Prologue (TW0 S1D3S)

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They say that there are two sides to every story. The honesty in that statement couldn't be more obvious if it were imprinted on a shovel, being bashed against it's hopeless victim's skull. Whether you notice it or not; We all strive for the same thing as we live our day to day lives. We seek comfort, security and peace. We try to shape the world we live in, in an attempt to mold perfection. We strive to create a utopia! And what stops us from achieving this goal? Those who are willing to lie, cheat, and steal! These actions strip us of our right to create a perfect world. The problem with that is; Those willing to carry out those actions have the same goal. They seek peace, as you do. They seek comfort, as you do. They fight to improve their own lives, to create their own utopia. As unorthodox as this may seem, it's the only life they know. This is the only way these people can see their future becoming brighter Behaving in such a way is simply in our nature, we do what we do to feel comfortable in the world we live in. We fight to both better, and create a brighter future, for ourselves. It is this desire that creates ignorance and makes you blind to what you're doing to those around you.

In your eyes, you're doing everything you can to survive. But, in the eyes of others, you're no better than the lowest scum of the earth. When you don't measure up to the expectations of others, you are seen as inadequate, useless, disposable. Then we choose to hate those who are different, those who stand out against what we depict as 'The Social Norm'. But, at the same time, we cry out to others for acceptance. It is this ignorance that prevents us from creating a perfect world. We seek diversity to keep things new and fresh, then we shun it because we blindly follow our nature to hate those that are different. It is our diversity that causes us to have separate opinions on what could be seen as the perfect world. We need diversity to continue advancing, to make the world better. Yet we despise it, because we feel compelled to lash out at those who's opinions differ from our own.

This is what makes the world beautiful. This is what makes the world disgusting. Different people with different insights and point of views help us move forward. Different people with separate mindsets drive us up the wall, they slow us down because they simply aren't good enough. Their opinions are not the same as ours, therefore, they are irrelevant. Diversity can both create and destroy. It can bring us together and tear us apart at the same time. And when it tears us apart, we are split into two. One side will see itself as what is right and fair for a just world. They will look over to the other side with disdain, seeing them as what is wrong with the world. They will see them as the beasts of society, the evil that dwells within. While this is happening, the opposing side sees things the same way, only backward. It is this shared opinion among those groups that causes them to hate.

Just as there are two sides to every coin, there are two sides to every story. There will always be one that is seen as good, and one that is seen as bad. Your opinion on the matter though can vary, depending on both who you are and what your view of a perfect world would be. And that's where diversity rears its noble, yet ugly, head once again. Diversity can help us move forward, but it can also hold us back. What one side deems as divine, the other deems as blaspheme. When one side cries for redemption, the other screams for justice. What one side sees as justice, the other sees as barbaric.

Where one side will see good, the other will see evil. There will always be two sides. Just as there will always be diversity. They see things differently, but strive for the same goal; To create a perfect world. But how can there be a perfect world when so many are so different? When nature keeps you from seeing the light by blinding you with your own ignorance? You choose to be this way, yet you claim that it's not your fault. Some can't help the way they think, but rather than fighting to be better they choose to remain blind to their own imperfections. But, how can one see perfection if they are simply blinded by nature. This is all they know, it's not their fault. Another excuse to be lazy, to keep yourself hidden in the darkness in hopes that no one will find you. You stay locked away in your safe space, unknowing to the presence that watches you.

There are those who see.

There are those who watch.

Protecting the innocent is what we do.

We punish the guilty!

We take those unworthy of society and let justice run its course.

There are true monsters in this world; We. Are. Their. Consequence!

WE work to keep life civil and simple, seeking justice on those who are deserving.

WE don't let them make the same mistake twice!

They are monsters, they break the laws in order to create their own version of a perfect world.

They are cowards, giving the scum of the earth free reign. They are destroying what could be a perfect world!

The innocent deserve justice.

The innocent shouldn't be suffering to begin with!

The guilty will be given a trial and justice will prevail.

And if the guilty get away with their crimes, what then?

We must have faith in the system and the community that makes that system.

The system is filled with the deserving! Corruption is never-ending and the wicked prevail because you let them get away!

We do what we must to keep order and make the world safe.

And letting these foul creatures roam the land is keeping order!?

We will keep the world safe by enforcing the laws we swore to uphold when we came to this land. The innocent will be protected and the guilty will be punished.

We protect this world by showing the guilty the error of their ways and eliminating those who deserve it!

The guilty will see justice.

The guilty will perish!

There are two sides to every story. Both fight for what they believe in. Both seek a perfect world. There will always be good and there will always be evil. Now, you must ask yourself; Which one is which? Who is good; who is evil? There are those who will disagree with your opinion. Two sides to every story. Diversity is the key component to all things good and all things malevolent. But, who is who?

Celestia stared down at the ponies in her courtroom; More specifically, Happy Trails, the pony on trial. He was the oldest at thirty-seven, his coat being a shade of brown lighter than his mane. The look on Celestia's face was nothing short of bliss for this criminal. Several weeks ago he had been accused of distributing child pornography. The evidence against him was great, enough to put him away for the rest of his life. For a moment, Happy Trails had lost hope. However, his lawyer found something that turned the case on him around.

It would seem that some of the evidence being used against him was acquired illegally. Once his lawyer had gotten wind of that, the case plummeted. Despite being guilty of the accusations made against him, they could not lock him up due to the methods used to acquire this information.

Celestia closed her eyes, her shame showing through her expression. This kind of ruling hurt her deeply, but she had no choice. If she were to enforce the laws that have kept this country at peace for so long, she herself must obey them as well. With a heavy heart, her eyes opened and she decreed, "Happy Trails, you are free to leave."

The courtroom became filled with audible gasps of shock. Among the ponies, whispers were passed around as Happy Trails stepped down from the pedestal with a wicked smile on his face. As he left the castle, the eyes of his peers followed close behind. Once he was gone though, their gazes fell upon their regal ruler.

In an instant their frustration with the end result became known, their voices erupting from every direction. Not a single one of them was pleased with this trial's outcome. The displeasure of the community did not fall upon deaf ears. Celestia listened to every harsh word being thrown at her, sharing the crowd's disappointment.

She did not want to let Happy Trails go free; He was a fiend, a menace to society. However, while she did have the power, she could not abuse it. The laws of this land existed for a reason, and if she did not follow those laws then she'd be no better than a common criminal. While the jury continued to vocalize their discontent, Celestia took it upon herself to exit the courtroom.

A short walk may be what she needs to clear her mind, she thought. Before she could make it more than a few feet, she realized that her stress levels were not about to receive the break they desperately needed. There to meet her was the recently returned princess of the night, her sister, Princess Luna. The night princess blocked Celestia's path, staring her down with eyes that could crush those lesser than her.

"How could you do it?" Luna asked as her sister came to a stop, refusing to meet her gaze. "You had everything you needed to lock up that malevolent soul, yet he walks free." Her words cut deep and her eyes burned with a fury that only she could muster. "How!?"

Celestia struggled to reply, but in her mind, the ruling wasn't her fault. "Happy Trails' lawyer found out about the evidence." She finally spoke, "Had the source of the knowledge we collected remained hidden, we could have put him away for life." She sighed, knowing that her own laws had beaten her. "There was simply nothing we could do."

"You could have made the call!" Luna snapped, having become fed up with this kind of treatment for the scum that roamed these lands. "Back in the olden days, he would have been hung or beheaded on the spot. Letting a pony like that back out on to the streets goes against even the bleakest of moral codes!"

"Times are different, Luna!' She explained with a stern tone. "We are not as we used to be. Ponies would allow no such thing in this time." Celestia looked up to meet her sister's gaze, rivaling it with one of her own. "Morals or no, if we do not obey the laws we made then we are no better than them."

Luna took a breath to calm herself, "You're my sister, Tia. And I love you more than anything." She shared honestly, letting her elder sister know that her reaction was not purely out of spite before reverting back to her unforgiving tone. "But you're a coward. You're too soft on our subjects." She continued, "They deserve to live in peace; But how can you expect them to live on, knowing that creatures like Happy are out there prowling the streets?"

"Please, sister." Celestia all but begged, "Have faith in me and the justice system. Happy will get what's coming to him."

