//------------------------------//
// Revelations and Celebrations 
// Story: Seasons Turning 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 20: Revelations and Celebrations

The stallion waiting for Blenheim at the building's peak was a surprisingly young-looking pony.  The unicorn's coat was a rosy pink color which, combined with the orange and yellow of his mane to give the impression of a rising sun.  His eyes were a pale-cyan color, clear and piercing, giving Blenheim the impression that the stallion saw right through him.  The unicorn's cutie mark was perhaps one of the most bizarre that Blenheim had ever seen, the image of a brain with a set of white wings sprouting from it.
However, what truly drew Blenheim's eyes was the stallion's horn.  Instead of being the same shade of pink as his coat, the Supreme Pontiff's horn was an off-white color, sheathed in what looked to be some kind of crystalline substance that glittered in the light of the sun streaming in through the windows that lined the ceiling and upper walls of the room.
"Welcome," said the stallion, "My name is Morning Star, Supreme Pontiff of the Order.  It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Blenheim of Appleloosa."
"It's an honor Holy Father," said Blenheim, dipping the front half of his body in a bow, "Ah hadn't expected to meet ya so soon."
"I understand that you have important information," said Morning Star, idly turning to look up at one of the windows, "Information on the location of a certain demon that we have been seeking for some time.  You know where he is?"
"Ah do," said Blenheim, "Ah met 'im in fact."
Terra drew in a sharp breath, reminding Blenheim that the massive earth pony was still there, and still very dangerous.
"I see..." mused Morning Star, his expression still inscrutable, "Then I suppose we should get to the point.  Before I ask where the demon is, I would first ask what made you use this information to gain access to my presence?”
“‘Cause when Ah met that colt, there was somethin’ ‘bout ‘im.  It made me wonder ‘bout whether or not we’re doin’ the right thing.”  Blenheim took a deep breath.  “‘Cause Ah’ll be honest.  He didn’t seem so bad to me.  If anythin’ Ah felt like we were actin’ like the bad guys with what we were doin’ to ‘im.”
“You…”  The simmering anger emitting from the earth pony behind Blenheim finally seemed to be boiling over.  Terra’s eyes narrowed as he stepped towards the green stallion.  “You dare…?  You allowed the demon’s honeyed words to poison your soul and you bear this corruption into the presence of the Holy Father!  I knew I should have stamped you out!”
“Terra.”  There was no anger, no malice, not even frustration in Morning Star’s voice, just a quiet tone of reproof.  It cut through Terra’s anger like a knife, bringing the raging stallion to an abrupt halt.
“Enough,” said Morning Star, “If I can’t trust you to remain civil, you will have to sit the rest of this meeting out.  Go.”
Terra’s ears went flat against his skull at the clear rebuke as the earth-colored stallion realized that he’d overstepped his bounds.  Quietly, he backed out the door and shut it behind him.
Once Terra was gone, Morning Star let out a sigh.  “I apologize for Terra Heart’s behavior.  He is as able a second as I could ever hope for.  But, at times, I find that his zeal tends to overpower his restraint.”
“Ah think Ah know where yer comin’ from,” said Blenheim, his mind going back to Quicksilver and Garnet.
“Indeed,” agreed Morning Star, “Please, take a seat.  Make yourself comfortable.”  He gestured to a small pile of cushions that occupied one side of the room.  Selecting one for himself, Morning Star relaxed and looked expectantly at his guest.
“Thank ya fer yer hospitality,” said Blenheim.
“Now then,” said Morning Star, “I believe you had some questions for me.  Feel free to ask them, even if they are questions you didn’t originally plan on asking.”
“Ya don’t want me to tell ya ‘bout the colt?” asked Blenheim, raising an eyebrow.
“You withheld the knowledge of his location in order to obtain this chance with me,” Morning Star pointed out, “I see no point in bothering until you have gotten what you need from our conversation.”
The green stallion nodded before looking out the gallery windows.  Since it was directly underneath their hooves, there was no way to see the strange device from their angle.  However, the windows did offer an impressive view of the temple’s cavernous interior.  “Just what in Celestia’s name is that there thing out there?”
