//------------------------------// // Chapter 51: The Disjunction // Story: Dissonance: A Hidden World // by Braininthejar //------------------------------// “It looks so beautiful from up here,” sighed Rarity. “If I didn’t know how much everypony here has suffered through…” She was standing on top of the Crystal Tower, balanced upon a flat surface where the wall had been broken by Hate's blast. The half melted parts had long since cooled, but it took her a moment to find a place where she could take a look at the city without worrying about sliding off. “The damage is extensive,” said Maska, walking up to her and stopping by her side to look. “But we are making steady progress. Your friends have been a great help so far.” “I wish I could help more,” said Rarity with a sigh. Now that she had a moment to take a better look, she could tell where the power of the Heart had made the houses regrow. It fixed the city in appearance, to a point. But the spell would not remove rubble, nor replace the lives that were lost. Many new and shiny houses were really dead shells, devoid of everything their inhabitants would have brought inside.  “Your power maintains the barrier protecting this city,” replied Maska, cocking her head. “And you heal and help ponies with your magic as much as you can.” “It’s the Heart that protects them,” said Rarity. “And as for using magic, my friends do that too. I just feel there should be something more I could do. As the Queen, I mean.” “You’re a symbol of hope for them,” said Maska, “Believe me, for ponies, that counts for a lot. Right now they need somepony who looks like she has everything under control.” “But I don’t,” scowled Rarity. “I just… smile and wave. You’re the one who does all the work.” “A properly trained swarm is a well oiled machine,” replied the changeling, “It takes little micromanaging. You’re doing your part, and in time you will learn more. And believe me, if I could do better at what you’re doing, Queen Chrysalis would have left the leadership to me.” “Instead, she left it to me,” said Rarity bitterly. “I’m not a queen. I’m not even a changeling. I…” she clenched her jaw in anger. “I never asked for this!” If Maska had any feelings about the matter, it didn’t show. “No, you didn’t. That gift was not for you. It was for us, the best chance we’d ever get to change ourselves and start anew. The gift you received was her life.” Rarity turned on the spot, staring at her subordinate. “I never asked for that either!” “No, but that was what you needed,” replied Maska, unflinching. “To fully unlock your power. To bind with the Heart. To save your friends and all the ponies you’re trying to help now.” “And now… I owe it to her to help you, don’t I?” said Rarity. For the first time, Maska’s facial expression changed. For a second she looked taken aback, before returning to a neutral look. “You don’t want to help us?” “I…” Rarity opened and closed her mouth. She turned away, and looked towards the city below. “It’s not that I don’t,” she finally said. “If you want to try a new life, with everypony, without having to hide, or… abducting ponies to feed on them, you deserve all the help you need. It’s just... “ She turned back towards Maska, and looked her in the eyes. “I wish it was my choice! It’ not generosity if I’m forced to help. Chrysalis sacrificed herself to save us all, but what she did to me was wrong.” Maska returned her gaze, looking into her eyes until it became uncomfortable. “I think I understand,” she said at last. “Though it is not how we think. We’ve survived as long as we have by doing what it took to survive, not by being careful with ponies’ emotions. This will have to change too.” “Chrysalis used to be a pony though,” said Rarity. “She knew how we feel.” “Yes,” agreed Maska. “And you know how she felt too. You don’t have a swarm… not the way we do, even though you’re our queen now. But you do have a family. What would you be capable of doing if their future was at stake?” “I know,” said Rarity, slumping in defeat with a deep sigh. “I know why she did it. This doesn’t make it right. I’m no longer a pony. I... “ She paused, and looked at Maska anxiously. “I’ve been meaning to ask. I’ve been eating like a pony so far. I don’t feel any weird hunger. Is that normal?” “I’m not sure,” said Maska. “I haven’t felt hungry for love since the battle.” She lifted one foreleg and looked at it pensively. Even though it was no longer the iridescent crystal the Heart had transformed it into, it was still purple and smooth. “I’ve only eaten a little food. Also, my holes have remained closed.” Rarity stared in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” “It was not a problem that needed to be addressed,” replied Maska. “On the contrary, it was a benefit, simplifying our logistics. Since you were overwhelmed, I