Sigil of Souls, Stream of Memories

by Piccolo Sky

Daybreak: A Shimmer of Light

I really need to pee.

Yeah…figures that’d be the first thing on my mind, doesn’t it?

The morning sun was glaring through the conspicuously large window of the room. It really was a beautiful sight. Under much better circumstances, Sunset would have appreciated the view. But naturally much better circumstances hadn’t been the case for a very long time.

She was alone now—seated in one of the easy chairs with her hands grasping where her helmet would normally be if she hadn’t left it behind on the train that returned to Canterlot. As much as she wanted it, the object was simply too odd to be permitted through Mount Aris security. Now she had no source of comfort and nothing but her self-consciousness and the growing pressure in his midsection. She had been looking at the same spot on the floor for at least two hours, but ever did she feel the presence of eyes on her.

Standing between her and the door, having not sat down for one moment since she had been “escorted” there, was the thin man with the handlebar mustache. He had merely sat down a bag nearby at his own feet, crossed his arms, and looked at her. She didn’t bother entertaining any thoughts of trying to get past him in spite of his smaller frame. He had disabled, quite easily, Shining Armor in spite of his bigger size and Promethian Sigil. She had no chance.

Her eyes flickered over to him once. He didn’t seem to mind; especially as her eyes went to his hip. She saw nothing but his long coat, but she had caught glimpses over the past few hours inside for the handlebar of his odd, pistol-like weapon.

Three hours ago, she had broken the silence. “I thought we weren’t allowed to have guns.”

The man hadn’t answered a word, but she had pieced it together. It was pistol-like, but it seemed to have been composed of odd materials. Perhaps they had brought in pipes or decanters or other innocuous bits of metal. What more, they weren’t firing actual bullets. They had just some sort of beanbag-type pellets with impure mixtures of powder they had probably snuck in like snuff. All things that were designed to be quiet and nonlethal if they had been caught. They had to be. Otherwise, Promethian Sigil or no, Shining Armor would have been dead.

Even if this agent hadn’t been superior to her physically, she would never get past that weapon.

She slowly exhaled.

Funny…if I was just thinking of myself, I thought I’d manage something a bit more important than needing to use the bathroom. Like how I’m essentially on death row. I swear I can almost feel my roots growing as I sit here. As soon as they notice my real hair color, it’s over. I’ve run for months and been halfway over the world, and this is where it ends.

I might still end up going back to Tempest Shadow, even.

She exhaled. “I have to use the bathroom.”

No answer or reaction.

There’s no way out of this. Let’s be honest…I’m not reckless, let alone brave. Without the Anima Viris, I’m nothing. It’s a miracle I haven’t curled into a ball and started bawling yet. I sure feel like it… There’s only one way out of this now. The same way I’ve gotten out of everything else until now. Use the only thing I have to offer…

There was a knock on the door. Sunset looked up along with the agent. After adjusting himself to keep an eye on her, he sided over to the door. He opened it only a crack, but Sunset looked up just the same. At first she saw nothing but heard, of all things, a female voice.

“Is she causing any trouble?”

That was odd. She hadn’t recalled seeing any female agents. Yet she was even more surprised when the man answered with a woman’s voice.

“No. She’s just been sitting here for the most part.”

“The grand chancellor’s feeling too sick to head to the conference, so he’s sitting in with the first lady. Everyone else is headed out, though. I’m going to start looking around. Stick to the story.”

“Alright.”

The door opened slightly; enough for the person on the inside to look in. What Sunset saw, however, was a woman’s face…and she just faintly made out what looked like the headdress that one of the maids of Mount Aris wore. She was puzzled, but mostly puzzled on seeing her face. It was new and yet familiar…

Suddenly, the realization came upon her. As the door shut again, she glanced again to the agent watching her as he resumed his position. She tried to imagine him without his big coat and, especially, the handlebar mustache.

So that’s how they were able to move around. We weren’t the only people up to no good on this trip. These two could have handled the assassination the whole time. Why did he insist on using us?

Forget about it. It hardly matters now. What matters is how I’m going to get my head out of this noose before the floor drops beneath me. There’s only one way—take their deal. Offer myself the same way I did to Twilight.

The only problem is she wasn’t as tight-lipped as I was. She told them most of everything that’d be any use to them. I could talk about the Angra Mainyu, but…to be honest, after speaking with Luna, I don’t really feel that great about talking about it anymore either. Especially now that I know that thing is out there somewhere. Of course, there’s other things I can tell them about to make myself valuable.

There’s Canterlot.

“I really need to use the bathroom.”

The agent said nothing.

Sunset sat a moment longer before exhaling. “Alright, then could you try and find a chamber pot somewhere around here? Because otherwise you’re going to get the nice smell of a puddle of urine in here pretty soon.”

She saw the agent frown and heard a loud exhale. After that, he…or, more appropriately, she…stood back a little before speaking in the male voice again. “Don’t try anything funny. The grand chancellor gave you a berth, so I wouldn’t waste it making stupid decisions.”

