//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: A Guarded Moment // Story: Civil Distinction // by SpitFlame //------------------------------// "Very comforting," said Corvo with an edge of wariness, "but unless there was some sort of outage, I think an investigation is required." "As long as you aren't facetious about it," whispered Celestia, though with the air so still, her very breaths were nearly aloud. "But what do you suppose this blackout means?" asked Corvo. He got up, the light of Celestia's horn highlighting his solemn demeanor. "I have a feeling we should start moving," said Luna, making her way to the front door. "If this was not a technical problem, and my sister is right, Corvo, then we have a lot of explaining to do—with you being here, after all." Celestia wandered to the doorway, gently pulled it open, and stuck her head out of the entrance, scanning down the hallway and back. She sighed and disappeared from the room. "No guards," she said. The other two followed suit, keeping their shoulders high. The entire castle was under a shadow; and they could only make out what was before them by several yards. As they trudged along the wide corridor, the castle's doors were slowly being revealed to them from the darkness ahead, while the previous space they covered was lost. "Corvo," said Celestia, "you are exceptional when it comes to predicting these sort of outcomes. What do you say of this situation?" "I normally require time to think," said Corvo, "but I appreciate the compliment." "So..." began Luna, as if expecting him to continue. "Can you not just use what you know and guess what was the cause?" "I could try," said Corvo. "Most likely all of the lights in this castle have been put out simultaneously. There are no signs of any ponies here, from what I can tell; but there were some armored ones I saw not too long ago. This would definitely require some planning ahead of time, though the connections are extremely inconvenient due to magic. That is all I can say for now, at this very moment." Corvo went silent. He turned his wrist so the back of his fist faced downwards; and he lit his Mark—its turquoise light painting the flat of his boots below. His eyes glimmered, and suddenly small spears of cold fire poked out of his pupils, like the tips of candles with invisible wicks. "I can see in the dark," he added. "No need to worry for that." "I forgot about that power you mentioned," said Celestia with a chuckle. "Very helpful, though I don't think it to be of much use when we're next to danger in visibility." "That makes two of us," said Corvo. But they halted abruptly, as if something was agreed upon without words. Luna looked back, the bluish-darkness resting on the walls. The windows were black, for the moon provided hardly any light. She shivered and continued walking forth, as did the others. "Shouldn't we make haste and get out of here faster—to warn other ponies? With the guards missing, this can be seen as a serious offense." "I would not go outside right away," said Corvo. "I have nothing to support this statement, but I feel as if something very queer would happen should we leave the castle now." "What makes you say that?" asked Celestia. "It is just a feeling; nothing more to it," said Corvo. "But the importance of this situation would be—" He paused, leaned an arm against the wall and looked ahead. "Do you hear that?" Both Celestia and Luna swiveled their heads round, as if trying to see rather than listen. Several more seconds followed, before the two alicorns' ears perked. "Some sort of thrumming," said Corvo. "Follow me." He ghosted through the hallway, so suddenly that Luna was taken aback before she dashed forth. Celestia trotted down the hallway immediately. "It's coming from downstairs!" said Celestia. "Could it be answers?" asked Luna from behind. "Hopefully so," answered Corvo. They went down a spiraling stairway, passed another hall, and found themselves at the end of the well-recognized foyer. The pillars to the side were strangely taller, if only just so; and the front double door seemed to be further away. If it weren't for Celestia's horn, both she and her sister would not know whether their eyes were closed. "Give me half a minute to think," said Corvo. He blinked hard once, and his Mark turned a hard black. His surroundings became much dimmer. There was a rhythm that was sounded in this foyer. Four entrances to here. Not the back two, for they lead to dead-ends. We just came down from the west hall. No one to be seen. But the east hall is connected with the upper corridor we went through, sided with the library. No foot-steps, too. Someone had to have been travelling by air, or were outside. "Tia, let me check outside," said Luna, making her way past the wide stairs down, and then on again to the double door. "We need to leave as soon as possible." Celestia felt a tightening in her throat. She wasn't sure whether to agree with her sister or take Corvo's advice; but meanwhile, he did not respond—just watched with a solemn stare. "I'm coming with you," she said at length. "Wait a minute," said Corvo. "Celestia, is there some sort of spell to teleport multiple ponies at once?" "Yes, but not for what you're implying," answered Celestia, making her way further form Corvo as he stayed put. "Teleportation is a sort of mental process. An average concentrated mind can teleport only itself; the more powerful ones can teleport several other ponies. But on the scale of the castle—with hundreds of guards—is almost impossible." "Understood," said Corvo disappointingly, leaning upon a pillar nearby the front door, and rubbing his temple. "I have another question, Celestia. This dark force—this Sombra character—what is the scale of his plan?" "A lot of it is speculation," said Celestia. "If you truly did activate some power of his, then he could be after you as well. Like I've stated, there's a great possibility that you were followed." "For two years," remarked Corvo. "I hardly buy it. There are still many rules to certain magics and this... uh... Crystal Heart! Lost my word there. Anyway, if he has some kind of threat underway to destroy Equestria, does that mean my own world as well?" "Let me guess: you may or may not help, and the deciding factor is if your own place is in danger," said Celestia. Corvo looked back down into the foyer, his peripherals subsuming into the black air. His answer did not come, though; he wasn't all that motivated to talk. After chewing a bit on his own saliva, he cast a glance back to the alicorns—but some sort of aghast terror washed over their faces. And since he was resting on a back angle of the pillar, he could only witness their sides, and not what they were looking at. He straightened his back and tilted on a leg. "Are you two okay?" he asked. "This is not good," said Luna, slowly retreating. Celestia herself had a sullen stare. Corvo cautiously made his way where they stood. But Celestia backed to the lateral wall and met him halfway, saying: "Corvo, close your eyes, block your ears, and don't move." Corvo caught his breath, staring sharply at her strict demeanor. "I know I am going to regret this, but brevity comes to serve: I am quite stubborn. What is it?" Both Celestia and Luna swapped positions. Now the former stood eyeing down the opened door. Corvo exhaled and wandered to the room's center, to gaze upon the opened entrance. He was sure that this was the main throne room, that this very door led outside. But all that encompassed his clear view was another corridor, aiming endlessly into another turn, and with many more identical doors in its walls. "Huh?" he said out loud. "It's been bugging me for the past several minutes," said Celestia. "But the sudden darkness, all of the guards gone, and now this. Completely impossible, even with magic." "Corvo," said Luna with a slight edge to her voice, "we are in one of Sombra's illusions." "An illusion?" he said. "Like a dream?" "No, not a dream," said Luna. "This is very much like reality, though we see differences. Sombra's illusions were made to bring out your worst fears. Celestia and I have practiced to overcome this, but not you. Once we figure out we are in this trap, we should