I walked slowly through the ashes, my hooves already stained. While any number of repair spells could restore the roof and undo the burns, i doubted that it would reverse all the damage. The smell of smoke would linger for some time, and anything destroyed by the fire not part of the house would be lost for good. It fell to Sunshine and I to take stock of any such items that might exist.
I opened what was left of the door to our room, the charred portal breaking free from the hinges. I closed my eyes and let it settle to the floor. I stepped through and looked at the damage. The bed was destroyed, a scorched beam laying across it. I looked around the room, taking in the burned and scorched furniture and noted that somehow the picture of my sisters and I was untouched by the flame, a light coating of soot the only touch from the fire.
I pulled the picture to me, turning and seeing Sunshine standing behind me, the tracks of tears still fresh on her face, her azure coat stained with ash along her legs. She had a look of sadness and seeing the picture in my magic grip made her smile a little.
“Anything else left?” she asked.
“We’re going to need a new bed and dresser,” I said wryly. “But it looks like the damage here isn’t horribly irrevocable.” I walked up and nuzzled her. “Anything bad downstairs?”
She shook her head. “Mostly smoke damage and soot,” she whispered into my barrel. “The fire didn’t have time to spread down here between the water and the vacuum seal you used. It could have been much worse. We’re lucky.”
I shook my head. “We shouldn’t have been,” I whispered, feeling my anger flare a little. “The other sites were just broken windows or overturned stands. This is the first time they turned to arson. And I’m not sure if it is coincidence that they chose our home deliberately or not when any number of other homes stood just as close by.”
“I don't like the connotation,” my wife muttered. “If they know where your home is, then they know a lot about you and I.”
“I know,” I replied as I slid a wing over her. “I’ve already sent a contingent to keep an eye on Glory and Dew, but they live far enough into the Castle district to be protected from these for now.”
Twilight came up, gingerly stepping around the debris. A rolled up scroll hung in her magic.
“This was just delivered to the castle,” she said, her voice grim.
I took the scroll and opened it, my eyes going hard as I read the words.
To the false rulers of Equestria,
From the time of the foundings of the world, there have been forces higher than the common pony. Harmony, The Sun, The Moon, Discord, Serendiptiy, and Entropy, each given their time and place.
Serendipity has weakened, Discord lost, and now the Sun and Moon are ailing. The time of Entropy is upon us all.
This is the end of times, and we will facilitate it such that will be done to the will of Entropy.
Children of the Void.
“Well,” I gritted. “At least we now have a name to go with the acts. What do we know about this group?”
Twilight shook her head. “Nothing,” my fellow princess responded. “There isn’t anything I’ve ever heard with that name associated. I’ve got Moondancer and Starlight combing the archives.” She looked around. “How bad is the damage?”
Sunshine shook her head. “Not overly bad,” she gasped. “Nothing lost that can’t be easily replaced or particularly significant.” She shivered. “I still don’t like that this happened.”
The Princess of Friendship nodded. “I understand,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “I felt the same shortly after the Golden Oaks was destroyed. I understand the sorrow,” she looked from my wife to me. “And the anger. Better than you might realize.”
I nodded. “I’ve seen the devastated part of the landscape where you threw down with Tirek,” I told her. “I doubt I’d be that bad. I don’t have the power of four Alicorns contained inside.”
“No,” she said. “But you did go after Neighlin during the war.” She bit her lip as she realized what she had implied.
I flinched, the memory of the fire, the smell, and the screams rising back into my mind. I shut my eyes.
Sunshine put her head under my chin, her cheek pressed against my chest. “It’s ok,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, Sunset,” Twilight said hurriedly. “I know it was a special situation, and that you would never deliberately do anything like that and…”
I snapped my head up. “Deliberately…” I whispered, a thought slipping through my mind and I locked eyes with hers. “That’s it.” I headed for the stairs.
“What is it?” Sunshine asked as she came up alongside.
“We need information, and there’s only one mare that could provide it.”
“You want what?” Starlight asked.
“The name of her family,” I repeated. “Neighlin has to have surviving relatives. They may know something about this group and why my home was attacked personally. With fire, the same way I killed Neighlin.”
“Sunset,” the mare stuttered. “This isn’t like finding a specific book, this is searching for a family that may not want to be found.”
“I know,” I said. “But I have a feeling that they may know something about this.” I looked her in the eyes. “Please, do what you can. You have the resources of the Court, you know.”
Starlight sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. Are you and Sunshine ok?”
I nodded. “Thankfully,” I said. “We were able to get out before anything serious happened. No significant loses, but we’ll have to replace a lot of furniture.”
Starlight nodded, then turned to leave.
“For what it’s worth,” she tossed over her shoulder. “I hope your wrong.”
“So do I, Starlight,” I said.
“So do I.”