//------------------------------// // The Speech // Story: Dominant Species // by DarkPhoenix //------------------------------// Chapter 9: The Speech Twilight awoke to a position that was both familiar, and uncomfortable; her face was pressed against the pages of a book. When she inhaled, the combination of paper and morning breath assaulted her senses. Her neck twinged when she tried to move, proving that there was a massive crick in it. Slowly, she twisted her head, feeling her vertebrae pop. Each pop brought a small wave of pain, but relief followed soon after. Books were great at many things. Being a pillow wasn’t one of them. Carefully placing the book on her bedside table, she got out of bed, stretching her limbs. According to the clock on the wall, she’d missed breakfast, but not by much, so she hadn’t overslept. There was a lot to get done today. After a shower and some basic hygiene, she left her room. The first thing she needed to do was figure out just where they were going. From there she could determine the supplies needed to reach their destination, as well as the logistics in getting there. She needed maps, so her destination was the War Room from last night. Upon her arrival there, she saw that she wasn’t going to be alone. Midnight had appropriated the room as her office of sorts. A small table was in there, with the batpony sitting behind it, looking over papers. When Twilight entered the room, Midnight looked up. “You’re not the servant I sent after those reports.” “Erm, no, I’m not,” Twilight responded. “Do you have need of me?” Twilight regarded the captain. “I’m just here to use the maps.” “Knock yourself out.” Midnight turned her attention back to the papers scattered around the table. The thestral was certainly hard to get a read on. Based on what Twilight knew from her brother, Midnight was a very competent Captain who genuinely cared for those under her command. Yet at the same time, she seemed to enjoy riling others up. Apparently she was very good at finding other’s buttons and pressing them. Twilight headed over to the shelf of maps, finding that it was helpfully labeled. She pulled out the map of Equus, unrolling it on the large table. Equus was divided into countries, with all the countries being situated on a single, large landmass. Equestria was in the very center. To the East, was the Gryphon Empire, a forested mountain range. Southeast of Equestria, was the nation of Zebrica, the largest country, full of grasslands and plains broken up by the occasional jungle. To the South was the Badlands, a vast stretch of desert extending all the way to the Southern Ocean. Ostensibly, the Changelings were in there, though nopony knew precisely where they were. To the West was Minotaurica, a steppe land. To the Northwest was a large range of mountains and swamps, the Dragonlands. Surrounding the landmass was endless ocean. At various times, beings had attempted to sail across the oceans, to see what lay beyond them. None had ever returned. Eventually, the idea of sailing out past the edge of the world lost its appeal; too many had died trying. Twilight stared at the map. According to Celestia, they’d need to visit each country. The question was, in what order? In terms of fighting strength, the Gryphons or the Dragons were the strongest. But the Zebras had control over vast, arable flatlands, meaning they could provide many supplies. The Minotaurs were strong, but they were also neutral, never taking sides in anything, so convincing them would be difficult. Finding the Changelings would be the hardest part, the Badlands were huge with only small outposts scattered around at oases. Searching it could take years. Every country had valid arguments as to why they should be visited first. Twilight desperately wished she knew how long the dragon would be asleep. If it woke up before her mission was complete, they may be forced to attack it with who had already agreed. If that was the case, she wanted the best fighting force possible. She needed to make a list. “Captain,” she called. “Mind if I borrow a quill and scroll?” Midnight remained focused on what was in front of her. Twilight wasn’t sure if she’d heard her, until with a flick of a wing, a scroll flew onto the map table. A second later, a quill followed. “Thanks,” Twilight said. An inkwell was sitting off to the side. Dipping the quill into the ink, she started writing on the scroll. She needed to list the pros and cons of each country, which, hopefully,  would help her figure things out. Her mind worked furiously, digging up everything she knew about the other countries. Anything that could be relevant to not only gaining them as an ally, but what they’d bring to the table as well. As she thought, the quill scratched at the scroll. Twilight spent several hours going over not only the map of Equus, but detailed maps of each territory as well, at least as detailed as they could get. Parts of Equus still remained unexplored, noticeably so in the Badlands, and the Dragonlands. She was forced to summon a servant, who delivered a meal to her, after Midnight complained about the loud rumbling her stomach was making. She ate and wrote, eyes scanning the maps. By the time she was done, she’d filled several scrolls with notes. Setting aside the maps, she looked them over carefully. Each potential ally still made valid arguments as to why they should be approached first, but a pattern was beginning to take shape. With a final, fresh scroll, she wrote down her recommendations on the order. Beside each country was her reasoning. The Gryphons should come first, as in terms of pure military strength, they were the strongest. After that, they’d need supplies, so the Zerbras came next. From there, the two that would take the most time, the Dragons and the Changelings. The Dragons were strong, but convincing them to help would be a challenge, and simply finding the Changelings was next to impossible. Finally, the Minotaurs, as having all the others on board would go a long way to getting the Minotaurs to break their neutrality. Feeling satisfied, Twilight rolled up all the scrolls, setting them on the map table. She’d run what she’d come up with by Cadance and Midnight. She valued Cadance’s opinion, and Midnight was the Captain of the Lunar Guard, so she would certainly have something to add. Speaking of Midnight, she wasn’t in the room anymore. Twilight had missed her leaving, though more than likely she’d simply left without saying anything. A glance at the clock told her where the batpony was. It was nearly noon, Cadance would be making her speech soon. Twilight wanted to be there, not only to hear what Cadance would say, but to support the alicorn as well. Leaving the map room, she noticed that the palace was empty. Usually there would be guards patrolling and servants running about, but it was eerily quiet. Walking through the halls, the place had an abandoned feel to it. Despite knowing better, Twilight shuddered, her dream about Ponyville coming to the forefront of her mind. The doors into the throne room were closed, though the doors leading outside were open. Through them floated the sounds of numerous ponies gathering, indistinct conversations springing up as they all waited. Twilight walked outside, seeing what had to be everypony in the Crystal Empire, as well as the