//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Preparations and a Strange Prophecy // Story: Harmony Arisen // by Panoramic Toast //------------------------------// Chapter 10: Preparations and a Strange Prophecy “I’m still not used to this new office,” Rarity complained as she leaned back, gulping down wine. “It’s not easy, but think of how easy it’ll be to collaborate with the other nations now that we’re located at the central camp!” Time Turner said with a hint of enthusiasm. Sometime after the attack on East Lunaria, the three united nations: Lunaria, Solaria, and Britannia had decided that it would be best to build a central headquarters for the sake of collaboration and cooperation on the war effort. The holy trinity, as they had been dubbed, decided that it would be best to build the new offices of the central headquarters within Camp Unita, their most guarded and valued camp. The camp itself had been created for the sake of unity among nations so it made sense to build the site of this newfounded international sense of cooperation within Camp Unita. Unfortunately, this change meant several things for Rarity and Time Turner. First, they would have to move and set up housing near the camp. The other representatives from foreign countries had been accommodated as well, many living within the embassy nearby. Rarity had been offered the opportunity, but decided that she’d much rather live in her own home. On top of the regular stress of war time duties, she still had to tend to her official capacities as Prime Minister of Britannia. The change was much easier for Time Turner, who seemed rather used to the idea of moving. Rarity had tried to pry information about Time Turner’s personal life quite frequently, but he never budged. “I liked everything the way it was! I had a beautiful outside view, a dress shop right down the street, and a decent sized wardrobe,” Rarity huffed, leaning forward in her chair. “The one here barely holds a third of my collection.” Rarity let out another sigh as she leaned her head forward, barely raised by a single hoof that rested her rickety wooden desk, “Anyway, have you made any progress in analyzing the wreckage recovered from the destroyed ravagers?” “Yes, as we expected, they’re using red crystals as a power source. However, if we can find out what makes the ravagers tick, we can recreate the process,” Time turner said, adjusting his glasses. “Meaning that we can make our own version of the ravagers?” “Precisely,” Time Turner nodded, “the only problem is that the red crystals have a naturally higher ability to store magic. Unfortunately, red crystals are only found in Germaneigh. The only other option we have is to try and amp up our power source with our current supply of crystals and gemstones. If we amp up the power, then we can try and redirect the power to match the internal structure of the ravager.” “Will we be able to replicate the big laser thingy?” Rarity asked with a straight face. “Yes, er....the laser thingy....” Time Turner cringed at her vocabulary, “we’ve been able to deduce that the laser is simply a highly concentrated beam of magic. Normally, a single blast of it would deplete the entire airship’s reserves. Just trying to replicate it on the battlefield required several unicorns and an unnecessary amount of time.” Time Turner paced around the room, looking in various directions as if searching for inspiration. “Oh yes!” he shouted, “Perhaps if we can find a way to combine the steam engines used in our current ships along with the crystals, we can create a system that will allow us to run the ships with two different functions. The steam engine will power all basic functions such as flight, while the crystals will power all offensive and defensive functions. The only problems is trying to control the redirection of power.” “Well, perhaps-” Rarity’s sentence was cut short by Pencil Pusher pushing open the door. Rarity turned with a look of annoyance, “Pencil Pusher, how many time have we been over this? It’s rude to barge in. Please knock next time.” Pencil Pusher jumped back at the reprimanding and adjusted his tie, one his nervous habits. “I’m very sorry, Madame Rarity, but the representative from the Lunar Republic is here!” Rarity’s demeanor immediately changed as she exclaimed, “Excellent! Just a moment.” She quickly levitated the small vanity mirror on her desk and began adjusting her mane and checking for any physical imperfections. “What’s taking so long!” a tomboyish voice shouted from behind Pencil Pusher. “I-I’m sorry Miss Rainbow Dash, but Madame Rarity has to make sure that she looks her best for-” Pencil Pusher said before Rainbow Dash pushed past him and entered the room. “Goddesses, that ride was unbearable! First, it