Luna was in tears. Not because Lone was dead. She knew he wasn't, but in tears because of his transformation, which used magic similar to the kind Luna used to first transform into Nightmare Moon, and she knew nopony would be able to resist the corruption that came with it. She was also worried for her sister, so imagine her relief when she heard Ken speak to Lone over the radio, but also her confusion. She was also glad Lone had been able to get Celestia, and was on his way to where they were.
After a few minutes of waiting past the conversation, she heard hoofsteps coming form the palace entrance. She turned to look and saw Lone, in his first form, and not the one he had changed into, and Celestia, though the latter was held in the former's magic. One thing she didn't notice was that his magic was a different color.
"Lone!" she yelled, getting up and running to him. She hugged him as hard as an Ursa Minor, and gave Lone a full on kiss. How his concentration didn't break is a mystery.
"Hey, Lulu," he said once they finished with the kiss.
"Lone, what happened up there?" Luna asked looking at Lone with concern.
"Long story. I'll explain once Celestia's awake," he said. "For now, we need to get on the pelicans. There's something I need to check at a place only the pelicans can get to."
"Okay," Luna said, "but you better give a good explanation."
"That, mt sweet moon," Lone said, "is based on opinion as to if it's a good one. Instead, I shall do my best."
"That's all I ask," the alicorn said before heading to one of the pelicans.
Lone walked to where Ken, who was conversing with Maruco and Lily, and said, "Ken, what happened to the guards?"
"No idea," Ken said, turning to face Lone. "They just stopped attacking and left just before you radioed us."
"Yeah, any idea why," Maruco said.
"Their leaders realized it was a lost cause and decided to pull back," Lone said.
"And what was that transformation of yours, Lone," Lily asked, "'cause you looked like a baddass."
"I'll explain it once we're in the air. We have someplace we need to go, and the only way to get there quickly for everyone is by pelican."
Ken and Lily nodded. "Right," Ken said, "I'll get them ready. Best guess, ten minutes."
"Right," Lone said. "I'll get Celestia in one of them." He then walked to the same one that Luna had walked to. He stepped in and placed Celestia across a few of the chairs and used his magic to keep her from rolling off.
"How is she?" Luna asked, worried.
"As best as I can tell," Lone said, "she's just unconscious from dehydration. We just need to give her time and some water when she wakes up."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. During my training, I had a few moment like this. It could be worse."
Sighing, Luna said, "I suppose that's one thing to be thankful for, besides you coming back." She looked to her sister. "How do you think she'll react to the others when she learns where she is?"
"I don't know, Luna," Lone said, "It could be in either direction."
"Well, I suppose we should be ready to move?"
"Yeah. Ken said ten minutes before we leave, and that was three minutes ago. I'll make sure Celestia's ready for it," Lone said.
Seven minutes later
The two pelicans lifted off from the crystal plaza, and went even further north. The others were spread out in the two transports. In one, it was Ken, Lone, Luna, Chrysalis, Chitinia, Sawn, and Rainbow, as well as an unconscious Celestia. The others, including the three Crystal ponies, were on the other. Right now, they were all waiting to see if Celestia would wake up.
They didn't have to wait long.
Five minutes after the pelicans had taken off, Celestia began to move. Luna was the first to her side. The solar alicorn opened her eyes and said, with a dry voice, indicating that she was dehydrated, "Luna, i-is t-that you?"
"Ye it is, sister. Don't speak, you need to drink water. Lone, can you-"
"Already got the canteen," Lone said, passing it to Luna, who gave it to her sister.
"Drink slowly, sister. We don't want you to make yourself worse."
Celestia drank from the canteen slowly. After a minute, Luna brought it away and allowed Celestia to catch her breath, after which, the solar alicorn said, "What are we doing here, Luna? Where are we?"
"For where we are, sister; we're in one of the transports we found in the clearing in the Everfree. As for what we're doing in it, we're going to a location that Lone says is important."
"Lone? Why's he here?"
"Because, sister, he helped save you. If it hadn't been for him, you'd most likely be dead."
"Why would he save me? He knows I don't trust him."
"Because," Lone said, "a real hero saves ponies, even if they don't want them to do so, regardless of what they think. Besides, your Luna's sister, and I won't stand by when one of her family is in danger."
"Still curious as to how you did that, Lone," Maruco said over the radio connected intercom.
"I suppose I should tell that before we get to our destination, huh?"
