Chapter One: Shadow's Rising

Equestria, 03-10-05 A.N.M., Before Sunrise (After Nightmare Moon)

Light

Color.

Her world was full of both light and color. Sounds, smells, and even her ability to taste were all in color. Every vibrant shade of color that could be found, even those that couldn’t be seen by normal eyes, could be seen.

Where am I? Who am I? How did I get here? Thoughts such as these began filtering past the colors that she could see around her. Images and shapes began to form, all sharper than one would expect. Faces that she knew, ponies that she loved, with one pony, one PRINCESS that she held dear in her heart being most prominent. The images began to flow faster, and then the colors began to change. Solid shapes began to form.

Above her was a bright sky, with the colors of the Light that comes from the Crystal Heart twisting in brilliant shapes. She was standing on a plateau, with winds swirling all around it. A copse of trees near a pond were here, along with a stone altar. This is a place of worship, she thought to herself. Suddenly, the shape on the altar came into greater detail. A purple furred pony, with wings and horn, was lying on the altar, as though she was some sort of sacrifice. Her hooves were decorated with gold hoof boots, and around her neck was a purple and gold petrayal, with her starburst cutie mark prominently displayed. My Princess!! She’s my Princess!! With little thought, she moved closer to the form, only to see that the horn was wrong. It was red, curved, and looked to be made of crystal. The form stirred, and opened her eyes. They were a dark purple, almost black. Her pupils were slitted, like a dragon’s. Tendrils of green shadow energy trailed from the sides of her eyes.

Stumbling, she began to back away, only to see a sword lying next to her Princess. Another shape came, this one crawling out of the shadows to the side of the altar. A form she thought long dead began to take shape; a black unicorn, wearing a red cloak, with a curved horn, stepped out of the pooling shadows. With a crafty, evil smirk, he turned to her, then to the form on the altar.

“If you want to stop me, make your choice.”

Rainbow Dash woke up screaming.

“Ugh, that dream again. When is it going to stop?” Grumbling, Rainbow Dash rolled off her cloud mattress to begin her day.
For the last few days, Rainbow had been having a recurring nightmare. She was never able to remember any details beyond light, and a sense of fear so profound, that she woke up screaming every time.

“Eh, thinking about it like this isn’t gonna get anything done. I need a shower, and something to eat before I head to the office to see the new weather schedule.” Rainbow made her way to her kitchen to grab a couple of apples and a bag of unsalted peanuts. Like most pegasi, Rainbow needed more protein than was found in fruits and vegetables. Usually, she’d get a bag of peanuts or a granola bar to eat before she went to work.

Carrying her food under one wing (and only noticing subconsciously that she had actually levitated the bag of peanuts), Rainbow sat down at her kitchen table before making short work of her breakfast. She then made her way to her bathroom to take her morning shower.

Minutes later, she was done, and made her way to Ponyville’s Weather Control Center.

Equestria, Canterlot Castle, 03-10-05 A.N.M., 9:36 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

In Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia was currently debating whether or not she wanted to continue to listen to what the pony currently before her had to say. On any other day, Prince Blueblood would be a considerable nuisance, even considering his kinship with herself and her sister. Today, however, his insistence in harping on issues that he had no control over was more than an annoyance, since there were other, more pressing matters she had to attend to. Namely, trying to finish her breakfast before morning Court.

“...furthermore, not only do I think it a waste to continue to divert precious taxes to the maintenance of that eyesore of a palace, but I still believe that Princess Twilight Sparkle would better serve Equestria as a whole as a magic advisor. I must insist, the idea of a Princess of Friendship of all things is a difficult thing to accept, let alone explain…”

A thump from the seat next to her brought Celestia out of her thoughts, as well as interrupted whatever else Blueblood was about to say. “Nephew, I have heard your arguments concerning this issue, and frankly, they’re not any of your concern. First of all, Ponyville, as a primarily Earth Pony settlement, is naturally autonomous to Canterlot to begin with. At least, that is my understanding of the current laws. I do understand that Princess Sparkle’s position changes things; however, she is under no obligation to pay anything outside of the 10% in taxes that all autonomous regions send to the royal coffers. Any extra taxes that are acquired are naturally given to her to use for her demesnes’ budget, and not to further the coffers of the Council.” Princess Luna looked down at her least favorite nephew. “Secondly, her continued position as heir to House Armor gives her considerable freedom, more so since her ascension. Lastly, I do not understand why you persist in saying her power and position as Princess of Friendship is one that makes no sense, considering your own SISTER’S position as Princess of Love.”

Blueblood haughtily snorted. “As much as it pains me, I, along with those who are truly interested in what is best for Equestria, have had little respect for my adopted sister’s position as Princess of Love. Her current role as Crystal Princess makes more sense, and frankly, she’s better off there.”

Celestia looked up from her waffles with a frown. “Pardon, dear nephew, but I was under the impression that you don’t actually have the best interests of Equestria in mind, considering your refusal to serve either in the military, or in the public sector. Complaining about things you would have no authority over even if you were sitting in the Seat of House Blueblood accomplishes nothing. Aside from that, it was a ruling I gave long before you were born that future alicorns were under no obligation to pay obeisance to either myself or the Council, whether or not they had an official title.” Turning her full, disapproving gaze upon her now sweating nephew, Celestia continued to grill the irritant bore of a stallion. “Most of all, I find the fact that you are in agreement with that faction of the titled nobility that think that Twilight’s position is useless most disappointing. It seems that you have never gotten over the fact that she rebuffed your advances when she was still here in Canterlot. Frankly, nephew, I’ve grown quite tired of you harping on issues that you have no control over, and never will, considering your desire to avoid any kind of useful occupation.” Shaking her head sadly, Celestia turned back to her meal.

Blueblood, fully aware that he had struck a nerve with his aunt, decided that now was not a good time to inform her of the nobles’ decision concerning Princess Twilight. However, he had an obligation to fulfill to his peers, who were dissatisfied over the increase in power that Twilight had, especially considering her position in House Sparkle. “Well, dear aunt, much as I regret that Princess Twilight rebuffed me, I cannot simply disregard how myself and the other titled nobles feel about recent developments. In fact, they are all planning to petition for a full council to discuss this issue. Regrettably, it will mean an embargo on all trade between Canterlot and Ponyville,” he said the word with a sneer, “as well as the other towns now under her demesne.”

In that moment, Celestia realized that everything that had been said about her nephew was true; that he was as glory-grabbing as the nobles of old. Before Luna’s temper could get the better of her, Celestia decided that they needed to end things on at least a neutral note. “Well, dear nephew, I hope at least that you will remember that Ponyville is no more answerable to Canterlot than Manehattan is.” She raised an eyebrow at her ‘beloved nephew’. “Or haven’t you forgotten Equestrian law? Laws that have been in place since shortly after your aunt left us?”

Blueblood blanched at this, perhaps realizing that he had overstepped things. “Excuse me, dear Aunt, but there’s a matter I remembered that I must attend to.” Leaving as hurriedly as decorum would allow, Blueblood left the two sisters to finish their meal in relative peace. Seeing the humorous look in her sister’s eyes, Luna’s anger was lessened, as she knew that look. It was the same one that her sister used to use just after she pranked somepony (usually Luna herself).

Equestria, Canterlot Castle, 03-10-05 A.N.M., 11:42 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

For a country like Equestria, where each territory was self-governing in many ways, there was one ruling body that had a presence. This body, for one thousand years, had been run by one Princess. And while Cadance’s appearance as a pegacorn first, and later as the Princess of Love might have taken some of the burden off the Princess, she had never held any real power. This was due largely because the natural Heir to House Platinum, Blueblood, did all he could in recent years to lessen the pull that Cadance had among the higher houses.

Day Court was a traditional time for anypony with grievances against Equestria’s nobles could air their concerns. So it was a shock to see both princesses present this morning. Especially considering the lobbied plan of some of the more dissatisfied moneyed nobles, those that hadn’t cut it in the meritocracy system that Equestria employed. With Luna arrayed with her sister, however, it meant that both Courts were present.

None of this concerned Blueblood, as his resources had guaranteed the support of many of the more influential Houses, though few of the seated nobles had deigned to hear his proposal. While he truly loved his aunt, he needed to show solidarity to his peers, as he knew that a common mare like Twilight Sparkle was unfit to lead. Little did he know, that he was about to dig his own grave politically, and come close to true banishment.

“Will the next petitioner please address the Court?” Searching Scroll, Celestia’s Seneschal said, her formal tones carrying to all present. Knowing that this was his cue, Blueblood stepped before his aunts, carrying with him the proposal he had spent months on.

“My dearest Aunt Celestia, while I have done my level best to prevent this from happening, it seems that I can no longer ignore the injustice that has been done to myself and my peers.” Smirking inwardly, though with some misgiving, he presented the scroll to his aunt, only to have her pass it to her sister. Unbeknownst to Blueblood, Celestia was already well aware what he was proposing, as it was all things she had seen before.

As Luna began to read the bullet points, she was both disturbed and angered by the level of vindictiveness that Blueblood displayed to Twilight. Stomping her hoof in anger, Luna balled the scroll up before incinerating it with a burst of plasma.

Luna turned to Blueblood, preparing to put him- and by extension, the entire crop of his peers -in his place. “Blueblood, thou hast proved to me how much of an idiot thou art.” Struggling back her habit of talking in Old Equestrian when agitated, Luna continued. “The entirety of the titled nobles have less authority in the Council than my seneschal's assistant. However, since your words prove that none of you have ANY sense at all, nor respect for a mare that has saved this land more times than any of you put together, let me make something perfectly clear.” Rising from her seat, Luna proceeded to end the discussion in a way that would put home to the wastrel that he had crossed a line. “With the authority of my seat as Co-Diarch of Equestria, as well as the full authority of the Council, I hereby decree that any and all unseated members of the nobility will not be able to petition myself or my sister without the express permission of the full Alicorn Council for a period of no less than two years. I suggest you leave and inform the other useless nobles that their last gambit has failed.”

Blueblood turned to his aunt, pleadingly. Rising, Princess Celestia dashed all of his hopes. “I, Princess Celestia, Co-Diarch of Equestria, hereby second my sister’s motion. Further, I hereby decree that any and all titled nobles who wish to REMAIN titled must agree to serve in the meritocracy system within the next thirty days. Furthermore, since you have already served some community service that would make you eligible, I hereby decree that, should you wish to remain titled, you, Prince Blueblood, must serve under House Armor in whatever capacity they choose. Alternatively, you can serve under Prince Armor in a military capacity, provided you manage to pass Basic Training.” Celestia then smirked, before replying, “Since you show an almost ridiculous fear of getting messy, I very much doubt that you will survive the latter.”

Equestria, Canterlot Castle, 03-10-05 A.N.M., 10:42 AM, (After Nightmare Moon)

Elsewhere in the castle…

It had been many years since the full Council of Eight had met; in fact, the last time was before the youngest of the alicorn princesses had even been born. Equestria had been at peace for a long time, such that it was seldom necessary for the council to meet to vote on anything, merely allowing their proxies be used to ratify whatever rulings Princess Celestia gave.

However, recent events that had been barely averted, as well as the actions of the powerless, yet titled young nobles had pushed this issue to the forefront. Lord Prism of House Dash had long since realized that this, and other issues shouldn’t have been left as unresolved as they had.

Prism turned his head to gaze at the member of House Belle. Shimmering Belle was still as stunning as she ever was, and had passed both her charms and her wits onto her granddaughters. It’s truly a shame that status as a Bearer of Harmony supersedes any other duty; Rarity would make a wonderful replacement. Shimmer looked at the aging stallion, smirking as she did so. Further playful flirting between the two was ended by the imperious stomp of a lilac-colored hoof. Turning, both regarded the Archmage of Canterlot, one of the only two members of the Eight that wasn’t descended from the original Six.

Clover the Wise frowned at the two Councilors, as if to say, ‘Save the games for later.’ Shrugging, the two settled further into their chairs, awaiting the attention of the other members. Seeing that the two more troublesome ponies were behaving (for the time being anyway), Clover looked satisfied. Turning, the middle-aged mare levitated the scroll containing the first order of business before the Council; the ratification of the meritocracy system for the nobility.

“My fellow Councilors,” Clover started, “I know that we have usually ratified the meritocracy system for the traditional period of one-quarter-century, as said method has always proven enough to cut the wheat from the chaff as far as the noble families are concerned.” She then shook her head. “However, their numbers are far in excess of what even my own predecessor had to deal with, and their children bid fair to turn out worse. Without a permanent declaration, I fear that this issue will be brought up before the General Assembly.”

The assembled ponies blanched at that. The General Assembly was the one body in Equestria that still retained the power to overthrow any unratified proclamation made by the Alicorn Sisters, or the Alicorn Council. And since the Assembly was made up of the representatives of Equestria’s individual territories, it often felt the pressure that both the titled-but-powerless nobles, and the moneyed lot would bring.

Clover nodded sharply at seeing the looks on her peers’ faces. This Council existed as the pure voice of Equestria, and had always had the best interests of all Equestria’s ponies in mind. Back in the days when the Equestrian High Council held more power, it was only the Six Prime Families that kept things from going pear-shaped. Clover knew that they would do whatever was needed, no matter how unfair it would seem to those young nobles that were proving themselves.

“So, in light of recent events, I motion that we permanently ratify the use of the meritocracy system in determining a potential noble-ponies’ worth.” A sly grin started to form on the mare’s muzzle as she said her next piece. “I also motion that we declare the right for members of common houses that have served the public faithfully be given the right to petition for gentry status.” The other ponies looked at each other, then looked at their spokes-pony.

Shimmering Belle waved her hoof before replying to the unspoken question. Normally, the Council would have discussed this issue for several hours before reaching a decision; however, Shimmer could see that the others agreed with the Archmage’s motion in this case. “I second the motion put before the Council,” she stated in her sweet voice, as beautiful now as it had been in her youth. “All in favor?”

A raising of hooves answered her. All except for one; Lord Apple Bright of House Apple. As the eldest of the assembled, his words carried great weight. “What assurances can you give me and my House that this will end Blueblood’s posturing?” he asked. “No matter how inept he is, he still has a great deal of pull with the moneyed lot, as well as many of those with industrial concerns in his back pocket. Will said motion guarantee that he won’t be able to further interfere with those he deems unsuitable?” Clover frowned at that.

“As to that, there is little I’m afraid. I’m putting this forward to block the efforts of those outside his circle, and not him personally.” She then gestured to the other item sitting on the council table, something that had recently been discovered in the Archives. “We may have to deal with Blueblood directly; it all depends on whether or not he decides to force the issue. All signs indicate that he will make his move today.”

Apple Bright smiled nastily at the expression on Clover’s face. “Then I have no further objections.” Clover smiled, then presented the scroll containing the motion before each of them, to receive both their signatures, and a magical stamp from their proxy seals.

The rest of the morning was taken up in discussing how best to deal with the inevitable confrontation with Blueblood. Much of this was new, as not everypony present was privy to what had recently been uncovered. Most certainly, the information was verified by other sources; just not from the ponies’ mouth as such. With the journal present, and the other scrolls that had been found, many written by enemies of Platinum Belle, there was nothing that could be contested. This made Clover happy. She felt sure that Twilight and her friends had long since proven their worth, and anything the Council could do to put such belligerent, homophobic stallions such as Blueblood in their place was an honor. No matter who he was connected to, as recent actions would deny him even that protection.

Several hours passed, and Blueblood was in his private study in the palace, wondering what exactly went wrong. No matter what anypony said, he truly had the best interest of Equestria in trying to keep such an unworthy mare from having power that she was unworthy of. No matter what anypony said, a mare like her, simply couldn’t be trusted. Especially since she wasn’t a noble, no matter who her parents were. Unlike himself, who was directly descended from unicorn nobility.

Further musings were cut short, however, as the doors to his study were rudely shoved open. Glaring in anger, he whirled to give the ponies in question a lashing, only to blanch as he saw members of the Royal Guard, with a representative of the Equestrian High Council.

The stallion on the left looked at the Prince with a cold expression. “Prince Blueblood, the Council has requested your presence in their chamber. You can, of course, decline. However, I suggest you answer it, as Princess Celestia has directed me to escort you out of Canterlot if you do not comply.”

Blueblood shivered. He knew what this meant. It was something that the Council had always threatened, yet had never done. He realized the only chance he had to salvage the situation was to agree to the Council’s demands.

Several minutes later, Blueblood was at least composed when he was escorted into the Council chamber. However, on seeing the ponies that were arrayed before him, his calm began to shatter.

The eight ponies sitting in a semi-circle had not, to Blueblood’s knowledge, ever been gathered in one place like this. These ponies were nothing less than the Heads of the Eight Prime Families, those that made up the ruling Council body. Nearly every single one of them here was a direct descendant of those ponies that had helped shape Equestria into what it was today. Those that weren't were the heads of two of the four plebeian families that had distinguished themselves after the crisis that was Nightmare Moon.

He knew what this meant. Oh, how he knew. His accusations and claims, things he had never been able to prove floated in his mind. He was most definitely in trouble.

The Lady on the far right rose from her seat. Archmage of Canterlot, successor to a pony personally trained by the apprentice of the greatest mage that had ever lived. She had taken on the name of a common pony, one whom had served the Royal Pony Sisters for generations, far before the time of Discord.

“Prince Blueblood, when we heard what you and the other young moneyed nobles were seeking to do, we realized that we had indeed left the question of Twilight Sparkle’s Ascension too vague.” Clover the Wise stated. Only a few Archmages had earned the right to name themselves after the first Clover to hold the position, something that set the elder mare apart from other pony mages.

Clover shook her head. “While it is true that Twilight herself considers herself to be of common stock,” and here she grimaced, as if the idea of a common stock was any different than so-called ‘pure’ unicorn families, “the fact remains that neither her, her brother, or her parents are common. None of the family have been overtly involved with Canterlot politics for the last several generations, preferring the public sector.”

“Another thing that had to be rectified is your claim to Princess Platinum’s throne.” Here, Clover paused, a sly smirk briefly illuminated on her face. “When we looked through the Archives to verify this, we found something curious.” Rising, Clover moved to the table in the center, where an ornate book lay. “This record, thought to have been lost ages ago, is the personal journal of Platinum Posey, the last daughter of Prince Blueblood the XVIII.” Turning to the other Council members, who were of course aware of all of this beforehand, Clover continued.

“We’ve managed to confirm, by other books Platinum managed to preserve, that she was the last of the Blueblood dynasty, and had handed her rights over to the two daughters and one son that she would later have with her soulbound mate, Angel Hearts.” Blueblood flinched at this; it was a well-known fact that he was severely homophobic.

“Your claim to the seat of House Blueblood has never gone to you simply because you have rejected participating in the laws concerning meritocracy. However, after Blueblood was saved from an assassin, he ratified the decision by abdicating his seat in favor of his daughter.” Clover looked coldly at Blueblood. “Prince Blueblood, your house, and seat, have been held in trust for others; and in light of this evidence, verified by other sources, was never yours to claim.”

“Two of the Elements of Harmony actually have claim to the seat you so cherish. One is a descendant of House Sparkle. The other is a descendant of House Belle.” Clover’s expression turned to one of amusement. “And here we are, you having made this issue all the easier for us. Something Princess Celestia neglected to mention is that a law permanently ratifying the meritocracy system was placed before the Equestrian Assembly. In other words, it’s permanent.”

Pointing her hoof at Blueblood, Clover snorted derisively. “You never had the right to what you claim, and you never will. The mare that you called common has more royal blood in her than you ever will, and has PROVED herself as a public servant. Meanwhile, all you have done is try to stand in her way simply because she rebuffed your unwanted advances.” A look of disgust passed over her muzzle before she spat on the floor in front of the now shaking stallion. “Blueblood, it is the decision of this council for you to be banished from Canterlot for the next year. If you wish to prove yourself suitable for the seat you still do have, I suggest you petition House Sparkle as soon as possible.” Now shaking violently, Blueblood was escorted out of the Council chamber, and over to a teleport array used to eject unwanted ponies from the city. With a glow of mana, Blueblood was teleported to the train station just outside of Ponyville.

Far to the north of Equestria, a dark presence screamed as one of its few tenuous links to Equestria was severed before it could do any real damage…

Chapter Two: The Fall and Rise of An Unwanted Prince Part One

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Equestria, Ponyville, 3-10-05 A.N.M., 3:27 PM, (After Nightmare Moon)

Her wings aching more than usual, Rainbow Dash took a brief nap on a puffy, low flying cumulus cloud overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. Normally, she wouldn’t be this tuckered out on a non-storm day; however, today turned out to be anything but normal.

This was one of those days where the freakish weather patterns out of the Everfree Forest disrupted the weather schedule in Ponyville. As spare cloud wrangling was Rainbow’s chief job as a weather pegasus, she’d spent most of the morning busting up the storm front. It would have been better for her to call in the other weather pegasi to help this time. Between those clouds, and not getting enough good sleep, it had been a trying day for Rainbow.

More like it’s been a trying week. My wing muscles have been complaining a lot recently; well more than they should, Rainbow thought sheepishly. She was aware that she’d been training a little too hard lately, preparing for her trial as a Wonderbolt Reserves Captain. I wish I was being picked as a Wonderbolts Captain, but I can’t leave Ponyville hanging. I am the best flyer in Ponyville, after all.

Rainbow cringed, remembering the last time a pegasus noble from Cloudsdale accused her of arrogance. The fact that she was the fastest flyer in Equestria wasn’t just something she bragged about; it was the truth. She was the first in many years that had successfully pulled off a Sonic Rainboom, and was the ONLY pegasus in history that was able to do so at will. That kind of skill didn’t come without effort, and if she was a little cocky about it (okay, more than a little), then she shouldn’t be criticized for it. She wasn’t saying that there weren’t any better flyers out there. For instance, she didn’t have the raw power that Spitfire had, nor was she able to accelerate as fast as either Cloudkicker or Flitter could. Heck, even Bulk Biceps had skill she didn’t possess. She lacked the mass to be a good endurance flyer. Rainbow was all about speed. As long as I brag about being the best, no pony can put me down.

For a long time, Rainbow had difficulty dealing with the teasing she endured at Flight Camp. Being unable to stop naturally was part of it, though that wasn’t the whole story. Ever since ponies found out about Papa Prism, Rainbow had dealt with more than her fair share of bullying. As if I had any say in what family I was born into, Rainbow grumbled darkly, pressing deeper into the soft cloud.I’m not even like most of my cousins; none of my family is. We’ve always been more into speed, or being Wonderbolts than anything; not forgetting that we’re almost all of us military pegasi in one way or another.

She sighed. No matter how she tried avoiding it, there were some pegasi that looked down on her bragging as somehow being par for the course, from a family that rode the tails of their ancestry. No matter that most had proven themselves worthy, time and again. Her being the Bearer of Loyalty, and a member of the Council of Friendship didn’t help matters. If anything, it made matters worse. Not that she cared what they thought; it just made things harder for her than they already were.

As she gazed down on the apple orchard below her, Rainbow’s dark thoughts were brought up short by a winged, purple form just below her. Unaccountably, Rainbow blushed. Her feelings for that adorkable mare had recently become confusing, especially when she first ascended. Before, she had just been another cute unicorn, though there was something more.

From the moment they first met, Rainbow had often felt that there was something, some strange connection between herself and Twilight. This went beyond the link she shared with all of her friends; that same link that made them the Elements of Harmony. Even with the physical manifestation of their role now linked to the Tree in which it came from, the bond they all shared was as strong as ever.

For Rainbow though, something even deeper told her that whatever connection her and Twilight shared was special, something that was rare. With her featuring in Rainbow’s dreams as of late (even though she couldn’t recall the fact), this connection was becoming harder and harder to refute. Especially since Rainbow wasn’t even certain what it was.

Ever since she ascended, Twilight’s senses had been enhanced. Some of it made sense. She was better able to sense growing things, though she lacked the experience with earth pony magic that Applejack had. She knew when an unscheduled storm was going to appear, something that was more than a bit distracting.

Perhaps the most perplexing of her new senses wasn’t one that could be explained. Lately, she’d been getting twitches whenever something was going to happen that would disrupt her schedule. It sometimes came across as a feeling of being watched. And she was getting it right at this moment, even though there wasn’t anypony around.

Suddenly suspicious, Twilight looked up, and saw a low flying cumulus cloud that looked like it was growing a rainbow tail. Snorting in amusement, Twilight flew up to it, knowing who was once again napping. At least it’s on a cloud this time, and not AJ’s trees. I think she’s learning. Twilight snorted again. Or maybe she was just too lazy to find a tree this time.

Twilight landed onto the cloud next to her cyan friend. The way that Rainbow was stretched out was momentarily distracting for the purple mare, and forced a slight blush onto her cheeks. Flapping her wings to keep herself steady, Twilight sat next to Rainbow.

“What’s up Twi?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight looked at her accusingly. “So you were watching me. I wasn’t imagining it.”

Rainbow looked up at her friend from her prone position. “Nothing freaky Twi; I just happened to glance down and see you come from visiting the Apples again. Not my fault that your freaky alicorn magic went off.” Rainbow stretched before sitting up, bringing another unnoticed blush to Twilight’s cheeks. “So, like I said, what’s up? Were you helping AJ with something?” She then grinned slyly. “Or were you finally there to ask Big Mac out?”

Twilight started at that. “For your information, Rainbow, I was checking to see if Apple Bloom was done with school. Her and her friends have graduated the little classes I was helping them with, and I wanted to give her the certificate I made.” A little pop heralded the summoning of a glass encased certificate, floating next to Twilight in her signature magic field. Rainbow’s gaze at that helped Twilight hide yet another blush. I wish she wasn’t so damn sexy, and I wish she’d stop teasing me about Big Mac. Even if I were into colts, I’d never date the brother of a friend.

“Nice, but don’t you think that’s going a little overboard?” Rainbow asked. “I mean, the squirts were only having you teach them so’s they could find their cutie marks.” Rainbow smirked. “Turns out everything they did matched their special talents in some way.”

Twilight snickered along with her. “All but Sweetie’s anyway,” she said, sending the certificate back to her palace. “I’m just glad that the certificates were at Sofas and Quills, and not at the… library…,” she broke off, with a little sob.

“Hey,” Rainbow put her right foreleg around her friend, noticing the shudder as she did so. Even so many months after Tirek’s attack, Twilight still hadn’t fully recovered from losing the Golden Oaks Library. Rainbow didn’t blame her; that had been her home ever since she came to Ponyville, and wasn’t a constant reminder of her rank like the palace was.

“Thanks Rainbow,” Twilight said, with a weak smile.

Further musings were cut short by the appearance of Derpy the mail pony. “Princess Twilight? Rainbow Dash? The mayor is looking for you two, as well as the other Elements.”

Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other, before looking at the mail-mare. “Did she say why?” Twilight asked.

Derpy looked confused for a moment, before rapidly shaking her head. “No, only that it was Equestrian Council business.” She then flew off, clumsily as usual. Rainbow and Twilight looked at each other before taking off for Town Hall.

When they arrived at Town Hall a couple of minutes later, it was to be greeted by their other friends. Every single one of them looked confused as to why they had been summoned in this manner.

Twilight and Rainbow landed next to Fluttershy, who was the furthest from the door. The shy pegasus wasn’t alone, however. Strangely, Angel Bunny was on her back. “Oh, I was taking him to the vet when Derpy found me,” she said quietly. A close look at the rabbit showed that he was more than a little grumpy, and had a bandage around his right front paw. Shrugging, Twilight and Rainbow looked at the rest of their friends.

“Today is market day, and Ah get called away fer Council business?” Applejack asked, confused. “I mean, I know we six are important, but we all have lives. What’s so important that the mayor needed us without telling us?”

Rarity looked at the farmpony sternly. “Applejack, darling, I’m sure that Mayor Scrolls had a very good reason for not telling us what this was all about.” Rarity fanned herself with her sun hat. “After all, it’s Council business. I’m sure she will tell us soon.”

Further conversation was cut short by the appearance of the Mayor and her assistants. “Oh, good, Derpy was able to find all of you.” Turning to Amethyst Star, she took the scroll the unicorn was levitating and handed it to Twilight. “Princess Twilight, I was informed when I received this letter from a Royal Courier that I was to hand it over to you. I’m only aware of part of the details, and have sent our local Guards-ponies to escort the detainee here.”

“Oh, well, okay Mayor.” Looking confused, Twilight unrolled the scroll, noticing that the seal on it bore the arms of the Council of Eight. Her expression darkening, Twilight read the scroll. Once she was done, she snorted angrily. “And just why do they even THINK I’m going to do anything to help?! He made his own hay bed on this.” Snorting, she turned to Scrolls. “Mayor, I’d like you to send word to the Council. Inform them that I’m going to help under duress, and that if I have any say in the matter, he’s not going to get any further assistance from me beyond finding some menial task suitable for him.” Turning on her back hooves, Twilight walked off.

Rarity picked up the scroll that Twilight had dropped. Reading, her expression went from shock to anger. “Imbeciles!” she said in a huff. Seeing the confused looks on her friends faces, she read the contents of the scroll out loud.

Princess Twilight Sparkle,
This is an official scroll outlining certain actions that have recently been taken, both by this Council, and by the Diarchs of Equestria. As you may or may not be aware, this Council has left approval of your ascension as a matter for the Princesses to handle. Regrettably, we were no longer able to do so, as a petition placed before Princess Celestia by the former Prince Blueblood of House Lemyre forced our hoof.
As of 11:42 this morning, the Diarchs of Equestria have declared a full accounting of all titled nobles that have yet to prove themselves in the meritocracy system. This illustrious Council had already ratified the system to be permanent, something that no prior Council has done. You need not worry, as your own position both as Princess of Friendship, and Element of Magic is unaffected by this decision.
As you are likely aware, the former Prince Blueblood had been lobbying to have you removed as Princess, and would have gone even further. His actions caused his aunts to force further requirements on what seat he does have. Regrettably, this means that he will have to petition House Sparkle in thirty (30) days if he wishes to retain his seat. Amusingly, this is the lesser seat of House Lemyre, and not the seat he has always laid claim to. I regret this, but I must request that you will do all in your power to help the former Prince in this transition period, as the Council has banished him from Canterlot for the next year.
I know that your personal difficulties with said stallion might make you severely reluctant to offer any sort of assistance. I’d like to point out, however, that even though he has no real political power, he still has considerable influence. Embargoes placed on goods being shipped to and from Ponyville may make things more difficult for those in your demesne. Please, do not do anything that will further exacerbate the situation.

Yours Truly,
Clover the Wise, Archmage &
First Councilor

Seeing the expressions on the mare’s faces, Mayor Scrolls made to reply, before the situation could get further out of hoof. “While I know that you all, and particularly you, Miss Belle, may be reluctant to provide any kind of assistance to the unfortunate stallion, I must ask that you help Princess Twilight in this manner.” Seeing that they still looked obstinate, her expression turned stern. “Listen, I know this may be hard for you to accept, but keep in mind that this is a Council request, one that I intend to be enforced.”

Applejack looked up at that, scowling. “Now see here, MAYOR,” she sneered, “Ah don’t recall a time where this town ever bent over to follow decisions made by a council outside of mah families’. A council that,” and here, she jabbed her right front forehoof in the now scowling mayor’s muzzle, coming close to smacking her, “has done all it could to keep you in your place, considering your ineptitude. Ah’m only gonna help Twilight because she’s mah friend, and not because the Council says so.”

Rarity took the pause that followed to put in her two bits. “Indeed. As I’m a blood member of House Belle, I have more authority than you do.” Before the mayor could interject on this statement, Rarity continued. “The only reason I haven’t done so is because this town was founded by earth ponies, even though my family has lived here for two generations now.” She smiled coldly. “My cousin Time Turner is, frankly, more suitable as a leader than yourself, but is far too interested in tinkering with science related things to be at all interested in politics.” Her expression softened. “Mayor, threatening us when there is no need to do so isn’t going to help. I know that it may look like we’re not willing to help, but it’s simply that we know how much of a bother this stallion has been to Twilight.”

Scrolls blinked at that. “I regret that I said what I did,” she said. “I truly didn’t think it was necessary, but I was informed in the missive that was a companion to that one that I needed to do all I personally could to ensure the transition went smoothly. I apologize, Miss Applejack.” She turned to the farm pony. “I’ve completely forgotten that I should have requested you and your brother’s presence after reading the first missive.” She sighed. “This is coming on the heels of an intended sales tax that Manehattan and Hoofington has been placing on all products those cities import to Ponyville. A tax that I’ve not been enforcing, as it would bankrupt many of the businesses around here.” Turning, the mayor made to leave. “Please, girls, talk her down. Even though he has no real political power, I do know that he’s the source of those taxes. If the issue is placed before the Assembly, there will be no real way to prevent me from enforcing them without Ponyville ceeding from Equestria.” She then walked back into Town Hall, her assistants following her.

Fluttershy, who was as shocked as the others, made to follow Twilight. “Girls,” she said softly, “let’s go help and support our friend. She needs us right now.” The other mares looked at their shy friend, and nodded, realizing they were right. They all went after Twilight, to help her do something that wasn’t fair to her at all. Rarity was the last, as she had to make sure that the scroll that had caused this was secure. She really wanted to incinerate the damn thing, but knew that was something that Twilight had the right to.

The slamming open of the castle doors startled Spike as he was on his way to find Twilight, having received not one, but FOUR scrolls from the Princess. Looking up at his mom/sister/guardian, Spike began to shiver. Something had her steamed, and he had a feeling he knew what that something was.

“Um, Twilight? The Princess sent letters,” he said hesitatingly. Scowling, Twilight looked at her assistant. Her expression softening somewhat, Twilight nodded before accepting the pile of scrolls he was carrying. Reading through them, Twilight’s muzzle went through several expressions, before settling on disbelief.

“After all he’s put me through, she seriously thinks I should be willing to help him?” she asked in disbelief. “Ever since he became convinced that I’m gay, he’s been nothing but a thorn in my side. Forgive and forget? Yeah, not happening.” She then snorted. “My parents and brother would disown me if I did. I’d do the same as well.”

A noise from the still opened doors made her turn. Her friends were arrayed there, with shocked expressions on their faces. They had heard the last bit, and were frankly shocked. “Darling,” Rarity said hesitatingly, “is that why Blueblood gives you so much grief?” She turned to their friends, who were wondering just what the Princess had said that made Twilight say something so out of character for her.

Twilight looked at her friends darkly. “Partially. It’s mostly an excuse, since I refused his advances during my adolescence.” Snorting in brief anger, she continued. “That was part of the reason why I put off trying to make friends. I didn’t want others thinking that they could get ahead by being friends with ‘Celestia’s Prized Student’.” Her friends nodded at that.

Twilight sighed. “You don’t need to worry girls, that was just the anger talking. Much as I’d like to refuse, I have an obligation as a princess to do the right thing here.” She then smiled at her friends; her smile was a bit sad. “Can I count on your help?”

Nods all around answered her. Twilight’s smile became more happier at that. Spike sighed in relief; both in that a Twilight Explosion had been averted, and that Twilight’s friends hadn’t dug too close into why Twilight got so defensive at being called gay. At least one friend, however, had noticed the fact, along with so many others over the years. And this one promised to do something drastic if the so-called Prince said anything.

Equestria, Ponyville, 03-10-05 A.N.M., 4:22 PM (After Nightmare Moon)

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a fish out of water? Being in a situation that you could never imagine in your worst nightmares to be? Prince Blueblood of House Lemyre (oh, how he hated that he was Heir to that low-class, do-nothing House) had never allowed that particular thought to cross his mind. Now he wish he had.

All of his plans hinged on being in Canterlot. Every connection he had formed required him to be at or near his manor. His very talent, finding paths and navigation, required the carefully tailored charts in his office. An office that he was no longer able to go to. An office in a manor that was no longer his by birth, belonging to the true Heirs of House Blueblood.

He shuddered. Here he was, doing all that he could to protect Equestria, and he gets tossed away like yesterday’s trash. How could anypony misinterpret his intentions? Could they not see the danger in allowing a pony like her have any kind of power? He really did want the best for Equestria, and now was unable to do anything at all to help the nation he loved so much.

Further musings were cut short by the arrival of the six ponies he despised the most. In the middle was the one that continually stood in his way, the most unworthy pony he had ever met; the so-called Princess of Friendship, Princess Twilight Sparkle. “Princess Twilight,” he drawled derisively, “I see that you and your friends are my welcoming committee.” He walked over to the assembled mares. “I see that you’ve managed to convince the mayor of this podunk town that you’re actually worth something.”

Twilight colored at that. Her anger getting the better of her, Twilight spoke. “I’ll have you know that I have full authority here outside of being a Princess of Equestria,” she said heatedly. “I’m here under duress, since I consider you to be a lost cause. If it weren’t for my grandfather being on the Council, I’d have left you here to fend for yourself.”

Blueblood scoffed. “Oh please, the Council thinks they’ve one-upped me? They really think that their waning power is going to make me work with a jumped-up, gay wanna-be pegacorn?” He had the satisfaction of seeing the tears start to form in her eyes.

His satisfaction was short-lived.

His view was abruptly filled with the muzzle of a butter-yellow pegasus, glaring at him. “How. Dare. You!” she snarled in anger. “How dare you put down my friend?! How dare you put down my FAMILY?! My great-grandmother Buttercup Posey sits on that Council!” Fluttershy took a deep breath, then spoke in a more neutral tone. “Girls, I know we promised the mayor we’d help Twilight, and we should.” She then smiled, looking more like a shark than the kindest pony on Equus. “We’d help best by cutting this miserable excuse for a stallion loose.” Turning, she looked at the Guards-ponies that were there to escort Blueblood to the halfway house prepared for him. “Could you sirs escort this pony,” her tone made it an epithet, “to the stockades? I think that’s a far more suitable place for him, and kinder to those nice ponies that run the halfway house.” She then walked off, the rest of the Elements following her.

Blueblood looked at the Guards-ponies, gulped, then meekly followed them as they made their way into Ponyville. At least, on the outside he was acting meek. On the inside, he was only biding his time until a moment to escape presented itself.

“And I don’t CARE what you think, Mayor Scrolls!”

The loud shout that came from the meek pegasus was a shock. The Mayor of Ponyville looked at the one pony who she would have never guessed would be willing to break a law in anger. “No matter what you may or may not think, this was a COUNCIL decision. And one I was hoping you six would be able to uphold. I cannot have ponies in this town unwilling to obey the laws, especially when given a directive from my office.”

“Since when are we obligated to follow the Council’s directives, Mayor?” Applejack asked in disbelief. “Not only are we six representatives of Harmony itself, but we’re also nobles.” She smiled nastily at the blank look on the mayor’s face. “Oh, that’s right, ya’ll forgot that fact, huh?”

Scrolls snorted angrily. “Whether or not you have noble rank here does not give you the right or authority to run roughshod over a directive from MY office Miss Applejack.” Further words on her part were cut short by another angry voice.

“Ahem.”

The mayor turned to see an angry red muzzle mere inches from her own. “Did Ah jest hear ya say mah sister had less authority than you?” Big Macintosh asked the mayor. “Did ya’ll ferget the family that done BUILT Ponyville?! Or are ya just plumb stupid to think we didn’t recognize yer plans, plans that Ponyville's Council were at least considering in a limited form?” Big Mac snorted. “Yeah, we know. It’s on the Ponyville Council charter that ‘all mining permits and plans must be approved by the eldest of the Apple, Rich, and Turner clans.” He pointed his hoof at himself. “Mah granny may make most of the decisions on the farm, but that’s ‘cause it’s one of the few things that still gives her a reason to get up in the morning.”

Big Mac turned his still angry expression to where the other prominent members of the Ponyville Town Council were gathered. Every single one of the stallions present had a look of disgust bordering on contempt on their faces. Big Mac turned back to the current focus of his ire. “Ah done got full rights to Sweet Apple Acres when I turned eighteen, but I held up on taking full control on account that Ah’m still learning.” He snorted. “As fer being on the Council, that’s something none of us Apples really wanted.”

If it was at all possible to look angrier than he already did, Big Mac would have. “Ah just sent a letter to both Princess Celestia, and the Equestrian Eight, letting them know that we’re all considering to put this matter before the Assembly.” He then smirked. “Ye’all didn’t think we’d be willing to go that route, when Manehattan and Hoofington both want rights to the gems under Ponyville? It was the MAYOR of Manehattan that done alerted us; he’s a member of the Orange clan by marriage.” Mayor Scrolls blanched; she’d forgotten that the Oranges, who lived in cities outside Ponyville, were cousins to the Apple clan.

Big Macintosh cleared his throat, before speaking WITHOUT his colloquial accent. “Mayor Melody Scrolls, on hearing your disrespect towards a member of Ponyville’s First Prime Family, and because of your backroom deals in the planning of leveling said town for personal profit, I, Big Macintosh, part owner of Sweet Apple Acres, and current Head of Ponyville Town Council, hereby make a motion that you be temporarily removed from the office of Mayor.” He turned to the other members.

Filthy Rich moved up at this. “I second the motion. All in favor?” A chorus of ‘ayes’ was heard from the full council, which had been summoned during Big Mac’s harangue. The former mayor blanched, realizing that she had to work fast if she wanted to destroy the evidence implicating her. Further thoughts on that were halted at the clamp that went around her neck, one that was being levitated in place by the resident Princess.

“Scrolls, I’ve just received a note detailing the plans found in the hidden alcove in your manor. I’m placing you under arrest for treason against Equestria.” The others looked shocked at this. “She was negotiating with the Diamond Dogs in building a tunnel that would lead right under my palace. Surveys show that’s where the largest deposit of gems is located.” Her face took on a regally intense expression. “In doing so, she was attempting to invade the demesne of a CROWN PRINCESS of Equestria. Said action is one of treason. Even Blueblood isn’t that stupid.” She turned to the Guards-ponies present. “Please escort the former mayor to the holding cell next to Blueblood.” She then walked away as regally as she could, hiding the hurt she was still feeling at Blueblood’s comment towards her.

For their part, the other girls were still reeling from Fluttershy’s actions, and the anger that Big Mac had displayed. Even Applejack. While she was aware that her brother had a temper, she hadn’t seen him lose it this bad since their pa had run off all those years ago.

As everypony involved made their way outside Town Hall and towards the barracks just outside Ponyville, they all took stock at everything that had just happened. Not only were they now playing host to a unicorn that was heartily despised, but they just learned that their mayor was involved in shady deals that could have destroyed the entire town. Or at least, what looked like it on a cursory examination

About an hour later, with her lawyer pony present, the former mayor of Ponyville was attempting to justify her actions. “Princess Twilight, I do not deny that those plans existed; however, I do not understand how it could be construed as treason.” She pointed towards the survey maps, which showed the fault line passing right underneath the Palace of Friendship. “This area was surveyed months before Tirek’s attack. I do admit to making plans that others might consider illegal; however, I was trying to ensure Ponyville’s future.” She looked up with a scowl. “Proper tunneling would have allowed those gems to be excavated without threatening the homes or businesses of Ponyville’s citizens.”

Twilight looked at Scrolls with contempt. “I’m starting to wonder how an idiot like you could have ever been elected as mayor.” She then turned to the book of Equestrian law that she had next to her, opening it to a specific passage. “You obviously have little understanding as to how Equestrian law works.” She looked at the lawyer pony sitting next to her client, who was visibly sweating. She smirked at that. “Around twenty-seven years ago, it was a ruling of the General Equestrian Assembly that ratified the demesne laws concerning alicorns. Suffice it to say, you needed both my approval AND the approval of the Town Council to begin any mining operation.” She moved the book over to where Scrolls was sitting.

The mare under questioning scoffed at what she read. “I possess a better understanding of the law than you do, princess.” Twilight frowned at her tone, but said nothing as she continued. “As that was a General Assembly, Ponyville did not send any representatives there. So it’s not something that’s covered.”

Twilight sighed. “You really are a doofus. Three days later, both Princess Celestia AND the Equestrian Eight ratified all of the rulings made by the General Assembly.” She smirked at the expression on Scrolls’ muzzle at that. “Oh, weren’t you aware? You should have read further, as that fact is covered in this book of law as well.” Scrolls began to blanch as she realized that she was in deeper trouble than she thought. Twilight went on. “Unfortunately, since no digging had been started, or would have been possible since my palace protects itself, I’m unable to persecute you for treason at this time.” She held up a hoof to forestall any comment from the other ponies present. “However, this is a planned B&E on property I personally own, as these survey scrolls were dated to six weeks ago.” She smirked. “Didn’t think I’d be able to detect that fact? I’m a scholar of many different magic schools, and the surveyor you hired is nothing special.” She pointed at a point on the scroll. “For instance, he missed the largest vein, which actually goes right under the Mayor’s Residence.” She frowned. “It’s truly fortunate that we did find out in time, as many of these veins are a great deal closer to the surface than you were told.” She pointed towards one that led towards Sweet Apple Acres. “For instance, you would have caused a sinkhole RIGHT UNDER Applejack’s house if you had dug that vein up.”

Twilight scowled at the former mayor. “This is why the plans had been tabled when surveyors FIRST found out about these veins. You could have had the potential death of one of the Elements of Harmony on your hooves if you had continued with your plans.”

Scowling, Twilight continued to rip the inept politician a new one. “But no, you had to prove how much brighter than the Council you were. You saw bit signs, and realized that you could make yourself richer in ways that your family has never been.” Twilight leaned forward until her muzzle was inches away from the now sweating earth pony. “You potentially risked the lives of many ponies in this town, and for what? There are ways, safer ways to get gems. Methods that have been used in Equestria for thousands of years.”

Twilight turned towards Scrolls’ lawyer. “I know that you’re likely wondering what kind of offer I’m giving your client here.” Twilight sighed. Having to be autocratic like this wasn’t something that she’d been looking forward to; however, she had little choice. “Since this manner involves me directly, it won’t be going before the D.A. Instead, I’m being forced to decide whether or not I should exile your client from just Ponyville, or from Equestria proper.” Twilight leaned towards the former mayor again. “Neither of which gives me any kind of pleasure, I assure you.” She turned towards the Guards-pony present in the room. “Officer, please escort the prisoner to her cell. I have a great deal to deal with, and the discussion here is over.”

The Guards-pony nodded. Let’s see if she’s as much of an idiot as Time Turner thinks. I really don’t know how this double agent could have gotten away with this as long as she has. I promise Mayor, we’ll have this all cleaned up soon. Twilight watched out of the corner of her eyes as the lawyer pony handed something to the ‘former mayor’. She smirked inwardly. What an idiot.

Equestria, Ponyville, 03-10-05 A.N.M., 11:57 PM (After Nightmare Moon)

Over the many years since Luna first became Nightmare Moon, having been driven to that point by bad rumors and even worse laws, there had been many attempts to undermine the meritocracy system that Equestria operated in. From the very serious to the completely ridiculous, these efforts had all failed. The reason was simple; the Lunar Guard.

Officially, both Luna’s Court and her Guard had been dissolved after she was imprisoned on Lune’s surface. That the truth was that they remained intact in secret was something that few ponies were aware of. Though they no longer had a Princess to serve, they still faithfully protected those that Luna herself protected; the weak, the unfortunate, the lost, and the young.

Perhaps the best skill they possessed was clandestine operations. The first recorded instance of this was the botched attempt on the life of Blueblood the XVIII. Of course, the public record was that the ones involved were actually members of the Royal Guard, and not the Lunar Guard. However, working in the shadows, the ponies who swore themselves to Luna were instrumental in helping the Solar Princess in preserving the peace in Equestria.

Their efforts to preserve the peace had often managed to undermine efforts by the greedy to take a slice of the pie that didn’t belong to them. The plan by traitors to Equestria’s ponies to level Ponyville for its rich gem deposits was one such plan. That it was also a plan by an ancient evil to destroy that which stood in his way was unknown to even its participants.

In a secluded room deep within the Palace of Friendship, a pony that many thought was inept was lying on a four-poster bed, reading. Melody Scrolls looked up at the clock and sighed. She knew that things were about to come to a head.

The former (and current) REAL Mayor of Ponyville wondered just what those idiots were thinking when they foalnapped her. When she first came to Princess Twilight about her suspicions, the princess had conferred with the commander of the local Guard. Little did anypony know, these Guards-ponies were sworn to two different princesses, and not the ones that their armor showed. They were, in fact, members of the Lunar Guard, and Princess Twilight’s unofficial Dusk Guard (the idea of calling them the ‘Friendship Brigade’ was shot down by Twilight; as she said, that was ‘The most ridiculous name for a company of Guards-ponies I’ve ever heard. Princess of Friendship makes sense; the Friendship Brigade just sounds silly.’).

Working with these skilled ponies, Twilight and the Mayor was able to lay a trap for the ones responsible. The foppish Blueblood being sent here was a wrinkle in a plan that had been months in the making. Getting foalnapped, then later freed, took a lot of work, especially if they were going to keep the conspirators out of the loop. Scrolls sighed. If I only knew becoming mayor would involve this sort of thing, I would have prepared myself sooner. Never thought Grandpappy’s instruction in elemental runes would help me in my political career.

Contrary to popular belief, one didn’t HAVE to be a unicorn to be able to cast spells. In fact, many of the most powerful spells were something that unicorns couldn’t cast, simply because they lacked the proper vectors. Though unicorns and earth ponies both possessed ways to manipulate the weather, they didn’t have the power to manipulate wind currents and evaporation directly. Pegasi were born with that ability.

Of all the types of magic available, elemental runic magic was a kind that very few creatures lacked the capacity for. One only needed an internal magical source for it, and an understanding of how runes worked. Of course, it manifested differently in every pony. Scrolls’ grandfather had been a master of the elemental form, and had passed on all of his knowledge to his grandchildren. Golden Harvest had a better use for it, given that she was a farm pony like their mother’s family (they weren’t any relation to the Apples, being that they specialized in rare or exotic fruits). Her niece hardly used them at all in her profession, though Scrolls knew that there were strong earth runes around Cheerilee’s schoolhouse. That was the major reason why the building had survived when the Ursa Minor rampaged a few years back.

When the mining companies based in Manehattan and Hoofington first contacted her office, Scrolls had been amenable to finding a workable solution to getting to those gems. They would have been a great boon to the local economy, so long as Ponyville’s residents weren’t in any danger. Unfortunately, it became clear from the Crown Surveyor that the Guard brought in that any sort of mining was a danger, due to the fact that the veins were too close to the water table. Shoring up the tunnels using earth pony magic was feasible, but prohibitively expensive due to the relatively low cost of some of the crystal present. Only one of the nineteen veins was solid enough for mining. That vein was hooves off for anyone, due to it running right underneath the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters.

Unfortunately for Scrolls, she wasn’t made aware just why the land underneath the palace was so important. It wasn’t until after the Element Bearers returned the Elements to the Tree of Harmony that she realized what was really going on. She had been aware for quite some time that certain ponies were darkly influenced. Most thought such beliefs were superstitious; ask any Master of Earth Elemental Runic, and they’d tell you that there were all sorts of bad mojo out there, just waiting to latch onto the unsuspecting, weak-willed pony. Hard to believe that few really believed in Dark creatures any more, despite Discord’s return.

Scrolls had done everything she could to block further efforts. Soon, however, the threats against her and her family were made. And that was a mistake for the conspirators. Scrolls had long done what she could to keep her family safe, and any threat made against them was one she took seriously. Despite their warning that they’d act if she told anyone, she went right to Princess Twilight.

Many considered the youngest princess to be something of a bore, and ineffectual considering her role in Equestria. They couldn’t be more wrong; she was a danger to anypony that threatened her Little Ponies, just like any of the other Princesses. First of all, she had been the personal student for Princess Celestia since she was eight, and had been counted as the most powerful young unicorn before her ascension. Her role as the Princess of Friendship made her a threat to anypony that wanted to hurt her friends, and she’d become even craftier ever since Tirek attacked.

Right from the start, Twilight had gotten in touch with the local Guard commander, who turned out to be a hidden member of the now more-visible Lunar Guard. Though she tried at first to get the Princesses involved, early investigations made her and Scrolls realize that wasn’t wise. The only way she could tell them was by dragonfire message, and spells around Ponyville would copy anything in those types of letters. It took the better part of three months of work for the princess and Scrolls to work around that. Once they had Princess Luna on board, she and Twilight hatched the plan that was right now nearing completion.

Initially, neither princess was at all willing for Scrolls to put herself in any danger. Once they were convinced that the conspirators needed the mayor alive, they realized that using her as bait was the best that they could do. Using Scrolls’ extensive knowledge of earth runic magic, Twilight was able to create an earth pony magic-based ‘hearthstone’ teleport spell. Dealing with Twilight during that time was both amusing and a chore, as it was hard to keep her from going ‘all egghead’, as Rainbow Dash was wont to say. Scrolls chuckled, remembering the gleeful hoof dance the princess did when she found out she was going to get a chance to put her theoretical studies into runic magic to practical use.

As the water clock on the stand next to her bed chimed past midnight, Scrolls tensed. Here it comes. I hope they don’t do too much damage. Further musings were cut short by an explosion that rocked the palace. “Those idiots! They enhanced the blasting powder with earth runes!” Scrolls exclaimed. “I sure hope the shoring myself and Twilight did on what shafts they did dig holds up.”

Elsewhere in Ponyville…

As the Guards-ponies at the stockades made their rounds, none were paying much attention to the two prisoners being held in jail cells that seldom saw any use. The one was just an insulting idiot, and was only there until the next day, when he would be escorted to the train bound to Dodge Junction. The other one was the ‘former’ mayor of Ponyville. Or at least, she looked like her.

Clever May always thought she was smarter than all those around her. Her skills in disguise magic made her chosen profession as spy one she enjoyed, never mind the near-scrapes she had had with the Lunar Guard over the years. She really hadn’t wanted to take this job, as being involved in foal-napping, even indirectly, was grounds for petrification if caught. The money, and rights to three of the veins, was barely enough to convince her. Added to that fact was that one of the few ponies she considered a threat called Ponyville home. Not likely that an academic like Princess Twilight Sparkle would ever figure it out anyway, she thought snidely. Even if she was taught personally by Princess Celestia, she’s still just a bookworm.

Once she was assured that the Guards-ponies weren’t watching, May spread the powder that her fellow agent gave her earlier in the day on the walls of her cell. Secret work by other agents had allowed them to place explosive runes on the outside of every jail cell, and internal runes would ensure that the explosions were directed outside. Watching the powder move along the cell walls in satisfaction, May waited for a three count before triggering the runes. Backing up hastily, May counted down under her breath, covering her ears in preparation.

The explosion rattled her teeth. May shook it off, then ran in the direction of the mayor’s residence. I need to get rid of the evidence before letting the boys know that the pigeon needs to be cooked. Moving swiftly and silently, May made her way to the place she’d called home for the last seven months.

Climbing into the window that she undid using her telekinesis, May went for the hidden alcove where the more sensitive information was kept. Using her special rune key, May disengaged the locking spell hiding the evidence. Before she could trigger the burn spell, however, the deadening feeling of a magic-dampening field surrounded her.

“Illumenous Radiance!”

As these words died down, lights flared on around her. Suddenly, Clever May realized that she was no longer disguised as the mayor. “Well, I guess I underestimated you,” she said, smirking at the purple alicorn standing next to the office door.

“I guess you did,” Twilight responded with a smirk of her own. “Care to explain yourself?”

May pondered that for about thirty seconds. “Nah, not really worth it.” She then stomped her left hind-hoof, where a hearthstone rune had been embedded in the frog. With a flash, she teleported away, taking the evidence with her. Or so she thought.

Twilight shook her head. Why do they always run?

As the flash heralding her arrival at the cavern her associates cleared, May made her way towards where they were keeping the real mayor, carrying the evidence of her boss’ actions with her. Gotta dump this stuff fast, then clear up the rest of the loose ends. Memory wipe spells aren’t as much of a no-no as murder. I’m not getting stoned for anypony, no matter how many bits I get offered.

Further musings on her part were cut short by her arrival into the living cavern her ‘partners’ were using. Instead of the small gang of mercenaries she was working with on this gig, she found a detachment of Lunar Guards-ponies. Before she could even use her second emergency escape rune however, a voice that sent chills up and down her spine spoke.

“By the Moon above and the Earth below, let that which is made to hurt be dissolved!”

With a sinking heart, May felt all of the runes she had painstakingly forged dissolve, and the magic she had invested into them slip away. A clamp appeared around her horn, further cutting off her ability to cast any more spells. Looking as far as she was able, she watched as the one pony she DID NOT want to involve herself with walk forward. There in all her dark glory, was none other than the Princess of the Night herself.

Princess Luna smirked to herself as she regarded the freelance spy in front of her. “Well,” she said softly. “You and your bosses have given us quite the runaround.” Her gaze falling on the evidence that had fallen out of the unicorn’s telekinetic grip, Luna walked over to the pile. May smirked, knowing what was about to happen. Her humor was short-lived however.

“Unbind.”

The spells of incineration woven into the very parchment dissolved at that word. Luna smirked at the now shivering unicorn. “What, did you think we didn’t have a counter for such a trick?” She snorted at that. “Faust help me if I wasn’t able to alter or dissolve a spell that I had invented.” She smiled nastily at the now even more frightened look on the mare’s face. “Yes, indeed. Such spells didn’t exist in this form before. I invented them, then let others use them.”

Turning to the lieutenant of her troops, she went on. “Please escort Miss May to where we’re holding the rest of them. I’ll be along presently to discuss her future employment options.” The Guards-stallion nodded, him and the other Guards-ponies leading the thoroughly cowed unicorn away. Gathering up the evidence, which looked at cursory examination to merely affirm what she had already learned, the Princess of the Night snorted. This only serves to further confirm what both the mayor and Twilight has told me. Now I have the pleasant joy of telling Sister ‘I told you so!’ Snorting in amusement, Princess Luna teleported the scrolls back to Canterlot, before following them.

Within several minutes of the explosion, Twilight and her friends were on-hoof to assess the damage. Twilight was beside herself with anger. She didn’t think they’d be that gautchè in putting runes on every jail cell. Noticing that there was somepony missing, Twilight’s stomach fell. “Um, where’s Blueblood?”

The others looked around in confusion, then concern. Their concern turned to horror when one of the local Guards-ponies flew down. “Princess Twilight! I tried to stop him, I really did! Blueblood ran off into the Everfree!”

The look of horror on her face was replaced by one of intense determination. “Which way did he go corporal?” she asked the Nocturne pony. The Guards-stallion pointed to the end that was south-west from Ponyville, a part that led deeper than where the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters was located. Her feelings of dread intensifying, Twilight looked towards her friends. “Girls, I have to organize a search party for him. Can I count on you all to help?”

The others all looked at their friend. The expression on her muzzle wasn’t one she’d ever worn before; however, it was one that was intimately familiar to them. It was the face of a princess worried about one of her Little Ponies. The girls all nodded, one of the number feeling the same thing in spite of herself.

Twilight teleported an ornate chest that all the girls recognized. “I know what you’re thinking girls.” She opened it, and showed them the torcs and crown that used to hold the Elements of Harmony. “I’ve enchanted each of these with a locator spell, and a ‘hearthstone’ teleport spell. They’re designed to respond to the magic of us, and the Tree of Harmony itself.” She then pointed to the forest. “They’ll only work here though, as the spells require proximity to both my palace, and the Tree.” The girls nodded as they all took the one that matched their cutie mark.

Twilight called one of the other Guards-stallions to her. “Corporal, get who you can to make a sweep of the parts surrounding the Castle.” Pointing her head up, Twilight sent a flare towards the sky. It burst into a spiral-shaped mark. “Zecora will see that, so get in touch with her as well. Nopony knows the forest better than her.’ Turning to the other corporal, Twilight continued with her orders. “Corporal Bright Feathers, I want you to go with Fluttershy. You and her are going to explore the part of the forest closer to town.” She smiled at Fluttershy, who sighed in relief.

“Pinkie, I want you to go with the sergeant here,” she pointed at one of the other Guards-ponies present, “and explore towards the west where Blueblood went. Rarity, you and AJ should take the south end. Rainbow Dash and I will take the eastern part. If you find him, either tap the crystal on your necklace, or send a flare.” The last was directed towards Rarity, and the unicorn corporal. “If you get in danger, grab your partner if incapacitated, and double tap the crystal while saying ‘take me home.’ That will trigger the hearth charm.”

The girls were shocked to see Scrolls walking towards them, with her assistant Amethyst Star nearby. “Ah, Mayor. I need you to go get Spike and have him send this letter,”-here she levitated a scroll towards the mayor, who took it in her hoof- “to Princess Luna.” Getting ready to send everypony off, she heard the mayor’s assistant mutter to herself. “I don’t see why we have to waste resources to go after a good-for-nothing stallion like that.” Twilight turned, and got in the young unicorn’s muzzle.

“And just where do you get the idea that he’s not worth saving?” She snarled in anger. “No matter how inept, or what he has done to me personally, or to anypony else, the fact is that there are things in that forest I wouldn’t let ponies like Sombra, or even Chrysalis face.” Turning to the mayor, who was shaking her head in disbelief, she continued. “Scrolls, I think you need to better educate your assistants on what is right and wrong.” She looked at the cowed unicorn meaningfully. “Let’s go girls; we’ve got a pony to save.”

So the girls all took off, placing themselves in danger in order to save a pony from himself. Little did they know, things were about to get more complicated in their little town than they had ever been....

Chapter Three: The Fall and Rise of An Unwanted Prince Part Two

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Equestria, Everfree Forest, 03-11-05 A.N.M.,1:42 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

Blueblood was scared.

Never in all of his fairly young life had he ever thought he’d be involved in something like this. After the explosion took down the wall of his prison cell, Blueblood was raised from his quivering state by one of the local Guards-ponies. He had been told that he was being escorted to a holding area, and not to worry, as they had been expecting something like this.

“Expecting an explosion? What kind of one horse town is Ponyville anyway?” he had asked the Guards-stallion in a squeaky voice.

“Nothing like that, Blueblood. Just another pony who thinks they can run roughshod over the rules,” the stallion had replied gruffly.

As he was being led away, Blueblood saw the forest in the distance. He knew what it was, and had heard most of the horror stories surrounding the place. Probably just plebeians making up horseapples. I need to get out of here, and that looks like the best way to go. I’ll show my dear aunt- and that miserable excuse for a council -just what it means to mess with Prince Blueblood!

When they got close enough to the forest, Blueblood lit his horn, firing off a flash spell. It was unexpected enough to blind his erstwhile guard, being that the guard in question was a Nocturne pony. Because he wasn’t considered much of a threat, Blueblood hadn’t been hobbled. “Wait! Halt!”

As his eyes cleared, the young guard saw Blueblood running towards the forest. “Wait Blueblood! That forest is dangerous, especially at night!” Before his vision was recovered enough to where he could fly after the hapless stallion, he was hit by a entangling rope spell. The dirty trick fouled up his wings, causing him precious seconds as he activated the counter-spell runes in his armor. “I knew I should’ve triggered those,” he grumbled, before chasing after the errant former noble.

The shadows in this part of the forest were too deep for him to penetrate. Sniffing the air, he smelled unicorn mana on the winds. Realizing that Blueblood had likely used either a disguise spell or some form of invisibility, the stallion groaned.

“Horseapples! I better go find the princess. She’s not gonna like this, but the forest is too large for just one pony.” The stallion flew off towards the center of the town, in order to inform the princess and mayor- as well as his commanding officer -where Blueblood was now.

“No matter that he’s an idiot, or that he insulted my princess, it’s still my duty to protect him,” the guard said to himself as he made his way towards where Princess Twilight and the others were.

So it was that Blueblood found himself running from the law, trying to get somewhere else besides this one-horse town full of plebeian ponies. Little did Blueblood know, this was both the worse, and best decision he could have ever made. He was about to find out that this forest was every bit as dangerous as rumor had it…

The deep shadows of the forest were off-putting to both Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Neither one of them had ever been this far into the Everfree Forest, as it was far more dangerous than the part nearer the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. Even though the Tree of Harmony had calmed the forest down somewhat, there were still some areas where dangerous creatures lived. Things like Cragodiles and Timberwolves were more prevalent in the deeper parts of the forest.

On top of that fact was some of the more disturbing reports that both Zecora and the few Guard that patrolled had been giving Twilight. It seemed that lately, creatures that had not been seen in hundreds of years had been making an appearance. While rumors of darklings and shadowlings had always existed, nopony had ever seen any since before Luna fell to her Nightmare.

Rainbow looked at the deep shadows around her; the gloom was barely penetrated by Twilight’s Light spell. Normally, the prismatic-maned pegasus would be hovering; however, both her still confused feelings and a practical understanding of combat kept her from doing so at the moment.

Another fact was this deep sense of overprotectiveness that she was feeling. Why she should be feeling a desire to find and protect a pony she heartily despised was beyond her understanding. Twilight having those desires made sense; she was an alicorn, and the instinct to protect her Little Ponies was strong, even those that she wanted little to do with.

What Rainbow Dash was feeling now was comparable to wanting to protect her friends- Twilight in particular - yet, it was different at the same time. It wasn’t personal, yet a part of her wanted to do all she could to find and keep Blueblood safe. Even guilty of being more than a big boob wouldn’t have made things any easier. Rainbow simply couldn’t understand it.

Further musing was cut short by a high-pitched male scream a little further south from their position. Twilight turned her frightened, yet determined muzzle towards Rainbow. Pointing a wingtip in the direction of the scream, Twilight drew Rainbow’s attention to a trampled bush. A piece of fiber from the cloak Blueblood had been wearing was caught in it.

“It looks like he came this way,” Twilight whispered to her friend. “We should hurry.”

Rainbow nodded, scared more for her friend now than she had ever been.

The two of them walked even further into the forest, neither one noticing the glow around Rainbow’s wings; a glow far more reminiscent of unicorn magic than that of a pegasus…

Elsewhere in Equestria...

Clever May looked dejected as she sat at the table next to the commander of the local Lunar Guard troop.

Everything that she had worked for over the last seven months was undone. A fortune in bits, as well as mine rights, was lost. This was supposed to be enough for me to be able to provide for me and my own, she thought glumly. Papa always warned me to not get too involved into a plan. I just wish I knew how Luna managed to dissolve my runes; I’ve never heard of a spell like that before.

May looked up as the princess of the hour entered. She had several things that she was levitating; a tray of tea and biscotti, as well as several folders and a projection crystal. She sat all of this down at the place across from May.

Pouring a cup of the tea, Luna levitated it over to the depressed unicorn, along with one of the treats. May sullenly took the offered foodstuffs into her own telekinetic field.

Luna cleared her throat before beginning to speak in a calm, quiet voice. “Well, Miss Marigold, it seems as if you’ve managed to dig yourself into a rather deep pit.” She smirked at the startled expression on the pony's muzzle, one that turned to brief anger before settling back to the glum expression she had previously. “Yes, I’m well aware of your full name, as I have been aware of the names of nearly every conspirator since the third month of our operation.”

Princess Luna opened the top folder, which showed a dossier with May’s- whose real name was Clever Marigold -picture on it. She slid a paper from under it, which had a list of the charges being filed against her. Blanching, she realized that there was a charge of conspiracy to commit sabotage amongst them, as well as one of gross voluntary pony-slaughter. “B-but I-I wasn’t involved in anything t-that killed anypony,” she stuttered, shivering violently.

For the first time, Luna’s expression became less neutral. “Indeed, I’m sure you weren’t; we have evidence to support that. However, unless certain steps are taken,” here, the princess slid another piece of paper towards the hapless unicorn, “there’s little you can do to mitigate these charges.”

Luna opened another of the folders, which contained something curious- an application for enrollment into the Lunar Guard branch of the Royal Equestrian Guard. Another was a confession form. The last item was a waiver of guilt document. May blanched at the last one.

“These outline what options you have,” Luna said, her voice taking on an even softer edge. “I’ve spoken at length with my sister, and she agrees that we can bypass the courts if you so wish. However, you simply cannot be left to your own devices.” She turned to the Guards-stallion standing by the door. “Please dim the lights Corporal.” The unicorn nodded, using his magic to dim all of the lights, as well as locking and sealing the door.

Luna turned the projection crystal over in her hooves, before activating it with a burst of magic. The scene that it threw up against the wall would live in Marigold’s dreams for some time afterwards…

The thrashing pony on the bed was instantly recognizable to Marigold. It was the head of Hoofington Mining Corporation, one of the conglomerate that had hired her and her gang to start mining operations under Ponyville. His hooves were tied down, and both a magic suppressor and limiter ring were on his horn. Even with these, however, he was still shockingly able to use his telekinesis to levitate the orderlies against the wall.

Other ponies advanced on the not-so-helpless pony, only to back off as deep shadows lifted from his form. A pony priest nearby surrounded everypony present with a nimbus of glowing golden light, preserving them from possession. However, this protection began to fail as the shadows deepened. Panic set in, as they all realized that the nightmare was about to get worse.

“Calm yourselves.”

The words spoken by the alicorn who had just entered had an immediate effect on all present. For the orderlies, guards-ponies, and the priest, the voice brought the calm safety of a peaceful night. For the possessed pony, they brought relief to a tormented mind.

Princess Luna walked calmly towards the unicorn; her horn glowed with a nimbus of silver light, rather than the dark azure glow that normally heralded her magic. Approaching the tormented pony, she spoke in a soft- yet powerful -voice.

“Speak your name demons, that I may know who I am banishing.”

The words that Luna spoke were as powerful as if she spoke them in the Royal Canterlot Voice. The pony on the bed writhed in pain; nonetheless, the power of command in Luna’s voice and the blessed moonlight she was channeling into the room were more than enough to compel them to obey.

We are Ire! We are Envy! We are Greed!

“Ah,” said Luna. “I take it then that you were involved in this to somehow hurt Princess Twilight.” The pony laughed mockingly.

Banish us, fallen one, and you will never learn the truth!

“We already have, from elsewhere,” Luna said softly.

Do nothing, failed one! This one is ours by right of the greed, ire, and envy in his heart! We lay claim to him, and you cannot have him back!

Luna’s eyes glowed a bright white at this, and her horn grew painfully bright. The moonlight in the room caused the shadows surrounding the pony to writhe in pain; before anypony could blink, three shapes congealed from said shadows. Taking on a twisted mockery of the pony lying on the bed, they made to escape-- dragging a chain of mingled light and shadow with them.

A solid barrier of moonlight halted them. A conjured blade of pure sunlight severed the chain linking the demons to the inert pony. Writhing in pain, they lashed out at the alicorn. Finding the wounds in her mind and soul healed with forgiveness, they were unable to find purchase.

One pointed at the priest. The others moved to take control of one whose power was greater than even Luna’s due to his faith.

“No!” A radiant shield of pure moonlight surrounded all of the ponies present; thick bands of sunlight pulsed from within the shield. Shrieking in pain, the demons turned to reclaim their victim, him being the only option they had to escape. Thick chains of moonsteel surrounded the hooves of each one, binding them to the walls and floor.

Luna’s form began to glow. Battle armor similar to what she had worn as Nightmare Moon began to surround her; the difference was its colors. Dark blue and silver highlights were on the plates covering her chest, cannon, and flanks. Her cutie mark was embossed on the plates where they hung on her flank. Silver greaves surrounded each hoof, with smaller versions of her cutie mark embossed on each one.