No need to worry about that. I’m not a martyr like Twilight and the others. Look at everything they did for you and how you repaid them. That’s what loyalty gets you. And I’m sad to say I have no choice now but to teach them that lesson again.

Luna has that school converted into a fortress, protected by Promethian Sigil bearers if nothing else. But I know how many. I know how to get in and out. I know what lies to make up in order to get her to let me in. Most of all I know how to get to their libraries and get the info that’s in them out and into the hands of Manehattan. I have value. I’m worth the investment.

And…

And…if necessary, I can get closer to Twilight and the others than anyone else. I can smooth over this whole business and make them buy it. Then…then I can do whatever they need me to do to them.

Sunset inhaled coldly as she rose from where she was standing. She walked over to the door and let the agent fall in behind her. After that, she opened the door slowly and calmly, and they both stepped out. They both turned and began to walk down the hall.

So she had pity on me. So she treated me with mercy. It was only because I knew things she didn’t. Well…alright, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she saw through my bluff. Maybe she just figured I was so pathetic I wasn’t worth doing in then instead.

Alright…maybe it wasn’t that either. Maybe she just wanted to talk to someone else who knew Celestia. Someone she could confide in. And…well…maybe I wanted that too…

It doesn’t matter though. Only what I said matters. Her whole crusade has been a waste of time from the start. And…and…and she was a fool to trust me to begin with. After everything I did to her, she actually put some faith in me for so long? That’s life. When I was in Trottingham, I made sure to tie up loose ends. She should have done the same.

There were a few other maids in the hall. Ones that Sunset was sure were the real deal. However, they had a Mount Aris escort with them—watching for anything funny. While normally they were posted at the ends of the halls, by now they were probably making sure that no one who was staying behind was trying anything. Two of them in particular gave a look at Sunset and the agent as they approached on route to the bathroom at the end of the hall.

I’m sorry, Twilight, but…

Ugh, listen to myself. That little nugget in my stomach needs to get lost. It’s not going to save them and it certainly isn’t going to save me. This is the world we live in. Lunar Fall or no, it’s never going to change. This is it. I’m going to use the bathroom, I’m going to go back to my room, then I’m going to tell this cross-dressing super-spy that I’m with Manehattan. I’ll let them know whatever they want. Then I’m going to have them get me some damn cigarettes at last while I’m at it…

It’s nothing personal, Twilight. If you thought I was ever going to do anything other than save myself, then you’re the fool.

I’m not losing my head for you. This is where we part. It really sucks for you and your brother, but you knew what you were getting into. It’s better Manehattan rake you over the coals than Trottingham at least. Or Nightmare Moon, for that matter.

It’s all over.

Sunset exhaled as she kept walking, slumping her head a little as they neared the guards. They looked to her. A heartbeat passed. Her blood ran cold. Her stomach sank like a stone.

Suddenly, she sprung her head up and ran at the guards. Both of them reacted in surprise and nearly went for their weapons, and the agent behind her stiffened and reached out. Yet it was too late. In a moment, Sunset had run…not at the guards, but around them to use them as human shields.

“Help me! That’s not a man! She’s got a gun! She’s trying to kill me!” she shouted, pointing right at the agent.

The agent went wide-eyed—suddenly frozen on the spot. The guards themselves were dumbfounded, so Sunset insisted and pointed at the agent’s hip.

“She snuck in a gun! She’s going to assassinate someone! I found out and she’s going to shoot me in the bathroom! She’s not a man! It’s a disguise! Look at her hip!”

The agent’s face remained stoic—the only thing she could do. Fortunately, the urges were enough for the guards. Without a word, one suddenly darted forward and grasped the lapel of her coat. He pulled it aside and, before the agent could stand back, he managed to see a glimpse of a butt of the weapon. More than enough to suspect it as being a true pistol.

The agent came to life in an instant. In spite of the guard being larger, her fist immediately curled up, lashed out, and punched him dead in the throat. The end result made him gag as the agent spun around, grasped the weapon, pulled it out, and fired another shot right into the throat of the other guard. While not as loud as a gunshot, the eruption was enough to make the maids cry out, and the agent herself pushed past the collapsing guard and lunged for Sunset…

Too late. She had managed to worm her way behind the larger guards and wiggled past just as the agent’s fingertips brushed past her hair in vain. She began to run down the hall as the agent extricated herself from the guards; back the way she came. However, she quickly pressed herself against the wall as the four Mount Aris guards who were blocking off one side of the hall instantly charged down and past her for the agent. She, in turn, quickly assessed what was going on and ducked into one of the rooms being cleaned as they pulled their actual guns on her. The door slammed behind her just as one of the first guards reached it and began to pound against it.

Sunset, however, saw no more. She used the moment to quickly go back into her room, slam the door behind her, and lock it. As soon as it was done, now breathing hard and sweating profusely, she turned to the bag that the agent had left behind. She dove on it, tore it open, and found another Mount Aris maid uniform inside. She quickly began to strip to replace it with that garment.

