Original Title: Fire Forged Friends
This chapter is part of the older version of "Ein Sof Zealotry" and is to be considered non-canon in lieu of the pending rewrite. This along with the rest of the old story remain for the purpose of comparison.

On that first night, there was much joy and talk to go around. The excitement of seeing their daughter again made both parents, especially Velvet, too giddy to sleep and she spent most of the evening hugging and kissing her sweet daughter, as if afraid to let her go. While Twilight was obviously embarrassed by receiving this amount of affection in front of her two friends, she held onto her mother as both of them reminisced the days they spent together when she was much younger. Now in her mid-twenties and an alicorn, she was taller than her mother.

Night Light got his fair share of affection in as well as they traded between stories and events. The two unicorn guests found out quickly that Twilight took after her father in terms of study and intelligence; if the shelves of books didn’t already give them a hint, seeing his degrees in sciences certainly told them all they needed to know.

Along with catching up with their daughter, the unicorn parents were interested in learning about her new friends. Knowing how much their daughter grew up as a shut in, it always pleased them to see her with companions, case in point when she dropped by from the Grand Galloping Gala with five of her other friends.

“So what can you tell us about yourselves? You two seem like an interesting bunch,” Velvet said as she poured them cups of tea.

“Well, I first met Twilight in Ponyville, not too long after she moved there if I recall correctly,” Trixie said earning a nod from Twilight. “I won’t lie, we didn’t meet on the best of term. I was kind of a proud showmare and I tended to boast a lot.”

“She still does,” Sunset said deadpan as she sipped her tea, earning a glare from Trixie and a giggle from the others.

“Yes well, after an incident there, I decided to take a job on a rock farm so I could earn the money to receive a proper magic study, under Professor Midnight Spell. Does he still teach, by the way?”

“He does, but he’s pretty withdrawn nowadays due to the events that transpired awhile back,” Night Light responded.

“Oh. I see. Well sometime later, I met Twilight again in Canterlot around the time that symposium happened, right after her brother’s wedding. We’ve been good friends ever since.”

Twilight and Trixie made a mutual agreement prior to coming to the house that they would leave out the parts about Ursa Minor and the Alicorn Amulet when talking to her parents. Neither were things Trixie was proud of and Twilight didn’t feel it was appropriate to tell her parents that her friend almost destroyed Ponyville on two occasions.

“I see. How good are you at magic, Trixie?” Velvet asked with genuine interest.

“I don’t think I’m as great as Twilight yet, but I’ve practically mastered water magic.”

“She used snow, of all things, to defeat a pack of Timberwolves earlier today,” Sunset chipped in while taking a bite of her dinner.

“Thank you, though if I haven’t have met Twilight, I don’t think I would’ve ever learned that much,” Trixie said while smiling at Twilight, who was smiling back.

As the parents teased and the two mares in question blushed, Sunset simply went on watching with the same deadpan expression as she filled her stomach, making sure her table manners were appropriate while still enjoying what was arguably some of the best food she’d ever tasted since her days in the castle.

Sunset swallowed the food in her mouth. “You’re actually looking at the previous student Celestia had before Twilight came under her wing. I wasn’t just her student though, I was kind of her unofficial daughter. See, I was an orphan who never really knew my birth parents. But the princess took me in and taught me magic, which was how I got my cutie mark. But I ended up running away because I had a problem with how Celestia ran things. This is really good by the way, may I have some more?”

“Absolutely dear,” Velvet said putting more food on the plate. “Why exactly did you run away?”

“Well, I was a teenager and I wasn’t getting many of my accomplishments noticed. She was asking more of me and I just lost respect for her. I will admit, I was kind of a problem foal too. I tended to come off as a vain brat most of the time- shut up.” she said suddenly pointing at Trixie who looked like she was about to make a smart comment. “Anyway, it got to a point where I just couldn’t take it anymore and well, I ran way to make something of myself. And in a way, I kind of did.” Though, they probably don’t need to know how.

“How did you meet our little Twily?” Night Light asked pulling in said pony for another hug.

“I actually met her at the Crystal Empire, during that princess summit thing. I’ve been falling on hard times and I did some things I’m not proud of. Now don’t worry, I’ve made up for that and renounced my bad ways. I have Twilight to thank for showing me there was another way. Now, I’m her trusty bodyguard as a master in the Centauri Sword arts. I even forged my swords myself.”

“Centauri you say? I’ve studied about that a bit back at the academy during my college years. The art was created by Centaur revolutionaries seeking to overthrow an abusive prince. They would use their magic to forge various weapons and enriched them with powers of the natural elements.”

“Yeah, most of the time, it was heavier weapons like axes and polearms. The intention was to create a counter to the powerful armor worn by the prince’s shock troops and they were first deployed during the battle of Forlorn Hope, a valley that carried military advantage. Of course, the weapons alone weren’t enough to win the battle so the now legendary General Nebaridzuyo perfected a technique using two swords, both rather small compared to the conventional war weapons used by both sides. One was a normal sized blade like the one I have meant to be the primary weapon, and the other was a shorter blade used in follow up strikes or as a backup weapon to decapitate weakened enemies. This combined with his powerful fire magic thinned the prince’s forces and allowed his men to completely push them back, claiming the valley as their own.”

“I’ve had access to the general’s advanced teachings so in a way, I guess you could say I learned from him personally. My swords were actually forged with a hybrid of Centauri and Kirin metals, with a little touch of my own magic. I haven’t had to use them yet, but I’ve trained with prototypes that withstood molten temperatures.”

“And here I thought I was a boaster,” Trixie said rolling her eyes. “But as hot blooded as she seems, I’ve seen her in action and she has the right to boast. She completely incinerated a giant scolopendra one time.. And that was before she gained four years of training. Though my flank burned up something fierce after that.”

As the mares exchanged banter, the other occupants of the table spectated with Twilight groaning at their antics and her parents amused by them. “I’m sorry mom and dad. They do this a lot, but they are friends.”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ve seen much worse between rival sports teams,” Night Light said.

“I seem to remember you and your brother competing with each other a lot too, Nighty,” Velvet added. “And what about that time in high school you and that other stallion competed for my attention?”

“That arrogant jerk didn’t deserve you, especially not how he kept flaunting his wealth the way he did.”

“He didn’t have a chance against my brilliant professor,” Velvet cooded as she leaned in to kiss her husband.

“Well, it’s nice to hear you think highly of our daughter,” Velvet said to her dinner guests.

“Yes, I would consider her the first real friend I ever had,” Sunset responded. “Although, somepony else tends to grind my gears sometimes. I’m looking at you, Trixie.”

“Whatever.” Sunset leaned in to whisper to the parents. “She’s just mad because my fire turns her water into steam.” Trixie apparently heard that comment because she gave Sunset a playful shove, resulting in a devious giggle from her. “Hehe, okay I kind of asked for that.”

With the stomachs of their visitors full, Night Light set up the guest beds for Trixie and Sunset, who themselves were taking turns with the shower, while Twilight and her mother washed the dishes. Velvet cherished this time together, however mundane, and Twilight couldn’t help but notice the tears swelling up in her eyes.

“It’s nothing, dear. I’m just glad you’re alive and well. When we heard about everything that happened, I just didn’t want to believe you were gone. And I just couldn’t forgive Celestia for driving you away like that.”

“Aw mom... I’m sorry for making you worry like that. I didn’t intend for Spike and everypony else to misinterpret my note like that.”

“It’s okay,” Velvet said hugging her daughter for the unteenth time that night. “But Celestia… It doesn’t matter what her intentions were and how things turned out, I just don’t trust her anymore. And neither does Cadance, Shining Armor, your father, and even Spike. But can you tell me something? Why did you leave like that in the first place? I mean, if you didn’t intend to kill yourself like everypony thought, what was your motivation?”

Twilight paused at this question. She knew it was coming eventually, but she was still unprepared to answer it. “Well… I guess I just needed some time alone. I spent most of my life learning under Princess Celestia that I guess I just wanted to find my own calling, to find my own purpose. And I did find it, with the help of my new friends. We plan on fixing Equestria. I’m responsible for a lot of it anyway. It’s hard to explain and I’m not completely sure how we will do it but in due time, I hope to be able to tell you everything.”

More or less satisfied with the answer, Velvet nuzzled her daughter one last time before everypony got ready for bed. Sunset and Trixie took their bags into the bedroom with them, the former not wanting to leave her swords by the door. Though her friends had an easy and restful sleep, Sunset was again plagued by a night terror for which she could not explain. Many times in the night, she would wake up in a cold sweat and lay there before drifting back to sleep.

