Beneath them were rolling, snow-covered hills that glimmered under the light of the slowly dipping sun, the small villages constructed of a rainbow of crystalline stone looking like toy sets beneath them. The buzzing of the plane’s engines droned in the background, the noise lulling some of the passengers to sleep.
Some passengers preferred to add to the noise with low groans.
“Why did I eat so much?” Daring moaned, holding her stomach and slowly rocking back and forth in her seat, her face green.
“I warned you,” Phillip said, shaking his head.
“Been a while since I’ve taken a plane, though,” Daring admitted, turning and looking out the window. “Are we almost there?”
“We should be landing in a few minutes,” Twilight reassured them from across the aisle, her nose buried in a book entitled Marked by Darkness: Curse Marks and How to Break Them.
“You think that’s gonna be enough time for you to get all your notes repacked and organized?” Spike smirked from the seat next to her, looking over the mass of journals, scrolls, pens, books, and index cards scattered over the table in front of them.
“Spike, I have a very thorough and efficient filing system,” Twilight replied with a roll of her eyes. “I might be able to find one for your trading cards.”
Spike frowned at his assortment of multicolored baseball and hoofball trading cards, all of them haphazardly spread across the table like the aftermath of a tornado. “I do have a filing system for this,” he grumbled.
“Stuffing them all into your backpack is not a filing system,” Twilight snarked.
Spike stuck his forked tongue out at her, then turned to study his collection. “Hey, Flash, think Shining Armor will trade two Sid Luckcolts and a Charley “Trippy” Horse for a Clydesdale “Minotaur” Trotter?”
Flash Sentry did not answer, staring out the window in mute contemplation instead, fidgeting in his seat and chewing on his wing.
“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, looking up over her book.
“What if they don’t like me?” Flash asked nervously, turning to her with wide eyes.
Twilight smiled and gently used her magic to pull his wing away from his mouth. “Flash, Cadance is the sweetest mare I know, and my BBBFF has been eager to meet you; he was really upset that he didn't get a chance to meet you when he visited Ponyville last time.”
“Because he wants to kill me,” Flash muttered.
Twilight let out an amused snort. “No, because he wants to meet you and make friends with you,” she said, using her magic to gently smooth and preen his ruffled feathers. “Would they have invited you if they didn’t want to meet you?”
Flash closed his eyes and let out a low sigh as Twilight massaged his feathered appendages. “But what if I mess it up?” he asked.
Twilight leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the lips. “Just be yourself, Flash,” she reassured him. “You’ll see you don’t have to worry.”
“You’ve faced gangsters, zombies, and monsters. Why is this so scary for you?” Spike asked.
“None of those guys were emperors,” Flash replied.
The PA system chimed. “Ladies and gentleponies, we’re beginning our final descent in Cuore. Please return your seats to the upright position and fasten your seatbelts.”
“Oh, thank Faust,” Daring sighed as she clicked her seatbelt back over her waist.
The plane tilted and slowly dipped down. Out the window, the passengers could see the capital city of the Crystal Empire beneath them, the pristine crystal buildings growing larger by the moment. The smooth-cut stone shone in a rainbow array, the breathtaking beauty looking like a display in a high-quality metalworking store window. The emerald grass and flowers of the city stretched out in a circle around it, forming an island amidst the sea of snow. The eye was immediately drawn to the spires of the Crystal Palace, standing over the city like a watchful sentinel.
“Crikey,” Phillip breathed, staring out the window in awe.
“Yeah, me too,” Daring nodded, eyes wide as she drank in the sight. Flash’s jaw hung open as he stared at their destination.
“Now, Spike, no eating the buildings this time,” Twilight said as the plane landed with a bump.
“Yes, Twilight,” Spike grumbled, wiping some drool away from his mouth.
The plane slowly trundled along the runway and pulled up to the terminal. “Welcome to Cuore, ladies and gentleponies,” the flight attendant beamed from the front of the plane. “Please disembark in an orderly manner. Thank you for choosing Equestrian Airways and have a pleasant trip.”