refugees, standing at the base of the stairs. Halfway up the stairs was a hastily constructed platform, upon which Cadance was standing. She could see her friends off to one side, Midnight to the other. Joining her friends, she waited for the speech to start. Cadance was going over some notes levitating in front of her. “So, you been planning all morning, Twilight?” Rainbow asked. Twilight nodded. “I have. I think I know where we’re going, I just want to run it by Cadance and the Captain. After that, I can figure out what supplies we need.” “So we’re really leaving so soon?” “I don’t want to do this anymore than you do, Rainbow. To know that I’m going to have to leave Spike behind, it hurts. But if we don’t, then all we’re doing is sitting around, waiting for the dragon to kill us. Celestia’s right, we don’t stand a chance alone.” “But why us?” Fluttershy broke in. “That... That I don’t know. Equestria has ambassadors to the Gryphons, Zebras, and Minotaurs who could handle them. It’s the Dragons and the Changelings that we need to seek out. Why us? I don’t know. But Celestia must have her reasons. “I just wish I knew what they were,” she muttered under her breath. Surely the Princess wasn’t just arbitrarily assigning them this mission, there was a reasoning behind it. Neither Twilight nor her friends had dealings with any of the other races except the Changelings, and that was only because they’d fought the Changeling army that attacked Canterlot. If anything, that would make them less of a choice to approach the Changelings. The anticipation in the air was palpable. The crowd wanted to know what Cadance was going to tell them. Rumors had already spread throughout the city, so now ponies would know the truth. When Cadance set aside her notes and moved to stand in the center of the platform, a hush fell over the crowd. If somepony was only listening, they’d be hard pressed to tell that there was more than one pony there. As the minute hand of the large clock struck noon, Cadance’s horn lit up, a subtle glow encasing her throat. “Thank you, everypony, for coming here.” Her voice was magically amplified, spreading out across the gathered crowd. “As you know by now, there have been terrible happenings in Equestria which have affected, and will continue to affect, us. I apologize for not addressing this sooner, but I wished to wait until I had verified information. The last thing I wanted to do was give you false facts. “I am aware of the rumors that are floating through the Empire, so I am here to tell you the truth. Just yesterday my scouts returned from Equestria, bringing with them the following information.” Twilight looked over the crowd, seeing the frontlines being comprised of mostly newsponies, cameras flashing and quills scratching furiously on notepads. Beyond that were the citizens and refugees, blending together, united as one in their curious desire for answers. “I’ll start,” Cadance continued, “with an account of what happened in Canterlot. It is true, the capital was attacked.” A gasp ran through the crowd. “However, the city was not attacked by any force native to Equus.” Murmurs started up, as ponies discussed with those next to them just what Cadance meant by that statement. Had something come from across the Endless Oceans? Was it some new species that had remained undiscovered until now? Cadance held up a hoof, and silence reigned once more. When the murmurs died down, she resumed speaking. “Many of you are aware of the light that appeared in our sky over a month ago, which settled itself over Canterlot. That light was carrying a creature in it the likes of which we’ve never seen. It looks like a dragon, but it exhibits powers unknown to us. That... creature... is what attacked Canterlot.” The voices started up again, with renewed vigor. The newsponies pressed against the line of guards at the front, shouting questions at Cadance. The crowd looked fearful at the idea of a single being that could attack Canterlot and prevail. It took several minutes before Cadance was able to regain control over the crowd and continue her speech. “The Royal Guard stood bravely against the creature, but it was too powerful. As it is, Canterlot has been destroyed.” Anticipating the response that statement would bring, she continued speaking, amplifying her voice over the crowd. “The attack by the creature, and subsequent destruction of Canterlot is why our Empire finds itself with so many refugee ponies. I know that in light of this news, you are fearful, unsure of what to do.” When the crowd realized that Cadance wasn’t going to wait on them, they quieted down, though there was a lot of nervous shuffling. “We as Crystal Ponies must step up. Refugees from Equestria are already here, and more will come. It is our duty to take care of them. Already you’re doing an admirable job, making them feel welcome. I’ve spoken with ponies living in the camp and they all say that they’re being well taken care of. I ask that you continue to do so, my ponies. “Already this city is a shining beacon to the entire Empire. Now we must make that beacon shine brighter. Let the Equestrians know that they aren’t alone in this time of turmoil. Let all of Equus know that we stand strong in the face of adversity!” Twilight could see the crowd getting into the speech. Cadance was using the Crystal Ponies’ pride to appeal to them. Since the Crystal Empire was still relatively new after having been gone for over a thousand years, they were still establishing themselves to the other countries. An opportunity to prove themselves would be sure to get the entire Empire onboard. “The Elements of Harmony,” she indicated Twilight and her friends, “survived the battle and have joined us here. Together with Midnight Blade, Captain of the Lunar Guard, we’ve devised a plan to drive the creature back to the stars from whence it came.” The crowd cheered at that. The thunder of applauding hooves resounded throughout the area. Excitement ran rampant. A chance for the Crystal Empire to lead the way for not only Equestria, but all of Equus. “This plan will take time to come to fruition, but rest assured, the creature exhausted itself attacking Canterlot. Right now, it’s sleeping at the base of the mountain, and based on intelligence we received, it will continue to do so for some time. When that creature wakes, it will face a united Equus.” Her voice was rising in excitement, the crowd getting caught up in it. “And at the forefront of the forces, we Crystal Ponies will stand tall and proud!” She thrust a forehoof into the air. The crowd cheered. Ponies were raising their forehooves as well. The somber mood at the destruction of Canterlot was gone, replaced with excitement at the prospect of the Crystal Ponies proving themselves to the rest of the world. Cadance smiled, looking out over the crowd, though she remained silent, allowing the excitement to ripple through the throngs of ponies unchecked.. Twilight knew what she was doing. She wanted the crowd to be as excited as possible for the last part of the speech. Right now, she hadn’t mentioned Celestia or Luna. As that blow would be the hardest one, it was best to let their spirits get high, that way they could weather the blow all the more. It took some time, but the crowd finally calmed down. They realized that Cadance wasn’t