//------------------------------//
// The Regal's Return 
// Story: Of Laurels & Lace 
// by WritingSpirit 
//------------------------------//

	"Almost there, Twilight! Hurry!"

Twilight's hooves were aching painfully, fatigued from all the galloping she had done. She and Rainbow Dash were halfway cross Rattleraw Forest, darting through the countless number of bushes in their path.
The sky above them was darkening unnaturally, almost as if they were stuck in a different world. The clouds were swirling with a glowing maroon, no doubt from the rays of the reddening sun hiding behind the grey, puffy veils.

"What the hay's happening?" Twilight shouted, looking at the sky in bewilderment.

"I don't know!" Rainbow replied, a strong gale threatening to blow her off her tired hooves.
"I never seen such weather before!"

It wasn't long before the loud sounds of clashing and shouting echo into their ears, motivating both of them to gallop faster . Rain started to patter across both of their faces, with a few streaks of lightning illuminating the sky.
Rainbow Dash zoomed into the clearing, her wings using up all its remaining strength, before she collapsed out of the bushes onto the floor. The unicorn soon panted and heaved beside her, not before gazing to the front of them in awe.

Pinkie was darting across the ruins, the iron bar steaming in her pink hooves. Her glare was fixated onto a figure floating in the sky, a pair of blades whirring by its side.
Twilight's horn flared a bright violet, her gaze concentrated at the masked pony in the sky.
"Mirror Mare."

"Welcome, Miss Sparkle!" it shouted, the cloak on its back flowing in the wind.
"Enjoy my little gift to you? It took me all night to perfect it!"

The unicorn just scowled, her attention turning to Pinkie.
The pink pony was glaring spitefully, her mane completely deflated. Twilight could feel the rage burning from her, the intensity of the battle before her already making her sweat.

"Rainbow!"
A familiar pegasus darted from the ruins, panting heavily as he scurried towards the mare.

"Soarin'!" she exclaimed, the couple embracing.
"Thank Celestia...."

"Tsk, tsk..." Mirror Mare said aloud, shaking its head.
"So much lovey-dovey all around. Makes me feel so sickened by all this bubbly talk!"

Pinkie tightened her grip on the pipe. With a kick of her hooves, she leaped towards Mirror Mare at a staggering height, her friends all looking at disbelief.
Mirror Mare's mask glinted with anticipation, its left hoof swinging around before slamming into the pink pony, making her crash into the stone ruins.

"Pinkie!" Twilight shouted, galloping towards her friend, who was now coughing intensely from the duel.
She spat a little blood, still glaring at the masked pony as she stood up, using the iron bar as support.

"Come on, Pinkie. What happened to you?"
The masked pony laughed maniacally, its hooves beckoning her to stand up and fight.

"Bring your best, you wretch!"
With a shout, Pinkie leaped again, despite Twilight's frantic shouts. Her pipe clashed with the masked pony's twin blades, with yellow sparks flying out from the ferocity of their collision.
Mirror Mare's mask glinted, as it let out a dissatisfied 'hmph'.

Suddenly, Pinkie plummeted back onto the ground, launched back with a backflip from the masked pony.
Twilight immediately rushed to her friend, who was now clutching her chest in pain and wincing, blood starting to leak from her mouth.

"It's too much for you to handle, Pinkie!" Twilight shouted, trying to break into her pink friend's stubborn mind.
"Just stop!"

"Stop? Peace-lover much, Twilight Sparkle?"
Mirror Mare floated towards the floor, sheathing its twin blades. It strode in a circle around the ponies, who were now completely worn out.
"This fight is between me and Pinkie. Why would you dare to bother, it's your business, but if you do, death will ensure to all of your friends, and you yourself."

Twilight just snarled. She watched as Pinkie strained to stand again, her grip on the iron bar weakening slightly.
"Pinkie. You've done enough."

"He's right, Twilight!"
The pink mare started to cough, before raising the pipe firmly once more.
"This is our fight! It's not yours!"

"When I said you no need to fight alone, I mean it!"
Twilight's horn flared brilliantly, her booming words making Pinkie turn in surprise.

Mirror Mare could only laugh at it, angering all of them at once.
"That was so touching! However..."

Pinkie readied her pipe again, waiting for Mirror Mare to strike as it charged towards her. The world around her seemed to warp, the sounds diminishing into emptiness.
The masked pony darted pass her. The pink pony gasped, realizing who it was targeting for.

"Twilight!"