“Ah that…”  Morning star chuckled.  “I’m not surprised you’re asking about that.  It probably would be the first thing on your mind after seeing it.
“That device is a component piece to an array stretching across the whole of Equestria.  Four more just like it, or substantially similar in any case, are being built in other locations.”
“Like Appleloosa?” asked Blenheim, prompting a nod from the Supreme Pontiff.
“Indeed,” agreed Morning Star, “The Appleloosa’s location is a bit more…convenient for our purposes.  You may have noted that this temple is out in the middle of nowhere.”  Blenheim nodded.  “For the purposes of constructing the array, the positions of the temples is essential.  Unfortunately, there is not always a convenient town or settlement where we need to build them.”
“So ya got lucky with Appleloosa then?”
Shaking his head, Morning Star chuckled.  “More like we made our own luck.  One of the initial prospectors looking to place the new settlement was a member of the Order.  I gave him the location where we would need to build the temple in that region and he helped to arrange Appleloosa’s foundation there.”
“Ya mean that our town was founded ‘cause ya needed someplace to put that temple?” demanded Blenheim.
“Not really,” replied Morning Star, “Appleloosa was bound to be founded out there anyway.  I just had a hoof in deciding where.  In all probability, anypony else would have probably picked a location that would have resulted in less contention with the buffalo tribes.  I’m glad that worked out though.”
“Eeyup,” agreed Blenheim, “Mah nephew Braeburn’s in a relationship with one ‘o them buffalo’s now.”
“I see,” said Morning Star, “I’m very glad things worked out for you then.  Please pass my congratulations to your nephew the next time you see him.”
“Will do,” said Blenheim, “Now then, what does this here array ya’ve been talkin’ about do?  That Terra Heart feller said somethin’ ‘bout it bein’ our salvation.”
“Well, Terra does tend towards more dramatic proclamations, but he is accurate enough,” said Morning Star, “The array is the ultimate tool that will free us from the depredations of Nightmare Moon, once and for all.”
“It’ll banish her then?” asked Blenheim.
Morning Star shook his head.  “No.  After all, no matter how much of an effort you make to make it stick, a pony that is banished is still a threat.  If we merely banished her, Nightmare Moon would still be ‘out there,’ inevitably plotting her return.  It could be a thousand years from now, ten-thousand, or more.  The possibility would always be there.  Instead, the array will purge Nightmare Moon from existence and destroy her completely.”
Blenheim was silent for a moment.  "A-Ah see..."
The pink stallion slowly shook his head.  "It does seem rather anticlimactic when you think about it.  This array will marshal tremendous magical forces and scour the world clean of Nightmare Moon's influence, once and for all.  However, from our perspective, you could say that it's as simple as pushing a button to send it on its way.  The true trial is ensuring that we manage to complete the array without Nightmare Moon discovering it."
"Where'd this thing come from?"
"From the sacred texts of our Order.  Within their writings was a code which, once deciphered bestowed the instructions for the making of these instruments.  It was a truly fantastic discovery.  The foresight of our predecessors was remarkable."
"Amazin'" muttered Blenheim, thinking of the fantastical machine beneath their hooves.  It was a wonder that the schematics for such a mechanism could even be understood, much less followed.
"Now then, any other questions?" asked Morning Star, "That last one was fairly obvious, considering you saw the device on your way in.  What questions made you seek me out to begin with?"
"Like Ah said," explained Blenheim, "Ah met that colt.  Ah saw his eyes fer mahself.  Ah even spoke with 'im."
"I see...and something about the conversation you had with him made you doubt our present course?"
"Sorta," said Blenheim, "He weren't doin' no harm to nopony.  He was adopted, had a mare lookin' after 'im like a son, was hangin' out with colts and fillies his own age, goin' to school, workin' after...If it weren't fer those eyes 'o his, Ah wouldn't think 'o him as anythin' but an ordinary colt."
"Ah," said Morning Star, "Tell me, was there anything else about him that stood out to your mind?"