done. They were on edge, wondering what she could possibly say now. The smile fell from Cadance’s face, her gaze turning serious. “I have one final truth for you, and this one will be difficult, not only for me to say, but for you to hear. As always, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia value their ponies’ lives over anything else, even their own lives.” She paused, letting a few ponies in the audience read between the lines. “The Princesses were at the front of the battle for Canterlot. It is with great sadness that I tell you that both of them were lost that night.” A great murmur spread over the crowd, ponies trying to figure out just what she’d said, others asking for clarification. Cadance raised a hoof to call for silence. “Fear not, for the Princesses will be back once they’ve had a chance to recover. However, until then we will have to carry on without them. I’ve spoken to Celestia herself, who has entrusted me to lead in her stead. “I know that you’re scared and confused, but I can’t do this alone. I need each and every one of you to help me make this Empire into what it can be, what Princess Celestia wants it to be.” Twilight looked into the crowd, seeing looks of confusion on the faces of everypony present. Others were crying at the loss of the Princesses. Most of them were still listening to Cadance. She’d instilled hope in them, now it was up to her to prove that she could follow through on that. “I’m sure that you have many questions. I will answer what I can, but please note that there’s still a lot that is unknown, or I cannot speak about.” As soon as she stopped speaking, the newsponies tried to leap forward. Only a blockade by the guardsponies prevented them from mobbing Cadance. They were shouting questions, the voices overlapping each other so much that Twilight couldn’t tell what any of them were saying. She waited for Cadance to pick one pony, but they just kept shouting. Twilight looked back at Cadance, to see what was going on. The alicorn wasn’t even looking at the newsponies, instead she was glancing into the crowd. Twilight followed her gaze, seeing the crowd parting around something, she couldn’t tell what. Whatever it was, it was approaching the steps. As a final line of ponies made way, she finally got a glimpse of what it was, and her jaw dropped. Marching forwards were half a dozen Royal Guards, clad in their golden armor. There were two Pegasi, two Earth Ponies, and two Unicorns. All were wielding swords, the steel glinting in the sunlight. They marched, though Twilight noticed that their movements were jerky, like they were having trouble controlling their limbs. Even the newsponies had stopped talking, facing these new arrivals. The Royal Guards stopped just behind the newsponies. Cadance addressed them. “Guardsponies, it is good to see you survived. If you’d like, you may retire to the barracks. Once this is over, there are questions I’d like to ask you.” Rather than respond, they just stood there. None of them even twitched, like they were statues. It was slightly unnerving to Twilight. “Guards?” Cadance said. Finally, as one, they opened their mouths. “We have come to deliver a message,” they said in perfect unison. Their voices sounded flat, lifeless, like there was nothing inside them, just shells. Cadance took a step back, surprised. “What do you mean?” “We speak for the one,” they said. “You have a choice: Join us, or die. There is no other way.” “What do you mean by ‘us?’ Who’s ‘the one?’” “The one who comes from the stars. It has come to save your planet, to deliver you from your pitiful existence.” Twilight stared at the Guards ponies. Somehow, the dragon, the creature had converted them. Maybe they were survivors from that night, but right now, they were not themselves. They way they moved, the way they spoke, she believed they were being controlled by a consciousness not their own. She’d seen something like this before, when Chrysalis had used her magic to control Shining. He’d adopted the same flat tone, the same faraway look in his eyes that these ponies now had. But as far as she knew, Chrysalis could only control one pony at a time, and it wore off after some time passed. In the time it would’ve taken these ponies to walk to the Empire from Canterlot, and they must’ve walked since somepony would have noticed them on the train, the spell would have worn off. As one, they continued speaking. “Join us or die, there is no other choice, no other path. Should you not join us, this is the fate that awaits you.” Before anypony could react, the lead guard, an Earth Pony, clutched her sword in her mouth, and thrust forward. The point of the sword buried itself into the throat of a shocked newspony. There was a moment as nopony reacted. Only the newspony, who reached up, grasping the sword lodged in his throat. With a savage yank, the sword was removed, and the newspony fell over in a spray of blood. Three things happened at once. The crowd screamed and tried to get away, but found their progress hampered by those behind them who weren’t aware of what had just happened. The six Royal Guardsponies swung their swords indiscriminately into the crowd, multiple ponies falling victim to their crazed steel. The line of Crystal Guardsponies charged forward, trying to shove the newsponies behind them and draw their weapons. The two forces clashed. The Crystal Guard had the advantage of numbers, but they also had to safeguard the civilians. Already several of them were busy dragging away those ponies who’d been wounded. The rest were engaging the Royal Guard. The crowd had backed away, forming a circle around the melee. With everypony being packed into the square like they were, it was impossible for them all to escape, leaving them with no choice but to get as far away as they could. Twilight stared at the body of the newspony. Already, she could see flashbacks to that night the creature attacked. The difference being that those guardsponies who were killed by the creature didn’t leave behind a body. It had been a truly violent night, but surprisingly bloodless. But this... This wasn’t fighting with magic, or spells. It was a fight with swords and hooves. Ponies got cut, they bled. Already the cobblestone underneath the fighters was turning crimson. Out of the ten Crystal Guards who’d jumped into the fight, three were down, but they’d taken two Royal Guard with them. A third Royal Guard went down as a dark blur fell from the sky. Twilight could recognize Midnight. The batpony dove from above, driving her hooves into the Guard’s neck, who collapsed instantly. She rode the corpse down, using it as a platform to launch herself at another Guard, meeting him in a tangle of limbs. Twilight could only stand there and watch things unfold. She’d been in fights before, like the Changeling army in Canterlot, but nothing like this. The Changelings were trying to harvest the ponies, so they attacked to knock them unconscious, not kill. When Twilight and her friends fought back, they did the same. She’d never killed before, so in a fight where both sides were trying to kill the other, she found herself frozen, unsure of what to do. Next to her, her friends were watching as well. None of them knew what to do, not that it mattered much, the fight would be over soon. The Royal Guard were down half their