*SWISH*

Twilight stopped, her stare frozen as if lost in space. Her breathing stilled, her mouth hung open in a silent gasp.
Blood started spewing from her neck, trickling down from a deep, red gash slashed across it. A small tear crawled down her shocked face, before falling to the floor.

Pinkie watched in horror as she collapsed, frozen on the spot with shock aligning her face. Rainbow Dash and Soarin's eyes were widened as well, gaping at the unicorn as she fell onto the floor.

From behind them, the masked pony sheathed its blades, giving out one last cackle before darting into the forest.

"Twi-Twilight...?"
The pink pony shook her friend. There wasn't any movement from the unicorn. She was joined by Rainbow, whose shaking was much more frantic.

"Twilight! Twilight!"
The pegasus couldn't help it. She started crying loudly in grief, her heart drilled with despair.
"No... she's not dead. She's not DEAD!!"

Soarin' could only watch helplessly as his marefriend sobbed over the unicorn's body, trying not to tear up as well.
He turned to Pinkie, who was now hiding behind her mane with guilt, no doubt weeping silently as well.

The pink pony brushed it aside, trying to regain her composure.
"Buck this..."
She closed her eyes, much to Rainbow and Soarin's surprise. It wasn't long before her hooves started to tremble, the wind around them starting to pick up.

"P-P-Pinkie?" Rainbow called out, still agonized by Twilight's death.
"Pinkie! What are you-"

The instant Pinkie opened her eyes, a giant shockwave erupted from her, nearly throwing both pegasi off their hooves. The pink pony muttered a strange language, as if in some sort of trance. She started to float from the ground, much to Rainbow's disbelief.
"N-No... no w-way..."

A strange dome seemed to surround them, composing strongly of swirling magic. The rain that fell around them started to float instead, with droplets of water skimming around in the air.
Something was glowing below Pinkie as she began a sort of chant. Glowing runes danced in an orbit, rotating in a majestic circle of light with every word the pink pony uttered.

Rainbow Dash could see it: it was some sort of giant clock, its neon hands moving backwards. The pegasus was completely astounded as the scattered blood started to seep back into the deep wound, the severed skin on her neck somehow sealing itself back up.
Pinkie raised both of her pink hooves up high, before slamming them back onto the ground, the dome around them vanishing immediately. The rain stopped as well, the clouds above them fading as the first rays of sunlight finally blasted towards the ground, brightening up the world around them.

"Don't. Ask." Pinkie shouted as she landed onto the ground, shunning Rainbow before she could speak. She watched as the pink pony started limping away, dropping the iron bar onto the ground.
Her attention frantically turned to Twilight. The unicorn's eyes were squinting, before they finally opened.

"Wh-what...? Wh-where am I...?"

"Twilight!" she exclaimed, completely overjoyed. She immediately hugged the unicorn, her eyes filled with tears.
Soarin' breathed a huge sigh of relief, a warm smile filling his face.

"Woah! Relax, RD!" the unicorn said with a chuckle.

"Y-You scared me, you know!" the pegasus scolded, tears drizzling at her friend.
"Mirror M-Mare killed you!"

"It... it did?"

"Slashed your... your neck apart!" Soarin' stepped up to explain, making Twilight pale.
"You're lucky Pinkie was here! I don't know what she did, but she revived you!"

"She what?"
Twilight turned to the pink mare, who was now trudging into the forest, completely ignorant of the unicorn's condition.
"She... she revived me? As in 'bring-back-from-the-dead' revived me?"

"I dunno, Twi, but she doesn't seem to feel happy to use it."
Rainbow followed her friend's gaze, slightly concerned yet bewildered at their pink friend. The three of them could only watch as Pinkie disappeared into the undergrowth, never turning back to them.

The pink pony, however, was scowling under her breath. "Stupid, stupid, stupid...!"
She didn't want to use it. She never wanted to use it.

The thought of her casting the spell only angered her even further. In a fit of rage, she slammed her hooves against a tree, immediately splintering the firm bark with ease.
She spat at the floor, cursing spitefully at herself and Mirror Mare. Her thoughts quickly lingered to that of the masked pony, which only fueled her hatred.

"Do that one more time, we'll see who has the last laugh."

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"And how about the silk trade from the other nations?"

"Still completely fine."

Princess Celestia sighed. It wasn't everyday she would call the highest ranking ministers, from both the Celestian Ministry and the Ministry of Academic Sciences, to talk about the country's affairs.
The recent murder of Solaris Followfirm had already shook the foundations of sugar trading in Equestria, with a threatening collapse of their stocks as well. Already the fashion and designing industry was starting to decline, with the death of Tassel Twist, Basil Luck and Harlequin Velvet.

