Blueblood levitated a spoonful of porridge up to his mouth. It tasted of mud and a complete lack of salt. “I take it you haven’t cooked in four hundred years?”
Bluebones’ soulless eyes stared at nothing. “Woi would oi?”
Blueblood attempted to shove the porridge past his tongue and avoid the unique flavor of liquefied gravel altogether. He failed. “What do the Nightmares eat?”
“The princesses deliver cafeteria food every month,” Bluebones said. “It’s not as good as prison food, but it’s cheaper.”
Blueblood grimaced as another pat of sludge coated the inside of his mouth. “Are you just going to sit there and watch me eat?”
“Got anything better to do?” Bluebones waited for an answer that never came. “Fine. Oi guess oi’ll just watch you eat, then.”
Blueblood’s teeth crunched against a bit of porridge that wasn’t quite porridge-y. He gnawed it down to a swallow-able size. “I think I’ll chew some cud next time.”
“Or make your own breakfast.” Bluebones tilted his head.
Blueblood swallowed a spoonful. Painfully. “What else do we have?”
“Porridge.”
“But of course.”
Blueblood brushed his long hair behind his shoulder as Princes Luna trotted into Tartarus’ central room. She had a light smile that seemed wholly alien to their surroundings. “You seem chipper,” the prince said.
Luna looked up at them, her eyes wide. “Oh. I’m sorry, Blueblood. I didn’t notice you two there.”
Blueblood pointed his spoon at her. “Yes, how utterly surprising that we’d be sitting in the very same room, in the very same places, where we were last night. Terribly sorry for the strain we must have put on your heart.”
Luna rolled her eyes and walked past them. She came up to the big bowl of porridge Bluebones had put together and scooped herself a bit of the—unique—meal. “Sarcasm is indeed the lowest form of humor.”
“And the highest?” Blueblood lifted his bowl and turned it upside-down. The porridge stuck. “Don’t tell me it’s pratfalls.”
Luna stirred the porridge. Her magic released the spoon, which stood up straight in the mixture. “I’m not exactly a comedian, Nephew.”
Blueblood smirked and returned to his bowl of cement. His ears perked up when Luna spoke again.
“Although…” Luna tapped a spoon against her chin. “Although, perhaps the greatest humor is to be had…”
Blueblood looked at her, his eyebrows raised. He lowered the porridge to the ground.
Luna frowned in concentration. “Perhaps the highest humor is shared in the little moments. Those fun times surrounded by friends. Shared by friends.” She shrugged, a small smile on her lips. “What do you call a mixture of humor and philosophy?”
“Rubbish,” Bluebones said. He stood and took Blueblood’s bowl in his magic. “Wot say we get the day started?”
Blueblood got to his feet, though his knees protested in their own little “I slept on rock” way. He took a deep breath and addressed Luna. “I suspect you’ll be on your way now that the escapee issue is taken care of.”
Luna came alongside him. She studied the bags under his eyes, his unkempt coat, and his pronounced frown. “Actually, I thought I’d stay on until you were settled.”
Blueblood’s shoulders didn’t droop quite so much. “I beg your pardon?” He squinted. “What… happened last night?”
She sat in front of him and lowered her head to his level. “I felt a little bit of relief, Blueblood. I had the opportunity to shed some of the weight the world had put on my shoulders. I shared my pain, and it grew dimmer.” The corner of her mouth tipped up. “I want to help you feel that, as well.”
“I… I don’t—” Blueblood’s eyes stung. He blinked the feeling back. “I don’t believe I see that happening.”
Luna lowered her gaze to her feet. “I think even Tartarus has opportunity for fun.” She placed a hoof on his shoulder. “We shall find a way.”
“Can we please gerron wiff it?” Bluebones shouted across the room. “Those Nightmares ain’t gonna check their own cages!”
Blueblood snorted. He tied his bowtie around his neck and pulled his mane back in a ponytail. “The warden speaks, we must obey.”
Bluebones snorted. “Oi ain’t warden no more, boy.”
“No, indeed.” Blueblood strode towards the old pile of animated bones. “It shall have to wait, Princess Luna.”
There was a knock at the door.
Bluebones turned his head to the entrance hallway. “Wot?” He shook his head. “Wot? No, no no…” He turned to Blueblood and Luna, who both had perplexed expressions on their faces. “Wot!?”