number, not that they seemed to notice or care when one of their own fell. Despite their jerky movements when they walked, the Royal guard were fluid in their fighting. They still had a soulless look in their eyes, and flat, expressionless faces, but their movements were precise, controlled. Each one of them handled a sword like they’d been born with it. The Crystal Guard were having trouble attacking, and even Midnight, with her obvious combat prowess, was put on the defensive, dodging attacks and landing occasional blows with her hooves. Midnight managed to get under the guard of her opponent. Wrapping her hooves around the Guard’s neck, she brutally twisted. Twilight swore she could hear the crack of the Guard’s neck even from where she was standing. The remaining two Guards broke off their attack. With a flurry of blades, they pushed back their opponents, giving them room to maneuver. They ran at the crowd, who screamed and tried to get away. One of them reached into the crowd, grabbing a pony and pulling her away. The Guard held the pony by the head, her sword pressed into the pony’s neck. The other stood nearby. The Crystal Guard was forced to hold back in the face of a hostage. If they approached, they’d risk the hostage’s life. Even Midnight kept her distance, though based on the look on her face, she wouldn’t hesitate to act as soon as she spotted an opportunity. Twilight could only watch helplessly as the hostage struggled. With a start, she recognized the hostage: it was Swift Bloom! In the crowd, a small figure struggled. Berry was being held back by a pony Twilight didn’t recognize. “Mommy!” The little filly cried, audible over everything else. Swift tried to turn her head, to look at her daughter, but the Guard holding her prevented that. “Berry, stay back!” she shouted. With the fighting now at a standstill, a hush fell over everything. The only sounds were the moans of injured Crystal Guards. The Guard not holding Swift spoke up. “Interesting. So you put the needs of the few over that of the many. If you attacked now, you could kill both of them, yet you hold back in favor of a single life.” Twilight wondered why the Guard’s speech patterns changed. At first they were all speaking together and referring to themselves in the first pony. Now this one was speaking alone and in third pony. Cadance stepped forward to the end of her platform. “The life of a single pony is to be treasured, not thrown away.” “Pathetic. I had hoped that this planet would bring me a challenge.” That statement brought home just who was speaking. Somehow, the creature was communicating through the Guard. Right now, they were speaking directly with the creature as it lay in Canterlot. The Guard turned his head, regarding the crowd. Berry still struggled to get to her mom, who had ceased her struggles. The other Guard had her blade pressed tightly to Swift’s throat, a thin trickle of blood running through her coat, staining it red. “This planet will fall, just like all the others before it. Your only hope is to join me. Or end up like her.” The Guard gestured to the one holding Swift. With an agonizing slowness, the Guard holding Swift drew her blade across the mare’s throat. The Guard continued to hold Swift up, causing the slit to gape wide, blood jetting out. Swift had a stunned look on her face, like she couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth moving but no sounds came out. “Mommy!” Berry cried again. Swift’s eyes roamed around, searching for something. They landed on Berry, struggling even harder against the grip holding her back. The pegasus mare smiled, her lips once again moving but still nothing came out. The Guard holding Swift dropped her, the mare collapsing to the ground stained red with her blood. As she fell, time seemed to slow down for Twilight. Swift’s body hit the ground, laying still. The Crystal Guards only stared at what had just happened. Midnight tensed herself, preparing to launch. Before she knew what was going on, Twilight’s world vanished in a flash of purple. She felt the familiar sensation of teleportation. With another flash, she was standing just in front of the two Royal Guards. At her hooves was Swift, her eyes staring up at the sky. The mare wasn’t breathing, the blood flowing from her wound only a trickle. Twilight hadn’t known Swift for very long, but she knew that the mare was kind and loving. She’d taken them in during the storm, housing them, feeding them, and leading them to the city. She was a single mother whose only goal was to provide for her daughter, a daughter that she loved dearly. When granted a boon by Cadance, she’d thought not of herself, but of her daughter. She’d turned down an opportunity to stay in the palace, instead preferring to stay with her family. Swift’s only crime had been being in the wrong place. Nopony deserved to die like that, especially not Swift. Her final smile, directed at her daughter, was still upon her lips. Twilight looked at the two Royal Guards. No, they weren’t Guards. They were slaves of some kind to the creature. It held some sort of control over them, even going so far as to allow it to speak through them. They were once Guards, but no longer. For the second time in her life, Twilight felt rage power through her. These two, and their compatriots, had invaded the Crystal Empire. They’d disrupted Cadance’s speech, and attacked unprovoked. They’d killed innocent ponies. She could feel  pressure building inside her. She wasn’t a violent pony. Every time one of her adventures turned into a fight, she never wanted to hurt anything. She did everything she could to avoid hurting anything, unless they left her no choice. But these two, she wanted to rip them limb from limb, and her magic flared in response. The Guard who’d spoken found himself being lifted up, encased in a field of magic. He didn’t struggle. Twilight gripped him tight, then increased the pressure of her magic exponentially. The guard was crushed, his bones breaking. Twilight saw his spine snap, rendering him dead or paralyzed. He was no longer an issue, so she tossed him aside, his body impacting the ground, skidding across it towards a Crystal Guard, who promptly drove her sword into it, in case it wasn’t dead yet. That just left the mare who’d killed Swift. Twilight’s vision tunneled, until she could see only the mare. A more focused magical field wrapped itself around the mare’s neck, lifting her off her hooves. The mare didn’t struggle or choke, simply floated there. Twilight ripped the sword out of her hooves, tossing it a short distance away. She dragged the now unarmed mare towards her, bringing them face to face. “This planet will more than challenge you,” she said. “We will stop you, this I swear.” She didn’t know if the creature was listening, but she didn’t care. She increased her hold on the mare’s neck, until it popped with a loud crack. The mare’s body went limp. Twilight tossed it to the side, where it impacted one of the walls of a Guard post on the stairs. A smear of red spread out from the impact, the body sliding down the wall to collapse in a heap on the ground. As soon as the body came to a rest, Twilight’s world swam back into focus. All of a sudden, her vision and hearing reasserted itself. She could see the shocked looks of the crowd, staring at her, hear the dead silence