WhatamIdoingwhatamIdoingwhatamIdoingwhatamIdoingwhatamIdoing?!

I’ve cracked. I’ve lost my mind. This is elaborate suicide.

Me…no Promethian Sigil…no Anima Viris…no weapons…no training…no support of any kind…and I’m actually doing this. I’m actually going to try and bust them out of here.

I’m going to die. No prison. No torture. Just flat out die. Any minute now I’ll get found out and the last thing I’ll feel is bullets tearing though my body. I’m going to throw my life away because I’ve gone insane. For some teeny, tiny, pathetic sensation of worthless loyalty…

She swallowed as she began to throw on the maid outfit, already wincing that there were no other weapons in the bag.

And you know what?

I…I honestly don’t care. Harmonium help me…I honestly do not care.

Because I’m tired of living like a caged rat constantly afraid that each moment’s going to be my last.

Because I’m tired of having to get by through life by constantly sleazing my way through whoever can protect me.

Or maybe because if I’m going to die miserable and scared I’d like it if at least there was one person out there who was genuinely sad for me.

Sunset hated dresses at the best of times, but at least this one was more practical than fashionable. She had no idea if it would even work, but she also had no idea how much longer those guards could keep the agent pinned down. Once she was finally clothed, she exhaled and looked around a moment, before she reluctantly turned her head to the window.

Even if I still had my Anima Viris, this would be nuts… But Big Mac did it.

Almost giving a whimper, she went up to the window, unfastened the latch, put her hands on the frame and swallowed, and finally pulled herself up and out. Once there, she slowly and nervously turned herself around to face the seemingly-sheer wall, grabbed for whatever masonry she could, and began to inch her way along.

Ok, Sunset… You’re in an impromptu disguise that barely fits, you’re dangling for your life from the edge of a castle that no one should have ever been walking along, you’re going to have the entire castle looking for you anytime between now and the next, oh, fifteen minutes at most? Anything else?

A strong whoosh suddenly resounded through the air. Sunset immediately froze and clutched the palace walls. Seconds later, she felt a gust hit her…and actually pull her a little thanks to the dress she was wearing. For a moment, she felt her grip on the palace side weaken, before it finally died down and let her relax again.

The wind picked up. Great. So what’s the plan? You know, other than ‘don’t fall to your painful death’?

Well…if I keep inching this way, I’ll eventually reach that incline and, hopefully, I can scoot down to the next floor below. There’s no way I can get back into the palace on this floor, but maybe if I get down there, and maybe if a window is opened or unlocked, and maybe if no one is around to see me slip inside, and maybe if no guards spot me or ask any questions, and, finally, maybe if the staff buys this disguise and whatever excuse I can come up with, I’ll be able to make it out of the hall.

Then what?

…I have no idea. But I think I’m going to be making this one up as I go for the near future.

Just get moving before you come to your senses and realize how insane you’re being…

---

“Oh Harmonium…”

Shining Armor didn’t have to see the others in the chamber to know the looks on their faces. The dead silence in the oubliette was all the confirmation he needed to know both his group and the other inmates were likewise horrified.

“Ghastly…” Stygian finally said.

“That does sound pretty messed up,” Smolder spoke up. “Cool, but still messed up.”

Shining Armor paused a moment longer before looking up and around. “We have to get out of here. We have to warn the Manehattan delegation.”

Smolder guffawed. “Seriously? They threw you in this hole to rot and you want to bail them out?”

“If what Big Mac said is true, then we’re all in trouble…but Manehattan most of all.” He began to feel around so that he could start pushing himself to his feet. “Is there any way out of here?”

“Oh, sure. People are always getting thrown into dungeons when other people want them to just come and go somewhere as they please.”

“Yona try digging escape tunnel,” the bigger girl offered, “but yaks used to floors made out of dirt…not rocks.”

“We did try forming a tower at one point,” Ocellus offered, “but not only is that pretty hard to do in the dark, but it’s almost 15 meters. We can’t stack that high.”

He sighed, then turned in the direction of the group. “I don’t suppose any of us have any ideas, do we?”

“Only part of an idea…” Stygian answered. Soon after, there was some shifting noises. After a short while, there were sounds of metal on metal. “I managed to smuggle a small two-shot .22 in pieces in the soles of my heels. That’s why I changed shoes before we were brought out. It may be dark but I should still be able to assemble it.”

“Great job, Stygian.”

“Don’t thank me yet. It’s only part of an idea, like I said. It’s not like we can threaten anyone to let us out from down here. If we could get someone to get hauled out then that would be something…”

“We can’t help you there,” Ocellus answered. “They only ever open the oubliette to let down food and water, and there’s no way they won’t just drop the rope if we grab onto it. I think they have some sort of cage on a chain they can lower to pull people up, but first we’d have to give them a reason to let one of us out.”

“Yona fake being sick?”

“If we all got the plague down here, we’d just be doing them a favor.”

“We could say we know something about an assassination,” Shining Armor suggested. “Technically…that’s the truth.”

