The Order of the Celestial Sun

by Blade Trail

Sister Scorch, The Inquisitor

The day after the Battle of Baltimare, Brother Burn lay in a bed in a small cottage on the outskirts of the city, wrapped in bandages and gesturing wildly with his hooves as he re-told the tale of his survival to a small white Earth Pony mare with blonde hair. Despite his injuries, Burn was as enthusiastic as ever.

“- and then, the ship exploded in the largest fireball I have ever seen! It was magnificent! It would have been perfect, even, were it not for the fact that I was still caught in the blast! Though all seemed lost...I managed to bring my shield up in time to block the worst of the flames!” Burn said, jerking his left hoof in front of him to recreate the action. The sudden motion tore the stitching on a wound on his side, which began to bleed into his bandages.

“I am not stitching that a fourth time,” the white mare said, irritated.

“Yes, yes. Fine, Scorch. Just listen!” Burn said. “The blast was so intense that it blew through my shield in a second! But a second was all it took for the shockwave to throw me out of harm’s way. I crashed into the water, the ‘Desert Dragon’ still trapped in my grasp, but not for long! He struggled, but this time, I did not hold on to him. I let him go, and - this is the best part - the heretic sank like a stone! HAHAHAHA!”

Burn was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. Sister Scorch looked unimpressed.

“It...it was...his armor!” Burn struggled to say as he gasped for breath. “It was too heavy! You...you should have seen him struggling!” - Burn made swimming motions coupled with mock gurgling noises - “HAHAHAHA!”

“Quiet down, you old fool!” Scorch scolded. “Do you want your enemies to know that you are here, injured and vulnerable?”

Burn wiped the tears from his eyes as regained his composure. “Ah, Scorched Earth, you worry far too much! The battle is over! Celestia herself presides over the Saddle Arabians’ surrender. There is nothing to fear! Have a little faith.”

“My faith is why I worry, Burning Brand,” Scorch said. “It tells me that the heathens cannot be trusted, and that they would be better off roasting in flames than back in their country, free to plot against us once more.”

Burn’s face turned serious. “You have hit the nail on the head, but missed the board completely. The Saddle Arabians would be better off burning in atonement than back in the sun-burnt wasteland they call home. That is precisely why Celestia is sending them back there. They do not deserve the redeeming fires. No, they will live out their pathetic lives ever assailed by the heat of the sun, but never truly blessed by its light.”

Scorch considered her brother’s words. Burn was a boisterous fool, but he did have his moments.

“Forgive me, Brother,” Scorch said. “You are right. It is not my place to question Celestia’s will.”

Burn smiled widely again. “Better! But still far too grim. Smile, Sister! We have won a great battle this day, and the sun is closer to us than ever before! This is cause for celebration! Break out the cider! Hahahaha!”

Scorch shook her head. “No, you need to rest and heal, Burn. You are no use to the light as you are. As for me, I have work to do. While your mission is finished, mine still awaits.”

Burn pouted. “You’re right, I know, but...not even a little bit of cider?”

“No.”

“Pleeeeeeeeease?”

“No!”

Archmage Caduceus the Magnificent was standing on the roof of the town hall and alternating between looking out over the city and looking down at a map he held in his magic. He had a frown on his face and was constantly scribbling notes into a scroll that he was levitating right next to the map. He heard the sound of Princess Celestia’s armored hooves landing on the roof behind him, but he did not turn to face her.

“And what might you be doing, Alexander?” Celestia asked.

“Caduceus the Magnificent is assessing the extent of the damage done to Baltimare,” Caduceus replied. “And it is absolutely atrocious. Caduceus hopes that we are billing the Saddle Arabians for this foolishness.”

“You know, the damage would not have been so bad had you and your cadre not been late, Alexander,” Celestia said.

“Then go tell that to this ‘Alexander’,” Caduceus said. “Caduceus the Magnificent is a powerful wizard, and it is common knowledge that a wizard is never late, nor is he ever early, he always arrives precisely when he means to.”

“That is a bold-faced lie initially thought up by the mages’ council one thousand seven hundred and thirty-two years ago,” Celestia said. “Wizards have always had a nasty habit of getting too absorbed in their research and losing track of time. Of course, they would be too proud to admit it, so when they finally did arrive, they would pretend that it was their intention to arrive at that exact moment all along, and categorically deny all evidence to the contrary. The more accomplished the wizard, the worse their punctuality, until at some point they just decide to stop coming out at all. Star Swirl tried to find a way around this with time travel spells, but ultimately failed. Most wizards aren’t nearly as considerate, and just put on airs to make it part of their ‘mystique’.

“One Caduceus the Magnanimous, for instance, was late for the grand wizard council’s meetings three hundred and eighty-seven times, which was rather impressive considering those only happened around once a month, and the council’s meeting hall was quite literally across the street from his laboratory. Predictably, he began to insist that it was all part of his grand design, and that none of them would understand the complexities of his plans even were he to explain them in full. The council accepted that, and Caduceus never received another invitation to afternoon tea for the rest of his life.”

Caduceus looked away from his scribblings and turned to face Celestia, his expression baffled. “I...was not aware of that.”

Celestia smirked. “An alicorn’s memory is long and detailed, Alexander. We do not easily forget, though sometimes we may want to. You would do well to remember that.”

“You’re really not letting me have this Caduceus thing, are you?” Caduceus asked.

“Nope,” Celestia replied.

Caduceus sighed. “You know that now I’m going to have to look all of that up just to be sure, right? It’ll probably set my research back days just trying to find the relevant tomes.”

“Yup,” Celestia replied.

“Look, Auntie, I just wanted ponies to see me as someone other than the bumbling little Prince Alexander who used to play at being court wizard and had to go for a nap after he tried to cast big spells,” Caduceus said testily. “I know I’m incredibly young for an archmage, but I earned this position. I’m not playing anymore.”

Celestia’s smile softened and she lay a hoof around Caduceus. “I understand that, dear, but changing your name changes nothing about you. I know that you earned your place, even if others think you only got it through royal favor. Give them time, and eventually they’ll recognize you for the wizard you are, and not the boy you used to be. But you have to understand that whether you accomplish nothing or surpass Star Swirl himself, I’ll always see you as Alexander Blueblood, my favorite nephew.”

Caduceus couldn’t help but snicker as Celestia ruffled his mane like she had countless times before. “I’m your only nephew!” he pointed out.

“All the more reason not to forget you,” Celestia said, her smile brightening as she pulled him into a hug.

