them. The room had taken some damage and there was rubble still littering the floor. The shape of the high throne in the center was akin to a mountain in the plains. As we neared it, I felt the Shard vibrate in my hand and there was a subtle sound in the back of my head that I couldn’t quite place. Starswirl had withdrawn his projection.

“Go on,” Cadence said to me.

I hesitated. It would only need me to speak his name aloud while holding the Shard. Then Sombra would return to this world and hopefully fulfill his promise to fight the Changelings. I took another step closer, now the throne was right in front of me. It was so unlike my dream: In real life it was much more intimidating.

Taking a deep breath, I held out my hand. I paused again to postpone what was to come, of only for a few seconds. If Sombra was anything like in my dreams… maybe Twilight and I should clear his return with Cadence first. I had expected her to. Now to speak the words.

“Like my dreams?” I mumbled to myself. My heart raced faster and faster, my stomach running cold and restless. Like the dreams… 

“Cer’Lola.”

> Chapter 18: The Princess of the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Diary,

I won, Sombra lost…

“Cer’Lola.”

My voice broke the silence in the old throne room. I instinctively threw a glance to Twilight, who seemed a bit lost in what I was doing. My heartrate spiked when I felt the Shard heat up. It floated out of my grip, positioning itself right in front of the throne itself. The air in the room grew heavier, a feint scent of ash permeating it. The Shard’s blue light grew ever brighter, forcing us to turn out gaze to the sides.

I thought I felt my own heart beat like crazy. I heard it as if it was right next to my ear, every inch of my skin picked up on it; it sent a chill up my spine. I put my hand to throat to feel its strength, only to find that it was out of synch with what I experienced. It hit me that it was not my own heartbeat I felt; it was that of the Shard itself.

The beams of light emitted from the gem turned darker, to the dark and purple I had come to associate with the Crystal Magic. Its mist began to fill the room, creating a dark cocoon around the throne. With a flash of light it started to dissipate and a figure walked out of it.

“I thank you,” Luna said. She was much as I remembered her, tall with dark blue skin and hair that looked like a piece of the night sky. She was naked and every step she took sent a ripple through her chest and hips. I automatically averted my eyes, to which she responded by looking down and realizing she was not clothed. She turned to Cadence, whose expression was shared with Twilights; a mixture of being dumbstruck and overjoyed. “Dear Cadence. Do you have a set of clothes for me?”

Take the Shard! A voice yelled in my head. It was Starswirl’s. It had started to emit more mist and shake violently. I reached out my hand. Merely an inch away I paused. What would happen?

Now!

**

“Where am I?” Around me I saw nothing but darkness, yet I felt that a great force was kept at bay. Barely. A flood waiting to break through an old and worn dam. “What is going on? Where did the others go?”

“We are still in the throne room,” Starswirl appeared before me, fading and coming to again. He bore a weary expression. “Sharing a moment between two ticks on the clock. We have a problem.”

“And you couldn’t have mentioned that earlier, because…?” I let out a groan. Of course there was a fucking problem.

He shrugged off my question. “It only takes so much power to bring someone back to life, and the Shards are affected by who they were in life. If there is a surplus of energy after the ritual is complete, it grows unstable. Unfortunately for you, I was the greatest mortal sorcerer to ever grace these lands,” Starswirl paused. “Everyone in the throne room are going to die. Its effects on the rest of the Empire, I cannot say. I assumed you were going to bring the Betrayer back. I thought I might as well postpone his return another millennia.”

I was about to give him an answer, to tell him what an asshole he was, but he cut me off. “Unless you can absorb the power left in the Shard.”

“What does that entail?” I swallowed. That didn’t sound healthy.

“It means that whatever of me that was not used to resurrect Luna will become part of you. Beyond that, not even I can tell you. I… simply don’t know what effect it will have. Not on you. Anyone else would simply die.”

“You will become part of me?”

“Would you rather throw away Twilight’s life?”

No, I thought to myself. Starswirl reached out his hand for me to take. Not after we’ve come this far.

**

“What- what happened?” I blinked. I was on the floor, Twilight, Luna and Cadence standing above me. My head was pulsating, sending shivers down my spine. I was sweating, feeling strangely warm.

“The gem began to shake and you took it. Then it disappeared,” Cadence answered me, putting a hand on my forehead. I nodded. The memories of the conversation returned to me bit by bit.

Whatever was part of him that was not used to bring Luna back was part of me…

“Yeah, I… I remember now,” I said. I could have sworn I was holding something, but looking at my hands I found them to be empty.

