General Headwind was forced to dive for cover as an angry yellow streak blazed past him.
The Applejack impostor was roughly buffeted to the forest floor by Fluttershy's wing-powered tackle. The yellow pony's eyes burned with a rage-fueled flame that was truly terrifying. "Where is my friend!?" she shouted at the top of her voice.
"Wh-what are ya talkin' about? Ah'm right here..."
"No! You're not Applejack! Where is she!?"
With a good deal of difficulty, Headwind managed to pull the enraged Fluttershy off of the other mare. "By her Majesty's mane, I've never seen this kind of ferocity from such a gentle pony before..."
Zecora offered a small piece of cryptically worded wisdom from her spot near her campfire. "True friendship is a power that can see through the most convincing of lies, even when no difference can be seen with the eyes." she chuckled.
By now, the cat was not only out of the bag, but was sprinting away. Even so, the fake Applejack continued her charade. "What in tarnation was that for?"
The general took a threatening step toward the impostor. "If you know what's good for you, you will drop the act now."
Before the pegasus got an answer either way, he got a tap on the shoulder from Zecora. A quick tilt of her head suggested he step aside. The zebra then crouched down in front of the orange mare and stared intently at her, murmuring under her breath. At length, she proclaimed, "Fluttershy, kind pony, please be a dear. In my things there is a tied pouch; quickly, bring it here."
"R-right..." The pegasi's anger was not directed toward Zecora, and her soft-spoken demeanor had returned. She hurried over to where the striped pony's baskets sat upon the forest floor. Jars clinked against one another as Fluttershy nosed through them in search of the aforementioned pouch. "I...I don't see any- Oh, wait. Here it is." The sought-after item was hiding at the very bottom of the wicker basket. The pastel-colored mare grabbed the leather pouch and trotted back over to the zebra. "Here you are, Zecora."
The striped pony nodded in thanks and untied the pouch. She poured a small amount of fine purple powder into her upturned hoof as six eyes looked on in confusion. With a quick breath, Zecora blew the glittering dust into the orange pony's face.
"Ack! What-pffft!-did ya do that fer?"
Zecora said nothing, but continued to watch the cloud of dust as it eventually gathered, floating in a small area just above the earth pony's chest. "A tiny bit of finely powdered dust of amethyst always reveals any magic within its midst." Faster than any eye could follow, her hoof flashed towards where the amethyst dust hung. Her hoof came back wearing a choker inlaid with a smooth black gemstone.
General Headwind and Fluttershy shared the same curiosity concerning the odd accessory. "What is that?"
"This strange jewel is known as a sinkstone, something I have seen many times in my home. It allows any pony without a horn to use magic just as well as a unicorn."
With no more magic to power it, the Applejack illusion faded, leaving an angry, violet-maned, slate-grey pegasus behind. Saying her expression was anywhere close to friendly would have been an egregious lie, and her swollen eye wasn't helping her cause. "Congratulations... You've found me out... What are you going to do now?" she muttered condescendingly.
The pegasus general snorted angrily. "Give me a minute; I'm sure I can come up with something."
"I'm shaking..."
Since the other pegasus mare had appeared, Fluttershy had been unable to look away. She had seen this pony once before, quite recently, actually. She just couldn't put a hoof on it.
"I want some answers and I want them now. The orange pony you were impersonating; where is she?" Headwind demanded.
The grey mare's quick yellow eyes spotted the bandage restraining the stallion's wing. An evil smirk crossed her features. "I'll tell you... But you'll have to catch me first!" In an explosion of leaves, dead grass, and air, she leapt into the sky. "Let's see how well you fly with that lame wing!" she jeered before wheeling around and taking off into the night sky. "Have fuuuun!"
"No-!" Fluttershy watched in horror as the only pony that knew where Applejack was vanished into the night.
Just make sure ya bring AJ back safely...
The mare's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected voice. B-Big Macintosh... The sincerity in his tone; that feather-soft touch against her cheek... Her promise to him. "I'll find you, Applejack." Fluttershy whispered. "Never go back on a promise." The pony winced as she spread her wings. This flight wasn't going to be easy, but it was either go after this other pegasus or wander the Everfree Forest for who knows how long looking for Applejack. She dropped her saddlebags and unsteadily took to the air. Oh no... She's already gone... Now what do I do? The yellow pony hovered in place, scanning the sea of treetops. With each flap of her wing, she wobbled slightly. Maybe that wing wasn't ready for use yet...
