• Published 12th Oct 2014
  • 3,852 Views, 518 Comments

DayBreak - MyHobby



After an attempt is made on Celestia's life, Twilight Sparkle must assemble a team to track down the assassin and bring her to justice. Danger awaits as they delve into the origins of both the attacker and alicorns.

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Downfall

Luna shifted her wings when a sharp itch scratched her back. The edges of her vision swam as the dream took on a distant, foggy aura. The world faded except for Celestia and Sombra, who stood out stark against a dim world.

“Something’s wrong,” Celestia said. “This doesn’t make sense.”

She looked at her hooves, pain writing itself across her face. “A moment ago, Sombra was desperate to kill me. Now… he traps us? He gives me an ultimatum? His plans have changed. We’re winning. We can stop him, and he knows it!”

The world snapped back into focus. Celestia stormed towards Sombra, her voice low and raspy. “No more! No more, Usurper King! I’ll not be taken with your tricks and your schemes! We are here to end you!”

Sombra’s smile fell. His mouth twisted in a sharp-toothed scowl. “Call my bluff, will you?”

His horn fired a blast of pure malice into the floor. Veins of purple crystal snaked deep into the heart of the palace, through the base, past the bedrock foundation, and into the mines. The warm glow of magic could be felt throughout the entire city, spreading out under the houses and shops. A thundering, steady beat thrummed in their ears, the sound of a countdown.

“Then I see fit to call yours,” Sombra snarled. “You have the power to succeed? Then best me.”

Luna was toppled by the grasping arms of a horde of wights, tangling her legs and restraining her wings. She launched a concentrated pocket of cold, but a hand around her neck directed it to the ceiling. “Sister! Help!”

Celestia didn’t look back. She charged head-first at Sombra, driving her horn into his empty crystalline chest. She pressed forward, her legs pumping, until she had carried him to a window. With a powerful flap of her wings, she threw the both of them out into the storm.

***

Scuttlebutt’s hand crushed the ground inches from Care’s face. The unicorn spiraled out of the way, kicking and flipping to get herself clear of his reach. The wight hissed as the changeling’s teeth sunk into his shoulder from behind, once again sending him to his knees.

“It’s working!” Care shouted. “Can’t you bite him harder?”

The changeling snarled at Care, but didn’t dare release his hold. Scuttlebutt reached over his shoulder to snatch the changeling, but was restrained with a pink flow of magic. Care strained, sweat trickling down her forehead, as her magic fought against flesh and bone.

Scuttlebutt snarled. His neck elongated, stretching his head around until he was facing the small creature feeding on him. He opened his mouth wide to bare his oversized fangs.

He got a mouthful of Daring Do’s back hooves. The blow knocked his head back, sending it smacking against the floor.

The wight slacked. Every limb, every claw, every bone turned to jelly beneath his opponents. Care lost her grasp. The changeling’s teeth lost their purchase. Daring Do jumped away from the wriggling mass as fast as her aching wings would carry her. Once free, Scuttlebutt righted himself, reforming his body into that of the towering minotaur.

“Aw cuss,” Daring hissed.

“Give me the book and I’ll only snap your necks!” Scuttlebutt stretched his arm out to grasp the changeling’s saddlebags.

Time Turner skidded to a stop behind Scuttlebutt. He raised his right gauntlet and pointed it at Care. “Grab a hold!”

He fired the grappling hook, missing her by inches. She snapped her head to the side, her horn flaring. She looped the chain around her foreleg and raced to Scuttlebutt. She ran between his legs while Time Turner circled around, tangling the monster in a slip knot. They went in opposite directions, cinching their trap tight.

Scuttlebutt teetered, then tumbled. He let out a spine-tingling wail as he fell. His dark eyes widened when he spotted Daring below him, her rear legs poised to buck his chin.

A thundering crack sent his rubbery chin into the back of his mouth. He pulled it back into position, hot steam shooting from his nostrils. He slid his legs from the chains and hoisted himself upright. “I don’t think you quite understand what sort of horror you’ve brought on yourselves.”