There was a moment of silence as the night princess weighed her options. "No!" She said in a firm tone, her voice being powerful enough to command the very elements around her. "Your resources have failed for the last time, Tia." The area around them grew colder as Luna's anger seemed to rise. "I will not let this pony get away like the others, he will be punished." Luna turned her back to Celestia and trotted at a slow pace toward the night wing of the castle.

Celestia became alert her eyes widening in panic. "Luna, you cannot mean-"

"But I do!" Luna shot back as she came to a stop, her head angling itself toward the sun goddess. "They are the only one's that truly seem to care for our land and the safety of our subjects. Had you, then you would have made the right decision in the first place."

"They are monsters, Luna!' Celestia shouted back just as her sister was about to continue her departure. "They were hurting our subjects, how can you-"

Luna vanished from sight in a flash, reappearing not even seconds later in front of Celestia. Her expression was the very definition of rage as a newfound fire sparked and roared its way through her body. "And the pony you set free hasn't!?" She snapped, her voice nothing short of horrifying to her elder sister. "They punished those who deserved, they brought true justice to those helpless victims while you keep setting free those who caused such pain!"

Celestia drew back some, never before had she seen her sister so passionate about anything in her entire life. Luna visibly relaxed, but barely. "So tell me, Tia." She began, her older sister's attention unwavering. "If you were to look at this from an outside perspective; Who would you see as the monster?"

This question left the sun goddess stunned silent. If she were being honest, she would find her own actions disgraceful in the eyes of those who are suffering. However, she could never side with the alternative justice system that Luna seemed so eager to promote.

Luna didn't give her sister a chance to answer as she continued her departure to the night wing, stopping one last time to say only this. "I am releasing them of their chains, Tia. I am aware of your reluctance and your arguments, but I cannot allow any more pain to come to our subjects." And with that, Luna teleported away, leaving Celestia alone with her thoughts.

Or so she thought.

Celestia could practically feel the eyes on her back just a short distance away from her. She glanced back, spotting a pony donning a black suit, complete with a white dress shirt and a black tie. Covering his face was but a simple white mask, consisting of pink cheeks, a pencil thin mustache, and a long soul patch.

The only actual features of this pony to be seen was the white fur at the end of it's hooves and its bright yellow mane. "Princess," It began in an electronic sounding voice, "Shall I inform him of this upcoming issue?"

Celestia sighed deeply, her disappointment being heavy enough to be heard in her breath. "It seems we have no other choice." She said in a defeated tone. "He must know if we are to keep them from reigning chaos on this land." She turned to face the mysterious pony completely, giving an affirmative nod to it. "Notify him at once of their return, we must do everything we can to keep our justice system intact and prove that our way is better."

The pony bowed before turning its head to the side. "We will see to it that justice continues to run its course as it was meant to." The pony nodded its head. Another pony, dressed nearly identical to the one speaking to the princess, stepped out from the shadows, returning the gesture as it teleported out of sight. "Let us handle it from here, princess. Have faith in us and all shall be well."

The night was young and Happy was ready to go out and enjoy his newfound sense of freedom. Earlier that day he was a mere pony staring Celestia in the face, about to become another slab of meat in the dungeon for his crimes. Now; He walks through his small home with vigor and enthusiasm. He had committed a terrible crime and walked away without so much as a slap on the hoof.

It was almost too good to be true; But, as they say, you should never look a gift horse in the mouth. After a bit of self-pampering, he was ready for a night out on the town.

Happy merrily made his way to the front door, opening it with closed eyes and taking in a long breath through his nose, savoring the scent of the cool night air. He exhaled deeply, opening his eyes. What he saw upon becoming reacquainted with his sight was nothing short of bizarre.

Standing before him was a stallion; and an odd one at that. He was wearing a fine black suit, complete with a white dress shirt and a tie. He would have assumed it was a solicitor at first glance, but it was far too late to be selling anything. Not only that, but he couldn't see the stallions face. Aside from his well-combed yellow mane, no further facial features could be made out. His face was completely covered by an odd white mask, complete with pink cheeks, a very thin mustache, and a goatee.

He stared at this pony with wide, confused eyes for nearly a minute before it spoke to him in an electronic sounding voice. "Greetings, Mr. Trails; May I come in?"

Happy shook his head to pull himself out of whatever hypnotic-like state he was in. "What? No!" He replied in an agitated tone. "Get the hell off of my property!"

"Please Mr. Trails, this is a matter of utmost importance." The mysterious stallion argued calmly. "Your safety may very-well be at risk. I urge you to reconsider."

Having just gotten off trial earlier today, this kind of news was very disheartening. Paranoia quickly began to overtake the joy he felt earlier. Taking a more offensive stance, he leaned his head closer to the mysterious pony. "Is that a threat?"

The pony nodded, "I assure you, Mr Trails; This is anything but..." He answered honestly. "This is a warning; There are those who would wish to do you harm. My aim is merely to help, but I cannot do that unless you allow me into your home."

This situation wasn't entirely believable, for all he knew this could be some oddly-crafted attempt at a robbery. Or perhaps this stallion was the one who wanted to hurt him. Before he could answer, he heard a commotion coming from upstairs. It sounded like somepony was up there.

He quickly turned his attention back to the stallion at his door. "Who is in my house?" He asked with a fair amount of venom in his words. "What do you want!?"

"If you do not let me in, then I cannot protect you from them." He replied bluntly.

Happy looked back, hearing the hoof-steps beginning to make their way to his staircase. In a fit of panic, he grabbed the mystery pony by his tie and pulled him into his home, slamming the door and locking it behind him. As he went to face the pony he forced into his house, he was met with another odd sight. The pony he pulled in was standing at the end of his staircase, looking up towards the top.

Curiously, Happy made his way over to the pony, following his gaze to the upstairs. Not even at the halfway point, there was a pony standing there; Still as a corpse, it merely stood and stared at them. He couldn't make out too many of its features, aside from being dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask.

Unlike the stallion beside him though, this mask appeared to be metallic. Its eyes were glowing a dark orange color, as was its mouth, just barely piercing the surrounding darkness.

Happy angled his head back at the suited pony, who was glaring at the pony on the stairs with narrowed eyes. Turning his attention back to the intruder, he watched as it began to walk backwards, moving up the stairs and away from them until it was completely hidden in darkness.

The overwhelming nature of what was happening was beginning to tear away at Happy's mind. He was starting to become afraid. "What's happening?" He asked, turning back to the suited pony. "Who was that?"

The pony moved his attention to happy, looking into the scared stallions eyes. "Who they are is irrelevant."

"They?"

"We do not have time." He began, ignoring Happy's questioning word. "It is imperative that you listen to my instructions and follow them through without hesitation or resistance." He explained, glancing back to the staircase for a moment to make sure the pony from earlier wasn't returning. "If you do not, then I can no longer keep them from you."

Happy was playing out several scenarios in his head, trying to think of a way out of this mess; None of which ended well. If he wanted out of this, he'd have to listen to this mystery pony. "What do I have to do?"

"Turn yourself in." He answered, making Happy's eyes widen. "Go to the police, confess what you've done, and face justice."

"Are you crazy!?" Happy snapped, "I'm not going to the police, I'm not going to turn myself in, and I'm sure as hell not going to jail!"

"Justice is your only solace." The suited pony continued. "If you refuse to comply and do not carry out my orders, then I will be forced to leave you to them. I cannot protect you if you do not comply."

"Buck!" He screamed, wondering how this could be happening. Is this karma? Has the universe sent these ponies to punish him for his crimes? Is there a way out? He thought hard about what to do. He could agree to turn himself in and rot in a cell, or he could refuse and be left with whoever else was waiting for him.

His ignorance soon got the better of him, blinding him of the possibilities that could unfold given his decision. "I am NOT going to jail..." In that moment, Happy was upon the suited stallion, ringing his neck with his hooves. "You're going to make them leave right now! I'll kill you otherwise!"

The suited pony struggled beneath Happy, trying desperately to break free from his grasp. His struggles were in vain though, he was not prepared nor trained for physical altercations.

It had become quite obvious that he had failed in his mission, giving some rather eager bystanders the green light to intervene. Several windows could be heard shattering from all around the house. Happy barely had a chance to look up before he was grabbed by two ponies and forced off of his victim.