"There was," conceded Blenheim, "When Ah talked to 'im, Ah got 'im riled up somethin' fierce.  Fer such a young colt, he made me feel like he was gonna stomp me outta existence.  He seemed...powerful.  But later, Ah heard it's a martial art.  In fact, it's sorta like the feelin' Ah got from Terra when he was gettin' angry."
"I see, that makes sense," remarked Morning Star, "So you think that this colt was a martial artist, rather than the husk of a pony empowered by demonic presence?"
"Ah kinda wonder 'bout that.  Ya see, there was this filly.  She was mighty taken with the colt, if Ah was told right.  Anyway, he'd apparently been teachin' her this martial arts stuff.  Two 'o mah workers got it into their fool heads to try and take on the colt themselves.  But one 'o 'em got riled up like an angry hornet when that filly started mouthin' off 'bout the Order.  He tried to break into her house and teach 'er a lesson..."
Morning Star let out a disappointed groan.
"Yeah, Ah thought so too," agreed Blenheim, "Anyway, when he tried it, that filly blasted 'im straight through a wall.  Darn fool landed his plot in the hospital.  Poor Quicksilver was in a right state when they brought 'im in."
"So you wonder if the colt's presence was a factor in the violence that the filly inflicted upon your friend?"
Blenheim nodded.  "Except, ya know, fer the obvious, given that Quicksilver was goin' after the colt in the first place."
"It's an interesting conundrum," admitted Morning Star.
"When Ah thought about it," said Blenheim, "Ah realized that everypony was actin' normal.  There ain't nothin' that suggested they were corrupted or anythin' like that.  They were ordinary ponies, goin' 'bout their everyday lives.  When we found out 'bout the colt, we were the ones who started changin' how we were actin'.  It was Quicksilver and Garnet who started stirrin' up trouble, not the colt.  All Ah can wonder now is...are we doin' the right thing?"
Morning Star hummed as he mulled this over.  "I can understand your reasoning.  I certainly cannot fault your uncertainty.  Nopony in the Order would ever wish for the death of an innocent."
"When Ah talked to the colt, he just seemed tired," said Blenheim, "Like he was sick 'o bein' chased about and just wanted to settle down and live out his life."
Again, Morning Star nodded.  "It truly is insidious, the way he manipulates the situation, isn't it?"
"What?"
"Think about it," said Morning Star, "Everything falls in place so neatly.  Your friends, your workers, they seek to do the right thing, but reach beyond their abilities and are instead manipulated into attacking a different pony altogether, who 'defends' herself.  It's brilliant when you realize it.  We are painted as villains, one of our own is landed in the hospital, to be carted off like a criminal when he recovers, and the demon comes away smelling like roses, his innocence beyond the doubt of anypony who witnesses the event."
"But-" Blenheim began.
Morning Star stopped his response with a restrained hoof.  "I understand your concern.  I am duly impressed by your convictions.  Your faith has been shaken, but you have not abandoned it."  He smiled and stood up.  "Let me reward you.  Stand."
Blenheim did as he was bid.  Together, the two of them moved out into the center of the gallery.  There, they faced one another.  Blenheim looked to the Supreme Pontiff, wondering just what was about to happen.
For a moment, there was nothing.  However, then something began to swell out of Morning Star's back.  It was like two massive, white sores bulging outward from either side of his spine.  Then, before the startled earth pony's eyes, the white bulges burst outward, practically exploding in a furry of feathers, expanding into a pair of extensive, white wings, the same crystalline shade of off-white as Morning Star's horn.  The wings spread out...and out...and out...and out further, dwarfing the wings of any pegasus, easily rivaling, if not exceeding the span of Princess Celestia's own.  At last, fully extended, the unicorn now sported a pair of wings that made him seem a masculine facsimile of the Princess herself.
Blenheim struggled for words.  "Y-yer...yer...yer an a-ali-"
"An alicorn?" supplied Morning Star, clearly amused by Blenheim's astonishment, "No.  I am afraid not.  I have neither the blood nor magic of the pegasi or earth ponies.  These are not pegasus wings."  He flapped the aforementioned appendages, generating a wind that ruffled Blenheim's mane.  After a moment, he folded the wings back against himself, their size seeming to lessen as they closed, until they tucked neatly against the pink unicorn's barrel, now looking barely larger than a normal pegasus' wings.
