//------------------------------// // Between harmony and order II (P8) // Story: Midnight Station - Part 01: Twilight faces the Dark Martial March // by Khampostel //------------------------------// "WHAT KIND OF WILD BEAST IS THIS?!" Morrigan exclaimed indignantly. "An adorable little rainbow pony is causing you trouble, my dear friend," replied Balor from a corner of the war room. Morrigan glared at Balor. The draco-dragon's comment was clearly a mockery of Morrigan's peculiar way of speaking, and it was definitely not the time for it. A few minutes earlier, she had received a message from Badwhiz informing her that he couldn't directly control Rainbow Dash. Morrigan argued to the others that the child wasn't focused enough and decided to take control of the pegasus herself. To everyone's surprise and Balor's amusement, after several failed attempts, Morrigan couldn't control Rainbow Dash's mind either. She seemed to be in a mechanical mental state, following the initial orders to defeat Twilight and stubbornly rejecting the new ones while still carrying out the first ones. Finally, the hypnotized Rainbow Dash was tricked by one of Twilight's tricks and released from Morrigan's mental control. Another staredown erupted in the room, but before Mannah could say anything, Balor and Morrigan began laughing together, leaving their other companions perplexed. "Well, that's how it is, haha... In the end, it turned out that that pony's head is as stubborn as Taranis's... What a nuisance," Morrigan said, leaning back in her seat. "Don't worry too much. I know your abilities; I know you wouldn't have lost control over someone if you were close enough and without so many restrictions. If you had been present, this wouldn't have happened," Balor commented seriously. "I don't need your consolation, Balor, but thanks... I look forward to your turn," Morrigan replied with a touch of sarcasm. "Heh heh, you'll have to wait then. Ceridwen has found something interesting..." Balor said, fixing her gaze on the magic pond where Ceridwen in Badwhiz's body was entering a carriage in the middle of the lake. "Look! The boy finally caught up with the ponies! Haha! He seems very excited!" Taranis exclaimed cheerfully, pointing his finger at the image of Badwhiz made of shadows in the pond. "Taranis, we're in the war room, don't forget," scolded Mannah with irritation. Taranis quickly straightened up into a more formal posture, while Morrigan and Balor's suppressed laughter echoed in the room. For Mannah, it was clear that the pair was plotting something, although he didn't know exactly what. With one of his tentacles, he began massaging his forehead in an attempt to relieve the growing headache he was feeling. ----------------------- Several minutes had passed, and finally, Rainbow Dash's wings began to respond as she liked. "Oh, how I missed these, girls!" Dash exclaimed as she exercised her wings with contractions. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Rainbow Dash. I was really worried when you were paralyzed a moment ago. I thought they had taken control of you again," said Twilight, illuminating the dark stone walls around them with the light of her horn. The place they were in was shrouded in total darkness, but thanks to Twilight's magical light, it could be seen that it was narrow, and the walls were in a ruined state. "It was just a temporary cramp after... UGH! Seriously, how could I fall for something like that? It was so obvious," Rainbow Dash began to complain, noticeably upset. "When I get my hooves on that guy, I'm not going to hold back, Twilight!" "But you'll have to control yourself, Rainbow. We can't be so predictable; we must act carefully and strategically," replied Twilight calmly. "Careful and strategic? We're not baking cakes. Our friends' lives are in danger right now. How can you be so calm?! Don't you care or what?!" Rainbow Dash responded with a burst of anger upon hearing her friend's indifferent response. "Rainbow Dash!" Twilight responded sternly, though she remained calm. Twilight's firm gaze had an effect on Rainbow Dash, as the Pegasus began to calm down. Despite her frustration and anger, Rainbow Dash could feel the genuine concern in Twilight's voice and gaze. Soon, her anger dissipated and was replaced by guilt. "I'm sorry, Twilight. What I said was stupid, I..." Dash apologized for her previous behavior. "...I can't stand that my friends are in danger, and I know I can't do anything about it." "I understand. We're truly in a difficult situation, but we mustn't fall into despair or panic because of it. I know you're very worried about how the girls are doing, and I am too. However, right now, we must trust our friends more than ever. Applejack is in charge, and I know she'll do whatever it takes to protect the others," Twilight said, placing a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. Rainbow seemed to think for a moment, but then she slumped down onto the dusty floor, feeling powerless. "Do you really think they're okay?" Rainbow Dash asked, her voice heavy with despondency. "I don't know... but I know they'll fight," Twilight replied with conviction. Rainbow Dash didn't respond, but after a few seconds lost in thought on the ground with her head down, she stood up energetically. Twilight immediately noticed that her friend's confidence had returned. