And so the young filly is born. The Seraphim is there, inside her. It's a time of celebration. The plans move forward. The Ancestors seem pleased, and so am I. Her guardians have already been chosen, the Stars. The stars that will aid the pony in its quest, as well as the conditions of that quest. The new Republic will rise with the filly, when the time is right. It might benefit the one mare, but it hurts the other. It pains me to do this to the latter...

The days in this new, rotten world, pass slowly. The town of Ponyville is covered under the veil of the night, the full moon lighting the empty streets. The feared Shadows of the new Chaos Republic, cloaked and mysterious figures, roam them in search for survivors. If they find any, they execute them, right then and there. A swift, painless death. The best possible solution...

As for the rebels, the consequences are worse. They are tortured by the Ponies of the Apocalypse accordingly. It's all an example for the future rebels. Canterlot has fallen along with Ponyville and, slowly but surely, so is the rest of Equestria.

What was once the Cake's Pastry Shop in Ponyville has now become a place of refuge in disguise. Pinkie Pie, along with the remaining of the Mane Six and with some other survivors found shelter under its floors, in one of its secret basements. That does not take away the fear in their hearts...

"I..." Twilight Sparkle muttered to herself. Why didn't I use the Elements of Harmony on him... when I could? she thought to herself. She raised her hoof. It was still shaking, as was her entire body. Am I... so afraid... that I can't just... The image of his face, back in that single moment, flashed in her mind. He felt his cold stare, his voice ringing in her ears. She grabbed her hoof, trying to prevent it from trembling. I can't just fight him back... because I'm too weak to even face him...? She gritted her teeth. And because of that... I...

"I can't believe that Princess Celestia is gone..." Twilight muttered. "I... I could have saved her, if I acted sooner...!" she cried out and smacked her hoof on the ground.

"Don't forget about Applejack and Rainbow." Fluttershy was already in tears. "We can't go on without them..."

"Yeah..." Pinkie was at the brink of crying as well. "AJ always helped us with our problems and Dashie always protected us. With them gone... we are hopeless...." She ended up bursting into sobs.

"I know this situation seems dire darlings," Rarity stood close to them. "But we can get through this. We always do. Rainbow and Applejack wouldn't want us to die. Now." She brought them close and shared a group hug with them. "Cheer up. We will have time to mourn our friends after we get rid of these heathens."

"No, you won't." A mysterious feminine voice was heard from the back of the room. "We lost two Elements of Harmony already. Four are just useless now..." The mare came closer, revealing herself.

The mysterious pony was dressed in a black hoodie. Her colors complemented her clothing. She had a pale coat and a dark mane with pink highlights on the edges. She walked through the crowd and towards the Mane Six. She then turned around and faced the ponies, her eyes still hidden behind her hoodie.

"Everypony, listen." She raised her hoof and pointed it at the mares behind her. "They cannot help us. They're practically broken as I hear it. Like they did anything when they were six." She paused for a while, the ponies hanging from her words. "And hiding here... it's just pointless. We will eventually be found, and when we do, it-"

Before she could finish, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned to the side. The hoof belonged to a dark grey Pegasus, who looked back at her with a serious stare.

"Nopony told you to come here, and yet you did. If you think it's over, why did you come? To delay your death...?"

"Tch." She dragged her hoodie forward, covering more of her face and pushed the ponies out of her way, leaving the stallion behind her. She headed towards another room, and was lost in its darkness.

The Four Stars, as they have been declared, treat her kindly, as if they were her parents. The potential she has as a Princess of the Night impresses me, for she might even surpass me. It pleases me, that they care so much. Her Elements have been forged. The Ancestors also created my Shroud and fused it with her soul. Her power grows without her knowing it. Everything's going accordingly. The whole turn of events however, it's rather ironic... I feel bad for both Princesses, as I know they're both parts of the grand scheme of things, yet I cannot help them. They are innocent, but not for long...

In an empty room, what might once have been an extra warehouse, sat a mare, all by herself. She lied against one of the four walls with a piece of paper and a pencil floating close to her. The aspiring artist, Quill Soul, sat all by herself, lost in her thoughts. That's a great way to start a new life... she thought with a sigh.