Time pulled the lever on his gauntlet, returning the hook to its place. He shut one eye and took aim at Scuttlebutt’s head. The wight raised a claw to intercept the coming blast.

Time Turner pressed the button in his other device. The world froze around him, from his companions to his target. He shifted to the left, this time pointing the hook at the wight’s shoulder. A pulled lever released the pent up magic charge and sent the grappling hook flying. It moved slowly, as if floating through water.

Still, it flew true and embedded itself in the monster’s flesh. The time stop spell ceased with a chilling roar from Scuttlebutt, who grabbed his wound and stumbled. The sheer strength of the creature nearly pulled Time off of his hooves, but Care’s added weight was able to hold Scuttlebutt back.

Daring grasped the chain in her mouth and the three ponies pulled Scuttlebutt onto his side. The changeling snapped at his ankles while he was too distracted to respond. The wight tried to prop himself up on his claws and rear hooves, but sudden tugs on the chain kept him off balance. He scraped the tiled floor in frustration.

The sound of police klaxons reached their ears.

The changeling broke off the attack, a blaze of green fire changing his body into a small, white-coated earth pony stallion. “We gotta sc-scram!”

“Heck no!” Care Carrot tightened her grip. “We gotta stop the monster!”

“The police can deal with him, scoot!” Daring Do flipped the lever on Time’s grapple gun. The hook flew from the wight’s shoulder with a sucking thoop. “If you wanna get arrested, stick around!”

Care stood stock still as her partners in crime raced for the door and left the creature writhing. “It’s your cruddy fault we’re gonna get arrested in the first place!” She leaned into her run, stopping briefly to kick the wight in the face. “I hate you all!”

Scuttlebutt clenched his fists, reshaping them into hooves. His ribcage came back together, sealing his beating heart. His horns retracted and his eyes regained their yellowed brown color. A small, gaunt pony tiptoed away from the scene, before turning to putty and sliding between the books on a nearby shelf.

The team of ponies rushed out the doors. The longs steps to the library entrance ended near the street, where the property was marked with a row of hedges. Daring led them behind the brush, out of sight. “Come on, there’s a break around the left side.”

The wail of sirens reached their peak. Hooves tromped against the steps as police ponies swarmed into the library. Daring kept her ears low as she shuffled through the branches. “We gotta hurry,” she whispered. “They’ll be looking through the bushes soon enough.”

“They’re hedges, actually,” Time muttered.

“Shut up. Twilight Velvet’s their chief, and she’s just crafty enough to figure out where we went.” Daring’s nose twitched. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not have to explain why I had to sneak into restricted archives to—”

A few meters in front of them, standing in the gap between the hedges Daring had mentioned, was Chief Twilight Velvet. She looked down at them, stuck a hoof into her duster coat, and grabbed her notepad. “Let’s see… Violent scuffle in the library, stolen books, evading arrest…” She smirked. “Yep. Looks like Daring Do got bored again.”

Care slapped Daring on the back of her head.

“Ow!” Daring glared at the unicorn. “What was that for?”

“For being right.”

Twilight Velvet took a step back, letting the group exit the hedges. “Well, this isn’t exactly the most ragtag team you’ve ever worked with, but it’s close.”

Daring scrambled to her feet and spread her wings. “Look, Velvet, I can explain. We were—”

“Blank already explained, thanks.” Velvet lifted a hoof, gesturing for them to follow her. “Now get over here before the others arrest you for real.”

Care turned to Blankety, her ears standing up. “You… you told her about this?”

He lowered his head. He quickened his pace to move away from her. “W-worked out, didn’t it?”

Twilight Velvet led them to the alley, where a police carriage had been tucked out of the way. Two stallions stood in the yokes, each raising an eyebrow as she opened the side door. “Pixel, Corky, take us out of here and make it quiet-like.”

The five of them squeezed into the carriage, leaving the scene of the crime far behind.

***

Falling ice beat at Celestia’s body as she tumbled in the wind. She had lost her hold on Sombra on the way down. Far above, the clouds churned and roiled, spiraling and swarming with the magic energy of Hurricane and her Elites. Celestia lit her horn, shining light on her surroundings, giving her the opportunity to right herself. She hovered in midair and swiveled her ears, searching for some hint of Sombra in the gale.

