When the Everfree Burns

by SpiritDutch

Epilogue 2: Same as the First

Three Days after the Summer Sun

How to come back from a long and harrowing experience? In some ways, not much had changed. Fluttershy could look out her window and see all the same trees, stones, rivers, and mountains that had always been there. But rarely was it that the pony's life was made or unmade by those things, since long ago ponykind was able to work for more than mere survival, but for society.
And it was society that had been so deeply wounded by the Eternal Night. Fluttershy saw it in the way ponies moved and talked, even after the sun had risen again. They had been deeply afraid, in a way that couldn't be forgotten. Even when life was outside of the little pony's control, at least it was in the hooves of their institutions: Night came after day, clear sky came after storm, spring came after winter. But none of that seemed true now. For the first time, maybe... Maybe life was not in ponykind's hooves, but was in the grasp of that vast and unaccountable 'nature'.
The feeling of helplessness could not be overstated. Thus, the trauma.

And ponies could cope in whatever way they could.

“It’s not the original house, is it?”

“Umm, what?” Fluttershy, looked up from her crocheting.

Against her better judgement Fluttershy had let in those weary refugees, those nightmare ponies and their dark mistress, to give them a place to stay while they worked out their situation. The night was over, but trouble was not over for them.
They were all in her living room, lounging. Fluttershy was seated in her cushioned armchair by the fireplace, facing the nightmares. Dash hung by the window, looking out from between the blinds for trespassers. Applejack was alone on the couch. Ancepanox lingered in the corner of the room stirring her cup of tea. Rarity was conspicuously absent.

Without natural light or candles it was almost too dark for Fluttershy to see, though she knew her nightmarish guests had no problem in the dim light. Dash stayed in the basement of the house most of the time, as Ancepanox did in the Golden Oak. Applejack claimed to be doing just fine in her own homestead. They could move at night to avoid being seen, even though it meant if they came together to meet it had to be an all-day affair.
The one pony Fluttershy was not comfortable having in her house for an extended period, Ancepanox, could teleport, but the alicorn still lingered longer than necessary asking questions.

“I was asking if this house is the one that originally stood on this site or not.” Ancepanox repeated. "When I was digging into Ponyville's past, back when it was Dneighper Crypts, I found indications there was a house on this spot. But that was two-hundred years ago, but this cottage doesn't look to be more than fifty years old.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She very rarely lost patience with ponies, but with Ancepanox she was having to host her abuser, and knowing there was really nothing she could do about it made it hurt even more. just looking at those purple-flecked eye filled her with revulsion.
“Well, um, Rarity told me old church was here. Well, uh, not actually here here, but between the tree and and creek. Nopony used the building after the Apples and the others moved to the Cryph and founded Ponyville. The church burned down a few years before I moved to Ponyville, but the foundations were still here.”

“The, err, nightmare church?” Applejack coughed, shifting in her chair.

“Yes. The land on this side of the river is common for Ponyville. Rarity and her friends helped me raise the house. Um... Big Mac among them..." Fluttershy glanced away, voice growing quiet. “Does, um, anypony want more tea?”

Dash’s cup was untouched and ignored on the platter, and Applejack and Ancepanox were still waiting for their first cup to cool.
“We’re good sugar.” Applejack smiled, hiding her cringe at the mention of her brother.

Ancepanox spoke up again. “So that would make the house how old?”

“Eleven years.” Fluttershy nodded. “I moved right after the Cloud Creche, um, incident.”

That elicited a cringe from Rainbow Dash. She slouched away from the window, her gaze sinking to the floor. “Has it been eleven years already?” She whimpered.

“Yup.” Applejack said somberly. “I remember it. I was in Manehattan. Lights across the sky, so pretty. I’d wondered if’d been Ponyville that exploded.”

“Yeah… Eleven years.” Ancepanox sipped her tea, scalding her tongue. Unlike the other ponies in the room, Ancepanox was not feeling down. In fact she felt rather okay about how things were going. The sun was up. The Bright world had its future to look forward to. “Where do you think we will be that long from now? I hope to be reminiscing about this moment, in peaceful times.”

“In eleven years I'll probably be dead.” Dash mulled somberly, turning back to the window. Looking out she could see a good stretch of the Dneighper River, Ponyville, and the rolling hills beyond. The scenery, in all its lush tones, was beutiful beyond description. Since returning to Equestria Dash hadn't taken even a moment to appreciate her homeland. Had she ever? "Even so, I hope I live. There’s lots I want to do out there.”

"Don't be so morbid." Applejack leaned to the side and set her head on her hoof. "A lot can happen in that time. Golly, in eleven years Apple Bloom will be about as old as I am now! Do you think a filly like her would be as silly as me?”

“You think you're silly?” Ancepanox asked.

“Feudin' with friends, tryin to manipulate others, havin' anger problems. I feel a real fool. I deserve... worse than I got.” Applejack listed morosely. "I don't have much in this world, just some land and my family. I've already been an unforgivable jackass to my big brother and drivin' him away. What's Applebloom gunna do with me now? I gotten myself cursed for my sins. I helped y'all kill my princess for gods' sake! All the usual silly stuff." She laughed humorlessly. "So yeah, I'm a silly pony."

“When you put in those terms, I can hardly disagree.” Ancepanox another sip of tea.

"Aren't friends supposed to reassure each other over their flaws, not agree about them?" Dash asked.

Ancepanox considered this for a while. "Nevermind Applejack, you're not silly."

"Thanks. Means a lot to me." Applejack said quietly.

Though she was obviously being sardonic, Ancepanox appreciated Applejack was even willing to talk like this. Had she ever just sat down with friends and had tea before? For a few months, right after she had left Celestia and began her studies at the university, she had tried to salvage her nonexistent social life by going to the Canterlot coffee shops with various classmates. Only the a few dared to share a table with the notorious Twilight Sparkle, mostly carryovers from her brief time at the Unicorn School: Lyra Heartstrings from the College of Music, Minuette from the College of History, Lemon Heart from the Biological Sciences Department, Twinkleshine from Performing Arts, and fellow polymaths Moon Dancer. It was... an awkward time, looking back on it.
Of course, it all changed after the rivalry and spat with Cadence. Everypony had abandoned Twilight, citing her hair-trigger and constant outbursts. The bubbly socialite alicorn had deprived her of her friends just by being so infuriating! When Cadence went reclusive after the collapse of the marriage conspiracy plot, Twilight didn't bother to search out her friends again, to rediscover the absolute joy of being all alone (with Spike).

Those weren't happy days to look back on. Really, Ancepanox struggled to think of any part of her childhood and late youth that was good in any real sense. Yes she remembered fulfillment and enjoyment when reading, practicing magic, and being with Spike, but those were fleeting compared to the day to day hum-drum.
How were her old friends and enemies doing now? Canterlot had been so dark and quiet when she'd visited during the night. Her university friends were no doubt doing fine, sheltering in their dorms or on campus. But those ponies of note, Cadence or Shining Armor, would be under genuine threat by the shattering of the old status-quo.

“What are you thinking about?” A question broke pulled Ancepanox out of her thoughts. Surprisingly, it had been Fluttershy who had asked it. Ancepanox had caught the pegasus staring several times.

“My life before Ponyville. It would be better for me if I stopped caring about my old life, but can't.” Ancepanox said. “Maybe you remember me telling you about the junior princess, Cadence. I should be way past that old feud, but I can't help feeling smug that I'm superior to her in every way now."

“Alicorns are supposed to be above that kind of thing. Leave your past to Twilight. I thought was the entire point of you.” Fluttershy said, with no small tinge of sanctimoniousness in her words.

"Are we? Because every alicorn I've ever met was consumed by bitter, petty obsession. If you think heavenly beings act aloof and high-mindedly, you've been sold the same lie as everypony else.” Ancepanox laughed, taking another sip of tea. “Being around me will quickly disabuse you of that delusion."

“Just because you are a self-absorbed, uncaring meany doesn't mean anything. I won't judge all alicorns by you the same way you can't judge all ponies by me.” Fluttershy glared. Gradually her expression softened. “We can be better. I know we can be better. When we all work to make the world a less nasty place, we have less reason to be mean and paranoid."

"That's a pretty optimistic utopian vision. Not to swerve off into political science here, but this world will have to change a lot more than you might think to actually erase evil." Ancepanox leaned to one side.

Fluttershy thought for a little bit. "Everypony is selfish, but that's because there's not enough for all of us yet. It doesn't have to be that way."

“Everypony?” Ancepanox rose up, stepped around the couch to look at Fluttershy one-on-one. “And what selfish thoughts are you thinking right now, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy stared back at her, her expression neutral.

Ancepanox leaned forward, inch by inch, until her nose brushed back some of Fluttershy's curing mane.

'Can you hear my thoughts?' It was a feint whisper, but still audible.

"Yes I can." Ancepanox whispered back. She took a step back. "I can't control what I hear and what I can't. I'm still getting used to this power. I..." She glanced around the world, a devious smirk overtaking her. “Really? Such thoughts! I would never have imagined.”

Fluttershy allowed herself a thin smile.
Dash and Applejack seemed to be getting nervous.

“All of them? B- But what about their families?!” Ancepanox stammered. “No. That’s taking it too far!”

“What’s goin on?” Applejack asked, alert. "Are we in danger?"

"Tshh, nah. It's a joke." Ancepanox chuckled, falling back into the couch beside Applejack. "Not a funny one, granted."

"I thought it was funny." Fluttershy beamed with adorable devilishness. “I was imagining otters.”

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash's brow furrowed. "Did you actually... read her mind?"

Ancepanox shrugged. "Hey, I don't know what I did. I'm probably going to experimenting with my magic for the next hundred years and still not know every trick. Most of what I've been doing to far is adapting spells I already know." She paused. "If only Celestia weren't dead and the nation wasn't careening into chaos, I could take some time and really delve into Dark magic and dream magic. It's a field totally forgotten by Equestrian academia!"

“Seriously?” Dash deadpanned.

“Well yeah. I might discover something really useful." Ancepanox insisted.

"Not when you have a hundred things that need your attention and time. You've got big horseshoes to fill, you know." Applejack said. "Like, you've got the power to go out and help ponies, so frolickin' around with your magic could even be seen as evil."

"Hence my earnest wish Celestia were still around. Even if she didn't do anything, her presence kept things stable." Ancepanox huffed. Applejack brought up the issue of time. It made Ancepanox think of the one branch of magic that would probably elude her forever, that mysterious and monumental power reserved for the Sun and those daring enough to challenge it... The Phantom Time. With Celestia dead, would some random pony get invested with the sun's powers? It would be interesting to see, though thinking on it Ancepanox wasn't confident she could win a fight against an opponent that could literally manipulate time.

"Y'all're looking a bit pale there. You okay?" Applejack asked.

"Why do you ponies keep bugging me about my thoughts." Ancepanox muttered. She cleared her throat and spoke a bit louder. "I make a joke and it's not funny. I try to reflect and I get interrupted. How about you talk to me only after I talk to you. How about that, huh?"

"Maybe don't be an alicorn if you don't want to be the center of attention." Dash said.

Ancepanox scowled. "How about I just leave then."

Applejack shook her head. “That ain’t funny. We’re all on edge here.”

“Well, um, you could try to be a little understanding of their situation, Moon. Everypony is counting on you, and you joking and playing around is making them anxious.” Fluttershy chipped in. “Not that I mean to cheapen your choices and agency in any way.”

“It's already been pointed out to me I have big responsibilities, and shirking them would be 'evil'. ” Ancepanox grumbled. She poured herself another cup of tea. “That’s why I’m just on edge too. I’m just feeling dragged down. To be honest with you, I'd rather just be watching over Twilight right now. Being around her makes me feel..." She trailed off.

"How about you focus on one thing and complete it. Then it's off your plate." Applejack said.

Ancepanox glared at her, tempted to retort, but she held off. It would be too easy to argue with them all day. "Well I'm certainly not solving anything sitting around here. By my calculations, the first big chore I can complete are the tests I'm running on Rarity."

"Do you mean with Rarity?" Fluttershy asked.