Happy was pushed back, the two ponies who had jumped him holding his front hooves above his head and pressing his back flush against a nearby wall. Screaming and cursing at the ponies, he struggled to break free, only to find that they were far more physically capable than the pony he attacked. No matter what he did, no matter how much he fought, he simply could not escape them.

Running out of steam, he was forced to stop and catch his breath. With his energy drained, he was then forced to take in the surrounding ponies. There were at least six of them, not including the suited pony, standing around him. All were dressed similarly, wearing long dark coats that covered their bodies with a hood over their heads that barely covered their metallic masked faces.

Once again, fear began to take hold. He started struggling again, this time out of desperation. "Okay, Okay! I'm sorry! I'll comply!" He pleaded, tears starting to fill his eyes. "I'll turn myself in, I'll serve my time! Just please, let me go."

"I'm afraid it's far too late for that." One of the intruders informed, their eyes and mouth glowing brighter as they spoke. It's voice was electronic as well, but the tone it carried gave it a much more threatening impact. "You had your chance and you squandered it, just as you've squandered the very life you live." This particular intruder walked over to the suited pony, looking down at him and watching as he got back to his hooves. "It would seem that your way has failed again." The suited stallion didn't respond and kept his gaze to the floor. "As per the agreement, your jurisdiction here has come to an end. Be sure to inform your boss that his version of justice continues to bleed impotence."

Keeping his sights to the ground, the suited pony turns away and trots to the door. He stops just as he is about to exit, looking back at the scared Happy Trails with sad eyes before making his way outside. Happy can barely react, his fear keeping him in a statue-like state as the intruders start to close in around him.

"Look upon us, Happy." One speaks, earning the trapped stallion's attention. "Now tell us; How does it feel to be the victim? How does it feel to no longer be in control?"

Happy started struggling again, taking a much more aggressive tone. "Buck off! You don't know anything about me!"

"On the contrary, Mr. Trails." The intruder continues, "We know you all too well. So answer me this; How does it feel being surrounded by ponies who know not only who you are, but what you are?" It asked, continuing when Happy doesn't respond. "In a perfect world, demons like you do not exist." It says, one of the others picking up where they left off shortly after.

"In order for the innocent to be protected, ponies like you simply cannot be allowed to roam."

Another one continues, "To bring order back to Equestria, we must deal with the vile, the evil, and the deserving."

The pattern ensues as another speaks afterward. "Ponies like you must face judgement and be punished."

One of the ponies holding him then speaks. "We are not your light in the darkness, we do not give second chances, we do not offer redemption."

Then the final one speaks, "We are the darkness you surround yourself in, we were created from it, and have been bathed in oblivion for the purpose of finding you. We are your consequence."

The last thing Happy sees as the final intruder speaks is their glowing eyes shining bright as they laugh at him. After that, all of the lights within his home die, surrounding him in darkness.

Chapter 1

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Twilight exited her castle, looking down at the carriage that was waiting for her. It was sent by her former teacher earlier that day, along with a letter that requested her immediate presence. The letter did not go into details about the meeting she was required to attend, but it seemed important. As she made her way towards the pony-powered vehicle, her loyal assistant, Spike, came running after her with a saddle bag held tightly in his claws.

"Twilight, wait!" The young dragon yelled after her, his tiny legs moving as fast as they could to catch up with her. Twilight came to a stop to face her, long-time, friend and assistant. "You almost forgot your bags."

Twilight smiled at him, levitating the bags from his claw and mounting them on her bag. "Thanks, Spike." She said with a smile, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well for starters, you'd be writing your own checklists and schedules." He remarked, earning a giggle from the lavender princess. "Did Celestia say what she needed you for?"

Twilight nodded, "No, she just said that it was of utmost importance that I get to Canterlot as soon as possible." She explained, "I'm not sure what it is, or how long I'll be staying there. Are you sure you can handle everything here while I'm gone."

Spike straightened his posture and pressed a closed fist against his puffed out chest. "You can count on me!"

Another giggle escapes Twilight's muzzle. Spike truly was one of the best friends she ever could have asked for. "I'm sure I can. Make sure to let our friends know that I'll be away for a while, but I'll be back as soon as I am able."

Spike nodded and made a Beeline straight to Ponyville to carry out his task. As he did so, Twilight watched for a brief seconds before turning her attention to her ride. She climbed into the carriage, knocking on the front of it to signal to the solar guards that she was ready to depart.

Once they were off, she started to let her mind wander. What would Princess Celestia possibly need her for? Was it really that important? It had to be since she was requested to be their in a timely manner. But, what could it possibly be? She continued to ponder on all of this throughout a majority of the trip.

It wasn't long before the carriage began its descent into Canterlot, landing just outside of the large castle at the head of the most wealthy town in Equestria. As she steps out of the vehicle, she is met with a sight that actually manages to make her smile. Not ten feet from where she was standing, another carriage is parked. Stepping out from this one is another alicorn. Her pink coat and colorful mane are enough to give her away.

"Cadence!" Twilight yelled out of excitement, running over to her former foalsitter with glee.

It takes Cadence all of half a second to turn her head and smile like a little school filly. She follows Twilight's example, trotting toward her as fast as she could. Just when it seemed like they were going to collide, they came to a stop and performed their little ritual, singing in unison; "Sunshine, sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

The two princesses shared a laugh before welcoming the other into a warm embrace. They held each other for what felt like forever before separating.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked, her smile never wavering.

"Auntie Celestia called me here on important business." She explained, sharing her fellow princess' enthusiasm. "However, I wasn't expecting to see you here. Are you visiting?"

Twilight's smile finally fell upon hearing this. Not only had Celestia called her here, but Cadence as well. "Actually, Princess Celestia summoned me here on business too."

Cadences smile fell as well. "Oh dear; If she called us both here then it must be extremely important. We should probably get a move on and see what it is."

Twilight nodded as they turned towards the castle and made their way in, trotting at a quickened pace. It would take a short while to get to the main hall, then to get to the throne room. Taking advantage of this, Twilight started to pry for information. "Did Princess Celestia tell you anything about why we're here?"

"No." She replied, "But if all of us are required to be present, then it must be urgent."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

Twilight and Cadence continued down the halls until they finally reached the throne room. As always, there was a line of guards on both sides of a red carpet that led to the thrones themselves. Upon one of these thrones was Princess Celestia, who sat with a worried expression on her face.

Lost in her thoughts, Celestia didn't even notice that the two young alicorns had entered her throne room, thus continued to be imprisoned within her own mind. It wasn't until they had called out her name that she came back to reality and picked up on their presence.

Stepping down from her throne, Celestia bowed to her fellow princesses, and they followed suit. "It's a pleasure to see you both again." She said, lifting her head to face her niece and former student. "I just wish it could have been on better terms."

Twilight rose from her bow, looking at Celestia with curious eyes. "With all do respect, princess; Why did you summon us here on such short notice?"

"Yeah," Cadence cut in, returning from her bow as well. "You never did specify the reason you needed us to come. Is there something wrong?"

"Come with me." Celestia said with a nod, "There is something I wish to share with you." The sun goddess then exited the throne room, the two other alicorns following close behind her as she made her way through the halls. "A few years ago, times were beginning to roughen. Crime was on the rise and it was getting more and more difficult to prosecute those who had committed..."

We had lost another case, a stallion by the name of Greedy Hooves had robbed several banks and left many in poverty as a result. He was found, arrested, and put on trial. However, he was crafty, leaving behind no shred of evidence that could be used against him. Everypony knew he was guilty, but without proof of his crimes, he could not be imprisoned.

He was only one of many who had found loopholes in the system and abused them to their fullest extent. So many terrible ponies committing heinous acts and finding ways to avoid getting caught, or finding a way to beat the justice system and walk away.

My heart weighed heavily on every case that got away from me. Luna was no happier than I and insisted we do something about it, but the current laws would permit no such thing. I couldn't do anything about it because of the system we had, though I wished I could.

"Couldn't we change the laws?" Cadence asked, interrupting the story. "Alter them, so ponies like that can't get away?"

"I could, but doing so would be an abuse upon my crown. If I simply changed things for my benefit, it would make me no better than the criminals I sought to put away." Celestia answered before continuing.

It was on that night, when Greedy Hooves had slipped away, that I prayed to Faust for something to happen. I prayed for a miracle, anything that could help me. It hurts me to know that ponies like him exist and are causing my subjects to walk around in fear of what is to come.