Red lightning hit her from above, seizing her muscles and sending her into a dive. Shadow enveloped her to blind her. Shards of crystal dug into her armor. Two red, rage-filled eyes bored into her, choking her with their purple miasma.

She launched pure sunlit into the core of the monstrosity. She looped around, shedding the buildup of crystal from her body. A beam of energy scorched the living shadow, eliciting a howl that was felt as thunder in her heart.

Sombra’s horned head burst from the cloud, its point seeking her stomach. She brought her hoof down atop it to smash it to shards. The shards jumped back up and sliced the straps holding the armor to her body. The wind did the rest of the work, stripping her of all protection. She grappled with Sombra’s strong forehooves as they jumped out of the mire. A headbutt drew blood from her forehead.

Her back hit the side of the Crystal Palace. Ice looped around her limbs and held her in place. Sombra stood on the wall beside her, his black mane flailing. “Here, Celestia! Your front-row seat to the fall of the Crystal Empire!”

“So finish it, monster!” Celestia roared. “Kill me and be done with it! Gut me as you did your mother!”

“Silence!” Sombra’s voice burst forth as an echoing shriek. “It was for you that she died!”

Sombra’s body shuddered. He defied gravity as he paced around her. “I won’t kill you. Not until it suits me. I would not want the beloved queen to sacrifice herself in vain, after all. No, instead you must face the consequences your actions have wrought. It is your fault the time bombs are active. Your defiance of my iron will.”

The steady thrum grew louder as he spoke. “Now, it begins.”

A distant snap rose above the storm. Light flashed at the edge of the city. Screams rose as the light grew brighter and the glow overtook ponies and buildings alike.

Celestia struggled with her bonds. “No! No, stop this! Stop this immediately!”

Sombra smiled. “I think that I shall conquer Equestria while I wait for the Empire to reappear. Yes. They could do with an immortal ruler. I shall wipe out the diamond dogs and that pitiful breezie tribe. I will root out the changelings and burn their kingdom to ashes. I will drive the buffalo from their lands. I will enslave the cattle and the donkeys.”

He turned to the distant glow that grew gradually closer. “But that is after I execute the founders for their crimes against me.”

“No!” Celestia’s horn flared in the darkness. She opened her shining white eyes. “Enough of this!”

The ice around her legs melted. Sombra covered his face, but was still blown back by the force of her spell. A beam shot through the clouds, parting the way to the blue sky above.

Sunlight struck the Crystal Palace. Sombra screamed as he was hurtled into the ground at the base of the palace. He struggled to stand, to cast a spell, to fight back.

A jagged lance of crystal caught Celestia in the wing. She tumbled down and landed beside the unicorn king. He roared, splitting his body into a cloud of darkness.

She lifted her head to the sky and grasped the sun. She brought it closer, dissolving the hurricane above, sending its controllers spiraling to the outskirts of the city. The power of the sun forced Sombra back, pressing him against the ground.

“I… am… nearly an alicorn!” Sombra took the shape of a pony, his fangs glaring in the sun. He gathered power to his horn, intent to burn a hole in Celestia’s chest. “I will live forever! I will reign forever! The sun shall bow to my will!”

“Never!” Luna teleported into existence behind him, her body covered in gashes and bite-marks. She fired an ice spell at his legs, freezing him in place. “What good is a ‘near’ alicorn against two true ones?”

“You aren’t true!” Sombra’s eyes glowed bright purple as he tore magic from his own black heart. “You’re as false as me!

Luna shut her eyes, reached out, and found the moon. Her chest heaved as she guided it upward, over the west horizon. The eastern sunrise joined with her moonrise, the silvery light mingling with the golden. Sombra’s body cracked as magic hit him from every angle.

“No!” he yelled. “No it’s mine! It belongs to me! All of it! All of it!

Luna’s eyes gleamed with overwhelming light. She met her sister’s gaze. They shared a nod.

The sun and moon met at the sky’s apex. The light from one joined the light of the other. A black circle surrounded by fire covered the Crystal Empire.