limited the issues I informed you about to the ones you could immediately handle. I did consult Obsidian on the matter though. He claimed that this might be a permanent change brought by the Heart, rather than a simple result of overfeeding. No changeling has ever produced such symptoms, no matter how much energy they absorbed.” “So, you think you could stay like this for good?” asked Rarity. “I must say you do look better this way. But why would the Heart change you like this? I didn’t tell it to.” “Perhaps it was something our queen did,” said Maska, ”Or perhaps it was us being in that energy loop with you. Either way, you became more like us, and we… the light of our magic has changed to match yours. If I could risk saying so, we might have become more like you.” Rarity considered the implications. “If you no longer need to eat love, it would be very easy for you to live among ponies. It’s only your group that have been changed though, isn’t it? What about all the others?” “We’ll experiment,” replied Maska. “If our condition proves permanent… and hereditary… we could restrict breeding within the swarm, replenishing our ranks with only our offspring. Eventually, all changelings would be free from the hunger.” “That sounds… horrible, actually,” said Rarity. “What about changelings who want to set up families?” “We don’t have families, your Majesty,” said Maska, careful not to sound condescending. “We might be closer to those we hatched with, but in the end, the swarm is our family. And loyalty to the swarm is what allowed us to survive as long as we have.” “I see.” Rarity stood up abruptly. “We shall continue this conversation some other time. It looks like I really do have a lot to learn. And now, I think it’s time for me to do some of my queenly duties.” “Indeed,” confirmed Maska trotting behind Rarity as she walked towards the center of the tower top. “Your friends are probably done with the preparations already.” She looked around. “Should I stay with you, your Majesty? Or would I be a distraction?” Rarity considered the question. “You can stay. I’ve never done magic of this level on my own, and I could use some moral support. But do stand to the side for now. I need to start with the floor.” She walked towards a flat spot near to where the remains of a ruined staircase had led them to this level. She could feel that she was standing in the very center of the Empire - even separated by all the tower underneath, she could feel the power of the Heart pulsing softly directly beneath her. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and drew upon the power.  It was subtle at first, a flow of emotions past her own mind, like a current of a warm, lazy river. She could feel the mood of the Empire, so different from what it used to be. There was still fear, and worry for what was to come, a lot of grief buried under other emotions while there was work that had to be done. But there was also hope to balance the fear, hope that grew in power each time the Elements showed their power while helping others. She let the current flow through her, and then visualised the floor underneath her as it needed to be. There was a subtle feeling of rising, and Rarity knew the crystal started growing. She opened her eyes, and found herself standing in a circle of smooth floor, rising above the surrounding ruin, and connected to the lower levels with the now repaired stairs. Underneath her hooves there was a snowflake pattern visible in the crystal, which she knew matched the one at ground level where the Heart was located. “That was the easy part,” she said. “You can join me now, Maska.” The changeling flew towards Rarity and landed at her side, folding her wings, then stood in silence, waiting for her to continue. Rarity took a deep breath, felt the power of the Heart one more time, and this time pulled at it slightly, directing the current into her. The snowflake underneath her started glowing, first with soft purple, and then with the opalescent colors of aurora borealis. in seconds, all the tower underneath Rarity was aglow. She took a deep breath, exhaled purposefully, and then stomped her hoof. The light extended upwards, and the crystal started changing, broken and melted parts reshaping themselves to match the rest of the structure. Lines of magic swirled and stretched in the air around the two mares, like a giant blueprint made of light, quickly filling up as the crystal started growing at astounding speed, making Rarity’s vision a reality.  