As the sun rose over the sea, the trio were on their way via boat to Maretonia, hot on the heels of the final page.
Sunset sat in her cabin, contemplating the events of the last few days. She had finally gotten over her anger at Echo, but now felt herself feeling something else entirely. After Echo (under the influence of the Envy spell) had finally revealed himself to have feelings for her, and finally told her his darkest secret.
Since that day in Haygypt, Sunset found herself seeing the Thestral in a new light. The knowledge that Echo had lost himself to a monstrous form for so long, and had been inadvertently driven to do terrible things, incurred great sympathy within her. She had never realized just how much misery the Thestral had endured. The fact that he was still going, rather then succumb to despair, was nothing short of admirable. But it wasn't admiration she was feeling for him right now.
The realization of how deep Echo's feelings for her were had struck a chord. Sunset couldn't stop thinking about he had said; how he loved everything about her, how he had spent a month learning everything he could about her. It would have been easy to pass all that off as a result of the spell, but Sunset knew differently; Echo truly was in love with her.
Truthfully, Sunset didn't know how to respond. She had never been the type for romance. She had experienced a few flings over the years, but nothing close to real love. Then there was Sterling, and the kiss (or rather, kisses) they shared on the beach in Fetland. It was mostly due to impulse, but Sunset couldn't deny she had come to care for the burly Guardspony. He was truly a knight in shining armor to her.
'I care about them both.' She thought to herself. 'But how can I possibly choose between them?'
Just then, there was a knock at her cabin door.
"Sunset?" Echo's voice called. "We're about to dock in Maretonia."
"Uh... coming!" Sunset replied, flustered.
After taking a moment to compose herself, Sunset exited the cabin, joining Echo and Sterling on the deck.
"What kept you?" Sterling asked.
"Just tidying the cabin up." Sunset fibbed. "Leave it the way I found it, you know?"
Once the boat docked, the trio disembarked, making their way into the city of Hoofistan.
"This is it." Echo declared. "The final page. We must secure it. We can't afford to fail again. Not for the fourth time in a row."
"So we're having a run of bad luck." Sterling shrugged. "No big deal."
"Bad luck?!" Echo shot back. "WE ARE FAILING!! Or don't you care?"
"We all care, Echo." Sunset stepped forward. "But getting angry isn't going to help anypony."
Echo took a deep breath.
"I suppose so." He admitted grudgingly. "But we're at the tipping point. If our enemies get the final page, that will make six. Six spells with which to torment the innocent."
"That's not gonna happen." Sterling declared. "Trust me."
"If only it were that simple." Echo sighed.
"So, who's the guardian of the final page?" Sunset asked.
"A Pegasus named Gasket Gearhead." Echo declared. "He's an inventor, which is part of the reason he was chosen to protect the page; Nopony would suspect a tinkerer to be in possession of powerful magic."
"Pretty smart thinking." Sterling nodded. "Too bad that masked jerk already knows."
"Which is why we must hurry." Echo declared. "Gasket lives in a small cottage to the west of here."
The trio headed over to the west of Hoofistan as fast as they could. As they neared the cottage, they noticed that everything seemed okay. There were no ponies acting strangely, no signs of trouble, nothing out of the ordinary.
"Well, look at that." Sterling noted. "Maybe we finally caught a break at last."
"I wouldn't hold my breath..." Sunset said sarcastically.
Once they reached Gasket's cottage, Echo knocked on the door. To nopony's surprise, there was no answer. Echo picked the lock, and they entered.
The inside of the cottage was a mess, papers and machine parts littering the floor. On a wall was a photo of Gasket accepting an award for his scientific research. He was a middle-aged stallion with a rust-colored coat, a silvery, messy mane, brown eyes, and a Cutie Mark of a light bulb.
"I'm guessing he can't afford a maid..." Sterling quipped.
The trio made a quick sweep of the house, confirming that Gasket and the page weren't here.
"He must have heard about fates which befall the others and fled." Echo despaired. "We'll never find him now!"