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash started to laugh, leaving Twilight puzzled. "You know? It's kinda funny seeing you like this now." "What do you mean?" "I mean seeing you so calm and serious in a situation like this. In the past, there were many occasions when you'd lose your head over much simpler things." "Uhmm..." Twilight had no bad memory; she remembered those occasions that Rainbow was talking about very well. But those three years as the ruler of Equestria had matured her enough to face a moment like this. Or had they? A wave of anxiety coursed through Twilight's body at that moment. She looked away towards the wall behind her. Remembering her past self had awakened the beast of anxieties that were locked deep within her mind. And now, there was a unique opportunity for those anxieties to be set free once again. "Rainbow, I..." Twilight said weakly, her facade on the verge of breaking. "By the way... where are we?" Rainbow Dash interrupted, looking around. Twilight blinked for a second and composed herself. Her anxieties retreated back into her mind. Once again, she became the princess of Equestria that all her friends needed at that moment. "I'm not sure, but I think we're at the bottom of a well..." Twilight replied, noting the dry mud beneath her hooves and the remnants of old buckets around them. On either side, the well walls rose up to a roof that wasn't visible due to the darkness of the place. "Wow, wait, you think? You didn't know?" Rainbow Dash asked in surprise. "When I cast the teleportation spell before coming here, I didn't think much about it; I did it as quickly as I could after you rammed Vanilla into a tree. I really didn't expect the spell to take us to a place like this." "So our luck hasn't run out. Great! Umph... and what if we get out of here now and give that guy what he deserves?" Twilight reflected on Dash's request; her Pegasus friend was once again recovered and full of confidence. It was a good time to restart the battle they had left against Vanilla. Even more importantly, they could choose to ignore it and go directly to meet the rest of their friends. "Alright, but first, we should gather information and devise some strategies before facing Vanilla, okay?" Twilight replied as she began to evaluate the possibilities. "I don't object... about that... now he's a shadowy pony... Why?" Rainbow Dash said, visibly confused. "Don't you know?" Twilight replied, surprised. "A lot happened; I'm still confused about the last thing that happened..." "Tell me everything you remember," Twilight responded with a serious expression. "Of course... umm, first of all, he said his name is Badwhiz, not Vanilla." Twilight remained motionless for a few seconds before responding: "WHAT?!" ----------------------- At one end of the interior of the Great Barrier, there was a small forest that had been divided by the powerful magic enclosing the place. In this forest of dense trees and dim light, Badwhiz hid among the branches of one of the trees, carefully examining the terrain below. Snow covered the entire place, and large rocks were scattered on one side of the forest. Not far outside the barrier, a large abandoned stable that had likely served as a sawmill could be seen. "Darn it," Badwhiz thought as he unfurled his wings of dark shadow and prepared to change his location. Minutes before, Badwhiz had faced off against Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Using powerful electrical attacks, the young shadow pony had hoped to render his opponents unconscious with an unrelenting lightning offensive. Unfortunately, Twilight had skillfully defended herself using her protective magic shield. On the other hand, Rainbow Dash, who had been under mind control, quickly recovered and counterattacked by ramming Badwhiz into a tree. That charge didn't hurt him since Badwhiz's body was composed solely of shadows enveloping an enchanted soul. However, the sudden attack by the rainbow Pegasus gave the princess enough time to retreat with her ally. "They can't have gone too far," he thought to himself. In a silent flight, Badwhiz crossed the cold atmosphere that covered the place. That cold was not natural. In an attempt to halt his assault, the princess had unleashed a snow avalanche throughout the forest, leaving it as white as in the dead of winter. Badwhiz reached another tree and sharpened his senses once more. He didn't sense anyone's presence in that silent place. He also didn't see signs of any nearby cave or shelter; the only structure he had found was a dilapidated watering trough a few meters below him. "Should I contact Lord Mannah...?" Badwhiz thought. His search wasn't yielding results, but not much time had passed, and he hadn't explored the entire forest. If the princess had returned with her friends on the train, they would have informed him immediately. Perhaps this was a test to prove his worth to the other knights. So he needed to complete the task by delivering more than they expected from him... "Badwhiz Starheart!" a voice echoed in the cold forest. Badwhiz was startled by this unexpected call and quickly scanned his surroundings to locate its source. His surprise intensified when he identified the voice's source: Twilight stood in a clearing. To Badwhiz, this seemed like an obvious trap. He didn't care that they had discovered his name; now, he had a chance to attack her directly. Although... that wouldn't be appropriate for a knight. Without further ado, he flew through the trees to position himself in front of the princess. "So, you've finally decided to surrender," Badwhiz declared as he barely touched the ground. "No," Twilight replied, staring him in the eyes. "I wish to talk." "What stubbornness, there's nothing to talk about," Badwhiz declared, preparing to fight again. "You're not part of the Knights of Order; you're a pony from Equestria. Why are you doing this?" Badwhiz seemed like he wouldn't listen to any more of Twilight's words, but suddenly, he held back. "Why?" he replied. "Isn't it obvious? I'm upholding the oath of my ancestors." "I know the history of the Starhearts. Your ancestors were a respected family of unicorns who were always loyal to Equestria. They defended the weak and sought justice among the ponies. What you're doing now goes against everything they've done." A look of fury reflected on Badwhiz's face. "You don't understand a thing! Upholding my family's oath is what I do! I'm protecting Equestria from you!" Badwhiz roared. Twilight didn't seem surprised by his response, but her face now showed a slight expression