The next day, Twilight was surprisingly the first of her friends to wake up. As she showered, she tried to remember the last time she’d ever used the shower in this house. Regardless, it felt good to be here again. With herself clean, she went down to breakfast where her parents were waiting, Night Light reading the newspaper and Velvet cooking, something good if the aroma was anything to go by.

“It’s going to take some time to adjust to you being here again,” Night Light chuckled. “Good morning Twilight.”

“Well, hopefully they wake up before ten o’clock. It would be a shame for them to miss your mother’s cooking.”

Twilight sat down and yawned and stretched away her sleepiness. As she finished, she looked over at her father and noticed something on the newspaper he was reading. It was an advertisement for a familiar shop.

Night Light looked up, confused for a moment before finding the ad on the paper. “Oh?”

“She is in Canterlot?” Velvet said finishing her daughter’s question. “Yes, she moved here not too long after you disappeared a few years ago. She is probably one of the few unicorns in Canterlot that still has some decency.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. And I do remember Pinkie saying she and Rainbow Dash moved away from Ponyville.”

“Your friend Rainbow Dash is also in the Wonderbolts now. She’s performed in shows from time to time.”

“Really? Huh. I guess she achieved her dream. I guess without me in Ponyville, she didn’t have much to keep her there either. And judging by the state of Ponyville, Rarity must have been struggling which is why she moved. Pinkie is the same as usual and I would bet Applejack would prefer to work, especially since Granny Smith died. But what about Fluttershy? I wonder what she’s doing nowadays.”

“If I saw timberwolves and other beasts roaming about, I’d probably stay inside too,” Trixie said walking into the kitchen with a very tired Sunset.

“Are you alright, Sunny? You don’t look so good,” Twilight said as Sunset’s messy mane and heavy eyes were hard to ignore.

“Hardly slept. Night terrors. I’ll get over it,” Sunset said as she tried to brush her mane with a brush handed to her by Trixie.

After breakfast, Sunset and Trixie again took turns with the shower while Twilight and her parents talked some more before her father needed to leave for work. Twilight had already decided that she wouldn’t dare go out into the streets during the daytime as she would be more than likely recognized. Trixie and Sunset agreed on the same.

“Mom? Dad? I would like to catch up with the recent years and study about what happened. Do you think you could help me with that?”

“Sure, I can bring back some old newspapers from the academy when I come home from work,” Night Light said as he got ready to leave.

“And I can tell you about the recent things that have gone on here in Canterlot. Trust me, a lot has happened. Though, I’m surprised you don’t know anything. I would have thought you would at least hear tidbits here and there.”

“Even still, some of this relates to other nations too like the griffons and the minotaurs.”

“I was in a secluded place most of the time, honing my abilities. I needed some time away from the world.”

Much of the day was uneventful, at least to the trio of mares. Twilight spent a lot of her time researching the previous four years while also getting some magic study with Trixie. Sunset had little else to do after polishing and maintaining her swords, which she did along side her friends in Twilight’s room. Having finished, she decided to dive into one of the hundreds of books in the house. Fourteen books later and the boredom hit a point where she decided to take a nap, praying that she would not have another night terror. As dusk hit, Trixie started to get a little restless.

“Hey Twilight? I’m going to go for a small walk. I need to stretch my legs and I want to see what all has happened since I left Canterlot.”

“Uh huh,” Twilight said with her attention still on her research. “If you find out anything interesting, tell me okay?”

Trixie grabbed her coat and her saddlebag on the off chance she may find something she may want from one of the shops, and stepped out into the cold evening streets. As expected during this weather, hardly anypony was out aside from a few street goers trying to get home. Her “small walk” turned into a stroll all over town as she found herself almost fascinated by the contrast in extravagance and ruin the different districts were in. Many of the ponies were the same as far as she could remember, the elite being snobbish as usual. However, as she explored the poorer districts, she felt uneasy as some of the ponies glared at her as she walked by. This eventually escalated as a few squared off with her in a secluded part of the district, thugs motivated by greed and hatred.

Their threats and insults fell short as their target looked more bored than scared. Seeing as how nopony else was around to see her, Trixie sparked her horn and used the surrounding snow to form an icy serpent which had the look of bloody murder on its face. To their credit, the thugs were smart and realized they picked on the wrong unicorn, running off to live another day. She could have pursued them, but she decided they weren’t worthy of her attention. Nevertheless, she made the choice to leave the district and stay away from it from now on.

The moon was decently high in the sky by the time she made it to the square. Very few ponies were out and about now, only those headed off to bars or parties. “This place sure has changed,” she said to herself. Before she made plans to go back to the Sparkle house, one last location popped into her head that she wanted to visit. The thought stirred up unpleasant memories, but her curiosity needed to be quelled.

She still remembered where the old house was. Her old house growing up. Sadly, the house was no longer occupied as it was falling apart and broken. A sign in front told her the house was condemned. She walked to the side of the house to look up at her old room window, which appeared to be broken and boarded from the inside. She thought for a moment before looking around for any pony who might be watching. When she saw the coast was clear, she stepped up to the front door and used her magic to break the boards and the lock, freely walking inside her old house.

The house interior was fairly barren and looked as if there was structural damage, likely the result of neglecting maintenance. Considering her parents, this didn’t surprise her. They tended to care about more “important” things like hanging out with the upper class. There was a broken glass cabinet, one door hanging from its hinges, that used to carry a variety of expensive fine china and silverware. She grimaced at the many bad memories associated with the many dinner parties where she was only there for enhancing her parents’ image. She wasn’t allowed to talk or leave until the guests were gone, she was the honor student who was supposed to make valedictorian in her future, to give her parents many chances to mingle with the high class.

In a sort of masochistic pleasure, she walked all throughout the house to relive many more memories from her youth. She remembered the jade tiger statue her mother was so proud of, now gone from its place in the foyer. The bathroom, which now suffered from water damage and a moldy odor, where she remembered her mother spending hours getting her mane to look just perfect for her first day of school. And of course her bedroom, her prison with nothing but a standard bed and a desk for studying. The wall closest to the door had a hoof sized impact in it, possibly from her father’s temper when he and mother found out Trixie not only ran away, but took their stockpile of funds.

“Maybe that’s why the house is out of shape,” Trixie stoically mused. Something in her wanted to laugh or at least grin. They brought this upon themselves, didn’t they? Yet as much as she wanted to, seeing how far the old house had deteriorated sparked a feeling of pity in her. Even if they were deserving of such a fate, did she really have the right to applaud it?

After all, despite her accumulation of the negative, not all of her memories were bad. There were many times when she was very young that she would sleep in her father’s study by the fireplace as he worked, or when her mother would play with her in the bathtub. One of her fondest memories that she could recall with her parents was during a Nightmare Night outing. She was about six and she got really scared from a misguided attempt from a few colts to spook her. For the rest of that night, she took refuge by her mother’s side.

“Why did they become so overbearing? After I got my cutie mark, they just… changed.”

A cold chill blew through the unicorn’s body, telling her it was time to wrap it up and go back to the house. She debated whether to board the door back up, but decided against it after a grand total of two seconds. It’s not like anypony had a reason to come here, especially with how bad shape it was in. Nopony would want to have spiders or cockroaches crawling at their hooves or put up with the moldy smell.

The walk back to her temporary home didn’t yield much excitement at first. Everything was quiet, likely because nopony in their right mind wanted to get frostbite. Trixie didn’t mind much though. During her time with Mother Acumen, there were times where they trained in subzero environments, even frigid waters. Though she got sick at least twice, by the end of Mother Dogma’s ceremony, she emerged with a high tolerance to the cold. Such temperatures simply didn’t affect her anymore.

Her attention was drawn to a shady group of ponies following a mare wearing a blue coat. Her instincts told her something nefarious was going to happen soon and thus she discreetly tailed them to a small house. Her instincts turned out to be correct as the shady ponies confronted the mare before she got past the front gate.

“Hey!” one of them said. “I don’t think you unicorn folk deserve that money. Maybe you should hand it over.”

The mare paled as she knew what was probably going to happen and she attempted to yell for help, but a swift movement from one of the ponies had her restrained and silenced. Trixie decided now was the time to act and she stepped behind one of the ponies before tapping him on the shoulder. When he turned around, he was met with a slam to the face with a hoof covered in hard ice. The icy punch certainly caught them all off guard and the pony who was hit doubled over in agony of his injured nose.

“Attacking a defenseless mare for money and who knows what else? I knew you Canterlot folk were low, but when did it escalate to this?”