The knocking was followed by the ring of a doorbell.
Blueblood scrunched his muzzle up. “When did you have that installed?”
“Just… just…” Though Bluebones’ face lacked the means of expression, his dropping jaw served its purpose. “Wot?”
Luna’s eyes were wide as she spread her wings. “Should we answer the door?”
Blueblood scratched his forehead. “Why the heck not?”
The three ponies walked through the dark corridor at a pace slightly slower than a gallop. A hurried canter, perhaps. Luna’s horn was already glowing with unlocking spells as she reached the petrified wood doorway. “Are you ready?” she asked.
Blueblood and Bluebones nodded, their horns shimmering with minor offensive spells. The really offensive spells were just a flick of the horn away.
Chains fell away, bolts unlatched, and hinges creaked as the door swung open.
“Hi!” Pinkie Pie said. She tipped the brown cowpony hat she wore on her head. “Did you know that if I kick the door chains just right, it sounds just like doorbells?”
Three horns dimmed at the sight of the comparatively-small earth pony. “Actually,” Luna muttered, “there was this one time in Las Pegasus—” She shook her head. “What brings you to Tartarus, Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie bounced in place. “Nightmares. But you’ve probably already guessed that. I mean, we’re basically neck-deep in Nightmares these days, and this place is the who’s who of Nightmares. We brought a ‘who’ with us.” She pointed behind herself, where Flash Sentry was gripping a duffle bag in his forelegs. He grinned, though Luna could see a great degree of panic in his eyes.
“Pinkie,” he said, “please hurry.”
“We captured a Nightmare and decided to bring it back ourselves.” Pinkie stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth and lowered her eyebrows. “Actually, Flash, Vinyl, and Rainbow Dash did that part.”
Rainbow Dash fluttered down into view and waved, while Vinyl Scratch ran through the background.
“Rarity, Spike, and I are kinda tagging along,” Pinkie continued. Spike leaped into view, fell flat on his face, and then barreled away screaming. “We all sort of have a personal stake in this Nightmare business, you know?”
Pinkie’s head jerked up. “Oh! And we brought Mandible!” She yanked the changeling into view by the scruff of his neck. His neck, being made of chitin, had no scruff, but that was beside the point. “Say ‘hi,’ Mandible!”
“Bone monsters!” he yelped.
Pinkie pushed him back out of the doorway. “Oh, and we need to give a big ‘thank you’ to Captain Wishbone over there.” She pointed to the diamond dog, who was hanging over the edge of his new airship, kicking neverdead monsters off of the sides.
“Oh yeah, can we come in?” Pinkie asked. “These monsters are Ka-Reepy!”
Luna blinked. “You’d have to leave the airship outside, but—”
“That’s fine!” Wishbone said. “We park up the side of mountain! Just fine!”
Cerberus barked in agreement, one of his heads trained on the captain at all times. The other two heads bit and snarled at various skeletal beasts, who dove for cover every time the big dog charged.
Wishbone’s nose twitched with faint longing.
“Um…” Luna tilted her head and stepped to the side. “Come on in?”
It was a mad rush to the safety of the prison. Bluebones found himself nearly trampled by hooves and paws and claws. One all were inside, Cerberus stood in front of the gate with his four paws planted firmly against the rock. All three heads barked at once with a heart-stopping call that sent the neverdeads scrambling for calmer waters.
Blueblood fell over as the sound reached his core. He grasped at the place where he was sure his heart wanted to leap out of his chest. His teeth chattered as Luna closed up Tartarus’ gate once again.
“That dog’s going to be the death of me,” he said.
“You okay?”
Blueblood turned to the voice to assure its owner that his heart would slow down, eventually. What he saw just about made his heart stop. “Redheart?”
The nurse’s pink mane flowed freely about her shoulders as she looked him over. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“N-no. Not really.” He stood and brushed himself off. “How are you?”
“Well…” She shrugged a couple of times as her mouth searched for something to say. “Not bad, considering…” She shrugged again. “This.”
“Well, it’s…” Blueblood smiled. “Nice. To see you again.”
Redheart nodded. “It’s nice to see you, too.”
They stood in the doorway to Tartarus, shuffling their hooves. Redheart sucked on her cheek. “Yup, real nice.”
A cough came from behind them. They turned to see that the entire party to Tartarus was watching them.
