//------------------------------// // The Rite of the Treacherous Essence // Story: My Little Pony: The Pyres of Friendship // by Scribe of the Nightwings //------------------------------// Chapter 19: The Rite of the Treacherous Essence With the threat of the Highwing Remnants defused for the time being, the blackwagon continued its journey north to the next Celestial Landmark, The Nest of Triesta. There was a subtle incline in the path as the humble vehicle trekked along, getting ever so higher and higher from seal level. Even as the sun began to set upon the western horizon, the sky was still colored in a gentle orange hue thanks to the many lavafalls and pools that dotted the Basin. At last, the wagon came to a halt in a small clearing atop of a rocky hill. No time sooner, as the stars had started to pepper the night sky above. As per routine, the Nightwings and ponies exited the wagon to set up the campsite before preparing themselves for the Rite. As Twilight stepped off, she was once again taken aback at the gigantic remains of a creature before her. While she already knew that she was going to see another Greater Titan, just as with the other Landmarks. However, this particular Titan was quite peculiar. The first thought that came to mind was that it looked like a unicorn. Upon a closer look, it appeared that the flank and back legs of the equine had sunken into the ground while its front legs were kicked up in the air no doubt in an effort to save them from a similar fate. Although, there was something off about how the creature looked, other than the fact that it was a thousand times larger than any pony. It looked as though that all parts of the body appeared to be elongated to some extent. Both the barrel of its maroon body and maroon legs were far longer and much narrower. The head of the creature was also elongated, paired with enlarged nostrils and heartier muzzle for its face. It’s flowing mane was locked frozen in place and a long, golden horn protruded from its head. However, the most bizarre feature was in place of the neck where the head and body would meet was what looked to be a human torso that had no arms. Another thing that caught Twilight’s eye was what seemed to be the cause of the Titan’s ultimate demise. Along the landscape near the beast were a multitude of giant, purple arrows that stuck out from the ground. The arrows appeared to be translucent which explained why the fletchings twinkled and sparkled from the light of the moon and lava pools. A few of these gigantic arrows must have hit their mark, as there were large holes that peppered the torso of the Titan. Through one such hole was an arrow going right through the body. “Oh goodness!” Rarity commented out loud. “That’s certainly the most…unique unicorn I’ve yet to come across. It’s certainly making me feel a bit self-conscious.” The unicorn then unconsciously rubbed her horn. “You need not worry, Miss Rarity,” Tariq assured her. “ Xilvias Horse-headed was far less sophisticated than you ponies. The Harp Scribe, Saint Triesta Tithis subdued the beast into the state you see it now. Twilight was broken from the titanic spectacle when Rukey caught her attention. When she saw the Cur had a familiar looking parcel at his side, the alicorn needed no explanation as to what he wanted. Together, the pony and Cur ventured out from the developing campsite in search for a certain merchant. In no time at all, they had found that Falcon Ron had somehow found a way to cross the remaining half od the Sea of Solis and had once again made it to the Celestial Landmark before the Nightwings. It seemed that the opportunistic merchant had made a temporary shelter in a large crack at the foot of one of the many cliffs, where Ron’s father was sorting through a various number of items in his bag. After the usual greetings were exchanged, Ron excitingly led the alicorn to his wares. He informed her that him and his father had collected a few more items of interest since their last meeting. The funds that the Nightwings possessed were still quite hefty, so Twilight had no qualms of looking through the merchandise. She started by purchasing some more stardust from the merchant just in case she felt it necessary to amp up the strength of some of the other talismans already in her possession. As Twilight continued to look through the stock, a flicker of light caught her eye. The item in question was a small flame incased in a blue, crystalline bottle of some sort. It was called a “Righteous Flame”, as Ron called it, and he was more than willing to part ways with it…provided that she could match the price. Despite the merchant’s transparent stinginess, Twilight still sensed value in the talisman and decided to purchase it. With that, the pony and Cur bid Ron farewell, at least until next time. As Twilight returned with Rukey to the campsite, she was surprised to see that the Nightwings had yet to don their raiments for the Rite. Rather peculiar considering that they were usually all prepared by the time she returned from the Slug Market. Nevertheless, the alicorn paid it no mind and wandered through the camp to check up on everyone while Rukey stashed away the Talismans for later use. Twilight was happy to see that both the Nightwings and ponies were in relatively high spirits as they finished setting up camp. Save for one, however. Jodariel was motionless and had her gaze glued to the sky, a stern glare cemented on her face. Ever since the confrontation they had with the Harps back at the Highwing Cove, the Demon was agitated and even more cold than she normally was. It was clear that the “diplomatic” approach that Tariq and Rainbow Dash use to gain safe passage through the Black Basin was not ideal for her. Most likely stemming from her very apparent distrust for the Harps. While Twilight was still unaware of why the Demon held this prejustice towards the winged women, but she couldn’t really approve of it either. Morality aside, it would most benefit the Nightwings if they made as little unneeded enemies aside from the adversaries they had in the Rites. It was for this reason why the alicorn walked to the imposing woman in an attempt to reason with her. “Jodariel.” Twilight calmly addressed the Demon, who continued to stare at the sky. “I know that you weren’t too happy with how we dealt with the Harps. “But I think you can calm down now. As long as we don’t agitate them in the future, then I think that we should be fine.” Jodariel broke her gaze from the sky and looked down at the pony. The look she gave didn’t exactly spoke of anger, but rather frustration. “Reader, keep in mind that you have earned my mutual respect for getting us this far.” She then paused and took a long, tired breath. “With that said, I feel that I should remain you of your still-apparent ignorance of our history. The Highwing Remnants will take advantage of their enemies’ weaknesses. I know from personal experience. The day I lower my guard against those cretins is the day the Scribes themselves come down and end the conflict.” Twilight lowered her head a little at this. If she couldn’t lighten the Demon’s thoughts on the Harps, perhaps she could convince her to be more formal with them. “Alright, clearly you’re set in your thoughts about them, but just promise me you won’t start anything with them. If not for me, at least do it for the safety of the others. Mae included.” That last remark caused Jodariel to raise an eyebrow. It was a somewhat lowbrow move, but considering the Demon’s previous experience running an orphanage and how she treated the moon-touched girl when they first picked her up, Twilight figured that mentioning Mae would trigger some maternal instinct in the horned-woman to temper her rage. However, it seemed as though Jodariel was well aware of this tactic. “Reader, when trying to make your case in the future, I would suggest that you not drag in the names of others to strengthen your resolve.” This, of course, caused the alicorn to lower her head ever more in shame. Before Twilight could raise another argument, she and the rest of the group’s attention were driven to the skies. Multiple whooshing sounds were heard above, causing everybody to look up to find the source. After half a minute of searching, three burred shapes were seen swiftly flying above them. Sir Gilman quickly took a defensive stance near Rarity while Applejack did the same with Mae. Even Jodariel moved to stand defensively around Twilight, despite the small argument they just had, which Twilight inwardly appreciated. Musical Cue - Talon Sheath Finally, the shapes descended to the ground before the Nightwings and ponies. They were Harps, although it appeared that they were all donned in raiments colored in a mix of brown, purple and sea green. One major difference that Twilight noticed was that it seemed that their raiments were altered to allow the wings along their arms to flap freely. Their masks were rounded but curved to a tip on both the top and bottom. The trio of Harps kept their distance, but that didn’t stop Sir Gilman, Applejack or Jodariel from keeping their guard up. One of them finally took a few steps forward from the other two. The Harp then removed her mask, giving the alicorn a better look of her features. Her long, teal hair cascaded down to her stomach, though it was positioned to where it covered one of her eyes. The one eye that was visible was blood red with one black pupil, resulting in a rather intimidating look. Other notable features included her pointy ears poking out to the sides and the bird-shaped helmet