Ancepanox ignored the question. "In the next few days, I think I'll have a much more complete understanding of how the nightmare curse works, and crucially, how to suppress it. Like I explained before, Rarity is the ideal test case for this because I can mess around in her body without irreversibly damaging her soul."

"But I don't remember you telling us it didn't hurt her." Dash said.

"I doubt the pain will be that traumatic." Ancepanox said dismissively. "Besides she consented to this. It's to help you!"

Fluttershy shifted in her seat. "You would rather be with Twilight than do that."

Ancepanox scoffed. "Obviously I would rather be with Twilight than with Rarity, even if the former is still sleeping.

"Is it going to change anything if you're there when wakes up? I mean, we really have no idea who she is right now." Applejack pointed out. "Her brain's been stir-fried by the nightmare, chopped up by Celestia, and who knows if time or your magic made her whole again."

“I appreciate you reminding me of that stress inducing fact, Applejack." Ancepanox grunted, sipping on her second cup of tea. "None of this will be worth it if she comes up broken. Ancepanox's existance has been premised on the assumption that Twilight Sparkle would be alive and well as her own being. If she isn't..." She drank the hot tea in a single gulp, relishing the way the hot water tortured her throat and stomach. It was a good pain. "Whatever. I've got to go. There's stuff to do and I won't stand to be called evil for not doing them."

“See ya.” Dash nodded. Fluttershy and Applejack gave little waves.

“Same time tomorrow I think. I hope to have some better answers by that time..” Without further ado, the space that the black alicorn occupied exploded into purple light. When it cleared she was gone and her empty tea cup lay on the tray.

Applejack rubbed the afterimage of the blinding flash from her eyes. “Geeze. I'll never get used to that.” She stood up. “It’s 'bout time I go and check on Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. Who knows what kinda trouble they could get into on the farm if I let them alone too long.”
She used the door, checking for any snooping ponies before galloping towards home. With a nightmarish burst of speed, she was almost a blur as she leapt across the river into the trees.

Dash returned her attention out the window. “Eleven years, huh?” She said vacantly.

“Eleven years.” Fluttershy echoed, resuming her crocheting.

Aside from Fluttershy, there had been one Ponyvillian who had stayed the Eternal Night in town and still come up with a clear idea about the cause.

Pinkie Pie exited her little bakery and looked around. It was a quiet mid-morning. A couple ponies were on the street but by and large everypony was still staying in their homes.

"Things will go back to normal. Then things will get even better." Pinkie said confidently. She knew how a city healed after a crisis. She'd lived through it before.
She trotted out to the edge of town without meeting anypony. "Wowsers." Pinkie said. Ponyville's hospital had already been more of a clinic, being both small and ill-equipped for complicated care. With the second floor blown clean off it was even smaller than it had been. "I have to check on Rarity and Applejack later, to check they're okay. But right now, my Pinkie sense tells me there's another pony that needs my attention.

Pinkie Pie was not a vindictive pony. She had been, once upon a time, in her teen years in Canterlot. But those days were long gone, if not by time then by her personal evolution.
Ponyville hospital was quiet as she approached. Peering through the broken windows she could see the building was as trashed on the inside as on the outside from whatever blast had blown apart the second floor. Broken glass and debris had been swept to the corners and broken furniture had been stacked later disposal. One of the nurses, Redheart, was by the entrance treating a Ponyvillian for a scraped leg.

"Good morning!" Pinkie said cheerfully.

The pony with the scrape was Amethyst Star, something of a cynic and a grump but generally a nice pony. "Hi Pinkie."

Redheart looked up from her wound cleaning. "Hello Mis Pie."

Pinkie had a mission but that didn't mean she couldn't give time to her neighbors. "How are you doing?"

Redheart shrugged.

"I punched a wall." Amethyst said, sounding proud of it. "Another thing I have to fix I guess."

"Only if you want to. Could be a conversation starter." Pinkie joked. "Have you seen Cherry Fizzy?" Amethyst Star, Cherry Fizzy, and a dozen other ponies were loosely in Rarity's orbit, attending her 'parties'.

Amethyst Star shook her head. "Nope, sorry."

"That's fine! It's not important." Pinkie said. She glanced into the hospital. "Is anypony in there?"

"No doctors. Doc Horse was up there when wind blew the second floor off. He's at home now. It's just me doing first aid for who needs it." Redheart said.

"Hope he gets better." Pinkie said earnestly.

"He will. Maybe.” Redheart smiled halfheartedly. “So are you here for us... or her serene ladyship inside?”

“I heard there was a sick pony named Twilight in need of cheering up.” Pinkie said.

“Should be the only room with a light.” Redheart pointed down the hall. “Go in, but I doubt Lady Sparkle will be that responsive. You can hardly tell she's alive just by looking at her, she breaths so slowly. She has been that way since we found her at the edge of the forest."

"Is she dreaming?" Pinkie asked.

Redheart shrugged.

“I bet she is.” Pinkie smiled. “Maybe she’ll dream about me.”

Redheart let her pass, then reconsidered. “Wait, Pinkie. What do you think about the duke and all the knights being here?”

Pinkie stopped in her tracks. “Huh?”

“We are a town without an army. If Celestia’s really gone, what can we do to protect ourselves?”

“Wowee, what’s got you serious all of a sudden?” Pinkie scratched her head.

Amethyst Star laughed. "Yeah Mis Red, why ask Pinkie Pie of all ponies about this hostile occupation? No offense Pink."

"But Pinkie lived in the big city. I barely went farther than Embankment for my nursing apprenticeship, and most Ponyvillians never leave the village." Redheart explained. "We're... anxious. We don't know if this means the loss of our independence."

“Redheart, you don’t need to listen to what ponies say when they’re scared.” Pinkie silenced her with a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “Like momma Pie always said ‘A pony is smart, but ponies are dumb, panicky animals’. She used it in a bit of a different context, but it’s still rad advice.”

“You’re right.” Redheart sighed. “We should wait to see how all this bears out."

"And accept our fate." Amethyst Star commented snidely.

“Hey, everypony has things they worry about. If we didn’t have worries, we’d all just go crazy and make new ones.” Pinkie giggled. “ I’m just gunna pop in to see Twilight and be right back. We can talk more after. That okay?”

“Oh naturally.” Redheart nodded. “Mis Star's treatment is almost done.”

"Finally." Amethyst Star remarked with a laugh.

Pinkie stepped into the hospital and bounced her way down the corridor. Like the entrance, most of the rooms she passed were bare. Hairline cracks had formed in places, and Pinkie doubted the building was safe to be in, let alone to keep patients in.
But there was only the one patient that day. Pinkie Pie stopped at the the only closed door, from under which a faint light came. She pushed it open.

Pinkie wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. Something evil for sure. Perhaps for Twilight to laying decadently on the bed, feeding herself grapes between bouts of insane laughter. Or maybe for Twilight to be sitting in an oversized, chair stroking a mangy and ill-tempered cat. Except Twilight didn’t have a mangy and ill-tempered cat, just Spike. Stroking Spike then. Wait, that didn’t sound right either.

But no, it was just like Redheart had said. Twilight Sparkle was just laying in the hospital bed, bandages wrapped over her forehead and eyes. Warm sunlight streamed through the broken window, but the light visible under the door had been a firefly lantern hung above the bed that was almost burned out.

“So, Twilight, we meet at last.” Pinkie narrowed her eyes. She stepped over to the bed and shuttered the lantern.

Except for the slow rise and fall of her chest, Twilight was motionless.

“Soo, now you have me beaten, trapped. I have no chance of escape! Will you tell me your evil plan?” Pinkie asked.
Face to face with the pony she was pretty sure was responsible for most Ponyville's woes in the past month, Pinkie felt her pent up frustration bleed away. Twilight wasn't an evil villain. She was just a pony. There was no telling why or how she'd done what she'd done until she woke up to answer for herself.
"This is what happens when Pinkie tried to do everything herself. The princempress dies and half of Ponyville goes kablooie." Pinkie sighed. "I've been friends with supernatural ponies before, and I've fought them too. I thought I could contain this problem but I miscalculated by, like, a lot."

Twilight, of course, said nothing.

“It wasn't just you. I thought Rarity was a wannabe poser, no threat at all. I thought her super secret cult were going to fizzle out from her incompetence. Hee hee... If I'd taken them more seriously maybe this wouldn't have happened." Pinkie didn't know for sure if Rarity was involved, but her absence during and after was telling. "Or was Rarity just along for the ride? Were you just along for the ride? Gosh, it's all so confusing.” Pinkie leaned over the prone unicorn. "If I tell myself I shouldn't beat myself up over this because it's larger than what just one pony can solve, then it wouldn't be right for me to just blame you, or just blame Rarity, or anypony. But... somepony could have stopped this, right?"
Pinkie's cheeks were turning red. "You're gunna wake up and clear up all this confusion! You've gotta! Then you can put on that Summer Sun Fair like you were supposed to, and it sill be a super-outrageous party spectacular that will bring everypony together and we can forget this ever happened, and-"

“Pinkie, is everything okay? I heard yelling?” Redheart’s voice carried down the hall.

Pinkie stepped back from Twilight. She was more emotional than she'd meant to get. “Everything’s fine!” She called back to Redheart. Then quieter to herself "Everything will be fine."

There wasn't much else to say.
Pinkie was about to pack it up and go home, when all of a sudden all the muscles of her back tensed, and the base of her tail began to itch terribly. For any other pony, it would be the sign of a stroke, but for Pinkie they were symptomatic of something much worse.

“Gah!” Pinkie half gasped, half choked. “A Star in Ponyville?!”

She had to hide. If her sense was correct, and it always was, a Star was about to walk through the door. Or that was her panicked and rushed judgement based on the feeling she received.

Twilight’s mouth fell open and she began to gargle her spit as her unconscious body tried to form words. The entire room was filled with an inaudible whine that made Pinkie’s ears ring and eyes water.

“What is even going on?” Pinkie cried out. She really hadn’t come ready for trouble. She wasn’t prepared.
Pinkie considered about warning Redheart, but there was no time. Promising to herself to apologize later, Pinkie dropped to the floor and squeezed under the bed. It was extremely cramped, and a pony less flexible than Pinkie wouldn’t have managed.
She forced herself into a slow and deep breathing cycle to minimize her aura. She was just in time, for her muscles and tail tensed again, enough to make her cramp painfully. Pinkie had to bite her lip to keep from crying out.

A sound like a snapping twig came from just outside the room: Somepony teleporting. But Twilight was the one on the bed... Who else in a hundred kilometers of Ponyville could teleport?
There was the clink of horseshoes as the new arrival stepped into the dim room. Pinkie dared to rotate her head a bit, to see four steel blue horseshoes attached to slender black legs.

“Not sleeping well?” Questioned the interloper’s hoarse but feminine voice. “What's happened? Is dreamless rest so... unfulfilling?" A muffled sigh. "How hard I may try to ease your slumber, it's not to be. How restless the world expects you to be in all things, waking or not."

Pinkie had no idea who the interloper was. Not one of the Stars she'd met, but there was no mistaking the chill Pinkie felt upon hearing that voice, the subtle energy behind it. If it wasn't a Star it was something akin, a very powerful entity.

Above Pinkie on the bed, Twilight Sparkle continued to whine and gargle, greatly pained by the interloper's mere presence.

“I hear you, I hear you. Like a chick calling for her mother, you... yearn for... nourishment.” The mystery mare stepped closer to the bed, giving Pinkie a good look to the winding etched patterns and on her steel horseshoes. Her fur was a very dark purplish color, almost pure black. "What am I going to do with you. Instead of giving you freedom I've..." The bed creaked. "Well, we will see what happens."

The facts were coming together in Pinkie’s mind.
Rarity and Applejack’s disappearance made a lot more sense with a Star thrown into the mix. It wasn't even impossible that she had been the one to Eternal Night. Judging by her legs and the way the floor creaked underneath her, the mare could probably have taken on Celestia in a fight!
The question was how Twilight fit in. Pinkie hadn't thought anything about the similar magic of Twilight hunting dreams and the Stars preying on souls, but now the superficial similarities were looking not so superficial. How much different was biting off a chuck of dream to a chuck of soul? Pinkie Pie didn't know.
Now with this creature leaning on Twilight's bed, Pinkie had to reassess her assumptions, and how much she thought she knew. Dang it Pinkie, Pinkie thought, hubris strikes twice in as many nights. She'd never had such a hubristic trip-up since she'd seen fit to explain what hubris was to somepony, and they shushed to and said they already knew. How embarrassing. Now she'd been thinking of the word hubris so much it was undergoing semantic sanitation for her.