“Alright! Alright! Let me go already!” Caduceus said. He pushed Celestia away in mock dismay, but he was smiling widely himself. “You can call me Alexander if you want, Auntie, but please do it when it’s just the two of us. To everyone else, I’m still Archmagus Caduceus the Magnificent. I already filed the paperwork, so it's officially my name now anyway.”

“If you insist, Caduceus,” Celestia conceded.

“Okay, when you say it, it sounds weird,” Caduceus said.

Celestia giggled.

“What was it you came up here for, anyway, Auntie?” Caduceus asked. “Don’t tell me it was just to make fun of my name.”

Back to business, then, Celestia thought sadly. Aloud, she said, “I’m afraid not. Prince Ali has conceded to our demands and formalized his surrender. We’ve already signed a new treaty and come to an agreement on Saddle Arabia’s reparations for their hostilities. I won’t bother going into the details, but before you ask, I was merciful. Saddle Arabia will be walking away from this engagement with little more than a slap on the wrist. More importantly, Equestria and Saddle Arabia are no longer at war, and the prince has assured me that there will be no further hostilities.”

“Can we trust him to keep his word?” Caduceus asked.

“Ali is a snake, but in this case, I believe he is telling the truth,” Celestia replied. “His attack was nothing more than a test of Equestria’s resolve. The Sultan wanted to see if Equestria could still stand strong even with only one Princess at the helm. Now he has his answer. And it only cost us both a few hundred ponies’ lives each. A mere pittance by his standards.” Celestia scowled.

Caduceus knew how strongly his aunt felt about senseless loss of life, and while he did not value every pony quite as much as she did, he agreed with her sentiments. This entire exercise had been wasteful and senselessly tragic. How many homes had been destroyed today? How many families broken apart? And for what? An experiment? Even as a dedicated researcher, Caduceus knew that he would never go that far for answers.

Celestia continued, “In any case, Ali will be embarking on his return journey to Saddle Arabia tomorrow. A small band of Equestrian emissaries will be going with him. They will take one of the undamaged Saddle Arabian ships - stripped of all weapons and valuables - on their journey. It will be the only ship the Saddle Arabians regain from this endeavour. The rest will remain here as part of our agreement. The soldiers will be ferried back on Equestrian ships at a later date.”

Caduceus gave Celestia a questioning look. “If the ship to be taken will remain in Saddle Arabia’s possession, how will the emissaries -” Caduceus’ eyes went wide “- Oh...Oh no. No! Absolutely not! The sheer amount of time such a journey would take...and dealing with the Sultan? Forget it!”

Celestia was smirking again. “We need to send somepony immediately. And on such short notice, Caduceus the Magnificent is the best and most qualified pony for the job.”

Caduceus’ mind raced as he analyzed the situation, desperately trying to find a way out. “I left my work this morning expecting to be back by noon at the latest. I’m not prepared for an international mission! Plus, there’s no telling how long this trip could take. What if a storm blows us off course? What if calm winds slow the ship? What if the Sultan demands a renegotiation, or, worse, attempts to hold the emissaries hostage?”

“All possible scenarios, true,” Celestia said. “And all the more reason to send the Archmagus and his cadre instead of a normal group of diplomats. They, more than anypony, would be best equipped to handle all of those unfortunate circumstances and any other unexpected dangers.”

Caduceus put on his best puppy dog look and pleaded, “Auntie, please, don’t send me on this mission!”

Celestia looked sternly at him, but there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “I’m sorry, Caduceus, but Alexander is my favorite nephew. I would never consider granting favors to anypony but him. Besides, I doubt you need to worry about your research being delayed or late. After all, I have it on good authority that a wizard is never late, nor even early, they accomplish everything precisely when they mean to.”

Caduceus realized that his aunt simply would not budge. “I hate you so much,” he said.

“And I love you too, my dear,” Celestia replied with a smile.

The next morning, Caduceus stood waiting at the Baltimare port in front of the ship that would be taking him to Saddle Arabia. Remembering Celestia’s words from the day before, he had made the effort to actually arrive on time for the ship’s scheduled departure. Unfortunately, it seemed as though he had been the only one of the ship’s passengers, barring its Saddle Arabian crew, to do so.

None of the four other members of his cadre that he had selected to join him on the trip had shown up yet. Not even Prince Ali, around which the entire trip revolved, had arrived. This left Caduceus with little to do but go over his own thoughts. He hadn’t had the time to pack any useful equipment or interesting reading material, so all he had in his bags were a few changes of clothes and the stack of papers detailing the agreements Celestia had made with Ali.

Caduceus tried to go over each article of the agreement in his head, but found that it was far too boring, even for him. Desperate for something to pass the time, he looked around the port. Even in this early hour, Baltimare port should have been bustling with activity, but due to the recent battle, it was mostly empty. A few ponies scurried to and fro, but for the most part, the port was a ghost town. The only real sounds and movements came from the empty Saddle Arabian ships bobbing up and down in the gentle waves.

Caduceus felt himself getting lulled to sleep by the rhythmic cadence when a mare’s excited squeal jolted him awake. He - and several of the sailors - looked towards the direction of the sound to see three Earth Pony mares approaching the ship. Two wore nurse caps and one was in a doctor’s coat. All three shared the same color scheme, white coats with blonde manes, but one of the nurses was running excitedly towards the ship while the other two approached at a more reasonable pace.

The excited mare reached the ship first and stopped in front of Caduceus to gape at it with wide eyes.

“Wow…” she said. Noticing Caduceus, she turned to him and smiled. “Hi there! I’m Star Fruit! But you can call me Star! Everypony calls me Star. Except for my boss. She calls me Ms. Fruit. Which I guess I am, but I’m also totally not. It’s weird having two names, don’t you think? Of course, not that you would know! I’m one of the medical experts assigned to the ship heading to Saddle Arabia! Are you going on the ship too?”

Caduceus blinked. “Yes, I -”

“That’s great!” Star exclaimed. “You must be so excited! I know I am! Ever since I got this assignment last night, I’ve been bouncing off the walls! I’ve never been on a ship before, or out at sea, and then suddenly here I am, about to go on a warship as a medical expert on a national mission to Saddle Arabia!”

“Calm down, Ms. Fruit!” the mare in the doctor’s coat exclaimed. “Can’t you see you are bothering the archmage?” The mare turned to Caduceus and bowed apologetically, “My apologies, Master Caduceus, that one can be quite...excitable. By the way, I would just like to point out that she is not actually the designated medical practitioner on this mission. She is just an assistant. If you have any injuries or other health-related concerns, you may approach me instead.”

