Day 354-Doubt
We were summoned to the Round Room for an important meeting, and everyone was in attendance, except for Solaris, whom Discord let go yesterday. We all turned our attention to Vanitas.
"Solairs has disappeared again," he announced. This news was, of course, nothing new, considering that Discord and King Sombra told me just yesterday.
"Like, don't you even know where she ran off to?" asked Diamond Tiara.
"'It,' not 'she.' Solaris is only a Replica...a puppet." My horn glowed as he said puppet, but I kept my emotions bottled, considering the dire consequences I'd be given if I were to attack our leader.
"A puppet?" asked Trixie. "You mean somepony made her?"
"The Replica Program used to be one of the projects of the original incarnation of the Organization," said King Sombra.
"What's the Replica Program?" asked Prince Blueblood.
"The goal was to replicate the memories of the Element of Magic," Vanitas explained. "And through them, her powers--thus making them our own. It was originally overseen by our original Number IV, Vexen. However, the previous efforts were complicated by his tragic demise. And our current Repica--the one we call Solaris--came to have an identity of her own."
"That caught us off guard," the Queen continued. "If that happened before, no one at the original second base, Castle Oblivion, ever reported this."
"Luckily, the puppet has no way to leave our plans now, even if she's able to pull her own strings. However, she knows too much. We must shorten the leash...and maybe tighten it." I suddenly grew worried by what he meant by that, and what he said was true, and was wrong to not believe Discord, especially now that Vanitas has turned to face him. "Discord, seeing as to how she escaped on your watch, you shall be the one to find her and bring her back. I'm cool with looking at any damages possible. Just make sure she's functioning upon return. Dismissed." With that, he used a Corridor of Darkness to teleport out of the Round Room.
"Oh, this is better than those blank flanks at Ponyville," said Diamond Tiara, before she left as well.
"I was talking to a puppet all this time?" asked the Prince. "Rather uncouth of me." He left.
"No way we'll scrap the project now," said the King, before he left.
"A puppet would never compete with the authenticity of the Great and Powerful Trixie," she said when she left. All that were left now were me, Discord, and Chrysalis.
"Discord," she said. "The orders are absolute." With that, Discord took his leave, leaving me to ponder over what Vanitas just said about Solaris is true. Is she really a puppet and not a true member of the Organization? As I thought about this, the Queen turned to me. "Why are you still here, Moondancer? You have an important mission to do today."
"Solaris is one of us," I finally said, unable to keep my feelings in anymore. I hoped my feelings of sympathy would finally get Chrysalis to get on my side, but she laughed it off.
"You honestly believe that a puppet could be one of us? Count the thrones, all of them." I did, and all I counted all thirteen with no fourteenth throne for Solaris. "No member has been ranked Number XIV. Never has, and never will." Her statement and her departure made me realize that there is no safe haven here anymore. When I teleported to the Grey Area, Discord was about to step through a Corridor of Darkness when I stopped him.
"Discord, wait!" I said. "I'm afraid Solaris isn't safe anymore. But, you're not gonna do what Vanitas said, are you?"
"I've gotta," Discord admitted. "Or I'm not safe either."
"Can you at not harm her?"
"That's her decision to make. Moondancer...Solaris is dangerous." Here we go again.
"Why is she dangerous?
"Have you regained your strength?"
"Not really..." I still have muscle aches and I get tired after I'm done with missions, but another thought crossed my mind. "How long have you known about Solaris?" He didn't respond as he turned his back on me, causing me to think the worst about him. "You've known all this time but didn't tell me?" He didn't answer that as well as he left for his search for Solaris. Why won't he tell me the truth if he's my best friend?
***
My mission was to place a special device within the center of the volcano in Jasper, Nevada. I traveled through the dark metal hallways and made to the center room containing the two metal spires and put the device between them, the device opening and activating on it's own. As soon as I did, a pack of Heartless appeared and began to go after the device, but I was able to use my Keyblade to destroy them. After I did, thoughts started to come to my mind.
Why was I getting all worried over a device I don't even know what the Organization uses it for? But everything's a mystery to me. They even didn't tell me the truth about Solaris from the start. But the biggest mystery is me--the foal who continues to do what she's told.