Phillip stood up and retrieved his and Daring’s saddlebags from the overhead compartment as Twilight and Spike gathered up their materials and placed them in their backpacks. The four ponies and one dragon joined the line of disembarking passengers and descended the steps into the surprisingly warm air of the Crystal Empire summer.
“Thought it’d be colder,” Daring commented, fluttering her wings as she exited, her face quickly returning to its normal color now that her hooves were on the ground.
“The magic of the Crystal Heart keeps the empire from being frozen over,” Twilight explained. “The capital is kept warm for most of the year because this is where most of the magic is being concentrated.”
“I think I see our welcoming committee,” Spike said, pointing. A turquoise mare in a purple uniform was standing a few yards away from the line of passengers, holding up a sign with Twilight’s cutie mark.
“Twilight Sparkle?” the mare greeted them as they approached, giving Twilight a courteous bow. “Welcome back to the Crystal Empire, signorina. The Empress is waiting for you and your friends. Please follow me.”
“I still can’t believe that the Crystal Empress was your foalsitter,” Flash commented as they followed the uniformed mare.
“Cadance wanted to have a normal job while she was at the Royal Academy of Magic,” Twilight explained. “She was the best foalsitter in Canterlot.”
Flash grinned at Spike. “I imagine that the two of you gave her a lot of experience.”
Spike giggled. “Remember the peanut butter ice cream avalanche, Twilight?”
“Yes, Spike, as much as I’d prefer not to,” Twilight said, her cheeks coloring as their guide beckoned them into a terminal.
When they entered through the glass doors, they beheld a wide terminal, decorated with maps of the Crystal Empire and its cities, with cushioned chairs of precious stone, so smoothly carved that they seemed almost wholly natural. Posted on one wall was the flag of the Crystal Empire, a blue snowflake on a purple background.
The only ponies in the terminal were an entourage of ponies in purple suits surrounding a tall pink mare adorned in a golden peytral and shoes, and a tiara with a purple gem. Phillip, Daring, and Flash had all seen photographs of Empress Mi Amore Cadenza, but they had all failed to adequately capture the beauty of the young alicorn, with her long mane of three bright colors, vivacious violet eyes, and her beatific face, now lit up with a smile upon seeing Twilight.
“Cadance!” Twilight cried with joy, rushing up to her. The two mares faced each other and began to perform a dance, bouncing on all hooves.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!” they both chanted. “Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” Giggling like schoolfillies, the two embraced each other.
“So good to see you, Twilight!” Cadenza cried, kissing Twilight on both cheeks. “Hey, Spike!”
“Hi, Cadance!” Spike said, rushing up to hug her, receiving a warm embrace and a kiss in turn.
The Empress turned to Flash Sentry. “You must be Flash Sentry,” she said, beaming.
Flash gulped, his face going pale as fast as a switch being thrown. “G-g-greetings, Y-Your Highness,” he stammered, kneeling and watching his life flash before his eyes.
The alicorn giggled. “Please, you can call me Cadance!” she declared, striding over and extending a wing to pull Flash into a hug, kissing him on both cheeks. “I’m so glad to finally meet you! Twilight has told me so much about you!”
“She has?” Flash swallowed, remaining limp in Cadance’s embrace.
“All good things, don’t worry,” Cadance said, giving him a playful boop. “You and I have a lot to talk about!”
Flash looked like he was about to faint, but managed to force out a weak smile. “I’m...l-looking forward to it!” he squeaked.
“Good!” Cadance said. “I’m sure we’re going to be best of friends by the end of the week.”
Releasing Flash, the Empress then turned to Phillip and Daring, who had watched the exchange from a few feet away. “Detective Do, Detective Finder,” she smiled. “Welcome to the Crystal Empire.”
Daring and Phillip both knelt. “Grazie, Imperatrice Cadenza,” Daring recited.
“Prego, but please, Equestrian is fine,” Cadance waved away the formality. “You two are famous even this far north; I’ve been looking forward to meeting you as well.” Her face fell into more serious lines and she stepped forward. “But, I’m sure you want to talk about why you came up here. Please, may I see it?”