Mercifully for Pinkie's derailing train of thought, the interloper whispered again, her hoarse voice cracking into near indecipherability. "Please don't cry. Please, what do you want? Twilight... Only the mare who introduces themselves says their own name. It's other ponies' names that we speak. Names, words, connections we're making either giving or taking other's names." A throaty snicker. "Geeze, what the hell am I saying. Rambling..." A sigh. "Who else am I going to ramble to, Twilight?"

You could ramble to me, Pinkie Pie thought to herself. Besides that this new character was bizarre and compelling in her mystery, Pinkie liked the gravelly voice. She was unsettled but excited about it all. She was half tempted to squeeze out from under the bed and introduce herself.

But a sharp cough from above superseded that thought. "Oh whatever. Whatever. I didn't come here to talk, as good as it feels. I have to stop you crying, little foal." The interloper put more weight on the bed, making it s springs creak into Pinkie's ear. "And for others listening... unfortunately covering your ears won't help. I have to feed the baby."

Pinkie was wondering what those creepy words meant when she the most awful sound she could ever imagine forced it’s way into her head. It was like a hundred rusted nails being pulled out of hardwood, or piles of bones cracking and all the lost flesh squelching in the stomach of a virulent pustule. When it was over, after about fifteen seconds, Pinkie achingly pleaded that splinters be driven into her eyes rather than bear the sound again.

But Twilight wasn't whining anymore. It was completely silent.

From above the bed, the interloper was speaking again. "Sorry. That's just how a dream sounds out loud. My poor child needs it. Don't blame her. She's not going to understand what's going on either for a while. Hmph. Sleep well Twilight."
The sharp sound of space being folded and broken once more rang through the room as the mystery mare teleported away.

Pinkie, groaning and cradling her head, scooted her way out from under the bed. “Oooh, that was toooooo close.” Her stomach was still doing somersaults from the awful mental intrusion. Twilight, who’d borne the brunt of it, was looking contented and snug. “This isn't good. Why's a thing like that got an interest in Twilight?” But the logic was the same as before: Twilight couldn't answer for herself until she woke up.

With all the shouting, shrieking and cracking of spells, Redheart should have surely heard and investigated. Pinkie, unsteady on her hooves, staggered into the hall and towards the entrance.
Redheart was slumped against the hospital door, shaking and whimpering, her eyes fluttering behind closed lids.

"Did she..." Pinkie pressed a hoof to Redheart's cheek. She was no warmer or colder than a pony should be. "How? She's been... hunted." Pinkie dragged Redheart into the lobby to shelter her from the elements. It would be a few hours before she would awake. "Whoever that was it wasn't a Star. A Star eats ponies whole." Then why hadn't the mystery mare hunted Pinkie, if she'd known she was there? Did she want an eavesdropper?

Pinkie, sat down and waited for her nausea to pass. “Gosh. I don’t even know what’s even going on anymore.” She glanced back towards the room Twilight was in. "I'll find out eventually. I just gotta keep myself out of trouble until then." She grinned. "Hee hee. Like that's an option."

Apple Bloom didn't know much about the storied history of her home, the Sweet Apple Acres. She didn't even know it was called that, and neither did most ponies. They just knew it as Applejack's farmstead. It was a much more luxurious affair than would be expected for the humble mare, multistory, ornamental filagree here and there, very sturdily built, and a cellar. When most farmhouses in Ponyville were modest cottages the Apple family's home was akin to a little palace, so to speak. It was one of the oldest buildings in Ponyville despite its new paint and immaculate timbers, the first building put up after the influx of new settlers. The Apple family and the others who moved into the valley raised their homes on the refounded land that had been Dneigper Crypts after those older inhabitants dispersed for unknown reasons. As the farmsteads went up, those dilapidated and rotted ruins collapsed, as did their history.
But as it went, even the more recent history receded into the past, and the only ponies who could have told Apple Bloom those old tales too dispersed.

"Hey, Apple Bloom, why don't we ever see your granny any more?" Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom stoped staring out her window, glancing back at her friend who was doodling on scraps of paper on the floor. "She joined a caravan to help found a settlement down south. I thought I told you that."

"I guess I wasn't paying attention." Scootaloo shrugged. "No offense, but how's an old grandmother help found a settlement?"

Apple Bloom went back to looking out the window.

There was some sounds from the next room over. A minute later Sweetie Belle peered into the room, hair mussed and eyes bleary. "How did you get here before I even woke up?" She asked. "And weren't you grounded?"

"Nope!" Scootaloo happy declared.

"So... your mom was okay for you being missing all night?!” Sweetie Belle asked. She looked to Apple Bloom who shrugged. "Lucky."

“Uh huh. She just wanted to know where I went.” Scootaloo nodded.

“Did you tell her the truth?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Obviously. She’s my mom.” Scootaloo said, turning back to her doodling. “I even told her about the nightmares and Celestia dying and stuff, and she was like ‘okay Scootaloo, here’s dinner’. “

“I wonder about y’all’s mom sometimes.” Apple Bloom muttered.

"I'm glad you're not in trouble though. Lucky you." Sweetie Belle hopped onto Apple Bloom's bed and sat down. "What have you been talking about?"

"Not much." Scootaloo said.

"I've been thinking though. We've got a problem." Apple Bloom whispered.

"I mean yeah, lots of problems, but what are we going to do?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Lucky stars, the nightmare thing only accidentally involved us. It could be worse, like if we were at the center of the whole thing."

"Ya don't think we could change it? Think bigger, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom turned from the window. "Let's kill Twilight Sparkle." She picked up one of Scootaloo's scraps of paper and crayons, quickly sketching a depiction of two pony figures, one purple and one black, hanging from trees. “Both of them. We can put them in a trap like ya do for rabbits.”

"That seems like an extraordinarily bad idea." Sweetie Belle deadpanned.

"Yeah... Your sisters would be really upset.” Scootaloo protested.

Sweetie Belle nodded her agreement. "Like, the princess is trying to help them turn back to normal."

"I see you avoiding saying 'make them not be black anymore'." Scootaloo joked, waggled her eyebrows. Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out at her friend.

"Y'all don't get it. Twilight caused all this and she needs to go to. It's the only way to end it." Apple Bloom promised. She grabbed another sheet of paper from the pile and began another sketch. “Nopony else can do it!"

"Can't they?" Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom's scowl deepened. "I've been thinking about it since the sun came up. It's the only way to fix this! We’ll put her in a coffin and drop her in a snake pit, like in the story of Princess Reckless in the storybooks!”

“But, would that make us the bad guy?” Sweetie Belle whimpered.

“It’s only bad if you do it to a good pony!” Apple Bloom stabbed into her paper with her crayon. “Bad ponies like Twilight Sparkle deserve it.”

“I don't agree Apple Bloom. That's just evil.” Scootaloo took another scrap of paper for herself and began idly doodling clouds and flying pegasi. “I mean yeah, she did attack everypony and cause the night, but she fixed it afterwards.”

“What?” Apple Bloom hissed. “Fixin' it doesn’t mean she can get away with causin' it! Besides, our sisters are still all monster-y!”

“But our sisters promise that's being fixed.” Sweetie Belle pointed out.

“Shut up!” Apple Bloom snapped, instantly regretting it. “I’m sorry Sweetie Belle. I didn’t mean that. I just don’t know how y’all can defend that monster!”

“It’s okay. If I had a sister and she was turned into a nightmare I’d be pretty sad.” Scootaloo consoled her. “Or would it be rad? I don't know... Oh, but if was one of you two, I'd get mad! Yeah. ohh, I’d be sooo mad, I might just want to kill her too!”

“Thanks Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom sighed. It felt much better knowing there was at least two ponies there for her when everypony else was unreliable. “I guess that idea’s bust, three to one against.”

“We’ve all had our turn being the angry one. It’s better than being a crybaby about it.” Scootaloo offered. “Why do you think your sisters, Mis Dash, and Mis Fluttershy like Twilight and Ankle-pants-socks?”

“It’s pronounced Ancy-pan-oxe.” Sweetie Belle coughed.

“Isn't that what I said?” Scootaloo arched a brow.

“No, you said it different.” Apple Bloom sided with Sweetie. “But do they like to like her, or do they have to?”

“Have to?” Sweetie queried.

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah, for pragmatical reasons.”

“What’s pragmatical mean?” Scootaloo asked

“I dunno, but Applejack’s always sayin it. I think it means that you do somethin' you don’t like, so you can do somethin' you do like.”

Scootaloo pushed away her drawing and started on another. “So what you’re saying is that we can do something for her, to get her to do something for us?”

“I don’t think that’s what I said, but maybe…” Apple Bloom scratched her nose. “Yeah, we could do practical.”

“Do you think we’d get a wish?” Sweetie Belle wondered. “We could ask Ancepanox to... make us stronger.”

“Yeah! We get strong enough to help our sisters by ourself” Apple Bloom chortled gleefully. “THEN we kill that monster!”

“Let’s do what we agree on, then do what we don’t.” Sweetie Belle said. She’d heard Twilight say that once. It was a versatile phrase. “We go to Ancepanox Twilight and do pragmatical with her.”

“I agree.” Scootaloo said. “Apple Bloom?”

Apple Bloom nodded her concurrence.

The three of them put their hooves together, and after a moment of unspoken covenant, pulled away and resumed their childish doodling.

The sun was setting over Ponyville. Though it had risen and fallen once already since the Eternal Night, the ponyvillians on the roads and in the markets still cringed at the sight. Only in their imaginations did they know that dark and monstrous figures had walked their streets during the knight. They had only a vague awareness of foreign, unreal things, lurking and moving, testing ponykind's fortitude. Their eyes darted towards the Everfree Forest frequently. Rumor and suspicion were starting to spread.

Iillor hung at the edge of the market square, watching it empty out as ponies rushed their shopping to get home before nightfall. Not that the evening activity was that much to begin with.
She took a bite out of a pear she’d bought, letting the juices dribble down her chin. If there’s one thing city ponies missed out on more than anything else, it was fresh food.

"Hum dillidee dum, the hills are lively and so am I. Hum dillidee dee." Iillor sang to herself. The had an unshakable and oppressive feeling clouding her thoughts, that she both belonged and was a stranger in Ponyville.
Yes she was a stranger. She knew none of the ponies around her, their habits, their desires... But she knew the streets, the way the earth and air smelled, how the clouds drifted overhead. The Ponyville's little market square was both comforting and depressing. Yes... she was gripped by conflicting, paradoxical emotions, but she wouldn't trade that experience for anything. It made her feel more alive than almost anything she'd done since returning to the Bright World.
Almost, because nothing could surpass the ecstasy of the kill.

One of the market venders, a pink earth pony with a straw hat and a yellow mane noticed Iillor loitering and trotted over. The mare had a pair of cherries as her mark. “Are you okay mis?” She asked. “Are you lost?”

“Nah, I’m just enjoying the sunset.” Iillor smiled. The ponyvillians were seeing unfamiliar faces since Duke Lightdowser arrived and set up his camp at the edge of town. Some ponies were bound to be curious. “It’s been a while since I was in a village like this. I’m a country pony myself, from a scratch in the dirt smaller even than here.”

“Yeah? Are you from Unicornia too?”

“Nope, I'm a valley mare too, from near here actually. It’s was a pretty small village so might not have heard of it. Just a few families. Place called Dneighper Crypt.”

The pony blinked. A visible change came over her demeanor and she slightly leaned away from Iillor. It was multiple seconds before she perked up and replied. “Huh. Dneighper Crypt. Nuh uh. Never heard of it. And there aren’t many villages on this stretch of the river either. Would you, uhh, tell me about it?”