All killed by the same pony.

"Lock the doors," she ordered, prompting the guards to do so.

At the sound of the click, the ministers were immediately silenced, their discussions among each other breaking as their attention turned to the Princess, who was silently leafing through a few papers.
She gazed at a vacant seat in the room, knowing of the fate of the stallion that sat there.

"How much ministers have we lost?"

"Six so far, Princess," one of them replied, looking at the statistics.
"All disappeared in the northern regions."

"Energy consumption last night?" she asked, remembering the chart that her sister showed her.

"Dramatic increase. Reaching near maximum peak."

The alabaster mare sipped on her coffee, letting the warmth fill her mouth before flowing down her throat.
"What about overall deaths? In each respective regions?"

"The western had none so far, apart from natural ones. The south, our region, had so far eighteen deaths and twenty-seven attempts of murder. The eastern region had six deaths, with only three attempts of murder..."

"And?" the princess raised an eyebrow. "The north?"

"Withheld, your Highness. They've completely cut the transmission from Canterlot."

"I see."
The princess had no doubts that this would happen. The secrecy that the northern families would keep are always a wonder to her, especially the Palgiots, despite their current Patriarch being one of the Arch-Ministers in their Ministry.
Spike would be with Rarity in Pendant Lakes by now, she thought, along with Jovern, the elder dragon. She had also learned that Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were already at Fenderville, trying to open some box.

A small knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. As it opened, a dark blue pegasus quickly fluttered in, completely worn out from his journey.
"Y-Your Highness..." he managed to speak, before slumping onto the ground. His hoof held onto a scroll, in which Princess Celestia levitated it towards her with her horn, opening it with ease.

Her face darkened as she read its contents, turning to the pegasus.
"You're sure about this, my loyal messenger?"

"A-Absolutely!"

The alabaster mare settled the scroll onto the table, settling in deep thought. The words scrawled upon it was bothering her. There was no way it happened, unless...

"Dismissed!"

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Applejack wasn't used to all the baking she had to do. Sure, she would bake from time to time, but taking over Pinkie's job.... she just doesn't feel right for it.
The oven let out a *ding*, signaling the completion of her fifty-first cake. The smell was making her mouth water as Applejack lifted it out, wiping the sweat off her mane.

"Phew.... Ah'm done, Mrs. Cake!"

"All right!" the mare's voice rang from the second floor.
"Don't bother to do the icing, Applejack dear! I'll ask my husband to do it!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Cake!"

The bell rang a tune as she stepped out the front door of Sugarcube's Corner, welcoming the afternoon sun on her face. The orange pony trotted across Ponyville, passing by the buildings all around her.
Her destination was in clear view. Applejack smiled as the golden bell of the town hall rang five times, waiting for the red doors to open.

Sure enough, they did, along with a tidal wave of foals rushing out from them. They were all happily smiling, cheerfully scampering down the steps to their waiting parents, all awaiting their children's arrival.
She soon spotted Apple Bloom, chatting with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, as usual. Applejack chuckled: they were growing up fast.

"Hey, sis!" the yellow filly waved, quickly skipping to the orange pony.
"How's baking at Sugarcube Corner?"

Applejack chuckled. Her sister was the one that suggested helping the Cakes in the first place.
"Not as good as apple-bucking. My hooves ain't used to it, ya know."

Apple Bloom just giggled in response, making the orange pony shake her head.
"Silly filly..."

The two began their journey across Ponyville, back to Sweet Apple Acres. The ponies were still happy around them, despite rumors of murders circulating around recently.
Applejack knew better. She just hoped for the best.

"How's Macintosh, sis?" Apple Bloom asked. Their brother's sudden relationship with Fluttershy had caught the town by storm, particularly Apple Bloom herself, who was squealing with glee for them to get together.

"Still hangin' out with Fluttershy, Ah reckon."
Applejack just shook his head, slightly happy for his brother.
"Never knew he was such a lover boy."

"Well, school's alright." the filly continued, knowing her sister would eventually ask that question anyway.
"Scootaloo still Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle... well..."

The older mare just sighed. She noticed that the filly hasn't been in a brighter mood since Rarity left, and especially after the theater nearly collapsed around her.
"She misses her sister a lot, right?"

"Ah think so. Ah mean, Ah would miss ya too if you left for two whole months."