Vinyl Scratch’s eyebrow rose above her purple-tinted sunglasses. “Why don’t you guys talk ’bout the weather while you’re at it?”
“Blueblood!” Bluebones said as he stuck his bony head above the crowd. Spike yelped and jumped on Rarity’s back. “We gorra job ta do! Let these ponies talk with the princess.”
Blueblood took in a deep breath. “Well. Well. Well, I guess I’ll talk with you later.”
Redheart ran her hoof up and down her opposite foreleg. “Talk with you then.”
“Yes.” Blueblood smiled as he walked through the crowd. “I’ll see you all later.”
Mumbles of “Hay,” “Great to see you again,” and “Watch the merchandise, buddy,” went out to him as he walked further into the bowels of Tartarus.
“Flash Sentry,” Luna said, “you have a prisoner to announce?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Flash opened up the duffle bag and pulled the Night Terror out of it. “It was attempting to incapacitate Redheart.”
Luna narrowed her eyes at it. “Do you know where the other escapees are hiding?”
The Night Terror’s eyes twinkled. “Not hiding. Don’t have to hide, just wait.”
Luna gripped the Nightmare and dragged it along the corridor. They came to the center room and walked up to the pot of porridge. “Do you know what this is?”
The Night Terror squinted. “Hot cereal?”
Pinkie Pie poked at it. “Maybe at one time, but it has fallen to the forces of overcooking.” She shook her head, a mournful expression on her lips. “Such is the tragedy of inexperienced chefs.”
“Oi heard that!” echoed through the prison.
Luna lowered the Night Terror towards the porridge; it pulled away as its head drew near. “This,” Luna said, “is true torture. This is what you will be eating for your entire stay at Tartarus unless you tell us where the Nightmares are.”
The Night Terror chuckled. “Not gonna be too long. Not long at all.”
“We found your escape route!” Luna snapped.
“We have?” Flash asked. “That’s great!”
“Hush.” Luna scooped a spoonful of “porridge” into the Night Terror’s mouth; the monster sputtered and gagged. “We found out about Charity’s dreams. You’re not getting out through her and Bluebones again.”
The Night Terror spat out a glob of gray goo with a “ptooee!” It winked at Flash Sentry. “Your princess is kinda slow on the uptake, ain’t she?”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Why do we always get the smart-alecky prisoners to interrogate?”
“I choose to resent that remark,” Mandible said, “as I resemble it.”
Rainbow Dash slung a foreleg around his shoulders. “Hay, you turned out pretty cool. I don’t think Creepy McDoofus here—”
The Nightmare growled. “My name is—”
“—holds up to you.” Rainbow Dash gave Mandible a pat on the back that almost knocked him over. “Let’s just hurry it up so we can throw the book at him.”
“Can it be a pop-up book?” Pinkie asked.
“Yeah, sure.” Rainbow waved a hoof. “It’s probably heavier.”
Luna dunked the Night Terror’s head in the porridge and yanked him out. “Where are the others!?”
“I don’t know!” the Night Terror said. “I really have no clue. They could be anywhere right about now.” It shook its head free of sludge. “Anywhere there’s a storm.”
Flash Sentry’s wings extended. “Soarin! They’re using Soarin to create all those storms across the country!”
Rainbow Dash scowled. “Probably Her Royal Highness ‘Nightmare Dust,’ too.”
“Hold.” Luna fully submerged the Night Terror in the porridge. “Just how many ponies have the Nightmares taken or possessed?”
Redheart sighed through her nose. “Lyra.”
Pinkie bit her lip. “Braeburn.”
“Soarin,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Lightning Dust.”
Rarity sat down. “Maybe Dark Shadow Lightning.”
Spike walked up to Luna. He stood next to Flash with his head bowed. “Twilight.”
“What?” Blueblood trotted into the room, his mouth gaping. “Twilight… is gone?”
He strode right up to Flash. “Is she a prisoner? Or is she”—he gritted his teeth—“one of them?”
Flash stood at attention, his eyes facing forward. His voice trembled as he spoke. “We don’t know. We really don’t know.”
Redheart pursed her lips and backed away from the crowd. She lay down to watch as they talked.
“We have to save her,” Blueblood said.
“I know.” Luna touched his back with a wing. “That’s what we’re doing, Blueblood. We’re going to find her and free her.”
