Crystal Empire

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"Twilight, I don't think we should be doing this," Dusk said nervously.

"We knew we had to do this sometime, Dusk," she replied. "It might as well be now."

"I suppose… but how exactly should we go about it?"

"I would have thought you would just slide it in, nice and easy."

"But are you sure I can? How do we know it'll even fit? It looks like it'll be a tight fit."

"It is rather big, isn't it? Here, let me give you a hoof with it."

"Are you sure that's okay? I could try it myself…"

"Considering this was my idea, I think it's only fair I help get it going."

"As you wish, Miss Sparkle." He let his magic surround it. "Right, on three. One… two… three!"

With the combined effort of their levitation spells, they managed to heave the Magical Compendium, volumes one through thirty-six, onto a shelf large enough accommodate the massive book. Even then, they had to move all of the other books and slide the Compendium in behind them in order to make the necessary space for it to fit.

"Whew," breathed Dusk. "I didn't think we'd ever manage to put it away."

"Oh come on, it's not that heavy," giggled Twilight. "It's not like it's your first time doing it."

"I know, but it doesn't really make it any easier," he returned.

Dusk glanced around to see Spike. The baby dragon looked like he had just come in from the kitchen and was staring at them both in a peculiar way. Three faint scar lines were visible on his chest, a sight Dusk was still getting used to.

"Something wrong, little brother?" asked Dusk.

He looked from one to the other. "What were you two just doing?"

"Reshelving a book, what else?" answered Twilight.

He blinked. "Really? That's it? Nothing else?"

"Nothing else," confirmed Dusk. "Why? What did you think we were doing?"

Spike's cheeks went faintly. "Nothing uh… nothing. I'll uh, just put these away then, shall I?"

He hurried over to the books they had moved to make space for the Compendium and started to put them back on their shelf. Dusk noted that the redness in his cheeks hadn't really left and he seemed to be making an effort not to look at them. Dusk looked to Twilight quizzically and she merely shrugged as an answer.

Perhaps it was best just not to question the issue further.

"Well, don't spend too long putting those away, Spike," said Twilight. "I need you to be ready to take notes for when Ray gets here."

"You got it." He looked relieved about the change of subject. "I don't really see why we need to keep this up. I'm pretty sure that if the spell Celestia put on that necklace stopped working, we would know about it by now."

"We can't risk taking that chance, Spike," insisted Twilight. "You remember what happened last month. If Wrath were to escape again, here in Ponyville-"

"Okay, okay, you've made your point." Spike shuddered. "I don't even wanna think about that happening."

"Which is why we have to do this," said Twilight decisively. "Besides, it also gives us a little more of an opportunity to learn more about this creature. It's kind of fascinating, how he's managed to live with it inside his head for so long, how it's so ancient yet it's still so strong. I almost wish I could experience it myself to find out."

"Do you really?" asked Dusk quietly.

She gasped when she caught his meaning. "Oh, Dusk, I'm so sorry! I… I didn't mean that I…"

"It's alright, Miss Sparkle," he assured. "Just be careful what you wish for. Some things aren't worth finding out."

"Of course, but I really am sorry. You'd think I'd be a little more sensitive about this, considering…"

She frowned sadly, an expression that Dusk had come to think as rather cute, next to her nervous smile which she usually reserved for Princess Celestia when waiting for a result back on one of her tests. Just recently, she had done it for him when she took to wearing a new accessory in her hair, in the form of a hairclip that looked like a lilac and had asked him if it looked alright on her.

His answer to that was just about the same as the one he gave her now: a reassuring smile, a small kiss on her lips and a gentle tone.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

It usually worked to help stop her worrying and fretting like she did and thankfully, this was no exception to that. A smile replaced her frown and a faint blush came to her cheeks at about the same time his did.

"Okay." She smiled softly. "Thanks."

"Anytime, Miss Sparkle." He managed a smirk. "It's not like it's your first time."

"I know… but it doesn't make it any easier," she echoed.

He smirked at her. "Good thing I've had plenty of practice calming you down."

She giggled. "Oh, come on, I don't worry that much."

"At least you didn't knock me out this time."

"You're never letting that go, are you?"

"Just like how I'm never letting you go."

"Aw, you…" That earned him another kiss.

"Ugh, I really wish something would break this up," groaned Spike. As if somepony had heard him, he suddenly sucked in his gut and belched out a letter. "Well, somepony up there likes me."

"A letter from the Princess? No wait," she added, "from both princesses."

Dusk saw that indeed, Spike had belched up two letters. One bore Celestia's seal of the Sun, the other sealed with Luna's crest. Rarely ever did the Royal Pony Sisters send letters both at the same time like this addressed to them separately. This was evidently something important to do with their individual studies.

He didn't need to ask which letter of the two was for whom. Twilight took Celestia's letter while Dusk unfolded Luna's. He noted how her writing seemed a lot more uneven compared to Luna's usually neat style and even had a few blotches in places. Like water had been dropped on them. Or tears.

My dear student

Recent events have brought to light a new truth in our kingdom. Your presence is required in Canterlot forthwith, for I have a special task for you that concerns this new truth. I cannot write more than this. All will be explained when you arrive.

Please, make haste.

Princess Luna.

He had to read it a few times to make sense of it. Luna was usually more straightforward and clear than this, but this letter was bordering cryptic. What new truth? What kind of task? What had happened that demanded such secrecy?

He didn't have much time to ponder these questions for Twilight let out a loud cry that almost made him drop the letter. He whipped around to see her eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates and there were early signs that she was about to start hyperventilating.

"What is it, Twilight?" asked Spike. "Changeling attack? Incoming disaster?"

"No, worse!" she cried. "Much worse!"

"What could be worse than that?" put in Dusk.

"It's Celestia! She wants me to come to Canterlot as soon as possible to take a… a…" She gulped. "A test!"

Spike frowned. "A test?"

"But not just any test!" She waved the letter in their faces. "According to this, it's a very important test, a very important development in my magical education!"

"Luna's sent me something similar," remarked Dusk. "Apparently, she has some kind of special task for me and she needs me in Canterlot as soon as I can get there."

He didn't think it was possible for Twilight to look even more panicked. Somehow, she managed it in the wake of this news.

"You too?! Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!" She teleported randomly around the library before appearing directly in front of him, shoving her muzzle in his face. "Well, don't just stand there! We need to prepare! Spike, get a bag!"

The dragon hurried to comply, hurrying off and coming back one. Dusk could see where this was going. He was about to answer when the door to the library opened and their friends arrived, a grinning stallion at the head of the pack with green fur and a messy silver mane.

It had been quite an eventful month for all of them, but especially for Ray Strike.

When they'd all gotten back to Ponyville, they'd been greeted by a great reception from all of the townsfolk in celebration of their efforts in stopping the Changeling invasion. Of course, there had been others from Ponyville who had fought just as hard as they had, but for some reason they were all receiving special recognition for their actions.

Ray had been left out of this, which had been confusing until they all remembered that none of the other ponies knew about what exactly Ray had done. This was probably for the better; they'd later discovered that the effects of Ray's apparent battle with Chrysalis had been felt in Ponyville as well, and to a much greater extent than in Canterlot and Cloudsdale. Seeing more examples of the destruction his rage had brought certainly hadn't done anything to help Ray's attitude at the time, but like always, he managed to quickly shrug it off and continue smiling with the rest of them. None of the others knew about his secret. And they'd be keeping it that way.

Life for them all had pretty much settled back to normal after that. It was surprising in a way, how quickly everypony went back into the routine of things. Perhaps it was a testament to how willing they all were to move on and forget about what had happened, or perhaps to how used they were getting to conflict. Dusk didn't really like the implications of the latter...

They couldn't forget though. They had to remember in order to try and prevent such tragedies from occurring again. It was their duty, as normal ponies, residents of Equestria, and as the Elements of Harmony. Besides, there was one particularly big reminder that they saw every day.

Ray. The revelation of what he was, what was inside of him, had been... shocking, to say the least. A monster, the incarnation of Wrath, sealed away inside of his body, in the form of a burning, blood-red beast of pure energy. One that had apparently been responsible for a great deal of destruction and death in the darkest days of Equestria's history and who had almost been unleashed once more during a battle with Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings.

Not exactly the best way for the happy stallion for this aspect to be revealed. While Wrath had been loose, he had killed Chrysalis and very nearly all of them, before Celestia managed to bring him back under control. Even then, it was hard for all of them. Knowing that such a monster was now in their midst certainly wasn't easy. But they'd all made a vow, to some degree. Ray was their friend, and they wouldn't be abandoning him, no matter what kinds of demons he may be holding inside of his head.

So, just as they'd all settled back into their usual routine, Ray had done the same, trying to get back into the swing of things. Even now, the stallion expressed his usual, easy attitude. His relationship with the others had changed, of course, but not necessarily for the worse.

"Hey Dusklight!" Ray greeted enthusiastically. "How's my-"

"Hold on. Dusklight? The hay is that?" Applejack asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

She was an example of the change. He still had his job at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack, who had let him keep it in spite of all that had happened with him. She herself had since recovered from the burns she'd suffered during the battle, quite quickly in fact, and was back to working alongside him and her family.

According to her, he now and again threw himself at his work with more vigour than usual, but that was to be expected. Sometimes you just had to vent out your frustrations, and Applejack was understanding of it. After all, she was more worried for Ray than anything else, knowing what she knew about him. Not about Wrath, but about his past; knowing that he'd gone through his entire life without friends or family. For somepony like her, who was so tightly knit with her family, immediate and extended, her feelings were understandable. She couldn't imagine what it would be like, having to grow up without any loved ones. For that, she felt a special obligation towards Ray to help him cope however she could.

Except in support of this new phrase, it seemed and it looked like she wasn't alone.

"Yeah. I know it's you, Ray, but sounds like a pretty weird thing to say, even for you," put in Rainbow Dash.

She was a bit of a concern at first. Like AJ, she had fully recovered from her injuries not long after arriving back home. But that wasn't the issue. Before all of this had happened, she'd gotten along with him arguably the best out of all of them, save maybe for Dusk. But after they'd gotten back to Ponyville, she'd initially distanced herself from him. The others understood, even if they wished that she would be more considerate of Ray's feelings in the wake of all this. Fortunately, after about a week of this, for some reason or another they suddenly stated talking again. Maybe something had happened between them, or maybe Rainbow had just needed some time.

Either way, they were now back to being friends like nothing had ever happened. Well, not quite. Rainbow sometimes surprised them by openly mentioning Wrath and that battle with him at odd times, despite it being a rather sensitive topic for the rest of them. Ray didn't seem to mind though. In fact, sometimes he actually seemed glad to be able to talk about it, however odd the conversations sounded at times. Maybe it really was better to just let something like that out in the open rather than beating around the bush all the time. In any case, he and Rainbow could now often be found hanging out together for something or other, sometimes accompanied by another member of the group.

"Silly Dashie!" piped up Pinkie. "It's a thing for couples! You put both of their names together and say them together, because they're together! It's the cutest thing ever!"

Rainbow still scoffed. "Of course you'd get behind something like that, Pinkie."

"Yes indeedely!" she affirmed brightly.

Dusk smiled a little. Her relationship with Ray seemed to have changed the least out of all of them. She was still her bubbly, hyperactive self, and that didn't change one bit in the wake of recent events. With Ray, she was still happy, bouncy, and random, just as always. He still went over to Sugarcube Corner every now and again to help out, though now he said it was to help pay off the cannon that he... Wrath had destroyed. Pinkie of course told him not to worry about it, but he seemed insistent on making it up to her. Even if she supposedly had a large reserve of extra party cannons hidden somewhere in Ponyville...or possibly elsewhere.

When Dusk thought about it, maybe that was how she always managed to pull it out of nowhere whenever she needed it...but it was still best not to think about that. Pinkie was Pinkie, after all. Either way, she nonetheless appreciated his help around the bakery, even reporting that he'd managed to stop lighting the oven on fire. And in return, she continued to provide him with laughs and smiles, again as though nothing had happened with him.

"You're just snippy because you didn't think of it first," remarked Ray. "Anyway, how's favourite couple doing today?"

Spike groaned. "Like I don't have to put up with enough of that around here."
"Well, I think it's rather sweet," said Rarity. "Foalish, but sweet."

"Thanks, snob."

"My pleasure, ruffian."

Rarity had also developed a change in behaviour around Ray, though much like Applejack, it was of the more positive kind. She was more sensitive around him than she normally would have been, as well as kinder and more open-minded, though she'd still displayed brief hints of fear in his presence, such as whenever he popped in out of nowhere around them or displayed even hints of annoyance at something or someone. Ray had noticed this, and at some point had sat down with her and talked about the issue. He didn't want her to behave any different around him than how she used to, nor did he want her to be scared of him at all. Since then, she'd loosened up considerably around Ray, though it still showed on her face sometimes. Hopefully she'd overcome it with time.

In any case, regardless of all this, those two had undoubtedly become closer as friends. Dusk wasn't sure what had happened between those two before the fight in Canterlot, but it had definitely been beneficial for their relationship. Of course, they still called each other "snob" and "ruffian" with regular frequency, but there was no hostility in it. They both had their own way of expressing their friendship for each other.

"Ooh, ooh, what about Flutterstrike?" asked Pinkie eagerly.

Both Fluttershy and Ray blushed furiously. The former hid behind a lock of her mane while the latter began to stammer and stutter. Was it his imagination, or could Dusk see faint smiles on their faces?

Fluttershy, too, had begun acting differently around Ray... though not in the way any of them were expecting. In Canterlot, after they'd all learned of Wrath, Fluttershy had more-or-less holed herself up, not really interacting with any of them. Dusk knew why, as he'd spoken with her about the issue himself. She'd been scared. Not only that, but she'd felt a little betrayed as well. Despite this, Dusk had encouraged her to go and speak to Ray rather than hiding from him. And now, after the wedding... when they'd gotten back to Ponyville, they'd expected her to still be hesitant and upset about the subject. But instead, she went right back to smiling and spending time with her friends, even Ray... especially Ray.

He and Fluttershy were spending more time together now, and she'd never show any signs of fear around him. It was stunning, really. Where she was normally the most shy and timid of them, here she was now, being braver than any of them, even in the face of possibly the greatest monster any of them had ever encountered. She was showing a new kind of strength, all her own... and it honestly made Dusk proud. He knew it wasn't his pep-talk that had brought out this change in behavior. When she'd gone to speak to Ray, something must have happened between them, he reasoned. Something that had put her fears to rest, while simultaneously making the bond between them stronger than before. Ray, needless to say, was happy about this turn of events, and had taken to spending time with Fluttershy without fear of anything going wrong.

It was easy to see that something was going on between them... and to be honest, Dusk was okay with it. He may have felt negatively about it at first, but that had been due to feeling protective of his little sister, much like how Shining had been protective of Twilight. He was past it now. Now, he was willing to see how their relationship would continue to grow.

Fortunately, they were spared having to answer by a frantic Twilight, who was now hurrying around the library in a panic.

"We don't have time for this! Where are all my quills?"

She ran to her desk and shot the quills with such force using her magic, that they pierced holes in the bag that Spike caught them in. Dusk tried to get her attention, but she pushed past him to a shelf and started to levitate down a series of books, her eyes rapidly scanning their covers.

"No, no, no, no, no..." She growled in frustration. "I need the Magical Compendium volumes 1 through 36! Where is it?!"

"Um… where we just shelved it?" reminded Dusk.

"Of course!" She levitated it down with Spike preparing to catch it, only to be crushed by the sheer weight of the book.

"And we just reshelved it…" murmured Dusk, lifting the heavy book off of his fellow assistant.

"Um, did we miss something?" asked Rainbow.

"Ah think ah gotta pretty good idea," murmured Applejack.

"Flash cards! I should make some flash cards!" Twilight decided, taking out whole stacks of them. "Spike, I'm gonna need you to quiz me. On everything. Everything I've ever learned. Ever." She thought for a moment. "That isn't going to be enough cards. Dusk, help him out with that."

Spike finally managed to say what Dusk had been meaning to say. "Twilight, calm down. It's just a test."

"Just a test? Just a test!?" And now, he was glad he didn't. "Princess Celestia wants to give me some kind of exam, and you're trying to tell me to calm down because it's just a test?!"

"Uh..." Spike reached across and placed on his armour, composed of a helmet and a belt of pillows. "Yes."

Twilight's horn started to glow and her eye began to twitch.

"Ah'd say she's handling things pretty well, considerin'," remarked Applejack.

"Twilight!" Dusk darted forward and placed his hooves on her shoulders. "You need to calm down."

"But how-?!"

"Listen to me, Twilight, I know this is stressful, it's understandable, but you need to calm down," he repeated firmly. "You remember what happens when you let your emotions get out of control?"

"So… so does my magic," she said, her voice lowering a few octaves now and her horn's glow receding.

"So does your magic," confirmed Dusk. "Let's just gather what we need, calmly and rationally, without losing our heads. That's not going to be any help to anypony."

"Yes… yes, you're right." Her twitching was practically gone, as was the glow from her horn.

"It's said he's the only one who can do that and survive," Pinkie whispered to the others. "What a brave soul!"

"That's it," Dusk continued soothingly. "Deep breaths, soothing thoughts…"

"Soothing voice helps too," she murmured. "Okay, okay… calm now…" She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Dusk. I needed that."

"It's what I'm here for," he said brightly. "It's going to be fine, you'll see. We're going to be fine."

"Exactly!" piped up Ray. "I mean, it's not like it's a test that could change the very nature of your magical education and be unlike any you've ever taken before, right? Right?"

Twilight's eye began to twitch again. Her horn flared with energy. Dusk only had time to glare at a very bemused Ray.

"Good work, Ray," he deadpanned just as the library exploded.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fortunately, the magic of the tree the library was built into was enough withstand the sudden burst of magic and the only damage was that all the books needed to be sorted back onto their shelves. Dusk had just sorted away the last one when Twilight grabbed his hoof and dragged him to the train station, hopping on the first train to Canterlot. Well, teleporting on it just as it was leaving the station was perhaps more accurate.

He had to take a few minutes to both catch his breath and recover from the sensation of magical molecular rearrangement. As much as he loved Twilight, her tendency to worry about this sort of thing was something that even he could be pushed to his limits to put up with and to keep under control.

That being said, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous too. Though they were friends, Luna was also his teacher and she had shown that she wanted him to succeed in his studies, just as Celestia did with Twilight. It was rather unnerving that they had both been summoned for this similar reasons involving a task or test. What form would it take? Would he be up to the challenge? What would happen if he failed?

Not only that, it would be the first time he would be in the royal city since… last month.

He urged himself to put those thoughts out of his mind. The last thing they needed was both of them panicking. He pushed his worry deep down and tried to smile reassuringly at his marefriend. When she cocked her head curiously, he looked at his reflection in the window and realised how much he was shaking and nervous his smile looked.

"Heh… guess we're both a little nervous then," she remarked.

"Indeed," he murmured. "Sorry…"

"Don't be. Like you said, it's only understandable to be nervous, right?" she asked, with a nervous giggle.

"I suppose." He tried to smile. "B-but, between us, I'm supposed to be the calm, r-reasonable one."

"Oh really? And who was it that got upset because he dropped a stack of books on his first day on the job?" she countered, smiling now.

"That was only once!"

"Apart from when you did it again from listening to a conversation that you weren't even part of and got the wrong idea from," she went on.

"As opposed to knocking me out?"

"That was months ago!"

"And blowing up the library?"

She faltered. "Okay, you have a point. Let's just agree that we can both let our emotions run away with our heads at times."

"But you more so than me, I think."

"I don't know." She teleported in front of him and planted a kiss on his lips, leaving him staring in shock. "I'd say it's fairly even."

While the rest of the journey passed a lot more easily after that, it was evident their nerves returned by the time they pulled into Canterlot station. The royal city appeared as it always did, majestic and beautiful. The only differences were signs of new building materials worked in with the old and an increase in the number of guards patrolling the streets. The only evidence of what had happened here last month.

It was strange to see everything to relative normality after seeing both the streets and the sky swarming with changelings. To see ponies calmly going on their way, rather than sprinting through the streets to the sounds of battle, of clashing hooves and steel… of screaming. Like the kind that diamond dog did when he fell off the cliff, Dreadwing fighting for Luna, Cliffjumper being swarmed by all of those changelings…

And the beast, its roars echoing in the mists of his memory, those rage-filled pits staring into his very essence.

He flinched and actually cried out from the hoof he felt on his shoulder. Twilight quickly retracted it, but her sympathetic expression.

"It's okay, my Dusk," she soothed. "It's all over now. It's done."

He only now realised he was drawing in short, sharp breaths and that he was shaking. And it was nothing to do with Luna's task.

"Yes… yes it is," he muttered, trying to ignore the strange looks from passers-by. "Thank you, Miss Sparkle. I needed that…"

"It's what I'm here for," she replied.

"It's just… I…"

"I know," she said, gently leading him on. "It's hard to forget when it's so easy to remember."

He managed to take comfort in her presence and leaned into her side. What would he do without her?

All too soon, they had reached the palace, making their way to the throne room. The guards stood at attention and let them pass. Together, they walked through the hallways and arrived to see the royal sisters gazing at the window erected in remembrance of the Invasion of Canterlot. They appeared to be deep in discussion and didn't notice the arrival of their students.

It was Twilight who cleared her throat and got their attention. She smiled that nervous smile of hers at them, while Dusk tipped his hat and inclined his head.

"Trust me, little sister," Celestia said to Luna, who began to walk towards them.

Dusk looked to Twilight, who dropped a bead of sweat while straining her smile and started forward to meet her teacher. Dusk waited patiently until Luna had arrived and shut the doors behind them.

"It's good to see you, Luna," he said honestly. "How have you been?"

"Fine," she said curtly. "Come, there is much we need to discuss."

Dusk winced a little at her tone. "Of course. Is there something wrong?"

"No, now enough questions!" she snapped. "Time is of the essence."

He decided to play it safe and not say anything else, taken aback by her mood.

As emotional as she could be, Luna had always demonstrated that she managed to keep the same countenance as Celestia did. What exactly had happened that had apparently was causing her so much distress?

Luna turned to look at him. She seemed to be using all of her effort just to maintain a composed expression. Even then, it was evidently strained.

"We have received news that is of significant importance," she told him, her voice shaking a little. "The Crystal Empire has… has returned."

"Crystal Empire?" Dusk thought for a few moments and frowned. "I'm sorry, Luna, I can't say I've ever heard of a Crystal Empire."

"You would not. Very few remember its existence, even the knowledge my sister and I have now of the Empire is limited. In some areas," she added with a murmur. "Listen carefully and I shall explain."

Dusk complied and remained silent while Luna told her story. Long ago, there existed a kingdom in the Northern Region of Equestria, a kingdom made entirely of crystal. Even the ponies that inhabited it had coats and manes of shimmering crystal because of a powerful magic that flowed through its very essence. She and Celestia had some dealings and a treaty with the Empire, but they existed without conflict and generally left each other alone.

Until the day their king, Sombra, became consumed by darkness and turned the once peaceful Empire into Tartarus on Equestria, enslaving his subjects and forcing them to mine magical crystals so that he might further increase his power and set his sights on the rest of Equestria. He was defeated by the sisters, turned to shadow and banished into the very ice his kingdom was built upon. But not before he managed to place a curse on the Empire, causing it to vanish along with him.

Dusk felt something stir in his memory. When they encountered the Doctor and the living statues, he had been in the old castle in the Everfree Forest, in that magical vault. There had been crystals in there, that he had looked into and seen a city inhabited by ponies that all looked like they were made of crystal. He had wondered if they were some sort of forgotten civilisation. It looked like he was right.

Then, there was Luna. Throughout the whole explanation, she struggled to keep her voice from shaking. Whenever she mentioned Sombra, she seemed to almost choke on his name, like speaking it hurt her physically. Dusk would try to ask, but she would glare sharply at him and press on as quickly as she could.

Knowing it was best not to anger her, Dusk didn't press the issue and kept the conversation on safe ground when Luna was finished.

"Is this why Twilight was summoned too?" he asked. "Celestia has some kind of test for her."

"This is true," she answered. "My sister intends to task Twilight Sparkle with finding a way to protect the Empire, so that Equestria might benefit from its magic."

"That's quite a test," he murmured. Protecting an entire empire… he could only imagine the enormity of such a task. "But why exactly has the Empire returned now? And what's the task you want me to do?"

"Those questions have a similar answer. You are to accompany Twilight and the rest of your friends to the North, where you will join with Princess Cadence and Shining Armour. We sent them ahead to assess the situation."

"I see… and you want me to help find a way to protect the Empire?" he asked.

"No. Your task is a different one," she replied tersely. "In light of the recent attack on Canterlot, the fact that the Empire should return now is something that does not sit well with me. Therefore, Dusk, you are to ascertain why it is the Empire has returned now, of all times. You have proven yourself at investigative affairs before, I expect you shall do so again."

Dusk nodded slowly. "I understand, but how should I do that? Where should I start looking? And why are you so-?"

"You are intelligent enough," she cut off. "I trust you shall find a way to begin somewhere without needing to be spoon-fed the answer."

"Yes, but I still-"

"Enough questions!" she declared. "I have explained to you your task, now go! In the name of your princess, go forth!"

"But Luna-"

"YOU QUESTION?!" she boomed in the Royal Voice.

Dusk gulped and tried to ignore the ringing in his ears, sinking into a low bow. "I… I won't let you down, Luna."

"See that you do not." She turned her back on him, gazing resolutely at the wall. "Now, go."

Dusk didn't need to be told twice. With another respectful bow and a lingering look at his teacher, he left her. Just as he closed the door, he thought he could hear her sobbing faintly in the darkness of her quarters…

Crystal Clear?

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Signs of a colder climate were becoming more and more evident the further the train travelled. The rich forests became few and far between, fields of grass were replaced by frozen tundra. The warmth of Celestia's sun was smothered by gathering clouds, flakes of snow beginning to drift to the ground and becoming fiercer the further they travelled. Dusk would have been reminded of Hearth's Warming, if everything else wasn't frozen over.

There was a mix of excitement and tension as they neared their destination. None of them had ever ventured to the North of Equestria and certainly not for the discovery of a long lost empire made of crystal. Most of them, especially Rarity, were very much intrigued about the prospect of such a place, along with the added prospect of another adventure. That was more in Rainbow's and Pinkie's area.

While he shared these feelings in a way, Dusk was mainly concerned with two things: that he hadn't brought his scarf in preparation and for Twilight. As he predicted, the enormity of the task that Celestia had given her was really weighing on her. She had been expecting a test, but nothing like this.

She sat across from him, gazing forlornly out of the window.

"I just can't believe this, Dusk," she murmured. "Reciting facts, taking quizzes are one thing, but protecting a whole empire? I wasn't prepared for this."

"Yes, Spike told me I missed out on that," he noted. "Apparently, he has a wonderful singing voice."

"Well, the magic was there, I had to let it out somehow," she replied. "Like I said, I wasn't expecting anything like this."

"I wasn't either," he admitted. "I suppose we were both caught off-guard."

"Yes, but your task is basically like doing a research paper!" she distressed. "I'd give anything to have that to do instead."

"A research paper into a long forgotten empire we knew nothing about?"

"That's what makes it all the more fascinating to research! Besides, we did have some hint of it. Remember back in the castle vault?"

"That's not something one easily forgets," he said. "It would be nice if we could go in there again to see if we could find anything, but we'd be getting a lot more than information if we did."

"I know." She shuddered. "Even if we wanted to, we don't have the key anyway. The Doctor took it."

He nodded and placed his hoof on hers. "Don't worry, Twilight. If Princess Celestia has faith that you can do this, then you can be rest assured that I do."

"I know you do," she said with a sigh, "but I can't stop thinking about what might happen if I fail. Not only will my studies be in doubt, but we'll lose a powerful source of magic that's been lost for a thousand years. What if we need it for when some other powerful rises up? Then we wouldn't have it, we wouldn't be able to stop them and Equestria might be doomed! Or what if-?!"

"Twilight, calm down." His gentle, but firm tone was enough to stop her. "You can do this. Celestia wouldn't have sent you if she didn't think otherwise. And I wouldn't be telling you if I didn't have utter confidence in you."

Her body relaxed a little and she took a few deep breaths. "You're right. Thanks, Dusk. I needed that."

"I know." He smiled teasingly. "See? I am the calm and reasonable one."

She rolled her eyes, but smirked too. "Yes, you've proved your point, don't start that again. Otherwise I might have to prove mine again." She puckered her lips and winked.

"You know, I don't really see any problems with that," he chuckled, returning the wink.

"Didn't think so," she replied, briefly brushing her lips against his. "But when you start freaking out when you need help with your research, don't say I didn't tell you so."

"Glad to know you have so much faith in me then."

"We both know that's your department." Twilight smiled a little easier now. "At least we're not alone."

Dusk looked around at their friends. "At least there's that."

His eyes focused on the sight a few booths away from them. Ray was sitting with Rainbow Dash and talking about her with something, sometimes eliciting the occasional laugh or excited response from her.

Spike, Twilight, and he had their own changes regarding Ray. The little dragon had recovered from his injury as well, though there were still faint scar-like outlines where the Beast's claws had raked across his scales. Still, they were so faint that they were impossible to notice unless you knew they were there. With Ray's help, Spike had taken to looking at the upside of his new feature, saying that the scars made him look tougher and gave him that air of a dark past that girls were attracted to.

Unfortunately, he hadn't had the common sense at the time to avoid saying this last part in front of all of the girls and he was left alone to deal with the backlash as Ray had conveniently teleported out of there once these words left the drake's mouth. He still got a little shaky whenever Wrath was brought up, but he at least understood and acknowledged that Ray wasn't at fault for what happened.

Twilight had been behaving differently around him as well, but hers' was less due to fear or sympathy and more out of academic interest. She was intrigued by the knowledge of Wrath and everything that applied to him. She'd noticed those occasional areas during her studies where there were allusions to some sort of fearsome monster long in the past, as well as things that pointed to some kind of horrible event in history that was never elaborated upon. She was curious about both, but she'd never once put those two things together, much less imagined that it was still among them and living in the head of one of their friends. Of course, her interest wasn't simply out of curiosity. She realized that Wrath couldn't be allowed to accidentally break out again, and being herself, didn't want to take any risks on that front.

So she'd arranged to have Ray stop by the library once a day so that she could check to make sure that the spell Celestia had placed upon Ray's necklace was still holding. During that time, she'd also ask if there were any problems concerning Wrath, to which the answer was usually no, among other general questions. She often ended up asking Ray for details on Wrath himself, such as how old he really was and what the creature's mind was like, though Ray almost never had any solid answers to these questions. Dusk was fine with her displaying interest, but sometimes it got to the point where she'd start being, in her own terms, a little insensitive about it. When that happened, Dusk was happy to catch her and help rectify the mistake.

Dusk had to admit, he was a fairly interested about the topic himself. Though he'd been fighting for his life at the time, as well as for the lives of those around him, looking back on that fight with Ray in his transformed state raised a lot of questions. The sheer quantity of magical energy that was being given off by the Beast was at a level that he didn't even think was possible.

And Celestia said that what they'd fought hadn't even been the complete form of the Beast, but rather a halfway-point in the transformation. Did that mean that the actual form of Wrath was even more powerful than what they'd fought? The thought alone chilled him. His mind would occasionally wander to the Gates of Tartarus, and the knowledge of where those graves had come from. To think that one lone creature could be powerful enough to cause so much death and destruction...

It scared him, quite honestly. But something else overshadowed that fear. Before all of this, he and Ray had been friends. Best friends, even. But now that he knew all of this about Ray...it had grown beyond that. He now felt a sort of kinship with Ray. After all, is wasn't every day that you met another pony in the same situation as you, with an angry, powerful monster in your head just waiting for the chance to come out. Doom was no longer present in Dusk's head, of course, but that didn't change the fact that he knew how it felt. The girls knew about it and were sympathetic about it, but Ray truly knew what it was like.

For that reason, Dusk knew that he couldn't abandon him. They both knew the same pain. They shared a bond. And it was a bond that Dusk resolved to never let go of. He'd help Ray, however he could. It was the least he could do after Ray helped him.

"You want to go talk to him?" Twilight hadn't missed his wandering attention. "Go on, I don't mind."

"You're sure?"

"Of course," she assured. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. It looks like an interesting conversation they're having anyway."

"With Ray, it usually is." He kissed her cheek and left to join Rainbow and Ray in their booth.

Ray himself seemed to be doing well. According to him, there were no issues concerning Wrath as of late. The beast still liked to simmer away in his mind and speak up every now and again, just to express some negative view of his or to criticize Ray or his friends, but Ray said that it was getting easier to block out. The spell placed upon his necklace wasn't just preventing Wrath's power from influencing Ray, it was reducing the overall effect Wrath was having on his mind. He'd even stopped having headaches, according to him, and the others could see that he was having an easier time of it.

There was still that sadness present on occasion, but at the same time, he generally just looked...happier. He no longer had to hide it, at least not from his friends. That alone seemed to make him happier than any of them had ever seen him.

"Something's tickled you two," he noted on arrival.

Ray chuckled. "Hope it's not Pinkie Pie, like last time." He frowned. "Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure you can get arrested for doing something like that…"

"Anyway," continued Rainbow, "Ray's just showing me some writing work he promised me a while back."

"Yeah, just so you guys don't start thinking that I'm just sitting around and waiting for something to happen," he put in.

"It's awesome," she went on. "He really knows his stuff! Hey, you wanna have a look at it?"

"I confess this does sound intriguing," said Dusk. "That is, if Ray doesn't mind, of course."

Ray shrugged. "Fine by me, as long as you don't go around sharing valuable information," he said, with a grin.

Dusk returned the smile and reached over for the notes that Rainbow was gesturing at. He levitated them before him and began to read.

The Creature was huge and had a scaly hide, covered in a foul-smelling black ooze. It walked on only two legs, both as thick as a stallion and twice as strong. Rather than front legs, this upright-walking monster had a pair of massive claws that looked as though they could shred anything they touched. It's head was like a equine's, but somehow warped as its deformed face smiled and revealed row upon row of sharp, pointed teeth and an unholy stench that this monster dared to call breath.

As the four of them stood before the creature, they could feel their blood run cold. Even Farven, with all of his earlier bragging regarding it, could barely find the courage to face The Creature. The icy grip of fear gripped the hearts of these heroes like a vice and refused to let go. There was an ugliness about this... this THING that was beyond the description of mere words. It was as though nature itself had rejected the evil of this creature, as if something so corrupt could not exist, and yet they stood in its presence. The presence of pure evil.

This was the Creature responsible for destroying so many homes and lives, including some of there own. Families, towns, even cities; there was no limit to where The Creature had brought it's destruction in the past, and all of them had felt the pain caused by it's destruction at least once. Yvel had lost her family and ranch, forcing her into the life of a wanderer. Farven's entire village had been destroyed, making him the last surviving member of the Luminor Clan. Korrana, beneath her happy, bubbly exterior, remembered being there when The Creature laid waste to an entire city district while searching for something, and eliminating quite a few city guards in the process, including her parents, leaving nothing for her but to become a petty thief in the city alleyways. And Zero...he'd been hunted by The Creature for years, not even knowing himself what for, and bringing innocents into harm's way simply by being near them, until he eventually found peace across the border. Was it Fate that the four of them would be the ones to encounter The Creature again, here of all places? Regardless, he was glad that it was just the four of them and that the rest of the group was back at camp. He wanted to be strong, to be confident, but...all he could manage was a strained gasp when The Creature's eyes met his, and glinted red in...excitement?

Suddenly, The Creature was upon them, lashing out with its claws and spilling its vile poison everywhere. Yvel stood her ground, rising up to clobber the beast with her powerful front hooves, but instead being snatched up and thrown aside like a foal's plaything. Farven took the the air briefly and flew in fast circles around The Creature's head, leaving a red-orange afterimage from his speed, but the Creature simply caught him right in mid air as though he were only a bothersome fly, and flung him away toward the remaining two. Korrana rolled to the side as Farven careened past and quickly drew her bow while simultaneously letting off a volley of projectiles, only for the arrows she fired to sink harmlessly into the inky, dark muck that surrounded the beast. The last of them, Zero, galloped forward at the same time and drew his sword, Clarent, before plunging it into the ribs of their foe, but his blade became stuck just like his friend's arrow and he could feel it, and himself, being pulled into the ooze. He could not help but widen his eyes in shock when he saw that Eben the magical flames Clarent produced were being extinguished within The Creature as the monster in question gave him it's horrible, serrated grin and smacked him hard enough to send him flying into the cave wall, where it cracked and he fell to the ground in a heap.

Just as The Creature had charged, all hope seemed lost. These heroes could only watch as all of their attempts to fight back the monster sank harmlessly into the muck, and all their journey seemed to be for naught. The light that had shone upon their quest could not be seen. This was how it would end. No redemption. No heroic acts of valor. No song-worthy tales of exploits and friendship. They wouldn't even reach the Citadel. They would perish here, in this lonely cave, at the hands of this abomination. Alone, forgotten to all but their friends, who would have to forget them or else come down here and suffer the same fate. They had no more future. They had no hope...

Then, as he painfully rose again from another sideswipe courtesy of The Creature, Zero heard a light clink as something hit the ground right below him. Looking down, he saw the amulet around his neck lying in the dirt, with the gem facing up at him and glittering, in spite of the fact that there was no light, as though it had it's own light shining from within...

Then he remembered.

'When in the dark, and all seems lost to despair, you will know when to use this. Keep it with you until then, please.'

Gods above, please don't let this be a mistake...

He didn't quite understand himself how he knew what to do from this point, he simply did. Taking up the necklace given to him by Queen Solaria in his hooves, he fiddled with the mechanism for a few moments and removed the large gem from the center of the amulet, all the while his friends continued struggling fruitlessly against The Creature. Then he raised it above his head, and with a shout, smashed it down against a stone beneath him. As the pendant cracked, a brilliant light pierced the air around them and the black goo around their foe evaporated. A great wind blew through the caves and it seemed as though either a great fire or the sun itself had suddenly been brought into this dark, underground place of wickedness.

Farven stopped mid-flight and looked around with confusion. "What the heck..?"

Yvel and Korrana seemed to be similarly caught off-guard by the sudden change, until they were all cut off by the horrible gurgling shriek of The Creature as it stumbled and fell, it's oozing surface beginning the harden and crack while also starting to flake off in burnt flakes. Zero's eyes widened in realization. In history, The Creature had only ever been recorded to appear at night. As it was just a monster who likely preferred the dark, he'd never really thought too much about it before. But no...it wasn't that The Creature preferred the dark. It was weak to light. Sunlight, to be specific.

All at once, The Creature shrank back in terror. All at once, Zero, Yvel, Farven and Korrana were filled with new strength. All at once, hope returned...

Dusk stopped and blinked several times. He realised he hadn't done so once while reading. He looked up at Ray, who was looking expectantly at him along with Rainbow, waiting for his reaction.

"That was…"

"Yes?" Ray prompted. There was a hint of nerves in his voice.

Dusk slowly smiled and handed the notes back. "It was, for lack of a better word… great. Well-written and enticing, even from the short bit I read there. Definitely impressive."

"Ha!" Rainbow laughed triumphantly and punched Ray's foreleg. "Told you so!"

Ray winced, but let out a sigh of relief. "Whew… thanks, Dusk. I gotta admit, I was a little nervous as to what you would think."

"No need for that now," assured Dusk. "Your writing is superb and there really is nothing you should be worried about."

"Thanks," he said sincerely. "But I need to say, it's not really the writing itself I'm concerned about, more so by the character development."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, there's two main issues," he went on. "First, I'm worried the main villain figure for the story is too generic. Everypony knows about the villain who wants to conquer the world, or destroy everything, or become all-powerful or something like that, but I want my villain to actually have a purpose to his actions."

"What purpose could they have?" asked Rainbow. "They want the world, they try to take it. That's a purpose."

"Yeah, but that's too simple," he dismissed. "I like to think that villainous figures don't view themselves as evil and I want that to reflect in the villain of this story, but I'm not sure how to go about giving the villain a truly meaningful goal."

"I see," nodded Dusk. "And the second concern?"

"Second is there are two protagonist characters I want to build up the relationship between, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. Every time I try to make a meaningful moment between them, I feel like I'm doing something wrong in some way or another, and whenever I try to fix it I end up just making it worse. Then I always end up just scrapping the idea altogether, and it's back to square one."

"Aw, come on!" Rainbow put in. "You're not giving yourself enough credit, it's awesome regardless."

Ray smirked. "You would think that. After all, your favourite books are the Daring Do series."

"Hey! What's wrong with Daring Do?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing," he replied. "The books are good, it's just the plots are linear, the villains are bland and there's little-to-no character development in any of the books. Their appeal is almost solely based on action and suspense."

She made a dismissive noise. "Whatever, that's all a book really needs to be great."

"In all fariness," Dusk interjected, "while I can see where Ray is coming from, I do agree with Rainbow. Your writing seems fantastic as it is."

"See? Even the egghead agrees with me," whispered Rainbow.

"Doesn't he read Daring Do too though?" he returned."

"Yes, he does and he's sitting right here," reminded Dusk. "And I mean it. Then again, I haven't' read the whole thing, so I wouldn't know entirely. But if you ever need any help with what you're doing, I'd be happy to provide it."

"Hey, back off!" Rainbow placed a hoof on the table between them and leaned forward. "I offered first!"

Dusk would have been intimidated if she hadn't been smiling when she made this declaration.

"I'll keep that in mind," Ray laughed. "Thanks for the offer, Dusk."

"Anytime," Dusk said with complete honesty.

A few minutes later, the train began to slow down. Ray put away his notebook, tucking it away somewhere in his fur and got up with Rainbow and Dusk, following them out of the booth.

A sharp cold and strong winds greeted them when they stepped off the train. Dusk shivered and once again regretted not picking up his scarf before coming here.

"Ha! And you all made fun of me for packing so many scarves," Rarity remarked, stepping out into the snow.

Spike followed her, carrying some very heavy bags. "I didn't say a word."

There was a loud thud, indicating that he'd dropped them. While he tried to recapture the escaping scarves, Dusk cast his eyes around through the blizzard for any sign of somepony meeting them here. Fortunately, he didn't have to look for long.

"Twilight!"

"Shining Armour?"

A stallion with white fur, a blue mane and black winter wear covering his face struggled towards them. He levitated them off and smiled as Twilight hurried forward and hugged her brother.

"Twily! You made it!" He pulled out of the hug, looking urgent. "We'd better get moving. There are things out here we really don't want to run into after dark."

Fluttershy gulped. "What kind of things?"

"Let's just say the Empire... isn't the only thing that's returned," he answered.

Dusk felt a shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Suppressing his fear and keeping his hat from flying off his head, he followed Shining through the snowy gales, making sure Twilight was close by.

"Something keeps trying to get in!" Shining yelled over the wailing wind. "We think it's the unicorn king who originally cursed the place!"

"But Princess Celestia said I was being sent here to find a way to protect the Empire!" replied Twilight. "If King Sombra can't get in, then it must already be protected!"

Before the captain could answer, a low, echoing howl met their ears. Were it not blowing all around them, Dusk would have dismissed it as just being the wind. But that was most certainly not the wind.

"Th-That's one of the things, isn't it?" Fluttershy asked fearfully.

"We have to get to the Crystal Empire! Now!" he commanded.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, a pillar of shadow rose up behind them, the howling now right in their ears. Two glaring eyes opened at the very top, glowing green and vibrant with dark magic. In addition to the howling, a guttural growling mingled with it.

Dusk's affinity of the shadows meant he could feel it. Such hatred, such cruelty… yet there seemed to be something else, buried underneath it all…

Spike was closest to it, his legs shaking as he stared up at it in pure terror. Shining grabbed him with his magic, forcing him to leave Rarity's luggage behind and prompting the others to finally start running. The mass of shadow gathered and gave chase, steadily gaining ground. Dusk didn't look back, he just kept galloping.

"Go, go!" Twilight shouted, bucking Spike onto her back.

Through the storm, Dusk could see something up ahead. It looked like a glowing blue dome, guiding them towards it through the cold and the snow.

"Almost there!" Shining encouraged.

Dusk quickened his pace, vaguely acknowledging what sounded like a magical blast being cast. He pressed himself to keep going, the shimmering surface in sight. He could practically reach out and touch it at this point.

He felt a familiar tingle shoot through his body when they reached it and went through it. The snow was replaced with soft grass and the cold was gone, a comforting warmth taking its place. He gulped down air and took comfort that they were safe.

For now.

"Everypony okay?" asked Twilight, gasping for breath.

The others all panted in general agreement while trying to get their breath back. There was another shimmer and Shining landed next to them, looking like he'd been through an ordeal.

Twilight hurried to him. "Oh, no! Shining Armour, your horn!"

Several growths of black crystal had formed at the end. When he tried to use magic, his own aura was suppressed by a crackle of dark lightning. Seeming to decide silently that there wasn't much they could do about it, they turned around to behold…

"Sparkleriffic!"

Pinkie described what stood before them perfectly. To see it in crystal reflections and hear about it from Luna was one thing, but to actually stand here and see the Crystal Empire… Dusk was hard pressed to remember any other time he saw such a majestic, breath-taking sight. And that was only from a distance.

When they were actually within it, walking down the streets, it was clear the name Crystal Empire hadn't been taken in vain. Everything, everywhere shimmered and sparkled with the distinctive, wondrous sight of pure, uncut, magical crystal. The streets, the lampposts, the houses, everything was made of from it.

And at the very centre, dwarfing the surrounding houses with its glory, what could only be the Crystal Palace. A spire reaching to the sky, shining brightly from the magic that radiated from it. To know that this place had been lost, forgotten for over a thousand years, only to return now… it seemed almost criminal to think of the Empire any less than spectacular.

"It's gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!" But that works too, Dusk thought while Rarity mumbled incoherently. "There are no words!"

"Focus, Rarity. We're here to help Twilight an' Dusk, not admire the scenery," reminded Applejack.

"Eh, I don't see what the big deal is," shrugged Rainbow. "Just looks like another old castle to me."

Rarity seemed flabbergasted at Rainbow's dismissal. "Another old...! Have you lost your mind? Look at the magni-" She stopped when Rainbow and Applejack started laughing. "Very funny."

Shining led them through the hallways, polished so perfectly they could see their reflections in their surface. Dusk felt like he needed to be paying bits just to be standing here.

They arrived at the throne room, where sat upon it was a pink alicorn. Her head was hung and her horn was glowing while she cast a spell, but she brightened when she saw who entered the room.

"Cadence!" Twilight went to meet her foalsitter, now sister-in-law.

Dusk couldn't suppress a smirk when the two of them came together. He knew what was coming.

Sunshine, sunshine,
Ladybugs awake!
Clap your hooves
And do a little shake!

They both fell into gales of laughter… until Cadence grimaced and her horn flickered. Dusk noted that the shield outside also flickered like a candle in a breeze before she regained control of the spell.

There was something else too. Despite how obviously happy she was to see them, she still looked tired. Noticeable bags had formed under her eyes, she looked a lot thinner and she appeared to be just barely staying awake.

"One of these days we need to get together when the fate of Equestria isn't hanging in the balance," she sighed, her eyes finding Dusk. "Hey, don't think I've forgotten about you."

"We all have our priorities," joked Dusk, accepting the hug she offered. He noted how weak her grip was. "It's good to see you again, Cadence."

"You too," she said. "Been taking good care of Twilight?"

"I don't think her wellbeing is the main concern right now," he noted.

"Yeah, you don't exactly look your best, princess," agreed Ray, starting forward.

"Hold on, Ray," Shining said, holding up his hoof as the stallion neared. "I'm gonna have to ask you to stay back for a moment."

"Hey, sorry," Ray said, holding up his hooves. "I call it like I see it, didn't mean to offend."

Shining didn't crack a smile. "It's not that. I just to make sure you have your 'friend' under control before I let you near my wife."

"Sorry," said Cadence weakly. "I told Shining about what I knew concerning you, Ray. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, I get it," he said. "Don't start a panic, Shining. My 'friend' is behaving himself."

"We can speak for him," put in Fluttershy. "We haven't had any incidents since last month and we don't intend to have any now."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm not just sure. I'm positive," she said, with utter conviction.

"I'd take that at face value, dude," advised Rainbow. "If Fluttershy is feeling confident about something, that's the best you're gonna get."

Shining considered and relaxed a little. "Alright, I trust your word. Go ahead."

"Great! Thanks, Flutters," Ray added. "I um… I appreciate it."

"No problem, happy to do it," she mumbled, but the corners of her mouth lifted in a smile.

"With that said, Ray's not the main focus here," said Twilight. "Are you okay?"

Shining placed a hoof on his wife's shoulder. "Cadence has been able to use her magic to spread love and light. That seems to be what is protecting it. But she hasn't slept, barely eats. I want to help her, but my protection spell has been countered by King Sombra."

She breathed deeply. "It's alright Shining Armour, I'm fine."

"She's not fine," he insisted. "She can't go on like this forever, and if her magic were to fade... Well, you saw what's out there waiting for that to happen."

"That's why we're here," said Twilight.

"Why we're all here," put in Applejack, the others all agreeing with her.

Shining nodded. "Well, with Cadence putting all her strength into keeping her spell going, and me trying to keep an eye on signs of trouble in the arctic, we haven't been able to gather much information from the Crystal Ponies."

"Crystal Ponies?! There are Crystal Ponies?!" Rarity saw the looks they were all giving her. "Um, ahem. Please continue."

"But we have to believe one of them knows how we can protect the Empire without having to use Cadence's magic."

"A research paper!" Twilight said suddenly.

"Huh?" Her brother looked confused.

"That must be part of my test – to gather information from the Crystal Ponies and deliver it to you!" she explained with evident enthusiasm. "This is gonna be great! I love research papers!"

"Yeah, who doesn't?" remarked Rainbow sarcastically.

Pinkie took the question literally. "Oh-oh-oh! Lemme guess! Is it Spike? Nono, Fluttershy! Rarity?"

"Don't worry, big brother. I am really good at this sort of thing," Twilight assured with a confident smile and a wink.

"I hope I will be too," put in Dusk, "considering this is what Luna wanted me to do from the outset."

"So it's true?" Shining asked. "Luna thinks something has made the Empire return?"

"I can see where her concern comes from," he replied. "We've had a few incidents in Ponyville, most of which I discovered were done by Tube and Edge. We also know that they were definitely associated with the Invasion. Having the Empire return now, a month after that, it just seems like too much of a coincidence."

"But wouldn't that mean it would just be Tube on his own?" asked Rainbow. "Cause we know Edge isn't exactly working for him anymore."

"An' what could he gain from bringin' back the Empire an' the king?" chimed in Applejack. "Maybe he could use it's magic, but somethin' tells me Sombra ain't exactly the type who's inta makin' deals with other ponies."

"It might not just be him." Dusk almost regretted saying that, but it was out now. "Before the Invasion, Luna was getting reports from patrols that Tube was travelling in a party of three, including him."

"That's pretty small for a party," remarked Pinkie. "So that's the devilish doctor and the grumpy guard. That leaves a third mystery member."

"A-and… who would that be?" asked Fluttershy.

"I dunno," shrugged Pinkie. "That's why it's a mystery, Fluttershy, but we're going to solve it. Right, Dusk?"

"Correct, Pinkie," he confirmed. "So, I suppose that doesn't leave much else to do other than ask the Crystal Ponies to see if they know anything."

"That seems like a reasonable course of action," agreed Twilight. "Right, everypony, we'll split up once we get into the streets and each take a different part of town. Remember to ask the ponies about a way to defend the Empire and if they know anything about why they would return now, a thousand years after the curse was placed on them. We'll meet back at the Castle in an hour."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With everypony understanding what they needed to do, they went about their assigned tasks. Fluttershy ended up accompanying Ray, mainly because as per what they'd agreed with Princess Celestia, they felt it best that at least one of them stay with him. It wasn't as if either of them objected to it, with Ray suggesting they play good cop-bad cop with the Crystal Ponies.

Dusk ended up taking the north part of town and the first thing he noticed was that the Crystal Ponies weren't exactly… crystal. It looked like they might have been, once upon a time, but now their coats looked rather dull and lacklustre, their manes hanging limply while they dragged their tails across the ground.

It wasn't just their coats that were dull. The closest comparison he could draw to their current state was that of zombies. They just seemed to trudge around the streets lifelessly, without any sense of purpose of where they were going or what they were doing. Their eyes were dead, their voices dull, dead tones and they just looked… tired. He wouldn't be too surprised if they just collapsed and started snoring.

They weren't exactly helpful in the way of information either, but it wasn't out of fear towards a stranger or anything like that. They just couldn't remember.

"You can't remember anything before Sombra came to power?" he asked a stallion.

"No, I'm sorry," he responded in a dead voice. "I don't know what it is, but… I can't remember…"

"Or you don't want to," Dusk supplied, thinking of the unicorn king. "What about why you're back? After a thousand years, why has your Empire returned?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, I'm afraid," he replied. "A thousand years… it feels like yesterday…"

Dusk felt a stab of pity, not just for him but for all of the Crystal Ponies. In a way, it was a good thing they were so far north. Adjusting to modern times might actually be easier for them, but while their Empire seemed virtually unchanged, the rest of Equestria had moved on. Had any of them even been outside of their home?

He nodded in understanding. "Well, thank you for your time. If you should remember anything or hear anything, come find me and let me know."

"Of course. I hope you find the answers you're looking for." His tone didn't betray any kind of hope and he trudged off aimlessly.

It was virtually the same answer for every pony he asked, to the point where he didn't even go around asking questions for the full hour. Returning to the palace, it looked like most of the others had been met with similar results. The Crystal Ponies all seemed to have some sort of collective amnesia, as Applejack termed it.

"The only thing ah was able ta get from 'em was somethin' about a library," she concluded.

"A library?" Twilight gasped at the mention of the word. "Well, why didn't you say so?!"

"Uh, ah thought ah did."

The library was an easy enough place to find. According the ponies they asked, who were actually able to help this time, it was made of blue crystal and had two carvings of griffins outside the entrance. When they found it, even Dusk found himself awestruck at the sight.

Books. Rows and rows of them, a wealth of information on the history, culture, society, everything to do with the Empire. For a self-proclaimed scholar like himself, this was far more valuable than a whole room full of treasure. This was true wealth.

Twilight seemed to be much of the same mind.

"I just... I don't even know what to... There are no words," she gasped.

"Focus, dear," he whispered. "But it is quite a sight, isn't it?"

"I know!" she squealed. "Would you just look at all of this? I mean just… really, really look at all of this?!"

"We could find anything in here. Historical accounts, personal letters, plays, poetry…"

"The hours and hours spent searching through them, documenting and cataloguing everything…"

"Books and records that may not be found anywhere else because they were lost along with the Empire…"

"And now they're here, for us to study as we please!" she finished, with another excited squeal.

"Ahem." A mare wearing round glasses with her mane in a bun caught their attention. "May I help you?"

"Yes. We're looking for a book," said Twilight.

"We have plenty of those," she said, gesturing around.

"You do. You really do…" Twilight sighed, lost in awe at her surroundings.

Applejack took up her line. "We're lookin' for a history book. Somethin' that might tell us how the Empire might've protected itself from danger back in the day."

"Yes. Of course. History, history..." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Ah, yes."

They all beamed expectantly. However, the librarian didn't elaborate.

"Which is where, exactly?" asked Twilight.

"I... I can't seem to remember," she confessed. "I'm not sure I actually work here."

Rainbow slammed her hoof against her face and groaned in exasperation.

"We'll just take a look around," offered Twilight. "I'm sure we can find it on our own."

"Let me know if you find anything," the librarian said, walking away.

"I like her!" announced Pinkie randomly.

Since Dusk's task was closely related to the subject Twilight was looking for, Dusk lent his hoof with the others in trying to find the appropriate section. They all used individual methods for searching, Applejack kicking Rainbow Dash along a ladder while she knocked down books, Ray teleporting around random spots and picking up the first book he saw, Pinkie Pie simply leaping up in odd spots and grabbing the first book within reach.

His experience working in a library put to the test, Dusk systematically moved between shelves, levitating down a book and checking it before putting it back as opposed to just leaving them in piles. Once he was done, he left a colour orb floating as a marker that he'd checked that row and moved on to the next one.

He knew this would be a difficult task, blindly searching through all of these books, but after half an hour and still no progress, his hopes were starting to wear thin. Even with all of them working together, this library was massive, much larger than the Golden Oaks library. He wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Uh, anyone else startin' to think this is a lost cause?" asked Applejack.

"That might be so, but we have to keep looking, no matter how long it takes us," Dusk replied. "Even if it takes us days, months, years-"

"Yes!" came an ecstatic cry from Twilight.

"Or seconds," Ray offered.

They joined her as she set the book down. ""History of the Crystal Empire". I just hope it has the answers we need."

With all of them scanning the pages of a single book, it didn't take them long to find reference to something that was their best chance for protection. A Crystal Faire, an event established by their first queen and held every year to renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so they could protect it from harm.

"This is exactly what we're looking for!" announced Twilight. "I can show this to my brother and Cadence and then we could put it all together so we can protect the Empire."

"Alright, we're getting somewhere!" Rainbow punched the air. "Come on, let's get this thing up and running!"

Dusk shifted uncomfortably. "If you all don't mind, I'm afraid I'm going to have to exclude myself."

"What? Why, whatever for, darling?" asked Rarity.

"I still have a task of my own to fulfil," he explained. "It might be a longshot, but maybe there's something in one of these books that could explain why the Empire has returned. I'm sorry, I would like to help you, but I-"

"It's okay, Dusk. We understand," assured Twilight. "I hope you manage to find what you're looking for."

He tried to smile confidently. "For a number one pony assistant like myself, I'm sure this task will be foal's play."

"That's what I like to hear." She kissed his cheek. "Good luck and if there's anything in this book, I'll make sure to let you know."

The others all left with her. An event as big as a Crystal Faire would surely require all of their combined effort to put together, so that meant Dusk was on his own.

Or so he thought.

"You know, my poor pipe's gonna get rusty now that you're talking about yourself like that," remarked Ray.

"I'm sure you'll find some use for it," Dusk replied. "Aren't you going to go and help the girls?"

"I think they've got all of the hooves they need to pull off this Faire." He saluted. "Consider me your junior library assistant, buddy."

Dusk smiled a lot easier. "Much appreciated, thank you. Come on, let's get to searching."

"But all of these books are from before the Empire fell," said Ray. "Twilight might be able to find something about protecting the Empire, but I don't see how you can find out why it's come back."

"That's a fair point…" Dusk thought for a moment and hit upon a new thought. "But maybe it's because we've been looking in the wrong place."

"How do you mean?" Ray asked.

"The ponies here might not know anything, but who's the reason why they don't? Who's responsible for the Empire's disappearance to begin with? Who is it that his magic is so strong, he was able to return with the Empire he once ruled?"

"Yeah, I get it," Ray said, nodding. "So, if we find out a little more about Sombra and his reign, we might be able to find out why it's returned."

"Exactly. Check royal chronicles, references to the kind of magic he used, reports from diplomatic envoys, anything that could give us insight into Sombra," he instructed.

"Way ahead of you!" He teleported and returned with a stack of books. "While I was looking, I kept an eye out for any that might be useful for you. These ones should be a little more specific in what you're looking for."

Dusk took a moment to acknowledge this. "Ray, I think you could go far in the assisting world."

While Ray went off elsewhere to find more books, Dusk began to search through the ones he had for what information he could on the tyrannical king. Looking at a book on the Empire's lineage, it looked like he was the first king that the kingdom ever had, a line inherited from his mother, who was queen before him. That must have been quite a daunting responsibility. Ponies were based in a matriarchal society, so a male monarch, especially back in those days, wouldn't have been regarded in much favour.

Further reading showed this to be apparently true. While he didn't appear to begin as a tyrant, it was clear he wasn't very popular with his people, regarded as uncompromising and harsh in his decrees. He wasn't very courteous to his servants, held his subjects in contempt and was prone to anger when his actions were questioned by his advisers. This was according to various accounts and documents from members of his court.

Curiously, he did manage to find reference to the Royal Pony Sisters, specifically Luna. She had arrived at the Empire at one point to renew a treaty with the king, but afterwards had begun to frequent Sombra's court a lot more. The reasons were unspecified, as Sombra forbade the documentation of his personal life by any other than himself and there didn't appear to be any royal memoirs or accounts written by him in this regard.

Why keep it secret though? Was this why Luna had been so short with him before coming here? Did they used to be friends? Or perhaps it was something more…

In either case, while he discovered a lot about the king, he learned virtually nothing about the magic he used. Most documentation after he transformed into the monster lurking outside the Empire was practically non-existent. He didn't want dissidents stewing away in the depths of his slaves.

"Yeah, I'd definitely say this is a lost cause," commented Ray after about an hour. "Unless you're planning to write a book yourself on the good king Sombra."

"Not at the moment," replied Dusk. "I suppose we'll have to go somewhere else for the information we need."

Ray sighed. "What else are we meant to do though? There's only so much these books can tell us."

Dusk nodded his head silently. He ended up gazing out of the window, hoping that inspiration might strike him. He saw the trudging, lifeless ponies wandering the streets, the sparkling houses they lived that shimmered like the border of Cadence's barrier. There, he saw the darkness beyond it, waiting for it to be weakened…

That was when it hit him.

"I think, then, that we've done enough background reading," Dusk murmured. "Let's try and get a more personal account."

Reflections

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The Faire looked like it was in full swing when they passed through it. The girls had really outdone themselves for the Crystal Ponies and it looked like it was working. Whether it was drinking some crystal nectar, petting lambs at the zoo or trying on one of Rarity's hoofmade hats, the change from complete misery to happiness for the first time in a thousand years was evident when their coats and manes magically brightened.

Were it any other time, Dusk would have stayed with them and helped them in their efforts. Ray no doubt would have too, his gaze lingering on Fluttershy at the petting zoo. But they passed the stalls without pause, offered friendly smiles to any of the girls they saw but didn't stop to talk and let the Crystal Ponies go about their celebrations.

Their path took them away from all of that, to the outskirts of the Empire and the threshold of the shield that protected it. Through the blue field, Dusk could see the swirling mass of shadows that surrounded the entire perimeter hovering like a lurking beast, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

And here they were, practically stepping into its waiting jaws.

"Yeah, starting to think this isn't the best idea you could have had."

"You've said three times on the way here, Ray," replied Dusk. "I wish there was another option, but it looks like this is the only one open to us."

"Yeah, I get that," he said quickly. "It's just I know looking through all of those books was dull, but at least they didn't have total conquest and hostile takeover on their minds."

"You said yourself there's only so much they can tell us. Unless something else comes up, this is our best chance to accomplish what Luna sent me here to do."

"Kinda wishing something else would come up now," he said in a would-be casual voice. "Okay, so how do we get the attention of his royal growliness?"

"He's not the only creature of shadow here." Dusk's horn began to glow. "Let's see if he wants to talk to a kindred spirit."

Reaching into the darkness with his magic, Dusk probed the lurking shadows mere feet from them. He didn't exert total control over them, mainly because he couldn't. The second he tried, he encountered a great resistance that disrupted his focus and his ability to manipulate them. While he couldn't control them, he could act with them in such a way that he'd be able to get Sombra's attention.

Another reason was that they needed Sombra to talk to them and they needed him to be aggravated as little as possible. He didn't exactly seem to be the type open to talking, but they had to try. It would be better for their efforts if he wasn't angry. At least, more so than he already was.

His thoughts were interrupted by a low growl directly in front of them.

"Who dares disturb me? Who dares approach King Sombra?" a deep, gravelly voice demanded.

The shadows before them gathered together and from them, a stallion emerged. His fur was as grey as the clouds of winter, the darkness of his mane and tail blending nearly perfectly with the shadows that amassed behind him. He was garbed in a royal blood-red robe with a white trim that billowed in the wind and iron armour that covered his legs and chest. Even the crown he wore, pointed at the tips, was made of the same metal. As cold and cruel as he was.

His features were strong, his muscles making him quite intimidating alone. But his face would have made any stalwart warrior tremble in fear. His teeth had been sharpened into fangs that were bared as he growled like a beast, his horn was red and tinged with black, curving and menacing. His eyes burned red, a fierce green magical glow in place of the whites behind them. His dark magic even manifested itself at the corners of his eyes as purple vapour, flowing endlessly.

He glanced at Ray, then Dusk. To him, they were insignificant specks against his glory.

"You are the ones who sought me?" he pondered. "You have influence of the shadow? How is this possible?"

Dusk had done plenty of reading into Sombra's personality. He was a very proud ruler and usually welcomed those who held him in high regard. It was time to see if he'd gotten any better at acting.

"I confess, my king, it was I who sought you." Dusk sunk into a low bow. "I do possess control of shadow, but it pales in comparison to the dominion you hold over them, King of Crystal. In your presence, I am but a novice."

"What's with the Shakesmare act?" hissed Ray.

"I'm playing to his ego," Dusk replied out of the corner of his mouth. "Kindly keep quiet, let me do the talking."

His response seemed to pacify Sombra. "Yes, you would be. Still, the fact you have the ability intrigues me. Speak your name, stallion."

"I am Dusk Noir, mighty Sombra, son to Abacus and Chord Noir. I am little more than a historian of sorts, one who is here to witness your return to the throne and the restoration of this great empire," he responded respectfully. "When a new reign of shadow and darkness sweeps across Equestria, I wish to be among the first to see it."

"Uh… me too, I guess," ventured Ray unsurely.

The king glanced at him again. "Who is this one?"

"Pay him no mind, he is nopony of consequence," said Dusk as dismissively as he could.

"Oh, right thanks."

"Nopony of consequence," Dusk repeated, a little louder. "But he too has come to see you in your malevolent glory."

"I see…" His lip curled. "You would seek to serve me?"

"If your majesty allows it, I would be used as an instrument your will, in whatever way you see fit. As would my companion."

"Um…" Ray hesitated. "Depends on the instrument?"

Sombra appeared to consider. "If that is so, then I have a task for you both. Seek out the source of this… obstruction and destroy it. Do this and I shall promise you great rewards for your service to your king."

"Um…" Dusk had to think quickly to counter this. "I uh, do not believe that will be necessary, my king."

"You dare to second guess me?" he rumbled.

"No, no, perish the thought, great one," replied Dusk quickly. "What I mean to say is that the… the alicorn who casts this spell has done so for a long time. Her strength is waning and her power lessens every minute that passes. There will be little need for our intervention. Soon, very soon, the spell will be gone and you will be able to enter at your leisure."

As if by some stroke of luck, both good and bad, the shield chose this moment to flicker for a few moments. Sombra started forward, but stopped when it returned to its former strength and he withdrew his hoof with a hiss.

Through that though, he managed a smirk.

"So, they have not found the Crystal Heart," he murmured.

"What was that, my king?" asked Dusk.

"Nothing that concerns you. It appears you are correct, Dusk," he remarked. "I await eagerly for when it fails completely. I have been away from my subjects for far too long."

"As do I, your imperial highness," agreed Dusk, a little surprised his deception had lasted this long. "My king, may I be so bold to ask you something?"

"Lessers should look to their betters for guidance." Sombra nodded. "Ask then, Dusk. I shall relieve you of your ignorance."

"Your highness is as merciful as he is powerful. I only wish to know, master, how it is that you achieved this miracle," he said with as much reverence as he could. "How did you return to Equestria after being gone for so long?

"That answer is a simple one. The princesses were fools. They thought that their pitiful magic could contain me, when all it did was hinder me," he said arrogantly. "I merely had to wait and gather my strength. Now, I have returned, more powerful than ever before and soon, they shall learn how it feels to be imprisoned! Especially her!"

Dusk would have asked who exactly 'her' was, but he already had a good idea and he had more pressing matters. This could just be down to Sombra actually speaking the truth, but he had to know for certain.

"I have no doubt of that, my king. I should have known that it would only be by your will that you should return to us."

He thought he saw Sombra shift a little. "Indeed. Though it may not be inaccurate to say that I had some assistance."

"Assistance?" Dusk looked up. "From whom, my king?"

"Another who sees as I do," he replied. "And one who has proven himself with more than just words."

Dusk didn't like the sound of that. "Your majesty?"

"Remind me, Dusk, you and your companion claim you have come to serve me? You wish to devote yourself to my darkness?"

"B-But of course, mighty king," answered Dusk.

"Then why do I also sense a light in you?" Sombra's eyes narrowed. "A light much like the one that struck me down and that I have felt from the moment that you reached blindly out for me?"

"My king, I don't know what-"

"SILENCE!" he roared. "Did you think I was so naive? I have let you prattle on thus far because it has amused me, but I grow weary of your display. You may possessed the same darkness that I do once, but now… you are not fit to stand in my presence with your feeble excuse for shadow magic."

"You looked in a mirror lately?" Ray called. "You're not exactly better off yourself."

"And do not think I have forgotten you." Sombra turned his full attention to him. "I thought I felt a much greater darkness when I sensed you two, but it was not from your fawning friend."

Ray's expression hardened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"But you do," Sombra went on. "I know what you are, Demon Vessel and what resides away inside of you. Such a Wrath you hold inside you, I daresay that it dwarfs my own."

Dusk's mouth dropped open. "How… how do you know?"

"I know," responded Sombra curtly, still focusing on Ray. "I also know what your future holds. You can try to hold back the storm, but it is still coming and when it does… let's just say that what I would do to Equestria would not even begin to describe it."

Ray's body stiffened and he gritted his teeth.

"Yes, that's it," growled Sombra. "You can try to be defiant with your anger and your quips, but it shall all be for naught. You shall all be turned to dust and I shall be the one that will watch as it blows away on the wind. What say you to that?"

Ray only stared back at him. Then, he smirked in the way he did. Even Sombra seemed a little surprised at the response, especially the one he followed up with.

"You look like you're wearing mascara."

"Hmph, pitiful," snorted Sombra. "I have wasted enough time with you both. Begone with you now. Rest assured, I shall deal with you soon enough."

"But Sombra, please," begged Dusk. "You have to tell me, who-?"

"I said BEGONE!" he bellowed. "This exchange is over. The sight of your grovelling disgusts me."

Dusk would have persisted, but Sombra's form was already dissolving away. He was back to focusing his efforts on getting past the barrier. Even if he wasn't, it didn't look like they were going to be getting anything else out of him. At least they'd gotten something out of it.

He would have thought about what he'd told them, especially concerning this outside help that he was meant to have had. Could that be Tube? Or perhaps even that mysterious third member he was meant to be travelling with? Was there a chance that one of the Crystal Ponies might know something more if he asked?

He would have pondered further… when he noticed that the barrier was flickering a lot more now. And it wasn't getting any better.

"I'm gonna go right ahead and say that's not a good thing." No sooner had Ray said that, the shield flickered once more and died. "Yeah, definitely not good."

"It seems that you were truthful about one thing, Dusk." Dusk whipped around to see the king become one with his shadow again. "My empire will be mine again sooner than I expected."

Dusk started to back away. "And you were correct about something else, Sombra. I do have a light inside me and existed long before my darkness. Here!"

He flashed several light orbs at the gathering mass and galloped away, with Ray not too far behind. He heard Sombra roar in frustration at the attack, but glancing back saw him recovering swiftly. He was right on their heels and gaining.

He tried to keep ahead of the gathering darkness, but he could feel the ice cold shadows licking at his hooves feet away from him. He could even hear Sombra's cruel laughter while he gave pursuit. It didn't matter how fast they ran, he would soon be right on top of them.

Something grabbed him, but his cry was cut off when he felt the familiar, unpleasant sensation of teleportation. In the blink of an eye, they were much further inside the empire than before and Sombra had fallen very far behind. Even better, he could see the barrier was reforming.

Panicking, Sombra tried to get inside, but only his horn made it past the threshold. He roared as it went right through it and sliced it off like a knife through butter. It landed right at the entrance to the empire, but that was as far as it looked like the king was getting.

"I'd say that concludes negotiation," remarked Ray, helping Dusk up. "You okay?"

"As well as can be expected," said Dusk. "You could have given me a little warning before you did that."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I didn't think it would be of much importance," replied Ray pointedly.

"You're not going to let me forget that now, are you?"

"Not for a while, no." He looked back at the roiling mass. "So, we learned lots from that."

"Not as much as I would have liked." Dusk sighed. "Come on, let's get back to the others. Maybe something's come up there."

"Sounds good to me," agreed Ray. "Maybe next time, we shouldn't hang around the edge of a shield that looks like it could fall at any second with an evil dark force waiting to get inside. Just saying."

Just as they turned around to return to the Empire, Dusk felt it again. When he'd first seen Sombra, out in the snow, he had felt something else inside all of the hatred and anger. He hadn't been sure, but it was there again, very faintly.

And it was touching his mind.

"Go to my quarters in the palace. By my sight will the way be shown to you…"

It was there only for a few seconds. By the time Dusk acknowledge it and tried to respond to it, it was already leaving like the night fleeing from the day. He looked back towards Sombra. There was no change in his movements. He was still out there, waiting to get in. It was strange. The voice had sounded like him except it was somehow…

Different. Less cruel, less callous. But it had been there for such a brief period of time, he wasn't even sure if it had been there at all.

"Dusk? You okay?" He blinked at Ray's question, realising that he'd been stood still. "Something wrong?"

"I'm not sure…" Dusk thought about bringing it up, but decided against it. For the moment. "Come on, let's get back. And Ray? Perhaps it might be best if the girls didn't know where we've been."

Ray nodded and made a zipping and locking motion with his mouth. Added to that, he also pawed at the ground with his hooves, mimed making a square shape and opening a door. He grinned though it became more awkward when Dusk gave him a quizzical look.

"Heh… just something Pinkie showed me once," he said as an answer, rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway, point is, I won't say a word."

"If you say so…"

When they did arrive back at the Crystal Faire, things still appeared to be going well. The ponies all looked happy and the festivities were in full swing with the girls all on hoof to do what was needed to keep the citizens of the Empire happy.

That was what he thought until both he and Ray were met by a worried Applejack who stood in front of something covered with a cloth.

"There ya are!" She glared. "Where in the hay have you two been?! We've been rushin' round lookin' for ya!"

"Ah…" Ray rubbed the back of his head. "See, we uh-"

"Never mind, it don't matter now," she dismissed quickly. "Right now, we got an even bigger problem. Ya know how we read this Faire is meant ta renew the spirit-a love ta protect the Empire from harm? Turns out it ain't enough."

"Why? What are we missing?" asked Dusk.

"It's not just the Faire and the spirits of the ponies that protect the Empire. We need somethin' called the Crystal Heart, 'cause that's what they power with that spirit ta protect the Empire!"

"Okay, sorry, I have to say here," interrupted Ray. "I get that it's kind of their thing, but these guys really have a fetish for crystals. Crystal Empire, Crystal Ponies, Crystal Heart, at least come up with something a little more original than just putting crystal before everything. It's like their version of the singing thing."

"Ray, I think we have bigger concerns right now," Dusk replied. "Do we know exactly where the Heart is?"

"Not right now. Twilight's gone ta look fer it, reckons it's part-a Celestia's test ta find it. Our job is ta keep this lot happy so they can still have the spirit ta power the Heart when we actually find the darn thing."

"What are you doing then?" Ray motioned behind her. "What's with the cloth?"

"That's another thing. See, we read that the Heart is part-a the Faire, but we didn't reckon that it was an actual artefact 'cause Sombra tore the page out detailin' it. This here is one that Twilight carved with her magic an' then we went an' told the Cryrstal Ponies we had the real deal. If they find out that we ain't got it then… well, ah'm jus' makin' sure that it doesn't happen."

"I got it. What do you want us to do then, boss?" asked Ray.

"You two can help us out here. Get on one-a the stalls, sell 'em food, do a jugglin' act, sing a song, whatever it takes," she ordered. "We jus' gotta keep the ponies here happy til Twilight gets back with that Heart."

Ray saluted. "Gotcha. We can do that, right Dusk? Dusk?"

Dusk had fallen silent because of two thoughts that had crossed his mind. Applejack seemed to anticipate one of them and smiled comfortingly at him.

"Ah know yer worried about Twilight, sugarcube an' ah don't blame ya one bit," she said gently. "But ya know she can look after herself. This is somethin' she's gotta do by herself. We gotta respect that an' do what we can here."

"Of course, I just…" He sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't help but worry."

"Like ah said, ah get it. Now, how 'bout ya give us a hoof an' hop on one-a these stalls? Ah think Pinkie Pie set up a puppet show not too far from here, bet you'd be great at that."

"Actually, Applejack, I rather wanted to-"

"Hey, didn't Sombra say something about a Crystal Heart before?" Ray brought up.

Applejack frowned. "Whaddya mean?"

Ray clamped his mouth shut. "Oops… probably shouldn't have said that."

"Applejack, it's nothing to worry about-"

"No, ah reckon it is. Whaddya mean 'before'? How do ya know Sombra even said anythin'? Last ah checked, he wasn't exactly the talkin' type."

"That's because we didn't really try before," answered Dusk after a while. There wasn't much point in concealing the truth now. "Ray and I have just been for a talk with him. That was why you couldn't find us before."

Applejack looked incredulous. "Lemme get this straight. Ya went out there, ta the very edge-a that barrier, the only thing that's keepin' us safe right now mind you, ta talk to a stallion who'd like nothin' more than ta clap ya in irons and make ya his slaves?"

"Yes. I realise that it probably wasn't the safest of options but-"

"Ya got that right it wasn't! Not the safest and certainly the stupidest!" she snapped. "What the hay were you two thinkin'?! We almost lost the barrier before! What if he'd caught ya?! Or worse?!"

"For the record, it wasn't my idea."

"Thanks for having my back, Ray," deadpanned Dusk. "I'm sorry, Applejack, but I needed answers and it looked like Sombra was the only one who had them. If there were any other options, I would have taken them, but there weren't. I'm sorry, I should have told you, but I didn't want you worried."

"Guess what, we worried anyway!" She slapped a hoof on her forehead. "Ugh, you stallions. Ah think ah see what Twilight means now. She's gonna lay inta ya when she finds out about this."

Dusk chuckled awkwardly. "I'm trying not to think about that. But it did give me a lead, something I can look into."

"Really? I didn't think we got that much to go on," noted Ray.

"Not at first, but I got another message from him after the barrier came back up. I'll explain later, but it told me to check his private quarters for the answers I'm looking for," he explained. "I was about to go and investigate right now. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I'll try and be as quick as I can. Then, I'll come back and help you at the Faire."

"Least yer tellin' us about it this time." Applejack groaned, but conceded. "Fine. Do what you gotta do, but be sure yer quick about it. These ponies are startin' ta get more nosy'n Gabby Gums."

"You got it!" saluted Ray. "We'll be there and back in a flash. Literally, given my talents."

"You still want to come along?"

"Are you going to try and stop me?"

"Are you going to be better at keeping your mouth shut when asked?"

"No promises. Good luck with the Faire, AJ."

"Ah'll get Rainbow ta send word 'round that you two are okay." She smirked at Ray. "Fluttershy was gettin' pretty worried about you too, ya know."

"Right… sorry…" Ray blushed before quickly saying. "Okay, let's get going then, eh buddy?"

"An apt suggestion," agreed Dusk. "First, let's go and see Cadence and Shining. I need to confirm something."

"Alright then." Ray placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Hold onto your lunch."

"Wait, are you going to-" A flash of light and a moment of stomach churning later, they were standing right in front of the ponies in question. "You know, a word of warning wouldn't go amiss."

"I was gonna say the same." Shining relaxed from a fighting stance. "You've gotta be more careful when you pull something like that."

"We needed to get here quickly and if there's one thing I do, it's quick," replied Ray.

"As opposed… to just taking the stairs?" asked Cadence.

"Stairs are for ponies with no imagination," returned Ray. "Besides, Dusk here needs to ask you both something."

"I do," he confirmed. "This is something that may help not only my efforts, but possibly Twilight's too."

"Well, we know how important that is. What do you need?" asked Shining.

"Do either of you know where the royal bedroom is?"

Shining flushed while Cadence giggled weakly.

"I didn't think… you'd want to help Twilight… in that kind of capacity, Dusk," she joked.

"Cadence, please."

"Okay, I'm sorry, couldn't resist. It's on the sixth floor, at the end of the hallway on the left. Not that either of us have… well, slept in it yet. Why?"

"Hopefully, to get some answers." Dusk placed a hoof on Ray's shoulder. "Thanks for your help."

"Hey, Dusk?"

"Yes, Ray?"

"Teleport." It happened the instant he said it and they were standing in front of the door Cadence had directed them to. "There you go, word of warning."

"How good spirited of you."

"I thought so too." He cocked an eyebrow. "You don't think they'll get the wrong idea that it's just the two of us in the bedroom, do you?"

"I'm going to choose not to answer that," replied Dusk. "Let's just see what this search yields."

The bedroom was without doubt a royal one. Large formations of crystal decorated the door on either side that shone and provided light when they entered. A king-size bed lay directly in front of them, draped with sheets of the darkest red and curtains of the deepest black. Instead of traditional wood, this too appeared to be made from crystal, though the bed itself didn't look slept in, as Cadence had said.

There were a few other pieces of furniture scattered about also made from crystal, with the exception of some stone busts of pony heads on marble plinths. A large wardrobe big enough to step inside, an elaborate chest of drawers, a writing desk complete with a mirror, an ink well and a slot for quills and a large carpet that bore Somrba's mark. A formation of black crystal, bathed in shadow. Dusk couldn't blame Cadence and Shining for not sleeping in here. He knew he wouldn't have felt comfortable with it.

When Ray asked what exactly they were here for, Dusk explained as best he could what had happened on their way back from their meeting with the king. While he appeared a little sceptical suspecting either misdirection or some kind of trap, he took Dusk at his word and joined him in searching for anything that might stand out that could help them, like the voice had told him. There had to be something here.

After a few minutes, nothing really jumped out at them. There was nothing in the wardrobe filled with expensive clothing or the drawers containing various items from jewels to horseshoes of gold. Nothing hidden under the carpet, nor the busts, nothing near or on the bed.

"Okay, I'll bite, what exactly are we meant to be looking for?" Ray asked after nearly half an hour. "Don't suppose that mystery voice was a little more specific, was it?"

"I'm afraid not," replied Dusk. "All he said was that the way would be shown by his sight and that it was somewhere in here."

Ray groaned. "What is it with these higher power types and the need to code everything in a riddle? What's wrong with just a straight-up yes or no?"

Dusk didn't answer that and put his mind to work on figuring it out. Sombra, he assumed the voice was Sombra, wanted them to find something in here. If it wasn't in plain sight, it must be hidden somewhere, by methods that would only be known by Sombra himself.

Dusk happened to focus on something. One of the busts on the opposite end of the room. It was stationed directly opposite of the mirror on the writing desk. Placed so that the blank, stone eyes of the statue were looking directly at it. By my sight will the way be shown…

He reached into the coldness of the shadows and made it so that they coiled around the base of the statue. Of their own accord, the dark mist suddenly strengthened and travelled up the length of the plinth until they reached the statue itself. It slithered into its eyes, making them seem frighteningly alive. Out of a reflex, Dusk forced himself not to blink.

But the bust didn't move. The shadows in its eyes narrowed and shot at the mirror. Instead of reflecting off it, the glass seemed to melt away as it was bathed in darkness, revealing something hidden beneath.

They looked. It was a book. A red, leather-bound volume with aging pages. And Sombra's mark emblazoned on the cover.

"What do you think this is?" asked Ray. "Did Sombra keep a diary or something?"

"Apparently," replied Dusk, scanning through some of the pages, "he did."

"Wow, really?" Ray laughed. "I was only kidding. I didn't think he'd be the type."

"You never know for certain, do you?" murmured Dusk. "This is definitely his. Looks like some of those history books were right, he wasn't exactly the most pleasant of individuals before he became a complete tyrant."

"Yeah, talking about fawning nobles, denying royal aid to some citizens by talking about being harsh but fair, reminding the people know who their king was, talking about strength and dedication…" Ray shook his head. "Glad he wasn't my monarch."

"Indeed, though he was probably under quite a bit of pressure."

"And I know I wouldn't be talking nicely about any nobles if I were king," remarked Ray. "Hey look, it mentions Luna in this passage."

Dusk looked where Ray's hoof pointed, found the passage and read aloud:

Something unexpected today. It was the time of year to renew the treaty the Empire has with the kingdom ruled by the Royal Pony Sisters. That treaty… as if they think I am some dog that must be kept on his leash, lest I savage anything in my sight without it…

Usually, it is Celestia who comes to the event, but this time she sent her sister. This was a surprise to me. She had mentioned her on occasion, but I knew little of her until now. I confess that it was not an unwelcome surprise. She is as much a sight to behold as the stars she brings and the moon she raises.

It was the usual routine: the formalities, the signing, the feast afterwards. Usually, I am eager to see these over and done, but that was with Celestia. Always smiling and humble, yet behind her eyes her arrogance burns as brightly as her sun. With Luna, I saw something different. She would attempt to remain composed, yet I could see a battle being waged upon her features between various different sides. Impatience, frustration, a simmering anger.

I know this. It was the same battle I waged every day. We were the same, I knew it.

Yet she seemed blind to it. I tried to engage her in pleasant conversation, complimented her radiant beauty, did all I could. Yet she was as unreceptive as a statue. She barely held my gaze, kept glancing at the sun's progress across the sky. She just wanted this to be over. Yet I never wanted her to leave. Towards the end, I even asked her outright if she would consider staying a little longer in the Empire with me. As thanks to me for being such a gracious host.

That was when her composure fell. She rounded on me with an expression that would rival a thunderstorm in its ferocity. In her powerful voice, she told me exactly what was on her mind. She did not think of me as gracious or kind. She told me, in front of my entire court, she saw me as a vile, leering, thoroughly unpleasant excuse of a monarch and the time for her to depart could not come soon enough. With that, she rose from her seat and stormed out of the banquet hall. The silence in her wake was deafening.

I was angry, I admit that. She had made a fool of me in my own palace! Yet another part near rivalled that anger. She was no masked diplomat like her sibling. She had a passion inside her, a fire that burned as brightly as my own. A desire, a need to be appreciated, a drive to stand out of the shadow cast by those beside us. Or before us.

I am decided. No matter what it takes, no matter what I must do, I will win her. We are the same… I know it.

"Real lady killer this guy," commented Ray.

"By the looks of things, his efforts started to pay off." Dusk read on. "Most of this just details his efforts to win her over now. At first after she returned to Castle, he just tried to shower her with gifts or send her romantic poetry, but that only annoyed further. Then she came back to the Empire, apparently at Celestia's request so that they may attempt to further strengthen their diplomatic bond. Then, on that night, they started to be a little more… open with each other."

"Open how?"

"Apparently, he came across her while crying in her guest room," recited Dusk. "She tried to cover it up, but he actually asked her what was wrong. He asked her while she was trying. She told him… 'Even here, they hide away from the night. They always dance in the sun, yet shy away from the moon.'"

"That was the angle he was working with, right?"

"Exactly." Dusk felt a little sad himself. "They were both seeking appreciation they never seemed to get, no matter how much they tried. Despite their best efforts, it never seemed like it was enough. That was what he told her that night. And it worked. She started making visits to the Empire a lot more after that, enjoying her time with Sombra, actually finding somepony who understood her. It looks like she even taught him a little shadow magic too."

"Didn't Luna tell you something about that once?" asked Ray. "That if you're careful with how you step in shadows, they can consume you?"

"In essence, yes. She helped him control it, but he dabbled in it a lot more when she wasn't around, thinking he could handle it. He keeps talking about the power he could have with mastery of it, combined with his own affinity for creating crystal. And not in any pleasant regards. But here's where it all seems to go wrong," he noted. "When Sombra took a trip to the Castle with Luna, with the intent that he will announce he wants to marry Luna."

Ray looked confused. "Isn't that what Celestia wanted though?"

"I thought so too. It seemed to have started well, there's a little bit here about tasting some unusually bitter wine given to him by the Captain of the Guard at the time then…" Dusk read directly from it.

Curses to you, Celestia! Curse you, curse you, a thousand times curse you! I come to Equestria as her guest, in good faith of our treaty and she accuses me of enchanting my stars and moon, that the only way she might love me was by force! She would deny us our love!

She thinks I have my sights on conquest, that if Luna and I were wedded, Equestria would be added to the Empire. If that is what she believes, who am I to deny her? I am through acting the virtuous to that two-faced witch of a mare! My subjects, this empire, this whole land will respect me and they will fear me!

Then, Luna and I will have the respect we have always deserved. Have no fear, my love. We will be together soon enough. With you by my side as my queen, we shall cover Equestria in the darkness of my shadows and the light of your stars, extinguishing the sun with their brilliance.

Forever.

"Guess we know what happened then. What about after?"

Dusk turned the next page. He frowned, then turned the next one. And the next one. He flipped through the rest of the pages, right to the very end, but got the same result.

"They're blank," he said hollowly. "There's nothing else after that entry… it's all blank."

"You sure?" Ray looked for himself. "Yeah, you're right. I guess he didn't see much point in keeping anymore entries after that one. His reign wasn't exactly long lived after that."

"But… but that can't be it," stammered Dusk. "Maybe… maybe he concealed more with his magic."

"Why would he conceal entries in his own journal?" reasoned Ray.

"It might be." Dusk tried, but got the same result. "No, no there's nothing… but there can't be, there just can't… the answer, it has to be here."

"Dusk… I don't think there is," Ray said. "You've seen for yourself. There isn't anything else in here.

Dusk began to feel a sense of bitter disappointment, of failure every time he read the last passage. He scanned it and the rest of the blank pages, there had to be more to it than this. There had to be. But there wasn't.

It was all pointless. There wasn't anything detailing about the curse Sombra used and its effects, about his further experiments with Luna's magic and his own. Nothing. The answers he was promised weren't here…

"But this doesn't make any sense. The voice that spoke to me, it said that I would find the answer here. But this still doesn't tell us how Sombra and the Empire are back after all of this time. Everywhere we've searched and it's all proven fruitless!" He slammed the book down on the desk. "Where are we supposed to look now?"

"Whoa, hey, calm down, bud," placated Ray. "Dusk, maybe it is just like Sombra said. Maybe he is just back because he's had time to gather his strength."

"No, that can't be it! There has to be more to it, there has to be!" he cried out in frustration. "Luna's counting on me to find out, I can't let her down! I won't!"

"I know you don't, buddy, but you need to cool it if you want to do what you have to," he placated.

"And what exactly is it that I need to do now?" He thrust the journal in front of him. "How does this help explain the Empire's return?"

Ray looked like he had a retort ready, but held it back. "Have you ever thought that there's more to it than finding out about the Empire?"

"Yes, but if I wanted to read more about Sombra, I could have gone back to the library," said Dusk impatiently. "How is reading this any different?"

"Because none of those were written by him," answered Ray. "This shows us something much more different than any historical writing."

"I know, but how does that help?"

"Well, don't you think this all sounds familiar?" asked Ray. "This guy, with all of these pressures on his mind, he tries his best to cope with them and do the best he can, but then he eventually lets them all out. All because of one bad day. Remind you of anypony?"

Dusk felt himself stiffen. "What does that have to do with it?"

"I'm just saying. There was a chance for you when it happened. Maybe there's one for him too. Maybe that's what he wanted you to find. He did say by his sight the way would be shown. This might be it."

"But what does that mean?" Dusk asked desperately. "What is the way meant to be?"

"I guess that…" Ray frowned. "Hey, is it just me or is it getting darker outside?"

Dusk glanced out of the window and saw what Ray meant. In that instant, worries about how the Empire was back were pushed out of his mind because it looked like they were about to lose it. Cadence's shield was flickering a lot more now, with clouds of darkness creeping ever closer. They hurried to the window and stared out of it.

Even from this distance, Dusk could see it. Chunks of black crystal were creeping steadily towards them and corrupting any crystal structure that stood in their way, fuelled by the dark magic of the pony who controlled them. All of it stemming from the entrance of the Empire, where the tip of Sombra's horn had fallen.

He was weakening Cadence's magic. He was going to get in. He could hear the Crystal Ponies begin to panic below them. Had Twilight even found the Heart yet?

Ray's gaze was on the barrier. "That's not going to hold much longer. We need to do something and fast."

"Yes, yes, but what? What can we…?" Dusk stopped himself. His friends were in danger. The Empire was under attack. Twilight needed more time. He knew how to get her it. "Ray, find the girls and stay with them. Don't follow me."

"What do you mean don't… Dusk, why are you climbing onto the window?" Ray asked worryingly. "I don't think the situation is that- DUSK!"

The unicorn ignored the cry of his friend as he jumped from the window and fell to the ground. He could feel his stomach rushing before he slowed himself with a colour cloud, jumped off of it and ran towards the head of the shadow storm that was raging towards the palace.

Perhaps this wasn't the best idea, there might even be a better one. But he didn't have time to think of one. He needed to buy Twilight time, however he could. Even if it meant this.

He stopped in its path and tried to control his shaking. "That's far enough, Sombra!"

The storm paused. The head of the king formed out of it. His expression was one of contempt and mockery.

"What is this?" He laughed openly. "Is this all that stands in my way now?"

"I-It's enough…" He gulped, but stood his ground. "I won't let you go any further! This isn't your Empire anymore?"

"Oh, really?" The shadows coiled and he stepped out of them, fully armoured and ready. "Is that what you think?"

Dusk gulped again. He nodded.

The king chuckled deep in his throat. "And how do you intend to stop me?"

Dusk racked his brains. While Luna had trained him well, there was no way his magical skill could compete with Sombra. He'd already managed to fend off and cripple Shining Armour, he could very much do the same to him. He wasn't open to negotiation or compromise. He wanted his kingdom back, nothing more or less. He was a king from the ancient times, his pride and his malevolence would never allow him to let go.

His pride as a king… based on ancient standards… perhaps…

Dusk looked up at him and his boldest, bravest voice declared, "I challenge you!"

"You would seek to do battle with me?" He laughed even harder. "On what terms?"

"That if I am victorious, you will abandon your attempts to retake the Empire and confine yourself to the frozen wastelands for the rest of time."

"And when I win?"

Dusk hesitated. "Then… the Empire is yours. None here will oppose you. You… you have my word on that."

Sombra snorted. "What is to stop me from simply brushing you aside and taking what is rightfully mine?"

"I would have thought you would know the ancient rules of combat, Sombra," he retorted. "Once a challenge has been issued, it cannot be withdrawn and has to be taken up by either the one it's issued to or any of their supporters. As it stands, you appear to be lacking in the latter on those two options."

"And you really think you can defeat me?" he taunted. "What challenge could one such as you offer me? I could crush you with barely a thought."

"Then this should present little challenge for you," countered Dusk. "Unless of course you're not as confident in your abilities as you claim to be?"

He growled. "Guard your tongue if you wish to keep it, peasant."

"You accept my challenge then?" asked Dusk.

The king bared in his teeth in a snarl, which became a grin, the growling deforming into laughter. His horn glowed and two chunks of black crystal rose before them. Embedded in each one was the hilt of a sword made of the same material.

While Dusk regarded his blade with some caution and apprehensiveness, Sombra drew his own and held it before him.

"Very well then. I accept." His fangs glinted like his blade, his grin widening. "This might be entertaining."

Hearts Restored

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Ray hadn't exactly stayed at the window, staring dumbstruck at the scene that was unfolding before him. There wasn't that much that could shock him, he liked to think, but the stunt Dusk had just pulled had him staring for at least a few seconds. Then, he'd regained his senses and bolted out of the room to the stairs as fast as he could.

Then, he remembered his abilities and teleported the rest of the way, appearing back on the same floor as the balcony. He galloped out to it, practically barging past some of the other ponies that were already gathered there.

"Well, that was just rude!" huffed Rarity. "Honestly, that's just the kind of behaviour I'd expect from a ruffian like you."

"Rarity, I really don't have time for this right now!" he replied. "Man, and I thought Rainbow pulled some crazy stunts. What in the hay does he think he's doing?!"

"Wasn't he with you?" asked Applejack. "Didn't y'all try an' stop him?"

"He didn't exactly give me much warning. He just bailed out the window before I could stop him. If I'd known what he was going to do…" He shook his head and turned to them. "What about you? What are you all doing back here?"

"Well, we needed somewhere to hide from the Crystal Ponies after they discovered the Heart we had was a fake," explained Rarity. "We tried to keep them distracted, but Cadence's spell is on its last legs now. We couldn't exactly keep their attention when Sombra began to get back inside."

"Yeah, we were just about ta start the joustin' too," put in Applejack. "Rainbow ain't happy we didn't get 'round ta it, but we got bigger issues right now."

"I'm glad you're safe though," put in Fluttershy softly.

"You too, Flutters. What about Twilight?" asked Ray. "Any word from her about finding the Heart?"

Shining shook his head. "I've been doing what I can for Cadence, but she really can't hold on much longer. For all our sakes, I hope Twily's on the right track."

Ray could see where his worries were stemming from. The magic in Cadence's horn was a mere flicker now, matching the state of her barrier. The alicorn herself looked just about ready to pass out, just barely keeping her eyes open and being supported by her husband.

"What about you and Dusk?" Shining brought up. "Did you find anything in your search?"

"We found something, not sure how much help it'll be, but then we noticed the state of things out here. While we were at the window, Dusk just said he knew what to do and told me not to follow him. Then he just jumped." He shook his head again. "Honestly, I didn't see that one coming. I don't know what he's thinking though…"

"You didn't hear then, did you?" Rarity nodded down to the sight below. "He's challenged Sombra to a duel. He must be trying to buy Twilight more time to find the Heart."

Ray looked. Dusk appeared to have finished talking with Sombra and the king had forged two swords from the crystal he created for them to use. They held the blades in front of their faces and bowed to one another, then settled into stances of readiness. Well, Dusk did, Sombra just looked like he was waiting for a bus with how casually he stood.

"Then he's not doing this alone. Hold on, Dusk, I'm coming!" He was about jump down and teleport when he was stopped.

"No! You can't help him!" Shining looked quite clear on that. "It's a one-on-one duel, as according to the ancient rites of combat. If invalidate that, if you try to step in and help him, Sombra automatically wins and then we have nothing to stop him."

"So, what? We're just going to sit here, twiddling our hooves and let him fight that monster on his own?" Ray demanded.

The captain wasn't alone in this. "Sugarcube, we don't like this anymore'n you do. Ah'd be right there with ya if ah could, but Shinin's right. This is somethin' Dusk has ta do by himself. Least it can do is get us some more time ta sort this mess out."

"Yeah…" Ray turned his gaze down to the two unicorns. "But what's it gonna cost us?"

Nopony answered him. They all just watched as the duel began.

Dusk returned his focus to Sombra. He had heard Ray's declaration of coming in to help and had seen the king smirk on hearing it too. He knew what it meant if anypony else tried to step in alongside him. But it appeared as if Ray had been dissuaded. Dusk was to be left on his own to duel Sombra.

Not that that made him feel much better. While he had experience in battle, he'd never used a weapon like a sword before. Unicorns could use them because of their magic, but he'd never been trained with one. He'd read about sword fights in stories, but what good was that going to do him here? Sombra no doubt had the training since he'd selected how they duel. Just how long was this going to last?

He did his best to suppress those fears and levitated the blade before him, swinging it experimentally and mentally answering his own question. For as long as he could manage.

"So, you've left your friends to face me alone." Sombra smirked. "How very selfish."

Dusk couldn't help but frown. "I… I don't understand. How is this selfish?"

"Because…" Sombra raised his blade and bared his teeth in a grin. "Suicide is the coward's way out."

Dusk felt his blood run cold. As much as he tried to suppress his fear, he couldn't stop his mind imagining that blade piercing his flesh. He'd never been stabbed before… how much would it hurt?

"Since I am feeling… generous, I shall let you have the first strike." He continued to stand casually. "Give me your best. I shall not strike back, you have my word."

"H-How do I know you'll keep it?"

"Because if I really wanted to just kill you, I would have responded to your challenge by tossing you aside like a cyclone would a house," he replied. "That must say something about my honour, mustn't it?"

He gulped again. He raised his sword. It was difficult to judge where to strike at Sombra. His armour obviously protected his chest and his legs. While his sword hung almost lazily in the air, he didn't expect him not to use it. He would block his blows, but how good was he?

His thoughts were interrupted by Sombra laughing. "Come now, Dusk. I assure you, this isn't a permanent offer. If you keep me waiting long enough, I shall withdraw it and return to my business. I have an Empire to rule."

Dusk snapped at that. As fast as he could, he brought his blade to slice down at Sombra's head. The king swiftly blocked it with the edge of his own, barely moving a muscle while he pushed back Dusk's attack. Recovering, Dusk tried again, this time to push against his sword through his defence. Sombra held it easily and forced him back again.

He was almost knocked to the ground from that. For Dusk, this was testing what his opponent was capable of. For Sombra… he could see the smirk that played on his lips.

Dusk stepped a little closer. Sombra withdrew, but not out of fear. Just to provide more space. Dusk repeated the action, trying to make it look like an attack and make him react. Sombra just stepped back again. On the third time, Dusk delivered a strike, going high but quickly feinting to a lower blow at his legs.

Sombra reacted fast, not even moving his blade to block his feint and parrying his low blow. Dusk desperately swung his sword, trying to land a hit anywhere on his opponent. Sombra blocked every single one of them without moving so much as an inch.

"This is really quite dull," remarked Sombra. "My turn."

Sombra's blade flashed as he too began an offensive. Even Dusk was hard pressed to keep an eye on the sword's path and raise his own to defend himself. A few times, he felt it whistle close to his skin as he only just managed to dodge the blow. High, low, to his side, to his head so he needed to duck and then jump when he tried to hit his legs.

Despite this, Dusk still didn't think the king was putting his all into the fight. Sombra appeared to read his mind.

"Don't worry, I don't think this will last long and it has been a while since I have been challenged." Dusk had to step to the side when he tried to thrust the sword through his chest. "I might as well enjoy it while I can. Let's hope you can keep me amused before I grow bored of you."

Dusk didn't reply. He kept trying to defend against his blows and tried to hit him when he could. He started to think Sombra would sometimes intentionally drop his defence and let Dusk try to hit him. It didn't matter. He just had to keep him busy, keep his attention focused on this fight and not on the Empire.

One attempted strike ended with Sombra locking his blade in place, twisting and jerking it out of his aura, sending Dusk's sword clattering to the ground. He only just managed to dive aside to avoid the next swing and levitated the sword back, rounding to block another attack. His sword was shaking, so he quickly pulled back.

"Not bad, for an amateur," commented Sombra. He continued to advance, occasionally swinging at him. "You've seen combat before, I can tell. Your stance is adequate, yet your form is sloppy. You've fought, but never with a blade. A shame, really. If you had, you might actually be a challenge."

Another sudden strike broke Dusk's magic and once again sent his sword to the ground. Sombra was already preparing another attack.

"But I doubt it," he finished. "I shall make your death quick. I admire your courage, if not your foresight."

The tip sped towards his heart. Dusk didn't want to have to do this, for he didn't want to prompt Sombra to respond in kind, but he had no choice.

Reacting instinctively, he shone a light flare at him. Sombra yelled and his sword missed when Dusk rolled to the side, getting his sword and his hat, which had come off as a result. He straightened the latter and raised the former, just as Sombra recovered.

He was still smiling. "So, you know a few tricks then. So do I. Here, let me show you…"

The ground rumbled beneath him, suddenly turning a lot darker. Acting again on instinct, Dusk's hooves flashed pink and he bounded into the air. A pointed shard of black crystal sprang up from the ground he had been standing on seconds before.

He landed on a colour cloud, jumped off it and intended to slice down at Sombra. The king saw the attack coming, blocked it and spun, kicking Dusk hard in the chest and shooting him back into the sky. Rising on a crystal, he took after him.

Dusk had to take a few seconds to recover. That kick had knocked the wind out of him. He saw Sombra, leering at him while he rose towards him. He created another colour cloud, but had to jump to a different one when Sombra tried to impale him again. A distant rumbling warned him of a similar attack.

Taking advantage of an opening, Dusk started a bombardment of colour pellets. They had the effect of distracting Sombra so he couldn't finish his next attack. He tried blocking with his sword and leg, but most of them got through. He growled in annoyance from the attack, since it obviously wasn't doing much to hurt him.

A larger chunk of crystal appeared before Dusk, obscuring Sombra from his view and blocking anymore pellets. Dusk directed his cloud to fly around, but was met with Sombra's iron-clad hoof hitting him square in the jaw and knocking him off his magical platform.

His mouth numb from the pain, Dusk managed to recover and bounded off another crystal with pink hooves. He applied a quick healing spell to his jaw as Sombra floated down to meet him. He was no longer smiling.

"This dog knows more than a few tricks then." He raised his blade. "But now, it's time to put you to sleep."

He darted forward. Instead of running, Dusk ran to meet his charge and locked blades with him. His fiery pits burned into Dusk's emerald depths. He didn't flinch. He didn't look away.

"You should know, Sombra…" Dusk could see a faint glow of orange in the corner of his vision. "Never corner an animal. They can still bite."

Sombra glared, but reeled back from the punch that Dusk hit him with. Before he could recover, he landed another punch, then swung his blade around. Sombra reeled so much that it only scraped him across the face. It was enough to leave a mark but instead of blood, slivers of shadow trickled from it.

The king pressed a hoof to his cheek, momentarily stunned. He pulled the hoof away, looked down at it, then up at Dusk. His teeth bared, but it wasn't in a grin. With a loud roar, he jumped back into the fray and their blades clashed.

They continued to duel inside a ring of crystal, their blades dancing and singing together like a symphony. Dusk wasn't as skilled with a sword as his opponent, but he managed to find ways to improvise in the duel, almost providing a match for Sombra.

The king swung at his head. Dusk ducked and fired a few pellets at his chin. Sombra growled and slashed down. Dusk rolled to the side and kicked him under his legs, dehoofing him. He stood to stab down, but Sombra blocked it and leaped back to his hooves, pushing forward at the same time and jabbing quickly three times. Dusk blocked two and sidestepped the third, countering with a feint then a slash that managed to scratch his armour.

"You learn fast, young one," growled Sombra. He went for his chest. "I am almost impressed."

"Thank you." Dusk felt it whistle past and forced it to the ground with his sword. "I'd say you have years more experience than me."

"Without doubt," he replied, forcing aside his lock. "Still, I haven't fought anypony this skilled for a long time."

Dusk lunged. "High praise, I'm sure."

"It isn't." Sparks flew when their blades met again. "I just haven't fought anypony for a long time. I've been stuck as shadow for the past thousand years, so I'm a little out of practice. I'm grateful for the exercise."

"Happy to help." Dusk jumped over his next swing and landed behind him. "I'm grateful to you too for providing me with a new experience."

"Then, allow me to give you another." Sombra blocked his strike and spun to face him, swinging at the same time. "Let us see how well death becomes you."

Dusk bounded backwards and stood in a defensive stance. "Not today."

"Perhaps a chance to show you what I've learned from you then?" He created a swarm of small, black crystals. "I am a firm believer of teaching being a two way exercise."

The sharpened tips glinted and they shot towards him. Dusk countered by capturing them in his aura, turning it purple for the added strength. He unconsciously gripped his necklace half and stopped their advance. Some, he let drop to the ground. Others, he sent right back at their master.

"I can see why," Dusk called, Sombra creating a wall of shadow to dissipate them.

Sombra didn't look amused. "Learn from this then!"

His solid form vanished and became shadow once more. Within seconds, the entire area was shrouded in his darkness. Dusk was blinded, he couldn't see. Even the glow of his magic barely penetrated the suffocating shadow. But he didn't allow himself to panic. First, he surrounded himself with a yellow shield, just in time to block the blade that clanged off it.

Now, to act before Sombra could strike again. Dusk sent out seven orbs of light into the dark and allowed them to flare all at once. It not only dispelled some of the darkness, but he also heard a cry from somewhere to his right. He sent out one more in that direction and darted forward at the same time as it flared.

The spell of darkness lifted as Sombra lost his concentration and while he managed to deflect Dusk's sword, he didn't have time to block his punch. He fell backwards and smacked against one of his own crystals.

His expression was livid. "Impossible! How did you do that?!"

"Because I already learned," answered Dusk. "You're not the first one to use that trick on me and she did a much better job of it than you."

"She?" His expression faltered. "But… the only one who… no, no it can't be…"

"I had to learn my tricks from somepony, just the same way you learned yours," Dusk continued, letting his voice soften. "Do you really think this is how she'd want you to use it? Do you think this is the reason she taught you it? Think, Sombra. Would Luna-?"

"NO! DO NOT MENTION THAT NAME TO ME!" he screeched. "I am done with this game! Die now, Dusk Noir!"

His body dissolved away, but his crystals didn't. They actually increased, wicked spikes of them shooting up from the ground and working their way inwards towards Dusk. Responding in kind to the king, he too became formless, a spike of crystal passing harmlessly through him and flew after Sombra.

The instant he made contact, their essences merged and tumbled together in a continued battle. A plume of pure darkness against one that worked in harmony with light. Now and again, parts of their bodies would appear from parts of their twisted forms. A hoof, a leg, a head, battling furiously with each other.

But Sombra had spent a millennia like this. Seconds in, Dusk was already feeling exhausted from his efforts. He was still getting used to that. He couldn't maintain it. His body became solid and was spat out of the cloud of shadow like a bitter pill.

Dusk hid the ground hard, skidding across it and smacked his head against a jutting crystal. His skull felt like it would burst. He caught a glimpse through his blurry vision of the palace being surrounded, the crystal ponies backing away. Faintly, very faintly, he could hear his friends calling out to him from the balcony, waving towards him.

A towering, immovable form blocked his vision. He stared up into Sombra's red, burning eyes. He saw something glint next to the king's head. It darted forward and Dusk screamed from something cold that bit into his shoulder.

He lifted his head to look. Sombra's blade had found its mark. Dusk's lay what seemed like a mile away, useless. He tried to reach it with his magic, but screamed again when Sombra twisted the sword inside his shoulder. Warm blood trickled down his side. He was laughing again, empty of warmth and laden with cruelty.

Just like Doom's…

"I know this hurts you." Sombra leered over him and slowly turned the blade. "Where are your tricks now? Your clever retorts? Your fawning praise? What good does it do you now?"

Dusk grunted and raised his head, trying to blink away the stinging tears. "More… than it's done you."

"We shall see." He leaned in closer. "I'm going to kill you, Dusk. There's no doubt of that. But first, I'm going to make you suffer. I'm going to ensure that, when you leave this world, you shall be screaming and begging me to end it. And I shall provide."

"I know… it's a cliché but…" Dusk looked right back at him. "Do your worst."

"As you wish." Sombra's horn glowed, magic burst from it and Dusk's vision flashed white.

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He opened his eyes. He felt strangely light, though everything around him seemed solid. His surroundings came into focus, a hiss of steam sounding somewhere near him. He whirled around and was more confused than when he initially arrived.

He was at the train station outside of Ponyville. But… he had been in the Crystal Empire with everypony else, battling Sombra. How had he gotten back here so quickly? Why was it all such a blur to him?

"Hadn't you better get on?" a stern voice asked. "You're going to miss your train."

"Twilight? Twilight!" He saw his marefriend and hurried to embrace her. "Oh, Miss Sparkle, you have no idea how happy I-"

"Get your hooves off me!" she snapped. "Don't touch me! You don't even deserve to be near me!"

"W-what?" He recoiled. "Twilight, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you know what's wrong!" She prodded him hard. "You messed up, that's what's wrong!"

"I… what? I… I don't understand…"

"Oh, I think you do," she replied harshly. "You failed in your task. You didn't find out why the Empire had returned. Worse, you didn't find out anything useful at all! No wonder Luna said you could no longer continue your studies. I'd have done the same thing."

"B-but… how can that be?" he stammered. "I… I tried my best, I did, b-but I… I just-"

"Your best wasn't enough!" she cut off. "Not only that, but because of you, we failed to save the Empire. Your stupid stunt didn't work and he got the Heart back before I could reach it. We were lucky to even get away!"

"No! No, how can that-?"

"Even worse, Celestia said I can't continue in my studies anymore either! I've got nothing now and it's all your fault!" She pushed him hard. "So, go on! Go on back to Canterlot or anywhere that's not here! You don't belong in Ponyville anymore. In fact, I don't think you ever did."

"But I… how could we…?" Hearing all of this was too much. He broke down in tears. "Twilight, p-please… I did my best… don't send me away, I-I love you…"

"Well, I fail to see how I ever did. Have faith, what a foolish concept," she sneered. "Look where that faith got us. You're lucky I'm here to see you off, the others all said it was a waste of time. They're not even here! Doesn't that tell you anything?"

"No… no, please, no…"

"Oh, stop that crying. You're pathetic, Dusk! You always were. I never loved you, I pitied you, we all did, but we're at the end of it now. You had your chance and you blew it. I hope you're proud of yourself."

Dusk couldn't even respond now. He just lay there on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, barely able to take it all in. He had lost everything. It was stupid to think he could ever be worth anything. Thinking otherwise had now cost him his friends, his home, his life… if he even had one to begin with.

What would he do now? Where would he go? How was he even supposed to live without the ponies that mattered to him the most?

"Are you just going to sit there all day? Stop crying and get on the-" Twilight's voice suddenly deepened. "What?! No! That is mine!"

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Ray saw Sombra look away from Dusk, who stood there in a daze, dark magic flowing from his eyes while he stared directly ahead. The king turned his eyes to the palace, to the very top and he saw them narrow while his fangs glinted wickedly. There could only be one reason he was looking there, with such desperate anger.

Twilight had found the Heart. His theory was confirmed just a few seconds later when Spike called to them.

"Hey, up here!" The dragon was holding something, a bright blue jewel. "I have the Crystal Heart!"

But Ray had a bigger concern. Whatever Sombra had done to Dusk, he had to find a way to stop it. Now that the shadow king was distracted trying to get the Heart back, he took a chance and teleported right next to Dusk, so that he could whisper in his ear.

"Dusk? Dusk, buddy? It's me, Ray," he hissed urgently. "Look, I don't know what it is that Sombra's doing to you, but you have to fight it! Come on, this isn't the first time some dark force has tried to get inside your head. You should be a pro at this by now! Twilight's almost there, she's almost made it. You just need to hold out a little longer. Do it for her. For us." He patted his shoulder. "Have faith, bud. We all have it for you."

"Interloper!" He whipped around to see Sombra, baring down upon him. "You shall pay for your interference!"

"And that's my cue to leave," remarked Ray. "Fight the power, Dusk!"

He teleported away just as Sombra delivered his blow and back to the balcony.

"Ray, what the hay were ya doin'?!" demanded Applejack. "Don't ya remember what Shinin' said before?"

"I don't think that Sombra has much set aside for the rules right now," he countered. "Besides, I think my work has been done."

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Dusk blinked out of his stupor. Ray had just been here and told him all that was happening wasn't real. He had seen him faintly, but heard his voice very clearly. He had to go soon afterward, sounding urgent, but he had gotten the message.

All he was seeing here wasn't real. It was all a product of Sombra's magic. He cursed himself for not recognising such an influence before, but it had seemed so real… so vivid…

Now, the illusion was failing. Twilight flickered between her appearance and Sombra's, who looked livid. He was beginning to fade away too. Was he leaving his mind too? Was he going to try and get the Crystal Heart?

Ray said he needed to hold him off for just a little longer. That was what he intended to do. Doing the first thing that came to his mind, he galloped at Sombra and grabbed hold of him.

"What?! What are you doing?!" he demanded. "Get your hooves off of me!"

"Once again, Sombra… trying to fight me in a way one before you did much better at," he remarked. "You should have known not to come into my head."

"Get off me!"

"But since you've had the privilege of seeing in mine…" Dusk's horn glowed. "Time to return the favour!"

He pressed his horn against Sombra's, mimicking the spell that Twilight had used on him when he had been corrupted. Sombra's cries were drowned out while Dusk travelled along a river of shadow, riding it to his destination.

It only got darker the further he travelled.

Sombra was about to turn away, when Dusk's eyes flashed open. Shadow and light whirled around inside them and the glow of his horn intensified, keeping Sombra in place with the bride of magic between their horns. Sombra resisted only for a moment before he too was frozen in place, eyes staring straight ahead.

That was one problem out of the way. Now, just for-

"Spikey wikey!" Rarity screamed.

Ray whipped his head up. Spike was falling, still holding the Crystal Heart. Sombra's shadows were rising to meet him, the king himself still stuck with Dusk in whatever they were doing. Even with that distraction, Sombra was still in power.

They almost had the Heart. He might be able to teleport and grab it before Sombra could. He was just about to, when he glanced behind him and blinked.

"Shining… what are you doing with Cadence?"

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Crystal. Crystal everywhere. The same black, corrupting substance that was now spreading across the Empire was all that contaminated Sombra's mind. It was like a forest, shrouded in a blanket of shadows through which no light could pierce.

Dusk tried and could hardly see two feet in front of him. He glimpsed something in the dark. A flash of grey, barely visible. Slowly, careful not to injure himself on the crystal shards, he made his way towards it.

What he found was a pony, trapped by a wall of crystal. But it wasn't what he found that shocked him… but who.

"I knew you would come."

There were some similarities. Same build, face, mane and fur colour. But this stallion didn't have the same curved, red and black horn, just a normal one. His cutie mark was a trio of red crystals rather than grey. He lacked the armour, the robe, the helm of the one who had been threatening them since they arrived.

That wasn't all. This stallion have any of the same superiority or malevolence the other had. He looked like somepony who had lost everything and who wanted nothing more than to have just have something back. Yet the guilt that lingered in his eyes told Dusk that he didn't feel he deserved any of it back. He deserved what he got.

With this in mind, he was almost hesitant to ask.

"King Sombra?"

He barely stirred. "Half right. I am Sombra, but I do not deserve that title. And you… you are Dusk Noir."

"How do you know that?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Though the King has imprisoned me down here, that doesn't mean I am ignorant of all that happens," he replied in a dead voice. "I see all he sees…"

"And you feel like you do all that he does, no matter how much you might not want to," finished Dusk. "Trust me, I know…"

Sombra nodded. "I knew he sensed it within you. The same darkness that flows through my body once did the same with yours. Yet there is a difference."

"What do you mean?"

"You were Dusk. Your darkness made you take the name Doom. I am Sombra… yet he is too." He lifted his head. "What does that say to you of me?"

He sounded so hopeless, so lost. Regardless of what he thought of himself, Dusk couldn't leave him here, trapped by his own mind.

"If that's the case then, why are you down here and he's up there?" he asked.

"He's only interested in strength. I'm the part he doesn't need," he replied. "Sympathy, compassion, pity… none of these are needed for one who rules."

"I don't think you really believe that, otherwise you wouldn't still be here," countered Dusk. "Kindness and compassion don't make you weak, Sombra. Sometimes, it takes strength just to stay kind."

"Then I am weak!" he snapped. "I let my cruelty, my anger, my ambition take over in his form! I deserve to rot here, for letting him loose upon my Empire. My only hope is that when the Crystal Heart is found and used… I'll be destroyed along with him."

"You can't give up now!" insisted Dusk. "If you were going to give up, why did you have me find your journal? Why did you tell me where to find it?"

"Because then I might be able to do one good thing before I am gone," he said in a hollow voice. "I might do some good, if only a little. I suppose I should tell you all that I can now, before-"

"No, you can tell me after we get out of here!" He set about trying to destroy the crystal imprisoning him. "Come on, Sombra! I need your help!"

"What's the use? Even if we did succeed, what would I return to? An Empire that I subjugated? Subjects that fear me? History that hates me…" He hung his head. "There is nothing left for me…"

"I don't think that's what Luna would want to hear." Dusk saw him flinch. "He was right, you know. She was the one who taught me, just like she taught you."

"And see now how I have twisted her teachings, betrayed her love," he growled. "She would be glad to see me rid from this world. She deserves better…"

"That's not what she thinks." Dusk kept talking, even though Sombra was no longer looking at him. "Do you know what happened, after she sealed you away with Celestia? I had to check the date for this in your history books, but on the last recorded page of history, the date it happened… just a day after, she went down the same road as you. Darkness corrupted her too and she tried to reign eternal night across Equestria as Nightmare Moon."

"W-what?" He looked genuinely surprised at this. "Why…?"

"A few reasons. Jealousy for her sister, the Entity that poisoned her like it did with you and I, but I think what pushed it was that she lost you. You understood her in a way that nopony else did, not even her own sister. In your own words, you two were the same. She hated what she had to do to you, just as much as when Celestia had to imprison her in the moon for what she did."

"What?" Sombra shot to his hooves. "That witch! I'll-!"

"But she's back now," continued Dusk. "She's back and the darkness that corrupted her has been purged. How do you think she sent me here to find out how the Empire returned? How you returned."

Sombra appeared to be lost for words. Dusk pressed this advantage.

"She never forgot you, Sombra. She never found anypony else, how could she? She could barely say your name without bursting into tears and now you're back, she can barely believe it. She doesn't want to lose you again. She wants to believe there's hope for you that you can come back, just like she did… just like I did." Emerald eyes were locked with ruby. "I know it's not going to be easy, Sombra. But you can give her that hope. If you're willing."

Dusk thought he saw something begin to shimmer in his eyes. A spark that was steadily becoming a flame. He didn't lie back down behind the crystal like before, he didn't cower. He began to stand straighter, that fire burning ever brighter…

"There you are!"

Dusk leaped aside just in time to avoid a shard that almost hit him. He stood ready to see what could only be the Sombra. This one had the horn, the eyes, the armour… the evil.

"My, my, haven't you come far for one so small." The crystals around Dusk began to creep towards him. "Now, you shall stay here. Your body will be an empty vessel while your mind is trapped inside mine!"

Dusk backed away, but felt a sharpness prod his back. The dark shards were already beginning to entomb him. He was going to be trapped in here, just like part of Sombra's mind. Just like Doom had done…

"I think not!" A huge collection of red crystal burst forth and struck aside the King. "You shall not harm him, nor anypony else again!"

"What?! NO!" The King stood defiantly as Sombra approached. "You were beaten! You gave into me! I am stronger than you could ever be!"

"Not anymore! I have dwelled in darkness too long!" Sombra declared. "Come, Dusk! Your light and my crystal, together!"

Dusk didn't need to question what he meant. Calling upon his magic, he blasted a beam of light at the crystals that Sombra created. It travelled up the facets, ruby-red light spilling in every direction. The King recoiled and roared as the light hit him, his crystal dissolving away.

Dusk stood by Sombra's side, keeping up the spell as the two were engulfed by a white void.

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Dusk had a sharp intake of breath. Partly from the sensation of returning to his body, but also from the wound that was in his shoulder. The blade was still stuck in it and he wasn't looking forward to trying to pull it out.

He looked around. There was still shadow and black crystal everywhere, but there was a new light shining underneath the tower. What had happened? Had it worked? Was Sombra free?

"Allow me," a now familiar voice offered. "This will hurt, but the wound could have been worse."

"SombrAGGGGGH!" Dusk screwed up his eyes and held back the tears, but managed to smile gratefully. "Thank you…"

"It is the very least I can do." He stood there, his helm and robe discarded. "Although, we still have a slight problem."

He gestured to a towering mass of darkness. The curved horn and the glowing eyes of King Sombra emerged from the top, looking livid.

"How… how do we-?" Dusk hissed from his injury and gave up trying to stand.

"That will no longer be a problem. Behold, Dusk, the power of the Crystal Heart!"

Now, he saw what that light was. A glimmering heart made of the brightest crystal was shining brightly between two points under the palace. The crystal ponies were all bowing to it, their coats now matching their names and their home. The streets below them flowed with the same blue magic the Heart generated.

King Sombra was panicking, demanding that they stop, but they paid him no mind. The magic continued to spread throughout the entire Empire, the streets lighting up in the shape of a snowflake. The energy returned back the Heart and it began spinning, faster and faster until it was a blur.

The magic burst forth as a sphere of energy, growing ever brighter. It passed over Dusk and Sombra and he looked in amazement to see their coats also become crystal. Even his hat took on a more crystalline appearance and he could have sworn the glow in his necklace half was stronger than it had ever been. Even his wound was healed by the wave. The magic was destroying all of the corrupting crystal, wiping the streets clean of dark influence.

When it hit King Sombra, the effect was immediate. The shadow pony gave one last scream of defiance before his body was taken apart, destroyed by a light no shadow could ever darken. The entire palace now started to shine like a star and the magic gathered towards the top. It spread out as ribbons of light, dissipating all of the remaining shadow and letting clear blue skies take their place. The ribbons continued to travel away from the Empire, across all corners of the land. He doubted there would be anywhere in a hundred miles that wouldn't see them.

Dusk looked at Sombra, who gave him a grim sort of smile. They had done it. The Crystal Empire had been saved.

Revelation

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Sombra received more than his fair share of wary and fearful looks as he and Dusk made their way to the palace. The Crystal Ponies were all cheering at the end of their trials, but the moment they saw their old king, they all went quiet and kept their eyes on him until they passed. Like a wolf in the midst of sheep.

Sombra didn't pretend not to notice the looks they gave him. He closed his eyes and hung his head in shame. He didn't so much walk as more drag himself along, the pride and arrogance he once had completely gone. Though his darker side was now gone, Dusk wasn't really sure how much good it had done him.

In his eyes, it was better to live in regret of sin than to live in pride. But he couldn't honestly say it was any easier.

By the time he reached the balcony, Dusk wasn't sure how the others would react, so he told Sombra to wait while he prepared them. Regardless, he was greeted by a very warm reception.

"Big brother!" Fluttershy barrelled into him with a hug. "Thank goodness you're safe!"

"You too, little sister." Dusk hissed a little from her grip. "Careful… shoulder's still a little tender."

"Oh, sorry." She pulled back. "W-when he s-stabbed you I… I…"

"We all did, Fluttershy," said Pinkie gently, but still with a bright smile. "Still, you're okay now, right Dusk?"

"Indeed. The injury is still a little sore, but I'm sure it'll pass," he replied.

"See, no problem." She hugged him too, careful of the wound. "When we get back home, I'll make you a special cupcake for what you did."

"Pinkie, I don't think that's necessary."

"Yeah, you're right. A cupcake's too small. You deserve a whole not-cupcake for that."

"Pinkie-"

"Dusk, come on, you got stabbed. I mean, actually stabbed." There was a hint of admiration in Rainbow's voice. "That's pretty hardcore. You deserve something for it."

He sighed, but smiled. "If you insist then. I suppose it would help, considering…"

"Then that's settled! A special cake, just for you. Ooh, ooh and Spike too, since he saved the day. And Twilight, since she found the Heart!"

"Hey, don't I get anything?" asked Ray. "You know, since it was obviously me that gave Dusk the strength to fight back. Again."

"Ya can have a slice sugarcube, ah'm sure," assured Applejack.

"Quite frankly, I think the biggest achievement you've had is that your mane is the neatest I've ever seen it since the Heart's magic was cast," put in Rarity.

"I know!" He ran a hoof over it. "It's weird. Hope it isn't permanent."

"How can you say that?" Rarity looked herself over. "I look magnificent! I hope it never ends!"

"You all did great work," praised Shining. "None of this could have been done without any of you."

"You helped too," reminded Cadence. "I wouldn't have even been able to get the Heart if it hadn't been for your quick thinking."

"Yeah, but I'm not the one who got the praise for it, Crystal Princess," he returned, nuzzling her neck.

Cadence giggled. "And they should know that I'd be nothing without my Crystal Prince."

"I'll always be the wind beneath your wings, dearest."

"Aw, come here you…" Their lips met in a passionate kiss.

"Okay, seriously, do they have to put Crystal before everything?" repeated Ray. "If you guys do end up running this joint, put up some kind of naming committee or something. Some variation would be nice."

"We'll consider it," chuckled Shining. "But again, great effort from all of you. You should all be proud of what you did here."

"Thank you, Shining." Dusk inclined his head. "Probably wasn't a completely wise decision though."

"Oh, you can say that again!" came the voice of his marefriend, her expression livid. A few of them moved to intercept. "Out of my way, let me through! I'm gonna kill him!"

They quickly hurried out of her path. She halted before him and Dusk winced, ready for what she would punish him with. She glared at him for a while, seething under her breath.

"There are times... I think I know you," she hissed. "Then, you go off, pull stunts like that and I wonder why I even bother."

"Um... I don't suppose saying I'm sorry might help?" he tried.

"You... you...!" He winced once more, but ended up being surprised when she hugged him. Very tightly. "Once again, I'm torn between wondering if that was the bravest thing you've ever done or the most foolish."

"Another talent of mine it seems…" Dusk trailed off when he saw Twilight's crystal coat. "My goodness, Miss Sparkle… you look incredible."

"Flattery isn't going to save you this time!" She paused, blushing. "Really?"

"Really," he said sincerely. "Although, you look beautiful with or without a crystal coat, my love."

"Dusk..." She blushed, came closer and flicked his nose. "That's for trying to take on Sombra on your own!" She pulled him in for a kiss. "That's for coming back safely."

Dusk took a moment to recover from the sensation of the kiss and how funny his nose felt.

"Thank you." He rubbed his nose. "Although, was the nose flick necessary?"

"Think of it as a reminder," she said. "Every time you think about doing something stupid, you just call that to mind."

"Duly noted... On the subject of the former king, there's somepony here that I think you should see." He looked behind him. "You can come out now."

For a few seconds, nothing actually happened. Then, slowly, Sombra emerged from the shadows, though not completely. A few of the girls cried out in surprise and fear. Shining, Applejack and Rainbow looked ready for a fight. Twilight stood defensively at his side, but Ray looked rather calm. Like he expected this.

"What is this?" Shining demanded. "I thought the Crystal Heart destroyed him!"

"Only part of him," replied Dusk. "But as with Nightmare Moon and Doom before him, he's free now of his dark influence. He's not our enemy anymore."

"He speaks the truth," Sombra said. "I do not expect you to trust my word, but I promise that I mean none of you any harm."

None of them moved. Gradually, very gradually, they relaxed. They continued to watch Sombra warily. The former king didn't keep eye contact with any of them and remained distant.

"If you say so, Dusk," murmured Twilight. "But how did you know he was the same as you and Luna?"

"A combination of research, encouragement and a little bit of faith," he replied, glancing at Ray. "I suppose I needed to realise there's more than one solution to a problem and there's more than one way to go about solving it."

"A valuable lesson indeed," agreed Sombra. "Though I think that, for now, my problem only has one solution." He turned to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Dusk. "Nopony said you had to leave."

"They don't need to," replied Sombra. He barely glanced back. "The reactions of your friends and those of my former subjects only show me that this world is not yet ready to accept me. I no longer deserve to be king and it is clear there's one here who is more than an adequate replacement. Therefore, the only course available to me is to leave."

"Where will you go?" asked Ray.

"Into the wastes," he answered. "I shall remain in the mountains, far from the Empire and anypony else I might do harm to."

"You don't have to leave, Sombra," Cadence said gently. "You could stay here. If the Crystal Ponies see me as their princess, I could grant you asylum."

He looked surprised at her offer. "Even after I threatened you, you would still have me here?"

"It's only right," she said simply. "Regardless of what you've done, I can't just let you go out there alone."

"I… I appreciate your offer, but… I cannot accept," he said heavily. "You are this Empire's new ruler now. I doubt you would be able to keep things civil among your subjects when they know the tyrant that terrorized them remains in their midst. I'm sure your husband would agree."

Shining nodded grimly. "I don't think they would be very receptive knowing that, as harsh as that sounds."

"Shining, we can't just-"

"Fear not, I understand completely. This is my choice and I feel I must act upon it."

"You could always come back with us," offered Twilight. "Once we explain the situation to the princesses, maybe they could find some way to accommodate you."

Once again, Sombra was stunned. "You… you as well? You would do this…?"

"Yeah, don't think we wouldn't be keeping an eye on you, Sombra," warned Rainbow. "But yeah, I figure we could work something out."

"They keep me around, knowing what I've got inside me," put in Ray. "I know you don't exactly have a demon inside your head, but it's kind of the same thing."

"And I already told you that Luna and I managed to find redemption after what happened for us," finished Dusk. "Like I told you, there's a chance for you too, Sombra."

The unicorn king was almost moved to tears. Dusk thought he was going to accept their offer. But he didn't.

"Your kindness is… remarkable and what you've told me does give me much needed hope, but…" He shook his head. "I cannot."

"But why?" persisted Dusk.

"There are still some… tender memories, even outside of the Empire. I cannot, in good conscience, remain in the Empire nor anywhere else. Not after what I have done…" He looked out to the wastes. "Perhaps, in time, I will return. That is the hope you've given me. For now, this exile will serve as my penance. It is no less than what I deserve."

"What about Luna?" asked Dusk. "Don't you want to see her again?"

"More than anything. But when I do, I want to feel that I am worthy to stand in her presence again," he said sadly. "Right now… I don't think I could stand it."

It was Applejack who asked. "An' that's yer final decision?"

"It is, good farmer," he answered.

Dusk didn't want to just let him give up like that. But it was clear that they weren't going to change his mind. After all, he understood what Sombra was going through right now. He had to come to terms with this in his own way.

"If that's what you want, Sombra, we won't try and stop you. But on the day you do decide to return, my door will be open to you," he promised.

A single tear trickled down his cheek. "It seems I can never hope to repay the debt of gratitude I owe to you, Dusk. But I think I can start with one thing I can do for you."

"What do you mean?"

"You came here seeking answers, to complete a task, correct?" he surmised. "I cannot pretend to know all of what you need to, but I can tell you as much as I can. It's the very least I can do."

In the midst of all that had happened, Dusk had almost completely forgotten the original purpose he'd come here for.

"I appreciate it, Sombra," he said sincerely. "You know the task I'm here for. Please, tell me all that you can."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna waited anxiously, her eyes fixed on the door to her private chambers while her hoof twitched. She had just received word that Cadence and Shining had returned from the Empire with the Elements, Ray and Spike. She had mentioned giving the Empire to their niece to rule over, given events that had happened over there, but that was something they would discuss in more detail later.

Right now, she was waiting for Dusk to arrive. Not just to see if he had completed his task and learned anything though. She remembered how hurt he had looked from the way she had acted towards him on arriving. She was going through a difficult time, but that didn't excuse the way she had treated him.

Though a small part of her did hope that he would bring some welcome news.

She almost jumped with anticipation when she heard him knock. She took a moment to collect herself, but even then she was faintly shaking.

"Enter," she commanded. Even her voice was quivering a little.

Her student stepped inside. His disposition was rather nervous too. He sunk into a low bow as soon as he entered.

"Princess, I-I bring you news," he stammered. "I have completed the task that your highness sent me to do and-"

"I'm sorry," she blurted.

He paused. He looked up. "I… beg your pardon?"

"I… I said I'm sorry." She sighed. "I know that I was short with you when I sent you to the Empire, Dusk. I would not have been, it is simply that… well, I was reminded of some rather tender memories, shall we say. Regardless, this does not excuse my behaviour and I apologise for how I treated you. It was wrong of me, as your teacher… and your friend."

He looked momentarily surprised, but became much more relaxed in the wake of her apology.

"Apology accepted, Luna and you don't have to worry," he added. "I understand what you were going through."

She laughed bitterly. "Forgive me for saying so, Dusk, but I don't really think you that you do."

"I do though." He considered for a moment. "I know about Sombra."

Luna froze. "B-but… how could you…?"

"I did a lot of research into finding the answer to the task you assigned me," he answered. "It was one of the things that came up."

"Oh… I see…" She wasn't exactly sure what to say now.

"Like I said, don't worry about it," assured Dusk. "It was a difficult time in your life, but I don't blame you for how you reacted when it came back like this. I can see why you loved him. You two really are much alike, even in your eventual fates."

She nodded absently. "Indeed… falling to darkness, becoming feared by our subjects, being imprisoned…"

"Then being released and being freed from that darkness for another chance," he finished, smiling.

It took a moment for those words to sink in. When they did… Luna smiled. She smiled for the first time since this affair began.

"You mean this? Truly?" she dared to ask.

"I do." His smile grew along with hers. "I freed him, Luna. Just like you and I were."

Now, she laughed. She could barely contain the happiness that spread throughout her entire body. Caught up in it, she ran to her friend and embraced him.

"Dusk, you absolute wonder! I had my hopes that he might have returned and that he might be saved but…" She trailed off in another fit of laughter and planted a kiss on his forehead. "You did it, you actually did it!"

"It was my pleasure," he said, with a slight blush. "But I have to tell you something…"

"Oh, your report can wait, Dusk. I must greet him at once!" she announced. "I assume he returned with you and the others. You must have him waiting somewhere so that you might surprise me. The thought is appreciated it, truly."

"Luna…"

"Go to him. Tell him I shall receive him momentarily, I must make myself a little more presentable." She rushed over to her mirror. "Hm, I don't really have the time for a wash, but I think I look fine. Perhaps I should wear something. It has been a while since I've had cause to. Should it be grand, moderate or am I fine as I am?"

"Princess, please."

"Hm?" She caught his firm tone. "Oh, my apologies, Dusk. I'm just a little caught up, that is all. It's been so long since I've seen him. But speak, say what you need to."

He looked uneasy again. A creeping suspicion began to work its way into her mind, souring her ecstatic thoughts, but she tried to pay it no mind. Until Dusk confirmed it with his next words.

"He didn't come back, Luna."

He explained Sombra's personal views and how he had exiled himself. Luna felt her mood drop like a stone into a lake, sinking into the murky depths. She felt disappointed with his choice, angry at Sombra, upset because she had to wait even longer before she could see him again. If she would ever see him again.

But overall, she was still relieved. He was back now. There was still a chance that she would see him again. That managed to keep the smile on her face, along with what Dusk told her next.

"But he does have a message for you, if you'd like to hear it."

She nodded. "You may proceed."

"Who said that I would be telling you?"

Dusk's horn glowed and his magic began to take shape in the air before her. The shape was crude at first, but details soon worked their way in. After only a few seconds, were it not for the faint twinkle of magical energy, Luna would have been convinced that her love was standing in the room with her.

Even more so when his rich voice filled her ears.

"My stars and moon. Many a cold night has passed since the last time we met. In that time, much has happened and much has changed. But there is one thing that has not and it is my love for you. During those years, trapped in my own mind, my only thoughts were of you. You were my beacon of light in that dark place and your student ignited it like a fire for me to escape. As I say, I do not yet feel worthy to stand in your presence again, but there is one thing I can promise. We shall meet again, Luna. I don't know how long it will be, but I do not intend to leave this world without my eyes beholding your beauty once again.

"I love you, Princess Luna and I always will. Until we meet again, my stars and moon."

"I love you too, my crystal king," she murmured involuntarily. "Please, come back soon…"

The form smiled faintly and dissolved away. In its place was the hopeful smile of Dusk that she soon matched.

"I hope he returns soon," he said sincerely.

"As do I," she agreed. She wiped away her tears and hugged him again, more gently. "Thank you for bringing this to me, my friend."

"I would have done nothing less," he responded. "That wasn't all he told me though."

"I see…" She pulled away. "What did your search yield then?"

"You were right to suspect, Luna. The Empire didn't return on its own and your spell didn't wear off. Somepony used their own summoning spell, one just as powerful as the magic you use, to restore the Empire and Sombra. From what he told me, the one who did it was seeking some great power that he needed Sombra's aid to retrieve. He promised his help, but only after he reclaimed his kingdom. Another good reason we acted when we did, it seems."

"I concur." She almost didn't want to ask the next question. "Did he give you a name?"

"He gave me two. One was, as we suspected, Test Tube, but he wasn't directing it. He was only working with the one who was, the third member of the group you received reports on. Chrysalis's unnamed ally."

"And he is?"

"Fallen Soul. It looks like it wasn't just a story then." It was a statement, not a question.

"No, it wasn't." She turned her gaze out of the window. "And I don't know if this one will end well."

"And you are certain that this artefact exists?" the unicorn mare asked across the table. "You will have to forgive Trixie if she is a little sceptical of your promise."

Doctor Test Tube nodded. "I assure you, Miss Lulamoon, that the artefact of which I speak is as real as you or I."

Yes, it was easy to reassure and lie with words, Trixie thought to herself. But it would only be a matter of time before they were uncovered, as she knew too well. Not that she wasn't eager to cease working on the rock farm and leave this hovel of a house they'd given her. This scientist was the kind of miracle she'd been hoping for.

But Trixie had had her dreams built on promises crumble before. She had to be sure.

"I see," she replied slowly. "How is it that you came across this information?"

"My uh, employer has his methods," he answered. "He would prefer not to disclose them until we are sure you can be relied upon."

"Forgive Trixie for saying so, but you are not the only one at this table with issues of trust," she returned.

"Understandable of course, Miss Lulamoon," he said evenly.

"Then how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"It's simple really. Travel to the bazaar in Canterlot and confirm what I have said for yourself. If you find the Amulet, it is yours to keep. If not, you can return to your uh, delightful home here with no harm done."

Perhaps they might dock my pay a little for taking a small day off, she thought, but kept it to herself.

"And it truly is as powerful as you say?" she asked.

"That and more," he assured. "You will have access to abilities only dreamed of by common unicorns. You can become as Great and as Powerful as you wish and beyond."

"Indeed..." She would be lying if she said it didn't intrigue her. "And what would I do with this power?"

"Whatever you wish. As I understand, it is due to a certain individual that you are where you are to begin with."

Trixie hissed. "Sparkle..."

"That's the one." A ghost of a smirk appeared on his face. "This would help you to earn a little compensation for your predicament."

"Yes and him as well," she murmured. "Her little coltfriend, the one who showed me up at the Magic Contest. He will get his dues as well." She glanced at the jar next to her. "From both of us."

"Yes..." He held his gaze on the jar too and muttered something under his breath she couldn't hear. "Anyway, I have the funds that would be required to acquire it. You needn't worry about that."

"And what would you have of Trixie in return?"

"My uh, employer would be interested in meeting you. Both of you," he added, glancing at the jar again. "When your uh, business is complete, he will find you and extend another offer. If you'd be interested enough to take it."

"What kind of offer? And who exactly is he?"

"All in good time, Miss Lulamoon. First, you must both prove yourselves to show that you have earned the privilege to know such um... sensitive information." He smirked a little more. "Do you accept?"

Trixie tore her gaze from the stallion and looked at the jar. The contents within, a dark effluvial substance with a dash of bone white, writhed as if it were alive. She stared at it for a while, interpreting what it... he was saying before responding.

"We accept. We'll depart to the city tomorrow and see for ourselves. In advance, you have either our thanks..." The substance writhed again. "Or our displeasure."

"Noted." He stood to leave. "Well, the best of luck in your endeavours, Miss Lulamoon and to your uh, companion."

Trixie took another look at the contents. A different colour flashed across the surface. A jade green, that appeared to take the shape of a pair of eyes. She let herself smile at it and she knew that he was smiling back.

"As if we have need of it."

The Pony Trap

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"Thanks for having us around, Granny Smith," said Twilight sincerely. "I think we both needed a bit of a break from the library."

"Eh, think nothin' of it, young'uns," she said fondly. "Always nice ta see friends-a Applejack comin' 'round ta call. Sorry ya didn't get the chance ta see her."

"That's perfectly alright, Miss Smith," said Dusk politely, tipping his hat to her. "We understand that work here on the farm keeps you all busy. We appreciate you taking the time to host us though."

"Anytime, dearies," she smiled, waving them off. "Ah'll tell Applejack an' Ray you two said howdy!"

"Thank you!" called Twilight. "Come on, Dusk. I want you to dictate Conundrums and Curses to me while I take notes."

"Why do you need me to dictate? Can't you just read it yourself?"

"I like it when you read things out. It makes your voice sound professional and I like it."

Even with her fading eyesight and occasionally poor hearing, Granny Smith was able to make out Dusk's blush and Twilight's giggle from the front porch. She smirked herself, reminded of her own romantic escapades when she was their age. She let out her own little chuckle at the thought and went back inside.

It had been nice of them to drop by. Twilight had said that Dusk had been preoccupied with some bad news lately and they needed a change of pace from the library. Granny had been happy to oblige. It had been nice to have some guests stay for a bit and she was touched by how much Twilight cared for his well-being. The poor fella had looked a little shaken before she'd sat them down and yammered at them for a while.

Not that she'd done all of the talking. She'd listened about what had been going on their lives, regaled with the same tale Applejack and Ray had told her on their journey to the Crystal Empire. She'd watched while Twilight had told the part where Dusk had duelled the evil king, sounding torn between proud and exasperated the whole way through, while Dusk sat in a rather shameful silence, rubbing his shoulder.

She'd smiled, not so much from the story, but more so from how the two of them acted around each other. It was the subtle little things, how close Dusk sat to Twilight, how her voice took on a protective tone when she discussed him and she'd thread her foreleg possessively through his. It always was a special sight to see love blooming between two young ponies.

"Hey Granny!" She looked to see Applejack come in to the house. She took down a couple of mugs from one of the cupboards. "Jus' gettin' me an' Ray a lil' cider 'fore he heads home fer the day."

"Go ahead, hun. Ya jus' missed two-a yer friends, they jus' came by."

"Thought ah spied Dusk an' Twah headin' back down the road." Froth bubbled over the rims while she filled the mugs. "Shame they didn't stay a lil' longer."

Poor dear, Granny Smith thought. This had to be hard on her, all things considered.

"Now, Applejack," she said tenderly, "ah know ya had a soft spot fer that young stallion an' that this thing with young Twah'light is fairly recent, but ya can't jus' be hangin' on like rot on an apple on the feller."

Applejack looked confused. "Uh, Granny, he an' Twah have been tagether almost a year now…"

"Ah'm not gonna lie, ah'da been happy fer ya both, but ya have ta accept the fact that he's moved on and ah don't think things are gonna be endin' anytime soon."

"Ah know that, Granny an' how many times do ah have ta say it? Ah only like Dusk as ma friend."

"Ah know it's not exactly been easy fer ya since things didn't work out with that flyin' feller, but ya can't jus' be hangin' on hopin' he'll take ya back. Ah think there really is somethin' special between them two an' it jus' wouldn't do right by 'em ta try an' end that."

"Ah wasn't gonna try ta!"

"Good, 'cause ah raised ya better'n that." She placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Promise me, Applejack, that yer gonna let this go."

"Granny…"

"Promise me?"

Applejack opened her mouth, closed it and sighed in exasperation, but Granny knew she was just trying to sound like she was annoyed so she'd look stronger. What a trooper!

"Ah'll try, Granny."

"That's ma girl." She patted her and smiled. "Now, you git along now an' enjoy yer cider. Nice-a ta bring some fer Ray too."

"Ya know ah don't leave ma friends hangin'," she said proudly. "Even if we work tagether, it still takes it outta us how much we gotta do."

Working together… those words triggered something in Granny's head. Didn't Dusk and Twilight work together in the library in town? Wasn't that how they met? And Ray… he worked pretty closely with Applejack… could those two be…?

"Hey, Granny?" Applejack frowned curiously at her. "Ya okay? Ya seemed ta zone out there a lil'."

Poor dear, she thought. So caught up in her previous failures, she didn't even notice what was right in front of her. Well, that was what she had her family for. But she couldn't let on that she'd noticed anything. These two had figure it out.

Well, with a little help, of course.

"Eh, don't mind me, Applejack," she dismissed. "Jus' caught up in ma thoughts, is all."

Her granddaughter watched her for a few more moments before smiling and nodding.

"Okay then. Well, ah better get Ray this cider 'fore he heads on home fer the night," said Applejack. "See ya in a few, Granny!"

"Take care now," she wished. "Hey, would ya mind sendin' yer sister an' yer brother in here fer a second? Ah gotta talk to 'em about somethin'."

"Sure thing, Granny," she said immediately. "Big Mac's jus' in the next field an' ah saw Apple Bloom runnin' around outside. Ah'll round 'em fer ya an' send 'em on in."

"Thank ya kindly," the elderly mare replied.

She smiled as she watched her granddaughter go. Even if she could be stubborn and proud to boot, there was no denying how proud Smith was at how Applejack at turned out. Probably because she was much the same at her age. The kind of hardworking, good and honest pony that anypony would be proud of. Except for one thing.

While Granny liked she always had a good work ethic and her dedication to the business, like everypony in their family, it usually meant that she didn't set her sights far beyond the farm. She had her friends, but Granny couldn't help but think that she might be a little happier if she had a nice stallion in her life. She'd had that little fling with that Pegasus fella, but that didn't last very long and even though she tried to show she wasn't bothered by it, Granny could tell there were times when she was disappointed about it. Especially recently. She was hiding it well, but it was there.

It was high time she changed that, which was why she met Apple Bloom and Big Mac as soon as the two of them entered the kitchen, beaming eagerly while she told them her thoughts.

"Wow!" Apple Bloom was beaming now too. "Ya really think so, Granny? Ya think Ray an' Applejack might be each other's special somepony?"

"Darn tootin', pint size!" she answered proudly. "They might need a lil' pokin' an' proddin', but ah reckon that if we do our best ta help 'em along a bit, they're sure to know it too."

"Ah never thought about it. Wow!" She bounced up and down excitedly. "Ya can count on me fer help, Granny! If anypony deserves a special somepony, it's those two. They're perfect fer each other!"

"Glad ya think so. What 'bout you, Big Mac?" she asked. "You in?"

The burly stallion responded with an exasperated, "Ai-yup."

She and Apple Bloom exchanged a look and shook their heads. Just like a stallion to shy away from matters of the heart.

"Okay, what's the plan, Granny?" asked Apple Bloom eagerly.

"Well first, young'un, we're gonna wait till tommrow. Ain't no sense in tryin' anythin' since the day's almost done and Ray's about ta head on home," she reasoned. "But when they get ta work in the mornin' tomorrow, ah want ya ta see if ya can't help along a lil'. Ya get what ah mean?"

"Roger, Granny!" She gave a little salute.

"But none-a that magic mumbo-jumbo, ya here?" she warned. "This here's gotta be natural an' from the heart."

"Oh, don't worry, Granny." Apple Bloom caught the look her brother gave her. "Ah learned ma lesson last time."

Apple Bloom lurked in a nearby bush while she watched Applejack and Ray having a brief chat. She couldn't really tell how into each other they were right now, but once she was done talking to them, it was bound to be the sweetest and most romantic thing ever.

But she had to wait first. They'd never admit to anything while the other was standing there and listening to it. She'd have to wait until they were on their own and it wouldn't be long for that. Ray was working part of the east orchard today, while Applejack focused on the north. Then, she'd make her move.

It was happening. Applejack gave him an affectionate punch on the leg while Ray laughed at something and they went their separate ways. The stallion teleported off while Applejack just walked. Now was her chance, before she started working and it would be impossible to get anything out of her that was more than a one-word response.

"Heya sis!" she greeted cheerily, scampering up to join her.

"Apple Bloom!" She practically jumped. "Unless yer tryin' ta get a mark in scarin' ponies, don't sneak up on me like that. On second thought, not even then."

She cast her eyes to the ground. "Sorry, didn't mean ta."

"Don't fret, ah'm sure ya didn't," she replied lightly. "So, what brings ya out here?"

"Ah, nothin' much," she shrugged. "Ah jus' saw ya talkin' ta Ray an' ah jus' felt like comin' up an' sayin' hi ta ma big sis."

She smiled, but she didn't see any other reaction. "Well, that sure is mighty nice-a ya."

"Ray sure is a nice guy, ain't he?" she asked.

"That he is," she agreed. "He can slack off a lil' at times, but that's why ah'm here ta keep him in line."

"Ah like having him around," she went on. "He's really funny and nice and funny…"

"Ya said funny twice."

"That's 'cause he's twice as funny as he is nice."

She let out a small laugh. "Yeah, ah guess that makes sense."

"Whaddya think of him, then?" she pressed on.

"Uh, pretty much all ya said there," she answered. "He's a nice guy, he makes ya laugh an' he usually does a good job. What else is there ta say?"

"That's it? Nothin' else?"

She thought a moment. "Well, ah guess his magic can be pretty handy at times. Ah'm all fer an honest days work, but it sure does make things go a lot faster when he can jus' magic down a few apples or zap a basket back ta the house without havin' ta walk."

Apple Bloom gritted her teeth. This was starting to get a little frustrating.

"What about how he looks?" she asked. "Ah think he's kinda handsome."

Applejack looked surprised. "Ya do?"

"Yeah, yeah!" she nodded eagerly. "Don't ya think?"

"Ah suppose he is," she said slowly. "Dunno, ah never thought about it much. He sure is a looker, ah'll give him that."

"Ah think so too!" Apple Bloom said, latching onto this. "So, ya like him then?"

"A-course ah like him," she said at once. "He's ma friend. Ah like all ma friends."

"No, no, ah mean do ya like him?" she pressed.

"Yes… ah thought ah jus' answered that."

"Ya did but… ugh!" she moaned. "Ya jus' don't get it!"

"What else do ya want me ta say? What's with all these questions 'bout Ray, anyhow?" she asked, with a small smirk. "Is there somethin' ya wanna say, Apple Bloom?"

"No, but there is something ah'd like you ta say," she growled under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothin', nothin' um… ah jus' remembered ah gotta be somewhere. Catchyalatersisbye!"

She sped off before Applejack could say anything else or try to stop her. She hid behind a tree, caught her breath and calmed herself down. That was a close one. She almost blew her cover! Worse, she didn't get anything out of her.

She started to make her way to the east. Maybe she'd have better luck with Ray. Any stallion would see how great her sister was.

Sadly, she was met with more of the same result.

"Yeah, I agree, she is a great pony," he said, bucking some apples down with a couple of kicks. "I mean, it's thanks to her I even have this job. Sure is one of the better ones I've had."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said impatiently. "So, ya like her then? For how kind an' nice she's been to ya?"

"Of course I do." He paused. "Well, even if she does get on my case a little bit. Just because I fell asleep under that tree one time. Or maybe a little more than once. But it was only ever for a few minutes."

"But other'n that, ya like her, right?" she persisted.

"Other than that, yeah." He frowned. "How come you're asking me all of this anyway?"

"I um, uh… um… tryin' ta get a cutie mark in uh… um… worker evaluation!" she said quickly. "Yeah, that's it! Ah'm askin' ya all of these questions ta um... evaluate ya an' stuff…"

He cocked an eyebrow. "But, aside from your family, I'm the only other worker."

"That's why… it's so important ta evaluate ya! Gotta make sure yer happy!"

"And aren't you a little young to be performing something like this?"

"Yes. Yes, ah am." She felt sweat start to trickle down her neck. "Anyway, ya passed with flyin' colours! Keep up the good work, bye!"

And for the second time, she darted off back to the farmhouse. To her relief, Ray didn't try to teleport after her and ask her further questions. He just shrugged it off as kids being kids and got back to work.

She didn't stop running until she was out of the orchard and back in the living room. Her guardian was there waiting and hurried to meet her. Well, as fast as she could manage anyway.

"Well? How'd it go?" asked Granny when she got back.

"Not great," she reported. "They seem ta like each other, but ah couldn't get anythin' solid. These two are gonna be tough ta crack."

"Eh, don't worry 'bout it, Apple Bloom," assured Granny Smith. "We got plenty-a hours left in the day. We'll think-a somethin'."

Before Apple Bloom could add anything, they were interrupted by a small sigh. Big Mac was standing across the room, not really involving himself much in the conversation. While his face didn't look all that much different from usual, Apple Bloom thought he looked a little troubled by something. Granny seemed to pick up on it too.

"Somethin' on yer mind there, Big Mac?" their guardian asked.

He was silent for a moment. "Ah dunno, Granny. Ah'm jus' thinkin' if it's possible those two don't like each other in that particular way."

"Hmm…" Granny rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Ya might jus' be on ta somethin' there, sonny."

He smiled approvingly. "Ah'm glad ya think so."

"Ah do. Those two mus' not be sayin' anythin' ta each other 'cause they're both workin' an' bein' hot an' sweaty from kickin' trees all day ain't the sort-a place ta be findin' yer special somepony, else ah'd probably have a few dozen more grandkids!"

"Wait now, hold on, ah didn't mean it like-"

"Yeah, ah get it!" nodded Apple Bloom. "How can they like each other in that way? It's all wrong! Ah bet if those two went out an' had a lil' fun, they'd be way more relaxed and realise how much they like each other!"

"Ah meant that in a completely different context!"

"Ya catch on quick, pint size! Now, let's see here… what's a good way ta get them two ta come clean…" She thought for a few minutes. "What about if they went ta see one-a them movin' picture things? Ain't that what all the kids are inta nowadays?"

"Ya mean a movie? Great idea, Granny!" agreed Apple Bloom. "In a romantic settin' like that, they're sure ta see how much they really love each other!"

"Jus' what ah was thinkin'! But how do we make sure that it works?"

"What if ah went along with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle? We can spy on 'em an' see what happens?"

"Ah'm not sure that's a good-"

"Good thinkin'! We jus' gotta get 'em some tickets, you an' yer lil' friends watch 'em like hawks and they're a shoo-in!"