“Hey! This ain’t none your business so back off! This mare ain’t using her money for anything useful so she don’t need it.”

“Such arrogance… You should really think your actions through first. Otherwise,” Trixie lite her horn and used her magic with the surrounding snow to create two large icy serpents, which were quick to shut the ponies up. “The Great and Powerful Trixie shall turn you into ponycicles! So if you don’t want to be crushed like an ice cube, I highly suggest you run away like the little cowards you are.”

Despite her intimidating display, one of the ponies rushed her in a vain attempt to take her down. Big mistake. One of the serpents bit down hard on one of his legs, drawing blood with the nauseating sound of a bone crunch accompanying it. The remaining ponies only watched in horror as their buddy screamed in agony. Trixie stepped over him and the pony whose nose she punched attempted to get away, only to be tripped by the other serpent. When he picked himself up, he was met with the fierce face of the angry unicorn who had teleported in front of him. One swift motion of her horn and the serpent melted and reformed into a chunk of hard ice and in less than a millisecond, the stallion was met with excruciating pain between his back legs. With him downed, she looked over at the remaining stallion who released his grip on the mare in a surrendering fashion, throwing his hooves up. The look on his face told her he wasn’t willing to get hurt for some money.

“Take your friends and run away before I bury you under six feet of ice. I don’t want to see you around here again, you hear?”

The stallion picked up his friends since they couldn’t walk on their own and ran like the dickens. With them gone, Trixie walked over to the frightened mare and attempted to help her up.

Upon getting a closer look at the mare, she saw she was a gray unicorn with a whitish-gray mane which was tied up into a bun. She was wearing black framed glasses which sat in front of deep blue eyes. The mare was re-adjusting her glasses in an uncomfortable amount of times, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

Hearing her voice utter those words struck a cord in Trixie’s brain. There were only three ponies who knew her full name, and this wasn’t Twilight nor her father so there could only be one logical conclusion.

She didn’t even recognize her at first. The last time she saw her mother, she was wearing a silky red dress, had her hair flowing freely, and she certainly didn’t have glasses. But she did remember that her mother would dye her hair from time to time so the white mane, the gray coat, and now the voice all came together. This was her mother from whom she ran away in the first place.

“Beatrix, where have you been all this time?” Moondust asked with what sounded like genuine concern. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”

Despite the tone her mother spoke in, Trixie involuntarily backed away from Moondust’s attempt to hug her. Moondust gained a look of confusion as she softly fell.

“I left for a reason, you know. It may have been almost a decade ago, but I still remember your so-called ‘parenting’. And after all that, you think everything is just going to be all nice again?”

Moondust grunted in irritation. “First you disobey my authority, then you steal a large sum of our money, now you stand defiantly when your own mother is trying to-”

Moondust backed away, genuinely hurt by her daughter’s declaration. “I… Beatrix…”

“You and your husband only care about yourselves and your stupid status. You demanded so much from me and not once did you ever consider my interest in magic. All I wanted was for you to acknowledge me, to hear at least one ‘I love you’ or ‘I’m proud of you’. Was that so much to ask? But then you forced me to go to that stupid school. You didn’t give me a choice, even after I dropped out.”

Trixie began breathing heavily and though she didn’t notice, Moondust noticed her starting to tear up.

“But no more of that. I’ve become my own mare now, made powerful friends, and perfected my magic to rival the princesses. And unlike you, I used your money for something useful. While you just drank up the socialite life, I contributed to society in my own special way. Even when I fell on hard times and had to work on a rock farm, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. And do you know why? Because it was my choice. I met some of the best friends I could’ve asked for now, too. And did you REALLY look for me? Because I studied in Canterlot for almost a year, even attending some parties, and I didn’t so much as hear about you or father searching for me. And now you are here, trying to coax me to come back so you can chain me down again? Well guess what. Even if I did go back, you would never be able to lock me up. You saw what I did to those thugs. The Great and Powerful Trixie will not allow you to steamroll over her like you’re so fond of doing.”

Trixie got right up in her mother’s face as she said that last line, glaring with such fury that would make the wicked creatures of Tartarus quiver. While Moondust didn’t lose her composure, at least not externally, she was left speechless at first.

“I’m sorry. I really am. If your father was here, he would be sorry too.” Moondust teared as she gently grabbed her daughter’s hoof and held it in her own. “We’ve been so selfish and look where it got us. Unwelcome in most parts of Canterlot and not even our own daughter likes us. And who can blame them all?”

Trixie said nothing as her mother broke into a soft sob. Now she felt kind of bad for her earlier outburst but she still stood by her words. She knew her words held weight so she wasn’t willing to retract them. For many years since she ran away from her home, she dreamt about becoming successful and rubbing her success into their faces. During her travels, whenever she was having a bad day or she needed something to lift her spirits, she would daydream about slugging her arrogant mother for all she’d done and said, and that thought always gave her the motivation to continue.

But now that she was standing in front of her, with her vandalized house and many enemies, she just couldn’t bring herself to dish out anymore retribution, no matter how much she wanted. As Moondust now sat sobbing and dirty while holding onto her hoof like it was a life preserver in a sea of depression, where before Trixie felt years of built up anger, she now only felt pity. She felt that perhaps… perhaps they’ve already got what they deserved.

With this conclusion in mind, Trixie slowly pulled her hoof away and watched solemnly as Moondust’s eyes pleaded for her to stay. Trixie only closed her eyes and shook her head in a disappointed manner, causing Moondust to look down towards the ground in sorrow as she dared not look at her daughter calmly turning away.

“But know this: if the Great and Powerful Trixie knew it was you who those thugs wanted to rob, she would still come to your help. Would you do the same for the one who ruined your life?”

Trixie found herself back at the Sparkle residence far later than she intended. By now, Velvet and Night Light had long fallen asleep in their bedroom, which Trixie found open. She could tell by the way they were snuggled, Velvet’s head resting atop her husband’s shoulder as he had his hoof wrapped around her, that they shared a very deep love for each other. She decided to quietly close the door to the bedroom to give the couple some privacy before she headed to her own room. From under the door to Twilight’s room came a flickering light, likely from a candle or lantern, telling her that she was still awake. She continued down the hall to the room she shared with Sunset, who herself was sleeping on her side.

“Trixie? Where’ve you been, you’ve been gone for almost two hours. I was starting to get worried.”

Twilight walked into the room behind Trixie, who was removing her saddlebags and placing them on the floor.

Twilight took note of Trixie’s melancholic expression and felt concerned for her close friend as she closed the door and laid down in her small guest bed. “Did something happen? You look kind of down.”

“Nothing, just took a trip down memory lane is all… You know something Twilight? I envy you. You have an amazing family. A good brother, a good sister-in-law, a good whatever Spike is, and good parents, all of which love and support you. Me? I have two aloof parents who had their priorities skewed.”

Twilight’s ears drooped as she heard her friend’s plight, deciding to sit next to her bed. “Trixie…”

“Out of curiosity, I went to see my old house. Guess now I really do come from a broken home, hehe. But in all seriousness, it was pretty ruined. It looked vandalized too, though considering the type of ponies my parents where, I shouldn’t be surprised. But I just so happened to run into my mother after saving her from a group of thugs. Part of me wishes I didn’t.”

“No. And that’s what bugs me. If only you were there, Twilight. If only you could’ve seen how pitiful she looked. I dunno, I guess she was just so pathetic look that I couldn’t bring myself to hit her. She looked… glad to see me again. I hope I don’t see her again, because I might find myself feeling sorry for her again.”

Twilight at this point laid down beside Trixie, who was thankful for the darkness as she could hide her reddened face as Twilight pulled her in for a hug. “I think she realizes how much you mean to her. If her house was vandalized like you say it was, I’m willing to bet being outcasted opened her eyes and saw that status and money isn’t everything. I’d say give her the benefit of a doubt.”

“Maybe. I’m just tired of talking about this tonight. I’d rather not think about it. But can I ask you something?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask this for some time, but I never got the chance. Your old friends seemed pretty close. I mean, the way they stuck up for you when I first came to Ponyville and then how supportive they were of you when I returned with the Alicorn Amulet. How did you meet them?”

Twilight closed her eyes as she attempted to recollect the memories associated with her first visit to Ponyville. “Well, I was sent by Princess Celestia to monitor the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. I didn’t really want to be there because I knew of the legend of Nightmare Moon, that she was going to come back that night. But try as I might, come circumstances led me to meet each of them. Then later, they accompanied me to the old castle in Everfree where we found the Elements of Harmony. In that short amount of time during my visit, I had managed to make my first friends besides Spike, my brother, and my former foal sitter. It all was very nice, but… I don’t think they realized it, but they weren’t the best of friends. But I wanted to keep these friendships so I tried my best to put up with it. However, the incident with my brother’s wedding was when I started to really doubt them. I’m not proud of how I handled it either though, and maybe if I was calmer and smarter about that approach, it wouldn’t have happened the way it did.”

