Derpy remembered once back at the Grand Galloping Gala, Octavia Melody herself played for the guests as she and the Doctor danced together through the night.
But not even that could compare to listening to Dinky and Tootsie perform a flute duet.
Pipsqueak seemed to share the opinion as he sat down with eyes full of wonder as the two fillies played away.
Once they were finished, it was as if there was no sound in the world until Derpy and Pipsqueak applauded like mad upon the carpet.
“Bravo! Bravo!” the little pinto colt cried “Encore! Encore, I say! Encore!”
“What does encore mean?” Dinky asked.
“I don’t know but ponies say it when they like music!”
The two flutists giggled as their mother, beaming with pride, produced a fresh batch of muffins.
“Freshly baked for both performers and audience”
The three foals tucked in as the door unlocked.
Half-expecting to see the Doctor returned, Derpy was pleasantly surprised when Sparkler appeared.
“Hey, Toots!” she said merrily “I heard the tune through the window! You sounded great, little sis!”
Tootsie Flute finished her muffin and ran into her elder sister’s fore-hooves.
“Sparky!” she cried “I missed you”
“I know, Toots, I’m sorry. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you” She turned to Derpy “Thanks for taking care of her. You’re a life-saver, Derpy”
The grey mailmare smiled. Sparkler had been away for a few days after the contractors for the house demanded her attention in person to sort out financial details. Heading all the way to San Palomino just to show them a hoof-full of receipts was inconvenient to say the least but Sparkler assured her little sister that it had to be done and the little pale-blue filly had been happy to stay at the Doo family homestead for the last couple of days.
“It’s great to see you, Sparkler” Derpy said, patting the young unicorn’s head “How was San Palomino?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, don’t worry, everything’s sorted out”
“Great. You can stay over if you like”
Sparkler looked at Tootsie’s pleading eyes and shrugged.
“Why not?! I’ve been hankering for some of those muffins for two days now”
Obligingly, the filly gave her elder sister a muffin.
Taking a grateful chomp, Sparkler noticed Pipsqueak peering out the living room.
“Hey Pip” she called “How’s it going?”
“Oh, hello Sparkler. It’s wonderful to see you. Things are fine”
“No, no, I mean...” she gave him a coy look, grinning as Pipsqueak frantically made a ‘shushing’ gesture as he twigged “With you and...”
There was a brusque knock on the door.
Sparkler, closest to it, opened and addressed the newcomer.
A thin, tired-eyed pale-brown mare with an frizzy blonde mane, dressed in a headscarf and a shawl, stood in the doorway, her face grim.
“Hi, Miss Nancy” Derpy called to her with a smile.
The mare swallowed noticeably, as if the sight of Derpy was distressing her.
“Hello ma’am” Her gritty Trottingham accent was prominent in her voice “Is Pipsqueak here?”
The tiny pinto approached and gave Nancy a smile.
“Hello mummy” he said in a small ‘indoor’ voice.
“There you are” she sighed with relief and gave him a frustrated look “I’ve been looking all over for you. Where on Equestria have you been?”
“Sorry mummy” he twiddled his hooves “The train was delayed and Mrs Doo said I could stay round until I could get back to Trottingham”
Nancy gave the smiling Derpy a look that Sparkler didn’t like. It was not friendly in the slightest and almost suspicious.
Closing her eyes, Nancy nodded.
“Thank you, ma’am, but there was no need. Young Pipsqueak should have told me. Isn’t that right, now?” She gave her son a glance.
“Well...I didn’t want to take you away from work”
The thin mare rolled her eyes and gave a weighty exhale.
“Pipsqueak, you had me worried sick. You’d have done better to contact me. I was waiting for hours at the station for you to arrive. Now, come on”
The little pinto gave an apologetic look to her mother before raising one hoof.
“Just one minute” He quickly turned round to Derpy, Sparkler, Tootsie and Dinky “Thank you having me, Mrs Doo. Thank you Miss Sparkler, Tootsie and Dinky. I really enjoyed my stay”
Sparkler noticed that made Nancy smile a bit more.
“Very nice, Pipsqueak”
“That’s alright, Pip” Derpy gave the colt a pat on the head which made Nancy give her that look again but not nearly as much as when Dinky leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Pipsqueak!” she squawked.