snap out of it. But you—" Her voice faded. In fact, both of them suddenly disappeared into a white-noise cacophony. It only lasted for a second, but Corvo flinched in surprise. He looked round him, neither smiling nor frowning. "Oh, Sombra, you think you are the first to invade my mind!" called Corvo. His voice echoed in and out of the connected hallways. "What is my fear then? A tragic past? Losing emotional connections? A specific phobia? Failing to... to do something," he ended in a whisper. His eyes darted every which way he could, analyzing the room. Things seemed to brighten up: from complete blackness to a palpable grey. * * * Corvo was holding his breath. He wasn't sure why. His eyes hurt, and were half open, staring into dim shades. "Kindly get up, Corvo," said Celestia's voice. "We can't waste time." A sharp chill ran down him: from the base of his head to his fingers. He felt cold, distant, and weather-worn. "I thought the water would work," said Luna's voice. "It did!" coughed Corvo, springing up to meet Celestia's gaze. He was completely soaked in ice water. "And I am wet, too. Perfect initiative. Was that all there was in the illusion?" "No," said Celestia bitterly, "but I followed a dark magic trail. We have to go now." Corvo shook his head. Things became less blurry. He was in the library, amid water, and two ponies looking to be annoyed. Judging by the disjointedly-placed books within the shelves, they were in incredible haste. Yet they were not at all in alphabetical order; the first began on X and ended in the G, and several spaces were cut into the rows. "Do not mind me," he said, rubbing the water from his face. "Things seem to be better now, and the rest can wait. Lead on!" He instinctively withdrew the metal mask from his belt, slid it on, and flipped his hood over. It looked as if many hours had passed by since they all got in the library, making Corvo wonder how long he had been in the illusion, and how much time had it been ever since the princesses escaped. The angle of the moon's light was slanted through the window, and the rush of hoof-steps—from all of the guards entering the castle—were heard from everywhere, pouring busily from every intersection of the halls. "Corvo," called Celestia as she magically grabbed the high door's handle, "hide yourself and meet me on the top floor's balcony. Do so in twenty—no, fifteen minutes. There are plenty of clocks scattered about for you to keep the direct time. Do you understand this?" "Why can I not just wait there for you?" he asked. "And what are you planning on do—" He paused, staring at a blank space. The two alicorns were outside of the room, having brief discussions with other deep voices. A series of hoof-falls proceeded; and then the flap of wings sounded off. Not that reassuring, though I will wait. After a moment he quickly wandered down an attached room and teleported up into a wide vent, built into the ceiling. From there he found his way over many other places, swiftly avoiding the watchful guards. But the higher he went, the more devoid of life the castle had become. By the time he hung on a ledge round a tower, which watched over several mountains, he could not perceive a single sound from the window behind him. This was the last floor, after all. Corvo sighed and pressed his back to the glass, a look of concern highlighting his face. What can I tell? he thought, gazing up to another high point of the castle from afar, where it mixed with the low clouds. A round balcony thrust out of a wall, seemingly out of place. He fixed his sight back forth. At the very distance, he could make out a tiny sea of houses: all yellow and brown: that was probably Ponyville. I can tell that this area is being evacuated, he mentally answered himself. By the time I awoke, several books that were before resting about are now stuffed back into the shelves, as well as a few notes laying round. Therefore, they must have been up some minutes before me. Whatever it is they were searching for must have been important. Never have I seen Celestia in such a worried state. But is there something I missed? I walked in, they were reading that one book... he tried to array his thoughts, thinking back several hours. Something stuck out. Wait, that grey book she was reading was not there. Perhaps it had to do with dark magic research. Though, why ask to meet me on a balcony? Why not just evacuate every pony from the castle and have a talk in the foyer? He bit his nail and glanced towards the thin clouds, of which many were slowly being pierced by the lowering west moon's light. Is it connected to what she saw in that book? Probably. If that book told her to come here, I suppose it was due to good reason. Maybe something reminded her. But if that is the case, then I in no way have a chance to figure out her reasoning. I do not know Celestia's past; but, in a way, I can take a guess. I need one factor—just a small sample of an anecdote to summarize what she was feeling. A sense of memory. Just one thing. Corvo chuckled quietly to himself. But that is impossible without directly asking her. I am quite sure that this directed to a threat. Why else would she have everyone leave the building? From where he was, Corvo could see glittering specks flashing about and through the outdoor fields. Many were spewing out through the gates that separated the castle interior from the roads outside. Others were flying low, going into other things, where more supposed ponies exited. The city lights of Canterlot were vanishing one by one. That is not for some sort of affirmation, he thought. Would Sombra know of what book they would choose? No, that was on the spot. Unless... something came in there while we were, er, not asleep. Transfixed within our own subconscious, I suppose. Why would she go there at this time? Like Luna stated, too convenient to be a coincidence. But no, I cannot think of Dunwall at the moment. I need to guess why Celestia is having everyone leave the castle, most likely all of Canterlot, and spare a meeting to some place of no significance. Her sights were off, almost as if she were avoiding eye-contact; however, the way she looked in hindsight was forced, stiff. Something was not right. Luna looked equally strange. Corvo hardly noticed how quickly the time had gone by. Below him was a ghost town, with not a single movement to see. There was no wind, either. He sighed heavily and stood up, stretching his legs, and gazing over the lip of the long ledge he stood over. But what about that illusion? How did that happen? It was not triggered by sleeping. We were awake when it happened, though unnoticed. Wait, no. Corvo narrowed his eyes, rubbing his fingers together. The book was different. It changed. When I initially got there, Celestia and Luna were reading a grey, old-looking book; but after this illusion those same papers were not present. That is it! She was looking for something else. If that is the case, a certain train of thought comes: we were put into that illusion before going into that library—and chances are, it was a distraction—and something about what she read caused Celestia to want to meet on a balcony. A definite reminder. Other than Canterlot, the only other major library I personally know of is the one at the Crystal Empire. Is that where we are to head towards next? But he had wasted enough time within his mind. Lighting his Mark, Corvo teleported along the sides of the castle, hugging the high walls, and appearing to his assigned balcony. "There you are, Corvo," said Celestia. He turned to see her normally calm and rational face, accompanied by Luna. "I had an adequate amount of time to think over what happened," said Corvo. "That grey book was not there. Something connected to another library, or perhaps something of the past. What was it?" "An allegory," said Celestia. While Corvo remained staring cryptically, she nodded her head to Luna, who continued the explanation: "The last time Sombra attacked, he was invading the Crystal Empire. Twilight and her friends tried to find answers in a book concerning the Crystal Heart, but the last page was torn off. We know Sombra's personality quite well. He likes these sorts of things: to mock