A dark Alicorn floated in the air close to her. The pony appeared as if he came out of nowhere. He was silent, just like Quill Soul. The dark blue Unicorn noticed him but didn't wish to speak. Dark Equun's glowing eyes looked at her from behind the mask. She was drawing. It was merely a sketch, yet the sheer detail of it impressed the dark stallion. It was the town of Ponyville. It was a sight worth seeing for hours to come.

"Why are you sitting here all alone?" Dark Equun asked her with a calm, friendly voice.

Dark Equun didn't reply. He remained silent for a moment. He closed his wings and landed on the ground. He turned around and started walking towards the exit. Quill Soul suddenly let the pencil drop and she reached out for Dark Equun's hoof. The stallion turned his head around.

Quill Soul looked away. She tried to speak but the words would only come out as incomprehensible murmurs. Dark Equun let out a small laugh.

"Your behavior points that you wish to be alone, and then you wish for me to stay, using different actions." He gently pushed his hoof forward, cutting off Quill Soul's grasp. "You are quite an interesting mare, Quill Soul..."

He turned around and walked in front of the Unicorn. He sat down in front of her, face to face. He looked at her through her glasses and gazed upon her blue eyes. His golden eyes glowed brightly, letting out the hint of a smile behind the mask.

"You possess such vivid imagination. Why feel the need to be alone when you can contribute so much with it...?"

"Y-you think so?" She formed a weak, shy smile as she felt more comfortable with her words.

The mysterious stallion nodded. "Where I'm from, one's talent is unique, and it's what makes him perfect to the others." He felt the left side of his mask, where a light red mark was painted on its surface. "It's what gives the world so many colors..."

Dark Equun looked down but immediately raised his head. "Everywhere's nice when you can contribute to its beauty. But..." He raised the hoof that rested on his mast and turned it around, pointing it towards her. "I chose to be with you, in your world."

"Didn't you have a unique talent like everypony else...? What happened...?" She tilted her head in wonder.

Dark Equun didn't answer. He raised his hoof and gently patted the mare in the head. "Tell you what then. When all this is over, I'll share. Okay?" Quill Soul nodded positively. Dark Equun nodded back. "Now... do what you do best. Improvise. Add your own color to this world."

Those were his last words. His cloaked figure vanished into thin air within the blink of an eye, leaving Quill Soul be. The mare kept looking forward, now at the wall. She thought of Dark Equun's words for a short amount of time. You know what, Dark Equun? She raised her glasses with her hoof and then stood up. She proceeded walking out of there and into the main room, with her lips stretching out, forming a weak smile. That... it's a promise....

And indeed, her 'jealousy' gets the best of her. The Shroud takes over Equestria and her New Republic rises. The Stars hide, as well as the Princess of the Sun. I do not fear the ruler of the new kingdom. I know of these events and of their consequences. The Sun took her sister's Elements and banished her with their power. I did not understand the harshness of this action. She could have been more subtle. And indeed, her action got the best of her, as she not only destroyed the life of one pony this day, but of five...

Grafix sat amongst the crowd of ponies. Some were alone like him, others were with their loved ones, both friends and family. The white Pegasus didn't care about that. His eyes and thoughts were focused on Fluttershy, who stood close to her friends, still upset. Go you idiot... make her feel better... Grafix tried to encourage himself to get up and approach her. The stallion looked away and closed his red eyes, shaking his head. No, she'll probably not remember you. And you'll just come out sounding stupid... He let out a sigh and scratched the back of his mane. His thoughts took him back, to the graffiti he had made of her. He lied on his back and gazed at the ceiling.

"If only I had sent her that earlier..." He played around with a letter in his hoof. "Maybe I could be there for her now..."

He lied with his back against the floor and looked up, at the ceiling. Stupid. Just... Why don't you act sooner...?

The Stars vanished to the darkness of our past land. And the Sun... She was consumed by something else, something that had awakened in her now, but was in her before these events. Her soul was discorded, she was not herself anymore. Her lust for blood and power grew inside her. I could not look at what had become of her, so I chose to ignore it. It didn't get better. Ponies died over the years, some didn't even mark their name in life. And they died in her fangs, their blood only empowering her, increasing her years of tyranny. What has become of her...?

Heartfire Burn walked past the small pony groups that had been formed. He was silent and lost in his thoughts. Who was that mare...? He recalled that moment, when he stopped that pony from causing chaos among them a few moments ago. Why would she say this...? Why give up when you haven't even acted...?