An elegantly crafted helm appeared on Luna’s head. A nose guard jutted down her snout, leaving the rest of her muzzle free. The helm was adorned with six jewels along the top ridge; each one was a different color- orange, pink, yellow, blue, and red, with a larger purple gem nearer the center-- these were the same as the coat colors of six of the ponies Luna kept close to her heart. The plume was a mixture of pink, white, and dark azure, signifying those she shared sisterhood with. The spike in front of her horn was white, with a purple base; its purpose was to do honor to those that were Equestria’s protectors.

Her eyes still glowing brightly, Luna advanced on the cowering demons. An elegant blade appeared in a flash of dark azure nearby. Similarly fashioned after her armor, this blade had few adornments. The only ones present were a gem embossed with the Crest of Equestria, and the pommel was fashioned into an exact representation of Luna’s cutie mark.

Luna pointed Moonstrike at the demons. An aura made up of both moonlight and darkness surrounded the blade. An intense feeling of pressure surrounded everypony present; it was as if the very Gates of Tartarus itself were pressing on them.

What happened next brought home to everypony present- and those that were watching -the sheer power that alicorns commanded. In a voice similar to her Royal Canterlot voice- though nowhere near as loud -Luna uttered a phrase that had not been heard on Equus since the last time creatures of shadow walked freely.

“By Solaris’ Light, Selene’s Purity, Serenity’s Radiance, Gaia’s Love, Dusk’s Honor, and the Heart of Harmony, I banish thee and your kin to the depths of Tartarus. Let the seals remain so long as the Power of Friendship remains in the meanest of the creatures who call Equus home!” A shimmering gateway opened near the south wall; shrieking, the demons were pulled towards it. A powerful concussive wave of force came from Luna’s horn. This caused every other demon of Ire, Envy, and Greed in Hoofington to be pulled towards the Gate. The blessings Luna called upon severed the ties that said demons had to their victims, most of whom were incarcerated at the nearby prison.

Afterwards, the pony on the bed settled down weakly, before fluttering his eyes open. His gaze settled onto the Alicorn of the Night. Softly, he said a phrase that would forever work its way into Luna’s heart.

“Thank-you, Princess. I’m sorry for what my madness has caused.”

Princess Luna turned off the projection, having shown everything she needed to. Clever Marigold shivered in real fear at what she saw. It was one thing to see something like that; however, her unique connection to the events made it so that she was actually there as it happened. Luna looked at the shivering unicorn with real sympathy. She knew that there was more than just greed fueling Marigold’s actions. “May,” she began softly, breaking into the tense silence, “if it were up to me, I’d give you a full pardon, as it’s clear that you never truly meant to harm anypony.”

She turned to one of the other reports in the third folder. “However, there is still much that needs to be addressed. Under demonic influence, some of those of your gang had laid runes that would have leveled the homes and businesses of the Bearers. Since you were the one giving them direct orders, you would have been guilty of both murder and treason had those plans come to fruition.”

The princess frowned. “Treason to such a degree is one of only three crimes Equestria still has capital punishment for. By the High Law of the Founders, you and the other lead conspirators would have been beheaded publicly in the square in Canterlot.” Before Marigold could utter an objection, Luna continued. “Yes, I know what you’re about to say. There are the courts. Attempted murder of national heroes- such as the Element Bearers and a Crown Princess -constitute treason. Such a thing is handled by representatives chosen by the essences of the Founding Six, and by myself and Princess Celestia.”

Luna took a moment to smile gently at the unicorn. “I know, however, that you yourself weren’t involved in that part of the plot.” She got up from her seat, and proceeded to hug the now sobbing pony in front of her. “The obvious love you have for your friends and family back in Las Pegasus, as well as your devotion to both Selene and Gaia kept you safe. And this in spite of the effort of those demons to infest you.” She then lifted Marigold’s head up, in order to look sternly into the unicorn’s eyes. “However, we didn’t manage to get all of those involved, and we’re missing details. Something I think you can help with.”

The Princess pointed at the application for her Lunar Guard. “I will admit to having my eye on you for quite some time,” she said. A mischievous smirk was on her muzzle as she looked at the pony nestled against her chest. “I’m only offering the other options to you because my sister begged me to. She’s trying to appease the Council, who are all in bits because of the traitors found in my sister’s Court.” Seeing the look of consideration on the mare’s face, Luna let the pony go so she could examine the perk package attached to the application.

Marigold looked over what was being offered. One passage had her blinking, before a smirk appeared on her muzzle. “You’ve already got them in protective custody, with new identities already I’d imagine.” Luna shared her smirk. “Well, I can’t say I’ve never considered being a government agent before.” She frowned. “What assurances do I have that the slate will be wiped clean once I serve whatever time you want me to serve?”

Luna frowned. “There will be some time that you will have to serve. What that will entail is largely how deep this conspiracy goes. As for your attempted actions on Ponyville, a conditional pardon will be made if you sign with me.” Her look turned stern. “If you want it to be confirmed completely, you will have to swear yourself to Princess Twilight as well.” Seeing the look of horror that appeared on the unicorn’s face, Luna chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry; you’ll find that for her, a Pinkie Promise to never hurt Ponyville or her friends again will be all that she will require.” She then giggled, a sound that was totally unlike her elegant exterior. “As a temporary resident of Ponyville, I’m sure you’re aware that nopony ever breaks a Pinkie Promise.”

A faint, but clear “Nopony!” was heard by all assembled.

Marigold looked stunned. “Well, that happened.” Shaking her head, the unicorn pulled the application towards her. Noticing that it was already filled out, she signed it with a flourish.

Luna looked at her new recruit in approval. “Good choice, My Little Pony. I know you will do all you can to repay the wrong you’ve done to help others. Let Us shoulder the burden with you.” She gathered everything up, preparing to leave. “Commander, see to it that the new recruit is taken to the barracks. I will be present in the morrow to swear her in.” She yawned loudly. “I need some rest before I have to set the moon. Good Morrow, My Little Ponies.” Giving her new recruit another hug, she teleported away.

“Fillies and Gentle-colts,” said Marigold in an awed voice, “that is the perfect example of a true Princess.” She then smiled. “I think I’m gonna love working for her.” She followed her future commanding officer to her quarters, feeling happier than she had in a long time.

Far to the north, a scream of both pain and anger was heard, as yet another plan was cut off. Yet the dark presence knew that the newest princess was still in danger, alone with only a pegasus to protect her…

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Everfree forest…

Blueblood was quickly finding out that his decision to escape into the Everfree forest was not one of the better ones he had made. Not only were the rumors of Timberwolves true- as the charred piles of wood he left behind a few moments ago would attest -there were also cockatrices present.

Coupled with all of this was the fact that the totally unfamiliar surroundings were confusing him. Blueblood’s special talent- navigation of paths wherever they were found -could only help him in situations he was familiar with.

He was dirty, hungry, and thirsty.

Even more harder to admit to even himself though, was that he was lost.

Blueblood sat down next to a gnarled tree near the path- such as it was -that he’d been following. The deepening shadows around him had become even more oppressive than they were supposed to naturally. On top of all of this, he was out of ideas.

Though Blueblood was no slouch with defensive spells- like the two he had used on the hapless Guard-stallion -he lacked the more offensive capabilities of other ponies. He was first and foremost a noble- or at least he was, once -and a business pony. That was part of the reason he had hoped to court Twilight Sparkle in his younger years, no matter what his mother had to say about her and her family.

With a unicorn as powerful as Twilight once was, he could have at last secured a much better future for him and the rest of his family. Not only that, it would have finally given him a chance to repair the damage that prior generations of inept nobles had done to Equestria. Even after learning that she was one of them wouldn’t have dissuaded him all that much. She was still powerful, and there were ways to ensure that she was properly taken care of once she had provided an heir. And then too, he could have had trained battle-unicorns to protect his interests better.

Blueblood shivered; it was getting far colder than it should have been, even with it being early spring. His breath started to steam out of his nostrils. Chills went up and down his spine, and a sharp cold pain throbbed in the base of his horn. He started to shiver out of fear now; his father’s mother had been a superstitious pony. Ordinarily, the things that were happening to him that spoke of ghosts- or worse -would be something that he would have normally scoffed at. With everything else that had happened to him so far though, he was far more inclined to believe her now.

Especially since some of the deeper shadows had both eyes, and claws. Blueblood looked again. Yes, three shadows coming closer towards him were vaguely pony-shaped, width red glowing eyes, and vicious looking spikes on their forelegs.

Blueblood realized that now was a good time to scream. So, he did so.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

Ever since they had heard the scream, both Twilight and Rainbow Dash had been moving as swiftly as they could. The dark forest was hindering them however, even with Twilight’s horn-light spell to light the way.

Rainbow noticed that there were smoldering piles of twigs in various places along the train they came upon once they had cleared the bushes. “Twilight, are those branches what I think they are?” she asked her friend.

Twilight stopped for a moment, both to orient their location with a basic ‘find lost pony’ spell-- and to answer Rainbow’s question. “Yes, they are.” Bending closer, Twilight picked one up, and saw the residue of foreign magic along one side. “That’s odd. Why are they giving off shadow magic?” Twilight looked closer at the branch. “Yes, there’s faint traces of shadow energies all over this thing.”

Rainbow noticed a branch next to one of the piles was glowing softly. That’s weird. How am I seeing that glow? Rainbow picked it up with her left wing primaries, noticing that it was cedar-wood. “Twilight, are you seeing this?”

Another scream made them look in the direction they had been heading. Rainbow was about to follow her, when something out of a nightmare dove from the treeline right at the alicorn. “Twilight, look out!” Twilight turned, then froze in terror.

The fully-formed shadowling grinned a toothy, savage smile as it saw its target right where it wanted it. Without thinking, Rainbow swung the branch at the creature; said branch was now glowing brightly.

As it hit the side of the wraith, the monster screamed in pain, before bursting apart. Before it could coalesce again, Twilight was able to shake the shadow-induced fear by summoning moonlight into her horn. Summoning a crystal staff, Twilight sent a bolt of pure moonlight at the congealing shadows. The light burned them away.

Twilight was about to move on when she spotted four more shadowlings surrounding the two of them. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Rainbow Dash had a brightly glowing object hovering next to her; however, it didn’t fully register at that moment.

Once more calling moonlight into her horn, Twilight began to defend herself against the strikes of the dark creatures. One of the ones to her immediate left fired several shadow bolts at her; a shield of love energy blocked each one, before a strike to the head rendered it into motes.

Two of the creatures ran to either side of the clearing, while the third one swung a whip-based energy bolt at Twilight. Thinking quickly, she sheathed her staff in an aura of positive energy before thickening the pool of energy in its tip. The energy whip wrapped around the staff, before being absorbed into it. The wraith followed soon after, screeching its way to Tartarus as it did.

Before Twilight could catch her breath however, two more came from the treeline; they had been summoned by the others. Whips surrounded her hooves, and a band of shadow energy lashed towards her horn.

Before either of these things could fully hamper her however, a burst of moonlight-laced wind ripped the newcomers to bits. The other two made to head back into the deep shadows. Before they were able to, a whirling dervish of branch, hoof, and wing ripped them both in half.

Rainbow came up next to Twilight. Her wings were fully extended, and glowed with moonlight. Arcane Wing? Since when did she study Arcane Wing?! Twilight shook off her confusion when she realized what Rainbow intended. Nodding with a fierce grin, Twilight crossed her crystal staff with Rainbow’s cedar branch-- which on closer examination was more along the shape of a stave itself.

Holding the two weapons aloft, Twilight and Rainbow both shouted an old prayer:

“By Selene’s Grace and Gaia’s Love, let this place be purged!”

All of the shadowlings and shadow wraiths in the immediate area were blasted by the sacred energies of two ancient spirits. Screaming, they all fled, save those that had a certain pony surrounded.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash both collapsed, taking a momentary breather. The cedar stave floating next to Rainbow pointed off to the southwest. “I think it's trying to say he’s that way,” Rainbow said in slight disbelief. “Huh, Grandpa Prism always did say Moonlight Aura had a mind of its own.” She started going in that direction, Twilight following her.

Noticing something peculiar about the wooden stave, Twilight realized that Rainbow wasn’t using wind currents to hold it up. It might have been something that once belonged to a priest; it has the look of hoof-craft about it. Odd, though; how is Rainbow tapping into the magic? Twilight shrugged a little as they made their way towards where Twilight could now sense Blueblood.

Blueblood had never been more scared in his life. He would have terrors about this night for the rest of his life, which bid fair to be short.

The creatures, numbering around twelve, had surrounded him. Had he been paying closer attention, he would have realized that the gnarled tree he was leaning against was surrounded by a pair of young cedar trees. This was keeping them from attacking.

Another creature came into the clearing. Blueblood recognized this one from history in school; a shadow wraith, priest class-- the rarest, and most dangerous of all shadowlings. A spell-caster of skill, shadow wraiths had been feared in the olden days, since objects of protection didn’t work against magic unless blessed to do so.

Snarling at its underlings, the wraith gestured at the hapless pony. None of them were willing to go any closer to the line of branches. Snarling even more, the wraith made to move forward, only to hiss in pain as the area past the line caused the creature to smoke.

The wraith shifted one of its front forehooves into a claw, and conjured a ball of fire. Not wraith or shadow fire, but real flame. Grinning madly, the wraith made to throw the fire at the leftmost tree. Before it was able to do so however, a glowing stave made up of blessed cedar-wood whipped across its shoulders. Shrieking in pain, the wraith turned around, only to see another pony enter the clearing.

Rainbow Dash held aloft her makeshift weapon, scowling at the creature that was standing before her. Since she was outside the treeline, the others made to surround her and their leader. Muttering imprecations under its breath- not realizing that there were two that could understand what was being said -the wraith made a gesture towards the shadows surrounding the pegasus.

“Not happening, mis-born.” A flaring bolt of moonlight flashed out of the tree line, striking the now hapless wraith in the center of its head. Shrieking as it dissolved, the wraith waved frantically at its fellows before disappearing. The other shadowlings started to attack en mass.

Three of them were cut to ribbons by a whirring staff of crystal, while two more were rendered into motes of shadow by bolts of moonlight. Three on the leading edge of the clearing made to move into the shadows, while another summoned another fireball.

The intensity of the shadow energy was enough to weaken the base blessing that Zecora had placed on all of the cedar groves in the Everfree. Noticing this, the one with the fireball grinned savagely, launching it into the branches of the rightmost tree. It paid for that, getting a strike across the head from Rainbow’s stave.

Rushing forward, Rainbow placed her left forehoof on the tree that was burning. Her wings blazing, Rainbow struck the ground in front of the hapless stallion with the stave. Both trees began to glow as brightly as her stave.

Those weren’t the only ones to do so. Other groves of cedar-wood and sandalwood began to glow brightly. This served to purify the shadows leading into the grove, keeping more from being summoned.

Having dealt with two of the shadowlings that were heading to the shadows surrounding the glade, Twilight turned her attention to where Blueblood was cowering. The five shadowlings left were bunched together. Shadows pooling near them demonstrated that they were about to call something worse.

“Twilight, we need to go, NOW!” Rainbow yelled at her friend in frustration. Twilight used her telekinesis to grab the stave Rainbow had been fighting with. Using her horn, Twilight sent up the ‘pony found’ flare that all Guards-ponies were taught. Placing a hoof on Blueblood, and a wing around Rainbow- noticing a blush on the pegasus’ muzzle as she did so -Twilight tapped the crystal around her neck thrice while saying, “Take us home!” A bright flash heralded a three-party teleport; the version Twilight used was cast in such a way to use the blessing of moonlight.

The rest of the mis-born creatures were burst apart. The energies of the teleport reacted positively with the blessing Rainbow Dash called. This banished the rest of the shadowlings that were following the other parties.

Equestria, Ponyville, 03-11-05 A.N.M., 4:49 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

An exhausted group of ponies were gathered around the dining table in the Palace of Friendship. One of the number was a pony that would normally not be found among this group; the hapless former Prince Blueblood.

Blueblood found the present company rather more tolerable than he would have normally. Though the mares had all had varying degrees of disgust on their faces when they had all seen him sprawled at the hooves of his now favorite princess, the look of sheer relief he sported soothed their ruffled feathers.

A round of apologies, and a letter to his lawyer in Canterlot soothed the righteous indignation of Ponyville’s mayor. Blueblood promised more than just aid to help with the rebuilding of the stockade; he also promised enough bits to give every Guards-pony involved a nice bonus- Ponyville supported the local Guard with taxes, so the aid was welcomed. Whether it was a guilt gift or not.

Having saved his life- and saved him from himself -Blueblood now considered both Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash as his personal heroines. This caused some consternation, as he was still on the fence as far as her suitability as a royal.

One dirty look that he continued to get had him worried though. The unicorn Rarity continued to give him the evil eye whenever he looked in her direction. He tried to think what he could have done to earn her ire, besides the fracas of his misguided escape. He blanched when he realized what it was; his behavior towards both her and Applejack at the last Grand Galloping Gala he attended.

Blueblood cleared his throat. “Well, I feel that there are a few things that I should apologize for,” he said in a glum voice. Turning to Applejack, he went on. “Miss Applejack, I wish to extend my apologies about the uncouth statements I made towards the merchandise you had provided the the Gala awhile back. It was unseemly of me, since I have recently found out that Sweet Apple Acres’ cider is the number one best soft seller on the market.” Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a notebook. “Ah yes, here we are. Barrels of Sweet Apple Acres last sold in the Farmer’s Market in Mareago for 384 bits a barrel last quarter.” Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Blueblood continued. “I had purchased twelve barrels, intending to determine what made it so good.”

Applejack looked at the stallion with a bit of shock on her face. “Well, ah, ya see, we don’t make enough cider during cider season on account of it only being my brother and Ah doing all the apple bucking.” She looked sheepish. “Ah’ve learned the value of asking fer help, and do so. However, mah brother has been getting on my back about hiring some help on account of out-of-town sales.”

Blueblood smiled. His talent was letting him know that here was an opportunity to pay back a lot of ponies for his earlier actions. ‘Well, Miss, I’m sure I can provide some assistance on that part.” Here he frowned. “However, it will take some time, as there are few ponies I really trust to work as liaison.” He thought for a minute, then smiled. “Of course if you will permit me Princess Twilight, I can write a letter to Auntie Celestia. I can ask her if she will appoint a liaison from your own house to oversee some of my more critical businesses.” He chucked. “I do have some assets with me however, enough to hire some workers for my new partner.”

Applejack blushed at this. Ah shoot, He done did a good thing. Ah think that we’ve been overly harsh towards him.

Blueblood turned towards Rarity, who was wearing a more neutral look on her muzzle instead of the slight sneer she had been sporting. “Miss Rarity, your designs are all the rage in Canterlot and Manehatten these days.” He then looked shamefaced. “I’d like to apologize to you for my uncouth treatment that night as well.” He looked down at his drink for a moment, then continued. “A great deal of that was an act, as it’s somewhat expected of me to act a certain way. Plus, it keeps the business sharks thinking I’m a boob, which is an advantage when I part them from their bits.” He grinned slyly at this.

“I’d like to be able to offer you assistance as well, in the form of funds to open stores in both Canterlot and Manehatten.” Blueblood’s smile grew. “I’d also like to assist in finding ponies with your unique flair that would love to train at the hooves of such a beautiful mare as you. I only wish I’d seen it all those years ago.”

All of this was unhinging Twilight, who had been suffering a great deal of backlash from this pony over the last few months. Seeing the look on Twilight’s muzzle, Blueblood made to make full apologies to her as well.

“Princess Twilight,” he said, a sad look on his muzzle, “no words save the truth, and my future actions can ever repay for what I’ve put you through.” He sighed. “I have some personal issues with rejection, and shouldn’t have held your refusals of my suit against you for so long. I should have seen it for what it really was; discomfort with a stallion trying to play politics with a mare’s love life.” He scowled. “The rest of it was just that; politics.”

Blueblood looked at Twilight with a concerned gaze. “I will admit that many of my attacks against you politically were unwarranted; however, most of them weren’t my personal beliefs. Yes, I did consider you unsuitable for your title,” he interjected to forestall a heated remark from the alicorn, “but that was because of personal issues that should have no bearing on the matter at hoof.” He smiled sadly. “Princess Twilight, I’m going to be frank with you. Many of the nobles, both young and old, are not at all pleased that there is yet another alicorn princess standing in they way of pony rule in Equestria.” He shrugged his forehooves. “Some of what I’ve stated is true; you’re young, almost too young to have the power that you have.”

Blueblood then had a sheepish, pensive expression on his muzzle. “There is one thing that didn’t occur to me for a long time.” He looked at Twilight. “You never asked for any of this, and have done all you can to insist that ponies treat you as one of them.” He sighed again. “I was pandering more my peer’s feelings on the matter more than my own, since your living in Ponyville negates most of what the other nobles can do to you anyway.”

Twilight looked at the pony that had long been a thorn in her side. Something different, a look in his eyes spoke of a change of heart. She decided to clarify something for him, something that had driven home her irritation at the noble-ponies. “Blueblood, your statement about alicorns being in the way of pony rule makes little sense.” She waved a hoof at the mayor. “Since I became an alicorn, I’ve only interfered in the running of Ponyville when there was a real threat to the town.”

Twilight looked at the stallion severely. “If you can actually see it, much of the laws in Equestria are written by ponies.” She sighed in exasperation. “Every time Princess Celestia makes a ruling that steps on the hooves of some noble, they get bent all out of shape about ‘alicorns controlling everything’, when she’s only forced to do so because of some greedy noble trying to get their hooves on bits or land that doesn’t belong to them.”

Twilight looked at the stallion sitting at her table. As irritated as she had been towards this particular pony, the attitude he had displayed since her and Rainbow had saved him made her realize that she was overly judgemental towards somepony that was no real threat to her. His comments about her orientation were nothing more than what she was already used to; while they still hurt, it wasn’t enough to continue to hold a grudge towards him. Twilight began to see the wisdom in Celestia asking her to assist Blueblood in proving himself; he was related to the princess after all.

Twilight yawned loudly before looking at the clock on the wall. “Yikes, it’s that early?! Everypony, I think we should all turn in.” She waved her horn at the table, muttering an incantation under her breath as she did so. The dishes all vanished, to be cleaned sometime later that day-- likely by Spike. “There’s a lot that we have to do to repair what the conspirators had damaged, and I need sleep before I can formulate a report to Princess Luna.”

Twilight turned towards Blueblood. “While originally I was going to send you to the halfway house prepared for you,” she began with a somewhat sheepish grin, “your apologies to myself and my friends made me see that you’re making an effort to change. You can use the guest room that Mayor Scrolls was using while her doppelganger was masquerading as her.” Blueblood nodded in thanks.

While the others- save for one -left to return to their homes, Twilight escorted the former noble-stallion to the guest quarters. Blueblood nodded his head in thanks before opening one of the doors with his magic.

“If you need to clean yourself up,” Twilight said, “there’s a bathroom attached to the suite. Sleep well.” She paused, then said more. “I’ll let you borrow Spike to send word to the princess and my parents later today. I suggest you ask my father for a liaison. Good Morrow, Bluey.”

She hasn’t called me that since we were foals, when she first became Aunt Celestia’s student. “Good Morrow, Princess Twilight. And thank-you for saving me from myself.”

Turning towards her quarters, Twilight noticed that Rainbow was following her. Raising an eyebrow, Twilight looked at the prismatic-maned pegasus.

Flushing slightly, Rainbow looked at one of the other guest rooms. “Can I crash here, Twi? It’s only gonna be a few hours before I have to get up to help move clouds.”

Twilight facehoofed. “Rainbow Dash, you don’t have to ask every time.” She pointed at one of the rooms, which had an embossed engraving of Rainbow’s cutie mark on it. Rainbow noticed that there were others that had the marks of the other Element Bearers as well. Flushing sheepishly, she walked towards what was obviously her guest bedroom.

As Twilight turned back towards her own quarters, she noticed that one of the doors to Rainbow’s room was being opened by a cerulean glow, not unlike that of a telekinetic aura. Odd. Why is Rainbow moving her door that way? Yawning loudly. Twilight made her way to her bed. I must be more tired than I thought. I’m seeing things.

Twilight couldn’t have been more right; she was seeing things. Little did she know, what she saw was exactly what it was...

Author's Notes:

I can hear the groans.

This chapter sorta reflects how I view the world; most out there just need a little crisis to redefine their place in the world.

This isn't going to change Blueblood all that much; he's still a pansy. He'll just drop the act around those he trusts. And yes, he has every intention of going into business with both Rarity and Applejack. No romance there; he's doing it to make reparations, and to turn a profit for all involved.

There's likely to be more Blueblood in the next chapter; however, he'll be more in the background, as I will be finally getting to the meat of everything; why Rainbow Dash is sporting magic other than that of a pegasus.

Credit goes to Wrabbit for Twilight's nickname for Blueblood. Credit also goes to Wrabbit for giving me the idea of redeeming Blueblood.

Credit goes to Law Abiding Pony for the idea for Arcane Wing, as that's where I first saw that type of magic.

Oh, like I'm doing with PSDAL, I have a blog here that will illustrate changes to the story. Any time I make changes, fix plot holes, or things of that nature, I'll post it there. I try to limit Author's Notes as much as I can. That is, unless it's a plot hole I'm particularly keen on pointing out.

Edit July 6th, 2016: changed a minor plot hole in one of the battle scenes. Rainbow Dash did not have a horn yet at this point. I really wish I'd spot these things sooner.

Chapter Four: Preparing For the Journey

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Equestria, Ponyville, 03-11-05 A.N.M., 10:16 A.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

You would think that with all of the crazy stuff that has happened since Twilight Sparkle moved to Ponyville, that its citizenry would be used to and would tolerate more crazy stuff happening.

You’d be half right; yes, they were used to it. Did they tolerate it?

Not at all. They simply put up with as much as they could. When it became too much, they complained to the mayor. Not that she did much.

Since Ponyville was more or less run by the heads of those families that founded it, Mayor Scrolls had very little authority. And now, since a doppelganger had been masquerading as her for almost eight months, she stood to lose more; her seat.

That is, until Princess Twilight put her hoof down.

“No! I will not permit this! And unless you relish the idea of a bunch of ‘post juvenile mares’ running this town, you will listen to what I have to say!”

The one trick that Twilight had picked up from working clandestinely with Princess Luna these past few months that she had little occasion to use was the Royal Canterlot Voice. Fortunately for most, she’d not had much opportunity to use it.

Unfortunately for a certain stallion, he was bearing the full fury of it.

Once it was done, Filthy Rich made to comment. “Now see here, Princess-- *urk*!” Before he was able to elaborate, his muzzle was clamped shut with magic, and he was lifted by magic to the muzzle of one seriously steamed alicorn.

“You. Will. Listen. Filthy. Rich.” These words, even though they weren’t shouted, were nonetheless intense enough to cause the stallion to sweat-- though he was already doing so, as it was a little hard for him to breathe.

Twilight released her hold on his neck; however, the muzzle-spell was still active. Rich tried to cancel the spell with the dispelling rune on his left hindhoof, only to have the magic that now protected town hall dissolve it.

“Up until now, I have done little to interfere in the running of Ponyville, save to assist in organizing Winter Wrap-Up.” Her expression hardened from a severe look to a scowl. “I’ve been handling things like that for several reasons.”

Twilight held up a hoof to enumerate each reason. “First, my family has avoided any kind of political activity like parasprites. Shining Armor’s position was guaranteed without politicking because the Royal Guard doesn’t fall under the aegis of any Council.” Her scowl lessening somewhat, she continued. “Second, this town has been traditionally run by earth ponies since it was founded over fifty years ago. I’m not one to stand on tradition,”- she smirked briefly while she said this - “but even I can recognize the importance of such a tradition.”

Twilight’s severe expression returned. “When those of the mayor’s contacts that she could trust came back with the evidence concerning what was planned, I naturally turned to the representative of this town’s council, who in his infinite wisdom convinced both me and the mayor to agree to the tentative plans we had been given.”

Twilight rounded on the still-struggling stallion. “Were you aware that the initial tunnels were dug directly under the homes of my friends? You should have been, as I pointed it out to you. Were you aware that that first survey team laid sabotage runes in those tunnels, with enhancements that would have ensured the houses above them fell?” Her expression became one of intense anger. “Or that they were set to trigger when myself, all of my friends and their families were in the rooms most at risk?”

Finally able to speak, Rich did his best to appease the rest of the stallions present- who were really only present because he was blackmailing them -and the angry mare in front of him. “I wasn’t completely aware of the risks involved. I’m a business pony; my talent lies in making deals, not in mining.”

Twilight snorted. “I pointed the risks out to you. By that time, I was fully aware that there was more going on than what was being said. That’s why I convinced this council to vote against the proposal. Afterwards, the threats made towards Scrolls were enough to convince me that something very sinister was planned. I wasn’t aware of the runes at that time.”

Twilight was interrupted by Amethyst Star, who passed her a folder that one of Princess Luna’s Guard had just handed her. Reading the documents with first dismay then anger, Twilight glared at Rich. “Somepony doesn’t know when to stop,” she snarled at him. “Somepony thinks he’s better at running this town than this council, or me and my friends. Somepony thinks that his money can buy him whatever he wants.” She then grinned a mirthless, evil smirk.

“Somepony has just had his assets frozen by Royal Edict, and will be arrested for blackmail and fraud. Guards!”

All the other stallions except Big Macintosh- who was unaffected now that Blueblood was investing in his farm -made to object, their expressions angry. The next words that came from the muzzle of the irate alicorn before them quelled whatever they had to say.

“This council, save for the hereditary seats held by the Quills, Apples, and Turners is hereby dissolved until the next general election. That will be whenever Scrolls decides, as she is now my Royal Chancellor. Good day sirs, I have a stockade that needs rebuilt.” So saying, Twilight stalked off, reminding every pony present that though she was the Princess of Friendship, she was still an alicorn.

And as everypony knows; once you get under their skin, alicorns have a nasty temper.

While Twilight was busy dealing with the fallout of the conspiracy, a certain stallion was monitoring the movement of several pieces of his furniture that had recently been express airlifted to Ponyville. Though his guest suite was superb, he preferred to be in his own home, one decorated to his own standards. Blueblood felt it was necessary to move out of Twilight’s palace as soon as possible, in order to salvage what he could of his reputation; also, he intended to start demonstrating to others that he had changed.

Some of the furniture that he was bringing was unsuitable for his needs; however, it was more than serviceable for the local halfway house, which was making due with whatever the local furniture sales-pony- one Quills -was providing. Needless to say, this was hardly serviceable at a dive bar.

Blueblood likely realized that the house hadn’t seen any use for years, if at all. What evidence had been gathered had shown that it was an idea that Filthy Rich had had. Suffice it to say, he had bought some of the low-grade furniture available, then donated it to the house, along with the Guards barracks. Blueblood intended to do right by his new town- nothing new, since he also did the same for his old Canterlot neighborhood -so he was providing the bits for new furniture and equipment for the guards-stallions and guards-mares that helped to protect this town.

Blueblood’s business assistant- who had finally arrived this morning -was nattering in his ear about the overweening amount of bits that he had pulled out some of his lesser business deals. The complaints were beginning to annoy him. This particular assistant wasn’t the one that he had wanted; Quick Quills was far more efficient than this patsy. No, this one was foisted off on him by his Board of Directors, and was a spy for his mother. Quills was on her way now; he intended to send this one packing once she got here. I’m also going to take her out, like I promised before I was sent here. There are a few restaurants around here that are ritzy enough for her without being too plebeian- ahem -common for me. Not that that is a bad thing; I’m starting to see that I’ve been missing a great deal of business by rejecting Ponyville out of hoof.

The complaints of the board lackey continued unabated. Blueblood wanted to facehoof; here he was using his own bits to fix some of the damage he caused, and he had others complaining about it. It was truly ironic, considering the board wouldn’t be there had he not been trying to play politics instead of running his companies.

Turning, Blueblood saw Quick Quills coming from the direction of the Ponyville Rail Station. Smiling far less haughty than he would have even twelve hours ago, he greeted the unicorn mare. Blueblood whistled for one of the longshores-ponies nearby to take her luggage. “Can you please deliver it to the palace, my good sir?” he asked the stallion-- tossing him a small bag containing four one-hundred bit coins. The stallion grinned, nodding-- he’d already made more helping Blueblood this morning than he ever did working on at the station.

Quills looked gratefully at Blueblood. Her expression turned long-suffering at the lackey, who was now complaining about the fact that Blueblood was giving these plebeian work-ponies more money than was in the budget. Blueblood was happy; now that Quills was here, he could finally get rid of the irritant bore.

“Well, considering that your tab at the most expensive restaurant in this town is thrice what I’ve been paying these ponies- who have been working far harder than the both of us -I don’t see what the problem is.” Blueblood wanted to smirk at the wannabe-ponce, but kept his expression neutral. “You seem to forget that these are my personal funds I’ve been spending.” He looked at his left forehoof briefly before looking levelly at the colt.

Turning at a shout, the ponies saw a huffing dragonling running towards him. Smiling, Blueblood took the small stack of scrolls Spike was carrying; the little drake had been quite useful to him. Blueblood levitated a bag of mixed gems- star sapphires, rubies, and emeralds -over to Spike in payment for all of his help. “Let your employer that you’ve been a great help, my good sir.”

Blueblood cracked the seal of the first scroll, which bore his aunt’s seal. Unfurling the scroll, Blueblood read its contents with an air of surprise.

Dear Nephew,

I have been in contact with both Princess Twilight and Princess Luna concerning your involvement in the fallout of this regrettable conspiracy. Twilight has told me that you have spent a small fortune in bits already in assistance.
Whether you are doing this out of guilt- or because you have finally seen the light -matters little; the fact remains that you are doing it. I am pleased that you have seen fit to lend what small aid you could.
It concerns me that the Council of Eight banned you from Canterlot for as long as they did-- not because I feel that you do not deserve it mind, but because there are many who will lose their jobs should any of your businesses fail due to the lack of your presence. I reluctantly accept that you are willing to make amends by accepting it; however I am lifting it for two weeks so that you have time to settle your affairs. Use the time wisely.
Understand nephew; I have never stopped loving you, and have always been sad at how you most recently treated Princess Twilight. I remember with fondness the way you two first acted around each other. She once told me that she did not need very many friends because she had Cadance, her brothers, and you. I hope those memories will come to the forefront now, and I am proud that you have accepted the consequences of your actions.
You are a suitable candidate for House Lemyre; while it is not the House your mother thinks you should have, it is nonetheless a house of worth. Continue making me proud nephew. I hope to see you at Pony Joe’s in two days time.

Sincerely,
Aunt Celestia

Blueblood looked up from reading the scroll; a look of pleased shock was still on his muzzle. After all I’ve done, Auntie Tia says she’s proud of me? Shaking off his shock, Blueblood handed the other scrolls- along with the clipboard of the hapless lackey -to Quills. “My dear Quick Quills, could you make certain that these are all what I’ve been waiting for? There’s much I have to do within the next couple of days before I return to Canterlot.”

Quills was shocked, until she read the opened scroll. Nodding, she took all of it in her own magic. Turning to the lackey- who was looking like a fish out of water, mouth closing and opening in shock -she made her way to a nearby bench to start her job. Nodding as she read each scroll, she marked off the tasks as ‘paid in full’ as she came to each one.

Blueblood turned to the lackey, who was still looking like it started raining frogs. “Well, it seems as if your services are no longer required.” Levitating his checkbook and a pen out of his saddlebags, Blueblood wrote out a check that he considered small potatoes. Ripping it off, he handed it to the colt. “Severance pay; I’m sure the amount is far more than what either the former Board or my mother ever paid you.” He then stuck his muzzle in the colt’s. “If it weren’t for your grandsire, I wouldn’t have given you any. Go find something that’s more suitable to do besides being a spy and yes-colt.”

Blueblood walked over to sit next to Quills, admiring the way the sun glinted off her mane. I wouldn’t have thought it, but getting sent to Ponyville is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Quills smiled at the stallion before continuing her work; both were happy that they had a chance to make a better life for themselves.

Equestria, Ponyville, 03-11-05 A.N.M., 12:47 P.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

The last several hours had been very trying for Twilight. Not only did she have to deal with the fallout of the conspiracy to level Ponyville, she also had to deal with a lawsuit leveled at her by Filthy Rich, who was peripherally involved in that whole mess.

Then there was the inevitable confrontation with Ponyville Town Council, who were not at all happy with her interference in their running of Ponyville. It was only when she pointed out that Ponyville fell in her demesne- along with Appleloosa, Las Pegasus, Hoofington, Dodge Junction, and Trottingham -was she able to shut them up. She was forced to send numerous letters to name relatives of her friends as pro-tem Councilors for Hoofington, as it was found out that members of that city’s Council was involved in the conspiracy.

Then there was the damage to the stockade and Guard barracks. While she was expecting there to be some damage, the damage that was actually done was far in excess of what had been expected. It was not outside of what they prepared for, however. Twilight smirked; Princess Luna’s suggestion that they prepare for unexpected difficulties actually panned out.

Twilight made her way from the dining room to the kitchen. Her friends had been a great help with the clean-up. They had originally planned to have the weekly Friendship Council meeting today. With everything else going on though, it looked like it would have to be shuffled aside.

Placing her plate into the sink for Spike to clean later, Twilight noticed that there was a saucepan there as well. Who else is here? I could have sworn that Rainbow Dash left this morning; she wasn’t in her room when I checked on her. Sighing in exasperation, Twilight made her way to her library.

Thinking about Rainbow Dash made her realize that there was some things about the fight that morning that were odd. Twilight detoured to her second lab, and retrieved both her crystal staff and the stave of wood that Rainbow had been fighting with. Her horn glowing, Twilight examined what had at first appeared as a stick.

On a closer perusal, Twilight could see that it was in fact a cedar-wood stave, the kind that earth pony sages were said to have carried. There were carvings along the bottom, near a point that was smoother than the rest. She could feel her earth pony magic resonating with it.

Twilight used another spell, one that determined what kinds of magical residue could be found on an object.

Some of the mana was obviously earth-based in nature. Looking closer at the runes, Twilight realized that they were Zebra in origin. It didn’t have the look of something that Zecora would use. A curious blue glow suffused it where the ‘handle’ was. The flavor of magic was obviously Rainbow Dash’s; however, it wasn’t from a wind-based levitation spell. The residue was from concentrated levitation, more along the lines of a unicorn.

Twilight dropped the stave in shock; there was no mistaking it, this stave was made to channel and reflect the magic of whoever wielded it. But that’s impossible! The only way for Rainbow to be able to levitate anything was if she was either a unicorn, alicorn, or pegacorn…

Then, Twilight remembered seeing how Rainbow closed her bedroom door. Panicking slightly, Twilight cast a basic diagnostic spell, one that could be used to determine traces of mana. The palace began to glow softly, different auras becoming apparent.

Most she recognized as her friends. Some other ponies were present; the mayor was prominent in a few of the rooms she had used while she hid here. Still others had that distinct dragon flavor; Spike’s mana was all over the place, as he had recently been going through a late growth spurt.

One cerulean glow was all over, and was extremely bright. This was Rainbow’s mana. Twilight started to panic more; it scaled all over the place. Though obviously it was because she mostly flew everywhere, the mana itself was a mixture of all pony types.

Before Twilight could panic any further, she remembered the breathing exercises that Cadance had taught her. Okay Twilight, let’s think this through. Panicking isn’t going to help Rainbow at all. Casting a basic locator spell- the same one she had used to find Blueblood -Twilight’s horn pointed in the direction of her library. Walking as calmly as she could, she made her way towards her friend. She brought along the stave, knowing that Rainbow was going to need proof.

Twilight found her prismatic-maned friend at one of her reading tables. The books strewn around the pegasus weren’t adventure novels- Rainbow had recently branched out from Daring Do, at Daring’s prompting - but looked like non-fiction texts. Looking closer, Twilight realized that some were Pony-Fu manuals, while others were encyclopedias. Wings fidgeting, Rainbow read from the one in front of her, while two more slid down from the pile next to her.

Before they were able to drop, a cerulean aura wrapped around them and pulled them back in place. Twilight stared. Rainbow hadn’t even noticed what she had done; she was too busy taking notes on what she was reading.

Twilight cleared her throat. Rainbow looked up sharply; her muzzle bore a fetching blush as she realized that she had been caught being an egghead. “Um, hi Twi,” she said sheepishly. “I had the day off today as it’s a light weather day, and I kinda go curious about something that happened in that fight this morning.”

Rainbow lifted one of the books; its cover bore the title True Creatures of Myth: Seventh Abridged Edition by Professor Stalwart A.C.E. She opened it to the passage that described shadowlings. “I went around asking about these things, and everypony I asked thought I was trying to be funny,” she said, a dark look crossing her muzzle. “You were busy with the mayor and council, and I couldn’t find Zecora. So, I just did what I thought Twilight Sparkle would do; I looked them up.” She looked up at Twilight with a sheepish, yet proud grin.

Twilight shook her head to clear it. Still holding the two staves, Twilight moved a little closer. Clearing her throat, Twilight tried to speak as normally as she could. “Rainbow, has anything, well, odd happened to you lately? I mean, besides having to fight other-planar creatures,” she said the last sheepishly.

Rainbow’s muzzle scrunched up a little. “Well, other than my wings hurting more than usual, and having to eat more than I usually do, no. Why are you asking Twi?” She looked at the staves that Twilight had levitating next to her. “Oh, you saved it! Cool, I wanted a better chance to look at it!” Rainbow made to get up, but a wave of Twilight’s hoof stayed her. Looking confused, Rainbow sat back down. Her confusion only mounted when Twilight continued.

“No Rainbow, I didn’t mean physically.” Then Twilight frowned, before gulping a little. “Though, now that you’ve said that, it’s only adding to the problem.” Twilight moved away from the door, walking towards a more open area. “What I’m asking is if you’ve done anything else odd lately.”

Rainbow frowned. “Besides read books written by eggheads?” She shook her head, getting irritated at her friend. “Look, I may be having a few growing pains Twi. I mean, sure, what I did at the fight this morning was a little more odd than usual. I haven’t had many chances to use Arcane Wing.” She looked down for a moment. “Good thing too; non-military ponies get scared when an Arcane Wing Master is around.”

Twilight facehoofed. “She thinks that her Arcane Wing is the only odd thing she’s done,” Twilight muttered. She turned in exasperation, still doing all she could to fight off the rising panic. Realizing that there was little she could do to get her stubborn friend to notice, Twilight tossed the cedar-wood stave right at Rainbow’s nose.

Rainbow’s attention zoomed to the object hurtling towards her. Not able to duck in time, she stopped it with her mind. In shock, she realized what she just did. The stave dropped in front of her.

“What the hay was THAT?!” Rainbow shouted in both fear and anger. “What did I just do?!”

Twilight looked at her now panicking friend. “You just used levitation to block that. Just as you levitated those books that were about to fall. And just like you levitated your bedroom door open and closed this morning.” Twilight’s own panic was waning in the face of her logic. “You also did the same with that stave while you were fighting this morning.”

Twilight walked over and placed one of her wings in comfort around the panicking pegasus. “You also somehow used the power in it to channel the blessings that Zecora placed on the trees near where we found Bluey.” Rainbow looked at her friend, tears trailing down her muzzle.

“Twilight, what’s happening to me?”

Twilight paused. “Well, unless I’m mistaken, you’re displaying a mixture of pony mana,” she said. “Not pegasi, not earth pony, not unicorn.” She used her magic to levitate a hoofkerchief to Rainbow, wiping her friends’ streaming eyes. “It’s not alicorn mana either Rainbow.”

Rainbow looked at her friend, fearing what she was about to say.

“I’ll need to examine you completely to be sure, but I think it’s pegacorn mana.”

Of all the things that Twilight could have said, none were more shocking to Rainbow than that. “P-pegacorn mana?” she stuttered. “H-how am I g-giving off pegacorn mana?” Rainbow looked confused. “And how are p-pegacorns any different than the rest of us?”

Twilight didn’t answer right away. Walking over to the reference section, she looked for a specific book, only to realize that it was already on the table-- her copy of A Guide to the Pony Tribes. Lifting the hefty tome in her magic, she opened it to the very first section. “This only has the most basic description of what a pegacorn is.” Turning her attention to the book, she began to read,

Pegacorn:
Not to be confused with winged unicorns, pegacorns are a rare breed of pony. Alluded to be the ancestors of the other tribes, this breed exhibits traits of all of the other breeds. Characterized by high levels of mana, often breaking out in many different ways.
Past members of this tribe have exhibited unique characteristics. Often far more altruistic than other tribes, pegacorns are known for their adherence to the core Equestrian virtues. Another characteristic is their difficulty using specific types of mana.
Most pegacorns born in the past were thought to have been disabled. Indeed, the common belief is that the pegacorn is a faulty half-breed, neither unicorn nor pegasi. However, there is a fact that separates a true pegacorn apart from the other tribes; their lifespan.
Pegacorns age 1/7 of the rest of the pony tribes after adolescence. While they won’t live forever, they will live on the order of centuries, unless they ascend.
Notable pegacorn ascensions:
Princess Celestia Dos Everfree
Princess Lunara Dos Everfree
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza Crystalia
Princess Twilight Amelia Sparkle Armor
A more in depth analysis of the pegacorn is available to those with a xenobiological degree. Contact the Royal Archives for more information.

Twilight looked mad. Flipping to the front of the book, she looked at the date stamp. When she saw the date, she facehoofed in aggravation. Turning, she saw that Rainbow was smirking despite her tears.

“Twilight Amelia Sparkle Armor? Now I know why you just go by Twilight.” Rainbow couldn’t keep the grin off her muzzle. Her amusement was short-lived however. “What does it mean though Twi?”

Twilight sat the book down. “I don’t really know the particulars. I never asked the princess, and Cadance doesn’t talk about her childhood much.” She levitated a scroll over. “I’m not even sure if you’re turning into a pegacorn or not. I have to ask Princess Celestia to be sure.”

Rainbow paled. “Please Twilight, don’t tell anypony what’s happening! Not even the Princess.” She got up and started to pace. “I mean, it’s not that I don’t trust her or our friends, but this is personal! What if everypony thinks I’m a freak or something? What’ll I tell my parents? What’ll I tell Scootaloo?”

Twilight looked glum, as Rainbow’s actions confirmed her suspicions. “Well, I’m still not 100% sure, but if you don’t want anypony to know, I can keep it a secret for now.” Twilight walked over to her friend. “Rainbow, how long have you been having wing aches like you described?”

Rainbow thought for a moment. “About the last week or so,” she said. She realized that they started about the same time as the recurring dream that she was having. She started to pale as she remembered something else. “Um, Twi, those times you mentioned weren’t the only time I levitated anything.” Trying her best not to panic, she went on. “Yesterday morning, I pulled a bag of peanuts out of my cupboards in the same way.”

Twilight made some rough calculations. “Well, given that your mana has already accelerated to its current state, I’d say that you don’t have very long before other changes start to take place.” Looking closer, Twilight noticed that the primaries of Rainbow’s wings were noticeably longer. The wings were fuller too, with twice as much plumage as normal. “In fact, some of them have already begun, as your wings are starting to look more like mine.”

Rainbow Dash flared them out in panic. A bright cerulean flash came from them. Blinking, Twilight looked at them in astonishment. “You’re accelerating even faster than I thought,” she said in shock. “You just cast a unicorn-based disguise spell.”

Twilight looked closer. “No, wait. It’s a disguise spell, but it’s using pegasi mana.” She looked excited. “This is so fascinating! I mean, using unicorn mana to create a storm is one thing. Casting disguise magic using pegasi mana? The scholars at my old school would have a fit if they knew it was possible!”

Rainbow yelped as Twilight pulled one of her down feathers off. “Hey! Watch it egghead!”

Twilight looked at her friend irritably. “Oh Rainbow, you were going to molt that one anyway. How else am I supposed to study the mana lines?”

“Well, how would you have liked it if I just plucked one of your feathers without so much as a by-your-leave? In case you haven’t figured it out yet, pegasi are sensitive about their wings,” Rainbow snarked.

Twilight started to blush. “Oh, I’m sorry Rainbow. I should have asked first.” She would have continued if her friend hadn’t started laughing. She stuck her tongue out at the prismatic mare.

“Oh, you should have seen the look on your face!” Chortling, Rainbow made to straighten out the mess she had made. She used her hooves, not realizing at first that she was also levitating some of the books into piles. “Ugh, this is weird.” Rainbow turned to her friend. “How come I’m doing this without thought anyway?”

Twilight looked up from her examination. “Well,” she said offhoofedly, “telekinesis is one of the first things unicorns learn. Also, you’ve had mastery of your mana for quite some time.” She then looked stern. “Rainbow, don’t try to levitate anything before I have a chance to really teach you how. Right now, everything you’re doing is instinctive, much like what Pound and Pumpkin do. If you force it, you’ll break out all over the place. Like Scootaloo does with her flying.”

Rainbow snorted. “Yeah, I keep telling Scoots that she’s trying too hard. Course, they do that all the time in Flight School. Once I did my first Sonic Rainboom, I realized they had nothing more to teach me.” She frowned. “I only stayed as long as I did after that because of Grandpa Prism.”

Twilight smiled at that. “Let’s get this all cleaned up, then find Spike. There’s a lot we need to test if I’m going to help you, especially if you’re going to persist in hiding it.” She looked at her friend sternly as they gathered up the books Rainbow had been perusing. “By my calculations, you have about a month before the changes are complete. This time next week, your horn will likely start to grow.”

Twilight made to hug her friend when she saw the expression of fear Rainbow was wearing. “I’m sorry if I’m scaring you Rainbow. Just know that I and Spike will be there for you.” Rainbow looked at her friend, frowning at the mention of Spike. “Rainbow Dash, i don’t hide stuff from Spike, else he doesn’t make a good assistant. There’s things I’ve told him that I’ve never told Cadance, and I’ve confided things to her that my mother doesn’t know.” She smiled. “Besides, he’s not a pony. If you get him to swear on his Dragon’s Honor, he can’t tell a soul.”

“Won’t or can’t Twi? Cause that sounds like a Pinkie Promise,” Rainbow replied, still a little irritated in that Twilight wanted to tell Spike.

“Can’t, Rainbow Dash. His magic prevents the words from leaving his mouth unless you say so in his presence.” Twilight smirked. “Oh yes, I’ve confirmed it. He once was unable to tell my mother that I broke Bluey’s study window because I got him to swear on his honor to wait until I had the bits to pay for it.” She smiled reminiscently. “We were both grounded for a month after that, though it was lifted once Princess Celestia got word.” She grinned viciously at the surprised look on Rainbow’s muzzle. “It wasn’t my parents that grounded me, but Bluey’s mother. I heard the shouting all the way from the train station. We were leaving to go on vacation at the time.”

Twilight frowned. “I always despised that mare. Honestly, half the problems that Bluey has is because of that bitch.” She shrugged. “Anyway, he’ll be back soon, and I’d like this all cleaned up before he gets here.” She made to hug her friend again. “Don’t worry Rainbow; the testing won’t take all that long. It’s just mostly to confirm the level of pegacorn mana in your body, and the rate of change.” She then smiled slyly. “I’ll even give you time to tell Scoots if you want.

Rainbow blinked at that. “Yeah, I think I will tell Squirt. Better she hears it from me before anypony else. Flutters too, as she and I’ve been friends since Flight School. I wish Gilda and I were still friends, cause she’d like to know this too.” She didn’t notice the sad smile on Twilight’s muzzle.

Well, that last statement confirms it. They’re always willing to let those closest to them know. Now if there was only a way I could get Cadance involved; she’s a better choice than Princess Celestia, as she’s nearer our age.

After the pair of them cleaned up all of the books, they sat around waiting for Spike to get back from helping the mayor. Twilight was reading the book on mythical beasts, grumbling about the lack of an entry on darklings.

Rainbow Dash was reading the Pony-Fu Manual. Her wings would briefly flare from time to time. Twilight smirked a little as she noticed this, as it was yet another confirmation of Rainbow’s changing nature.

Further reading on their part was cut short by Spike’s arrival. And he wasn’t alone. Following the drake were three ponies who looked quite familiar.

The first was a unicorn mare that Twilight thought she had seen the last of-- Clever Marigold. The other two were a shock.

Twilight got up and hugged the unicorn, then the pegasus. Then she bowed cheekily, grinning as she did so. “Rainbow Dash, I’d like to introduce you to two of my Canterlot friends: Sunny Days, and Bright Moonlight.” She raised an eyebrow sardonically as she said this.

Rainbow looked at the pair. Since she knew that Twilight didn’t have many friends before she came to Ponyville, she was a little confused. That is, until she got a closer look at the pair of ponies. She then smirked, as hiding their natures wasn’t working very well since their colors were still the same.

“Hello Princesses,” Rainbow said, a sneaky grin on her muzzle. “If you’re trying to go incognito, it works better if you change your coat colors.”

‘Bright Moonlight’ just rolled her eyes at this. ‘Sunny Days’ looked a little stern, before she cast a barrier around the palace. Once it was up, she- and the pegasus -began to change. Before too long, the Diarchs of Equestria stood before those assembled.

“I apologize for the ruse, My Little Ponies. However, something has recently come up missing.” Celestia looked around, before settling her gaze on the cedar-wood stave sitting next to Rainbow Dash. “Well, this is unexpected.”

The princess walked over to the stave. “Well, this confirms it.” She then looked at the two Element bearers. “Which one of you first came in contact with this staff?”

Rainbow flushed. “I kinda found it in the woods near where we found Blueblood this morning.” She ran a hoof over it, a little possessive. “Is it important, Princess?’

Luna looked at the pegasus closely. “Yes, Rainbow Dash, it is important. This stave was enchanted by a great unicorn shaman.” She walked over to where the others were standing, motioning Marigold to follow. Twilight made to stop her, scowling a bit; a severe frown from the Night Princess stopped her.

Luna pointed at the scrollwork that adorned the stave, which was even more extensive than it was earlier. Twilight was shocked at this. “This shaman was one of the preeminent wraith hunters of his time. He was more than that though, as was his student.” Here she teleported a book, one that Twilight thought destroyed.

Luna smirked at the expression of relief on Twilight’s muzzle. “Oh come now, Twilight. Did you really think that Star Swirl would let his last, great work be destroyed from one of his weakest foes?” She grinned at the shocked look the young alicorn gave her. Her grin turned sly as she saw the resigned look on her sister’s muzzle. “Tirek was only a threat to us because he carried our Little Ponies’ magic. Had he not, we’d have sent him back to Tartarus with little effort.”

“That is neither here nor there, sister,” Celestia said severely. “What this all means however, is that some things that are worse than even Discord at his worst are now freeing themselves.” She levitated- with difficulty- the stave up to her eye level. “Star Swirl is often considered the greatest unicorn wizard that had ever lived, yet few realized that he didn’t come to unicorn magic naturally.” She floated the stave over to Rainbow Dash, who had the presence of mind to grab it with her hooves instead of her new magic.

“He was first trained as a unicorn sage long before he began his studies in pony magic,” Luna stated, continuing where her sister left off. “He had enchanted this stave to respond to the presence of shadow wraith mana, and to the presence of one that could fight such creatures.” Turning to Twilight, Luna frowned. “When I sensed its presence this morn, I realized that the demons I fought in Hoofington recently were no fluke.”

Celestia took up the thread. “This is a concern, as it means that the seals placed on the Gates of Tartarus are beginning to weaken.” She pointed in the direction of the mountains south of Ponyville. “The main Gate is that way of course. However, there are others outside of Equestria.” She looked sad for a moment. “Despite my best efforts, I’ve never been able to convince the Keepers to completely close the Gates. Only Cerberus seems fit to head our warnings.” She grumbled a little, knowing it was his lack that allowed Tirek to escape.

Shaking her head a little, Celestia continued. “What this means for the three of you,” pointing her hoof at the young alicorn, unicorn, and pegasus in question, “is that you will have to journey north.” She then teleported another tome; this one had Twilight gasping in shock.

Celestia nodded. She floated the tome over to her former pupil. “Know this, Princess Twilight. I had hoped that you would never be asked to fight like my sister and I have had to,” she said sadly. “Nor do I feel at all comfortable in sending you and your friend in danger with little more than a spy to assist you.” Her gaze turned stern as she looked at Clever Marigold. “I have little choice though, as the words in that book do not pertain to me.” She frowned. “Damn his beard, but Starry could be quite ambiguous at times; this is not one of those times.”

She then made to hug all three of the ponies. “I am sending you all into more danger than any of you have a right to expect,” she said, a sniffle in her voice. “Know that you go with the Blessing of Solaris.” She turned so that they couldn’t see her tears.

Luna hugged them in turn as well. “The Blessing of Selene is with you three as well. Keep in touch as long as you can.” The Princess of the Moon made no effort to hide her own tears.

Before the two made to leave, they crossed horns; a glow of combined sunlight and moonlight suffused the area between their horns. When it cleared, a long object made of crystal hovered before the assembled ponies. Clever Marigold took this in her telekinesis without complaint, as she knew that was part of her duties. She bowed to her Princess.

The two royal alicorns briefly bowed before resuming their disguises; Rainbow was nonplussed as to how they were affecting the change.

Twilight watched her princesses leave with a heavy heart. Turning to her assistant, she made the first of many plans. “Spike, there was going to be some other things that you were going to do for us.” She sighed. “All of that will have to wait until we get back though. I need you to gather our friends.” She pushed her brother towards the palace door. “Have them meet us at Sugarcube Corner in one hour.”

Spike nodded before scampering off. Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at the other pony; neither one was at all happy that they were in the unbound presence of a traitor.

“Look,” Marigold said, holding up a badge. “I’m sure you know what this means.” Twilight gasped as she looked at it. “That’s right, Princess. I may have done some stupid things, but I never wanted to hurt anypony.” She shuddered. “Once I found out just how close I came to possession myself, I swore to do all I could to bring those responsible down.” She hefted the crystalline object she held in her magic. “I’m to take you as far as Trottingham, where I was hired. That book,” she nodded at the book that the princess had given Twilight, “said that ‘the crystalline form will release what it contains in the place where the evil contract was signed.’”

Marigold huffed. “I’m only involved because my badge flashed as My Sovereign read that passage.” Twilight looked shocked. “Yes, My Sovereign; I’ve been a devotee of both Gaia and Selene since I was a foal. How else do you think a unicorn could become skilled with runes?”

She teleported a map. “Here’s where I’m to take you,” she said, pointing at a spot north of Trottingham. “Once I get you there and this thing opens, you’re on your own.” She then teleported three torcs. “These will allow us to send word to My Sovereign and Her sister, since we can’t take your dragon Princess Sparkle.” The last was said in grudging respect.

Donning their torcs, the ponies moved to gather everything else they would need for their journey. That took awhile for Twilight, until Rainbow Dash told her to limit it to three reference books.

Marigold was already prepared. Not only did she have a Royal Expense Account, she also had a bottomless bag that carried enough provisions to last a month. She only smirked at the expression on Twilight’s face; such things required access to materials that only the princesses knew where to find to make; thus there were few of them.

Rainbow flew off as they made their way to Sugarcube Corner, looking for a certain orange pegasus filly. The other two shook their heads in amusement.

Twilight found herself thinking about all that had happened the day before. She started to smirk as she realized that the pony next to her hadn’t tried hard enough to get away. “You know, I thought you were smarter than you let on,” she said to Marigold, grinning. “I was right. You didn’t want to do all you did, did you.” The last was more of a statement than a question.”

Marigold smirked. “Oh, I did. I just realized I had a snowball’s chance in Tartarus in actually succeeding.” She frowned. “Nor did I want anypony to be hurt. I may have some problems with greed, but that’s only because I had little growing up.” She then looked at the princess. “I’ll be honest; when I found out just who was involved, I nearly backed out.” Huffing in annoyance, she continued. “I only relented when they convinced me that an academic like yourself would be blind to a subtle conspiracy like that. I completely forgot what Papa always told me. ‘Never look down on academics, May,’ he would say. ‘You never know when their smarts will turn to wisdom.’ I should have listened to my instincts.” Shaking her head ruefully, Marigold chuckled along with the princess.

Before they entered the shop, Twilight stopped the unicorn. “We need to be friends before we go on this journey,” she said softly. “Apologize to my friends for your actions if you wish, but know that I’ve forgiven you.” She then frowned. “You were lucky that the damage was minor; you’ll have an easier time than Trixie getting them to accept you.”

Marigold nodded. They made their way to meet with Twilights friends; both knowing that this wouldn’t be the last hard thing they would have to do.

While Twilight was busy introducing Marigold to the rest of her friends, Rainbow Dash was doing everything she could to find Scootaloo. The little pegasus was being especially hard to find this time, however.

When she asked Scootaloo’s parents, the earth ponies told her that they hadn’t seen her since that morning. “She’s, well, she’s going through some difficulties right now. I think her wings have been hurting her for some reason.” Lily looked at the prismatic pegasus that had done so much to give her little treasure joy. “Her friends might know where she is. I just hope she’s not getting covered in more tree sap.” Both ponies rolled their eyes at that, chuckling. The CMC could get into some of the oddest situations while trying to get their cutie marks.

“I haven’t seen any of them at all, not since yesterday anyway,” Rainbow said. “I’ll look around the river leading to WhiteTail Woods; that’s one of Squirt’s favorite places to practice her scooter tricks.” Lily nodded

Leaving her ‘sister’s’ home, Rainbow made her way towards Whitetail Woods. Along the way, she thought about what she was going to say to the little pegasus. Scootaloo went for what she wanted with a single-mindedness that was both humbling and utterly adorable. And through it all, she managed to have as much fun as she could.

As the Woods got closer, Rainbow made to land. She noticed that there was a stage of some kind along the northern bank of the river. Flying in for a closer look, Rainbow was shocked to see several of the town foals in front of the stage.

The stage itself was a masterpiece of construction, especially with its current unfinished look. She was able to see that it was remarkably sturdy, given that there were several large pieces of equipment- and several more foals -on its main part. Three of those foals were infamous around Ponyville for being demons of destruction. The others were classmates.

Rainbow winged in for a landing. Only partially aware that she was casting an invisibility spell, she made her way towards the small crowd. The foals all had an attitude of expectation about them. This air became more intense when Sweetie Belle stepped forward, a microphone held aloft in her telekinesis.

“ Fillies and gentle-colts, feast your eyes on the greatest show the CMC has ever performed!”
Sweetie called out, her sweet voice proclaiming wonders.

Uh oh, this is just like the talent show all over again, Rainbow thought in dismay. She was about to be surprised.

A few moments after Sweetie finished speaking, the filly in front of the drums began to play. The colt and filly that held guitars in front of them started in soon after. The beat was a beautiful mixture of classical and modern styles; Rainbow swore that she could detect Trotskovsky’s influence. Then, Sweetie Belle started to sing.

The voice that came out of that filly was full of life and vigor, and was every bit as sweet as Fluttershy’s. In fact. Rainbow had more than a sneaky suspicion that Flutter’s had been coaching the little filly. Her words were full of hope and joy as she sang of a journey to find herself; one that would make her sad if it were ever truly finished.

The talent of the foals on the stage paled when Rainbow saw what happened next. An orange-and-purple blur came from behind the stage; when it cleared, Scootaloo danced in front of the assembled foals.

Her movements were both brash and fluid, fast and slow. At once graceful, and completely impulsive. Scootaloo demonstrated the beauty of Sweetie’s words in every single movement, making it look as effortless as breathing.

Rainbow could see that both fillies were taking incredible joy in telling their story with both word and movement. She realized in that moment that Scootaloo was as different from her as she was from Twilight. At the same time though, she could see some of her brash attitude in Scoot’s movements, and could hear Rarity’s grace in Sweetie’s words.

A blaring of trumpets heralded the end of their performance. Scootaloo finished in a pose that was as graceful as an eagle in flight. Her wings were beaded with sweat, yet her face was awash with joy. All the foals clapped, cheering at the masterful display.

It all stopped when a derisive voice spoke from behind the group.

“I’ve seen better from carnival tricksters. I can’t believe you all think a couple of blank-flank fillies and their plot-kissing friends actually have talent.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon made their way towards the front of the stage, avarice in every line of their bodies. Before either could reach their destination however, a loud bang from off to the side of the stage was heard. A pair of colts came out, covered in whipped cream and applesauce. Diamond Tiara looked at Snips and Snails, and made to bolt.

They didn’t get far; a hidden trapdoor opened beneath the bullies, dropping them into a pit of mud. The foals surrounding them laughed as they slipped and slid.

Sweetie Belle stepped down, her horn glowing. Why it was soon became apparent, as the mud hardened around the two bullies. Scootaloo joined her; both fillies wore long-suffering expressions on their muzzles.

“Ah did warn ya both that there’d be consequences if ya’ll decided to come here uninvited,” Apple Bloom called from the side. She walked over to where the two bullies were still struggling. “Neither one of ya two small-minded, spoiled brats ever learn to listen to anypony except your folks. Well, Ah’m gonna tell ya somethin’ that I should’a told ya a long time ago.”

Apple Bloom was in Diamond Tiara’s muzzle by the time she had finished all of this. “Ah was born into a titled family, something ya’ll never have.” She tossed her head. “Especially since a little draconequus has told me that yer daddy is sitting in jail fer thinkin’ he could buy a title with bits.” She flounced towards her friends.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash remembered something that Applejack and Rarity had been talking about. The CMC had spent the last several days wearing a much longer, expertly tailored version of their cloaks. With a pleased grin splitting her muzzle, she realized why.

“By the way, Diamond, Silver,” Sweetie Belle said in a sweet voice. “Were you aware that we stopped being blank flanks four days ago?” All three fillies threw off their cloaks, proudly displaying their cutie marks.

“We all decided to throw this little play as our own cute-ceanera,” Scootaloo said, her voice slower than usual. “I threw out that you weren’t invited cause I just knew you’d gate-crash.” She scowled. “You just love lording it up, don’t you? You think because your daddies are two of the richest ponies in Ponyville, that you own this town.”

Scootaloo pointed at Twist. “Her grandmother sits on the Council of Eight.” She then pointed at Apple Bloom. “Her big brother is Heir to House Apple. Her sister is the Element of Honesty, which makes her an Equestrian Knight.”

Scootaloo then pointed to herself. “I’m a cousin of Buttercup Posey and her granddaughter Fluttershy. That makes me a potential Heir to that House.” She then pointed at the two rich fillies. “For all of the money that House Rich and House Pewter have had, that’s all they've ever had. They’ve tried for over seven hundred years to buy their way to a House seat.”

Scootaloo looked at Snips and Snails. “You two are so stupid. Not only did you embarrass yourselves by letting these two trolls bully you, you’ve done it twice.” The colts blanched, recalling that it was Diamond Tiara that convinced them that luring an Ursa Major to Ponyville was a good idea.

“Everypony, let’s all go to the schoolhouse,” Apple Bloom said. “The rest of the party is waiting there fer us.” All of the foals cheered before following the CMC to the schoolhouse, leaving Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon alone.

A now visible Rainbow Dash made her way over to the two bullies. “Oh, just so’s you know, Diamond,” she said, doing everything she could not to laugh, “Discord didn’t lie to Apple Bloom. Your daddy really is in jail right now.” She smirked. “He made the mistake of financing the false mayor.” She got a little closer. “Oh, his assets were frozen, and his home confiscated. When you get back, there will be a pegasus pony and two guards-ponies to take you to a foal’s home. Applejack declared him an unfit father for doing everything to make you a spoiled little rich filly. So don’t run Diamond.”

So saying, Rainbow Dash flew off after Scootaloo.

After catching up with the rest of the foals, Rainbow Dash spotted Scoots sitting on a cloud. She flew over to the filly, who was looking pensively at her cutie mark; a multicolored bird in flight surrounded by dancing flames

Sitting next to the filly, Rainbow waited. “Hi Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said half-heartedly.

“Hey squirt. Looks like you found your special talent,” Rainbow said.

Scootaloo looked up; there were tears standing in her eyes. “But I’m not able to fly like you. How is dancing gonna get me anywhere? You can’t dance a storm into being.”

Rainbow looked at the filly. “Scoots, your talent is rare, special, and 100% cooler than mine.”

All the orange filly could say was one word.

“Huh?”

Rainbow smiled. “Scoots, have you ever heard of sky dancers?”

The filly shook her head.

“Well,” Rainbow began, “sky dancers are incredibly rare. Even more rare than a Sonic Rainboom.” She shifted a bit, moving a small patch of cloud from under her plot. Shaping it into a dancing pegasus, she continued.

“Sky dancers celebrate the very beauty of the sky and the wind,” Rainbow said reverently. “They’re able to display everything that makes up a pegasus; the speed of a falcon in flight, and the grace of a soaring eagle.” She looked a little sheepish. “Sonic Rainbooms have been performed a few times in history. You just need a pegasus who has enough wind sense, and total control over their pegasus mana to do one. I’m only 20% cooler than other pegasi because all of my training has given me that control.”

Rainbow looked at the filly. “You came up with those moves yourself.” It wasn’t a question, but Scootaloo nodded anyway.

Rainbow grinned a little. “That makes you special. Sky Dancers are completely certain of their place. You can’t train a pegasus to be one. There’s only ever been one in each generation, and the last one died years ago.”

Rainbow lifted up the filly’s head. “Scootaloo, your gift is the most special I’ve ever seen, and I couldn’t be more proud to have a little sister like you.”

The filly started to cry, letting out all of her pain in having a talent that made her different than her idol.

Rainbow decided that telling Scootaloo what she might be could wait for a bit. Right now, she wanted to fly with her little sister.

“Wanna race Scoots?” Rainbow asked, drying the filly’s eyes.

Scootaloo cheered up immediately. “Yes!”

The two pegasi flew off, racing each other in perfect formation.

A short while later, the two were sitting at Rainbow’s cloud home. Rainbow had shown Scootaloo the book that recorded the names of all Sky Dancers.

Scootaloo was thrilled to see that she had something that made her special. What was truly important though, was that she still had Rainbow’s love.

Rainbow looked at the little filly. “Scoots, there’s something I’m gonna be doing soon,” she said softly.

Scoots looked at her idol. “What, Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow found this as hard as she had found anything. “Something scary is happening to me Scoots. I’ve got mana in me that I don’t understand.” She hugged the filly, briefly swallowing before she continued. “And just when I find out, I’m supposed to go on an adventure with Princess Twilight.”

Rainbow Dash held her little sister as tightly as she could. “Can you keep it a secret? Cause if you promise, I promise to tell you everything that will happen. I’ll even write to you.”

Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow. For the first time, she saw more than her idol.

She saw a pony.

“I promise big sister,” Scootaloo said softly. They hugged each other, realizing that they were no longer just fan and idol.

They were family.

Equestria, Ponyville, 03-11-05, 1:22 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

Rainbow Dash made her way to Sugarcube Corner, having spent a fun lunch with her little sister. They had talked over dandelion, mayonnaise and tomato sandwiches on rye bread- Scootaloo’s favorite, and Rainbow’s too, oddly enough. Rainbow was comfortable telling Scootaloo some things that she would have kept from all but Fluttershy.