Sombra raised his head and looked directly at the first solar eclipse. He screamed as he was encased in an unbreakable prison of pure crystal. The ground split open beneath him from the sheer power, and he vanished into the depths.

Luna and Celestia collapsed against each other, breathing heavily. The moon vanished beneath the horizon, awaiting the unicorns who would bring the night. The sun settled back into place, shining light on the early morning.

Screams continued to pour from the far side of the city. A blue bubble of energy spread out from the underground, soon accompanied by others at different points of the city. Sparks burst as the spells touched, joining them together to form a larger enchantment.

“Celestia,” Luna said, “we have to go now.”

“Wh-what have I done?” Celestia choked back a sob. “What have I done?

“Now, Celestia!” Luna grabbed her wing in her teeth. “It’s too late! Now!”

They flew as fast as their wings would take them. They outran the spell, watching as their army fled below in a full retreat.

Not everypony made it out of the city before it was swallowed up. The ponies could only watch as the entire city, the capitol of the empire, vanished into thin air.

Celestia landed on shaky legs. She stumbled up to the first pony she could find. “Clover! Did Clover make it out? Did she have Periwinkle with her?”

Luna lay down and nursed her wounds, imaginary though they were, while Celestia scrambled around. “Did you see her?” the elder sister asked. “Are they alright? Did they speak with you?”

Luna stood on aching limbs. The chill in the air intensified. The Crystal Heart was gone, vanished into the depths of time, and with it the warmth she always felt in the empire. Winter had returned to the north. Deep, unrelenting winter.

Celestia lifted her hooves, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Will nopony tell me they’re alright?”

“Celestia!” a voice from the sky snapped. “What just happened?”

Commander Hurricane landed, her hooves sending up clouds of snow. “You grabbed the sun and destroyed my storm! I demand an explanation! I demand to know why—”

“It was the only way to defeat Sombra!” Celestia stomped a hoof. “He had turned himself into a monster, and I did what I could!”

“You threw my soldiers into a confusion! Ponies could have died because of you!” Hurricane scratched the deep scar on her cheek. “Where is the Empire? What happened to it?”

“Sombra sent it hurtling through time.” Luna said, her voice quiet. “It is lost to us.”

Hurricane’s wings snapped out. Her jaw hung loose as her ears drooped. “Huh?”

“He laid time bombs beneath the city. An entire network. They flung the Empire into the future.” Celestia bowed her head. “He intended to conquer the city once again after we were dead and gone.”

Hurricane fell to her haunches. Her wings hung limp at her sides. “N-no. No, you lie. You must be wrong.”

Hurricane turned on the soldiers and citizens that had managed to escape. “Where is Clover? Has anypony seen Clover or Pansy? Smart Cookie? Puddinghead? Platinum?

She bit her lip. “Are any of my friends alive?”

“Hurricane!” An earth pony mare galloped up to them, wearing the sash of a messenger pony. She skidded to a halt and snapped a salute. “Hurricane! Word from the south front!”

Hurricane jumped through the air to grasp the pony’s hooves. “What is it? What does Pansy say?”

The messenger turned her eyes downward. “Starswirl the Bearded just arrived with the Elements of Harmony, Commander. He wishes to speak with you.”

***

“Okay,” Daring Do said, “before we get into the messy business of not being arrested, can we just focus on the fact that Blankety Blank is a changeling?

The carriage jolted. Time Turner bumped against Blank, but scooted back just as quickly. He felt Daring’s foreleg wrap around his, and decided not to protest.

“I mean, holy horseapples, a really real changeling!” Daring leaned over Time to get closer to Blank. “How long have you been a changeling? Just for reference.”

“Um.” Blank rubbed his hooves together. “S-since I was hatched?”

“Blankety’s been working for my force for the past seven years,” Twilight Velvet said. She sat beside Care in the rear-facing carriage seats, opposite the others. “There aren’t any cops who I trust more.”

Time pointed his chin to the front of the carriage. “And our drivers?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I trust them to keep this quiet until I’m out of town.”

Care Carrot had not taken her eyes off of the police chief since they’d all piled into the carriage. She fiddled with her braid, undoing it without really meaning to. She cleared her throat.