she wore that was accented by some purple feathers on top. The winged woman took a quick glance over the Nightwings and ponies and grimaced in disgust. “This, then, is what passes for the Nightwings now? Such rabble…” she insulted. Not even dressed for the occasion yet. It seems the Scribes have little pride in their traditions.” Twilight was unsure as to how to respond to such a confronting greeting from these new adversaries. Although Jodariel had no query shooting back her own response. “Hold your tongue, little bird. We did not come here to talk.” “No. You have come on behalf of your…Commonwealth.” the Harp quickly shot back. Her gaze then focused on Twilight. The scowl on her face seemed to deepen as she looked to the purple pony. “You…creature…” she called to the alicorn. Though her nerves were slowing creeping on her, Twilight decided to step from Jodariel’s protection and fully faced the Harp. She even decided to fluff up her wings a little in an attempt to show that she wasn’t intimidated. Unfortunately, this did not have the effect she’d hope for. “You dare mock us!” the Harp growled at her. Twilight immediately folded her wings and took a few steps back. “I…I didn’t…what?” she said, unsure as to what exactly she had done to cause such offense. “Why is it that such a lowly cretin such as you were allowed to keep her wings while the dreaded Commonwealth clipped ours.” the woman explained as she held out her own wing, which seemed to shake as she continued to hold it outward. “These wings are what makes us superior to those ground-dwelling filth!” She then decided to take a few more threating steps towards the purple alicorn. “Seeing such gifts on the back of such a lowly creature like you filled me with indescribable rage.” “Hey!” A blue blur dashed right in front of Twilight before the Harp could get too close. When the dust settled, Twilight saw that it was Rainbow Dash who had flew in before the threating Harp. The prismatic pony was hovering off the air with her wings and glared daggers at the adversary before her. “Why don’t you just back away before you do something you’ll regret.” she warned her. “Hmph!” the Harp said dismissively. “Another insulting abomination. What foolishness gives you the-“ She was interrupted when one of the other two Harps behind her walked up behind her and whispered in her ear for a few moments. When she was done, she returned back behind with her other sister. “So, you’re the creature that I’ve heard from one of our renegade sisters.” the lead Harp said. “Yeah, that’s right!” Rainbow confirmed. “So then you know that I made a deal with one of your friends so that all of you would leave us be. So, why don’t you-“ The pegasus was cut off by a subtle, but still insulting chuckle from the Harp. “Foolish cretin! You honestly believe that I would hold such honor made by a rogue sect of the Highwings?! As if I would be so moved by such a waste as one of your worthless feathers.” Rainbow Dash said nothing for a moment, but she then spoke again in a voice so icy and unlike her usual rhetoric that it surprised Twilight a little. “What did you just call my feathers?” she asked slowly. The Harp did not relent in her cruelty. “If I were forced to wear your feathers instead of mine, even if it gave me back my gift from Saint Triesta, I would no sooner plunge myself into one of these nearby lava pools. You and your kind are a disgrace to the skies and deserve nothing less than to have those wings torn off…slowly.” “Say that again…to my bucking face!” the cyan pony yelled at the Harp. Twilight was starting to worry again. Even though the Harp’s insulting words were too far, the last thing that she wanted was for a fight to break out. Thankfully, Tariq was there to defuse the situation. “If I may remind you, sister.” he said in his usual respectful tone. “The sacred laws of the Rites dictate that no blood will be shed before, during, or after the ceremony. Lest you risk…permanent disqualification.” The minstrel’s words seemed to have worked as the Harp’s expression seem to shift somewhat. She then eventually put on a calmer look as she backed away with her other two sisters. Twilight then walked up to Rainbow’s side, only to see that she was still livid. “No matter then.” the Harp muttered. “We shall prove our superiority elsewhere. We will deal with you…ponies later.” She then looked over to Jodariel. “As for you. Mark my words, you horned filth. When we at last free ourselves…your home shall burn.” With that last ominous threat, the three Harps swooped away, seemingly going to where the Rite would be held. The atmosphere was then left tense for a few moments before Jodariel finally spoke up. “Feathered-abominations.” she cursed under her breath. “Ugh! I can’t believe that crap!” Rainbow Dash yelled out in frustration as she stamped her hoof to the ground. “Rainbow!” Fluttershy exclaimed as she flew over to the disgruntled pegasus. “You shouldn’t have to use such language!” “Are you kidding me, Fluttershy?!” Rainbow said to her fellow pegasus. “Did you hear how insulting she was, even after what I did for that other Harp?! You know much of a big deal it is to give up a primary! And she went ahead and practically spat in our faces!” The yellow mare gave an understanding nod, as it seemed that she was also aware of the pegasi tradition. “I know, Dashie. And what you did back there was very big of you. But just because that mean Harp doesn’t understand how important that was, doesn’t mean that you should let her get to you.” “Yeah, well,” the prismatic mare dismissed. “that doesn’t give her the right to crap all over our traditions. And who the buck does she think she is for saying that we don’t deserve our wings?!” “Lady Rarity,” Sir Gilman muttered to the fashionista from the side. “Is it normal for Rainbow Dash to become this agitated over such matters?” “To be honest, darling, I’ve actually rarely ever seen her this worked up over something.” Rarity explained to her knight. “I’m by no means an expert on pegasi traditions, but this must be quite serious.” “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight finally intervened as she walked over to her frustrated friend and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Just take a minute to calm down her. For all we know, she was only just trying to rile us up to get an advantage in the Rite. I can’t imagine how anybody could be so intentionally vile.” “She is quite serious, I assure you.” Once again, the group looked to the skies to see where the sudden new voice was originating from. They didn’t have to look very long as another figure sprang from the shadows of the many cliffs. The mysterious stranger then landed before the group to fully reveal herself. She was another Harp, although this one appeared to be far less intimidating than the previous three. Her armor looked bland, light and a dark shade of brown, when compared to the striking crimson feathers that decorated her wings. She also had a dark purple scarf around her neck and had pointy ears. She had short, teal hair which was particular similar in color to the previous Harp. She also wore a helmet as with the rest of her sister, though this one was topped with a single large, red feather. Her teal eyes also stood out quite well from her tan complexion. “Tamitha isn’t exactly known to joke around.” she then spoke again. Of course, I could always help you sort her out. It’s in our mutual interest.” At first, Twilight was unsure how to respond to this new Harp, mostly out of confusion as to what exact did she mean by that last statement. However, Jodariel was not as reserved. “You know naught of my interest.” she said in a hostile tone. The Harp merely chuckled. “Mm, let’s give this another shot. Hi, my name is Pamitha Theyn!” she finally introduced herself with a mock bow. “The surely one that you met earlier was my blood-sister, Tamitha. I know she’s a bit rough around the edges but try not to judge her too harshly though.” “Hold on,” Rainbow said as she flew right up in front of Pamitha. “you’re telling me that jerk is your sister?!” “Indeed, my fine equine.” the Harp confirmed. “And although we’ve just met now, I must say that something about you and that lovely Demon over there reminds me of her.” “What?!” the Wonderbolt asked, clearly taking that as an insult. “And what exactly do I have in common with that feathered-brained jerkwad?!” “How dare you implicate that I have anything in common with your ilk.” Jodariel added. “Rainbow!” Twilight said firmly to her friend. “Just…back down a bit for me. Okay?” The pegasus gave the alicorn a frustrated look, but she did eventually follow through with her wishes. Rainbow lowered herself back down to the ground with Twilight and Fluttershy, though she still looked far from satisfied with the Harp’s presence. With that settled, Twilight then addressed the Harp directly. “So, if I’m hearing this right, you would like to join the Nightwings? Might I ask why?” “Oh, for a few reasons, actually.” Pamitha answered. “For starters, a way out of this hellhole wouldn’t be so bad. Although, I suppose the main reason revolves around my sister. We have some…unfinished business between us, but Tabitha has preferred to avoid me as much as physically possible. But, if I were her adversary in the Rites, she’d have no other choice but to listen to me!” Hedwyn then walked over to Jodariel and whispered something in her ear. Twiight couldn’t pick up exactly what they were saying, but judging by the darkening expression on the Demon’s face, it was rather unpleasant to