//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Post Revolution 
// by SC_Orion 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight Sparkle stood at the mouth of the cave, staring out at the horizon, watching as the sun started to disappear. A cool breeze from the south set her mane flowing to the other side of her neck, and brought a shiver to the pegasus standing beside her. The rays of light dimmed as time progressed, and the setting sun slowed its descent as it creept farther and farther beneath the horizon. Twilight slowly turned her head towards the moon, barely peeking over the horizon, opposite of the sun. "Once the sun sets we will leave here."


Rainbow turned to Twilight, frowning, "What?" She knew traveling at night was dangerous, made even more dangerous by the fact they were on the border of the dragon lands. The forests separating the mountains from the gentle plains of Equestria teemed with predators, both mundane and magical.


Twilight returned her gaze to the setting sun, and spoke with firm conviction, "I am not delaying my plans due to your arrival. In fact, I am accelerating them. We will travel by night until we arrive, so as to avoid being seen." Another gust of wind blew passed them, once more blowing their manes in the breeze.


"Twilight," Rainbow shook her head, "the animals are more hostile now than they were before, most of them will either flee or attack ponies, not caring whether unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony. I don't think they will care if you have both wings and a horn..." She followed Twilight's gaze to the sunset, and watched as the orb seemed to hang in the sky, unmoving.


"I am aware of this. I've been out here for a while, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow winced at Twilight's use of her full name. Twilight didn't seem to notice her unease, and continued, "I am more than capable of defending us against any animals or ponies we may encounter."


Rainbow frowned and looked back to Twilight, "Then why risk traveling at night? It's easier to see during the day, and less dangerous."


Twilight continued to stare at the sun for several seconds before answering, "If we travel during the night, there is less chance of encountering any ponies. That means less chance the Inquisitor would have any warning." Rainbow opened her mouth to ask another question, but Twilight cut her off, "And before you ask why I couldn't just take care of anypony we could meet, not hearing back from scouts is as good as a confirmation. The last thing I want to have to do is make my way through Equestria's army to get to him."


Rainbow looked down at her hooves and frowned in thought, considering Twilight's argument. "Yeah... I guess I didn't think of that..." She looked back towards Twilight, "Are... Are you even sure you could... Uh... Take care... Of anypony?" Rainbow shuffled her wings and fidgeted as Twilight's eyes shot towards her.


Twilight slowly turned her head towards Rainbow, "I am physically and magically capable enough to kill somepony, Rainbow. I have the magic of five alicorns, and my brother." Twilight slowly turned her head back towards the sun, inhaled, and slowly released it.


Rainbow once again looked towards the setting sun, then lowered her head with a grimace, "I... You... Have you, though?"


Twilight replied almost immediately, her voice was filled with distaste, and cold, "As I have said, things have changed. I have changed." She snorted, and shook her head. Rainbow shifted uncomfortably on her hooves during the silence after Twilight spoke.


Rainbow kept her head facing the sunset, but she kept finding her eyes drawn to Twilight. She knew when she found her that Twilight wouldn't be the same bookworm nerd she had been before the Revolution... But what she had found... Twilight wasn't what she had expected to find. Another gust of wind blew, and Rainbow shivered. She knew in her heart that the cold wasn't what caused her to shiver. Years had passed, they had grown apart... Twilight had grown, a lot. Each of them had changed... Things would never go back to how they were before...


Twilight also knew things would never go back to the way they were before, nor did she wish them too. As badly as she missed them, she couldn't bring them back, nor change what had happened. She knew lingering on what had been would have consumed her, and instead focused on something else. 'Once he is dead, Equestria is mine.' She mulled over the thought as the day came ever closer. Ruling an entire country... It was something she looked forwards to eagerly, and dreaded in equal amounts. She would make sure nothing like the Revolution ever happened again, too. "I will restore things to what they should be. As close to what they should be as I can, at least."


Rainbow turned towards Twilight, "You mean like before? Before the Inquisitor took over." Twilight nodded without looking away from the golden orb that was the sun. "He has improved some things, Twilight. He's not perfect, but neither were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."