"I'm so sorry, Echo." Sunset placed a hoof on Echo's shoulder. "I guess we were just too late."
"Nothing we can do about it now..." Sterling sighed, before spotting something out of the corner of his eye. He pushed aside some junk on a nearby desk, revealing a train schedule for that very day, with the departure time of one train circled. "13:00... hey, that's not too long from now! We could still have a chance!"
"Yes!" Echo cheered, briefly hugging Sunset. "This isn't over yet! Let's go!"
"To the train station!" Sunset added.
The trio charged out of the cottage, and toward the train station. Mere seconds later, a squadron of Royal Guardsponies descended (quite literally, as the Pegasi members were carrying the others on a carriage) on the scene.
"Looks like somepony was here before us." The captain (a Unicorn) remarked, as they searched the premises.
"I don't think anypony's home, sir." Said one of the Guards. "But I believe we have a lead." He held up the schedule.
"Good work, private." The captain smiled. "Let's move!"
While the trio rushed to buy tickets for the train, the guards flew over to another station, hoping to get onboard ahead of Gasket.
The captain's armor began to vibrate. He pulled out a pocket mirror, just like Sterling's, as the glass plane revealed Shining's face.
"Captain, report." Shining ordered.
"We just landed at the next station, your highness." The captain declared. "We are standing by, ready to intercept the train and the pagekeeper."
"Excellent." Shining nodded. "But be sure to stand firm. If what happened to the last page keepers are any indication, there's a chance that this one might be packing dark magic."
"Copy that, sir." The captain confirmed. "What of the trio? Alchemy, Ms. Shimmer, and Lieutenant Sterling?"
"...I don't know. I hadn't the chance to speak with Sterling since our last talk. I can only hope that they are on their way back here." Shining frowned.
"You don't think that Sterling might go AWOL again and have all three of them disappear, do you, sir?" The captain asked.
"If that is the case, then we will have to deal with it after this whole dark magic nonsense is over." Shining declared. "Just keep on your toes."
"Don't you worry, sir. Whatever this pagekeeper throws at us, we can take it!" The captain reassured him.
"Oh, that will be the least of your worries."
The Guards turned to see the masked pony approaching, just walking casually.
"Who's that?" Shining asked, the mirror still running.
"It's him..." The captain muttered, recognizing him from the reports, before holding the mirror closely. "Sir, we have visual of the masked pony that attacked the Faire."
"What?!" Shining gasped. "Restrain him immediately! He must be brought in, and the pages he holds recovered! This could be our best chance to end this!"
"Soldiers! Crossbows and horns at the ready!" The captain barked, as the soldiers made to surround the masked pony (who had stopped), the Earth Ponies and Pegasi pointing their crossbows, and the Unicorns pointing their horns, alight with magic.
"Oh, a welcome party, for me? Ah, you shouldn't have." The masked pony chuckled darkly.
"Quiet, you!" The captain barked. "You are under arrest for breaking and entering, theft, assault, murder, and illegal use of dark magic."
"You really should have led with that first one." The masked pony joked. "I've done that a lot more than the others..."
"Don't move! Put your front two hooves in the air slowly, and no funny business!" The captain snarled.
"Very well..." The masked pony rolled his eyes, as he raised his hooves. "Just business then?"
In a flash, crystals flew out of his trench coat and at the squadron, catching them all off guard, and prompting the captain to drop the mirror.
"Captain?!" Shining gasped, as the mirror remained on. But since it landed glass-first on the ground, there was nothing but the sounds of crossbows and magic firing all around. "Captain!"
A flurry of mystic bolts and crossbows flew in the masked pony's position, but he easily deflected by throwing up a shield. As the Pegasi took dived, he created a whip, knocking them out of the sky. Some crashed into trees, while others landed hard on the rocky ground around the tracks. The masked pony ensured they would stay down by flattening them with giant pillars. As the Earth Ponies charged, the masked pony formed a giant fist, and pounded them into pulp one by one. The Unicorns fired another volley of magic, but the masked pony raised a wave of dark crystals that protected him as he circled around. He then brought several crystal spears into being, and launched them at the Unicorns, the spears tearing right through them.