as nopony spoke. She looked down, seeing her hooves covered in blood. Whose blood it was, she didn’t know. Reality slammed into her, her actions catching up with her mind. Killed. She’d just killed two beings. They may have no longer been ponies, but they were once alive. They once had dreams and loves. They had families and friends who loved them. She’d ended all that in the span of a few seconds, quickly and brutally. Nopony moved for the longest time. It was Midnight who reacted first. “Sergeant,” she ordered. “Mobilize the guard. Escort these citizens to their homes, then put everypony on full alert. There may be more of them around, and we’re going to search this city.” Berry finally broke free of whoever was holding her. The filly ran to her mother, wrapping her hooves around Swift’s midsection. “Mommy. Mommy, please, wake up. Mommy.” Tears were falling from Berry’s eyes as she shook her mother, who lay on the ground, eyes still staring up at the sky. The filly continued to try and wake up her mom. Twilight watched the scene, knowing that she should feel sad. But all she could feel was nothing, she was numb. Her mind tried to comprehend what had just happened. From the moment the Guards appeared, to now, only a couple of minutes had passed. As the Crystal Guard moved around her, ushering the ponies away from the scene, Cadance herself flew down, landing next to Berry. Gently, she pried the filly away from Swift. “No! No, Mommy!” The filly reached out towards her mother. “I’m sorry, Berry,” Cadance said, her own eyes leaking tears. “I’m so sorry.” Berry struggled, fighting against Cadance to get back to her mother. Cadance’s strength proved too much, as she carried Berry away, towards the palace. The filly’s cries echoed out as she cried for her mother. Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked back to see Applejack behind her, the rest of her friends there as well. “Come on, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “The Guard can handle things from here. We should get inside and out of their way.” Numbly, Twilight nodded. Applejack applied gentle pressure to her back, guiding her up the stairs. The rest of her friends surrounded them. Twilight could hear Midnight taking control, barking orders to the Crystal Guard, who accepted her command. She had no idea where Applejack was leading her, and she didn’t care. All she could think about was what had just happened, and what she had just done. Two beings were dead, by her hooves. They may not have been ponies any longer, being controlled somehow by the dragon, but they were still living beings. Surely the control was forceful, there’s no way they would have submitted voluntarily. Rather than kill them, she should have subdued them, found a way to reverse the control. There were dozens of options that didn’t involve killing them. Those beings who had died at the hooves of the Crystal Guard and Midnight, that was self-defense. They were attacking the crowd and the guardsponies, aiming to kill. It wasn’t ideal, but at least for those four, she could see the reason why they had to die. But the two she’d attacked... They may have just killed Swift, but after that they didn’t fight back. they’d just been standing there, not doing anything. It would have been simple for her to knock them unconscious, or cast a sleeping spell, or bind their hooves. Instead she’d slaughtered them. She’d lashed out with her magic, using it as a tool for destruction and death. Abruptly, she stopped, surprising her friends. Reaching up, she ran a hoof along her horn. Never before had she considered magic as a force of death. Sure it could be used for that, there were war spells and attack spells, but she’d never bothered to learn any of them. Her magic was a tool to help others, and for learning. Now that she’d taken lives with it, it felt foreign to her, like it was tainted. Her horn glowed as she gathered as much of her tainted magic as she could. Distantly, she could hear one of her friends shouting at her, but she paid it no attention. She had to rid herself of her magic. Pulling deep within her, she summoned all of her magic. Focusing on a vase sitting in an alcove, she unleashed her magic in a single spell, pouring everything into it. As she did, a wordless cry ripped from her throat. With a flash, the vase was teleported away. Twilight had no destination in mind for it, only sending it as far away as she could. It was quite possible that she’d sent it into the Endless Ocean, or somewhere into the upper atmosphere. The vase was simply gone. As soon as the spell was completed, she felt light-headed, swaying on her hooves. She would have fallen over if not for a pair of hooves supporting her. As it was, she couldn’t focus, couldn’t summon the strength to even lift a hoof to walk. Searching inside her, she couldn’t feel any traces of tainted magic. All that was left was the magic her body used to keep itself functioning. Never before had she used this much magic, always stopping before it got this far. Gently, she was lifted up and placed on somepony’s back, most likely Applejack. Somepony else was speaking. She tried to focus on the words. “...used all her magic,” somepony said. Twilight tried to conjure up a name. “The poor dear is suffering from magical exhaustion. She needs to rest and eat.” “Is she going to be okay?” another voice asked. “She’ll be fine,” the first voice responded. “When a unicorn pushes themselves too far, they use up too much magic and exhaust themselves. They become lightheaded, lethargic. Sometimes they can pass out. It will take time, but her magic will renew itself.” She swayed side to side as the pony she was riding walked. The gentle motions lulled her into a trance. Her eyes closed as her world rocked. Behind her eyelids, the world wasn’t black, but red. A red that dripped across her vision. The rocking seemed to go on forever, before it stopped. She was still for a moment, before she felt herself being lowered onto something warm and soft. It was soothing, comforting. She snuggled into it, letting it take away her pain. A presence was nearby, but she couldn’t tell what it was. All she could see was red. She wanted it to go away, but she was unable to open her eyes. She tried to summon up an image of something else, but her mind refused to obey her. The red began to coalesce, to form images. A face appeared, becoming defined. It was the stallion she’d killed first, his dead eyes staring into her soul. His mouth moved, but no words came out. To her, it looked like he was asking her why. A second face joined the first, this one the mare who had killed Swift. The same as the stallion, her eyes pierced, her mouth moved in sync with the stallion. Twilight tried to get rid of the faces, but they resolutely stayed. They haunted her, tortured for. How long they were there, she didn’t know. What she was certain of, is that she’d never forget those red faces. Perfectly in sync, they spoke without a voice, condemning her for killing them. Finally, after an eternity, the two faces melted away. Twilight thought it was over, and tried to open her eyes. Still she couldn’t, her eyes staying shut. As the red continued to ripple, another shape started taking focus. Desperately, Twilight tried to open her eyes again, but still they refused. She didn’t want to face whatever was coming. Another face gained focus. With growing horror, Twilight recognized this one as well. It was Swift Bloom, her eyes open and staring at nothing. A gaping slit ran underneath her chin, like the mare was smiling at her. Twilight tried to look away from the face, but she couldn’t. Swift’s eyes were empty, lacking the light that was present in life. Her eyes appeared to be staring not at Twilight, but at her soul. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Seeing those two guards had been bad, but seeing Swift was worse. It was bringing up feelings that Twilight didn’t want to acknowledge. First and foremost was regret. She regretted that Swift was now dead. Then there was sadness and anger. She wanted to say something to Swift, something that she sincerely meant. “I’m sorry. I failed you. I failed you. I failed you...” Twilight repeated those three words. She wanted to cry, to hold her head in her hooves, but she couldn’t. Her body wasn’t responding to her commands. “I failed you...” she repeated. Slowly, Swift’s face melted away, the red receding with her. All that was left was infinite blackness. Twilight floated away in the black, those three words echoing after her. Dimly, she became aware of the sensation of something cold and wet pressed against her forehead. The darkness started getting brighter, the words fading away. There was something soft underneath her. Once more, she tried opening her eyes. This time, they obeyed. As soon as they were open, she regretted it. The world was bright and blurry. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut and blinking rapidly. Slowly, the world came into focus. She was staring up at a ceiling. turning her head, she could see that she was in her bedroom. It took her several tries, but she was able to sit up, propping herself against the headboard of the bed. When she sat up, a folded washcloth fell off her head, landing in her lap with a plop. That explained the cold and wet sensation she felt. Her motions attracted the attention of the other occupant in the room. “Oh good, you’re awake.” She looked over, seeing Fluttershy. The pegasus had been sitting in a chair, reading a book. “What happened?” Twilight asked. Her throat was parched, the words coming out scratchy. Fluttershy set down her book, coming over. On the bedside table sat a glass of water with a straw in it. She picked up the glass, holding it underneath Twilight. Using the straw, Twilight drained the glass. The smooth, cool water flooded her throat, relieving the dry sensation. She coughed a few times. “Thanks,” she said, the word coming out a lot easier and sounding more like herself. The pegasus nodded. “You’re welcome.” She set the glass down. “As for what happened, you passed out.” “How long have I been out?” “Only a few hours. Rarity explained magical exhaustion to me, and I’ve been monitoring you and taking care of you.” “Thank you, Fluttershy.” Twilight felt lucky to have a friend like her. She’d used a lot of magic before, but never had she passed out. Reaching down inside her, she felt around, feeling for her magic. Already it was renewing itself. It would take her a day to bring her levels back to normal. “What did I miss?” she asked. Fluttershy’s head fell, her eyes roaming the floor. “It’s not good, Twilight. I... I don’t know if I can tell you.” Twilight reached out, setting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Fluttershy, please. I need to know.” The pegasus sighed. “Three Crystal Guards, and six citizens died in the square, including... Including Swift Bloom. Four more ponies have serious injuries and are in the hospital. Captain Midnight took control of the Crystal Guard, organizing them into escorting citizens back to their homes.” She paused, collecting her thoughts. “Those six... things, they weren’t the only ones. There were more of them, disguised as regular ponies. They used the chaos and confusion to attack randomly. The Guard is sweeping the entire city, trying to find anymore of them.” Fluttershy stopped, unable to go on as she started crying. Twilight wrapped her hooves around the mare, drawing her into a hug that was fiercely returned. To know that so many ponies were dead must be devastating. Fluttershy felt for every living being, and hated the idea of death. However much Twilight was suffering, she must be suffering more. “I’m sorry for asking, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. The pegasus wiped at her eyes. “It’s okay. You need to know. I just don’t think I can tell you any more.” Summoning her strength, Twilight rolled out of bed. Her legs gave out, sending her to the floor and earning a gasp from her friend. “What are you doing?” Struggling, she managed to stand up. “Where are the others?” she asked. “Oh no,” Fluttershy said. Her sadness was gone, replaced with an air of authority as she cared for her friend. “You get right back in that bed and rest.” Ignoring Fluttershy, Twilight shuffled on unsteady legs towards the door. “If you don’t tell me where to find them, I’m going looking on my own.” She tried to open the door, but her horn fizzled and sputtered. She wasn’t steady enough on her hooves to risk reaching up to open it, so she closed her mouth around the doorknob, twisting it and pulling open the door. A yellow wing draped over her back, steadying her. “They’re in the lounge.” Twilight nodded, setting off down the hall with Fluttershy by her side, supporting her. They made it to the lounge, where the door was open. As soon as she walked in, Twilight saw her friends all seated on the couches. Pinkie saw her enter first, letting out a gasp and zipping over. “Are you okay, Twilight?” she asked. “I’m fine. I just magically exhausted myself. I’ll be back to normal tomorrow.” She’d be back to normal in the magic sense, but she wondered if she’d ever be truly back to normal. A lot had happened in the last week. She knew that she and her friends, even the entire world, had been changed. It took her two tries, but she managed to climb up on the couch, Fluttershy sitting next to her. Looking around at her friends, she could see that they all looked tired. “Fluttershy told me some of what happened,” Twilight said. “What’s currently being done?” It was Rarity who spoke up. “It’s a mess, Twilight.” She sighed. “You heard about the other...” She paused, searching for the right word. “I don’t really know what to call them. They certainly aren’t ponies anymore, though they may look like ones. But thanks to them, more ponies have been killed or injured.” “They just pop up,” Rainbow put in. “A group of ponies will be walking along, then one of them will start attacking the others. They don’t care who they hurt, just whoever’s closest. The Guard is trying to find a way to root them out, but for now, all they can do is react when one shows up.” Applejack took her turn. “Ponies are turning against each other, friends and neighbors. The city is under Martial Law until this crisis is over. Everypony is confined to their homes, the refugees to the camp.” “Where’s Cadance?” Twilight asked. She hoped the alicorn hadn’t hidden herself away. Now more than ever, her ponies needed to see her leading. Whatever good had come from her speech, had been undone with this attack. If anything, the city was now worse off. Cadance had a tough job ahead, pulling the