//------------------------------// // The Start of the Changing Seasons // Story: Violet Lace // by DemonAngel13 //------------------------------// "So... what did it all say?" Cloudy asked, but she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, what can you tell me?" "That cult that we're looking out for," Cloudy nodded, signaling for her to continue. "It's a bigger problem that I thought." "How in the world can it be a bigger problem?!" Cloudy shouted. Everypony quickly shushed her because of Satin's sleeping form on one of the couches. "They're trying to take over Equestria!" "Well, apparently they already have." Violet pulled a piece of paper from behind her bed curtain. "Several times, in fact." "What are you talking about?" Midnight asked, her eyes focused and nervous. Violet quoted a few sentences from the packet she had received. No words could describe the tense silence that followed. Nopony said anything, but everypony knew what everypony was thinking. They're right under our noses, and we don't even know it! "That's..." Midnight whispered. "Oh, my god... Violet, what are you going to do?" Cloudy asked. Her blue eyes were wide with fear and worry for her. Violet's heart squeezed as she saw tiny tears forming at the bottom of her eyes. "Shouldn't it be obvious?" Violet said as she folded the paper into thirds and placed it back on her bed. "You're going to join Luna's army?" Midnight suggested. Cloudy's eyes went even wider at the thought of her sister joining something that sounded so aggressive and serious. Violet shook her head. "You need to read your instructions before anything else. I need to see if you're going to stay my guard or not." "But what about-" "Read..." Violet held firm. "Your instructions." Midnight took the hint. "Alright... but what if the information is different than yours?" "It most likely will be." Violet shrugged. "But you need to read them before midnight which is in..." She looked at the clock. "an hour and a half. So get started." "Yes, ma'am." Midnight gave a mock salute and quickly picked up her own envelope and pulled out its only contents: the packet that Violet had figured would be there. Everypony waited as her eyes scanned the pages. "You can't be serious." Midnight asked the papers. Violet could relate. "It's a lot, isn't it?" "What are we supposed to do? Blow up every major city in Equestria where they may be hiding?! How in the world are we going to do about this?" Midnight scanned over a few more lines as though trying to find words that weren't there. "I mean... what?" "I don't know." Violet shook her head. Cloudy was looking back and forth between the two of them. "What is going on?" She asked, finally having enough. "Luna's not going to be making an army tonight- at least not yet. She's going to form something called the "Lunar Brigade." "Isn't a brigade a form of an army?" Cloudy asked, now confused. "Is a subdivision, yes. But I have a feeling we're not going to be entering the traditional form of a battlefield." Violet said. "The Black Diamonds apparently prefer to do their business hidden." "And once again, what are we going to do?!" Midnight asked harshly, her ears folded back in urgency. "We can't just go around fighting random ponies, citizens could get seriously hurt if we're not careful!" "I don't know what we're going to do! What do your instructions say?" Violet's voice was getting louder and she had to remind herself to keep quiet for Satin's sake. Midnight sighed. "I've been asked never to tell a soul. Apparently nopony on the guard can know about this, because then they could inform Celestia's guards, and therefore her." "That's it?" Cloudy asked. "It took you forever to read just that." "It also told me to personally burn all of the instructions for Violet and I, as well as give me, what I assume, is the same information that Violet was given about Clock Mage herself. But other than that, yeah, it wasn't much." "I guess all of the other timelines she's been through don't get much farther than where we all are..." Cloudy whispered. As soon as the words left her lips, the room seemed to get thirty degrees cooler. Violet shivered. "Cloudy..." She sighed. "I'm sorry..." Cloudy's ears drooped with guilt. "I wasn't thinking." "Yikes." Midnight swallowed and started walking towards where Violet placed her papers. "I'm going to go burn these." She looked towards Satin. "Something tells me that she isn't going to be waking up until tomorrow morning." "You think?" Violet asked as Cloudy wandered over to their friend who was snoring softly. Cloudy gently poked her with the edge of her hoof, she didn't even squirm. Cloudy shook her head. "She's not waking up. Not anytime soon." "Well... I guess we can spend the rest of the