takes a week for us to get to Britannia, then my dumbass driver didn’t get the memo that you had moved to Camp Unita! Then, I have to bypass all this security mumbo jumbo just to get into Poninburg and past the Camp Unita security!” Rainbow Dash shouted to nopony in particular, “Anyway, which one of you is the prime minister?” Rarity stared at her with a look of shock. She had just barged into her office with no prior warning without even addressing her properly! Rarity bore a scowl as she responded, “I am Madam Rarity, Prime Minister of the great nation of Britannia! I apologize for the inconvenience, but you simply can't just barge in here like that!” “Oh right. I suppose that I should introduce myself,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug, “I am Major Rainbow Dash of the Lunar Republic, and I was told that I’d be a representative from my country while we work together. I don't know. Hopefully, they'll be sending someone else here soon. And who exactly is this?” she asked pointing a hoof to Time Turner. “Hello!” Time Turner said, adjusting his glasses, “I’m Time Turner!” Rainbow Dash looked at him for a second and began examining his cutie mark. “Time Turner and an hourglass cutie mark. What are you, some kind of time traveler?” “Why does everypony ask that!” Time Turner shouted with annoyance. “No! I am a historian with a knowledge of strategy and tactics.” “Interesting,”  Rainbow Dash said half-heartedly, “Anyway, as much as I’d love to sit around and play politician, I have a problem that needs to be solved.” “I resent that,” Rarity said with an ever growing look of annoyance on her face. “Of course you do," Rainbow Dash said dismissively. "Anyway, Germaneigh’s taken Pegasicillia, Grandallia, and Levintrot, as I’m sure you already know. All the while, Neighpon's attacking our coastlines. We need to strike back and get these bastards out of my home!” “Well Miss R-” “Major!” Rainbow Dash corrected her. “That is a title that I fought for and earned!” “Major Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said with an eye roll, “I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to stop them. Time Turner and I were just discussing ways to combat their technological advantage over us.” “Wow, a Britannian actually doing something productive, “ Rainbow dash said under her breath. “What was that?” Rainbow Dash said, glaring daggers at Rainbow Dash. “Oh nothing!” she said with an innocent smile. “Anyway, where the hay is Solaria? I thought they were sending the king, his daughter, and Princess Cadence over.” “Yes,” Rarity said while rubbing the back of her neck, “they...are supposed to, but she’s been caught up with some internal affairs issues in Solaria. They said they’d be sending her over as soon as possible. As one of the three possible heirs to the throne, she's having to deal with the preparations in the event that she is chosen as are the rest of the three.” “As soon as possible!” Rainbow Dash repeated in disbelief. “The nerve of those Solarians! This megalomaniac dictator is trying to take over the world, and they’re worried about ‘internal affairs’ and royal drama? Whatever, we’ll just start planning without them.” “Very well,” Rarity said in an attempt to break the tension in the room, “Anyway, we’ve bee-” “Madam!” General Trot shouted as he walked past Pencil Pusher, who just stood awkwardly in front of the door. “Madam, I apologize for being late. Anyway, we’ve received word of the enemy’s movements. I just finished briefing the other commanding officers." On General Trot's back was a small map. General Trot stood in front of the wooden table in the room and placed the map on it. All three of four of them gathered around the table and watched as General Trot pointed his hoof at the map. The entire map was a detailed map of all territories governed by the Eastern Lunar Republic. The map contained various routes and a layout of the different levels of elevations. “Here,” he said, pointing to Pegasicillia and dragging his hoof directly to the right, “is where we had predicted that Germaneigh was heading. This is the quickest and shortest route to the capital, and it would make the most sense if they were trying to take over the country.” They all nodded as he moved his hoof back to Pegasicillia. “However, after taking Pegasicillia and setting up camp, Germaneigh has began gathering an unusually high number of troops in this area,” he said, moving his hoof just southeast of Pegasicillia. Trot pointed his lower lower and along the coastline. "Neighpon has been attacking along these areas, along the coastline and heading west." “This is most unusual and makes no sense, given their positions. With a combined attack, it would be quite easy to organize