“Uhm…” Twilight pointed to a levitating pebble, held up by Heart Magic. My eyes darted from person to person, before finally seeing that my amulet was glowing. My heart jumped and the pebble fell to the ground and the amulet died down to its normal appearance. “What was that?”

“He is mastering the Heart Magic,” Luna answered for me. “I believe it was only a matter of time before that would occur. He seems to have absorbed it.”

Twilight trapped me in a tight hug, having gently pushed Cadence aside. I smiled at Luna over my girlfriend’s shoulder, but was puzzled at the look she gave me, as if we shared a secret. Did she know what had happened? If so, how? I threw my gaze elsewhere when I noticed that she was still naked. Starswirl had been right, we had conversed for naught more than a moment.

“Could I get something to wear, Cadence?” Luna smiled to her, turning away from me with a slight giggle at my behavior. “I think it is bothering the poor dear.”

“Sorry, I-“

“Oh, don’t worry about her,” Twilight let go of me and shook her head, trying to hide a curved up pair of lips of her own. “Though,” she whispered in my ear as the others began to walk towards the door. “I’m a little surprised you’d be shy about appreciating a naked body, of all people.”

“Well, I’m trying to be a little respectful, to both you and Luna,” I retorted, sticking out my tongue at her and hoping neither Cadence nor Luna could hear us.

“Come on,” Twilight got up, pulling me with her.

**

Back in Cadence’s own throne room, Cadence ordered a bit to eat for us. Through the windows, I could see that the break of dawn was upon us. Luna had been given a simple, yet elegant strapless black evening dress. Every time she put her left foot forward, my gaze found itself pulled just a bit as her leg became visible. I bet that she and Cadence were doing it on purpose.

“You could have told me you planned to bring Luna back,” Cadence looked from Twilight to myself. The purple one and I exchanged a glance, before Twilight shrugged.

“I’m sorry, Cadence. I just didn’t want to get your hopes up for nothing. We didn’t even know if it would work.”

“What matters is that I am here now,” Luna said. She gave a comforting smile to the ruler of the Empire, before she turned to Twilight with a slightly more thoughtful expression. “Now we will have to clear your name in the eyes of Equestria. But I would ask that we can postpone that for later today; I am in need of some rest.”

“Of course, Princess,” Twilight nodded.

“I’ll have someone show you to your rooms,” Cadence smiled, sending a flare from her horn towards the door. One of the guards came in, looking at his princess for orders.

**

“You are more cunning than I thought, Dream Host,” Sombra said coldly. Once more I found myself in his company. “I would add a threat, but the truth is that we both know those would be empty words. By the time I return to the world, you will be long dead, whatever end you should meet. Well played. Well played indeed. But tell me, how did you make the connection between the Heart and the Alicorn?”

I smirked at him, as confident and smug as I could make myself appear. “Simple. The way you and Luna both could visit my dreams provided the key. When I was told about your immortality and the Alicorn immortality, it seemed obvious to me there was a connection. When you provided the means to complete the ritual, all I had to do was to say her name.”

“A name I shared with you,” Sombra nodded. Then he, much to my surprise, smiled. “This has never been tested before. In truth, there always seemed to be a distinction between the innate abilities of the Alicorn to the powers I drew from the Heart. You opened my eyes. Don’t worry, I will leave you alone. I have no need of you anymore.”

Like so many times before, Sombra left in a haze of magic. And, as he did, I began to feel another entity enter my dreams.

“And so you spat in the eye of the Betrayer,” Luna gave me a surprisingly cold smile.

“I’m not convinced I did,” my shoulders sank and I let out a sigh. “What he said before he left…”

“It is hard to imagine the plans a being such as him will have for the future,” she warmed up, creating a simple forest clearing under the guide of the moon for us. She sat down in the grass, waving for me to join her. “For now you are victorious.”

“You didn’t need to come into my dreams to congratulate me,” I smiled back. “I don’t bite.”

“Privacy is best ensured.”

“Is there… something wrong between you and Twilight?” I asked tentatively.

“Why would there be?” she retorted.

I shrugged in return. “And what of you? You are much like Sombra from my…” I paused, considering my words.”…limited perspective; what are your plans for the future, Princess Luna?”

She turned away, her eyes falling to the ground. “Am I really much like Sombra to you?”

I thought about her question for a moment. What was she really asking? Certainly not the resemblances I had had in mind. His behavior? Somehow I doubted it.

“No,” I finally said. “Even in my brief meetings with him, Sombra came across as manipulative and indifferent to the suffering of others. That is not what I believe you are. But you are immortal; the only perspective that can help me understand him.”