Star’s eyes somehow managed to grow even wider. “You’re the archmage?! Sweet Celestia, I’ve met the archmage!”

The other nurse began shepherding Star away from Caduceus and onto the ship. “Come on, Star. We should probably go...set up medical things somewhere. Got to get this stuff done before the others arrive, right? We’re already late as it is.”

“But Garden Blossom, he’s the archmage! One of the greatest wizards in Equestria is right there!” Star exclaimed as she was dragged away.

“Yes, yes, so I’ve heard,” Garden replied.

“I’m gonna ask him to do a magic trick!” Star yelled.

“You are not asking the archmage to do a magic trick!” Garden yelled back.

“But he’s the archmage!” Star cried.

The two nurses were soon on the ship and out of sight, if not quite out of earshot.

The doctor cleared her throat. “I feel I must apologize again for the behavior of my nurse. And I apologize in advance for any foolishness that she may end up being a part of. I assure you that she is more competent than she seems.”

Caduceus nodded. “That’s, uh, quite alright, doctor…?”

The doctor’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ah, how rude of me! Humblest apologies, Archmage. I am Doctor Golden Orchard, but please, simply ‘Doctor’ or ‘Orchard’ will suffice.”

The nickname is usually ‘Goldie’, but I suppose that’s too unprofessional, Caduceus commented silently. “A pleasure to meet you, Doctor,” he said.

“Likewise, Archmage,” Orchard replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be getting to my nurses. There’s no telling what sort of trouble she - er - they might get up to if left unsupervised.”

The sound of crashing came from somewhere on the deck, followed closely by the sound of shattering glass.

“I CAN FIX IT!” Star shouted.

Orchard let out a deep, tired sigh and walked up onto the ship, muttering as she went.

I guess I should be getting on the ship as well. No point in staying out here, Caduceus thought.

As he turned to walk up to the ship, two Unicorns appeared in front of him in separate flashes of light. Both Unicorns were dressed in gold-trimmed black robes with their hoods up and also had shadow spells active to obscure their features, making them virtually indistinguishable from each other. Caduceus, however, identified both of them immediately. Only two ponies from his cadre dressed like that, and he had already had a lot of practice telling them apart.

“Hah! Beat ‘cha here,” said one in an accented voice.

“Did not!” replied the other.

“Did too! Don’t deny et! Alexander saw the ‘ole thing! Tell ‘im, boss!” said the first.

Caduceus let out an irritated snort. “Kyle. Larry. You’re late.”

“A wizard is never late,” Kyle began.

“Can it, Kyle, I know the spiel,” Caduceus interrupted. “You’re late.”

“But aym less late than ‘e is, roit?” Larry asked.

“Late is late,” Caduceus said with finality. “Where are the others?”

“Yeah...they’re not coming, boss,” Kyle said. “Calling in sick today.”

“Calling in sick?” Caduceus asked incredulously. “You can’t be serious! They were fine yesterday! Besides, they’re high wizards, for Harmony’s sake, what could happen to them?”

“Prob’ly fakin’ et since they ‘eard where we were ‘eadin’,” Larry commented. “Be that as et may, ya can’t do a thing ‘bout et.”

“Cadre’s contract Article 17, Subsection 3, Addendums A and B,” Kyle recited. “A member of the cadre is entitled to a set of leaves of absence in case of sickness or other emergency which is to be generated at a rate of 1.5 days per month served and stockpiled up to a maximum of 30. No explanation or proof of illness need be submitted for leaves taken in this manner provided the leave lasts two days or less.”

Caduceus rubbed between his eyes with a hoof. Damned inconvenient workers’ rights, he thought. He quickly retracted the mental statement. Whoa, sounded like my father for a moment there. I’m sorry, Auntie, I didn’t mean it.

While Caduceus had always found Celestia to be disturbingly adept at reading other ponies, he was pretty sure that she couldn't actually read minds. But he was not completely sure. So he always watched his words whether they be spoken or thought. One did not become an archmage without obtaining a healthy respect for the mystical arts’ infinite possibilities.

“Fine. Whatever. So it’s just us three, then?” Caduceus asked.

“Looks like it,” Kyle replied.

“Well, not necessarily,” Larry said. “We could always drag out some o’ the others ef we really need to.”

Caduceus shook his head. “No. No need for that. It’s just a diplomatic mission, after all. Us three will suffice. Although it will be a bit harder to teleport our contingent all the way back to Equestria with just the three of us.”

“Oh, I’m sure we can do it,” Kyle said optimistically. “And if we can’t do it, then we’ll just sort of do it. Multiple times. Until it adds up to us actually doing it.”

“Wut mah enahrticuhlate friend es tryin’ to say is that we could always port halfway back, take a break, then port again,” Larry explained.

“Yeah, thanks, I got that,” Caduceus said. “Oh and Larry, do me a favor, would you?”

“Wut’dya need, boss?” Larry asked.

“Never use the word ‘inarticulate’ again.”

By the time Prince Ali arrived, flanked by a small contingent of ordinary Saddle Arabian soldiers, it was already noon. Despite his recent ordeals, the prince had lost none of his snobbish poise, and had even somehow procured a new set of silk clothing. How he had done so was anypony’s guess. Around his waist hung an ornate dagger, but Caduceus seriously doubted the weapon was for anything other than show.

Caduceus, flanked by Kyle and Larry, stepped forward to greet the prince as he set hoof on the ship.

“About teym he showed up,” Larry whispered to Kyle.

“Maybe he has a good reason. Like diarrhea,” Kyle whispered back.

“Greetings, Prince Ali!” Caduceus said loudly, hoping that the prince had not heard anything his companions had said.

Ali walked past the trio without a word and headed to the door leading below deck. “I have arrived! You may set sail!” he called out to no one in particular.

The ship’s crew, which had been lazing around up until that point, burst into action. Caduceus quickly trotted up to Ali before he could disappear below deck.

“Prince, I am Archmage Caduceus. I will be representing Equestria on this mission and I was hoping we could -” Caduceus began.

“Negotiations have already been completed, Archmage,” Ali interrupted. “I will speak no more on the matter. Deal with my father if you have concerns.”