Most of the Guards, collapsed, dead. But the Captain had survived. He struggled to get back up, a gaping hole in his side. The masked pony hoisted him up with his crystals, bringing them face to face.
"You won't get away with this, you demon scum..." The Captain spat in the masked pony's face.
"Oh, but I already have." The masked pony sneered.
With a flick of the hoof, the masked pony impaled the Captain on a crystal spike, the life fading instantly from his eyes. He then unceremoniously dropped the captain's body onto the floor, wiping the blood from his enemies off his trench coat. He was about to leave when he heard something.
"Captain? Captain?!" Shining yelled. "What's going on? Somepony respond!"
"Well, what have we here?" The masked pony smirked, as he then picked up the mirror, showing Shining's face again. Needless to say, Shining was not happy.
"You..." He gasped. "Where are the guards?!"
"Dealt with." The masked pony declared. "Really, Prince Armor. You simply must get better help. I barely broke a sweat."
"You monster..." Shining growled. "You'll pay for this..."
"I highly doubt that." The masked pony taunted.
"Whatever it is you have planned, it will not work!" Shining declared.
"I doubt that, too." The masked pony chuckled.
"Doubt all you want, it's still going to happen." Shining growled. "I'll save you a cell right next door to Echo."
"Echo?" The masked pony raised a brow (hidden by the mask of course)."On what charges?"
"Because he's a danger to everypony, just like you!" Shining retorted. "You both toy with dark magic, and it always leads to the same outcome!"
"Ah, so the cowardly prince wants to jail a hapless Thestral just because he has dark magic powers, is that it?" The masked pony growled, actually showing outrage. "I never took you to be prejudiced, Prince."
"Cowardly? Prejudiced?" Shining glared. "You misunderstand me. What I do with Echo is to simply protect the populace from him, and him from himself. My opinions of him or his accursed studies have no place in his punishment."
"Yeah, keep lying to yourself, let's see how far that will get you..." The masked pony snarked. "To protect the populace, you say? This, coming from the same pony who failed to protect his country from a Changeling invasion, a tyrant king, a rampaging centaur, and recently, an ex-general turned war monger. With your track record, it's no wonder you are so desperate to contain a meagre threat."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Shining seethed.
"I can hear it in your voice, Shining." The masked pony muttered. "You fear ponies like me and Echo. Because you know that you can't hold a candle to dark magic."
"What?!" Shining spluttered. "You think I'm jealous of-"
"So you hide behind your title, your guards, and your own high-horse of a morality to suppress those who has witnessed it's true powers. Isolating us and treating us no better than the real 'monsters'." The masked pony continued, cutting him off.
"What I 'suppress' is the chaos that dark magic represents." Shining declared. "It's been nothing but trouble for centuries, and I highly doubt that's going to change any time soon."
"And you punish those who think differently?" The masked pony asked.
"Not 'punish', restrain." Shining declared. "For their own good."
"For their own good?" The masked pony sneered. "Please. You call yourself a knight in shining armor, the paragon of all that is just and true... but in reality... you are nothing but a coward... just like the rest."
Shining remain silent... but his hoof on the mirror he had back at the empire clutched tightly, threatening to crack the glass, as his body began to shimmer with rage, and his teeth clenched tightly.
"What? Are you going to get mad, Prince?" The masked pony mocked. "The truth hurts, doesn't it?"
"...Mark my words, you dark magic-loving psychopath." Shining snarled severely. "When I get my hooves on you, I will end your worthless husk of an existence."
"Yeah, yeah, you do that." The masked pony shrugged off the threat. "But in the meantime, I would end this little manhunt for Echo you have going while you still have the chance. This is strictly between me and him, as well as my employers and his little followers. You are just the weak little pawn in this game of chess, and you are easy to take off the board..."