"Now hold on, ah'd jus' like ta say-"

"That you'll go get the tickets?" Granny shoved some bits into Big Mac's chest. "Thank ya kindly, sonny! These should be enough ta buy 'em an' whatever ya do, make sure it's sweet an' romantic. Perfect fer them two lovebirds!"

"But ah was gonna-"

"Well, don't jus' stand there, Big Mac!" Though he was much bigger than them, the combined determination and strength of the two mares were enough to shove him out of the door. "Go on, time's a wastin'!"

He tried to open his mouth again, but the door slammed shut behind him. In the end, he sighed and let off a reluctant 'ai-yup' before slinking off to town.

And he thought the whole love poison affair had been bad…

"Ah'm still not sure 'bout this, Ray," Applejack murmured, looking at her ticket as if it had insulted her hat. "Ah still don't think it's quite right, doin' this."

Ray just chuckled causally. "Oh, come on, AJ! The farm's not going to collapse because we've taken one day off!"

"Don't y'all go makin' jokes like that!" she chastised. "Ah don't expect it to, but there's still plenty-a work ta be done that we've practically jus' dumped on the rest-a the family! It jus' don't sit right with me…"

"Better get used to it, since we are going to be sitting for the next couple of hours." He nudged her leg light heartedly. "AJ, do you really think Big Mac wouldn't have given us the day off if he didn't think he could handle the work?"

"Believe me, ah thought ah could handle a lotta work on ma own too, once," she muttered. "You weren't around fer it, but it didn't exactly turn out well."

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"Ah sent Rainbow Dash flyin', some animals stampedin' through town an' got about half the ponies here sick."

Ray blinked. "Wow. Really?"

"Do ah look like ah'm lyin'?"

"It's easy to tell when you are."

"It's not just that," she went on. "Don't tell me ya didn't notice how jittery Big Mac was actin' when he gave us these?"

"Yeah, he did seem kind of nervous," he agreed. "Maybe he was worried that his little sister would buck him in the face for even suggesting that she take a day-off."

"Maybe ah shoulda." She frowned. "Ah dunno though, he really was actin' kinda off…"

"AJ, stop worrying so much. We get enough of Twilight's panic attacks and Rarity's dramatics without you adding to it as well. Look at me. You don't see me worrying about taking a day off."

She snorted. "Yeah, like you'd be the one ta complain 'bout gettin' a paid day off."

"Exactly my point," he said triumphantly. "I respect your work ethic, but you gotta learn to take a break once in a while and not just when your sick in bed and can't do anything anyway."

"Jus' you try an' stop me."

"What do you think I've been doing?" he countered. "Look, they already paid for the tickets, we're on our way there, so what's why are you stressing about it? It's a nice thing they did and they'd just be going to waste if we said no."

She faltered. "Ah… ah guess ya got a point there."

"Yes, I do," he said brightly. "Now, stop worrying, relax and enjoy yourself. You, of all ponies, deserve it."

"Right… okay then… relax…" The tension in her body dissolved away gradually and she sighed. "Yeah, this actually feels kinda nice. A day off, yeah… why not?"

"Now, you're speaking my language," he chuckled. "Maybe we should try and do this more often."

"Don't push it."

"Okay, okay, I know my limits." He paused. "Mostly."

She let out a reluctant laugh. "Right then, let's git along an' see uh…" She looked at her ticket. "Nightlight: New Moon. Huh. Ah ain't much of a moviegoer. Know anythin' 'bout this?"

"Not really," replied Ray. "I hear it's pretty popular with some ponies. There's meant to be vampires and equine-wolves and stuff in it, so it might be good."

"If that's yer thing. New Moon, huh… what was wrong with the old one?"

"I think that's just a subtitle to indicate it's a sequel," answered Ray. "Dusk mentioned to me about taking Twilight to see it for their first date."

"An' what did they think of it?"

"Um… he wasn't exactly talking in favour of it, let's say. But hey, you never know, maybe this one'll be better."

"Jus' so long as yer not workin', right?"

"Precisely," he said with a grin.

They continued into town, cutting through the market place to save some time. As they made their way past the many ponies selling their wares, they came across a sight that to Ray appeared distinctly similar to another time he'd come here and in different company. Fluttershy was at one of the stalls and heading up to the seller.

They watched as a stallion attempted to cut in line while she reached into her bag for some bits. Before he could, she stuck her hoof out to block him. She looked him dead in the eye, shook her head and gestured to the back. The stallion faltered in surprise, but did little else. He complied, looking a little disgruntled.

Applejack exchanged an approving nod with Ray at the sight and waited until she paid for her vegetables.

"Now that's somethin' ah never thought ah'd see. Way ta stand up fer yerself, Fluttershy," she said proudly.

"It's nothing that special," she mumbled. "I just couldn't let him cut in line like that. He needs to be more considerate of others."

"Good thing you were there to remind him of that then," noted Ray. "I'd say that was something special."

She blushed. "You… you really think so?"

"I really do," he nodded. "A long time ago, you would have just let him cut in. You might not think it's much, but it shows that you matter. Which is good, because you matter. A lot.

"Oh, um…" Her blush deepened and a smile tugged at her lips. "Um… thank you, Ray. That's uh… nice of you to say so."

"No problem," he replied, his cheeks turning faintly pink too. "I um… I mean it."

The two of them missed the knowing smile that wormed its way onto Applejack's face while she watched.

"So um, what are you both up to?" she asked. "I thought you would both be working on the farm around about now."

"We would be, but we've been given the day off," Applejack said. She said the last part rather awkwardly, as if it tasted strangely on her tongue.

"An alien concept to this one apparently," continued Ray. "We're just off to see a movie together."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "R-really? A-a movie? Um… together?"

Her eyes slowly turned to the ground and the blush returned. If they thought her reaction was rather strange, they didn't comment on it.

"Yep, pretty much," confirmed Ray. He handed her his ticket. "Big Mac just came up with these and said we could have the day off. How about that, eh?"

"Hmmm…" She examined the ticket carefully and began to give Applejack a bit of an odd look.

This time, Ray picked up on it. "Hey, you wanna come with us, Flutters? I've got money, so I don't have a problem getting another ticket for you."

"No, thank you," she said, almost thrusting his ticket back at him. "I wouldn't want to be a burden." There was a new underlying tone to her typical excuse. Almost… sour. "If you would excuse me, I'm a little busy."

Without another word, she flew off out of the market. A pony in her flight path had to scurry out of her way when she didn't try and move past him.

They watched her go and looked at each other with similar expressions of confusion.

"What in the hay was that all about?" wondered Applejack.

"I don't know," replied Ray. "Has she ever acted like that before?"

"Not ta ma knowledge." She looked at her ticket. "Maybe she already saw it an' didn't like it."

"Yeah…" His gaze lingered on her fading form before turning around. "Oh well, we'll find out later. Let's get going."

"Not sure why we need ta hurry. If it looks like we're gonna be late, we can jus' have ya teleport us there," she remarked.

"You can't always be looking for an easy solution, AJ."

"You look fer easy solutions to ya work all the time!"

"And it's a lesson that you taught me that I shouldn't. You should hold up your own ideals if you want others to learn from them."

Applejack just rolled her eyes and laughed, resuming their journey to the theatre. Even so, Ray still had part of his mind lingering on Fluttershy's reaction, that look she gave Applejack and that sudden attitude change when she heard what they were doing.

He mentally shrugged again. Mares, who really understood them?

They arrived there in good time and Applejack waited while Ray went to buy them snacks. After giving their tickets to the usher, they proceeded to their seats, though Applejack had to help Ray a little when he spilled a little of their soda and popcorn.

"We should have just brought these at the market," he murmured. "They almost cost more than the movie itself."

"It's yer own fault fer buyin' 'em in jumbo-size. Hush now," she added, silencing his retort, "movie's startin'."

He bit back his response and sat back silently while the farm pony began to hungrily munch on her popcorn. Within about a minute, she had eaten about half of her own jumbo bucket and he could see her eyes glancing towards his barely touched bucket. He drew it a little closer for good measure.

At first, Ray's thoughts were that it would have been better for them if they had seen the first movie because they would have to spend time figuring out what was going on with established characters and themes. As it went on, he came to the conclusion that it wouldn't have helped. It would have just made it worse.

"Your brother has a very interesting preference in movies," he whispered to her.

"Ah'll say," she replied. "Ah ain't seen a lot a movies but ah can honestly say that this is… awful."

"I concur." He thought for a moment. "Say, you wanna just leave this one and go into a nearby theatre room with a different movie. You know, what that'll be good."

"Aren't we supposed to pay for another movie to do that?"

"It's fine, I do it all the time. I leave when a movie is done and I head into another one with no hassle," he said nonchalantly.

"Ya sure that's not against the rules?"

"If it was, there would be guards and specific pathways to ensure people don't do that," he countered. "Besides, do you really think we should pay for another one after seeing this?"

"Good point," she said immediately. "Let's get goin' then. Ah don't think ah can take much more-a this."

They swiftly moved towards the exit. Just as they reached it, a very faint sound reached their ears. A whispered sound of a few ponies saying 'noooooo' from somewhere nearby.

"See, even they think it's bad?" joked Ray. "What say we take them at their word?"

Applejack didn't even need to reply. In truth, she actually made sure they got out of their even faster.

Apple Bloom's expression was practically identical to those shared by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo as they trudged back to the farm late that afternoon. Despite the results of last time around, she was almost tempted to use the love poison again from how their efforts had been going at this point.

Granny Smith was asleep in her rocking chair when they re-entered the living room. The three of them had to yell all at once in order to wake her up and even then, she opened her eyes in a rather bleary sort of way.

"Ya know, if you three wanted ta talk so bad, ya shoulda tried harder ta wake me up than that," she remarked.

"We did," they replied dryly.

"Anyway, enough-a that. How did it go?" she asked. "Did it work?"

They shook their heads sadly, Sweetie Belle reporting. "They left twenty minutes in to the first movie to go and see a different one that wasn't even remotely romance related."

"I dunno," shrugged Scootaloo. "I'd have much rather seen Power Ponies: The Movie than Nightlight: New Moon."

"We weren't able ta see what happened ta them after that 'cause we got caught an' thrown outta the theatre," finished Apple Bloom. "Sorry, Granny."

"It's alright, girls, ya tried yer best," she comforted. "Right then, if that didn't work, looks like we ain't got much choice."

"Whaddya mean?" Apple Bloom asked.

"We been playin' nice so far but now, ah'd say it's time ta break out the big guns," she said decisively. "If this one don't work, nothin' will!"

"Alright!" Scootaloo cheered. "Now this, I like the sound of!"

"Glad ya think so, 'cause ah need you three ta help me." She gestured them to come closer. "Now, this here's what we do…"

Ray let himself smile at the sight of his house after walking home. Even though he could have teleported there and save himself the time, it was nice to do things simpler for a change. He was about to decide whether or not to just teleport inside or use his key when he happened to notice something.

A letter was in his mail slot. It was bright pink and decorated with love hearts, which had the added effect of sprinkled glitter on them.

Intrigued since he wasn't expecting any mail that day, he grabbed it from the slot, headed inside and plopped himself on the couch before opening it. The paper matched the envelope, as did the decorations on it.

Ray

I want to see you. Come meet me at the lake at sunset. I have a surprise for you.

Your secret admirer.

"What?" He read it again. "What?!" He read it again. "What?!"

He stared at it in bewilderment, completely unsure at how else to react. He'd honestly never experienced a situation like this before.

Thinking about it, maybe it made a little sense. Obviously, after the whole Doom incident and, to a lesser extent, the Changeling conflict, his name was much more well-known around town. In a good way this time, unlike what he was used to in the past. That would explain the very real possibility of a secret admirer somewhere in town.

Still, except for Dusk and the girls, and some of their other friends like Gentle and Nightfall, the latter of whom Ray met by chance after accidentally teleporting/breaking into the observatory once, Ray never really interacted all that much with the usual ponies of the town...

Another thought crossed his mind. What if one of the girls had sent him this? An image of yellow and pink flashed in his mind, but it was so brief he pushed it out and barely noticed it. Now, since his curiosity was peaked. Though he was friendly with them all, it would be kind of nice if one of them was interested in him like that.

Unless it was Twilight, then he had a feeling he might just see Dusk's worse side come out. And if it was some other mare, then what was the harm in meeting her? Besides, this would probably keep him up all night if he didn't go.

With that in mind, he got up and headed back out again. Walking away from his house, he didn't notice two small shapes peer out from near one of his windows. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle gave each other a triumphant high hoof and followed Ray down the road at a distance.

Fluttershy nervously wrung her hooves, her teeth grinding in rarely experienced frustration while she hurried to her destination. She knew it was late and she didn't want to be a bother, but she really needed help with what she was going through. She was so confused and aggravated that she'd even been lashing out at her own animal friends a little because of it.

Her mind played the events over and over again. Whenever she thought about Applejack and Ray telling her they were going to see a movie together that was what started it. Seeing the name of the movie printed on the ticket had just made it worse. Because she knew it was a romantic movie. It shouldn't have bothered her. They were friends after all and yet…

It was a romantic movie. Just the two of them. Together. For some reason, the thought of it caused some very unpleasant feelings to well up in her. Feelings that made her feel angry at Applejack and resentful towards Ray, yet she had no idea why. Why was this bothering her so much? She'd never felt anything like this, especially not towards her friends.

She had been content to try and figure this out for herself. Ray and Applejack were going to be having a nice time and there wasn't much point asking about it to any of the others. Now, she had become so frustrated with not being able to figure this out that she was going to the only pony she could for help. The only one who might understand, since she suspected it was to do with these other strong feelings she had for Ray.

Even so, she still lingered for a little on the doorstep of her big brother's modest home before she knocked on the door. It wasn't a very hard knock either.

"Hello?" The door opened and he emerged, his glasses propped on his nose. "Fluttershy? What brings you here?"

"Hello, Dusk," she murmured. "I um… I'm sorry I bothered you, i-if you were busy…"

"Not at all. I was just doing some a little reading before going to bed."

"O-oh, I'm r-really sorry I bothered you. Never mind, i-it's not important, I'll… I'll just go…"

"Fluttershy, it's fine, I don't mind." He gave her a concerned look. "Is something the matter, little sister? You seem troubled."

"I um… uh…" She gulped. "I… I need to talk to you. I… want to ask you something…"

"You do?"

She nodded. "It's um… it's about Ray."

"Ah, I see." A smile played on his lips as he stood aside. "Come on in, little sister. Make yourself comfortable."

"A-are you sure i-it's no trouble?" she asked.

"Not at all," he insisted. "In fact, I think I know exactly what's troubling you. But why don't you tell me about it?"

The lake at sunset was a very peaceful and tranquil scene. The birds sang quietly in the trees, adding a pleasant backing to the sound of the water gently lapping on the river banks. The surface of the lake shimmered in an orange glow while Celestia's sun began to sink from the sky, almost like it had been dropped into the watery depths.

Applejack had to admit that it was a very pretty sight, emerging from the path while looking around curiously. Even so, it was a strange set of circumstances why she was even here. Then again, this whole day had been a little strange.

She'd had a rather nice day with Ray. They'd returned to the farm earlier that evening, Ray acting the gentlecolt and escorting her home, despite knowing the mare was fully capable of walking through town on her own. She'd appreciated the gesture and they'd said goodnight before he headed off home. She had a little talk with her family, just stuff about asking how the day was, nothing unusual and was about go out and buck a few more trees before hitting the hay.

At that point, Apple Bloom had stopped her, telling her something came for her in the mail. It was an envelope, nothing unusual about that either. Well, apart from the fact it was pink and adorned with love hearts and glitter. Upon reluctantly opening it, she read it was from somepony who claimed to be her 'secret admirer', asking her to meet her by the lake at sunset. That was the unusual part.

Granny had commented teasingly about it and Applejack immediately asked if any of them knew anything about this, leaning down muzzle-to-muzzle with each one and looking them square in the eye. They'd all been acting kind of strange all day and her gut told her this was the cause of it. Apple Bloom had begun to stutter, but Granny told her to back off and stop harassing her sister. Applejack did, but adding she didn't feel like going to see this so called admirer.

Several torturous minutes of relentless teasing and encouraging later, followed by a few minutes in her room to get herself ready and she was off down the road, though not before casting one last suspicious glare over her shoulder at them. Now, she was here and it looked like she was finally going to get to the bottom of this strange affair.

She heard a rustling from the nearby bushes. She looked up as the pony emerged, shaking leaves out of his fur and mirroring her movements.

"Where is…?" Ray suddenly stopped when he saw her.

Shock registered at the same time on each other's faces. Confusion came shortly after, as they both put two and two together. Quite literally, in this case. Then, it finally dawned on them. And they burst out laughing.

"Lemme guess," she began, once it subsided, "ya got yerself a letter too?"

"Yup," he confirmed, holding his up. Completely identical. "And I have a sneaking suspicion as to who might be responsible for this."

"Yeah... sorry 'bout that." She chuckled sheepishly. "Ah know mah family means well, but sometimes it gets jus' a tad ridiculous, if ya know what Ah mean."

"Judging from this whole situation, I think I do," he agreed. "You know, thinking back on it, I think they've been going at this all day."

"Tryin' tah get us together, ya mean? Yeah, lookin' back, Ah kinda wanna smack mahself for how obvious it is. Firs' Applebloom in the orchard this morning..."

"Wait, she went to you too?"

"Yes, she did. And now Ah know that she chatted with you as well. Nosy girl..."

"Then there was Big Mac in the afternoon..."

"Ah knew he was actin' funny, I jus' couldn't put mah hoof on it!" She smacked her hoof on her forehead. "He don't just up and give me days offa work like that, especially when there was so much tah be done! An' then how he acted when he was givin' us them tickets. He's even worse of a liar than Ah am sometimes. An' I probably woulda figured it all out sooner if ya hadn't been all 'Don't worry about it, AJ, just relax and enjoy yourself for once'."

He shrugged. "I'm still not complaining. Paid day off is a paid day off. But yeah, I get it. My bad there."

"Slacker," she chuckled. "So, whaddya think they got in store fer us now?"

He pointed. "I'd say there's the answer to your question."

She looked and walked with him, seeing now the picnic basket and the paddle boat waiting for them on the bank. She looked out at the lake and frowned.

"Do they really expect us ta go all the way out there?"

"I dunno." He examined the contents. "It'd be a shame to let a perfectly set-up picnic like this and I don't really feel like eating alone."

She giggled. "Mr Strike, are you tryin' ta get me alone out on this here lake? If ah didn't know any better, ah say ya actually were interested in courtin' lil' ol' me."

"Sorry to disappoint," he returned, smirking. "Come on, we might as well."

"Ah guess yer right." She offered Ray her hoof like Rarity might, matching his smirk and let him take it while they climbed into the boat. "How very kind-a ya, Mr Strike."

"My pleasure." He placed his hooves on the peddles. "Allow me."

"Thank ya kindly." She sat back in the boat. "Ah might not be inta all that fancy stuff, but ah can see why Rarity is at least. It's kinda nice havin' somepony else do the work for a change."

While she sat, her eyes drifted back to the shore. For a moment, she thought that she saw five pairs of eyes watching them go from a bush not too far from the bank. She blinked and they were gone. She put the thought out of her mind, though she had a sneaking suspicion as to who it might be.

Once out a good distance into the lake, the two started eating and talking. The conversation quickly turned once again to the situation at hand, and how to deal with it. In the end, they both agreed that it was best to simply confront her family on the matter and tell them that they just weren't interested in each other that way.

Though Ray did note that it might be easier said than done considering how Applejack could be (Applejack reacting in mock offense), they decided to give it a go anyway. It was better than having to put up with anymore of this nonsense, she thought.

Not long after, the conversation turned to personal romantic topics and a question that Ray had for her.

"You know, AJ, I'm kind of curious," Ray remarked. "How come your family are trying to get us together if you're already into that Soarin' guy?"

"Ah thought ah told ya what happened?" she noted curiously. "Ah definitely told ma folks."

"Yeah, well, I haven't heard anything." He cocked his head. "Why, what happened?"

She shrugged. "Nothin' much. We jus' didn't work out."

"Oh." He looked shamefaced. "I… I'm sorry, I never knew."

She shrugged again. "Don't get yerself worked up about it. It's not yer fault."

"I still feel like I should have noticed," he replied. "Mind if I ask what happened?"

"Like ah said, nothin' much," she repeated. "We went out a couple times, he was a nice feller, but we jus' didn't connect much, if ya get what ah mean. He meant well an' he was real sweet, but ah jus' didn't feel much. Ah told him an' he was disappointed, but he respected ma wishes that maybe we were better off as friends."

Ray hissed. "Ooh, friendzoned. Poor Soarin'."

"Friend-what now?"

"Never mind," he dismissed. "I'm sorry it didn't work out, AJ."

"Thanks." She sighed. "Gotta say, ah was disappointed too. He really was a nice guy, but… maybe that's jus' how it is."

"How what is?"

She hesitated a moment. "Well… after what happened with Soarin' an' seein' Twah an' Dusk an' Rainbow with that Phoenix feller ah jus' wonder… am ah ever gonna find the stallion fer me? Ah mean, ah'm not exactly gonna drop everythin' ah have an' go off lookin' but… it'd sure be nice, is all."

"Hey, come on. Don't get yourself down because of one setback," encouraged Ray. "I mean, you're one of, if the single strongest mare I've ever met and I don't just mean that physically."

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little surprised. "That so?"

"Is so," he nodded. "Plus, you're compassionate, caring and honest, that last one coming in spades. On top of that, as a stallion, I cannot tell you how many guys out there would appreciate a mare who is so casual and doesn't fall into the same category of confusing emotional habits that most girls are known for."

"Ya mean like Rarity?"

"Exactly," he nodded. "Dudes like Spike may go for things like that, but a lot of guys are put off by excessive "lady-ness" or girls who are basically dramatic emotional hurricanes waiting to be unleashed."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "Thanks. What about you then, Ray? You got yer eyes on anypony special?"

"Oh, um uh…" He began to rub his head. "Um, you know, not um… not really uh…"

"Get a hold-a yerself, sugarcube," she soothed. "It's okay, ah'll keep it a secret. It'll jus' be between me an' you, ah promise. 'Sides, ah think ah gotta pretty good idea already."

She wondered if she caught the knowing tone in her voice. The stallion was quiet for a little longer and took a few breaths before clearing his throat. His hoof still rubbed absently at his head.

"Okay… if you really wanna know, um… I think… that I may be interested in… in…"

"In…?" she prompted.

"In… interested in…" He coughed again. "In Fluttershy."

He practically blurted out the last part and physically cringed while he waited for her response. Applejack just let a self-satisfied smirk grow on her face and she leaned back in the boat.

"Ah thought so," she said simply.

"Y-you did?" He looked shocked. "B-but… how in Equestria could you possibly know that?"

"Ta be honest, sugarcube, it is kinda obvious," she answered kindly. "It ain't hard ta miss how happy ya can be when yer around her, not ta mention how defensive ya can get. Even enough ta let old beastie boy a bit ta save her," she added, rapping his head.

The stallion fell silent again. She could have sworn his cheeks went from jalapeño to red pepper in seconds. When he didn't say anything else, she did.

"Ray, ah gotta ask ya somethin'. If ya know how ya feel an' it's so hard fer you ta hide it, why don't ya jus' pull yerself tagether an' ask Fluttershy herself 'bout it?"

"I think you know," he murmured glumly, tapping his head on the spot that she had done. "What kind of mare in her right mind would want to be with a stallion with the power to end the world stewing away inside his head?"

"Why shouldn't she? We didn't stop bein' yer friends," she returned. "'Sides, there's a lot more to ya 'sides ol' Wrath. Ya got a good heart, Ray. Yer funny, supportive, light-hearted, talented, protective an' ya ain't too bad to look at either."

A ghost of a smirk grew. "I thought you said you weren't into me like that."

"Don't mean ah can't appreciate a looker when ah see one," she countered. "Ya got all-a that an' a ah know that Fluttershy cares about ya a lot. We've all seen it, Ray. We don't say nothin', but we have." She suddenly laughed. "Ya know, ah jus' got that weird feelin'… ya know, the one where it feels like ya seen somethin' 'fore?"

"Déjà vu?" he suggested. "How come?"

"Jus' 'cause me an' Twah had this same conversation a while ago, askin' about weird feelings she didn't understand an' didn't have a book ta turn ta," she recalled. "It was a while 'fore they ended up tagether, but ah don't think it was all that long."

"You don't say," chuckled Ray. He looked a lot better now. "So… you think I might have a shot with Fluttershy then?"

"Ya jus' might, Ray," she said without a shred of doubt. "Ya jus' might."

"Hey, look guys! They're comin' back ta shore!" announced Sweetie Belle excitedly.

"Awesome! It looks like it worked!" agreed Scootaloo. "And we didn't have to spike their drinks this time!"

"Come on, let's go meet 'em!" suggested Apple Bloom. "Come on, Granny, hurry!"

"Now, hold on their, pint size!" she called, shuffling after them while they sprinted off. "Ah ain't as spry as ah used ta be!"

"Ai-yup."

"You say something, Big Mac?"

"Eh-nope."

"That's what ah thought."

The two ponies had just set hoof back on dry land when the three fillies arrived, followed shortly by their elderly guardian and stoic companion.

"Well now, fancy meetin' y'all here," remarked Applejack. "Almost like you were waitin' fer us."

"You're back!" Sweetie Belle said excitedly. "So, what happened?"

"Did you guys kiss?" asked Scootaloo.

"Am I gettin' a new brother?" added Apple Bloom eagerly.

That prompted heavy blushes and facehooves from both of the supposed love birds.

"Now, don't git ahead-a yerself there, young'un," said Granny. "That'll come later."

"Do y'all mind?" Applejack put in. "Look, ah'm sorry ta disappoint all-a ya, but Ray an' ah jus' don't see each other as bein' any more than friends."

"Now, Applejack, ya don't need ta be-"

"It's the truth, Granny," said Ray. "I'm not saying your daughter isn't a nice mare, if anything she's great. But I'm really not that into her or vice versa. We appreciate you trying to do something nice but-"

"Can ya stop?" finished Applejack. "Ah mean, it was weird ta begin with, but now it's gotten kinda silly."

Granny looked positively shocked. "B-b-but ah… ah was sure that… ah thought f-f-fer sure that…"

"Don't blame yerself, Granny." Big Mac stepped up to the plate. "Ya had good intetions, but it seems pretty clear ta me that Applejack an' Ray only share a platonic relationship an' nothin' more'n that. Ah maself thought as much when this whole thing started. Jus' because a stallion an' a mare are close don't mean that they have ta be romantically involved with one another. Ray's heart belongs ta another an' there are plenty more apples in the orchard for our Applejack 'fore she finds her special somepony. We all jus' have ta accept that an' move on with our lives content in that knowledge."

There was a drawn out moment of silence as everypony stared at Big Mac, completely dumbfounded.

Ray was the one who broke it. "Well, if I wasn't convinced before I wasn't into Applejack, I definitely am now."

"An' how," agreed Applejack.

"Wait a sec, ya said ya knew all along? Why didn't ya jus' say somethin' sooner and save us all-a this fuss and bother?" asked Granny crankily.

"Ah did."

"Ya did?"

"Ai-yup."

"Oh. Well, speak up then."

Big Mac merely sighed and said nothing further.

"So… ah'm not gettin' ya as a big brother, Ray?" asked Apple Bloom.

He chuckled. "As great as that would no doubt be, no, you're not. Sorry, AB."

"It's okay," she said brightly. "Yer still fun ta have around the farm anyway."

"Wait… Big Mac just said your heart belonged to another," realised Sweetie Belle. "So, do you have a special somepony, Ray?"

He flushed and Applejack smirked.

"Um… maybe…"

"Oh, really?" Scootaloo's expression became devlish. "Wanna tell us who it is then?"

"And on that note, I suddenly have to go," he announced. "Thanks for the picnic, it was great. Seeyoutommrowbye!"

In a flash of light, he was gone.

"You're not getting away from us!" called Scootaloo. "We know where you live!"

"Come on, girls! Looks like we still got work to do!" cried Sweetie Belle.

"You bet. CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MATCHMAKERS!" they chorused before running off back down the road towards town.

Big Mac raised an eyebrow, Granny Smith babbled incoherently and Applejack kept her knowing smirk while she laughed.

It wouldn't be long now. She could feel it…

Too Many Pinkie Pies

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"Are you okay, Dusk?"

"Hm?"

"I asked if you were feeling okay."

He tried to smile. "Of course, Miss Sparkle. I'm uh, perfectly alright."

"I don't think you are," she remarked sceptically. "You've been quiet all day."

"Aren't I usually quiet?"

"Sometimes, but today and for the past few days even, you've been unusually quiet."

"How can I be unusually quiet if I'm usually quiet?"

"Because I say so," she said with a smirk. "And around here, what I say goes."

"That's hardly a fair or reasonable argument."

"When you're the boss, you can make the rules." Her smile returned to a concerned frown. "What's bothering you, Dusk?"

"It's… it's nothing," he stammered. "Just lingering memories from the Empire…"

"That's what I was willing to believe at first. I was going to let you recover, relax, have some time to yourself if you needed it, but I can see now it's not just that. Something else is really bothering you."

"I-"

"Don't even try to deny it, Dusk," she cut off. "You've been taking home all of those books about Equestria's old legends and our ancient history. During our breaks, you always seem to have your nose buried in one of those books and the rest of the time, you just stare off blankly into space like you were just now."

He couldn't help but smile. "Nothing ever escapes your notice, does it?"

"As the librarian and your marefriend, it's my job to notice these things," she said smartly. "I know how you are with keeping things to yourself. Even now you still need a little push, so come on. What's really bothering you?"

Dusk opened his mouth and closed it again. Part of him found it easy to keep this from her. Dealing with his own problems and having no wish to place them on others was still something that was ingrained into him, like she'd said. That was what he was trying to draw from, to keep himself quiet.

Another part of him hated doing this. Seeing her standing there, her eyes shimmering with concern, her hoof almost reaching out to help him, made it even worse.

He wanted to tell her, but how could he? Even now, she was still riding her from the success of passing her test and saving a whole Empire. Not only that, she'd been proud of him for what he'd done, saving Sombra especially even if she still berated him for something equally as foolish as it was brave. Even Dusk had to admit that he didn't know where those strange bursts of courage came from, though he had a fairly good idea.

To tell her what was weighing on his mind, the truth he had uncovered while in the Empire… it would shatter everything. She was still under the illusion that they were relatively safe while he had no such luxury. The readings and research he had done only made it worse. How could he just tell her and shatter that?

But if there was one thing he did know, it was Twilight Sparkle. Now that she had her mind on this, she wouldn't let it go until he told her. He had to say something, even if it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"I um… I'll be honest, my love… I can't tell you," he finally answered.

She glared. "Dusk…"

"What I mean is," he said quickly, "you'd need to give me some time to think about how exactly to tell you. This thing it… it isn't easy to put into words."

"Why, you gonna propose or something?"

They both jumped, not noticing the baby dragon until now. Even if he was standing in the middle of the room, watching the whole scene with an exasperated look.

"Spike!" she said sharply, though her cheeks were flushed. "What have I told you about eavesdropping?!"

"What eaves am I dropping? You're not exactly in a private place." He gestured around at the public space of the library. "Look, Dusk, I know something eating at you too. Twilight's not the only one who notices things."

"Did she have you spy on me?" Dusk tried to joke.

"Oh come on, I wouldn't need to spy on you to know something's up," he retorted. "We both know, so you might as well tell us. Unless you are gonna propose in which case, let me leave the room first."

"I'm not going to propose," insisted Dusk, trying to keep the blush off his face. "I just… I will tell you but… you're going to have to let me think a little on how exactly I need to say it."

Twilight conceded. "Okay. But you promise to tell me?"

"Pinkie promise," he said, performing the motions. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you."

"Idiot," she giggled. "It's not just that though. I don't like seeing you look so morose. It's better when you smile."

"You help to bring it out."

"I should think so." The smirk returned. "Well, I know what'll help take your mind off it at least. A change from the usual external environment will serve to break the usual monotony of a routine and help to release the necessary endorphins required to relieve the mind of stress."

"Um, in layman's terms, please?"

"Some change will do you some good. It worked when we took a trip Sweet Apple Acres on one of our breaks, so let's try it again." She raised her voice. "Spike, grab that orange from the kitchen! We're going to do some spell practice outside!"

Dusk was a little unsure if it would work, but he had to admit that stepping out of the library to feel the cool breeze and the warm sun gracing his skin did make him feel a little more relaxed. Though they were in the dwindling days of summer, there was still a little warmth to be gained from what was left.

Twilight didn't miss this change and smiled proudly, letting him loop a foreleg through hers as they set off. Spike just rolled his eyes and followed.

Today, Twilight had been given a new form of transformation spell to practice by Princess Celestia, one that would allow her to change the very nature of an object into another. A very difficult and challenging form of magic, even for one as talented as Twilight, so they were starting off simple by turning an apple into an orange.

Admittedly, Dusk questioned her choice of location for the practice. Instead of an open field, she instead chose a nearby café and placed the apple on the table. Surely, he thought, it would be better to be somewhere there wouldn't be any distractions or obstructions that might interfere with her magic.

"This isn't for my benefit though," she answered. "Being somewhere around other ponies can be a big help too. You never know, some of our friends might drop by."

"Yeah, plus it means that if I want a snack, it's only a walk away," put in Spike, thumbing towards the café entrance.

Dusk didn't say anything. He just let a smile creep onto his face while he stood back and watched Twilight work.

The first attempt the apple flickered in colour but little else. The second it twitched like something was about to break out of it, but stopped. The third time it almost became an orange but reverted back seconds later.

"Try again, Twi, you can do it!" encouraged Spike.

"Phew, this spell's a toughie. But I feel lucky this time!" she declared, with a look at Dusk. "One, two..."

"Hi!"

Something or rather somepony pink barrelled into her and threw her aim off. The spell shot towards a tree and hit a bird, turning it's whole body into an orange except for its wings.

Well, Twilight was right. One of their friends did drop by. Quite literally.

"Pinkie, why'd you do that?!" asked a frustrated Twilight.

"'Cause hugs are funneriffic, especially when you throw one around a friend," she answered. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Trying to turn that apple into an orange!"

"But you kinda threw her aim off..."

Spike pointed at the winged orange that flapped by.

Pinkie just giggled with foal-like glee. "What a cute orange birdie! Do me next, Twilight! Do me, do me!"

Her excited bouncing led her to bump into a certain fashion designer dressed in a black hooded robe.

"Ooooh, Rarity, wanna see Twilight turn me into an orange?" Pinkie asked. "It's gonna be funna-fun-fuuun!"

"As fun as creating this haute couture ensemble that I just finished making?" Rarity threw off her robe to reveal an elegant gown with matching gloves. She'd even styled her mane. "Delightful, non?"

The party pony gasped. "This is terrible!"

"I admit it's perhaps not my finest work, but I–"

"You had total-awesome-amazing fun and missed out on it?!" She groaned. "Wait! What if there's more awesome amazing fun with friends happening somewhere in Ponyville right now that I'm missing out on too?!"

As quickly as she'd arrived, she was gone in a flash, leaving Rarity giving Spike an odd look.

"We weren't going to turn her into an orange! I swear!" he insisted.

"I should certainly hope not," she replied. "Pinkie is odd enough without also being a piece of fruit."

"Yeah, um, you look great, Rarity," he said quickly. "Your dress, I mean it um… it looks great."

"Oh. Why, thank you, Spike," she murmured, looking over it. "Like I said, it's not my finest creation but that doesn't mean I don't strive to try."

"You always look great, no matter what you wear," he said genuinely.

"You're very kind, darling." Her eyes lingered on Spike's scars and concern flashed across her face. But it quickly left. "So, Dusk, Twilight. You two are both looking well. How are things?"

"They're…" She cast a look at Dusk and halted. "They're fine, thank you. Nothing out of the ordinary, just us."

"Splendid. I'm pleased to see everypony's favourite couple isn't encountering any problems." They both blushed at this. "Especially in the wake of the romantic scandal that I've been hearing about."

"Scandal?" asked Dusk.

"Oh, you two haven't heard? Well, Fluttershy told me at our weekly get together at the spa that she saw Applejack and Ray off to attend a viewing of the new Nightlight movie. Together. Alone," she said with emphasis.

"Really? AJ and Ray?" Spike scratched his head. "Were they really-?"

"That was my thought initially, but then I had a little chat with Sweetie Belle a day earlier," she went on. "Apparently, the whole Apple family, the Crusaders too, were in cahoots to get the two of them together, deliberately arranging it so they would be alone together in romantic circumstances. I honestly never thought my sister would be attempting something like that again, after the Big Mac and Cheerilee affair, although she has been hanging around that Button colt for a while now…"

"So, what happened?" asked Twilight.

"Hm? Oh, sorry dear, getting off topic. Well, in the end the whole mess was sorted out. Applejack and Ray see each other as friends, nothing more," she told them. "A good thing too. Fluttershy did appear to be fretting about it when she told me. She told me she went to talk to you in the wake of it, Dusk darling and she felt better about it after. Care to elaborate?"

The stallion shook his head. "Sorry, Rarity, but what happened was in confidence, strictly between me and her. I Pinkie promised."

"I can't help but be even more intrigued now." She sighed. "Oh well, can't blame a mare for trying. Well, I'd better be off. Need to get this ensemble home before it's ruined by the dust. Cheerio."

Her gaze lingered on Spike's scars again before setting off back for her Boutique.

"Alright then. Back to practice then," Twilight said brightly. "One, two..."

Yet again, a pink flash bounced off her back and disrupted her concentration. This time, the unintended target was a frog.

"Pinkie! What in the wide, wide world of Equestria are you doing now?" demanded Twilight.

Pinkie climbed out of the hole she'd skidded herself into. This was the first time Dusk had seen her so breathless.

"Timing myself galloping back and forth between the swimming hole and Sweet Apple Acres," she replied. "I'm trying to cut down my time so if Rainbow Dash dives off the swing, I can get to Sweet Apple Acres to help with the barn raising, and then be back in time to see Rainbow Dash hit the water after doing a double flip! If I can cut my time by only twenty minutes, I'm good."

Both Dusk and Twilight had to laugh at that.

"I'm afraid, Pinkie, that as remarkable as you are, that seems impossible, even for you," remarked Dusk.

"Dusk's right," agreed Twilight. "I'm afraid no matter how hard you try, the only way to pull something like that off is if there's more of you to go around."

Pinkie stood stock still for a good five seconds. Dusk could have sworn he heard her brain ticking away inside her head while it cocked jerkily to one side. Suddenly, she vibrated like an alarm going off and beamed.

"That's it, Twilight! The legend of the Mirror Pool!"

"Legend of the who-what now? Pinkie!" She and Dusk exchanged a quizzical look as Pinkie pranced off. "I'm familiar with loads of legends, and I never heard of–"

"Does this mean practice is over?" Spike asked suddenly.

"Of course not! Back to work," Twilight said brightly. "Come on, Dusk."

"Right." He stared off where Pinkie had run to. "One cannot help but wonder what it is exactly that drives that pony."

"Well, try to help it," she advised. "If you remember, I tried and that didn't turn out so well. We all know the most important lesson about living in Ponyville."

"Don't question Pinkie Pie," recited Dusk.

Even though he returned to watching Twilight, he still pondered what exactly Pinkie was planning on doing. He'd never heard of this Mirror Pool either. What did it do? And what was Pinkie planning to do if she found it.

Though something told him it would be more of a question of when than if. After all, this was Pinkie…

It hadn't taken much longer for Twilight to succeed at finishing her spell. The apple was now a full-blown vitamin C packed orange and with no more misfires and hybridized fruit/animals created. They'd tried finding the unintentional creations in question, but in the end just decided to leave them. Twilight said that the spell would wear off after a few hours anyway and they'd be back to normal after.

But that meant for Dusk on their way back to the library that his reckoning had come. He could feel Twilight's eyes boring into him as they walked. He had promised her an explanation and he was about to give it. He still wasn't sure what exactly to say though. Even now, nothing really came to mind. How would she take it? Would she panic? He was about to find out.

Twilight asked Spike to busy himself with something else while she talked to Dusk. She led him upstairs, his legs shaking all the while and up to her bed. She lay on it and patted the spot next to her. He at first thought this was a rather odd venue for this topic, but he couldn't deny it was comfortable.

She budged along so their sides were pressed against each other and gazed at him with her violet pools. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. She just waited. And she didn't have to wait for long.

"It wasn't just Tube."

She blinked. "What? What do you mean?"

"I mean… he wasn't the only one who was responsible for the Crystal Empire's return," he elaborated. "There was somepony else. Somepony that he answered to. Edge too, we suspect. In fact, we're all but certain he's been behind everything they've done."

"I see…" She didn't break her gaze. "Who is it then?"

Now, he returned her gaze. "Do you remember the story I told last Nightmare Night?"

"Of course, I-" She gasped sharply. "Oh no… you don't mean… him?"

He nodded. "I do. That was what Tube was doing in the forest, why he was gathering all of that energy. He needed it to power a device strong enough to break through the bowels of Tartarus so they could pull him out." He frowned. "Do you hear that?"

"Don't change the subject," she snapped. "So, it worked? They got him out?"

"They did. Fallen Soul has returned." Dread lay heavy on his words.

Twilight fell into a pensive silence. She looked almost more thoughtful than frightened at the news.

"And that's why you've been reading all of those old books," she murmured. "You've been trying to find out more about him."

"Trying, yes, but there's not a whole lot of clear facts. It's mostly stories about his deeds and many different versions of the tale when he turned traitor. I can hazard a good guess at his motive."

"Revenge," she said instantly. "It would explain why he went to the changelings and brought back Sombra."

"But it doesn't feel right," he said. "On both of those occasions, he was shown to be responsible yet he himself took little part in most of the events. He didn't stay and help Chrysalis, nor did he help Sombra beyond bringing him back."

"Perhaps he had confidence in their abilities to manage on their own."

"But if he truly wanted his revenge, he would want to take part in it personally," he replied. "He would have been right there to see the downfall and reap the benefits but he's just been watching from the side-lines. And I swear I can hear something. It sounds like yelling…"

"Just ignore it. So… what do you think he's after?" she asked.

"I don't know…"

"Revenge still seems like the strongest motive for him. Do you think he wants to go about it in a different way?"

"I really don't know…"

"It has to be something big because he needed additional aid to pull it off. What if he wants to find something, something that might give him more power or a stronger foothold or-"

"I don't know, Twilight!" he yelled. "Stop asking me, because I don't know!"

She flinched. "Dusk, calm down, I'm only making suggestions. I'm just trying to help."

"Well, it isn't."

"I could have done something to help sooner if you'd just told me from the beginning."

"It wasn't your problem…"

"That's not an acceptable excuse and it never has been. Not anymore." She placed a hoof on his cheek. "I thought we were done keeping things from each other. Why do you insist on doing this to yourself?"

"I… I…" He cast his eyes down. "I wanted to tell you. I really did but… I couldn't."

"Why? We've faced his kind before."

"Not his kind," he muttered. "Discord, Chrysalis, Sombra, they're nothing compared to him. You may think they're the worse, but Fallen truly he is. It's not that he's power hungry or a trickster or a tyrant. He's… he's…"

He trailed off. The thought was too horrible.

"What?" she prompted gently. "What is he?"

It took him a while to find the right words.

"Imagine, Twilight. Imagine if you'd done what he did. Imagine if you were imprisoned for so long that by the time you got out, everything had changed. Everything you'd ever known, everypony you ever loved was gone. Forever. Worse, while the ponies and places may be gone, the things you'd done weren't. Everypony would remember, children would cower at the very mention of your name, history has forever branded you as a monster, a traitor. A murderer…

"That's all he has, Twilight. He has nothing in life, no purpose or place except what he's been branded with. And if after all this time they still see him like that, why should he think they would forgive him? Why would they think that it would change? What else would there be to drive him, other than the one thing he has left? You either die a hero…"

"Or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." She smirked at his surprised look. "I had a look at that book. I can see why you like it."

He tried to return it but failed. "But you understand why though. Why I couldn't tell you. I couldn't ask you to… to live with that knowledge."

"You never have to ask. Dusk, I… I know it seems bleak. Just remember that we…" She stopped when she noticed that the yelling outside had grown louder. "What in the world is going on out there?"

Spike came rushing upstairs. "Twi, Dusk, you better come down here. There's a big crowd of ponies outside and they don't look too happy."

Dusk followed her out and found himself stood before a large crowd of panicked and angry ponies. Though all of them were speaking at once, there was one name that Dusk kept hearing over and over again above it all. Pinkie.

"Everypony, please!" she urged. "One at a time, tell us what happened!"

"It was horrible!" Roseluck cried. "One minute I was tending my flowers, the next a horde of Pinkies paraded on by and trampled them all!"

"I tried to stop them!" added Carrot Top. "But they just kept chanting on and on about fun, they wouldn't listen!"

"They ruined our barn raisin'!" added Applejack angrily. "Knocked over the frame work, smashed up the wood an' wouldn't even clean up afterwards!"

The librarians all exchanged bewildered looks with each other as the cries and yelling rose in volume again. More than one Pinkie Pie and they were apparently causing havoc? How was this even possible?

"Okay, everypony, please, calm down!" insisted Twilight.

"Calm down? I just had a Pinkie hurricane raging through my shop!" Rarity yelled.

"And they trashed our critter picnic!" added Fluttershy.

"How can you expect us to stay calm?!" demanded Ray. "How are we supposed to stay calm when there are dozens of physics-and-reason-defying hyperactive pink mares bouncing around?!"

The ponies all cried out in angry agreement with the stallion.

"Please, everypony, hang on while we try to figure something out!" She ushered her assistants inside and shut the door. "Come on, you two. We've gotta try to remember the name of that legend she mentioned."

Dusk nodded and quickly started scouring the ancient myths in the History section. What was that Pinkie had said? Something about a mirror… the Broken Mirror of Foul Fortune, no… Vanity Glass, no… the Mirror of Erised, no…

A loud thud brought him out of his search. He turned to see Spike lying against the pile of books and scrolls they'd accumulated with a book open on his head. Twilight levitated it off him and opened it.

"Aha, here it is! "The legend of the Mirror Pond"..." She quickly flicked through it. "It describes a spell I can use to send them back where they came from!"

"That's perfect! Let's go!" Spike said.

"But there's a catch," she added. "If I can't figure out which one's the real Pinkie, I might send her back by mistake!"

"What is this 'I' business all of a sudden?" asked Dusk. "You might be the one casting the spell, but there is more than one mind and set of eyes to assist you."

"Yeah, we'll just have to figure out who the real one is then. Shouldn't be too hard," Spike said optimistically.

She smiled warmly at them both and led them back outside to confront the crowd. After how he'd been before, Dusk knew he had to make it up to her.

"Does anypony here know how we can tell the real Pinkie Pie from all the rest of them?" she asked them.

All of them shrugged and scratched their heads. Except for one who desperately pushed her way through to them.

"Twilight! Dusk! I have to talk to you, I need your help!" begged Pinkie.

"Excuse me, whoever you are, but we're not talking to any of you Pinkies unless you're the real Pinkie," Twilight said firmly.

"Do you mind?" Dusk asked a Pinkie next to Twilight who was imitating her motions while she spoke.

The Pinkie gasped and bolted away like a rabbit caught in headlights. He slapped a hoof to his forehead.

"Oh, but, but I am the real Pinkie!" she insisted.

"No, you're not! I'm the real Pinkie!" another one said.

"I'm the real Pinkie!"

"No, I'm the real Pinkie!"

"I'm the real Pinkie!"

This went on and on until there were dozens of Pinkies in the square, every single one of them saying they were the real one. Eventually, they all started chanting 'fun, fun, fun' and returned to bouncing around and breaking things.

Dusk stared around in shock. Though he'd heard it from the mob, seeing it with his own eyes was quite different. It should have been impossible, but here it was. Impossible incarnate. A mob of Pinkie Pies, prancing everywhere and chanting about having fun.

"How in tarnation are we supposed to tell which is the real Pinkie?" asked Applejack.

"I have no idea," admitted Twilight hopelessly.

"There has to be some way," reasoned Dusk. "Let's try walking around town for a bit, observe how they behave and there might be something that could give them away."

"Good idea," agreed Twilight. "Maybe inspiration will strike us as we go."

Instructing Applejack to try and keep order among the townsfolk, they set off through town. It was truly alarming how many Pinkie Pies there were bouncing around. Ray had been right. Dealing with one Pinkie was challenging enough. How were they meant to try and control dozens of her?

Silently though, Dusk was grateful. This was giving him something else important to focus on, rather than have his thoughts linger on the matter that had been plaguing his mind for so long.

"We could try and use a spell to see into their minds," suggested Dusk while they scoured the town. "Sift through their thoughts and see which one is the original."

"But if they're all duplicates of Pinkie, then their thoughts are also going to be identical," she pointed out. "Besides, something tells me we don't want to try poking around inside Pinkie's head."

"Thinking about it, you might be right," murmured Dusk.

"Ugh, this is hopeless!" she groaned.

"Maybe that one's the real Pinkie." Spike pointed towards a Pinkie who was just sat a table, her head slumped in depression.

Twilight was cynical. "Please. The real Pinkie Pie never sat that long in one place her whole life!"

"Then perhaps that's all the more reason to find out why this one is," reasoned Dusk. "Regardless, we might as well try."

Spike nodded. "Yeah. Come on, Dusk, let's go ask."

"Of course she's gonna say she's the real Pinkie! They all do! You're wasting your time," grumbled Twilight.

Dusk smiled back at her. "Have a little faith, Miss Sparkle."

He caught her rolling her eyes a little as they approached the depressed Pinkie.

"So lemme guess. You're the real Pinkie Pie," ventured Spike.

"Heck if I know. Could be any one of us if you ask me. And if I said I was the real Pinkie, you wouldn't even believe me anyway." She hung her head and got up from the table. "So just leave me alone. I've got some important poking the ground with my hoof to do."

Dusk felt a stab of pity as she trudged off. His fellow librarians seemed to hold the same opinion.

"Oh, guys, how're we gonna do this?" Twilight asked. "I can't risk sending the real Pinkie back into the pond!"

"I miss the real Pinkie," sighed Spike.

"As do I, little brother," replied Dusk. "There has to be something we can try. Something that would help our Pinkie to stand out from these ones, something different that the others don't have. Something like…"

"Hey. Hey!" The depressed Pinkie was calling them back. "What if you gave them a test? Pick something really hard for a Pinkie to do, something not fun at all! Any Pinkie that can't do it goes back into the pond. But whoever wants to stay the most, that must be the real Pinkie!"

"Something like that," finished Dusk.

"Yeah…" Twilight nodded. "You know, that's not a bad idea."

"Indeed. Thank you!" he called to the Pinkie before galloping after Twilight, Spike waddling close behind.

He couldn't help but glance back at her. She'd sunken back into her depression. Something none of the others were doing. Could it be…? He lingered a little, reminded himself of what he had to do and galloped off again.

Maybe his suspicions would be confirmed later. If this worked.

With their plan worked out, they began to set it in motion. Dusk went to the Apple Family and Ray and set them up with the task of rounding up all of the Pinkies and getting them to town hall. Considering their chaotic nature, herding them like cattle seemed to be the best solution. Fortunately, the farmers were in agreement.

"Yeah, count me in too," Ray said. "I have a hard enough time with one Pinkie Pie, I refuse to deal with a whole horde of her."

Meanwhile, Twilight and Spike set about locating their friends so they could bear witness to the test and help to set it up. Everything was just about ready when the herd of Pinkies arrived at town hall, the doors snapping shut quickly behind them.

Twilight saw her cue and took place centre stage, Dusk and Spike following her.

"Welcome, Pinkies, welcome. Please have a seat and make yourselves comfortable." They didn't seem to hear her and carried on their chant. "Okay, I suppose you can't be comfortable staying in one place, but have a seat anyway." This produced the same result. It took a light flare from Dusk and Twilight's raised voice to get their attention. "Sit down!"

They all shut up and hurried to sit down. It felt strange, seeing so many of the same bright blue eyes staring at them.

"Better. Now," she went on, "I suppose you're all wondering why I've gathered you all here today."

"For fun?" a Pinkie asked hopefully.

"No, just the opposite actually."

"Wait up, I got one more!" Rainbow arrived carrying a Pinkie. "Found this one poking at the ground with her hoof, drawing frowny faces."

Twilight nodded. "Have her come sit with the others."

The Pegasus placed her down with a loud thud in the midst. Even amongst them, Dusk didn't lose sight of this one. Her eyes held none of the happiness the others did.

"Pinkies, you've been brought here to take a test," Twilight announced. A collective groan rose from the Pinkies. "Don't worry, it's a simple test, about as simple as they come, and whoever passes gets to stay." Murmurs of interest rose from the crowd.

"Curtain, please." They stood aside as the curtain lifted and Fluttershy and Rarity wheeled out the test. "The test... will be watching paint dry!"

A stretch of bare wall with nothing on it except a fresh, wet coat of purple paint was revealed. The duplicates gasped as one at the enormity of such a dull task.

Dusk used his colours to make a countdown and set them off. The Pinkies leaned forward, their eyes fixed intently on the wall.

Spike propped himself on a seat with a bag of popcorn.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Five minutes later, his eagerness was drained, along with his snacks. "Okay, maybe not that exciting."

Dusk had to agree. He couldn't talk to Twilight, as she had to remain ready to cast the spell to send them back. He managed to keep himself entertained by idly swirling colours around his hooves and coiling shadows around his legs.

This might be necessary, but by Celestia this was dull. Until something helped to break the monotony

A Pinkie looked out the window. "Oh, hey, look at the birdie!"

Twilight shot off a spell at the Pinkie. She shot into the air, expanded like a balloon and burst into a cloud of pink vapour. It floated out the building and no doubt back to the mirror pool.

"Watch me bounce and touch the ceiling!" The Pinkie who tried received the same treatment.

Getting an idea, Dusk made his colours a little brighter and more active. A Pinkie seated on the edge of the crowd caught it out of the corner of her eye and was soon transfixed by the sight.

"Ooh, pretty colours…" A second later and she was gone.

One by one, the bored Pinkie Pies succumbed to other ways to distract away from the boredom. Witnessing the orange frog from before, growing strange appendages from their hooves, somehow altering how their faces looked. Each time they did, Twilight shot another spell and sent them back to the mirror pool.

She fired off so many, her horn was actually smoking. She blew it away and smiled proudly.

"Nice shooting, Tex," remarked Dusk, tipping his hat to her. That only made her smile widen.

Now, there were only two left. These ones seemed to have learned from the mistakes of the others and were even more determined to be the last one standing than ever before. As a result, there was a genuinely tense and hoof-biting long pause as they waited for a sign that one of them would crack.

Dusk could see droplets of sweat trickling down their heads, their eyes quivering and their bodies shivering faintly. They couldn't keep this up forever. One of them had to give in and they'd be left with the real one. But he already had an idea of which one. He'd made sure his eyes never left this one and she hadn't faltered once.

Finally, somepony did crack. But it wasn't Pinkie.

"Ugh, I can't take it anymore! Somepony's making balloon animals!" yelled Rainbow.

"What? Where?" One last blast for one last Pinkie and the result was clear.

Dusk approached her and placed a hoof on her shoulder gently.

"The test is over, Pinkie. You can stop looking now."

"I passed?" She appeared genuinely surprised.

"You passed," he confirmed. "You're the last mare standing. Just as I suspected you might be."

"I had to. I just had to. I couldn't leave my friends, I just couldn't. But I guess sometimes I will have to choose between them," she realised.

"We knew you'd be up to the challenge," put in Twilight proudly.

"I'm me! I'm me! I'm me!" She paused. "Or am I? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am." Then she whipped her head at Dusk. "Wait a second, how did you know I was the real one?"

"But you already know how, Pinkie." He winked at her. "I'm psychic, remember?"

Pinkie stared for a moment, giggled gleefully and threw her hooves around Dusk in a hug. One that he gladly returned.

Repairs began shortly after. Luckily, a Pinkie Pie horde wasn't the worse thing to ever come storming through Ponyville and the damage was relatively minor. With Big Mac's help, they hauled a large boulder to the entrance of the Mirror Pond and used it to seal it, ensuring nopony would use it again.

The only thing left to clean up was the books they'd left scattered in the library. Dusk and Twilight set about tidying them away while Spike went to take Pinkie's letter to the princess. They made sure the book about the Pond was hidden away too, behind a secret panel on one of the book cases.

"I wonder why this was here in the first place," remarked Twilight. "Why hide away this book at all."

"Perhaps for the same reason the events of today happened," replied Dusk. "Some things are better left undiscovered."

"I don't know about that." She fluttered her lashes at him. "I wouldn't mind having more than one of you around."

Dusk blushed. "I think one of me is enough. I'm sorry, Twilight."

"What for?"

"For before. For losing my temper, for keeping this from you. I'm… I'm sorry."

She smiled softly. "There's nothing to be sorry for. I of all ponies know what it's like to be stressed and worried about something. I'm just glad you finally told me."

"You're… you're not angry with me?"

"Not angry, no. More annoyed at you being an idiot, but I'm used to that." She cupped his cheek. "I know it seems daunting, what we're about to face, but do you remember when I thought there was a disaster coming? How much I panicked over that?" He nodded. "Do you remember the lesson I learned from that experience?"

"To deal with problems as they come?"

"Exactly," she said. "And remember, you're not alone in this. You have Luna, our friends, Spike…"

"And you?"

"Goes without saying." She kissed him lovingly. "Whatever it is, whatever he's planning, we'll face him together. Like we always have done. And for now, let's try not to worry about it. For now, we're safe and we're happy. Let's just enjoy that. Promise?"

"Pinkie promise," he vowed, for the second time that day. "To be fair, at least I haven't tried to stop time."

"Oh, shut up," she giggled, punching his leg. "Come on, let's go and see how Pinkie's doing."

The gales of the frozen north echoed like the cries of the damned, the snow whipping up furiously in the wind. The Crystal Empire was protected from the fierce storm by the field of magic generated by the Heart and remained untouched. Nopony in their right mind would be caught out in a storm such as this.

This, combined with the low visibility of the storm, allowed the one who did to remain unnoticed as he approached the outskirts of the great settlement. Even with the strong winds billowing all around him, his cloak flowing behind him, he remained as unfazed by the wind and the cold as a glacier. Almost as if he belonged here.

Fallen halted at the edge of the shield. Though he had his armour and magic to protect him, the light and love of the Empire was enough to keep intruders such as him at bay. He could break through it given enough time and energy, but there was no need. His path didn't take him inside the border, the spell he cast guiding him around the outside.

He resumed his search. Had things gone according to plan, he wouldn't have had to be here in the first place. But since Sombra had disappointingly failed in his task, it was the only option open to him in order to proceed with his plans. There was a reason he needed the former king… specifically the magic that he possessed.

But things hadn't gone according to plan. Sombra was purged of his darkness and he had gone into a self-invoked exile. The unicorn king had covered his tracks well. Even Fallen was having trouble pinning him down. So, he had to take matters into his own hooves, emerge from seclusion and risk being seen again before the curtain rose.

But he knew how to remain hidden and it would be worth it for this addition to his penned masterpiece.

Finally, he saw it. The snow had almost buried it, but he could see it poking out. The only remaining aspect of the Crystal King's dark side: a red and black horn, sliced cleanly at the bottom and curving up into a sharp point. The Crystal Ponies and their new leaders had foolishly left it here, lying out in the open where anypony could find it.

All the better for him.

He reached out and picked up the horn. Though it was broken, he could feel the lingering power within it. Dull though it is, the magic is still great... it needed only to be tapped by one who truly knew how to wield it.

Silently, he placed the horn in his cloak, turned and walked away. He was soon swallowed up by the storm and the snow covered his tracks, eliminating any sign he was ever there.

One Bad Apple

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It was amazing how fast this town could recover from the strange events that seemed to occur on an almost daily basis, Ray thought to himself. Only a week had gone by and things had settled down after Pinkie's iteration of Attack of the Clones. Then again, they did live with the one and only party pony every day, so maybe that explained it.

Even so, it was still quite amazing. He could still picture it clearly. An ocean of pink bounding closer and closer on the horizon, accompanied by their incessant chanting. He could almost feel the ground rumbling from the sheer mass of mares, bouncing up and down, up and down, chanting fun, fun, fun, fun, fun-

He blinked suddenly and shook his head. He lived every day with an angry demon in his head, how was this inciting terror in him? He briefly considered that maybe he should see a therapist, but quickly dismissed the idea. That hadn't worked out well the first time either.

At least things had been rather peaceful since then. He'd just done his usual day-to-day stuff on the farm, put off doing his usual day-to-day stuff on the farm, get bucked by Applejack for putting off his day-to-day stuff on the farm, the usual. Meanwhile, he had reset his mental clock for when the next potential crisis would find its way to Ponyville and he thought it would have ended a few days ago when Applejack told him she had some news.

After she'd managed to convince him that there was no imminent threat, she told the family some news that a family member would be coming from Manehattan to visit for a couple of weeks. In honesty, he only found out about it because he happened to be present at the time. Still, it had been nice they had let him stick around to hear it.

It was nice to be part of a family…

While the news had been received positively, Apple Bloom was especially excited as the family in question, one Babs Seed, was the same age as her. The following days were spent preparing for the Manehattan filly's arrival...well, for Granny Smith and Applebloom at least, the latter practically a whirlwind of activity and enthusiasm whenever Ray saw her. He, of course, along with Applejack and Big Mac, were still working the orchard as usual.

Until today, as Ray was now standing with Applejack and the Crusaders at the train station for Babs's arrival. The latter were all leaping around in excitement while the former looked like she was on the very edge of her patience. She had apparently waited until the last minute to tell her little sister a very important detail about her cousin: she didn't have her Cutie Mark yet. This was the result.

Hence, Ray was trying very hard not to burst out laughing at Applejack's face while the fillies jumped and bounded around her excitedly.

"So," he leaned in and whispered, unable to resist, "is this why you brought me along?"

"Ai-yup." Her teeth were gritted and she stared straight ahead.

"Wow, imagine: me as a tether for another pony's sanity," he gasped dramatically. "I didn't know you valued me so much, AJ."

"Mouth shut, eyes front, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." He snapped his mouth shut. He was silent for a bit.

Then he snorted.

Applejack glared at him. "What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing," he replied quickly.

"That's what ah thought." She returned to her deadpan frown and Ray kept his mouth shut.

The Crusaders weren't paying much mind to them. They were all far too excited to focus on anything else. Except for the sound of the train whistle and the tell-tale steam of an arriving train.

Apple Bloom's eyes lit up. "Is that the train from Manehattan?"

"Yep," her sister answered.

No sooner had it pulled into the station and ponies began to disembark, the filly was dashing from window to window to catch a glimpse of her cousin.

"At least you can't fault her enthusaiasm," remarked Ray.

Applejack gave him an incredulous stare. "Where the hay have you been standin' fer the last fifteen minutes?"

"Only because you made me come along."

"Yeah, ah'm yer boss, ah can do that."

"And I'm an invaluable addition to the farm you couldn't be without," he added proudly. "You don't have to say it, I know."

Applejack rolled her eyes, but still managed a laugh. She looked at her sister. "Apple Bloom, you've never met Babs Seed, remember?"

"Oh..." She laughed sheepishly. "Yeah."

"Ah, that's her!"

Ray followed Applejack's gaze. A filly with dull orange fur and a bright red mane and tail had just stepped off the train, a brown suitcase at her side. Her tail was short, but her mane was combed over one side than the other.

Ray shook his head a little. Never understood the point of a comb, he thought. Your mane was going to get messy anyway, why waste time making it neat?

"Babs! Babs!" Within a second, the three fillies were right in her face. "It's me, your cousin, Apple Bloom! And this is Sweetie Belle, and this is Scootaloo, and we are so, so, so glad you're here!"

When she spoke, her Manehattan origins clearly came through in her accent.

"Thanks, I'm happy to–"

"This is gonna be the best week of your life!" added Sweetie Belle.

"Sure hope it's gonna be–"

"Seriously, we are gonna have a blast!" finished Scootaloo.

Babs stood there, looking unsure whether to be pleased or scared. Both Applejack and Ray laughed, the stallion flashing her his best grin.

"Believe me, my welcome here was pretty much the same, although with two less ponies and plus several years. And probably a few other things besides," he added.

"Heh, right." Babs didn't look very reassured.

"Don't ya worry Babs, yer in good hooves," Applejack said. "Ma sister an' her friends are gonna make sure ya feel welcome an' if ya ever need anythin', jus' find me, ma brother or Granny Smith. If ya can't find us, check in with Ray, he'll point ya the right way."

"That's me, hi," he waved. He stopped Applejack when she went for Babs's suitcase and levitated it. "You need to find somepony or get somewhere, I'll have you there…" He paused, teleported her bag with him to the house and was went right back. "In a flash."

"Whoa!" Babs leaped about a foot in the air. "W-w-what was that?! How the hay did you…?!"

"They teach you that kind of language in Manehattan?" He chuckled. "Don't worry, it's just my teleporting abilities." He vanished and reappeared on the top of the train. "As you can see." Then on top of the station. "I'm quite good at it." And back again. "Nothing to it."

"Oh… okay." She managed a smile. "Cool."

"Yeah, 'bout the only thing more impressive'n that is how much he likes ta show it off," put in Applejack.

Ray huffed. "You're just jealous."

"Ya want me ta kick ya upside the head again?"

"Only if you can catch me first."

She rolled her eyes again. "Come on, let's git movin'. No sense hangin' 'round here."

They started to make tracks back to the farm, the Crusaders filling their newfound friend on everything they had planned.

"The Summer Harvest Parade's going on while you're here! You'll get to ride in a float!" Sweetie announced.

Babs perked up. "Really? I've never been on a float before."

"And we've got a really big surprise for you!" added Scootaloo.

"Yeah... uh... a surprise?" Babs murmured as her eyes were covered. Then, in a quieter voice, "So uh, is that guy your sister's coltfriend or something?"

She probably thought they couldn't hear her. They did and their hooves went for their foreheads at the same time.

They passed the rest of the walk back to the farm just allowing the Crusaders to let out their excitement on Babs. Scootaloo was still covering her eyes, even though they were nowhere near the clubhouse.

"Well, duh," the filly said when Ray pointed this out. "We don't wanna ruin the surprise!"

"Yeah, but wouldn't it make sense to do it when your closer?" he countered.

Scootaloo frowned. "I guess that makes sense." She removed her hooves. "Sorry about that Babs."

"Don't worry about it," she shrugged.

Ray couldn't help but notice that Babs still looked a little uncomfortable, even though the Crusaders couldn't have been more welcoming. She was still glancing around unsurely with a nervous smile on her face, which now and again flickered to an expression that almost bordered on fearful. It would be easy to just put it down to nerves, a little filly moving all by herself to a new place. What kid wouldn't be nervous?

Except for himself, of course. But with Babs, he had a small suspicion that it was something different. Something deeper… either that or she was just freaked out by the Crusader's overenthusiastic reaction to her.

They split off when they arrived back at the farm. Scootaloo covered Babs's eyes again and set off to show her the 'surprise' while AJ and Ray headed back to the orchard off to the west. The next few minutes were spent bucking the trees with Ray slipping in the occasional wisecrack, earning his reward in the form of glares from Applejack and orders to get back to work.

It only changed when Applejack approached him with a large cart of assorted apples right after Ray had tried impersonating her accent again.

"Oh dear." He eyed the cart warily. "I'm going to pay for that last one, aren't I?"

"Ya guess right."

"Is this the part where you stuff my body into the cart and run it off into the river to make it look like an 'accident'?"

"Nope. This is the part where ya take these here apples and put 'em in the barn," she told him. "Now go on, git."

"No problem," he grinned. "I'll just hook myself up and zap 'em here and back in a-"

"Don't even think about it, hotshot," she warned. "These apples are especially high quality an' they're gonna be shipped outta Ponyville. They're not ta be fooled with in anyway, so that means no magic, zippy."

His grin vanished. "So… that means I have to do this… the slow way?"

"Nope. It means ya have ta do this the right way," she corrected smugly.

"But…" He looked across the farm. "It's so far…"

"Then you'd better git a move on then. They ain't gonna move themselves."

"Can't I just levitate a few?"

"Not even one. Yer doin' this the earth pony way."

"Why can't Big Mac do this?"

"Two reasons. One: he's workin' the east orchard taday, so it ain't much point botherin' him. Two: like ya said, ya gotta pay fer yer lil' stunt."

"Man, you really are sensitive about the accent, aren't you?"

"Get yer lazy flank in gear!"

Ray knew better than to continue arguing once Applejack had reached the point of yelling, so he quickly saluted, hooked himself up to the cart and hurried off. Well, as fast as anypony could lugging a cart full of fruit five times their own weight down a dirt path. He was almost tempted to try and teleport once he was a good distance away, but decided against it.

Even from here, he could feel Applejack's gaze burning into him. She would find out. Somehow, she always did.

While he walked, his mind drifted to the Crusaders, offhoofedly wondering how they're getting along with Babs. He thought back to the giddiness they were all displaying around the, frankly, unsure-looking Manehattan filly. At least she didn't seem like one of the snooty-types around that city, so hopefully she wouldn't have too much trouble settling into life in such a rural setting. Still, once they'd gotten back to the farm, the girls had immediately whisked Babs away to 'show her around', excitement clear in their eyes.

Thinking about them, Ray felt a smile tug at his lips. Seeing them running around and playing day in and day out, getting up to their shenanigans, happy and carefree... it always just made his day brighter.

Though it also came with the smallest tinge of sadness. His own foalhood had been nothing like theirs. His was full of loneliness, confusion, and hate. He was just that kid who everypony's parents said to stay away from, with no reason as for why. Even now, he could still see them sometimes... always avoiding and shunning him... surrounding him on all sides everywhere he went... countless eyes all trained upon his lone form...

Those cold, hateful eyes...

He quickly shoved those thoughts aside and focused on the present. Things had changed for him since arriving in Ponyville, in more ways than one. Not just his friendship status, but also his outlook on life. In any case, it was refreshing to know that there were kids in the world like Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, with friends and family to support them.

However, he refocused on his task when he came around a bend and into a small rolling field, with the barn and house both visible just up ahead. Moving on, to keep himself going, he thought encouraging thoughts to himself. Once he got these apples there, he would be free to use his wonderful skills again to get back. To more work…

On second thought, not all that encouraging.

Until he heard a shout, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground up ahead. Looking up, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary... for about a split second, until a giant yellow-orange shape, which Ray recognized as the Crusaders' pumpkin float, came tumbling out of the barn doors. Without its wheels. Rather fast. Straight for him.

Panicking, his initial thought was to teleport out of the way, which he was about to do, when he realized that he still had the cart of apples hooked up to him, and what Applejack said to him... but she wouldn't mind if it had been to save himself. Then again, she'd been very adamant. She'd kill him if anything happened to these apples. But this pumpkin might kill him if he didn't move. And why was it getting so dark?

He looked up. It was right on top of him. Almost literally, as it happened. He hadn't left himself any time to move out of the way. The dangers of indecision, he thought grimly.

Then it hit him.

Apple Bloom stared in shock at the wrecked debris that used to be their float that scattered the field outside. Sweetie and Scootaloo stared with her, still disbelieving that Babs had done such a thing.

They just didn't see this coming. They'd been nice to Babs from the minute she'd pulled into town. They'd shown her their clubhouse, offered her a place in the Crusaders, told her she could ride the float with them in the parade. Sure, she'd been rather shy but she thought she would have become their friend.

Then, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had showed up with their usual taunting and teasing and just like that, she stood with them now. She'd kicked the wheel off their float and deliberately made it crash like that. What for? Why would she do that?

"Looks like somepony's pumpkin just got squashed!" she sneered. Diamond and Silver sniggered cruelly behind her.

Apple Bloom glared at her. "When ah tell Applejack–"

She ended up backing away when Babs loomed over her, staring her down.

"You gonna tell Applejack what?"

"W-well, y'know, uh..." Suddenly, she lost her resolve.

"What're you, a snitch?" threatened her cousin.

"Come on, Babs, you should hang with us!" offered Diamond. "Y'know, the cool ponies, not these bab-!"

She screamed as a sudden bright flash of light cut her off. Silver shrieked while Babs looked around fearfully, while the Crusaders were startled by the green stallion who stood before them.

"Okay, who the HECK was responsible for that?!" demanded Ray fiercely.

All six fillies were rendered speechless as they just stared up at him, wide-eyed. Conversely, Ray was casting his gaze over all of them slowly, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Apple Bloom, in the midst of her stupor, noticed something. Ray looked incredibly dishevelled for some reason.

He had cuts and bruises all over his body, his coat was covered with dust and grime, his mane and tail were even more of a mess than they usually were, and he had numerous splinters of various sizes poking out of him here and there, including - and Apple Bloom cringed at the sight of this - a particularly large one digging lengthwise into his side. He almost looked like he had just crawled out of a wreckage of some sor-

Suddenly she blinked, and her eyes wandered over once again to the remains of the float some distance away. Looking back at her friends, she saw that they had arrived at similar conclusions, as both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were also glancing out at the area with identical wide-eyed expressions.

The silence was broken by Ray's angry tones again.

"Hello? I asked a question! Would anypony care to answer me?"

His gaze fell on their two tormentors and their new recruit, making them all back up slightly.

"...What?" Diamond's voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke.

Ray let out a mixture between an agitated sigh and a groan.

"Okay, let me make this nice and easy to understand," he growled. "I was just outside, hauling about half an orchard's worth of apples back here with explicit instructions to handle them with care. I was doing a pretty good job too, then something happened. Do you want to know what it was?"

"U-um…" Silver stammered, but Ray ploughed on, his volume rising.

"A pumpkin float starts tumbling towards me, from this very barn! I didn't have the time to get out of the way before it landed, quite painfully I might add, on top of me! And by some miraculous coincidence, who should I find in this very barn, but you lot! Reputed causers of mayhem even more so than the Lord of Chaos himself!"

He was practically shouting now, almost exerting a force that had the three fillies quivering in terror. Even the Crusaders were backing away a little now.

"So, I'm going to ask one, last time before I really get mad: WHO-?!" He suddenly stopped. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He spoke again in a calmer, but still dangerous tone. "Who here was responsible for almost filling me with more wood than the cart I was pulling?"

Apple Bloom noted, as he calmed down, a growing pressure she felt in the air was lifted. She hadn't even really noticed it was there until it was gone. She glanced curiously at her friends, who all returned the same puzzled look. The other three were now able to stand without shaking in his presence anymore.

Ray was still gazing around at them, but his eyes were no longer filled with blazing anger. They instead looked almost… apologetic? Apple Bloom would have found this curious, but out of the blue, she realized what Ray was asking.

Again looking over at her two friends, she could see that they understood too. Sweetie Belle returned her gaze with a small smile, and Scootaloo, for her part, was even grinning. They wouldn't have to go tell Applejack about the float, and they wouldn't have to just sit back and let Babs get away with it, either. Ray was here now, and he'd practically just caught the perpetrators red-hoofed! This was their chance!

Scootaloo ventured an explanation. "Well, what happened was-"

She was silenced by a quick glare from Babs. Since Ray was looking at her now, he didn't see it.

"Yes, Scootaloo?" he asked.

"W-what Scoots was trying to say," Babs took up, "is that they were in here showing me their float, you know? I wanted to uh, get a better look at it and um… I guess I got a little too worked up. Accidently hit the wheel and sent it tumbling. It was a cool thought, riding a float and all. Guess I should have had better control of myself. Sorry about that."

Ray's expression didn't change. He kept his eyes locked on Babs, who smiled uneasily. They travelled over to Diamond and Silver, who nodded rapidly by way of confirmation. He looked at the Crusaders and suddenly began scowling for some reason.

He turned back to Babs, scepticism dripping in his voice. "You accidentally knocked the wheel off? Because you got over-excited?"

"Yep," she said without hesitation. "Sorry, won't happen again. Well, it can't really 'cause the float's in bits."

"I know," he growled. He sighed and stood aside. "Alright, since it was just an accident. Off you go."

They nodded nervously and hurried out. While they were leaving, Applebloom spotted Babs giving her a cold smirk over her shoulder before looking in front again, and walking out of sight.

Anger, betrayal, despair, all of these and many more were raging inside Apple Bloom's head. That was their chance and they let it slip through their hooves! Ray could have torn them apart if they'd let him and he'd just let them walk away?! That was so unfair! How could this have happened? Why to her and her friends?

While she tried to work it all out, she saw Ray poking his head out the barn door, presumably watching the other girls leave. Eventually, he stepped back into the barn and looked down at the three fillies, all of whom have their heads hung in either sadness, disappointment, or disbelief.

"She was the one who broke the float, wasn't she?" he asked after a few moments.

The three of them were caught way off guard by this question. Hadn't he just bought their story? Why was he asking them this? Ray was like her sister in that he could always seem to tell what somepony was thinking or feeling. Even lying…

Then she realised what he had done. He had let them go so they wouldn't be scared to tell him the truth. In that moment, all apprehension in Apple Bloom's mind about telling somepony and "being a snitch" vanished in an instant.

"Yeah, she did," she answered.

Ray listened while, along with the other two girls, told him everything that happened.

He nodded at the end of it. "I thought so…"

"If you did, then why did you let them go?!" Scootaloo yelled. "How come you didn't do anything?! You had them right there!"

"I didn't 'know' anything," he replied. "I just had a hunch and even then I couldn't try to call her out or bring her in for punishment without solid proof."

Scootaloo backed down, grumbling silently. Sweetie approached.

"How did you know in the first place?" she asked. "Why the hunch?"

"It was rather obvious," he answered. "You three kept looking at each other during my questioning, and when Scootaloo was about to say something, she stopped as soon as Babs looked at her, at which point Babs began speaking instead."

"How did you see that? You were looking the other way," noted Apple Bloom.

"Corner of my eye," he shrugged. "Not only that, but the mean looks that the three of them were sending Babs also kind of gave it away. Who were the other two though? I've seen them around sometimes. What were they doing here? Friends of yours?"

"Anything but," replied Sweetie. "Diamond Tiara, the pink one and Silver Spoon, they're always together because I think they're the only two that can stand each other."

"Yeah, they're real jerks!" followed up Scootaloo. "They make fun of all the time, usually because we don't have our cutie marks yet. They tease us, call us names, they're just all around mean. Not just us, but anypony at school who's not good enough for them."

"That was why they came here taday," finished Apple Bloom. "Ah don't know why they're such bullies all the time, they just are. Always have been an' now there's one more-a them an' it's ma own cousin…"

She looked and saw that Ray had gone unusually quiet. He cast his gaze downward and she caught a glimpse of a lingering pain behind his eyes that he seemed to be trying to hide. Had what they had told him upset him somehow?

"Is Babs gonna get in trouble fer what she did?" she asked.

Ray slowly looked up again. "...No. Not yet," he said slowly.

"What does that mean?" asked Scootaloo.

"Yeah, can't we just tell Applejack or somepony about this?" put in Sweetie Belle.

"I don't think that'll cut it," he said. "I think I have a better way of teaching those three a lesson."

Scootaloo's face lit up. "Now this I like the sound of."

"Okay, what we do is…" He trailed off and swooned a little.

"Hey, are you okay?" Apple Bloom ventured.

"Huh? Oh, fine, fine," he said a little groggily. "Why do you ask?"

"You uh…" Scootaloo. thought for a moment. "You really don't look so good."

"You got a uh… a something in you there." Sweetie tried to call attention to it without trying to look too much at it.

"Really?" He looked himself over, his head swaying and his eyes lingering on the big splinter in his side. "Oh, I guess so. I am in pretty bad shape, now you mention it…"

He laughed a little, earning looks of confusion from the girls. He stopped suddenly. His eyes widened while his pupils shrank.

"Girls," he began slowly in a deceivingly calm voice, "I think that the adrenaline was wearing off now...and I have realised I'm actually in... incredible pain..."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Sweetie hurriedly. "Do you want us to get help?"

"I um… I… I don't think I'm going to keep standing now…"

His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he careened onto the floor. Thankfully, he didn't land on the big splinter in his side.

"Oh no!" Scootaloo ran up to him and forced open an eyelid. "What do we do?"

"Okay, um, you two stay here with him, ah'll go get a cart!" instructed Apple Bloom.

She hurried off, praying to Celestia that Ray would wake up soon.

Dusk frowned in slight annoyance when the shadow he was manipulating was extinguished by the light orb he was generating at the same time. He sighed and let the light orb, trying to think of how else he could go about it.

Even though he was on a break, he still wanted to experiment with this new idea he had of combining his two different magic types: light and shadow. However, every time, he seemed to encounter the same problems. Either the shadow was so dark in drowned out the light or the light was so bright it banished the shadow. There didn't appear to be any middle ground.

He knew that such a thing should be impossible, as anypony else would have told him. But he'd learned a long time ago that there was no darkness without light and light was meaningless without darkness. His abilities were practically a living example of that. Even though they seemed unable to exist together, believed that there had to be some way they could.

It was just finding it that would be a challenge.

"Dusk! Dusk! Hey, Dusk! Check this out!"

And it would be even more challenging when he couldn't concentrate properly, he thought with mild annoyance.

He put on a polite smile, quelled the annoyance and turned to Spike who came dashing up excitedly.

"What is it, Spike?"

"It came!" He held up something rectangular with bright colours on it. "It finally came!"

"What did?" Dusk pulled out his glasses. "What's this?"

"Look at the cover!" he urged.

Dusk did so, his eyes coming into focus on the title. "'The… Power Ponies?' Aren't those the comics you like to read?"

In all honesty, he hadn't read very many. While his parents were fine with his reading books, his father considered comics to be 'trash' and he hadn't had a lot of access to them. Spike had said about lending him a few issues sometime when he'd brought this up.

"The very same," he confirmed. "But this one's a special issue. Check out the rest of the title!"

He squinted. "'Introducing a new hero'… wait a moment…" His eyes moved to the area below the cover.

On it was the illustration of a group of six, heroic looking mares in bright costumes. Behind them, the area was bathed in darkness, with a very familiar silhouette emerging from it, dressed in a fedora hat with yellow oval-shaped eyes.

"That's not…?"

"Yeah, it is!" Spike cheered. "Congrats, Dusk! You're in a comic book!"

"Well, the Spectre is," corrected Dusk, feeling his cheeks turn red. "He and I… we're nothing alike."

"Yeah, you do act pretty different when the mask goes on," commented Spike. "Doesn't mean the you that puts on the costume is any different from the actual you."

"How philosophical of you," he murmured. "How did this even come about? When did this happen?"

"About a month ago," he answered. "See, the creators heard about some kind of super hero that had appeared in Ponyville a couple of times and they came here to check it out. In the wake of the changeling attack, they wanted something that would help lift everypony's spirits again, give them hope and stuff."

"And they found you, I take it?"

"Yeah, they were looking around and they were like 'does anypony know the Shadow Spectre' and I was like 'I know the Shadow Spectre' and they were like 'you know the Shadow Spectre' and I was like 'I totally know the Shadow Spectre!'"

"Great story, Spike." Twilight remarked sarcastically from the next room.

"Anyway," he continued, "I told them you'd be okay with using the Spectre in the comic and gave them the go-ahead. They promised once the first issue featuring him was done, they'd send me and you a free copy and here it is."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted it to be surprise for you." He stood back proudly. "So, what do you think?"

Dusk looked back at the comic. It was strange, thinking that there would be ponies reading about the adventures of his alternate persona with a group of superheroes like this. Himself on the cover of a comic. He felt both uncomfortable and embarrassed by the idea at first.

Then again, it wasn't him. Really, only those in Ponyville knew who the Spectre was underneath the mask. The girls had gone to the effort to not let the word spread beyond the town, in case he was ever needed again. The town seemed to take a sort of pride in keeping the secret of their town hero's identity, so it didn't take much persuasion. There couldn't be any real harm in it.

In the end, he smiled and handed the comic back to Spike.

"I only hope it's going to be enjoyable for you," he wished. "And that the fans will accept this as part of the established canon. Dedicated ones often don't respond well to change."

"They should do. They've been crying out for a more positive and serious male involvement in the team to counteract Hum Drum's comic relief factor," he explained. "It should work. They're giving him a cool backstory, all the powers I told them he has. They're even gonna feature some romance in it." He leaned in to whisper. "I hear they're planning to pair him with Masked Matter-Horn."

Dusk chuckled again. "Tell me how that turns out." He looked at the hero in question. "Hm, she looks a lot like Twilight…"

"I'm sure that's just a coincidence," shrugged Spike. "Right, I'm gonna go read it. I'll lend it to you when I'm done."

Dusk nodded and watched him run off upstairs. He smiled at the young dragon's enthusasim before turning his mind back to the task at hoof.

"Psst!"

He shot his head up. He looked around, his ears twitching. The library was empty except for the faint sound of Twilight's magic from the other room. He could have sworn he'd heard something…

"Psst!"

There it was again. It sounded like it was coming from the bookcase next to him. He cautiously approached it, trying to determine what it was.

"Down here!"

He followed the sound. It was coming from a rather large book that had managed to be squeezed on the bottom shelf. It didn't look familiar. He heaved it out and saw the words 'Not A Pony: The Book' blazed on the cover.

Before he could have time to ponder this mystery, the cover shot open and something pink burst out and pulled him inside. Complete darkness curtained his eyes and he was about to cry out when a hoof pressed against his mouth.

"Don't panic Dusky, it's only me!" the bright voice assured. "Mind shining a light?"

"Pinkie?" He did so and saw the party pony's beaming face. "What the wide, wide world of Equestria are you doing?"

She frowned at him. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Not really, no," he deadpanned.

"Are your psychic powers on the fritz?" She rapped his head. "Come on, this is a secret meeting I set up for us for a very important discussion."

"A… secret meeting?"

"That's right, yep."

"If it's secret, then I can hardly be blamed for not knowing what's going on, can I?" he countered.

"Oh." She nodded. "Good point. Sorry."

"That's fine. But why like this?" he asked. "Why inside of this… fake book?"

"Because it has to be secret!" she whispered. "I can't risk word of this getting out! I had to get myself in here in the way that would involve the least suspicion."

"I… see." He knew he shouldn't have expected any less from Pinkie. "So… this is a secret meeting that you arranged? To talk to me?"

"Not just you, I've got one set up for all our friends," she replied. "They're all gonna get involved on the project, but it needs to be kept secret, so I'm seeing you all one at a time in the most covert way that I can for each of you."

"Why not tell us as a group?"

"Because that might draw the wrong kind of attention. I couldn't risk that!"

"What kind of attention? What suspicion?" This was getting too much, even for Pinkie's standards. "What is this all about? What project?"

"The best kind of project." She leaned in closely and whispered. "A party."

"A… party." Of course, he thought.

"Not just any party though: a birthday party!"

"I see…"

"But not just any party: a surprise birthday party!"

"Right…"

"But not just-"

"Let me guess. It's not just any surprise birthday party."

"There's your powers back in gear," she beamed. "You're right. It's Ray's!"

"Wait…" He took a moment to process this. "Ray's birthday is soon?"

"You betcha!" she said excitedly. "Didn't you know that?"

Rather guiltily, Dusk realised he didn't. All of the times he had spoken to Ray and he'd never even thought to ask him when his birthday was. Then again, Ray hadn't mentioned it either. At least, not to him. If it was so near, why hadn't he brought it up? Had he told anypony else?

"Did he tell you?" he asked Pinkie.

"Nope, I just know," she answered. "What? I know everypony's birthday."

"Of course you do," he murmured. "So, you're meeting us all individually and in secret to get us on to plan this party so that Ray doesn't pick up on what we're doing."

"Right on the nose!" she said, bopping his. "I'm gonna make it the best surprise party he's ever had, even better than his Welcome party! I know it'll be tough, but I think I can pull it off."

"And… I was the priority?"

"You're his best friend," she said simply. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"Why indeed," he agreed. "Well, I'll do whatever I can to help you with this, Pinkie. Just tell me what you need me to do."

She threw herself in a hug. "I knew I could count on you! Thank you so much, Dusky!"

"Of course, Pinkie," he replied. "You can always count on me."

"I know. And don't worry about finding me," she added in a conspiratorial tone. "I'll find you."

Now it was his turn to frown. "I know where you live, Pinkie."

"Yeah, but we have to make sure he doesn't!"

"I'm fairly certain he knows-"

"Meeting's over, good luck, Dusk!"

With that, he was catapulted out of the book and landed back hard on the wooden floor of the library. He shook his head to clear it and began to thank Celestia there was only one of her again.

"Dusk?" Twilight arrived from the other room. "I thought I heard something in here. What's going on? Why are you on the floor?"

"I was just…" He looked at the spot where the book had been. It had vanished. He groaned internally. "Nothing, I just tripped and fell."

"That's it?" She gave him a curious look, which soon left. "Okay then. Be more careful in future, okay?"

"Right," he said, picking himself up. "Sorry for disturbing your studies."

"It's fine," she assured. "Your safety is a little more important than my studies." She smirked and added. "But just a little."

"Good to know," he laughed.

"Hey, Twilight!" Spike came from upstairs with a scroll. "The Princess just sent you a letter, says it has to be opened in private by you alone."

"In private? Only by me?" She dashed up and took it from Spike. "It must be very important. You two stay down here, I'll be right back."

"What do you think it is?" asked Spike, joining Dusk.

"I think I have a good idea," he replied.

It was silent for a bit while they listened. A few seconds later, there was a loud scream that was Twilight's.

"Pinkie?! How did you even do that?!"

The sun streaming in through the windows, the sound of festival music coming from the town and the comfy bed were several things that were helping Ray along with his recovery. Even if the food wasn't great, he felt he wouldn't have to put up with it much longer, even though it had only been a couple of days since the float incident.

The nurse, one Redheart, had just come in to check up on his current condition and the two of them got chatting. After all, she'd treated him the last two times he was in hospital, which was really why he'd ended up learning her name. They must have assigned her as his regular nurse now. It was nice to see they remembered him, even if it might not be a good thing.

This was a hospital, not a restaurant. The food certainly proved that.

"Well, this is good news, Ray," she was saying. "You'll be out of here within an hour or two. Whether or not you'll be back in within another hour will have to be seen."

"Come on, Red," he said. "We both know you'd miss me if I were gone for too long."

She giggled. "I suppose we wouldn't want your bed getting cold."

"Nurse, while I am flattered, I think we should keep our relationship professional."

"Oh hush, you," she blushed. "I must admit, you're a lot cheerier than most of the other patients I have to deal with."

"That and you don't have to deal with me for long before I'm out, right?"

"Yes, but with how quickly you're back in again we might as well make you a permanent resident," she returned. "I have to say again, it really is amazing how quickly you recover from your injuries."

He shrugged. "Must be the healing power of laughter."

"Even if you seem to take splitting your sides a little too literally." She glanced at the bandage on his side. "But it's not just this time. Every time you've been here, no matter what the injury, you always return to peak condition consistently faster than any other pony who might have similar wounds."

"I do hang out with the Elements of Harmony a lot," he commented. "Maybe some of their magic rubbed off on me."

Of course, he knew the real reason for his accelerated healing. Said reason caused a faint tingling sensation in his head, as if in response to his thoughts. Ray ignored it easily and kept his smile, which Redheart returned.

"With the trouble I hear those ponies get into, I think it's fair to say you'll need it." She patted his hoof. "But know that I'm always happy to help send you on your way again."

"Maybe that's what does it," he replied. "Constant care from the hospital's best nurse."

She giggled and blushed again and quickly removed her hoof from his.

"Excuse me, Mr Strike." Dr Stable approached his bed. "Excellent to see you're making another consistently speedy recovery."

"You know, we were just talking about that. Anyway, what's up doc?" he asked.

Stable frowned a little at the remark. "I merely came to inform you that you have a group of visitors to see you."

"Really?" Now it was Ray's turn to frown.

Who could it be? All of his friends had been by at least once since the incident. Fluttershy had been especially worried and had asked a storm of questions to Stable about his condition, what had happened and how long it was going to take him to recover. He wasn't sure what he was more surprised at: how worried she was about him or how calmly Stable had been able to handle it.

He must have had practice with it.

His curiosity was soon put to rest with the arrival of Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The former had only been able to manage a brief visit due to a heavy workload and the latter hadn't been by yet.

"We'll leave you to it then." Redheart and Stable vacated the room, the nurse offering one last look before she left. "With your rate of recovery, you should be out soon and I hope next time we meet, it'll be in more healthy circumstances."

Ray replied with his most innocent smile and looked to his boss and friend. "You hear that, AJ? You won't have to miss me for too much longer now."

"Ah wouldn't say 'missed', sugarcube. Big Mac an' ah easily made up yer workload on the farm." She chuckled. "But it'll be good ta have ya back."

"Be good to be back," he replied. "I get to trade being yelled at for not sleeping enough to being yelled at for sleeping too much."

As they talked, Ray cast his glance to the Crusaders. They were behaving rather awkwardly, shifting on their hooves and plastering on fake smiles. Applejack didn't seem to notice, even when she turned to go as well. He had a pretty good idea as to why though.

"Fresh air'll do ya good," she countered. "Speakin'-a which, ah'd best be gettin' back now ah brought the girls here ta see ya."

"But coming to see me was a nice bonus too," Ray put in.

"Whatever makes ya feel better," she returned. "See ya soon, slacker. You look after these girls, ya hear?"

"Pinkie promise!" he called out. He kept his smile on until she left, then looked to the fillies as they approached his bed. "Now, I'm guessing by the looks on your faces and general demeanour that things with Babs have only been getting worse, right?"

They nodded mutely and began to tell Ray about what had been happening. No matter where they went in Ponyville, no matter where they tried to hide from her, Babs along with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, were always right behind them. Stealing their milkshakes, deliberately soaking them with puddles, pelting them with tomatoes, everything on the bully checklist.

Ultimately, it had all culminated in getting kicked out of their own clubhouse and all the while they hadn't told Applejack nor anypony else about what was happening. It was only after they'd finished telling him that Ray noticed that he had been grinding his teeth and silently seething in anger right until the end. And it wasn't at them.

"So," he began quietly, "I'm the only one you've told?"

"Uh huh," nodded Apple Bloom. "We've been waitin' fer ya ta come outta hospital an' help us, but… we just can't take it anymore. We need yer help Ray, please…"

He managed a small, comforting smile. "Girls, you already had me at the crashed float."

"Awesome!" cheered Scootaloo. "I knew you would help us!"

"I still think we should tell Applejack," muttered Sweetie Belle.

"Whatever, we got Ray now," dismissed the Pegasus. "So, what's the plan?"

"Tell her parents?" asked Sweetie.

"Nothing like that," Ray said, with a maniacal glint in his eye. "No, the way we're going to do this is by revival of an old hobby of mine: pranking!"

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Scootaloo grinned. "You're a prankster?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "I haven't really pulled any for a while but today sees the return of Ray Strike: Ultimate Prankster!"

"I thought Pinkie was the ultimate prankster," brought up Apple Bloom.

"And Rainbow Dash too," added Scootaloo.

Ray laughed lightly. "Oh, I've heard them pull some things they think are pranks. But believe me, those pranks pale in comparison compared to what I can do."

He almost missed the slightly giddy and dark undertone his voice had taken and even then ignored it. Though the fillies looked a little unsure at the prospect now, that didn't seem to stop them agreeing, Scootaloo especially.

Well, two of them anyway.

"I don't know about this…" murmured Sweetie Belle.

"What else can we do?" asked Apple Bloom. "We can't tell Applejack or we'll be snitches."

"Yeah, this is the only way to get back at them and to get our clubhouse back," added Scootaloo. "Come on, Sweets. Let's fight back!"

"If you say so." She still didn't look very sure about it.

"Excellent!" He clapped his hooves together. "Okay, let's think for a bit how we're gonna go about this. We want to really get back at her, really make her pay for what she's done."

They all silently contemplated all the possible ways they could get their own back on the bullies. As they did, they all became more aware of the festival music outside and it was Apple Bloom who broke the silence.

"Ya know, we haven't done anythin' ta fix our float since Babs wrecked it," she said. "Here's what ah reckon we could do…"

As she explained her idea, Ray had to give her credit: it was a pretty good plan. This was going to be good…

Later in the evening, with the sun beginning to descend low to the horizon, Ray was hiding in a bush near the CMC's former clubhouse, which is soon to be theirs again, if he had anything to say about it. Even now, he could see those three girls from days before in the small treehouse through the windows, strutting around like they owned the place and talking to each other obnoxiously, occasionally screeching with laughter in a way that made him want to shred his own eardrums.

They were all blissfully unaware of his presence... as well as the presence of the "welcoming gift" he'd set up for them. Even better, he'd managed to get everything together without alerting them once, despite the entire setup being literally right under their noses. Though there had been a couple of close shaves, notably when Babs had gone out for some fresh air while he'd been, er, modifying the entrance ladder.

Still, she hadn't been looking in his direction, so he'd remained safe.

All he had to do now was wait for the Crusaders. He'd told them to meet him here in three hours after leaving the hospital once they grabbed everything they needed for their plan. They'd been nervous at the prospect of going back to the clubhouse and when they'd asked why, he'd replied:

"You said those bullies took your clubhouse, right? Well, we're just gonna give them an appropriate welcome to their new abode..."

It had been in the sort of tone a comic villain might take when coming up with a plan to take over the world. Of course that had been all he'd divulaged before teleporting off. He didn't want to spoil the surprise for them.

Thinking back on this whole thing, he began to wonder if maybe his little setup is being a tad too extreme... but he quickly crushed that doubt in his mind, resolving himself with the knowledge that these fillies were mixtures of two of the things he hated most in life; extremely preppy obnoxious and annoying upper-class folk, and bullies.

Bullies who'd been picking on three fillies who'd done nothing wrong to them to deserve such treatment in the first place. Bullies who simply believed that they were better than everypony else. Ergo, they needed to be taught a lesson, Ray-Strike-style.

He started to remember his childhood once again, to his old pranking habits back when he was a foal. Back then, if ponies weren't actively resenting him, they were always trying to avoid or ignore him. He'd never had any friends, and he'd never had anyone to rely on other than himself. Therefore, he'd needed to come up with his own ways to keep himself occupied, to pass the time and entertain himself.

Problem was, without friends or family, there was never any positive reinforcement, never any positive attention. Scratch that, never any reinforcement, period, and hardly any attention at all. Back then, he'd needed both of those things; it was who he was, a lonely soul who just wanted some attention, be it good or bad. It was a little more than to stop himself being bored. And what better way to accomplish both of those things at the same time than by consistently pranking those who scorned him?

Sure, it didn't exactly help his image, but nothing would have at that point. He'd just wanted, needed attention. And hey, over time he got better and better at it, to the point where whenever something outrageous of a certain nature happened to somepony, they'd all know who was responsible. They'd just never be able to prove it.

Of course, sometimes there were incidents he really wasn't responsible for. Random unfortunate events that, unfailingly, he'd always be blamed for. Some would say that he'd brought it on himself for being such a deliberate troublemaker in the first place, making him a target for the blame, but he knew better. Those ponies would have always blamed him for every little misfortune in their lives anyways, regardless of his pranking career. If he was doomed to be the scapegoat one way or the other, then why not make the most of his predicament?

Nevertheless, he'd hung up his metaphorical pranking cape once he'd left his hometown for good, but now... now seemed as good a time as any to re-don the old mental garment.

He heard rustling behind him, and he turned to see the Crusaders stumbling through the bushes. Quietly, he called them over.

"We got all ya got us to get," whispered Apple Bloom. "Why are we-?"

"Sh!" he silenced sharply. "Just watch closely. Those three are about to experience a welcome they won't forget in a hurry."

He raised a thin rope in his hooves that appeared to lead up through the floorboards of the clubhouse, and suddenly yanked on it, hard. All four of them instantly heard a dull THOOM within the clubhouse, the sound muted by the walls. At the same time, a strange green cloud became visible in the clubhouse through the windows, obscuring everything else within.

They all still heard the initial screams of shock, and moments later, of disgust, along with the shrieking voices that came with it. Enough that they could clearly hear them.

"Ew, what is that smell?!" shrieked Diamond. "It's like Pinkie whipped up another batch of baked bads then left them to rot for a few days!"

"More like years!" coughed her lackey.

"Was that you, Silver?!"

"I-I didn't do that!" she stammered. "M-maybe it was Babs and her city funk!"

"You sayin' that was me?!" demanded Babs.

"It might have been," she squeaked.

"I don't care who it was!" yelled Diamond. "Just get a window open before we suffocate!"

There was a moment in which the windows rattled desperaltely.

"It's no good! I can't get 'em open!" she cried. "Let's just get outta here!"

The door burst open, with Babs, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon all barrelling out, the latter two covering their mouths and noses entirely while visibly tearing up from the stench. Babs, meanwhile, tried to get the ladder down so that they can all get away from the clubhouse.

However, instead of dropping first and extending as it fell toward the ground, this time the ladder shot straight out, hitting and knocking down a particularly large beehive before the ladder itself falls off and breaks entirely.

"I don't remember that being there," whispered Sweetie.

"Who cares? Just watch!" squealed Scootaloo with barely concealed mirth.

The beehive, after hitting the ground, broke open, with an entire angry swarm of bees emerging moments later, targeting the three fillies closest to it. In response, the girls all shrieked in fear and started running in circles around the house's encompassing balcony while the bee swarm chased them relentlessly.

"We're trapped up here!" screamed Diamond. "What do we do?!"

"I'm too young and pretty to be stung!" cried Silver.

"There might be a way!" yelled Babs. "There's a secret emergency exit at the back! Come on!"

They stopped at the back, Diamond fidgeting while Babs picked up a thick rope and tossed it down. Silver was still being chased around the house by bees.

Babs wasted no time in sliding down the rope and fell to the ground below... where she promptly fell right into a conveniently placed foot-deep mud puddle.

"What the… when did…?!" Growling in anger and confusion, she looked back up. "Come on, get down here!"

"Are you insane?!" Diamond looked disgusted. "I'm not diving straight into a mud puddle!"

"It's either that or you stay behind in a treehouse that smells more like an outhouse with an angry swarm of bees coming at you!" she countered.

"Lemme down!" Silver decided to cut her losses and grabbed onto the rope, sliding down into the mud and leaving Diamond to deal with the bees.

"Oh, uh…" She took one glance at the angry swarm and made up her mind. "Wait for me!"

With a loud shriek, she slid down into the mud after them. But even as she pulled herself out of the mini-pit, the other two fillies looked up to see that the bee swarm still wasn't done with them yet. All three of them ran screaming off into the distance with bees on their tail.

The Crusaders and Ray stared after them. For many, many moments there was complete silence. Then, all four of them burst out laughing. Even Sweetie Belle was rolling on the ground, clutching her gut.

"Oh man, that was the best!" cried Scootaloo.

"When she couldn't open the windows…" Apple Bloom couldn't finish her sentence from doubled up laughter.

"Wonder how many baths Diamond'll have after that?" chortled Sweetie.

"See, what'd I tell you? Ultimate Prankster," repeated Ray, wiping away a tear.

"How did ya do all-a that?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Simple. I hid a homemade stink bomb in the clubhouse, and fixed it to blow when activated by the special contraption I'd set up with the rope. Then I went and nailed the windows shut, to achieve the desired result and get them outside. After that I rigged the entrance ladder and hung up a real active beehive on a branch in the ladder's path. Finally, I simply dug up a large hole in the ground where the rope would be, and filled it with freshly-made mud, sticky and wet, as a nice final surprise for those fillies when they tried to escape."

"Wow, that's pretty elaborate," remarked Scootaloo. "How'd you pull it off without them seeing you?"

"Now, now girls," he said slyly, "I can't go around sharing my trade secrets."

"Okay, so it was all really well set up and it was pretty funny," admitted Sweetie. "But… don't you think you may have overdone it a bit? I mean, did you really need the bees?"

"Yes," he said at once. "Look, if what you guys have told me is accurate, those two have been bullying you for the longest time now, simply for not having Cutie Marks yet. What I did was far from overdoing it."

She stared at him sceptically. "Really?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, there may have also been payback for the pumpkin float thing. I mean, have you ever had a piece of wood stuck in you before? Because it hurts."

"Yeah, lighten up Sweetie Belle," sniggered Scootaloo. "They've totally had this coming for a long time now."

"And," added Ray, "you guys have got your clubhouse back!"

They all glanced up at the house. The ladder was still stuck out, some of the floorboards were gone and they could still see the green smoke billowing out of the door.

"Okay, so there are a few damages, but I can fix that," he dismissed. "But that was just the appetizer for what's to come. Once Celestia's done lowering the sun, we'll gather together for tomorrow's main course."

He nodded approvingly to Apple Bloom, who beamed.

"Alright, let's head off for now and meet in the barn at night once everypony is asleep. Then we get to work. Got it?"

"Yes sir!" they saluted.

"Excellent." He let a smile grow. "Gotta say, I think it's good to be back in the saddle."

Spoils the Bunch

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"Hot carrot crêpes! Get 'em here, get 'em hot!"

Dusk watched as the smell of the crepes drifted over in their direction. Spike caught it and was lifted off his feet, letting it carry him gently away… until Pinkie wafted it furiously away from him and took his place. That didn't stop the baby dragon from taking after her though.

"Always thinking with their stomachs," remarked Twilight lightly.

"I think it's more their nostrils that are doing the thinking there," noted Dusk. "Considering that the whole parade is based around the food we grow, can you blame them?"

"Touché," she granted. "Do you not want one?"

"It's tempting, but I think I'd best stay here." He shifted a little closer to her. "I feel it would be better if you had at least one assistant present."

She closed the distance so their sides touched. "How very dutiful of you."

"Thank you. Besides," he added with a blush, "you're a um… a much more delicious sight than… than carrot crepes."

"Oh gosh!" She blushed heavily too and nudged his side. "Aren't you a bold one?"

"I'm getting there," he replied with a nuzzle.

"I could say the same with you," she whispered when he was close. She added to his rising heat with a sly smirk and looked off down the street. "The parade should be starting soon."

"Indeed." Rarity appeared next to them with opera glasses. "Provided that they're on time, of course. Unlike a certain ruffian I know."

"Still no sign of Ray?" asked Dusk.

"Not a peep," she answered. "For a pony who can appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, he doesn't have much set aside for punctuality."

"Tell me 'bout it," put in Applejack. "Ah'm still havin' trouble gettin' him ta show up ta work jus' before when ah can call him out fer bein' late. Ah swear he does it on purpose."

"Maybe he's still at home recovering from his injury. I'm sure he'll be along soon." Fluttershy blushed. "At least, that's what I think."

"Wait a moment…" Rarity squinted through her glasses. "I do believe I see him with my sister and her friends by their float. How curious."

"He did say he was gonna help 'em out, but ah figured he was jus' gonna laze around at home on his day off 'fore showin' up fer the parade," said Applejack, walking off. "Ah'm gonna go check on 'em. Save ma spot fer me."

"I wonder why he's taking so much interest in helping out the Crusaders," pondered Dusk.

Twilight shrugged. "Maybe he just wants to help them out."

"Maybe, but I know Ray. He's more of an observer than a creator and he prefers to take it easy unless he has his heart set on something." Dusk touched his chin. "I suppose Apple Bloom could have asked him for the help, but why not ask her sister…?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," assured Twilight. "I think it's nice he's helping them. Now, let's just relax and watch the parade. This is our day-off too."

"You're right, as usual," agreed Dusk, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "It's probably nothing."

Rarity's keen eyes and even keener glasses hadn't been wrong. Ray was indeed with Crusaders, helping them getting their float ready. Just not in the way the others might have been expecting.

"Okay," he began, "is the egg timer rigged?"

"Check," affirmed Sweetie.

"And you're ready for when Babs gets here Scoots?"

"You know it," she nodded.

"And you have the mattress, AB?"

"Ready an' waitin'," she said.

"Great," he said approvingly, looking past them. "And look, here they come now. Perfect timing."

They all looked to see Babs with Diamond and Silver, the Manehattan filly blowing her fringe out of her eyes while casting a contemptuous gaze around. They didn't seem to have noticed them yet.

"Good luck guys," he wished.

"Wait, aren't you staying?" asked Sweetie.

"I can't be seen with you, otherwise Babs might not be encouraged to take the float." He glanced up again. "Uh oh, here she comes. Gotta go!"

He teleported away into a nearby alley to watch the scene unfold. The Crusaders hastily arranged themselves into inconspicuous positions just as the three bullies caught siyght of their float. Their awestruck faces told Ray this part was all going to plan.

Diamond and Silver strutted off while Babs stayed. Ray smirked as Scootaloo placed the idea in her head about stealing it while Sweetie headed into the float to set off the egg timer and Apple Bloom prepared their mattress. Scootaloo then walked off with the others, making it look like they were going to proudly enter their float. That was when Babs made her move.

She barged straight past the girls, knocking onto the mattress to ensure a safe and soft landing and drove off in their float. Grinning, he teleported back and helped them up.

"Looks like everything went along smoothly," he said to them.

"Yep," nodded Apple Bloom. "She fell for it, just like ya said she would."

He chuckled darkly. "Excellent," he remarked with a glint in his eye.

He could have started rubbing his hooves and it wouldn't have looked out of place. The fillies, while not as zealous as Ray, were also enthusiastic and satisfied with how things were going.

"Teach her to fool with the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Sweetie growled, shaking her hoof.

"Finally getting into it, Sweets?" asked Scootaloo.

"Maybe a little," she admitted.

"Well, look at that." Applejack had arrived on the scene, holding a trio of balloons. "Ya really did help 'em out with their float."

"Of course I did," Ray beamed innocently. "What, did you think I was being dishonest?"

"Just a bit. Y'all are letting Babs ride in your golden apple float?"

"Yeah. We thought she deserved to be the... centre of attention." Apple Bloom cackled along with the others. Even Ray joined in.

Applejack missed their sinister tones "Well, that's just super sweet of y'all, makin' Babs feel so special. Y'know, after all the heartache she's been havin' in Manehattan."

They all suddenly stopped rubbing their hooves. Their expressions of shock perfectly mirrored each other.

"Heartache?" asked Apple Bloom

"Well, ah didn't say nothin' 'cause ah didn't want her to feel singled out, but there's been some bullies back in Manehattan just been teasin' her to pieces for her blank flank," she explained.

"T-t-t-teased?"

"B-Bullies?!"

"Yup." She handed them the balloons. "She came up to the farm to get away from all her problems back home. ah'm so proud of y'all. You've done a good deed."

As soon as she left, the balloons deflated. While the fillies' expressions became saddened, Ray's remained a visage of shock.

"So that's why she jumped in when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started giving us a hard time," realised Scootaloo.

"She didn't want ta be bullied like at home, so she decided to be a bully instead!" figured Apple Bloom.

"And now we've turned into bullies too!" finished Sweetie.

"And I helped you to do it," murmured Ray, guilt welling up in his chest. "I encouraged you three and I helped you become what we were fighting. I'm sorry, girls."

"I guess we're all to blame," said Apple Bloom sadly. "Except maybe Sweetie Belle."

"Doesn't matter now," the unicorn insisted. "Come on, we gotta stop that float before it crashes!"

With that, the four of them shot off down the road. Ray had to slow down so that the fillies could keep up with him. They spotted Applejack and the others and hurried over to them.

"Applejack, quick you have to…" Unfortunately her words were drowned out by the band.

"Huh?" Applejack asked.

While still trying to yell to her sister, Ray also tried gesturing wildly to convey what they were saying. However, all his pantomiming earned him were some very strange looks.

Only after the band had marched off down the road did they hear Apple Bloom's yell.

"We booby-trapped it!"

Everypony stared at them. Silence hung thick in the air in the wake of this exclamation. Ray looked around sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well...this is awkward," he remarked.

"Babs! Bully! Payback! No time to explain! We've just gotta get Babs out of that float!" rushed Scootaloo, dashing off with them again.

But as he darted off, Ray looked back and managed to give the others an expression that somehow said "I screwed up, BIG time", before turning around and following the fillies. He had a feeling that Dusk might have got it at least.

There was no time to see if he did. They carried on down the street, weaving around ponies and floats.

"Hey, Ray!" called Apple Bloom. "Why can't ya jus' teleport inta the float an' grab Babs?"

"No! That's too much of an easy way out for the plot!" A blink accompanied his look of utter confusion. "Wait, what? What did I just say?"

Before any of them could respond to that, their path was blocked by a particularly large float of a marrow. This forced them to manoeuvre through the crowd, losing whatever thoughts they had on the response within it.

After shoving and worming their way through, they could see that the float was feet away from the slope and the muddy pool it was planned to fall into. Knowing they'd need to catch up quickly, they hurried up to a float of lettuce driven by Pinkie.

"Pinkie Pie, let us in!" begged Scootaloo.

Pinkie laughed. "Funny joke!"

"No, really! Let- us- in!" rephrased Apple Bloom.

"This is no time for unintentional yet still awful puns!" added Ray.

"Ohhh!" Pinkie opened her door and dropped a rope ladder. "Here!"

They hurried inside to see Pinkie lounging on a couch and reading a magazine while the float's wheel turned without guidance.

"Why aren't you driving?!" demanded Ray.

Pinkie glanced up. "I thought you guys wanted a turn doing it."

Ray had no response to that. He just groaned and hurried up to the wheel where Scootaloo tried to take it.

"Best let the adult drive, kid," he said, pushing her aside and grabbing the wheel.

However, this proved to be a task that he was less than suited for. Probably worse than Scootaloo would have been. They narrowly avoided other floats and ponies had to dive out of the way of the voraciously violent vegetable visage.

"In my defence," he yelled over the mayhem, "I've never had much reason to drive anything before!"

Still, they miraculously didn't hit anything (or anypony), and quickly caught up with Babs.

"Babs! You gotta get out of that float!" called Apple Bloom

"You're not getting your float back, crybabies!" she shouted back.

"Babs, this is not up for debate! Get out of that float, NOW!" Ray ordered.

"Huh?! What are you doin' here?"

"Did you not hear me the first time? I said get out of there!" he repeated.

Defiance overcame confusion. "No way! This is my float now!"

"But it's booby tra–"

Sweetie's words were cut off when Babs rammed into their float. She drove off while they steered off course, making straight for the hay bales used to designate the route.

"Veggie salad!" Pinkie screamed

"Huh?"

"Veggie salad!" she cried again before they crashed.

Thankfully, none of them were injured. Ray took the time to feel the debris of the wreck and looked at Pinkie incredulously.

"Did you seriously make this whole float out of lettuce?!"

"Yep. Veggie salad." She began to gobble up the leafy greens.

"Seriously?" remarked Apple Bloom.

They dashed off again, hearing Pinkie's second unintentional yet still awful vegetable called after them. At this point, Ray screeched to a halt and groaned in frustration.

"That's it! Screw the plot!"

With that, he teleported away, leaving the trio of fillies looking rather confused. Pinkie, however, nodded sagely.

"He has begun to learn," she said mysteriously. "Soon, he will understand."

This did nothing to alleviate their confusion and they instead settled for chasing after the float again.

Meanwhile, on the float, Ray appeared right next to Babs. The filly wasted no time leaping about a foot in the air and delivering an equally high shriek of shock.

"Babs, let's not mince with words here," he said straight away. "Get off the float."

"Wha… bu… how did…" She shook her head and stomped stubbornly. "No, you're not the boss of me!"

"Please, get off the float?"

"Nuh-uh!"

"I'll buy you an ice cream?"

"Who needs ice cream? I gotta float!"

"Ugh, will you stop being so difficult?!" he shouted. "I'm trying to save you for Celestia's sake!"

"Huh?" Her expression faltered. "What do you-?"

But at that moment, the kitchen timer went off and the whole thing started to swerve back and forth out of control.

"That's what I mean!" he screamed.

They both hurried and grabbed the wheel, struggling in a vain attempt to regain control. With a loud crash and much rumbling, it tumbled down the rocky slope, the muddy bottom approaching fast. Throughout the chaos, Ray could hear somepony shouting nearby. His head whipped to the window and he saw the Crusaders galloping alongside, trying to catch up.

Without really thinking, he grabbed Babs and kicked open the door. He flung her out into the surprised-but-ready hooves of the Crusaders. Remarkably, they managed to catch her but not without tumbling over each other into a bush.

Now, Ray was the float's only occupant and its doomed destination was still upon him. The girls picked themselves up just in time to see the float reach the bottom, all of its wheels falling off and crashing loudly into the mud, where it started sinking slightly. The only signs of movement were pigs who came up and started licking the boat.

"Where is he? Did he make it out?" asked Babs fearfully.

They all rushed to the wreckage, but still couldn't see anything.

"Ray! Ray, you there?!" called Apple Bloom.

"Oh no! We killed him!" wailed Sweetie Belle.

"Don't be stupid, we didn't kill him." Scootaloo didn't sound very sure of herself.

"Nope," a voice next to them said. "Believe me, I've had worse."

Turning, they saw Ray standing there, proud and unscathed. In their dumbfounded shock, he simply smiled and pumped a hoof into the air.

"I was able to get out this time! Score one for me!"

He laughed in a light hearted manner.

Before the edge of the rock he was standing on crumbled. Before he could act, he lost his hoofing and fell straight into the mud.

"OH, COME ON!"

The aftermath that followed was a bath for Ray back at the farm and a talk between Babs and the Crusaders about what happened. Ray was close enough to hear it and to have Applejack fling a towel into his face when she came out with it.

"I don't get it!" Babs was saying. "I saw it all happen! You pushed me out just when the float was about to head into the lake!"

"Except... we were the reason it was headed into the lake," confessed Scootaloo.

"We...booby-trapped the float," Sweetie added.

"Y'see Babs...we were tryin' ta get you back for bein' a big bully..." began Apple Bloom.

"Yeah..." Ray pulled the towel off his face and scratched his head. "I agreed to help them, and I'm pretty much the one who encouraged them toward the whole pranking solution."

Scootaloo took up the narrative. "But then Applejack told us about how you were being bullied back in Manehattan."

"And we figured out you were just doing it to avoid getting picked on in Ponyville. But, by then... we were the ones being bullies. And... Oh, why does life have to be so ironic?!" screamed Sweetie.

Ray shook his head. "Sweetie, you have only scratched the surface. The universe just LOVES to throw curveballs at us, every opportunity it gets."

"Guess what we're trying to say is..."

"We're sorry..." they all said.

Babs blew her fringe out before speaking. "...I'm sorry too..."

"Good. You should be." All heads turned to Ray as he looked scornfully at Babs. "I understand why you did what you did. And yes, we're at fault here as well, for not taking the responsible action and letting our grudge take precedence. But that does not excuse what YOU did, Babs. That you turned on Apple Bloom, your own family, who had been nothing but nice to you, for the sake of popularity...that alone says a whole slew of bad things about you, regardless of your reasons for it."

Babs downcast her head, looking utterly ashamed.

Applejack stepped forward sternly. "Now hold on just a-"

"Wait." Ray raised a hoof. "Let me finish."

The farm pony hesitated and still frowned, but she closed her mouth and waited expectantly.

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying..." He looked down at Babs again. "Babs, you did a bad thing. But..." She looked up to see him smirking. "Personally, I think I you've paid enough for that mistake... especially considering that lovely series of events at the clubhouse I set up last evening..."

"Wait...you mean..." Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "The clubhouse...the smell, the mud...the b-bees...that was-?!"

"All my doing, yes," he confirmed. "You can't go around harassing innocent fillies all day long and then kick them out of their own clubhouse and not expect retaliation, Babs. Just be glad that my skills are a bit rusty from years of disuse. Otherwise…" He glowered at her and took on a malicious tone. "I could have done far worse..."

Babs gulped, while the Crusaders exchanged unsure glances at each other.

"I'm not sure if I should be scared of this guy, or going to him for advice..." whispered Scootaloo.

"Seriously..." agreed Sweetie.

Applejack sighed and approached them. "Y'know, this all could've been avoided if y'all just came to me in the very beginning."

"That's what I kept on saying!" insisted Sweetie. The other two squirmed sheepishly, then she rounded on Ray.

"An' as fer you…" She shook her head. "Sometimes, you can be so immature, ah reckon ya wouldn't look outta place runnin' around with these three, even with yer cutie mark."

"I never claimed to be the most mature of ponies. Anyways," he said, suddenly perking up. "Like I said, after that, I think I'm able to forgive you for your mistake. That being said..." He glanced at the Crusaders. "I'm not sure if they'll be quite so willing..."

Babs turned to them and looked down apprehensively. "Yeah..." She looked up more meaningfully. "So...can we...start over..?"

"Definitely," said Apple Bloom without hesitation.

"Yeah!" cheered Scootaloo.

They gave each other a high hoof and invited Babs to do the same. With a genuine smile, she did.

"And all's well that ends well." Ray was now out and dried. "Everything here looks to be resolved, so once I'm done, I'll just be on my-"

"Not so fast, zippy." Applejack was bearing down on him now. "Ya didn't think ya'd be getting outta this whole mess ya helped cause scot-free, did ya?"

He froze in place. "Um… maybe?"

"Yeah, not gonna happen," she deadpanned. "C'mon, troublemaker." Ignoring his protestations, she grabbed his hoof and started dragging him towards the house. "Ya'll ain't gonna go stirrin' up any more problems now, are ya?"

"Nah, we're good," said Scootaloo, wrapping a friendly hoof around Babs.

"OOH! OOH!" Sweetie hopped up and down excitedly. "We have to go set up Babs' induction ceremony into the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Apple Bloom started off, but stopped. "But...the clubhouse is still..."

They looked to Ray, who grinned sheepishly. "I-I'll fix it back up soon, don't worry. It'll be back in working condition by tomorrow morning... so just-ACK!"

"Oh believe me, a broken clubhouse'll be the least-a yer problems when ah'm done with ya." Applejack continued dragging him off.

"Applejack, come on- AGH!" She tightened her grip on his hoof and pulled harder. "Is this really necessary- EEK!" And tighter again. "Can you at least tell me what my punishment? Tied to a stake and flogged? Thrown in a hole? Please don't make me wear one of Granny's girdles!"

"You'll see," was all she said.

When they arrived at the house, Applejack practically shoved Ray through and guided him into the living room. Ray's mind went through a million things of what expect. But what Ray wasn't expecting to see...was all of his friends. Dusk, Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie, all sitting at various points around the room.

As he and Applejack entered, all eyes turned to them-specifically to Ray-with smiles gracing all of their faces. Smiles ranging from gentle to confident, but all sharing one key feature, almost like they were...proud? Well, except for Pinkie, who was just grinning the same way she always does. Ray looked around in confusion, still trying to figure this out.

"Okay, I'll bite, what is this?" he asked. "Is this an intervention or something? I'm not addicted to cinnamon rolls, okay?! I just really, really like them!"

All of them were confused by this sudden outburst.

"Uh, where the hay did that come from?" asked Rainbow.

"Ray, I assure you, this isn't an intervention. Especially not for… cinnamon rolls," Dusk said unsurely.

"It's okay though," Pinkie put in. "I really like cinnamon rolls too."

"You like everything sweet!" Rainbow called out.

"Dashie, this cinnamon thing really sounds serious," she said softly. "Let's try and be supportive of him, okay?"

The Pegasus gave up and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, so why are you here?" Ray asked again.

It was Applejack who answered. "It's simple, sugar. Were this any normal circumstances, there would be repercussions but we all think ya learned a valuable lesson taday."

"And with a valuable lesson learned…" Spike held up a quill and parchment, looking at him expectantly.

Several moments of silence passed… then it dawned on Ray what they were getting at.

"Wait, WHAT?!" He rounded on Applejack. "That's what this was all about?!"

"Aiyup."

"B-but… did you know that this was how it would turn out the entire time?!"

She crossed one leg over the other innocently. "Ah had a hunch, ya might say."

"Right…" He looked back to the others. "Then why are you all here?"

"This is a pretty big moment for you," answered Twilight. "We all wanted to be here for it."

"Uh… I dunno about this," he admitted.

"Come now, darling, there's nothing scary about writing a letter," assured Rarity.

"But it's to Princess Celestia! It's not like I'm writing to my mother!"

"We've all done it, Strikey," Pinkie said. "Come on, it's fun!"

"I haven't exactly done this before though…"

"There ain't nothin' ta be embarrassed about, sugar," comforted Applejack. "Just say what come to ya."

"Yeah but writing a letter about a lesson in friendship… I dunno, sounds rather… opposed to masculinity."

"Dude, let's be honest, your masculinity has been steadily dropping from the moment you met us," put in Rainbow. "Just look at Dusk, though he was kind of on the boundary before."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Dusk replied.

"Ray." Fluttershy was there with a comforting smile. "I know it seems pretty scary. Believe me, I know how it feels. But it's really not that bad. It feels wonderful whenever I do it and I was nervous about the first time I did it too. Trust me, I think you'll do brilliantly."

His jitteriness seemed to fade at her words. "You… think so?"

"An old favourite question of Dusk," remarked Twilight. "Even now, he slips back in the habit of asking."

"Baby steps, dear."

"Yes, sweetie. Plus," she added, "you did promise Princess Celestia you'd do it too on the condition you'd stay here. She might not have been completely serious, but I think it's worth making good on that."

He eventually sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll do it."

He sat down in an empty, as though it had been left that way for him and lapsed into contemplative silence. Spike was ready with his quill and the others waited to see what he would say. After a few moments, he spoke again.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Surprise, it's Ray speaking. Maybe you were expecting to get a letter from me, maybe you weren't... truth is, I'm more-or-less being forced to do this by the others, who are all sitting around me and listening as I recite this to Spike...

"Uh, should I write that last part down?" Spike asked unsurely.

The others all giggled and Twilight motioned for him to continue.

But it's alright. I did learn a lesson today. In the past, I've had to deal with a lot of negativity. Especially from those around me. And because I had nopony to turn to, I had to deal with those issues myself, the only way I knew how. Now, years later, I'm not facing those issues myself anymore... but I encountered a certain group of fillies who were. But more than that, I encountered one filly in particular who, where she came from, suffered problems similar to the ones I faces when I was a foal. I didn't know this at the time, however, and that same filly turned to bullying others just as she was bullied herself. Because I didn't bother to learn the full story first, and instead let my sympathetic emotions toward the victims, as well as my negative ones toward the perpetrators, take precedence, I almost helped to hurt and humiliate a filly who, in complete honesty, didn't fully deserve it.

Now thankfully, none of that happened, and I was able to help stop the whole thing...at a slight personal cost.

He coughed and rubbed his head before continuing.

But today I learned that, even though you may not like something, or somepony, and regardless of your prior experiences with that same something or somepony, it's not good to jump to conclusions, nor is it always good to take a matter into your own hooves, especially when you have others around you who are willing and able to help. There are two sides to every story, and you should always try to hear both sides to their full extent before doing anything... drastic. Most of all, when coming up with a solution, you should try to make your solution to the problem a peaceful and lasting one, instead of jumping hastily toward actions that can and will probably only end up escalating the issue further, like I did.

So I guess that's actually more like three separate lessons I've learned today. I think I may have just broken the record on my first attempt. In any case, I admit that this was an enlightening experience, so maybe I'll end up doing it again sometime in the future. Until then,

Your faithful, and... grateful subject
Ray Strike.

He practically sighed with relief as Spike's quill stopped scratching and looked up at them all.

"How was that?" he asked.

"A good letter and a good lesson, I say," voiced Dusk proudly.

"I agree," said Twilight. "I'm sure the Princess will enjoy reading it."

"Now you're even more our friend than you were before!" squealed Pinkie. "Ooh, think we should have a party?"

"The only party he'll be havin' is an extra hour ta his shift tomorrow." Applejack smirked at Ray's groan. "What? Ah didn't say it would be entirely without repercussions."

"Not the most eloquent letter I've heard, but a memorable one regardless," said Rarity.

"Yeah, not as good as mine but you know, that's to be expected," said Rainbow. "It's hard to measure up to me."

Fluttershy just flew up to him and nuzzled his cheek. "Like I said, brilliantly."

Ray chuckled and rubbed his head again. He couldn't exactly argue with that.

As part of his extra hour shift, which took place early the next morning and even had Applejack at the ready to come to his house and drag him out of bed with her rope if he didn't show, she supervised Ray's efforts in rebuilding the CMC clubhouse. It took many splinters, missed nails and a borrowed gas mask to get the job done, but he managed it.

By the time he was allowed on his break, it was fully repaired and even smelled of freshly scented roses. He dropped by to see how they were doing and the four of them invited him inside to witness Bab's induction to the group.

Truthfully, he'd been ready to leave once he'd shown the girls that their clubhouse was back in livable condition, and had been about to, but they'd insisted that he stay and watch the proceedings, for whatever reason. Ordinarily he would counter-insist on having something else to do, but...those eyes...those innocent, pleading, watery eyes...

I have no willpower, he thought to himself. Still, he really didn't know why they'd want him to stick around. One would assume that something like this should be a private matter. But the girls seemed to have something planned, based on the look in their eyes. Besides, it was just a club orientation thing. Nothing huge. In all honesty, he really doesn't have anything better to do anyways.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie, and Scootaloo were all wearing red capes emblazed with what he could only assume was their club logo: a (crude) blue shield, within which was a yellow image of a foal/filly standing on its hind legs and smiling, also appearing to wear a cape. The same logo was displayed on the red banner hanging overhead on one side of the clubhouse, opposite the door.

The Crusaders themselves were situated on this same side of the clubhouse. Sweetie up behind a podium (concealing the view of the step-stool she needed in order to get up there), Scootaloo to her left with a pair of timpani drums set up in front of her (Where did she get those?), and Apple Bloom to the right... really just looking professional. Standing in the middle of the clubhouse is Babs, looking a tad apprehensive, but also excited, if that is possible.

Sweetie appeared to be getting a piece of parchment together on the podium. At her nod, which was apparently a signal, Scootaloo begins pounding slowly and rhythmically on the drums and Sweetie proceeded to read from the parchment welcoming their fellow sister, friend, confidante, alley, boss-om buddy…

There were a lot of titles and Sweetie ended up skimming most of them. Apparently Scootaloo had written it, for the filly muttered about having to revise it afterwards. The ceremony concluded with Babs being presented with her own cape and showered in confetti. Ray smiled and got ready to depart.

"Hold on there!" He stopped at Apple Bloom's call. "Where are you goin'?"

"Yeah, we're not done quite yet," said Scootaloo.

"There's just one last thing that needs to be done." Sweetie nodded to Apple Bloom.

At this, Apple Bloom reached behind the podium and pulled out a scarlet pillow atop which was placed a small, cloth-like object.

"Isn't that one of Rarity's?" Ray asked, pointing to the pillow.

"Uh… she let me borrow it. Anyway, not important," said Sweetie quickly.

Apple Bloom propped the pillow up on her head and walks over to Ray, presenting him with…whatever it was on top of the pillow.

Looking at it closer, he saw that it was the same logo that the Crusaders have on their capes, except... well, smaller, and separate from everything else. Also, it had a silver, metallic backside... almost like some sort of badge.

Sweetie gained their attention again by clearing her throat, where she was once again stood behind the podium with another piece of parchment in hoof.

"Ray Strike. We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, have elected you to be an honorary member of our group. We present you with this badge with this badge as a token of trust in our new friend, ally, advisor, guide, specialist... yadda yadda yadda…" She looked to Scootaloo again. "Seriously, did you just have a thesaurus open on your legs when you wrote this?"

"I wanted it to be impressive!" defended the Pegasus.

"Honorary member?" He looked around at them all. "What brought this on?"

"Even if it wasn't the best thing ta do, ya really helped us out, Ray," said Apple Bloom. "An' we really appreciate all ya've done fer us."

"So, after some discussion, we felt it we should show our gratitude by making you a part of the Crusaders too," said Sweetie.

Ray laughed a bit. "Okay, two issues with that: one, I've already got my Cutie Mark-"

"Sure, rub it in," remarked Scootaloo.

"And two," he continued, "I'm not a little filly. Also, like you said AB, I didn't do much other than make a big mess."

"That was somethin' we were hesitant about at first," explained Apple Bloom. "But we decided you don't have to have a Cutie Mark to be part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

"And even if you didn't help us, per say," carried on Sweetie, "we'd still like to have you on board as a… sort of like a…"

"Consultant," finished Scootaloo. "And yes, Sweetie, I did. Plus, the CMC isn't just for fillies. We just don't have any guy members at the moment. Unless we get Sweetie Belle's new coltfriend at school to sign up."

"He's not my coltfriend!" The filly blushed. "B-Button said he's n-not interested in getting his cutie mark yet anyway…"

Ray closed his eyes and thought for a minute. During that time the fillies all started inching toward him in suspense.

They leaped back when he broke out laughing.

"Okay, I'll be a member." They all cheered at his response. "But only on two conditions. First, I'm not joining you on all of your… excursions."

"Fair enough," agreed Apple Bloom. "You've already got yer talent, not really much point."

"Yeah, plus you might not be able to handle most of the stuff we do," put in Scootaloo. "It can get pretty extreme."

"I'll bet. Second, I'm fine with the badge but let me make this clear: I am never, ever wearing a cape."

They all moaned in disappointment.

"Come on, Ray! It's part of the club," tried Apple Bloom.

"We can make you a special one," offered Sweetie Belle.

"You'll feel left out," suggested Scootaloo.

"Nope, no thank you and no," he answered. "No capes."

"If you won't wear one willingly then…" Babs started forward. "Guess we have to make you wear one."

"Now, now, girls," he said, backing away as they approached. "You wouldn't really do that, would you?" He looked at their faces. "You would."

He broke into a run and they scampered after him, chasing him around the clubhouse while he ran for his life. Was it too late to back out of this, he wondered?

All too soon it seemed, for the Crusaders, Babs' week in Ponyville was up and they were back at the train station to see her off a couple of days after the ceremony.

"So you promise you're gonna start our Manehattan branch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, right?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Yeah, and I promise to keep talking to my big sis about the teasing back home," she added.

"Good. And if ya have any problems, we've got your back too, y'hear?" assured Applejack.

"Yeah, any of those punks start teasing you back home, call me and I'll be there in a flash to… sort them out." Ray said this with a familiar glint in his eye and a giddy undertone.

It was enough to make them edge away from him slightly.

"So you're leaving huh?" Diamond and Silver arrived on the scene. "Great! Now we're stuck here with these lame blank flanks."

The Crusaders looked downcast while Applejack glared. Ray growled under his breath and started towards them when he was stopped.

"Hey! That's not how you talk to my friends!" Babs said toughly, marching toward them.

"F-friends?" Silver stammered.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

"Well, what if I do? What are you gonna do about it?" sneered Diamond.

Babs considered and glanced at the others. Ray held up a firecracker while nopony else was looking, but Babs was decided.

She started forward again. "Tell your mothers about your bad attitudes!"

The two bullies shook in silent fear. Babs suddenly jerked her head forward and it was enough to make them fall backwards into a pile of mud. There was even a pig in there with them. Babs beamed and shared a high hoof with her fellow Crusaders.

"Where'd that mud even come from?" asked Apple Bloom. "It wasn't here on… our way in…"

She trailed off and turned slowly to look at Ray. They all did and went wide-eyed, even Applejack, at the sight of Ray grinning like a mad pony.

"How…?" Scootaloo asked.

"Ultimate Prankster," he said simply. "My secrets shall remain secrets."

They decided not to press on that, especially since Babs' train was about leave. She hurried on, waving farewell once she was on.

"I'm sure gonna miss that bad seed," said Sweetie.

Applejack was confused. "Bad seed? Ah thought y'all were friends now?"

"No, see, first we called her 'bad seed' as in actually a bad seed, but now she's bad as in good," she explained. "Get it?"

"Yea... No."

"I get it," Ray spoke up. "Sarcastic literalism."

The Crusaders all nodded in agreement while Applejack still wore a confused frown. In the end, they just laughed it off as the train pulled out of the station.

The rain poured down on the streets of a darkened town. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the spires of the city like the jagged teeth of a beast. Nopony in their right mind would be out in a storm this wild and fierce.

However, there was one shadowy figure that definitely wasn't in what most would consider a right mind. It galloped through the streets, dressed in a hooded black robe and blending in with the shadows cast by the buildings.

It paused for a moment, ducked behind some crates and peered out. Within its sight was its destination. A magical bazaar, the kind of place that housed all sorts of enchantments and tomes of the arcane arts. But there was one in particular it had come for.

It glanced under its robe, apparently checking on something. Then, it took off towards the shop, off the streets before anypony even noticed it was there.

While the figure's left foreleg clutched at something under the robe, it used the other to start rifling through the many books and skulls and displays that were on offer in the store. Their efforts became more desperate until the proprietor turned on a light and approached.

"May I help you, traveller?" he asked. "Hmm, something drew you to my shop... something powerful."

With the light on, their choice was clear. Without a word, the figure pointed at something on the shelf behind the counter in a glass case. It was a silver necklace with a red gem set in it, the wings and head of a sinister looking alicorn sprouting from it.

"Ah, you have a keen eye," praised the shopkeeper. "The Alicorn Amulet is one of the most mysterious and powerful of all the known magical charms." The figure pointed again. "Uh, ah— I'm afraid this is... far too dangerous."

The figure reached into their cloak and tossed a very large bag of bits on the counter. The shopkeeper took one look over it before changing his mind.

"Would you like that gift-wrapped?" he asked.

"No, thank you," the figure replied, walking up to her new possession and leering. "I'll just take it now."

"Your voice sounds… familiar," remarked the shopkeeper. "Do I know you?"

"Perhaps. If not…" She threw back her hood and lifted off the glass case with her magic. "You soon will."

"Oh, I see." He watched as she placed the amulet on. "Y-you're trying it now?"

"Why not?" She took out the thing she'd been carrying and placed it on the ground. "There are some of us who cannot stand to wait."

"An eager sort?"

She glanced at him. "Something like that."

She walked away from the thing, a jar full of some strange swirling dark substance and turned to face it again. It seemed to thrash and writhe inside its glass confinement.

"My, my, what an interesting item," remarked the shopkeeper. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in a bit of selling too, miss?"

"Sorry." Her eyes flashed, as did the amulet. "He's not for sale."

"Wait, what-?"

The amulet glowed red along with her horn as it powered up and she fired off a beam at the jar.

The shopkeeper took cover as the glass shattered and the substance inside whipped up into a whirlwind. Books blew open and piles of items collapsed and clattered to the floor as a powerful magic began to take hold. It could have been the shopkeeper's imagination

Within minutes, the substance began to take shape. It began as a crudely shaped form of a pony, but soon other things began to appear. A wild, bone white mane. Fur as black as a starless night. Muscles that bulged and rippled with every movement. A mouth that curled into a cruel smile.

But most frightening of all were the eyes. Those horrid, jade eyes. Full of anger, hate, suffering. Nothing positive shone in them. For a moment, he dared to hope he would forget it. Until an empty, cold laughter erupted from the form, followed by a mad cackle from the mare he'd just sold the amulet to.

Dear Celestia… what had he done?

Magic Duel

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Standing with his fellow librarians, Dusk waited as Fluttershy comforted a large gathering of animals that stood before her. It had taken a good while to convince her that the animals were essential for what they needed and they had to make three separate Pinkie Promises that no harm would come to any of them.

Even then, his honourable sibling wasn't completely comfortable with the idea. Which was why they'd brought along a little extra reassurance who stood beside her. It hadn't taken much to talk him into it, just to say to Applejack they wouldn't keep him from his work for too long and he didn't exactly need a lot of convincing for that.

"Don't be scared, little friends. Twilight is wonderful with magic." She rounded on his marefriend with a deadly glare. "Anything happens to them, Twilight, so help me..."

"It's okay, Flutters," Ray comforted, almost tentatively placing a foreleg around her. "It's a levitation spell, not a combustion spell she's doing on them and she's not exactly going to drop them. You aren't, are you?"

"Of course not," she replied quickly.

"See?" He pulled her into a one-legged hug, his features flushed. "It's all fine. You know how good she is with magic."

She blushed too. "Of course she's good with magic. Twilight's great with magic. I guess I just don't want my little friends to be scared. Oh, oh, look how scared they are!"

Ray took a look at them. "I'm no animal carer, but they look more excited than scared to me."

"They're just trying to put on brave faces!" she squealed. "Oh, the poor things!"

"I promise, Fluttershy. Nothing bad will happen to them," Twilight vowed.

"I know!" she said in a high-pitched tone.

"We'll be careful, little sister," assured Dusk. "Trust us."

"I-I do… just…" She trailed off, trembling slightly.

"Let's get started then." Twilight looked to her coltfriend. "Ready, Dusk?"

"As I will ever be, Twilight."

She nodded and their horns began to glow in unison. The gathering of critters was surrounded by Twilight's purple aura-

"Stop, stop! They can't take it!"

They glanced briefly at Fluttershy, let Ray comfortingly hug her again and carried on. One by one, Twilight levitated the animals into the air while they cheered and whooped with joy. Once they were all soaring like birds, she diverted their paths so they flew together in a figure of eight pattern in the sky.

This was where Dusk came in. Tapping into his own magic, he manipulated the shadow they cast on the ground and made it snake into the air in-between the gaps of the figure-of-eight in a similar display in the opposite direction. The darkness brightened into a trail of light which in turn transformed into separate patterns of colour. Specifically the jewels of the Elements of Harmony, dancing in the sky.

"That looks amazing, you guys!" praised Spike.

Fluttershy merely chewed her hooves nervously while Ray tried to gently pull them away. Instead, she just started chewing his too.

To finish, they brought them all together in the centre, the animals as a mob and the colours as an orb. Dusk made the orb burst and shower multi-coloured light everywhere which shifted back into shadow and returned to the animals while Twilight lowered them gently back to the ground.

The two unicorns smiled in silent praise for each other while the animals gathered around them and cheered jubilantly, hopping up and down.

"That's all for now, little ones," she said to them. "Maybe we can practice again later, if Fluttershy says it's alright."

They gathered around their carer now, who was a quivering wreck on the floor. Ray gave them an unsure look, as if to say 'I tried'. Dusk replied by mouthing 'keep an eye on her', to which he nodded and tried to move her from her spot on the ground.

"Your magic has really improved since we came to Ponyville, Twilight," praised Spike.

"I'm not the only one." She nuzzled Dusk. "I'd say we've both improved and not just in our magic."

"I find that hard to argue," said Dusk, kissing her cheek.

"Okay, don't start that again when I'm around," Spike said quickly. "Your display looks great. Princess Celestia's going to love it, Luna too if she can come along."

"Thanks, Spike. We have to be at our best when she arrives with the delegates from Saddle Arabia. I can't believe she's trusting us with the entertainment."

"Why wouldn't she?" he said with a smile. "With your level of skill and talent, it would be nothing but a criminal offence not to trust you with it."

She blushed. "Dusk, stop it…"

"No, because I mean it and that's my line." He gave her a nuzzle of his own. "Never doubt your own talents. You never let me doubt mine. There would be no other choice for the position."

"That may be true," she returned with a flutter of her lashes, "but I'd be nothing without my lovely assistant."

"Oh really?" He paused. "You're not going to make me wear some kind of sparkly leotard, are you?"

"Hm, it's tempting…" She let her gaze travel over him while he blushed furiously. "No, it's okay, you're fine as you are." She leaned in to whisper. "Let's wait until we're alone before we try that."

Spike groaned again but they ignored him as Dusk smirked at her.

"Naughty. And hopefully Luna should be able to come," added Dusk. "It's at night the arrival is scheduled and she did say she'd do her best to drop by."

She was about to respond to that when something cyan blue barrelled into her and tackled her to the floor.

"Twilight! Dusk! Come quick! It's an emergency!" Rainbow Dash begged.

"Rainbow? What is it? What's wrong?" Twilight asked, bewildered.

"No time to explain!" she said quickly. "You two need to come with me right now! Come on!"

Without another word, she sped off. They all exchanged looks of confusion with each other and took off after her. The sound of hooves behind them told them that Fluttershy and Ray were also following suit.

Dusk pondered what might be happening. Was there something wrong in the town? Had some rare magical creature stumbled through town and was causing havoc or was it another bunny stampede? No, that wouldn't have panicked Rainbow in such a way. Whatever it was, it needed their skills to deal with it.

That didn't exactly fill him with confidence.

A large crowd of ponies had gathered outside the town hall when they arrived. They stood aside to let them through, just in time to see Rarity be engulfed by a blast of red magic. When the smoke cleared, she was wearing a very colour clashing, very tacky dress.

She gasped, horrified. "You beast! This shade of brown should only be used for accents!"

Applejack hurried to catch her on her back as she fainted and carried her off, Pinkie following behind.

"Come on, Applejack. We've got to get her in a nice, soothing pink, stat!"

The three of them galloped into the middle of the crowd. "What's going on here?"

"Well, well, well." A figure in a black hooded robe walked up. "If it isn't... Twilight Sparkle and her little stallion too."

She threw back her hood and the whole crowd gasped as she revealed her features. Dusk felt his eyes widen too. Aqua blue fur, platinum mane, purple eyes shining with arrogance and a confident sneer set across her face. Just like when he'd seen her almost a year ago.

"Trixie!" Twilight gasped.

"What's she doing here?" Spike glared.

"You call that great and powerful?" Rainbow scoffed from the sky.

Trixie's reply was to fire off another beam of red at Rainbow, her eyes and horn shimmering. It hit her and the result was that her left wing grew to an enormous size. The unbalance caused by this made her wobble precariously in the air.

"Oh! She's Rainbow Wobble, now!" quipped Snips.

His friend Snails chortled while Rainbow flapped and yelped in the air. She almost flew right into them and they had to duck to avoid her.

"Good spell, oh Great and Powerful Trixie!" Snails praised.

"You two! Quiet!"

She blasted them with another spell. This one joined their horns together at the tips and the two of them ran around in a panic, interchanging between who was doing the running and who waved their hooves helplessly in the air.

"Stop picking on my friends, Trixie!" ordered Twilight.

"Don't make us use ours," added Dusk.

Trixie cackled. "Oh, you won't. He won't let you."

She gestured with her head to a nearby rooftop. Somepony stood atop it. Even from here, Dusk could tell that the pony in question was huge. At Trixie's gesture, he leaped from the roof and landed with a loud crash on the ground between Trixie and Dusk and Twilight. The dust that gathered in the wake of this started to clear…

Dusk felt his body freeze.

It was impossible… it couldn't be him… this had to be a nightmare. But here he was. Rising like a demon from the pits of Tartarus, he practically towered over them. The leer here gave wasn't of confidence, but pure, dispassionate loathing.

"Why hello, brother," growled Doom. "Long time, no see."

A dead silence set over the crowd. A few of them stepped away, fear settling in their hearts. It seemed that they hadn't forgotten what he had done.

"Doom…" Dusk breathed. "You… how can you… what are you…"

He rumbled in his chest. "Too stunned for words? Don't worry, soon you won't be speaking ever again."

"He is quite an impressive specimen, isn't he?" Trixie stood next to him. "Unlike you. I honestly would never have guessed you were in any way related."

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual, Great and Powerful Trixie," he purred.

She shivered. "Ooh, that does sound good coming from you. Though for you, it's just Trixie."

"Very well then, Trixie."

She shivered again. "That sounds even better."

"Wait a second…" Twilight frowned notably. "Are you two… you're not… are you?"

Trixie cackled. "Jealous, Twilight Sparkle? I honestly wouldn't blame you."

To say that Twilight looked disgusted would have been the understatement of the century.

Dusk finally found his voice. "I… I have to confess, I didn't even think you were capable of such… gestures."

"Yet another surprise for you then," remarked Doom. "Believe me, I have plenty more."

"We don't want to know them!" Twilight yelled. "Why are you here?"

"Both of us have some unfinished business," answered Trixie. "Doomy has his new lease on life and my magic's gotten better since I was here last. And I'm going to prove it! Me and you, a magic duel. Winner stays, loser leaves Ponyville forever!"

"And you and I, Dusk, shall truly see which of us is the better," said Doom, rippling his powerful muscles. "Though I don't think such a contest would last for very long and when it is over, you shall suffer the same penalties as your precious Twilight. If there's anything left of you."

Dusk felt his legs turn to jelly and suddenly had a great deal of trouble standing.

Twilight remained defiant. "Forget it! We'd never make a deal like that!"

"Hm. Your choice," Trixie shrugged.

She levitated Spike as he cried out. Using her magic, she stretched and compressed his limbs so he was shaped like a ball and dribbled him like a basketball. Doom laughed cruelly at the sight and Trixie smirked at the stallion's reaction.

"Trixie, put him down!" She complied by throwing him into a basket she conjured. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Because you humiliated me!" She conjured a screen and her memories played out before them. "After you showed me up with that Ursa Minor and at the Canterlot Magic Contest, you and your little lovercolt both, I became a laughing stock! Everywhere I went I was laughed at and ostracized. I even had to take a job on a rock farm just to earn a living! A rock farm!"

"Hey! You're lucky a rock farm would take the likes of you!" Pinkie shouted.

Trixie's comeback was to use a magical arrow to yank off Pinkie's mouth and drop it into a mini-trash can. That earned another laugh from Doom.

"It makes me miss my old powers," he chuckled.

"Then, I found out I wasn't alone in my feelings." She gazed alluringly at Doom. "It was the day I happened across him on my travels."

Doom took up the story. "Did you really think that your little piece of magic was enough to get rid of me, Sparkle? You may have ejected me from my dear brother's head, but I was still held together, bound by my will and a little of the chaos magic that originally created me. I didn't have form, but I was still alive. I knew I couldn't act against you in the state I was in, so I fled in the hope I might find some way to return. And I did."

"I stabilized him," continued Trixie, "and kept him inside something that would keep his form from fading. I learned so many things from him and discovered we shared quite a bit in common. Namely, you two. Both of us had reason to hate you and both of us wanted nothing more than a little payback for what you've done to us both."

"And using her newfound powers, she gave me my own body," finished Doom. "No more shared living space, no more burying me in your head and no more mind spells kicking me out of it. Now, it's just you and me."

Dusk vaguely acknowledged some raised murmurings from the gathered townsfolk at his words. They didn't actually know about the connection he and Doom had shared. The aftereffects of his previous attack and the efforts of the girls had helped to keep it quiet. Now though…

He would have to deal with the repercussions later. There were more immediate dangers to focus on.

"Now we want revenge!" declared Trixie, her eyes flashing red. "And I'll just keep casting spells 'til you agree. And who knows? I may let Doom off the leash and let him have some fun of his own. He's been aching to see what he can do."

She proceeded to turn the library upside down, pulling it out of its roots and shaking it so the books fell out of the window. While Owlowicisous desperately tried to catch them, Doom strode forward towards a random observer in the crowd, flexing his muscles again and grinning wickedly.

"Well? What do you say?" Trixie asked.

They looked around. Pinkie was sobbing for the cupcakes she could no longer eat. Rarity was in shock from the tacky clothes. Snips and Snails struggled with their stuck horns. Rainbow flew erratically in the air. Spike was once again used like a basketball.

They gave each other fearful looks, Dusk most of all. They didn't have any choice. They had to do something.

"Alright, Trixie. Let's duel!" agreed Twilight.

"Excellent." Trixie's horn flashed and the spells she cast were lifted from the others. Except for returning Pinkie's mouth.

Doom stopped in his advance. "Just as I was starting to enjoy myself."

"Not to fear, Doomy," Trixie cooed. "You can have all the fun you want after this is over."

"Don't worry, Trixie." He grinned at Dusk. "I'm sure I will enjoy myself immensely regardless."

Dusk gulped, still feeling his legs shake.

"I have no doubt," she winked. "If we lose, Doom and I won't set hoof in Ponyville again."

"Not that that will happen," put in Doom,

"Indeed. So if and when you lose, you're the one banished from this one-horse town!"

The others all gasped. Dusk and Twilight tried to give brave looks to each other before separating to fight their separate combatants.

Dusk stood opposite Doom, who looked eager to get started. He had fought Doom twice before, but he'd always had help and it was never a physical brawl. This time, he was a full-blown, full-bodied pony. How was he going to stand up to this?

He had to try though. Though every fibre of his being was screaming at him to flee.

"Let's go!" Doom roared.

Before Dusk could act, Doom charged right at him and rammed him with his shoulder. The force of what felt like a train hitting him sent Dusk careering backwards and crashing to the ground. He tried to push himself up but felt two vices grab his head and left him up.

"Did that hurt, Dusk?" Doom's head slammed into his. "How about that?!" He drew his hoof back while Dusk staggered from the blow. "And this?!"

It slammed into Dusk full force and almost sent him sprawling. He only just managed to use his hooves to stop himself falling, though his head was ringing from the blows struck. He thought he could hear some ponies calling out to him, but it was rather hard to register much else that was happening around him.

What he did register was Doom's hoof streaking toward his head again. Recovering enough of his wits, he managed to duck under it and scrambled away backwards. He engulfed his hooves in orange magic and swung them at Doom. He raised his forelegs and deflected them. Even with the magic covering them, it was like punching a brick wall.

On the third punch he threw, Doom not only blocked it but looped his foreleg around Dusk's and yanked Dusk towards him, holding him in place. Dusk tried to struggle away at the same time ducking beneath Doom's deadly swipes at his head. One went for his neck and before he knew, Doom was hoisting him off the ground.

"Ha!" He tightened his grip. "I knew this would be over quickly, but even I hoped you might put up a better fight than this!"

Dusk didn't say anything, mainly because his air supply was being cut off. Instead, he managed to cast a light flare and Doom's grip loosened enough for him to wriggle free. If he couldn't match him physically, his magic was his only chance.

Just as Doom snarled, Dusk made his shadow rise as tendrils and wrap around his legs. Though held in place, Doom didn't seem fazed. If anything, he looked more amused.

"So, you've been learning some new skills," he remarked. "But you forget who unlocked them for you to begin with!"

Like they were wrenched from his magical control, Dusk could no longer move Doom's shadow. His wickedly sharp horn glowed and the tendrils shot towards Dusk faster than he could react. Each one that struck him was so cold it burned.

Staggered again, Dusk didn't have time to move when Doom charged, swinging his hind leg out towards him. It slammed into his jaw and sent Dusk into the sky. Doom caught him in his hoof when he came back down and held him there while he head-butted him once again. He hit the ground just as hard.

Pain seared through every limb in Dusk's body. He could barely move. He tasted something salty in his mouth. Through the ringing in his ears, he could faintly hear Twilight screaming his name and Trixie cackling away while they duelled. Through his blurred eyes, he could make out the forms of his friends watching on.

Then, like a shadow blotting out the sun, Doom loomed over his form. His eyes focused just enough to see the triumphant sneer on his face.

"I'd say this outcome is fairly conclusive," he growled. Dusk felt his limbs be bound with magic. "Now, for the finish."

His hoof slammed into the side of Dusk's face. Another smack was sent to the other side. Then again. And again. And again. And again. Even though he was right in front of him, Doom became increasingly more blurred, like he was moving further away.

Dusk didn't even have the strength to cry out. He just wanted it to end…

After a sudden bright flash and the sound of a hoof colliding with something, it did. Doom had vanished along with it. At first, he thought that it was all over. That Doom had… beaten him permanently.

Then, he felt a gentle but firm grip pull him back up and support him against something supportive, yet warm and comforting. Using what little strength he had left to lift his head, he could make out a bright green face, a silver head of messy hair and yellow eyes filled with empathy.

"It's okay, buddy," Ray said, "I gotcha." He called out in a louder voice. "You've made your point, Doom! You want any more of Dusk, you're gonna have to go through me!"

Dusk managed a weak smile. He looked at Doom, who looked like he was recovering from something and looked livid.

"If I must…" He roared and started to charge.

Dusk wanted to tell Ray to run, but the stallion stood his ground. He felt his muscles tense and saw his horn start to glow.

But then Doom stopped. He lingered, his jade eyes studying them both. Ray still stood ready to act, but Dusk's darker side remained where he was. Was he trying to trick them? Make them lower their guard and strike when they weren't ready for it?

He snorted. "I've done what I have to." With that, he turned and walked away, standing next to Trixie again.

"That was lucky." Ray heaved Dusk again. "Heavier than you look, bud. Don't suppose there's any point in asking how you're feeling?"

Dusk tried to respond but it came out as a cough instead. Something red trickled from his mouth. It tasted like copper.

"DUSK!" Twilight streaked to his side and helped Ray support him. "Oh, my Dusk… no…"

He felt the warmth of a healing spell sooth his body, though Twilight sounded exhausted too and couldn't put much energy into it. Even with that, his limbs felt numb and his voice was raspy when he did speak.

"I'm sorry…" He coughed again. "I failed… I'm sorry…"

"Oh, Dusk…" She took him from Ray completely and cradled him in her forelegs. "My Dusk, it's okay… I'm here, it's okay…"

"Well, Twilight? Give up?" asked Trixie.

"I think that goes without saying," chuckled Doom.

"I couldn't do it either," she whispered, her voice breaking. "She was doing age spells… high level spells like it was nothing. Only… only high level unicorns can do that. I… I don't understand how she… how she could…"

"Isn't it obvious? Trixie is the highest level unicorn!" she laughed. "And now it's time for you to leave Ponyville! FOREVER!"