Iillor grinned wider. “Would I ever! Oh, my home was an easy place to miss. The forest covered both sides of the river all and the houses were nestled just out of sight of the embankment. There was the tailor’s house and her little hemp field, the cluster of farm houses, the commons, the blacksmith’s house and his shop, the baker’s house, and the orchards. And me and my father’s house too.” Iillor recounted nostalgically. “Oh, Mayor Solemn was a slave driver, but there was never a more selfless pony. Even though my father and I were outsiders she let us in. That’s a rare open-mindedness for clannish village ponies, you know?”

“Uh huh.” The mare agreed very eagerly. “This ‘Solemn’ sounds nice. Too many ponies are too busy throwing blame everywhere, being suspicious, and not busy enough being hospitable to new friends.”

“Ponies in general are just too mean. Too… Confrontational is the word I’m looking for.” Iillor extended a hoof. “I’m Illustrious Valor, Iillor for short.”

“And my name is Cherry Berry.” Cherry shook Iillor’s hoof. It was a stiff, rushed shake. “Whew, Illustrious Valor is super cool name. Are you a soldier, or a knight? Doing some investigations?”

“I’m a teacher. Kinda.” Iillor shrugged. “And I assume you sell fruit?”

“Kinda.” Cherry Berry glanced back and saw the sun was two-thirds disappeared under the horizon. “You know I’d love to talk more, but uhh, I have somewhere I need to be.”

“Oh, I understand. We all have somewhere to be before dark.” Iillor joked, flashing a last long grin. “I’ll see you around.”

“Probably. It’s a small town.” Cherry laughed along with her.

Iillor waved farewell and cantered out of the market square, on her way to the western edge of town. Twilight Sparkle would be waking up soon, and she needed to be there for it.

Cherry Berry watched Iillor leave. "Golly me." She muttered to herself as the black furred mare turned the corner out of the market square. She went back to her stall and finished closing up.
Most of what Cherry Berry had been selling had been picked before the Eternal Night, since the night’s chill had killed a lot of Ponyville’s fruit. It didn’t mean a catastrophe, since the lush Dneighper Valley allowed multiple harvests per year. Best case scenario, the mid-summer harvest was bountiful enough to make up for the losses. Hopefully there were no crop failures.
But none of that was an immediate concern for Cherry Berry. Her mind was a tumultuous sea, trying to decipher meaning in what Iillor had said. She'd said Dneighper Crypt. Nopony knew about Dneighper Crypt except Rarity's circle of confidents in the Nightmare Faithful. What was more only about ten ponies know the name of Solemn.
Was Iillor a cultist from another city, a potential enemy, or an overly curious outsider? Iillor's descriptions of Dneighper, spoken almost longingly, were more like a fond memory than the articles of scripture that the faithful had.

Cherry Berry knew it meant something, but she didn’t know what yet.

Berry finished locking up the stall and took off her straw hat, then set off towards the riverside at a quick trot. She did actually have a place to be by sundown: A meeting in Rarity’s house/tailory.

Cherry was hoping to have the full walk from the market to Rarity's house to think, but three familiar ponies standing by the bridge, whispering amongst themselves, pulled her attention.

“Oh hey guys.” Cherry Berry looked around for any possible snooper before approaching. “Doing all right?”

The ponies looked her way. Cherry Fizzy, her brother. Caramel, one of Fizzy's friend. Amethyst Star, one of Fizzy's... friends? But beyond friendship the ponies had a reason to be idling by the bridge at dusk. "What's up Cher Berr?" They beckoned.

“So…” Cherry Berry joined their circle. “Did Rose talk to you all too? About the meeting at Rarity's?"

“Caramel thinks it’s a trap by that duke, but I’m not buying it.” Cherry Fizzy was a tawny colt with graphite black hair and a mark that mirrored his twin sister’s exactly. “They would’ve nabbed us by now. They have no reason to play around.”

“It’s not the duke I’m worried about. It’s the knights.” Caramel objected. His coat was a very similar shade to Cherry Fizzy’s, but his mane and tail were light brown. His mark was a trio of stylized blue horseshoes. “They’re always following me, looking at me.”

“They’re just patrolling, ya dumbflank.” Amethyst Star was leaned back against the bride, snacking on an apple. She was a tall lilac unicorn mare with a two-tones of violet in her mane and three cut diamonds for her mark. “Maybe it’s you who's following them.”

“What? I never!”

“You never, huh? I know for a fact they look at you funny because you keep ogling them.” Star snickered. “Have a thing for mares in uniform?”

“Do not!” Carmel objected, his voice getting whiny. “That’s baseless!”

“Guys, you’re losing the plot here. Carmel has a good reason to worry and there’s a real risk that we’re exposed.” Cherry Berry sighed. Amethyst Star and Cherry Fizzy looked at her, incredulous. “Look, I know I said yesterday that the chances of anypony suspecting us is pretty much nil, but I was wrong.”

“What, did somepony squeal?” Star grunted.

“Maybe, maybe not. But somepony knows.” Cherry bit her lip. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m just worrying you over nothing.”

“The hell do you mean, nothing!” Cherry Fizzy snorted angrily. “If somepony knows, then somepony told. If somepony tells a bit more, we’re all dead!”

"This vagueness is killing me Cherry Berry. If we're in danger you've got to tell us." Caramel said.

“Implying anyone gives a buck.” Amethyst Star laughed. “At this point, with all the wacky stuff happening with the sun and moon, worshiping our demon gods makes us the sane one, and them the heretics.”

“Really Star? Have a little pride. What we believe can’t be deconstructed like that. We’re faithful ponies. We have traditions.” Cherry Berry scolded. “One of the new ponies in town knows our traditions too. Draw your own conclusion.”

"So, like, what do they know?" Caramel asked cautiously.

"Who cares the scope of the leak, or how they found out, or who it is." Star said. "You're not putting the cat back in the bag without killing some ponies."

"Star, what the hell are you talking about?!" Caramel exclaimed, aghast.

"Yeah, that's what I though. Since you don't want to kill anypony you just have to sit tight and let the consequences roll down on top of us." Amethyst Star shook her head. "Not being fatalistic, just being real here."

"You're just being mean Amethyst Star." Cherry Fizzy chided.

Star rolled her eyes. "Whatever. This endless speculation is boring."

Cherry Berry sighed. “I didn't mean to set off any speculation. I wanted to ask if anypony had seen Rarity.”

“Rose talked to her.” Caramel said.

“None of us in person though, nor anypony else.” Amethyst Star took another bite out of her apple. “Shuspicioush.”

“Wait wait wait, what are you implying?” Cherry Fizzy scowled.

"Cherry Berry brought her up." Amethyst Star said.

Cherry Fizzy turned to Cherry Berry. “So you say, in very vague terms, that an outsider knows about us. Then you bring up Rarity."

"No, I’m not implying Rarity sold us out. I'm not. I literally just asking if you’d seen her. Of everypony, I’d expect Rarity would know what's going on, since she’s always communicating with the expats.” Cherry Berry groaned. "All I'm saying, honestly."

"Eh, I kinda do think Rarity sold us out." Amethyst Star shrugged. "If Cher Berr were a little less vague I would be able to say for sure."

"As if, Star." Cherry Berry rolled her eyes.
Maybe hinting about Iillor had been the wrong thing to do, but Cherry Berry wasn't sure what could be done about the strange outsider even in the best circumstances. As Amethyst Star had crudely said, there was no putting the cat back in the bag without murder. The thing was, Iillor had seemed like a genuinely nice pony. Cherry Berry almost wanted to believe that the burnt mare wouldn’t do anything to harm them. “Buck it. I’m going to the meeting. Even if Rarity sold us out, at least I’d have answers.”

Amethyst Star tossed her apple core in the river and pushed off the bridge wall. “Eh, if I went home I’d just have to deal with my sister all evening. Guess I’m in.”

“Well, I would go, but now you’ve got me worried too.” Cherry Fizzy whispered. “Like, what if why the meeting’s at Rarity's house, and not at the statue or the castle like normal, because this she wants to limit our escape routes?”

“Goodness gracious Fizzy, now you're being as jumpy as Caramel. With these knights around there's no way a dozen ponies could sneak out of town unnoticed. Staying in town is much less suspicious. ” Cherry Berry said. “Let’s go Star. These two dolts can panic on their own time.”

“I hear that.” Amethyst Star followed her.

“Okay okay! We’re coming.” Cherry Fizzy relented, falling into step behind the mares. “But I’m standing by the door in case it is a trap.”
Caramel followed behind too, muttering to himself about something or another; about legal limits on knights' uniform sexiness to not be so distracting, Cherry Fizzy imagined. Such was the preoccupation of stallion minds.

The sun was now fully below the horizon. The pink and orange light of the fading sunset was slowly growing dimmer.

The four faithful trotted around the town hall to the northern edge of town. All the curtains in Rarity’s home were drawn, except some on the second floor. The bedroom light was on.

“Everypony else is probably already in there.” Amethyst Star yawned.

Cherry Berry shrugged. “Better late than never.” She opened the door and held it open for everypony, closing behind herself.

Like Amethyst Star had predicted, all the other faithful ponies of Ponyville had already arrived, and were now lounging on Rarity’s various chairs and couches, though there was no sign of their host. They numbered fifteen, including the four latest arrivals.
The room was cold. Not literally, but Cherry Berry felt a chill run up her spine as she searched for acknowledgement from the other ponies in the room. They glanced at her and quickly away, or ignored her. They fiddled with their chairs or stared off into space.

Thankfully one pony was willing to break the uneasy silence. “Good evening fillies.” Roseluck, better known to her friends as Rose, was an older mare with a cream-color coat and raspberry mane. She was was seated daintily on one of the measuring stools, right leg crossed over the left. “Long time so see.” She joked.

“Heya Rose.” Cherry Berry gave a little wave. “Felling better than this morning?"

"A little." Rose said.

Cherry paused, but still nopony else said anything. "Um, how’s Daisy?”

“Good. Everything’s good.” Rose smiled tightly, not inauthentically, but Cherry Berry had the feeling that she was as tense as everypony else, but better at hiding it.

Pushing aside her unease, Cher Berr pulled a folded duvet out of one of Rarity's many closets and used it as a cushion. She scooched over so her brother could use it too.
Everypony was there and waiting. All that was missing was the host.

Everypony’s ears perked at the sound of the floorboards of the ceiling creaking, as somepony’s hoofsteps moved from one end to the other. A minute later and a shadow loomed at the doorframe; Rarity leaned out, greeted by the stares of fifteen ponies.

“Ahem. Uh, hello everypony.” Rarity whispered, then louder. "Hello." She stepped fully into the room. She did not look healthy, her eyelids drooping a bit and her coat a tinge grayer than the usual. She had an old book cradled in her hoof. “I’m glad everypony could make it.”

The room was silent.

“I’m, umm…” Rarity cleared her throat. When she looked from pony to pony, she saw they didn’t look relieved to see her, only anxious or impatient. “Well, uh, as you can see Fluttershy isn’t here. She’s, uh… I’ll explain that later I think.” She cleared her throat again. “How are all of you?”

“What is this, an anonymous support group? Pick it up a bit eh?” Amethyst Star shouted. A couple of ponies chuckled nervously.

“What I wanna know is if we have anything to worry about.” Caramel piped up. “Are we safe?”

“Yeah! Are we safe?” Cherry Fizzy and the others chorused.

“Well I- I-” Rarity choked up. She looked at the floor.

Cherry Berry wasn’t sure what to think. Talk, big and small, was one of Rarity’s fortes. When she had something to say, she said it articulately and confidently. Her oratory skill had gotten the faithful out of quite a few conundrums. The Rarity she knew wouldn’t stumbled unless she was carrying a heavy burden.

Rose cleared her throat. “Rarity, our noble hierophant, why don’t you start from the beginning.”

Rarity nodded, and took a deep breath. Still looking at the floor, she began to talk.
“I know a few of you have battled addiction in the past, or known some pony who has. Psychological disease is sometimes much harder to treat than bodily ones. Please, remember that before you judge me too harshly.”

Cherry Berry lay down on the duvet and got ready for a hot mess. Depending on what Rarity had to say, the gathered ponies were going to strangle her or start bawling their eyes out.