One would expect a pegasus in flight to remain in flight, not be perched upon a branch like some four-legged bird. In the tree just below the struggling Fluttershy, was the other pegasus. Look at her! She can't even keep herself in the air! It's time to clip this pony's wings!
-------------------------
"G.R.A.S.S. team at your service, your Highness."
Just outside the main gate of Canterlot, four lightly armored pegasus stallions were waiting patiently for Princess Celestia's arrival. "Excellent. I will brief you en route. Let's move." The princess' magnificent wings opened wide and effortlessly lifter her from the ground. She could hear the simultaneous unfolding of another four sets of wings behind her as she turned her path toward the Everfree Forest. Hold on, everypony. I'm coming.
The four pegasus soldiers flew in a tight formation around their princess. After a rather long period of silence, one of them broke formation and neared the alicorn. "Beg pardon, your Majesty... But what exactly is our objective?"
Celestia's eyes glinted in the moonlight. "The Elements of Harmony are under attack. It is time we struck back. A messenger chariot was downed over the Everfree Forest, near the Great Scar. Two of the Elements were in that chariot. That was hours ago, and they could be anywhere in the forest by now. Our objective is to comb the forest until they are located. Once we reach the forest, I want two of your team in the skies with me, and the other two scanning the area from the ground. We will move silently and undetected. Understood?"
"Yes, your Majesty!"
The winged unicorn abruptly halted her flight as the edge of the forest appeared below her. She turned to face the rest of the soldiers. "We will be scouring this forest from end to end, looking for three of the Elements of Harmony. Be on the lookout for an orange earth pony; answers to Applejack, a yellow pegasus; answers to Fluttershy, and a purple unicorn; answers to Twilight. If you locate one of these ponies, you are to stay with them at all costs. Should the need arise, use of lethal force for the Element's protection has been authorized. General Headwind is also in this area. If you are to locate him, inform him of this clearance. You have each been equipped with three flares as well. I trust that the conditions for their use are clear enough?" the princess asked, running her gaze across the quartet of ponies.
Each of the four gave a salute and replied in unison, "One per Element, your Highness!"
"Correct. Gust and Sky Runner, I want you at ground level. Cross Wind, Zephyr, you're with me. Luck be with us all. Godspeed."
Another round of salutes, and the troop parted ways. Celestia and her party spread into a wide formation to cover more area. With each wingbeat, the alicorn became more and more worried. There wasn't the slightest sign of any pony to be seen. Where are you? Please, give me a sign...
Suddenly, Zephyr could be heard shouting over the rushing wind. "Pony spotted! Twelve o' clock high!"
Twelve o' clock high? Could that mean...? Celestia spotted a pegasus hovering above the treetops. A wave of relief washed over her as she saw the silhouette of the pony's mane and tail against the strong moonlight. Fluttershy! That wave of relief quickly ebbed out when she observed another winged shadow explode from the treeline under Fluttershy and collide with her.
The Element of Kindness never deserved to be involved in this mess, and she definitely didn't deserve this. This was the final straw, Celestia's patience had worn through. With a powerful clap of her wings, the princess put on an impressive turn of speed and streaked toward Fluttershy's attacker. Horrified, she saw the second pegasus circle back for another shot at the other pony. Celestia pushed her wings to the limit, further increasing her velocity until a golden wave of energy built up in front of her.
That first glancing blow that Fluttershy had taken hadn't knocked her from the sky, but it was all she could do to keep herself aloft. Any sort of dodging was out of the question, especially with her attacker too quick to track.
"Miss Fluttershy!" General Headwind's voice rang out from below the mare. "Behind you!"
As the pony turned around, she was forced to shut her eyes when a blinding light violently exploded before her. The light quickly faded, leaving a furious Princess Celestia in its wake. The yellow pegasus was both shocked and awed. "P-Princess...!"
"Enough!" Celestia's voice boomed out over the forest like thunder. "Not an inch closer!"
The slate-grey pegasus scowled and muttered something under her breath, slowly retreating from the alicorn. Then, like an arrow from a bow, Zephyr was upon her, knocking the winged mare into a chaotic, earthward spiral that landed her unmercifully upon her back.
"Oh my, that looked like it hurt. I hope she's all right." Fluttershy commented, staring down at the unconscious pony.
Celestia sniffed coldly. "That is of little importance to me right now. I'm more concerned about your well-being, my dear. Are you all right?"
The smaller pony bowed her head respect, an awkward gesture while in flight. "Oh yes, your Majesty, I'm just fine. I'm-wah!" Fatigue decided to cut Fluttershy off in mid-sentence by momentarily stopping her wings. Thankfully, she was swiftly caught by a soft yellow aura.