city out of this. “She’s co-ordinating things with Midnight from the War Room.” “And... What about Berry?” The filly’s desperate cries for her mother still distantly echoed in Twilight’s mind. She’d seemed so pitiful. Everypony’s ears drooped. “The poor darling cried herself asleep,” Rarity said. “She’s currently sleeping in a room here in the palace until this crisis is over and her grandparents can be located.” The mood in the room was somber. Now that Twilight was up to speed, nopony had anything to talk about. What had started out as a good day, had turned into a nightmare. No matter how hard she tried, Twilight couldn’t stop thinking about the two ponies she’d killed. She went over and over those moments in her head, trying to figure out if there was anything she could’ve done differently. When the combat had first started, she’d stayed back. At first it had been from surprise, but then it was from practicality. She wasn’t a guard, she had no experience in combat like that. All she would do is get in the way. She might have been able to erect a shield or something here and there, but she was afraid that by helping, she would only be a distraction to the guards. When those two final ponies had taken Swift hostage, she hadn’t acted in case they hurt Swift. She should’ve known, should’ve seen the signs that those beings had no intention of letting Swift go alive. If she had acted, then Swift would still be with them. “Twilight,” came Fluttershy’s quiet voice from beside her. Twilight looked over, seeing the pegasus staring at her. “It’s not your fault, Twilight. There was nothing you could’ve done.” Twilight’s eyes went wide. “What?” “You have that look on your face, like you’re blaming yourself.” She set a hoof on her shoulder. “There wasn’t anything you could’ve done. As soon as you tried something, they would’ve killed Swift. Holding back was the best thing you could’ve done.” “So there was no way to save her?” “Maybe there was,” Fluttershy said. “But dwelling on that won’t do you any good. You shouldn’t beat yourself up over it.” Twilight didn’t say anything. Perhaps Fluttershy was right, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to wonder what she could have done differently. Hours passed in silence. It was as the sun was slipping below the horizon, the moon taking its place, that Cadance walked into the lounge. “What’s the news?” Twilight asked. Cadance looked like tartarus. Her mane was askew and she had bags under her eyes like she hadn’t slept in days. She sat down in a chair. “There’s some good news. By examining some of the turned ponies, we’ve discovered a way to find them.” “How?” “You know how everypony has a magical signature?” At Twilight’s nod, Cadance continued. “Those ponies who have turned, their signature is just gone. It’s like whatever happened to them erased all trace of who they used to be. They may look like a pony, but they’re only shells, filled with whatever’s controlling them. If it is magic, it’s not anything we can detect. “Fortunately, we have spells to detect a pony’s magical signature. Typically they’re used on crimes of a magical nature, to figure out who cast the spell. So we can find the... shells by scanning everypony. If no magical signature is found, then it’s not a pony. Only a few unicorns know those spells, but I’ve got every capable unicorn in the Guard leaning them. Hopefully by morning we’ll have found all the intruders.” “That is good news,” Rarity said. “I just wish it was all good news...” “What do you mean?” Cadance sighed. “I’d hoped the speech today would rally the city. It did, until the imposters showed up. Now the city is poised to tear itself apart. The Crystal Ponies blame the refugees. Nopony trusts anypony else. If I can’t get control soon, I fear what will happen.” “Cadance,” Twilight said. “Remember what I said last night?” “No, I remember. I’ll try my best, I just can’t help but worry.” Her gaze bored into Twilight. “Especially about you.” Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but Cadance cut her off. “Twilight, I saw what you did. There was nothing you could’ve done to save Swift. Once those monsters got their hooves on her, it was too late. As for what happened next, You can’t blame yourself. They were going to die after what they did, I just wish it had been my guard to do it, not you.” Cadance put a hoof around Twilight. “You were put in a situation where there wasn’t a good choice, only a series of bad ones. You made the best choice you could. Who’s to say that any of the other choices would’ve been better?” The irony of Cadance using her own words from last night against her wasn’t lost on Twilight. But, the alicorn’s words broke through, making sense to her. Over the hours, as she’d replayed the events over and over, she’d been forced to confront the fact that it was a situation where in the end, nopony would win. Cadance was right, once Swift was a hostage, it was too late. It took time for Twilight to gather magic and cast a spell. Most likely at the first sign of a glowing horn, Swift would have been killed. If Twilight hadn’t jumped in there, the creatures might have had time to grab another pony. No, what unfolded was the best possible outcome. That didn’t mean she had to like it, though. In her opinion, she was still too brutal on the creatures. She lost it, gave into her rage. In it, she slaughtered those two creatures. Killing them was the best thing to do, but what scared her is how she reacted. Feeling her magic, it didn’t feel tainted to her anymore. It may have just been her imagination, but getting rid of her magic felt right. After using it to take a life, she wanted to start fresh. Cadance looked over the assembled group of ponies. “I’ve talked with Midnight, about how this situation and about how the dragon can apparently control other ponies, affects your mission. We don’t know how the ponies are controlled, and the lack of a magical signature makes all investigation impossible. So far, we’ve been unable to capture one alive. They always fight until the end, forcing us to kill them. Maybe if we could capture one, we could examine it. “So, in light of this new enemy, we’ve decided to postpone you leaving. Neither of us feels comfortable sending you out, even with an escort. Midnight has proposed giving you all an intensive training course on how to fight. And I agree with her.” Immediately, everypony except Twilight started arguing. “I... I don’t want to fight, or hurt things.” “I can’t possibly fight, I’ll ruin my hooves!” “I already know how to fight, so tell Midnight she can shove...” “Fighting makes ponies sad, and I don’t want to make ponies sad.” “Are you sure we need to learn this?” Their voices overlapped as they each argued. Twilight was silent as she thought about it. Today had proven that even though the dragon may be asleep, it had no intention of resting. Perhaps it just wanted to sow chaos, to break morale. If so, then it had accomplished that. One thing was for sure: their mission had suddenly become that much harder. Now they would have an enemy dogging their heels. Swift Bloom’s face floated in front of Twilight’s eyes, her accusing stare piercing Twilight’s soul. “I failed you...” Twilight muttered. If learning how to fight meant she would never fail anypony like she had failed Swift, then Twilight was determined