his victims with deceptive clues. Back then, the answer was at the top of the Crystal Castle all along. But this whole ordeal was a clue." "A clue to what?" asked Corvo. "A clue that he is back," answered Celestia. "He most likely cast an illusion spell at the library's door, so when we stepped in, the dark magic took hold." "Wait, wait," said Corvo, holding up both his hands. "I am incredibly confused at this point; though that is expected, for I know very little on this Sombra, nor am I aware of the workings of Equestria's dark magic. You will have to momentarily guide me." "The Crystal Heart is damaged due to what you did," said Celestia gravely, growing more anxious by the second. "But I won't blame you. What I will do is warn you of the dangers Sombra can bring. He is extremely cunning." "There is no time for this, Tia," whispered in Luna to her sister's ear. Corvo tilted his head. Celestia was deep in thought; and for the moment, nothing much happened. Luna kept exchanging stares between her and Corvo; but Corvo himself was shallow in thought, for he did not have much to go on. "I ran through several hypothetical situations," he said at length, "and this one makes the most sense. This has no predictability, no system, but here is my guess. Sombra was at the Crystal Empire first. Why? Well, if the Crystal Empire has the one thing with the capability of defeating him, and he now has a rare time-frame to get rid of it, a clever one would take the opportunity. He sent me that letter, which was his trigger for no longer watching me, if watching me were his true actions. As a prediction that goes with me taking a few days to come here, that is more than enough time to plan all things in Equestria. With this activation of an 'illusion' spell, he basically trusted on your knowledge of him to warn you of his return." But he shook his head and sighed with a confident smile. "The villains who brag about their plans are always the ones who are most prone to committing an error." "A little tasteless on the guess, if I were to say," remarked Celestia. Corvo couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, yes, sorry for that," he said. "Anyway, I think that—" "We should take a form of action!" interrupted Celestia, lighting her horn. "Brilliant idea!" And in a flash she teleported them several feet upwards onto the castle's roof. It was much colder there, as well as more lifeless. Much to Corvo's surprise—other than his irritation for being cut off—was how grey and blank the sky seemed to be, rather than the blackness one would expect at nighttime. "What kind of action was that!" said Corvo reproachfully. "Next time you decide to incoherently teleport us to..." he placed his hands behind his back and scanned the plain field of golden plates. "To the roof," he ended. "To get a better focus," returned Celestia. "Listen, Corvo, Sombra must want something of importance to him: to enslave all who live. With an added location—your place as the third party—it gives him all the more desire. When Luna and I snapped out of the illusion, we searched for notes concerning dark magic, for we knew our time drew close. But then it hit me: that torn book—the grey one. Like I said, back in the Crystal Empire, that happened, too. This wasn't some sort of logical planning, carefully laid-out steps, or a linear move. This all depended on predicting the opposer's actions." "Now we appear to be chatting on the flat of a roof," said Corvo. "But I assume you have enough raw power to constrain him." "In a fight, yes," said Luna. "He can hold his own against my sister; but the two of us would be too much." "But if he were to avoid physical contact," began Corvo, "a lot of damage can be done. From what I know, the Crystal Heart is the only thing that can defeat him with ease. But—actually, both wait and hold on a moment! Why would such a mastermind reveal himself so early? Sounds like an extremely idiotic move to me." "Is it really idiotic?" That voice. A depressing shadow washed over the faces of Celestia and Luna. They looked to each other, and slowly shifted to find the source of those words. As unrecognizable it would seem to Corvo, he somehow knew that voice. But it was such a vague reminder in his mind that he could hardly tell who it was. Surely they've never met. But that voice put a bad taste in his mouth. He side-glanced to where the princesses viewed; and he himself turned that way. There stood, seemingly towering over them, but quite a distance away, King Sombra. The cape he normally wore on his back was no longer red, but a dark purple. His eyes were rimmed with grey, like the sudden change to the surroundings Corvo had noticed. He stood there, with his back slightly hunched, and a straight demeanor highlighting his face. "Well?" he said again, lowing an eyebrow. "I only ask rhetorical questions when my ego is lower than usual; though, sorry to disappoint, but I have had my ego shattered by much more threatening things. Was it idiotic?” “And you actually came to the conclusion of showing your face to us—and alone?” said Celestia. Corvo turned his attention almost exclusively to her; for the alicorn’s voice was suddenly strict and threatening, rather than the calmer tone he grew accustomed to. “I thought of a lot of things first,” said Sombra apologetically, “so please don't bother me with that of all things. What you witness is simply a mirage of sorts, a magical illusion. I had time to spare and ponies to kill; but I guess you'd do the opposite, except wanting more of the former.” “To answer your question, Sombra,” said Corvo, taking a step forth, “it was idiotic of you to reveal yourself so soon. Upon the bases of many things I can come to certain conclusions of what you may do next. Are you truly that delusional?” “Ah, Corvo!” he said in a polite voice. “You are such a great conversationalist all ready. I just knew it. However, I must tragically admit that I am not delusional. You see, it's the certainty that I have in myself which enables the fact that I won't lose." “Listen carefully, filth,” hissed Luna, igniting her horn in a deep-blue aurora, “you may think that you have an advantage—however it is you fooled yourself into believing that—but do not assume that your previous defeat did not happen. We beat you before, and we will beat you again.” “Well then, I see,” sighed Sombra. “You really want to get into this, despite all of your incompetent behaviours in the past, including your problematic experiences with your sister here in the past, including your inability to out-smart Corvo here in the past, including your past? Well, if you insist.” “You…” hissed Luna. Her eyes gleamed with a dark flame. “Don't you ever say that again!” Celestia, however, remained quiet, slowly moving her head from side to side. She only wanted to look at Sombra, to be able to tell if something was off. To her, something certainly was. “Put your attention on me!” said Corvo with a snap of his fingers. “You speak as if you and I have met before, and that your plan will prevent you from failing. Care to explain that right there?” “I speak only the truth, so long as I can speak,” he said. “You see, I do not need months of thinking to achieve what I want, especially against you lot. With a few words I can accomplish anything. So go on—believe in me.” “What is your point?” asked Corvo. “The point is that you don't need seventeen convoluted little details to get one motivation running,” replied Sombra. “Right? The point is that all you need are the right commands, nothing too serious—like you, Corvo.” “Oh?” “Why, yes. While your deductive and strategic prowess are exceptional, as a scientist you are underwhelmingly mediocre. Nothing to note about besides some unexplained theories.” “I can understand your criticism.” “And your articles are lukewarm at best.” Now that I take offence to. Corvo exhaled, much to his annoyance. “We are getting nowhere with this.” Sombra cast a glance to the princesses and smiled softly, and looked back to Corvo. “You think your facts are justified by your unproven predictions?” he continued. “Spare me your guessed hogwash. It was a mistake to show me your face, and an even bigger blunder on your part to prolong this