"We can't go!" insisted Twilight. "Dusk needs medical attention!"

"That's his problem, not ours," growled Doom. "You know the agreement. Now leave or I will escort you both personally out."

A wall of ponies put themselves between the villains.

"That's enough, ya varmints!" Applejack commanded.

"You proved your point, but you can't possibly expect Twilight and Dusk to leave Ponyville!" put in Rarity.

"You fools!" Trixie's aura surrounded them. "They're already gone!"

Of their own accord, they soared through the sky as if kicked by an invisible boot and out to the edge of town. The impact earned a few more minor injuries for Dusk, though Twilight used her own body to cushion his fall.

Through his blurred eyes, he could make out some large, transparent dome surrounding the whole of the town. Twilight glanced between the dome and him, before quickly bending down to him.

"I'm just going to tell the others not to worry," she said quickly. "I'll be back as soon as I can, then we'll get you some help."

He watched her gallop to the wall of the dome, where he could make out the others gathered on the other side. She pressed a hoof to the glass, no doubt telling them not to worry and that they would try and find a solution to this.

Just as the last of his strength faded away and Twilight rushed back to him, Dusk's last thought was if they could…

Though she was worn out from the duel, Twilight managed to find the energy to gallop up to Dusk and catch him as he collapsed. She held him in her hooves, his breathing ragged and a tiny trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Though she was no doctor, Twilight had read enough medical journals to know what was wrong with Dusk. Multiple lacerations, second degree burns lashed across his face, numerous bruises, some possible broken bones and some minor internal bleeding. She'd healed a little of the damage, but she didn't have the magical energy, not the expertise to treat the rest.

He needed medical attention and fast and she needed some help if she was going to take on Trixie again. And she knew just where to go.

Hefting him onto her back, she galloped as fast as she could into the Everfree Forest, willing with every fibre in her being that she wouldn't be too late. Just to make sure, she teleported some of the distance until the hut of the zebra shaman was in sight.

She didn't knock or wait to be received, she just barged right in. This wasn't the time for niceties. Zecora was in the middle of drinking some of her herbal tea and looked up in shock.

"Twilight Sparkle? What is this sudden entry you make?" She gasped at the sight of Dusk. "Sweet Celestia, how did Dusk get into such a state?"

"I'll explain later but right now, we need you, Zecora. Please," she begged.

She was already gathering some ingredients. "You need not ask twice. Lay him down, I shall treat him in a trice."

Twilight could do nothing, but watch as Zecora carried out her work. She smeared various pastes on his wounds, pinched his nose to make him intake a number of brews and potions. She set up some ingredients for aroma therapy and began a long chant in her native language.

She wished there was something, anything she could do to help. She hated seeing the one she loved like this, with her unable to do a thing to help him. She was relieved when Zecora called her over for a sliver of her magic to heal Dusk, using the link between their necklaces. Twilight couldn't have complied quicker, though the effort made her feel even more drained of strength.

Zecora didn't miss this and turned to her as she stood back. "That is all we can do. Now we must wait, to see if he'll pull through."

"I hope he will," she murmured weakly. "Thank you, Zecora… you didn't have to…"

"Do not be silly, it was my pleasure, young filly," she insisted. "Now come. Recover your strength and rest. Tell me your story, try your best."

Sipping some tea that Zecora said would help get her strength back, Twilight told her all that had happened for them to end up here. The zebra remained silent, merely listening to her story and appearing quite sorrowful at the end.

"Your tale of woe upsets me so." She sipped her tea. "No wonder you're dour. It's an abuse of power!"

"I don't know what to do, Zecora. I feel like I've abandoned my friends. But I can't take her on horn-to-horn and Dusk won't be in any state to take on Doom again anytime soon." She gazed at him. "I almost wish he didn't have to… but we're the only ones who could take them both on."

She sipped her tea again. "If you train with me, so good you'll be. I'll show you the way to make sure she won't stay."

"You'll train me in magic? But she was doing age spells, weather spells, you name it!" She waved her hoof around and accidently knocked over her tea.

Zecora picked it up. "When it comes to magic, it would be tragic if somepony licked me, especially Trixie." She waved a hoof over the lid and when it went away, the tea was back.

There really was a lot more to the shaman that Twilight had yet to discover.

"You really think I can beat her?" she asked. Zecora nodded and hummed in affirmation. "Okay, when do we start?"

In her eagerness, she accidentally knocked the tea over again. Zecora gave her a disapproving look, which she countered with a sheepish smile.

"As soon as you are fit, we shall get right down to it," she answered.

"Great! But wait…" She paused. "What about Dusk? How's… how's he going to defeat Doom? His strength, his speed, his magic, he'll just tear him apart again and this time…"

She didn't dare to finish that sentence or the thought that led it. The very idea made her heart ache for a loss that she would make sure would never happen.

Zecora pondered briefly and was about to answer when a weak, still slightly rasping voice cut her off.

"What is there… to be done? What can be… done?"

"Dusk? Dusk!" She rushed to the side of her stallion. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"That's… debatable," he replied with a slight cough. "I take it… I have Zecora to thank?"

She nodded. "I brought you here as fast as I could. You were so badly beaten up, I thought…"

"Do not fret, Twilight for try though they might, with my potions and brews, I have yet to lose," the zebra said confidently.

"You have my thanks, Zecora," he said sincerely. "Though… I doubt it'll do much good."

"Dusk, don't be like that," she said gently. "Zecora's treatments have already healed most of the injuries that should have had you out for the rest of the day. At this rate, you'll be back on your hooves in no time."

"And after that, what then?" he asked bitterly. "Just so I can be put into the same state, probably even worse?"

"You can defeat him, Dusk," she tried to encourage. "Zecora can help you too, once you're healed properly. She can train you, like she's going to train me."

"Good. I can stay standing for an extra minute before he breaks more of my bones."

"That won't happen. You'll beat him, I know you will."

"And what makes you think that?" That bitter tone had only grown sourer. "You said it yourself. He's stronger than me, faster than me, his magic is more powerful and he has nothing holding him back and everything driving him forward. Believe me, I know. I don't stand a chance."

"You don't really believe that." Even she wasn't wholly convinced by her own words. "You can beat him. You have before-"

"And then he'll come back, just like he always has," he cut off. "Don't you see, Twilight? Every time I've stopped him, he's always slithered back. The Elements of Harmony couldn't keep him locked away. Your magic couldn't keep him away. Now, he has his own body and nothing to stop him, with the power to crush me whenever he wants and has proven he can. He'll never stop, he'll never leave me alone and I can't stop him. I may have faith, but I know when to stop beating my head against a brick wall and really, that's not too far off a comparison to make."

She gasped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had a hard time believing this was the same stallion she'd come in with. It was like how hopeless, how forlorn he used to be only this time… it seemed much worse.

"Dusk…" she breathed. "Please… you can't…"

"Twilight." Zecora was behind her, resting a hoof on her shoulder. "Come."

Twilight opened her mouth to argue, to say that she could encourage him, and give him his hope back. But she'd heard his tone. He was lost, broken. It wouldn't be the first time Doom had done this to him. He needed some time to gather his strength again and not just what his injuries had taken from him. He would need some time to himself.

Then hopefully…

Slowly, she got up and followed Zecora to exit of her hut. She paused in the doorway and looked back.

"It's not just yourself you're letting down, Dusk," she said quietly. "Remember that."

He didn't reply. He didn't even look at her. With a heavy heart, she left the hut with Zecora, fighting back her tears.

Ray had never met this Trixie before. Some of the girls had mentioned her in passing, often speaking in a disdainful tone of voice. Even Dusk didn't seem to speak of her very positively when he did. All in all, if somepony had ever mentioned to him that Trixie was coming town, he wouldn't have exactly been the first to greet her with cake and tea.

With her being here now, his thoughts on her hadn't improved. As soon as she was done kicking her shared rivals out of town, she had immediately turned tyrant on the rest of them and declared herself the Most Powerful, Most Radiant, Most Benevolent and Most Everything-Else of Ponyville and had got them to work providing for her new domain.

She had imprisoned Mayor Mare in a bird cage and made town hall her new 'palace'. Rarity was forced to make banners in her image for Rainbow and Fluttershy to hang from the rafters. The Cakes had made her a confectionary themed throne, Applejack was stomping apple sauce for a facial for her and Pinkie was being made to dance.

Ray had tried to teleport out for help, but had quickly found out, after three tries, that the bubble that surrounded Ponyville was teleport-proof and had bounced him right back. For that, Trixie had granted him the duty of being her hoofrest for when her throne was ready.

It didn't help either that this kept him in close vicinity to tall, dark and nasty himself, who Trixie had as her bodyguard and… whatever else she might need that he could provide. Needless to say, the thought made Ray's stomach turn, as well as his blood boil to how he and his friends were being treated, not to mention what had happened to Dusk and Twilight.

They'd find a way to get back at them. For now, they had to wait. And Ray hated waiting.

"You two! Hurry up with my throne," she ordered the Cakes.

Oh yeah and that high, reedy voice sure helped too.

"And you," she added to Applejack, "how long do I have to wait for my applesauce facial?"

"Ferget it, Trixie! Ah ain't doing nothin' 'til you let Twilight an' Dusk come home!" Her defiance was ended when Trixie conjured a feather and tickled her with it. "Okay, Ah'll do it! Just make it stop!" After that, she was flung into some apple baskets.

"Not exactly the kind of torture I would have devised," Doom muttered.

"Maybe, but I'm the one in charge, so I shall keep my subjects in line," replied Trixie.

Doom rumbled a note discontent in his throat, but said nothing. The big guy didn't seem very happy to be playing stooge to a former, jumped-up street magician. Ray certainly wasn't.

"I thought I told you to dance!" she ordered Pinkie, blasting her with magic as her eyes flashed red again.

"Oh, Trixie's cruel magic is ruining Ponyville." He heard Rarity prick her hoof on her sewing needle. "Oh, somepony has to help us!"

"Nopony is coming to help you," growled Doom. "You belong to us. Now, get back to work or that little prick won't be the only injury you'll end up with."

Rarity whimpered and her hoof trembled as she levitated her needle.

"H-hey!" Spike strode up to him, pointing a shaking claw at Doom. "Y-you leave her alone you… you jerk!"

"Spikey wikey, don't…" she murmured desperately.

Doom glanced at him. Slowly, very slowly, he rounded on the baby dragon and glared down at him.

"And what will you do if I don't?" he asked dangerously.

"I'll… I'll uh…" He raised his tiny fists. "I'll f-fight you! L-leave my l-lady alone!"

The massive stallion held him in his gaze for a full minute. Then, he let out a barking laugh.

"Thank you, runt. I needed a good laugh." Then, with one powerful hoof, he sent him flying across the room and into the wall.

"Spikey wikey!" Rarity's eyes burned with fire. "You brute! I'll-!"

"Do you want to share his fate?" challenged Doom, rounding back on her.

"Rarity." Ray managed to get her to make eye contact. "It's not worth it."

The debutante appeared to desperately struggle with what to do. Silently, reluctantly, she returned to her sewing, glowering darkly at Doom and glancing worriedly in the direction of Spike.

"Excellent work, Doomy!" she purred. "Keep doing things like that and you'll go far under my rule." He merely grunted in response. "Trixie is glad that one among you is so willing to serve. You should try to be more like my hoofrest here: submissive and comforting."

Ray imagined showing exactly how comforting his hoof in her face could be and it managed to calm him down. Just.

A loud clatter got their attention. Fluttershy had dropped her part of the banner she was carrying out of nervousness. Though there was barely any damage to it, this wasn't very satisfactory for Trixie.

"You klutz!" she snapped. "You should be more careful with Trixie's image!"

"I-I-I'm so sorry, T-Trixie," she stammered nervously. "I… I promise I'll be more c-careful."

"Oh, you'll learn, after you're taught a lesson." She levitated her down with her magic and glanced at her lackey. "Doomy?"

"Gladly," he growled eagerly.

"Hey, you leave her alone!" Rainbow ordered.

"Quiet!" A spell pinned Rainbow's wings to her back and her legs together.

"N-no!" Fluttershy struggled helplessly in a magical grip. "P-please, don't! I-I'll be more careful, I swear, please!"

Ray tried to stay calm, tried to be careful. But he was not standing for this. Though it looked like Doom hesitated a moment at her pleading, he made sure he stopped in his tracks when he teleported away from Trixie and smack in front of him.

"Take one more step, Doom and I'll make sure it's your last," he threatened.

"Oh dear," Trixie sneered. "And I thought you were so sensible."

"Shut up!" he shouted. "You think just because you can throw a few spells around and make us dance your little tune that somehow makes you better than us?"

Trixie only laughed. "I thought that was obvious it did."

Ray shook his head. "I don't what happened to make you think like this, but I can tell you this: I've seen way worse than you and those like you are all the same. They can't have what they want, they're never happy with themselves, so they feel the need to make others miserable too and they think lording it over will make themselves feel better. Great and Powerful Trixie? More like Pathetic and Deluded Trixie!"

"W-what?! Why you…!" That touched a nerve. "Doom, make sure you teach them both a lesson!"

"Certainly." He started to raise a hoof, but Ray wasn't done.

"And you! You're no better!" he went on. "It's not like you're inside Dusk's head anymore. You've got your own body and you could have moved on from this, had your own life. But you just can't let it go, can you? You had to come back, beat Dusk to a pulp and play overlord with Her Egoness here because you think you don't have anything else. Nothing, but causing others misery and suffering. You and all others like you, you're not scary, you're not tough. If anything, you're just sad and pathetic. Both of you."

Doom hadn't moved a muscle. His hoof wavered in the air. He stared at Ray, long and hard, who remained unflinching in his gaze. For a moment, Ray glimpsed something different in them. Something new. Something that made Doom visibly flinch.

Finally, remarkably, he lowered his hoof slowly. He brought it to rest on the ground and, to the astonishment of everypony present, he walked away.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" demanded Trixie.

"It's no concern of yours," he replied.

"I think you'll find it is! Nopony leaves my presence without my say-so!" she shrieked. "Get back here, right now and request my permission to leave!"

He rounded on her, shadows whirling around him. "Why should I take orders from you?"

"Do you forget who holds the power here?! Who gave you that body and who can so easily take it away?!"

A red beam shot from her horn and struck Doom. He wailed like a wounded beast and collapsed. His hooves began to lose form, melting away like ice in the glare of the sun. Gradually, so did his legs and he only cried out louder.

Even Ray had to admit, it almost made him pity him.

"Now remind me," Trixie growled, "who is in charge?"

His voice was very low. "You…"

"Speak louder!"

"You are!" he screeched.

"And do you beg forgiveness? Do you?!"

"Never!"

"I said…" She increased the spell's power. "BEG!"

He screamed louder. "Please, Trixie! Forgive me!"

"LOUDER!"

"Great and Powerful Trixie, I beg your forgiveness!"

"Trixie… forgives you." She stopped the spell and restored his body. "Since you've been good so far, I shall let this matter slide. But you'd better behave yourself in the future, is Trixie clear?"

"Yes…" he snarled, getting back up. "May I… leave your presence, Great and Powerful Trixie?"

"You may," she granted. "Though be ready to return, should Trixie need you."

"As you wish." With barely disguised rage, he stormed out of the town hall, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

One thing that appearances from Doom always guaranteed was a battle within his own mind. The last two times, it had been with a darker part of himself taking him over and warping his body and mind forever. This time, it was almost the same type of thing.

Dusk wanted, wished to believe that he had a chance against Doom. As Twilight had said, he had beaten him twice before. But those times had been different. This time, Doom was physical and sought nothing more than to destroy him and him alone. Anypony else who got in his way would suffer the same fate. His friends almost had. Twilight almost had. He couldn't let it happen again.

But he had. Doom had broken him and it had barely taken a minute. No strength of mind or spell was going to make him go away this time. He had to be stopped. For good. But the thought of it… Dusk had never killed a pony. He'd seen death and felt responsible for it, even when it was his fault directly.

That dog's howls echoed in his head again. He remembered Cliffjumper's cries, Dreadwing's shouts of defiance… he shook his head to clear it.

But this time… if he killed, ended a life by his own hooves, he really would become like him. Regardless of the purpose, he couldn't justify having to take a life. He'd be no better than Doom. Worse, he'd be giving into the part of him that remained in his mind. He could never live knowing he'd done such a thing.

Not that he'd be able to. Doom would break him again and he was certain this time, he would be the one to cross that line. The thought of being taken like that, never to see his friends, his family, Twilight ever again… he couldn't let that happen.

But what else could he do?

The door opened. He didn't look to see who it was, but he had a good idea.

"Twilight, I… I don't want to talk right now," he said. "Just… leave me alone."

"Your guess is far from right, for I am not Twilight." Zecora walked to his bedside. "How do you feel?"

"Better," he answered, feeling a little foolish. "Sorry…"

"Do not fret or worry, there is no need to be sorry," she assured, taking a seat next to him. "Though when I asked about your recovery, I was not merely referring to your body."

He sighed. "Is it so obvious?"

She nodded. "Despair is far worse than any curse. Would you not prefer to rekindle hope, rather than just sit here and mope?"

"What would you have me do, Zecora?"

"If push came to shove, you could mirror the actions of the mare you love," she advised. "Though she knows the goal is hard to reach, she will still learn what I have to teach."

He shook his head. "How can she think she still has a chance?"

"Because it would be better than to leave her friends to rot," she answered. "Besides, it was you who gave her that faith, was it not?"

"Please, don't try and bring that into it," he said. "I've told you, I don't have a chance against Doom in a straight up fight as much as Twilight doesn't against Trixie. Their magic is too powerful."

"From the day I was born, I learned that magic is not just what comes from your horn."

"It's not just magic," he went on. "Doom is stronger and faster than me. He took me down and I barely gave it my all. If that's what he's like when I'm not even putting my best for it, what chance do I stand at full power?"

"While all you say is true, there is one way which Doom will never best you. Though his muscles have his body lined, he can never hope to match you in strength of mind."

He blinked. "Strength… of mind?"

"It was how you beat him before or do you not recall? Though in a new body he is born, like a child, his mind is not fully formed. Before he was a fragment, with no desires beyond pain and torment but now I think and I do not lie, there may be more to him than meets the eye."

Dusk gasped at what the zebra was suggesting. It seemed impossible, unthinkable, inconceivable. Yet might it be true?

"Truly. And one other thing, dear Dusk and listen to this you must," she urged. "To earn victory, the solution is not drastic. As you have done before, you must use a different kind of magic."

Dusk expected it had something to do with her rhyming habit, but why on earth couldn't she be a little bit clearer? He was about ask what she meant when a knock at the door interrupted them.

"Something in the forest stirs," she noted. "It seems my hut has yet more visitors."

The visitors, it turned out, were Fluttershy and Ray. The former had come with news and information on Trixie and Doom and the latter had come for, as he put it, backup. He said this with a slight blush.

That didn't stop him from, after Fluttershy's hug, embracing Dusk like a brother and giving him a tight, yet heartfelt smile.

"Next time, you leave the grievous injuries to me, okay?" He said this with his voice breaking slightly. "It's my thing and I don't want you taking away my shtick. It doesn't suit you."

Dusk managed a smile in return. "This coming from the stallion who used to beat me with a pipe to give me a self-esteem boost?"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" he retorted. "Besides, who says I don't do it anymore?"

Zecora brought in Twilight, who was just as relieved as Dusk to see their friends unharmed. She still held Dusk in a disappointed way, which only made him feel even more ashamed. It didn't do much to inspire anymore hope either.

Their news, however, did ignite something in him. Apparently, Trixie's amulet granted her untold magical power, but the more she used it, the more it corrupted her. Not only that, but only she could remove it. Twilight was especially frustrated that she didn't recognise the Amulet before. But that wasn't the only news they had.

According to Ray and Fluttershy, tension seemed to be growing between her and Doom. And no, not kind of tension, he hastily added. Though he obeyed her commands, Ray could tell that he was doing it because Trixie had much more power than he did and he looked just about ready to rip her head off at a moment's notice.

"It makes sense, really," remarked Dusk. "He never was very good at being the submissive type. He even planned to overthrow Discord, if he could."

"He seems like the type who would try if it means he doesn't have to be told what to do," agreed Ray. "Trixie may have that Amulet, but everypony has their limit and Doom's gotta be pretty close to his."

"But how am I supposed to beat that amulet? My magic's not good enough!" despaired Twilight.

"Twilight Sparkle, much work have you done. You learned all of my lessons; all but one. If Trixie's tricks have you in a fix, you must nix your magic and use the six," advised Zecora.

She did her thoughtful frown. "Nix your magic, use the six... Nix your magic, use the six! Use the six! That's it! Zecora, you're a genius!"

The zebra merely closed her eyes and nodded wisely.

"Not just that." Zecora's own advice to him was playing in his mind. "I think I know a way I could defeat Doom too. It's a long shot, but I think I may have a chance, if I do it right."

"You really think so?" Twilight asked.

"Yes." He dared to meet her gaze. "I suppose… I needed some time to think."

"I suppose you did." Both her eyes and her lips met his, silently forgiving him. "Now, we do this? Together?"

"Together," he echoed.

"Excellent!" She clapped her hooves together. "First, we'll need to get you two back inside Ponyville. I have to write you a letter first though..."

It took all night for them to get Twilight's plan in motion. Once they confirmed that everything was in place, they returned to the border of the dome and rapped it a few times to get Trixie's attention. Dusk felt scared again, but this time he knew what he had to do. Having Twilight stood next to him helped too.

Not long after, Trixie arrived on the scene. She was sat on a large golden bed that was being dragged by Snips and Snails along the ground. Doom walked alongside her. Was it his imagination or was there something different about the stallion? He was barely even smirking at the two foal's suffering and he seemed almost pensive.

"This better not be another false alarm, or the Great and Powerful Trixie will– " Trixie gasped when she saw them. "You! What's the matter, lovebirds? Not enjoying your exile together?"

"Brother." Doom smirked. "I'm surprised you even managed to walk this far without falling to pieces. I could fix that…"

Dusk didn't say anything. He just held his brother's gaze and let Twilight speak.

Twilight got straight to the point. "I know about the Alicorn Amulet. I know you cheated."

"Cheated? Moi?" she asked in mock offense.

"Yeah. And I thought you might wanna see what a real magical amulet looks like." She placed on the 'amulet', a green carved stone set on gold. "Zecora gave it to me. It's from beyond the Everfree Forest and it's way more powerful than your measly little Alicorn Amulet!"

"Ha! Nothing's more powerful than the Alicorn Amulet!" she dismissed. "And nopony's more powerful than the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"Not only that," added Dusk, "but Zecora's a master with all sorts of potions and brews. Not only did she heal my injuries, but she gave me some that would increase my physical and magical strength." He whipped out a bottle and took a swig from it. "I feel like a brand new pony with strength like this!"

Doom snorted. "You don't even look any different."

"Just because you don't see the effects doesn't mean they're not present," countered Dusk.

"Care to put your amulet and muscles where your mouths are? How about another duel?" Twilight proposed.

Trixie smirked. "Why should we? We already beat you."

Doom looked tempted at the idea, but said nothing.

"That's up to you! But I guess you'll never see the totally awesome magic from beyond the Everfree Forest." They started to walk off. "Come on, Zecora."

They waited about five seconds until…"

"Wait!" With a flash of her horn, Trixie vanished the dome and teleported in front of them. "Okay, okay, you're on! A second duel."

"Yes," agreed Doom. "After such a satisfactory victory the first time, how could I let another chance to finally finish you pass me by?"

"Indeed. How could you?" asked Dusk.

Now the plan was in motion, Dusk had to get his part going. On the way back to town, he made sure he was walking right next to Doom. The massive stallion snorted at his presence, but otherwise did nothing.

"Eager to get started, brother?" he growled. "I would withhold that enthusiasm. A few magic brews aren't going to save you from me."

"Helps to give me an edge though," he remarked casually. "Do you remember that? Hard Edge and his grudge?"

Doom barked a laugh. "I'm hard pressed to forget. It was entertaining watching him beat you to a pulp. Nice somepony was able to in my absence."

"Not that you were all that happy about it," noted Dusk. "I could feel you, stirring away when I got angry at him. You wanted to show him what real strength was, didn't you?"

"Of course," he rumbled. "It was my body he was damaging. I wanted to return the favour. What happened to him, anyway?"

"He died in the changeling attack."

"A pity. I rather wanted him to bear witness to my new body too."

"I suppose you would." He glanced at him. "You two are actually rather similar. You're both strong, aggressive, impulsive, hold a massive grudge against me…"

"What's your point?"

"And he never gave up," he finished. "In the end, he never let himself be told what to do. He followed his own path and made his own decisions. That's true strength, I say."

Doom glanced at him now. "And what do you mean by that, dear brother?"

"Nothing really," he shrugged. "Just making conversation, filling you in on all you've missed out on while being under Trixie's hoof."

He growled. "I am not under anypony's hoof."

"Of course, of course," Dusk said hastily. "How silly of me to say so. You're your own boss now, you don't have me keeping you down anymore."

Doom glared suspiciously at him, but Dusk could tell that he was thinking about what he'd said. His jade pits flickered to Trixie, but he carried on walking with them to the centre of town.

Once again, the town gathered out to watch the duel take place. No doubt with her magic, Trixie had created a localised thunder storm over the town, dark clouds casting a shadow across their home as lightning flashed. As if Trixie couldn't be any more of a typical tyrant. That Amulet was really doing strange things to her head.

As Trixie proposed an age spell to start her and Twilight's duel, Dusk and Doom stood opposite each other and started to walk in a circle.

"I meant to say," said Dusk, ready to move at a moment's notice, "your new body really is quite impressive. I didn't actually know how big you were during your excursions in my head. Colour me impressed."

"The only thing I shall colour you is crimson with your own blood," he snapped. "Though you are right: it is very fitting for me. Shall I demonstrate?"

He suddenly darted forward in a charge, but Dusk bounded out of the way as his hooves flashed pink.

"Yes, very impressive," he agreed. "Just too bad it's not really yours, is it?"

"It is mine!" he shouted. "Mine and nopony else's! At long last, I am free of you!"

He whipped shadows at Dusk. He countered with some explosions of light to dissolve them.

"Free of me, yes," he carried on, "but what about her?"

He nodded to Trixie, who was stunned at Twilight's apparent ability to pull off an age spell on Rarity and Applejack.

Doom snorted. "What about her?"

"I'm just saying. If you're so strong and free, why are you letting her order you around?" asked Dusk. "I thought you were done playing the lackey, brother dear."

"I am nopony's lackey!" he screeched. He lashed out, but Dusk easily dodged it.

"I can see you doing that for Discord, but her?" Dusk gave a distasteful frown. "Just a few days ago, she was making a living on a rock farm because her supposed powerful magic wasn't enough to get her by. And now here you are, being her lapdog."

Doom's response wasn't even verbal. He just roared like an angered lion and tried swiping at Dusk. He pressed on as he dodged his clumsy blows.

"Look at her. Even with that amulet, she can't match my Twilight now in her magic." Twilight had just demonstrated the ability to make one pony play ten instruments, to Trixie's utter shock. "If she can't even match her now with the most powerful magical amulet in Equestria, then what does that say about her? What does it say about you, Doom?"

"NO!" He locked eyes on Trixie and charged like a bull. "I WILL NOT BE MOCKED BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"Quiet, you!" Trixie blasted a spell that made the ground swallow up his hooves and hold him in place. "Trixie is busy and doesn't have time for you right now!"

"DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME!" he screeched, trying to struggle free. "I AM NOT YOUR LESSER! I AM NOPONY'S LESSER! I-"

Another spell zipped his mouth shut. "Stallions. All talk, no action."

"Speaking of action," said Twilight. "I've got two more. I can turn a mare into a stallion."

Applejack tried to run but was caught up in a magical blast. When the smoke faded, she (or he?) stood there a buff member of the opposite sex.

"Eeyup," he (she?) said. Another zap turned her back to normal, looking quite dazed.

"And lastly," she declared, "I have the power to make any stallion my obedient, unquestioning slave."

Dusk put on a look of surprise as a blast of magic hit him now. His vision was clouded by the love hearts that filled them, but he did his best to look smitten at the sight of Twilight. Not that that was difficult.

"Come to me, Dusk," she cooed in her most alluring voice. "Bow before me. Kiss my hooves. Proclaim my greatness."

As much as he loved her and as humble as he was, even Dusk found it embarrassing to do this. They didn't even really need to, but Twilight suggested it. She called it necessary for complete forgiveness, all the while with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Oh, Great and Powerful Twilight," he droned tonelessly, "you are truly the highest level unicorn. None compare to you."

She nodded in satisfaction and lifted the spell from him. He shook his head in a dazed way.

"What… what just happened?" he asked. "Why am I on the floor?"

"Well, Trixie, looks like my amulet is more powerful than yours– " She was cut off when the amulet was levitated off her neck. "Hey! Give it back!"

"With this amulet, I shall now rule all of Equestria!" she declared.

While they put on the act of looking shocked, she yanked off the Alicorn Amulet. Her eyes and horn flickered red for a moment before her aura returned to a purple colour. With a look of triumph, she placed on the new amulet.

"Witness, my subjects. Gaze upon an ever greater and 'powerful-er' Trixie!" Lightning flashed behind her as she laughed like a maniac.

This was while she held aloft the Alicorn Amulet in her hoof. Quick as she could be, Rainbow darted at her and swiped it before she could do anything to stop her.

"Hey!" Trixie annoyance changed to confidence. "I don't need that old Alicorn Amulet. I have this!"

A stream of electricity crackled from her horn and hit Rainbow. At once, she began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Stop it! Tha— that tickles!"

"Tickles?! That was supposed to make you writhe in agony! This amulet is defective! Give mine back!" she demanded, shooting off another spell.

"Sorry." Rainbow placed it in a box held by Zecora, who closed the lid. "This is going back into hiding where it belongs."

"By the way, Trixie," Twilight added, "the amulet around your neck? It's one of Zecora's doorstops."

As if on cue, the stone in the doorstop came loose and shattered when it hit the floor. A reflection of disappointment perfect for how Trixie was. No doubt she was going to have questions for everything that happened, an explanation for how Twilight was able to pull off of that powerful magic with a fake amulet.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the chance to. They'd forgotten something and Dusk didn't realise until it was too late.

"WHO'S THE BETTER NOW?!" With a renting of earth, Doom pulled himself free and charged right at Trixie.

Her eyes widened in terror. He was too fast, there was no time to move. Dusk started forward.

"Blackhole, no-!"

CRACK!

His hoof collided with Trixie's face. The impact sent her skidding across the ground with a loud smack. She lay there and didn't move.

A stunned silence fell on the onlookers. There was no sound, other than Doom's heavy breathing. Twilight rushed to Trixie and pressed an ear to her chest, checking her over. Dusk, meanwhile, turned his gaze from her prone form to the frozen one of his brother.

Remarkably, even he looked shocked. Or was it something else?

"Are you happy now, brother?" he asked in a low voice. "Are you proud of what you've done?"

"Yes… no, I… I should be… why aren't I…?" He grimaced in pain and pressed a hoof to his heart. "Ugh! What is this? What's happening to me?!"

"You're experiencing something you've probably pushed deep down whenever you've acted before. Something for harming the pony who found you, who saved and cared for you. The pony who gave you your own body and a freedom you've never had. The pony who's the closest thing you've ever had as a friend and who you've now hurt by your own hoof." He let all of that sink in. "That something is guilt. Compassion."

"No! No, that's not possible!" he insisted desperately. "Those are your weaknesses, your flaws! I'm stronger than them! Better than them!"

"Not anymore, I think." He shook his head in wonder. "Really, I'm just as amazed as you. It seems almost impossible but… it looks like you actually care about her."

"I don't care for HER!" he screeched. "I care for nopony!"

"You're different, Blackhole, like Zecora said you were. I didn't fully understand before, but I see it now. You're not just my anger, my hate, my despair and everything negative anymore. Those are still part of your being, but you're something more now. Like you said, you're your own pony now. You're changing."

"Into… WHAT?!"

"Something new." He grimaced sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"AGGGGGGGH!" He beat at his breast and clamped his hooves to his head. "Why?! Why do I feel like this?! I'm not like you! I'm not weak!"

"I'm sorry, Doom but just as part of me is still like you… maybe the same holds true for you. A part of me inside you." He smiled at the irony. "We're brothers, after all. Why wouldn't that be the case?"

"It hurts! IT HURTS!" He fell on his knees, looking up at him. A shimmering of tears formed in his eyes. "Make it stop! Make it end! Please!"

He shook his head again. "Sorry, brother. It's not in my power to do that."

"NO!" He crawled towards Dusk, the fire blazing in his eyes. "You did something to me! YOU can end it! Do it! I demand that you-!"

A violet blast struck him in the head and he fell as limp as the mare he'd struck. Dusk looked to the spell's origin.

"He was getting unstable. Could you imagine a magic surge from him?" She heaved Trixie onto her back. "She has a mild concussion and her jaw is slightly dislocated. Let's get these two treated."

Carrying Doom required the efforts of both Rainbow and Applejack and even then they struggled to heft him all the way Zecora's hut. For Trixie, she prepared a brew that fixed her jaw and concussion and for Doom, a solution that would keep him unconscious so he wouldn't suddenly jerk awake and swing his hoof at whoever was closest.

Dusk watched as even in the state he was, Doom continued to grimace and cringe in his sleep. Their friends had temporarily vacated so they could be here to deal with the two of them when they woke up. That guilt must really be plaguing him terribly. He was out of it for now, but he dreaded to think what he would be like when he did wake back up.

"See?" Twilight was at his side again. "I told you you'd defeat him again."

"Just not in the way I expected," murmured Dusk. "It's still strange, thinking of him actually caring about somepony that way."

"It's not the first time he has." He looked at her in surprise. "The second time he came back, he had me at his mercy. But he couldn't bring about the final blow. Even when he was still attached to you, you were still there to tell him right from wrong."

"With a little help and again this time," he said. "First me, now my brother? This becoming quite habitual, Miss Sparkle."

"I had a good reason for it this time. Who knows," she went on quickly, "with a little bit of you in him, he might become a better pony."

Dusk doubted that. "It's only a little bit."

"Even the smallest amount of good can grow into something more. We've seen it happen before, haven't we?" She nuzzled his cheek. "For the record, he couldn't have a better conscience."

"Maybe. Regardless, I think I've learned something today," he added.

"I should hope so."

"You can overcome your fears and the worse parts of you, but that doesn't mean they're gone for good. They're still a part of you and they can return. But you can't let them get the better of you when they do and you can't just give up. If you've faced them once, you can do it again, drawing strength not only from yourself, but also from your friends."

"Sounds like a good lesson to me." A distinct murmur came from Trixie behind them. "Now, onto figuring out what to do with her."

"Ugh… my head…" she groaned. "Where… where is Trixie? What happened…?"

"Easy there, Trixie," said Twilight. "You had uh… had a rather nasty fall."

"Nasty fall…? Wait…" Realisation dawned on her face. "That son of a mule! How dare he strike me, after all I did for him! Where is he?! I'm going to pay him back twice what he did!"

"Calm down, Trixie," Dusk urged. "It's not as bad as you might think."

"Oh really?" She rounded on him. "Explain then, Dusk. Very quickly."

He complied and did his best to tell her about what he saw. Trixie still didn't look wholly convinced.

"Are you serious?!" she snapped. "He breaks Trixie's jaw and you say that helped to show a better side of him?!"

"Trixie, trust me when I say I've never seen him act like with this with anypony," said Dusk sincerely. "I don't know what it is, but you've unlocked something in him he's never experienced before."

"Is that what you think?" she snorted.

"He was so guilty when he struck you, it appeared to physically cause him discomfort. You tell me," he challenged.

She opened her mouth to retort, but stopped. She crossed over to Doom, who was still grimacing horribly. Pity formed her expression as she reached out and placed a hoof on his.

"There were times, when I was alone… lost… I'd talk to him. While he was still without a body… I carried him around in a jar," she explained. "Even though he could never really say anything, I always felt like… he was listening somehow. That he understood what I was saying. It's been so long since I actually had somepony to talk to, I…" She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "It's stupid. Probably just kidding myself, like always…"

"Or maybe he really was listening," murmured Dusk. "I don't think Doom is the only one who has more than meets the eye to him, Trixie."

"What do you know about me?" she asked bitterly. When she glanced at him, her eyes had a look in them that was all too familiar to him.

"More than you might think," he said quietly.

He wondered if she'd seen it reflected in his eyes, but she sharply looked away back at Doom.

"Whatever," she dismissed. "But very well. If I truly did bring out something better than him, I'll take him with me when I leave. I'll look after him, like I did before. Maybe we can both become better ponies from it."

"You would really do that, Trixie?" Twilight asked.

"Who else has he got?" she reasoned. "In a way, we were both there for each other when nopony else was. I saved him when we met, maybe I can do it again. Consider it my… penance."

"Okay then." She placed a hoof on the mare's shoulder. "Just remember, if you ever need any help with anything at all, just get in touch with us, okay?"

Trixie stared for a long while at the comforting gesture. For a moment, her signature sneer returned.

"Ha! As if the Great and Powerful Trixie would ever feel the need to beg help from her rival! But…" The expression faltered. "Trixie does… appreciate the offer. Greatly. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Especially after what I…"

"Don't worry about it," she said gently. "It was as much the Amulet as it was you. I don't blame you."

"I still need to make my amends though." She thought for a moment. "I heard you're meant to be entertaining some delegates, yes? I'll leave a few fireworks for your display. Give it a little pizzazz."

"That's kind of you to offer, Trixie," said Dusk. "I'm sure they will."

"Of course they will!" she said confidently. "They are Trixie's own creations, after all. Be sure you say who you got them from too. Perhaps Saddle Arabia will become more receptive of Trixie's spellbinding performances."

"We'll bear it mind," giggled Twilight. "You going to train him up as your assistant?"

She looked a little unsurely at the large stallion. "One step at a time, I think."

At first, Twilight and Dusk's friends were rather unwilling to let Doom and Trixie go so easily. Trixie couldn't really blame them, but the two unicorns had made their case plain. They argued they were both willing to reform and that the rest of the town wouldn't exactly be thrilled to keep them around. It would be best if they just left as soon as possible.

Surprisingly, they'd agreed. Trixie was still a little taken aback at how much Dusk and Twilight were willing to stand up for her, after what she'd done. They'd even given her a cart to carry Doom in and some food to make the journey back to the rock farm she worked at. Zecora said by the time she'd finished the journey, he would wake up again.

While Trixie was tentative of that, she remained confident she would do her best with Doom when that time came. Besides, there was something else she was more afraid of…

To her relief, they hadn't asked too much as to how exactly she came by the Amulet. They were more concerned with keeping it locked away and getting them out of town before an angry mob ran them out. Trixie was glad. She wasn't sure they'd be very happy with the answer.

But now, they had to get out of here and fast. She was sure that little red stallion and whoever was in charge of him would be very happy that they not only wouldn't be joining them in whatever they needed them for, but that they no longer had the Amulet. Trixie was getting used to poor reception from ponies these days, but she shuddered to think what that little creep might do. She hadn't gotten the best of feelings from him.

Such instinct came from being a showpony and being able to read crowds. He was definitely a bad crowd, but she'd been desperate and had let it slide. Now though…

Maybe Saddle Arabia would be a good place to lay low for a while, she thought as she heaved the cart away from Ponyville. She always did prefer tropical climates.

The Day

View Online

The evening sun shone through the windows of Ray Strike's home, as it was setting below the horizon. The sword that hung up in his living room glinted the light off its blade. His dragon head bust cast a large shadow against the wall and the way it was flickering almost made it seem alive. The plentiful furniture appeared comfortable and inviting, but there was nopony there to appreciate this.

There was nopony there. All was quiet and dark, excluding the fading sunlight. Suddenly, a bright flash illuminated the whole room for a second and the house was no longer unoccupied. A somewhat dirty and sweaty Ray appeared, breathing a sigh of relief to be back in the comfort of his home after another long, hard day at the farm.

He yawned tiredly and started to make his way sluggishly to the staircase. After a long day of bucking apples, hauling apples, carrying apples and all sorts of other wondrous work involving apples, he'd felt too exhausted to walk all the way back home. Even if it wasn't that far away. So, he just opted to zap himself back like any sensible pony with his abilities would do.

Now that he was back within the walls of his home, he really felt like just collapsing on the floor. But that would hardly be a proud image for him to be found in, on the off-chance that somepony were to walk in looking for him. That aside, he wasn't just tired; he was also hungry, and he felt dirty, both of which he aimed to rectify before going to bed.

Once he'd gotten a shower, the aftermath of which being only time his mane could be considered neat, he fixed himself a sandwich, brushed his teeth and finally felt like he was ready for some well-earned sleep. One advantage of his job on the farm was that he could always use it as a good excuse for being lazy when he was done.

He entered his room, taken up by a closet filled with mostly useless junk and a writing desk that took up an entire corner of the room. The latter was completely covered in parchment and paper, scrawled with notes and ideas. Surrounding it on all sides were multiple recycling bins, all of which were overflowing with balls of yet more paper and parchment.

Not the most visually appealing of bedrooms, but it was his.

He briefly debated whether or not to try and get some writing done. Another loud yawn and his complaining limbs made his choice for him. His sheets still tangled from that morning, he plopped into bed without even bothering to fix them and sighed loudly. He stared up at the ceiling absently for a bit. His eyes wandered to the clock next to the door. 8:30, apparently. Slowly, his head rolled to the side, giving him a view of his calendar above his writing desk.

The top page displayed the legend for September and the images to go along with it. Griffin themed. On the bottom page, most of the days were crossed off. There really weren't that many special markings on any of the days for September. He'd marked the days for the Harvest Festival on the calendar, the Running of the Leaves, and he'd even humorously drawn a crude image of multiple pink ponies bouncing around to mark the day when Pinkie had decided to make a horde of copies of herself. Other than that though, there really wasn't anything else until the end of September.

Except for one day. One square on the calendar, marked ahead of time with a large red X. Ray never needed to write anything else there. He knew what that day was. The day that he wished he could forget about. The one that he always dreaded year-round.

And it was tomorrow. The continuous line of black crosses marking the days that had already passed, led right up to the box immediately before the one with the red X on it. That meant that he only had another three-and-a-half hours before it all started again.

Relax, he told himself. It's just 24 hours and after that, the calendar resets, so-to-speak. Then you'll have another one to look forward to 365 days later... Sighing again, this time in frustration, he shook his head and forced himself to look away from the calendar and back to the ceiling.

As he moved his head, he felt the now-familiar sensation of something both rubbing his neck and sliding slightly across his chest. Looking down, he saw the necklace Celestia had given him a couple months back. The small blue shard of crystal glowed faintly in the growing darkness of the room, held in place by the thin band of metal chain going around his neck.

After a moment, Ray picked up the part of the necklace on his chest and held it above him. The crystal itself dangled down close to his face. He stared at it, as though entranced. This necklace had originally been a reminder for him of what he'd done during the Changeling invasion. How he'd gone on a rampage, seriously hurt most of his friends and even Chrysalis...

He hurriedly pushed those thoughts away. He didn't like to dwell on them. The necklace had served as a reminder for him that his being in Ponyville was only due to the kindness and leniency of Princess Celestia. Yes, he was grateful to her for agreeing to let him come back here with his friends, but at the same time, he fully understood why she'd wanted to keep him in Canterlot. He was a danger, after all... the things he'd apparently done when he'd lost control...

But even so, it had helped him tremendously. Before, he'd lived with a piece of fear down in the corner of his mind. A fear of not knowing if he, or those around him, were safe. He'd been prone to headaches and migraines on account of his tenant stirring around inside of his head, and he would always hear him in his mind, and had difficulty blocking it out. Now though...the necklace's magic fixed all of that.

According to Celestia, it was supposed to serve as a sort of additional reinforcement to the barriers keeping Wrath inside of him, which would activate the moment any pieces of Wrath's power started to emerge. But it was doing so much more than that. Since he'd started wearing it, it had virtually eliminated all of the headaches he used to have, and made it significantly easier to block out those annoying whisperings. And so it always stayed on him. As per Celestia's explicit instruction, he kept it on at all times. During work, leisure activities, meals, even showers and bathing, he never took it off, ever.

Maybe Celestia hadn't meant it that entirely, but in his mind, she had. Her tone and expression had been enough indication of that. And even if she hadn't, he wouldn't have ever taken it off anyways. By this point, it had become just as vital to his piece of mind as his confident behaviour was. He liked to act like he never worried about these things, that he believed everything would turn out alright and he honestly did, most of the time.

But with his experiences, the things he'd had to live with, the things he'd been forced to see and driven to do, all on account of the monster in his head... had he stayed weak, he would've been consumed by it all. The only way for him to survive his own life had been to adapt. That had meant becoming who he was today. How else could he have lived with a... a Demon... living right beside him, in his own head?

Ray's thoughts froze in their tracks. His grip on the necklace slackened slightly, causing it to drop closer to his face. He wasn't focused on that though; he was staring into space, caught off-guard by the sensation he'd just felt in the back of his head. Or more accurately, in the back of his mind. It had been a while since he'd last felt it...it had only lasted a moment...had he just imagined it?

…

There it was again. A familiar, odd tingling sensation in his head...one that wasn't being caused by something on the outside. So much for just imagining it, then. Speak of the devil, Ray thought to himself glumly...before adding as an afterthought how oddly fitting that saying was for one in his position.

…

Ray sighed once again, though it was more of a groan this time, and rolled over onto his side. He was trying to block out the growing sensation in his head, demanding attention. The feeling usually faded away after a while if he just didn't respond. It was much easier to do nowadays. Again, thanks to Celestia's necklace, what was once a sporadic and painful burning sensation had been reduced to the aforementioned tingle, which was barely noticeable to Ray if he was in the middle of an activity or had his mind on something else. And what with his job at the farm and all of the other stuff he did with his friends around town on a near-daily basis, it was easy for Ray to be distracted. Now though, it was just him, alone in his room with his thoughts...which, by extension, meant him as well. And Ray was all-too-aware of his presence. Frowning, he screwed his eyes shut and tried thinking about something else...maybe his writing...he was still trying to work out that romantic subplot with the main character of his novel...lately though, he'd been repeatedly hitting the same hypothetical brick wall...if he had something, some sort of experience to go off of, then maybe, but right now-

…

Now Ray growled as he sat up and shook his head, trying to get rid of the noise. It wasn't doing any good; in fact, it only seemed to be growing louder. It had started as a faint tingling, but now it was getting closer to a steady vibration emanating from his subconscious. And it wasn't going away.

Without another sound, Ray fell backwards once more onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. In the silence of his room, the dull rumbling in his mind felt almost deafening. He really didn't want to...but if it was the only way to get it to stop… Ray frowned and begrudgingly relented, deciding to get it over with as fast as possible rather than delaying it. Taking a deep breath, in and out, he closed his eyes...and focused.

Slowly...he allowed himself to become detached, losing sensation and awareness in his physical body, at the same time retreating inward, toward his own subconscious. It was an act similar to meditation in its concept. At least, that's what Ray had equated it to. Unfortunately, none of the books he'd read had any details on the exact nature of what he was doing. So he was left to assume that this was something unique to him...and probably, those before him as well. It was in the depths of his mind... past the parts he used all the time, past the lesser-used parts, past even some parts he didn't know existed... there was something different. A new level of subconscious that Ray had long since become aware of. Strangely, accessing this part of his mind wasn't all that difficult; Ray had learned how to do it on his own many years prior. Stranger yet, being this far within his own subconscious didn't put him into any sort of trance... perhaps it did on the outside, to his body, but on the inside... he was fully aware and alert. It didn't affect him in the way he'd read about it affecting others. But then, maybe that was because this part of his mind wasn't meant for him.

It was here, in the farthest depths of Ray's subconscious, that he lived. Ray opened his eyes...and immediately knew that he was where he needed to be. That dreadfully familiar domain, deep in the recesses of his mind.

The musty scent, the cold, damp floor, the incredibly sparse illumination…

Something else that was strange about this realm of Ray's mind... it looked and felt... real. Not like something inside of his head; like an actual place. Of course, over time he'd come to learn that this place was, in fact, not real... everything he felt and saw was again fabricated by his subconscious mind. It was complicated, but Ray had read about the mind sometimes tricking itself by creating fake sensations and experiences, usually when the reality of something is too much for that mind to process. He liked to think that's what this was; this far down into his own mind, in a part where another, much larger mind dwelled, his subconscious was creating a setting that he could look at and understand to some extent.

In the past, he would have spent more time standing in awe of this strange place, taking in every tiny detail... but it was nothing new to him now. He'd been here before on more than a few occasions; it had been the same back then, and it was still the same now. Nothing to report.

He had to admit, though, it would have been nice if he had some form of control over what this place looked like, to some extent. The smell certainly wasn't nice, the extremely dim red lighting made it not only difficult to see, but it also hurt his eyes somewhat, and the floor... it was... well, it was cold, wet, and grimy. Unfortunately, the fact that it was created by his subconscious, thus without him being consciously aware of it, meant that there was really nothing he could do to change it... heck, magic might have also played a part in it.

This was, after all, the place where the great demonic creature was sealed inside of him... it was a prison, and prisons weren't meant to be comfortable. Or look nice, or smell nice for that matter. That was probably why this place looked the way it did; it was Ray's subconscious interpretation of what an appropriate prison should look like. At least for a monster of this calibre, anyways.

Speaking of which, Ray was looking at him now. Behind the towering metal bars that stretched upward into the darkness, mostly concealed by the shadows, he stirred. A loud, deep, rumbling growl filled the chamber, sending ripples through the puddles scattered about... it wasn't the growl of any normal animal or monster... heck, even the biggest of dragons probably couldn't growl like that.

Normally, Ray was able to actually see him to some extent, despite the darkness of the chamber...this time, however, either the torches were dimmer than usual, or he was deliberately hanging back in the darkness. Even his forearms and claws, which were usually the easiest parts to spot what with how often the guy was laying down, were hidden from view. Despite that, however, there was always one part of him that never failed to be visible unless he was deliberately hiding them, no matter how dark it was...they were what Ray was staring at right now. High above and in front of him were two huge, crimson red, slit-pupil eyes, gazing back down at him through the gaps between the metal bars. Right now, the expression in them was more-or-less indiscernible...though it likely had something to do with malice or anger of some kind. It always did.

They both remained like that for a short while, staring at each other without saying a word, before one finally spoke up.

"So...what do you want?" Ray asked bluntly, not even trying to mask his disinterest in being there. In response, another deep growl filled the chamber.

Then, Wrath spoke.

"Hrrn...why the attitude? We have not spoken in quite some time, and this is how you immediately behave? What could I have done to provoke such...animosity?"

Ray knew he'd detected a condescending tone in there somewhere. Toward the end, he could've sworn he'd even seen a hint of an amused smirk in those monstrous eyes. In response, he simply rolled his own eyes and continued.

"Don't even get me started. You and I both know the answer to that question. Now tell me what was so important that you wouldn't leave me alone until I came down here."

Wrath actually chuckled-a horrible, throaty and cracking repetitive noise-before he answered.

"So very eager. Very well. There was nothing of importance, as you would define it, that caused my calling for your presence. I simply wished to... chat. Is that so bad?"

Ray groaned and rubbed his temples. "With anypony or anyone else, no. With you…"

"Oh, don't be like that... though, if I'm honest, I'm surprised you did respond to me this time. After so much time spent successfully ignoring my presence…"

"I had no choice, really. You wouldn't shut the hell up in here. Besides... I thought I might as well indulge you, since it's been so long, like you said."

Another amused look appeared in Wrath's eyes; and now, Ray could even see the shapes of his teeth appearing as his lips began to part into a feral grin, reflecting what little light existed in the chamber.

"Indeed... though, I feel that there is something else to do with it as well…" His eyes looked up for a moment, as though in contemplation, before returning to Ray. "Ah yes... it is nearly that time again, is it not? That anniversary-type ceremony you mortals find such amusement in…"

Ray's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Wow, I'm shocked. You're actually keeping track?"

Now, Wrath's eyes, lost some of their amused glint. "Well, I need to do something to keep track of the passage of time while I'm in here...though counting each passing day as you mortals do if far too tiresome. I prefer to simply memorize the dates of your petty annual celebrations and go off of those. Even though your mortal perception of time is flawed at best, simply the numbers you assign to yourselves as you scramble about, trying to make something of your meaningless lives before you eventually perish and sink back into the filth from which you came... I would be lying to say that it isn't, at the very least, moderately convenient."

Ray closed his eyes and sighed again in exasperation. "And there you go again, with the whole 'petty mortal' thing. Can't you just give it a rest already?"

The amusement in Wrath's eyes returned now, full-force...mixed with no small amount of viciousness. "And why should I? It is no secret that you mortals are absolutely insignificant in the grand scheme of things... one need only look at the difference between you and I to see the truth of it."

Ray shook his head slowly. It was always like this with Wrath; 'mortals are weak and insignificant' this, 'ultimate revenge' that...it never changed.

"Besides... you've seen it yourself. You've felt it yourself... the power to destroy is such a wondrous thing, is it not?"

Ray glared at him. "You would know about that, wouldn't you?"

If it was possible for the Demon Incarnation of Wrath to look any more amused than at that moment, it would have been severely out-of-character for him.

"Oh yes, I certainly would. And because of that, it is quite clear to me the difference between my power, the power of rage itself, and that of you worms. Hmhmhmm... truly pathetic. Before power such as mine, you are all just specks of dust, lying in the mud... waiting to be stomped on without a second thought."

Now, it was Ray's turn to smile. "Really? So if we're just specks of dust in the mud, what does that say about the monster who got beaten by us?"

In that moment, all traces of amusement left Wrath's eyes. Instead, they were filled with something more fitting of him; anger. A huge growl, far louder than the previous ones, came through the gaps between his giant teeth and seemed to shake the walls of the chamber.

"Watch your tongue, brat. Do not forget your place when before me. Or have you forgotten already what I'm capable of doing to you?"

Ray scoffed and waved his hoof dismissively. "Oh, can it. Give it a rest, would ya? We've already established at this point that you can't do a thing to me from inside of that cage; least not with my lucky charm here." To emphasize his point, Ray grabbed the necklace around his neck, which had stayed with him even to the depths of his subconscious (a testament, again, to how vital it to his piece of mind), and dangled it slightly, as though tauntingly.

Wrath, on the other hoof, displayed bit by bit more and more anger with every word Ray spoke. Now the air itself, fake though it was, was practically vibrating from his vehement growls. He looked at the necklace Ray was so triumphantly displaying to him and snarled all the louder.

"Ah yes... Princess Celestia's necklace... to think that you would resort to accepting the magic within some trinket just to cope with my presence...for the Host of Wrath... that is utterly embarrassing."

"You're just mad because you can't mess with my head anymore," Ray stated calmly, letting the necklace drop back against the top of his chest.

"Were I in your position, I would not be so quick to disregard my power... Ray…" Wrath said slowly, even addressing Ray by name, which he rarely did, in a tone that did nothing to hide his malice. "You of all ponies should know...what I am capable of…if only I obtain the smallest of footholds… Or, in your case, a hoofhold...but what do I care? Allowing you to go through your life naively thinking that I will never trouble you again...will only make it that much more satisfying when I do one day rip free of this imprisonment and destroy you. Unless…" Wrath stopped and hummed for a moment, as though in thought once again. "Unless, of course, you were to decide that you'd want to aid me in my pursuit instead. In that case, I might end up allowing you to live. You simply letting me out would be a much easier and less painful process than me slowly inching my way out on my own. And besides, you have a great deal of wrath within your soul as well... strip away all of those useless morals and notions of friendship... and you would likely make an excellent agent of my power…"

Ray grimaced and made a disgusted sound before looking back up. "Please, like I would ever do that. You've done this countless times before; the answer is the same every single time."

"Oh, but why?" Wrath asked, letting a slight, whining tone into his own voice, though clearly intended as a means of mocking Ray. "Why do you continue to deny your experiences, the things you've felt when under the influence of my power? Don't you remember that one day, all those years ago? The things you felt on that day? Even if you don't, I remember it clearly; I can share the memory with you, if you like. It was the day when we had our first ki-"

"Shut up." Ray cut of the Demon of Wrath with a stern, emotionless voice. "I don't... you don't know anything about me, alright? I-"

"No, Ray, that is where you are WRONG. I know EVERYTHING about you! From the moment you were born, I have been with you, connected to you...there is not a single experience you have that I have not seen, not a SINGLE emotion you've felt that I am not aware of! Whereas I have lived for millennia upon millennia... my life outstrips those of every mortal pony alive, combined! I am ancient, deeper, and more powerful than your mortal mind could possibly come close to understanding... it is YOU who knows nothing about ME, WHELP!" Wrath's voice rose a few times, literally filling the air with pressure as he spoke, before he calmed down, his voice again becoming even. "But this is not about me, is it? No...this is about you. You and your emotions, which you are aware of, but continue to deny. Come now, Ray...deep down, you know that you like having me here to give you this power…"

Ray was still recovering from Wrath's outburst when he heard and registered this last bit. "Are you serious? Ab-... Absolutely...just...NO!" he shouted, trying to muster up enough of his own anger to direct back at Wrath.

Unfortunately, but predictably, the latter was not fazed in the slightest.

"Oh...what's the matter? Are you trying to tell me that you've never enjoyed that rush that comes with the power I give you? The amount of things you're able to do, things that no other pony could ever dream of achieving…you don't like any of it? Being able to instantly take revenge on anyone who hurts you? Being able to destroy anything you so desire? Being able to take beating…after beating…after beating…and still get back up, again and again? You really are lucky, you know…you'd have died a long time ago if it weren't for me…"

Ray was shaking now. "You…you're the reason I get into all these messes in the first place! If you weren't around, I'd be able to have a normal life! If you were never sealed inside of me, I would have been able to have a…perfectly…normal life…" He quieted down at the end, his own words starting to ring in his mind. Wrath once more chuckled in response.

"A normal life? As though that's what you truly want? And what of all the excitement you've grown to love? Running around, almost constantly in some form of danger…never knowing quite what the future will bring…and us, always overcoming whatever your life throws at us…together. And what of your precious friends?" Ray jerked at that; Wrath pressed on, seeing as he'd touched a nerve. "That's right…were it not for me, you never would have met them, would you? No, you never would have had any reason to leave that home of yours, filled with angry, judgmental ponies just looking for somepony to blame for all their woes…you would just be another nameless face in the crowd…no significance whatsoever…"

Wrath's face seemed to lower itself to the same level as Ray's so that Ray no longer had to look up at him; he was right on the floor with him, staring into his soul.

"Face it, Ray…surely by now, you must realize, you would be nothing without me…"

Wrath continued staring at Ray after that. Every moment that passed felt like much longer to both of them. The corners of the Beast's mouth started curving upwards at Ray's perpetual silence, slowly forming a feral grin. Perhaps he'd finally gotten through to the mortal child…

That notion was crushed when Ray began chuckling himself, immediately wiping away Wrath's equivocal smile.

"You know," he said, "this isn't the first time you've tried this tactic. Maybe the first time you've approached it like this, but if you're trying to convince me to let you out willingly, then you might as well just turn around and give up like the caged animal you are. It ain't happening."

Wrath, characteristic of him, took that last insult poorly. Anger flashed through his eyes-real anger, with the thin pupils shrinking down and the irises seeming to glow even brighter red than before-while his teeth clenched audibly, and another loud snarl began resounding through the air…for just a second. Very uncharacteristic of Wrath, his reaction lasted only a moment; his features (what was visible of them) settled and calmed just as quickly as they'd flared up… ironically, this unsettled Ray more than the display of fury. Wrath gazed at Ray once more, taking him in… before snorting in evident disgust.

"Tch... deplorable. You know the truth of my words, and yet still you cling to your useless ideals like a fool… the anger and hate inside of you is evident. I sense it, and even I acknowledge it. Are you truly so hopeless that you-"

"I don't care." Ray cut off the demon yet again. "I don't care about how much anger I might have simmering inside of me, I don't care about how much you want to get out so you can start wrecking everything in sight…I really don't care about anything you have to say." Ray's face hardened. "…yeah, I do hate a lot of things about my life. The way a lot of things turned out… the way I've been treated…the way I never knew anything…the way all of this was just forced on me…and you," he added, making Wrath snort again. "But even so…whether I like it or not, you're my responsibility. Celestia sealed you inside of me, and she's letting me have my go at a normal life. Last thing I'm gonna do is betray her trust, or my friends' trust."

When Ray finished, it was Wrath's turn to be silent. The latter's large, predatory eyes remained planted firmly on Ray, unmoving and unblinking. In the end though, Wrath's silence didn't last as long as Ray's had. While still looking at Ray, he mumbled under his breath,

"Celestia…"

And then he made a noise, something akin to an amused grunt, though coming from him it sounded like a short slightly contorted version of his usual growl. Ray had chatted with him enough times to tell the difference though.

"What's so funny?" he asked, assuming that Wrath was making his freaky version of a smile underneath those shadows.

"…nothing…nothing at all…" Wrath replied slowly. "I just find it amusing, the way your mind works…you're so ready and willing to take any answers you hear. You must wonder…for everything you think you know, how many other vital pieces of knowledge continue to escape you? How many things…aren't you being told?"

"What..?" Ray asked, not understanding what Wrath was getting at.

"As I said before, nothing of your concern. Your continued ignorance of the most obvious facts is your own problem; solve it yourself. Now then, I've had enough of this conversation." With that, Wrath's eyes disappeared, presumably having been closed; at the same moment, the floor rumbled from something behind the cage hitting it.

Ray knew this; Wrath was getting into his sleeping position, which always meant he was done talking. Ray wasn't done, however. "H-hey! Hold on a second! What the heck are you talking about, 'continued ignorance'? What's so obvious that I should know it?"

"Did you not hear me the first time?" Wrath spoke in a slow, deliberate voice. "At first I thought this might be a good way to pass the time, but already I grow weary of this exchange. Now leave."

"But-"

"LEAVE."

The pressure in the surrounding air skyrocketed within the span of a second, and Ray found himself unable to focus. Suddenly his eyes shot open, and he was once again staring at the ceiling of his room. As though nothing had happened…though his forehead did feel a bit sweaty now. Ray sighed; typical. Leaving off with a big cryptic comment and then ending the whole discussion on a dime before ejecting Ray from his own subconscious. Classic Wrath.

Ray noticed that it was somewhat darker now than it had been when he'd 'left' for his meet-up with his tenant. Craning his head to look at the clock, he saw that it now read 9:45. He'd been lying there in a trance for over an hour in real time. It occurred to him that he'd been sighing an awful lot that night as he did so again; he couldn't blame himself. It had been stressful enough before; now he'd just had a lovely discussion with his dear mental roommate, and like always, it'd be stuck on his mind for hours at least, along with the anticipation of the most dreaded day of the year. He wouldn't be getting to sleep anytime soon. And it was a work day tomorrow, too. Perfect.

Nevertheless, he rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, trying desperately to nod off. Everything is going to be fine, he kept telling himself. You didn't tell anypony about what day tomorrow is, and nopony here knows about it. You'll be able to wake up, go through the day, and get back home without anypony being any the wiser. Everything will be fine…

"Okay, let's just go through it one more time," Twilight said. "Applejack, Pinkie, is the food and punch ready?"

"Yep, yep, yep!" replied Pinkie brightly. "Look at all of this! It's just begging to be eaten and I'm more than tempted to oblige them!"

"Hold on there, Pinkie," chuckled Applejack. "Not till the stallion-a the hour gets here."

"Good." She checked it off her list. "Rarity, Fluttershy, how are the decorations looking?"

"Absolutely splendid, darling!" trilled Rarity, levitating a corner of a banner with her magic. "Even a ruffian such as he would die for these."

"I really hope he likes them too," agreed Fluttershy, lifting the other corner.

"Excellent." Off went another. "Rainbow, the music all set up?"

"Only the best vinyls this side of Equestria," she affirmed. "That's without having the Vinyl, of course, but nothing's perfect. Except me, but that goes without saying."

"Right." Off went another from the list. "Dusk, Spike, you two ready to play your parts when he gets here?"

"Yep, act like everything's normal so it'll be even more of a surprise when we bring him in here," saluted Spike, watching from the window as a lookout.

"And it looks like everything's done," noted Dusk. "If he's on time, he should be here in about fifteen minutes."

"Excellent!" Twilight chirped happily. "That'll be when he gets here per our usual arrangement for studying Wrath, we'll lead him in here where the others are waiting and…"

"SURPRISE!" finished Pinkie. "How was that? Think he'll be surprised?"

"Undoubtedly," said Dusk. "With all the work we've done, Ray's birthday should be an enjoyable affair."

They all nodded and voiced their agreement. All except for Fluttershy, who was nervously fiddling with her hooves and glancing around. Noticing her distress, Dusk approached her and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"Fluttershy, he's going to love it," he assured her.

"I… I don't know," she stammered. "What if we run out of food? Or punch? W-what if he doesn't like the music we picked out? O-or the colour of the streamers and the banners and the balloons? What if he hates it? What if-?!"

"Little sister." His firm but gentle tone was enough to make her stop. "You know what he's like, he'd enjoy a fall off a cliff if it means he gets a rush from it. Of course he'll like it. How could he not, with all the help you gave for it?"

"Um… I just did my part," she mumbled, with a hint of red to her cheeks.

"Oh come on, Fluttershy!" chimed in Pinkie. "I think I put less planning time into this party than you did and I'm the party pony! Are you after my job?"

"N-no, of course not!" she said quickly. "I just… I want everything to be perfect for him."

Pinkie giggled. "I'm only kidding, silly billy. Dusky's right, Ray's gonna love it. So stop being such a worry wart."

"Besides," added Dusk, "worrying hectically is Twilight's forte."

"I heard that!" his marefriend called.

"Okay… sorry…" She took a few deep breaths. "He… he deserves the best time we can give him. He really does. At least, that's what I think."

"We all do, darling," said Rarity. "Though we must thank Pinkie Pie for bringing the matter to our attentions. Even though the methods used were rather… sudden."

"Aw, come on, Rarity!" pouted Pinkie. "I had to keep it secret!"

"Yes, but did you really have to hide in the carriage of the dress I was wearing and then pull me into its folds?"

"Seeeeeeeecret!"

"I didn't even know you knew when his birthday was, Pinkie," remarked Rainbow, balancing a record on her nose.

"Of course. I know everypony's birthday," she replied brightly. "It's what I do."

"Come ta think of it," said Applejack, "how come Ray never told any-a us it was almost his birthday? Did he say anythin' ta you, Dusk?"

Dusk shook his head. "Not a word."

"Maybe he forgot about it?" suggested Spike.

Pinkie gasped violently. "How could anypony forget about their birthday?! That's… that's like forgetting the first time you ate a cupcake!"

"Perhaps he simply didn't want any fuss," forwarded Rarity. "Maybe he's more used to quiet celebrations, being on his own for so long and what."

Rainbow scoffed. "Ray's a lotta things, but he sure as hay ain't quiet."

Dusk couldn't help but wonder briefly himself. Why didn't Ray tell them about his birthday? He had a few ideas, but none of them seemed to fit. He loved being the centre of attention and he was always up for a good time. Why pass up a chance where he would have both in a single stroke and not mention it to any of them? Not even the stallion he considered his best friend.

It just didn't feel right…

"Hey, guys!" Spike snapped him out of his reverie. "He's coming!"

Twilight acted in seconds. "Dusk, Spike, with me. The rest of you, lights off and hide. You'll know when to act."

Dusk followed her out as he heard the others all scrambling for hiding places. He left the room as the door closed behind him and they took up positions in the public section of the North Wing. They all managed to act normally by the time Ray arrived.

"Hey, librarians," he greeted. "I'm here for my session of probing and studying and questioning."

His smile seemed more forced than normal, but they didn't pay it any mind.

"Good timing." Twilight rose from her desk and led him to the door. "Come on, we'll head in the West Wing. I've got a few things set up there. Spike, bring a quill and some parchment. Dusk, be on standby in case I need you for something."

"Got it, Twilight!" Spike grabbed the items and winked at Dusk behind Ray's back.

"As you wish, Miss Sparkle." Dusk returned it and fell in step behind them.

"So, when you say you have 'things' set up," Ray said a little nervously, "I hope you don't mean that weird clamp thing I saw downstairs. I'm not even sure that's a proper scientific instrument."

"No, nothing like that." Though she tried, Twilight was having a hard time suppressing a grin as she opened the door for him to enter first. "In fact, I'd say you're very much going to enjoy this particular experiment."

"I… don't like how that sounds, but if you say so." He paused. "Hey, how come it's so dark in-?"

The lights flared on and Ray gave a yelp of shock. What followed sent him tripping and falling onto his rump.

"SURPRISE!" they all chorused. "Happy Birthday, Ray!"

"Surprise!" Pinkie yelled again and barged right in Ray's face. "Now, I know you're gonna say I was late, but that time I wasn't! You get double, double surprise because today is your birthday, so you deserve double the surprise and DOUBLE THE FUN!" She blew a party blower and offered her biggest grin. "I mean, why shouldn't you, because…"

But as she rambled on in Pinkie fashion, Dusk noticed how Ray's expression seemed to be getting increasingly distraught. He slowly went bug-eyed, and he even appeared to become paler as Pinkie continued. When she was done, there is a long, increasingly awkward silence followed. They all waited for Ray to say something.

Instead, he just kept making squeaking noises, like his voice kept catching in his throat.

"Ray, are you feeling quite alright?" Dusk asked.

"Oh my, you weren't startled, were you?" put in Fluttershy worriedly.

"I… I'm fine," he replied, rather unconvincingly. He looked around at everything almost emotionlessly. "How… did you know it was my birthday anyway, Pinkie?"

"Duh? I know everypony's birthday!" she replied, as if it were obvious.

"Forget it," he groaned. He looked to Applejack. "What about the rest of the workday for us then?"

"It's yer birthday, sugarcube," she said. "Ah'd say that entitles ya ta a day off."

That earned another sigh from Ray. It was like everything was something he didn't want to hear or see.

"Is something wrong, Ray?" Twilight asked.

For a few moments, he was silent. Eventually, he looked up and smiled, even laughing a little this time.

"I'm fine, Twi. Everything's fine," he said. "Thanks for the party, guys. It looks great. Really."

"You sure about that?" asked Rainbow. "You don't exactly seem thrilled."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," he shrugged. "You just… surprised me, that's all."

"B-but you weren't startled?"

"Not at all, Flutters."

She sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I'd hate to think we'd startled you. It's not nice."

But Dusk knew Ray and he could tell his smile was somewhat forced and his eyes lacked real enthusiasm. Even his voice sounded groggy, which was unlike him.

"Then, come on!" Pinkie grabbed his hoof and dragged him in. "Let's PARTY!"

The others all began to join in, though Dusk did share a brief look with Twilight before they followed suit.

It was, as usual with Pinkie Pie involved, a flawless setup for a party. They had plenty of the classic party games, a variety of food, mostly from Sugarcube Corner. The gramophone was belting out up-beat tunes with the space in the middle serving as a makeshift dance floor. But as the party went on, it became increasingly clear that Ray just… didn't seem that into it. They'd expected him to relish this kind of attention and throw himself into the activities. He'd done as much during his Welcome-to-Ponyville party all those months ago.

But it just wasn't having the same effect on him. While he was participating in the party games with the others, his effort and interest in said games just seemed… half-hearted at best. And when it came to free food, Ray had proven in the past that he had a voracious appetite. However, despite having an entire table of sweets right in front of him to access at any time, he barely even touched any of it, only grabbing a single cookie at one point to nibble on.

And throughout it all, his eyes. Regardless of what his face showed at the time, they always just seem… dull. Like he wasn't really there, at the party. His body is just going through the motions. Dusk also repeatedly caught him glancing at the clock at varying but short intervals… like he was waiting for something.

It didn't take long for the others to once again start taking notice of his strange behaviour. An hour into the festivities, everypony save for Pinkie had become aware of it. While she was with Ray on one side of the library, trying to get him active in a game of pin-the-tail-on-the-pony, Dusk, Spike, and the rest of the girls were on the other side, watching them with moderately concerned expressions.

"Okay, I don't care what he says, something's up with that stallion," whispered Rainbow. "I've seen zombies with more life than he has."

"I second that," said Spike. "You didn't see any bite marks on him, did you?"

"She doesn't mean that literally, Spike," scorned Twilight. "Ray isn't acting like himself. It's like when we first found out about Wrath."

"Maybe he really doesn't like the party!" squealed Fluttershy. "Oh no, I knew we should have gotten silver banners instead of green!"

"Calm down, dear," soothed Rarity. "Perhaps he simply didn't get enough sleep. His eyes are looking a little baggy."

"Ah'd've thought he'da picked up a lil' by now," remarked Applejack. "He's always so full-a energy, but ah ain't never seen him like this and he gets up pretty early fer workin' the farm. He still manages ta have a bit of a bounce in him."

"He seemed a little weighed down when he came in," noted Dusk. "I would wager there is something wrong."

"Maybe you should talk to him, Dusk," suggested Twilight. "You're closer to him than most of us. He might talk to you."

"My thoughts exactly," he nodded. "You all keep looking like you're having a good time."

"Got it. Hey, Pinkie!" called Rainbow. "Wanna do some apple bobbing? Let's see what surprises you got this time!"

"You're on, Dashie!" she replied. "Be right back, Ray! Look, here comes Dusk to keep you company!"

She dashed off just as Dusk pulled Ray aside into the quieter North Wing to talk to him. The sounds of the party became muffled when he closed the door.

"Now, Ray, let's get straight to the point," Dusk began brusquely. "Something's the matter and you have chosen not to say what it is."

"Dusk, what are you talking about?" He tried to smile. "Nothing's wrong, I'm…" He stopped when he saw Dusk's expression.

"Don't attempt to disguise your problems. I was doing that long before we met. Is everything alright?"

Ray sighed and let his features fall. "No. Everything isn't alright."

"Then, what is it?" he asked.

"It's not a huge issue," he said simply. "Look, I'll tell you about it later, but I think we'd best head back inside before the others start getting worried."

Dusk frowned. He did seem truthful about wanting to talk about it, not just dodging the question. But it must be something significant for him to be acting like this. It made Dusk suspicious, but he chose not to persist.

"Very well," Dusk said. "If you promise to talk about it."

"Pinkie promise," he swore. "In the meantime, I'll try and get my mind off it. Have a good time with the others."

Dusk nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

Following him back in the West Wing, Dusk held onto the hope that Ray would actually try to have a good time and that his mood would improve.

It didn't.

Well, it did for a little while, at least. Ray seemed to be more conscious of the others and did appear to be trying to enjoy himself more. He played a game of Pin The Tail with Rarity, apple bobbed with Applejack and made Fluttershy blush a little when he talked to her about how nice everything looked. She didn't say anything, but she looked very pleased.

But that lasted only for about an hour. He seemed to try stay positive whenever in close proximity or talking with the others, but regardless, over the course of that time he slowly began reverting back to his original behaviour. He displayed less and less overall interest in the party itself, and just looking tired throughout.

Whether consciously or not, Dusk didn't know, but he and the girls were starting to become worried.

"He told me it wasn't any big issue," Dusk said when he off to one side with Twilight. "But whatever it is, it's really bothering him."

"He did Pinkie Promise, right?" said Twilight. "Maybe you should call him in on that now and find out exactly what it is. I don't like seeing him like this."

"Neither do I." They paused when Rainbow flew over after doing a piñata with him. "How is he?"

"Not great," she reported. "He barely even gave the stick a swing when he had to and then just kind of gave up. It's like he's worn out, but he's barely done a thing."

"He's also getting irritable too," added Twilight. "I asked him if he wanted something to eat and he just snapped at me, saying it didn't matter and he wasn't hungry anyway."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, it's like he doesn't want to be here!"

"I'll bring him out," suggested Dusk. "Call him out on that promise and see if I can't figure something out."

Just as he was about to follow through with this, Pinkie made an announcement from next to the gramophone while turning up the music.

"Alright, everypony! Get your dancing hooves on, because it's time to get funky!"

Dusk exchanged a look of terror with Twilight at the implication of this. Sure enough, Pinkie bounded over to Ray.

"Come on, birthday boy, show me what you got!"

"Uh, no thanks, Pinkie," he said uneasily. "I'm not up for it…"

"But it's your party!" she persisted and grabbed his hoof. "You gotta do some dancing or how is it a party?!"

"Pinkie, I really don't…" But she dragged him onto the dance floor despite his protests.

Dusk had to cringe as he watched Pinkie try and force Ray into a dance. She would try to get him moving and he would attempt to push her off, his voice getting louder and increasing with agitation while Pinkie's efforts only grew with it.

"Come on, Ray! What do you wanna do? Jitterbug? Tango? Juke and jive?"

"Nothing, I don't feel like it."

"What about now?" She dashed off and returned in a slim gown with a rose in her mouth. "Come on, don't make me dance alone."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"What about this?" This time, she wore a sombrero and a poncho. "Come on, do a samba, aye carumba!"

"That's offensive to Marexicans."

"Maybe something classier?" Back again in a ball gown and a fan, putting on a posh accent. "Come now, sir. Don't keep a lady waiting."

"Reminds me too much of Rarity and not in a good way."

Rarity spat out her punch. "I beg your pardon?"

Sensing his growing distress, Dusk started forward, but not before Pinkie reached out one more time.

"Come on, Ray!" She gave his hoof another yank. "Loosen up!"

"I SAID NO!" he screamed. "I don't want to dance with you, so stop asking me to!"

As sudden as his outburst, he cringed and lightly touched his head. If his yelling didn't silence them, this did and everypony froze. Dusk even caught a brief glimpse of Ray's necklace, glowing ever-so-faintly for just a moment before returning to normal, like nothing was wrong at all.

Silence hung thick like a blinding fog for several, very long moments. The music continued to play awkwardly in the background.

Dusk ventured an attempt to break it. "Ray…"

"I'm sorry," Ray interrupted at once. "I'm sorry, but… I just can't do this."

"Do what?" Twilight asked.

"THIS!" he responded almost angrily, gesturing around the room. "All of this I… I just can't, I can't!"

"What, the party?" Applejack forwarded.

"Yes, the party!" he snapped. "Why… why did you have to do this?"

"Ray, darling, what's the matter?" asked Rarity. "Why does this upset you so?"

"You wouldn't get it," he muttered. "None of you would, none of you…"

"We can try," offered Fluttershy. "Please, talk to us and tell us what it is."

"No," he said shortly. "It wouldn't make any difference…"

"But why?" demanded Rainbow. "Don't you do a Dusk and clam up on us!"

"Forget it, just… forget it!" He shook his head. "I'm not doing this anymore. See you, guys. Thanks for the party."

Before any of them could stop him, he vanished in a burst of magical light. The silence that remained in his wake was deafening. At some point somepony, Dusk couldn't tell who, had the sense to turn off the music and it became even more prevalent.

They all just stared at the spot where he was standing. Dusk was wondering where he could have gone. Twilight was frowning, clearly trying to figure out why. Spike was still stunned. Rainbow looked like she was trying not to lose her temper. Applejack shook her head sadly. Rarity looked rather annoyed. Fluttershy was close to tears. But she wasn't the only one who was sniffling.

Looking at the source of the noise, they saw Pinkie. Her mane was deflated and an utterly dejected expression was painted across her face.

"He didn't even open his presents," she whimpered quietly. Then, she broke down and sobbed.

Spike stayed to comfort her while everypony else flocked to Twilight and Dusk.

Rainbow was first to speak. "Okay, anypony else wanna say what the hay just happened here?"

"Ah can't say," murmured Applejack. "He jus'… flipped. Ah couldn't even begin ta tell ya why."

"Neither can I…" Fluttershy sniffed. "This… this isn't like him. Why would he be like this? On his birthday? After we…" She couldn't continue.

"Seconded!" barked Rarity. "I know he's a ruffian, but that was downright rude, even by his standards!"

"It has to be for some reason," pondered Twilight. "Maybe something that happened? Recently or something on this day that upsets him? Dusk?"

"I don't really know," he confessed. "The latter case sounds rather likely…"

"Looks like it to me!" agreed Rainbow. "He sounded like he was mad at us for throwing him a birthday party! Come on, who wouldn't want to celebrate their own birthday?"

That question triggered a memory for Dusk. Something he remembers from just over two months ago, when they'd all been in the infirmary after their battle with Wrath. When they'd all learned about the monster Ray had sealed inside of him, and when he'd been explaining it to all of them. Some things he'd said back then…

'I've had him ever since I was born. From the second I started breathing, me and Wrath have been best friends for life…'

Another memory flashed…

'You know that time when all kids go through changes? It was the same for me, because it was when my buddy decided to make himself known, on my birthday…'

He voiced his thought out loud. "Maybe somepony whose birthday marks the same day his whole life became ruined by something he couldn't control?"

They were all quiet, apart from Pinkie's sobs and Spike's comforting murmurs. One by one, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity and Fluttershy came to the same realization.

"That would make a lot of sense. That would have had a profound psychological impact, to say the least."

"Like a pony bein' scared-a water 'cause they almost drowned at some point…"

"Except a lot worse than being drowned, especially for a kid."

"One wouldn't expect something like that to be cause for any celebration."

"Poor Ray… we should have known… should have noticed something, remembered what he said…"

"It doesn't matter now," Twilight said urgently. "I really hate to interrupt, but there's a bigger issue we need to address."

Applejack cocked her head. "What's that?"

"I know this seems like a bad time, but…" She pointed to the spot where Ray had been. "Wherever Ray is right now, he's clearly upset. And if somepony doesn't find him and get him to calm down, well… we know what might happen."

Dusk stared at her in shock, along with the others at what she was suggesting. It was much of a surprise for who voiced their protest at this.

"No!" Fluttershy blinked furiously away at her tears. "Ray would never let that… that monster out inside Ponyville. Not him, not to his home… not to us!"

"Fluttershy's right," agreed Rainbow. "There's no way he'd be that upset over something like this."

"But there's no way to be sure that he isn't," Twilight countered. "You all saw the look on his face before he left. We can't afford to ignore the possibility."

"What about the necklace?" Spike spoke up. "The one Celestia gave him, I mean. Doesn't that stop him from going all monster mash on us?"

"Based on what the princess told us, the necklace is there to help Ray to keep from being influenced by Wrath, not to prevent it altogether," she answered. "We don't know if it has any kind of limitation on how much its magic can do that."

"I guess." The dragon touched his scarred chest briefly and shuddered.

"Exactly," Twilight said. "I don't like it either, but we still need to try and find him, make sure he's okay. As his friends."

"Tw-Twilight's r-right…" Pinkie sniffed loudly and wiped away her tears. "Nopony should be sad. Especially on their birthday…"

They all nodded in agreement.

"Then it's settled. We'll all spread out around town and look for him. Look everywhere he might or might not be, don't leave any stone unturned," she ordered. "You know what might happen if we don't find him and we don't want a repeat of a few months ago to surface here. You know the stakes here." She let that hang in the air. "Now, let's move out."

The Gift

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Running. It was all he focused on. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't notice the ponies he bumped into, barely even heard their protests. He tried to keep watch on where he was going, but it wasn't easy. The tears building in his eyes blurred his vision.

He hadn't appeared at his house as he'd intended. He'd wound up coming out of his teleport only a block or so away from the library. If he could, he'd just try to teleport again, but he couldn't focus. Every time he tried to concentrate, he was disrupted by his torrent of emotions.

Eventually, while running through the streets he came across an alleyway. He turned into it and travelled along until he was out of anypony's sight. He stopped and almost fell against the wall while he tried to catch his breath. His breathing was erratic. He was having trouble standing, clutching his head, his eyes wide open and the pupils quivering.

Everything was coming back to him now, and he couldn't block it out. It was just like every year. Things from his past, memories he'd tried to suppress, emotions bubbling back up to the surface…

"Look, there's that kid again…"

"What's up with him anyway, just wandering around? Doesn't he have anywhere to be other than here?"

"Just ignore him, he'll go away eventually."

Confusion.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing here? You're scaring off my customers!"

"Get out of here before I throw you out, you freak!"

Rejection.

"Mommy, who is he? Why can't I play with him?"

"Listen to me, just stay away from him, okay? That foal is a bad influence."

Loneliness.

"I don't care if you were trying to help, you stay away from us!"

"Go crawl back into whatever hole you wormed your way out of, pest!"

Sadness.

"Nopony here needs you, and nopony here wants you!"

"Just go away! Scram!"

Solitude.

"Waaaaahhhh! M-mommy! Mommy, it hurts!"

"What the heck?! What the heck is wrong with that guy?!"

"Somepony, get help! Get help!"

"Everypony, stay back! Don't go near him!"

"What has he done?"

"By Celestia, just look at him! He even looks like a monster!"

"...guh…...mmrrg…..GRWAAAAAAHHHH!"

Anger.

With every new memory, his breathing grew more laboured, and sweat began to mat his mane. He could feel a painful pressure growing in his chest as well. He couldn't stop them. He could feel it, his mental barriers slowly deteriorating. Like water leaking through a cracked dam wall, the returning memories just kept coming, with the crack only growing larger and larger. Every year it was like this. He could block it out, keep it all suppressed and locked away...but one day, every year, it would come back to him. The day he dreaded the approach of, when everything changed for him. His birthday…

But normally it wasn't this bad. Given, it was always bad. The trauma made sure of that. Trauma… no matter what he did, he could never get rid of it. Everything he'd ever tried to forget would always come back to haunt him on this day. He could never stop the memories from resurfacing, but at the very least he was usually able to contain them so that they wouldn't impair him. So long as he kept his mind off of what day it was, it wasn't a huge problem. But this time… now he couldn't keep his mind off of it.

The party. Despite his best efforts, it had gotten to him. And now all the experiences and feelings he'd blocked out over the years were coming back. With a vengeance.

He grunted and tried to start moving again. Staying here would not do him any good...nor would it do the town any good if this kept up, he surmised. But as he took his first step, a loose patch of dirt and gravel crunched ever so slightly beneath his hoof.

Another pang in his head stopped him. Another memory, stirred by that one tiny sound, began to resurface. And Ray, in his state, could do nothing to prevent this one...one of the worst of all, he realized too late, as flashes of imagery and sensations played out in his mind in an incomplete, yet still horrible fashion.

Crunching gravel. The sound of others talking. Frantic tones. Worried, panicked. Who were they? Did not matter. Only what they'd done. Protect self. Make them pay.

Red. Pure. Rage. Hatred. Red. Vile. Fury. Malevolence. Crimson. Red.

Growling. The sound of an impact. The feeling of an impact. Cracking bone. Coughing. A roar. A scream. Ripping. Wet. Warmth. Quiet.

Red. Stains on the dirt. Scattered wood fragments. Two ponies. Staring upwards. Blank eyes. No movement. Standing over them. Hoof...wet and red.

Shock. Horror. Denial. Guilt. Pain. Monster.

It passed. Ray was almost paralyzed by the emotions that followed, now pervading every crevice of his mind. The pain in his chest felt like it was multiplying. His breath became shuddering gasps, before he retched, covering his mouth with one hoof, and falling to his knees and finding what little food had previously been in his system now spilled across the ground. It was too much. Everything. It was all too much.

At that moment, his necklace began to glow once more. From the depths of his mind, the growling he'd grown accustomed to started to rise. Growling...and chuckling. Without even pulling Ray down to his level, he spoke to him, his words reverberating throughout his mind.

"Ah yes, I remember it as though it were yesterday. The anger, the power. Was it not exhilarating, Ray? The carnage we wrought that day, in the span of but a few moments?"

"...shut up…" Ray whimpered.

"Two ponies, yes. Two lives," Wrath continued on. "Though paltry compared to my own feats, this is not about me, is it? No, this is about you… you awakened something inside of you that day, didn't you, Ray?"

"Shut...up…"

"A dormant hatred. An intolerance. Of all those who think to cross you, who think to harm you. Of all who seek to do wrong by you...by us. Those fools performed the action, and we returned to them what they deserved for their hubris. You felt it, if only for those brief moments, which lasted an eternity for them. The power to end whoever and whatever you wish. And you loved it."

"Shut up!" Ray shouted, getting back up and shaking his head back and forth.

"Once again Ray, you know it is true. Stop hiding in denial and-"

"I said SHUT UP!"

In a vain effort to get the voice out of his head, to get his mind off of the memories, Ray turned to face the brick wall next to him, and forcefully slammed his forehead against it. He did this repeatedly, rearing his head back and ramming it against the wall over and over without an ounce of hesitation, each time punctuated with another shout.

"Shut!" SLAM! "Up!" BASH! "Shut!" BAM! "Up!" CRASH! "Shut up!" SMASH! "Shut up!" WHAM! "SHUT UP!"

The final shout was followed by one final bang against the wall. His horn hurt immensely, along with his forehead as a whole, having been repeatedly hammered at an angle against a solid surface without mercy. With his head still resting against the wall, a tiny rivulet of blood began to flow down from the beaten part of his forehead, trickling its way down his muzzle. Ray was very aware of the pain… and also the silence. He started to breath a sigh of relief when-

"So now you're resorting to physically harming yourself? Come now, Ray. That didn't work the last time you tried it either, why should it be any different on this occasion?"

Whatever relief Ray felt immediately went up in smoke. He knew he had to try and endure. He knew he had to remain strong in the face of all this torment.

But he simply couldn't. It was all too much to bear. So in the end, with an anguished scream, he took off again, with not so much as an inkling as to where he was going. He just needed to move. He ran, with the blue shard of crystal adorning his necklace glowing all the while...

The sun had begun to dip below the horizon, casting an orange haze across the land. Dusk was astounded and shocked at the time. Had they really spent the whole day searching for Ray and not found any trace of where he'd gone?

He was the most recent to return to the library from his own attempts to find Ray. Twilight sat not far from him, deep in thought. Fluttershy was nervously wringing her hooves and glancing at the door. Applejack tapped her hoof impatiently. Pinkie sat alone, her mane still deflated and her expression forlorn. The others were still out there looking.

Dusk had been searching alone and hadn't found the stallion anywhere. He'd even tried using a colour puppet to track him, but he couldn't. Whenever he tried, it would become unstable and take off in completely random directions. It had literally led him in circles around town before he realised something was wrong, on top of either stopping completely or even twitching and exploding.

The others present had all arrived not long prior to him, each of them having searched all day in differing locations and none of them having found a trace of Ray anywhere. So now he is there with them, waiting for those who are still out searching to return as well. Seeing as how late it was getting, he hoped that they show up soon, and with Ray in tow.

But the situation just had Dusk worrying. Ray practically vanishing, the behaviour of his puppets. Perhaps it was something to do with Wrath interfering with the spell somehow because of Ray's state. If that was the case then…

Twilight had already made it clear the stakes if that were to happen again. They'd been lucky with the isolation of the Everfree Forest, but if Wrath were to break loose here in Ponyville… the consequences would be catastrophic. All the more reason to be nervous and to find Ray as soon as possible before that happened.

The door opened and they all whipped their heads up. Rarity and Spike came through and Rainbow darted inside behind them.

Twilight hurried to meet them. "Well?"

Though they were silent, their expressions told them they had the same results.

"What about you guys?" asked Spike.

"Nothing," murmured Dusk. "A few ponies said they saw him running, but they couldn't tell us where."

"We tried asking around too," voiced Rarity. "Again, as you say, some saw him running and bumping into ponies, but not where he went afterwards."

"Anything from the sky, Rainbow?" asked Twilight.

"Nothing. I must have flown around the whole town and then some about a hundred times," reported Rainbow. "I never caught even a glimpse of him the whole time."

"I asked some of my animal friends to help in the search," whispered Fluttershy. "They… they haven't seen anything yet, but th-they'll keep looking."

"AJ and I checked his hangouts and his home, but no clues. Poor Ray," sighed Pinkie. "All on his lonesome out there and on his birthday…"

"Faust-dammit!" Applejack kicked the wall in frustration and the tree shook a little. "Ah can't believe this!"

"Now, calm down, Applejack," said Rarity. "Losing our tempers won't solve anything."

"She's right though!" voiced Rainbow. "Seriously? The whole day, all of us looking and nothing? Are me and AJ seriously the only ones having a problem with this?!"

"Rainbow!" The sharpness of Dusk's voice surprised everypony, even him. "Do not assume for a minute that we aren't all concerned about Ray's whereabouts. But we are all attempting to maintain a level of calm to keep our heads clear, so would you kindly keep yourself to the same standard?"

"Maybe I could, if we'd found something!" she returned. "But seriously, how with all of us looking, have we not found anything? Is he even in town anymore?!"

Even she seemed to regret those words as she said them. An immediate hush fell over the group. They didn't want to believe it, but from how Ray was acting before and the fact they hadn't seen him anywhere in town at all…

It was Spike who broke the silence. "You don't think…?"

"No!" Again, it was Fluttershy who leaped to his defence. "Ray wouldn't leave us! He promised!"

"I agree with Fluttershy," seconded Rarity. "Though he can behave uncouthly at times, he is a decent sort to say the least. He wouldn't just leave."

"Not meanin' ta besmirch Ray here, but y'all saw how he was actin'," noted Applejack. "With his power ta zap about anywhere he pleases, ah wouldn't put it past him."

"Yeah, it wouldn't be the first time a stallion we know left town 'cause he got all worked up about something. No offense, Dusk," Rainbow added.

"None taken," he replied. "And in that sense, I have a feeling you may be right. I would feel the same way." He thought of Doom. "I have felt the same way…"

"We know," said Twilight gently. "You know him best, Dusk. If he had run away from Ponyville, where would he have gone?"

"I really don't know," he answered. "He wouldn't have gone back to Idahoof and he never really had any special attachment to anywhere he'd been to before coming here. Your guess is as good as mine."

"What if he has left?" asked Pinkie.

"Then we shall have to widen our search," said Rarity. "If he has left, I don't imagine he'd have gone too far."

Rainbow snorted. "Yeah, right. Have you forgotten he can teleport?"

"But what good is being able to go anywhere you please if you have nowhere else to go?" she replied.

"Let's hope yer right." Applejack sighed. "Anyways, it's gonna get dark soon. No way we can find him fumblin' around like lookin' fer a needle in a haystack."

"Agreed. Let's all get some rest and start again early tomorrow. And…" They all waited as Twilight paused. "I should probably say that… regardless of where he could be, if we don't find him soon… we're going to have to alert the Princess."

Rainbow did a double take. "Are you nuts?!"

"No!" Fluttershy shrieked. "She let him stay on the promise we would look after him! If she finds out this happened, she may take him away back to Canterlot!"

"Exactly! We don't wanna get him locked up again!"

The others all seemed to be in agreement, Dusk included. The last thing he wanted was to see his best friend imprisoned once more.

"I'm sorry," said Twilight sadly. "But remember our side of the promise to Celestia? We agreed to notify her if anything were to go wrong with Ray."

"Yeah, but that was for if Wrath started coming out, not every time Ray gets upset!" protested Rainbow.

"How does this not meet that criteria?" Twilight asked.

"'Cause last I checked, the town hadn't been blown up!" she retorted.

"Would you rather wait until something does blow up before bringing it to the Princess's attention then?" she countered.

"But-!"

"Look, it would just be a precaution," she placated. "Just to help us look for him, that's all."

"But what if that isn't all she does?!" Fluttershy repeated. "What if she really does try to take him away again because we failed?!"

"This could be the excuse she needs!" Rainbow agreed. "Then that would be it! How would that be helping him?!"

Silence fell again, for a few more long moments. This time, despite the fear he held in that regard, Dusk spoke up.

"Rainbow, Fluttershy," he began, "I admit I'm not supportive of what Celestia did to Ray any more than you are. But do you really think she will use this as justification to take him away again?"

"Why not?" she snapped. "None of us thought the Princess of the Sun would want to shove a super-strong, destruction-obsessed demon animal thing inside of a foal's head, but it turns out she was all for that!"

Twilight stepped forward. "Now, hold on a moment-!"

"She might be right." They all looked at Spike, who seemed just as surprised at the attention and stumbled a bit. "Uh, Rainbow, I mean a-and not for the reasons you might think."

"What do you mean?" asked Dusk.

"Well, think about it," he went on. "This is the day that Ray found out about Wrath, right? And we all saw how much he was freaking out. Imagine how he'll react if we bring in the pony that did it to him to begin with."

"Probably like a hydra bein' kicked in the heads while it's sleepin' an' that's bein' generous," noted Applejack.

Dusk glimpsed Rarity giving Spike a brief look of admiration, but she didn't say anything. She smiled and nodded to Spike when he looked at her, who returned it gratefully.

"Regardless," Twilight replied, "we'll need to inform the Princess soon. What if she finds about this and we were keeping it from her?"

"Didn't we just say that-?!"

"I'm going." Rainbow was cut off by a quiet, yet determined voice. Fluttershy was already heading to the door. "You can all go get some rest if you want, but I'm going back out to look for Ray again." She gazed back with a fierce look in her eye that contrasted the calm on her face. "Please, don't try and stop me."

Before any of them could say anything, she left with a gentle flutter of her wings. They all stared after her for a while. Silently, one by one, they started to get up and follow suit. Even Spike suppressed a yawn and waddled after them.

Dusk managed to walk beside Twilight on the way out, the two of them pausing at the threshold.

"Are you alright, my love?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," she murmured. "Thanks for trying to stand by me back there."

"It's what I do," he smiled. "Do you really think we'll need to call in Celestia for this?"

"I honestly hope we don't have to," she replied. "I just want to keep everypony safe, Ray included but… I'd hate to be the reason he ends up getting locked up again."

"You think she might do that too?"

"We know what she's been willing to do to keep ensure Equestria's safety, Dusk," she answered. "We have to consider the possibility that she may think it's for the best."

Dusk sighed. "For once, my love, I hope you're wrong."

"Me too." She tried to put on a smile. "Come on, we'll search together this time. Maybe my magic could help stabilise whatever's wrong with your puppets and we can track him."

"It's worth a try," said Dusk.

As the two of them went off into town, with the stars beginning to blanket the sky, Dusk silently hoped they would find Ray soon. The roar of that terrible beast sounded as clear as it did on that fateful day…

While the sun continued to set toward the horizon, bathing the land in fading light and casting longer and longer shadows with each passing minute, on the outskirts of town, one lone figure trudged slowly, aimlessly, hardly aware of the passage of time.

One after another, his hooves dragged forward across the ground. There was no degree of haste in his movements. He had not the energy to pick his hooves up more than an inch off the ground as he continued his slow, sluggish walk. His head hung downward, looking only at the ground beneath him as he walked, not a clue as to where he was or which direction he was going, and not quite caring at the moment either way. His silver mane, likewise, fell over and concealed most of his facial features. Each step he took, his body swayed back and forth.

Tired. Of all the things Ray felt right then, that was the most predominant. He'd been running, yelling, hiding, weeping, for hours. Hours of trying to get away from the trauma, to make it stop somehow. To no avail. Around every turn, there were new old memories that plagued his conscience. Everything he saw, felt, heard, every sensation he experienced rekindled at least one old memory for him. Some of them he'd experienced multiple times over, others he'd been fortunate enough to see only once. Wrath, after some time, had eventually gotten bored and retreated back within his own realm of Ray's psyche. With it, the crystal adorning his necklace had stopped glowing as well. But that did not stop the memories from continuing to flood in. Hours upon hours of torment, recalling every horrible detail bit by bit over the course of that time. Hours of wasted energy, railing uselessly against the torrent of emotions…

And now he was all but spent. The flood of memories had dwindled, after what felt like eons of being relentlessly battered by them, though they were not gone. But at the same time, Ray had nothing left to give. The dam wall had long since shattered, the destructive deluge it was holding back having mostly run it course, leaving in its wake a nearly empty shell of what Ray's mind once was. More memory continued to pop up, and while Ray felt each and every one of them, he simply could not bring himself to react. His tears had dried up. His throat was dry, his voice cracked. His mind, while not quite numb to the persisting pain each memory brought, could not do anything in response except for vaguely register a few physical sensations and continue sending out that one order to the rest of his body; move. Were it not for that subconscious order driving him, he likely would have fallen over a long time ago. His bones and muscles ached enormously. His body wanted to rest. But at the same time, stopping would mean turning his attention toward the memories. So he kept going.

While he'd been running haphazardly through Ponyville, he'd of course inevitably run into more than a couple of other ponies going about their business. He never slowed down for any of them, even the faces he recognized to varying extents. He'd even seen the others, his friends, now and again throughout the town. From their actions and the expressions they all seemed to share, it was clear whenever he saw them that they were looking for him. All the same, he avoided them, generally going in the other direction and hiding in alleyways whenever he spotted one or more of them. He knew it was wrong. They were probably worried about him, after that display of his at the library before he'd left unannounced. Worried, no doubt at least a little angry in some cases...perhaps even a little scared. He couldn't blame them. But he also did not want them to see him like this, basically broken and experiencing a true emotional breakdown. That, and whatever thoughts he ever had of them were always almost immediately drowned out by more memories.

On more than one occasion, he'd travelled a little ways away from the town. Something, he couldn't tell what, always pulled him back without him realizing it. Like some subconscious force constantly dragging him back within its limits whenever he strayed away. All the better, since he never meant to leave town to begin with. Deep down, he knew he had to honour his promise for one thing, and also didn't want to abandon his friends for another. Perhaps that was the force tethering him here. Devotion.

Regardless, he was here now, staying on the outskirts of the town so as to avoid further encounters. Somewhere in his mind it registered that being out here made him more open to view, but he just couldn't find it in himself to care anymore. Here he was, barely plodding along, looking like he could fall over any minute.

Another step. And without warning, a beam of sunlight found its way through an opening in the mane covering his face, meeting directly with his eye. He registered the slight discomfort, and with some effort, managed to stop moving and shield his eyes as he slowly looked up.

Now, it finally registered for him just how much time had passed, taking a good look at the sun's position just over the horizon, now beginning to dip behind the trees in the distance. Even so, in his state, he had to stare for about a minute for the information to process.

With the realization of what time it was, his mind began to emerge from its self-imposed trance. Ray slowly looked to his left, then to his right, taking in his surroundings. He was still close to the town, fortunately. Though now he found himself just outside of it, in the surrounding grassy area. Up ahead of him, more meadow stretched out. Beyond that, trees, growing thicker the farther along they got, marking one of the outermost, relatively safe edges of the Everfree Forest. And beyond that, if he looked up somewhat, he could easily see the mountain in the distance, situated upon which was the Royal Castle and the city of Canterlot.

This particular view brought upon him a faint sense of deja vu. He felt like he'd looked at this before, at some point…

Looking around again, his eyes fell upon a certain feature of the surroundings, and he blinked in recognition. Not far from where he himself was standing was a small rise of land, and near the top of that, a tree. It wouldn't have been significant, were it not for a particular memory of this exact spot. Months ago, where he'd gone after coming back to Ponyville with the others, gazed on this same view from underneath that tree, and formally met a certain Princess…

"That's where I met Cadence…back during the..." he muttered aloud, so quietly that he himself could barely hear it. He could not finish that thought, because it brought with it a number of new, more recent memories. Memories of massive conflict, hoof colliding with chitin, fighting alongside the others, feeling anger, wanting revenge, hate-

He grimaced and screwed his eyes shut. These memories weren't as bad. They weren't part of the ones that had traumatized him in his youth. He only needed to take a few deep breaths, and they diminished, going away shortly thereafter.

Even so, this minor episode had brought him into further exhaustion. And now that he was paying attention, he was fully aware of the volume with which his body was screaming for rest. The magnitude of it almost caused him to collapse right then and there, though he pulled himself back up before that could happen. His body desperately wanted to rest, and by now, Ray couldn't think of a reason not to oblige. He was becoming alert again, whether he liked it or not, and the memories were still trickling in. And forcing himself to keep walking, which he was initially tempted to do, wouldn't be an effective solution any longer. How he was now, he probably wouldn't get very far anyways.

It was with reluctance that Ray gave in to his own body's demands. Instead of just going limp and hitting the ground though (which no small part of him wanted to do), his gaze travelled over to that same tree again. He didn't know why he felt like going through the effort, exactly. Maybe because it would offer shade? Not that shade would be all that helpful in the night time, which would certainly have fallen by the time he'd be ready to move again. Nostalgia? What did that matter? Memories were the last thing he wanted to be thinking about at the moment. Whatever the reason, he found himself dragging his protesting body up the tiny slope, taking far longer than he would have had he not been so weak, and at the base of the tree a minute later. He took just a few seconds to find the same spot he'd been in months prior, and unceremoniously fell against the bark, sliding down and bringing himself into a somewhat seated position, with his back against the tree, his forelegs dangling to either side of him, and his hind legs splaying forward into the grass. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but he didn't have the energy to get into a proper one (though he faintly acknowledged that this was similar to the weird way that one unicorn, Lyra, could often be found sitting around town). Instead, he let his head fall back and bonk against the tree, ignoring the dull pain and letting it rest there.

His eyes were only half open as he stared out into the horizon, into space. His body was thankful for the reprieve, certainly, but now his mind was left to do the one thing he dreaded right now; think.

He did not want to, but after all of the day's events - or rather, it's one, painful, continuous event - his thoughts couldn't help but wander. These were memories that he'd tried and willed, with every fibre of his being, to keep locked away in the recesses of his mind, just like Wrath. Things that he wanted nothing more than to forget about entirely. But this cursed day would always bring everything back. As though Fate itself were taunting him, forcing him to relive all those painful memories, to experience once again every glare, every threat, every hateful word uttered in his direction. Forcing him to remember his mistakes, his every action, from the bad to the absolutely horrifying. And this year, because of that party, reminding him incessantly of what day it was, he'd had to live through all of it again. He thought he'd worked out a system. Not a perfect system, but a system nonetheless. But in the end, no matter what he tried, he just couldn't escape his past…

Why? Why did it always come back to haunt him? Why couldn't he just leave it all behind? All he wanted, all he ever wanted, was to be accepted. To have friends. To have a life, for crying out loud. Now he had those things...most of them, anyways. He was far from normal, and he knew he always would be, but now he had a home, friends...he felt like he belonged here. He'd hoped that this would be the answer to his problems.

So why then did they continue to persist? Why couldn't he just get over it all? What would it take to make his own past stop forcing itself into his mind? Was he doomed to live like this? Was this his fate, to live with a demon inside of him, threatening to come out, and either allow it to do so or else spend his whole life in a repeating cycle of torment? All these thoughts, and more, invaded his mind. And in response to each and every question, one additional thought kept coming up. One that ended up drowning out all the others.

...what was the point?

The sun's glow was beginning to ebb below the horizon and the street lamps of Ponyville were starting to flicker to life, as were the stars in the sky. Most ponies were heading into their houses for a quiet evening and a good night's sleep. Others, like romantic couples, began to take advantage of the town's nightlife.

One of these couples, Lyra and Bon Bon, were just strolling through town together. Their sides were brushed against each other and the two mares were perfectly content and happy just being in each other's company, enjoying the peace of the night.

Until a very worried and frantic Pegasus pushed them apart in her hurry to get by.

"Hey!" Bon Bon glared after her. "Fluttershy, watch where you're going!"

She whipped around and gasped like she only just noticed they were there.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry ladies!" Fluttershy squeaked. "I swear, I didn't see you, I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry, it was just an accident," dismissed Lyra. "What's the rush? You seem pretty caught up with something."

"I… I'm looking for Ray," she mumbled.

"Still? You've been at that since we saw you earlier." Bon Bon's glare changed to a look of concern. "Is there really no sign of him?"

"Nothing," she said sadly. "I'm really worried. We all are…"

"I don't blame you. Is there any way we can help?" ventured Lyra. "Do you want us to look with you?"

"Oh um, I wouldn't want to be any bother…" she muttered.

"Fluttershy, we wouldn't be bothered at all," assured Bon Bon.

"Yeah. If Bonny ever went missing, I'd be out looking for her until I found her too."

"Aww, really?"

"Of course, you silly filly!" Lyra nuzzled her lover and beamed at Fluttershy. "If you want help finding your coltfriend, you only have to ask."

Fluttershy's face flushed red. "Um… he isn't uh… my coltfriend."

"Right, sure he isn't." Lyra exchanged a knowing look with Bon Bon. "But seriously, if you need help looking, just ask. Maybe you should bring it to the attention of the Mayor, have the rest of the town help too."

"No! I mean, um," she went on quickly, "I think we're fine looking with just the girls, Dusk and Spike."

The two mares shared confused looks and Fluttershy was worried they would insist on their suggestion, but appeared to shrug it off.

"If you say so," said Lyra. "But it's getting pretty late now. Don't you think you should go home, get some rest and try again tomorrow?"

"No," she said firmly, but gently. "It may take a while, but I'm going to keep looking. Even if it takes all night, I'm going to find him."

"Wow. Really?"

"Wouldn't you do the same with Bon Bon?"

Lyra opened her mouth and closed it again, nodding brightly. Bon Bon smiled warmly at her marefriend.

"You sure you don't want any help from us?" she asked Fluttershy.

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I think I'll be fine. You two have a good evening, sorry again for barging by."

"Don't worry about it," dismissed Lyra. "Good luck with your search. I hope you find him."

"Thank you." She fluttered away and murmured to herself, "I do too…"

Thinking about it, it would probably be nice to get some help. But she didn't want to risk it. Getting the rest of the town involved might get the attention of the princess and if she saw fit to come to Ponyville herself…

Fluttershy couldn't bear the thought of Ray being taken away again.

She'd noticed his distant behaviour before at the party. She wanted so much for him to enjoy his birthday, she wanted to be sure he was having a good time. Whenever she'd asked if he was okay, he insisted he was fine. She should have known something was wrong. If only she'd managed to talk to him properly about it, done something to help.

Poor Ray, she thought. Having such a day as his birthday, a day supposed to be spent with friends and having fun, ruined by the monster trapped in his head. It was like it infected every aspect of his life to the point that Fluttershy admired more and more the fact he somehow still managed to smile and joke every day, to appear so strong when inside he must be so scared. She wished she could show that kind of strength more often.

But she knew where her strength lay: in her kindness. Ray may not have had the best life, but she was going to do her absolute best to make sure it was better. And she'd absolutely meant what she'd said to Lyra and Bon Bon back there. Even if it took her all night, even if the others gave up, she was going to find Ray. Even if it meant going into the Everfree Forest or wherever her search took her, she didn't care.

It was funny. Normally, she'd be scared about such a prospect and part of her was. But the rest of her was dominated by the drive to be sure that Ray was safe. She'd felt in similar ways before about her friends, either pony or critter, but this was… different. Deeper. Stronger. Stronger than anything she'd ever felt before.

The glimpse at the horizon brought her out of her thoughts. It was almost dark and finding him would be a lot more difficult by then. Her heart racing at the thought of him out there, scared and alone, she hurried along a little faster. Her eyes rapidly scanned every nook, every cranny, every alley, every square for any flash of green or streak of silver.

She was so caught up in looking, her erratic route took her to the edge of town. She didn't even notice until she was almost past it, recognising the meadows that surrounded Ponyville. Her animal friends had been covering this part, but they hadn't managed to find him and had all gone to bed at this point. She couldn't have asked them to stay up so late. Except maybe the bats and owls

She briefly considered turning around, intending to head off to her cottage and see if they'd be willing to do so when she vaguely registered a nearby tree situated atop a small hill, along with the pony sitting underneath it. She was about to overlook it completely… until she stopped and took the time to fully register the image.

Even from this distance, there was no mistaking him. His bright green fur stuck out, even in the meadow, as did his messy silver mane. It was him! She was so relieved, she could scream and she almost did. But not wanting to waste a second more, she hurried over to him.

"Ray! Ray!" She flew as hard as she could to get to him. "Oh, thank goodness you're okay!"

Despite her elated shouts, there didn't seem to be much of a reaction from Ray as she got closer. He still sat there, under that tree, completely unmoving. Because he was facing away from her, she couldn't see his face.

"Ray?" Her apprehension began to return as she neared. "Ray are… are you alright?"

She came to a stop right next to the tree, close enough to confirm, beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was Ray sitting before her. Yet still, even at this distance, there was no real reaction. She could make out the slight rising and falling of his chest, but nothing more from her angle.

"R-Ray?"

Now, she got a reaction: a simple ear twitch in response to her voice. For a moment, Fluttershy was glad that Ray was alright, that he could hear her...until he turned his head, so very slowly, in her direction. And what she saw made her gasp in barely concealed worry.

His mane a draped low over his face, to the point where she had trouble seeing his eyes, especially in the dying sunlight. But she could still see them...and they just looked...dead. As he turned his head to look at her, his eyes showed no emotion, no glimmer, not even so much as a spark of anything. Just...blank. His face was crestfallen, his coat matted down. Visible streaks ran down his features from his eyes, reminiscent of those created by tears. Another, third streak also ran down from his forehead, near his horn...but different in that it was a dark red. Like dried blood; a sight that made Fluttershy cringe all the more. His posture showed nothing but exhaustion, with barely any visible muscle movement in any part of his body save for his breathing and the craning of his neck. All these things, she saw. But those eyes...she couldn't help but stare into them. They almost looked… lifeless.

It felt like minutes, spent just staring at each other; Fluttershy in shock, Ray...not showing anything. Until the latter eventually spoke, in a tone just as barren as the look in his eyes.

"Oh… Fluttershy… hey…" he said in a slow, mechanical fashion, before turning his head back toward the horizon. Not even giving her a second glance.

"Oh my goodness. Oh, Ray…" She took a few more tentative steps closer. No reaction. "Ray? A-are you…? I-is everything… um…?"

Ray didn't say anything. Didn't look at her. He simply remained silent, unmoving.

"Ray? R-Ray?" Slowly, she reached out for him, meaning to place a hoof on his shoulder.

Until he recoiled, ever to slightly, at her faint touch. It wasn't much of a movement, but the suddenness of it caused Fluttershy to bring back her own hoof as well, as though she'd been shocked.

"Oh, Ray…" She could feel her voice start to break. "P-please, say something. W-when you feel up to it, of course…"

Ray continued to be silent in the wake of this, for a few more moments. Fortunately, much to Fluttershy's relief, he finally spoke.

"... sorry about that," he said slowly, tiredly. "I guess I'm… still kinda sensitive. My nerves have been all over the place today… you know..?"

"Y-yes, of course. I understand," she said sincerely. "I just… I was… I only want…"

"Only want… what?" he asked. "If you want, you can sit down. It'd hardly be polite to make you stand there…" he scoffed lightly and closed his eyes. "Or stay standing. I… don't really care…" Fluttershy cringed at his tone. As soon as those words were uttered, he frowned again, just enough for the expression to be recognizable. "Sorry. Again."

"It's okay," she said quickly. "Like you said… it's not one of your best days." Carefully, she approached him and settled down beside him, gazing at him sympathetically.

Once again, Ray scoffed, his chest suddenly rising and falling with the action. His own eyes, with the lids half-closed, never left the horizon as he spoke.

"You have absolutely no freaking idea…"

With this, he sighed heavily again. There was silence for another long, tense minute, with Fluttershy simply not knowing what to say. She'd never seen Ray like this, even at Canterlot after they'd all learned about Wrath. He'd been depressed then… but this was something else, she could tell.

"Ray, I…" She shut her eyes for a moment and lowered her voice involuntarily. "I'm so sorry…"

"Sorry? For what?" he suddenly asked, still not turning to face her. "It's not like you have an ancient, essentially-primordial demonic presence in your head defining your existence and ruining your life at every turn. You should be happy about that, not sorry."

She flinched again at his tone. "S-s-sorry. I-I only meant that… we should have known, about today. I should have known. I should have seen something, right from the start I… I'm a terrible friend. I'm sorry, I only wanted you… to be happy…"

Ray was silent for another few moments before he started again, quietly, "So, you guys figured it out then?"

Fluttershy knew what he was referring to. She could only nod in response. Yet, surprising her, Ray actually ended up smiling. A very grim, sardonic smile.

"Yeah, well… I guess the nice thing for me to do would be to say that it's alright, that you guys couldn't have known, that I don't blame you… yet at the same time, I can't help but thank you guys for reminding me, so effectively, of what day today is. I just want to forget, you know? I want to forget that today even exists…But leave it to Pinkie to defy reason and somehow determine that today is my birthday, regardless. In hindsight, maybe I should have figured that would happen… oh well."

He slowly hung his head. "All in the past now, I suppose… all in the extremely horrifying, traumatic past… that I've just been subconsciously forced to relive throughout the entire day… so yeah. Thanks for the party." He was silent again, for a few more moments, before he opened his eyes again and continued gazing out at the horizon. "Aww, who am I kidding? Nopony cares about my sob stories… nopony ever did… and in the end, I guess nopony ever will…"

If his state before wasn't pushing Fluttershy to tears, those words surely were now. Though he appeared to object before, she once again reached out for him and placed a hoof gently on his shoulder.

"I do."

Ray hadn't been moving previously, but all the same, he seemed to stop when she said this. After a second, his head slowly turned toward her, and she found herself staring into his eyes once again. They were still blank, almost dead… but now there was one emotion coming through them. However, it wasn't the emotion she'd hoped to see, that she desperately wanted to see in those eyes.

No. The only thing those eyes were showing was pain.

"Do you? Do you really?" He smiled again, grinned even, but there was nothing positive in either one. "I hate to sound like a jerk, especially to you… you're sweet, Fluttershy, you really are. One of, if not the single sweetest pony I've ever met. But you have no idea the things I've had to put up with… the things I've done."

He spoke this last word with such intensity in comparison to the previous ones that Fluttershy actually cowered inwardly, if only for a brief moment.

"You know, sometimes, I wonder why I'm even here. What's the point of somepony like me even being around here? From the day I was born… my only purpose has been to serve as a container for a monster that nopony wants around… and it turns out, I can't even do that job well. He keeps coming out… and because of that, my life, the lives of those around me… they keep getting ruined. They keep… ending."

Right then and there, Fluttershy wanted nothing more than to give him the warmest embrace she could. Hearing such despair from any of her friends would have upset her but from him… for some reason, it really made her ache inside.

He'd always been there for her, been a source of courage and support for her, just like the others. But again, from him, it always seemed so much stronger. Now, it was time for her to return the favour.

"Ray," she began, "I… I know how hard it's been for you. I can't say I understand completely, but… you're not the only one who's had hardships to endure. But throughout any of what you've had to suffer, have you ever had support? Have you ever had encouragement or love? Have you ever had friends?"

Ray's gaze on her began to harden. "No. And you know that, Fluttershy. Why remind me that my entire life has just been a giant trainwreck devoid of any form of friends or family to even help with-"

"Because you do now." Ray stopped at the new tone her voice took. "I know you've had to suffer alone and endure everything with nopony by your side. But you have us now. You have me. We're here for you. We might not be able to fix your past, but we can do our best to make your future better. I promise."

Ray just continued gazing at her after her little speech. The hard look in his eyes was gone now. They still looked mostly empty, save for that encompassing sign of fatigue… but now there was something else coming into them. She couldn't tell exactly what it was, though she liked to think she had a relatively good idea.

Even so, Ray didn't seem fully… open. His eyes retained the hopeless, pained feel in them, even though something else was slowly leaking into them now. His expression was still tired, above all else… but not some small vestule of energy appeared to be making its way into his features. His voice, when he spoke, was still exhausted, still bleak... but she heard, or at least wished she heard, some faint glimmer of hope in there as well. Predominantly, however, his next question betrayed only one emotion: confusion.

"Fluttershy... why?" he shook his head. "Why…? Why does it look like that all of this is...affecting you? Why do you care so much, about somepony like me?"

She hesitated for a moment. She never really thought about why she was caring, about her friends and animals. It had always just been part of her. But even though she never really thought about it, she still had an answer.

"Because I know how hard life can be sometimes," she said gently. "And I know that it can be that much better if you just show a little kindness. But with you…" She didn't realise that the words had already tumbled out, but she carried on. "With you it's… different. It always has been."

"... what's always been different?"

It was happening. The butterflies in her stomach were doing backflips and her heart was pounding against her chest, yet she wasn't nervous. Everything she felt for him, that she thought made him so special. Normally, she mumbled and stammered but this time it seemed so easy to voice her thoughts.

"My friends. They've always been there for me and supported me. But you've done it more than anypony. You cared about me when I thought I was being a monster to my friends. You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. You told me that your life wouldn't be the same without me in it. Well… neither would mine." Her hoof drifted from his shoulder to his hoof. "You're my strength, Ray. Let me… let me be your… kindness."

At this, his eyes widened a fraction. The faint glimmer she had seen before, it was starting to glow like the stars above. Like what she'd just told him, what she felt they both knew was coming just seemed natural. Only unlike the last time she'd felt like this, when they were alone in the Canterlot gardens, there was nopony likely to come across them.

Almost as one, they leaned towards each other. Her heart racing, Fluttershy closed her eyes and her lips reached out. A moment later, she felt his too, gently connected in their first kiss.

Neither of them had any experience. Neither were completely sure of what they were doing. But right there, it didn't matter. Fluttershy just relished in the feeling of his lips on hers. Nothing passionate or fiery, just a simple kiss. And yet she felt so much conveyed from it. Nothing needed to be said now. This was more than enough.

She didn't know how long it had been until they stopped for air. She didn't think it really mattered. Until she realised fully what they had just done.

"Oh my goodness!" she almost screamed. "I-I can't believe that I… I mean, that we… that we just… we d-did… oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I-"

"Fluttershy?"

She stopped and tried to control her breathing. "S-sorry… I… I've never… just that I…"

"Flutters?"

Somehow, she managed to look him in the eye. She almost gasped when she saw that all the sadness seemed to be melting away and his shining yellow orbs, like twin suns, seemed to be returning to life again.

"... thank you."

It was so simple, yet like that kiss it said so much. She felt like she should say something else, something more meaningful, but all she said in response, with as much meaning as she could was…

"You're welcome."

And with that, all reservation between them just seemed to… melt away. Energy returned to his features, and for what felt like the first time in ages to Fluttershy, despite the knowledge that it hadn't been nearly that long… she saw him smile. She fell into his soft, caring embrace, feeling his forelegs wrap gently around her form as they pulled her closer to him, while she herself allowed them to do so, snuggling closer to his body. She felt...she didn't know how she felt. She'd never experienced anything like this before. Comfort, security, warmth…

And above everything else, happiness.

"So…" she heard Ray saying,"...was that my birthday gift?"

Her head had become nestled in the crook of his neck, and his voice no longer distant and hopeless, but returning to the state of joy that she liked... loved, so much.

She couldn't help but giggle. "Actually, I got you a decoration for your home. A wooden animal carving of a lion. I had the idea when I remembered what Dusk gave me as a present on Hearth's Warming a while ago."

"Ah…" Now, it was his turn to chuckle; something she relished in feeling, being close to him as she was. "Well, that will make for an interesting decorative piece."

She hummed in affirmation. "It made me think of you."

Ray looked down at her, smiling. "Can I ask how?"

"Strong, courageous, bold, but strongest if he's with his pride," she answered. "I thought about getting you a wolf but…"

Ray continued smiling at her. "Yeah, a wolf would have been...a little strange. I think I'm good with the lion." He placed his head back against the tree, and breathed comfortably. "Though, this was definitely nice too, I gotta say…"

His happy tone ended in the briefest of pained grunts. When Fluttershy looked up, she could see him just slightly touching his forehead with his hoof again, the necklace on his chest vibrating for just a moment before stopping.

She looked up in concern. "Is he… is Wrath…?"

"Don't worry about him," he said firmly, but softly. "He's just getting noisy again...probably doesn't enjoy being so near to all of this mushiness. I'm not complaining in the slightest, of course, but him…"

Feeling a little bold, she planted a long kiss on his cheek. "Well, that's his problem because I'm not complaining either."

He looked down at her again, something else shining in his eyes now. It looked familiar, somehow...though she couldn't quite place her hoof on it.

"Like I said, neither am I," he stated, holding her closer and rubbing her mane affectionately. "You hear that, Wrath? Shut up in there, I'm having a moment with my-" he suddenly stopped himself, coughing awkwardly.

She giggled again. "Yes, Wrath. If it's not too much trouble, could you please simmer down a little bit?"

Ray suddenly started laughing. Not a full-throated, boisterous laugh, but more like a middle-ground between that and his gentle chuckle. His mirth proved to be infectious, and before long Fluttershy found herself laughing too, if not quite a loudly. They both kept at this for about a minute, both forgetting all of their troubles for that time, knowing only each other and their happiness.

When it subsided, Ray wiped away a happy tear from his eye.

"Eh, who knows," he chuckled again. "Maybe he'll come around eventually… of course that's about as likely as Rarity deciding one day to go around the town wearing potato sacks, but still… it's out there."

She laughed once more, the incident before almost completely forgotten. She nestled further into the crook of his neck and sighed contently.

"Shoot, I just remembered… are the others all still out looking for me?"

"Oh my, you're right!" she realised.

"What do you say we go find them? I wouldn't want them to be out searching for me past sunset… not after I've already been found," he added, smiling warmly at her once more.

"That's probably for the best." She sighed disappointedly. "I wish we could stay a little longer though."

Ray continued gazing at her before he sighed again, an even bigger smile on his face. "Alright, I guess we can," he said, resting back against the tree. "I mean...it's not like they'll mind, right? Besides… I kinda like this too… a lot, actually."

She sighed again. "Well, it is getting rather late and we have been searching all day for you. I don't want them to be worried, as lovely as this is."

"Oh come on. And after you just convinced me to stay here with you… alright, let's get moving then."

He slowly lifted her from his body and stood up, albeit a bit shakily due to what was likely lingering fatigue, gently pulling her up along with him him. When she came up, she brushed her side against his. And she didn't move from his side, even as they began walking down from the hill, back toward Ponyville, toward their friends.

She would have liked to have said that things were back to normal again. But even though she had no idea where what they had would go, she did know one thing: things were hardly going to be normal between them from now on.

And to echo what Ray had said, she was far from complaining about it.

Though he had made this journey many times, Test Tube still found himself feeling weaker and weaker at the knees as he approached the door to his master's private chamber. It was like walking toward the cave of a sleeping Ursa Major and it was a gamble whether or not he would emerge again in one piece.

He chastised himself for such foolish thoughts. He knew his master needed his expertise and wasn't going to just kill him on the spot. For the moment, at least…

He took a moment to collect himself and rapped on the door. It was less of a confident knock and more a series of nervous, rapid taps. A moment of silence passed. The order that followed again made his mind flash to the star bears from how much it growled.

"Enter."

Despite the invitation, he hesitated a moment before opening the door. The room was bathed in darkness, the only light peering in through the widening door. It cast on the prone form of Fallen Soul as he lay on the floor, still dressed in his armour. He was so still, he could have easily been mistaken for a very elaborate ornament.

Tube made a mental note not to say that out loud. The helmet shifted slightly in his direction.

"Well?" he asked sharply.

Tube shivered and bowed. "M-my apologies, m-master for disturbing you. I t-trust you are r-r-recovering since the uh… surgery."

Tube's eyes glanced at his master's horn. Though it was mostly wrapped in bandages now, one could note that it was different from before. There was more of a curve now and there were parts that were his natural grey colour, but also patches of red. Anypony else would think it was blood, but Tube knew better.

After all, he'd performed the surgery himself.

His master was silent for a moment before he answered.

"It has required a minor amount of… revision to mine abilities," he admitted. "But already, I can assure thee my performance shall be greatly improved since its inclusion into my repertoire."

"I-I am certain of that, m-master," Tube said quickly. "B-but have there been any… problems at all?"

"Nothing I'm incapable of adapting to." The helmet shifted a little more. "Did thou expect otherwise, Tube? Or perhaps hope?"

"No!" he replied quickly. "Um, no of course not, m-master. Y-you know I have o-our best interests at heart."

"Be sure they remain there," he warned. "I would hate to have thou place recast for underperforming, Tube. Or for stepping outside thy role."

Tube gulped. "O-of c-course, master. Y-you know I l-live to s-serve you i-in whatever way I-"

"Spare me thy pathetic adlib, Tube and recite what I know thou rehearsed to say to me," he ordered sharply.

Tube quickly shut up and returned to his report, suppressing both his crippling fear and his simmering annoyance.

"A few new things to r-report," he began. "I went to the p-place where D-Doom and T-Trixie agreed to meet me, b-but they were… absent. A quick investigation of Ponyville showed m-me the town h-has returned to normal. Q-quite clearly, they uh…"

"They have chosen to forgo their assigned roles in search of a new path," finished Fallen gravely. "And the Amulet?"

"P-presumably, they t-took it with them o-or the Elements h-have taken possession of it."

"Either way, both scenarios would put the Amulet out of our reach. Unfortunate," he murmured, barely even sounding angry. "And after thou assured me they would be the perfect additions to our troupe."

"M-master, I didn't-"

"Silence," he hissed. "Thy error in judgement has cost us not only a substantial amount of bits, but also an artefact of great power and the risk of our performance being revealed before the curtain rises. You have performed well thus far, but thou had better pray that this mistake will be thy last. Dost thou understand?"

"P-p-perfectly," he stammered.

"Good. Still, we have little to fear," he continued. "They will not dare risk the repercussions by telling anypony about us. Most likely, they will run as far as they can and cower away like the rats they are. When the time comes, we will seek them out and exterminate them swiftly. For now, let them scamper away."

"As you wish, master," he bowed.

"It is. Was there anything else?"

Tube nodded. "The test phases for our old ally are nearing completion. His combat skills have been vastly improved, his higher functions have been successfully repressed and he conforms to all verbal commands without question or hesitation."

"Excellent," Fallen praised. "I look forward to seeing how well he dances to my tune."

"I think you will be pleased, master," Tube said eagerly. "He is quite impressive."

"Thou should hope so. And yet," he continued, "we are still too few. This will be quite a drama and we will need as many performers as we can recruit to see that it plays out smoothly."

Both were silent for a moment until, with a clanking of metal, Fallen rose from his spot like a towering mountain and began to walk out.

"M-master?" Tube asked, struggling to keep up with his master's stride.

"Since thou hast shown that finding suitable help isn't thy forte, it seems I must shoulder the responsibility," answered Fallen. "I have a few notable talents in mind and I shall seek them out myself."

"B-but m-master, is it so wise for y-you to u-undertake such a j-journey s-so soon?" persisted Tube. "P-perhaps i-if y-you were to w-w-wait a little longer…"

"Do not presume to tell me of waiting, Tube, for I have spent a thousand years doing nothing but," snapped Fallen, rounding on him. "Unless thou intends to stop me thyself, cease thine prattling and let me depart with less of a pounding in my head than I already possess."

Tube froze and snapped his mouth shut. Those soulless, black holes bored into him for an eternity before Fallen turned with a flicker of his cloak and strode off down the hall.

Sleepless in Ponyville

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Lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder boomed and shook the earth. Rain came pouring down in buckets, soaking Dusk's fur completely. But he ignored all of that as he ran, galloping up the craggy slope. The meagre light his horn shone did nothing to penetrate the surrounding darkness enshrouding him completely.

He could hear them behind him. Cold, cruel laughter. Sibilant hissing. Angry voices. Deep growling. Metal clanking. No matter how fast he ran, no matter how far he scrambled, they just kept getting closer. He could practically hear them striding, slithering, sneaking up behind him. Was it hot breath on the back of his neck or just the wind?

One of his hooves suddenly didn't feel anything solid. He had to screech to a halt to avoid falling off the sharp drop that had appeared before him. His breathing erratic, he glanced around for a way out. Nothing. No other paths, other than the one he'd just galloped up. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. Trapped.

"Oh, Dusk, don't give up now," a horribly familiar oily voice taunted. "The chase was just starting to get fun."

Dusk whipped around. Discord had appeared before him, a malicious smile on his lips while his mismatched eyes glimmered with cruelty.

He wasn't alone. The darkness behind him seem to writhe as if it were alive. And it was.

"May we feassssssst on him now?" hissed one of the many Paraserpents flanking him. "We are ssssso hungry."

"At least let me have a little fun first," rumbled Doom. "I'll make sure there's something left for you."

"Not that there is much to him anyway," put in Sombra, his crystal sword flashing. "I do even wonder how he managed to survive us."

"Indeed," snickered Chrysalis. "I didn't even need to bring my minions this time. No precious love on his side now."

"N-no!" Dusk desperately flared his magic. "St-st-stay back! Keep away from me!"

The darkness suddenly burst with brilliant orange light. Fire was blazing all around him now, creeping steadily closer behind the villains. Behind it, a pair of giant white orbs burned even stronger than flames themselves. The blood red silhouette of a wolf could be made out, a low growl making the very earth rumble.

And through it stepped a figure. Tall as Celestia, dressed head to hoof in battle armour, soulless black holes piercing Dusk's very soul. A sword was pulled from its sheath, held by magic and in its blade, Dusk could see his own terrified face.

"No… no, not you!" He tried to step back, but his hoof slipped. "P-p-please, no! Sompony, anypony, help me!"

Discord chuckled. "Sorry, Dusky. Nopony here but us. Your friends are gone. Your princesses are beaten. Nopony to save you now."

"WE BEG TO DIFFER!" a powerful voice boomed behind him. "HAVE AT THEE, CURS!"

Before the villains could react, a pure white light engulfed them all. With barely a cry, they were gone. The flames were extinguished and the gentle glow of starlight and moonlight took their place. Dusk turned to see the Princess of the Night descending. When she landed, the cliff face was replaced by a lush meadow that spread out from her touch, fireflies dancing around them.

But Dusk didn't have time to appreciate its beauty. He bowed his head shamefully to her.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"So you have said the last time this happened and the time before that and every time since then," she said sternly. "Yet you have made little improvement since we began this aspect of your training."

"I… I have no excuse, Luna," he stammered. "It's… I… it's difficult…"

"I know." She sighed. "I suppose it isn't entirely your fault. You have seen and experienced many dark things and not just those that take physical form. It would be a wonder if you didn't have nightmares about them."

Dusk nodded. "I've had worse ones. Though this one did rank up there with them too."

"I understand. But you must learn to control and confront them," she urged. "If you are to learn the ways of the night, being able to walk the dreamscape is an essential part of it. But to do that, you must have control of your own dreams before you can even think of walking into others."

"I know," sighed Dusk. "I'm trying my best here but… I… I… I'm scared…"

"I'd consider you a fool if you weren't," she said. "But we were once told that courage is not simply being unafraid. It's being afraid, but doing what must be done regardless. You cannot run from them forever, Dusk. You know you can't."

"But how?"

"Confronting your fears is something you have to face, but I shall do all I can to aid you." She paused thoughtfully. "Perhaps it might be wise to be in a situation where you as much under the night's influence as you can be. Exposure to the stars and moon may increase your prowess and allow me to better connect with your dreams."

"Possibly," agreed Dusk, remembering what she'd told him about his affinity for the night he shared a fraction of. "But how would I do that?"

"I would have thought that answer were obvious," she remarked. "You will have to sleep under the stars in a very literal sense. Perhaps you could go, what is that ponies do for fun these days… camping?"

It seemed a feasible idea. Dusk had never been much of an outdoors type of pony and had never really been camping before. His parents obviously never took him, Canterlot had few places appropriate for it and he hadn't seen in point in trying it in Ponyville. But he was always open to new experiences and this looked like the best chance he had of having a greater influence over his dreams.

"It's worth a try," he said eventually. "I only hope it works."

"As do I," she said with a sympathetic grimace. "It pains me to see one as dear to me as you have to suffer such things. But I cannot always be there to protect you."

"Yes." He gazed around the meadow and smiled at her. "But I'm grateful for the times you are."

She returned the smile. "I think that's enough for tonight. I shall give you a reprieve, but I expect you to be ready to try again tomorrow night. Clear?"

"Crystal, Luna."

She winced a little at the word, but it was brief. "Come, let us walk. I think there's much you need to tell me, especially concerning recent developments with Mr. Strike."

Dusk chuckled. "You have no idea…"

Dusk made his way to the library at a slow pace the next morning. It was nothing to do with being tired. Though he had to face his nightmares, Luna's presence and her powers as princess ensured that he always managed to get the sleep he needed. In recent days, however, it was getting more and more difficult to actually face that sleep.

It had been a whole week since Luna had begun this part of his training. The power to become a part of the world of dreams. To walk into the dreams of others and change parts of them, if he so pleased. But Luna had set him about the task of first controlling his own. In her own words, he had to practice being able to swim in his own river or else be swept away in the massive current of other dreams.

So far, it looked like he was having great difficulty swimming against this current. Each of the nightmares he had was as bad as the other. Ones where he was back in Canterlot and never meeting the girls. Ones where the girls just abandoned him, including Twilight. On the day of Ray's birthday, he'd had one where Wrath had become fully formed and reduced his home to nothing more than dust.

Twilight and Spike had been as supportive as they could. But there was only so much they could do in the physical world. In the world of dreams, he was beyond even their aid, swept away in the fear of another nightmare where Twilight kicked him out of the library while Spike tossed his hat out after him, telling him to go back to Canterlot because he wasn't welcome there anymore.

"So, how'd it go?" asked Twilight brightly when he walked in. Her smile faded when she saw Dusk's face. "Oh. No improvement?"

"No improvement," echoed Dusk. "And I'm starting to wonder if there will ever be any."

"Don't be like that, Dusk. You'll get the hang of it," she encouraged. "It'll just take time."

"It's been a whole week, Twilight, since Luna started teaching me about how to walk the dreamscape," he reminded her. "So far, I've barely been able to take a shuffle out of my own nightmares. It'll be a wonder if I'm ever able to walk between others."

"Dusk, you have the potential. Luna knows you do." She placed a hoof on his cheek. "You can do this. You've faced tougher things before."

"But that's just it, Twilight," he sighed. "I've already faced these fears before. I'm so different from who I used to be and I defeated all the villains who keep appearing in my nightmares, or else seen them defeated. Why aren't they just gone?"

"You know it's not that simple. Just because you face your fears doesn't mean they're gone forever. I still get nervous about tests and my studies, Fluttershy can still be rather timid and I'm sure even Luna has some lingering fears about Nightmare Moon," she reasoned. "You can't make your fears vanish, but they don't have to own you."

"They seem to be doing a good job so far," he murmured, casting his gaze down.

Twilight was silent for a moment, but her voice returned, still as gentle as before.

"My darling Dusk. Look at me, please." He did. Her brilliant violet eyes shone with determination. "You can do this. I know you can."

A small smile tugged at his mouth. "I'll try…"

"No. You won't try. You will."

"Right."

"No, you need to say it. Come on."

"Is this necessary?"

"Completely necessary, now say it."

"Why?"

"Because I'm your marefriend and your boss and you can decide which one gives my word more authority. Now, say it."

"I… I will."

"More confidence than that! Come on!"

"I will."

"One more time!"

"I will!"

"That's better." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "And do you know why you will?"

"Because it's an essential part of my training with Luna and I should be focused on my studies?" he asked.

"Well, there is that but…" She leaned in to whisper sultrily. "When you do, you can come visit me in my dreams."

Dusk's face flushed red and he stammered incoherently. Twilight only pulled back and gave him a half-lidded gaze and a wink before walking away. There was a definite sway to her hips as she did too, with Dusk quite unable to draw his eyes away from her hind quarters. She glanced back and giggled, looking quite pleased with the results. It would have been perfect.

Had she not stumbled about halfway across the room and almost lost her balance.

"Darn it!" he heard her curse under her breath, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I put too much sway into that. Stupid book should have been clearer…"

Dusk let out a small snigger. She glared back, her face flushed this time.

"Not a word, mister," she warned. "Not. A word."

"How about three then?" he offered, smiling sincerely. "I love you."

She returned it. "I love you too. Now, let's get some studying done. You can't be staring at my flank all day."

"That's a shame." Dusk blinked in surprise and blushed again. "Goodness, did… did I really just say that?"

"Yeah, you did," Spike said, walking in from another wing. "And do me a favour, try not to when I'm in the room."

Dusk didn't really acknowledge his comment. He'd always been respectful and chivalrous to Twilight. He never thought he'd ever say anything so… lewd. Then again, he never thought she would do anything like that either. Come to think of it, they'd been passing similar remarks to each other for a while now. Not frequently, but every now and then. What did it mean?

He decided not to think too much about it right now. Mainly because he had more important things to think about and also because the very thought of what it referred to made his cheeks burn.

Changing topics, he told them about what Luna had suggested to improve his dream walking and Twilight seemed quite onboard with the idea.

"That does make sense. We already know that my magic is stronger with the sun out while yours is best at night," she recalled. "Maybe this will be what'll set you on the right path. Plus, I'm sure camping would be fun."

"But… I've never been camping before," he admitted. "I barely know the first thing about camping."

"We could always look at a few books?" she suggested.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Spike exclaimed. "I was talking to Apple Bloom and she said that she and Applejack are going camping up at Winesome Falls this weekend. You could go along with them, they could show you some things about camping and you get to sleep under the stars for your training!"

"That's a great idea, Spike!" agreed Twilight.

"It does sound reasonable," said Dusk. "But I would have thought Luna would have wanted me to do this by myself."

"And since when have we ever let you do anything by yourself?" asked Spike. "Besides, that's for in your dreams. I think she'd be okay with somepony showing you how to set up a tent and make smores."

"You make a good point. Right, I'll do it," he decided. "I just hope they won't mind me coming along."

Spike waved a claw dismissively. "It'll be fine. Scootaloo's going along with Rainbow and I hear Sweetie's bringing Rarity. I'm sure they'd be happy to have us along."

"You might be… wait, us?" Dusk asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm going with you! I've camped out before. I did it on the dragon migration, remember? I can show you the ropes, teach you something for a change. Plus, this is like a trip of siblings, actual and honorary. Since you and me are brothers in assistantship, it'll be perfect."

"Again, Spike, you make a good point," agreed Dusk. "That is, if Twilight doesn't mind."

"Of course not. I can cope by myself for one weekend," she assured. "You two go and have a good time, but remember, it's not all for fun."

"Yes, teacher Twilight," groaned Spike.

"Oh, don't be like that, Spike. Learning is great fun!" she said, clapping her hooves together. "Right, Dusk?"

"It can be quite enjoyable to expand one's knowledge," he said.

"Great, I'll try and contain my excitement," Spike remarked sarcastically. "Only you two could make a camping trip sound boring."

The day after was when Spike and Dusk met Applejack, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo at edge of the woods on the outskirts of town. Considering that the previous night had been another round of uncontrollable nightmares for Dusk, he was keen to get this underway. At the same time, he was comforted that he would be doing this with friends.

They were all wearing two saddlebags with essential supplies in them, Spike bringing along some parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill for making any notes he needed. On top of those they had their sleeping bags, which Dusk had procured from a camping store in town. Spike's was ruby red, while his was midnight blue, matching their saddlebags.

"You packed bug spray?" Applejack asked her sister.

"Yup." She flipped her own saddlebag's flap up. "You got the canteens?"

"Yup." Applejack flipped hers up too. "Looks like we're all set then."

Their check had certainly taken less time than Twilight's. She'd spent about an hour with them both before they'd set out, checking and double checking a checklist she'd made for essential camping equipment. As much as he loved her, even Dusk found it a little tedious.

A trundling behind them got their attention and a long shadow was cast across them. They all looked up in shock as they witnessed a literal tower of suitcases and bags coming towards them. The luggage in question was in a cart being lugged by Sweetie Belle while Rarity trotted beside her, wearing a pink skirt, purple shades, yellow shoes and matching headscarf with her cutie mark patterned on it.

"Gee, Rarity, did you remember to pack?" remarked Applejack.

"Oh, well, let's see who gets the last laugh when you're absolutely desperate to curl your lashes, and you realize you didn't bring your eyelash curler," she returned, as if that settled the matter.

Spike, as usual, was in awe. "Wow! You look great, Rarity!"

"Spike! How lovely you and Dusk are joining us," she trilled. "Ready to start 'roughing it', as they say?"

"Indeed. I've never been camping before, so this should be fun," said Dusk.

"Splendid!" She beckoned him over and spoke in a low voice. "Are you quite sure little Spikey is alright to join us?"

"Of course, why wouldn't he be?"

She leaned a little closer. "Well it's just after the Empire and what the brute Doom did to him, are you certain he's well enough to attend?"

"He's fine, Rarity," he replied. "It's just camping and his scales protected him from the worst of Doom's hit. Twilight and I have had him checked, he's fine."

"I suppose so..." She didn't look completely convinced, but let the matter drop.
"Well, looks like we're all set now," noted Applejack,

"But what about Rainbow Dash? Isn't Rainbow Dash coming?" Scootaloo asked frantically.

"'Course she is, sugarcube," Applejack said. "She's gonna meet us up at our first campsite."

"Oh." Scootaloo said nothing, but she tried to smile it off.

What an awkward start to it all, Dusk couldn't help but think.

"Alright, y'all, let's move 'em out!"

With that, they started making their way up the hill. Dusk noted how Rarity was keeping a close eye on Spike, but also that Sweetie was definitely struggling with Rarity's packing.

"Here," he said, supporting the harness with his horn while unsaddling her. "Allow me."

"Huh?" She realised what he was doing. "It's fine, Dusk, you don't have to do that."

"I insist." He strained a little from the weight but tried not to show it. "There, see?"

"You sure you don't mind?" He shook his head. "Yay! Thanks, Dusk!" She gave him a quick hug and walked alongside her sister, mimicking her strut.

"A gentlecolt as always, Mr Noir," noted Rarity.

"I try, Miss Belle," he returned.

She smiled but it faded when her eyes flickered to Spike again. Spike didn't really notice, for he was addressing Applejack.

"So, how's the farm gonna be while you two are away?" he asked.

"We got Big Mac an' Ray pullin' double duty," she answered. "Between the two-a them, they should be able ta get all the chores done we'd normally do."

"And if they don't?" asked Dusk.

"Oh, they will. Big Mac ah know can pull his own weight, but if ah get back an' find out that Ray's not met the quota ah set him, ah'm tellin' Apple Bloom ta get ma rope an' see how he fancies bein' an apple fer an evenin', hangin' by his legs from a tree. An' if he tries ta teleport his way outta it..."

Dusk frowned. "Applejack, after all he's been through, shouldn't you cut him a little slack?"

"Alright, fine." She paused to think. "A couple-a hours hangin' from the tree then."

"I think it's astounding he was so willing to return to work after what happened on his birthday," put in Rarity. "I know he said that he was fine, and he most likely wasn't lying on the second occasion. But still, he didn't even ask for a couple of days to recover."

"Yeah, but Ray's awesome," added Scootaloo. "Not as awesome as Rainbow Dash, obviously, but enough that he can just keep at it."

Dusk smiled at the compliment towards Ray, despite himself. The Crusaders, obviously, didn't know the exact details behind what happened with Ray on that day, but they'd instead been told (after reportedly many hours of pestering on all sides of the spectrum) that the rest of them who'd set up the event had accidentally ended up offending Ray with something during the party, which had opened up more than a few old wounds for the stallion. Not dishonest, simply not telling the full story. Besides, the fillies probably deserved to know something on the matter, seeing how much they seemed to idolize Ray as of late, for lack of a better term. They'd helped to set up the party, even, but ultimately weren't able to attend themselves because of school. Likely for the best, Dusk thought to himself.

"At least he was still willing to have a celebration with us, you know, despite all of that. A way smaller and quieter one than originally, but it was something. Boy, did Pinkie explode when she heard that..." Spike crossed his arms and smirked in a self-satisfied fashion. "I'm just glad I didn't end up wasting my money on that gift I got for him… and also that he enjoyed it as much as I thought he would."

Now, Dusk couldn't help but smirk himself while he chuckled, something that Applejack and even Rarity were also doing to differing extents. "Yes, he definitely seemed to get a kick out of that Horses & Heroes setup you got him, Spike…"

Spike caught the teasing in his tone and glared up as his older honorary brother. "I thought it was something a guy like him would be interested in! And turns out I was right! Don't start teasing me about my choice in gifts when you went and got him a bunch of books like Twilight did."

"Touché," Dusk remarked. "Though unlike Twilight, the books I gave him were part of a series purely of the fantasy and adventure genre, like what he writes about. And my gift could be considered of the educational variety, as opposed to…" he trailed off, waiting for the response he knew was coming. It came.

"Not everything has to be educational! Sheesh, all this time you spend around Twilight is really rubbing off on you. She says the exact same things about Horses & Heroes. It's not just a game for geeks! It's a deep, complex role-playing strategy sort of game with fun adventure elements that you play with friends! You know, you'd probably be into it too, Dusk."

"Perhaps… and how do you know all of this, anyways?"

"There's a group of ponies back at Canterlot I used to get together with to play whenever I was available. I still meet up with them sometimes, whenever I'm away at Canterlot on royal business or something."

"It sounds like it woulda been a pretty big, fun party though, if it weren't for what ya'll told us. Maybe the three-a us shoulda come along anyways," suggested Apple Bloom. "Show him how the Cutie Mark Crusaders throw a party!"

"That's nice-a ya, sis, but for you fillies, school comes first. 'Sides, ah think what happened there probably woulda happened anyways," said Applejack. "But it's alright. Only two days since then an' he's back to it. Though that may be 'cause he had a lil' help from somepony else."

"Ooooooooh!" Rarity squealed. "After all of this time, it's finally happened! Ray and Fluttershy: together!"

"Indeed," said Dusk. "After all the worrying we were doing, it was certainly gratifying to see them return like that."

"Walking side by side, her wings draped over him," sighed Rarity. "I know it has been said, but those two are simply adorable together!"

"Yeah," nodded Spike. "It might mean more mushy stuff, but I think I can put up with it. Honestly, Fluttershy is the last pony I'd expect to get a coltfriend."

"She couldn't have found a better one," said Dusk. "I think the two of them will be very happy together."

"Ah'm happy fer 'em too," said Applejack. "Faust knows they waited long enough. Ah mean, they've been oglin' each other pretty much since the firs' day they met. Ah think it's real sweet. Sure must be nice fer em…"

For a moment, Applejack looked slightly forlorn. It didn't go unnoticed by her sister.

"You okay, big sis?" she asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, fine sugarcube," she said quickly. "Just thinkin', is all."

"I think I know what about," put in Rarity. "Oh, don't you fret, Applejack. I'm certain you'll find the stallion of your dreams someday."

"Thanks, Rarity," she said with a grateful smile.

"Though not if you keep doing your mane like that."

She glared. "Whatcha sayin' 'bout ma mane?"

"Now, now, ladies," Dusk interceded. "Let's not start a fight over manestyles."

Rarity nodded. "Yes, you're absolutely right, Dusk."

"Thank you."

"Sorry, darling, but yours is far worse."

Dusk did a double take. "I beg your pardon?"

Everypony else just laughed and not long after, he was too.

After about half an hour of walking and about fifty times of Rarity asking if they were there yet, they arrived at the campsite. Rainbow was already there and prepared some log seats and a fireplace for them by kicking away trunks of trees and getting some rocks from the river respectively. From the flashy way she did it, Dusk had the impression she could have done this a while ago but was waiting to show off in front of them.

Establishing that respective siblings would be sharing respective tents, they got to work setting them up. As he predicted, Dusk was unsure as to where the pegs went or how to pitch it, but Spike was there to lend a claw, even though he admitted that on his dragon migration he'd never actually set up a tent as there was no room for one in his bundle.

"But no biggy, right?" he said. "I mean, look at that. We got it set up already." No sooner had he said that, their tent collapsed. "Heh heh… mallet please?"

After about three tries and some help from the others, their tent managed to stay up and the sun had already set. They got a fire going, courtesy of Applejack and gathered around it. Rarity had even brought her fainting couch for comfort, along with an inflatable tent the size of a large shed.

"Okay, everypony get comfortable," invited Rainbow, "'cause I'm about to tell you the best story you've ever heard."

"Is it about the time when Rarity had wings, and then they got ruined, and then you saved her from plummeting to her doom?" asked Scootaloo.

Rarity blushed and hid her eyes behind her glasses.

"Okay, maybe it's the second best story you've ever heard. But probably still the scariest." She put on a spooky voice. "You like scary stories, right?"

Scootaloo gasped, but nodded mutely.

"It all happened on a night just like this one, in a forest, just like this..."

Rainbow then told a story about the Olden Pony, a wizened old crone who roamed an ancient forest in search of her lost rusty horseshoe, so that she might continue her journey in comfort. Her croaking demands of who has her horseshoe could be heard by travellers and if she had you in her sights, she would pursue you relentlessly to return it.

The story did give Dusk a chill up his spine, but it had a more profound impact on the youngest of the group. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were trembling in fear and jumped at any loud noise, though Scootaloo appeared to be trying to act braver in front of her idol. Spike was shivering and nervously sucking on his thumb.

"An impressive tale, Rainbow," praised Dusk. "It may even rival the one that I have in mind."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. Then she glanced curiously at him. "So, what story would that be then?"

"Ah gotta admit, ah kinda wanna hear this too," put in Applejack. "If it's anythin' like the one ya told on Nightmare Night, it should be good."

"And your puppets certainly serve to make the story even more terrifying," added Rarity.

"Very well then. I shall tell you… tomorrow night," he announced.

"Aw, come on!" complained Rainbow. "You can't just dangle something like that and then yank it out of reach!"

"Call it a teaser," he countered. "Anyway, it's rather late and I think the little ones have been scared enough for tonight."

"I-I'm not sc-scared!" insisted Scootaloo in a shaky voice. "T-tell me your story, I can take it!"

"No, I think I'll save it." The other young ones looked relieved. "But be patient, for tomorrow I shall tell the tale of Eros and the Broken Mirror of Foul Fortune."

On that note which left a bit of a chill, they retreated into their tents. The last thing Dusk saw before he closed the flap was Scootaloo leaning casually on the log. He looked to see Spike clutching at his bed roll.

"Quite alright, brother?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, fine, sure," he said quickly. "So, um, how's it feel being under the stars then?"

Dusk created a very vibrant looking colour form of Spike, making him sprout a pair of wings and fly away into nothingness.

"My magic certainly feels stronger," he admitted. "Let's hope it carries over into the dream world."

"Have faith, buddy," Spike echoed. "After all, you got the number one dragon assistant with you. You'll be fine."

"I hope so." He yawned and extinguished their lantern. "Goodnight, Spike."

"Night, Dusk. And uh, if you hear somepony asking for their rusty old horseshoe… let me know?"

"I will…" he promised.

With a sigh of relief, the baby dragon rolled over and was soon snoring soundly. Dusk closed his eyes and let the sounds of the forest outside lull him to sleep…

He stood at the entrance of a massive elaborate stone arch. His sight was obscured for what lay beyond by a white fog that completely hid whatever lay behind it. But Dusk gulped, as he shook inside his armour. He knew exactly what was waiting for him.

Despite his armour, he didn't feel it would protect him. Even though he had a sword, he didn't think it would do any good. But there was no choice. This was the only way forward, the way back populated by yet more horrific monsters than the ones that were just lurking behind this foggy wall. He had to do it.

He swallowed hard, drew his sword, raised his shield and stepped through the fog. He stood in a grand hall that looked like it was made for somepony a hundred feet taller. Six supporting columns lined the passage up to the end. There he saw what awaited him and immediately wished he could go back the way he came.

A massive earth pony as tall as a house, dressed in golden armour that made him look incredibly obese, but no less intimidating. A humongous hammer rested on its head next to him. Up on a balcony, another pony emerged. This one was a Pegasus, dressed in his own golden armour that bore resemblance to a lion and was just as tall, though slimmer and shorter than the other. A lance was clutched in his right forehoof.

No sooner had he seen Dusk, he jumped down from the balcony and landed beside the earth pony, who was picking up his hammer. The other prepared his lance. Dusk gulped and raised his own weapon, feeling woefully inadequate against the duo as they charged towards him.

Before they could reach him though, a bright light appeared from the floor before him and an armoured form climbed out of it. Wielding a scythe that was reminiscent of a crescent moon, Luna raised the weapon and dashed forward, slicing four times, two for each.

She stopped in a crouch. They stopped mid-step. She rose to stand. They fell to the ground with a loud clang and clatter.

Dusk broke out in a smile. "Well struck, princess!"

"Thank you, my student." She cut quite a fierce figure in armour very similar to Nightmare Moon. "I didn't know you were into such things as, I believe it is termed, fantasy role-playing?"

"Believe me, Luna, this is a role I'd rather not be playing," said Dusk.

"I would not blame you. A rather curious dream, I must admit," she noted.

"This is a very old nightmare I had," he said. "I picked up a fantasy book that told the story of a cursed and dying land, inhabited by insane undead and monstrous demons. I was about seven at the time and didn't realise the book wasn't… well, suited for a younger reader."

"Clearly," agreed Luna.

"But why didn't you let me fight them? I thought this was supposed to be about me mastering my nightmares and I do feel a little stronger out here in the night. I could have taken them." He spared another glance at their prone forms. "Possibly."

"Possibly. But since you are here, there's something I'd like to show you." She held out a glittering hoof. "Take my hoof."

Trusting her, Dusk did so. The scene around them began to blur and shift like witnessing it through a kaleidoscope. As it became clearer, their armour faded, the grand hall dissolved away and it didn't take Dusk long to recognise where they were.