"I know. But that is irrelevant. It does not excuse his actions, what he has improved stands for naught." Twilight replied in a cold voice. Rainbow shifted uneasily, and Twilight sighed at the display. "Once he is dead, I am taking sole control of Equestria, her territories, and all subjugated states obtained since his rise to power. I will also have dominion over the sun and moon, not that he could stop me if I did so right this moment."


"You're going to reinstate the monarchy..." Rainbow said in a low voice. "There were so many problems with that though! So many abuses of power! Surely you realize there's a better way of-"


Twilight turned her head towards Rainbow, and looked down at the pegasus, "It is the way it is meant to be. I am the sole surviving heir of the princesses, I am the rightful ruler of Equestria, the sun, and the moon. Such is my birthright as alicorn." She shook her head and looked back to the star falling below the horizon, "Equestria would collapse without strong leadership."


Rainbow sighed, and her ears fell to the sides of her head, realizing the truth, "I guess that oath really was designed specifically for you... Being the last alicorn and all that..." A sense of having betrayed her friend welled up in her chest. She looked down at her hooves, feeling guilty, "I... I fought against them... I... I was in the battle that claimed your brother's life..."


"I already know this, Rainbow Dash. I know more about what you've done than just that, also..." Twilight lit her horn, and teleported Rainbow's and her own saddlebags to them. She placed Rainbow's saddlebags on her body, just in front of her wings, and levitated her own into a similar position.


Rainbow looked at Twilight's saddlebags, the pink star had faded, but they were otherwise in the same condition they had been when she left with them. The sight caused her some discomfort, being a reminder of ignoring Twilight's warnings, and how she must have felt about them ignoring her warnings. Another cool breeze tossed Twilight's mane and tail about, for a brief second, she thought she saw Twilight's mane become ethereal, but when she blinked, it was gone.


Twilight looked at Rainbow, "We leave soon." she stated. "Your wing should be healed enough for you to fly."


Rainbow looked at her left wing, extended it, and flexed it. "Should be?" she asked with concern. It hadn't felt any different, and you couldn't tell any difference, but she knew that didn't rule out problems if they were going to be flying for a while. She knew some problems would only become noticeable if one had been pushing themselves too hard.


"I am moving my schedule forwards, I am not postponing it for you. If something happens, then I will carry you." Twilight said, then turned back towards the sun. Rainbow ruffled her wings and fidgeted at that suggestion, being uncomfortable with the idea of somepony carrying her. Twilight narrowed her eyes as she watched the sun, watching as it seemed to hover just on the horizon, seeming to mock her desire to get started.


Seconds turned into minutes, which turned into hours, the setting sun mocking them the whole time, and serving as a reminder of how weak the unicorns moving it were compared to Princess Celestia. The two ponies sat in silence, only occasionally broken by a gust of cold wind, which only seemed to affect the pegasus. Twilight remained standing the whole time, as if she were a sentinel, standing watch over her post, making sure nothing was amiss, while Rainbow Dash sat down on her haunches after only a few minutes. Every few minutes, Twilight's expression would shift as different ideas ran through her mind, and played out their course. As much as she tried to deny it, she slowly came to a realization that she still felt resentment towards her former friends. At the same time, she still wanted to be friends with them, and bring them back together, like how she had first brought all of them together.


Eventually the orange rays of light faded to pink, and then to red before being replaced by the pale white light of the moon. Twilight smiled, and turned her head towards the moon, watching the orb as it slowly started to rise into the sky. She watched the moon for several seconds, then turned her head towards Rainbow Dash, "It's time." she stated. Rainbow uneasily got to her hooves, and looked at her wing as she flexed it. "We won't be flying long, we'd be too easily spotted from anypony on the ground. Once we reach the forest, we're hoofing it the rest of the way."


Rainbow grimaced, she was naturally much more inclined to fly than walk, being a pegasus. "Can't you just... Teleport us or something?"