"How...?" gasped Blenheim, "Is that one 'o them unicorn spells?"
"Again, I'm afraid not," replied Morning Star, "There is indeed a spell to give a non-pegasus wings.  However, said wings are composed of gossamer and morning dew and are exceedingly fragile.  These wings, on the other hoof, are not composed of any earthly matter.  They are formed from a higher order of matter; matter, you could say, that is born from the essence of Her Radiance herself, a form of Celestial Matter, if you will.  As such, these wings are nearly indestructible, and capable of feats that no pegasus, or pony of any other tribe for that matter, could match."
"How did ya get them?" asked Blenheim, "If they're Celestial Matter like ya say then...are they…?”
"They are," replied Morning Star, "These are the blessing of Her Radiance, her precious gift to me."
"Then yer horn...?"  Blenheim noted the similarities in color.	
"Indeed," agreed the pink unicorn, "At one point in my life, I was overcome by arrogance and foolishness.  Her Radiance showed me the error of my ways,so to speak.  In order to do so, at one point she was forced to resort to using force against me.  Unfortunately, my horn was destroyed in the process.  However, along with these wings, she bestowed upon me a new one."  He sighed.  "However, my magic has never been the same since, so the loss of my original could be considered my penance."
"Don't get me wrong," said Blenheim, looking the other stallion over, "Yer wings and horn are amazin' and all.  But Ah don't see what this has to do with mah faith."
"Ah," said Morning Star, "These are not what I truly meant to show you."  His wings spread once again.  "You see, as magnificent as these are, the truly great thing about them is that they have given me the ability to perform a great service for those who are worthy.
"I have the power to bestow a revelation upon you, a vision of Celestia's love and wisdom.  When the light of the sun passes through these wings and into your eyes, you will awaken to the Truth."
Blenheim watched the wings spread outward, feeling uneasy.  There was something...off about them.  They didn't move like they were a true part of Morning Star's body, but rather as something separate that had been tacked on.  However, Blenheim's doubts vanished, along with all thought, along with all feeling, along with everything.  The sun streaming in through the windows lit the wings, which bent the path of the light, much like a prism.  Also like a prism, that light was refracted.  However, it was refracted into colors of a spectrum that Blenheim had never seen, colors that were not of this world.  The blazing light rushed into his eyes and everything else vanished.
The feeling was indescribable.  The light seemed to fill him, fulfill him, complete him, and build him into something greater than what he already was.  He basked in the warmth of the sun as it seeped into his bones and into the essence of his soul, the warmth surrounding him like an intangible cocoon, enshrouding him in wings of light.  The feeling was so pure, so wholesome, that Blenheim couldn't find the words to describe it.
And then it was gone.  The feeling left Blenheim, rushing away, leaving the stallion gasping as the impression of returning to base reality left him breathless, like the air had been driven from his lungs.  The green stallion's legs shook as he fought to remain standing.  However, in spite of his daze, the world around him seemed crystalline in its clarity, with no trace of dullness.  It was a feeling like he had just opened his eyes and listened with his ears for the first time.
"How do you feel?" asked Morning Star, smiling as he watched Blenheim recover.
"That was...amazin'," gasped Blenheim, "Ah've never felt anything like it."
"Nor will you ever again," said Morning Star, "At least, not while Nightmare Moon remains a threat.  Once she has been dealt with, night will vanish forever and we will be taken into the embrace of the eternal day, to bask in the sun's warmth and Her Radiance's love for all of eternity.  What you felt was but a taste of the true bliss yet to come."  As he spoke Morning Star folded his wings back, the strange appendages seeming to sink back into his spine, vanishing without a trace.
"However," continued the pink stallion, "There are those who would seek to impede us in the execution of this task, those who would fight against us.  They are servants of the Nightmare, demons she has called forth from the chilling void.  Do you still doubt, seeing what it is that they wish to obstruct?"