"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Shining snarled.
"No, it's a promise." The masked pony smirked, "And I always keep my promises. You think you will be able to protect your wife, your son, or your unborn foal from me? Given how you failed to do so four times, that's a big no."
"How dare you." Shining growled. "You think you can kill my troops, insult me, and now, threaten me?!" His voice rose to a roar. "What is so special about Echo?! Tell me that!"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." The masked pony sneered. "But you will learn soon enough. For now, I bid you adieu."
"Wai-" Shining was about to scream, before the masked pony crushed the mirror in his hoof, and departed on a cloud of crystals towards the same station as the trio.
Meanwhile, back at the Empire...
"YAAAARRRGH!" Shining screeched. He threw the mirror to floor, shattering it.
Over at the Hoofistan train station...
After buying their tickets, the trio waited for the train. At the same time keeping an eye out for Gasket amongst the crowd.
"Stay sharp." Echo declared, "Gasket might be here somewhere."
"But what if we do spot him?" Sunset asked. "We can't exactly pick a fight. Not without drawing attention to ourselves."
"From what we've seen, I doubt Gearhead will be in a fighting mood." Echo declared. "There's no evidence that he has been corrupted like the others."
"And even if he does resist, so what?" Sterling smirked. "It's not like some egghead can cause us much trouble anyway... They're wimps!" Echo glared at him. "Present company accepted of course."
The train arrived moments later. The trio boarded at the rear, intending to search each car for their quarry. But it turned out they didn't have to...
"There he is!" Sterling pointed at Gearhead, who was sitting on an aisle seat.
"Great Scott!" Gearhead gasped. "They've found me!"
Gearhead leapt out of his seat and raced out of the carriage.
"Wait!" Echo called out as the trio gave chase. "It's not what you think!"
"We're not here to hurt you!" Sunset added.
"Don't try selling me your lies!" Gearhead yelled back. "I know what's been happening to the other guardians! You won't get me!"
"Slow down, ya whacko!" Sterling shot back.
"Never!!" Gearhead screamed.
The chase lead to the front carriage. Gearhead soon found himself with nowhere to go.
"You'll never take me alive!" Gearhead pulled an odd contraption out of his saddlebag. With a push of the button, it started firing coins at the trio. While the passengers ran for cover, Sunset threw up a forcefield around the trio, which easily withstood the barrage. After a few moments, the stream of coins petered out.
"Curses!" Gearhead growled. "I knew I should have brought more change."
"Now, why don't we all calm down..." Echo urged.
"Not so fast." Gearhead growled. "I'm not done yet!"
Gearhead pulled a new weapon out; A trio of axes, connected to a metal disc.
"Here, catch!" He threw the unusual weapon.
In such close quarters, Echo was barely able to duck in time. The triple-axe sheared a part of his mane, and embedded itself in the wall behind him.
"And there's more where that came from!" Gearhead taunted, taking out a crossbow with a spear tip attached. "I came prepared!"
"Where is he hiding all this stuff?" Sterling pondered.
Gearhead swung the cross-spear, holding the trio at bay. He fired a bolt at Sunset. She dodged it, and returned fire with her horn, destroying it.
"Please stop." Sunset urged. "For your own sake."
"Never!" Gearhead yelled, dipping back into his saddlebags. "The best is yet to come!"
Gearhead pulled out a sphere made out of various pointy metal objects.
"Ha-ha!" He yelled. "What say you now?"
The trio stared, dumbfounded.
"...What is that?" Echo frowned.
"My Junk Ball!" Gearhead smirked. "Tremble, you cads!"
"Yeah, not impressed." Sterling frowned. "Seriously, a big ball of spiky stuff? Some inventor you are..."
"Hey, I didn't much time to figure this one out." Gearhead defended, "I only did just realize that there's ponies after me for this page just this morning!"
"No offense, Mr. Gearhead, but I expected more." Sunset declared.
"And more you shall get!" Gearhead threw the ball.