“I’m sure you all remember that grave we found at the edge of the forest during last year’s Winter Wrap-up. I stepped up and told the village I would do the research to find out who it was. I told everypony that it was one of Ponyville’s founders. I’m sure all of you realized what I meant by that, and what reburying her near my family’s property signified. Maybe some of you put two and two together when I uncovered the way through the Everfree Forest to the castle, and guessed where the map had come from. When going to and from the castle became routine, the orrigion of it all lost attention, but in reality, nothing was ever so impactful as that moment, that reburied skeleton. Before, I let implication and idly guessing bridge truth and faith. I can't do that anymore. I have to tell you the truth.
"Those of you that have read my books, or payed any attention during lessons, will recognize the name of Solemn. Yes, a name from our town's golden age two hundred years gone, of Dneighper Crypt not Ponyville of course. It wouldn't surprise you to know it was Solemn's grave we found, but there was another. Did you notice duplicate bones, or some discolored in inexplicable ways? The second pony in that grave, unspoken of in any of our liturgies or histories, was just as important as Solemn. She was Solemn's killer... yet also my ancestor. She was Illustrious Valor."

Everypony’s eyes widened as they struggled to understand what it meant.
For Cherry Berry, reclined on the duvet, it was like the world had stopped making sense. Illustrious Valor? As in, the Illustrious Valor she’d talked ten minutes prior? As in, the Illustrious Valor who claimed to be from Dneightper Crypts and know Solemn? She almost stopped listening, gripped by a dread for the two possibilities: An outsider knew everything and was cruelly toying with her, or that dark pony had told no lies. Something very bad was happening in Ponyville.

“I was as shocked as you all are now. To even harbor the suggestion that a murderer could be counted among my line, why it was positively uncouth! A mere hint it was, in the texts as I was researching those intertwined bones: 'Illustrious Valor, diabolical progenator of the lineage of Solemn and Oddity'. It reads as nonsense, but scratched in blood in our vaunted records it could be nothing but the truth. I had no choice but to reckon with this inconceivable thing I had discovered.
“More information was hard to come by. Scarcely was the name of Illustrious Valor even mentioned, let alone elaborated upon. My parents knew nothing. The litanies and records were unhelpful, even those kept in gloom under the roots of the Golden Oak. In rash desperation I sent a coded plea to the expatriate faithful in Baltimare, just hoping they would confirm she existed, and was not just a clerical mistake in our sacred texts.
"The reply from Baltimare was more than I could have dreamed. By personal delivery by a blind messenger two artifacts were delivered, old things that had been taken from Ponyville when Dneighper Crypts was abandoned. The first artifact was a missing volume of records, those of Peculiarity, Solemn's daughter and successor as mayor. I had barely begun to read the volume when I was confronted by truth, as it started with a grim birth announcement, that of Peculiarity's sister Oddity, who would eventually succeed her as mayor. Only here with this first passage, out of hundreds of thousands of passages about the lives of the ponies of Dneighper Crypt which follow, does Peculiarity allow herself a moment of sentiment. Try as I did, I never managed to memorize it.”

Rarity lifted the tome she was carrying with her magic and opened to the bookmarked page. Her eyes scanned the lines as she searched for the right place.

“ ‘My bastard sister. How abominable the circumstances of her conception, however revolting the abhorrent the condition of her birth, is still my blood. Yet will my mother’s soul find rest while her mistake breathes? Illustrious Valor has been brought to justice, but I see her as clearly in the bastard's eyes as I see my mother. All my instinct tells me to destroy this horrendous thing, this demon, this other. But my mind says no. She is my sister. I would be a kinslayer.’
“ ‘Counter my duty to destroy the abomination, is I. My body is barren, bereft of a way of giving my dear mother what she always wanted, the continuation of this house. Perhaps that was her justification for her dalliance with Illustrious Valor, or perhaps not. Whatever the terms of their unholy union, the resulting love child likely has the same fecund powers as her dark progenitor. I shudder to put this thought to paper, but if my sister Oddity caves to her instinct, as Valor did, the house of Belle will not lack for heirs. My mind is asunder. I can not consider that horrific future any longer, comforted only by the chance that the sins I will unleash through my mercy are outweighed by the virtue of my devotion to my mother and my house. Dark Lady, take pitty on me. Heaven will be gorged with the victims I have enabled.’ “

Rarity snapped the book shut, making every pony jump.
“Never again is Illustrious Valor mentioned, nor the power that Peculiarity mentioned.”

Amethest Star raised a hoof.

“Yes Star?” Rarity sighed.

“So let me get this straight. Solemn, aching for grandbabies, lets Illustrius Valor impregnate her. Their little hellspawn kills Solemn, and the village lynches Valor. Are you sure that’s not a minotaur tragic play?” Amethyst said.

Rarity was silent for a while. “Based on what Peculiarity writes I conclude Solemn and Illustrius Valor had been lovers for some time. But Valor was not the, ahem, father, based on my research, not that it saved her from the mob. Valor’s execution must have been heinous and violent, for her bones were broken in a great many places. However Solemn’s skeleton was another story. Her jaw bone had been broken, and showed about eleven months of healing. Her abdomen...” Rarity trailed off, looking distraught by the very memory. “Shall I say that I came away thinking no pony of this earth could have done that to her.
“So I therefore conclude that the abominable conception to which Peculiarity referred was not between Solemn and Valor, but to Solemn from a heavenly thing... dare I say a god? The two lovers, if they were in fact lovers and not cooperators, were the first of our town to commune with the Dark Ones, perhaps even the Dark Lady herself. They may have even been the first to worship the nightmare. I would go as far to say that the summoning, and the resulting child in the form of Oddity, were the true source of the sacred text and incantations. The ponies of Dneighper Crypt had killed Illustrious Valor, but bit by bit they were brought to worship her new gods.”

“Rarity, what you’re saying goes against what you’ve taught us.” One pony, Sweetie Drops, pointed out. “It’s heresy.”

“It is a different truth that we thought we knew." Rarity said evasively.

Amethyst Star laughed softly to herself. "Sounds like were lied to."

"When I found out, I realized it did not really matter if the scriptures are millennia old or only a hundred. What mattered was I was finding proof! The Dark Ones and the Nightmare were real! It was possible, I believed, to do what Solemn and Illustrious Valor had done. I could call another daughter of the Dark, reveal her child, and turn the ponies of Ponyville to our faith. It was everything we ever dreamed about!” Rarity said. She was beginning to twitch. “Oh but where to start, where to start? I had the patchwork history but not a clue about how to recreate it. How was I supposed to tempt the divine to the earth, and let a Dark One be born amongst us?
“That is where the second artifact came in. It was a horseshoe, steel blue, made of spell cast iron. The pony who sent it to me said it had supposedly been found on Illustrious Valor’s hoof when she was caught after Solemn’s death. By description alone I see some of you realize, as I did, whose horseshoe it was: The onetime hierophant and avatar of the Dark Lady, the Nightmare of the Moon, was prophesied to return to the Bright World clad in unholy armor of war. Two hundred years ago, Illustrius Valor and Solemn used that horseshoe to invoke their summoning. I was determined to use it the same way."

Rarity, weary of talking so long, set her book down and reclined in the last empty seat. All the eyes in the room followed her every little movement in silence.

“A horseshoe alone, even if it was brimming with Dark power, was not enough to whim down a god into our world. I recognized then that I still had not nearly the same knowledge as Illustrius Valor. Whoever she was, her control over the delightfully hideous Dark magics was spoken of in hushed tones by the ponies of Dneighper Crypt. So to substitute skill, I opted for raw force: I had to retrieve more of Nightmare Moon’s armor. Yes, it was I who disinterred those caskets in the cemetery last year, and I who unearthed the mass grave below our statue. Though not sinful for our faith I knew I was breaking an important taboo by ripping up those corpses so callously, searching from the rest of the armor. I could not admit to any of you it was I know'd done it, and my lies by omission grew to pure deceit. I threw blame all around, casting suspicion and making accusations. All of you thought I was stressed, and I was, but it was not a noble cause I toiled for.
“But the search bore fruit! I found more pieces of the armor, buried in the shadow of her monument at the forest’s edge. In fact I found them all, here and there, some buried deep and others shallow, orphaned or mixed among monstrous bones of fell beasts. I could not keep all of the armor in the same place, or its power would have destroyed me, so some were reburied. I kept the central piece, the cuirass, and when I donned that cold blue armor, I could feel a nightmare's spirit all around me. She was a leviathan, her soul an infernal gale that threatened to snuff my life out. The experience was almost too much, but I managed to take the helmet off and escape. The next time, I only used one or two piece of the armor at a time, and enjoyed a far more manageable audience with the presence I believed to be the Nightmare of the Moon. She placed within my mind visions of the altar I would need to create.
“Devoted though I was, I obviously could not allow myself to be impregnated. Oh, not only would that simply ruin my figure, but the divine bairn would surely kill me as it had Solemn! I needed a substitute host, a sacrifice. For half a year I deliberated over that problem.
“Most of you know that Fluttershy and I have been close since Macintosh left. Please, do not suspect her complacency. I shared some of what I discovered with Fluttershy, but withheld details. I was afraid that if I told her everything, she would try to offer herself up. I could not allow that to happen, not to her. So she was kept in the dark like everypony else. But you say that it is her choice to make and not mine? Maybe some of you think to yourselves how you would be more devout than I was, and would chose martyrdom. Ah ha ha, when I’m done speaking you will feel differently.”

The more Rarity spoke, the more she slouched, until she was more on the floor than in her chair. Sometimes her gaze was on her audience, seeking understanding or empathy from her fellow faithful, then her gaze turned absent, staring off into infinity.

“Night after night I would put on a piece of the nightmare armor, usually just the helmet or cuirass, and slowly assembled the altar in my mind's eye. I didn't properly know the spells I was casting, or the incantations I was repeating, but through me the armor built its device. The process was painstaking, made even more difficult by my absolute secrecy. But at last it was completed, four months ago.
"It was simple... radiant... deeply evil. I knew as soon as I had finished it that I had done something wrong, even by the standards of our faith. But I was entranced by the altar, and by the obsession that was gripping my mind tighter by the day. With lascivious depravity I imagined how the altar would drag a Dark One down from heaven and impregnate the pony I would sacrifice. I imagined hailing the resulting creature, our new messiah, and following it to conquer Ponyville and all Equestria, a worthy sacrifice for our Dark Lady.
"I don't know what I could have done differently to prevent the disaster that next befell me. More caution, some assistance, more preparation... none of it would have helped. For you see my cleverness undid me! I was hiding my new Nightmare Altar in the Everfree Castle, but there hiding and there stalking was another mad thing, who saw my creation and knew it wanted it.
“The half-mad creature that lurked in the castle, I would later learn, was a changeling queen named Chrysalis. What a wretched thing! She was just as entranced by the Nightmare Altar as I, only from desperation rather than my ambition. I discovered her her fawning over the altar, and in a rage tried to kill her. I forgot I was wearing a piece of the Nightmare armor, the horseshoe and it resonated with the pieces of armor sealed in the altar. All became confusion as the altar activated, infusing the air with choking magic! That changeling Chrysalis was much closer than I and was seized by ethereal tendrils coming off the obsidian. Before my very eyes, a ghostly shape peeled herself off the slab. She was black, oh so black, with glittering green eyes full of evil! The tendrils pried Chrysalis’s mouth open, and the ghost-”

Rarity began to sob softly.

“I ran. I could not stay to watch what was happening, even though it was exactly what I wanted, the sacrifice. I do not know what kind of demon Chrysalis birthed. I doubt she even registered the event, for she was in horrible shape, and made no mention of it later. But something emerged from the altar, and the changeling survived. I almost wonder if that event transpired at all like I remember, with how the air churned with Dark magic. It could have all been a twisted dream...
"That was when I forbade any journeys to the Everfree Castle, four months ago, for I was confused and indecisive. I spent every night dwelling over what I had seen and what could be then lurking in the castle. Alas I know many of you ignored me, making your individual pilgrimages out to the castle to pray at the statue. It was magnificently lucky that the changeling didn't attack any of you, nor any other dark things. The ghostly entity I saw emerge, I can only guess, escaped and left, and roams Equestria even now- Perhaps they were the one that gave me the visions to build the altar, and tricked me into being the agent of their release upon the world.
"I had little time to ponder things. Only two days after the disaster was the day Viscountess Twilight Sparkle arrived from Canterlot. To my confused and panic-striken mind I could only conclude that Celestia knew of the altar, and Twilight was sent to secretly investigate. That was the death blow to my ambition, for I then realized how small I was, and how great were the powers I was messing with. I tried to willfully forget everything. I tried to be as genuine as I could with all of you, as though nothing at all had happened. But like always, my undoing was of my own creation.”