Applejack chuckled, brushing her sister's mane.
"Apple Bloom, ya silly filly."

A loud boom made them turn around, looking up at the sky as some sort of transparent wall overwhelmed the town, the surface of it swirling with an invisible force.
Applejack hugged her sister tight, shielding her with her back facing the wall as it ran through them, closing her eyes in advance.

She felt the world snap, before slowing down as the wall passed harmlessly through her. Applejack hesitantly opened her eyes, feeling her body somewhat warping around a little.
As soon as it started, the feeling stopped. The orange pony looked around, releasing her tight grip on Apple Bloom, gazing at the town around them.

Everypony in town was glancing around frantically, an utter look of confusion and bewilderment on their faces.
The bell of the town hall rang five times again, making the orange pony look up, slightly befuddled by whatever that just happened.

"Didn't it just rang a minute ago?" Apple Bloom asked her sister, a look of pure concern on her face.
Applejack could only nod, yet the face of the clock showed her the time. There was no mistake: for some reason, it was still five o' clock.

The sisters continued their path, yet the orange pony kept looking back at the clock, feeling disturbed by the sudden force of magic that rushed through the town.
"Ah have a bad feeling about this."

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Doctor Arrowfaith sighed. He had just finished overlooking his accounts at the front desk. The prices he had to pay was already staggering enough without the tax inflation, but the Patriarch just had to impose it.
He just tossed it aside, instead focusing on the list of patients on his clipboard.

His thoughts were concentrated on Rarity. Palladium's Brink wasn't an everyday mental illness. Sure, he had split-personalities, the usual schizophrenia and one or two cases of wrathful behavior, but none as serious as Palladium's Brink.
Considering Rarity was a unicorn as well, he had advised her to strengthen her magic abilities, in order to slow down the catalysis of the aura disorder in her horn.

"Palladium's Brink..." he uttered the name. He knew only of a few ponies today that had it.
Excluding Rarity, the most recent patient had always mystified her. The aura was strong in that pony, he recalled.

He sighed, looking at the paperwork all over his desk.
"Hum-dee-dum then, Clepius."

Sliding all of the papers in a drawer, he flicked off the lights at the counter. He wouldn't stay at the Asylum: the last pony that did died with fright. Packing all his belongings, he strode towards the door, knowing that dusk had already settled in town.

"Doctor Cleptius Arrowfaith."

The doctor nearly jumped at the abrupt mention of his name, seeing a frail figure step out from the shadows. He blinked his eyes, before sighing with relief.
"Lady Sovereign! Y-You scared me!"

The old mare's grizzled mane was tangled, her pace a slight limp out of frailness. Her face was completely cold, devoid of any emotion, which only made Doctor Arrowfaith more nervous.
"W-Well... what are you doing out of your room, Lady Sovereign? You know you shouldn't be outside during nighttime, remember that!"

Sovereign Palgiot just chuckled coldly, noticing the doctor's slight tone of fear in his voice.
"I've heard many things recently. Things you clearly haven't told me about."

"Wh-What is it, my lady...?"

"Summer was dead, wasn't he?" she said, her voice almost booming.
"What about Autumn? Is she gone too?"

"N-Now, now, Lady Sovereign."
Doctor Arrowfaith was trembling uncontrollably. He wasn't used to talking to the mare up close, especially when she's completely enraged and stomping towards him.
"Let me explain-"

"EXPLAIN!" she shouted into his face, throwing him off his hooves.
"Explain about what?! That my son can't even protect his siblings?!"

"H-He... I-It wasn't his fault!"
Doctor Arrowfaith raise his hooves in self-defense, backing away rapidly from the mare with a whimper.
"M-M-Mirror... M-Mirror Mare-!"

"You think he has the righteousness to even proclaim himself Patriarch when he can't even ensure the safety of his own brother and sister?!"
Sovereign slammed her hoof through the glass counter despite her age, smashing it apart easily as she barked:
"What about the safety of the town?! Heck, the safety of everypony there, even! He's destroying our legacy, Cleptius! A legacy that our family, the Palgiot family had worked so hard to create!!"

The mare just turned, walking towards the double doors. She kicked the doors open, breaking one of them apart.
Doctor Arrowfaith could only watch as the mare marched out of the building, leaving without a second word.

"W-Where are you going?" he asked nervously, making Sovereign turn with a cold glare as she replied:

"To set things right. My way!"

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"And again, this time focus your energies into your horn, before firing it out."