"Well, you all might want to get comfortable, because this is going to be a long story," Lone said, sitting down on the pelicans deck. "It all connects to one of my first missions as a member of lone team. Me and my mentor, an earth pony named Obsidian, named that because of his gray coat with streaks of black through it, as well as his mane and tail, with a stone circle as his cutie mark, were investigating a village that disappeared on the Equestria-Minotaur border. When we arrived, the town was completely deserted. We were the only living things there. Or, at least, we though so. After we were a quarter of the way into the town, we were attacked by Minotaur mercenaries. Twenty, to be precise. We were able to kill five of them without incident, but the sixth got Obsidian with his sword, leaving a gash on the right side of his barrel. I saw him get hit, and that's when I saw the wound was bubbling, which meant the sword was coated in acid. Obsidian died not a minute later, just after he killed the Minotaur that hit him. It was seeing him fall to the ground that caused me to go into a blood lust. I don't remember what happened then, but when I was able to recall everything, the Minotaurs were all either dead or cowering. It woasn't until after I got back from that mission that I learned what happened, or another facet of magic."
Lone cleared his throat before continuing. "What I learned is that every pony, no matter how virtuous, has a dark side. Well know examples of these dark sides would be Nightmare Moon and Nightmare Rarity, though the second was just an alternate of the first, but I digress. Though it's common for a pony to uncover it during an emotional high or low, it's rare for a pony to be able to communicate with their dark sides, which is some thing I can do.
"Upon my return, I went to my personal quarters and meditated for a few hours. I was about to give up when I heard a more gravelly version of my voice speak to me from in front of me. I opened my eyes and saw a more predatory, muscular, sleeker version of my self. I responded to it, asking him what his name was."
"Why did you try to communicate with it, instead of purging it," Celestia asked, her voice still weak.
"Because he is a part of me, much like Nightmare Moon will always be a part of Luna, even after her defeat. Anyway, I asked him what his name was, and he said he had none. I decided to give him one, using what I knew of him from the town to do so. I decided to call him Fear Bringer, seeing as how he brought fear to Minotuars, the toughest warriors to frighten."
"Lone, you didn't," Radiant said, concern in her voice.
"Indeed I did. You see, Fear and I reached an agreement. He wished to fight, and I wanted to protect my friends, so I proposed to him that he can guide me, but not control, in combat, and, should it be necessary, give him control over my body. I've called on him rarely, and the times I have were the most dire of circumstances. Even then though, every member of lone team has heard of him. I allowed him to take control back in the Empire in order to free Celestia and stop, or, at least, delay, Plasma's rising. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for him, we'd all probably be dead right now."
Thank you.
"Oh shut up, Fear," Lone said out loud, getting looks from the others in the pelican.
"Fear?" Luna asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Yeah. I'm used to speaking with him when it's just one body in the room," Lone said, his cheeks a little red from embarrassment.
"May we speak with him?" Chrysalis asked.
Fear?
It would be best to get it out of the way, I suppose, if only to show them they can trust us.
Instead of answering with words, Lone enveloped himself in his magic, and after three seconds, Fear Bringer was where Lone was. "Good afternoon to you all," he said, bowing his head in respect before raising it up.
"Your Fear Bringer," Celestia asked. "You do not seem frightful to me."
"That's because you haven't seen him in combat," Saber said over the com.
"Indeed," Fear said. "It's those factors that made Lone give me my name, and, I must say, it fits me well."
"I assume that it's the fact that Lone is also missing his that you're missing your cutie mark," Luna asked.
"I imagine so. Lone has a theory as to that which he hopes to confirm at our destination, which I won't tell you."
"And what aspect of Lone are you," Metamorpha asked.
"I'm his blood lust, his murderous side. I was always a part of his psyche. He can barely keep control of me when ever we're surrounded by bodies that he's killed, and always struggles to keep me under control. If it wasn't for his will power, I would have become a threat long ago."
"And why should we trust you," Celestia said weakly, anger still clear in her voice, though.
"Because Lone and I have common goals, such as making sure Plasma doesn't rise. He'd kill me just for being in Lone's mind. Plus, I don't really see a reason to go on a murderous rampage for the fun of it. If it has reason, yes, but I won't kill if it's unjustified. Unlike Lone, though, I am willing to kill civilians."
"Plus, he's the only pony to talk to me like an equal when it's me in control."
"Why's that," Luna asked.