“It’s alright, Miss Nancy” Derpy gave a giggle “It’s just puppy love”
“I don’t care what it is! He’s too young for it” she snapped, stamping her hoof “Pipsqueak. We’re going home. Now”
“Yes, mummy” The ‘indoor’ voice was back, Sparkler noticed, as he tottered away with his mother who positively marched him to the train station. She gave the two a concerned look out the window and thought.
‘She doesn’t seem all to happy with her son’s company’
*
In the Observatory Chambers of Princess Luna, Octavia Melody, requested by the Princess herself, played a slow dirge upon her cello.
The princess of the night had heard about the approaching threat.
So many dead. So many yet in danger.
It stank of an odour she was familiar with.
The Warmonger.
Princess Luna did not often revisit the memories of Nightmare Moon. It took her to a place she did not find comfortable.
A place not normally touched upon by the populace.
Nonetheless, at such a time, this was essential.
Letting the cello sooth her, she cleared her mind and knelt in meditation.
The banishment of Nightmare Moon was only the start of Equestria’s problems.
What happened to the two Princesses happened to the realm.
Civil War.
Those who favoured Luna saw her banishment as the true betrayal that night.
As ashamed of their ignorance of Luna's plight as they were with her sister’s, half the kingdom took up arms and began a crusade against Celestia, founding the Lunar Republic, comprised of countless soldiers and commanders across the world, good and evil. They were led to believe that the Eternal Night would unite the world. That the sun and moon would become one and carry out the purposes of both. One Princess with all the power in the world would mean Equestria was safe from all threats.
To this day, Luna had no idea if that would work or not.
It shamed both her and Celestia that ponies had killed each other in their name.
Between them and their enemies, Royal Equestria, countess feats of honour and dishonour were committed in the name of the sister princesses of the realm.
And, trapped on the moon, trapped in her Nightmare, Princess Luna witnessed every moment.
The town of Olwen had stood since the foundations of the Alicorn monarchy.
The Lunar Legions had sought out to change that once the city made clear they were sheltering Celestia, her magic still weak from the fight with her sister.
Midnight Blade’s spies were never wrong. She was residing at the Sacred Monastery of Corthine, famed for its calligraphic arts, with a strange brown stallion possessed of an hourglass cutie mark.
The monastery lay outside the city, rising high above the town of Olwen.
The legion commanders had been trained since their initiation on how to face an alicorn.
They were relishing the glory of facing her in person.
All but one. A quiet, collected mercenary who did not fancy facing a sun deity in open combat.
He called himself Downriver but that likely wasn’t his real name. For his duplicity and lack of honour, very few of the legion’s generals liked him.
That was why he had brought his own army.
And had arrived early.
It was an hour before noon when his force arrived, comprised almost entirely of archers.
Whole swathes of crossbows, carrying ramps to keep themselves steady as both front hooves worked on firing and reloading without pause.
Smaller formations consisted of specialists. Yew-wood longbows unleashing far-reaching volleys every moment. Feather-wood sentinels from Zebrica to pick off messengers or defenders. Haissanic outriders, adept in aiming and firing on the move, encircling the monastery. And a cadre of Yabusame Warriors from Neighpon, wielding gigantic bamboo bows and crane-feathered quarrels that, once loosed, could pierce and pass through pony flesh like it were wind.
Each soldier was sharp-eyed, seasoned and utterly ruthless. Downriver made sure of that.
Hundreds of arrow-feathered corpses littered Olwen in moments as the survivors flocked, screaming, toward the monastery.
The monks and scholars suffered in similar ways. Many took arrows for the flocking civilians.
“Everypony listen!”
The scruffy brown stallion stood in the doorway of the monastery, Celestia behind him, casting a small shield around the survivors as the arrows punched through the windows.
“Thanks...now then...” Doctor Whooves had the crowd “I know this looks bad but you can’t give in to despair. That’s exactly what they want. Now those arrows pack quite a punch but they aren’t nearly as strong as a pony trying to protect the things they love! Family” He hovered his hoof over a mother with three foals “Friends” A soldier shouldering a wounded colleague “Knowledge” The mural above him depicting Celestia raising the sun “They’re trying to tell us those things are meaningless...Are they?!”
The ponies around him shook their heads and clutched tightly to the things they held dear.
“Are you going to throw it all away thanks to their pathetic little arrows?!”
The crowd were in unison.
“No! Not us! Not today!”
“That’s very good to hear” the Doctor chuckled “Now...her magic won’t last us long. This shield will fail us soon...but yours won’t”
“D-Do we pray for the Princess?” a monk asked.