"Let's continue this conversation after we're safely on the ground, hmm?" Celestia chuckled.
"Yes, please." Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the ground beneath her hooves once more. It felt as though there were thousands of tiny, fiery needles embedded in her throbbing wing. It wasn't going to be used for a while. "What are you doing here, your Majesty?"
"Your escort finally made it back to Canterlot and informed me of the situation. I finally decided to take matters into my own hooves. I believed that the situation warranted my input." The alicorn princess paused and looked over the small company that had gathered here. "Wait, where is Applejack?"
Fluttershy uncomfortably rubbed her foreleg. "Uhm... I...don't really know..." The pegasus flinched a little as Celestia pounded a hoof on the ground in frustration.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy," Celestia quickly added. "it's not you that I'm angry with. It's myself; I let this mess get too far out of hoof, and you and your friends are paying the price. I'll do everything in my power to fix this. General Headwind!"
"At your service, your Highness!" The white pegasus stallion stepped forward and saluted briskly.
"Do we have any information regarding the whereabouts of Applejack?"
"Affirmative. Based on an eyewitness report from Miss Zecora of the Everfree Forest, I believe Miss Applejack is being held somewhere in the castle above us."
As soon as the princess had called Headwind to her, Fluttershy correctly guessed that her part in the conversation was over. Her first task was retrieving her discarded saddlebags. Task number two? The yellow pony nervously trotted up to one of the two male pegasi standing over the unconscious grey mare. "Uhm... E-excuse me, sirs, but, uhm... Do you think you could let me take a look at her wings...?"
"Negative." the soldier quickly answered, blocking Fluttershy's path with a stiffly extended wing. "I'm afraid I cannot let you do that."
Out of the corner of her eye, Celestia had been watching Fluttershy's actions. "Stand down, Cross Wind!" the alicorn ordered. "Let the Element of Kindness do as she wishes!"
"Your Majesty, that would go against your earlier orders-"
"I know what I said! Listen to what I'm saying now! Let her pass."
"Very well, your Highness." Cross Wind sighed. "Right this way, ma'am."
The pink-maned pony smiled timidly at the soldier. "Sorry..."
Celestia sighed and shook her head. "You've certainly done a good job of teaching your troops to follow every order to the word, Headwind. What is our next plan of action?"
"It is the same as when you first dispatched me from Canterlot. I still fully intend to see that Miss Fluttershy and Miss Applejack reach the royal city."
"It is admirable to stick by your promise, General. I certainly hope that you are aware of the uncountable secrets the castle behind us holds, yes?"
The general nodded. "Indeed I am. However, I believe that our captive will be able to help us immensely."
"Oh my..." Fluttershy had succeeded in gently turning the other pegasus over so she was better able to look at her wings. It was a very familiar sight; both of the mare's wings were completely limp, having been dislocated from her heavy impact with the ground. Unlike the general, however, the yellow pony knew how to tend to injured wings. Bracing herself, Fluttershy carefully gripped the wing close to its joint and started pulling upward at a sharp angle. With some finessing, the wing finally popped back into place.
The timid pegasus cringed a little bit at the noise. Ugh... I hate that sound. After performing the same procedure with the other wing (and cringing just the same), the winged pony took a short trip into her saddlebags. She returned with a tightly wound roll of gauze, just as a new problem presented itself. She wouldn't be able to properly bind her patient's wings in her unconscious state. Not without a little help at least.
The Element of Kindness again found herself approaching the soldiers. "P-pardon me, sirs, but... I'm sorry I got you in trouble before...a-and I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor... I-if that's all right, I mean..."
"Of course, ma'am. What can I assist you with?"
With the support from the two stallions, Fluttershy quickly and efficiently bound the dark pegasus' wings. As she replaced the gauze in her bags, one of the male ponies spoke up. "Enlighten us, Miss..."
"Fluttershy." she finished.
"Enlighten us, Miss Fluttershy, but why bother with mending this one's wings?"
"Why not?"
"She is the enemy, and was attacking you just moments ago." Zephyr pointed out.
The mare's voice became just the tiniest bit sterner and more confident. "Enemy or not, she's still a pony just like us, and just because she was attacking me doesn't mean she can't be shown a little TLC."
"Spoken like the true Element of Kindness, Fluttershy." Princess Celestia added, stepping up behind the pegasus. "Kindness harbors no prejudice toward anypony. Nopony is exempt from it."