Suddenly, and without warning, a storm came; One that had not been scheduled. Thunder, lightning, and heavy rain shook Canterlot, causing many ponies to panic and recede into their homes for shelter.

"I remember that!" Twilight began, "That happened a few days after you sent me to Ponyville. It was all over the newspapers. Nopony could figure out how it started or where it came from."

Celestia nodded in response, "That storm was a mystery to us all, but that itself wasn't the only strange thing that had happened that night."

Not many ponies noticed this, as they were busy seeking out shelter from the storm, but something else was happening. Above the raging clouds a portal had opened, one that I believe was the cause of that mess. My sister and I took to the skies, going straight for it. Our magic did very little at first, but in time, we managed to close the portal and the storm faded.

Just before it had closed though, something else came through. Two creatures had fallen from it and were plummeting to their deaths. Luna and I acted fast, swooping down and saving them from such a horrible fate. We brought them into the castle to have them examined. Never before had we seen such beings. Once the initial shock had passed, we were surprised to find that neither of them had been harmed. It only surprised us further to learn that they shared our dialect.

My sister and I spent time with them, learning everything we could. From what they had told us, they came from a different world; A storm had appeared out of nowhere in their land and both of them were pulled into the skies by an unseen force. The next thing they knew, they were falling.

"Forgive me for being skeptical, Auntie." Cadence began, finding this tale to be less-than-believable. It wasn't that she didn't trust Celestia, but such a story simply couldn't be true. How does a portal just appear without the use of magic? It should be impossible. "But, doesn't this sound even the littlest bit strange to you?"

Celestia couldn't help but to giggle at her nieces perspective. "I'm aware of how far fetched this tale may be. I wouldn't have believed it either if I wasn't there."

"So, what happened next?" Twilight asked, being very much invested in Celestia's story.

The more we learned about them, the more I felt as though my prayers had been answered. Both of these creatures fought for order in their world, bringing down criminals and forcing them to see justice. Without even thinking, I gave them full access to our records and every piece of information they could ever want.

I didn't notice this at first, but they seemed very fixated on being separate from each other when it came to their work. Within the next few weeks things started to look up. Several of the ponies who had gotten away with their crimes were brought back on trial with more than enough evidence to put them away. It all happened so fast, I didn't know how to react. I was happy that they were brought to justice, but something didn't feel quite right.

A few more days passed and I discovered that some of the ponies that had gotten away hadn't been brought back on trial. This hardly phased me at the time, I figured that they would be back eventually. Then I found out why they weren't coming back.

One of the creatures had been doing everything in his power to bring the guilty ponies back and have them locked up, but the other was making them disappear; Never to be seen again.

Once I had discovered this, I went after him. I was so close to bringing him down and sending him off to the dungeon, but then Luna got involved. She refused to let me do anything to him, claiming that his way was better and would lead to a more peaceful outcome.

We fought for days with no end on this. She refused to see the good that was being done with the creature I sided with and only looked at the faults; Cases that didn't go through, criminals that somehow managed to beat us again. In her eyes, what the creature she sided with was doing was a more fine and permanent solution.

Our tempers rose and tensions were high, the foundation of which I built this land on was about to be challenged and my own sister would be an accomplice. It would have broken into a civil war if we couldn't come to an agreement.

Before long, the creatures came to us offering a solution. A contract was then written out, binding one of the creatures to me and the other to Luna. We were given power over them, so if we felt something needed to be changed, we could make the call. Rules were written out, codes were set, and a strict restraining process was put in place. A ward was cast on both wings of the castle so that neither creature could enter the other's domain.

They continued their work separately, but couldn't do much not being allowed outside of their respective places in the castle. In time, they built their own societies, ponies that believed in their cause, and carried out every order they were given.

The underground society I rule over is known as, Anonymous. A large group of ponies that seek out criminals, catch them in the act, and acquire evidence that would not be obtainable otherwise. The society Luna has resolved to ruling over call themselves, The Watchers. They would track down criminals and use scare tactics to lure them out before making them disappear.

"Not too long ago, I requested that my sister give Anonymous another chance to earn her trust." Celestia continued, "It took some convincing, but she agreed and The Watchers were dispersed."

Twilight and Cadence were left in a stunned silence, neither knowing how to respond. How could two unknown creatures have fallen into Equestria and managed to stay hidden; Especially when they've both built an army of which they use to carry out their work. Where did they come from?

There was one particular question that was floating around in Twilight's mind, one that she couldn't quite figure out on her own. "Princess Celestia." She addressed, earning a hum from the alabaster alicorn. "As fascinated as I am by your story, I still don't see where Cadence and I come into play here."

Celestia sighed, "A few days ago, right after the case of the ponies vs Happy Trails failed, Luna became frustrated and unleashed The Watchers again." She explained, feeling as though there were a stone resting in her stomach. "Happy vanished that night, the last pony ever seeing him being a member of Anonymous."

"I summoned both of you here because of The Watcher's return." Celestia revealed, "I fear what will happen to my little ponies should his power grow." She stopped, turning around to face the two young alicorns with pleading eyes. "I would like you to join me in ruling over Anonymous. With your help, I believe we can always be a few steps ahead of The Watcher and keep order in Equestria."

"Referring back to the contract, we are required to have a meeting in which to discuss this new ruling." She finished, her eyes still begging them for their help. "Will you join me in keeping Equestria as it is, and to keep it the same peaceful nation we all love?"

Twilight and Cadence glanced at each other with wide eyes. Neither of them expecting an outcome like this. They looked at one another in silence, trying to think of what their next move would be. It didn't take long for their faith in Celestia to outweigh any other decision they could have made.

"Auntie," Cadence began, turning to face the regal mare in front of her. "I would be happy to assist you in any way I can. You have me and all of the Crystal Empire at your side."

"I couldn't agree more." Twilight followed up, "I'm with you, Princess; Through and through."

It brought a tear to Celestia's eyes to hear the reassuring words that her fellow princesses would help her. With them by her side, nothing could stop them. The Watcher wouldn't stand a chance with Anonymous having this kind of support. "I am glad to hear that." She said, turning toward a large set of double doors. "Come along now; As much as I'd love to bestow you with everything you need to rule Anonymous, we must discuss the terms with both sides."

Celestia's horn started to glow and the double doors opened, revealing a small room with nothing more than a rectangular table in the center and a line of chairs on either side. On each side of the room was a single door, equipped with multiple locks and parted only by the table that divided the room.

Celestia moved to the right side of the table, taking a seat in one of the old chairs. Cadence and Twilight followed suit, sitting on either side of the sun goddess.

Not too long afterward, Luna enters the same way they did, wearing a very displeased expression on her face. She trots to the left side of the table, taking a seat just opposite of her sister. "Let's get this over with." She said, her tone carrying the same displeasure her features held. "I have more important things to be doing right now."

Nodding, Celestia agreed to start the meeting. "As you wish, sister."

The royal sisters' horns became alight as the double doors slammed shut, being sealed off from the rest of the world with several spells and charms. Simultaneously, the smaller doors behind them made themselves known as their locks were removed. Both doors swung open, causing Cadence and Twilight to jump and scan the room around them. A small number of ponies entered the room from both sides and lined up against their respective walls. The ponies on the left side were dressed in dark clothing, most wearing thick coats that covered their entire body with a hood over their head. Each one also wore a metallic-looking mask with glowing orange eyes. The ponies on the right side donned casual black suits, complete with a white dress shirt and a black tie. Just as the ponies on the left side, they wore masks, but ones that were much less intimidating.

With these ponies in their spots, the doors behind them closed. A single representative on both sides steps forward, reaching into their pockets and pulling out a small hoof-held radio and placing it on the table before walking back to their places.

The two younger alicorns shot each other a glance, looking back at the radios with confusion set on their features. For a while, all that was heard was static.

"Greetings;" Came a distorted voice from the radio beside Celestia. "Before we begin, I would first like to formally introduce myself. Princess Cadence, Princess Twilight; I am Anonymous." The mentioned princesses' confusion only grew. "I apologize for us not meeting more directly, but given the terms of our contract, we are unable to do so at this time."

Twilight and Cadence looked to Celestia, who gave a confirming nod.