“No” It was Celestia who spoke, her voice wavering as her magic grew weaker “Your Princess is here and she commands you to help those trapped within the town. Build shields and barricades. Take apart anything and protect the monastery, protect the town! Ensure as many ponies make it inside! Nothing is more important!”
Once those around her had found suitable means of cover, Princess Celestia shot out the monastery gates, soared atop the roof of the monastery where the stained glass windows were placed and drew her sword. The Dextrous Blade, cast from the right-half of Laurelore’s Equis Blade. Spinning and twirling it in all directions, with equal grace and ferocity, the Princess scattered the storm of arrows in mid-air with a look of feral determination etched upon her regal features.
She had enough magic for this, she hoped.
No more innocents would die today, she swore it.
She had failed her sister.
She wouldn’t fail her kingdom.
They weren’t fighting back. They had no means to do so.
But they didn’t seem to be giving up.
Downriver surveyed the map with concern. His soldiers were expertly trained in sword-work but planning an effective route to storm the city would require precision. It was no use simply swarming the town, no telling what would happen.
Something wasn’t right. Even with Celestia, the town wouldn’t have found the courage to fight back. In her state, it was doubtful Celestia could as well. Her powers hadn’t returned yet and wouldn’t for a great deal of time.
This wasn’t how it was meant to go. The town would be ruined under a hail of arrows, its citizens would be massacred, their last moments would be spent gasping for air as Celestia did what little she could to ease their pain.
What had happened?
Who was responsible?
“Enough of this!”
With a thud, a rustic but expertly-crafted throwing dagger embedded itself in the map, landing squarely on the plateau the tactician currently sat.
Narrowing his eyes, Downriver rose slowly and turned to see a trio of ponies glaring at him, dressed in ornate obsidian armour with cloaks of ebony and ivory ribbons fastened by crescent-shaped mithril pendants.
Three of the Eternal Knights, sworn swords to the exiled Princess Luna and the House of the Rising Moon.
He’d chosen to examine them thoroughly since his assignment.
The first one, who’d thrown the knife, was White Wolf the Storm-Runner, a fiery navy-blue pegasus with a flowing silver mane adorned with a twisting braid in the style of the deer that raised her. The ardent mare armed herself with a pair of curved blades and focussed on swift and ferocious attacks from the air. Taught to hunt harpies and duel griffins at an early age, White Wolf was a ferocious force in battle, calling down thunder and lightning upon any foe she crossed, hence her title.
The second was Fletcher Fray the Battle-Brother, an elegant but grim unicorn with long sandy-blonde mane and a leaf-green coat. Descended from a proud family of accomplished war leaders, Fletcher Fray was an expert with the bow, fashioned from whisperwood and enchanted by elk magic. His hazel eyes saw every potential target but his strong sense of principles separated a worthy foe from a needless kill. He’d earned his rank defending his troops and family in the struggles of war.
And the third was Midnight Blade the Record-Keeper, the eldest and most experienced of the two. A dour, grey batpony with colourless eyes, he played his stereotype well, largely for his own amusement. Dark and mysterious were a byword to his namesake as was his blade, a two-handed falchion he wielded with expert precision. As Record-Keeper, it fell to him to infiltrate the enemy and pin-point weakness. In practice, he wasn’t the best spy but he was certainly a capable planner and manipulator, resorting to every trick in the book to prevail.
Yet not even he addressed Downriver with much admiration.
“Can I help you?” Downriver asked mirthlessly.
Midnight Blade scowled.
“No. Help from you, Downriver, has been our greatest dishonour” He held his sword out in front of him “You will call off your archers and cease this brutality immediately. If not, the House of the Rising Moon will put you to death as a war criminal”
Downriver raised one eyebrow.
“The House of the Rising Moon hired me to take this town. I’m taking it. I’d expect more gratitude towards the ponies fighting your battles”
“This is no battle, sell-sword!” White Wolf bellowed “This is cowardice of the lowliest calibre! Sitting on the outskirts, slinging arrows a mile into the fighting! Even the Tyrant-Traitor, Celestia, is fighting bravely to protect her servants yet you do not do the same! You treat your soldiers like school-foals and your enemies like vermin! The Eternal Knights will not suffer such tarnish to their name!”