“Hi!” Star said merrily as she appeared next to Ali. “I’m -”

“And I will not waste my time conversing with plebeians,” Ali interrupted. “I have had quite enough of you uncultured Equestrian rabble. I will remain in my quarters for the remainder of the trip. Disturb me only for matters of great importance. And please have the decency of sending someone with class.”

Ali then promptly descended the stairs leading below deck without so much as a glance at either Caduceus or Star.

“Wow, he wasn’t anything like Princess Celestia at all!” Star exclaimed.

Caduceus raised an eyebrow. “You’ve met Au - Princess Celestia?”

“Nope! But I just know that she’s super great, and that guy was pretty much the opposite of that!” Star said. She trotted off before Caduceus could reply.

“Huh...well, she’s certainly an odd one,” Caduceus commented.

“Tell me about it,” Garden said.

Caduceus turned with a start. He hadn’t noticed Garden standing there. He also hadn’t realized that he had said that comment aloud. I need to watch out for those slips. They could get me into trouble someday, Caduceus thought silently.

Aloud, he said, “You’re...Garden Blossom, right?”

Garden’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yes, I am, but I don’t remember introducing myself. Did you read my mind?”

Caduceus grinned. “No, I merely overheard Star mention your name earlier.”

Garden looked relieved. “Oh, that’s good.”

Caduceus cocked his head. “Good? That’s an interesting reaction. Hiding any deep dark secrets in there?” he teased.

Garden blushed slightly and shook her head. “No no! Nothing like that! I just prefer my thoughts to stay private. Okay, that sounds creepy. Uh...oh, how do I put this?”

Caduceus chuckled. “Don’t worry, I understand. I feel much the same way.”

“Thanks,” Garden said with a small smile. “I’m not so great at this conversation thing.”

“You chose an odd occupation, then, Ms. Blossom,” Caduceus said. “I was under the impression that a nurse was expected to interact with all sorts of ponies. You were even selected to be a part of this mission. You must have some skill in socializing.”

Garden shook her head again. “This was just...the only job I could get at the time. I’m still pretty new. And they choose which nurses would go by drawing lots, so I’m nothing special or anything. You might not believe this, but Star’s the real, well...star. She’s a bit off, but it’s like she knows everything!”

Caduceus looked across the deck to where Star was chatting with Kyle and Larry.

“Oh, I believe you. As Archmage, I learned early on that ponies’ personalities are often not accurate representations of their capabilities,” Caduceus said. Just look at Kyle and Larry.

Garden’s head snapped towards Caduceus as she was reminded of who she was chatting with. “R-right, Archmage. I’m sorry for taking up your time. Ishouldgonowbye.”

Garden trotted off, trying and failing to look casual as she did so.

Caduceus sighed. See, this. This is why ranking mages go for the whole ‘mysterious and aloof’ thing. We just can't have normal conversations anymore.

The ship left Baltimare port and the rest of the day passed uneventfully. With nothing better to do, Caduceus retired to his chambers and tried to read the documents containing the agreements with Saddle Arabia again. He was an old hoof at reading boring, absurdly lengthy texts, but he found that he just could not properly absorb these particular documents. Perhaps it was because they contained no references to magic or research or anything worth learning. Perhaps it was because they were written in both Equestrian and Saddle Arabian. Or perhaps it was because whoever had written them had decided to use so much redundancy that every sentence felt like it repeated itself three times over without actually saying much of anything at all. Whatever the case, Caduceus soon drifted off to sleep on his desk.
 
He awoke to the sound of knocking on his door. He looked out the window of his cabin and found that night had fallen. He pulled himself up, accidentally spilling the papers he had been attempting to read all over the floor in the process, and went to open the door.

On the other side of the door was one of the Saddle Arabian crew members carrying a tray with food on it. The crew member silently offered the tray to Caduceus, who stared at it groggily for a few moments before realizing it was supposed to be his dinner and accepting it. The crew member then turned and left without a word.

I know that keeping the crew Saddle Arabian was necessary since we’re leaving this ship behind with them, but boy is the lack of communication getting old fast, Caduceus thought. Well, at least it looks like we get room service. That's something.

Caduceus examined the dinner of bread, salad, and, surprisingly, fried potatoes. Then he turned to his empty room and the mess of papers scattered on the desk and the floor. He would have to clean at least some of it up before settling down to eat, unless he ate on the bed.

Don’t really feel like eating alone, anyway, Caduceus thought. I wonder what Kyle and Larry are doing?

Caduceus left his room and walked down the hall looking for the room Kyle and Larry shared. They didn’t have to share a room - the ship was minimally crewed and provisioned, so it was mostly empty - but they had insisted on it. He took a wrong turn and ended up near Prince Ali’s room. He could tell it was Ali’s room by the solitary guard posted outside it, and by how Star was currently calling out Ali’s name from in front of the guard.

“Come on, Prince Ali! It’s still food!” Star called over the expressionless guard’s shoulder. “The kitchen ponies worked hard and gave you extra portions and everything!”

Caduceus glanced at the tray Star was holding. It did seem to contain more food than his own tray. There was even a muffin on one side.

The door to the room opened and Ali’s angry face came into view. “For the last time, peasant, leave me be! I will not partake of the same food as you commoners like some beggar at a public trough. I have made alternate arrangements. Now, depart before I order my guard to throw you overboard!”

The door slammed shut and Star stuck out her tongue at it. She turned to the guard and handed him the tray.

“Here, you can have this, I guess,” she said. “No use in letting it go to waste.”

The guard did not react, but he did take the tray.

Star turned and started walking away, looking uncharacteristically irritated. She turned back to the guard suddenly, and the guard quickly replaced the muffin he was about to eat on the tray and stood at attention.

“And you can tell that prissy Ali that he better watch his attitude or I’ll send my cousin Jack after him again!” she said then turned with a huff and nearly walked right into Caduceus.

“Oh, Archmage!” she said, surprised. “Sorry you had to see that. Something about that guy just...ugh! I can't believe he calls himself a prince!”

“That's how it is with most royalty, I'm afraid,” Caduceus said.

“But Celestia isn't like that!” Star said.

“Well, like with most things, Princess Celestia is the exception,” Caduceus said.

“She's the only one that truly deserves to be called a princess. Everypony else is just a…a phony!” Star said angrily.

Caduceus decided it would be best to steer the conversation in a different direction. “Who did you say your cousin was just now? Jack? That wouldn't happen to be Jack Fruit, would it?”

“Oh, you know him?” Star asked, her irritation fading.

“Commander of the Baltimare garrison? Something of an alcoholic? Friends with those maniacs Pack and Cross?” Caduceus asked.