Sterling used his crossbow to deflect, sending it crashing onto a seat.
"Ah..." Gearhead gulped. "Well... maybe you should try..." He fished in his saddlebags for something else. "This!" He held up a coffee pot.
"Seriously?" Sterling frowned.
"Why are you even carrying that around?" Echo asked.
"Well, my work has me up at all hours..." Gearhead shrugged. "I need the energy, you know..."
"There is no need to continue this." Echo declared. "We simply wish to recover the page in your possession, so that it may be kept out of the wrong hooves."
"Echo's right." Sunset added. "We're not your enemies."
"Oh, really?" Gearhead challenged, "Then who is?!"
Suddenly, the side of the car was torn open by a giant black claw. The masked pony had arrived.
"He's your enemy." Sunset pointed.
"Okay, I believe you." Gearhead gulped.
The masked pony reached for Gearhead, but was blocked by Sterling and Sunset, who held him off with magic and crossbow bolts.
"Come with us if you want to live." Echo offered Gearhead his hoof.
"Done." Gearhead took the hoof.
The trio (plus Gearhead) raced back down the train. The masked pony followed, the other passengers shrinking in terror as he passed by, using his crystals to spike and tear each carriage apart as he followed them. As they reached the final car, the trio realized they were trapped.
"Now what?" Sterling asked.
"I must admit, I didn't think this far ahead." Echo admitted. As he turned back, he saw one of the seats flying towards Sunset. "Look out!"
He pushed Sunset to the ground, the seat crashing into one of its (mercifully empty) brothers. When the dust settled, he realizing he was leaning on top of her.
"Are you... okay?" He blushed.
"Yeah, thanks to you." Sunset blushed also.
"Hate to interrupt this fuzzy moment, but we've got trouble coming!" Sterling pointed, as the masked pony came closer.
Echo and Sunset stood back up as their nemesis approached, the terrified passengers running past him.
"If I may make a suggestion, perhaps we should try the roof?" Gearhead offered. "It's dangerous, but there's far more room to manoeuvre up there."
"It's better than being cornered down here." Sunset admitted.
"Agreed." Echo nodded.
"I was hoping for some fresh air, anyway." Sterling joked.
They opened the door to the end car, and climbed up to the roof from there. The masked pony followed them seconds after.
"Don't hold back." Echo ordered. "We cannot lose the last page. Give it everything you've got!"
"You got it!" Sterling yelled.
"Let's take him down!" Sunset added.
The trio charged the masked pony. Echo divebombed him, Sterling fired his bolts, while Sunset unleashed as much magic as she could. The masked pony was momentarily surprised by their newfound ferocity, but quickly adapted, throwing up shields, whips and spikes. For a short while, they fought evenly. Then, as the trio charged him, he rose up on a wave of dark crystals. The crystals engulfed the trio, trapping them, while at the same time carrying him over to Gearhead.
"Oh no..." Gearhead gulped.
"Run!" Sunset called, as she struggled to free herself.
"You can't let him get that page!" Echo added.
"Move it, brainiac!" Sterling urged.
Gearhead stepped back, trembling, as the masked pony approached, reaching out to him. Then, without warning, he threw his coffee pot at him. The pot struck the masked pony on the head, stunning him long enough to lose focus, causing the crystals the trio were trapped in to dissipate. Eyes narrowing in anger, the masked pony lunged for Gearhead, only to be tackled by Sterling, and sent tumbling across the train.
"Never turn your back on your enemy, pal." Sterling chided. "Especially when it's me!"
The masked pony rose, ready to strike back. He was unaware of the tunnel up ahead. The trio and Gearhead all ducked, to his confusion. As he turned around, the masked pony saw the lip of the cave rushing towards him. There was a sickening crunch, and when the train emerged on the other side, he was gone.
"Looks like he just reached his stop." Sunset declared.
"My word." Gearhead gasped. "That was more excitement than I ever want to have again."
"Nice throw back there, pal." Sterling smiled. "You've got quite a leg for an egghead."