night..." Violet couldn't finish. She looked at the clock, and they still had another hour left before midnight would begin. Luna was probably in her office, reading her own instructions, and not wanting to be disturbed. The thought of them, sitting around and letting everything fester, frightened her beyond reason. Violet theorized that it would only end in them growing to paranoid of those around them, and not being willing to go outside of the castle walls ever again. "Let's grab something to eat." Cloudy finished after Violet had drifted. Midnight nodded and went on to go burn the papers to ashes. "It's been a long night." Violet nodded with her lips pressed so tightly that she figured she would find them bruised in the next few hours. Swallowing down, not only her anxiety of the cult that has now spread like a disease gone rabid, but everything else she had tackled since opening her eyes that morning, she pushed herself forward. She needed food. To survive. She wasn't going to get very far in life if she couldn't even focus on that. After all, the day for her was hardly over. She still had the whole night ahead of her. Satin still hadn't woken up by the time the first few ponies had arrived. So the topic of her sleeping until morning was something that had to happen due to convenience. In the worst possible scenario, Satin would wake up in an empty bedroom and use her logic and reasoning to figure out that she wasn't supposed to wander around the castle alone and keep quiet. However, even with that security, Violet found it hard to relax as she rested her hooves on the windowsill of her bedroom. She and her friends had a perfect view of the courtyard, and they all waited with varying degrees of excitement and tension. "He looks scary." Cloudy whispered in Violet's ear as a rather intense looking stallion walked up to the courtyard and made himself known through nothing more than a the scar that went across his left eye like the super villain in a bad movie. "What do you think he's going to do?" "I don't know, Cloudy..." Violet had answered with that response more than a hundred times at this point. "Why do you think Luna is taking so long?" "Maybe she's doing what we're doing." Midnight suggested, looking at a few pegasi that had just flown in. "Scoping out the arrivals and evaluating the situation." "Oh! Look at them! They look cool." Cloudy pointed at a group of ponies who'd looked to have arrived as one group. All of them were wearing lab coats and looked as professional as ponies standing outside a castle at midnight could look. And more and more arrived. Some young, some old, all of them with purpose and drive that Violet could both understand and and not comprehend. She knew why she was here, she wanted to protect not only herself but also the ones she loved. She felt as though she had a destiny here, and was willing to act and figure out who she is. She owed it to herself to keep surviving. But these ponies? What could Black Diamond do, or has done, that could cause such a large group to leave their lives and work with a princess who didn't even seem to exist a week ago? "I think that's all of them." Midnight said after the flow of ponies had stopped. "And here comes the princess..." Luna had made herself known. The castle doors swung open silently, and dressed in a black cloak embroidered with shiny blue thread in the pattern of stars and the moon, walked out the princess with her wings outstretched and her head held high. She didn't say a word. Violet didn't know where the royal guard were. Clock Mage must have given Luna instructions on what to do, like assigning them to a different area temporarily, or must simply not asking them to guard at all. She talked to a few ponies, their voices too quiet for Violet to hear through the glass of the window. The scary pony with the scar made himself known. Violet admired Luna for not flinching at his face, or showing any sort of surprise of his injury that was so prominent. They seemed to discuss something, and when they were finished they ended it all with brief nods from both sides. The stallion turned away to address the crowd. Luna actually looked at Violet's window, and after seeing the three of them all standing there with wide eyes, she motioned for them to come to her in the courtyard. "What do we do?" Cloudy asked. "We do what the princess says, obviously." Midnight answered. She started moving to the door to hold it open for them. "Clearly she trusts them, or she wouldn't call us out." "Violet..." When they had entered the hallway and started walking briskly to the entrance. "Stay close to me, please." "A... alright." Violet blushed. Normally Cloudy was the confident one of the two of them. They walked out side and the princess quickly