"Such a shame." Came another distorted voice, coming from the radio beside Luna. "And here, I was looking forward to seeing you again." It added with a disturbing chuckle. "I suppose I am required to introduce myself as well, even though I'm sure you both have already heard so much about me."

A look of frustration seemed to cross the alabaster alicorn's muzzle as she glared at the radio. "Am I to understand that you have been watching me now?" She asked with an accusing tone. "If you don't recall, you are forbidden to do such-"

"Entry 147: The Princess Law." The Watcher's radio interrupted, silencing Celestia in the process. "Both Princesses are to be obeyed, not monitored. Their word is law and, unless instructed otherwise, only the group they represent may shadow them."

Celestia blinked a few times at this, finding no words to use against him. "I'm well-aware of the terms of the contract. After-all; I'm the one who wrote it. And to go back to your accusation; No, I haven't been watching you. You're simply just that predictable."

Luna could be seen aiming a cocky smile at her elder sister. Once again, the sun goddess had thought too little of The Watcher and underestimated his mind. She was sure that this would be Celestia's downfall, if she continued in her arrogant ways.

"If you are done provoking the princess, I believe we have a meeting to proceed with."

"Very well..."

Without further exchange, Princess Luna willed a scroll to appear before her with her magic. Placing it on the table, the rolled paper unfurled, revealing an extensive list of rules, codes, and regulations. At the bottom of the scroll, four names were scribbled; Luna's and Celestia's, as well as Anonymous' and The Watcher's.

Celestia levitated two quills toward her passing one off to Twilight and Cadence. "First, we will go through the basics. After that, we shall move on and go through all of the rules and what power you will hold in leading Anonymous with me." She explained before motioning to the end of the scroll. "Once all of that is done, you are required to announce your decision aloud, then you sign."

"May I add something?" Celestia's radio cracked, "While it is known between the four of us, it was never addressed within the contract and I believe that it should be stated."

"Yes you may." Celestia answered, prompting the surrounding ponies to listen intently to the radio.

"Once you choose a side, there is no going back." It's tone may be hard to identify, but something about the way it just spoke showed that it was serious. "Both societies are hidden for a reason; Nopony else is to know of our existence and there can be no switching sides, as it would compromise the foundations we built.

"I am not proud of this rule, but it is the only way to ensure that we can continue to do what we do; That we can protect everypony in this land. There was a pause in it's voice, showing the ponies just how uncomfortable it truly was. "To recede from this contract, would be akin to giving away government secrets and you will be punished to the fullest extent of the law."

Cadence and Twilight shared the same wide-eyed expression once again. They knew this was something to be taken seriously, but weren't expecting something like this. "Furthermore, you will be welcoming whomever you sign with access to your jurisdiction."

"So; By signing this, members of Anonymous would come to the Crystal Kingdom?" Cadence asked.

"That is correct. Up until now, we have been bound to Canterlot so that our leaders could keep us in their sights. By signing, you will be welcoming Anonymous to reach out and extend to your kingdom." Anonymous replied, "They will blend in with your society and remain hidden. But, they will require a headquarters in your palace as well."

Taking a moment to weigh her options and run through a few ideas in her head, Cadence made her decision. "That's perfectly fine. If this is what it takes to help maintain order in our land, then I am more than happy to allow you into my kingdom."

Her words brought a smile to Celestia's face. What hope she had lost when Luna announced The Watcher's return had been fully restored. Without even thinking, Cadence levitated her quill to the bottom of the scroll, ready to sign it in the name of a peaceful and just world.

"You have a beautiful daughter, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

Cadence froze at the mention of Flurry, her heart feeling as though it had fallen into her stomach and was about to be boiled. Her eyes shot to the watchers at the wall, then to the radio. "How do you know about her?"

"It's my job."

"Hold on a second!" Twilight interrupted with a raised tone. "I thought you weren't allowed to monitor the princesses. You just said that!"

"To be fair; That rule only extends to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Anonymous cut in, "However, once you've signed the contract, both sides would be forbidden from digging into your personal lives unless instructed to do so."

Twilight took a moment to think about this. "Anonymous said that neither of you have any jurisdiction outside of Canterlot, right?" Both radios confirmed this. "Then how were you able to learn about my niece if you have no access to what goes on in the Crystal Empire? Surely there is some rule that you're breaking."

"Come on, Princess Sparkle; Why don't you tell me?" The Watcher teased, "I mean, anypony that graduates at the top of Celestia's School for Gifted Foals should be smart enough to figure out something as simple as this."

"Enough!" Cadence all but yelled, silencing the whole room before turning her attention to The Watcher's radio again. "Why did you bring up my daughter?" She asked with a hint of venom in her words.

The distorted voice chuckled at her before replying. "Would I be right to assume that you love her? That you would do anything in your power to keep her safe?"

Cadence almost looked offended at his questions. "Of course I would!"

"Princess Sparkle, would you do the same?"

"Y-yes! I would do anything to keep her safe." Twilight replied without the briefest hesitation.

"Then allow me to construct a scenario for you...

Let's say that this takes place a few years from now;

It's the middle of the night and poor Flurry Heart is all alone, walking around kingdom with a bright, happy smile. Not too long ago she had come into contact with the sweetest, nicest, most kind colt she has ever met. Her intentions were to go out and meet him on this night, but her mommy and daddy told her no. Given her age, a bit of rebellion is not uncommon.

That being said, she found a way out of the castle without being caught. She wouldn't let her stupid parents tell her she couldn't go meet her new friend. Following his instructions, she finds the place he told her to meet him at; A dark, dirty alleyway that leads to nowhere. Confused, she goes into the alley to find the colt.

That's when it happens.

Flurry finds herself being forced down, a magic nullifying ring placed over her horn and soon a rope around her wings. She tries to scream, but is gagged by her attacker. Completely unable to defend herself, and nopony being around to save her, she is pulled further into the alley; Out of sight, and out of mind.

Now let's say that a member of Anonymous has been observing her from the beginning. They have watched the scene unfold and continue to do so as she is violated, all while collecting every bit of evidence they need to take that colt to court and have him put away for the rest of his life.

Now tell me; Does that sound ideal to you, Princess Cadenza?"

Cadence is disgusted by this little story he created, but wanted to know what this was all leading to. "While I would prefer not to imagine something like that happening, I think it would be an appropriate course of action. If Anonymous is able to identify the colt and has the evidence needed to put him away, then I would be content."

Just saying this hurt her. After all, she's the princess of love. Her affection is the purest of all, as is her heart. She dreaded the thought that something bad could happen to Flurry at any point in time. But, if that were the scenario, she could be happy that the pony would be rotting in a cell for the rest of his life. She doesn't know if her daughter would ever recover from something like that, but would hope his imprisonment would bring her some comfort.

"And you, Princess Twilight?"

Twilight is stuck in a state of shock, staring at Cadence with discontent. Once she notices the radio though, she's pulled back to a proper state. "I...No...That's just wrong." She said, vocalizing her displeasure with his story and thinking about how things could have played out differently. "Anonymous wouldn't just stand by and watch, would they?" She asked, looking in Celestia's direction.

"I'm afraid they would have to, Twilight." Celestia responded painfully. "In order to lock up these ponies, they have to commit a crime and be caught. You cannot arrest a pony if they have done nothing wrong though."

"But why!?" Twilight nearly shouted, her emotions clouding any judgment of law and order she had. "If you know that something bad is going to happen, then why wouldn't you stop it? And what about Flurry Heart? If something like that happened, how do you think it would affect her?"

"Don't think about it too much, Princess Sparkle." The Watcher cut in, "After all, what's some long-term mental trauma when it comes to bringing a pony to justice? Sure, she'll be haunted for the rest of her life; Never trusting anypony, avoiding any and all social interactions, waking up screaming from the same nightmare she keeps having every single night, all while asking herself over and over, 'Why?' But that's hardly relevant now that the pony who attacked her is behind bars, right?"

Luna, having worked out what The Watcher was trying to get across, took a stand. "You see, Twilight; Anonymous' sole purpose is to bring ponies who have committed crimes to justice. The Watcher's on the other hoof, as long as they were sure about what was going to happen, would put an end to it before it could start."

"With that in mind, let's change the story a bit..."

This time, one of my watchers has been observing her. They have watched the scene unfold up until they attacked Flurry Heart. Knowing that she is in danger, they jump into action. Being trained to fight in any situation, they are skilled and easily bring down her attacker.