Afterwards, she sent the filly home with a promise to write as much as she could. Rainbow then packed her saddlebags with the bare essentials; a couple of adventure novels- one the newest Daring Do novel, and the other the third of a classic series- and the text on Pony-Fu, her toothbrush and mane comb, and a high-weather flight suit. She also had her checkbook, and a bag containing all the bits she currently possessed- some five thousand in one-hundred bit coins.

Rainbow could hear talking as she made her way to where the girls were all sitting. “...and I think it was probably the stupidest thing they could have done. It would have cost more to level Ponyville and dig up those gem veins than it would to have put more effort into the Pie Family Farms,” Clever Marigold was saying. Rainbow smirked a little; the unicorn had a captive audience.

Fluttershy was the first to see Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash!” she said, in a voice that was for her a shout. The butter-yellow pegasus flew over to her friend and gave her a hug. “I know you’re going through something hard right now,” she said softly. “Just be careful on your journey, okay?” Rainbow nodded, doing all that she could to keep the tears out of her eyes.

The other ponies watched as the two pegasi made their way to the table where they were all sitting. Rainbow noticed that Twilight was wearing her old crown in addition to the torc that Marigold gave her. There was a plate of rainbow-frosted cupcakes sitting on the table next another smaller saddlebag.

Rainbow took one of the cupcakes and munched on it, savoring the flavor. She looked at the torc, then at Twilight. “What’s with the crown Twi?” she asked her friend.

It was Marigold who answered. “These torcs are filled with dragon fire. They’ll let you send letters to anypony you wish, though there are some limits.” Pointing at the alicorn, she continued. “One of the limits is that they need to be keyed to the ponies that you wish to remain in contact with by the magic of an alicorn. That requires a conjured focus.”

Twilight picked up the thread of explanation when Marigold paused. “The gem in my crown contains a focused amount of my own mana, tied to the Tree of Harmony. I normally use it for the hearthstone charm I used this morning, but it will better suffice as a focus for the letter spell.” She looked at her friends. “All that really needs to be decided is who we want to tie the other end of the spell to.”

“Whatever do you mean darling?” Rarity asked.

“Well,” Twilight said, “one of the limits is that these gems only have so much mana in them.” She frowned thoughtfully. “One standard scroll is the same as a one-day-charge, so there’s enough for eight weeks’ of letters.” Her frown turned pensive a bit as she continued. “However, that increases the more ponies are tied to the spell.”

Rainbow raised her hoof. “Twi, do the ones you wish to tie the spell to have to be present?” she asked.

Twilight shook her head, looking at Rainbow with a small smile on her face. “Not necessarily. You want to pick Scootaloo as one contact, right?” Her smile grew at Rainbow’s nod. Her horn glowing, Twilight altered the matrix over the torc around Rainbow’s neck. “Rainbow, you were just with her recently, weren’t you? I thought so; well, I was able add her as your main contact.”

Twilight looked at her friends. “I’m going to save my torc for emergencies, since Spike is already able to send letters to me.” her horn glowed again. “Rarity, Applejack, you’ll be my two contacts. I’m closing the palace down, so I’m gonna leave Spike with you Fluttershy.”

Twilight’s horn glowed as she completed the changes on both torcs. “Fluttershy, I’m pretty sure that Rainbow Dash wanted you as her second contact,” she grinned a little. Both pegasi were pleased.

“Well, Ah’m glad the business is all out of the way,” Applejack said in her distinctive drawl. “Whadda ya’ll say that we finish these cupcakes? Rainbow and Twilight got’s a train to catch here shortly.”

The friends all nodded, and finished up the sweets. They all used this time to commiserate with each other, and to get to know Marigold a little better. The unicorn in question was a little surprised to be included as a friend; she was sure that they’d be a little less forgiving than they were.

Rainbow Dash looked at Marigold. “Hey, don’t sweat it too much,” she said softly. “Nopony got hurt, and you’re doing all you can to set the record straight.” She grinned at the bashful look the mare gave her.

They soon left, making their way to the train station. Once they got there, they were met by some more ponies; Scootaloo and her parents.

Rainbow walked over and gave the little filly a hug. “Hey Squirt, you see this?” She pointed at the torc around her neck. The filly nodded. “Well, Twilight made it so that I can use it to send you letters. I have to keep it to a couple a week though. Is that okay?”

Scootaloo nodded, looking happy. Lily looked on, pleased that Rainbow Dash was thinking of her little filly. Stern Glow- Scootaloo’s father -was also pleased.

“Miss Dash, I’m happy that you think of Scootaloo as a sister,” Glow said in his quiet way. “We’ve tried to do our best for our filly, and we’re both glad that such an important pony has taken such an interest in her future.” He placed a hoof on Scootaloo’s withers.

Rainbow looked at the three ponies. “Well, I sure hope I’m doing right by her.” She smiled a little. “It's been awhile since I was home around my little sister, so I might be out of practice.” She wrinkled her muzzle a little, and they all laughed.

The arrival of the train bound to Hoofington cut the little reunion short. Rainbow and Twilight gave all of their friends another hug. Spike was more than a little surly; he was wishing he could go on an adventure too, but the princesses had expressly forbid it. Marigold took the opportunity to give the conductor their passes; the journey was already paid for as far as Trottingham.

The three ponies boarded the train, waving to their friends. Rainbow had tears in her eyes; something inside of her knew that when she saw Ponyville again, that she wouldn’t be the same as she was now.

As the train readied to leave, Rainbow noticed the frown on Twilight’s face. “What’s wrong Twi?”

Twilight looked at her friend. “Are you sure you want to do this Rainbow?” She scowled at Marigold when the unicorn made to object. “I’m not shutting up on this; she has the right to know that she can refuse. I’m only going because my home was attacked, and not because the princess expects me too.” She huffed. “I’m no longer under any obligation to do what Princess Celestia expects of me, and she knows it.”

Rainbow thought for a moment. Though she was a little angry that she had been thrust into this without so much as a by-your-leave, a part of her knew it was the right thing to do. Concentrating briefly, she called Star Swirl’s stave to her. “I won’t lie and say I’m not mad. At the same time though, I get to go on an adventure with friends.”

Rainbow smiled as the train left the station. “I’d have done this even if all this stuff hadn’t happened. After all,” she smirked, “I’m the Bearer of Loyalty.”

The other two ponies groaned. They all watched Ponyville recede into the distance, well on their way to a new adventure.

Chapter Five: The Journey Begins?

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Equestria, Friendship Express, 03-11-05, 9:27 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

As the Friendship Express pulled into Hoofington Central Station, Rainbow Dash shook herself awake.

Ugh, that blasted dream again, the mare thought to herself. If this keeps up, I’m not gonna be able to hide it from Twilight. She’s got enough on her plate as it is; I need to do what I can to not add anything to it.

Rainbow looked at the alicorn sitting across from her. The way Twilight was holding herself was all kinds of cute, causing Rainbow to blush yet again. She did her best to hide it, not noticing that Clever Marigold had noticed it. The other mare smirked a little, deciding to keep what she was suspecting to herself.

Twilight looked up as the announcement came over the speakers. “Friendship Express has reached Hoofington Central. Boarding for Trottingham International will commence in thirty minutes. Thank you for choosing Friendship Express.”

Twilight turned to her companions. “Well, this looks like our stop. Did the princesses tell you why we’re stopping in Hoofington first?” she asked Marigold.

The mare shook her head. “All I was told is that there would be somepony that we would have to meet here; some sort of liaison between the Solar and Lunar Guard.” She shrugged her withers a bit. “I wish I’d been told more, but there’s no helping it now.”

“Well, I don’t know about either of you, but I need to get off this train; I’ve been sitting on my plot too long,” Rainbow Dash said, beginning to hover as per usual. Only Twilight noticed the flash of pegasus mana concealing her morphing wings. She did her best to hide the changes from the other unicorn.

“Well, while both of you were sleeping, I read a bit of the tome Celestia gave us,” she said at length. “Whatever it is that we’re doing, it has some connection to the Crystal Wastes, though I’m not sure what.” Twilight snorted. “Obviously we’re supposed to do this blind; the blasted tome is locked under an encryption enchantment. I’ve figured out four different keys for it, only to have it change each time. Blasted prick of a stallion; I don’t know why I ever admired him...” the rest of her statement trailed off into grumbles.

Marigold smirked. “I’ve heard my Sovereign say the same thing. I assume you’re griping about Star Swirl the Bearded, right?”

Twilight flushed. “Yes, and I should be more respectful.” She sighed. “After all, figuring out his last unfinished spell is what allowed me to ascend.” She huffed in frustration. “At least my friends treat me as they did before I became an alicorn.” She facehoofed as a family of unicorns bowed briefly to her.

“I don’t know why we wouldn’t Twi; just cause you have wings now doesn’t mean your not the same adorkable egghead you were when I first met you.” Rainbow grinned at the groan Twilight let out at that statement. Marigold giggled at the antics of the two friends.

“If you don’t mind my asking, Princess Twilight, how exactly did you two both become friends?” the unicorn asked. She blushed shyly at the look of confusion on her companion’s muzzles. “I only know a little bit about how you defeated Nightmare Moon; I was doing ‘work’ in Zebrica at the time.”

“Huh, and I thought everypony knew the story,” Rainbow said. “Well, I was already friends with the other girls, especially Fluttershy, but we all became the best of friends after we followed Twilight into the Everfree Forest when Nightmare Moon came back.”

“I had been sent there to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, which Ponyville was supposed to host that year. It happened to be the one thousandth of said celebration, and coincided with the release of Nightmare Moon.” Twilight frowned. “I’ve never really been able to determine if that was Celestia’s plan or not. She tried to get me to make friends before, but it’s never been really easy for me. Outside of my family and the Princess, I never really had many friends.” She then smiled. “Now I have five of the craziest ponies I have ever met as the best of friends.”

Rainbow smirked. “Heh, yeah, I’d say we are. Course, it’s hard to find a pony in Ponyville that isn’t a little crazy. Being so close to the Everfree Forest, we get all kinds of odd things. It was that way even before you came Twi.” She frowned at the knowing grin on Twilight’s muzzle. “What’s the grin for?”

“Oh, nothing. Just remembering what AJ did when you called me a ‘spy’ that day,” Twilight said. Rainbow groaned a little at that. Twilight then looked at Marigold. “This one has done some of the goofiest things since we first met.” She laughed. “Like the time she dressed up as a ninja to break into Ponyville Hospital to finish reading the Daring Do book that I loaned her while she was recovering from a bad crash that one time.”

Rainbow facehoofed at that. “Yeah, not my finest moment.” She then grinned herself, remembering something Twilight had done that was similar. “Of course, that pales in comparison to what the princess here once did. Trying to break into the Star Swirl wing of the Canterlot Archives for a time-traveling spell, dressed as a ninja. With an eye-patch, and a bedraggled mane.”

Twilight frowned. “Well, at least I learned something.” She smiled ruefully. “Not one of my finest moments.”

Marigold could see that the two were really close, despite being such polar opposites. She thought about something else that had been bugging her. “Well, what about the two times that the Changelings invaded? I’d heard that you were somehow involved with that, but I didn’t get a chance to hear all of the details.”

Twilight sighed. The three were off the train at this point, waiting for their liaison. “Well, the first time was when my brother was marrying Princess Cadance.” She frowned in remembrance. “I hadn’t known that they were dating until I was told that I and my friends were in charge of organizing a wedding for the pair. And I wasn’t happy at all to learn that Celestia deliberately kept that information from me.”

“Yeah, Twi was the only one of us that saw through Chrysalis’ disguise. Course, the princess should have been able to; it was supposed to be her niece.” Rainbow looked at her friend. “Twilight wasn’t very happy with us afterwards.” The pegasus frowned. “Twi, didn’t you get into a fight or something with Luna too?”

Twilight nodded. “Well, it wasn’t a fight per-se; more like a tense discussion.” She frowned. “I understand now that there were issues she was dealing with, but it wasn’t something I was aware of at the time. Not that those reasons were an excuse to ignore a pointed threat that the changelings themselves gave us.”

“At least the princesses listened the second time,” Rainbow said. She huffed in annoyance. “The damn bug queen tried again, and in almost the same way.” She then grinned viciously. “It was fun to watch her get squished though.”

“Who killed her?” the unicorn asked, still scowling a little at the ridicule of her Sovereign.

“Celestia did. And she wasn’t squished, she was vaporized,” Twilight said, frowning at the memory of Chrysalis holding her brother in one of her pods. “And it still could have gone pear-shaped. I’m just glad the princess was able to do what needed to be done that time; it went a long way to patching things up between us.”

Further discussion was brought short by the arrival of a pegasus Guards-stallion in the uniform of a Lunar Guard lieutenant. “Your Highness, Dame Rainbow Dash, and Corporal Marigold, I am to lead you to where you will be meeting your liaison. Please follow me.”

The party made to do so, only to have Marigold stop them. “First though, lieutenant, you must present your credentials.” A flash of anger briefly crossed the muzzle of the stallion before he nodded. “Of course.” He lifted a satchel containing his badge from under his left wing and hoofed it toward the mare.

Smirking inwardly, Marigold examined the false papers, well aware that this was a double agent she knew by reputation. She gave the would-be spy back his papers, then nodded at the other mares present.

Twilight nodded in return, gesturing to Rainbow Dash to precede her. As she did so, she tapped her left hind hoof in a quick sequence. The mares followed the stallion to the waiting carriage.

As Rainbow Dash- who was in the lead -approached the carriage, she saw that the driver tensed his rear legs, triggering a trip switch along the side of the yoke. She waited until the last possible moment, then pivoted on her front hooves, delivering a powerful back kick to the head of the cabby.

Twilight took that moment to wrap the other stallion’s wings with a powerful snare spell. The would be assassin tried to use a counter imbedded in his armor, only to have it fry; the snare was far more complex than it looked.

The telltale sound of a crossbow unloading came from several directions. A dense barrier formed around the three mares, vaporizing the arrows before they could reach them. Simultaneously, Twilight fired a series of bursting flares into the air.

Within moments, a scintillating barrier formed around the train station. Unicorns teleported onto every roof in the vicinity, sealing off every building. Pegasi that had been hiding in the overhanging clouds were brought down by bolts of lightning fired from the wings of Twilight’s personal Guard.

A trio of unicorns came forward. By now, the disguise that the so called Guard-stallion had been wearing was dispelled. The Captain of the Hoofington branch of the Solar Guard looked shocked. “How in the name of Celestia did that pony find out about this?!” He then shook his head before turning to an aide-de-camp that had just trotted up. “Corporal, please secure the prisoner.” The aide-de-camp nodded.

“Corporal, wait one moment please.” Twilight bent her head towards the leading edge of one of the Nocturne pony’s wings; within moments, a band of metal surrounded the prehensile tip of the pegasus’ wing. Simultaneously, the bands around the hapless pegasus solidified, turning into bands of enchanted moonsteel. “There, now he won’t be able to channel any of his mana. It should secure him until you can get him into a holding cell.”

Marigold levitated a needle and thrust it into the frog of the pegasus’ left forehoof just as he made an abrupt swallowing motion. The stallion convulsed before vomiting up a putrescent black substance. “Be careful, that’s toxic,” she said to the surrounding ponies. Levitating a vial over to the mouth of the bound stallion, she forced him to swallow its contents.

The stallion writhed a bit before slumping in defeat. “Make sure that he’s monitored at all times, even when using the restroom Corporal.” She handed the aide-de-camp a similar vial. “Pour two drops of this in his stool when he finishes, unless you want cleaning staff to end up in the hospital from acute magical hemlock poisoning.”

The stallion nodded before leading the shaking pegasus away to one of the police carriages.

Marigold stomped her hoof around the stain in several key places. A spider-webbing of runic lines surrounded the vomit, causing it to reach boiling point. She trapped the stain in a force bubble, then teleported a collection vial inside. “It’ll take just a few minutes for all of this to clear up,” she told Twilight, who was watching with extreme interest.

Twilight nodded. “Captain, have you secured all of those that attempted to attack us?”

“Yes, we have Princess,” the captain responded. “Once Corporal Marigold finishes decontaminating the sidewalk here, I suggest we all sojourn to the Guard-house.” He frowned. “It’s likely that they’ve got agents in every hotel in a five block radius.” He shook his head. “I thought that we got all of the conspirators.”

“These aren’t part of the crew that hired me Captain,” Marigold responded. “The idiot that just tried to poison himself is involved with an old rival.” She teleported the now sealed flask into a chest that she had nearby, then sealed the chest before stuffing it in the spare pouch of her bottomless bag. “I knew asking my Sovereign for an extra pouch would be a good idea.”

Marigold then solidified the barrier around the stain, tying it to the runes underneath. “Captain, I suggest you leave an officer detail to watch this dome for the next three days; that’s how long it’ll take for the limestone to neutralize the poison. Until that time, anypony that touches it without proper protection will suffer anaphylactic shock.”

The captain nodded at two officers, who took up a post on either side of the dome without complaint. “Princess, I suggest we leave now,” the stallion said to Twilight. She nodded.

The stallion then gestured to the rest of his troops before trotting over to his personal police carriage. His staccato hoofbeats tapped out a sequence that Twilight was expecting.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Marigold all entered the last carriage, which was fully enclosed. As the carriage made its way away from the station, it started to smoke.

Abruptly, the carriage blew into smithereens.

Sadly, the traitors failed yet again; they underestimated Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Several blocks away, a virtually identical police carriage made its way to the Guard House. Inside said carriage was the believed-to-be dead Princess of Friendship, the Element of Loyalty, and a newly appointed Corporal of the Lunar Guard.

Rainbow Dash was still shaking her head, trying to get the buzzing out of her ears. “Ugh, what the hay happened Twilight?” she asked her friend dizzily.

“Hold still Rainbow Dash,” the alicorn said in response. Her horn glowing, she touched her friend on the forehead just above her muzzle. A knot of portal magic had lodged itself in the nascent pathways of an as-yet unformed unicorn horn. Already?! She’s progressing further than I thought! At this rate, I’m going to have to start teaching her aura shielding spells by the end of the week! Her mana is all over the place!

Twilight eased the portal magic away gently. Rainbow sighed in relief as both her vision and her hearing cleared. “Thanks Twi,” she said, hugging her friend.

“Well, it was my fault that it happened,” Twilight said sheepishly, an embarrassed blush staining her cheeks. “Oh, you wanted an explanation, right?” She said, noticing the look of impatience on her friend’s muzzle.

Rainbow nodded impatiently. “It’s not every day that my ears start ringing and my eyes cross from going through a door.”

Twilight sighed. “This was a contingency plan I was hoping I’d never have to use.” She tapped the wall next to her. “Simply put, this isn’t the same carriage we walked into. The door had an emergency unidirectional portal tied to it.”

Marigold facehoofed. “Ugh, no wonder my coat is so itchy; those portals are notoriously messy.” She looked at the pegasus. “Is she going to be alright though? You did manage to get the clump out of her nascent node, right?”

“Yes I did-- and how did you know what I was doing?” Twilight asked in shock.

Marigold smiled shyly. “Like I’ve said before; I’m a devotee of both Gaia and Selene. And part of that is an almost instinctive ability in detecting mana fields.” She frowned briefly. “Normally it wouldn’t matter, as I have to actively cast a detection spell.”

Marigold levitated her Lunar Guard badge from the pouch she kept it in. “Ever since I Swore myself to the Night Princess, I’ve noticed that I now have the ability to perceive mana flows without actively casting a detection spell.” She pointed her hoof at the pegasus sitting across from her. “I wasn’t sure earlier, but sitting in the same train car with you has made me uniquely familiar with your mana flows. I don’t know a great deal about how it works, but even I know that a pegasus’ mana normally doesn’t flare unless they’re actively using it. That only happens when they’re manipulating storm clouds.”

Marigold smiled at the shocked look on her companion’s muzzles. “I took an educated guess, and realized that the only thing it could be was a meta-mana transference.” She smiled another bashful smile, then noticed the look of real fear on Rainbow Dash’s muzzle.

Marigold pulled the other mare’s hooves forward, pulling her into a brief hug. “I can hardly imagine what you’re going through Miss Dash, but as a friend, I’ll do everything I can to help you.” She smiled again. “And since it involves something that my Sovereign knows nothing about, I can keep your secret.”

Rainbow sighed. “Thanks May; you have no idea what that means to me.” She looked thoughtful as she and Marigold broke off the quick hug. “Actually, I’m starting to think that it wouldn’t be so bad for Princess Luna to know.” She grinned. “She’s just ornery enough to keep something like this a secret from her sister just to see her squirm when she finds out.”

The other mares giggled at this. “At least I don’t have to hide this from you. That would have been totally impossible anyway,” Rainbow said. The others nodded.

A brief yet quick series of taps on the door heralded their arrival at the Guard House. Twilight opened the door, and they all moved out, Marigold levitating their belongings behind them without complaint. Another aide-de-camp of the Guard Captain was waiting along the side.

“Your Highness, Captain Merit is waiting for you in the Briefing Room,” the stallion said.

“Thank you Corporal,” Twilight said in response. “Marigold, set our belongings down so I can teleport them to where we’ll be staying.” The unicorn nodded, lowering all but her own saddle bags, which were still on her back. Concentrating briefly, Twilight teleported them to the Governor's Manor. “Let’s get this briefing started; it’s late, and I’m hungry.”

The stallion nodded, leading the way.

Equestria, Hoofington, 03-11-05, 10:42 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

An irritated Captain was waiting for the party as they made their way to the Briefing Room. “When is all of this going to stop?” He gestured to the wall, which had a map of the greater Hoofington area displayed. “First we find out that one of our preeminent companies was engaging in an illegal conspiracy. Then we find out that the President of said company and a number of its top board members were under demonic influence.”

Royal Merit shuddered. “Ordinary criminals I can handle; hay, I’ve been doing that for over two decades now. But demons?! How the hay am I supposed to train my soldiers to fight demons?!” He shook his head, then turned in slight apology towards Twilight. “My apologies your highness; you shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of my frustrations.”

Twilight smiled. “It’s all right Captain; you’re only equine.” She approached the table, where coffee and donuts were sitting. Twilight took a croissant and bit into it hungrily. “Pardon me Captain, but it’s been several hours since we’ve all eaten.”

The captain shrugged. “That’s what they’re there for; we get regular shipments of some of the best coffee and donuts outside of Pony Joe’s.” He gestured to the other two mares present. “Help yourselves ladies, and I’ll go over what we’ve had the time to figure out.”

While the mares made inroads on the donuts and coffee, Captain Merit took the time to organize the papers before him. Clearing his throat, the captain bent his stern gaze on Marigold. “Corporal Marigold, I wish to thank you for your quick decontamination work.” He pulled out one of the folders before him, which contained a dossier. “Not only did you prevent the death of one of the key members of a very dangerous gang, you also saved the lives of hundreds of innocent ponies.” He frowned. “It bears examination as to how you knew what to do in both cases though.”

Marigold finished her third donut before responding. Levitating the dossier over to her, she looked it over quickly. Nodding, she sent it back to her fellow unicorn. “It’s simple Captain; they were once rivals.” She pointed at the map. “The gang isn’t actually based in Hoofington; this is just one of their command posts. They’re really from Neigh Orleans.”

Marigold pointed to several key locations on the map. “I was always one to study the skillset of potential rivals whenever I was involved in an operation.” She huffed in anger. “I didn’t get the chance to this time. Those locations are all I had any information on, and they’ve likely moved on at this point.”

“This was an opportunistic attack, and likely had little direct connection with the events in Ponyville,” the mare continued. “Captain, I can tell you that I was only hired on as a spy to help further the company’s efforts to get the rich gem deposits under that city. I wasn’t aware of any other involvement until after my arrest.” She grinned at the scowl of understanding on the captain’s muzzle. “I can give you the particulars though, as I have all of the information that I had earlier gathered on this gang.” She pulled a lockbox out of her bag and set it on the table, then handed the key she manifested to the captain.

Marigold sighed as the captain opened a box that contained mementos from her former life. “I never thought that I’d be a spook working for the Equestrian government, Sworn to a Princess that was only a memory up until five years ago,” she said.

The captain stared in disbelief at some of the documents. “These are fingering some of the most prominent citizens of Las Pegasus, Trottingham, Neigh Orleans, Manehattan, Mareago, San Prancisco…” he trailed off in shock. “How deep does this go? And why wasn’t I informed that they were operating in MY city?!”

“I wasn’t given a chance to debrief my Sovereign on all of this; in any case, most of it she was already aware,” Marigold replied. “It’s likely that this plan was one of the original efforts that many of said ‘high standing ponies’ had in place to do away with Princess Twilight.” She snorted at the look of shock on the stallion’s muzzle. “Oh, don’t look so surprised Captain. Outside of a very few families, most of Equestria’s nobles and moneyed lot can’t be trusted as far as I can throw them without using my magic.” She huffed. “Ask anypony who’s lived on the street and they’ll tell you; you can’t trust the rich or the ennobled. Why do you think we have a meritocracy government anyway?”

The captain looked at all the papers. “Well, this will at least help to prove the connections we had already established.” He sighed in frustration. “WHY in Celestia’s name would they take such a risk? They had to know how ineffective something like that would have been, right?”

“Actually, I’m not at all surprised that they tried,” Twilight responded. She then sighed. “Princess Celestia is not going to be pleased at this,” she said, pulling a few of the documents forward. “Many of these ponies have seats on the General Assembly; none prominent, thankfully, but all in positions to further the aims of those that don’t like the current system.”

“But this is why Princess Luna and myself made the plans we did. Ever since wind of the conspiracy to level Ponyville came to us, I was expecting the malevolent supremacists to try something.” Twilight looked at the others surrounding the table, one of which was still eating. “There has been a strong undercurrent of ponies that want Equestria to go back to unicorn rule. Which makes no sense, as it was never ruled by unicorns in the first place.”

Rainbow swallowed the last of the donut she was eating, which was her sixth. “Captain, why’d you say that they had to know how ineffective such an effort would have been? I thought ponies understood just how hard it is to kill an alicorn.”

“That’s just it Miss Dash,” Marigold said. “The common noble only half believes what they’ve been told. Everypony else sees an alicorn, and knows the truth. All these greedy ponies see is a jumped-up pegacorn that is standing in the way of the rightful rulers of this land.” She huffed. “As if pegacorns are somehow crippled; anypony with any sense of history can tell you that we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the pegacorns.”

“Some idiot ponies have even tried to kill Celestia in times past. And no matter what you might have heard, that’s literally impossible; you’d have to destroy a star before you could destroy the Solar Princess.” Twilight looked down briefly. “The only reason I used a portal rather than shielding myself is because I wasn’t alone.” Her expression hardened. “I’m just glad that Rainbow Dash wasn’t hurt; losing one of my friends is about the only thing that would drive me to murder. If they had died against Tirek, he would have been one headless Centaur instead of just another prisoner in Tartarus.” Nopony except Rainbow noticed the slight darkening of Twilight’s coat as she said that; the effect dissipated before Rainbow could comment on it.

Marigold looked shocked at that. “From what history tells us, Tirek is one of the greatest threats that Equestria has ever faced.” Rainbow snorted in disbelief at that statement.

“All Tirek is is a giant mana battery. He only had one skill; sucking ponies dry of their magic. And if he had managed to suck all of Equestria dry, the Dragon Queen would have turned him into chow.” Rainbow grinned fiercely at the shocked expressions of the two unicorns present. “Oh, you believed the hype that some of the fearful idiots pandered about Tirek?” She snorted. “The only reason we used the Power of Harmony against him was because it was there.”

“And because it was the safest way we could. The only reason he’s in Tartarus is because he’s the closest thing to being immortal that a non-alicorn can be. And because Celestia is too prideful to do the right thing.” Twilight said the last part in an irritated tone. She saw the scowl on Merit’s muzzle. “Oh, you didn’t like me criticizing her, huh? Well, this isn’t just my belief. My parents, several members of the Eight, Princess Luna, and Shining Armor all think that putting him in Tartarus is only going to encourage him to try to escape yet again. It’s only thanks to Harmony that we won’t have to worry about him any more.”

“Just about every single Sealed-Evil-In-A-Can we’ve faced over the past five years has been something that us Elements has had to face,” Rainbow said, a frown on her muzzle. “And what has the Princess done? Sat on her plot and held Court, that’s what. Instead of doing her job of protecting Equestria, she’s hoofed the task over to a bunch of mares barely into their twenties to do it for her.” Rainbow stomped the table with her hoof. “And only two of us have any kind of formal war training.”

“We’ve been truly fortunate up until now that everything we’ve dealt with has either been stupid, or a mere shadow of its former power. Against whatever it is we’re facing now, we no longer have that luxury.” Twilight took a moment to organize her thoughts before continuing. “No matter how it may seem, I’m finding the fact that they attacked now to be suspect, coming so close to what had happened in Ponyville. Especially since it seems to want to directly target myself and Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight teleported a scroll from her saddlebags. Writing in a code that was now second nature to her, she wrote a quick summary of the events that so far had occurred before sealing the scroll with a midnight blue ribbon. She then lit the ribbon of fire. A flash of blue flame went off as the scroll was consumed by the magic imbued in the ribbon. “I just sent a preliminary report along with an order to increase the guard around the other Elements. I just hope that’s enough; I’d rather not have to declare martial law. Rarity would be really annoyed with me if I did something like that without consulting her first.”

Twilight turned towards the captain. “Captain Merit, I’m giving you full jurisdiction over every Guards-pony in both the Lesser and Greater Hoofington area. That is excepting the detachment of my own Dusk Guard that will continue to escort myself, Dame Rainbow Dash, and Corporal Marigold out of the city, once I’m assured that the present crisis has been dealt with. It shouldn’t take too long for us to gather whatever evidence we need for our own journey.”

The unicorn stallion nodded. “Of course your highness.” He turned towards his aide-de-camp, still a little irritated at the criticism of the Solar Princess. To be fair to them, they didn’t say that they hated her for what she has or hasn’t done, just that they’re angry at the way she’s handled the crisis points of the last few years.”Please escort the Princess and her entourage to the carriage that is waiting to take them to the Governor’s Mansion Corporal.” The aide-de-camp nodded. The mares followed him to the door, Rainbow Dash grabbing another donut as they left. The captain smirked at that.

As they were led to the waiting carriage, Twilight thought she caught a quick expression of disgust on the unicorn’s muzzle. Inwardly frowning, she noticed that he looked familiar to her. She mentally facehoofed, as he was one of the ones that Luna suspected might have supremacist leanings.

As they entered the carriage, Twilight tapped her hoof in a quick sequence. She noticed that Marigold’s muzzle bore a brief disgusted look before she nodded. They all entered the carriage as the stallions who were to pull it began to move towards the manor.

Around fifteen minutes later, the carriage carrying the four ponies stopped in front of a large, opulent manor house. The Guards-stallion next to the gate opened the door, nodding to the three mares as they exited. “Your Highness, the Governor extends her apologies in not being able to attend this evening. Commander Ironside has requested her presence concerning the attack on your royal person.”

The alicorn nodded. Unnoticed by all except Rainbow Dash, Twilight used her magic to ‘tag’ the captain’s aide-de-camp as the stallion directed his fellows to take the carriage back to the Guard House.

The three mares followed the Guards-stallion to the manor’s front entrance. A unicorn butler was waiting for them as they entered. Twilight’s horn glowed as she ‘tagged’ both the Guards-stallion and the butler as they all made their way into the house.

Several minutes passed before an abrupt explosion destroyed the entire manor. The Guards-ponies still at the gate stared in horror as pieces of wood and masonry fell around them. One of them fired a signal flare used for emergencies, hoping that the captain or Commander Ironside would receive the message that something terrible had just happened.

Author's Notes:

I always wondered what possesses writers to write cliffhangers.

As a reader, I have a love/hate relationship with that particular writing mechanic.

As a writer, I can say this; they are a ton of fun to write.

Of course, we all know that Twilight and Rainbow Dash survived, so it's kind of a moot exercise for me to write a cliffhanger at this point.

Then again, everypony else in the story thinks they're gone. And we have to give the bad guys their moments to shine.

It makes it all the more sweeter when they inevitably lose. Yes, I'm old school; I prefer to see bad guys lose and good guys win.

For most things anyway.

Don't worry, I won't drag it out too long; the next chapter is coming within the next few days. Not sure when though.

Expect it to be another short chapter though. Most of the next few are going to be shorter as we move onward.

See you all next chapter!

Chapter Six: Following the Trail...

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Equestria, Hoofington, 03-11-05, 11:33 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

Within minutes of the explosion, a detachment of Captain Merit’s guards-ponies had the site surrounded. The forensic ponies were sifting through the rubble, doing their best to push down their anger and sadness at the loss of two of Equestria’s greatest heroes.

Royal Merit himself was apoplectic at the news that his remaining aide-de-camp had given him; the other stallion had abruptly disappeared several minutes before the explosion. “What do you mean we’ve lost contact with Canterlot?!” he shouted angrily.

“That’s precisely what I mean, sir,” the stallion said apologetically. “All telegraph and the new crystal telephone lines between Canterlot and Hoofington have been severed. Not only that, all attempts to use dragonfire-infused crystals have met with failure as well.”

“Well, contact the Solar and Lunar Guard detachments and have them send word to Canterlot! The last thing we need is to be cut off!” The captain stomped his forehooves in anger.

The corporal shook his head. “We’re cut off from them as well sir. Barriers have been put in place, ones that we’re so far unable to penetrate.” Another stallion approached the two officers with a scroll. The corporal read the contents of the scroll in shock. “Sir, we’ve just received word that a force shield has surrounded Hoofington Central. Plus, a second series of moment fields have blocked off every egress point in and out of the city.”

“What in the HAY is going on in my city?!” Merit shouted. “Corporal, get the word out to the rest of our boys. We NEED to find Princess Twilight Sparkle, Dame Rainbow Dash, and Corporal Clever Marigold NOW!”

“With all due respect Captain, I don’t think anything could have survived an immolation explosion such as that,” a new voice said in a condescending tone. Merit looked to see Commander Ironside of the local Equestrian Guard approach the area he and his stallions were occupying. “Even such a lauded mare wouldn’t be able to escape in time.”

Merit didn’t bother to hide his distrust or disgust of the younger unicorn. “Commander,” he sneered, causing the younger pony to bend his ears back in anger, “in case you hadn’t noticed, Princess Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn. Even if she hadn’t seen it coming, she still would have been able to safely secure herself and her entourage quite handily.”

“Then where are they Captain? Hiding?” the commander asked snidely.

A few minutes prior…

Once the three made their way into the shared stateroom they were going to stay in for the remainder of their time in Hoofington, Twilight closed the door before sealing the room.

Within moments, the seal popped. Scowling, Twilight tried again. This time the seal caused runes embedded in the floor, walls, and ceiling to flash, burning them out. Twilight smirked.

“Twilight, what the HAY is going on?!” Rainbow Dash yelped. “I felt those whatever-they-were burn out!” The pegasus shivered.

“So did I, which means they were specifically targeted to unicorn mana,” Marigold said. Her expression was as intense as Twilight’s.

“We don’t have time for explanations right now,” the alicorn said. Working quickly, she cast a series of dispelling runes over her and Rainbow’s luggage. Several flashes dissolved the immolation and anti-shrinking runes that had been placed on the bags. Another flash from Twilight’s horn heralded a shrinking spell. “Marigold, could you please place those in your bag? The less we have to carry right now the better.” The unicorn nodded before levitating the now shrunken bags to her first pouch.

Twilight walked over to where a dresser was standing against the far wall. She first cast a series of dispelling spells on it, watching as the spells caused runes embedded in the wood itself to flare before being burned away. Each one caused Rainbow to flinch as her mana responded to them.

Twilight then lifted the dresser out of the way before approaching the wall behind it. Leveling her horn at what appeared to be a blank wall, Twilight shoved the appendage into a hidden slot. Runes appeared on the wall; shortly thereafter, the wall revealed itself to be a door similar to the vault that once held the Elements of Harmony.

Twilight caused light globes along the tunnel to illuminate, before gesturing to her companions to precede before her. Before she too descended down the tunnel, Twilight used her alicorn mana to conjure three perfect replicas to appear in the beds. She then set spells on the hidden door, the dresser, and a timer spell on her sealing bubble.

When she and the others were gone, the timer spell reversed the sealing spell. Simultaneously, the door sealed itself, conjured bags appeared, and the dresser floated over to its prior location. A last series of spells that Twilight had laid inside the sealing spell were finally triggered; these spells restored all of the runes that had been burned away, then sucked all of Twilight’s spent mana into a bubble which was then pulled into a pocket of null-space.

It was not a moment too soon as the door opened up to reveal the ‘butler’. He took a look at the apparently sleeping ponies, then cast a series of spells to ensure they remained asleep. Using a sweeping spell, he confirmed that the sealing runes were still in place, though he did notice that the hidden door had been triggered. Likely when the mistress checked to make sure the seals would also seal the door, the treacherous stallion thought to himself. He then teleported away, to make sure that they didn’t attempt to use the hidden tunnels out.

This would prove to be a mistake.

Several minutes later, the mares were making their way towards the end of a series of tunnels.

Suddenly,Twilight stopped, and abruptly shoved Marigold out of the way as a mana bolt flashed down the corridor.

The pop of a teleport sounded behind Rainbow Dash as the ‘butler’ appeared, holding a knife with a wicked-looking black blade aloft in his telekinesis. He swiped at Rainbow’s left wing, only to have it blocked by a strong application of moonlight.

Rainbow lunged to the stallion’s side, slapping his head with her wing. An application of moonlight delivered by her use of Arcane Wing disrupted his hold on the knife, which fell to the cobblestone-covered floor. Rainbow pivoted on her front hooves before delivering a powerful back kick to the stallion’s hindquarters. His back legs gave out as Rainbow’s shifting mana temporarily shifted to strong earth pony mana; unintentionally, she had broken the unicorn’s spine in three places.

The now angry stallion’s next move was the worst mistake he could ever make. Conjuring a ball of viscous black mana on his horn, the stallion made to end the altercation in the fastest way he knew how.

A thin beam of dark purple energy punched through his head, right at the base of his left ear. The stallion dropped dead on the spot. Twilight galloped over to the corpse, and smashed her front hooves down on its blackening horn.

Ripples went up and down the tunnel as the mana that had been poured into sealing runes was dissipated. Twilight rapped her right hind hoof in a complicated sequence. Two stallions wearing the armor of her Dusk Guard appeared. She nodded at the corpse. The two nodded without speaking. Using their levitation in sequence, the stallions lifted the corpse up before using a teleportation bubble to return to the Lunar Guard Barracks.

“Let’s go girls; I really want some answers, and I know just the pony to ask,” Twilight said in anger.

Rainbow Dash and Clever Marigold nodded, both wanting answers from the alicorn, yet not wanting to risk her temper at that time. The three mares made their way down the tunnel, following the trail of breadcrumbs that they had found.

Several hours had passed as the detachment of Equestrian and Solar Guards-ponies waited for news concerning the princess and her entourage. Study of the remains of the Governor’s Manor confirmed that none of the mares had actually been present; the residue that was thought to be left over from Dame Rainbow Dash proved to be the leftovers of a perfect simulacrum.

“In fact, I would hazard to say that Clover the Wise would be hard pressed to create simulacra as good,” a talented Solar mage said in admiration. “Princess Twilight is truly skilled in the magic disciplines.”

“Save the praise; as far as I’m concerned, she’s just another jumped-up pegacorn trying to play at being a princess,” Ironside said in a condescending tone.

“Well, she obviously has more than a few skills, something that comes as no great surprise to me,” the Governor stated. The mare gave the guard commander a stern glare. “And even if she was just a ‘pegacorn’, she’s still far more skilled in magic than anypony else save the princesses.”

“Oh please, how can you be sure that she even created those spells?” Ironside scoffed. “Sure, when she was still a unicorn, she was one of the more skilled. At least,” he mused in a sardonic tone, “that’s what the pegasus and earth pony lover would have us believe anyway.”

“IRONSIDE!” the Governor bellowed. “Your suprematist beliefs have no bearing on this conversation! Nor do I appreciate the insinuation that one of our brightest is a cheater! One more comment like this, and this will be the last day you serve as this city’s Guard Commander!”

“I’d like to see you try, Your Excellency,” the unicorn stallion said in a cold tone. “I was appointed to this position by a vote of the Hoofington Assembly, and neither you nor any other member of City Hall has any overt authority over me. Even you, Captain, cannot do anything to me.” The stallion slammed his forehoof onto the table. “As long as what I express is simply an opinion, you have no grounds to dismiss me.”

The unicorn mare made to comment on this statement, only to have the meeting rudely interrupted. “Captain, we have word from the Lunar and Dusk Guard!” The aide-de-camp produced a scroll bearing both Luna’s and Twilight’s Cutie Mark.

Merit broke the seals on the scroll and began to read its contents. His expression became one of angered satisfaction as he nodded at each of the points. “Well, I can’t say as this came as a surprise, considering several of those recently named here are your bosses, Ironside.” The unicorn smiled a happy, vengeful grin. “I have the happy task of placing you under arrest Ironside.”

The stallion smirked. “Oh, you would, if these were your ponies Merit.” The stallion walked over to the only door which wasn’t manned by his stallions. “It looks like the fraud managed to get away yet again. Ah well; you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.”

The governor was beside herself with anger. “This is treason Ironside,” she spat. “I hope you like being statuary, as you’ll be spending eternity as a statue.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” the unicorn waved a forehoof in an off-hoofed manner. “See, the Hoofington Assembly has grown tired of the laws that Canterlot and other cities have handed down.” He scowled. “Laws that favor mud ponies and pigeons over the noble unicorns.” His muzzle took on the expression of a zealot.

“This would be treason if we had tried to kill any citizen of Equestria.” His tone mocking, Ironside continued. “However, since all the evidence you have is in that scroll, it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to prove anything.”

Ironside’s posturing was halted when a scintillating bolt of mana flared in the center of the room. Everypony save himself, the captain, the mayor, and the pegasus corporal found themselves unable to cast a spell.

“Ironside, did you honestly think I was that much of a foal to send the only copy here?” a feminine voice asked, its tone one of incredulity. The far wall shimmered as three forms came out of the cloaking veil they were under.

Smirking, Twilight walked forward. “You really are a foal Ironside. I didn’t tell the others that there was a name at the top of the list, pulling all the strings.” The alicorn snorted. “I gave you a chance seeing as you weren’t directly involved. However,” and here Twilight’s expression became one of unfettered anger, “when you tried not once, but three times to kill my friends and I, your beliefs went from the disharmonic ramblings of a syncophantic nut-job to those of a treacherous, evil pony.”

Before Twilight could say more, the commander teleported himself next to the governor. Leveling a cored sword that he conjured, the stallion snarled at the alicorn. “Take one more step, you sawed-off lesbian freak, and I’ll chop this dyke’s head off.”

Twilight’s eyes flared a bright white. Before the stallion was even able to react, twin bolts of mana came from nowhere; one struck the sword, disabling his levitation aura, while the other struck him in the chest, propelling him against the far wall.

The stallion bounced back to his hooves with a growl. A crack of teleportation sounded as he vanished. The purple alicorn snorted, swiping her horn in a broad sweep.

With a series of staccato cracks, the stallion suddenly appeared next to Rainbow Dash. Leveling his sword, Ironside did his best to take off the mare’s head, avarice and hatred written in every line of his form.

Twilight’s anger went super-nova. Her crystal stave appeared in a flash of bright sunlight. The weapon twirled as it struck the blade of the cored weapon.

The blade shattered on impact, the blast also obliterating the hilt. The stallion shrieked in rage before leveling a scintillating wave of mana at the only target in his range; Clever Merigold.

Twilight blocked the strike with a shield made up of pure alicorn magic. Simultaneously, she brought her now brightly glowing stave down hard on the stallion’s horn.

An incandescent flash heralded a channeled spell that spiraled down the unicorn’s horn. The stallion gave a wholly un-equine shriek of pain as his body was turned to stone.

Runes appeared on the stallion’s body; they wrapped around his barrel and cannons. They were pulsating in a cacophony of chaotic colors.

Twilight’s eyes flared even brighter; her horn began to spark. Channeling the power of both Selene and Solaris, the lavender alicorn spoke one word in an intense voice:

“Starfall.”

An elegant sword flashed into being, one that caused the ponies in the room to gasp in awe. The blade was bright crystal; long and slender, it spoke of the elegance of the alicorn that summoned it.

The hilt was far from simple however. Unlike the blade of the other alicorns, this one reflected those that Twilight held close in her heart.

Upon the cross beams were a series of gems. Red, orange, purple, yellow, pink, white, azure, blue; every color representative of the ponies in her inner circle.

Upon the base of the hilt was a tricolored gem. Red, yellow, and orange dominated the shield upon it, with red being the central theme.

The pommel was a sculpted version of her starburst Cutie Mark; only lacking the white stars.

Twilight brought both her sword and stave together in a crosswise fashion facing North. Immediately, two separate powers began to channel through both weapons.

Starfall channeled the raw force of Solaris’ might, while the crystal stave channeled the cool resolve of Selene. Twilight levitated both of them to an equidistant point on either side of the unicorn that was now a statue. It was a measure of her connection to both weapons that they were moving without her characteristic lavender aura.

Twilight, her eyes still glowing, teleported another object into the room. A starburst formed in front of her; the selfsame jem she used as a hearthstone charm.

This object channeled her own power, that of both Friendship and Harmony. The princess stomped her hooves in front of the statue, causing a spider-webbing of runes to form around the former pony.

Twilight walked closer; a ring of purple formed around the horn of the statue. A flash broke the counter effect the chaos runes were causing. She then looked deeply into the statue’s eyes and seized the knowledge of magic the stallion once possessed.

The knowledge contained in the vise-like mind of the one alicorn nopony should want as an enemy, Twilight twisted the chaotic runes into their pure form. Said runes began to shift; a spider-webbing of them surrounded the still-colorful Cutie Marks on Ironside’s flanks.

The statue’s eyes glowed; its mouth opened in yet another un-equine scream as the new runic pattern devoured its knowledge of magic. Twilight continued twisting both the internal and external runes, not stopping until the very talent of the pony was bound.

While this was going on, Rainbow Dash noticed that Twilight’s coat started to take on a darker purple. Only realizing what she was doing subconsciously, Rainbow grasped the Harmonic connection between herself and Twilight, sending a sense of calmness down the link.

Twilight’s mind settled back into the state of an alicorn meeting out justice. Even so, she continued until the ritual was completed. Once it was finished, she surrounded the now-completely petrified stallion in a teleportation sphere, sending him to the Judge’s Chamber in Canterlot.

She then turned and teleported away with a bright flash.

The others were just shocked at the display; even the Captain had never seen such mastery of magic.

The ponies all left to fulfill the orders Twilight had given. Nopony but one knew that the Princess of Friendship had teleported away so she could lose her tears in peace.

That one followed her in the same fashion once she had left the others, proving once again how loyal she was.

The pop of a teleport went unnoticed by Twilight. Rainbow Dash shook off the ringing in her ears as she approached the bed her sobbing friend was lying upon.

“Twi, are you alright?” she asked the alicorn in concern.

Twilight looked up at Rainbow Dash before shaking her head. The pegasus climbed onto the bed and pulled her friend into her hooves.

Twilight continued to sob almost uncontrollably. Rainbow somehow knew that this was a release of all the stress she’d been under for quite awhile. “Twi, I’m here for you; let it all out,” she said, her voice soothing.

Rainbow Dash’s uncharacteristically soft voice continued to soothe her friend. Eventually, the purple furred princess stopped sobbing as hard, hiccuping occasionally. Finally, Twilight looked at the friend who was cradling her like a foal. “I’m sorry Rainbow Dash; I couldn’t help it.”

The alicorn grabbed some more tissues to blow her nose. “I came so close to losing myself in there; I could have killed him!”

“Twilight, listen to me,” the pegasus said sternly. “The fact that you were able to pull yourself away from the brink shows that you weren’t willing to stoop to his level.” Rainbow stroked Twilight’s mane in comfort. “You’ve showed incredible heart in all of this.” She pushed her away a little to stare into her eyes. “But why would you let the words of some two-bit traitor get to you, huh? That’s not the Twilight Sparkle I know.”

Twilight moved away from her friend. “I really shouldn’t have; I just can’t hide the fact that I feel like a total freak at times! It’s bad enough that I get called a useless pegacorn, but when they toss accusations of me being gay in, it really gets under my skin. As if that had anything to do with my being suitable for my crown or not.”

Twilight sighed. “I mean, I know it really doesn’t matter, but why do spurned stallions have to jump to THAT conclusion with me every time?! And why do they have to say it as if it’s something dirty, or unclean?!”

“I never asked for all of this!” the alicorn shouted. “I never wanted this crown, these wings; I was happy with my life!” Tears started to run down her muzzle again. “All I ever wanted was to learn magic; to be able to do something like Celestia did that could bring awe to ponies’ eyes.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her friend. A number of pieces suddenly fell into place for her, some of which she wasn’t aware of at that moment. “Twi, is there something you’re not telling me?” the pegasus asked quietly. “Did you have history with Ironside or something?”

Twilight nodded. “His father got it into his head to offer him as a potential suitor to me. My parents and I told the both of them to go buck themselves.” She sighed again. “I refused him primarily because ambitious stallions like him only ever went after me because of who my teacher was.”

Twilight walked over and got a cup of the water that was standing on the nearby nightstand. She drank deeply to soothe her throat from all of the crying before she continued. “The other reason was that I was interested in another pony at the time, and didn’t want the attention.”

“Who Twi? Anypony I know?” Rainbow asked curiously.

Twilight nodded, blushing a bright red.

“Well?” the pegasus prompted.

“Lyra Heartstrings,” The purple alicorn mumbled, her blush deepening by several degrees.

“Lyra? Wow Twi, you really know how to pick them,” Rainbow said, a sneaky, teasing grin appearing on her muzzle.

Twilight just blushed even harder before doing her best to get control of her raging emotions. She walked over to sit next to her friend. “I was kind of sad that she got with Bon-Bon after she left Canterlot; I should have just taken the chance.”

Rainbow looked at the cute pony sitting next to her. “So, how long have you known you were gay Twi?” she asked.

“Since I first hit puberty,” the alicorn said at length. “That’s part of why I was never interested in having many friends.” She sighed in frustration. “It only added fuel to the fire that every stallion I turned down almost immediately thought that; as if it were some kind of plague.”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, I know how that is; I’ve had many of the same accusations leveled at me over the years. I prefer to think of them as small minded; it’s none of their bucking business who or what I’m into.” Rainbow looked at her friend. “How many of our friends know?”

Twilight looked thoughtful at this. “Aside from you and Spike, the only one that knows anything is likely Fluttershy. She hasn’t come right out and said anything, but I know she at least expects something.”

Rainbow smiled a little at that. “Yeah, she’s the greatest when it comes to things like that.” The pegasus got up. “Well, I hate to say this Twi, but we’ve still got something of a crisis on our hooves.” She looked around the room they were in. “Um, how exactly did I get here though?”

Twilight looked startled, then facehooved. “You don’t know?” Rainbow shook her head. “Rainbow Dash, your instincts are breaking out all over the place. At least tell me you were alone before you followed me here.”

Rainbow nodded before freezing, as she suddenly realized the how. “You mean I teleported?!” she yelped in fear.

Twilight nodded. “It’s not as hard as ponies think, though it does take a considerable amount of control over one’s mana.” Twilight hugged her friend, helping to calm the now-panicking mare down. “It’s ok Rainbow Dash; I’m here. I’ll help you cope.”

Twilight smiled. “And the best way I know to do that is for us to put our snouts to the grindstone.” Her smile turned to a grin. “Wanna see if you can do it consciously?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. Concentrating briefly, the pegasus focused on wanting to be where she was before. With a flash, she teleported them both as smoothly as if Twilight herself would have, going back to the trail of breadcrumbs they left behind.

Chapter Seven: ...To The End

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Equestria, Hoofington, 03-12-05, 5:22 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

Within minutes of the teleport, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle found themselves in the corridor just outside of the Briefing Room. Nopony seemed to notice their entrance, as Twilight teleporting was a common enough occurrence that few commented on it.

The two mares strode into the room where only a few minutes before had been the scene of a pitched battle. Twilight noticed that Marigold was in the room still, looking haggard as she was being grilled by Captain Merit.

“Captain, Corporal Merigold didn’t tell you about Ironside’s involvement because she didn’t know,” Twilight snapped. “Don’t blame her about not disclosing information that I kept silent about, as I had little way in verifying his involvement.”

“With all due respect, Princess Twilight, we’re looking at a total destabilization of this city’s government!” the stallion snarled. “Over half of my troops are sealed behind those force domes, and we’re still cut off from both Canterlot and Trottingham! Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you leave me in charge?! How in the HAY am I supposed to do my job with only part of the details?!”

Twilight facehoofed in aggravation. “Merit, I am sorry, but if I had told you, this city would be in Ironside’s full control. He would have sliced through your neck in a heartbeat if he knew you were a real threat to his position.” Twilight’s manner turned impassive. “I can, however, regain control of this city, so that we can figure out just what the buck happened here, and who is truly the head of the snake.”

Twilight’s tone took on a deep quality as she tapped into her alicorn authority. “I, Princess Twilight Amelia Sparkle Armor, Alicorn of Magic and Princess of Friendship, do declare the Equestrian Province of Hoofington under Martial Law. This is in accordance with the Founder’s Law, which gives me full legal power over ALL government-based enchantments Province-wide.”

A bolt of scintillating mana flared from Twilight’s horn as she activated the Sealing dome. “Commander Royal Merit, I hereby charge you with the task of arresting the now-powerless scofflaws, as only those of you in the Solar Guard, my own Dusk Guard, and my companions have access to their mana.” Twilight then made her way over to Marigold.

“Corporal Clever Marigold, Dame Rainbow Dash, and myself have been up for several hours now. With respect, I’d like for the three of us to get some rest.” She teleported a scroll case into the room. “This has all the evidence you now need to do your job Commander. Good fortune, Good Morn, and congratulations on a well-deserved promotion.”

With that, the alicorn teleported her party back to their quarters for whatever rest they could get.

Several hours later, Rainbow Dash gradually woke herself up from yet another run of the same dream. This time, however, there were far more details that she could recall besides light and fear, though they were just as confusing.

Why am I getting this intense feeling of love of all things? She asked herself. She then shook her head to dislodge the rest of the sleep from it. Rainbow noticed that there was a service tray with donuts, a variety of fruits, nuts, and berries, as well as coffees sitting in the corner.

The pegasus got up and walked over to the service to get herself something to eat. She noticed Twilight lying on the bed that had been across from her own.

The way that the alicorn was laying on her bed was all kinds of cute, and unaccountably, Rainbow blushed a bright red. Oh Celestia, all of a sudden I start thinking about that now of all times? The pegasus shook her head to try and shake the thoughts loose.

Even IF she’s gay, she’s still one of my best friends. We’ve got too much on our plates right now for anything like that anyway. I just hope she doesn’t start asking hard questions; it’s gonna be real hard keeping this under my wings. Whatever this is anyway.

Rainbow Dash made her selection and took her food back to her bed, only peripherally aware that she was levitating the coffee mug as she carried the rest of her food. She only noticed that when she took her first sip of the hot beverage. “Ugh! This is getting real annoying!” she grumbled.

Twilight started waking up just at that moment. She stretched, flexing her wings. This caused yet another blush to ride on Rainbow’s cheeks as she turned her head away. Fortunately, Twilight didn’t notice.

The purple alicorn walked over to the service tray herself to get her own breakfast. It was her that noticed that Clever Marigold wasn’t in the room. “Rainbow Dash, where did Marigold go off to?” she asked her friend as she made her way back to her bed, food in tow.

The pegasus looked surprised. “I dunno Twi; I just woke up myself a few minutes ago.” She looked at the clock on the wall. “Holy hay, it’s only that late? Thought it would be later.” She got up to stretch, fluffing her wings. She noticed as she did so that her primaries were far more defined than they had been even several hours ago. She groaned, not needing the reminder that she was changing.

Abruptly, her wings flared, sparks popping along their length. Twilight looked up sharply at this. “Rainbow Dash, did you just cast a disguise spell?” The alicorn walked over, carrying an apple in her magic. She scanned Rainbow’s left wing with her magic, nodding to herself. “Yes, you did; and a rather messy one too.” She then frowned, looking closer. “Wait, it’s not messy, it’s sparking between pegasi and unicorn mana. I’ve never heard of that before.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Ugh, how long am I gonna have to put up with all of these changes?” she grumbled to her friend. “I mean, I get that I’m changing, but isn’t it supposed to happen gradually?”

Twilight sighed in frustration. “I honestly don’t know Rainbow Dash; you’re the first I’ve ever known personally to have undergone the process.” Twilight tapped her forehooves together pensively. “Cadance was already an alicorn when she became my foalsitter, and I never did ask about her past. I did know that she was born a pegasus like you, but that was information she let out in passing.” Twilight looked at Rainbow’s wings. “Still, I can at least help you disguise these wings a little better; you’re coming out in spots as it is.”

Rainbow groaned. “This is gonna be ‘studying for the Wonderbolts Reserve’ all over again, isn’t it?”

Twilight giggled at little. “Well, not as bad as that I hope.” She had a thoughtful look on her face. “Actually, I think I might be able to teach you at least a little in a more normal fashion.” She settled herself a bit better.

“I think the first thing we need to do is to get you to actually feel the mana inside of you; that’s why it’s all over the place.” Twilight levitated her bag over, and pulled out a long wooden dowel. “Normally, that’s not an issue, as pegasus magic is mostly a passive application of their ability to manipulate air currents.”

Twilight levitated the dowel, twirling it in her magic. “However, for a unicorn, pegacorn, or alicorn, our mana is something we’re constantly aware of. It’s one of the first things that’s taught to young unicorns, in order to cut back on magic flares.” Twilight tossed the dowel into the air; without thinking, Rainbow levitated it back up and floated it over to her friend. She then facehooved in aggravation. Twilight giggled again.

“See how you did that? You didn’t think, you just did. That shows that your instincts for certain things are more in line of a unicorn’s instincts.” Twilight ruffled her wings. “Once a unicorn learns to tap into their mana, levitation becomes second nature. We’re always aware of it one some level, though that’s for safety reasons.”

“I can think of only one way to actually teach you to feel your mana, and that’s to equate it to your training in the use of Arcane Wing.” Twilight giggled yet again at the confused look on Rainbow’s muzzle. “Oh, you’ll see.” Her grin fell a little. “This really isn’t the time, but I have to teach you the basics at least. After what happened to you last night, we have less time than I thought before your horn starts to grow in.” Twilight hugged her friend in reassurance as she saw that Rainbow was starting to panic a little. “Breathe Rainbow Dash; just breathe.”

The pegasus nodded, starting to breathe the way her sensei had taught her, closing her eyes at the same time. Within moments, she was already in a meditative state. Twilight took a moment to settle herself before she began to speak. “Alright Rainbow; now that you’ve calmed down, I want you to focus on your center.” Rainbow’s breathing became more relaxed as she listened to Twilight’s voice. “I want you to focus on that part inside of you that is the source of your magic.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes moved rapidly as she focused within. The ball of magic within her being rippled as her awareness of it sharpened. “Feel this magic; it is still a part of you, as it is a part of every creature on Equus.” Twilight’s soft voice took on a firmness that was familiar to the pegasus.

“All creatures have magic, what we call mana. It is what gives us life, and it is what connects us to the Powers that created our world,” Twilight continued, still speaking softly. “Rainbow Dash, you use this energy to shape clouds and air currents. It is what allows you to fly, and you tap into its full potential whenever you do a Sonic Rainboom.”

Twilight shifted a bit before continuing. “Now I want you to do more, Rainbow Dash. I want you to embrace this energy the way a unicorn does. You cannot let it work passively any more; that is too dangerous to yourself and those around you. Become aware of it; its shape, form, and depth.” Twilight smiled as Rainbow’s wings began to glow softly, a sign that she was actively channeling her mana.

“Do not be afraid of it Rainbow Dash. Even though it is changing, it is still a part of you. You need to change with it.” Twilight nodded in satisfaction as the glow intensified. “Good, you have control over it. Now I need you to picture in your mind how your wings used to look. See each feather; feel each feather. Form that image in your mind.”

“Good Rainbow Dash; now I want you to focus on how your wings are now; you are not trying to make them be as they once were, you are simply trying to make them look that way.” Twilight smiled happily as Rainbow’s wings flared brightly once, then settled in the appearance they used to have. “You can open your eyes now Rainbow Dash. I want you to look at your wings when you do so.”

Rainbow’s eyes fluttered open; she turned her head, spreading out one of her wings. “Twilight, they look the same as yours, only they’re glowing softly,” she said, the calm of her meditative state still with her.

Twilight turned Rainbow’s head to the mirror on the far wall. Shocked, Rainbow saw that her wings looked like they always had. “Huh, now that’s a neat trick,” she said at length.

“This is the disguise spell that you were instinctively trying to use Rainbow; I just gave you what you needed in order make it completely active.” Twilight got up from the bed, moving over to her bags.

“Uh, Twi, this hum I’m feeling; is that normal?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight nodded, tilting her head. “Unicorns feel it all the time, though most aren’t aware of it since it’s something that we’re essentially born with.” Her expression turned stern. “Those of us that have strong wellsprings have to become aware of it however; it’s the only way to learn to prevent flares.”

“Flares? What’s that exactly?” Rainbow asked. She then looked shocked as a memory of a story Twilight had told the CMC years ago surfaced. “Wait, that’s what you did when you hatched Spike all those years ago, right?”

Twilight nodded, grinning sheepishly. “That was a really powerful one, but yes. Unicorn colts and fillies get them all the time as part of growing up. Few are ever that powerful, but there’s always a risk.” She tapped her hooves together pensively. “That’s why what I taught you should be part of every unicorn’s early education. Sadly, the tight-plots in the Equestrian School Board don’t see it that way,” she grumbled.

Rainbow nodded. Turning to her own bags, she levitated her brush out of them, this time fully aware of what she was doing. The hum intensified a bit, though it wasn’t uncomfortable. “Huh, I’m actually liking this some.” She grabbed the brush with her hoof and swept it through her mane. “Twi, why am I able to levitate objects without a horn anyway?” she asked as she brushed her mane.

Twilight was doing the same while reading a folder she had levitated out of her bags. “Hmm? Oh, that’s simple; you don’t actually need a horn to levitate something, unless you already have one.” She looked at her friend. “I can’t see it any more now that you have that excellent disguise spell up, but you’re actually channeling the levitation field through your wings.” Rainbow blushed a little at the compliment. Twilight set her brush down. “It’s quite likely that you’ll continue to do so, at least on an instinctive level. Until I start teaching you more unicorn-based spells.”

Rainbow put her brush back in her bag. “Okay, that’s just weird.” She tapped her hooves together, looking sad. She then looked up, tears standing in the corners of her eyes. “Twi, I’m scared,” she said softly, no longer able to hold the tears back.

Twilight quickly trotted over to hug her friend. “I know Rainbow; believe me, I know. I’m here for you.”

They sat that way for a few minutes until Marigold walked into the room. The unicorn waited patiently by the door until they noticed her. “Good Morning Princess Twilight, Miss Dash,” she said once they did. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you first woke up, but I had received word from the liaison we were supposed to get in contact with last evening. Her and I spent the last couple of hours going over what evidence concerning the aborted coup Ironside was involved with that Commander Merit has managed to gather.”

The mare walked over to where her own bags were sitting. “Unfortunately, I’ve been asked to lead you to City Hall; the remainder of the Assembly has lodged a formal complaint against you concerning the Martial Law you imposed.”

Twilight nodded. “I frankly expected that; believe me, I took no pleasure in that.” She motioned to Rainbow. “Rainbow, normally this wouldn’t involve you, but since your a material witness to all of the events that happened to us, Merit is going to need testimony from you.” Frowning, she turned to Marigold. “Have you received word from the Diarchs at all this morning?”

Marigold shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Commander Merit ordered me to wait until after he gets a full debriefing from the pair of you. Unless of course you give me permission,” she said, a sly smile appearing on her muzzle.

Twilight sighed. “Much as I’d like to inform the princesses about the fact that a prominent officer of the Equestrian Guard is currently a statue, I’ll abide by Merit’s decision. We still don’t have all of the details, and I’d like as much information before we send any reports.” She trotted to the door after levitating her saddlebags to her back. “Let’s not keep the good Commander waiting ladies.”

The other two mares nodded, following the alicorn to the waiting carriage.

Around twenty minutes later, the three mares met an aide-de-camp of the Commander. “Your Highness, Dame Rainbow Dash, Corporal Marigold, the Commander wishes to debrief you concerning a missing member of his corps,” the stallion said.

Twilight nodded. “I’m sure he does Corporal. Have several officers go to this address; they’ll find the traitor sealed in a stasis bubble.” The stallion frowned in anger, though not in surprise. He waved to two officers that had approached and gave them the slip of paper Twilight had just handed to him. He then led the three mares inside of City Hall.

They were led to one of the conference rooms shortly after entering, where the newly promoted Commander was waiting. “Princess Twilight, there are a few things you have neglected to inform me,” he said, an irritated expression on his muzzle. “I’m lacking one of my more recent aide-de-camps, one of the few trustworthy ones from Ironside’s officers I was able to find.”

Twilight just looked at the stallion. “Merit, try using your brain for once; none of Ironside’s troops were trustworthy.” The alicorn levitated a scroll from within her bags. “Every single one his officers was and is a separatist, and were fully involved in all three of the attempts on my life. The rank and file were too scared to do anything except follow orders; blackmail and threats against their families kept them in line.” She handed the unicorn the scroll. “You were informed of the fact that they all had such beliefs, and that Ironside couldn’t be trusted with his position; Princess Luna even warned you of the risks involved.”

“With all due respect your highness, having such beliefs is not a crime,” Merit said heatedly.

“Merit, history says otherwise,” the alicorn snapped, every bit as angry as he was. “Suprematist beliefs are all-too common, but most of those are smart enough to go some place where their beliefs won’t get them in trouble.” She stomped her hoof. “Every single separatist organization, on the other hoof, has actively sought to force pre-unification tradition.”

Twilight pointed at the file. “But we’re not here to discuss history; we’re here to discuss where your ‘aide’ is.” Her gaze turned impassive. “He’s currently sealed in a force barrier with a Class A limiter strapped to his horn; that was the least I was able to do with him after he turned State’s Evidence. He squealed when I made it plain that his direct involvement in a known assassin’s attempt on my life and the life of a fellow Element of Harmony was grounds for petrification.”

Merit blanched. “By Celestia, why would he even agree to something like that?!”

“Hatred and fear Commander,” Marigold said, after a lengthy pause. “Just like every bigot out there that has little to no understanding of how our race works.” She snorted. “They see wings or no horn as a sign of a different race, not possessing even a shred of understanding about basic pony biology.” Marigold stomped her hoof. “I know what it’s like, coming from the fact that I’m from a mixed family. My mother is an earth pony and my father is a pegasus. And yet idiots like this say I was adopted because there’s no way a mixed marriage like that could produce a unicorn.”

“Wait, they actually think that?! How stupid are they?!” Rainbow said in disbelief. “I know of a pair of earth ponies that have a set of twins that are a pegasus and a unicorn. How can they think something like that doesn’t happen?”

“It all goes back to what Corporal Marigold said; they hate and fear what they don’t understand. The Nocturne ponies, sea ponies, Quillin, and zebra all suffer the same discrimination.” The others looked confused at this statement, causing Twilight to facehoof. “Seriously, don’t they teach anything worthwhile in school? There’s more than just three pony tribes you know; zebra are just as much a member of our race as pegasi and unicorns are.”

Merit blinked. “You know, I remember my history teacher saying something along those lines.” He then scowled. “And I also remember that he was drummed out of his position for teaching that.” The stallion sighed. “This may help explain some of his reasoning; what I’d like to know is why he took the risk.”

Twilight sighed. “That’s simple; he was convinced that my having wings meant nothing; that I was little more than an overly powerful pegacorn.” She snorted. “Yet another example of having no concept of history. We may be lacking details, but it’s been proven that pegacorns are the precursors to every single pony tribe there is.”

Merit nodded before sighing. “Well, that explains some of what concerned me.” He frowned. “Now all we have to do is deal with the Assembly’s formal vote of No Confidence.”

Twilight snorted at that. “On whose authority did they call that vote? I called Founder’s Law; that means their authority is exempt until such time as either I or a representative of the Council of Eight says otherwise. And for that to work, said representative has to have been granted the position by the Priesthood of the Essences.”

Merit shrugged. “They seem to believe that their recent petition to sever Hoofington from Equestria gives them authority over you, your highness.”

Twilight rose from her seat, her expression intense. “Since I have evidence that some of them were involved in the conspiracy to have me assassinated, and the rest did nothing to stop it, their efforts have been invalidated.” She stomped her hooves yet again. “I also know that they still need a unanimous vote of all current citizens living in this province for a cede of separation to be validated. This vote of theirs has crossed the line; as far as the laws of this nation is concerned, they’re no longer worthy of considering themselves citizens. It’s time I made them aware of the fact.” Twilight motioned for the assembled ponies to follow her to the Council Room.

The other ponies all looked at each other before following her; they all realized that they were about to witness the largest legal action taken against government officials since the Fillydelphia Purge of 998 A.L.F.

The Council chamber was full, every mare and stallion present watching the chief council-pony with an uneasy nervousness as he droned on. There was a reason for their nervousness; standing alongside of the unicorn was several Priests of the Temple of Harmony.

The stallion was reiterating all of the evidence against Hoofington remaining part of Equestria. The nervousness the other council-ponies was feeling was offset by boredom, as the stallion- a known separatist -had been droning on for the last several hours. They could do nothing however, as he had the floor so long as the Priests were present.

“...I therefore propose that we send this unwanted pegacorn a message; that her actions were unwarranted and unjustified. This mare has yet to prove anything; rumor and the superstitious belief spread by the lying Sun Princess, who has-- *urk!*” his voice was abruptly cut off.

Simultaneously, the doors of the chamber slammed open, and Princess Twilight Sparkle, Alicorn of Magic and Princess of Friendship stalked forward.

Once she was level with the assembled council-ponies and clergy, Twilight turned towards the rest of the assembly. Not a single pony was able to discern how she felt, as her expression was completely impassive.

“Members of the Hoofington Assembly, your declaration of No Confidence upon myself, coming as it is during a crisis such as we’re currently experiencing, is one that is completely illegal. You must have the unanimous vote of all citizens of this Province; that is by both the Founder’s Law, and by the Charter of this Province. As two thirds of the popular vote rejected your proposal the first time you put it forward, you have crossed the line and are backing a military insurrection.”

Before Twilight was able to continue, an imperious hoof stomp from the senior Priest stopped her. “They did so on our Headmistress’ orders; she has declared you a false alicorn, and a traitor to Harmony; all of the so-called ‘Princesses’ are. One is a fallen alicorn that nearly plunged Equus into Eternal Night over one thousand years ago; the other is obviously in collusion with the powers of evil, having freed the Draconequus Discord.”