"Well said, your Majesty." Headwind stated. "Now, let us come up with some way to acquire the information we seek. Time is not with us."
-------------------------
"I'm really worried, Applejack..." Twilight mumbled, nervously tapping her hoof against the hard stone floor.
"What's eatin' ya, sugarcube?"
"I'm worried about what that pegasus was intending to do with my magic. I didn't like the tone in his voice."
"Ah don't see how he could be doin' much of anythin' with it. It ain't like he's a unicorn with a horn to go around magickin' and whatnot."
"I know, I know..." the unicorn fretted. "But still, I don't know what these stones can do..." Twilight experimentally poked the stone of her choker. It didn't take long to find it was just as hot, if not hotter than the last time she had tried that. A cacophony of rattling metal could be heard as she shook her stinging hoof.
With how often the door was roughly swung open, it was surprising that it hadn't fallen off its hinges yet. "Hey! Enough of that!" the stallion standing in the doorway barked.
"Jus' swell..." Applejack snorted. "This room was a lot prettier without yer ugly mug stinkin' it up."
"Hold your tongue, earth pony, or I'll stuff it back down your sorry throat."
Two other pegasi, one of each gender, entered the room after their cohort, each carrying a long, thick strip of cloth and several heavy ropes.
"Hold on a minute! What are you doin-mmph!" Twilight let out a shrill, muffled shriek of horror as one piece of cloth was shoved into her mouth and promptly tied around the back of her head. The brief glimpse that the unicorn had of her friend's equally terrified face would be an image that would stay with her forever. Another strip of cloth was in turn drawn over her eyes, leaving Twilight completely at the mercy of her assaulters.
"What in tarnation are ya doin' with mah friend!?" Applejack's demands went unheeded; the three pegasi were having their own conversation.
"So... Why exactly are we doing this again?" the pink-maned pegasus asked as she tightly fastened a rope around the struggling unicorn's neck.
"Before Nightshade left, she said if she wasn't back in thirty minutes, we were to assume the worst and fall to our back-up plan. Now quit blathering and get those ropes good and tight."
"Okay... What about the other one?"
"Not important. Magic is the key. We can afford a small setback such as this. The Elements call out to each other; they will all be ours in due time. Enough questions; let's go!"
The combined strength of the three pegasi leaning on the ropes easily pulled Twilight from the small room, despite her constant struggling and muffled pleas for help.
The orange earth pony still left in the dungeon bucked and snorted like a wild beast enraged, but to no avail. "Y'all bring her back here this instant! Ya hear me!? Let me outta here! Ah'll buck yer heads clean off!" Unfortunately, like the battle with her restraints, Applejack's threats would ultimately amount to nothing.
In the dark, solitary silence that followed the angry echoes of her voice, the earth pony made herself a promise. Ah'll save ya, Twilight. Ah promise.
-------------------------
After Celestia had left, Luna returned to what she had been doing earlier that night, albeit with a much heavier mindset. Retrieving the rather hefty tome from the sill where her sister had left it, the dark blue alicorn carried it back to her desk and sat down again. "Come on, Luna...stop worrying. 'Tia is going to be fine; just focus on the book."
At the princess' guiding, the book magically opened itself to the next section, titled Elements and Harmony; Their enigmatic relationship.
Compared to the previous section, this one was relatively short. It was barely two hours before the final page presented itself. Luna blinked and yawned widely. "Recall that Harmony is the governing force of our world. Recall also that the Elements are embodiments of that force, and they will actively call to and seek each other out over great distances in order to maintain Harmony." Luna sleepily glanced up from the yellowing pages toward a clock, simplistically divided into two halves, one illustrated like the day, the other like the night. "Still an hour left..." After a moment of thought, the alicorn decided to set an alarm and sleep the hour away.
Picking the small clock off the desk, she slowly clopped over to her canopied bed, where she set it upon her nightstand. Her tiara and necklace soon joined it. The feathery softness of the pillow and comforter were incredibly comfortable, and Luna quickly fell asleep.
In what seemed like less than five minutes, the young princess was ripped from her brief slumber by a shrill scream.
"Nooo!"
Half-asleep or not, it didn't take Luna very long to know that voice belonged to her sister. "Celestia!" In an instant, the dark blue pony was out of bed and skidding out of her room. "Hold on, 'Tia!" She shouldered her sister's door open and stopped dead in her tracks.
The white alicorn was crouched over a dark heap, sobbing uncontrollably. "What is it, 'Tia? Please tell me you're all right!" Luna pleaded, taking a step toward her sister.