She smiled to me, striking me as more relieved than anything. “I’m glad. After what I told you about my sister, I feared perhaps you’d think ill of me.”

Her body faded and I found myself with her standing behind me, hands on my shoulders. She whispered in my ear. “The first thing I ought to do is to reward you.”

“Princess…” I said under my breath, instinctively taking several steps away from her. Her hands slipped, but she simply manifested right in front of me the moment I turned to face her.

“There are no limitations here. Whatever your dream, I can make happen,” she wrapped her hands behind my neck, drawing me closer. Our eyes met and I couldn’t make myself look away.

“I’m with Twilight,” I retorted, as firmly as I could. Hopefully it came out better than it sounded to me.

“She doesn’t need to know. After all, this is just a dream…”

“No… not with you he-” I protested, but I was silenced. Luna’s lips locked to mine. Her eyes were closed and I found my body aching for me to reciprocate. Instead I broke the kiss, looking to the side.

“Am I truly not desirable?” she asked me, her voice shaking ever so slightly. Her question turned my gaze to her again, but the Night Princess didn’t look directly at me. “After our night in Canterlot, I thought you’d see me differently from most mortals. And you have shown your potential and… and you brought me back to this life…”

“I told you then that I think you are beautiful,” I replied, somewhat desperate. “And I did very much enjoy the night we spent together. But I’ve chosen Twilight since then. Or perhaps she chose me.”

“She is quite amazing, isn’t she?” Luna gave me a smile. She conjured a bench to sit on and waved for me to join her. “Always the hero. Intelligent and powerful. I don’t wonder why you’d choose her over me. Look, just forget about this dream, okay? I was foolish to think anything could happen.”

“This is what you tried to tell me before, isn’t it?” I asked, sitting down beside her. Luna nodded, but didn’t look directly at me. I put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, this will be our little secret.”

“It is time to wake up, dear,” she replied, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

**

My first instinct was to sit up, but that idea was shut down when I felt the weight of Twilight on my left side of my body. Looking down, I saw that she had put a soft casing on her horn. I smiled, reminded of the first night we have spent in the same bed. I had almost forgotten the “hornjob”. And the tiny cuts her horn had given me.

Gently I removed the casing, feeling a rush of relief when I saw how little of the crack in her horn remained. Cadence’s healers knew what they were doing. I stared at it for a while, before shaking my head. I had more important things to do right now. Twilight let out a soft moan in her sleep as I ran my thumb and index finger along it. As expected, the tip of her horn started to glow.

I smiled to myself and continued to stroke her horn. I bit my lip in concentration, trying to remember how I had gotten her to ‘climax’ the first time. This time though, I decided to skip the bleeding. Since that first time back in her treehouse, I’d endured enough wounds and blood loss to last a lifetime, and I was in no hurry to add to the list.

Instead I focused on sliding my fingertips along Twilight’s magical organ. I enjoyed giving the end a little twist and hearing my girlfriend moan and grip me tighter in her arms. This time I was pretty sure she was awake, but she continued to lay on top of me with her head turned to the side.

When I gripped her horn in the palm of my hand, the glow got brighter and the sparks began shooting out. Her breathing got heavier and heaver as my hand slid along her horn. I went faster and faster, making sure not to squeeze to tightly. I feel the warm glow and Twilight’s shivers until finally she let out a cry and I was momentarily blinded by a flash of light.

Once the spots stopped appearing on my eyelids, I could see Twilight propped up on her arm and tenderly massaging her horn. When our eyes met, she smiled and kissed me on the cheek.

“Well… good to see that still works,” she said with a blush. “I should probably return the favor.” I grinned and nodded. Twilight winked at me before her head disappeared under the covers. I could feel her slide my underwear down my thighs and my cock spring free.

As her lips sank over my member, I let out a happy sigh. After all the pressure I had been under the last few days, this was just what I needed. Twilight’s warm, wet mouth and tongue felt amazing. She had gotten pretty good at giving head in the relatively short time we had been together. It wasn’t surprising; from what I’d heard she had always been a dedicated student. I wasn’t looking forward to getting back to the real world and I wanted this to last as long a possible. I would’ve been happy to spend the whole morning looking up at the crystalline ceiling of our bedroom, but after a few minutes I felt my still erect cock pop out of Twilight’s mouth.

I looked down to see what had happened and saw the tip of Twilight’s horn rising up under the blanket. When she sat up and the blanket fell off her, I could really appreciate the benefits of having a princess’s wardrobe at our disposal. Cadence had loaned her cute black negligee with a see-through midriff and solid lacey bust. I could also see she wasn’t wearing panties.