“Then the Eternal Knights should have been here earlier. Perhaps then you could decide how we fought” Downriver said sardonically, glancing at the earth pony “Battle-Brother Fray, I don’t see you with the archers”
Fletcher gave the mercenary leader a dark look and paced over to the table. Drawing his fabled bow, he slammed it down upon the map in front of them.
“You see this?” he asked, indignation rife in his tone “This was carved a millennium ago from a sacred whisperwood tree in the Black Forests of Farmany and enchanted by Elkenking Garivh-Hal. Archduke Ballistix, the founder of my noble House of Armbrust, used it to slay a great troll king with a single shot. Many centuries after, my grandfather slew eight-hundred Boarzerkers at Broken Tusk Pass with this bow. After him came my father who, with this bow, saved the mare who would become my mother from her demented uncle in an archery tournament against Prince Al’Balut. Now, at last, it is passed down to me”
There was a pause.
“How fascinating” There was something sincere in Downriver’s voice but he showed no sign of being impressed “And?”
“And...” Fletcher Fray growled “I will not sully this noble weapon by taking shots at unarmed ponies from afar”
“You’re prepared to throw away victory for the sake of vanity?” Downriver asked, tilting his head in disdain.
White Wolf gave a hiss and made to move on him before Midnight placed a hoof on her shoulder. Calmed slightly, the pegasus took a deep breath and retrieved her knife. Spinning it on her hoof, she placed it inches from the mercenary’s face.
“Not vanity” she snarled “Honour”
“Pointless” Downriver said flatly.
“Pointless explaining to you? I agree” Midnight Blade said with an icy glare as White Wolf deposited her blade in the belt strapped across her front leg “Eternal Knights. We take to the field!”
Olwen had been fortified. The town walls, little more than a wooden bailey, had been propped up with whatever materials could be found and manned by skeleton crews of archers prepared to send back the arrows scattered across the city.
They kept their bows trained on the three armoured foes bearing the Lunar flag as they marched toward the city.
White Wolf stepped forward and bellowed.
“Princess Celestia! You have fought gallantly to protect those who still support you! That is worthy of recognition in the eyes of the Eternal Knights! We offer an incentive! We will call off this butchery and punish those responsible! In return, you will face us, outside Olwen’s walls, in a duel to submission! Each of us has vowed to face you bravely in battle! Let us honour that vow and Olwen will be spared! The Eternal Knights swear it by their swords!” The three placed one of their front hooves across their chest “We will give you until your sun sets! Pray the night of the sister you wronged does not grant us the strength to ruin you in her name!”
“How tiresome” Downriver sighed before turning to a nearby lieutenant “Make ready to fire”
There was a pause.
Then, as a light seemed to shoot up from the monastery, the mighty figure of Princess Celestia slammed into the ground before them, blade held firmly in her magical grasp.
“You have your answer” she said with vigour “Prepare to honour your vow”
The Eternal Knights were all too eager. Drawing their weapons and surrounding the Princess, Wild Wolf struck first, taking to the wing, drawing both blades with her free-hooves and swooping down with a fearsome battle-cry. The Dextrous blade blocked the attack but left the Princess open for a glowing, white-hot arrow from Fletcher Fray’s bow. Celestia narrowly caught it with a blast of magic and dropped to her knees to avoid White Wolf’s slashes. Midnight Blade saw his chance and brought his namesake down upon the Princess. Rolling along the ground, she was kicked in the face as she rose and just managed to bring her blade up to block the down-strike. As White Wolf brought her own blades down upon hers, Celestia resorted to holding the blade in place with her hooves.
Fletcher Fray saw his chance and aimed a magic-charged arrow at Celestia’s head. With seconds to spare, the alicorn blasted the arrow in mid-air, causing a small but powerful explosion that sent the three knights falling backwards.
They swiftly found their hooves and readied themselves, Fletcher’s horn glowing a vibrant shade of lime as the bow morphed into a double-headed spear.
Celestia gave a grunt of strain as she rose to her hooves, holding the Dextrous Blade out in front of her, before speaking to her opponents.
“You do my sister proud...”
Down in the plateau, Downriver’s lieutenants watched, their troops ready to fire.
“Now, sir?”
Downriver, meanwhile, had his eyes fixed on the town. As the lieutenants followed his gaze, they saw the scruffy brown stallion standing outside the gate, staring defiantly at them.
Before they could ask, the general responded.
“Pull back”
The lieutenants glanced at each other in confusion but knew better than to question his orders.
As quickly as they had marched to Olwen, the army turned on their fetlocks and departed.