flew to them. "We are glad that the three of you could make it as quickly as you did." Luna looked directly at Violet. "We have talked with most of the authoritative figures, and we agree with most of the terms that they have offered." "That's great!" Violet said. Luna smiled. Violet could only hope that those terms didn't involve explosives or any form of unnecessary conflict. "What are their terms?" Luna nodded and pushed the three of them back so that she didn't have to shout. "They just need lodging, apparently. We explored headquarters before we went out here, that is why we were late. There are more than enough beds, and everything else should be handled on their own. They seem to have it all figured out." "Really?" Violet blinked a few times. "That's all?" Yeesh, Clock Mage really must have been busy! "Well, obviously there is paperwork to be done. Every member needs to register and establish their name and how they contribute. But after that, the... group should start investigating and figuring out how to stop the Black Diamonds from taking over." "Princess..." The stallion with the scar walked up to them. To Violet's surprise, his eyes were warmer than what she had perceived, and his voice came off as nurturing but stern. "we are ready when you are to head to headquarters." "Ah! Yes, of course." Luna cleared her throat and composed herself, extinguishing the tiny spark of excitement that had appeared in her eyes. "Steel Grim, this is my personal assistant, Violet Lace." Violet shook his large hoof, and it felt warm in hers. Though she didn't let her guard down, she felt as though her previous assumptions about him were rather unjustified. "It's a pleasure to meet you." "And you as well." He smiled, revealing a set of straight, though slightly yellow, teeth. "Assistant? Does that mean you'll be participating in our little... gathering?" "Um, yes." Violet tucked a piece of mane behind her ear. "I have some personal motivation for taking down the Black Diamonds-" "As do we all." Steel Grim winked. "But the term "assistant" may be a tad bit misinforming." Violet smiled slightly at Grim's natural charm. It felt good to know that she wasn't alone on the matter of knowing about the cult, believing what they were capable of, and dealing with their attempts at evil first hand. "It's just a term that we've been using until we find my place alongside Luna." Steel Grim nodded, understanding. "Well, you seem quite lovely, Miss Lace. We hope we see you more often. Can't have an old stallion like me scaring the bajeezus out of everypony all the time." He chuckled. He had the laugh of a stallion out a sea, hearty and deep. "Ahem..." Midnight cleared her throat. Violet quickly spoke. "This is my personal guard, Midnight Gust. And this is my sister, Cloudy Sun." Midnight nodded, and Grim nodded back with a serious look on his face. He respected a pony in armor. His gaze softened as he saw Cloudy, shrinking slightly and attempting not to stare at his scar, and he offered her a small smile. "It's a joy to meet you two, as well." He looked at Luna. "We should get going, Princess. We all need to be settled before the sun rises." "Yes. Of course." Luna, with a fluff of one of her wings, motioned for the large group to start moving. She flew ahead, leading them all in the proper direction. Violet stayed beside Steel Grim, hoping to get some valuable answers. "Um... hello again." Violet said awkwardly. Grim smiled. "Hello to you too, Violet lace." "Um, I was hoping that you could answer a few of my questions on the walk over to headquarters." She almost tripped over a loose stone as she tried to form a polite request. "Of course!" He let out another hearty chuckle. "What is it that you want to know?" "What do you plan on doing about the Black Diamonds?" She figured she would tackle the hardest questions first. "We plan on stopping them, Violet Lace." He cleared his throat. "As soon as we begin investigating, and finding reliable information, we'll start scouting and sending out troops and teams to tackle them from the inside out." "What do you mean "inside out"?" Violet asked, growing anxious. "You claim that you have faced them before. You seem like a smart young mare, you can figure it out." Violet thought about everything she knew. Or thought she knew. She couldn't shake off the feeling that Shimmering Ruby was important in the Black Diamond establishment that apparently took root here in Canterlot or along it's outskirts. It was the only explanation for Shimmering to have the power over her like she did: she had to be nearby. But she couldn't remember any horrific building, or any sort of business that gave her a bad feeling like she figured it would. No secret bases, or stores that were sketchy. No