The priest stopped for a moment, gesturing to her fellow clergy. Twilight felt a pulse of mana as they gathered. Her anger rose as she realized that they had turned their backs on Harmony, willingly and openly.

Her wings flared, eyes glowing brightly. The next words she spoke were as old as they were powerful.

“By the Sky above and the Earth below, I call thou and thine a traitor to Harmony, and a worshipper of Chaos! Let Hope’s Judgement be upon thou and thine, Fallen!”

A brilliant flash of light flared in the center of the chamber. All of the runes that the fallen priests were using to protect themselves burned away, along with their power and knowledge of magic. A radiant form appeared in the light, gazing at the defiant priests. With a flash, the power of the Essences flared within them as Twilight backed away.

The six priests screamed in pain for a full minute as the power consumed every ounce of their mana; when it was complete, six crystalline statues stood where there was once six ponies.

Twilight collapsed as she felt the Power flow throughout Hoofington, only stopping when a chaotic barrier blocked off the Temple of Harmony.

Rainbow Dash and Clever Marigold rushed over to their friend, noticing the tears rolling down her face. Rainbow glared at the approach of Commander Merit and another council-pony; this one was a pegasus, and was wearing judge’s robes.

“Princess Twilight, I know that what you have called upon has brought you great distress, but we have received word from the Order of Gaia that Chaos is in control of the Temple of Harmony.” The stallion looked distressed. “I do this in supreme reluctance, as you should not have had to deal with what has been our own problem; we should have asked for assistance from the Diarchy long before this. The High Court of the Province of Hoofington grants you full right and authority to take military action against the traitors of Harmony that have beleaguered our city.”

Twilight rose to her hooves with difficulty, tears still streaming down her muzzle. An outpouring of love and sympathy from Rainbow Dash enabled her to regain control of her emotions, though she was still unable to completely suppress them. She nodded to the judge before walking off.

Rainbow Dash followed her, her own emotions just as tangled. She turned to Merit. “Commander, secure this chamber; these council-ponies still have to answer for their treachery concerning the abortive attempts on Princess Twilight’s life.” She then motioned to Marigold to assist the commander as she followed Twilight.

Less than twenty minutes later, the two ponies landed in front of a chaotic dome blocking off an ornate, yet simple temple.

Rainbow Dash hadn’t been to a Temple of Harmony since she was a foal. Her grandfather had taken her to the one in Cloudsdale after one of her many fights with the colts at Flight Camp. She was surprised to see that this one was virtually identical, only made out of stone instead of solidified clouds.

Twilight stalked up to the barrier as Rainbow shook off her memories. The barrier began to writhe as the two mares approached it. Twilight reared on her hind hooves and stomped on the barrier, hard. It didn’t so much as dissolve as it simply ceased to be; one moment it was there, the next, gone.

The two ponies walked through the door, passing through the chaotic energies that were swirling inside the temple. As they made their way into the central chamber, the energy did its best to alter their state. The bubble of force that both Twilight and Rainbow Dash was projecting was more than enough to counter the energies. Unbeknownst to either of them, the light surrounding them was also purifying said energies. Were Twilight paying attention, she would have seen Rainbow Dash’s wings flare every time a nimbus of light blocked a burst of chaos mana.

It was only a few minutes later that they stood before the central doors. Twilight stomped her hooves in front of the sealed doors; they fell inward with a crash.

Swirling colors of light greeted them as they entered the malestrom. The unicorn priest in the center glared at them balefully, swiping her horn in broad motions.

Whips of chaos mana burst against the shield of Twilight’s power. She stopped, and simply looked at the fallen pony. Her eyes were blank and expressionless as she gazed at one who had turned their back on all that was good and pure in the world.

Shrugging her wings, Twilight decided that enough was enough; nothing could be said. The mare had made her choice, and Twilight had already mourned her dissolution. She simply stepped into the circle.

Her power burned away the chaos and darkness runes that the now-nameless unicorn had surrounded herself with. The blessings laid into the very stone of the temple flared outward.

The Statues representing the Virtues of Harmony began to glow; each glow matched the color of each Element. Twilight and Rainbow Dash also began to glow; the Power of Friendship helped the alicorn in her pain, and she sighed internally in relief.

Beams of light flashed forward from the eyes of each statue, impacting the mare in the center. She screeched as the Power of Harmony stripped her of her mana, her knowledge, and her talent. The chaotic energies within the temple simply faded away as her Cutie Mark faded.

The mare looked up at the other two ponies present. Her eyes glowed black, and her horn turned a deep red. A scintillating bolt of mana struck her as this happened, causing her body to warp and shift.

The newborn demon screeched in glee as it was freed from its mortal shell, only to have a bolt of rainbow light strike it dead center. It simply faded into oblivion, with only an after-image left over.

All that was left was a tattered piece of the robe the unicorn had been wearing. On it was an embroidered crest of House Lemyre.

Twilight gathered this up, then nodded to Rainbow Dash. Neither of them spoke as they made their way to the personal quarters of the now-vanquished fallen Headmistress; there was more evidence to gather.

Far to the north, a dark presence screeched in great pain as a huge chunk of his power was severed away. He began to send the call for his willing servants to redouble their efforts, to ensure that the ones now unknowingly heading to him would not succeed.

Chapter Eight: Cleaning Up the Mess

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Equestria, Canterlot Dungeons, 03-12-05, 9:42 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

One wouldn’t know it by looking at its surface, but Canterlot Castle was a far larger structure than most were aware of. It was also older than many knew, actually having been the original settlement of the unicorns when they first came to the land that would one day become Equestria.

A part of its underbelly was the Crystal Caverns, a small number of which had been used both times by Chrysalis in both of her failed invasion attempts, the last of which resulted in her immolation at the hooves of the one she once mocked. These caverns were extensive, and were home to some of the richest mana-charged crystals anywhere on Equus.

Only a few stories below the main floors however, was the Canterlot dungeons. Though ponies knew they were there, few relished visiting them. Most were holding cells for those waiting to be deported to one of the handful of prisons in Equestria. These were those that had broken the laws of the land in Canterlot and its nearest territories, since most of the other jurisdictions handled their own lawbreakers.

There was another level that few ever wanted to think about, and fewer still ever visited. It was under guard much in the same manner as the others; however, the ones guarding it were more like caretakers than Guards-ponies. This was known as the Garden of the Lost, and it was where those that were serving sentences in stone were kept.

Discord’s placement in the Garden of Canterlot Castle was to serve as a warning of the evils of discord and strife. There were others of course; those whose terms were short, relatively speaking.

Just above the first of the dungeons were the Chambers of the Justices. This is where those who had been sentenced to petrification were sent, whether it was by order of the Princesses or the Courts. Though it seldom happened, the Alicorns all possessed the authority to sentence a pony to the ultimate punishment, but only if their guilt was confirmed.

Even if it was, the Justices possessed the authority and power to remove a spell of petrification, so long as they did so in the name of the Founder’s Laws. This seldom happened however, as ponies were seldom sentenced to petrification even when warranted. In most cases, Princess Celestia had simply banished the offending parties.

However, when true treason was involved, such as the case of the Manehattan Separatist Movement of 284 A.L.F., there was little that could be done. Many of those that had been involved had suffered the fate of a permanent petrification, one that would only be lifted when Sol herself stopped burning. Only the leader was spared, and that was because his head had been taken by Celestia for the crime of foal slavery and torture. It was one of the worst cases known, and was the last official execution that had ever occurred in Equestria.

The ponies waiting on the most recent case, a small hoofful of those involved in the treachery taken against the Elements of Harmony, were waiting with bated breath as the Justices conversed. The pony standing before them waited nervously as the four stallions and five mares went over the evidence against him, as well as Princess Luna’s plea for mercy.

Finally, the most senior Justice leveled a gavel in her telekinetic aura, rapping it for silence. “Rising Star, you stand accused of leading a conspiracy to level the Province of Ponyville for the sake of profit; said efforts geared towards the unwilling death of the Council of Friendship, as well as the Princess of Friendship.” Her gaze softened. “However, Princess Luna has asked for leniency, as your actions weren’t entirely your own.”

She tapped the folder sitting next to her. “The plan was put forth by others, ones whom have yet to be identified. Your own involvement was both coerced, and further influenced by a high level of demonic influence, something that few ponies have a natural defence against. Thus, the Court has decided to accede to Princess Luna’s request, though with certain provisions.”

The mare bent her gaze on the stallion standing before her. “You were still involved, and must still pay for your actions. Your payment is one of servitude, something you have already agreed to. The Court releases you into the custody of the Priests of Gaia and Solaris, whom you have pledged yourself to. Serve them well for the next ten years, and the slate will be wiped clean. Go with the Blessings of Harmony.”

The stallion nodded, relief palpable on his muzzle. His wife and daughters had tears of thanks running down their cheeks as they all bowed to the assembled Justices. They then left with the stallion, who was already wearing the robes of an Acolyte of the Temple of Solaris.

The assembled Justices shuffled papers in preparation for the next case. The head Justice turned to the bailiff. “Is there any more business concerning the last case?” she asked her.

“No Your Honor,” the pegacorn mare- a rarity in Equestria, since most requested Sanctuary before too long -said in her naturally quiet tones.

The Justice nodded. She turned to the folder containing the details of the next case.

Before she and the others could prepare for it, however, the bells heralding the impending arrival of a judged pony began to ring. A purple flash flared in the center of the chamber; when it cleared, the onlookers gasped in shock.

A statue that had once been Commander Ironside of the Hoofington branch of the Equestrian Guard stood before the Justices. The head Justice sighed, not surprised in the least; she had been expecting this ever since she met the stallion years ago. Pulling a far different folder from inside the drawer at her place on the bench, she read up on what little evidence the Solar and Lunar branches of EIS had been able to gather against him.

It wasn’t much, though that was soon to change.

Equestria, Hoofington, 03-12-05, 11:27 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

The atmosphere was tense as Corporal Marigold, Commander Merit, and the Governor waited for Princess Twilight and Dame Rainbow Dash to return from the Lunar Guard barracks.

The commander was twirling his hooves as he regarded everything that had happened in less than forty-eight hours. He now had a new commission, though he was responsible enough to wish that it hadn’t come at the cost of a military insurrection. He sighed a little. He was worried that the same commission was at best temporary, which would mean that he’d be relegated to his former rank once the current crisis was past.

Marigold glanced at the commander. “Having trouble with your new commission sir?” she asked him with a sneaky grin on her muzzle.

He glared at her a little. “Yes, actually. It’s temporary at best; there’s no way the Solar Guard is going to agree to Princess Twilight’s recommendation; she is not the Princess they’ve Sworn to after all.”

Marigold smirked. “Shows just how little they actually know; she’s one of the brightest we have, and has a great deal more direct authority over you and your soldiers than the entire phalanx of the officers of your Guard.” Her grin deepened at the shocked looks that both Merit and the Governor gave her. “Princess Twilight is a member of the Royal House of Equestria, as all alicorns and pegacorns are, and Hoofington is one of the cities she has jurisdiction over.”

“And that’s why they were trying so hard to get rid of me,” Twilight said as she walked in, Rainbow Dash trailing her. “I already had some evidence showing the Assembly’s involvement in the scheme to level Ponyville for access to the gem deposits leading to the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters.” She sat down. “None of us knew at the time that it was demonically influenced, nor that an old ghost from the past was involved.”

Twilight set the pile of blank scrolls she’d been carrying down. “You won’t need to worry about your commission Merit. The fact is, the reason why you weren’t given one sooner is because both the Hoofington Assembly and the unlamented Ironside were blocking it.” She scowled. “I had already given the order that you were to be named a Commander, as you’ve served the Solar Guard almost as long as my brother has been alive. And he’d be a commander himself if he hadn’t married Cadance instead, gaining a Prince title.”

Twilight grinned a little at Rainbow’s yawn, then frowned. “Well, that’s all moot. We really need to sit down and find out just who was involved in this criminal insurrection. I think it highly unlikely that the names we have were in fact involved, as what evidence we gathered after dealing with the Fallen Priest shows that they were being blackmailed.” An aide-de-camp approached with a stack of manilla folders. “Ah, thank you Corporal,” she said, passing them around to those around the table; even Rainbow got one.

“This is a list of all the names of the conspirators we were aware of,” Twilight said. She teleported another stack of scrolls into the room. “And these are copies of names that EIS had identified as having separatist leanings.” She handed one to everypony that was assembled, then opened her copy, preparing to match names.

Twilight snorted. “And this just goes to show how much of a foal Ironside is.” She pointed at a name at the top of the list. “This is the name of the one that we confirmed that tipped us off of the Assembly’s involvement.” She then pointed at the other list, where a council-pony’s name was inscribed. “The only one we have any confirmation as being involved is the Speaker of the Assembly and his chief aide; they’re known separatists.”

The aide-de-camp returned with a tray containing donuts, coffee, and another scroll. “Princess Twilight, Commander Merit, this is a petition from the populace to you concerning the Assembly.” He handed her the scroll.

Twilight opened it, and read what it contained. “I see no problem in dissolving the Assembly in favor of a general election; I was planning on that anyway, outside of the arrests of those involved in the coup.” She frowned. “I can’t, however, agree to the next part, unfortunately.” She sighed at the expression on the corporal’s muzzle; he was a pegasus, and was promoted to his position when the commander received his commission. “I understand their views; however, all I can do legally is arrest those that were directly involved in the attempts on mine and my friends’ lives. It’s unfortunately not a crime to have these kinds of beliefs.” She sighed.

Twilight lifted a cup of coffee to her lips, taking a sip before continuing. “Okay everypony; we really need to correlate all of this evidence; the Justices are waiting on what I’ve gathered to confirm my judgement against Ironside, and I still have to give official word to the Diarchy concerning the attempted coup.”

The others nodded, doing all they could to help the alicorn gather the evidence she needed.

It was the work of several hours, but Twilight and the others were able to determine who exactly was involved in the coup.

The only ones directly involved were the head of the Assembly, who was related to Ironside; a cousin in fact. His aides were involved as well.

The rest of the Assembly had largely been either threatened or blackmailed into agreeing to Ironside’s promotion, much the same way he had gained the ‘support’ of his troops. Unfortunately, there were too many of them that were willing to go along with it due to their own beliefs.

Such was the number that Twilight was forced to call in the full detachment of the Lunar Guard stationed in the province, in order that these ponies could be properly escorted to Canterlot to await further trial. The local Court had a problem with that however.

“All due respect, Princess Twilight, but these worms were trying to take control of our territory by force; we have the right to sentence them! This doesn’t concern the foals at Canterlot at all!” The deputy Justice, a pegasus mare, said angrily.

“With respect, Your Honor, I have to disagree. Had they not been foalish in involving me, it would naturally fall to the local Court. However, the attempt on the life of both a Princess of Equestria and a fellow Element of Harmony necessitates sentencing by the High Court.” She looked sternly at the mare sitting before her. “Aside from this fact, the sentencing they would be making is a formality, as I’ve already passed judgement as is my right.”

“There’s something else to consider as well,” the alicorn said, pointing her hoof at the pegasus mare sitting before her. “Your position as a Justice was granted to you by the High Court, yet you have given few rulings for or against them because of both your tribe and gender. I can’t in good conscience let yourself or any other sitting Justice outside of your Chief Justice have any say in their judgement. It’s clear to me that you desire to ‘get back’ at them for tribal and gender bias. I don’t blame you, but it’s my ruling that this province’s Court can’t be impartial, and only pass judgement by the letter of the law.”

“And you can your highness?” one of the other Justices asked.

Twilight shook her head. “No. Even though I’ve already passed judgement, outside of Ironside and the assassin that attempted to kill myself and my entourage, I haven’t passed sentence. I’m just as biased as you all are right now, especially since they had the effrontery to try and kill Dame Rainbow Dash and Corporal Clever Marigold as well as myself. It wouldn’t be so bad if it were just me; nopony hurts my friends.” She said the last with a fierce scowl on her muzzle.

The deputy Justice made to speak; a throat clearing stopped her. “The Princess is correct in her assessment; there isn’t a single one of us that can be counted as being unbiased in this.” The Head Justice made her way to her place at the bench. “I thank Luna that she has the acumen to have made this decision herself; it saved me from having to suggest it.”

“Your Honor, Your Highness, with all due respect, those foals in Canterlot can’t be counted upon to make a ruling on this issue.” The pegasus stomped her hoof in frustration.

Silver Hoof just gave the younger Justice a raised eyebrow. “Oh, come now, White Lily; we’re talking about the High Court here, not those foals who call themselves nobles.” She smiled. “I seem to remember at least one of them having been born in Hoofington.”

“I haven’t passed the torch of sentence to the High Court just because of our collective bias,” Twilight went on. “It’s also to stave off any claims of unfairness the press may make.” She looked at the elder mares before her. “You should recall that I said sentence; myself and Chief Justice Hoof have already ruled them as guilty; the evidence carried. I just don’t think that this province needs the bad press that an overly harsh sentence would give you.”

“You can rest assured that they will get the sentence they so richly deserve,” Silver Hoof said when Twilight paused. “A charge of treason and involvement in a military coup is nothing to shake a hoof at.”

The pegasus Justice sighed. “I guess I can see the merit in that,” she mumbled. “I just don’t want to see them get off, and I’m afraid that might happen.”

“Even if they plead guilty, the least sentence that they will receive is to spend the next twenty years in prison,” Twilight said matter-of-factly. She then sighed. “I really wish we could have passed sentence here, as it means more work for the High Court. However, there’s already a lot of flak that the ponies living here are going to get from the press; a charge of harsh sentencing or leniency given to them by the highest court in Equestria will at least cut some of that down.”

The assembled Justices nodded. The pegasus sighed as they did so. “I guess my views on this don’t matter,” she mumbled.

Twilight stomped her hoof, getting the mare’s attention. “And your ‘views’ on this is exactly the reason the High Court is handling the sentencing!” The others looked shocked at her display of temper. “Justice Lily, don’t you see? You personally have faced ridicule at their hooves, and the very last thing you need is an accusation of partiality and biased retribution hanging over your head. Especially since you’re personally slated to take over from Chief Justice Silver Hoof when she retires at the end of the year.” Twilight smiled at the dawning look on the judge’s muzzle. “That’s right; I’m trying to look out for the future of your career. After all, it’s a good practice for a Princess to secure the seats of the Justices that will be serving under her, yes?” The assembled justices laughed at the sneaky grin on Twilight’s muzzle.

Justice Lily joined them after a moment, realizing that the rumors of Twilight’s shrewd political sense were true. With a will, she joined her fellow judges in dissembling the rest of the cases on their docket, to better facilitate the transfer of those that would be making their way under guard to Canterlot.

Equestria, Canterlot Dungeons, 03-12-05, 2:15 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

The assembled Justices were tense as they tried to patiently wait for word from Hoofington. It had been reported that both the recently installed crystal telephone lines were still down, as the insurgents had sabotaged both in such a way to require extensive repair. The only way they had to communicate was through dragonflame messaging, and that had been blocked by alicorn magic. Since there was an alicorn in Hoofington at that moment, it didn’t take a genius to realize that Princess Twilight Sparkle has something to do with that. The question was, why?

The Chief Justice shifted in her seat as she continued to ruminate on what evidence they did have. Apparently, the unlamented Ironside had been planning his coup for years, which is why he requested the post to Hoofington. We really should push for the same standards for the Equestrian Guard that is in place for the Solar, Lunar, and Royal Guard branches. At least as far as determining if they have separatist leanings or not, the mare thought to herself. Every single case of military insurrection has involved that at least on some level, and few Guards-ponies Sworn to the Princesses ever become turncoats.

Further musing was cut short however, as a swirling mass of sparkling orange smoke in front of the unicorn. The smoke coalesced into a scroll bearing the seal of the Head of the Solar branch of the Equestrian Intelligence Service. The unicorn took the scroll in her magic. Popping the seal, she set aside the enclosed pouch of gems so that she could first read what was written.

Your Most Esteemed Honor,
Enclosed within this scroll is a pouch of sealed gems containing dragonfire-bound scrolls inside. This is all of the evidence concerning the attempted coup by the former Commander Ironside of the Equestrian Guard. There is also evidence of the duplicity of several prominent members of the Hoofington General Assembly among the documents.
I have received word from the engineers concerning the lines of communication; they have stated that it will be another four days before the telegraph lines will be restored, as the insurgents caused irreparable damage to the towers. They also drained the support structures for the wireless beams used in the new crystal telephones. In addition, all scrying mirrors have been either smashed or otherwise disabled. The only one that was not disabled was installed at the Governor’s Manor, which was destroyed late last evening. A letter from HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle will contain more details.
There really is nothing further I can report to you at this time; I have sent all pertinent data to my Chief. Have a good day Your Honor.
With Regards
Constable Silver Glow
Hoofington Branch of Solar EIS

The Justice had barely had a chance to set the scroll down when a bell run in the chamber. Simultaneously, yet another sparkling cloud of dragonfire smoke- this one emerald green -flew in front of the mare. It was unsealed, save for a purple ribbon.

The unicorn sighed before opening the scroll. Her expression became one of anger as she began to read.

Your Honor,
I’m aware that you’ve likely just received word from the Solar Branch of EIS here in Hoofington. This is just an informal letter to insure that the seals placed around Hoofington to prevent dragonfire messages were disrupted properly. The first two times we tried, the letters got sent to a safehouse they established. If you’re able to read this letter, then it means I was able to unscramble everything properly.
If everything on your end checks out, please mark the bottom of this letter and send it back. That way, I can send official word to the High Court, and so Corporal Clever Marigold can send word to the Princesses. Otherwise, I and my friends are going to be stuck here a lot longer.
Yours Truly
HRH Princess Twilight Amelia Sparkle Armor-- Princess of Friendship

The Justice levitated her quill, marking her sigil on the bottom of the scroll. Rolling it up, she then re-tied the ribbon around it before touching the corner of the scroll to the flame of the dragon-scale candle sitting on her bench. It abruptly flared into emerald sparkles before spiraling away.

Less than two minutes later, another scroll bearing an official seal of Princess Twilight appeared. The Justice opened this one. Quickly scanning it, she then turned to the bailiff. “Bailiff, send for HRH Princess Celestia; she and her sister may already be on their way; however, if they are not, then they need to hear this evidence. Also send for His Lordship Of House Armor, and for Her Eminence the Archmage; they will need to know of this evidence as well, as far more than just one Province is involved.”

The pegacorn nodded before leaving out a side door that doubled as a portal to the upper floors. The unicorn sighed. “It’s just been one of those weeks,” she groused, feeling a horn-ache coming on. “I just hope that whatever’s on its way, that Serenity is guiding the right one to Her.”

As the next petitioner stepped forward, Princess Celestia sighed internally. It seemed as this was yet another attempt by the nobles to circumvent the rights of the common pony. Or at least, it seemed so on the surface.

Further musing was cut short by the unannounced arrival of the High Court’s Bailiff, who was being chased by a pair of pegasus Royal Guards-ponies. “Come back here, pegacorn; you were told by Lord Whitetail to not enter the Upper Castle floors during Court!” the lead pegasus shouted. He would have said more had an abrupt gust of wind from Celestia’s wings knocked him onto his plot.

“And since when,” the Solar Princess said in a frosty tone, “has Lord Whitetail ever been given the right to detain an official of an office that is higher than his?” The pegasus swallowed, before wisely deciding to keep his muzzle shut.

“I thought that I made it perfectly clear that I would not tolerate any discrimination towards ponies, especially anypony that is of mixed parentage or is a pegacorn.” Celestia stalked to the pegasus. “Nor am I pleased to hear that my Royal Guards-ponies are taking the commands of others over their commanders or myself and my sister.” She looked at the pegasus, horn alight as she looked past his armor glamour. She snorted as she recognized the stallion. “Humph, it seems as though you think your duty to the former Lord of your House is of far more importance than MY commands, is that correct young colt?” The stallion nodded his head jerkily. Celestia smiled at this. “Well, at least you’re honest; that’s a good thing.”

Celestia then turned to the pegacorn mare. “Bright Wings, please return to the High Court chambers and inform them that I will be there shortly. I have a pressing issue that needs to be dealt with, as I have grown tired with the way a certain pony tries to manage my household.” Bright Wings nodded as she flew off. The other pegasus made to follow her; he was stopped by a bright golden glow pulling him around by the neck.

Celestia’s frosty gaze barreled into the now shivering stallion. “It seems as though you need a further reminder of whom you actually serve,” she said softly. “That young mare has had a difficult life as it is without needing an ignorant pair of Guards-ponies making her job difficult. Perhaps spending the next fortnight guarding the privy closets will teach you the value of obeying my commands, and not those of a do-nothing, pompous windbag.” She then dropped the now shaking stallion. “Have I made myself clear?” He nodded before joining his fellow Guard.

Concentrating briefly, Celestia used her connection to Sol to locate the now-former Lord Whitetail. She found the stallion in one of the northeaster towers, haggling a young hinny maid. Celestia snorted at this evidence of the stallion’s adherence to ‘proper forms of tradition’, and surrounded the stallion in a teleport shield.

With a pop, Whitetail was teleported in front of his Princess. He prepared to scowl, only to stop in real fright at the frosty glare Celestia leveled in his direction.

“Whitetail, I have seldom been as angered at one of my little ponies as I am at you,” Celestia said, her voice as frosty as her expression. “I really do understand that your position is important. You are responsible for my House’s public image, just as the ones who came before you. I do, however, take great umbrage against the message your most recent actions is giving.”

Celestia raised a hoof. “First, there’s the fact that you went ahead and cancelled- without my approval or permission -all of the tours I had scheduled for the orphans in Canterlot Orphanage. Orphans that, by law, have far more right to this castle than you, as they are of my House unless or until they are adopted. In spite of that, you decided that the image of ‘poor unfortunate ponies being paraded around as an attempt at gratuitous charity’ would be bad for my image. Instead I now have ponies saying that Princess Celestia is more concerned with her perfect Princess image than she is in helping the less fortunate.”

“Then there’s your most recent action; your treatment of a maid I personally hoof-picked as a handmaiden. What she had done to earn your ire I do not know, nor do I care. What I tolerated from Blueblood, who at least had the sense not to violate civil rights laws, I most certainly will not tolerate from anyone in my Household.”

“Finally, we get to the orders you have given to ponies acting in an official capacity. Your instruction of Royal Guards-ponies- likely backed by threats of excommunication should they not comply -whom you have no authority over, either overt or covert. Not when said orders run contrary to every law that our land has concerning the issue of civil rights.”

“What kind of message does it say when the pony in charge of my Household gives orders to block a member of my own kind, as I was born a pegacorn trying to perform their duties? Not a very good one. I understand that you are concerned for my image, yet you can’t possibly understand what damage your actions have done to that image.”

“Everything that you have done recently has demonstrated that you think your position protects you. You have forgotten that your House seat is incumbent on my approval, and mine alone. I do not take kindly to ponies standing on the rights of other ponies, especially ones that have had rights in this country since the Founding. You possess little understanding of pony genetics, or of history. And not only that, you possess little comprehension as to the fact that the ‘traditions’ you are trying to uphold are ones that I personally detest.”

Celestia stalked towards the stallion, who hadn’t moved at all during her harrague. “I care not for the proper image when it is one that places my station above that of anypony else. My first duty is to serve this land, first as a Guardian, and then as a Princess. And your actions have single-hoofedly undone years of work.”

Celestia stomped her hoof. “I have had as much as I can take. I normally do not run roughshod over the internal management of a House; however, I will not let a House of such long standing as yours be run by a short-sighted, ignorant stallion such as yourself. Therefore, your Seat and duties, as well as the wealth you’ve enjoyed at obtaining a position your branch of House Whitetail has not had in centuries will be given over to your granddaughter. That is a message I hope that everypony receives; that I will not tolerate discrimination. Such a thing is an attack on the very principles that have protected Equestria for longer than your House has existed.”

Celestia motioned to her Guards-ponies; they approached the stallion and placed a locking limiter on his horn. “As of this moment, you are no longer of the Houses; your title is non-existent. I hereby sentence you to spend the remainder of your days at Fort Last Hope. Perhaps you may be able to learn that a ponies’ worth is judged by their actions, and not by how they look.” With a crack, the stallion disappeared.

Celestia shook her head before heading off to the High Court’s main chamber. She had a feeling things were not yet over.

Author's Notes:

I know that this chapter might not fit with the arc of what came before, but like the other chapters in this fic, it was necessary for world-building.

Mostly, this chapter is my way of showing that not everything is hunky dory in Equestria; that there still is racial tension, even among the three prime pony tribes.

In addition, I needed to show a point where Celestia's actions demonstrated how she personally feels about discrimination. These go in line with my own beliefs.

On a side note; Celestia really has a temper, doesn't she?

In any case, there is another scene that ties up everything, though it will fit better in the next chapter. This one is setting the stage for further problems the three main characters will have down the road, as well as setting background for Celestia's apparent OOC behavior in PSDAL.

I don't know if this will be the last chapter I will be writing for this fic for a while or not. That's all up in the air at this point. I've posted more chapters for this one fic in one week than I have for the majority of my stories. I may take a break from this one and work more on Scootaloo's fic, as I'm in the mood for CMC shenanigans.

Until next time!

Chapter Nine: Echoes of Marigold's Past Part One

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Equestria, Hoofington, 03-12-05, 9:17 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

An exhausted purple alicorn collapsed onto the mattress furthest from the door. The last twelve hours had been the longest period spent in meetings that Twilight could remember in a long time.

Hoofington was a mess. The actions of the local Assembly showed a complete and utter destabilization of the government in the territory. Twilight had been forced to disband the entire body and point regional governors over each jurisdiction, at least until a general election for a new body could be held.

Twilight turned her head slightly to gaze on her cyan friend. She sent Rainbow Dash away several hours ago to get some sleep after they had gotten as many details ironed out as needed. She’s been a real trooper; handling all of this on top of what’s been happening to her.

Twilight’s concern for her friend caused the deep seated anger she had towards Celestia to come forth. The mare angrily punched her pillow. Why did I agree to this, this quest in the first place?! I’m no longer under any obligation to do what should be Celestia and Luna’s job, and the Princess knows it! So why did I do it?

Further musing was cut short by Rainbow. Her wings flared from where they had been lying along her back. Twilight got up in alarm as flashes of mana started to travel down the length of Rainbow’s wings. Simultaneously, a levitation aura started flowing around the room. All sorts of objects started to lift from their places.

Twilight realized that Rainbow was having a mana flare. Her exhaustion vanishing as a result of adrenalin, Twilight quickly moved to seal the room off. She also sealed any large objects from being affected by any other kind of magic outside of her own. This had no effect on anything within a hoof’s length from Rainbow’s flaring wings.

Twilight made her way over to her friend, noticing that Rainbow’s eyes were moving rapidly. This was a clear sign that she was deep in the throes of an REM sequence. Suddenly, the mare cried out, her eyes opening. They glowed a bright white with power.

The room flared as scintillating bolts of mana flashed off Rainbow’s wings. Twilight layered the walls of the room in sealing spells so that nothing would leave. A torrent of air started flowing around Rainbow as her pegasus mana started to respond to the flare.

Twilight gasped as the hotel room started to shake. Jumping up, she burned a sealing rune on the wall with her horn, then levered her earth pony mana through it. A vibration thrummed through the walls as the room itself was sealed off from the rest of the hotel.

Twilight watched worriedly as bolt after bolt of mana flared off Rainbow’s wings. While not the most dangerous flare she had ever seen, it nonetheless was concerning. She knew that she needed to let it run its course, as this wasn’t at all like her flare when she hatched Spike.

A few very tense minutes later, Rainbow slumped as her eyes lost their eldritch glow. Her wings settled down. Twilight sighed in relief, though she held the seals in place just in case.

Rainbow gradually woke up, shaking her head. Tears were in her eyes as she raised her head. “Oh Twi, you’re all right!”

Twilight squawked as Rainbow lunged from her bed, catching her in a tight hug. The pegasus was shuddering from terror as she hugged her lavender friend. Twilight hugged her back, stroking a hoof down her withers.

This continued for several minutes. Twilight let Rainbow go as soon as she felt her wiggle. Rainbow Dash flushed a bit. Trying to get her bearings, she took a look around the hotel room.

“Um, what happened in here?” she asked confusedly. Twilight sighed a little, knowing that what she was about to say was going to be hard for Rainbow to take in.

“You had a mana flare Rainbow Dash.” Twilight started to use her magic to straighten the room.

“A mana flare? Isn’t that something that just happens to unicorns?” Rainbow asked in surprise.

Twilight paused. “Well, yes and no,” she said at length. “It happens to unicorns a lot, especially when they have overly large wellsprings.”

Twilight sighed as she sat next to Rainbow. “It’s far more common for ponies that are undergoing a metaphysical shift. That usually only happens when a nascent pegacorn is making the transition from whatever they were before to a full pegacorn state.”

Rainbow’s ears flattened against her head. “Twilight, is this something that’s gonna happen a lot?” she asked in a fearful voice.

Twilight looked at her friend. “I honestly don’t know Rainbow Dash. Nearly all of the pegacorns I’ve ever talked to were born that way. The only ones that I know of that didn’t have never given any details of their transitions, and I’ve never met any of those that were born a different type before you.”

Twilight could see the vulnerability in Rainbow’s eyes, something that she thought she’d never see. “Rainbow, no matter what, I’ll do all I can to help you.” She paused, frowning. “There’s not a time limit on all of this, and I know that Luna called the PPP in to protect Ponyville. We could head back, at least until the changes are complete.”

Rainbow thought hard about what Twilight was saying. She was scared, really scared. And yet, she remembered what her dad always said about being scared.

“Twi, I am scared. But, what we’re doing here is important. If we don’t do this, ponies can get hurt.” Rainbow sighed. “Doing all that Element of Harmony stuff has never really been about saving Equestria for me. It’s always been about helping my friends. But this, this is gonna help a lot more ponies than just those important to me. I can’t just not do what needs to be done because I’m scared.”

Twilight smiled at that. “There’s the Rainbow Dash I know. Well, let’s try and get some sleep; we’ve got an early train to catch tomorrow.” Rainbow nodded at that.

After straightening the room, Twilight lay back down. Rainbow smiled at her friend before doing the same. She soon fell asleep, joining Twilight in the Realm of Dreams.

This time at least, she had pleasant dreams.

Equestria, Trottingham, 03-13-05, 4:17 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

The train depot in Trottingham was crowded, and not just with ponies. Rainbow Dash looked around her in stunned surprise, doing her level best to hide it.

Never before had she seen so many different creatures in one location. The gryphons weren’t that odd; even before her friendship with Gilda, Rainbow had met the occasional gryphon. However, to see donkeys, canid, even deer was unusual, even for Equestria.

“Um, Twi, I thought Diamond Dogs don’t bother going above ground,” she said in disbelief as the group passed a pair of canines going in the opposite direction. She then looked more closely at them; they only bore a superficial resemblance to the Diamond Dogs that lived outside of Ponyville. “Oh, my bad; sorry about that,” she said sheepishly to them. The female just snorted, slapping the chuckling male upside the head. Twilight just facehoofed.

Clever Marigold scowled at the conversation a pair of gryphons were having off to the side. “I really hate market days sometimes,” she said. “It brings out the riffraff.”

“Clever Marigold, that’s not a very nice thing to say,” Twilight snapped. “Just because they’re not ponies doesn’t mean they’re ‘riffraff’.”

Marigold snorted. “I wasn’t talking about the gryphons Twilight.” Marigold paused at a nearby concession stand, which happened to be the same one the gryphons had just left. After purchasing a wrapped package, she made her way over to the gryphons.

The taller male took a closer look at her, starting to smirk as he realized who it was. “Well, look what the wyvern dragged in,” he said in reasonably good Equis. “I’d heard from the grapevine that you were collared in Ponyville; did you get an early parole or something?”

“Never you mind Claude; just make sure your chicks know who got this for you,” she replied, smirking. The two gryphons walked off, chuckling.

The unicorn manning the stall scowled and would have said something had an angry blue snout not got into his. “Got a problem with the way she used her purchase, horn head?” Rainbow snarled.

“N--no problem ma’am,” the stallion stuttered out.

“Good.”

A few minutes later, the three were waiting for the police carriage that was to take them to the Trottingham Guard-house. They were all eating some shish kabobs that Marigold had purchased.

Rainbow stopped scarfing for a moment as what had happened earlier was still on her mind. “You’d think that living in a town with so many different races would make somepony more open,” she said, before continuing with her third kabob.

Marigold just rolled her eyes as she finished her first. “Miss Dash, outside of Ponyville, it’s far more common to find riffraff that judge like that, especially around here.” she levitated another kabob from the plate sitting next to the trio. “The ponies around here are far more insular than any I’ve ever run into, except maybe the unicorns that live in Canterlot Heights.”

Twilight snorted at that, smirking a little. “I would take umbrage at that Marigold, as my parents have lived in the Heights all of my life.” Marigold blanched at that. Twilight’s smirk grew. “However, as the house we have there is an inheritance, we really didn’t have much of a choice. Mom really doesn’t associate much with our neighbors outside of the weekly Bridge game she hosts.” Twilight took a quick bite of her second kabob, finishing off the grilled salmon pieces. “Come to think of it, none of the ones that join her there are from the Heights themselves.”

Rainbow gulped down the last of her kabob. Burping a little, the pegasus settled down in her seat before taking a large swig of water from the bottle next to her. She looked at the other two ponies with a question in her eyes. “I’d heard of that before; is it really all that bad?”

Twilight snorted. “Rainbow Dash, Blueblood’s mother lives three doors down from my house; what do you think?” Rainbow facehoofed at that. The other two mares chuckled.

Twilight looked at her cyan friend over the top of her third kabob. “I’m pleased and surprised that you actually stuck up for Marigold like that Rainbow, especially concerning what had happened in Ponyville.”

Rainbow scowled a bit. “Twi, that’s unfair. I’m not that thick-headed; nopony got hurt, else it would have been harder for me to.”

Twilight smirked. “Actually, I’m thinking more about your reaction towards Zecora, but that works too I guess.” Rainbow facehoofed at that.

“Ugh, yeah, I guess that wasn’t my proudest moment,” Rainbow said sheepishly. “Any more than how I treated Trixie the first time she came to Ponyville.” She frowned a bit at that. “I still don’t get why she went after the Alicorn Amulet like that; she’s never given me a straight answer.”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “You’ve been writing Trixie? Huh, there’s more to you than I thought.” Rainbow blushed a bit at that. “As far as that goes though, I don’t think she can give you a straight answer, as that’s one of the ways that artifact protects itself.” Twilight scowled. “I just wish we got more warning than we did; whenever the Alicorn Amulet becomes active, all alicorns currently in Equestria become aware.”

Marigold frowned. “Princess Twilight, are you insinuating that the Diarchy knew that a Class A Dark object was active, and did nothing?”

“No, I’m stating that Celestia knew that a Class A Dark object was active, and ignored it anyway.” A flare of magic burst from Twilight’s horn as her expression darkened. Rainbow noticed that her coat was darkening as well. Without being fully conscious of her actions, Rainbow used her harmonic connection to light to soothe Twilight, who visibly calmed.

“I don’t know if I should tell you this or not Marigold, but I’ve been irritated and angry at Celestia for awhile now,” Twilight said in a low voice. “I’ve come to terms with most of it, but I still have doubts that make me uncomfortable.” She turned her head. “Some of these doubts make me at least a little sympathetic to some of those who want to see an alicorn-free Equestria. I just don’t agree with their methods; I’d be all-too happy to step down if the High Council was willing.”

Further conversation was cut short by the arrival of not one, but three police wagons. Once they stopped, a cadre of Lunar Guards-ponies surrounded the bench the three were sitting upon.

“I’m sorry to do this,” the one in the middle said in an apologetic voice, “but I have no choice. Corporal Clever Marigold, you’re under arrest for murder.”

Several hours later, the local commander of the Lunar Guard and the D.A. were getting an earful from one irate purple alicorn.

“I cannot believe you’re actually entertaining this, this farce! She was over five hundred kilometers away in Ponyville when all three murders were committed!” Twilight stormed up to the D.A. “And before you go off and say that she has the knowledge to use earth runic magic to travel along the leylines, let me remind you that I was with her in all three occasions!”

The D.A. refused to back down. “I’m sorry, Princess Twilight, but the evidence is clear; the murder weapons have her unique magical signature all over them. And you yourself have stated time and again that there are ways to make one think something was the way it wasn’t.”

“Just as there are ways to fabricate evidence! Thaumaturgical signatures are unreliable as evidence for that reason! I can name at least three methods off the top of my horn where such traces can be falsified! Don’t insult my intelligence councillor! Unless you have more concrete evidence, then this arrest is only going to stay active for the next twenty-four hours!”

The D.A. frowned at that. “Why such a small time-frame?” he asked.

Centurion Roulette frowned. “I thought you were aware of the particulars Councillor. In twenty-four hours, I’ll be informing the other witness to Corporal Clever Marigold’s alibi, one whose authority trumps that of Princess Twilight’s.” The nocturne stallion sighed. “I’m afraid the witnesses to at least one of the crimes will be harder to ignore, even for Princess Luna.”

The D.A. smirked a little at that. “Well, I can be assured that at least some justice will come from this. Clever Marigold has long missed her day in court after all.” So saying, the unicorn left the conference room.

Once he was away, the Lunar Guard stomped his left hind hoof; a glow sealed the room off. He sighed as he turned towards Twilight. “I’m truly sorry for this Princess. I know that you were sent on a special mission, and I also know that there’s no getting around this.” He started to pace.

“The evidence against her is fabricated; I know this, the mayor knows this. Hay, the detectives who found said evidence know this. But because of the nature of three of the witnesses, my hooves are tied.”

Twilight scowled. “Centurion, I have incontrovertible proof that even those of a priestly nature can be wrong about something.” She stomped her hoof in aggravation. “Most unicorns have to work to sense leylines and personal wellsprings; I have to work hard at using suppression magic to keep from sensing such things! I’ve had to since I was a filly!” Twilight snorted angrily. “Encapsulated mana pulled from things she’s touched was all over that miserable excuse of a lawyer!”

Roulette frowned. “Then why didn’t you order her release?” he asked. “That alone shows his involvement.”

Twilight looked ready to tear her mane out. “Because I don’t have the authority!” She sighed in defeat. “You’re her superior; she’s only a part of mine and Rainbow Dash’s journey because of the circumstances in Ponyville.” She sat down heavily. “Also, that only shows that the encapsulation is leaky, not that he was involved. He’s not in any case-- he’s too much of a coward to get involved.” She then frowned. “At least directly; he might have taken a bribe of some kind.”

Roulette looked sternly at the purple alicorn. “Then you suspect that this has something to do with what happened to you in Hoofington.”

Twilight sighed. “Yes, and it looks as though I’m not going to be able to much, as something tells me this isn’t my problem to solve.” She smirked a little at the stallion’s confused look. “Just call it alicorn intuition. I may not know how this problem will be solved, but I do have a pretty good idea as to who will solve it.”

Equestria, Trottingham, 03-13-05, 7:19 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

To say that Rainbow Dash was was angry would be understating things.

Ever since Clever Marigold’s arrest hours earlier, it was all she could do to keep from blowing her top, shouting just like Twilight was at those involved. The trouble was, she was most angry at the one who needed her anger the least; Clever Marigold herself.

“I don’t understand you! You act all cocky one moment, and then the next, you go right along with whatever others are saying about you! And you’re not even gonna try to deny their claims?!” Rainbow Dash threw up her hooves in exasperation. “I’d be right in their snouts, demanding them to send word to their superiors; instead I see that you’re just sitting on your plot, meekly accepting whatever crap they’re saying!”

Marigold glared at the pegasus before her. “Rainbow Dash, I’m not just meekly taking it! I happen to have been at this particular dance before, only this time, I’m going to do right by those I’ve sworn to serve!”

“Even if it’s untrue?! You’re just gonna go along with it?!” Rainbow huffed in frustration. She then took a closer look at the obstinate look on Marigold’s muzzle. The mare was hiding it well, but Rainbow could see the fear and hurt in her eyes. Spy or not, Marigold never did anything to really hurt anypony.

“You really are innocent,” Rainbow said softly. “You’re not fighting this because on some level, you feel you deserve to be punished.”

Marigold turned her head sadly. “I have a lot of bad things to answer for, and Karmic justice has a way of working around to bite the deserving in their cutie mark.” She sighed again.

Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. Something didn’t make sense. Clever Marigold was too smart and too crafty to just let everything slide like this. She knew that there was more going on than what everypony else knew. “So why are you letting this happen? And don’t give me that crap about Karma; if you were really so concerned about that, you wouldn’t have done half the stuff you’ve done.”

A smirk appeared on Marigold’s muzzle. “You’re a lot smarter than ponies have given you credit for Rainbow Dash.” She sighed, the smirk she was wearing fading as she did so. “I’m allowing this because of what I am now. Somepony in my position has to answer to the laws of this land, whether they’re guilty of what they’re being accused of or not. It’s simply how the Lunar Guard works. And there’s really nothing I can do; this cell has spells cast on it that neutralize my mana, not to mention this undignified limiter they’ve stuck on my horn. Even if I wanted to escape to clear my name, I wouldn’t be able to.”

Rainbow grunted at that. “Whoever decided to try and frame you is probably banking on you to try and escape anyway; it’ll make you look even more guilty.” She scowled. “Something about that lawyer pony seems off; he was a little too quick to put you in here, and made too much of a big deal about the security. Even I know limiters are only for those that have been convicted and await sentencing.”

The look in Marigold’s eyes confirmed Rainbow’s suspicions. If he’s part of the greater conspiracy, and Marigold doesn’t escape, then they’ll try and send somepony to off her. Well, I can use that to our advantage; they’ll be looking for her mana, and not mine.

Rainbow huffed, doing her best to act a part. Above all else, she had to make Marigold’s next moves appear as genuine as possible, though it hurt her to do something like that to a friend. “If you’re expecting my help in this, don’t; even I can see a lost cause when it smacks me in the snout.” She turned to walk away, cringing inwardly at the shocked and hurt look on Marigold’s muzzle. “Since you seem so Tartarus-bent on being a martyr, maybe I should leave you to it.” She then stalked off, leaving behind a bewildered and sad unicorn.

An hour later, Marigold’s meditation was interrupted by the arrival of Centurion Roulette and the local D.A. Both were accompanied by a pair of plainclothes pegasus Guards-ponies. Marigold smirked a little bit as she saw them entering the cell block she was housed in. I wonder if the local authorities are aware of that stallion’s connections to the Polomare bloodline, she thought to herself cynically.

“Corporal Marigold, the D.A. has decided to offer you a deal; I suggest you listen to what he has to say. As I told Princess Twilight earlier, there’s little chance of securing your release with the evidence against you.” The Nocturne stallion gestured to the Guards-ponies, who escorted her to a nearby briefing room.

Once they were inside, the Nocturne passed a scanning probe around all the objects in the room. Once this was done, he sat down.

The D.A. frowned. “Centurion, while I’m comfortable knowing you’re here to protect me, what I have to discuss with the accused is between me and her.” The Nocturne scowled a bit, then left.

Once he was outside the door, the unicorn sealed the room in a silence bubble. “Well now, you’re probably wondering what kind of deal my boss has for you,” he said, smirking. “I have here two proposals; you either plead guilty to the ‘crimes’ we’ve prepared for you, or you use the method of escape provided.” He passed a note to her. She took a look at it before balling it up and snorting. “Such a shame; well, I’m sure you’ve already found the duplicate in your cell.”

Marigold snorted again. “I’ve already taken the third option; I’ll simply plead ‘Not Guilty’, and wait until both Princess Twilight and Princess Luna rip your so-called evidence apart.” She got up and sneered at the D.A. “So you can tell your bosses to shove their offer of a new job up their plots!”

The stallion looked at Marigold with pity. “One of the most intelligent mages currently alive crafted the spells that secured the evidence we have against you. You have no chance against a spell crafted by Clover the Wise herself.”

Marigold laughed out loud at that. “Clever Mind is nothing more than a hack politician with not even a thousandth of the brains of Twilight.” She smirked at the frown on the stallion’s muzzle. “Oh yes, I’ve worked for her clandestinely more than a few times; she’s a con-pony of the highest caliber. Clever, true, and likely one of the smartest ponies alive. But I’ll bet you a thousand bits that the spells you used to frame me are somepony else’s work. You’re wasting your time ‘counsellor’. I’m not interested.” She stomped her hoof on the ‘end interview’ button on the edge of the table near her seat. Runes flared up, cancelling the silence bubble the stallion engaged.

The stallion sighed as the Guards-ponies came back in to escort Marigold back to her cell. He then made his way back to his own office; he had a meeting to prepare for.

Even if he was paying attention, he wouldn’t have seen that he was being followed by a certain angry cyan pegasus. But then again, he was as stupid as Rainbow Dash pegged him to be.

Equestria, Trottingham, 03-14-05, 12:45 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

The local D.A. waited both impatiently and nervously at the meeting site for his contact. No matter how it played out, the situation he found himself in was untenable.

His bosses had assured him that a thief and spy such as Clever Marigold would be unable or unwilling to face the music, no matter what deal she had made with Princess Luna. The stallion himself had his reservations, and Marigold’s actions bore into it. She had shown herself to be as loyal to the Night Princess as any member of her family.

Not only that, there was no way to use her family as leverage, as virtually every living member of her family had vanished, right down to third and fourth cousins. It sounded impossible to make over two hundred ponies disappear virtually overnight, but that is precisely what happened.

Further musing was cut short by the arrival of his contact. The mare in question had a passive expression on her muzzle. “I take it that things have gone as planned?” she asked the councillor.

He shook his head. “Unfortunately, she did what you said she wouldn’t; she’s essentially letting the law do its work.” He shook his head. “Not that that’s going to get her anywhere.”

The mare scowled. “That would be the case; however, our contacts within the Justice Department have informed us that Princess Twilight has replaced all of the currently sitting Justices. It seems as though she had all the evidence to prove they were receiving bribes.” She glowered at the D.A. “That is why you were to ensure that she took the deal. You should have threatened her family; that would have been effective.”

“Threaten her with what she knows is an empty threat?! That would have achieved nothing!” He snorted. “I had already informed you that her entire family was moved to an undisclosed location, one that we since have determined that was staffed entirely by Lunar Guards. In any case, none of this would have happened had we not just simply followed the directives originally given when her group left Ponyville.”

“And risk the destruction of one of the major thruways? Are you as much of an idiot as my sister thinks you are?!” the mare countered. “It matters not though; there are other ways to tie loose ends.”

The stallion smirked at that. “Quite right; one of them I find myself taking great pleasure in.” He then slid the telekinetic blade he had hidden behind the mare in between her shoulderblades. The mare collapsed in shock and disbelief as she looked at the assassin. “Oh, did you come here thinking that I was going to be punished for the plan’s failure? The failure wasn’t mine; the plan was yours after all.”

The mare looked pleadingly at the stallion in question as the last few seconds of her life fled. She then closed her eyes. “So ends another waste of a unicorn; oh well, you can’t have everything after all.” So saying, he walked off.

Off on one of the nearby rooftops, Rainbow Dash looked on in both shock and anger, before shaking her head to dislodge the image of one pony killing another. She then flew off to go find both the local Lunar Guard commander and Twilight; she felt certain that they were going to try and pin this murder on Marigold as well, and she was sure that Twilight needed to hear the evidence she had just witnessed.

Centurion Roulette and Twilight looked up from their briefing of the recording of the conversation between the D.A. and Clever Marigold in shock as the door slammed open. “Twilight, Commander, I’ve got some real bad news that you’re not gonna believe!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“Rainbow Dash, what’s happened? I thought you were in your room!” Twilight said, noticing the tense, taut set to Rainbow’s wings. “What’s happened that you felt the need to interrupt an important debriefing?”

“I’ve been spending over the last five hours following around that lawyer pony from earlier, and I just witnessed him kill another pony! He’s gonna try and frame Marigold for this one too!” Rainbow Dash was sweating from the exertion, and still hadn’t come down from the adrenalin rush from earlier.

“That’s a serious accusation Miss Dash, even for an Element Bearer. Do you have more than your word?” the commander asked.

Rainbow looked at him in angry disbelief. “You’re seriously questioning me too?! What is this, the Maerish Inquisition?!” The stallion scowled at that.

“Rainbow Dash, calm down! Shouting at Roulette for only doing his job isn’t going to help.” Twilight then turned in reproof to the Nocturne stallion. “While I understand you need to entertain doubts, there’s a couple of ways I can use to confirm what Rainbow Dash witnessed.”

Twilight then walked over to Rainbow. Leveling her horn at the necklace the pegasus was still wearing, she cast a spell. A holographic image showing everything she had seen in the last several hours appeared before the ponies. They all paled as it confirmed that she had indeed witnessed the local D.A. kill another pony.

“Well, this confirms what we’ve already verified; this makes four murders he’s been involved with.” Roulette turned to one of the Guards-ponies present. “Issue a warrant for the good councilor’s arrest.”

“One moment Roulette,” Twilight said. “I think it would be better if we send ponies to secure the body, and make certain that any nearby ‘witnesses’ have conflicting evidence.” Twilight then cast her Call charm; a ball of mana appeared over Rainbow’s left shoulder, colored a bright purple. “This recording charm will have recorded everything within a five block radius of Rainbow Dash, including any counter auras that may have been laid.”

Roulette smirked. “What they have said about you is true my Princess; you’re every bit as intelligent as Clover the Clever was.” Twilight blushed at the unsanctioned praise. The stallion turned to the charm, leveraging his tribe’s unique magic into it.

Within a few moments, several condensed mana crystals appeared around it. Roulette levitated one over to the reader that sat on the table. All present watched as the scene unfolded; it was apparent that there was an alteration blanket all over the recording. However, the original recording showed through, as intended.

“Well, this is more than enough to prove what we’ve already been able to determine. We’ll have to wait until he springs the rest of the trap in question before we collar him.” Rolling Roulette smirked at his Princess. “And you said he wasn’t capable of something like this, Princess.”

“I stand corrected; I’m just as equine as any other pony Roulette,” Twilight said, a bit stiffly. “I wasn’t aware that the Court-appointed psychologist was part of the conspiracy at the time.” Twilight then noticed the expression on Rainbow’s muzzle. “With respect Centurion, I’m sure Rainbow Dash would like to get some sleep, and I need mine as well. See you later today, as they likely won’t spring the rest of it before Morning Role-Call.” Having said that, she and Rainbow Dash left to head to their nearby quarters.

A few minutes later, Twilight was watching Rainbow Dash pace in agitation. The pegasus had been unable to settle down ever since she and Twilight had retired to their shared quarters.

“Rainbow Dash, talk to me,” Twilight said. “I can’t help you unless you tell me what’s wrong.”

All of a sudden, Rainbow slumped to the ground, tears in her eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me Twi; it took every bit of Wonderbolt military training I’ve got to stop myself from flying down and delivering an Iron Wing strike to the back of that assassins’ head.” The tears started to fall as she continued. “All I could think of was that he deserved to die for hurting that pony. The thing is, she was every bit as bad as he is, and yet I feel this need to avenge her death.”

Twilight sighed at that admission. She walked over to hug her friend. “That’s part of your changing nature; both pegacorns and alicorns have strong protective instincts, and a strong instinctive desire to see the guilty be punished.” She stroked her friends back as she continued. “That’s why few pegacorns ever stay in Equestria; it’s hard to have such a strong protective instinct for foals that would rather see as little of your plot as possible.”

Rainbow used the breathing techniques Twilight had recently taught her to calm herself down. Admitting part of what was bothering her was helping to calm her down; Twilight’s closeness was doing more for her that Rainbow was willing to admit, however.

Twilight held Rainbow for awhile, until she started to feel her nod off. She then levitated the cyan pegasus over to her bunk. She gave her a slight good night kiss on the snout, before heading to her own bunk.

As the night before, the ponies both entered the Realm of Dreams together, this time granting Rainbow Dash a reprieve from the nightly terrors that she had been experiencing.

And this wouldn’t be the last time that the Light would prevent Fate from pushing against her chosen Avatar; the Light would continue to do so whenever Rainbow started to reach her breaking point.

Chapter Ten: Echoes of Margiold's Past Part Two

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Equestria, Trottingham, 03-14-05, 9:22 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

The next morning saw Twilight and Rainbow Dash making their way towards the prison that housed Clever Marigold.

The prison itself was only one of several; Trottingham was fortunate in that there was a much larger detachment of Guards-ponies from the three primary branches of the PPP. As such, there were far more than enough to police its streets, which led to a much higher number of arrests.

This prison was actually a holding and processing center attached to the Guard barracks. This was to ensure that high profile detainees wouldn’t be able to escape easily. There had been numerous attempts in the past; fortunately, even those that had successfully broke out of their cells were stopped before they could leave the complex.

It came to no pony’s surprise- though they acted as it did -when a corporal ran up to both Rainbow Dash and Twilight. “Princess, I have distressing news; it seems as if Corporal Clever Marigold has somehow escaped her cell.”

Twilight did an excellent job of acting both shocked and concerned, Rainbow noted cynically. “Are you certain she’s done so?” she asked the pegasus.

Corporal Silent Aegis nodded. “The watch crystals saw her open her cell, then move a short distance away before teleporting away. The runes that record such traces were somehow disabled, as were those that prevent teleportation in the first place.”

As they entered the barracks, Twilight scanned all of the runes, as well as the watch crystals. To her sullen satisfaction, all of them had been subverted with a duplicated mana wavelength, one that she didn’t recognize. The duplication spell was familiar, however; it was a version of one she had created as a class project a few years back. Twilight snorted.

“Corporal, run ahead and tell your Commander that the recording crystals have been tampered with, and not by Corporal Marigold. I have reason to believe that she hasn’t even left the building since she was escorted there last evening.”

The corporal nodded, then galloped off to expedite her orders. Rainbow Dash looked at her friend, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Nice bit of acting there Twi.” She frowned. “I don’t know what his game is; how does he expect to trick you of all ponies? You were personally trained by Princess Celestia.”

Twilight sighed. “Most of what I received is available to any student of Celestia’s School.” She scowled, remembering those days. “Celestia did have a lot that she taught me; however, her lessons seldom delved into spell theory or practice. I had to learn most of that on my own.”

Rainbow shrugged her withers at that. “Little more than I expected; she likely didn’t have the time to teach you much more than that.”

Twilight nodded at that as they entered Prison Processing. Both ponies found not only Centurion Roulette waiting for them, but the local D.A. as well. It took everything both Twilight and Rainbow Dash had to act as if they weren’t aware of particulars.

For Twilight, her nature both as the Princess of Friendship and an alicorn made it doubly hard to be in the presence of the traitorous pony. For Rainbow Dash, her changing nature made it even more difficult to keep from administering the swift justice due to him.

Twilight had had both time and training in learning how to suppress her natural alicorn instincts. Many of the lessons in meditation that Celestia had given her over the years actually applied far more to pegacorns and alicorns.

Rainbow Dash, however, had little of that. It was only her military training that prevented her from killing the D.A. when he first killed his associate. Her nature was fast becoming that of a pegacorn; already, her instincts were more pegacorn than they were pegasus.

By their nature, pegacorns exemplified the characteristics that most ponies did. However, the sense of loyalty they had was doubly compounded by their dedication to justice. In the past, those that had done something that went counter to everything ponies stood for often fell under the hoof of an avenging pegacorn. It made them feared in ancient times, especially to criminalistic ponies.

Rainbow’s inner sense of justice had already deemed this pony guilty; while he had killed another criminal pony in front of her, this only compounded the fact that he already had several other deaths to his name. Added to that was the fact that he had betrayed the other ponies’ loyalties- such as they were -with such an unprovoked attack.

All of these things made it very hard for Rainbow to keep her temper in check. It also made her next actions completely understandable.

“Centurion, counsellor. I assume you got my message?” Twilight asked them as she and Rainbow Dash approached the two stallions.

“Yes, we did; unfortunately, I cannot take you at your word Princess Twilight. Clever Marigold is a companion of yours; as such, I believe any statement you make or evidence you show to me is biased.”

The corporal from earlier approached and handed a folder to Roulette. “Well, counsellor, it seems as though you’ve just shoved your hoof in your muzzle again.” He waved the folder. “I have here confirmation from our resident thaumaturgical expert, a pony trained at The University of Science and Thaumaturgy in Manehattan and picked for this position by the Diarchy, that what the Princess discovered was true. Furthermore, a First Class cloaking and obfuscation field has been detected surrounding Clever Marigold’s cell. One that is external, and bears the same signature of the other magics detected.”

Roulette pulled a crystal from the pouch that the pegasus corporal handed to him. He smirked as he used his mana to examine it. “And here is the record from the shielded recording crystals I ordered to be installed after you left last evening, on Princess Twilight’s suggestion.” He trotted over to the crystal reader at one of the nearby processing booths. The unicorn frowned; he had been unaware of that development.

Plugging it in, he keyed in the correct decryption sequence. They all watched the image that appeared above.

A unicorn stallion came from the visitor’s center. His tag showed him to be a custodian; however, anti-glamour charms on the crystal showed him to be a wanted thief and con pony. He cast several high-level spells; though the image became fuzzy briefly, the shield charms prevented the full disruption of the image.

The stallion walked over to where Marigold was sleeping. He rapped on her bars. The mare woke up and glared at him. He tossed a package at her. She stomped on it when it landed on the floor between her hooves. A flash showed the package disintegrating. The stallion shrugged before casting the cloaking field, which was high-caliber enough to block the crystal. One could see a bubble that fast dissipated, before showing a clear image once more.

The D.A. scowled as Roulette shut the image viewer off. “It seems as though this is yet more evidence of what Princess Twilight had already suspected; somepony or ponies is trying to frame Corporal Marigold for crimes she did not commit.”

“We’ve already conclusively proven that she was several hundred miles away in Ponyville when the first two murders were committed. As to the third, all witness statements have been found as false. Two of the witnesses were to have been found to have taken bribes for their testimony; the third- and most damning -has since remembered what she really saw, as it was discovered that she had been a victim of a vision-altering charm.”

“Use of such charms are completely illegal due to severe side-effects. Fortunately for her, the ones that she’s experienced are easily treatable.” Twilight frowned as she continued. “So, all that remains is to clear her paperwork, and Marigold will be free to go.”

“I think the Justice in charge of this jurisdiction is to make that judgement call, your highness,” the lawyer sneered.

“You’re all looking at her; I’m now acting Justice as the prior Justice was arrested for gross ethics violations.” Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Roulette all smirked at the D.A.’s shocked expression; they all knew it was an act. “Fraud, receipt of bribes, withholding evidence, witness tampering, jury tampering-- the list goes on. She’s awaiting deportation to Fort Last Hope as we speak, as much of that resulted in the incarceration of several innocent individuals.”

The D.A. scowled. “I protest; you can’t possibly take over! You’re biased!” The stallion continued to bluster as they all made their way to Marigold’s cell.

“Protest all you want; as soon as Marigold is released, we’ll be discussing your actions last evening.” Twilight said as they entered the holding cells. The lawyer frowned; there was no possible way they had anypony following him; he would have been alerted otherwise. He smirked inwardly; even though his second back-up plan to frame Clever Marigold had failed, it all played right into his main plan.

Twilight levered her horn at the empty cell that was supposed to house Clever Marigold. She cast her disrupting charms, frowning as she did so. There was a curious number of unusual wavelengths in the spell; while none of them were able to disrupt the charm bubble, none were necessary. So focused was she that Twilight didn’t notice the slight tightening of the muscles alongside the lawyer’s neck. Rainbow Dash did, as she had been keeping an unobtrusive eye on the treacherous pony.

As the charm bubble popped, the wavelengths that would have otherwise done nothing surrounded Twilight. She gasped as she felt the unicorn polycast a series of spells. One was a shield spell; the other two were concussive blasts, one targeting Rainbow Dash, the other Roulette.

The assassin levered a sharpened shard from inside Marigold’s cell, flinging it to penetrate the forehead of the prone Nocturne. A blast of sharp wind shattered the shard. He growled as he levitated several more from within the cell.

Rainbow Dash had had enough. Launching herself forward, she spun in a corkscrew manner, using her innate pegasus magic to blast every shard apart. She flipped over the back of the unicorn and brought all four hooves down on his back.

The pony collapsed, though he was far from helpless. He didn’t realize that he was finished; Rainbow wasn’t done. Quicker than thought, Rainbow used her skill in the Iron Wing discipline against him.

Two strikes were all it took. The first one severed his horn off, right at the base. The second cracked his neck, breaking all of his vertebrae and severing his spinal column. The pony was dead even before his horn hit the floor, blood pooling from his shocked muzzle.

Marigold looked at the pegasus with shock and no little admiration; never before had she seen such a display of skill. She walked over to where her superior was still prone. She helped him up to his hooves, dusting him off.

Rainbow looked over to where Twilight was still behind a shield of some kind. The alicorn’s horn was glowing a bright purple; her muzzle bore an angry expression Rainbow had seldom seen. “Everypony, stay right where you are; I only have one chance to get this right.”

Twilight’s horn grew ever brighter. Energy began to form around her in a shield; simultaneously, a similar shield formed around the outside of the barrier she was trapped under.

Once both had formed, Twilight summoned a ring of purple flames around herself. Rainbow frowned a bit; she’d seen the changeling queen that acted as an ambassador use a similar spell.

Twilight disappeared into the portal that opened up underneath her. Another ring of purple flame appeared behind them; almost immediately, Twilight appeared from it.

Before anypony was able to move, Twilight cast a double barrier spell around them. Each one of them were surrounded by an individual spell, with a larger dome around the group. Subconsciously mirroring her friend, Rainbow Dash cast a similar spell using her growing pegacorn mana.

Levering her horn at the trapped barrier, Twilight pierced it with a bolt of bright bolt of orange-colored mana. The barrier dissipated with a loud CLAP; flaming wavelengths flowed between the two sealing barriers.

Twilight grunted as she cast more of her power into all of the sealing barriers. Subconsciously, Rainbow Dash mirrored her casts, causing Twilight to tap into her barrier with her alicorn mana.

It was barely in time as the first two barriers collapsed under the onslaught of energies from the destructive barrier. Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight gritted their teeth and muzzles under the effort the wave put on the outside barrier.

After a tense thirty seconds of this, the last wave went out as quickly as it came up. Twilight dropped all of her barriers and slumped to the floor. Rainbow sat down abruptly as well; she was now fully aware that she had somehow cast a high level unicorn spell with her pegacorn mana with no training.

Clever Marigold had used the past couple of minutes constructively. Using the unlocking key that was in Roulette’s pocket, she had removed the locking limiter from around her horn. She then levitated a bottle of water that he had in there to his lips. “Come on, you stubborn foal, get up already!” The only response Roulette gave was a grunt as the water went down his throat.

It took several minutes before he was aware enough to speak. “Damnation! That concussive spell was designed to work against my very nature! Where in Tartarus did he learn such a spell?! Spells like that were only at the level of theories the last time I checked!”

“Up until a few months ago Commander; I’ve since been able to make several working prototypes,” Twilight said as she got to her hooves. “However, they were only supposed to be taught to my Dusk Guard, and only used as a last resort. When we get back to Canterlot, I’m going to have words with the Archmage! I told her my research books needed to be kept under lock and key!” Twilight stomped her hoof in aggravation.

Roulette shook the last of the spell’s effects away. He trotted over to where the assassin’s body lay. He stared in shock at the blackened horn on the ground, and the darker red of the blood that had pooled from the stallion’s mouth. “I was about to say that you went a little overboard, Miss Dash, in saving my life. I stand corrected.: He bowed to the pegasus, who blushed slightly.

“I would have said the same, except I witnessed everything both he and you did.” Marigold’s smile was heartfelt as she too bowed to the now-brightly blushing pegasus. “I’ve never before seen such a masterful display of both the Wind Blade and Iron Wing techniques; even Spitfire would be hard-pressed to match.”

Rainbow scratched the back of her head ruefully. “Heh, yeah, she said the same thing the last time we sparred.” She couldn’t help strutting a bit as she got up to inspect the dead pony corpse. She winced as she saw his broken neck. “Ugh, not my best; his neck shoulda stayed straight.”

Twilight walked over to inspect the body herself. She noticed the burst vessels alongside either side of the head, as well as the dark blotches where blood was pooling in the temples. “The arteries to his brain burst as a result of the corrupted dark mana burst he was channeling,” she said, gesturing to the blackened horn. “It’s a wonder that you struck there first.”

“Sensei said that whenever you’re dealing with a unicorn that has nothing to lose, go for the back, the horn, and the neck, in that order.” She shrugged a little. Her expression turned sad as she regarded the crumpled unicorn. “Shame that I had to take his life though, even though he deserved it.”

She snorted at the look on Roulette’s muzzle. “Oh, don’t get me wrong; I don’t give a rat’s ass that I killed him; he was deserving of death. He just isn’t gonna answer for all of the ponies he’s killed.”

Twilight nodded. “Exile is preferable, but in a case like his, it would have been either the chopping block or the gallows.” She swallowed. “And I would have had to give the order; you’ve saved me that chore Rainbow Dash.”

“Eh, I’m just glad that it was me that done him in, and not you Twi; you’re too kind,” Rainbow Dash said gruffly. She then swallowed a ball of bile herself, looking a bit green. “I just wish I wasn’t forced to kill him; it’s just as hard as Sensei said it would be.”

Roulette walked over and placed his wing over the pegasus in a gesture of camaraderie. “It’s never easy to take a life like this.” He looked around the cell block. “In any case, I do believe we need a little time to decompress. If you will all follow me.”

He led the group to the conference room off Prison Processing, after alerting the coroner to send a thaumaturgical team to remove the dead body. There was still evidence to gather.

A few short minutes later, the ponies were finishing up all of the myriad paperwork that had to be processed before Marigold could be released.

“There!” the pony in question said as she signed her name on the last of the sheets before her. She then rolled them up and proceeded to beat Roulette upside the head with them. “And this is for acting like a dunce that didn’t know who I was, ya big dummy!”

“Hey, ease up May! I was doing my best, okay?” the stallion said defensively as the other two mares watched bemusedly. The stallion grumbled as Marigold got in a couple more whacks before handing her documents over to Twilight for her to check over.

Rainbow looked at the other two ponies. “You two know each other, don’t you,” she said; it wasn’t a question. Roulette nodded.

“We went to school together; I haven’t seen her in years though, since just before I was deployed to Fort Last Hope.” He finished his own paperwork. “And I wasn’t pleased at all when I found out what she’d been doing with herself for the last few years.” He glared at the unicorn.

Marigold blanched at his glare. “I just got in over my head Rolly; I swear, I would have gotten out years ago,” she protested weakly. The stallion continued to glare for a bit before shaking his head.

“I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on you; if circumstances had been switched, I would have done worse I’m sure,” Roulette said ruefully.

Marigold then got up and gave the Nocturne stallion a big hug. “Aww, did I hurt your pride big fella?” she teased him, in a way that only an old friend can.

“Heh, not any worse than my wife does,” he teased. May narrowed her eyes at that.

“Anypony I know?” she asked him. He shrugged his withers a bit.