The last shot fired at that battle was Downriver’s look of unbridled loathing at the Stallion That Stops The Monsters.
Luna’s eyes snapped open as Octavia Melody finished her piece.
“Thank you, my good mare” she said solemnly “You have eased my tensions tremendously. If you would perhaps indulge me with one more short symphony”
“Of course, your highness”
As the cello music played, the Princess’s thoughts collected.
After that battle, the Eternal Knights had returned to the House of the Rising Moon on Sunless Isle as heroes. Celestia lived that day, the duel had ended in a stalemate, but they’d crossed blades with their worst enemy and lived to tell the tale which was worth many honours. The Herald of Luna, the young and ailing Prince Artemisias Dryft had listened to their accounts and sentenced Downriver to death for his war crimes but the ponies sent after him either never found him or were, themselves, never found again. Downriver simply disappeared.
Luna’s brow furrowed as she pieced together the knowledge granted only to herself and her sister.
Swiftness, efficiency, zealous training, faultless military tactics and formations...and total disregard for life.
The moon would turn blue as the sea if Downriver and these black-hearted mercenaries weren’t connected somehow.
*
Twilight Sparkle sat the dining table with Spike beside her in her small but hospitable Ponyville castle, facing the Doctor as Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie sat on opposite ends of each other, their faces heavy with concern and curiosity.
“Okay...” the Doctor began “Let me tell you how things stand. Boulette City, on the outskirts of Equestria, has been subjected to a massive terror attack. Over three thousand casualties”
“I know. I saw it in the news” Rarity shook her head “So many poor ponies killed. Things like this have never happened before”
“Well, I’m afraid things might this might be happening a lot more often if we don’t do something”
“Doc, ya sound like ya know more ‘bout these calamities than yer lettin’ on” Applejack said “We wanna’ help in any way we can”
“I realise that but I’m warning you, this won’t be easy” He took a sip of tea before continuing “I’m not going to say we face our greatest threat...but this is definitely a threat you’re not used to”
“Aw, c’mon! We took down six of Equestria’s worst enemies in our spare time! These guys are gonna’ be a cakewalk” Rainbow Dash scoffed.
“Dash, let’s not forget, they killed over three thousand ponies in an hour and a half” Twilight pointed out “I think I understand what the Doctor means. This is putting us against some very unpleasant individuals”
“Exactly” the Doctor explained “This organisation of theirs. I don’t know what they’re calling themselves right now but they comprise of some of the world’s most deadly killers-for-hire”
“Wh-what?” Fluttershy paled “Y-you mean...ponies hire other ponies to kill other ponies?!”
“I’m afraid so. This is what I mean. Very different. Forget Discord. Forget Chrysalis. Maybe even forget Tirek. These guys are serious. These guys give the word ‘monster’ a bad name. Between them, they are guilty of every war crime imaginable and have absolutely no regard for the lives of innocent ponies. And the worst of them all is their leader. A pony I crossed paths with myself and lived to tell the tale...Cascadius”
“Is that spelt with an ‘a’ or an ‘ai’?” Pinkie was writing a letter on brightly coloured paper with rainbow-coloured crayon.
“Pinkie, what are you-” Twilight was interrupted by Pinkie reading her letter aloud.
“Dear Mr Cascadius.
I think you are a giant meanie-boo-beanie-pants and you can’t come to any of my Pinkie Pie Parties...unless you say you’re very sorry and bring something nice, maybe a chocolate fountain. I love chocolate fountains so much.
If you don’t like chocolate fountains, you can’t come to my chocolate fountain party.
And also we’re coming to kick your flanks for what you did in Boulette. I personally will ensure literal flank-kicking.
You’d better hope I don’t borrow my Big Sister Maud’s horseshoes.
They hurt.
A lot.
Also, not kidding about the chocolate fountain
Love from Pinkie Pie”
“Pinkie...not helping”
The bubbly pink mare looked up and caught sight of the Doctor’s serious expression.
She didn’t have a huge capacity when it came to paying attention to serious conversation but she knew an unhappy pony when she saw one.
“Sorry” She quietly put the paper and crayon back in her mane.
“So who the hay even is this Cascadius?” Rainbow Dash asked impatiently “I never heard of him before and that cheeses me off! If this guy does this evil stuff for laughs all the time, how come we haven’t gone after him yet?”