houses or mysterious alleyways that caused a tremble to rake through her body. "They don't have a base- not in plain sight anyway." She figured. Steel Grim nodded. "What else?" She thought about her nightmares. She had gone to doctors and therapists, all of them trying to link it to some sort of mental issue, her birth mother, or some sort of traumatic even that had never existed.But now that she knew what could've possibly caused them, it caused her to start to wonder why neither she nor her parents assumed that it would be caused by magic. That, and Shimmering's disappearance from the face of the planet, seemingly forgotten. "They're good at covering their tracks..." Violet suggested, unsure. She breathed a sigh of relief as the stallion beside her nodded again. "And what does that tell you?" He asked. When Violet shook her head, completely at a loss, he relented and flat out told her. "They have power underground." He said gruffly. "They're invisible, but they hold enough in their hooves to effect millions of ponies without anypony noticing. Never revealing themselves, they always appear as anonymous, and snatch what they can before departing. Leaving a husk of what once was behind." "So they have money-" "More than that." He interrupted. "They have strength in numbers, and influence in business. The higher ups are cunning and are willing to steal from even the most genuine of ponies to get what they need." He winced and Violet saw him almost reach for his scar. "Even if that means ending lives and ruining others." "So... money, strength, power, and... no face to go with it." Violet whispered, listing everything. It clicked. "There's nopony to look for! We don't know what to look for!" "Exactly." He snorted out of his nose and nodded his head again. "They don't have a leader, or a face. There's no weak point we can hit that can take out the entire thing. So, instead, we need to tackle it in parties. Take down one group after another with a group of our own." "But what if we hurt innocents?" Midnight asked. Violet had forgotten that she and Cloudy were directly behind them. "We wont." He answered confidently. "Once you know how to spot them, they're easy to find. The trick is the last part." "The part where they die." Cloudy commented. Grim looked back at her with eyes that were once so warm, but now transformed into simple blue pebbles. "They're going to die, aren't they?" He licked his lips, trying to find the right words. "A few. We have reason to believe that a few commoner ponies- ponies of lesser status who were promised wealth- were tricked into becoming servants and are held their against their will." "So what are you going to do?" Midnight asked. "Are you just going to walk in there and ask them politely to back down. I highly doubt these bases, what with the fact they're so hidden, will allow you to do that." Grim let out another chuckle. "You don't need to get into the bases to defeat them. You just simply need to disarm the ponies controlling the base itself." "We don't understand." Cloudy and Midnight shook their heads. Violet was just as lost. "You will, eventually." That was all he said. Violet looked up, shocked to see that they had already arrived at the entrance to headquarters. Luna was beckoning them all inside. "Do you guys all know each other, or...?" Cloudy asked. "I know quite a few of them." He said. "I'm old, I've been around and met quite a few. I teamed up with a strange mare- Clock Mage was her name- and she told me some things that only a pony such as herself could know. A past that I had long tried to forget." This time, his eye twitched and appeared to get misty. "She told me that we could stop them, and ever since then I've been recruiting and recruiting. Finding families who were called crazy, mares who lost their husbands, stallions who had lost their little fillies, and intelligent minds who were willing to work for the greater good." "And they all just believed you?" Violet questioned, remember her sister's suspicions at the very beginning. "When you lose a loved one at the hooves of them, you can't forget." He shook his head in such a somber way that Violet could've sworn that she saw tears falling down his rugged looking muzzle. "And the scientists have their own reasons for being involved, wanting to test out their inventions and such. Some want to be involved because they've heard ponytales and want to know if they're true. Some have just simply seen things, and don't want anypony else to see them too. "The time pony would on occasion pop up, just in case we needed extra proof." He added. "She would provide us with samples of crystals, or mysterious cases of ponies gone missing that couldn't be explained. On a few occasions, she got brutal, and provided