Daring frowned and took a slow breath. Phillip placed his hoof on her back with a reassuring weight; she gave him a brief smile, then slowly raised up her right hoof.
Cadance’s eyes fell upon the keyring-shaped brand marked into Daring’s skin and she let out a sympathetic hiss of breath. “I’m so sorry that that happened to you,” she said.
Daring just grunted.
“Twilight, did you bring the iron?” Cadance asked, lighting up her horn and sweeping the brand with a beam of azure light.
“Took me a while to dig it out of Ponyville’s evidence collections,” Twilight commented, digging around in the suitcase that she’d packed. “I’m just glad that they didn’t already destroy it. Ah, found it.”
Daring felt a shudder run down her spine as she watched Twilight pull the long metal rod out of the enchanted suitcase, holding it by the handle in her mouth. The long black length was speckled with rust, the cord attached to the end eaten away by mold and time. At the end was the brand itself, the shaped metal magically heating up in response to Twilight’s touch. Her breath caught, cold and sharp in her chest, and she started instinctively pawing her right hoof against the ground as the scar began to itch and burn, pain creeping through her veins.
Cadance scowled as she gently took the iron in her magic. “Yes, definitely got some traces of psychomancy in there,” she nodded.
“I think that whoever originally made the brand intended to use it as a way to inflict a mind-control spell on whoever was branded with it,” Twilight said. “Thankfully, it wasn’t complete.”
“Is that why it burns?” Daring asked, gritting her teeth against the creeping pain.
“I believe so, yes,” Twilight nodded grimly. “That’s also why this is hard to remove; it’s not just a mark, part of its magic is affecting your mind.”
“Well, I guess that kinda explains a lot,” Daring commented with a feeble attempt at a dry smile.
Cadance put a comforting wing around Daring’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Daring,” Cadance said. “Twilight, Shining, and I will find a way to fix this. With the help of the Crystal Heart, we’ll get that brand off you. I promise.”
Daring didn’t say anything, trying to crush the little flicker of hope that was rising up through her chest, killing it so she wouldn’t be disappointed by the inevitable failure that was to come.
“Why don’t we get you settled in your rooms?” Cadance said, releasing Daring.
“You don’t have to house us in the Palace, Your Highness,” Phillip protested.
“Think nothing of it!” Cadance waved him off, leading her entourage to the terminal exit, where a limousine with two Crystal Empire flags mounted on the hood waited, the chauffeur holding the door open for them. “Any friends of Twilight are friends of mine, and besides, Shining Armor has been looking forward to meeting all of you. Especially you, Flash,” she added with a wink and a giggle as she beckoned for her guests to enter first.
Flash’s eyes bulged and he gulped, slowly climbing into the magically enlarged space with the gravitas of a pony heading to the gallows.
Daring sighed as she collapsed onto the massive queen bed, the cloudy comfort of the giant mattress contrasted by the crystalline frame with the jeweled snowflake embedded into the headboard. “I could get used to this,” she said, stretching in cat-like contentment.
“The hell is this?” Phillip muttered from the adjoining bathroom, which was as large as the living room and kitchen of 221 Honeybee Bakery (every appliance was, of course, constructed of blue-white crystal). He was currently puzzling over what looked like a second toilet next to the actual toilet, but it had a faucet and no lid on it. “Why’d they put two dunnies in here?” he asked.
“It’s called a bidet,” Daring said with an amused snort, cracking open one eye.
Phillip pressed the faucet handle and jumped back when a spout of water shot up from the bowl. “Oh,” he nodded in understanding, causing Daring to start hooting with laughter.
There was a rapping at the door. “Yes?” Daring called, recovering herself.
Twilight opened the door. “Daring, we’re almost ready to try our spell. Come on, I want you to meet Shining!”
Daring took a breath and stared at her right hoof for a moment. The mark of her past, of her sins, stared pitilessly back at her, where it would remain.
“Daring?” Twilight repeated.