With her safety no longer being a concern, they release Flurry Heart, instructing her to return home. Once she is gone, they take the pony who would have mercilessly violated her and make sure they are never able to do something like that again.

"I can already see the headlines. 'Unknown Rapist Vanishes Into Thin Air' I'm sure the press would have a better title than that, but it's not my job to work on stories.

There were a number of colliding thoughts going through Twilight's head. On one side, Anonymous would help catch the bad ponies and make them see justice. On the other though, they cannot intervene if a crime is taking place because it would likely jeopardize their entire operation by giving away their existence.

The Watchers though; Not only would they stop crime, but they would also put an end to repeat offenses. However, their method of doing so is far from redeemable. They're taking ponies and making them disappear, which is just wrong! But then again, in doing so, who knows how many lives they could have saved, how many innocents could be preserved.

If the scene he described with Flurry Heart were to happen, they would protect her by getting rid of the pony who would dare try to touch her. Not only that, but if that pony were real, it likely wouldn't be his first time doing something like that. He had a rope and a magic nullifying ring, like he knew what to expect. Meaning, the character he came up with, was experienced.

So who knows how many other ponies he has hypothetically attacked and forced into the same position. Had the watchers found him sooner, then he wouldn't have been able to do any of that to anypony.

If Anonymous were to find that pony, they would put him in prison though, which would be preferable to their disappearance. But, what if he managed to get out of the trial? What if he found a loophole in the system and was able to escape without even a slap on the hoof?

What if he would have come after one of her friends...

Maybe it's just the stress of the situation, but Twilight quickly concluded that she was WAY over thinking this story. She just wanted to be thorough in her analysis, she couldn't help the conclusion. The thought remained though, that if something like this did happen in real life, who's to say it isn't a possibility for one of her friends to be next?

"So you expect me to side with you, then?" Cadence snapped at the voice in the small radio. "Somepony who would go out and hurt criminals! Like it or not, they are ponies, and they have a right to a fair trial. For you to take matters into your own hooves and make them disappear is a crime in itself."

"Yes, it is. But it's a crime that cannot be proven in court. I never leave the castle; There's my alibi. It's far from impressive, but it's one that can be proven. Which, in turn, means that I could not have gone out and done anything. Which, in the eyes of a jury, means that I have done nothing.

Cadence was unsure of how to respond to this. He wasn't wrong. In all actuality, he himself wasn't going out and doing anything. My watchers never leave anything worth finding behind. Nopony knows of our presence, it isn't even hinted at. As far as the public, and the authorities are concerned, we do not exist.

"You're no better than the criminals we are trying to put away!" Cadence snapped, "You're using loopholes to stay out of trouble and commit these horrible acts. You know what, forget what I said earlier, you're worse than them!"

"So the one who would rather her daughter get raped is calling me the monster."

"I never said-"

"You made a choice! And that choice, would have very well costed your sweet, little filly her innocence. Thus, shattering her frail mind and leaving a hollowed out husk in its wake. My watchers could keep something like that from happening, we could keep your subjects safe. Yet you call me the monster..."

"Perhaps I am, Princess Cadenza. But, not without purpose. In order to defeat a monster, you must be willing to sacrifice your humanity. For only a monster can defeat a monster. But, I am NOT some tireless beast. I am merely a player in this twisted game of cat and mouse. And all I'm doing is playing the game that these vile creatures have set the moral rules for."

"Regardless, in doing what you do, you're breaking the law and should be thrown in the dungeon with the rest of them." Cadence finished her little outburst with a huff and turned to her aunt. "As I said before, you have me and the entire Crystal Empire at your side. I will not allow this thing to continue playing these games." Without further hesitation, the princess of love signed her name on the bottom of the scroll. "I choose Anonymous!"

Celestia almost broke into tears, offering her niece a warm, welcoming smile. "Thank you, Cadence."

"We are glad to hear of your willingness and cooperation, Princess Cadence. Rest assured, we will bring the guilty into the limelight and they will see justice. We look forward to working with you and extending our services to your empire. Welcome to Anonymous."

Cadence wore an all-too-proud smirk as she turned back to the radio. "Get ready, Watcher. Once we get this ball rolling, you're time will come. And with my auntie and Twilight by my side, there'll be no stopping us from bringing an end to your chaos." The proud mare angled her head toward her sister-in-law, feeling ready to take on the world. "Right Twilight?"

Much to the pink alicorn's surprise, Twilight was not sitting in her previous spot. Instead, she had rose from her seat and was cautiously making her way to the end of the table, where the scroll nearly rolled off of the edge. With each step, you could see the pain and fear she felt spreading across her features.

Twilight had never been faced with such a difficult choice in her entire life. While she didn't like the way they operated, who's to say that they're doing it wrong? Though they may not be perfect, they're simply trying to improve the world with what they have. And what they have is whatever the opposing side is willing to give them.

Coming to the end, holding the quill in her magic, she began to write her name.

While many would see what they are doing as wrong, she couldn't help but see the benefits of it. A permanent solution to repeat offenders and those who've gotten away with their crimes. It wasn't there fault that it had to be this way, they have no other choice. Those who have found loopholes will continue to avoid trial, if not, find a way to beat the court. It went against her morals for her side with something like this. But as they stated, they're simply playing the game that the ponies they are chasing have set the moral rules for. To them, it's an eye for an eye, and although it made her feel terrible to admit it, that was more than fair.

Twilight set down her quill, needing to close her eyes as tears threatened to escape her. "I choose The Watcher..."

Chapter 2

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The room was quiet, silent as the grave. If a fly were to find its way in, its wing beat would be more audible than the caught breaths of the ponies residing within the confines of this room. All were still, faces frozen with mixed emotions. Some were in shock, others will filled with surprise. One in particular had a look of its own. Unique to those around her.

Twilight's chest felt heavy, making something as simple as drawing breath a difficult feat to accomplish. It was as if her heart had gained several pounds and was now resting on top of her lungs. Her face, as well as the rest of her, was stuck; In awe of her own actions. Her cold, calculating mind was at war with her morals. Part of her felt that what she had done was right, but another part was disgusted by her decision.

It was difficult to shift her gaze, but once she had, she immediately regretted doing so. The look on her old mentors face was heart wrenching. It was a look of pain and betrayal. Her sister-in-law was no different, but was much more emotional for some reason. Twilight's shame made itself known as tears threatened to escape her eyes. The choice she made hurt her deeply, but it was the only one that made sense in her eyes. Regardless, it's too late to go back now.

The silence was finally broken when the radio beside Luna spoke up. "The tension is so thick...I can feel it from here." It said with short laugh, it's robotic tone pulling the attention of the ponies close enough to hear. "Princess Twilight,
though you may not realize it yet, you made the right choice. Welcome to The Watchers."

Looking defeated, Twilight walked to the opposite side of the table that she had been sitting on. Joining both Luna and the group she now represented. Her eyes remained on the floor, refusing to meet the gaze of those in her company. She just couldn't find it in her heart to face them right now. It would hurt too much to see their looks of disappointment again.

A comforting hoof found its place just above her wings. She glanced over to see Luna offering her a small smile as she rubbed the spot between her neck and her wings. "Thank you, Twilight. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Twilight couldn't respond, she was still in an emotional purgatory, unknowing of how to feel. The room would have fallen into another silence if not for the radio sitting beside Celestia.

"We seem to have failed to go over the contract." Anonymous mentioned, his tone difficult to read. "Though, given the circumstances, I believe it can wait. For now, I think it is about time we meet with our new partners. Would that be agreeable to everyone?"

Shaking herself from her near-catatonic state, Celestia nodded solemnly in approval. "I think that would be best. We will see you shortly, Anonymous."

"I graciously await your visit, Princess Celestia; Yours as well, Princess Cadence." Anonymous said calmly, "We look forward to working with you."

Cadence has to swallow a lump in her throat before responding. "I look forward to it as well." She replied, her voice weak in both tone and structure. "I was just hoping that there would be more of us."

Twilight keeps her head down, but cringes at her words. They cut deeper than any knife blade ever could and brought a pain that she couldn't describe. If she weren't already on the verge of tears, she would be now. A few drops fell from her eyes, landing on the floor.