"Thank you... I think." Gearhead smiled.
"Mr. Gearhead, if you would be so kind to give us the page?" Echo asked. "Rest assured, we will keep it safe."
"Well, I suppose I owe you that much." Gearhead nodded, pulling the page out of his saddlebag. "Blasted thing's always been more trouble than it's worth..."
"Thank you." Echo smiled. "Now, let's get back inside, before another tunnel comes up."
"The trio went back into the train, jubilant over recovering the last page. They celebrated by having some food at the snack cart. While there, Echo and Sunset accidentally touched hooves as they reached for the same thing. They pulled away from each other, blushing profusely. Sterling took notice of that sight.
'Well, what do you know...' He thought.
That night, as the train continued its path to Prance, Echo and Sunset laid on a fold-out bed. Sterling was opposite them apparently having already fallen asleep.
"Another victory, at last." Echo smiled. "I was beginning to forget how it feels to have things actually going my way."
"Yeah." Sunset smiled. "...Hey, Echo?"
"Yes, Sunset?" Echo asked.
"Thanks for saving me back there." Sunset smiled. "It was very... gallant of you."
"Think nothing of it." Echo blushed. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. You transformed my lonely, hate-filled existence into something better. Your friendship has made a better pony. Life without you seems... pointless."
"I feel the same way." Sunset grinned, nudging him lightly.
"And I suppose I could say the same for Sterling." Echo admitted. "Dim-witted as he is, he has some personable qualities also."
"That he does..." Sunset said jokingly.
"Though I can't help but wonder." Echo frowned.
"Wonder about what?" Sunset asked.
"Back in Haygypt, when we faced off about Brody." Echo declared. "He mentioned somepony named ' Flatfoot', as if he was somepony important. I know Sterling said he was just making things up, but I couldn't help but notice the look on his face when Brody brought 'Flatfoot' up."
"So you think there's something Sterling's not telling us?" Sunset asked.
"Perhaps" Echo nodded.
"Well, I'm sure he has a good reason for it." Sunset said fairly.
"I suppose we owe him the benefit of the doubt." Echo yawned. "Now, let's get some sleep."
"Right." Sunset smiled. "Good night, Echo."
"Good night, Sunset." Echo grinned.
The two ponies laid down, falling asleep within minutes. After that, Sterling suddenly slipped out of his bed, having been feigning sleep. He sneaked down the train, and to the outside of the rear car. Once he was sure nopony could hear him, Sterling activated the mirror.
"Sterling?" Shining frowned. "I hope that you're on your way home."
"Actually, sir, I have news." Sterling declared. "We've recovered the final page."
"You what?!" Shining growled. "I thought I told you to back off!"
"Sorry, your majesty, but we just couldn't do that." Sterling said firmly. "We started this mission, and besides, those Guards you said you'd send didn't show. What's up with that, anyway?"
"Never you mind." Shining growled. "You should be focusing on the consequences for your disobedience."
"I am sorry to have defied you again, but this is something that we had to do." Sterling said firmly. "You can yell at me all you want, but you can't argue with results."
"I suppose not." Shining sighed. "Good work, Sterling."
"Thank you, sir." Sterling smiled.
"Now, return to the Crystal Empire as fast as you can." Shining ordered. "We need to lock those pages away as soon as possible."
"Understood." Sterling nodded. "We'll be there as soon as we can."
"And we will have to deal with Echo." Shining frowned.
"Again with Echo, sir?" Sterling sighed. "Why are you so against the guy? He's a decent stallion."
"That is none of your concern." Shining said sternly. "Just do your job. Is that understood?"
"Yes, your highness." Sterling begrudgingly agreed.
"Excellent." Shining gave a nod, as he vanished from the glass.
Sterling let out a sigh, as he glanced over at Echo and Sunset, who were resting against one another, Sunset actually nuzzling against the sleeping Echo.
"But first, I think we have to make a short stop..." Sterling smirked. "Just one last piece of unfinished business..."