Higher… like this. We need more stairs outside, but here the walls must stay thick. Now the columns must connect. We want a domed ceiling. A chandelier perhaps? No, Obsidian insisted not to. We need to keep the chamber practical, with no distractions. Now, the spire above… She let the magic flow through her, and shape the rest of the design. With all her sense of aesthetics, she knew she wasn’t an architect - but the magic, fueled by the hearts of all the ponies in the Empire knew exactly what form to give to the tower. Satisfied that the spell would continue on its own, Rarity let herself relax, and just basked in the beautiful hues reflected in the walls around her. She could feel the mood of the Empire’s subjects lift as the familiar landmark was restored to its former glory. She could tell there was now a font of magic erupting from the tip of the tower, reinforcing the barrier. It took a couple of minutes for the spell to end. Finally most of the light went out, though Rarity left the crystal walls glowing with just enough magic to provide ambient illumination. Just as decided her work was finished, and sighed in satisfaction, she heard the sound of multiple hoofsteps moving up the stairs. Pinkie Pie bounced into the chamber, followed by the other Elements, Dr. Bluebonnet, and Obsidian. She looked at Rarity with a wide grin. “That was aaawesome! Did you sing a song!?” “No, I did not,” answered Rarity. “What made you think so?” Obsidian walked past Rarity, trotted around the chamber, and finally nodded in satisfaction. “This is sufficient for our needs,” he declared. “Let us get to work.” *** Twilight looked down at the circle Obsidian had just finished.  He had spent the last hour drawing it, not carving or burning as he had done so many times before, but using his spells to meticulously alter the structure of the crystal floor, building upon Rarity’s previous work until the intersecting lines beneath their hooves made it look as if the whole chamber rested upon a giant, multi-faceted gemstone. “Isn’t it a bit excessive?” asked Twilight, looking askance at Obsidian. “We designed the spell to work even without a circle.” “Do you want to take any chances?” asked Obsidian in reply. “You’ve seen what Vengeance is capable of.” “I did,” replied Twilight hesitantly. “But with so much power dedicated to control-” “We have power to spare,” replied Obsidian. “We’re standing on a powerful leyline, and four of the Elements are already awakened. We can use all this power to make sure every last little thing goes according to plan.” “It does make sense,” said Dr. Bluebonnet, standing at the edge of the circle and studying it carefully. She had walked into the chamber while Obsidian was working, and though he insisted that only the participants remained for the casting itself, he agreed on her overseeing the preparations. “What we’re trying to achieve here might be the most important event in the last four thousand years. I can hardly imagine an excessive amount of preparations for something like that,” she added. Obsidian straightened himself and snorted with satisfaction. “Either way, I’m done. We are ready to begin the casting.” As he walked out of the circle, Bluebonnet and Maska backed off too. Slowly, the Elements took their places along the rim, spaced evenly at the six points that had, an hour before, been the six points of a crystal snowflake. Obsidian tapped the floor lightly with his staff. He inclined his head towards Maska. “You know your part,” he said. The changeling returned his nod. “Our soldiers are already in positions,” she said. “You can count on us. Nopony enters the tower until you are done casting.” She then spread her wings, bowed to her queen, and flew away down the stairway. Bluebonnet watched her go. “I really wish I could see it to the end,” she said, looking into Obsidian’s eyes.  He returned her gaze with a scowl. “We can afford no distractions.” “She worked with me to create this spell,” said Twilight. “And she probably cares more about Arrogance than Vengeance. How about we unsplice Vengeance first, and if that goes off without a hitch, she can come here to watch us unsplice Arrogance? This way she’ll get what she wants, and we’ll have the hardest part behind us.” “You would start with the harder one first?” asked Obsidian. “She isn’t really harder to unsplice,” said Twilight. “Even though her pattern power uses several frequencies, the spell will break six weaker connections as easily as a single strong one. She’s just much more dangerous if she were to break free.” “What do you say?” asked Obsidian, turning towards Bluebonnet. The scientist said nothing, but her gaze said more than a passionate speech could have.  