her. “No, Hedwyn. You cannot be serious about this.” she protested with the Nomad. “Jodi, I’m asking you to trust me on this one.” he gently pleaded. “Am I interrupting something?” Pamitha asked. “And by the way, however did you make it across the Sea? Didn’t see you fly in.” “Oooo! I have the answer to that!” Pinkie suddenly cheered out. The excited pink pony then rushed over to the Harp. “So we were back in the Flagging Hands and we realized that we had to cross the Sea but the wagon couldn’t so we went over to Big Bertie’s place where she would make our wagon all floaty and she let me help which was really nice of her and even though she was really grumpy the whole time I knew that she appreciated my help, so once we fixed up the wagon we were able to cross the Sea!” Pinkie then took a deep breath after her rather long explanation. “So that’s how it went, long story short!” Pamitha just smiled and knelt down so that she could give the pony a few head pats. “Well, aren’t you just the amusing little one. I certainly wouldn’t mind travelling with you, darling.” Pinkie giggled at the praise and appreciation. Despite the warm action of the Harp, Jodariel still had a face of scrutiny. “Trust is something that I am loath to give away, Hedwyn.” she muttered to the Nomad. She then sighed heavily after taking a glance at the alicorn. “But, you have set our course thus far, and I have followed. Your intuitions have been sound so far. So…do as you must. That Sandalwood had better have an explanation for all this.” The Demon then stormed off, seemingly to go retrieve her raiments. Meanwhile, Hedwyn turned to Twilight. “Here’s the situation, my friend.” he explained. “Our informant wants someone for each mask there is. I hadn’t expected us to run into a Harp so soon, yet here she is. That’s where you come in. As a Reader, what are you getting from her?” The revelation of the mysterious Sandalwood’s intentions for the Nightwings was certainly a surprise for the alicorn. One that would raise many questions from her when they eventually meet with the benefactor. For now, though, Twilight took in Hedwyn’s advise and looked to the Harp. It appeared that she had finished her interaction with Pinkie was now watching with bemused interest. “Ah, so you’re a Reader, are you? Not many of your kind still around. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” she said to the purple pony. “Well, here I am, darling! Gaze upon my beauty as intently as you like and tell your comrade here the truth of it, why don’t you?” As she looked at the Harp, Twilight felt something peculiar occur in her head. It was as if the world around her slowly faded from her perception, leaving only her and Pamitha. Speaking of the Harp, Twilight also felt something almost emanating from her. The inner thoughts and feelings of the Harp was revealed to the alicorn through some unknown mental capacity. While she couldn’t explain what was happening, Twilight was able to figure out what Tamitha was really planning. The purple pony could sense that the Harp was conflicted about something, thought she couldn’t place her hoof on exactly what that was. Despite this, however, she could tell that Pamitha’s motives, here and now, were earnest. The rest of the world then returned to Twilight as she looked back to talk to Hedwyn. “I…I think we should give her a shot.” she answered. “I believe her when she says that she wants to help us in our journey.” “My thoughts as well.” Hedwyn agree. “I think, and therefore, hope that Joderiel will eventually come around as well.” He then turned his attention to the Harp. “The name’s Hedwyn. We’ll accept your offer. However, we have few conditions in return. “Ooo, conditions! Well, I do love a good condition or two. Name them off for me, handsome.” Pamitha cooed with a flirtatious smile. A small blush formed on the Nomad’s face, but he quickly shook his head and got back to business. “F-First, after we’re finish here tonight, you come along and make sure that your blood-sister and her friends don’t give us any trouble when we’re heading out.” Pamitha scratched her chin. “Hmm, might be a bit difficult to cool Tamitha down, but I’ll think I’ll manage. Deal.” “Second,” Twilight added. “You have to promise to get along with everyone on our travels. Including Jodariel, whom you met earlier.” “Brilliant!” Pamitha cheered. “I certainly have no qualms getting you ponies. You’re all just too adorable! And as for your Demon friend, we’ll no doubt we’ll get along famously!” “Well, okay.” the alicorn said. “Welcome to the Nightwings, Pamitha!” “Glad to be along for the ride.” the Harp said with a smile. “Now, I don’t suppose you have an extra set of raiments I could use for the ceremony?” “Oh! Allow me, dear!” Rarity said as she trotted to the Harp. “Following me inside, Pamitha. I believe I have some garments that are just your size!” “Well then, lead the way, darling!” Pamitha said with a smirk. “Of course, er…darling.” the fashionista flubbed a bit before leading the Harp to the wagon. On the side, Applejack stifled a small chuckle at how the two seem to share similar speaking mannerisms. “Well, I think that went pretty well, all things considered.” the Nomad said optimistically. While Twilight was glad that Hedwyn agreed with taking in Pamitha, not everyone was on board. “Seriously, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. “We seriously gonna take her along with us?” “Is there a problem with that?” Hedwyn asked. “Her sister is the Harp jerk that practically spat in our faces! Don’t you find that just a little bit suspicious?” The prismatic mare then turned to her friend. “Twilight, you know I always have your back, but can we really trust this chick?” “Rainbow, I…” Twilight trailed off as she was tried to figure out how to explain what she just experienced with Pamitha. She could always go with the “magic explains everything” route, but she knew even Rainbow Dash was smart enough to know that magic was far more complex than that. “I just need you to trust me on this one. I can’t exactly explain it, but I just have this feeling inside that she’s earnest. I really don’t think she’s like her sister. Would you please just give her a shot? For me?” The stern face on the pegasus didn’t give Twilight much hope. She was clearly still quite offended by how Tamitha had not only insulted her but her traditions. However, relief washed over the alicorn when Rainbow relaxed her face and took a deep breath. “Whatever.” She muttered as she then turned towards the wagon. “Do what you have to do, Twi. I’m just gonna go chill in the wagon tonight to cool off.” Twilight’s guilt started to well up again. “Rainbow. I didn’t mean-“ “Twilight.” Rainbow interrupted politely, yet firmly. “Don’t worry about it. Good luck with the Rites.” The pegasus then headed inside the blackwagon and gently closed the door. Even though she got her to agree to take Pamitha, the bad feeling weighing inside Twilight’s stomach was still there. It was clear that the Wonderbolt still had hesitations for the Harp and was bottling it up. The purple pony couldn’t tell why, but it nonetheless worried her. “Madame Twilight.” Twilight’s focus was cut off when she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Tariq address her. When she turned around, she saw that the minstrel had knelt down to her eye level. “I believe I shall follow Rainbow Dash’s example and take rest in the wagon this eve.” He then stood up and made his way to the wagon, but not before looking back. “Perhaps the solitude will give me some time to quell her uneasiness. Best of luck to you in the Rites.” Twilight watched on as the minstrel entered the wagon, no doubt going to go sit in his usual spot and strum on his lute. She really hoped that whatever Tariq talked about with Rainbow would help quell her suspicion of Pamitha. It was bad enough that Jodariel’s temper was on thin ice already, the last thing the group needed was more tension between one another. Regardless, the alicorn decided to refocus her thoughts on what was in front of her for now. She looked to the night sky and saw the stars glow as the constellation formed. A soft, blue light shined down on an area not too far from their location. It appeared that the Rite was about to begin. Musical Cue Continued - Talon Sheath “READER. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THE STARS WOULD HAVE ELUDED YOU BY NOW. YET HERE YOU ARE, SOMEHOW, UPON THE NEST OF TRIESTA.” The Voice’s cynical words echoed above as Twilight and the rest made it to the field where the Rite would be held. They were now closer to the remains of the Greater Titan; the horse-like creature towering over the rocky terrain. As the alicorn scanned the field, she noticed in the middle that there were two, large crevices running parallel to each other. At the bottom was a river a lava that pooled just below the rocky cliffs. A plummet like that would no doubt be fatal, if not for the protective enchantments set in place for the Rites. “AND YOU’VE SWELLED THE RANKS OF YOUR TRIUMVIRATE NOT MERELY BY ANOTHER, BUT WITH THREE!” “ONE FROM THE PYREHEARTS, NO LESS. AND THEN ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR KIND TO TAINT THIS ALREADY BLASTED WASTELAND.” Twilight turned her head and saw that the rest of the group had arrived as well, save for Tariq, Rainbow, Pamitha and Rarity. The Nightwings had at last donned their raiments and were carrying their masks in tow. After one final check that the Book was safely tucked under her wing, the alicorn gave a satisfied nod that everything was in check. As if on cue, two fireball fell from above and struck the two sigils on the field, forming the respective pyres. “AND FINALLY, THERE’S THAT HARP THAT YOU RECRUITED NOT A MERE FEW MOMENTS AGO. IT SEEMS THAT SHE SEEKS FAVOR FROM THE ADVERSARIES WHOM YOU’LL IMMEDIATELY FACE:” “THEY ARE THE ESSENCE! WINGED TERRORS, AS YOU WILL SOON SHALL SEE.” On the other side of the field, the three Harps from earlier landed near the sea-green flames of their pyre. Although they were all wearing their masks, Twilight could almost feel the piercing stares that the three of them gave her and the rest of the Nightwings. The one in the middle, Tamitha most likely, took one of her talons and mimed it across her neck in a threatening manner. “CAN YOUR LONGING FOR FREEDOM MATCH THEIR HATRED FOR THE VIBRANT COMMONWEALTH AND ITS ALLIES? WE SHALL SEE THIS NIGHT.” “Twilight.” The alicorn turned around to see that Rarity had returned from the blackwagon, though she wasn’t alone. Beside the fashionista was Pamitha, donned in the Nightwings raiments and her mask securely on her face. “I must say that those feathers complement the outfit quite well!” “The outfit is marvelous, darling.” Pamitha told the fashionista as she made her way to Twilight. The Harp then stopped and looked over and saw the Essence around their pyre. She was silent for a minute before started to flap her wings. “Read-Darling, would you be so kind as to follow me?” she asked Twilight as she took off toward the center. Twilight didn’t have time to ask her why before she was gone. She then fluffed her own wings to catch up to her. While her wings still ached from her injuries, she still had enough strength to catch up to the Harp as she landed right before the Essence. Both Twilight and Pamitha said nothing as the three other Harps stared daggers at them. “Disgraceful.” Tamitha muttered as she removed her mask and looked to Pamitha. “You. What sort of heathen Harp would dare take wing against us?” Pamitha then loosened the bindings on her mask to fully reveal her identity. “Hello there, Tamitha.” she said matter-of-factly. A flash of surprise appeared on Tamitha’s face and then returned back to a rigid expression of scrutiny. “What in the Saint’s name are you doing here, with them?” she growled. “Doubtless come to dig your talons in my back again.” Pamitha shook her head at her sister’s accusation. “No sister, I’ve come to have a word with you.” “Save it.” Tamitha sneered. “I cannot help but share your poisoned. But I shan’t ever count you as my sister. You expect me to believe that you came all this way just for talk? You waste your time as ever!” “What is life if not a waste of time, dear sister?” Pamitha countered. “Give me a chance, why don’t you? What do you have to lose anymore?” “My dignity, for one.” Tamitha shot back. “If only you could see yourself now. Once again consorting with my enemies. And now it seems you want to dwell with such…pathetic creatures.” Twilight was finally starting to become irritated with the cruel Harp’s barrage of insults, almost to the point where she was beginning to understand how Rainbow felt earlier. Pamitha, however, appear to remain cool under pressure. “Your speciesism is as subtle as ever, sister. Always the one to speak bold words, but never want to prove those words with action.” Tamitha did not take the taunt well. “Fine!” she yelled. “Savor their defeat with them. But I warn you, stay away from me when this is done!” Pamitha was silent as her blood-sister turned her back to her. The other two members of the Essence followed their leader in now ignoring their adversaries. Pamitha merely signed and gestured Twilight to follow her back to their pyre. As the alicorn walked with the Harp, she couldn’t help but think if that exchange could have gone better. It was clear that Tamitha had no desire for making up with her sister, but on the other hoof, it seemed that Pamitha was still eager to fight on the Nightwings’ side. She also wondered what Tamitha meant when she mentioned how Pamitha was working with her enemies again. Musical Cue - The Eight Scribes As the pair returned, the Nightwings and ponies were gathered by the flames, waiting for Twilight to give them a debrief of what her plan was for tonight. Before Twilight could say anything, however, Pamitha got her attention. “Reader-darling,” she began. “Not to demean anyone’s abilities here, but most of you here are ill-equipped to navigate this place.” The alicorn realized what the Harp was referring to. The huge crevasses would make it quite difficult to traverse to the other side, but no problem for Pamitha and her wings. “Let me conduct this Rite on your behalf, and my wings will bring you victory.” “Dear Lady! Your words ring true!” Sir Gilman pronounced. “This knight is still quite flattered that you have not eaten him as is the tendency among your kind. This knight herby volunteers his post in the triumvirate for thee!” “Oh, Sir Gilman,” Rarity said to the knight. “that’s quite chivalrous of you to do. But are you really sure you want to do that?” The Wyrm-knight shook his head. “Kind of you to worry, Lady Rarity. But it is quite clear that this Harp is determined to face her blood-kin. A feeling that have related too not long ago. This knight will gladly give his post so that she may as well find clarity.” The fashionista then gave a hum of appreciation at her knight’s chivalry. Jodariel gave an irritated huff. “If the little bird is going to conduct the Rites for us, then I shall not.” “Jodi…” Hedwyn remised at the Demon’s stubbornness. “I take no offence.” Pamitha complied. “I’m sure we’ll be the best of friends by the time this is all over.” Twilight sighed. “Well, with Sir Gilman and Jodariel forfeiting their places, I suppose that will narrow down my decisions.” She then turned to her friends. “Now all that’s left to decide is who’ll assist me with their Blessing.” The alicorn got an answer to her question almost immediately as a pink hoof started flailing in the air. “Ooo! I’ll do it! I’ll do it! I’ll do it!” Pinkie Pie started chanting at an excited rate. “Pinkie?” Twilight asked. “You want to go spectate with me?” She knew that she had hypothesized that each of the Elements would have some time of Blessing with them, but she also didn’t expect Pinkie to show interest without her asking. “Sure! You know how much I like to be helpful! I bet it’ll be super fun to do the Rites together, Twilight. Besides, I haven’t had my turn yet!” Pinkie said with a kind smile. “Uh, Pinkie? You sure about this?” Applejack asked the baker. “It’s not exactly as easy as it looks.” Fluttershy also gave a nod in confirmation. “Oh psssh, AJ!” The pink mare nonchalantly said. “It’ll be easy-peasy! So long as I have a sudden epiphany on how the Blessing works midway through the Rite, I’ll be A-Okay!” “Well, okay then.” Twilight finally accepted the pink mare’s strange logic. Her gaze then looked upward to find a suitable vantage point of the field. It didn’t take long for her to find a decently tall cliff that would give her a full view. She then pointed out her hoof to show the rest. “I think that cliff right there will give us a good view of things. Though normally Rainbow Dash would help me get up to high places, so I’m not exactly sure how me and Pinkie are supposed to get up there.” “Oh, allow me, darling!” Rarity sang out. “I think I should be able to levitate you two up there.” Twilight gave the fashionista a quizzical look. Being a unicorn, she knew that Rarity naturally had the ability of telekinesis. However, she still wasn’t sure if she had the magical strength to get both her and Pinkie up so high. “Rarity, are you sure you can lift us all the way onto the cliff?” “Oh, pish-posh, dear,” Rarity said with a slight wave of her hoof. “I may not a ‘magic wiz’ like yourself, but I am confident in my own abilities. Now, get into position while I concentrate!” Somewhat reluctantly, Twilight nodded and stood completely still while Rarity closed her eyes. The white horn began to spark a light blue and Rarity’s magical aura began to surround the alicorn’s body. Ever slowly, Twilight was lifted up higher and higher towards the top of the cliff. The purple pony remained calm and put trust in her friend that she wouldn’t be dropped suddenly. Finally, Twilight had reached her destination and the aura around her quickly dissipated. She took a few gentle steps and looked downward at the rest of the group. She saw Rarity open her eyes again and then looked to Pinkie for her turn. The blue aura surrounded the baker and began floating her up to Twilight, albeit at a slightly slower pace. Nevertheless, Pinkie made it safely and she gently landed her hooves onto the cliff. The alicorn looked down and saw that Rarity broke the spell but was looking a bit winded. “Rarity, are you okay?” she asked out, concerned. “I’m…quite fine, darling!” Rarity called out between breaths. “You were no trouble at all. Pinkie Pie was just a bit heavier than she looks!” The baker gave her friend a sheepish smile. “Sometimes a sneak a few extra sweets when I’m on the job at Sugarcube Corner.” The pink mare then dug into her poofy mane and finally pulled out a tiny flag that had the Nightwings’ sigil printed on it. Where pinkie was able to acquire something such as that in the Downside was beyond Twilight’s comprehension. “WOOO! GO NIGHTWINGS GO! LET’S GO KICK THOSE MEANIES’ BUTTS!” she cheered out while waving the flag. “CEASE YOUR GALIVANTING AT ONCE!” Both Twilight and Pinkie Pie froze in shock at the booming Voice. “READER! PLEASE REMIND YOUR IDIOTIC COMPATRIOT TO CEASE