to learn. “I’ll do it,” she said, her voice cutting across her friends. They all stopped arguing, looking at her. “I’ll do it. I’ll learn to fight.” “Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “I failed today. Swift Bloom died. It may not have been my fault, but I still failed to protect her. If learning how to fight means that other ponies won’t die, then I’ll do it. Not just for me, but for Swift Bloom, and all the ponies who’ve died. Maybe next time, I’ll be able to save somepony.” Cadance nodded. “Good. As for the rest of you, I’m afraid I have to insist. It’s too dangerous for you to go out unprepared.” She held up a hoof, cutting off the inevitable protest. “I know you don’t want to, but I much rather you know how to protect yourselves and never have to do so, then send you out there as you are and risk losing one of you. I pray to Celestia that you’ll never have to fight, though.” The others didn’t look happy, but they didn’t say anything either. Rainbow had her forelegs crossed over her chest while Fluttershy looked like she was about to have a panic attack. The other three were simply thinking. “Midnight herself will be overseeing your training, which starts tomorrow. She estimates that even a crash course will take some time, though she’s not certain how long. The sooner you start, the sooner you can leave on your mission.” That made sense to Twilight. Fighting wasn’t something you just picked up in a day or two. Her worry was that they would be wasting time training, when the dragon was doing nopony knows what. For all they knew, it could be amassing an army of its own. No, that was dumb. Midnight was posting scouts in Ponyville. They’d know if the dragon did something. “Cadance?” Twilight asked. “Where’s Berry?” “She’s most likely still sleeping. I set her up in a room close to mine. A maid is watching over her until we can find her grandparents. Big Mac was kind enough to give me their address, we simply haven’t been able to retrieve them yet. We won’t be able to until we scan everypony. It’s just too dangerous to have anypony not a Guard moving through the city right now. I’m afraid she’ll have to spend the night in the palace.” “May I see her?” Cadance nodded. “Be quiet when you go inside. If she’s still sleeping, don’t wake her up.” Twilight left without saying anything else. As she walked the halls towards Cadance’s room, Twilight thought about what she was going to say to Berry if the filly was awake. She honestly didn’t know what to say, only that she wanted to apologize. She found Cadance’s room, seeing several more doors in that hallway. One of them led to Berry, she just didn’t know which one. The first door she tried led to an empty room. The second was locked. The third and final door opened, revealing a soft light. Sitting in a chair was a maid, a book open in her lap. When the door opened, she looked up, seeing Twilight standing in the door. Wordlessly, she put a hoof to her lips, then pointed at the bed. Twilight nodded at her, entering the room. Berry was laying on the bed, asleep. As Twilight approached, she could see the gentle rise and fall of the filly’s chest. Her eyes were moving around rapidly behind her eyelids, indicating that she was dreaming. Twilight wished Luna was still around. If anypony deserved pleasant dreams, it was this filly. Twilight sat on the floor at the edge of the bed. For several minutes, she just watched Berry sleep, gathering her thoughts. Finally, she took in a breath and whispered. “I’m so sorry, Berry. I not only failed your mom, but I failed you as well. I wasn’t strong enough to protect you two.” The filly moaned, but remained asleep. Twilight wondered what she was dreaming about. What image was floating through her mind right now? “I know you are upset right now. I only hope that someday you’ll forgive me.” She set her hooves on the edge of the bed. “I can’t bring your mom back, but I can do something. I swear to you that I’ll do my best to defeat the one behind all this. With the Elements or an army at my back, I’ll do what I can. Not for me, but for Celestia, Luna, Shining, Mom and Dad, Swift, and all the other ponies lost.” She felt a tear slide down her cheek, landing on the bed. “I swear, I won’t fail again. I can’t, not when the cost is this high.” Several more tears joined the first one. Being careful not to wake her, Twilight gave the filly a soft hug. She left the room, sharing another nod with the maid. She headed back towards the lounge. Her friends would most likely still be there. They’d need to rethink their plans now that they weren’t leaving so soon. Her words to Berry came back. She’d only gone there to apologize to the filly. The promise had come out unexpectedly.. Yet despite her not meaning to say it, she meant what she said. It was up to her to find a way to defeat the dragon and protect the ponies. Despite the weight of the world on her shoulders, Twilight felt a conviction she hadn’t had previously. If it was up to her, if this mission was her destiny, then she’d approach it head-on. Entering the lounge, she saw her friends and Cadance still there. There were several plates sitting on the table. “Twilight,” Rarity said. “We got you some food.” She indicated a still full plate. “If you’re not hungry, then that’s okay.” “Thanks, girls.” She sat down next to Fluttershy again, silently tucking in to her meal. Her magic still wasn’t back to where she could levitate the utensils securely, so she had to settle for holding them in her hooves. She ate in silence. Her friends chatted about what was going to happen, and what Midnight could have in store for them. Twilight wondered if it would be anything like the Guard training that Shining had gone through. If so, that was already intensive. A crash course would be brutal on them. But if that’s what it took, then she would suffer through it and learn as much as she could. “Cadance,” Twilight spoke up. “I think it would be a good idea if both Rarity and I learn those detection spells.” “I think so too,” she agreed. “I’ll have one of my guardsponies teach the two of you.” Cadance excused herself to go check on Midnight, make sure the Captain had everything she needed. At this point, it was just a matter of the search teams going out and scanning everypony. It was time-consuming, and some ponies would complain about being kept up all night, but it was the only way to make sure. One by one, the rest of Twilight’s friends excused themselves. None of them wanted to sleep, but need won out over want. It had been a long, hard day. Twilight headed to her room. Celestia’s gem was still sitting on the bedside table. Twilight picked it up, staring into its depths. “That promise I made Berry, I make to you as well. I doubted you and the mission you gave me, but not anymore.” She set the gem back down. Where once she’d felt apprehension, now she only had a burning desire to see this quest through. Already this dragon had claimed too many lives. A small part of her knew that it was inevitable that more would die before the dragon could be defeated, but she was determined to save as many as she could. Laying down in the bed, she closed her eyes. For once, only the darkness stared back, no red, no faces. As she fell asleep, she wondered whether her newfound conviction would be enough to stave off the nightmares.