Velvet flicked an ear. “Can I help you with something, hun?”

“C-can I have your autograph?” Care squeaked out.

Twilight Velvet only just held herself back from rolling her eyes. She gave the guard a warm smile instead. “Later. Right now, we gotta get aboard the first train to Ponyville and lay low ’til the dust settles.”

“‘We’?” Time Turner sat up a little straighter as his brow wrinkled. “You’re coming with us?”

“Darn right I’m coming with you.” Velvet thumped her hoof on the armrest. “That freak put my daughter in the hospital and I’ll be cussed if I take that lying down. Whoever this Hurricane pony is, she’s gonna get a mouthful of broken teeth before we hand her over to Luna.”

Daring Do nodded quickly. She snuggled a wing behind Time’s back. “Then it’s banishment and imprisonment in the place she was banished to. I’m thinking either the moon or the sun. Maybe a comet, if we’re lucky.”

“Maybe a shallow grave in the side of a mountain,” Care muttered. “That works, too.”

Blank peered through his light blond bangs. “Yeah, well… due p-process and all th-that.”

“I won’t go out of my way to take her alive.” Care reached a hoof up to peel back the window curtain. “She’s a mad dog that needs to be put down.”

Velvet slapped her hoof away from the window. “Stop that. We’re being secretive in here. And cool your jets, soldier. This isn’t an assassination. This is a policing operation.”

Care frowned. “Even police carry lethal weapons.”

“As a last resort. We don’t exactly encourage it.” Velevet nudged Care in the chest. “It’s only acceptable when somebody’s life is on the line, and you know that. It’s only ever acceptable under those circumstances. Ever. Do you understand me?”

The carriage grew very quiet. Care shut her eyes and bowed her head. “Yes ma’am.”

“Besides,” Daring Do piped up, “there’s a whole mountain of paperwork you gotta go through. Totally not worth the effort.”

The carriage grew even quieter. Twilight Velvet slapped her forehead. “Daring—”

“What?” Daring shouted. When her only answer was a dark glare, she folded her wings and shrunk in on herself. “Freaking try to bring a little levity…”

Blank’s eyes flicked between Daring and Velvet. After a moment, he brought his saddlebags forward and opened them. “Th-this is what we got. A few d-day planners, a few strategy compilations, and a couple m-magic tomes.” He lifted the Grimoire Alicorn and showed her the cover. “W-we figure there ought to be a clue somewhere.”

“Wait, wait, wait, hold up!” Velvet snatched the book in her telekinesis and held it at arm’s length. “You went into the sealed archives to get information on the historical Hurricane?”

Time Turner leaned close as he unlatched his gauntlets. “Twilight Sparkle and Luna agree that there is a strong possibility that the assassin is indeed a time-travelling Founder. As ludicrous as it sounds, I’m beginning to believe them.”

Twilight Velvet eyed him carefully. She opened the book with a spark and scanned the contents. “Well, I can’t argue with the princesses, can I? What does the evidence—?”

She sighed. She held the page open, showing the sketch of Commander Hurricane’s fairy string layout. “Never mind. That’s a spitting image of her. Scar and all.” She scratched her chin. “They should have fired their sketch artist, though. He got the anatomy all wrong.”

Blank popped his head up. “W-what do you mean?”

“Look at the fairy strings.” Twilight Velvet pointed at the page, drawing her hoof across the wings. “She’s built just fine for a pegasus, but look at her legs. They’re too thick. It’s like they’re made for—”

“An earth pony,” Care said. Everybody turned to her. She rolled her shoulders and rested her forehooves on her knees. “It looks like a pretty rare genetic disorder where somepony is born one kind of pony, but they have the fairy strings for a whole different tribe. Usually it causes disability, but it looks like it didn’t in Hurricane’s case. She was lucky enough to get both.”

Time Turner flicked his tail. “Hold up. Have there been any reported cases of this happening? Getting two specializations?”

“Not naturally,” Twilight Velvet said. “There was one case in Ponyville where it was the result of corrective surgery, but no natural instances. Might just mean they went undiscovered.”