Twilight shook her head, "While I could, long ranged blind teleportation is very risky, I haven't found a way to overcome that yet. And our sudden appearance could attract unwanted attention, especially with the flash it would create." Rainbow grimaced. Twilight looked towards the moon briefly, then turned towards Equestria, and spread her majestic wings. Rainbow found herself stunned in awe as Twilight spread her wings, seeing how each one was easily larger than her entire body. Rainbow was still stunned as Twilight beat her wings and hovered a few feet in the air, looking back at her. Once she realized that Twilight was looking at her, she blinked a few times, then flapped her wings, joining her in the sky.


The pair cut through the air with both speed and grace, far above the few clouds dotting the sky. Rainbow always loved flying, the feeling of the wind beneath her hooves, the air between her feathers, her mane and tail billowing in the breeze, and the unmatched feeling of freedom all combined to make it a wonderful, and enjoyable experience. She wasn't enjoying it. She had too much on her mind, and she still didn't trust Twilight completely, there was a sliver of doubt in the back of her mind. She knew that if Twilight wanted her dead, there was probably nothing she could to to stop her... And that thought scared her more than she would be willing to admit.


Rainbow had only been around her for less than a day, for all she knew, Twilight could have been faking the entire time, just waiting for the perfect time to strike... She clenched her jaw as she watched Twilight glide through the air. If she could carry Rainbow in her mouth, she was obviously strong. Very strong. And that was just physically, Rainbow realized. Twilight had never been the most physically fit pony, or unicorn for that matter, preferring to take a more academic approach to life. Rainbow shivered as she thought about just how much magic Twilight could have at her disposal, and then when she considered Twilight's skill with magic, and that magic was her special talent...


Twilight, though only stealing the occasional glance at Rainbow, could tell she was distressed. Her first concern was that she was pushing herself too hard, but she pushed that thought aside, she wasn't acting like she was in pain. At least not in physical pain, 'Something's bothering her...' she realized. She thought about her options, then looked towards the ground. The forest wasn't as dense as she wanted, but it would suffice. She slowed her wingbeats, and hovered, waiting for Rainbow to come closer to her. Rainbow slowed her flight as she approached Twilight, then hovered in mimicry of the alicorn. Twilight motioned towards the ground with a hoof, and began her descent.


Rainbow winced at Twilight's sharp expression, but the alicorn seemed to either not notice it, or ignore it. A few seconds later she realized Twilight was halfway to the ground. She looked between Twilight and the horizon, wondering if she could get away from her. She shook her head and pushed the thought away. She owed Twilight this at the very least. In all honesty, she knew she owed her a lot more than just this. But that didn't make it any easier. She started her descent, focusing on where Twilight had landed, and slowly descended. Once she was just a short distance from the ground, she folded her wings and let herself fall. She bent her knees when she landed, reducing the stress from the impact, and then stood up to her full height.


Twilight's eyes trailed over Rainbow for what seemed like several minutes, they seemed to be examining her, but for what she did not know. Rainbow fidgeted under her gaze, feeling like she was a predator sizing up her prey. She looked intently at Rainbow's wings, checking for any outward signs of physical injury of distress. "What's wrong?" she asked.


Rainbow looked away from Twilight, choosing instead to scan their surroundings. "Uh... Nothing's wrong." She ruffled her wings, punctuating her lie. "My wing's fine." she added.


Twilight frowned, "I know you're lying, Rainbow Dash." she said coldly, upset that Rainbow would lie to her. If she was willing to lie to her about one thing...


Rainbow's eyes shot towards Twilight, and her heart beat faster. She shifted on her hooves, "It's nothing..." she said carefully, afraid Twilight would do something... She didn't know what she might do, but Twilight still reminded her of a predator.


Twilight saw Rainbow tense up when she said her full name, the subtle change indicating her discomfort. She sighed, "Rainbow, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. I want to help you. Let me help you."


Rainbow looked up and met Twilight's gaze. The alicorn's expression had softened, but she still felt like a predator was watching her. "Do you, though?"