Rarity paused to blow her nose. She was truly weeping now, letting the guilt and shame she’d let fester spill out for all to see. Every pony kept watching her, wishing for more, wishing for some modicum of comfort after the tale of horror.

“Through dumb luck or calculated action, Chrysalis kept the Nightmare Altar activated. It maintained its task, to drag down a Dark God, and how unsurprising that it caught the one closest and most mortal god: The Nightmare of the Moon. I am ignorant of the mechanics of the thing, and only through things I have learned later can I guess how she was snared and dragged, like a hare in a trap, from her rest on the moon. Yet her ladyship did not manifest, remaining a nightmare in the Dreamscape around us. Nightmare Moon’s hunger was unleashed on Ponyville, and our dreams became her fodder. We all fell victim to her, even me, and even Twilight Sparkle. Especially Twilight Sparkle.
"Celestia did not send Twilight Sparkle after me, but she did sent her after the lurking Dark in our village. Though was ignorant of her mistress's intentions, Twilight chose to chase the source of the nightmares and went out to the Everfree Castle alone. That bravery and foolishness, blameless in its own way, led to the doom of our nation. The power of the nightmare around Ponyville swelled to obscene levels, and finally sensing the true scale of the danger she had just sent her vassal into, Princess Celestia embarked to battle the hunting dreamer, her own lost sistren.
"The Nightmare of the Moon was more powerful than anypony anticipated. Twilight Sparkle, myself, and even Celestia underestimated her ladyship. After that night, I fear the nightmare was more powerful than we even can comprehend.

Rarity took a moment to compose herself.

“We have debated amongst ourselves many time about the nature of a nightmare. It is a dream without a dreamer, a parasite, but they are very needy, fragile, and despairing. I know it would be nice to know that you worship triumphal gods. That isn't true for us, I'm afraid to report. In due time, when the pain is more manageable for everypony, we will tell you all the details, but I had to tell you know. I owed it to you.”
Rarity stood up. She pushed past her exhaustion to put on a face of determination, but still of sadness.
“So it is now that I get around to answering that those questions. you asked when I came in. Yes, this is a support group. I don’t know if our congregation can sustain itself anymore after what I discovered and what I’ve said, but I know I’m not the one to do it. I’m sick, deathly so. I ache with alien thoughts I can not, will not, answer. I can feel it inside my head, wriggling and trying to escape and get free.”

She sank to the floor again.
“That is all friends. I’ve said what I wanted to. Everypony can go home now and start rethinking their life without me, without this. My ambition, my blindness, has ruined us all. Alas...” She sighed, and appeared to drift off into unconsciousness. “You are all such good friends.”

All the the candlelight in the room wavered. The fifteen other ponies felt a chill creep from Rarity’s direction.

“It was fun while it lasted.” Amethyst Star stood up and stretched. “Let’s go.”

Cherry Berry, could not take her eyes off Rarity. There had to be more answers, something to explain how somepony name Illustrious Valor could exist now and in the past.
“Star, sit down please.” Berry said, as she herself got up. “I’m going to take Rarity upstairs. Then we can talk about what we do next.”

“Next?” Amethyst Star snickered. “You now I hate to be cynical, but we either willingly live a lie, or we go on with our lives. What’s to discuss?”

"I think you love to be cynical, Star." Cherry Fizzy mumbled.

"Friends, please, this isn't the time to be sharp with one another." Roseluck said.

Cherry got up from the duvet and approached Rarity. The long tale Rarity had told them should have revolted her, for fear for her hierophant's sanity or for horror at what had been done. But Cherry Berry was drawn in by the fantastical nonsense she'd just heard, and wanted to hear more, although she didn't want to voice her burning questions in front of everypony.
“Rarity said she’s given up her authority but she’s still the hierophant, now more than ever. She’s told us what she’s seen and it’s now up to us to interpret it. It’s our chance to improve. Are you going to make her sacrifice meaningless?”

“I can't be that sympathetic considering she lied to us. And that's ignoring she was basically trying to cause the apocalypse. Only her incompetence saved us.” Amethyst Star glared. “And maybe I choose to interpret Rarity’s ravings as a sign that I’m going home.”

“Sit the BUCK down!” Cherry Berry wheeled around. “You can pretend you joined the faithful for lifestylism, but we've been here for you in hard times, Amethyst Star! Don't lie to yourself and think otherwise, or you're just as guilty as Rarity is."

Amethyst Star’s eyes flashed with anger, but slowly she sank back into her seat. She looked around the room but everypony was avoiding everypony else’s gaze.

Rose uncrossed her legs, then recrossed them with her left leg on top. “We are all feeling some pretty strong things right now. Maybe we should wait to discuss this.”

“Yeah, we should wait Cher Ber.” Caramel piped up, then hesitated when her angry eyes turned to him. “Uh, that is, that without Fluttershy we only have what Rarity says. She might be, um, forgetting certain details. What she said might not be the most accurate thing she could tell us. We can’t make an informed decision like this.”

“But doesn’t what she’s said make sense?” Cherry Berry grumbled, her voice tainted by despair. Was any of it real, or just painted on lies to conceal an even more rotten core deceit? She pulled the sleeping form of Rarity over her shoulder. “Shouldn’t we choose to believe?”

“Look sis, you shouldn’t be launching into the existential questions right away. We need time.” Cherry Fizzy said. “I know I have to sleep on this.”

“Me too.” Caramel and several other agreed.

Amethyst Star smirked. “Meeting adjourned then?”

“Until Rarity fully recovers from her ordeal and Fluttershy is here, it would be best to adjourn.” Rose nodded. “That’s an amicable to everypony, right?”

Cherry Berry wasn’t listening. She was already on her way upstairs, carrying Rarity on her back. She was now getting angry and scared, but at her fellow faithful! They were so blasé, like nothing Rarity had said even mattered! Had they all taken the faith so lightly?
She carried Rarity to the bedroom and tossed her on the bed. “Stupid mare! There must have been a better way of letting us know than this.”

Rarity groaned in her sleep and curled up on her side.

Cherry Jumped up on the bed and pulled prone unicorn into a sitting position. “Tell me something that makes it all makes sense!”

Rarity slumped forward and began snoring.

Cherry released her. “I don’t know what I expected. Maybe you really have told us everything you can. I'm sorry.” She sighed. “You’re awake, aren’t you?”

All the candles in the house extinguished themselves. Cherry Berry heard the ponies downstairs yelp in surprise. With the curtains drawn it must have been pitch black down there.

“Shaking a sick mare? Oh, you are such a good friend.” Rarity said softly. “At least you apologized.”

Cherry shivered at the sultry words. “Neat trick with the candles."

"The Rarity you knew has undergone a catastrophic rebirth. I might look the same as I did, a normal mare, but I did not get off easy for my sins." Rarity rolled over to face Cherry. Her azure eyes glowed. "I hoped I could cured before I told everypony the truth, so I wouldn't have to commit this last lie by omission, but the choice was out of my hooves."

"The nightmare curse still has its grip on you." Cherry surmised. "Why did you have to let us? Things were going fine while we were ignorant. Telling us the truth might be the thing that destroys this faithful fellowship we had."

"In clear moments I feel the erupting urge to let the world know what I did, not out of guilt, but I need for vindication of my actions. For all the chaos I caused I can not let go of the feeling deep down that I did everything right." Rarity said wistfully. "I hold onto that feeling because in a certain way I succeeded. A Dark god did come down to our planet... though through altogether different means than I thought.

"You don't mean the Nightmare of the Moon? She's real? S-She's returned?" Cherry’s heartbeat quickened.

Rarity paused, then sternly shook her head. "Darling it would be better if you ignored me, and believed everything I was foolishly telling you was the fevered ranting of a mare gone mad. There is so much uncertainty right now. I would hate to tell you something that would put you in danger."

Cherry Berry felt an icy stab of fear and excitement. "How close is the Nightmare of the Moon to us right now? Is she staying in communication with you?"

Rarity pursed her lips. "If not for your own sake then be cautious for mine, Cherry Berry. If you catch Lady Moon's attention he wrath may follow back to me."

Cherry took a deep breath. She wanted to learn more, but Rarity was right. “I don't want to put anypony in danger.” Cherry said. She got up and backed away to the threshold of the room. “We all just want peace of mind, you know? Thank you for telling what you have. I won't share it.”

“I understand.” Rarity sighed, and lay back down.

Cherry Berry was halfway out the door, but hesitated. “Hierophant, Rarity, I believe everything you've told me because I happened to get an outside hint that substantiates a lot of it."

Rarity glanced down, then back up to Cherry. "Not a Ponyvillian?"

Cherry shook her head. "A jet black earth pony named Illustrious Valor is in our town right now. She came with the Duke, from Canterlot. She knows this land."

Rarity took a long time to answer. "Thank you. Somepony already told me."

"Good luck with everything, Mis Rarity.” With that, Cherry Berry descended to the ground floor where everypony was waiting.

Rarity squeezed her eyes shut, listening to the clip of hooves on took and the squeak of her stairs. The faithful’s safety was out of her hooves.

However Rarity was not left any time to herself to think. The wisps of smoke off the dead candles was swirled on an invisible breeze, and suddenly Rarity could feel an oppressive presence at the foot of her bed. She reluctantly opened her eyes.

Ancepanox was leaning over her makeup table, admiring herself in the mirror. “Good evening Rarity." The dark alicorn said in a rumbling voice.

"My lady." Rarity dipped her head. She couldn't keep her eyes from gravitating to the tapestry Ancepanox was still wearing like a cape.

"Don't blush. I only listened to the last few minutes of your story, but I thought you did very well." Ancepanox glanced at Rarity in the mirror. "How do you feel?"

"My head is going to rip in two. I feel a grinding and buzzing in my brain, like I am sitting on a rumbling grist mill." Rarity said quietly. "Please, I'm going to explode. Release the spell on me."

"Don't be so dramatic. The nightmare inside you is making you feel that way, but it means the suppressing magic is working." Ancepanox smiled. "And if it works on you, it can work on Applejack and Rainbow Dash."

"I wouldn't wish this on my enemies." Rarity whined. "Standing in front of those ponies I felt a voice screaming in my ears, telling me to rip their throats out. At the same time I heard sobbing and tortured wails, telling me to surrender to death. If I press my head back into my pillow a deafening whine drowns out all other sound. But it is all silent to everypony else! Maddening..."

Ancepanox turned away from the mirror, facing Rarity. "You might be going crazy, but there is no telling if it is because of the suppression spell, so I see no reason to release it."

Rarity slumped back in her bed and groaned. "I hope it makes you happy to see me suffer this way since you don't look too cheerful otherwise. Twilight must still be sleeping."

“Saying 'sleeping' gives the wrong impression.” Ancepanox grunted. “She's undergoing something similar to you, only she's lucky not to be lucid for it.”

Rarity groaned. "And what is her treatment? Similar to mine?"

"We will get to that." Ancepanox said. "I'm not too concerned about Twilight, actually, or you. This discomfort will pass. What does concern me are town ponies causing problems."

Rarity bit her lip. "Ponies?"

"Just Pinkie Pie, that excitable baker." Ancepanox shrugged. "Concerned about somepony else?"

"Well, no, nopony in specific." Rarity glanced away.

Ancepanox squinted at the unicorn, unconvinced. "Riiight."

Rarity hoped the nightmare alicorn wasn't peering into her thoughts somehow. She wanted to keep Ancepanox from learning about Iillor for as long as possible for selfish reasons. "What did you do to Pinkie Pie?"

"Nothing. Or rather I didn't hurt her. I gave her a bit of a show while I was checking on Twilight." Ancepanox smirked.