a joint attack on the capital from their current positions. The only conclusion that we can draw is that they’re both heading here,” he said pointing to a city labeled “New Cloudsdale”. It was towards the edge of the map, bordering the ocean. “This city holds no apparent advantage or key resources. We cannot see a reason why they would bother with such an unusual location.” “Perhaps there’s something that the city has that we aren’t aware of,” Time Turner said, turning his gaze towards Rainbow Dash. “Don’t look at me!” she said defensively, “I’m just as confused as you are.” Anyway,perhaps Germaneigh’s looking for something very particular, “Time Turner said, adjusting his glasses. “That seems to be the case. However, the city has a population of over one million. We cannot let it fall into German hooves,” General Trot finished. “We’re close to the sea. That definitely could prove to be a key advantage for us,” Time Turner added. General Trot nodded. “Precisely what I was thinking. Given their current position and the pace of their movement, it should take them around two weeks to reach the city. This gives us plenty of time to prepare.” “Very good,” Rarity nodded. "Wait a minute," Rainbow Dash interrupted. "I want to go. It's my country, and I want to fight them." General Trot nodded. "I expected as much. Our forces could use an excellent soldier such as yourself. Don't worry, Lieutenant-General Fleetfoot should be arriving soon to fill in for you. I can have your housing arranged within the camp so that you’ll be deployed along with the forces within Camp Unita. Also, given your rank and experience, I'll supply a team under your command." Rainbow Dash gave an approving nod. "Thank you," she simply said. “Yes, we will begin preparations first thing in the morning. However, I believe that we could all use some rest,” General Trot said to the three ponies gathered before him. They all began nodding, including Rainbow Dash, who let out an audible yawn. As they all began packing their things, Rarity turned to Time Turner. “Time Turner, I was wondering....if you’re not too busy....would you mind walking with me to my house?” “Umm....” Time Turner mumbled, “sure! I guess that wouldn’t be too much trouble.” “Excellent!” Rarity said with a smile as she grabbed her hat and reached in her wardrobe for a shiny, velvet dress with sapphires lining the edges as well as her silver pendant that bore the sun and moon. After several minutes of nitpicking over her dress, they finally left. They now stood outside the offices of the Allied headquarters, and began to make their way out of Camp Unita. It was a relatively simple walk. First, they had to walk past the numerous recruits and soldiers that were out training and make their way to the steel wall which encased the camp. The wall was over five stories in height and about ten feet thick. At the top of the wall was the usual line of guards and soldiers that kept watch of the camp. There was always someone guarding the wall in case of an enemy attack on the camp. The only area not enclosed was the dock. For the dock, they had a line of ships that on constant patrol. In addition to that, in the mountains surrounding the dock is where Britannia hid Aryes, Britannia’s flagship. It was truly an impenetrable fortress. When they got closer to the wall, they stood in front of a large metal door and were approached by an earth pony in a yellow military vest. “Identification,” he said authoritatively. Both Time Turner and Rarity reached in their saddle bags and pulled out a sheet of papers that contained their personal information which included date of birth, country of origin, and security clearances. After a brief examination, the earth pony returned their paper and approached a blue lever. The earth pony pulled the lever, causing the steel door to raise. With that, the two parted the camp and into the surrounding town. As they were leaving, they ran across a very familiar white stallion. “Madam Prime Minister!” Shining Armor exclaimed, pulling himself into a salute. “Oh relax darling!” Rarity said with a casual wave of her hoof, “We’re just leaving, and I wanted to say hi.” “Oh,” Shining Armor said, pulling his hoof down, “Um...hi Madam Rarity. It’s nice to see you.” “And it is nice to see you, Shining Armor,” she said with a sincere smile, now turning her gaze to the tavern just behind him. “Having a late night drink are we?” she said with a smirk. “I always love a good afterwork drink of wine to calm the nerves.” “Well actually, I was just speaking with one of my new teammates.” “Interesting. Tell me more about these teammates. I imagine that it takes a special kind of unicorn to pique your interest.” “Yes. Well, there are two that I’ve just recruited; both