Twilight's expression hardened slightly, "Rainbow, I will admit I still have issues with all of you. I don't know if I consider myself friends with any of you anymore, but I do remember being your friend. I still care about all of you, and I am willing to give it a shot again. I do want to help you." She paused, and bobbled her head, grimacing. "That being said... There are things I need to do, things which I will not let anypony stand in my way. That includes you, Rainbow."


Rainbow grew uncomfortable under Twilight's gaze. She looked away from her as she spoke, unable to look at her and honestly say she made the right choice before. It pained her, hearing that she didn't consider them to be friends, but it brought a small smile to her muzzle to hear that she was willing to give it a shot. She... She believed Twilight wanted to help her, but she fidgeted at her final words. She looked back up at the tall alicorn, "Twilight I... I am sorry, that we ignored you... I am." her ears fell to the sides of her head as she spoke.


Twilight's expression softened and her muzzle drew into a line, she opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. They stood there in silence for several seconds, neither one of them knowing just what to say. Twilight decided to drop the matter of what was bugging Rainbow, and broke the silence, "We should get going..." She continued more softly, "Stay close to me, alright? I still can't let you run off, and if you do, I can't guarantee your safety."


The pair continued to stand there in silence for several seconds before Twilight started walking further into the forest. A few seconds later, Rainbow uneasily caught up to Twilight, and fell in sync beside her. They walked in silence, the only sound coming from Twilight's horn whenever she lit it for whatever reason. As they pushed farther into the forest, the foliage became denser, and the path became less rugged. Both alicorn and pegasus stayed alert, continually scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger, and making sure not to trip and injure themselves.


Once they were far enough inside the forest for the tree canopy to block out the moonlight, Twilight lit their way with her horn, casting their path in a pale lavender light. The continually moving source of light caused the shadows to dance, as if taunting them. Occasionally, off in the distance they would hear a wolf howl, or an owl hoot. Fortunately, the glow from her horn seemed to keep the predators away. Rainbow found herself yawning, not being used to being up so late at night, and the soft glow of Twilight's magic seemed to cause a calming effect to her, despite her unease about the alicorn.


When the foliage grew too dense for them to walk side by side, Twilight took the lead, while Rainbow trailed behind her a few steps. Their progress was slowed more as they pushed further into the forest, the deeper they went, the fewer ponies that had been there. As time progressed, and the underbrush refused to let up, Twilight found herself regretting her decision of walking through the forest. At the time she assumed it would be safer because the Inquisitor would have sent more ponies looking for her, including pegasi patrolling the sky.


After several minutes of walking they came to a familiar clearing. Twilight came to a stop at the treeline, and scanned the area for any sings of activity.  She tentatively stepped out into the clearing, continually scanning the opposite side of the clearing for any signs of other ponies. Rainbow took a step forwards, Twilight immediately glanced towards her, then back to the opposite side of the clearing, and extended a wing, causing Rainbow to stop. Twilight's head swept from left to right, and right to left, continuing to make sure it was safe.


More sure this time, she took another step forwards, yet continued looking around. A few seconds later, she folded her wing and started walking towards the center of the clearing, where Rainbow had camped. Rainbow followed her out into the clearing. Rainbow's ears swiveled around, listening intently for any sign of danger. Twilight dimmed her horn, sending them into darkness broken only by the soft light of the moon, and walked forwards more surely. Rainbow almost jumped when the Twilight's horn dimmed, fearing something had happened. She looked towards Twilight, who was striding towards the center of the clearing.


"What are you doing!?" Rainbow asked when Twilight paused and lit her horn again. After a few seconds, the glow died down, once more leaving them in the soft glow of the moon.


Twilight turned to face Rainbow, "I was checking something. You were tracked here by somepony."


Rainbow blinked, "Yeah, I'm not surprised by that." she replied indifferently.


Twilight frowned, "My intervention here would have caused them to lose track of you, and with no bodies..." She looked down and exhaled sharply. A few seconds later she raised her head, and frowned in equal parts confusion and concern, "My spell just failed... That... That shouldn't have happened..."