He looked left and right, at the other ponies. However, his mind was elsewhere. At one moment, a Unicorn passed by him. Her radiant white colors made her stand out in his eyes. It's her. he thought and walked in front of her, blocking her path. The mare was taken aback.

"Heartfire...?!" The mare looked at him as her surprised expression turned to one of happiness and relief at the same time.

"Thyme! So it is you. Thank the Princesses you're safe." Heartfire let out a sigh of relief.

Indeed, it was the same Thyme. The same Thyme that sat with him at that cafe during his first night at Ponyville. The same Thyme that he shared all of his small journeys and laughs. She was there, standing in front of him again, her warm smile making him smile too.

I worry every day about my brothers and sisters. The Princess of the Sun has lost her glow and now only cares about her survival and satisfaction... I can hear the Four Stars. They blame her, they hunger for revenge. Destruction, greed, total annihilation. I can feel their change, both in body and in spirit. The mask of the lich is worn, the succubus of war grows inside, the lust for the world increases, the torture of decay takes over the mind...

Pinkie Pie was sitting with Twilight Sparkle. The purple mare was trying to pull herself together, desperately trying to figure out a solution to this madness. Rarity was nowhere to be found. Pinkie was devastated. After all of this, she was unsure whether to smile again or not. Her mane had fallen straight down and her coat color got darker, like when she was back at the rock farm.

"W-Wha?" said Pinkie after lifting her head and looking behind her. Her eyes were full of tears. She was in a complete mess.

"A smile always makes somepony happier!" A mare was smiling brightly at her. She had a baby pink coat and a curly mane with a small bowtie on top of it.

"Well... not always always." A mare next to her expressed her opinion. She was the exact opposite to the first Unicorn, with crimson red skin and a dark mane. What they had in common was the bowties on their heads.

"Aaaaw, come on Oscura, smile! Let's cheer her up!" Her smile got brighter. She got closer to her. "You said you'd do it..." She whispered to her. Noticing Pinkie was looking at them, she responded with an even brighter grin.

"Only because it's you Dolce..." She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. Her lips struggled to raise themselves but eventually, they stretched back and formed a weak smile. After a while, it was gone. "There." She returned to her normal, blanc look.

Pinkie couldn't help but smile back at the silliness of the twins. Her tears dried up. Her coat color got brighter and her mane popped up, becoming shaggy and fluffy again.

"You're... you're right!" she exclaimed with happiness and embraced the twins in a tight group hug. "Thanks you guys!"

Their change is complete. The years passed and they returned, with a new purpose in life. After all this time, have they ended up being a burden, or a bliss? The ponies of this world begin to suffer. And the Stars do not care. They only wish to make their presence clear. My dear filly still ignores the chaos. I cannot do anything to change her mind from her own goals. Are they right? Has she really become a monster of chaos in disguise? What has he done to her...? No... What has she done to herself...?

The two ponies, Heartfire and Thyme, walked together, sharing small talk. Without even realizing, they had found themselves in another room. Heartfire was distracted by a sudden, random thought. This is where she came...

He looked around, trying to see if he could find the mare from earlier. There was a dark figure hiding in the corner of the room. Heartfire let out a weak smile to himself and walked towards her. Thyme followed behind him, a little clueless of what he was doing.

"You seem to like dark corners a lot." He broke the ice between them with a friendly approach.

The mare huffed. "What's it to you...?" She looked away, as if she didn't wish to look at him. Heartfire understood her feelings, and so he didn't reply. "Just leave me alone. It's better when it's quiet..."

Heartfire let out a weak laugh. "Indeed it is." He noticed the mare. She was still tense. He sat next to her. "My name's Heartfire Burn."

"I didn't ask." The mare replied almost immediately. "And I certainly don't care, big shot."

"You know," Thyme suddenly referred to her, "We're not getting Equestria back if we just sit and do nothing. I would understand if you didn't care. But... I mean, don't you wish to be free again...?"

The mare let out a mocking grin towards her but it soon disappeared. "I don't like you, princess..." She raised her head and gave her an ignorant look. Thyme saw through her hoodie, right at her unfriendly, gray eyes.