Rarity sighed. "Keep an eye on that mare. She is more dangerous than you think."

Ancepanox trotted to the window and looked out onto the darkened street. The Nightmare faithful were filing out of the house, saying their quiet farewells and disappearing down into the night.
One pony lingered in front of Rarity's house, looking up at the bedroom window. Ancepanox stared back, wondering if the mare could see her through the shadow.
"Rarity, even if little Pinkie Pie were hiding a horn and wings she would be an utterly inconsequential threat to me. Nothing is." Ancepanox said, keeping her eyes on the mare on the street, until finally the pony turned away and shuffled into an alley. "Still Pinkie or other ponies pose a problem because of the social question: How does ponykind react to my existance? If the wrong pony finds out and spreads rumors in the wrong way, that could be problematic. You of all ponies would agree that correct presentation is everything."

"I don't think obsessing over something like that is important at this stage." Rarity murmured, sinking further into her bed.

Ancepanox stepped back from the window. "Oh, am I obsessing? News to me. Not as though I could do two things at once." She said sarcastically.

Rarity didn't want to argue so she changed the subject. "You didn't come here just to ask me how my night was going."

"No, I came to chat. We're chatting." Ancepanox said. Maybe she detected Rarity's evasiveness but let it slide. "Ehh, but there was one interesting thing I thought would pertinent to your case. Twilight's state is... complicated. I bet you would never guess how I have been soothing her troubled soul."

With how the dark alicorn said it, Rarity could guess that the solution was particularly ironic. "I wouldn't take that bet."

"Dreams, Rarity. Someway, somehow, that troubled sleeper is calmed by the hunt." Ancepanox said ominously. "I don't think it's the Tower of the Bard either... It's strange."

Rarity was silent for a while. "Do you have a reason to think it's not the Tower?"

Ancepanox nodded. "Ever since the sun rose again, I haven't been able to enter her dreams at all."

"That is not a reason to draw any conclusions but I'm sure it fits in your logic." Rarity shook her head.

"There's the sass I know and love." Ancepanox flashed a fanged smile. "Anyway, I hunted Redheart and fed her dream to Twilight. Redheart should be fine in a day or two, and with luck, so will Twilight."

"Ponyville is going to descend back into plague panic if you keep that up." Rarity said.

"Oh don't worry, I think I can of better ways to hunt for my little Twilight." Ancepanox said.

Rarity closed her eyes and sighed. "Now we are getting somewhere."

"That's right Rarity. You've got a tangled little soul, but despite the necromancy I'm sure you've still got a dream in there somewhere. Otherwise how would the nightmare curse still sustain itself off you." Ancepanox leaned onto the bed, leering at the unicorn. "I wonder... how does a soul like yours taste?"

"My lady you're going to kill me if you keep experimenting with me." Rarity said quietly, fighting to keep fear out of her voice.

"Relaaax. I'm only posing questions." Ancepanox laughed, shimmying her shoulders and making the tapestry hanging draped over her back ripple. "I was thinking, if Twilight and you have similar symptoms, what would happen if I gave you the same treatment? It would be instructive if nothing else."

Rarity didn't understand what that meant. "Are you going to release the spell holding back the curse inside me?"

"No, I'm going to feed you. Then I watch what happens." Ancepanox giggled. She jumped up fully onto the bed.

Rarity scooted backwards, pressing herself against her headboards. "I don't like the sound of that."

"You don't have to like it. You just have to sit still, or I will have to remind you why you call me your lady." Ancepanox's playful tone sharpened. "I am going to solve the nightmare with your cooperation or not, so you had better get over yourself."

Rarity nodded. There wasn't anything she could say.

"Good." Ancepanox leaned closer, examining Rarity's eyes. “I know I'm hard on you, maybe harder than I should be. But you can't deny you've been a constant headache. Sometimes I think I'm overly tolerant.”

"Do you enjoy seeing me in pain?" Rarity whispered.

Ancepanox shook her head, continuing her inspection. "Of course not. I don't like to see anypony in pain, even if it's necessary, and even if I cause it."

Rarity sighed and kept silent for the rest of Ancepanox's inspection.

After a few minutes of staring at Rarity and prodding her with magic, Ancepanox spoke again. "Rarity, I'm going to feed you one of my dreams. That way, I can experience the process it undergoes."

Rarity closed her eyes. "Okay."

"Also, do your best to stay awake. I'd like for you to report how it felt. I mean, I know how eating a dream feels, but being force-fed one might not feel so good." Ancepanox cleared her throat. "Alrighty then. I need a bit of excitement. It puts me in the zone."

Rarity stared at her, confused.

"I can't just switch gears that easily. I gave Twilight a recently hunted dream, but the one I'm going to give you has been within me for a few days now. So excite me. Bring it to the surface. Maybe I'll forget if I'm giving or taking." Ancepanox pressed her face to the unicorn's, whispering throatily. "If I do end up accidentally hunting you, try to fight back. If it doesn't snap me out of it, it will at least make it authentic for me. Can you do that?”

“yes” Rarity lied, fighting back terrified sobs.

Ancepanox pushed the stay stands her luminous hair away with a hoof. “Then lie back and let me do the work, but try not to scream. We would hate to wake up the neighbors.”

Two nights and a day passed quietly.

Five Days after the Summer Sun

Another day, but it didn't feel different. Things had settled into a repetitious cycle very quickly. Fluttershy didn't mind the repetition, since most of her life had always been unexciting and repetitive. She did mind that she had been sucked into the daily lives of ponies she had no buisness caring about or interacting with. She just wanted to be left alone, but even if she had the confidence and strength to say it, the Nightmares would probably just ignore her.

Fluttershy watched the hands of her stately grandfather clock tick into alignment at twelve o'clock. Across the river she could hear the ring of the clock tower bell. Fluttershy only had a few seconds to consider the mechanical brilliance behind the clock dial when there was a blinding crack of dark purple magic in the empty seat across from her, and Ancepanox was revealed.

“Hello, Lady Moon.” Fluttershy welcomed her formally. The alicorn was as punctual as Twilight had been.

“Good afternoon Fluttershy.” Ancepanox bowed her head. Five days of company had warmed the pegasus to her slightly, and Ancepanox in turn was loving having tea every day again. At first they had just conversed in terse mumblings until finally they wordlessly agreed to act courteously around each other.
For Ancepanox, it was an odd time of near normalcy. For Fluttershy, it was sorely desired company, even if she couldn't admit she wanted it. Even a nightmare was better than loneliness. “How are you today?”

“Rainbow Dash was here a few minutes ago. I was getting used to her. I can’t blame her for preferring Applejack’s farm to my basement.” Fluttershy poured out a cup of tea and passed it to Ancepanox. “We talked a lot, but not about anything important.”

“Thank you.” Ancepanox cast a discreet spell to cool it off, but when she took a sip she found it too cold. “I have a question for you: Pinkie Pie."

"Is that a question?"

"You tell me. Rarity seems to think she could be a problem, or even a threat." Ancepanox said. "But Rarity is very cagey about what she means by that."

“I know what she means. Pinkie Pie grew up on a homestead downriver but spent many years in Canterlot.” Fluttershy reported.

Ancepanox half-shrugged. "Pinkie told me as much months back."

"Rarity used to think Pinkie was an imperial agent sent to spy on us. Now, or um, more recently, Rarity thinks Pinkie has connections to a rival cult or Star." Fluttershy poured tea for herself. “I didn't agree with Rarity but I still kept my distance from Pinkie. She isn't my type anyway. For you though, I I think you should wait and see. Pinkie is strange sometimes, but she is Applejack’s friend and a good pony. I don’t think she will hurt anypony unless you provoke her.”

“Hurt anypony? Why does everypony think she has that kind of power?" Ancepanox brooded. "As it stands, well, I did sort of attack her before the Eternal Night. I hunted her. Rarity even told me they met on the Tower.”

"Like I said my lady, wait and see.”

“Waiting’s been the modus operandi for most things so far.” Ancepanox sighed. The Eternal Night had been fast and intense. Everything after the sun started moving felt lethargically slow. She sat back in the couch and let herself relax. “You’ll be glad to know Rarity’s doing much better.”

“Good to hear. I miss her.” Fluttershy smiled, mixing a spoonful of sugar into her cup. “Do you think the suppressing spell can be used on other nightmares?”

“Absolutely. I’ve been getting some practice with manipulating dreams, with Rarity’s help of course. I’m on track to administer the spell to Applejack and Dash tomorrow.” Ancepanox said proudly.

“Tomorrow? Why, that’s amazing news.”

“Yes it is.” Ancepanox shifted gears. “In other good-ish news, Twilight woke up last night.”

“Really?” Fluttershy dropped her spoon in surprise. “Was she sane? Could she talk?”

“Yeah, she was fully responsive. Vibrant... A small miracle considering how much that mind of hers went through.” Ancepanox nodded. “It was a bit emotional honesty. She called herself Twilight Sparkle. I could see the way she moved and thought, almost before she did. Yes... She's not completely back to normal but she is not possessed or anything. Twilight Sparkle... Gods, I’ll never get used to that not being my name."
Ancepanox hung her head. "I can't disassociate her from my soul. Every fiber of my being calls out in recognition when I see her! She is me, yet other, a different soul and consciousness. I've given up guessing which one of us is the original, but I can't help but wonder about the nature of our relationship. I spawned out of Twilight, but she is lesser than I. Which is the parent, which is the progeny?"

Fluttershy wasn't sure how comforting she could be for such bizarre topics she barely understood. "Why has that question come up so often?"

"I don't know. It's part of how alicorns and gods understand relationships, I think. Massive entities of absolute will don't experience society and socialization like mortals do. They just... aren't able to recognize the self in the Other. To the alicorn, everything is the Other. Yet progeny are undeniably part of you. I can't get down to the specifics because I just don't know. Like, when Twilight Sparkle was talking to me-"

“Wait, you talked to her?!” Fluttershy gasped. “Moon, I thought you agreed with me! No contact!”

Ancepanox smiled guiltily. “She could see through my invisibility spell. I either explained or let her assume the worst."

"Her assumption couldn't have been any worse than reality." Fluttershy shook her head. "Tell me, did Twilight really see through your spell, or were you hoping to get caught?"

"You thought I agreed with you, and I did. I still do. I wish she hadn't seen me, but I can't take that back." Ancepanox promised. "Maybe it was because of similar magical attunment between us. Maybe I have less control over my magic than I think."

"You took an unnecessary risk even being there.” Fluttershy scolded. "You have been thinking about Twilight too much. You don't know who she is, and you have to accept that.

“Calm down. It wasn't all that bad. We were courteous and I was very convincing.” Ancepanox said tersely.

Fluttershy had the feeling that the black alicorn wasn’t telling the whole truth. “It’s your call, I guess.” Fluttershy said, letting her disappointment be known. "If you still agree with me, like you say you do, focus on other work. Let Twilight rediscover what being awake is like. If you constantly hover over her it will only hurt both of you."
Despite herself, Fluttershy wanted the nightmare alicorn to succeed. Then she could say at least one pony she knew was making progress in life.

Ancepanox glanced away. She appreciated Fluttershy’s honesty, if it was more bitter than she hoped. Nopony else could be relied upon to give her unbiased feedback.
“There there was another pony there last night, waiting for Twilight to wake up.”

“So?”

“So she’s a nightmare, and an old one at that. Not ancient like Luna or the Deava, only about two hundred years.” Ancepanox reported somberly. “Her name is Illustrious Valor, aka Iillor. Ring any bells?”

“Rarity mentioned her. She found her bones, or so she said.” Fluttershy recalled. “What makes you think she’s the same mare?”

“As I heard it from Luna, Valor was a hybrid of pony and changeling. Get this- She died after preforming blasphemous rituals with a nightmare altar, but her soul was saved by her connection to the nightmare. Valor languished on the moon for a hundred years and now she's back. Does any of that sound familiar?” Ancepanox sipped her cold tea. "Illustrious Valor escaped the moon through the altar around the same time I came to Ponyville. By then that crazy changeling Chrysalis was haunting the throne room. However, I don't believe Chrysalis released Illustrious Valor; She was a fly in the ointment and nothing more."

