On the walls of Canterlot Castle, griffons and pegasi kept close watch on their surroundings. Their eyes were glued to the city below them, determined to keep out any who might threaten their new leaders. They scoured the skies, they observed the streets, they peered at rooftops. Anypony watching from beyond would see them and think there was a whole army waiting within. It would have been a good bluff.
Unfortunately for them, they did not know that one of their former leaders had been freed. There was no reason to watch the castle itself, so when the moon glistened and flashed a beam of light into the courtyard, signifying that somepony was returning to the castle from above, not a single one of them paid it any mind. When the light faded there were six ponies standing in the courtyard.
Upper Crust’s eyes widened as she came to recognize their surroundings. “Wasn’t she supposed to put us in the gardens?” she asked, her whisper filled with horror.
“Hey, she did good,” Nye pointed out. “Have you any idea how hard it is to aim with that kind of precision from the moon?”
“I think Luna’s had a lot more practice than you,” Jimmy pointed out anxiously.
“Stop yapping and start moving,” Fine hissed, darting into the shadows of the castle with surprising swiftness. They all followed, relieved that nopony spotted them.
Once they were all concealed within the shadows – somewhat – they gathered in a circle. “Alright,” Fine whispered with sharp eyes, “everyone knows what they’re supposed to do, right?”
They all nodded, and Upper Crust and Octavia moved to stand close to him.
“Okay guys,” he announced, “this is it. This is the whole reason we were brought together. Let’s make Luna proud, shall we? Jimmy.” The elder stone raised his head attentively. “When the going gets tough, the tough start listening.”
Jimmy tilted his head, confusion plastered on his face. “Umm… okay?”
“Just remember it,” Fine said with utmost seriousness. “Nye: try to keep her from getting hurt. Please.”
Nye took on an expression similar to that of his brother’s. “Keep who from getting hurt?”
“It’s just a request,” Fine answered. “You’ll get it when the time comes. Jet?” Jet Set, who was eyeing his wife worriedly, turned to him. “If my knowledge of Archon’s methods are accurate, you’ll need to be cautious. Don’t rush.”
Jet was clearly nervous, but at least Fine’s advice wasn’t so cryptic in this case. “I’ll try to bear that in mind.”
“Good luck, you three,” Octavia offered.
“You too,” Nye said.
“Jet,” Upper Crust called, catching his fretting eye. “Don’t worry. The boys know what they’re doing, and so does Fine. It’ll turn out alright.”
Jet swallowed the lump in his throat before responding. “If you say so, Uppity. Just be careful, okay?”
“Don’t worry,” Octavia told him with a confident smile. “Your wife can be quite the fireball when she wants to be.”
At that he gained a small smile of his own. “I’m starting to realize that, myself.”
Fine, who’s face never slipped from its combat-ready firmness, said, “Luna will be starting soon. Let’s get to it.” Octavia and Upper Crust nodded their acceptance, and his horn began to glow. Black smoke arose seemingly from nowhere, covering the three of them… and they were gone.
Jet raised his hoof as the smoke cleared, as if to snatch his wife back.
“Come on,” Jimmy instructed, tapping the worried husband on the shoulder, “we’ve got our own work to do.”
Flying over the fields and forests north of Canterlot was a brilliant carriage, lead by a pair of pegasi in gold armor. A small group of pegasi soldiers hovered about the vehicle, in which Celestia sat with a regal air. Carted behind them on a long chain was a cage. To the casual eye it would have seemed like a bird’s cage, but the alicorn held within was not singing. She lay shackled to the bottom bars, a metallic cone set upon her horn to prevent the use of magic. Cadance was a prisoner, but before long her situation would be much worse.
Canterlot was in view by now, and soon the victorious procession would be flying over the city. Its arrival in the castle would be the final nail in the coffin of everything that was Equestria, and as things stood there was no reason to believe anypony would attempt to stop them.
So when a dark blue beam abruptly shot down from the clouds, scarcely missing the carriage, it caught them all off guard.
Celestia issued the order, and most of her soldiers flew up into the clouds to meet the enemy, leaving only a trio of pegasi behind to watch over her. She eyed the clouds with suspicion as the soldiers disappeared within. Soon after the audience was dazzled by a display of flashes and thunderous crashes, followed by a long, tense silence.
The cloud parted, and the moon appeared. Luna descended, slow and majestic, to hover over the carriage. When Celestia saw that composed, commanding face and those crystal clear eyes her jaw dropped.
“Luna,” the Sun Princess stood, eyes wide with disbelief, “what are you doing?!”
“Fixing wrongs,” her sister announced, her voice firm. “Old and new. I will not let you return to Canterlot, sister.”
“Wrongs? What wrongs?” Celestia sat once more, waving a dismissing hoof. “Silma is waiting for me to deliver Cadance. Now is not the time for-“
Luna’s eyes flashed dangerously, another beam of energy flashing past Celestia’s carriage. “What wrongs?! Even as Silma’s slave, your words are too cruel. You know exactly what wrongs, and tonight they will be rectified!”
Celestia’s pursed her lips, hardly flinching at the warning shot as she glared up at her sister. The three soldiers closed around her protectively. “I am no slave, Luna. I have merely accepted my place. You should remember yours. If Silma learns that you are acting out against her in any way-“
“I have no interest in Silma,” Luna declared. “Tonight my grievance is with you.”