"There was no freedom in a world that was controlled by others..." Heartfire spoke, still looking at the hooded mare, now with a intrigued look towards her words.

"Your words are music to my ears..." She sat back again and let out a laugh. "Now I like you." She turned her look at him. "You tested me back there, didn't you...?" Heartfire nodded positively and got up. "Hmm, this sounds so much better in my head all of a sudden..."

The Pegasus lowered his hoof, offering a lift for the mare. She looked at it and eagerly latched on to it as Heartfire pulled her up.

"The name's Violet by the way." She removed her hoodie and fixed her messy mane. "Violet Haze." She let out a weak laugh and playfully punched his shoulder. "Right back at you, Heartfire Burn."

She turned her look towards Thyme. "Yeah, I don't really care about you..." She came closer, looking at her with a mocking grin. "Sucks, don't it princess?"

After finishing her introduction, she started walking away from them. "I bet we can make a difference if we get this kingdom back Heartfire..." She turned her head and looked at them. "Maybe then we'll truly be free." She walked out of the room, letting the two ponies behind, looking back at her in complete silence.

Thyme turned to Heartfire. "Princess...? What was that all about...?" She whispered to him, trying to hold her agitation back.

"She has a different view of this world, Violet Haze that is. She despises the powerful, but she cares for the majority." Heartfire's whispers were calm and concentrated. He let out a weak chuckle. "She probably thought you were one of them as well. However, seeing it from her point, it made me realize how she thinks. And it paid off." He winked at her, not even trying to calm her down.

Thyme sighed. She took a moment to think about it and nodded at him along with a smile.

Heartfire smiled back at her. The two ponies remained silent for a while, looking at each other with a smile on their faces. I made the right choice... The white Unicorn thought as she walked with the dark grey stallion back into the main room.

They watch her. The Stars watch the Princess of the Night. From our land of belonging, not this land. She, on the other hoof, lives a life of torture, trying to find comfort in my Shroud, up in her moon. The events are slowly repeating themselves... And yet... why are we here? Do we contribute to the ponies' happiness...? The Ancestors don't wish to share my thoughts on such a matter...

As they walked, Thyme looked around until she noticed Twilight Sparkle. The purple Unicorn was lost in her thoughts while looking at something. Thyme turned around, heading towards her and leaving Heartfire catch up with Violet Haze. Thyme's horn glew as she whispered some words and then, she vanished, reappearing next to Twilight. The Unicorn was taken aback by Thyme's sudden teleportation.

"Rune magic..." Twilight looked at the air around her, which was now full of glowing runes that slowly disappeared, fascinated by their sight. "I-I had read about these... they're so ancient, they originate from way before Starswhirl the Bearded..." She started talking to herself, pointing out random historical facts as well as her own theories.

"Are you... Twilight Sparkle?" Thyme asked her, trying to hold her excitement back.

It wouldn't seem like it, but Thyme was a very fond fan of Twilight's work and reports on different scientific and social matters which were proven revolutionary. Thyme herself was interested in discovering different kinds of things, her ambition being to explore the world beyond Equestria.

Twilight stopped her rambling as suddenly as she had begun. She nodded at her and turned her head back at what she was looking. It seemed like it what she focused on most. It was a map. A map of Canterlot more specifically. Thyme gazed at it next to Twilight. Thoughts began running through her head as she looked at it with more detail.

"If it's the catacombs you're looking at, it won't work." She said, not expecting to get an answer.

Twilight raised her head and looked at Thyme. "How do you know?" She asked, intrigued by Thyme's perspective.

"Well, considering that we're not messing with idiots, they will have probably flooded them or blocked them. No way they'd guard them. It would be a waste of time and resources. The most optimal solution would be to sneak in with the use of Unicorn magic, if that's what you're thinking."

"Interesting..." Twilight let out a smile as she looked at the map once more. Her smile slowly vanished. "But what about the battleships? Such use of magic will create a flash so big it will definitely burst out of the Pastry Shop."

Both Unicorns, Twlight Sparkle and Thyme, turned around and noticed a slightly taller Unicorn with glasses, standing behind them.

"I-I read in a novel," the mare continued, "that the best offense is defense. I know it will sound reckless, but our only option would be a distraction. Maybe the Pegasi could volunteer to focus the battleships' attention, even take them down with careful planning."