“Might not.” Daring Do grabbed the book out of the air. “The earth pony fairy strings would explain how she was able to physically overpower Twilight.”

“And why she was able to get back up after taking a beating like the one Twilie gave her.” Velvet scowled. “The more I shove my nose in this business, the more it stinks.”

The carriage rolled to a stop. One of the drivers knocked on the door. “Canterlot Train Station, Chief.”

“Thanks, Pixel.” Twilight Velvet slid out into the street, the others following close behind her. “My husband is a pretty good researcher and so is Spike. We’ll let them crack the books and see if they can find anything interesting.”

Care Carrot let her mane hang loose around her shoulders. She bumped her way through the crowd to the ticket booth. “And hope we find something before she finds us.”

***

Smart Cookie stood beside the elderly unicorn stallion, holding his hoof. She turned her eyes to the sky with a tearful smile. “Hurricane! Thou art well!”

Hurricane landed with Celestia and Luna behind her. She marched up to the stallion, raised a hoof, and punched him full in the face. “Where were you?” she shouted.

Smart Cookie reached down to help Starswirl to his feet. She growled at Hurricane. “How dare thou? He is here to help!”

Hurricane shoved her to the side. “Four days we waited, Starswirl! Four! You said you would come with the Elements of Harmony! We waited! And waited! And waited! And still you did not come!”

I said not to attack the Empire until I arrived!” Starswirl’s voice rolled like a crashing wave. He wiped a trickle of blood from his nose and lifted a bag of gemstones in his magic. “I did bring them, Hurricane. I brought them as I said I would.”

“You brought them too late, Starswirl!” Hurricane flapped her wings to bring her head above the stallion’s. “The Crystal Empire is gone because of you!

“I came as quickly as I could,” Starswirl said. “The path north is fraught with perils. Monsters. Mountains. Ponies in need of a wizard’s aid.” His aged face wrinkled. “If only you had waited.”

“Waited!” Hurricane pushed his shoulders. “Waited! I had to act! The people were suffering! Platinum was dying!”

“Platinum is dead.” Clover the Clever shuffled her way across the snow and ice, her cloak ragged. Periwinkle stayed close by her side. “And the people are gone.”

Hurricane fell from the air. She lay on the ground, staring at Clover with blank eyes.

“No!” Celestia said. “No, we have the Elements! Surely we can undo Sombra’s spell!”

Starswirl pulled his pointy, belled hat from his head. “Celestia, there are some curses that even…”

Celestia kneeled before the old stallion. She fixed him with a hopeful, sincere gaze. “Starswirl, teacher, let me try.”

Starswirl turned away, but he gave her a nod.

Luna pulled the Elements from the bag one by one. They were as beautiful as they had ever been, six shining colors, six perfect facets. Her magic hold mingled with Celestia’s as they gripped them together. Celestia swallowed hard. “It has to work. It must.”

A warm glow spread out from their hearts, extending until they touched the jewels. The Elements spiraled around them, their colors meshing together into one rainbow of light. They let the spell build, let the fires of friendship charge, until at last it reached its limit. They released the magic towards the empty mountain range that had once been the Crystal Empire.

There was an explosion of rainbows in the sky, the glimmer of an aurora, and then nothing.

The stones dropped at Celestia’s feet. “It’s gone,” she said, her voice nothing more than a whine. “It’s all gone.”

“This is all your fault!” Hurricane charged at Starswirl. She was held at bay by a telekinetic spell around her white tail. “You were late! You should have been here! You should have been here!”

“It’s our fault!” Smart Cookie snapped. She jumped up and grabbed Hurricane by her middle. “We went ahead with the plan, even knowing we should have waited! Do not cast your blame on the one who wasn’t even here!”

“He should have been here!” Hurricane screamed. “He should have—”

Clover cast a sleeping spell over Hurricane’s head. The pegasus shook her head as her eyelids dipped low. “He—he should have…” She fell to her knees, using every last bit of strength she possessed to send seething rage Starswirl’s way. “I swear,” she whispered, “I will kill you if it takes my last breath.”