encounter. Do you want me to believe in you? I say this then: do not believe, even for a solitary second, that you can attempt to distract us from the outside. As a matter of fact, if it were a virtue to make any situation convenient, whatever the context, there would be a religion based round me.” "Very impressive!" said Sombra. "But now, with further ado—and I do mean ‘with’—here is my evil plan." He cleared his throat. "What is the difference between a child and a trampoline?" A black static formed round his curved horn, soon washed by purple sparks and green bubbles. "Wait, how is he doing that?" asked Luna urgently. "I thought he was a mirage?" "That's it," said Celestia. "That's what was off. You're—" "One is fun to jump on," said Sombra, "and the other is what you bought from the store; and quite frustrating it was, since the manual was overly-long on how to construct it." An object quickly slid from under his purple cape: a crystal vial, wide at the base, pointed at its end. But within its hollowed form only a void could be seen: completely black and unmoving. "He is not a mirage, now is he?" said Corvo flatly. "You lot are so sharp," mused Sombra. "We should all know an obvious lie when we see one!" In a fraction of a second, he let the sable vial go. At the same time, black rays spun round him, sucking him into the air, and ending in more ashen smoke. He was nowhere to be seen. In that same time, the three of them tensed. Luna shot forth a magical blast, but missed, whistling out of Canterlot at unbelievable speeds and into the high horizon. Celestia lit her horn, but only found herself holding several crystal shards; the rest were sprayed across the roof's floor. "Oh, no, no, no!" said Celestia, immediately taking a large step backwards. Whatever was in that vial is certainly gaseous, thought Corvo. From what he could tell, a dark cloud was slowly being spread. But the more ground it covered, the faster it got. And from above, a hazy miasma released into the air. "Luna," said Celestia with grinding teeth, "head to the Crystal Empire right now! Warn the others." Luna herself nodded in quick agreement and took flight, though nearly tumbling, and blasted off into a distinct direction. The black gas ate away at the air even faster now. "From the way you said that, I can only conclude that this here gas is a bad thing," remarked Corvo. "You and I are to head to Ponyville now," said Celestia. Corvo barely knew what she did in that moment, for it was in a great blur: a golden light hugged he and Celestia, and the two disappeared from there. * * * The moment they had arrived in the town below, Corvo slapped a palm over his forehead, nearly tumbling over. "If I were to ask you to warn me next time a long-distant trip is required, would I be requesting in vain?" "Probably," said Celestia quickly. "We're here." Corvo gazed upwards. A tall crystallized structure stood before him: a pale-blue tree, with a matte-purple castle embedded upon its head. It was many-windowed and gaudy, and with a tilted banner to the right. "A lot really can happen in two years," said Corvo. "Judging by the aesthetics, I assume it to be royalty. Does Princess Twilight live here?" "Quite so," said Celestia, pulling the standing door open. Hoof-steps could be heard from inside, but it was very faint. "You want to reintroduce me to her?" asked Corvo. "Yes," replied Celestia. Corvo pulled on his left arm, stretching it, and sighed pessimistically. "It will be quite a shock, huh." Before he closed his mouth, however, he inhaled once again. "And please do tell me what that dark smoke was." "I'm trying to get everypony who can help to the Crystal Empire," said Celestia. "I warned the elite guards that Canterlot was under immediate threat. They knew about King Sombra, and would not even think to take the matter lightly. But to be short: the gas in that vial was part of Sombra's dark magic. Back in the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence was able to hold it off with a force field. That was with the Crystal Heart; without it, that very essence is fatal. Whatever you do, avoid it at all times." "So it is a poisonous fume that will, upon contact, kill you in an instant?" said Corvo. "Quite scary indeed. You said that it spread round the Crystal Empire a while back in a weakened state; but now that it is stronger, he got it in a glass vial—which is now spreading like fire over dry wood." "The significance is how he controls it," said Celestia. "Back then, it required actual control. Now, however, it's independent." She stuck her head in the castle and squinted. It was dark. "Pay attention, Corvo," she said again, cocking her head to look at him solidly. "Keep close. I'm going to lead Princess Twilight out of Ponyville and into the train station. Keep close but don't be seen. Once we board the train, I'll command for it to head towards the Crystal Empire. Make sure you're there. I'll have a brief talk with Princess Twilight, and once I give you the signal, slowly reveal yourself." "What will be the signal?" "At the obvious end of our two-sided talk." Corvo's eyes darted back and forth between the castle's entrance and the alicorn. His jaw twitched, as if he had learned something unpleasant. "No," he said. "Repeating this whole process again will get us nowhere. I have a better idea. Both of you get to the Crystal Empire, do whatever you have to do, and get ready for when I show up. I will act as if I have gotten there without meeting you, explain my side of things, and claim that I am in need of your assistance. Think on it." "But—" said Celestia, though haste interrupted her. There wasn't much time for debate. "It's going to be difficult to have you cooperate with everypony else. Yet they trust me to the fullest extent. Just... work with me here!" Celestia vanished inside the crystal castle, her hoof-steps going deeper down the hallway. A minute later and several voices sounded. One was Celestia's, and the other was smooth in its wording. Corvo, with as much care as he could, fused into the high shadows, sliding down the crystal paths and into the bright room ahead. It was a deep-cut arch of a door, with two silhouettes stretching beyond the entrance's angle. He pushed it, remained staring down. Both Celestia and Twilight were standing up near a table. "Where did you say you were going again?" asked Twilight wearily, adjusting her neck to see through the covering shadow which draped round Celestia, who gave a brisk frown. "Not just me, Twilight, but you as well," said Celestia. "I feared that this day would come: King Sombra has returned. We need to head off towards the Crystal Empire at once!" "W-what?" said Twilight in a heavier voice, slowly beginning to hyperventilate. "King Sombra is back? B-but that's impossible! Back then, Spike and I worked our way to the Crystal Heart. It was recovered. We beat him!" "Some other form of dark magic disrupted the Crystal Heart''s magic," said Celestia. "But I can better explain this if we were on the move." She nodded her head sideways and quickly wandered down the hallway, Twilight close behind. "But Princess Celestia," said Twilight, "we need to gather up my friends first. They could help." "There's no time for that; but don't you worry, Twilight. I had given several guards specific orders to come to Ponyville and pick them up soon. They'll be fine." The two alicorns quickly found themselves in the grey of night. Luckily, ponies were not round to cause any distractions. "What about Princess Cadence and Shining Armor?" asked Twilight, almost shaking all over. "Will they be there?" "Hopefully so," sighed Celestia, lighting her horn. Corvo watched from the lip of a roof, still as stone. He narrowed his eyes and quickly looked to the castle. So her plan is to have guards notify and rescue her other friends, and shortly after, Ponyville. Canterlot should be fully evacuated soon, but due to the distance, they would only arrive in an hour or so. Still, why do I get the feeling that King Sombra would not make it this easy? Why would— His thoughts were buried under the surprising, golden glow round him. He gazed back to Celestia, who caught his eye with her own—very briefly. And in a flash