Celestia’s face grew harsh, her impatience clear in the tiny grimace she fought to conceal. “I do not know what this is about, but we are sisters. Let me deliver Cadance, and then we can discuss this properly. Silma should not be kept waiting.”
Luna’s head reared back to allow a haughty, regal expression. “You have already failed your precious Empress.” She gestured with a hoof, and Celestia raised a skeptical eyebrow. But the Sun Princess glanced back anyway… and was stunned to see Cadance’s cage gone, the chain that once held it dangling loosely in the open air.
Celestia sucked in a deep, furious breath, jerking about to glare venom at her sister. Luna only gazed back in judging silence. The former ruler of Equestria gained a vicious sneer, her entire body tensing. At last she let out a shout and ordered, “Find her! Do not let Cadance escape!”
Her guards obediently turned and darted to the land below. Celestia spreads her wings and took off, turning her attention on the carriage drivers. “You too!” They left the sisters alone in the dark sky. She flew up to match her sister’s elevation, eyes burning with anger. “You’ve taken this childish grudge too far, Luna. Silma will never-“
“Stop. Talking. About. Silma!” Luna scowled with an intensity that quieted her elder sibling. “What is happening now, at this very moment, has nothing to do with Silma, so leave her out of it! This is you and me, just the two of us, settling an old debt.”
Celestia stared at her for several seconds, angry eyes thoughtful. At last it was Luna who broke the silence. “Can’t you even say it? A millennia ago you threw me away.”
Celestia’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “That? That’s what this is all about?! I thought we’d gone through all of this four years ago, Luna.”
Now it was Luna’s turn to sneer, eyes flashing yet again. “A typical response from you. You never changed. When a problem arises, ignore it and let it go away on its own. The Elements of Harmony might have cleared my head, but that does not wipe away a thousand-years of injustice!”
“You are risking Silma’s plan, and our status, over this?” Celestia threw up her hooves in frustration. “What is wrong with you?! What do you want me to say? I apologized, I let you be co-ruler again, I-“
“Be silent!” Lightning crackled between them, its flash blinding Celestia for an instant. “Are you truly so naïve? Did you actually believe that you could exile me to a millennia of isolation and loneliness on a false charge and expect me to not be upset?! You even created the legend of Night Mare Moon to demonize me!”
“I did not come up with that,” Celestia declared defensively. “Why would I make up lies about my own sister?”
“But you didn’t try to correct it, did you?” Luna fired back furiously. “You let it grow and fester, until I was hated throughout the entire world. You did not even try to defend me!”
“And you fed it,” Celestia countered. “Did you not take on the name as your own upon your return? Did you not prove your former wickedness by continuing the very activities for which you were exiled?”
Luna calmed, but her fury was boiling within her words. “Perhaps you should try living on the sun for a millennia. Let us see if you are not driven mad by anger and isolation when you have nopony to speak to, and must waste your existence wondering what you did to deserve such a fate!”
“You would threaten me?” Celestia reared back, red eyes flashing dangerously. “After I gave you a chance to redeem yourself?!”
“I did nothing wrong!”
“You were building an army!” Celestia thrust her hooves at her sister as if to strike her. “You were discovred planning a secret coup!”
Luna, still quiet, still simmering, took a moment to take a deep, controlling breath before answering this accusation. “I was planning for the changelings, Celestia. The signs were everywhere. I knew they were coming. And they did come, didn’t they?”
Celestia went silent, her anger fading to solemn attention. She didn’t answer.
“If you had paid attention and listened to your sister, you’d have been ready,” Luna pressed. “I stood by and watched you sipping tea and eating cake, telling everypony who would listen that Equestria was going to be perfectly fine. And I seethed, because everypony loved you, and your word was law. Tell me, dear sister, how many ponies might have been spared in that war if you’d just let the forces I crafted stand and fight at your side, instead of inciting civil strife that split Equestria in two and made it ripe for the picking?”
Celestia’s lips worked for a few seconds, as if she were searching for the proper words. “How do I know the truth, Luna? If that were true, why did you not just tell me, instead of having one of my advisers learn about it and reveal the conspiracy?”
“Because you wouldn’t have responded,” Luna snarled viciously. “For the sake of a brighter image, you would have denied all evidence and ended my projects. The results would have been no different than if I’d done nothing at all. So I kept my silence, and I worked to rescue Equestria from the threats you chose to ignore.”
Once again Celestia’s anger flared. “You have no place to speak to me so! I have ruled Equestria for a millennia without you!”
“And you struggled for three centuries,” Luna shot back. “Wars, civil unrest, crime! It was not until the Archons offered their services that Equestria improved, and the only reason they failed to replace you was because of Mane’s disappearance! Tell the truth, Celestia, had you any idea until recently that he was trying to overthrow you? Even the faintest of suspicions?”
Celestia didn’t answer. She kept her mouth tightly closed, eyes flashing with anger and body heaving.
“I thought not!” Luna cried. “I visited the dreams of ponies every night. I saw the evils lurking in the dark corners of every pony’s mind. While you were in your palace hosting galas and making pretty speeches, I was in the dark corners trying to protect Equestria! There is a whole world of corruption and evil waiting to destroy your perfect little world. Laws and governance isn’t enough, Celestia. I was trying to protect you and your work and you exiled me for it!”