Fluttershy didn't see the point of the digression. "Okay, then why does it matter?"

"Because when Rarity built that nightmare altar she was aping Illustrious Valor's process. But where did Valor get the process from? That sequence of events, of preforming a blasphemy, dying, and coming back changed, has played out multiple times: Illustrious Valor herself, Luna, me, Rarity, Twilight, to name a few. Variations on that theme include Celestia, Agana, and umm, somepony in Canterlot I don't want to talk about yet."

"That just seems to be how the Dark magic works, rather than by somepony's intention." Fluttershy said.

Ancepanox shook her head. "I'm not saying it's intentional. I just find it intriguing that Illustrious Valor came back. Maybe Rarity's bumbling with the altar really did cause all this. Maybe this was the work of some greater force.”

Fluttershy set her tea cup down and crossed her legs. "You bring up too many questions you don't have the answer to, my lady. We have to be focussed."

"Actually in this case I'm asking the question as a rhetorical device. I think I have the answer." Ancepanox winked. "I listened in when Twilight and Illustrious Valor talked. Valor claimed to know Twilight Velvet."

"So... Twilight Velvet is responsible for the events here?"

"Highly unlikely, but Velvet might know who is."

Fluttershy sighed. "More questions and guesses. You don't know. My lady, at some pony in their life, a pony must accept that they will never have all the answers."

"That's coward talk. I'll grab heaven and shake out all its secrets." Ancepanox smiled. "Tomorrow, I’m going to Canterlot to inspect Agana’s remains and rendezvous with my progeny there.”

Fluttershy hung her head, accepting the swerve in the conversation. "You are putting even more on your plate. Have you been listening to me? If not, why are we talking? My lady, why are you going to Canterlot with unfinished buisness here? I thought you were going to cure Mis Dash and Applejack tomorrow.”

“Are you implying I won’t do both?” Ancepanox sounded insulted. "Also, 'treat', not 'cure'. The distinction is eminently important."

"You shouldn't be getting caught up on semantics. You know you should be staying here, making sure the nightmare is gone for good." Fluttershy said.

“Fluttershy, I’ll wait on ponies. Society, politics, and conquest can all be deferred indefinitely. Hell, I can outlive everypony in Ponyville (save Rarity) several times over and only then deign to civilize this rotten world.” Ancepanox laughed a mischievous, perverse laugh. “But I won’t wait on knowledge and power, for they are life, and I will enjoy living."

Fluttershy blinked. "What? What are you even talking about? Lady Moon, this has nothing to do with helping our ponies, which is what we have been talking about."

Ancepanox grinned. "I'm talking about the existence of an alicorn. To the alicorn, all else is the Other. They are islands. They are dreamless for only by recognizing part of themselves in the Other does the mortal form their own dream. Or perhaps... Perhaps the dream allows that recognition. It's a chicken-egg question." She shook her head, making her long mane dance around her shoulders. "Fluttershy, since Celestia is dead, I will never truly find out who I was. But there is a promise in Canterlot, that I will discover who I want to be. That is the god I am seeking, to pull down and take secrets from."

Fluttershy felt a tingle run down her spine, and realized to her own shock that Ancepanox’s words will thrilling her. She still absolutely detested her for the traumatizing harm she'd done, but at the same time the resolute ambition was addicting. Fluttershy cleared her throat. “You don't have to use fancy language for me, Lady Moon. I'm going to be impressed either way. I just want it understandable."

“You said it yourself in the dead of night: Ponies are fungible.” The side of Ancepanox’s mouth twisted down into a pensive fown. “Twilight’s here.”

There was a knock at the door. It was a meek and uncertain, more like a suggestion.
Fluttershy looked at the door, then at Ancepanox. “What do I do?”

“Send her away.” Ancepanox said.

“How? What will I say?” Fluttershy whispered desperately. She wasn’t good at off-the-cuff conversation. “Teleport away so I can let her in.”

“Send her away.” Ancepanox repeated, slowly and sternly. “Or I’ll answer and do it for you.”

Fluttershy swallowed her apprehension and walked to the door. She cracked the door open. “Twilight?”

And there Twilight Sparkle was, looking concerned. The mare of sculpted and manufactured innocence was awake.
Fluttershy was feeling a bit awed to know that it was real and not just words. Who was the pony in front of her? Who was the pony behind her? She was beginning to understand Ancepanox's frustrations.
“What brings you out here?” Fluttershy asked Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight's lip curled, like she found the question laughable. “There was an ellipse, Celestia is dead, and Ponyville’s hospital exploded with you inside.” Twilight put her hoof to the door and gently tried pushing it open. Fluttershy kept herself in the way, blocking it. “I needed to see if you’re ok.”

“Um, now’s not a good time.” Fluttershy said curtly.

“Why, what’s going on?” Twilight cocked her head and tried to get a good look in the room. Ancepanox stepped to the left to stay just out of sight.

“Nothing. It’s just not a good time.” Fluttershy was getting anxious that Ancepanox might intervene anyway. She tried pushing the door closed but couldn’t with a purple hoof in the way.

Twilight was getting visibly annoyed. “Why? Why is it not a good time for you?”

“It’s-” Fluttershy bit her lip. To channel her fleeting and fickle resolve, she thought of how angry she was in the Graveyard. Twilight Sparkle was an evil pony! Twilight Sparkle was a manipulative bastard!
Fluttershy cleared her throat. “It’s not a good time, for you.” She said impassively, shoving the door closed and throwing the lock. “Come back later.”

She heard the clop of Twilight’s hooves traveling back up the path. “That was weird.” She heard the unicorn say.

Fluttershy wiped her brow. “Oh dear. That was awful.” She turned and glared at Ancepanox. "Couldn't you just have left? Why are you ordering me around?"

Ancepanox giggled mischievously. “Nosy little mare, isn’t she.” Ancepanox trotted to the window and bent the blinds to peer through. She watched Twilight and a black earth pony walking in the direction of Ponyville. “That’s Iillor there. Hmm, I’m willing to bet she’s trying to find out from Twilight what happened during the Eternal Night.”

Fluttershy joined her at the window. “She’s small for a nightmare.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she has transformation abilities.” Ancepanox let the shades drop. “You should find out her agenda."

"You're ordering me around again. I'm not you servant, Lady Moon." Fluttershy said defensively.

Ancepanox groaned in mock annoyance. "Alright, well, would you feel better about just keeping tabs on Twilight?"

"I, um... I could do that." Fluttershy said with a sigh.

“Nice!” Ancepanox smirked. “I have some last minute stuff to take care of before I head off to Canterlot, so I might stick around until tomorrow if I can't get it done tonight. I'll leave you for now. I have to get ahead of Twilight."

"Either I see you tomorrow or after you get back from Canterlot." Fluttershy gave a shallow bow. "Have a nice evening, Lady Ancepanox, Nightmare of the Moon."

The subject of all that worry and speculation, Twilight Sparkle, was ignorant to their wondering. So the day passed on, Twilight and Iillor arrived back in Ponyville, parted, and Twilight stood once more in the threshold of the Golden Oak.

“Spike!” Twilight navigated the pillars of books covering the ground floor of the Golden Oak. The untrimmed branches outside blocked the moonlight, making the library rather dark. “Spike are you there?”

From the moment she’d awoke and realized Spike wasn’t at her side, Twilight had felt a gnawing fear as to the whereabouts of her dearest friend. The sign of something wrong was of absense: Spike hadn't been there when she'd woken up. Nopony had said a peep about him so far and admittedly Twilight hadn't said asked about him. She had assumed, very optimistically, that Spike would be happily waiting for her in the Golden Oak.
But the silence that greeted Twilight proved her naive hopes false.

"Spike!" Twilight called out again. A million possibilities flashed through her head. She felt distraught and powerless.
With anxious urgency, Twilight galloped up the stairs to the upper floor landing. The door the the bedroom was cracked open and a cool breeze was seeping out. Twilight pulled the door open with her magic.

Spike was tucked into her bed, snoring peacefully in sight of the grey moon.

"Spike." Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping. She'd been worrying for nothing. Nopony mentioned him because it was all fine. "Thank goodness.” Twilight rushed forward and pulled the sleeping dragon into a trembling hug. “Spike I was so worried!”

“Uuuurgh…” The sleepy dragon groaned irritably, shivering awake. “Twilight?”

“Yes Spike it’s me.” Twilight was crying tears of happiness. “I’m so so sorry for leaving you here.”

“Leaving me?” Spike, still groggy. “What do you mean?”

Twilight released him. He wasn’t acting how she would have expected. “Tell me how the night went. Was everything okay? Did you get enough to eat? Did you get any help from the neighbors?”

“Twilight, you’re really confusing me. You’re acting like it’s been years.” Spike pointed out the window to the moon. “Look. It's barely evening. You’ve been out, like, a half hour at most.”

Twilight stood absolutely still, trying to process Spike’s words. "You don't..." She fell silent.

Spike's brow furrowed, and he hopped across the bed to the window. "Hang on, where did the storm clouds go? There was about to be a cracking storm." He turned back to Twilight. "Did I sleep a whole day?"

"A bit longer than that." Twilight whispered.

"Spike, could you remind me what I was out doing?”

“You were going out, but I can't remember what you were going out for. A map from Mis Fluttershy? Was that it? I'm confused.” Spike scratched his stomach. He turned back to Twilight was saw the deep worry on her face. "Hey, is something wrong?"

“It’s…” Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’ve been stressed.”

“True that.” Spike snorted. “I’m not feeling so tired anymore. I might go read for a while so you can have the bed.”

“Uh okay.” Twilight vacantly moved to the bed and sat. What was going on?

“You’re supposed to say ‘As if I need permission to use my own bed’. Honestly Twilight, get with the program.” Spike ribbed, but seeing Twilight stay worried, he grew concerned himself. “Twilight? Do I need to know something?”

“I’m okay, I’m okay.” Twilight assured him weakly. “Why don’t you get yourself a night snack or something.”

Concerned or not, Spike couldn’t say no to that. “Can do.” He trundled out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

Twilight fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Sleep, and the vulnerability and total loss of control, didn’t seem very appealing at that moment. Finding out Spike was okay had only deepened her feeling of powerlessness. His fate, and even his memories, had been at the whims of a total unknown.
"Oh gosh." Twilight buried her face in her hooves. It was starting to sink in again just how much things had gone wrong.

Five minutes later, Spike came back up, holding half an egg sandwich in one hand and a crisp piece of paper in the other. “Hey Twilight, what’s this note say?”

“What?” Twilight lifted her head to see what he was talking about.

“This note you left on the door.” He tapped the top of the sheet, where her name was written in clean and legible script. It looked like Twilight’s own hoofwriting. “I can’t read it.”

Twilight took the letter in her magic. The body of the letter was in an ancient equestrian glyph script used by the ponies of Dneighper Valley before the unification. It was close enough to other hieroglyphs Twilight knew for her to understand it.

We put values on ponies all the time.
Tell me the cost of innocence preserved.
Tell me the cost of a friend.

Your new guardian angel is watching you. Tell me how to suffer.

At the very bottom were two crescent moon glyphs, the logograph of an old Roanish word: Nox. Literally twin nights.

“Come on Twilight, what’s it say?” Spike said between bites of egg sandwich.

Twilight averted her eyes. “It’s a message from the princess. Nonsense sentences, but she thinks she's being clever with the glyphs.”

“Princess Celestia is using normal post now? Somepony must be stealing her dragonfire again.” Spike laughed. “It’s nice to know she cares though, right?”

“Right.” Twilight agreed quietly.
Spike went back downstairs, and Twilight was left looking at the letter. "So... I'm going to have to start... start paying?" She looked out the window. The moon was beginning to rise, and she felt a tingled on the nape of her neck. "How... pitiful." Twilight mumbled, getting to distraught to finish her sentences in one go. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes.
It really was starting to set in how much had changed. "Goodby, princess, Celestia. Hello... the darkness."
Despondent, she lay down and wept into her pillow.

Night swelled and took over the land. But for all the planet now under her grasp, the new suzerain of the dark had eyes for that one mourning dreamer, and watched from a distance until they both drifted off, first the dreamer to her agitated sleep, then the watcher to her tasks.