“I’m…not sure they’ll buy all the details on that,” Ocellus answered. “I mean, it’s just a tad farfetched. Even for me…”

“She has a point,” Stygian answered as he began to stand as well. “Besides, we’re supposed to be bound and gagged down here. It would help if we had a bit of light…

“Is there any wood?”

“Just from the bowls and cups they put our food in.”

“We’ll have to make do. If nothing else, maybe if we make enough smoke for them to smell they can think something is worth opening the door for…”

“Let’s hurry. If the grand chancellor is against us, I feel we may all be on borrowed time…”

“If we want light, allow me,” Shining Armor spoke up as he held his hand aloft. “Member of my house, I command you to come to me! Artistic Vanguard—Spearhead!”

Nothing. In the darkness, Shining Armor’s eyes widened as he was left standing there in total gloom, without so much as an increased breeze.

“Um…alright then,” Ocellus said uneasily.

“Is that traditional chant for making fire?” Yona asked.

Smolder burst out in snickers. “‘Artistic Vanguard’? You kidding me? What kind of title is that…?”

“You’re not able to call on your Anima Viri?” Stygian spoke up with more concern.

“No…I’m not…” Shining Armor answered uneasily. He tried again, but aside from gaining more snickers from Smolder, nothing happened. “What’s going on?”

“Perhaps Mount Aris perfected something that approximates the Eris Bell that Sunset Shimmer devised? It would make sense. If everyone in here has Promethian Sigils, then this prison would have a hard time holding hundreds of us…”

He sighed. “Great. Now that gun and getting out the ceiling really is our only hope…”

---

“Now commences the fourth day of the Greater Everfree Summit. The floor is now open to geopolitical, diplomatic, and military affairs.”

At once, a hand went up. “Trottingham requests the floor.”

“Granted.”

There was a pause from their delegation. After a moment, a somewhat amused voice spoke up. “Well now…the Manehattan delegation seems to be lacking a few members. I don’t suppose anything happened, did it?”

Kibitz could almost hear the other representatives stiffening in anger before the “second-in-command” diplomat spoke up. “The grand chancellor is detained with an illness this morning, if you must know. Not that it’s any of your concern. I personally would rather have had him attend so that you could take a small ‘gift’ back to Trottingham with you.”

The gavel banged three times.

Kibitz could almost hear the smile on the face of Tempest Shadow as she responded. “Nevermind. He’ll get the news soon enough. Firstly, some facts for all of us gathered here.”

One of the figures proceeded to raise a piece of paper. A cough later, and a different male voice began to read.

“Based on all of the data gathered by our own intelligence and external sources, Trottingham has estimated that, at maximum, there are no more than around 2,200 individuals in Greater Everfree who ever had Promethian Sigils. 761 of these were…removed by our government’s predecessors. Mostly from Trottingham and Manehattan. 92 are currently in jail or had their marks somehow removed…again, mostly from Manehattan. 191 died as a result of Fillydelphia mistreatment. 120 were killed by lynch mobs in the Dragonlands. 270 are in Griffonstone’s service, 85 are in Manehattan’s service, and 277 are dead for other reasons.”

“At the most, that leaves only 404 unaccounted for,” Tempest spoke up again, before her voice lowered in a menacing undertone. “Oh, wait…there’s one other figure we forgot. Mount Aris has 377 Promethian Sigil bearers currently in its dungeons—right in this very building. Well, that accounts for just about all of them give or take, doesn’t it?”

Kibitz stiffened. He wasn’t liking the sound of this already.

The figure rolled up the paper as she continued. “Now then, putting those facts aside, I would next like to announce that Trottingham has been involved in some…negotiations prior to this conference. The nations we’ve spoken with arrived at the conclusion that previous arrangements with the governments of Greater Everfree have not been entirely mutually beneficial. Seeing as we are in the middle of some aggressive expansion, we offered them the chance at better international arrangements.”

At that point, one group at the meeting suddenly stood. Not to protest. More as if they were rising on cue, which jilted everyone else.

“Former Abyssinia, for one, believes that its migrant worker program has been treating its citizens most unfairly for the labor they are performing. So Trottingham is opening a new migrant worker program with them, up to and including military service. At quite an increased beneficial cost to them. Our recent talk at Klugtown was most productive. Enough to where we should be working hand-in-hand in the future, and supporting each other in terms of weapons and munitions as necessary while their economy develops.”

Not long after saying this, a second group stood up.

“The Saddle Arabian government is of much the same mind. Since the attacks on Manehattan, the price of kerosene has risen dramatically worldwide and yet the prices that Greater Everfree is willing to pay for Saddle Arabian oil remains woefully low and effectively under control of Manehattan itself. We seek to alleviate that unjust burden by providing a new outlet for their oil. And since we have ensured that Trottingham will be the sole source of providing oil for the Dragonlands and Appleloosa, their future is secure. Of course, we will be aiding their own economy in return…again including supporting them with weapons and munitions.”