Twilight looked at the mares, astounded by their thinking. She quickly drew out a piece of paper and begun writing something down, mumbling to herself in the process. "It's viable," she said with amazement. "It's better than most options, and the one with the least number of casualties, even zero if we do it right!" She let out a sigh of relief. Maybe there is still hope... She raised her head and gave them a smile.

The moon and the lake of the other world have been synched for the Seraphim's rebirth. Her aura is also changing, converting itself until it can finally form the New Elements and thus, the Pure One. Our plan is coming along, but the more I think about it, the more I want it to come along and be completed. The path of retribution is also a path of destruction now...

After a small introduction, the three Unicorns got to work, choosing the perfect and most fit Pegasi to assault the battlefleets. They gathered them all up and Twilight Sparkle evaluated them.

"Ponies, I know it will sound tough, crazy even, but it is our best bet..." Twilight briefly explained their role as the decoy. "And, most importantly, it's the leader that will decide how many will live. I would understand... if none of you chose to bear that fate."

"I'll do it." He replied with a calm look. He looked at his fellow Pegasi and nodded at them. One after the other, they nodded back at him, approving of his volunteering.

Grafix stood amongst them. He looked at Heartfire. Look at that guy. How can he be so cool about it...? He looked elsewhere and clenched his hoof. If he can do it, can't I...? He suddenly stepped forward, next to Heartfire.

"I-I want to volunteer too...!" He spoke loudly and clearly. His heart was beating faster and the tension was rushing through his whole body. However, in contrast to Heartfire, the reactions were different. The Peagasi didn't seem intrigued by his looks and words. Grafix gritted his teeth. "Let me prove my worth! I just want to act!"

Fluttershy looked at him, wondering something to herself. "W-what's your name...?" She shyly asked him.

Grafix was surprised by Fluttershy's sudden interest to hear him out. He lowered his head. He raised it up and shut his eyes as he replied. "Grafix ma'am...!"

"I know him... We went to the same school... I-I remember him being a good colt. I think he might be true to his words..."

"If it's as Fluttershy says..." Twilight faced the white Pegasus, who stood in attention. "Then it's decided. You two are the leaders of the decoy squad. Heartfire and Grafix."

The Pegasi split up Grafix took a deep breath and exhaled a long sigh. He felt a sudden pat on the shoulder. Turning his eyes to the left, he noticed Heartfire Burn.

"Congrats, Grafix." He had a sincere smile on his face as he moved away from him, leaving him be.

Heh... Grafix's lips stretched back, forming into a weak smile. His tension vanished and his stance was firm again. "No problem... Heartfire." He knew the Pegasus didn't listen to him and that he was talking to himself. He felt like an idiot, talking to himself, but at the same time, his smile was still there, on his face.

He froze. He recognized that voice quite well. H-how is this... his thoughts had mixed into a big pile of confusion. He hesitated to move. I-it'll be fine... He slowly turned his body around, his smile now gone and replaced with an awkward, silent expression.

"Y-you're Grafix... from flight school, right...?" Fluttershy looked at him with a weak, shy smile.

Grafix's tension rose upon looking at that smile on her face. "Y-yeah..." He tried not looking at her in the eyes, using excuses like scratching the back of his head. "T-that's me alright..."

"I... I remember we used to talk a lot when we were small. It's weird how things change so fast..." She didn't seem that shy towards him. She seemed more relaxed, as if she was talking to a close friend. "It's nice... to talk to another familiar face..." Her lips moved, stretched back. They formed a warmer smile.

The yellow Pegasus answered to her call, leaving Grafix alone. The stallion lost himself in his thoughts. So that's how it is... when you finally choose to take that step forward... He chuckled and begun walking. She did remember me... I guess I really am an idiot... He let out another chuckle.

I cannot live in this world anymore, so I departed to my homeworld. I am not the last one to come back, for I am sure the Stars will bring the mare here as well. And then, the gates of this world will close until they decide to re-open them. I look at my two fillies... It does not look good. They both suffer... and it's my fault.

Pinkie Pie, now feeling better, along with the Vita twins, Dolce and Oscura, encouraged the surviving ponies by doing what she did best. Their anxiety and tension was gone thanks to the pink party pony. Not all of it, but they certainly felt better about following the plan.