"No," whispered Blenheim, "Never!"
Morning Star's smile widened.  "Good then.  You no longer have any reason to keep from withholding this critical information from us.  Tell me, where is the demon hiding?"
"Ponyville," said Blenheim, "In Ponyville.  The Bearer of Kindness adopted him as her son.  The others stand by him.  Even mah own flesh and blood has fallen to him."
Morning Star's smile faded.  "I see...Canny indeed, this demon."  He rapped his hoof sharply against the chamber's floor.  The door swung open and Terra Heart stepped in, his expression once again stolidly neutral.
Morning Star didn't address Terra yet, instead continuing to focus his attention on Blenheim.  "Your work is done, my friend.  Return to your home, content in the knowledge that you have completed an important service.  Dwell not upon such dark matters any longer.  May the light of Her Radiance burn within your heart and guide you to peaceful pastures."
Blenheim dipped his head in a bow and turned to walk out.  Terra watched him go, his expression calm, but his eyes narrowed.  Once the door closed behind the green stallion, Terra turned his attention back to the Supreme Pontiff.  "So you shared the revelation with him then?"
"I did," replied Morning Star, "And he has done his duty and shared the demon's location with me."
"I do not believe he deserved such an honor."
"That is because you lose yourself in your own righteousness," said Morning Star with a disappointed sigh, "The revelation is not granted to the worthy, it is granted to the needy, those who truly need Her Radiance's guiding light shined upon their very soul.  Most ponies go through their lives, content with not knowing the true depth of her love for them, but also content in knowing that they one day will.  However, there are others who are in need of more substantial guidance."  He fixed Terra with a calm stare.  "Just as you once were.  Now then, no more resentment.  Let us focus upon the matter at hoof."
"Yes," agreed Terra, "He has told you where the demon dwells?"
Morning nodded.  "He has.  However, the situation is much more precarious than we initially believed.  The demon has chosen his new residence with a great deal of cunning and care.  He dwells with the Element Bearers in Ponyville."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Terra, "There is no way that they would allow such an abomination into their midst."
"Normally, I would agree with you," replied Morning Star, "But we mustn't underestimate the demon's skills in the art of deception.  Though the Element Bearers are our greatest asset against the threat of Nightmare Moon, possibly greater than the temples themselves, they are but ordinary ponies.  In a way, that is the source of the virtue that empowers their Elements.  However, that also renders them vulnerable.  Blenheim has told me that the Bearer of Kindness has taken the demon into her own home and now considers him her son."
"How dare he," snarled Terra, "Is there no depth that demon won't sink to?"
"He's a demon, of course not," replied Morning Star dismissively, "What concerns me is that the situation is extremely delicate.  We must move with great caution.  If the demon feels that he is threatened, then he will likely exploit the Element Bearers, use them as shields, possibly even try to kill them himself before they can discover his true nature."
"But we must move quickly!" said Terra, "We cannot leave the Bearers at the demon's mercy any longer than-"  He froze when Morning raised a hoof.
"Peace," said Morning, "If we act with haste, then we shall only make the situation worse still.  We must consider our course of action carefully.  Confronting the demon in his current location is a delicate matter.  The greatest risk of all is that we risk dragging our conflict out into the open, where the demon can shape the narrative to serve his purposes and put us on the defensive.  At worst, the completion of the temples could be in jeopardy."
"But-" protested Terra.
Morning Star silenced the earth-colored stallion with a shake of his head.  "Remember, for all the peripheral battles we are fighting for the sake of Equestria, our ultimate goal is the destruction of Nightmare Moon.  No matter what else, the temples must be completed if we are to rid our land of her vile presence, once and for all."
"I understand," said Terra, clearly unhappy with the verdict.
"Have patience my friend," said Morning, his smile returning as he laid a hoof on Terra's shoulder, "We will not leave the demon to run free in Ponyville.  We simply have to act with care.  I will begin making the necessary arrangements and have some of our people go to Ponyville to deal with him."
"I would prefer to deal with him myself," growled Terra.