HER TOMFOOLERY! THESE RITES ARE A SACRED RITUAL THAT IS NO PLACE FOR IDIOTIC SHENANIGANS. HAVE SOME MODESTY!” “Well,” Pinkie huffed as she stored the flag back in her mane. “I’ve met a lot of party poopers in my day, but he is easily the poopiest!” The pony then tried to stifle her giggles at the unintended (and rather juvenile) joke she made. Twilight, however, was feeling far less jovial. “Pinkie Pie,” she said. “maybe you just listen to him for now.” “WHAT?! But Twily…” Pinkie pouted. The alicorn gave a heavy sigh. Even though she found her friend’s bubbly attitude amusing and sometimes even encouraged it, this was a notable exception. The last thing she would want from the Nightwings would be for them to be disqualified because of her or one of her friends. “Pinkie, listen. That Voice up above, he’s the one that proceeds over the Rites. We have to respect the customs here, or else we might be disqualified. So,could you please, just this once, tone it down a bit?” Twilight didn’t like the disappointed look that Pinkie was giving her, but she did feel some relief when she did eventually nod in agreement. The baker then plopped down on her haunches and simply looked to the feel, all while having a rather unreadable expression. Twilight still felt a bit bad that Pinkie had to suppress her personality like this; she made a mental note to somehow find a way to make it up to her later. With both her and Pinkie in place, Twilight trotted over and looked over the whole field. The crevices were much more notable from this vantage point, as well as the perilous lava below. On the far right, the Essence were waiting patiently by their pyre for the ceremony to begin. Their sigil, Twilight noticed, had an image of what appeared to a closed eye crying a few circular tears “WHO SHALL CONDUCT THE RITES?”. From under her wing, the Book of Rites floated out before Twilight and opened its pages. Though all the names of the Nightwings were before her, the alicorn only had one in mind. Right under Sir Gilman was Tamitha’s name freshly etched in the black paper. She then looked to the other page and noticed that the new talisman she had recently bought was also added to the list. It seemed that the Righteous Flame would restore the pyre’s flames by a small margin if the holder doused the adversaries’ pyre. Seeing this as quite useful, Twilight focused on Pamitha’s name along with the Righteous Flame. “PAMITHA” The Harp then instantly appeared onto the field. The alicorn then slowed her thoughts and focused to connect her mental link with winged woman. After she felt the positive feedback, Twilight opened her eyes and smiled knowing that the connection was made. Pamitha, for her part, hummed in return. “Hmmm, very interesting.” she mused out loud. “So this is what it’s like when two minds connect. Certainly something I wouldn’t mind getting used to.” She then looked upward at the pair of ponies. “Now then, if I’m to be at your mercy in all this, I’d like it very much if you could minimize how often I’m to wallow in a state of banishment. Quickly, let me show you what we sisters of the Highwing Remnants can do.” Pamitha then began to move on her own accord to demonstrate her abilities to the alicorn. Just as with the Witch Udmilde, the aura that surrounded her below was wavy, far from a perfect circle. True to her word, the Harp was able to flap her wings and fly higher into the air, easily going over the crevasses in the middle of the field. Although, she eventually did have to return back down and gently hovering from the ground. Along with her flight, it also appeared that her movement also included a few agile dashes that would most definitely help with maneuvering around opponents. Finally, Pamitha showed off on finally trick up her sleeve as she began to take a charging stance. Then suddenly, she rushed forward into a sort of tackle. During this attack, it appeared that all of the aura around her feet went up and formed a protected bubble around her. Once the Harp had stopped, the aura returned back to the ground around her. Twilight was rather intrigued by this “aura tackle” as she was now referred it. She figured that the shield around her would no doubt be useful in protecting her from the aura from the other adversaries. “READER…YOU PUT YOURSELF AMIDST A FEUD BETWEEN TWO SISTERS?” “THAT SEEMS ENTIRELY UNWISE, EVEN FOR YOU.” “TREAD LIGHTLY AROUND THAT EXILE PAMITHA. HER KIND’S ALL BUT FORGOTTEN SAINT TRIESTA’S GRACE.” “NOW, IF YOU ARE DONE WASTING OUR TIME HERE, CHOOSE YOUR REMAINING TWO EXILES SO THAT TONIGHT’S CERAMONY CAN GET UNDERWAY.” “See, darling? We Harps, we’re not so bad!” Pamitha boosted as she made her way back to the front of the pyre. “Now, why don’t you go ahead and pick two others so that we may finally confront my sister.” Satisfied with Pamitha’s abilities, Twilight looked to the book in front of her to choose two more Nightwings. With both Sir Gilman and Jodariel’s refusal to participate, that only left her to decide between Hedwyn, Rukey, Mae and Ti’zo. The alicorn’s interest peaked at the latter, as she remembered that the Imp did also have the ability of flight. Have Ti’zo on the field would no doubt be useful in dealing with those crevices. She then focused on the Imp’s name along with the Tailwind Crest to give him an extra speed boost. “TI’ZO” “Hree-ree-kree!” Ti’zo chirped out as he was summoned onto the field. This then gained the attention of Pamitha. “Ti’zo, is it?” she asked. “Tell me something, you know how to fly?” “Kree-hiii!” the Imp confirmed. “Then listen up,” the Harp said as she gestured to the Essence. “my blood-sister there, she’ll swoop right past you if you’re careless. But, we Harps cannot get much altitude down here. So, if she goes for any unfair tricks, just jump for it and catch her in the act. She always hated when I used to do that to her!” she capped off with a hint of mischief in her voice. Finally, Twilight had to decide the third member of the triumvirate. Not exactly clear-cut as none of the other Nightwings could fly. The alicorn’s gaze then stopped when she looked over Hedwyn’s name. Though he never spoke of it, she had a sense that the Nomad felt a tad guilty over not being able to participate in the last Rite due to his untimely sickness. This time, however, Hedwyn seemed ready to go and would no doubt jump at the opportunity. So, Twilight focused on Hedwyn and also decided to pair him with the Moon Crest talisman. “HEDWYN” The Nomad appeared elegantly onto the field and took his stance. “No sea sickness to keep me out of this one! Time for my time to shine!” he said with determination. With everyone on the field, everything was set for the Rite. All that was left to do was to wait for the Celestial Orb to fall from sky and commence the ceremony. Pamitha, however, took the moment to call out one last time to the Essence. “Sister,” she called out. “Perhaps when we are finished here, you’ll finally spare a moment of your time!” Tamitha gave a growl of disgust. “I shan’t be tricked by you again, Pamitha. How poetic that we meet here in the Downside…I can think of nowhere else where I would rather see you rot for what you did.” Though she didn’t show it, Twilight felt a small twinge of emotion coming from Pamitha when her sister uttered that last sentence. It was now more than clear that something had occurred in the past that had caused a rift between the two sisters, and something told Twilight that Pamitha would not reveal it so easily. However, Twilight didn’t have much time to think on that as she then saw a pillar of light shine down onto the center of the field. A second later, the Celestial Orb came crashing to the ground. “COMMENCE!” Musical Cue - Sky Dance “To the skies, sisters! Talon formation!” Tamitha cried out to the rest of the Essence. The other two Harps then spread to the sides of the field one at a time. Meanwhile, Twilight decided to send Hedwyn in first to grab the Orb. After maneuvering around the crevices, the Nomad was about to acquire the Orb before Tamitha tackled him with her aura. With Hedwyn banished, the cruel Harp was free to grab the Orb and toss it over to one of her sisters on the side of the field. As the Harp with the Orb came closer to the Nightwings pyre, Twilight tried to position Pamitha for defense. But to her surprise, that turned out to be a trick. The Harp quickly passed the Orb to Tamitha while the path to the blue flames were clear. There was nothing stopping her from then taking flight over the crevice in front of her and then dashing herself into the blue flames. “A CLEVER TRICK. FOR A BUNCH OF HARPS, THAT IS.” Twilight shook off the first hit and got her head back in the game. The Nightwings and Essence reappeared on the field and resumed after the Orb fell to the ground. One of the other Harp made a beeline for the Orb. However, Twilight anticipated this and waited for her to grab it. Once she had the Orb, the Essence Harp took flight to get over the crevice. That was when Twilight sprung her trap. Pamitha flew up and intercepted the other Harp, causing the Orb to fall to the ground. Hedwyn saw his chance and raced over to grab the glowing sphere and started to maneuver around to the other Pyre. Meanwhile the Essence Harp that had stayed back tried to block the Nomad from landing a hit, but Hedwyn was able to leap around her and right into the sea-green flames. “THE NIGHTWINGS FINALLY ASSERT THEMSELVES.” As the Essence returned, Tamitha looked far from pleased that the Nightwings were able to get a hit on their pyre. Such irriation is what probably led her