Twilight hesitated before giving her answer. “...No, I don’t think I do. It’s been four years and whatever anger I may have felt for them is mostly gone. That said, I don’t think things can ever be the same between us. I just… can’t trust them like I used to. But I suppose it really affected them if Ponyville is anything to go by.”

“Could you two please shut up and go to sleep already?” Sunset abruptly said, startling the other two mares. “Or at least talk quieter or something.”

“I’ve been awake since before Trixie got here, I’m just having a hard time staying asleep.”

“Ugh. You know how at breakfast this morning, I said I was having nightmares? They aren’t as strong, but it’s still enough to keep me from staying asleep all night. My head and my eyes hurt too much to talk anymore so can we by any stretch of the imagination possibly discuss this in the morning?”

Trixie was more than happy to oblige for once as she simply repositioned herself onto her back and laid her head to her pillow and closed her eyes. In the darkness of her great and heavy eyelids, she could feel Twilight getting comfortable beside her, apparently intent on sleeping there that night. The warmth of her body gave Trixie an odd surge of bliss and she laid her head on her splayed out foreleg.

“You seem pretty down tonight so I figured you needed somepony by your side,” Twilight said as she closed her eyes. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

With having spent two days at her parents’ house and catching up with the years she had been gone, Twilight found that she had also gone through the entire library of books in the house. For her, this was nothing considering she had gone through every book in Golden Oaks Library nearly fifteen times during her time living there. However, she was looking for specific information and none of the books in her house contained it.

There was little else she could do then. The archives in the Canterlot castle might have had something for her, but she could not risk showing her face. It was doubtful she would be able to waltz right in either, given how intrusion attempts in the past year caused an increase in security.

“Maybe you could ask your dad for some titles,” Trixie suggested. “If he works at that university, perhaps that library has something.”

“No, if dad heard what kind of info I wanted, he would think I’m nuts. Besides, they may have copies of old treaties but I doubt they have anything on Elysium, or any history of the Crystal Empire.”

“I don’t know about those first two but the Empire has been around for about five years now since it reappeared. Surely the schools are at least a little interested in its history.”

“Given the other problems that have happened, I don’t think so. And I don’t think the Canterlot elite would really concern themselves with that place, now that it’s not part of Equestria now.”

Twilight and Trixie brainstormed on solutions to their dilemma as Sunset polished and maintained her weapons. She was half listening to the conversation as she worked, but another thing was going through her mind. The night terrors she was experiencing were getting more intense and it was depriving her of her precious beauty sleep. The odd thing about her dreams was that she was never the direct recipient of the gruesome imagery. It was always happening to other ponies or monsters. Every time it ended the same way: the ponies would be attacked by monsters, which in turn would be killed by flames or other forms of heat. She was always in a safe distance when it happened. It seemed as if she was being shown some kind of past or future event.

“Hey, what about that old castle in Everfree?” Trixie said, breaking Sunset’s thoughts. “When I lived in that forest, I explored that castle a bit and found a library.”

“Hmm…. it’s the old castle of the sisters, meaning it existed around the time the Empire vanished. It would also have books on ruling most likely, since the sisters were younger. Perhaps even old treaty records and maybe some notes on Elysium if we look hard enough. Trixie, you’re a genius! I need to go tell mom and dad where we are going first. I’ll be right back.”

Everfree… Sunset thoughts continued. Now that I think about it, all of the monsters in my dreams have been creatures native to that forest. The timberwolves, the scolopendras, Ursas, manticores…. Her eyes widened in realization and she worked quickly to make sure her swords were nice and clean before putting them back into their respective sheaths, wearing a grin on her face as she did.

The trip into the forest was simple for three mages of magnificent majestic magic. Two of the three mares pulled empty wagons with them while the remaining mare, the one with the intimidating swords, made sure the path was safe. Few monsters crossed their paths and those that did were kicked and burned to the point where they were almost unrecognizable. Sunset was all too happy to be rid of these creatures and she took a noticeable amount of enjoyment in spilling their blood.

Before long, they came to the bridge to the old castle, surprisingly still intact with what appeared to be new ropes and new boards.

“Somepony’s been busy,” Sunset said wiping her hooves free of blood from her latest victim.

“It looks like the castle might have been occupied recently. I hope the library is still intact,” Twilight said slightly concerned.

“Well, if anything happens, Trixie should back you up. Still, this worries me. Since I really don’t feel like looking through hundreds of books, I’ll leave you two to search for what you need. I’m going to sweep the forest and make sure no unsavory surprises are waiting for us.”

“Pfft! I wear danger like a badge. If I come across anything, these mighty hooves will end it. Besides, Andreia and Sophia are just itching for some action,” Sunset boasted as she gestured to her weapons.

“It’s an old Centauri tradition. You forge your own weapon and then give it a name. That way, you have a special connection to it and therefore you are never fighting alone.”

As Sunset trotted away, Twilight and Trixie simply glanced at each other. “I’ve heard worse excuses,” Twilight shrugged.

Sunset knew that Twilight would likely be spending almost the whole day going through every single book in the library. Twilight was always a bigger bibliophile than she ever was. She didn’t mind though as today, she needed all the time she could get to prepare her plan. Before she went to work though, she wanted to check a specific area in the forest. However, navigating through said forest proved to be more arduous than it needed to be as she was in unfamiliar territory and the brush was thick. The monsters weren’t much of a hazard anymore as they learned quickly to fear her flames. Sunset eventually lost her patience with meticulously moving around fallen trees or brush too thick and started to use concussive magic blasts to clear a path. Trees that were too sturdy to be hit by the blast alone were first weakened by controlled flames. Rotting wood did not stand a chance against this one mare demolition crew.

Once she got to a clearing, she recognized the debris from the old cabin she shared with Trixie. She remembered how they took apart the cabin to destroy any traces. The remanings of the shelter where still right where they left them.

“Of course it would be, what reason would anypony have to disturb this place?” she thought outloud.

While there really weren’t many memories to reminisce, being in the area did remind her of how she had come this far in the first place. To her, it was a reminder of the trials she had gone through. So despite the unpleasant events that led up to that point, she considered this area to be sacred.

And that made what she was going to do all the more cumbersome. She had plans for the forest, but at the same time, she wanted to preserve this piece of land. Carefully she dragged a stick and made a circle around the perimeter before standing in the center and casting a spell. The spell burned markings deep into the ground and once she activated a second spell, the area was surrounded in a bubble type barrier, which almost immediately became invisible.

“There. With this Centauri spell, it won’t be damaged by the forces of nature. Now comes the hard part.”

It took Sunset all day to carefully make a perimeter around the forest’s border, teleporting quite frequently to cover the large distances. Unlike the preservation spell, her next intended spell required more precision. She had to go around the entire forest perimeter three times: once to set the boundaries, once to set the glyphs, and once to place the trigger spells, which took the form of butterflies made of embers. She was careful in making sure the lined perimeters matched up perfectly; if they didn’t, she feared the boundaries would not work properly which would be extremely dangerous. Even when she had the boundaries set, she wanted to make absolutely sure the payload would be as effective as possible so once the last of the last of the fireflies were placed, she augmented the spell with several ember birds placed within the forest. Once she was completely sure she was ready, there was a faint, but noticeable sun pattern that could only be seen from a bird’s eye view.

As the dusk approached, Sunset sat on a rock near the rear of the castle to wait for her friends to come the front of the castle. She ate a prepared boxed dinner while she rested, which she put away once she saw the other mares with their wagons filled with books.

“She did, but we got sidetracked with other things and one thing led to another, now you see all these books,” Trixie said before Twilight opened her mouth.

“It won’t be a problem. We’ll teleport near the house and unload from there,” Twilight said confidently.

“Anyway, we should probably wait for the sun to go completely down before we teleport back,” Twilight continued. “The darkness will give us cover. Simply rolling into Canterlot with two full carts of books won’t simply go unnoticed.”

“Exactly,” Sunset said as she wiped out her boxed dinner again. “Till then, I’ll just sit back and-” Sunset was interrupted when an arrow suddenly struck her dinner, knocking its contents to the ground and sending the amber unicorn into a dimension of pissed off she had never been in. “...Beat the crap out of whoever’s coming. Great. Just Great.”