"Wait… this is my tent. There's Spike and… me?" Looking longer, he saw that it really was his sleeping form. "Well… this is quite bizarre."

"You get used to it. But notice, my student, not your body, but what emerges from it."

Dusk gasped when he saw what she meant. His phantom form was connected to his body by a stream of bright white magic, glowing brightly like the moon. He looked across to Spike and saw the same stream, but his was floating off into the sky, through the walls of their tent.

"What is it?" he whispered, tempted to touch it.

"Dreams," she answered. "That is the path you would travel down to enter the mind while it sleeps. If you were to travel down that one, you would see young Spike is having a dream where he is playing in a sea of gemstones with Rarity at his side. And ice cream."

"That sounds like Spike," he chuckled. "Why have I not been able to see this before?"

"Because you've been in your own dreams," she said. "By my power, I have let you leave your physical form so that you may witness this. Without the awareness that I possess and that you need to be trained for, you would not even be able to achieve this. If you were to attempt it alone, I fear you would be lost in a sea of dreams."

Dusk shivered at the thought. "I see. So, is it like this with everypony?"

"See for yourself," she offered.

They stepped out of the tent and Dusk gazed around in awe. From each of the tents was a line of magic that danced towards the sky. Up in the sky, they connected to another series of dream paths that painted the night and faintly, he could see dozens, if not hundreds of lines far off in the distance. From every home in Canterlot far off in the distance to Ponyville below the range they rested in.

The closest thing Dusk had for comparison was the magic that was emitted by the light and love of the Crystal Empire. But even then, he was hard pressed to decide which one was more spectacular.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Luna said proudly. "All of those minds at play in a world where anything is possible."

"Remarkable," he whispered in awe.

"You and I are the only ones who can see them like this," she said. "At this time, when they all become part of a nexus of dreams. Separate, yet connected so that I may watch over them, walk between them. And soon, you will learn to do the same."

Dusk's stomach dropped. "But… there are so many of them. How will I ever learn to walk this?"

"You will, in time," she promised.

The awe that consumed Dusk was slowly being replaced by dread. He didn't see how she was going to be able to complete that promise.

Though he was rested, Dusk was by no means untroubled when he awoke the next morning. While the others were all chatting and packing away their tents, his mind lingered on what Luna had shown him last night.

He had always known that the dream world was huge, but to actually see it… he wondered how Luna managed it. Watching over all of those dreams, every single night. And that was just in Equestria. Did her duties take her to other lands too? And she expected him to master such a complex and massive art?

He wasn't an alicorn. He may have had an affinity for the night, but she was the night. She'd had a thousand years of practice and he'd barely had two weeks. Even in the presence of her night, it felt like he was being given a large stick and was expected to knock down a mountain with it. He'd taken to all of her other lessons but this… this just seemed impossible.

And that was just walking in dreams. Before that, he had to control his own dreams and even that seemed impossible. Still his nightmares plagued him and he seemed barely able to keep them at bay. Only Luna's presence seemed to banish them and she wouldn't always be around, for she had other subjects to attend to.

He decided to try not to think about it for now. He just said to Spike that there was minimal improvement and left it at that. The baby dragon grimaced sympathetically and patted his leg comfortingly.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, bro," he said while they were on the road. "Like Twilight said, Luna wouldn't be teaching you this stuff if she thought you couldn't do it."

"I know. But even princesses make mistakes and errors in judgement," he murmured. "Maybe she's overestimating my abilities."

"Or maybe you're just underestimating them," he countered. "Come on, Dusk. You faced off an evil king in a swordfight, even though you knew you barely stood a chance. If you can do that, you can face off a few nightmares."

"I suppose." He smiled at Spike. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he shrugged. "Plus, you're pulling all of that luggage all by yourself too."

"Yes, but…" He paused to wipe some sweat off his forehead. "I fear that it may soon beat me."

Spike laughed. "What? You can take on Sombra, but you can't pull a cart of bags?"

"I do have my limits."

"And Sombra had a sword!"

"And these bags are extremely heavy. If you'd like to try your claw at pulling, be my guest."

"Heh… no, thanks I'm good. Besides," he added, "not sure Rarity would want me doing it anyway."

Dusk looked over at the debutante, who had attached her couch to wheels and was being pushed up by Sweetie Belle. Spike had offered to push her up himself, but she'd quickly objected to it, saying that her sister wanted to do it instead.

"She's been like that since we started," Spike went on. "She keeps asking if I'm okay, she won't let me do any heavy lifting and I swear she keeps watching me."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. You were talking to her at the start. Has she said anything?" he asked.

"I think she's just a little worried, Spike. We've been through a lot recently and I'm sure she's just concerned for you," answered Dusk.

"I get that, but she's never been like this. I don't see what the problem is. I'm totally fine. These scales can stand up to a lot." He glanced down at his scars. "I mean, aside from this."

Dusk said nothing. He still felt a hint of uneasiness when he saw that. Fortunately, his thoughts were dispelled by Applejack.

"Hey, you two, pick up the pace!" she called. "If we don't get a move on, it'll be dark before we get to the campsite!"

Scootaloo, who had been snoozing on the bags, suddenly jerked awake at the word.

"Dark?!" Her wings buzzed as she sped along on her scooter. "I'll just ride ahead and make sure the path is clear. We don't wanna be out here after dark, right?"

"Doesn't matter to me," shrugged Rainbow.

"Well, y'know," she said in a hushed voice while gesturing to her friends, "it's for the scaredy-ponies, heheh."

With that, off she sped until she rounded a corner and was out of sight. He looked at Spike, who looked as flummoxed as he did. Maybe it was just that Scootaloo wanted to get there ahead of them to impress Rainbow Dash in some way. As long as she was careful, she would be fine. The Crusaders had done far more dangerous things.

But her odd behaviour didn't stop there. A little further up the path, she randomly jumped out of some bushes, saying the path was better than travelling through them. She appeared to jump at every small or sudden sound and actually ended up right beside Dusk at one point in an instant. He noticed, now that she was close, the bags under her eyes.

"Uh, d-do you need a little help?" she asked Dusk.

"I'll manage, thank you," he said. "Are you quite alright, Scootaloo?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine," she said in a would-be casual voice. "Just uh, looking to help out a friend, that's all. Heheh…"

"Are you sure? If something is wrong…"

"I'm okay, really!" she insisted. "So, uh, this story you're gonna tell tonight. Um, not too scary, is it? I mean, not that I would be scared but, you know… the others might be."

"I'm not certain if it will match Rainbow's story, but I promise it will be quite a chilling tale," he replied. "Unless you would be scared in which case, I could tell a different story."

"Nuh-uh." Rainbow, who was flying above, landed next to him. "You're not skimping out on this, Dusk. I wanna make this as scary as you can. Scoots here can handle it, right?"

"Yeah, of course I can!" she said with false bravado. "You know me, Rainbow Dash!"

"Alright! I'm expecting great things, Dusk."

"I can only promise my best, Rainbow."

She snickered and soared off again. Dusk went to speak with Scootaloo again, but the filly had already forged on ahead. Even from here, he could see how strained her smile was.

At the next campsite, the need for tents was negated by the presence of a cave they could instead use for shelter. Since it was already getting dark, Dusk was thankful that all they had to do was lay down their sleeping bags and be ready to go to sleep if they needed it.

Scootaloo took a while getting back with the firewood and even then, it was only about four twigs. Probably out of understanding of how dark it was getting, Applejack said it was enough and managed to start a fire with them.

"Okay, everypony comfy?" Applejack asked. "Right then, Dusk, ya gotta story ta tell us. Let's hear it!"

"Very well then." He stood up. "I promised you a tale of nightmares and at night, with my power at its peak, I am at perfect liberty to tell you it."

Calling upon his magic, he began to weave his colour shapes to play out the events as he narrated them. The first image he took was of each of his three fellow Elements as he spoke them.

"Beauty." Rarity's puppet flicked her mane elegantly. "Grace." Rainbow's puppet landed from the sky. "Strength." Applejack's performed a few kicks. "There is no denying that, in some way, we all admire and long after physical perfection and external appeal. We're always encouraged to look our best, to look presentable and to project a strong image you would wish others to see of yourself, even if it's a far cry to how you feel inside.

"But what if there were a way to make your body, your appearance as perfect as you could want it to be with merely a thought? What if you wanted something to change about yourself, you could alter it exactly the way you wanted it to be? They say that, a long time ago in a distant land, one being had that power."

"Ooh, do tell," Rarity encouraged. "I like the sound of this already."

Dusk smiled and fashioned a new puppet. A unicorn mare with a long, flowing mane, slender legs, a perfectly toned body and brilliant golden eyes. They all stared at her in awe as she strutted around the camp.

"Her name was Eros," he continued. "And she was a mare in a town where all stallions longed after her and all mares longed to be her. Her mane was said to shimmer like a river of melted chocolate. Her fur was sleek and the colour of honey. Her eyes shone as brilliantly as Celestia's sun and it was said she even rivalled her in sheer radiance and beauty. Everypony wondered how she was rewarded with such perfection. Was she just born a beauty? Some form of spell? What was her secret? Everypony wondered, but only she knew.

"You see in her home, a grand affair overlooking the town she lived in, she did have a secret. It was in the form of a mirror. To any other, it looked like a simple, full-length mirror with a wooden frame. But set above the glass is an inscription, forged in magical runes. It reads 'see what you will see'. And that was exactly what she did. For whatever she wanted to look like, if she wanted her mane to shimmer or her mane to be sleek, she would have to simply need to say it while she gazed upon her reflection in it… and it would happen.

"She used her mirror so she might be the most beautiful mare in town. She enjoyed all the attention, enticing every stallion with her enchanting looks. There was not a single one that couldn't gaze upon her and be at once enchanted by her beauty. None… except one.

"He came to the town one day while travelling, a stallion named Charming. He was every bit as handsome and brilliant as she was beautiful and fair. The moment she saw, she was besotted and knew his heart would belong to her. Yet he did not stare after her as others did, nor did he try to woo her or charm her. This disturbed Eros. How could he not be? She soon discovered that it was because his heart belonged to another. A mare named Modesty, to whom he was betrothed.

"Still, she tried to win him. Every day, she went to her mirror and changed something about herself. Every day, she would stand and attempt to entice him and every time, he looked past her. No matter how much she changed, no matter how beautiful she tried to make herself or how much she tried to show herself off, he never, ever so much as glanced at her.

"Soon, she was driven into madness. In desperation, she knew there was only one way she would have him and only one thing that stood in her way. Modesty. She had to go and she didn't care how she did. All Eros had to do was get rid of Modesty and Charming would be hers. She went to her kitchen and took a knife from one of the drawers. She waited until Modesty was away from him and alone in the dead of the night. She trapped her in an alley, drew the knife and…"

Dusk stopped when they all gasped, with a few quiet screams. He let it sink in and continued.

"Charming found the body of Modesty the next morning. The wail he made was said to be heard from miles away. He knew who had done this and stormed to the house, kicking down the door and finding Eros in her dressing room. Her magic mirror stood at the other end of the room and at first, he thought he saw a ghost… until he heard Eros's voice dripped in honey oozing from the lips of a twisted form of the mare he loved.

"'You see,' she cooed, 'you don't need her. I can be her. I can be whoever you want. I can be better than she ever was. Whatever you want, my love, it is yours.'

"'Whatever I want?' asked Charming. He glanced at the mirror, at Eros, at the blunt weapon he'd brought with him. 'Very well… I want you to see what you really are!'

"And with that, he flung the weapon towards her. Though his aim wasn't at her. She only realised too late and reached out with her magic just as it struck the mirror… and broke it. And when it did, she had been using her magic while standing before it. Only this time, her reflection became broken and so did she. What was ugly about her inside finally matched how she looked outside.

"Charming never came out of that house. The townsfolk feared the worst had happened, but all they heard was her maddened screams as they rent the air. And since then, no one has been inside that house. But they say the remains of the mirror are still in there and that its power can still be used by those who have pure intent in their heart. But if you use it for selfish or shallow reasons, the ghost of Eros will come for you and see to it that your reflection is made as ugly as she now is and torment you for the rest of your days with her tortured screams at the loss of her love and her beauty.

"Such is the fate of those who seek out the Broken Mirror of Foul Fortune," he finished.

An air of terrified silence hung thickly in the wake of his story. The Crusaders and Spike trembled with fear, Rarity slipped away the mirror she'd been using while looking at it frightfully, even Applejack looked shaken. But Dusk looked at Rainbow Dash.

"So, how was that?" he asked.

"Meh, I've heard scarier," she said casually. "But, uh… that one was pretty good."

"High praise indeed," bowed Dusk. "Thank you, everypony. I hope you don't have nightmares and that you learned something from that story. Never be too concerned with how you look. It's how you act that really matters."

"It's a nice lesson, but did ya have ta scare it inta us?" asked Applejack with a smile.

"Stories like that do help the message stick," replied Dusk.

"Don't worry, you'll be safe with me tonight," Rarity assured her trembling sister.

Scootaloo looked terrified. "It's not time for bed yet, is it?"

"'Fraid so, Scootaloo," said Applejack.

"Uh, but we haven't even sung any campfire songs yet!" she suggested.

"I think it's a little late for campfire songs," said Dusk. "We'd best be getting to bed. Princess Luna wouldn't want me to keep her waiting."

They all bade each other goodnight, but Scootaloo seemed determined.

"Oh, just one song! Anyone? How about a dance contest? I know you love to cut a rug, so how 'bout we mess up a cave floor? I have a brilliant idea! Hide and seek! Who's with me?"

Apple Bloom yawned. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Seems like ya don't really wanna go to sleep tonight. Is there some reason why?" asked Applejack.

"Pfft, of course not!" she dismissed. "I just love camping and hanging out with Rainbow Dash so much that I don't wanna waste a single minute with sleep! She worked hard to keep a yawn down. "Heh, silly sleep."

"That's cool and all, Scoot, but this pony needs her shut-eye and she needs it now!" said Rainbow, already curling up in her sleeping bag.

Dusk and Spike crawled into theirs and not long after, were fast asleep themselves.

No nightmares when he entered the dream world this time. Luna was already in their moonlit meadow waiting for him, for which Dusk was relieved.

"No terrors to beset me tonight, Luna?" he asked.

"Not for you, no," she said. "Instead, I wanted us to try something different since the opportunity seems right. Come."

She offered a hoof and he took it. Once again, the nexus of dreams could be seen in the night sky. But one of them, he noticed, was different from all of the rest. While the other lines were white, one was black, writhing, and it was coming from Scootaloo, who was tossing and turning restlessly in her sleep.

"It means she's having a nightmare," Luna answered his unasked question. "Something has affected her deeply, which also plagued her the night before. As princess, it is my duty to see that her dreams are peaceful. But tonight, I won't be."

"But… who's going to help her?" Luna's silence and intense gaze answered that. "Oh, no… Luna, you-you can't be serious."

"Does this expression look as if I am being a kid?" she asked. "I am assigning you to calm her mind, Dusk."

"But I can't even stop my own nightmares!" he insisted. "How am I supposed to prevent another's?"

"Because you will find that this is a fear that is quite familiar to you," she replied. "I know you can do this, Dusk. I will be ready to step in if anything happens, but I think I will not need to this time. I want you to try, for your friend. Please."

That piercing gaze saw right through him. Her words heartened him somewhat, though he still had doubts. He took a deep breath and started towards Scootaloo. He paused and looked back.

"'I'm not kidding.'" Luna looked confused at his statement. "The phrase you were looking for before is 'I'm not kidding.'"

"Oh." She blushed a little. "Modern dialect is still a mystery to me. What do baby goats have to do with anything?"

"Ask the goats?" he suggested. "Well, once more unto the breach…"

He took another breath and jumped into the dream stream. He screamed as it felt like he was tumbling off a cliff, but he felt some force slow his fall and make his descent gentler, so that he landed nicely.

"Thanks, Luna," he murmured and witnessed the scene.

Scootaloo's dream was inside an old, worn-down house. Cobwebs the size of dinner plates hung in the rafters, the floorboards creaked beneath his hooves and the wooden structure looked about ready to collapse. He noted a dressing table… and a cracked full body mirror standing on one of the walls.

And there was Scootaloo, desperately backing away from a pony dressed in a long, ragged black robe. A hood hid the face, but it didn't take a mighty intellect to figure out what was going on here. Normally, Dusk wouldn't be prone to immediate violence, but this was a nightmare. He could be excused this one time.

"Eros!" he shouted. The mare turned and hissed. "Back away from my friend."

In three strides, he had crossed the room and on the fourth, he'd raised his back hooves in a kick. Before the unicorn could react, she was knocked off her hooves and towards the mirror. When she hit the surface, it shimmered like a rock falling in water and she fell through it with a chilling scream that was cut short.

"Where you belong," he said and looked to Scootaloo. "Are you al-?"

He didn't get to finish, for she was already embracing his legs tightly. He returned it, patting her head comfortingly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"My pleasure," he said. "Normally, a gentlecolt wouldn't strike a mare, but in this case, I make an exception."

She laughed a little. "But how'd you get here? How'd I get here? I thought we were in the cave! Did Eros kidnap us? Hey, wait… I thought she was a ghost. How'd you manage to kick her?"

"Because she wasn't real. None of this is. You're dreaming, Scootaloo," he told her.

"Really?" Dusk demonstrated by kicking over a chair. It froze before it hit the ground and reverted to its original position. "But… it seems so real."

"Dreams usually do," he mused. "But they're not. They can't hurt you and if it tries, I won't let it."

"Thanks," she murmured. "But how'd you get here? Or are you just a dream too?"

"In a way, I am. I made a small trip from my dream world to yours. Somepony who watches over all dreams thought you could use a little help."

"You mean… Luna?" Dusk nodded. "Wow. I remember seeing her, in a dream I had last night. But why didn't she come? Why'd she send you? Not that I'm complaining."

Dusk took a moment to answer. "She thought I would be better for the job. I'm sorry my story scared you so much, Scootaloo."

"It's okay," she said. "It was still a good story."

"But scary?"

She gulped. "Yeah…"

"Why didn't you say anything then?" he asked her. "Why did you feel you had to pretend you weren't scared? We would have understood, we were all scared by those stories. Even my own story still gives me the chills."

"Except Rainbow Dash," she put in. "Rainbow Dash isn't scared. She's never scared."

"I wouldn't say…" And suddenly, it made sense.

Why she'd been acting so jittery around Rainbow. Why she'd put on a brave face for her. Why she'd never said anything this whole time. Why Luna had sent him here rather than coming herself.

"You're trying to impress her, aren't you?" he ventured. "You don't want her to see you scared, to reject you."

"What? How'd you-? I mean, uh," she stammered. "What I mean is… yeah…"

"Oh, Scootaloo…" He gave her another hug.

"Y-you won't tell her, right?" she asked fearfully.

"No. But you should."

"What? Are you crazy?!" she demanded. "If I tell her, sh-she's gonna think I-I'm not cool! She'll never take me under her wing and teach me then!"

"Do you honestly think she doesn't like you?" he asked. "How could she not like a filly who is willing to do zip lining and hang-gliding and anything else it takes to get her cutie mark? Who is willing to stand against an army of Discord's minions, who made it out of Canterlot when the changelings attacked without a scratch on her? You're strong, Scootaloo and you're brave. More than you give yourself credit for."

"You… you really mean that?"

"I really do. And, between you and me…" He leaned in to whisper. "Rainbow can be a sight scaredy-pony too."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "No way! Get outta here!"

"I'm serious. You remember the Young Flyers Competition, the one where she did the Sonic Rainboom?" She nodded. "She was absolutely terrified before she did that."

"No way!"

"Yes way," he said. "She'd been trying to do it before, but every time she hadn't managed it. On the day, she thought she was going to fail again and in front of the Wonderbolts, no less."

"Wow…" She looked amazed. "She never told us that part of the story."

"It's Rainbow Dash. Do you really expect her to? We all have our fears, Scootaloo. You do, I do, even Rainbow does. But at some point, we have to face those fears or they won't stop chasing us. In the waking world or the dream world."

"Indeed, brother!" a voice roared.

They both whipped around and saw the door be kicked aside by the massive hoof of Blackhole Doom. The earth seemed to shake as he strode inside.

"What?!" Scootaloo scrambled away. "W-what's he doing here?!"

"He must have followed me from my plain of dreams. Or I brought him with me." He placed himself between them. "Stay behind me, Scootaloo."

"How touching," he snarled. "But I'll tear through you in a second and she'll be mine!"

Dusk stood ready to fight him, but…

"Hey!" Scootaloo stepped out from behind him. "You can't talk to him like that!"

"Oh really?" He snorted with laughter. "And what makes you think you can tell me what to do, runt?"

"Because you're just a big bully!" she retorted. "And bullies always get what they deserve. Dusk, duck!"

Dusk was at first surprised by her command, but a quick glance behind him told him what she had in mind. With a smile to her, he hit the ground with her… so that Doom was staring right into the mirror.

"What? What is this?" A loud scream answered his question and Eros shot out of the mirror towards him. "What?! No! NO! Get your hooves off me! Get off me! NOOOOO!"

But no matter how much he screamed and struggled, nothing could stop Eros from dragging him behind the glass with her. The surface shimmered once again and they were both gone.

"Well, that was different," remarked Dusk. "Quick thinking there, Scootaloo."

She shrugged. "My dream, my rules. I couldn't let him hurt you. He's already done enough of that."

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "See? Stronger and braver than you think."

"I guess I am," she relaised. "But what if Rainbow Dash doesn't think so?"

"She will. But even if not, then you have to take that chance," he said. "You can't keep running from your fears, Scootaloo. You have to face them. Trust me, I know."

An unseen force took a hold of his body again and started to lift him up. It looked like his time here was up.

"Hey, what's going on?" she hurried up to him. "Where are you going?"

"Sorry, this is where I get off," he said. "Good luck, Scootaloo! Not that you need it!"

He saw Scootaloo's face break out into a smile and she waved in farewell. He waved back and in a flash of white light, he was back in the moonlit meadow with a smiling Scootaloo replaced by a beaming Luna.

"You did it, Dusk! I knew you would!"

"I did," he echoed. "I still don't quite believe it."

"Believe it. You've taken your first step in this world and I couldn't be more proud of you," she praised.

"But I still had you helping me. I still had to be transported and taken out of the dream by you," he said. "I still have a long way to go."

"I never said you didn't. Dusk, you must understand the reason I showed you the nexus. It was not to intimidate you, though I'm sorry if that has been the case."

"It's okay. But why did you show me?" he asked.

"To help you understand. Very few ponies would be able to control their own dreams, let alone have the ability to walk into others. It was your presence in Scootaloo's that let her do that. The dream world is so massively intricate, they can't even take the first step. Even for myself, it was a long while before I could. I wanted to show you that what you had to learn wouldn't just take a few nights. It is going to take time, but you will learn, one step at a time.

"There are some things in this world that are far from simple and it can be difficult to understand them. But you shouldn't rush them, nor should you expect to. With time, you will understand and you will learn. And while I did aid you in the matter, comforting Scootaloo, getting her to realise her fears and giving her the courage to face them? That was all you, my student. That was your first step and you performed admirably."

Dusk started to smile. "Yes… it was. Wait, she hasn't spoken to Rainbow yet. How do you know that she will?"

"I believe she will," she said knowingly.

"But I still need to face my own fears and beat them in my dreams," he said.

"That was another reason I sent you to her. Answer me something: all those fiends you faced and even your own fears… were you ever alone?"

He didn't even have to think about that answer. "No…"

"And you will never have to be." She draped her wing around him in a comforting embrace. "This will be a challenge for you, one that will be difficult and it will take it's time, but you will succeed."

He looked up at her. "How can you be so sure?"

"Think of who you used to be and look where you are now." She smiled. "You've already done it, once before."

Though it was night, the city did not sleep. The lights of neon shone as bright as the stars above, drowning out their lights. Taxi carts continued to ferry ponies back and forth between the various events the city's nightlight had to offer. Everypony had something to do and nopony paid any mind to the flickering shadows they might glimpse out of the corner of their eyes.

Thus it was that Fallen was able to move between the alleyways, streets and rooftops of the Eastern city without being detected. Now and again, he had to stop and rest. The power Sombra's horn granted him gave him the ability to melt into the shadows, but he was still getting used to the power and the drain it put on him when used too much.

Even one lost to darkness had to be careful of being swallowed by the shadows.

It helped as well that he had temporarily discarded his armour and dressed again in the dark, hooded robe he'd used before. It meant he was lighter on his hooves, not to mention quieter. He was practically a shadow himself.

He paused to check the street he was on. The rendezvous wasn't far from here. If those he'd contacted about information on these two were correct, they would be meeting him there tonight. They were reluctant to talk of them at first and Fallen suspected it was out of fear of the pair. He soon reminded them who they should fear.

Almost a week he'd spent travelling here to the East and it had taken a little longer to find a way to get in contact with them. But it would be worth it. These two had quite a reputation. They were just what he was looking for.

One last shadow walk and he arrived. A courtyard behind a temple, the tall building casting adequate darkness. For extra measure, he extinguished the feeble lamps that were placed there. Now, all he had to do was wait.

And he didn't have to wait long. He sensed movement in the shadows and the faint flickering of fabric in the wind. He turned and there they stood.

The pair stood motionless a few feet away. They were slim, almost unnaturally so, small, but he didn't let their appearance deceive him. They wore identical robes, coloured white and red with intricate flower patterns. Their manes were tied in traditional buns, but the most striking features were their faces… or lack thereof. They both wore theatre masks, black on one half and white on the other. One wore a mask of sadness, a painted tears under both eyes. The other wore a mask of happiness, its painted lips smiling eerily so.

They watched him silently and he watched them. He silently wondered if he'd be able to defeat them should they turn on him. Quite likely he would, but they may be stubborn about it if their reputations were anything to go by. But he wasn't here to fight them.

"Finding you two was rather challenging," he said. "One of the qualities that I seek from thee."

They didn't reply. They just watched him, barely moving. He didn't expect them to either.

"I shall get to the point," he went on. "I know the skills and talents owed to thee, but thine efforts are wasted on petty thievery and assassinations of criminal scum thou findest thyselves doing. What I seek from thee is not a single task to be accomplished, but a journey towards a better world."

Now they moved. The two of them cocked their heads curiously at him. He let his wings and horn show and they cocked their heads a little further.

"Thou knowest what this means. Thou knowest the power I must possess. Thou knowest that more honour, more glory must be gained from aiding me in mine efforts than anything the so-called crime lords may offer thee," he said. "Come with me and it shall be yours. What say thee?"

Their heads returned to their former positions, but still they were silent. Perhaps they weren't concerned with that and only the money.

"What we task ourselves to I am certain will result in some monetary gains, if that is thy concern. Though this I cannot guarantee, I…"

He stopped speaking because they moved again. This time, their heads sunk into low bows. They agreed.

"Excellent. Then, Snick," he said to the happy faced one and to the despairing one. "Slash. I bid thee the warmest of welcomes."

Time to Reflect

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“Are you sure I’m not interrupting anything, Rarity?” asked Dusk.

“Not at all, darling,” she said. “I’ve just finished an order for a client and I was going to take a little break, so you came by at the perfect time. Besides, you know I always enjoy our little chats.”

Dusk smiled tightly as she levitated his tea to him, sitting by the window in Rarity’s kitchen. When Rarity had said she wanted to talk with him about something, he was concerned but tried not to let it get to him. With all that had been happening concerning it, he supposed it wasn’t unusual.

Rarity seemed to be doing her best to be her usual self, but it was the little things. Every now and again, her smile would falter or a flicker of nervousness would flash across her face. Still, Dusk didn’t press it for now.

“So, how are things with you, dear?” she asked. “How goes dream training?”

“Getting better,” he answered. “Not by much, but Luna said that it’s not something that will be mastered overnight, ironically.”

“Well, Equestria wasn’t made in a day,” she said. “Regardless, I wish you the best of luck with it. I ask, however, when you are able to walk between dreams, you find some way to let me know if you ever come across mine?”

Dusk smirked. “Why? Is the lady not as proper as she’d prefer to be seen?”

“Dusk! You cheeky devil!” She slapped his hoof playfully while her cheeks flushed. “Honestly, I expect that kind of remark coming from Ray, but I assumed you had higher standards.”

“I suppose he’s rubbing off on me a bit,” he chuckled. “My apologies regardless.”

“Oh hush, I know you meant nothing by it,” she assured. “However, if you are going to start being a little bolder, I know somepony who could benefit much more from it than I.”

Now, it was Dusk’s turn to blush. “Well… I’ll bear that in mind.”

“Good.” She returned his smirk. “I’m sure Twilight would thank me for it.”

“Most certainly,” he murmured. “So, did you enjoy the camping trip?”

“I must confess, while not my most favourite of activities, I did have a good time,” she said. “It was nice to get some good quality time with Sweetie Belle and Winesome Falls was simply marvellous. I would venture there more often, were less outdoors things and sweating involved with the outing.”

“Indeed.” He sipped his tea. “And having our friends there was rather nice too.”

“Oh yes, of course,” she agreed. “But the same could be said for any scenario really.”

“Of course,” he echoed.

“But…” Her expression became pensive. “There is something I’d like to discuss with you. It’s about… about Spike.”

“What about him?” asked Dusk. “If it’s his crush on you, I think he’s become a lot better at keeping it in check.“

“Oh no, nothing like that. I do completely agree with you in that regard. However, I…” She trailed off, searching for the right words. “I’ll be honest, Dusk: I’m worried about him.”

Dusk frowned. “In what way?”

“Where to start?” she murmured. “Dusk, have you ever thought how much danger that we get into?”

“I’ll be honest, Rarity, I try not to,” he said.

“That in itself speaks volumes. Discord, Paraserpents, Sombra and that whole business in Canterlot. And the entire time, Spike has been right there with us!”

“Well, of course. He’s our friend and this is home. It’s not as if we’ve deliberately placed him in danger.”

“Yet we’ve never done much to remove him from it either!” she cried. “The poor darling has been through so much! He even has scars now, for Celestia’s sake! Scars on dragon scales! What kind of friends are we that we’ve let this happen to Spikey wikey?! Why is it that we insist on keeping my sister and her friends out of danger, yet we never even consider doing the same for Spike?!”

Dusk opened his mouth to reply, but closed it as Rarity’s words set in. Along with a sense of shame.

Having spent a lot of time with Spike, it was sometimes easy for Dusk to forget that he was still young. Yes, he could walk, talk and have much more advanced faculties than a baby pony would, but he was still a baby dragon. A child. He thought back to all of the times Spike had fought at their side in countless fights, the moment Wrath had stuck him. If something had happened to Spike that he couldn’t just walk off…

“By Celestia…” he murmured, placing his head in his hooves. “You’re right, Rarity. I… I never thought…”

“It’s all I have been able to think about.” She came over and placed her foreleg around him in a hug. “I’m not blaming you, darling or Twilight. In a sense, there’s a shared sense of responsibility among us all. I’m not sure what to do about it, but perhaps if you could speak with Twilight? She’s the closest thing he has to a guardian, after all.”

“I think I’ll do just that,” he said quietly. “Thank you, Rarity.”

“Thank you for taking my concerns to heart, darling. Please understand, I don’t wish to lose Spike as a friend but I… I don’t want to lose him, either.”

“I understand.” The two of them exchanged a proper hug before Dusk left for the library.

His mood must have shown, for a few ponies backed off a little while he stalked back through town. Shame had given way to anger, mainly at himself. He was fighting very hard to control his temper. It had taken all of his self-control not to start shouting. He wasn’t sure if that would have helped, but it was all he could think of right now.

About halfway, he took a moment to calm himself down. Even then, he still had a measure of seething anger, mingled with shame.

Twilight looked up in surprise when he re-entered the library.

“You’re back early,” she noted. “Did something happen at Rarity’s?”

“You could say that,” he responded, still with a bit of an edge.

“Well, there’s no need to be like that,” she said coolly.

He took another few deep breaths and sat down at a desk.

“I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle. It’s just something Rarity said to me just now.”

“Why, what did she say?” She walked over to join him. “It must have been bad to make you of all ponies mad.”

Dusk looked around. “Is Spike here?”

“He’s upstairs taking a nap. We are on break, after all and you know Spike. Why?” she asked.

“Just that I think it would be better if he didn’t hear this,” he murmured.

He took her aside and relayed what Rarity had told him. Twilight appeared to mirror his own reaction, in many respects. Dusk noticed her knees starting to shake and he hurriedly levitated a chair for her to collapse into.

“Oh no… no, no, no, no!” Tears welled in her eyes. “Dusk… how could we not… all this time and we… oh Spike…!”

“I know, I know,” he murmured. “He always just seemed so... strong. I mean, he can jump into molten lava like it’s a swimming pool and he’s always been able to bounce back from everything.”

“That doesn’t matter! We’re lucky he hasn’t…!” She realised she was yelling and took a moment to quiet herself down. “I’m supposed to look after him. H-He’s like a little brother to me and I just…”

“Me too, Twilight. Should we… do you think we should talk to him?” asked Dusk.

She sniffed loudly and took a few calming breaths. “Not right now. Like Rarity said, this concerns all of us. I think… we need to bring everypony together, talk through how best to handle this.”

“I agree. Let’s just… give ourselves some time to think about it first. Ultimately, we have to do what’s best for Spike. Whatever it takes to keep him safe.”

She nodded, then hugged him tightly. This wasn’t going to be easy…

Unbeknownst to either of them somepony, or rather somedragon, had been upstairs and heard Dusk’s harsh tone. At the mention of Rarity, he’d listened at the stairs out of sight to hear what had been happening. Now, he was beginning to wish that he hadn’t.

Spike’s legs suddenly felt heavy and he just fell back onto the floor in a stunned daze. He just sat there, staring blankly at the wall. As the words began to set in, his eyes started to water, though he barely reacted from the tears that trickled down his cheeks.

Whatever it took to keep him safe. Like he didn’t deserve a say in the matter. After all he’d been through with them, all the times he’d helped. It was thanks to him they’d saved the Crystal Empire! They may not have said it, but Spike knew what this meant. They were going to try and keep him out of the way. They were going to leave him behind.

Absently, his claw drifted to the three parallel scars that ran down his chest. They sometimes stung a little if he put any kind of sudden pressure on them or something big hit him in the chest. But it had only gone through one layer of scales and scraped the second, so it could have been a lot worse. They would never fully heal, but he never minded. They looked cool and he took pride in knowing what he’d gotten them for.

He began to think that it had been for nothing. That it didn’t matter anymore. They were going to push him off to one side. It was like Owlowiscious all over again, except he was sure it wasn’t just him being jealous again. This was real.

He was going to lose his family, just because they thought he was just a kid…

But the more he felt his scars, the more he refused to believe those thoughts. He was Spike. Number one dragon assistant. Adoptive brother to an Element of Harmony. Saviour of the Crystal Empire. He had to make things right, show them he could handle the danger, but how? There had to be some way he could prove himself or change their minds. If his body would just give him something to work with, some way to reflect what he knew he felt inside. Maybe another greed growth spurt would…

A thought occurred to him. Maybe it didn’t have to be greed. What if he could find a way to make himself grow up? Make his body more than just a pudgy baby dragon? Then they would see. He wouldn’t have to be left out!

But then he remembered something Twilight told him. Spells like that were of the highest level of magic. Only an alicorn would have the power to pull it off and he couldn’t picture any of the ones he knew willing to perform it on him. They wouldn’t understand. They’d probably agree with his friends. If he was going to do this, he’d have to figure out a way himself.

He found himself thinking about the story of the mirror Dusk had told him about. It could change the appearance of whoever looked in it to whatever they wanted. Could they change anything? Did it really exist? It was a long shot, but maybe there was more to it. For his friends, he had to do it.

He quickly ran to a mirror. He gathered himself, made sure there was no trace he’d been crying and made himself smile at the thought of finding a way to help him and his friends. He waited, making sure that Dusk and Twilight had pulled themselves together. He didn’t want to force the conversation he knew was coming. He needed time. When they looked better, he headed downstairs, stretching his arms and yawning.

“Ah, that was a nice nap,” he said. “Break over, Twi?”

“Just about, Spike.” She smiled proudly. “Usually, I have to come up and wake you. Good job on getting down here early.”

“You know me. Always ready to work!” he said with as much enthusiasm as he could. “Anything I can do?”

“Yes. Can you reorganize the sports section in the East wing? The Crusaders were flicking through the whole shelf for cutie mark ideas and didn’t bother putting everything back in the right place.” She groaned. “Some ponies just have no respect for proper order.”

“You got it,” he saluted. “Can Dusk gimme a hoof? There’s a lot of books to clean up there.”

“I don’t see why not. You don’t mind, Dusk?” she asked.

“Of course not. I could use something to take my mind off of things anyway,” he said. “Lead the way, Spike.”

Spike marched through the door and grinned at his good fortune. This would be perfect. He could ask Dusk about it away from Twilight so she wouldn’t get suspicious. He mentally crossed his fingers as they neared the shelf.

“Goodness, this is quite a mess,” noted Dusk. “I suppose it’s only right that two number one assistant’s tackle the job.”

“Yep.” Spike let a few moments of silence pass while they work. “Hey Dusk, mind if I ask you something?”

“If I can answer it, not at all,” he replied. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was wondering… you know the story you told? About Eros and her mirror? Is it real?”

Dusk paused in his work. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, you know,” he said as casually as he could, “last time you talked about something that used to be a story, turned out it was true. Just making sure it isn’t a trend.”

Dusk regarded him for a moment and Spike was afraid he hadn’t bought it. But he smiled and resumed his work.

“It looks like it might be starting to be,” he said. “The legend and the events that happened in it do stem from a real magical artefact. It was originally called the Novo Mirror. Nopony knows much about, where it came from or who made it because of how old it is - centuries, some speculate - and its changed hooves many times as well. Eros was the last to possess it, and ever since then those who have sought it have met with a… very gruesome end.”

Spike shivered. He didn’t need to ask exactly what, in that respect.

“But the mirror,” Dusk went on, “was no mere tool of vanity like what she turned it into. Its power to change was near limitless. An earth pony who wanted nothing more than to fly used it to give herself wings. A stallion mocked for his weedy stature soon had a physique even Hoofacles would be envious of. Another went away into a room with it and emerged a blossoming young mare.”

“Seriously?” Spike could hardly believe it. “It was that powerful?”

“Indeed it was and hence why it was always so jealously guarded by those who became fortunate enough to own it. Or unfortunate, depending on one’s view,” he added. “They’d always try and hide it away, but it always ended up in somepony else’s hooves. Only Eros doesn’t seem to want to let go of it.”

“Uh huh,” Spike nodded, his hope growing. “So, where is it now?”

“Where most believe it’s resided for a long while. In Eros’s home, in the town of Blight in Transylmaneia,” he answered. “Those who believe the story have gone trying to find it... and end up with more than what they bargained for.”

“Transylmaneia, huh?” Spike murmured.

“Yes. In a land brimming with ghost stories and tales of horror, what is one more?” Dusk mused. “Was there anything else you wanted to ask about it?”

“Uh, no that’s it.” He smiled genuinely at Dusk. “Thanks, bro.”

“My pleasure. Now, we’d best get back to work,” he suggested. “Don’t want Twilight to come in here and see us slacking off.”

Spike did so, but his mind was only partially on his work. The rest was formulating a plan. If Dusk’s knowledge could be trusted, and he knew it could be, this mirror could be just what he was hoping for. He knew it was risky and he knew it may be a long shot, but it looked like the best chance he had of fixing things with everypony. He had to do this. But he had to do it on his own.

While Dusk and Twilight were studying, he was too. Specifically on where Blight was, what was there and how best to get to it. While they went out to lunch, he volunteered to stay behind and managed to sneak some food from the kitchen to prepare for the trip, as well as taking a little from his stash of bits for a train ticket. On top of this, he had the perfect opportunity to slip away tonight.

In accordance to Twilight’s level of organisation, they’d organised certain days of the week would be date nights for them. This was one of them. He waited until Dusk and Twilight, dressed up for a dinner at a nice restaurant had left before making his move. He propped some pillows in his basket to make it look like he was sleeping, left a note for them when they would discover him gone and grabbed his bindle and stick once more.

With a heavy heart, hoping they would understand, he slipped away to the station and was soon travelling out of Ponyville towards Transylmaneia. He just hoped it would be worth it.

The journey had taken almost all night. By the time the conductor announced they were arriving at their destination, the sun had already risen above the horizon and Spike had managed to catch some sleep along the way. He stretched and yawned, grabbed his bindle and hopped out of his chair to the door. He had a good look of where he was.

The station was situated at a crossroads. There wasn’t really much to look at. Moors stretched on as far as the eye could see and there were small patches of trees on the road side. He noticed a sign post at the crossroads and made for it. It pointed in the direction of the town of Blight down the right path, the road along the way going downwards.

“Okay, Spike,” he said to himself. “You’ve come this far, now let’s take it all the way. For your family.”

Hefting his bindle, he set off down the road and hummed a merry tune to keep his spirits high. It looked like he would need it, for the road was only getting steeper. As it did, the hills seemed to rise up on all sides, enclosing in all around him and preventing any kind of escape. They threatened to block out the sun and it even started to get a little darker, even though it was early morning. A thin layer of mist began to creep up on him the further he went.

Spike shivered a little from how cold it had suddenly gotten. At least, that was what he preferred to think. He remembered what Dusk said, about Transylmaneia being a land filled with ghost stories. He was beginning to see why. The road was deserted. A few solitary lamps stood lit here and there. The wind occasionally blew and made what little greenery there was rustle. It was like even the grass and flowers seemed reluctant to grow along the path. The few he saw were withered from lack of sun.

Spike gulped and tried to ignore the faint shiver down his spine and the feeling of dread rising in the pit of his stomach. He forged on, picking up his pace a little.

He rounded a corner about half an hour later and saw a small collection of houses in the middle of a deep basin, lights shimmering faintly from it. If you were to approach it from any other way, it would be practically concealed by the monstrous hills that surrounded it. It didn’t really look like it was organised, more like somepony had just decided to slap some houses here and other buildings had just grown up around them, unlike the non-existent plant life.

At least he wouldn’t be alone anymore. With the thought in mind that there would be other ponies who could help him out and that he would soon find what he was looking for, Spike took another deep breath and headed towards town, again picking up his pace.

Blight was a small town, not unlike Ponyville in size. However, unlike Ponyville’s warm and welcoming feeling, Blight seemed like it wanted to be in the act of turning ponies away. Even with the sun in the sky, the town still seemed quite dark for how deep in the basin they were. A layer of mist hung over the ground and moss clung to the walls of rundown looking homes. It looked dirty and shabby with the streets covered in mud (at least he hoped it was mud), as did the ponies who inhabited the place.

There was something else Spike noticed about them. As he walked through the streets, he noticed how they seemed to stare at him. Their eyes glimmered with suspicion and fear. Those who were walking down the same route as him ducked into alleyways or gave him a wide berth. Were they like this with everypony or was it just because he was a dragon?

Spike didn’t really know and he didn’t feel like asking. What he wanted was to first find an inn and then the house of Eros. He decided to ask around for the former before finding out about the latter.

“Uh, excuse me, miss?” he asked a mare walking by. “But can you tell me where-?”

She froze when she saw him. Then, she screamed and galloped back the way she came.

“O… kay,” he muttered. He tried somepony else. “Excuse me, sir? Can you tell me where the inn is, please?”

“How about you try back where you came from?” he spat, stalking off.

“Well, that was rude,” he remarked. “Guess I’m on my own then.”

It took a little bit of time wandering around, but he soon found the inn, looking as rundown as everything else here. It didn’t have any name, it was just called The Inn. These guys really had to work on their tourist trade, Spike thought.

When he stepped inside, he felt every eye in the room lock on to him. He froze in the doorway, suddenly very conscious of everypony looking at him.

“Uh… hi?” he tried, with a little wave and an attempt at a smile.

Nopony returned either. Slowly, they returned to whatever business they were focused on, eating or drinking or discussing things in muttered whispers. Only one figure seemed intent on staring at him, over in the corner, and he couldn’t make out the figure’s face because of the hood he… or she, wore. To be perfectly honest, it was more than a little unsettling. Spike did his best to ignore it and waddled up to the counter.

“Uh, excuse me?” The innkeeper, an aging stallion with a bad eye and thin wisps of a ghostly white mane, leered down at him. “Uh… hi. Uh, you got any rooms for the night?”

“No rooms,” he answered sharply, in a heavy accent. “All full.”

“Oh.” Spike thought for a moment. “Well, are there any other inns around?”

“No inns. Only one. No more questions. Very busy.”

“O-okay, but can I just-?”

“No. No more questions. Back to work. Very busy,” he repeated, stalking off the other way and wiping a glass with a very dirty cloth.

Spike took another look around the room. There was barely anypony here. Sure, real busy, he thought bitterly. What was with everypony in this town? He was still thinking about what to do next and if there was anypony here who might actually be helpful when he became aware of somepony trying to get his attention.

It was the hooded pony in the corner. He… or she, again Spike couldn’t really tell with the hood, was beckoning him over. He glanced around. There was nopony else at the counter, other than him so it wasn’t meant for anypony else. He looked back at the figure and pointed to himself. The figure’s hood shifted in a nod and gestured to an empty seat.

Spike thought for a moment. So, after such a warm welcome from the rest of the town, somepony actually wanted to talk to him. He shrugged. It wasn’t like he had anything to lose. He waddled over to the chair and climbed onto it. Now that he was close, he could make out a faint yellow glow under the hood.

“I suppose he just told you he doesn’t have any rooms, yes?” a soothing voice asked, with a faint hint of an accent. Definitely a mare then. Spike nodded. “He said the same to me. It was only after some heavy persuasion he gave me one, and even then, it’s not exactly four stars.”

“Doesn’t really look it,” he noted. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Do not apologize,” she said. That voice was really something, smooth and silky, every syllable meant to entrance and entice. Spike could listen to it all day. “This town, it is like a snake in its burrow. They do not want to be disturbed and don’t take kindly to those who do. But for you and I, this is even truer.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I thought that answer would be obvious. Even in my travels, I don’t see many dragons in the places I visit,” she said with evident interest. “In fact, I haven’t seen any dragons that aren’t guarding hordes of treasure or outside their home in the Badlands.”

“Yeah, well…” Spike chuckled nervously, struck by the urge to say something cool. “I uh, I guess I’m not any old dragon then, heh. Right?”

She laughed, a sweet melodious sound that made Spike’s cheeks heat up.

“This is true,” she agreed. “You do seem unlike other dragons. Another thing we have in common.”

Spike cocked his head. “Why? Are you a dragon too?”

“Sadly, no,” she tittered. “But whereas you are unlike other dragons, I am unlike other ponies. You know how I said the keeper refused me a room? I will show you why…”

She pulled off her hood and Spike immediately saw what she meant. Though she had the typical features of a pony, there were several that were only unique to her kind. Her eyes were a brilliant gold, with narrow slits instead of round pupils. Her ears were pointed at the tips rather than rounded. He could make out pointed fangs poking out of her mouth.

But aside from that, she was rather breath-taking. Her golden eyes glowed alluringly, her lashes long as they fluttered. Her mouth curled into a charming smile and her luscious blue mane cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, crashing over the grey rocks. Or rather her grey fur, but even that appeared to border on silver and was well groomed.

“I get it,” he whispered. “You’re a… a bat pony.”

“We prefer the term ‘thestral’,” she corrected. “You have seen my kin then?”

“Yeah. Luna has them as her royal guard or chariot pullers.”

“Of course that would be where,” she nodded approvingly. “You rarely see thestrals outside the care of our beloved Princess of the Night, for there are so very few of us.”

“Really?” Spike asked. “I always thought there were more of you guys in other places.”

“Yes, but they are few and far between. With good reason.” A faint tone of bitterness entered her voice before she returned to her previous tone. “Ah, listen to me. Here I am moping over such things and I haven’t even asked the name of the little drake kind enough to sit with me.”

“Uh, sorry.” Spike blushed at the compliment and held out a claw. “I-I’m Spike, uh, miss.”

“A fine name for a fine young dragon.” She shook his claw and shone that brilliant smile. “I am Selena.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Selena.”

“Likewise, Spike.” Her eyes seemed to glow in the low light. “So, what brings you to such a place as Blight? Are you travelling, the same as I?”

“Sort of, but I’m only going as far as here,” he explained. “I uh… well, it sounds kinda silly now I think about it.”

“Do not presume so early. Please, tell me what has brought you here,” she encouraged. “I find myself intrigued.”

“O-okay…” He thought for a moment. “Well, uh… I heard a story about a mirror and I was told that it was here.”

“Ah, then it seems we have another thing in common,” she noted. “We both seek the same goal. The Broken Mirror of Foul Fortune, or the Novo Mirror.”

“You’re looking for it too?” Spike asked in amazement. “Wow, that’s an awesome coincidence!”

“I quite agree,” she giggled. “It seems to me the mirror is the only reason anypony would wish to come to Blight. Have you found where the house of Eros is?”

“Not yet,” he admitted. “I was gonna ask around about it, but nopony here seems to be that big on talking. But the story said it was a house above the town, so that can’t be hard to find.”

“No, it wasn’t,” she said.

Spike’s eyes widened. “You mean you know where it is?”

“Something we do not have in common, but we can soon change that.” Her eyes flickered past him and narrowed. “We’re about to have some unwanted company. Don’t panic, let me handle this.”

Spike turned and saw three burly looking stallions striding towards their table and they didn’t look very friendly. One he recognised as the stallion who had told him to go back where he came from in the street.

“Is there a problem, gentecolts?” Selena asked.

“There is. Him.” He pointed to Spike. “We don’t want him here.”

Spike quivered a little under the stallion’s gaze. Why did they hate him so much? He hadn’t done anything to them!

“Ah, now there we have a problem,” Selena said. “Because I do.”

“Beat it, lady,” one of the others snapped. “This don’t concern you.”

“That is where you are wrong.” She placed a hoof on him. “The dragon is with me. He is under my care and my protection.”

“Then you can clear off too!” snorted another.

“I see.” Slowly, deliberately, she rose from the table. She glided around to face them, letting her robe slide from her form and revealing her leather wings, which were slowly unfolding. “It seems we’re just going to keep having problems. I could fix that.”

The stallion on her right roared and threw his hoof at her. In the blink of an eye, she ducked and swept him and the other two out from under their hooves. Carrying the momentum of her sweep, she kicked the guy on her right in the chin so he went crashing head first into the wall. The one on her left tried to go for her, but she slammed him with her other rear hoof and he went flying too.

Only the lead one was left. He tried to get up, but she sharply shoved him back down so she was towering over him. She bared her fangs and smiled wickedly.

“You’re scared. I know. I can smell it. You reek of fear.” She leaned in and ran her tongue across her fangs. “You have five seconds to run before I show you why you should be.”

“Back, Tartarus spawn!” He pulled out a clove of garlic and dangled it before her.

She stared at him for a moment. She raised a single eyebrow. Then, she swatted it away.

“Hm, maybe it was that. Now, you have three seconds.”

Trembling, the stallion scrambled to his hooves and hurried out. His friends staggered behind, one of them slipping on the way out and banging his head again. He crawled out. Selena laughed and turned to see Spike, staring at her in awe.

“Whoa… that was amazing!” he praised. “Where’d you learn that?”

“When you live as I do, you learn to look after yourself in more ways than one,” she replied. “They did not harm you?”

“Didn’t even get close. Thanks,” he said sincerely. “But uh, I think I could have handled them.”

“I have no doubt.” Her eyes drifted to his scars. She sat back down and placed her robe back on. “Now, as I was going to say before we were rudely interrupted, I have a proposition for you. We are both after the same thing and neither of us seem welcome here. Might I suggest we partner up and better our chances of success?”

“Yeah, sounds great!” he said at once. “I mean, not that I’m scared to head up to a scary, haunted house to find a cursed mirror or anything.”

“Of course not,” she chuckled. “You can share my room, I insist, and we will wait until dark. I hope you don’t mind, but we thestrals hunt better when the moon is shining rather than the sun.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” He laughed nervously. “I uh, I’m not scared of the dark or anything.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” she promised. “Now, let’s get ourselves some food. I’d say I’ve earned it and you must be starving from such a busy day.”

With the walk going up through a creepy dead forest on the way to the house, full of branches reaching out towards them like long spindly fingers, Spike was more than relieved to have the company and security that Selena provided. Her keen eyes scanned every inch of the forest and her ears were high, listening for any sound.

They’d talked whilst having dinner. She was interested to hear about his life in Ponyville with Twilight, Dusk and the others. How he’d been raised by ponies, all of his adventures. Spike left out a few essentially secret details, but she seemed nevertheless enthralled by his tales. It was kind of nice to have this kind of attention from somepony.

She seemed rather interested to know his reasons for finding the mirror. When he told her that it was so he could change for his friends to help them, she’d frowned.

“Hmm… a noble reason, yes. But surely, if these friends of yours feel as such, they would be happy with you as you are.”

Spike only shrugged and muttered that he didn’t really want to talk about it. She conceded, but he could tell she disapproved.

However, she was rather vague when he asked her about what she did. She said she was born a long way from here, that she was a traveller with no real home anymore and few friends. She and Ray would have gotten along like a house on fire, Spike thought. She didn’t really explain why she wanted the mirror, just that she had her own reasons.

There was one question he’d been awkward about asking, one that was quite a rumour about thestrals.

“So, uh… is it true? That you guys uh, you know, with the fangs and all,” he’d stammered. “Do you um… do you really uh… um…?”

“Are we vampires, is what you are asking?” she’d finished. “Do we drink blood?”

“Well uh… yeah. S-sorry if that’s, like, offensive o-or anything. Just, you know, you hear stories. N-not that I think you do, I mean! Just uh, um-“

“Yes, Spike. It’s true. Nothing satisfies us more than the blood of the innocent.” Her had voice taken on a dangerous tone. “And it has been so long since I’ve fed…”

“AGH!” He’d cowered, holding his arms over his head. “Don’t eat me!”

“I jest, I jest! Goodness, your face!” she’d cackled. “But in truth, the option is there for thestrals to drink blood, should we need the nutrition it provides. Primarily, we are carnivorous. Some of us do eat things other than meat, but most of us simply prefer it.”

“Oh, right.” Spike had watched her tear into the leg of a chicken she had. “So, you don’t drink pony blood then?”

She’d glanced up at him, continuing to chew her meat, but didn’t answer. Spike had taken that as a sign not continue this line of conversation and changed the subject.

It was a little odd that she didn’t want to talk much about herself, but if she’d rather keep it to herself, he wasn’t going to force her. He was just grateful for her help and for her kindness since he’d gotten to Blight. It would make finding the mirror a hay of a lot easier.

It wasn’t long until they stood before the house. It was the husk of a once grand two storey affair. At its peak, Spike imagined it would have been quite a sight. Now though, its wooden walls were in a state of decay. The shaded porch now seemed menacingly dark. Many of the windows were either smashed in or completely gone. It wasn’t a place for anypony to live in anymore.

Yet Spike couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t completely alone. The torch he held shook in his hand as he held it before the house, illuminating it for them with his fire’s green glow. He wished Dusk was here with his light magic. He scanned the second floor of windows. He paused. He whipped the light back to one of the windows. He held it there, staring at it.

“What is it?” murmured Selena. Spike almost jumped at her voice.

“I… I thought I saw something in that window there,” he whispered.

She gazed up to the window he was indicating with his torch. “I see nothing.”

“I’m telling you, I saw something!”

“I’m not saying I do not believe you,” she said. “We both know who this house used to belong to, after all. Keep your eyes open. I have a feeling she may try to stop us.”

“Um… by ‘she’, you mean…?”

Selena said nothing. She walked towards the door and Spike scampered after her. She pushed it and it opened with a loud creak. They stepped inside, the floorboards creaking under their weight. A large entrance hall greeted them, a staircase in front leading up to the second floor. Four doors, two on the right, two on the left.

They took a few steps forward. Spike stopped, glanced back at the door and let out a short laugh.

“What is funny?” asked Selena.

“Just I thought the door was gonna suddenly slam,” he replied. “You know, like in the stories?”

As if on cue, the door snapped shut and Spike yelped. Selena raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry. So, uh, what’s the plan?” he asked.

“Split up, search these rooms and look for any sign of the mirror,” she said decisively. “You go right, I go left. Any trouble at all…”

“Scream as loud as I can?” suggested Spike.

“A sound idea,” she agreed. “Good luck, Spike. Watch your back.”

“Y-you too.” Gulping, Spike raised his torch and crept towards his door.

It led to a narrow corridor. There were a few more doors down here. Two on either side of him, one at the very end. The first he checked was a living room with broken furniture. The second was a closet and got a nasty surprise from a mop that tumbled out.

The door at the end led to a large room for which the entirety of the wall in front of him was taken up by a mirror. Not, he noted, the one he was looking for. This was just a mirror for a large wardrobe, filled with moth eaten dresses. Eros sure liked to admire herself.

Spike stared at his reflection in the faded glass. He knew why he was doing this, but could he really go through with it? This was the face he’d always seen staring back every time. What would it be like when it changed completely? Could he deal with that?

He reached to touch his reflection. He noticed it was getting darker. He turned, but the room was the same as it was before. He looked back, but the room on the other side… in the reflection. It was changing. He noticed a small green spark in the corner of the room. Then another one. And another. Before he knew it, the whole room was set in a green inferno. He could practically feel the heat. He wanted to run, but he stood transfixed.

Something flashed. His reflection no longer mirrored his movements, but stood motionless. It began to change. One by one, like withering petals on a dying flower, his scales began to drop off. Only a few of them, in rotted patches, remained clinging to decaying bone. His eyes were gone, replaced by black, empty sockets. His face became a visage of anger and it screeched horribly.

He screamed at the top of his lungs and stumbled backwards away from the horrific sight. It started to walk forwards, like it would come out of the mirror towards him.

“Spike?!” Spike whipped his head around to see Selena came rushing to him. “What happened? Why do you scream?”

“M-my r-reflection! L-look!” He pointed. He looked. He gasped. It was back to normal again. No fire, no zombie version of himself. “B-b-but it changed! It did! I saw myself! I was all dead and the room was burning and-“

“Spike.” Her firm voice made him stop. “What you saw was not real. It was Eros, trying to frighten you, to scare you away.”

“W-well, she’s doing a good job!”

“Listen to me, Spike.” She gripped his shoulders. “I too know what it is to feel fear. For me, it has always been with me and I thought it would be my constant enemy. But I learned one day that was not to be the case. On that day, I learned that fear was not my enemy, but my companion. When you learn to accept fear, to use it, to embrace it, nothing can ever frighten you again. Nothing.”

Spike didn’t really feel assured by her advice. If anything, the conviction she spoke with made him feel a little scared of her. But something else brought him comfort. The thought of why he was doing this. Of who he was doing this for. To see her smile, to hear her laugh again. This was for Rarity and for her, he would face any danger.

His hand drifted to his scars again and he was able to draw pride and courage from them once again.

“Thanks, Selena,” he said. “I’ll remember that.”

“Glad to hear it,” she smiled. “Though in the wake of this, perhaps it would be better if we stayed together from now on.”

“Sounds good to me. Don’t you worry, I’ll protect you,” he said bravely.

She chuckled. “I feel safer already. Come, there’s a few more doors we need to try down here.”

There weren’t many things of note in the other rooms they checked. Just that same oppressive feeling like they were being watched and the general feeling of decay. Nothing but rotting wooden fixtures and faded ornaments in the rooms they were checking. Until they arrived at the dining room.

The table in the dining room was still set. Candelabras coated with cobwebs stood on the table without candles to light them. The fabric of the tablecloth had faded from the vibrant red it used to be and the cutlery had lost its shine. An old grandfather clock against the wall was strangely silent, its hands forever frozen.

But what really stood out were different remains. Pony remains. Three skeletons lay scattered around the room, frozen in positions of death. Collapsed on the ground, some pieces of bone scattered around.

“What do you think happened?” Spike murmured.

“I cannot say,” replied Selena. “Dead ponies tell no tales.”

“You think maybe they came looking for the mirror too?” he wondered. “Maybe one of them is Eros and another’s Charming, like in the story?”

“What does it matter? They’re dead. That’s all we need to know,” she said coldly. “We shouldn’t waste time writing their eulogies. Come.”

“But…” Spike was about to say something more, perhaps challenge her argument.

Until the door slammed shut.

Selena flinched and Spike jumped. She gripped the doorknob and tried to pull it open, but the door refused to give way. An icy blast blew past them and they heard a rattling sound. Slowly, they turned around.

One by one, moved by some unseen force, the bones pulled themselves together. Within seconds, the three skeletons were up on their hooves and turning their sightless eyes towards them, glowing with ethereal energy keeping their joints connected.

“I… don’t think they want us to leave,” squeaked Spike.

“If they insist.” Once again, she let her robe fall to the floor and flexed her wings. “I always relish a little exercise.”

One of the skeletons galloped at her and she ran to meet it, an almost playful smile on her face. Spike didn’t have time to watch her for another was already coming at him. He dived aside from its clumsy swing and scrambled onto a chair and to the table. He grabbed one of the candelabras and prepared for a fight.

It punched at his head. He ducked and swiped up with his weapon. The hoof went flying across the room. Looks like there wasn’t really a whole lot keeping them together, he thought. Another missed swipe and away went the other hoof. The skeleton fell forward, having lost both its forehooves and Spike smacked off its head. The body froze for a moment and promptly fell apart.

He whipped around when he heard another clattering. The other skeleton was there, standing in front of the grandfather clock. Spike got an idea. With all his might, he hurled the candelabra at the clock. The skeleton ducked and Spike ran forward, using its head as a stepping stone to get onto the clock. He wedged himself between the wall and clock and heaved.

With a satisfying crash, the skeleton was crushed and its bones went flying everywhere. Spike pumped a fist in there and leaped down to the floor.

“Marvellous work, Spike.” Selena beamed, standing up from a crouch and away from another lot of scattered bones. “I see those scars are not just for show.”

“Thanks. You did good too, again,” he added.

“Thank you.” She looked contemptuously at the bones. “There is a certain thrill to be found besting an opponent in combat, wouldn’t you say?”

“I guess,” he shrugged. “Looks like Eros really doesn’t want us finding that mirror.”

“Clearly not.” She stiffened and her ears perked. “Did you hear that?”

Spike tensed. “Hear what?”

“I heard something move upstairs,” she whispered. “I’m going to go check what it was. You stay here.”

“You’re going off by yourself? What happened to staying together?”

“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself,” she assured. “Believe me, I have suffered worse.”

She hurried off before Spike could say another word. He stared after her, remembered where he was and hurried outside in case the bones started moving again.

He waited in the entrance hall, mulling over all that had happened. Especially where Selena was concerned. On one hand, he was glad to have her here. Better to have somepony else watching his back than be on his own. On the other, the things she’d been saying, how secretive she was being… something didn’t feel quite right.

Maybe he was being paranoid. These weren’t exactly normal circumstances and they had only just met. He didn’t know what had happened in her past and it could just be some personal reason that she didn’t feel open to talking about it. Still, he couldn’t help but ponder what exactly she wanted with the mirror. A mare like her didn’t seem like she would have any real need or interest in such a thing.

Unless she was like him. Did she want to change who she was too? She kept saying about how many things they shared. Was that one of them?

A high pitched scream snapped him out of his reverie. It came from upstairs and it sounded like a mare’s.

“Selena!” Spike sprinted upstairs and barged through every room until he found her. “Selena! Are you okay?”

“Spike!” She appeared to be bent over something, but he couldn’t tell because of how dark it was. “You startled me…”

“I heard a scream,” he said. “What happened?”

“This.” Not facing him, she stood up and moved away.

A mare was rested against the wall. She sat limply, her head lolled to one side and her limbs lifeless. Spike hurried up to her, but her open, glassy eyes told him she wasn’t going to get back up.

“I heard the scream too,” Selena said from behind him. “When I ran in here, I found her like this. Eros must have gotten to her before we did. There was nothing we could have done.”

Spike was still looking at her. The mare’s face was frozen in an expression of utter terror. Her eyes were wide, her pupils shrunken back and her skin was pale. She certainly looked like she’d seen something that had really scared her, to say the least. She looked so young, she should have been so full of life…

But Spike noticed something else. On her neck were two faint pricks, like two needles had been sunken in there. A faint redness was dripping from them. He reached out with a claw to touch them when Selena spoke up again.

“There is nothing we can do for her,” she said, licking her fangs. “We should move on, before Eros comes for us too.”

“Shouldn’t we do something for her though?” Spike asked. “Get her out of here, bring her back to the town? Maybe she has family.”

“What does it matter to us?” she asked indifferently. “Besides, how would it look when everypony’s favourite strangers come down from this house carrying a corpse?”

“We should still do something,” Spike said firmly. “It’s not right to leave her here. Not like the others.”

Selena gazed at him steadily from the shadows. The faint glow of her eyes seemed to flicker with something. Interest? Curiosity? Amusement? Finally, she smiled.

“You might be right. We’ll return for her later, bury her outside the house,” she suggested. “Does that satisfy you?”

“Better than just leaving her here,” Spike said somberly. “She shouldn’t have died like this…”

“She came to this house of her own will. She made her choice. She can’t be pitied for not expecting it,” she murmured. “Come.”

Selena glided out of the room. Spike took one last look at the mare, closed her eyes and followed Selena out. He could still see that glassy stare...

The last door they came to was locked. With their combined effort, the two of them managed to break it down. It led to an old dressing room, complete with makeup table, a wardrobe… and a large shape covered by a sheet.

“You think this is it?” Spike whispered.

“Only one way to find out,” said Selena, with barely suppressed excitement. “Make sure you’re not looking into the mirror before we pull this off. Just in case.”

“Uh, right.” He scampered off to one side while she approached it.

With one swift motion, she pulled off the sheet. It revealed a full length mirror, cracks running along its surface. Though it appeared old, the wood frame still looked freshly polished and new. Magical runes decorated the top and though he couldn’t read them, Spike knew what they meant.

“This is it.” Selena touched its frame reverently. “The Novo Mirror… we have it. Now then…”

“What are you…?” Spike saw where she was moving to. “Selena, wait!”

She stood in front of the mirror. Spike tensed and waited. A full minute passed and nothing happened. Just like in the story, her heart must be pure so she could use the mirror. But that raised a question for Spike he’d had before. With everything that had been happening since they got here, it had just been pushed back to the surface and now he had to know.

Even though he had a feeling he might not like the answer.

“You know, you never said,” he began joining her in front of it. “What do you want the mirror for? A pretty mare like you doesn’t look like she needs to change herself for any reason.”

“Well, aren’t you sweet to say so,” she chuckled.

Spike blushed, but stayed focused. “That still doesn’t answer my question.”

“I told you, I have my reasons. At last,” she whispered, “it’s mine.”

“But why?” Spike asked. “What do you want it for?”

“That doesn’t matter…”

“Yes, it does,” he said firmly. “I might be a kid, Selena, but I’m not stupid. I saw that pony before, those marks on her neck, and you were the only one there when I found you. And you never did answer my question about whether or not you’ve drank a pony’s blood. So what do you want the mirror for?”

Selena was silent for a long while. She had her back to Spike. When she glanced around, her eyes glinted again, as did her fangs. Spike suddenly didn’t feel as confident about confronting her as he had before.

“You said you wanted to use the mirror to change? I suppose that’s another thing we have in common,” she said. “Imagine it, Spike. I would have the power to change myself whenever I want, to whoever I want. I would never be discovered and my prey would never suspect a thing… until it’s too late.”

Spike had suspected as much, but hearing it still made him tremble. He took a step back.

“You’d… you’d use it… to trick other ponies… and drink their blood?” he gasped.

“What better way for me to hunt?”

“B-but you said it was just an option!” he cried. “Why? Why would you do that when you don’t even need to?!”

“Because I want to,” she said with utter conviction. “Freak, they called me. Bloodsucker. Vampire. Who am I to deny what I am?”

“A-and… the mare before…?” he dared to ask.

“It has been so long since I last fed.” She turned to face him, eyes glowing, fangs bared. She wasn’t joking this time. “She was alone. She would have died sooner or later. Nopony would miss her.”

“S-so you just… killed her?”

“You think me a monster?” she growled. “They are no better! They who, for all my life, showed me nothing but scorn and rejection! Who cast me out and drove me away, just for what I am! We are all monsters, Spike! Some of us just choose to embrace it.”

Something about that little story sounded uncomfortably familiar to Spike. Without fully realizing it when it happened, his mind wandered to a certain green stallion...but that only solidified his resolve for what he said next.

“No. Not all of us,” he declared. “Besides, you can’t use the mirror. It needs a pure heart. That was what the story said.”

“It never said anything about it being pure good...” She smiled, but it was no longer charming. “Oh little Spike, we shouldn’t be fighting over this. We’re the same, you and I.”

“I’m nothing like you!”

“Oh really? Tell me, Spike. Those friends of yours you mentioned, how much do you think they appreciate you?” she asked. “If you really trusted them, if they really cared, wouldn’t they have come with you? Would you have even needed to make this journey if they truly liked you as you are?”

“They do!” he shouted, but he didn’t feel very sure saying it.

“You have fought for them and look where it’s gotten you.” Her voice softened. “But I’ve seen what you can be, Spike. I see the strength, the fire that burns inside you. Among them, it will never burn but with me, you could be as bright as the sun! Come with me, Spike. Nopony will ever accept us, so why even try? We’ve accomplished this today. Imagine what more we could do. We’d be magnificent.”

Spike stared at her. He was silent for a long while. He wasn’t thinking about an answer. He was just shocked at what she was suggesting.

“Are you serious?” he scoffed. “What makes you think I’d wanna go with you anywhere?”

“You’re a dragon in a pony’s world. Do you truly think you’d fit in? You’re different from them and they know it,” she said. “And I know what dragons can be like when they let their greed grow out of control. It’s happened to you, hasn’t it? Why deny what you are?”

Spike flinched at the memory of that day. How he’d lost control, nearly flattened the whole town. But he’d been stopped. He’d been saved. He could see her brilliant blue eyes shining in the depths of his mind. Those eyes had never seen him as a monster, not even after that. She’d faced the monster and still saw his true spirit within. She’d never stopped seeing it, none of them had.

In that instant, Spike realised how foolish he’d been. How stupid it had been to come here. He faced Selena, without looking away from her.

“Yeah… yeah, it has,” he replied. “But they didn’t leave me. Not my friends. They never have and they never will. If they think that I’m… I’m too young to fight with them, I’ll understand. But I know they’ll never stop being my friend. They’ll always be there for me because they’re my friends!

“And they could be your friends too, Selena,” he went on. “I know you’ve had it hard, but if you come back with me, I promise it’ll be different. We can take you to Luna. She can find you a home, good food so you don’t have to put yourself in danger like this. You don’t have to live on the edge anymore. Just give it a chance and I swear you won’t regret it.”

Selena appeared thoughtful. She gazed at him as if he were the oddest thing she’d ever seen. Her expression became morose, her voice low.

“Or she could lock me away for what I’ve done and I’d still be seen as what I know I am…”

“You don’t know until you try,” he said.

“I have tried.” Her eyes narrowed and her tone hardened. “Sorry, Spike, but I stopped regretting long ago and it wasn’t for holding onto childish dreams. I know what I am… who I am and as you say, nothing will change that. And since I know what I am, I’m afraid that means I can’t leave any loose ends.”

She started towards him, flaring her wings. Spike stood his ground, preparing his inner fire.

“Don’t do this, Selena,” he urged. “You don’t have to do this.”

“But I really do. I promise, I’ll make it quick, but if it’s any consolation, you will be providing me with a new experience.” She licked her fangs. “I’ve never tasted dragon blood before.”

Something flashed and Selena reeled. Her cheek started to bleed from a fresh cut that had been made in it and a second later, she was kicked across the room and landed in front of the mirror. Hissing, she glared at her attacker, who twirled her bladed scarf menacingly.

“You will do no such thing!” declared Rarity. “I’ll have your head for even daring to lay a hoof on my Spikey Wikey, you witch!”

Spike stared up at her in shock. “Ra-... Rari-.... w-what are you-?”

“Rarity, I presume,” snarled Selena, getting back up. “Aren’t you a pretty one? Good. The pretty ones always scream the loudest.”

“You’ll have no satisfaction there.” She flashed her scarf. “If you don’t leave right this second, that is.”

Selena only smirked and Spike saw her tense. When she pounced, he was there to intercept with a burst of emerald flames. Selena screamed in shock and reeled back. Rarity took the distraction and charged forward, kicking her right in the face. She stumbled back and knocked into the mirror. She bared her fangs, but froze and stared in horror...

… In time to see the mirror topple forward onto the floor. The already broken glass shattered completely on impact. They covered their eyes to avoid the shards of glass that littered the floor. Strangely, the shards melted like ice into water and faded away until there was nothing left of them.

“NO!” Selena’s look of shock turned to pure anger. “What have you done?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

“I’d say that’s rather obvious,” said Rarity coolly. “You just earned yourself about seven years bad luck, darling.”

“Why, you…!”

“Don’t try anything, Selena,” Spike warned. “You’re outnumbered and injured.”

Selena’s ears flickered. She heard it too. She looked to Rarity, then to Spike. It didn’t look like she would be perturbed until they all felt a sudden chill. The wind howled and something rose from the mirror. An icy blue vapour, that came together to make a ghostly form. It beheld Selena with pupil-less eyes and shrieked its displeasure at her, baring fangs far more terrifying than hers.

Now, she changed tactics. She hissed once again and kicked a nearby chair at a window, shattering its glass too. Swift as a shadow, she dived out of it and was gone just as quietly. They hurried to the window, but she was already fleeing into the forest and well out of sight.

“Apart from that, that’s fine,” Spike added. “Just so long as this mess is-“

He was cut off by the rib-crushing hug that Rarity gave him.

“Spike! You have no idea how relieved I am to know you’re safe!” She hugged him impossibly tighter. “Oh, my little Spikey wikey…!”

“Wow,” he breathed. “Maybe I should run away more often.”

“No!” She glared fiercely at him. “Don’t even joke about that! Have you any idea how worried we’ve all been? What you’ve put us all through?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to… wait, we?”

At that moment, the door downstairs crashed open. He recognised the voices of Twilight and Dusk, calling for him.

“We’re up here!” Rarity called, then looked back to Spike. “The others came as well, they’re scouring the whole town for you! I happened across the inn and the keeper told me how you’d come up here! I got here just in time, by the look of it!”

Spike looked at the window again. “Pretty much, yeah.”

His fellow librarians came rushing in. He was caught in both their auras and more suffocating hugs ensued.

“Oh Spike! Thank goodness you’re safe!”

“You gave us quite a scare there, little brother.”

“You see, Spike?!” she snapped. “How can you say you didn’t mean to worry us, but just run off on your own like this?! What possessed you to even do such a thing?!”

“You did,” he answered.

At this, Rarity fumbled with her tirade. When Dusk and Twilight set him down, Spike jumped in before any of them could start.

“I know I worried you all and I’m really sorry about that. But what I did, it was for you, all of you. I heard Dusk and Twilight talking about what you told Dusk about… about me. I wanted to change that. I wanted to find the mirror because I thought if I could use it to turn myself into an older version of myself. Then you… you wouldn’t leave me on my own...

“But,” he gestured at the mirror, “looks like that isn’t happening anymore. Even if it weren’t broken… I’ve realised now that I shouldn’t have to change who I am to suit somepony else. I know you guys are worried about me. I’m worried too. Just… don’t leave me…”

That was it then. He bowed his head, waiting for their response. When he dared to look up, there was conflicting expressions on all their faces. Twilight shut her eyes tight and stepped forward, gently placing a hoof on his shoulder.

“We’d never leave you, Spike. We’re just… we’re worried about you. You’ve been put in so much danger a-and I never even thought about what it might be doing to you.” She hugged him again. “I’m sorry, Spike. I’m so, so sorry…”

“It’s okay, Twilight,” he said. “Like I said, I get it. I know you all think that I’m just… just a kid. I mean, I am really. But… don’t I get a say in this?”

Twilight looked at the other two. Neither of them raised any objection. She nodded and he took a moment to collect himself.

“I know what we do is dangerous. Heck, that’s been obvious from the moment we arrived in Ponyville. I know you don’t want me to get hurt or… you know…” He cleared his throat. “I-If you think it would be safer for me to… to stay back, keep myself safe, then I’ll get it. But the only thing that would be worse than all the danger we’ve faced… is seeing you guys leave and… and not knowing if you’re all gonna come back. What if you go and… I’ll just be left waiting f-forever? I… I know my place and it’s with all of you. Nothing will change that.”

This time, he managed to keep his head up and look back at them. He could tell what he said had got them thinking. They looked around at one another, seemingly trying to come to a decision.

Dusk was the first to break the silence.

“This is difficult. There’s no denying that there’ve been times in the past when, without you, Spike, the outcome could have been very different. Look at the Crystal Empire as only one example.”

“Nopony is denying that, but you’re still a child, Spike,” said Twilight. “I should never have brought you into that kind of danger to begin with. It was irresponsible of me and that has to change.”

“Perhaps some sort of compromise can be reached,” said Rarity. “I, for one, I have no desire to abandon Spike. Dusk is right, his bravery has saved us many times. I think it would be best if we evaluate the situations as they arrive or sooner. Say that the Princess assigns another mission to Twilight. Spike could still come along, but if the danger proves to be too great, he can stay back. Does that sound good, Spikey?”

“That sounds good to me.” He fiddled with his claws. “So… you’re not going to leave me behind?”

“Not at all,” she said at once.

Dusk nodded. “I wouldn’t want to be left without my fellow assistant.”

“Or me without my number one dragon assistant,” finished Twilight. They all gathered around him in a group hug. “Come on, we should let everypony know we’ve found you.”

“Indeed. Now, what of Eros?” asked Rarity, glancing around the room. “Do you suppose she would come after us after breaking her mirror?”

As if in answer to her question, the vapour of pale blue snaked past them and whirled before them. Briefly, they saw the image of a beautiful mare with a grateful smile on her face before the form changed. It was a mirror image of Spike, in ghost form. He looked to the three unicorns. They seemed just as confused as he was.

But then the image changed again. It still looked like Spike, but he was taller, much taller than even Rarity. His body was lean and toned with muscle, built for speed. His spikes were fiercer, but his face was still kind. A pair of wings sprouted from his back and he stood, back straight and proud. It was like when he had his greed spurt only he actually looked… better.

Then, it faded away, the wind blowing gently like a faint whisper.

“Whoa…” Spike shook his head. “What do you think that was?”

“I think that was her way of thanking us. A little glimpse into who you may become,” said Dusk.

“I guess so…” He flexed his weedy arms. “Do you think I should start working out? Start losing a little baby fat?”

“There’ll be plenty of time for that,” Rarity assured. “Now, let’s get you home, Spikey-Wikey. I have some gems at the Boutique with your name on them.”

Spike sighed happily. “Best news I’ve heard all day.”

Selena winced as she touched the mild burn she’d received from Spike’s fire and dabbed at the cut on her cheek. That kick the mare had given her left a bad bruise too. Nothing she couldn’t recover from. She’d suffered worse.

It was hard to remain in control of herself as she played those events out in her head. She had the mirror! Its magic was hers! And then that little…

Despite what had happened, she couldn’t help but feel a small sense of admiration for Spike. How firmly he believed in his friends, even though he was woefully misguided. She’d learned long ago that the only pony she could truly rely on was herself. Still, it would have been nice if she’d made the little drake see sense…

But that thinking was precisely what had landed her in this mess. It’s what had cost her the mirror. She’d forgotten what she’d learned a long time ago: never let anypony...never let anyone in. They’re not worth it. She’d been reminded of that, rather painfully too and she didn’t intend to forget it anytime soon. Time to move on.

She spread her wings and took off into the sky, pausing to glance back at the house. She hissed under her breath.

“I shall see you again, Spike, and you too, Rarity,” she vowed. “Then we’ll see who’ll have the run of bad luck.”

Happy Anniversary?

View Online

Sat under a shade beneath Rainbow Dash's home, Dusk leaned against Twilight whilst idly making his colours dance around. They were all waiting by her mailbox for her letter to see if she'd been accepted into or denied from attending the Wonderbolts Academy. Since they didn't know how long exactly they'd be waiting, they'd decided to make a picnic out of the affair and get comfy while they did. Since it was a rare warm day in October, no less, they had to take advantage of it while they could.

Twilight was reading a book on illusion spells, with Dusk occasionally glancing over her shoulder at it. Rarity sipped a glass of water while wearing her shades with Spike standing by to keep her topped up. Applejack munched on an apple and sat next to a peaceful Fluttershy resting against a very happy Ray. Rainbow stood casually without any display of discomfort in contrast to Pinkie, who bounced around nervously.

"Ooooh, I wish the mailpony would just come already!" she squealed. "I can't wait another minute to find out if Rainbow Dash got in or not!"

"Pinkie Pie, you're more nervous than Rainbow Dash," noted Twilight.

"I'm not nervous at all," she bragged. "When I get into the Wonderbolt Academy..."

"IF you get in!" corrected Pinkie. "If you get in! Don't jinx it!"

"I'm telling you, it's in the bag."

"Don't jinx it!"

"She is the best flyer in Ponyville," said Applejack.

"In Ponyville?" Rainbow zoomed off into the sky and created a slide from a cloud by whizzing around it. "I'm probably the best flyer in all of Equestria. I wouldn't be surprised if they just went ahead and made me a Wonderbolt on the first day."

While she was flying backwards, she bumped into the mail pony.

"Got a letter here for you, Rainbow Dash!" Derpy said chirpily. "Hi guys! Have a great day!"

Dusk tipped his hat to the mail mare and she tipped hers in kind before flying off. Rainbow tore through the envelope and whipped out the letter. As she read it, her face fell.

"I... didn't get in," she finally said.

Dusk stood up out of shock. The others all looked horrified and Pinkie gasped. Ray yelped and teleported behind her.

"No way! Lemme see that!"

"Gotcha!" Rainbow grinned and showed the letter with a big green tick on a badge. "Ha, you guys are so gullible. Like I wasn't gonna get in!"

She managed to smirk at a bewildered Ray just as Pinkie tackled her in a massive bear hug.

"I'm just sooooooooooo happy for you!"

"Uh... thanks?" Rainbow said unsurely. Pinkie squealed and hugged her tighter. "Pinkie Pie? I kinda need to get going."

She queezed her for a few more seconds, to the point where her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. Finally, she let go.

"Okay. I'm done!" And off she pranced.

"The sooner I get there, the sooner I get to show my stuff!" She took off and zoomed past Applejack and Rarity, who were holding her bag for her. "See you guys in a week!"

"Good luck!" called Applejack.

"Won't need it!" she called back.

But Pinkie wasn't quite done yet. She galloped after her, pulled out the largest megaphone Dusk had ever seen and screeched into it with a volume that made the very mountains around them shake.

"DON'T FORGET TO WRITE!" The echo must have carried on for miles. "Do you think she heard me?"

"I'd be surprised if the Princesses in Canterlot didn't hear you," remarked Dusk, picking up his hat which had been blown off and dusting it off. "I'm sure she won't, Pinkie."

"Yeah, of course. Of course she won't forget to write, why would she?" She laughed nervously. "Well, I'm gonna go wait by my mailbox for a letter when she gets to the Academy. Bye, guys!"

Faster than even Rainbow had been, she dashed off, leaving them looking after her in a bewildered manner.

"Well, on the subject of leaving," Rarity said, "Fluttershy, Twilight and I had better get going. I've booked a spa appointment for us and it's Seaweed and Sauna Saturday!"

"And Ray, Dusk and I are off into town!" Spike wrapped his arms around the stallions and pulled them together. "Guys day out! Woo!"

"Not sure I'm comfortable with this much contact," muttered Ray.

"Just let him have it," replied Dusk.

"Don't get into any trouble, boys," Rarity giggled. "It's a shame you can't join us, Applejack."

"Sorry, but with Ray taking some time off, somepony's gotta pick up his slack on the farm." She looked pointedly at him. "Remember, make sure ya work double hard tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted.

Twilight kissed Dusk's cheek. "Have fun, dear. See you back at the library."

"You too, love," he wished.

"Um…" Fluttershy stood nervously before Ray. "Uh… have a good day, um, Ray."

"Y-you too, Flutters," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

Finally plucking up a little courage, she planted a swift kiss on his lips. She giggled faintly while Ray was momentarily stunned but was grinning too. While he walked off with Spike and Dusk, he glared at them sharply.

"Not a word. Either of you."

Dusk looked to Spike. "Do you know what he's talking about?"

"Not a clue," he shrugged.

Fluttershy, meanwhile, practically skipped to Twilight and Rarity, who gave her exchanged knowing looks.

"Come on, girls!" she sang. "The spa is calling!"

"About time, don't you think?" murmured Rarity.

"On this, you and I are agreed," nodded Twilight.

Dusk sat quietly sipping his tea while Spike and Ray continued their heated debate. It was on a matter so critical, so world breaking, of such vital importance that he doubted that it may ever really come to an end.

"I'm telling you, mind powers are the best superpower!" Spike insisted. "Taking over somepony's mind, telepathy, telekinesis! What's not to like?"

Ray rolled his eyes in response. "Yeah yeah, you do realize that you're talking to a unicorn, right? I already have telekinesis pretty much, and I'M telling YOU that it's the big impressive ACTUALLY super aspects that make a good superpower. You wanna lift something with your mind and throw it? Well I say why bother when you can just pick something up and throw it yourself with super strength? Or just look at the problem and burn it away with heat vision? Anything mentally based is completely inferior."

"Sure it's flashy, but is it safe?" countered Spike. "You have strength, but can you control it? Look at Saddle Ranger. She gets awesome strength, but only when she's angry and then she's a danger to pretty much anything in her way! You can look at a problem and burn it away, but what's the guarantee nothing else'll burn with it if it gets out of control?"

"You're really gonna pull the 'danger of superpowers' card on me? And try advocating mental superpowers at the same time? Dude, do you realize how many instances there are, in the world of superheroes, of mental powers backfiring on their user and pretty much everypony and everyone else in the vicinity? If you don't have perfect concentration, which is probably pretty hard to do in the middle of a superpowered battle, ninety-nine times out of one hundred you're gonna fry the brains of everypony in a mile radius. At least with the physical superpowers you know what you're getting into."

"Yeah, but with mental powers you could end a fight before it even has to start! Just get inside their heads and tell their brain to go to sleep! Or read their minds to find out what they're going to do, anticipate their every move or track them down if they're hiding and if you're powerful enough-!"

"Gentlecolts, please," Dusk finally said. "This is clearly not going anywhere, so why not postpone for now and agree that both forms of power have both their own strengths and weaknesses?"

Ray and Spike glared at each other for a few moments before both of them smiled and relaxed… just slightly.

"Yeah, alright fine. We'll settle this later, little guy," Ray said while grinning a bit.

"Count on it." Despite himself, Spike smiled. "You know, I gotta ask why we haven't done this 'all-guys gathering' thing before."

"Possibly to avoid spectacles like the one I just witnessed," remarked Dusk.

"Oh come on, Dusk. You gotta admit it was entertaining. Don't think I didn't see you trying to stop yourself from grinning while you were sipping that tea of yours," Ray said, raising an eyebrow at Dusk in the process.

"Even when you're so intently focused on something, it is rather remarkable how much your observational skills prevail," said Dusk.

"It's a gift," Ray shrugged. "Besides, debates help sharpen our minds and learn more about each other! No matter what the topic is. Even if it's something completely stupid and irrelevant."

"So what you're saying is, I'm getting smarter just by arguing about superpowers?" Spike pumped a fist in the air. "Sweet! Maybe I should try and convince Twilight to try it."

"I wish you luck in that endeavor, Spike." Ray raised one of his hooves for a bump, which Spike gladly returned. Then he returned his gaze to Dusk. "See? The dragon gets it," he stated smugly before taking a sip out of his soda.

"Then perhaps our positions ought to be reversed. I should be the one writing the novel, a far more intellectual activity, and you should be with Spike in the library, arguing away to your heart's content," he said, with a small smirk.

Unfortunately, that smirk didn't last long, as it quickly became visible on Ray's face in the wake of what was said next.

"So you're saying you want me to be the one dating Twilight and spending every day with her in the library?"

Dusk glared. "Actually, I think we're fine as we are."

"Thought so. And thus, Ray Strike wins one of his first contests of wit against the famed Dusk Noir… by pulling out an extremely cheap one-shot tactic." Ray grinned. "Chin up, Dusk. You'll probably win the next one."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he remarked. "Remember though, Ray: minor victory, short term satisfaction."

"Against you, Dusk, any satisfaction gained in this regard in a feat in and of itself. Hey Spike, how many times has Dusk outwitted you in conversation?"

"Uh… I dunno. I… lost track. Besides, uh," he stammered, "I just let him think he's won! Yeah, that's it. But really, it was, uh, me. Heh… you're not buying this, are you?"

"Not even for a second. It was a nice try though."

"Heh… anyway," he said quickly, "you've got a mare of your own, Ray, and I don't think she'd be happy if you started chasing after Twilight."

Ray, who'd been sipping more of his drink, immediately had a massive spit-take upon hearing this, which Dusk actually had to duck in order to avoid. Ray was wide-eyed for a second, then awkwardly grinning the next, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Uh… heheh… yeah… that would be bad… and something tells me Dusk wouldn't be happy with that either… I mean, I wouldn't want to go chasing after Twilight anyways, though… not that Twilight is a bad mare! Not at all! It's just… I'm… uh… umm…" Ray fell silent, then allowed his head to fall onto the table as he groaned in exasperation. "Man… I used to be so confident. Now… this still feels so weird, you know?"

"Hey, look at that. I beat Ray!" Spike said proudly, taking a satisfactory swig of his hayshake.

Dusk patted his shoulder. "It's always a bit of a shock when long harboured feelings are realised fully. You'll get used to it and when you do, I can promise there's no feeling quite like it."

"I'll bet." Ray smiled up at Dusk appreciatively, before frowning again. "You know, I get that I've asked this before, but… was it really that obvious? How I felt, I mean?"

"Yes," they both answered at the same time. Spike added, "Like really, really obvious."

"For a pony who can practically read emotions, you're not that adept at concealing your own," put in Dusk.

Ray brought himself back up and looked at both of them with amusement. "Hey, don't blame me. I spent most of my life trying to keep others from noticing…" he trailed off, simply tapping his own head for emphasis, as they were in a public area. "Didn't exactly have time to work on something like concealing romantic interest."

"So, you can conceal you have… that," Spike said, rapping his head, "locked away inside you, but not that a mare gives you butterflies?"

"Shut your face. I'm inexperienced in this area of life," Ray laughed. "Besides, you're not one to talk. Who was it that ran off to try and enact some crackpot scheme to transform himself into a pony just recently?"

"Oh, that's nothing," said Dusk. "You should have seen him when he was wearing a top hat and twirling a moustache trying to get Owlowicious into trouble on an act of jealousy."

"Shut up about that!" Spike shouted at Dusk. "And yeah that thing with the mirror wasn't… uh… the greatest idea I've ever had… but it sounded good at the time!"

"Most stupid ideas do," Ray replied, propping one of his legs on the table and resting his head in his hoof. "Then you're supposed to stop and actually think about what's going through your head. Maybe even repeat your plans out loud to yourself. Sometimes you don't realize how stupid something sounds until you hear it with your ears, not your inner voice. More often than not, your inner voice will tell you that something is right, and the next thing you know you're on top of the park fountain levitating a bottle next to you, shouting obscenities at passerby who look a lot like chickens at the time."

"That's an oddly specific example," noted Dusk.

Ray blinked, as though just realizing what he'd said. "Um… there's a… pretty long story behind that one. Maybe I'll tell you about it later… probably not though," he added at the end with a flush of his cheeks.

Dusk chuckled. "I often wonder how we, of all stallion, managed to find marefriends."

"You two just wait, I'll catch up one of these days." Spike pumped out his chest. "Mares dig the scars."

"One of the few, few things my not-so-friend can even remotely be thanked for," Ray smiled grimly, before taking on a serious look and looking at the drake. "Still… Spike, I know I taught you well, and I am proud of this, but remember what happened last time you said that out loud in front of a bunch of mares."

Spike cringed. "Yeah, right… sorry."

"No problem. Not my pain, after all." Ray looked up as though watching the clouds pass overhead. "As for me… well, I'd love to say that it's because of my charisma or something, but really, I'm just as astounded. Seriously…" Ray gently touched his head again. "Who would've thought…"

"I would," said Dusk sincerely. "She's lucky to have you, Ray, as you are to have her."

Ray looked back down at Dusk. "Yeah… thanks bro." He smiled again. "So what about you? I mean, I know that you really weren't the most confident of ponies when we first met, but you and Twilight still seemed like a perfect match even back then. Couldn't have been that difficult to pick her up, right?"

Dusk shook his head. "You think you were waiting a long time for Fluttershy? Try spending twelve years desperately attempting to find the courage to even speak to the one pony who might understand you, but still never managing it."

Ray stared for several long moments before speaking, very slowly. "So… you're saying that… you were a stalker..?"

Spike heard this and started laughing. Dusk, on the other hoof, had quite a different reaction.

"No! No, by Celestia, no!" His insistence was so loud, a few ponies turned their heads in bewilderment. "I was… I was just… extremely self conscious with crippling self-esteem issues. Not the most charming of combinations."

Ray put up his hooves placatingly. "Alright, no problem. To be honest, I can see how you were like that. You know, hearing about different things. Meeting your folks too. That kinda helps to explain it."

"Indeed," murmured Dusk. "If I could meet myself from back then, I'm not sure he'd even recognise we're the same pony."

"Well I'd like to meet the you from way back then also, you know?" Ray grinned mischievously. Out of nowhere, a bright yellow flash appeared next to him, and in its place a moment later was the pipe he'd grown so fond of, levitating in place. "My poor pipe has been getting rusty lately… if only we could meet the Dusk of the past… Hey, didn't Twilight tell us once about that time travel spell she found in the Canterlot archives..?"

"It only works once," reminded Dusk. "Besides, if you were to go back into the past with the intent to use the pipe to bolster my self esteem from back then, that would further eliminate the need for the pipe and the need for you to travel back in time to use it in the first place, thus creating a temporal paradox that would blow a hole in the space time continuum the same size as Manehattan. Or something along those lines."

Ray stared again, though this time he was clearly trying to wrap his head around what Dusk had just said. He looked over at Spike. "Do you… understand any of this?"

Spike shrugged. "He lost me at 'besides'."

"Thought so… time travel is confusing…" Ray brought both his hooves up to rub his forehead. "Honestly, how those Final Fantasy guys do it without making their own heads explode is beyond me…"

"Maybe we should ask an expert," suggested Spike. "You seen that Doctor guy running around at all?"

"Not often," admitted Dusk. "Besides, he's a time traveller. There's no guarantee if we meet him that he'll have met us yet. As Ray said, time travel is quite a confusing business."

"Gah, stop talking about it!" Ray rubbed his head some more. "Just get back on track… what were we talking about before I made the horrible mistake of bringing up time travel?"

"I dunno, but sort of talking about time, something pretty important is gonna be happening tomorrow," said Spike.

"Really?" asked Dusk, with interest.

"Come on, Dusk, don't mess around with me about this," groaned Spike. "It's not an easy thing to forget the day when every day in the place you work from then on became a personal torment. I don't need you teasing me about it too."

"I… beg your pardon?" he asked in utter confusion.

Spike blinked. "Wait, you seriously don't know?"

"No… should I?"

"Come on! Canterlot? In the gardens? After we beat Discord? Something really big happened? Ringing any bells?"

"I don't see why…" Dusk paused as the words began to sink in, triggering chords in his memory. First came realisation. Then surprise. Then complete and utter dread.

"Oh no… oh dear Luna, no!" he almost cried.

"You really did forget?!" Spike looked just as shocked. "Whoa… honestly didn't expect that."

"I feel like I'm missing something here. What am I missing?" Ray asked, looking back and forth between Dusk and Spike.

"Not as much as I have," moaned Dusk. "Why didn't I realise…?"

Spike decided to explain. "Tomorrow is October sixth. The day we beat Discord and the day that Twilight and Dusk officially became a couple. One year ago, tomorrow. Get what I mean?"

Ray immediately froze. "You mean...their anniversary..?" When Spike nodded, Ray turned to Dusk. "You forgot your anniversary?"

"Yes." Dusk banged his hoof on his head a few times. "By Luna, how could I be such an idiot?!"

"...Well, if I can just say something. Personally I can understand how easy it would be to… you know… have something like that slip your mind when you spend pretty much every other week doing some completely outlandish that most normal ponies would never even have to consider dealing with. Pretty eventful lives, you all live. I mean, I'm here too, so that probably doesn't help much…"

Dusk glanced up. "Ray, not meaning to sound dismissive but you truly have no idea what this means…"

"Yeah. This is a mare that completely flipped when she thought she'd miss a single deadline for her report, enough to enchant a doll that had the whole town fighting over it just to make a problem to resolve. A mare that blew the whole library out of its roots when I said it was 'just a test' and who's known to burst into flames when she's angry," Spike said. "So, basically…"

"I'm dead," finished Dusk.

"Aaahh…" Rarity sighed in satisfaction from the hooficure she was receiving. "Isn't this simply marvellous, ladies?"

"Very relaxing indeed," agreed Twilight from the hot tub. "Not to mention hygienic and good for the skin."

"Mmm hmm…" Fluttershy merely hummed in agreement at the massage table, where one of the spa mares was gently rubbing her back muscles.

"And really," went on Rarity, "with all that's been happening recently, I think it's long overdue that we had a little girl talk. There is a reason I invited you two along with me today, you know."

"...I-I thought we did this every Saturday..?" Fluttershy asked again, now with a trace of confusion.

"Oh, you and I do, yes dear, but obviously I took the opportunity to invite Twilight along with us too," she clarified. "Surely you ladies realise the connection you both share."

It only took Twilight a moment to figure it out. "Oh, I see now."

"Exactly! You're both tied down, as they say," she trilled. "Surely, you didn't think I'd miss the chance to exploit an opportunity such as this. Even if I am somewhat envious about it."

Instead of replying, Fluttershy only made a slight meep sound and started blushing heavily, looking away a little as well.

"Come now, Fluttershy. There's no need to be timid," she said gently. "Tell us, what's Ray like?"

Now Fluttershy blushed even harder, her face becoming tomato red, and tried hiding her face in her hooves. Though, if one were to look closely, they could see a hint of a smile growing on her features...

"I can see you smiling there," teased Twilight. "I know I probably shouldn't ask, but… give us the scoop on your stallion."

"...I-I… u-umm…" Fluttershy peeked out from between her hooves. "...I-I r-really… d-don't know what to s-say…"

"Anything!" said Rarity excitedly. "How does he treat you? Does he make you smile? How well does he kiss?"

"Rarity!"

"Oh hush, Twilight, you're next after this."

"U-umm… w-well…"

Both Rarity and Twilight ended up hushing up as Fluttershy began talking again.

"...h-he's… r-really nice… but… you all know that, I think. A-and, um… it makes me smile… just b-being around him… h-he's always so positive… and funny… a-and… he makes me feel…"

"Yes?" prompted Rarity.

"I… I… don't know… how to put it into words." Fluttershy spoke slowly. "H-he… he just makes me feel… so warm and… happy. D-does that make sense? I'm not feeling the wrong thing am I?"

"Not at all. That's exactly how Dusk makes me feel," said Twilight with a smile. "Even if he can be an idiot sometimes. That's something else you should know, Fluttershy. All stallions are idiots. Fact."

"O-oh… well, I-I guess I can see that…" Fluttershy smiled. "B-but to be honest, Twilight, I think that lately i-it's more just Dusk than it is all stallions…" She let that sit in the air for a moment before she realized what she said, and quickly put a hoof over her mouth. "I-I… I'm sorry! I-I don't m-mean to offend D-Dusk, it's just…"

"Don't worry about it, Fluttershy, no offense taken," she said. "But after what Spike did yesterday and how Ray acts on a daily basis, it's done nothing to change my views on the matter."

"Yes, our boys do have their moments, good and bad. But we wouldn't change them for the world, would we?" Rarity asked.

In response, Fluttershy seemed to go even more quiet than normal for just a few moments before she spoke up again.

"W-well… probably n-not, but… when you consider that… most of Ray's mistakes a-are… b-because of…" She trailed off, not saying anything more, either because it was hard to talk about, or because they weren't the only ones in the room. Likely both.

"Oh. Sorry, Fluttershy," said Twilight. "You know I'm only joking whenever I say that, yeah? I didn't mean to… well..."

"I-It's fine, Twilight…" Fluttershy said somewhat somberly. "I… I just wish there was something more we could do… whenever I see him in pain, i-it… it just…" she looked down.

"We all do, dear," said Rarity. "But we can do the best we can to alleviate that pain. I know for certain that you can make it seem so much less. That's what love can do, darling. It really works wonders."

"R-right… l-love…" she looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Rarity. I… I'm going to do my best… for his sake, because I…" she blushed again and averted her gaze, but she was smiling all the wider.

"Yes?" Rarity leaned forward in anticipation. "Because you what?"

Fluttershy blushed even more, but she wasn't hiding this time. "Be-...B-Because I… I lo-"

"Alright Rarity, that's enough pestering Fluttershy, I think," Twilight intervened. "I mean just look at her face. Any more blood rushes up there and I think she might get a serious health problem."

"Very well then," conceded Rarity. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Now, your turn!"

Twilight frowned. "Darn it."

"Oh, you knew this was coming, dear," she tittered. "How can you think I wouldn't give you special attention, considering what day it will be tomorrow?"

Fluttershy perked up. "Oh, that's right! I-I almost forgot! Twilight, you must be so excited!"

"Huh? Excited for what? Sunday?" she asked. "Unless Pinkie is doing a party for each day of the week again and is starting with Sunday Silliness tomorrow, I don't see what there is to be excited about."

Rarity blinked. "Darling, please tell me this is some sort of strange joke you're performing."

"Joke? What would there be to joke about?"

Fluttershy actually stared at Twilight. "...you… you're not joking..?"

"Girls, I'm really confused by what you mean," she said genuinely. "I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh my goodness!" Rarity pressed a hoof to her mouth. "Twilight, how can you not know?! Of all days, this one is the single most important in your life! Both yours and Dusk's!"

"Mine and Dusk's? Why would… wait, what date is it tomorrow?"

Fluttershy seemed almost terrified when she uttered the next two words.

"...October… sixth…"

"October sixth… October… hold on…"

She cast her mind back to significant things that had happened. Nightmare Night, making Luna feel welcome, defeating Discord, finding Dusk during the celebration and…

"Oh no… oh no!" she cried. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!"

"You see?! Oh, of all the worst things that could happen-!"

"THIS IS THE WORST! POSSIBLE! THING!" Twilight finished with a scream. "Our anniversary! I forgot it! The single most important day in any romantic relationship and I forgot it!"

"U-um…" Even Fluttershy seemed panicky. "U-uh...m-maybe it'll be fine? I-I mean, you know now, r-right? Y-you can s-still… m-maybe y-you can…" She couldn't finish.

"What am I going to do?! I've read about these! There's meant to be gifts and dinners at romantic restaurants and a whole day planned perfectly!" she panicked. "I don't have time to put together something that big by tomorrow! That would push even my scheduling abilities!"

"Now, Twilight, perhaps you should try and be ca-"

"And Dusk! He'll be expecting something, planning something of his own!" she went on. "He'll have remembered, of course he would! Our relationship means so much to him and if he finds out I forgot…"

"N-no, Twilight, I-I'm sure that he… h-he would-"

"Fluttershy! This is Dusk! The stallion who ran away from us, multiple times, and hid because he thought we would hate him. That I hated him! The stallion who, even though he despises violence, was willing to help me knock out a changeling who impersonated me and him! The stallion who is only now starting to take pride in himself and partly because if he doesn't, he's struck over the head with a piece of lead metal piping! You look me in the eye and tell me that he wouldn't be hurt that I forgot what tomorrow is!"

Fluttershy hesitated. "I… I…" She looked down again, her mane falling over her features. "Oh… oh dear…"

"So," Rarity said, "simply put…"

"I'm doomed," finished Twilight.

"I really don't know how to get out of this one," despaired Dusk.

"Yeeaaahhhh…" Ray drawled, not even bothering to try being positive on this one. "Well Dusk, allow me to say right now that it was nice knowing you. I'll, uh… try and get something nice written on your tombstone."

Spike, for once, actually took charge. He started by grabbing Ray's pipe and giving them both a good whack around the head.

"Suck it up, guys!" he commanded. "Remind me, am I sitting with two heroes of Equestria or two foals crying because the big boys took their milk bottles?!"

Ray, rubbing his head, looked up. "Uh, actually, that second option hits a little close to home for me…"

"Quiet, you!" he ordered. "Come on, we've taken on worse things than this! If we can lock you-know-who back up, I'm pretty sure we can cobble something together for Dusk and Twilight's anniversary tomorrow!"

"What makes you think that?" Dusk asked.

"I thought that was obvious." Spike wrapped an arm around Ray. "Me and Ray are gonna help you!"

"...Yes!" Ray popped back into his energetic state. "The dragon is right! Winners never quit, and quitters never win! DO OR DIE!" he shouted, turning the heads of the nearby patrons once again. "RETURN TO YOUR MEALS AND DRINKS!" he added, making them all do just that.

"Really?" Dusk looked from one to the other. "You would do that for me? Both of you?"

"Yeah! What's a brother for?" he beamed. "The three of us can put something together, I bet."

"Actually, now that my energy high is done, I have no idea where to start with any of this," Ray stated bluntly.

"Well, we'll just have to figure something out," said Spike. "Dusk has got the most romantic experience, I've got my boundless imagination and Ray can learn something about romance so he knows how to treat Fluttershy right and maybe pitch an idea or two of his own."

"Hey! I have positive attributes to contribute too you know!"

"Ray, not everything is about you," Spike patted his shoulder and looked at Dusk. "So, come on! Let's do this thing!"

Dusk took only a moment to consider, then nodded.

"Well said, Spike." He set down his tea and stood up. "Let's go to my house then where it'll be quieter and see what we can't come up with. And thank you."

"No problem." Spike hopped off his chair and followed.

That just left Ray, who remained at the table for a few extra moments before following suit himself, at a slow pace. He muttered under his breath quietly as he went out the door,

"...did I just get my ego snuffed out by a baby dragon..?"

In order so that Twilight wasn't causing any disruption, the girls had left the main spa area and taken to a towel room for some privacy. There, she had only increased in her frantic panicking and fretting.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no…" Twilight was wringing her hooves frantically and glancing around like a frightened rabbit. "What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do?!"

"Twilight!" Rarity gripped her shoulders and shook her firmly. "Get a hold of yourself! Panicking is not going to be indebted to this situation!"

"I-It's not..?" Fluttershy asked, sitting next to Twilight and panicking as well.

"No, it is not," she repeated. "Cool and clear heads must prevail in circumstances as this. I know how easy it is for one to lose one's head in a stressful situation, but regardless, we must remain calm so we don't do anything rash."

"But-!"

"Do I need to remind you of the Smartypants incident or of Fluttershy's night at the Gala?"

Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment and retreated behind her mane again at the memory.

"No…" Twilight took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes for a moment. "Okay… relatively calm. Still panicking, but quietly. Quietly panicking, but not screaming or worrying or worrying enough to start screaming… calm."

"Very good, darling," said Rarity. "Now then, this is a dire situation but we shall nonetheless give our best attempt to rectify it."

"We?"

"Of course, Twilight. You really didn't think Fluttershy and I would abandon you in your hour of need?"

"R-Right…" Fluttershy carefully got up and stood next to Rarity. "I-I'll help...i-if I can, that is…"

Twilight managed a smile. "Thanks, girls. You're the best."

"Think nothing of it, dear," dismissed Rarity. "Anything I can do to assist in anyway, I am willing to do."

"Thank you." She sighed. "I need to think about this somewhere else. Can we go back to the library, have a bit of a brainstorm and try to come up with some ideas? I wish we had more time, but I want to try and do something, anything for tomorrow."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," agreed Rarity. "We are in your charge, Twilight."

"J-Just… u-umm… d-don't… f-freak out too… m-much..? I-I still remember the l-late letter thing… f-from a w-while ago…"

"So do I. Don't worry, Fluttershy, I'll keep as calm as I can," she promised. "I just feel so bad about forgetting it."

"Perfectly understandable." Rarity placed a comforting hoof on her as they walked out of the spa. "But don't worry, if it's the last thing I do, I shall see this through with you to the end! You have my word on that."

Rather early the next morning, Spike was awake. It was a rare time that he actually managed to wake up before Twilight did. Without her noticing, he managed to slip out of the library and made a beeline for Dusk's house. Likewise Ray, teleporting between hiding spots so he wouldn't be seen, made his way there too. The stealth probably wasn't necessary, but he thought it better to be on the safe side.

Spike stood at Dusk's door when he arrived, apparently trying very hard to remember something from how screwed up in concentration his face was..

"What are you doing?" Ray asked. "Have you forgotten how to use a door?"

"Quiet!" urged Spike. "I'm trying to remember the secret knock we worked out!"

"Oh for the love of…" Ray brought up his hoof and simply knocked multiple times, hard and fast in an urgent manner. "See? Not that hard."

"But we worked out the secret knock for a reason!" protested Spike. "What if somepony else shows up at the house and figures out what we're up to?"

"Because he has a peephole! He can see it's us!"" Ray quietly exclaimed, pointing at the circular indentation in the door.

"Oh. Right." Spike stared at it. "You think I would have noticed that."

Ray didn't have time to offer a rapport for the door opened a second later and they were ushered in by Dusk.

Spike got straight to the point. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, by my reasoning, the best idea we came up with yesterday was the recreation of mine and Twilight's first date," Dusk began. "It's not ideal, but it's the best we can do on such short notice. I've let her know I'm going to be in rather late because I'm not feeling well and won't be arriving until the afternoon, so there's no reason for her to come looking for me."

"Yeah, she wanted me gone for the day too," added Spike. "Said she had some big study project to work on and didn't want to be disturbed. Seemed really jittery about it too, so I didn't ask about it, but I got the day off."

"Bad sign. She's clearly got something planned for the day too… and right now we don't have much…" Ray summarized.

"What about you?" Dusk asked Ray. "How's Applejack with you taking another day off?"

Ray grinned smugly. "Oh don't worry about that… I took care of everything."

"How?" Spike asked, now curious. "What did you do?"

"Well…"

Meanwhile, at the farm, a very elaborately crafted life-size stuffed dummy of Ray was placed under a tree, positioned with both of its hind legs brought up against a tree to give the appearance of being in the middle of a bucking motion. It would have been flawless… had it not already been in that exact position, unmoving, for almost half an hour by this point.

Applejack happened to be walking by a distance off, and glanced through the trees separating them to see if the stallion was slacking while he thought she wasn't watching. Far away as she was, she didn't see the giveaway features that it wasn't really him. She looked only for a moment, and satisfied that he wasn't shirking his duties, smiled and continued on her way.

Dusk stared at him for a full minute. "You really think THAT will fool her?"

Ray shook his head in exasperation. "Look, it doesn't matter, okay? This is for you, to keep Twilight from butchering you, alright? I am making a personal sacrifice here."

"Very well, very well," he said quickly. "Returning to the point, we need to make sure the elements that were in play that night are recreated again. I intend to go to the movie theatre and see if there's any good films to book for tonight. Ray, I want you to go and get the flowers and chocolate. Remember, soft centres are Twilight's favourite and the flowers have to be lilacs."

"What? Why do I have to get the-"

"Ray. You said you would help, this is how. Please, don't test me, I'm in no mood for it today."

Ray pursed his lips for a moment before sighing. "...fine."

"Good. Spike, as an added touch, I want you to go to Sugarcube Corner and get a special cake baked for us." He pulled out a piece of parchment. "Here are the specifications. Just give it to them and they can do the rest."

"Got it," saluted Spike.

"Excellent. I'll also see about the restaurant too," he added. "Very well, gentlecolt and gentledragon. You know what we have to do, so let's get to it. Are we clear?"

"Yup," Ray affirmed, not looking all that enthusiastic about it, but ready all the same.

"You know it!" Spike declared.

"Brilliant. Be back here inside the hour, if you can. And remember, don't tell ANYPONY about what we're doing. Good luck," he finished.

With that, the three of them went their separate ways.

Ray had gone off down one direction on the street, while both Spike and Dusk had gone off in the other general direction. He knew what his role was for today. And while he understood that this was for Dusk, and was willing to do pretty much whatever to prevent Twilight from ripping him a new one, that didn't change the fact that he wasn't exactly hyped about going off to fetch flowers and chocolates.

"Still don't get why I have to be the one to get them…" he was muttering under his breath, making sure that the few other ponies who were on the street presently couldn't hear him and think he was crazy. "It'd be one thing if this were Hearts and Hooves Day or something… but geez, wouldn't this have been a better job for Spike? He's the romantic one, isn't he..?"

Thinking about it, he really couldn't do anything but sigh while he trudged on toward his destination, the only shop in town that was specifically purposed for things like flower arrangements and chocolate boxes. A place Ray never thought he'd have to set hoof into… even for a friend. He might end up doing it in the future for a certain yellow pegasus he was close to, but still.

Regardless of his reservations though, this was for Dusk. Again, to keep the poor stallion alive in this day of judgement, he would have to do whatever he could. Even swallow his masculinity for a few minutes to go buy colorful flowers and heart-shaped candies.

As he approached the store in question, he forced himself to take a few deep breaths. Calm down, he thought to himself. Just calm down… it's no big deal… just gonna go in and out, then get back to Dusk's place… nothing to it… after all, it wasn't like any of the others were going to see him-

At that moment, Fate apparently decided to backhoof him across the face, because in his lack of attention he collided with another pony who'd also been about to enter the store. Both he and the other pony bonked heads and fell backwards onto the ground. Ray rubbed his noggin a little before looking up.

"Agh… Sorry about that, I wasn't looking where I was go-" he froze when he saw who he was talking to.

"I'm so sorry, I-" Fluttershy froze when she saw him. "R-Ray?!"

"F-Flutters?!"

"Oh my, um… wh-what are you doing here?" she asked nervously.

"Uh… uuhhh…" he faltered. He had to think of something, and fast. "Umm… n-nothing really… just, uh… going into each store I see, because I'm… bored," he finished, mentally facehoofing in the process.

"O-oh…" She looked bemused. "Really?"

No choice now, he thought grimly. "Y-Yeah! See, it's, uh… something I've been… meaning to do! Yeah! Just, uh… going around town and checking out each and every store and shop I've yet to… well… check out. Finally get the full experience, you know?" He started laughing awkwardly. There was no way she was gonna buy that, he thought…

"O-okay." Despite herself, she giggled a little. "You can be so silly, sometimes."

Shocked though he was, Ray wasn't gonna let that opportunity slide by. "Y-Yup! That's me! Silly Ray!" he laughed at himself a little more, trying to get his nerves to settle down, as well as not-really-trying to quell the growing blush on his own face. "S-So what about you? What're you doing here, Flutters?"

"M-me?! W-well um… I was, uh…" She glanced around frantically. "S-seeing if uh storebought flowers w-were nicer than uh… ones you can p-pick out in the meadows!"

"...really?" Ray asked, mirroring her earlier question.

"Y-yes!" she said quickly. "J-just curious and uh, it's nice to s-support local shops a-and to just let flowers grow in p-peace in the nice meadows!"

"...u-uh… I guess…" Ray said slowly.

To be honest, that did sound like something Fluttershy would do, but it seemed like there was something in the way she said it… Probably just his own nerves, he surmised.

"S-so uh… I guess I'll be going then," she stammered. "Um… have a nice day e-exploring, Ray."

"U-uh… r-right. You too… except… since you're not exploring… you know. Have a nice day."

Real smooth, Ray chastised himself, as both he and Fluttershy turned around and left from the awkwardness.

It wasn't until he'd already been walking for ten minutes that he realized he didn't get the flowers or the chocolates. And now… he didn't want to risk running into Fluttershy again and having her find out what he was really doing.

"...well… that was a failure," he groaned.

Spike hurried along to the bakery as fast as his little legs would carry him. He didn't know how long this cake would take to bake, but the sooner he could get over there with the order, the sooner they could start. He wasn't going to let Dusk and Twilight down. As gross as their displays in the library could be, he didn't want their special day to be ruined.

It was pretty staggering when he thought about it. A whole year to the day. Had it really been that long? And they didn't seem to show any sign of looking like they were going to end it anytime soon. What would that mean? He had an image of Twilight dressed in a white dress with Dusk in a tux, a ceremony presided over by Celestia where he was the ring boy again. It could be…

Spike shook his head to clear it. That was future Spike's concern. Right now, present Spike had a job to do. He beamed when he saw Sugarcube Corner coming into view and quickened his pace. He ran past Pinkie who was standing outside doing something and beamed when he saw who else was at the counter.

"Rarity, hi!"

"Spikey wikey!" She beamed in return. "How nice to see you here!"

"Yeah, you too!" He was going to go on, but remembered why he was there. "Sorry, I gotta get this sorted out first. I'm here to place an order," he explained, holding up the paper.

"Oh, you too?" Rarity had one of her own. "May I ask what for?"

"Sorry, top secret," he said, tapping his nose. "I'll bet you're gonna tell me the same, huh?"

"I'm afraid so, darling," she said. "But are you sure you don't want to tell me? Not even just a teensy little hint? If you do, I might even do the same."

"Well..." He mustered his self-control, remembered his vow as a brother in library-assistantship and shook his head. "Nnnnope! No, sorry! Can't tell you!"

"Oh my. It must be important if you can resist that," she giggled. "Very well then, keep your secrets but do not expect me to reveal mine."

"Okay then. Now, let's get this placed." He frowned when there was no one behind the counter. "Where are the Cakes?"

"Apparently, they're away on a day trip with Pound and Pumpkin," she told him. "They've left Pinkie in charge of things, but it seems all she's content to do is stand outside the mailbox and wait for a letter from Rainbow."

"That's what she's doing?" Spike looked back. "I was wondering why she barely seemed to notice me."

"Oh, hey!" Pinkie's chirpy voice caught their attention. "Sorry, guys, I didn't see you there! I was just a little distracted, sorry."

"That's perfectly alright, dear," assured Rarity. "We all miss Rainbow Dash, but you must remember that she has her duties and you have yours. You'll get a letter from her soon, I'm sure."

"I hope so. I mean, it's not like she's become so focused on fulfilling her dream as a Wonderbolt, she's forgotten to write to her friends, which would only mean the longer it goes the more she would forget until we're eventually just a distant, fading memory in her mind of a time long past because she's too focused on achieving the goal she's always dreamed of doing and forget about us forever! But, I'm sure she's fine!" she added, with a forced bright tone.

Spike and Rarity gave each other a look, but decided it was best to say nothing.

"So, what we got?" She took their orders from them and gasped. "Oh my! These are pretty big orders. And you want them inside an hour?"

"Please?" asked Spike. "It's really urgent."

"I can try but…" She glanced past to the letterbox outside. "What while I'm busy in the kitchen, I get a letter from Rainbow? What if I don't reply to it in time and she thinks I've forgotten her? What if that leads to building resentment resulting in the end of our friendship?! Oh, but I have to do it! It's my job and the Cakes are counting on me! But Rainbow!"

She was starting to panic again. Spike desperately tried to think of something and blurted out the first thing that came into his head.

"What if we helped you?"

Rarity looked sharply at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"Huh?" Pinkie stopped in her rambling. "You two would help me?"

"Yeah! With the Cakes gone and with both our orders, it sounds like you need it. Many hooves make light work and all that. And it'll let us get done quicker so you can go back to the mailbox to wait for Rainbow's letter," he reasoned.

Pinkie grinned. "That's a great idea, Spike. Thank you sooooo much! I'd better go quickly check again, just in case. Back in a bit!"

She dashed out again and Spike felt pretty good about himself. Until he saw the look on Rarity's face.

"And what indication did I give that I would agree to this idea?" she asked.

"She was freaking out! I had to say something to calm her down!" he protested. "Besides, I've tasted your cooking. It's great!"

"Cooking and baking are two different things. Baking is so much messier, with the dough and the icing and the flour…" She shuddered. "It's more hooves on than I'm used to."

"Rarity, please," he begged. "You said yourself this order was important. Mine is too. If we're gonna do this inside the time we want it, we're gonna have to do this. Please?"

Rarity looked torn for a few moments between her desire to keep clean and how important her task appeared to be. Finally, she sighed in defeat.

"Very well. You have a point, so yes. For who this is for, I will do it," she agreed. "Though, as I say, I've had little experience baking, let alone in an environment as this."

"I've whipped up a few cakes in my time," he said proudly. "Come on. With you, me and Pinkie working on this, we'll be fine."

"I'm back!" announced Pinkie. "No letter yet, oh well! Let's get baking! I'll give you a quick run-around and then we'll get started!"

She pranced off into the kitchen, with Rarity and Spike following behind. What was the worst that could happen, Spike thought to himself?

Making his way to the movie house, Dusk was beginning to rekindle some hope. As he'd said, this wasn't exactly the ideal thing he would have arranged for their anniversary. But this was better than nothing, at any rate.

A thought occurred to him. What if Twilight was of the same mind as he was? What if she recognised how hastily this had been put together in some kind of desperate attempt to make up for the fact he'd forgotten their anniversary? What would she think of him then? If she began to think that he didn't cherish their relationship as much as she did? What could that lead to?

He did his best to put those questions out of his mind. He hoped it wouldn't come to anything like that, but right now, he had to focus on getting this set up.

The first thing he noticed was the very large group of ponies that had gathered outside the theatre. The second was they all had things that indicated they'd been here for a while. Tents, lawn chairs, large bags brimming with snacks and drinks. They were all talking excitedly and barely glanced at Dusk as he approached one of the attendants.

"What's going on?" he asked the ticket holder.

"Take a look," he said, jerking his head to a poster.

Dusk looked. Depicting a mare who never seemed to be able to close her mouth, a stallion with a face like a shovel and a ridiculously muscled earth pony stallion was the legend Nightlight: New Moon.

"Another one?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, another one," the holder muttered. "Don't worry, only one more to go. Though I hear they're splitting it in two so they can milk the most money out of it."

"Really?" Dusk frowned. "Is there enough content for two parts?"

"They seem to think so."

"Hm. So, what else is there showing tonight?"

He jerked his head at the poster again. "You're looking at it."

Dusk blinked. "I… beg your pardon?"

"This is all we're showing tonight, all four screens," he said sadly. "Even if it is terrible, my manager says it really rakes in the money, so we're having it showing on all five screens tonight for the premier event."

"A-and… that's it?" Dusk asked again. "That's all you're showing?"

"That's it."

"There's got to be something else, there's got to be."

"Look, pal, I don't make the screenings here," he snapped. "I'm not happy about this either, I'm the one who has to sell tickets to these nutty ponies. Look, it's only for tonight and we're back to showing regular screenings tomorrow. You can come by then, one of them's doing a re-run of the Daring Do movie."

"That's a little late!" Dusk snapped back. "Oh, never mind this nonsense. Good day to you, sir."

He stalked off, muttering under his breath.

"Almost fitting, really. The same series we saw then, except I am in no mind to see it now and neither is she."

"You don't know that!" One of the fans must have heard him. "I'm sure your marefriend would love it!"

"I doubt that," Dusk called back. "She doesn't even read the series."

"Aww, come on! You have no idea what you're missing out on!" one of the mares called out. "It's a wonderful, enriching story with really relatable characters and genuine emotion that makes you feel for them. It's not too late to try!"

His response was automatic, a trigger from the sheer amount of irritation not only towards these books, but also at the sheer ridiculousness of this whole situation.

"Sorry, but I don't read crap."

He left just as the shouts of indignation began to start up. Normally, he would be more careful about offending a large group of overly obsessed fans, but at this moment, he really didn't care. That small spark of hope was now dwindling again. What did he have left that he could salvage from this situation?

His thoughts turned to Chez Delicious, the place they'd spent their meal together. He considered trying to get a reservation there since he was out, but it had been difficult enough doing it the first time round. An establishment like that would most likely be fully booked and they were very stringent about their bookings.

With a heavy heart, he returned through the streets. Perhaps his friends had had better luck in their ventures.

When they'd both arrived at the library shortly after Twilight had ushered Spike out into the streets with the reason of needing alone time to study, she had wasted no time in telling Fluttershy and Rarity what she needed of them today. Fluttershy was off to the gift shop to get some flowers and chocolates for Twilight for her and Dusk, and Rarity was off to Sugarcube Corner to get the cake. Meanwhile, Twilight was hastily making her way toward a destination of her own: the most popular restaurant in town, Chez Delicious, with the intent of making some reservations for tonight. It wasn't exactly different or varied, she admitted to herself. Yes, it was the same restaurant that she and Dusk had gone to on their very first date, so there was some nostalgia involved. And she knew that Dusk had a bit of a penchant for nostalgia. But they'd also gone there multiple times since then, so that more-or-less dulled the effect.

Nevertheless, it was the most popular restaurant in town for a reason, and that in addition to the fact that it had quite a romantic atmosphere itself made it a prime location for tonight… if she could get a reservation, that was. Money wouldn't be much of an object, even considering the last-minute nature of things, but the reservation itself… well, hopefully the odds wouldn't be too stacked against her. Even considering that this was very last minute of her… and that this was the most expensive and high-par restaurant in town… and that it was a Sunday, so there would undoubtedly be plenty of other ponies with reservations already… and-

She cut herself off before she could go too far down that mental road. If she thought like that, she'd most likely end up panicking again, and Celestia knew that was the LAST thing she needed to be doing right now. Besides, this was for Dusk. She'd dug herself into a hole, and now, for his sake, she needed to suck it up and pull herself out… somehow.

Thinking of Dusk made her remember what he'd told her the previous night before he'd left. He apparently hadn't been feeling well, and had suspected that it wouldn't be gone by morning, so he'd requested that he come in a little late just for today to give himself a bit more time to recover. He certainly hadn't looked well at the time either; he'd been acting jittery and nervous, almost shivering to some extent. For him of all ponies to request to come in for work later than usual must've meant that he really wasn't feeling well, so Twilight had obliged. Not that she was complaining, of course. It gave her more time to get done what she needed to get done without risking Dusk catching on. Still, it worried her that he wasn't feeling well, today of all days. Maybe he was subconsciously nervous? Having a mild panic attack? She certainly hoped not. Today was a special day, and even if she'd done the injustice of forgetting all about it until the day before, she at least wanted it to be as special as it could possibly be for him.

On that note, the restaurant soon came into view. When it did, Twilight quickened her pace toward the entrance. From what she could see, there weren't that many ponies outside - only two or three - which could've been a good sign. Then again, said the logic and inference part of her brain, that probably didn't mean anything since this wasn't the kind of restaurant where you waited outside and formed a huge line unless the restaurant itself made a mistake with the reservations. Also, it was still rather early in the day, so of course she couldn't use what she saw now to accurately judge what things would be like here later tonight…

She tried forcing that part of her brain to shut up as she approached and made her way through the front door of the restaurant… but it became pretty difficult when met with the new sight before her. The restaurant had a couple dozen tables situated throughout, and each and every one of them was currently occupied by one or more ponies each. It wasn't even noon, and this place was already full?!

Relax, she told herself as she made her way over to the podium near the door, behind which a waiter was situated. The restaurant served breakfast as well on weekends. Of course it was only natural that there would be ponies here. Who was to say that it being crowded now would in any way reflect how it would be later tonight? For all she knew, it wouldn't. There was probably no correlation between them at all…

"Excuse me?" she said to the waiter at the front, one who she recognized from previous outings to the restaurant, getting his attention. "Hello, I'd like to make a reservation?"

"Ah, Mademoiselle Sparkle! C'est good to see you again!" He smiled brightly, and Twilight felt just a bit of guilt at not quite remembering his name off the top of her head, before she quelled it and focused on why she was here. He flipped open the booking chart in front of him and glanced up at her. "I am assuming zat will be a reservation for two? You and Monsieur Noir?"

"Yes," Twilight confirmed, breathing a small sigh of relief. So far, so good.

"Very well. And when would you like your reservation placed?" he asked, flipping a few more pages.

"I'd like that for tonight, please," Twilight answered.

The waiter seemed to freeze for just a moment before he looked up at her fully. "Umm… did you say… tonight, madam?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Twilight asked with already growing dread. In her mind though, she could say that she already knew.

"Err…" the waiter hesitated, looking back down and flipping through a few more pages. Then flipping back through the ones he'd already looked at. Then back again. Finally, he look up at her again, an apologetic look in his eyes. "I'm terribly sorry, mademoiselle… we seem to be completely booked for tonight."

Twilight's heart practically deflated at that. All the positive things she'd been telling herself, hoping for on the way here… She'd suspected this, but…

"A-Are… are you sure?" she asked, almost frightfully.

"Afraid so, madam." The waiter's response wasn't nearly as scared as hers was, even if it was a tad hesitant. "We're booked all ze way up midnight, it appears. Zere is simply no room left."

"But… but…" Now she was entering denial mode. "But… i-it's not even noon yet! How can you be completely booked already?!"

"Er… ze same way we usually get booked, madam," the waiter replied carefully. "Most of zese reservations were made a few days ago, and a few of zem have been for several weeks. It is… difficult, to make a reservation on such… short notice."

"But there has to be something you can do! Right?" Twilight was starting to let desperation creep into her voice.

"I am afraid not," the waiter answered simply. "If you'd like, zere are a few open spots for tomorrow night. Perhaps make a reservation for zen..?"

"No, no, you don't understand. I need it for tonight. It's our anniversary today, and… it needs to be for tonight!" Twilight didn't quite understand how she got to this position, but suddenly she found herself with both of her front legs on top of the podium, almost getting in the waiter's face. "Please, there has to be something you can do! Anything!" she cried.

The waiter was trying to lean back away from Twilight, but still attempted to maintain his composure. "I-I am sorry, madam. I-It is out of my hooves. If it is so important, zen you certainly would have done better to try and make ze reservation sometime earlier zan zis…"

"I FORGOT, ALRIGHT?" she practically screamed. Some of the patrons were starting to turn their heads in her direction, but she didn't care. "I forgot about our anniversary, I know! I'm a horrible marefriend! But right now I need a table for tonight, before it's too late! Please! I'll do anything! I'll pay double! Triple! I don't care! Anytime, anywhere, it doesn't matter! Just PLEASE!"

"I-I… I cannot. I-"

"Is something the matter over here?"

Twilight and the waiter both looked over to see the owner of the restaurant making his way over to them, a stallion who, himself, didn't have any accent or special features to speak of. It was only now that Twilight became self-conscious of just how loudly she'd been yelling, and became aware of just how quiet it had gotten… and how many eyes were trained upon her.

"I-I… I was… umm…" she faltered.

"Ms. Sparkle," the owner said to her directly once he was close enough, "I believe I heard most of what you were saying toward the end there. If we are booked, then we are booked. Now as you can see, your presence is beginning to disturb the patrons. If there is nothing else, then I am going to have to ask you to leave. And if you continue to make a scene, then we'll have to choice but to show you out ourselves."

"B-but-!"

"Ms. Sparkle…" he began warningly.

She was about to protest again when she, reluctantly, stopped and relented.

"Fine…" she growled bitterly, turning around and leaving without another word, unintentionally making the door slam on her way out.

Of course… OF COURSE, she screamed to herself in her mind. Of course there wouldn't be any tables left! Why would there be?! It wasn't bad enough that she'd forgotten about the most important day of the year for her relationship with Dusk of her own accord, now Fate had to come in and make things EVEN HARDER for her!

In the end though, she had to acknowledge that she had only herself to blame for all of this. And that knowledge almost made her want to cry in frustration.

On her arduously slow walk back to the library, she ended up walking past the movie theatre. While doing so, she witnessed the impossible-to-miss gigantic crowd of ponies queued out in front of it, with no shortage of tents and chairs, even a few small tables, set up. She didn't even want to know what the cause of that crowd was, she mused to herself sadly. Knowing her luck so far, there wouldn't be any opportunity to get a movie to watch either. So instead she just continued walking past the crowd, making her way back to her home.

She could only hope that Fluttershy and Rarity had experienced better luck than she had in their own tasks. Then maybe, just maybe, this day would still be salvageable.

The looks Ray and Spike had when they returned to his house didn't inspire much confidence in Dusk. Especially when he noted they didn't have anything, except for Spike who was covered in dough and icing.

"I take it things went poorly for you too then?" he dreaded to ask.

"Yeah, that's uh, one way of saying it," mumbled Spike, licking off a bit of icing.

"I feel really bad right now…" Ray said quietly, looking down in a rare display of shame.

"What happened?"

Spike briefly explained how he'd decided to help Pinkie with the baking along with Rarity, since they were so understaffed at Sugarcube.

"See, Rarity wasn't all that keen on getting stuck into it and Pinkie was dashing in and out to check the mailbox," he went on. "That kind of just left me, but I thought I could handle it. I must have put in too much flour or something though 'cause when I put the cakes in the oven they uh… kind of… exploded."

Dusk did a double take. "E-exploded?"

"Dude, I don't really know how I managed it either. There was a lot of stuff going on and not a lot of time to do it in," he said. "Sorry…"

Dusk sighed and looked to Ray. "And you? Were they sold out or closed or something along those lines?"

"Err… not… quite…" he answered slowly.

He then told them about having encountered Fluttershy in front of the store, and so as not to bring up questions as to why he was purchasing flowers and chocolates, retreated and resolved to try again after some time had passed… only to encounter her again, repeatedly, each time he went back, as though they both had the exact same thought process.

"I literally kept running into her every time I went back! It wouldn't have been a problem, but you were telling us not to let anypony else know about all of this, sooo…"

"Ray, I-!" Dusk managed to keep his temper in check. "I understand you wanted to keep it secret… but would it have been so difficult to avoid talking to her, get what you needed and leave? Make some excuse, anything?"

"Hey, I know how it sounds coming from me, but I swear Dusk, avoiding her was impossible. She wasn't just hanging around the area, it was like she kept deciding to go back at the exact same time that I did, and we literally kept meeting at the door! After the first time, you know it's pretty hard to keep coming up with different excuses, at least ones that are, oh I don't know, buyable? Besides, I was just doing what you told us to do before we left. It was one or the other."

"You can teleport, for Luna's sake! You could have…!" Yet again, he managed to bring his temper under control. "Sorry, Ray. You tried, I can't say anymore than that…"

"I… It's fine, Dusk… I'm sorry too…" Ray truly did seem distraught over his own failure. "And also, just for what it's worth… uh… last time I tried teleporting directly into a store, I ended up getting chased out by an old lady with a broom, sooo…"

"I see…"

"So, what now?" asked Spike.

"I'll be honest, my friends, we don't have many options." He gestured at the clock. "Twilight will be expecting me soon and I can't think of anything for the time we have left. I don't want to say this, but… it looks like I'm going to have to face the music."

"You won't be facing it alone, then," Ray immediately spoke up. "We'll be there to back you up too. I mean, I'll be honest too, I have no idea what we'll be able to do against that mare of yours when she's angry, but, uh… yeah, we'll do what we can… right, Spike?"

"Yep," he nodded. "Just uh, let me get my Twilight Rage armour first."

"Thank you." Dusk took a long, deep breath. "Well, no sense delaying the inevitable. Let's go."

With the same manner as a condemned pony being escorted to spend the rest of his days languishing in prison, Dusk took the long walk with Spike and Ray towards the library. Their presence gave him some comfort, at least.

He wanted to be angry at them, but this was his own fault. If he'd just remembered about today, he wouldn't even be in this mess. He dreaded to imagine what Twilight would be like when she found out he'd forgotten their anniversary. At best, she'd refuse to talk to him for the rest of the day. At worst…

He didn't want to think of worse.

He paused for a moment at the door. His legs were shaking and a bead of sweat trickled down his back. With a few deep breaths, he stepped inside, his two companions in tow. At almost the same time, Twilight emerged from upstairs, followed by Rarity and Fluttershy. She appeared to be in a similar disposition. The two of them met in the middle. Silence hung over their heads for a long, drawn out minute.

When they spoke, it was at the same time.

"Dusk, I-"

"Twilight, there's-"

They laughed nervously.

"Um, you first?" she prompted.

"Very well…" He found he could barely look her in the eye. "Twilight, I… there's no easy way to say this, so I won't beat around the bush. I um… I… well…"

"I forgot!" she blurted out.

Dusk stopped. "E-excuse me?"

"I forgot our anniversary!" she cried. "Oh Dusk, I am so sorry! I've been running around all morning, with Rarity and Fluttershy! We were trying to do something for it, like for our first date with the movie and the restaurant and flowers and a cake, but it all went wrong! I couldn't do anything for it! I'm so, so sorry! PLEASE DON'T BE UPSET!"

She actually broke down in tears. Rarity approached and placed a comforting hoof around her.

"I'm a terrible marefriend," she sobbed. "I'm so, so, sorry… please, don't hate me…"

Dusk took a moment to process all she'd said, standing in complete silence while he did.

"You… you forgot?"

"Yes, she just got done saying that!" snapped Rarity, who like Spike was also covered in dough. "I know you're hurt, Dusk, but she feels bad about it too, so there no reason for you to-"

"So did I."

Rarity stopped. Twilight looked up through her tears.

"W-what?" she sniffed.

"I forgot it was our anniversary too," he admitted, except he was starting to smile. "And I've been running around all morning, trying to get something ready too. I wanted to echo our first date as well, going to the movies and the restaurant, bringing you flowers and chocolates. I decided to add in a cake too, just to try and make it more special."

"Y-you too?" He could make out she was beginning to smile too.

"Yes!" Now, he laughed. And so did she. "I thought you were going to tear me to pieces for forgetting!"

"I thought you were going to be upset that I did!"

"All of this time and we…!"

They just laughed even harder. Their friends exchanged rather odd looks at the sight, but were barely suppressing mirth of their own at how things had turned out.

Twilight wiped away a tear. "I guess we were both idiots this time."

"Indeed," he agreed. "Though I still feel guilty for forgetting such a special day."

"So do I," she said. "But Dusk, really… do we really need to wait for one day every year to celebrate how we feel about each other? We do that practically every day already!"

"You're telling me," muttered Spike, who received a sharp nudge from Rarity. "Ow!"

"Really, we don't need one special day to show how we feel about each other." She gazed into his eyes. "For me, every day with you is special."

"My thoughts exactly. I love you, Twilight."

"I love you too, Dusk."

They sealed the moment with a kiss. Rarity beamed at the sight while Spike groaned, albeit in a more good-natured way. Fluttershy sighed and leaned against Ray's side. He seemed surprised at the contact, but he didn't start complaining about it either.

"So, that was why you kept running into Fluttershy at the shop, Ray," realised Dusk when they stopped. "She was getting things for Twilight too."

"I realised," Ray laughed, before looking at Fluttershy. "You know, I thought you were acting a little strangely at the time."

"Me too," she giggled. "But I thought that was just you being silly. It's okay, though. I like it when you're silly."

Ray blushed in response. "Yeah, so do I… well!" He perked up and smiled all around. "All's well that ends well, it seems. The distraught couple reconciles, everything is right in the world. Now I just need to zap myself back over to the farm before Applejack realizes-"

"STRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIKKKKEEE!"

Ray's face immediately fell. "...oh crap."

Applejack practically kicked the door off its hinges and stormed inside.

"Of all the harebrained, unbelievable an' downright idiotic things you've ever done, this here really takes the cake, even fer you!" She held up the dummy Ray had prepared, her hoof wrapped tightly around its neck with multiple tears now in the cloth, the stuffing falling out through them. "Would ya mind tellin me jus' what the FLYING HAY THIS IS?!"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh..." Ray drawled. He was speechless.

"Well, lemme tell ya!" She set it up standing, drew her strong legs back and kicked its head off its neck and out the window. "It's you if your flank is not back in the orchard an' back ta work by the time ah'm done countin' down from three! Three!"

Without another word, Ray was gone in a flash.

"An' that's how it's done." She tipped her hat. "Sorry 'bout that, y'all. Have a good day, now."

Kicking the dummy out with her, she galloped off, leaving everypony else in a stunned silence.

"Well, that was different," said Spike.

"Applejack being angry at Ray for slacking on the job? Yes, never seen that before," remarked Dusk with a smirk.

"I hope she won't give him too much trouble." Twilight turned to Dusk. "You know, maybe I should do the same to you for forgetting our anniversary."

"But we both forgot."

"And for lying about being sick this morning."

"Okay, that one is on me. But it was so I could do something for today."

"I know." She nuzzled him. "You really are the sweetest."

"Thank you," he blushed. "Do you want to go out for a walk around town? I know it's not much, but I feel we should at least try to spend some of our anniversary together."

"That sounds lovely." She leaned into his side and the two of them walked out.

Spike, Rarity and Fluttershy were left to their thoughts for a few moments before Spike broke the silence again.

"Does anypony else still feel bad for messing up their special day?"

"I confess, despite how things have turned out, I still feel somewhat guilty for failing them before," said Rarity.

"Me too," sighed Fluttershy. "I wish there was something we could do to make it up to them."

Rarity suddenly gasped. "Ideaaaaa!"

"What? What's your idea?" asked Spike.

"Spike darling, take a note," she said. "We're going to send off this little relationship report ourselves, with an added post-note of our own. Let's see if we can't make something fabulous of this failure!"

The rest of the day had been far from uneventful. When they realised that Pinkie was still fretting about Rainbow, they all resolved to travel up to Cloudsdale in the balloon with a care package for her. Unfortunately, their visit had been disrupted when a tornado had knocked them out of the basket and set them falling. Thanks to Rainbow and her fellow trainee's quick moving, they were saved with no major injuries.

They'd born witness to a few things after. Rainbow turning in her uniform when she thought the Wonderbolts were more about being reckless than pushing themselves. Spitfire reinstating her, in agreement that being the best should never come at the expense of others. A trainee named Lightning Dust being booted from the academy for her reckless actions. They promised to write up a friendship report for her when they got back.

But despite all that and spending a relaxing day with Twilight afterwards, Dusk still felt a little disappointed. Even though they were both agreed on the point that every day together was special, he still felt that he could have done more for their anniversary. This was the day their feelings had been realized and she'd given him a chance he was so grateful to her for giving. Such a thing deserved more recognition.

Still, at least they still spent the day together, though he wondered if she felt the same.

It was when he was about to leave that Spike pulled him aside and said Luna had sent him a letter. It said to wear his best clothes and be waiting outside his house for one of her chariots to pick him up and bring him to Canterlot. But it didn't say why and when he asked Spike, the dragon just shrugged and walked off.

Even so, Dusk still made himself ready in his Gala suit and was waiting when the chariot pulled by a pair of thestrals arrived for him. It must be for some sort of dignitary he needed to be there for or a formal event of some sort. But then why wouldn't she tell him?

The guards escorted him to a part of the gardens, where she was waiting for him. Quite fittingly, night had now fallen and the stars were shining the sky.

"Dusk, how wondrous to see you!" she greeted. "You're looking very sharp tonight."

"Thank you, Luna. But I don't understand, what exactly am I here for?" he asked.

"You will see." Her eyes glittered for a moment. "Come, let us take a walk through the gardens. They are truly beautiful in my night's glow."

As they did, Dusk had to agree with her. The garden always took on a new sort of life at night. Fireflies danced in little swarms and the night air was filled with the squeaks of bats and the hooting of owls. There was a certain peace he always felt at night, especially with the Princess who brought it.

All the while, it seemed like Luna was hiding something. She didn't say much and she appeared to be having a hard time suppressing a smile.

"I don't mean to sound rude, Luna, but could you please tell me what's going on?" he asked again.

"You'll soon see," she repeated. Her eyes looked off somewhere else and she beamed. "Why, sister! What a surprise seeing you here!"

Dusk looked to see that indeed the Princess of the Sun was joining them.

"Dusk, Luna, how lovely to see you both," she said pleasantly. "Enjoying my sister's night, Dusk?"

"Yes, princess. But…" He looked to see that she wasn't alone. "Twilight?"

"Dusk?" She too was dressed formally in her Gala gown and Dusk felt something catch in his throat as to how beautiful she looked. "What are you doing here?"

"Luna sent for me and told me to wear my best clothes. You?"

"Me too." She looked at her teacher. "Princess, what's going on here?"

Neither one replied verbally. They were both looking in the same direction, so they followed their gaze. Not far off through the trees there was a table with an expensive tablecloth laid on it and two plush cushions either side. It was lit by a candle, complete with fine cutlery and a vase with a bunch of lilacs in it.

Dusk and Twilight shared a look, then turned to their respective princesses. They both had knowing smiles on their faces.

"Did… did you plan this?" Dusk asked Luna.

"My student, I don't know what you mean," she said innocently. "I have no idea have these things got here."

"It is quite a mystery, sister," agreed Celestia.

"Princess," began Twilight, "how did you-?"

"Ahem." They looked to see Spike, dressed in a tuxedo, complete with bowtie. "Good evening, my name is Spike and I'll be your waiter tonight. If you would follow me, I'll show you to your table."

They exchanged another look, to each other, then to the princesses. The two of them had backed away a little and silently gestured for them to proceed. Beginning to figure out what was going on here, they followed Spike and sat down, who handed them both menus.

"I hope you like what we have on offer," he said in a professional tone. "Our chefs Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie are at your service. I and Mr Strike will be here, should you need anything."

Dusk glanced around to see the three girls all wearing chef's hats and waving at them. Ray, looking rather constrained in a suit, stood not far off with a strained, yet somehow genuine smile.

"I will return to take your orders momentarily. Until then, please enjoy this evening's entertainment."

He clapped his hands twice and Fluttershy emerged from the bushes. Not far behind was a chorus of songbirds, who took up positions on a low hanging tree branch. She tapped her baton, raised it and began to conduct a slow, romantic ballad.

The couple was completely speechless. That is, until Twilight gasped sharply.

"Dusk, look where we are."

He didn't need to be told. He'd never forget this part of the gardens. This small part where twice, his life had changed forever. Once with Celestia and once with Twilight.

All of what their friends had organized for them and on the exact spot that it had occurred. They didn't know what to say… except for one thing, as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Happy Anniversary, Dusk."

"Happy Anniversary, Twilight."

Fright Night

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Dusk looked over his costume in Twilight's mirror, making sure all the little touches were in place. His hood was up and nicely shrouded his face. It was white, along with the loose flowing robe it connected to, but the inside was a blood red. The front of the hood was pointed, decorated with an eagle in flight.

The robes were also decorated with a few leather straps, with pouches attached to them. Around his waist was a belt with a large elaborate looking letter A on the buckle. His back legs were adorned by brown boots. On his forelegs were two gauntlets. One was made of a hard leather, the other a light plastic made to look like metal. A long red cloth served to cover up the latter. He pressed a switch with his magic and a plastic blade sprung out, but shone as if it too were metal.

He nodded, re-concealed the blade and covered it with the cloth. Even he wasn't hesitant to say he definitely looked the part as a member of the Assassin Brotherhood.

"Why, the great Assassin Ezio Auditoneigh da Firenze," purred a voice behind him. "What an honour this is."

He turned to see Twilight was also dressed in her costume. Contrasted to him, hers was much darker, bordering on black with an ochre undershirt. The part near her rear was akin to a skirt, coloured with streaks of red and grey. She too wore boots, black, with a small crossbow on her waist and extra bolts in her belt. Not actual ones, of course, they all ended in sucker tips.

Her leather bracers on her forelegs were also black, the one on her right foreleg being her hidden blade. Instead of a hood, she concealed her face with a tri-corner hat, matching black and lined with red on the outside. She'd also braided her mane, with a long ponytail and several smaller twisted braids branching off of it.

The look combined with the teasing smirk she wore made her fit perfectly as Mareveline de Grandpre, the former diamond dog slave turned Assassin during the Colonial days. Dusk had taken the Reneighssance Assassin. He'd even let Twilight perform a spell to give him the beginnings of a small beard to complete the look.

As well as learn a little bit of their character's respective languages for the night.

"Mia cara," he said, affecting his best Bitalian accent, "vuoi me l'onore di avermi permesso di scortare voi?"

"Je suis charmé, monsieur," she returned. "Je vais vous prendre sur cette offre plus tard."

"Worth it?" he asked in their common tongue.

"Worth it," she agreed, beaming. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I feel like I just wanna go jumping over the rooftops wearing this! Sneaking in the shadows and pouncing on our targets!"

"I have to say, the temptation strikes me too," he said. "I'm still surprised I managed to get you into the Assassin's Creed series."

"I am a little too," she said. "But it's a very interesting set of books. Not only does it have good story and characters, but the writer clearly did his research on the historical periods they take place in, so I can appreciate that too. It also raises some questions too. Like, is it really right to kill one in a bid to save many?"

"Indeed, and I like reading the stories of the different Assassins." He glanced down at his outfit. "They know how to dress too."

"We're lucky we have a friend like Rarity," said Twilight. "She really did a great job with these costumes." Her blade sprung out of her sleeve. "Too bad we had to buy the blades and weapons separately."

"Again, it was worth it," Dusk said.

"I'm not saying it wasn't," she countered. "Come on, let's see if Spike's done with his."

Their answer was waiting for them down in the main body of the library, swinging around a pair of wooden tomahawks and yelling every time he did. His costume was also white, though it was offset with lines of blue, making it look more like a military uniform. He wore high brown boots, fingerless brown gloves and parts of his coat were decorated with bird feathers.

For weapons, he had a bow and quiver on his back, two tomahawks and a hidden blade on his right arm like they did. However, he still didn't appear to notice them and continued to swing his tomahawk at invisible enemies.

"Yeah! Ha! Hiya! You want some, huh?! Well, come and…" He froze when he saw the two ponies watching from the stairs. "Uh… hey, guys. Uh… just getting in character?"

"I can see that," giggled Twilight.

"The eagle on our hoods would be hard pressed to match such grace," added Dusk.

"Oh, shut up," he grumbled. "I look cool and I wanna feel cool. Don't judge me."

"Okay, okay, calm down," urged Twilight, still suppressing giggles. "But you do look pretty good as Connor Kenhay, Spike."

"I thought so," he said. "This is way better than my other costume idea."

"Which was?" Dusk asked.

"A purple lizard."

"What?" Dusk blinked. "But… aren't you… never mind."

"Well, thank Dusk. This collective costume was his idea, after all," reminded Twilight. "I have to admit, I do kind of like this hat and it's nice to get my mane done differently for a night."

"And you're Ezio." Spike looked him over. "Wasn't he a bit of a charmer with the ladies?"

"Not around this lady, he isn't," said Twilight at once.

"Certainly not," replied Dusk. "Besides, I'm not the only guilty one. Didn't Mareveline use her womanly wiles on stallions on more than one occasion?"

"Only to get what she needed or to provide a distraction!" Twilight flushed. "But I see your point. I'll only ever use my wiles on you."

"Likewise for my charms," returned Dusk, nuzzling her.

"I don't think either of you have any charms or wiles," deadpanned Spike.

Dusk was going to retort, but a glance at the clock made him stop. He motioned to Twilight in its direction, who nodded.

"Almost time to meet the others. Alright then, mes amis, shall we get going?" asked Twilight.

"Oh yeah!" Spike pulled up his hood. "I'm so ready for this!"

"As am I," said Dusk. "And remember: where other ponies follow truth blindly, remember…"

"Nothing is true," completed Twilight.

"Where other ponies are bound by duty or morality, remember…"

"Everything is permitted," finished Spike. He frowned. "Man, we're dorks."

They exited the library, steeling away into the night. Dusk thought he glimpsed something pale in a nearby street as they left, but it was gone a second later. He ignored it and galloped with the others to the foot of a nearby building.

They paused when they reached it. When they'd discussed being in character, they intended to fill every aspect of that. Including free-galloping.

"So, do we want to try this?" asked Dusk.

"Well, there really should be no harm in it. We're not going to be attempting anything too reckless and you and I both have magic. I think we should be fine," she reasoned. "Plus, I did have a little look at a book so I do know one or two things."

"Obviously," remarked Dusk.

"Alright!" Spike stepped up and flexed his fingers. "Let the guy with proper dexterity try first."

"Be careful, Spike," cautioned Twilight.

They waited while he took a few minutes to perform some stretches and loosen up. He locked his eyes on a stack of crates. Spike took a couple of deep breaths, let out a cry and charged. He hopped at the last moment, grabbing on to the box. His legs dangled for a bit while he hauled himself up. Another hop onto the next one had a slight stumble, but he made it.

Dusk couldn't help but conceal a smirk. A glance around at Twilight told him that she was having the same reaction. None of them were exactly athletes, but it was still a little funny.

His glance revealed something else. That pale thing he'd seen out of the corner of his eye leaving the library before. But it was so dark and so far away, he could barely make it out. He squinted to try and get a better look. But he blinked and it was gone.

He cocked his head in the direction he'd seen it. Were his eyes getting bad again? Maybe it was just a trick of the light?

"Dusk?" Twilight had noticed his reaction. "Is something wrong?"

"It's…" He stopped himself, not wanting to make a fuss. "Never mind, it's nothing."

"You sure?" He nodded and she didn't press the issue. "Okay then. Come on, we'd better join Spike."

Dusk looked to see that he had reached the lowest incline of the roof, looking proud of himself. A pair of pink bouncing hooves and a teleportation spell later, he and Twilight had joined Spike. He looked a little disgruntled.

"Sure, fine. Use magic and take all the fun out of it," he muttered. "You wanna race to the square?"

"I don't think that would be wise, since none of us are parkour enthusiasts," advised Twilight, though she was smirking. "But we are up here to have fun. Let's be careful, but let's get going!"

As one, the group galloped across the rooftops. They reached a small gap to the next roof. Twilight jumped and teleported the rest of the way. Dusk conjured colour platforms for himself and Spike to join her. They ran across it and used a wall as a balance beam to cross the next gap, only with a little loss of balance.

It was really quite liberating. There were no restrictions to any path they could take, as long as they used their heads. Even Dusk's fear of flying gave a certain added element of thrill to the activity. He could feel the rush in his stomach whenever he made the jump. Plus, none of Ponyville's buildings were exactly skyscrapers.

They soon reached their destination: town hall. Starting from the bottom, they worked their way up. They worked together to reach the top, giving each other boosts and lift ups, making sure to keep the closest eye on Spike. Twilight teleported to ledges. Dusk ran across colour platforms and clambered onto flagpoles. Spike hauled onto his back and let himself be lifted up to be caught by Twilight and hefted to another ledge.

Within minutes, they reached the top. They stood at the edge, gazing out at the town square below. Ponies hustled and bustled around the many activities Nightmare Night had to offer, all dressed up in many colourful costumes for Nightmare Night. The rooftops stretched out before them, bathed in the glow of street lamps and Luna's stars and moon.

"Nice view," remarked Spike, holding onto a flagpole.

"It certainly is," agreed Dusk. "But we can't stay up here forever. We're here, now it's time for the next phase of our little game. We all know who our targets are?"

"We do," affirmed Twilight. "And our landing should be coming right about… ah, there it is!"

Three, interconnected carts trundled to the foot of the roof. They were all stacked with piles of hay.

"Let us take the plunge," announced Dusk.

With a rush of the wind and the feeling of his stomach rising up into his throat, he jumped. He had his magic ready just in case, but he was right on course for the hay. He enjoyed the sensation of falling before he landed with a soft 'thump' in the hay.

He stuck his head up and looked around at the other two. The rustling inside told him his fellow Assassins had made the leap too.

Twilight popped her head out of the haystack she was in. "Good landing, guys."

"And good timing," added Spike, climbing out. "Thanks, Big Mac."

"No problem," he nodded. The burly stallion pulled away the carts and the three of them shook hay out of their fur and scales.

"Alright boys," Twilight said, "you all know who you're looking for. We hide in plain sight, find them and meet at the fountain at the centre of town. Now, conceal yourselves and go."

They inclined their heads and glided off in different directions. Within seconds, Dusk lost sight of them and began to scan the crowds.

He moved casually and carefully, making sure every inch was covered. There was no need to draw attention. In his costume, he was just a part of the crowd. Nopony gave him a second glance. Perfect. Now, he just had to find her…

Now and again, he would glimpse that pale, white shape among the ponies. But he always dismissed it, for it was gone a second later. Just somepony in costume and wandering around, nothing to bother with. He focused on finding his first target.

He found her by the apple bobbing game. A fair number of ponies were gathered around it. He slipped into the group and waded through. He was either in the middle or at the back, his head low and concealed beneath his hood. At the very end, he slid out and hid behind the apple bobbing barrel. He was right on top of her.

He edged around, slipped out behind her and clicked his hidden blade on. He crossed the distance with a few strides, raised his hoof and held the blade to her throat. He felt her body tense and the ponies gasped at his sudden appearance.

"Requiesce in pace, Applejack," he murmured in her ear.