“Yup, that's him!” Star said, regaining some of her enthusiasm. “Did you know he also hoof delivered that nasty Ali to the princess?”

Caduceus chuckled. “Yes, I was there when he did. He rushed off right after, though, so I didn't get to speak with him.”

“Don't worry, you didn't miss much. Jack doesn't usually have much to say worth listening to, anyway,” Star said.

“Speaking of deliveries, why were you the one delivering Ali’s food anyway?” Caduceus asked. “It was one of the crew that delivered mine.”

At that, Star fully brightened up again. “Oh, I volunteered! It was the least I could do. See, Garden and I were helping out in the kitchen, but actually, it was mostly Garden - I didn’t even know she could cook! - because they wouldn’t let me near the any of the knives or fires. I can’t imagine why!”

Caduceus thought back to Star’s accident earlier that morning. It had resulted in a smashed barrel, several broken bottles, and a small hole in the deck that she had then hastily patched over with a spare plank from the smashed barrel.

“Indeed. Truly a mystery,” Caduceus said dryly.

“What about you, Archmage?” Star asked. “What are you doing out here with your tray? It doesn’t look like you’ve eaten anything yet! Did you not like it? Are you allergic to something?”

Caduceus shook his head. “No, none of that. I just wanted to eat along with Kyle and Larry. I was looking for their room, but I took a wrong turn.”

“Ohhh,” Star said. “Well, their room is back that way. Take a left, then a right, and it’s the first door on your right.”

“Thanks, Star,” Caduceus said.

“No problem, Mr. Archmage, Sir! Enjoy your meal!” Star said merrily before trotting off.

Caduceus let Star go on her way and followed her directions to Kyle and Larry’s room. He entered without knocking and found Larry sitting on Kyle’s back while both of them were levitating a few feet above the floor.

“There es a perfectly reasonable explanation fer this,” Larry said as soon as Caduceus walked in.

Caduceus waved his hoof dismissively. “I don’t want to hear it. I’m just here to have some company for dinner. Have you two eaten yet?”

“No,” Kyle said. “Our food’s over there on the floor by the desk.”

Caduceus saw the trays on the floor next to the empty desk. “Why are they on the floor and not on the desk?”

Larry spoke up. “There es a perfectly reasonable explanation fer tha’. See the desk was -”

“You know what? Forget I asked. You mind if I use the desk?” Caduceus asked.

“No, go right ahead. It should be fine now. Probably,” Kyle replied.

“If at any point, ya feel a tinglin’ sensation at the back of yer throat, then fer the love of Harmony, DO. NOT. MOVE,” Larry warned.

Caduceus just nodded and sat down. “You boys about done with...whatever it is you’re doing there?”

“Aye, ah suppose tha’s enough for one night,” Larry said. “Let’s eat Kyle.”

The two slowly dropped back down to the floor and Larry got off of Kyle’s back.

“Heh, see that’s funny, Larry,” Kyle said. “The way you said that almost made it sound like you were suggesting to eat me.”

“Wasn’t a suggestion,” Larry said.

“Wait, what?” Kyle asked.

“Grammatically, ya twit,” Larry clarified. “Et’d only be a suggestion ef ah said -”

The door to the room burst open, revealing a panicked Doctor Orchard. She frantically scanned the room, spotted Caduceus with a slice of bread stopped halfway to his mouth, and rushed forward to slap the bread away.

“Hey!” Caduceus said. “I was going to -”

“POISONED!” Orchard exclaimed. “The food’s all been poisoned!”

The three wizards followed Doctor Orchard as she ran throughout the ship, desperately trying to warn anypony that hadn’t eaten yet not to touch the food. So far, they had been able to reach Prince Ali in his room and Star in the hallway. They sent both ponies up to the deck, where Orchard said Garden was already waiting. Ali had been indignant, but he cooperated upon seeing his dead guard. Star had been stunned into silence, and followed their instructions without comment. Everywhere else they looked, however, they only found bodies.

“This is horrible…” Kyle said softly as they stumbled upon yet another group of dead crew members.

“Dun dwell on et, Kyle,” Larry said. “Not while there’s still ponies we could save.”

“This is no ordinary poison,” Caduceus said as they started running again. “Some of these ponies look as though they had taken a bite less than a minute before we arrived, and yet they’re already dead. Doctor, do you have any idea what we are dealing with?”

“I examined the body of the first victim I saw,” Orchard replied. “He died in front of my eyes after I - I - gave him my bread because I’m allergic to wheat. I wish I hadn’t! If I had just ran out that very moment, some of these ponies might still be alive!”

Orchard slowed to a stop as they reached the stairs leading above deck. Her knees went weak and she leaned against the nearby wall. That was it. They had gone through every room on the ship. There was nopony left to save. The entire crew was dead.

“This is my fault,” Orchard said, sobbing. “All my fault. I’m the medical expert. I should have prioritized the living first. Should have...should have checked the food. Instead I...I…”

Caduceus kneeled down and laid a hoof on Orchard’s back. “It’s not your fault, Orchard. Nopony could have seen this coming. You did all you could. Don’t forget you saved me, and I’m the archmage. If anypony should have detected this poison, it was me. It’s magical, isn’t it?”

Orchard nodded. She sniffed as she fought to contain her tears. “Iudicium per Ignem...Trial by Fire. It burns away at the victim’s internal organs moments after entering the body. Literally burns. I looked inside that first victim’s body and saw his heart burn to ash in front of my eyes. No other poison behaves that way. None that I know.”

“Tha’s some heavy stuff,” Larry commented.

“No way that’s legal,” Kyle added.

“It isn’t,” Caduceus confirmed. “Though that hardly matters. Knowledge on how to create Iudicium per Ignem has been lost for centuries. On purpose, I might add. Princess Luna herself destroyed the last known samples and records. And even attempting to recreate it is grounds for life imprisonment.”

Caduceus' eyes narrowed in suspicion. “How do you even know of it, Doctor?”

“This is not the first time I have encountered a victim of Iudicium per Ignem,” Orchard replied. Her eyes were still red with tears and she wiped at her muzzle with the back of her coat sleeve, but she had mostly regained her composure. “The first time was about a week ago. One of my colleagues at the Baltimare hospital, Doctor Moonbeam, just suddenly dropped dead. On the surface, he looked fine, but the autopsy revealed that his internal organs had all been burned away. Nopony could figure out how it could have happened until I found some old medical texts describing the poison and its effect on the body.”