Right before Twilight lifted her head, the feeling of being watched by a predator disappeared. The suddenness of it leaving unnerved her, it also unnerved her how much she had grown accustomed to it. She frowned, wondering if she would still feel so uneasy when Twilight looked at her. "Wait, what spell?" she asked.


Twilight looked to Rainbow, the feeling of being watched by a predator returned to her, and she shivered under the alicorn's gaze. "The spell I used to keep track of everything going on here. I combined several spells together to produce the desired effects... It should not have just... Failed..." She shook her head, "Gah, it's bound to have issues, it was only a prototype after all. Still, we should keep moving." Twilight started walking in the direction that Rainbow had first entered the clearing from, after a few seconds Rainbow joined her, and they continued along their way.


The pair left the clearing and reentered the forest, which seemed less dense than Rainbow remembered it being when she first found the clearing. She shook the thought away when Twilight lit her horn with magic. They continued walking for several minutes, the path progressively became easier to tread, but Rainbow also found herself getting progressively more tired as the silence droned on. Rainbow yawned, drawing a blank glance from Twilight. "So where exactly are we headed?" she asked a few seconds later, hoping that talking would help her stay awake.


"Equestria." Twilight stated flatly. "You will see specifically once we arrive."


"Ugh." Rainbow groaned, "Twilight..." she sighed. "Okay fine. Is there anything I need to know?"


Twilight stopped walking, pausing to think about it for a minute. She nodded her head, "No, not really."


Rainbow groaned again, and then quickly caught up with Twilight, and walked beside her. The two continued walking as the night progressed on, Rainbow found herself grateful for how well maintained the path was becoming, though it did concern her. If somepony saw her with Twilight, they would probably realize she wasn't bringing her back... They would assume she was a traitor. Rainbow grimaced at that thought. She didn't like thinking of herself as a traitor, or even the thought of somepony suggesting that. Talking to and seeing Twilight again seemed to bring those thoughts to the forefront of her mind, however. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she was a traitor. She had betrayed her friend, and the princesses... 'And for what?' part of her asked.


And she knew the punishment for treason... She shivered, not wanting to think about that. She glanced towards Twilight briefly, then looked back to the path. The Inquisitor considered Twilight a traitor... She knew that, but she still didn't want to believe he would kill her. He hadn't killed any of the princesses, but whether or not he had a hoof in their deaths... She wasn't sure anymore. She didn't want Twilight to die, that was the whole reason she set out to find her in the first place. She found herself wondering why, after all she had not seen nor heard from Twilight in years... And they hadn't parted ways on the best of terms...


The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she had always known she was betraying the princesses, and Twilight in particular. She had so many questions, so much to think about... And it scared her. She didn't know what their future held, nor if Twilight would be successful... Or even if she wanted her to be successful. And then there was the fact that Twilight scared her, that almost every time Twilight looked at her she felt like a predator was watching her... It was unnerving.


A particularly strong gust of wind caused her to shiver, making her realize they had exited the forest. She looked around in confusion, unsure as to how they could have made it through the forest so quickly. It hadn't seemed like it took that long to her, but the thought immediately fled her mind, being replaced by a feeling of searing pain in her side. A second later, she found herself lying on the ground, not sure how she ended up there. She tried to stand to her hooves, but the pain from her side, along with a purple hoof, stopped her. She looked at Twilight in confusion, she looked... A combination of fear, anger and... Indifference, she decided, were plastered on her muzzle. She followed Twilight's gaze to her body, and saw an arrow sticking out of her. She blinked as realization dawned on her.


Twilight clenched her jaw and she looked towards the source of the arrow. Ignoring Rainbow's delayed scream, she lit her horn with magic and stepped forwards, putting herself between Rainbow and her attacker. 'Attackers.' she corrected upon seeing two unicorns and pegasi, and two earth ponies storm out of the treeline, gathering behind the pegasus with the bow. She looked between each of the nine ponies, sending them each a sharp glare in turn. One of them, a grey unicorn with a brilliant blue mane, caught her attention. She looked out of place compared to the rest. She appeared to be a young mare, about as old as Rarity's sister would be now judging from her stature. She moved on to the next pony, and eventually her gaze fell upon the pegasus who shot Rainbow.