"Not a step closer, you monster..." Celestia growled in a threatening voice.
Luna failed to hear the true malice in her sister's voice and took another step forward. "W-what are you talking about, 'Tia? What's the matter?" she asked, not noticing the yellow magic that enveloped the curtain rod hanging on the far wall. It became significantly harder to ignore as it came whistling through the air and thudded into her side like a club, buffeting her to the marble floor. With her head swimming from the impact, the confused alicorn looked up and saw Celestia just above her, reared up to her full height. There was a furious, almost murderous look in her violet eyes. "Ce-Celestia...? What's wrong with you?" The winged pony slowly began backing away from her taller, curtain rod-wielding opponent.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me!?" The princess' eyes radiated nothing but pure fury.
Luna suddenly found the decoration-turned-weapon held horizontally across her throat. It picked her up and rapidly carried her backwards into a full-length mirror. "Aaah!"
Step by step, Celestia continued her advance, pressing the curtain rod tighter against the other alicorn's throat. " You attack my loved ones... You invade my home... Yet you still have the audacity to ask me that!? How could you possibly bring me lower...?"
"Nngh...!" Whatever was going on, Luna was fed up with it. Her eyes lit up with an ethereal white glow. "That's it!" A concentrated sphere of magic appeared at the tip of her horn, and grew in size and brightness at a frightening rate. When it seemed like it couldn't get any brighter, it exploded with a great deal of concussive force. The hastiness of the spell meant Luna didn't have time to properly shield herself from its effects, but then, neither did Celestia. The sun alicorn had been thrown across the room from the blast.
A millennium of being the sole ruler of Equestria has its benefits, however; a great magical resistance being one such perk. With it, Celestia was back on her hooves in less time than it took to bat an eye. "I will make you pay, ten-fold, for what you have taken from me!" A blinding yellow magic surrounded the enraged princess.
Luna's heart skipped a beat as she saw a thin, laser-like beam tracing a deadly path toward her. She hurriedly looked around for something to defend herself with. The mirror shards... It was better than nothing. The mare's horn flickered to life, and dozens of reflective shards obeyed her command and quickly lay themselves along the outside of her wings like a coat of armor. With no time to wonder if it would work, she brought one of her wings around in front of her. The golden beam glanced off one of the shards and shot in a random direction.
The elder sister was just as quick on the draw, however, and another volley of twelve more shots were seeking a path toward the younger alicorn within the second.
Assisted by her magic, the night alicorn spun like a silver top. Beams flew in all directions, deflected by her mirror-coated wings. Numerous explosions rocked the bedchamber as Celestia continued her assault. Finally, one of the rays bounced just so that it impacted the floor right in front of Celestia and knocked her off her hooves once more. Noting the cease-fire, Luna stopped spinning and lowered her wings. Anger had replaced all timidity in her voice. "Just what did you expect to accomplish with that? You know I'm more skilled with defensive magic! Or have you forgotten?"
"I've forgotten nothing..." Celestia spat. "How could I forget what you have taken from me!? My most faithful student... My beloved sister...? I will never forget!"
"Your...sister?" Luna repeated slowly. "But, 'Tia, I'm your sister..." The alicorn swallowed her growing apprehension and looked toward the heap that Celestia had been hunched over. Her heart jumped into her mouth so quickly that she almost choked on it. The dark blue coat matted with crimson stains, the dislodged and broken feathers... It was her... "I-if that's me, then... What am I?" Hesitantly, Luna looked down at a chunk of the mirror that lay before her. The face that looked back was not her own. It was the pitch-black face of Nightmare Moon.
Luna awoke with a start to find herself back in her own bed. She cautiously glanced around, worried about what she might see. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of an amorphous, star-filled mane and panicked. Her frightened scramble to get away did little more than entangle her in her bedsheets, ultimately resulting in an unceremonious tumble onto the cold floor. As the rush of adrenaline faded, Luna's reasoning returned. "Wait... That's my mane..." Even with that one question answered, the princess' mind would not be so quickly put at ease.
There was a large-mirrored vanity standing next to the alicorn's bed. It would serve her immediate needs. Rubbing the sleep from her blue-green eyes, Luna gazed into the looking glass. Just to make sure that she was looking at herself, the pony made some very silly, unprincess-like faces. Each one of them was repeated perfectly. Finally satisfied, the winged unicorn let out a massive sigh and lowered her face into her hooves. There was one glaring fact that she just happened to overlook, however.
The pony in the mirror failed to do the same.