Now there was a tense chill on the air. Everyone knew by now what this was building to. And, at this point, the delegation from Trottingham itself stood up.

“We have a new international coalition. One that reaches much farther than any in Greater Everfree, especially with the unrest in Southern Equestria. And that brings us to right now, in which I will announce to everyone present that Trottingham is officially annexing Mount Aris. Effective today.”

Kibitz’s jaw dropped. Soon not only his delegation but everyone else’s began to murmur. And very soon, it began to turn to anger. Not long after, the Mount Aris delegation spoke up rather crossly. “If this is meant as a joke, ambassador, it’s in rather poor-”

She cut him off with a mirthless chuckle. “In spite of my laughter, this is no joke. That’s the problem with you going to all the trouble of isolating yourselves. Barricading your railroads. Shutting down air traffic. Enforcing your borders with armed personnel. Essentially, you’re now spread too thin to stop us and you’ve made your own cell. You only had one remaining rail going in and out of Mount Aris. As we speak, our military is seizing control of it. True, the elevation here is too high to fly any of our airships in, but that hardly matters. Within the hour we’ll have control of the only pass out of this range. The Mount Aris government is effectively our prisoner.”

The uproar grew again, more angrily this time. The guards surrounding the room began to advance on Trottingham’s delegation.

“Trying to take me captive would be a very bad idea,” she spoke up louder. “For one thing, it would accomplish nothing. The army and aerial navy are already on the way. For another, more important, thing, I don’t think you want to find out how costly my imprisonment or death will be to this palace. It will be a pyrrhic victory at best.”

“You insult and threaten us to our faces and expect to wander free? You’re a fool if you think even the might of Trottingham’s aerial navy will be enough to save you here!” the delegation responded. “Seize her immediately! Signal that if Trottingham makes any move on us, she dies! She’s too valuable to the monarch to risk her!”

That only made her break out in a cold laugh. “And who says the Trottingham aerial navy is going to try and ‘come to my rescue’?”

The soldiers, who had nearly fallen upon her, paused. The rest of the room went silent at this new comment.

“Didn’t you hear what I said? You’re our prisoners. When you lock someone in a cell, you don’t bother getting into a fistfight with them to torture them. You simply withhold their food and water. There’s no escape from your palace. No one is going in and no one is going out of this fortress in the mountains…these rocky, inhospitable, infertile mountains. How many days do you think you can last up here before you run out of fuel for your fires during the upcoming cold winter nights? Or without food to keep your soldiers strong? We don’t need to risk a single bullet on your defenses. We need only wait.”

At this point no small amount of fear was beginning to pervade through many of in the chamber. Kibitz himself swallowed a lump and felt his palms begin to sweat.

“Now then, that brings us back to our new coalition. The only value Mount Aris has whatsoever to Trottingham is to control the pass to the south. What we really need right now is to expand our industry and manufacturing. Former Abyssinia provides manpower, Saddle Arabia provides resources, but infrastructure and factories?”

With that, the delegation’s hooded heads turned to Griffonstone. Their own delegation looked shocked and taken aback. “You aren’t…?! How dare you! We’ll never-”

“Calm down, sir. We aren’t interested in a war with Griffonstone. Quite the opposite. You’ve been impoverished for nearly a decade due to being unable to gain enough capital to revitalize your industry. Especially since Manehattan and Fillydelphia left you to rot to benefit on your poor fortune. Trottingham can help you there. There’s enough room for one more on the coalition.”

Silence lingered in the room once again. Hooded heads darted one way and the other, looking to see what would happen next and waiting with baited breath on what it would mean. Kibitz on his part already feared the answer. He knew full well that Griffonstone’s economy was too poor to withstand an attack from Trottingham. And, as it was fast becoming clear, whoever wasn’t their ally was their enemy. If they managed to seize Mount Aris, then they would be the next on their march out to the west. Lastly, and most of all, he knew that their leaders were greedy and thought often only in terms of the short-term profit…

So what happened next, as he feared, was inevitable.

The Griffonstone ambassador stood. He gathered enough of his wits to bark out in his normal cross tone. “I’m sure there’ll be some complaints from the council back home, but…in light of the chance to restore our economy I think they’ll come around quickly. This isn’t very conventional for a summit, but I never really cared for all the pomp and circumstance anyway… Griffonstone sides with Trottingham’s coalition.”

A bit more reluctantly, the rest of their group rose. Now composed of four different nations, those standing seemed to be rather imposing…casting dark shadows over the assembly and bearing the lion’s share of the power and authority.

“Now that that’s settled…”

A figure among the Trottingham assembly reached for their hood and, to everyone’s surprise, simply yanked it off. Everyone soon realized it was Tempest Shadow herself who had done it—showing off her scar that seemed to glow faintly in the dim chamber and her piercing eyes that coldly challenged the room in front of her. She had made herself a clean target and was now daring people to do something about it. Yet not one soldier of Mount Aris moved, and none in power commanded them to do so again.

