Ponies, (Saddle Arabian and Equestrian) ran to and fro. Outside the city, smoke could be seen.
"They crossed the borders. This means war." Omar growled. "Aurora, you must leave this place."
"I would, but want to ask if I can take Sempra as my charge." I replied, turning to run with him as we made our way to the front doors.
"Do it." The King said, "This place will soon be unsafe for children."
"Thank you." I told him. I then turned to my friends, "Find a boat and get a sailor to set a course for Zebrica."
"What are you going to do?" Second asked.
I looked at Sempra, "We have something else to pick up."
As the smoke grew closer, Sempra and I stopped at her house.
"W-what are we doing here?" Sempra asked in confusion
"Well, if I'm taking you to see the world, I'd expect you'd want to bring Lorene with you." I told her.
"You knew?" Sempra asked.
"I followed you up to your place. I saw that, and wanted to take you with me. The king let me." I explained to her.
Sempra smiled widely, "Alright, let me go get Lorene.
Sempra ran off to get her pet. I smiled at the thought of taking her to a better life. That's when I heard the cackle.
Cardinal's cackle.
"Dogs, send out your leader!" King Omar demanded.
Sempra and I watched from afar as the King made his demand.
"Oh Omar, don't you know better then to negotiate at a fight?" Cardinal asked, dropping down right in front of the King.
"I was told to stay out of your business, but you crossed the border, you declared war." King Omar replied.
"Of course." Cardinal said, "After I learned the whereabouts of my last secret, I had to be risky." Cardinal explained.
"What do you mean?" Omar asked.
"One of your visitors has a pony of great value to me. Where are they?"
"I know not what you mean." Omar stated, "Now leave, or die."
Cardinal smirked, "How about a deal? If you give ten minutes for the pony to step forward, I'll call back my hounds."
"Fine, ten minutes, then my sword will have a new home in your neck." Omar finally stated.
"Now listen carefully Saddle Arabians. . . .there is a young orphan pegasus here, she belongs to me. Give her to me." Cardinal said.
"Do we get specifics? We have several orphans." Omar asked.
"She is orange, light orange. Her mane is maroon." Cardinal said, his grin turning into a sneer.
I looked to Sempra as I realized she was the pony I was here for.
"We have to get you out of here." I told her.
"Why?" Sempra whispered.
"Because he needs you for something." I said as I turned to run, only to be caught in Cardinal's magic.
"Oh, my dear Aurora Sky. How have we been?" Cardinal asked me, his breath on my face.
"You piece of shit." I spat, "You dare ask that after all you've done?!"
"Ooh. . .someone's testy." Cardinal chuckled.
"It's because of you that your son is dead!" I yelled at him while straining against his magic.
"Dead? That is good news. Good enough, that I may not need the orphan after all." Cardinal chuckled.
"What are you saying?" I asked in curiosity.
"Allow me to tell you a little history lesson. Because it seems Star Swirl forgot." Cardinal chuckled, "Let me tell you of Star Swirl's legacy."
"Once there was a Unicorn, who showed much promise. The elder gods devised that if Star Swirl could find the true source of power, he would ascend to Alicorn-hood." Cardinal spoke in a slow loud voice, still holding me aloft.
"However, The Unicorn tried to create his own spell. His foolish attempt not only cursed him. It cursed his descendants, that they all must work to ascend." Cardinal had begun to shout.
"I had for a long time thought that I was one of them. But I fear I wasn't. But luckily I had wed one." Cardinal turned to me and sneered, "Swift Justice had a natural birthright to be an Alicorn. And until fourteen years ago, he was the only one."
It was all too easy to piece together what Cardinal was saying. Sempra was Swift's half sister. She had his eyes!
"Yes, you now understand his legacy. One that can never be fulfilled." Cardinal laughed. "Now that I know her brother is dead, I no longer need her."
"You monster. She is not yours." I spat, "She belonged only to her brother. And now, by order of the king, to me."
"Hmm. . . I might still have need of her, and now that the king decreed it, I must kill you." Cardinal surmised, powering his horn.
Before he could kill me, the whole city lit in a bright light.
"Your fight is not with her!" Star Swirl shouted over the spell, "Your fate has been written since your were born! Your blood will be your undoing!"
As he spoke, the light only got brighter. I closed my eyes and sat there for a time. Then everything fell silent, aside from a creaking.
"Aurora, open your eyes." Blade said, breaking my concentration.
I opened my eyes to find myself on a boat.
"Where- I was just-" I stammered.
Star Swirl approached me, "High level teleport. We are far from Saddle Arabia"
"But, you said-" I stammered again, only for Star Swirl to cut me off.
"Only his blood will be his undoing." Star Swirl finished for me, "I know."
"But, Sempra isn't his. She is only Swift's half-sister." I said, "So. . . who then?"
Star Swirl grinned, "That was my message. To Sempra. That her brother would soon be a part of her life."
"But he died!" I exclaimed.
Star Swirl shook his head. "Or so you think. I suspect that he is still very much alive."
"And. . . .ascended." Second finished.
"Then our question isn't what. It's where." Slate said.
"Where is Swift Justice?"