“I can’t just…” He turned towards Bluebones, who came up to the edge of the crowd. “I can’t just stay here.”
“You have to,” Bluebones said. He shook his head. “There ain’t no other choice.”
“But there must be another way.” Blueblood looked up at Luna. “The princess! She can hold down the fort for a while! She has the capability—”
“You’re the one that took the oath, boy!” Bluebones stomped a hoof. “You’re the one that cast the spells! It’s on you to see it through!”
Blueblood glared at his great-grandfather. He turned away with a swish of his tail. “You’re right. I’m not thinking. I have to stay.”
He looked Flash Sentry in the eye. “It’s up to you.”
Flash backed away a step, his lips twitching upwards. “What—?”
“It’s up to you. You have to be the one that saves her.” Blueblood placed his hoof on Flash’s shoulder. “I see that, now. It’s always been you. You can do it.”
Flash looked down at Blueblood’s hoof. His mouth opened to say something, but he thought better of it. He put his hoof on Blueblood’s shoulder. “I won’t let her down.”
“I know.” Blueblood lowered his hoof. “I’ll do my job so that all of you can do yours.”
Blueblood walked through the crowd towards Bluebones. “You know, I expect a real visit once all this Nightmare business is cleaned up.”
“Be happy to,” Pinkie said. “We’ll have a real rocking party this time.” Her lip trembled as she fought to keep her smile. “Braeburn ’ll be able to help. It’ll be great.”
Luna pulled the Night Terror out of the porridge. “Where are they? Give us a location.”
“They were holed up in the Everfree!” it choked out. “But they won’t still be there! Our plans are almost complete! You can’t fight us! You can’t beat us!”
Luna dunked it back in the pot. “Blueblood, shall we show this prisoner to its cell?”
Blueblood threw a sloppy salute. “It will be a pleasure.”
Mandible came up behind the black cauldron. “I’ll push.”
“Thank you.” Luna pointed her horn at Blueblood. “Lead the way.”
They shuffled down a hallway, towards where most of the Night Terrors were kept.
Except for Spike.
Spike stopped in the middle of the central room. He tapped his toes on the ground. He could feel the vibrations of the ponies—and diamond dog—as they moved on to the cells. “Bedrock doesn’t vibrate this much.”
He tapped his toes again. He bent over and placed his hands against the compass rose design that was imprinted on the floor. He tapped a claw against it and nodded. “Bedrock doesn’t have an echo on the other side.”
He scratched his chin. “Bedrock doesn’t have another side.”
He ran sensitive fingers across the floor until he found one block out of place. “Bedrock doesn’t have locking mechanisms, either. As far as I know.” He pushed the block.
A deep hum filled the air. The compass rose lifted into the air, dirt and gravel dribbling down the sides. Beneath the stone rose lay a spiral staircase leading down into darkness.
Spike gaped. He looked up. “Creepy prison of evil, check.” He gripped his tail. “Secret doorway, check.” He craned his neck to see the stairs. “Dark passage leading down, check.”
He stood there for a moment. He looked down the hallway the others had walked through. “Guys? Hay, guys!?”
He snapped his fingers. “Indestructible dragon hide, check.”
Spike waddled carefully down the staircase. The steps were just high enough that he needed to do a little hop down each one. Though he was immune to searing flame, he was still able to detect the rising temperature as he descended.
He looked up at where he came with a pout. “What is it with bad guys and stinking stairs?”
He jumped off the last step and set foot on rock. It still wasn’t bedrock. It was just a layer, a little thicker than the floor of the central room, but not by much. While Spike had detected an echo above, down low all he could surmise was heat. Bubbling heat.
“Now I’m getting flashbacks to the migration,” he said. “This place is a volcano!”
Spike jumped as a deep, rumbling voice rolled over him; more felt than heard. “They call it the Sleeping Mountain for a reason.”
Spike turned slowly. Across the room, a stallion sat chained to the floor. The stallion’s orange coat and brown beard stood out against glowing restraints. The stallion grinned, baring long canines. “It has been years since I’ve seen a dragon. What’s your name?”
Spike squinted. “I’m not sure I should tell you. You’re kinda evil-looking.”
The stallion smirked. “You’ll be evil-looking, too, when you grow up.”
“Touché.” Spike crossed his arms and waddled closer to the stallion. “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that you’re Scorpan.”
Scorpan squinted. “You’ve heard of me.”