The farm pony relaxed and laughed. "Alright, sugarcube. You win. Now, quit the fancy talk an' lemme have a look at ya."

He pulled away and let her turn around. She'd done up her mane in pigtails and had disregarded her hat for the evening. In place of that, she wore a simple blue and white checker dress with a white shirt beneath it. Simple, yet it suited her.

"Very fetching, Applejack," he complimented. "You make an excellent Dorothy Bail."

"Thank ya kindly," she said. "An' you make a good… whatever it is yer meant ta be."

"Assassin."

"Yeah, that," she chuckled. She gestured to his blade hoof. "Jus' keep that there dohiggy away from me an' we'll be fine."

"Of course." He glanced about. "I don't suppose you've seen Ray anywhere, have you?"

"Not tonight," she answered. "He's really been lookin' forward ta Nightmare Night though, so he'll be around here somewhere."

"That's fine, I'm sure I can find him," he assured. "Head on over to the fountain, the others will be meeting us there shortly."

"Sure thing. Mind keepin' an eye on things here while ah'm gone, Granny?"

"Alright, but don't be gone too long, ya hear?" Granny Smith told her. She wore the black dress and hat of the Wicked Witch of the West and again, Dusk thought to be rather fitting.

He watched Applejack walk off and resumed his search. He kept an eye out for a flash of green or silver among the crowd, though he presumed Ray would be wearing a costume like everypony else. He had asked him about it, but the stallion would only answer with a mysterious smile and that he would have to 'wait and see'.

Dusk scanned the crowd intently. Witches, ghosts, ghouls, ninjas, zombies and all manner of other things passed by him. He recognised a few familiar faces. Lyra and Bon Bon were present, the former dressed as a giant hand and the latter as a sweet. Colgate was a zombie dentist nurse, a few blood splatters and some pale makeup applied to accentuate that. The Crusaders scampered by, Apple Bloom a scarecrow, Sweetie Belle a princess and Scootaloo a vampire.

All of these ponies and no sign of Ray. He wondered if Spike and Twilight were having better luck. Deciding that he might end up running into Ray at some point in the evening, he started to make tracks for the fountain. Until he felt a chill down his spine. He paused and slowly turned around.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dusk saw it again. That same pale shape he'd seen before. Only now it was a little closer and he could make out that it was a face. A very pale face. But he couldn't make out the features. It stood at the entrance to an alley… and it was staring right at Dusk.

He started for it, but somepony walked right by his face. When they passed, the shape was gone. But there was only one place it could have gone. Gently pushing by in the crowd, Dusk made for the alleyway. He was determined to see what was going on here.

He paused at the mouth of the alley. It was dark and he couldn't see much beyond it. He cast a couple of light orbs and they illuminated some dustbins and a dead end wall. Perhaps they were hiding behind them?

"Hello?" he called. "Is there anypony there?"

He searched the shadows that encompassed the area. It felt like there was something there. It was very faint, but it was something. From somewhere behind the bins.

Cautiously, Dusk edged forward. As he got closer to whatever was hiding, its presence in the shadows felt stronger. By some inclination, he extended his hidden blade and crouched low. The sounds of the ponies in the street faded away the closer he got, blanking out the world while he searched the darkness.

The bins rattled. Something moved behind them. His heart pounding, Dusk crept ever closer. He paused before the trio of bins. Whoever, or whatever was hidden, it was here. He tensed up, ready for it. He influenced the shadows, made them coil around whatever was hidden. It moved. It sprinted. Dusk spread his hooves-

He yelped when something screeched and darted past him. He watched it run up the wall and onto the roof, relief and embarrassment flooding through him. It was just a cat. It stopped to hiss at him and bounded away.

He looked back at the bins. He shook his head. The spirit of the night was really getting to him. He almost thought he'd found something sinister. Maybe he had just been seeing things before. Something else caught his eye he didn't see before. A piece of parchment on the dead end wall he hadn't noticed before.

He levitated it down to his eyes. It was very crude, bordering on a foal's drawing. Upon it was the representation of a pony's head, with no facial features. The exception was a pair of circles with crosses drawn through them. Upon it was written:

Don't look or IT takes you.

Dusk felt that chill up his spine again. He became aware of something casting a shadow behind him. A very long shadow. He turned to leave… and froze.

It was that face. That same, pale face staring down at him. Or it would be if it had any eyes. But there were none. No eyes, no mouth, no recognisable features. Completely and utterly blank. It towered over Dusk. Its hooves were just as pale, its body strangely thin. The black suit and tie it wore practically blended in with the dark, the shirt as pale as death.

Again, Dusk yelped and jumped back. The shadows coiled around him and his light orbs shone in defiance. He had read enough stories and folklore to know what he was facing and he wondered just how much good his magic would do in the face of it. The pale, featureless face of it.

Another cry escaped his lips when it vanished. It reappeared again, right in front of Dusk. He scrambled back… until he realised that the sound it made when it had vanished and returned sounded very familiar.

"Oh, very good," he praised the impassive face. "Very good indeed. You really had me convinced I was actually facing the Slender Mane, Ray."

It, or he rather, cocked his head to one side. Then, he performed an exaggerated shake of his head and began to shrink. Dusk could make out a faint mechanical whirring as the figure shrank until he was Dusk's height.

"Mmm mph mmm mm mph mmm?" a muffled voice asked.

"I can't make out a word you're saying," replied Dusk.

He groaned and pulled off the blank face mask, revealing the face and matted green fur of the stallion who wore it.

"I said, how did you know it was me?" he asked again.

"Firstly, because this is exactly the kind of costume you would wear," said Dusk. "And secondly, because your teleportation has a very distinctive sound that I've learned to recognise."

"Aw, come on!" he groaned, though his grin remained. "Still, gotta admit, it's pretty good. I already scared quite a few ponies tonight doing that."

"I can imagine," smirked Dusk.

"And hey, not so bad yourself," he praised. "Really nice details. But since when did you have a beard?"

"Since tonight," he answered. "Twilight spell number twenty-five: facial hair."

Ray cocked an eyebrow. "She's the student of one of the most powerful beings in Equestria, the Princess of the Sun… and she had her learning a spell on how to grow moustaches and beards?"

Dusk frowned. "You know, I never really looked at it that way."

"Guess the princess has weird taste." Under the lightness, Dusk could detect the hard note in his voice. "Anyways, we meeting the others or what?"

"Indeed we are. We're meeting at the fountain in the square," he told him.

"Actually, before we go can I ask you something? You know how you can make tentacles made of shadow?" he asked. "You think you'd be able to do it with my costume? You know, for added effect?"

"I'll… think about it," replied Dusk.

They headed back towards the fountain. When they arrived, Dusk saw that Twilight and Spike had returned too. Applejack was there too, along with a few others, all of them in costume too. Twilight was talking to Rainbow while Spike was marvelling Rarity. As per usual.

"Hey, there's our boys!" called Rainbow Dash. "What do you guys think then? How awesome do I look?"

Dusk looked her over. With her adventurer's jacket and pith helmet, it wasn't difficult to envisage who she was meant to be.

"You're the spitting image of the explorer herself," complimented Dusk.

"I know, right?" She posed a bit. "Yeah, it was a bit of a hassle putting all of this together but it was so worth it."

"Considering how much you love those books, I'm surprised you didn't dye your mane and fur to complete it," remarked Ray.

"I considered it, yeah. But I figure it was best to have two elements of awesome in one: her and me," she stated simply.

"Why am I not surprised?" Ray murmured in aside to Dusk.

"Doubtless, it is a most impressive effort indeed," praised Rarity. "Though you must admit, my costume is tres bon, non?"

Rarity wore a long, dark velvet gown, with a slit down the side for one of her legs to poke through. She wore heavy purple eye shadow, had her lashes straightened and her mane done up in a towering fashion, with a few strands hanging down. When her mouth opened, Dusk could make out the fangs that were poking out.

"I'll say," sighed Spike. "You look amazing…"

"Why thank you, Spikey-Wikey." She beamed with pride. "You see? Spike knows excellent attire when he sees it."

"And since when have you ever had trouble getting Spike's praise?" asked Ray.

"Considering that this is the smartest thing I've ever seen you wear and even then, that's being generous, I wouldn't expect you to understand," she countered.

"Whatever, snob."

"Ruffian," she sniffed. "But I must say, Dusk, you, Twilight and Spike look spectacular indeed."

"Weren't you the one that made the costumes in the first place?" asked Applejack.

"There are two elements to any ensemble, Applejack: how well you make it and how well you wear it," she said wisely. "And they wear them very well, don't you agree?"

"You really did a great job on making them, Rarity," complimented Twilight. "They're exactly like we wanted."

"Happy to do it, darling. Just so long as you keep those blades as far from me as possible."

"First rule of the Creed: stay your blade from the innocent," recited Twilight.

"Geek," sniggered Rainbow.

"So what does that make you, I wonder?" retorted Dusk.

Rainbow opened her mouth, closed it again and grumbled incoherently. The rest of them laughed before Twilight spoke again.

"Okay, sorry to cut this short, but Dusk, Ray and I have to go and pick up Fluttershy," she announced. "Come on, boys. See you all later."

Applejack returned to the games she was manning, Rainbow flew off to start some pranks and Rarity sauntered off into the crowd. Spike pulled up his hood, waved them off and snuck away. The three of them made tracks out of town along the country road toward Fluttershy's cottage. Nightmare Night was going to be something of a date for the two of them, the first one really and Dusk and Twilight had agreed to see him to her cottage before going to do their own activities. For moral support if nothing else.

While they walked, Ray told them about when he had been present for the Apple Family Reunion a few days ago. It had apparently been quite a lively affair, in more ways than one. The highlight had been when they'd all worked together to help repair the destroyed barn and Ray had even let his feelings about random bursts of song be put aside to join in. They'd even asked him to spend a meal with them at the end of it.

Dusk smiled at the tone that had made its way into Ray's voice. He didn't say anything outright, but Dusk could sense it clear as day. For the first time, Ray had really felt like he was part of some kind of family. Quite a change from the lonely wanderer he'd been when Dusk had first met him. He made a mental note to thank Applejack on his behalf.

The closer they got to the cottage, the more apprehensive Ray became. He wasn't often nervous, but Dusk could see he was faintly shivering and it wasn't from the cold. He also rubbed his hoof on the back his head more than he usually did.

Twilight picked up on it too and smiled at him encouragingly. "You're going to be fine, Ray."

"Huh?" He whipped his head at her and forced a smile. "Yeah, of course I will! I mean, she already likes me, still not really sure how that happened but it's good, you know? I still can't believe that she doesn't like Nightmare Night. Actually, I can get why, of course I can. That's just how she is, you know? I mean, I somehow managed to convince her to come out, so I-"

"Ray, if you keep this up, you could contest with Twilight for nervous ramblings."

"Hey!" she protested.

"Am I wrong?" Dusk challenged.

She started to say something, but clamped her mouth shut. A faint flush coloured her cheeks. The cottage was now in sight and Dusk took the time to reassure Ray.

"This will sound cliché, but just be yourself and you'll be fine," advised Dusk. "Relax and enjoy yourselves."

"Okay. Okay, yeah." He took a couple of deep breaths. "Thanks, guys."

"Our pleasure." Twilight knocked on the door. "Just try to have fun."

It was about a minute before the door finally opened and a very nervous Fluttershy stepped out. She wore a simple, one-piece rabbit costume coloured in white. Her whole body was shaking, her eyes darting fearfully from side to side.

"H-h-h-hello, everypony," she stammered. "S-s-s-sorry t-t-to keep you all w-w-waiting."

"It's okay, Fluttershy," smiled Twilight. "That's a really adorable costume."

"Indeed," agreed Dusk. "A bunny rabbit really suits you, little sister."

"I dunno. It would have been better if you were a Playcolt bun- ow!" Ray was cut off by Twilight sharply nudging his side. "Joke, joke, just a joke! But yeah you, uh look really cute, Flutters."

"Oh my…" She blushed, relaxing a little. "Thank you, Ray. Um, yours is very… smart."

At this, Ray smirked. Dusk couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding from it and Twilight glanced at him unsurely. His horn glowed and he teleported away before anypony could stop him.

"Oh dear." Fluttershy looked worried at his sudden disappearance. "W-was it something I sai- EEEP!"

She scurried behind Twilight when Ray suddenly reappeared wearing his Slender Mane mask. He started to laugh, but quickly stopped when he saw Fluttershy shivering Twilight.

"Hey, hey, Flutters, it's cool. It's just me." He pulled off the mask quickly. "See? Just giving the full effect of my costume."

"O-oh… o-o-okay. Oh dear…" She continued to shiver. "D-d-does it have to b-be so… scary? I-I mean, i-it's nice and all b-but couldn't you be s-s-something nicer o-or cuter?"

Ray laughed a little. "No offense, Flutters, but cute isn't really what I have in mind for tonight. Don't worry, this is gonna be fun, I promise."

"O-oh…" A fearful expression crossed her face while Ray's smile faltered.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you so badly. I won't wear my mask while you're around, okay?" he offered.

"O-okay." Very tentatively, she emerged from behind Twilight. "S-sorry."

"It's fine. I am too," he said. "Come on, let's go and have some fun."

"R-right." She put on a brave smile and hurried to his side, still shivering a little.

While they walked on ahead, Dusk and Twilight hung back, speaking in low voices to each other.

"Not exactly a great start," said Twilight.

"In retrospect, we did tell him just to be himself," noted Dusk.

"Touché." She frowned at Ray. "I just hope he tries to be a little more tactful. Fluttershy's really mustered up a lot of courage to come out on Nightmare Night, but it won't take much for her to freak out completely."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," said Dusk. "Ray knows how sensitive she is. I'm sure he'll try and be tactful."

"Hopefully," she said. "But I still have my worries. If not with Ray, then with everypony else."

To Ray's credit, he was doing best to make Fluttershy feel better. He let her walk side by side with him and he was making remarks and jokes that elicited many smiles and giggles from her. Dusk and Twilight did their bit to make her feel relaxed and it seemed to be working. At least she didn't look as terrified.

When Ponyville was in sight again, she started to shiver again and she looked like she was going to attempt to flee and hide. But instead, she nestled deeper into Ray's side and stood her ground. Her reaction wasn't missed on Ray.

"Don't worry, Flutters," he assured while they approached the town. "Trust me, Nightmare Night is the best."

"B-b-but… everything looks so d-d-different… and scary," she whimpered.

"It's all the same ponies who live here every day, Fluttershy," comforted Twilight. "They're just wearing costumes. It's like when we dressed up for the Gala, only less fancy."

"And not every costume is scary," piped in Dusk. "You're an example of that and I hardly think Twilight and I are especially terrifying."

"I s-suppose," she murmured. "I-I'm going to t-try."

"Great! Now, let's…" Ray paused. "Hold on, what in the hay is this doing here?"

Dusk looked to see what he meant. A large cake was in the street blocking their path and it certainly wasn't there before. It was double layered and tall enough to be at their head heights. The batter was a light pink and the frosting a darker shade. 'Happy Birthday!' was written in bright green icing along its circumference.

"Good question." Twilight leaned in for a closer look. "Who would leave a birthday cake he-AAAAAAGGGH!"

Twilight screamed, Dusk jumped and Fluttershy squealed and hid behind Ray who was gobsmacked when the cake suddenly sprang up with a shower of confetti from the top. It sprouted four legs and a giggling, snorting head.

"Pinkie!" Twilight yelled. "What in the world is this?!"

"My costume, silly!" she giggled. "I'm a surprise birthday cake!"

"Why… would you dress as a cake?" asked Ray.

"Because they're delicious and severely underrepresented as Nightmare Night costumes. They can be scary too," she said matter-of-factly. "I mean, I surprised you guys, didn't I?"

"She's not wrong," noted Dusk.

"Exactly," she nodded. "Now, I'm gonna see who else I can surprise. Happy Nightmare Night, everypony!"

Humming happily, she trotted off and disappeared around the corner. The four of them stared after her, still not quite sure how to process what happened.

"Don't question it?" suggested Dusk.

"Agreed," replied Twilight. "Let's get going."

But one of their number was still shivering and hiding behind her coltfriend.

"You okay there, Flutters?" Ray asked.

She yelped again. "I-I-I'm fine," she stammered. "Sh-she just startled me."

"Don't worry about it," Ray assured her. "I'm sure that won't happen again."

"R-really?" she asked hopefully.

"Yep. Pinkie's had her fun, but there'll be more stuff like that in store for you," he said excitedly. "That's the fun of Nightmare Night!"

Her eyes shrank in their sockets. "Oh my goodness…"

"Alright, let's get going! See you two later!" With that, he grabbed her hoof and teleported away.

"I hope your confidence isn't misplaced, Dusk," said Twilight.

Dusk nodded. "You're not the only one."

The sudden teleportation and the feelings that always came with it made Fluttershy shriek in fear again.

"Woah, hey, calm down, Flutters," urged Ray. "Just trying to get us around a little faster."

"I-I know," she stammered. "B-But it was j-just so… sudden. I-It startled me…"

"Not really difficult to do, huh?" he remarked. "Sorry, that was kinda my bad. I should have given more of a warning. How about we just walk around like normal ponies the rest of the night, okay?"

"Th-That sounds b-better," she agreed, with a reluctant smile. "S-So um, where to first?"

"Hmm." Ray thought for a moment. "How about we just start with some apple bobbing? It's simple and fun, you can get yourself a snack if you win and Applejack will be there."

"That sounds fun," she said. "It'll be nice to see her."

He waited until she was at his side before setting off. "Yeah, just so long as she doesn't try to convince me to change my costume again and be the Scarecrow instead."

"Didn't you know she enjoys the Alicorn of Oz?" she asked.

"I'll admit I didn't know until a couple of days ago," he said. "But since then, she's been bugging me nonstop about dressing up as that guy and helping her with the games."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because no way in Tartarus am I working on my favourite night of the year and I don't think I could stand her singing If I Only Had A Brain for the whole night. I swear, if I hear it one more time I might just hang her up in a cornfield. And probably lose my job immediately after."

Fluttershy giggled and Ray indulged mentally in this little victory. So things had been at kind of a rocky start, but he was hoping to bring it back and make this fun. His stomach was still doing backflips at the thought of being on a date with Fluttershy and that she was even his marefriend in the first place, but it certainly wasn't unpleasant.

It had taken a lot of convincing to get her to come out tonight. When the others had told him that Fluttershy never left her cottage on Nightmare Night for anything, he wasn't all that surprised. But when she'd literally frozen at the very idea when he proposed it to her, even he was astonished at the absolute terror she held about the mere thought of venturing out.

At first, she'd tried to suggest that maybe he could stay with her in the cottage for the night with a very heavy blush and an even quieter voice than normal. But Ray had begged and begged, even going on hooves and knees to get her to come. He'd said how much he loved Nightmare Night and since they hadn't had a proper date yet, he felt it was a perfect opportunity. He promised her it would be fun and even tried to do big puppy dog eyes.

In the end, she'd conceded and he was going to make sure she didn't regret it. He'd been nervous at first and still was, but he was in his element on Nightmare Night. This was going to be fun. But it was best to start with something small and simple to ease her into it, so apple bobbing was the best bet.

They spied Applejack by the buckets who was seeing of a group of fillies. She saw them and waved them over.

"Evenin' Ray, Fluttershy," she greeted. "How're things goin'?"

"They're um, good," replied Fluttershy tentatively. "We saw Pinkie o-on the way in."

"Gotta say, I ain't seen her yet," said Applejack. "What's she dressed as anyhow? So ah can keep an eye open?"

"Let me put it this way: you see a birthday cake suddenly appear where it wasn't before, don't try to cut yourself a piece," advised Ray.

"Ah'll bear that in mind," she chuckled. "Feel like bobbin' fer an apple then?"

"Just try and stop me!" challenged Ray.

"Alright then." She smirked at him when he approached the barrel. "But if yer bobbin's as good as yer buckin', ah ain't holdin' much hope."

Ray returned the smirk and plunged his head into the cold green water which he hoped very strongly was just for effect. It only took a couple of seconds before he emerged victorious with a Golden Delicious caught in his mouth. He took a triumphant bite and looked smugly at Applejack, who smiled coyly.

"Well done, Ray. Ya won at a game that even foals an' fillies have no trouble with."

"Age is no measure of how much skill you can have," he argued.

"Now if ya can jus' use that 'skill' when yer in the orchard, ya might actually get a decent day's work done."

"Don't pray for a miracle," quipped Ray. "Your turn, Flutters."

"R-Right." She approached the barrel and looked warily at the water. "Um, is it supposed to be that colour?"

"Don't worry, Fluttershy. It's jus' food colourin'. This here's regular if slightly less appetizin' water," she assured. "And them apples are fresh. Go right ahead, it's fine, no different than one-a Pinkie's parties."

With a nervous glance, she slowly lowered her head to the water. She squeaked and flinched a little at the cold, but Ray gave her an encouraging smile. She tried again and after about ten seconds, she re-emerged with an apple in her teeth.

She dropped it when she beamed. "I got one! Yay!"

"See? Not so bad, huh?" asked Ray.

"No, not at all." Emboldened, she tried again and came back up with another prize. "I got another one!"

"Um, Flutters? That's not an apple," Ray told her.

She looked at what was in her mouth and squealed at the skull between her teeth. It dropped to the floor with a squeak.

"What in the hay?" Applejack picked it up. "Oh gosh darn it! Rainbow was here before while ah was talkin' ta a couple-a ponies an' she left with a mighty big smile on her face. Looks like now ah know why."

"That sounds like her. At least it's just the one, right?"

Applejack looked at a now nervous Fluttershy. "Uh… lemme check."

Applejack plunged her head into the bucket three separate times and pulled out various items each time. A pair of rubber eyeballs, another rubber skull. The last one she came out with a yelp with a pair of chattering teeth clamped to her muzzle.

"Darn it!" she cursed again, yanking them off. "Looks like ah'm gonna have ta clear these out in case somepony gets another nasty surprise. Sorry, you two."

Looking at an apprehensive Fluttershy and Applejack's findings, Ray knew it was probably best to find some other activity that hopefully wouldn't end up freaking her out.

"It's fine. We can find something else to do," said Ray. "Come on, Flutters."

"R-Right." She glided to his side. "Th-That wasn't nice…"

"Just Rainbow being Rainbow. Gotta say, putting freaky stuff in the apple bobbing. That's pretty inspired, surprised I never thought of doing it. But it's still bad she ended up scaring you," he added quickly.

"Thanks. I'm sorry we had to go so soon," she apologised. "I just… I didn't want to know w-what else I might have p-pulled out."

"Maybe the plug?" Ray joked.

"Oh dear, that wouldn't be good," she giggled, looking relaxed again. "Derpy told me about how she did that last year."

"Then it's a good thing you didn't," he said. "It's fine, we can still have fun. Let's try spider tossing over there."

He led her to the basket of spiders opposite some string webs a few feet away. Maybe she'd like this.

"This one's pretty easy." He demonstrated by tossing a spider to the web. "See? Wait, you're not scared of spiders, are you?"

"N-No. Spiders are fine. A-Apart from the big ones in the E-Everfree F-Forest," she said quickly. She picked one up and gave it a gentle toss. It barely flew forward. "O-Oh…"

"Come on Flutters, you can do better than that. You gotta really chuck them, like this." He gave another demonstration, the spider landing between the outer part and the centre of the web.

"O-Okay." She gave it another throw and this one actually hit the web.

"There you go!" He threw another one and it landed in the same spot. "We're just sending them back home."

"I s-suppose that helps," she said. The next one she threw was closer to the middle. "Th-This is pretty fun, really."

Ray internally hoof-pumped at this victory. "From what I heard from Dusk, it was even better last year when Luna had a go at this."

"I heard a little about that too," said Fluttershy, getting another spider. "They said she was trying to reconnect with the ponies and show them she wasn't Nightmare Moon anymore."

"Didn't exactly go about it very well though," said Ray. "I mean, I don't know what things were like in her time, but I don't see how bringing toy spiders to life with magic is meant to bring you widespread popularity."

"Sh-She did that?"

"Oh yeah, with this game. Zapped them with alicorn magic and made them come alive. All hairy and massive, crawling all over the place and staring with big glowing red eyes. Bad enough with just one, but you can see all of those ones in the bowl. Imagine all of them scuttling all over the place, crawling up your legs in droves! Too bad I hadn't arrived in town yet, I'd have loved to have seen it! Maybe I can-!

He stopped talking when he looked around and saw Fluttershy had frozen in place. She was staring in abject terror at the toy spider in her hoof and giving fearful glances at the ones in the bowl. Ray slapped himself mentally and approached her.

"You know- whoa, easy, easy," he assured when she jumped at his touch. "It's okay, they're fake. They're not gonna come to life. Hey uh, how about we go somewhere else instead?"

"Y-Yes please," she stammered, dropping the spider back the bowl.

"Wanna head to the town square? There's meant to be a little dance thing going on there," he suggested. "If you wanna dance with me, that is."

"Oh, that sounds lovely!" she said enthusiastically and blushed. "I-I mean, i-if you want to, of course."

"If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have suggested it," he said smartly. "May I escort you to the ball, Cindershy?"

"I would be honoured, Prince Ray," she said, playing along.

"Eugh, no," he said at once, though he was smirking. "Don't even say that, not even in kidding."

"Lord Ray?"

"Stop it."

"Sir Ray?"

"If you weren't so adorable, I'd do something really horrible to you right now."

She blushed even more. "Y-You… you think I'm adorable?"

"Um…" That had been more of a slip. "Well, yeah. You're adorable, o-of course you are."

She didn't say anything and he was worried for a moment. Then, she smiled and nuzzled his cheek, snuggling into his side. The worry dissolved away and the grin that lit up Ray's face was enormous.

A band was set up on a stage in the town square with instruments like a piano and a violin. A fair sized gathering of ponies were dancing in front of the stage and from what Ray could hear, the music they were playing was pretty distant. It had a beat and you could dance to it anyway.

He was already bobbing his head and tapping his head to the rhythm. He wasn't exactly an expert dancer, but that didn't stop him. Or Twilight for that matter, if you could call that dancing. He moved his head in time and his hooves to the beat, throwing an encouraging smile at his marefriend.

She was a little nervous at first, but fluttered next to him and began to sway. Hers was simple too, just moving her legs and head like a tree's branches caught in a breeze but it was still a beautiful sight to Ray. At least she looked like she was having fun. Like the first time they'd danced at the Hearts and Hooves Dance at Sweet Apple Acres.

"Nice moves, Flutters," he complemented when they danced opposite each other.

"Thank you," she said warmly. "Y-You're very good too."

"Well, quick hooves have always been a necessity for me."

"Because you were on the road so much?"

"Yep and there have been a couple of places that for some reason didn't want me around for one reason or another."

"I honestly can't think why," she giggled.

"Tell that to the Mayor of Trottingham when I accidentally teleported in his house while his wife was in the shower."

She giggled harder. "Oh my goodness!"

"Not exactly the words she had in mind," he laughed.

"Why hello again, Ray. And Fluttershy! Delightful to see you out tonight!" greeted Rarity's voice from behind them.

"Oh, hello Rarity." She turned to greet her. "Nice to see you- EEP!"

She scurried back from Rarity when she saw her dressed in her vampire getup.

"Oh come now, darling it's only me," said Rarity. "I know this isn't exactly my most vibrant outfit, but it's no cause for alarm."

"S-Sorry," she stammered. "I-It looks um… nice."

"Why, thank you. Perhaps you should dress as a vampire next year, Fluttershy," she suggested. "I think you'd suit it."

"Well um… if you think so," she murmured. "I'm n-not sure though…"

"I think you'd look great," said Ray. He smiled as she blushed and looked to Rarity. "Where's Spike? I figured he'd be with you."

"I saw him running by a few moments ago. I asked what was going on but he wouldn't specify what for, he merely said that I'd see soon enough," she told them. "I suppose Nightmare Night is full of surprises."

As if on cue, the light of the stars started to fade and darkness set in. A fierce wind howled through the streets. They looked up to see dark clouds gathering overhead, but not in any natural way. They formed a spiral through which something was coming through and hurtling towards them. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the sky.

The assembled ponies looked up in fright. The spectacle was gathering more to the scene. They all whispered and murmured to each other, but nopony seemed like they were going to run. Ray could hear Fluttershy whimpering next to him and was about to say something to her when he finally got a good look at what was coming toward them.

It was a chariot, pulled by a pair of bat ponies at a breakneck speed. A dark figure sat at the helm. It halted just above the town square and a few more bat ponies rained from the skies, four of them making for the square. Ponies hurried to make way for them and backed off, leaving a sizable spot in the crowd. The occupant of the chariot leaped out and slammed into the ground, hunched over.

Ray told Fluttershy to stay with Rarity and teleported to the front of the crowd to get a closer look at the pony. As it rose, Ray was shocked. Fur black as the night. A gaseous mane peppered with starlight. An armoured crest decorated with a crescent moon, with a helm covering her head. Cold, slit eyes and a long, sharp horn, her presence radiating with power.

Even Ray knew Nightmare Moon when he saw her.

"CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE! HEED MY WORDS!" she bellowed. "BEHOLD! I HAVE REGAINED THE USE OF MY DARK POWERS! I HAVE OVERTHROWN MY SISTER! THE NIGHT SHALL REIGN SUPREME FOREVER! BOW BEFORE ME, AS MY LOYAL SUBJECTS AND YOU SHALL BE TREATED BENEVOLENTLY UNDER MY DARK RULE!"

Everypony immediately sank to their knees. They shook and shivered. Their eyes were screwed up, a few were whimpering. They all bowed. All except for one.

Though he was small, among the kneeling crowd Spike stood taller than anypony. His expression was defiant, his back was straight and his bow was drawn.

Nightmare Moon locked eyes on him. "SO! THIS IS ONE WHO WOULD DARE TO DEFY ME? IS THIS ALL?"

"It's all that's needed!" Spike loosed the arrow. The sucker end hit her carriage and he pulled out his tomahawk. "For the freedom of Equestria!"

With an almighty battle cry, he charged. He weaved around kneeling ponies, jumped and bounded off of them. He never broke his stride, never faltered for a moment. He kept on going, no matter what might get in his way.

Until he was levitated off the ground by a dark blue aura of magic. His legs ran in thin air for a bit before they hung limp. He hovered before the dark princess, still defiant.

"Was that your best, little dragon?" she sneered. "Is that all you have to offer?"

"Yeah, pretty much," shrugged Spike.

"Ha!" she barked. "And what would you call that? A last stand? A desperate bid for freedom?"

"Nope," he replied. "A distraction."

Nightmare Moon's smile slackened. She suddenly became aware of another shadow falling across her from above. She turned to see the figure soaring over her carriage, a hoof drawn back across the chest and coming right at her.

She dropped Spike, but it was like she moved in slow motion. She just wasn't fast enough.

The hooded figure slammed into her, pinning her to the ground. The drawn back hoof was now at her throat. She gasped, made a few choking sounds and flailed her legs. Then, her body went limp and her eyes glazed over.

The figure raised its head and Ray could make out lavender in the shadows, closing her eyes respectfully.

"Rest in peace, Princess Luna," murmured Twilight.

She rose from the body and Spike stood at her side. The guards had snapped out of their stupor and were bringing their spears to bear on her. But they didn't even flinch.

"We work in the dark," she recited.

"To serve the light," continued Spike.

The shadows stirred behind them and Dusk appeared between them, his horn aglow and three colour orbs floating near him.

"We are Assassins," he finished.

"Get them!" a guard bellowed.

The orbs flashed and Ray had to avert his eyes from the burst of light. By the time it faded, they were gone. The guards gazed around wildly while everypony else slowly got to their hooves, murmuring and whispering.

"There they are!" one guard shouted. "After them!"

They galloped through the crowd, barging by them. Ray turned to see the three of them flee in separate directions. It was very brief before they were gone and the quintet of guards split up to follow each target.

The silence dragged on for quite a while. In the end, Ray broke it.

"I'm sorry, what?" He looked around in confusion. "Did everypony else see that or was that one of my weird fantasies playing out again?"

"Quite a show, was it not?" To everypony's astonishment, Nightmare Moon got to her hooves. But when she removed her helmet, Princess Luna stood before them, a mischievous smile glinting on her face. "I have to say, they were quite convincing. It will be interesting to see if they evade my Shadow Guard."

"Wait, wait, wait… so, that was just an act?" he realised.

"Indeed and a most convincing one, if I do say so myself," remarked Luna, then in a louder voice. "Fear not, good citizens of Ponyville! 'Tis I, your Princess of the Night! We were merely participating in the spirit of this most wonderful of nights! Come, let us return to the festivities!"

Now that they realised that there was no real danger and it was just a good scare, the ponies started to calm down. A few foals and fillies galloped up to greet Princess Luna, a little foal with a Trottingham accent being particularly excited to see her and she him.

Ray couldn't help but grin. This night really was the best. But it faltered when he looked to see Rarity approach, but with no Fluttershy in tow.

"Where's-?"

"Ray, I'm so sorry!" she cut off. "I tried to calm her down, but the poor dear was just so overcome! She ran that way! You should still be able to catch her!"

Ray didn't need to be told twice. He galloped away and teleported mid-step, making Lyra and Bon Bob scream when he suddenly appeared. He quickly glanced around and zapped away again, knowing she'd be hurrying to her cottage. A few more teleportation trips took him to the road that went there, just in time to see something whiz past him.

"Flutters! Fluttershy, wait!" She didn't and he had to appear directly in front of her. "It was only Princess Luna, it's fine. Look, let's head back to town and-"

"No!" she cried. "I-I-I'm sorry, Ray b-but… I don't want to! I-I know you t-tried your best, b-but so much has sc-scared and startled me tonight I just… I just want to go home…"

Ray was stunned at this. "Fluttershy…"

"I-I'm s-sorry but… n-now you c-c-can have fun w-without me s-spoiling your night…" She screwed up her eyes and galloped by him. "I'm sorry…"

"Flutters, wait!" he begged. "I thought you were having fun. With the games and the dancing, I thought you were enjoying yourself!"

"I was, I r-really was," she insisted. "B-But then s-something w-would happen and… I don't l-like being scared like that so many times. I-I know some ponies do b-but… I don't."

"B-But… that's what makes it fun," he reasoned desperately. "That's what Nightmare Night is all about…"

"That's why I never liked it," she murmured. "Thank you f-for trying, Ray and I-I'm sorry but… I j-just want to go. I'm sorry…"

And she ran off again, her sobs growing fainter with every second. This time, he let her go and slumped dejectedly on the road. He bashed his head a couple of times off the ground and left it there for a bit.

"Well," he said to himself, "I screwed up…"

"It seems you are troubled, Ray Strike." He looked up to see Princess Luna had found him. "Most troubled indeed."

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked her.

"Long enough to have witnessed what happened," she answered. "I saw you hurry away and flew after you when I'd heard of Fluttershy's distress. I cannot help but feel some responsibility for that."

"Why would that be, I wonder?" he snapped. He glanced back and saw her cold glare. "Oh, um… what I meant was-"

But her expression softened. "No. In this case, you are right to be frustrated with me. It seems I have played my part in what has happened. I am sorry for this unpleasant turn of events, Ray."

"It's fine," he sighed. "You didn't know. I should have though…"

"Hm." She looked him over. "I must say, yours is a strange costume. I thought you would have been more creative than just to wear a suit."

He didn't say anything, but he did put on the mask for the full effect.

"Ah, now I see," she realised. "A most familiar sight indeed."

"Wait…" He pulled off the mask and stared. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, as they say, every legend and myth has some foundation of truth," she said mysteriously.

"So… you're saying that… no. No, no, no way," he insisted, though he was fighting a smile.

"I shall say no more," Luna said. "Some things are better left unsaid and some questions unanswered."

He groaned in frustration. "Ugh, what is it with you higher types and riddles?"

Luna laughed and looked off in the direction Fluttershy had fled. "She hid from me as well when I first came here on Nightmare Night," she recalled. "The young one has fear, yet it makes her strength all the greater when she uses it. I am glad to see that is the case in realising her feelings for you and yours for her."

"No offense, Princess, but things aren't exactly looking up for me here regarding that," he replied.

"Permit me to ask you this. What is that you enjoy about Nightmare Night, Ray?" asked Luna.

"You mean apart from free candy?" he said. That earned a smile. "Honestly, back where I came from, it was one of the few times I could actually have some fun. Grab a cheap mask and a cape and actually blend in with the crowd without any death glares. Have some actual fun, you know? Since nopony knew who I was under it. Plus, I was able to get a little payback by pranking my bullies."

"I see," she nodded. "So for you, this a special night which is why you wanted to share it with Fluttershy?"

"Yeah," he murmured. "I know how she feels about it, but I really wanted to show her a good time and maybe try and change her mind about it. Guess we know how well that turned out."

"And so now your intention is to merely give up and mope?" she challenged.

He frowned. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"Exactly," she said. "You didn't let my student do the same and I hardly think you should."

"But… what should I do?" he asked unsurely. "I'm kinda new to this whole dating thing."

"In my view, 'dating' is almost no different to being good friends," reasoned Luna. "There's simply more closeness involved."

"In every sense," smirked Ray.

"Indeed. Therefore, I would say the solution is simple. She's tried to do what you enjoy, now I think it's time for you to do the same," she advised. "Maybe then a solution will present itself."

With that and a mysterious little smile, Luna spread her wings and took off back towards the town.

He stopped at her door and knocked. There was no response.

"Fluttershy? You there?" Again, nothing. "Look, uh… I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry you got scared so much and sorry for a… well, kinda crappy first date. I'm not gonna try and make you come out, but I still wanna spend time with you tonight. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't. So… whatever you want to do, I'm fine with. Really, I am."

There was silence for a few moments, filled only by the ambient sounds of crickets and various other animals around the cottage. At first, Ray thought she wasn't going to let him in.

His heart leaped when the knob turned and she peered through the crack. She stood back and let him inside. He noticed her rabbit costume discarded in a heap by the door. Once he was inside and she closed the door, she returned to her couch and made a space next to her, looking at him hopefully.

Ray smiled. "Okay then."

He took off his suit and joined her. Ray wasn't a complete stranger to romance that he didn't know what snuggling was. Heck, Dusk and Twilight did it enough times when they were all together. But being here now with her, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the steady beat of her heart and her contented breathing… yeah, this was pretty nice.

They didn't say anything. For what seemed like hours, they just lay there together in silence. The animals of her cottage gave her some respectful privacy. Or they were scared because they could sense Ray's 'roommate' and that was always the case with animals. Either way, Ray was grateful. He'd glimpsed Angel giving him a death glare across the room but he returned it and the rabbit backed off.

He honestly didn't understand at all how she was able to manage that guy. But other than it was pretty peaceful.

Even so, he found himself glancing over at their discarded costumes. He'd been really looking forward to messing around with some ponies as the Slender Mane. Sure, he'd managed to freak out Dusk and a few others, but there was so much more. He was willing to put aside for Fluttershy, but then he couldn't even enjoy the rest of the festivities.

He wasn't angry at her, just kind of disappointed. His constant glancing didn't go unnoticed.

"You're missing it, aren't you?" she asked.

He sighed. "Yeah, kinda. It is my favourite night of the year, you know? But it's fine, it'll come again next year."

"I still feel bad about it though," she confessed. "You really did try your best to make sure I had fun and I feel like I'm keeping you from everything."

"It's fine, really," he insisted. "Unless, you know, there's something else I can do to convince you to try again?"

"Hmm…" She pursed her lips. "Well… would you be willing to wear a different costume? Something less… scary?"

"Huh?" He was legitimately surprised by her suggestion, but grinned nonetheless. "Y-Yeah, sure! Aw, thanks Fluttershy, you're the best! So, what did you want me to wear instead?"

"Well," she said, a sly smile working its way onto her face, "I did have a spare costume here…"

"Are you sure they're okay, Luna?" Dusk asked her.

All of them, barring Ray and Fluttershy, had gathered at the town square once more with the Princess. Rarity had told them how Fluttershy had ran off out of fright and Dusk, Twilight and Spike were the last to hear about it after they'd ended their 'chase' with Luna's guard. They were concerned with what had happened, but Luna had put their minds at ease.

"I am certain, Dusk," she answered. "I understand your concern, but I think those two would appreciate their privacy at the moment."

"Very well. Thank you for talking to Ray, Luna," he said sincerely.

"It was my pleasure," she said. "After all, is that not what friends are for?"

"I still feel sorry for the poor dear," said Rarity. "She really was in quite a state during that little display of yours."

"That was totally awesome though!" praised Rainbow. "Watched the whole thing from a cloud and it was pretty sweet."

"Not as sweet fer Fluttershy though," put in Applejack. "Least ways ah hope Ray has enough sense in him ta make some sorta way-a makin' it up ta her."

"I guess not everypony likes to be scared on Nightmare Night," sighed Pinkie. "I feel bad for giving her fright when she came into town."

"It wasn't your fault, Pinkie," comforted Spike. "You were just having a little fun. You didn't mean anything bad by it."

"It's just that everything became too much for her," reasoned Twilight. "I hope they're both okay."

"We are. Thank you for being concerned, everypony," a familiar voice said.

They all looked to see, with great surprise, Fluttershy arriving on the scene and looking in high spirits.

"Fluttershy!" Pinkie barrelled her into a hug. "You're okay!"

"Yes, I am, Pinkie," she said happily. "I hope I didn't worry you all too much."

"It's perfectly fine, darling. I'm simply pleased to see you looking so much better," said Rarity. "What made you change your mind?"

"Yeah and where's Ray?" asked Rainbow. "No way he isn't with you."

"Oh, he is. He's just being a little slow." She looked back. "Come on, slowpoke."

"Do I have to?" Ray's voice moaned from behind some crates.

"Come on, it's fine. It's just our friends," she said gently.

A moment passed. Something stirred and very, very slowly, Ray stepped into the light. It took a second or two to realise he wasn't wearing the same costume as before. When they did, a good number of them burst out in fits of laughter.

From within his one-piece brown bunny costume, Ray's fur looked like it had changed colour from how red his face was.

"'Just our friends?'" he repeated darkly.

"Well, I think you look cute," said Fluttershy, standing beside him. "See? We match."

"Oh my, Ray!" tittered Rarity. "You look absolutely darling!"

"You wanna a carrot, widdle bunny wabbit?" snorted Rainbow, clutching her sides.

"Ooh, he's sooo cute!" cooed Pinkie, rubbing her hooves on his cheeks. "Ooh, I just wanna mush his widdle chubby cheeks!"

"I'm not gonna live this down, am I?" moaned Ray.

"Well, the maid thing was getting old anyway," sniggered Rainbow. "Now, we got some new material."

"Most excellent," remarked Luna, managing to keep a straight face. "And I think a valuable lesson has been learned here."

"Yeah," nodded Ray. "I guess I learned-"

"That ya look better with long ears?" Ray waited until Applejack stopped laughing. "Sorry. Go on, sugarcube."

"Thanks," he deadpanned. "Anyway, yeah… goes without saying that everypony's got something they don't like while you may absolutely love it. Despite that, you can still be good friends and you can always find a way to accept and compromise each other's differences. After all, they're what make you special. Or some sort of sappy thing like that."

"Not how I would have put it, but that's a good lesson and one for couples too," added Twilight. "I'm sure that'll make a good letter to the princess."

"You want me to make a note of that now?" asked Spike.

"There'll be time for that later," said Dusk. "The night is still young and there's still some enjoyment to be had."

"Indeed, my student. Come then, friends!" declared Luna. "Let us join together in fun and this year, I shall see to it that it is tripled!"

A fair few miles away from Ponyville, but only half hour walk to Hoofdale, lay Hay Town. It was a small town that was close to the ocean. As such, it made its business in the various traders and sailors that brought their ships into ports from distant lands.

It was a considerably diverse place, with zebras, buffalo and griffins making regular visits from their respective homes for the purposes of commerce. Darker dealings went on here too, with the occasional diamond dog showing up to make a deal for some gems. Or cheap labour. It was rumoured that even changelings made stops here, in disguise to acquire the love that they craved for a price.

If Fallen's hunch was correct and he had little reason to doubt that it wasn't, the latter case should hold true.

"Cool costume, mister!" a chirpy voice complimented.

He turned to gaze at the little filly looking admirably at him. She was dressed in the trappings of what could only be a princess or a high-born mare.

A small ball of anger grew inside him at the thought, but he managed to play his part. There was no reason to end her existence. It would attract attention and she was still young. She should enjoy what time remained in her youth.

"Mine thanks to thee," he replied. He sunk his head into a low bow. "May thy fortunes in love be fair on this night, good lady."

She giggled at his display. "Thanks, mister. Happy Nightmare Night!"

His response was silence, but she scampered away to join her friends. An advantage of this night, of all nights. Even dressed as he was, he could walk among them and be considered part of the crowd. Just a simple illusion to hide his horn and wings, make himself seem shorter. He was still getting used to the assets that Sombra's horn provided him with and shadow walking could be quite taxing at times.

He considered that he wasn't the only one taking advantage of this. He'd heard talk of mysterious disappearances in this town whilst hidden in the shadows, with the victims appearing some days later drained of all life, their faces frozen in a visage of horror. Most had talk it was some sort of vampire beast that was praying on the innocent citizens.

But Fallen knew better. These had the hallmarks of feeding gone too far and he knew exactly what kind of feeding.

Fallen glanced behind him. He still follows, Fallen noted mentally while he walked through the streets. A stallion unicorn dressed as a member of the undead. All of the times that Fallen had been wondering around Hay Town and he was still in careful pursuit. It had to be him. He would be waiting for when he would be alone. Why keep him waiting?

Fallen casually made his way towards a darker, more isolated part of town. He strode with a purpose to the outskirts to make it seem as if he was leaving. A ripple in the shadows and the presence behind him was enough to tell him his quarry was following him and quickening his pace.

He paused at the shoreline, gazing out across the starlit waters. The gentle crashing of the waves on the shore wasn't enough to disguise his stalker's approach. Hence, he wasn't the least bit surprised when he felt a hoof blade's cold steel against his neck.

"What is this?" Fallen whispered. "Who are you?"

"Drop the act," hissed the stallion. "I know it's you. You think I would forget?"

"Nay," replied Fallen calmly. "In point of fact, I was betting on it."

"Were you betting on this?" he snapped, pressing the blade further against his neck. "You're going to pay for what you did to my hive. To my queen! I will enjoy this."

"No…" The shadows stirred behind the stallion. "You won't."

A tendril latched onto the hoof holding the blade and yanked it away. A few more wrapped around his legs. He struggled against their pull, but there was little he could do. They pulled him against the wall, the shadow with the hoof blade now hovering in front of his face.

"Since we remain on the subject of dropping acts," continued Fallen as if nothing had happened, "why doesn't thou end thine own? Lest thou should wish me to grant thee another scar, Sting."

The stallion ceased his struggles. His body flashed green, revealing his true form. Though his body changed, the glare that he gave Fallen didn't.

"Coward!" he snarled. "Release me and face me properly!"

"Thine rage should not be directed at me. Any experienced officer with his wits about him should have recognised the stage was set for a trap," countered Fallen. "What does that say of thee, former commander?"

"Damn you!" he roared. "Damn you for what you've done! It's because of you we lost! That our forces were scattered! That our justice went unpaid! That our queen… is gone. You took her daughter!" His glare intensified. "You will pay for what you've done!"

"Perhaps I have some responsibility for thine misfortunes," conceded Fallen. "But it was not I who decided to go to war. It was not I who led thy forces into battle. It was not I who forced you. For whom does that blame lie, but with the one at the helm?"

"Damn you," he echoed, weaker this time. His rage appeared spent. "End it, then. Go on."

"Nay." He lowered Sting to face him. "If I desired thy demise, Sting, I could have done a thousand different ways than this. But I will not. I have come with an offer for thee."

"I'm not interested in your bargains," he growled. "We bargained with you before and look where it got us."

"That fault is not mine. It was a well-conceived plan, but lacking in leadership," he countered. "Thou cannot blame me for thy queen's arrogance and lack of foresight. But I am not inclined to think that thou hast."

Sting was silent. Fallen continued.

"I know of thine victims. The one thou hast been stalking. Despite the diversity of species in this town, there has not been a single griffin or zebra or diamond dog among the dead. They have all been ponies. And I would stake a claim that there hast been similar doings wherever thou hast been before. And where are we now? Merely a stone's throw from Hoofdale… and then Ponyville. That is where thou truly seeks to take thine vengeance, isn't it?"

"What is it to you if I do?" he demanded.

"Again, thou lackest wits," said Fallen bluntly. "Thou hast been draining all ponies thou hast come across completely of all love, to the point where it has snuffed them out. The closer thy gets to Ponyville, the more bodies thou leavest, somepony will eventually notice the trail. They will investigate, discover the means and prepare. Couldst thou stand up to the Royal Guard, the Elements and the Princesses themselves alone? A grand vision, but one that is lacking."

"And you have a better one?" he sneered.

"Aye. You think it was mere chance or passing interest that I chose to take thy princess?" he asked. "Thou may not knowest this, but she carries something within her. A source of great and terrible power. With a power like that, a power the princesses themselves would be like fillies in comparison, true vengeance may be exacted. For both of us."

Sting seemed to consider. "The princess… Samore is unharmed?"

"Thou hast mine word that she is safe," he vowed. "If thou would come with me, thou will see for thineself. And much more besides."

Canterlot Day Trip

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"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve," Spike counted.

"Huh." Twilight looked at them at the desk he'd piled them next to after Dusk had finished making a brief catalogue of their contents. "That's not that many."

Spike expression was incredulous. "Are you kidding? How are you supposed to read twelve books in one weekend?"

"And this is some fairly heavy content," added Dusk while he reviewed the list. "Advanced transfiguration, high level alteration, rune summoning, in-depth historical studies. Not exactly light reading."

"Princess Celestia obviously thinks I can or she would never have assigned them to me," reasoned Twilight. "I'm not planning on letting her down."

"Well, I hope you're not planning on sleeping then, either," replied Spike, eyeing the pile of books.

"Actually, guys, why don't you two take the day off?" she suggested.

"Really?" Spike asked.

"Why not? These books are gonna keep me busy for a while," she said.

"Hmm... I do have a long list of things I've been dying to do!" He hurried upstairs, pulled a long roll of parchment from his bed and ran downstairs. "See you later!"

"Wasting no time at all," commented Dusk. "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

"I'll be fine. Really Dusk, there's nothing for me to do but go through these in detail and that's not exactly going to be riveting to watch," she said. "You might as well take some time to enjoy yourself today. Go on, it's fine."

"If you insist." He gave her a quick kiss. "But make sure you eat enough and you take some time for small breaks."

"Yes, mom," she giggled. "Have a good day, sweetie."

"You too, dear," he replied and descended the stairs.

When he got outside, he found that Spike had already gone. Since Dusk knew for a fact that there were only three items on his 'long list', he had probably wandered off to find some other way of occupying his time.

He stood for a moment, thinking how best to do the same. He considered going home, but he didn't really feel like it today. He wanted to do something or go somewhere. Most of the girls and Ray would be busy with their own jobs, so that ruled them out. There was nothing of particular note going on in Ponyville at the minute which was a nice change.

While casting his eyes around for something to do, they lingered on the distant Canterlot. It had been a while since he visited his former home and he was on friendly terms with the rulers of Equestria, as well as some members of the Canterlot elite. Not many ponies could say that. That settled it then.

He got himself a ticket and boarded the train that arrived five minutes later, settling down to think of what he might do when he got there. He thought of seeing his parents, but they would both be busy at work at this time too. Perhaps Mirror Shine and Prim Proper would be around, though he couldn't recall if they were in their last years at Celestia's school or not and he wasn't really sure if he wanted to be there if their respective coltfriends would be. Maybe it would be best to adopt a policy of wandering around and seeing what would happen.

Half an hour later, he arrived in the royal city. The chill of the mountain range set in as soon as he stepped off and he began to wish he'd brought his scarf. Autumn was setting in and soon, Hearth's Warming would be on the horizon. A warm feeling rose in his chest at thought of spending that time of the year with his friends again, especially after so much had happened.

He walked the streets, relatively ignoring the upturned noses of the Canterlot Elite. It still made him shudder a little when he remembered that a few months ago, this city was at war. Something he never thought he would ever participate in, let alone be leading. The fact they'd made it out in one piece for the most part…

Dusk was abruptly brought out of his thoughts when somepony collided with him. He was almost knocked to the ground from the impact.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" a reedy, aggressive voice snapped.

"My apologies, miss," said Dusk politely. "I'll be on my way."

"You'd better… hey, wait a sec." Dusk halted just as he turned his back. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Dusk turned to look at his speaker and was most surprised to discover that it was a griffin. The feathers around her head were white, while her lion fur was muddy brown. A few longer feathers grew from her forehead as a kind of fringe. Her wings and the fur on her tail were a darker shade of the same colour. A mean pair of yellow eyes regarded him suspiciously from behind a small, but sharp beak.

Dusk had no recollection of ever meeting her. The only griffin he'd encountered was Gustave Le Grand and he didn't really like the way this one was looking at him.

"No miss, I can't see how you would," he replied. "I'm afraid we've never met."

"Why do you say miss?" she demanded. "Do I look single to you or something?"

"Not at all," he said calmly. "I was only trying to be polite."

She snorted and continued to study him. "I swear I… yeah. Yeah, I know now. You're one of those Element ponies. You were part of that Changeling attack a few months back."

"You would be right on both counts there, miss," said Dusk.

"Oh yeah? What if I'd been wrong?" she challenged.

"Nothing at all," he said simply.

"Whatever," she dismissed. "So, fought the changelings, huh? Don't see how. You look like a small breeze'll push you over."

"While I did participate in the battle, I'm not usually inclined towards violence."

She snorted again. "Yeah, you don't need to tell me that. I wouldn't be surprised if you had sticks instead of bones."

Dusk was starting to get annoyed. He really didn't like this griffin's attitude while he was being completely pleasant. He usually wouldn't say something like this, but he was trying to have a nice relaxing day out and she was going out of her way to spoil it.

"My anatomy is no different from any other pony's," he said with an edge now. "Forgive me for saying so, but you're coming off as rather confrontational, miss."

"So?" Her glare intensified and she took a few steps closer. "You gotta problem with that, pony?"

"Somewhat," he said evenly. "I simply don't like it when I'm minding my own business and being aggressively approached by somepony, or griffin rather, that I've never even had a conversation with. Such a thing can leave a poor first impression."

He wondered for a moment if he'd gone too far. She held him in her gaze for a drawn out moment. Dusk thought she might try and peck at him.

But then a smirk grew on her face. A form of respect came with the glimmer of contempt in her eyes.

"Guess I spoke too soon," she said. "You're gutsier than I thought. Don't see that in many ponies."

Dusk blinked a couple of times. Was she sizing him up? Testing him? He didn't know a whole lot about griffins, but they were a very proud, warrior-based society. Maybe that was the case.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, managing a smile.

"Good, 'cause I don't give out many. Savour it." She held out a claw. "Name's Gilda."

"Dusk Noir," he replied, shaking it. "Pleased to meet you, Gilda."

"Boy, no mistaking you grew up here," said Gilda. "Stared down by a griffin and you'd probably still ask if I want a cup of tea and a biscuit."

"I was raised to have proper manners. Though on that subject, I wouldn't mind some refreshment. I know a good café not far from here, if you'd like to join me?" he offered.

"Sure, why not? Got nothing better to do," she shrugged. "You're probably gonna be better company than most of these dweebs."

"Thank you." He leaned in to murmur. "Just between us, I don't much care for the attitudes of the elite either."

"Ha!" she barked. "Yeah, I think we're gonna be fine, Dusk."

"Pleased you think so, Gilda."

The short journey was mostly in silence until they arrived at the café and got a table outside. Dusk wasn't really sure why he'd offered Gilda to come along. Perhaps he was just willing to put aside that her behaviour was down to his earlier hunch of her seeing what he was like. It was too early to make an accurate assessment of her and he was willing to give her that chance.

Additionally, it was rare he got to talk to a member of another race, especially a griffin. The opportunity as it was intrigued him. The name Gilda also struck a familiar chord in his memory, but he couldn't for the life of him say exactly why.

"So, Gilda," he began after they'd placed their orders, "what brings you to Canterlot? It's rare one sees a griffin in Equestria."

"Nothing much, just passing through," she answered. "Trust me, I'm not staying here longer than I have to."

"And on your way to where, may I ask?"

"Just a little place, not far from here. There's something I gotta do." She cocked an eyebrow. "What's it to you?"

"I'm just curious, that's all. Trying to make conversation," he replied patiently.

"Doesn't matter," she dismissed. "None of your business."

"Very well then," he conceded. "I understand if you want to keep it private."

"I'll bet. How come you're here then? You live here or what? Not that I really care, but so long as we're asking questions," she added.

"I did, but I call a different place home now," he replied. "I'm just visiting for the day. Normally I'd be at work, but I have the day off so I'm spending it here."

"Seriously?" she asked sceptically. "I can think of a ton of better things I'd do on my day off than be in this dump."

"And yet you're here regardless," he pointed out.

"Guess so," she shrugged. "Funny how things work out like that, huh?"

"Indeed." They paused for their drinks and food. A few cakes and a shake for Gilda and some tea with biscuits for Dusk. "You can't deny they have good service though."

"Yeah. Too bad there's no meat," she said. "I'd kill for a leg of something right now."

"I hope you don't mean that too literally."

"Depends." Her eyes flashed. "Are you as skinny as I think you are?"

"I really advise against that."

She smirked. "Yeah, you got some guts. I respect that."

"Much appreciated." He sipped his tea. "So, you mentioned how you knew me from the changeling invasion? I don't recall any griffins participating in the battle."

"Nah, but word gets around about stuff like that. Biggest was about one of the ponies who led the charge who had your description and that wore a dorky hat like yours," she said.

"I see." He decided not to dignify that particular remark. "And where did you hear this news?"

"You ask a lot of questions," she noted.

"I'm an inquisitive sort of pony."

"No kidding," she smirked. "Changelings, mostly, a few of them I know. The Swarm Invasion caused a major stir among the other hives and colonies."

"Oh, of course," he realised. "As I understand it, griffins and changelings are on much better terms than ponies are."

"Pretty much. I work as a courier and markets are pretty big places for gossip," she explained. "You hear some interesting stuff if you keep your ear to the ground."

"May I ask what else?"

"Well, I can tell you that the invasion wasn't popular with the other changelings," she said. "Best I understand it, they knew that their relations with ponies were already on thin ice and they didn't want something like that making it worse. But the Swarm was pretty desperate and I guess that idiot Chrysalis wanted more power or something."

"I'm sure that decision worked out splendidly for them," remarked Dusk bitterly.

"Hey, cut 'em some slack," she said sharply. "They were really running low on food. Loads of changelings from the Swarm at the markets were trying anything they could to get some extra food and supplies, but they just weren't cutting it. I'm not saying a full scale invasion was the right thing to do but what else could they do? Better than sitting around and waiting to die. Though from what I heard recently, you're not wrong."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean they're not much better off than before. They're getting more food now and help getting back on their hooves, from us griffins, a few other changeling hives and colonies and some pony aid too, I hear," she said. "But their leadership is in shambles. They got this one guy trying to run anything, but there's no queen. Chrysalis is dead and her daughter's gone missing, so there's no succession at the moment."

"Wait, Chrysalis had a daughter?" Dusk inquired abruptly. He'd never heard of the Queen of the Swarm having a daughter before now. He'd never really thought about it before. Somehow, Chrysalis just… didn't exactly seem like the motherly type.

"Yup. Don't really blame you for not knowing. Apparently, there weren't even many griffins that knew a whole lot about her. Seems like a weird thing to keep hush-hush, if you ask me."

"I see...and her daughter went missing?" he asked. "How?"

"Not sure. They don't really say much about that. Besides, what does it matter?" she said dismissively. "You ponies won, they lost, so let's forget it and move on. The changelings have got a bad enough rep from this and that sucks 'cause most of the ones I know are pretty cool."

Dusk sighed. "Forgive me if I find it difficult to share that sentiment."

"Yeesh, what's your problem?" she asked. "You got something against changelings or something?"

"When they lead a mass invasion of your home that results in the destruction of homes and the death of several ponies, it doesn't really illicit many positive feelings," murmured Dusk.

"Hey, weren't you listening before?" she snapped. "I said none of the other changelings wanted what happened! I get you don't like what happened, heck I know I wouldn't but cut 'em some slack! You can't say they're all bad 'cause of what happened!"

Dusk didn't say anything because she was right. He remembered hearing a similar story from that changeling who came to him. The one who had helped turn the tide of battle, even it resulted in a loss for his people.

Part of him didn't want to feel towards the changelings the way he did. But like he said, after all that they'd done and to him personally, it was difficult not to. Gilda didn't miss the conflicted expression his face though.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she sneered. "You can be ticked at them all you want, but I'll bet someday you'll have to face facts and realise things aren't as black and white as you thought. Just like m-"

She suddenly stopped talking and clamped her beak shut. She quickly grabbed a cake and stuffed into her mouth and looked away. But Dusk didn't miss the end of that.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing," she said quickly. "Forget it."

"Just like you? That's what you were about to say, wasn't it?" he persisted. "What makes you say that?"

"None of your business!" she snapped. "Keep your muzzle out of it!"

"Look, Gilda," he tried, "I know it's none of my business but whatever it is, maybe I can help. I'd be-"

"I don't need your help! I don't need you or any lame pony's help!" she roared. A few ponies were starting to look and she rounded on them. "What the heck are you looking at?!"

"Gilda, please, calm down. There's no need for-"

"Don't you tell me what to do, dweeb!" she snarled. "You dumb ponies, you're all the same! You act like you wanna be my friend, but you don't care! So why don't you just get your dumb face out of mine and go away?!"

Dusk liked to think himself a patient individual. But right now, he had reached the end of his tether.

"I see then. Very well." He stood up to go.

"H-Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"

"Away, like you said," he replied. "You clearly don't want me here, so there's little point in my staying. You have your business, I have mine. Perhaps it's best if we go about them and not waste anymore of each other's time."

"Hey! Don't turn your back on me!" He ignored her and kept on walking. He heard rustling wings behind him. "Hey! Hey! I said, don't-"

"I heard what you said." He turned to face her again. "Gilda, I have tried to be understanding. I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I thought there was maybe more to you than just being confrontational but I can see I was wrong. I'm not ashamed to say you're one of the most rude, aggressive and insulting individuals I've ever had the misfortune to meet. Not only that, you're hypocritical. You tell me not to judge all based on the actions of some, yet you seem to have it in for all ponies and not just me. I don't know what bad experiences you may have had with other ponies, but maybe you should try taking your own advice or you'll end up with very few friends. Quite frankly, I'm amazed you have any to begin with. Good day."

Leaving a stunned Gilda and a few shocked onlookers where she was, he turned and walked away down the nearest street, still fuming away. He didn't often like to make a scene, but she had really pushed him too far. There was a time he wouldn't have even thought about saying the things he had there and just kept out of it.

How things change. Well, he wasn't going to suffer it anymore. He was going to enjoy his day off. Perhaps a trip to the Canterlot Sculpture Gardens would calm him down.

A shadow passed overhead. He barely had time to look before something landed in front of him. He felt his temper rise again when he saw that it was Gilda.

"Gilda, I'm not prone towards violence as I said," he said in dangerous tone. "But I warn you, if your intent is to fight me, I won't hesitate to defe-"

"I'm sorry!" she blurted out.

"I… I…" He frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said I… I'm sorry," she sighed. "I'm sorry if I was a little… you know, in your face before. That's just how I am. I've been trying to get better but… yeah…"

"I… see." He wasn't really sure what to make of this. It looked like she was really struggling with it. "Apology accepted."

"Thanks. And uh… um… I need your help," she said uneasily.

That surprised him even more. "But before you said-"

"I know what I said, okay?!" she snapped. "Look, this isn't easy for me, okay? Just… just hear me out, okay?"

Dusk was tempted to just say no. With the way she'd been treating him, he had no obligation to her at all. But she really looked like she had few other options here and a small part of him thought there still might be more to her.

Or maybe he was just soft.

"Okay. How can I help?" he asked.

She glanced left to right, then pulled him into a secluded alcove away from the main streets. It took her about a minute before she spoke again.

"Right. So uh, you're an Element, right?"

"As I've said, yes," he answered.

"Does that mean you live in Ponyville?" He nodded. "Do you… are you friends with… with a Pegasus called… Rainbow Dash?"

"Good friends. Wait…" Now he knew why she was familiar. "Rainbow told us once how she knew a griffin named Gilda."

"Yeah, that's me. Guess she told you about what happened, huh?"

"I'm a little vague on some of the details, but I remember the general gist of it," he said. "You're going to Ponyville, aren't you? That's why you're here I don't think it's for payback."

"Nah." She let out a drawn-out sigh. "I was… a jerk. A complete and utter jerk. I didn't realise it at first. I thought she'd just come crawling back after a while. I mean, how could she ditch me for… them? Wasn't until a while ago that it hit me: my friend, one of the best I've ever had was gone… and she wasn't coming back. No matter how much I… I tried to blame her, it all kept coming back to me. It was all my fault…"

"And now you want to apologise?" he realised.

"Yeah. I want to but doing it…" She growled in frustration. "How can I just show up after all that went down? She won't want my apology, she'll just want me gone! I've been here for three stinking days trying to figure something out, but I just can't! It's… it's hard for someone like… like me to apologise. But… I want my friend back."

"I understand," he said sincerely. "I'm afraid there's no easy way to go about this, Gilda. You're just going to have to put aside your pride and your fears and apologise."

"I know, I know!" she moaned. "But what's the guarantee she'll accept it? That she'll even want to be friends anymore?!"

"There isn't. You just have to take that chance or you'll never know. Look, I understand. I really do." Gilda looked at him curiously. "I've done things. Things that have… hurt my friends. In more ways than one. But even after all that, they still forgave me. I was amazed, but they did."

"Jeez," she murmured. "What the heck did you do?"

"I'd rather not discuss it," he said. "My point is that if you and Rainbow were good friends once, you still have the chance to be that way again. If you show you're willing to try for it or nothing will change."

"I guess. Oh man, I can't believe it," she groaned. "Why am I even telling you any of this?"

"Because you needed help. It's not shameful to ask for help, Gilda," he said.

"Yeah." She took a deep breath. "Okay. Guess I'll try to sort it out one more time. If I don't, I'll have to head back home. Been away from work for too long. I was able to catch a break, but they'll have my beak if I'm not back."

"We all have our commitments. I wish you the best of luck, Gilda and I hope it works out for you," he said.

"That makes two of us. See you around." She started to go but stopped. "Oh, one more thing. You tell anypony we had this discussion and I will hunt you down. Got it?"

"What discussion?" asked Dusk. "I came to Canterlot and had a pleasant day by myself. At what point would I have had a discussion with anypony?"

"Good. I meant what I said, you know," she added. "You've got guts. A lot more than most ponies I've met. The only pony I've ever met who's gutsier is Dash."

"I like to think I'm capable of assertion, but I'm not completely suicidal," he remarked. "Fair winds on your travels, Gilda."

"Dweeb," she teased. "Yeah, smell you later, Dusk."

She stalked off down the road, forcing a pair of ponies to make way for her. Dusk actually found himself admiring her in a way, that she didn't care much for how others saw her. Even if it was taken to an extreme.

He went the opposite way, going up towards the castle. It had been a while since he'd visited the Royal Sculpture Gardens, though again, it would feel different to any of his previous visits back when he'd been a regular attendant.

There were definite signs of the coming cold when he arrived. The leaves were starting to turn brown on the trees and there was a lack of animal sounds coming from the foliage. The gardeners would be coming to clear the leaves once they started falling off the trees and the animals who hadn't already would be going into hibernation.

But no sooner had he entered the gardens and started walking around, he ended up bumping into somepony else. Thankfully, not physically this time.

"Taking in the sights, Dusk?"

He whipped his head at the familiar serene voice and saw her approach.

"Princess Celestia." He bowed to her. "Good to see you."

"And you too, my little pony. No need for that," she added in reference to his bow. "I must admit, I'm surprised to see you here."

"Twilight gave me and Spike the day off, Princess," he explained. "I thought I might spend it here. And your business here, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Not at all," she assured. "I was merely taking a little stroll to get some fresh air. I do so love the fall, it's my favourite time of year."

"I recall, yes," he nodded. "I don't suppose you'd mind the company then?"

"I'd be delighted." She gracefully walked at his side. "So, I take it Twilight has received the books I sent her to read?"

"She has," he confirmed. "I have to say even by her standards, the level of study for what's in those books is rather hefty."

"Yes, but I know she is capable of managing it," she said. "Recent events have made it a necessity to further her studies in the areas I've given her."

"I see. Well, she was confident she could handle them too and she knows you have faith in her abilities as well. As do I," he added.

"I'm pleased to hear it. How fares your studies with my sister then, Dusk?" she asked. "Not much reading on that front, I hear."

"Well, Luna has always been a more hooves-on, practical teacher. But my lessons with her are fine," he said. "I've gotten more adept at dream walking and controlling my own dreams. However, I'm still needing a bit of practice. I tried walking without Luna and lost myself for a bit in the flow. I think I ended up in Mayor Mare's dreams."

"Oh dear me," smirked Celestia. "And what was she dreaming about?"

Dusk felt his face heat up. "Um… trust me, it's best you don't know."

Celestia laughed. "Well, I wish you the best of luck at mastering the dream world."

"Thank you." Rather inadvertently, he laughed too. "It's funny, really."

"What is?"

"This," he answered. "If somepony had come to me and said I would be strolling through the royal gardens with the Princess of the Sun, discussing the education I'm receiving from her sister, I would have thought about commenting on how ridiculous the notion is but most likely have kept it to myself."

"Not a terrible notion, I take it?" she asked.

"No, just completely impossible from my perspective. Or it would have been, if not for you." He smiled up at her. "All thanks to you, Celestia."

She returned it. "I just set you off down the path. It's down to you that you've arrived at where you are today."

"Even so…" He paused for a moment. "How did you know? I mean, why me?"

She only smiled mysteriously. "I've lived for a thousand years and plenty more, Dusk. I know potential when I see it."

Dusk decided to let that answer slide. Princess Celestia had her secrets. Even if he lived as long as her, he was certain he'd never learn them all.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence when they entered the sculpture part of the gardens. Out of all of the statues, he was drawn immediately to one in particular. It was almost like he had to be reassured that he was where they left him and he was. Perpetually frozen in a state of utter horror and would hopefully stay that way.

Dusk glared up at Discord's sculpture. Once, he would have been curious about what it would be like to meet the Lord of Chaos and what a world of chaos would look like out of some vague historical and academic interest. Now he had, he could firmly say that he wanted nothing more than for him to be petrified for the rest of time. He deserved it.

He tilted his head, gazing up at his stone face. What was it like for him? Could he feel what it was like to be frozen in stone? Was he aware of what was going on around him? Did he know Dusk was there? A faint shiver up his spine occurred at the thought.

"One of the testaments to your triumphs." She looked up at Discord's statue. "I really wouldn't be happy about that pose, if I were him. At least the last one had some air of dignity to it."

"Hm," nodded Dusk. "What was he doing when you first used the Elements on him anyway? It looked like he was about to burst into song."

"It did, rather," she tittered. "Actually, he was laughing. He didn't believe that the power of the Elements would be enough to defeat him. He found the determination with which my sister and I used them to be quite hilarious."

"I can imagine that would be something he would find amusing," agreed Dusk. He saw the pensive expression on her face. "What was he like? Before his reign, I mean. Was he always an enemy?"

"Not always," she murmured. "Once, I called him my friend. He was older than me at the time, but we grew up together, learning to properly harness the power we were born with. Luna was never very fond of him, but he and I… we were close."

"Really?" Dusk was amazed at this.

"Yes. He was funny. He made me laugh. He knew how to have fun. Not unlike Pinkie Pie, really," she said.

"Oh." Despite how he felt about Discord, he couldn't deny that connection. "What changed?"

"He did." She sighed. "With the exception of a few, Discord was never really accepted. He was always trying to make others laugh with his antics, but they never seemed to find them funny. They never really tried to look past his appearance or perhaps they were scared of the power he possessed. In the end, it became more about making them scared than making them laugh…"

"You make him sound like Ray, almost," noted Dusk.

"It was actually Discord who helped devise the spell to contain the Beast in a living host," said Celestia. "Such a powerful piece of magic was more than what our unicorns could create and it needed his unique skills. Another reason he felt himself entitled to rule."

"Hmm." Dusk fell silent and so did she.

This was something else he almost wished he could forget. Before he learned about Ray's secret, he'd always seen Celestia as a benevolent and kind rule, who always did what was right and who had nothing but care and affection for her subjects. But knowing what she'd done to Ray and probably hundreds, if not thousands of others like him to keep such a destructive power hidden away…

Celestia seemed to be much the same mind. Once again, her apparently youthful face gave way to the truth of the millennia she had lived through. It was especially obvious, he remembered, if you ever looked into her eyes. They showed the age her face didn't.

"I've always wished there was another way," she said quietly. "But I've always managed to convince myself that I did what had to be done. For the good of everypony. I still do. But it becomes harder when I am face to face with the consequences of my decision."

"He has had to live a difficult life as a result, princess," he said.

"I often wonder what it must be like for him," she went on. "For him living his life with that… thing locked away in his head. And for the others…"

That last part was so quiet Dusk barely heard it. So quiet he wasn't even sure that he did.

"I still stand by that there was no other way," she went on. "But regardless of that… words cannot begin to express how sorry I am for putting him through all of that."

Again, Dusk said nothing. He was beginning to get the impression like she'd forgotten she was even there until she looked at him properly with those ancient eyes.

"There are times I feel every decision I've made has hurt somepony. Ray. Discord. Brave Heart. My own sister. I've made mistakes, I won't deny. Both small and monumental. But I have always done the best that I can for Equestria, for all my little ponies. Dusk I… am I a good ruler?"

Dusk was silent again, but only because of how stunned he was at the question. Celestia, a being who had lived for a well over a millennia, who had borne witness to countless historical events, who held sway over the body of the sun was asking him for reassurance? Yet again, another possibility he never would have conceived.

He thought for a while before giving a very careful answer.

"I think… you've always done the best you can, princess," he said. "Sometimes that might not have always been the most morally acceptable thing, you might say. But you've made decisions nopony could have ever done, that come with the responsibilities you possess. I know I certainly couldn't and have no right to judge you otherwise."

"I pray you'll never have to." Her sombre look was replaced with a serene smile. "Thank you, Dusk. I'm sorry for asking so abruptly."

He bowed his head. "It's okay, princess. What are friends for?"

"Very true. Speaking of friends, I think my sister would be most pleased if you paid her a little visit. She's asleep in her room at the moment, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind your company," she suggested.

"I'd be happy to see her." Out of habit, he bowed to her again. "Good seeing you, Celestia."

"You too, Dusk. Have a pleasant day," she wished him.

Dusk entered the palace. The guards let him through quickly after they recognised him and he thanked them politely, mentally recalling the way to Luna's private quarters. Knockout was one of the thestrals on guard and he let him in. It was odd, seeing him without Dreadwing…

The curtains were drawn in her room when he entered. They were purple and decorated with glittering stars. A pair of planted pots filled with unique plants called moon lilies stood at either side of the door, glowing faintly in the dimly lit room. A large plush cushion was set in front of a fireplace and a couple of bookshelves were dotted around the room, with a big carpet in the middle.

Luna's bed was opposite the fireplace on the other end of the room. It was a luxurious affair, king-sized and round. The curtains were drawn across it and he could make out the slumbering form of Princess Luna within. He didn't venture any closer out of decency's sake, but he was slightly tempted. He had never seen her asleep before, he noted.

A squeaking sound got his attention. He found its source in the form of a possum curiously approaching him from a basket by Luna's bed. He approached Dusk and sniffed his hoof. He didn't need to ask or wonder about who this was. Luna had mentioned him on a few occasions, but he'd never actually seen him.

"You must be Tiberius. Hello there." He let the possum crawl up his leg. "I'm Dusk. Maybe Luna's told you about me."

Tiberius continued to sniff him before coming to a decision. He chittered pleasantly and nuzzled Dusk's cheek in a friendly way.

"Pleased to meet you too," he returned. "I should introduce you to Ophelia sometime. I think you'd like her."

He chittered again and scurried back down Dusk's leg, nestling back into his basket. Time to follow his example.

Dusk went and nestled on the big cushion by the fire. He made himself comfortable and in the warm, safe environment of his teacher's room was soon fast asleep.

He had cleared his mind as best he could when he entered the dreamscape, just like how Luna had taught him. His mind wasn't completely clear though, as there was somepony waiting for him when he arrived.

"Oh hello, Dusk." Twilight lay on his bed at home wearing eyeliner, a rose in her mouth and a pair of square framed glasses on her face. "Would you like to join me for a… study session?"

Dusk felt his face grow to a boil. It was very, very tempting to give in to this but he didn't have time to indulge in his fantasies right now.

"Um, s-s-sorry, Twilight," he stammered. "N-N-Next time perhaps."

"Hmph. Tease." She still had that alluring smirk and fluttered her lashes. "Sure I can't persuade you?"

He shut his eyes and hurriedly emptied his thoughts. When he opened them again, she was gone and the paths of the dreamscape were open to him. At this time of day, there were very few of them compared to night time and he knew exactly which one to travel down.

His stomach rushed at the sensation of journeying down the road like he was in freefall. It would have been easy to let the flow of the dream carry him, but he remembered his training. Like a canoe rower battling a rapid, he managed to stay with the current but didn't let it sweep him away. As such, his landing in Luna's dreamscape was gentle and controlled, apart from a slight stumble.

Dusk stood in the moonlit meadow he had become accustomed to in their dream lessons. She did too, clearly lost in thought. She didn't even notice his arrival.

"I hope you don't mind me dropping in," he called to her.

"Hmm?" She whirled around and her face lit up like her night sky. "Dusk! What a most pleasant surprise!"

"I'm pleased that's the reaction I got." The two of them hugged. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Need you even ask?" They sat down in the grass. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"A day off," he replied. "Twilight has a lot of reading to do, so I decided to spend the day in Canterlot and I thought I'd come and see you."

"Your presence is very welcome, my student. But wait…" She frowned. "You said you were in Canterlot? If so, where are you sleeping?"

"In your room. Your guards let me in, so I made myself comfortable and joined you."

"But…" She blushed. "Where exactly are you making yourself comfortable?"

"Just on your cushion by the fire." He gave her a teasing smile. "Rather quick to presume, Luna."

"And why should I not be?" she huffed. "Any stallion would give their left legs to enter into my bed."

"That's probably why you don't have that many then."

"Oh hush, you."

"Why? You're the one who brought this up."

"Moving on, swiftly," she said pointedly. "I'm pleased to see that you've taken so well to dreamscaping recently. There's still a few more things we need for you to master, but your training here is almost complete for you to have the basics manageable on your own."

"Thank you, Luna. And who are you dreamscaping here?"

"That implies that I am succeeding." She glared darkly at the dream paths in the sky. "I'm having considerable difficulty finding him."

"You mean… Fallen?" he dared to ask.

"Indeed," she growled. "Whilst we have others in the waking world searching for him, I have been trying to locate him here. But every time I think I've located him, an impregnable wall throws me off course and I lose sight again."

"He's evading you?"

"Yes, something that takes very considerable skill and mental discipline," she said begrudgingly. "I am most vexed by this."

"I imagine so," he agreed. "What about in the waking world then?"

"About as much luck," she reported. "We have sent out as many guards as we can spare and have sent envoys to foreign lands to be on the watch for him or any of his cohorts, but there hasn't been so much as a whisper. Even when they claim to have found some sort of lead on him, the trail quickly goes cold."

"Can we make any kind of assumptions about what he might be planning?"

"Nothing concrete. We can only gather that he seems to be attempting to make strikes at Equestria whenever he can. His actions in acting alongside the changelings and his resurrecting the Crystal Empire have proven that much. But we cannot ascertain exactly as to why, for with neither of these incursions was he directly present at them. Motivating behind the scenes perhaps, but never stepping into the fray himself."

"A phantom menace," remarked Dusk.

"An apt term, yes," she agreed. "I would hazard a guess that my sister has a more clear idea than I do, but you know how forthcoming she can be."

"I suppose ruling by herself for a thousand years has taught her to be secretive with sensitive information," reasoned Dusk. "Even if it can be a little infuriating."

"At least you aren't putting up with it on a regular basis," said Luna. "I will much more at ease when he is returned to the pits of Tartarus where he belongs."

"The stories I've read about him seem to show he would be quite a formidable opponent," recalled Dusk.

"Stories are nothing compared to seeing it," she said. "He was one of the few of Equestria's non-unicorn warriors who had mastered the use of a sword using hoof and mouth. He is a skilled warrior, but he had a keen mind too. He would never enter a battle he thought he couldn't win, not before gathering what strength he could and learning all there was to know about his enemy. If a cause seemed lost, he would always be wise enough to retreat but return again and overcome it. And that was when he was just a Pegasus, before that devil Discord twisted his mind. Now, he appears to have become an alicorn through some unnatural means. Make no mistake, my student, he will be a formidable opponent when he finally steps out of the shadows."

"Then we'll just have to be as ready as we can to meet him when he does," he said hopefully. "Together, we'll stand against him. We always have before."

"I hope you are right, Dusk," she said earnestly. "Until then, I vow to do whatever it takes to make certain that you're ready."

"I have no doubts about that, Luna," he said sincerely. "You've never let me down before."

"And I do not intend to, the same with the rest of our friends," she promised. "I would rather be sealed away in the moon again than see any of you pay for any fault on my part. Especially you, Dusk."

Dusk was stunned at this. "I… mean that much to you?"

"Why would you not?" She smiled warmly at him. "I was amazed enough when my sister forgave me for what I had done as Nightmare Moon. I never expected the rest of Equestria to, nor have a friend such as you, much less a devoted student. I'm very proud at how far you've come, Dusk. That I was there with you, guiding and helping you along. And I'm proud to call you one of my closest and dearest friends. I thank you for that."

He stared at her, feeling his eyes begin to tear up a little. He had no idea what to say in response to any of that, other than simply:

"You're… you're welcome, Luna." He hugged her again. "A-And the same to you too."

"That means a great deal," she said. A smirk returned to her face. "But remember, you wouldn't be where you are without me."

"I don't think it's fair to give you all the credit. Your sister and our friends share it too, not to mention that it was also thanks to my own skill and magical talent," he added.

She raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you grow an ego, my student?"

"Since getting smacked on the head with a lead pipe made it a necessity, my teacher," he returned. "Also, being an Element of Harmony, a hero of Equestria and student to a princess would give anypony a bit of an ego, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed." She looked him over. "It's hard to believe that you're the same pony who met me stammering and fumbling on the balcony of the Star Tower."

"Just as it is to believe you're the same princess who was the practical embodiment of the phrase 'stiff as a board'."

"I was sealed away for a thousand years!"

"Do you still think keeping cool has anything to do with room temperature?"

"Hmph! At least I didn't need to be struck with a blunt instrument in order to cease being self-deprecating."

"Touché," he chuckled. Silence fell for a moment. "Luna, may I ask you something?"

"You may, but I can choose not to answer," she teased.

"You can search for ponies in their dreams. Then…" He paused to consider this carefully. "Have you… have you ever thought of… trying to find Sombra?"

Her face fell at his question. An expression of forlorn longing formed.

"I have. More than once," she admitted.

"Why don't you then?" he asked. "If you can find where precisely he is, you could find him yourself?"

"I could. The temptation to do so is very, very strong," she confessed. "But I won't. For once, I was in the same position he was: unsure of myself, who I was or my place in this world after what I had done. He needs time to come to terms with it and he needs to do that alone for now. If he intends to seek me out or anypony else, I shall find him. But when I do find him and we meet again, I… I want it to be knowing that he has found some measure of peace and it will be all the more joyous when we reunite."

"I understand. That's rather sweet," he said. "You really are a romantic, aren't you Luna?"

"I never denied being one," she countered. "Now then, I think we've been talking long enough. Since you're here and since this technically not teaching hours, I think that warrants us to have some fun."

"What did you have in mind?"

A glint appeared in her eye. "I have been told of a game that colts and fillies play with each other called the Floor is Lava. Let us see if we can't take that in its most literal sense."

Dusk smiled. "Luna. You had my curiosity. But now, you have my attention."

When Dusk awoke, the orange glow of a sunset was hazily glowing through Luna's curtains. How time flies when you're having fun in the endless expanse and possibility of the dreamscape. This would put a spanner in the works of his going to sleep tonight. Perhaps just more sleep would be called for. Today had been very relaxing and fun though.

Regardless, Luna would be getting up in about an hour to take on her duties, so he made himself scarce. He slipped out of doors and proceeded back down the stairs, a path which took him past the doors to the throne room. He was about to walk on by when he noticed something that made him pause.

Where there were normally a pair of stoic guards on duty either side of the door, they were conspicuously absent. In fact, this whole part of the palace seemed unnaturally silent. No servants, no officials, nothing. Noticing the silence brought something else to his attention. Voices from the throne room and one of them was Celestia's.

Dusk's first thought was to leave. Whatever she was discussing was no doubt important and none of his business. Yet his talk with Luna about Fallen stirred some thoughts in his mind. Luna was taking very clear steps to try and find the renegade alicorn and prepare Dusk for him. Celestia, he suspected, was doing the same by providing Twilight with those books, but what else was she doing? Had she heard something or know something she was keeping from them?

Again, Dusk wanted to say that she would have the best of reasons for doing so. But the last time that had happened hadn't ended well and… he had to know.

Quietly, very quietly, he approached the door. He glanced around again, reached out into the surrounding shadows to make sure nopony was coming and pressed his ear to the crack in the door. The other voice, a stallion's, was speaking.

"…only very vague reports, highness," he reported. His tone seemed casual, but there was the unmistakable sense of importance in the way he spoke. "There were some eyewitnesses in Hay Town from Nightmare Night that said they saw a stallion dressed as a knight whose armour description matches his, but there was no sign of him when we arrived."

"I see," murmured Celestia. "Keep on the lookout. It's imperative that we find him as soon as possible."

"Of course, highness," the other affirmed. "However, there is something I wanted to say… I, and others of the same mind, have felt some concern over the changes regarding our… primary objective."

"Really?" Celestia sounded almost sarcastic, as well as chastising. "I would think that your group would be well-used to being away from your 'primary objective', seeing as how you made a point of it quite a bit in recent years."

"You and I both know the reason for that, Celestia," the stallion said, momentarily shocking Dusk with his addressing of the Princess by name. "Personally I don't agree with it, but it was his wish. We owed him that much. That isn't the issue at hoof, however. Without us to watch over them, the others-"

"I've made my decision regarding this matter. You've been left enough uniforms with your primary task that you can cope with it," she said firmly. "This is the best course of action available to us, so don't question my judgement on this. I know what I'm doing."

"But Celestia, I-" He fell silent suddenly. "As you wish, your highness."

"Good. Now leave and quickly. I don't know for how much longer ponies will begin to get curious."

Dusk carefully edged away from the door. That was a clear enough indication he'd been here long enough. Silently, he hurried as fast as he could from the throne room doors, fast-walking out of the palace entrance without looking too suspicious. At least he hoped he did.

While he waited for the train and travelled back to Ponyville, the nature of the conversation played over and over again in his mind. Who was that stallion? He seemed to hold some sort of significant place with Celestia, speaking with such forwardness in her presence and addressing her by name. Was he a noble or a minister of her court?

But then why were they being so secretive in their discussion? What primary task? Was this an already established group or some kind of new measure to track down Fallen? That had to have been who they were discussing, but who was 'them'? Why did 'they' need watching over? If this group wasn't meant to track down Fallen, what did they do?

Dusk didn't have any solid answers by the time the train arrived back in Ponyville. Just the shared view of Luna and himself that Celestia and her secrets could be incredibly frustrating at times. He would deliberate more on it later and decided to drop by the library for a bit.

"Hello, everypony. I'm back." He came upstairs to find Spike hugging Twilight. "What did I miss?"

"Interesting to be working with you once again, commander," remarked the pitiful excuse of life known as Test Tube absently. "I'm pleased to see your previous excursion hasn't left you in more… critical condition."

"That you were responsible for," Sting hissed.

"Many variables were responsible for the failure of your forces," dismissed Tube nonchalantly. "The incompetence of your monarch, the strength of the ponies' counter strategy, your personal vendetta against ponies clouding your judgement. Perhaps it was unwise to entrust Edge with our complete confidence, but I was the first to voice my concerns about him."

"Yet thou were also the first to recruit him and overestimate his commitment to the performance," said Fallen. "Yet again, Tube, I note your apparent lack of foresight regarding our cast members."

Tube froze. "M-Master, please. I-It was a-an error in judgement on my p-part. I o-o-only wish-"

"Silence," Fallen hissed. "I am weary enough from mine travels without having to listen to thy prattle."

To Sting's satisfaction, Tube pursed his lips together and held his tongue. Though while he continued to work, Sting could hear him muttering under his breath out of his master's line of sight and range of hearing.

"Now, where is she?" he demanded of Fallen. "Where is Samore?"

"We have given her special accommodation," replied Fallen. "She will have a very prominent role in our final encore in due time. We have made sure she is comfortable."

"Then show me."

"Of course. Perhaps our other old compatriot will show you the way?"

At Fallen's prompting, heavy hoofsteps got Sting's attention coming from a nearby door. It was a strange rhythm. One was loud, but the following was as loud as booming thunder and a whirring like some strange machinery. He glanced about, but neither pony seemed very fazed.

When the door opened and the owner of the strange hoofsteps was in view, Sting was momentarily stunned. In his time as a commander of the Swarm's army, he had seen many things that would turn anypony's stomach. None quite so much as this.

"What… by the Spirits… what is that?" he gasped.

"Come now, Commander." Tube reared his weedy head again. "Surely Mr Edge hasn't changed that drastically?"

"That's Edge?!" He hardly dared to believe it. "What… what happened to him?"

"Suffice it to say, the condition he was left in after our shared experience was certainly… critical." Sting was disgusted at the tone of pleasure that had crept into the pony's voice. "An improvement, don't you think?"

"He will show thee to the princess," informed Fallen. "Thou will find that considerably more than his appearance has changed since thou last met him. Edge, show him Samore."

The twisted visage of the thing that may have once been a pony nodded stiffly. It cranked its head in Sting's direction, waiting for him to follow. Sting stared at Fallen, impassive behind his helmet, then at Tube, simpering and lurking to the side.

Reluctantly, he followed Edge out, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

Tube was still feeling immense satisfaction from seeing Sting's reaction at the result of his unrestricted genius. If there was one benefit to working alongside his master, it was the opportunity to explore the realms of his work that other lesser ponies would have branded as unethical. So many possibilities now open…

Even if his master's disparaging remarks came with it. Not that such remarks weren't something he wasn't used to. The benefits outweighed the negatives, as long as he remained on Fallen's good side.

"Well, master, we have certainly done well in gathering more members. If I may, I find it very commendable, your success for getting Sting to cooperate," he praised.

"Yes," murmured the alicorn. "But our work is far from complete."

"M-Master?" This announcement surprised him. "You… intend to recruit more?"

"I do. With the grand performance to come, a larger cast will be required." He turned sharply. "Snick! Slash!"

Tube flinched when the eerily silent twins were suddenly at his side. They slipped past him and bowed their heads to Fallen in unison.

"I will be collaborating with them and the networks they are associated with to track down the individuals I have in mind," he explained.

"I see…" He cleared his throat a couple of times. "F-Forgive me for asking, m-master but… are we certain these networks are… reliable?"

"I have confidence in their abilities. Come, my good philosopher of nature, we will have to learn to work with and trust our newfound allies if we are to make a successful debut."

Before Tube could ask anything else, his master left with a flicker of his robe. The twins gazed at Tube and he had a feeling he'd somehow offended them. But they left too, almost gliding across the floor with barely a sound.

Sting watched his escort warily while it led him down the cold, cavern passages. It was no different really to how the living space back in the Swarm had been, but this wasn't the Swarm Hive. This was unfamiliar, hostile and strange. As such, the former commander remained on his guard. For all he knew, this could be a trap.

Edge, or the thing they called Edge, barely acknowledged him. He just continued to stare straight ahead, with no expression on what was left his face. His limbs moved in a jerky, robotic fashion, no fluidity or natural movement. No more of his cocky, loud mouthed remarks. At least one saving grace, at any rate.

He stopped outside a closed door, unremarkable but for a shining rune on its surface. He snapped his head once to Sting, turned and stood sentry next to the door. Carefully, Sting placed his hoof on the door, which glowed with a magical aura and waited for a reaction. Nothing. This must be it then. Or the final stage before the trap closed completely.

Cautiously, he pushed the door open. The rune faded away and he stepped inside. The door closed again and he snapped to a battle stance, ready for whatever may come. But again, there was nothing.

The room was simple, plain. It had a desk, a stool in front of it and a single bed that didn't look to comfortable. And on that bed there lay a figure. There was no mistaking the chitin body of a changeling, the scent of a female one at that and a rich mane of green with a few purple streaks through it.

"Yes, what is it?" she spoke. He remembered that voice; he'd heard it on many occasions prior to this. A young voice, unmistakably hers, with the flaying undertone ever present in his kind. "Another 'checkup' is it? I'm fine, and I'll stay fine. There you have it."

"P-Princess?" he dared to ask. "Princess Samore?"

"Hmm?" The changeling royal glanced up from the book she seemed to be reading.

Despite the darkness of the room, Sting could see her eyes looking back at him. Orange, amber-colored eyes that Sting could have sworn glittered whenever he saw them. He also noticed that despite the relative darkness (and sparsity) of the room, she seemed to be… perfectly comfortable. Such was the emotion he was picking up from her. That was to be expected. After all, she had much the same style of quarters at the Hive, if not counting the fact that she at least had a lamp at home. But more than that, he noticed her looking at him curiously.

"You're not that doctor pony… you look like a changeling. Who are you?"

Out of a habit of military discipline, he snapped attention. He could at least maintain his military dignity.

"Former Commander Sting of the Swarm Hive, your highness," he announced himself crisply. "I served under your mother faithfully for many years."

"... Sting. I remember you, yes. One of my mother's most… loyal cronies." Her voice had a cold, sharp tone to it. "What are you doing here?"

Sting paused for a moment. She didn't seem particularly surprised that he was in fact still alive, for one, nor did she seem particularly glad to see him. He shook it off. No doubt she was simply maintaining her own royal composure in this matter. Very much like her mother, in that regard.

"I was told you were here, highness," he replied. "I came here to see if those claims were true. Speaking personally, I am relieved that you are, highness."

"I… see." She continued looking at him oddly, but said nothing.

The visage of Edge prompted his next question.

"Are they treating you well, highness?"

"Not much differently from how I was treated at the Hive. Interpret that however you will."

He didn't miss the icy tone in her voice. This wasn't really going well and he felt at a loss of what to say.

"Is there anything else, former commander Sting?"

"Ahem. No, highness," he answered. "I'm just comforted knowing you're safe and well after…" He trailed off at the memory of the deal her mother had agreed to in order to secure Fallen's support. The very reason she was here to begin with and another source of resentment he held for the accursed pony.

They should have killed them all the moment they'd stepped into the hive.

When the princess said nothing in reply, he saluted sharply and knocked on the door. It opened and stepped out, still watching Edge warily. But before the door closed, he heard her voice take on a more gentle tone.

"Sting...in the future, I wouldn't mind seeing you visit again."

He was a little surprised at this change from her previous demeanour. But perhaps, he thought, he was making her more comfortable with his presence. It was just the social barrier between them that made that awkward and she needed time to adjust.

"I'd be happy to, highness."

A Crystal Carol

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"Hey Dusk, you done writing that letter yet?" Spike asked.

"Not yet, but I can put it on hold for a moment." He placed the quill back in its ink pot. "What did you need?"

Spike stood by the Hearth's Warming tree they'd been decorating over the course of the day. It was nearly complete except for one decoration and Spike was currently holding it in his claws. It was definitely one he needed help placing.

Dusk's horn glowed and his aura surrounded Spike, levitating him gently off the ground. Spike held the star close to his body until he reached the top and carefully placed it on the very top of the tree. He beamed proudly.

"All finished!" He waited until he was back on ground level and stood back to admire their work. "The perfect tree."

"I find it hard to argue with that," agreed Dusk. "Anything else you needed?"

"Nah, I'm good." He clapped his claws together. "Time to go check on my Hearth's Warming cookies!"

"If they're anything like your nachos, I'm looking forward to them," said Dusk.

Spike whistled a Hearth's Warming Carol as he descended the stairs and Dusk returned to his letter. He wrote the final line, wishing his parents well and to have a merry holiday and signed it with his name. He sealed it in an envelope, making a mental note to deliver it at the earliest opportunity and followed Spike.

The library itself was in the final stages of being decorated for Hearth's Warming. The staircase had been decorated with tinsel, as had the spaces between bookshelves. The bookshelves themselves were decorated with stars, which also hung from the ceiling along with a sprig of mistletoe over every door.

Seeing one, Dusk got an idea. He quietly looked around and found Twilight in the next room, hanging up another pair of stars from the ceiling. He stood back from the door and cleared his throat.

"Twilight? Could you come here for a moment please? I need your help with something," he called.

"Be there in a sec!" she replied. He waited until he heard her hooves approach before meeting her in the doorway. "What did you need?"

"Just to check something," he said, with a half-lidded look. "To make sure this decoration invokes the appropriate reaction."

His eyes flickered up. Hers did too and her cheeks flushed red when she saw what he was referring to. But she returned his gaze and smiled.

"Hmm. Let's see." Their lips met in a kiss that bordered on passionate. "Yes, I'd say that it's working perfectly, wouldn't you?"

"I couldn't agree more."

Dusk glimpsed behind Twilight to see Spike coming from the kitchen, rolling his eyes.

"You know, normally I'd make some kind of comment on how gross you two are being buuut…" He smiled. "I'm gonna let it slide, seeing as how it's that time of year."

"And we're ever so grateful for your patience and tolerance, Spike," giggled Twilight. "Mmm, those smell good."

"I know, right?" Spike smacked his lips. "Sometimes, I have to reason with myself that I'm not that good but I know! Deep down… that I am that good!"

The two of them didn't make any comment. Mainly because they'd both taken bites out of cookies he'd offered to them and found themselves mentally agreeing with his declaration anyway. The look on Spike's face told him they had too.

"Delicious, Spike," complimented Twilight. "Is there enough here for everypony?"

"Yep. I baked two batches, just to be on the safe side," he said. "There'll be some for the princesses too when we go and see them in Canterlot."

"It'll be nice to spend the holiday season with them this year, along with our friends," said Dusk. "At least there's no gauntlet to run this time around."

Twilight scoffed. "Oh come on, meeting my parents wasn't that bad!"

"You mean apart from when I was attacked by a rogue member of the Guard and almost gave in to the psychotic pony that lived in my head?"

"Fair point," admitted Twilight. "But no chance of that this year. Just in case, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"That arrangement works with me," said Dusk brightly.

Spike opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly lurched forward and belched. A scroll formed from the smoke and landed before them.

"A letter? From the princess?" Twilight picked it up and examined the seal of a snowflake. "Wait, this is the seal of the Crystal Empire. It's from Cadence!"

She hurriedly unfurled the message and read aloud:

Dear Twilight, Spike and Dusk

I'm sorry I haven't been in touch for a while. Being in charge of the Crystal Empire really takes it out of you and doesn't leave much time for anything resembling a social life. But now it's the holidays, Shining and I have a lot more time off and really want to use it to catch up with you all.

That's why we've decided to host a Hearth's Warming Day party in the Crystal Empire for you and all of your friends. I'm sorry if this is a little last minute, but we only just managed to make the arrangements. I'd understand if you couldn't make it, but it would be really great to see you again and to show you how much the Empire has changed since you last visited. There's a very special surprise for you, Spike.

Looking forward to seeing you soon and Happy Hearth's Warming!

Love from

Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armour.

"Oh, this holiday just got even better!" she cheered. "A party with my sister-in-law and my big brother in the Crystal Empire! This is the best news I could have gotten!"

"'A very special surprise?' For me? In the Crystal Empire?" Spike looked shocked. "How come I'm only hearing about this now?!"

"Well then, we can go and find out what it is too!" suggested Twilight excitedly, practically bouncing on her hooves. "It'll be so good to see them again!"

"I'd be happy to see them too. But," he said pointedly, placing a hoof on her shoulder to calm her down, "we already told Celestia and Luna we'd be joining them in Canterlot. Remember?"

"Oh. Yeah." Twilight sobered and giggled sheepishly. "Sorry. Got a little bit excited there."

"It's fine. You're cute when you get excited like a little filly," he said. "What do we do about this then?"

"Empire!" Spike declared. "I wanna see my surprise!"

"Hold on, Spike. Like Dusk said, we've already made arrangements," said Twilight. "It'd be really rude of us to just cancel on the princesses just like that."

"But everypony is on holiday, the princesses too!" insisted Spike. "And Cadence is Celestia's niece! I'll bet you thirty fire rubies that she's invited them to this party too!"

"He does have a point," agreed Dusk. "Still, if she hasn't… I was looking forward to seeing Luna this season."

"She will have, I know it! Come ooooon, guys!" he pleaded. "We spent last year in Canterlot and the year before that here! Let's go somewhere different again and make it the Empire! Pleeeeeease?"

He clapped his claws together, fell on his knees and gazed up at them with big puppy dog eyes. Dusk could have sworn he heard him whimpering too. He glanced at Twilight who rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Oh, fine then," she conceded. "I'll write a letter to the princesses and tell them we've changed our plans, then send one to Cadence and tell her we'll see them tomorrow on Hearth's Warming Day!"

"Alright! I'll go grab a quill, ink and parchment!" In a flash, Spike was off.

"Dusk, would you mind going to see our friends and telling them about what's happening?" she asked. "We'll need to get up pretty early if we want to travel to the Empire in good time."

"My pleasure," he said. "See you in a bit."

He quickly kissed her cheek, grabbed his scarf and trotted out into the snow-covered streets. He shivered from the brisk cold and made his way through town.

Dusk was in high spirits with this time of year rolling around again. Yet another festive season to be spent with his closest and best friends. Even with all that had happened, that wasn't going to stop them from enjoying the holidays.

With Ray's house being the closest, he made his way there first. He knocked on the door and waited. As he did, he took note of how much Ray's home stood out. While every other home he'd past on the way here had some degree of decoration, Ray's house was completely bare. Not one single ornament.

He chose not to dwell on it. He waited a bit longer, but Ray didn't arrive at the door. He knocked again, a little louder. This time, he only had to wait a few seconds before hearing what sounded suspiciously like a teleport and a stumble on the other side of the door. Shortly thereafter, it opened, revealing his friend with a rather apologetic grin on his face.

"Oh, hey Dusk!" Ray said, opening the door wider for him. "Sorry about that, I was a bit… uh, preoccupied."

"Should I come at a better time?" asked Dusk with a smirk.

"I don't know what's going on in your head right now, but no, it's fine. I was just writing upstairs." He tapped his nose in satisfaction. "I recently smashed down the metaphorical brick wall of writer's block, and I've been on a roll for the past day. And I didn't hear you knock the first time as a result. Come on in."

"Thank you." Upon entering, Dusk noticed that the interior of his home was just as devoid of decorations as the exterior. "I just came by to tell you an important update."

"Oh?" Ray closed the door behind him and turned to face Dusk. "Well, don't keep us in suspense," he said in a gleeful tone that Dusk knew the reference to. He smiled and continued.

"Plans have changed regarding Hearth's Warming. Good news for you, you might say, we're not going to Canterlot anymore," he said. "Cadence and Shining have invited us to the Empire to have the celebrations there instead."

"Oh. Well that's cool," Ray shrugged. "Better than going to Canterlot anyways. Might be nice to see Cadence and Shining again too. You know, when there isn't a life-or-death ordeal going on."

"Don't worry. As far as I know, we should be fine," said Dusk.

"Awesome. Then...great news. I'll get to be surrounded by shiny rocks instead of pompous elite. An improvement, I'd say."

Dusk frowned a little. He wasn't really expecting this reaction. He didn't seem especially excited, considering the news.

"Are you feeling alright, my friend?" he asked.

"Hmm? Yeah, why?" Ray cocked his head slightly.

Dusk was about to reply, but stopped. Maybe he was looking into this too much. It could be that Ray was just engrossed in his writing and wanted to get back to it. He had the holidays off work, so he probably had taken the time to catch up and was maybe perturbed at the interruption.

"Never mind, it's nothing. I won't keep you from your work," he added. "Now, I need to go and inform everypony else. Oh and word to the wise, set an alarm clock. Twilight expects to be at the train station at an early hour."

"And we wouldn't want to be late on her," he deadpanned. "Alright, duly noted. I'll get to bed early tonight… or I'll try, anyways."

"Excellent." Suddenly, he had an idea. "Oh and perhaps you might do one little favour for me. Not right now, but at some point today."

"Shoot."

"Well, I need to to tell all of our friends, but Fluttershy is a little out of my way," he said casually. "Would you mind going and tell her what I told you? It would make things easier for me, you understand."

"Uhh…" A blush slowly made its way onto Ray's face. "Well, uh… sure, I guess. I'd be happy to. You know, because… yeah. Sure."

"Much appreciated. Have a good day, Ray." He tipped his hat and stepped back outside, making a mental note to save Rarity for last. At least there was the chance for a warm cup of tea at the end.

Fluttershy happily sang out loud while she decorated her home for the holiday season. She'd already finished with the little tree she had in her living room and was hanging tinsel around the room. She was even dressed for the season. She wore a green sweater and a pair of deer antlers on her head.

Any other time of year, she would be embarrassed to wear something like this. But at Hearth's Warming, she barely gave it a second thought.

It did her good to keep her spirits up anyway. It was winter and that meant most of her animal friends were slumbering away in hibernation, waiting for spring to be woken up. Even Angel wasn't around. Things were a lot quieter in her cottage than they normally would be and she did miss looking after them.

But that didn't mean there weren't some good things about this time of year that she loved and she was going to enjoy them no matter what.

She jumped when she heard a knock at her door, but smiled at the prospect of visitors.

"Coming!" she called. She opened it and beamed. "Ray! What a lovely surprise!"

Ray, surprisingly, wasn't wearing anything other than a pair of boots and a small sack that Fluttershy knew from experience he kept some of his writing supplies in. He didn't reply immediately, instead looking at her with an odd expression, before it turned into a smile as he chuckled.

"I'd say the same, but in your case it's more of a… cute surprise." He grinned with a slight blush. "Is that what you're wearing today?"

"Mmhmm." She blushed a little too. "Call it the spirit of the season. You… you like it?"

"Well, like I said, it's cute. The antlers are a nice touch. All you need now is a giant red nose." He paused. "Umm… that's not the wrong story, is it? I get them mixed up sometimes."

"No, it's the right one," she giggled. "Please, come in. You must be freezing."

"Oh, not really," he said as he walked inside. She noticed that he really didn't seem to be shivering very much. "Hate to admit it, but there are… some perks to having an angry animal in my head. Not getting cold very easily happens to be one of them. Saves me money on buying a coat or a scarf, anyways. Not to say I don't appreciate the toastiness of being inside somepony's home," he added, smiling sweetly at her.

"Well, at least he's good for something." She fluttered to the kitchen. "Can I get you some tea? Something to eat?"

"Sure, if that's alright. No preference really, it's good if it's coming from you."

Fluttershy blushed again and poured a two cups for them both, adding some tree-shaped biscuits to go along with them. They sat down together on the couch in silence for a bit before Fluttershy spoke again.

"So, what brings you here? Not that I mind or anything," she added.

"Right. So, uh, update regarding the group's plans for Hearth's Warming. We are no longer going to Canterlot," he informed her casually.

"Oh dear!" she cried. "Oh no! Is it something bad? Is everypony okay? Oh my…"

"Calm down Flutters, take a breath," he instructed. She did so, breathing in and out deeply a few times. Once she was calm again, he continued. "The reason for that is because, apparently, we're going to the Crystal Empire instead to see Cadence and Shining."

That news perked her up. "Really? Oh, how wonderful! What a beautiful place to visit for the holidays! I hope the princesses aren't disappointed though."

"Eh, I'm sure they've got plenty of things to keep themselves occupied. And if not, hey; maybe they'll finally realize what a bunch of sticks-in-the-mud the Canterlot elite are and make some changes. That'd be nice."

"I suppose it's a good thing we weren't with the elite last year then," she said. "Remember? We had our own little gathering instead."

"Really hard to forget. Me, Pinkie, and Rainbow gave a new meaning to "pie in your face" that I didn't realize could work in that context. And before that, I also got to see you up on stage, along with all the others. Very eventful."

"I'm glad you thought so." Feeling brave, she snuggled in closer. "I'm happy you decided to come visit me, Ray."

He grinned, this one both flustered and happy. "No prob, Flutters. How are you doing, by the way? I noticed the lack of animals attacking me on the way in."

"Oh Ray, they're not all vicious," she reminded him. "Some of them are just a little… skittish."

"More like scared mindless of me and my tenant and either hiding away or trying to protect their young," he remarked sourly. "Doesn't matter though. You alright being by yourself this time of year?"

"I'm fine," she said. "I get a little lonely sometimes without them. But it's nice to have some time to myself and time to relax. As fun as it is caring for all my animal friends, I can get a little worn out sometimes. Besides, there's still a few that don't hibernate, like foxes and squirrels, so I'm not completely without company. And I get to spend more time with my pony friends too. That's why I love Hearth's Warming. I love the holiday spirit."

"...yeah. Holiday spirit…" Ray trailed off, taking another bite out of his biscuit in an attempt to disguise it.

It didn't escape Fluttershy, however. She noticed his peculiar lack of enthusiasm.

"Ray? Is there something wrong?"

"I'm, uh…" he paused for a minute before sighing. "I'm fine, Flutters. Really. Just some more slight baggage, I'll get over it. Don't want to bother you with it."

"Um, Ray… I don't mean to sound forceful but I'm your… m-marefriend." The idea was still pleasantly strange to her. "If you want to talk to me about something, you can. I would have before as your friend but now we're… closer… it's even more true. I mean, that's how I see it…"

"Y-yeah, I, uh… I see what you mean," he stuttered himself as his own cheeks turned red. "It's not that big of an issue, honestly. Just, I have a bit of trouble… you know, getting into the holiday spirit. You can probably imagine why. Don't worry, it's not gonna turn into another birthday episode. I promise."

Fluttershy was still a little concerned. But he was right. He wasn't like how he was on his birthday. He wasn't pretending to be happy, he just wasn't very enthusiastic. She was a little sad he wasn't into the holiday spirit, but she could look past it.

"Okay," she said. "But remember that if you want to talk about anything, you can come to me. If you want."

"Of course. You're right at the top of my 'spill your heart out to' list, trust me," he laughed.

"Good. I'll do my best to make you feel better." Gathering up a little more courage, she lightly kissed his cheek. "Did um, that help?"

"Very much so. I feel warm and cuddly inside," he assured her, nuzzling her slightly in response.

She giggled and got up. "You know, I was just about to start cooking dinner and since you're here… I could make enough to serve two. I-If you'd like to stay, that is."

Ray chuckled again, something she was starting to really love the sound of, before responding. "How can I say no?"

Twilight wasn't joking when she said they had to get up early. At seven o clock on Hearth's Warming Day, Dusk clambered out of bed and spent a few drowsy minutes dragging himself to the bathroom to soak his face in cold water to wake himself up.

But the early rise time didn't seem to have put a damper on anypony's mood when he reached the train station. Contrary to his expectations, Twilight wasn't the first there, but Pinkie was.

"Well, of course I am!" she said happily. "Not only am I going to be spending Hearth's Warming with all my bestest friends and not only is it going to be a party, but it's a party with all of my bestest friends in the CRYSTAL EMPIRE! I COULD BARELY SLEEP!"

"How indeed?" He opened his forelegs for a hug. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Pink-"

He was cut off by the death grip of a hug that Pinkie grabbed him in. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Dusky! This is gonna be soooo much fun!"

"If… I… live… to see it," gasped Dusk.

Twilight and Spike arrived moments later. Applejack was another who didn't mind getting up early, arriving awake and cheerful. Rainbow showed up yawning and looking like she might fall asleep on the spot. Fluttershy came next, wearing a colorful scarf and humming cheerfully as she greeted them. After Ray arrived, with a slumped posture and his mane looking even more disheveled than usual (if that were possible), Rarity was the last one there, insisting that she had to make herself look perfect before coming and wearing her festive Hearth's Warming tree hat. Nopony was all that surprised.

The time spent waiting for the train was talking excitedly. By the time it arrived and they'd got on, they were still talking and nopony was all that drowsy anymore. Rainbow did have a short nap on the train, but after about half an hour, she was back to discussing what the Empire would be doing for Hearth's Warming.

As before, Ray did talk but it wasn't with any real enthusiasm about the seasonal spirit. He still looked like he was enjoying himself, but not so much with matching excitement. Although Pinkie far outclassed all of them in that department.

"The main thing I wanna see is what this big surprise is for me Cadence mentioned," said Spike. "I really hope it's some special crystals just for me! My mouth was watering the whole time when we were there before."

"Actually, Spike, I've been doing some thinking about that ever since it was mentioned and I think I may have figured it out," announced Twilight.

"No, don't! I still want it to be a surprise for when we get there!" Spike fidgeted in his seat for a while and twiddled with his claws. "Oh, I can't wait! What is it?"

"Well, think about it. What happened the last time we were there?" she asked.

"Um, we saved the Empire from Sombra and restored the Crystal Heart," said Spike.

"Spikey darling, have you forgotten so easily? We didn't save the Empire. You did," corrected Rarity.

"M-Me?" he stammered. "B-But Twilight was the one who found the Heart and Cadence was the one who grabbed it after Shining Armour threw her."

"And who was it that was with me every step of the way when I searched for the Heart? Who was it that took possession of the Heart so Cadence was in a position to retrieve it? Who is it that has a stained glass window back in Canterlot commemorating his achievement?" Twilight beamed. "That was all you, Spike."

"W-Wow." Spike blinked several times. "I… I guess it was."

"Yeah, you're probably like a big hero now with the crystal ponies or something," put in Rainbow. "Like with a statue and a holiday named after you. Famous and I'm not even in the Wonderbolts yet."

Spike didn't say anything. He looked a little shocked at the idea. The last time he'd been praised as a hero, they'd all shared the glory after the defeat of Discord. But Twilight was right when she said it was largely thanks to Spike they'd been able to save the Empire. Dusk had gotten stabbed too, but he wasn't looking for anymore praise. He was happy to let Spike have this one.

Eventually, a smile started to grow on his face and leaned back in his seat.

"You know, if that's gonna be the case, I think my holiday just got a whole lot better," he said. "I sure hope you guys are right."

"And the princesses are going to be joining us too?" asked Fluttershy. "That's what I've been hearing, anyway."

"You'd be correct," affirmed Dusk. "We got the letter from Celestia not long after we told Cadence we'd be coming. They have to finish some royal traditions for the season in Canterlot first, but they'll be joining us for the party in the Empire too."

"Hard ta imagine Celestia bein' at the type-a parties we're used ta," admitted Applejack. "'Less it involves standin' around an' givin' big smiles ta everypony."

"She had a good time at Cadence's reception and remember, she was the one who invited us to the Gala to make it more exciting," reminded Twilight.

"Good point. Ah still have a hard time picturin' her lettin' her mane down. An' I ain't jus' sayin' that 'cause there's so much of it," she said.

"Well, we shall have to wait and see, won't we?" said Dusk.

By the time they arrived at the station of the Empire, the sun was shining bright enough that they all felt wide awake. They were met by a royal escort and confirmed their speculation on the train about Spike by sinking into low bows.

"We are humbled by your presence, O Great and Honourable Spike the Brave and Glorious," they greeted. "Allow us to carry you to the palace."

Once again, Spike was stunned when they lowered a small chair built for him that they carried. He glanced around and when nopony objected, he smiled once more and climbed onto it.

"On we go, then!" he declared. "Nice that I get to be the big hero for once.

"Well, you called it, Twi," said Ray. "I don't think you could get more heroic than that. Although I'd like to ask where my special throne to carry me to the castle is."

"What in the world did you do that would qualify as heroic?" scoffed Rarity.

"Excuse me, but I think you'll find I was instrumental in helping to free Sombra of his corruption and help Dusk out in his fight against him," he explained. "Really, I was the Spike to his Twilight in that situation."

Rainbow looked at them, staring at both Dusk and Ray for a few moments. She frowned.

"Yeeeah, that just gives me some weird images," she said. "Now, I can't stop seeing you as a baby dragon and Dusk with Twilight's bangs."

"That sounds like an excuse for a makeover to me!" declared Rarity. "Really, there's so much more I could do with that mane and tail if you'd just let me."

"Forgive me if I sound conservative, Rarity, but I prefer my mane and tail as they are, thank you," replied Dusk.

"I don't know. I sort of find myself agreeing with Rarity there," murmured Twilight thoughtfully. "They could use a little work."

"I don't think so. Nopony wears your bangs better than you, Miss Sparkle."

"Aww, you're sweet." She paused. "But seriously, would it kill you to comb your mane and tail a little more?"

"You're asking me this when we continue to keep Ray's company?" he returned.

"You tell her, Dusk. Wait, was that a compliment or an insult?"

"You decide," replied Dusk.

There was a definite air of cheer in the Empire compared to their previous visit. The coats of the crystal ponies shimmered magnificently in the sunlight, as did their beautiful buildings and streets. These were adorned with winter-themed decorations, such as chain links of snowflakes and crystal Hearth's Warming trees growing along the streets.

Not only that but they could tell even from this distance that the light of the Crystal Heart was brighter than ever before. No doubt the spirit of the season was just as strong in the Empire as it was back home.

As they walked, the largely unknown tenth member of their company took the time to speak up, addressing Ray within his mind.

"Must we be present for this 'celebration'? I already grow weary of these ponies and their imbecilic tradition of joy and happiness. The fantasies of destruction are rolling in…"

Ray started for a moment at suddenly hearing Wrath's voice out of nowhere. This was shortly followed by feeling a vein starting to throb in his forehead at the monster's impeccable timing.

"Would you just shut up? You get no say in where we go and what we do, now go brood or something," he said heatedly to his tenant.

To his satisfaction, there was no response; he felt Wrath linger for a moment, then retreat back into the recesses of his mind. With a smile, he returned his attention back to the walk toward the castle.

That was when he noticed that all of his friends had stopped and were staring at him, with the exception of Spike, who escorts were still carrying him forward until he made a motion for them to stop. Everypony was watching him silently.

"Uhh… what?" Ray asked cluelessly.

"Um, were you talking to any of us there, Ray?" asked Twilight.

"...no. Wait," Ray froze. "Did I… say that out loud?"

"Y-Yes, you did," answered Fluttershy nervously.

Ray's eyes widened drastically before he blinked a few times. He coughed. "Ahem. Well… I, uh… this is awkward."

Dusk nodded at Ray. "It was him, wasn't it?"

"Uh… yes. He was… you know, doing his thing, and I… kinda had to tell him off. Which was not supposed to be out loud, for the record. Just… yeah."

Ray could've sworn he felt Wrath chuckle somewhere in there. The awkward silence endured for another few moments.

"Well, let's hope mean ol' Wrathy doesn't spoil our fun anymore, huh? You hear that, you Scrooge?!" Pinkie added. The stares turned to her. "What? If Ray's allowed to yell at the voice inside his head, why can't I?"

"...I'd respond to that, but even I can't come up with a witty reason," Ray sighed. "No cause for alarm, everypony. Let's just… move on. Please."

Nopony objected to this idea. Thankfully, a point of interest came up as they approached the palace in the form of a crystal-carved statue of Spike, holding aloft the Crystal Heart triumphantly.

"Oh yeah." Spike reclined in his throne. "I could get used to this."

The guards left Spike at the entrance to the palace, bowing as they departed. Spike had a definite swagger on their ascent to the throne room. No sooner had they stepped inside, they were greeted by their hosts.

"Hello, everypony!" Cadence beamed. "And there's my sister-in-law!"

"Cadence!" Twilight ran up to her foalsitter.

Dusk couldn't fight back a smile, along with the others. They knew what was coming.

"Sunshine, sunshine

Ladybugs awake!

Clap your hooves

And do a little shake!"

The first of them to say anything afterwards was Ray, who promptly started to chuckle despite his apparent attempt to conceal it, which then broke into a full-blown laugh. He wiped a tear away from his eye.

"You know," he said in-between minor fits of giggling, "I didn't say anything last time because there was kinda more important stuff going down, but seriously, what the heck? That's totally random and hilarious!"

"It's something we've done since I was a little filly!" flushed Twilight. "Don't judge!"

"Too late."

"Ray!"

"Alright, alright, I retract my judgement. Still funny, though."

"Don't make me sic Dusk on you!" threatened Twilight.

Dusk raised an eyebrow. "Beg pardon?"

"Twilight, he's your coltfriend, not your dog," giggled Cadence.

"That's kind of rich coming from the mare who let her husband use her as a projectile weapon," quipped Ray.

"I was taught to be resourceful in pressured situations in my training and to think outside the box," said Shining. "Though I'd certainly like to see my drill inspector's face if he learned about that particular tactic."

"I call it a testament to the power of love. And speaking of love, I'm sensing a lot more of it than when you were last here and coming from some very specific sources," said Cadence slyly.

Her eyes fell on Ray and Fluttershy. Instantly, both of their faces blushed up a storm. Ray rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously while Fluttershy pawed the ground with her paw and hid behind her mane.

"Congratulations, you two." Her smile grew. "I knew it was only a matter of time. I hope you're very happy together."

Ray continued to laugh nervously. However Fluttershy, in a move that was rather bold by her standards, stood closer to Ray's side and placed a hoof on his free one.

"I um… I think we will be, princess," she said sincerely. "Th-Thank you."

"Awww! You're so cute!" she gushed. "Oh, that mental picture is going right in my memories album!"

"Alright, simmer down, dear," prompted Shining.

"Hush you," she ordered playfully. "I'm the Princess of Love. I'm allowed to get carried away if I want to."

"Speaking of our royal duties, there's something we need to do first," reminded Shining.

"Oh yes, of course! Excuse us, everypony. We just need to make a quick address to the crystal ponies, then we can begin the celebrations."

They all stood back and remained respectfully silent as Cadence and Shining went to the balcony. A joyous cheer greeted them from the assembled ponies below. They waved to the crowd for a bit before Cadence raised her hoof for silence.

"Crystal ponies. Citizens of the Empire," began Shining. "We'd like you all to take a moment. To remember the dark times, when all seemed lost. How together you overcame that darkness and have worked together to help this great Empire rise again, greater than ever before and proclaim together in one voice: well done!"

Another cheer erupted from the crowd.

"Though a thousand years have been lost, you've never let that dampen your spirits or harden your hearts," continued Cadence. "I have seen that the power of your love and light is as strong as it ever was and has even surpassed it. We may have been here to guide you but it is you, our loyal and wonderful subjects, who have helped to carry the Empire to where it is today and where we will ensure it stays.

"Now, let us come together and celebrate the light and love that, on this day, united all ponies with the magic of friendship. A magic I can say with certainty has returned to the North once again. Be proud of yourselves, remember all you have achieved and a Happy Hearth's Warming Day to each and everypony!"

Hooves stomped in thunderous applause and Dusk could make out the crystal ponies bowing in the streets. The ground shone with magical light, the power within the crystal ponies empowering the Crystal Heart. They felt its magical energies sweep through them, transforming them into their crystal coats much to Rarity's delight.

"Oh, now this is most certainly Hearth's Warming!" she squealed with joy.

While they all had mounting excitement for the holiday celebrations, Ray stood off to the side idly. He looked mildly surprised at getting a crystal coat, but he otherwise looked rather bored.

"Well, now that that's done," said Cadence, "it's time for presents! These are for all of you."

They levitated heart-shaped boxes to them. Dusk opened his and found a number of what looked like sweets, but they were all shimmering like little gemstones.

"Crystal candy," explained Shining. "Specially prepared sugar crystals with different flavours. We only just got them back in production in time for the holidays. This is the first batch and we figured we'd save them for you."

"Oooh!" Pinkie popped one in her mouth. "Mmm, crunchy! Like rock candy but a little sweeter. I love it!"

The exchange of gifts continued. Applejack shared out various homemade apple-related treats, including a bottle of cider for everypony much to Rainbow's delight. She, on the other hoof, had scored them tickets for prime seats for the next Wonderbolts air show. Rarity's gifts came in the form of specially made winter wear, including winter-themed outfits for when they'd be having Hearth's Warming dinner. Twilight, to nopony's real surprise, got them all books on various subjects. Fluttershy had made them all hoof-stitched pictures of animals, mostly associated pets if a pony had them.

"I-I'm sorry, Cadence and Shining," she murmured. "B-By the time I knew we were coming here… I didn't have time to m-make you a-any."

"That's alright, Fluttershy," assured Cadence. "Your being here with everypony is an equally as great gift."

Then, it was Dusk's turn. Using his magic, he began the display he had been working on. The girls gasped in surprise when their respective elements appeared around their necks and gently floated out into the centre of the room. From them appeared near-perfect shapes. These were no longer basic outlines, but possessed as much detail as he could muster. From their eye colours to the strands of hair on their manes.

The shadows grew around them and from them, tinged with his lights, hostile forms of old enemies emerged. Doom. Paraserpents. Discord. Changelings and Chrysalis. The Beast Wrath in the form they faced it in, larger than them all (Ray, for one, looked slightly perturbed at seeing what he'd generally looked like under Wrath's possession). But the forms of Dusk and the girls shone brightly in the dark, making Doom and the Paraserpents flinch. A shield appeared around them, generated by the new form of Shining and empowered by Cadence, from which the changelings recoiled. The stars and sun appeared and from them came Celestia and Luna, their magic holding back Discord. Wrath lunged at them, but Ray was there to stop him, resisting the Beast with all of his might.

Their light, representing their friendship, shone brighter and brighter until it all burst forth in a vibrant rainbow light. It filled the whole room, dispelling the darkness of the evils that had surrounded them and leaving them standing triumphant. Their forms faded away and Dusk was left feeling rather fatigued at the immense effort of using his magic like that. But for the expressions on his friend's faces and the hugs they all gave him, it was worth it.

"That was beautiful, Dusk," praised Cadence. "A real testament to how you and all you have come and still have yet to reach."

"Thank you, Cadence," he said sincerely.

But there was one pony who hadn't hugged him. He was standing where he had been before, looking rather flummoxed at the presents surrounding him, like he had no idea how they got there.

"Somethin' wrong, Ray?" asked Applejack.

"Huh? Uh yeah, fine," he replied. "Just um… I feel kinda crummy, really."

"Oh no!" Fluttershy looked worried. "I knew I shouldn't have stitched you a wolf for your present!"

"No, no! It's not that Flutters, really," he said quickly. "Just… I didn't really expect to get any gifts, is all and um… I didn't really get anypony anything."

He rubbed the back of his head and looked away. But before any of them could say anything, it was Pinkie who stepped up and gave him her brightest smile.

"Aww, silly Ray. It doesn't matter if you didn't get any presents. That's not what Hearth's Warming is about. It's about friendship and that's the best gift you could have ever given any of us."

She pulled him into a warm embrace. Ray seemed surprised at the gesture, but he relaxed into it and hugged back. Dusk could have sworn that his eyes were starting to shimmer with tears before he closed them.

"Oh boy," Rainbow sniggered. "You're gonna need some wine to go with the cheese of that line, Pinkie."

Pinkie just giggled. "Good one, Dashie!"

"Yeah, it was kind of cheesy but… thanks," he said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Ray," replied Pinkie. "Is that everypony's presents done?"

"I think so," said Cadence. "Follow us, everypony!"

Cadence lead them from the throne room and down the hall. The room they came into was definitely decorated for a party. Streamers, balloons, tables laden with food and drinks and a set of speakers with a sound desk. It was in the spirit of the season too, with all the Hearth's Warming trappings blending nicely with the others.

"Everything we need is here." Cadence turned to face them. "Now, I think you know what to do, Pinkie."

"Hold on, Cadence. Protocol must be observed," she said in an oddly formal voice. She turned to Shining and stood to attention. "Ahem. Request permission to begin partying down, Captain-Prince sir?"

Shining laughed and nodded. "Permission granted. Carry on, Private Pinkie."

"Thank yoooou, sir!" she replied enthusiastically and whipped out her party cannon. "Preparing the One Party Cannon Salute in three… two…!"

"Hold your fire, Pinkamena!" a voice called. "By royal command!"

They turned to see Celestia and Luna coming down the hall, the latter holding up a hoof and hurrying forward ahead of her sister.

"Behold! We have arrived and thus the celebrations can begin in earnest!" declared Luna. "Rejoice, my friends, for much fun will be had on this day! So we declare it!"

"Truer words were never spoken, my sister," agreed Celestia.

"Thank you, Tia," replied Luna brightly.

"Princesses!" Twilight galloped up to her mentor. "Happy Hearth's Warming!"

"And to you as well, Twilight," returned Celestia. "It looks like Luna and I got here just in time."

"You did," said Dusk, meeting Luna with a hug. "It's good you were able to be here with us."

"We wouldn't miss this for the world, my friend," said Luna warmly. "It's better than being by ourselves in Canterlot."

"Is that because we're the only fun ponies you know?" joked Dusk.

To his surprise, both monarchs exchanged a look with each other and their cheeks went red. Dusk looked at Twilight, whose eyes widened and she giggled.

"Wow. Looks like I called it again, right Ray?" asked Twilight.

"Two in a row," he called.

"Even princesses need to have a little fun now and then," said Celestia. "Speaking of which, I believe you were about to proceed, Pinkie?"

"Yes ma'am!" With a bang, her party cannon exploded and the party began.

Nopony wasted any time to begin celebrating. They kicked things off with a game of Pin the Tail on the Pony, with Celestia stepping up to do the pinning. However, as an added twist, they positioned a few tables and other such things to create a maze between the princess and the pony. A team composed of Twilight, Dusk, Rarity, Spike, Cadence and Shining then had to yell to her where to go while the opposing team lead by Luna and composed of Ray, Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy had to confuse her efforts.

"There, right there, princess!" cried Twilight. "You've got it!"

"No, no, left, further left!" called Luna.

"Watch that table, auntie- oops!" Cadence cringed.

"I can't very well watch it if I'm blindfolded!" Celestia laughed, getting back up. "Where am I actually going?!"

"Do a one-eighty, turn around!" shouted Shining. "You're not facing the right way!"

"Goodness, princess! You dropped your crown!" shrieked Rarity.

"Oh, forget the crown!" dismissed Celestia. "I'm getting this tail on the pony and I won't be stopped!"

Even though she ended up stumbling and falling several times, wandering far off course and even accidentally placing the tail on her sister's nose, Celestia wasn't perturbed. In fact, her face was glowing with the brightest, happiest smile that Dusk had ever seen her have. It was strange, yet wonderful to see her having so much fun and enjoying herself.

In the end, Celestia did manage to get it on the pony but closer to its chest than its rump.

"I suppose that'll do," she tittered. "My party talents lie more in eating cake, I think."

"Sorry, princess," chimed Pinkie, "but I think I gotcha beat there."

Celestia smirked. "Is that a challenge, Pinkie?"

Pinkie returned it. "Oh, it. Is. On SISTER!"

Both of the cakes brought out for them were fairly sizable. Dusk felt a little sick at the thought of eating either one by himself, but neither mare backed down. On Spike's signal, they both gorged on their sweets as if they'd been starving for days.

Once again, this complete abandonment of royal composure was rather surprising. All pretence of proper etiquette was abandoned by Celestia, simply choosing to eat her cake as quickly as possible, her fur and golden girdle stained with chocolate and icing.

It was a close run thing, but Pinkie won by a hair.

"Oh… yeah!" she cheered, worn out. A loud belch escaped her mouth. "You're… a worthy opponent… Celestia."

The belch was trumped by Celestia, who delicately wiped her mouth. "As are you, Pinkie."

"Um, who is this mare and what's she done with Celestia?" murmured Ray to Dusk.

"I don't know, but she's good company," replied Dusk.

Taking a little break from the games, everypony started to mingle. Dusk found himself in a group consisting of Applejack, Rainbow and Shining. On the subject of competing, the two mares were recounting the Iron Pony competition. He took a hearty drink of Applejack's cider that she had brought as he listened. It was very well made and it was better than waiting another year for cider season.

"So yeah, because Applejack was such a saddle sore about my many victories in the contest-"

"Uh, ya mean when ya used yer wings ta give ya an unfair advantage?" said Applejack pointedly.

"Heh… details," she said sheepishly. "Anyways, so we decided to settle it at the Running of the Leaves in a race."

"Oh yeah? Who won then? Which of you is the Iron Pony?" asked Shining. "If I had to place my bets between you two, I'd say it'd be a pretty even thing."

"Um… well, you see…"

"Uh, what happened there was uh… we uh…"

"Neither of them," answered Dusk. "They were so caught up in trying to beat each other, they forgot about others participating in the race. Namely myself and your sister."

"Wait, so…" Shining started to laugh. "No way! You two beat them?"

"We finished ahead, yes," said Dusk. "I came sixth, she came fifth."

"Hey, not bad!" praised Shining. "You got a little more meat on those bones than I thought. Maybe you and I should have an Iron Pony contest."

Dusk's eyes ran up Shining's far superior physique warily. "Um… I'd say that'd be rather one-sided. I'm not exactly a uh, physical specimen."

"I dunno about that." Rainbow ran a cursory glance over him. "With all the scrapes we've gotten into and all your training and such, I think you've put on a little more muscle than you did when you first stumbled into Ponyville."

"We um, can't really be sure about that," he muttered.

"Then how 'bout we give ya somepony a lil' closer ta yer level an' find out. Hey, Ray!" Applejack called. "Get over here fer a sec!"

Ray had been standing off to one side, looking like he'd been in thought. At the sound of his name, he popped over. Literally, appearing next to them in a second.

"What's up? Are you all bored? Should I regale you with one of the most-likely slightly-exaggerated tales of my past exploits?"

"If we needed somepony ta do that, ah'd have asked Rainbow," replied Applejack.

"Hey!" she yelled indignantly.

"We called you over because we want to see who's strongest between you and Dusk," said Shining.

Dusk's eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry?"

Ray had a similar reaction. "...You wanna see who's stronger between me and Dusk? Like, right now? Have a fight in the middle of a party?"

"As awesome as that would be, no," said Rainbow. "You're settling this with a test of strength as old as time itself: a hoof wrestle!"

"Oh, test of strength, okay. Still…" Ray looked Dusk over. "You want to see who is stronger between me, and the student of one of the Princesses with an admittedly somewhat lacking frame. I'm not sure if I should be flattered… or what. No offense, Dusk."

"None taken because this is completely ludicrous," said Dusk. "I didn't agree to this, nor am I altogether curious about the outcome."

"Come on, Dusk! You're not chicken, are you?"

Dusk frowned at Shining. "You should know that I don't respond well to foalish methods of goading, Shining."

"Yeah, besides, I'd obviously win anyways. I mean, Dusk doesn't exactly have a winning record against me, anyways," Ray added casually.

"I beg your pardon?" Dusk looked at Ray. "I do recall that apparently I did defeat you during the changeling incident."

"You were under mind control, it hardly counts."

"Yeah, see?" Rainbow nudged him. "Don't tell me you're not just a little bit curious, Dusk. Come on, it's just a bit of fun. Go for it and put him in his place!"

"Ah wouldn't mind seein' him taken down a peg too," added Applejack. "We ain't gonna think any less-a ya either way, sugarcube."

Dusk considered briefly. As much of a friend he considered him to be, Ray's boasting could get a little… tedious. Rivalling Rainbow's, if that was possible. He would be lying if he said it wouldn't be satisfying to try and earn some bragging rights.

"Why is everypony siding against me? Come on guys, Dusk isn't that kind of pony. Right Dusk?"

Dusk couldn't really explain how or why, but the opportunity seemed to awake something inside him. Something that could be akin to a competitive side. Or maybe it was the cider.

"You know," said Dusk slowly, "if you'd asked me that two years ago, I would have agreed."

"Hummana-what?" Ray sputtered.

"But," Dusk continued, "after becoming an Element of Harmony, student to a princess, emerging victorious in more than a few fights including one with my own dark side, helping saving Equestria on three separate occasions and enduring the blunt end of your pipe from any enduring attempts at self deprecation… I think it's fair to say my attitude has changed, somewhat."

Ray looked dumbfounded. "Did you… did you just hold a grudge?"

"Would somepony mind clearing a space?" he asked loudly. "I believe a wager has been placed."

That proclamation managed to grab the attention of every other pony present, even those currently engaged in their own conversations. With a growing grin, Rainbow zoomed to a table and pushed aside some of the items on it. Dusk strode up to it, sat down and placed his right foreleg on it. He looked up at Ray, daring him silently to take up the challenge.

Ray just stared for several long, quiet moments. When he spoke, it was with a smirk. "Well, when you of all ponies throws down the gauntlet like that, somepony like me is kinda obligated to pick it up." He moved over to the opposite side of the table and sat down, facing Dusk. "Alright. I'm game. We'll see just how long this lasts."

Rather quickly, the other members of the party started to gather around, most of them rather surprised at the concept of Dusk and Ray having a hoof wrestle… but nopony objecting all the same.

"Goodness, you can smell the testosterone," murmured Rarity.

"Really?" Pinkie sniffed her pits. "I thought that was me."

"I got ten bits that Ray wins in the first five seconds," whispered Spike.

"I'll match that," replied Rainbow.

"I say twenty that my student shall emerge victorious!" declared Luna.

Spike shrugged. "Your loss, princess." That earned a glare from Twilight. "What? Ask Dusk if you want faith."

"Ray. Dusk." At Shining's word, they clasped hooves across the table. "Start… now!"

Once the announcement had left Shining's mouth, both of their legs immediately tensed as they strained against one another. Though the others were quiet for a second, they soon started cheering, some for Dusk, some for Ray.

Dusk was met with strong resistance from Ray and could already feel beads of sweat beginning to form. He wasn't really used to this kind of physical exertion, but he wasn't about to just give up either. Ray would never let him live it down. He pushed against his hoof with all the strength he possessed. But despite his effort, Ray, while appearing to be struggling as well, was still pushing Dusk's hoof closer and closer to the surface of the table.

"Hey Dusk," he managed to breath out, "Wasn't expecting you to be… lasting this long. You working out at all?"

"Call it… strength of… will," he uttered through clenched teeth.

"Ah,so it's… just me then?" Ray asked, still inching Dusk's hoof downward. "Maybe I… really should start… working harder. I may be losing my touch."

"Thank ya, finally!" Applejack proclaimed loudly off to the side.

His hoof was inches away from touching the table. The cheers for Ray were growing louder, as were the ones for Dusk. He tried to push against it, but Ray kept pressing down on him. He didn't know exactly what happened next. Perhaps he tapped into some unfound strength. Perhaps Ray started to lessen the pressure because he felt victory was close. Whatever it was, Dusk gave another drawn-out groan of exertion and gained some ground. This was followed by a brief glimpse of shock on Ray's face before Dusk, in the span of a second, brought his own hoof back up and slammed Ray's down on the other side of the table.

Along with Ray's entire body, which went in the same direction as his hoof and resulted in him slamming against the floor on the other side of the table with a cry of surprise, while Dusk held onto his hoof.

It was quiet for almost a full minute. Nopony made a sound. Dusk's eyes were locked onto his and Ray's hooves, still gripping each other, but now the former's pinning the latter's against the crystalline surface. He couldn't see the others' faces, but he imagined they were just as surprised as he was. He also noticed that his leg had gone noticeably numb in some parts after that outburst.

Finally, a groan from Ray brought them all out of their stupor. The first to speak was Rainbow.

"The hay just happened?"

"Something that means you both owe me some money," said Luna with a triumphant smirk.

Spike just dumbly handed over his own ten bits whilst barely moving from his shocked position.

"Wow…" Shining shook his head. "Where did that come from?"

"Yer askin' the wrong pony," murmured Applejack.

"Wooooo! Go Dusk!" cheered Pinkie. "We have made a stallion out of you and we didn't even need a montage!"

Twilight walked up to a stunned Dusk and surprised him even more with a full on kiss.

"I don't usually get behind stuff like this," she said when she was finished. "But that was, well… kind of hot. Well done, Dusk."

"Thanks," Dusk muttered absently. He was still trying to process how exactly this had come about. His hoof was still on top of Ray's. He hadn't had the idea to remove it yet.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was rushing over to Ray's side of the table, where she knelt down next to him. "Ray?! I, uh, I mean… are you, um, alright?"

"Oww," was, for once, the only thing Ray said.

"Oh dear… umm, Dusk?" Fluttershy asked politely, getting his attention. "Could you maybe… let go of his hoof please?"

Dusk finally realized that he was still holding his opponent in a death grip and complied, slowly releasing Ray's hoof, which fell unceremoniously off the table. He heard Fluttershy mutter a quiet 'thank you' and return to tending Ray. Dusk, for his part, was feeling rather tingly on his general right side.

"Dusk? Is everything alright?" Twilight sounded concerned.

"I'm fine, fine," he insisted. "I just… I didn't know I had it in me."

"Looks like you just got it where it counts," said Shining proudly. "Nice win, Dusk. I'd maybe take it easy for a few minutes until you get the feeling back. Pushing yourself like that can really be a killer, but you'll always end up a little stronger as a result."

Dusk nodded his thanks silently and felt the soothing warmth of a spell from Twilight easing the numbness in his foreleg.

"Well, now that that bout of masculinity is over, are there any other competitions we should get out of the way?" Rarity asked the group.

"Hey, here's an idea!" piped up Spike. "Who's the better student to a princess: Dusk or Twilight?"

"An excellent proposition, young Spike!" agreed Luna.

"I have to admit, I'm a little interested to find that out too," said Celestia.

Both Dusk and Twilight felt more than a little self conscious under everypony's gaze. One look at each other and they both came to the same conclusion.

"We'll… get back to you on that," replied Twilight sheepishly.

After about fifteen minutes, Dusk was able to get complete feeling in his leg back and could walk on it without feeling like he would fall. He also bore in mind to try and keep any other similar ideas in check. Cider was making a lot of ideas that he would have normally put out of his mind completely sound rather feasible under its influence.

It was at this point he saw Ray again looking rather disinterested in the whole affair. He stood off to one side, glancing about the room. Dusk managed to catch his eye and wordlessly motion for him to accompany him out into the hall. Ray looked confused, but he followed. Dusk kept quiet until they'd slipped out and he shut the door, ensuring a measure of privacy.

"Am I the only one getting a weird sense of deja vu from this?" Ray asked.

"I couldn't really say." Dusk got straight to the point. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Dusk," Ray sighed, sounding slightly exasperated.

"Then why are you acting so distant?" asked Dusk. "I've seen Fluttershy try three times to ask you if you want to join in some holiday themed games and you turned her down on all occasions. I don't know if you can tell, but she looked very disappointed and I can tell the others are beginning to notice too."

"Those puppy eyes are gonna haunt me in my sleep, I swear…" Dusk heard Ray mutter under his breath before the latter spoke up. "Alright, alright. You and the girls get so concerned over me I sometimes can't decide if it's nice or a nuisance…"

"That's what you get when you have should know that by now," replied Dusk.

"Fair enough," Ray laughed before continuing. "Look, I don't know if you've noticed by now, but… celebrations aren't exactly my strongest suit. Especially this particular type of celebration. I mean, it never gets as bad as when my birthday rolls around, but in general I'm just… well, I don't really have much holiday spirit, you could say. At least not during Hearth's Warming."

"I have a hunch, but may I ask why?"

"Well, lemme put it this way… you ever see one of those really sad Hearth's Warming movies that has a scene with the one guy walking down a snowy street really late at night, all bundled up and trudging along, and he happens to look in through a window he's passing by and sees a happy family gathered around a fireplace and having fun with one another?"

Dusk nodded. "I think I see what you mean. I suppose it is obvious why this time of year doesn't sit well with you."

"Not trying to be a drama queen about it, but basically, yeah." Ray shrugged. "Not much cheer in that department. I'm trying to stay involved, but… well, it's a little awkward, you know?"

"I understand." Dusk thought for a moment. "Do you mind if I offer some advice?"

"Go ahead. All ears."

"You're only behaving this way because you can't get into the holiday spirit. Yet I've seen you participate in plenty of other gatherings quite wholeheartedly, parties like this one included. I think you should just try to appreciate the fact that this is a gathering with all of our friends, ponies we both consider to be family and there just so happens to be something else happening in the background. You don't have to pay attention to that something else, but you can still have a good time regardless."

"I get what you're saying. It's easier said than done, though, with all the decorations glaring in my face," he added jokingly.

"Even so, I'm not going to let you sit around and mope the whole evening. You never did. So," said Dusk, walking right up to him, "either you lighten up and try to have some fun or I talk to Pinkie and have her make sure you do. For the whole evening."

For a moment there, Ray actually looked scared at the prospect, with his eyes bugging out. He regained his composure though and shook his head.

"Fine, you win. I know better than to argue. Just… don't sic Pinkie on me. Please."

"Actually try to enjoy yourself and I won't have to. Think of it as my pipe for you, if you will," he said with a smirk and walked past him back inside. "Come along, Mr Strike."

"Don't you get all formal on me," he grumbled while following. "You know I hate that."

Dusk merely smiled to himself and watched Ray rejoin the party. He got Fluttershy's attention and to her apparent delight looked like he agreed to play something with her.

"What was that all about then?" a curious Twilight asked.

"Just a little bit of role reversal, you might say," answered Dusk.

She frowned. "What does exactly that mean?"

"That I was returning a favour," he replied.

"Okay fine, be all enigmatic and mysterious then," she said, rolling her eyes. "I don't know why I decided it might be fun to let you drink."

At some point during the party, everypony had taken a spot on the dance floor. The last to join them was Twilight, who began her… unique style much to everypony's amusement.

"Uh oh, clear the way!" guffawed Rainbow. "Twilight's taking the stage!"

"Watch as she performs the dance of her people!" called Pinkie.

Luna stared at her oddly. "I have been sealed away for a millennia and even I hesitate to call those movements 'dancing'."

"Just like when she was little!" squealed Cadence delightfully.

"Yeah, but I think it was cuter then," murmured Shining.

"It's not that bad, really," said Fluttershy.

"No, it's worse!" laughed Spike.

"Oh come now, everypony," defended Rarity. "At least she isn't afraid to express herself."

"Yeah, jus' not real sure 'bout what she's expressin' other than ah think she needs the lil' filly's room," remarked Applejack.

"Hey, we should take photos and show them to everypony!" suggested Ray. "They'd either melt down, run away or fall in love."

"Ray, that's my marefriend you're…" Dusk couldn't hold back a snigger. "I'm sorry, I can't keep a straight face. What is she DOING with her legs?!"

"It seems now I know where to focus my teaching efforts in the future," noted Celestia with a laugh.

"Thank you all for your loyalty and support," said Twilight sarcastically.

Not long after, as another way to wind down and due Pinkie Pie's very enthusiastic suggestion, they gathered in the centre of the room in a circle to play a game of Spin the Bottle with Truth or Dare rules, and the mares all noticeably more excited to play than the stallions.

"Okay, here we go!" Pinkie spun the bottle and it landed on Shining. "Oooh! You're up, your princeliness! Truth or dare?"

"Figures. Okay, dare," he said.

"Hmm…" Pinkie thought for a moment. "Do ten push-ups, with one hoof and two ponies sitting on your back!"

"Sorry, is that meant to be a challenge?" he laughed.

He supported himself on two hooves until the two ponies, Twilight and Applejack, were settled on his back. Amazingly, he managed to pull it off with seemingly little effort, though he was sweating quite a bit and practically collapsed when he was finished.

"Hoo, boy!" he panted. "Like being back in basic."

"They made you do push-ups with mares sitting on your back in basic training?" giggled Twilight.

"Sadly, no," he chuckled. "They'd probably get more recruits if they did though." He spun it and the bottle landed on Celestia. She picked truth. "What do you look for in a stallion?"

"Why only a stallion?" she winked. She got a few stunned looks from that. "What? When you live as long as I do, you can end up… experimenting."

"I… think that's a little more truth than I really needed to know," muttered Ray.

"But in both cases: I like intelligence, somepony I can talk to but also somepony who knows how to have fun and has a sense of humour." She paused. "A nice flank is a good selling factor too."

"I knew we were meant to be! Take me now, princess of my heart!" cried Pinkie, snorting with laughter.

"A few more truths coming to light, it seems." Celestia laughed and spun the bottle. Rainbow groaned when it landed on her.

"Ugh, fine! Truth, I guess"

"What is one thing you do regularly that you would never want to be caught doing?" asked Celestia.

"Aw no! Do I have to answer this?" The princess nodded, smirking. "Ugh! Okay um… I uh… IgethooficureseveryFriday!"

"Why, Rainbow!" tittered Rarity. "Have you handed in your daredevil licence then?"

"Shut up!" she snapped. "It feels really good on my hooves, okay?! I tried to resist after the Gabby Gums thing but… they just feel so good! I… ugh, just lemme spin the damn bottle!"

She did so and it pointed to Applejack. "Oh, now it's getting good!"

"Guess ah'll mix it up a bit. Dare," she picked.

"Dance on that table and sing the chorus of Redneck Mare!" Rainbow said at once.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "You serious? Well, guess ah gotta do it."

With as much dignity as she could muster, Applejack climbed up onto the table and cleared her throat. Pinkie whipped out a violin from somewhere and gave her some backing music. Tapping hoof and getting into a little jig, she sang:

Well ah'm a redneck mare

Ah ain't no high class broad

Ah'm jus' a product-a ma rasin', ah say

'Hey y'all' an' 'yeehaw!'

An' ah keep ma Stetson hat on in every place ah go

An' ah'm runnin' firs' in every single rodeo

So here's ta all ma sisters out there keepin' it country

Lemme get a big 'hay yeah' from the redneck mares like me!

Hay yeah!

Pinkie echoed her yell and cheered enthusiastically while everypony applauded. She tipped her hat well naturedly and leapt off the table, glaring at a guffawing Rainbow.

"Ya bring this up again an' ah will hog tie ya an' hang ya upside down in the barn," she warned.

"Not really doin' much ta change the stereotype, pardner!" called Ray.

"That goes double fer you, Ray if ah hear ya tryin' ma accent again!"

"Yes ma'am."

"I do not understand," muttered Luna. "Applejack's neck is in no way red. Is this some manner of sickness?"

"I'll explain later," giggled Celestia. "Now, Applejack, I believe it's your turn to spin."

She did so and the bottle landed on Spike. He picked dare and Applejack told him to do an imitation of somepony and see if they could guess. The dragon stroked his chin for a bit.

"Oh, hey guys," he said in a slightly deeper voice. "I'm off to work on the farm and just get yelled at by Applejack, you know? I hope Fluttershy's not gonna be there because she makes me all nervous, you know? Hey, cut out all the singing! It's really weird, you know?"

"Why, that could only be Ray!" guessed Rarity.

Ray's head snapped up. "What?"

"You got it!" declared Spike. "Okay, my turn to-"

"Wait, wait, hold on!" Ray ordered. "I do not sound like that!"

"Yes, you do," said Dusk. "That particular phrase is one I hear quite a bit from you."

"I don't say 'you know' that much! Do I?" He looked to Fluttershy. "Do I?"

"Um…" She blushed. "M-Maybe a little…?"

Ray frowned. "Oh. Lovely. Now I'm self-conscious about it. Thanks everypony."

A spin of the bottle later and it landed on Cadence. There was a slightly daring smirk when she picked truth and Spike posed the question of telling them a guilty pleasure she had.

"Hmm…" That smirk remained, a faint blush accompanying it. "Roleplay."

Rarity gasped. "My goodness, Cadence! I didn't think you were the type!"

"It's mostly for Shining's benefit, but it is really fun," she giggled. "See, he likes his tabletop RPGs and sometimes, we like to get dressed up and-"

"Cadence!" cried Twilight. "I don't need to hear this and neither does Spike!"

"They really don't!" added Shining desperately.

"I don't get it," shrugged Spike. "I play Ogres and Oubliettes all the time. What's the big deal?"

"We'll tell you when you're older, champ," said Ray.

"I must say, I'm learning a lot about my subjects and family today," Celestia added in, unable to suppress her own grin.

"I learn it whenever I stumble into particularly lewd dreams," murmured Luna to her sister. "The things one sees when others think they're unwatched…"

"Okay, okay, no more from me. That's me and my husband's business." She winked at a furiously blushing Shining and spun the bottle. It landed on Ray. "Oh my, oh my. How fortuitous indeed."

Ray frowned. "Why am I feeling a strange sense of immense foreboding right now?"

"I'm sure it's nothing. Now, pick," urged Cadence.

"Uh… against my better judgement, dare."

Cadence's answer was immediate and concise. "You. Fluttershy. Five minutes. Closet."

Fluttershy, surprisingly, actually spat out some of her drink at the order. Ray seemed to take a few seconds to process the information. After which he began to look mortified, leaning back with his eyes virtually turning to the size of dinner plates. Both of them had severe blushes across their faces.

"Um…"You heard me," chuckled Cadence. "There's a store cupboard just over there. We'll time you and then you can come back out. Whatever you choose to do inside those five minutes is entirely up to you."

"... Is… is this allowed? Because, you kn-" he stopped himself and continued. "...you're technically daring both me and Flutters. And I just… um…"

"Firstly," she said pointedly, "my truth involved both me and Shining. Second, I'm the princess, this is my empire, so I make the rules. Third, you're playing and you picked dare, that's how it works. Fourth, don't even try to talk your way out of this. Mares like me have the power to detect any level of fib from any stallion. So, off you go."

"I'm… I-… can somepony hel-!" He was cut off by Applejack pushing him forward from behind, she herself grinning mischievously.

"Come on, hotshot. Ye made yer bed, now ya have ta sleep in it. So ta speak," she laughed, continuing to push a sputtering Ray, who had apparently forgotten about his own escape abilities, toward the aforementioned store cupboard.

"Come on, Fluttershy!" Rainbow encouraged, doing a similar act with Fluttershy. "Time for a little private time."

Fluttershy said nothing. She remained stock still in utter shock until the two of them were both pushed into the closet and the door shut on them. Shining pulled out a watch and set it to five minutes. With that, they just had to wait. All while standing idly outside the door.

None of them said anything immediately. Then Spike shared his thoughts.

"Truth or Dare is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Just saying."

"Spike, hush!" hissed Rarity very quietly, who was standing a bit closer to the door than some of the others. "We're trying to listen!"

"We are? Isn't that, like… an invasion of privacy?" the dragon inquired.

"Are you saying you're not even a little bit curious as to what they might be up to?" she retorted.

"You have me there," he relented, quickly joining her near the door.

"I have to admit this feels a little inconsiderate of us," added Dusk.

"Dusk, it's not bad. Not really. Think of it as a chance of seeing where these two are in their relationship," reasoned Cadence, also hovering near the door. "Or at least try to. It might help them out in the long run."

"Well, when you put it like that…" Dusk soon followed suit, quietly positioning himself near the door along with the others.

For a while, they didn't hear anything from the other end, despite all of them staying completely silent themselves. It was actually starting to get rather worrying… until a voice broke the silence. And it wasn't any of theirs'.

"Sooooo…" they heard Ray say on the other side of the door after a minute, his voice somewhat muted and shaky-sounding. "We are… inside of a cupboard. This is… uh… fun. Rather cramped. But… yeah." He coughed.

They didn't hear anything from the room's other occupant. Either she wasn't responding, or she was speaking so quietly they couldn't hear her. Either option would be characteristic for her.

"Fluttershy?"

No response still.

"...Flutters?"

"Y-yes! I-I'm f-f-fine! C-completely fine!" she abruptly stammered, sheer nervousness apparent in her voice.

"...alright. Cool… that's great. And… yup."

Rarity face-hooved at the dumb tone in Ray's voice, while Rainbow seemed to be doing her utmost to keep herself from laughing. There was nothing else for another half-minute; both occupants seemed at a loss.

"...let's try and keep it… not silent," Ray continued awkwardly. "Umm… how are you today?"

"W-what?"

"How are you today?"

"O-oh… g-good. I-I'm… good."

"Awesome."

"A-and you?"

"What?"

"H-how are… you?"

"Oh! Fantastic! Super! I'm stuffed into a closet with my marefriend, you know, dandy."

Again, there was no immediate response. The level of awkwardness between the two in this situation was really starting to become apparent.

"...right. I'll just… be quiet now…" Ray trailed off.

"R-Ray?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah?"

"D-do… do y-you… d-do you w-want t-to…"

"...do I want to what?"

"I… I just… um… oh dear…" Fluttershy didn't say anything for a few more seconds before she blurted out. "Is that a mistletoe on the ceiling?"