of sadness. "I don't know what they told you. But endangering the lives of innocent ponies is not justice. As the princess of Equestria, I cannot allow actions like these." "You can't allow it?" Badwhiz scoffed. "But endangering the lives of all ponies in Equestria and the inhabitants of the other realms is what you're doing now. You're nothing but a hypocrite!" A few meters behind, hidden in some bushes, Rainbow Dash listened to the conversation. If she hadn't received very clear orders from Twilight, she would probably have pounced on Badwhiz right then and there. Both fell silent, Badwhiz and Twilight observed each other in the midst of the cold and silent forest. In this tense atmosphere, only the gentle rustling of the tree branches stirred by the wind could be heard. Then, a large chunk of snow fell from one of the nearest trees, breaking the silence with a soft thud. "You're stalling for your companion to arrive, aren't you?" Twilight said. Her firm gaze was fixed on Badwhiz, while a cold breeze lightly rustled her mane. "What?" Badwhiz responded in surprise. The mental orders he had received minutes before from Mannah had unexpectedly been discovered by the princess. He had halted his previous attack for this reason. The situation had changed. "She has found me... should I attack?" Doubt began to creep into Badwhiz's mind. Supposedly, he was meant to distract the princess with a conversation, but he had nothing to talk to her about, and the conversation only became more awkward. He wanted to fight, but he had been ordered not to do so to maintain the element of surprise. Badwhiz didn't know what to do. "They're just using you. I don't believe you truly want to do this," Twilight continued, sensing Badwhiz's indecision and taking a step forward. "You don't know what I want!" Badwhiz replied with an aggressive tone. But it was a façade; inside him, a feeling of unease was flooding him. "What do you want then?" Twilight said, taking another step forward. Now, Twilight looked larger and brighter in front of him. Her noble posture showed determination, but also compassion. Badwhiz tried to look away, but he couldn't do it in front of his opponent. A great conflict began to grow inside him. He wanted to attack, but he couldn't. An intense bitterness swept through his body. He wanted to shout, but he couldn't. His breathing became agitated. He wanted that hateful princess to know all the hell he had been through. "You!" Badwhiz growled, more like an animal filled with rage than a pony. His shadowy body swelled as if it were about to burst at any moment, releasing all the pain inside him. Then, a dark meteor struck next to Badwhiz, causing the nearby snow to explode. Twilight immediately backed up several meters, flapping her wings, and Rainbow Dash emerged from her hiding place to stand by her side, ready to protect her. The faint mist dissipated, revealing a figure before the ponies. Standing there was another Badwhiz, but this was his previous corporeal form, wearing orange alicorn armor. At his side, the shadow version of Badwhiz bowed. "Good job. Now, there are only these two left. Cover my rear, I'll take care of things from now on," Ceridwen mentally instructed Badwhiz, as a surge of magic began to emanate from her body, and a crystal cube danced behind her back. -------------------- Long before, in the medical car, in a dimly lit space... "O uhmm." "O uhmm." "O uhmm." "Celestia, you're on vacation..., give us your blessings..., light up our hearts... o uhmm," prayed Pinkie Pie. "We beseech you, Celestia..." chanted Applejack and Rarity. Sitting in a circle surrounded by candles, the three ponies with closed eyes held hooves, conducting what at first glance appeared to be a liturgical meeting. Led by the solemn Pinkie Pie, the ceremony seemed quite serious, so much so that even Applejack had removed her hat and was wearing a white and purple robe like the rest of her companions. "May these crystals shine with the light of our stars, we beseech you, Celestia... o uhmm." "We beseech you, Celestia..." Applejack and Rarity chorused again. In the midst of the ritual, there was a bowl and a plate covered by a delicate white cloth. "Though you may not be present... to offer you these pancakes... let us at least receive you spiritually... O uhmm," Pinkie Pie concluded her prayer. "O uhmm," Applejack and Rarity finally chanted. Then, Pinkie Pie momentarily raised her hooves upward in a sign of her next act. Without saying a word, she approached the covered bowl and removed the white cloth that concealed it. The three ponies looked expectantly at the contents below. There were the three white crystals they had received from Fluttershy, which unfortunately were not yet enchanted with each of their magic. And also, a generous amount of pancakes drizzled in honey. "Well... I guess my idea didn't work," Pinkie said. "It was a good attempt, Pinkie Pie. I really thought it would... this time," Rarity said with disappointment. "Uhmmmm," Applejack huffed, lying down on the floor. Several minutes had passed since the three friends had locked themselves in the medical car of the train to enchant the crystals that Twilight had left to Fluttershy. However, despite their various attempts and genuine effort, they had so far failed in their task. Rarity was the first to try, attempting to capture the light of her friends inside the crystals using her unicorn magic. While it initially seemed to work, the crystals soon reverted to the default white color. Next, Applejack tried, although her effort was more of a display of brute strength that only dismayed Rarity. Out of ideas and with a brewing argument between the two ponies, Pinkie Pie took the lead, attempting a blessing ceremony with stones that her family used to practice during the summer solstice. Of course, none of this had worked, and it wouldn't have been necessary if Twilight had told them how they were supposed to enchant the crystals. "This is all wrong," Applejack said in frustration. "You're right, Applejack. We should pray to Princess Cadance. She has a closer connection to the crystals. But then we'd have to use her formal name... umphh," Pinkie Pie said thoughtfully, then made some notes in her notebook. "I don't think Applejack is referring to that, Pinkie Pie. And I hope she's not talking about dresses," Rarity said, noticing that Applejack had set aside her robe and put her hat back on. "It's not that, Rarity, it's just that... are we really doing the right thing?" "Excuse me, Applejack, but I'm completely unfamiliar with gemstone blessing rituals. And now that I know they exist, I will definitely make an effort to learn about them," Rarity replied, glancing at Pinkie Pie. "Well, yes... but that's what Magi told us, right? But what if she's wrong? What if Twilight intended to use them in a different way?" Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked at each other, somewhat puzzled. "And what could that other way be?" Pinkie asked. "Umphh..." Applejack picked up one of the crystals and brought it closer to the nearest light source. It was white and shiny, with no signs of any cracks or impurities, but it didn't seem to have a particular design and resembled a slightly deformed tear. Applejack had a hunch about what these crystals might mean. She had failed to activate them before, but she had nothing to lose by trying again. Without consulting her friends, she placed the crystal between her hooves and assumed a simple meditation posture. At first, there was no change in the crystal, but after a few seconds, it began to glow and pulse as if it were a living heart. Finally, the crystal changed from white to a solid orange color. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were stunned. "What did you do?" Rarity exclaimed. "Hu! Hu! Did you pray to Princess Luna?" Pinkie Pie said, jumping for joy. "No, I just thought about my family. And how much I love them," Applejack said with a smile. Both Pinkie Pie and Rarity looked confused by Applejack's response, and she continued. "You see, I think Twilight didn't intend to use the crystals as a weapon, but rather as some kind of gift she wanted to share with us. Something to preserve memories. That's why she didn't tell us anything at first and only showed them to Fluttershy." "But if that's the case... then how are we supposed to fight against those savages who want to destroy us?" Rarity exclaimed in distress, along with a worried Pinkie Pie. "Ummm, I think by using the best of what we have and working together, as always," Applejack replied without dwelling on the matter any longer. "And now what do we do?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Make a new plan. But first, we should finish enchanting these crystals. That way, at least we'll have something to show Magi and also a nice surprise for Twilight when she returns," Applejack said, confidently and somewhat jokingly. However, in that environment filled with uncertainty, her words seemed more like an acceptance that the situation wouldn't improve, and completing that task might well be the last act they would perform together. That sensation was transmitted among the three friends as a dark premonition. But there was no anxiety in their hearts. On the contrary, they were now more certain of what they should do next. "Well, if it's about making a gem shine, there's no way I could refuse, Applejack," Rarity replied, taking a crystal. "Can I say the prayer to Candace? Can I? Can I?" Pinkie joyfully asked, adjusting her robe. And so, the three ponies began to enchant the crystals with jokes and prayers. Certainly, this was something Twilight would have loved to be present for. ------------------------- "PI..., PI..., PI..., PI..." Magi's transmitter had been showing the same signal for several minutes. This was good news as it indicated that the enemy was moving further away from their location. But for Magi, that wasn't enough to calm her nerves, so she changed the transmission screen to a visual image. The new image on her tablet was quite blurry due to interference caused by the Grand Barrier, but clear enough to confirm that the dangerous individual was indeed moving away. A weary Magi let out a deep breath and finally relaxed in her seat. "The danger has passed," Magi exclaimed aloud to no one in particular. "What a relief!" Fluttershy responded. Magi jumped at Fluttershy's response. She had been so focused on monitoring the screen and her spy birds that she had completely forgotten about the pink-maned pegasus in front of her. Fortunately, she hadn't spoken out loud, so she could relax in her seat without worry. "Yes... it did get quite close a while ago, but it's gone now. It should be on the other side of the lake, checking the remains of the other train cars again." "Wow..." Fluttershy responded timidly, but she couldn't stop giving Magi suspicious looks. Magi might have had her suspicions about Fluttershy, but among all the princess's companions, she was the most useless and clumsy. So expecting someone like her to have uncovered her plans was the last humiliation she could accept in her life. However, the looks Fluttershy was giving her were starting to make her uncomfortable. "Is there something on your mind?" Magi asked abruptly. "No, no, well, yes," Fluttershy replied with a shaky voice. ("How annoying... She's probably the kind of mare who lives off others' pity,") Magi thought, still not understanding why the princess had her on her team. Fluttershy, on the other hand, seemed unable to continue the conversation. "Alright, tell me, what's bothering you?" "It's just that... those antennas are kind of strange," Fluttershy said, blushing. ("Huh? Haven't you ever seen someone with antennas before? And why are you blushing?") Magi thought, not understanding what was happening. As a vocational motivator, she had encountered quite unusual personality cases among ponies. Fluttershy seemed to be