Obsidian released a long breath. “Then it is settled. You will rejoin us in a moment. And now, let us finally begin.” As Bluebonnet walked away towards the stairs, Twilight lifted her horn and started focusing her power. One after another, her friends followed suit, the six colors of their Elements reflecting in the facets of the surrounding walls as the spell slowly grew in power. Obsidian reached into a small bag hanging around his neck, and recovered a black diamond as big as a tangerine. He levitated it carefully in his aura, and then sent it floating towards the center of the circle, setting it gently on the floor. “Now! It is time!” he proclaimed aloud, swinging his staff over his head. The spell he cast created a barrier around the circle, isolating the Elements and the spell they were casting from the rest of the room. It started as all the other spells they had cast together. Manes and tails floating in the magical wind, six lights growing stronger, connecting to one another. They melded with the opalescent aura emanating from the circle, and then mixed together into blinding whiteness. The diamond in the middle slowly rose into the air, lines of light piercing through it at different angles. It was like watching a cyclone that didn’t have an up or down - with no funnel, but just a sphere of swirling power focusing into a point. There was a burst of light, and a sound of shattering. Obsidian’s barrier unraveled, and the Elements were pushed away towards the walls.  A ragged-looking white alicorn dropped to the floor in the middle of the circle. Obsidian rushed in, a trail of black smoke coalescing back into shape in front of Vengeance, the staff flying to his side. Twilight rose to come to his help, but he stopped her with a gesture, so she just projected a barrier in front of herself. Vengeance stared him down with an expression of pure malice. He returned a savage, toothy grin. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Obsidian closed his mouth into a sneer. “It worked”, he said. “After all the centuries, your power is broken.” He was met with a loud scream, angry, savage, incoherent. Vengeance charged forward, madness gleaming in her eyes, trying to run him through with her horn. With almost contemptuous ease, Obsidian sidestepped the charge. His staff flashed with magic, the blue energy extending from the tip into a shape of a scythe blade. The two ponies passed each other, and then the alicorn’s head rolled across the crystal floor, sliding all the way to the wall before the body stopped and fell in a heap. “The world has had enough of your villainy,” said Obsidian, looking down at the corpse. “This is not your story anymore.” Silence fell. Twilight stared blankly at the droplets of blood slowly sliding off her barrier. Obsidian turned around, and with two blasts from his staff engulfed the body and the head in magical fire, quickly disintegrating them - the Elements backed away, expecting the smell of burning hair and flesh, but the flame consumed everything not even smoke left in its wake. “Well, that was anticlimactic,” deadpanned Pinkie from her side of the room. Obsidian turned to look at her. “Would you rather she broke free at the last moment, and killed half the ponies in the city before we put her down?” Pinkie shrugged. “Of course not. I just thought there would be more.” “Believe me, there was enough,” said Obsidian with a scowl. “And now -” He turned towards the entrance, where Bluebonnet was slowly walking up the stairs. “We’re ready to start the second casting. I was about to call for you.” “I know, I shouldn’t have come back uncalled,” said Bluebonnet. “But I knew you were finished with the spell. The whole city felt it. So, what has become of Vengeance?” “She won’t be coming back,” said Applejack, pointing her hoof at a small blood splatter that Obsidian’s cleanup had missed.  Bluebonnet raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Just like that?” “It was horrible, actually,” said Fluttershy softly.  Everypony was gathering back at the circle, careful not to step into anything, though the majority of the floor looked pristine. Obsidian looked down at the circle in focus, before producing the yellow gemstone from his pouch. “The circle is undamaged. Let’s do the other one now.” “Yes, but not like this,” said Twilight Sparkle. “Not like this?” hesitated Obsidian. “What do you mean by that, darling?” asked Rarity. “We will unsplice Arrogance as we did Vengeance,” explained Twilight Sparkle. “But we won’t just lop her head off afterwards. I want her to stand trial for what she did.” “Stand trial?” Bluebonnet turned towards Twilight, her eyes growing large. "Twilight Sparkle, are you crazy?” “Not at all,” replied Twilight. “Vengeance was a mad monster. But -” “Arrogance is a monster too,” interrupted Obsidian. “Yes, she’s been for four thousand years,” said Twilight, “We all heard you. But for one fourth of that time, she was the protector of Equestria. She did create an era of peace. And even if she does deserve to be… destroyed, she at least deserves that her deeds, good and evil, be judged fairly.” “And what judge do you expect to pass that sentence?” Bluebonnet almost screamed “What jury? My daughter died to rid the world of this abomination!” “No,” said Twilight. “She died to free us all. Not to turn us into monsters like the Shattered. We are ponies of Equestria. When we meet villains, we punish them for what they did. Sometimes we seal them away if there is no other way. We take away their powers. But we don’t just put down defenceless enemy without trial, like… a rabid dog!” “There are all kinds of things wrong with that statement,” said Obsidian.   “Not at all,” continued Twilight. “You keep telling us how your times were different, but that’s just the thing. Your times were worse. They were horrible. If... Gloria is the relic of those times-” “She’s a monster,” interrupted Bluebonnet. Twilight stomped her hoof, stopping in front of the scientist, face to face with her. “Then let’s make her a pony.” She turned her head around, looking at the surrounding faces. Nopony had spoken for her yet, indeed several of her friends looked like they were about to chip in in favour of Obsidian. But now she could see some doubt too, something she could latch on. “When we cast the spell, Arrogance will be no more,” she continued. “Only Gloria will be left. She will be a pony like us, no longer immortal.” “Wearing Spitfire’s body!” shouted Rainbow Dash suddenly. “She murdered her! Don’t you remember?”  Twilight looked down at the ground, but did not step back, even as the angry pegasus stopped inches from her face, wings spread wide in agitation. “I do. I remember what she did. This will be the last body she wears. For somepony who’s lived for thousands of years, it’s already like dying.” “I don’t think you-” started Bluebonnet, but Twilight didn’t let her finish. “I do!” she shouted, stomping her hoof again, a flash of her horn casting opalescent reflexes in the crystal walls of the chamber. “We were all in the crypts, we all know what… who each of us has lost! And we need to put an end to all this killing! There’s been enough death! Do you want the world Gloria created as Celestia, or the one she created as Arrogance!?” “Darling…” said Rarity, the first to break the stunned silence. “I think you might be a bit biased on this subject.” “I know I am,” replied Twilight. “That doesn’t make me wrong.” “She never created anything good,” said Dash. “It was all lies, all stolen from other ponies.” “Do you really believe it?” asked Twilight. Her magic snatched the yellow sealing gem away from Obsidian, and levitated it in front of her face. “That she’s nothing but evil, and deserves nothing but death?” “I believe we owe her nothing,” replied Dash through gritted teeth. “I think you have your trial right here,” said Obsidian, snorting derisively. “Do you all feel like she does?” asked Twilight, looking at each of her friends in turn. “I do,” said Bluebonnet. “And so will Pierce, if you care to ask him. We worked for her, we know what she’s like.” “I want her dead, obviously,” said Obsidian. “But I guess this can be resolved without me. You here know more about Arrogance than almost anypony outside this room. You can act as the jury. I’ll be happy to just be the executioner.” “I’m with Twilight on this one,” said Pinkie Pie. “We’ve changed a lot this week, but that’s not who we are. Besides, I don’t know if I could ever be a good Laughter again if I see another head rolling here today.” “Well, I’m with Dash,” said Applejack. “All the stuff about princess Celestia has been a lie. Us learning that was how this whole mess really started. She’s been using ponies for millennia, lying to them while looking all reasonable. And blowing up those that didn’t buy it. That, and she threatened to blow up my family. I say the quicker she’s gone, the better.” “That’s… really…” Fluttershy hesitated. “I’m with Twilight. Nopony is ever completely evil. Even… even Hate has some good left in him, and he really is a horrible monster.” She stepped to Twilight’s side, but said no more, and ended up almost hiding behind her, avoiding Rainbow’s angry gaze. “That leaves you, your Majesty,” said Obsidian, turning towards Rarity. All the eyes in the room turned towards her. Rarity swallowed loudly. It was now her turn to look at each of her friends, torrents of emotion exchanged through quick glances, even as she tried to keep her cool at least in appearance. Finally, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again to look at Twilight, her gaze was cold. “She used Spike against you from the start. It was Envy who killed him, and used him to kill your brother, but he was never anything but a tool for them both.” “Even without me and Pierce, that’s four against three,” said Obsidian. “I guess the verdict has been passed then.” “Not yet,” said Twilight, glaring at him. “The spell has been designed for the six of us. You can’t cast it without me.” Bluebonnet gasped. Everypony moved a step away