Her face fell into the snow. Clover gathered her up and set her on Smart Cookie’s back. Though her face was not visible beneath the hood of her cloak, Clover’s glowing eyes glistened with tears. Periwinkle pressed against her side, his tears having reached a brief pause.

Starswirl bowed his head to Periwinkle. “’Twill fall to you, my prince. Once you are of age, you shall become king of the unicorns.”

Periwinkle took a step back. Clover placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “B-but what if I’m not ready?”

“We will be there to help you,” Clover said. She gave Hurricane a brief glance. “All of us.”

Luna huffed, much as she had all those years ago. She spun on her rear hooves to leave, following her memories carefully.

She stopped. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Celestia, standing alone, her wings slacked and her eyes pouring tears.

Luna’s heart broke. She flew to Celestia’s side, wrapping her wings around her sister. “Shh. It shall be alright. It will all turn out for good. Please, do not—”

“Leave me alone,” Celestia whispered.

The breath caught in Luna’s chest. The words died on their way to her lips. “What?”

“Please, just leave me alone!” Celestia wailed. She pushed away from Luna, turning her back on her sister. “I don’t wish to speak with you! I don’t wish to speak with anypony! Just leave! Leave!

The prickling sensation returned on Luna’s back, this time centering around her cutie marks. Her eyes widened as she shuffled backwards. “Celestia—sister, I just wanted to help—”

“Go away!” Celestia covered her head with her wings and fled into a nearby tent.

Luna’s eye twitched. She forced a shuddering breath into her lungs. Her hoof absently pawed the ground. “T-Twilight. Twilight is also in a coma. P-perhaps I should visit her. Give—give my sister an opportunity to… collect herself. Yes. T-to calm herself.”

She spread her wings, willing her eyes to remain dry. Forcing the lump in her throat to stay down. Her horn flared white as she called upon her dreamhopping prowess. “I’ll return. Later. Later.”

As she removed her presence from Celestia’s dream, she never chanced to look at the black hairs making their way across her back.

***

Dulcimer looked at the setting sun as it jerked haphazardly below the horizon. He scratched his goatee. He glanced at his clock.

He smiled as a familiar set of hooves stepped into his room. “Ah, Scuttlebutt, I trust you were…”

Scuttlebutt stood before him. The creepy little pony’s shoulder was heavily bandaged. His eyes were sunken. His mane was slacked before his face. His knees knocked as if they were made of rubber. Which, Dulcimer suspected, was partially true.

“Successful,” the pink-coated unicorn finished.

Scuttlebutt took a step into the room, but stopped to lean against the doorframe. “I was… slightly less than successful, sir.”

Dulcimer’s face lost any trace of expression. “Were you seen?”

“There was a confrontation.” Scuttlebutt sucked in a breath.

“Anypony who could trace you to me?”

“N—There was one who is friends with Twilight Velvet—”

“Scuttlebutt.” Dulcimer sat in a cushy chair and crossed his forelegs. “I need you to disappear.”

Scuttlebutt gritted his teeth. “But sir—”

“I can’t have you compromising the situation, Scuttlebutt.” Dulcimer leaned back and took a sip of coffee. “I’m too close to my goals to have any more setbacks.”

“But—I can still help!” Scuttlebutt took an off-balance step into the room. “They have the book you wanted. I can get it back.”

“Hurricane can get it back.” Dulcimer let a small smirk make its way to his face. “And also clean up the mess you’ve made. All in all, I have it well in hand.”

Scuttlebutt winced as pain spiked through his shoulder. “But sir—”

“Leave before I have to call the police on you.” Dulcimer stirred a sugar packet into his brew. “It’s much easier for everypony if you were never here.”

Scuttlebutt’s mouth fell open. He bared his teeth with a ready retort. He paused. Dulcimer had said Hurricane would clean it up?

His face softened as it fell into an easy, cheese-eating grin. “Well, then I suppose I won’t keep you. Will there be anything else?”

“I’ll send for you when I believe the danger has passed.” Dulcimer waved a hoof. “It probably won’t be more than a year. Take care of yourself.”

Scuttlebutt scurried out the door. “I intend to.”

Author's Note:

Fuel for the speculating fire!