“You might have heard of her; then again, I’m sure all of Equestria has at one point or another. Beatrice tries to downplay her showpony past with those she meets, but it’s hard to live down that kind of reputation.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw frowned a bit; something about that name and the word showpony triggered a memory. Looking closer, she saw that the left hoof of the stallion had a wedding bracelet that had both Roulette and another pony’s cutie mark adorning it; a familiar wand-and-stars mark that Rainbow knew almost as well as her own.

“Wait, you married Trixie?” Rainbow Dash said in shock. “She told me that she got married, but you don’t seem her type.” Roulette just rolled his eyes at that.

“Yes, I get that all the time,” he said ruefully. “Ponies expect that with her family, she would be a traditionalist; not for her though. In fact, her career on the stage is part talent, part rebellion against her family.”

Roulette stomped his hoof in aggravation as he remembered something. “When I told her that Twilight was coming to town, she all but begged me to invite her to dinner.” He looked at the purple alicorn sheepishly. “I don’t know if you can make it or not Princess, but I would be glad to have you at my manor.”

Twilight nodded. “We’re not on any specific timeframe, and it will be good to see her again. I’m anxious to see how she’s progressing.”

Rainbow laughed at that. “Oh, she’s as big as a beached whale, to use her words,” the pegasus said, still chuckling. “What? I’ve been keeping in touch with her every bit as much as Twi has!”

Roulette shook her head. “I still find that odd; most ponies would have avoided somepony that had used Dark magic on them as much as they could.”

“I’m not most ponies,” Rainbow said heatedly. She sighed in aggravation. “Oh sure, I was upset in the beginning, but after Twi explained that Trix wasn’t in her right mind even before putting on that amulet, I started to forgive her.” Her expression turned sheepish. “I also started realizing that I had a lot of gall trying to show up a showpony; that’s like a swan calling a duck a water fowl.” Twilight snorted at hearing Rainbow repeat one of her oft-quoted metaphors.

“Still, Beatrice and I would love it if the three of you joined us this evening; though she’s understandably nervous in meeting you May,” Roulette said.

Marigold roller her eyes at that. “Rolly, we were foals for Celestia’s sake! You’re free to marry whoever you like, and I told you that before you shipped out!” Roulette smiled sheepishly at that.

“Yes, I know.” The stallion looked up at the approaching corporal who he had sent out for a very special package. “Well, there’s something important that needs to be dealt with, now that all of your paperwork has been completed.” He took the bound scroll and covered badge from the pegasus stallion next to him, then turned to Marigold.

“Clever Marigold, your actions during your regrettable and unwarranted incarceration are confirmation of what, until now, was simply a formality.” He presented the scroll and badge to her. “Your new badge of office, and commission.”

Marigold broke the Lunar Guard seal on the scroll and read its contents, nodding as she did so. “Well, I was expecting to get this a little later, but this merely confirms what Princess Luna told me in her briefing.” Her brows would have doubled as a level as she gazed at Roulette. “Was it your idea to use the past circumstances as my field test?”

Roulette sighed. “No, it wasn’t. However, the Code does allow for circumstances such as this. Besides, I was told to ask for your assistance dealing with the remainder of the conspiracy after you finished your stated task, and was told to use that as your field test.” He thumped the table. “Some purists might argue with me, but what was needed was a way to test your ethics, and not your crime solving abilities. You had already proved you were capable in Hoofington; by outright refusing their continued offers, you proved your loyalty to both the Lunar Guard ideals and the spirit of the Law.”

Rainbow frowned as she listened. “Wait, shouldn’t that be the letter of the Law?” she asked when Roulette paused. He shook his head, smirking.

“Not for Lunar Guard; our duties often have us outright breaking the law in order to save lives. Unlike those golden boys in both the Royal and Solar Guard,” he said snidely. Twilight snorted at that.

“And my brother says the same about the Lunar Guard,” she scoffed. “They would garner better respect among the PPP if they weren’t so Tartarus-bent on doing Black-Ops operations instead of their normal duties.”

“Shows what he knows,” Roulette said in response to that sally. He saw the expression on Twilight’s muzzle and made to clarify. “Don’t get me wrong, Princess Twilight; your brother was an excellent defensive and logistics Captain. I was proud to have him as a commanding officer when I served at Fort Last Hope.” He stomped the table again. “However, his attitude about the Lunar Guard reflects the teaching of both the Royal and Solar Guard; that we have a disregard of the Law because we’re so eager to break it.”

“What that fails to take into consideration is that the Law more often protects and preserves the lives and livelihood of the rich and powerful; the common pony often falls short because of this. And because it has had the job of protecting a very visible Princess, both the Solar Guard and the Royal Guard have had the misfortune of being under the scrutiny of ponies that disregard the Law in both its spirit and letter at every opportunity.”

“However, the Lunar Guard was charged with the defense and protection of the common pony; those first duties were given to us by our Sovereign, and we maintained the tradition after her Fall. One that most of us alive during that time didn’t follow because it was wrong, even though she ordered us to follow her.”

Twilight looked thoughtful as she chewed a bite of the doughnut she had been eating. “I’ve said something similar to Shiny a few times.” She waved a hoof. “All of what has happened recently brings credence to the old saw about what power does to ponies.” She scowled. “And there are many that strive for greatness who are woefully unsuited for such a position.” She frowned. “Huh; that’s sounds just as egotistical as whenever Celestia said it when I was a foal.”

Marigold leveled a reproving gaze at Twilight as she folded up her commission papers and tucked them in the pouch behind her new badge. “While I understand your anger towards the Solar Diarch, this take of over-analyzing and over-criticizing of Celestia’s past actions is getting on my nerves Twilight. None of us would be here were it not for her.”

Rainbow scoffed as she finished her last doughnut. “Yeah, right, as if. If she had actually done her job properly instead of making Twi and the rest of us jump through hoops to get the elements, Nightmare Moon’s return would have happened a lot better than it did. Then there’s all the sitting on her plot she did that pushed Luna to that point in first place.”

Twilight glared at Marigold, who was scowling at Rainbow Dash. “Clever Marigold, I have known Princess Celestia for over half my life, and consider her a second mother. And not once have I ever heard her say she was truly wrong about something. She didn’t even apologize to her own sister, and she was in far more need of doing that than anything else.” She stomped her hoof. “No, it’s all about pride; her pride.”

“And you want to know a big secret? Her pride could have cost all of us, and would have led me to declare Harmony’s Law on her.” Seeing the looks of confusion all but Rainbow Dash was wearing, she waved her wings. “These things were given to me as a result of both my past actions, and the acceleration provided by Star Swirl’s Unfinished Spell. A spell that stood a high chance of sending my friends to the Elysium Fields, and breaking the power of the Tree of Harmony. It’s only by Clover’s influence that all that happened was a Cutie Mark Swap.”

“By the by, that spell wasn’t even his; I’ve spent much of my later studies studying his work, along with Clover the Clever’s. Star Swirl didn’t use incantations often, and when he did, they didn’t follow that cadance. Not only that, he was a stickler for working alone, and wouldn’t have even contemplated a spell that needed the presence of the Seeds of Harmony to work. Or that all who bore them needed a bond of true Friendship.”

“No, that whole spell was her work, and likely was written just before Equestria was founded. And believe me, I don’t like the implications that gives, as there’s no evidence that Star Swirl had ever taken credit for a spell he didn’t write.”

“I feel that I’m a much better pony to criticize Celestia’s faults and stumblings because of what I and my friends have been forced to do. We’ve essentially been doing her job dealing with all of the Sealed-Evil-In-A-Can and Monster-Of-The-Week that has been cropping up lately.” Twilight snorted angrily. “Where’s the PPP been? Where’s Celestia been, whenever these events happened?” She stomped her hoof. “I’ll tell you where; guarding do-nothing nobles who only care about their own power, and how much they can get. And the one pony who could have done something more than what she did got her plot handed to her by a bug that had gorged out on love magic!”

Marigold scowled. “I’ll grant you that whole situation could have been handled better. I just don’t think it’s fair to criticize either one of the Princesses; they are doing the best that they can, and nearly always have a good reason for their actions.”

“Holding back the truth and being dishonest because one is too full of pride to trust those who love her is not a good reason for any of this!” Twilight shouted, her version of the Royal Canterlot Voice not leaving the room. “I’m sorry, but I need to be alone.” She then teleported away abruptly.

Marigold shook her ringing ears. “Did I strike a nerve?” she asked delicately.

Rainbow Dash frowned at her. “You stuck your hoof in your mouth is what you did.” She then sighed. “Twi’s been under a lot of stress recently, and Celestia’s inaction to really deal with anything concerning the nobles has her on edge. Just give her some time; unlike me, she’s incapable of holding a grudge.”

Marigold nodded. The three spent the rest of the morning talking shop, as the debriefing would have to wait until all evidence was fully gathered.

Chapter Eleven: The Perils of A Wandering Dinnner Conversation

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Equestria, Trottingham, 03-14-05, 5:34 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

Hours later, Marigold paced in front of the barracks where she was waiting for both Twilight and Rainbow Dash. She was still chewing over what she had said to Twilight with a great deal of chagrin.

No matter that Twilight was far more informal than even Cadance was, the fact of the matter was that she was still a princess. One who had been trained in her duties since she was a foal. And one who had a great deal more experience with Celestia than most, having spent a considerable amount of time in the presence of the Solar Diarch.

Still, what Marigold said was true; she was finding it increasingly difficult to discount the fact that Twilight was essentially saying the exact same things that so many other ponies- herself included -had been saying about Celestia. That she was unsuitable for the throne; that she didn’t do the job of protecting Equestria as she should.

What the common pony was unaware of was the simple fact that there was little Celestia could actually do. Outside of a major crisis, she didn’t have direct control of the PPP; the military was charged with her protection first and foremost, so a part of it was outside her chain of command.

Celestia also lacked direct control in the creation of laws, and had since Luna was banished. Oh, certainly, she retained veto power; however, it was up to both the High Council and the Equestrian Grand Assembly to determine what kinds of legal laws needed to be made. And most of those were only interpretations of the Founder’s Law. That document was simply the best government document ever written, as was the Proclamation of Guaranteed Rights later written.

Any further musing was brought short by the report of a nearby teleport. Marigold looked behind her to see that Rainbow Dash was there. “Rainbow Dash, did you just teleport?” she asked in both shock and disbelief.

“Yep,” Rainbow said smugly. “I’m surprised more unicorns don’t teleport other than Twilight; it’s not that hard at all.”

“It’s not; the theory behind it is relatively simple. It just requires more power than most ponies can generate. Most don’t realize that it doesn’t have to come from them.” She frowned. “I suggest you be careful; it’s not something that a pegasus is normally able to do, and is traceable.”

“Oh, nopony can see me unless they wanna; outside of you and Twilight that is,” Rainbow responded. Marigold noticed a glow that had been around the pegasus suddenly fade. “I’m not sure what the technical term is, but Twi calls it a Notice-Me-Not charm.”

Marigold was shocked and impressed. “That’s a reasonably simple charm; to make it pony-specific isn’t though. How in Tartarus did you manage that?”

Rainbow scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “Twi says a lot of what I do is instinctive, like most pegasi. If I actually sit down and try and plan something like that, I can’t do it at all. If I just do without trying, it’s simple. I guess it has something to do with what’s happening to me.”

Marigold glanced at the ponies passing by on the street below as she phrased her response. “I suppose it would; I know that you’re undergoing a metaphysical shift, but I don’t know all of the details. Then again, I have known a few pegasi in my time, and many of them have trouble articulating the theory and math behind their abilities.” She blushed a little at the salute a passing corporal gave her. She then sighed.

Rainbow smirked a little at the sigh. “Still worried about what Twilight is gonna say?” she asked. Marigold nodded. “All you gotta do is say you’re sorry; don’t try to explain your reasons, or try to justify it at all. She responds bad to that; besides, she’s smart enough to have already figured out what you meant.”

Marigold tapped the cobblestones with her hoof nervously. “It’s just, she’s one of the first friends I can count having made in a long time. And it doesn’t help that she’s basically echoing what a lot are already saying about Celestia. Yet, she does her best to defend the Princess’ honor when in public.” Rainbow Dash nodded at that. “Why though, Miss Dash?” Rainbow Dash smirked at the question.

“May, Twilight has one hell of a sense of political savvy about her. And that wasn’t something that Celestia gave her. Oh, not how politics work; any reasonably smart pony can learn that dance.” Rainbow pulled out a bag of peanuts from her saddlebags as she continued. “No, what she has isn’t something that really can be taught, only learned. And she learned by watching both Celestia and Luna. She learned that how the public sees you and how you really are are two different things.”

Rainbow spent a few moments munching on some of her peanuts. “What she will seldom do is dress down any pony important in public, especially somepony close to her. And she won’t admit in public that she at least sympathizes with some of the arguments the separatists have given.” Rainbow shrugged. “Twi’s a strong critical thinker, as she would say; she’s used to analyzing situations and ponies. She’s just learned tact over the years.” She grinned. “You should have heard some of the things she first said when she first came to Ponyville; she outdid AJ more than a few times.”

Marigold looked thoughtful. She waved the bag of peanuts away when Rainbow made to offer her some. “I’m waiting for dinner; Rolly cooks a mean salmon dish.”

Rainbow looked at her peanuts before finishing them off. “Oh well, these barely broke the edge off anyway; I’ve been really hungry lately.”

“Considering that you did quite a bit earlier, I’m not surprised Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said as she joined the two ponies. She didn’t so much as look at Marigold. The unicorn got the hint.

“Princess Twilight, I am sorry for what I said earlier. I was making statements about things that are really none of my concern, and you at least have far more experience in these matters.” She placed herself in front of the alicorn so that Twilight could see that she was truly sincere. “I shouldn’t have said anything like that, especially since I myself have entertained the same doubts.”

Twilight sat down without saying a word. For a few minutes, all three of them sat there. Twilight finally broke the silence with a sad sigh. “I’m sorry too May; you were only trying to remind me that I was sounding just like Celestia’s political opponents in my statements.” She sighed again. “And you’re right, which is why I limit my statements to where few other ponies would overhear them.”

Twilight looked down. “I left like that without giving you an explanation. You didn’t need to suffer the edge of my anger towards my mentor.” She sighed again. “I just don’t know what’s wrong with me; it’s taking everything I have to keep from snapping ponies’ heads off at the least provocation.”

Marigold sighed. “It’s stress; we’ve all been under a great deal over the last couple of days.” She smirked a bit. “To use your own words, we’re not on any set time table; the next part of the journey won’t take place until I take you both to where I was originally contacted. That’s a two-day journey away. We all need more time to decompress; if Celestia says anything about it, I’ll just sic her sister on her.” The other two mares laughed as Marigold growled.

They all brightened as they saw the taxi they were waiting for arrive. They got inside, intending to have a night of fun.

Off in the distance, in another world, a spirit smiled as the connection between the friends grew stronger. The spirit smiled as she felt the Dark One rage impotently as his most recent effort failed; everything that was happening to them was proving that they were stronger. Only time would tell how strong.

A few minutes later, the taxi pulled up to an understated yet elegant manor off to the side of the Merchant’s Quarter. A Nocturne pony was waiting outside for the three mares as they disembarked. “Your Highness, the master is currently indisposed; however, the missus is waiting for you, Dame Rainbow Dash, and Centurion Marigold in the drawing room. Please follow me.”

Marigold took a closer look at the stallion, smiling when she realized who it was. “Night Wing, it isyou,” she said happily. She embarrassed the stallion by giving him a big hug. “When did you take over for your father?”

Night Wing sighed. “I have yet to ma’am,” he replied. “Father handed his door duties over to me, and I tend to Missus Beatrice's needs.” He sighed again as the foursome made their way to one of the main rooms off the foyer.

Once they were all present, the stallion knocked politely on the open door. A heavily-pregnant azure-coated mare looked up as he did so. Squealing, the mare toddled over to hug both Twilight and Rainbow Dash. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to come,” she said happily.

Rainbow Dash held Trixie at hoofs-length in order to get a better look at her. “Well, it looks like somepony has been busy,” she teased.

“Not every pony has time to be a layabout Rainbow Dash,” Trixie shot back. The two grinned; what few times they had been able to meet since the last time Trixie was in Ponyville was marked by such teasing.

A throat clearing brought Trixie’s attention to the other unicorn present. “You must be Clever Marigold,” she said hesitatingly. “Rolly told me you were coming.” Trixie squawked as the unicorn hugged her. After a few stiff moments, the azure mare relaxed into the hug.

“I can see that you’re happy, and I saw the glow in Rolly’s eyes when he mentioned your name,” Marigold said. “Thank you for giving him what I couldn’t.” Trixie blushed prettily at that.

A nearby Grandfather clock chimed the hour. Trixie glanced at it, frowning as she did so. “Rolly told me that dinner is going to be later than usual since he has to deal with some of the fallout that unmentionable pony did. So we have a few minutes before it begins. Why don’t you all tell me what’s been happening in Ponyville? There’s never enough detail in your letters.”

The three travelling companions spent the next half an hour regaling Trixie with all of the nonsense that had happened in Ponyville recently; most of it had the azure mare in stitches. “I do wish I had the time to come visit; I still have to give the town my full apologies for that regrettable Alicorn Amulet incident.”

Rainbow Dash scowled a bit at Trixie’s mention of the Alicorn Amulet. “I’m kinda glad you haven’t yet Trix; last time I checked, there was a warrant out for your arrest,” she said. “And I’m still kinda mad about that whole thing. Not at you,” she said hastily when she saw the dejected look Trixie was wearing, “but at a couple of my friends. Even after Twi explained that you weren’t in your right mind, they still say you should serve time for your actions.”

Twilight snorted at that. “You mean to say that there was a warrant out for her arrest; Big Mac and the City Council have since dropped the charges, as they were pressured into leveling them by Filthy Rich in the first place.” She snorted again, this time in anger. “And Rarity and I got into quite an argument a few weeks back when she mentioned some of the damage that had been done both times. She didn’t like the fact that I pointed out that the CMC routinely does almost three times as much damage in a week as both events did in their entirety.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Rarity has no room to talk about bragging; she throws in ponies snouts about how fabulous her Boutique is all the time, and yet she got mad at Trix for doing the same thing.” She looked sheepish. “Granted, I wasn’t any better; it took having my wings disappear, and a stern talking to from Twi for me to realize my own fault in all of that.” The other mares nodded.

The foursome talked for a few more minutes over tea. After a while, both Marigold and Twilight excused themselves. Marigold wanted a chance to compare notes with Night Wing’s father, and the alicorn needed to use the little filly's room.

Once they were alone, Trixie gave Rainbow Dash a concerned look. The metaphysical shift that the pegasus was undergoing was all too apparent to her, and she needed to know if her friend was alright. “Rainbow Dash,” she started softly, “are you alright?”

Rainbow looked at Trixie questionly. “Oh, I’m fine Trix; never better,” she said brashly.

Trixie smiled a bit to see that; it was a short-lived smile however. “I really need to know something though; how are you handling the changes?” At Rainbow’s shocked look, Trixie sighed.

“I can see what’s happening Rainbow Dash; not only do I have a pegacorn in my immediate family, but I’ve been inordinately sensitive to auras ever since I acquired Clover’s Crystal,” Trixie said. Her ears drooped a bit in sympathy as she saw the sad look on Rainbow’s muzzle; moving forward, she hugged her friend.

Rainbow hugged Trixie back, shuddering with unspent tears. For a few minutes, Trixie simply held her. She only broke off the hug when she felt Rainbow wiggle.

Rainbow sniffed a bit as Trixie toddled back to her seat. “Thanks for that Trix; my emotions have been all over the place.” She frowned as something Trixie had said registered. “Clover’s Crystal? What’s that, some mystical family artifact or something?” Trixie just stared at her.

“You mean to tell me that you’ve never heard of Clover’s Crystal? It’s only one of the most powerful arcane objects that have ever existed.” Trixie shook her head. “I mean, you’re the Bearer of Loyalty; I would think that you would at least have been told that it was active.”

Rainbow frowned. “Trixie, what we’ve been told about the elements are a big fat zero. Not a bucking bit of what’s been going on has been shared with us.” She yipped in shock as a vibrating ping came from an ornate crystal sitting on the nearby mantel. “What was that!?”

Trixie levitated the crystal over. “Huh, she wants to show you something; that’s odd, she’s usually silent when I have company.” Trixie sat the crystal on the coffee table. She then waited expectantly. Rainbow looked on in spite of herself, wondering just what was going on.

An image shimmered in the air above the crystal. A familiar book appeared, followed by a badge next to a crystal rod. Three sets of both a sun and moon passed in succession, followed by the images that appeared before.

“Hmm, I’m not sure what the other images mean, but the three suns and two moons in between obviously means that whatever is supposed to happen should wait for at least three days.” Rainbow just stared.

“Um, Trixie, what is that thing?” the confused pegasus asked. The unicorn hummed a bit before answering.

“This is Clover’s Crystal. It’s really old, and has been in Rolly’s family for a very long time.” Trixie looked thoughtful. “In fact, I’d say that it predates the Alicorn Amulet, as some of the literature for that artifact referenced the crystal in that necklace as having been based off of this one.” Trixie smirked at the surprised look on Rainbow’s muzzle.

A surprised gasp came from the doorway. Trixie and Rainbow both turned to see a stunned Twilight standing there. The purple alicorn was staring at the crystal still sitting on the table, an almost reverent gaze on her muzzle.

Another ping rippled in the air; this time, the tone was brighter. It harmonized up and down several frequencies. In an almost complete daze, she walked over to where the crystal sat, gazing at it intently.

Another image formed above it. This time, it showed a pair of cutie marks moving in tandem with each other. One was Twilight’s; the other was Rainbow Dash’s. Bands of light seemed to move between each one as they made their way to a shadowed mark. A book appeared next to it. The crystal vibrated as it did so, and the book dissolved before returning with several chains binding it tightly. At the same time, the bands of light between Rainbow and Twilight’s cutie marks thickened.

After a bit, the image faded. Trixie stared at the crystal; she seemed to be trying to tell it something. The crystal vibrated yet again, blinking in several different colors. Trixie snorted.

“Well, I guess she had something that she wanted to tell the both of you. I can’t make heads or tails of the second message other than the fact that you two should pay more attention to the bond between you than whatever guide you’ve been given.” Trixie lifted the crystal to her hooves, giving it a stroke before returning it to the mantle.

Twilight looked at Rainbow, who only shrugged. “Um, Trixie, how long have you had that crystal?” she asked the unicorn.

“Since I married Rolly; why do you ask? It’s been in his family for a long time now,” Trixie said. She frowned. “He’s not sure how long; all that’s ever been known was that it was given to one of his ancestors by their Sovereign for safeguarding.” Twilight facehoofed at that.

“A priceless Pre-Equestrian artifact was given to a bloodline of Nocturne ponies for safeguarding,” she said, the sarcasm in her voice as thick as butter. “‘Safeguarding’ my right hind hoof; Luna was probably asked by Clover herself to hide the bucking thing after the Unicornian Council used it as the basis for the Alicorn Amulet.”

Trixie blinked. “Twilight, if you know what she is, then why didn’t you say anything before she started talking?” the azure unicorn asked.

Twilight sighed. “That’s Clover the Clever for you; she was skilled at making crystal-based AI’s responsive to their environments. I didn’t notice ‘her’ because ‘she’ didn’t want me too.” Twilight started grumbling. “Probably has an alicorn mana neutralization spell in its center matrix; likely the same number of spells that were coded into the base of the Alicorn Amulet…” she trailed off.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, Clover lived up to her name. What I wanna know, is what does it mean for us?” At Twilight’s confused gaze, Rainbow groaned. “Twi, you know that we can’t just ignore everything in that book on the say-so of a crystal; it’s the only lead we have going forward.”

“That’s not what she told you Rainbow Dash,” Trixie scolded. “All she’s telling you is that the existing bond between the pair of you is far more important to anything else you might discover.” Trixie smirked to herself as she saw the blush that appeared on the muzzles of both ponies, faint though it was. So Rolly is right yet again; those two have feelings for each other. Well, good for them; they’d be a hoof-ful for anypony else to handle.

Further musing was cut short by both the arrival of Marigold and Rolling Roulette. The stallion trotted over to his wife, giving her both a hug and a nuzzle. He noticed that the ornate crystal on the mantel was glowing slightly; he snorted at that. “I see that Grandmother’s crystal is been at it again; anything useful this time?”

“Only that it gave a rather weird suggestion to Rainbow Dash,” Trixie said in response. Seeing the knowing look on Rolling’s muzzle, Trixie rolled her eyes. “Okay, she said more than that, but I feel that the second message wasn’t meant for everypony present.” The crystal in question flashed brightly in response, a sharp ping ringing as it did so. Roulette just snorted.

“A crystal with a sense of humor,” he said. He shook his head. “Well, whatever it was can wait until later; dinner awaits.” The mares all followed the stallion to the dining room, leaving behind their troubles for at least a little while.

Dinner was absolutely fabulous. Rolling Roulette had a deft hoof with fish dishes, and it showed. The main course was fried salmon with lemon, jasmine, and rosemary, done to perfection. There was also three salads; one with watercress, one with spinach, and one with tuna. There was also a baked potato casserole dish.

Marigold was in heaven; it had been a long time since she had had food this good. “Mmph,” she said, a look of bliss on her muzzle. “I’ve missed all of this; you really can’t get food like this anywhere else.”

Rainbow Dash looked up from her third helping. “Yeah, you can’t find very many good places to have a real fish dish in Ponyville, that’s for sure.” She waved her fork for emphasis. “I mean, we’ve got some of the best bakers, but a pony needs a little variety, ya know?”

Twilight swallowed her own bite of fried salmon. “Rainbow Dash, you know how an expensive export fish is; outside of pegasi and some unicorns, hardly any pony really eats meat.” She frowned a bit. “And I’m glad that Fluttershy isn’t here; she’d be in bits that we were eating fish of all things.” Rainbow Dash snorted at that.

“Twi, Flutters cooks a wonderful flounder casserole; kinda like the potato one here,” the pegasus said, smirking at the shocked look on Twilight’s muzzle. “What, you thought she didn’t know any fish dishes? C’mon Twilight; you’d be hard pressed to find a pegasi that hadn’t tried fish at least once in their life.”

“Rainbow Dash is right Twi; actually, that potato casserole is basically Fluttershy’s recipe, only without the flounder.” Trixie finished off her own huge portion of salmon. “I would have made it traditionally, only there wasn’t any flounder to be had when Wing went out to the market yesterday.”

Twilight blushed in embarrassment. “I guess that even Fluttershy has depths to her that I wasn’t aware of.” She busied herself by buttering another roll while she waited for her cheeks to cool.

Rainbow smirked. “Yeah, especially when somepony gets on her bad side. Then she snaps, and it’s not pretty.” Rainbow shuddered, remembering the Grand Galloping Gala that they had all attended.

Roulette chewed his last bit of potato casserole with a thoughtful look on his muzzle. “I’d heard some rather unkind things from some of the more well-off ponies around here after that event. I didn’t realize until after a full debriefing that the massive damage caused by a herd of stampeding animals was caused by Dame Fluttershy.”

“What I don’t get is why they all ignored her like that; speaking to animals is Fluttershy’s talent,” Rainbow grumbled. “I mean, I get that they’re not the same as the ones around Ponyville, but you would think that they would have responded to her on some level.”

Both Twilight and Trixie snorted. “Oh, that’s because they’re all hoof-trained to only respond to the unicorn grounds-ponies,” Trixie said. “That was actually one of the jobs my dear mum wanted me to accept, as it comes with a royal stipend.” She sniffed disdainfully. “I told her exactly what I thought of her choices of jobs for me to earn my seat. I never wanted it anyway; all I ever wanted to do is entertain ponies.”

Rainbow blinked. “You mean to tell me that the Canterlot Royal Gardens is run by unicorns?” she said in disbelief. The Canterlot natives nodded.

“Well, it was until fairly recently; Celestia has made some recent changes,” Roulette said. “I’d heard that Celestia had fired her housekeeper after he insulted an Officer of the High Court.”

Twilight sighed. “Yes, some of that was in the last briefing we received before leaving Hoofington.” She took a sip of wine before continuing. “I hadn’t heard about any staff changes, but I’m not surprised really. There’s always a few bigoted unicorns that just don’t seem to get that Celestia doesn’t tolerate any form of discrimination.”

Rainbow nodded at that. “I know that there are a few gryphons that work at the palace; even a zebra or two from what Grandpa told me.” She took a sip of juice before continuing. “He did his best to raise my mom right, and took over as best he could when dad left us.”

Twilight looked at Trixie as she finished her salad. “So, Trixie, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. How did your parents take it when you told them that you were getting married?”

Trixie looked as though she had bitten something sour at the question. “I know how mum took it, even though we haven’t spoken to each other since my first tour.” Her muzzle twisted even more. “She tried to blacklist me when I ‘besmirched our great heritage by not only marrying beneath my station, but but by marrying a filthy bat-winged pegasus’. She refused to give me her blessing, not that I needed it anyway.”

Trixie’s expression not only brightened, but turned malicious. “She really bit off more than she could chew however; the rest of the family got together and named one of my cousins to take over the house seat. And that is a stick-in-the-eye, as she’s not a unicorn.” The others laughed at that.

Roulette shook his head. “You would think that her daughter’s happiness would be the first thing on her mind, but apparently, her social standing was the only thing that mattered.” He smirked. “It was quite a shock when she found out that my House is actually higher than that of the Lulamoon House. She was even more shocked to find that she couldn’t excommunicate Beatrice from her house, as it’s connected to both the Solar and Lunar thrones.”

Twilight grinned savagely at that. “Yes, I imagine that came as a shock. Lady Lemyre has tried more than a few times to have me and my brother removed from the roster. She hasn’t since just after I was coronated though; Celestia basically told her that if she tried again, House Lemyre would cease as a noble House.”

Trixie looked at Twilight with a question in her eyes. “Was there a reason besides family gossip that you asked me that question Twilight?” she asked. Twilight smiled sadly.

“Awhile back, I mentioned some of the things that had been happening in Ponyville to my parents, and the Lulamoon name came up.” The smile on her muzzle brightened. “The mentioned that some of the most skilled illusionists were from that family, only there hadn’t been any of note except the eldest and youngest of the head in recent memory. When I mentioned that I knew you, Mom expressed satisfaction that you had told your mother where exactly she could stuff her ambitions for you.” Twilight’s smile grew wicked. “It was the same thing that Bluey’s youngest sister said to her mother when she left Canterlot for Saddle Arabia.”

Trixie looked confused “Bluey? Who’s Bluey?” she asked. Rainbow Dash and Twilight just looked at each other.

“Trix, think about it; Twi’s mom told her that she was happy that Lady Lemyre’s youngest told her to stuff it. So who else does Twi know that’s in that family?”

Trixie thought for a minute, still looking confused. Her expression cleared abruptly when she realized who they were speaking of. “You mean that you’re friends with Blueblood of all ponies!?” she said in shock. Twilight sighed.

“Yes Trixie; we grew up together,” the purple alicorn said. “He was one of my first friends; we started to drift apart after I got my first doctorate.”

Marigold had a thoughtful look on her muzzle. “I’ve always wondered why he calls himself Prince Blueblood; I’d heard recently that his connection to that House is tenuous at best.” Roulette smirked at that.

“Oh, that’s actually his name, or at least part of it. His full name is Prince Blueblood the Twenty-Ninth of House Lemyre.” The mares all groaned at that.

A chime from the water clock on the wall struck the hour. Trixie looked up at that. “Wow, it’s later than I thought; I think it best if you ladies were to stay here for the night.” The other mares nodded at that.

Further conversation ended as Trixie rang for the maids to clean the table. Roulette motioned for Night Wing to come over. “Please show our guests to their quarters,” he said. The stallion nodded, and motioned for the princess and her companions to follow him.

Though the hour was still early, the three decided to make it an early night. Once more, Rainbow Dash had pleasant dreams; it was almost as if there was some guiding spirit that was sheltering her from her night terrors.

Off to the north of Trottingham, a twisting shadow writhed in both pain and anger as the last tenuous links to the criminal element within the city were severed. The shadow made to move in the city proper, only to have a scintillating bolt of rainbow mana blast it into nothingness. A cry of anger came from the far north, as yet another plan fell through.

Chapter Twelve: Mares on the Town

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Equestria, Trottingham, 03-15-05, 10:45 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

The next morning saw Twilight pacing nervously as she waited for both Rainbow Dash and Clever Marigold to wake up.

The night previously, Rainbow and Marigold both had talked with Trixie about having a day on the town. While it was true that they needed to unwind, they still had a task to do. There was still a mess that had to be cleaned up locally, something that was technically part of her princess duties.

Trixie watched Twilight pacing with a certain amount of amusement. “Twilight, you need to calm down a little; taking a day to yourself isn’t going to end the world,” the azure unicorn said indulgently. Twilight glared at her.

“Trixie, we’ve already been delayed for far longer than we should have been with all that happened in Hoofington,” the stressed alicorn said, still pacing. “I mean, I can see taking a day to help with some of the political mess that is here; that’s actually my job. But taking time to go to casinos, even using my own bits? That’s just too much like shirking my responsibilities.”

Trixie sighed. “And I’m sure you still worry what Princess Celestia would say, right?” The unicorn facehoofed at Twilight’s reluctant nod. “Twilight, what you’re doing right now shows that you need this; being stressed out isn’t going to change anything, and may make the situation worse.”

“Think logically for a moment; were you given a deadline to this task?” Twilight shook her head at that. Trixie smirked at that. “No, what you were given was a book, a scroll, and a former spy as clues, and told to follow wherever they led.”

“Since that all happened in both Ponyville and Hoofington, you haven’t had a real moment to rest. I know that might not seem so important to you, given you’re likely used to it by now.” Trixie waddled over to Twilight and placed a hoof around her withers. “I do, however, think that you and Rainbow Dash need some time to just unwind.”

Twilight looked at Trixie suspiciously. “You’re just saying that because Clover’s Crystal gave us those images,” she said in accusation. She frowned as Trixie shook her head.

“There’s been at least a few times where that mantlepiece ornament has been mistaken, not the least of which was the confirmation of my pregnancy,” Trixie said rather sharply. “I’m saying this as a concerned friend of both you and Rainbow Dash. And Twilight, she needs this time more than you do; a metaphysical shift isn’t an easy thing to undergo for anypony, no matter how well adjusted they may be.”

Twilight paled at that statement. “Oh, poor Rainbow; I didn’t stop to think about what all of this means to her.” She turned towards the unicorn sitting next to her. “You’re right Trixie; she needs this time to unwind, and I’m going to give it to her.” She wiggled her wings. “I’m a princess just as much as Celestia is, and have one-third of the authority in Equestria. One day isn’t going to make much difference, especially since the bad guys seem to be keen on waiting for us to come to them.” Twilight and Trixie both chuckled at that.

Twilight got up and walked over to the coffee tray sitting on the nearby table. As she was pouring herself a cup, something that Trixie had just said registered belatedly. She frowned thoughtfully. “I know you and Rainbow are close, but I didn’t think you were close enough for her to have told you what she’s going through. How did you figure it out?”

“What, did you think that something like that would escape the notice of the all-knowing Great-and-Powerful Trixie!?” she scoffed. Twilight just smirked at Trixie’s attempt at self-deprecating humor. Trixie smiled a bit. “Seriously though; a part of it is connected to my special talent, and a part of that is thanks to that overgrown paperweight.” She snorted as the crystal in question chimed an irritated arpeggio in response. Twilight chuckled along with her.

“Stagecraft and illusions are part and parcel of what I do Twilight. Part of that is being able to detect wavelengths that ordinary ponies miss.” Trixie frowned pensively. “If I hadn’t had both prior exposure to one undergoing such a shift, I’m not sure I would have been able to articulate what I sensed. And she,”- she pointed at the now-brightly-glowing crystal as she said the next part -“did have something to do with it as well; I’ve become far more sensitive to thaumaturgic disturbances since I got her as a wedding gift.”

Twilight nodded at that. A thoughtful look crossed her muzzle. “Actually, I think that the crystal likely just made you even more sensitive; something else probably just enhanced your perceptions. That is, after all, why experts believe they modeled the Alicorn Amulet after that crystal; one of its properties was the ability to magnify some of the more esoteric talents that ponies possess.” She frowned pensively. “I just hope there aren’t other ponies that have some connection to Pre-Unification artifacts that we’re going to run into; the vast majority of those that still exist were made for a much darker purpose.”

Trixie winced as her unborn foal gave an extra hard kick. She rubbed in a soothing pattern; the foal soon settled down. She smirked at the concerned look Twilight gave her. “She gets like this at times; it’s going to be a right picnic when she comes.” Trixie’s expression grew thoughtful. “I can’t say with any certainty, as Magical Objects in History was a class I slept through. However, I do know that objects like that have a certain curse about them. They’re either attracted to people that can use them, or those that can destroy them.”

Twilight nodded at that. “Exactly, though most of them are the next best thing to indestructible.” Seeing the confused look on Trixie’s face, Twilight elaborated. “Well, think about it. Most of the stuff that Daring herself goes after is tied to elemental forces in some way. Without understanding the processes that went into the creation of some of those artifacts, destroying them would be like snapping a rubber band that just happens to have all of Equus’ volcanoes tied to the other end.” Trixie paled as understanding came to her.

“Not that something that serious would happen were we able to successfully destroy the Alicorn Amulet,” Twilight said hastily, trying to brighten up the mood a little. “I was just using that as an example for some of the Dark Artifacts out there. I actually have a theory as to why the Alicorn Amulet can’t be destroyed.”

“And why can’t that misbegotten piece of trash be destroyed Twilight?” Trixie said in a stiff voice.

“Simple; it’s tied to the Power of Darkness in such a way that the only way to destroy it is to destroy Darkness itself,” said a new voice. The other ponies looked up to see Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway. “Sorry, but I heard the last part Trix. And I know all the trouble that Twi and Zecora have had in trying to get rid of that thing.”

“What was that part of it being connected to Darkness though? I mean, I get that Dark Artifacts are bad and all, but you almost sounded as though whatever that amulet is tied to isn’t truly evil,” said Marigold as she moved in from behind Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow snorted. “I’m not big on the whole faith thing, but even a jock like me knows the difference between Darkness and Evil. You want Evil, just look at Sombra. Everything that alicorn-wannabe does is selfish and self-centered. But that doesn’t mean that the power he supposedly called on is evil in and of itself. It simply is.”

Twilight frowned. “You mean what Sombra did,” she said automatically, only to facehoof at Rainbow sticking her tongue out at her. “Not getting into all of that now Rainbow Dash,” she said.

“Anyway, you do raise an interesting point, though I don’t remember you ever being there whenever Zecora and I were discussing ways to destroy that amulet. We did find out that it’s tied to the Power of Darkness in such a way that the Power itself has to be destroyed. And that’s literally impossible; Darkness is the formative fabric of our world. We’d literally have to rip our dimension apart to sever the connection the Alicorn Amulet has to that Power, outside of actually having access to the forging process.”

“Yeah. Hard find out how to destroy something that was created from before there even was an Equestria,” Rainbow Dash said after a moment. “Unless Princess Celestia and Princess Luna know something that we don’t and aren’t sharing.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me in the least, given what I’ve been told since becoming a princess myself,” Twilight grumbled. “And I’m starting to wish I had done the same thing that Cadance did before the Crystal Empire returned. Sure would have been easier.” The other ponies just looked confused. Only Rainbow Dash noticed the slight darkening of Twilight’s coat, brief though it was.

Marigold decided that now might be a good time to hash out the plans for the day. “So, are we on for today?” She asked. The others looked at Twilight expectantly.

The purple alicorn nodded. “Yep; damn all torpedoes and full steam ahead,” she said impishly. Rainbow Dash just facehoofed.

The group all dissolved into giggles after that.

Equestria, Trottingham, 03-15-05, 4:47 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

It had been a long time since Twilight had had this much fun.

For the last several hours, Trixie had done her best to show Twilight and Rainbow Dash all that she had grown to love about Trottingham.

And it wasn’t just the casinos. Sure, taking a big risk on a roll of the dice had its own charm. There was more than that however.

From the dance shows to the magic shows, there was an incredible amount of things to see. And even though Twilight would have preferred a museum tour or perhaps a visit to the Library, she honestly felt that the day was better spent this way.

Especially since she could see that all of it was making Rainbow Dash happy.

Twilight had been burying it, but everything that had happened so far had made her worried about her chromatic-maned friend. Rainbow Dash always came off as brash and abrasive, but Twilight had lately gotten the impression that a great deal of that was a coping mechanism.

Actually seeing her unwind was a nice change, especially considering how adorable her facial expressions were when she was excited about something. That was something that Twilight never got a lot of chances to see from day to day, and it always brought a smile to her muzzle.

Another thing to consider was that this was one of the few times she had actually spent a prolonged period of time in Rainbow’s presence. While Twilight did make a point to spend as much time with each of the girls as she could, it all too often ended up being with more than one at any given time. Outside of their flight lessons when she first ascended, Twilight hadn’t spent as much time alone with Rainbow, barring their weekly reading afternoons.

Twilight’s musing was pulled away as the show they were all watching finished up. While excellent, this was one she’d seen before at events in Canterlot, so there wasn’t anything new. Still, she clapped her hooves just as the other audience members did; even though the play was familiar, the actors had done a superb job.

Twilight turned to cast an amused glance at the pegasus that was bouncing on the tips of her hooves. Rainbow Dash was almost vibrating with excitement, though she was doing a better job of hiding it than Pinkie Pie would.

“Dashie, you’re going to bounce right out of your horseshoes if you don’t settle down,” Trixie said in amusement. Rainbow looked at her hooves in confusion. She rolled her eyes as the others laughed at her faux-paus.

“Very funny Trix; you know I don’t wear shoes all that much,” she said as the four made their way out of the theater. “I’m just really excited; it’s been a long time since I’ve won it that big at a casino.”

Rainbow hovered in place as they waited for a free taxi. She had a thoughtful frown on her muzzle. “I know that we’re on this big secret mission and everything, but I guess a part of me was looking for a vacation of some kind. Is that wrong?”

Twilight hummed as she considered Rainbow’s words. “A change of scenery is as good as a vacation, but I don’t think that applies here,” she said after a bit. She frowned a little. “I guess we really did need the stress relief. A lot of stuff has been going on over the last few months, and there’s been little time for us to just cut loose and have some real fun.”

Rainbow noticed the wince that Marigold tried to hide. “Hey now, none of that,” she said softly. “Yo goofed up as AJ would say, but you’re trying to do better.” Marigold sighed, but nodded.

“I guess I’m more mad at myself than anything. I knew the whole thing was a bad idea from the get-go, but the money they were offering would have set my family in a way that we’ve never had.” She sighed again. “I let greed get the best of me, and forgot what my grandmother taught me when I was young.”

“May, I don’t think there’s a pony out there that doesn’t go through life without making a few bad choices,” Trixie replied. “Look at some of the ones I made before getting with Rolly. The only time it’s bad is when we don’t learn from bad choices.”

“Or when we decide that we’re better than everypony else because we have something they don’t,” Rainbow Dash said when Trixie paused. “You weren’t to that point; I can see that you never wanted any pony to get hurt. Twi’s given you a chance, and you’ve proven yourself so far. Not that you have a chance to to an awesome pony like me.” The others just rolled their eyes, chuckling a bit at Rainbow’s usual bravado.

Twilight’s ears perked up as a taxi approached. “Well, what’s next girls?” she asked as they boarded the taxi.

“We have a standing dinner appointment at an exclusive restaurant, where Rolly will be meeting us,” Trixie said in reply. “I received word about that while we were at the theater.”

Marigold frowned. “I thought he would still be busy with the fallout over the attempted assassination,” she said. “How is he able to take the time off for dinner?”

“Because it’s a business dinner apparently,” Trixie said. “We’ll be joining the Governor of Trottingham and a member of his cabinet as well.” Trixie sighed. “I do wish the Governor would deign to conduct business somewhere other than over a meal, but he’s just too old-fashioned for that.”

“Golden Fields is the current Governor, right?” Marigold asked. Both Trixie and Twilight nodded at that. “Thought so. Doesn’t surprise me that he’s old-fashioned; I grew up with his granddaughter, and the whole clan are traditionalists.”

“How bad are they?” Twilight asked with a sinking feeling.

“Oh, not in the way of ‘one tribe over another’ or anything like that,” the unicorn said hastily. “More in how there are certain behaviours that expected, and a certain way that things should be done.” She snorted. “Actually, discussing business over a nice meal is one of the few formal traditions is one that I can wrap my hooves around, as it’s one that my family used often as well.”

“As long as it doesn’t take too long; I prefer to use meals to unwind, not talk shop,” Trixie said, a cute frown on her muzzle. “Rolly has tried any number of times to remind the Governor of his preferences, but the old geezer won’t budge. At least this is the last term he’ll be serving; the Trottingham Council Charter limits the terms a Governor can serve to no more than five times.”

Twilight nodded at that. “I know something of the clan; they’re actually relatives of a friend. In fact, the Governor himself was one of those that alerted both myself and Mayor Scrolls that there were some bad deals being made concerning mining rights.” The purple alicorn snorted. “And I had received word that they were going to contest my block on any further negotiations concerning that issue. I’ll stand by it though; they can get more useful gems from the Pie Family farms and other earth pony farms than they could from those veins.”

“I just hope the business discussion doesn’t take the whole meal,” Trixie grumbled. “Golden Fields has a reputation of being a windbag at the best of times. Not to mention something of a bore.” The other chuckled at this as the taxi made its way to the restaurant.

A few minutes later, the four mares were waiting for both the Governor and Centurion Rolling Roulette to arrive. Each one was doing their level best to stave off boredom.

Twilight and Trixie were conversing quietly about some of the more recent happenings in Ponyville; those that didn’t have to do with their current circumstances at least that is. Marigold was perusing some documents that she had been looking at on and off all day.

Rainbow Dash was munching her way through a bowl of peanuts and cashews that had been sat on the table while they waited for the stallions to join them. No matter how much she ate, Rainbow was always feeling hungry for some reason. Well, more than was usual anyway.

Twilight and Trixie broke off their conversation as both Governor Fields and Centurion Roulette arrived on the heels of their waiter. “Ah, Princess Twilight, I am glad that you were able to join us this evening.” Golden Fields’ gaze fell on Rainbow Dash, who flushed a bit at his scrutiny.

“Miss Dash, I would like to offer my condolences and heartfelt thanks for your quick actions yesterday morning,” the Governor said once he and Roulette had seated themselves. “It is regrettable that organized crime still has some hold in this city, despite mine and the Centurion’s efforts to eradicate it.”

“Organized crime? You mean, like the Mafia?” Rainbow asked in surprise. The Governor nodded.

“This will be my fifth- and last -term in office,” the stallion said after a lengthy pause. Said pause was to give them all time to place their various orders. “I’ve spent the vast majority of the last eighteen years doing my level best to eliminate whatever hold the Five Families have had on this city.” He cleared his throat. “Granted, the Centurion here has helped that process immensely; however, the greater effort has been as a result of my own knowledge of the subject matter.”

“Then what rumor said is true; your family had some connection to organized crime,” Marigold said in a hostile manner. The Governor just looked at her sternly.

“Miss Marigold, I am sure a pony such as yourself does not need rumor to clarify my family’s connection to ‘disreputable sorts’. I have never hid my own father or grandfather’s involvement in such things. I have simply downplayed such things. I was never involved myself; I saw early on that that sort of thing was likely to end in an early grave, as what had happened with both prior generations.”

The stallion took a moment to butter a roll before continuing. “I used my strong knowledge in the criminal element to secure many of the early arrests in my time as a D.A., and once I had corruption down, I was able to convince the voting populace that I was not my father’s son.” He sighed. “It does not help that there are those who still look to discredit me, even though I will be finished in two years.”

“Wait, you mean the assassin wasn’t in response to what the conspirators planned in Ponyville?” Twilight asked, her tone on of surprise. Roulette shook his head in response to the question.

“We don’t think so. We have the one who cast the spells, though he’s not talking at the moment,” Roulette said. “The tripwire tracer you suggested we use led us right to him. I suspect he’ll crack before too long; knowledge that his employer is now dead will likely spur him to either attempt suicide, or turn State’s evidence.”

“What I think is far more likely is that this was more of an effort to discredit myself, and the one that they think is my incumbent. Since the Centurion here is a firm ally in all of my efforts, they thought that his death would spearhead my downfall.” Fields snorted at that. “All it really shows is that these fools have not a shred of real smarts. I did not get to where I am by supporting idiots, and the one that they think I have picked to replace me is a colossal imbecile.”

“The only one I know that they would take offense to besides yourself is my cousin… and you’re right Fields, he is a colossal fool.” Marigold shook her head at that. “Honestly, do they really think ponies are that dumb?”

“Yeah, pretty much. They sent you to Ponyville to try and trick the smartest egghead Princess in Equestria, right?” Rainbow snarked. The ponies all chuckled at that.

“With all due respect Rainbow Dash, I was only waiting for the other horseshoe to drop,” Marigold said in a faux-huffy tone. That caused another round of chuckles. “I had already known that the plan was stupid; my own greed was what blinded me in the end.”

“Do not sell yourself short; what information you have given us has enabled us to cut apart the greater weave,” the Governor said kindly. He said that because this last admission had caused Marigold to lower her ears in shame. “I myself am not blameless in any of this. I have taken bribes on occasion, and have no less shame for having done so. I may have had a greater plan in mind whilst doing so, yet that does not excuse what I did. What does is that I have since learned that there were better ways to do the same thing.”

“It took getting your hoof caught in the cookie jar for you to realize that working with those in charge was better than working to cross purposes,” Roulette said in a snide tone. To his credit, the unicorn blanched.

“Yes, you would be correct in that assumption.” He waved his hoof airily. “But that is besides the point. I did learn from my mistakes, and only did such things with the backing of the Diarchy.”

“Wasn’t the Diarchy then though, right?” Rainbow said. To her shock, Twilight shook her head.

“Actually Rainbow Dash, Equestria never stopped being a Diarchy.” Seeing the confused look on Rainbow’s muzzle, Twilight made to explain. “There has always been a certain number of powers that were held by certain groups that were a parallel to Celestia’s. Cadance took up some of them; however, they were really Luna’s all along.”

Twilight’s smirked. “Despite their best efforts, the Great Assembly was never able to convince the Council of Eight that ‘the powers once held by the fallen Princess of the Moon’ should be fully given to them. Once she came back, they were returned to her.”

“Which was done by a vote of the Council. Naturally, the Great Assembly protested, only to be informed that the PPP would no longer be serving them,” Roulette said with satisfaction. “There have always been those who knew the truth that the nobles tried to suppress; that Luna would one day return, and that when she did, her place in power would be restored to her.”

“The fallout is what led to ponies like Ironside gaining power they shouldn’t have been able to,” Twilight said, her tone angry. “I’m not saying that Luna should have been relegated to the sidelines; she’s a friend. What I am saying is that the High Council should have realized that the moneyed lot and the ambitious wouldn’t just willingly give up what power they thought belonged to them.”

“Plus, the criminal element always seeks to break the rules in whatever way they can,” Roulette said, sounding almost as angry as Twilight did. “I’ve spent my career doing all I can to stop ponies like that.” He sighed as he got a good look at the hurt expression that was on Marigold’s muzzle. “Then again, not everypony out there who has broken a law is bad. Sometimes you have to break the bank to save the bits. I’m mostly angry at those who only truly care for themselves; some have actually had the best of personal motivations for what they did.”

After that statement, the conversation soon turned to other business. Twilight concentrated on her food for awhile before turning towards the Governor. “Governor, I’ve been wondering if you and Roulette have the matters surrounding what happened yesterday and the day before well in hoof.”

The unicorn nodded. “We do; well, with the assistance of Miss Marigold that is.” He frowned as Twilight shook her head.

“Clever Marigold won’t be relieved from her duties until the stated task is completed,” the alicorn said in response. She looked at the unicorn in question with a raised eyebrow. Marigold took the hint.

“It will take two days of travel to get where I originally met with the conspirators,” she said. She sighed when she saw the look on Rainbow’s muzzle. “If we get an early start, the nearest train station to where this all started is only a few hours from here. However, it will take a day and a half to reach the location in question.”

Twilight nodded reluctantly. “As much as going at this piecemeal pains me, we really don’t have much of a choice.”

The Governor nodded in reluctance as well. “It will likely take two days for us to gain all of the information that we need. While I do not like it, there are few choices available to us.” He brightened. “At least we have time to enjoy a superb dinner, no?” The others all chuckled at that.

The conversation soon turned away from business, as there was little more that needed to be said on that front.

Chapter Thirteen: To The Victor...

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Equestria, Trottingham Outskirts, 03-18-05, 9:27 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

It was a party of reasonably well-rested mares that made their way up a winding trail on one of the smaller mountains to the northwest of Trottingham.

This mountain- part of the Foal Mountain Range -didn’t have an official name. However, the local buffalo that roamed the plains to the south called it ‘Little Beaver’. Though unremarkable to most, there were a couple of things that had brought this mountain to the attention of ponies.

Around two centuries before, there had been a discovery of high quality mithril veins all through the nearby mountains. Various claims were made on the caves that housed the valuable metal, since it handled enchantments quite well. It had been years since the caves the three mares were travelling to had shown any kind of mineral profit, though recent discoveries concerning love-reactive compounds showed that there were likely some of that type of crystal nearby.

More recently, the area had played host to several disreputable gangs; one of said gangs was involved in espionage and sabotage. This particular gang had used the cave system to the north as a place to ‘go to ground’ and to sometimes meet prospective clients.

This gang was one that Clever Marigold had been part of for several years, much to her displeasure. It didn’t start out bad; at least at first. By the time she and the rest of said gang had been contracted to sabotage and mine the crystal veins under Ponyville, said gang had become one of the most disreputable. They had even gone so far as to stoop to burglary and robbery of nearby villages; though those few that were directly under Marigold swiftly found out that she wouldn’t tolerate such debased activities. After the last three of her underlings spent three weeks with four broken legs, the whole gang stopped such activities, though they still sabotaged trains from time to time.

Of course, all but Marigold and a few others were now serving sentences for past offenses; not a single one of them had been willing to make any kind of deal with the authorities. A few of those that had been under demonic influence were serving their sentences by service to various Temples of Harmony around Equestria.

All of this passed through Marigold’s mind as she led Twilight and Rainbow Dash up the slope. No matter how much forgiveness she’d already received, Marigold knew that she would be paying karmic dividends for some time to come.

Further musing was cut short by Rainbow Dash. Though she would usually be flying at this point, various aches and pains in both her wings and her head had grounded her for much of the trip up the mountainside. The pegasus abruptly stumbled, grabbing her head in pain.

Twilight rushed to her side as she saw a thin trickle of blood running down Rainbow’s face. Marigold quickly followed, grabbing a first-aid kit from inside her saddlebags.

Twilight used some of the gauze from inside the kit to wipe Rainbow’s snout. “Rainbow Dash, I know it hurts, but I need you to remove your hooves,” Twilight said gently.

Her head still throbbing, Rainbow nonetheless complied. What was revealed confirmed what Twilight had already suspected-- the tip of a spiraled horn was pushing its way forward. Twilight looked at Marigold with a worried expression. “I know you don’t want to stop here on account of this being a washout zone, but I don’t think we can move her until the horn comes through completely. That’s going to take a few hours at least.”

Marigold sighed heavily, nodding her compliance. She trotted several feet down the path that they had recently travelled. Leveraging her skill with earth runes, she created a water break, then trotted several feet up the trail to do the same. both water breaks were at the edge of the washout zone.

“This should hold for the next few rains; I used to do this as often as needed, as one of the caves we passed on the way up here was the terminus for one of my hearth charms,” the unicorn said when she was finished. She then dug a pit and lined it with deadfall. Pointing her horn at the pile, she set it on fire. She then set a small cooking pot over it, and set a packet of herbs to boil.

“I think a spot of tea is in order,” Marigold said, a smile on her muzzle. Twilight sniffed appreciatively at the aroma coming from the pot. So did Rainbow Dash, though the smell had a different affect on her. Within moments, she settled down on her belly, falling asleep.

Twilight sniffed more carefully, recognizing the subtle hint of kingsfoil and moonflower present in the tea blend. “That’s one of Luna’s blends,” the purple alicorn said in a happy tone. “She said that it was something that an old friend had taught her a long time ago.” She accepted the cup that Marigold handed her. She sighed at the first sip; the tea seemed to cause all of the stress she had been dealing with lately to ooze out of her. In fact, she had to fight very hard to keep from falling asleep herself.

Marigold chuckled at the blissful expressions that both Twilight and Rainbow Dash were wearing. Levitating her own cup, she made he way to a spot next to Twilight. “I’m glad this blend doesn’t have the same effect on unicorns. My Sovereign did say that the effect was stronger on both pegacorns and alicorns.” She sighed gustily. “I would have made a packet up earlier, but I only have a few; only enough for six more pots.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, it’s not a blend she gives out very often. Luna told me that it’s because of the relative rarity of the moonflower she uses; in fact, that particular variety is all but extinct except in her private gardens. She did try with the more common varieties that still grow in the Everfree, but they’ve mutated into a poisoned form.”

Marigold frowned. “Poisoned? I wasn’t aware that they survived outside of her gardens,” she said in confusion.

Twilight chuckled ruefully. “Oh yes, though not as any pony would normally notice. Somehow they cross-bred with Poison Joak trees to become a blue flower that has since gained a rather nasty reputation.” Marigold face-hooved as she realized that the more common variety of moonflower and Poison Joke were one and the same.

Twilight chuckled at Marigold’s expression. “Yes, it’s not something that many ponies know.” She smile brightly as she remembered something. “Actually, Zecora told me that Poison Joke isn’t always bad. When exposed to the light of a full moon, it reverts to its natural form of a moonflower.”

Marigold frowned pensively. “How do two incompatible plants cross-breed like that?” she asked.

Twilight sighed. “Likely as a result of chaotic alicorn magic. Poison Joak has existed for years, but Poison Joke only appeared after Nightmare Moon.” She sighed rather heavily. “Runaway alicorn magic can often be as chaotic as Chaos magic, though it’s not fully understood why.”

Marigold nodded. “Well, at least Princess Luna was able to provide some for us. I think she was more concerned about you though; she seemed to think that you were under far too much stress. Something about being groomed for the wrong kind of job.”

Twilight frowned. “Yes, she would say that. She’s never came right out and said it, but I don’t think she fully agreed with Celestia in making me a princess.” Seeing the shocked look on Marigold’s muzzle, Twilight hastily clarified. “Oh, she knew I was likely going to turn into a pegacorn. That happened when she herself first made her own connection with the Element of Magic. No, her problem was in making me a princess. Luna knows that I never asked for the job, and had initially felt that I wasn’t cut out for it.”

Marigold shook her head at that statement. “I can say with all honesty that she was wrong, because you are a bangin’ princess.” She chuckled at the blush her comment made rise from Twilight’s cheeks.

Twilight- still blushing slightly -did her best to clarify her earlier statement. “Oh, Luna felt that I could do the job. No, her concern was that I was never asked whether or not I wanted the job. And she was right; being a princess wasn’t an objective I ever had. I nearly refused, and I would have been in my right to do so.”

Marigold nodded at that. She sighed gustily. “How long is this going to take?”

Twilight looked at the horn protruding from the crown of Rainbow’s forehead. “At least several hours. It’ll start slow; it’s going to take time for her body to process more alicorn without further damaging her hooves or her wings. I’m going to read while we wait; I need to come up with a lesson plan to help Rainbow once her horn fully comes in.” The other pony nodded.

The two mares turned to other things to pass the time, knowing that there was a wait.

Equestria, Trottingham Outskirts, 03-18-05, 3:27 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon

A wave of heat finally roused Rainbow Dash from the most restorative nap she had had in a long time. The pegasus stretched like a cat, working out the kinks she had received from sleeping on the hard ground.

Rainbow started to rub a hoof at the base of a heavy weight on her forehead, only to come in contact with a hard object. Opening her eyes, she stared cross-eyed at the cyan horn that was now parting her rainbow-hued bangs.

She slumped, tears standing in her eyes. Abruptly, a pair of purple hooves wrapped her in a hug. “Let it out Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said softly. “It does you no good keeping the pain and worry in.

With that, Rainbow started to cry. Her body quaked with heavy sobs. Another pony joined in the hug as Rainbow Dash let out all of her fears over the changes.

After a few minutes, her tears turned into sniffles. Tenderly, Twilight used a hoofkerchief to wipe Rainbow’s eyes.

“Here Rainbow, have a cup of tea; we saved you a couple,” Marigold said, levitating a camping mug over to the cyan pegacorn. Rainbow took it into her own levitation field, not fully aware that she was now using her new horn instead of her wings.

She took a sip, cooing at the flavor. “Wow, this is really good! I mean, it smelled good, but it tastes even better. Light and fruity, and as sweet as a moonbeam.”

“I’m glad you like it. Don’t get to used to drinking it all of the time though; we only have a few packets,” Twilight said, giggling at the blissful expression on Rainbow’s muzzle.

Once she was finished, Twilight handed a granola bar to Rainbow. The pegacorn took it and ate it hungrily. Something inside the bar seemed to help, as the lingering throbbing aches in her wings, hooves, and at the base of her new horn faded.

Twilight looked at her friend as she sighed sadly. “I know this may seem stupid, but are you alright now Rainbow?” she asked.

Rainbow shook her head. “I wanna say yes, but I’m scared to.” She pointed at the horn that now graced her crown. “I knew this was going to happen, but I thought I had at least another week. Why now all of a sudden?”

“Likely because there wasn’t anypony else around, and because the level of danger we’ve been dealing with had lowered,” Marigold said. She flushed at the gaze of the other two mares. “I know something of metaphysical shifts; I have a cousin that was born a unicorn, but changed into a pegacorn later in life.”

“Marigold is right Rainbow. Up until now, you’ve been subconsciously blocking the last of the changes. Now that we’re alone, something inside of you decided that now was the time to finish what it had started.” Twilight frowned in concentration. “Based on the mana flares you’ve been having, I was expecting this to happen soon. Actually, it should have happened two days after your first major flare.”

Rainbow whined. “This just makes things harder. The wings I can hide; how am I supposed to hide a giant spike stuck on top of my head?” The mare’s wings flared out in agitation. “These I could hide with that clever spell you taught me Twi, but can I use that to do the same with a horn?” Rainbow blinked a few times as something occurred to her, before screwing her eyes up in concentration.

A bright flash of cyan light briefly blinded the other mares present. Blinking clear her eyes, Twilight looked to see Rainbow as she had looked a little over a week ago.

Marigold shook her head in disbelief. “I’ve never seen anything like it! She just finished turning today, and she’s already casting full-on illusion charms?!”

Twilight nodded, almost as surprised as the unicorn. “Rainbow has always had something of an instinctive control over her mana, though an illusion like this is a bit more complex for instinctive use.”

Rainbow blushed a bit. “Actually guys, something my sensei once told me about how our bodies use mana helped me to fully understand the disguise spell you taught me Twi. Hay, I can even do this with it.” Another flash- not as intense -flared from her now-exposed horn. Twilight noticed that there was a faint cyan glow around it.

“Now I look the same as I always did except to anypony that already knows,” Rainbow said smugly. She started to giggle at the look of stunned amazement that Marigold was wearing. Twilight chuckled.

After a bit, Marigold shook her head. “A virtual newbie to magic modifies a spell that takes trained unicorn mages years to master, and she acts as if it’s no big deal,” the unicorn grumbled as she began to clean up their impromptu camp.

Twilight grinned slyly as she packed the books she’d been reading into her saddlebags. “Oh Rainbow Dash, could you perhaps explain just how you affected the change? I’d like to see if my notes on third-stage illusion spells are at all accurate.”

Rainbow was about to open her mouth to explain just how she did it when she stopped. She abruptly facehooved. “You did it again, didn’t you? Yes, you did.” The pegacorn continued to shake her head in mock aggravation as she waited for camp to be broke.

“Am I missing something?” Marigold asked. Twilight smiled.

“Basically, Rainbow Dash is a kinesthetic learner; she learns best by doing. More specifically, she learns things by her depth perception.” Twilight looked thoughtful. “Most pegasus do actually, though Rainbow’s is severe. So much so that she gets little from a classroom environment.”

“Yeah, Twilight figured it out when she was trying to help me study for the Wonderbolt’s Reserve test several months ago,” Rainbow said, going into her customary hover as they all began walking up the trail. “When Twilight asked me to explain how I modified the illusion spell, I caught myself just before I said what was written on the last set of clouds we passed by yesterday.”

“I was using a neat projection spell on the clouds to give her a few pointers,” Twilight said, blushing a bit. She then frowned. “That only worked because I had already given her the basics, and because disguise illusion spells are far simpler than what many ponies think. Most mages are simply trying to hard; they think every spell that changes how others see you has to be as hard as transfiguration or transformation magic.”

“‘Magic is powered by Will, Thought, and Focus; theory only helps us to truly understand what we need to Focus on’,” Marigold quoted. Twilight smiled brightly at hearing one of Clover the Clever’s less well-known quotes.

“Yes, exactly! Most unicorns simply don’t get that our magic is as many ways as instinctive as an earth pony or pegasi. They only think that applies to levitation; it’s actually true for just about anything except runic magic.” Twilight scowled. “But those tight-plots in the Equestrian Education Board are too hidebound to be willing to make any kind of changes, especially when anypony suggests that something taught to young earth pony foals has any bearing on a unicorn’s upbringing.”

Rainbow frowned at that. “That’s nothing new. We’ve already seen just how much tribalism still exists in Equestria. I don’t get it; we’re all the same on the inside. If we were so different, you wouldn’t have earth pony colts and fillies being born in pegasi families with cloud-walking abilities.”

Marigold sighed heavily. “Yes, things aren’t as rosy as the romantic types think. We’ve had peace for so long that it’s caused many to ignore many of the issues that are still left over from the Unification.”

Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash frowned as they looked at each other. “I’m not sure how many are aware of this, but we’ve been real close to war several times,” the purple alicorn said after a few moments.” Not from Nightmare Moon or Sombra, but from the other nations that surround Equestria. In fact, most ponies aren’t even aware that the Centaur Confederacy nearly declared war against us five years ago.”

Marigold stopped walking in shock. “You mean that they were willing to break the treaty that was signed fifty years after Luna’s Fall?” she asked in shock. Twilight nodded.

“Luna’s Fall didn’t happen overnight. I mean, she only took upon the mantle of Nightmare Moon in the span of one night, but she had been descending down that path for several years beforehand. Muttering against her handling of the campaign against the Centaurian Empire- which became the Confederacy after Celestia and the PPP destroyed the remainder of the Imperial Guard and petrified the last surviving member of the Royal Family -was one of the last things that drove her to the point of no return.”

“What few ponies realized is the wholesale slaughter of noncombatants and POW’s wasn’t on the order of Luna at all, but at the command of military commanders ordered by several key nobles. Six months after Luna’s Fall, the full evidence came out.” Rainbow swallowed briefly before continuing, having done so when Twilight paused with a stricken look on her muzzle. “Five of Equestria’s top commanders were petrified; three of the oldest Lords died from beheading, as their actions were construed as treason.”

Twilight picked up the thread of conversation once Rainbow Dash had finished speaking. “The Equestrian High Council was so angry at the loss of their own that they passed numerous sanctions on Celestia and those that were sitting on the seats of the original Six. It took her five more years of political maneuvering before she was able to change all of that. In the end, it took the unpopular move of reinstating the meritocracy system for all of that to change.”

After a short time, the three continued in a more subdued fashion. “I don’t remember any of this being in the history I was taught in school. Hay, I wasn’t even aware that there even was another princess besides Mi Amore Cadenza. I bet the Council had a field day when she showed back up five years ago; they weren’t likely to expect a Diarchy.”

At that, Twilight started laughing. “Oh, if ponies only knew,” she said through her giggles. Rainbow Dash was giggling as well. “Marigold, Equestria never stopped being a Diarchy. Outside of the raising and lowering of Lune, all of Luna’s Princess duties were held in perpetuity by The Council of Eight until her return. The tradition of connecting Nightmare Moon to Nightmare Night- which has always existed since it originally started as an earth pony tradition -was part of a smear campaign against Luna. The exile of several of the nobles that protested Celestia’s ‘new’ laws ended further efforts, and within a hundred years, only historical scholars knew that Luna and Nightmare Moon were one and the same.”

“Yeah, and the Princess encouraged that, as she knew that her sister was going to have enough problems on her return,” Rainbow said, having gotten her own giggles under control. “I was told a lot of this by Papa Prism growing up, but I thought most of it was just stories. I didn’t realize that it was actually history until Luna came back.” She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “I kinda wish I’d paid better attention though; some of what he told me would have made our first adventure easier.” The other mares nodded at that; Twilight had an enigmatic smile on her muzzle, as she knew precisely what Rainbow Dash was referring to.

Further conversation was halted as they finally reached the crest that they’d been aiming for. When Rainbow Dash made for the entrance, Marigold held her back with an upraised hoof. The unicorn crept to the side of the opening of the cliff face, and placed her left forehoof on an outcrop nearby.

The other two mares felt a vibration pass around them. While Twilight felt little else than that, the quality of light that Rainbow Dash was able to see intensified. She was suddenly able to see shadowed ponies along the upper ridge, though she couldn’t make out any details. She also knew somehow that a trap had been laid for them. Her ire rose, allowing her to pull more deeply on her pegacorn mana.

Marigold nodded to herself. She stamped her left hind hoof on the ground three times. A rumbling went through the mountain as dead falls were triggered in the connecting caverns. She then motioned for Twilight and Rainbow Dash to follow her into the cave.

Once inside, the three ponies walked in tense silence. Twilight was running an anti-spell field cantrip in her mind to ensure that her magic would be free in case of a dampening field. She was also running counters to the same trap the unfortunate former D.A. had tried to use on them.

Rainbow Dash, however, was doing something completely different. The newly emerged pegacorn wasn’t bothering with any kind of spell preparation. For one thing, she only knew a bare handful of unicorn spells; as for pegacorn-based magic, she knew all that she needed to know.

No, she was using this new sense to explore the shadowed ponies that she sensed on the ridge. She had known that they had made their way down the sides of the mountain, likely to contact further reinforcements. And extra sense connected to the earth allowed her to sense that they were accosted by pegasus Guards-ponies that Marigold had requested as a precaution.

The mares halted as they entered the main cavern. An off-white unicorn with a two-toned green mane coloring was waiting inside. A flare of mana heralded the sealing of the chamber; both Twilight and Marigold hissed in pain as the aura sealed their ability to cast spells.

“Suave Polomare,” Marigold said in disgusted tone. “I should have known you were more involved than you said.”

Chapter Fourteen: ...Goes The Spoils

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Equestria, Trottingham Outskirts, 03-18-05, 4:51 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

Suave Polomare smirked as she moved closer to the three other mares in the cavern. “Well, well, I set a trap for a unicorn, and I catch a ‘princess’,” the mare said in a condescending tone. “I really was hoping I could wrap up these loose ends myself.”