to take a full-on assault on the Nightwings themselves. The cruel Harp flew right over where the Orb was and tackled Ti’zo into banishment. This especially caught Twilight off guard, as the adversaries she and the others had faced so far had always prioritized grabbing the Orb first before making any offensive takes on the Nightwings. Now, however, it appeared that Tamitha wanted to completely banish all of the Nightwings before working to snuff out their pyre. Thankfully, it seemed that Pamitha was all too familiar with her sister’s tactics. The cheeky Harp launched an aura tackle and banished her sister from the field. Hedwyn then ran to pick up the Orb and tossed it over to Pamitha before he got banished by one of the other Harp. With the Celestial Orb in her possession, Pamitha took flight towards the other end of the field. The other Essence Harp attempted to block her midair, but Pamitha was simply too agile for her. The cheeky Harp went from the sky right into the pyre. “GLORY TO THE SCRIBES!” “Pinkie,” Twilight said to the mare beside her as the field began to reset. “Do you think you can start helping out here?” The pink baker was sitting on her haunches with her forelegs crossed and her eyes closed. “I don’t know, is that meanie Voice in the sky gonna yell at me again for being myself?” she asked with some attitude in her tone. The alicorn did have time to argue with her friend before the Celestial Orb fell to the ground again. This time, Twilight decided to try stay on the defensive since there were only two Nightwings on the field. She positioned Ti’zo to guard the pyre and then had Hedwyn approach the Orb carefully. Unfortunately, Tamitha was far from being careful as she launched a full-on assault on the Nomad, banishing him with a single tackle. The cruel Harp grabbed the Orb and, in a strange twist, tossed the Orb and intentionally missed the pyre. While Twilight still had her eyes on the Orb, Tamitha took her chance and tackled into Ti’zo. With the field clear of Nightwings, Tamitha picked up the Orb nearby and dove straight into the Pyre. “THE TERM “EYES ON THE PRIZE” SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LITERALLY, READER.” Twilight internally scolded herself for losing focus like that as the field reset. With all three of the Nightwings back, at the very least they had the advantage again. And Twilight had all intensions of taking it. Influencing Ti’zo, she led him to flutter over both the crevices and the Orb. The Imp landed between the remaining two Harps and charged up his aura implosion, banishing all three of them in the process. This was the opening Twilight needed. Now all she needed was a little more help to seal the deal. Which meant that she needed her friend to tap in to her inner “Pinkieness”. “Pinkie,” she then pleaded with her friend. “I’m…I’m sorry. Just…don’t worry about what anyone else says. What I want right now is for you to be just you. So…go ahead and give it all you got!” Finally, the pink mare opened up her eyes and gave the alicorn a smile. “Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie then reached into her mane again and began to wave her flag. “WOOHOO!!! GO NIGHTWINGS! FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! Show those meanie Harp what for and show’em who’s boss!” Twilight watched in awe as her friend started to glow a light blue. She then looked to the field to confirm that Pamitha was now covered in the same hue. This was all the confirmation Twilight needed to realize that Pinkie had finally activated her hidden Blessing. The only question was what exactly this Blessing entailed. The alicorn soon got her answer as Pamitha began to cross the field. When the Harp took to the skies to cross the crevices, she instantly darted forward at incredible speed. She easily cleared the two pits, grabbed the Orb and made to the other side of the field in a quarter of the time it would usually take for one of the Nightwings to get across. None of the other Essence reappeared from their banishment before Pamitha delved into their pyre. “HM, I SUPPOSE IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT YOUR HYPERACTIVE FRIEND WOULD BESTOW A BLESSING OF QUICKNESS. THOUGH I STILL DOUBT THAT IT IS ENOUGH TO TOLERATE HER.” “Pinkie, that was amazing!” Twilight commended the pink mare. “Twilight, did you see me?! I was all glowy for a second! That was super-duper amazing!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Can I do it again?! Can I, can I, can I?!” “Not yet, Pinkie,” Twilight said as she looked to the field. “But, don’t worry. I’ll give you a signal when I need you.” The field reset again, and all of the Essence returned this time. But even though they were down one Nightwing, Twilight felt more confident that she could handle whatever Tamitha threw at them. Said Harp was quick to dash from her pyre and make a direct assault on her adversaries. Twilight quickly moved Ti’zo out of the way of her attack, leaving Hedwyn to be suddenly banished from the field. However, the cruel was caught off guard when the Nomad’s talisman activated, and he was instantly returned back. Tamitha had no time to respond as he casted his aura to banish her away. Ti’zo then fluttered over to pick up the Orb and then tossed it back to Hedwyn. The Nomad then made a dash to the right side of the field only to be blocked off by one of the Essence Harps. He quickly passed it back to the Imp, who then fluttered over the fissure before him. He would have made it, if the other Harp guarding the flames hadn’t jumped and knocked both him and the Orb out of the air. But by some unknown grace, the Celestial Orb landed near the right side of the field, right in Hedwyn’s vicinity. The Nomad casted an aura blast to banish the Harp in front of him and then dashed to pick up the orb. Before the last remaining Harp could stop him, Hedwyn tossed the orb straight into the pyre. “HEDWYN DOUSES THE FLAMES!” The field and participants reset again, and Twilight took an assessment on both sides. While the Nightwings pyre only burned at half intensity, the Essence’s pyre was nothing more than a tiny flame. One more hit from the Nightwings and the Rite would be over this night. However, before Twilight could get a chance to strategize their next move, something unexpected happen. “Damn you, Pamitha!” Tamitha yelled to the other side of the field. “You are no true Theyn. To think that you have the gall to call me sister still, after everything you have wrought upon us!” Twilight, along with everyone else on the field was confused as to what was going on here. Pamitha, for her part, remained silent at her sister’s accusation. But thanks to their connection, Twilight was able to feel that the cheeky Harp had what felt like a pit in her stomach as she listened to her kin’s insults. “…I hate to break it to you, Tamitha, but I don’t think my actions, however much they hurt you, had any affect on our familial status.” she finally retorted back. Look, I know I wronged you in the past. But you at least owe it to me to hear my side of the story.” “Your side of the story?” Tamitha spat. “If I wanted to hear more lies and deception, I ought have asked the Commonwealth to stay my sentence for a while. Well, if you have come all this way to face me, Pamitha, then come and do it. YOU AND ME!” The alicorn was even more perplexed by the cruel Harp’s proposition. Apparently, she wanted to face Pamitha alone in the Rite. Her suspicious were confirmed when she saw how the other two Essence Harps followed their leader’s orders and disappeared from the field. Why would Tamitha pull something like this? Her triumvirate was far behind the Nightwings, and Pamitha would only need to get the Orb in the pyre only one more time to win. Would she really risk the whole thing for pride over her own sister? When Twilight looked over to Pamitha, she noticed that she was subtly shaking her head, as if she was expecting something like this from her sister. “Everyone…stand back. This is a family affair now.” she then said to Hedwyn and Ti’zo behind her. The Nomad and Imp looked to each other and then to the Harp. Eventually, they silently agree and stepped away, vanishing from the field and returned back to the rest of the group. Now, the ones who were left in the Rite was Pamitha and Tamitha. “WHAT IS IT THAT THOSE TWO THINK THEY ARE DOING?!” “DO THEY TRULY INTEND TO TURN THE SACRED CERAMONY OF THE RITES INTO A MERE SIBLING SQABBLE?!” Despite the Voice’s protest, the two sisters moved at full speed towards the Orb between the both of them. The two jumped into the air to clear the crevasses, only to then collide into one another midair. While Tamitha landed on the ground, Pamitha unfortunately fell into the fissure and was banished away before she hit the deadly lava below. Surprisingly though, Pamitha instantly returned back to the field instead of the usual wait after banishment. Twilight wasn’t sure if it was because Pamitha was the only Nightwing on the field or for some other reason, but she supposed that it ultimately didn’t matter. What did matter was that she was back in time to aura tackle Tamitha away before she could make it to the blue flames with the Orb. Pamitha picked up the Orb from the ground and made her way to the other side of the field. Unfortunately, Tamitha also instantly appeared from her banishment and was determined to stop her sister. What followed was two minutes of a back-and forth fight between the two Harps and the Orb. Every time one of them managed to obtain the Celestial Orb, the other would quickly banish her