he found himself coughing smoke, and the rumble of engines not too far off. Celestia hastily exchanged words with the current conductor, but they were too subsumed into the locomotive's noises for him to make any sense of them. All he heard was: "And make it quick!" "Princess," said Twilight, stepping into one of the front carts, "what would be Sombra's plan if he's really returned? I don't understand where he would be." "I'll explain everything," said Celestia. "I... I promise." The door shut, and right after the train took off into a lazy jog, building up to go faster and faster. Corvo teleported flat on the roof, resting an elbow against one of the bumps. There was hardly a single pony round, save for the conductor, who had vanished inside the packed front. Most things about looked to be identical and repetitive: the pale ground, the hazy buildings back in the distance, and the stretched track which seemed to run on forever. The train roared and sprinted off in the night air, turning a wide corner and jogging down the metal rails. Quietly, he slid through one of the open windows, resting silently in a backseat. From there on, all commotion of the outside drifted from hearing. "We're all going to the Crystal Empire," said Celestia at length, the two of them resting just in front of Corvo's seat. "I believe that King Sombra's plan is to wipe out Equestria from all life." "How could he accomplish that with the Crystal Heart around?" asked Twilight in a tightened voice. The air started to become colder and more still. "I'm not sure how it works exactly," said Celestia, "but that black smoke you saw those years ago... well, something seems to be working. That sort of dark magic caused near-irreversible psychological damage. That was it in its lesser state. But, as you can guess, the Crystal Heart is nothing more than dust in the wind. It's dead." Twilight looked down with a furrowed brow, ignoring the dull patters of snow from the side-window. She sighed uneasily and remarked in a weak voice: "He took the magic out of the Heart—somehow... that's my guess." "I'd say so, too, Twilight," said Celestia. "We'll have to figure out the details when we're all gathered up. Like I said earlier, guards are evacuating Canterlot as we speak. Warnings should be coming to Ponyville now, so your friends should arrive safely. One of the elite workers will be sending a message via magic once the news hits there. This is the best I could have done, unfortunately. Sombra's lethal smoke is spreading by the second. We need to come up with a counter-spell and make sure no other pony gets hurt." "I understand," said Twilight with a straightened back. "Tell me what I have to do, Princess." "We must figure out a plan upon arrival. As immediately as possible, make your way to Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. They are most certainly aware of the situation. I also presume Spike can be trusted to follow your friends?" "He's already there," said Twilight with growing unease. "He was sent there to help with scheduling for future events in the Crystal Empire, as recommended by me." "That's good," said Celestia. She threw a quick glance out the window. The train was going at full speed, so their arrival would be soon. She turned back to Twilight and exhaled softly. "I've been doing a lot of research, Twilight. This business with dark magic and Sombra ties in with someone else. Can you guess?" "Corvo?" said Twilight. Celestia was taken aback, for she hadn't expected Twilight to be so blunt. "Ah, yes," she said, mentally calming herself down. "I started to look into certain events preceding his disappearance. His magic—a unique subcategory of dark magic—has negatively affected the Crystal Heart's magic. It is like getting hit by a disease you have zero natural immunity to." "Do you think Corvo is aware of this, Princess? That you're alive? That King Sombra is here?" "The thing is, Princess Twilight, King Sombra's magic was most definitely affected by Corvo," said Celestia in a pained voice. "By my reasoning, it has to lead to that. King Sombra may have even contacted Corvo by this point. By now, though, I have no idea where he could be. For all we know, that evil mind is out of our concern." Corvo, whom had been eavesdropping from the back, half-smiled. Good thing for that, he thought. She is choosing my plan after all, the one that will work. "Wait a minute, Princess," said Twilight, "how did the Crystal Heart lose its magic? There's no way King Sombra could've done it; he would've been obliterated by just getting close to the city." Celestia sighed uneasily and stared out the window. They had been in the train for longer than she thought. "Yesterday I received the grim news that something was wrong with the Crystal Heart. It didn't glow. It didn't spin in place. Nothing, really. I figured out this problem might have happened two years ago, coincidentally when Corvo just left. It's a fact that he uses—or used—dark magic. But after such a tedious wait, these issues came into play. It's happening all over again: the disasters, some mysterious magic, and—well, that's as much as I can give on that context. "As to answer your question, Princess Twilight, King Sombra is a master manipulator. With enough planning, he could have gotten most ponies to get the job done. Not just him. He was, by a guess, definite that I knew he was coming back. As to how he came back, I don't really—" she swallowed bitterly "—know. I don't know." Twilight's ears folded. How this could be happening at this time was nothing but a mystery. Multiple thoughts ran through her mind: how Sombra could have returned, if they could stop him again with neither the Elements of Harmony nor the Crystal Heart itself. "Wait!" she said abruptly. "Princess Celestia, you just said that 'it's happening all over again'. With an interference now, would that equate to Corvo's arrival as well. Could"— a sudden chill slid down her back —"he be here right now?" Clever, remarked Corvo. I should not underestimate these ponies. If I am to reach the Crystal Empire without being thought of, I would be required to talk to Celestia. Not now, however. He gazed towards the Mark on his left hand and silently exhaled. It was as black and sharp as ever. There is something they are not considering, though. Why would he obtain ponies to take away the magic of the Heart? Why not just remove it entirely from the picture? Unless the thing bears some sort of anti-gravity shield, there is no reason to not do the latter. "Something's very wrong, though, Princess Celestia," said Twilight. "King Sombra wouldn't just take away the magic of the Crystal Heart if he had the opportunity to steal it. Unless he's this arrogant in his supposed plan, I have a hard time believing this is just superficial." "Sombra would need to conclude his plan before making any move," said Celestia, "so I'm sure that he has had the time to think things over." But Celestia gasped loudly, and shot a sharp glare over Twilight's shoulder. "That's it! He took this moment to only give up the impression that the Crystal Heart was weakened, so we'd feel less insecure about going there. After all, it would still be there. But—" "The Crystal Heart is gone!" said Twilight. "He took it all along and only wanted to make sure we came." She ground her teeth and looked down. "Princess Celestia, I feel very uncomfortable for doing what he wants us to do." "It's only a hypothesis," said Celestia in a lower voice. "We still aren't sure of anything. In any case, that leaves a massive hole in such a theory: if the Crystal Heart was taken, why would I get emergency letters exclaiming that it stopped working." What if he crafted a fake Crystal Heart to replace the real one? suggested Corvo in his mind. The train came to a gradual halt, its screeching surprisingly muffled. The sound of steam shooting out was heard from the outside as doors to the walls slid open. Upon hearing the alicorns ascend from their seats, Corvo cast a glance out the window. They were closer to the Crystal Empire than last time. Much closer, in fact. Unlike before where they halted a full kilometer from the city, now the train station stood only a few yards away. The