Luna usually wears black, the little voice in the back of my head reminded me, flashing an image of the Princess of the Night before me, as ever draped in an unadorned and elegant black dress. Should I have accepted her ‘reward’? Would it really be so bad if Twilight never found out?

“Why’d you stop?” I asked, forcing myself to focus on the princess at hand. I had remained faithful, which was what mattered. Doubting my choice only showed my weakness.

Twilight shrugged. “Well now that we’ve finally reached the Crystal Empire, I’d like take some time to try something new. I did some research and this seems like a good opportunity,” She said, sliding her finger along my length.

“Sure,” I nodded, curious to see what she had in mind.

She promptly swung her leg over my torso so that she was facing away from me. I took a moment to admire her rear end through the sheer nightgown. She carefully aimed my cock at her slit and I hummed in approval as she slid it along her damp folds. She whimpered softly as she gradually descended and impaled herself on my member.

I was content to let Twilight set the pace. She leaned forward and arched her back, trying to push it as deep as it would go. When she began to move, she started with a simple up and down motion. I grinned as I watched her cute butt bouncing up and down in my lap. As she got more comfortable with the reverse cowgirl position, Twilight changed her technique. Putting her hands on my legs for support, she started moving back and forth as well. Now her hips dipped down and back, then up and forward. It felt great and it didn’t take long before I felt the pressure start to build in my loins. I couldn’t see the expression on her face, but I could tell from her quick gasping breaths that she was enjoying this just as much as I was. With a swift motion, I sat up and wrapped my arms around her waist.

“What are you doing?” she asked me between breaths. I replied by kissing her neck and falling back with my hands still around her. Pulling out of her sex, I turned her over to her back and climbed on top of her.

“Giving you the attention you deserve,” I teased her, locking my lips to her. With my left hand I gently stroked her neck, while my right guided my member to her slit once more. We moaned as I pushed inside her and I felt her wrap her lags around my midriff. In return, I increased my pace and broke the kiss, giving the attention to her neck instead.

I didn’t tell her I was about to cum. Her legs had answered that question before it was posed. Instead, I just pushed as far in as I could and held it there until I felt myself grow flaccid. Twilight unlocked her legs, letting me roll over to my back.

“We should probably change the sheets,” she said, sliding over to my side, cuddling up.

“I don’t see a problem,” I replied, looking at my side of the bed. She just shorted and rested her head on my shoulder.

**

Twilight, Luna, Cadence and I were assembled in the throne room. Cadence had arranged for a simple table with chairs to be put in there for us to use and I found myself sitting across from Luna, with Twilight on my left.

“With the Changelings in control of Canterlot for the time being,” Cadence began, looking at each of us in turn. “Shining Armor is in grave danger. I expect him to have gone underground by now and I need to send reinforcement, if possible.”

“Why do you think he has done that?” Luna asked.

“Your death. Shining knows of our immortality. What little I’ve heard from the capital makes me think the imposter does not know of it and this will have tipped Shining off.”

“And they can simply dismiss Luna as another Changeling unless she actively shows her control of the Moon,” Twilight sighed. “We would have to somehow get to the center of Canterlot for her to do that.”

“What about your soldiers?” I turned to Cadence. She shook her head.

“I cannot simply declare war on Canterlot like that. I don’t even know if I have the forces necessary to break the Canterlot Guard. Doing so would just waste lives on both ends and achieve nothing. No, we need a more devious plan. I have no doubt that if they saw Luna control the Moon and declare Twilight innocent, some would turn on the imposter. But many would gladly believe this was just Nightmare Moon returning to take over the kingdom again.”

“You’re planning to make them turn on each other,” I stated, a hint of a smile gracing my lips. She nodded.

“Yes, the unrest could give Shinng some power in Canterlot. He was the Captain of the Guard, I believe many soldiers would follow him when Luna shows up alive. This would weaken Canterlot and I could send troops to reinforce them.”

“But what of the Elements of Harmony?” I asked.

“I think I know where they are,” Twilight gave me a comforting smile. “When we last clashed with the Changelings, they used a series of crystalline caverns beneath the castle as the prison to hold Cadence and myself.”

“You think they will use them again?” Luna raised her eyebrows.

“Chrysalis is dead,” Cadence explained. “Whoever is leading them now is not her. And even if they know that we know of it, the only entrance and exit lies within Canterlot. I think they would risk it, rather than to have them in the dungeon or castle. Too many servants who can ask questions. And we need to risk it, in case they are there.”

I felt a grin come to my face. This felt good, compared to how our lives had been the last weeks. No longer would we be the prey, but rather the hunters. The Changelings deserved to be hounded for what they had done.