“I present to you the Storm King League. In the wake of the chaos of the Lunar Fall, we are now the power not only in Greater Everfree but the world. At the moment, we only have one-”

Everyone in the chamber snapped up in fright, for at that moment a sizzling sound went through the chamber like a mixture of a frying pan and a lightning bolt. An instant later, a blue-white-hot bolt cascaded off of Tempest Shadow and sailed straight for one of the Mount Aris soldiers who had gained enough boldness to pull her rifle on her. Tempest never even looked away from the crowd when she responded.

And a moment later, the upper third of the soldier was gone. The next lower third had become instantly carbonized and fell apart like it was made of terra cotta. The last third alone remained flesh and simply flopped to the ground like butchered meat. No one looked at Tempest again. Their eyes were glued on the remains, unblinking and unbreathing.

“As I was saying, at the moment we only have one demand for Mount Aris…other than complete and unconditional surrender, that is. We want the prisoners you have in this fortress bearing the Promethian Sigils. All of them. Either kill them all and present proof of their deaths or hand them over to us. We don’t care either way. You have twelve hours to decide on both issues. For the rest of you, feel free to finish your little meeting or go home now if you like. Our blockade won’t stop you from passing. We have nothing to gain from antagonizing your nations…”

Her eyes narrowed as she cracked a hint of a smile.

“…yet.”

Several people stiffened, but no one risked making another move now. The soldiers that had surrounded the Trottingham delegation were now rooted at the spot for fear of another bolt. They could still smell the ozone from the first, to say nothing of the horrid stench of the remains of the one soldier.

“As for the Trottingham delegation, we’ve said what we meant to say. We’ll retire to our own chambers.”

With that, she simply turned around and began to walk out of her booth. The rest of the Trottingham delegation soon did the same. Not only them, but also the Former Abyssinia and Saddle Arabian delegations. The Griffonstone one hung behind, seemingly unsure on what to do next. It hardly mattered. Everyone’s eyes were on Trottingham and Tempest Shadow. Soldiers actually parted out of their way as they approached, and the head of the summit as well as their delegation merely stammered and murmured—no longer having the force to speak in light of what was going on.

As they departed, Kibitz and the rest of the Manehattan delegation ignored the events and turned to one another.

“I move that we adjourn ourselves as well. We need to get to the Grand Chancellor immediately and inform him about what just happened.”

---

“He did what now?”

Sunset swallowed, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. “He, um…lifted a necklace from me. I searched the room when I was cleaning it but I didn’t find it anywhere, so I think he still had it on him when he was thrown in the dungeon.”

The two guards stared her down critically and she tried not to blanch. She had been lucky until this point. She had managed to get to a lower floor and in through a window on a delegation that was already out, and then quickly made her way out of the tower. Praying that the one agent would remain detained, she scrambled around for a while trying to simultaneously avoid any guard checkpoints and find wherever the dungeons were.

She managed to drop a few floors before she ran into more solid checkpoints that gave her looks that said: “What are you doing here?”, and she didn’t chance trying to approach or get past them after that point. For a while, she was unable to make further progress and was scared that eventually one of the security forces would accost her.

But then, most unexpectedly, some message went about that caused the far bulk of the soldiers to abandon their posts and relocate. She had no idea what, although based on the level of movement she assumed it was something that had to deal with a major crisis. She used it anyway and rushed down the remainder of the floors until she found her way to the dungeons.

There were still two guards left, however, and she still needed a way past them.

Seeing them hesitating, she swallowed and insisted. “It…it was a gift from my mother before the Lunar Fall. It’s really important to me. Please?”

Silence for a few more moments. The two guards looked to one another. For a moment, she thought she had blown it.

“What do you think?”

One of the guards looked back at her. “Can you identify him?”

A glimmer of hope arose inside her. “Oh…yes, yes definitely!”

He sighed. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to look at him real quick.”

“You sure?” the first responded. “I’ve never pulled one out before…”

“There’s nothing to it. Just follow me.” He turned around, and as he did he beckoned to Sunset. “You come too.”

“Oh! Yes, of course!”

She fell in behind as the two guards led her further down a few more artificial levels and ramps, descending into the prison area proper of the palace. Most of it looked more like a museum; as if it hadn’t been utilized in years. The cells were empty and open, and many of them were missing proper locks or bars. It had an old musty smell of disuse rather than mold or human filth. It seemed clear to Sunset that they had repurposed it only a little while ago, although why they would to begin with was a mystery to her. At any rate, she didn’t have a chance to dwell on this too long before they reached their location.

The lowest level was far more dank and dark, aside from the recently-installed gaslighting. It had a smell of oil and metal here from equipment that had been replaced and serviced more recently. In particular, there was a narrow stone corridor leading to a central room that was circular, fairly small, and constructed around a heavy sealed door in the floor. Nearby there were a few crude devices, including what looked like a portable lighting mechanism that used gas of its own, and a rather large cage attached to a winch and chain. Sunset also noticed that there was a chain rung ladder of some sort nearby, but that had been stashed and put aside some time ago.

“What does he look like?”