deeply entrenched in that category. Certainly, she was the kind of pony who annoyed her the most, although she usually overlooked it if the pony in question had any talent or skill that would benefit her. ("But she can only talk to animals... I'm not interested in that,") thought Magi as she adjusted her low-frequency antennas. Magi stood up and began to look out the window absentmindedly. "Um, excuse me..." ("Seriously? Can't you just stay quiet in your seat?") Magi thought, annoyed without looking back. Both of them had been on guard duty in the medical car while the other ponies concentrated on enchanting Twilight's crystals. However, for Magi, she was the one doing all the work, and Fluttershy was just there as a mere spectator. "Tell me, Fluttershy, do you need another tissue?" Magi responded, turning around with a fake smile. "Um, no, I'm just wondering if your scar hurts a lot." Magi froze. "Scar? What are you talking about?" Magi responded nervously, pretending not to know anything. "Well, you have a scar all over your back, and since you haven't stopped touching it with your wings since we've been here, I thought it might be hurting you a lot." Now Magi really didn't know how to respond. This was something that no one, except her girlfriend, knew about. Those scars were entirely invisible in her white fur, and that was because she had spent a good part of her fortune to heal her old self's wounds as best as possible. All with the aim of being able to live as a renewed and authentic successful pony without any weight or shadow from the past. And yet, despite her best efforts, someone had seen through her. "Get rid of her," whispered a voice inside her. Yes, that's what she should do. She could make up an excuse, like being kidnapped by the enemy or deciding to go look for the princess on her own, or maybe... "Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have intruded if it's something personal... I'm really sorry," Fluttershy said as she started to back away, realizing that Magi wasn't responding. "No, no, it's okay... it's just that I don't like to talk much about my scars, like you said, it's something personal," Magi said calmly, with a confident smile. "But it seems you know a lot about these things, so... can you come here and give me a better opinion, if you don't mind?" "Umph... alright," Fluttershy said, not very convinced by Magi's sincerity, but she approached anyway. She couldn't help but assist someone in need. Fluttershy stood behind Magi and began to examine both her back and the underside of her wings. After feeling her fur and assessing the texture and thickness of her skin with just the touch of her hooves, she could confirm what she had noticed about her from the moment she saw her on the train. Magi had some deep scars that covered almost 80% of her back, as well as other marks that could hardly have originated from simple falls. "Well, what's your diagnosis, Doctor?" Magi joked. "There are quite deep scars, but they are quite old..." Fluttershy didn't want to ask more, as she had also sensed a great deal of hostility in Magi when she examined her. "Umphh, yes, it's from an unfortunate accident I had when I was a filly. Although it's something from the past, it still causes me problems, especially when I do too much exercise." "Well... it's understandable, wounds like these don't heal so easily. Sometimes you need to perform special massages on your back to release the accumulated tension; that helps a lot in reducing the accumulated pain in the body." "Can you do that?" Magi asked, turning to look at Fluttershy. "Of course, if you're okay with it..." "I am. Really, being personally attended to by one of the princess's most trusted friends is quite an honor." "Thank you... although this might not be the most appropriate place to give you a complete massage session. I could at least give you a light version of the treatment," Fluttershy replied. "I have no problem with it being a short version as long as it's effective," Magi said. "Oh, then I'll do my best!" Fluttershy replied enthusiastically with a smile. Being of help to others always made her feel good. Following Fluttershy's instructions, Magi removed most of the equipment she had on, except for the runestone-carved rocks around her neck, and lay down on one of the wider seats. If Magi had expected the massages to be as gentle as the ones she received in her personal spa in Manehattan, then she was sorely disappointed. Far from her gentle personality, Fluttershy attacked her pressure points with the ferocity of a constrictor python. One by one, the knots in Magi's back were crushed and shaken until they were completely relieved of tension. Meticulous as a diamond spider with its prey, Fluttershy continued to press Magi's muscles until she was finally convinced that there were no more tension knots to attack. "Phew, you were really tense. You had tension knots even under your wings. But now I'm sure you'll be able to fly much lighter," Fluttershy said, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. "Uh-huh," Magi replied face down. "Although the complete treatment involves the neck and limbs. In your case, it would be preferable to have some floral baths beforehand to prevent skin lesions from forming due to muscle stress." "Uh-huh," Magi repeated mechanically. "Ponyville's spa offers specialized medical treatments for all kinds of stress. We could go together one day. You'll like it; they have a very professional staff, and they even give you a good discount if you come with a friend." "Uh-huh." "Um, Magi?" "Uh-huh." If Magi's mind worked like an electronic device like the ones she used every day, she would be updating right now. More like a robot than a pony, Magi stood up and, with lifeless eyes, entered the cleaning compartment of the carriage without saying a word, making sure to close the doors behind her. A loud thud was heard from inside the compartment, as if someone had just headbutted the