“Yeah,” Daring said, rising from the bed. She and Phillip followed Twilight down the twisting hallways of the Palace, heading down twisting stairs into the depths of the building.
When they emerged onto a lower floor, they found themselves in a great gymnasium, with indoor courts for racquetball, tennis, and basketball, and separate doors leading to lockers, a large pool, and a sauna. The muffled sounds of combat could be heard from ahead, becoming louder as they followed Twilight down a hallway.
They entered a door and beheld a large room with padded floors and striking bags and targets hanging and standing along the walls. Two large boxing rings stood up above the floor. On the farther one, a great battle took place.
A white stallion with the cutie mark of a star embossed on a shield stood in the center of the ring, his long blue mane tied back in a ponytail that flowed out from beneath his sparring helmet, a restraining ring on his horn, and a grin on his face. He ducked and dodged attacks from five ponies in sparring gear, moving as fluidly as though he already knew where the attacks were coming from.
As the visitors trotted up to watch, a red earth stallion swung at Shining Armor from behind with a foam club. The white stallion ducked and struck out with a left hind leg that was crystal from the mid-thigh down. The limb struck the attacker’s padded chest with a heavy thump, sending him flying into the corner with a cry of surprise.
Flash stared wide-eyed as Shining Armor continued to spar, fending off three attackers at once as a pegasus mare managed to dive in and tried unsuccessfully to pinion his forelegs. Flash gulped, his knees trembling a little as he watched his marefriend’s brother clock a stallion a full head taller than him in the face and shove him in the path of one of his partners before throwing the mare grappling with him across the ring to smash into the red stallion like a bowling ball striking a pin.
“He’ll be done in a couple of minutes,” Cadance said from a target range on the other side of the room, holding a bow made of blue crystal in her hooves. As the visitors watched, she magically conjured an arrow made of the same stone, already nocked into the string, and drew the weapon up, pulling the string back to her cheek. She took aim, exhaled slowly to steady herself, and fired. The arrow streaked through the air and struck the bullseye of the target a hundred yards away, joining a cluster of its siblings the size of a bit coin in the center of the target.
“Oh,” Flash squeaked out as four of Shining’s sparring partners were all tossed into a pile. “Good." He gulped. "What I wouldn't give to be on a case right now again..."
Shining Armor traded punches with the last standing sparring partner for a few moments, then tipped him over onto his back with a takedown and pinned him down, drawing a hoof back to strike. “Yield!” he ordered.
The red stallion glared up at him for a moment, then grinned. “You were holding back, General,” he said, allowing Shining to help him up.
“Didn’t want to do any permanent damage, Ruby,” Shining replied as the others all climbed back to their hooves, groaning and massaging bruises. “You’re improving, though. You lasted a lot longer this time.”
“Thank you, General,” Ruby groaned, cricking out his neck. “But I think your guests are waiting for you.”
Pulling off his sparring gear and running a towel through his damp mane, a beaming Shining leaped over the ropes of the ring to his sister. “Hey, LSBFF!” he cried, pulling Twilight into a tight hug that she returned, flinging her arms tightly around his neck.
Twilight kissed Shining on his cheek. “Did you do that research into Falcon’s Theorem that I asked about in our last letter?” she asked eagerly.
“Yeah, but I think that you’re still better off using Meadowbrook’s Unifying Formula for those vest wards,” Shining grinned. “Hey, Spike!”
“I hope you’re ready to give up that Night Train card,” Spike grinned as Shining wrapped him in an embrace and gave him a playful noogie.
He turned to Flash Sentry, his countenance turning to a severe scowl. “So you’re the stallion that my sister is dating,” he spoke in a low rumble.
Flash gulped, his hind knees trembling, swaying in place as though he might faint. “Shining…” Twilight chided.
Shining continued to scowl at Flash for a few more moments of tense silence, then grinned at him and extended a foreleg to him. “C’mere, you!” he declared.
Flash hesitated for a moment, then cautiously trotted towards him, a nervous grin flitting across his face. Shining pulled Flash into his embrace, giving him a warm squeeze. “How are you?” he asked. "I missed you last time I came down to Ponyville!"