Sunset blinked, freezing on realizing the two guards had stopped. “Uh…um…pardon?”

“The thief. What does he look like?”

“Oh…oh! Well, um…he was dressed like a Manehattanite. He had dark blue hair kind of shaggy in the back and in the front. He was a bit more solidly set too.”

“I think I know the one she’s talking about. He went down not too long ago.”

“Alright, I’ll get the light.”

One proceeded to fetch the light and used a flint and steel prong to light it up before focusing the beam. The other one began to turn the crank nearest to the hatch to slowly pull it open. After that, the one with the light beckoned Sunset forward, and soon she and the other two were looking down the hole as a light was shone into it.

“We’re looking for a guy with dark blue shaggy hair who got tossed down not too long ago. Whoever it is, step into the light.”

There was silence save for some shifting for several moments. The guard nearly called down again, before a figure walked into the light. Sunset looked down and recognized Shining Armor; looking annoyed and still with his hands tied behind his back and his gag on.

“Alright, we’re sending down the cage. Only you get in. Anyone else, we’ll drop you all.”

After that, the guards stood back and began to pull out the lifting cage. As soon as they managed to fit it through the hole and drop it a few feet, they went to the crank and began to lower it. Sunset, meanwhile, stood to one side and stared as her mind raced.

Alright…now what?

So they haul Shining Armor up and…what do I do? It’s not like I can untie him. And he doesn’t have any necklace on him either. Maybe I can bluff and tell them to undo his mouth so he can tell me where it is, but if they know that he has to be gagged to keep from using the Anima Viri then that’s no good. They’re already looking at me like they don’t fully trust me. If I make my story much worse I’m in deep trouble…

Sunset was still trying to think of something when, before she knew it, the winch was already ratcheting upward again. As it neared the top, one of the guards got out his revolver right before Shining Armor’s head poked out. A moment later, he grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hauled him out the last big step over the lip to stand on top of the oubliette. The other guard soon flanked him.

“Alright friend,” he began, before motioning out with his gun toward Sunset. “This lady here says you lifted something off of-”

He got no further. Abruptly, Shining Armor’s hands came out from behind his back and, before the guard could blink, he found a miniature two-shot pistol pressed against his temple.

Sunset wasn’t sure if it was blind instinct, luck, or a mixture of both, but somehow her stilted nerves reached out and seized the revolver in the guard’s hand. Thanks to his surprise, it popped out immediately, and she spun around to aim it right at the other guard just as his hand began to move for his own. “Don’t!”

The other guard froze, as wide-eyed as the first now, and slowly put his hands up. Shining Armor used his other hand to quickly yank out the gag, then tossed it on the floor to free up his limb and seize the other revolver. He motioned to the wall. “Both of you. Hands up. Over there. Don’t say a word.”

The two did as they were told, putting their hands in the air and taking their position.

“Watch them,” he told Sunset, keeping one eye on the guards while sliding over to the metal rung ladder. It took a bit of effort, but Sunset kept them still until he pulled it over to the edge of the hatch and fastened it on the side. He spilled it down the hole afterward and let it fully unroll. “Alright everyone, start heading up. It’s going to take a while to get all of you.”

With that done, he walked back over to Sunset’s side and held up both firearms to cover them. He stood there for a moment as the sounds of people starting to get onto the ladder and pull themselves up rang out. Sunset’s heart slowly began to ease as the initial danger had passed.

But after a time, Shining Armor looked at her. “You actually came to help us?”

She almost frowned. “Yes, I guess I did,” she flatly retorted. “I hope you actually have a plan to get out of here or you’re going to make me feel like a jackass for doing it.”

“We’re working on it…” A pause. “Thank you.”

“Seriously? After everything I’ve been telling you?”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

Sunset was quiet after that. She didn’t really know what else to say, to be honest. Only that for a moment she felt a tugging at the corners of her mouth.

At last, the first one came up—Stygian. Shining Armor immediately passed one of the guard revolvers to him. He looked at it uncertainly…even uneasily…for a moment before he accepted and took over his role watching the guards. Soon after came Marble Pie, and after her came Big Macintosh.

“Alright, let’s get out of here,” Sunset said hurriedly. “I don’t know why they pulled back the guards but let’s use it.”

“Hang on just a second…” Shining Armor answered as he stepped a short distance away and held up his hand. “Member of my house, I command you to come to me! Artistic Vanguard—Spearhead!”

A crackling went off, before light erupted and traced out the emblem of a soldier. After which, it flowed over Shining Armor and he was again clad in the raiment of the Healer. The guards actually recoiled in shock and surprise—having never seen that sort of thing before. However, Sunset soon became cognizant of a laugh coming from the hole.

“I’m never gonna get over that title…” a girl chortled before poking her head over the edge. She was a rather scruffy and scrappy-looking one, with keen eyes and an overbite that almost made her look sharp-toothed. However, she soon picked up on the glowing in the room and turned to Shining Armor.

For a fraction of a second she looked amazed. Then she simply grinned again.

