With the reveal of the society, Twilight sent the members of her meeting home. From Trixie’s outburst, she knew speaking to Moondancer alone would be best. Though Twilight tried to ease the awkward tension, Moondancer’s guilt remained. “I’m not mad,” Twilight reasoned. “I don’t blame you,” she’d add. “We’re still friends.” None of it helped comfort the unicorn. Everything came into the open. She eventually coerced Moondancer into bringing her to the society’s base, but only after much reluctance.
The bearers and Starlight Glimmer came along to Canterlot. Each gave Moondancer space just as Twilight had asked of them. They had their questions and differing opinions on the society, but Twilight refused to hear any of it. She reserved judgement. Mistakes happened—nothing was permanent. Change was inevitable.
Once they arrived outside the broken-down home, Twilight wondered how many ponies it would fit. “Is this it?” she asked Moondancer. But the unicorn shook her head and remained silent as she pointed to the wall in the backyard. Twilight nodded, turned, and barked orders to the others. “Fluttershy, Dash. Head to the archives. Find out who owns this decrepit home. Applejack, Pinkie. Talk to the neighbors, see if they know anything. A bunch of cloaked figures can’t hide all the time. Rarity and Starlight, you can head in and start investigating the home.” The six went straight to their tasks.
Moondancer led the way through the downed picket fence, rounding to the backyard. Twilight’s eyes fell on the well, and she expected it to be the entrance. Glancing inside, she found metal bars blocked the way down. Only a hole large enough for a bucket could pass through. “It’s a stone here on the well, but I need my insignia to unlock it. The door is here,” Moondancer described. She then pointed to the wall of vines and stones.
“Where’s this insignia of yours? May I see it?” Twilight asked, hoping her politeness wouldn't be seen as pity. Her heart hurt for Minuette and the betrayal thrust upon them. She lost their friendship once, but did not doubt they’d be friends again once things straightened out.
“It’s at my house,” Moondancer answered in a sullen tone.
“That’s not too far. Let’s go get it,” Twilight replied. She then corrected herself with a page from Fluttershy’s book. “I mean, if that’s alright with you.”
Behind the lenses, the eyes turned sour as Moondancer shot them to Twilight’s face. “You don’t need to walk on eggshells, Twilight. I messed up. I know they never intended to hurt anypony. But they did. Once they’ve proven their intentions are innocent, I hope you’ll punish me in their stead. I owe them that for my betrayal.”
“Punishment?” Twilight scowled for a moment before the expression faded into grief. Minuette revealed them, not Moondancer. But she dared not mention that, knowing it would be a sore spot either way. “I’m not going to punish you. This Society of Secret Sorcery caused a few problems, but it’s nothing we can’t smooth over. These leaders, Masters and Grandmaster. Talking with them, finding out who they are, that’s all we need to settle this. No punishments.”
“Won’t Princess Celestia and Luna be mad we moved the sun and moon?”
“The notion will surprise them, I’m sure. And even more so the intentions! I understand the reasoning for secrecy, and the need to not be part of my lists. But the society can join us without us maintaining it. We princesses are not alone in our duty, and neither should the society be alone. Everything will be fine. Trust me.”
Moondancer seemed to accept Twilight’s words, though her sullen expression remained. Twilight didn’t say anything more on the matter as they made their way to the unicorn’s home. Time would heal the wounds of betrayal and guilt. She could even come stay in Ponyville for a little while once everything resolved. An olive branch in the form of a slumber party or brunch, maybe.
But upon their arrival, Twilight was surprised to see Moondancer's attitude turn into an angry inferno. “They went through my house!” Of course, that was an understatement. Upturned furniture, shattered lights, knocked over book piles, and cabinets had all been raided.
The haphazard way someone thrashed Moondancer’s home felt off to Twilight. There was too much unnecessary damage. Dents in walls, silverware stuck to the ceiling, and smashed lamps with no purpose to their smashing. She found it clear that somepony angrily did this damage.
“I can’t believe this! They’re supposed to be on the side of justice! Is this what they do to someone who—” Moondancer paused. “Who threatened the entire existence of their organization? Of course it is.” She hung her head and slumped to her rump in the living room. “I guess this is what I deserve.”