“Did you ever find out who poisoned Doctor Moonbeam, or why?” Caduceus asked.

Orchard shook her head. “No. The investigation was still ongoing. They police ponies said they had a few leads, but then the battle happened and...I suppose we’ll never know now.”

There’s a connection here, I know it, Caduceus thought. But what?

“We should probably go join the others up on the deck,” Kyle said.

Caduceus nodded his head. He stood and helped Orchard to her hooves. Orchard thanked Caduceus and the four ponies made their way up onto the deck of the ship.

The deck was eerily empty, even for the time of night. There were no lamps or fires illuminating it, but it was a clear night and the moonlight was enough for everypony to see clearly.

As Orchard and the wizards approached, Ali stomped his hoof and said, “There you are! I demand to know what has happened to my ship!”

“Ah think tha’s fairly obvious by now, innit?” Larry asked. “Somepony went and tried ta kill us all.”

“And mostly succeeded, too,” Kyle added.

“And who is this pony?” Ali asked. “Has the perpetrator been caught?”

“No,” Caduceus said. “But I think it’s safe to say that whoever it is is standing among us right now.”

The mares gasped. Ali turned sharply, placing his back to the water and trying to keep everypony within view. Kyle and Larry formed up behind Caduceus.

“What...how can you say that?” Orchard asked.

“Simple deduction,” Caduceus replied. “We’ve looked thoroughly through every room of this ship. You with your eyes and I with my magic. The only ponies left alive are standing right here. Therefore, the pony responsible must be standing among us as well.”

Garden spoke up. “But...but what if the poisoner took their own life too?”

Star nodded her head repeatedly. “Yeah! I can’t believe that any of us could do something so...so horrible! Well, except Ali. He’s pretty much always horrible, but - hey wait a minute!” Star’s eyes went wide and she took a step back, away from Ali. “He’s the only one who had a different meal! He must have known this would happen!”

“Silence, you imbecilic plebeian,” Ali scoffed. “Ask yourself for a moment, why would I do this? True, I would have no qualms with poisoning my enemies, if that is what it took, but all of the victims so far have been my servants. And Saddle Arabian, I might add. It would be ridiculous to assume that I am responsible for their deaths. What possible reason could I have to poison my entire crew and leave the Equestrians alive?”

“Except we weren’t supposed to be alive,” Kyle pointed out.

“Aye, me and the lads ‘ere woulda been dead ef et weren’t fer tha Doc’s warning,” Larry added.

“My point still stands,” Ali insisted. “Why would I leave myself stranded on a ship of corpses in the middle of the ocean? I would have to be mad to even consider such an action!”

“Maybe you are crazy!” Garden exclaimed suddenly. “After all, what sane pony would poison so many? And you just admitted that you would have done it if you had a good reason!”

“Which, as I just finished saying, I do not!” Ali retorted.

“Caduceus, please,” Orchard pleaded. “There must be some other explanation.”

Caduceus shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Doctor. It may not be pleasant to consider, but the killer is most definitely among us.”

“But...none of us have any reason to do this!” Orchard exclaimed. “Perhaps Ms. Blossom is right. Perhaps the killer took his own life too! Perhaps he didn’t expect anypony to survive the poison!”

“I won’t deny that that scenario is certainly possible, but in this case, it is also highly unlikely,” Caduceus said.

“What makes you say that?” Orchard asked.

“Your own words, Doctor,” Caduceus replied. “A colleague of yours was killed by Iudicium per Ignem, a poison lost to time, in Baltimare a week ago. That same poison then just so happens to be used to kill everypony on this ship. That suggests to me that the pony responsible for both events is one and the same. Following that logic, and considering how quickly the poison kills its victims, we can rule out anypony that could not possibly have been in Baltimare during your colleague’s murder, which just so happens to include both Prince Ali and every Saddle Arabian currently dead below deck.”

“So it is one of you Equestrians,” Ali sneered. “I should have known. Dishonorable scum!”

“Insults aside, Ali is correct,” Caduceus said. “The killer must indeed be one of us. There is no question that Doctor Orchard, Nurse Star Fruit, and Nurse Garden Blossom were all residing in Baltimare at the time, and my cadre and I could have easily teleported to Baltimare and back if we wanted to.”

Star frantically looked back and forth between the other two mares. “I...I don’t like this!” she exclaimed, tears in her eyes. “Not me...not my friends! It’s gotta be Ali! it’s just gotta!”

“Sorry, lass, but he’s ennocent,” Larry said. “We can narrow tha list down even furtha.”

Kyle picked up where Larry left off. “Given the fast acting nature of the poison, whoever poisoned the food has to have had a hoof in preparing the food. Otherwise, they would have run the risk of somepony getting poisoned too early, and causing undue panic.”

“Ah’ll admit et, ah snatched a few loaves o’ bread from the storeroom thes afternoon,” Larry said. “Seein’ as ah’m still alive, ah can confirm tha' tha food wasn’t poisoned before dinnah. Ef ye’ll take mah word for et, anyway.”

“You don’t have to,” Caduceus said. “All the food supplies were screened for rot, poison, and other abnormalities before being loaded onto the ship. It’s standard procedure. That means that the food was poisoned only after it had all been loaded. And before you ask, everypony involved in loading the food is now dead.”

Orchard’s eyes went wide. “But that would mean…”

“NO!” Garden screamed. “You’re crazy! You’re ALL crazy! Some crazy Saddle Arabian poisoned the crew and themselves! It’s the only explanation!”

Star was now openly weeping.

“Ms. Fruit and Ms. Blossom both helped prepared the food tonight, but...No! I...I can’t believe it!” Orchard exclaimed. “I won’t believe it! Neither of my nurses would ever -”

“Just how long have you known both Star and Garden, Doctor?” Caduceus asked.

Orchard stammered. “N-not that long, I’ll admit, but -”

“How long, exactly?” Caduceus pressed.

“Ms. Fruit’s  been working at the hospital for about a moon, and Ms. Blossom for -” Orchard turned away “- a little over a week. She joined just before Doctor Moonbeam died.”

“NO! Nonononononono!” Garden cried, shaking her head and stamping her hooves. “I did not do this! I would never do this!”

Star turned to Garden, her expression anguished. “Garden? You? Oh Celestia above, how could you?!” She ran away from Garden and threw herself onto Caduceus. “Archmage! Do something, please!”

“I SAID NO!” Garden screamed at the top of her lungs.