“I’m okay,” Flash squeaked out, his face red both from worry and because Shining was crushing his lungs.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a long time,” Shining smiled at him. “I want to thank you for keeping my little sister safe.”
“You’re welcome,” Flash said, his voice managing to lower to a more normal octave.
Shining finally turned to the other two guests, who both bent to kneel. “Detectives,” he said, stepping forward with his hoof extended. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, too.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Phillip nodded, shaking his hoof. “Thank you for agreeing to help her.”
Shining paused in his hoofshake with Daring to examine the brand, nodding thoughtfully. “Don’t worry,” he assured her. “Between the three of us, I’m sure we can get that off.”
“Maybe,” Daring shrugged, trying to keep that squirming lightness down in her gut so it wouldn’t be crushed later.
“Hey, you’ve got two valedictorians and one salutatorian from the Royal Academy of Magic here,” Shining grinned. “If anypony can do it, it’s us.”
Daring remained silent, struggling with herself. She’d learned how to master pain and discomfort long ago, forcing herself not to feel the guilt and discomfort that came from being a sister of the Family...of a killer. But squashing down hope, the tantalizing promise that she might be free of that cursed mark on her heart...that was something she’d never had to do before.
“How about we get started?” Shining offered.
“Let’s,” Cadance nodded with a smile. “Come. It’s time to see the Crystal Heart yourself.”
They ascended an elevator to the top floor of the Crystal Palace, exiting into a long hallway manned by a trio of Crystal Guards in full armor and gear. The walls were decorated with paintings depicting the history of the Crystal Empire: the nomadic tribes that wandered the snowy north, gathering in tents wherever they could find food and supplies. Empress Speranza laying the foundations of Cuore. Her daughter Empress Amore carving the Crystal Heart, using its amplified light and power to melt away the snow. The Crystalling of Empress Cadenza, the pink unicorn filly being presented to the citizens of the empire by Amore and her father, Emperor Stella Nascente. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance defeating Sombra, crushing the shadowy wraith with the curved red horn and hate-filled green eyes beneath their combined magic. The wedding of Cadance and Shining Armor, Chrysalis’ invaders sent flying by a wave of blue magic.
The guards all snapped to attention before the Emperor and Empress as they entered, hooves slamming against the ground in perfect unison. “At ease,” Shining said with a nod, gesturing for his guests to step through the Netitus security gate that stood over the thick vault doorway at the end of the hallway.
Phillip zipped off his vest and set it aside in a waiting alcove, giving Daring a querying look. “Don’t worry, the cache is in my bag back in our room,” Daring assured him as she placed her vest next to his.
One by one, the ponies all passed beneath the metal arch, which continued humming peacefully as it allowed them all through. Two of the Guards both entered a key into two different keyholes on opposite sides of the doorway. With a click, the massive door unlocked and slowly opened with a great groaning to reveal the Crystal Heart Chamber.
The entire room was filled with a gentle warmth that made one think of being curled up next to a fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa. A great window stretched across the circumference of the snow-white walls, allowing the viewers inside to see the entire city of Cuore and beyond, the setting sun bidding farewell as the night covered the sky in a starry black blanket. Four more Guards stood post around the circumference of the room; though they stood at attention, their faces displayed relaxed contentment. Runic carvings ran across the floor to form the shape of a snowflake. In the very center of the circular room. The visitors all paused and drew in quiet breaths, staring in awestruck silence at the world-famous gem.
The Crystal Heart hovered in between a blue stalagmite and stalactite, slowly revolving in place. The arctic blue stone was so smoothly carved that one almost swore that its shape was completely natural rather than the work of a pony. Moon and starlight from outside refracted through the stone, casting small glitters of rainbows along the floor, ceiling, and walls. A quiet humming like that of a tuning fork could be heard emanating from the stone, not a single note, but rising and falling in a rhythm as though the stone was quietly singing a wordless song. The music made Daring feel as though she was soaring through endless blue skies, all her worries far beneath her.
“It’s beautiful,” Flash breathed.