Twilight scowled, doing her best to try and remove the block on her magic. She’s got the spell thaumatically bound to her mana signature; I can’t break that without killing Rainbow or Marigold. Her eyes flickered to the glow on the criminal’s horn.

“Oh Twilight, if you’re thinking that I and my associates are going to kill you, you’re absolutely right. You’re vulnerable to all the same things that both Celestia and Luna are; a simple petrification spell is all we need. If you try to leave, I’ll torture the pegasus.”

The mare stalked over to the wall and tapped a pattern. She listened for a few moments, frowning when there wasn’t a return. “Where are those fools? They should have responded by now.”

Marigold snorted. “Still relying on hired hands Suave? I thought so; you never struck me as the type to get your hooves dirty.” The unicorn smirked at the frown that appeared on the mare’s muzzle. It cleared after a moment.

“Oh Marigold, that is so beneath you,” she said; her tone grated on the ears of the other mares. “You had to know that we would come calling after your failure in Ponyville. And yet, you waltzed right into the trap we laid out for you. Your reputation is as overblown as that jumped-up purple poser over there.” Suave pointed at Twilight. “I admit; trying to eliminate somepony so close to the Sun Throne was a risk, but I never thought that our backup plan would work.”

Marigold frowned pensively. “Why the subterfuge though? If it were just the crystals, you could have used any other methods. Why involve demons? That never works.”

Suave just shook her head. “I don’t like them myself personally; however, my Family’s top client insisted, and that one is not a pony to cross.” She tapped the pattern again, frowning when there was no answer.

During all of the talking, Rainbow Dash had remained uncharacteristically silent. Her usual response- rushing in headlong -was blocked by her awakened instincts. While the others had been talking, she had been tasting the flavor of all of the thaumatic energy in the cavern. The different wavelengths vibrated down her new horn; two of them were familiar, the last one was not.

With some confusion, Rainbow realized that the spell surrounding the cavern wasn’t the criminal unicorn’s work. She was fully aware that the mare wasn’t even this skilled; somepony else had cast this spell, and a sloppy repair job had prevented its degradation when that pony died.

Rainbow was able to see how the mare was riding on the outer layers of the spell. Leveraging her pegacorn mana through her hooves, Rainbow started to alter the flow of the spell. She wasn’t able to change the weft itself without causing feedback to reverb off of Marigold and Twilight. However, she was able to change it so that her mana was in control.

By doing this, Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself in command of a series of spells around the entire mountain. All of them were a brute force attempt in creating a prison intended to cage an alicorn. Of course, none of that would actually work-- few ponies actually understood how alicorn magic worked.

Rainbow blinked a couple of times as command of the spells- and the formula -embedded themselves into her mind. She smirked internally as she brought her attention back to the conversation.

“Where are those fools?” Suave snapped. “They should have responded after the first time!”

Marigold smirked. “Did you honestly think I didn’t suspect a trap? When I realized that the late D.A. was one of your top assassins, I leveraged my rank as Centurion for a detachment of Lunar Guards-ponies. They’ve most likely rounded up all of your boys. I believe that they call that check.”

Suave sighed. “Well, I really didn’t want to have to do this without backup; it’s going to be difficult to move a statue by myself, but I guess it can’t be helped.” Her horn glowed as she triggered- or tried to -the petrification spell that had been layered in the spell weave.

The mare frowned. “That shouldn’t have happened; you must be blocking it somehow Miss Sparkle. Well, we can’t have that.” Suave’s horn became sheathed in dark mana as she levered a Dark cantrip into the weft.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes flashed bright white as her anger erupted. The cantrip froze in the mind of the unicorn, causing her to cry out in pain. This severed the final links that she had to the spells, allowing Rainbow to take full control.

Suave cringed in renewed pain as she felt the spells paralyze her own abilities. She searched for the failsafes, only to realize that the weft had been altered; it was no longer the same series of enchantments it had once been.

Rainbow stalked over to the shivering mare. “I was gonna just let you get arrested; you’ve got blood on your hooves, and you should hang for that,” the pegacorn snarled. Suave looked at her in fear. “But all of that twisted nonsense you just tried makes my blood boil. So I’m gonna do what Twilight is too kind to do”

Rainbow’s eyes closed as she narrowed the weave to the area just around Suave. She then opened them; they were glowing a bright cyan. Her tone took on an intense quality as she passed Judgement on the unicorn. “Suave Polomare, I find you guilty of high crimes against the Crown of Equestria, its Citizens, and against Harmony. Let Hope’s Law Be Done.”

A radiant rainbow glow suffused the cavern as the Power of Harmony flowed outward from Rainbow Dash. The energy of the third Prime Alicorn suffused her as it changed the spells, altering them. Suave cried out in pain as her thaumic pathways were simultaneously burned and healed. Her wellspring was altered in such a way to no longer allow her to channel mana. Her eyes opened as a set of runic seals appeared in them, sealing off her knowledge. Finally, rainbow-colored chains appeared around her cutie mark, creating a latticework that sealed off her special talent without removing it.

A runic circle appeared around the bound unicorn once all of the other seals were finished. Rainbow stamped her right forehoof three times-- a flash, and Suave Polomare was no longer present.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes returned to normal as she collapsed to her belly; tears were rolling down her snout. Twilight walked over to her, nuzzling her side in comfort.

The three ponies sat for awhile while Rainbow collected herself. Gulping a bit, the mare was finally able to recover. Once Marigold saw that she was sufficiently recovered, the unicorn stamped three times.

That was a signal. A Lunar Guard corporal flew into the entrance. “Centurion Marigold, I’m glad you’re safe!” Swift Wings cried out in relief as he landed. “When the spell curtain landed, none of us was able to get in. What happened?”

“My former employer happened. She’s been dealt with,” the unicorn responded. At the stallion’s confused look, she clarified. “She’s been Banished; Miss Rainbow Dash called Hope’s Law on her.” Swift Wings nodded; it was common knowledge among the Guard that the Element Bearers had the same authority to call Hope’s Law since they were members of the Council of Friendship.

“I’ll let the commander know then.” The stallion pivoted on his rear hooves and made his way back out of the cavern.

Marigold roller her eyes. “Rookie; he’ll learn.” The unicorn waited for a few moments, then nodded to herself. She levitated the crystal rod she’d been carrying since Ponyville out of her saddlebags.

There was a bright flare of light. When it cleared, a sword dropped in front of the mares.

Rainbow Dash felt a hum in the air as she looked at the blade. She knew she’d seen that sword before. With a start, she realized that she had been seeing that blade in her dreams of late; in fact, it was one of the few clear details that she could recall.

Twilight yelped suddenly. She levitated the tome that Celestia had given her out of her own saddlebags. “How in Harmony’s name did that get in here?! And why in the hay did it bite me?!” The last part was so incongruous that both Clever Marigold and Rainbow Dash fell to the ground laughing.

Twilight scowled. “I’m serious; this damn thing bit right down on my aura.” She scowled at the book. “Crotchety, just like its author.” She opened it to what her magic told her was the point she should.

“Look at this; there’s a prophecy of some kind here,” Twilight said. Frowning, she started to read,

In the Betrayer’s Cave, the crystal form shall reveal what it holds;
The destiny of She that is of Friendship and She that is Loyalty shall lead on;
The path of Darkness leads to the City of the Winds;
Unravel the Shadows there to find the Trail.

Twilight facehoofed. “A disjointed haiku; did that old stallion ever get out?” She stuck her tongue out at Rainbow Dash and Marigold as they both chuckled.

“Well Twi, you gotta admit; it was pretty flowery.” Rainbow then frowned. “What’s it mean though? It seems all muddled.”

Twilight sighed. “It looks like you and I are heading to Mareago.”

Equestria, Friendship Express, 03-21-05, 4:44 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

Rainbow frowned as she looked over the piece of parchment she was levitating before her. The last two days had given her a chance to detox, allowing her to recall that she had yet to write to Scootaloo as she had promised.

Writing wasn’t something that had ever come easy to Rainbow Dash. However, she wasn’t one to back down from her promises. Besides, she truly did see Scoots as a kid sister, and she knew that telling her some of what had happened would make the filly happy.

She reread what she had written- her third attempt -to check for any mistakes.

Hey Scoots,
Sorry I didn’t write you sooner; the past week or so has been really hectic for me and Princess Twilight.
I promised you I’d tell you of my adventures. So here’s the lowdown.
Me, Twilight, and Marigold- you remember the spy that played as Mayor Mare -foiled three assassination attempts in Hoofington. I’m not gonna give details- it’s all classified stuff ya know -but you should have seen Twilight. She was all ‘pow! Bam!’ And ‘zap!’ I was seriously impressed.
Clever Marigold lives up to her name; she sure showed her stuff when they tried as we got into Hoofington. She even showed that she truly values the right way to do something by not running when they tried to frame her.
We all had lots of fun being escorted by Trixie- who’s waddling around like a ‘beached whale’ as she puts it these days. She sends her regards, and free tickets for you and Sweetie and Bloom to see her stage act once the foal is born.
I also have more news on my changes. Turns out that I’ve become something more than what I once was. I’m a pegacorn now Scoots; just like the princesses were once. And I can tell you that I’m scared. But I’m going to do the best that I can; being able to do what you need to despite being scared is a sign of true courage.
You taught me that Squirt. I knew that it too a lot of courage to get in front of those foals and do something that others would see as frilly, but it didn’t stop you. You’re a treasure Squirt, and I’m proud to have you as a little sister.
I’ll write again soon.
Rainbow Dash

Rainbow nodded to herself. She was satisfied with what she’d written; there was enough to let Scootaloo know what was going on without going into details. She somehow knew that the filly wouldn’t betray her trust; it was as if she could feel the bands of Loyalty between her and her ‘little sister’.

Rolling the scroll up, Rainbow affixed a purple ribbon to it before sealing it with a wax seal in the shape of her cutie mark. Concentrating on the torc around her neck, she waited until she could feel that Scootaloo was alone before letting the dragonfire consume the scroll.

Rainbow Dash sighed. Twilight receiving word from their friends had triggered something within her; Rainbow realized that she didn’t need to use the torc to send to Scootaloo. However, doing so with her own mana would leave a clear trail that both Celestia and Luna would be able to see. She honestly didn’t care if Luna knew she was a pegacorn or not; however, she didn’t want Celestia to know until after their journey was over.

The cyan pegacorn frowned. Her reluctance to tell Princess Celestia what was going on made no sense; the Solar Alicorn had never been anything other than good to her. And yet, something told her that it was best to wait.

Her musings were cut short by the door to the royal carriage opening. She stiffened before realizing that it was just Twilight. “Oh, I’m sorry Rainbow; I should have knocked first.” The alicorn levitated a plate of grilled salmon over to Rainbow

Rainbow sniffed appreciatively. Grabbing a fork, she dug into the fish with relish. “It’s okay Twi; I should have my disguise up.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ve told the staff to knock first, even when they have to clean. You shouldn’t have to disguise yourself all the time.” Rainbow shrugged.

“Eh, it doesn’t bother me. Hay, if it weren’t for this mission we’re on, I wouldn’t even bother with a disguise. It’s not like the Princess can make me do anything even if they wanted to.”

Twilight frowned. “Yes, that’s true; you’re above them unless you choose a professional role in the Equestrian government. How did you know that though? I didn’t think law was something you’re familiar with.”

“Har har Twi,” Rainbow snarked as she saw the cute smirk on Twilight’s muzzle. She shrugged again after a bit. “I just know I guess. It’s like there’s something in me that knows what I need to. I don’t understand it, but I know that I don’t need to right now.”

Twilight nodded. “It’s more of your pegacorn nature coming through. They know their place better than the other tribes because they’re built to protect.”

Rainbow frowned. “Yeah, those triggers I can do without, thank you very much.” She sighed. “I get that I’m rash a lot of the time; it took everything I had not to just fry that upstart the other day.”

Twilight nuzzled her friend. “I can see that Rainbow.” The cyan pegacorn leaned into the nuzzle; ever since she changed, she’d been more willing to let down her barriers than normal. “Better than anypony, I know what you’re going through; alicorns have the same instinct to protect.”

The two ponies leaned into each other, both comforting the other as best as they could. Had they been aware of it, they would have seen the thick band of love energy flowing between them as the bond of friendship began to deepen into something more.

Only time would tell how deep it would become.

Chapter Fifteen: Shadow's Play Part One

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Equestria, Mareago Central Station, 03-21-05, 6:00 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

It was a pair of travel-weary mares that made their way off the Friendship Express.

Well, one of them was travel-weary at least; Rainbow Dash had long preferred her own wings for travel, as she was able to fly from point to point much faster than what a train could.

Twilight Sparkle, on the other hoof, was bouncing on her hooves like an over-excited filly. “Oh my gosh, this is so exciting Rainbow Dash,” the purple-coated pony gushed in an exuberant manner far more suited to Pinkie Pie, “I never thought I’d be able to see Mareago! Did you know that this was the first city that was settled jointly by all of the pony tribes?! There’s even a few boroughs that have both zebra and donkey citizens living in them!”

“Yeah, you said that like, three times on the train ride here Twi,” the cyan pegacorn grumbled. Not only was she itching to fly after such a long time forced to sit, but something nearby was causing her mana to hum in a way that set her off.

Looking to the side, Rainbow saw something unusual; the exit from the station had some kind of archway stationed at it. She blinked; she had come here many times before with Papa Prism, and nothing like that had ever been there before. “Um, Twi, what’s that at the gate?” Rainbow asked, pointing at the object in question.

“Hmm? Oh, those things,” Twilight said. “It’s a new style of perception-scanning technology; Mareago has had some real trouble with smugglers and such.”

“Well, it’s giving me the willies for some reason,” Rainbow said, giving the archway an evil glare. “I don’t know why, but I don’t like or trust the thing.”

Twilight frowned. Eyes glowing softly, she used her alicorn mana to scan the device in question. “It’s more than just a perception-filter; it also has anti-changeling and anti-disguise spells woven into it,” she said, her frown deepening. “That’s not right at all; that’s totally illegal for that particular model, not to mention unnecessary.” She pointed to the side where a monitor was stationed. “That’s one of the monitors I recently developed; its designed to spot any changeling that isn’t either carrying a license or wearing the tagged bracelet.”

Rainbow shifted her glare at the stallion standing next to the archway. “Well, that stallion is giving me the creeps; I get the sense that he knows something.”

Twilight frowned as she saw how intensely the stallion- a member of the Equestrian Guard by the uniform -was staring at Rainbow Dash. “Keep your saddle on Rainbow Dash; even though the device is illegal, it doesn’t mean that he knows it,” Twilight said. Rainbow sighed as she nodded.

The two made their way towards the arch. Twilight passed through it confidently, even though her bags had several charms on them that would normally trip the sensors. She had no reason to worry; her version of the spell was designed to block such scans, a necessary evil for a travelling princess.

When Rainbow Dash passed through, however, the warning light lit up. The stallion stepped in front of her. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to follow me for a further scan,” he said officiously.

“No, she will not,” Twilight snapped. A bolt of mana flared from her horn. “I just summoned a local member of the Guard; a deeper scan can be done by them.” The stallion glared as he moved closer. “One more step, and I’ll knock you senseless with a stun-bolt; you have no authority while in the presence of royalty.” He submitted with a grumpy mumble.

After a few minutes, the local sergeant arrived. He took one look at the assembled ponies, and instead of scanning Rainbow Dash, he scanned the arch. He scowled, then scanned all of the other arches present. He then fired disabling bolts at every single one of the arches, then turned to the other stallion present. “I don’t know whether to be mad or to pity you; did you honestly think you could hide unlicensed rainbow-wave perception filters and photographic-matching filters?! Such things are only authorized to the Guard!”

“They wouldn’t be necessary if the Guard would do its job!” the other stallion said heatedly. “We’ve already gotten reports that this mare in question,” a hoof pointed at Rainbow Dash, “has been spotted near the scene of several recent break-ins.”

“Unconfirmed, unsubstantiated reports from known snitches in pay of the Polomares is what we have. What we don’t have is even probable cause to detain one of Equestria’s greatest citizens.” Shining Star motioned to the other Guards-ponies that had just shown up. “Please escort this trash- and his boss when he shows up -off these premises. I have enough probable cause now to fully block the Equestrian Guard from all public buildings in Mareago.”

He then turned towards the two mares. “Princess Twilight, Dame Rainbow Dash, I apologize for the delay, and the accusations.” Shining Star sighed gustily. “I should have had my boys sweep earlier, but we didn’t know that they’d go this far.”

Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight nodded. “Sergeant,” the alicorn said, “we were on our way to the hotel; however, the statements that colt said have me concerned. Would you be so kind as to lead both myself and Rainbow Dash to the Station House to get more answers?”

He sighed, but nodded. “I figured as much. In any case, I was asked to come get you tomorrow, once you had a chance to get settled. My captain thinks that Miss Dash here is likely to have a great deal of trouble outside of a Guard escort. Nothing dangerous; just that some of the rumors on the street have painted her in a bad light.”

The three ponies made their way to the Station House, in order to find out just what they had gotten themselves into. All but one of them was unaware that they were being followed from the shadows.

A few minutes later, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were waiting with Sergeant Shining Star at the local Station House. They had been informed that the Captain was held up dealing with the other Guard branches in Mareago.

The local Guard in Mareago was far different than in other jurisdictions. Though there were the standard Solar and Lunar divisions, they weren’t there to enforce laws. Mareago actually had three other divisions that shared the load of policing the territory.

The first was not one, but four battalions of the PPP. The first three were made up of Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies. The last one was a mixed company that included Nocturne, donkeys, caiman, zebra, and even a few gryphons. While it wasn’t strictly the job of the local PPP to patrol the streets, more than a few of its members did volunteer for watch-pony status to help with the strain.

The second division was one of the earliest versions of the Equestrian Guard. Up until recently, they had the unenviable task of patrolling the streets; however, because they were paid to do their jobs by both the moneyed nobles and bribed by the local crime syndicates, the Equestrian Guard was massively ineffective.

Naturally, this led to a third-- Mareago City Municipal Guard. This Guard division was supposed to work with the local Equestrian Guard in local law enforcement. Recently however, the MCMG had been taking on more and more of the actual grunt-work, leading to them becoming understaffed.

This is why the PPP was sending over volunteers. Most of those were from Mareago and its surrounding territories; naturally, they did what they could to help preserve the peace in Mareago.

Twilight was brought out of her musings by the arrival of the local Captain, a pegasus by the name of Silent Watch. She smiled happily as she saw him; after a moment, he did the same.

“Well, well, if it isn’t little Twily, all grown up! And with wings no less,” the stallion said in a teasing voice, making Twilight blush. Abandoning decorum, Twilight glomped the stallion in a big hug.

“Uncle Watch! I thought you retired! What in Hope’s name are you doing in Mareago of all places?” Twilight asked the pegasus. Silent Watch sighed.

“The Five Families is why I have yet to retire Twily; and I’m likely to die on the job anyway.” The stallion ran a hoof through his graying black mane. “I swear; I’ve spent half my life chasing after that insufferable organization.”
Twilight winced, nodding. “Yes, we’ve had more than a few run-ins with organized crime lately ourselves,” she said, nodding at Rainbow Dash. The disguised pegacorn had a questioning look in her eyes.

“Uncle Watch?” Rainbow asked. “Is there something you’re not telling me Twilight?” Twilight blushed a bit.

“I’m actually not any relation to Twily or her family,” the stallion said with a grin. “Her uncle and I Swore Brother-Oath when we were colts, so I’ve always considered myself a part of his extended family.” Rainbow nodded in understanding.

Rainbow then frowned. “The Five Families. I’ve heard something about them before, but I don’t know the full story. What’s that got to do with what happened to me earlier?”

Silent Watch sighed. “The Five Families are the founding groups behind the Mareago Crime Syndicate. While they don’t have the influence they once had, they’re still causing a great deal of problems; the biggest is that the Equestrian Guard is still in the pay of many of the businesses that are run by them.”

“What that means for you Miss Dash, is complicated. A number of unsubstantiated rumors have placed a pegasus matching your general description at the scene of several crimes.” The pegasus grinned sardonically. “What makes it complicated is that you were said to have been at two locations at the same time.”

“However, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to have difficulties. I’ve already received word that the hotel you placed your reservation at will have you arrested once you enter the premises. In addition, you may not even be able to enter the hotel period, as they’ve used perception-filtered shields to block access for undesirables in the past. You’ve been blacklisted at all of the others, so you’ll unlikely find a place to sleep anywhere within Mareago.”

Twilight grinned savagely. “Whoever decided to do that wasn’t counting on me; my family actually owns the land that that particular hotel is standing on.” If the grin on her muzzle could get any more disturbing it would as Twilight continued. “They’re likely banking on the fact that I’m too timid to do something as ethically gray as that; however, I’m within my legal right to do so. Especially since use of perception-filter based shielding is illegal anywhere else other than government facilities.”

“In fact, I’m not even sure that the Polomare family- who I know is behind this pile of horseapples -know that both the Sparkle and Armor families now own over forty percent of the hotels in this territory. My uncle started buying them up after his own hotel was burned down as a result of a racketeering job.”

Silent Watch chuckled evilly. “Oh, I see that you’re showing that Sparkle flair Twily; you do your grandfather proud.” He sighed. “However, that will only handle the hotel situation. You’re likely to have trouble with many of the local businesses.”

Rainbow scowled. “Okay, why me all of a sudden? Do they think I’m an easy target or something?”

The stallion shrugged. “I can’t say exactly; this generation isn’t as crafty as those that came before. I’d say that it’s your reputation, but you’re not the only one that’s been seen. I’ve gotten reports of sabotage at a local greenhouse by a yellow pegasus with pink hair, and several clothing factories have reported theft after a visit by an elegant white unicorn with a cutie mark of three diamonds. Whoever tried that one is as stupid as the rest of them; the diamonds were purple.”

“Do you have the reports?” Twilight asked. The stallion nodded; after a moment of searching in the saddlebags he was wearing, he handed a manilla folder to Twilight.

The purple alicorn perused the documents for a few minutes, frowning. She then tossed the file down in a huff. “Well, all of this is a deliberate attempt to cast suspicion on the Elements of Harmony. Anypony with sense can see that none of this is worth anything; the dates don’t match up. Besides, even with teleportation. There’s no way that Rarity could be at two different factories at the same time. Incidentally, both of those factories are owned by the Polomare family; more specifically, one certain mare by the name of Suri Polomare.”

Rainbow had picked up the folder herself, careful to do so with her wingtips. “Huh, they must be stupid. Then again, I think that’s the point; the thefts and sabotage are a front. Whoever’s doing this is after something else. Look at the list of items that have been stolen; some of these things only seem innocuous. However, they’re also things that are used in cloud generators.”

“I think they’ve been doing this as a way to attract us here; once we were actually present, they’d do whatever major job they were after in disguise, which would immediately discredit half of the Elements of Harmony. All of this is stupid; they’ve got their times mixed up, and none of the reasons they gave for the ‘visits’ survive more than a cursory examination.”

“Which is why you’re not under arrest at this point. The Mayor has dissolved the remainder of the Equestrian Guard; and let me tell you; you’re not going to win any popularity points because of that. Even though harassment is illegal, there’s a laundry list of technical reasons for refusal of service that they can use in this kind of situation.” The Captain sighed. “Getting those reasons either clarified or removed is on the books, but won’t be voted on until the next Assembly in three months’ time.”

“Yeah, we can’t wait that long.” Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight. “You still want to end lease on them, don’t you Twi? Cause if it’s all the same, I’ll just fly up and build myself a small cloud house until we figure out whatever we’re supposed to do here.”

“There’s no cloud construction allowed here without a permit; that takes at bare minimum a year to grant. With those in the approval offices being in the pay of the Polomare family, you won’t get it at all.” Rainbow scowled at that as Twilight continued. “However, I think that whatever we’re supposed to do here is somehow linked to all of this. Some of the evidence May gave us linked some of the gangs found here in Mareago as being involved in the plan to level Ponyville. I think they were after the crystals; though there’s better crystal to be had elsewhere, the low-level harmonic energy that the crystal deposits showed to have is useful in a number of totally illegal applications. Also totally stupid; all an alicorn has to do is call Hope’s Law on anypony wearing a charm made from said crystal, and the harmonic energy will turn them into a crystal statue; and that’s despite any blocking enchantment they might have laid.”

“So not matter what, they want to make life miserable for me? Figures,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“I’d like to see this done without refusing tenure; however, it’s likely to still be problematic. They may not own the land, but through legal hook, they still do own the hotel. Unless you think they were totally stupid to use compromised documents Twily,” Silent Watch replied.

“Actually Uncle, I’m counting on the fact that they likely did,” Twilight said softly; the grin on her muzzle was just as disturbing as the other she had worn earlier. The other two ponies chuckled.

“Well, I think we’ve been here long enough; I’ve already given my statement, and I’d like to get something to eat soon,” Rainbow said. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

Silent Watch and Twilight both laughed. The three made their way outside the Station House; the Captain was escorting them personally to at least stop some of the problems that were headed their way.

As they made their way to a waiting taxi, one of them once again noticed a shadow watching them from the alley off to the side. She smirked to herself as the shadow slipped away, knowing that things were definitely not going to be dull.

Equestria, Mareago, 03-21-05, 7:24 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

A very tense party of ponies waited just outside the Grand Equestrian Hotel in Mareago. The door-mare had blocked Rainbow Dash from entering, as predicted, though she blanched when a scowling purple princess had advanced on her with a glowing horn. All Twilight did though was to request that a pegasus courier be sent to retrieve the deeds to both the land and the hotel itself, once the poor door-mare had stated that refusal to Rainbow Dash was on the manager’s orders.

While they waited for the courier- another member of the MCMG -each pony passed the time as best they could. Twilight was reading one of her spell reference books. Silent Watch was taking the time to fill out some of the ever-present paperwork that all Guards-ponies have to deal with. Rainbow Dash was bouncing a small rubber ball around. The hapless door-mare was busy sweating; this was only her second week on the job.

What Rainbow Dash was doing was a bit odd, for her at least. Rainbow seldom went anywhere without flying. However, Twilight and Silent Watch had both stressed the fact that unlicensed visitors could only fly in designated areas. Though it seemed stupid, it was actually for safety reasons. It was also temporary; once the current phase of city-wide construction was completed, the ordinance would be lifted.

So Rainbow was dealing with her impatience in another fashion. Aside from being a way to alleviate boredom, the ball had another effect; one of training. She wasn’t actually bouncing the ball using her wings, but an application of her natural pegasus magic.

Of course, this magic was no longer pure pegasus magic; instead, it was now that of a fully awakened pegacorn. Most wouldn’t recognize the change, though a nearby unicorn was gazing at her strangely. The unicorn walked over, horn glowing softly as she scanned the flows Rainbow was using. The unicorn then snorted a bit before writing something on a piece of parchment that she then folded into an origami crane. The enchanted parchment fluttered over to Rainbow Dash as the mare walked away.

Curious, Rainbow unfolded the crane, her eyes widening as she read the contents;

Miss Rainbow Dash,
My name is Bright Knowledge. I am a magic teacher at Mareago University.
I am also an agent of EIS. I am not breaking cover; I was ordered to inform you that we are aware of the current difficulties you’ve been having, and have taken some not totally legal steps to ensure that you won’t have any beyond the hotel situation. We are aware that Princess Twilight has another method to deal with that, and believe that that is the best solution.
Best Regards.

Rainbow Dash turned the parchment over, noticing that there was another message as well as a small silver key.

*If you are able to see the rest of this and the key, it means that the enchantment has responded to the low level of pegacorn mana that you are currently giving off. Pegacorn anonymity is built into the framework of the EIS; that being said, there are those among my colleagues that will unfortunately inform the Diarchy should they discover it. However, since I have a relative that is also a pegacorn, I am sympathetic to your wish to remain anonymous. The key will open a small lockbox in the suite that Princess Twilight originally asked for. If you wish to remain secret, the book and scrolls you will find there will be of immeasurable help to you.*

Rainbow Dash hastily placed both the letter and the key into her saddlebags and continued to bounce her ball as if nothing had happened. Curiously, it didn’t seem as if anypony else had noticed anything unusual.

After a few minutes, the courier returned. As he did so, the manager of the hotel made his way to where the rest of them were standing.

Twilight took the locked deed case from the Guard-stallion’s telekinetic aura. She then reached into her saddlebags and removed a small golden key with the crest of House Armor upon it.

Unrolling the deed in question, Twilight nodded in satisfaction as it confirmed what she already knew. “As I suspected; the land and whatever stands on it is the property of House Armor and all of its Heirs.” She turned to the manager. “This means that you do not work for the Polomare family; you work for me. My rank as a Princess of Equestria takes precedence over any other member of my family.”

“With all due respect Princess, that document is a forgery. The real owners had the original documents sent to me,” the unicorn stallion said huffily. “We can prove this quite ably; a blocking shield tailored to all criminals on our watch list has recently been cast. If I’m correct in that you’ve cast something on that mare, it will shove her out anyway.”

“Putting aside for the moment that such shields are illegal for any business outside government establishments, I will be taking you up on that deal,” Twilight snapped in response. The party all moved through the double doors at the entrance.

Nothing of any worth happened to anyone except Rainbow Dash. While it did feel as though she was trying to swim through molasses, the shield didn’t impede her forward motion at all. The hotel manager scowled. “You’re bypassing it somehow! There’s no way you should be able to; I tested it myself!”

Twilight facehoofed as she scanned the shield. “Right, that’s three marks for being stupid. One, the shield is illegal on the grounds of this place being open to the public. Two, that it was cast without my express permission. Three, that you’ve just tried to willingly block a pony for crimes that she didn’t commit. That’s a fundamental violation of laws that go right back to before there even was a Diarchy. I declare this hotel open to all who have been blocked, and you and the other undersigned to be guilty of gross contractual violations.”

Several things happened all at once once Twilight finished. The deed she was holding glowed a bright bluish-purple; simultaneously, the other set flared in a flash of bright orange fire.

A radiant blast of opaque magic radiated from the ground itself, neutralizing all illegal enchantments. Scintillating bands surrounded the manager, forming metal bands that bound around his horn, cannons, and barrel. A sealing rune appeared around his cutie mark; runes travelled from the rune to his eyes, causing the protective cantrips held in his gaze to be burned out. The stallion collapsed in pain.

Twilight looked at him without any pity whatsoever. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse foal before; what kind of idiot agrees to an official document signing with a member of the High Council with the intent of doing something totally illegal? The bindings on said documents are exactly the same ones that protect the Founder’s Code, and that document is over fifteen hundred years old!”

Twilight turned to the assistant manager. “I suggest you think long and hard about who you now work for; if you say it’s him, you’ll get the same treatment.” The stallion shook his head; he’d never agreed with any of it, but was powerless to do anything to stop it. “Good, I need good ponies to improve the situation.” She then stalked off to the counter with Rainbow Dash in tow to collect the key to their suite.

Silent Watch gestured to the bound stallion. The MCMG officers that had just arrived escorted the bound pony out the door. Turning to his aid, the captain started giving orders. “Corporal, send word to the rest of the MCMG; tell them to go to these homes. There’s likely to be a few ponies that are bound in the same manner as this foal.” The stallion nodded as he trotted away. The captain followed him out the door, making his way back to the Station House.

Rainbow Dash just stood there. “Huh, no wonder Papa Prism said that no-pony with any kind of sense breaks an Original Contract. He was right.” Rainbow blinked before facehoofing. “Twi’s right; these guys are foals; none of the past generation would have been that stupid.” She then flew to catch up with Twilight, intending to see what the EIS agent had left for her.

Twilight was waiting for Rainbow Dash as she arrived at the very luxurious suite. Rainbow was turning her head from side to side as she looked at the various amenities. “As AJ would say, this room is swanky,” the cyan alicorn said. She then sighed as she sat down. “Twi, is it alright if I set it up so’s I can walk around without my disguise for a bit?” The alicorn shook her head in response.

“There was a letter on the table saying that we’re ‘under observation by some nasty undesirables’ at the moment; any high level magic will tip them off.” Twilight scowled. “I wish EIS would do more than just pass messages; we really could use their help in all of this.”

Rainbow Dash perked her head up at this statement. “EIS? They left a message? I got one earlier, but I didn’t know you were left one as well.” Rainbow Dash levitated the note and key out of her saddlebags. “Some mare by the name of Bright Knowledge gave me this earlier; she said something about it being able to help me. Are you sure that this all can be trusted?”

Twilight didn’t respond right away as she read the note. She huffed in aggravation. “Ugh, no wonder my feathers were itchy earlier; there was a perception-blocking filter nearby.” She then scanned the room. “There is something hidden here, but I can’t seem to find it.”

“Lemme try Twi,” Rainbow said. Her horn started to glow softly as she mimicked the spell Twilight had just cast. A flash in the corner revealed a locked chest. Twilight blinked in confusion; Rainbow’s spell was identical to her own in almost every way.

Rainbow Dash trotted over to the chest and unlocked it with the key. Once open, she found several things inside; a set of three books, an amulet, a large bag of some kind, and a set of scrolls. Rainbow Dash opened the bag and sniffed in shock. “This is an entire stock of Luna’s tea blend; there’s enough here for at least two months!”

Rainbow opened one of the books. She then set it down with a frown. “Okay, something’s going on here; this book says that it’s a brief history of pegacorns. It has my name on it and everything; somehow, the books are all attuned to my personal magic signature.”

Twilight blinked. “Hmm, I’m not sure what it means Rainbow Dash. This doesn’t sound like anything that has to do with EIS at all. I’m not sure what to make of it.” Both ponies jumped at a knock on the door.

Twilight opened it to see a unicorn waitress waiting to enter. Once inside, a flare of magic from the unicorn’s horn heralded a sealing spell that made Rainbow’s ears ring. The unicorn nodded, frowning. “I was not sure if you were close enough to be told about Rainbow Dash’s secret or not; I guess I was wrong.”

“A series of events made me realize what was happening. How did you figure it out?” Twilight asked. The other mare sighed.

“That answer is complicated. I cannot tell Miss Rainbow Dash with you present unless you swear on your honor as an alicorn. I am sorry Princess, but I have to protect myself; few in EIS even know the truth, and I would rather put off disappearing as long as possible.”

Twilight frowned, then nodded. “I do so swear, not just on my honor as an alicorn, but on the Tree of Harmony itself; any and all of your secrets will be safe with me.” As she finished speaking, the spell surrounding the room flared with scintillating bands of rainbow-hued mana.

Bright Knowledge- for that was who it was -smiled before fully dropping her disguise. Rainbow Dash and Twilight both blinked in shock as the unicorn was revealed to have wings as well as a horn.

The lilac pegacorn smirked. “Caught you flat-hoofed, did I not? Comes with the territory.” She walked over to where Rainbow Dash was standing. Lifting up one of the scrolls, she produced a quill and signed her name on the document that was revealed. She then rolled it up and bound it with a ribbon that had a seal that carried her cutie mark. A flare of greenish-gold flame reduced it to a cloud of green smoke which then flew out the window.

“I have just sent word to the Watchers that I have finally made contact with you Miss Dash. We have been following the trail since you left Hoofington. I think that is where you had your first major flare, correct?” Rainbow Dash nodded.

Bright Knowledge waved a hoof at the chest. “This chest is now bound to your magical signature. The scrolls you see are vouchers that can be used for various needs; for example, I have just sent word that I have made contact to a friend at a local bank. They will be giving you a small fund of bits from trusts set up for pegacorns to use.”

“The books you see there are a few basic things that every pegacorn needs to know, as well as being a basic primer for pegacorn-based magic. You need to learn how to better control it; there is an underground movement that targets pegacorns as undesirables; these ponies can and will make things quite unpleasant for you otherwise.”

“The amulet is special; it gives you a direct connection to Watcher Headquarters. You can use it to call sanctuary if needed, though there is a limit to how many times you can do so. It can also act as a focus for you for spells, and a way to store your mana.”

Bright Knowledge paused for a moment before continuing. “Now that I know that Princess Twilight is aware of your change, I can tell you that you should continue to receive as much magical training as she is willing to teach you. It will better help you focus your own magic.”

The mare sat down on her haunches as she finished. She levitated three peanut-coated donuts from the tray she had brought with her, handing two of them to the other mares. “Get in the habit of eating more protein; your body is going to crave it more now since your body is still overproducing alicorn.”

For the next few minutes, the lilac pegacorn gave Rainbow Dash a few pointers; a number of them gave her the knowledge she needed to take over the sealing spell. This allowed her to drop the perception filter disguise she’d been wearing since her horn came in.

“For somepony that was until recently a pegasus, you have a fine magic sense about you Miss Rainbow Dash. I will do my best to offer what assistance I can; I have used my connections in EIS to get permanently assigned to your case.” The lilac pegacorn then left after re-applying her own perception-filtering disguise.

For the next few minutes, Rainbow Dash sat in silence. Twilight was about to make her way to the lobby when the cyan pegacorn finally spoke. “I don’t know why, but just knowing that there are those out there like me that are on my side helps; I’m still scared, just not as bad.”

Twilight went with her impulse and gave Rainbow Dash a brief hug. “I understand that it’s scary Rainbow Dash. Just know that I’m here for you.” Rainbow Dash turned her face slightly so that Twilight couldn’t see the blush on her cheeks.

After Twilight left to get supper, Rainbow Dash made her way to the patio attached to the suite. She looked out at the evening sun, taking pleasure in the quiet.

Glancing down, Rainbow Dash happened to notice a shadow-within-a-shadow on a lower balcony in the building just across from the hotel. Without seeming to, she watched the shadow as a flash of dim light heralded the use of one of the relatively new crystal cameras from the Crystal Empire.

Turning her head, Rainbow Dash smirked slightly. I was right; we’re being followed. Looks like either tonight or tomorrow they’re gonna spring their trap. I’m not gonna tell Twilight; I think the MCMG has something planned, and I don’t wanna step on their hooves. But if they think I’m just gonna roll over and take whatever it is they’ve got planned, then they have another think coming.

Author's Notes:

First actual multi-part chapter I've done in awhile.

Re-reading this chapter got me seeing a few things. First, it seems rather rushed; I had a number of ideas I wanted to do with this particular part of the story; however, after much thought, I didn't go with them. It would have ended up being far too much like what happened with Clever Marigold.

Plus, as you can see from the chapter, Rainbow Dash's intuitive grasp of magic is more than enough to handle whatever will come.

Maybe the reason why it feels so rushed is because the cliffhanger is rushed. It's a good point to leave it at; it just doesn't seem to leave the same sense of 'impending doom' that cliffhangers leave.

Lemme know what you think. If I get some good suggestions on how to change it, I may even rewrite some of it. That might happen anyway; all depends on how the next part plays out.

In order to make it work, I may have to actually plan it out; in other words, actually use an outline for each of the scenes.

Ugh.

Chapter Sixteen: Shadow's Play Part Two

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Equestria, Mareago, 03-21-05, 11:57 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

Rainbow Dash had been waiting with as much patience as she could for whatever was going down to go down. Her patience was finally rewarded as the perimeter spell she set earlier- one that was based off of pegacorn mana -was triggered.

A pony that was a dead-ringer for her crept into her and Twilight’s suite from the balcony. Rainbow watched as her doppelganger left a set of documents under the coffee table where they could easily be spotted. The shadow then left the way she came in.

Once she was certain she was in the clear, Rainbow dropped the cloaking spell she’d been using for most of the night. She walked over to where the documents were and used the exact same spell to hide them as well. She then placed a manilla folder containing a duplicate of their travel itinerary right on top of the other documents.

Rainbow frowned. This was too easy, too simple. Anyone who knew anything would see that something like this was a plant. She did a low sweep of the suite, finding similar folders to the ones that she had just disguised.

Rainbow snorted. Twilight wanted to treat her to a meal down in the dining room earlier; a chance to unwind as she said, though she mostly used that time to oversee the abrupt change in management. This would have been plenty of time for a maid to lay several more copies of the same documents, to ensure that the frame job would take.

Rainbow searched and found each and every one. Using her pegasus mana, she lit each one on fire, then replaced each one with some innocuous piece of trash; papers, a magazine, a set of pamphlets.

Once she was finished, she finally went to her own room. Climbing under the sheets, she dispelled the perception spell she had placed on her pillows. This was mostly so she didn’t have to stare at a disturbing life-like stuffed version of herself.

Hugging her pillow to herself, Rainbow briefly pined for the pony in the next room. Before she dozed off, Rainbow did all she could to bury her desires; now was not the time nor the place.

Time enough after their journey was finished; after all, she now had all the time in the world.

Equestria, Mareago, 03-22-05, 9:42 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

A pounding at the door of their suite woke Twilight from a sound sleep.

Twilight made her way groggily to the door, only to see both Silent Watch and the local Captain of the Equestrian Guard present. She blinked at the stallions in confusion, then let them and the coffee tray a quite familiar mare was pushing into the suite.

Rainbow had just gotten out of the shower. When she saw who had invited themselves, she rolled her eyes. Making her way over to the door, she shut it in the muzzles of those that were waiting to come in.

The Captain frowned. “Miss Dash, I do not care for the disrespect that you have just shown my stallions. We’re here to conduct an investigation, and the sooner the good Captain deigns to allow it, we’ll be done here.”

“With all due respect Captain, it’s not Captain Watch’s approval you need, but mine,” Twilight snapped. “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re in the presence of a Princess of Equestria. I can have you and your entire regiment thrown out of Mareago without reason. You’ll be able to conduct said investigation just as soon as I get told what the buck is going on.”

Silent Watch struggled not to sigh; just like her mother, Twilight was something of a grouch without her morning coffee. “We’ll wait until you’ve have had some Java Twily. None of that Captain,” the pegasus snapped at the irritated unicorn next to them. “You’re here to help me run said investigation. Frankly, if it weren’t for how thin my men were stretched, I’d do without your boys.”

“I’d help him throw you right out the window,” Rainbow said. “I still owe your boys from treating me like a pariah ever since I got into this city.”

Struggle scowled. This was not turning out the way he hoped; he had been hoping that the evidence of Rainbow’s perfidy would be enough to finally take the whole family down a peg, despite what evidence the MCMG had that they weren’t sharing.

Twilight finally looked as though she was waking up. She smiled apologetically at Silent Watch before turning her now stern gaze onto the other stallion. “Captain Struggle is it? I should have known you would be leading the charge. So, what’s this about? Haven’t you put Rainbow through enough already? I can already tell you that she was here the whole night.”

Silent Watch sighed. “Captain Struggle has evidence that Miss Dash was seen leaving the premises of a local business last evening. Shortly after, a set of important documents were found to be missing. Scouts do report that Miss Dash was seen entering this room; however, no pony saw her leave earlier.”

Twilight frowned. “If you weren’t here Captain Watch, I’d tell Captain Struggle to go buck himself. But since you’ve asked nicely, I’ll let them search. You stay right there Captain,” she snapped at Struggle when he made to get up. “I don’t care what your evidence is, the fact that you’re involved makes this whole thing suspect.”

Rainbow let the other ponies in to begin the search. They all made their way to different parts of the suite. None of them were Rainbow or Twilight’s rooms, as no documents were planted there.

The closest stallion found the folder under the table. He brought it over to Captain Struggle, only to stop as the lavender alicorn scowled at him. He handed it to Captain Watch instead, who promptly started laughing.

“It seems as though the thief had only stolen an itinerary, though how begs to be seen,” the stallion said in pauses between his laughter.

Captain Struggle took the folder in his aura and blanched as he read the contents. “This isn’t right; our informant was quite specific.”

“Sir, we’ve checked all other areas,” a Guard-stallion said, interrupting them for a moment. “All we found was dross; nothing of worth.” Silent Watch nodded. As he did so, Rainbow caught the glint of the pin at the lapel of his bulky action uniform.

“Well, it seems as though you’ve wasted your time. Everything went according to plan; we arrested the saboteur who had been posing as Miss Dash early this morning. She had a perception disguise around her that was so full of holes, Cerberus could have snuck through. As was suspected, a smear job.”

The Equestrian Guard captain made to leave with his men, only to be stopped by a now angry Silent Watch. “Make no mistake about this Captain; personal vendettas have no business in Guard affairs. I had already informed you that your services would no longer be required, and now that we have two detachment of Lunar Guard here, your battalion will be dissolved. I suggest you go home and pack Struggle; Princess Luna is likely to send you to Fort Last Hope over this.” The unicorn stalked off in a huff.

Silent Watch waited until they were all gone before frowning. “I certainly hope that you didn’t destroy that evidence Miss Dash; EIS has been watching this very closely, and whatever is there is critical to our investigation.”

Rainbow frowned in sudden recognition. “You’re with EIS huh? Are you sure that’s all Watcher?”

Silent Watch blinked twice before a slow grin crept onto his muzzle. “Well, Hope be Praised; you’re just as quick as your Grandpa said you were.” He pulled a scroll and a bag of bits out of his saddlebags. “I received this package from one of our couriers this morning, with instructions to hand it to you Miss Dash. Yes I know; I’ve been Sworn as a Watcher since I was a colt.”

Rainbow looked around for a moment, then released the spell she had placed on the documents earlier that day. After retrieving them, she handed them over to Silent Watch. “I’ve only glanced at those briefly, but they corroborate some of the evidence me and Twi have already found. I’m sure we’ll find out more as soon as we investigate the places that were all sabotaged.

Bright Knowledge took this opportunity to put her two bits in. “EIS already looked at what you had determined Miss Dash. You were correct; they were gathering the materials needed to build a storm generator. We are not sure what the planned to do with it exactly; none of what evidence we we have gathered has given that detail.”

“I think I know actually. It’s the same thing they all want nowadays; to level Ponyville. Though it’s not Ponyville they’re after; they want access to that vein of crystal.” Rainbow smiled; it wasn’t a nice smile. “Just shows how stupid they are; nothing of strife, disharmony, or discord can use such magic.”

“Rainbow’s right; it would take more power than in all Creation itself to do any real damage to the Tree at this point.” Twilight said. “Even what Discord did only worked because the Seeds were Unbound. Had they planted them, he’d still be a statue.”

“Wait, are you saying that the Elements are actually seeds?” Silent Watch asked in slight shock. “I’d heard that there was more to them than what they were used for, but I’ve never heard of them called that before.”

“In actuality, they’ve always been referred to in that manner Captain,” Bright Knowledge said in response. “I believe both Star Swirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever referred to them in that fashion. Though I am not certain as to what planting them would have done.”

“Well, look at Twi’s castle; there’s more to that building than just looking gaudy,” Rainbow said. “All of us in the Friendship Council have our own thrones, complete with cutie marks.” Rainbow shuddered. “Come to think about it, I had a strange dream that there was supposed to be some strange map that would appear in the center, in order to send us out on ‘Friendship Missions’.”

Twilight cringed. “A Council of Super-Ponies knock-off telling us how to solve friendship issues? I’m sure Spike would like that, but the idea of taking direction from a talking map is both silly and disturbing. I find it a little concerning that both you and Pinkie Pie have had the same dream.”

“Not so much. Though I cannot speak for Miss Pie as I have little experience with Wild Earth Pony magic, I can say that Miss Dash here may have gotten that as a result of her nature,” Bright Knowledge said. “It is part of the protective instinct that all pegacorns have. Sometimes, seeing into alternate realities better enables us to better prepare for troubles in this one.”

“Or it just drives us horse-shit insane,” Rainbow said bluntly. Twilight facehoofed at that.

Silent Watch took a wand out of his saddlebags and passed it over the documents. A set of two duplicates flashed into existence. He handed one back to Rainbow Dash, and the other to Bright Knowledge.

“Miss Dash, word has recently come that you’ve been having problems. Some of your family retainers are now in the city; they should help you should you have any more trouble,” the teal-colored pegasus said as both he and Bright Knowledge made to leave. “Don’t tarry at those places too long. Oh, and by the by, that bag has a flying permit in it as well. That should be a relief to you, though you still need to watch out for construction sites.”

Once the two EIS agents were gone, Twilight bent a stern eye on Rainbow Dash. “When were you going to tell me that you had hid those documents Rainbow Dash? We’re in this together; we really have to learn to trust one another better.”

Rainbow sighed. “Twi, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, but I knew that we- and I do mean the both of us -were being watched. Not all of them were connected to EIS either. I really didn’t know what they were planning completely, or even if ‘they’ weren’t more EIS agents.” Rainbow scratched the back of her head. “And some of it was out of concern for you too.”

Twilight tilted her head quizzically. “Me? I’m not sure I understand Rainbow.”

Rainbow moved closer to the alicorn. “Twilight Sparkle, you have been under tremendous stress since even before we started this quest. I wanted to keep from adding to it if I could, since all this pegacorn business has already added to it.” Twilight blushed cutely.

“Rainbow Dash, you are one of my best friends; almost like a sister in many ways. You are never a chore to help. Fairly trying sometimes, but never a chore. And thank you for thinking of me as you have; it helps to know I’m appreciated.”

Rainbow levitated a peanut-covered doughnut to her mouth. “Mmh,” she mumbled around the first bite, “these are pretty good.” She then swallowed. “I sure hope you don’t plan on telling AJ that I’ve been mushy; I do have a rep ya know.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll get out somehow; that is, unless you find a way to keep me quiet,” Twilight said. Both mares looked at each other for a couple of seconds before they started laughing.

“I needed that,” Twilight said after a moment. “You’re right in that I’ve been under a lot of stress. It’s not all ‘rainbows and sunshine’ being a princess. I wouldn’t have it any other way though.”

Rainbow got a thoughtful look on her muzzle. “I would have said no, but I do actually see why you didn’t refuse. Your own instincts must be twice that of mine if you took a job you didn’t want because of them.”

Twilight nodded. “Somewhat, though I’ve heard that pegacorns actually have it harder; your desire to protect is less defined than that of an alicorn. I don’t know if it’s because you represent magic undefined, or something else.”

“Huh, I wouldn’t think that there’s a difference, except I know that there is.” Rainbow titled her head in thought. “I mean, I know that I can feel all pony magic that there is, but there doesn’t seem to be a difference. All except for my pegasus magic; I can tell that apart from the others.” Twilight nodded.

“Yes, pegacorns have what us ponies once had; just a powerful connection to the Creative forces. Alicorns have the same, but for us it’s different.” Twilight smiled at the playful eye-roll Rainbow gave her. “I’m serious; where you can use your pegacorn mana to do practically anything, I have all three kinds in equal amounts. True harmony.”

Rainbow snorted. “You mean all three pony tribes, right? Are you sure that’s it? Because I think the other pony tribes are getting left out.”

“Who says they are? Rainbow Dash, the other tribes have alicorns as well, or at least something similar. I admit that I don’t know the full story, but I do know that there are forms of apotheosis for all those that call themselves pony. Even Saddle-Arabians, and they’re more akin to feral horses.”

“Huh. Didn’t think they did.” Rainbow pondered that for a moment before continuing. “Well, I wonder why those that have gone through the same thing you have haven’t come forward.”

Twilight scowled at that. “Not because they don’t want to, but because the High Council won’t recognize their sovereignty. Ponies don’t realize that Equestria is actually smaller than what maps show; a lot of the territory we have actually belongs to the other pony tribes. If we handed it over, Equestria would shrink to less than one-third the size it is now. That doesn’t make it right though, but Luna argues with me when I say we need to press their case. She wants to adhere to Celestia’s wisdom in this, flawed as that is.”

Rainbow shook her head. “Well, as fun as this little discussion has been, I really think we should figure out where to go from here. We can do the tourist thing for the morning, then start making some official visits to the three businesses not affected by the sabotage, and the one hit the hardest.”

Twilight looked confused. “Why the ones not affected? They shouldn’t matter.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “For a smart pony Twi, you miss the obvious a lot. The ones that didn’t get hit either didn’t have anything to offer, or were involved or some way.” Rainbow opened the folder, which contained among the blueprints a manifest of materials. “The one that was hit hardest was hit in thefts; the Dockyards. Looking at this, every single one of these listed were involved in some level; they’re all names of the Five Families. The only one I don’t see listed as having suffered severe losses despite severe theft is Wholesome Shipping; of course, that’s because it’s owned by Suri Polomare. I don’t think she’s involved directly; she's too much of a coward. Her name is likely listed as owner to fob off suspicion.”

Twilight facehoofed. “Ugh, you’re right Rainbow Dash; I am under too much stress. I write amateur detective stories; I should have spotted this sooner. Reading has really broadened your horizons.” Twilight grinned at the bashful blush Rainbow Dash gave off at the praise; it was a sweet change from her usual boasts.

“Yeah, well, it’s a lot more fun than I used to think. Well, let’s go; I’m sure you want to go visit the Natural History Museum, and I’d like to get the most boring part over with as soon as we can.” Twilight just stuck her tongue out at her at that sally.

The two mares gathered those things they would need before they left the suite. Once more they decided to take time to themselves, no matter what Celestia might have said to the contrary.

Rainbow Dash seldom liked to be wrong about something. Even worse was doing so publicly. However, being wrong about being bored wasn’t one of those things. It was a surprise though.

The Mareago Natural History and Science Museum boasted exhibits for every pony, and in this they delivered. Not only was Rainbow able to find accurate replicas of every worthwhile artifact that Daring Do had ever discovered, but that there was something else that was a little closer to home.

For this museum housed the largest collection of pegacorn-related artifacts known to Ponykind.

Rainbow Dash wandered the exhibit, learning everything she could about the kind she was now a part of. Some of it she knew was at best an exaggeration; other pieces outright angered her.

Rainbow Dash wondered why such chicanery would be included in a historical exhibit. Her answer came in a rather peculiar form.

“I see that this exhibit interests you Miss Dash,” one of the curators said. Honest Truth was something of an enigma. He was the only pegasus currently on staff that was a curator; most were in charge of moving highly placed pieces.

“Yeah, I do actually. A pony very close to me has found out that this sort of thing now matters,” Rainbow said. “I just don’t understand why you’ve got contested pieces here. That’s what’s got Twilight all in a huff.” She gestured at the heated discussion between Twilight and the Head Curator. “She doesn’t like it when stuff isn’t accurate, and the stuff that claims that pegacorns are only winged unicorns is definitely not accurate.”

The pegasus sighed. “Yes, she’s not alone in that. However, she’s arguing with the wrong pony about them; I myself am the one that set this exhibit up.” He gestured at a display of a treatise on pony tribes. “Take this piece for example; the reason I have it here is to illustrate how ponies take what ‘experts’ write as truth. The author was later found to be mistaken; it was later scientifically proved that winged unicorns and horned pegasi are crippled ponies. Their magic doesn’t work properly; some don’t even have any. Those poor ponies are so crippled that they are among the rare ones that never receive a cutie mark.”

“Every piece here is explained in detail on the plaques around the centerpiece. It is an effort to show Equestrian citizens that what we know about our precursors and what we’ve been told are not the same thing. I have a vested interest you see; my personal patron has been a member of the Board of Directors for over three centuries.”

Rainbow blinked. “Huh; well, that’s something you don’t hear every day.” She wandered over to the main attraction; a statue found in a dig site to the south of the Everfree Forest. “I guess the only ones that really know are the pegacorns themselves, and they’re not talking.”

“Oh, it is more that those in power are not listening properly. Most gloss over the fact that our esteemed Diarchy are of pegacorn descent themselves.” Honest Truth looked up as Twilight approached them.

“I heard it tell that you’re responsible for some of the garbage that’s in this exhibit,” she said heatedly. “What, pray tell, can you say to justify having it here?”

“I have it here, your highness, for that precise reason; that it is dross. These are those things that are contested or have been proven wrong. However, how long after they are discarded and thrown away will it be before we forget how far we have come? History is full of such things; I keep these pieces here- most of which are part of my private collection -not because of their accuracy, but because of their significance in the greater search for truth.”

Honest Truth paused for a moment to take a sip of water from the bottle slung over his withers. “Every piece here has been carefully selected as to its impact; both in terms of how it shaped past- and current, most unfortunately -beliefs. Most important is that all of them have later been disproved. Many of these researchers have been almost forgotten, as many were judged as mavericks and the like. Yet all that current experts accept as fact would not be so were it not for their research into disproving what was commonly understood.”

Twilight blinked. She then started to read the plaques surrounding the main exhibit. As she did so, her face turned a bright red with embarrassment. “I think I’ve just made a foal of myself. I’m so sorry.” She then grew excited. “So this exhibit is here to encourage discourse? Quite bold I think.”

“Personally, I feel that it’s a colossal waste of time,” the Head Curator huffed. “The space could be better served for more worthwhile exhibits.”

“And yet, this exhibit alone generates over 300 bits a day in revenue,” said a new voice. The ponies turned, to see a pale pink pegacorn behind them. Swift Breeze smirked as the unicorn blanched. “Since you seem to find it within your power to ignore a summons, I took it upon myself to find you. You’ve been trying to find ways to remove or close down every exhibit I have personally sponsored. I don’t care really; you haven’t the real authority to change anything here, you’re just a curator. The Board- which is made up of my family -actually owns this museum.”

“I told you the last time that I don’t take kindly to the disrespect you’ve shown me ever since I was formally handed Chair-mare of the Board. What you fail to realize is that I was given that position simply because there are no better candidates. Also, it’s the sixteenth time in the last two centuries that I’ve been Chair-mare. But your words aren’t why I’m here; I’d heard that you decided to close down the ‘History of Powered Flight’ exhibit due to lack of funds. You didn’t have the authority; your job is to oversee the museum as a whole, to make certain that the exhibits are properly cared for.”

“Each exhibit is the responsibility of the curator in charge of it. They are the ones that decide what does or doesn’t go into it. I’ve mentioned that before, but you don’t seem to understand. Personal vendettas against exhibits here because of me isn’t something my family will tolerate. The Board has terminated your employment. Guards!”

Two museum guards escorted the former Head Curator out of the museum. “That was most pleasant; he’s been a thorn in my side ever since I found out that he was trying to replace originals with forgeries. Not enough evidence to convict; then again, the Polomare family has yet to learn to stay out of my affairs. I shouldn’t have sliced off Staliant Polomare’s head all those years ago; the family has been nothing but trouble ever since.”

All Twilight and Rainbow Dash were able to do was blink. Swift Breeze smiled. “I’d like for you both- and Honest Truth of course -to join me for tea.” After a moment, the mares both nodded.

A few minutes later, the ponies were all seated in a private dining hall just off the main restaurant. Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight were shocked at the spread available. “I see that you’re both surprised. I usually don’t eat all of this; most goes to local soup kitchens. My chef complains that I don’t eat enough; I let him though. He’s Prench; it’s a given for them to complain.”

After a moment, Rainbow began to eat the grilled haddock before her. Unusually, she ate slowly; the herbs and seasoning in the fish were causing the same soporific effect that Luna’s tea did.

Swift Breezes smirked at the blissful expression on Rainbow’s muzzle. “I see you like that dish; one of my personal favorites. Especially good for a still-growing pegacorn.” She rolled her eyes at the shocked expression on Twilight’s muzzle. “Please princess; I’ve lived for over three centuries. I’ve long since mastered the skills necessary to recognize one of my own. Far better at it than Bright Knowledge is. Of course, I learned from Princess Angela herself years ago, so there is that.”

Rainbow set her fork down at the mention of Angela. “Okay, I was wondering when it would come to this. So is this the part where you try and convince me to take Sanctuary? Because it’s not likely; I won’t abandon my friends.”

Swift Breeze’s smile faded. “I see that my charms aren’t going to work here. Yes, Miss Dash. I seriously suggest that you do travel there; it would be far better for you at least until all of what’s currently happening dies down.”

“Angela herself put you up to this, didn’t she?” Twilight asked, a snap in her voice. Swift Breezes said nothing. “Your silence says it all. Well, she likely knows the mission we’re on, and has her own reasons for wanting Rainbow Dash off it. I’ll say it here, and you can tell her from me; I’m not doing it because Celestia told me to; I’m doing it because I’m an alicorn. I have the same desire to protect My Little Ponies that every other alicorn has. I’m doing it because it needs to be done. Rainbow feels the same way; of course, if she desires to leave, then I won’t stop her.”

Swift Breeze said nothing for a few minutes; after a bit though, she started to grin again. “And here Aunt Angie had me convinced that you were Celestia’s attack dog. You’ve certainly been proving that you’re your own mare Twilight Sparkle. I said as much when she asked me to convince Rainbow Dash to leave. You misunderstand though; Angela wants only to help. Following the course will only be harder if you refuse.”

“We’re not refusing anything Swifty. I may not be as smart as Twi is, but even I know that we must follow the path given to us.” Rainbow’s eyes grew distant and clouded. “Serenity guides us on this path; it is not yet Angela’s time or place to interfere. She needs to prepare for when we reach the north.” Rainbow shook her head briefly. “What the Hay?! What does that even mean?!”

Honest Truth spoke up. “It seems the vision I had last evening was true; Serenity herself is guiding you both. To what purpose only She knows. As frustrating as it is for us, it seems as though you must continue to follow the trail that Star Swirl has left.”

Swift Breeze stomped the table with her forehoof. “That stallion is the reason why so many pegacorns quit Equestria. How are we supposed to protect ponies when those in power cling to his prophecies? Over half of them weren’t even his!”

Twilight wore an expression of sudden understanding. “Now I get it; much of the defense of Equestria has been guided by those prophecies. It’s no wonder Celestia and Angela disagree so much; one of them has said that ‘Equus will fall so long as the Knowledge of Ages is denied to the populace.’ Celestia wants Sanctuary to return to Equestria in order to prevent that.”

“That particular piece of drivel is an example of Star Swirl’s hubris. He felt that the unicorns were the only ones that had the right to disseminate knowledge. And this business of Sanctuary returning to Equestria makes no sense; it was never part of any of the pony kingdoms in the first place. Celestia just doesn’t like it when ponies in power tell her no. Even when it’s one that is far more older and wiser than that brat can ever hope to be.”

Swift Breeze rolled her eyes at the shocked look on Twilight’s muzzle. “What, she’s got you fooled as well? Twilight, Celestia is still young in many ways, and she has a naivete that is dangerous to harbor. Willing to give those who have proven themselves to be a threat a chance at redemption is all well and good, but more often than not it backfires. Tirek and Sombra both are examples of this.”

The pale pink pegacorn paused for a moment to finish the piece of peanut-butter creme pie she was eating before continuing. “Oh, thinking the best of ponies is noble of her, if a tad idealistic. Trouble is, you can’t extend the same thing to those who have twisted minds.”

“Discord’s rehabilitation would show otherwise,” Twilight snapped. She didn’t like the ridicule of thinking the best of others; it was a foundation of friendship. Swift Breeze merely waved her hoof airily.

“That chimera was never really a threat. Oh, did you think he was a member of the race he claims to be? I’ve actually met real draconequui; they are an elegant race. Chaotic yes; they have to be to survive in the Plane that they live. He was far more dangerous the first time around; that’s why the Elements sealed him in stone. The one-thousand years or so he was sealed was enough to burn away much of his power; all that was left was only enough to do parlor tricks. Any pegacorn or alicorn who knows how can do the same; our power is nearly the same after all.”

Twilight sighed. “Yes, I’m aware of that, though he still has power. It seems as though he’s truly changing though; last time he visited Fluttershy, he was looking more leonine and less serpentine.”

Swift Breeze frowned. “Then that would mean that he’s stabilizing. If that’s the case, he may actually transition over. Either to a pony-like form, or even to a true draconequus. And I’m sure that would put a hoof right in the eye of Sombra; it was his influence that led the High Council of Utopia to create him in the first place.”

“Another one? Sombra is dead; he shattered into pieces when the Crystal Heart was first reactivated.” Twilight crossed her forehooves in displeasure. “I get why Rainbow Dash thinks that he’s still alive; we never found a body. Of course, that’s because it was completely destroyed!”

“First of all Twilight Sparkle, the Heart didn’t destroy all of him; the Guardians of Sanctuary later recovered his horn. Angela herself was forced to Seal it away; she had to. Secondly, all the Heart did was destroy his physical manifestation. He’s tied to the Heart; unless and until all of the Crystal Pony Tribes accept Mi Amore Cadenza as their Guardian Alicorn, he will find a way through the shield.”

“Assuming he finds a way to get out of Tartarus first. For all we know, the attack on Ponyville may actually be what he’s after.” Rainbow suddenly froze. “Wait a minute; Twi, isn’t there a Gate of Tartarus not far from Ponyville?”

“Yes Rainbow; it’s the same one that Tirek escaped out of.” Twilight froze as well as she realized the same thing that Rainbow did. “One of the pillars of that Gate is the Tree of Harmony. They’re not after the crystal vein because they want to use the crystal; they want to find a way to neutralize the Tree itself!”

“Now you see why I say that Celestia is naive; she’s willing to risk everything on the say-so of a pony that vanished years ago, instead of listening to the wisdom of an alicorn that was born years before Roam, Astropolis, and Utopia even existed.” Swift Breeze nodded in satisfaction. “It seems as though Prudence was right; she said to trust that you would be able to see into the shadows.”

“I knew my lovely wife was correct; she’s never been wrong often Mother; you know this,” Honest Truth said. Seeing the shocked looks on the other two mare’s muzzles brought a cheeky grin to the pegasus’ muzzle. “Yes, she is my mother. I don’t sit on the Board; I prefer relics and artifacts to counting coins and balancing ledgers. Or herding cats as the case may be. I prefer a coat without scratches.” The ponies all laughed at that.

“Princess Twilight, I don’t want to give the impression that I think Celestia is a bad ruler. She has managed to hold this nation together for over one thousand years after all.” Swift Breeze sighed. “I just wish the same thing that both my teacher and friend wishes; that she’d let go of her pride and admit that there are others wiser than her. Even Star Swirl had his moments; most often when he wasn’t listening to those blasted Delphi prophets.”

Twilight nodded at that statement. “I will say that Celestia’s pride is a major stumbling block. I just don’t like it when ponies say that thinking well of others is a sign of naivete. I happen to believe that that is one of the cornerstones of Friendship.”

“Oh but it is, make no mistake. However, one must be prudent in discerning the intentions of others. Give them the benefit of the doubt when they express a desire to do right, but give no quarter when they show their true colors.” Honest Truth frowned before continuing. “Make no mistake; it was only the fact that the High Council argued that Discord himself was tricked by Tirek’s gesture of false friendship. Had the Warden gotten involved, there would be a dead former High Lord of the Centaurs, and there would be no Diarchy; in fact, you might have even joined Celestia and Luna in Exile. I do believe that the Council argued in both your own and Luna’s favor; the mistakes Celestia has made in the last five years have shown that she hasn’t learned anything.”

“I think it shows more that Celestia wants us to solve our problems,” Rainbow replied. “Any foal can tell you that; she’s said as much herself.”

“Yes, but that’s the problem in a nutshell; as long as the Diarchy exists, ponies will expect Princess Celestia to protect them. Even though she seldom has, they still expect it,” Swift Breeze snorted. “Sometimes I even wonder if she’ll move to help even if there was a war.”

“I don’t think you or Angela realize the problem; because of the autonomy each district has, Celestia won’t interfere unless there’s no other option. Equestria was founded by ponies Breeze; why do you think that we have Princesses instead of Emperors?” Twilight stomped her hoof on the table in emphasis. “Much as I dislike Celestia’s hooves-off approach, I do see where she comes from. Things have actually gotten better ever since Luna returned; the Night Court has allowed for more petitions to be heard. I agree though; Celestia should have handled things with both Tirek and Chrysalis better.”

“What should have happened was that we should have listened to you.” The others turned to see that Rainbow Dash was wearing a slightly shameful expression. “I know that you forgave us Twi. I’ve yet to completely forgive myself, and will forever hold Celestia responsible. She never apologized.”

More would have been said had Rainbow not glanced at a clock. “Eep! Twi, if we want to get all of our searches done today, we need to leave!”

Twilight realized that the itching sensation she’d been having was because they were off the planned schedule. “We’ve got some things that need doing. Breeze, I thank you for the meal; time will tell if I will owe you thanks or not for the words we’ve shared. Let’s go Rainbow Dash. We’ll teleport back to the hotel from the lobby.”

The four exchanged pleasantries until they reached the lobby of the museum. Once there, Twilight moved the pair back to their suite. It was time to return to their stated task.

Several hours later…

It was a pair of very weary ponies that visited the last of the businesses on their lists. So far, their search had borne no fruit; nearly every property on the list suffered huge losses as a result of the sabotage, and no later gain.

That changed once Twilight had a look at the official records of the last place on the list. As suspected, Wholesome Shipping had done well despite coming off badly at first. Twilight was busy looking at the books, trying to correlate what was there with what other evidence they’d gathered.

Rainbow was staring at a picture of an airliner hanging on the wall. “Twi, I’ve seen this ship before; it was docked in the shipyards shortly after Chrysalis’ second attack. Do you know who owns it?”

Twilight looked up. “Oh, that’s one of several owned by Criss Cross Shipping. That’s the company owned by the Lemyre family. Bluey uses that one for longer cruises sometimes; it’s safer on the trade-winds than his personal yacht. YIPE!” Twilight jumped as she said the last bit. “Seriously, I’m beginning to really hate that tome; I’ll read it when I want to, not when it bites me!”

Twilight pulled the tome out of the bottomless bag that Marigold had given them. Opening it to the furthest untranslated passage, she read the next phrase with dawning disbelief. “‘Going North by the path that wanders, she of Friendship and her partner must go to the lands where no pony dare dwell?!’ This is insane; the only thing north that fits that description is the Crystal Wastes. They’re only about a day’s flight from here; less if we hop with teleports. Going by train will take a minimum of three weeks!”

Rainbow groaned. “Ugh, that’s a nightmare!” She would have said more had she not glanced at an open manifest. “I don’t think it will be something we can avoid; if there’s any evidence to be had on that airship, we won’t be able to find unless we get to Northhoofton.”

Twilight sighed in frustration. “The old trail into the Wastes starts there, and there aren’t any trains that go there direct from Mareago. The only other ‘path that wanders’ is the old wagon trails first used by settlers.” Twilight placed the book back into her bags before joining Rainbow.

“This is going to be long and boring Rainbow Dash. If you want, we can bugger what the damn tome said and charter a ship. It’ll take a week at least.”

Then we’ll be waiting around Northhoofton for two weeks before the ship arrives. They’re sure to get word that we’re there on arrival. That will be time to destroy any evidence there may be. Also, I think the ship itself is a danger; the shipyard there is out of the way, so it would be the best place to outfit a storm generator without attracting too much attention.”

Rainbow pulled one of the cargo manifests that Captain Silent Watch had given them. “Two of the trains we’re likely to need to switch with are gonna be carrying some of the supplies that they need. Plenty of opportunity for us to do a little bit of sabotage ourselves. And when I say us, I mean the Guard that is still following you.”

Twilight frowned. “I wouldn’t chance it; we’re likely going to need the assistance of our pocket spy for anything like that. Once we leave Mareago, the Lunar and Dusk Guard detachments will be flying point as escort. They’re only there to help when we really need them; one of my captains regularly reports to Celestia. I don’t want her to know that I encouraged sabotage, let alone ordered it.”

Rainbow smiled grimly. “I like it better this way; EIS is crafty enough to do it without raising suspicion. I don’t know as to whether or not it will come to that though; most of what’s listed is stuff they can get by other means.”