wall. Shortly after, Magi emerged. "I'm renewed!" exclaimed the executive pegasus, cheerful and radiant as a spring rose, although she had a slight mark on her forehead. With a flap of her wings, she approached Fluttershy and gave her a warm hug. "Thank you, Fluttershy, thank you. I really needed something like this. I feel like I could fly out the window right now. Wheee!" "Yes! I'm really... glad to hear that! Ha!" Fluttershy could barely respond as she fell to the ground after receiving Magi's tight hug. "Ponyville is a bit far from my work area. But if that spa you mentioned is as good as you say, I think I could take a break with my girlfriend on vacation," Magi said as she stretched all her limbs and did a few hops. "Ouuu," Fluttershy responded, feeling somewhat dizzy on the floor. Then Fluttershy saw something strange. Magi, who had stopped hopping around, had put on a magical-looking collar and had suddenly started to fade and reappear with different fur and mane colors. Magi continued to alternate her colors successively as if she were a malfunctioning traffic light. Although not immediately apparent, she was calibrating the device. "What's going on?" asked Fluttershy, surprised and somewhat frightened. "Oh, this? It's a wonder my engineers created. It allows you to change the color of your fur without the need for makeup. It can even make you invisible for a certain amount of time." "Wow, that's amazing!" Fluttershy replied, astonished, watching as Magi tested her equipment and then began to place her other gadgets in her saddlebag. Her saddlebag also caught Fluttershy's attention because despite Magi placing a large number of devices inside, it didn't seem to fill up at all. "You have very surprising tools," Fluttershy commented curiously. "Yes, right? I'm always prepared. But I'm not the only one with surprises in her saddlebag. You seem to be hiding something too," Magi remarked, noticing that Fluttershy had kept her saddlebag on all this time and was holding it tightly between her wings. "Well, it's a special gift I have for Twilight... it's a surprise," Fluttershy said somewhat timidly and suspiciously serious. Magi noticed this change and made a mental note of it. "Well, if it's a surprise, there's no need to show it now. You'll do it in due time..." "Yes, in due time..." Fluttershy mumbled to herself, looking in another direction. Then she suddenly jolted. "What's wrong?" Magi asked seriously as she saw Fluttershy alarmed. "The girls must still be enchanting the crystals. I just thought that maybe they should enchant each crystal individually and not all together as they've been doing. Oh, I feel so bad for not being able to hear Twilight's words properly," Fluttershy said anxiously. She still didn't believe she was giving her all, and she felt responsible for her friends' delay in enchanting the crystals they urgently needed. Without saying more, she got up and headed for the door that led to the other room where the rest of the ponies were. "Wait, Fluttershy!" Magi suddenly said. "Yes? What's wrong?" Fluttershy turned before touching the door. "I know it's not much, but would you like an autograph from the Averages team?" ------------------------------- "Ready! A complete set of Friendship Crystals!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed excitedly, connecting the last of the crystals to its respective rosary. "Twilight will be so surprised when she sees these beautiful crystals with our glow," Rarity added, her horn's light inspecting the six enchanted crystals. "Well, I have to admit that they look impressive when complete. Now we just need to explain to Fluttershy how they work. I hope she takes it well," Applejack said, adjusting her hat. Then, someone knocked on the door of the carriage. "Hello? Am I interrupting something?" came Fluttershy's voice from the other side. "Of course not, dear Fluttershy," Rarity said, using her magic to open the door and let her friend in. "Did something happen?" Applejack asked Fluttershy, who looked concerned. "Well, it's just that I had an idea to help you enchant the crystals faster. I know I haven't been much help, but please let me explain what I have in mind," Fluttershy replied. "Huh? We would never think anything like that, sweetness. You're truly one of the most important among us, and you've shown it very well today," Applejack responded, patting Fluttershy's shoulder. Beside her, Pinkie Pie and Rarity echoed words of encouragement. "Oh, thank you, friends. I'm so glad to hear that." "Well, if that makes you happy, this will make you even happier!" Pinkie Pie said, leaping up to reveal the six enchanted gems. "Wow," Fluttershy was impressed by the brilliance of the just-completed gems. "Touch them and feel the perfection, dear," Rarity added, placing Fluttershy's hooves on the rosary of the six gems. "This is wonderful! You really managed to finish them! Yay!" Fluttershy exclaimed with a flap of her wings, confident that everything would be fine from now on. "So... about that, there's something we need to discuss," Applejack interrupted, looking at her friends. A sudden chill ran through all of them at that moment, an unexpected cold accompanied by a startle. Fluttershy froze, staring behind Applejack. Rarity and Pinkie Pie had also felt it, and while they hadn't turned to look, they could easily guess who that presence belonged to. For Applejack, it was crystal clear. But she felt calm, knowing that with just one word, it would all be over. She gave one last glance to her pegasus friend. She hadn't noticed it earlier when Fluttershy entered, but it seemed that Fluttershy had fixed her mane again. But that was a detail she could ignore; the pressing issue was what she would do next. "VANILLA!" Applejack yelled, turning around just before a blast of magic hit her and the other two ponies. Sacrificing herself to protect another pony was something she had nightmares about many times as a filly. It had terrified her, and