Celestia let out a frustrated shout. “What was I supposed to do?! All the evidence pointed to you staging a coup!”
“I’m your sister.” Luna’s voice was calm and firm. “Did you even consider asking me about it? Did it ever dawn upon you that I might have had a reasonable explanation?”
“You were building an army behind my back!”
“And who informed you of my army? Did they not insist you act immediately? Did they not take over the very soldiers I’d trained, and lead them against you in the resulting civil war? Your own advisers, who you trusted more than your own sister, manipulated you! You cast me out when they were the ones trying to take over Equestria!”
Celestia’s eyes grew sharp, her tone bitter. “Oh yes, Luna, I remember their treachery. And I am sorry I let it happen. Perhaps you are telling the truth, but I’ll never know. What I do know is that I defeated the changeling hordes and the Lunar Republic! I earned the right to rule without you, and if you dare to get in Silma’s way I swear to our dear mother and father that I’ll send you to the moon for another millennia!”
But Luna was undeterred by these threats. She raised her head in a regal, confident pose and gazed upon her sister as if she were beneath attention. “The Elements of Harmony are broken. Silma dealt with them when she enslaved your precious little ponies. But my ponies are alert, ready and aware. I visit them at night, gain their faith by actually helping them overcome their fears and desperation. I don’t ignore them when they need help! I have cared for them, and in return they have given me their loyalty.
“The tides are changing, Celestia. A new Republic is growing from the wastes of your rule. No longer will the problems of society be swept under a rug while you and your government lackeys congratulate yourselves on the pretty world you’ve made. I am going to keep this world safe, and this time you are not going to stop me.”
Celestia seethed in rage at these words, baring her teeth in a sinister snarl. “You would betray me again? Betray Silma again? After we both gave you a chance at redemption?!”
Luna shook her head. “I am not betraying either of you. It is the two of you who have betrayed the ponies you claim to rule!” She lowered herself, leaned forward in an aggressive posture. “I’m not like you, Celestia. I will give you an opportunity to defend yourself.
“And after you fall we shall see if you can accept the same cruel injustice as you imposed upon me!”
Rainbow Dash saw the flashes of light and heard the roar of magic from clear across Canterlot. Concerned, she diverted off of her patrol route and made for the scene, the land below merely a blur. She knew Princess Celestia was on her way back; what if she’d been intercepted? Who would have the nerve to try?
It didn’t matter. Whoever threatened Celestia, Rainbow would come, for her loyalty to the Princess was second only to that of Silma.
She was so focused on her destination that she never saw the streak of lightning coming at her. It zipped across her vision, and something smashed against her shoulder as it passed. Shocked by the sudden hit, she spun, corrected and jerked to an aerial stop. She turned about… and her red eyes grew wide. “Lightning?”
Lightning Dust hovered a dozen feet away, eye simmering with anger. “That’s right, Rainbow: Lightning!”
“What are you doing?” Rainbow demanded angrily. “You’re in the way! I don’t have time to mess with you right now.” She turned away from Lightning, but before she could fly off her old rival had darted through the air and was in her way once more. “What is wrong with you?!”
“Payback,” Lightning snarled, pounding her hooves together in a threatening gesture. “I’ve been looking for a chance to get back at you for what happened at the Academy. It’s time, you backstabbing pile of snot!”
“What? I thought you were over that!” Rainbow threw up her hooves in frustration. “I didn’t backstab you. You were the jerk!”
“If it wasn’t for you I’d be a Wonderbolt right now,” Lightning hissed menacingly. “Since we’re not friends anymore, we might as well be enemies.”
“I don’t have time for this,” Rainbow snapped. She gestured to the flashing lights and crackling noises that were ongoing behind her former lead pony. “Celestia might be in trouble as we speak. That could be her fighting back there!”
“It is,” Lightning declared. “Celestia’s fighting Luna.”
Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “W-what? You mean Luna’s turned traitor? That can’t be!”
“Oh it can, and it is,” Lightning corrected, locking angry eyes upon her foe. “Luna’s challenging Celestia, and I serve Luna. So if you’re gonna try and help Celestia, it’s my job to stop you!”
“Don’t be an idiot! You-“ Rainbow’s words were cut off as Lightning flashed forward, cracking her hoof against the Element Bearer’s chin as she passed. Rainbow dropped for a few seconds, recovered and began hovering once more. “Lightning, sto-“ Her rival blurred by, moving straight up and landing a powerful uppercut, making Rainbow fall back once more.
“That’s it!”
Rainbow darted for Lightning, who dodged, and for nearly a minute the two ace fliers were flying in close proximity, each trying to hit the other as they formed a compact ball of rainbows and lightning bolts. Neither of them were able to land a hit, and finally they separated to hover and glare at one another.
Rainbow shouted, “This is pointless! You might have been my equal at the Academy, but you’ve got a bum wing now. Ya don’t stand a chance, LD!”
“Then let’s go,” Lightning snapped. “Let’s see just what I can do with this bum wing!” She darted forward, and Rainbow just barely managed to dodge the attack. She let out a furious scream and gave chase, their individual wakes streaking across the night sky.