Ali drew his dagger and approached Garden. “We shall see what song you sing when I cut your heart out and feed it to you, you treacherous wench!”

Garden began backing away from Ali, but she tripped on the patched plank that Star had used to fix the hole in the deck. She curled up, closed her eyes and let out a long, high-pitched screech.

Caduceus’ mind was racing, reviewing everything he knew. Something wasn't right here. He was missing something, but what?

Wait, did she say ‘Celestia above’? Caduceus thought. Then it hit him. “ALI, WAIT!”

But it was too late. Ali lunged at the screaming Garden, dagger outstretched with the intent to kill. His hoof stepped over the patched plank, and then there was a sudden explosion of light. Caduceus shielded his eyes. When he looked again, both Garden and Ali were dead.

“Tha’ was a bloody fyre rune mine!” Larry exclaimed.

“Don’t those have to be manually detonated?” Kyle asked.

Caduceus snapped his head towards Star, but she knocked him down and rolled towards Orchard. When she came out of her roll, she held a knife next to Orchard’s eye.

“Star! What are you doing?!” Orchard exclaimed.

Caduceus tried to stand, but found that he suddenly lacked the strength. There was pulsating pain in his chest. He looked down and saw a glowing runestone stuck to him.

“Draining...rune...clever girl,” Caduceus said through gritted teeth.

“Star is the killer? What the hay is going on?” Kyle asked.

“Figure it out later, Kyle,” Larry said. He crouched down and examined Caduceus. “Are you alright, Caduceus?”

Caduceus now looked more confused than ever. “Larry?...Accent?” he managed to say.

“Fake,” Larry said. “Nopony actually talks like that.”

“But...years, Larry!” Caduceus ground out.

“Not as long as you think,” Larry said. “We switch it up a lot.”

“Whicheva’ one wit da accent’s Larry,” Kyle said, adopting the accent.

“And whichever one without it’s Kyle,” Larry said.

“But…” Caduceus stopped himself and focused on his breathing. He was close to blacking out. Later! Think about it later! Focus on what’s important! “Rune!” Caduceus groaned.

“It’s on there pretty tight,” Larry said.

“Think you can dispel it without killing him?” Kyle asked.

Orchard suddenly screamed. All three wizards looked up and saw that Star had stuck her knife into Orchard’s leg.

“There, better!” Star said. “You were ignoring me for a while there. And I hate being ignored!”

“Let her go, Star, you can’t win,” Kyle said. “Even without Caduceus, you’re still up against two high wizards with nothing more than a knife.”

In response, Star smiled widely and recited:

“The...Order!” Caduceus managed to say. “Careful!...don’t...underestimate…” He broke into panting, unable to finish his sentence.

The pony they had known as Star Fruit laughed lightly and said, “That’s right! How clever of you, Archmage. I am Sister Scorch of the Order of the Celestial Sun, and you all are traitors to Her divine will. Consorts of the enemy and allies of the faithless. This can only end one way, really.”

“You’re nuts,” Larry said. “Traitors to Celestia’s will? Celestia sent us on this mission!”

Scorch stabbed Orchard again, and the doctor cried out in pain. “Now, now, there’s no point in lying, you know. I won’t fall for it. In fact, the only purposeful thing you can really do at this point is to LAY DOWN AND DIE! You know, to save us all the trouble.”

“Please, Star, let me go!” Orchard cried, her face a mixture of anguish and pain.

Scorch stabbed Orchard a third time. “I told you, it’s Sister Scorch! As in Scorched Earth. As in ‘not a chance’! ‘Star’ is such a blasphemous name! A name of the night! I hated it! Besides, I don’t really need to hold you hostage, you know. I just think it’s fun to see you squirm, boss!”

“Wow, she really is crazy,” Kyle said.

“That’s it, I’m sick of this crackpot,” Larry said as he stood. “Let’s take her down, brother!”

Scorch tried to stab Orchard again, but Larry held her knife back with his magic. Kyle then shot a beam at the knife, turning it into a rubber duck. While Scorch looked at the rubber duck incredulously, Larry teleported behind her and fired a stun spell at her back.

Scorch rolled away from the spell, dropping Orchard, and bounced back up, leaping towards Larry. Kyle fired a freeze spell at her while she was mid-leap, but instead of freezing, she simply faded away before suddenly appearing behind Larry.

“Duplication, invisibility, and my personal favorite -” she stuck a glowing runestone behind Larry’s head “- fire!” Scorch said, giggling. “Aren’t Father Fire’s runes fun?”

Scorch tried to leap backwards, but Larry projected a bubble around them both.

“Ye think so, eh?” Larry said, adopting his accent again. He made the bubble smaller, forcing them both face-to-face. “Then why dun we both play?”

“Hee-hee! Sure!” Scorch said with a smile.

Scorch detonated the fire rune and there was another flash of light as both she and Larry were caught in the explosion. Larry was blown apart, but Scorch remained unharmed.

“LARRY!” Kyle shouted.

“Aw, didn’t have a rune of fire-shielding?” Scorch asked in a mocking tone as she held out the glowing rune. “That’s just too bad. Better luck next time!”

“I’LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!” Kyle yelled.

Kyle fired bolt after bolt of magic at Scorch. Unlike his previous spells, each bolt packed enough energy to maim or kill. Scorch, however, playfully dodged each attack, and Kyle’s spells ended up blasting apart pieces of the ship instead of her.

“STAND STILL YOU MONSTER!” Kyle shouted in frustration.

Scorch just giggled in response. Caduceus looked up and noticed that Scorch was leaving behind a rune every time she jumped or rolled. He mustered his strength and tried to warn Kyle.

“Kyle….Kyle!” he cried out weakly, but Kyle couldn’t hear him.

Scorch landed on top of the still prone Orchard, crushing the doctor’s neck. Then she rolled forward, evading another beam, and kicked Kyle’s legs out from under him. When Kyle hit the ground, she pounced on top of his stomach.

“You know...you seem upset,” Scorch said playfully.

Kyle let out a bestial scream and lashed his hooves at her, but she leapt away again.

“YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!” Kyle yelled as he got back to his hooves.

“Technically, he killed himself,” Scorch said with a grin. “Just. Like. You.”

Kyle fired again and Scorch jumped off the ship. Kyle’s beam hit a rune behind where Scorch was standing, detonating it. The rest of the runes Scorch had planted around the ship then detonated in quick succession, including the two she had left on Kyle’s stomach.