“I’m not so sure this was the society as a whole.” Twilight levitated a framed picture to Moondancer. Five unicorn friends sat together in the photo. “One member, maybe. Angrier than the rest.” Twilight wondered if Minuette blamed Moondancer for the betrayal completely, and left her own inclusion out. Perhaps even coming here to find Moondancer’s insignia was part of Minuette’s task to stay in the society’s good graces. A trial to remain loyal, though not to an old friend.
Moondancer took the frame in both hooves and gripped the edges hard. Glass split further down the center over Minuette’s face. “I don’t think I can do this, Twilight. I should’ve backed out of the society and left it all well enough alone.”
“You did what you thought was right, Moondancer.” Twilight sat beside the unicorn. “When I left Canterlot, I thought I was doing the right thing too. If I hadn’t been so adamant about Nightmare Moon’s return, Celestia might never have sent me to Ponyville. If I had backed out, imagine how different the world would’ve become. Keeping yourself together through all this proves how strong you are.”
“I am not strong.” Moondancer rose away from Twilight. “Minuette invited me in because I know a lot about magic. I thought about turning her away, but then I thought of you. Joining a group of unicorns reminded me of the days we spent studying together. I wanted to rekindle the glory days of our school years. Isn’t that pathetic? To be so stuck in the past?”
Twilight held her tongue and struggled to find the right words.
“I didn’t expect all—” Moondancer let out a brief sigh “—all this.”
With her magic, Twilight levitated a table upright and set the photo atop. She then removed the shards of glass and left it facing Moondancer. “Come on. Where’s your insignia?”
Moondancer jumped up from the floor, catching Twilight by surprise. “My cloak and pin!” she yelled and rushed to her bedroom. Twilight trotted after her as the sudden tussling of clothes rang out. “Oh, come on! My bed too?” The mattress had several cuts down the middle and was ripped from the frame. “Did they find it? Please tell me they didn’t find it!”
Several sets of the same sweater were flung into the air. Twilight knew Rarity would lose her mind at the sight of such conformity. “You find it?” she asked. The unicorn shook through balled-up sweaters, and tore open the clumps of cloth. Twilight decided to help, and by luck found one with a dark grey fabric inside. It fell to the floor with a thump. “Is this what you’re looking for?” A silver pin sat inside the grey cloak. Twilight brought it to the light and examined the peculiar design. “A silver unicorn.”
Moondancer relieved a sigh at its sight. “They didn’t get it. That’s good news.” She then described the others. “The rest are gold. The level above me, Evoker, gets two horns, while the Masters get three. But the last one is really different. A golden alicorn. It's the Grandmaster’s pin. One horn.”
An alicorn was an odd choice. Twilight tapped her chin as she finished studying the features. She then handed the pin back to Moondancer. “Let’s not waste any more time here. The girls may have found something.”
“Both of us?” Moondancer asked. “I mean, I need to clean up here, and you’ve got everything I know. I shouldn’t be joining you. Once you find out who the Grandmaster is and bring the society into the fold, I’ll still be an outcast.”
Twilight shook her head. “I need everyone I can trust. I trust you, Moondancer. You’re part of this, whether you want to be or not. And if that’s not a good enough reason, then I’m claiming it as a friendship-building exercise. We don’t get to hang out enough!” Twilight threw a foreleg around the unicorn and held her close. “Having a true friend by your side can make all the difference in the world, don’t you think?”
Though Moondancer did not give a verbal response, her return to the abandoned home was answer enough for Twilight.
As they stood in the sunlight, staring at the well, Moondancer pressed the insignia against a brick. A rumbling echoed behind them. Twilight went slack-jawed at the sight of another door. “Is that a snake?” she asked. The tan wood, the golden circular creature. It was beautiful, unique. Yet not so out of place for Canterlot. “Interesting. I’ll have Starlight jot down note of it.”
“Oh! I can do that!” Moondancer pulled out a pen and notepad from her sweater. The action staggered Twilight, and her reaction did not go unnoticed by the unicorn. “May as well make myself useful,” she said as she hid her eyes beneath her bangs.
Twilight lit her horn upon entering the base. The sconces were dark, and no sound emitted from the blackness. “They removed the furniture,” Moondancer mentioned. Scuff marks and dust outlining cleaner spots backed up her claim.