picture evidence of their... activities... with their servants who were once daughters and sons, sisters and brothers. That is arguably the most effective tactic." "That's horrible..." Cloudy whispered. "No wonder they want to join the Lunar Brigade so badly!" "Lunar Brigade?" Steel Grim quoted. "That's good, kid. I think I'll keep that." By the time the door shut behind them, and everypony was inside headquarters, Violet regretted learning all that she did. The thought of them, socialites and basking in the light that wasn't truly theirs, hurting innocent ponies and sucking everything dry like fleas, made her stomach churn. It really was horrible, what they were doing. All all for what? Power? Control of lifeless ponies, completely void of happiness and inner will? What kind of result is that? There they would sit, on gold embroidered pillows and wearing diamond jewelry, mocking and criticizing all that stood below them because of some sort of ego trip that came with being involved. Because they felt like they were better? "Why do they want to do this?" Violet asked once they started waiting for everypony to get settled. "They want what they deemed to be utopia." The old stallion answered. "We don't know when, but soon they're going to attempt to revive their old leader. They want him to arrive to a perfect world. Where everypony either bows down do him, or is bound under him in chains." Violet swallowed. "C-can they do that? Bring him back to life?" "Violet Lace," Steel Grim's eyes went cold again and caused tears to prick her own. "He never died to begin with. He was only weakened, and unable to return." "What?" The three of them, Cloudy, Midnight, and Violet chorused in shock. "That's what we're led to believe. It's the only explanation for the amount of magical and mental influence they seem to have. Those red crystals of theirs... can do some pretty horrible things. And they can only work if they have a leader- and he's the only one who can sit on that throne." He said it so simply, as though he said it a million times before then. Even so, the words hit Violet like poisoned barbs. "Entirely corrupted by dark magic, becoming nothing more than a manifestation of evil in the sky above Equestria, he could've conquered right then and there- that's what the legends say. But something happened. His power was suddenly depleted, and he wasn't able to do anything other than float above the land as a mass of shadow, watching as the world went on happily. Unaware." He explained. He cocked his head, as though trying to unearth a memory. "Different ponies claim it to be a large number of things. Broken heart, rejection of followers, the sun and moon's light destroying him into oblivion." He waved his hoof. "Many things. They're trying to give him a new body- a physical form. He'll be reborn." "And the cult waits..." Violet didn't want to say it out loud. "Until he's strong enough to return." The room was empty them. Everypony else had gone to their respective cots and rooms. He stood up with a groan and finished his story with only once sentence. "Only then can they have true strength, they say!" And with that, the room was empty except for them three. They stood there, letting his words sink in like cold stones into their stomachs. "Shimmering fits perfectly." Violet whispered. Her whole body shook. "I got in her way to power and she tried to kill me... She's still trying to kill me!" "But how is she involved? Do you think Hoity Toity could have something to do with it? Do you think he'd involved too?" Midnight asked. "We are not sure, but we shall make sure that this "Shimmering Ruby" character is investigated as soon as possible." Luna had entered the room. "We have gotten everypony situated. We shall begin first thing tomorrow." She levitated a large stack of papers onto the desk that sat before them, careful not to lay it on any button or switches. Violet took it upon herself to look through the papers, finding them to be bios of the ponies that were just recruited. "So we're safe here, at the castle?" Midnight asked the princess. Luna, thankfully, nodded. "Tomorrow, after breakfast, we must ask that all three of you join us here for an informational briefing." Luna explained. "All of the information on the Black Diamonds will be gathered and filed throughout the night, and we shall make sure that everypony is informed properly." "Yes, your majesty." Midnight bowed quickly. "We still have the rest of the night ahead of us, however... what are we supposed to do?" Violet started to file through the papers. She stumbled on a familiar face and, without thinking, began to read. Steel Grim- Stallion, 67 years of age. Once a commander of a military ship to the west, in charge of over 200 stallions on