she used to think that doing so would be the dumbest thing she could ever do in her life. Now, however, the feeling she had was different. There was a gentle, peaceful smile on Applejack's face before she vanished. ---------------------- "You won't get far, little rat..." Ceridwen muttered as she saw the room's doors closing. The pink-maned pegasus had skillfully dodged the magical attack that would have trapped her along with her friends. While the other three had fallen victim to the surprise attack, she now had to hunt down that pony. Ceridwen frowned. She couldn't allow her to escape; that pony had enchanted crystals on her hooves, which could be used against her. An actual weapon, without a doubt. And if it fell into the hands of the princess, it could become a major problem for the entire mission. "You won't escape." Without thinking, Ceridwen exploded the door open with her magic and entered the waiting room. It was empty. That was perplexing since she hadn't sensed the pegasus's presence leaving the carriage, nor had there been any teleportation spell used. The latter was impossible due to the magical gem she was using. However, there was no one in that place. Another illusion again? After consulting with Balor, Ceridwen had discovered that the carriage where the ponies had taken refuge had been concealed by a powerful illusion magic that prevented direct detection. Unlike invisibility magic, this illusion magic clouded the minds of individuals, causing them to not recognize a particular object, making them ignore it, or confusing it with another. So potent was this magic that it affected the five senses of potential attackers and even interfered with other magical detection channels. However, no magic is perfect. An illusion is still an illusion, and reality eventually shatters it. It was then that Ceridwen realized that the reflection of the enchanted carriage manifested in the water, even though she couldn't see it directly. A simple rule of reality that couldn't be reached by that deceptive magic. How was it possible for those ponies to have such magic in their possession? She didn't know. Balor had ordered that they be captured without delay and that she should redouble her precautions. Those ponies were dangerous, and if they resisted, they were not to be captured; they were now to be eliminated. Ceridwen cast a counter-spell around her. Now that she knew how that trick worked, she wouldn't be fooled again. A wave of light emanated from her pony form and spread around her. Soon, all the hidden objects began to reveal themselves. Ceridwen swallowed hard. Dozens of crates of explosives had appeared on the walls, under the seats, and even attached to the ceiling. She could also hear the sound of a timer now. "Brats," Ceridwen thought before the entire place was engulfed in a terrible explosion. -------------------------- Fluttershy swam gently in the lake, hidden beneath a suitcase. Around her floated more suitcases, bags, and luggage debris, drifting on the tranquil surface of the lake where the railway tracks had been before. It wasn't surprising that some of the debris collided or sank. Nevertheless, Fluttershy was cautious and carefully moved away from the center of the lake. Behind her, the remnants of the massive explosion that had destroyed the medical wagon could still be seen. It had happened several minutes ago, and so far, she hadn't seen any enemy activity. Taking advantage of this period of uncertainty, she began to move away from that place. Her goal was to reach the opposite shore of the lake and then head towards the rocky hills, from where she could enter the vast forest that surrounded the Great Barrier to the south. Despite her haste, she couldn't help but look back and think about the ponies who had sacrificed themselves for her. The kind-hearted Fluttershy was crying as she held the gems her friends had given her. Her tears were genuine. "They were truly wonderful friends," Fluttershy murmured, gazing at the smoke rising in the middle of the lake. Fluttershy was crying... but not out of sadness. Instead, her tears were accompanied by a dark laughter that would have astonished anyone who knew her gentle face. Indeed, the real Fluttershy would have been crying from the sadness of losing her friends. However, she wasn't that pony. She wasn't Fluttershy; she was Magazin Doublereport, and she couldn't care less about the true meaning of friendship. To her, friendship was just another label she could use to captivate her audience. The only thing that had changed after her recent experience with the princess's friends was that she would use that label more frequently. ("If friendship means others sacrificing themselves for you, then I have plenty of friends at home, hehe"), Magi thought, amused, as she continued her journey to reach the opposite shore. Magi was truly ecstatic. She had encountered a major setback, but now she had everything she needed to carry on. The princess's legacy was in her hooves. A powerful magical amulet that would undoubtedly grant her the power to escape this prison of damnation. If that didn't work, she could use that magic to fake her own death and go into hiding until it was all over. Yes, hiding without drawing attention had been her initial plan since they were intercepted by Badwhiz. But that changed when the Great Barrier was erected. At that moment, she had an unpleasant premonition and consulted the most powerful magical amulets she possessed. These were amulets of such power that they would put the princesses of Equestria on alert if they found out a pony was using them. It wasn't without reason. These were: The Memory Stone, an inferior copy she had bought at an auction. The Imagination Stone, which she had stolen from a museum during her teenage years. The Visions Stone, handed down by the only pony she had ever respected and admired in her life. When these three magical objects were combined, they had the power to reveal the near