The only one who seems to take offence to this is Princess Luna. She couldn't believe her niece would enact such a 'Low Blow' as they call it. The night princess can understand being upset all too well, but that was completely uncalled for. If not for the interruption, she would have made a hostile response.

"Oh, Twilight~" Twilight reluctantly lifted her head to the radio, staring at it intently as she waited for him to continue. "I think it's time that I show you what we're all about." He said, the door where several watchers had entered earlier opening on its own right behind her. She looked back at it, staring into the blackness that awaited her. "Come, little filly; Let me take you away, into my garden shadows."

There was an odd static coming from Celestia's radio that drew everypony's attention. It was odd and unintelligible at first, but after a while it started to sound like laughter. It was soft and quiet, but Anonymous was laughing. "You simply could not resist, could you?"

"What can I say?" The Watcher responded with a dark chuckle, drawing the ponies attention to Luna's radio. "I'm a sucker for the classics."

"You always were..." After a brief pause, the door behind Celestia and Cadence opened up. This one had more light to it, but not with any amount of intensity. "Princess..." The solar princess rose from her seat. Her younger sister did so as well and their new partners followed by example.

"I guess it's time we go our separate ways." Celestia announced, shooting one last hurt look to her former student, who avoided her gaze when she noticed that it was directed at her. "Twilight..." She said, wanting to say something. However, she found the words difficult to produce and settled with ending it in silence.

A masked member from both groups approached and retrieved the radios before receding into their respective doors with the rest of their group. Celestia waited for the last one to pass before following behind with Cadence trotting slowly behind her.

Twilight looked up as they left, watching them with sad eyes as the door closed behind them. She wanted to reach out to them, to plead for them so that they would not hate her. If not for the night princess, she probably would have.

Luna gently grabbed the young alicorn and directed her toward the dark hallway that awaited them. "Come, Twilight. There is much that we need to discuss and The Watcher is eager to meet you."

Resigning herself to the choice she had made, Twilight turned around and followed Luna, who led her into the pitch black void that she had signed herself over to. Once they were in, the door behind them closed, and all was black.

"I can't believe she would do this!" Cadence all but yelled, her frustration finally taking hold as they descended a long, winding staircase made of stone. "How could she side with those...those...monsters!" There were many thoughts that were tormenting her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. "There has to be something wrong...Maybe The Watcher used some kind of spell to manipulate her!" She concluded, "And there has to be a rule or something against that! He's doing something to her and-"

"Please, Cadence!" Celestia snapped, her words only making her feel worse about the situation. She continued to follow the Anonymous members deeper underground, doing her best to keep a level head and not let her emotions get the better of her. "Neither Anonymous nor The Watcher has the capabilities to do such a thing. They are both completely incapable of using magic of any kind."

"B-but...Twilight..." Cadence stuttered, unable to formulate any kind of resolve. "But she...she's-!"

"She made her choice, Cadence." Celestia finished for her, still finding it hard to believe as well. "We cannot fault her for what she thinks is right. Even if it goes against our own beliefs." Her words hit her niece like bricks, shattering the walls in her head like glass. "This is something far greater than just simple laws and regulations."

Cadence almost didn't hear that last part. Her aunt had added it quietly and with a disturbingly ominous tone. She went to question her words, but stopped when they reached the end of their decent. Her hooves left the stairs and was met with a flat stone floor. What she saw in front of her was absolutely amazing.

They marched forward down a large room filled with all sorts of activity. All around her were hundreds of desks stacked with folders, files, manila envelopes, large filing cabinets, and so on. Each desk had a minimum of one pony, each pony dressed identical to the other. Black suits covering every inch of them, white masks; The only differences she could make out was the color of the bottom of their hooves, the back of their heads, and the occasional wings/horn. These ponies were coming in from all over the place. Pegasi were flying in from balconies that led to Celestia-knows-where, earth ponies marching in from doors that practically lined the walls, and unicorns popping in and out from every direction.

The room was packed, the only real opening being small spaces between each desk and the large walkway down the center that lead to a much larger desk with a single chair in the center. Above this desk was a white flag, one that had an image that took her a minute to figure out. There was an odd design to it that was circled and in the center was a headless, suited form; It's head being replaced by a simple question mark.

They finally came to the end of the room, walking up a single step to reach the large desk that awaited them. The structure was set up like any other office desk; With pens, papers, files, markers and all. Everything was neatly placed in certain areas that pleased the one who frequented it...Who appeared slightly more intimidating than she expected.

It was not the demeanor of this creature, nor the way it presented itself as it rose from its seat. It was its size that caught the princess of love off guard. It stood just inches taller than Celestia, her horn barely reaching its masked face. She watched in silence as it crossed it arms behind its back and leaned forward slightly, bowing to her and her aunt.

"Princess Celestia, a pleasure as always." It said, standing back to its full height. "Princess Cadence, I am equally pleased to make your acquaintance." It finished, gesturing at them with a gloved appendage. "Please, take a seat."

A pony walked up from either side, sliding a chair to the Princesses before departing. They accepted and took a seat as the creature set himself back in his own chair. "I would first like to say that I am grateful that you have decided to join our cause, Princess Cadence."

Putting on a smile, Cadence gestured to herself with a hoof. "The pleasure is all mine." She said, "I'm hoping that this arrangement will improve law enforcement in my kingdom, as well as all of Equestria."

"As long as we are permitted access to essential information, we WILL bring justice to your kingdom." Anonymous assured, placing his hands on his desk. "However, there are a few things that you must be made aware of. Things that were overlooked during the signing of the contract."

A blush appeared on both of the Princesses as they glanced over at each other wearing nervous smiles. "Sorry..." Cadence began. "I guess we got a little too excited thanks to that watcher fellow."

"He tends to have that effect." Anonymous commented, shifting in his seat as he leaned back and placed his hands on his lap. "Watcher aside; There are a few important we must to go through before establishing a base in the Crystal Empire.

"I'm all ears." Cadence said, leaning forward to emphasis her point.

"First and foremost, we must have a headquarters within the castle. Preferably somewhere secure and secluded. A place where ponies are not permitted to enter." He explained.

Cadence went through a mental list of her castle's rooms. When she was sure she knew of a place, she nodded. "I have the perfect spot; It's in the East wing of the castle." She began, "It used to belong to-"

"The Tyrant King, Sombra." Anonymous interrupted, surprising the love goddess some with his knowledge of the previous dictator. "It's understandable why they would avoid that part of the castle. It would make a suitable base for our operation."

Cadence confirmed this with a smile. "My thoughts exactly."

A pony trotted up to Anonymous, levitating a small folder to him. He accepted the folder and opened it, the pony leaving shortly after. "It should also be known that only members of Anonymous will be allowed to shadow you, and we will at all hours, unless directed otherwise."

Closing the folder, he turned his attention back to the princesses. "Anything we come across will go by you before any action is made. Should we cross any boundaries, or you would like us to cease from a certain project for whatever reason, you need only say so."

"That sounds more than fair." Cadence's smile dropped as a thought occurred that started to haunt her. Along with the voice that sparked the concern in the first place. "May I ask something?"

"You may ask anything."

"When we were supposed to be going over the contract..." Cadence began, her discomfort with the topic showing. "The Watcher brought up my daughter...I wasn't sure what he was trying to prove, but if he knows all of this stuff about me then-"

Anonymous opened a drawer in his desk, pulling out a large folder and setting it on the edge closest to her. "Your file,
princess." Cautiously, the princess picked up the file in her magic and opened it. "This was delivered to a member of anonymous by a watcher shortly after you announced your alliance. As part of the terms of our contract, The Watcher is no longer permitted to hold on to this information."

Though it did bring Cadence some comfort that this information was no longer in The Watcher's possession, it disturbed her how detailed the information held within was. Everything from the date of her birth all the way to just a few days ago seemed to be documented in this one bulking, folder. Not every detail of her life was in there, obviously. But, there was still more than enough to make her uncomfortable.

"Why did he have all of this?" She asked curiously.

Anonymous took a breath, not being pleased with how well-informed his nemesis had become shortly after his operations revival. "The Watcher somehow knew of Celestia's plans to bring both yourself and Princess Twilight into our order." He began, "Whether he did this out of suspect, or based on facts, we do not know. Regardless, you both became potential threats, and in the two days he was freed, he took full advantage of his power. He gathered everything he could to know as much about you and Twilight as possible before such an act could be forbidden by the contract."