of them Solarian, and both of them are excellent magic users. Although they’re relatively matched in terms of skill, something about this one has drawn my interest. I feel something...strangely familiar about her.” he said. “Whatever do you mean?” Rarity asked. “I’m not sure. All I know is that I trust her, and I feel like she has the potential to make an excellent soldier. I’m afraid she might end up surpassing me!” he added with a chuckle. “Well, I’m sure it won’t be anytime soon. Anyway, Time Turner and I must be going. It was marvelous to see you again,” she said with a wave. Time Turner added a casual wave and walked away with Rarity, who was unable to see Shining Armor nervously waving goodbye as he stumbled backwards. The two passed the tavern and entered the streets of Poninburg. Poninburg was a small town located on the far southwestern region of Britannia. Out of all the possible locations that were considered for a united camp, Poninburg stood out due to the open terrain and unused land as well as the small town nearby, meaning less focus on civilian protection in the unlikely event of an enemy invasion. The low population was especially evident as Rarity and Time Turner walked along the sidewalks of the town, not a single carriage or automobile in sight. "It’s very quiet,” Rarity noted as she looked around the vacant streets. “It’s pretty late. I imagine most ponies are in bed or spending time with their families around this time,” Time Turner responded. Rarity groaned, “Don’t talk to me about family, please.” “Oh?” Time Turner said this a grin, “Relatives in town?” “Yes,” Rarity said with a sigh, “After the Battle of Britannia, I wanted to have them closer so that I could keep them safe. Due to recent events, I had them move in with me into the house where I’m living. It’s large enough to accommodate all of us, but still, it can be quite an ordeal. My little sister just goes on and on about getting her cutie mark, and my parents are just very......interesting ponies.” “Say, Rarity. You’ve never told me anything your family besides your little sister. Tell me about them.” Rarity smiled, “Actually, you’ve already met one of them.” “Really?” Time Turner said with a puzzled look, “Who?” “General Trot, of course!” Rarity beamed. “He’s my uncle. Time Turner nearly stopped in his tracks, but continued walking when he noticed Rarity’s laugh at his reaction. “I-I had no idea your family had a military history.” “Funny you should mention that. My dad was actually a colonel before he retired to spend time with my family. He and my uncle fought side by side during the last war with Germaneigh and Lunaria. After the war, he retired and settled down to help raise Sweetie Belle. I was not so lucky. When I was growing up, my father was always gloating about the military and how I should be ready to fight if needed. He and my uncle helped train me in the art of swordsmanship from a very young age.” “Wow, you’re a swordsman? You’ll have to show me that sometime!” Time Turner said with a chuckle. “Sadly, I doubt I’d be much good anymore. After the war, I left home to pursue my dreams of being a designer. I haven’t touched a blade since. I doubt that a politician has need of a blade. Speaking of, there was something that I’ve been meaning to ask you.” “What’s that?” Time Turner asked. Rarity bit her lip, carefully repeating the question in her head and trying to phrase the words as best she could. If she could get an answer or at least some emotional response, perhaps she could learn more about this strange stallion. “Were you a soldier at some point in your life?” Rarity asked, carefully observing his face for a reaction. Time Turner’s normally playful expression shifted to a more somber tone. His mouth bore a serious frown and his eyes focused coldly in the distance. Even his pace dramatically slowed down, as if he was being pushed back by his thoughts.” “Yes,” Time Turner said, maintaining that frightened look on his face, “I was. I’m sorry Rarity, but I’d prefer not to discuss it.” Rarity stopped in front of Time Turner and gently placed a hoof on his shoulder, instantly snapping him away from his thoughts. “It’s okay, dear. I’m sorry if I brought up any unwanted memories. We were having such a pleasant walk. I don’t want to ruin it,” Rarity said with a sincere smile on her face. Those peaceful blue eyes seemed to calm his nerves almost instantly as all his worries washed away. Time Turner took a deep breath and smiled. “It’s okay Rarity. It’s just...there are some secrets that I’d just rather not discuss. Now come on, you’ve never told me about you life as a designer. I’m curious, did you meet any famous ponies?” Rarity’s face instantly lit up. “Did I! I can’t believe I never told