“So what are you gonna do? Baptize ‘em to death?”

Shining Armor ignored this and looked down at himself. A moment later, he released his Anima Viri and returned to normal. “It looks like whatever was keeping me from using that was down there…”

“Wait, what?” Sunset retorted. “You couldn’t use the Anima Viri while you were down there? That’s not possible. They’d have to have an Eris Bell and there’s no way they know how to make one.”

“They have to have found some way, because it looks like they’ve been collecting everyone with a Promethian Sigil down there. There’s at least 300 down there.”

“377, including you all,” a girl’s voice came from further down as the first girl pulled herself out.

“Seriously?” the first girl called down. “You’re still all the way at the bottom?”

“No!” A pause. “I’m about…three rungs up.”

“Let Yona carry you! Yaks best at climbing chain ladders!”

“I-I-I think I’ll be alRIIIIIIIGHT!”

Sunset rolled her eyes and groaned. “There’s no way we can get out of here with 377 people. We’ll be lucky if we get out of here. And we can’t stand around here waiting for them all to get out of this hole. Let’s leave them the guns and go.”

“Hey, works for me,” the girl said with a grin as she reached for Sunset’s revolver.

“We’re not leaving,” Shining Armor responded.

“What?”

“We have to get back upstairs and to the grand chancellor.”

“The grand chancellor? Are you nuts?! He’s the one who got you all locked up down there!”

Sunset blanched a moment later when Shining Armor leveled a grim look at her.

“There’s something a lot worse going on here than the grand chancellor throwing us down in that prison and we’ve got to warn him while there’s still time. No one saw us or paid much attention to us when they threw us down in that dungeon. If we just walk up there like we know exactly what we’re doing, we should at least make it to the hall. Then I’ll pull out my Anima Viri and run us the rest of the way.”

“He has a point, Sunset,” Stygian spoke up. “No doubt you made it all the way down here because you looked like you belonged here.”

Sunset couldn’t argue with that. It was a tactic she had used quite a bit after leaving Celestia. She just fumed at the fact she had gone to all of this trouble to rescue them only to find they wanted to go right back in last place she wanted to be right now.

“Don’t worry. Once we’re through this, the grand chancellor will be wanting to pin medals on us.” He looked to the others as a much larger girl in braids began to pull her way out of the hole, bearing a much smaller and frailer looking girl on her back. “Alright…we’ll make less attention if we don’t all go. Big Mac, Marble Pie, and Stygian will stay here. Sunset’s already got a disguise so she can just lead me up and that’ll be it.”

“Sir.”

Stygian had spoken up almost immediately after Shining Armor said that, and his voice had unusual power and fortitude. It was the loudest and most forceful thing he had said since returning to Canterlot, and immediately garnered everyone’s attention.

He swallowed once. “I want to come with you.”

“It’s fine, Stygian. You can just stay here and help the others get out.”

“No…sir, I want to come with you.” He stated this more forcefully. Almost with a hint of anger. “This is important. Much more important than anything we’ve done so far. I have to…” He paused, and swallowed. “I want to be the one to make the shot. I won’t miss. Please.”

Sunset was puzzled at that. They’re not actually thinking of going up there and shooting someone, are they? Yet Shining Armor seemed to understand what he was trying to say and what this meant, even if she was too preoccupied at the moment to realize it. A moment later, he handed over the two-shot to Stygian. He took a deep breath and took it from his hand.

“Alright then.” He turned back to Sunset. “Give them the other revolver and let’s go.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Shining Armor immediately took off and with Stygian following close behind. She stammered, and was nearly forced to toss the gun to Big Mac before running after them to catch up.

Running in without a word… She grumbled mentally. What exactly are they talking about?

---

“Sir, sir!”

“What is it?!” the hippogriff commander barked back as the rest of the unit left the watchtower without him. “In case you haven’t noticed, we have a crisis going on within the palace and we could be invaded at any moment!”

“That’s just it, sir!” the relay operative responded, still clutching a set of headphones to his head with one hand and writing down with another. “We just got a wire from the perimeter! We have an airship inbound! Signaling to request to land!”

The commander went wide-eyed. “What?!” he snapped, before stomping back over to the man. “They have a Trottingham ship inbound already?”

The operative turned back to the headphones, continuing to decode the message. “It’s not Trottingham, sir! It’s an unknown make and model! They’re saying it looks like…like some sort of cruiser model…”

“The devil it is! It’s another Trottingham ship! I’d stake my rank on it! Why didn’t the damn aerial defenses blow it out of the sky?”

“That’s just it, sir! It’s coming from the north!”

“The…?” he trailed off at the very idea. He paused a moment, then looked out through the windows of the watchtower. He looked north and, sure enough, it wasn’t long before he saw the incoming vessel himself. It was still in the distance, but it was lit up like a cruiser. Definitely something suited to fancy living and tours rather than military. And he could make out its signals from its own light that it was making for landing.

“That’s impossible… No airship in Greater Everfree can fly over the Hyperboreans…”