Cadence appeared as though she had just watched someone leap off of a bridge. How could The Watcher collect all of this in a short amount of time? Two days was all it took for him to learn almost everything about her! He knew where she lived, where she was born, her first job, even her first boyfriend! There was literally an entire section about the first colt she dated with a note tucked beneath a current photo of him that read, 'Possible Leverage'.

Celestia could see the growing panic on her niece's face and placed a hoof on one of hers. "Cadence..." She began, waiting for her to make eye contact before continuing. "I understand how you feel. The Watcher put me in a similar position once as well."

"You have nothing to worry about. We are bound to Anonymous and The Watcher cannot touch us." Celestia said as she placed her other hoof to the love princess' cheek, staring through her eyes and into her soul; Offering comfort and solace. "His followers are forbidden from your land. You and your family are completely safe. I wouldn't have asked you to join me if it would have put any of you in harms way."

Cadence closed her eyes and took a breath, letting her aunts words sink in. It helped to alleviate some of her anxiety,. Not all of it, but some. "Okay...Okay...I'm calm..." She took another few seconds to collect herself then looked to Anonymous. "What else needs to be prepared for your arrival?"

Its presence was haunting, the very air around it felt as though it was filled with mischief and evil intent. The long coat it wore was torn and tattered, it's hooded face resembling the faces of the ponies around her, but with no muzzle. Its stature was the stuff of nightmares. Standing on two legs, it easily surpassed Princess Luna in height. Though the night princess had grown accustomed to the ambiance that came with The Watcher, her new partner was less-than-prepared for a meeting with such a being.

Twilight's hooves were locked in place as she stared up at the tall creatures metallic face, her body trembling as she took in every detail. While the rest of the room was buzzing with similar, ominous life; The sight of this particular life form demanded her full attention. More out of fear than anything else.

"Please don't eat eat me." The young alicorn muttered. It wasn't what she had intended to say, but her instincts provoked this very response.

The Watcher laughed softly at her response to him. "Oh, how I do so love meeting new members. The fear I instill simply by existing is almost euphoric."

Luna rolled her eyes at him, turning her attention to the cowering princess beside her. "You really must relax, Twilight. Your foal-like behavior is unbecoming of a princess."

The Watcher's gaze moved to the night princess with no readable expression. "Don't be so hard on her, Luna. You were in no better a state when you plucked me out of the sky." She was going to retort, but he didn't give her the chance. "Don't bother denying it. I can smell fear for miles. And at the time, I was close enough to hear your heart beat."

Luna's cheeks reddened slightly from embarrassment, not that the dimly lit room made it stick out. "Perhaps this is a conversation for another time; I believe there are more important matters to discuss."

"Killjoy..." As fun as it was to torment her, the lunar princess was right. There was business to attend to and he was not known for slacking when it came to such things. Redirecting his gaze, he focused on the newest member of his society. "Twilight Sparkle..."

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Twilight's face as she continued to stare with wide eyes at the creature. "Y-yes?"

"If you couldn't tell by now, I am the one referred to as The Watcher." He explained, getting that bit of introduction out of the way. He gestured to the large, almost cave-like room they were standing in. "This is my home. You will find no safer place in all of Equestria."

Though she was weary in doing so, she took in as much of her surroundings as she could. The lack of light made it difficult to see any sort of detail, but there were some things that stuck out. For starters; Several ponies were going about effortlessly, despite the dark that surrounded them. They were hard to pinpoint at first, but after a brief adjustment, she could make out their masked faces moving in all directions.

Figuring out what they were doing was a challenge as well, but she could see that some were looking through files and papers. This was only made noticeable by the brightened lights coming from their masks. Aside from them, the only other things she could see were Luna, The Watcher himself, and a large, red smiley face etched onto the back wall.

"In time, Ponyville will be just as safe." The Watcher added, quickly earning the attention of the purple pony he already found so amusing. "Your town, your friends, your youth, even your number one assistant; All of those and more will be under the protective gaze of my watchers."

"H-how do you know...?" Twilight asked, finding the words getting caught in her throat as she looked back to him.

"I know everything about you, Twilight." He replied, as if knowing what she was trying to ask. Which only served to make her that much more intimidated by him. "As one of your watchers, it is my job to keep track of you and know what you are doing at all times."

Twilight felt her heart skip a beat. The thought of eyes being on her constantly wasn't a comforting one, even if they were promising protection. She took note of his word choice though, and that was bothersome as well. "What do you mean by, 'one of my watchers'?"

The Watcher chuckled, still finding amusement in her unease. "Now that you have joined our cause, several of my watchers have already started moving in on Ponyville. Their eyes will take in all, you included." He explained, keeping a tab on her discomfort. "Don't worry though, they're not there to watch you go to bathroom or anything like that." Twilight blushed slightly at that, choosing to remain silent than respond. "I've even worked out a special arrangement to keep some of the stress of their presence off of your shoulders. Think of it as a...gift..."

"304! Step forward!" The Watcher's sudden raise in volume, and deepened tone, made Twilight jump. In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared next to her. "Princess Twilight; This is your personal watcher. Her eyes and ears are yours to command at all times. Should any of the watchers in your area have something to report, that information will be relayed to her. She is then to present that information to you."

Now she has ponies watching her entire town and one specifically designated to be right on her flank at all times. "Um, Mister Watcher; I'm not sure how I feel about-"

"Oh, don't worry." The Watcher interrupted, "If you don't want to see her, you won't. My watchers are very well-trained in stealth. You won't even know she's there."

"If that arrangement doesn't work for you, she can be assigned to accompany you as a friend." The Watcher explained, his face turning to the watcher assigned to her for a brief moment. "Shouldn't be too hard to pull that off." Another small laugh escapes him as he turned back to face Twilight. "And if there is anything you need, do not be afraid to contact me."

Without warning, a rough-looking pouch was thrown over Twilight's back. "Princess Luna?"

Luna fastened it in place with her magic, making sure it was secure. "Within this bag, you will find the face of the watcher. With it, you will be able to be able to reach out to fellow watchers."

304 stepped up, pulling down her hood and pointing to a dial on the side of her own mask. "There are three settings on each mask. One allows you to speak freely, the other will let you broadcast your voice to all nearby watchers, and the final setting will let you contact The Watcher himself."

Twilight swallowed a growing lump in her throat, trying to process everything. "This is all happening so fast...There's so much to take in. What am I even supposed to be doing?"

"There is not much you will be required to do." Luna answered, "However, you will have to set up a base in the castle where the watchers can hideout. This will be their resting place, workplace, and their safe space."

"They may seek your guidance; Advice on whether to follow through on certain plans and whatnot." She continued to explain. "And every once in a while, you may have to direct law enforcement in Ponyville the the other way so the watchers can complete a task. But, unless you decide to take a more active role, that is where your duty ends."

"Active role?" Twilight asked with a hint of dread.

"Yes," Luna confirmed with a nod, "But that is a discussion for another time."

"She's right." The Watcher cut in, "There is much we have to get through and I am a very busy man. Are there any questions you would like to ask before we begin?"

Twilight had a lot of questions she wanted to ask him, but found herself unable to for the most part. For example, she wanted to know about it species, about his world, about what led him to doing what he does. But, she felt as though those questions could wait. Her fear of angering him made that decision for her. If she was going to ask him something, it had to be relevant to their arrangement. Yet, she wanted to badly to understand The Watcher. Perhaps there is a way she can learn about him without going off topic...

With forced determination, Twilight finally constructed a question that may satisfy some of her curiosity without moving on to a personal subject. "What is a watcher, exactly?"

There was a pause and for a second, she thought she had upset him...until he started laughing. "That is a very good question, princess. What is a watcher?" He repeated, letting the air fall silent before continuing. "Ill tell you."

"We are the moths drawn to the burning flame of vile indiscretions, acts of violence to wrongful suffering. To those who do wrong, we are contracted Mercenaries of pain and suffering. We are the evil that comes for the evil." Taking a knee, The Watcher lowered himself to Twilight's level; Leaning in close enough that her face lit up whenever he spoke. "There is darkness in this world. And where there is darkness, there are those that hide within it. And for those that go bump in the night, we are the ones that bump back!"

A-V-W

by Twisted Brew

Prologue (TW0 S1D3S)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2