you about the time that I met Sapphire Shores!” After a short while of joking and chatting, Rarity stopped in front of large two story house, painted a shade of mahogany. It was a rather well designed house, as expected from a government official’s designated residence, especially with Rarity’s discerning eye. “Here we ar-” Rarity said before being cut off by a loud child-like yell. “I just know that I’ll get my cutie mark in hang gliding!” “Sweetie Belle, please not in the-” Crash! “Never mind.” Time Turner began laughing along with Rarity. Rarity smiled and turned to Time Turner. “It’s been a pleasant walk. Thank you very much for walking me to my house.” “Oh, it’s no problem! Besides, I imagine it’d be pretty unnerving for such an important figure to be wandering the streets alone at night..” “That wouldn’t have been a problem, actually. You see, we’ve been followed by my government security all night! Plus, they placed a protective enchantment on my  dress. If I were to suddenly feel threatened, a protective barrier would activate and my guards would spring into action!” Rarity said with the brightest smile on her face, oblivious to the shock that overcame Time Turner. “So.....” Time Turner said with a look of confusion and bewilderment, “they've been watching us....this whole time.” “Oh, don’t worry, dear,” she said with a wave of her hoof, “they don’t care. I really did just want to have a walk with you!” Time Turner seemed to relax more as she explained. “I guess I understand, still.....I hate being watched.” “Well, I had a pleasant walk. Goodnight Time Turner,” Rarity smiled. Before Time Turner could react, Rarity leaned forward and gently kissed his right cheek. Instantly, Time Turner felt his thoughts scatter as a blush formed across his face. Rarity could barely suppress her laughter from Time Turner’s reaction and simply smiled and waved goodbye. It was later that night, that Rarity finally made her way to bed, tossing and turning about  in attempt to get some well deserved rest. Thoughts rang through her mind in clustered mess. She thought about the war, about her family, about Time Turner and his mysterious nature. It was all a blur in her mind. As she was about to drift away into sleep, she began hearing a faint humming. The sound blossomed into the full and crisp voice of a female singer. It sounded....somehow familiar to her. One week later “Sidestep!” “Counter!” “You can never let your enemy dictate the battle! Always maintain control!” Shining Armor shouted as his blade caught blocked a swing from Twilight Sparkle’s own. The blades had been dulled to reduce any chances of fatality. Even with this safety precaution, they maintained the mindset of battle as they fiercely swung their telekinetically wielded blades against one another. There was no room for mistakes on the battlefield, and they intended not to make a habit of it. Upon hearing hoofsteps to his right, he quickly shot a telekinetic blast that pushed away Twilight so that he could focus on his other opponent. Star Dust took advantage of Shining Armor’s swing and quickly teleported to his side. Sparks flew as Shining Armor’s blade clashed with Star Dust’s own. Star Dust swung her right foreleg wildly at Shining Armor, who strafed to the side. He quickly twisted his body and delivered a powerful kick from his hind legs to her ribcage with just enough force to not shatter them. The resulting blow knocked Star Dust away, and freed her blade from it’s telekinetic grasp. Shining Armor looked over Star Dust and lectured, “Star Dust, never let an enemy’s attack break your concentration. You must always maintain a magical hold over your blade. Also-” “Aaaaah!” Twilight Sparkle shouted as she levitated hundreds of rocks into the air and tossed them in Shining Armor’s direction. Shining Armor brought his blade to his front and positioned it vertically. As each of the rock’s were about to make impact,  bright splotches of magenta appeared around Shining Armor causing each of the rocks to bounce off harmlessly. “Simple yet effective diversion, Twilight,” Shining Armor complemented while nodded his head, “however, it helps if you can actually conceal yourself.” Amidst the rocks that she was throwing against Shining Armor’s shield, Twilight Sparkle appeared, obscured by the dust and granite that floated through the air. Shining Armor galloped forward, blasting through the rocks and vertically sliced through Twilight Sparkle. There was no blood. The blade simply cut through her, like fog. Shining Armor laughed as he turned around to face the real Twilight. “Very clever, Twiley. However, you need to be a little less transparent next time.” Gathering magical energy into his right hoof, Shining Armor punched in Twilight’s