“Luna was telling Twilight about what the Nightmares were doing during her banishment. A couple weeks ago.” Spike raised the scaly ridge above his left eye. “Your name came up. I figured that since this was a prison for Nightmares, Scorpan would be the best fit for the guy they’re keeping in the basement.”
Scorpan took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re oddly perceptive for one so young.”
“I’m not young,” Spike said. “I just look like it.”
“The greed growth spurt hasn’t kicked in, yet?” Scorpan asked.
“No, it kicked in.” Spike nodded his head. “And then I kicked it out.”
Scorpan chuckled, which slowly grew into something quite terrifying. “Indeed? If only Garble had your resolve!”
Spike’s ears twitched. “Garble? The teenage dragon? You know him?”
“Well, yes.” Scorpan sat back, his chains rattling. “He was my number one assistant, back in the day.”
“That—” Spike rubbed his temples. “That answers so many questions, and raises so many more.” He frowned at Scorpan. “How’d you get a dragon assistant?”
“The same way anypony gets one,” Scorpan said. “I hatched it, and Celestia took me on as a personal student.”
Spike backed away, his eyes crossed with sudden dizziness. “You were what?”
“Celestia’s personal student.” Scorpan shrugged. “You didn’t think Twilight was the first, did you?”
“No, I know about Sunset…” Spike rubbed his claws together. “And now you…”
He shook his head, his teeth bared. “Aren’t there any old students of Celestia that didn’t turn into megalomaniacs?”
Scorpan’s smirk overtook his face. “Possibly. You’d have to ask her.” He leaned forward conspiratorially. “Personally, I don’t think the princess is that good a judge of character.”
“Y-you shut up.” Spike pointed a claw at him. “Don’t you dare talk bad about Princess Celestia. It’s not her fault you’re, um…” Spike grasped his tail and hugged it to his chest. “You’re just sort of wrong, aren’t you?”
Scorpan’s smirk vanished. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you’re kinda an alicorn.” Spike pointed at Scorpan’s forehead. “But your horn, it’s like a changeling’s. Your wings are all… batty.” Spike shook his head. “You’re like when Sunset Shimmer tried to use the Element of Magic all by itself.”
He slapped himself in the forehead. “Oh, duh! The Elements are Magic, Generosity, Kindness, Loyalty, Honesty, and Laughter.”
Scorpan rolled his eyes. “I’m aware of—”
“But you couldn’t get the Element of Magic to appear, could you?” Spike nodded as he crossed his arms. “You just had five to work on, didn’t you?”
Scorpan snarled. “How could you possibly know—?”
“Quiet, I’m thinking out loud.” Spike paced in front of the wrong alicorn. “You didn’t have the Element of Magic because it vanished after Celestia banished Luna. It would only appear when a spark united the others.” He pointed at Scorpan. “Twilight ignited that spark.”
He resumed his pacing, and touched a claw to his chin. “So you tried to ascend to alicornhood using only five of the six Elements. Because you didn’t realize that the magic relied on friendship to work.” Spike stood before Scorpan and puffed his chest out. “Because of that, you didn’t realize that a friendship that misses even one of the elements…” He frowned and looked to the side. “It turns ugly. It turns wrong.
“You didn’t have Magic, Sunset only had Magic.” Spike spread his hands. “The Elements were incomplete, and they created Wrong Alicorns. Monsters. Abominations.” Spike growled. “You.”
Scorpan clapped his hooves together at a slow, even pace. “Bravo, bravo. How very clever of you. Clearly, this Twilight Sparkle has trained you well…” He sneered. “Spike.”
Spike jumped back a pace. “How do you know my name?”
“I recall you, now. There are only so many dragons living in Equestria, and Twilight Sparkle is unable to keep a low profile.” Scorpan extended his leathery wings as far as they would go. “Word gets around. I know all about you and your adventures.”
Spike wrung his hands together. “How? You’ve been stuck down here forever.”
“Alicorns dream, Spike.” Scorpan laughed lightly. “Even Wrong Alicorns. Especially Wrong Alicorns. One is never alone as long as one can dream.”
Spike shuddered. “The escaped Nightmares came back.”
“Precisely.” Scorpan settled down on the ground. “Just for a night or two, to give me an update on the world. Or to hear out my orders.”
Scorpan looked up to the left. “Such as my orders to kidnap Twilight Sparkle.”