From the direction of the arrow came from, she saw silhouettes of not monsters, but rather a group of ponies. They were mostly stallions of pegasus and earth races, all of which seemed to have weapons of some kind. Twilight cursed herself for not bringing her cape to hide her face and horn as these ponies did not seem to be happy to see the unicorns. The feeling was mutual, at least for Sunset.

“What are ya’ll doin’ here in these parts?” one earth stallion angrily asked brandishing a large crossbow. “Them’s here’s our parts. Y’aint welcome here.”

“Apparently, neither is proper grammar,” Sunset hissed back. “Now back up and try again. I’m having a hard time taking you seriously with that poor speech of yours.”

“Whatcha say, horn whore?” the stallion said pointing his weapon at the mare.

“I said you should learn to talk right. Now why don’t you put that toy away before I start laughing at your misery.”

“Ha! Looka dis horn hobbit, she be act’n all guard an such, she ain’t a brain from a stem.”

The stallion got mad and aimed his weapon before his pegasus friend stopped him. “Here, let me take over, this isn’t going anywhere.” The pegasus stepped forward and drew his cutlass. “What my friend here is trying to say is that your kind isn’t welcome here or anywhere in Equestria. You unicorns do nothing except whatever pleases you, so your kind doesn’t deserve to breathe. So why don’t you just lay down and die like good little fillies.”

Much to everypony’s surprise and confusion, Sunset actually burst out laughing at his statement. It was clear she didn’t take him very seriously. But her laughter wasn’t because she found his choice of words funny. “You guys are really delusional. Do you really think I’m going to listen to a bunch of foal killers.”

“Don’t play dumb.” Sunset lost her grin. “You’re remnants of anti-unicorn vigilantes I’ve heard about. Even though your leaders were executed, you continue on with this petty revenge plot you have.”

“No. No, you are not. You are using it as an excuse to satisfy your thirst for blood. I can understand if you simply went after adult unicorns who were guilty of the same sins. But there is no reason to kill foals, especially not infants. Even now, you are going after the innocents like my friends here, who have done nothing to deserve such a fate. Do you really think that I, a former student of Celestia, would really let you do such a thing?”

“Heh. Look at you, trying to exert your authority using false claims. However, I should inform you that I’m not afraid to hit a lady.”

“Typical unicorn arrogance. You can say what you wish, but that flimsy magic of yours can’t do you any good if you don’t have a head!”

The pegasus lunged at her with blistering speed and swung his cutlass at her neck. If it were anypony else, this swing would have decapitated them easily with how fast and how heavy the cutlass was. As a former royal guard, he knew no normal unicorn would be able to react fast enough to counter such literal breakneck speed with some barrier spell or teleport away in time.

Not only did the blade of the cutlass fail to even scratch her skin, but the blade itself snapped in two. The other ponies in the group lost their grins when they realized something was very wrong. The pegasus was frozen in place, petrified with a sudden fear as he watched the unicorn mare’s face distort into a twisted grin, brushing aside the hoof that held what remained of his sword.

In a lightning fast motion, Sunset grabbed her sword with her right front hoof and before he even knew what happened, the previously confident stallion found his front leg cut clean off, so quickly in fact that there was a split second delay before his blood squirted from the wound. The pain of the injury didn’t even register at first, but when it did, he screamed in agony as he collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain as the dangerous mare balanced on her hind legs, holding the sword with her front ones and raising it over her head. With his other hoof he desperately tried to reach out to his friends for help. However, they never got the chance as with a heavy chop, Sunset did to him what he intended to do to her.

“Be honored that you are the first victim of my Andreia. She has been wanting some of this for awhile now. Don’t you worry, mama will feed you,” Sunset cooed to her sword in a strangely caring demeanor which creeped out even her friends. The katana sword was a fine piece of art in itself. The thick guard was made of a gold like Elysian metal that was much stronger than actual gold, all shaped into her sun cutie mark. The hilt had an ornate white nylon wrapping with a gold lion head at the end, holding a sun shaped tassel chain in its teeth. On the opposite side, the blade had dragon engravings at the base while the blade itself had a distinct orange color, the result of the unique metals and magic used to forge it. With the color the way it is, it was hard to tell when the blade was hot or cool to the touch as her magic could fluctuate its temperature at will. This sword and her smaller backup were both kept in ivory white sheaths, both of which she kept either at her left side, or in a black sword bag with her name embroidered in Elysian text with gold thread.

“Now then. Will you act as the cowards you are, or will you fall to me, Sunny the Slaughterhouse?”

Whether it be from pride or desire to avenge their fallen friend, one pony lunged with his glave, hoping his long polearm would keep distance between him and the crazy mare. This did little as Sunset simply parried the attack and countered with a blast of fire from her horn. The blast itself was not enough to kill him or even seriously injure, but it did provide a split second window for Sunset to rush in and bifurcate him. He laid bleeding as the other ponies followed suit, attempting to graze her at the very least. One bulky earth pony with a lumber axe swung his weapon to try and chop her, but the mare used her hoof and caught the handle just below the blade.

“I applaud you for at least showing some balls,” Sunset said as she casually watched the stallion struggle to get his weapon free. “But there is one advantage to being a coward: they tend to live.”

The big stallion’s bravery shrunk as Sunset’s face came dangerously close to his with a toothy grin that screamed bloody murder. And bloody murder is exactly what happened as the stallion felt her sword pierce his stomach, blade paralyzing him as it severed his spine before she twisted the blade and slowly pulled it out through his side, causing excruciating pain in parts where his body was not numb.

Other ponies tried and failed to subdue Sunset. She had to give them credit, they were quite bold for standing against her. However, such bravery costed them dearly in the end as half of them ended up instantly killed while others were killed in a slower, much more gruesome manner. Those that were not instantly decapitated were left to bleed out in agony as all they could do was watch as their friends fell one by one. Some where even burned alive by this sadistic unicorn swordsmare before they fell. Her friends only stood back and watched, growing somewhat uneasy about seeing her friend’s ferocity.

Before long, only one scrawny stallion was left, the first stallion with the crossbow, fearing for his life as the bloodcrazed mare approached him with her distorted smiled. He cowered in the dirt as the mare used her magic to drag him so that they made eye contact.

“So, do you still think your cause is just? Is that ‘just’ what you tell yourself?”

“Please don’t kill!” the stallion pathetically pleaded. “I’ll do anything you want, just please let me go! I swear I won’t do anymore vigilante justice!”

Sunset only chuckled. “Look at that. Looks like you lost your accent and poor grammar,” she said as she pointed her blade to his throat. “Okay. I’ll let you, but you have to do something for me in return.”

“Go to the rest of your vigilante brood hiding in the forest- and I know they’re in there- and tell them to cease all activity. Tell them what you saw here and tell them that Sunny the Slaughterhouse will fry them alive if they continue. And believe me, I will live up to my promise. By those. Exact. Words. I will hunt you, I will find you, and I will obliterate you.”

The stallion quivered at her dark expression as she released her grip on him. Once he was on the ground, he ran as fast as he could into the forest. After a swift swing of her sword to shake the blood off it the blade, Sunset simply huffed and ritualistically sheathed Andreia as she turned back to her friends, who were slack jawed over what they just witnessed.

“Oh please, it’s not any worse than those atrocities in the past year,” Sunset said dejectedly as she walked back to the remains of her poor dinner box. “Although, spoiling this food is a crime in itself,” she said mourning picking up the box. As she walked back to the carts, she noticed her friends still had rather uneasy looks on their faces. “Hey, those guys were going to kill us if I didn’t do anything, this way if they try anything again, no other ponies should be harmed-”

“It’s not that,” Twilight said with concern. “It’s just that… Well, um…”

Sunset only blinked before looking back at her rump and there was indeed a crossbow bolt stuck in her flank, right in the middle of her cutie mark. “Oh, would you look at that,” Sunset said nonchalantly. “No wonder my hindquarters felt numb.”

Sunset was suddenly interrupted when a surge of pain hit through her body as the bolt was yanked out by Trixie. Sunset grit her teeth and tensed all muscles in her body out of agony as she looked back at the blood trickling from her flank and then looked back at Trixie, eye twitching.

Birds flew high into the sky as Apple Bloom gathered some hard to get herbs for her mentor’s new brew. The sight of the birds were accompanied by a loud sound by which she could not make out. But as soon as it came, the sound stopped so she really didn’t pay it any mind. She simply shrugged and collected the last of the roots she needed in the area.