Caduceus was knocked overboard by one of the blasts and struggled in vain as he sank beneath the water. Debris from the ship began falling around him as the ship sank. A large chunk of wood crashed into the water and hit him in the head. His vision darkened again, and he almost blacked out, but a glint of moonlight caught his eye. It was Ali’s dagger.

Caduceus grabbed the blade and desperately stabbed it at the draining rune, but he did not have the strength to break it. Feeling himself slipping away and with no other options, Caduceus jammed the dagger into his chest right next to the rune.

The pain jolted him awake and he cried out in pain. His lungs began to fill with water, but the blow had loosened the draining rune. He reached down and yanked it off. His strength returned almost immediately, and he cast a protective bubble of air around himself.

Caduceus lay within his magic bubble, coughing up water. When he could breathe again, he removed the dagger from his chest and cast another spell to stop both his internal and external bleeding. It was no cure, but it would keep him alive until he could get proper medical attention. He looked up towards the surface and saw the ship sinking all around him, along with a few bodies floating to the surface. There was no sign of Sister Scorch.

Caduceus laid back in his bubble and let out an exhausted breath. The mad mare had gotten away. There was nothing he could do about that now. Even if he could somehow find her, he did not have the strength left in him to take her down. What he needed to do now was rest, keep himself alive, and slowly propel his bubble back towards Baltimare.

The Order...must be stopped, he thought to himself. I know that for sure now.

That, however, would come later. As Caduceus lay there in his bubble under the light of the moon and stars, he let all thoughts of the Order, his duties, and his desire for vengeance slip away.

And then he grieved for the loss of his friends.

Back in Canterlot Castle, Celestia poured over the files General Stone had given her on the Order’s members. She focused on the ones she knew the least about.

She picked up the one on Burning Brand, or Brother Burn. He was apparently a renowned war hero from Eastern Germane. He had fought in every campaign against the Saddle Arabians for the last forty years and was thought to have died in battle, sacrificing himself for the good of his fellow soldiers and turning the tide in their favor. He was beloved by his comrades and given a hero’s burial. Stone had even managed to procure a painting of the monument raised in Burn’s honor.

So he has a history of heroic sacrifice then, Celestia noted. That makes it even more unlikely that he perished at the Battle of Baltimare.

Celestia turned her attention to the next file. It was on an Earth Pony named Scorched Earth, or as she was now known, Sister Scorch. It mentioned that she had been a brilliant honor student at Canterlot University. While her test scores were always superb, she was often the target of bullying and discrimination due to her race and low birth. One night, she just disappeared, never to return. A few nights later, two dozen young Unicorns and three professors were found dead at an exclusive party. No connection between the two events has ever been established, but Stone included it because he now suspected otherwise. Of all the members of the Order, save one, Scorch was the most elusive. She did not announce her presence like the others, at least not until after her mission had been completed.

Oh young filly, if only I had known...how many more ponies suffer like you? How many more might still fall to the same fate? Celestia asked herself.

She made a note to look further into the issue of bullying and discrimination once all this was over. Equestria was no place for either of those things, and she swore that she would do all that she could to eliminate them. She knew that she would not be able to succeed, not completely, but that would not deter her.

I will not stand idly by while good ponies are driven to the brink of madness by the careless words and deeds of those around them, Celestia thought. She looked out the window and up at the moon. Not again.

She picked up the last file. This one was the thinnest of them all. In it was only a name, a vague description, a folded map, and a sealed letter.

“Flash Fire, now known as Father Fire,” Celestia read aloud. “Red unicorn stallion with a black mane gone grey with age. Origins unknown. Founder, leader, and most elusive member of the Order. Only known public appearance was in Vanhoover, where he used his magic to incinerate a sea serpent and...boil the river said serpent was dwelling in? For five miles in either direction?”

Celestia read the line again. No, she had not read that wrong.

“Currently residing in the Order’s headquarters in the Smokey Mountains, location marked on enclosed map,” Celestia finished.

She ignored the map and picked up the sealed letter. The letter was addressed to her and was purportedly from Father Fire himself. There was a note attached to it from General Stone indicating that it had arrived at sunset by regular courier. The note also said that the letter had been magically scanned by eighteen different Unicorn mages and three Earth Pony alchemists for any traps or poisons and was found to be clean.

Celestia opened the letter and began reading. “Dear Princess Celestia, Sol Invictus, Guardian of the Light, Sole Sovereign of the Sky, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…”

She skipped ahead past an entire paragraph of flowery titles until she hit the purpose of the letter itself.

“It’s an invitation,” she murmured. “For dinner, of all things”

The date was set for one moon from that day, and the location was set as the Order’s headquarters. Father Fire expressed confidence that Celestia already knew where that was. Apparently, every member of the Order would be in attendance. Father Fire noted that this was so that she could learn their histories straight from the source.

“So, he knows that I’ve been asking about them then,” Celestia commented.

The letter also said that she may bring guests of her own if she wished. However, it asked that she keep the number small because it claimed that the Order’s humble home could only entertain so many. It then went on to suggest several names.

“Grey Stone, Firefly, and Caduceus the Magnificent. Additionally, Brother Burn would like to request the attendance of his friends Jack Fruit, Cross Roads, and Packed Lunch,” Celestia read. “The officers most involved in my inquiries, plus those three from the Battle of Baltimare.”

The letter concluded cordially and stated that no response was required. The Order would simply be expecting her. Or, as with every reference to Celestia in the letter, Her. With a capital H.

Celestia looked behind the letter. There was nothing. She examined the paper from all angles with both her eyes and her magic. Nothing. She even smelled the letter, but the paper had no scent. She read the letter two more times. The words did not change. It was an invitation, nothing more.

Celestia got up from her desk and went out to her balcony. Her eyes passed over Canterlot City and across Equestria to the distant Smokey Mountains. Even from this high vantage point, most ponies would not have been able to make them out from such a distance, but Celestia could, if only just.

She breathed in the cool night air and considered her options. It was a trap, of that much she was certain. The members of the Order may worship her as a goddess, but she doubted that was all there was to it. No, this Father Fire had his own agenda. The question was, what?

She could refuse to go, of course, but what would that accomplish? At one point or another the issue of the Order would have to be addressed. The longer she delayed, the more their influence would spread, and she doubted she would have another opportunity to confront them all at once like this. True, it may be easier or more prudent to take them down one by one, but she still hoped that their deaths would not be the only recourse. Celestia sighed. In the end, there was really only one option.

It was time to face the Order.