“You—” Spike clenched his fist together. “You did that?”
“And more. And I shall do still more.” Scorpan licked his lips. “It was Shadowfright’s brilliant idea to make her Queen of the Nightmares, but he wouldn’t have thought of that without my original plan.”
The claws on Spike’s toes cut tiny furrows on the floor. “You did that?”
“My, that clever little mind of yours gets distracted quite easily, doesn’t it?” Scorpan shook his unruly mane. “I’m afraid I’ve gone and broken your pitiful, pea-sized brain.”
Spike opened his mouth and spat green fire.
Scorpan screeched. He batted at the side of his face, though the fire had only singed his beard. He looked at Spike, his eyes lined with red-hot fury. “You dare to—!?”
“It’s your fault!” Spike cried. “The Nightmares are your fault! Tartarus is your fault! Twilight’s…” He shook his fists. “It’s all your fault!”
Spike spun on his heel and marched towards the stair. “I hope you rot down here!”
“That’s not going to happen, Spike,” Scorpan spat. “I’m an alicorn! I’ll live forever!”
Spike said nothing.
“I can outlive any pathetic wardens they place in this harmony-forsaken melting pit!” Scorpan stood and shook his chains. “Equestria will pay!”
Spike stopped. He looked over his shoulder with a furrowed brow. “Equestria? You think the whole country wronged you?”
“Who more deserves to be a prince than I?” Scorpan stomped a hoof. “Not some pathetic commoner!”
A flash of inspiration sparked in Spike’s eye. “Luna said Bluebones volunteered to be the warden.” He pointed a claw at the Wrong Alicorn. “And you put a curse on him, didn’t you?”
He waddled back to Scorpan. “You’ve got some sort of beef with the Bluebloods, don’t you?”
Scorpan’s eyes widened. “What are you—?”
“Like trying to get back at them for something you think Bluebones did.” Spike laughed mirthlessly. “What? Were you jealous of him or something?”
Scorpan scowled.
“Gotcha.” Spike let his arms drop to his sides. “This whole thing is about you being jealous of Bluebones.” Spike’s muzzle scrunched up. “You’re pathetic.”
Spike walked away, his tail bobbing in his wake. “So you cursed Bluebones, and that made him think he had to stay.” Spike shook his head as he reached the staircase. “You’re the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen. And I’ve met some diamond dogs that were a real doozey.”
Spike looked up at the sound of hooves on stone. Bluebones stood on the second-to-last stair, Blueblood and Luna behind him. The neverdead unicorn looked at Scorpan and sighed. “Get up here so oi can explain.”
Blueblood frowned. “I would very much like that explaination.”
Bluebones stood beside the raised compass rose. “Everypony, Scorpan. Scorpan, everypony.”
He kicked one of the golden pillars holding it up, and the rose slid down with a bang.
“Yeah, Scorpan was jealous of me. Of moi magic ability.” Bluebones nodded at Spike. “Oi was just a guard, you see. Never cared to try and enter Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.” He shrugged his bony shoulders. “Celestia noticed anyway. She started to train me alongside Scorpan.”
He looked at Blueblood. “Oi whooped his butt.
“While oi got married and had a son, Scorpan buried himself into his studies. He found some old Starswirl the Bearded spell wot switched cutie marks. Made a roight mess of the palace trying to ascend by completing it.” Bluebones shook his head. “Oi still don’t know how Celestia managed to fix that.”
Bluebones hung his head. “After that, he tracked down the Elements of Harmony and tried to ascend using those. Sommat went wrong. He went mad after that.”
Bluebones looked around. “Oi suppose you know the rest of the story. Army of Nightmares, mad prince, battle, prison…” He patted himself on the ribcage. “Warden.”
Luna nodded slowly. “You felt responsible?”
“Well…” Bluebones stared at his hooves. “It just sorta worked out that way, didn’t it? It’s my mess.” He tilted his horn at Blueblood. “And now it’s yours.”
Blueblood pressed his lips together.
“Messes can be cleaned up,” Redheart said. “If the right ponies work together.”
Blueblood’s eyes met hers. “You think so?”
Redheart’s teeth sparkled in the torchlight as she smiled. “I believe so.”
Vinyl wiped off her sunglasses with a soft cloth. “So this Scorpion guy—”
“Scorpan,” Mandible said.