The stone walls on the outside didn’t match the inside. Old limestone blocks painted in a pale brown gave the room a sense of age. The crevices between the stones were sealed up tight. There had to be somepony who built this, someone who knew why this place existed. Its construction couldn't have been so secretive as to allude every Canterlot archive.
“Here’s where we performed the eclipse.” Moondancer opened the double doors to the room where a podium once stood.
Now it sat barren, as though no one ever lived there. Twilight glared over the emptiness; there was enough room to hold over sixty ponies. How could so many remain so tight-lipped? “What of the other rooms?”
“I never used them since I live here in Canterlot,” Moondancer replied as they returned to the great hall. “Minuette said they were for unicorns from other parts of Equestria. A dining hall and a boarding room, I believe?”
Twilight chose a room at random and entered. She expected the room to be vacant, but it wasn't. “Looks like they didn’t have time to get everything out.” Bunk beds, though only a few remained, would’ve lined the room from wall to wall. Now, half a dozen still sat against the furthest corner. "Judging by the unkempt sheets, they had to quickly wake up and get the furniture out. That or they didn’t have room wherever they were going. No scratch marks. Teleportation? We’ll get no witnesses of ponies moving furniture if that's the case.”
“Minuette told them about me. They knew we’d be coming. Even with an entire night, I’ll bet they didn’t get everything done.”
“Which means they’ll have left something behind.”
Twilight doubled her effort. She expanded her horn's light, and combed the beds—lifting sheets, turning mattresses, and tossing pillows. Not a hair or fur settled within the fabrics, nor an article of clothing forgotten underneath. “Maybe the other hall has something,” Moondancer suggested.
"Let's hope," Twilight dejectedly agreed. On their way back to the great hall, she stopped. “Did you ever take off your cloak while you were here?”
“No. Minuette remained adamant we keep ours on.”
Instinct turned Twilight to the door. Several hooks spanned the wall—places to set a coat or hat or cloak. They mirrored both sides of the door, including where it opened into. Plenty of space for plenty of members. “You wouldn’t wear it to bed unless you’re crazy. And if you’re in a rush, you’ll forget something you can’t see.” Twilight closed the door, and luck sided with them. “There we are," she said as she lifted the cloak off the hook.
“How will this help us? If you needed a cloak, I could’ve given you mine," Moondancer asked.
“Your cloak has your scent,” Twilight replied. “We don’t know who this belongs to. Fluttershy should have a dog, a bloodhound. Something to sniff out our forgetful member.”
“And then we find the pony and convince them to help us?”
“Follow them. Watch them. Convince them. There’s many possibilities I’ve thought of—” The sounds of hooves cut Twilight short, along with the beckoning of her presence.
They rushed back into the great hall with their prize. The front door sat open, and a shadowed pegasus hovered in the entryway. “Twilight! We’ve got a situation!” It was Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy is still trying to get the information on the home’s owner—but Celestia sent guards out.”
“Guards?” Moondancer gulped. The unicorn hid behind Twilight.
“Celestia sent word to Spike, who told her that we had come to Canterlot. She sent guards out, they found me. Gave me this.” Dash held a scroll up and let it unravel against her foreleg. “I knew you’d want to know immediately.”
As Twilight finished reading the contents of the letter, another voice called from outside. This time Rarity wanted the alicorn, to which all three followed. “We found something!” she yelled to them from the backdoor. “I figured you’d want to see this as soon as we discovered it.”
“Both knew to get you immediately? Guess your friends know you pretty well,” Moondancer mentioned.
“If they think it’s important, it is important,” Twilight said as they entered the abandoned home. “What'd you find?” she asked whoever would answer.
They stood in the kitchen, or what used to be a kitchen. Starlight Glimmer had put the almost pristine book on the dusty wooden table. A chair missing two of its legs sat beside, with cobwebs all around. Starlight’s light, along with Twilight’s, brightened the room beyond necessity. Every bit of grime, dust, and decay was visible. Stepping into the home was like walking straight into a spider’s web. And here was a book Twilight knew all too well.
Starlight stood to the side with her eyebrows pinched. “If it wasn’t personal before, it is now.”