"Do I look like a pony others want to socialize with? My mane and tail are on fire, my eyes are draconic, my teeth are as sharp as, if not more so, than spears, and I look like a shark. I look like a demon from tartarus, which I'm fine with, and that doesn't exactly invite a lot of conversation. Then there's my voice. It sounds like my vocal chords are made of gravel. Kinda makes it hard for ponies to bear listening to me. Something tells me Blueblood, who, I'd like to point out, both me and Lone want to kill, but haven't due to the fact it would have aroused suspicion as to who could have done it, not who wanted to, because that list would be long, would be more sociable than me."
This last comment got some chuckles from those in the pelican, as well as it's twin.
"Well," Celestia said, "it would seem that's one thing we can agree on." This got another round of chuckles from everyone.
"So, Fear," Luna asked, "why is it Lone's magic is the same color you used back in the Empire?"
"No idea," Fear said, shrugging. "Usually, our magic remains separate colors, with mine being emerald green, and Lone's being olive green. In all of our time together of thirty-five years together, our magic colors have never changed. In all honesty, Lone's hoping the answer lies where we're going."
"And where would that be?" Chitinina asked.
"Team secret," Fear and Chrysalis said simultaneously. "Though you'll find out soon enough, seeing as how you guys are all, at least honorary members of the team, which brings us to a point that needs to be addressed before we arrive," Fear said before he lit his horn and enveloped himself in an orb of emerald green magic, which soon dissipated to show Lone, who walked over to Celestia and keeling down to face her eye to eye. "Celestia, if you don't want to, I won't force you, but where we're going, only members, full and honorary, of lone team are allowed in. It's not a decision of mine. There's a magic surrounding the place that analyzes a pony's mind to see if they are with us, and it doesn't allow ponies or other species that aren't a part of the team in. What I'm saying is this: Do you still stand against what we stand for, even after seeing us in action, or do you stand with us?"
He's only doing this so that he can kill you much more easily later on, Solar Flare said in Celestia's mind.
Does it matter, Celestia thought back, I wish to join them, and even f I didn't, I still would just to look after Luna, so shut up.
"I am with you," Celestia said, much to the very visible relief of Metamorpha, Luna, Chrysalis, even, and Lone.
Over the intercom, they then heard Ken say, "Looks like you owe me twenty bucks should we get back to UNSC space, Maruco. And I said that out loud." This got laughs from everyone, even John, who had noticeably lightened up since the first, and only, night of the leadership meeting.
After a few more minutes, Ken came over the intercom again, saying, "Lone, I think we're near. Our gears starting to act up. Engine's are still good, but the screens are going static."
"That means we're close Ken. Once they're completely static, land. I'll handle it from there."
"Copy that, Lone," Ken said.
"Why is it the pelican gear is on the fritz," Metamorpha asked.
"Because of a high amount of concealment magic. Not even the most powerful scrying magic can penetrate the veil, only eyesight. The more the gear acts up, the closer we are," Lone said.
Ten minutes of conversation later, they felt the pelican slow down, and eventually land. The ramp opened, and all that could be seen was snow and the second pelican, which was also lowering it's ramp. Both groups stepped out of their pelicans, Lone in the lead of the first, and Lily the second. The two groups met in the middle. "Stand back, guys," Lone said as he stepped away from the others, his horn lighting up. He stopped a few feet away from them, his back turned, and his eyes closed. Almost immediately, they felt the ground rumble, and a square shaped hole appeared in the ground in front of Lone, large enough for a single pelican dropship to fit through with ease. "Come on," the stallion said, stepping into the hole that descended down, into the depths of the planet. They followed him, and as soon as the last stepped into the entrance, as that's what it was, the hole sealed up behind them without a sound. They continued to walk for ten minutes in silence until they came upon a door with ancient Equish carvings on it, a fact not lost on Celestia and Luna, but not even they could read it.
"What does it say," Celestia asked.
"'May those who enter this sanctuary find the knowledge they seek, and come out wiser for it'," Lone said. "This is also where one of my team mates, Hermit, lives." Lone lit his horn, and, without his magic appearing around it, the door rose up, and a smell that the Spartans, Elite, Brute, and Jackal recognized immediately assailed their noses, a smell like dead, long rotting the flesh.
"What the hell is the flood doing here," Maruco asked before a voice that the Spartans and Elite knew spoke up.
"Welcome, all, to this store of knowledge. I am Hermit, keeper of it's secrets, and all are welcome with Lone Shadow," the Gravemind said