//------------------------------// // 5|2 ◈ A Foe // Story: Splintershard // by TheMajorTechie //------------------------------// Though time may pass, and life moves fast, old foes may rise again. "So, what's the plan then?" Emily was now the one trailing Twilight. "Show up, bap some baddies, burn some scrolls?" "I wouldn't use those words myself, but... yes. In a sense." Twilight continued walking. "You only need my assistance in destroying the copies that were made of the time travel scroll, right?" "Yup. Oh, do you think that Fluttershy could help too? She was really helpful in finding copies the last few times." Twilight froze. "Fluttershy?" "Alright, taking over from here before you derail this." Starlight forced Emily aside. "Yes. We met Flutters not too long ago, though she has since been transformed into a draconequus as part of Discord's final act. She was assisting us in locating the scrolls before she became too afraid of being discovered by the guards and fled. Do you think that she'd be more willing to lend a helping hoof if she knew that you were still around?" "I don't see why not. But where would we even find her again?" If they still had the saddlebag with the harmony crystal shards, they could maybe catch Fluttershy's attention. Chaos versus harmony-type stuff. "Actually," Starlight muttered under her breath. "That's not too shabby of an idea." She burst into a trot, quickly catching up to Twilight in the narrow corridor. "Twilight, have you heard of how both factions have been constructing weapons powered by fragmented shards from the former Tree of Harmony?" "They what?" "The Old Guard, more specifically, is known to be working on weapons of mass destruction based around harmony magic. I haven't seen anything from the Phoenix faction to suggest that they are doing the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are. I know that recently, Fluttershy had taken it upon herself to destroy what existing weapons she could find within Old Guard territory, however." Twilight let out a quiet groan. "How did things get this bad..." "Shut--" Starlight snapped, "I won't be hearing any of that from you. You're not the one that died trying to save lives." Star... "Don't Star me, Emi. We both know that this world is the way it is because someone didn't make any attempts to keep the peace!" "Listen. Starlight. Emily. Whoever it is that's currently in control," Twilight stamped her hoof. "I apologize for what I've made you go through in the past, but we have more pressing matters now. The quicker we can get this done and over with, the better. You won't ever have to see my face again. I'm a horrible ruler, I get it. I hardly measure up to the Royal Sisters in the short time I spent in charge." Starlight nearly choked. A deranged chuckle rose out of her. "Wasthata--" she wheezed. "Did you just make a pun out of your leadership?" Emily raised an invisible brow. That was supposed to be funny? "Unintentional." Twilight flatly replied. "Come closer. It'll be faster if I just teleport us. I'll cloak myself on the surface." Aaaaaaand here they were again. City edges, out of sight of the nosy passers-by. The city of Canterlot. The city of can't-- "Stop it, Emi. We don't need that a second time." Killjoy. Emily looked at Twilight. The mare was now a rather unassuming pony with neither wings nor a horn. Also apparently Starlight wasn't in control anymore again. "Because you keep forcing me aside. How do you keep doing that now?" 'Dunno. "Okay," Twilight stared into the concrete jungle before them. "Take me to the building that these scrolls are housed in. I'll make this quick." "It's this funky-looking building that's split down the middle so that a railway can pass through the center. You really can't miss it." Twilight nodded, enveloping the pair in another flash of teleportation. "This the one?" Twilight cantered up beside a groaning Emily. "I set us on the roof so that there's a lesser chance of us being discovered." Emily could hear a train rumble by somewhere below. "Yeah... yeah, this is the one." "Got it," Twilight vanished, reappearing moments later. Fire alarms began to blare underneath. "Howdidshe--" Starlight sputtered mentally, "Twilight could've fixed things that easily? And she just... didn't?" Well, if it was that easy then it was that easy. No need to dwell on what Twilight did or didn't do, Star. You really need to let go of that grudge of yours. Starlight returned to her usual quiet grumbling. "So that's it then," Twilight turned to Emily. "I teleported around, found the most heavily-armored room, and cast a fireball." "I... guess so. It's not like there's much else to do if the scrolls are destro--" Emily felt the floor beneath her open up. Emily opened her eyes. They were dangling in some kind of net. "Well look what we have here." A voice stepped up to the ensnared mares. "Intruders." "Sunset," Twilight growled. "Didn't think you'd come back." "Touche," the other mare paced around the duo. "You're the one that vanished, Twilight." From the corner of her eye, Emily saw Sunset's horn light up in a brilliant teal for a split second. "Well this is a development," Starlight mused. "Last I heard, Sunset was banished through the mirror portal for trying to usurp the throne. Guess the power vacuum sucked her back through. Wonder how she's still alive." "Wings," Twilight stated bluntly. "You have wings." "Thanks. I clipped 'em myself from a pretty pink dove. I believe it suits the Phoenix Nation for their leader to be as brilliantly winged as its national bird." Wait. Pink dove. Living for far longer than normal. Did Sunset somehow steal Cadance's alicornhood? "Now tell me," Sunset placed a hoof under Twilight's chin. "Why did you come back, and why did you burn my scrolls? Are you finally returning to reclaim the throne you abandoned all those years ago? You couldn't beat a lowly high-schooler in retrieving a simple crown." "I came to burn your scrolls and nothing more." Sunset continued to glare into Twilight's eyes. She stepped away. "Very well then, I suppose I'll just have to write some new ones myself. You know, those scrolls are shockingly easy to memorize if you have the patience to do so." Oh, great. They've destroyed the scrolls but now they have to face the scroll generator. "Who sent you?" Sunset looked over her shoulder. "The Old Guard? The Royal Sisters, wherever they may be?" "I did," Emily shouted back. "We've wiped out the weapons of the Old Guard, and we'll do the same with you! This war ends now!" "Emi, are you trying to get us killed?" Starlight reprimanded. "'Cause yelling that is a very easy way to get us killed." A momentary flash lit up Emily's vision. She tumbled deeper into the net. "Great. And now Twilight's ditched us."