Twilight nodded. “As much as this annoys me, the trip will give us some time to get you trained. Not nearly enough; it took me years to get where I am now, and three weeks is hardly enough no matter how much of a quick study you are. Higher level unicorn spells take conscious knowledge of the glyphs used. It looks like the Winding Trail Line is the only way to go.”

Author's Notes:

Well, it's been awhile.

This chapter wraps everything up that they needed to do in Equestria. There will be a short mission during the first part of the next chapter that will tie up some lose ends.

After that, they'll be entering into the Wastes.

Just a heads-up here; nothing of real worth will happen during the majority of both parts of this journey. In order to synchronize the dates, I have the better part of two months to get them to the top of Mount Everfest, and almost nothing but a boring trek on shank's mare to fill it with. Aside from two points that is; more on that will be told in the tale itself.

The 'dream' Rainbow Dash had was a bit of fourth wall humor, as well as a stick in the eye of the horrid, lazy Cutie Map they had in cannon. Seriously, a Talking Head would have made better sense. Saying it was actually the 'Power of Friendship' doesn't work due to the whole nonsense with Star Swirl's Time Spell.

The writing team is getting lazy and sloppy. I wish Lauren were still producing FiM...

Chapter Seventeen: Journey to the Crystal Wastes

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Equestria, Friendship Express, 04-11-05, 12:22 P.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

“Ouch!” Rainbow Dash shook her wings as yet another low-level arcane bolt passed through her shield. She glared at the smirking pony across from her. “Not so smug now, are we Rainbow Dash?” Twilight said amusedly.

Rainbow growled. “I wanna know how you’re getting those bolts past my shield; the wavelength is set up to block energy bolts.”

Twilight continued to smirk. “Well, I may not be as skilled at shielding as Shiny and Cadance, but I daresay I’m as good or better at the theory behind them. And if you’ve been paying attention to what you’ve already been taught, you’d be able to figure out how my bolts are getting past.”

Rainbow scowled. “Well, they’re low power, so they shouldn’t be able to. I shouldn’t have taunted you when I figured out how you were getting through my shield the first time. I mean, I’m cycling wavelengths to reflect those bolts, but unless I layer, I can’t block both.” She suddenly facehoofed at that. “Layering! No wonder why you told me the best shields are simply constructed!”

Concentrating briefly, Rainbow caused a bright cyan barrier to surround her. Twilight immediately fired off a salvo of both low level and high level bolts. Every single one was blocked. “You figured it out Rainbow Dash! I knew you could!”

Rainbow’s response was to slump down. “I don’t get it though; that kind of shield is something that can stand up against an army. Why train so hard?”

Twilight tilted her head as she considered her answer. “Well, it’s partly to get you to used to setting shields quickly under pressure, but it’s mostly to reinforce the idea that the simple three-layer shield is the best one.” She smiled. “Also, I was just seeing if you could; you’re seldom going to find an enemy capable of penetrating the shield I showed you. And you’re way better at it than I am in many ways; probably another example of your nature as a pegacorn.”

Rainbow Dash sighed in exasperation as she realized that Twilight had used the same technique for ‘overtraining’ that her sensei did. Overtraining a shield that can stop a charging elephant means that I’ll have a far easier time with more simple shields. Plus, it gets me more used to using my pegacorn mana in a way other than instinctively; it’s not a good idea to rely on only that method.

For the last couple of days, Twilight had been teaching Rainbow Dash how to better tap into her instinctive control over her new mana. Much of the last three weeks had involved a crash course on practical mana manipulation. Most of it had focused on combative forms rather than theory.

“Hey Twi, why have you only taught me a little bit of theory since we started?” the polychromatic-maned pegacorn asked her friend. “I mean, I know that unicorns learn a lot of theory long before they start any practical training.”

“It has to do with your personality Rainbow Dash. I get that you have a better grasp of theory than what I originally thought, but you’re far more physically oriented. What makes you think that I haven’t been teaching you the theory though?”

Rainbow frowned. “Twi, I know how you are; you wouldn’t have been able to resist. All I can remember though is the few simple cantrips that you taught me to go along with what was in those books I got from Bright Knowledge.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Har har, it is to laugh. I get that I have a more than slightly unusual love for theory, but that doesn’t mean that I tried to force anything in the lessons I’ve taught you. In fact, I’ve been teaching you in a manner that is better suited to you than me. If you think about it, you’ll realize why you respond to it so well.”

“All I really know is that you’ve been ‘overtraining’ me on things, just like my sensei did when he was teaching me Arcane Wing. I get why he did that; he was military.” The pegacorn frowned before facehoofing. “So that’s it; you’ve been using a military method to teach me magic, knowing I’d respond better to it.”

Twilight nodded. “Yep; I’m teaching you the same way my brother teaches his unicorn recruits. Every lesson I’ve taught you is designed to teach the theory without a great deal of book learning. At least I can do this for the combat spells we’ve been working on; when we start getting into unicorn runic, that’s going to take longer.”

Rainbow sighed. “Yeah, not looking forward to any of the runic. I think I may surprise you though Twi; I may not like book learning, but I think I’ll get more out of it than I used to. I’m starting to learn to focus on things that I usually find dull.”

Twilight nodded at that before making her way over to where she had sat her saddlebags. While Twilight was doing that, Rainbow Dash took a moment to make sure that the empty luggage cabin they were using hadn’t sustained any heavy damage.

Once she was certain that there was little more than some charred spots from a few stray energy bolts, Rainbow used a nifty spell to repair the damage. She then restored her disguise before removing the perception barrier that she had set up earlier.

Rainbow frowned in satisfaction as she realized that she now understood the similarities behind that spell, and the others that Twilight had taught her. “It’s like she said before; magic is far more intuitive for pegacorns. So teaching me theory at this point is only gonna get in the way; I’ll learn better by doing than by reading about it,” she said softly.

Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight looked up at the knock at the door that led into the cabin. A moment later, Bright Knowledge came in, pushing a laden food cart before her. “Well, it seems as though you are learning well what Princess Twilight has been teaching you Miss Dash. I sensed nary a ripple when you lowered your perception barrier. Had you had that level of skill three weeks ago, we would have likely met under better circumstances.” Rainbow Dash nodded, fluffing her feathers a bit.

The three ponies shared the repast that Bright Knowledge brought with her. Rainbow Dash was even more hungry than usual. “I haven’t been this hungry in I don’t know how long,” she said as she started on her second shish kabob. “I mean, I get that I still need more protein for all that extra alicorn my body needs, but shouldn’t that have leveled off by now?”

Bright Knowledge shrugged a little. “Every pegacorn is different, so I cannot say for sure. From my own experience, I can say that those of us that are more physically inclined need more at start simply because of the strain on our bodies. Those that are more scholarly inclined don’t need as much. Alicorns have the best of it, as Princess Twilight can attest.” Twilight nodded at that.

“Yep; my body produces three times as much as what’s normal. Most of that goes into my hooves and skeleton though; as it is, my horn is naturally dense with alicorn already, so I didn’t need any extra for that.” Twilight tilted her head as she examined Rainbow’s wing. “As you get older Rainbow, your wings are likely to look more and more like Celestia and Luna’s do. That’s if you stay as a pegacorn though.”

Rainbow Dash looked confused. “What do you mean, stay as a pegacorn?” Her expression cleared after a moment. “Oh, I get it; the reason why Celestia is so much larger than her sister or Cadane is because she was a pegacorn for much longer.” Twilight nodded.

“Princess Luna became Princess of Dreams long before she became the Moon Princess. It wasn’t until Discord appeared that Celestia became an alicorn herself from what I’ve been told. At one hundred years, you’ll look almost as big as she does now unless you ascend.”

Rainbow frowned. “Why though? I would think that alicorns would grow faster than pegacorns.”

“It is part of the nature of alicorns that their growth happens differently. The produce more alicorn; however, that’s because they have extra mana pathways in their bodies that need it.”

Twilight nodded. “Alicorns have all three main mana types alongside their personal alicorn mana. Without dedicated pathways, that can cause problems for us. Most of the extra alicorn I produce goes into my bones and wings. In another decade, I’ll be as big as both Cadance and Luna are now.”

Rainbow Dash frowned as she finished her third kabob. “Huh, well that’s interesting. At least I know what to expect should I decide that I want to ascend.”

Bright Knowledge nodded. “Yes, it does help. However, I should warn you that you may not have a choice when it comes to ascension. As we age, the chances only increase.” The disguised pegacorn smiled. “It may come as a shock to you, but alicorns number pegacorns two to one.”

Rainbow Dash frowned at that. “If that’s the case, then where the hay have they been the last couple of years? I mean, with all the Sealed-Evil-In-A-Can that we’ve dealt with, we sure could have used their help.”

Bright Knowledge sighed. “Yes, and believe me, you are not alone in that belief. However, the vast majority of them are in the Outer and Inner Hels, keeping the Dragonspawn from escaping. If you think Sombra and Tirek were bad, try dealing with a score of the Dragon Lord’s brood. It is far, far worse, and only alicorns have the strength to stop them.” Bright Knowledge took a sip of tea before continuing. “In any case, I have never heard of a pegacorn living as one for more than one thousand years. Most that have become that old pass through the Gate to the Summer Lands if they do not wish to ascend. I have found that the stronger ones are five times as likely to ascend early. You only need to look at the princesses to confirm that.”

Twilight looked thoughtful. “I’ve always known that there were more pegacorns than what people are aware of. I don’t think that it’s just the Dragonspawn that they have to deal with though. Luna once told me that pegacorns used to find passage between Realms far easier in the times before Unification.” The purple alicorn frowned. “I’m not sure why that is exactly, but there’s something that stops them. Then too, there are things in the Realms that have the strength to actually kill an alicorn.”

Bright Knowledge shook her head. “Though there are a few, most of them- with the exception of a bare handful -were killed by the Three ages ago. In fact, the only ones left outside of the Dragon Lord are the Demon Bull Tempest, Grogar, and the Dark One himself.”

Rainbow Dash shivered. “My grandpa mentioned something about the Demon Bull. Isn’t he the sire of both Tirek and Scorpan?”

“He’s more than that Rainbow. The Demon Bull is the sire of both the Minotaur and the Centaur. As far as Tempest is concerned, he’s not truly evil. He’s not imprisoned in the Inner Hels; he’s actually there to keep both the Furies and Grogar bound.” Twilight shivered. “That ram is more frightening than any I’ve ever heard of outside of the Dark One.”

Bright Knowledge shrugged. “He is not as much of a threat as he once was. If he does ever escape, Hope herself will take his head.” The lilac-furred pony grinned; it wasn’t a nice one. “I was once told by my teacher that Grogar has never tried to escape because of Her.”

“The necromancer Grogar is actually real?!” Rainbow Dash yelped. “I always thought that he was a fairy tale!”

“Yes , Grogar is real. He is the chief lieutenant to the Dragon Lord. They both nearly destroyed the Three Cities over four thousand years ago. It is the only time in history where the The First Three actually got directly involved. Gaia used the power of Life itself to infuse every single fallen corpse with new life so that he couldn’t raise a new army, while Chronos stopped Time in order to halt the Devastation that Grogar had cast.” Bright Knowledge chuckled. “The way that Angela tells it, Grogar screamed like a filly as Hope chased him all the way to the Inner Hels.” The other two laughed at that.

Bright Knowledge was interrupted from whatever she was about to say by an announcement over the P.A. system. ‘Equestria Long-Haul services will be reaching Northhoofton soon. Please get read to debark.’ Twilight looked at the clock on the wall in satisfaction. “After the layover that lasted four days at start, I wasn’t sure we were going to make it in time. I’m real glad I followed Rainbow’s idea to look for a number of routes.”

Rainbow shrugged. “Eh, I did a lot of traveling with Papa Prism when I was little; enough that I know that one shouldn’t just rely on one route.” She grinned reminiscently. “I remember the first- and only time -Papa relied on an itinerary he hadn’t set himself. We were holed up in Stalliongrad for an additional two weeks as a result of that. Boy, was he mad.”

Twilight and Bright Knowledge chuckled as they left the cabin. On their way to collect the rest of their luggage, one of the conductors passed a note to Bright Knowledge. Her brow furrowed, the lilac-furred pony read the coded message.

“Well, we were able to confirm that the Northhoofton Shipyard is indeed being used by the Polomare Family, though they do not own it. They do not even own the ship that they were working on, which has just been confirmed to have been scuttled as per the order of the real owner. He will be meeting us once we debark shortly.”

Twilight looked up at that. “It was scuttled? Blast, I was hoping that we could get more information on that; we need to confirm if they were building a thunderbolt cannon to level Ponyville or not.” She sighed. “I guess I can’t blame whoever it was; it sounds like they didn’t want evidence to go back to them.”

The three travellers made their way off the train. As they did so, the saw where the scuttled zeppelin now lay in between the Shipyard and the town. Ponies in the armor of the local guard were intermixed with ponies wearing the livery of House Lemyre.

Twilight blinked in shock at a very familiar silhouette standing on a platform. She and her companions walked over to where Prince Blueblood was directing the relief efforts. The stallion looked up, his expression brightening at the sight of both the princess and Rainbow Dash. “Ah, Princess Twilight! I was made aware by my contacts in Mareago that one of the companies I do business with was a front for a smuggling operation.” He glared in the direction of the wrecked zeppelin. “Judicious inquiries made me aware that they were building a lightning gun on one of my own vessels in order to level Ponyville.”

“That shows a level of fortitude that I would not have expected of you my lord,” Bright Knowledge commented. The stallion flushed in anger.

“Bright Knowledge, I’m well aware that your opinion of me is well founded, but even in the time I was working to get her at least isolated, I never wanted Twily dead. We were friends when we were foals for Celestia’s sake; that’s something I never truly forgot.” He sighed. “I know that ponies still see me as a ponce and a twit, but I would have never been party to treason. Nor would I have made the stupid mistake to use a ship I personally own.”

Blueblood stepped down from the platform and gestured to the distant Shipyard. “That facility may have the Lemyre name on it, but that’s only because I own it personally. I’ve spent the last several weeks focused on my businesses, only to find that the Polomare Family”- this was said with a snarl -”has been using my name and my companies for their illegal pursuits.” He huffed in aggravation. “And that is on top of the work I’ve been doing with the Royal Guard to keep my seat.”

Twilight nodded at that. She gave a stern look to Bright Knowledge- who looked totally unrepentant -before replying. “Yes, Shiny told me that that’s what he requested that you do in order to serve out your requirement to keep your seat. The Council of Eight- well, mostly Clover the Wise -wasn’t at all satisfied. I and my grandfather have made it plain however that we will censure the Council if they try to overturn the High Council’s ruling concerning Bluey’s Seat.” The other ponies blinked in shock at that.

“Why would it even come to that? I mean, I get that the Council of Eight has the best interests of Equestria in mind, but over one Seat on the High Council? That sounds to me like there’s a more personal issue at hand.” Rainbow Dash ran a hoof through her mane in confused frustration.

“It is a personal vendetta Miss Dash; Clear Mind has been lobbying for years to get both the High Council and Grand Assembly to be dissolved. She wants to see each area individually controlled, and even desires to see the Diarchy relegated to a purely protective role.” Bright Knowledge scowled. “I have never trusted that mare; she is far too much of a politician to be holding such high position.”

All of the ponies had been walking to a nearby café as the conversation went on. As they sat down, Blueblood waved a waiter over. “Please, order anything you like.” The mares all nodded, but all but Rainbow Dash just ordered drinks. Rainbow asked for a platter of peanut-coated doughnuts.

Twilight looked gave her a lidded-eyed gaze. “We just ate on the train, Rainbow Dash; you can’t still be that hungry.”

“Well, I am Twi. Besides, I’ve ate here before; this place has some great doughnuts,” the polychromatic-maned pony said defensively. Blueblood and Bright Knowledge chucked at the two friends.

Blueblood also ordered a plate of canapés for the table. As they were waiting to be served, Bright Knowledge asked a question that had been on her mind. “My lord, did you at least manage to save any evidence before scuttling said vessel? My superiors are going to want said evidence; plus, I am sure that the princess here wants confirmation against what we found in Mareago.”

Blueblood nodded. “All they had on the blimp itself was the frame and one generator. The rest was on the same vessel I took here, which is precisely what I was told I’d find.” The stallion paused as the waiter served them. “What you see out there is mostly for insurance purposes. I’m sure I won’t have to fight it, but there still needs to be documented proof.”

“What I don’t get is why they even tried all of this. Everything they did seems like a poorly executed backup plan, yet not a single bit of it even worked. It’s been almost too easy to spot all the holes.” Rainbow took a bite of the doughnut she was holding in a wing before continuing. “I get that most of what they pulled in Mareago was a poorly contrived smear job, but it seems as though they tried the exact same thing with Bluey.” She paused in thought. “No, using a lightning cannon was their plan all along; the idea to frame Bluey for it seems like it was tacked on at the last minute.”

“It was Miss Dash,” Blueblood replied. “I found out to my consternation that a fair number of my contemporaries were supremacists who were involved in the planned coup of a number of Equestria’s cities. When I found out who exactly was all involved, I informed the one pony they didn’t want to know. That’s why twenty of the Seats on the High Council are now empty.” He looked sad. “That doesn’t include the four that no longer exist; the High Council takes a very dim view of treason. They cast a vote of No Confidence on those four; now the Council only numbers 178 Seats instead of the 182 there was at the start of the last Session.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Yeah, yeah, they act like they take a dim view. When it’s all said and done though, they’re only doing it to save face.” Blueblood gave Rainbow Dash a reproving look.

“I disagree. The vast majority of the Seated nobles are all responsible ponies who truly want the best for Equestria. My own contemporaries- with the exception of Sir Fancy Pants -didn’t, and that is solely because they were maneuvered that way. I wasn’t aware of that at the time; had I known it, I would have severed ties with that group much sooner.” He sighed. “I’m beginning to see what ponies have said about Mother. Her views on what’s proper for a stallion of my breeding blinded me to what was really going on.” The other ponies present all wisely kept their muzzles closed at that.

“In all honesty, any evidence you’ve found should go to Bright Knowledge. Our involvement needs to remain as quiet as possible.” Twilight finished off her tea, then grabbed one of Rainbow’s unfinished doughnuts.

“That reminds me Twily. I received a concerning bit of news that you and Miss Dash were headed into the Crystal Wastes.” At Twilight’s nod. Blueblood’s concerned expression deepend. “Well, there’s been reports that a group of outlaws has been patrolling the Wastes. What’s concerning is that it’s part of a group that despises alicorns and pegacorns.”

“Well, Rainbow Dash and I have already proven that we can take care of ourselves. Besides, we don’t have much choice; the trail we’re following leads there.” Twilight sighed. “I just hope that nothing bad happens until we get where we’re supposed to go.”

The conversation went to other topics after that. Before too long, the four ponies parted ways; only one of them had noticed that a dock-mare had pointed a glowing crystal at Rainbow Dash.

Soon, they would find out that their journey was slated to take a turn for the worst. Only time would tell if they were to survive it.

A few hours later, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were sitting on cots in a rented hotel just on the outskirts of Northhoofton. Twilight was disgusted with the quality of said hotel.

“Look, there are holes in the walls. Are the Health and Safety inspectors sleeping or something? How in hay is this hotel still in business?” Twilight glared at holes in the wall next to her.

Rainbow looked at her. “Um Twi, we’re not technically in Equestria any more. The border is back that way.” She waved a hoof in the direction of the train station. “Less than half of Northhoofton is on the other side of where the border ends. And no, it’s not part of the Crystal Wastes either; that’s actually about two leagues from Northhoofton.”

Twilight turned her glare towards her friend. “Don’t insult my intelligence Rainbow Dash. If Northhoofton isn’t part of Equestria, then why is there a Guard barracks here?”

Rainbow glared back at Twilight. “There’s bandits Twilight. Made up of the exiles from the northernmost part of both the Gryphon Empire and Equestria. The Guard isn’t here to protect the town; just the Shipyard, railroad station, and whatever buildings are to the south of the ‘Welcome to Northhoofton’ sign we passed.” She punched the lumpy mattress. “Besides, even if this was Equestria, it doesn’t mean that a hotel like this wouldn’t be in this kind of condition. Outside major cities, most are even worse.”

Twilight blinked in confusion. “But how? Health and Safety inspectors exist to make sure that this sort of thing doesn’t happen. Are you telling me that those overpaid ponies don’t do the ob they’re being paid for?!”

Rainbow shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. All I know is that I’ve seen a fair number of hotels that weren’t worth the price we paid for. As far as the Department of health and Safety goes, anypony that has sense can tell you that that Department is a waste of bits.” Getting disgusted with the condition of her mattress, Rainbow used her pegasus mana to form a temporary cloud mattress to lie on.

Pulling out a scroll from her saddlebags, Rainbow wrote a quick letter. Tying it with a multicolored ribbon, she then lit the scroll on fire with a spark from her horn. The scroll flared before turning into a cloud of multicolored sparkles. “Never thought I’d use one of these before. This hotel isn’t supposed to be this bad off; it looks like we need yet another family retainer.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait, your family has holdings in this area?” she asked. Rainbow nodded sheepishly.

“Actually, House Dash owns over half the town; we were part of the original settlement a couple of hundred years ago.” Rainbow Dash said sheepishly.

Twilight sighed. “Well, I for one wish I’d done my research better. The brochure I have checked out as being legitimate. Well, all for a misprint of the date of issue. Guess that wasn’t a misprint at all.”

Rainbow scowled. “Yeah, that’s a common practice in some of the more low-end hotels. Get somepony to refit an older leaflet, then make copies. If magic isn’t used to make it- not unusual in communities that don’t have a high unicorn population -then it doesn’t trigger as a forgery.”

Twilight would have said more, but she was interrupted by a cloud of sparkles that resolved into a scroll; said scroll landed in front of Rainbow Dash. The pegacorn broke the seal and read the contents quickly. Once she was finished, the scroll flared as a flash flame consumed it. “Well, we’ll be meeting with our escort tomorrow Twi, so I think we should call it an early night.”

Twilight frowned. “You asked for an escort as well? Why? I mean, there’s still my Dusk Guard.” Rainbow Dash looked at her in disbelief.

“Don’t you get it Twi? None- and I do mean none -of the PPP are willing to pass the border without an express order from their superiors. Your Guard may be Sworn to serve you, but their commissions are held by the Commanders of the PPP. Do anything against their orders, and they’ll get a Court Martial.”

Twilight blinked. “Shiny never mentioned that before. No wonder why he was such a stickler for following the rules.” She sighed. “Well, it’s early, but I’d like to make an early start tomorrow. Are they going to escort us through the Wastes too?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Probably not; there won’t be any reason to. Besides, ponies from around here avoid the Wastes anyway. There’s nothing there of worth really.”

The two settled down after that, soon falling asleep.

Equestrian Border, Northhoofton, 04-12-05, 10:30 A.M. A.N.M. (After Nightmare Moon)

The next day, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were at least rested as they met with the retainers from House Dash that Rainbow had requested.

Twilight wasn’t in a good mood. Not only was she frustrated that the journey that should have taken only a week at most was now slated to last even longer, she had found out from a note left for her that morning that her detachment of Dusk Guard had been called away at Celestia’s insistence. A terse message to the solar alicorn prompted an equally terse reply.

I am not certain how you found out that your Dusk Guard was called off; in any case, I had little choice. My commanders in the PPP have stated that no more unsanctioned use of Guard units is to be allowed, in order to prepare against more actions such as what Ironside attempted. Even further, your Guard would not have been permitted past the Border, as that is illegal outside of an order direct from both the Diarchy and the Council of Eight.
Even though they have been Sworn to both myself and you, the PPP holds their commissions. While I do have the authority to remove said commanders from office, I will not do so simply because you feel insecure without your Guard.
Continue to send the reports I have asked for.
Signed,
HRH Princess Celestia Dos Everfree

Rainbow Dash glanced at the scowling alicorn. “Something the matter Twi? I know that that note you got from Celestia wasn’t like her, but is it that bothersome?”

Twilight’s scowl deepened. “No apology; she gave no apology for why she withdrew my Guard. The only one she had right to order around was the Captain she assigned. I may have recruited my Guard from the pool of available PPP officers and taken Luna’s recommendation, but Celestia doesn’t have the authority to recall them. They answer to me; nopony else! I gave them the order to adhere to commands give to them by the Diarchy, but only out of respect for said Diarchy.”

“I followed the advice of both Cadance and my brother. Those Guards-ponies were released from service to the PPP, and their commissions were handed over to me. Not only was that my right, it’s perfectly legal for me to form my own Guard Company, as I’m Heir to both House Sparkle and House Armor!”

“Calm down Twilight!” Rainbow Dash hissed as she hastily cast a privacy spell. “I get that you’re angry, but she did give a reason. Maybe it wasn’t a good one, but it’s still one that she had to consider.”

“Rainbow Dash, I do not CARE what those sawed-off pricks she surrounds herself with think is or is not a good reason to do something that they KNOW is illegal,” Twilight said heatedly. “No, I’m not mad because of that; I’m mad because Celestia continues to make decisions concerning what I say or do, and I am tired of it! I am not Luna!” the purple alicorn ranted. “I am a pony that has surpassed everything that has been set before her! I am not a pony that is still regulated to the sidelines because Celestia is too prideful to admit she is wrong. I am my own mare, and am both an alicorn and Princess in my own right! But most of all, I am sick and tired of Celestia talking down to me! If she wants me to see her as a friend and fellow Princess, then she needs to approach me as Celestia; not a teacher or as Princess, but as a mare! Most of all, she needs to ask me to do things instead of expecting me to. The least she could have done is requested that my Guard return to Ponyville! Instead, she makes a unilateral decision that she would have never made to her sister or my sister-in-law!”

“When is she going to treat me as an equal Rainbow Dash?! Is it going to take me severing my demesne from the rest of Equestria for her to say ‘I’m sorry Twilight’?!” At this point there were tears running down Twilight’s muzzle. “I don’t like feeling this way towards her Rainbow Dash; she’s like a second mother. But I just can’t take the Princess-to-Peasant attitude she displays in periods of crisis any more!” Rainbow’s only action was to hug her friend as she continued to sob.

Boy, am I glad I put up that privacy screen, the pegacorn thought to herself. This really doesn’t need to get back to Celestia.

“Twi, do you think we should just go home? I’ll agree with whatever decision you make here; but it’s your choice,” Rainbow said as Twilight’s sobs subsided. The purple alicorn shook her head.

“I’m not running from whatever is coming Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said in response. “I’ve never ran from anything in my life. Even when I was teased in Magic Kindergarden, I still went. I stopped making friends because nopony wanted to be friends with me. No, it was ‘Twilight Sparkle, Student of Princess Celestia’ they were interested in.” Twilight’s tone was bitter. “No, you and I are going to see this through. For ourselves, and all of our friends in Ponyville.”

Rainbow Dash smiled at that spark of determination. “Well, I’m here for you Twi, and I know that we have at least on Princess on our side.” She broke off the hug to give her friend a stern gaze. “I just wish you trusted me enough to tell me that you had a way to send reports outside of that torc.” Twilight flushed in embarrassment at that.

“I would have told you sooner Rainbow Dash, but that sort of thing is something ‘only we princesses are supposed to know.’ I know for a fact that any pegacorn that has been taught by Angela can use the Pyrelight spell too. I’ve only been using it now because it’s secure. That way I can make sure that Celestia has no way to find out about your changed nature.” She looked at the shimmer in the air. “You set up a privacy screen?” Rainbow nodded.

“Yeah. It’s a sloppy one though. At least nopony can see when I use magic.” Rainbow dropped the spell once she was sure that Twilight was calm. She then noticed that their escort had arrived. “Ah, they’re here Twi. Should we get going?” Twilight nodded.

The mares joined the escort of ponies in armor that denoted their alliance to House Dash. Rainbow Dash smirked at the runner that just took off; she knew that word would soon get to the bandits that they were being escorted. Nodding at the saluting sergeant, the two mares fell into the center of the group. The group then made its way to a waiting waggon that was harnessed to a pair of bison.

There, they were joined by even more retainers of House Dash. Twilight gazed in slight shock at the numbers that were protecting her and Rainbow Dash. “Um, isn’t this a bit excessive?” She counted the number of ponies that were marching lockstep around the wagon.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “There’s at least three bandit camps that we know of between here and the Wastes. There’s no way that we’ll be able to avoid all of them, but this way we’ll at least be able to dissuade the smaller ones.”

“The Lady Dash is correct, Princess,” the sergeant said as well. “Though we will not be able to get past the larger group, which is why we will be joining with the Fire Brigade once we leave Northhoofton completely.” The stallion paused. “Actually, you being here is fortuitous. We now have an excuse to clean out the largest.”

Twilight paled a bit at the mention of the other group. “Wait, I’ve heard of the Fire Brigade. Isn’t that a cadre of Exiles that formed a mercenary company?” The stallion shrugged. Sergeant Piercing Blade had a small smile on his muzzle.

“Yes, they are mercenaries. What you may have heard about them is partially true. They are Exiles, but by choice. In addition, they are on retainer for at least three members of the Council of Eight. They are why Equestria has not been overrun by changelings; the late so-called ‘Queen Chrysalis’ had a swarm that was three times the size of the one that invaded the first time.” Twilight paled even further.

Rainbow Dash nodded at that. “Ponies don’t get it, but both the Guard and the PPP are frankly useless. Most of the defense of Equestria has been thanks to groups that are still in pay of the various Houses.” She scratched her head. “Then there are those mercenary groups that aren’t, yet still help to protect this land. I feel as though I know why they do, but I can’t figure it out.”

“That would be in thanks to my Sovereign,” one of the ponies in the wagon said. The Nocturne mare smiled a toothy, fang-filled smile. “The ones that you speak of are descendants of ponies that were loyal to Princess Luna. They declared themselves Exiles rather than plunge Equestria into civil war.” Silent Wings snorted. “Personally, they should have fought. Oh, not to depose the Solar Princess, mind; rather, the whole Council of the time- outside of a hoofful -should have been put to the sword.”

“Talk like that can get a pony in trouble,” Twilight said severely. The mare just shrugged.

“I may be Sworn to Luna, but I’m not an Equestrian citizen, Princess. I’m an Exile, born and bred, and have little use for those ‘nobly-born.’ The Lady Dash here has proven herself, as have you.” She grinned again. “Besides, the pay is good, and this way I at least get to keep my head on my shoulders.” Twilight blinked, confused.

“Out here Princess, there’s really only one Law that bandits seem to get; you get caught, you lose your head.” The sergeant snorted. “Of course, that only keeps them away from protected towns. The group we have a high chance of running into wasn’t in this area until fairly recently; from what we’ve been able to gather, a very large sum of Equestrian gems was paid to them to mark a ridge about a league from Northhoofton.” Piercing Blade smiled grimly. “We have Prince Blueblood to thank for that tidbit actually. When he learned that three of his contemporaries paid Stampede to move in this direction, he alerted all of the Houses out here. None of which were actually involved.”

“And that’s why the Fire Brigade is involved as well. Me and my boys have been wanting to take out that bull for awhile now, and this’ll give us the reason we need.” Silent Wings gazed at the two ponies. “I hope you’re both ready; in about a day or so, things are likely to get real bloody.” She turned her gaze more intently on Rainbow Dash. “Unless this one decides to get involved that is.”

Rainbow sighed and dropped her perception disguise. “I didn’t think I’d be able to hide it; the book listed you guys as one of the groups that work for the Watchers.” The Nocturne grinned, nodding.

“Yep, we are.” Silent Wings lost the grin as she continued. “Once we get to the Wastes though, you and the Princess here are on your own.” The two nodded at that.

The rest of the journey went on in silence from this point forward, as the ponies all prepared for what was awaiting them.

Author's Notes:

This particular chapter got a bit more wordy than I had originally planned. As usual, it seems like to much exposition and not enough action, but there's really not much I can do here. I have to build the world they're in before I can show it to you.

What you don't see is a lot of the stuff that has happened outside of Twilight and Rainbow Dash's journey, yet ties into it. This story is focusing on both Twilight and Rainbow Dash, so none of that will be here. Plus, it's all just a bunch of ponies arguing, and outside of a few times, I'm going to limit Celestia and Luna's involvement in this particular story.

I'm going to give you a warning here and in the next Authors Note for the next chapter; the next one is going to be fairly graphic. ~~Not enough to warrant a Gore tag, but still pretty graphic.~~ At this point, I'm not sure if it will warrant a Gore tag or not, which is why that tag has been added.

Chapter Eighteen: Three-Point-Ridge

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Equus, South of Three-Point-Ridge, 04-14-05 A.N.M., 7:25 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

As Twilight watched, Rainbow Dash mumbled in her sleep. She’s been doing that for the whole time we’ve been traveling. It’s like she having a bad dream, but she never seems to lose any sleep over it. I wonder what she’s been dreaming about, Twilight mused to herself as she continued to watch her friend sleep. Is it the same thing that precipitated her mana flare all those weeks ago? If it is, then there’s more going on than just a recurring dream.

Twilight continued to watch the pony that had grown closer to her than anypony else. As she did so, the unrequited feelings that she had kept inside came to the fore. A new, fresh set feeling began to join the first. A sense of protection, of belonging, fell over the purple alicorn. All of a sudden, she realized that she was willing to spend the rest of her very long life with Rainbow. Whether as a friend or something more, she just wanted to spend it with her.

More than that though, she didn’t want to wait even though she knew that she should. Hiding what started out as a crush was hard, especially when spending eighty percent of your waking moments with said pony.

Twilight’s thoughts faded as Rainbow yawned cutely before blinking her eyes open. The pegacorn blinked sleepily at the alicorn that was smiling at her. “Good morning Twi,” she said, yawning yet again.

Twilight smiled. “Good morning Rainbow Dash. Sleep well?” The cyan pegacorn nodded.

“Yeah, like a rock. That’s in spite of what’s been going on these last few weeks.”

Twilight tilted her head. Rainbow smiled, wearing a slight blush at how cute she looked when she did that particular thinking pose. “Why Rainbow? Has there been something going on that you haven’t told me?” Rainbow nodded, shrugging.

“All that’s really been happening is that I’ve been having a recurring dream for over a month now.” Rainbow saw that one of the mercenaries was making flapjacks with honey and nuts, and walked over to grab a stack. She then walked back over to where her and Twilight’s pallets were, and started to eat.

Twilight frowned. “Rainbow Dash, ponies just don’t have recurring dreams for no reason.” She levitated herself over a stack of flapjacks as she continued. “In fact, it was a dream of some sort that triggered your mana flare.” She stopped speaking as Rainbow Dash showed no sign of slowing down.

The pegacorn decided to follow Twilight’s example and levitated over another stack of flapjacks, and a jug of water. Setting the jug down, she heated it with a quick spell and placed a pack of Luna’s tea blend to brew. Twilight, still hungry, got herself another stack as well, along with a slice of melon that had also been served.

For the next few minutes the two mares ate. Twilight sat down her cup once she saw that Rainbow was finished. “Well, are you going to explain what’s been happening?” she asked her friend in a slightly irritated tone. Rainbow sighed.

“I was kinda hoping you’d just drop it Twi,” she said after taking a sip of tea. “I don’t really have anything to explain to myself about the dream, let alone anypony else. I’ve never been able to remember anything other than Light all around me and a sense of profound fear. I do know that the fear concerns you for some reason, but I haven’t a clue why.” She looked up suddenly. “Oh, and I remember seeing something similar to that sword we got out of that thing Clever Marigold had.”

Twilight frowned for a bit before casting a privacy screen. She then pulled out the sword, the rolled scroll, the tome, and the cedar-wood stave out of her packs. She blinked in shock as she got a better look at the stave; the scrollwork around it was even more defined than it had been the last time she looked at it.

When she went to examine it further however, it abruptly snapped up, striking her in the snout. Rainbow fell over laughing at that. Twilight rubbed her snout, glaring at the offending piece of wood. “It’s like that thing doesn’t like me or something,” she said. “I only wanted to see if the scrollwork is acting as a mana channel.” She glared at the laughing pony across from her. “Are you done? It wasn’t that funny,” she grumbled.

Rainbow was finally able to sit back up; however, it took a couple more minutes before she was able to stop giggling. Reaching for the stave with what she assumed was her magic, Rainbow levitated it over to look at it closely. Twilight blinked; the stave wasn’t giving off a levitation glow.

“Huh, it’s got mana channels going all through it, but I don’t get the sense that they were there originally.” Rainbow swung the stave in the air a few times, still not fully aware that she wasn’t levitating it normally. Twilight blinked as Rainbow continued to make passes with what was obviously a weapon. “I get that the stave was made to fight off Wraiths and things, but I think it was also designed to bond to a particular pony.”

Rainbow set the stave down next to her own pack before turning her gaze to the sword. “Huh, it doesn’t look quite the same as I’ve been seeing. But there’s no doubt; I’ve been seeing that sword in that dream.”

Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash in concern. “Dash, how long have you been having this dream exactly?” Rainbow put her right hoof to her chin in thought.

“I don’t know the exact date, but it was at least a few days before we started on this journey.” Rainbow looked up. “Around the time I started to get those wing aches.” She started to pale. “At the time, I thought that that was just because I’d been training to hard.” Reaching into her saddlebags, she pulled out the small chest Bright Knowledge had given her in Mareago. Taking out the book she was currently reading again, she flipped to a point near the attached bookmark ribbon. She quickly read the passage, paling even further. With a low voice, she read the passage out loud.

Among one of the more curious, yet rare abilities that both nascent pegacorns and fully awakened pegacorns acquire is what is referred to as Prophetic Dreaming. Pegacorns who have this ability seldom have control over it, and it manifests differently for each one that do.
There are three confirmed types of this phenomenon. The first kind is where the pegacorn- or alicorn, as the ability has been known to carry over to ascended pegacorns -has a dream of something that has occurred in the recent past. The second is where said pegacorn has Dreams of other Realms tied to this one; this type is confusing since some of the events are vastly different than where they should be. The third one is the rarest, and often has a trigger; Dreams of a potential future.
There are things to note about all three. The first and second one, while confusing, leave an indelible impression in the mind of the pegacorn. However, the last one tends to be different. Like all precognitive abilities, the third one is often blocked; however, this is not due to a psychological reason.
The reason that the third one is often blocked is two-fold. First of all, it has to do with the triggers. In every confirmed case, the pegacorn in question has been Bound to a Legendary Artifact of some kind; the most common of these are the Seeds of Harmony. The second thing is that the source of such visions is often blocked by the Essences of our Realm. The reason for this is believed to be in order to preserve the sanity of the pegacorn in question, as such visions are often Sent out to nascent pegacorns by the Evil that hides in the Darkness of our world to erode their sanity. Often, ascending to the level of an alicorn breaks this last condition; however, there’s no way to confirm this postulation, as the only alicorn confirmed to have this form- one Princess Angela, Guardian of Sanctuary and Protector of the Eternal Library -has refused to comment.
One can postulate that the Essences themselves are somehow involved in all three however, as it has been confirmed that only pegacorns and alicorns that have had ties to the Essences have had this ability. That is why it is rare.

The color in Rainbow Dash’s face paled even further. “Twi, I’m really scared. If I was getting this Dream then, then that means that whatever we’re running towards knows that I’m a pegacorn.” She would have started to shake, had Twilight not decided to hug her at that moment.

“I know Dash, I know. It is scary; I was afraid too when I first realized that this is what’s likely been happening.” She used a wing to lift Rainbow’s head up so she could gaze into her eyes. “But I know you, Rainbow Dash; you’ve never been a mare to let being afraid of something stop you.” Twilight smiled a small smile of pride. “You’ve shown me, time and again, that true courage is doing what needs to be done in spite of being afraid. Only a fool has no fear.” She gave a friendly kiss to Rainbow’s nose, giggling a little at her blush. “Just remember, you don’t have anything to fear from others so long as we’re together.”

Rainbow Dash lowered her head as she continued to enjoy the hug that she and Twilight were sharing. Actually, I’m not afraid for myself Twi; whatever is in that Dream I’ve been having has involved you, and I’ve been too scared to See it clearly.

Though Rainbow Dash wouldn’t remember this until much later, this was the first time she truly heard the voice of Serenity in her heart and mind. <No my child; I’ve kept you from Seeing the full vision because I couldn’t let others See it. When you come near the end of your journey, you will See. Just remember; the one you will fight uses on others what works on him; fear. Believe in yourself child, and you will have nothing to fear from him.>

The two mares held each other for a few minutes more before breaking the hug. Twilight placed the sword, the scroll, and the tome back into her saddlebag as she saw Silent Wing approach. She blushed a bit as she realized that the privacy bubble was still up; she dropped it as the Nocturne mare joined them.

The mare raised her eyebrow, but didn’t comment. “I was hoping you’d be awake; we’ll be breaking camp her in about another hour.” She pointed north. “We’ll reach Three-Point-Ridge three hours after that. Were not likely to pass the ridge; Stampede and his crew have set up an ambush, just as we expected.”

“So then this means that you and your boys are going to be fighting, right?” Twilight asked. The Nocturne nodded, frowning. “Is there any way at all to avoid this fight?” Silent Wing shook her head.

“Princess Twilight, somepony- probably more than one -has paid Stampede to kill you. Yes I know; alicorn and Element of Magic and all that.” She sighed in frustration. “The thing is, you’re without your Element, and you’re pretty much an Unbound alicorn. Those, despite what you’ve been told, can be killed. Oh, not easily, mind; keep in mind however, that things that are rare in Equestria are far more common out here. I know for a fact that Stampede’s Second- I don’t know the mare’s name -is in possession of a Bell of Grogar.” Twilight paled at that. “Ah, I get that you know what that is. Well, don’t worry; I have four unicorns in the Fire Brigade that have Smite Undead memorized. All of them will be held back right until she uses the bell, and will strike her down.”

Rainbow Dash scowled fiercely. “I hope that they succeed; if I get my hooves on that bitch, she’ll wish she had never signed up with that goat,” the pegacorn growled. Silent Wings grinned.

“There it is; the famed pegacorn protective instinct. Don’t let go of that Miss Dash; these assassins might not be able to strike her down with one strike, but there’s more than one way to kill an alicorn.” Silent Wing pulled a sheathed knife out of her pack. Twilight and Rainbow Dash both hissed, mantling their wings at the obsidian-hilted knife. “Well well, I see that you both know what this is.” She pulled the knife out of its sheath.

The black blade of the knife glinted in the early morning light as Silent Wing continued. “I know that knives like this are forbidden in Equestria, and with good reason. You’d be shocked to learn then that this one was found by one of our spies in Mareago. It was one of a case of these same knives that had been sent to one of the Polomare clan in preparation for another attempt. The mare- a cousin of Suri I believe -is now dead of course.” She sheathed the knife and placed it back into her pack. “I’m also sure that you don’t realize that those knives are fairly easy to make; obsidian is only rare because anypony that is stupid enough to write down the formula doesn’t stay in business long.” Twilight nodded in grim satisfaction at that.

“Spells that both Princesses cast a long time ago ensure that. And it’s only if the stone is going to be used to make weapons; obsidian occurs naturally.” Twilight frowned. “What I don’t get is why that was given to you.” Silent Wing smirked.

“Oh, that’s simple really; the same ones that paid Stampede also paid the Fire Brigade. Their agent didn’t survive the meeting of course; I have no use for traitors.” The Nocturne’s smirk grew. “I really love that ponies like that think my boys and I are just a mercenary group. They really shit themselves when they find out that we’ve been loyal to both the Princess of Dreams and the Guardian of Sanctuary since before Princess Luna was sealed away.”

The mare looked at the now risen sun. “I suggest you both get ready; we’re about to break camp. We’ve got a date with a minotaur, and I don’t wanna be late for it.” Silent Wing then walked away, leaving a pair of slightly disturbed mares behind.

“That mare has such a macabré sense of humor,” Rainbow Dash remarked. Twilight just sighed, facehoofing. The two then quickly gathered their belongings before joining the rest of the escorts in breaking camp.

Equus, Three-Point-Ridge, 04-14-05 A.N.M., 11:34 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

As the escort of both House Dash retainers and the three brigades of the Fire Brigade approached the entrance to Three-Point-Ridge, Rainbow Dash stared in disbelief. It was one thing to say intellectually that one hundred and fifty bandits had set up an ambush; quite another to actually see it.

“Are you kidding me?! They haven’t even made any attempt to hide! Are they that overconfident?!” Twilight said in a tone of disbelief. Her own muzzle wore a look of consternation. Sergeant Piercing Blade shrugged.

“Stampede is like this. Even though most of these bandits are ponies themselves, he has a very poor opinion of our race. Most minotaur do.” He gazed at the ridge with a frown on his muzzle. “Actually, that’s less than half,” he muttered. The stallion whistled shrilly; within a short time, a pair of gryphons descended from the formation above the group. “Send word to the brigades following behind us; he’s likely going to try a bracketing maneuver.” The pair of tiercels nodded, flying off to the south.

Piercing Blade then turned to the mare on his right. “Any luck Lettie?” he asked. The mare shook her head.

“Not a bit sarge; they got the whole ridge on lock-down,” Lettuce Leaf said. Twilight frowned at that. Before they could stop her, she tried to cast a scrying spell; with a yelp, her magic was cancelled out after only a couple of seconds.

“What the hay was that?! It’s like somepony shoved a needle into the center of my horn!” The alicorn shook her head. More carefully, she tried a second, more specific spell. Grimacing in pain, she soon dropped it. “A targeted blanket spell. They don’t get that I can break it; I’ll just need a few minutes inside a shield bubble to do so.” Lettuce Leaf shook her head.

“Won’t work ma’am; Stampede’s favored attack when dealing with magic users is to blanket the target area with an anti-shielding aura. They’re not affected; they all have charms that neutralize the effect.”

Rainbow Dash frowned as she cast her own scrying spell. “Ugh, that thing is ugly; it just locks down anything it doesn’t recognize.” She shook her own head to dislodge the buzzing sensation that scrying caused. “It could easily be overpowered, but I don’t think they’ll give us the chance.”

Silent Wings flew down from point, having overheard the conversation. “We’re gonna have a fight, but I know Stampede. He’ll try to negotiate a surrender, in order for the others we got behind us to bracket.” The mare flipped her wings forward; with a snap, a pair of mithril wing-blades slid out. She then flipped her wings to the sides, using the wing muscles to pull the blades back inward.

“Alright boys! Fan out! Brigade One, take point! Brigades Two and Three, form pattern Chevron at 2 and 10!” The stallions and mares of the Fire Brigade all fanned out into their designated spots.

Twilight turned at the distant sounds of fighting from the south. She looked behind them to see where a pair of large groups of bandits were being utterly decimated by the other two brigades. She then turned her head forward, unwilling to take her eyes off the group they were approaching for too long.

Before they were able to get more than one hundred yards from the entrance to the ridge, a force wall sprang up from behind the group, cutting off their rear. A large red skinned minotaur bull came forward haughtily. “Twilight Sparkle, you’re outnumbered 3 to 1! If you surrender, I’ll make your death quick!”

“Not a chance!” Twilight yelled back. “I don’t negotiate with thugs or bandits! So unless you all want to die, I suggest you turn back!” Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw two things. She saw Rainbow Dash pull out the cedar-wood stave, which now glowed with a menacing red hue. The other thing was that she saw shadows blur around Silent Wings as she tapped into the unique shadow skills that all Nocturne possessed.

That was a signal. The brigades to the sides suddenly launched themselves forward, while the one that took point charged the line in front of the ridge.

The sounds of pony bodies hitting other pony bodies rang across the ridge. Twilight shivered at the sound. Attempting to channel mana, Twilight once again winced in pain as the dampening field sapped her ability to use her mana.

Things were about to get worse, however. As soon as there was only a token of guards-ponies around the two mares, a point of concussive force spread outward, blasting them both off and away from the loose turtle formation they had been employing. Simultaneously, a translucent barrier surrounded both Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

The sharp report of a series of teleports sounded as a sextet of ponies Blinked around the two mares. One of the assassins fired a concussive force designed to knock back pegasi; this had the effect of separating the two.

Twilight snarled. Using both her wings and her hooves, she was able to stop four of the other five from landing a hit. However, the last one was able to score her right wing with the obsidian knife she wielded. That was a mistake.

Rainbow Dash saw this, and went berserk. Snarling in rage, she launched her now spinning staff right at the mare, who was unable to duck before her head was severed at the shoulders. Before the other five could do anything else, three of them were bisected into two pieces by blades of pure pegacorn magic.

The fourth and fifth crossed horns in order to conjure a Hel Serpent. Rainbow Dash responded by channeling a blast of Pyreflame at the pair, burning them into crisps.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t done. Before any more assassins could teleport in, she fired off a scintillating bolt of mana directly over Stampede’s head. This created an oscillating effect that was designed to counter the cadré of battle-mages that were channeling the anti-shield and anti-alicorn mana spells.

The mages surrounding the ridge all collapsed as the capillaries under their horns burst from the strain. Rainbow then surrounded herself and Twilight with a White Barrier spell.

Stampede snarled in impotent rage. The bull pointed at the two mares. His Second nodded, trotting forward. The mare’s eyes and horn glowed black as she channeled her mana into the Bell hanging around her neck.

Four simultaneous cries of ‘Smite Undead!’ rang out. Four bright beams of white light slammed into the mare from above her; within moments, all that remained was a burned-out husk.

Stampede lost it. Snarling, he used his trump card. Sickly green-and-purple mana surrounded him as he charged towards where Twilight and Rainbow Dash were standing. Rainbow Dash didn’t bother to look up, as she was channeling her mana to neutralize the wound on Twilight’s wing.

Before he got halfway to them, a dark blur flew past. The bull screeched in pain as he fell down, his legs having been cut off at the knee. He threw something similar to a kunai in the air just before the blur came back, severing his head from his shoulders.

The kunai-like object burst in the air. Within moments, a shrieking wing of gryphons flew from behind the barrier they had been generating with their magic. Rainbow Dash looked up, snarling in rage.

Her eyes glowed red as she launched herself into the center of the wing. Channeling Pyreflame again-- this time in her wings, the pegacorn turned herself into a whirlwind of flame and wind.

Within a few moments, the burned and blackened husks of seventy-five gryphons hit the ground. The air reeked with burned flesh. The rest of the bandits broke ranks and fled. They didn’t get far before concentrated blasts of kinetic force slammed them into the ground.

The carnage was intense. Twilight gagged at the sight of the burned bodies slumped just in front of her. She swallowed as she did her best to hold onto her rebellious stomach.

Rainbow finally landed, still snarling a bit. As Twilight looked at her, the cyan mare lost the red glow in her eyes. She trotted over to examine Twilight’s wound.

Rainbow snorted before going to her packs. She pulled out three packets of Luna’s tea blend. Opening them, she poured them into a bottle of antiseptic from Twilight’s emergency kit. She then spread the poultice over the wound.

Twilight hissed as the poultice burned the shards of twisted obsidian in the wound. Rainbow Dash, worked quickly, using a pair of tweezers to pluck each one out. She then flushed the wound with fresh water before applying more of the poultice.

Rainbow took out a roll of gauze. Levitating her stave over, she touched the silk gauze to it, channeling the Blessing of Gaia that the stave carried into the bandage. She then wrapped Twilight’s wing in the bandage. The alicorn sighed in relief as the residue was soothed away.

Rainbow Dash looked her handiwork over before nodding to herself. She then looked at the battlefield. Her eyes rolled up into her head as she passed out; the last thing she heard was Twilight’s gasp of shock.

Author's Notes:

Rainbow Dash's actions in this chapter illustrate just why you never want to piss off a pegacorn. Those that have had the kind of training that Rainbow has had give little quarter.

I originally had plans to have both major fighting scenes in the same chapter; however, that would have made said chapter too long. So this means that there's going to be another fairly graphic chapter on the way instead of just one.

Writing that whole scene was probably one of the hardest things I've ever wrote. It's really hard to write fighting scenes without them sounding forced. I really hope I managed to pull it off.

The really annoying thing that I had to deal with was the fact that I had to remove unwanted tags from the chapter when I uploaded it from Gdocs. For some reason, DNS Unlocker keeps on finding its way onto my computer, and it's making Gdocs not work right whenever I use Firefox. Thing is, it did the exact same thing when I tried to upload the chapter on Chrome. I really don't know why that ad-ware is cropping up.

Hope you all liked this chapter.

Chapter Nineteen: The Crystal Wastes

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Equus, Three-Point-Ridge, 04-14-05 A.N.M., 4:27 PM (After Nightmare Moon)

The late afternoon sun shined in Rainbow Dash’s eyes as she groggily woke up. She blinked blearily to clear her vision. “Here, Rainbow; drink this,” Twilight said softly, levitating a cup to her lips. Rainbow took a sip of the lightly salted cup of cider, grimacing slightly at the taste. She was soon able to get up, and quickly finished the warm beverage.

She looked to the side and saw where the battle had been fought earlier. A pile of bodies lay burning off to the side. On the trail was a cairn that had a pile of pony and gryphon heads on it. She turned away, turning a bit green at the image.

“I get it’s not pretty, but it does a fair job Miss Dash,” Silent Wing said from behind the pair. She walked up to them, holding a burlap bag in her left wing talon. “This area will be without bandits for awhile at least. Maybe even a year this time.”

Twilight scowled. “Well, if you mounted patrols and built prisons, maybe it would last longer,” she snapped. The Nocturne snorted at that.

“Like I’ve said before Princess, this isn’t Equestria. Jails simply don’t work; those that bandit that don’t get killed trying to escape either kill each other, or kill themselves. Harmony is all well and good, but out in the real world, things are a lot more chaotic than you’re used to.” She bent her gaze on Rainbow. “I sure hope you can remember what happened Miss Dash.” Rainbow nodded.

“I remember all of it.” She frowned. “Pyrefire? Why did I use Pyrefire for Harmony’s sake?! There’s at least half a dozen things I could have done instead.”

Silent Wing shrugged. “Eh, it was probably the worst that your instincts was able to draw on.” Her gaze sharpened. “I suggest you start learning to meditate like that book tells you to though; you came real close to losing yourself there.”

Twilight frowned. “What do you mean exactly? I know that she lost it, but she did break out of it fairly quickly.” The Nocturne shook her head.

“Her passing out like she did is a sign that her conscience conflicted with her feral pegacorn instincts. I spotted elongated canines”- here, the mare bared her own tiny fangs -”just before she passed out.” She snorted. “Where do you think my tribe gets it from? We were the first offshoot from the original pegacorns.”

Rummaging in her pack, Silent Wing pulled out a slim object. Opening it, she showed the two mares the lithograph that was inside. Twilight blinked as she saw what was apparently a pegacorn with tufted ears, slitted pupils, and a pair of fangs.

“That’s my grandmother by the way; she got like that as a result of going completely feral.” The Nocturn sighed. “She’s doing better than she was when this was made, but she still keeps to herself. And she’s one of the lucky ones; most that cross the line lose all sense of self. The Guardian of Sanctuary does what she can for them, but they’re little more than a beast for a long time afterwards.”

Silent Wing gazed more intently at Rainbow Dash as she continued. “That’s likely why Princess Angela asked you both to journey to Sanctuary. She knew that there was a risk you’d lose it; you’re lucky that you were able to recover as quickly as you did.”

Rainbow snorted. “Luck didn’t have anything to do with it. Even if I were to go further, I’m far too Loyal to myself to give up my morals.” She snorted again. “Angela may be an alicorn and all, but she has no clue about me or my friends. We may not have the Elements any more, but that doesn’t make us any less their Bearers. I told her through Swifty already; we’re gonna do this our way, and that means following the path. And Harmony help whoever gets in our way.”

Silent Wing grinned at that. “You’ve certainly proven that to me. I don’t think you’d come this far simply because Celestia told you to. Nor do I think that whatever that sawed-off prick of a stallion put in that book there is enough either. You’re doing this for the pony next to you.” She frowned. “Still, don’t disregard Angela’s offer of assistance so out-of-hoof; she is the next eldest of all the alicorns outside of the First Three and the Guardians of Knowledge.”

Rainbow sighed. “I get that, and believe me, I wanted to accept it. I don’t know how I know, but I know that we”- she gestured towards Twilight -”have to see this through. And we can’t do that by running away.”

“I think the offer was for assistance in training ma’am,” Lettuce Leaf said in response. “I know Miss Swift Breezes personally, and they never intended for you to shirk from your journey. They just wanted to offer you training that would prepare you better.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. Twilight handed her a bowl of vegetable soup. With a will, she tucked into it, as well as the slices of very tasty trail bread. She gestured with her food as she continued. ‘I get that, I really do. I just don’t see why she couldn’t just send aid if she wanted to help. Not by me calling Sanctuary; there’s no coming back from that.”

Lettuce Leaf frowned. “That’s not true at all ma’am; there are many who have claimed it, and returned. Even to Equestria.” Twilight shook her head at that.

“It may be true for other pegacorns; however, Rainbow Dash and I are still tied to both the Tree of Harmony. Calling Sanctuary will trigger that bond, and that something we can’t risk. Celestia would know, and would act.” Twilight looked sternly at the other two mares. “Do you know what that would mean? That would leave Sol in charge of ponies wholly unsuitable for it.”

“You forget yourself and my Sovereign Princess; I’m sure you’d be able to take over,” the Nocturne mare said. Twilight shook her head at that as well.

“No, because they’d call Founder’s Law and Hope’s Law on all four of us; Cadance as well.” Twilight stomped her hoof. “Angela just doesn’t get it; Celestia is not willing for that to happen. Ponies haven’t really fought ponies in over one thousand years! If she does anything that causes the Founder’s Law to be called, we will have civil war.” She gestured wildly to the south-east. “And that would soon involve the minotaur, the gryphons, the centaur, and the dragons. Complete and utter anarchy.”

“Does Angela really think that the only reason I went along with this is because I’m Celestia’s yes-mare? Or because I put as much faith in self-fulfilling prophecies as my mentor does?” Twilight stomped her hoof again. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about prophecy; I’m here because I understand this from a pragmatic perspective. It’s the same reason I became a princess in the first place, as my first desire was to tell Celestia to shove my Crown up her plot! And everything I’ve heard about Angela bears out the fact that she’s just as much of a stubborn tight-plot as my former teacher!”

“Don’t you dare compare Princess Angela to Celestia, girl!” Silent Wing snapped. “She’s been alive since before Roam was even built. She wanted you and Miss Dash to join her to learn, and still does!” She sighed in frustration. “If you call Sanctuary for Knowledge and Understanding, then Hope Herself would aid you. Celestia would know nothing about that, as she and her sister are no longer tied to the tree. Hope severed their tie after they forced the Seeds to Seal Luna away all those years ago.”

Twilight put up her hoof to give a rebuttal, then stopped. “Wait, Hope is the Alicorn of Harmony. That means she’s responsible for the Tree itself.” Lettuce Leaf nodded.

“She gave the Founders the first Seed ma’am. I know that because my family are Lorekeepers; we’ve kept the history of the Equine Alliance ever since the Three Cities were lost, back before Equestria became a nation.”

Twilight looked shocked. “You mean to tell me that the Old Records have been preserved in other places? How? By who?” She started to babble in excitement. “I thought the only records were lost before Luna’s Fall! Can I meet others like you?”

Rainbow Dash put her right forehoof on Twilight’s snout. “Twi. Chill.” The mare subsided, but not without a bit of grumbling.

“But! Knowledge! Think of what we could learn!” She blushed at the giggles the other mares let out. “Oh, I’m sorry! I get so carried away sometimes.” She then sighed. “And I guess I should apologize for comparing Angela to Celestia. It’s just, I’ve briefly met her a few times, and every time she and Celestia have met, it’s ended in an unresolved argument.”

“I probably know what argument that is; Celestia wants Sanctuary to join with Equestria. That’s never gonna happen, and if Sunbutt thinks Angela is bad, she’s nothing compared to the Three Guardians. They have the full authority of the Essences behind them.” Silent Wing snorted. “I know what ponies say; Equestria wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for the Solar Alicorn. Well, they’re right; it would be better off without her. None of what happened with Luna before, and none of what happened more recently would have if the pony that was supposed to rule was actually ruling. Sunbutt isn’t even as smart as she is, nor is raising Sol really her special talent.”

“I’ve gotten enough of that guff that want to see alicorns and pegacorns out of Equestria, and I’ve about had it! I get that Celestia has made mistakes, but how exactly do you get from making mistakes to saying that Equestria would be better if she and her sister weren’t on the throne?!” Twilight took a moment to visibly calm down.

“All of that can be summed up by three words; Prophecies from Utopia.” Silent Wing snorted. “Besides which, I never said that Luna should have stepped down; just Sunbutt.” Twilight paled at that.

“Ma’am , I know you know that the original Charter as signed by all of the tribes had placed Princess Luna as Princess, and her sister as Guardian.” Lettuce Leaf adjusted her spectacles before continuing. “It was the nobles- unicorn primarily -that hated her and wanted a pony they could better manipulate. They found out too late that that wasn’t what they expected.”

Rainbow Dash looked confused. “Is there something I’m missing Twi?”

Twilight sighed. “A lot you’re missing Rainbow Dash, but I can’t say what it is. Look, I’m sorry Rainbow!” She cried when she saw the look of hurt on her friends muzzle. “I literally cannot talk to anypony about that issue that wasn’t present when the geasa was laid, or is an alicorn themselves!” There were tears in her eyes. After a bit, she calmed down.

“All I can say is that I found out by accident, and it was a Council order. Celestia was not pleased when she found out, and said nobles were Exiled; the point is is that she was unable to remove the geasa. All she was able to do was amend it; the geasa will remain until ‘the Light of the Aurora bathe the entirety of Equus.’ It’s an old spell; one that predates Star Swirl.” Twilight looked at her friend beseechingly; Rainbow’s response was to hug her.

Silent Wing blinked. “Huh, didn’t think she would have done that.”

“Shows what you know about Princess Celestia. Geasa are anathema in Equestria; nopony, and I do mean nopony is able to cast one except under very extreme circumstances. It’s right on the top of the List of Forbidden Spells written as part of the Founder’s Laws. The only one who can legally cast one is the Princess.” Rainbow turned back to comforting her friend after saying this.

“Doesn’t change anything; I’ve seen countless examples of Sunbutt breaking every single law on that piece of paper.” Before the Nocturne could say any more, a forest green hoof clonked her upside the head.

“Sil, knock it off already! You know as well as I do that Celestia has only broken the Laws of Equestria once!” Lettuce Leaf turned to the other two. “Please pardon my marefriend; she’s like her father in that she never stopped blaming Princess Celestia for what happened to our Sovereign all those centuries ago.” The mare glared at the unicorn next to her as she rubbed the back of her head.

After a couple more minutes, the two friends broke the hug. Rainbow Dash shook her wings out to remove the last of the kinks from lying on the hard ground beneath her pallet. “I get that nopony that truly lives as you do has anything nice to say about Celestia, but it’s thanks to her that those nobles that are worthless haven’t been able to do much damage.” She looked at the angle of the sun. “Darn, it’s getting too late; we’re gonna have to make this a camp for the night.”

“We planned on it anyway Rainbow Dash. A fight like that takes a lot out of a pony; you need time to restore your reserves. The sergeant already has those under his command marching back to Northhoofton. All that’s here are two brigades of the Fire Brigade.” Twilight glanced at Silent Wing. “As much as I find the idea of a group of mercenaries galling, on yet another level I get what Shiny has always said.” She smirked. “He always said that the best ponies to have around you were ones you pay; as long as the money keeps coming, they’ll remain loyal.”

The others laughed at that before settling down to finish eating.

Equus, Three-Point-Ridge, 04-15-05 A.N.M., 9:24 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

A purple hoof prodded Rainbow Dash in the side. She batted it away. “More sleep please, Ma,” she muttered. The hoof’s owner rolled her eyes and dug into the place right below Rainbow’s left wing, moving in a side to side manner. Rainbow started giggling, batting at the hoof.

The torture continued for a couple of minutes as Silent Wing and Lettuce Leaf watched with great amusement. Rainbow finally rolled onto her back to escape the torture. It didn’t work; Twilight simply pounced onto her, digging into her belly. Rainbow rolled around in laughter. “Alright, I’m up Twi, I’m up! I’m up!” she said between giggles.

Twilight finally got up off her friend. Rainbow threw her a sour look as she brushed grass off her back; the tickle fight had rolled the pair off Rainbow’s sleeping pallet. Twilight smirked. “Maybe next time you’ll wake up when I call you; Sol has been up now for almost two hours. We need to break camp and get going.”

Rainbow sighed in frustration. “The first dreamless sleep I’ve had in awhile, and one of my ‘friends’ decides to tickle me,” she groused. Twilight giggled. “How did you know where to tickle me anyway Twi? Not all pegasi are ticklish there.”

Twilight shrugged. “I took a chance that your changed nature would have made the nerve endings near your wing elbow more sensitive. Mine are like that. As far as the belly and ribs are concerned, I have yet to meet a pony that wasn’t ticklish there except for my brother.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes at the explanation while she rolled up her sleeping pallet. She noticed a second rolled up bundle with Twilight’s saddlebags that wasn’t there before. She looked and saw a second one with her own bags. “Tents?” she asked with a raised brow. The alicorn nodded.

“Piercing Blade sent us word; the weather pegasi try not to steer too many storm clouds this way but a wild one cropped up two days ago. We might not catch anything but the leading edge.” Twilight gathered her bags as she continued. “Plus, the ridge loses heat at night, so we’re going to want these.”

“It might also be a good idea to break in the afternoon and use the tents to keep cool ma’am. It gets hot in the ridge, and while I’m sure pegacorns and alicorns don’t need to worry as much, it’s still best to rest in the day.” Lettuce Leaf handed a rolled up scroll to Rainbow Dash. “The messenger left this for you ma’am; I can assure you that none of us have read it.”

Rainbow opened the scroll and read the contents. She nodded in satisfaction. ‘Well, at least I know that things will improve in Northhoofton. You be sure and give Papa Prism my love Letty, ya hear?” The forest-green unicorn nodded, blushing a bit.

“Well, I’ll go get you a ride back. You joining with your brother again, or you gonna join me and the boys?” Silent Wing asked as she limbered up to find a low-hanging cloud.

“Piercing said that I’m to act as liaison, so I’ll be joining with you.” Lettuce Leaf smiled. “I think it’s his way of letting us stay together Sil.” The Nocturne mare nodded before flying off. She shortly returned with a small cumulus. Without casting an obvious spell, Lettuce Leaf jumped onto the cloud. She saw the questioning look the other two mares cast her way. “My parents were both pegasi, as were all but one of my siblings. She and I both developed cloud-walking, though as an earth pony, Cabbage Leaf developed it far sooner. I was past three before I stopped falling through clouds.”

“Well, we’re off. I hope to meet you again Miss Dash, Princess. Maybe someday the Equestrian Alliance will be reformed.” So saying, Silent Wing pushed the cloud carrying her marefriend into the air. The two were shortly only a dot in the distance.

The two mares looked at each other and shrugged before making their way into the ridge itself. Neither pony saw the pony hidden on the side of the ridge as she too followed them, wings furled and horn glowing.

Equus, Crystal Wastes, 04-22-05 A.N.M., 4:22 PM (After Nightmare Moon)

Rainbow Dash looked around her at the various crystalline formations. While she found them pretty to look at the fact that there was little here other than them and wild grasses was beginning to be depressing.

A slap upside the head with a wing brought her back to the present. “Rainbow, will you at least try to pay attention?” the annoyed purple-furred pony next to her asked irritably, gesturing to the open scroll between the two. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“Twi, you know I don’t do book learning very well,” she said, bored. “Why don’t you use that cloud trick?” She looked up at where Twilight’s hoof was pointing. “Ah, no clouds. Well, that explains it. But Twi, I don’t get why I have to learn EVERY spell you’ve written down there. I mean, they’re all variations of the same spell, aren’t they?”

Twilight frowned. “And that’s why you need to learn them Rainbow Dash! Learning runic- any kind of runic -isn’t the same as all of what I’ve already taught you. And I can’t figure out what you know just by the explanation alone; you have to demonstrate that you actually know what it is you’re casting. I can only do that if you’re able to show me by being able to cast different versions.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes before once more bending her gaze on the scroll. She looked at the spells in question, trying to puzzle out the different words. Not being able to recall the earlier spell she cast was making this hard, which is why she was bored.

Her attention wandering, Rainbow began to look the scroll up and down, realizing that there was a pattern to it. Each set of symbols had a starting slash and ending slash that was familiar. She frowned, thinking furiously. She quickly compared the slashes and strokes to the list of the twenty-six characters that were in the third book she got from Bright Knowledge.

Realizing this, Rainbow was quickly able to see why the spells were different than the one she had first cast. Each one was calling on the same elements, yet the order and level for each was different. That changes the spell each time; not only that, but since these forms are easier than the first one Twi taught me, that makes that one easier to cast. Very clever Twi.

Rainbow focused on the first spell, forming the runic in her mind’s eye. She had learned very quickly that she couldn’t do it the way that Twilight had taught her; rather, she fell back on the visualization technique she used for the various Arcane Wing forms.

A bolt of flaming yellow mana appeared on her horn before flashing into the conjured butterfly. Twilight nodded in satisfaction. “Now, without losing focus on that one, cast the other six.” Rainbow Dash frowned as she changed the mental picture of her mental calligraphy. Six more butterflies joined the first one, all different colors of the rainbow.

Twilight picked the scroll up. “Now, I want you to use what I’ve taught you, and cast the original spell. You’ll know that you’ve done it correctly when you see it.” Rainbow frowned as she tried to recall the original runic that Twilight had showed her. Her mind drawing a blank, she then brought all of the forms she was currently focusing on to the forefront.

Rainbow was quickly able to see how they meshed by comparing the starting and ending sequences, and realized that each one was out of order. She quickly rearranged them, seeing that they formed the exact same spell she had cast several times, with an addition that combined the other forms together. Grinning, she cast the original spell, and watched with satisfaction as the butterflies all joined together into one form.

Twilight’s brow furrowed as she examined the conjured form. She then sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been doing runic conjuring for years; that’s almost virtually identical to my own version of the spell.” She then laid a blank piece of parchment and a quill before Rainbow. “Now, without dismissing your pet there, I want you to write out whatever is on your mental blackboard.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, but did as Twilight asked. Once she was done, Twilight picked the parchment up and compared the runic to what she had written earlier. “Rainbow Dash, are you absolutely sure you didn’t memorize the spell I wrote? I know I told you to practice writing it but you only did that a few times.” She showed the scrolls to Rainbow; both sets of runic were the same.

Rainbow frowned. “Repetition might have helped a bit, but I don’t get anything from that sort of learning.” She separated the form in her mind, then focused on the conjured butterfly. The construct separated into its smaller forms. Twilight blinked in shock. “I’m not using a ‘mental chalkboard’ to write the runic on; that’s too boring. I’m ‘writing’ the runic in a form of calligraphy my sensei taught me when I was learning Arcane Wing.”