For a long time after getting her cutie mark, Apple Bloom had debated whether to take Zecora’s offer to live and learn under her. After the death of Granny Smith, she had decided to go ahead with it. Living in Sweet Apple Acres would only remind her of the painful parting anyway and Applejack said she didn’t mind. She could always hire help if she needed, like that Caramel fellow who worked occasionally. Though she worried how her brother and sister would hold up with just the two of them there, part of her knew they could handle themselves.

The time she spent with Zecora over the past few years plus her time living in her hut lended knowledge of the forest and it’s dangers. Zecora had taught her how to make a potion that would repel the various monsters inhabiting the forest and so far, it seemed to work perfectly. Creatures, whether it be manticore or timberwolf, ignored her even if she was standing less than a foot from them. She didn’t know how it worked but boy was she glad it did with how often she found herself traveling between locations.

In her trip back to the hut, she saw two familiar faces. At first, she could only make out their silhouettes but upon getting closer, the unmistakable face of Diamond Tiara and her father Filthy Rich surprised her as of all ponies, she would never have thought she’d seen these two in Everfree.

The father and daughter turned back and sighed in relief when they saw Apple Bloom, fearing it might have been something else. “Well hey there miss Apple Bloom,” Mr. Rich said, seemingly more happy to see her than his daughter was. “Diamond Tiara and I were traveling back to Ponyville and we were stopped in a nearby town when our escorts stopped working because of the danger of night. We really need to get back to Ponyville so we decided to hoof it.”

“Yeah, we know. We decided the monsters were less dangerous than the bandits though.”

“Well if you want, Ah can give you a sample of Zecora’s repellent potion. Ah have spares and Ah can easily make more.”

Apple Bloom reached into a pouch in her saddlebag and pulled out a spray bottle with a small amount of the clear liquid, not enough for a full day but its effects would last for long enough to get to Ponyville. With the repellent sprayed on to them, Apple Bloom decided to use whatever was left in the bottle to renew her own repellent before putting the empty bottle in her satchel.

“There. That should keep the monsters away for awhile so ya shouldn’t have to worry about em’. But if’n ya need directions, Ah’d be more than happy ta be yer guide.”

“Nah,” Diamond Tiara said sourly. “we have a pretty good idea of where we’re going. We can handle ourselves.”

“Okay then, good luck,” Apple Bloom said as she tried to keep herself from glaring at the spoiled mare.

As Apple Bloom walked off to her mentor’s home, the father and daughter continued in the opposite direct. “Diamond Tiara? Why do you insist on being so high and mighty like that? We really would have been better off if we had her help.”

Diamond said nothing to this question. In truth, despite Silver Spoon’s friendship with the cutie mark crusaders, Diamond Tiara was too stubborn to convert into one with them, despite the efforts of all four fillies. She and Silver Spoon were still close friends of course, but she found herself growing envious of those fillies taking away time with her. Even though Apple Bloom lived in Everfree now, she still went to school with everypony and weekends allowed her time in Ponyville after school.

Silver Spoon wasn’t the only reason for her stubbornness however. It was no secret that she often teased and taunted the crusaders for being blank flanks. Now that they had their cutie marks and their special talents to go with them, they were going on to do amazing things. Apple Bloom was helping the community with her potions and products, Sweetie Belle was working to help repair the economy and government, even Scootaloo participated in fundraisers with her athletic feats. Heck, even Silver Spoon had some merit with her education. She was well on her way to achieving something great of her own.

What do I have? Diamond internally pouted. Just a stupid tiara cutie mark that describes my oh so interesting accessory crafting. At least a spoon has practical use. Even if I get daddy’s business, I’ll still be known as “that stuck up mare who runs the company”. Meanwhile, everypony else will be known by name.

Even as she moped, she was well aware that she wasn’t making her angst any better. She knew it was her own actions that led her down this rabbit hole so she wasn’t above calling herself a hypocrite. But even growing up, she really didn’t know how to properly communicate with other foals. Silver Spoon was her close friend not just because their parents were close friends, but also because Silver Spoon was the first to open up to her and give her a chance. Sure, both were quite arrogant, but they shared many interests and hobbies. Nevertheless, she always held Silver Spoon in close regard for her humble nature, her ability to give credit when it’s due.

And all while Tiara herself was too pompous and too stubborn to admit when she’s in the wrong. So even in her high and mighty disillusions, she always considered Silver Spoon to be better than her for not only being more honest, but for also being willing to give this pathetic filly a chance.

Diamond Tiara was knocked out of her thoughts as her father’s hoof stopped her from advancing. Her eyes shot up to see several stallions approaching them from all angles, each sporting a knaving look and a weapon. She grew scared. Many vigilante attacks have popped up within the past year and they gained a reputation for being relentless as what started out as a misguided causes had turned into spiteful criminal acts against not just unicorns, but the upper class in general.

A single stallion circled the two ponies like a shark as he would occasionally throw lewd leers toward the teenage filly. Mr. Rich pulled his daughter close to him as he glared at the stallion, trying to hide his own parental fears. He could tell this guy was a predator in more ways than one and he would be damned if he was going to just allow this to happen.

“Mr. Rich I presume?” the stallion smiled maliciously. “What might you and your daughter be doing in these parts?”

“It’s not any of your business,” Filthy Rich hissed. “What do you want?”

“Oh many things. I would like a bigger house, a better income, a pretty wife, I can make a whole list of things really. But the thing is, this economic crisis is making it quiiite hard to even keep a decent job. It’s because of those greedy corporate heads and nobles that make things hard for the working class to survive.”

The stallion drew his sabre and examined the blade as he smirked at the frightened teenager, licking his lips a little as her father stepped in front of her.

“And then there are the spoiled brats like yours. Growing up with everything being handed to them, never having to work or learn how to do anything for herself. It’s disgusting really, just how dirty the youth is nowadays. So I figured in addition to making the rich pay taxes like everypony else, I would take it upon myself to teach the rotten youth some… discipline.”

The stallion simply laughed as she waved his weapon around. “Oh please. You’re not much a saint yourself, Mr. Rich. Everypony knows how much you tend to cut corners with your business practices. My little brother almost killed himself because you laid him off.” The stallion gave one last wave of his weapon and the other ponies present sans the two imminent victims readied their own tools. “Now, I’m not going to pass up this opportunity to get some retribution. And after I beat the absolute crap out of you, I’m gonna make you watch as I ‘educate’ your little-”

“Mistress of Bitchvania! Seriously! Five ancient sages of bitch all gathered together on the peaks of mount bitch to proclaim your birth! And then a hundred years later, when all the bitch stars were aligned, you were born and as the bitch prophecy foretold, you were born and used your great and powerful bitch fu to and made my life a real mother bitch! Because you are such a BITCH!”

Twilight just stood wide eyed and speechless as the target of Sunset’s rage simply stood boredly while the amber unicorn breathed heavily.

“Yeah…. Yeah, I guess,” Sunset said with a raspy voice, having strained her vocal cords in her swearing rant.

“Good. Now we should probably get you home and patch that wound in your butt because I can see your flank turning red.”

“Fine. But before you do, I need to do something really quick.” Sunset turned her attention to the forest and unsheathed her Andreia again, holding it at the ready with her right hoof while balancing on her hind legs again. “Those bandits awhile ago came from in there and that one that I let go ran back in. That makes me believe they make their base of operations in there. Not to mention the dangerous creatures that inhabit the place that just roam outside the boundaries, killing as they please.”

The unicorn held her sword over her head, which concerned her two friends greatly.

“So I’m going to do Equestria a favor and kill two birds with one stone. I’ve spent the day preparing an advanced spell, but I didn’t think I would have to use it this soon.”

“I changed our arrangement. We need to give them an example that even they can understand.”

Now Sunset unsheathed the smaller Sophia with her left hoof and pointed it towards the forest. At this point, the blade of both weapons irradiated the air around her with unbearable heat as her halo of Fortitude materialized, engulfed with the powerful marble colored flames of Elysium.

“Spark once started all that thrives.
Spark has right to end all savage.
Hear how malice of old cries.
To bear life from death needs courage.”

“From one life, she shall give birth to thousands.
In many thousands, many more shall feel the warmth.
From this warmth, a catalyst emerges.
In a courageous catalyst, the senses shall be abandoned in the end goal.”

“To purge and purify, I implore thee!
You who shall bring a new flame into the lives of the desperate, burn and flicker in the void!
Ignite! Remain adamant and steadfast! Wipe clean this slate of blind corruption and calamity!
With this act, we show a devotion long forgotten! Now, go forth and perform without fear!”