direction. A powerful force rippled through the air; the power of his own magic was infused within a single punch. The resulting attack knocked Twilight against the ground. Struggling, Twilight made her way to her hooves and was joined by Star Dust. Both of there were bruised and had several cuts throughout their body. the most prominent was a large gash along Twilight's sides as a result of her sudden collision with the ground only moments ago. “Good job, I think that’s good enough for today,” Shining Armor said as he wiped the sweat from his brow,  “Besides, I have some news.” “News?” they both asked in confusion. “Yes. As you’ve probably heard, Germaneigh and Neighpon are heading further and further into Lunarian territory. The alliance is planning to put a stop to their plans, and they intend to set up a blockade around their destination: New Cloudsdale. We will be manning the front lines. You will have one week to prepare and gain as much from my instruction as you can. Can you handle that?” “Yes sir!” they both said with a salute. “Good,” Shining Armor smiled, “now get some rest. Tomorrow morning, you’ll be training with the rest of our team.” With a final salute, the two headed to the mess hall before finally arriving at their barracks.  Once she got there, she pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. Diligently, she began writing her letter to Spike and her mother. Ever since she had been sent to Camp Unita, she had began sending letters back home once a week after her mother had sent her a letter scolding her for not writing enough. “Love, Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight wrote as she rolled up the letter and placed it in her satchel. She was about to begin her late night reading when she noticed Big Macintosh in the corner, staring at the window by his bed. It was dark outside, but one could still see the moon obscured by rain clouds in the distance. It was getting late and soon enough the other unicorns had made it back. All of them were chatting with each other happily; all of them except Big Macintosh. She took and moment and stared at him. Star Dust said that he’s getting deployed as well. Still, what could be bothering him so much? He had always been by himself, never saying more than “eeyup”, “nope”, or other simple replies. She had tried to learn more about the mysterious stallion, but found out little except that he was a Ponish refuge. Whatever horrors haunted his mind, he would not say, but it was clearly etched across his face: fear. Of what, Twilight couldn't say. It doesn't matter anyway, she thought. I need to focus on my training. Her body and mind were far too sore for another night practice, she was sad to admit. Even Star Dust, who laid in the bed beside her, had opted to spend the night buried in her books. The mind is just as important to train as the body, Shining Armor had told the two of them on one particular night. Twilight reached in her satchel and pulled out a set of tomes. Diligently, she scanned page after page, absorbing the knowledge encapsulated within. Together, the two of them studied for several hours until the lights had dimmed, leaving only the light of their horns. Twilight leaned over, curiously. “What are you reading?” Twilight whispered across the room. Star Dust chuckled and turned to face Twilight. “A little noisy of you, but all right,” she said, “I’m reading about Star Swirl the Bearded.  They say right before he died, he gave one final prophecy.” “What was it?” Twilight asked, intrigued. Twilight Sparkle prided herself in her knowledge of historical figures and was silently cursing herself for not having heard it. Star Dust picked up the book and pointed to the passage in question. “When the world is stained with the blood of thy friends and family and the world thrown into chaos, they will meet in the eye of the storm. It is they who shall awake the fallen, and it is they who shall bathe the world in light once more. There shall be a spark, and with that spark the world shall stand anew, harmony arisen.” “What do you think it mean?” Twilight asked. “No clue,” Star Dust said, closing the book, “sounds familiar though, doesn’t it? The world in chaos and stained with blood. I’m guessing that Star Swirl was awaiting some mythic hero to bring about world peace. Maybe, he was talking about me,” Star Dust joked. "Anyway, it's getting late. You should try and get some sleep." dimmed her horn, coating the room in darkness. Twilight dimmed her own horn. “Yeah,” Twilight said with a soft laugh, “I can’t wait to return home. I bet my mom’s at wits end trying to manage the library without me. I doubt Spike’s handling it too much better. He’s probably whining to her now about how he doesn’t get enough sleep while she’s telling him to get up and get to work.” Twilight stopped for a second to hear snoring from beside her. Star Dust lay, scrambling in her bed sheets. Twilight laughed and said to herself, “I guess it’s about to for me to go to bed too.” Twilight laid her head into her pillow and let out a deep breath. It had been a long day, and she was hoping for some sleep. Slowly, time ceased to exist and the conscious world faded before Twilight Sparkle. There was a bright flash of light. Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes and could no longer see the beds or walls of the barracks. She was in a strange place coated entirely in white. “Where am I?” Twilight asked to nopony in particular. Her voice echoed throughout the void, and she began walking through this strange nothingness when she spotted a strange figure in the distance. It was the silhouette of a pegasus pony. Twilight squinted to see the pony staring back at her. It was clear to her now, her long flowing mane and angelic wings; it was the same pony as before, the one who guided her out of the burning building that day. “Hey!” Twilight shouted to the pegasus. The pegasus stood for a moment before galloping off. “Wait!” Twilight shouted, extending her hoof. Twilight took off in pursuit of the pegasus and was beginning to lost track of her when she noticed a strange building in the distance. Without warning, the pegasus vanished, leaving Twilight standing in confusion. She quickly turned her attention to the building in the distance. It looked like an old church, small and aged. The windows were cracked and dirty and had vines growing out from them, covering the walls of the church. The wood around it was chipped and white paint was chipping of all sides of the building. It had two metal statues on the roof: Luna and Celestia, the goddesses of old. The strange appearance of the church was no longer what was bothering Twilight, It was now the muffled music coming from within the building. It was painfully recognizable to Twilight by now. It was the same melody that she had heard on the night of the fire; the same melody that haunted her dreams. Somehow, this was different. It was somehow.....entrancing. It drew Twilight closer and closer to the church until finally, she pushed open it’s wooden doors. When she entered, the music stopped. It seemed like a regular bi-theistic church. On all sides, by the doors, there were rows of pews coated with aged leather. On the sides, stained glass depicted scenes of both Princess Luna and Celestia in thier fight with the legendary tyrant, Discord, and of their subsequent rule. In the front of the church was a large altar surrounded on all sides by five ponies in red hooded cloaks. Twilight approached them and called out to them. They did not respond. Twilight walked cautiously up to the altar and stared at the five ponies, attempting to see their faces. Underneath their hoods, Twilight could only see a bright light forming the shape of a pony's face. As Twilight examined them, she could see their silhouettes forming different mane styles. “Who are you?” Twilight called out. The five silently faced Twilight and surrounded her from all sides. “Please, I don’t want any trouble,” Twilight whimpered. One of the five lowered her hood to reveal a long, heart shaped mane. Twilight gasped as the same pony that she had been chasing, now dressed in a red cloak, gently placed a hoof gently on her shoulder. Twilight shuddered before she felt a gentle warmth radiate throughout her body, causing her to relax and face the other four. The hooded pony released her hoof, pulled up her hood, and joined the others in front of Twilight. Together, they stood before Twilight as she asked them in the bravest voice she could muster, “Who are you? What is this place?” Together, they responded in a monotone voice, “We are the lambs guided by fate, and you are the sheppard, Twilight Sparkle.” “W-What?” Twilight muttered, “What do you mean? What’s going on?” Before they could respond, she felt herself enveloped in a distant coldness as the darkness began to consume the world around her. The five cloaked figures slowly vanished as they were devoured by the darkness. Twilight Sparkle could feel her body growing numb as she stood in pitch black. She wanted to scream. She wanted to escape. The only sound that could be heard was that infernal song that now blasted in her eardrums. Silence, then nothing. Twilight Sparkle awoke, covered in sweat and gasping for air. She looked around to see the room illuminated by moonlight. She could see her fellow soldiers peacefully sleeping. Twilight Sparkle laid back in her bed and looked to Star Dust’s side where she could faintly see her book. What did Star Swirl mean?