"A what?" Ray asked. "... I… can't see anything because it's dark. In fact, I'm surprised that you ca-!" he was interrupted by something shifting, his voice sounding muffled for a moment. Then it was quiet again.

They didn't have to stretch their imaginations very far. The grins on all of the girls' faces, especially Cadence's, was a sight to behold.

A few minutes later, Shining checked his watch and nodded, opening the door and releasing Ray and Fluttershy. Both of whom's faces, they saw, were now beet red as they stared vacantly at out of the doorway. Though Fluttershy seemed to be smiling ever-so-faintly.

Cadence giggled. "So then… did you two have fun in ther-"

"Nothing! We are completely fine! All in a day's work! We did nothing! I am not raising my voice right now!" Ray blurted out in a single breath. They all laughed.

As most of them returned to their positions, with Fluttershy walking just a tad closer to Ray than before, one of them stayed where she was, still surprised by the revelation of what she'd just witnessed. Celestia blinked a few times and she stood and watched Ray return to his seat, pointedly ignoring Rainbow's nudging.

"Something wrong, auntie?" asked Cadence.

"What?" Celestia started. "Oh, no Cadence. Just… thinking."

"About what?" She followed her gaze. "They're a good couple, aren't they?"

"...yes. Of course…" Celestia looked unsure of herself. "I'm just surprised that he and Fluttershy are… together. Him and… an Element…"

Cadence's eyes flared. "You've already done enough to him, Celestia. Don't even think of splitting them up. If you do, I swear I'll-"

"Of course not." Celestia's simple answer honestly surprised Cadence momentarily. When Celestia turned to her and smiled, it was authentic. "I think it's wonderful that they've found something in each other. They both deserve happiness, in their own situations. And for him to be together with one of the Elements, and somepony like Fluttershy no less… I think it's rather poetic, in a way."

"Oh. Well, good." Cadence looked a little sheepish but returned her smile. "I'm glad you think so."

"As am I, my dearest niece," Celestia returned.

Satisfied, Cadence returned to the group. Celestia lingered for a moment longer, her smile faltering just slightly.

"Yes. Poetic… and fitting. In more ways than one."

The game of spin the bottle went on for a couple dozen more rounds. By the time they were done, most of them were either physically or emotionally spent.

With that, they called an end to the games for the moment, as it was time for Hearth's Warming Dinner. It was served in a separate room with at a large round table, with a great many different foods on offer. Steamed and roasted vegetables, luxurious fruit salads, crispy roast potatoes, boiling hot stews. A feast in every sense of the word. There was even a special section of the table filled with crystal and gem delicacies, all for Spike's benefit.

With so much on offer, there was plenty to go around and nopony would be left feeling hungry. The merriment and good nature between friends continued. Crackers were pulled and almost everypony ended up wearing a crown or party hat while they ate. Pinkie had about four of the latter. She also ended up telling most of the jokes which, while most of them groaned at, left her in hysterics.

Ray was definitely having a better time of it. He had a seat next to Fluttershy and Applejack and actually had a smile on his face at last. Dusk smiled proudly at him, happy that he was enjoying himself now. Yet at the same time, there were occasions when Ray looked to be contemplating about something. It didn't seem to be affecting his mood at all though, so Dusk didn't concern himself over it much.

It was around when their main course was finished and Cadence requested they bring on dessert that he called for attention. A little awkwardly, he stood from his place, clearing his throat and looking around whilst rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ahem… right. So, uh, before we get around to that, I just… wanted to say something."

"Woohoo, speech!"

"Thank you, Pinkie, for clarifying that." He paused and looked around at each of them again. "Uh… actually, now that I'm doing this, it's a bit harder than I'd planned it in my head…"

"Take your time, Ray," encouraged Dusk. "We're listening."

"Maybe you will," yawned Rainbow. "I'm not making any promises."

"Your bluntness is greatly appreciated, Rainbow. Not one to talk, but still," Ray deadpanned.

"Just give yourself a minute and say what you want to in your own time," advised Fluttershy.

"Thank you… alright. So then… as most of you probably noticed, I'm not the most… enthusiastic pony in Equestria when it comes to Hearth's Warming."

"Really? I honestly hadn't noticed," remarked Spike.

"THERE… is a reason for that," Ray pressed on, pretending not to hear the comment. "See, just like how nopony ever really wanted anything to do with me during most of my foalhood, so too did nopony ever really want anything to do with me during Hearth's Warming. In fact, I think it was even more so during Hearth's Warming, which is kinda the opposite of the normal effect… anyways, yeah. No presents, nopony to spend time with. My experience with Hearth's Warming is being left out and ignored, in a nutshell." He looked down. "The few ponies who did pay attention then chastised me for not having any holiday spirit. One of them I remember was particularly nasty about it. I then burned her tree… and her living room. And… I think that one kinda got away from me."

"Um, maybe not say everything you want," corrected Fluttershy.

"Noted," he said quickly. "Anyways, the point I'm trying to make here is… I never really liked Hearth's Warming. Heck, I never really liked most holidays, since… well, you can guess. And if I'm perfectly honest, I'm still not a huge fan of Hearth's Warming, even after today."

Pinkie's shocked gasp filled the whole room.

"But," he continued, "I am starting to feel it. Like… before I never understood the point of Hearth's Warming. Or… maybe I didn't want to. I dunno, that's psychology stuff. But now that I'm here, with all of you… I feel like I'm getting it. Apparently Hearth's Warming is about being with those closest to you and having a good time… and that's what I feel right now. And I'm happy to have that. I just want all of you to know… I consider you all to be the family I never had."

Pinkie's gasp became a choked sob. A second later, she was bawling and had thrown her forelegs around Ray in a tight embrace. Everypony else was touched by this too, even if not to the same extent.

"...Pinkie… crushing…" Ray choked out. "Oh sweet lord… what have I done..?"

"Oh, Ray!" Fluttershy nuzzled and kissed his cheek. "That's so nice and sweet of you!"

"Glad... you think so...!"

"Oops. Sorry!" Pinkie let go but beamed. "We're so so so so so so glad you can be part of our little family too, Ray!"

"Heh… thanks, Pinkie." Ray rubbed his head and grinned. "Glad to be part of it. So long as I stop getting rib-breaking bear hugs."

"No promises."

But the biggest impact of Ray's speech could be seen with Celestia. She appeared to be completely stunned and staring at Ray in utter amazement. Then, she rose from her place. All eyes turned to her while she walked around the table to where Ray was.

She gazed at him for a long while. The tension in the air seemed to thicken. Ray looked back up at her, unflinching. Lingering resentment simmered on his face, his eyes glaring daggers. Until she smiled humourlessly.

"Your strength is truly remarkable," she said with undisguised admiration. "The hardships you've suffered are some of the most tragic and yet here you stand."

"Umm…" Ray seemed at a loss for words. "...thanks?"

"Hardships that I'm responsible for and almost made worse," she continued. "Though I still feel some unease over it, I'm confident now that letting you remain with your friends in Ponyville was the right choice. But for almost robbing you of that and for everything else in your life because of that… creature… it had to be done but… I am sorry, Ray. I am so, so sorry…"

By this point, she was on the verge of tears. She hung her head in shame.

Then she felt something pressing against her body. She recognized the warmth. She opened her eyes to see Ray… hugging her.

Stunned silence filled the entire room. For the second time, Celestia was shocked into inactivity by Ray's action. But she managed to return it eventually, murmuring her apology over and over again. After a minute, Ray spoke.

"It's alright, Princess," he muttered. "Really, it is. I mean, part of me still kinda hates you for it… but I get it. It sucks, but I know why you did it at least. I understand. And while I do wish it didn't basically destroy my life… I forgive you."

"Thank you." She wiped her eyes and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "I can never take back what I've done. But I sincerely hope that your future is nothing but bright and if I can, I will try to help make it so."

"Right. I appreciate it Princess. Really, I d-"

"At this proximity, I sorely wish to tear her apart and burn her. I truly, truly wish to do so."

"FOR THE LOVE OF… SHUT UP, WRATH!"

Celestia and a few others jumped at his yell. The princess, however, smiled proudly again.

"Commanding the Demon Beast to be silent. I truly can't doubt your strength after witnessing that," she laughed.

"Yeah, now if only that seal or this necklace came with a mute button," he joked. And despite the rather grim topic of the jest, everypony laughed.

In the aftermath of that, dessert was an even more enjoyable affair. It was like Ray's forgiveness of Celestia had given a new air of merriment to the already joyous occasion.

Celestia dug in eagerly to her cake… until a profiterole splatted against her cheek and stuck there. She whipped her head in its direction to see Ray beam innocently at her. With a smirk, she flung her cake back at him. Those shots fired soon had the whole table devolve into a massive food fight.

Dusk didn't envy the palace servants who would have to clean up afterward. There were no real casualties, apart from Rarity's mane and she made sure Ray knew of her displeasure by shoving one more cake in his face. But nopony else really minded, especially not Pinkie who assigned herself to 'clean-up duty'. Everypony else started to mingle again.

While gazing around the room, Dusk noticed that Luna was conspicuously absent. He caught sight of the end of her tail disappearing around the door. Nopony else appeared to notice her departure. He followed her, seeing her walk at a quick pace towards the stairs. He kept at a distance, having a hunch on where she might be going.

Using the shadows to stay hidden, he stayed on her as she exited the palace and wandered alone through the quiet streets to the very edge of the Crystal Empire. She stopped at its borders, gazing out at the frozen tundra bathed in the glow of her night sky. She must have known Dusk was there, for she didn't object when he stood by her side.

"There's been no sign of him?" he asked.

She shook her head sadly. "I expected not but… I had some hope that on this day, he might… it was foolish of me."

"It's not foolish to have hope," comforted Dusk. "You'll see each other again someday."

"Why not today though?" Tears began to creep down her cheeks. "I miss him, Dusk. I miss him…"

"I know." He hugged her and she returned it. "It's okay, Luna, it's okay…"

Dusk didn't really know how long they were there in each other's embrace while Luna wept quietly into his shoulder, but when he looked back out to the snowy fields, something had been left not far from where they were that wasn't there before.

He gently pulled away from Luna and approached the object, picking it up with his magic. A smile came to his face when he saw what it was and he returned to Luna with it.

"I think this is for you," he said.

It was a heart made from a red crystal as big as Luna's hoof that certainly wasn't the result of any natural phenomenon. Inscribed on the back was a message.

It was always yours.

The tears came again from Luna's eyes, but they weren't out of sadness. She held the heart to her breast like it was the most precious thing in the world while Dusk watched on.

"Dusk? Would you… would you mind making a message?" she asked.

He nodded. Weaving the shape with his magic as he had done for the king when he'd first met him, Dusk created a shape in Luna's image and motioned for her to proceed.

"Thank you, my crystal king. I love you and… and I miss you. Please, come back to me soon. Happy Hearth's Warming."

Her message finished, Dusk sent the colour form galloping silently off into the tundra. They watched it leave until it was a faint glow in the distance. Luna didn't need to ask and Dusk didn't need to explain. It would find Sombra.

Together, the two of them walked back towards the palace. When they got there, Twilight was coming out of the doors and she smiled when she saw them.

"There you two are!" she beamed. "We were wondering where you were. Where'd you go?"

"Nowhere special," replied Dusk. "Just an important matter we had to attend to first."

"Okay fine, be secretive about it," she teased. "Come on back inside. Applejack's broken out the hard cider and Rainbow's challenged her to a drinking contest. I don't think we'll want to miss this."

"No." Dusk exchanged a smile with his teacher. "No, we wouldn't."

Fallen continued to watch from the shadows on the outskirts of the small town of Trotdon. The cold bit at his flesh through the folds of his robes, but he wasn't about to let such a petty thing bother him. He hadn't waited a thousand years to be driven off by the winter weather.

His quarry conducted his business a short distance away, packing his entertainment items away in large boxes and loading them into a stagecoach. A short while ago, he'd finished putting on a large Hearth's Warming performance for the town's inhabitants. It was met with excellent reception; even Fallen had been entranced on numerous occasions. The pony truly had a gift for his craft.

Memories stirred inside him at the thought of this celebration. Of warm fires and warmer smiles against the bitter cold of winter. Merriment, brotherhood and camaraderie with those whom he considered closer than family. The rejoicing of the magic they shared and had made those winters much less cold…

But those times were gone. Lost to him over the millennia. Much had changed and those times would never come again. To dwell on the past was unnecessary, with a boundless and glorious future waiting to be held within his grasp.

A future that this stallion, in what vestiges of hope remained to Fallen, would aid him to achieve. Though admittedly, Fallen had his concerns. He was never one to be overly optimistic, and so he had acknowledged the possibility that this particular prospective cast member might not be so willing to follow his vision. He did not doubt his own ability to handle the situation in such a case, but as they said, it never hurt to be cautious. For that reason, Snick and Slash were both hiding separately in the shadows, ready to assist should the situation get out of hoof.

He had to wait for a while longer, but eventually his target appeared around the corner at the head of his stagecoach, pulling it along the darkened snowy street by himself as he made toward the town's edge. When he passed by, Fallen got a closer look at him and his apparel. Like Fallen himself, he was dressed in a full-body cloak, complete with a hood that concealed most of his face. However, his cloak looked to be made of a rather thin material, judging from how it moved in response to the breeze. And yet the chill didn't seem to be affecting the stallion much, if at all. Nor did his burden of a whole stagecoach, for that matter. Most ponies would wait until it was day time - as well as warmer outside - before attempting to go anywhere whilst so heavily encumbered. Fallen found himself intrigued. But more than that, he remained focused on his objective.

The stallion passed by Fallen without incident, the wheels of the stagecoach leaving silent tracks in the snow. Fallen waited slightly longer, and then moved out onto the street, tailing his target out of town. Behind him, he could sense both Snick and Slash moving in pursuit as well, though staying out of sight.

In that procession, they made their way out of Trotdon and into the surrounding countryside. The stallion didn't seem to notice him, instead moving ahead along the trail normally. It went as such for some time, with Fallen staying the same distance behind the stallion. They walked until the decorated town of Trotdon became a nought but a collection of glimmering lights in the distance. The fact that they'd gone this long without incident was beginning to cause more concern to Fallen than if they had.

And suddenly, up ahead, the stallion stopped. Though the sound was muted through the snow, he noticed that the stagecoach had ceased it's creaking. Fallen immediately gathered that perhaps his presence had been noticed. All the same, he did not break his stride, lest he seem more suspicious. After all, his goal was indeed to speak to this stallion. Now that they were out of town, there was no need to remain concealed.

"Greetings, my friend," said Fallen in his most diplomatic voice as he approached. "May I wish thee a Happy Hearth's Warming."

The stallion turned around to face Fallen. He could not see the stallion's face, but he could hear his voice; smooth, worriless. As though he had not a problem in the world.

"Well hello there, traveler," he responded. "A Happy Hearth's Warming to you as well."

Fallen nodded and stopped alongside the stallion, pretending to look him over. "Pray tell, art thou not chilled by the night air in such meagre clothing?"

The stallion seemed to chuckle. "I could easily say the same for you, could I not? Neither of us is quite aptly dressed for this weather. I wonder why that is?"

Though the question had been asked in a nonchalant tone, Fallen could feel something in the stallion's voice; the vaguest hint of something more threatening. A lesser pony likely would not have picked up on it. For now, he continued to play along.

"I cannot say for certain," he replied. "I confess, however, that thou hast been beholden to mine sight before this meeting. I witnessed thy performance prior. Most entertaining."

"Ah, did you now? I'm glad to hear it. I always enjoy hearing the opinions and praise of my audience. Tell me, did you wait for me by the road out of town and pursue me all the way out here just to share your thoughts on my show?"

"In part, but nay. I come with a proposition for thee."

"An offer for work?" The stallions cocked his head. "I appreciate it, but I operate on my own schedule. Many places to visit, many shows to perform, you understand…"

"But surely thou seekest a greater opportunity to prove thy worth?" asked Fallen. "Thy talents are unique, unmatched in any regard. Such talent deserves to be put to greater use, as I am certain thou desires it to be."

The stallion seemed to stare at Fallen for a while, completely unmoving, before he responded. "You speak with a great deal of confidence and commandment. I get the feeling you know what it is you are talking about…" He raised a hoof a pointed behind Fallen. "Tell me, are those two hiding in those trees over there in on this, or are they simply a couple of eavesdroppers?"

Fallen was taken aback. He knew of the twin's presence? His intrigue increased.

"Come!" he barked. They landed lithely next to him, bodies tensed. "Thy perception serves thee well, Ligne Grace."

"Oh-ho-ho, so you know my name as well. And here I thought I was doing such a good job of keeping it a secret. Well then, this just got more interesting…" With that, the stallion pulled down his hood.

A young face of a unicorn, with light brown fur, half-lidded dark brown eyes, and light red, rose-colored mane, was revealed in the moonlight. Nothing out of the ordinary, certainly. Though there was something off about his expression. His smile was simple, polite, and yet something was just wrong with it. His eyes as well, seemed… disturbing. Indeed, a reflection of this stallion's true nature, Fallen thought.

"Now that our facades are stripped away, we may speak freely," said Fallen, dropping his friendly tone. "What I said was true. I can offer thee much, Grace. Freedom to continue to hone and refine the talent thou holdest so dear. If thou would but join my troupe."

"Interesting choice of words. How eloquent." Grace watched them for several moments with an odd gaze, his smile never faltering. When he spoke again, it was with the same, friendly tone, albeit with a more… sinister intent, Fallen sensed. "I admit, I am interested by this offer of yours. For the fact that you seem to know who I am and yet still desire my services, if nothing else. However, you must understand… somepony like myself must take great care in who he trusts. It would hardly behoove me to simply go along with you and find myself in a dungeon somewhere, now would it?"

"Thou would be of no use to me behind bars," assured Fallen. "Thine imprisonment is not my intention."

"Well that is a comfort. However, there is… something else." His teeth showed as his lips parted slightly into a small grin. "I see before me not one, but three very interesting subjects… and I've just come from a town with a noticeable lack of talent, you see. So at the moment, I'm more concerned about you than I am about your proposition. Tell me…"

He raised his hoof suddenly and flicked it. With that small motion, the entire left side of the stage coach folded inward, exposing its contents to the cold air. Fallen could hear something from within… the sound of wood creaking, and something clattering. Grace continued speaking, with an oddly happier tone seeping into his voice.

"...what do you have to offer me, truly, that beats what I see before me now? I heard your offer of freedom to hone my talents, and while that does interest me… frankly, I've always had trouble with long-term commitments."

Their reactions were instant. Together, Snick and Slash stepped forward. Upon their forelegs, blades flashed beneath their robes. Fallen's horn glowed. As the abundant darkness around them amassed, so too did the sharp tips of crystal. At the same time, he drew his blade beneath his robe and walked ahead of the twins.

"Do not insult me with thine insolence, boy," he warned. "Thou art a fool if thou thinkest thou could even begin to engage me in combat. I have fought far greater and more terrible things than thee before the entirety of thy family was even conceived."

"Ooh, now that is a rather hefty claim," Grace said, again sounding more friendly than even remotely scared. "Of course, I've heard worse on occasion, even if the speech mannerisms are… new. Still, I'm afraid you'll have to do slightly better than that."

Fallen said nothing. He halted in his approach, but the crystals continued to surround Grace. At the same time, he drew his sword in its entirety and flared his wings, taking the sword in his left hoof. The wings kept him aloft while he pointed the tip of the blade at Grace.

It had the desired effect. Grace's eyes widened slightly, and his smile became a flat line. "An… Alicorn?" he muttered. "I thought the only Alicorns were the Princesses…"

"Such power resides in those with the strength and worthiness to use it." He did not withdraw the blade. "Now, wilt thou dance to mine tune, or shall I cut thy strings?"

It was tense for many long moments. Fallen and grace stared straight at one another, neither making a move, while Snick and Slash both prepared themselves for seemingly-inevitable combat.

It was proven for naught when Grace's smile returned. Instead of making any offensive gestures, he flicked his hoof again, closing the door to his coach.

He shook his head as he spoke. "Very well, you win. I do seem rather outmatched at the moment, don't I? An Alicorn on one end, two rather intimidating-and-capable-looking ponies on the other… well, if it satisfies you, I will see what it is that this 'offer' of yours entails."

"A wise choice." The crystals receded. He sheathed his sword. With a nod, Snick and Slash stood down. "Come then, Ligne. The journey is long and there will be much to see."

"Yes, I'm sure it will," he nodded, waiting until his new apparent employer was ahead of him before he moved.

The other two stayed behind him. Trying to make sure he didn't attempt to get away, it seemed. Not that he had any intention of doing so. On this jolly night, an Alicorn of all things approaches him and makes him an offer? Freedom to continue his pursuits? Just how, he wondered, did this mysterious Alicorn intend to keep such a promise?

In the end, it did not matter. For the first time in a very, very long time, Ligne Grace's life seemed to have gotten interesting again.

Keep Calm and Flutter On

View Online

Cold. Confined. Cavernous. Very fitting terms to be used to describe a hideaway in a cave system, and that was exactly what theirs was.

It was high in the mountains, something that Tube had long before set up in advance. The remnants of a long abandoned diamond dog mine that he'd bought for a meagre price. Due to the controversial nature of his research and his experiments, he'd felt it necessary to secretly construct a place away from prying eyes. Over the years, he'd moved a number of supplies here, so it was already fitted when they moved their headquarters to it. For added security, Fallen had cast an illusion spell so the entrance was concealed by what appeared to be a rock face.

The cave passages were illuminated a combination of lanterns and by magical light encased in crystals, courtesy of Fallen's new abilities. The passages were covered with metal walkways to the various areas. There were few at the moment, but they would continue to expand further into the network of tunnels if they had need. The rooms consisted of Fallen's private room, currently unoccupied, Tube's laboratory, a meeting area, expanding sleeping quarters and the guarded room for their 'guest'.

Edge stood sentry at the entrance, waiting for an indication that Samore's visitor wished to be let out. Sting was very pleased that the princess was willing to speak with him now and his opinion, they were getting along well. They'd never spoken much before, barely seen each other in the Swarm's hive, but it was pleasant to have another member of his kind here.

He also considered her quite attractive, but lingering loyalty to his old mate made him force those thoughts out of his mind. Not that she would even think much of him now. Besides, when those thoughts emerged, they were often sudden and unprovoked. Again, perhaps it was simply due to his long period of time out-of-contact with his own kind. That all being said, he often found himself… staring at her, absently.

"Sting? Are you still there?"

"Hm?" He hadn't realised she'd been talking. "Oh, my apologies, highness. I was… lost in thought."

"As usual…" It was extremely slight, and even more difficult to see in the room's dim lighting, but Sting's trained eyes were able to just make out a hint of a smirk on her face."It is no trouble," she continued, easing his worries at having offended her. "I'll ask again; things are still the same out there?"

"For the most part. That abomination remains on guard, Tube is committing who-knows-what kind of atrocity in his laboratory, and our illustrious leader has once again left us, along with those masked performers," he grumbled. "I had my doubts on this whole thing from the start…"

"What of the one you said he most recently came back with? The pony with the rose-colored mane?" she inquired curiously.

"Oh yes. Him." Sting felt cold at the thought of Ligne Grace and his… admittedly disturbing gaze. "He has only spoken to me once. He only said that I may be an interesting candidate, then left. I don't know what he does around here, but I think I would prefer to live in ignorance."

"Oh dear, is the great Commander Sting actually scared of a pony?" Samore quipped, letting a slight edge of playfulness slip into her tone.

The sound of it alone would have set Sting at ease, if not for the words contained within it.

"Certainly not!" he snapped. "I simply remain cautious around potential threats!"

She hummed, evidently not convinced, but said nothing further on the matter. Instead, her tone shifted to become more serious, almost hesitant. "Sting… I do want to thank you again for choosing to provide me with company. I know it's dull, but after such a long time cut off from others aside from when that Tube comes by with 'food'... it's nice to talk, I suppose."

"Of course, highness. Though your being here is that of a prisoner, it's comforting to have one of my own kind here as well." He cleared his throat. "If her highness doesn't find that too bold to say."

"Of course not. It would hardly be fair of me to say such things and not permit them to be said in return. It's not as though we are in any sort of court," she waved her hoof around the room. Then she sighed. "Still, I do wonder why I am of such interest to this 'Fallen'. To aid my mother in her attempt to conquer Equestria, in exchange for me… and then to brush off her defeat so easily. Curious indeed. I wonder if he intends to use me as a ransom to other colonies?"

"I'm not certain," murmured Sting. "I have heard him make reference to some great power that you hold within you. Perhaps he's referring to your potential as a future queen…"
But Samore had already frozen in place before Sting had finished talking. Her eyes were open, staring straight ahead into space, her body shock-still.

"Princess? Highness, are you well?" asked Sting. "What's the matter?"

"Sting," she said suddenly, sternly. "Repeat what you just told me. Now."

"Um…" He was taken aback at her sudden change of tone, but he obeyed. "He spoke of a great power held inside you." His military discipline kept him from asking why.

Samore stayed silent, but vaguely, he could see her beginning to shake. Her breathing, too, seemed to pick up and become irregular. True, his discipline governed a great deal of his actions. But his loyalty to the crown and concern finally overrode it.

"Princess? Forgive my asking, but if there is some deeper meaning to what he says, I feel it would be better if you explained to me its nature," he said. "I want to help."

Samore stopped, as though just remembering he was there, and regained her composure. "Sting, are you completely certain, beyond doubt, that this is what he said? You are not paraphrasing or shifting his words in any way?"

"Positive, highness. I listen to every word he says, to better learn his true meaning," he replied. "Princess, what does he-?"

"Nothing. It means nothing, Sting," she cut him off. "Do not concern yourself with his nonsense… you said he has left recently, yes?"

Again, Sting was taken aback. "Yes, he did. Along with the ones he calls Snick and Slash."

"I see…" Samore seemed to contemplate for a while, once more staring into space. Just as Sting was about to ask again, she spoke. "Well then, let us not worry about that for the time being. For now…" she turned to look at him, straight in the eye. "Let's change the subject, shall we? How are you, Sting?" she asked, her voice now taking on a new, unfamiliar tone.

"Um… I am quite well, thank you, highness." It was strange. This new tone was making him feel so… at peace. Relaxed.

"Excellent. I'm very glad to hear it…" she said soothingly.

Something about the way she was speaking had changed, but Sting couldn't figure out what it was. He was beginning to feel so… content. His mind almost felt like it was being pleasantly clouded. In the corners of his eyes, always just outside his line of sight, he could have sworn he saw something akin to dust… amber and violet dust, floating on the edge of his vision. Her eyes, too, seemed to change ever so slightly… developing purple tinges themselves.

"Sting… I must ask you something," she said slowly, alluringly.

"Anything," he responded mindlessly. Of course he would do what she said. Why would he do anything otherwise?

"Are you certain? It is very, very important. I must know that you will not speak of this to any but me…"

"No one, but you," he repeated. "I swear..."

"Excellent. Very excellent. Thank you, Sting." Her voice dropped to a near-sultry whisper. "Now then, listen to me very carefully…"

Dusk idly spun some colour shapes around on his hooves while he waited with the girls. Rarity sprayed perfume on herself, Rainbow sat impatiently and Spike and Twilight paced around anxiously. The solid ones had a kind of tingly, soft texture to them that felt rather pleasant against the skin and brushing through fur. Perhaps he could use them in a new career at the spa.

He blinked and shook those thoughts away. Was his mind really wandering so much to occupy himself that it was travelling to strange areas like that? It was with a little relief that a renewed conversation from Pinkie arriving on the scene brought him out of it.

"I love it when Princess Celestia comes to Ponyville! I got my hooves shined just like Rarity for the occasion." She showed them their mirror-like effect. "Ya like?"

"I certainly do!" said Rarity, appraising her reflection.

Twilight frowned. "I'm surprised she's not here yet."

"I wonder what's taking so long?" sighed Spike

"And where are Applejack, Ray and Fluttershy?" added Twilight.

"Fluttershy's detained helping Applejack with a mishap at Sweet Apple Acres and Ray, as I gather is providing moral support for them both," informed Rarity. "They'll be along."

"But, I still don't get why the Princess would be so late," said Spike.

"She's bringing an important visitor. That could be part of it," reasoned Twilight.

"A visitor who's important and slow," groaned Rainbow.

"Maybe it's somepony so terribly important, she still had many more terribly important things to do before she got here," suggested Rarity.

"She has a point," agreed Dusk. "Depending on the visitor in question, maybe she had to prepare some special kind of greeting or procedure for their arrival. I know griffin dignitaries expect big military displays as a gesture of respect from the places they visit, if it's something of that nature."

"She was rather vague about it in the letter though," reminded Twilight. "But maybe that could be it."

Spike gasped. "Maybe the visitor has a deer antler, a goat leg, a bat wing, and a snake tail!"

"Yeah, right," scoffed Twilight. "That's Discord."

"Why in the wide, wide world of Equestria would Princess Celestia bring along someone like that?" tittered Rarity.

"M-m-maybe you should ask... her!"

Spike pointed to show them Celestia descending in her chariot pulled by half a dozen pegasus guards. But it wasn't the only one. Another landed seconds later next to her and this one bore on it a statue that was all too familiar to them. Dusk had only seen it a mere few weeks ago, convinced it would remain there forever.

Now, he stood with the others, their expressions frozen in utter shock at the sight of their old enemy by the side of their princess, still encased in stone with a look of terror upon his features. She graciously stepped down from her chariot and had Discord levitated off his.

Twilight was the first to break the stunned silence.

"With all due respect, Princess Celestia, how could you bring Discord here?!" She remembered who she was speaking to and added sheepishly, "Your majesty."

"I second that, question, princess. To put it very, very mildly," put in Dusk in a voice with a slight tremble to it.

"I'm fully aware that the last time Discord was here, he created serious havoc," Celestia began patiently.

"If by 'serious havoc' you mean 'turning Ponyville into the chaos capital of the world'..." interrupted Rainbow.

"...and tricking us all into being the opposite of our true selves…" continued Rarity.

"And making yummy delicious chocolate milk rain all over the place without a single dollop of whipped cream to go with it anywhere in sight! Not a single dollop!" shrieked Pinkie.

"And, well, using his magic to worm it's way into the deepest darkest recesses of my mind, manifesting my negative emotion into physical form and allowing him to terrorise my friends and leave me with all the memories of it afterward, letting happen two times for the price of one and oh yes, REMIND ME WHY THIS IS A GOOD IDEA?!"

In the wake of his outburst, Dusk became aware that everypony was staring at him. Twilight was at his side now and placed a hoof around him. Her physical presence helped calm him down. But his disbelief and frustration were still simmering away.

Celestia managed to regain her composure. "Yes, I understand. But I have use for Discord's magic, if it can be reformed to serve good instead of evil. This is why I've brought Discord here, because I believe that you are the ponies who can help him do just that."

"This will never work! This is a disaster! How will we ever control him?! We're doomed!" proclaimed Spike.

"Need I remind you that you are the ponies who turned him back into stone like this in the first place?" she said pointedly.

Twilight seemed to consider. "I suppose we can just use the Elements of Harmony against him again if it gets out of hand."

"Uh, w-w-we probably need a volunteer to run away from here right away to get them. I'll do it!" volunteered Spike.

"No need, Spike." She motioned, and two of the guards brought forth a large jeweled chest. "I have them right here, and I've cast a spell so Discord can't take them and hide them again."

"Wait. No. No. No!" Dusk shook his head. "We can't seriously be considering this!"

"It has been considered, Dusk and my decision has been made," said Celestia firmly. "This is the course of action we will take."

"I see." Dusk looked her right in the eye. "Well, with all due respect your highness, consider this: the Elements of Harmony imprisoned him. I suspect they will also be used to free him. That means it will be impossible to do so, because I refuse to use mine to release that despot on the world again!"

A gasp rose from the girls and Spike, while Dusk earned a glare from Celestia. But he stood firm against it. He wasn't backing down from this.

"Dusk, you will-"

"I will do nothing!" he snapped. "You can imprison me, take me away from Ponyville, suspend my education with Luna. I don't care. I will not be instrumental in setting free that sadistic, manipulative, uncontrollable lunatic upon so much as a square inch of Equestria if it is the very last thing I do!"

Before she could say anything else, Dusk stalked away. A couple of the guards made a move to intercept him but they stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, Dusk saw Celestia raise her hoof. Dusk was glad. If she hadn't stopped them, he had a feeling he would have tried to.

He could make out Twilight saying something to Celestia. Whether she was apologising for him or siding with him, he didn't know. But Dusk refused to look back, just as he refused to aid in this unthinkable scenario.

He heard hooves behind him. He whipped his head around but bit back his remark when he saw it was only Pinkie. She didn't say anything. She didn't try and make him come back. She only smiled and hugged him. He was surprised but he returned it gratefully.

But it didn't change how he felt. Nothing would.

Most of the time, despite how often he got ridiculed for slacking off or not doing something the exact correct way, Ray could say that he truly enjoyed his job at the farm. It was fulfilling, it kept him in shape, and he'd be lying if he said that he didn't secretly look forward to the miniature squabbles he had with Applejack on a near-daily basis as he worked with her. But sometimes, he found himself questioning why he hadn't sought out other job opportunities in Ponyville. The most obvious answer was that AJ was his friend, and it was easiest to get a job with her.

That being said, he'd done plenty of different types of jobs in the past, and he was well-known around town, so there was no doubt that if he tried, it wouldn't be hard to find an alternate well-paying job somewhere. Of course, in the end, it didn't really matter. He'd long since decided that he liked his job at the farm and would stay there unless circumstances forced him to do otherwise. But there were occasions, rare instances, in which he seriously questioned his choice of work in Ponyville.

This was one such occasion. It was something ridiculous, really, but he nevertheless couldn't help but take a good look at the scene around him and wonder how exactly he'd gotten himself into this position.

He was standing knee-deep in water, right in the middle of the west orchard no less, with a deadpan expression on his face, while his boss and a beaver - yes, a beaver - were apparently arguing with each other just a few feet away (the topic of which being said beaver's dam causing a buildup of water that was basically drowning the nearby trees), and his marefriend trying to be a mediator between the two.

My life is weird, he thought to himself. Meanwhile, the beaver chattered rapidly at Applejack before turning around and crossing his arms, in a gesture that Ray assumed was still angry.

Applejack must've thought the same thing, because the frown that was already on her features intensified.

"What's he goin' on about now?" she asked Fluttershy, who was hovering just above the water next to her.

"Good news," Fluttershy said with a smile. "Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth has agreed to take his dam apart and move it."

"I wonder if all beavers have such original names…" Ray muttered. If the two mares heard him, they didn't indicate it.

"Well, it's about time," Applejack exclaimed with exasperation. "My apple trees are so waterlogged, I can practically hear 'em gargle!"

Once again, the beaver began chattering loudly, without turning around.

"But he says first you'll have to apologize for calling him 'a nuisance'," Fluttershy translated. Ray had to suppress a snigger.

"Apologize?" Applejack scoffed and pointed at the beaver with anger of her own. "He's lucky I didn't call him a varmint!"

The beaver was apparently about to retaliate at that part, because Fluttershy jumped in between to hold them apart. That didn't stop the beaver's complaining though. Suddenly, Fluttershy's eyes went wide and she gasped.

"Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth! Such language!" she chastised. She then turned toward Applejack and glared.

Ray was still impressed by how much Fluttershy's usual timid personality changed whenever it came to disputes involving animals. Even Applejack, by far the most stubborn mare he'd ever met, quickly faltered under her gaze.

"Fine, fine. I apologize," she relented. It was quickly ruined by the beaver sticking his tongue out at her and blowing a raspberry. Applejack growled, but Fluttershy held her back and shook her head.

The beaver, seemingly satisfied, looked around the dam for a few moments before reaching down and pulling out a single small stick. With that, the entire structure rumbled and collapsed within seconds, allowing the immense water buildup to flow freely further down the orchard.

Applejack sighed in relief. "Thanks Fluttershy."

"Yes indeed," Ray spoke up, sidling up next to his marefriend. "If it weren't for you, I'd probably be stuck here for the next five hours listening to a pony and a beaver argue and come to blows while absolutely nothing gets done."

"And jus' what the hay were you doin' ta help, Mr. Chuckles?" Applejack remarked, though she had a slight grin of her own.

Fluttershy blushed slightly and returned smiles to both of them. "Glad I could help," she replied.

Such a nice moment… which was then promptly disrupted by a multicolored blur rushing up and stopping with next to them, yelling in their ears.

"Hey, slackers! Double time it on over to Ponyville, would ya?! We're all waiting on you!" Rainbow yelled before immediately zipping off again in the direction she'd come from.

Ray, Applejack, and Fluttershy all stared after her in mild surprise.

"Well, she's as impatient as ever," Ray commented. "Seriously, it's just Celestia coming to visit. Not like they need us all there at once to say 'hello'."

"Yeah, but that bein' said, this little issue's already taken long enough as is," Applejack said. "Don't wanna keep the Princess waitin', after all."

"Oh dear, I'd completely forgotten about that with what was going on," Fluttershy mumbled. "We should probably hurry, right? I mean, Rainbow Dash seemed even more rushed than usual…"

"Which is saying something." Ray chuckled. "Alright. Well, fastest way to get there… Flutters, AJ, you ready?"

Applejack groaned, already knowing what was coming. "Do we really have ta? Can't we jus' walk like normal folk?"

"Come on AJ, aren't you the one always telling me to suck it up and hurry up? Besides, you said it yourself, don't wanna keep the Princess waiting," Ray retorted with a grin. Before she had a chance to respond, Ray stuck both of his hooves out to make contact with the two mares before teleporting them all to the meeting spot.

Upon arriving at the spot where the girls and Dusk had said they'd be waiting for Celestia, Ray had been momentarily shocked to find a place surrounded by almost a dozen guards. His paranoia kicked in for a moment before he suppressed it; Rainbow wouldn't have told them to hurry up if Celestia had been planning on taking him back to Canterlot.

Speaking of Rainbow, she showed up a half-minute later, looking utterly flabbergasted at him, AJ, and Fluttershy all being there before her. That made Ray laugh.

The second thing he'd noticed after coming out of the teleport was the large, extremely weird-looking statue sitting atop one of the two nearby chariots. It looked like someone had taken a group of the most unrelated animals in existence and mashed them together into some weird amalgamation out of some filly's nightmare. Only somehow, it didn't look straight-up ugly, just… weird.

He honestly thought that Celestia was gifting them with a statue decoration (and that Celestia had some REALLY crazy tastes), until he heard the Princess begin talking to the others. What he heard made him take a few subconscious steps away from the statue. No, not the statue. Discord. The others had told him of their encounter with the fabled Lord of Chaos before they'd met him. The source of Dusk's sociopathic alter-ego, no less. Ray listened as Celestia explained her 'plan' to Fluttershy and Applejack; Fluttershy, it seemed, in particular.

"I realize that this is a tall order," the Princess was saying, "but I wouldn't ask if I weren't confident you could get him to use magic obediently of his own free will."

"And... you really think I'll know best how to do that?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly, casting nervous glances at the petrified draconequus. Ray honestly couldn't blame her, if everything they'd told him about their last run-in with Discord was true.

"I do," Celestia said reassuringly, placing a hoof underneath Fluttershy's chin so that their eyes met. "And as for the rest of you…" her eyes moved to the rest of the girls. "I know this may still seem sudden to you, but I trust that you'll be able to handle it. I believe you are the only ones who can."

"But Princess… what about Dusk?" Twilight asked haltingly.

Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. "I understand his discontent with my decision. But this course of action is not one I chose lightly. I've spent weeks debating on whether or not this is the wisest thing to do. I've reached my verdict; I believe that Discord can help us."

"Right, because you've never made big decisions that ended up biting everypony in the flank before…" Rainbow muttered darkly. Celestia's head turned to her, but instead of anger, she simply smiled sadly.

"I know I've made mistakes before, Rainbow Dash. I do not deny this." Her eyes glanced to Ray for a fraction of a second as she said this. "I am… trying to rectify them. I have faith that you'll all be able to change Discord for the better. I can only hope that Dusk has the same faith, once he's had some time to himself. In the meantime, I ask that you try to put your past experience with Discord aside, however difficult it might be.

"Now, I must return to Canterlot for Equestria's royal summit," she stated, making her way over to her chariot while her guards took up their position. Ray had to wonder what they thought of all this. "You may release Discord when ready. Farewell, my little ponies."

With that, she nodded a signal, the the guards began flapping their wings, quickly bringing the chariots into the sky, leaving a frozen Discord behind. They all watched until the chariots became mere specks in the distance. Ray, as usual, broke the silence.

"So, this is the great and mighty Discord, eh?" Ray moved up the the stone-encased Chaos Spirit and inspected him closely. "I never got around to checking him out whenever we were in Canterlot. I've read descriptions of him but… somehow, I still thought he'd be less… weird-looking."

Rainbow laughed. "Preaching to the choir there, Ray. First time I saw this guy, I was convinced he was some mad scientist's idea of a fun experiment. Still kinda am."

"Heck, I'd never even heard-a Discord til' he was practically floatin' over our heads. Darn near bucked them stained glass windows outta surprise once he started makin' em move, an' again when he was up in our faces afterwards," Applejack agreed.

"I can imagine…" Ray acknowledged. Out of curiosity, he lightly tapped the stone surface above Discord's stomach area (at least, Ray thought it was his stomach) with his hoof a few times. "So, he's stuck in there?"

"Yes," Twilight affirmed. "Last time he broke out, he'd already been imprisoned for well over a thousand years, so it can be reasonably inferred that the stone prison had weakened considerably during that time. Not to mention he was sealed with only six of the Elements the first time around. This time we used all seven properly, and his imprisonment is still rather recent. He shouldn't be getting out of there again for a long time, if ever… until we let him out, that is…" she trailed off.

A rather awkward silence followed in wake of this, with some of the girls shuffling uncomfortably, while Rainbow just had her legs crossed in a huff, and Fluttershy was still watching Discord with apprehension.

"So," Rarity began, "we are committing to this then?"

"Looks like it. If the princess wants this done, looks like we haven't got much choice but to do it," said Rainbow. "Only thing is, we can't."

"She's right. We need all of the Elements to cast the counterspell and we're one short…" Twilight gazed forlornly off into the distance.

"So as I understand it, Dusk heard Celestia's plan and flipped out before storming off?" Ray inquired.

"He did," confirmed Rarity. "It was really rather unnerving. I don't believe I've ever seen him lose his composure like that before."

"Poor Dusky," sighed Pinkie, her mane deflating a little. "I want to do what Celestia wants us to, but not if it means making one of my best friends all sad."

"Hmm…" Ray hummed in thought. "Anypony have any idea where he went?"

"Judging from the direction he left in, I'd say he went home." Twilight sighed. "I'll go and see if I can't do anything about this. He needs somepony to talk to and I shouldn't have just let him run off alone."

"Don't you worry about that Twilight," Ray said, moving forward in the direction indicated. "You can stay here, get the Elements ready and whatnot. Imma go talk to him."

"I really think it would be best if I went," she insisted. "He's my coltfriend."

"And he's my besty," Ray countered with a smile. "But I see your point. Think of this then; you forget that I have fantastic psychological skills with ponies, and my hunch says that Dusk going nuts because of this has something to do with he-who-must-not-be-named."

"Voldemort?"

"Wha- no, Pinkie, I'm talking about Doom. What was… nevermind. Anyways, since it's probably that, I've something akin to experience in this field. Besides, Twilight, I can tell you're not sure about this whole idea either. What reassurance are you planning to give him for why we should free Discord aside from 'Princess Celestia told us to'?"

Twilight thought for a moment. "Um… I have to say I… I don't really know. We were all affected by Discord's corruption, but Dusk… he suffered something else entirely. I'm ashamed to say it but… I don't know."

"No worries. When you can't handle something yourself, you have friends to pick up the slack. That's something I learned from all of you," he smiled. "I feel like I know what to say to him, so leave it to me. I'll get him to come around… hopefully. And then I'll hope that I don't regret making him come around… eh, cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Well… okay," Twilight relented. "Thanks, Ray. I hope you can convince him."

"Come on, it's me we're talking about! When have I not managed to convince Dusk to rejoin the group?"

"Pretty sure ya only did tha' once, sugarcube."

"Semantics. Alright, you girls and one dragon guy hold down the fort. I'm out."

With that, Ray disappeared from them in the usual flash of yellow light, promptly reappearing within the streets of Ponyville, just outside of Dusk's house. There was a time, when Ray was still relatively new to the town, when every time he came out of a teleport, everypony in the general vicinity would jump away in shock. Nowadays, while there were still plenty of those who started from his sudden appearances, a good deal of the town's inhabitants were able to shrug them off with a glance and often times a smile.

Ray walked up to the door to Dusk's house and raised his hoof to knock, but hesitated. For a moment, he stopped to consider if he really did, in fact, know what he should say to Dusk. Then he shrugged. It would come to him on its own, like it usually did. Then he stopped again and wondered if Dusk would even have gotten to his home by this point. If he hadn't then he'd have to wait around awkwardly.

That concern was laid to rest when he suddenly heard something crashing on the other side of the door, followed by what sounded like the quick flapping of wings. No time like the present, Ray thought, knocking a few times on the door.

"It's open!" Dusk's irritable voice called.

With the confirmation he needed to avoid an invasion of privacy, Ray opted to forego the proper use of the door in front of him and instead teleported directly to the other side of it, popping in the middle of Dusk's living room.

"Aaannnd, Ray's here! Hello, Dusk," Ray greeted amicably.

Then something ticklish fell on his nose. Blowing it off, he saw it was a white feather that had floated down from the ceiling. Raising an eyebrow, he looked around, but couldn't see what the feather could have come from.

Dusk glowered at him from his couch. "You could have used the door, like a normal pony for once."

Ray pretended to think for a moment. "I could've yes. But it's much more fun to just pop in. I only knocked to be polite. I popped in on Rarity once without knocking, which was NOT a good idea… and come to think of it, I wasn't supposed to ever mention that incident to anypony ever or she'd… never mind."
Dusk's only response was a noncommittal grunt. Ray noticed this and decided to change to subject to something else before hitting on the reason he was here.

"Sooo… what's with the feathers?" He asked, gesturing to them around the floor. "You keep a secret collection?"

"No. They're from Ophelia." He held out a foreleg and a snowy owl flew to land on it. "My pet."

"You have a pet owl?!" Ray asked, honestly surprised. In all the time he'd known Dusk, he'd never heard of this.

"I do." He lowered his foreleg and she flew to a perch near the window. She watched Ray warily through amber eyes. "You'll have to forgive her. She's shy."

"Well, most animals tend to be that way around me. Either that or all diving at me with claws out and teeth bared. Surprisingly, she's one of the more mild ones. Still, either she's really good at hiding or I have a very selective attention span." He shook his head, then looked at Ophelia again. It was extremely subtle, but she seemed to be shaking a bit. "Though she does look somewhat frightened," he muttered, casting his eyes around the room before they fell on something in particular. "Is that because of me, or because of that shattered lamp on the floor next to the couch?"

Again, Dusk didn't respond. Not directly to what Ray said, at least. "What do you want, Ray? I'm in no mood for this at the moment."

Now, Ray got serious. Or… more serious, at least. "Yeah, I caught wind of that. You're here, throwing what looks like a really bad fit, while the girls are all back where we were, super worried. So… mind telling me what's up?"

Silence hung in the air for a moment. "I assume you've seen Discord? And know what's intended to be done with him?"

"Yeah, I saw him. And I heard about the plan. Well, if you can really call it that, but I digress. Is that why you're here scaring your pet by breaking furniture?"

"Better the light fixtures than the stone he's encased in." Without warning, he slammed a hoof down on his coffee table. The shadows it cast stirred violently and the beginnings of magic lights flashed randomly. "What in the name of all sanity is she thinking releasing that... that TYRANT on the world again?! And the others even agreeing to it?! After everything that happened during and after we sealed him away?!"

"Dusk? Angry outbursts are supposed to be my thing these days." Ray scratched his head in thought. "And as for Celestia, I wouldn't know. I'm the latest guy who she stuck a demon inside of so it would stop harassing everypony. And given her history, frankly, taking a monster OUT of a prison seems uncharacteristic of her."

But Dusk wasn't finished. "And after what he did to me?! To my friends?! To our home and everything else?! She just expects me to go along with releasing him?! I... I... AGGGGH!"

The flashing lights were getting brighter and the stirring shadows were starting to writhe. Ophelia screeched softly and hid behind her wing.

Up until it ended abruptly when Ray came over and whacked Dusk over the head with the pipe again, having just conjured it from wherever he kept it at his home. Dusk immediately ceased his flow of magic as he clutched his head in pain.

"Dusk, calm down!" Ray said sternly, a surprising tone coming from him. "If ponies outside hear you screaming bloody murder while performing a light show, they're gonna think something is wrong."

"But something is wrong!" His voice started to shake and his eyes were shimmering. "Something is very, very wrong and it's that this is happening!"

"Guess what? I sort of agree. And you flipping your lid isn't helping it. Isn't that what you tell the others whenever they start to freak out? Practice what you preach, dude."

Dusk opened his mouth. He closed it again. A few tears trickled down his cheeks and he screwed his eyes shut. He stood up and walked over to Ophelia, still cowering behind her wing. He cooed her name gently and she dared to peek out. Very gently, he began to stroke her while wiping away his tears. Before long, the owl had stopped shivering and she looked content again.

"I'm sorry…" She screeched gently and nibbled his hoof affectionately. He managed a small smile and looked at Ray. "I'm sorry, Ray. I…"

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm hardly one to talk after I essentially blew up a few acres of the Everfree Forest after getting angry. Still, we'll chalk it down to role reversal." He plopped down on one side of the couch and looked up again. "Now then, let's start over, shall we? Releasing Discord… can you think of any reasons for why Celestia would want to do this? Has Luna said anything at all?"

"She um…" He took another moment when his voice was still quivering. "Sorry. She was rather perturbed last night, but told me she wasn't at liberty to discuss it and got on with our lesson. I suppose now I know why."

"Makes sense. And as for Celestia's reasoning..?"

"Well, Discord is powerful. Exceptionally powerful. Such magic would be a… great asset. In Fallen's story, he was the one who reputably corrupted him. Perhaps she hopes to use that too. And…" His expression turned thoughtful. "She told me once that she knew him. Before everything, they used to be friends and… things just went wrong. Maybe, after getting her sister back and after what's happened with you and us… she thinks there's a chance she can have her old friend back."

Ray's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Huh. Well, that's interesting… so that would be both for personal and rather practical reasons. Seems reasonable, when you think about it like that. But now…" he cocked his head to one side, "You, on the other hoof, think this is absolutely crazy? What do you think about all of this? And, without the yelling please."

"I… I really don't know," he answered. "Maybe he can be used for good but… after what I've seen and experienced… I honestly don't see how. I can't help it. In my eyes, he's a villain. He always has been, even before I met him I was well versed of his place in history as the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony. How can I even begin to see past that…?"

Ray looked down for a moment. He spoke quietly, "Chrysalis was a villain too, in our eyes. That doesn't stop me from regretting…" he trailed off. Quickly though, he perked back up. "I can't really speak from experience, seeing as how I've never met the guy myself aside from seeing his statue just a bit ago. But it wouldn't be the first time somepony who was out to destroy you and the others ended up turning out fine with a bit of saving, right? There's Sombra… and there's me. I mean, technically that was Wrath, but you know…"

"But it wasn't your fault you have Wrath in your head. And I did save Sombra yes but... you weren't there when Discord was." Fear flashed on his face. "You didn't feel his magic slither its way into your mind, twist your darkest thoughts and fears and manifest them into... him…"

Ray seemed to be picking up momentum now. "It's true that I don't know, so I can't really make an accurate judgement. I'm sure if I'd met the guy the last time he was around, I might agree with you. But maybe it's a good thing that I'm unbiased, because I can say that you never know until you try. I mean, we wouldn't have thought to try and save Sombra if we hadn't known that he and Luna were a thing, right? And that he really was a good guy deep down, not a straight-up tyrant. If we didn't know that, he'd be just another villain, and would likely have been vaporized by the whole crystal heart thing. And I'm also sure that the Crystal Ponies themselves would have been in favor of that at the time, because the tyrant Sombra was the only Sombra they knew. You catch my drift, here?"

Dusk appeared to consider this. "You… make a fair point there. Perhaps the same could be said for somepony who only knew me as Doom, not as Dusk and only Luna as Nightmare Moon. Light and dark, two sides of the same coin of life."

"Ah, so you haven't forgotten what I said to you back then. Good, I was beginning to wonder if all my invaluable life wisdom was just fading away as time went on. Not to paint myself in the light of some old wise geezer, mind you..." he sniffed.

"Your beard would be the same colour as your mane, so it wouldn't be a huge leap." Dusk stroked his chin. "You know, after Nightmare Night, I'm beginning to wonder if I should make facial hair a permanent addition."
Ray froze and stared at Dusk with an odd expression. "Ah… umm… Dusk, just some friendly advice… that was more of a costume thing. In my experience, if it doesn't grow on you naturally, it usually doesn't look good on you naturally. Remember Spike's obsession with the moustache?"

"A fair point. Still, Twilight and a few others said it suited me. It made me want to try something a little different with my appearance. Especially since this old thing…it's really wearing a bit thin." He took off his hat and looked at it for a moment. "Oh well, worry about that later. Now, I suppose it's time to face the music?"

"Oh, don't say it like that. At this point, the girls are pretty used to you storming off in a broody huff," Ray said jokingly. "I, however, am likely to get another fanfare at bringing you back from the edge of madness yet again, however much of an exaggeration that might be this time around."

"Now really, Ray. You, exaggerate? I could hardly believe such a thing," he said with a slight smirk.

"And there's the modern day Dusk we know and love." Ray shared in his smirk, albeit much more prominently. "Alright, let's head back. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he replied. He placed a hoof on his shoulder and nodded to Ray. The stallion grinned and in a flash, they were gone.

Just when he felt he was getting used to teleporting, he would experience it again and such thoughts would be banished from his head in an instant. He shook his head to be rid of the dizzying sensation and saw he was back in the field where he'd left the girls before.

They all looked up at his arrival and seemed visibly relieved. Twilight was the first there, hugging him tightly.

"Thank goodness," she said. "Thank you, Ray."

"It's cool," he replied. "You can always count on me to drag him back kicking and screaming when he runs off."

"It is a rather nasty habit of his," said Rarity. "Though the chafing would be dreadful, I really am starting to think Applejack should keep a lasso just for him."

"Believe me, ah've thought about it more'n once," she chuckled. "You okay now, sugarcube?"

"Better than before," admitted Dusk. "I'm still not really sure about this, but if the princess wants it done and believes we can do it, I suppose there's not many other options."

"Actually, Celestia said she thinks Fluttershy's the best one to do it," informed Pinkie. "She can tame the wildest grizzly bear, so Discord should be a cinch!"

"They're really not that bad, once you get to know them," she murmured modestly. "B-But I'll try my best with Discord."

"I know you will. If it's you working on reforming him, perhaps there is a chance," Dusk said hopefully. "I'll try to have faith in you."

"Thank you, big brother," she said sincerely.

"Here's the Elements, Twilight." Spike approached with the chest. "But you know, take your time. No need to let him out right now."

"It's now or never, Spike." Twilight opened the box and levitated the elements to them. Dusk felt a warmth as Unity clasped around his neck. "Don't worry, we'll be ready for him this time."

"Alright, let's go for it!" They all stared at Ray. "What? I've never seen the Elements of Harmony in action before. I wanna see what they can do."

"You'd best stand back then. And we'd best keep our elements on at all times 'til further notice," suggested Twilight.

"Check!" they affirmed.

Twilight began casting the spell, her magic empowered by her diadem element. The others tapped into the power of their elements and levitated off the ground. Magical outlines of the jewels set in them pulsed out towards Discord. A long rainbow coloured tendril emerged from them and connected to the rest in the circle they'd formed. They all joined at Unity, the element focusing and refining the spell as it was meant to do. The seven jewels in Dusk's element shone and he lit his horn, directing the focused energy back to the Magic element so Twilight could cast the spell.

Bathed in the multi-coloured light, the stone began to crack. White light shone through the breaking stone. First his eagle and lion paws flexed their fingers. Within seconds, his whole body was free. Discord screamed, as if he were continuing the denying cry he'd been doing when they'd last frozen him.

His scream became a yawn. He groaned and wiggled his body and limbs as if they were made of rubber. He bent his body backwards and looked upside down at Twilight.

"Well, it's about time somepony got me out of that prison block. What a relief!"

He was stretching his eagle claw while he said this. At the same time, he snapped his fingers in the direction of a squirrel emerging from a tree. With a flash of his chaotic magic, its body size suddenly tripled and its face became an ugly grimace. It snapped off a branch with its new muscles and clamped it in its jaw.

They all gasped and Twilight glared at Discord. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Nnnnnnnnngh– Why, stretching, of course," he replied innocently, continuing to do so. "When you're a creature of chaos, stone bodysuits aren't your typical go-to fashion choice."

He pulled his lion claw behind his head and snapped his fingers again. This time, a nearby bunny got the blast and the same effect as the squirrel.

"Make that bunny cute again! Now!" demanded Pinkie.

"Oh... He's adorable the way he is." Discord stroked the bunny and almost got his fingers bitten off. "It is remarkable how even the most timid, reserved little creatures can behave so differently if you give them the right kind of push. Am I right?"

Dusk could feel his mismatched eyes linger on him, but he stared defiantly back.

"I'm so glad you changed your mind about me, Dusk," said Discord with mock sincerity. "I'll be sure later to show you how grateful I am."

"You're too kind," replied Dusk darkly.

He grinned devilishly. "I really do appreciate that you 'have faith' in your little sister's abilities to reform me. I just hope it's not misplaced."

"How'd you know about that?!" Twilight asked sharply.

"Being turned to stone doesn't keep me from hearing every word Celestia says," he replied. "Although I admit it makes rolling my eyes a challenge."

He literally rolled his eyes, taking them out of his sockets and tossing them like a pair of dice before vanishing. They landed in two holes in the ground, but these turned out to be Discord's empty sockets, his body completely hidden until he rose up from the earth once they were back in place. And that was right in front of Ray.

"Hmm, now what have we here?" He suddenly wore a Sherlock Hooves outfit and whipped out a magnifying glass. "This is a new detail. Another stallion in your posse! Someone out there enjoys their writer fantasies, don't they?"

"Uh… what?" Ray looked rather confused.

"You'll forgive me if I didn't see you, I just thought a patch of grass sprouted legs. Although, that does sound rather fun…. but first!" He continued to look Ray over, snaking around his body. "So, Dusk is chained to Twilight Sparkle. Who's laid claim to you? Applejack? Pinkie Pie? Rarity? All of the above?"

"Why, the nerve!" flushed Rarity.

"And what are you then? What's this, another Element of Harmony?" He peered at the necklace he wore. "Oh, how original. Which one are you then? The Element of Love or Courage or Bad Mane Cuts? Or perhaps…?" He trailed off when he looked into Ray's eyes. Very, very closely into his eyes. Discord's own bulged and stretched to do so. "No… no, this is something even better. I can't believe it!"

He reeled back and started to laugh. Ray glanced at the girls unsurely and they all exchanged worried looks with each other. Was it possible that Discord had sensed what was in Ray's head? The chaos lord's next words answered that.

"Wrathy! I hardly recognised you!" He grinned again. "I really am surprised. So powerful, so hellbent and fiery and yet here you are: still imprisoned, after so very long and in this stallion's head of all ponies. How embarrassing for you." He conjured storm clouds and they flashed around him. "Phenomenal cosmic power!" He shrunk down and landed on Ray's muzzle. "Itty bitty living space," he said in a tiny voice. "To think that after all this time, this is still what you're reduced to. It's hilarious!"

He sprang back to full size and laughed again. He chortled harder still when he saw that his taunting had what appeared to be the desired effect on Ray. He'd been grimacing all the way through Discord's comments and now he had keeled over. He clutched his head in pain while the crystal around his neck shone brightly. Like its power was being pushed to its limits.

Indeed, Ray's head was pounding. But more than that, it felt like it was burning, and would explode at any moment, like a volcano ready to erupt. Every throb came in sync with the growls and dull thuds deep within his psyche.

Within his prison, Wrath was up and repeatedly throwing himself against the thick bars of his cage. Each impact produced a lingering, thunderous clang that resonated off the walls. With every blow, the bars shone blue, the same color as the crystal necklace around Ray's neck, and shuddered under the force. Wrath was snarling, foaming at the mouth, with saliva dripping down in massive droplets to the floor below. His eyes were glowing fierce crimson, as though they themselves would go aflame.

"Insolent… Arrogant… Pathetic…"he rumbled, the creature's every word punctuated by another slam against the bars. "He… did this… and he has the gall to…he… GRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Wrath roared into the darkness, gripping the bars with his claws and attempting to pry them apart, to no avail. "LET ME OUT! I'LL DESTROY THAT IMBECILE! RIP HIM TO SHREDS! I'LL CRUSH HIM AND BURN HIS ENTRAILS!"

Ray almost cried out in pain. He could feel Wrath attacking his mental barriers, drowning out all other sensations. At the same time, the glowing of his necklace created an incessant buzzing in his ears. He hardly noticed when Fluttershy rushed up and knelt down next to him.

"Ray? Ray, it's okay. Just calm down. Focus on me, listen to my voice. It's fine, just calm down…"

"I'm not the one… freaking out…" Ray groaned between breaths.

"Oh, what's wrong Wrathy? Did I hit a nerve? Over a millennia-and-a-half later and you're still throwing temper tantrums?" Discord cackled. "Really, I'm amazed that the same old sealing method has held up all this time. Is this little stallion holding you back, Wrathy? Unlike me, perhaps imprisonment has made you lose your touch!"

Ray was on the ground now, grunting in pain, while Fluttershy tried to comfort him. Enough was enough.

"Leave him alone, Discord!" Dusk stood between him and Ray.

"Ooh, aren't you the bold one now, Dusk?" he said with a smirk. "I can see your brother's spirit in you."

"Enough!" Twilight stood next to him. "Unless you want us to turn you back to stone, you'll back away from Ray and zap those animals back the way they were, pronto!"

"Oh, you wouldn't dare turn me back to stone and risk disappointing your precious princess," he challenged.

"Try us, Dip-cord!" sneered Rainbow.

"How dare you?!" Fluttershy snarled. "How dare you put my coltfriend in such a state?! How dare you treat poor defenseless animals like that?!"

"You go, Fluttershy!" Rainbow cheered.

"Oh, so he's yours?" He laughed all the more. "I'd have thought his standards would be higher than that. Or was it that you were that desperate?"

"Stop that!" She flew right up to his face. "You'd best watch your step, buster, or I'll give you... the Stare!"

"The Stare? Oh no, please, not that! Anything but your disapproving eyeballs!" He laughed again but stopped when Fluttershy began to stare fiercely at him. "Oh no! No no no, stop! No, no!" He grabbed his throat and made strangling noises. She stared with greater intensity and his eyes became hypnotic spirals. "I can't! Stop! I can't take it anymore! I'll do whatever you say! Because…" He suddenly doubled over with mirth. "You are hilarious!"

Fluttershy's expression was one of shock and dismay when she realised he'd been faking. Her stare was powerless against him. But they had something that wasn't regardless.

"If it turns out we need to use our elements against you, I'm sure we can convince Princess Celestia it was for a good reason!" threatened Twilight.

The others all glared at him. Discord stopped laughing. He looked around, as if only now remembering who and what was surrounding him. He groaned in frustration, then hung his head with annoyance.

"Mmm... I suppose that's correct," he conceded.

He reluctantly snapped his fingers. The animals he'd discorded returned to normal. He put on an attempt at an apologetic smile.

"Well, it looks like I know where I'll be crashing while I'm being 'reformed'..." He appeared behind Fluttershy and wrapped an arm around her. "With you, Fluttershy."

"Oh, dear," she murmured.

Dusk knelt down next to Ray, who was very slowly starting to get back up. He was still breathing heavily, but no longer seemed to be in active pain.

"Ray, are you okay?" he asked. Ray's response took a few seconds to come, after a bit more panting on his end.

"I'm… I'm fine. I think," he muttered. "The necklace… did it's thing. It stopped Wrath from getting loose, and I think he ended up burning himself out… or something. He's not making as much noise now. Agh," he clutched his head again, then shook it off. "Aftershock. I'm alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks…" Ray's eyes seemed slightly bloodshot from this close up, and he was still rubbing his head, but Dusk accepted his answer and helped him back up. He was worried, but Ray knew his own limits best.

They accompanied Fluttershy and Discord back to her cottage. Dusk made sure to keep a close eye on Ray as they walked while Fluttershy kept him calm. Discord was threatening enough on his own, but he was able to drive Wrath into anger just there. Dusk had no idea how close the Beast had been to actually emerging, but it made Fluttershy's reformation task even more essential.

But even in the aftermath of that, Fluttershy seemed resolute on being friendly to Discord while she hurriedly tidied her house.

"He may be horrible, but that doesn't mean we have to act the same way. We should at least try to be hospitable." She saw Discord lying on the couch. "You don't mind giving up your favorite spot on the couch, do you, Angel Bunny?"

Angel minded very much. He tried to pull Discord off by his lizard leg, to no avail so he stalked off in a huff.

"Oh, I'm sorry about Angel. Are you alright?" she asked Discord.

"Oh, yes. Thank you, Fluttershy, for your concern. If only your pony friends could be as considerate…" he added with a look to them.

"Don't listen to him, Fluttershy!" urged Rainbow. "He's just trying to drive a wedge between us like he always does."

"Now why in the world would I ever try to do a thing like that?" he asked insincerely.

"So we can't unite and use the Elements of Harmony against you, that's why!" she answered.

"I never thought of that…"

"You big liar!"

"Now, look who's a liar. Anyone can plainly see that I'm not big at all." Discord was the size of a mouse. He popped back to normal size and kicked Angel away when he tried to get on the couch, but his head suddenly enlarging knocked over a lamp. "Oops." He snapped his fingers and the lamp became a caricatured version of him. "There, all better."

He slapped Angel off the couch with his tail and slid back down.

"Ah can't watch…" decided Applejack and covered her eyes with her hat. She started to leave and they all followed suit. Twilight and Dusk lingered at the door.

"You sure you're okay with this?" asked Twilight.

"I know it's not gonna be easy, but Princess Celestia's counting on me. And... I think I actually know what to do," she replied.

"Truly?" asked Dusk. He vaguely noted Discord and Angel fighting over the couch.

"I think the key is to befriend him. Being kind to him and letting him be my house guest is probably the best way to do that," she explained.

"And you really think that'll work?" asked Twilight.

"I think it's worth a try," said Fluttershy optimistically.

"Very well then. But if you need help, come and find us as quickly as you can. The sooner we're together, the sooner we can use the elements against him." Dusk glanced around Fluttershy to Discord. "Be warned, Discord! Any wrong move and you're back on display in the sculpture gardens!"

"Wh-what?!" He ceased fighting Angel and in a flash of light, they were both on a pair of arm chairs with Discord wearing a suit, top hat and monocle while sipping tea. "Look at me! I'm practically reformed already."

Fluttershy gave an uneasy smile and closed the door. The others were waiting for them outside expectantly.

"She's really alright with him staying there?" asked Rarity disbelievingly.

"That's what she said," answered Twilight.

"Personally, I think we should come up with a backup plan, in case this whole 'befriending' business doesn't work out," proposed Rainbow.

"Rainbow Dash is right. This is Discord we are talking about, my friends," agreed Rarity. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to have another trick up our sleeves."

"An' ah don't much like the idea-a Fluttershy alone with Discord," added Applejack. "Maybe it'd be best if one-a us stayed too an' kept an eye on him."

"Ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me!" insisted Pinkie.

"I don't think it'd be good if we had more than one element staying here or he may feel like he's being kept under too close a watch," said Ray. "I'll stay."

"Uh yeah, no," said Rainbow at once. "Or did you miss the fact he almost drove you-know-who out of your head again?"

"I don't think he'll try that again. The way I see it, he could have teleported away the instant he was let out, but he didn't. He must know that if he did try to run, you'd all eventually catch up and he'll be right back in stone. If he is working an angle, it'll be something to do with making sure he has a more permanent way of staying free," he reasoned. "Making Wrath go nuts again would be counter productive to his efforts. Something tells me even Discord isn't crazy enough to actually want Wrath to get loose, let alone when he's the closest potential victim."

"That's a fair assumption," agreed Dusk. "Discord is powerful, but he's also clever. He was probably testing the waters before to see how far he could go but he'll be a little more careful now he knows his limits with all of us present. He may think he has a chance of putting us out of action by trying to trick Fluttershy. It only takes one element to be missing for none of them to work at all. Since Ray isn't an element, there isn't as much of a risk to him and as Fluttershy's coltfriend, he has a better reason to stay and watch her."

"Plus, if anything does go wrong, he can teleport to find us and we can get over there quicker," added Spike.

"Hmm, good points all around," nodded Rarity. "Good thinking, boys."

"I knew there was some reason we kept you guys around," snickered Rainbow.

"Alright then. Ray, you stay here and keep an eye on Fluttershy and Discord. The instant he tries anything, you come and find us at the library and we'll gather everypony else as fast as we can," instructed Twilight.

"You got it. What are you guys going to do then?" he asked.

"Dusk, Spike and I will be working on a backup plan to reform Discord. And I think I know just the trick. Come on, you two," she addressed Spike and Dusk. "We've got some reading to do."

A Chaotic Companion

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Ray expected Discord to be odd. He was made up of about a dozen different animals, had a penchant for chocolate rain and cotton candy clouds and had the power to change reality and personality with a snap of his fingers. How could anypony meet the Lord of Chaos and not expect him to be a little off?

Even so, he was staring in silent perplexion as Discord sat on Fluttershy's couch, munching happily on a bowl of crispy… paper. He mentally shrugged. Perhaps it was his goat side shining through.

"Discord?" Fluttershy popped her head out from the kitchen. "Oh, there you are. Listen, Discord, I just want to make sure you know that if there's anything I can do to– uh, umm, are you eating... paper?"

He swallowed. "Am I? Huh, how odd of me."

"Um…" She looked questioningly at Ray.

"Don't ask me. I know about as much as you do at the moment," he answered her unspoken question.

"You know, it's really not as bad as you'd think," Discord said. "I'm surprised more ponies don't have themselves a nice bowl of paper once in a while. Perhaps some chocolate sauce to really bring out the taste."

"Well, um... I'm just heading out, so you just make yourself at home while I'm gone and don't be mean to Ray. Consider this a test of friendship and see if you can be nice to somepony," she said.

"Ooh, a test!" He suddenly wore glasses and held a pen and pad. "Should I be taking notes?"

She ignored this. "Will you be okay with him, Ray?"

"Don't worry, he's not gonna get under my skin," he said confidently. "I'll be here when you get back."

"Okay." She kissed his cheek and headed out. "Play nice, you two."

"Buh-bye, have a nice time!" Discord waved her off. "Everything is fine here. Bye bye... Bye bye…" The pink robe he was wearing vanished and he slammed the door. "Now, isn't this an interesting turn of events?"

Ray cocked an eyebrow. "How so?"

"After what happened in the field, I'd have thought the last thing that would have happened was you being left alone with me." He grinned maliciously. "You're really counting on me not wanting to give ol' Wrath a good kick in his bright red behind."

"Oh, you overheard that?" Ray asked in mock surprise. "Well yes, I am. I don't know how powerful you're supposed to be, since the only ones who really scale are the Princesses. But then, you're not the only one stronger than they are, if Wrath is any indication. And from what I can tell, you're really close to the top of his blacklist."

"I really can't imagine why. Oh well," he shrugged. "You're right to count on it. After being free again, being blasted to smithereens by an angry demon was the very last thing I wanted in my day. Besides, you're far more interesting."

"Am I? High praise coming from the Lord of Chaos," Ray said sarcastically.

"Oh yes, you really are." He looked him over again. "I mean, it really is very surprising. Here you are, with the bestest friends in the whole wide world and a beautiful, sweet young mare as your marefriend. I have to say, they're really going to great lengths."
Ray paused and looked at Discord fully. "Great lengths? What are you talking about?"

"Why, to keep you here. To stop you from leaving. I suppose the most effective form of imprisonment is when one knows they're not even being imprisoned to begin with. Gotta say, I wouldn't have minded that," he added. "You have no idea how uncomfortable being trapped in stone is. Though it does make for interesting propositions for poses. How about this?" He stood on a pedestal with a bow and an arrow with a loveheart. "Or this?" Now, he had no arms and a toga was draped around his waist. "Or this?" Bent over, his chin rested on his fist and deep in thought.

Ray watched as Discord cycled through numerous 'poses', each getting more odd than the last. Then he shook his head and diverted his attention out the window. "I'm not being imprisoned here. I made the decision to stay in Ponyville long before they found out about Wrath. And I'm here now because Celestia allowed it, not because I'm being forced to. She had the opportunity to actually lock me up when they all found out; she almost did, but ended up changing her mind. You've kinda missed out on a lot, you know."

"I know. I suppose I need to play catch up." He suddenly held a book. "Two and a half books and have you seen the length of the chapters these days? Who has that kind of time?" With a poof it was gone. "Anyway, I'm sure that's exactly how they want you to feel. They can't have you gallivanting off and they don't want you all upset at being kept in Canterlot, so here's the next best thing. An excellent compromise, I must say."

Ray turned to look at Discord again briefly, but rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The girls aren't like that. And Dusk is definitely not like that. The Princesses…" he paused again for a moment, but shook it off. "They've been around a long time, and they're smart. They do what they have to do to protect Equestria."

"Oh yes, they're all about that. Sealing away close family members in the moon. Imprisoning people in stone. Tossing them into the deepest, darkest pit. Locking away ancient evil beasts inside innocent foals and fillies their whole lives. Any sign of opposition is snuffed out. Our benevolent rulers, everypony." He leaned in and whispered, "Hail Hydra."

Ray leaned back from the uncomfortable close proximity. Then he scoffed. "Yeah, and then you consider the nature of the opposition. Shrouding Equestria in eternal night, turning the world into a giant chaos-fiesta just because, destroying anything and everything because anger. Hard to blame Celestia, when you sit and think about it."

"Yes, perhaps big ol' meanies like me and Nightmare Moon got what we deserved, but what about you? You never did anything wrong, yet here you are with one of the most destructive forces in the world sealed away inside your noggin. And how does our benevolent ruler see the best course of action to keep him locked away?

By putting him smack in the place where all of his closest friends happen to live. If he got out, well…" He stroked his goatee. "Just how much of Ponyville would be left, I wonder…"

"I would never do anything to Ponyville," Ray said suddenly. "I would never let Wrath to anything to Ponyville. Or anypony here. He can sit and grumble and make threats all he wants, he's not getting out…"

"You mean like he did with poor Queen Chrysalis?" Discord smiled at Ray's expression. "Oh yes, I've heard quite a bit about that. Like I said, just because I'm stone doesn't mean I'm deaf."

"But… how? Who even talked about that?" Ray sputtered.

"You know, him and her. Guards on or off patrol, ponies who visit the garden, even Luna and Celestia when they deign to drop by." He frowned. "They never even stop to say hello though. Very rude."

Ray had to stop himself from swaying involuntarily. What in the name of Equestria could Celestia and Luna have been talking about that warranted bringing up Chrysalis during a walk in the Sculpture Garden? In front of Discord, no less? Given, it was possible they didn't know about him being able to hear everything despite being stone, but still…

"And you know what else got me thinking? A pair of guys like you and Wrath…" That grin grew wider. "I'm willing to bet she wasn't the first, was she?"

Ray froze.

"Ding ding ding, do we have a winner?" An unseen audience began to cheer and confetti sprayed. "I did! I won! Oh, thank you so much, everypony! This is such an honour!"

"How do you know?" Ray asked simply, his voice barren.

"Oh, it was a lucky guess really. But honestly, having an entity called Wrath in your mind, is it so far fetched that Chrysalis is just another number in the body count? The big guy was racking up an impressive number before you were even a glimmer in your unborn mother's eye." He chuckled. "Whoever she is. Probably a swell gal, if she gave birth to somepony like you."

Ray clicked his tongue and turned away. "So? Wrath isn't me. He kills and destroys, but that's not who I am. It's not."

"Can you say that with any real certainty?" asked Discord. "When you attacked Chrysalis, was it because Wrath made you do it or was that something you did yourself? Did you want it? What about others? You weren't here last time, so you must have come from elsewhere. Why did you have to leave, I wonder? Seeking your fortune in the big city… or seeking a way to escape? Must have been something pretty bad for you to run and hide rather than stand and face it. And who is it that claims personal responsibility for whatever you did, hm? I'm not hearing Wrath speaking up at this point, which can only mean…"

"Me leaving has… nothing to do with it…" Ray got a distant look in his eye. "It's because of Wrath. When it happens… he makes me. I'm not…"

"You can tell yourself that all you want. But you know something, there's another difference between me and Nightmare Moon and you. Both of us admitted to what we did as our own choices. Nopony else had any say and we didn't try to deny it. Heck, even Wrathy wears his genocidal intentions like a badge of honor." His mismatched red eyes met Ray's yellow ones. "We may have been rotten, but at least we were honest about it."

Ray sat there for a while, unblinking. He slowly looked away from Discord, down at the floor. Discord, seemingly satisfied, floated back toward the couch, once more flicking Angel out of the way, and sat himself down comfortably.

It remained that way for several minutes before Ray abruptly disappeared in his customary flash of light. Discord grinned.

Dusk continued to flick through his portion of the books that Twilight had given him. She'd told him and Spike the spell she had in mind for Discord in case Fluttershy's attempts at reforming him failed. While he understood it was necessary, he didn't really like the implications of this particular kind of spell.

"That's weird." Twilight frowned while she flicked through hers. "The spell I had in mind isn't in here. Spike, where are the other books I asked you to pull?"

"Right here, Twilight," he said, arriving with another stack of them.

She levitated them all with her magic and hovered them in a circle, opening them all to check them at once.

"I really want to have a reforming spell up and running pronto. Any luck on your end, Dusk?"

"No sign," he reported.

"Dusk? Are you okay?" she asked. "You've been rather quiet since we got back. Are you still worried about Fluttershy?"

"I am, but that's not really my main concern." He sighed and put down the book. "I just… I don't like the idea of using this spell."

"What? The reforming spell?" she asked. "Why?"

"It feels rather… wrong that we're using this as a measure," he confessed. "It seems rather extreme."

She raised an eyebrow. "Have you forgotten who we're dealing with?"

"I haven't, but think about it. We're planning on resorting to magic that we'll be using to change the mind of another living being to a different way of thinking, one that's a far cry from how they usually behave. Remind you of somepony?"

Twilight gasped when she caught his meaning. "It isn't like that though. We're not like Discord. We're using this as a last resort, not as the first option and we're not doing it for fun or for malevolent ends. We're doing this for the good of everypony else."

"It won't seem that way from his perspective," replied Dusk. "Justification for a method often leads to its abuse."

"We're not going to start reforming everypony in Equestria after we're done!" exclaimed Twilight. "It's just for Discord! And you've used similar magic before!"

"My mental suggestion spells are only ever used for little things, minor deviations from normal actions. Not full blown personality rewrite," he insisted. "Even then, I'm still not wholly confident using them."

"Celestia wants Discord reformed. If Fluttershy can't manage it, we won't have any choice," she argued. "Are you seriously saying that Discord shouldn't be reformed?"

"Of course not!" he snapped. "But I know how it feels! To have somepony get inside your head and twist everything inside to their ends! You girls may not remember it all that well… but I do…" He hung his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to lose it. I know this needs to be done but… I don't like that this is how we might do it."

"It may not come to that," said Twilight gently. "Fluttershy may be able to manage it. But if she can't, this may have to be our only option. Please tell me you understand that."

He nodded. "I do and I'll still help you, of course. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I know." She came up to him and hugged him. "Sorry. I understand why you feel this way. What Discord did to you was more horrible than anything. But it's good you're able to put that aside for us."

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "How do you feel about this, Spike? Spike?"

They turned to see the dragon rubbing his stomach and grimacing unpleasantly.

"Spike? What's wrong?" Twilight hurried to him. "You're not sick are you?"

"I'm fine," he grunted. "Just a bit of a stomach ache."

Dusk smirked. "Been at the ice cream again, have you?"

"No!" he cried. "Just my stomach hurts a bit. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Twilight. He nodded in response. "Well, okay. If it doesn't get any better, let me know, alright? But if you have been pigging down on ice cream again…"

"I swear I haven't, really!" he repeated. "So uh, reforming spell, huh?"

"Yes." Twilight let the matter drop. "Come on, let's get back to it."

"Um, Twilight?" Dusk picked up one of the books she'd set down. "I think we may have a problem."

He indicated the page it had fallen at. Between the displays of text and accompanying images, there was a frayed and uneven edge that looked like the page had been torn out.

"What? Oh no!" Twilight hurriedly flicked through a few others. "Princess Celestia may have cast a spell on the Elements, but she didn't cast one on the books! Everywhere I thought I'd find the reforming spell...!"

She showed them. Every book had a page torn out of it. There was no doubt in any of their minds who was responsible.

"Fluttershy's cottage! Now!" Twilight commanded.

They didn't hesitate to bolt out the door and gallop full pelt toward their friend's home. When they got there, they were shocked to find that it wasn't where it should be. The house had been ripped from the hill. A glance up revealed it to be revolving around in mid-air.

"This isn't good. Fluttershy?! Can you hear me?!" A moment later, she hovered down from her house whilst carrying a very dazed Angel Bunny. "Fluttershy, what's going on? Are you okay?!"

"We're fine," she said quickly. "Everything's going great. Isn't it, Angel?"

The rabbit chittered dizzily and stumbled away when his owner set him down.

"Where's Ray? Is he up there?" asked Dusk.

"Actually, he was gone when I got back. I was about to go and look for him, but then I saw what Discord was doing…" She looked concerned. "I hope Ray's okay."

Dusk was momentarily worried. Why would Ray leave after he agreed to help watch Discord? Had something happened? He put it out of his mind for now. He could check on Ray later and more immediate concerns were at stake.

"We need to get you out of here, Fluttershy, away from Discord." Dusk looked up at the rotating house. "It's good we came along when we did, because it appears he's just as bad as he was-"
"Oh, but you're wrong! We're making great progress!" she insisted.

"Seriously?!" all three of them asked.

"I'm earning his trust by giving him a little space to be himself," she explained.

"Hate to break it to ya, but he used that 'space to be himself' to tear out all the reforming spells from the library!" Spike held up a book to illustrate his point.

"That does explain the paper eating…" she murmured.

"He ate them?!" Twilight groaned in frustration.

"But we aren't gonna need a spell. He's already really considering being reformed! He said so," she told them.

"And you would take him at his word?" asked Dusk sceptically.

"If I'm going to be his friend, I have to start by giving him the benefit of the doubt! Tell you what. Bring all the ponies over for a dinner party this evening, and I'll bet his manners will have really improved by then, " she suggested, flying back up to the door. "I'll even get him to put the cottage back on the ground first."

Twilight sighed. "Alright. Dinner it is. Come on, guys. Let's go and tell the others."

"As much as I admire how sincere she's being about this whole thing, I really have my doubts," voiced Dusk on the way back. "It's only been a few hours since we left them and I can't see any major changes occurring between now and when we come over this evening."

"I suppose it's relative to how effective her approach is to him," reasoned Twilight. "It can take as short as an hour or as long as a year to make a friend."

"That's rather dependent on how one open is to friendship and whatever else they may have in mind," replied Dusk. "Deception is Discord's fealty."

"I know. Still, I can't help but wonder if there really is a chance it's working," she said. "You gave Sombra the benefit of the doubt, even after only just freeing him and we did the same with Luna."

Dusk chuckled. "You know, that's rather like what Ray said to me before."

"But they were just corrupted by dark magic that you guys managed to get out of their system. They weren't inherently bad," said Spike. "Plus, in Luna's case, some of that dark magic was thanks to Discord. Dusk got the same too with Doom. He was always rotten."

"Well, we'll keep an eye on him tonight and we'll all be there with our Elements," said Twilight. "If it really does seem like Fluttershy has managed to have an effect on Discord, then great. If not, we'll see if we can't resort to some other measure."

Dusk nodded silently, but what Twilight said had got him thinking. While he, Luna and Sombra were indeed rescued from dark, corrupting influences, as much as he hated to admit it, they weren't entirely innocent. Doom had come from Dusk's negativity, his anger and bitterness at never having friends and that he'd kept deep down inside. Nightmare Moon had manifested from Luna's spite and jealousy towards her sister. Sombra's dark persona from his own feelings of frustration and inadequacy at being king. Those darker parts hadn't come from nowhere. The potential for the darker parts of themselves was there. They all existed, even if it wasn't on the surface, like Ray had once said.

It seemed far fetched, considering all that he had done to them but did Discord too have the potential to be good just as they had the potential to be bad? Celestia had told him how, a long time ago, she'd considered him a friend, one who made her laugh. She was even the one who'd set them to this task. Did she truly believe Fluttershy could be the one to reform Discord? He remembered what had happened with Doom and what Ray had said to him before. Perhaps…

As much as he might not want to, a small part of him told him to keep an open mind about this while they split up to spread the news of what was happening. When he went to tell Ray, the stallion seemed rather distant and opted out of the dinner.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I have some stuff I need to think about. See you."

He'd then closed the door without another word. Dusk was concerned, but he decided to leave him to his thoughts. He understood the need for one's own space.

Later that evening, they were on their way to the dinner party. Things were rather on edge, but they'd all agreed to come, barring Ray. Dusk was keeping a very important thought in mind: either stay silent or stay composed. If Discord did try to goad him, he would try to appear amiable and unaffected by what he said. Hopefully, it would work. The door opened to reveal Discord, dressed in a fine suit with a pencil moustache.

"Oh, our pony guests!" He rolled out his tongue like a red carpet and sprang up at the end, bowing to them. "We're so delighted that you've come. Please, do come in."

He'd 'decorated' the house for the occasion. Every angle and proportion of the walls, ceiling and floor was warped in some way, like it was melting. The floor was set with the same blue chess board pattern in it was when he was in power last time, the ceiling was a dirty purple and the walls a grassy green. A golden candelabra hung above an imperfect circular table, set with red velvet cushions and gold plates.

"See what a beautiful job he did helping?" Fluttershy beamed. "Discord set the entire table himself. I'm so proud."

Discord appeared in place of one of the coat hangers and reached for Twilight's crown. "May I take your... hats, ladies?"

"You may." Dusk stepped between them, so Discord took his trilby. "Thank you, Discord. That's very courteous of you."

"Hmm, it's no trouble," he grumbled. Behind him, Dusk heard the others contain sniggers.

They took their places at the table. In a rather unfortunate turn of events, Dusk found himself sat between Twilight and Discord. The former grimaced sympathetically, while the latter looked rather pleased.

"I've prepared the meal. Discord, if you wouldn't mind?" asked Fluttershy.

"Of course!" He briefly wore a pointed hat and sported a long white beard. "Let the feast… begin!"

Their meal appeared on their plates. A small apple pie and a pastry stuffed with mashed potatoes.

"Enjoy. Oh, this is all rather pleasant, isn't it?" smiled Discord. "All of us, sitting down together to dinner like this. I really think this whole reforming thing is working out, don't you? But wait, where's Fluttershy's arm candy?"

"Goodness, you're right!" Fluttershy looked around the table. "Where's Ray? I didn't notice he hadn't come."

"I'm afraid he's rather indisposed, Fluttershy," said Dusk. "He said he had a lot on his mind."

"Oh, that's a shame." Discord's eyes glinted. "I do hope it's nothing too bad. Oh well, let's play a little catch up! Fluttershy's had me all to herself and I haven't even had the chance to speak with any of you at all."

"An' that's a bad thing?" Applejack muttered.

"So then, Dusk old boy, how are you? How's your dear brother these days?" he asked. "Will there be any chance of him paying a visit?"

"Discord…" growled Twilight warningly.

"No, he's fine, dear," assured Dusk. He kept a conversational tone. He knew Discord was trying to get back at him for his hat trick. "I'm afraid he won't be joining us either. He's permanently vacated his normal place of residence."

Discord raised an eyebrow. "Uh, beg pardon?"

"He's not in here anymore." Dusk rapped his head and smiling pleasantly. "Long story short, he has his own body and his own life to lead. It's much better, really. I was just keeping him tied down here, but now he can live up to his full potential. He's out in the world now, travelling with a showmare. Isn't that grand?"

Discord appeared perturbed for a moment, but he managed to fake a smile.

"Why, of course. I just hope he doesn't forget his roots," he said with a slightly dark tone.

"I don't think he will," replied Dusk. "Well, this looks delicious. I think we should tuck in before it gets cold."

Dusk glanced across the table to see Rainbow smirking at the display and Twilight smiling proudly at him. He relished a moment at being able to manage that and took a bite of his food.

The dinner started out relatively pleasant. Discord seemed to be willing to be helpful, making a gravy boat behave like a dog and letting it pour Pinkie a helping on her food. Then Rainbow called it creepy and it poured some right into her lap. He tried entertaining them with dancing candles, but Rainbow blew them out. Whatever she had to say was stopped when they started hitting her. The fish-shaped soup tureen started spraying soup at them when Twilight called it fishy. Even Dusk got a spray of it.

All the while, Discord was protesting his innocence, claiming the activities of the sentient table and tupperware to be either accidental or just that the ponies had bruised their newfound egos. Fluttershy seemed determined to defend him while Rainbow kept trying to tell her he was just deceiving her so she'd never use the elements against him.

"You see what I'm saying, right, Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked after she'd covered the tureen with a metal cover. "Fluttershy!"

"You know what I see? I see that Discord's far from perfect, but I also see none of you giving him a chance!" she retorted sternly.

Dusk threw in his complaint with the others, saying that he hadn't really done or said anything on the matter.

"What's gotten into you?! Why do you keep cutting him so much slack?" demanded Rainbow.

"Because that's what friends do," she answered, placing a foreleg around him.

Discord's reaction wasn't lost on them. He lost the rather smug smile he had before and his expression softened to one of pleasant surprise.

"We're friends?" he asked.

"Why, of course!" she replied happily. "I can't remember my house ever being this lively before you came along."

"Oh... Well, I've... never really had a friend before. Not for a… very long time," he added forlornly.

"Well, now you do!" She took his hand in both her hooves. He pulled away, but Dusk was amazed to see, along with everypony else that Discord was… smiling.

It wasn't a wicked or a sadistic smile like he usually had. It was a genuine, happy smile at being called Fluttershy's friend. Even his eyes were shimmering faintly.

Then, Angel arrived with some bad news which he had to mime for them to understand. Sweet Apple Acres had been flooded. Knowing who was behind this, they all left the party to see the state of the damage. And what a state it was.

The beavers had built a pair of large dams that blocked off both the rivers. Such was the extent they'd constructed them that the entire orchard was flooded to the tree tops. Fluttershy tried talking to them, but it was no use.

"You see Discord's behind all this, right?" asked Rainbow.

"Oh, of course I do!" she snapped. "Do you all think I'm a silly, gullible fool?"

They all murmured and muttered ashamedly their answers.

"Well… less so your gullibility, more his capacity to deceive," replied Dusk.

"I know that! I'm not stupid, Dusk!"

"Yes, sorry," he said quickly.

"I've just been trying to gain his friendship any way I can, so he'd come to trust and listen to me!" she explained angrily.

At that point, Discord arrived on the scene. He was water skiing, pulled along by two fish soup tureens.

"Time to see if it worked," she said.

He left the water and starting drying himself off. "Fluttershy, oh, there you are. A sight for sore eyes."

"As you can see, there's a big mess down here at Sweet Apple Acres," said Fluttershy sternly.

"Oh, yes. Awful business, that. Mm." His concern was anything but sincere.

"It is awful. This is Applejack's home, and it's being destroyed by innocent creatures who would never be acting this way if it weren't for your reckless behavior. You need to fix this," she ordered.

"Oh, yes, very well, I will fix it. I only ask one thing in return," proposed Discord.

"Yes?"

"I ask that you never use your Element of Harmony against me. As a sign of our friendship," he added, pressing his fingers together.

Dusk shook his head frantically at her, along with the others when she looked to them. This was clearly a trick. But she made her decision.

"I will never use my Element of Harmony against you," she swore. She removed Kindness from around her neck and tossed it to Spike.

"Excellent!" He snapped his fingers and there was a bright white light. When it faded, all the water that flooded the farm was frozen over. "There, much better! I do prefer ice skating to water skiing! Don't you?"

Discord skated past three doppelgangers of himself sat at a desk. A non-existent crowd cheered his performance while the three doubles gave him perfect scores.

"Discord! That's not fixing it!" She jumped onto the ice after him. "Why, I oughta...!" She slid right by him.

"Where are you going?" he asked mockingly. "What's wrong, pal?"

"Don't call me your pal!"

"Oh, pfft, come skating with me, and we'll let bygones be bygones," he said, offering her a set.

Spike joined her, holding Kindness for her. "Here you go, Fluttershy! Game on!"

"He fixes this or he goes back to being stone!" called Twilight. "Princess Celestia will understand!"

Though he had been quietly observing up until this point, Dusk suddenly felt the need to speak.

"You know something?" Everypony looked at Dusk. "I actually started to think there might be a chance for you. Do you know why?"

"Oh, please, do go on." Though Discord's response was sarcastic, he did.

"Doom. He found a friend too, in that showpony I mentioned. When he hurt her, the guilt was so much, so foreign to him, that it physically hurt him to experience it. This might be wishful thinking, but I like to think that, wherever they may be, Trixie is helping to make Doom a better pony because she's become his friend and we all know what Doom is like." He gazed at Discord. "Ray once said to me that light and dark are two sides of the same coin in life. I've seen and experienced proof of that. I had some small inkling that if Doom could be changed by friendship, perhaps his old master could too. But I suppose it really was just wishful thinking."

Was it his imagination or did Discord look slightly perturbed in the wake of this? Fluttershy was certainly caught in a dilemma, looking from her element to the skates that Discord held for her. But in the end, she was resolute.

"I made a promise not to use my element against him, and I'm going to keep it."

They all gasped and groaned. Yet even while he shook his head, Dusk still pondered something. What was it that Fluttershy had in mind here? It seemed she was handing Discord's victory to him on a silver platter, something the lord of chaos agreed on.

He laughed mockingly. "You see? She wants to have fun with me because we're friends. She can't use the elements against me because we're friends. I'm free forever!"

"Not. Your. Friend!" Fluttershy snarled, throwing the skates away.

"Who cares? I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I'm Discord, the master of chaos!" He skated next to her while she stalked off angrily. "You think you can boss Discord around? You think I'm just going to turn all this back because you say so? Because if I don't, I'll lose the one friend I've had for a thousand years?"

That was when something seemed to click in his head. His triumphant sneer was gone. His victorious demeanor drooped. For a long while, he gazed in the direction of the skates Fluttershy had abandoned. Dusk could even faintly make out the beginnings of tears in his eyes.

"Well played, Fluttershy. Well played."

He skated sadly to one of the trees and sat on it. When his hands joined together, his magic spread from them. In that instant, the ice flood melted away, the dam that caused it was gone and the beavers were returned to normal. Sweet Apple Acres was green and lush once again, all thanks to Fluttershy.

They all galloped up to her and cheered. Dusk gave her a hug, during which she took the time to whisper something in his ear.

"More than just wishful thinking."

He nodded faintly and smiled proudly at her and she back at him. They looked to Discord when he appeared before them, looking contrite.

"I liked it better my way, but... I guess when you're friends, you can't always have things exactly your way all the time, eh?" he said.

"That's right. Thank you, Discord," she said sincerely.

"Thank you, Fluttershy. And… I'm sorry. To all of you."

Once again, Dusk felt his mismatched eyes linger on him, but without the malevolent intent. He stepped forward and looked right back.

"I'd be willing to tell the story in more detail about what happened to Doom, if you'd be willing to listen. There's a few things I'd like to clear up about it and him," he said.

"I suppose I could." He held out his lion paw. "Friends?"

"Maybe that's pushing it a bit right now but in time... " Dusk reached out with his forehoof. "Fri- AGGGGGGGH!"

His body jolted and tensed from the small electric shock that coursed through his body, accompanied with Discord's laughing.

"Discord! That wasn't very nice!" scorned Fluttershy.

"Oh come now, Fluttershy," he protested. "Reformed or not, I'm still the master of chaos. Would I expect you to stop taking care of animals or for Pinkie to cease her own chaotic tendencies?"

"He has a good point," agreed Pinkie. "Guess we can't expect a change overnight."

"I, meanwhile, have had months and years," said Dusk, once he recovered.

Discord raised an eyebrow at this, which went even higher when Dusk conjured a disembodied hoof with his colour magic. It mimicked a few actions, which Discord tried to interpret.

"Yes? Yes? Hm, up, down. Side to side? What's your point?" The answer came when Dusk moved the hoof from right to left and slapped him across the face. "Ow! What?! Did you just…?"

"I did," replied Dusk. "A lot's changed while you've been gone."

"I can see that," he chuckled, his wicked smile returning. "And I thought that friendship was going to put a damper on things. The game, Mr Noir, is on."

Dusk tipped his hat in return. Perhaps playing the game would be entertaining.

To say that Fallen was displeased would be an incredible understatement. Several days ago, he had left the sanctuary with Snick and Slash, purpose in his stride and determination in his heart. Another recruit was to be added to their troupe. A pony named Osteo, with very unique abilities that would suit his purpose.

Then, he'd felt it. The ward he'd set up on Samore's door was forcibly disturbed. That meant she was trying to escape. With sharp orders to the twins, they doubled back to the base with all deliberate speed. The distance and the desire to remain undetected meant it still took great deal of time before they arrived back, almost two days after he'd initially felt it. By the time they did, he recieved some very disturbing news.

Samore had escaped. Sting had a hoof in it, though the precise details seemed to escape him. Not that Fallen accepted such excuses. What mattered was that they'd let her escape. Tube had sent Edge, who had been partially damaged during her escape, to find her, but he had been unable to go beyond the mountains due to his appearance.

Sting had gone out to search too. He'd followed her tracks to the foot of the mountain where they'd suddenly stopped. Some scuffs in the dirt told him she had taken off. She would be next to impossible to track while she was in the air. Even then, she had a great lead on them. Now, Sting suffered the full extent of Fallen's displeasure.

"Incompetent lackwit," he growled whilst holding Sting in his magical aura by the throat. "Dost thou even have the faintest inkling of what thou hast done?!"

.He tossed him across the room and he smacked into the wall. For a moment, Fallen considered giving him another scar to match the one he already had. But sadly, he still needed the idiot intact.

"I… I am sorry, sir," he choked. "I… I don't know what happened."

"Indeed." Tube was there too, with a clip pad. "A customary examination reveals trace amounts of some sort of pheromone in his blood system. The effect would have made him very susceptible to suggestion by whomever was secreting it."

"The princess's work, no doubt." Fallen rounded on Tube. "And why did thou fail to take this into account?"

"M-My lord," he stammered. "I-I-I didn't know sh-she was capable o-of-"

"Silence!" he snapped. "I have lived a thousand years in Tartarus and even I have sufficient knowledge that certain insects can secrete a scent to attract mates! Not only that, but thy modifications on Edge failed to stop him from being taken by surprise! Thou gavest me assurances he would be a capable guard!"

"H-He was s-s-supposed to b-be, my lord." Tube was up against a wall now, having backed away from an advancing Fallen. "I-I-I will make the n-necessary repairs a-a-and modifications."

"See that thou dost, else I will leave thou in such a state that thou wilt have to match him in bodily modifications," he threatened, his voice lowering. "This turn of events is… most unfortunate."

"Oh? What's all the commotion here? Did I miss something?"

All heads turned to the sound of the voice coming from the doorway. Ligne Grace stood there, still draped his his cloak despite being indoors, leaning against the frame with his ever-present smile pervading his features.

"Merely reminding Tube and Sting what should happen if they forget their roles. Something that thou should bear in mind as well, Grace," he added.

Grace, however, was unperturbed, maintaining his easy-going half-lidded gaze as though he had not a care in the world. "My, trouble in paradise? I've hardly been here over a week and you're already attacking your subordinates. Curiosity is getting the better of me. What happened then?"

Fallen rounded on Grace, bearing down on him. "Do not test me or we shall see if thou will remain as aloof when one of thy... props lies in splinters." He noted the flicker of fear on his face. "A very valuable guest has left our hospitality without permission to do so." A thought occurred to him. "And where wast thou when this event transpired, Grace?"

The expression returned. "Me? Oh, I was out and about. I did happen to see Sting here exiting this lovely base of yours with another changeling in tow… would that happen to be-"

"And thou didst not intervene?!" rumbled Fallen.

"Should I have?" Grace responded smoothly. "Forgive me, but I was not made aware that this 'guest' of yours was actually a prisoner, nor was I made aware that nopony but you and your sneaky friends are allowed to leave. I thought perhaps that Sting's mate was here as well and they were simply going out for a stroll. Hardly my fault."

"Possibly. Yet, instead of informing thyself by asking another, thou decided that thy pastime was of greater importance," retorted Fallen. "If that is the case, perhaps I should take measures to remind thee of thy true priorities. Edge has yet to have his new skills showcased properly. Perhaps a little practise on the targets thou would provide?"

The remains of said pony stepped forward with heavy metallic clangs. Fallen nodded curtly and Edge began to march in the direction of Grace's quarters.

"Wait!" he suddenly cried with his eyes widening, and moved to obstruct Edge. The metal pony merely pushed him aside and carried on. Instead, Grace turned to the master. "Peace, Fallen. Do not target my hard work just to make a point! If it helps, I do apologize for not taking action. I'm not the type to be suspicious of my apparent 'allies' such that I question their every move. In the future, I will endeavor to be more… aware of my surroundings."

Fallen waited deliberately until Edge had left. Grace tried to make after him, but a gesture to the twins had him held back. Although they couldn't see what Edge was doing, Grace was trying even more to escape from Snick and Slash's grip with greater urgency and panic. The twins themselves appeared to be struggling with him; apparently his meagre appearance was deceptive of his strength. Only when he looked to be on the verge of trying to hurt the twins did Fallen put a stop to it.

"Halt!" The metallic hoofsteps stopped and Fallen regarded Grace. "In the future, see thou dost improve. For now, the damage will be merely… cosmetic."

There came a sound of metal scraping against wood and a clatter of something wooden being tossed aside. Edge strode back out and stood at rigid attention. Grace appeared to be frowning, but soon shook his head and tsked. He seemed to be in indecision as to go check the damage immediately or stay.

"So…" Fallen had Pian and Zhan release him and looked down at him. "Am I clear, Grace?"

Grace remained silent for a moment before sighing heavily and getting back up and dusting himself off. "Crystal, Fallen," he said without any trace of amusement.

"I am thy leader, not thy friend," he reminded him. "Address me as 'sir' or 'my lord'. This will be thy only reminder and any other such requirements will not be verbal. Now again, am I clear?"

"Fine. Yes, sir."

He didn't reply this, but turned away from Grace. Insolent whelp. But he had dealt with other such attitudes when he was a captain. Discipline would be no issue.

Fallen began to ponder their next course of action. It might be possible to find her again, but she was a changeling on the run. It wouldn't be difficult for her to blend in, not to mention she already had a large head-start. Still, there had to be some way they could-

Something else alerted his senses. Being an alicorn, he'd discovered his body was sensitive to great shifts in magical power. He was able to feel the energy of Celestia raising the sun and Luna painting the night sky with her stars. Even the power of the Crystal Heart was something he could faintly feel.

So when he sensed a surge in energy that could only be chaos magic, he knew it could only mean one certain thing: his former master was free once more.

His frustration simmered even more. He knew not how Discord had become free again, but he no longer considered himself a slave to the Lord of Chaos. He had his own agenda now and Discord would surely try to find him once he learned of his escape, if he hadn't already. His power would surely be felt by Discord, since it was due to his magic he had made this ascendence to alicorn. Which meant…

"Master?" Tube's voice did nothing to temper him. "I-Is there something wrong?"

"Many things in this world are," he responded curtly. It would be best if they knew. "Discord is free."

"The Chaos Lord?" Tube looked almost ecstatic. "W-Why, what joyous news indeed, my lord!"

"Silence!" he snapped. "His presence is anything but positive! He will only try to interfere with our efforts now and he will most likely be able to find me if I depart from the sanctuary again!"

"Ah. I see." Tube was mercifully silent before he spoke again. "M-Might I make a suggestion, m-my lord?"

"See that it is quick and in aid to us or thou wilt be hard pressed to make suggestions in future," he warned.

"U-Um, perhaps I c-could leave in your s-stead!" he stammered rapidly. "W-With this new d-development, s-someone will h-have to continue recruitment!"

"I see." Fallen turned very slowly to face him. "And dost thou recall what transpired when last thou performed such a task, Tube?"

"B-But these are ones you have s-selected yourself, m-master," replied Tube quickly. "I-I would merely be finding t-them for you, n-nothing more. Surely, u-under the circumstances… it is preferable?"

Fallen didn't say it outloud, but he did have a point. It didn't help whenever he was reminded that it was due to him he was free to begin with. A pathetic coward as this… at least he was dedicated to the cause.

"Very well then, Tube. If thou wishest, thou may," he decided. "I will provide thee with instructions on thine course of action. Snick and Slash will accompany thee. Consider it penance for thy previous errors, Tube."

"Y-Yes, master," he said, with a quick bow. "I will not fail you!"

"No. You will not." His helmet shifted to Grace. "Thou will also commit to the same task, Grace. Prove to me thou art capable of more than perfecting thine art."

Grace looked vaguely surprised, though it was difficult to tell with his relatively mono-expressive face. "Certainly, if I am to be so suddenly placed on the leaving roster, then I must perform to my fullest…" He trailed off when he caught Fallen's cold glare on him. He shuffled slightly.

"Right. Apologies. Yes, sir. Allow me to go prepare my things… as well as fix whatever is broken…" he muttered, walking off back down the hallway.

"Fallen, sir?" Sting saluted sharply. "Allow me to assist as well. I will attempt to locate Samore. I assure you, sir, I will not-"

"Precisely. Thou will not," he interrupted coldly. "It is because of thee the princess was lost to begin with."
"But-"

"Thou will remain here and I will hear no more of it. Thou hast committed a large enough blunder without another to accompany it."

With that, Fallen turned and left for his meditation chamber.

Something's Up With Ray

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It was dark, as it always was during the night. The sky was sparse on this night in particular; shrouded by dark clouds, the stars were few and far between, only slight pinpricks against the massive dark blanket of the heavens. Contrasting this darkness was a single object in the sky, seemingly dwarfing the stars around it with its proximity. A full, shining moon hung over the land of Equestria, it's surface clear and white, with clouds occasionally visible drifting in front of its massive form. It's enchanting glow illuminated the land in a soft light. On any other night, it would have been beautiful… on this night, though, it seemed to serve as nothing but an ill omen. And for good reason.

The land was in shambles, torn asunder from the struggle taking place on its surface. Many places were aflame, glowing bright red from raging infernos both small and large. Others were barren, devoid of all life in the wake of the destruction wrought. Trees burned. The air was thick with dust and smoke. The earth itself crumbled. And all around, everywhere, were the sounds of… panic. Was that it? The sound of lesser creatures, some attempting to flee from the great force of nature before them, while others scrambled for their contraptions, others standing before the great power only to be crushed with nary a thought. All around, screams, yells… fear.

Another section of the land below, littered with the creatures, caved under the force of his blow. Their shouts silenced abruptly. Debris rose into the air… as well as several other objects of rich scent. Most deaths would have been instantaneous. The rest would not last. So frail, these creatures. Pathetic.

Something large impacted against his head, close to his eye. He almost winced, and looked down. The remains of a burning boulder that had hit him fell quickly to the ground below. Launched through the air by yet another of their contraptions… he saw where it had come from. They thought they were hidden. Insolent fools. He leaped, his great form covering the immense distance in mere seconds. When he landed, he swiped the ground without pause. More screams reached his ears, as trees, rocks and bodies alike were flung away into the near distance or simply crushed. Nearby, he could smell their blood… it was intoxicating. This wanton ruin… this destruction …

It was glorious. And yet still he craved more. More death. More devastation. His power knew no limits… his rage never-ending. These lesser creatures… these mortals… ponies, they called themselves… he could see them, each so diminutive and helpless before him. This grand carnage was their idea of resistance, of defiance. Each of them would know the nature of his power. He would destroy them all. No… he would let some live. They would rebuild their numbers, the parasites that they were. And then he would destroy them again. And again. And again. After all, what fun was there in a land with no competition? With no blood to spill? These mortals… these ponies in particular, would be allowed to exist in the shadow of true greatness. And Wrath would remind them, again and again, what it meant to be helpless against that greatness.

The wind blew, caressing his crimson fur and bringing with it the scent of yet more victims. He took several steps toward his next destination. Something caught his claw as he attempted to bring it up. He looked down- suddenly the land fissured and caved beneath him, resulting in him losing his balance and falling to his side, into the newly formed crevice. He hit the ground with a thud that shook the earth. Slightly disoriented, he growled and looked up. Dozens upon dozens of the ponies appeared around him suddenly. They had either hidden from him somehow, or used their own sorry excuse for magic. The ponies shouted to each other and threw things into the air… then he felt tightness in multiple locations all along his body as he was pulled down. The ponies were gripping something… ropes, he recognized. He paused, and almost laughed. This was their plan? THIS was their idea of a trap?

With little effort, he whipped one of his four powerful tails out of its 'bindings', taking several ponies into the air with it, and brought it back down on the ones nearer his body. He then, almost casually, lifted himself back up, snapping the ropes around him. All the while his tails lashed about, crushing and eliminating the remainder of those who were so naïve as to believe they could so easily restrain him. He continued on.

The battle… no, the slaughter, had been raging for quite some time now, Wrath mused. It had been… what was it the mortals called it? Evening? Their sun had been on the edge of the horizon when it had begun. Now their moon was high in the sky. To think that they would come to claim the sun and moon for their own… though he had to admit, the cycles of day and night were far more orderly than they had been in ages past.

It had been much more exciting at first. The ponies previously been divided into three groups which he'd taken equal pleasure in harassing. Now, though, it seemed as though they'd banded together against him, and when their struggle began they had been great in number. They'd even been surprisingly coordinated. Now, it seemed as though over half that number was gone… no, more than that. Wrath briefly considered stopping, before he accidentally left too few of them to perform their repopulation… he shrugged it off. A little longer would not hurt. Not him, anyways.
There was now an apparent lull in the action. He'd noticed this earlier. The ponies seemed to be… not fleeing. He knew what them fleeing looked like. This was somehow different.

But it mattered not. he would not lose track of them; he could smell them from leagues away. And they were hardly quiet about it. When they weren't wailing in fear or pain, they almost seemed to be yelling at him. If they were so eager to perish into the muck they emerged from, then they needed only to ask.

Something overhead caught his attention. Through the veil of smoke that permeated the sky, he saw something move… something large. The clouds of smoke twisted back and forth, as though some great force of wind was roiling them. A fair distance off, the thick clouds broke away, pierced by a massive drill of air current. Wrath was surprised by its appearance. This was not a natural phenomenon… then, he sensed them. Followed by seeing them, through the darkness. Within the drill, a massive number of the flying ponies… coming right at him. Fast. He only had time to turn and face them before the tip of the 'drill' hit him, smack in the forehead, resulting in a resounding boom. The force exerted on him was staggering… but he would not recoil. He took a step forward against it, looking straight into the whipping airstreams at the ponies within, only vaguely registering an odd sensation where their attack met him. Their drill construct seemed to waver as they were met with returning force, but instead of weakening, only seemed to increase in strength. It pushed him back, his claws and feet skidding slowly across the ground, the tip of the wind-drill digging in between his eyes. This… his eyes glowed with power. He growled, then roared. He pushed back with greater force, refusing to be overpowered. And just as suddenly as it came, the wind-drill shattered; the ponies within it flew out in all direction. One pony at the head of the drill, he was able to look closely at… a female. Her own eyes burning with a hate of her own, before she too disappeared from sight.

And that was when the force of the dispersing wind hit him, pushing him back yet further along the ground. He remained standing upright, but now… the sensation from previously grew enormously, impossible to ignore. Where their attack had hit. It was unpleasant. It made him want to clutch his own forehead and roar. He did so, the sound echoing far into the distance. This was… pain. Searing pain, emanating from the point of his injury…

…injury? These mortals… these scum… had injured him? This was… he felt his anger rising. And with it, his power. The thick, steaming essence dripping from his wound trailed down his face, into his mouth. He tasted it. This was his blood, the fluid itself composed of magic energy. He would not let this stand. All reservations were now gone. He would kill… erase, EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!

Even as his wound quickly healed and closed, he drew on his power, on the power of the surrounding land, and drew it in… concentrated it into a single, great shape above him. The land below grew barren as its life force was sucked away. The surrounding ponies in the air, while immune to the effects, felt the apparent pressure from his attack as it began to rise, the suction it created almost pulling them in. He quickly finished and held the collected energy in his maw, shaping it and imbuing it with his own power. He could see fear in their eyes, as they no doubt saw the absolute fury in his. They attempted to fly away.

There was no escape from their fate. He released part of the energy in a concentrated beam fired into the night, further illuminating the darkness with its bright red glow, sweeping it through the air to target the ponies who had attacked him. He could feel their own life forces ticking off, one by one, as they fell to his power. But he did not catch all of them. Some of the flying ponies had managed to escape his assault. Further infuriated by this, he launched the remainder of the collected energy as multiple spheres, firing them individually into the distance where he sensed the presence of more ponies. He watched, with vast satisfaction, as they detonated, each explosion covering a swath of land, shining in the night and taking a horde of lives with them.

The night went on. He continued his rampage. The ponies attempted to resist, but their efforts crumbled before him. He at last came to a very large collection of them. They were concentrated here in great number… more than that, they no longer seemed to be 'fleeing'. They had, for the most part, stopped. It caught his attention. He swept his gaze around… he felt something. Near the front of the nearest ponies, he sensed several interesting auras… one in particular, shone like golden sunlight. He looked down, searching for the aura in particular… and found it. A single pony, surrounded by many more. Another female, by the look of it. She looked young, with a white body and what appeared to be an ethereal mane of multiple colors floating in the non-existent breeze. He could see, even from where he was… this one looked back up at him… with nothing but pure fear in her eyes.

He grinned, feral and untamed. He raised his claw high into the air above him, and brought it down upon-

Ray shot up from his bed, eyes wide open, panting and sweating heavily. His gaze shot around the room, panicked. His bedroom. It was dark. The blinds were partly open, letting a small amount of moonlight shine through. The floor was littered with crumpled notes and papers. The walls were the same as always. It was normal. This was his room. He'd been dreaming. It was all a dream…
His breathing started to slow as he calmed himself. He looked down, seeing his necklace glowing very faintly before returning to normal. His covers were strewn all over the bed in even messier fashion than normal. He laid back down and blinked sluggishly, not even noticing how damp his sweat had made the sheets.

It had been a while since he'd had that dream… not since after the whole Changeling incident. But then, it wasn't really a dream. He had to wonder if Wrath had a reason for showing him all that. Or if it was even intentional for that matter, as he wasn't hearing anything from the Beast at the moment. Still, was there some sort of message he was trying to impart? Or was he just being a jerk?

Most likely the latter, Ray thought glumly as his eyes drifted to the clock. It was still only a quarter past one in the morning. It would be a while yet before he'd be able to reasonably get up and about. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. It had been hard enough getting to sleep for the past few days with the things going on in his mind. Now he was waking up from demon-induced memory-nightmares in the middle of the night? Wonderful.

Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. He didn't want to have that dream again, but so long as he focused on things other than Wrath or anything anger or stress-related, he should be fine. Nevertheless, the same things that had been plaguing his thought for days began to seep in as he started to fall back into a fitful slumber.
'At least we were honest about it…'

Dusk had many imaginings of confrontations with Discord, ranging from the moment when he’d revealed himself as the Element of Unity to a more fantastic final battle he pictured involving thunder clouds and pouring rain, perhaps an epic choir providing the backing.

The very last thing he imagined doing with the Lord of Chaos, however, was sitting down and having a cup of tea with him at Fluttershy’s cottage. The idea was, now that his reformation was done, that he would stay in Ponyville for a few extra days for a few more ‘lessons’ and would attempt at reparations with the girls after their last encounter. He would then return to Canterlot with Celestia to put his magic to good use.

He’d been lending his talents to a few things. Providing Rarity with new kinds of fabrics to use for dresses that only he would have the power to create. Using his reality bending abilities to provide even more possibilities for aerial performances with Rainbow. Sharing a few recipes for new kinds of desserts with Pinkie. Since he had very little to offer Dusk that he wanted, Dusk had settled on trying to get on friendly terms with him.

The keyword being ‘try’. Fluttershy was present, but she was there mainly as a mediator to keep the peace and largely let Discord and Dusk carry the conversation.

“So, Discord,” began Dusk, in a level tone, “are you enjoying yourself in Ponyville?”

“Well, it’s better than being stuck in stone, I suppose,” he grumbled. “Wouldn’t be so bad if I could add a few of my own little touches. A cotton candy cloud here, a flying pig there…”

“It’s the little things that can eventually pile up, as I see it,” remarked Dusk. He poured himself a cup of tea. “I’m sure Celestia wouldn’t want you getting out of control again.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” he whined. “Oh well, I’ve been finding my own ways to have fun regardless.”

Dusk went to drink his tea, only to discover the cup was empty. He looked up at Discord, who smiled mischievously and sipped his own cup.

“So I can see and hear, for that matter,” replied Dusk, still keeping civil. “I trust Rainbow wasn’t too disoriented when you reversed gravitational pull and had her falling upwards?”

“Well, she did say she wanted to try something new,” shrugged Discord. “I’m only trying to be a good friend, as a way of saying sorry to you all for my previous misdeeds.”

He took another sip, but cried when the tea cup came too far forward and spilled scalding hot liquid over his muzzle. He shot a glare at Dusk, who cancelled the spell for the small colour orb that had nudged his cup further forward.
“And we very much appreciate that,” said Dusk, with a pleasant smile.

“Are you alright, Discord?” asked Fluttershy. She flew up and checked his nose. “That looked like it hurt.”

“I’m… perfectly fine, Fluttershy,” answered Discord with a forced smile. “Just… a little accident, that’s all.” He looked at Dusk. “I’m so thankful to Dusk for understanding my efforts to amend my evil ways. After all, I’m sure he knows how it feels.”

“Now, Discord,” she said sternly, “you know full well that it was because of your magic that he did those horrible things. It was Doom’s fault, not Dusk’s.”

“Details, details,” dismissed Discord. “I must say, I am still surprised at the news of what’s happened to our mutual friend, Dusk.”

“I can understand the feeling. Though I witnessed it.” He shook his head. “I never would have imagined he was capable of anything beyond the potential for malicious deeds.”

“And where do you think I got that potential from and from all the others when I discorded them? So sorry again about that, by the way,” he added to Fluttershy.

“It’s okay, I forgive you,” she said brightly. “We’re friends now and that’s what matters.”

“Exactly! You see? There is potential for harmony and chaos inside everypony. I just happened to bring the latter into the fold. Even you, Dusk, still show that same potential,” he went on. “Control of shadow opposed to light. Using magic to change pony’s minds to what you want them to. All very reminiscent of yours truly, I think. If anything, you should be thanking me.”

His lips curled into that unpleasant smile again. Dusk tried not to show how much the thought of that made him a little uneasy. He remained composed and nodded slowly.

“I completely agree and I do owe you some gratitude, Discord. Really, the same could be applied to Doom, when you think about it.” Dusk felt pleased when Discord’s self satisfied smile flickered. “I like to think that he took a little more than just the better parts of me. Perhaps, along with his shadows and any kind of mind control he may have, he’s also got some of my magic. Light magic, I mean. Maybe, with Trixie’s help, both it and his new emotions will help him become a better pony.”

“That’s a lovely way of looking at it, Dusk,” agreed Fluttershy. “I mean, I find it a little difficult to imagine since I know how horrible he is, but you might be right.”

“Glad you think so. And, as you say Discord, there’s the potential for harmony and chaos in everypony. And every draconequus,” he added. “You even agreed on that note with Fluttershy before. So, in that sense, I do believe you’re right.”
While Fluttershy and Dusk were smiling, Discord seemed a little displeased that his attempt at sewing doubt in Dusk’s mind had rather backfired on him. Sorry, my lord, Dusk thought. I’m far past that. You’ll have to do much better next time.

“Well, this is all very heartwarming, but I can’t help but wonder what somepony else’s thoughts would be on this,” Discord said. “I am curious, where is that walking grass stain these days?”

“Discord, he has a name,” Fluttershy scorned. “We don’t talk about our friends like that.”

“I’m sorry, it’s hard to lose the image. So yes, where is Mr. Ray Strike?” he asked again. “I’m sure he’d have his own thoughts on our little discussion.”

“I think he’s at home. He spends most of his time there, recently.” Fluttershy’s expression was one of concern. “He’s been like that for a while now. Distant and moody, only really coming out to work on the farm and saying he’s too busy whenever we offer to spend time with him. I’m worried about him.”

“I am too,” nodded Dusk. “Applejack says that, even at work, he doesn’t talk much and he insists nothing is wrong when they ask, then teleports off before they can ask again. It’s really unlike him.”

“Really? Oh, how awful,” said Discord with false sincerity.

“I know,” replied Fluttershy, missing it. “He really seems miserable and he won’t tell us why.”

“He’s been this way since a few days ago. When you came here to be reformed, to be precise,” added Dusk, with a look at Discord. “Can you think why that might be, Discord?”

“I’m as clueless as you are. I don’t even really know him well, if I’m honest,” he shrugged, a halo popping over his head. “You aren’t… accusing me of anything, are you, Dusk? I thought we were friends.”

“Not at all, I’m just speculating,” said Dusk. “Regardless of why it’s happened, I think we should find a way to get Ray to tell us what’s bothering him.”

“Yes, we should,” said Fluttershy at once. “He won’t even tell me anything. What should we do…?”
They lapsed into thought, but couldn’t concentrate due to some background music reminiscent of a ticking clock like part of a quiz competition.

“Discord, could you stop that, please? It’s very distracting.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, my dear.” He promptly stopped the music and vanished the black suit and red tie he was wearing, smiling innocently. “Just trying to help.”

“What if we host an intervention? Or something along those lines?” suggested Dusk. “Get all of us together with Ray present and say we’ve noticed his behaviour, then try and get him to tell us.”

“Good idea. I hope he does tell us.” She turned to Discord. “If you don’t mind, I think it would be better if it were just the nine of us doing it. Sorry.”

“That’s perfectly fine, Fluttershy,” replied Discord. “As I’ve said, I don’t know him very well and I’ve only just begun learning the subtle arts of friendship. You’ll do better without me.”

“Thank you for understanding,” she said sincerely. “Maybe next time?”

“Maybe. But, who knows? I may still decide to follow what happens.” His smile flickered back again. “I’m sure it will be most informative.”

Spike tapped his foot impatiently while he waited with everypony in the main body of the library. For somepony who could teleport, Ray didn’t really seem great with timekeeping. Then again, maybe it was just whatever he was going through.
They’d planned to host their intervention-thing here for when Ray would come for his regular examinations. Hopefully, with all of them present, they’d get something out of him.

Spike felt a sudden ache like a faint burning in his chest and tried to cover up his discomfort. Luckily, with everypony anxiously waiting on Ray, nopony noticed. He sat down and nursed his stomach until it faded away. That one hurt even more than the last one, and they seemed to be getting more frequent. He didn’t know what it meant, but he didn’t want them to worry in case it was nothing, especially with what was happening with Ray right now. Twilight would berate him for complaining about a lousy stomach ache. Maybe he could see Zecora about it…

They all tensed when the library door opened. “Hello folks. Here for my ritual examina-”

Ray stood in the doorway, pausing mid-sentence to take in everypony looking at him on his arrival. He smiled awkwardly and stepped toward them.

“Umm… hey everypony. And also Spike,” he added to the dragon. “What’s up? Am I walking in on something? I can come back later…”

“No, it’s fine.” Twilight gestured to an empty cushion. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“Uh… okay?” Ray hesitated, looked around at their expectant gazes, and slowly made his way over to the seat they’d made for him. Upon sitting down, he started shuffling uncomfortably. “I’m getting a strange sense of deja vu right now…”

“Ah know yer reminded of when ya wrote yer firs’ friendship letter, but this here’s jus’ as important,” said Applejack.

“Oh gosh, is this the cinnabuns thing for real this time? I’ve cut down on them, I swear,” Ray retorted, attempting to lighten the mood, even though his own tone didn’t carry the same level of enthusiasm. He didn’t get quite the reaction he was hoping for.

“This has nothing to do with cinnabuns,” Pinkie said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. “We’re here because we’re really worried about you. And I mean reeeeally worried. Like, super worried. Like, really, really super-”

“Pinkie, I think he gets the point,” said Dusk pointedly.

“...And what, may I ask, are you all so apparently worried about?” Ray asked, looking around again. His smile was gone now, replaced with a neutral expression.

“Ray, darling, we genuinely are concerned,” said Rarity. “For a while now, you’ve been very distant with us all. We hardly see you and when we do, it’s not for long. You’ve been avoiding us and if there’s something wrong, we just want to know what it is.”

“Yeah, don’t expect us to leave you hanging if you’re in a bind,” put in Rainbow. “So, what’s up with that?”

“There’s nothing ‘up’ with anything, Rainbow,” Ray sighed, rubbing his temples. “There’s nothing wrong. I’ve said this before. I’ve been… busy, is all.”

“Really? Busy doin’ what?” Applejack looked at him skeptically.

“Busy doing my own thing, alright? Look, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry, Ray, but I don’t think that’s true,” said Fluttershy gently. “This isn’t like you at all. You’re usually so upbeat and loud. In a good way, I mean. B-But recently, you’re just… well, sad. At least, I think so.”

“We all do,” agreed Twilight. “There’s something on your mind, Ray and it’s something really big, from what we can tell. And the other times a certain somepony among us has been been really bothered by something really big, it resulted in him running away.”

“Yes, thank you for reminding me of that,” remarked Dusk.

“It’s a hard truth, Dusk. Live with it,” said Rainbow bluntly. “So basically, we’ve learned our lessons from Dusk and we wanna know what’s eating at you in case you pull the same kind of stunt.”

“I’m sorry?” Ray looked up. “First of all, I’ve only been keeping to myself for a few days now, and you’re all already making a huge deal out of it. Second of all, correct me if I’m wrong, but I have never run off before. What makes you think I’d start now?”

“Forgive me for saying so, but it seemed like you were already running away before you met us,” noted Dusk. “Have you ever returned to Idahoof since you left? And how many other places have you been before you came here? Combine that with your inherent teleporting abilities and it seems like it would be easy if you did decide to leave. It’s not entirely implausible.”

“Oh yeah, sure. And then I’d promptly be hunted down by Celestia and whatever forces she’s got under her wing for breaking my agreement to stay here.” Ray looked at him oddly. “I don’t see what me having been a traveler has anything to do with this. Seriously, it was my decision way back when to stay here instead of moving on like I usually did. And I’ve had plenty of opportunities to run off if I wanted to. I never did. I don’t see what you’re trying to get at.”

“Okay, so maybe you won’t pull a Dusk,” said Spike. “But we’re digressing here. We’re still all agreed that something’s bugging you and you’re not telling us what.”

“Ray, we just want to help. To understand,” insisted Twilight. “We’re your friends. That’s what we’re here for.”
Ray just looked around at them all again, one by one. He was met with resolute expressions. Instead of his gaze becoming softer though, it seemed to harden. Finally he brought his head down and grumbled something inaudible under his breath before throwing his hooves up.

“Fine. Fine! You all win. Probe and prod, and you shall be rewarded. You’re right, there’s something on my mind.” He crossed his own legs. “But I’m not talking about it. It’s… personal.”

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “Why? You don’t trust us?”

Ray appeared to groan. “No, Rainbow, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that I have a personal issue that I can’t talk about.”

“But why not?” asked Pinkie. “We’re not all psychic like Dusk. We wanna help, but we can’t if you don’t tell us what’s weighing down your noggin.” She frowned. “Is it to do with that icky thing on your tongue that made you so tight-lipped about Wrathy?”

“No, Pinkie, it has nothing to do with that!” Ray calmed himself down for a moment. “Believe it or not, I have my own issues that I’d prefer not to talk about. Issues that I’d rather deal with on my own. Is that so hard to understand?”

“No, but we think there’s more to it. Dusk an’ Twilight both noticed that ya started actin’ like this when Discord was gettin’ reformed an’ after we left ya alone with him.” Applejack’s expression was serious. “Sugarcube, if ya ain’t ever listened ta what Ah’ve told ya before, listen now: whatever’s he’s said to ya, it’s gettin’ to ya. That’s what he did with all-a us an’ that didn’t go down well. Fer yer sake, ya gotta tell us what ‘fore it eats you up faster’n a swarm-a Parasprites gobbles up an apple crop.”

Ray scoffed. “Well news flash, I’m not you,” he said quietly. Then he said, louder, “Look, I appreciate the concern, all of you. But I dealt with Wrath living in my head, on my own, for my entire life. I think I can-”

“And you think you’re the only one who’s had to deal with issues on his own his whole life?” interrupted Dusk. “It may not be as bad as a demon in my head, but my bad habit of introversion from before I knew Twilight and the others never served me well. That’s why we’re your friends now, so you don’t have to deal with it on your own anymore.”

“Just because you’re my friends doesn’t mean I have to share every waking detail of my life with you, does it? I’m-”

“We’re not asking for your life story, we just wanna know what’s gotten you so worked up all of a sudden,” put in Rainbow.

“And what has me worked up happens to be something that I’d rather not share, okay? I’m fine, I’ll handle it on my ow-”

“But it seems really, really, really, really bad!” insisted Pinkie. “We wanna help so we can try and turn that frown upside dow-”

“NO!” he suddenly shouted, standing up. “No, no, NO! I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, I’M FINE!” As he yelled, his necklace began to glow faintly. “Day after day of constant questions and poking, and now all of this! If I say I don’t need help, then I DON’T NEED IT! It’s my issue, my problem! So I’ll deal with it! It’s hard enough without all of you butting in! What I did in the past is my concern. It’s NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, SO LEAVE IT ALONE!”

He stopped, panting slightly. His necklace soon stopped emanating light as it too died down. The entire room was shocked silent from his outburst. Until Twilight broke it.

“We… never asked you about what you did before.”

Ray froze. He even stopped breathing for a few moments. Then he looked down. “It’s nothing. Forget it.”

“Oh no, ya ain’t gettin’ off that easy. Whaddya mean about what ya did?” asked Applejack.

“I said it’s nothing, AJ. Leave it alone.” Ray started making for the door. “My accessory is working fine, same as always. No point in me sticking around.”

Rarity stood up as well. “If it’s nothing, then why are you in such a hurry to leave all of a sudden?”

“Because I’m tired of this interrogation,” Ray said bluntly, not even looking at her. As he neared the door, Rainbow darted up and blocked his path.

“Who said you’re going anywhere?” she demanded. “You’re definitely hiding something and we’re not just gonna-”
She was cut off by Ray simply teleporting past her. She was left staring at where he had been, confused for a moment, before whipping around, only to see his backside as he reached the door.

“You all need to mind your own damn business,” Ray muttered as he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Spike, for one, could’ve sworn he felt the whole tree shake… that definitely must’ve been his imagination. Hopefully.

“So… that went well,” Rainbow deadpanned. “Jerk.”
“Rainbow! Don’t be so hard on him!” Fluttershy gazed at the door. “Poor Ray. I… I should have said something more, but everypony was just being so… so…”

“It’s alright, Fluttershy. I suppose we were being too intrusive,” admitted Rarity. “We all know it’s not pleasant to have one’s personal affairs pried into.”

“I don’t really think big personal issues translate to overblown gossip columns,” countered Twilight. “Maybe he did have a right to keep his affairs to himself, but this is clearly something he’s having trouble confronting on his own and he’s outright refusing our help.”

“Maybe… maybe it’s something to do with Wrathy again,” suggested Pinkie forlornly. “That doggie’s a real meanie, so maybe that could be it.”

“It’s certainly possible,” agreed Dusk.

“Well, we can’t really say what it may or may not be, ‘cause he sure as sugar ain’t tellin’ us,” reminded Applejack. “It’s like his birthday all over again. An’ it seems jus’ as big as that, whatever it is.”

Twilight groaned in frustration. “What is it with these stallions and this need they feel that they have to do everything on their own without any help?”

“That’s hardly fair. You all are hardly guiltless when it comes to deep personal problems and being truthful about them, even with each other,” retorted Dusk.

The mares all shifted uncomfortably for a moment.

“A-Anyway,” said Fluttershy quickly, “I-I think we should still try and get Ray to open up. I… I want to help him. I don’t like upsetting him but.. we really can’t help him if he doesn’t tell us what’s wrong.”

“Agreed. Clearly the group approach failed. I think a one-to-one appeal might be more effective,” suggested Twilight. “It has to be somepony Ray really trusts.”

“Somepony he relates to in many ways,” added Rarity.

“Somepony who’s really close to him and who has been since they met him,” put in Spike.

Inevitably, every eye turned towards the one candidate who fit every description. Dusk appeared to note this with only mild surprise.

“Well, I appreciate your confidence in me. And Ray has been there for me at times when I’ve needed him and really helped me pull through. It would be remiss of me if I didn’t do the same for him.”

“Thank you, Dusk,” said Twilight sincerely. “If anypony can get Ray to open up, it’s you.”

“I will do my best, my love,” he vowed and stood up to go. “And I believe I know somepony who can help.”

Ray had thought of teleporting back to his home. It would have been the fastest option, and he really hadn't wanted to risk the chance of his friends running out after him and making a scene in public. But he knew that his ability to teleport had a habit of getting… a tad screwy, when he was really upset or distracted. He could have just as easily ended up in somepony's bathroom - or worse, into the same location as somepony - as inside his own living room. So he'd taken the long way home and walked. He must have had a veritable storm cloud over his head, because any ponies he'd come across had made a point to move out of his way without provocation.

Even if none of them knew about Wrath, Ray must have still had a reputation around town back from the changeling invasion, when he'd apparently let loose on a bunch of bugs for threatening Fluttershy. They probably thought it best to stay away from him when he was agitated. Ray was silently grateful, but at the same time it concerned him that even the townsfolk here were wary of him to a degree.

When he'd gotten home, he'd locked the door and gone straight up to his room. It had still been late morning. Fortunately today had been a day off for him anyways; he would have ended up skipping work otherwise. He had hoped on relaxing, maybe using today to take his mind off things… yeah, so much for that plan.

Now he was in his room again, laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his fore hooves crossed behind his head. Unmoving, for the most part. He'd been in this position for a long time now. In fact, the sky outside was now dark, the sun already pretty close to setting. His joints were stiff. His stomach rumbled loudly. He didn't care about that though. He was too busy thinking. About what? A lot of things. For one, the way he'd barged out on his friends… again.

Had he been too harsh? This strategy hadn't exactly worked out fantastically for him last time… well, that had been different. He wasn't having a mental breakdown, he was just… something. Confused, worried, irritated, were the words that came to mind. Still, should he have told them..? No, no he shouldn't have. This was his own issue. And it wasn't something he could just up and spill to them. Not like he could just say 'oh, by the way, guess what guys?'. They'd never look at him the same way again.

But should he have been so rude about it? They were being especially pushy, so he really hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. But no doubt they were even more concerned about him in the wake of his outburst. Not to mention possibly suspicious now, after his slip-up. Would they be able to figure it out on their own? What they had still wasn't much to go on… but they'd been able to figure things out with less evidence in the past. If they came to the right conclusion on their own, their reaction would be much worse than if he simply told them. But at the same time, if they never figured it out, then it wouldn't be a problem. Except that now, the chances that they'd just forget about it were… very, very slim…

Why was this even a problem now? It was hardly anything new. Periodically in his life, after realizing the existence of Wrath, there had been… incidents. Incidents where, rarely, Wrath got out a bit. Some worse than others.

Wagon wheels turning upon the cliffside dirt road, churning up loose gravel. Quiet. Calm. Then a loud noise from above. The sound of falling rocks. A pair of screams. Panic. Pain.

The first time it had happened, he'd decided to leave his 'home'. He hadn't been back since. He had no idea what sort of effects, if any, he'd had on the residents there. Every time after that was… disjointed. There was no pattern to when they happened.

"What the heck, dude?! Look what you did! You were supposed to block them off, not… not-!"

"I know, alright?! I can see it very clearly!"

"What do we do?! Crap, I knew this was a bad idea-"

"We've been doing this for months now, and you've been fine with it. Now suddenly you're panicking?"

"We just rob folks! We don't do… this!"

"Just shut up, let me think… okay. We go down there, we go through their stuff, and-"

"You can't be serious!"

"Look, we still need supplies, and unless you see any other merchants on the road, this is our only option. Now, we go down there, take what we need, and leave. Let's go."

All Ray tended to remembered of those times was feeling extremely angry. It didn't happen often, and usually only when he was on his own in the wilderness or something… usually.

…gone. One of them beneath the rocks. Another… in front of him. Stopped breathing. His chest… hurt. Two figures approaching the wreckage. Their words… they did this. Confusion. Pain. Then rage. Anger.

This was an old issue for Ray. One he'd grappled with, and moved on from. It had taken a while to get over, sure… and he still remembered from time to time.

"Damn it, the rocks smashed almost everything."

"Well what did you expect? This is all your fault anyways."

"I know! Now shut it and go check over there. Find them and see if they have anything on them."

"What?! No way, why do I have to-"

"JUST DO IT!"

"Agh… can't believe I'm doing this… hey, hold on a second… Hey! One of them is still-"

The feeling… the sensation…

More screams. This time, not of fright. Pure terror. He snarled at the figure. Lashed out. One was done quickly. Flung against the rocks. Tried to get up, but then the sound of an impact. Something cracking. Bone. There was one strained cough, then nothing. He roared. The second tried to run. Took a single step. Then that one screamed as well. Another sound. Something ripping. Something felt… warm. Wet. It was quiet. He looked down at his hooves. They were red.
…red…red…red…another scream. This time, it was his.

Ray took a sharp intake of breath and instinctively brought both of his fore hooves in front of his face to see them. They were green… the same color as his fur. The same as always. He took several more deep breaths, calming down.
This was Ray's problem. These memories, and the emotions associated with them, would not leave him alone. This hadn't been a problem before. After a while, he'd been able to move on from it… he'd moved past the unrestrained anger he felt then… and the guilt, the horror he'd felt afterwards. It was behind him. Nothing to be gained from dwelling on it now. And yet, the thoughts persisted. Ever since-

"We may have been rotten, but at least we were honest about it."

Again, for the umpteenth time, those words played over in Ray's head. They'd come from Discord. That alone should have been enough indication not to take them to heart. But regardless, the meaning of those words struck something within Ray. A sliver of lingering doubt, that had since grown and multiplied in the time since. Now Ray was left wondering.
Ray had justified it all with the knowledge that it was Wrath's doing, not his. He would never do things like that on his own, not in a million years. Wrath though, he didn't care. All he cared about was getting out and destroying everything in sight. And whenever these incidents occurred, it was when Wrath got out, however slightly. So of course, Wrath was responsible for it all. No way the two things weren't connected.

But then Discord's words came into the picture… and Ray hesitated. The trigger for Wrath coming out, he'd determined, was anger. Anger seemed to be what gave Wrath a hoofhold… or a foothold, as the case would be. But then… wasn't it Wrath who made him feel so angry? He wasn't so naïve as to think that he would never get angry at all if it weren't for Wrath, but he wouldn't have gotten so incredibly angry as often as he used to if it hadn't been for Wrath's passive influence… right? It raised the question… was it Wrath who influenced Ray, and managed to claw his way out at different intervals? Or was it Ray who got angry… and let Wrath out?

This question alone had plagued his mind for days. He did not yet have an answer. As much as he wanted to continue believing the former, as he had for a long time now, he could not ignore the possibility of the latter.
He groaned. You'd think somepony so good at reading others would be better at figuring himself out, he thought to himself humorlessly. Tiredly, he reached down and pulled the crystal of his necklace into view. It dangled above him, reflecting the light from his nearby lamp with a mixed purple shine, but did not give off any light of its own at the moment. He looked out the window again. Now the sun had long since disappeared, and the sky was dark and littered with stars. He could not see the moon yet from the angle of his window, but he knew it was there somewhere. He looked at his clock. Nine thirty-five. Funny. He didn't realize that the day had gone by so quickly. And he hadn't heard anypony at the door all day. He'd expected at least one of his friends to try coming by… he wouldn't have responded, but still. They must have mercifully decided to leave him alone for now.

Getting frustrated, he returned his gaze to the ceiling. Clearly, trying to figure this out on his own wasn't working. He had too much doubt in his own mind to come up with a solid, definitive answer. He could try to ask for help… but from who? The girls and Dusk? HECK NO. Going to them would not only be awkward in its own right after his display today, but it would require him giving details on the reason he was having these doubts. Saying that Discord told him something wouldn't be enough on its own, they'd want more information. That ruled them out. Maybe Celestia? He found it difficult to believe that she wasn't aware of his… problems, to some degree. If it really was Wrath's fault, then perhaps some of the previous hosts had encountered similar difficulties themselves. If so, then Celestia might know something. But then… if it really was just him, and she somehow didn't know about this… Ray wanted to trust Celestia. He really did. He understood that what she'd done was for the safety of everypony… well, almost everypony. The majority. But still, his own paranoia held him back. Besides, he'd have to either buy a train ticket to Canterlot or request a chariot by letter, either of which the others would no doubt pick up on. Then he'd be back at square one.

That left… only one option remaining. If it could even be considered an option. Ray really didn't want to consider it, but he eventually decided there was nothing for it. With the two big possibilities ruled out, now there was only one other being with sufficient knowledge, of both Ray himself and the subject at hoof, to give him an answer. It was getting late anyways. By now most ponies would be getting to sleep if they weren't already, and he was getting tired himself. He'd probably regret it, but he didn't have any other choice.
He closed his eyes. He'd memorized the process by now. Just as he'd done several times before, he slipped into his own subconscious. He wasn't exactly used to it by now, per say… it was still a slightly odd sensation, but like the last time, he was able to shrug it off and continue. Last time he'd done this, Wrath had been bothering him incessantly on the night before his birthday. Now Ray was going in to ask some questions. He had to admit, he never thought he'd be doing this willingly… first time for everything.

When he opened his eyes, he was in that same place again. The same unpleasant smell, the same uncomfortable lighting, the same cold grimy stone floor and walls. Though he was pleased to see that it was a tad brighter this time. The 'torches' on the nearby sections of the wall weren't quite so dim… of course, it was still plenty dark. Much of the room, including most of the area behind the bars and the upper reaches of the walls beyond the reach of the torches' light, remained shrouded in shadow. And it continued to hurt his eyes a tad trying to make out details in the red light. Still, it was better than last time. Maybe the lighting in here reflected his mood… he was hardly in a good mood now, but the last time he'd been thoroughly depressed and anticipative. Otherwise, he had to wonder if Wrath just preferred being in darkness.
On that note, he could just make out the massive figure stirring in the shadows beyond the massive metal bars. A single giant red eye appeared in the darkness, as though peering to see what the disturbance was, before the second eye soon followed. A low growl reverberated through the chamber.

"…what is this? Ray?" Wrath sounded genuinely surprised, on top of his usual agitated undertone. "Well now, this is rare… You came to see me of your own volition? To what do I owe this… unexpected pleasure?" he asked, sarcasm now also dripping into his tone.

Considering what he was here for, Ray decided that, for once, he would try to be at least relatively civil. "Hello, Wrath," he replied impassively. "You're right, it is unusual for me to come down here on my own. I came down here to have a chat."
"Chat? With me?" Wrath seemed to sneer. "Whatever is the world coming to, that you would come to me to 'chat'." He huffed. "In fact, I believe this is the first time you've visited me of your own accord. I know you would not break your streak for something so petty. Of course, I could be wrong… mortal flights of fancy never cease to surprise me…"

Ray frowned. He was already regretting coming down here, but he continued regardless. "Alright, fine. I'm here because I want to ask you something."

"And what could you have to ask of me that is of such importance that you disturb my slumber?" the Beast responded hotly. "I'm of a mind to send you out of my space right now. However… I admit I'm intrigued by your willingness to see me. Speak then, whelp. We shall see if I do not launch you back into your body when you are done."

The order was terse, and didn't entirely convey overall interest.

"You know, considering that you claim to know so much about me, and that you live in my head, I'd think you would already know what I want to ask you."

"Hrmph," the Beast scoffed and closed his eyes. "I am not so desperate for entertainment that I deign to observe every minute of your life story, meaningless as it is. All I am aware of is the great amount of unrest you have felt of late. No doubt the work of that infernal draconequus…" Wrath's growl came again, louder than previously and very clearly made with animosity.

"You seem to have a bit of an issue with Discord. Why is that?" Ray inquired.

"It is none of your concern, brat," Wrath brushed off his question. "Now tell me this question of yours. My patience wears thin."

"Geez, alright already." Ray sighed and walked a bit closer to the bars separating him from Wrath. "I want to know, right now, the answer to something that's been bothering me for a few days. You're the only one who can give me a definitive answer. So tell me; when you come out, if it because of you or because of me?"

Wrath did not respond immediately. Instead, he stared at Ray for several long moments, almost… perplexed.

Then the entire chamber filled with the sound of the demon's animalistic laughter. It bounced off the walls and floor before grating against Ray's ears. He was not nearly so amused, but he remained stone-faced and waiting for Wrath to finish. When he did, it was sudden and abrupt, as he matched Ray's gaze with his own.

"You are experiencing revived concerns over those who have fallen at our touch," Wrath observed. "You truly are pathetic, you understand that? You come to me, Wrath, the Demon Beast, expecting conciliatory answers to your own doubts? What do you think I am, you insolent pup? Your caretaker? I care not one wit about your identity concerns."

"Yeah, I kinda figured you wouldn't. After all, like you said, you're Wrath. When have you ever cared about anything other than blowing us all to kingdom come?" Ray said evenly. "Look, I'm here, I'm disturbing you, and I'm asking you a question. You listened to said question because you were curious. Well there it is. Now you can go ahead and answer it, at no cost to yourself, and once you're done, I'll be on my merry way. Otherwise, I'll go right on being distressed, and probably keep coming in here to 'disrupt' you until you eventually do decide to answer me. So what'll it be, big guy?"

Wrath glared at him, likely angered at being spoken to in such a manner. Too bad, Ray thought. My house, my rules. You don't get to be a prick and expect kind treatment in return.

"Gah…" he grumbled. "Very well. You wish to know, I will tell you. But first, tell me this; when you and I fought against the one called Chrysalis, how did you feel? What emotion was at the forefront of your mind?"

"Anger," Ray said easily. "Your point?"

"SILENCE, brat. I am answering your concerns out of my best interest, but I shall do so in my way. Now then," he blinked slowly. "What was the cause of your anger? Was it me, forcing you to be angry for my own benefit? Or was it that Chrysalis had harmed your friends and countless others, and you wanted her to pay for it?"

Ray paused. He knew the answer. he considered lying for a moment, but that wouldn't get them anywhere. "It was… the latter," he admitted.

"Yes. And how about all of the instances prior? When the changelings were threatening your precious mate. When your once-called-townsfolk made their disgust toward you clearer than ever. When you saw an atrocious act committed and the perpetrators stood before your very eyes, without any shame for what they'd done. And many, many other times. Was it my anger you felt? Or was it yours?"

"It was… mine."

"Very good. Now use your little brain for this next one," Wrath chuckled. "Are you under the impression that I would still be in this prison in the first place if I could exit whenever I chose?"

Ray was silent.

"Anger is what constitutes me; to dumb it down enough for you to understand, rage is the definition of my existence," Wrath continued. "There is more to it than that, but your mortal mind could not comprehend the full scope of it. Instead, know this: anger is the prime conduit for my power. I could try to influence you, yes, but this seal prevents me from having any lasting effect in that regard. I could attempt to force my way out, as I have done many times, as you may recall. Most often that backfires." He lowered his head somewhat to look closer at Ray. "When I 'get out', as you term it, it is when you yourself are angered. The strength of your anger is what allows me to escape temporarily. I am not responsible for it myself; if I were, I'd have escaped this blasted prison long before your ancestors were even conceived. I am the effect… but you are the cause."

Ray did not say anything. He just blinked a few times with a blank expression, trying to register these words. Before him, Wrath hummed, whether in thought or in pleasure he could not say.

"With that, your question is answered. Now then, lea-" He stopped abruptly, sniffing the air. The sound of it, along with the demon having cut himself off, made Ray curious enough to lift his head and look at him.
"Something up?"

"I… sense something," Wrath said slowly. "Something is approaching this space… and quickly. Where, however…" he trailed off, his eyes falling on something on the floor. The stallion followed his gaze, seeing a strange distortion in the 'air' a short distance away from himself. It began to shimmer, and with no other warning-

The Wrath Within

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While Dusk was used to Luna’s hooves on teaching, he had to admit she was really pushing him tonight. Now that he had learned most of the basics of interacting in the dreamscape, she had moved on to teaching him how to protect his mind from possible mental attacks. A way she did it that she taught him was to create a mental avatar that he could picture easily in his mind in order to protect his thoughts.

“So, it’s like a Persona?” he asked. “As in, I can present an aspect of my character to shield me?”

“I’ve no idea what you are referring to. But if you like, then yes,” she answered curtly. “Come then. Let us see the strength of your character.”

Dusk had chosen to manifest his chivalrous side, represented as a great knight in modest grey armour. He carried a rapier levitated by magic and a buckler shield adorned with Dusk’s cutie mark. Luna manifested an armoured form as well, almost a less malevolent looking Nightmare Moon. Her fur wasn’t as dark and her eyes weren’t slits. She looked more gentle, but just as fierce, as Dusk discovered.

They clashed ferociously in mental battle, the knight crossing blades with Luna’s twin scythes, Waxing and Waning Crescent. But the battles barely lasted a minute. Luna fought with such intensity that she overpowered his warrior in mere moments. Every time, she grew more and more terse with him, snapping to give her a proper challenge and berating him heavily when he lost. It was like when they first started their lessons all over again.

After five consecutive losses and Luna on the verge of shouting, Dusk was exhausted. But all the while, he had a feeling there was something bothering her that was beyond his performance in their lesson and chose now to confront her about it.

“Dusk! Why do you insist on disappointing m-?”

“Perhaps I wouldn’t be, if you weren’t just using me to vent your frustrations!” he cut off sharply.

“How dare you?!” she demanded. “How dare you speak with such insolence to me, your teacher and princess?!”

“And how dare you seem to be treating me like a training dummy?!” he retorted. He took a gentler tone. “Please, if something is bothering you, you know you can talk to me about it.”

“There is nothing…!” She stopped. She finally seemed to realise what had come over and sighed. “No. That is a lie. I am… sorry, my friend. You are right. I’ve been most unfair to you.”

“I’ll forgive you that, if you talk to me about what’s perturbed you.” But he remembered a few days ago when she was in a similar mood and came to a conclusion. “It’s Discord, isn’t it?”

“‘Tis,” she growled. “That conniving, snake tongued trickster. I still cannot understand my sister’s reasoning for wishing him released.”

“A few of us are of the same mind,” nodded Dusk. “You’ve been having problems with him too?”

“To put it mildly. He came to my chambers when I was recuperating, behaving in that twisted manner he does. I made it clear to him that I didn’t trust him and would be watching him very closely. Then, things started to happen.” Her anger flared. “He turned my crown into liquorice, stuffed my mattress with rock candy and turned poor Tiberius’s cushion in his basket to jelly, to name but a few! My sister tells me I should try and be more amicable towards him, but she asks the impossible! With this, on top of what he’s had a hoof in doing to you and I and our friends…!”

“He’s trying to rile you up. He does the same with all of us, except Fluttershy. Just try not to let it get to you, otherwise you’ll just give him what he wants,” advised Dusk.

“That is easier said than done.” She groaned. “Were I still in control of the Elements with my sister, I would see to it that he’s still being used as a pigeon lavatory right now.”

“If she would agree to.” Dusk decided to take the opportunity to ask. “Luna, could I make a request?” She nodded. “I want to visit Ray in his dreams tonight.”

He explained the situation to her and after a few moments of consideration, she approved.

“After my unfair treatment of you, this is the least I can do to make it up. But on one condition,” she added. “I will accompany you.”

“Okay. I would prefer you to come since you’re more experienced in dream walking, but can I ask why?”

“For something I’ve relented doing for a while, out of fear if nothing else,” she admitted. “Even after the incident of the changeling invasion, I feel my sister is still concealing information about the Beast she locked away inside him. I wish to see what I may learn on my own about the nature of the creature, and doing so within Ray’s subconscious would be the best way to go about it.”

“Luna, are you sure that’s wise?” asked Dusk.

“My sister continues to keep secrets from me on this matter. If I am to help combat this enemy, I must learn what I can about it. Sometimes, the direct approach is the most effective.”

Dusk could see there was no dissuading her. “If you insist. Shall we away then?”

Her answer was to open their minds to the vast expanse of the dreamscape and the glowing threads of the paths to everypony’s dreams. She scanned for a while, her expression set in a frown. It appeared she was having difficulty finding Ray’s dream path.

“Ah, here it is!” she announced after a few minutes. “This is a rather peculiar dream, I must say.”

“In what way?” asked Dusk.

“I’m not completely certain. The nature of it is… strange. But regardless, we have a mission,” she said. “Come, Dusk.”
Dusk took her proffered hoof and the two of them glided down the pathway into Ray’s mind, materialising in the dreamscape he resided in.

It was strange. It was unlike any dream he’d ever visited, though he hadn’t visited a great deal. It had some of the same qualities, a sense of unreality. But at the same time, it felt more… grounded. Less flexible. Just as if they were in the waking world.

The environment was far from pleasant. It could only be described as a medieval dungeon, one that had been neglected of any kind of care for a very long time. This was evident from the moss covered stones, the dank, musty smell and the uneven floor. Yet this dungeon was massive. It seemed possible to fit the tallest tower of Canterlot in here. The ceiling was so high it was shrouded in dark, well beyond the reach of the feeble torch light. The walls were far apart as well, with more than enough space to house the royal court two times over.

Both Luna and Dusk were so caught up in examining their new surroundings that they realised they weren’t alone when the pony they’d sought made himself known.

“W-what the..? Dusk? Luna?! The heck are you two doing here?!”

“Just dropping by,” replied Dusk. It was rather nice to hold him in surprise for once. “I don’t suppose you’d mind making some refreshments. A cup of tea would be nice right now.”

“Yes, I wouldn’t mind one myself,” agreed Luna. “Perhaps with some of those biscuits shaped like animals?”

Ray looked confused for a moment. “You mean those crumpet things? I don’t… wait, forget that!” He dropped his perplexed look and took on a more serious one. As well as panicked. “Answer me, what are the two of you doing here? How did you even get here?! I’m pretty sure you’re not figments of my imagination…”

“The same way we would enter any other dream,” answered Luna. Her eyes were drawn to something else. “Stars above…”
Dusk looked and saw what she meant.

Just next to them was a set of bars. Not surprising since this looked like a dungeon. What was surprising was their size. They were as thick as the tree trunks of the mightiest oak, stretching higher than the tallest redwood. Like the ceiling, the tops were lost in the darkness, except for when they were met with the horizontal bars. It was difficult to make out, but they seemed to form the rough shape of a door of some kind.

Dusk only wondered for a brief moment about why they needed to be so big. Then, he remembered what was locked away in Ray’s head… just as he saw something looking back at them in the dark.

Eyes. Red eyes. Gigantic red eyes, glowing against the darkness. So large that the eyes seemed larger than Dusk, even Luna and he would dare say Celestia herself. They leered at the two of them with an unmistakable glare of a hunter sizing up its prey.

“So,” whispered Dusk, “here you are.”

The eyes continued to gaze at them, unblinking. The irises burned iridescent crimson. The pupils, though thin in comparison, still seemed wide enough to suck him into a black void.

Then they heard a noise. A horrible, coughing growl noise that echoed off the walls of the chamber. Beneath the eyes, another sight became visible in the darkness; the faint light reflected off of two rows of massive teeth, each long and sharp enough to impale somepony individually, as its lips evidently curled upward. Then it spoke, it’s voice a deep, rasping, guttural growl shaped into words.

“Yes… here. I. Am. I must say, I am surprised. I do not believe I’ve ever gotten… extra guests.”

“I imagine not.” Dusk was surprised at how easily he found himself replying to the Beast. “Well, you’re certainly… big. Bigger than I expected. You seemed… smaller when we first saw you, I mean.”

Again, he heard the sound from before, no doubt coming from Wrath. The repeating, coughing noise intermingled with the sound of growling. With a start, Dusk realized it was laughter.