The cover was purple, with a burnt gold edging and horseshoe in the middle. Twilight set the scroll next to it. Inside the horseshoe sat the Element of Magic. “A friendship journal,” Twilight mouthed silently. She opened the first few entries. It’d been used, but maintained. Some pages chipped at the edges and corners.
“What's the letter? This book?” Moondancer asked as she stood opposite of Starlight.
There were no highlights, no notes. Not even the accidental line of ink one might absent-mindedly make while daydreaming. Some of the corners could be construed as bookmarks, but it wasn’t certain. “This is a copy of the friendship journal Starlight and I published.”
“We found it in the upstairs bedroom between some broken floorboards. Somepony thought they could hide it from Rarity’s keen eyes,” Starlight explained. “It wasn’t very dusty. I’m not sure if that means it was recently hidden or not.” Starlight pulled open the letter with her magic, but Twilight snapped it closed.
“An eclipse. Manehattan. The Crystal Empire.” Twilight closed her eyes. “Now Appleloosa. A tornado destroyed their orchards and part of the town.”
Moondancer’s shrill gasp echoed in the small kitchen. “You can’t be serious! Minuette would’ve told them to stop! They would’ve listened to her—she’s an Evoker. A tornado? Twilight!”
“They’re involving us now,” Twilight said to Rarity and Dash. “Whatever it is the Grandmaster is planning, it involves us. There’s got to be a reason they’d have this. If not the Grandmaster, then a Master. It doesn’t matter. The goal is the same. We need entrance into their secret society.”
Rainbow Dash flew forward and batted her hooves together. “What’ll you have us do, Twilight?”
“Go to Princess Celestia. Tell her to put out a bulletin to arrest all those associated with the society. Any pony seen wearing a dark grey cloak is now under suspicion. We can’t take this threat lightly.”
“You really think arresting anyone on speculation is the right call?” asked Moondancer, with Starlight sharing the sentiment.
“It’s not the right call. It’s the only call we have at the moment,” Twilight said. With a nod to Dash, the pegasus flew past Rarity out to Canterlot Castle.
“She’s right,” Rarity added as she adjusted her mane. “If your friend Minuette told them, she told them everything. And yet they continue with their practices. If they are on the side of Equestria as you claim, someone would’ve come forward. That either means these leaders are withholding information or they’re lying to their members.”
“Or both,” Starlight noted.
Twilight closed the journal and the scroll before wrapping them together with the cloak. “All the battles we’ve faced as bearers of the Elements of Harmony have been single threats. I can’t just throw the Elements at an unknown target, and especially those who might not know what they’re causing.” She stared for a moment at each of the unicorns standing around her. She stopped at Moondancer. “I’ve got a plan, and I need ponies I can trust.”
“Whatever it is, I’m willing to do it.” Moondancer stepped forward without hesitation, contradicting the reluctance on her face.
“Thank you. But I need more than us,” Twilight replied. The three unicorns looked bewildered by the statement. “Moondancer. There’s someone I’d like you to meet. Someone who knows a bit about being on the wrong side of friendship.”
Being surrounded by papers and books all her life, Moondancer shouldn’t have felt out of place. Piles of paperwork sat atop the crystal table. Ledgers of information about the abandoned house. Applejack and Pinkie’s recounts of the neighbors’ descriptions. It was all here, but cross-referencing names was nothing more than a chore. A monotonous, boring, overly dull chore. One that Moondancer wanted no part of.
Both Starlight and Twilight looked weary, but Moondancer did not share their heavy eyes. All the recent late nights studying for the society paid off. If only the work wasn't so boring. And there was so much, even for three smart mares, such as they were.
However, the search for the owner wasn't their only route. Twilight’s second idea appeared sound to Moondancer. Fluttershy arrived late in the night with a bloodhound, a breed of dog meant for sniffing out individual smells. Moondancer brought the cloak to the canine, eager for the reprieve from the paperwork. She pushed it against the dog’s cold, wet nose.
The dog huffed whatever scent sat within the cloth. It whined, sniffed again, and whined some more. Moondancer studied the floppy-eared canine with intent. When it settled back away from the cloak, she wondered if something went wrong.
Fluttershy was the animal expert though. And so she knew to try again. This time it didn’t even bother to sniff the cloak. The dog looked up at her with wrinkled brows, as if to call her crazy. Moondancer noticed the confusion setting in on Fluttershy’s face. It was when the pegasus took a whiff herself that Moondancer knew it wasn’t going to work. “There’s nothing for him to smell. It’s clean; run through a wash,” Fluttershy deemed, and Moondancer took back the cloak.