In the distance, clouds were erupting with magical energy.
Mane Archon stormed through the halls to the great doors that had once lead to Celestia’s chambers, now taken over by Silma. The two griffons at the door stood in his way before he could reach it.
“Get out of my way, peons!”
The guards didn’t flinch at his fury, their red eyes hard and focused upon him. “The Empress is sleeping. No visitors,” one of them declared firmly.
Archon snarled and, his horn glowing, pulled out a strange blade with a curved handle and a strange barrel attached to the bottom. The hovering weapon’s bladed tip pointed just above and between the griffon’s eyes. “Move.”
“Your foreign toys don’t scare me, Archon,” the griffon snapped. “Silma’s orders supersede yours.”
A small handle tightened, and the griffon’s face seemed to literally explode, blood and bone splattering the wall behind him.
The other guard fell against the wall, eyes wide in horror as the weapon was turned on her. “Get out of my sight before I shoot you, too!”
“I… I can’t…” she whispered in terror.
The trigger was pulled, and a hole was blasted into her throat.
Archon replaced the weapon within his coat, ignoring the squirming body on the floor. A few seconds later the door opened, Silma glaring at him with weary eyes and her two stones glowing threateningly on either side of her. “What is the meaning of this, Archon?”
“Your subjects need to learn respect,” he noted angrily.
She glanced at the two griffons, barely acknowledging the pleading eyes of the female who’s movements were gradually slowing. “You do realize they are literally incapable of disobeying my commands? These were pointless deaths, Archon.”
“Not so; I caught your attention,” he pointed out. “Now if you’re done trying to lecture me, you can perhaps come out and stop your idiot pupils!”
“Luna and Celestia?” Silma studied him with renewed interest. “What about them?”
Archon shouted in frustration. “They’re having a grudge match just outside the city! They’re trying to tear one another apart out there!”
Silma considered this for a few seconds, a wicked grin coming to her lips. “How delightful!”
“Delightful?” Archon was both stumped and alarmed. “How is it delightful?! What if one of them has betrayed us? You need to intervene!”
“What nonsense,” Silma snapped, stepping past him and making for the stairs down the hall. “Why would either of them betray me?”
“Why else would they be fighting?” Archon asked in frustration as he followed behind.
But the Empress was unaffected by his suspicions. “You were born after Luna’s exile, so you wouldn’t know of it. The sisters have been fighting all their lives. Little Luna in particular has always been jealous of Celestia. She’s probably trying to prove herself to me in hopes of becoming my new star pupil.”
Archon wasn’t convinced. “To begin with, why would you condone such a thing?”
“Because it’s entertaining,” she replied with a pleasant smile as they began to ascend the stairs. “Besides, a little healthy competition keeps them alert and ready for anything.”
“I don’t think this qualifies as a little competition,” he noted skeptically. “Aren’t you the least bit worried that one of them may have recovered from your magic?”
“Impossible, that would imply there was a cure,” she countered, opening the door at the top of the stairs and stepping out onto the walls of the castle. The guards present stopped watching the magical spectacle in the distance to bow as she passed. “The recipe for the antidote was destroyed centuries ago. I know, for I made sure of it through Tazel. So you see, Archon, it is not possible for either of them to have regained their free will.”
He glared as she settled between the battlements to watch the aerial display. She seemed genuinely undisturbed… even a little excited. “You aren’t taking this seriously at all, are you?”
She sighed and gave him a look of disdain. “Archon, I lost my sense of ‘normal’ humor and entertainment a very long time ago. I must find amusement in other ways. You worry too much.”
He let out a frustrated shout. “No, I worry just the right amount! It is you who aren’t worrying enough!”
She glowered at him for a few seconds before turning her attention back to the battle in the distance. “Do what you want, Archon, and leave me to what few pleasures I have left. I promise, within a few hours you’ll be feeling like a fool for fretting over this.”
He watched her for a few seconds, trying to understand her manner. Was she really that confident? Or perhaps it was conceit.
He noted a tiny flash of color in the corner of his eye. He turned away from the spectacle, looking beyond Canterlot Castle to the south. There he saw the increasingly-familiar sight of a rainbow streaking through the sky… but it was also accompanied by a bolt of lightning.
That blue pegasus, who’s name he couldn’t recall, was chasing – fighting? – another pegasus.
He cast another dark glance at Silma, who seemed completely unaware of his presence, before storming off to the stairs. She could pretend nothing was wrong; he wasn’t going to take any chances.
“How many more o’these do we have ta go through?” Applejack asked as she sorted through another pile of spellbooks.
“I know it’s a lot, AJ,” Twilight told her apologetically as she flipped through the contents of a particular book, “but Silma’s counting on us to go through everything in the library. You just have to be a little patient, that’s all.”
“Patience is one thing,” she countered, eyeing the massive library with an anxious frown, “but this is crazy! It’s not like ah’d recognize a spell that was new or not, anyway; ah don’ know the first thing about magic.”
“I’m sure Silma had good reason to pair you with me on this,” Twilight assured her with a smile. “trust in her judgment, okay?”
“Yeah, ah guess so…”
Seconds ticked by, Twilight scouring every book she could while Applejack tried her best to sort older books based upon type. Neither of them noticed when the air shimmered just behind one of the bookshelves, revealing Fine. His peering eyes darted about the room swiftly, then locked upon the unsuspecting Applejack.