“What you saw was not me, pony. What you saw was my power trapped within the pathetic form of this one here,” its eyes shifted to Ray for a moment. “You experienced only a fraction of what I am. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be having this… exchange.”

“How dare you threaten my student, beast!” scorned Luna. But even her powerful voice seemed tiny in Wrath’s presence.
“Ah yes. And here we have the younger Princess… Luna.” It turned it’s gaze ever so slightly to look at the Alicorn. It didn’t even seem to care that it had angered her. “I regret that I never got to see you as a youngling… only your weak-willed sister.”

“So I have heard,” she replied tersely, maintaining her composure. “You are fortunate. Had both of us born witness to the event, your imprisonment would have come sooner.”

The eyes flared. “My imprisonment came only out of arrogance on my part. Your sister was helpless then, and even now she fears me. You speak with great bravado, considering you are the weaker of the two.”

“I am not-!”

“Luna, please,” Dusk urged. “I don’t think we should be trying to anger it like this.”

“Anger me?” The demon seemed to scoff. “I am far too amused by this turn of events to let it end so soon. And nothing this proclaimed Princess of the Night could say would do the job. But by all means, Princess Luna,” it spat out the name mockingly. “Listen to your paltry companion. Show the common sense that the thousands I slaughtered failed to.”

Luna flushed with anger and seemed ready to bellow in the Canterlot voice, but Dusk managed to step in.

“Now, now, there’s no need for this.” He looked up into Wrath’s eyes. “This is only our first meeting, Wrath. It would be improper for us to get off on the wrong hoof in such a way.”

Wrath looked down at Dusk from within the shadows, appearing… intrigued, almost. “My, for such a diminutive example, even among mortals… you certainly have gall. Very well then. Let us be… amicable.”

The sound of something large and heavy shifting across the stone floor reached their ears. At the same time, Wrath’s head moved to the side, further upwards… and then forward. A loud thud shook the floor beneath them. Then another. And another. Dusk looked up. Wrath’s head emerged from the shadows as he approached the bars, followed by its neck, front legs, and the front part of its body. Dusk could not help but stare.

Its head was indeed, very reminiscent of a wolf, or canine of some sort. Its eyes rested above a long snout, with its black lips curled upward in an approximation of a feral grin. Its ears were triangular and pointed upward, alert and twitching occasionally. Its body, in addition to being appropriately massive, was also incredibly powerful in appearance; every slight movement betrayed the masses of muscles rippling beneath the outer surface. Its legs almost appeared normal for that of a canine… until they ended in giant, four-fingers hand-like claws instead of conventional paws. Each finger, thumbs included, ended in long, sharp ivory-colored nails, thin and sharper-looking that even its teeth. Perfect for skewering things.

All over its body, it’s fur was dark red… the color of blood. The only exception was a coloration at the back of its neck. Dusk thought he could see the fur become black there, and it seemed to stretch further down its body, which was still concealed by the shadows.

Wrath stood before them, no longer concealed, and grinned even wider. “I am the Demon Beast, Wrath. A pleasure.”

Wrath’s eyes flared brighter red, and suddenly Dusk felt a familiar sensation. Pressure. Something pressing down on him from all directions. This was the feeling they’d all experienced during the end of the Changeling invasion… but it was different now. Now, there was no force. It was simply pressure. Dusk felt it both in his body and his mind. He was frozen in place. Something incredibly large and massive, crushing him beneath it, without mercy. A presence… unimaginably powerful, and full of a malevolence like he’d never known. He looked to his side and saw Luna, who seemed to be experiencing the same thing. Wrath’s eyes kept shining, his grin continuing to widen.

Then, a voice broke in.

“ENOUGH!”

The sensation broke, and Dusk suddenly collapsed to the floor shaking, whereas Luna stumbled next to him. Ray stood before him, looking up at Wrath.

“I have no idea how things work where you’re from, Wrath, but that’s not how you say ‘hi’ to somepony,” the stallion said firmly.

“Oh? I simply wanted to reach out to them properly in greeting. Did I put too much power forth? Too much for their feeble mortal minds to handle?” Wrath chuckled.

Luna shook her head. “What manner of magic was that?”

“Something beyond us,” replied Dusk. He was still shaking off the sensation he’d felt.

Ray moved over to him and helped him up. “You okay?” he asked.

“I’ve felt better, but I’ll be fine,” he said. “Luna?”

“I am well, my friend,” she replied. She stared up at Wrath with a new kind of awe. And fear.

Despite these feelings he shared with her, Dusk felt compelled to approach the bars. He saw his warped reflection in Wrath’s eyes.

“You truly are a remarkable being, Wrath,” he murmured. “It’s a shame you have to be so destructive.”
Wrath’s grin seemed to falter. Its eyes narrowed. “Hmph. Flattery, now? How quickly your tone changes when faced with my visage…”

“Please, don’t get me wrong.” He put on his glasses and peered at Wrath through them. “The respect I have for you as a powerful and unique magical being is far outweighed by the disgust and even anger I feel not only for the innocent lives you’ve terrorized and slaughtered, but also the personal difficulties you’ve given one of my best friends and many other close friends of mine. I’m just trying very hard not to let it show.”

“Indeed. I can feel the anger rolling off of you. It is amusing.” Wrath’s grin returned. “Ah, mortals. So small, so weak, so inconsequential… yet admittedly interesting at times.”

“You speak as if we’re your personal playthings,” noted Luna, approaching as well. “I suppose that body of yours is the size it is to contain a vast ego of sorts as well?”

In the span of a second, one of Wrath’s claws clanged against the bars, one of its fingers reaching through and the tip of its nail stopping just a couple feet in front of Luna’s head. She flinched her head back. Wrath’s snarl filled their ears.

“Impertinent…” Wrath’s eyes glowed with fury. Its claw strained against the metal bars for a dozen very long seconds before it relented and fell back, the nail moving away from Luna and back behind the bars. “You think to attempt at mocking me, Luna? You are hardly in a position to make any such references to ‘ego’. Nor, as I understand, are you yourself new to the concept of seeing this land’s inhabitants as anything other than objects of your possession… Nightmare Moon. Amazing, truly, what something so paltry as envy can do with the right push.”

Luna’s confident expression became one of shame. Once again, Dusk stepped in.

“That time has passed,” he said. “She’s more than made up for what she’s done and earned her freedom. The same can’t be said for you.” Dusk shook his head. “Look at you, Wrath. You’re powerful. You’re intelligent. You could use this power for so many other things, yet you choose to use it to destroy and murder. In my eyes, that’s the real loss here.”

Again, Wrath’s gaze narrowed and centered on Dusk. It moved its legs to the sides and lowered its head down to the floor, on level with the rest of them, and stared at Dusk with renewed intrigue. It did not speak, however, simply watched. Dusk felt compelled to say something after a minute of silence.

“You know why you’re locked away in here. You know how you could change that. I’ve seen others like you who have. Luna, King Sombra, even Dis-” He stopped. Perhaps it was wise not to mention Discord. “The point is, you have the capacity for change as much as any other living, sentient creature. So, why? Why don’t-?”

“I’ve noticed something,” Wrath interrupted, like he hadn’t even been listening to Dusk. “Your aura… it seems familiar somehow. I’ve seen it somewhere before…” Suddenly its eyes widened and another laugh bounced off the walls.

“Of course… impossible to forget. Your aura is very similar to that of one of the ponies I encountered who resisted me. Though yours is slightly darker. His magic was of many different lights converging into one force…”

“Fore Sight?” gasped Dusk.

“You know him?” asked Luna, looking just as surprised.

“I know of him. I knew not his name. It was unimportant. Only that he was one of those who did this to me…” It ended on a low growl before rising back up and looking down at them. “Foolish pony. You speak to me as an equal, as though you are capable of understanding me… I am FAR beyond ANYTHING your weak mind could possibly comprehend. I am immortal, undying. You are mortal, pathetic. I am not susceptible to the weakness of heart and mind your kind displays so regularly. I am WRATH! I am permanent! I exist as I do because nature itself intends it! But you, pony… Dusk, is your name… do not dare to speak to me as though-”

“Yeah yeah, evil rant, you’re invincible, unknowable, we’re all dust to be trampled on, yadda yadda yadda. Heard it all before,” Ray cut in. “Seriously, you need to work on your speeches. It’s the same thing every time with you. Only difference is the audience.” Ray looked at Dusk and Luna. “Still not entirely sure how this happened…”

Wrath glared at Ray for a while. It looked like it might have been about to start yelling again. In the end, though, it simply made a very audible ‘tch’ noise and folded its… arms? It folded its arms beneath it and laid it head upon them, the rest of its body lowering into a resting position.

“I won’t even bother with you… it’s pointless at the moment.” Wrath took a heavy sigh; even heavier than Dusk was used to on account of the size. “And I was so very interested… now my interest has come and gone. All of you are intruding on my rest. You will now leave me be.”

“Ha! You cannot simply command us to leave on a whim!” declared Luna.

“I don’t fully understand,” said Dusk. “What will we do if we don’t-?”

Wrath’s eyes flared once more, but this time instead of feeling a pressure upon his mind, Dusk felt an even odder sensation. As though he were being pulled and propelled away simultaneously, but without actually moving at all. The last thing he saw of Wrath was his glowing red eyes closing before, out of nowhere, the dungeon disappeared around him. The walls, the bars, everything dissolved away like a wet painting splashed with hot water. Soon, all that was left was a blank white void.
Dusk felt the sensation of a true dream return to him. Whatever state Wrath’s prison existed in on the mental plane, it appeared they had just been expelled from it.

“What? What is this? What has…?” Luna looked outraged. “Insolent creature! It has the audacity to kick me, the Princess of the Night, out upon my flanks?!”

“In all honesty, it could have been done in a much worse manner.” Dusk took off his glasses and stowed them away. “At least we’re unharmed.”

“Yes, there is that.” She paused. “I must confess that even in its imprisoned state… it still held a fierce presence unlike any I have felt before. I can truly understand my sister’s fear of Wrath now.”

“Yet you don’t seem incredibly shaken by it,” he noted.

“Of course not,” she said proudly. “If my sister is fearful in their presence, at least one of us must put on a brave face.”
Dusk couldn’t really tell if she was truly unshaken by their encounter with Wrath or if she was just trying to maintain her royal status. Regardless, he was comforted by it. He could definitely understand Celestia’s fear of the Beast too because, despite his curiosity of it, the depth of it he shared with her had grown after that meeting.

He looked to Ray, who still appeared a little perturbed at their relatively unexplained appearance and not at all bothered by the current change of events.

“I’m sorry we intruded, Ray,” he said. “After what happened today, I was worried about you and I asked Luna to take me to your dreamscape to try and talk with you. We weren’t quite expecting to walk in on that.”

Ray looked uncomfortable, to say the least. “Yeeeaaahhh… sorry about Wrath. He’s always been a jerk. Part of me thought for a moment that new faces to talk to would make him ease up a bit.” He shook his head. “Nope.”

“I am curious to how you are conscious of this, Ray,” voiced Luna. “Few are ever aware that they are experiencing a dream when it happens.”

“Well, that’s a bit complicated. Never been too clear on it myself.” He looked around. “Uh, this is that dreamscape thing, right? You mentioned this once, Dusk.”

“Yes. The place all minds unconsciously enter when they fall asleep. Luna has had a lifetime to learn to traverse it and she’s teaching me, so I’m usually more aware than the average pony.” He smiled. “I suppose that’s why you are as well.”

“Well… sort of.” Ray paused and thought for a moment. “Wrath himself doesn’t really have anything to do with it, I think. See, whenever I go down to see him - as in actually see him face-to-face, not just hearing him in my mind - I do this thing where… I guess you’d call it a meditative trance? I’m loose on the details, but I basically go into my own subconscious down to where Wrath is… which I think I’m only able to do in the first place because of Wrath. I’m technically not dreaming. But I guess I also technically am. Half-and-half. But whenever I go to see Wrath, I’m fully aware and conscious, like I’m still in my own body.”

“I was wondering why that place we were in didn’t feel like a dream,” said Dusk. “But why were you talking to Wrath anyway? He doesn’t seem like a pleasant conversationalist.”

Ray shifted around awkwardly. “I… needed him to answer something for me. Something that’s been bothering me for a while. It’s the reason I’ve sorta been hiding away lately. And also kinda the reason I flipped on you guys earlier.”

“And what, Ray Strike, was the answer you sought?” asked Luna.

“...something unpleasant,” was Ray’s quiet answer.

“Which is?” persisted Dusk. He took a gentler tone. “Ray, I know you might have something in your past you’d rather remain left behind. But I stand by what we said before. Whatever it is, it’s getting to you and it’s been happening since Discord came here. I don’t know if this is some part of a new plan he has or if he’s just trying to confuse your thoughts because that’s what he enjoys. Whatever it is, you can’t handle it alone. I know it’s difficult, you know I do. But please… just talk to us?”

Ray looked away. He breathed deeply and muttered. “You know… I really don’t want to. But at the same time, I’m starting to think maybe I should. This thing… it feels like it’s been eating me alive, for a long time. And I know that if I don’t say anything after all this just now, I’ll never hear the end of it…”

“Not unless you just decide to leave. But that was one thing we were wrong about.” He placed a hoof on Ray’s shoulder. “You won’t leave us. I know.”

Ray didn’t respond to the contact. He didn’t even look up. He simply was silent for a long, tense minute. But eventually he gave his answer.

“Tomorrow afternoon. Come to my house. Tell the others… I’ll tell you everything. Okay?”

“Very well.” He stepped back and stood beside Luna. “See you tomorrow.”

“Pleasant dreams, Ray,” wished Luna. “I will see to it personally.”

Ray still didn’t look up. Except for the briefest moment before Dusk and Luna departed when his eyes flickered up. But it was so brief, Dusk was almost certain he didn’t see it.

They returned to the midnight glade of Dusk and Luna’s combined dreamscape and sat down in the lush grass. The both of them were silent for a while, processing what they’d witnessed.

“Looking back,” Luna murmured, “I rather wish I had withheld my curiosity.”

Dusk nodded slowly. “You’re not alone there.”

The silence was oppressive in Ray’s home the next day. Dusk had done as Ray requested and gathered together the girls at his home. Very quietly, he had welcomed them in. He’d reluctantly accepted a hug from Pinkie Pie and let Fluttershy sit next to him. She was now gazing at him with apprehension and sympathy, occasionally stroking the shoulder she had her left hoof wrapped around.

They all were looking at him with the same level of apprehension. Rainbow looked like she was only just containing her impatience, along with Pinkie who looked ready to dart forward and give Ray another hug. Spike was fiddling with his claws sat next to Rarity who appeared very tense. Applejack easily looked the most patient of all of them, while Dusk and Twilight were directly opposite Ray in the rough circle they sat in his living room.

“So,” Rainbow began, “why the change of heart?”

Ray looked up solemnly. “Well, if we drop all pretenses… last night I talked to Wrath.” There were a few looks of confusion around the room, and one or two shudders even, but Ray continued. “I asked him about the issue that’s been bugging me. It may sound dumb, but really he was the only one with proper knowledge of the subject matter. The answer I got from him made sense… and I really don’t like it.” He sighed and pressed on. “I changed my mind because, at this point, I realize that continuing to hide this is only going to cause more pain for us all. I’m just… tired of it. So no more secrets.”

“You jus’ take yer time, sugarcube,” said Applejack gently. “This here looks like a pretty big thing fer you.”

“You have no idea…” Ray mumbled loudly enough for them to hear. “Look, I’m not going to lie. What I’m about to tell you all, you’re probably not going to like. But it’s better if I tell you this now, of my own will. And let whatever comes afterward come.”

“Then we’ll deal with it when you’ve told us,” said Twilight.

“Alright then…” Ray looked to the side at Fluttershy, who have him an encouraging nod. “Well, here goes… the truth is, I-” He hesitated and caught his breath. “I… I’ve…” he seemed to be shaking for some reason. Then, like ripping off a band-aid, he shouted.

“I’VE KILLED BEFORE!”

Everypony jumped when he announced this and remained frozen in their visages of shock, like time had come to a standstill. Even Fluttershy scrambled away from Ray and shivered, hiding behind a lock of her mane.

Dusk was just as stunned as they were. He knew that Ray had a big secret, but he never expected something of this sheer magnitude. To know that the pony sat across from them, who he considered to be one of his closest friends, had committed murder… he didn’t want to believe it.

Rarity was the one who spoke first after a long while. “You’ve… killed?”

She sounded like she was trying to keep her usual sophisticated tone, but the tremble in her voice betrayed her fear.

Ray looked down and sank further into the couch. “...I told you it was bad…”
“W-Who was it?” Applejack asked, looking very shaken.

“I, uh… never learned their names…” Ray said softly.

“Their names?” Twilight gasped. “It… was more than one?”

“...yes. Yes it was.”

“Are you serious?” Rainbow’s voice was shaking, but not out of fear. “You… killed ponies and you don’t even know who they were?”

“I-... yes,” Ray said defeatedly. “This was a while ago… at least five years, I think. Time sort of starts to blend together on the road. But yes.”

“Five years, huh?” Her voice was rising. “Not that long ago, then.”

“Depends on how you look at it. It’s been both quick and forever, in my eyes.”

In a flash, she was on him. One moment, he was sat on his couch. The next, Rainbow had pinned him against the wall with her foreleg.

“THAT’S ALL YOU’VE GOT TO SAY?!” she shrieked. “YOU TOOK PONIES’ LIVES AND THAT’S ALL YOU CAN SAY ABOUT IT?!”
“Rainbow! Put him down!” Twilight ordered.

“THE HAY I WILL!” she snapped back. “HOW CAN YOU EVEN TELL ME THAT AFTER… AFTER WHAT HE’S JUST SAID?!”

“Because he deserves to have his say!” she countered. “It’s taken a lot of courage for him to even tell us this and it must be hard enough for him without you cutting off his air supply. Now, one more time or I’ll make you: Put. Him. Down!”

Her horn started to glow. Rainbow seemed lax her hold on him, but kept him in place. Her glare turned to Twilight.

“You wanna go a round, egghead?” she snarled.

“Eggheads. Plural.” Dusk was on his hooves too and stood at her side. “I advise you to do what she says, Rainbow.”

Rainbow looked at Dusk. Then at Twilight. She looked back to Ray, who wasn’t even struggling in her hold. For a long while, she looked at him. Then, she allowed him to drop back onto the couch.

“Fine.” Never once taking her eyes off him, she returned to her spot.

Ray was gasping for breath. Dusk started forward to help, but was stopped by Twilight. She gave him a stern look, shook her head and turned back to Ray.

“Alright, Ray. Explain to us the circumstances that led to these ponies’ deaths and what your involvement was in them,” she instructed. “Please do so clearly and concisely. We’ll decide what happens afterward.”

“Twilight, what do you mean by what happens?” asked Dusk.

“I’m sorry to say this, Dusk, but this confession has cast a shadow of doubt on Ray. I think we can all agree that everypony is a little wary right now. I know this doesn’t seem very fair, but murder is a very serious crime and until we learn the exact nature of it and Ray’s place within it, he has to be held under scrutiny. Under the possibility that if he was capable of killing once, he may be able to do so under similar circumstances.”

“But it’s not his faul-”

“We don’t know that for certain and until we do, we can’t just let him carry on as normal. Especially in a major population area. If it comes down to it, he may have to be put into custody.”

“You don’t mean-”

“I do. Only if it comes down to it, but we have to consider the possibility. We can’t just let a murderer wander around Ponyville, we have to be objective about this.” Her expression softened a moment. “I’m sorry, but you must understand.”

Dusk wanted to argue. He wanted to say she was wrong. But he couldn’t. Her reasoning was sound and her argument was well put. There was no denying everypony was on edge right now. They had to settle this and this was the only way.

“Understood,” he sighed and stepped back.

She gave him a sympathetic grimace and returned her attention to Ray. “Okay, Ray. First off, what was going on with you when this happened?”

Ray groaned as he got back into a sitting position against the wall. He didn’t try to move back to his spot on the couch; he just stayed there on the floor and looked up.

“You know, this is why I didn’t want to say anything. Because-” he stopped and coughed a bit more. “Because this is what I knew would happen. But now it’s time to come clean with it all…” His eyes looked around at them all, not hopeful or pleading or dreadful, just full of a calm acceptance. His face scrunched up for a moment as he thought.

“Well… like I said, this was a while back. It had been a while since I’d left my old home. I’d stayed at a few other locations in the meantime, but never for very long. Fast-forwarding to when this all went down… well, it was when I met this pair of traders.” His eyes closed slightly. “A stallion and a mare. Both of them were older than me, married. I forget their names. Came with trying to repress the memories… but I remember being in one of those really small pit-stop type towns when I met them. Brayville, I think it was. I’d of course just stopped by there one night to rent a room. As I was leaving the next morning, I ended up coming across them loading up their cart and getting ready to head out themselves. I saw a couple things on their cart that I thought were interesting, so I went over to them and asked if I could browse.” He smiled. “They were really nice. We ended up talking. I learned they were traders, of course, and those other things. They were curious about me, a bit. Why I was travelling. I think they were more curious about my age at the time. I mean, I was still old enough to be reasonably out and about, but still.”

Spike frowned. “I don’t see how that leads to you… you know, killing somepony.”

“Yeah, I’m getting there Spike.” Ray rubbed his forehead. “Anyways… I may have exaggerated a bit when I told them about myself. Said I was… sort of a traveling adventurer of sorts. That I’d seek out excitement and then write about it to become a more authentic storyteller. It wasn’t that much of a lie, really. In truth, me writing and constantly finding myself in troublesome situations weren’t connected at all. I was just an adrenaline junkie.” He chuckled a bit, though it lacked a certain energy that he usually had. “Anyways, I guess that impressed them a bit. As it turned out, we were all heading out in the same direction. They’d gotten there a few days before me and had stayed longer. So once we figured that out, they offered to let me tag along with them, I guess. I didn’t see any reason not to. They were good folks. So I agreed. After that, it was actually pretty uneventful. We stayed on the road together until the next city, where they stopped off and started… you know, doing the merchant thing. I helped out a bit… guess I just felt like it. By the time they were done, they were getting ready to stay for a few days, and I was about to move on. But…” he got a faraway look in his eye. “...they asked me if I wanted to stick around. You know, keep helping out. Maybe help them out with any trouble on the road, given my lifestyle. Wouldn’t have been a big change for me either; we were all travelers. I think they also liked my company. I’m not sure why, but… I really liked them. And in the end, I decided that I’d rather keep knowing them than say goodbye. So I agreed.”

“Sounds like ya saw ‘em as family,” remarked Applejack.

Ray made a short laugh. “That wouldn’t have made much sense. I’d barely known them for a couple weeks.”

“Carry on, please,” said Twilight. “What happened then?”

“Right…” Ray looked up at the ceiling and took up the story again. “So after that… well, a few months went by. During that time, I kept traveling with them. Kept them company on the road. Helped find and sell merchandise whenever we were in a town or city. Even saved them from timber wolves once. Well… as in I distracted the things while they got away, then popped back after I’d dealt with them. That was… awkward. They chose not to ask. Anyways… as time went on, we learned about each other. Got closer, I guess. They told me more about themselves, I… didn’t share quite as much in return. I think they picked up on the fact that I don’t exactly have a cheery past and just left it. I did write more, during that time, of course. And it was pleasant. I guess I felt like I belonged, because I didn’t feel like leaving. And then…” he grimaced.

“R-Ray?” It was Fluttershy who spoke. “W-W-W...What…?” She couldn’t finish.

“...it was late summer,” he said, his voice now taking a darker tone. “We were on our way to the next town, same as usual. We found that the main route had been blocked off by a bunch of trees that had been knocked over by a big storm a few days prior. Too many and too big to move ourselves, and the cart couldn’t go off-road. So we were forced to double back and take a longer, alternate route. It was a cliffside path. Nothing dangerous, just a longer and slightly more inconvenient way to get to the same destination. At least, we’d thought that…” he rubbed his eyes. “About an hour along the path, we all heard something above us. It was a rockslide. And it was coming right at us. By the time we’d noticed it, it was virtually right on top of us. I didn’t have enough time to-” he stopped and looked down gravely. “... the cart was crushed beneath the rocks… and so were they. I only managed to get myself clear.”

“Oh my…” Rarity gasped. “That’s awful. Simply dreadful.”

“Is that what you meant?” asked Twilight. “I know that’s very horrible, but is this a case you blame yourself for their deaths and so it feels like you killed them?”

“No,” he said simply. “What happened next was much more… direct.”

“Oh yeah? What?” snapped Rainbow.

“...after it was done, I realized I was fine. And then that the cart was not. And… I don’t know. It took a moment to process. And then it felt like part of me just… shut down. I don’t know how to describe it. The important thing is, after that… I heard voices. Coming from above. It was two stallions, at the top of the cliff face. I heard them because they were both shouting. Based on what they were saying, they were thieves, I guess. The kind that stay on roads and wait for travelers to come by so they can mug ‘em. Apparently, they caused the rockslide to block us off, but hadn’t intended to… you know. They were freaking out because of it.”

“Ohh, I see.” Everypony looked at Spike. “S-Sorry. I think I get it now. It’s like some detective comics I’ve read. The bad guy can’t afford to leave any evidence or witnesses, so… a-am I right?”

“Not exactly, but you have the gist of it,” Ray answered. “They didn’t seem to know that I was still alive. They just saw the wreckage and assumed the worst. Anyways, they decided to come down… loot the wreckage… and…” Ray trailed off. It seemed progressively more difficult for him to speak. “I… I was listening, but at the same time I wasn’t. I just… couldn’t stop staring at the cart. The wood splinters sticking out everywhere… the pieces of merchandise all strewn on the ground. And then… I saw one of them. The merchant couple, I mean. One of their hooves was… sticking out. So I went over and digged her out… it was the mare… she was…” his eyes were starting to tear up. “And then I saw those two, coming down. They went up to the other side of the cart and just started looking through it. And I… all I could think about was that… they did this. They were responsible. And they didn’t even seem to care. They were just… I couldn’t take it. I just felt hate. I got angry. And then…”

He trailed off at the end, but they didn’t need to hear the rest. They could all imagine what happened after that. Everypony was quiet, their focus shifting between Ray and Twilight. Dusk could see her mind at work while she considered what she’d heard.

“I see,” she said simply. “I’m… going to need some time to think about this. We all do, then we’ll discuss what we think should happen. Ray? If we decide that it might be safer if you were sent back to Canterlot under the same conditions at the end of the changeling invasion, would you understand and be willing to cooperate?”

Ray’s eyes tilted upward. They were red, but from the tears spilling out of them, not from… the other cause. “...yes.”

“I’m sorry, Ray. I really am. Dusk, stay with him. We’ll confer about this tomorrow.”

With heavy hoof falls, Twilight left. One by one, the others trailed after her. Some, like Rainbow, left immediately. Others, like Applejack, lingered with sympathetic looks before departing. Pinkie Pie, who had been quiet the whole time, looked to be on the verge of tears herself. With her mane drooping, she trudged out. Fluttershy appeared torn with indecision. It looked like she was going to embrace him, but when he looked at her, she scurried back a bit. Hidden behind her mane, she flew out, not looking back.

Ray and Dusk were the only ones left. The latter turned his eyes to the former, who he saw shaking from silent sobs. While he was still recovering from the shock of the announcement, Dusk couldn’t really find it within himself to blame Ray. It just seemed another tragic consequence of Celestia’s decision to imprison Wrath the way she did. Ray had gotten angry at those thieves, as anypony would. That was all it took…

He snapped his head up at the sound of familiar, unpleasant laughter. Clutching his stomach and floating in the air above them was Discord.

“Ohohoho, I must say that turned out even better than I expected! Such a tragic, moving scene… really tugs at the heartstrings.” He wiped his eyes with a tissue and blew his nose. “Sorry, I’m always a sucker for the crying parts.”
His laughter faded off when he saw the looks Ray and Dusk were giving him.

“Oh come now, you two. Pardon the pun, but no need for the long faces. Before long, this’ll be water under the bridge and we can all look back on this and laugh.”

“I know one of us who will be.” Dusk glared at Discord. “Is this what you call reformed, Discord?”

“Why yes. Yes, it is. If anything, I’ve done you a real favour,” he said.

Dusk felt the magic flowing to his horn. “You heartless bast-!”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Dusk stopped when a bar of soap appeared in his mouth and scrubbed around. He spat it out, along with the soapy suds. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“Discord… why?” Dusk spluttered.

“Well, you know me. At first, I was just bored and I wanted to see what I could get out of your new friend, but then I had another thought.” A light bulb popped up over his head. “Really, I didn’t think it was very fair. Everypony knew all the mean and rotten things I’ve done and they were judging me for them. Even you’ve had to experience that, Dusk. Yet Ray here was walking about without a care in the world. It was a complete injustice and I demanded a reprimand, your honour!”
“Injustice?” scoffed Dusk. “If anything, what you made him do was injustice!”

“OBJECTION!” cried Discord, briefly wearing a blue suit and red tie with oddly spiky black hair and thrusting his finger in Dusk’s face. “I may be new to friendship, but one thing I know for certain is that friends have to be honest with each other. There must be no secrets, however dark or life shattering. How else do you expect to maintain any trust?”

Dusk couldn’t believe this. “Are… are you being serious?”

“When am I not? Wait, don’t answer that,” he said quickly. “My point is that this will all be for the better in the long run. Isn’t it better that they heard this straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak?” He smiled maliciously. “Well, I’d better be going. I’ll see if Fluttershy needs a shoulder to cry on. Toodles!”

With a flash of light, he was gone. Dusk made a mental note that when they talked about Ray tomorrow that Discord’s actions were to be taken into full account. In the wake of his departure, Ray looked like he was in a worse state than before, if that was possible.

“I wonder if we’ll ever get used to having him around.” He took a seat next to him on the couch. “I won’t pretend to know what you’re going through right now, but I can sympathise.”

Ray grunted an acknowledgement, but otherwise didn’t look at Dusk or say anything.

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t blame you for what you did,” he went on. “You were angry, understandably so and we all know what happens when you let it get the better of you. Wrath is as much at fault here.”

“...is he though?”

Dusk blinked. “Beg pardon?”

“The answer I got last night… the question was whether it was my fault or his whenever he got out. I started thinking about it after something Discord told me while I was watching him with Fluttershy. Back then… it happened so long ago, it feels like it was in another lifetime. But when it happened, I know that I hated those thieves. I was angry at them. It wasn’t Wrath making me be angry. I did that all on my own.”

He let his head fall back against the wall. “And before that, every time Wrath slipped out. And every time after that. Including with Chrysalis. Whenever Wrath emerged… it was because I was angry. And it doesn’t happen every time I get mad. Only sometimes. In those circumstances, I realize… I let Wrath out. Wrath… it’s like he says. He’s just something that exists. An immortal force of nature. And beyond that, however intelligent he may be, he’s an animal. He behaves on instinct; he does what he’s naturally driven to do. It’s not entirely his fault. But me… what excuse can I make for letting him out to terrorize others?”

He was quiet for a few moments. “...the girls must agree. They probably think I’m a monster now. And I can’t really blame them. Wrath has always said that deep down, him and I are one and the same… I always thought he was full of it. But maybe he’s right. At our core, maybe we’re both just angry animals that need to be locked away...”
For a moment, Dusk found himself at a loss of what to say. The similarities between him and Ray concerning darker parts of themselves didn’t really stretch this far, but the principle to him was the same, as it had been when Doom had taken over. How could he make Ray see that not all the blame rested squarely on his shoulders? He thought for a moment, then happened on an idea when he saw something in the kitchen.

“Ray. Watch this.” He got up and levitated the empty glass bottle he saw, filling it with water from the tap. “Now, what have I got here?”

“Umm…” Ray had a very clear look of confusion on his face. “...water?”

“Wrong. This is a bottle filled with water,” he replied. “Just because the bottle is acting as a vessel for the water doesn’t mean it’s also water. The bottle is glass.” He set it down. “Similarly, just because you’re holding Wrath inside of you doesn’t mean you’re also Wrath. You may share the same body, but you’re two different entities. Wrath and Ray. And I think we know which of those two holds the most responsibility for what happened with those thieves, don’t we?”

Ray appeared to be struggling with his response. “But… if I’m the one who gets angry… if I’m the one who lets Wrath out, then-”

“Then that’s hardly your fault for feeling a completely natural emotion in a situation where anypony else would feel the same. You’re just unfortunate enough to have a Beast locked inside you that’s empowered by it,” he calmly retorted. “What happened with those thieves, with Chrysalis, it wasn’t your fault. Tomorrow, I’m going to make certain to remind the girls that despite this recent confession, you’re still our friend and you don’t take pleasure in what you did. They may take some time to come around, but they’ll forgive you. After all, they forgave me.”

Ray looked Dusk in the eye. The latter’s gaze didn’t waver. Ray looked down at the bottle for a moment and looked back up. His eyes were starting to water, though he was doing a good job of keeping his expression under control.
Several minutes of silence passed between them. They both sat there, unmoving save for minor shifting. And then Ray spoke in a neutral tone.

“Dusk… I know it might be weird after what I just told all of you, but… is it okay if I hug you?”

Despite himself, he smiled. “Yes. It’s perfectly okay.”

He opened his forehooves and let Ray embrace him in a tight hug.

“Feeling better?” he asked Ray.

“A little. Not by as much as I’d like, if I’m honest, but it’s something. Thanks for asking.” Ray released the hug. “And once again…”

“A bro hug, yes,” he finished. “Come now, Ray. I’m comfortable enough with my own masculinity to hug another stallion.”

“Just checking. You weren’t always comfortable enough with your masculinity to even engage in chest-pumping,” Ray responded with a faint smile.

Then he blinked in thought and it fell. He got up and moved over to one of the small tables next to his couch and pulled open the drawer. Levitating out of the drawer came the source object of a great many bruises for Dusk; a piece of metal pipe, currently rusted brown in some parts.

“Now, hold on a moment. What did I say this time?” chuckled Dusk.

“Nothing,” Ray answered. “I just realized that… well, aside from when I stop you from wrecking your own living room because of Discord, I haven’t had to use this thing for a while. And I don’t think I’m gonna have to use it again. You’ve definitely stopped being the weird little stallion-mare with poor-self-esteem issues that you were when we first met.”

Dusk was dumbstruck for a moment. “You know, I never really thought about that. I feel a part of me is still like that but… you’re not wrong.” He nodded to the pipe. “What are you going to do with that then? Apart from what it’s actually meant for.”

Ray had a ghost of a smirk as he looked down at it. “It had a good run… but I think now it’ll just take up space. And I don’t want to have to explain to party guests why I keep a rusty pipe around. I’ve never been one to hoard stuff I don’t have a need for. Sooo…” Ray turned toward the direction of his kitchen. Specifically, at his garbage can.

“Hold on a moment.” Dusk took it with his own magic. “I wouldn’t discard it so quickly. Remember Spike was able to use it effectively. Even if we don’t use it as a blunt instrument, I’d rather like to keep it. As a reminder.”

Ray looked at him oddly, but shrugged. “Suit yourself, I guess. If you really want to remember me beating you over the head every time you said something derisive about yourself. But I don’t judge.”

“Thank you.” A thought struck him. “I’ve been meaning to ask, where did you actually get this?”

“Umm…” Ray hesitated. “I think it’s best you don’t know.”
“Very well…” Dusk regarded it with new wariness and made a mental note to wash it. “Now, it’s been a while since you showed me progress on your book. How about we review what you have?”

“W-what?” Ray was flabbergasted. “You… actually want to? After what just went down?”

“Of course I would,” he said sincerely. “What are friends for?”

“Evidently, a lot more than I thought.” Ray smiled. “Well… alright. Since you’re doing it, I think I’ll mention something else I’ve been working on lately aside from my main project.”

“And what might that be?”

“Well, I recently decided to try and delve into the sci-fi territory. Except also blending it with fantasy and adventure elements. I’ve got some work done on it, but I’m not sure how it’s going. Figure since you read both types, you might be able to help out.”

Dusk’s smile grew. “I’d be happy to.”

“Finally,” sighed Tube, sinking to the ground. “A chance at some proper rest. It’s been too long. It feels like the keratin on my hooves has completely deteriorated.”

“Sounds like somepony doesn’t get out much,” remarked Grace snidely, sitting easily opposite him.

Tube shot a glare at him. “I only need to provide stimulation for one part of my body, I think you will find.”

“Oh, of course. And how’s that working out for you now?”

Tube didn’t answer that directly. “You hardly hold any high ground in terms of body mass. In fact, you and I are almost equal in terms of physical stature and muscle growth.”

“And yet I’ve not even broken a sweat,” noted Grace. “Funny how that works, isn’t it?”

“Yes, quite amusing,” muttered Tube, continuing to himself. “Though, now he mentions it, that is something to note about him. Among other things. Really rather remarkable, if only to compensate for his attitude.”

“Sorry?” Grace strained his ear. “Gonna have to speak up there, doctor.”

“Nothing, nothing,” he said. “I was merely saying that it is quite impressive that with the pace we’ve both been travelling, your own stamina still seems quite unaffected.”

“Indeed. Guess I’m one of the lucky ones,” he shrugged.

“Evidently,” murmured Tube. He relished the relaxation in his aching legs.

With the displeasure Fallen had been in when he sent them on their mission, Tube was in no mood to worsen it. As such, he, Grace and the twins had been travelling at a rapid pace with very little rest beyond briefly setting camp for only a few hours at a time. Their destination was a great distance away, and to keep ‘on schedule’, they’d had a lot of time to make up. Even the boat ride they’d chartered across the relatively short distance of ocean separating the lands hadn’t been a good opportunity to relax… at least it hadn’t been for Tube, who had quickly remembered that he got seasick.

Now that they were near their destination, he had a chance to grant himself some proper respite from the journey. Snick and Slash hadn’t bothered to rest. They’d both gone ahead yet again, for what Tube only assumed was scouting. That left him and Grace here at their makeshift camp.

Tube bristled when he recalled Fallen’s harsh words. Even after freeing him from his imprisonment and doing everything to see his plan brought to fruition, Fallen seemed to hold little beyond resent and scorn for him. All of Tube’s intelligence, his creativity, his willingness to push the boundaries of science and magic and this is what he had become? A stooge to a barbarian such as Fallen?

But he would continue to do his part. He was going to help usher forth a better world and finally be recognised for the genius that he was. And if it was a case that Fallen was only using him to achieve that end, well… where was it written that he would be the one to rule the new world?

“Ruler of the new world,” he murmured to himself. “No restrictions or moral red tape. Free to explore whatever realms I wish to pursue. At long last, true freedom…”

“You really need to learn to keep your thoughts inside. One of these days you’re gonna mutter something in Fallen’s presence, and then your pet project will be scraping you off the wall,” Grace uttered across from him.

Tube glared at him, not willing to admit he was right. He was used to only being in his own company, since he was the only one who was willing to listen. But now he was with a growing group, more caution over his habit would be sensible.
Tube noted, not for the first time, he still had his saddlebags, as well as several strap-on pouches along his cloak. “I’m admittedly curious about something, Grace. What is it in those bags that’s of such vital importance?”

“Oh, these?” Grace opened one of the pouches and levitated out a small square piece of paper, with an odd rune inscribed upon it. Tube saw many similar pieces of paper within the pouch before it closed. Grace held it in the air between them. “My work. While it isn’t quite practical for me to bring my stagecoach with me everywhere I go, I do prefer to be able to access my things wherever I happen to be.”

“Hmm. I confess I do find the nature of your work rather intriguing, though I’m still unclear as to what exactly it is.”

“Ask Fallen about it sometime. I’m sure if he’s not brooding or plotting at the time he’d be happy to tell you. Who knows, I might even decide to put on a private show for you.” Grace chuckled, an admittedly disturbing sound due to the tone it was in.

They lapsed into silence, with only the crackling of the fire and the sounds of creatures in the undergrowth filling the night air. About ten minutes passed before they received word from their scouts. A rustling drew their attention. From the bushes came the perpetually miserable mask of Slash.

“You’ve found him?” asked Tube. Slash nodded once. “Show us.”

They got to their hooves and followed her through the undergrowth. The humidity was unbearable and the insects were frequent and annoying, but Tube pressed on. It only annoyed him further when he saw Grace appeared to be unaffected. In fact, he was looking around with interest while Slash glided ahead, occasionally stopping to wait. After some time spent walking, they reached their destination.

The building was small and so deep in the jungle, it made its seclusion that much more obvious. It had the distinctive architecture of an ancient temple. Very ancient. Idols of various animals native to the region were eroded almost beyond recognition. The jungle had almost completely taken over the pony built structure, vines and plants creeping in across the walls and through the windows.

Snick stood waiting at the entrance and was joined by her sister. The doors were shut, but he could make out a pale light shining under the cracks. Tube approached the door and knocked briskly. There was no answer. He knocked again. Still nothing. Steeling himself for the only other alternative, he opened the door with a loud creak.

The roof was non existent, open to the moonlit sky above. It shone down on a small raised platform, upon which rested an altar depicting the moon and the sun, though this had also faded with time. Between the celestial bodies was the image of an animal. A snarling wolf, though it was also crumbling. The wooden doors had all but rotted away, yet more fauna seeping through. It was a strange mix of natural and artificial.

Atop the raised platform, laying before the altar with his back to them, was the pony Tube could only assume was Osteo. He was an Earth Pony, by the looks of it. His body was large and appeared muscular. The stallion had a dark brown-grey coat, covered by unremarkable loose clothes. His mane was bone-white, and contrasted his fur sharply. His head did not turn to look at them, preventing Tube from seeing his face. The room remained hushed as they waited for an indication that he was aware of their presence.

“Ahem,” Tube coughed. “Osteo, I presume?”

The stallion’s head did not move, nor did he speak.

“Excuse me? Hello?" He stepped a little closer. “Uh, do you speak Equestrian? C-Can you understand me?”

His head now tilted to the side slightly. “...yes,” he responded, his voice low and calm. “You are not from these parts. Why are you here, and how have you found this place?”

“How we found you i-is irrelevant,” dismissed Tube, cursing his stammer. “Our reason for f-finding you, however, is not. W-We’ve come to offer you a proposition.”

The stallion’s head turned without getting up and looked at them over his shoulder. Tube saw a light-indigo eye from his position, surrounded by prominent red eye shadow. However, he did not say anything in return. Tube took this as his cue to continue.

“M-My lord a-and master sent us t-to find you in h-his stead. H-He has a grand v-vision for this world. A-A better future, b-beyond the l-limited view of the diarchy of C-Celestia and L-L-Luna. W-With your help, we w-w-will be o-one step c-closer to-”

“If you’re trying to sound professional, you’re failing miserably. I can barely hear you over the sound of your stammering,” Grace cut in with his perpetual smile.

“Quiet!” he snapped. “I didn’t ask for your input, Grace!”

“Few ever do,” he responded smoothly before looking back at the stallion of interest.

“A-Anyway,” he continued, trying to gather himself. “Do you accept? S-Such great strength as yours would be a-an invaluable asset.”

Osteo continued to watch Tube unblinking. His head returned to face the altar. “You come into my home, disrupt my prayers, and so boldly claim to know of me and what I can do, offering me a place with this… agenda of yours… and tell me, where is this master of yours who not only declines to perform this business himself, but also sends such an unimpressive messenger?”

“Um… h-he is currently indisposed, d-due to u-unfortunate circumstances,” he replied. Beads of sweat were beginning to form. “B-But he sends you his regards.”

Fumbling momentarily, he pulled out the sealed scroll that Fallen had instructed to bring to Osteo. He levitated it over to him and left it at his hooves. Osteo tilted his head down to look at it before shifting, grabbing the scroll with his fore hooves and breaking the seal, rolling the parchment open across the cracked floor. Once again, the room was quiet as Osteo read its contents. Several minutes passed by in silence. Grace and the twins remained calm and still, but Tube found himself shuffling with unease as the seconds ticked by.

The silence was disturbed by a brief, almost inaudible gasp from Osteo. Tube swung his head in the larger pony’s direction. He didn’t seem to have moved at all, but he knew he hadn’t imagined the noise…

Another minute passed. Then, abruptly, Osteo stood up. He approached the altar and bowed his head before it, muttering something they couldn't quite hear.

Then he turned around around, allowing them to see him in full. The front half of his mane was parted and braided on either side. His other eyes shared the same red eye shadow as the former. His mouth was set in a firm line, devoid of expression.

He picked up the scroll and held it over a nearby candle. It instantly lit aflame and quickly dissolved to embers. Tube tensed at the action, even more so when Osteo began to approach them. The stallion stopped before Tube, towering over him almost as much as Fallen.

“Very well,” he spoke in a neutral tone. “For now, I shall accompany you. Bring me to this ‘Fallen Soul’, so that I might judge him and his cause for myself.” His eyes narrowed just slightly. “But I warn you now, however: if I am displeased with what I find, I will not hesitate to kill each of you.”

With that, Osteo moved past Tube and made for the exit. The twins promptly began to move after him casually, as though he hadn’t just threatened their lives.

Grace watched Osteo with obvious interest. “Well, it seems Fallen just has a wonderful eye for talent, doesn’t he? Which mysterious threatening figure will he add to this merry band of misfits next, I wonder?” He moved after the other three, leaving Tube standing there frozen still.

“Yes,” he murmured to himself, “who indeed?”

How to Raise Your Dragon

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“Okay, spit,” commanded Twilight. Ray spat into the petri dish she held out. “Good. Now, open wide.” He did so again and she carefully examined the inside of his mouth. “Hmm. Good.” She made a few notes. “Okay, try not to blink.” She shone a penlight in his eye and check his pupil dilations. “All normal here.”

“Uh, no offense, Twilight, but do we really need to do this?” asked Ray.

“I like to be as thorough as I can,” she responded in a clipped voice, making another note.

“But I just went through this yesterday.”

“Ray, you know what you agreed to,” she said sternly. “I’m in charge of these examinations, so just keep quiet, do what I tell you and we can get through this as quick as we can.”

“Fine.” A moment of silence while she prepared the saliva sample under a microscope. “What happens if doing what you tell me involves speaking?” She gave him an exasperated look. “Right, sorry.”

She sighed and continued to examine the sample. Maybe she should have at least laughed a little. She knew he was just trying to use humour to diffuse the tension. But in the wake of the news a week ago, she still found it difficult to be as relaxed around him as she used to be. As anypony would hearing something like that.

The meeting they’d had about what should happen with Ray after what he told them had been a very heated one. Rainbow had been one of the most outspoken in her negative opinion on Ray’s crime of how dangerous he appeared to be to all of them. Twilight couldn’t blame her. She’d already been shaken once with the revelation of Wrath in Ray’s mind. Now once again, a pony she’d considered ‘cool’ had shattered her image of him again with the confession of murder. Twilight hoped Rainbow would someday come to terms with that.

Applejack had been one of those who spoke in defence of Ray. He’d been angry over the deaths of ponies close to him. Anypony would be angry in that situation. Add to that Wrath’s influence and she staunchly said she didn’t blame him for what had happened. She’d also shocked them by adding that if she had been through the same things he had, under the same circumstances, or if any of them had, they would have acted the same way.

Rarity’s stance had been rather on the fence. While she too had sympathy for Ray and how he’d felt at the time, she found it difficult to look past the fact he’d committed murder. Everypony got angry, but that didn’t condone killing somepony out of that anger. A little like Rainbow, she feared what might happen if his anger were to be turned toward any of them, although she never said that directly, avoiding the question when prompted further and giving no definite answers.

Pinkie Pie had reacted similarly, though in a much more distressed fashion. She still loved Ray, as she did all of them and any of her friends, but she expressed a fear of him. Then, she became ashamed of herself for being scared of one of her friends and considered going to Ray and making him feel better. But then how could she make him feel better when he’d killed those ponies? Maybe what they did was mean, but they must have had lives, friends and family too. Did that make Ray bad that he killed them or was it okay because they’d killed the ponies he was travelling with?

In the end, Pinkie had burst into tears and confused remarks, then ran out of the room in a state. Rarity, who appeared just as uncomfortable with the discussion, had gone after her.

Fluttershy had been mostly quiet throughout the proceedings. There was no hiding that she was scared. But when they’d prompted her to speak, she tentatively expressed her view. In her tending of animals, she had taken into care many, many creatures most would consider to be violent and extremely dangerous. With tender love and care, she knew there were whole different sides to these matters than what may meet the eye. Though she was scared of him, she announced that she would stand by Ray. If it came down to a form of custody, she said she would take him in herself. Then she blushed at the implication and fell silent.

Dusk had, as they all expected, had been in full defence of Ray. He could have kept secret of what he did from them, but he admitted to it, something that he did despite how they might react to it. He also brought up that Ray had killed Chrysalis too, in a similar circumstance; that he had gotten angry at her for what he had done to those he cared for and lost control. Yet they didn’t seem to hold that against him. They were hard-pressed to think of a good argument against that point.
Spike had been a little surprised to be included in the proceedings. He’d listened at first to what everypony else had said before he took his turn. This had been when Pinkie and Rarity had come back into the room, the former still a bit of a mess. He had made the point that, being a dragon, he was just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than Ray. During his greed rampage, he could have trodden on somepony or eaten them. The others didn’t hold it against him just because he lost control and that was much more recent. It wasn’t fair to be judging Ray by the same standards and for something that had happened five years ago, something that wasn’t even entirely his fault.

Twilight tried to take an objective standpoint, since they would be deferring to her for a final decision. From the start, she had stated that regardless of the circumstances, he’d committed murder. A very serious crime in Equestria, punishable by lifelong imprisonment. But hearing them all make their points and because of her own feelings on Ray, she found it hard to remain objective. He was still their friend and they’d defended him before when they’d learned of how potentially dangerous he was. It was only now that they fully grasped the scope of how hazardous he could be. But that wasn’t his fault. They’d given him love, care and a home. They’d given him friendship. The blame wasn’t solely on him for his crimes, something they all knew.

She said all of this when eyes turned to her for her opinion. In the end, she didn’t have the heart to sentence him to Canterlot. When she put forward the motion, they’d all voted against it. Even Rainbow did, though rather reluctantly and with great difficulty. She suggested instead that his examinations in the library become daily rather than weekly and with the exception of the evenings, unless circumstances made it so, that they should have at least one of them stay with him at all times. The vote was carried unanimously.

Now, Ray had to report to the library at eight-thirty promptly before going to the farm with Applejack for work. Needless to say, Ray had been relieved and thankful for this turn of events. But there was hardly a celebration for it. Everypony left with heavy hearts and conflicted feelings. It would take time for them to relax around Ray again. He seemed to accept that, but he wasn’t exactly happy for it.

It was only her doing the examination today. Dusk and Spike were out with Rarity and the phoenix Spike had been caring for. Looking at Ray, she could feel pity well up inside her. The expression he wore wasn’t that of a ruthless killer, but of a disheartened friend, wondering if he’d ever be able to make up for the horrible thing he’d done.

“Ray.” He looked up sharply, while she remained with her back to him at the microscope. “I don’t like that you killed. Just so we’re clear. But I understand why it happened. It was before you met us. You’ve had Wrath in your head your whole life and he’s made it much more difficult for you. Spike was right. It’s not fair for us to judge you for what happened five years ago or for the circumstances that brought you there. What happened… it doesn’t make you a bad pony.”

She waited for him to say something. However, he stayed silent. He must have felt she had more to say, so she continued. This time, she turned around to look at him.

“But I want to warn you right now. While you’re not wholly responsible for what happened, it has served to remind us what you’re capable of under Wrath’s influence. So, I’m only going to say this once: if you’re responsible, indirectly or otherwise, for anything like that happening to anypony in Ponyville, any of my friends or Dusk, I’ll be the first to take action to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Understand?”

“I… I do,” he nodded. “Believe me, I’d hand myself in if anything like that happened with any of the others. But I promise you, I would never do anything to hurt any of them.”

“I hope so,” she replied sadly, returning to her studying. “I really do.”

Dusk stood at the edge of Ponyville while he watched Spike standing not too far off. They had come along to bear witness to a rare and touching event. After all of this time, the little one was finally going to be growing up. It had been some time since they’d found him and now he was taking his first steps towards true maturity. He was at last going to spread his wings and fly.

“Come on, Peewee! You can do it!” encouraged Spike.

After months in his care, the baby phoenix was reaching a stage of maturity. He was much larger now, about the size of a pigeon and his wings had grown large enough for him to take off. The adolescent phoenix seemed nervous of the prospect, but the presence of his surrogate parent was a comfort.

“I’m right here with you, buddy,” assured Spike. “Go on. Make me proud.”

The phoenix cawed a grateful sound and spread his wings. Spike started a run with Peewee on his arm. Peewee tried to jump and fly, but his wings flapped unevenly and he quickly latched back on to Spike’s arm. He tried again, but much the same result ensued.

“You’ve almost got it! Come on Peewee, show ‘em what a real phoenix can do!” urged Spike.

The third time was much more successful. There was another little stumble, but his wings managed to get into the right motion. He took off into the sky, again with minor losses of control, but he kept himself in the air, soaring majestically around them.

“Alright, Peewee!” cried Spike. “Yeah, I knew you could do it! Look at him go!”

“Good work, Spike!” cheered Dusk. “I knew he’d have it in him, thanks to how well you’ve raised him.”

“Aw shucks, you’re embarrassing me.” There was a pause. “Well, I didn’t say stop.”

Dusk chuckled and rubbed the top of Spike’s head. “It won’t be much longer before he’s fully grown, if I remember the books Phoenix Wing sent you.”

“Maybe Philomena would like to meet him,” suggested Spike. “I’ll bet she’d like another phoenix playmate to have.”

“I’m sure she would,” said Dusk. “I’d say we’ve done fine work for the little one. Though he isn’t so small anymore.”
“Yeah…” Spike watched him wistfully. “It’s kind of weird, seeing him so big now. Seems like yesterday he was the size of a fire ruby.”

“We all have to grow up someday, Spike. One of the inescapable facts of life,” said Dusk. “Though it sounds strange that you’re talking like an old pony when you’re still only just taller than my knee.”

“Hey, I won’t be small forever!” he insisted. “I’m gonna be bigger one day too, then we’ll see who comes up to who’s knee!”
“In time, Spike. But no matter what, you’ll always be my little brother,” said Dusk sincerely. “And Twilight’s too.”

“Coo-ee! Hello, you two!” They looked to see Rarity approaching. “How are my favourite library assistants today? Goodness, is that Peewee?”

“Yep!” said Spike proudly. “Not too bad, huh?”

“I should say so,” cooed Rarity. “What a remarkable sight, how much he’s grown. It’s a wonderful thing to happen, considering…”

She trailed off, but Dusk could tell from the look on her face what she was talking about. Or rather, whom.

“Admittedly, Rarity, I’m still a little shocked too about Ray,” said Dusk. “But it’s all in the past now.”

“I-I know, but…” She paused. “The events might be in the past, but the implication remains with us.”

“Which is?”

“That given the proper cause, he is capable of murder,” she answered. “I know you might not like it, Dusk, but it’s the truth.”
“But why should that worry you?” asked Dusk. “Are you going to give him cause?”

“Certainly not!” she replied sharply. “But what if he doesn’t need a proper cause? What if he just needs to get angry and that’s all it takes? Any one of us could be at risk!”

“Rarity, that’s not going to happen,” he insisted. “And you know it’s Wrath that’s pushing him to those extremes. Getting angry alone doesn’t do it. As long as he wears the necklace, he can keep him under better control.”

“But how does that make him any less dangerous?” she retorted. “We’ve seen as well that that necklace can be pushed to a limit, as Discord demonstrated. Someday, we might discover that limit. How can we live, knowing something that life threatening is hanging over our heads?!”

“So, he’s a thing now, huh?” They were both surprised at the tone Spike was taking. “Is that how you saw me, after what happened on my birthday?”

She faltered. “Spike… i-it isn’t like that. It’s not the same.”

“Isn’t it though?” he asked. “Like I said, something worse could have happened when my greed got the better of me. You all might have seen me as some dangerous dragon and I still could be, if it ever happens again. But you still saw me as your little Spikey wikey. You didn’t see me as a rampaging monster. Why can’t you do the same for Ray?”

Dusk smiled proudly at Spike’s stance while Rarity began to look uncomfortable, clearly trying to find a way to prove Spike wrong. She couldn’t. In the end, she conceded.

“You’re right,” she murmured. “I’m sorry, Spike. This whole affair, it… still has me on edge. I think it’s fair to say the same of all of us. But your point is well made.”

“It’s fine, I get it,” he nodded. “You all need some time to take this in and come to terms with it. But just… don’t blame him completely for it.”

“Of course.” She smiled proudly. “You may not have grown any bigger in size, Spike, but you’ve certainly grown in other ways.”

His cheeks went red. “Y-You think?”

“I do indeed,” she said sincerely. “It would be rather strange to see you grow up, I must say. You’ve been such an adorable little dear from the first day we met that seeing you get any bigger would be… well, it would take some getting used to.”

“Twilight told me about when he first hatched, back when she was eight. He was no bigger than one of the books in the library. Thirteen years later and not much has changed,” chuckled Dusk.

“Yeah well, just you wait,” warned Spike. “One of these days, I’ll start growing a little more. Then, like I said, we’ll see who’s bigger than who.”

“Now, now, Spikey,” said Rarity. “Don’t try to grow up too fast.”

“Hey, if it happens, I can’t help it,” he shrugged. His laughing was stopped when he clutched his stomach. “Ow, ow, ow… that hurts.”

Rarity was at his side in a second. “Spikey wikey? Are you alright?”

There was a flapping of wings and Peewee landed nearby. He crowed to Spike, looking concerned.
“I’m okay…. It’s fine, nothing to- ow, ow, ow, ow!” He clutched his stomach again and fell on his knees. “Okay… maybe not completely fine.”

“What is it?” Rarity asked. “What’s happening?”

“Stomach pains,” Dusk answered quickly. “Spike’s been getting them on and off for a while.”

“What? You mean these have been happening for a while? The one from reforming Discord wasn’t the only one?”

“I only just discovered this yesterday,” Dusk told her. “Spike told me they’ve been happening for some time. They come and go at irregular intervals and can be in effect in the same way. He insisted to me that there was nothing to worry about.”
Those last words were directed pointedly at Spike, who was getting back to his feet.

“Well, they’re not. See? This one’s already gone.” He tried to smile to lighten the tension, but he failed. “Look, come on. How bad can a stomach ache be?” He suddenly belched up green fire. Quite a bit of it. “Uh, that happens sometimes too. Maybe it’s just bad gas?”

“I’d like to believe that, but I doubt it if it’s been going on this long,” said Dusk. “Why haven’t you told Twilight about this?”
“I didn’t think it was a big deal!” he insisted. “We’ve had so much bigger stuff going on recently, I didn’t think that my aching tummy was something to get worked up about. I figured you and Twilight would just tell me to stop snacking so much and they’d go away.”

“Clearly, they’re not. Spikey, you’ve got to swear to us that the next time you get one, you’ll tell Twilight at once. Promise us, please?” begged Rarity.

He nodded. “Yeah, I think you might be right. If I do get another one, she’ll probably notice anyway. I’ve been lucky so far where my fire is concerned, but it’s only a matter of time before I burn something or accidentally send either of you to Celestia.”

“So, that’s a promise?”

“It’s a promise, Rarity,” he swore. “I’m sorry I’ve not told you until now and making you worry.”

“That’s alright, Spike,” she said with a smile. “Perhaps you’re right and these are just some silly little thing that’ll be gone within a month, but I’d rather know for definite.”

“Thinking about it, me too.” Peewee cawed again. “Oh hey, don’t worry, Peewee. I’m fine now, see?”
The phoenix cooed, not looking entirely convinced by Spike’s assurances. That’s what Dusk thought anyway, because neither was he.

Dusk arrived a little earlier than usual the next morning. Every now and again, though more frequently of late, he would forgo breakfast at his house and go eat it with Twilight and Spike. The dragon’s eggs and hay bacon were hard to resist in the morning, as was the good company of his fellow librarians.

However, the sight that greeted him wasn’t the two of them sitting down to breakfast. The first thing his senses picked up wasn’t the mouth-watering smell of hay bacon, but the frantic sounds of Twilight rapidly talking upstairs and books being flicked through. When he joined them in their room, he ducked when a book Twilight discarded almost hit him in the head.
The usually organised room was in a state of chaos. Twilight was using her magic to look at as many books at once as she could. When it wasn’t the one she was looking for, she tossed it away with a groan and increased panic. Spike was sitting on the stairs and, as Dusk feared, was clutching his stomach. On occasion, he belched a torrent of fire.

“Dusk! Thank goodness!” About twenty books levitated toward him. “Quick! Read these!”

“Wait, what?” was all he had time to say before he was buried under them. He stuck his head out. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Forget me! Worry about Spike!” she cried. “This morning, he started getting these stomach pains and he can’t stop belching fire! Now, hurry up and help me find something in one of these books!”

“Twilight, calm down.” He climbed out of the pile and approached Spike. “How long has this one been going on for?”

Twilight suddenly stopped. “Wait… this one?”

“S-Since early this morning,” he answered. He belched again and Dusk took a step back. “F-For about… half an hour a-and it won’t go away. I-I’m getting sudden pains and that’s when-“ He cried out and belched again. “That happens…”

“This one? This one?!” Twilight was seething. “You mean these have happened before and you didn’t even tell me?!”

“As far as I know, not on this scale,” replied Dusk. “Twilight, you really need to calm dow-“

“Don’t you tell me to be calm, mister!” she snapped. “You both knew and you were keeping this from me?! How could you do something so stupid?!”

“Don’t be like that,” he said sternly. “I only learned this yesterday and back then, they didn’t look like they were getting this serious. I assumed that Spike would have told you.”

“Well, he didn’t!” she shouted. “How could you not have told me?! Either of you?! I have half a mind to-!”

“Twilight!” Dusk grabbed her shoulders. “Please, just calm down. You’re only going to exacerbate the situation by panicking about it. We need to keep clear heads about this.”

“But-!”

“We’ll find out what’s wrong with him, but we won’t be able to do it like this.” He gazed at her intently. “Look at me. Listen to me. Calm. Down. Think about this carefully and clearly.”

He kept talking to her in this manner until, eventually, the panic in her eyes began to fade. Her breathing returned to a normal pace and her features relaxed.

“Okay… okay. I’m calm. I’m fine,” she repeated like a mantra. “Sorry.”

“That’s fine. Now then,” he said, “we know we’re not going to find a solution by randomly going through every book we have in the hopes of finding it. Do we still have those books on dragon physiology that Phoenix Wing sent us?”

She nodded. “We do, but now that I think about it, it might be better for somepony else to have a look at him.”

“Or somezebra?”

“Exactly.” She levitated Spike onto her back and encased him in a magic bubble so his fire wouldn’t be damaging anything. “Come on, Spike. Let’s get you to Zecora.”

They galloped at full pelt into the Everfree Forest. Zecora was at first taken aback at the sudden intrusion, but recognised the emergency. She quickly found one of her brews and got Spike to drink it. After a minute from drinking it, his random fire belches stopped but he still clutched at his stomach.

“He’s been like that since this morning,” explained Twilight. “Apparently, this has been going on for a while as well, but it only got this bad today. Do you know what’s wrong with him?”

“I would first say this to you, that I am experiencing déjà vu,” said Zecora.

“Déjà vu?” Twilight repeated.

“Indeed.” She gazed sagely at them. “Spike is starting to mature. Of this, I am quite sure.”

“M-Mature? Oh no, not again!” cried Spike. “I-I’ve been controlling my greed, I swear!”

“This has nothing to do with greed, but it is a different kind of need,” she replied. “First, a question for which an answer you must provide: when did you first feel this pain inside?”

“Uh…” Spike grimaced in thought and discomfort. “I-I guess after we rescued Sombra and the Empire. I-It was pretty far in-between when I did and didn’t and when I did, it didn’t really hurt much. I figured th-they were just because of something I ate and they would pass. They did but they always c-came back. Every time, it hurt a little more a-and I started to get them more. When I started to get more, th-that’s when I started belching more fire when I didn’t mean to as well.”

“As I thought,” she murmured.

“Zecora, what exactly is going on with Spike?” asked Dusk. “Will he be okay?”

“So far as I can tell, yes, if all goes well.”

“But what does that mean? You said this wasn’t because of his dragon greed this time. Then, what is it?” he persisted.

“Throughout the time in this place I’ve been, though the fact you may hate, much conflict Ponyville and Equestria has seen, especially of late. This, I dread, may be a precursor for dire times ahead,” she added somberly.

“Perhaps, but what does it mean for Spike?” persisted Twilight.

“Because, come what may, you and your friends are in the fray. And with you all taking part, Spike is there beside you, in its heart. From the fight he’s never far, as proven by his scar. Every time he endures injury or maim, so burns brighter his inner flame. Spike needs to be tough, and as a child, his form is not enough.”

“His inner flame… that’s what gives him his fire breath?” asked Dusk.

“Yeah.” It was Spike who answered. “It was in o-one of the books Phoenix Wing sent me on dragon anatomy. All dragons have it. As we grow older, it burns brighter and lets us breathe more powerful flames.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “So he is maturing, like he was when he was being greedy. But you said it had nothing to do with greed?”

“Indeed.” Zecora looked at Spike. “Spike, please answer true. How old are you?”

“Um, thirteen,” he answered. “Fourteen this year.”

“There is that then, too. Now, answer this. In all the battles you fought, what was the one thing you truly sought?”

“Um… to help Twilight. And Dusk and Rarity. Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Ray. Everypony,” he answered. “I wanted to help protect my friends and Ponyville. A-And the Crystal Empire and Canterlot.”

“And there is your answer,” said Zecora simply. “A dragon’s body can be made to grow by some inner need or want they know. To protect their hoard, this is usually greed but this desire is much purer indeed.”

“So… Spike’s body is growing because he wants to help protect us?” Twilight smiled warmly. “Oh Spike…”

“Hey, I’m your number one dragon assistant,” he said. “Can’t be that in a fight with stubby legs and tiny arms. Even my body knows it, apparently.”

“And what now then?” asked Dusk. “Do we just wait for this to pass and eventually, Spike will become a teenaged dragon?”
“No. When dragons truly mature, the pain is difficult for even them to endure. They must first temper their fire before their bodies begin to stand higher. This feat can be done with one thing alone: a substance known as Dragonstone.”

“Dragonstone. I’ve never heard of that,” confessed Twilight.

“Few who are not dragons have. The place it’s formed, the only place it can, is in the dragon homeland. Find it, consume it like you would a tasty gem and you will see what will happen then. It will temper your inner fire as it burns, while your body’s need to grow is spurned. Then so will begin your adolescent days, brought on in a far less painful way.”

Dusk dreaded asking this last question. “What happens if we don’t get him the Dragonstone and leave him as he is?”
Zecora’s face was a grim one. “Then his inner fire will burn greater and will burn higher. His body will find it difficult to contain, but it will cause him great pain. Some dragons have tried to prove their worth and forgo the stone for their rebirth. However, those who do are not guaranteed to thrive and most… do not survive.”

“The pain will become too much to handle? You mean… he’ll…?” Twilight couldn’t finish her question, but Zecora merely nodded. “No… no…”

She bowed her head and pulled Spike in a hug. He returned it gratefully, looking terrified. Dusk couldn’t blame him. He joined their embrace, the three librarians together.

It was Twilight who pulled out. Though she looked distressed, she covered it with a mask of determination.

“We need to move,” she said, her voice trembling a bit. “Dusk, you take Spike back to the library and make sure he’s somewhere comfortable. Take a letter to the Princess. Inform her of the situation and get her to contact Phoenix Wing immediately. Detail what we’re looking for and say we need his help to find it.”

“At once.” Dusk levitated Spike onto his back. “What will you do?”

“I’ll inform the others. They’ll want to know about this. Also, when Ray comes in for his examination, tell him it’s postponed for today until this is resolved. Got that?” He nodded. “Then what are you still here for? Go!”

Dusk didn’t need to be told twice. Galloping at full pelt once more, he whisked Spike back to the library. He quickly wrote a letter to Celestia and had Spike send it off. He clutched his stomach again after he did.

“Ouch! That hurt a lot more than it should have,” he groaned.

“Then we should avoid sending any others.” He tucked him in Twilight’s bed. “You just focus on getting some rest, little brother. I’ll get you some ice cream, see if that doesn’t help.”

“I’m feeling better just thinking about it,” he laughed reluctantly. “You know, I heard how your body goes through changes when you get older. Some of them even hurt. Didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“Dragon puberty certainly seems unforgiving,” noted Dusk. “I’ll go get some for you. Strawberry?”

“You know it. Hey, Dusk?” Dusk turned at the rather desperate tone in his voice. “I’m… I’m scared.”
Dusk responded with another hug. “You’re not the only one. So am I.”

The time passed slowly for Spike. Twilight teleported back about ten minutes after they got back. She went up to see Spike before, looking agitated. She stayed with him for a long while, talking with him, reading through some of his favourite comics with him, casting spells and giving him the potion Zecora had used to alleviate his pain. Not long after, their friends started to trickle in. Most of them couldn’t stay long because of their work, but they all made sure to wish Spike well.

Ray congratulated him on finally being able to grow a few inches. Applejack said she was looking forward to seeing how strong he’d end up being. Rainbow offered to give him flying lessons if he actually grew in wings. Pinkie promised to throw him a Welcome to Your Teenage Years party and left him a cupcake. Fluttershy had offered her own tender love and care for a while, doing what she could to alleviate Spike’s discomfort.

But the best part was when Rarity came by. She was straight up the stairs and at his bedside in seconds. She carried saddlebags with her.

“There’s my little soldier!” She set herself beside the bed and hugged him. “Oh Spikey, I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here sooner. How are you feeling?”

“Um, okay,” he mumbled with a heavy blush. “A lot better now…”

“Aw, you’re so sweet.” She began to rummage through the bags. “I’ve brought plenty of gems for little snacks, some of my homemade onion soup that you like and some components for face masks with cucumbers and soothing cream. It’ll be like a trip to the spa and I’ll be the one providing your treatment!”

Spike stared in amazement. She was willing to do all of that… just for him?

Twilight was stunned too. “That’s… very generous of you to offer, Rarity. But what about the Boutique?”

“I closed it for the day. As soon as I heard of Spike’s condition, I gathered all of this and came as quickly as I could. I have to deal with what’s important right now,” she said firmly. “Never fear, Twilight. My little Spikey wikey shall be neglected no longer!”

“Oh. Okay then.” She shifted a little awkwardly. “I’ll… be downstairs with Dusk then. Call me if you need anything.”

She trudged down the stairs, glancing furtively back as she did.

“Oh dear. Is she alright?” asked Rarity.

“I think she’s just worried. She’ll be fine,” dismissed Spike. “Can I have some of those gems now, please?”

She giggled. “Not all at once. We don’t want you making your stomach worse than it already is.”

What followed was Spike’s idea of heaven. Rarity gave him small handfuls of gems to eat. She fed him some of her onion soup from a flask, which tasted delicious. Then, she made him a facial mask and even gave him a hooficure. It was complete and utter bliss.

But even then, it was hard to ignore the continued sensation of burning in his chest. A constant reminder that added to his own worries that he’d begun to have about this whole thing.

“So, Spikey,” said Rarity after his treatment was finished, “how are you feeling about finally growing up?”

“Okay, I guess,” he replied in an attempt at a casual tone. “Kind of weird that it’s happening around the same time Peewee was, huh?”

“Yes, that was my thought too. But I don’t think that’s all that’s on your mind.” She smiled lovingly at him. “You can tell me, Spike. I’d be surprised if you weren’t a little worried.”

He sighed. There was no hiding this. “I… I’m afraid to grow up. Like, really afraid.”

“Spike, that’s perfectly natural. Every young child experiences some fear of-“

“No, it’s not just that. It’s worse for me.” He hugged his legs. “Remember what happened the last time I grew up?”

Rarity’s expression turned fearful. “I do. But it won’t be like that, I’m sure. It’s not because of your greed this time. This is just you naturally getting older.”

“But how do we know nothing bad will happen when I do?” he asked. “Maybe I won’t grow that big, but what if I change in a different way? Remember Garble and his gang? They were teenagers and their idea of fun was smashing defenceless phoenix eggs.”

“Spike, you’re not like them,” she insisted.

“How do we know I won’t be? Dragons are naturally aggressive and Twilight’s told me about how teenaged ponies can act rebellious and stuff like that. It could be the same for me, but I’ll just be really angry and be like they were.” He buried his head in his arms. “I don’t wanna be like that. I don’t wanna do something that’ll hurt anything or anypony. What if it’s you guys? What if… what if it’s you?”

That was his biggest fear. When his greed had consumed him, Rarity had been one of his targets. He was scared of acting like that again but this time, there’d be no chance of reversing his growth. It would be permanent. If he acted like that, he would have to leave Ponyville. He’d be too dangerous to stay. He didn’t want that…

“Oh, Spike.” She offered a comforting smile. “Don’t fret so much about this. We don’t know what will happen when you get older. We do have a little hint though, thanks to that mirror.”

“Oh yeah. I’d… kinda forgotten about that,” he admitted.

“I haven’t and I remember you looked like a very noble young dragon,” she said proudly. “I think we’d all feel a lot safer knowing such a being is watching over us.”

“Not if I’m acting like a total jerk,” he muttered.

“Spike, stop it,” she said firmly. “It’s silly to let yourself worry like this. Perhaps your adolescence will bring on a little more aggression. As you say, it’s natural for teenagers to experience such feelings. But I do very strongly think that even though your body will change, your heart won’t. You’ll still be my little Spikey wikey.”

He brought his head back up. She was smiling warmly. “You… really mean that?”

“I really do.” She gave him another hug. “You’re already my little hero. You’re just going to be bigger.”

He couldn’t hold back a little laugh. “Yeah. That’ll be odd, being taller than you. I’ve always had to look up to you.”

They both jumped at the sound of Twilight’s raised voice.

“No! No, it won’t! Nothing will be fine!”

“Why do you say that?” they heard Dusk ask. “There’s no need to-“

“Don’t take that patronising tone with me, Dusk Noir!” she shrieked. “You think that just because you think you know what’s going to happen that I can ignore what’s happening to Spike?! Do you?!”

“Of course not.” His own voice rose a bit. “But losing our heads over it isn’t going to help either.”

“Who’s losing their head?! I’m not losing my head! Look at mine! Still attached to my neck!” There was a brief pause, and Spike imagined her gesturing to the area. “But you must be losing yours if you think everything’ll just be hunky dory when this is over!”

“I fail to see what the problem is here. We know what’s happening and we know how fix it. We’re not going to lose Spike, he’ll just be growing up.”

“WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?!” Spike’s heart panged when he heard her sobbing. “Who knows what’ll happen now he’s really starting to mature?! How big will he grow? Will his diet change? Will his mood and feelings? He may not be able to stay in Ponyville! He may have to leave! DON’T YOU REALISE THAT?! I don’t want to lose him! I don’t want to lose him… not Spike… not my little brother…”

Spike was stunned at this outburst. He only barely acknowledged Rarity hugging him to comfort him. All he could hear was Twilight’s words echoing in his head while she sobbed downstairs

To know that Twilight was this terrified of him becoming a teenager really shook him. It only made the fears he confessed to Rarity seem even worse. It made him feel a little better to hear what Dusk said to her next. He had to strain his ears to hear the following words, but he was able to make them out. Whilst comforting her, Spike heard Dusk say something about how he wouldn’t change too much.

“Even when he was going on a full blown rampage, he was reminded of who he was inside and that he was our friend. He’s not going to forget that because his voice will get deeper and he’ll grow a few more inches,” he said.

“Dusk, be serious!” she snapped. “What if it’s worse than that?! What if-?!”

“Worrying about the future before it’s actually happened again?” he asked pointedly. “Twilight, I understand your worries, I really do. But until we know for certain what’s going to happen to Spike, getting worked up isn’t going to do anypony any favours. But I can tell you this for certain: he won’t forget who is friends are or where he belongs. You know he won’t. He won’t leave us. Have faith.”

Twilight hiccupped and sniffed. Her sobs became less and less frequent.

“I really hope you’re right,” she said in a softer tone. “But… a big part of me says you are.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” chuckled Dusk.

“Thank you, Dusk. I’m sorry for… for…”

“Don’t worry about it,” he reassured. “Like I said, I understand.”

Spike looked at Rarity. She was smiling softly at him. Apparently she’d been able to make out their conversation as well. Spike felt the beginning of tears in his eyes. When Rarity hugged him for comfort, he hugged back, gripping as tightly as he could. It remained like this for a while, with Spike holding Rarity like he would never let go.

They received the letter from Celestia and the reply from Phoenix about an hour later. He told them to meet him at the border of the Badlands, where he would escort them to the dragon’s maturation grounds. Celestia sent her own aid in the form of a pair of royal chariots to take them there. As much as she wanted to, she wasn’t able to join them but she did wish them luck and asked for an invitation to the party afterwards.

The chariots arrived swiftly. They were instructed only to bring them to the border. The reason for this was the same one as why only five of them were going. Phoenix advised them that too large a group of ponies would attract the wrong kind of attention from the dragons. As such, the group consisted of Spike, Twilight, Rarity, Dusk and Rainbow Dash. Since they had the most experience in the Badlands, it only made sense.

They all said their goodbyes to the rest of their friends, letting Spike have most of the attention.

“We’re sorry we can’t come with ya, Spike,” Applejack said sincerely as she hugged him. “But we’ll be ready an’ waitin’ by the time ya get back. Ah’ll give ya hoof wrestle ta test yer strength.”

“You’re on,” said Spike. “You’ll never match my new dragon muscles!”

“Don’t count yer apples ‘fore ya buck ‘em,” she warned. “Y’all take good care-a him an’ yerselves now, ya hear?”

“No sweat, AJ,” dismissed Rainbow. “Any dragon tries to mess with us, they’re gonna have to go through me first.”

“Considering you’re going to the Burning Badlands, I think there’d be quite a bit of sweat,” remarked Ray.

“Yeah. I guess.” Rainbow’s expression hardened and Ray’s smile faltered. Pinkie’s, however, didn’t.

“I get it!” She giggled and snorted. “Good one, Ray.”

Ray laughed awkwardly, but Dusk could tell he was pleased he managed to get that. Pinkie, at least, appeared to have come to terms with his confession and simply looked happy to remain his friend. As Dusk suspected she might do.

“It’s so strange,” said Fluttershy. “I can’t believe you’re growing up, when only a couple of years ago you were the first baby dragon I’d ever seen.”

“Soon, I’ll be the first teenage dragon you’ve ever seen.” Spike hugged her. “I hope I won’t be too scary for you, Fluttershy.”
“Oh, Spike. No matter how big you grow, you could never scare me. You’re my friend,” she replied kindly.

“Yeah, you’re always gonna be our friend, Spike.” Pinkie swept him up in one of her signature hugs. “Remember that when you’re brooding up in your room about how unfair life is, dyeing your spines black and listening to maretallica.”

“Not in my Treebrary he isn’t!” called Twilight.

“Yes, momma Twilight!” she called back. “I’ll bake you a special cake with gems for your party when you get back.”

“Sounds… great…!” he gasped through her hug. “Uh, Pinkie? I-“ Another squeeze resulted in an involuntary belch of flame. “Too tight…!”

“Oops! Sorry!” She quickly set him down. “Good luck, Spike. We’ll be here when you get back!”

“We will.” Ray offered a hoof to shake. “Good luck, Spike. Hope your puberty isn’t as bad as mine was.”

“I dunno.” Spike patted his stomach and winced a bit. “We might be evenly matched there.”

“Don’t even think of making a competition out of this,” Ray joked. “Can you shake my hoof then please? Standing on three legs this long is a little awkward.”

Spike chuckled and did so. “Thanks, Ray. You’re a great guy, you know that?”

“Um… thanks. Same to you.” He rubbed the back of his head and stepped away.

Their farewells finished, they climbed onto the chariots. Twilight and Spike took one, while Dusk and Rarity shared the other. Rainbow was content to fly alongside them, saying she could use the workout. They waved to the others until they were specks in the distance.

“Now, this is much better than last time,” said Rarity. “At least we’re not carrying a cumbersome yet still fabulous dragon costume on this trip.”

“That is indeed thankful.”

“Dusk, you didn’t even wear it.”

“No, but I did help carry it. And maintaining that magical disguise wasn’t exactly a walk in the park either.”

“Nor was having three ponies in the same costume,” she countered. “Like when you tried to fly in it Rainbow, remember? Rainbow?”

Even though she was flying next to them, Rainbow didn’t appear to have heard a word of their conversation. Instead, she looked as if she was engrossed in thought. A rather troubling thought, it seemed.

“Rainbow?” tried Dusk. “Are you alright?”

“Huh?” She snapped her head up. “Uh, yeah, whatever you said, Dusk.” She returned to contemplation.

“You know, the thought just occurred to me as to your purpose in coming,” said Rarity in a teasing tone. “Looking forward to seeing Phoenix again, Rainbow?”

“No!” she snapped. “I mean uh, yes. Wait, no! Uh… oh, who cares?”
Dusk and Rarity exchanged a look. Dusk took the initiative.

“What’s troubling you, Rainbow? Has something happened?”

“What’s it matter to you?” she retorted sharply.

“Rainbow, there’s no need to take that tone,” chastised Rarity. “We’re simply asking what the matter is, darling. Has something happened?”
Rainbow appeared conflicted at this question. A couple of times, she started to speak but stopped herself and clamped her mouth shut with her cheeks faintly red.

“I… guess you could say that,” she finally said. “It’s uh… kind of hard to explain.”

“Take your time,” advised Dusk. “You can tell us, but you don’t have to.”

“Nah, I will. Just…” Again, she became quiet while she tried to find a starting point. “We broke up. If you can even say that.”

“You did? When did this happen?” asked Rarity.

“A few weeks back,” she replied. “We kept in touch since we met, but it was pretty sparse. I have my job and his is pretty time consuming anyway. In a letter he sent a while ago, he dropped the ball. He considers himself ‘married to his work’ and we can’t exactly see each other a whole lot. So, he thought it was best to end it.”

Rarity placed a hoof to her mouth. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I told AJ. I talked to her about it after she sussed something was up when we were racing one time. I made her promise not to tell anypony. I mean hey, it’s me. Can’t let word be getting around some stallion dumped me, right?” she said with a bitter laugh.

“Oh.” Dusk grimaced sympathetically. “I’m sorry to hear that, Rainbow.”

“Eh, no biggie. Just gonna be weird seeing him again, you know? After that went down.” She flashed them a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll deal with it. How bad can it be, right?”

Dusk felt it best not to answer that. He knew personally this wasn’t the first time a stallion rejected her. At least she wasn’t under the influence of a fairy this time, and hopefully things would be less awkward. He made a mental note to talk to her about it at another time.

After a couple of hours flying, with about two fifteen minute breaks in between, they saw the orange skyline and the barren, blackened plains of the Burning Badlands. Dusk glimpsed a bright red figure getting closer to them. The muscled, scarred form of Phoenix Wing flew up to them and guided the Pegasus chariot pullers where to land.

They quickly left the chariots and told the guards to wait for their return. Phoenix told them of a small village about ten minutes flight from where they were they could rest up and wait for them. They saluted and flew off.

“Nice seeing you all again,” he said once they left. “Good timing too. You’ve joined us just in time for the cold season.”
They all looked toward the Badlands, which looked just as volcanic as it had been when they were there last time.

“Well, as cold as this place gets,” he added.

“Ha ha ha ha! That’s funny!” Rainbow’s laughter was stiff and awkward. “Like, really!”

“Um, thank you, Rainbow.” Phoenix’s voice dropped to a murmur and he was trying to look at anywhere other than at Rainbow. “You’re… good?”

“Oh yeah, yeah. Good. Great even, yeah. Psyched to be here. Totally. You?”

“I’m fine, yes.” Silence hung horribly afterward. “Right, not meaning to sound rude, but let’s not waste time with small talk. We have a job to do, so let’s get to it.”

“Good idea!” Twilight said at once. “Let’s get going! Phoenix, why don’t you tell me about your research?”

While they set off as a group, they were all walking in pairs. Twilight engaged Phoenix in conversation, Rarity walked with Spike rested on her back and Dusk hung at the back with Rainbow. He started to speak to her, but she muttered something about flying to keep a lookout and took off.

Dusk shook his head. It looked like that talk was going to have to wait.

The group followed Phoenix’s lead. Their path took them to the entrance of a large cave that appeared to go down into the earth. Phoenix advised them to be cautious and they started to stick closer together as the light from the burnt orange sky became dimmer the deeper they went. Eventually, Dusk, Twilight and Rarity had to provide light from their horns.
Spike would have felt a little more afraid of the dark, but he was more concentrating on the burning in his chest to worry about anything else. Plus, he was riding on Rarity’s back, so that was something too.

It had been rather hard sitting next to Twilight on the way here. She’d asked him if he was doing okay and how he was feeling, but he hadn’t felt like talking. Knowing how she felt didn’t make him feel good. She’d stayed quiet too and he couldn’t help but wonder if she was thinking about what would happen after.

He’d remembered something else that only added to his anxiety. When he’d seen a vision of his fears in the door at the Crystal Empire. The one of Twilight telling him she didn’t need him anymore and for him to leave. She might have said last night she didn’t want to lose him, but was that just talking about him now, as a baby? Once he grew up, would she see him as gone forever? Would her fear of him force him out of the library to be on his own in the cruel world? Would the town join her and the rest of their friends?

Spike only just managed to fight back tears. He didn’t really have a choice. Like Zecora said, he had to grow up to help protect them. It was either this or let this burning chest get worse. They’d come this far. They had to see this through to the end. Even if he didn’t like what might happen when they got there.

“Here it is!” Phoenix called.
Spike perked his head up. He gazed out with the others at what stood before them. At the end of the cave they’d walked was a carving of a mighty dragon sat on his haunches and towering over them. His wings were folded against his chest and his head was held tall, noble and proud. The horns curved and his claws were as big as they were.

“The great dragon Rumble,” Phoenix told them. “One of the few to hold the title of dragon king, from what little history the dragons keep of themselves.”

“Well, this is a fine piece of architecture to be sure, but how does it help us?” asked Rarity.

“It’s the entrance to the Maturation Grounds. Only the inner fire of a dragon approaching maturity can open the path.” He nodded to Spike. “Touch the statue.”

Spike took note again of how big the statue was. Hoping nothing bad would happen, he placed a claw on the statue.
A vibration surged throughout the statue from the point where Spike touched it. The cave rumbled as the eyes of the dragon began to burn. The fire that sparked into existence burned many different colours. Though they didn’t move in any way, Spike could tell that they were looking at him.

“Young dragon.” A deep voice reverberated around the stone walls. “Do you seek the path to greater heights beyond your childish years?”

“Um…” Spike nodded vigorously. “Y-Yes, I do.”

“And these others? They are of your brood?”

“They are,” he said at once. “They might not be dragons, but they are.”

“Yes. I can sense the bonds you share with them.” With a cracking of stone, the statue of Rumble rose from its haunches and stood on four legs. It revealed the entrance of a passage he was concealing. “Proceed.”

Spike glanced back at Phoenix. He nodded and took a few steps back. With a gulp, Spike nervously stepped inside. He was comforted to hear the hoofsteps of his friends close behind him. He jumped when he heard rumbling stone behind them and whipped around to see that the statue had sat back down, concealing the entrance once again and plunging them into darkness.

“Hold on a moment.” Dusk sent a colour orb ahead of them while Rarity and Twilight lit their own horns. “Right, on we go then.”

“I’ll stick closest to that light,” volunteered Rainbow and flew ahead. “Just in case anything sneaks up on us.”

Spike’s nerves didn’t ease up as they progressed. The rather low ceiling of the tunnel and the closeness of the stone walls made it seem like the mountain was closing in around them. He shivered a little and flinched when something touched him. It was only Rarity.

“Keep calm, Spikey. We’re all here with you,” she assured.

He sighed with relief. That did make him feel a little better.

“So, how do you feel about this whole thing, Spike?” Rainbow asked. “Becoming a teenager’s gotta be pretty cool.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he shrugged. “It’s gonna be pretty weird though, being a little bigger and probably stronger too.”

“That just means you’ll be able to reach the higher shelves easier and carry more books,” noted Dusk. “That means you’ll have even less excuse for slacking.”

“Yeah, no more mid-day napping for you,” added Twilight. “It’s fine when you’re a baby, but soon you’ll be a big boy.”

“What? Aw, man,” he moaned. “Being a teenager’s gonna suck. Hey, but that means I can stay up late. I can eat more before I get sick. And read those comics you don’t let me buy.”

Twilight frowned. “I’ll… think about it.”

“That means no,” Spike groaned. “Hey, I just realised something else. I’m gonna have to get a bigger bed. My basket won’t fit me anymore.”

“Are you kidding? Twilight should let you have your own room,” suggested Rainbow.

“Hey, that’d be kind of cool!” agreed Spike. “How about it, Twilight? Can I have my own room?”

“I suppose that would be fine, if we can make some more space,” conceded Twilight. “But are you sure you don’t want to share a room with me anymore?”

“Twilight, I don’t think you would. You know how teenagers have to have a little… time to themselves?” Rainbow said with a smirk. “You know, to learn some new things?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Twilight spent a few minutes looking at Rainbow who smirked and raised her eyebrows. Suddenly, she blushed. “Rainbow! Don’t talk about things like that!”

“What? Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy a little private time when you were that age,” she snickered.

“No!” Her cheeks went bright red. “That’s completely inappropriate!”

“Oh yeah? What about you, Dusk? I know how teenage guys can be.”

Dusk looked away, tilting his hat over his eyes. “I am not talking about this.”

“Don’t expect me to either,” added Rarity, her cheeks noticeably red. “A lady doesn’t discuss such personal matters. Especially when there’s stallions present.”

“Huh? I don’t get it,” said Spike. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Don’t you dare answer him!” Twilight said at once.

Rainbow snorted. “Fine, take all the fun out of it. But at least think of giving him space when he starts to bring girls home. Or guys, whichever.”

Spike knew exactly what she meant by that. But he still smiled while he blushed. Having his own room to be alone with somepony didn’t sound so bad.

“I'm sure there'll be none of that. Spike is a perfectly respectable young dragon and I’m sure he will continue to be so in his adolescence. As long as you’re not anything like those awful ruffians we met last time,” said Rarity. “I couldn’t bear to think of you behaving like that!”

“Agreed. They certainly weren’t the most pleasant of individuals,” said Dusk.

“Bunch of stinking jerks,” grumbled Rainbow. “Wish I could have shown ‘em what I thought of them with my hooves.”
Spike nodded absently, but said nothing. So, now the feelings of everypony else were clear too. Was growing up really what his inner wants needed of him? If it was for this…?

“Spike?” Rarity’s voice brought him out of his reverie. “Is something the matter, darling?”

“Uh… just…” He tried to find the right words. “Rarity, I-“

“Hey, I think I see something glowing up ahead!” Rainbow darted up the tunnel and rounded the corner. “Whoa! Guys, get up here! You gotta see this!”

They all quickened their pace to join her, standing in awe of the sight before her. When they arrived, they saw exactly why.
The whole cavern was filled with gems. Every kind of precious stone imaginable. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, crystals. The sight alone was enough to make Spike’s mouth water. Not only that, but there was treasure too. Gold cups, silver plates, pearl necklaces, crowns, tiaras, chests filled to bursting with bits.

“Would you look at all this?” Rainbow’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “It’s like something out of a Daring Do story!”
“But where’d this all come from?” wondered Twilight. “If this is a hoard, where’s the dragon it belongs to?”

“I think we should just be glad there’s no sign of him or her,” said Dusk.

“Oh my word,” gasped Rarity. “This is gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!”

“It is a very beautiful sight,” agreed Dusk while he examined a crystal. “But let’s not forget why we’re here.”

“Of course, of course,” said Rarity quickly. “I suppose one of the items in here must be the Dragonstone and we simply have to find it. My, but there are a lot of them.”

“Then I suppose it’s good there’s five of us here,” put in Twilight. “Everypony spread out and look around. Remember, we’re looking for a chunk of obsidian rock. It’s black and it’ll be really warm.”

The group dispersed around different parts of the cavern with Spike waddling off on his own. Even with all of them looking, they would have a hard time finding the Dragonstone among all of this. But he had to try. Plus, they wouldn’t be coming away empty handed. Maybe he’d be allowed to take a few things as keepsakes. Grab a couple of gems for snacks. Or a lot of them. Not like there weren’t any to spare…

He shook his head. He couldn’t let himself be distracted. He had to stay focused. Try to ignore all of these jewels and treasure and gems glinting beautifully like so many stars. There wasn’t even anypony around guarding them…

His eyes spied a very fat ruby, sitting on a pile of coins. He glanced around to check he was still alone. They’d been travelling for a while. Maybe a little snack wouldn’t hurt.

Spike swiped the ruby and bit into it. It was delicious and he soon gorged the whole thing down. He was even surprised to feel that his stomach felt a little better. That was just what he needed. Satisfied, he resumed his search.

While rooting around, he came across a tiara. It was adorned with amethysts, brilliantly purple like Rarity’s mane. She would really like it. Maybe he should keep it for her…

He grabbed it and put it on his head for ease of carrying it. Again, the burning in his chest reduced. Maybe it was just knowing he’d done something nice for a friend. Perhaps if he found similar treasures for the others too.

He spotted a cup with a griffin shaped on it. Since Rainbow was a Daring Do fan, she might like that. So, he took that. And maybe Dusk would like this new crown instead of his old hat. This golden ornament of a pony would make a great decoration for Twilight’s study desk. It was no trouble. He was finding it easy to carry them all and his chest wasn’t hurting anywhere near as much as it was.

He felt like he deserved a few rewards for himself too. That sceptre set with a sapphire looked pretty cool. These jewelled rings looked really awesome. And what about this collection of silver plates, this chest of coins and this golden Minotaur bust? Just little things for him, it was fine. Hey and that silver mirror looked really nice.

Then, he saw his reflection and screamed.

He was bigger now. So big that he had to bend down to see his face. His arms were laden with all of the treasure he’d been swiping. He hadn’t even realised it…

“Spike?” He heard hooves fast approaching and whipped around to see Twilight approaching. “Spike, what’s- oh no! Spike, what have you done?!”

“T-Twilight! I’m sorry, I was just…” His gaze was drawn to a collection of emeralds. They looked so tasty and they could be his…

“Spike, snap out of it!” Twilight’s magic aura surrounded the bust he’d grabbed. “Put those down!”

“No!” He held onto it for all he was worth. “No, it’s mine!”

“Listen to me, Spike! Remember what happened last time?”

“No, shut up! It’s mine! You can’t have it!”

He could see what she was doing. She just wanted it for herself. Well, tough. He’d found it first and he wasn’t letting
anypony else have it.

“Spike…” Her voice was softer now and she tried to get closer. “Spike, this isn’t you. You’re better than-“
She gasped when he growled at her to scare her off. She didn’t run, but she backed off. Good. This was his treasure and she wasn’t getting it.

“Twilight? Spike? What’s going on?” More hooves and the flapping of wings met his ears as the others arrived. Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Oh crud, not again!”

“Everypony, stay back!” ordered Twilight. “Don’t get too close. Spike, let’s talk about this.”

“No! Can’t have it!” he shouted. “Mine! All mine!”

“Spikey wikey, please!” begged Rarity. “Don’t do this. We’re your friends, remember?”

Friends? Were they his friends? It felt like… no! They weren’t friends, they were thieves! They wanted to steal his shiny treasure!

“You said you didn’t want to let this part of you take over again,” said Dusk. “It’s happening now. You have to fight it, Spike. Rise above it.”

“I… no!” he shouted, though his voice didn’t sound as deep as before. “Th-They’re mine! M-Mine!”

“Come on, Spike. As cool as all this treasure is, you don’t need it,” insisted Rainbow. “You know you don’t. Put all that stuff down and let’s get back to what we came here for, huh?”

Spike could feel the treasures getting heavier in his arms. He could have sworn the others were getting bigger than him.
“You won’t hurt us, Spike.” Twilight was stepping closer to him. “You don’t want to. This isn’t you, it’s just your greed talking. Don’t give in to it. You’ve never been greedy. Just because you’re a dragon doesn’t mean you have to be hoarding treasure like this. Besides, I thought you already had something more precious than gold and jewels.”

He looked into her eyes. Like her, he felt like they were begging him not to do this. All of them were. The part of him that insisted they were just trying to take what was his was growing quieter and quieter the more this fact sunk in. These were his friends. They’d never steal from him and nothing on this earth could ever replace them. How had he forgotten that?
Everything Spike was holding fell to the floor with a loud clatter. He glanced back in the mirror and felt a measure of relief when he saw he was back to his normal size, though the burning in his chest started to return as well. But then that relief was replaced with guilt and fear. Just moments ago, he’d been much bigger. All because he’d given in to the same feelings he’d had on his birthday and almost let something repeat that he’d never wanted to happen again.

“Twilight… R-Rarity… guys, I…” He couldn’t even look them in the eye out of shame. “I’m sorry!”

His head down, he ran off. He ignored their cries and kept running. He ran out of the cavern into another passage. He vaguely noted the sound of scraping stone behind him again and the deep darkness replacing the light shining off the treasure, but he didn’t care. So what if he was trapped in some other part of the cave? Maybe it was better on them if he was.

They didn’t need an accident waiting to happen like him around. He didn’t deserve them as friends. Not when he’d almost forsaken them for a few crummy pieces of treasure. Even though it was pretty tasty…

That shame came back the moment he had that thought. Even now, he couldn’t control his greed. Even though he was just a baby dragon, even though he’d been raised by ponies his whole life, it seemed that he was still as greedy and fierce as the rest of his kind. He’d been wrong about his decision in the migration. This was where he belonged.

“Finally realised the truth, huh Peewee?” a familiar voice taunted.

He whirled around and felt fear grip him. Emerging from the shadows were the forms of Garble and his gang of teenage dragons. They leered at him with their mean faces, baring their fangs in mocking grins.

“N-No!” He scrambled away. “Not you again!”

“Aww, would you look at that?” Suddenly, even though he’d been far away, Garble was right in front of him. “He missed us.”

“He won’t have to worry about that for too long,” sneered another one. “Soon, he’ll be hanging out with us again.”

“W-What? No I won’t!” he protested.

“Sure you will.” Garble and the other dragons started to circle him. “You’re well on your way to being a teenager. Just like us.”

“No! I’m not like you!” Spike cried. “I won’t ever be like you!”

“Oh yeah? You forget what just happened back there?” Garble snorted and smirked. “You just need to make the final push. Then, we can show you what it really means to be a dragon.”

“Yeah!” a chubby one put in. “Let’s go on another raid on a phoenix nest!”

“Or maybe try out how strong your fire breath is on a forest!” suggested a taller one. “Watching all those animals run out is hilarious!”

“Hey, what say we invite your friends to a barbeque?” suggested Garble. “They can be the main course!”

“No! I won’t let you hurt my friends!”

“Why not? It’s not like they’re gonna want you around anymore after that little display. And it’s not even the first time it’s happened!” guffawed Garble. “You really think they care about you?”

“Y-Yeah!” he insisted weakly. “They care! They’ve always cared and they always will!”

“That what you think?” Garble leaned right into his face. “You think they’re gonna be all happy and smiles when you grow up? You think just because you were raised by some namby pamby ponies that you’re anything like them? If you had a hard time fitting in before, you’ll never be able to now. Their little monster is gonna get a lot bigger and they’re gonna be a lot more scared.”

“T-They’re not afraid of m-me.” Spike wasn’t very convinced by his own words.

“They probably won’t even want you around after that,” continued Garble. “They’ll run you right out of town in case you get hungry and decide to get yourself a snack. After that, you’d better hope we let you hang out with us again. You’d be lucky to find any dragon who’ll want a little runt that stinks of pony so bad.”

Spike didn’t want to believe what he was hearing. But Garble’s words were striking home for him.

“You’ll be all on your own. Your pony friends won’t want you. The dragons won’t want you. You’re just gonna have to curl up in a cave somewhere and try to learn what it is a real dragon is meant to be like.” He grinned again. “And we’d be more than happy to help. Stick with us, Spike. We’ll show you a good time.”

Spike clamped his hands over his ears, trying to shut out their laughter while their words bounced around in his head. He didn’t want to admit that maybe they were right. Even if he was raised by ponies, he was still a dragon and that would be even more obvious when he was a teenager. He couldn’t even control his greed. Who was to say he wouldn’t be like other dragons when he grew up? Like Garble?

Maybe they would leave him or make him leave when they realised. He didn’t know anything about being a dragon except for what he’d learned from being with Garble. No dragons would want a dragon raised as a pony, so he’d have to become like the others. If he did that, he’d never see his friends again. But it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t true…
Suddenly, it hit him. It wasn’t true.

“You’re wrong,” he said quietly.

“What?” Garble leaned in again. “What was that?”

“I said you’re wrong!” he bellowed. “They do care about me! They’re always there for me and they always will be! They came with me all the way out here and last time too, when they stood up to you jerks! They were the ones who talked me down after I got greedy and they still wanted me around! They just did it again and I ran off because I was so caught up that I forgot that!”

Garble growled in anger. “You little…!”

“And even if they didn’t want me around, I’d rather live alone than become like you!” he went on. “If being a dragon means being like you, then I wish I was born a pony! But since I’m not, I’m gonna try my best to become a better dragon than you could ever hope to be and I know my friends are gonna be there with me every step of the way! They won’t abandon me. They’re my family. I’ll never, ever forget that.”

The gang of dragons all froze in place. Literally. They didn’t even move an inch. Their bodies started to become transparent, like they were ghosts. Gradually, they faded away into nothingness and Spike was left alone again.
But not for long.

“You have done well, young dragon.” Another visage of a dragon appeared before him. This one was also familiar.
“R-Rumble?” Spike gazed up at the ancient dragon. “B-But… how are you here?”

“I am not. Yet, at the same time, I am,” he responded cryptically. “I spent many years of my long life in this place. The ancient magic that resides here still carries a part of me long after my body returned to the earth. Think of me as an echo of who I once was.”

“O… kay. W-What about them?” he asked.

“They were manifestations of yourself, young dragon,” he answered. “Your doubts and your fears brought to life by the magic that resides in this place. Part of your final test.”

“Test? What test?”

“The same one as the cavern that holds my hoard poses. To test your true worth as a dragon. You see, many don’t make it to this room. When they come to this place seeking to mature, many of them succumb to their greed as you almost did. While they do grow, so does their greed and it fuels their inner fire. The many who do are dominated by it for the rest of their lives. But you, Spike, you didn’t. You overcame your greed and your fears. You are one of the rare few who has passed the test.”

“I… I am?” Spike was having a hard time comprehending this. “But… why set up this test at all?”

“To try to get dragons to realise something of true value and to best their more base needs and desires, as I failed to.” Sadness crossed his features. “But you have, Spike. You have shown the strength of spirit and trueness of heart of a noble dragon. As such, you have earned this.”

A light shone in the cavern. Placed on the ground before Spike was a small chunk of black rock. His heart racing, he picked it up. Even with his thick scales, he could feel the warmth radiating from it.

“The Dragonstone,” he whispered. “But it wasn’t just because of me I beat my greed…”

“Did I say the strength was entirely yours? Not many dragons are willing to draw it from any but themselves. As I said, you know the true value of something worth much more than everything I have in my hoard.”

Now, Spike could feel the pride of accomplishing his task. This was it. He’d found it.

The realisation hit him. All he had to do was eat this and he wouldn’t be a baby anymore. He’d change. Whether it was for better or worse, he had no idea. But it didn’t change how he felt.

“Rumble? I… I don’t know if I’m ready to grow up,” he admitted.

“Very few of us are,” replied the ancient dragon. “But it is what we all must face. And I know that you will face it admirably. Farewell, Spike. May you burn brightly.”

Like the other phantoms before, Rumble faded away. Spike stared at the spot he had been and then back down at the stone. For a long while, he was like this. He just had to take a moment because his chest burning wasn’t letting up.

“Well… here I go.” He raised the stone to his mouth. “I climb the stairway to maturity!”

He swallowed it in one gulp. Almost the moment he did, the fire that had burned so painfully inside him began to feel a lot more… pleasant. A warmth spreading through his whole body.

Just as he felt it take hold, he heard the sound of scraping stone again and turned around.

They’d tried to chase after Spike, but the moment he’d passed through the cave entrance the stone somehow sealed him inside and prevented them from following. Rainbow had tried to slam through it and Twilight and Dusk had tried to blast it aside with magic, but the stone remained resolutely blocking them without so much as a scratch. Even with their combined effort, it did nothing.

Just when they were starting to think of some other way to get through, the stone was gone and the cave entrance was back. They immediately rushed through, but stopped to cover their eyes at what was inside. They tried to walk closer, but the heat was too intense.

“What the heck?” Rainbow squinted through her hooves. “What’s up with this green fire? Where’d it come from?”
“Oh no! Spike? Spike!” Twilight called. “Can you hear me? Spike!”

There was no reply, other than the flames burning brighter. Dusk could just make out a silhouette at its centre, but it was so bright even that much was difficult. It continued to burn for a good few seconds, forcing them to wait.
Rather abruptly, it stopped. The sound of something heavy falling on the stone sounded in their ears. Twilight and Rarity were the first there.

“Spike! Spike! Oh my goodness…” Twilight pressed her hooves to her mouth.
“Bless my soul,” murmured Rarity.

Dusk looked down in wonder. Spike had certainly grown. His arms and legs had stretched so they were now almost as long as a pony’s body length. His snout was larger and his head spikes longer. His stomach lost much of its pudginess, though not all of it. His tail was long enough to wrap around his body. He even had a small pair of green, leathery wings emerging from his back, though they didn’t look like they’d allow him to fly.

He slowly started to stir. He faintly murmured something, but they couldn’t make it out. His eyes flickered open. They were just as big as the rest of him, though they had changed very little. It was still him.

“T… Twilight? I-Is that you…?” His voice was deeper too. But it was still light in tone and pleasant to listen to.

“Yes, I’m here,” she said at once. “Come on, let’s get you on your feet.”

They all moved to support him as he got up shakily. Rainbow grabbed under his arms and hoisted him up, though with some effort.

“Whoo, you’ve gotten heavier,” she gasped. “No more riding on our backs for you, eh big guy?”

“Guess not…” He hummed in his throat, leaning on Twilight for support. “Wow… my voice sounds weird. This all feels weird…”

“I share your sentiment.” Dusk noted how he stood a lot taller now. He was just above their head heights. “You found it then?”

“Yeah… I did.” He clutched his head, then jumped. “Whoa! My hand is huge!”

“Wait until you see the rest of you. How do you feel?” asked Rainbow.

“Kind of groggy, but I… I think I’m fine,” he answered. “My chest doesn’t hurt anymore. But… what’s this feeling in my back?”
“Have a feel.” Rarity’s voice was quiet, like she could hardly believe it.

Spike did so, his hands running across his wings. He felt them a few times. Shock turned to joy after a few moments.
“I… I have wings. I have wings! Alright!” He tried to flap them, but succeeded only in making them twitch a little. “Oh. Just another thing I’ll have to get used to.”

“Looks like you’ll have to grow into them more,” noted Rainbow. “Those flying lessons are still on for when they do.”

“Great!” He shifted awkwardly. “Um… how do I look then?”

“Awesome!” replied Rainbow.

“Very impressive,” put in Dusk. “We’ll find you a mirror so you can see.”
“Very magnificent,” said Rarity with pride. “Not that you weren’t before, but now it’s even truer.”

Spike smiled gratefully, but he didn’t look completely at ease. His eyes were on Twilight, who was taking time to consider her answer. Her face was unreadable as her eyes traced over him and gazed directly into his.

Finally, she smiled.
“You look like Spike.” A tear trickled down her cheek and she hugged him. “My little brother… I love you.”

“I love you too, big sis.” Spike returned the hug. He smirked. “We might wanna revise that though.”

“Oh no we won’t,” she insisted. “I’m still older than you.”

“Yeah, but not bigger.” He yawned, revealing his bigger teeth. “Wow, I’m bushed. Let’s go home.”

Twilight’s smile grew wider. “That sounds like a great idea.”

It hadn’t take Selena long to select her prey in the crowded bar. She’d seen that short little unicorn with red fur watching her all night when he thought she couldn’t see him. Whenever she looked at him properly, he would glance away.
She smiled at the knowledge that one of her oldest tactics had worked out so well. Such a small one wouldn’t be difficult to overpower and he was obviously taken enough by her looks. Getting him somewhere private would be foal’s play.

Selena locked her eyes on him, let a seductive smile make its way onto her face and glided towards him. She noted a few other heads turned to watch her, but she ignored them. Perhaps another time.

“Well, hello there,” she purred. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” he replied easily in a low voice. “I’d be glad of the company.”

“How kind.” She slid into the seat and gave him a half lidded look. “So, what’s a handsome fellow like you doing, sitting here all on his own?”

“Simply awaiting the company of a mare like yourself,” he answered.

“How charming,” she tittered. “Shall we get something to drink?”

“Why bother? We both know what we’re after. I have a room here, if you’d like to join me,” he offered.

“My, my, aren’t we forward?” She leaned in a little closer. “I like that in a stallion.”

She caught him shift awkwardly. “Yes. Um, follow me, please.”

He rose from the table and walked towards the stairs with Selena close behind. There were times when she liked to play around with her prey for a little bit before moving in for the kill, but this wasn’t one of those times. She was hungry and she was thankful for the chance of a direct meal. Even though this one didn’t look like he’d offer very much.

She was already going through what would happen in her head as they approached his room door. Get him on the bed and make sure she was on top. Pin him down and drain him dry. Pull his body into the bathroom, snap his neck and leave him in the shower to make it look like he slipped. Rest in his room for the night and depart out of the window in the early hours. Even if they did begin to suspect something, she’d be long gone before they figured out anything.

Besides, she had a feeling that this one wouldn’t be missed.

Selena stepped into the room first and waited until she heard the door close. He didn’t turn on a light, but she didn’t need it. She turned to face him and slipped off her robe, letting her wings spread.

“I hope you don’t mind this,” she cooed.

“Not at all,” he said with a smile. “In fact, you’re exactly what I was looking for.”

“I’m pleased to hear that.” She walked towards him, licking her fangs and running her tongue across her lips. “Well then, let’s not waste anymore time.”

“I completely agree.” His eyes flickered behind her and jerked his head.

Too late, she heard something move behind her. The moment she turned around, she was swept off her hooves by a leg knocking her to the ground onto her back. She would have gotten back up, were it not for a pair of blades that were pressed against her throat. Something twisted her around so she was on her belly and pinned her legs and wings down. The blade was still on her neck.

“I apologise for this, Selena,” the stallion said. At his side was a pony wearing a mask of an eerily smiling face. “However, due to your disposition, I simply felt precautions had to be taken.”

“You son of a diamond dog!” she hissed. “Let me go or I’ll-!”

“I’m afraid you’re not in any position to make threats, Selena.” He leaned in towards her. “As they say, I hold all the cards here.”

Her response was to hiss and snap at his muzzle. He jumped back, his smug composure faltering. But the sharp edge of the blade pressing a little deeper forced Selena to stop. She could barely move under the pin this pony had her in. As much as she despised to admit it, the stallion was right.

“Right. Well then, to business.” He attempted to regain his former confidence, but she could smell his fear. “I am Doctor Test Tube. My associates and I have come to you with an offer on behalf of my lord and master.”

“He presents me with an offer, but he sends you rather than see me himself?” she scoffed. “Who is he that he has such arrogance?”

“Somepony with great power and influence. One who knows what it is to be shunned and scorned, as do I,” he added. “I was like you, once. I too was considered an outcast, simply because of who I was.”

“I doubt that,” she muttered darkly.

“My experiments,” he continued, “and research into realms beyond was rejected because of narrow-mindedness and needless restrictions. But my master had no such reservations. Now, I am at last free to explore and he strives to create a world where I may continue to do so for as long as I please. Now, he extends the same chance to you. What he offers is a place among us. One where you won’t have to hide and conceal your true nature because society deems it monstrous. Where you can be truly free. Are you interested?”

Selena stared at him for a long while. Then, she laughed.

“What foolishness! By what means do you and your ‘master’ seek to bring about this new world?” she asked skeptically. “Do you think you’re the first to come to me and tell me that I can be free to be who I am without having to hide? You’ll have to do better than that.”

“How about this then? I know that you revel in being able to drain blood from ponies, despite that you don’t even need to. You’re a hunter, a killer. What if there were a way to make you even more proficient at what you are already a master at?”

Admittedly, this mildly intrigued her. “And how would you do this?”

“My master knows ways. Methods to enhance you. To sharpen your senses, your strength, your speed. You won’t need to seduce your target to drain them. You would be able to track them from many miles away, trap them with barely a struggle and swiftly leave again.” His self assured smile came back. “If you are dissatisfied, you will be free to leave and return to your nightly pursuits. Does that sound any better?”

Selena would be lying if she said his offer didn’t interest her a little. A large part of her insisted he was only trying to trick her, but another part said otherwise. The same part that remembered what a foolish little dragon and his stupid friend had cost her. If Tube could truly offer what he said he could, then perhaps she could make good on her unfulfilled wish to taste new blood.

Tube must have seen he was having an effect and pressed on. “Come now. You must know that if I had any intention other than to seek your cooperation, I could have ordered Slash here to simply slit your throat or dispose of you in a way that nopony would question your unfortunate death. As I’m sure you would have done to me. Somepony with your skills and mindset would be very valuable to us, Selena. Join us and you won’t regret it.”

He let his offer hang so she could consider it. He did have a point. She was always careful with her hunts that any deaths wouldn’t be associated with or traced to her. She never stayed in one place for long and it was usually in places where somepony might expect bad things to happen. She was nopony, merely a passerby who just happened to be there and who everypony forgot about.

But somepony had noticed her, it seemed. They’d gone to great strides to track her down and find her. It wasn’t to kill her or to arrest her. So could it really be they needed her for something, whoever they were? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But if there was at least a chance to make herself stronger or at some extra meals, it would be no trouble to investigate his claims. If something happened, she’d just slip away like she always did and take steps to ensure they never found her again.

“I accept,” she said. “Now, would you kindly tell Slash, was it, to allow me to stand? I think my legs are beginning to cramp.”
Tube considered and nodded. Immediately, the weight was gone and she was able to stand. She took note of the scent of Slash and her lookalike. They wouldn’t be sneaking up on her again.

“You’ve made a wise choice, Selena,” he assured her.

“We will see.” She flashed him a flirtatious smile. “I hope we will get along well, Doctor. I hate that we’ve gotten off on the wrong hoof like this.”

Her smile grew when she noted him shift awkwardly again. If nothing else, this would be an amusing distraction.

Hearts and Hooves Day: The Sequel

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Love was most certainly in the air in Ponyville. Various heart shaped decorations hung from houses and street lamps. Couples sat under trees, outside cafes and walked side by side in the streets. The flower sisters Lily, Daisy and Rose were out in the square selling their finest flowery produce. The smell of specially made treats wafted from Sugarcube Corner. Hearts and Hooves Day had come again, that was certain.

While on his way to the library, Dusk stopped by the square at Rose's flower stand. He'd managed to catch her yesterday and asked her put some flowers on reserve. He picked up two dozen of her finest to present his marefriend, along with an actual card this year.

The first thing he saw when he entered was a box of chocolates on one of the tables with a pair of roses on top of them. The second was Spike. The now teenage dragon came to meet him and banged his head against the top of the door frame. Again.

"Darn it!" he grumbled. "I keep forgetting I'm not as small as I used to be."

"I'll be honest, I'm still finding the sight of it rather surprising," said Dusk. "Are you adjusting well?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he dismissed. "Least I'm not the only one."

"Indeed. Though I'll say your strength has definitely improved. You had Applejack in a close stalemate in that hoof wrestle last night before she beat you."

"Yeah, that was pretty intense," he chuckled. "And Pinkie can really bake a gem cake."

"I gathered from how long it was between when she brought it out and when it was all gone. Also, was Fluttershy that excited when she first saw you as a baby?" he asked.

"Pretty much," nodded Spike, checking himself in a mirror. "I didn't have as much to tell her this time around though. I know as much about what my new body's like as she does. But it was still nice of her to be interested."

"I think we're all interested about how things will be now," said Dusk.

"She wasn't even scared though." Spike had stopped, staring at his reflection. "Not even a little bit. None of them were."

"Of course not, Spike." With a bit of difficulty, he placed a hoof on his shoulder. "You might be in a teenager's body, but everypony knows that you're still the same little dragon you were same, pudgy little dragon."

Spike nodded absently, until he realised what Dusk said. "Hey! I wasn't that pudgy!"

"Not anymore, but even then, I'm not entirely sure," chuckled Dusk. "Now, I think you have somewhere to be?"

"You don't need to tell me. Okay, I'm heading out. Twilight's just finishing with Ray downstairs. You two have fun."

He turned to leave and smacked his head against the door frame again. With a sheepish smile, he hurried out.

Just as one door closed, another opened moments later. Dusk looked to see Ray emerging from the door that led to the basement, followed closely by Twilight. Though she seemed a little tense, her demeanor changed when she saw Dusk.

"There you are!" She hurried up and hugged him, levitating the nearby chocolates and flowers to him. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day! I know the stallion usually gets the mare these, but I thought I'd mix things up."

"You're certainly good at that. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day," he returned. "All done here then?"

"Pretty much," she answered. "Nothing unusual to report. Well, anymore unusual anyway. I'm yours for the rest of the day."

"Always a good thing to hear." He briefly kissed her and looked at Ray. "Any plans for you today, my friend?"

"I, ah…" Ray rubbed his head awkwardly. "I'm… really not sure, to be honest."

"You haven't talked to Fluttershy about your relationship since your confession, have you?" asked Twilight.

"Well, no. Not really. I mean, we've talked here and there, but that part never really came up…" He frowned slightly. "There's also the fact that I've been kind of scared to bring it up. Seeing her has been… well, a bit awkward, ever since…"

"I can understand that. But you will have to talk about it at some point," said Dusk. "It won't get less awkward the longer you leave it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just… trying to figure out the right words to say after something like all that is pretty tough. Heck, I don't even know if there are right words to say." He smiled sourly. "Listen to me. I used to be the kind of guy who'd say whatever the heck he wanted in any situation regardless of consequence. Now I'm worrying over what to say to my marefriend…"

Twilight seemed to be considering something. "I never told you the individual views of our conference on the matter. But I think it's only right to tell you now. Fluttershy… she was on your side. Even though she was scared, she still wanted you here."

Ray looked at her. "Huh… well, I'm glad for that, at least. I knew Dusk said he'd advocate for me, and I was hoping she would too… Just haven't really been able to talk to her about it."

"There's no time like the present. You won't do yourself any favours keeping it to yourself," said Dusk.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Way to take your own advice, Dusk."

"It's a work in progress," he returned. "Fluttershy is still nervous, even if she's more assertive now. Some personal issues take a while to overcome completely."

"You're telling me," she muttered, then to Ray. "But he is right though. There's no easy way to do this, Ray. You're just going to have to sit down with her and talk about it. I can't guarantee the outcome, but it'll be a lot better sooner than later."

"Also better than sitting around worrying about it." He sighed again. "Right then. Time to face the music. I'll probably have to do this with the other girls too, at some point. For now though…" he looked over at the door.

"Once more unto the breach," quoted Dusk. "Good luck."

"You really like saying that, I've noticed," Ray remarked. "Alright then, you two have fun. Imma go to Fluttershy's and probably have a minor panic attack on the way there. See ya." His body flashed yellow and vanished.

"I hope they'll be okay. So, are we ready for the day?" he asked.

"You bet we are!" she replied excitedly. "It really was a lovely idea of yours to base our day around places and things we've done since we met."

"Thank you. I was hoping you'd like it," he said sincerely.

"I do and I've already organised everything we suggested yesterday into a schedule." She pulled out the parchment in question and beamed.

Dusk blinked. "Um, is a schedule really necessary?"

Twilight stared at him. Then, she burst out laughing. "Oh, Dusk. You and your silly jokes."

"But… I wasn't-"

"Anyway, first item on the schedule. Breakfast at nine after Ray's gone. Come on, chop chop!" she urged, almost dragging him into the kitchen and sitting him at the table. "The next one's only in half an hour."

"Well… alright then." He decided it was best not to question it when Twilight was in organisation mode. "I'm rather looking forward to breakfast," he said.

"Good that you're hungry, because I'm cooking it," she announced proudly. "Spike left me the recipe and all the ingredients, so I'll get started."

"Really?" Dusk was surprised. "I didn't know you could cook."

"Well, um, funny thing. I uh, haven't actually. Before," she confessed awkwardly. "But if I can master the kind of magic Princess Celestia sends me, cooking should be no problem."

Dusk decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Thirty minutes later, he was starting to regret that decision. What Twilight ended up cooking wasn't really an egg omelette. It was…. well, Dusk wasn't completely sure what it was.

"Well… it's not too bad, right?" asked Twilight. "I mean, it's okay if it's a little black in places. O-Or a lot," she mumbled. "A-And I think I gave it enough salt and pepper to add some flavour. Maybe I didn't use enough butter?"

Not wanting to hurt her feelings, Dusk gave it a small bite. His taste buds were immediately assaulted by a myriad of unpleasant sensations. His mouth felt dry from the salt. The overdose of pepper made his eyes water. The blackened parts audibly crunched when he bit into them.

"Oh." Twilight glanced at her own food and pushed it away. "I… think I'll pass on mine."

"It could have been worse," Dusk managed to say when he'd forced it down his throat. "At least... the eggs weren't overcooked."

"Yeah. I guess I'd better leave the cooking to Spike in future," she said dejectedly. "Sorry."

"Your heart was in the right place, Twilight," he said in assurance. "At least you can't say you didn't try. Maybe ask Spike to give you a little instruction and try to do better next time."

"You're right. Thanks." She managed a smile. "How about we do toast instead?"

"Sounds much more simple," he agreed. "Come on, let's not let a simple case of poor cooking spoil our day. I'm not exactly the best in the kitchen either. Remember when I tried at Sugarcube?"

"Oh yes." She took a moment to recall. She started to smile. Then, she started to laugh. "I'm… I'm sorry, Dusk," she said between laughs, "but that really was awful! I still wonder how you managed to get it to expand so much and have it taste like nothing!"

"Yes, please let yourself feel better at my expense," he chuckled. "Your attempt was hardly gourmet cooking worthy of Canterlot either."

"At least I got it the right size," she giggled. "But maybe we should both stay out of the kitchen from now on."

"Or we could both try and cook something," suggested Dusk. "Perhaps our awful talents combined will cancel each other out and produce something fantastic."

Twilight pretended to think about it. "I don't think that'll help. I know you like to put your faith in things, but that is literally impossible."

"You may be right," he agreed. "Come on, let's get some toast going. At least that's supposed to be crunchy."

That earned him a swat on his shoulder.

After managing to get something edible for breakfast, the two of them moved on to their next activity, referring to a checklist Twilight had made. They left at nine thirty, as she wished, to go to White Tail Wood for a walk.

It wasn't autumn as it had been last time they'd come, but the woods were still as lovely as they had been on the Running of the Leaves. The trees were alive with lush green leaves. Flowers bloomed across the land. The sounds and sights of animals scurrying across branches, birds singing in the trees or rummaging in the undergrowth made it seem tranquil and relaxing. Walking with Twilight, tail in tail, made it simply perfect.

"A hallmark to one of the greatest discoveries of our time," remarked Dusk.

"Which is?"

"That reading about running is better than exercising."

Twilight giggled and nestled her head in his shoulder. "We still didn't come first, remember?"

"Obviously. For one thing, it would be impossible for both of us to come first," he said with a small smirk.

"Hey, don't get clever with me," she warned.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He bowed to her. "I wouldn't want to usurp your position as Ruler of the Library."

"Yes, always remember that your place is beneath me, servant," she said imperiously. "As it should be."

"I don't know about that." He looked up at her. "Not everything stays the same forever."

She gasped. "Is that treason I hear from one as lowly as you?"

"Well, Spike was the one who suggested a contest between the two royal students," he reminded her. "Perhaps we should put it to the test."

Twilight laughed in a manner of an evil villainess. "What a folly to even begin to imagine you could best my magnificence!"

"I will see you brought to justice, evil one!" he declared. "Your days of knocking out innocent assistants and ruining a perfectly good breakfast must be brought to an end!"

"I think not, petulant fool!" she countered. "You could never even hope to match my power!"

"So you say, but I know your weakness!" He quickly kissed her on the lips.

"Nooooo! Curses, foiled by the power of love!" She affected a faint and Dusk caught her in his forehooves. An eye opened. "This is so silly."

"That didn't stop you doing it," he noted.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing." She smirked now. "You know, I don't think my malevolence is completely purged. I may need another of my 'weakness' just to be sure."

"I think so too." He leaned in to capture her lips again.

"Hey, mind taking that someplace else?" A familiar voice snapped from above.

"Rainbow?" Dusk looked up to see her peering down from a cloud, his face going red. "Um… how long have you been there?"

"Enough to hear all of that and before you say anything, I was here first," she added. "Do your egghead stuff if you want, but do it somewhere I'm not."

Her head vanished behind her cloud again. Dusk caught her muttering something about coming out all this way. He shared a look with Twilight, who shrugged.

"Rainbow?" she called up. "Is there something wrong? How come you're all the way out here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm resting on this cloud," she called back. "Or at least, I was till somepony came by."

"There's no need for that," replied Dusk. "If you want us to leave, we'll be on our way but you don't have to be rude."

"Whatever," she snorted. "Like you two have got anything to complain about."

Twilight glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Doesn't matter," she muttered. "Just get outta here, leave me alone."

"Rainbow, is this about something we've done?" asked Dusk. "If it is, tell us and we'll try to make up for it."

"I said it doesn't matter!" she snapped. "Get lost!"

"Well fine then!" retorted Twilight. "If that's how you're going to be, we'll just leave. Come on, Dusk."

Dusk silently agreed with her and started to follow her off.

"Wait." They stopped and looked back. "Sorry. That wasn't cool of me. It's just… something I gotta deal with."

"Which is what?" asked Dusk.

"It's hard to explain. Let's just say that today isn't really helping with it," she murmured.

"What do you mean by…?" Twilight paused for a moment, then asked. "Wait, is this because of what happened with Phoenix?"

"Kind of, yeah." She flew down from her cloud to join them. "Not really the first time I've lucked out with a guy, huh? Like when I uh… with you…"

"Did you really have to bring that up?" asked Twilight pointedly.

"Right, right, sorry," she said quickly. "I just don't get it. How come, when it comes to stallions, I never seem to have any luck?"

Twilight took a moment to consider. "It might be something to do with your approach. I mean, your only passes at stallions have been Dusk and Phoenix. The latter case probably wasn't done under the best of circumstances either."

"Huh?" Rainbow looked confused.

"Well, your only real basis for choosing Phoenix from what I can tell was how he immediately appealed to you, his fighting prowess and strength. That's fine, but from what I've learned there always has to be more to a relationship that just immediate appeal. There has to be understanding and chemistry. Something I don't think you really developed in the short interaction you had with Phoenix and the letters you sent each other," she explained.

"I think I get what you mean," she said, frowning thoughtfully. "I mean, it was still cool hearing about his work and all, but it was usually just his work. That was all I ever really got back when he wrote to me, now I think about it."

"It is very time consuming," put in Dusk. "Perhaps if you had more regular contact, things might have turned out differently. But you always prefer instant victory and results, Rainbow. I really don't think any long distance relationship would work out for you. I mean no offense when I say that," he added.

"No, you're right," she agreed and sighed. "I never really liked the distance thing. Still sucks though."

"I'm sure it must be difficult, but we're here for you if you need us. We all are" assured Twilight. "But really, you don't need a relationship to be happy."

"Indeed," nodded Dusk. "Before I met Twilight, I'd have considered myself lucky just to be her friend. Then, I did become her friend and I got five more too. You're all wonderful, remarkable mares but I wouldn't have even begun to consider pursuing a relationship with any of you. I would have been happy to just be friends with you all and the fact I'm together with Twilight is just a wonderful bonus."

"Exactly," agreed Twilight. "Pinkie's fine being single and Applejack didn't let what happened with Soarin' get her down. You still have your friends and your own goals in life to fulfill. You don't need a stallion to make you happy and you don't have to be miserable because you're alone on Hearts and Hooves Day. Just because you don't have a special somepony doesn't mean you're not loved."

"Yeah… yeah, you're right." A familiar boldness returned to her face. "I'm Rainbow Dash! The only pegasus who can do a Sonic Rainboom and helped save Equestria more than once! Any stallion has gotta have serious street cred to even think he can be good enough for me."

Twilight rolled her eyes a bit. "Well, that's one thing to take out of this."

"And I got some pretty awesome friends too. Especially ones who can snap me out of my stupid funk," she added sincerely. "Thanks guys. I needed to hear that."

"Our pleasure, Rainbow," said Dusk, inclining his head. "What are you going to do now then?"

"Well, I still got the rest of the day off, so I'm not gonna spend it moping," she replied. "Might catch some Zs on that cloud, do a little flight practice, maybe re-read Daring Do again. Ooh, wonder if AJ's up for a little friendly competition."

"As long as you're having fun," said Twilight. "Just enjoy yourself, Rainbow. Being miserable doesn't suit you."

"Hay yeah, it doesn't. You two have a good one too and thanks again." She flicked a hoof in a salute and sped off.

"One has to admire her spirit," remarked Dusk. "So, shall we continue our stroll, Miss Sparkle?"

"Sounds good to me," replied Twilight. She rested her side against his and the two of them went on their way through the woods.

"Spike, this really is very sweet what you're doing," began Rarity. "I haven't had anypony make me breakfast since Sweetie Belle's uh… valiant attempt."

"But?" he asked while he gathered everything up.

"But…" She bit her lip. "Eggs and hay bacon are an excellent meal, I won't deny but… it's rather fattening, don't you think? I have to make sure I maintain my figure."

"Aw, come on." Spike smiled at her. "You’ll be fine for one day. Indulge yourself a little! It’s Hearts and Hooves Day! Show yourself some love."

"Oh, very well. You’ve twisted my hoof. Bring on the bacon then, Spike!" she declared.

He grinned. "You got it!"

Spike returned his attention to the stove. Since neither of them had any plans for the day, they had both agreed to spend it together (as friends, they’d both been very clear on that front). But regardless, Spike was happy. He was still getting used to his recent growth spurt, so spending the day in a familiar, normal way in the form of spending time with Rarity was very welcome.

"It must feel rather strange cooking now you're bigger,” she went on.

"Well, at least I don't need to have something to stand on anymore." He reached for a frying pan. "But it's fine apart from that."

Both of them tensed at the sound of an audible creaking noise. Upon reluctant inspection, Spike discovered he'd applied too much grip to the pan's handle. His fingers had practically indented themselves into it.

He looked back at Rarity with an apologetic smile. Her rather horrified expression was plastered over with a strained smile and a nod. Feeling a little ashamed, Spike returned to his work. He was still learning the capabilities of his teenage body. Twilight had nearly shrieked when his claws almost pierced a hardcover magic book the day before. He really needed to learn his own strength. He was careful while he was cooking from then on. The only other problem he had was when he flipped the bacon with a little too much force. He managed to catch it in the pan though.

Rarity's reservations about her figure didn't last very long. Spike glimpsed her licking her lips while he was cooking and almost the minute the food was on the table, she was tucking in to it.

"Do I know how to cook a breakfast or do I know how to cook a breakfast?" grinned Spike.

She swallowed her mouthful. "You've made your point. This is absolutely delicious, Spike. I can see that's one thing that certainly hasn't changed is your cooking abilities."

"Thanks. So, you're decided on what we're doing throughout the day?" he asked.

"As long as you're decided on what we're doing in the evening," she replied. "I'm expecting great things, Spike."

"Trust me, my lady won't be disappointed," he promised. "What's the plan then?"

"Simple really, the best kind of plan. Once we're done with our lunch, I've booked us a long session at the spa. It's been so long since you've been and with your new teenage growth, I'd say it's high time you made another visit. My treat," she added.

"Rarity, I can-"

"Ah-buh-buh-buh!" She silenced him with her hoof. "Not another word. I insist on paying for your treatment, Spike and I won't hear no more about it."

"If you're insisting."

"I am. After that, we shall get some lunch at that delightful little cafe we've visited a few times. Oat Meal, I believe the name is. Following this is a little trip to the cinema."

"Are we gonna see that movie that got released recently?" asked Spike. "It's based on a book, I think. Something to do with grey or-"

"No! Absolutely not! I am not wasting good bits to expose you and myself that piece of utterly depraved…!" She realised she was shouting and calmed down. "What I mean is, we'll instead going to be seeing an old favourite of mine."

Spike looked at the leaflet she handed him for current movies. "Mean Mares, huh?"

"I know what you’re thinking, but it’s more than just a filly flick, it’s very good."

"I’ll take your word for it." He saw an advert for the movie he mentioned. "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes. Yes, it is." Rarity said no more of it and Spike didn't ask.

Once they were done and had cleared everything away, they set off for the spa. It was still a new experience for Spike, walking so much taller than he was before. Everything in Ponyville just seemed a little bit smaller. It felt kind of cool to be a dragon astride ponies, but he couldn't help but feel that he stuck out a little bit more.

This feeling wasn't really helped by the odd looks he was getting. Almost everypony they passed held him in a lingering, scrutinising looks. He supposed he couldn’t blame them. Last time he’d suddenly grown, it hadn’t exactly ended well. Even so…

"Don't worry, darling." Rarity had noticed too and walked a little closer. "Just act like you don't see them, ignore them."

"I’m trying to…” He hung his head. “I mean, I know most of these ponies. I've lived with them for a long time and they've never looked at me like this before."

"Ponyville is a small town, Spike. Anything new always causes something of a stir. Pay it no mind," she replied.

"You’re… you’re sure?”

“Completely. Look at that whole Gabby Gums affair. A few weeks later and everypony has already moved on to the next thing. It’ll be the same with this, never fear. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, you're right." He smiled at her. "Thanks, Rarity."

"Anytime, Spikey. Just walk with me and try not to notice them staring."

"I'm sure it's not so bad." Both of them jumped at the sound of Pinkie's voice right next to them. "They're probably just suuuuuper jealous because of how big and strong you look, Spike!"

"Pinkie?!" Rarity cried. "Where did you come from?! How long have you been there?!"

"About a minute or two," she answered brightly. "I didn't think you guys would mind if I came up and said hi."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" asked Spike. "You nearly gave us both a heart attack!"

Her smile faltered slightly. "Sorry. You guys were talking and I didn't want to interrupt you."

Rarity took a deep breath. "That's quite alright, Pinkie. How is your Hearts and Hooves Day? Have you found yourself a special somepony?"

"Of course I have! You!" she replied happily.

"Oh wonderf-" Rarity blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"And you too, Spike!" she added. "And Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Dusk, Ray, Fluttershy. All of my friends are special someponies to me, I can't choose just one."

Rarity and Spike exchanged a smile with each other. Of course that would be how Pinkie would view Hearts and Hooves Day.

“Yeah, we’re kind of doing the same thing,” said Spike. “I mean, who said your special somepony can’t just be a good friend, right?”

"Exactly! And because of that, I’ve brought you both these!" She pulled two cupcakes out of the basket she was carrying. "They’re made from your favourite flavours. I even put some gems in your one, Spike."

"Sounds delicious," said Spike. "Thanks, Pinkie."

"You're welcome! Now, I gotta hand out the rest of these and get started on preparing my Don't Be Sad You're Single party later this evening. Have a hip-hip happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"

Humming a random tune to herself, she pranced away.

"If I had a bit for every time that mare pops up like that…" Rarity laughed in spite of herself. "Come along then, Spike. The spa is calling us!"

"You don't have to tell me twice. I'm really looking forward to a clawcure and steam room session." Spike was feeling relaxed just thinking about it.

The walk to Fluttershy's was a long one and not just because of how out of the way it was. He would have normally teleported, but he needed this. Time to think about how he was going to do this.

Ray would have felt unsure under normal circumstances. He'd never been one for Hearts and Hooves Day. A life on the road didn't leave much chances for dating. Apart from that one mare he'd met on his travels. She seemed nice enough, but when Ray had woken up in their shared campsite to find most of his belongings gone and the mare absent, he'd decided it wasn't going to work out. He knew that the day involved the exchange of gifts, but he'd been under the impression it was voluntary. He'd been sure to remind her of that when he eventually found out where she'd gone.

Wrath had felt his frustration that day too. He'd been rather active those days tracking her down. There had been some intimidation involved when he found her, but Wrath had felt the need to try and egg him on a little further. He'd managed to ignore him. The mare wasn't worth it. He didn't want a count of three to be made. Well, it had now but...

Ray stopped for a moment, shaking his head. How was he even supposed to start? It had been hard enough to admit to everyone what he'd done and it would be enough of a challenge to maintain friendships following that. How could he even continue a romantic relationship after that?

Fluttershy had avoided him when she'd learned of Wrath. The knowledge that he was murderer as well as the host of an all powerful millennia old demon... would she even be able to handle that?

"Really, what else would you have expected? Just because I don't understand why you ponies become so riled when you take rightful vengeance on those who have wronged you doesn't mean you don't."

Ray did his best to ignore Wrath. He wasn't in the mood to be antagonised by the Beast today. He kept in mind what Dusk had said to him, that their deaths were more Wrath's fault than his, of Twilight saying Fluttershy had supported him. The words of his best friends helped to keep him focused, but it didn't do much to soothe the creeping feeling of dread with every step he took.

His dread only grew at the sight of her cottage appearing over the hill. Time to face the music. He trudged up the path, only vaguely acknowledging the animals that either scurried to get out of his way and hide or glare and hiss at him. He raised his hoof, hanging over the door. Finally, he knocked.

For ten, very slow seconds, he waited. When the door creaked open, it was only by a small crack. Enough that he could see Fluttershy's wide, fearful blue eyes peering through.

"R-Ray?" Her voice was barely above a murmur.

Ray responded how he often did: with a joking retort.

"Actually, I'm his long lost twin brother." He chuckled awkwardly, but couldn't see her reaction. "Uh yeah, it's me. Hi, Flutters."

"H-Hello."

Ray waited for more, but nothing came. Her eye shifted away from him to the ground, now and again flickering back to him.

"Can I uh... come in?" he asked.

Again, her reply wasn't immediate. "Yes..."

Very slowly, she opened the door and allowed him inside. Ray muttered his thanks as he stepped in. He glimpsed the other animals scurrying away to hide. The only exception was Angel, who glared at him in a manner he didn't think any rabbit could.

He turned to look at Fluttershy, who remained by the door hidden behind a lock of her mane. Her eyes were still shifting about, only remaining on him for brief moments at a time. He stood in his spot too, casting around for something to talk about.

"So uh..." He jumped at the first thing. "Where's Discord? I mean, you know, he's uh, kind of rooming with you."

"I-In Canterlot," she murmured. "H-He said h-he had a um... a hot date."

"Oh. Good for him." He paused and added, "I mean, somepony's gotta be into weird, chimera dragon things right?"

"I suppose." Another silence passed. "Would you um... like to sit down?"

"Sure. Thanks."

They moved to the couch, with Fluttershy putting a noticeable space between them. Again, Ray waited for her to say something but he had a feeling he'd need to do the talking.

"Anyway, um... you look, uh... nice."

"Oh? Um... thank you," she said unsurely. Nothing followed.

The awkwardness, the quiet. It was torture to Ray, almost worst than anything Wrath could do. He wanted to attempt more small talk. Ask how she was or something. But there was no point putting this off any longer.

"Look, Flutters... it's no secret why you're acting like this," he said slowly. "I think we both knew this was coming. Even if we'd prefer to avoid it."

Fluttershy nodded faintly, but said nothing.

"Look, I know it was bad. What I did. I should know, I'm the one who has to live with it. Telling you guys... it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. And I just... well... what I mean is..." He sighed, at a loss of how to add to that. "Twilight told me that when you were all talking about... you know... that you were on my side. You wanted me to stay. Is that true?" Still, she said nothing. He growled in frustration. "Look, can you just say something? Please?"

She recoiled slightly and Ray began to regret his outburst. He shut his eyes, turning his head away. He was almost considering just up and leaving now. It didn't look like there was any hope here. Until...

"It is." It was quiet, barely above a whisper, but he heard her.

"Really?"

She nodded. "I even said um... it's a little silly, but... if we decided to um... l-lock you away, oh my that sounds so awful..." She glanced down again. "I said... th-that you could st-stay here. With me..." Her cheeks blushed.

"That so?" He rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe you guys should have made that choice. I wouldn't mind that."

She laughed a little. "I'm glad we didn't though."

"Me too. I don't think we're quite ready to move in with each other yet." That earned another little laugh. "So... how did you feel about it? Or still feel, even?"

Fluttershy contemplated her answer. "Well... I won't deny I was shocked. A-And scared. I mean, something like that it's... well..." She trailed off, but went on. "But... you're not the only one who's lost control. I-It's happened to me too..."

"Yeah, I remember the whole Iron Will thing," recalled Ray.

"N-Not just that." She shifted uncomfortably. "I n-never told you this but... you know the Grand Galloping Gala?"

"You mean that annual celebration of decadence the snobby social elite who don't care about anything but their own shallow lives?" he asked.

She gave him a deadpan look. "I went there. So did everypony else."

"Oh um... I mean that delightful, magical time of sparkle and wonder where dreams come true?" he corrected hastily.

"That's... not quite true actually. You see, I wanted to go to the Gala but not for the party or the dancing. For me, it was a chance to visit the Canterlot gardens and see all the unique animals that live in them, to make friends with them."

"I can see that. I'm guessing that's not what happened?" he asked.

"No. The animals weren't used to being around ponies. No matter what I tried, th-they all ran away. Eventually, I just got so frustrated and angry with it all that I..." She shook her head shamefully. "Even today, I'm still ashamed of myself for it. But I know what it's like. T-To be pushed over the edge. I know it's not as bad as doing w-what you did but... I do understand." Now, she looked at him. "I don't blame you for what happened in your past, Ray. Of course you would have been angry and having Wrath must have made it a thousand times worse."

"No arguments from me," agreed Ray. "Then... where does that leave, you know, us? Are we still... t-together?"

Fluttershy smiled in a way that made Ray's heart leap. She closed the distance between them and nuzzled his cheek. "Yes, we are. It doesn't change how I feel about you. If you still want to be w-with me."

"Yes," said Ray at once, relishing her embrace. "You really want to still be with me?"

"I wouldn't have said I do if I didn't," she replied.

"Then I guess there's only one more thing to ask." He hopped off the couch and knelt down before her. "Fluttershy, will you be my Special Somepony?"

She giggled at his display. "Do you really have to ask it like that?"

"Hey, it's a very important question and must be asked with the appropriate weight," argued Ray. "So, is that a yes?"

"You can be so silly. But yes, I would very much like to be your Special Somepony." She giggled and blushed even more. "Goodness, my first Special Somepony."

"That's the first time anypony's asked you to be?"

"A-Actually um..." She fiddled with her mane. "There was one colt, i-in Flight School when I was a filly. H-He asked me and um... I kind of ran away."

"Nice of you to let him down gently," joked Ray.

"I panicked!" exclaimed Fluttershy. "I-I wasn't expecting anypony to ask me!"

He held up his hooves. "Okay, okay. Just glad I didn't get the same reaction."

"Me too," she giggled, nuzzling him again.

"Mortals," he heard Wrath snort. "Enjoy your pointless fornication, then."

Ray took some satisfaction in his reaction. It looked like it really was going to just be the two of them. He laughed at that.

"What is it?" asked Fluttershy.

"Eh, it's nothing. Hey, so wanna go get breakfast in town?" he asked. "I don't know about you, but I'm kinda famished. Heart to heart conversations really take it out of you."

"No doubt about that," she giggled. "Yes, I'd love to get some breakfast with you. I fancy pancakes, if that's okay with you?"

Ray matched her smile. "That sounds perfect."

The sandwiches Dusk and Twilight had at the former's home were simple. But, as Dusk teasingly pointed out, at least they were edible. Twilight's retort was to ask him what starts with 'come here' and ends in 'ow'. Dusk got his answer shortly after.

Once they'd eaten and Dusk's leg was no longer stinging, they went to the next part of their day. One they'd been really rather lucky to arrange at all. They'd literally bumped in one who'd be giving them the opportunity on a whim and made the arrangements.

When they left town, arriving in a small field, their transport was waiting for them. A familiar blue box with a brown earth pony stallion leaning against the door.

"Ah, so I was on time," the Doctor remarked when they reached him.

"You're a time traveller. Isn't that always the case?" asked Dusk.

"You'd be surprised." He pushed open the door for them. "After you two."

With some trepidation, they once again stepped in through the TARDIS doors. The feeling of stepping through into another world overcame Dusk when he gazed around the impossibly large interior of the time machine.

He and Twilight were also surprised to discover that they weren't the only passengers on board. A grey furred, cross eyed pegasus mare beamed at them from around the console.

"Hey Twilight! Hey Dusk!" waved Derpy. "It's really nice to see you both again. Have you had a nice Hearts and Hooves Day?"

"It's been lovely, Derpy, thank you. How's yours been?" asked Twilight.

"Well, pretty crazy but just about every day in the TARDIS is," she replied brightly. "The Doctor and me just came from Trottingham. There was a weird alien gas that infected a poor mare and made her act… well, weird."

Dusk cocked an eyebrow. "Weird? Weird how?"

"It was an intergalactic parasite, rather like a drug junkie." The Doctor joined them at the console. "It enters a host, then develops a special pheromone inside their body so as to make them irresistible to the opposite sex. It would then feed off of the energy that is manifested in the climax of the ensuing biological process between the two ponies to keep itself alive."

While Twilight gasped and blushed, Dusk was a little confused. He had an idea of the implication though.

"So, basically…?"

"It made her act like she was in heat," supplied Derpy. "Times, like, a billion."

"Ah." Now, Dusk blushed.

"Indeed," nodded the Doctor. "Not really so much of a problem, aside from that it resulted in the death of the unfortunate stallion participating in the act. You can see how that would be especially bad on Hearts and Hooves Day. A perfect opportunity for it to feed."

"I can imagine," shuddered Twilight. "Did you manage to stop it?"

"Oh yes," said the Doctor. "We managed to track down the mare in question and purged the parasite from her body before it could try its luck on anypony else and released it into a far off sector of the universe."

"That's a relief." Twilight hesitated. "Was anypony hurt?"

"The mare it inhabited was fine. She'll feel groggy, but that's all." A sombre look crossed his face. "It had already targeted two stallions before we got there though. We couldn't do anything for them."

"But we stopped it before it could do the same to another one," reminded Derpy. "I think it's sad we couldn't save those other two, but there's no point being sad about it. Just be thankful everypony else was okay afterwards."

"Yes. Yes, you're right." He smiled warmly at Derpy. "Thank you, Miss Hooves. You always know just what to say."

She blushed a little. "Happy to do it, Doctor."

"So, it's again thanks to you that ponies are safe," said Twilight. "It must just be an average day for you."

"You and your friends aren't exactly lacking in the saving the world department either," the Doctor noted.

"Fair point," she agreed. "So, can your TARDIS do what we suggested?"

"Of course she can!" he said proudly. "Just a simple orbital placement, not even remotely taxing."

His hooves began to dance across the console with an almost childlike fervour. The column in the centre started to rise and fall in time with the groaning sound it made. Dusk felt the floor shake a bit as the TARDIS came to life before his eyes.

"That does certainly sound like a strange way to spend Hearts and Hooves Day," Dusk said to Derpy.

"I've had stranger days," she giggled. "But that's what's so wonderful about travelling with the Doctor. Every day is seeing new worlds, new places, new ponies. Sometimes not even ponies. And I get to be the luckiest mare in the universe to have the chance to travel to them with one of the most amazing ponies I've ever met."

"He is quite remarkable." Dusk noted how both of her eyes were focused on the Doctor as he danced around the console. "Does he know?"

"No. I don't think he even notices," she sighed. "But that's okay. I still get to be with him and see the universe. That's amazing all on its own. You and Twilight really missed out on a chance to see it too."

"Well, perhaps one day we might take him up on his offer. For now, I think we're content where and when we are. Our normal lives have quite enough excitement," chuckled Dusk.

"Yeah, Ponyville does get pretty crazy enough as it is," agreed Derpy. "At least it's got you, Twilight and all your friends to protect it."

"We do our best." A loud thudding sound got his attention. "Have we arrived?"

"We have indeed," replied the Doctor. "You two just step through those doors and see for yourself. But don't step out of them, that'd be disastrous."

"You're sure it's safe?" asked Twilight.

"Absolutely. The TARDIS projects a small forcefield around herself to protect us from the vacuum. Just sit on the edge and you'll be fine," he promised.

"Alright then." Twilight stepped towards the doors, stopping in front of them with Dusk. "Ready?"

"When you are."

Reaching out together, they pushed open the doors. What they saw robbed them of any clear thought or clue of what to say.

Space. They were in space. Outer space. What they'd only glimpsed from looking up at the sky or through Twilight's telescope now stretched before them in its infinite majesty. Thousands of stars multiplied into billions. Like a magnificent canvas, colours of black, blue and violet were painted in the most vibrant way possible. Even Dusk felt that his own magic were just fairy lights next to this.

And there, floating right in the middle of it all, was their home. The planet Equus. A giant blue and green sphere, with swirls and groups of white cloud across its surface. Like an enormous marble, Dusk thought. The light of their sun was creeping out behind it. Orbiting close was their planet's moon. It looked so small from Ponyville, but from here… he couldn't even tell where Ponyville was.

Suddenly, their past deeds seemed so much more significant. Dusk may have known that if they'd failed to stop the many threats and enemies they'd faced the world might be in peril. Seeing just how vast their world truly was made the stakes seem so much higher, but the causes they fought for so much more important.

"It's… incredible," he whispered.

"I know." Twilight too was in awe. "All the books I've read about our planet told me a lot. But now I actually see it… I feel like not even all the books in the world are nothing compared to this."

"I don't think that's entirely true. I'm sure you must have read a fair bit about geography." He lay down on the floor and patted the spot next to him. "Can you see any continents or countries you recognise?"

"Hmm, let's see." She sat down next to him and looked across the planet's surface. "Well, there's Equestria." She pointed to the largest continent. "If we go east of Manehattan, which I think is roughly there on the north eastern seaboard, across the sea is the Griffin Kingdom. The Loveless Lands of the Changelings are on that same continent too in a series of mountain ranges. The dragons in the Burning Badlands are south east on the same continent as Equestria, but they also have a small set of islands called the Dragon's Teeth off the shoreline. West of Equestria, we have Zebrica, relatively small compared to the others. That's Zecora's homeland. The majority of diamond dogs share the same home with them too, but they're a lot more scattered."

"And where's Ponyville roughly, do you think?" he asked.

"Um…" She gazed intently at Equestria. "In around the middle area. Canterlot's in that same region too and it's very distinctive on maps."

"Perhaps that's why we end up seeing so much trouble. We're literally the centre of everything," remarked Dusk.

"There might be some truth." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm glad we decided to do this. This is truly amazing."

"It is at that." Dusk looked back. "Thank you for this, Doctor."

The time traveller smiled. "Believe me, it's my pleasure."

"Right, my all-knowing marefriend, what else can you teach me?" he asked.

"If you wish to learn, my curious coltfriend, I will tell," she said smartly. "Ooh, since we're in the perfect place for it, let's see what star constellations we can see."

Dusk didn't really know how long they sat there, with Twilight giving her mini-lectures to him on whatever came to mind about what they could see. In a way, it didn't matter. For one thing, he was spending time with her. For another, they were in a time machine. It was hardly an issue.

But because she desired to have consistency to their schedule, Twilight asked the Doctor a few hours later to take them back. The stallion then suggested that he return them to five minutes after they left. Twilight decided to accept the idea because she wanted to take the chance to write about what they'd seen when they got back.

Dusk had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, but in a more endearing sense. Even now, his marefriend was ever willing to document all of this. However, they received yet another surprise when they stepped out of the TARDIS doors and saw that Luna had replaced the day with her night. At first, Dusk had thought they were still in space and had stepped out of the TARDIS right into it.

"Hold on, it was the middle of the afternoon." Twilight looked at the Doctor. "I thought you said we'd be back five minutes after we left."

"Is it? Oh." He ran back inside. "Ah." He came back out. "Slight misentry in the time/space coordinates. It happens. Five minutes, five hours, same difference."

"W-What?!" Twilight was flabbergasted. "We've been gone for five hours?!"

"Like I said, you'd be surprised how often I don't arrive on time for things. Or in time. Sorry about that," he said with a quick grin.

"You should be sorry! You've almost thrown our whole schedule off!" shouted Twilight. "What kind of time traveller are you that you can't even fly your own time machine right?!"

"Hey! Making precision landings has always been a little hit and miss!" argued the Doctor. "It could be worse. At least it wasn't five months. Or years. Or decades. Or cent… this isn't really helping, is it?"

Dusk shook his head. "Not really, no."

"I didn't think so. In that case, I shall bid the both of you a good night and a Happy Hearts and Hooves Day. Onwards and upwards!"

"Bye Twilight, bye Dusk!" called Derpy from the console room. "Have a nice night! It was great seeing you!"

Before Twilight could make any other kind of protest at the Doctor, the TARDIS door snapped shut. The light on top flashed, the ancient machine groaned and faded out of their time.

"I feel fantastic!" Spike announced on leaving the spa.

"I do too!" Rarity sighed. "Oh, it's absolutely divine to have a good massage and mud bath."

"Yeah and Aloe and Lotus really worked wonders on my claws." He showed them to her. "What do you think?"

"They certainly look a lot less sharp. Very fine, Spike. For now, I do believe it's time for our lunch. A perfect way to follow up the spa."

"Fine then. Hey, what's Sweetie Belle up to today?" he asked. "I remember you said there'd be guaranteed no interruptions from her today. That because she has a special somepony?"

"Well, she won't admit it in that way, but I firmly believe she is," she replied. "She gets so flustered whenever I bring it up, what else could it be?"

"Is it that colt you said she's been hanging around with quite a bit?"

"Button Mash, yes," she nodded. "He's been to visit a few times. A bit of an odd boy, but he seems a decent sort and Sweetie enjoys spending time with him. Playing computer games, I believe."

"Really? Huh. She didn't strike me as a gamer mare," he admitted.

"Indeed. Never saw the enjoyment in those silly things. All of those flashing lights and buttons and whatnot," she said haughtily. "However, my sister is at liberty to spend time however she wants with whomever she chooses."

"With some of the stuff she and the Crusaders get up to, you might wanna think about that," quipped Spike.

Rarity tittered. "A fair point."

They arrived at Oat Meal. Spike saw a fair few ponies he knew. Lyra and Bon Bon were sitting at a table together, immersed in conversation. Big Mac and Cheerilee were at a table too, this time without the unbearable gaga talk. The flower sisters, Lily, Rose and Daisy were there too. The latter two were at the counter while the former looked to be walking around selling flowers.

They ordered their meal, a helping of hay fries and a shake for Spike and some cucumber sandwiches and lemonade for Rarity. Spike got a prickly feeling like they were being watched, but he did his best to ignore it. It was easy mostly, for soon he and Rarity were also absorbed in talking and in each other that everypony else didn't matter.

That is until Spike accidentally tripped up Lily with his tail as she walked by.

"Hey Lily, you okay?" Spike went to help her pick up her flowers, but stopped when she shrieked. "Whoa, hey! What's the-?"

"No! No, get away!" she shrieked. "Don't eat me!"

"Eat you?" murmured Spike. "W-Why would I…?"

"Stay away from her!" Daisy stepped between her and Spike. "Don't even think of trying anything!"

"I-I'm not trying anything!" he insisted. "I was only helping pick up her flowers."

"Helping her or helping yourself?" she accused. "You're not getting any of mine either! What else have you stolen?"

"Nothing! I've stolen nothing!" he cried. "Why do you think I've stolen something?"

"Because you're bigger again!" she retorted. "We all remember what happened last time you had a growth spurt!"

"Yeah!" Rose had come to back her up too. "Don't give him an inch or he'll be trying to squash us again!"

"I won't, I swear!" Spike saw ponies around him were looking scared and he tried to approach them. "Look, I'm really not-" He stopped when most of them backed away a little more. "H-Hey, don't be scared. It's just me, Spike..."

"The same Spike who tried to steal everything and flatten our town?" spat Rose. "Because that's what it looks like to me!"

"What on earth is going on in here?" Rarity had come from outside to see what the commotion was. "Spike? Ladies, what is the meaning of this?"

"Isn't it obvious? He's going crazy from greed again!" cried Daisy.

"Y-Yeah, look how big he's gotten already!" pointed Lily. "He won't even tell us what he's stolen!"

"What? Don't be ridiculous," dismissed Rarity. "This has nothing to do with his greed. It's just his natural maturation."