shining blue shield he had remembered encompassed the place. "Your Highnesses," said a guard with a bowed head, "Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor were not expecting your arrival right now. But for convenience, I assume you read the letters?" "I have," said Celestia. "Princess Twilight has come as well. We must speak with the Prince and Princess immediately. We have a fatal problem on our hooves." "Right this way," said the guard, and hoof-steps followed away from the locomotive. Corvo got up, looked round him, and waited. There were dozens of armored guards every which way he looked. They extended past the entrance to the city and went down in multiple files all the way to the Crystal Castle. This worried him. All right then, he thought. I count seventy-two guards from here, likely more behind some of the houses ahead. I should try and infiltrate the castle as non-lethally and quietly as possible, but I must be rough when all of these eyes watching are taken into consideration. He froze, however, as more guards stepped into the cart he was in. "Check the seventh cart here five times over, as ordered by Princess Celestia herself," commanded a deep voice with an air of authority. Deliberate hoof-steps followed. "Wait one at each seat, then proceed to the next." "Sir!" said four voices in trained unison. There was a rustling of apparent metal, and the weight of the room shifted to one side, then the other, and finally settled to a balance. Why would Celestia have a squad of soldiers check here? thought Corvo, much to his irritation. He froze time, with the catch of a pain in his chest. His hands gripped firmly on the head of a smooth seat, waited a short moment, and abruptly burst out of an opened window with a sudden violence. When his Mark resumed to black Corvo drew a deep breath. The assassin hid under the arch of a crystal pillar, highlighted by the pale shadows cast from the leaning moon. A spew of extra guards ejected from the east side, connected back to what appeared to be their teams. More spread about the crisscrossed roads. Ten watchers, unarmed, he mentally began to strategize. There seems to be a pattern going on here. Every thirty seconds a team of guards trots from one end of the station and exits into that building there. Corvo spotted a massively broad tower, glittering a pale blue with matte lines curving down its body. Some sort of meeting room for the guards here? Corvo crouched until his knees nearly brushed the ground, and he began to stride at a brisk pace. From afar, his entire figure's movements were delicate and hard to spot. Every once in a while he would pause his boots, lean from cover, and teleport to a remote location of the city. The Crystal Empire was far more dense than what he last recalled. Tall crystalline buildings became more common, and some houses seemed to stick together, only separated by patches of trees. When a minute motioned by, he peered out to what was the Crystal Castle. Corvo rotated the interlocked mechanism on the side of his mask, zooming into the castle. His fingers tightly pressed on a particularly small lever, and his glass eyes instantly adjusted to normal view again. Princess Celestia just entered the castle. He began to move forth again, sticking almost exclusively to either claustrophobic spaces or black shadows. The closer he got, however, the more the line of guards thinned. At certain points, he could only spot two of three armored ponies watching from some houses, retaining their stoic positions and never glancing sideways. Now that I think on it, Celestia and Luna were only awake for less than a minute post-illusion—or that seems to be the most likely. Her plan is to confusingly evacuate Canterlot without any mention of it before to the other ponies, and then notify the others in Ponyville? Why not plan an evacuation in advance? Why not first coordinate with the significant locals of Ponyville while sending a message here, referencing to her imminent arrival? But then again, a rushed plan will only lead to problems. Time should always be managed. He looked west. The Crystal Empire was still arched upwards, looking down on him like a silent sentinel. Be it stealthily or louder than a firework, he thought wearily, Celestia must be awaiting my arrival. I need to hurry. * * * "Glad to finally have gotten through all that," said Celestia over the wide room. She, Luna, Cadence, Twilight, and Shining Armor all sat round a table, with several guards at their double doors. "It's been unfortunate to have to cancel any other activities on such short notice. We need to act now. And I mean now!" "I already have my entire command unit scanning the area for any clues we may find," said Shining Armor. "You now know the Crystal Heart has disappeared, rather than having its magic sucked out, as some have believed." "I came up with that idea on my way here," said Celestia in a colder voice. "It's so grave that it turned out to be true." "If what you say really happened, Princess," said Cadence, "Canterlot is being consumed by the second. There are literally only days to fully recover the Crystal Heart. It's the only object with the power to put an end to King Sombra's mindless slaughter." "Princess Celestia," began Twilight, unknowingly holding her breath, "what about my friends? We need to rescue them, too." Celestia felt a reluctance hit the back of her throat. Her ears folded as she said: "They will. The bad news is that my plan was contrived in a matter of minutes. I'm truly gripping onto the possibility that all goes smoothly." "For a reminder, you mentioned that every guard in Canterlot is to evacuate the city from the black smoke?" asked Cadence. "But wouldn't that compromise the time it would take to first explain the situation to everypony." "I would've done the same," said Shining Armor. "You realize your city is about to be under attack by a threat, except this time you know it'll happen any second. You would need to save the subjects first, explain later." Cadence nodded her head, satisfied with the answer. She looked back to Celestia and sighed. "It's a great relief to have you here, Auntie Celestia." "It is a great relieve for the future as well," put in Luna, who had been deep in thought. "All we have to do now is keep searching. Meanwhile, wait for the letter to arrive. Once the guard captain of Canterlot has sent the scroll implying the safety of Canterlot, we can focus on Ponyville." "All the while we gather forces to face off King Sombra if necessary," said Twilight clearly. "I just—" she continued with a low voice "—really hope my friends will be okay." "We still don't fully understand the science behind King Sombra's smoke," said Luna, "nor do we have any magical details of it save for information we have on earlier uses." "But this is different," said Shining Armor. "We have to rely on our wits and resources, not worry about what we don't know." He stood up and bowed, and immediately two guards swept to his side. "We've been talking at this table for nearly five minutes. If any princess here needs me, I'll be at the barracks. Time is of the essence." He turned and trotted out the end double door. A sudden silence fell upon everypony there. They each looked to one another, contemplating on what to do next. "We need to take the initiative as well," said Celestia at length. "We are the princesses and rulers of Equestria. It is our obligation to ensure not a single life falls to the hooves of King Sombra. Make sure to—" A cacophony of hoof-stomps waved past and round the massive room. Dozens of guards stood on stoic stances, their spears aimed at every which entrance that connected to the outside. Shining Armor soon ran back to them, groaning under his breath. "Secure the princesses!" he commanded. He turned to them and added softly: "You won't believe who we just saw." The air grew thicker, gradually turning darker, greyer, and more obstructing. A dirty fog parted between the guards' hooves, whom all slowly backed up, all meeting back-to-back round the long table. A smoke screen was accumulating. First washed over the ground, like water at the edge of a beach, and soon the room was engulfed in smoke. "King Sombra!" cried