With a swift motion, she drove the blades into the ground, causing a disk of fire to erupt from the earth, sending large chunks of molten rock into the sky. At a certain point, these blobs of lava molded into various molten birds, such as eagles and owls. It was almost like fireworks as these creatures of fire filled the sky and once all of a whooping one hundred of them collected, they flew in all directions of the forest, programmed to seek out the pathing their creator mapped for them.

Sunset smiled deviously as she watched her pretties do to work. This significant action would mark the start of their war, one that would hopefully end with their goals achieved. She turned back to her slack jawed friends and took a single step before the weakness in her legs caused her to collapse, causing the other mares to rush to her aid.

“Didn’t realize how taxing that spell was. Of course, I’m a bit tired and bleeding so maybe that has something to do with it.”

“Sunset? What the heck was that spell?” Trixie inquired as she helped Sunset to her feet.

“Something I’ve been working on for awhile now. See while you were searching through that library, I’ve been out marking the boundaries for this super powerful spell. It creates a variant of molten Windigos that are meant to incinerate the whole forest and every wicked beast inside in about seven minutes. It will be isolated to just the forest though, I made absolute sure of it that it won’t spread to surrounding towns.”

“Burn the forest?...” Twilight glanced into the dark Everfree, understanding Sunset’s intentions. With the timberwolves she saw when they first landed back in Equestria, the monsters of Everfree were an obvious problem and destroying them would prove to be beneficial not just to them, but to Equestria as a whole. It would also take out much of the bandits that terrorized the roads, or at least send a warning to them.

But she also remembered that an old friend lived in the forest too. And the realization hit her hard.

Trixie’s face grew pale upon seeing Twilight attempting to run and warn the shaman zebra. Luckily, Sunset stopped the alicorn with a grasp of her hoof. Even in her weakened state, the purple pony could not struggle away.

“Twilight!” Sunset shouted to get her attention. “I’m sorry for not realizing that sooner, but what is done is done. We have seven minutes… well, actually six and a half now, before the whole of Everfree burns brighter than the sun.”

“But if we don’t do anything, she’s going to die?! We have to help her!”

“If we go in there now, we run the risk of being burned alive and all our training will be for naught!” Sunset let go. “I set the seven minute delay on the spell so that we could teleport back to your house in time to form an alibi. If we are connected, this will endanger your parents and pose a problem for us. I know you are concerned for your friend, but we need to worry about the fate of Equestria right now, as well as ourselves.”

Twilight stared into the forest, horrified by the thought of the imminent blaze possibly killing her friend. She alone made it possible for the citizens of Ponyville to accept and befriend the zebra, who they previously took for a wicked sorceress. Now indirectly, she would be the first casualty of their goal. She didn’t want this to happen but she knew Sunset was right. She would have to hope for the best.

“Come on, Twilight,” Trixie said placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Let’s get back to your house.”

The stallions who were assaulting Filthy Rich while holding back Diamond Tiara stopped as a pony came galloping. It was one of their own and by his look and tone, he was extremely flustered.

“Where have you been, bro? Look, I’ve got that Filthy Rich here so if you wanna take a whack at him or his daughter-”

“No time for that! Listen! There’s a crazy unicorn mare with a flaming sword out there, calls herself Sunny the Slaughterhouse, who’s going to kill us if we keep doing this!”

There was a moment of silence among the group before they burst into laughter. “That’s a good one bro. What unicorn would be so stupid as to challenge all of us?”

“She slaughtered ALL of them! She’s a monster I tell ya! Marshal’s blade snapped in two when he swung at her neck. Then she sliced his legs off and beheaded him. Then she killed this guy, and then that guy, and murdered all of them with the most freakishly evil smile. The only reason I lived was because she let me go to tell you. W-w-we-”

A burst of light erupted from the east, followed by an overwhelming heat wave from the explosion that knocked them off their feet. A few ember birds and butterflies flew past them, preluding the stampede of molten deer, bears, eagles, and other animals that began to rise from the ground and destroyed the vegetation with their touch. If the threat of the Slaughterhouse wasn’t enough to make them run, the threat of being burned alive made them realize just how serious it was.

The stallions all ran for their lives as Filthy Rich helped his daughter up to do the same. He was bruised, but just fine for the most part. They decided to save their breath as they would need it to outrun the blinding white flames that fast approached them. The terrain of the forest really hindered their progress as the rocks and vines threatened to trip them. They had to take various detours in order to get around obstacles that they could not pass. During one such path however, Filthy Rich looked back to check on his daughter, only to realize she wasn’t there.

He turned tail in an attempt to find his little filly. He knew this would inevitably lead to his demise, but as long as he could save his daughter, it was worth the sacrifice. She had so much to live for. But sadly, he was unable to find her before he became trapped in an isolated area, no way to escape as molten lionesses closed in on him. All he could do was pray for Diamond Tiara’s safety as the creatures of heat and smoke eventually did him in.

Elsewhere, Apple Bloom was running and attempting to avoid the incinerating debris and molten Windigos that blindly stampeded. She had to get to Zecora! If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to react with her deep meditation process. If Apple Bloom didn’t snap her out of it, she didn’t even want to think about the possibility.

But In her haste, Apple Bloom caught the sounds of screaming in her ears. Whoever was screaming was nearby and when she ran in the direction of said screams, she saw a terrifying sight. It was Diamond Tiara crawling fruitlessly as she saw a Windigo chimera stalking from a distance.

“Diamond Tiara? Darn it! She musta sprained her leg or somethin’. Ah gotta help her!”

She prepared to run to her aid, but something made her hesitate and she starred in the direction of Zecora’s home. She was at an impasse. Zecora was a close friend and her mentor whom she’d known for many years now. But if she attempted to save her, Diamond Tiara would be fried. But saving this filly who tormented her for years would result in her mentor meeting said fate. Both options had serious consequences. Would she be able to live with herself if she just let Diamond Tiara die when she could have helped her? Would it be right for her to do so if she did?

Remember that not everypony can be helped, but don’t let that stop ya’ from helpin’ those that can.

Another scream knocked her out of her thoughts as she saw Diamond’s face. For the first time in her life, she saw the look of absolute horror that the filly had. She was legitimately scared and quite literally laying at death’s door. If she didn’t act fast, nothing would be able to save her. For one quick second, Apple Bloom glanced at Zecora’s hut before rushing toward the nearby filly.

A powerful buck to the chimera’s face stunned it for a lengthy amount of time, allowing Apple Bloom to pick up Diamond Tiara and carry her on her back. As Diamond came to her senses and realized what had just happened, she and the farm filly were already meters away from the dazed monster.

“Ah know, Ah’m surprised too. Now ain’t the time for that though. We gotta get outta here!”

As Apple Bloom galloped through the predetermined path towards Ponyville, they noticed they were being pursued by the chimera again who regained her balance. The farmer filly however had the upper hand in this marathon and in taking sharp turns, tricking it into ramming into a boulder, and making a long jump across a river, she lost the chimera as it decided to abandon pursuit and carry out it’s prime directive.

But the fillies were still not out of the woods yet. By this time, the burning boundary around the forest had raised to a height which they could not scale or jump over. But they were by a body of water, a river which Apple Bloom knew led outside the forest into Ponyville’s water reservoir. The water would protect them from the flames, but the depth of the water posed a problem with her cargo.

Apple Bloom jumped into the river and swam the best she could while Diamond Tiara held on for dear life. She managed to dodge the falling branches and rotten trees that rained down, weakened from the blaze. She was already quite exhausted at this point and it was becoming harder and harder to keep her head above water. Diamond Tiara, in an attempt to aid her, did what she could to keep her stable and to prevent her from drowning with her. Apple Bloom was trying to save her life, the least she could do was to keep her head above the surface.

The fillies approached the edge of the forest as a wall of flames covered the surface, apparently starting to boil the water around it. Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara winced as they headed into hotter water but they had to do one last thing before they were home free.

Both ponies took a deep breath as Apple Bloom submerged herself and her friend to avoid the column of death; at this point, a little scalding water was better than meeting a fiery fate. They had come too far to succumb now. They held their breath for as long as they could before hitting colder water again. Diamond Tiara grabbed onto the riverside and pulled both of their heads back to the surface, both inhaling deeply to replenish their air supply.

Apple Bloom climbed out of the river, helping Diamond Tiara up with her. Diamond’s leg was too tender to walk on so Apple Bloom took the extra effort to carry her back to Ponyville. Not two minutes though, the exhaustion finally hit her and she stopped to sit down. Diamond didn’t complain in the slightest. She had earned her rest.