Rarity buckled her hooves back, her horn aiming at a straw doll target standing a few feet from her. Despite the darkness flowing in her magic, she knew she had to let it out. There wasn't any choice.
Spike was watching from afar, a little proud at the white mare. Her steeled face of determination was evident, her horn starting to flare a deep blue instead of the usual pale cyan.

"It's just a small bolt, Miss Rarity!" Stellar exclaimed above the loud fizzing of her magic.
"Do not overexert yourself! Focus!"

With a cry, Rarity shot out a small orb, blasting it towards the target. The straw doll immediately broke apart, the wood supporting it splintering around them, flying with dust scattering around the garden.
Spike let out a whistle, clapping for the white mare. Stellar just grinned, yet under that grin Rarity knows he's proud her.
"You've done well, Miss Rarity."

Rarity could only smile in response, before clutching her aching head, wincing in pain. The dragon hastily rushed to her side, guiding her to the wooden bench.
"You okay, Rarity?" he asked, watching with worry as the mare sipped on a glass of water.

"I'm alright." she said, waving her hoof dismissively.
"It's just a little too much to handle, that's all."

Spike breathed a huge sigh of relief, his worries for the unicorn immediately diminishing.
Stellar just chuckled, the butler settling down beside them, stretching his hooves as well.
"You've got to know how magic works, basically. Drawing out the dark aura is no easy task, even for a powerful alicorn like Princess Celestia herself."

The white unicorn just nodded. If shooting a small bolt like that was tiring, she thought to herself, she couldn't imagine the spells that Twilight could conjure.
"Maybe I have much to learn after all."

A loud rumble shook the trees around, making them turn to the direction of the palace. Stellar's face grew increasingly concerned, immediately standing up as he brushed his suit.
"Wait here. I'll go see what's happening."

The couple watched as the butler quickly galloped back to the palace. Spike was the first to stand up, much to Rarity's surprise.
"I think we oughta have a look as well."

"You sure, Spikey?" she asked, the dragon slightly blushing at his given nickname.
"He did ask us to stay her after all..."

"Just like he asked you not to wander into unknown places." Spike replied, making the unicorn laugh sheepishly.
"Come on!"

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Octavia yelped as another beam fired her way, ducking just in time. She watched the old mare march into the hall, kicking back the guards with ease.

Sovereign just scowled, spitting at a few unconscious guards laying on the floor.
"Weak and foolish, as always..."

The grey mare was completely astounded, finally being able to see the mare's full form behind the cloud of smoke.
She was an Earth pony, yet for some reason she could still use magic like a full-fledged unicorn. Her hooves were glowing brilliantly, a translucent, dark-red flame enveloped around all four of them.

"Lady Sovereign!"
Stellar galloped in with Crimson following behind, taken aback by the mare's sudden presence in the palace. He gritted his teeth as she chuckled heartily, brushing her mane aside.

"Stellar! You haven't aged a day, haven't you?"

The butler wrinkled his nose, helping Octavia up. They have a big problem on their hooves.
"What is it you want, Lady Sovereign?"

"Where's Winter?" she roared, glaring spitefully at the butler with her hooves flaring dangerously.
"Where is he, Stellar?!"

"He's not here!" Stellar replied, biting his lip as the old mare approached her. Crimson gently pushed Octavia a step backwards, not wanting to see his marefriend get hurt.
"He has gone off!"

"Ran off, I see. I won't be surprised though, considering what he's done to his siblings."
The mare began to shake her hooves free of the flames, extinguishing them with a light sizzle.
"I'm here to give a declaration!"

With a stomp of her hooves, the palace shook, the marble floors nearly cracking apart.
Spike and Rarity ran in, skidding to a halt as their eyes caught Sovereign clearing his throat in the middle of the room.

"More listeners, eh?"
She chuckled almost coldly, glancing at the pair. Rarity's grip on Spike's claw grew tighter, feeling the dark, majestic power emanating from the old mare.

"Well, no matter then."

"I hereby declare that Winter Palgiot is unfit for the title of Patriarch of Palgiot Palace and Pendant Lakes. As such, he is to be stripped of the noble title and I would take his place as Matriarch!"
Sovereign laughed proudly at herself, much to the horror of everypony else. Stellar stepped forward, his face darkening as he asked:

"What would happen when he comes back?"

The old mare just laughed, before her smile warped into a devious grin: the most demonic that the butler had ever seen from her.
"Simple." she retorted almost sarcastically, her booming voice shaking the chandeliers hanging above her head.

"If he dares to defy, then I'll have no choice but to kill him."