He came forward and pounced, grabbing her up in his hooves.
“Hey! What the-“
Black smoke arose, and they were gone.
“Applejack!” Twilight rushed to the spot where her friend had been, shocked at the sudden disappearance. She closed her eyes and tried to sense the direction in which the teleportation spell had been used, but before she could get a clear image and follow something hot zipped past her face. She jerked back, eyes flashing open, and turned to see a small black spot seared into one of the bookshelves.
She spun about to face her attacker and was momentarily stunned to silence at the sight of Upper Crust, who stood poised and ready just before the library entrance. The double doors slammed shut, leaving the two unicorns alone in the massive room.
Twilight stared at Upper Crust for a couple seconds in mute surprise, but finally managed to blurt out, “What are you doing here?”
“Doing my job,” Upper Crust answered, her voice steady and solid.
“Your job?” Twilight shook her head, clearly confused. “What job?”
A green light shimmered into existence over Upper Crust’s head, swiftly taking on the form of a short axe as Upper Crust gestured to Twilight. “Defeating you, in Luna’s name.”
Twilight blinked, staring at the axe that seemed to be pointing at her. A disbelieving smile came to her lips. “Come on now, Upper Crust. Luna works for Silma, now. I don’t know how you got in here, but you’ve always been reasonable. Let’s just go see Silma and-“
The axe flew through the air, the glowing edge smashing into the table before Twilight and cutting it in two. Scrolls and books flew, but Twilight and Upper Crust never lost eye contact. Twilight’s lips pursed tightly, her eyes going sharp. Upper Crust glared right back, the axe fading away and two new ones appearing on either side of her.
“This is Fine’s doing, isn’t it?” Twilight asked, her voice low.
“Just one part of a bigger picture,” Upper Crust explained cryptically.
Twilight shook her head as her horn began to glow ominously. “I have to say, this has to be one of the worst ideas he’s ever concocted. You, one of the weakest members of your so-called ‘team’, against me, Celestia’s prized pupil? It’ll be a short fight.”
“Maybe not as short as you think,” Upper Crust hissed, clearly offended.
Twilight took on an aggressive pose, a commanding grimace on her face. “I’ll only ask once: what did he do with Applejack?”
Upper Crust let out a small cry, her green axes slamming down onto the tables on either side of her.
“You should be more worried about me!”
Applejack squirmed and tried bucking her captor off; he let go and darted back to safety. She jerked around to face him. “Fine Crime! What in tarnation do ya think yer doin?!”
Fine grinned wickedly, waved, and was gone in a puff of smoke.
“Wait!” She reared back angrily. “Where the hack did ya bring me?”
She let out an angry huff and glanced around. She was in a large room, covered in dust and cobwebs. Was she even in the castle anymore? It appeared to be a wine cellar… except that it hadn’t been used in ages, from the looks of things.
She began to pace the room, moving between the shelves and searching for an exit. She cursed under her breath over and over again; if this was meant to be a prank it wasn’t at all funny. She couldn’t imagine why Fine would abandon her in a musty old place like this!
She turned a corner and had to rear back to keep from walking into another pony.
“Octavia!” she cried in surprise, taking a step back to get out of her friend’s personal space. “Did Fine drag ya down here, too?”
Octavia smiled. “You could say that.”
Her answer was cryptic, at the very least. Applejack tilted her head and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Whaddaya mean?”
Octavia shrugged. “I came here willingly.”
“What?” Applejack looked around at the dark space around them. “Wah would ya wanna come here? Wait…” She gave her a suspecting look. “Does that mean ya knew Fine was gonna bring me here?” Octavia nodded. “Then ya know wah he did?”
Octavia gestured to herself. “I’m supposed to keep you occupied for a while.”
Applejack’s confusion had not been lifted. “Occupied? What fer?”
Octavia raised her head regally. “Luna wants to stop Silma. The battle has begun.”
“What?!” Applejack turned about, eyes scouring frantically for an exit. “Ah gotta get outta here! They need me!” Octavia stood by patiently as Applejack ran around the room, desperately trying to find the way out. She listened to every curse, fretful worry and eager guess.
After several minutes Applejack was sitting in the middle of the room, head bowed as she fretted over her situation. “Ah don’ get it,” she muttered. “There has ta be a way out. There’s gotta be!”
“Just wait,” Octavia suggested. “Win or lose, Fine will let you out eventually.”
Applejack’s head raised slightly, then she turned to face Octavia with a dark glint in her red eyes. “You. Ya know how ta get out, dontcha?”
Octavia smiled. “Maybe.”
Her opponent stood to glare threateningly. She could be rather imposing when she wanted to be. “You listen ta me, sugarcube; let me outta here, or ah’m gonna have ta hurt ya. Ah don’t wanna hurt ya, Octavia; ah still think o’ya as mah friend.”
Octavia’s pleasant appearance finally faded, her lips dropping to a grim frown. “So long as you serve Silma, we are not friends.”
“Octavia-“
“You stand for Celestia, and right now Celestia and Luna are enemies,” she continued ominously. “You might have thrown away your integrity and Equestria with it, but we serve Luna, and only Luna.” Octavia stood to her full height, revealing that she could be plenty intimidating, herself.