"I am sure you would," replied Morning, "But, while you are the most powerful weapon in our arsenal, we must take care to use your power with discrimination.  You do not use an axe to do a scalpel's job.  You will be our weapon of last resort."
Terra nodded, obviously still unhappy with Morning Star's decision, but not willing to question him.  Seeing that he wasn't about to be challenged, Morning nodded once again.  "Now then, return to your other duties.  I will keep you updated on our progress."
"Yes Holy Father," said Terra, bowing his head and leaving the gallery.
Once alone, Morning Star let out a relieved breath and wiped his brow.  "Now comes the tricky part," he muttered, "I suppose it's true what they say about growing a beautiful rose."



Twilight Sparkle looked over the letters she'd received from two of the three ponies that Ditzy had been able to contact.  True, she'd read them the day after the party, but she felt compelled to read them again, just to soothe her anxiety.  She'd been surprised that Ditzy had been able to find any of the ponies that Twilight had sent her out to look for, much less all three of them.  Both ponies who had written back had expressed their willingness to come to Ponyville for testing when their schedules permitted.  Twilight didn't know about the third, but expected that Ditzy would supply an explanation.
Twilight had initially planned on talking to Ditzy the day after the little get-together at Sugarcube Corner.  However, Big Macintosh had showed up at Twilight's door, saying that Ditzy was taking the day off and would come by later in the week, an explanation that Twilight accepted, given how tired Ditzy had seemed the previous evening.  After all the gray mare had done to help with the project, Twilight certainly couldn't object to letting Ditzy rest longer.
However, the remainder of the week had passed, with no sign of Ditzy coming in to debrief, something that was making Twilight a little antsy as she was not used to working with such an ambiguous schedule.  Under normal circumstances, she would have gone out and found Ditzy with herself and scheduled a definitive appointment.  However, Twilight's conscience, with more than a little prodding from Spike on the side, had convinced her to let it go for now and let Ditzy have some time to relax after the long and arduous journey she'd been on.  The poor mare had been away from her daughter and home for over a week after all.  Twilight figured that she could wait until after the Harvest Festival was over if she needed to.
"Morning Twilight," said Spike with a yawn as he made his way down the stairs and towards the kitchen to get started on breakfast.
"Good morning Spike," said Twilight, "Ready for the festival today?"
"You bet," Spike replied from the kitchen, "You going with Arkenstone?"
"Of course," said Twilight, a mischievous smile spreading across her muzzle, "And you're going with Apple Bloom, right?"
"That's right," Spike replied cheerfully, already perfectly comfortable with the idea, "We're gonna meet up at Rarity's before lunchtime so the girls can get their dresses.  Then we'll go out and enjoy the festival."
Twilight giggled and folded up the letters.  She supposed that she might as well get ready for her own date.  There wasn't much call to worry over her appearance.  Arkenstone was blind after all.  However, she could make sure she was presentable, at least.
However, her plans were interrupted by a knock on the door.  Freezing, Twilight looked at the door for a moment, as though she expected the slab of wood to somehow tell her who would come to the library so early, and on a festival day no less.  Getting up, she trotted over and nosed the door open.  "Hello?"
"Hi Twilight," said Ditzy, beaming from the other side.  Dinky was up on her back, situated comfortably between two gray wings.  Off to the side stood Big Macintosh, his expression indecipherable as usual.
"Ditzy?"  Twilight stared for a moment, "What are you doing here-?"  She caught herself as she realized how silly that sounded.  "I-I mean, why are you here now?  Shouldn't you be getting ready for the festival."
"Uh...well..."  Ditzy shifted her weight and averted her eyes bashfully.  "I felt a little bad that I kept you waiting so long.  I didn't really want to stall anymore."
"You don't have to worry about that," said Twilight, "I mean, I'd need to talk to you eventually, but I know that you needed some time to rest.  You've already done so much."
"I know," agreed Ditzy, "But I still want to finish my job."
With a sigh, Twilight nodded and stepped back.  "Come in then.  Have you had breakfast yet?"