future with an accuracy of 95% and the distant future with 50%. The future wasn't set in stone, but Magi knew where it would be written. So, slowly, with much effort and practice, she mastered the power of the three stones, gaining an overwhelming advantage over others. Always one step ahead, she built the commercial empire of which she was so proud. Her confidence grew so great that it turned into arrogance. At one point, she stopped using the stones and simply allowed her inner voice to guide her pace, believing that her luck had always been there. She only resorted to these items on occasional doubts or emergencies. That had been the case until today. When the vision of the future shown to her by the stones made even her last feather tremble with terror. It was just a blank image, nothing more. Magi couldn't accept it, and she wouldn't accept it. Because that image, which she had seen before in her dark past, meant only one thing. Her life would end that day. Desperately, she used all her abilities to see other possible scenarios, but the result was always the same. Only one among the infinite possibilities gave her a remote and improbable chance to prolong her fate. However, the image shown in that vision puzzled her. In this image was Fluttershy, the princess's friend, holding a striking rosary of colored gems. She didn't understand it at that moment, but later, while invisibly lurking around the train, she accidentally saw Twilight handing the same rosary to Fluttershy. Everything became clear to her at that moment. She had to take those crystals; her life depended on it. So, she carefully plotted each step to reach them. She deceived the princess's friends into completing the gems. She captured Fluttershy and locked her in the cleaning closet of the medical wagon. Then she took on the appearance of the pegasus and got close enough to her friends to finally seize the crystals. And all of this just before the enemy caught up with them. For this reason, Magi cried tears of joy when she reached the lake's shore. Once again, she had defied destiny. She felt like she had been reborn. The fears that had haunted her all afternoon had faded, and her arrogance was once again taking control of her thoughts. ("Haaa... They really gave me a hard time, but now Magi is back.") she thought as she looked at the lake's interior with satisfaction and wiped her tears away with her wings. She still maintained the appearance of Fluttershy and remained invisible thanks to one of her magical artifacts. In the lake, the situation hadn't changed. Her spy birds hadn't reported any changes either. Despite her growing confidence, something bothered Magi. The Knights of the Order... ("They must have noticed the reflection of the wagon on the water... and to think they noticed it with this light...") Magi cast a glance at the oval-shaped sky above her. It was a sky filled with white light coming from all directions; there was no trace of the sun in it. The shadow it cast on the trees and rocks was diffuse. Nevertheless, the reflection in the water was sharp enough to notice objects near its surface. This natural illusion had caused her camouflage of the medical wagon, where the ponies had taken refuge, to fail. Of course, Magi was aware of this mistake, but she didn't have any magical artifact that could make an object as large as the wagon invisible and ensure its complete camouflage. She had no choice but to rely on the princess's friends and pray to her lucky star that they wouldn't be found before her. ("Well ... I've had enough of these guys. I can imagine what they intend to do, so it's best to keep a low profile until they finish their agenda.") Magi wasn't naive. Capturing or destroying the princess and her friends was the first step for the Knights of the Order. Then they would attack the capital, the rest of Equestria, and the other kingdoms. This was a special operation aimed at eliminating potential threats to that mysterious realm to which they belonged. She had considered negotiating with them, but her instincts told her it would be a bad idea. She knew too little, which was dangerous. If they had invested so much time in planning their attack, they probably wouldn't change their plans even if favorable factors emerged. Another concern was the mystery behind the identity of the child working with the Knights. However, for Magi, that didn't matter as much anymore. The previous explosion she had prepared had likely eliminated or injured one of the Knights, and now the rest of her comrades must be confused or reevaluating their plans. The lack of an immediate response reinforced this idea. This was an opportunity she had to take to escape completely from that place. A gentle breeze caressed the lake. Magi convinced herself that there was no more danger, turned around, and continued her confident and unhurried journey. ---------------------------------- A light burst on one of the shores of the lake. Magazin Doublereport had disappeared into the white glare without even knowing what had happened to her. ---------------------------------- "Good job, Ceridwen," Balor communicated mentally with her friend. "That was perfect. The Grand Sub-Leader Mannah is so impressed with your performance that he's leaking." "Give me the coordinates of the princess, Balor," Ceridwen replied tersely on the lake shore. Despite the time they had worked together, she still didn't like the occasional sarcastic remarks her friend made during missions. "Heh, heh, okay. But first, send me those crystals through the secondary object delivery channel. I need to inspect them personally." "Uhmm..." Ceridwen knew that this channel didn't pass through Mannah's filter, so it could be considered a breach of his authority. "Fine... but is the sub-leader in agreement?" Ceridwen asked with suspicion. "Of course." Without further delay, Ceridwen sent the rosary of crystals belonging to Twilight and her friends to Balor in a simple burst of light.