“A variety of reasons” the Doctor sighed “Listen, to tell you what he’s fully capable of, I need to give you a bit of a history lesson”
There were mixed reactions from the group. Twilight Sparkle and Spike both sat bolt upright with anticipation, Rarity and Fluttershy leaned forward with mild curiosity, Rainbow Dash groaned and leaned back in her chair, Applejack rolled her eyes in frustration and Pinkie Pie appeared to be trying to see if her tongue could reach the chocolate she’d somehow gotten on her nose.
“I know Cascadius from...very long ago...and I mean long ago”
“Doctor” A frightening thought entered Spike’s head “Is he...a time traveller? Like you?”
“No, least I hope not. He can’t travel in time...but he’s damn good at living through it. He’s lived a long time and fought in Equestria’s most bloody conflicts. I’m not sure how but I intend to find out. Regardless, he’s a master of disguise. Nopony can manage it quite like him”
“Not a Changeling?”
“No, no. It’s not his natural ability but he’s still damn good. The thing about him is that he is driven by an obsession to be good at nearly every life skill, at least in terms of skills that might help him”
“Sounds like mah sister and the CMC” Applejack said off-hoofedly.
“Nothing so innocent, I can tell you. He has lived for a long time and he uses this to his advantage. Literal centuries of experience spent training and skill-building have made him the perfect killer. You will not know him until he is ready to strike. He could be anypony. A grocer selling you goods. A police pony asking if everything’s alright. The pony you fall in love with. He could be all of these and more if he wished. All in order to get close to you, find out all there was to know about you...and then kill you”
“Well thank you kindly for the bout of paranoia, Doctor Dearest!” Rarity snapped sarcastically.
“I’m just trying to prepare you. Don’t let down your guard because that’s one of the things he’ll be waiting for”
“Would we have heard of him at all?” Twilight asked “He doesn’t sound like the sort of pony who goes around unnoticed”
“There are only two kinds of ponies in the world” The Doctor sighed “Ponies who don’t know Cascadius and ponies who hope Cascadius doesn't know them. The citizens of Ponyville don’t involve themselves with military matters all too often, hence why he hasn’t had much interest here but he has been here before. He must have been. I know for a fact that Cascadius hired the thug that tortured Carrot Top and nearly killed Lady Justice”
“So he was the one behind it, that damn low-life!” Rainbow Dash slammed a hoof on the table “I’m gonna’ make him pay for that!”
“I remember that...so well...” Fluttershy shuddered “Poor Carrot Top...her injuries looked awful...”
The Doctor nodded and continued.
“And later, Derpy admitted to me, in strict confidence you understand, that Countess Magnifying Glass had ordered him to do so. If those two are still working together, Celestia help us all”
“Why?” Applejack asked “Greedy, plague-ridden rats always work in packs. What difference does that make?”
“Because the only thing that keeps Cascadius in check is the wish of his employer, who, right now, happens to be a deranged noblemare with little if any sanity and even less moral decency. Their sole wish and purpose is to hurt me, Derpy and Dinky and they won’t care at all who suffers in the process...which means they’ll be pulling out all the stops, so to speak”
Twilight paused, glanced around and asked something pressing on her mind.
“If he’d been in all the worst wars and massacres in Equestrian history, wouldn’t we know about it?”
The Doctor sighed.
“Therein lies one of me and Celestia’s greatest mistakes. Cascadius committed an unspeakable crime when we first crossed paths. So Celestia and I had all mention of his name removed from every page or inscription in the known world. A very powerful spell, rarely ever used. Rarely ever a reason. It was as if he’d never even existed. And upon his return, he used this to his advantage. Nopony would be looking for him because nopony would know who he was. He goes by many names every time he resurfaces but if there’s a real pain in the flanks gaining power somewhere in the world, Cascadius is involved. He’s always involved”
“What did he do that got his name removed from history?” Twilight asked, flabbergasted.
The Doctor was quiet for a moment, sipped his tea, cleared his throat and answered.
“Something nopony ever thought possible..." He took a deep breath.
"He tried to kill an alicorn”
There was a moment of silence. The Bearers of Harmony paled, perplexed.
“Uh...is that even possible?” Rainbow Dash asked at last.
“It must be...because he almost succeeded”
“What?!” The cyan pegasus nearly fell back in her chair.
Twilight Sparkle stared at the Doctor with wide, horrified eyes.
“Wh...What stopped him?”
The Doctor placed his teacup down on the table and looked up at them with a determined but world-weary look in his eyes.
“Me”