"Yep," squealed Dinky from Ditzy shoulders, grinning widely with enough concentrated cuteness to nearly make Twilight's bones melt.  Big Macintosh followed his fillyfriend through the door and they all took a seat at the library's central table.
"Spike," Twilight called into the kitchen, "Could you put the kettle on?"
"Already done," said the young dragon, trundling out with a tray in his hands, a pot of tea and three cups balanced on it.
"Wow, that was fast," observed Ditzy as Spike set the tray at the table.
"Dragonfire heats water pretty fast," Twilight answered with an amused grin.
A few minutes later, the three adults were sipping from steaming mugs, enjoying one of the spiced brews that Arkenstone had given to Twilight.  Spike had also produced a mug of hot cocoa for Dinky.
"I understand everything went well," said Twilight, "Do you have anything to tell me about the ponies you found?"
Ditzy nodded.  "You got the replies from those two mares.  They were nice enough when I talked to them.  I don't think either of them has had any problems with anypony, certainly not those Cult Solar people.  But the stallion in Fillydelphia was...different."
"Different how?" asked Twilight, leaning forward with increased interest.
Ditzy shuddered.  "Well...he was...he was kinda scary.  When I asked him about the Eyes, he freaked out.  I thought he was gonna try and attack me."
"Oh," gasped Twilight, a hoof going to her mouth.
"He didn't," said Ditzy, "But the thing is, when he was getting all worked up...I..."  She gulped nervously.  "I saw them...the eyes..."
"You did?"  Twilight's eyes widened and she nearly threw herself over the table, leaning forward until she was nearly butting foreheads with Ditzy.  "Tell me everything!"
"Well it just kinda happened," said Ditzy, "It was real quick.  I don't think the poor guy even noticed it had happened until he realized that I was staring at him."  She had to admit, the experience had been unsettling for her.  It seemed it was one thing to deal with Dawn, whose eyes appeared to be constantly in their transformed state, but another to suddenly see normal pony eyes shift into something draconic.  The fact that the pony in question had been in the midst of a bout of paranoid hysterics at the time hadn't helped.  She found herself understanding how someopony could see that and determine that something foul was at work.
"What happened then?" asked Twilight.
"Well, he was kinda surprised when I didn't freak out myself," said Ditzy, "I think that helped calm him down so I could explain things.  I don't think he completely believed me when I told him about Dawn.  It's pretty clear he's dealt with the Cult Solar, or somepony related to them himself.  Apparently he never socializes and doesn't even go out when he can avoid it."  The poor stallion's temper had been so frayed that he'd apparently starting displaying the Eyes, even at minor provocations and just couldn't handle interpony interaction anymore.
Twilight's mind was running at a mile a minute as she digested the information she'd just been given.  "You personally saw him display the Eyes of Nightmare...I found him by tracing his descent from another pony who was documented as having had the trait.  If that's the case, I'm more sure than ever that this is an ancestral trait.  If we can get a definitive analysis done and isolate the source, we could actually prove that the Eyes of Nightmare aren't any kind of demonic possession."
"That's good," said Ditzy, "And that stallion said he'd be here before the month was out."
"Really!" exclaimed Twilight.
Ditzy nodded eagerly.  "Yeah.  He didn't want to write anything.  That might leave a paper-trail after all.  So he told me to tell you that he'd be coming sometime this month."
Twilight's jaw had dropped.  She hadn't expected her gambit to field such spectacular results.  It was good enough that they'd made contact with two of the ponies and gotten the promise of future participation.  But now, one of their subjects had already decided to come in pony.  "This is wonderful!  I just wish I knew when he was arriving."
Ditzy shrugged.  "He would't give me an exact date.  I don't think he wants anypony to know."
Twilight frowned at that.  Given the level of paranoia and agitation that Ditzy was describing, this stallion had clearly had run-ins with the Cult Solar...or that was the greatest possibility at the moment.  It was entirely possible that the Cult Solar was looking for him, in much the same way they were searching for Dawn.  If they found him and followed him to Ponyville...