“You want me to tell you the way out? Try and force it out of me, if you can.”
The going was slow for the three stallions. They had to move through the castle and try to reach the great tower, but it was a lot farther away than original intended. If it had just been Jimmy, it might have been easy; he was expected to be seen around the castle anyway. Nye was supposed to be on the moon, but explaining away his presence was easy.
Jet Set, on the other hand, was outright not supposed to be there. As a result, the entire trip was delayed significantly just because of the need to keep him hidden whenever another pony appeared in the halls. On at least two occasions Jimmy had been forced to knock a guard out to keep Jet from being discovered, and disposing of the ponies so their sleeping forms wouldn’t be found had wasted even more time. It was frustrating at least and fear-inducing at worst; who knew how long they had before the signal was sent and the others were engaged in all-out combat?
But at last they were approaching the tower. They only had so much farther to go before-
“Stone!”
At the familiar voice Jimmy came to a sliding stop, turning in the hallway to see Mane Archon approaching. He was flanked by Fluttershy and Rarity. For just a moment panic filled Jimmy's mind, but he glanced aside and was relieved to see that Nye had managed to snatch Jet and hide him in an open doorway before they’d been spotted.
“What can I do for you, my Lord?” Jimmy asked, hoping his voice was calmer than he felt.
Archon stormed past him, eyes set on his goal, whatever that was. “Walk with us.”
He did as he was told, not certain about what was going on. “Is something wrong, my Lord?”
“I don’t know yet,” Archon admitted, his voice firm, “but I have a hunch. I’m going to rush the cannon; I believe I can have it activated within a short time.”
That made Jimmy nervous. “Very well, I’ll go with you and-”
“No.” Archon shook his head as they exited the castle and approached the tall tower. “I know the technology far better than you do; you’ll only be in the way. I will finish it on my own.”
Jimmy blinked, caught entirely off guard by this statement. “You mean you could have finished it in short order? So why even have me make it?”
“I have to teach somepony else how to make them,” Archon snapped as if the answer was obvious. “Otherwise who would oversee defenses in future locations while I’m trying to rule? And besides,” he added seriously, “what’s the point of leading if you can’t command others to do the dirty work?”
Even though the villain was Jimmy’s enemy, he had to admit he could appreciate both answers.
Mane Archon paused at the entrance to the tower, turning to face the three ponies who were following. “Fluttershy will join me and use the cannon once it is finished. Rarity, Stone, you stay here. Nopony enters this tower without my permission, is that understood?”
Jimmy wanted to object, but he knew better than to try; he bowed his head with an obedient “As you wish.”
“I understand,” Rarity agreed with a slightly smaller bow.
Jimmy watched Archon and Fluttershy ascend the circular stairwell, chewing his lip anxiously. This was not good! He, Nye and Jet were supposed to be going up there now to sabotage the weapon! How could he do that with Archon up there? They couldn’t face him, he’d tear them to pieces!
Now what were they supposed to do?
Rarity sighed. “That stallion is so paranoid,” she declared in her self-assured tone. “If there were a threat to the castle, would not Silma be the one passing out orders?”
He gave her a curious look, not sure how to answer that. “Umm… I suppose?”
“Well I’m not too worried,” she told him with a smile. The sight of those red eyes sent a shiver down his spine. “He just had all available ponies run to the wall to watch for potential attacks, so nopony’s going to come here anyway.”
That was good news, actually; it greatly reduced the risks of this little operation. Had Fine anticipated that? Had he anticipated this, too? Jimmy glanced back towards the door to the castle, suspecting that Nye and Jet would be just hidden inside. “Guess we’ve got an easy job, then.”
“Not just that,” Rarity said, giving him a wry look. “It’s an opportunity, too.”
He was so focused on trying to think of what to do next that he completely missed the change in her tone. “An opportunity for what?” he asked distractedly.
She took a couple steps, and suddenly he realized she was very close. Uncomfortably so. “For you and I to have a little talk… on our own. I’ve been looking for a chance to speak with you, Jim.”
Her closeness made him nervous, and he took a tiny step back as he noted her playful smile. “Umm… okay… about what, exactly?”
She raised her head a little, a hurt expression on her face. “You mean you didn’t notice?” He stared at her blankly, and she sighed with a pout. “You disappoint me, Jimmy. After I dropped so many hints…”
His confusion was so complete he almost forgot why he was here. “H-hints?”
She slipped a little closer, a hoof coming up to tenderly rub a small circle against his chest. “Yes, Darling, hints," she cooed. "Like this one.”
Understanding hit him like a jolt of electricity, and he raised his hooves in a denying gesture. “N-now wait just a minute, Rarity! I-I don’t know if now’s…”
“Oh don’t play coy, Darling,” she whispered, leaning close with a hungry look in her eyes. “Now that Octavia’s out of the picture I get to claim you without fear of appearing… possessive. Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this chance, Jimmy Stone?”
He blinked. His mind, unaccustomed to processing such information as what she as giving, slowly churned through the situation. The touch of her hoof against his chest was really distracting! “W-wait… you thought I was with Octavia?”
She gave him a surprised look. “Weren’t you?”