That pony smiled back smugly, "Princess Twilight Sparkle... Imagine our luck." He grabbed another arrow with a wing and armed it in his bow, the sight looked somewhat disgraceful to Twilight.


"Misfortune." Twilight corrected coldly. "You are lucky she's still alive. I have use for her."


"She didn't look like a prisoner to me," he snorted in disgust, "traitors..."


Twilight nodded solemnly in agreement with the pegasus's statement, "Yes, all of you are traitors. Betraying the princesses... Betraying me... And then... This." she waved a hoof around, pointing out the current situation.


The conversation Twilight seemed to be having with another pony was lost on Rainbow, who was starting to have problems breathing. The arrow had went through her wing, into her chest, and pierced her lung. She could taste blood, and had the suspicion her lung, possibly both of them, were filling with blood. She frantically looked between Twilight and the group of ponies she was standing before. She could see that Twilight had her horn lit, and from the looks of things, the group of ponies were uncomfortable at the prospect of fighting an alicorn. She smiled, at the sight. She would have chuckled, but that would have hurt.


"Unfortunately for all of you, I cannot let you survive to inform the Inquisitor of my whereabouts." A lavender barrier formed around Twilight as the pegasus drew back the bow, and released it, sending the arrow flying. The arrow shot through the air and impacted the barrier, and immediately fell to the ground. Twilight felt herself starting to smile. In the back of her mind, she knew what she was contemplating was wrong, but she just so did not care. She knew Celestia nor Cadance would approve of killing them... She wasn't sure about Luna and her brother, but it was irrelevant. They were all dead now, after all.


The pegasus glanced left, then right, at the rest of his group, "Don't just stand there! Attack!" he shouted, fumbling with another arrow and firing again. The other ponies present quickly broke out of their inaction, and brought their weapons to bear. None of them, however, wanted to charge the alicorn they were facing off against. The one unicorn that Twilight had taken an interest in actually took a step backwards when she drew out a sword.


The second arrow impacted her barrier, and fell to the ground. She just stood there, barely holding back her smile, and looking impatiently at the ponies who were all trying to figure out who would lead the charge. A cough from Rainbow removed the smirk from her face, and she glanced at her, then glared at the pegasus who shot her. She wasn't sure if the pegasus realized his mistake, or realized her power, but for whatever reason, the pegasus took a step back.


She stepped forwards, and channeled more magic into her horn, then forged two swords from magic in the air. The first sword flared to life to the right side of her head, erupting into existence like a jet of flame. Half a second later, the second sword flared to life to the left of her head, the magic seeming to burn and warp the air around it. She crossed the swords in the air before her muzzle, and glanced at each blade in turn. The magic bleeding off the blades looked almost like a flame, while the lavender glow at the center of each blade, so bright as to almost be white boldly displayed her power.


She eyed each pony in tern, save for the grey unicorn, daring them to make a move. She would have been content to wait for somepony else to make the first move, but Rainbow coughed again, and that sealed the deal. She spun the two swords, then stopped them when they pointed towards the group, and pulled them back beside her body, so they they stuck out passed her chest, primed to strike anypony charging her, and strode forwards. The pegasi released a barrage of arrows, she narrowed her eyes and moved faster, rushing into the barrage. She took her left sword and cut right, intercepting an arrow and cleaving it in half, and went left with her right sword, cutting another arrow. The four pieces fell harmlessly to the side, away from her.


The three remaining arrows impacted her barrier and stopped immediately. She flared out her wings and switched to a full out gallop. As she expected, the five pegasi launched another volley, then pulled out swords or knives. The grey unicorn took another step back at her display, which went unnoticed by her comrades. The two earth ponies drew their swords into their mouths and charged at her, the other unicorn launched a spear at her. As she ran towards the oncoming spear, she shot a spell at it. The spell hit, and immediately the spear exploded apart.