Cadence. "He's here!" Immediately Twilight and Luna shook form their seats, lighting their horns. The former, however, was far more intimidated, waiting behind one of the chairs with frozen eyes. "No, wait," said Celestia slowly, "King's Sombra's smoke is black, not grey. And if it were his, we'd all be dead." "Then pray tell, Tia," said Luna. "If it is not King Sombra, then whom might it b—" She inhaled sharply and glared out into the towering wall of smoke. Do not tell me Corvo did this. "You wish an explanation?" said his voice, cold and distant. Every head looked all ways, unsure of where his deep words originated from. When one looked west, the echo seemed to trail back east. "Basic chemistry," said Corvo again. "You really should not leave the laboratory in this castle open for all hands—hooves, I mean—to use. That sure is a pity, hmm?" "It can't be," said Twilight, terrifyingly dumbfound. "How is—how is Corvo here!" "Attention!" shouted Shining Armor. "To the voice about this room, there are thirty guards, all prepped and ready to take you out. We have powerful magic users, as well as several traps you seem to be oblivious to. Reveal yourself or be met with"— he nearly choked —"lethal force! Please don't make me choose what's worse for us all!" "Do you know who I am?" said Corvo. His voice was closer, much louder, yet they still couldn't tell right from left for him. "Yes we do," said Cadence. "How could we forget?" "As she said, of course," said Shining Armor. "All the more convenient," said Corvo. "Say who I am, what you know of me thus far, and what I have done in my history of being present in Equestria. Say your words out loud." Without hesitation Shining Armor began solidly: "Your name is Corvo, and you come from a mysterious world we are still unfamiliar with. On your first visit, you tried to kill Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. You attacked me. But worse of all, you attacked my wife and my sister. You failed as expected. On your second arrival, you helped us. You helped us track down all of those obscure stones in order to save Equestria. You still tried to kill us. And now here you are, a third time, ready to strike." He took a deep breath. "Satisfied?" "A little rough on the details, but it will do," replied Corvo. "In short, the very idea of me coming in non-hostile is absurd. You would never trust me again, lest you be fools. No promises can be made; that is why I come in the bluntest of ways. Furthermore, I hear that you are pressured by the threat of a certain villain. Not much time is left, I would say." While Luna couldn't see Corvo, she knew he was currently observing them all. That's why, when his voice was practically at the ears of everypony, she gave a subtle nod. He admired her foresight. "What are you looking for?" asked Cadence, keeping her eyes narrowed at a centered point in the smoke. Is he using some sort of illusion that makes his voice seem everywhere at once? That would only be achievable given perception dilation. No, that can't be it. That has the same concept as my love magic. Her eye twitched. I'm not sure as to why I'd even compare the two. "For reasons out of your concern, I know of what this Sombra is up to," said Corvo. He became more distant, almost as if her were whispering. "His ultimate goal is the annihilation of all sentient life in Equestria. Is that correct? Well then, lo and behold, he too bears the secondary goal of tearing apart my world. Names are irrelevant, so no need to ask." "He's a threat to you, too?" said Celestia. "If any observations are in order, you came here to ask... for help? A little desperate, especially if we consider how much we certainly hate you." "I am aware of that," he replied solemnly. The grey air lazily leaned in closer to the room's midpoint. "King Sombra has been following me for the last while now, I think. I say that because this is all based on assumptions. We talked, even, and—" "You two exchanged words?" said Shining Armor dubiously. "Are you aware that the lack of evidence about knowing you wouldn't try to kill us the moment you'd have the chance is practically non-existent?" "Well, yes," said Corvo. But he sounded annoyed, as if he were trying to teach a basic equation. "An anecdote is the weakest type of evidence; that is my philosophy. But, if you remember how I was like, then you should know this: I would never, even for an instant, come to Equestria for help unless I had to. I would also take every possibility into account and eliminate what would be impossible. I did not do that here. "Now, I will say this one more time, or I shall be on my way. Please keep in mind that I have my own reasons for doing this. Also please keep in mind that, with my help, your chances of beating King Sombra are much greater. That should be a significant asset to remember. Aid me in my struggles, or both Equestria as well as where I come from shall be reduced to a wasteland. A split team—if one may call it that—is nothing more than a blind one. Is that what you truly desire above all else? To lose Equestria?" "Then why try to kill us in the first place!" said Twilight heavily. "If you can't even lend a plausible reason, then I'm afraid we will have to decline—not that we would accept your help either way." What do I do? thought Corvo worryingly. If I take my time to explain the war that will never happen, they can either think I am lying, believe me and give them ideas, and-or make them hate me even more. Is it a shot worth taking? While everypony else was distracted, Celestia used her magic and cast a silent spell round the room. She bit her lip, and sharply glanced to a specific spot on top one of the pillars. She was using a form of motion detection to try and connect it with her other magic. A second later and her horn's glow caught something, but it vanished. She traced it down, only to spot it again, and only to lose it again. Is Corvo moving? she thought curiously. "Very well," said Corvo. "I suppose you caught me between a rock and a hard place. The reason, under all circum—" "Got you," said Celestia. Her telekinetic hand wrapped round Corvo's ankle, held it firmly for half a second, and plucked him from the smoke screen. He grunted, hit the floor, and rolled to an arbitrary spot. The sudden grip vanished, but upon looking up, over thirty eyes were locked on him. His mind suddenly went into overdrive. Celestia, he thought, tediously rising from the ground, you either just bought me some time and work—or you doomed me. "There you are," said Shining Armor coldly. He inhaled and shouted: "Control, seal all passages with magical barriers! The seven unicorns, prep a paralyzation spell! The twelve earth, defend the princesses. The other eleven pegasi, attack to stun and immobilize!" As he barked orders, Corvo was slowly rising, his eyes darting every which way: connecting possible outcomes, analyzing the dangerous armored ponies all round him, and the several princesses who were being protected. Over a dozen guards, he thought in haste. The alicorns’ focus is down—will not attack. Sealed door behind, they are coming, spreading out. Horns at blind side; be wary; thrusting spears. "Light him up!" cried one of the guards in golden armour. Corvo took far too long processing the scenario. In an instant a magic spell hurled into him chest, launching him several yards away. He used the momentum to end in a roll, slid on his feet, and looked up, pain-stricken. D-damn you! I need to— He was swarmed by guards. Before Corvo could even rise properly an earth pony guard struck him hard, collapsing him to the floor. A unicorn guard grabbed hold of with with his magic, but Corvo immediately lit his Mark and teleported right out of it, a mere meter or two from his original spot. But they would not relent. More magic grabbed hold up his leg, and tossed him in the air; a pegasus guard swooped down and struck him with deadly force onto the floor. Corvo felt several ribs break; he could not afford playing it safe. He rose up, only to see a unicorn charging their horn in front of him. He groaned angrily and teleported in short bursts, all while many more of them launched their attacks, one after the other, following his trail, and