“No!” He shook his head violently. “I never saw her as anything more than a friend! Just like-”
A hoof touched his lips, and her eyes were shining. “I could have claimed you earlier? How foolish of me! No matter,” she added with a grin, her legs beginning to wrap about his shoulders, “I’ll make up for the lost time.”
“Whoa!” He pulled back, escaping her attempt at a hug with big, terrified eyes. “I-I thought you w-wanted a Canterlot stallion! Y-you don’t want me, really!” Was this a side-effect of Silma, or was that really Rarity speaking to him right now? Either way he had no idea how to handle this situation. “Y-you want a stallion who’s… w-who’s…”
“Come now, Jimmy, that’s no way to treat a Lady,” she told him in a manner of mock lecturing. “Besides, who needs a Centerlot stallion? Now that you work for Silma, you’re better than a Canterlot stallion! You already had everything I wanted,” she concluded, taking another daring step forward. “I only held back because I thought you were a taken stallion. And now?” She grinned wickedly and licked her lips. “You’re mine.”
He raised his hooves to stop her from coming any closer, panic welling within him. She pressed against his hooves, clearly not intending to take ‘no’ for an answer. “Umm… a little help, please?!”
And then, abruptly, Nye was there, wrapping a leg around Jimmy’s shoulder in a leisurely fashion. At his sudden arrival Rarity let out a terrified squeak and practically leapt backwards, blushing wildly. “Nye! Y-you’re supposed to be on the moon! Oh dear, I c-can’t believe I let somepony see me behave in such a manner!" She clapped her hooves together in a beseeching gesture. "You won’t tell anypony about this, will you Nye? Oh please oh please oh please!”
Nye grinned. “Relax, Rarity!” He gave his brother a grin. “Jim, I just want to say that you-“ He poked Jimmy in the chest. “-are an idiot. To think, ponies say I’m the dim one!”
Jimmy, still too flustered by Rarity’s sudden confession to think properly, asked, “W-what are you talking about?”
Nye rolled his eyes and winked at Rarity, who was still blushing wildly. “You’ve got a super hot mare all over you and all you can do is stutter and call for help? What in Luna’s name is wrong with you? Let me tell you what you’re supposed to do in this situation: woo her!”
“What?!”
“Well,” Rarity said with a nervous laugh, brushing her mane from her face and eyeing something far to her left, “under the circumstances, I can’t argue with his logic.”
“You see?” Nye said with a grin. “You could have made this easier on everypony present if you’d just puckered up, gave her a smooch, and brought her to a nice shadowy corner for some alone time.”
“You’re joking,” Jimmy countered in a dull manner.
“I think I like his idea,” Rarity offered with a wry grin, though she still couldn’t look either of the twins in the eye, and her face had grown even more red at Nye’s suggestion.
“Look, you try this again,” Nye suggested, pushing Jimmy towards Rarity. The elder Stone planted his hooves firmly onto the stone ground and jerked to a stop, heart leaping into his throat as he came closer to the mare. “Meanwhile,” Nye went on, waving towards the castle, “me and Jet will go take care of things. I mean it’s a ton of fun seeing you look like a moron, but we sorta have business to attend to.”
Rarity’s eyes went wide, and her blush disappeared in an instant. “Wait, Jet? What are you-” She gasped when Jet Set walked quickly between the brothers and entered the tower, giving her a worried, apologetic look as he did. “Wait, you can’t go in there!”
“Have fun you two,” Nye suggested with a playful grin and a wave before disappearing into the tower as well.
“H-hold on, Archon said-“ She took a step forward to stop the two trespassers, but Jimmy sidestepped into her path. He was still anxious, but he also had come to realize what he had to do. Rarity gave him a fearful look, eyes darting to the tower entrance over his shoulder. “Jimmy, I know I was… well… you know… but Archon said nopony was allowed in! Duty first and all that.”
She tried to go around again, and he once more stood in her way. She gazed up at him, eyes wide and lip trembling. “J-Jimmy? What are you doing?”
He swallowed the lump in his throat, ready for the disaster to begin. “We have to stop them, Rarity.”
She stared at him for several seconds, clearly trying to make sense of his words. She looked up at the tower, then turned her head to gaze north, where the lights of battle continued to flash in the distance. When she faced him once more, her red eyes shined with horrified comprehension. “You were never on Silma’s side,” she whispered. “Archon was right; Luna’s attempting a coup.”
He didn’t answer, but he took a cautious step back.
Her expression slowly changed, her lips curling into a deep, tight-lipped frown and her brow furrowing. It was the most sinister, livid expression he’d ever seen on a pony in his entire life. “Jimmy… you betrayed me.”
Heart pounding, knowing he was in a lot of trouble, he tried to answer as calmly as he could. “I’d explain it to you, but you wouldn’t understand. I had to, Rarity.”
Her breathing grew shallow, her lips pulling back in a vicious sneer. Her horn began to glow and she visibly shook with rage! At last she let out a scream and reared back. “Get out of my way!”
He leapt into the tower entrance, just barely avoiding a gem-shaped magic projectile that erupted in a shower of violent sparks against the floor.
In the crystal caverns beneath Canterlot, cages were set all about the walls, ready to receive prisoners. For now they were empty, their rusted black bars reflected in the smooth surfaces that surrounded them.
But that did not mean there were no prisoners.