a single fleet. Worked for the royal guard in his younger years, but retired due to unknown reasons... It went on and on about him. Telling of his life and all of his accomplishments in the military. He had grandchildren who had gone off to great things, like starting shops in their towns and getting educations that were higher than normal. It wasn't until she got to the last paragraph of the paper, did she regret setting her eyes on it. Reason for joining: Though most is held classified, it has been revealed that his daughter, Lily Blossom, has been reported missing by the official police dept. of northern Prance. Reports and images show that she is still alive, but it is unknown whether or not she is under the Black Diamond's influence or is being held against her will. Before she went missing, her flower shop/ herbal healing and fortune telling establishment had gone up in flames and seriously injured her three daughters and her son. There were no casualties, but her children were held in critical care for an extended period of time, and were later raised by Steel Grim. Violet swallowed. She couldn't help herself and she continued to file through the papers. All the while, Midnight was getting orders from the Princess. "You are to make sure that Violet get's back to her room safely." Luna stated. Reason for joining: Her family and beloved friend were murdered one night- all finances and valuables were stolen from the household while she was out walking her pet dog. The police have made no motive to investigate further than the two year period that they had already done. They claim it was a mass suicide. "Same with her sister, as well as yourself. Right now is a bit of a turning point, so there's not much to be done other than wait until further notice. However, we do have some requests for you." "Anything, princess." Midnight responded. Reason for joining: His family was sent into poverty after an organization labeled "Dia corp." caused all of them to go into spiraling dept for reasons they wouldn't reveal. The name and records then were mysteriously removed, and disappeared. Leaving him and his family with no money, no food, and no way to get new jobs due to bad credit. The police did not investigate due to lack of evidence and the supposed "dept" showing no documentation or paperwork in the banks files. "You have read your instructions from madam Clock Mage, we assume. You are to follow those precisely until further notice. We have been told not to inform any of the lunar guard of this, and we are to believe that you have been told this as well. However, if they so desire, Violet and Cloudy Sun are allowed to go to headquarters whenever they wish, unless they are told otherwise. You are to protect them the entire time." Reason for joining: Claims her sister disappeared and was found later that day, wandering the streets screaming about "Black Diamond's Rising!" she was locked in an asylum and has refused to speak with anypony other than the one who "helped her reach the truth" Her sister claims that her eyes were discolored after the event. "Make sure they don't go out of the castle without notifying us or Steel Grim. He's going to be the unofficial leader, and second in command of this force, and you are to answer to him as you would me." "Yes, princess." Violet heard the clanging of armor as Midnight bowed for the last time. But her eyes kept scanning the papers, finding reason after reason. All of them horrible. All of them twisted. None of them official, or could be proven, leaving them to rely on nothing but trust, and probably causing the victims themselves to spin around in circles with nowhere else to go. Some were so brutal, so disgusting, that Violet couldn't read them entirely. Others were pathetic but genuine, such as homelessness and needing a place to stay and food in their stomachs, and some were kind to a degree, such as joining because of a friend going through hard times and wanting to show moral support. "Hey, Violet." Midnight gently tapped Violet's shoulder. "We need to go. Orders from the princess herself." "Midnight..." Violet whispered harshly. "Midnight, I don't know how we're going to do this..." "We're going to do this the only way we know how." Steel Grim walked back into the main room. "By taking action, making a plan, and fighting with every ounce of life we have." "But that doesn't explain what we're going to do!" Violet shouted. Her voice echoed against the walls. "I figured it was obvious." The old stallion shrugged, a tiny smile curling his lips. "Well... it's not." Violet let her shoulders slump. She was sick of solving riddles and jumping through hoops. This was technically her first day on the job, and she already wanted it to be over. Even Midnight