A second later she launched herself towards the two oncoming earth ponies with her wings, the two ponies stopped and looked at her in awe, unable to realize the peril they were in. She shot through the air at a rate that would have impressed Rainbow Dash, aiming to impact between the two earth ponies, and readied her swords. As she landed, she stabbed her swords straight through the two ponies, neither of them made any sound, then she withdrew the swords from their sides, ignoring the ponies as they fell. She briefly looked between the two ponies, then returned her gaze to the seven ponies standing in shock. She looked at them indifferently, and continued to stride forwards.


Three of the five pegasi rushed towards her, she didn't even bat an eye. In rapid succession, she pointed her horn at each pegasus and released a spell. The bolts of magic rushed through the air and impacted the oncoming ponies, who immediately fell limply to the ground, paralyzed. She walked onward, even as their bodies rolled to a stop. She didn't even stop her stride as she shot her sword through each pony's heart, and immediately withdrew her swords. She looked towards the four remaining ponies, the grey unicorn was no longer holding a weapon, and she was quivering in fear.


The pegasus who shot Rainbow turned tail and tried to run away. He didn't get very far before she stunned him with a bolt of magic. A second later, she disappeared in a flash of light, and reappeared beside the other unicorn. The unicorn silently fell to the ground, followed shortly by the other pegasus, leaving the grey unicorn and the pony who shot Rainbow. She briefly looked over her work with disinterest, then turned her gaze to the grey unicorn. She immediately shrunk back in fear, eyes darting around, looking for a way to escape.


"Do not run." Twilight commanded firmly, yet with a softness that took the unicorn by surprise. Twilight stepped forwards, and the unicorn lowered herself to the ground, submissively. "Tell me, what is your name?" she asked.


The unicorn looked up at Twilight, her eyes filled with tears, and her lips quivered. "Z-Zenith S-St-Star." A second later, out of fear she added, "P-Princess." 


Twilight's gaze softened and she nodded, "Rise, Zenith Star." Zenith Star looked terrified, but slowly, and uneasily rose to her hooves. Twilight looked over the terrified filly, barely old enough to be called a mare. "How old are you?" she asked out of curiosity.


"Six-sixteen, Pr-Princess..." she stuttered.


Twilight nodded, hiding her discomfort with knowing that the mare was just over half a decade younger than herself. "You will come with me. You will not try to run away." She paused smiled, "And you will stop calling me princess. My name is Twilight Sparkle, but my friends call me Twilight."


Zenith Star, still shivering in fear nodded, "Tw-Twilight?" she asked, afraid that the alicorn was just trying to trick her. Twilight nodded, and smiled. Zenith felt a little better at that, but still was unnerved by the alicorn and her display in dispatching her comrades.


"I won't hurt you, but I can't let you go either. You will come with me..." Twilight said in a calm, motherly tone, similar to what Celestia had used with her. Zenith nodded in agreement, whether out of fear or genuine interest... She suspected the former, but pushed it aside. 'It will take time, but you won't be afraid of me forever...' A groan from the pegasus she stunned reminded her of her unfinished business, she looked towards the source, and then back to Zenith and grimaced. "Go stay by Rainbow Dash. I will be right there."


The unicorn's eyes widened, "Rainbow D-Dash? You mean Captain Rainbow Dash?" Twilight nodded, and immediately the unicorn rushed over to where Rainbow laid. Twilight smiled, and teleported to the guilty pegasus.


She wrapped her magic around the pegasus's throat, and lifted him until he was muzzle height with herself. Despite the pegasus still being completely paralyzed, she could see the fear present in his eyes. She looked into his eyes, and slid her sword through his chest, and pulled it out in rapid succession. She averted her gaze from the pegasus's now lifeless eyes, and looked at the ground. After several seconds, she looked back to the pegasus, and sighed. The deed done, she released the pegasus from her grasp, letting him fall to the ground, and teleported back to Rainbow's side.