“Whatever. He’s been pulling the strings behind the scenes.” Vinyl breathed on the glasses and fogged up a lens. “And now the Nightmares outside are on the move.”
“They are probably hoping to free their leader,” Luna said. She closed her eyes. “You must be at the highest readiness, Blueblood.”
“I will.” Blueblood stood straight. “Tartarus will be on full lockdown.”
Flash Sentry smoothed down a stray lock of blue mane. “Do you think they’ll target Tartarus?”
“It’s a safe bet,” Luna said. “Perhaps we should all stay here for the time being. I’ll send a letter to my sister to explain the circumstances.”
“Sounds good to me,” Flash said. He lifted his duffle bag and looked inside. “Do you have any more of that enchanted sand?”
Luna smirked. “I always keep a pinch or two on my person.”
Rainbow Dash stretched her legs. She was just getting to her rear right leg when she felt a tap on the shoulder.
“Rainbow Dash,” Blueblood said, “I don’t suppose my apology letter to Twilight got delivered?”
Rainbow Dash’s mouth dipped open. She held his gaze steady. “You know, I don’t really know.”
Dear Twilight,
I’m terribly sorry about last night. It was the old me coming out, I suppose. I’m furious with myself, not you. I shouldn’t have shouted.
I probably should have told you, of all ponies. I don’t know if it was pride or shame that made me hold it in. Perhaps it was fear. I don’t want you to worry; I’ll be fine. This is what I was meant to do. This is something I have to do.
I hope and pray you’ll visit me when you get the chance, despite my horrid attitude about all this. I cannot imagine a life where you are not my friend. I refuse to imagine it. The thought is too awful to contemplate.
I love you, Twilight.
With love,
Blueblood
Twilight folded the letter carefully. She set it on the throne’s armrest and looked at Lightning Dust. “This was in Rainbow Dash’s saddlebags?”
Lightning Dust chuckled. “I caught them right out of the air after Nightmare Storm zapped her. I found this a couple minutes ago and saw your name. Seemed important.”
Twilight frowned. “I should turn you both into centipedes for harming Flash and Rainbow. In fact, I probably will.”
The breath caught in Lightning Dust’s throat.
“Later.” Twilight stood and made her way through the castle. “Right now, we’ve got more important things to do.” She scowled down at Dust. “Like it or not, you’re useful.”
Lightning Dust narrowed her eyes, but kept her head down.
“Sombra!” Twilight snapped. “Sombra, get your idiot self in here!”
Sombra snarled as he was dragged into the entryway by Twilight’s telekinesis. “Yes, oh great Twilit Queen?”
“Cut the sarcasm, you can’t do it very well.” Twilight tilted her head at Sombra’s pockets. “Those tickets, they have yours and Rarity’s names on them, right?”
Sombra nodded. “They can’t be used by anypony else.”
“That’s what I thought.” Twilight closed her eyes and lit her horn. The glow shifted from the usual lavender to a sickly green. A spark shot out.
Twilight’s entire body was engulfed in green fire.
Sombra jumped back, but was caught by Lightning Dust. She held him steady as Twilight burned. The flame died down within a minute, leaving a familiar pony in Twilight’s place.
“How do I look, darling?” Rarity said.
“Sparkle? H-how?” Sombra rubbed his eyes. “How did you do that?”
Rarity bounced her long curl on a hoof. “It was quite simple, dearest Dark Shadow Lightning. I picked up a spell from the changelings when I needed to blend in with the locals.” She flicked her mane. “It was a strange adventure overall, but it lent a little growth.”
She drew her face close to Sombra’s and batted her eyelashes. “I ask again: How do I look?” She lowered her eyelids. “Would you be able to tell the difference?”
Sombra sucked in a breath. “I should like to think so.”
“You hesitated.” Twilight-turned-Rarity walked away. “I guess if it’s good enough to confuse you, it’ll work for Canterlot’s high-class dummies.”
Sombra took in deep breaths in an attempt to slow his heart. “This is awkward in so many ways I can’t even say.”
“Heh.” Lightning Dust fluttered up to the rafters. “Maybe you just have a thing for pretty mares batting their eyelashes at you.”
Sombra shot Lightning Dust a glare, spun around with his cape flowing behind him, and trotted towards the entrance to the Everfree forest.
The Nightmares were indeed on the move.