“You can’t be serious!” Starlight cried out. “Twilight, can we have him smell the book?”
“No. Not unless we want a sneezing dog here,” Twilight replied.
“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said. “How’s the search going? I hope you weren’t betting on the cloak as your only avenue.”
As Twilight went to speak, a sudden gust erupted down the hall beyond closed doors. The noise startled everypony in the room aside from the alicorn. Moondancer hid behind the unfazed canine, while Fluttershy hid behind her. “No. Sending out the guard to make arrests will have the society believe that is our only option. But I’m bringing in some extra help. That should be her now.”
“Her?” Moondancer asked Fluttershy, who shrugged and shook.
A set of trotting hooves echoed as the group went silent. They stopped at the double doors into the room. Twilight went to open them, to greet the newest addition, but they swung harshly. She groaned at the unexpected sight. “What? Expecting someone else?” the draconequus asked. He greeted Fluttershy with a hug, and stuck his tongue out at the others. “I heard you found your little society but were having problems locating its members. So here I am!” Discord flexed his arm.
“You’re going to help, Discord!?” Fluttershy asked, sounding more surprised than anyone else.
“Can you even track the pony who wore the cloak?” Starlight patronized with a roll of her eyes.
“Absolutely not. Why even ask? You should already know the answer,” Discord replied. In addition, he rolled his eyes back at her. They rolled so hard that they flung out of their sockets and onto the table. “I’m a being of chaos,” he continued. “If you want one sock to disappear from your dryer, I can do that. Otherwise, leave the magic tracking to those who want to be the centaur of attention!” He couldn’t hold his laughter in, and Fluttershy must’ve found it contagious as she too began giggling.
As they laughed, Moondancer stepped toward the table and Twilight. Discord’s eyes watched her as she connected the phrase. “Center of attention. Centaur. Center. Cen-taur,” she mumbled. “Centaur? He’s not suggesting who I think he is, is he? Twilight?” She glanced between the eyes and the alicorn.
Twilight nodded, though Starlight shook her head. Neither agreed on what the lord of chaos meant until he answered. Taking his eyes from the table, he said, “Of course!” With a snap of his fingers, Fluttershy’s bloodhound now wore a costume that looked like Lord Tirek. “Walks on four legs, cold nose, floppy ears. The perfect replacement to Fluttershy’s doggy problem.” He pointed at the purebred. “When I say perfect, I’m speaking figuratively, of course. The mutt’s personality is far superior to the overblown ego of that centaur.”
Overblown ego! Having only met him twice now, Moondancer knew it to be ironic, and perhaps his biggest joke. “If he’s got a bigger ego than you, Discord, then we should worry about him squishing us.”
Discord raised his hand to give another snarky response, but a burst of noise overshadowed his words. A gust of wind echoed, but not alone this time. Electricity sang, and a humming followed. Fluttershy tucked in behind him, while Twilight once again referred to the her she previously mentioned.
When the frame of a pony came into view, Twilight rushed to the doorway. “It’s so good to see you! I guess you got my message,” she welcomed. Moondancer watched as Twilight wrapped the orange pony in a hug, though Moondancer didn’t recognize the new mare’s face. “I’m glad you agreed to help. Come on in.”
Moondancer adjusted her glasses to get a good look at the mare. Introduced as Sunset Shimmer, the name rang no bells. “Some familiar faces in here,” Sunset said, giving a nod to Starlight and Fluttershy. “I heard you were having some sun-setting issues. Good thing you called the expert.”
“Excuse me, but what exactly is she supposed to help us with?” Moondancer asked.
“Nopony will recognize her,” Starlight said as her mouth widened enough to swallow a watermelon. “That’s genius, Twilight!”
“Sunset is going to infiltrate the society. I don’t believe they’ll recognize her. She hasn’t been in Equestria for more than a day since before she exiled herself beyond the mirror.” Twilight shot a wink to the orange unicorn. “You know Starlight and Fluttershy. This is Moondancer. She was an initiate in the society before they started showing their true colors.”