from Twilight. Obsidian just tilted his head in amusement. “You would stand against your friends, deny them their justice?” Twilight met his gaze. “Justice? Or perhaps… vengeance? Let’s face it, none of us should be the jury. You’re saying I’m biased, but so is each of you.” “There's a bit too late for that now," said Rarity. "Also, I don’t think there is a pony left in Equestria that would be unbiased in this matter. Everypony you’ve ever met, she has either hurt or deceived.” Dash took the center, pushing between Twilight and Obsidian. “Twilight, will you help us end this war for good, or not?” Silence stretched as the two ponies looked at each other. Finally, Twilight spoke again. “I will. We will cast the spell together, and unsplice Arrogance. But after that happens… Obsidian doesn’t get to touch her. You will be the executioner.” Dash hesitated, the growing anger on her face replaced with confusion. “What? Why?” “Because that’s fair,” said Twilight. “Everypony deserves justice, or nopony does. And this is the most fair we can do. If we can’t make the trial as it should be, then we need to at least take responsibility. You pass the sentence, you swing the sword. No dropping the dirty work on somepony else.” “She does make a good point,” said Applejack behind Rainbow’s back. Rainbow turned towards her with a glare, before looking back at Twilight. Her lips kept moving silently, angry words not quite spoken aloud. “If you don’t want to, I’ll be happy to do it,” said Bluebonnet. “No, said Dash. “Twilight is right. It has to be me.” *** It doesn’t feel as dramatic the second time, thought Twilight, as the magic of the six Elements filled the chamber once again. Is it because it’s not Vengeance, or am I becoming jaded so quickly? No, focus! she interrupted herself. Whether she had done it before or not, it was a powerful spell, requiring all of them to cast properly. She had to concentrate on her target, the yellow gemstone in the middle of the circle, and funnel her emotions into one purpose - to separate the heartless power of the pattern from the soul of the pony sealed within. Everything else could wait. She couldn’t spare a glance at her friends to see the emotions on their faces, but they were doing their job, their power flowing steadily, except for Pinkie Pie, whose energy fluctuated a bit, as if she hesitated on how much magic to use. The room was already filled with blinding light. She reached inside the gem with her will, and directed the spell to its target. There! The gemstone exploded, and the spell unravelled. This time the Elements were ready, and managed to hold their ground. They remained in the circle, standing around the yellow pegasus that used to be Spitfire. So, now we will see, thought Twilight. She prepared a binding spell, just in case, and then cleared her throat loudly. “Rainbow Dash? I think it’s your cue.” This time they did step back. Rainbow Dash entered the circle. She still looked angry, but her moves betrayed hesitation. Even as her spells rose around her in a layer of armor, it was clear that she wasn’t comfortable with her current position.  “So…” she started… “Arrogance… Gloria, or whatever you’re called. For your crimes against Equestria, and ponykind, I… I mean, we sentence you to-” Twilight tensed, the spell hanging unreleased at the tip of her horn. She was preparing for various scenarios, perhaps for Gloria to try to fight back with the strength and armor her body had left, or try to escape. Perhaps give a speech about her deeds as the ruler of Equestria, or perhaps just calmly accept the sentence, trying to maintain the regal poise she had held onto for so long. When she didn’t expect her to do was fall to the floor, bawling. The pegasus collapsed, her battered armor clanking loudly against the crystal floor, tears streaming down her face, her mouth opening to speak, but failing to make coherent sounds among the cries of anguish. “Death,” finished Dash lamely, looking at a wreck of a pony at her feet. “What’s going on?” she asked nopony in particular. “Is she trying to trick me, or what?” She raised a hoof, and a curved, red energy blade extended from the pastern, but she didn’t strike, just standing there on her remaining legs. Fluttershy closed her eyes, and Kindness flashed briefly on her neck. “I don’t think she is,” she said, “I can sense a lot of pain from her. And other things. Lots of everything, really. But mostly pain.” “What is going on, Obsidian?” asked Twilight. Obsidian approached the circle. “Now, this is interesting. I guess this is what happens when you suddenly feel again after four thousand years of having your emotions stunted. All you’ve experienced through that time, every memory is suddenly painted in different colors. The same must have happened to Vengeance. That would explain the screaming.” “So, what will happen to her now?” asked Rainbow. “I don’t know,” replied Obsidian, shrugging. “She might go crazy, and stay like this. Or she might recover by tomorrow. Or you could execute her like you agreed to. You girls have decided to make it not my problem, and frankly… you were right, Twilight. Arrogance is no more. I no longer care about this pony.”  “So…?” Dash turned around, looking for somepony else to give her guidance, at one point turning her back on Gloria, who did nothing to exploit it. “What do I do now?” “You’re supposed to kill her,” said Bluebonnet from her corner of the room. “Or else step aside, and let me do it.” Slowly, turning her head to not look at Gloria for as long as possible, Rainbow Dash turned once again towards her. She lifted her hoof, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. “You deserve this… You murdered Spitfire!” She spun and swung the blade. Fluttershy yelped. Dash looked down her shaking leg at the blade. It had stopped less than an inch from Gloria’s teary-eyed face. The yellow pegasus was looking back at Dash, mouth half open. She was sitting perfectly still, the glowing red tip tracing circles in front of her running nose. Rainbow stepped back, and slumped on her rump, the blade disappearing. “No, I can’t. Not when she’s looking at me like this.” “It’s not about looking,” said Twilight forcefully. “It’s about you being a good pony. You’re not the kind to kill somepony defenceless.” “So, what do we do?” asked Applejack. “Cause I’m pretty sure I’m not either. And neither is Rarity.” “That leaves me, doesn’t it?” said Bluebonnet angrily, entering the circle. Rainbow Dash stood up, and got out of her way. “Are you… that kind of pony, Bluebonnet?” asked Twilight.  “If you are, I can conjure you a blade,” said Obsidian. “I don’t think anypony here wants to watch you trample her to death.” “I…” Bluebonnet turned away from Obsidian, and glared at the defenceless form of Gloria. With the initial wave of emotion subsiding, and the near-death at the blade of Rainbow shocking her silent, the pegasus was almost quiet now, sitting straight, and sobbing softly.  “All your treacheries… all your scheming… hurting ponies for your own ends… using me and my daughter…” hissed Bluebonnet, “it ends now. Do you understand?” Gloria trembled. She blinked away the tears, and looked back at Bluebonnet, her gaze suddenly growing more lucid. “I…” she choked. “You WHAT!” screamed Bluebonnet in her face. She raised a hoof as if to strike, but instead stomped it loudly in front of her, causing her to flinch. “I really was a monster, wasn’t I,” said Gloria.  Bluebonnet paused, then leaned lower, getting down to Gloria’s level. “Yes, you were. You have no idea how-” “I burned my home,” Gloria interrupted her, louder and clearer, despite her face still being a teary mess. “All of it. Killed thousands of ponies, poisoned the soil, poisoned the water until even the plants were dead. And I didn’t feel a thing.” She locked eyes with Bluebonnet. “And now I do! Everypony I ever cared for, dead, or worse, because of me!” Bluebonnet rose, and turned away stiffly. “It would be a mercy to kill you now.” She walked away slowly, purposefully, heading for the exit. “Was that sincere?” asked Obsidian curiously, turning towards Applejack.  Applejack shrugged. “I didn’t have my power on, but I think so.” Obsidian rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s helpful.” "So, what DO we do with her?” asked Rarity. “we can’t just leave her here on the floor.” “Well, the chamber has one door, and no windows,” started Applejack. “But we probably shouldn’t.” Twilight Sparkle sighed. “We will put her in a cell, under changeling guard,” said Twilight. “Applejack, you can take her promise not to escape. Since she’s no longer Shattered, she’s not the horrible threat she used to be.” “You used to be just a pony, didn’t you?” said Obsidian. “Don’t underestimate her.” “I won’t,” replied Twilight. “We have yet to decide what to do with her, but if she’s in pain over what she did, perhaps we should see if she’s able to do any good for Equestria. She does have a lot of experience-” “With being evil,” interrupted Dash sourly. “With lots of things,” replied Twilight. “And if all of this can do any good at all, it would be wrong to waste it. What do you think?” she said turning towards Gloria. Applejack sighed, and this time turned on her power. The room was filled with gentle, orange light. “Why…” started Gloria. “Why didn’t you… let Obsidian kill me? It would be so much easier…” Twilight walked up to her, sudden anger in her eyes, her magic lifting Gloria off the ground, and to the level of her face. “Because… that’s not how you taught me.” *** They took away Gloria’s armor, and led her to a cell, leaving her under guard and spells. After