As I was leaving, I saw a huge metallic tower that reached as far as the atmosphere of this world and laser blasts attack the Autobot base, and I teleported inside to see what was going on inside.
"Ratchet, prepare to bridge everyone out of here," Optimus Prime told Ratchet.
"We're abandoning the base?" he asked in shock.
"The base is lost. Wheeljack and Agent Fowler can only buy us time to escape. Bumblebee, Rafael, you will depart first."
"You're splitting us up?" asked Raf.
"Shouldn't we stick together?" asked Jack.
"All for one and one for all?" asked Miko.
"We must disperse to avoid capture," said Optimus. "Only then will we reunite and launch a counterattack. Survival is our only option now." As I saw a tragic departure of Autobots and their human allies through the Ground Bridge, Ratchet and Optimus were the only ones to leave.
"What will you do?" asked Ratchet.
"I will ensure the Decepticons do not follow."
"I...never imagined it would end like this." With these words, he left through the Ground Bridge.
"Neither did I, old friend." As the Autobot leader turned to the controls for the Ground Bridge, I teleported out to a safe distance where I saw a laser weapon extend from a Decepticon ship and when enough energy was built, it fired upon the base, creating an explosion which when it subsided, reduced the base to rocks and twisted metal. This was the worst sight I've ever seen in my entire life, because when I was about to RTC to a peaceful home, that's when I started to think again.
Why was I even returning to the Castle? There's actually nothing good there. I mean, why should I continue working for them if they don't tell me what's going on? Wait, what am I even thinking about right now? It's not about them or Solaris. It's about me, whoever I am. It's like I'm the only pony who doesn't know. Don't I have anything at all? Any place I truly belong? Any friends...I still have? Solaris is gone again, and Discord wasn't able to stop her from leaving, losing my trust in me. All of this was too much for me as I began to cry. To ensure nopony looks at me, I put my hood over my head as I returned to the castle, concerned over the biggest mystery: Who am I?
***
Megatron and Starscream flew down to the remains of the Autobot base to inspect what's left of it.
"This is the place, all right," said Starscream.
"This was the place," Megatron noted.
"Yes. United we stand, divided they fall."
***
As Princess Celestia enter her private quarters, she saw a hooded mare inside. As she removed her hood, she never expect to see her again. What she saw was Nightmare Moon, the corrupted form of her sister, Princess Luna. She got into a defensive stance and was about to attack her until Nightmare Moon used her magic to create dark swirls all over her body reducing her height, restored the color of her coat to a darker shade of blue, and her armor fading away. At this, the Princess of the Day couldn't help but hug her sister in relief.
"Oh, sister!" said Celestia. "Why were you like that?"
"I was training to control my Nightmare Moon form--while we wait for Twilight Sparkle to complete the spell," Luna explained.
"I'm sorry, but don't scare me like that again. You nearly made me attack you, like before." She didn't have to elaborate what she did to Luna a thousand years ago.
"Don't worry about it. Ever since the Elements of Harmony banished the darkness from my heart, I can turn into Nightmare Moon and still keep the light within my heart."
"That's good, but you said Twilight isn't finished with the spell...is there more?"
"Yes, there's a reason we haven't seen Vanitas since our final battle against him--and it's not because we've weakened his strength. What he did before wasn't just to launch another invasion of Heartless upon Equestria, they did it so another pony with Twilight's memories could be extracted for his own personal gain."
"But that means..."
"That's right. He wants Twilight's memories...which means Caelum isn't the only one observing Twilight's progress. And so long as he has Twilight's most precious memories--the ones of her friends--I'm afraid she may never complete the spell."
"Luna, there must be some way I can help out. I can just go and find this pony."
"I'm already on it, Celestia. But maybe you can do something for me?
"What is it, sister?"
"I'm about to face one of Vanitas' Organization members soon. I may not make it through this battle. But if I do, it may be due to fact that I saved myself with the very form Xehanort gave me all those years ago. This means you'll be the only one who shall be there for Twilight Sparkle--the only one who can help her when she reaches her destiny." With this horrifying knowledge, Celestia held her sister tighter.
"Luna, don't say such things."
"Sister, promise me this, at least until I find the pony. You must be there for your most faithful student." After pondering this heartbreaking decision, she decided she must be there for the unicorn when she reaches her true destiny.
"I promise, Luna."