“But that’s not how I learned unicorn runic. That’s the way my professor in school taught it to me; it worked for almost the whole class.” Twilight frowned. “Not only that, it takes kinesthesia into account as well.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t take into account that a large percentage of pegasi have something similar to ADD.” Rainbow smirked as she remembered something she was told when she qualified for her rank as a Wonderbolts Reserve Captain. “The reason why they have a test for the ‘Bolts is to discourage those pegasi that are too flighty or full of themselves to follow directions. All that stuff I learned is actually just stupid trivia; you’d be surprised how many ‘Bolts know that stuff.” She put her hoof to her chin in thought. “In fact, I think that both Soarin’ and Fleetfoot are the only ones that know all of that, as they’re both in charge of that part of teaching. Spits doesn’t; she got her commission as Captain from both Celestia and whoever was Captain of the Royal Guard before your brother.”

Twilight blinked in thought. She then frowned before facehoofing. “I’m sorry Rainbow Dash; it never occurred to me that you would still have the difficulty that pegasi have with setting still. That does mean that you’d find it difficult in a classroom setting.”

“Heh, yeah, all but two of the teachers in Flight School used physical means to teach their classes.” She smiled. “Though not all pegasi have that issue; there were three I went to school with that did quite well with book learning, at least as far as getting tests right. And all of them live in Ponyville actually.”

“One of them is Fluttershy, right?” Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash nodded.

“Yep; Flutters didn’t fly very well because she was scared of falling. She was far better in those pursuits that didn’t involve flying. Too bad that most pegasi parents have little use for a ‘pegasus that can’t fly.’” She scowled. “And I’m sure you know why she was so scared; her miserable excuse for a father treated her pretty harshly the first time she fell. If a patrol hadn’t been there that time, she would have been hurt bad.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, Fluttershy told me about that after I questioned why her parents never came to visit. I had found out looking through Ponyville’s census records that Wildflower- her cousin -was down as guardian. She wasn’t happy that I found out, but did decide to tell me what happened.” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “Who are the other two?”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Raindrops and Derpy.” She scowled again. “I really hate that ponies think derpy is stupid. Scatterbrained yes; she has trouble focusing. But she’s a genius.” Twilight nodded at that.

“She and I have actually debated magical theory a few times. I never realized that she went to flight School as well. And Thunderlane had mentioned that Raindrops was just as smart once. I didn’t think about it much at the time.”

Rainbow nodded. She stretched her wings and back out to work out the kinks from sitting still for too long. She looked to see that Twilight was still frowning at the two pieces of parchment that had the runic. “Did I still do something wrong Twi?” she asked, half afraid of the answer. Twilight shook her head.

“No, you did everything right; that’s actually the problem. It took me a week of study and practice to cast that particular spell, and that was the far more simpler forms I taught you a couple of days ago.” She sighed in frustration. “That’s not all; most unicorns take at least a month to get to this level of understanding. You’re showing the same grasp with this sort of thing that Moondancer did, which doesn’t make any sense. The question is, how in Harmony are you going through the curriculum I set so quickly? You’re a novice at how unicorns use magic.”

Rainbow shrugged. “I’m just going by what I’ve already learned.” She blinked at the uncomprehending look Twilight gave her. She frowned before rummaging in her saddlebags. She pulled out a bunch of rolled up scrolls and handed them to Twilight.

Twilight frowned as she read the contents. “This is a simplified version of the runic alphabet. It’s just a listing of the characters though; at least the first one is. These others are different.” She then read, her expression growing more shocked. “Rainbow, where exactly did you find something that gave you the nine forms of Elemental Runic?”

In answer, Rainbow pulled out the chest that Bright Knowledge gave her. Opening it, she levitated the third book over to Twilight. “That’s the primer for peacorn mana I’ve been using. I actually got the suggestion to use calligraphy from that book. The first three chapters are a breakdown on the runic pegacorns use.”

Twilight’s frown returned as she looked at the chapters Rainbow had marked. “I still use the form I was taught, but both Trixie and Moondancer use a version that’s similar to what you have here.” She blinked. “Wait, I remember something Moondancer told me recently. She said that the form of unicorn runic is more over-complicated than it needs to be. She’s right; I can see where the changes were made. It means that’s what’s taught is far more complicated than it needs to be.”

Rainbow nodded. “The first book said that too. I found out that virtually everything that’s tradition for the three tribes is stuff that was first taught to them by pegacorns. Outside of societal shifts, much of that has stayed the same for earth ponies and pegasi. Unicorns made it different though; their early scholars made it more complicated in order to make it seem as though they ‘discovered’ it themselves, and also to hide it from the other tribes.” She scowled. “The book said that much of the tribal hatred was a result of the unicorns, as they saw themselves as better because of their magic.”

“That sounds just like them. I used to think that it was the attitude of the time; now, I think it’s just like you said.” Twilight scowled. “And I think that a pony I once idolized was helping it along out of a sense of ‘tradition.’” Twilight shook her head to change her train of thought. “In any case, this does help to describe some of why you were able to grasp the basics so quickly, but not all of it. By my reckoning, it should have made it for you to take about as long as I did initially.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her friend. “Is that jealousy I’m detecting?” she teased. Twilight glared at her, blushing. Rainbow giggled for a bit before turning serious. “Actually, I was seriously stumped at the start; I couldn’t get what you were showing me at all. And that visualization bit you did was no help.” She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I had the exact same issue when learning the technical aspects of Arcane Wing. It wasn’t until I used the method sensei taught me that I was able to get anywhere. Once I did, I learned in three months what takes most a year to learn. By the end of the six months, he declared me a Master.” Twilight’s jaw dropped at that.

“A year,” she said slowly. “It took you a year to master what takes my brothers’ pegasi recruits at least four years to learn.” She gazed at her friend with a new level of understanding.

Rainbow preened a bit. “Well, I do try.” She sighed. “I’ve had few occasions to use it though, and that’s fortunate. It’s not likely to stay that way for long.” Twilight gave Rainbow a brief hug before turning to break camp. The two shortly had everything packed back up and started on their journey once more.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash had spent the last week following the trail that the scroll Celestia gave her- now revealed to be a map -through the Crystal Wastes. During that time, Twilight had decided to teach Rainbow Dash unicorn based spells.

Outside of kinetic bolts, barriers, and levitation, unicorn magic required knowledge of unicorn runic. Rainbow Dash had initially had a lot of trouble with even the most basic spells. Once she figured out the key though, she progressed rapidly.

While they trotted onwards, Twilight would pull the map out from time to time to mark their progress from landmark to landmark. Looking over her shoulder, Rainbow noticed that the map now showed the Wastes in depth instead of what it had first shown in Trottingham.

To amuse herself, Rainbow cast a flurry of the tiny butterflies Twilight had just taught her. Twilight noticed this and rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s boring out here Twilight. I have to do something, since you won’t let us fly.”

Twilight was about to give a pithy retort when three things happened all at once. A barrier appeared in the ridge around them, while a runic circle appeared underneath them. At the same time, a feedback spell flashed, causing Rainbow Dash to yelp in pain.

A staccato series of teleports sounded out as various creatures surrounded the pair. Twilight snarled and prepared to neutralize the spells. “I wouldn’t do that your highness; you break the circle, your freak friend there will have her horn blown out,” said a voice.

An armored pony appeared on the ridge. Twilight’s anger rose, along with her fear. She had no intention of letting the pony know this fact. “General Storm Front,” she said in an off-hoof manner. “I should have known you’d try something like this. I hope you realize how much danger you’ve put yourself in.”

The unicorn snorted. “Nice try princess, but I know you two are alone here. The Sun Tyrant is too much of a coward to break her own rules, and you were foolish to send the Fire Brigade back. Not that that would have saved your friend there. Besides, I’m not after you; there’s somepony else I want. Once she and the freak next to you are dead, I’ll let you walk away.”

“What makes you think that your target would be willing to along with your plans?” Rainbow snarled in response. She was finally able to filter out some of the field’s effects, though she was still unable to cast any spells. The stallion snorted again.

“Because I’ve spent over one thousand years hunting your kind after my family was killed,” Storm Front replied. “The Sun Tyrant really should have done more than just Exile me. Besides, I know that Bright Knowledge is likely already here. If she and you surrender peaceably, then I’ll make it quick. Though I know that that’s not likely to happen.”

“You are still as full of yourself as you have ever been, aren’t you Father,” said a new voice. A shimmer of a perception barrier fell along the other side of the small ridge that the outlaws had surrounded. Bright Knowledge stepped up to the runic circle on the ground, but didn’t cross it. The stallion stomped his hoof, only to scowl as runes in her fur prevented the second set of runes to be cast.

“Really Father, did you not learn the last time you tried to kill me that that sort of thing would not work?” the mare said in an off-hoof manner. The stallion snorted angrily.

“I am not your father. My wife gave birth to an earth pony filly who died the day you took over her body, freak.” Storm Front’s expression grew even more angry. “And when I tried to deliver justice on those responsible, my family was killed.” He smiled nastily. “At least, this time I’ve ensured that you won’t be able to escape the justice you deserve, you pegacorn freak.”

The mare shook her head. “You have made several mistakes Father, but three are the worst you have ever made. I have no intention of escaping; I am here to do what I said the first time you used others to get to me.” She started to pace. “Plus, I am not alone; others are simply waiting for the signal.”

“And what’s the last mistake, freak?” the stallion asked sarcastically. “Thinking that I’m smarter than you?”

“No, that is the assumption that I am still a pegacorn,” she said as she cast a series of spells.

The first one disrupted the barrier that was around the area. The second caused a Grand Runic circle to appear under the first one, which cancelled both out. The third was an energy burst that fired beams past all defenses. These beams were able to kill all of those that were blanketing the area in a group specific anti-teleport field, including those that were in other areas due to the fact that it was able to phase outside of the dimensional fabric.

A series of teleport signatures sounded as several pegacorns teleported into the center of the ridge.

Storm Front snarled. “Take them!” He screeched, as he launched himself at his daughter. Before he was able to close with her, she teleported in front of him. She turned and bucked the gem in the center of the armor. Her earth pony mana traveled down its length, fragmenting the stasis spells that had been feeding the unicorn the energy he needed to survive.

Snarling, the unicorn began to channel a wave of dark mana. Before he was able to however, a kinetic blade cup his body into thirds.

The gryphon tiercel that had been standing next to him gave a screech, diving into the fray. Before he was able to join in battle, a scintillating beam of light bifurcated him from beak to tail.

A flock of gryphons descended from the previously hidden storm front. However, before they were able to close with the group that was fighting, a flaming being in the shape of an alicorn descended into their midst. Within a few moments, all two hundred gryphons were nothing more than charred husks.

The new alicorn landed next to the others and cast a high level kinetic barrier. Every creature present that wasn’t a pegacorn or alicorn was suddenly unable to move. “Princess,” the alicorn said, addressing the gryphon hen, “I suggest you call off the rest of your late husband’s forces. I seriously doubt you wish to lose what remains of your aerie to his and his late father’s hatred of me.”

The haze of battle clearing from her eyes, Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes as she recognized the hen. “Gilda, what is wrong with you?” she said in disbelief. Twilight’s eyes narrowed as well when she realized that it was indeed Gilda.

The hen flushed in shame. “I’m sorry Dash, but I had little choice.” She turned towards the alicorn. “You must believe me when I say that only those troops under my command will follow me; the rest will likely attack once they realize the prince is dead.”

The alicorn nodded. Gilda shouted a phrase in Gryphon, which caused the reserves to stand down just outside the field.

The alicorn cast bands that bound those still alive, then teleported them out of the ridge. She then walked up to the gryphon hen. She extended a foreleg, and Gilda collapsed into the hug. The alicorn looked at Rainbow. “Miss Rainbow Dash, comfort your friend.”

Rainbow Dash bristled. Before she could refuse however, she saw the broken, vulnerable look that Gilda sent her way. Without any more words being said, she rushed over to show why she was still the Element of Loyalty. After a moment, Twilight joined them as well, comforting the now sobbing hen.

For a few minutes, they all sat that way while the Guardians and Bright Knowledge cleaned up the battle aftermath. Soon, Gilda’s tears abated, though she was still despondent. “I-I’m sorry Dash, I tried to warn you. I just couldn’t! When I found out that you were now one of the kind responsible for Iron Talon’s death, I wanted no part of it. But I had to choose between you and my family! What kind of choice is that?”

Rainbow looked at her foal-hood friend. “Hey, the fact that you didn’t wanna do it shows you care. It also shows that you’re still my friend. I should’ve chased after after you fled from Ponyville that day.” Gilda shook her head at that.

“I wasn’t in the state of mind to listen to you Dash,” she said, siffling. “And after I got back to the aerie, I was forced by my father into a political marriage.” Twilight gasped at that.

“You mean that that kind of barbaristic stuff still happens in the Gryphon Empire?! I thought the Emperor outlawed it!” She said. Gilda gave Twilight a lidded look.

“Mine and my late husband’s are a part of the Rogue Federation; we don’t recognize the authority of the Emperor. That’s because his position isn’t hereditary, like it’s supposed to be.” Gilda sighed as she broke off the hug. “Iron Beak’s father was the last Emperor, but he was elected to that position. The Federation wants to go back to the worst of the old ways; they think that with enough trained warriors, we’d be able to finally take down Equestria.” She snorted. “They’ve completely forgotten about you and your Guardians, Princess Angela.”

The golden-furred alicorn shook her head. “I’m willing to deal with a rogue aerie or two, but not an Empire’s worth. Unless, that is, if the Equestrian High Council was willing to ask for my assistance.” She snorted. “Not like that will ever happen.”

Angela turned at the approach of one of the Guardians. “Princess, the rest of the Guardians are dealing with a roving band of Centaur that are flying Tirek’s colors. We have some help; another band flying Scorpan’s colors are fighting the first band.” She nodded at that.

“Well Princess, with that and all the other groups between here and the center of the Wastes, you and Miss Dash aren’t going to be able to get through without the aid of my Guardians. If you still insist on this farce of following the trail left for you, then I respectfully suggest you take Bright Knowledge up on her offer of Protection.”

“It is not a farce Angela; though his hubris is the source of many of the problems, I am guiding these two to where they need to go. They are already off the trail he originally intended, as they were supposed to head into the entrance of Tartarus they passed by.” Rainbow Dash shook her head as she finished speaking. “What the hay?! I am not some ‘Mouthpiece of the Essences here!”

Angela chuckled. “Well, She seems to think so.” She then looked at Twilight, who was examining the tome Celestia gave her with a severe frown. “Is there a problem Princess?”

“Now I understand why this passage was blotted out. When I went to read it three days ago, I noticed a glow suffusing it.” She pointed at the passage. “This wasn’t here before; it was as if Light itself hid the knowledge.”

Angela nodded. “Serenity is guiding the both of you. It makes sense really; that passage is not something that Serenity would be willing for you to follow.”

Twilight frowned. “Well, the passage said that ‘the alicorn of friendship shall find the Wand of Knowledge in the Prison that guards the Gates of Hel. She and her friend would then follow the Trail of the Past, to find the place that the Wand shall be used to Seal the Aurora from the influence of the Dark One once more.’ I get that Sealing the Aurora isn’t great and all, but if it keeps the Dark One from getting to it, then that’s the best we can do.”

Rainbow Dash hissed, her pupils turning to slits. With a visible effort, she controlled her temper before responding. “Twilight, I don’t know about you, but if I were to get ahold of that so-called ‘Wand of Knowledge’, I’d break it to Break the Seal further.” She pointed off in the direction of the distant Crystal Empire. “Sealing off the Aurora in the first place is what caused the Crystal Empire to be Sealed in the first place!”

“There’s also a strong chance that you wouldn’t have been able to get the Wand anyway, as Hope herself is Guarding it. Had you tried, she would have burned it with the Power of Harmony.” Angela smiled at the look of shock on Twilight’s muzzle.

“But why? I get that he was stubborn and all, but Star Swirl was only doing the best he could! He wasn’t able to find a way to destroy a force of evil like the Dark One, so he did what he could.” Twilight scratched her head in confusion. “Why would hope actively stop his efforts?”

Angela sighed. “Twilight, I knew Star Swirl. I was never close to him because I saw right through him. He was a traditionalist who believed in the Balance between Good and Evil. He was unwilling- not unable, but unwilling -to destroy the Dark One. However, the Essences have long fought to end His evil; it is unnecessary, and not a part of the Grand Design. Star Swirl found out some of His history, and decided that it was better to Seal Him away rather than give Him another chance to escape.”

Angela gazed at the late afternoon sky. “Well, if you insist in following the rest of his path, we should get going. That is, unless you don’t want my help.” Twilight shook her head at that.

“It’s not up to me; I could defend myself easily.” The alicorn turned to her friend.

Rainbow Dash snorted. “What, you think I’m like AJ?” she snarked. “I at least know how to take help when it’s offered.” The others laughed as they all made their way towards the center of the Crystal Wastes.

Equus, Crystal Wastes, 05-06-05 A.N.M., 10:30 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

Twilight stared in surprise at the entrance to the cave that stood before the group. “There’s no logical reason to explain it, “ she said. “I scanned repeatedly; no dimensional anomalies, no evidence of time distortion, no phasing. Nothing like this should be here. But it is, and now all those spells are going off. This doesn’t make sense!”

Angela chuckled. “Yes, I’m sure this wouldn’t. But that’s simply the nature of this place.” Twilight glared at the much larger alicorn.

“Care to explain?” she asked in irritation. Angela shook her head, wearing an enigmatic smile.

“It’s the nature of this place to tell its own story,” the alicorn said. Twilight rolled her eyes at that; Angela was even worse in the ‘cryptic mentor figure’ department than Celestia was.

For the last two weeks, Angela and her Guardians had escorted Twilight and Rainbow Dash on this part of their journey. Much to Twilight’s annoyance, Rainbow had spent the majority of her time talking to either Angela or one of the Guardians. When asked, Rainbow didn’t give any answer other than, “they’re fun to talk to and learn from.”

Twilight had her frustrations only partially mollified when Angela explained. “She is learning how to be a pegacorn from others who were either born that way, or morphed years ago. Don’t be jealous that we have things to teach that you can’t; it’s unbecoming of you.” She then smiled. “Besides, you’ve already done most of the hard work in teaching her how to fight with magic. That doesn’t come naturally to pegacorns, I assure you. Even those of us born that way have problems with it.”

Twilight’s frustration was alleviated further when Angela offered to teach her a few spells. She was instantly reminded of the earliest lessons that Celestia had given her. Both Angela and Celestia had the same manner of teaching; cryptic.

That’s not to say that she didn’t learn anything. Twilight learned plenty. She just found that method of teaching to be infuriating.

Twilight broke her attention from the cave entrance that made no sense, and towards the tome that had guided them so far. “This makes no sense at all; none of what’s been described here is what has happened. I don’t get it; this guide has been spot on since before the start; why is it now failing?”

“I dunno Twi; maybe Star Swirl was Seeing things wrong or something,” Rainbow Dash said in response. “He was a pony just like everypony else, and made more than his fair share of mistakes.”

Twilight looked at her friend. “I get that Rainbow, but that doesn’t make any sense; those that have the Gift of Sight don’t make mistakes.”

“Ah, but that only applies to those that come by the Gift naturally. Those such as Star Swirl who have learned the Gift of Sight are subject to false leads and even sabotage. Star Swirl wasn’t as bad as others I could name, but he did have one major weakness. If something he was Seeing wasn’t something he was willing to accept, then he would draw a blank.” Angela frowned. “I have tried to get Celestia to see why she shouldn’t trust what the Priests of Chronos had foretold. I’ve told her, time and again, that those Priests had been compromised by the Dark One, but she’s not willing to accept that fact.”

“Well, it’s nice that you’re all debating the actions of a pony that’s been dead for millennia, but don’t we have somewhere we should be going?” Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight nodded.

“I just need to write a quick report to Celestia, and then we’ll go.” Twilight turned her gaze to Angela. “Do you still wish for me to keep word of your aid from her?” The golden-maned alicorn shrugged.

Twilight pulled a piece of parchment out and began to write, only to blink as it came out in a shifting code. Frowning, she cast a disruption matrix on a fresh sheet, then wrote the update. However, when she went to give the report, the Pyrelight spell just burned the scroll instead.

Frustrated, Twilight then repeated her report before trying the dragon flame in her torc. The same thing happened. “What the hay?! I can’t send the report back!” She then spent several minutes examining the matrix bound into the tome itself. “Well, that’s no good. It’ll take ten years of solid work just to get all the information out of the tome while disenchanting it. I could work around it, but that requires burning the map and tome before we’d be able to get whatever’s written. Unless I get somepony else to write it.”

She handed a piece of parchment and a quill to Rainbow Dash. Rolling her eyes, Rainbow bent to write the report. However, when she went to do so, the parchment flame flashed when she touched it with the scroll. Twilight stomped her hoof.

“He’s worked a ‘party blocker’ into it as well, and it’s woven right into the fabric of the other spells! There’s literally no way for us to send messages out!” Fuming, Twilight opened the tome to the last entry, the one that was just before they had entered the wastes. She blinked in shock.

“There’s nothing there! No words of any kind! The rest of the tome is blank!” Realizing something, she flipped to the first passages. “All the prophecies leading up to this point have been replaced with what Rainbow and I have done since we got this tome! Why would he do that?”

Angela smiled in satisfaction. “I was certain that he had worked something into it so that your journey could be recorded without alerting the Two Sisters. For his own reasons, Star Swirl never fully trusted either of them.” She nodded at Rainbow’s scowl. “I’m sure you figured out why Miss Dash.”

“Let me guess; he was traditionalist enough to believe that such matters were best left to unicorns, am I right?” she said with a snarl in her voice. Angela’s smile grew as she nodded.

“As I’ve said before, I knew Star Swirl well. He was a hard stallion to know in many ways. Oh, he was well liked, and did make a few friends. However, he didn’t put as much faith in the Magic of Harmony that others- including his chief pupil -did.” She frowned. “That, by the way, is one of the major reasons why Clover and him grew estranged with each other after Equestria finally became a nation.”

Twilight sighed. “Well, there’s no help for it I guess. At least we have a record now, though there’s going to be questions that will need to be addressed.” She turned and bowed to Angela. In surprise, she saw that Rainbow Dash bowed as well.

Angela solemnly returned the bow. “Let Gaia and Serenity guide your steps young ones,” she said before she flew away, the other Guardians following her.

Twilight gazed at her friend. “Well, you ready Dash?” she asked.

“Yep; let’s go,” the cyan pegacorn said. The two then made their way into the cave to continue on their adventure.

Little did they realize that said adventure was reaching a climax that had already been seen.

Chapter Twenty: The Caves of Memory

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Equus, Caves of Memory, 05-06-05 A.N.M., 10:44 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash gazed in open wonder as they passed into the cavern entrance. Almost immediately, Twilight noticed that the cave walls had a glow to them. Looking closer, she saw stylized hieroglyphs that glowed faintly.

Twilight frowned. “All of this has the look of some kind of runic; trouble is, I don’t recognize it.” Her frown deepened. “It’s not Pre-Classical, or even Post-Unification. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it even predates the Three Kingdoms, though without any samples to compare, I can’t be certain.”

Rainbow looked at the writing, blinking in surprise. “It’s all names Twi. A genealogical record of some kind.” She stopped to trace one of the hieroglyphs. “See how this one branches down from all of the others? These are names of pegacorns that have come before; what family and tribe they were.”

Rainbow traced one of the larger lines. She blinked in shock as her hoof stopped at a pair of hieroglyphs near the bottom. “I can’t explain it Twi, but this tree right here is your family line. Your family IS descended from Clover the Clever; she’s actually your grandmother seven generations removed.” Rainbow traced several hieroglyphs that had the same starting and ending symbols. “See, here’s her name.” Rainbow’s brow furrowed. “But this doesn’t make any sense; why would her name have the same bracketing symbols as this one?” She pointed to one further up the wall.

Twilight frowned as she studied the symbols. “I can’t make heads or tails of what you’re saying Rainbow. It just looks like runic to me. Rather simplified runic, but nothing special. This might be something to do with your pegacorn nature.” Rainbow shook her head at that.

“Twilight, this has nothing to do with me being a pegacorn. I’m able to read this because I know what to look for. You would too if you’d just stop going on what those stiff teachers back in school taught you,” Rainbow Dash said, a snap in her tone. Rummaging in her pack for a moment, she pulled out a pair of scrolls. “Here; this scroll contains the runic I got out of those books. And this one is the version you were likely taught.” She floated the over to Twilight. “Take a look and see what I’m talking about. If I’m getting this, then an egghead like you should have an easier time.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as she rolled the scrolls open. Frowning, she saw that the two scrolls had more than just the symbols for each character; there was also a list of all the case and tense symbols used.

Twilight quickly saw what Rainbow Dash was trying to say. As before, the runic Rainbow had found in that book was a simplified version of what she herself had been taught in school. Twilight realized that the reason why she couldn’t read the hieroglyphic writing was because she was looking for symbols that weren’t there.

Working from the first scroll, Twilight started to read the runic on the cave wall. She was very quickly able to pick up on it, as it was far easier to match symbols than the form she was used to. Tracing down the list, she saw the runes that represented her, her brother, and her parents. She traced them back up the line to other lines.

Twilight blinked at two different names. Tracing further, she gasped when she realized the implications. “I never truly believed the rumors, but I have a pair of ancestors that are related to Celestia. If what is written here is historically accurate, then that particular rumor is true.” She gazed at the cavern wall. “But what does it mean? What’s so special about this cavern that it would have a record like this?”

Rainbow shrugged. “I dunno Twi. Keep those,” she said as Twilight levitated the scrolls back to her. “I can write that up easy; that runic is like second nature to me now.”

Twilight nodded as she put the scrolls into her own bags. She frowned thoughtfully. “I wonder why that is? Runic does help unicorns cast more complex spells, but it does have its limits.” Rainbow shrugged.

“Angela said that because of our nature, runic helps us to stabilize our mana better.” She conjured the butterflies again as the continued walking. “As much as I make this sort of thing look easy, control of our magic doesn’t come naturally to pegacorns.”

Twilight nodded. “Cadance said the same thing to me.” She frowned thoughtfully. “I wonder if there’s a way for that to change.” Rainbow smirked. Twilight frowned at the expression. “What’s so amusing Rainbow Dash?”

“Oh, just that the way to fix that is pretty obvious once you sit down and think about it.” She gestured at the flock of conjured butterflies. “This is a unicorn spell; if I wanted to cast this in the same manner as a unicorn does, I’d need to shape a portion of my pegacorn mana into unicorn mana to do so. But, once that starts, the only way to end the process is to balance the unicorn mana with earth pony and pegasi mana to.” Her smirk grew. “In other words, to cast magic as a unicorn does, a pegacorn has to ascend.”

Twilight frowned as the pair passed under an archway of stone. She blinked, thinking for a moment that Sol had just set. She shook her head to get it back into the halted conversation. “That doesn’t make any sense; I’ve felt your mana change. While it is a lot more wild than my own, I can tell that it’s quite similar. Unless you’re flying; in which case it’s the same as it always was.” Rainbow nodded at that, grinning.

“Yep. When I fly, I shape my mana just like I always did when I was still a pegasus. At that point, it is pegasi mana. I’m just far more aware of it now than I used to be; that’s all thanks to your training Twi.” Twilight blushed at the compliment.

To distract herself, she gazed at the runic on the walls. “Is this more of the same as before Rainbow?” she asked. Rainbow shook her head after glancing at it.

“All of this is just a list of who did what. It reads like a ledger actually.” Twilight giggled at Rainbow as she wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t think this has any bearing on what was written before, except that the names at the top of each tree show that what was done had a larger impact than just planting crops or building cloud houses.”

Twilight frowned. “What about building towers? Because I know that some of those listed were unicorns.” Rainbow snorted again.

“Twi, do you know anything at all about history? Pre-Classical unicorns didn’t do anything; they considered the movement of Sol and Lune to be their only duties, and being in charge their rights. Oh sure, they designed towers and such, and the carvings were all likely theirs; but for all intents and purposes, the actual towers were built by earth pony stone-masons. I have no interest in any history other than pegacorn, and even I know that much.”

Twilight frowned. “That’s an oversimplification; there were unicorn stonemasons that lived during the Pre-Classical era.” Her frown deepened as she thought about her more recent historical studies. “Granted, most of them- well, almost all -were artists of some kind…” she trailed off, sighing. “You’re right Rainbow Dash; it’s even known that eighty percent of the current Canterlot skyline was built by earth ponies for the unicorns. It was the chief seat of power for Unicornia. But you made it sound as if it was all slave work.” Rainbow shook her head.

“Not all I don’t think; the unicorn nobles wouldn’t be willing to trust their most secure locations to be built by ponies that had reason to hate them.” Rainbow stopped suddenly, pointing at a particularly longer list. “Actually, that’s a list of structures that had been built by earth ponies in the Pre-Classical Era. Going by the date stamp on top, this was a couple of hundred years after Equis was founded.”

Twilight gazed at the hieroglyph, shaking her head. “Okay, something really strange is up with this cave. Granted, I understand that there should be a record of what had come before, but some of what’s here is far too new to have been recorded when the older stuff was.” She sighed in frustration. “I also can’t sense if it’s the cave doing it; for some reason, those spells are being blocked.” The two ponies started walking again.

As they continued to walk forward, something that Rainbow had said finally registered. "Rainbow Dash, if Clover the Clever is an ancestor of my family, then whatever this is wrong; seven generations is too small." Rainbow nodded, grinning.

"I wondered when you'd catch that actually. I should have said pegacorn generation; one of those is a quarter of a millenium." Twilight blinked at that, then shook her head, deciding to just deal with that bit of information later.

For the next few minutes, Twilight and Rainbow gazed at the lists on the walls, Before too long, they came to another stone archway. Twilight blinked as she felt Lune rise, but didn’t say anything, thinking her senses were off.

The purple alicorn blinked in surprise; instead of more runic, there were now pictures on the walls. She was able to tell without much effort just what it was she was seeing. “This is all history! It’s the history of events of things on all of Equus that has been influenced by pegacorns!” She pointed to the first pictograph. “Those are proto-equines; the only things we have left of that culture are desiccated skeletons and a few mummies.” She pointed at another. “Those are Anubi; the ancestors of the canid races.”

Twilight continued to examine the pictographs in detail. While many of the images were peaceful in nature, there were more than a few that showed far more violent scenes. One in particular stood out; a conflagration with a giant dark-winged form in the forefront that was under attack by three alicorns.

Twilight shuddered. “I’m not sure I like the darker ones, but if this is some kind of magically-generated record of past events, then it makes sense for them to be recorded as well.” Rainbow nodded at that.

The two soon came to a cavern that was wider and shorter than the others. Interspaced between yet more pictographs were alcoves that contained statuettes. Twilight walked over to one, trying to puzzle out the inscription underneath. “I can’t read this runic as quickly as you can Rainbow Dash,” she said in irritation. Rainbow just shook her head.

“That’s because you’re still looking for the start cases; this runic doesn’t have them,” Rainbow said. Twilight huffed.

“Rainbow Dash, all runic has start cases; how in the hay are you supposed to tell one word or word set from another?” She stomped a hoof in emphasis. “I get that this is a style I’m unfamiliar with, but it should follow the same rules that are taught for all runic.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes as she joined Twilight next to the statuette that she was examining. “Twi, I already showed you the differences between the two; what’s got you stumped this time?” She read the inscription underneath the artifact. Abruptly, the polychromatic pegacorn facehoofed. She gazed at her friend sheepishly. “I forgot to add a few symbols.”

Pulling out a piece of parchment and a filled quill, she quickly sketched a few symbols. “The characters should read the same, but these are the bracketing symbols used to separate each set. I put under each what they stand for.”

Twilight took the scroll and quickly read the symbols. “Hmm, they look similar to the case symbols I’m used to reading. One for objects, one for elements, one for a proper noun, one for verbs..” she trailed off, frowning. “Rainbow, what’s the first one? It’s an alteration of the first one on the main list.”

Rainbow nodded. “It basically means ‘ascend’ or ‘apotheosis’. The book says that it’s used interchangeably when a subject is either a pegacorn or alicorn. It’s even used for those pony tribes whose ascension differs from the three main tribes.” She scratched her head. “That’s why I was confused a little bit ago; it doesn’t make sense that Clover the Clever would have those symbols bracketing her name.” She yipped. “Oh, that reminds me! The runic I’ve learned from that book has those symbols at the start and end of each set, just like how the spell runic you taught me does when manipulating energy forms.”

Twilight nodded absently as she used what Rainbow had written to decode the runic under the statuette. She gasped as she read the name again, looking closer at the statue. “This is Lord High Hoof! He’s supposed to be legend; there’s never been any confirmation of any of his discoveries!”

Rainbow looked at the statuette with terse satisfaction. “Huh, well, he must have been real then. Granted, I already knew that; he’s part of House Dash. A branch House.” Rainbow scowled. “The only reason why none of his discoveries were credited to him is because he was born just before the end of the Pre-Classical Era. It didn’t help none that he married one of Hurricane’s daughters, becoming a branch of my House.”

Twilight frowned. “Rainbow Dash, I know that a lot of bad stuff was done by Pre-Classical unicorns, but that doesn’t mean anything in this case. A lot of his discoveries were found out much later than he claimed; there’s been no real confirmation.” Rainbow Dash just snorted.

“Twi, my grandfather has three of his journals that give detailed descriptions of what he found.” She waved her hoof in the direction of Rainbow Falls. “I know for a fact that he gives a description of a little known pool at the Rainbow Falls that isn’t on any map. I’ve been there several times, following the precise trail he left.” She stomped her hoof. “Every single time a pegasi or earth pony made a discovery up to a couple of hundred years Post-Classical, the unicorn historians would shoot it down or deny it. No grand conspiracy; just horn head nobles wanting all of the glory for themselves. You should know that better than I do.”

Twilight scowled at her friend. The two glared at each other before Twilight broke eye contact, sighing. “I shouldn’t swipe at you Rainbow Dash. I just don’t like finding out that what I was taught in school by ponies that had every reason to be right and no reason to lie are in fact wrong.”

The two broke off the conversation after that. They spent some time examining all of the different statuettes for awhile. After a few minutes had passed, Rainbow sat on her haunches and pulled out a pair of trail bars and two bottles of water. She gave one of each to Twilight.

The two decided to take a short break. As before, Twilight and Rainbow Dash both thought that taking their time was preferable than rushing ahead. So they decided to rest for an hour or so.

Twilight used the time to study the scrolls that Rainbow had given her, familiarizing herself with the new runic. To her surprise, she was grasping the fundamentals more quickly than normal. Rainbow Dash used the time to practice her conjuring, becoming more acquainted with the practical side of runic.

Twilight blinked as her time sense went off. “Well Rainbow Dash, we’ve had our first break. Let’s move on; I’d like to see what’s at the end of these caverns.” Rainbow nodded, and the two made their way deeper into the cave.

For the next few hours, the two ponies passed under numerous archways, encountering more statuettes interspersed with the more common pictographs. As they walked, the two discussed how what was recorded here differed from the history that they had both been taught in school

Rainbow Dash was surprised at herself. She had slept through a lot of her history classes, yet she seemed to be able to recall so much of what Twilight could. Twilight smiled at that; she knew that it was due to some of the more recent books she’d been reading that was furthering Rainbow’s understanding of history.

Twilight blinked as they passed under yet another archway that led into an even larger cavern. This time there were no pictographs on the walls, or statues in alcoves along them.

Instead, there were many far larger statues on pedestals scattered all around the cavern, leading up to an archway that opened up to a set of finished stone steps. Twilight and Rainbow Dash gazed at the statues; each and every one depicted a pony with both wings and horn.

Twilight was able to read the runic plaques under each of the statues with little difficulty. One of them caught her eye; it was virtually identical to the statue of Clover the Clever that was in the gardens of Canterlot Castle. The only differences were the fact that it was both larger, and had wings.

Rainbow nodded as she too examined the same statue. “This confirms it; Clover the Clever is an alicorn.” She waved a hoof at the path they traveled through the caves. “I saw her name listed a few times, always with the ‘ascent’ symbol bracketing it.” She read the inscription underneath it. “Huh, that’s new; first time I’ve seen both the ‘ascent’ and ‘ascended’ symbols to describe the same pony.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m willing to believe many things, but there’s no way that both Luna and Celestia wouldn’t have known that Clover was a pegacorn. I mean, her body was never discovered; she simply walked off into the Everfree one day. That’s the day marked as her death. Besides, even though she was the picture of health, records show that her mane had grayed out.” Twilight frowned pensively. “Then again, this is Clover the Clever we’re talking about here; she would have had the skills needed to hide her nature. But why would she?”

Rainbow stroked her chin as she considered her answer. “Well, House Sparkle was a minor House until after her death. I think that had something to do with it.” Twilight shook her head.

“No, I need more than those three things before I’m willing to accept that Clover the Clever was a pegacorn in disguise. A spell that only a pegacorn or alicorn could perform would be enough…” she trailed off. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a far different scroll; this one was embossed on the edges. The ribbon was also embroidered with gold. Twilight unrolled it and read its contents, her muzzle wearing a deep frown as she did so. She quickly rolled the scroll up, snorting.

“Well, not only is it apparent that Clover is an alicorn, but that ‘Star Swirl’s last unfinished masterpiece’ wasn’t even his. That spell not only takes the Elements to perform, but also works with the nature of the ponies who wield them. A balanced number of all three tribes; only an alicorn or pegacorn has any hope of casting such a spell successfully.” She paled at the implications. “If I hadn’t been a nascent; I would have done more than swap marks; you and the other girls could have had your internal wellsprings swapped as well.” Her eyes flashed as she stomped her hooves. “Celestia and I are going to have words if she ever tries another pile of horseapples like that again! I’ll see to it that she faces an Inquisition for her Throne and right to live in Equestria!”

Rainbow saw that Twilight’s coat darkened briefly, though this time it barely registered past her own anger. “Though I agree with you, we can’t do anything about what has already happened. Anyway, let’s just look at the others.” She gestured over to the center. “Those ones seem just as interesting.”

Twilight nodded, tearing her gaze from the statue of Clover. She and Rainbow Dash trotted over to where a set of statues were close to the center of a plaque that stood dead center of the cave. Twilight blinked at the statues surrounding it; there were only four.

Twilight gazed in stunned disbelief at a life-like representation of herself. Underneath her statue was a plaque that was different than the others. “‘Princess Twilight Sparkle, Ascendant of Magic, Guardian of Shadow, and Princess of Friendship.’ I wasn’t expecting anything like this.”

Rainbow Dash was gazing at one of the other three. Unlike all of the others present, this was one of the two that seemed somehow unfinished. “‘Ascendant of Light, Guardian of the Paths, Prince/ss of the Aurora.’ Huh, that seems like a mouthful. I wonder who this is supposed to be.”

Twilight glanced at the statue. “I don’t know Rainbow Dash, but it’s not the only one like it. I’m more interested in this one though. ‘Princess Nightingale, Guardian of the Kingdom of Exiles, Ascendant of the Triad.’ I’ve read that phrase here a few times; I wonder what it means?”

“That’s Pre-Classical for the three Elemental Forces that make up the fabric of our world; Light, Darkness, and Shadow. These four alicorns represent each one, with one representing all three.” Rainbow walked over to the plaque in the center. “Um, Twi, I think you’d better come here and read this,” she said. “It’s pretty important.”

Twilight walked over to where Rainbow was standing. Her eyebrows rose as she read what was written out loud; by now, she was able to translate the runic almost as well as Rainbow Dash. “Let these Caves of Memory stand as a place to preserve the history of those Sworn to Protect. The Blessings of Chronos and Serenity be upon this place; Guarded by They of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding.”

The purple mare abruptly sat down. “This is the Caves of Memory,” she said faintly. “That explains why Star Swirl went to great lengths to secure the trail.” She pulled the tome out of her bags. “We weren’t meant to come this way; both Chronos and Serenity guided us here in order to show us this. The question is, why?”

Rainbow pointed at the archway that led to the stairs. “Maybe the answer is there Twi.” Twilight nodded.

The purple alicorn pulled an ornate hourglass from her bags. She yelped as she looked at the beads around it. “We’ve been in this cave for more than a few hours Rainbow; every time we passed an arch, we crossed a day. Fourteen archways equals fourteen days.”

Rainbow’s mouth gaped at that. “What, did we just skip over two weeks?!” Twilight nodded.

“Over that, once we pass that last archway there. There’s a very good reason though; there’s a real heavy storm front that passes over the Wastes; we would have walked right into it had we gone the way we were supposed to.” Twilight sighed as she put the hourglass away.

“Well, I think we’re about to reach wherever we were supposed to go Rainbow Dash. You ready?” Twilight asked her friend. Rainbow nodded.

“Let’s go Twi; we shouldn’t keep Fate waiting.”

Author's Notes:

Here it is; the penultimate chapter to a fic that I started over a year ago.

I'm sorry that there wasn't much action, and that this turned into a big expo piece. Unfortunately, there wasn't any way to do this without making this go from one chapter into several. Everything here will have tie-ins to other fics down the line, as well as a bit of foreshadowing.

As far as Clover is concerned, making her a pegacorn/alicorn was always in the back of my mind. It wasn't until after I started writing this chapter that I decided to go that route.

A fair warning; the next chapter will be long. Also, there will be no epilogue, as the events of LRSF segue right into Chapter Three of PSDAL.

See you next chapter; I hope to have it done by the weekend.

Edit: December 24th, 2018: Made an edit to fix a continuity issue. Seven generations is far too short of a time if you go by standard generation measurements. ~~Hence, one pegacorn generation is averaged at a quarter century.~~ Edit: August 9th, 2019: Having looked at that issue further, one quarter century is still too small, as that's only twenty-five years instead of twenty. One pegacorn generation is the same as twelve-and-one-half of an average generation. An average generation for ponies is about the same as it is for humans, around twenty years.

Chapter Twenty-One: Faded Shadows

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Equus, Everfest Ascent, 05-21-05 A.N.M., 3:27 PM (After Nightmare Moon)

Twilight and Rainbow Dash had spent the last few minutes climbing the stairs that were on the other side of the last arch. Both had done so in silence, each mare consumed by their own thoughts.

Twilight was going over everything she’d learned over the journey. Everything was somehow connected, and yet it didn’t make a bit of sense. Everything that had happened up to Northhoofton had the feel of a path that had been plotted, and yet they had somehow disrupted it by delaying as long as they did in both Trottingham and Mareago.

Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, wasn’t looking for any connections. She already had figured out how the things were linked; they were supposed to do more than they had. They were supposed to follow through, find the connections of each to the Dark One, and seal them away. This whole trip had been nothing more than a witch-hunt; a way for Star Swirl to posthumously Re-Seal the Dark One.

Of far more importance to Rainbow was the deep feelings that she had for the purple mare next to her. While she had always loved Twilight as a friend, Rainbow now knew that that love was far deeper and stronger than any she had with any other pony.

Rainbow was torn; now was the worst time for her to be considering opening her heart in such a vulnerable way. Yet that inner voice that had been guiding her the whole time was leaning towards just that. Somehow, she knew that such feelings were the greatest weapon against the forces of the Dark One.

A light at the top of the stairs grew closer as the two mares reached the end of the staircase. At the top was another opening. The pair walked to it, noticing as they did so that there were four statues on either side of the cave entrance.

Twilight stopped at the first one on her left and began to read the runic. By now, it was like a second language for her, just as it was for Rainbow Dash. “For those that have come to this path with the Wand of Wisdom, place the Unbound Sword of Light upon the altar and intone the Words of Power inscribed.” Twilight snorted. “Well, we don’t have the Wand.” She blinked as she Felt a distant yet strong pulse of Harmony. “In fact, I don’t think the Wand exists any more.”

A fracture went down the tablet she just read, causing the statue to fall to pieces. Before she could turn to the next one, it too fractured into pieces. Rainbow Dash looked at the other two, noticing that there were no words, runic or otherwise inscribed upon them.

Instead, both had a pictograph. The one on the right showed an alicorn with a stylized star underneath, holding a sword before an altar. The other showed a similar image; however, this one differed in that the sword had been thrust into the chest of a cloaked unicorn with a curved horn.

“You know what? I don’t trust either one of these; they’re not a memory of what has happened, and have no place anywhere near the Caves of memory.” As she finished speaking, both statues fractured in the same manner as the others. She snorted. “If Star Swirl meant to get us to do something, he pretty much failed in getting it past the Caves.” Twilight shrugged.

“He was just as equine as any other pony. In any case, it’s pointless to waste more time here; if I know Star Swirl, he would have had another back-up not connected to the Caves.” Rainbow Dash nodded, and the two made their way out of the cave to the trail that was before it.

The trail wound around the side of a mountain. Though a storm raged around it, there was no wind. The two ponies started to climb the trail, knowing that they were about to reach the end of a quest that was looking more and more like a wild goose chase.

About an hour later, Twilight and Rainbow Dash came to the end of the trail, finding themselves at the beginning of a verdant plateau. Along the right side was a copse of trees surrounding a small pool. On the left was an ornate altar fashioned in the manner of Pre-Classical architecture.

Before the two mares was yet another statue. This one was of Star Swirl, and contained yet another prophecy. Oddly, it wasn’t in runic; rather, it was Old Equis. Twilight read this out loud. “Herein lies the last chance to Seal the evil I fought on this Summit. The Child of Friendship must place the Sword given at the start upon the altar, and intone the Words of Power. Then the Child *~~~* must choose between giving the charged sword to a specter of Hope, or strike down the Agent of the Dark One.”

Rainbow Dash followed Twilight as she made her way over to the altar. She looked at it with a nagging sense of deja vu. “I’ve seen all of this before,” Rainbow muttered as Twilight silently read the unicorn runic that was inscribed on the altar. The alicorn nodded tersely.

“This is most definitely Star Swirl’s work. Even offering a choice; he was always a stickler for Balance.” She pulled the naked sword out of her bag and laid it on the altar.

As she did so, Rainbow felt as though a cresting wave was coming. She shook off the feeling as Twilight backed up a few steps. Twilight channeled a minute amount of mana to the tip of her horn. She gestured for Rainbow to stand back as she uttered the words on the altar.

Light flared around the altar as the sword was charged with power. The mana on the tip of Twilight’s horn grew into a bolt of power. Abruptly, the mare thrust her head skyward, releasing the bolt.

The storm above was pushed aside as a band of aurora appeared in the sky. Suddenly, the band was ripped apart as twisting dark tentacles came out of it. Twilight looked on in fear as they made their way to where she and Rainbow were standing.

Suddenly, a bright flash flared between the altar and the two ponies. Just as described, an image of Star Swirl stood before them. His horn was aglow as he held back the tentacles.

Along the side of the altar, a twisting pool of shadows broke from the ones that had gathered along the edges. The pool congealed into a shape of a pony that was very familiar to the two mares.

Neither mare spoke. After a moment, the two forms began to circle one another. A tone rung out; as it did so, Rainbow suddenly realized that she had seen all of this before.

She turned to Twilight, only to gasp at the shadows that were pooling under her hooves. “Twilight, wait! Don’t chose either of them!” The alicorn turned to her friend with fear in her eyes.

“Rainbow, there’s no choice. This goes beyond what I was expecting. If I don’t move to make a choice, then we all lose.” She started to walk forward, only for Rainbow to quickly stand in front of her. Twilight’s eyes narrowed; Rainbow could see the red in the irises of her eyes.

“Listen to me Twilight, please! Neither one of these are worth it! If you choose the image of Star Swirl, the Dark One and all of what was Sealed away all those years ago will be Sealed again! That’ll just weaken us further, and with the Paths Unbound, He will be free to overrun us!”

“But if you strike down that image of Sombra, you will Unchain him from where he is in Tartarus! That will unleash the hordes there over all of Equestria! If you choose either one, we all lose!”

Twilight stomped her hoof. “Rainbow Dash, I refuse to believe that Star Swirl would have done something like this! That’s like saying he was on the side of the Dark One and Sombra all this time!”

“Twilight, this has nothing to do with Star Swirl! The reason why the Crystal Empire was unsealed was because Sombra took control of the weakened Seal. He’s in charge of the spell; whatever choice we make concerning those two will play right into His hoof!”

“Then all of this was a waste! We can’t chose either one, and yet we can’t not chose! We went on this journey for nothing!” Twilight would have ranted further; she was stopped as a cyan hoof struck her across the muzzle.

“This trip was not a waste Twilight Sparkle! I’ve learned so much from you; that means something! You’ve been there for me, every step of the way! The only reason why I kept on going was because of you!” Rainbow’s wings quivered in unexpressed rage as she continued her rant.

“This whole time, we’ve been following the trail of a unicorn that has been dead for over a millennia, doing his dirty work! It pisses me off that he is yet another pony that is twisting things to get the mare I love to do what he expects! No more! If a choice has to be made, THEN I CHOOSE TO FIGHT! I MADE THAT CHOICE EVERY NIGHT, AND IT’S ONE I WILL ALWAYS MAKE!”

Before Twilight could stop her, Rainbow spun and launched herself at the altar, right between the circling images. Both burst apart into motes of dark mana, confirming everything Rainbow had said. Rainbow’s hoof touched the sword’s hilt.

Everything stopped. Rainbow turned towards Twilight, a smile filled with love and hope on her muzzle. She then looked up at the broken sky. “Well, what are you waiting for? You want somepony to fight, then fight me!”

The tentacles surrounded both the cyan pegacorn and the sword, pulling back towards the rift. As Rainbow disappeared into the center of the rift, all Twilight was able to do was cry out her name in both pain and fear.

“RAINBOW DASH!”

Equus, Realm of Light, 05-21-05 A.N.M., 6:47 PM (After Nightmare Moon)

Rainbow blinked as she came to. The last thing she remembered was challenging a big ball of tentacles to a fight before blacking out. “That sounds like a really bad Neighpon manga, but it’s actually pretty accurate. At least they didn’t have thorns,” she muttered, shaking her head as she gazed around her.

As she looked at the strange crystalline cave she found herself in, more of the battle came to her. Her rage had gotten the better of her again, causing her to go RYNO all over that morphic beast. She shook herself over to work out some of the kinks. She was just about ready to fly out the nearby entrance when her stomach growled.

Blushing, she noticed in relief that her saddlebags had survived the fight. “Guess those spells the Guardians taught me are working. So long as I don’t take them off, my bags will remain safe. But carrying all of them around all the time while fighting is gonna get bothersome.” Concentrating on her torc, Rainbow surrounded her bags with an aura, linking them into the sub-space pocket Twilight had embedded into the center of the gem. She then pulled out a bottle of water and three granola bars.

After she was done eating, Rainbow pulled on the other end of the spell. Her bags turned into motes of light before flowing into her torc. She bridged the connection and summoned her cedar-wood stave. Blinking, she realized that the stave no longer resembled what it originally did. Shaking her head, she made to move before her hoof made contact with a cool object.

Looking down, Rainbow saw that the sword that Twilight had been carrying was lying at her feet. With little effort, Rainbow could sense the power flowing along the blade. She frowned. “I don’t feel like levitating this around while exploring; that’s just begging somepony to come fight.”

The cyan pegacorn’s brow furrowed as she went over what Twilight had taught her about conjuring. She realized that it was fairly simple to substitute different word forms into the same spell. When she tried to cast it to conjure a simple bandolier and scabbard, she hit a snag.

“Grr! That should have worked! It’s no different than conjuring those butterflies… Wait.” Rainbow smacked herself. “Dash, you need to specify the form as an object and link that into the spell; otherwise you’re just trying to create a butterfly that straps across the barrel.”

Once Rainbow was certain that she had her modified spell form in her mind, she cast the spell. Motes of pegacorn mana flowed around her, forming into the shape she desired. Concentrating briefly, she took the unfinished ends of the bandolier spell and tied them to a belt buckle. The runic she had inscribed on it out of boredom took over, creating a loop. She then slid the sword into her new scabbard, and hooked the stave along the other strap. Satisfied that she was now prepared, she took off out the entrance.

She soon realized that this wasn’t the best idea she ever had, as the small valley surrounding the cave entrance was filled with shadowlings and darklings.

“Ah, crud!”

Rainbow Dash dodged a swipe from the flying darklings that had been chasing her. For the last several hours, she’d been running and fighting from the small army of misborn that had waited for her to come out of the cave. “This is nuts! They’re not even really trying; there’s just a lot of them! Why am I not fighting back?”

A deep surge of malice vibrated in the land around her at that question. The misborn shrieked in answer. Rainbow’s expression went from consternation to determination as she saw the looks of confused rage in the nearest misborn turn to malice. Summoning her mana, Rainbow let loose.

Her spread wings flamed brightly as she once more channeled Pyreflame. Snarling, the pegacorn launched herself downward in a spiral movement, slamming the creatures around her with waves of Demon’s Flame. Within a short span, there were only a few left; these she took out with bolts of moonlight from her horn.

Off in the distance, Rainbow spotted a ring of crystalline structures that the shadows seemed to avoid. She flew over to them and landed, sighing in relief. “I need a break! I should probably set up a camp and get some rest.” She frowned in concentration as she surrounded the inside of the cairn with a runic circle. “No sense in trusting that these crystals will protect me; just my luck that Sombra will use them to sneak up behind me.” She thought for a moment. “Nah , he’s not subtle enough for that.” She then set about in preparing herself a camp. After a while, she lay on her pallet and went into a trance; her mind was too keyed to sleep. Not only that, she didn’t want dreams of Twilight to distract her.

Equus, Realm of Light, 05-22-05 A.N.M., 9:24 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

Rainbow Dash blinked as she woke from her trance. Stretching, the cyan pegacorn looked just beyond the cairn she had made her camp in. She groaned as she saw what was awaiting her.

“Great, this just keeps getting better and better,” she grumbled. “How many of these things does he have here?!” She quickly broke camp after eating the bags of peanuts and cashews she’d sat aside hours earlier. She then flared her wings, filling them with moonlight. “Have at thee!” she shouted as she launched herself at the waiting misborn.

The next several hours went by in a blur as Rainbow Dash cut down the innumerable eldritch horrors that were pursuing her. With hoof, wing, spell, and blade, she made short work of all comers.

She took a break sometime after two o’clock, having found a cave similar to the first one. This gave her time to rest, as polycasting over an extended period was taxing. Her shifting mana didn’t make any of this easier.

After a far too short two hours, she started on her journey yet again. This time however, she wasn’t encountering any misborn. “I know better to think that they’ve given up; this had the feeling of being a trap.”

Rainbow’s suspicion was confirmed as dark red crystalline structures punched out of the ground. One of them grazed her hoof; she yelped in pain at the deadly edge. She soon found herself trapped.

“Well well, the pigeon thinks she’s my better,” said a smooth voice. Rainbow turned to see a shadow-wraith standing along the side. “I’m looking forward to this; it’s been a long time since I had a pegacorn to play with.”

Rainbow’s next few minutes were spent in pain. In order to cope, she briefly closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt nothing but the aches she had been dealing with since she started fighting. Her anger rising at the deception, Rainbow’s eyes snapped open, glowing bright white. “Your gonna need more than smoke and mirrors to get me!”

Rainbow’s horn flared as bright as her eyes, blasting a wave of blessed moonlight all around her. The shadow-wraith barely got out of the way in time, only to have a crystalline sword chop him in half.

Rainbow snorted as she saw three more galloping in. “More clowns.” This time, she threw her stave in a twirling arc; the spinning weapon sliced all three into bits which quickly dispersed.

Rainbow jerked her head up at the sound of flapping wings. Three winged shadow wraiths were inbound. Snorting, Rainbow cast a modified version of the spell she had used to create her bandolier on the crystalline structure nearest her.

Several spikes protruded, swiftly morphing into crystalline versions of her sword. She used these to chop off the wings of the three inbound wraiths before using her sword to finish them off.

Galloping hooves heralded the arrival of more wraiths. Rainbow crouched, summoning a massive amount of pegacorn mana into her hooves. As the four dozen wraiths came in, she launched herself from a standing start into super-sonic speeds. The resulting ground-bound Sonic Rainboom tore through the entire group as well as shattered the crystalline forms.

Rainbow Dash landed on a ridge to the north of that confrontation. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I have to find whoever it was that sent that Yogg-saron wannabe yesterday. I hope that my guess as to who it is is wrong.” She then flew off, going ever further towards the center of this strange Realm.

Hours Later...

Rainbow slumped in exhaustion in another cairn three leagues from where she had been ambushed. She had been fighting almost non-stop for hours, only getting a break here and there when caught in one trap or another.

As much as she dreaded what awaited her, Rainbow realized that meditation wasn’t going to suffice. She needed sleep.

Rainbow sighed before summoning her saddlebags. She then set about building herself a far more secure camp. Several minutes passed before she was satisfied.

Her tent was set up; every inch glowed with the mana that she had filled the weft with. She had altered it in a manner taught to her by one of the Guardians. Three runic circles were inscribed around her camp; each one was keyed to a different element. She had also surrounded the camp with a grid of sealing scrolls.

Rainbow sighed in relief as she was finally able to take a break. She then pulled out a scroll that had a sleep spell written on it. “As much as it pains me, I’m not gonna be able to sleep without this. I hope it does what was promised.” She cast the spell, then lay down. She soon fell into a dreamless sleep that would last until morning.

The only thought in her mind was the same one that had been in the back of her mind throughout her journey through this strange land; I wonder how Twilight is doing. I hope she hasn’t given up, thinking I’m truly gone.

Rainbow had little idea how faint a hope that was.

Twilight gazed listlessly at the object held in her hooves. She had forgotten that she had placed one of Rainbow Dash’s shed coverts in one of her books. Her intent had been to study the leylines that ran down its length, once things had settled down.

Instead, all she could do was picture everything they’d gone through. Everything, from moments during the earlier days of their friendship, to her realization that she was crushing quite heavily on the speedster.

For the last two days, Twilight recalled Rainbow’s last words over and over again. She knew that if one more day passed, then she knew that there was no hope; Rainbow Dash wasn’t coming back.

Still, something deep inside of her told her otherwise. That confession of Love woke a bond between them; the same bond that tied them both to the Tree of Harmony. She knew deep inside that Rainbow’s Loyalty wouldn’t let her fail. Because of this, Twilight refused to give in to despair.

However, she had little will left in her broken heart. She only had enough sense about herself to eat and drink; even burying her business was more taxing than she was willing to go through. She still did so however; she was too neat a pony to do otherwise.

A festering pool of shadows crept towards the heartbroken alicorn. Twilight suddenly scowled; her irises turned into slits as she burned the shadows with a wave of dark purple mana.

Twilight gazed listlessly at the setting sun. Tears rolled down her muzzle as her traitorous mind whispered the odds of Rainbow’s survival. Not really wanting to, she made her way towards her tent. “Maybe I can get some sleep tonight. By the Blessing of Serenity, I sure need it.”

The purple mare flopped down heavily. She only had enough energy to grab a bowl of trail mix she had left to soak.

Twilight had spent the first several hours after Rainbow had been taken crying. To have her greatest hopes confirmed in such a way was almost too much to bear. After several hours, she was able to collect herself and make a crude camp. She had had the foresight to set aside bowls filled with trail mix to soak, only adding the water a couple of hours before she was ready to eat.

As she lay there, Twilight once more wished that she had just called off the journey. Fresh tears fell as she was finally able to drift into a listless sleep.

Off to the side, a hidden pool of shadows waited for the next sunset; that would be the opportune time to strike.

Equus, Realm of Light, 05-24-05 A.N.M., 10:27 AM (After Nightmare Moon)

Rainbow Dash trotted quietly past a pair of looming crystal columns as she made her way into a large valley. Even though they looked natural, Rainbow knew that they were anything but.

The day before had been more of the same; dodging her way past crystalline formations as she hunted various eldritch horrors. The only real difference was that some of the stronger ones kept reforming until she shattered a piece of what looked like crystallized alicorn near their center. The piece of horn was almost always lodged either in the vicinity of the ribs, or just behind the horn.

Those were child’s play compared to the five behemoths she’d fought. She very nearly lost a wing when she fought the first one. It took the surprising discovery of one of her sword’s chief abilities to finally take the thing down. Rainbow had come to find that the sword was tied to this strange land. Because of that fact, she was able to drain shadow and darkness mana from crystalline formations. Those were often the source of power for whatever she was fighting at the time.

Rainbow had quickly realized that she was being herded. Towards the end of the day, she had tried to fly past the ridge, but quickly found her way blocked by pillars of dark red crystal. Nothing she did was able to cut them; not only that, the creatures surrounding them constantly shifted form, making it impossible to vanquish them.

Rainbow’s musings on the apparent trap continued as she made her way past the pools of twisting shadows that dotted the trail. “He’s not even trying to hide them any more,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.

A crackling to her left sounded. Without even bothering to look up, Rainbow blocked a bolt of dark mana with a conjured shield. More bolts were fired from all around her. Rainbow snorted, and let off a wave of concussive force. She nodded in terse satisfaction as the hidden wraiths screeched. Rainbow continued on her way, dodging around fallen stalagmites.

As she was about to pass yet another pair of pillars, a snarling figure jumped from the side. Rainbow dodged, launching her sword at the creature. The creature writhed as it was slammed into a nearby crystal fragment.. To Rainbow’s surprise, it morphed into one of the pools that dotted the trail.

Writhing bands of shadow mana crawled almost all the way to the hilt of the sword. Rainbow snarled as her levitation field along the blade was cancelled out. Before she was able to launch herself over to retrieve her sword, a pool of shadow began to bubble from underneath a rock right a her forehooves. Within moments, she was completely surrounded by the corrupted energy.

Writhing bands of shadow energy flowed around her, tying her down. The heaviest concentration was around her fetlocks and along her wings. She snarled impotently as she channeled mana into her horn. Before she could shape the mana properly, the writhing energy found its way to her horn, cutting off her last line of defense. The only thing the mana avoided was her stave. At this point however, it was little better than a blunt instrument.

“Well well, it seems as though you are every bit as predictable as any pegacorn I have ever fought Miss Dash,” said a darkly handsome baritone. Rainbow turned her head towards one of the other pools.

The pool of shadows shifted into a form that had been haunting Rainbow for months. Sombra, the King of Shadows smiled sardonically as he gazed at the trapped pegacorn. “Oh, do continue to struggle; it is quite amusing to see you fight against what you have no hope of breaking. That trap is feeding off your mana Miss Dash. It would take the power of the alicorn tied to this Sealed Realm of Light to break it now. Such a pity that you came here instead of her.”

The stallion stalked over to the struggling mare. He gazed at her in a hungry manner as he continued to taunt Rainbow. “Oh, you have no idea how much I am looking forward to this. You have caused no end of trouble for my Master. It would have ben so much simpler to just follow the trail you were supposed to; instead, you and that purple dyke could not follow a simple set of directions.” He shook his head in mock sadness. “Ah well, it matters little.”

“Did you really think that a mare that has only been a pegacorn for a couple of months would stand a chance against myself, let alone my Master? If so, you were quite foolish.”

Sombra turned away and walked towards where Rainbow’s sword was lodged. He stroked the crystal almost lovingly. A pulse of shadow mana flowed from it, swiftly taking shape as a dark sword.

Sombra held the blade parallel to the road, calling all of the loose pools of shadows to it. Rainbow stopped struggling as the bands around her tightened.

“Think Rainbow Dash, think! There’s got to be a way!” Rainbow went over everything that Sombra had said to her, looking for some way to break out. One way stood out; the trap was designed to hold a pegacorn.

With that realization, Rainbow knew what she had to do. She focused inward, concentrating on her wellspring. She felt along its length, feeling where the energy flowed. Where it met her legs and hooves, she aligned it with the earth beneath. Where it touched the wind around her wings, she let it flow as naturally as her old pegasus mana. Where it flowed to her horn, she mentally shaped it as she did whenever she levitated something.

Earth pony, pegasi, and unicorn mana built within her frame in equal amounts. Rainbow could feel the energy along her body as it continued to build. In moments, the new mana was at the same level as the pegacorn mana in her wellspring. With a shout, she embraced it.

Sombra turned just as a cascade of light flared from the no-longer bound pegacorn. The stallion snarled as he realized that Rainbow Dash had just reached full apotheosis. He snarled, casting several bolts of shadow mana that morphed into crystal swords.

Rainbow was ready however. She blocked each one with blades of her own. Sombra snarled. Pointing his horn at the ground, he called on the festering shadow mana beneath the valley.

Rainbow’s eyes flared white as she linked herself fully to the ground beneath her. The pommel of her sword glowed as its shape altered to a stylized version of her cutie mark. Sombra growled at that, and pulled the sword into the fragment.

Before he was able to do more, the fragment of crystal burst as light mana flared from within it. Rainbow swiped her horn several times; blades of pure kinetic energy cut every crystal formation that surrounded them. This released all of the trapped shadow energy.

Sombra swung his formed blade at the alicorn. This time, she simply stopped it with her stave before calling her own sword to her. Sombra pulled back and made another pass; this time, Rainbow parried with her fully bound sword. Sombra’s blade shattered.

Rainbow’s eyes flared as she conjured a whip of white energy. She swung it at the dark stallion, wrapping it around his horn. Jerking her head back, Rainbow used her earth pony strength to rip the horn right out of his head. His form then collapsed.

Rainbow brought the horn to a point before her. It started to dissolve, before too long, all that was left was a tiny sliver of alicorn. She snorted. “Even when fighting a trapped opponent, Sombra is still a coward.”

Rainbow realized that Sombra could pas his essence to any of his shades. She snorted as she realized that chasing them down was precisely what he wanted. She decided to try something else.

Closing her eyes, the cyan alicorn linked herself fully to what she now realized was the Realm of Light. With this link, she was able to sense every single one of Sombra’s Shades. Instead of striking them down, she used the light of the Realm itself to pull the shards in each one towards where she was.

Faster than light, shards began to join with the one she was holding up. In a few moments, she had a small sphere of them. Rainbow opened her eyes, focusing on several points around the sphere.

Bands of scintillating rainbow mana started to wrap themselves around the sphere as Rainbow channeled the power of Harmony. The bands formed a latticework; once the sphere was surrounded, she let it close inward, crushing all of the shards with the might of Harmony itself.

Rainbow then turned her gaze to her sword. “So, your name is Aura,” she said. She smiled happily. “Nice to meet you! Shall we go back and finish this?” The sword chimed in agreement. Rainbow sheathed her, then launched herself straight up.

Rainbow turned her trajectory north before launching herself at the speed of light towards the mountain she had seen in the distance. She hit it within seconds, punching right through it into the hidden chamber that linked this Realm to Mount Everfest.

She was in a hurry; there was another Shade torturing Twilight that needed vanquishing.

Twilight dodged yet another tentacle as it tried to wrap itself around her barrel. She snarled, firing a kinetic bolt at it. She blocked two more with kinetic barriers.

This day had started out much like the last one. Twilight had been standing next to the pool, pining for her lost love. All of a sudden, a pool of shadow mana had flowed from under a rock and surrounded her. Before she was able to break away, she was pulled down into a chamber deep in the mountain.

She had spent the last several minutes dodging attack after attack. She did manage to get in more than her fair share of hits in, but the eldritch horror showed no signs that the attack had even phased it.

Twilight glared at the beast. “I am seriously not in the mood! If I wasn’t concerned with potentially burning through to the mantle, I’d blast you with a pure beam of Sol’s energy!” The creature only snarled in response.

Twilight turned as she saw a bright glow along the side. A blast caused a circular portion of the wall to blow outward as an arrow of light hit the monster midships. The wave of energy that flowed off the arrow burned the aura of shadow that surrounded it.

Blades of cyan light flashed lengthwise against the crystalline stalactites and stalagmites. The crumbled. Before the beast was able to reconstitute itself, bands of light energy wrapped themselves around its barrel, cannons, neck, and horn.

Twilight saw none of this. All she could see was the form that was standing between her and the beast. Rainbow Dash glared at the shade, her irises slitted. “Well, are you gonna say something, or am I just wasting time asking?”

The creature’s form finally resolved itself as a mockery of Sombra. “You have no hope in stopping my Master! He controls the darkness that lies at the heart of Equestria, and you have no chance in stopping the one that sits at that heart!”

Rainbow snorted. “I’ll be sure to give the Lady Lemyre you regards.” She then ripped the horn out of its head. Bringing it forward, she struck it with the head of her stave. The large jewel flared bright white as blessed Light burned the shard within.

Shadows began to drip from the walls. Rainbow flew over to where Twilight had been standing. As she landed, her inner Light caused the shadows surrounding them to brighten. A barrier of light formed around the pair. It shrunk into a mote of light that flashed upward faster than light as the cave collapsed.

The small plateau was silent other than the bubbling pool of dark mana that sat next to the copse of trees. A mote of light appeared above it. The silence was broken as the mote flared into a barrier of light.

The barrier burned away all of the corrupted shadow mana that was present. It soon faded, leaving a pair of embracing ponies.

Rainbow broke off the embrace. “I’m not going anywhere Twi; we’ll get back to this just as soon as I finish tying up a few loose ends, ‘kay?” Twilight nodded, a look of happy shock on her muzzle.

Rainbow trotted over to the altar. Drawing Aura, she swiped along the top of it. At the same time, she cast three kinetic blades going downward onto the statue in the center.

Both flared as they fell apart, no longer able to retain their shape without any twisted energy to draw upon. Rainbow pointed her horn skyward, firing a bolt of pure Light into the storm clouds.

The sky flared as the Aurora spread itself from horizon to horizon. Where its light touched, the land changed. Fields of Crystal Berries revealed themselves. The Crystal Lake once more started to flow. Small towns and villages appeared here and there. Within a very short time, the Light of Aurora Unsealed the rest of the Crystal Empire.

Rainbow Dash turned her gaze to where Twilight was standing. Before she could say anything, the purple mare launched herself at her fellow alicorn. They went down in a tangle of purple and cyan limbs. Rainbow soon found herself on the ground with Twilight on top of her.

Rainbow blushed at the look in Twilight’s eyes. “I think you owe me an apology, Miss Dash; what took you so long?”

Rainbow grinned around her blush. “I got caught up fighting shadows.”

“Well, you’re late for your reward.” Twilight then bent down and kissed her.

No more was said; the kiss of two hearts that had finally found each other said it all.

Light's Rising, Shadow's Fall

by jwizard

Chapter One: Shadow's Rising

Chapter Two: The Fall and Rise of An Unwanted Prince Part One

Chapter Three: The Fall and Rise of An Unwanted Prince Part Two

Chapter Four: Preparing For the Journey

Chapter Five: The Journey Begins?

Chapter Six: Following the Trail...

Chapter Seven: ...To The End

Chapter Eight: Cleaning Up the Mess

Chapter Nine: Echoes of Marigold's Past Part One

Chapter Ten: Echoes of Margiold's Past Part Two

Chapter Eleven: The Perils of A Wandering Dinnner Conversation

Chapter Twelve: Mares on the Town

Chapter Thirteen: To The Victor...

Chapter Fourteen: ...Goes The Spoils

Chapter Fifteen: Shadow's Play Part One

Chapter Sixteen: Shadow's Play Part Two

Chapter Seventeen: Journey to the Crystal Wastes

Chapter Eighteen: Three-Point-Ridge

Chapter Nineteen: The Crystal Wastes

Chapter Twenty: The Caves of Memory

Chapter Twenty-One: Faded Shadows