“So, how is this gonna help get my brand off?” Daring asked.
“Think of the Crystal like a lens for magic,” Cadance explained. “It protects the Empire and the lands beyond by absorbing the light and love of the Empire’s citizens and spreading across the entire land. I believe that it can focus our spell, invigorate it with love and hope, and use it to break the curse that keeps the brand on.”
“So...we’re relying on the power of love,” Daring deadpanned.
“Trust us, Daring,” Shining said with a smile. “Love really is one of the most powerful forces in the world.”
Twilight consulted her notes, studying a chart on one scroll. With a flicker of her horn, a replica of the map appeared on the floor, a network of interconnected circles, each with a different symbol embossed into the center. “Okay, Daring, stand right here. Phil, I need you to stand here, across from Daring. Flash and Spike, you two are going to stand on my right and left. And Cadance and Shining, over there.”
Everypony took their positions, standing inside the indicated circles. Daring was standing to the north of the Heart, with the others standing in a half-circle around it; Daring had the brief, uncomfortable impression that they were an audience watching her up on stage.
“I just want to tell you now, Daring,” Twilight said nervously. “This may not work the first time, but even if it doesn’t, we’ll be able to fix it. We’ll get this, I promise.”
Phillip, who was standing across the Heart from her, gave her a reassuring smile over the revolving artifact. Daring tried to smile back, but only managed a brief grimace. The light flicker of hope was now dancing in her chest, resisting her attempts to push it back down and spare it the pain.
Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor all lit up their horns and fired a spell into the Heart. The purple, blue, and pink beams blended together in the Heart, then, like a rainbow bursting from a prism, the interwoven lights shot out of it and struck Daring Do, the magic washing over her like she was suddenly submerged in a warm bath. Small flickers of golden lightning danced across her feathers; through the swirling lights, she saw Phillip staring at her, saw his mouth moving as he spoke encouragement that she could not hear over the rising music and rushing wind in her ears.
A shock of coldness raced up her right forelimb like she’d just dunked it in ice water and she hissed in a breath, raising it up to examine it. The brand stared back at her, but...was it the swirling light rushing past her, or was it fading?
Something moved in the corner of her eye. Daring looked up and gasped in shock. On the surface of the revolving Heart, she saw her own reflection staring back at her, eyes wide and mane in disarray.
No. It wasn’t her reflection.
But it was her. Her younger self, staring back at her, adorned in a black jacket with the hood drawn up to shade her face. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stared at her balefully, teeth gritted as she trembled. The apparition raised her bloodstained right hoof and thrust it at Daring accusingly. The black mark of the Family filled her gaze.
Thief. Murderer. Traitor. Always.
Pain raced across Daring’s entire body and she collapsed with a scream. The spell was broken instantly, the twisting lights vanishing and the song falling silent.
“Daring!” Phillip called, rushing over to her side and embracing her. She leaned against him, breathing slowly and deeply through gritted teeth; all her nerves were screaming as though she was on fire, and when she glanced down, her watery eyes confirmed what she already knew. The cursed brand remained.
“Are you okay?” Shining asked, rushing over to help Daring stand. The watching Guards also hurried over to check on her, faces creased in concern.
“Get off,” Daring snapped, shrugging off their aiding hooves.
“What happened?” Spike asked.
“I don’t know!” Twilight cried, hurriedly checking her notes. “I thought we’d accounted for the guilt burn, but…”
Cadance placed a hoof on Twilight’s back, cutting her off. “It’s okay, Twilight. We did our best and we can try again later,” she reassured her.
“Right,” Twilight nodded, taking a breath and scribbling down some notes. “I’m sorry, Daring, but don’t worry. We’ll...we’ll fix this, I promise!”
Daring just grunted as she strode towards the door, every muscle and nerve protesting her movements. “I need to be alone for a bit,” she mumbled, begrudgingly allowing Phillip to support her on the way out.