Twilight carried on to explain the rest of the plan. The Earth Ponies would follow the Unicorns and, after the teleport, they will break the doors of the castle down.

Violet Haze let out a confident grin and walked to the front of the crowd. As she did, she removed her black hoodie and faced the purple mare.

"I will." Her grin was still on her face. Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow. From the events before, it was natural for the Unicorn to think that way. "Leading a team, it takes teamwork. And it's unity that will make us strong. I'm willing to keep that unity intact..." Her smile was gone. Her expression had become more serious.

Twilight Sparkle was sure now. Her expression was calm but she still transmitted confidence. Such self-control over her behavior showed signs of a good leader. Twilight approved of her.

And so the plan was complete. The ponies went to sleep, for the next day would judge who lives and who dies, if the plan works, or the plan fails...

The Sun Princess only disappoints me. She took in a young mare as her student. I can feel her aura. She's pure. It is clear to me the Princess wishes her to be more than a student. The greatest satisfaction of them all, that's what she desires. Why was he so cruel to her...? Why has she crafted this end for herself? Why does it have to be like this...?

Rarity, unlike the other ponies, wasn't asleep. Instead, sleep wouldn't come for her. She didn't care for her beauty sleep, not anymore. She was outside of the warehouse and inside Sugracube Corner. She sat on one of the chairs close to the windows. She gazed outside, at the empty streets.

Rarity let out a scream. She turned around and he was standing right before her. A pony shrouded in a dark cloak, his face covered by a decayed mask. She saw the golden eyes staring directly into hers. She froze. The Alicorn didn't react at her cry of fear.

He raised his hoof and pointed it at her. "Such a delicate blossom. And yet it's still powerless against the darkness..."

"I know it all... I have seen it all..." The Alicorn leaned forward, along with his hoof. His glare got closer to her. "And I know what you want..."

"W-what I want...?" Rarity looked at him, trying to piece together what he said.

Those were his last words. His figure vanished into the darkness of the night. Rarity froze in place for a couple of minutes. She gulped. What had just happenned? She thought of his suggestion. At first, she thought it was ridiculous. But then, she thought of it with more detail.

She got up from the chair, her thoughts still on the matter the Alicorn told her about. I know what you want... She stood still, her hooves planted on the ground.

After a few minutes down, at the basement, where everypony was, she walked upstairs again. She walked towards the door. Before she turned the handle and walked out, she left a letter on the counter.

"Goodbye... my friends." She whispered. "You are the best friends a pony could ever hope for..."

She left the pastry shop with a tear running down her eye. The only pony who noticed her was Heartfire Burn. He was in the upper floor, where the rooms of the Cakes were. Sleep didn't come for him either. He sat close to the window and watched the white pony walk away, disappearing in the veil of the night. Do the right thing. That was the only thought as he looked at her. When she vanished, he closed his eyes in an attempt to relax. Maybe then he could sleep.

"I should ask the same for you." He replied. "Come. Sit." He pointed next to him with a wave of his head.

The two of them were now lying at the spot near the window, looking at the moon outside. Heartfire gave out a small smile.

"It is indeed." Thyme replied, astounded by the moon's beauty. The more she looked at it, the more it glowed in her eyes. She shifter her eyes at Heartfire. "Heartfire...?"

"Thanks..." She moved her head towards the opposite direction, as if she hesitated to say it. "For being such a good friend..."

Heartfire lowered his head. Without Thyme looking, he moved his head close to hers and kissed her on the cheek. Thyme was taken aback by the sudden action. Her face turned bright red. She didn't know how to react. Before she could reply, she let out a yawn. She closed her eyes and slowly turned her head towards Heartfire, resting it on his shoulder. In a matter of seconds, she had fallen asleep. Heartfire let out a weak smile as he saw her smirk.

"You're a good friend too..." He ran his hoof down her silver mane. "The first I've had in so many years..." He looked back outside, at the moon shining down on them. "If only you thought of me solely as that..." His eyes begun to close as well and before he knew it, her had fallen into a deep sleep.

And so it begins. The Princess of the Night has given wake to the true Lord of the Night. I can sense the downfall of the tyrant. It's for the better, for both her and her sibling. They will both realize it when the time is right...