he navigated himself through it all. "Bring him down already!" barked one of the gold-plated crystal guards. An earth pony guard cried and charged Corvo; the latter side-stepped and shot him a swift punch. But the guard hardly flinched, showing no signs of physical pain. He glared at Corvo, who hastily backed away, and at once a pegasus guard flew in and bashed against Corvo's backside. He had underestimated them. There were far too many, their synergy too unpredictable. He teleported back down, gasping for a breath, sensing the blood pouring down his temples, his lungs burning from the excess of movement, and in a fury shot forth a powerful gust of wind, impacting over a dozen guards in his sight, hurling them across the room; some crashed against the walls and pillars, and fell unconscious; others were simply hurled far away, crying in great pain. This all came as a shock to the ponies. In a single move Corvo had hospitalized over a third of the guards in the foyer. "You insufferable lot—gah!" Corvo began, but he clucthed at his sides, the injuries were catching up to him. And before he came to his senses, another six or seven unicorn guards, all of their horns glowing, stared down at him; and in the next moment, before Corvo knew what was happening, a barrage of magical blasts struck him, one after the other. His vision flashed, half of his face felt hot, he could not breathe momentarily, and when he landed further away his mask had torn off his face. It landed a few meters away, partly melted and entirely broken. "S-stop!" he pleaded, agonizingly lowering to one knee. "No more! No more!" With one eye shut, he cast a glance forth. Shining Armor stood there. The other princesses were close behind, horror highlighting their faces. A few guards behind him, the ones he had blasted down, continued to groan vainly, twisting their positions on the now-red slabbed floor. The other standing guards began to sweat, though they stepped up to defend the princesses. "These guards need professional and medical attention!" said Corvo again. A line of blood slid from his head, connecting to the rest on his chin. "Do not waste your time with me—not anymore than what you have to. If my boot takes one more step I feel like I shall die." He inhaled and exhaled quickly. "There is too much at stake. I need to save my world. We... we..." his mind nearly drifted off into unconsciousness; he forcefully snapped out of it. "We—we need to help one another. King Sombra is the enemy who would want this to happen. I have my own motivations! Believe in me!" "Twilight, Cadence, and Shining Armor!" cried Celestia in strict authority. "Get medical help. Now! Sweep these poor guards up with your magic. Get them out of here. Not a single pony will die—not if I can help it." "Princess Celestia," said Shining Armor, a shadow over his face, "I'm sorry this had to happen." He straightened his back and cleared his throat. "Remaining guards, help the assigned princesses with their duties." The guards nodded and began to clear the room, wandering by Corvo as if we weren't even there. One of them ran out of the main double door, calling to the medical bay nearby. Time seemed to sprint for Corvo. Cadence, Twilight, and Shining Armor all began working round the room, cleaning any blood and helping the guards up—at least, the ones that could have gotten up. But they all bore reluctant faces—mostly Twilight, who couldn't believe she was doing what she would least want. But she had to help. Eventually a dozen ponies in white coats poured in, the castle doctors, their horns levitating medical boxes and packs of portable beds. Shining Armor swept past him, and whispered: "Next time, don't make the mistake of returning." And he left. A full ten minutes flew by. Corvo was still in the exact same spot, breathing heavily, waiting for somepony to approach him. At last, after what seemed like endless labor, Luna held a hoof to him. He grabbed at it and she pulled up. Corvo found it difficult to stand, though he somehow managed. "Plan of yours, I assume?" asked Luna with growing irritation in her voice. "That could have gone better. Ponies could have died, including you.." "Better than barging in like the second visit," said Corvo. "That would result in too many suspicions." Luna lowered an eyebrow and looked to her sister, who paced back and forth, trying to array her thoughts on all that just happened. She gazed back and said: "Well, the act was fairly genuine. You would have even convinced me, too. I shall discuss this matter with the others. If they believe that you have your own agenda, we can work together." But for a long moment she stared cryptically at him, scanning his figure. "You do not have some master plan cooking up to kill us, do you?" "No," said Corvo bluntly. "I hardly had time to plan out anything, honestly." "That could have worked out much more conveniently," said Celestia at length, approaching them both. "But good acting skills; almost as good as mine." "And you have exceptional bragging skills," replied Corvo; "but compared to me? Not quite there." The three sighed in unison. A few minutes ago they were exchanging information, and the next a brutal fight occurred. They had to organize what they did next if they were to avoid falling apart. "Celestia," said Corvo, "you care for your guards, correct? Because the way you spoke, it—" "They'll be fine," she said, outwardly lowering her brow. "True, they need a stoic figure to be led by, but I ensured that not a single pony would die, here in this castle. I took that claim to heart." "So what are we to do?" asked Luna. "I will need to see the main attraction," said Corvo. "Show me where the Crystal Heart is—or was. I suppose I can extract a few clues based on what I see." "You need rest," said Celestia. "And we need more time," he said again, "but we cannot always have what we want, now can we?" He shrugged off some of the pain in his ribs and rigidly began to walk, attempting to hide his limp. "Anyway," he continued in a large breath—"ah, sorry... show me the scene while the rest of you talk to the others. Please be as honest as you can. Now then, if we can prevent any further interru—" A trail of blue smoke snaked past Corvo, swirling its way to Princess Celestia. Upon arrival, the sparkling smoke curled into a ball, condensing itself into a light; and it finally flashed, highlighting the air in its glow. Celestia caught the scroll it had left. "Excellent!" said Luna. "We now have the confirmation letter than Canterlot is fully evacuated. I will prep an order for Ponyville, as well as further commands for search parties to extend beyond these borders." "Perfect," said Celestia with a subtle smile, unraveling the scroll from its tight seal. The smooth paper dropped low, revealing its black letters. But upon reading, Celestia's smile vanished, and her eyes shook. Dear Princess Celestia, I have never done these before, so apologies if anything here seems too informal for your high standards. I write this for specified affirmation. None of the guards were able to escape Canterlot. I say 'escape' because there was a wall of my black magic around the perimeters, which very quickly moved in throughout the street. They're all done. Every single one of them. I mean, come on now! What did you think was going to happen? A rushed plan is never a good thing! See, with not a single word being able to reach Ponyville, that lovely town is ignorant to what comes. The black smoke—as you like to creatively call it—is spreading judiciously. Oh, and make sure to tell Corvo that superfluous meetings matter. I'm paranoid that he may have forgotten. P.S. Okay, I lied. I have done one of these before, but it was a while ago. It's a bit embarrassing, so let's just avoid it all together. P.P.S. But seriously, all of Canterlot is dead, and Ponyville is soon to follow. By the time a single pony gets there, the smoke should be only five minutes away from reaching the entrance way. I did the math, so no need to correct me if I got anything wrong. P.P.P.S. I always found it fun to extend letters like this. But come on, do something! P.P.P.P.S. Okay? Okay. Good. Okay. Yours faithfully, King Sombra Her heart skipped a beat.