Over a great gorge, one mare was hanging upside down from a rope, her front legs tied behind her back as she gazed with teary eyes at the black depths below. On a ledge nearby was a guillotine, in which was tied a stallion, sweat dripping down the side of his head as he stared up at the sharp blade. On a higher ledge was a colt, a shackle about his throat. His legs were tightly tied to a heavy-looking ball and chain, which itself was precariously situated on a wooden platform that hung over the edge.
In the center of the them all, standing amongst a small collection of torture devices, stood Pinkamina. She observed each of her prisoners, smiling happily at their pleading eyes and the muffled cries. Their struggles gave her plenty of amusement. Every now and again he would torment one of them; go to the rope holding the mare and cut a strand, perhaps, or maybe jostle the guillotine’s trigger handle a bit.
But for all the amusement the possibilities gave her, she would not kill these ponies.
Yet.
She raised her head as she noticed the presence. Brushing her long, straight mane from her face with a grin, she turned about to face the stranger. “I was wondering when you’d...”
Her words died on her lips; the stallion standing just at the edge of the cavern was Fine Crime. “You?”
He glanced around at the setup of the room, his face solemn and businesslike. “Nice arrangement,” he remarked. “A bit of training and you could work at Cloptrotamo as an interrogator.”
She scrutinized him for a few seconds, ignoring the praise. “I was expecting Nye or Upper Crust, thought you’d go to rescue Fluttershy.”
He approached her, eyes roaming to examine the cages. “That would be a bit like sending a regiment to kill a canary.” He touched one of the bars, rust peeling off as he pulled his hoof back. “I see you prefer the rotting environment. Don’t blame you, it adds a certain medieval terror to the experience. Doesn’t go too well with the crystals, though.”
Pinkamina sniffed at him in a derogatory fashion, eye hardening. “Did you come here to insult me or fight me?”
He paused about a dozen feet away and gave her a dull, judging look, as if to lecture her on her tone. His gaze went to the three prisoners, who’s eyes were locked onto his imploringly. “Let me guess; you want to make me choose who to save, and while I’m struggling to save everypony you do me in. Am I right?”
She sighed, head drooping and mane covering part of her face. “It would have worked against one of the others.”
“Don’t feel bad,” he offered, his tone suddenly becoming kind. “It’s a good plan, especially against somepony like Nye. Upper Crust, too. You never know, maybe it will work against me.”
“No,” she grumbled, “I’m pretty sure it won’t. If I had known you were coming I’d have tried something else.”
He raised an eyebrow with a patient but expectant expression. “But you’re still going to do it, right?”
She smiled. “Of course.”
For a long time they gazed at once another, each gauging the situation. Fine was trying to size up Pinkamina’s choices; which would she go for first? The guillotine? The foal? The pit? How would he respond to ea-
“No time to think!” Pinkamina shouted, abruptly darting for the guillotine.
Fine sneered; she was trying to outpace his analysis! But she’d made the wrong choice, and he immediately went for the foal. He kept Pinkamina in the corner of his eye, waiting for the right moment as he magically pulled the knife from around his neck. Just as she grabbed the lever he threw the knife, which embedded itself in the slit that guided the guillotine blade, forcing it to a stop.
Pinkamina let out a curse and turned for the foal, grimacing when she realized Fine was already there and using a cutting spell to slice the rope on the child’s legs. He turned and lifted the massive iron ball in a red glow, tossing it so that it smashed through the blade of the guillotine, rendering the device useless.
At this point Pinkamina was already at the rope that held the mare over the gorge. She didn’t bother to see if Fine was coming; she pulled a knife seemingly from nowhere and sliced the rope, face grim with determination.
Fine leapt from the higher ledge and charged. He flew past Pinkamina and threw himself over the edge of the cliff, smacking against the mare, who’s scream was clear even through her gag. His horn flashed, and smoke engulfed them.
A second later and they reappeared in the air on the opposite side of the gorge. They hit the ground, hard, but Fine didn’t bother to check on the mare. He jumped to his hooves and spun about, surprised to find Pinkamina already in his face. How has she crossed the pit so quickly?! He reared back and brought his hooves together, just catching the knife-bearing leg that was coming for his face.
He pushed her leg aside, making them both turn sideways, and shoved his shoulder against hers. She fell back a few steps, anger and frustration in her eyes. She looked as though she were about to come at him once more, so he quickly summoned up a long crimson sword to defend himself. At the sight of it Pinkamina paused, considered the situation, and retreated.
“What’s the matter, Pinkie?” he snapped, taking a threatening step forward. “Don’t you wanna play?”
She attained a wicked smile. “My dungeon, my rules. Twitchy tail!”
He looked up – it was almost instinctual – and was surprised to find a trio of pony-sized crystal boulders falling towards him. He cursed and jumped backwards, just barely avoiding being crushed. When the dust settled Pinkamina was gone, her laughter echoing through the crystal cavern.
“Come back here!” he shouted, climbing over the rocks and pausing next to the mare, who was still tied up. He cast his gaze around for a few seconds before spotting the tunnel to this left.
“Find me, find me,” Pinkamina's voice sang from within, “In the dark the Fine must find me!”
Oh, so she wanted to play hide and seek, did she? Did she have no idea who she was dealing with?
It might be her dungeon, but this was his game.