Zenith seemed to not know what to do in regards to Rainbow, she was just standing there, mouth opening and closing. It briefly reminded Twilight of a fish she had seen when spending time with Fluttershy. Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated her magic on Rainbow, examining her injury. Rainbow would live- if she acted fast enough. She cast a sleep spell on the pegasus, earning a worried glance from Zenith. Thankfully, Zenith remained silent. She continued her work, first using her magic to extract the arrow with extreme care so as to not cause more harm than good. Once she levitated the arrow out of Rainbow's chest, she split it in two and removed it from her wing. She cast two more spells, one to accelerate her body's natural healing, and another to help Rainbow's body function with the state her lung was in.


"Is... Is she going to make it?" Zenith asked with concern, eyes darting between Twilight and Rainbow.


Twilight nodded, "She will live, yes. We should vacate this area at once. I assume you were part of an advanced scouting patrol?"


Zenith Star coughed and looked away, "Y-yes, Pri-Twilight..." she winced. "What are... Where are we going to go now?"


Twilight thought about it for a moment. She glanced at Rainbow, then looked at the moon. She pursed her lips, not liking their available options. She could find a cave for them to stay in, lie low for a while and then strike at a later time when his guard would be down... Continue on to Equestria, and Canterlot, and risk him knowing that she is coming, thus putting many more lives in danger... Going back to her cave wasn't an option, she would not back down from this. She could contact one of her allies, or friends... One thing she liked about none of those plans was that regardless of the action she took, he would live longer because of what transpired.


And then of course there was the problem of getting wherever she chose to go. With an unconscious, injured pegasus and a unicorn, it severely limited her options even further. She knew she could carry both of them, but she wasn't too keen on flying that far and carrying them both the entire time. She could teleport them all part of the way, or the entire way. That could work, but it would draw a lot of attention. She grimaced. 'I wonder if Rarity would mind if I drop by for a little bit...' She thought about it. Rarity kept in touch with Spike, who kept in touch with Dragon Lord Ember. 'Ahhh... What was it she said again...' She grimaced, and regretted not paying more attention to her when she rambled on about what Spike said involving Rarity. It wasn't that she wasn't interested it was just...


Then again, Manehatton was probably the worst possible choice she could choose, and it was farther away than Canterlot was. She mulled it over, realizing that this decision, as hard as it was, would be nothing compared to what she could face when ruling Equestria. 'There was that one cave near Ponyville...' She thought it over. It would be a bit of a journey... "Alright." she nodded, and looked at Zenith Star, "It's a bit far in our current state, but I know where we can go."


Zenith shifted on her hooves, "Where?"


"There's a cave near Ponyville that should work until I am ready to make my move." Twilight responded.


Zenith frowned, "Make your move..?"


Twilight inwardly cringed, but maintained her outward composure. Twilight turned to Zenith, and started speaking slowly, "I'm going after the Inquisitor... And you're going to help me."


Zenith's face paled at that. "Oh... Okay... Um... Ponyville is still... A ways away..." She blinked, seeming to not understand the full meaning behind Twilight's words.


"We should be able to make it there within a couple days." Twilight replied. She looked towards the moon as a gust of cold wind hit her. She ignored the chill of the air, but grimaced when she thought about Rainbow and Zenith. "Stay close. It's as much for your protection as it is my own. I can carry you if you want."


"I'm not a little filly!" Zenith complained. "I can walk... Besides, you'll be carrying her." she pointed a hoof to Rainbow.


"I can carry you both, you know." Twilight replied evenly. She stepped closer to Rainbow, and leaned down to pick her up. She wrapped her jaw around her mane and neck and lightly bit down. Relying on her alicorn strength to assist her in lifting the pegasus without hurting either of them, she lifted Rainbow off the ground. She slowly looked to Zenith, who's mouth was hanging open at the sight. Twilight started walking, and motioned for Zenith to follow her with a wing. After taking a few seconds to recompose herself, Zenith quickly caught up to Twilight and started walking beside her, still not fully understanding what was happening.