the initial outburst, the ex-Shattered became despondent, offering no resistance whatsoever, which only increased everypony’s unease. Rarity went so far as to call the whole affair distasteful, and even Pinkie said she wished to forget about the whole thing - but Twilight knew they couldn’t. The matter would have to be addressed again, sooner or later. When she finally managed to fall asleep that evening, she spent a good part of the night struggling with visions of Gloria dying in various ways, killed by Obsidian, or by the Elements, sometimes turning into a monster, lashing out with claws just as they were about to let her go, and in one case, growing back into Celestia. It was only then that Twilight finally realised she was dreaming, and her experience allowed her to take control, reshaping her dream into something more peaceful. But even then, she couldn’t relax - she spent the rest of her sleep trying to call Verba to her side, but the enigmatic pony construct would not come. Twilight awoke with a start. There was somepony outside her door. Aside from the changeling guard, she corrected herself, as she flung the covers aside with her magic, the spells she had cast to guard her sleep returning to her, shielding her in an invisible cocoon of magic. She hopped out of bed, and walked out, just as Pinkie Pie was about to knock on her door. “Trouble?” she asked.  Pinkie Pie nodded solemnly. “Soon. I’m waking others.” She then trotted down the corridor.  “I thought you were asleep,” said the guard, turning to look at her.  Twilight summoned the rest of her armor spells. “I sleep light.” When has that happened? she thought, as she cantered through the dimly lit corridors towards the throne room. I used to be a heavy sleeper. Now, I just need a slightest thing amiss to wake up, and I’m instantly awake. I wish I could relax and sleep like I used to. Maybe when this is all over. She entered the throne room. Obsidian was there, looking out of the balcony door, his staff floating in the air by his side. “Pinkie felt trouble coming,” she said. The earth pony didn’t turn to face her. “Yes,” he admitted. “And I can already see it. The southern horizon is burning purple. You know what that means.” “Purple?” Twilight paused as her brain searched for the answer. When it hit her, she rushed forward, teleporting past Obsidian to get out onto the balcony. She channelled the magic from her tiara to her eyes, and sent her gaze past the semi-opaque barrier surrounding the city. He was right. The night sky was discolored, the natural, starry blackness disrupted by darkness of a different kind, something far in the distance blotting out the stars, casting a purple shade across the clouds. “What did I miss?” asked Dash, flying into the room and onto the balcony, the sounds of multiple hoofsteps echoing behind her. “It’s Hate,” said Twilight, growing pale. “He’s burning again.” “What?” Fluttershy’s eyes grew large as she followed Twilight’s gaze. “Where?” “Somewhere in Equestria,” said Twilight. “Somewhere, where we’re not there to stop him.” She turned around, and found all the Elements gathered around her, followed by Bluebonnet and Pierce.  “We’re all here,” said Pierce. “So, who is he fighting?” “It doesn’t matter, does it?” said Dash. “We need to go there at once! Obsidian, do you have a circle ready?” Obsidian shook his head. “It won’t be necessary.”  He was about to explain, but before he could, there was a buzz of wings. A changeling flew up to the level of the balcony, and stopped in front of Rarity. “Your Majesty!” he called. “Guilt is at the southern gate. He demands an audience with the Elements.” Obsidian squinted. “What’s he doing here?” “Demanding an audience,” said Twilight, firing up Magic to wrap everypony around her in a spell. “Let’s not keep him waiting.” *** The spell delivered them straight to the barrier, the burst of bright light dropping them mere meters from the crystal pillars marking the gate. Twilight didn’t even take time to congratulate herself on the precise landing, at once turning towards the barrier, the changeling guards standing aside to give her a clear view. Enigma was standing on the other side. He looked dishevelled, and moved somewhat stiffly, but his eyes were focused. He scanned the Elements as they approached, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Obsidian. “You’ve changed a lot,” he said to the approaching mares.  “What do you want from us?” asked Twilight. Beside her, Applejack extended her aura. “To talk with you,” replied Enigma. “This war has taken a turn I did not anticipate, and we may need to-” “Hate is burning!” interrupted Rainbow Dash, flying above Twilight. “We have no time for chit-chat! Tell us, what’s happened. Where is he?” Enigma looked up at her. “Canterlot. He’s burning Canterlot down.”