As the fire became larger and more noticeable, citizens of Ponyville took action to contain the blaze and help survivors. A paramedic pony arrived in time to treat Diamond Tiara’s leg and as she watched her leg being wrapped, she glanced over to Apple Bloom, who was staring into the blaze.

The farm filly shed a few tears for her mentor. Nopony would be able to survive inside this large scale furnace. She was lucky she and Diamond Tiara got out alive, and just barely. Diamond knew this too and the full knowledge of this hit her much harder when she realized her father was nowhere to be seen. Among the survivors, who only consisted of the bandits that attacked them, she saw no glimpse of Filthy Rich, leading her to come to only one conclusion.

“No…. No daddy, please… Daddy….” She weeped. She weeped for her beloved dad. When Silver Spoon’s father was killed, she’d always feared what would happen if hers did as well. Now, those fears were coming true.

Apple Bloom teared her eyes away from the catastrophe when she heard the loud sobs. Diamond Tiara had NEVER shown any ounce of weakness in front of her before, or anypony else for that matter. But this also marked one of the few times she could sympathize with her. Both had lost a close family member, sooner than either would have liked. This tugged on something in her mind and on instinct, she wrapped her hooves, which were wrapped in soaked bandages due to burns, around the sobbing teenage filly. Diamond looked up at her rescuer to see her solemn, yet sympathetic expression as Apple Bloom gave her a tight hug.

Rainbow Dash’s house was cold, yet cozy for her and her coltfriend as it hasn’t been touched for awhile now. Nowadays, the couple would only stay here whenever they visited Ponyville during their free time in between tours. It was a painful decision but since Fluttershy was too grief stricken to pet sit due to her loss of Angel Bunny and because she herself was always on the road (well, sky technically), she had to give Tank to another pony. She hated having to do so, but it was for the best if he was cared for by somepony who was actually around. Tank was understanding though, so despite his owner’s heartbreak, she knew he would be happy and well taken care of.

The headstrong mare was rather flirtatious this evening as she laid next to Soarin’ by the warm fireplace. The two were inseparable and their trials together only strengthened their relationship with one another. However, Rainbow recalled the odd way in which Spitfire last spoke to her. She almost seemed… congratulatory as they talked with each other as they got ready to leave the academy. It was no secret within the Wonderbolt HQ that the captain’s wingpony and element of loyalty were a couple and with them being together for a long time, neither even remotely denied the love they held for each other. But for Spitfire to speak in such a praiseful way kind of confused her.

“Hey Dashie?” Soarin’ said out of the blue. “Do you know how long we have been together?”

Dash took a moment to think before giving her response. “I’d say almost four years now. Why?”

“Four years. Hm, that is awhile. Well, I have been meaning to ask you something. We’ve been dating for so long and I’ve really grown attached to you.”

“Just give me a moment and I’ll be right back.” Soarin’ got up and walked over to the bag he had on the table in the kitchen, where Dash couldn’t see him. He rummaged around his satchel until he found his item of choice: a small cyan velvet box with a rainbow streak on the lid. He opened the box to peek in, making sure his purchase was still inside, and walked back over to the fireplace with the box hidden away in his wing.

“I just… well,” Soarin’ paused blushing. “I’ve been wanting to tell you how much you mean to me, how much I love you. I think we could go a step further. All I need from you is an answer to one simple question.” Soarin’ discreetly took the box into his hoof as he said the question. “Rainbow Dash, will you-”

Before he could finish however, an enormously bright light flashed through the windows and a subsequent explosion in the distance followed. This caught both of them off guard and Rainbow rushed to open the door and see what happened.

“Looks like it. It’s coming from the direction of Everfree… Fluttershy!”

Rainbow Dash didn’t listen to her coltfriend’s plea as she sped at mach one towards Fluttershy’s cottage. Soarin’ sighed as he closed the door and went after her. “Of all the times for this. Oh well. Another time then…”

As Rainbow got closer, she saw weather pegasi struggling in an attempt to put out what was easily one of the largest and strongest fires in history. Many had gathered nearby clouds and did their best to dowse the inferno with as much heavy rain as they could muster. But the effort was fruitless. The flames were just too large and too strong as it simply converted the rain water into steam on contact. In their attempts to put out the flames, they made themselves targets for the molten Windigos that were responsible for spreading the purging blaze in the first place. An ember hawk swooped upward and latched onto a male pegasus’ wing, acting as an antibody for other Windigos to attack and drag him down to the inferno. Many other weather pegasi met this fate until the effort was called off. It was useless to lose more ponies and this conflagration already ate many good pegasi.

The fire was so bright it actually lit up the night sky with luminosity that rivaled Celestia’s Sun. That was no exaggeration either. Aside from the dome like fireball resembling a fallen sun, the light from the colossal flames illuminated the night sky and was visible from other cities such as Canterlot, Cloudsdale, and as far as the Crystal Empire the horizon burned like dawn. The heat from the fully empowered fire was strong enough to instantly melt the snow over a very large radius, yet it oddly did no structural damage to the towns themselves.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ made it to Fluttershy’s home and could only watch as the roof had started to smoke. Oddly, even though it was right next to the fire, the building was still standing, albeit not exactly safe. The animals however were not so fortunate. Some of them could not get out of harm’s way before burning from the sheer heat while many others were too weak to move. The two Wonderbolts found it hard to see, even with their sun goggles, and withstanding the solar level temperatures and luminosity took a lot of effort on their parts as they reached the front of the house.

There, they saw Discord cradling Fluttershy within a blue water bubble barrier. “Come on Fluttershy, please make it!” Discord pleaded frantically as he was continuing to snap his fingers to supply fresh bags of ice as he placed them against the body of the yellow pegasus. Each bag of ice would only last a few seconds before melting into water, and if his urgency was any indication, Fluttershy was in perilous condition.

“Discord!” Rainbow yelled as she tried to protect her eyes. “What are you doing?!”

“What does it look like I’m doing?! I’m trying to keep Fluttershy cool! She’s got major burns from trying to save her animals!”

“She got this burned from trying to protect her animals! I need to help them and keep her house safe too! But if you want to take her to the hospital, I would gladly give her to you while I keep these flames from incinerating us!”

Rainbow didn’t need to argue with him. He was right. Fluttershy needed immediate medical attention if she was going to survive. Discord stretched his bubble to allow Rainbow Dash to take their injured friend and as she and Soarin’ took her away, he turned his full attention to the white blaze as he snapped his fingers and spawned a hose and fire fighting gear. He knew for a fact that he would protect the cottage and himself from meeting a fiery fate, but he was unable to save his furry friends. Those that were able to get away, he wished good luck. Despite his effortlessly strong bubble barrier protecting him and the cottage, he was having a surprisingly tough time keeping the fire back. Earlier, his lion’s paw was burned when he got too close to the inferno. It burned him, something that normal magic or normal fire for that matter isn’t supposed to do to a creature of chaos. What hurt even more was the fact that this burn was familiar to him.

“I haven’t seen an Elysian fire this strong since the early days of the Crystal Empire.”

As Rainbow and Soarin’ carried their friend outside the boundaries of the heat and the blinding light, they saw just how bad Fluttershy’s burns really were. Almost the entire left side of her body had sustained severe burns just from being near the fire, and other parts of her body had even started to calcify. She was unconscious but barely clinging to life. The pegasi from here on out carried her as carefully, yet as quickly as they could.

“Doctor!” Rainbow shouted as they got into the door. “Please! She needs help!”

The doctors and nurses rushed to see the condition of their patient and one of them nearly fainted from the horrific sight. Other hospital patrons could not help but stare in shock as Fluttershy was carefully whisked away to the emergency room. Of all the burn victims from the great Everfree fire, Fluttershy’s was definitely one of the worst medical cases Ponyville had ever seen.

As Rainbow and Soarin’ were given treatment for first degree burns of their own, Rainbow started to sob. Her childhood friend could possibly die tonight and she was too aware of that fact. She had already lost two best friends, she didn’t want to lose another. As she sat heavily in the ICU, Soarin’ scooted up beside her and wrapped a hoof around her, being careful not to irritate any of their burns. Without any hesitation, Rainbow buried her face into his chest and just let go of her tears as Soarin’ cradled her head. This was the second time he had ever seen her lose her composure because of a friend. Soarin’ knew how hard things were for her, and she needed him now more than ever.

“I’ll be here for you all night, Dashie,” he said gently stroking mane. “I promise I will always be here for you.”

Ein Sof Zealotry

by ZhaoZoharEX

Chapter 22