They left the Chamber and trotted back down the hallway, Phillip waving away the Guards who instinctively rose to try to help. Daring held herself together in silence, staring at the floor as Phillip retrieved their clothes from the alcove and called up the elevator. The door dinged open and Daring and Phillip both entered the elevator, which closed behind them and began to descend.
The pain continued to persist as a throbbing ache, refusing to fade. Struggling to keep her breathing steady, Daring lifted her hoof and stared at the brand that burned her, mocked her, reminded her of her sins every moment. The burning was now seeping down beneath her bones, tearing into her core.
“Fuck!” Daring screamed, lifting the marked hoof and struck the wall with it, again and again, as if hoping that the physical pain would distract her from the pain in her soul. Phillip gently wrapped his forelegs around her and hugged her to him. She sagged to the cold metal floor, sobbing dryly.
“It’s not fair,” she whimpered. “It’s not fair.”
“Where is he?”
Professor Crystal Fossil writhed on the floor and clutched the wound in his gut as he coughed up blood, staining his dark brown suit and the carpet of his study with tarry black fluid. “I don’t...I don’t know who you’re talking about!” he protested, staring up at the masked intruder.
The stallion thrust the assault rifle into the professor’s face, the silencer on the end mere inches from the sweat-coated fur; in the midst of the empty black iris, he could see the red glow of the energy crystal within. “He’s leading you to Tirek’s Mirror,” he snarled. “That traitor needs to burn for what he’s done. Where is he?!”
Professor Fossil winced as pain spread across his gut again, causing his muscles to convulse. “I...don’t know!” he cried. “He’s being kept at a safe house, that’s all I know! The Gendarmerie escorts him!”
The stallion scowled, his blue eyes blazing with hatred. “Where’s the temple?”
Beneath the waves of pain, a spark of defiance flashed through the gray-maned stallion’s gut. He glared up at his attacker, spitting through the taste of copper that filled his throat. “I won’t tell you,” he hissed. “You and your allies will never get Tirek’s Mirror.”
The cold blue eyes narrowed. “Tell your master Colonel Frostbite says hello,” he spat and pulled the trigger. A muted crack resounded through the study, the shelves with their volumes of historical tomes, photographs, and relics of the Empire’s past momentarily illuminated by a flash of red. The professor of archeology crumpled dead to the floor.
“Sergeant, keep watch,” the masked unicorn ordered as he moved to the desk and snapped on the desk lamp. He tugged the mask down to expose his mouth; damn beard itched.
“What’re you doing, sir?” the pegasus asked, hovering at the threshold of the study and watching in curiosity as his commanding officer started rummaging through the desk.
“There has to be something about where the temple is here,” Frostbite grumbled, pulling drawers open and rummaging through the papers within. He started stuffing the journals and pads of notes into a bag hanging from the stuffed chair. “We know he was close to finding it. There has to be something here.”
“Sir, we have one minute maximum before the gendarmerie,” the sergeant warned, staring down the hallway out the front door that hung open, splinters spread across the waxed wooden floor. A red light set in a box on the wall next to the door rapidly blinked on and off.
“We’ll be gone before then,” Frostbite assured his partner, shoving the last of the notes into the bag and tossing it over his shoulder. Recollecting his assault rifle, he hustled to the door, drawing a bottle from his pocket with his magic. As he hurried outside, he sprayed the faintly luminescent dark blue powder within behind him; the powder sank into the floor, its glow quickly fading.
“Hurry, sir!” the sergeant called from outside, standing in the open passenger door of the waiting car parked before the walkway, its engine grumbling quietly as if in impatience. Frostbite hurried after his partner, continuing to spray the powder behind him. As he bustled into the car and hit the gas, he heard the first wails of the responding gendarmes’ cruisers in the distance.
It took a great deal of willpower to not floor the pedal and peel down the street; instead, they drove away at a normal speed and turned the first corner, driving down the street and joining a busier roadway, hiding amidst the other travelers heading home after work. Frostbite glanced in the mirror and sighed in relief upon seeing no sign of pursuers.
“What next, sir?” his passenger asked. “We should try to find Blue Moon.”
“Later,” Frostbite grunted. “The Mirror is more important.”