away, only to then return back to restart the cycle. Eventually though, Twilight began to get frustrated at the stalemate. Either both the Harps were equally skilled or just too determined to let the other one get the best of her. The alicorn realized that she needed to think more creatively if she was going to get Pamitha to strike the finishing blow. And she remembered that she had all the creativity she needed right beside her. “Pinkie,” she said to the pony besides her. “when I give you the signal, I want you to try and use your Blessing on Pamitha. Think you can do that?” The pink mare gave the alicorn a salute and glued her eyes on the Harp, ready for the signal. Back on the field, it seemed as though Tamitha had stepped up her brutality and went on the extreme offensive on her sister. “You disgrace us, Pamitha.” she said as Pamitha just barely dodged one of her attacks. “You once had a home within the Revenants, and you through it away! You were dead in my eyes the very moment you betrayed me.” Pamitha said nothing as she stood still with the Orb in her possession. “Tamitha…beg you, please list-“ “Enough!” the cruel Harp screamed. “Defeating you now will prove once and for all how worthless you really are!” As Tamitha charged at her again, Twilight was scared that she would let herself get banished based on her stillness. However, the alicorn felt another swell of emotion within Pamitha and felt relief when she saw her dodged her sisters attack in the nick of time. “Very well, sister.” she said solemnly. “I hoped that you would listen on the battlefield. But if you intend not to, then I suppose I’ll end this…with a little help.” The Harp then looked directly at the Essence’s pyre. This was the opportunity Twilight was looking for. “Pinkie, now!” the pony signaled her friend. Pinkie then squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated hard. Sure enough, the pink mare’s body started glowing light blue again along with Pamitha. The cheeky Harp then shot off like a bolt of lightning towards the other end of the field. Tamitha had no hope of catching up in time and could only watch on as her sister reached the sea-green flames and jumped right in. After the explosion, nothing else remained of the smoldering sigil. “AND IT IS DONE!” Pamitha, along with Hedwyn and Ti’zo, reappeared on the field in time to see the blue flames of their pyre shoot up into the night sky. The Nightwings’ symbol lit up the sky for a few seconds before dissipating into nothingness. “ANOTHER VICTORY FOR THE NIGHTWINGS…OH HOW I SING WITH JOY….” “LOXALAS!” Pamitha, Hedwyn and Ti’zo cheered at their victory. There was also a bout of cheers from the rest of the group on the side. Back on the cliff, Pinkie Pie gave Twilight a tight, celebratory hug which Twilight greatly appreciated. Now all that was left to figure out was how the two ponies would get down. Just as the alicorn was about to look down to the group to see if Rarity could possibly levitate them back down, Pamitha was able to glide up to their position and offer them a ride down. Although Twilight was first a bit skeptical that the cheeky would be able to lift both ponies, she grabbed them both by her talons and gently glided them back to the ground. Pinkie then trotted over to the group to receive the praise she gained from her contribution to the Rite. However, right before Twilight joined in, she turned around and saw that Tamitha had returned back to the field. She had her mask off as she slowly walked to where her sister was still fuming over the loss. As Twilight trotted slowly behind her, she overheard the venomous words Tamitha began to spew. “You are nothing more than Commonwealth filth, Pamitha.” the cruel Harp belittled her sister. Tamitha then took notice of the pony behind Pamitha. “It was only through these outsiders’ help that you have beaten us this night. However, you merely postpone the coming of our liberty. We are ever patient, and our sister on the other side shall have their day, with or without my help.” She then pointed to Twilight menacingly. “And when the Commonwealth is burnt to the ground, your land will be next.” Twilight recoiled back at the Harp’s threat, even if it did seem unlikely to become true. As for Pamitha, she simply looked down and sighed. It was clear that she was highly disappointed in the results of finally speaking to her sister again. “Tamitha,” she said. “If you have even a shred of belief in our sisterhood, you’ll listen to my plea.” Though it may have been a trick of the eye, but Twilight could have sworn that she saw hesitation in Tamitha’s face. But before the alicorn could confirm her suspicions, the malice quickly returned to the Harp’s face. “You’ve found good company there, Pamitha. May you wither here with them. I hope sincerely that we shan’t ever meet again.” With those stabbing words, Tamitha took flight, along with the rest of the Essence. Leaving the remaining Harp and alicorn alone on the field. Pamitha stood motionless as she watched on as her sister departed on such harsh words. Twilight couldn’t even really begin to understand what the Harp was feeling right now. Sure, she had her own sibling spats with Shining Armor in the past, but they never escalated to the point where she wished to never see him again. That’s what left Twilight wordless as well as she just stood there. As much as she wanted to provide the exact words of comfort to the muted Harp, she just couldn’t think of any. Instead, she decided to provide words that would help move on. “Pamitha,” she said gently. “Why don’t you come back to the wagon with us. Our offer still stands for letting you travel with us.” Pamitha still remained silent for a moment until she let out a soft sigh. “Sure. I don’t see why not.” She murmured softly. The Harp then turned away from where her sister left. Her expression was temporarily blank as she left the field along with the purple pony. Though Twilight was sure that Pamitha wasn’t over Tamitha’s words, she hoped that including her had at least helped. However, before anyone was able to leave, three pillars of light shined down on Hedwyn, Ti’zo and Pamitha. Twilight had nearly forgotten the Enlightenment they had earned from their participation in the Rite. Musical Cue - A Step Closer “THE EIGHT SCRIBES BLESS US IN THEIR WAYS.” Though Pamitha and Hedywn remained the same, everyone watched as Ti’zo attained a slight glow for a few seconds. “THE IMP TI’ZO APPEARS TO HAVE A CERTAIN DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE.” “Hraa-krii-riii!” the Imp chirped in celebration. After Ti’zo enlightenment, the lights dissipated and the stars above ceased to glow. Just like that, the night sky returned to normal. “UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN.” Musical Cue - Shattered Lands As the group walked back to the blackwagon, Twilight felt a noticeable tension between some of the members. Pamitha seemed to have shaken off her previous somber mood and hade returned to her cheekier demeanor, shooting the alicorn a sly smile. In contrast, Jodariel was staring daggers at the Harp. Despite being victorious in the Rite, the Demon clearly still didn’t trust the new Nightwing. “Well then, Pamitha,” Rarity finally cut the silence. “I must say, you and the rest were quite spectacular in the Rite. Not to mention how absolutely stunning you all looked moving around in those raiments!” The fashionista then looked to Pinkie Pie. “And Pinkie, darling, I cannot say that I fully understand this whole Blessing business, but you’ve clearly gained a handle on it.” The pink mare giggled at the compliment. “Hehe, thanks! To be honest, it wasn’t really any harder than the other times I’ve made myself glow on command!” After a small stretch of silence, Rarity cleared her throat and changed the subject of the conversation. “Well, um…In any case, Pamitha, it’ll be a pleasure travelling with you for the time being.” “Well, I very much appreciate the sentiment. But I won’t be staying longer than it takes. I like my air fresh, so I can sleep up on the roof.” Pamitha responded politely. She then turned her gaze to the dim stars above. I trust the Rites will cause my path and Tamitha’s to cross again before long.” “The sooner, the better.” Jodariel mumbled under her breath. “Jodi…” Hedwyn lightly chastised his companion for her lack of subtlety. He then looked to the Harp. “You’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you need to, Pamitha. Trust is what got us this far. Isn’t that right, Rukey?” When Twilight looked to Rukey, it seemed as though he hadn’t heard the Nomad’s question. Come to think of it, she realized that the Cur was awfully silent ever since Pamitha arrived at the camp. He had this baffled expression on as he continued to look at the Harp. Pamitha took notice of this and shot Rukey one of her smiles. This act shocked Rukey out of his stupefied state and a dumb grin soon spread across his face. “Oh goodness, Rukey. Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked the Cur with worry. “You seem all shaky all the sudden.” Rukey sobered up again and rapidly shook his head clear. “Wha..?! Uh…Oh um, I’m good, Flutters! Just uh…thinking about checking the wheels when we get to the wagon! Yeah, that’s it. Hehe…Hey, look at that! We’re already back!” True to his word, the group had in fact returned to the campsite. The Cur quickly ran ahead of the group and got to work checking the wagon wheels. Seeing how Rukey had apparently snapped out of his stupor, Fluttershy smiled and decided to follow him just in case he needed any help. As for Twilight, she couldn’t help but subtly roll her eyes the quite apparent infatuation the Cur had for the Harp. As the rest of the group arrived at the campsite, the alicorn noticed that Tariq was sitting outside with his lute. The minstrel looked up from his instrument as Twilight walked up to him while the rest went about checking on other things at the camp. “I trust that the ceremony was successful?” he asked the alicorn. Twilight nodded and a reserved satisfied smile spread on the minstrel’s lips as he nodded back. The purple pony scanned the campsite and noticed that a certain cyan pegasus was missing. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?” she asked. “She decided to spend more time alone in the blackwagon to think.” Answered Tariq. “Though her and I had a conversation after you left. I do believe she now has more perspective.” As if on cue, the door to the wagon opened and Rainbow Dash appeared in the doorway. The Wonderbolt did appear a lot less agitated than the least Twilight saw her, though her expression was far from positive. Her eyes scanned the area until she spotted Pamitha near the fire. She then stepped out of the wagon and began to walk over to the Harp. Twilight intercepted the pegasus and was about to ask if everything was okay with her, but Rainbow raised her hoof before she could say anything. She gave the alicorn a small nod and looked her friend in the eyes. Twilight could see that there was no trace of anger or frustration in Rainbow’s expression. Only determination in those magenta eyes that she was able to recognize after a long time of knowing the pegasus. Twilight the nodded back and stood aside to let Rainbow walk up to Pamitha. “Uh…Hey.” the prismatic mare mumbled to the Harp. “Well hello. Rainbow Dash, isn’t it?” the cheeky Harp said as she knelt down to look at her directly. “Look’s like someone has cooled down a bit. Still don’t trust me because of my sister Can’t say that I haven’t experienced that before?” “Look,” Rainbow said she let out a deep sigh. “I’m…sorry that I wasn’t the most welcoming to you. I really hate to admit it, but what your sister said really got to me and…I guess I just took it out on you. But Twilight seems to trust you, and I know that Twilight is a big enough egghead to know what she’s doing. So, let’s just start over. Are we cool?” Pamitha watched as the pegasus lifted one of her forehooves to her as an act of good will. The Harp smiled back at the mare and used the talons at the end of one of her wings to bump the pegasus’s hoof. “I’m not a petty Harp, darling. Anyone could hardly doubt you for showing a bit of mistrust in this wasteland. I accept your apology.” Rainbow put on a relieved smile and retracted her hoof back. “Awesome. Glad we worked this out.” Twilight smiled as she saw the pegasus and Harp work out their differences. A feat that was no doubt difficult for Rainbow, given her prideful attitude. It was rather heartwarming to see acts of friendship in such a harsh environment like the Downside. Whatever Tariq had said to her must have rather eye-opening to the pegasus. She supposed that she would just have to ask her friend what the minstrel had told her at a later time. As the alicorn was about to walk over to the pair and make sure that everything was patched up, she noticed that there was something peculiar out of the margin of her eyesight. When she looked up, her eyes widen as she recognized the anomaly above. “Everyone,” Twilight announced to the camp. “You all might want to all look up!” The Nightwings and ponies followed the alicorn’s suggestion and looked to the night sky. It was then they all saw the blue twinkling that was coincidentally suspended high right above the campsite. Everyone instantly knew the meaning of this phenomenon; another resident of Equestria was about to be dropped into the Downside. Another pony is about to arrive.” Jodariel plainly stated. “Or dragon,” Rarity quickly corrected the Demon. “Spikey was in the room when that mirror exploded.” Meanwhile, Twilight was already forming a plan in her head. The portal would be opening right above them, so they would have ample time to catch whoever would fall out safely. And she already had somepony in mind to pull off said rescue. “Rainbow,” she said to the prismatic mare. The second that portal opens, I want you to fly up and catch whoever falls out. Think you can do that?” “Pfft, come on, Twi!” Rainbow assured her. “This isn’t like at the Sea. I’ll be able to fly up there and pull off a rescue in ten seconds flat!” The pegasus’s cocky claim would soon be put to the test for just after she finished speaking, the twinkles then suddenly opened up into a blue, swirling portal. A second later, something fell out and the portal instantly disappeared from the sky. Based on how the body was pony-shaped and was letting out a feminine scream, it was clear that whatever had fallen out was a mare. Meaning that there was only one possibility on who it was. “STARLIGHT!” the ponies screamed out in unison. “Don’t worry, I got this!” Rainbow affirmed right before she spread her wings and shot up into the sky. Twilight watched as the pegasus continued flying up to catch the falling unicorn. As she looked on, she thought she saw a light blue spark of magic coming from Starlight, only for it to flicker and die. Before the alicorn could get too concerned about her former student’s safety, Rainbow was successful in catching her in the air. Everyone watched in relief as the two ponies gently flew down to the ground. Once Rainbow returned, she gently let the unicorn get back on the ground. Though her purple mane was slightly frazzled, she seemed to be unharmed. “You alright, Star?” Rainbow asked. “Ugh…Uh yeah, I think I’m good.” she said as she began to properly take in her surroundings. “Thank you, Rainbow. Where are we? This doesn’t look like-“ The unicorn interrupted herself with a gasp when she noticed Twilight before her. “Twilight!” Starlight quickly rushed forward to tightly embrace her former teacher. Though Twilight was certainly caught off guard by the sudden hug, that didn’t stop her from hugging back. “Starlight,” she said as she pulled away from the hug. “It’s so good to see you again. Thank Celestia you’re okay!” “I’m okay? Twilight, I’m relieved that you’re okay!” the unicorn said in relief. She then took notice of some of the alicorn’s bandages. “Although, it seems like I was right to worry. I was really nervous about how close you were to the mirror when it exploded. Please tell me you weren’t seriously hurt by the blast!” “Starlight, it’s okay. I’m okay.” the purple pony assured her. While it was true that whatever happened with the mirror had left her with some serious injuries, Starlight didn’t have to know that right now. The only thing that mattered now that the unicorn was safe and settled in. Speaking of which, Twilight then remembered that she had to do something before she could introduce her to her new friends. “Hold still, Starlight. Let me do something real fast.” The alicorn charged the translation spell in her horn and casted it on the unicorn. “Perfect. Now with that out of the way, I’d like to introduce you to the Nightwings.” It was then Starlight finally noticed the other Nightwings that were surrounded around her. Initially, she looked taken aback at the strange variety of foreign creatures that made up the Nightwings, but she eventually settled down. “Uh, hello.” she said with an awkward smile as she waved her hoof a little. “Nice to see that Twilight made some…interesting friends so fast.” “She has a certain charm to her, I would say.” Hedwyn said with a friendly smile. “Hark! Equines falling from the sky!” Sir Gilman pronounced in fascination. “And just when this knight thought he had seen it all.” “Hmm, are you sure you are not hurt.” Jodariel asked the mare. “Yeah, I think so.” Starlight said as she scratched the side of her head. “Physically, I’m fine. It’s just…I don’t know. My head feels a bit funny. I don’t know if it was because of the blast, or…” Starlight trailed off as she rubbed her temple in frustration. “Come on now, sugarcube,” Applejack as she got to the unicorn’s side for support. Let’s get you inside the wagon. You can rest up while we all let you in on what’s going on around here.” The unicorn then nodded and followed the farmer and the rest of the ponies inside the blackwagon. Meanwhile, as Twilight watched as Starlight went inside, she felt relief that the unicorn appeared unharmed by her unexpected trans dimensional trip. Although, there was still something that bothered her. She was well aware that Starlight was well adept in magic, she should have had plenty of time to teleport or levitate herself to safety. She even saw her attempt to do just that when she saw the spark of her magic. So why did it suddenly just fizz out? Before the alicorn could contemplate further, she was interrupted by a small tap on her shoulder. “Madame Twilight,” Tariq said after he got Twilight attention. “Might I pull you aside for something?” “Sure, what is it, Tariq?” the purple pony asked. The minstrel pulled his gaze upward. “I would like you to read the stars.” Twilight immediately understood what the Lone Minstrel was referring to. “Oh, so that we know where to go next for the next Rite.” “Partially.” Tariq corrected. The mare tilted her head a little in confusion as to what the minstrel meant by that. She was quick to receive her answer when he looked back to her with a serious look.” “I believe if the stars are correct, we will soon meet with my client…Sandalwood.”