Rarity walked through the dark streets of Ponyville. She didn't fear the patrols. If what he had told her was true, they wouldn't hurt her if she mentioned his name. She had reached the graveyard of the town. There were no graves, but a lot of recent burials had been done, probably in secrecy. Yet, they were still there. Not even a minute after she had entered through the long, metal gate, she felt a cold presence surround her.

"Your purpose has led you here mare." She heard his voice. "Is it truly what your heart desires?"

"It's... for the better." She turned around and faced Death right in his golden, fiendish eyes. "You take my life... and bring Rainbow Dash back." She spoke clearly, without looking away. Her hooves weren't trembling and her mouth wasn't shaking.

"The risks of your actions can lead you to your own, individual death." The Alicorn stuck his scythe into the ground.

"It's what I want. You know of it quite well..." Rarity didn't lose a minute of her cool.

"I cannot deprive you of your deal then." Death paused for a second. "This world acts in so many ironic ways. Generosity, it is but trampled upon till the very end, till death has come for it."

"It is of my own choosing that I sacrifice myself... I chose to come here, I chose to make this deal with you, I chose to accept this..."

"No mare..." Death's gaze got sharper. "It happens because it must. Choices are but a hallucination, desperately trying to hide the grand scheme of events that are about to unfold. You think you chose, yet you never made a choice. You simply acted because it was meant to be."

Death then lifted his scythe and plunged it into Rarity's chest. She let out a shriek of pain. The scythe lifted itself, raising Rarity along with it. Her blood dripped to the ground. The blood slowly flowed, forming lines that eventually turned into a rune. Rarity let out her last breaths as the rune burst out fire, shrouding the entire scythe in flames. As the fire extinguished itself, a cyan pony lied on the ground. It slowly raised itself, shaking her rainbow-colored head.

As her eyesight cleared, she looked at her surroundings. The sight of hooves covered by a dark cloak brought back horrible memories to her mind. She raised her head only to gaze upon Death's golden stare. Her whole body begun shaking as she slowly crawled away from him. With sharp moves, her wings spread and she flew away with tremendous speed. Death gazed at the mare as she got farther and farther away.

"It is simply futile. No matter how much you run, you will eventually return, for the living only live once." He looked at his hoof. The rune that he had just used was now carved on his skin. "You are but a part now, waiting to fulfill its role."

The Ancestors left me a long time ago. They know their plan would move this way. I knew so as well. I knew of the risks, but I didn't know they would come along like this. Is it all for the better...? Yes, it is. I know so, I was told so. It's all a part of the grand scheme of things...

Twilight Sparkle woke up from the sudden noise of a raven cawing outside the hideout. She stood up in shock as she heard the shouts of ponies. Intruder! Twilight stormed towards the gathering room only to see Rainbow Dash backed into a corner by the surviving ponies.

"Everypony stop!" Twilight yelled and everypony ceased. "She's just... Rainbow Dash..." She couldn't finish her sentence. Her eyes had welled up. "H-how did this happen...? How are you..."

"I..." Rainbow Dash looked away. "I found this... when I came here..." The cyan Pegasus handed Twilight a letter. She didn't waste any time. She quickly opened it and begun reading it.

I know the consequences of my actions are unpredictable. I know I may put you all in danger. And if not, in despair. But I want you to be strong. Stronger than I was when I thought of this choice that was given to me.
This world has been torn apart. And the more I think about, the more I understand that I cannot help you. You need ponies with strong spirits and, sadly, I was not one of them. He said h knew what i wanted. And if it came true, I know you will be able to take our home back. I will always be in your hearts, I will be there, next to you, I will always watch you and pray for you. So be strong. Be brave. Be what I wasn't.

This is my last entry. And I only write it because I've seen the events. The Truth has not awakened yet and so the Lord of the Night doesn't know of his true role in this yet. Confusion is a bliss in this situation. I wish for you to see it like that now...

Ironic.
How you repeat the task I was given millennia ago...

Like me, you have become the greatest sacrifice of them all... and you don't know it, just like I didn't know it. And when you realize, it will only hurt less... For all the things you will have done, and of all the things you will have lost, you will only wish to fulfill my dream, for it will have become your dream as well. Don't seek retribution, seek only to become the retribution of all... for that is who you truly are... you are the Truth...

Seraphim

The Mane Twelve

by PonyDesigner

Chapter 4 - The Sacrifice