nodded her head in agreement at the fact that it was getting sort of ridiculous. "Why, espionage, of course!" Grim let out a triumphant laugh. "Dastardly bastards won't know what hit 'em! They'll be leeching off the socialite scene, like they always do and BAM!" He pounded his two front hooves together, releasing a deafening crack into the air. "We'll take them down right as they strike." "Wait... what?" Midnight shouted. Violet just stood there, with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. "Please..." Midnight rubbed her temples. "Explain." "You see, little fruit bat, as they grew in power, the Black Diamonds also grew in the use of resources." He walked over to the large desk and flicked a switch. The window that stood in front of them lit up with technological magic, a rare and not often seen form of spell, and it showed ponies glowing a bright red. "You see, this is them." He turned a few dials and pressed a few buttons. New ponies showed on the screen, this time bright blue. A little animation played, and the the blue ponies grew smaller in number and size, while the red ponies multiplied and grew larger. "They recruit ponies, normally wealthy individuals, to join their organization. Even if they don't follow the idealolgoies of the cult, they'll still be of use by providing them of financial rescourse." "What do you mean?" Midnight asked. "They'll suck them dry, like vampires..." Violet answered understanding. "They'll steal every bit and diamond out of their bank accounts and by the time the victims notice, they'll already be gone. As soon as they attract too much attention, or they finish getting what they want, they'll scatter and vanish like rats. They'll head back underground." Steel Grim nodded. "Told ya' you were smart, kid." "But what about everypony else?" Violet asked, remembering the papers she just read. "They're average individuals. Most of them don't come close to brushing elite status." "Those are promised with other things." He answered. "Promised healthcare, food, a home. But by the time they stumble inside, they're forced into some form of mind-control or hypnosis, and become servants." "And that's horrible, but what's supposed to happen?" Midnight asked. "If you guys are supposidly going to just walk in there, wearing black sunglasses and carrying grappling hooks, then how are you going to know who's who, and what's what?" "I told you, you'll learn." "Who?!" Midnight shouted, forgetting about the princess and the fact that there were probably sleeping ponies in the next room. "Who's supposed to learn? Me?" "Yes!" Violet suddenly shouted, scaring everypony in the room. "Both you and I need to learn!" "Y-you?!" Midnight looked at her, completely shocked. "Why on Celestia's green earth do you think that?" "Becasue that's what Clock Mage told me!" Violet answered, causing Midnight to just stand there with her mouth hanging open, unable to properly argue. She faced Steel Grimm, who was looking her dead in the eye, already knowing what she was going to say. "I would like to join the Lunar Brigade!" He nodded and shook her hoof. "Proud to have you on board." He smiled his old stallion smile. The smile he probably gave his grandkids as he was raising them. But there was one piece missing. One piece that would set everything into place, and properly start the machine that was their timeline... "I would like to join too!" Cloudy shouted, speaking for the first time in minutes. "I would like to join, for my sister's sake and for the safety of those I love!" "So be it." Luna said, her voice never raising above it's usual tone. However, there was an unusual spark in her eye. "We hope you do well, Cloudy Sun. We are glad you have found your place among us." "You two are going to be spies!" Midnight shouted at the two of them, once the princess and Grim where gone. "You realize that right?! I'm not going to be there to protect you! You, Violet Lace, arguably the most vulnerable and most-likely-to-be-killed pony in the entire kingdom, and you're diving straight into the danger!" "Yep." Violet nodded as they walked back to her room. Midnight didn't say anything after a while. She just heaved a heavy sigh and continued to walk them back. "I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less..." She mumbled. But that was just it. Violet felt the urge of joining. She needed to join, just as how she needed to be with Luna that faithful day of her return. Fate was pulling her in a direction, and though she had gotten hints from Clock Mage herself, that doesn't mean she needed to follow them. Her soul was telling her something, her very being was wanting her to do this. Why? She didn't know. But she just had to follow through. She just had to, or she wouldn't be herself.