Moondancer trotted close. “Pleasure to meet you,” Sunset greeted, and the two shook hooves.
“Pleasure is all mine.” Though the courtesy was there, Moondancer didn't mean it. The feeling of defeat was overwhelming, with the bile of jealousy writhing in the back of her throat. Why did Twilight need Sunset Shimmer? Did she even need Moondancer, or was it purely posturing? A lie Twilight told to keep herself from feeling bad? Whatever the reason, the building blocks of resentment had now been laid against the orange unicorn.
“And that’s Discord,” Twilight dryly pointed out.
The draconequus stood with his arms crossed, and eyes leering down at Sunset. A smile would’ve lightened his mismatched face, but it wasn’t there. “Discord,” Sunset spoke the name with harshness. “You’re always around when trouble stirs, aren’t you?” Her raised brow mimicked his, and neither appeared enthused by the other’s presence. But suddenly, with a grin, Sunset raised her hoof for him to shake.
He leaned from side to side, clearly in debate. “And here you are. Trouble,” Discord replied. For a second, Moondancer thought he would snatch her up and send her flying into another dimension. Or perhaps that was her own desire. Instead, Discord did the most chaotic thing he’d done since his arrival. Wrapping both hands around Sunset’s hoof, he shook it with an abnormal respect rarely given by the lord of chaos.
The rest of the mares were silent except Moondancer, who let out a huff. Whether they were surprised by Discord's seriousness, or simply admired Sunset, Moondancer didn't know, or care. When the two finished, Sunset turned to Twilight. “Am I starting right away? Getting my hooves dirty sounds like fun, seeing as how I don’t get to do it too often anymore.”
Twilight resumed their earlier conversation. “Fluttershy’s bloodhound won't work to track down the wearer of the cloak. I thought of cloaking myself to infiltrate once you’re implanted, but Discord came up with another idea. While you’re finding out the inner workings of the society, we’ll be tracking down the members using Lord Tirek. They’ll have no idea we’ve got so many options when unraveling their secrets.”
“So long as Celestia doesn’t show up midday for a stroll, no one in Canterlot should know me.” With a grimace, Sunset added, “Releasing Tirek, though. He’s in Tartarus? He should be able to track the magic left in that cloak. If it’s not like scent, that is. But is that really something you’ve fully considered?”
“No, she hasn’t!” Starlight argued. “Discord just brought it up. We all know about his terrible sense of judgement! Convince her to change her mind! The society is already destroying Equestria all on their own. We don’t need Tirek joining in the fun.”
“We don’t even know if Tirek is willing to help,” Moondancer said. “If he is, it could be worth a shot.”
Sunset put a hoof around Twilight. “Look at that. Guess I’m the tiebreaker. Knowing Tirek, he’d agree even if he can’t track the magic just so he can escape Tartarus. It’d be a good idea to keep the rest of the bearers away from this involvement. Wouldn’t want to prove the society right, after all.” Her smug grin rubbed Moondancer the wrong way. “I’d say go for it. If the society gets proven right, maybe this’ll be a good way to test their power.”
“Oh come on! I thought of all the ponies who could convince Twilight, you’d at least side with me!” Starlight moaned.
With a shrug, Sunset patted Twilight’s head. Moondancer couldn’t help but grit her teeth at the action. “Twi’s putting a lot of trust in me to fit into the society,” Sunset said to Starlight. “If she’s got that much faith in me, I’ve got that much faith in her. Moondancer does.” Sunset shot her a sly wink, which earned more animosity. “You should too, Starlight. And be there to back her up in case things go wrong.”
A litany of disgusted groans erupted from Starlight. “I guess I’ll go over the information on owners and addresses while you’re away. Maybe drum up some defenses for Ponyville should we have a sudden rampaging centaur on our hooves.”
Fluttershy giggled and sidled beside the annoyed unicorn. “I’ll get the girls. Your work’ll go twice as fast if the five of us help out. It’s better than waiting for something to happen.”
But Moondancer refused to be left behind. “You’ve got me. I’m with you every step of the way.” She trotted over to Twilight and threw her foreleg around the alicorn, much in the same way Sunset did. Moondancer, however, pulled hard, and away from the new, orange mare.
Staggered and choked, Twilight struggled to speak. “G-glad we’re all in agreement.”