Twilight shook her head furiously.  It doesn't matter.  Blenheim had already left Ponyville and would soon reveal Dawn's location to his superiors in the Cult, if he hadn't already.  For all they knew, a few of the Cult Solar's adherents could already be on their way to "deal with" the unfortunate colt.  It was a moot point as she intended to execute the plan on Monday.
"Was there anything else?" asked Twilight, "He didn't tell you anything else did he?"
Ditzy shook her head.  "Nope.  He kinda slammed the door on me after that."
"I don't get it," mused Spike from where he'd sat himself.  He slid a bowl of fresh oatmeal over in front of Twilight before setting another in front of himself, giving it a healthy sprinkle of ruby fragments.  "The Cult Solar's been hunting these ponies and harassing them right?  So how did any of them end up in a position where they could get married, have foals and pass the trait down?"
"Well actually," said Twilight, "The Cult Solar's influence was seriously hampered by the fallout of Princess Luna's banishment.  Princess Celestia publicly denounced them and strangled a lot of support for the group.  They went into a major decline."
"But what about Dawn and this other pony then?" asked Spike.
"Well...if what Mayweather's told us is true, then the Cult experienced a major resurgence around ten years ago," explained Twilight, "It coincides with the emergence of this Supreme Pontiff she talked about."  However, Twilight frowned even as she listened to her own explanation.  There was still something that bothered her.  Why ten years ago?  It didn't make a whole lot of sense.  Twilight wouldn't have been surprised if the Cult Solar's resurgence had begun after Princess Luna's return, but this was well before that.  If Mayweather was right, then this all went back to this figure, the mysterious Supreme Pontiff.  Just who is this pony?
"Yeesh, this is a big pain in the neck," grumbled Spike, "Why can't Princess Celestia just tell these ponies to knock it off?"
"I think she's tried," said Twilight, "It was easier a thousand years ago because the Cult Solar had been acting more visibly.  But now, their activities are more subversive and they're hiding behind the scenes.  Even if the Princess were to issue a public statement again, the ones in control of the Cult Solar would just claim that she's being manipulated by Luna.  She could try appealing to them in pony, but the Cult is scattered across dozens of towns and its leadership is all but impossible to locate.  That's why the more important thing is to make everypony fully aware of just what the Cult Solar is doing."
"Ah hope it works out," said Big Macintosh, "'Cause, no matter how Ah look at it, this is just askin' fer trouble."
Twilight nodded and closed her eyes in thought for a moment.  "Well, we'll take it as it comes for now," she said, "But that's enough for today."  She opened them again and smiled at everyone.  "Let's enjoy the festival for now."



Rainbow Dash awoke with a cavernous yawn, stretching as she took a moment to bask in the warm softness of her cloud bed just a little longer before getting up.  It was festival day after all.  It wouldn't do to sleep through it.  She was looking forward to all the games and activities that Pinkie Pie had planned and helped set up.  If Pinkie's excitement was any indication this would be the biggest festival yet.  It was a nice capstone to an otherwise worrisome season, many farmers being less than sanguine about their crops after the drought that had nearly caused it to all go up in smoke.
Fortunately, everything seemed to have worked out.  The weather had been put back on track and the crops had rebounded.  The overall reports coming from Mayor Mare and the Farmer's Union seemed to indicate that the losses were minimal and everypony would have enough to see them through to the next season.  Ponyville's own stocks of food would also be plenty to see them through the winter.
After brushing her teeth and taking a moment to straighten her mane a little, Rainbow made her way downstairs for some breakfast.  She'd just finished a hearty meal of toast with some jam when she heard knocking on the door.
Huh, Ditzy isn't usually this early with the mail, thought Rainbow as she set her dishes in the sink and made her way to the door.  The knocking was increasing with intensity every second.
"Alright alright!" shouted Rainbow, "Just hang on there.  I'm coming!"
She threw the door open.  However, she barely managed a glimpse at the ponies in front of her before her.  The only thing she could determine for certain before the blindfold suddenly dropped across her eyes was that Ditzy definitely wasn't one of them.  What the hay!
"Rainbow Dash, you're coming with us.  We've got a special surprise planned for you."