"Oh and I guess that other time is just one of those unnatural growths that everypony has?" remarked Rose sarcastically.

Rarity shook her head. "This is absurd. These accusations are completely unfounded. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

"Maybe it's her!" Lily pointed wildly at her. "M-Maybe he stole her!"

"What?! That is completely-!"

"No, no, you might be right." Daisy glared at her. "He came for you last time. He tried to take you from your Boutique, that was the way he was going. Maybe he's using you to grow and he's controlling you through some weird dragon magic!"

"Yeah!" agreed Rose. "Why else would you be hanging around with him?!"

"Because he's my friend!" she shot back.

But there were increased murmurings from the crowd.

"He's really got her under his spell," noted Rose. "How do we know we can trust anything she says?"

"Especially since it looks like she's practically letting him do it too," put in Daisy.

"Now, you see here-!"

"Yeah!" chimed in Lily. "She's just as bad as he is!"

The murmurings were growing steadily louder, like a buzzing of angry hornets. Rarity looked to be losing her composure. Spike was almost on the verge of tears. He couldn't believe they were saying things like this, that they thought things like this about him.

But everypony stopped when they all heard a very out of place sound. Laughter. Coming from a very familiar source.

"Come on, girls, don't be so silly!" Pinkie pranced over to them. "Spike can't do magic like that. If you wanna spell that'll make you go crazy for the first thing you see, we can always ask Twilight to cast her Want It, Need It spell again. You both okay?"

"Better now, I think," said Rarity with a grateful smile.

"I… I…" Spike tried to speak, but every time his voice broke.

"Awww, come here." Pinkie pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, it's okay."

"Pinkie, get away from him," warned Rose. "He's dangerous."

"Sorry, but that's not funny anymore." When she spoke to the flower sisters, her voice lost some of its usual bubbliness. "Were you three bullying him?"

"W-What?" stammered Lilly while the other two looked stunned.

"Because when I see three ponies making somepony or dragon, cry, that means they're bullying them. There's not a lot of things I don't like in this world. Baked bads. Oatmeal. But bullying is something I really, really don't like." Suddenly her face split into a grin. "Because why should be doing silly things like being mean when it's so much better being friends?"

"We're not being mean!" Daisy finally found her voice. "He's the one who's being dangerous! He's growing again, look!"

"Yeah. Everypony grows, duh," said Pinkie, rolling her eyes. "Unless you were born as big as you are, Daisy in which case I feel really sorry for your mom. That must have been a long labour. Good on you for being such a big healthy baby though!"

"But what if it's like last time?" Rose demanded.

"Well, has he tried taking your things?" asked Pinkie.

"No, but-"

"Has he been saying 'Spike want' or anything like that?"

"Not really, but-"

"Has he burst into your store and tried to run off with all of your cakes?"

"I don't even sell-!"

"Then it's not like last time!" She patted Spike's back. "He's just a big growing dragon."

"But he might be doing it differently this time!" Lily wailed hysterically. "He's put Rarity under some kind of spell so he can grow big and wreck the town again! Look!"

"Yep, he's got her under a spell alright," agreed Pinkie. "I've seen loads of ponies around town under a spell just like it."

"He's done this to others? Is he going to make a hoard out of ponies?" Rose glared at Spike. "You disgusting-!"

"Not just with him, with everypony! It's friendship!" announced Pinkie happily. "Come on! You haven’t forgotten the name of the show, have you?"

"Stop talking to us like we're dumb! You're being dumb here!" snapped Daisy. "Last time he grew, he almost destroyed the whole town! He's dangerous!"

"And that Dusk too! How he's related to that monster, Doom!" added Daisy. "Twilight just willingly keeps these two despite all of that? Here in Ponyville?! Why?!"

"Because they're her friends. They're mine and your friends too." Pinkie's tone was that she was done being tolerant. "Yeah, some bad things may have happened because of them. But those things were also stopped because of them too. Every time we've had to save this town from some big meanie like Doom or Discord, Spike's been there with us too. He might not be an Element and he might not be a pony, but doesn't mean he's not my friend or that he's not protected this town as much as we have. He didn't get those big nasty scars from falling on a rake while gardening, you know."

The onlookers were starting to look shamefaced. The sisters didn't seem as convicted in their accusations either. But Pinkie wasn't finished.

"As for why Rarity is with Spike, it's because she thinks the same as me and all my other friends. Just because she's a pony and he's a dragon doesn't make their friendship weird. It makes it special." She gave them both a warm smile and looked back at the sisters. "And you're not dumb. You're scared. You're not the only ones. Spike's scared because he doesn't wanna be a big scary dragon like he was when he was greedy. But he’s showing how brave he is by just being out here, with his friend and everypony else. Maybe you can be brave too and just accept that it's still the same old Spike. Please?"

Rose, Lily and Daisy all had their eyes downcast. They glanced at Spike and Rarity, but none of them made any eye contact. Lily hurriedly grabbed her basket and quickly left, not bothering with the other flowers. Rose gave a quick, awkward apology and followed. Daisy seemed torn between what to think. Eventually, she just groaned in frustration and left too.

"Wow…" Spike watched them go and looked to Pinkie. "Thanks for that."

"Don't worry about it. Those three are always the first to lose their heads whenever something bad happens," assured Pinkie. "Just a good thing I'm here to help find them again."

"Aren't you often the first to panic too?" asked Rarity.

"Yeah, but only when it looks like fun to run around screaming. There's nothing fun about ponies getting scared of my friends though," she said. "Will you two be okay?"

"I think so, although… Spike?" Rarity turned to him. "Would you mind if we forgo the movie and return to the Boutique? I think I'd rather be there right now."

"Sure we can," said Spike at once. "See you later, Pinkie."

"Don't let it get you down!" she called after them. "Have a happy Hearts and Hooves Day!”

Spike smiled a little at that. He opened his mouth, but Rarity didn't look to be in a talking mood. They walked in silence back to the Boutique, where Rarity practically threw herself onto her favourite couch. Spike stood not too far off, unsure as what to do.

"Rarity? Are… are you okay?" he tried.

She was quiet for a bit. "I don't really know. Please, sit with me Spike."

"Okay." He joined her a little awkwardly on the couch. "You uh, wanna talk about it?"

Again, she said nothing. She stared at the ground, lost in thought. She closed her eyes and sank a little further into the cushions.

"I won't deny… that was difficult for me," she admitted. "I knew that your recent growth would cause a stir but… a confrontation like that is not something I thought I would have to face."

"Yeah, I get it. It was hard for me too." He glanced at her. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, me hanging around with you?"

She whipped her head up to face him. "Don't even begin to ask that question, Spike. While I admit that image is important to me and the idea of being subject to gossip like this is far from comforting, I am not willing to forsake our friendship because of a little bad gossip."

Spike gazed at her in amazement. He felt truly touched that this was how she felt. It was hard to believe that he would have considered himself lucky to just spend time helping her. He never imagined her saying anything like this to him.

He gave her the only response he could. He opened his lanky arms and embraced her. She returned it, wrapping her forelegs around his neck.

“Hey, I got an idea!” said Spike suddenly. “How about instead of going to the theatre, we just set up the projector at the library and play a movie there?”

Rarity beamed. “That sounds utterly divine.”

It was one of the best breakfasts Ray had ever eaten. One thing he was happy to have staying in Ponyville was having regular square meals. Having one of the most special mares he'd ever met there as a date was a massive bonus too. He eagerly shoveled pancakes into his mouth, then became aware that Fluttershy was staring at him.

"What?" he asked with a mouth full of pancake.

"You really shouldn't eat them so fast like that," she advised. "You'll give yourself a tummy ache."

He managed a massive gulp. "I've had worse things happen." He let out a hearty belch, making a few sitting near them give him looks of disgust. "What? In some cultures, that's a compliment."

Fluttershy shook her head. "And I thought Twilight had messy eating habits. Not to say bad things about her, but she kind of does."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Take her out to Hay Burger sometime and you'll see."

"Yeah, I don't think Dusk would be too happy about that," said Ray. "Not to sound like a sap, but you're the only mare I'd ever want to take out anywhere."

"That's sweet of you to say." Fluttershy ate some more of her pancakes before speaking again. "Can I ask you something?"

"I was young and needed the money!" Ray said at once.

"I won't pry into that," she tittered. "I'm just curious... were you ever um... attracted to any other of our friends?"

"Honestly? No," he answered. "Call at a cliche, but it was sort of a first sight thing with you. Just the instant I saw you, I felt something inside me that has nothing to do with you-know-who."

"Really?" She blushed but she still smiled. "I think... i-it might have been the same for me too."

Ray smiled too, gazing into those beautiful blue eyes. He leaned across the table with the intent to give her a nuzzle. She shyly mirrored the action, their noses almost touching... but belched in her face before he could stop himself.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I guess you're reconsidering now, huh?"

"I think I can look past-" She coughed a little. "Some burping. This time."

"Okay, point taken. I'll try and eat more sensibly." The bites he took from his pancakes were still sizable. "How's that?"

"Better," she answered.

After they finished their breakfast, the two of them took a walk through the town square. It amazed Ray that, despite the town's grossly out of proportion male to female ratio that a fair few mares still found a stallion to spend the day with. There were some same sex couples too. That weird human pony and her sweet making friend for one. But he and Fluttershy were just part of the couple crowd, laughing and talking.

Dusk and Twilight had been right. Now that he'd actually talked to her, the feeling of relief was heavenly. He loved just being able to talk with her again like this. It was amazing how much she just didn't care about what had happened with him. She still wanted to be with him. That was enough to put a spring in his step he felt rivalled Pinkie.

Until a certain somepony snapped him out of it.

"Strike!"

Ray froze. He put on a huge grin and turned around.

“Hey, Applejack!” he greeted in a strained voice. “Happy Hearts and-“

“Don’t y’all try an’ be cute with me!” she cut off, staring him down. “Jus’ what do ya think yer doin’? Or, better question, what are ya not doin'?”

Fluttershy looked at Ray uneasily. “Ray, you did ask Applejack if it was okay to take the day off. Right?”

“Ehhh… kind of, sort of… no,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “But I thought about doing it and it’s the thought that counts, eh?”

Applejack didn’t seem to appreciate his humour. She continued to glare at him.

“Applejack,” Fluttershy tried to interject, “is there really any need for this?”

“Yes,” she said simply. “Honestly, I cannot believe the nerve of you! Jus’ what did you think was gonna happen?”

“Well-“

“Did ya really think I wasn’t gonna catch up ta ya at some point? Don’t matter if you can jus’ zap yerself someplace else, I’d find ya!”

“Uh-“

“Because if you thought I was jus’ gonna let you walk around town without gettin’ yer specially made Hearts and Hooves Day apple pie, then you need ta think again mister!”

“I’M SORRY! DON’T LASSO ME TO A TREE AGAIN!” Then he processed what she’d actually said. “Wait… I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard!” She shoved the food stuff in question right into his face. “Baked this mornin’! Even Apple Bloom had a hoof in makin’ it. She added the lil’ love heart right there!” She pointed to it in the middle. “You should be ashamed-a yerself.”

She managed to keep her serious glare for another five seconds. Then, she snorted and burst out laughing. Ray spluttered incoherently, looking from Applejack to Fluttershy, the latter barely suppressing her own laughter.

In the end, Ray joined in. “Do you just enjoy tormenting me?”

“Ah like ta keep ya on yer hooves. Don’t want ya gettin’ too complacent or anythin’, am Ah right?” she said pointedly.

“Yes boss,” he said quickly.

“Here’s yer pie then.” She handed it to him. “You were supposed ta get it at work today. Which ya didn’t show up for. Least Ah can see why.”

“I’m sorry, Applejack,” Fluttershy said. “I assumed that Ray had probably checked with you first.”

Applejack barked a laugh. “Now wouldn’t that be a fine thing. Don’t worry, ‘Shy, it ain’t yer fault. Zippy on the other hoof…”

“Okay, okay,” Ray said. “I’m sorry, I guess I should have said something about this.”

“You guess?”

“Okay, definitely should have,” he corrected. “But honestly, after what I… confessed to, I’m a little surprised that I still have a job.”

“Oh, sugarcube.” Applejack’s expression softened. “Far as Ah’m concerned, ya still got a seat at my family’s table.”

Ray was stunned. He hadn’t yet spoken to Applejack about what he’d done all those years ago, but to say he was surprised would be an understatement.

“Really? Just like that?”

“Yep,” she replied. “Not sayin’ that what you did was right, but Ah can’t really fault ya fer it. Regardless of what ya said, that couple was prob’ly the closest thing you’ve had to a family. If Ah were in yer shoes, Ah can’t honestly say I wouldn’t have reacted in the same way.

“I hope you never have to be,” Ray murmured.

“Me too. But as far as this is concerned, Ah’ve got yer back Ray,” she vowed. “We’re yer family now and we’re gonna take-a ya. Ah promise.”

Her smile was as sincere as her words. He glanced at Fluttershy, who nodded like she was confirming what she said.

“AJ… would it be weird if I, as your employee, gave you a hug?” he asked.

“As an employee, yes. But as ma friend, nope. C’mon you.” She pulled him into a strong embrace. Ray winced a little, but returned it.

“Okay, that’s fine. I didn’t need my ribs anyway,” he croaked afterward.

“Oh buck up, ya softy,” she dismissed. “Now, Ah’ll let ya have taday off. But tomorrow, Ah want ya workin’ extra hard.”

“Yes ma’am,” he saluted.

“And if ya even think about tryin’ ta take another day off without ma permission again, I can give ya the proper experience of what it feels like ta be an apple. Complete with buckin’ ya out of the tree when Ah’m done,” she warned.

Ray gulped and nodded in silent terror.

“Glad we understand each other. Y’all have a good day now,” she wished before heading back towards the farm.

“How is it that you even still have your job at the farm?” asked Fluttershy shaking her head.

“I ask myself that question every day,” chuckled Ray.

Because of the Doctor's miscalculation, Twilight had been rather rushed to get them ready to be on time for their dinner at Chez Delicious. Determined to arrive on time, she teleported Dusk to his house, gave him five minutes to get changed and teleported away. Not wanting to exacerbate the situation, Dusk had whipped on the suit he'd worn for the Canterlot Wedding and quickly combed his mane.

He'd just finished when Twilight teleported back wearing her dress she'd worn for the wedding. Dusk barely had time to comment how lovely she looked before she grabbed him and teleported them a short walk away from the restaurant. At that point, Dusk felt like he'd be swiftly returning whatever food might be given to him there from the sensations.

"Oh, get over it," she said impatiently. "Come on, I don't want us to be late."

Dusk opened his mouth to reply, but closed it when he started to feel a retching sensation. He let Twilight drag him into the restaurant where Horte Cuisine, their usual waiter, nodded at their arrival.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Twilight and Monsieur Dusk. Right on time," he greeted. "So glad you could make it with a reservation zis time."

Twilight laughed awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. This time..."

"Come, your usual table is prepared. Are you quite alright, Monsieur? You seem rather queasy," he noted as they walked.

"I'll be fine," Dusk managed to say. "I was just a little… rushed to get here."

"Ah, I see. So, Miss Sparkle can be just as harrowing to you as well?" Twilight glanced about awkwardly again whilst he sat them down. "I will return to take your orders once you decide."

"Thank you." He looked across at Twilight. "What exactly happened for you to leave that kind of impression on him?"

"Um. I guess I got a little… short when he told me that they were fully booked on our anniversary," she muttered.

Dusk smirked. "Did you knock him out too?"

"What?!" she groaned. "I thought you'd finally let that go!"

"You thought wrong."

"I'm sorry, what Dusk?" She craned her ear. "It's hard to hear you from so far away. You've run off again because talking about your problems is a foreign concept."

"I'm so sorry," he retorted. "Should I wait until after you've enchanted the whole town because of a deadline or before you've blown up the library because of a test?"

"I'm not sure if you'll have the time. I thought you'd be too busy throwing yourself in front of unspeakable danger out of complete disregard for your own life," she countered.

"In my defense, I've only recently done that out of more noble reasons like the protection of my friends," he argued.

"That doesn't make it any better." She dropped her sarcastic tone. "Seriously, the next time you get the urge to do that, actually stop and think first."

"I do," he insisted. "There have just been times though when my personal sacrifice has been the only solution."

"That should never be a solution. Your needs and life are important too and I don't want you throwing them away on a whim like that. Ever." She placed a hoof on his. "We go together. You, me, all of our friends. That's what we do."

"I know," he murmured. "I sincerely hope I never have to be in a situation like that again."

"Me neither," she said in a quiet voice. "I… I don't even want to think about losing you."

"Nor I you." He shook his head. "This took on a dour mood rather suddenly."

"Yeah, how did that happen?" she said, reluctantly. "But you are really important to me, Dusk. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't. You're important to me too. We've had a whole year together to prove it and we'll have another to strengthen it further. I know it," he said with conviction.

"Of course we will," she agreed. "It's all there in my relationship schedule I've drawn up for us."

Dusk blinked. "You've… really made a schedule for our relationship?"

"No, but would you like me to try?" she asked teasingly.

Dusk chuckled. "As tempting as that sounds, perhaps we should go about this the old fashioned way and see what the future brings us unprepared, but ready to face it."

"With you of all ponies, I'd be happy to." They shared a brief kiss across the table. "Wow. It feels like yesterday we came here on our first date."

"I should hope not because I don't want Pinkie showing up for this one too. Remember?" he asked.

"Please, don't remind me," she said, rolling her eyes. "That was when Rainbow had that crush on you."

"Yes, that was a rather strange affair," he nodded. "Then again, it seems like that every day with you girls since I met you."

"Would you change that?"

"Not one day," he replied. "Now, I feel like the deep fried salad tonight…"

The rest of their evening went smoothly. The food was delicious, the service was swift and the company was very pleasant. And thankfully, no Pinkie was there trying to make it more romantic this time.

Needless to say that both of them were rather tired when they arrived back at the library. To wind down for the evening, the last item on their list was one they'd suggested a while ago. Dusk dug out the projector from the basement and a film reel while Twilight moved the couch upstairs in front of a large white sheet that served as their screen.

Dusk had picked out the movie himself from something he'd seen as a foal. The Princess Bride. He hadn't seen it for a long time and they'd had sent from the film archives in Canterlot University, courtesy of Twilight's parents.

"That was a pretty good movie," said Twilight once it was finished. "Good choice."

"I hoped you'd like it." He carefully put it away in its can. "I saw a fair few times when lived back in Canterlot. The very idea of only seeing it once was inconceivable."

"You keep saying that word. I don't think it means what you think it means," quoted Twilight. She yawned. "Time for bed, I think."

"As you wish," bowed Dusk. "Goodnight, Twilight."

"Wait, Dusk?" She shuffled on her hooves. "You know, Spike is staying in Canterlot tonight. So, if you wanted, you could… well…"

Dusk's cheeks felt heated. "You… want me to stay the night?"

"Um, yes. B-But we don't have to do that!" she quickly added. "We can just share the bed, like on the train to Canterlot. I mean, unless you want to… not saying you have to, of course! Or that I want to. N-Not that I don't want to, just…"

"I see what you mean," he mumbled. "I um… I'd be fine sleeping here tonight but… I don't think any of that either. That's still a bit of a way off for me."

"Me too." She sighed with relief. "Glad that's settled then. Come on, let's get ready for bed."

She let him use a spare toothbrush she had. It was here Dusk noted she had an egg timer so she could brush her teeth for precisely two minutes. He wasn't surprised.

Before long, they were both snuggled in bed together. It was a special kind of warmth they shared lying next to each other as they were now. Dusk had forgotten how nice this had felt.

"Goodnight, Twilight." He kissed her forehead while she rested her head on his belly. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day."

"You too, Dusk," she murmured, kissing his cheek. "Sweet dreams."

Dusk knew he would certainly have those and he had a feeling they would be sharing them tonight as well.

Spike fiddled a little with his bow tie again, hoping it was straight enough. One of the things that Rarity had done for him now he had grown was take his measurements and make him a new suit. Nothing really flashy, just a black tux, white shirt and red bow tie. Still, it was a gift from Rarity and that was what mattered to Spike.

He waited for her to finish freshening up in her room. Despite the obvious notion that there was little need for privacy due to ponies not wearing clothes, Spike still respected it. He only hoped this would go well. This last part of their Hearts and Hooves Day needed to be perfect.

"I'm reeeeeeaady!"

He whirled around at the sound of Rarity's bedroom door opening, accompanied by her dainty hooves descending the stairs.

"Well, Spike?" Rarity emerged from her room wearing her Gala gown. "It has been a while since I've worn this old thing, but I do hope it's just as fabulous as when I first made it?"

“You look fantastic as always, Rare,” he said.

"Thank you, Spikey," she tittered. "Now, not that I don’t like having the chance to dress up, but why exactly am I wearing this? It seems a little grandiose."

"Well, if they're on time, you'll have your answer in…" Spike heard the sound of hooves cantering outside. "Ah, right on schedule."

"Who are?" She followed Spike outside and gasped. "Goodness! A royal chariot?"

"Uh huh and that's just the first part." He stood at the side and gestured. "After you, my lady."

"Why thank you, my good sir," she replied cordially. He took her hoof to lift her on before sitting next to her. The pegasi pulling it carried them into the sky. "So what, may I ask, is the destination?"

"Not the Badlands this time, I promise. You'll see when we get there," he answered mysteriously.

She smiled coyly. "Very well, I shall play your little game." She looked out over the side. "This is really rather nice anyway."

"Yeah," he sighed, happy that she was happy. "Yeah, it is."

The lights of Canterlot grew brighter every passing second. Before long, the Pegasi stopped before the gilded doors where their royal host waited for them.

"Ah Spike, you're looking very dapper tonight," greeted Celestia. "It still amazes me how much you've grown recently."

"You're not the only one. Thanks, Princess," he said sincerely.

"And you look absolutely beautiful, Rarity. I hope you've both had a wonderful Hearts and Hooves Day."

"It's had its ups and downs, but I think the ups won out," said Spike. "How about yours?"

"It has been… interesting, to say the least," she replied as she led them into the palace.

"Why, what happened?" asked Rarity.

"Discord happened."

"Discord?!" Spike was flabbergasted. "You… and him… Hearts and… what?!"

"It was actually rather nice," she went on. "He surprised me with some of my favourite cakes and we had a little tea party. One with his unique flair, of course."

"With all due respect, Princess… how can Discord be your special somepony?!" demanded Rarity.

"I wouldn't say special somepony, Rarity. I think it was just his way of apologising to me for his past misdeeds and to reaffirm our new status as friends, not unlike the two of you. Or at least frienemies in our case," she added.

"I… guess that's fine," conceded Spike.

Celestia stopped at a set of double doors. "Everything is prepared for you both and somepony will show you to your suites when you're finished. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, you two."

The two of them watched her walk away, still a little flabbergasted at the news.

"Hey, Rarity?" he asked the dumbstruck mare. "You don't really think… I mean, you don't suppose… that her and Discord-?"

"Not another word, Spike," she hissed. "The very thought of an embodiment of grace and beauty like Celestia with somepony as vile, uncouth and devious as Discord… doesn't even bear thinking about!"

Spike nodded. "Yeah, I didn't really need that image in my head."

"I second that. But let's not let it distract from why we're here." Her enchanting smile returned. "Now, what have you got hidden away behind here?"

He returned her smile. "Why don't we find out? After you, my lady."

He held the door for her and she stepped inside. When he followed her in, she again stood dumbstruck at the sight that she beheld.

The room in question was one of those Celestia used for diplomatic sessions, usually kept mostly bare depending on who she was meeting with. However, it had been decorated tonight for the purpose of fine dining. An exquisitely covered table sat in the centre with a fine cloth of gold, plush red velvet cushions, fancy tableware and a shining candleholder. The curtains were closed, so the glow was made even more evident.

A small ensemble of cellists and violinists began playing a slow, atmospheric piece on their entry. Among them was the cellist Octavia, who smiled and nodded at them both while she pulled her bow across the strings and the electric violinist Frequency Stream with her too. A well dressed waiter stood at the side awaiting their arrival with menus under his foreleg.

"Come on," he whispered and guided her to the table.

"Good evening sir, madam. My name is Pennyworth and I'll be your waiter for the night," he greeted politely. "Here are your selections for the evening. I can assure that these will be prepared personally by the royal cooks and made to the highest standard of quality possible. Please, notify me if you need anything."

He bowed his head and walked a respectable distance from the table. Spike waited until Rarity was sat before he did. Her expression was still one of amazement.

"Spike… did you do all of this?" she murmured.

"Well, no," he admitted. "I just put in a word with Princess Celestia for what I wanted. She and the palace servants did preparations, but it was my idea."

"But… why? I mean, don't misunderstand me, I adore all of this, I really do," she said quickly. "But why go to all of this trouble just for me?"

"Because it is you," he answered simply. "You're amazing, Rarity. You looked out for me, you helped me when things got really bad. Even despite my dumb crush and all the trouble I end up in, you've still managed to stick by me and give me a great friend. Now tonight, I want you to feel like a princess. Because to me, with everything that you’ve done, you deserve to be right up there with them."

For the third time, Rarity was dumbstruck. But not for long. Her eyes began to shimmer and that smile became even more radiant than before.

"Oh, Spike…" She stood up from the table, crossed to his side and hugged him. "You absolute dear of a dragon. I… I don't know what to say. Nopony has ever done for me what you've done."

"Good thing I'm not a pony then," he joked. "Just enjoy this. My gift to you."

"You've given me far more than this. And that suites the Princess mentioned?"

"That's for after dinner," he said. "Cause I figured, it's gonna be late when we're done and we'd need to take a chariot back, so why not stay the night here? Give you the full princess experience! There's a suite for each of us so you can just kick back and relax."

"How very sweet and pragmatic of you,” she agreed. “I imagine it’ll be your first time sleeping in a proper bed instead of a little basket.”

He chuckled. “Not the first time sleeping, more like the first time I’ll actually be able to take up all of the space.”

"What a proud moment,” she said with a titter. She levitated her menu. "Ooh, they have griffin vintage wine! I don’t mind if I do!"

"Sounds fancy." Spike saw an opportunity and took it. "I didn't make you out to be a drunk, Rarity."

"Spike!" She glared at him. "How dare you suggest such a thing! I'm not an alcoholic! I merely… partake a little, sometimes. Only as a um… a comfort! Yes, yes."

"Fine, I believe you," he teased. "But I promise to keep an eye on you for the night too."

"Oh, ha ha,” she huffed. “Ahem, Pennyworth! Could you be a dear and have somepony send for a scarf of mine back in Ponyville? I'm beginning to think I shall have need of it."

"You mean the scarf that's got gems woven into it?" Spike licked his lips. "Thanks, Rarity. I was hankering for a snack."

"Never mind, Pennyworth." Her glare intensified. "I wouldn't want my friend to spoil his dinner."

"You're so considerate," cooed Spike. "I'll try the wine then. I just hope I won't need it for comfort."

"Oh no, you don’t!” she said, wagging her hoof. “Despite your recent growth, you’re still an adolescent dragon and I shan’t have you drinking on my watch.”

“Aw, come on!”

She shook her head with a smirk. “Sorry, Spike. Maybe you’ll think twice before being cheeky and calling a lady a drunk.”

Spike planted his head on the table with a groan. “Aw, man…”

They walked around a little more, taking a path through the woods. The nicer one, not the horrible death place. It let Fluttershy have a chance to see some more of her animal friends while Ray kept a respectful distance so he wouldn't scare them.

When she was done and they'd walked back to town to get some lunch, he had another suggestion for her. "Wanna go see if there's any good movies on?"

"That sounds lovely," she agreed.

"Although, we might end up doing what most couples do in movie theatres from what I've heard," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Really? What's that?"

Ray blinked at her a few times. Was she really that naive? He looked around, leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Oh my goodness!" She blushed up a storm and her wings sprung up behind her. "Oh my gosh! Oh dear…"

"You are way too easy to get flustered, Flutters." However, Ray would be lying if the thought didn't make him feel a little warm too. "Uh, shall we just forget I mentioned it?"

"Yes please," she muttered.

The movie had been one of Fluttershy’s choosing, after they managed to sneak in cheaper snacks that served as their lunch. Mainly because Ray wasn’t happy with the selection anyway. They were mostly really sappy romantic movies for the day. Not exactly his kind of thing, but he was willing to sit through any generic, poorly written, repetitive flick if it meant spending time with Fluttershy.

The one they’d chosen centred around a well-to-do Southern mare whose biggest problem was that everyone adored her and a poor country stallion that the camera really liked to focus on the muscles of. Her parents didn’t approve, he went off to war, she found another man but she still had feelings for him, yadda, yadda, yadda. Ray felt like following the stallion’s example of keeping a notebook of how many ways of unoriginal this was.

Fluttershy was really invested in it though. When there was a sad moment, the tears were free flowing and she clung to Ray. When there was humour, Ray was treated to her wonderful laugh. When the two characters reconciled, she’d snuggle a little closer to him. So it was worth it just for that.

They were still talking about it on the way back to her cottage. Mainly on how they disagreed on it.

“You really didn’t like it?” she asked.

He felt a little bad admitting it to her. “Sorry Flutters, but it wasn’t one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.”

“But their love was so strong for each other!”

“They had one summer fling and they were constantly arguing and saying they hated each other. She abandons him about three times!” returned Ray.

“They were meant for each other!” she insisted.

Ray rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? The guy she went with after he left for war was way better. He was actually caring and nice to her, then she just dumps him for a guy she probably doesn’t have anything in common with. She just strings him along the whole time while making out with the other guy behind his back!”

“But…” She seemed to think about this. “I didn’t really look at it like that. I suppose you’re right.”

“Yes, I am. But it was still alright because it was with you. And wow, I think Applejack’s farm is less corny than I am today,” he remarked.

“It’s okay,” she said, nuzzling him. “I like it.”

“So,” he asked when they got back, “did you have anything you wanted to do?”

“Hmm.” She frowned thoughtfully. “There is one thing. But first, we’re going to need to make a picnic basket.”

“I’m liking the sound of this already,” grinned Ray.

They assembled a hamper of essential picnic items from sandwiches to soda to this amazing fruit salad that Fluttershy knew how to make. When he asked where exactly they were going to have this picnic, her response was a mysterious smile.

“I think I’d prefer to keep it a surprise,” she said. “Would you mind cutting those cucumbers for me? And hooves off, mister,” she added with a swat of her tail.

Ray rubbed his hoof and silently set about cutting up the vegetable.

Despite his burning curiosity, Ray decided to just go with it. By the time they got going, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. Couples were still around, all heading off to go dancing or eat at fancy restaurants. It was something Ray found rather fitting that he was going to be having dinner in a natural setting with Fluttershy.

When they arrived at their destination, a tree on the outskirts of town, it only took Ray a few moments to recognise where they were.

“Wait a sec… isn’t this the tree that…?”

“The one you and I shared our first kiss under. Yes, it is.” She gave him a warm smile. “I thought it would be the perfect spot.”

Ray returned it. “Couldn’t agree more.”

They laid down the blanket and nestled on it together. Ray’s mouth was watering by the time Fluttershy opened the basket, unwrapped the salad and served them on the plates.

“Gimme, gimme, gimme!” he chanted.

“Ah, wait a minute.” Fluttershy stopped him midway to his meal. “This time, I’m going to make sure you take sensible bites.” She pulled out a fork and speared some salad with it. “Now, open wide.”

Ray stared at her. “You’re not being serious.”

“I am,” she said. “This looks like the only way you’re going to eat sensible proportions. Now come on, open up.”

Ray rolled his eyes, but he let his mouth hang open and allowed Fluttershy to deposit it in his mouth. It was worth it though, for it tasted delicious. After some time passed and Fluttershy continued to feed him, he had to admit it was kind of nice. In a patronising sort of way.

He really had feared the worst in the wake of his confession, yet here they were closer than ever he’d say. All because of Discord… the thought of it made Ray laugh.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I was just thinking…” He remembered something else Discord said and laughed again.

“What’s so funny?” she persisted.

“Discord,” Ray answered. “Really the only reason this whole thing came up was because of what he said to me when you left me to watch him.”

“That was why you were distant when I came home.” She cocked her head. “What’s funny about that?”

“Well, it’s not that specifically but something he said afterward. Well, a couple of things. The thing I just did was that we would look back on this and laugh. The other thing was that everything would be better in the long run because I was honest. That you heard about what happened from me and somepony who heard some gossip or something.”

“So, you think he was right?” asked Fluttershy.

“I don’t know about 100% right, but so far things seem to be okay. Generally speaking. Nothing I can really do about it except wait and see,” he shrugged.

“Hm.” Fluttershy was quiet for a bit, then asked, “Do you think you would have ever told us?”

“Does it really matter now?” Ray knew it was dodging the question, but he didn’t want to think about it.

“I suppose not,” she conceded. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway,” he began, “once we’re done with dinner… I believe what happens is uh… well… back to my place?”

“Oh my…” Her face turned red. “U-Um, that’s very sweet of you to offer Ray, but… I don’t think I’m quite there just yet.”

“Fair enough,” he conceded. “To be honest, I only brought it up because I thought it was some kind of protocol, you know?”

“I see. But this really has been a lovely day,” she said sincerely. “Thank you for this.”

“I should be the one saying that,” he remarked. He looked down at her, noting how close they were. “Hey Flutters? Last time we were under this tree, you said that I was your strength. Well, in a way… you’re my strength too.”

“And I hope I continue to be,” she whispered.

It was as natural as breathing. They closed the distance and, for the second time, Ray and Fluttershy shared a kiss under that tree.

A Dusk in the Life

View Online

“You guys found him yet?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Nope, nothing over here!” called Scootaloo from up a tree. “Sweetie Belle, any sign?”

She peered out behind a tree trunk. “Nope. I checked behind all these trees and he’s not here. How can one stallion be so difficult to find?”

“But he can only be somewhere in Sweet Apple Acres! He has to be!” Apple Bloom thought for a moment. “We’re just gonna have ta expand our search. I’ll keep lookin’ around the orchard. Scootaloo, you take the area around the clubhouse. Sweetie Belle, you check out the barn.”

“On it!” the two fillies said and sped off.

As she ran, Sweetie Belle just couldn’t understand it. There were three of them and one of him. They knew where he was, roughly speaking. How had they still not managed to find him? It felt like it had been hours! Still, they were up to the challenge. They were the Cutie Mark Crusaders! There was nothing they couldn’t do.

It didn’t take long for her to spot the barn and Sweetie Belle ran a little faster to get there. Pausing to catch her breath, Sweetie nudged the door open with her nose and set hoof inside. She lit her horn to get a better look.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of place. Bales of hay, pitchforks and other things. Everything that should be in a barn. But she had a feeling. She shut the door behind her, so she’d know if he tried to use it.

Squinting into the dim, she scanned the area closely. He had be hiding in the darker parts. That’s what he was quite good at. Her own little light felt like it didn’t do much to get rid of the shadows, but that wouldn’t stop her. She knew he was somewhere here, she just knew it.

She paused. Had something moved, further back there? Or was that her own shadow? No, because hers was being cast from a window further up the barn. Pretending like she hadn’t noticed anything, she tried to seem casual while she wandered closer to the back of the barn. Was it her imagination or was that patch of shadow a little darker than the rest?

She waited until she was just close enough and turned her back. She just had to wait, just a little longer.

She glanced over her shoulder, sensing movement. She channelled more magic into her horn and ran towards the patch of shadow.

“Ah-ha!” she cried. She jumped and tackled into something solid. “Found you!”

“Yes,” a light voice chuckled. “Yes you have, my honorary little sister.”

Sweetie backed up to let a stallion with duke blue fur and a messy, chestnut mane stand up. He picked up his hat, which had fallen from his head and put it back on. He brushed himself off and smiled.

“Any change?” asked Dusk Noir.

“Lemme see!” Sweetie checked her flank. Nothing. “Aww. No finding ponies cutie mark. What would that even look like?”

“A magnifying glass, perhaps?” he suggested. “Regardless, I’m sorry, Sweetie.”

“It’s alright. We figured that, since you can literally hide in darkness, finding you would do something. But it was still fun anyway!” she chirped.

“Yes, I quite agree. I’ve not played hide and seek for years. Being able to manipulate shadow just provides more hiding options and Luna will be happy to know I’ve been practicing.” He ruffled her mane and beckoned to the door. “Come on, we’d best find the other two.”

“Thanks again for agreeing to this, Dusk. It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“I suppose it has been a while, hasn’t it?” he agreed. “I find my schedule is often quite full these days, but I’m happy I was able to find the time to spend with you, my little pony.”

“Me too. Ooh, I’ve been practicing my magic more like you showed me!” She made her horn glow again. “Could you tell?”

He nodded. “I could indeed. Be careful not to overdo it though or you’ll give yourself a headache.”

“Tell me about it. I was practicing with the rock you gave me a few days ago. I managed to make it shoot all the way up! But wow did it hurt after.” She rubbed her head. “Rarity was going on for hours about how unicorns shouldn’t place themselves in such embarrassing positions like pushing their magic too much.”

“Well, if your sister is going to talk about embarrassing behaviour, just drop the name Tom the Diamond to her. And you didn’t hear it from me,” he whispered.

She giggled. “Okay, I’ll try it. Hey girls! Look, I found him!”

“Lucky! Did you get…?” Scootaloo’s question trailed off when Sweetie showed her flank. “Darn it! Oh well, worth a shot I guess.”

“You’re so lucky, Dusk!” said Apple Bloom. “You got two different cutie marks and we can’t even get one!”

“Just keep at it, girls. Nopony ever said it would be easy getting a cutie mark, but I don’t know another group of more resourceful and persistent fillies. You’ll get them someday, just don’t lose that spirit and keep the faith.”

“Figured you’d say something like that,” said Scootaloo. “But thanks Dusk. Hey, maybe my cutie mark will be like a dream warrior! Like when you helped me with my nightmares and then I did the same for yours!”

Dusk chuckled. “Well, you’ll have to speak with Princess Luna about that. Dreamscaping is tough, even for her.”

“Yeah I’m not surprised. Imagine having to help everypony in Equestria fight their nightmares!” She shuddered. “Yeah on second thought, I’ll leave that to you two.”

“Maybe you could ask Ray? Since he’s an honorary crusader, I’m sure he could give you some insight,” suggested Dusk.

“We were gonna, but last time we saw him, he didn’t exactly look great,” said Apple Bloom. “He told us he was fine but we could tell he wasn’t. Is he okay?”

Dusk took a long while before answering. He looked rather sad before he did too.

“He’s mostly okay, girls. There’s some… well, let’s call it really complex grown-up pony stuff that he’s trying his best to work through. Don’t worry though, Bloom. Your sister and our friends are helping him with it,” he said.

“Well that’s good,” she replied. “Hey maybe we could do somethin’ nice fer him. Cheer him up with one of our cutie mark outings or make him somethin’!”

“Yeah that’s a great idea!” agreed Scootaloo. “We won’t leave a fellow Crusader in the dumps, even if he already has a cutie mark!”

“Maybe we could ask Fluttershy, since she’s his marefriend and then she could help too!” Sweetie Belle sighed. “Oh, they’re just so romantic together.”

“I’m sure he’d very much appreciate it,” said Dusk. “I have a lot of hope for Equestria if more fillies like you three are out in the world.”

“Thanks, Dusk,” said Sweetie Belle. They gave him a collective hug. “We think you’re pretty great too.”

“I am much indebted to you.” His eyes suddenly widened. “Blast, I’ve just remembered what time it is! Sorry girls, must dash! See you later!”

“Bye Dusk!” they chorused. Sweetie watched him go, then said, “Alright, shall we get to planning?”

Apple Bloom beamed. “Hay yeah! CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: PONY CHEER UP TIME!”

With that, they scrambled into the clubhouse to go over ideas.

“I’m telling you,” Vinyl was saying, “a cello with inbuilt synth speakers is the way forward in music!”

“We are not having this conversation again, Vinyl,” Octavia sighed.

“Come on! We already play together and even you said it sounds good. This way, you’d be able to bring the beauty of the wubs even when I’m not around!”

“If I say I’ll think about it, will you stop bringing it up?”

“Sure! I’ve already got the blueprints drawn up.”

Octavia blinked. “You’re… you’re not serious?”

“Tavi, please. When it comes to the wubs, I’m always serious,” she said with a grin. “Now where in the hay is this guy?”

“Yes, from what I’ve been told, he’s usually quite punctual,” Octavia agreed. “Well, I’m sure he won’t be too much-“

“Oh hey, speak of the devil. Hey dude, over here!”

Octavia looked up to see the unicorn stallion in question galloping towards them. The trilby hat he wore almost fell off his head in his hurry to reach them, as did the glasses balanced on his nose.

“Sorry… sorry I’m late…” panted Dusk when he reached their table. “Completely… slipped my mind… until a few minutes ago.”

“Hey no sweat, man.” Vinyl grinned. “Wouldn’t be the first time I was late for something. Right Tavi?”

“That’s not a fact to be proud of, Vinyl,” she replied.

Dusk laughed as he sat down. Octavia smirked a little at the display. Her contact with the Element of Unity was rather sporadic. One moment, they were performing together in a Hearth’s Warming pageant. The next, he was throwing her out of his house in a sudden fit of anger and then just like that, they were fighting together against a hostile invasion. The latter was, in a roundabout way, the subject of this little get-together.

“I was surprised when you got in touch,” said Dusk. “I thought you lived in Canterlot.”

“We do, but we also got a little place here. Figured it was best, since this is where all the action seems to happen. Plus, Pinkie usually has me out for parties,” added Vinyl. “But then I also remembered that I was meant to get you a drink after we beat the bugs and you never took me up on it. Gotta say, Dusk, I’m hurt. Wounded even!”

“My sincerest apologies, Turntable Temptress,” he said. “It feels like I hardly have a moment to myself these days.”

She waved a hoof. “Nah it’s cool. Then I figured, hey what’s better than a drink? Lunch! Even managed to get Tavi along. No Quency though, he’s working for his next gig but he sends his best.”

“That’s appreciated and thank you, Vinyl. Well, it’s nice to see you both outside of armed conflict or um… less than stellar house parties,” he said with a blush.

“Yes, that was quite a display as I recall,” said Octavia. “What in Equestria brought that on, if you don’t mind my asking?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I won’t get into it much. Lots of little things, relationship issues, um… family trouble. Needless to say, it wasn’t one of my best days. My sincerest apologies again.”

“Considering that we fought side by side against an army of changelings, I’d say that you’ve more than made up for it,” said Octavia. “Consider the matter forgotten.”

He thanked them and they ordered food. It didn’t take long for it arrive and they spent a few moments quietly eating before carrying on the conversation.

“Man, it’s still wild to think about, isn’t it?” said Vinyl. “A few months ago, this place was crawling with those guys and they were all over Canterlot too. Now they’re just gone and here we are, chowing down like it’s nothing.”

“It’s funny how that works out,” said Octavia. “Still, it’s not Ponyville’s first brush with danger. The Summer Sun Celebration last year, that dreadful Discord making a comeback and then that one other pony who took over the town. Wasn’t he back again recently? Large fellow with dark fur and a white mane.”

“Yeah, had some really edgy sounding name too, like something a moody teen thinks sounds dark and cool. Hey, what’s with ponies saying he’s your brother or something?” asked Vinyl.

“Where did you hear that?” asked Dusk.

“We musicians often blend into the background when playing,” said Octavia. “You’d be surprised what we hear when ponies think we aren’t listening. So, is it true?”

“Believe me, he’s no brother of mine as far as I’m concerned,” replied Dusk. “He’s… well, let’s say he’s a remnant of Discord that’s proven as stubborn and difficult to shift as a cockroach.”

“Sounds like you have quite a history,” said Octavia. “I trust we aren’t likely to see him again?”

“I hope not,” he murmured.

“Remnant of Discord huh? That’s pretty twisted,” said Vinyl. “Man, am I glad I never had to deal with that guy. The bugs were bad enough.”

Dusk nodded. “No argument from me.”

“Hey, didn’t part of the Everfree Forest get messed up during that whole thing too? Like a whole load of trees and land, just blown away! I heard from some ponies they saw something from a distance. Looked like a great big red wolf or something, glowing like neon. You end up dealing with that too, Dusk?”

“Well… yes…” He shifted in his seat again. “It wasn’t… well, it wasn’t pleasant. We defeated it, but even so… sorry, I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s alright?”

“Hey I get it. It’s like Tavi and the time I found her making out with that photo of-“

“Ahem!”

“Oh. Right yeah, sorry,” she said quickly. “But yeah, I guess something like that must have been pretty rough.”

“In more ways than one,” replied Dusk.

“I suppose we should be thankful we all made it through. That other stallion, Ray I think, he certainly played his part in that whole affair,” remarked Octavia.

“Yeah what’s his deal anyway? He an Element too? Hey, do you think we’ll turn out to be Elements of Harmony if we hang out with them long enough?” she snickered. “Oh, I could be the Element of Dubstep!”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “I fail to see how synthetic music is one of the cornerstones of harmony and friendship, Vinyl.”

“Then what does our friendship even mean, Tavi? What?!”

“That would be quite a sight,” laughed Dusk. “But no, Ray isn’t an Element. He’s like Spike, he just hangs around and helps out with us.”

“Oh yeah, that little guy just shot up too! I swear, last time I saw him, he barely came up past my leg.”

“That’s just how dragons mature,” said Dusk. “It was quite an ordeal to pull it off, too.”

“I can imagine. You seem to get into a lot of tribulations with your friends,” noted Octavia.

“If you think so, you should hear the time I faced off against living statues with a time travelling alien pony who lives in a box that’s bigger on the inside than the outside.”

Octavia quirked an eyebrow. “You’re pulling our legs, aren’t you?”

Dusk only smiled mysteriously and winked. The rest of lunch passed with various stories being swapped, especially from Dusk. Everything from battling hydras to running with buffalo and all sorts of other adventures he’d had with his unique group of friends.

Yet despite how much his face lit up, Octavia couldn’t quite forget how clouded with pain and troubled feeling he had from their earlier topics. They clearly had left their mark on him, even if he wouldn’t talk about it. She wouldn’t pry if he didn’t want to discuss it of course, but she understood that being in the limelight wasn’t without its setbacks. She only hoped those closer to him could do more.

“Well that was lovely, thank you to both of you,” said Dusk. “We’ll have to do it again.”

“You got it. But next time, you’re paying for yourself, Mr Big Shot,” said Vinyl with a wink. “I’m not made of bits you know.”

“She says, despite being one of the most prolific performers in Equestria,” quipped Octavia.

“I’m torn between my loyalty to my wallet and my ego. Curse you, Tavi!”

“Don’t worry, Vinyl. I may not be a famous DJ but I do have my own income,” said Dusk. “Speaking of which, I must get going. Good day to you both.”

“See you, dude!”

“Ta-ta, Mr Noir.”

They waited until he was gone before looking at each other.

“You ever get a feeling there’s more to that guy than what he’s letting on?” asked Vinyl.

“In a rare occurrence, I believe you and I are on the same page,” said Octavia. “Then again, he and those other mares get into all sorts of shenanigans we’re not privy to. The burden of being the Elements of Harmony, I suppose.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Vinyl turned to her with a widening grin. “So, about those prints I mentioned…?”

Octavia sighed and wondered what she’d gotten herself into.

It had been a good day for Dusk Noir. He had fun with the Crusaders. He’d had a nice lunch with two ponies he’d be happy to see more of. Now, he was off to see one of the most special ponies in his life. Nothing could put a damper on his mood.

Until his hoof suddenly wasn’t treading on solid ground and he was falling in what looked like a swirling, purple void. Random things floated past. Pigs with wings. Clocks that ran backwards. Trees with their roots growing from the top and their leaves out the bottom. Even before he hit the ground and heard a familiar, oozing voice, Dusk knew what he’d stumbled into and who his host was.

“Dusky, old boy! It’s only been a few days but it feels like years.”

A pair of mismatched, yellow eyes studied him with glee. His snaggletoothed mouth was curved into a mischievous smirk and his long, snakelike body coiled around from his upside down pose to peer down at Dusk.

“Discord,” he muttered. “I take it that you have a reason for this?”

“Why, isn’t it customary for friends to have each other over for a little catch-up?”

Looking around, Dusk saw that he was indeed in a home. A home for a Lord of Chaos, certainly. The walls, ceiling and floor were all of clashing colours and textures. In fact, Dusk was certain the floor was on the ceiling. There was a staircase that didn’t lead anywhere, a purple vortex whirling around on the floor, a tree branch growing out of a wall mount and that was just what he could see. He also didn’t feel as tied down to the earth as he should be. If this even was earth.

“Well, usually,” he said while trying to right himself, “you ask somepony first before you bring them to your home.”

“Do you?” Discord shrugged. “Well, that’s certainly something I’ll be remembering for next time. After all, friendship is still so new to me. I would hate to get it wrong, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Well, quite. So,” he said, gesturing around, “this is your home?”

Discord nodded. “Yes, quite lovely, isn’t it? Although, I am thinking of expanding the kitchen area a bit, maybe knock a few walls down to really open the place up. Oh, but what a terrible host I’m being, going on like this. Can I offer you some refreshment? A cup of tea, glass of orange juice perhaps? Or maybe some of this?”

A glass appeared in front of Dusk. He squinted at the liquid inside and sniffed it.

“Um, Discord… what is it?” he asked.

“Well, it’s…” Discord trailed off and frowned. He took the glass and tapped. “It’s…” He took a sip from it and nodded. “It’s green!”

Dusk regarded it uncertainly. “I… see. Thank you, but I’ll believe I’ll pass.”

“Hmm, suit yourself.” He vanished it and took a seat which suddenly materialised behind him. “Well, well, isn’t this nice? Just two good friends, sat together and having a nice chat. You know, I could really get used to this. Oh, maybe we should invite everypony for a housewarming party! We can play Pin the Pony on the Tail!”

“Don’t you mean-?” Dusk was cut off when a chair barged into him from behind, forcing him to sit. “Don’t you mean Pin the Tail on the Pony?”

“I know what I said.”

Dusk sighed. “Discord, I don’t mean to be rude, but I was in the middle of something before this… get-together. If you have a point, could you please get to it?”

“Hmph, well you’re no fun,” he huffed. “You know, I’ve just been informed by Celestia that another old friend of mine is apparently back on the scene. He’s already made quite an impression or so I’m told.”

“Fallen Soul,” murmured Dusk. “You must be proud of your handiwork.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“I know the story, Discord. I know what you did to him, in his darkest moment and how you turned him.”

“Yes, because it’s always the fault of somepony else like big bad Discord.” A sneer formed on his face. “Nopony could ever do something so terrible of their own accord, now could they?”

“I’m not in the mood for games. I want to know more about Soul. Where is he hiding? What’s he planning? What can you tell me?”

Discord shrugged. “Oh, absolutely nothing.”

“Discord…!”

He held up his claws. “I’m serious, I don’t know the answer to any of those questions! I’m not sure how he managed it, but he’s fallen off the radar entirely. I almost feel proud of him.”

It took all Dusk had to keep his composure.

“If you don’t know anything, then why did you bring me here?”

Discord wagged a finger. “Now, now, Dusk. Just because I don’t know anything, doesn’t mean I don’t know anything.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Dusk groaned as Discord raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I realise what just said.”

“Glad you do. Sometimes, the beauty of not making sense is seeing how it can. Take the recent bid for power by Queen Chrysalis.” He took off his horns and laid them over his heart. “Poor thing, she will be missed.”

“I didn’t realise you knew her.”

“Not during my time, but when I was stone, I always kept an ear low to the ground for potential portents of chaos. She had promise, but oh well. After all, her death couldn’t have been that tragic if she was one of the bad guys, could it?” he said with a chuckle.

“Discord…” Dusk sighed again. “I ask once more, what’s your point?”

“You should know by now, Dusk. Have you forgotten why it is the dear queen is no longer with us?” he asked.

“Believe me, I never have nor ever will. But what does Wrath have to do with it?”

“What indeed?” He started stroking his beard. “I mean, Fallen sets the whole thing in motion and all he gets out of it is a suit of armour and his weapon? Seems rather much for such things, if you ask me. Unless, of course, that isn’t all he got out of the arrangement.”

“What do you-?”

“As I understand it, the changeling Swarm is in quite a state currently. No definitive line of succession without a queen.” His smirk grew. “Or a princess.”

Dusk opened his mouth to speak, then realised what Discord was getting at. When he’d met Gilda in Canterlot, she’d told him about the Princess of the Swarm going missing.

“You think Soul took her?”

“Do I? Hmm, I suppose I do. Now, why would Fallen take such an interest in a member of changeling royalty, I wonder? I’m afraid I couldn’t possibly guess. Then again,” he added, “isn’t it remarkable how battle against Canterlot triggered the release of one of the most destructive forces in Equestria too. I imagine that would be quite an interest to some ponies…”

The implication chilled Dusk to the bone. He had seen first hoof the destructive power of the Demon Beast and the monster wasn’t even fully released. If Fallen’s plan tied into somehow acquiring it… the consequences could be disastrous.

“Anyway,” said Discord, “as you’ve said, you have other things going on today and I’ve taken up far too much of your time. Terribly sorry, Dusk, I’ll send you back right away.”

“What? No, Discord, this is important. You have to tell me-“

“Don’t you worry.” His malicious grin made itself known. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other, very soon.”

“Discord, wait-!” There was a blinding flash of light and when it cleared, Dusk was back in Ponyville. “Discord? Discord! Ugh, Luna blast that draconequus!”

He stamped his hoof, ignoring the stares he earned from the townsfolk. At least before his reformation, Dusk knew where he stood with the Lord of Chaos. Now, he couldn’t be certain if he was helping or poking and prodding for his own amusement.

Even if he was, the speculations he’d presented Dusk got him thinking. He knew that Fallen had to be motivated by revenge, yet so far he’d been behind three potential incidents that he could have taken advantage of and yet had done nothing. If he had a bigger plan, they hadn’t the faintest inkling of what it was. But this… this was worrying.

But what was he supposed to do with this information? For one thing, it was purely speculative and didn’t come from the most reliable of sources. Should he inform his friends or perhaps the princesses? If he did, what would that lead to? They still had no idea where Fallen or any of his associates were hiding. That wouldn’t get them anywhere. Maybe if they…

Dusk pressed a hoof to his head. For all he knew, this was exactly what Discord wanted. Nudge Dusk toward the deep end and watch how much he flailed about in the water. And he’d been having such a nice day…

“Hey Dusk!” Ray Strike had teleported next to him in a flash of yellow. “I just finished my daily exam with Twilight and she sent me to find you. Everypony else is gathered at the library. Hey you okay?”

Dusk realised he was staring at his friend. For a moment, he considered telling Ray what Discord had been talking about. But there was so much he didn’t know for certain, he didn’t want to cause him or anypony else unnecessary concern. He needed more time to really figure things out and for now, this distraction was welcome.

“Fine, mostly. Discord just decided to grace me with his presence,” he said.

“Oof, I know how that is. He say anything in particular?”

“I’ll tell you later. Let’s go and see what Twilight wants.”

“Sounds good. Hey Dusk?” Ray offered a smile. “It’s good to see you.”

Dusk blinked. “What brought this on?”

He smiled sheepishly. “I dunno, guess you and the girls are rubbing off on me. Felt weirdly sentimental for a moment and you looked like you could use it, especially after a moment with Discord. I promise, it won’t be a regular thing. Need to keep up that rough, manly persona, you know?”

“But of course. For the record, my friend, it’s good to see you too,” Dusk returned.

“Thanks, man. Also,” he said, planting a hoof on Dusk’s shoulder. “Teleport.”

A moment of physical disassembly and reassembly later, they were at the library. After taking a moment to adjust, Dusk saw all of his other friends were already there.

“There ya are, Dusk! Nice-a ya ta drop by,” greeted Applejack.

“To see you, AJ? Anytime,” he replied, offering a hoof bump. “I mean, I do work here so my presence is usually a given.”

“Okay, but be honest: how much of your time here is actually spent working?” asked Rainbow Dash with a teasing smile.

He pressed a hoof to his lips. “That’s between me and Twilight. Besides, I’m certainly more productive than you, Dash.”

“Ooh, shots fired, Dashie!” cried Pinkie Pie. “Gonna need some cream for that burn!”

“And who better to provide than the party pony herself?” He returned Pinkie’s hug when she gave it. “Just don’t go baking burn cream into pies.”

“Oh yeah, don’t want to make that mixup. Not again anyway,” Pinkie giggled.

“Besides, I think Dusk works hard a lot of the time,” said Fluttershy. “I’m sure taking a little time to relax wouldn’t hurt at all.”

Dusk smiled fondly at her. “I can always count on you to stick up for me, can’t I, little sister?”

“Always, big brother.” She hugged him too and looked to Ray. “Thanks for bringing him along, Ray. That was lovely of you.”

“Yeah, well always happy to help,” he said, his cheeks tinted red.

“Yes. Yes you are.” She fluttered over and kissed his cheek. “And we always appreciate it.”

Ray lost the ability to form comprehensible speech and settled for flustered stammering.

“Yes, I suppose that ruffian is good for some things,” remarked Rarity.

“I heard that, snob!”

“Yes, you were meant to.” She offered her hoof to Dusk. “A delight to see you as always, darling.”

“Likewise, madam.” Dusk took it and bowed his head. “Radiant as ever, I see.”

“As you are debonair, Dusk,” she returned. “Though you’d best save the charm for Twilight.”

“Oh, he’d better.” A pair of hooves hugged him from behind and a kiss was bestowed on his cheek. “Hello, dearest Dusk.”

He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “Miss Sparkle, I find myself once again captured by your iridescent grace and limitless marvel. What ever shall I do?”

“Hmm, I can think of a few things.” She turned him around and briefly kissed his lips. “But that’ll have to wait. Spike, where are you?”

“Waiting for whatever that was to finish,” remarked the now adolescent dragon. His increased height placed him a little taller than Dusk but still within hoof bumping distance. “Hey bro! Good to see you.”

“Right back at you, bro,” said Dusk. “I have to admit, I’m still getting used to you being at eye level.”

“You’re not the only one,” he chuckled. “But some things haven’t changed. Look what just got delivered!”

He held up an opened scroll, the seal set next to it. Dusk recognised it.

“A message from Cadence?” he asked.

“Yep! It’s the reason I gathered you all here,” said Twilight to everypony else. “The Crystal Empire is being considered to host the Equestria Games!”

A chorus of excited chatter erupted from everypony, with Rainbow letting out a cry of “you’re kidding!” Dusk simply raised his eyebrows in mild interest.

“Indeed? I confess, even though I’m not really one for sporting events, I take it that hosting the Games would be a great boon to the Empire?”

“Are you kidding?” cried Rainbow. “The Games are more than just a sporting event! There isn’t a city in Equestria that wouldn’t want a chance to host it! After being gone for a thousand years, this is just what the Empire needs to really put it on the map!”

“But Dashie, it is on the map!” Pinkie whipped one out and pointed. “Right there, see?”

“You know what I mean,” said Rainbow, rolling her eyes. “Twilight, this is great! Oh oh, are we gonna get involved with it too?”

Twilight nodded. “That’s exactly what we’re going to be doing. You see, to have a chance at hosting the Games, they have to pass an evaluation by a specially selected inspector. Cadence has given us the job of preparing a welcoming committee for them, so we can show them the best of what the Empire has to offer.”

“Oh yeah! We are gonna blow them away!” Rainbow cheered. “What’s the plan?”

“That’s what we’re all here to discuss. We’ve got about a week to prepare and I’ve already planned an itinerary of what we need to have ready by the time we go to the Empire.” She gestured to Spike, holding a lengthy roll of parchment. “Let’s get started everypony!”

They all chorused an agreement and gathered around to begin. Though Discord’s words still echoed unpleasantly in Dusk’s mind, he found it easy to ignore them for the moment. Right here, right now, there was nothing more important than the ponies he called his friends.

Whatever would come, they would face it as they would now: together.

Bury the Hatchet

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“Twilight, Dusk. Thank you both for coming to see me. I’m sorry for delaying your return to Ponyville,” said Cadence, approaching them from her throne.

Twilight smiled. “It’s no trouble at all. Consider it our way of making up for getting mixed up with the Equestria Games committee.”

“There’s no need for that. We still ended up being picked to host the games regardless. Besides,” she tittered, “it’s a little funny to think back on it now.”

“There is that, I suppose,” agreed Dusk. “But I take it that you didn’t just bring us here for a social call.”

“As much as I love seeing you two, I’m afraid you’re right.” Cadence paused for a moment. “We’ve received a message, from Sombra.”

The two unicorns looked at each other in surprise. The last time they’d seen the former ruler of the Empire, he had exiled himself to the Frozen Wastes for his misdeeds. Aside from leaving a small token of his affections for a certain Princess of the Night, they hadn’t seen him for a long time.

“I wanted to wait until after the welcoming committee to tell you,” Cadence went on. She levitated a chunk of red crystal to them. “I think it’s best if you hear it for yourselves.”

She concentrated for a moment, her horn glowing bright. The crystal responded and Sombra’s rich voice echoed from it.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. I realise I have no right to ask this of you, but I must speak urgently with Twilight Sparkle and Dusk Noir. I have news of great importance to deliver, but I don’t want to risk this message being discovered by unwanted parties. Tell the young Dusk to seek me in the way only he can. I will explain all when I see them. My thanks in advance and may your rule be as bright as the Crystal Heart.”

“Hmm…” Twilight frowned thoughtfully as the message ended, then looked at Dusk. “Do you think we can trust it?”

“Sombra has been good to his word, so far,” he replied. “It’s thanks to him we have confirmation of Fallen Soul’s involvement. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be cautious but I’d say it’s worth investigating, at least.”

She nodded. “I agree. Thank you for telling us this, Cadence.”

“Of course. Shall I assemble an escort for you?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. He only asked for the two of us. We’ll be on our guard and I’ll send regular updates with my message puppets,” said Dusk. “If anything is amiss, we’ll let you know straight away.”

“Alright, I’ll hold you to that,” she said. “If I remember right, he said he would be going into the mountains. Make sure you wrap up warm. Even the Crystal Heart’s power can only do so much against that kind of cold. Good luck, you two.”

She gave them both hugs and saw them out of the throne room. They waited until they were down the corridor before speaking.

“So, off to help another stallion with a dark past, courtesy of corrupting magic,” remarked Twilight. “If I had a bit for every time that’s happened… well, I’d have three bits but it’s strange it’s happened three times.”

Dusk chuckled. “I concur. What do you suppose he wants to tell us?”

“Well like you said, he told us about Soul. Maybe it’s connected with that. Either way, we won’t know until we see him.” She went quiet for a moment. “Dusk, are you sure he can be trusted? I know you helped him overcome what happened, but even before his darker self, he wasn’t exactly the nicest of ponies.”

“I won’t deny that. But he seems to genuinely regret what he’s done and every sentient being deserves an opportunity for redemption,” he replied.

“I suppose you’re right. Who said that?”

“Optimus Prime.”

She giggled. “Oh of course, the greatest of philosophers.”

“Hey, don’t roll your eyes. You enjoyed those books as much as I do, after I introduced you.”

“I never said I didn’t. You’re still a dork though.”

“Takes one to know one, Miss Sparkle.”

“Fair enough.” She cleared her throat and put on a deep voice. “Well, then I guess it’s time for us to roll out!”

“’Till all are one,” quoted Dusk and followed her at a gallop.

Cadence had them supplied with woollen scarves, boots and hats before their departure, along with goggles for the snowstorms. Once they were out past the Empire’s designated border and facing the mountains, Dusk cast a colour puppet in Sombra’s image. He channelled his empathy for the former king’s plight and before long, it was leading them to their destination.

The closer they got to the mountains, the more the cold bit into their skin. Even through their fur and winter wear, Dusk couldn’t help but shiver. He certainly didn’t envy Sombra’s situation, all the way out here and on his own too.

Before long, the bodies of Jagged Crown Mountains towered over them. From what Cadence had been able to tell them, very few crystal ponies ever ventured this far north. The mountains themselves were considered cursed by most and it seemed to be to the Empire what the Everfree Forest was to Ponyville: one of the few truly ‘natural’ places in the world, beyond the influence of pony magic. No weather control and crawling with all manner of strange creatures.

Thankfully, they hadn’t run into any of them. Yet.

For added measure, Twilight cast a spell around them which provided a bubble of warmth. It also helped to keep out the snow when the wind picked up. Even so, Dusk could hear the wind howling beyond its borders. Occasionally, he thought he saw the swirling winds form the shape of a ghostly horse but dismissed it as imagination. Hopefully.

“Is that a pony up ahead?”

Dusk squinted. There did seem to be somepony, near the base of one of the mountain ranges. He could make out a hoof, waving in their direction and the puppet was making straight for it. They quickened their pace and soon saw the pony who had requested their presence.

He was dressed in a woollen robe, patched and frayed with age, with a hood obscuring his face. He inclined his head to each of them in turn.

“Dusk Noir. Twilight Sparkle. I am pleased you have come. There is much to discuss.”

Before he led them off, Dusk took a moment to send a message back to Cadence that they’d found him.

“Don’t worry,” he said to Sombra, “I’m not including specifics and I’ve commanded the puppet to take a wandering path before going back to the Empire.”

“A wise precaution. Come then, quickly. It isn’t safe out here.”

They followed him up the pass, stopping before an outcropping of stone. Sombra’s horn glowed and Dusk realised it was actually crystal, perfectly camouflaged by the surrounding ice and stone. It fell away at Sombra’s command, revealing a cave mouth. He beckoned them inside, sealing the crystal behind them after.

They emerged into a sizable cavern. Various crystal formations provided Sombra with approximations of home furnishing, including tables, chairs and what looked like a kitchen. A large fire was roaring in the centre of some crystal chairs, which Sombra bade them to sit in. A pot was boiling over the fire and a tempting smell was wafting from it.

“I expected you might be hungry from your journey. This soup is made from mushrooms that grow uniquely to these mountains and this water is from a fresh spring within this cave.” He levitated full bowls soup and water to them. “Please, help yourselves.”

“How did you know we were coming? We only just got your message today,” said Twilight.

“I was watching from a little further up the slope. Between the spell and the puppet, you were hard to miss. You were fortunate I was the only one who saw you.”

“I appreciate that, Sombra but we’re capable of handling ourselves.”

“There are those who never made it back from this place who doubtless said the same.”

Twilight glared. “That sounds almost like a threat.”

Sombra bristled, but seemed to realise his mistake and bowed his head.

“My apologies. It was merely a warning against the myriad of dangers the Jagged Crown holds. Diplomatic sensitivity was one of my many weaker points as king.”

“That’s alright, Sombra. We understand.” Dusk took a sip of the soup. “This is quite good. Thank you.”

“I am pleased you like it, though I cannot take full credit for its conception.” They waited for him to elaborate on that, but he remained silent.

“So, you wanted to see us,” said Twilight. “Tell us what this is about.”

“I appreciate your directness, young one,” he said. “To put it simply: I wish to offer aid. A great evil is gathering, as I told you when last we met. After much thought, I have decided that my penance for my previous failings would be better served taking action rather than wallowing in despair.”

“I see.” Twilight looked at Dusk who shrugged uncertainly. “What would you be willing to offer, exactly?”

“Information. Deep within these mountains resides the King’s Vault. I established it during my reign, to house various artefacts and treasures I felt were of worth or interest. One of these items is a stone tablet, one that depicts the Beast which is imprisoned in the body of your friend, Ray Strike.”

“Really? That’s amazing!” Twilight cried. “What is it? A historical account? A banishing spell of some kind?”

He shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t know. The original text is in an ancient dialect, one that has not been used for a millennia. However, I have knowledge of it and can translate it into modern Equestrian. In addition, I am willing to divulge the rest of the Vault’s contents to the Crystal Empire’s new princess, as a demonstration of good faith.”

“I’m sure Cadence will appreciate that. Just show us where the Vault is and we can help you find what’s needed,” said Twilight.

Sombra shifted awkwardly. “That is where things become… complicated. The location is not an issue, but accessing its contents is another matter.”

“I’m not sure I understand. If you built the Vault, how can you not enter it?” asked Dusk.

He bristled again. “Because the enchantments and measures which guard it were set in place by the tyrant I became before my banishment. They no longer recognise me as the same pony and some of the magic I used is lost to me. As such, I can no longer dispel the security measures, which are both devious and deadly.”

“Then what do you want us for?” asked Twilight. “If you can’t get into your own Vault, what chance do we have?”

“You are both students of Celestia and Luna. Particularly you, Dusk. I have seen with my own eyes that you harness some of the magic I once did, of darkness and shadow. With these skills, you will be able to help penetrate the Vault’s defences and access its heart.” He paused. “I realise this does not paint me in the best light. I understand if you are reluctant to trust me. I give you my word that I’ll do my utmost to assist and ensure you come to no harm.”

“That’s… good of you, Sombra,” said Twilight. “You’re right, it is a little difficult to accept. I also can’t help but ask: are the three of us really enough? If the defences are as bad as you say, surely we need more help.”

“And you shall have it, Twilight Sparkle!” a high, reedy voice declared from behind them. “For what better assistance is there, than from the Great and Powerful-!”

“Trixie?!” Twilight cried. They both looked to see the showpony emerge from a side entrance. “What are you doing here?!”

“Hey, you interrupted my dramatic entrance! You’re supposed to exclaim in shock and awe after I’m done! Hmph!” she huffed, flicking her purple cape over her shoulder. “No appreciation for showponyship.”

“Sorry,” said Twilight with a quick roll of her eyes. “I just didn’t expect to see you here, of all ponies.”

A smirk flickered on her face. “Well, Trixie does have a way with showing up in unexpected places.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” remarked Twilight.

At her tone, Trixie seemed to wilt a little. Dusk couldn’t say he was brimming with sympathy for her. Their last encounter had been far from enjoyable. Trixie at least had the courtesy to recognise that. Even so, it wasn’t long before she managed to recover herself.

“Well, as you can see, Trixie is just as talented in hospitality and good food as she is at illusions.”

“Ah, so that’s what you meant,” said Dusk to Sombra, who nodded. “Yes, your soup was delicious, thank you.”

She smirked. “But of course. Trixie is often on the road, so being a good cook is a must. Your stallion has good taste, Twilight.”

“Least somepony does,” she muttered quietly.

“Wait…” Dusk rose slowly to his hooves. “If you’re here, then that means…”

“Indeed,” a low, guttural voice rumbled. From behind Trixie came a unicorn with rippling muscles, jet black fur and a shock of white mane. “Hello brother.”

For a long, seemingly eternal moment, nopony moved or spoke. Dusk took a couple of involuntary steps back. The jade green, narrow-pupiled eyes of his ‘brother’ bore into his own.

“Doom…” Dusk turned slowly to glare at Sombra. “What is he doing here?”

“They have been here as my guests, if you will,” said Sombra. “I found them, near the base of the mountain a few weeks ago. Both of them were near dead, so I took them in and restored them to health. They were both looking to hide, so I let them remain. It seems we share a common foe. The same one who restored myself and the Empire.”

“Fallen Soul?” Twilight’s eyes widened. “You met him, Trixie?”

“Not personally, but one of his associates. A runt of a stallion with red fur.”

“Test Tube,” murmured Dusk.

“Yes, him. He told me where to find the Alicorn Amulet, with the implication that he expected me to join his little posse when I had… well, you know.” She glanced away for a moment. “A-Anyway, obviously that didn’t happen and Trixie didn’t like the idea being involved with whatever scheme they have in mind so we decided to lay low. I had meant for Saddle Arabia, but the amount of bits I had left this place as the only option.”

Dusk glanced at Doom, expecting him to make some remark of how weak and pathetic that was. But he remained silent, keeping his gaze fixed on Dusk.

“They have both offered their assistance in this matter. Doom, likewise, has prowess in shadow magic and Trixie’s knowledge of illusions may prove useful. I understand there is some bad blood between you all, but with our combined efforts, we can accomplish this together.”

Dusk and Twilight exchanged looks. He could tell she shared his apprehension in this matter. She beckoned him gently, wordlessly conveying to Sombra they needed a moment. He nodded and they crossed to a far part of the cave.

“So, this was something I didn’t expect to be dealing with today,” she murmured.

“I quite agree,” replied Dusk. “I’m willing to trust Sombra, but those two? I’m just not sure. He doesn’t know them like we do.”

“I know what you mean. I know that last time we met Trixie, a lot of what she did was because of the Amulet and Doom is, well, Doom but that doesn’t completely excuse the horrible things they’ve done. Maybe we can convince him to leave them behind?”

“That’s a possibility, but then Sombra has an idea of what we’re getting into. If he feels we need their help, we should at least consider that.”

“But do we even want their help? He’s all your negative emotions embodied and she took over the town with powerful magic. Who knows what they could do this time? They could be tricking Sombra, or worse: they’re working together and this is just a trap!”

“Um, Twilight?”

They both looked to see Trixie. She’d once again lost her usual confidence and looked penitent.

“I understand that you’re not sure about us. Doom and I, I mean. I get it, I do. Neither of us are proud of the things we’ve done-“

“Don’t speak for me, Lulamoon,” growled Doom.

“Well one of us has to!” she snapped. “But my point is, we want to help. We’ve done a lot of damage, in one way or another. We want to make up for it, if we can. Please?”

She pawed her hooves at the ground, her eyes downcast. Dusk couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. But then there was his ‘brother’. He hadn’t moved and was still staring at Dusk, his expression unreadable.

“Is this how you feel, Doom?” he asked.

His lip curled. “My reasons are my own. They are no concern of yours.”

“I disagree,” said Twilight. “You’ve left Dusk with traumatising memories of the things you’ve done, through him. You’ve hurt our friends. What guarantee do we have that you won’t do something similar?”

“You dare-?!”

“Doom!” Sombra snapped. “Control yourself! The young mare’s concerns are valid. Do not dismiss them so.”

Amazingly, Doom appeared to rein in his temper. He closed his eyes for a few moments before speaking again.

“As long as Sombra and Lula… Trixie are allied with you, I will not harm you. I… promise.” This last word was spoken through gritted teeth and he sharply looked away. “That is all I will say.”

Dusk considered. On the one hoof, it was hardly a satisfactory answer. But he recalled their last encounter, the state he’d been left in after he’d hurt Trixie. Beset by new emotions he’d never experienced before. He’d still hurt her and that certainly wasn’t excusable, but Doom as Dusk had known him would have simply laughed at her pain. If he held some kind of respect for Sombra and Trixie, then perhaps…

“I’m willing to go along with this,” said Dusk. “But if you make your promise, brother, then here’s mine: if at any point, I believe that you’re going to hurt either myself or Twilight, I won’t hesitate to act against you. I’ve beaten you before and I will do it again. Am I clear?”

“Transparently,” rumbled Doom after a long silence.

“Alright then,” said Twilight. “If you’re both willing to make up for the past, I’m willing to give you another chance. When do we leave, Sombra?”

“As soon as you are ready,” he answered. “Take a moment to rest yourselves, then prepare. The road ahead of us is treacherous and we must be ready for what lies on it.”

The party of five left the cave about half an hour later. Sombra led the way with close at hoof, with Trixie behind them. Dusk and Twilight brought up the rear, keeping an eye on the two former rogues. Dusk sent off another message, with assurances they were alright and giving some very barebones information about Sombra’s aid. He didn’t mention the presence of Doom or Trixie, both for caution and to not cause undue concern.

They continued up the peak in silence. The wind had died down somewhat, but the cold was just as biting as ever. Twilight had cast her warming spell, but they noticed Trixie was lurking on the fringes of it. She looked like she was trying to cast her own, but it didn’t seem to be doing much for her. The two royal students looked at each other and nodded.

“You can share our spell if you want, Trixie,” said Twilight.

“Hmph! As if the Great and Powerful Trixie needs your help to battle the cold!” Another gust blew and she shivered. “… After consideration, Trixie has decided to add her spell to yours and double the warmth!”

She fell in step next to Dusk, immediately ceasing to cast her warming spell and sighing from the effects of Twilight’s. She noticed them looking and her cheeks tinted red.

“So what were you doing all the way out here?” asked Twilight. “Why not just stay in the Empire, put on your show there?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, why didn’t I think of that? Wander into a populated area with a unicorn that’s known to the region’s ruler as a former servant of evil. What a great idea!”

“Hey, I was just asking,” Twilight retorted. “If that’s how you feel, I’m surprised Doom is even still with you. I thought he would have left, found his own way.”

“At first, he did, a few days after we left. He woke up, didn’t say a word and walked away. I tried to stop him but, well, you try and see how you do. Then a few hours later, he just… came back. He had food with him. Still didn’t say a word, just left it for me and went to sleep.”

“Food? From where?” asked Dusk.

“He didn’t steal it, if that’s what you mean. Not that I blame you, that was my thought too. But he apparently went and picked up a little work while he was out. I found about it the next morning. Pearbucking at a nearby farm, if you can believe it.” She looked over at him. “He was like that a lot. He’d get food or bits from work as we travelled. Never said anything about it, he just… did it.”

Dusk frowned. “That sounds… well…”

“Unbelievable? I know, I felt the same,” agreed Trixie. “But that’s how it is.”

“How did you deal with what happened though?” asked Twilight. “He hit you and that’s terrible, but from what the others told me, you were pretty awful to him as well if he stepped out of line. How did you reconcile that?”

“We… don’t really talk about it,” admitted Trixie. “I mean, I tried to but I might as well have been talking to a wall. I guess, on some level, we know we’ve both done bad things but at the end of the day… we’re all we’ve got. At least, that’s how I see it.”

“So he never apologised?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Please, can you imagine? I guess what he does is his way of making up for it.”

“Is that enough?” asked Dusk.

Trixie didn’t respond to that. Twilight decided on another line of questioning.

“What about Sombra? I saw what happened before and the only being that ever told Doom what to do was Discord.”

“You know what you said, about getting used to his new feelings? That’s what Sombra helps him with, getting a better handle on them and such,” she said. “It’s what got him actually talking to me again. Not that he says much, but still.”

“I see.” Dusk looked at Doom. “Today is a day full of surprises, it seems.”

“We have arrived,” announced Sombra, standing at the entrance to another cavern.

They stepped inside, gazing around for something that could indicate the entrance to the Vault. But there was nothing. It was a completely unremarkable cave, one that almost felt colder than the mountain they’d just left.

“Well, consider me blown away,” remarked Trixie.

“As an illusionist, Trixie, you should know nothing is ever what it appears to be,” said Sombra. His horn glowed and a cluster of crystal arose from the centre. “Dusk, your particular talents are required.”

Dusk nodded and reached into the shadows. Their darkness coiled up the base of the crystal to its peak. Its shadow lengthened, deepened until it was like an abyss consuming part of the wall. Dusk could just make out the form of a door. Twilight’s eyes and horn flashed a mingling aura of black and green, casting a dark spell on the top of the door. It solidified, appearing before them as if it had always been there.

“Finally,” Doom growled. He was standing closest to the door and went to open it.

“Doom, wait!”

Dusk ran for him, but not before his ‘brother’ opened the door. A cold unlike any they had felt before burst through. Dusk shut his eyes, but even then it felt like his eyes would be frozen. He could hear Doom roaring, Twilight calling his name. Before he knew it, he was swept off his hooves by the winds and through the door, which slammed shut behind him.

Twilight’s head was spinning when the cold winds finally subsided. It was dark, wherever she was so she cast a light from her horn. It looked to be a basement of some kind, but it had definitely seen better days. The walls were cracked and chunks of wooden debris littered the area around her. The stairs leading up had been partly blocked by some of it. Machinery lay in broken tatters, shards of metal and wire left scattered.

It seemed oddly familiar, yet she couldn’t quite place it…

A groaning got her attention. She looked to see Trixie, getting shakily to her hooves. She went to help, but Trixie batted her hooves away.

“I can take care of myself,” she muttered. She shook herself off and looked around. “Where are we? Is this in the Vault?”

“I’m not sure, I’m just trying to figure it out. Wait, where are the stallions?”

“I don’t know, I wasn’t exactly keeping tabs,” said Trixie. She lit up her horn too. “I can’t see any of them in here.”

“Maybe they got transported somewhere else. Come on, we need to get out of here. Can you help me move some of this?”

Trixie sniffed. “What, you mean your magic isn’t good enough that you can do it?”

“Trixie, will you please just help?” Twilight groaned. “I thought you said you wanted to make up for what happened.”

“Fine, fine. Let’s get this over with.”

Together, the two unicorns shifted the debris blocking the stairs and ascended. The surrounding environment told a similar story to the one below: completely wrecked. There wasn’t a whole lot left, but something occurred to Twilight. What little remained all seemed to be made of wood. But where would you get wood this far north? She hadn’t seen a single tree that wasn’t crystal.

“Looks like this was a library of some sort,” said Trixie. “Look. You can see the remains of a bookcase here. Maybe somepony already broke in here and took everything.”

“But if Sombra was the only one who knew about it, how could they… wait…” Twilight felt dread settle in her stomach. “Did you say ‘library?’”

She crossed over to where Trixie indicated. There wasn’t much of it left, but she was right. It was definitely a bookshelf. She could even see the burned remains of the books before a small gust of wind blew it away. It also served to blow away the smoke that surrounded where they were and Twilight felt her throat clench.

She knew this landscape, but it was nothing like what she had grown to love. The small, rustic homes had been reduced to smoking wrecks. The lush green fields were barren and dead. Dark clouds gathered in the sky above them, obscuring the light of the sun or the moon. She couldn’t tell if it was day or night, but neither state would have made the sight that surrounded her any better.

“Wait a minute,” said Trixie as she joined her. “Isn’t this…?”

“Ponyville,” she whispered.

When Dusk awoke, the cold hadn’t subsided. If anything, it had gotten worse. As his vision started to clear, he could make out that the cave walls were not of stone, but ice. Ice as thick and uncompromising as the mountain itself.

He could also make out the sounds of exertion and magic being cast. Doom had picked a spot and was hammering away at it with magic and hooves. The ice barely cracked and when it did, it almost immediately froze over again.

“Break! Break, blast you!” he bellowed. He glanced around to see Dusk. “Awake at last. Make yourself useful and break this ice.”

“Please helps,” muttered Dusk, but decided not to push it. They needed to get out and it wouldn’t do to seek conflict right now.

His hooves flashed orange and he joined Doom’s efforts punching the ice. He fired blue colour pellets at it. He called on both light and shadow, trying all he could muster to break through. None of it worked.

“Still as weak as ever,” growled Doom.

“Yes, insult me, that’ll help us get out of this,” retorted Dusk. “Besides, you were the one who asked for my help.”

“For all the good it did.” He pushed away some of the snow to expose the ground beneath. “Here, we can try and dig.”

Dusk rapped it with his hoof. “Doom, this is solid rock. Hard headed as you are, even you’d be pressed to get through.”

“I don’t see you thinking of a solution, brother, despite your professed intelligence,” he snarled.

Dusk rolled his eyes. “There is a way out of here, brother and it isn’t with brute force. We just need to think.”

“Then by all means, proceed.”

Ignoring the evident sarcasm from Doom and the cold of their surroundings, Dusk started to look around. He wasn’t sure exactly where they were, but they must be in the Vault somewhere or a chamber before the Vault proper. Doom must have triggered some kind of defence against intruders. The initial question to consider, to him, was if there was an intended way to leave the room.

It didn’t seem that way. With thick ice surrounding them and the rock beneath them, they couldn’t force their way out. He started to scan the room, but it was the same unremarkable stone. Nothing that seemed to be a trigger or hidden panel for a door. No riddles inscribed on the stone, pushing them to test their wits. They were just stuck in here.

But that couldn’t be it. There had to be a way out. There was always way out. They just had to find it. Somehow…

“But I… I don’t understand.” Twilight was only just comprehending what she was seeing. “What happened? How did this…?”

“More important, how did we get here?” asked Trixie. “It isn’t exactly a hop, skip and a jump. Is this some kind of weird transport spell? Ugh, that idiot, Doom. Trust him to just leap straight into it without even thinking.”

Trixie’s words disrupted Twilight’s mounting fear. She was right. It didn’t make any sense for them to be here. The kind of power needed for a teleportation spell like that was well beyond what she was capable of. Even then, why would the defences of the Vault send them here?

She recalled the last time she had overcome enchantments devised by Sombra. The door that wouldn’t stay still and when it did, it showed her something. Celestia, telling her she’d failed the test. Except…

“This isn’t real,” she said. “This must be part of the magic protecting the Vault. It creates a vision of your worst fears.”

“Oh.” Trixie frowned. “But why am I seeing this? No offence, but I don’t really care about Ponyville in the same way you do. I mean yes, it would be horrible if it was destroyed, but it’s not exactly my worst fear.”

“I don’t know, but we have to find a way to break it. Last time, Spike was able to snap me out of it and I did the same for him.”

Trixie blinked and looked down at Twilight’s shoulder. She suddenly punched Twilight, hard.

“Ow! Hey, what was that for?”

“I thought it might be like a dream. You punch somepony and they wake up.”

“It’s pinch and that obviously didn’t work. Unless you want me to try,” she said, her horn glowing.

“N-No need for that!” Trixie said quickly. “You’re right, we need to try something else. Maybe if we look around, we can see if there’s a way out of here.”

“It’s better than standing around here, I suppose. Come on.”

The two of them set off through the ruined remains of Ponyville. No, not actually Ponyville, Twilight told herself. It wasn’t real, it was just a mental projection. Still, that didn’t make seeing it any easier.

Even in its destroyed state, she could still recognise certain points. The Quill and Sofa store. Sugarcube Corner. The Mayor’s Office and the Town Hall. Not a single building remained standing.

Her mind was running through the possibilities of what could have caused this. Nightmare Moon didn’t fit, she would just plunge the land into darkness. Discord didn’t either, he’d only put his twisted chaos everywhere. Could this be the changelings, revenge for Chrysalis? But even this seemed like overkill. There was one other distinct possibility…

Red as bright as burning fire and the heat to match. Growls loud enough to shake the ground beneath their hooves. The burned out remains of the forest around them…

“Twilight!” Trixie barked. “Pull yourself together! Like you said, none of this is real so don’t get pulled into it!”

“R-Right, I’m sorry. It’s just, even if it’s not real, seeing it like this is just…”

“I know,” she replied. “It’s not easy, watching something you love be torn down. Like what happened with my… never mind.”

“You mean your show?” Twilight asked. Trixie didn’t reply. “Look, Trixie, I didn’t want to show you up, I really didn’t. But I couldn’t just let that Ursa-“

“I know, I know!” she snapped. “I get it, I was a horrible pony who boasted too much, embarrassed your friends and took over your town! You don’t have to keep bringing it up!”

“I wasn’t even going to say any of that!” retorted Twilight. “What is the matter with you, Trixie?! You said you wanted to make up for what happened, but you’re still acting like you’re mad with me.”

She rounded on Twilight. “So what if I am mad at you? What does it matter? You don’t know me, Twilight Sparkle! Who are you to tell me whether I can or can’t be mad with you?! I overheard you chatting with your coltfriend before all this. You were thinking about leaving us behind!”

“That wasn’t…” Twilight felt a twinge of shame, but overcame it. “Are you really that surprised? Do you think we’d really trust you, after what you did?”

“So when you say you forgave me, you actually don’t?”

“Well, if this is how you’re going to be when you’re supposed to be making up for it, then maybe I should reconsider that forgiveness!”

“Good we’re finally being honest then. Let’s get one thing straight here, Sparkle. Yes, I am here to help but that doesn’t mean we’re friends! Got it?”

Twilight was stunned for a moment. Here she thought Trixie had finally learned her lesson and some humility, but it looked like that wasn’t the case. It didn’t hurt exactly, she and Trixie had never really been friendly. But she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed.

“Fine then,” she said. “After this, you never have to see me again. Maybe that would be for the best.”

“Finally, we agree on something,” Trixie spat. “Come on, let’s get out of here so we can… do you hear that?”

Twilight was about to ask what she meant, when her ears perked up. There was something actually. It sounded like hooffalls, but there was something else too. It gave added weight to the steps. It was something like… metal?

Something triggered in her memory. She remembered the last time she’d heard a sound like that. When she’d been the prisoner of Chrysalis in Canterlot. That sound, drawing ever closer. Just like how it was now. She knew what they would see as it turned the corner.

A stallion, tall and imposing, clad in grey armour and a purple robe. A black and red crest at its centre. A cold, obscuring helmet set with a purple plume and unseen eyes, gazing from beneath its helm.

For the longest time, neither sets of ponies moved or spoke. Twilight and Trixie were frozen in shock. The stallion seemed to be considering them. Then, a harsh and cold voice breathed from the helmet’s depths

“Well, it seems I missed a pair.” A magic aura appeared around the clasp of his robe and it fell to the ground. “A moment, ladies. I will tend to thee.”

The aura appeared around the hilt of a sword as it was pulled from its hilt. Wings flared from behind his back. Twilight and Trixie took one look at each other and ran, as Fallen Soul began to stalk after them.

“Well? Any revelations, Dusk?”

“If you’d give me more than a few minutes, Blackhole, then perhaps I would.”

“Forgive me. I wouldn’t want to disrupt your concentration.”

“Yet you’re doing a very admirable job of it currently.”

Doom scoffed. “Your efforts are wasted. If anypony is going to get us out of this, it’ll be me.”

“Yes, because you were doing such a good job of it while I was unconscious.”

“Dusk…” He approached him, in a bid to tower over him. “I’m not sure I care for your tone.”

“Blackhole…” Dusk looked him square in the face without flinching. “I’m not sure I care.”

The two stallions stared each other down for a moment, neither of them backing down. Dusk felt some lingering fear, but he wasn’t being untruthful with his earlier statement either.

“Hmph,” he snorted. “You’ve finally grown some spine, then. I suppose there’ve been some improvements.”

“Indeed and they all took place when you weren’t here.” Dusk smirked. “Funny how that happens, isn’t it?”

“You…!” He bared his teeth in a snarl. “Still irritating as ever. You should be thanking me.”

Dusk barked a laugh. “Thanking you? For what?! Tormenting my friends? Taking over my body? Beating me to a pulp?!”

“Strengthening you, bringing out your potential! Do you forget who it was that unlocked your abilities of shadow and mental manipulation?”

“I learned those abilities in spite of you, not because of you. And even then, are you really going to tell me that torturing me and my friends was a good thing?!”

“That? That was nothing! You only had a taste of what I’m capable of!”

“Then why not give me the full experience?!” Dusk stood back, holding his hooves out wide. “Come on, Doom! It’s just you and me in here! I know you’ve been wanting to fight me, the moment you saw me! So go on then!”

Doom did raise his hoof a fraction. His eyes narrowed and a growl built in his throat. It seemed to mingle with the stormy winds blowing from somewhere. Dusk braced himself for the hit, ready to show him he wasn’t going to be pushed around anymore.

But it never came. He looked away, waving his hoof dismissively.

“I don’t have to prove anything to you. We’re wasting time that could be better spent escaping.”

Dusk was speechless. Hearing about it from Trixie was one thing, but actually seeing it… he wasn’t sure what to think.

“She was right,” he said quietly. “You have changed.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, brother. I still despise you.”

“The feeling is mutual, brother,” he retorted. “At least that much hasn’t changed.”

“Something to be thankful for.”

“Do you really not feel any guilt or remorse over what you’ve done?” asked Dusk. “All the pain you’ve caused, the suffering you’ve inflicted on others? On me?”

“Why should I? They were weak, you were weak. You got what you deserved.”

“Is that the same for Trixie too?”

Doom whirled to face him again. An echo of Dusk’s old fear for him flared when he beheld his face. But only for a moment.

“You dare…!”

“Yes, I dare! You hurt her too, but I remember what happened to you afterwards. Twilight had to render you unconscious due to the state you were in. You can’t stand there and tell me you thought she was weak, when you-!”

WHAM!

Doom’s hoof hit him with such force, Dusk’s vision went spotty for a moment but he recovered it in time to see Doom, his teeth bared and his hooves raised to bring them slamming down on his head.

Twilight and Trixie turned a corner, their hooves pounding against the ground. Twilight dared to look over her shoulder. Soul was already coming around the bend. Even with his steady pace, they didn’t seem to be getting any further ahead.

“Twilight! Is… is that-?”

“The pony in charge of Tube? Yes! I saw him in Canterlot. The vision must be manifesting him from my memory. We have to go, hurry!”

“Wait a minute!” Trixie screeched to a halt. “You said none of this is real, right? So what are we running for?”

Twilight was about to argue, when she realised Trixie was right. Though the vision did feel very real, it wasn’t. No more than a dream was.

Trixie smirked. “See? Good thing you have a showpony with you, to remind you it’s all just a trick. And I’ll bet that if we defeat him, we’ll be able to end this subpar production.”

“I mean, that could be the solution. But I think we should-“

“Stand back, Twilight! I’ll lift the curtain on this!”

She levitated a nearby barrel, flinging it at Soul. Twilight didn’t even see his sword swing when the barrel was suddenly bisected. He was hit by a hail of apples stored inside it and was distracted for a moment. Trixie took the opportunity to coil a rope around his legs, tying it tightly.

“Ha! See? What did I tell you?” She approached Soul, preparing another spell. “Even this one cannot stand before the might of the Great and Powerful-!”

Soul’s sword sliced through the ropes binding him and slashed at Trixie. Out of instinct, she raised her hoof and cried when the blade’s tip whistled past. Twilight glimpsed flecks of blood in its wake.

“What the…?” Trixie’s hoof gingerly touched the spot. “That… that hurt. But if this is… that shouldn’t…”

She didn’t see Soul raising the sword to thrust at her. In an instant, Twilight teleported to her, grabbed her and transported them to the upstairs of a ruined house. Even despite how quick her spell was, she’d felt the blade miss them by inches.

“That was close,” sighed Twilight. “Are you okay?”

“No thanks to you, Sparkle!” she snapped. “You said this was only an illusion!”

“It is! O-Or I thought it was. Maybe it still is, but it’s just a stronger version of the magic I encountered.”

“W-What are you saying? That we can actually get hurt or even…?” Fear clouded Trixie’s face, but anger competed on it as well. “I can’t believe I put myself forward for this. All because I felt I had to make up for what happened before.”

Twilight stared at her in shock. “What are you saying? That you’re not sorry for what happened?”

“No! I mean, yes! I mean…!” She slapped a hoof to her forehead. “This wasn’t how it was meant to be! I gave you my fireworks, I let you keep the Amulet, I’ve been caretaker for that idiot brute Doom and I’ve left your stupid little town. Haven’t I done enough? Why did I feel I needed to do this as well?!”

“You came with us to a secret Vault, created by an evil king! What did you think was going to happen when we got here?!”

“I don’t know, not this! You and the others were meant to do all the heavy lifting! I would have hung back, provided moral support or something! I don’t want to die, I didn’t ask for this!”

“Yet it is what thou hast.”

They both whirled around to see Soul, flying above them. He soared towards them, his sword slashing down. The two mares dived apart, barely dodging in time. He rose slowly, already bringing it back up.

“Fallen Soul!” Twilight stood at the ready. “Stand down, now!”

His helmet turned slightly to her, like she wasn’t worth his full attention.

“A brave heart thou possesses, young filly. Or perhaps…” The sword levitated next to his head. “Foolish.”

“I…” Twilight’s throat tightened, but she tried not to let her fear show. “I-I will stop you! I have powerful magic, taught to me by Princess Celestia herself!”

“Indeed? It seems there are many great claims made today. Not the least of which…” He turned slowly to face Trixie, eyes wide in fear. “… from thee.”

His armour clanked as he stalked towards the showpony. Twilight started forward, but stopped when a wall of flames blocked her path. Even through the fire and the heat rising from it, she could make out Trixie. The fire enclosed around her in a ring, cutting off her escape.

“N-No! Get back! Don’t c-come any closer!”

“But thou called thyself Great and Powerful. Prove it to me. Show me thy strength.”

Desperate, Trixie cast a lighting spell. The bolts flickered across his armour, but didn’t even slow his advance. She levitated random objects, flinging them with abandon. They either missed or he cut them aside. She tried to run, but the fire flared every time she did, chasing her back to the centre.

“Perhaps thou needest some assistance.” He reached behind his cloak and threw something to her. “Here. Take it.”

Both unicorns stared. It was the Alicorn Amulet. Grey as a stormy night, the rubies sent into it flashing against the fire.

“Thou knowest the power it holds. With it, perhaps thou will be a worthy match.”

Trixie’s eyes were fixed on the Amulet. They flickered between it and Fallen. Was it due to the haze of the heat or did Twilight see the glimmering of Trixie’s magical aura appear around it?

“Trixie, no!” cried Twilight. “It’s not worth it, don’t-!”

The tongues of flame lashed out at her, cutting her off. She had to create a magic forcefield to try and keep it at bay, but Trixie wouldn’t be able to hear her.

Her eyes found Twilight. They were wide with desperation and fear. She slowly rose to her hooves. Fallen gestured in an almost welcoming way. Twilight slammed her hooves against the field, but Trixie didn’t stop. Her foreleg inched ever closer to the Amulet, her aura raising it to eye level.

Dusk didn’t stay in that spot. He only just managed to dodge Doom’s attack slamming into the ground, bouncing away on pink hooves. He blocked Doom’s charge with a butter yellow shield, straining against his strength.

“You self-righteous, sanctimonious little whelp!”

“You overly-aggressive, psychotic thug!”

The shield broke and Doom struck him across the face. Shadows wrapped around Dusk’s legs, but he banished them with a flare of light and pelted Doom with blue pellets. Doom powered through them, shoving Dusk against a wall of ice with his foreleg.

“Weakling!”

“Brute!”

“COWARD!”

“LAPDOG!”

Dusk kicked him in the gut and shoved him away. Their horns flashed and they held each other in a glare, tensed and ready to fight. The wind seemed to be howling with greater ferocity, matching the scene perfectly.

A realisation struck Dusk in that moment. They were inside. How could the wind be with them in here? A look at Doom told him he just had the same thought. At almost the same time, the two stallions turned their eyes upward.

A vortex was swirling above them. Winds colder than Dusk had ever felt came spiralling down. Little flakes of snow and ice came with it, offering small bites of cold where they landed. And cantering around at the edge were a trio of spectral horses. Their eyes were aglow with burning cold and their whinnies were a ghostly wail that mingled with the winds.

“Windigos,” Dusk murmured. “That explains why the ice keeps reforming.”

“And why it’s spreading,” said Doom. “Look.”

Dusk saw he was right. Not only was the ice surrounding them getting thicker, but it was also spreading towards the centre. Where they currently stood.

Doom bared his teeth and blasted magic at the circling spirits. It phased straight through them, not even slowing them down. The horse spirits didn’t retaliate, merely continuing their circular gallop.

“You must have known that wouldn’t work,” said Dusk.

“It worked for me,” he replied.

“Conflict feeds these creatures. No wonder they picked us up, we’re a veritable smorgasbord. The only possible way to ward them off…”

“… is with the warmth and light of friendship,” finished Doom.

Dusk looked at Doom. Doom looked at Dusk. Above them, the Windigos circled and the ice crept ever closer towards their hooves.

Trixie’s hoof was touching the Amulet. She gazed at it. Then at Fallen. Then at Twilight. Her forehead was sweating, exertion evident on her face. Was she trying to keep back the flames too?

That was when Twilight saw something else moving behind Fallen. A large piece of burning, fallen lumber. Moving to right above Fallen’s head.

In a single motion, Trixie hurled away the Amulet and grinned in triumph when she let the beam fall right on top of him.

The grin became a grimace when he sliced it clean in two without even moving a muscle.

“Disappointing, just as thou hast always lived.” The blade angled towards her again. “Is that not true, Trixie?”

He began to stalk towards her again. All semblance of defiance was gone and she backed away from him against the wall.

“No! No, stop it! Don’t!”

“Leave her alone!” Twilight tried to teleport again, but the flames danced towards her as well. Every time she tried, they would disrupt her concentration. “Trixie!”

“Perhaps thou shouldst consider alternative adjectives. Worthless. Insignificant. Mediocre. More familiar and honest, are they not?”

Trixie had given up on coherent speech. She resorted to cowering, hiding beneath the folds of her cape which was beginning to singe at the edges. Soul was almost upon her, his sword moving towards her neck.

Twilight looked around desperately. Her eyes spotted a water tower, standing above them. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try. She bent the supports with a spell, causing it to tip over. Its contents spilled out, dispelling the worst of the flames. Wasting no time, she teleported to Trixie and away again, this time to the edge of the Everfree Forest.

“We can’t keep doing this,” said Twilight. “We need to find a way to stop this vision and fast. Come on, Trixie.”

“I-I… I can’t…” She was still shivering under her cape. “I’m not… I-I can’t do this.”

“But you have to! Come on, get up!”

“He’s right. I… I am insignificant and worthless.” She looked at Twilight, tears falling down her cheeks. “I c-can’t do anything right and whenever I try, I just… just make it worse. I can’t even apologise to you properly…”

“Trixie, that’s not true.”

“But it is! Look at me!” She threw her hooves out. “There’s nothing Great or Powerful about me! I-I’m nothing but a useless, big-headed coward! There, I said it! I know that’s what you think of me and you’re right! I managed to kid myself and everypony else with my show, I thought I had something special but…” She looked away. “Just goes to show. No matter how good you are at something, there’s always somepony better… I’m sorry, Twilight. I’m so, so sorry…”

Twilight was so stunned by this admission, the situation they were in was driven almost completely from her mind. Something about seeing Trixie in this state reminded her of herself. All the times she’d let her mind run wild with thoughts of failing Celestia or her friends, of messing up in her studies or tests. But had her friends there to help.

But Trixie? Who did Trixie have? A brooding, angry stallion who was a former servant of the Lord of Chaos? Did she have any family or friends back at home? Where even was home for Trixie? Twilight just didn’t know. Despite what she’d done in the past, all she felt for the unicorn was pity.

But she hadn’t completely forgotten their situation. Harsh as it was, she didn’t have time to stand and feel sorry for Trixie. Soul had found them before, he’d find them again. That teleporting had taken it out of her. If they were going to get out of this, she needed Trixie on her hooves.

“Trixie, you’re not pathetic,” she said.

“Y-Yes, I-“

“No, you’re not!” She gripped her shoulders. “Think of the work you put into your show. Always on the move, roaming all across Equestria and amazing ponies with your magic! You’ve dazzled and delighted so many ponies and you did it all by yourself! Trixie, that’s amazing!”

“Sure yeah, then lost it all because of one boast that got out of hoof,” she said bitterly. “All because I wanted to be special and important. Anything that… that wasn’t me…”

“We’ve all made mistakes, Trixie.” Twilight considered a moment. “You know, there was a time I tried to make a friendship problem happen because I hadn’t reported one for a week?”

“W-What?” Trixie looked up in surprise. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “Oh yeah. Cast a Want-It, Need-It spell on my favourite doll to make everypony go crazy over it so I could fix a problem about sharing. I uh, may have also knocked out Dusk when he tried to stop me.”

“You didn’t!”

“I did. Not to mention the time I nearly messed up Winter Wrap-Up, when I was an accessory to stealing Celestia’s phoenix and when I acted like an idiot before my brother’s wedding.” She paused. “Actually, I turned out to be right about that last one, but I still could have gone about it in a better way. Plus there’s all the times I’ve messed up dating Dusk, but I’m not going to go too much into that. My point is that I’m not perfect either, nopony is. We all mess up, in big and small ways. But it’s our friends who help us pick up the pieces afterward, so we can move on and be better ponies. You even showed it just now. You could have taken that Amulet, but you didn’t. That took strength, Trixie. Real strength. I know what we said earlier but if you wanted to… maybe we could start over?”

She held out a hoof to Trixie. She stared at it, then back at Twilight. She placed her hoof in Twilight’s and let her pull her up. A very slight smile was beginning to form. Then her eyes focused on something behind Twilight and the fear returned.

“Friendship later, run now!”

Twilight looked just in time to see Soul slam into the ground near them. His blood-red aura encompassed the handle of his sword, the dark holes of his helmet glaring.

“I believe this little game is over, ladies. Time to end it.”

“Oh no, you don’t!”

Trixie plunged a hoof into her cape and threw something at the ground. It burst in a puff of smoke and Twilight found herself pulled along into the Forest.

“Are you crazy?” cried Twilight “We can’t hide from him in here!”

“We’re not hiding! I have an idea, follow me!”

“But why are we going deeper into the Forest?!”

“For the same reason you used that water tower last time.”

“What do you…?” Twilight caught her meaning and grinned. “It’s this way, come on!”

They galloped through the trees, leaping and bounding over thickets and roots. Behind them came a slicing sound and the creaking of falling trunks. They didn’t look back, just kept on running until they reached their destination.

It was the mouth of an enormous cave. The darkened clouds overhead made it impossible for them to discern what was inside, but they didn’t need to. They knew exactly what lay within.

“Foolish fillies.” Soul cut down two more trees as he strode towards them. “Is this all thy efforts amount to? I had expected more.”

“Oh please,” said Trixie. “A showpony always saves the best trick for last.”

“Indeed? And what may that be?”

The two unicorns exchanged a look and cast their magic. Twilight fired exploding orbs whilst Trixie let loose some fireworks, hidden in her cape. Once again, Soul either let them glance off his armour or deflected them with his sword.

“Thy final trick then?” he remarked. “A less than engaging display.”

Twilight smirked. “That wasn’t the trick. That was just a wake-up call.”

“For what?”

The answer came in the form of an earth-trembling shake. Then another. Twilight and Trixie hurried out of the way, just as the massive, star-clad paw of gargantuan, purple bear emerged from the cave.

Her eyes narrowed on the first pony she saw: Fallen Soul. With a deafening roar, she charged him and he only just managed to avoid her massive paw. He took to the sky, soaring and slashing with his sword, but this only enraged the mother star-bear further.

“So that’s an Ursa Major. O-Oh my,” murmured Trixie. “Glad we’re not dealing with it.”

“Same here. Hey, there’s a familiar face.”

Twilight pointed to the Ursa Minor who padded out after his mother. Seeming to recognise Twilight, it bounded up to her and licked her with its massive tongue. Its eyes turned to Trixie who took a few steps back.

“H-Hello,” she said with a little wave. “Uh, no hard feelings? Right?”

The baby bear seemed to consider, then licked her too. Trixie looked disgusted but she kept her complaints to herself. The Ursa Minor let out a rumbling noise and jerked its head into the cave. There was a light shining at the end.

“Where’s that coming from?” Twilight wondered. “This cave is meant to be a dead-end.”

“I think we’ve been shown the way backstage,” said Trixie. “Unless you want to stick around here?”

Twilight looked at the battle unfolding behind them and decided this was probably the better option. She thanked the Ursa Minor, who sent them off with another lick, before they galloped towards the light.

Dusk Noir and Blackhole Doom stared at each other, with eyes as cold as the ice growing around them.

They had done their best to move into the centre of the cavern, away from the spreading ice. It had slowed down, now that they weren’t actively fighting each other. But it hadn’t stopped either. Even now, Dusk could feel it creeping towards his rear hooves. The only way to stop it was to stop the Windigos.

Neither of them said anything, but they both knew what the other was thinking. Their shared existence had been dedicated towards fighting the other. With all they had put each other through, what warmth was there? What friendship? Dusk tried to think of something, but his mind was a blank.

“No. No!” Doom stood up, glaring up at the Windigos. “I will not die like this!”

“I’m not sure they much care how you die,” said Dusk.

“You certainly don’t seem to!” he returned. “We can’t just sit here and wait to be frozen!”

“And what do you suggest? We know what it takes to dispel Windigos.”

“Then do something! You’re the bleeding heart obsessed with friendship!”

“It’s not some spell I can cast, Blackhole! You know the story of Hearth’s Warming as well as I do!”

“So you expect us just to sing a song and all will be well?!” He slammed his hooves on the ground. “You are infuriating beyond belief, Noir!”

“Once again the feeling is mutual, Doom!”

Above them, the Windigos screeched. Dusk jumped when he felt the cold against his hooves encroach further. He flinched when he realised he and Doom had jumped close together. They held each other in a withering glare.

“So, this is what becomes of us,” muttered Doom. “Encased in ice, at the behest of spectral steeds.”

“We’re not done yet,” said Dusk. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right. We need to try something. Maybe if I just think of my friends…”

Doom scoffed. “Now you’re willing to try something.”

He closed his eyes, doing his utmost to call upon every warming memory he had. Even against the gathering cold, it all came to him.

Celestia discovering him and giving him a chance at friendship. Applejack being the first to greet him in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash being one of a few ponies who learned of the talent he’d spent so long hiding. Pinkie Pie, always there with a smile on her face and eager to bring one to his own. Fluttershy, his adoptive sister, always so kind. Ray Strike, assuring him that his darker feelings didn’t make him bad and hitting him with a pipe to combat his low self-esteem. Luna, the laughs and smiles they shared to ward away their memories of darkness. Spike, his brother in library assistantship, always happy to lend a claw.

Twilight Sparkle. The day she first asked him to borrow the book he was reading. Finally meeting her face-to-face. Becoming her friend. Falling in love and her returning his feelings. All the lessons about their relationship they’d learned together, growing closer with every day that passed.

He could feel the warmth spreading through him. His horn began to glow and he expelled the energy building within him. The Windigos whinnied as it struck, but he could already feel their cold dousing the fires. It wasn’t long before he cancelled the spell, feeling light-headed.

“Is that all the magic of friendship can muster?” snorted Doom. “I’m hardly impressed.”

“It’s… it’s not enough,” said Dusk. “It takes more than just me. Doom, I… I need your help.”

He barked a laugh. “Then you’re stupid as well as pathetic. We both know I have nothing to give. Friendship is your area, not mine.”

“Not even Trixie?”

“I’ve warned you already, Noir…!”

“She told us about what you did, after you left together,” Dusk pressed on. “You could have left. I practically expected you to. But you stayed with her, you helped her, even despite her being ‘weak’. Why? Or Sombra. He’s been teaching you to control your anger and other emotions, hasn’t he? You’ve always striven to be independent, even when you served Discord. Why change that for him?”

Doom gritted his teeth and growled in his throat. But he said nothing. He looked away from Dusk.

“I know how it feels, Blackhole,” he went on. “To live with the feeling of knowing you’ve hurt somepony you care about. That nothing you do will ever make it right or make it better. Guilt is a terrible thing to live with-“

“Enough.”

He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t even sound angry. Just defeated. It was something Dusk had never heard from him before. Even in the times where he’d overcome his darker self, Doom had fought to the last. To see him like this…

“Blackhole? May I ask you something?”

“For what purpose?” he asked in that quiet, defeated voice. “What good will it do us now?”

“Well, there’s nopony else here but us and the Windigos. Whatever way this turns out, I can promise it’ll remain between us.”

Doom glanced back at him. For once, he didn’t see rage or callousness in those jade, slit-pupiled eyes. It was something more akin to… curiosity? Bemusement? Very slightly, Doom nodded.

“Do you… do you resent the emotions you’ve started to develop that much?”

He snorted again. “Why ask something you already know the answer to?”

“Please, I want to hear it from you.

Doom looked at Dusk, then briefly up at the Windigos. Then at the ice, which was almost upon them now. He was quiet for a long while before he responded.

“As much as you resented yourself, brother.”

“Yes, I… I suppose I did, didn’t I?” Dusk murmured. “In some ways, I suppose I still do. But you probably know that, better than…”

And in that moment, Dusk finally understood. He looked up at the imposing, visage of cruelty and hate that still tormented his most unpleasant memories.

Their entire shared existence had been defined by conflict. Dark against light. Bad feeling against good feeling. Always this push and pull, that never seemed to end, no matter how many times they thought they were rid of each other. Dusk had always seen his ‘brother’ as a tormentor, created by Discord from his fears of a dark side made manifest. Like Nightmare Moon for Luna or Sombra’s Dark King persona. But in all that time, he’d forgotten something important.

The feelings that Discord had used, the fears he’d crafted into this being before him… they hadn’t been plucked from nowhere. He recalled again when Ray had spoken to him, in the wake of Doom’s second emergence.

“…in order to overcome darkness, you have to learn to accept it as part of who you are. Fighting it will only make it stronger and harder to resist… as long as you continue to deny this, you’ll never be truly happy…”

“What are you staring at?” growled Doom.

“The answer,” Dusk murmured. Then, in a louder voice, “Brother. I have something to say.”

Doom blinked in surprise. Dusk had never called him by that title, unless it was in sarcastic response to his use of it.

“I don’t like you and you certainly don’t like me. I think we could be trapped in this cave for a thousand years and that wouldn’t change. But we don’t have to like each other, in order to accept one simple fact: you are a part of me, as I am of you. We may not like the feelings and sensations associated with that, but that’s what enables us to become better than we are, stronger than we used to be. You… you were right.” He coiled shadows around his hooves. “You unlocked potential I don’t think I could have on my own. Likewise, whether or not you want to admit it, the emotions you’ve gained from me have led to you gaining a friend in Trixie, Sombra and, given time and willingness, perhaps more. We may not be friends but… we are brothers. It’s not as if you can choose your family, is it?”

There was no derisive snort, no harsh put-downs. Doom was looking right at Dusk, again with no hatred or anger in his gaze. His expression remained unreadable. They barely noticed that the ice was starting to freeze their lower bodies.

Once again, almost imperceptibly, he nodded. So did Dusk.

At the same time, the two unicorns closed their eyes. Alongside the warmth of his friends, Dusk recalled other feelings he often tried to ignore. Those old feelings of self-loathing and worthlessness, festering inside of him. The shame at feeling like he’d let his friends get hurt by Doom. His determination to never let his darker half surface again. The satisfaction at overcoming him, three times and at pulling himself back up when he’d been knocked down. Or helped up by those who cared for him and their efforts at helping him see past those darker feelings.

Their eyes and horns were aglow when they opened them. Flames of both darkness and light shot from their horns. The Windigos shrieked, tried to fight back. But they didn’t let up. With one, final howl, the Windigos were banished. Their magic receded, culminating in a gathering of energy, floating above their heads.

It wasn’t a violet heart, but an orb of shifting colours. It didn’t burn with vibrant, warming fire. It was at once cold and warm. Flickering with light but casting deep shadows. It wasn’t friendship. Not as anypony else would know it. But it was enough.

“Hmph,” huffed Doom. “I suppose you are good for something.”

“Likewise, brother.”

Doom frowned. “It sounds… peculiar, coming from you.”

“You think it sounds any better for me?” said Dusk with a small laugh. “Come on, that looks like a way out. Let’s-“

He was cut off by a loud roar, echoing from down the tunnel. With a quick glance, the two took off towards the sound. They ran down the stairs to an adjoining corridor where they met two familiar faces coming down the opposite stairs.

“Twilight!” Dusk cried. “You’re okay!”

“You had doubts?” They reunited with a quick kiss. “Did you hear that roar just now?”

He nodded. “Any sign of Sombra?”

“No, but I have a feeling. Come on!”

“Great, more trouble. No thanks to you,” Trixie remarked to Doom.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh here we go, with the…!” Trixie froze when she realised what he’d just said. “What… what did you just say?”

“I said that I’m-!” He caught himself and looked away. “I said that I’m… I’m sorry. For triggering the traps. For… for everything.”

They all stared at Doom, then at each other. Then the roar sounded again and they were snapped out of their state. They ran down the corridor, emerging into some kind of overlook for an arena.

Sombra was down there. He was battling against a massive, crystalline dragon. It was so pale, it practically glowed. Its wings were not unlike a butterfly’s and its lower half, oddly enough, was comprised of tentacles instead of legs. Instead of fire, it breathed shards of crystal that grew from the earth to pierce anything stood there. By the look of it, Sombra wasn’t faring well. He had many cuts and bruises and he seemed to be tiring.

“Sombra! Hold on, we’re coming!” called Twilight.

“What? No, stay back!” he shouted. “This creature cannot be harmed from here! You must help me!”

“What can we do?”

“Those emitter crystals!” shouted Sombra, pointing. “Destroy them and the dragon will be rendered vulnerable! Hurry!”

Dusk looked. To the left and right of them, following along the path of the overlook, were two, thin blue crystals, shining with pale light. He nodded to Twilight. She ran with Trixie down one side, he with Doom to the other.

“Come on, Trixie!” Twilight blasted magic at the crystal. “Let’s lift the curtain on this!”

“Already on it!” She added her own blast. “Guess everything here is just smoke and mirrors!”

“Here we go.” Dusk prepared one of his light spells. “Ready, brother?”

“Well before you, brother!” he replied with a fierce grin.

Dusk returned it and the two combined their magical energies together. The two crystals shattered into pieces. The pale dragon roared in displeasure, clutching its head. Sombra let out a bellow and rose on his own crystal formation.

Just as the dragon recovered, he jumped and plunged his blade right into the centre of the dragon. It howled, flailing its arms and wings before shattering as well.

Dusk cast a colour cloud to catch Sombra, lowering him gently to the ground. He did the same for himself, lowering down into the arena as Doom simply jumped down. They met with the mares when they reached Sombra, Twilight already helping him to his hooves.

“Just take it easy, Sombra,” she was saying. “You’ve really been through the wringer.”

“I could… say the same of you all,” he replied. “I’m sorry. I tried to come and find you, but that dragon was rather… demanding of my attention.”

“I’ve never seen one like that before,” said Dusk. “How has it survived down here?”

“It… was not alive. Merely a golem, of sorts. The last line of… defence.” He looked around. “I take it you have overcome the rest?”

“Obviously,” said Trixie, flicking her cape. “Did you expect any less?”

A smile came to his face. “I didn’t. I knew you would all be up to the task, challenging as it was. I regret what you have had to endure once again as the result of my past misdeeds, however.”

“Yes, well, there’s a lot of that going around at the moment,” said Dusk, sharing a look with Doom. “Now, shall we go and retrieve what we came here for?”

“Hold on.” Trixie approached Doom, struggling to look at him. “L-Look, don’t think one apology is enough to make up for what you did. But… I guess that I’m… I’m sorry too. F-For what I did.”

Doom didn’t say anything. The only reaction he showed was his eyes widening a fraction. In the end, he simply nodded and walked away. Trixie exchanged a look with Twilight and they both shrugged. Dusk had to agree mentally. That was probably as good as they would get.

Sombra took the lead and together, the strange party of unicorns proceeded towards the door the dragon had been guarding. His horn glowed, making the crystal in the centre shine in response. With a rumbling of stone, it rolled away to admit them inside.

The five of them stared in collective awe at the contents inside. Chests laden with jewels and gold. Weapons of every kind. Armour that looked to fit any being from ponies, to griffins and even dragons. Some artworks were scattered about as well, paintings and ancient books.

“Look at this. I mean just… look at all of this!” Trixie started to gallop, then halted. “Wait, there aren’t any more traps, are there?”

Sombra shook his head. “The crystal dragon was the last. There should be no further danger from here.”

“In that case…” She squealed and ran her hooves over the piles of bits. “I could take just a hoofful of these and never have to work again!”

“And all these books!” Twilight levitated a few. “Some of these look pre-Equestrian! Imagine the kind of historical finds we could see in these.”

“Hmm.” Doom levitated an axe and a war-hammer. “Impressive. Though they may need to be treated for rust.”

“Why am I not surprised that’s what you went for?” Dusk said, examining a sword. “Though it is quite impressive.”

Doom snorted, but said nothing.

Sombra was examining the trove intently. They heard him exclaim when he apparently found what he was looking for and levitated it for them.

It was a piece of very old stone, layered with a script Dusk couldn’t even begin to understand. But there was image that was unmistakable for anything else. An enormous wolf, especially in comparison to the tiny ponies that were suffering beneath it. The colour had faded, but Dusk could see the faded spots of red all across its body.

“Wrath,” murmured Dusk. “I hope there’s something useful in here.”

“As do I, my little pony,” replied Sombra, his eyes focused on the image. “As do I.”

When they returned, Dusk and Twilight were the first into throne room. This time, both Cadence and Shining were there waiting who both beamed at the sight of them.

“Twily, Dusk! Good to see you’re both safe,” said Shining. “We received Dusk’s message. Apparently you have good news?”

“We do,” said Twilight. “First of all, somepony here has something he’d like to say.”

The door opened and Sombra stepped in, removing the cloak and hood covering him. The guards nearby tensed at the sight of their old king, but Cadence gestured for them to stand down. They did, but they watched him closely as he approached.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Prince Shining Armour.” He bowed to them. “I come before you, not as a conqueror and enemy but a stallion, humbled and penitent.” He levitated a chest next to him and opened it. “The contents here are but a small sample of what resides in my Vault when I called myself king. I have no use for, nor do I deserve, their contents. I bestow them to you. In addition, I bring this.” He levitated the tablet. “I don’t know if it will be of use, but I will work tirelessly to translate it and use what it has upon it for the good of all. I do not expect these things to excuse my past misdeeds or for you to forget them. I only hope it will serve to demonstrate my willingness to change for the better. If that is not sufficient… do with me as you see fit.”

He kept his head bowed and waited. Cadence and Shining looked at each other, the latter obviously suspicious. However, he silently deferred to his wife who rose from the throne and stepped towards Sombra.

“Sombra, former king of the Crystal Empire. Do you come here, to seek recompense for your past evil acts?”

“I do, your highness.”

“Do you regret your action and will you ensure they don’t repeat themselves?”

“As long as I have breath in me, your highness.”

“Dusk Noir and Twilight Sparkle. Do you vouch for this pony, in his sincerity for change?”

“As the Element of Magic and student of Celestia, I do.”

“As the Element of Unity and the student of Luna, I do.”

“Good. Then, as Princess of the Crystal Empire, I extend my hoof to you as an ally… and a friend,” she added with a smile.

At this, Sombra looked up in bewilderment. He waited, perhaps to see if Cadence was truly serious. She was. Slowly, cautiously, he raised himself up, reached out and shook her hoof.

“Thank you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” he said quietly. “Your compassion is a great gift to me.”

“If you’re willing to earn your forgiveness, I’m willing to give you a chance. And please,” she added, “just Cadence is fine.”

“Very well then… Cadence.” A small smile appeared on his face. “Though may I suggest that I work somewhere beyond the Empire. I feel my presence wouldn’t be entirely welcome here still and I would not see your rule undermined.”

“We appreciate that,” said Shining, clearly still a little wary. “Would you object to being sent to Canterlot to work there?”

“Not at all, your highness. It is a prudent measure, certainly.”

“Not only that,” said Cadence with a smirk, “I know somepony who’d be very happy to have you there.”

“Yes, well…” Sombra’s cheeks turned red, but he cleared his throat and turned to Dusk and Twilight. “Thank you, both of you. I wouldn’t be here, were it not for you.”

“Everypony deserves a chance at friendship, if they’re willing to take it and it wasn’t just because of us. Oh and that’s another thing,” said Twilight. “We had some other help getting into Sombra’s Vault. They’ve been in contact with associates of Fallen Soul and are willing to help us against him in exchange for protective custody.”

“If they can help us against him, they’re welcome,” said Shining. “Bring them in and we’ll-“

“Behold!” The doors burst open, accompanied by the whizzing of fireworks. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is here! So, where can I leave my things?”

Doom followed in behind her, looking like he was only just managing to restrain himself from hitting something. Cadence and Shining stared in stunned silence.

“Twily,” said Shining slowly, “what exactly went on while you were away?”

“Um…” Twilight grinned sheepishly. “It’s a long story.”

Once again, Dusk mused, today was certainly full of surprises.

Crystal Accommodation

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“I have to admit, even after hearing all you and Twily told us, I’m still having a hard time believing it,” said Shining.

“I feel the same and I lived through it,” said Dusk.

They were making their way through the corridors of the palace. A few servants and guards bowed to their prince in greeting, but kept a respectful distance. Dusk was grateful for this. He didn’t have the energy to be talking to ponies he didn’t know right now.

He and Twilight had just explained all that had occurred to him and Cadence. Trixie and Doom had been sent out, along with Sombra, to wait while they did. Now they were with Cadence, making arrangements for them. Shining offered to make sure their rooms were prepared and asked Dusk to come with him.

Though they were friendly with each other, Dusk knew he likely wanted to get him on his own. Security minded as he was, Dusk knew he must have misgivings and prepared himself to address them.

“Do you really vouch for Doom?” he asked. “The last time I heard that name, it was back when you distanced yourself from everypony following his rampage. He’s hurt you and Twilight. That’s a lot for me to overlook.”

“I’m not expecting you to, Shining,” said Dusk. “And ‘vouch’ might be putting it strongly. But he’s already shown growth that I wouldn’t have expected of him and we have come to an understanding. As it stands, his interests are aligned with ours.”

“The enemy of my enemy isn’t necessarily my friend,” said Shining. “I’m telling you right now, Dusk, I’m going to be keeping a close eye on him. And from what I hear, Trixie isn’t much better.”

“I understand, Shining, and I support your perspective on that front. For what it’s worth, I don’t think they’re going to try anything. Not when there’s something much worse out there to content with.”

“Any insight they can offer about Fallen is welcome. There’s a lot we still don’t know and I don’t like it.” He paused to look out a window. “He’s out there somewhere and we have no idea what he’s up to. I almost want him to try something, just so we can stop waiting for it.”

Dusk quirked an eyebrow. “Given the last time he did it resulted in your wedding being disrupted and our homes invaded, I wouldn’t be so keen.”

“I know. I’m just not a fan of waiting, not where our safety is concerned,” he murmured. “And then there’s Sombra… you’re sure he’s good as his word?”

“He is,” said Dusk at once. “He’s aware of his shortcomings and wants to make up for them. He at least deserves the benefit of the doubt.”

Shining sighed. “If you say so. All that time spent keeping him out and then we practically invite him in.”

“Circumstances are strange. Then again, it wasn’t too long ago I was sat down to tea with the Lord of Chaos and two years ago, Luna was a scary bedtime story for foals.”

“You have a point there. I guess I had the same feelings about Luna when she first came back and I’m still not sure about Discord either,” he admitted. “Sorry, Dusk. First time we have a talk and I’m grilling you about security.”

Dusk waves a hoof. “There’s nothing to apologise for, Shining. Your concerns are valid and you didn’t make Captain of the Guard for nothing.”

“I did want to thank you though.” He smiled at him. “You and Twily are looking out for each other, just like you said you would. I almost feel bad for doubting you at first.”

“Almost?”

“I’m still a big brother, it’s my prerogative to be suspicious of my sister’s choice in romantic partners,” he said with a wink. “Don’t worry though, you’re alright by me.”

“An endorsement greater than I could hope to receive,” remarked Dusk.

He laughed at that and the two continued on. Shining verified with the servants tasked with preparing the rooms that all was ready, then sent for their occupants. Twilight came with Trixie, who’s eyes widened like saucers.

“I’m… I’m staying here?” she gasped.

“So long as you don’t cause any trouble, yes,” said Shining. “If there’s anything you need, just say so.”

“It’s… it’s…!” She cleared her throat and composed herself. “It’ll do. I’ll be retiring for now. Trixie’s hooves are weary.”

She flicked her mane and walked in with her nose up. Twilight offered her brother an apologetic look before following.

That left them with Doom. The imposing stallion said nothing as Shining showed him to his own room. Shining said nothing to him either. The glare he gave said enough. Doom returned it and stalked inside. Dusk wordlessly offered to speak with him. Shining looked at him with concern and Dusk smiled with a nod. Shining returned his nod, held the door and motioned a guard over before closing it.

Doom was standing in the centre of the room, casting his eyes over everything in it. His expression didn’t change. Every now and again, he’d snort or scoff.

It was strange for Dusk. He was used to knowing what to expect from him. But when he was quiet like this, it made him more apprehensive than if he was yelling and breaking things.

“I didn’t invite you in,” he rumbled.

“You’re not sending me away either. But if you’d prefer to be left alone…” Dusk started for the door.

He glanced back. “I didn’t say that. Do as you will, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Very well.”

Dusk crossed to a nearby table and sat at it. Doom didn’t join him. Neither of them said anything for the longest time. What exactly did you say, with what they’d put each other through?

Suddenly, he understood more of what it must have been like for Trixie.

“They fear me,” murmured Doom. “I can see it when they look at me.”

“Can you blame them?” asked Dusk. “You’re far from the most approachable of ponies.”

“It’s pathetic,” he spat. “Cadenza fawns and offers hospitality whilst trying to hide that her guard is up. At least Amour is honest.”

Dusk shrugged. “Well if you’d prefer to be thrown out, I’m sure they’d oblige.”

“Hmph.”

Silence fell again. Another question occurred to Dusk.

“Trixie mentioned that Sombra has been helping you deal with your emotions.”

Doom looked at him, but didn’t turn his head. “What of it?”

“I’m just curious,” said Dusk. “You’re not really one to let others tell you what to do. What makes him an exception?”

He didn’t respond, not straight away. When he did, it was in a quiet voice.

“He… understands.”

“In what way?”

“If you would cease your questions, I would explain,” he growled.

“Ah, there we are.” Dusk smiled despite himself. “That’s more like the Blackhole I know.”

“Hmph.” He went to join Dusk at the opposite side of the table. He didn’t sit down. “He had power. He had strength. Yet when he had the chance to take it back after he lost it, he didn’t. He chose weakness.”

“And that confused you.”

“At first.”

“But now?”

“Now…” He glanced at Dusk. “Perhaps I may have been… mistaken.”

He said the last word like it had been forcibly extracted.

“I see,” said Dusk. “Do you consider him a friend?”

“… perhaps.”

“What about Trixie? What are your feelings about-?”

“I’m done talking. Leave.”

Dusk knew better than to push his luck with his former dark side. He stood to leave, pausing at the door.

“Brother? I wish you the best of luck.”

Doom stared at him from where he stood. Were it not for blinking and breathing, Dusk would have thought him a statue. Then, though it was almost imperceptible, he nodded. No sooner had he done so, he left the table and went to look out the window. Dusk took his chance to leave quietly, though he lingered outside for a few moments.

“A curious being, is he not?” Sombra was approaching from the other way. “One who has known nothing but his base feelings, now forced to confront something deeper.”

“It’s certainly peculiar,” agreed Dusk. “He seems so… I don’t know, despondent? Lost?”

“I would concur.” They set off walking together. “For his entire life, he had drive and purpose even though it was cruel. Suddenly, that purpose has been called into question, along with everything else he thought he knew about himself. It must be quite a shock.” He noticed Dusk frown. “You don’t agree?”

“To an extent. I just find it difficult to feel sympathy for him, given our history. There’s a lot he’s done that’s… difficult to give. Even more difficult to reconcile, considering he’s a part of me,” he added.

“I imagine that, on some level, he has similar feelings. Not to disparage the wrongs he’s committed against you and those you care for,” he clarified quickly. “I think he’s starting to see those things in a new light. That is what I hope I have instilled in him, at least.”

“You’ve definitely left an impression on him, if nothing else.” Dusk looked back over his shoulder. “What do you think will happen?”

Sombra shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t know. When I was consumed by my own dark ambitions, I was then locked away in my own head with a thousand years to reflect after I was banished. I understand where my follies lie, though even then it’s challenging to fully reconcile. As I’m certain you understand, Dusk.”

“I do. For the record though, you’ve already made a very good start. You decided to come out of exile to try and make a difference. That speaks volumes.”

“In truth, Trixie and Doom indirectly helped with that. Their presence showed me the impact of Fallen’s machinations. They reminded me of how I failed to act on my own failings, blinded by my pride and sense of right.” Resolution appeared across Sombra’s face. “I refuse to let similar consequences occur due to my shame as well.”

Dusk smiled in admiration. “Is all set for your journey to Canterlot?”

“The princess has already contacted her aunts,” said Sombra. “Once some minor preparations are complete, we will be departing today.”

“So soon?”

“I have wasted enough time as it is. The sooner we start, the better.”

“And how are you feeling about it? I remember from your journal that Celestia didn’t seem like your biggest fan.”

Sombra frowned. “I don’t understand. How does the Princess of the Sun keep something cool?”

“No, no, it’s a modern expression. Short for fanatic,” Dusk explained. “And on that note, so is cool. It can also mean that you find something or somepony noteworthy or impressive.”

“Ah, I see. Most curious,” he remarked. “But you are correct. Celestia is no fanatic of mine, nor I of her in all honesty.”

“Any particular reason, other than her coming between you and Luna?”

“Simply that it’s difficult to know where to stand with her,” he answered. “Though she appears generally benevolent and kind, those who can see know that it hides a mind that is playing a game of chess in which everypony around her are the pieces. And if it seems like the game isn’t going in her favour, she will simply change the rules.”

“Well, in your case, you were consumed by darkness and enslaved your Empire,” pointed out Dusk.

Sombra huffed. “I won’t deny that such actions are sometimes necessary. That is one of the burdens of leadership, but here is an example. She dispatched Twilight here as a test, sending her into danger with little real knowledge or guidance. Why did she not come and tackle the problem herself?”

“Well… Twilight is her student and she’s her mentor,” said Dusk after a while. “She’s overcome similar challenges before.”

“So there have been other occasions in which she could have acted against the threat, yet did not? In addition, what of her friends? They are not in her tutelage, yet their lives are also placed at risk,” argued Sombra.

Dusk couldn’t really deny that. Despite her great power, Celestia rarely ever seemed to use it. What with everything he knew about Ray and what he’d been through having Wrath in his head, his views on the Sun Princess had definitely been called into question.

Yet something prevented him from siding with Sombra completely. He had seen that side of Celestia, yet he had also the side of her that revelled in good fun and games. Who had asked him if he thought she was a good ruler. Who despite some of her shortcomings, still cared for her subjects and her home. Who had given him a chance when nopony else had…

“I won’t argue that some of her decisions may be questionable,” said Dusk. “But by and large, those decisions have saved lives. Our friends don’t join us because Celestia ordered them to, but so we can stand together against whatever threat may come. Twilight is a capable pony, with powerful magic and a good heart. Celestia knows it and so do I. Also, if I may be frank with you, you’re hardly one to talk when it comes to endangering the lives of ponies.”

For a moment, Dusk thought he’d gone too far with that last statement. Sombra’s expression turned harsh and his jaw clenched. Then it softened and he appeared morose.

“Your point is well made,” he said quietly. “My apologies, young one. I suppose old prejudices and cynicism cloud my views in this matter. That kind of thinking was what led me down the path I took. I do myself, and you, a disservice by indulging in them.”

“It’s alright. I do understand where you’re coming from, I do. I just can’t say I entirely fault Celestia. I shouldn’t have brought up your past like that though.” Dusk patted his shoulder. “I know that Discord’s corrupting magic and Fallen’s machinations brought out the worst in you. I shouldn’t have thrown that back at you, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t make excuses for me,” said Sombra. “I’ve never entirely blamed those two factors. I’m fully aware the foundations of my fall were already laid before their interference. They merely gave me the push. It seems I still have some work to do on that front.”

“You’re up to it. Besides,” added Dusk, “you won’t be on your own. Cadence is happy to vouch for you and I know I am too.”

“Cadence…” A fond smile came to Sombra’s face. “She is truly remarkable. Even despite what I’ve done, she is willing to give me another chance.”

“She’s very good at seeing into the hearts of ponies,” said Dusk. “Both because of her magic and she’s just good at reading others. That and I know one thing that’s probably endeared you to her.”

“Which is?”

“Well,” said Dusk with a sly smile, “Celestia isn’t the only princess in Canterlot and I know of one that’ll be very happy to see you.”

Sombra’s cheeks tinted red. “You exaggerate, Dusk.”

“Not at all, Sombra. You should have seen her reaction when she thought I’d returned with you the first time and I think you know how much she appreciated your Hearth’s Warming gift,” he added.

“She has… truly missed me that much?” he asked.

“More than I’m capable of expressing,” Dusk answered. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to show you just how much.”

The red spread further across Sombra’s face and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He quickly wiped it from his face when Shining approached, though the former Guard Captain didn’t miss it.

“Do I even want to know what you were talking about?” he asked.

“That’s between us,” said Dusk. “Everything alright?”

“Yep, just here to see you both to the train station. Cadence is about ready to head off herself.” He looked at Sombra. “I hope her faith in you isn’t misplaced.”

“On this, we are agreed.” Sombra held out a hoof. “Your hospitality and patience is greatly appreciated, highness. Thank you.”

Shining looked at the hoof in surprise before shaking it. “No problem. Just don’t go attacking the Empire as a mass of shadow again and we won’t have any problems.”

“That is something I only ever do every other Tuesday.” A long silence followed. “That… that was a jest.”

“Oh right.” Shining’s gaze shifted around awkwardly. “I’ll uh, take you both to the station.”

“I do not think the prince is the greatest fanatic of my humour,” whispered Sombra. “Did I use that correctly?”

Dusk chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’ll get there, on both fronts. He didn’t like me at first either.”

“Perhaps he did not think you were ‘cool’ enough.” Sombra allowed himself a little smile. “You see? I’m already mastering modern expressions.”

“Yeah, like my dad does,” muttered Shining.

Dusk and Sombra laughed again, while Shining rolled his eyes.

“This is amazing!” Trixie flopped onto the bed in her room. “This whole bed is bigger than my travelling cart! And it’s all mine!”

“When Cadence rolls out the welcome wagon, she doesn’t pull any punches,” said Twilight.

“I’ll say! If I’d known all I needed to do was come forward about what happened, I would have just done it straight away.” She rolled around in the sheets. “Oh, I could get used to this.”

Twilight giggled. “The benefits of being the Humble and Apologetic Trixie?”

“But of course. Trixie’s penitence has already started to pay off. Though some penitential grapes would go down a treat,” she added

“I’m sure they would. Hey, I never said but thanks for helping get us out of that illusion,” said Twilight. “I don’t think I would have thought of that, if you weren’t there.”

She nodded proudly. “Trixie has always felt that life is the greatest teacher and experiences are its greatest lessons. Even the ones that make Trixie look back and cringe.”

“Well, I don’t think you need to worry about that one anymore.” Twilight perched herself on the edge of the bed. “By the way, I’m sorry for what I said. About retracting my forgiveness, I mean.”

“Don’t be. Looking back on it, I… I guess there was still some stuff I hadn’t fully dealt with,” she admitted. “Hearing how you’ve messed up before helped give me some perspective, I guess. So thanks and… I’m sorry again, for what I did. Really, I am.”

She smiled. “It’s alright, Trixie. Honestly, when I think back on how I showed you up in the first place, it was really just a freak set of circumstances.”

“Ugh, tell me about it! Those two foals, what were they call again? Doesn’t matter,” she said at once. “If it wasn’t for them and thinking what a great idea it would be to lead an Ursa into town… then again, something like that probably would have happened somewhere down the line anyway.”

“Probably, but that’s all in the past now. I’m willing to let it be water under the bridge, if you are.”

“This time? Yeah, I think so.” Trixie laughed a little. “Tell you what, we could have used that Amulet in that dream or whatever it was that happened.”

“It wasn’t worth the risk, Trixie.”

“I know, I know. But in the moment…” She stared up at the ceiling. “It was tempting.”

Twilight decided not to voice her agreement. She had seen the look on Trixie’s face but facing down an enemy like Fallen, she couldn’t say she wouldn’t be tempted either.

“What was it like? Using the Amulet, I mean?” she asked.

Trixie didn’t reply straight away.

“You can’t imagine it, Twilight. You could just feel the power coursing through when you used it. The power to change whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. For somepony like me…” She raised one of her hooves up, like she was reaching out. “Nothing else could ever compare. But… I just couldn’t let it take me. N-Not again…”

She rolled over on the bed, facing away from Twilight and wrapped her cape around her a little tighter. Twilight debated for a moment whether or not to say anything to her.

“I can’t say I understand, Trixie. I’ve faced danger before, but I’ve always had my magic or my friends to count on. But for what it’s worth, I meant what I told you after we got away. You are strong for turning down that power. Stronger than most other ponies would be. And… I owe you another apology,” she added. “I didn’t give you enough credit. I still doubted you, before all this. Maybe… maybe I hadn’t quite dealt with some things too. You came along, even though you didn’t have to and you really came through. Thank you and… I’m sorry.”

She chanced a look at Trixie. She was looking over her shoulder at Twilight. She rolled over again and moved to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. She placed a hoof on her shoulder and smiled when Twilight did.

“Apology accepted. Thanks.” Her familiar smirk flickered back. “So what you’re saying is, without me we wouldn’t have made it?”

Twilight smirked back. “Hey, I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to. It’s so obvious, just to look at you.” She stepped off the bed and turned to face her. “You are fortunate, Twilight Sparkle, that the Great and Powerful Trixie was with you on this quest! I don’t know how you’re going to cope when we part ways.”

“I think we’ll manage,” she said with a titter.

“And when we next meet, I shall be Greater and Powerful-er! Wait, that’s not right, is it?” She frowned, then waved a hoof. “Well anyway, I shall use my time here in the Empire to study more magic! Spells the likes of which you’ve never seen and grow ever stronger! Then when we next duel, the outcome will be much different than last time.”

“So long as you don’t go casting spells on my friends, I think I can rise to that challenge. You’re on Trixie!”

“If you’re going to duel in here, make sure you don’t make too much of a mess,” a familiar voice said. “We just had the walls and floor polished.”

Cadence was standing near the door, an amused smile on her face. Trixie’s expression suddenly turned sheepish and she bowed to Cadence.

“Princess, thank you so much again for letting me stay. I promise that I’ll-“

“There’s no need for any of that, Trixie and please, call me Cadence.” She sat at a nearby table and gestured for the two to join her. “You’ve been through a great deal so just rest. You deserve it.”

“O-Okay. Thank you Prin- I mean Cadence!” she corrected quickly. “You’ve been really kind.”

“It’s what I would do for anypony, especially a friend of Twilight’s. Now, if it’s alright with you, I had some questions I wanted to ask you about your contact with Fallen Soul and his associates. But not right now, of course. We can wait until you’re fully rested and-“

“No, no, it’s fine!” said Trixie. “You’ve already given so much, it’s the least I can do.”

“If you’re sure you can manage. Just start from the beginning, tell us as much as you can.”

Twilight listened intently while Trixie regaled her story. How Test Tube had met her at the farm and told her of the Amulet, even offering the bits for her to purchase it. The only thing he’d mentioned was that his ‘employer’ would seek her out again afterward and made some remark about how she handled ‘sensitive information’ at the same time. After that, she’d gone to get the Amulet and verified his claims. They knew the rest of what happened after and didn’t go into it again.

“It seems a little weird that he knew where the Amulet was and had the money, but didn’t get it for himself,” said Twilight.

“Perhaps he hoped to use Trixie as an intermediary of sorts. Let her get it for him, especially since the bazaar was located in Canterlot,” reasoned Cadence. “And you’ve been laying low since what happened in Ponyville?”

“Pretty much. Trixie knows how to shy from the spotlight, if she needs to.” Fear clouded her face again. “He… he won’t come looking for me here, will he?”

Cadence patted her hoof. “Trixie, I can personally assure you that you’re completely safe here. The power of the Crystal Heart protects the Empire from all that would do it harm and my Shining, former Captain of the Royal Guard, has personally trained all of the guards here. Even if things got really bad, the Princesses in Canterlot can respond to any call for aid which I can send to them instantly. You’ve been very brave for coming to us about this and we’re not letting any harm come to you, if we can help it.”

Though she still looked a little apprehensive, Trixie seemed put at ease.

“Thank you, Cadence.” She laughed awkwardly. “Honestly, this is all a lot to take in.”

“That’s understandable. Normally, I’d offer to show you around but I need to be away in Canterlot soon and my husband will have his hooves full while I’m gone. Twilight, maybe you could stay and help Trixie get better acquainted?” suggested Cadence.

“Huh?” She caught the look her former foalsitter gave her. “Oh yes, I’d be happy to. If you want to that is, Trixie.”

“Well, perhaps Trixie could deign to tolerate your company a little longer. But uh, I could really go for a rest right now,” she said.

Cadence nodded. “Of course. We’ll leave you to it. Twilight, can I talk to you for a bit?”

Twilight followed her out. A last glance at Trixie saw her giving her a grateful look which she returned.

“Poor thing,” murmured Cadence when they were outside. “She’s been through so much. I’m sorry to delay your return again, Twilight. I know you two don’t have the best history, but I think a familiar presence will do her some good, at least for a little while.”

“It’s fine, Cadence. I think we managed to resolve a few outstanding issues. I wouldn’t say we’re friends yet, but it’s better than it was.”

She beamed. “That’s wonderful to hear. It’s hard to believe sometimes that you’re the same little filly, who always went around with her nose buried in a book.”

“I still do, I just have more ponies around me to warn me if I’m about to walk into something,” she joked.

“Always an important quality in anypony.” She glanced back at Trixie’s room. “You made a good partial point though. If Fallen wanted the Alicorn Amulet, it’s odd he hasn’t tried to retrieve it.”

Twilight thought for a moment. “Maybe he doesn’t know about it or it’s only part of what he has planned. It seems like he wanted to recruit Trixie and Doom to his cause, but it didn’t work out like he wanted. I guess it’s a good thing they came back with us.”

“I’ll agree to that. It does make me wonder what exactly he does have in mind, if he can afford to overlook such a powerful artefact.” She touched a hoof to her head. “It seems we have more questions than answers, even with what Trixie told us and I’m not sure Doom will know any more than she does.”

“Yeah and he’s not exactly talkative at the best of times, unless he’s telling somepony how weak or pathetic they are.” Twilight paused, then asked: “You sure you’re going to be alright with him around?”

“If anypony knows how to keep somepony in line, it’s me and your brother, Twilight. We’ll be fine.” She glanced out of the window and gasped. “Oh, better get a move on. Even if we leave now, it’ll still be night fall by the time we arrive in Canterlot.”

“But the next train isn’t for another hour. I memorised the schedule,” she answered Cadence’s questioning look.

Cadence giggled. “Of course you did. But I keep to my own schedule and we’ll be taking our own train. Don’t worry, I’ll look after Dusk while you’re here.”

“Don’t let him wander off and get into trouble. Actually, Cadence, there’s something I wanted to ask you. A-About Dusk, I mean,” she added, feeling her cheeks warm.

“Oh? What’s on your mind, Twilight?”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad, really!” she said quickly. “It’s just uh… well, the thing is… I-I wanted to ask about…”

No matter how much she tried, she just couldn’t get the words out. Mainly due to the subject matter, but also because she had a feeling of how Cadence would react when she asked. The thought only made her even more embarrassed. Even now, she could see the knowing smirk forming on her face.

“Y-You and my brother. Uh… how long were you, well, together before you… before he uh… I mean, w-when did you get enga-?”

“Twilight!” Trixie’s voice echoed down the hall. “They just sent me a chocolate fountain with things to dip! You’ve got to try some of these, they’re amazing!”

“Be there in a second! Sorry,” she added to Cadence.

“It’s alright. I think I know what this is about, but I don’t want us both feeling rushed to talk about it.” She thought for a few seconds. “Tell you what, why don’t we talk when we next see each other? I assume you’ll be coming to Luna’s Star Celebration Ball.”

Twilight gasped with excitement. “Of course! It’s the first ever one, as official commemoration and celebration of her return! There’s no way I’m missing it and neither will my friends.”

“Then I’ll see you in two days and we’ll resume this then. Although, just to give an initial answer…” She glanced around conspiratorially, then whispered, “One year.”

“O-Oh. Really?”

“Mmhmm. You and Dusk have been dating for as long, if not longer, if I remember right.” She winked. “Hope that helps, for now. See you soon!”

With a little wave, Cadence cantered off down the hall. Twilight did her best to calm her rushing mind as she turned around and went back to go see what had gotten Trixie so excited.

Game of Hearts

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“Now, this is certainly travelling in style,” said Dusk as he sat in the compartment of Cadence’s Crystal train.

“I would have thought you’d be used to this sort of thing by now,” remarked the princess in question, sitting opposite.

“You would think so, but surprisingly no,” he said. “Still, I’m not complaining. Especially when it’s in good company.”

“Right back at you. Any excuse to spend time with my future brother-in-law.”

“Cadence…”

“Relax, I’m only teasing. Or am I? Sorry, sorry,” she giggled at his blush. “I’m the Princess of Love, can you blame me?”

“It seems not,” he muttered. “Are you sure it’s alright for you to take time away from the Empire like this?”

She raised a hoof. “Shining is more than capable of managing in my absence. Though I think he may have a little more on his hooves with the other two you and Twilight came back with.”

“Yes, thank you again for giving Trixie and Doom temporary lodgings,” he said. “At least until I’m able to speak to Luna and Celestia about their situation. It helps that Twilight stayed with Shining to help smooth things over.”

“That and I think she appreciates some time with her brother,” said Cadence. “If they can offer any insight into the movements of Soul and his group, I’m sure Celestia will appreciate it. Quite a reversal, considering the last time I dealt with Doom. Indirectly of course, but still.”

“Indeed,” agreed Dusk. “Still, it’s not the only reversal that’s happened recently.”

“I was about to say.” She glanced to the far end of the carriage. “He seems very engrossed.”

Dusk looked too. Sombra was sat by himself, a large stone tablet set before him. Every now and again, he’d jot something down on a roll of parchment before consulting it again. Even with the rocking of the train, he didn’t seem the least bit disturbed.

“It’s not that surprising,” said Dusk. “Apparently, even for him, the ancient language of the Empire is a challenge.”

“It’s so strange,” said Cadence. “Just a few months ago, he was threatening to reclaim the Empire. Now, he’s here and off to reunite with his long lost true love! Oh it’s so exciting!”

Dusk raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you were here as part of your royal duties as Princess of the Crystal Empire and as its representative at Luna’s upcoming Star Celebration Ball.”

“I am! But again, that isn’t my primary title, is it? Did you honestly expect me to resist something like this?”

“An ulterior motive! Shame on you, Cadence.”

“I know, I’m so bad,” she tittered. “Oh I can’t wait to see how it plays out!”

“I have to admit, I’m rather intrigued to see it happen too. Just give me a chance to go on ahead first before you bring him in. They know he’s coming, but a little heads up when we get there would be best.”

Cadence nodded. “I agree. Then all we need to do is stand back and watch.”

Not for the whole thing, I should hope.”

“Oh shush you. Now, Dusk, it’s been so long since I last saw you! Tell me what’s new, I want to know everything. Have you picked out what you’re wearing for the Ball yet?”

As they settled into pleasant conversation, Dusk felt his eyes being drawn back to Sombra throughout. It had been quite surprising, to say the least, when he’d returned to the Empire with the contents of his Vault. This not only included treasures like jewels and finery, but historical artefacts and relics too. Though Cadence surprised him when she said they didn’t need gifts like this to show his willingness to make a change from his past. The mere willingness to do so was enough, though Sombra had still insisted regardless.

Dusk had to admit, he was rather excited to see the reunion between Sombra and Luna. His teacher’s heartache for her former love had been very evident and he could only imagine her barely contained excitement at the news of his coming. With how happy Twilight made him, he wanted nothing more than for Luna to share in that feeling. After waiting so long, she deserved it.

About an hour later, the train conductor announced their arrival in Canterlot. For the first time since he’d boarded the train, Sombra put away his notes and came to join them when they stood to leave.

“Nervous, Sombra?” asked Cadence.

“I am resolute, highness,” he answered. “A king doesn’t get nervous, even if he no longer has that title.”

“Well, I like your confidence. Even I felt pretty nervous before my first date with Shiny and I’m sure Dusk can tell you the same with him and Twilight.”

“I’ll be honest, sometimes she still brings our nerves in me,” he admitted.

“Good, can’t be too complacent,” she teased. “Right then, Dusk. Please go and announce us.”

They shared a grin and Dusk set off at a quick trot towards the throne room. Night had already fallen, which boded well for what he had in mind. When he arrived, it was only Celestia who was there to meet him, though she did so with her graceful smile.

“Good to see you again, Dusk,” she said. “When I got the news of who would be joining us today, I certainly didn’t want to miss it.”

“You’re not the only one.” Dusk looked around. “Where’s Luna?”

“Oh, she’s on her way.” Celestia’s eyes twinkled. “In fact, she should be here in three, two…”

The door behind Dusk suddenly burst open and Princess Luna whipped her head around.

“Is he here?”

“Not yet, sister. I believe your student has come ahead of them to tell us of their impending arrival.”

“Excellent, excellent!” She trotted on the spot with barely suppressed glee before remembering herself and clearing her throat. “Yes, well, thank you, my student. I will prepare myself at once.”

She crossed to join Celestia on her own throne. She sat down. Then she straightened herself up a little. Then she adjusted her crown. Then she straightened herself again.

As she did, Dusk frowned. Something was different about her…

“Luna, are you wearing your mane in a ponytail?” he asked.

“I am. What of it?” she replied haughtily. “Can a princess not wear her mane how she likes?”

“And… is that a hair clip?”

“Again, what of it? There is no need to make such a ‘big deal’ of it, as they say.” She frowned at Dusk. “That is what they say, is it not?”

“They’ve not told me otherwise,” he replied.

“Splendid! There we have it then.” She nodded smugly until she saw Dusk smirking. “What now?”

“Is that… lipstick and eyeliner?”

“Dusk, I fail to see why you are so fixated upon my appearance in such a-!”

“You look beautiful.”

“Oh hush!” She looked away huffily for a moment, then glanced back. “You truly think so?”

“Of course. said Dusk. “Not that you didn’t look beautiful before, you’ve enhanced it.”

Luna said nothing, but a strong blush came to her cheeks and she had to work harder to keep her grin in check. Dusk noted that Celestia had been mostly silent during the whole exchange and was looking at Luna with… what was that? Wariness?

But there wasn’t time to ponder that. Luna practically jumped in her throne when there was a knock at the door. Dusk couldn’t keep back a snort of laughter as he went to answer it.

“I heard that!” Luna snapped.

“Not sure I know what you mean!” He lowered his voice when he stuck his head out and saw Cadence. “Good to go?”

“Like you need to ask,” she replied.

Sombra said nothing, only nodding. If he was apprehensive in any way, he didn’t show it. Dusk nodded back and went back in.

“Announcing the arrival of Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire and its former king, Sombra!”

He bowed and stepped aside as the doors opened. Cadence came first, her wings flared and a smile on her face.

“Hello aunties!” she greeted, flying over and hugging them. “Oh I’ve missed you both.”

“As we have you, dear niece,” said Celestia. “Are you well?”

“Certainly. I believe you’re already acquainted with my plus one, some better than others,” she added whilst raising her eyebrows at Luna.

Luna didn’t reply. Instead, she was staring very openly at Sombra. Sombra was staring right back at her. Standing next to him, Dusk could see his eyes widen a fraction, his lips purse together and his posture stiffen. He took a couple of involuntary steps forward but stopped himself. The eyes of all princesses, not to mention their guards, were on him.

“Sombra.” Celestia was the first break the silence. “Welcome to Canterlot. It has been many years since you last stood here.”

“Indeed, highness.” He sank to his knees. “I am honoured and humbled to stand in your presences again.”

“Sombra!” Luna looked embarrassed she had spoken, like his name escaped her before she could stop it. “It is… good to see you.”

Sombra’s eyes flickered up. A rare smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“As it is you, your highness.”

Luna blushed. So did he.

“I was surprised to hear of your return to us and of your intentions,” Celestia said. “I certainly hope we can forge stronger ties than have been in times past.”

Dusk frowned. Though on the surface this sounded sincere, something told him there was more to Celestia’s words than what she meant. Sombra seemed to notice too, as Dusk could have sworn he saw his jaw clench.

“That is my hope as well, highness. I do not wish to seem discourteous but the journey here has been long and I am tired. Is there somewhere I may retire?”

“Of course. We have a suite prepared for you, where you may work and rest. A servant and guard will be on hoof, should you need anything.” She let the silence and her gaze linger on him for a moment. “Cadence, Dusk, I don’t know how long you intend to stay but we have rooms prepared for you too.”

“That’s good of you, auntie, thank you. We’ll get going, no doubt you’re busy,” she said. “We’ll have a proper catch-up later.”

Celestia smiled. “That would be lovely. The guard outside will escort you to your rooms.”

Sombra rose. He inclined his head to Luna, let his eyes remain on Celestia and stepped out. Luna raised a hoof, seemingly to go after him but reconsidered and sat back. Celestia didn’t look away from Sombra until he was out the door. Cadence rejoined Dusk outside. The two reached Sombra but he didn’t turn to look.

“I must return to my work. Excuse me,” he said curtly.

They watched him go and exchanged a bemused look. Cadence gestured to Dusk to follow her and they moved in silence until they were out in the sculpture gardens.

“Well, that didn’t go quite as I expected,” she sighed. “Tell me I wasn’t the only one who felt like you could pierce the tension with a horn.”

“Not at all,” said Dusk. “Luna has waited for this day for so long and she’s not one to hold back when she doesn’t want to.”

“Even so, Dusk, she is still a princess. There’s a certain unspoken expectation of how to behave, especially in public,” she said. “You know how much of gossips the elite of Canterlot are.”

“Even so, I would have expected perhaps Sombra to speak with her in private after or something,” he replied. “Perhaps they’re doing so right now?”

Cadence shook her head. “I wouldn’t count on it. It’s really obvious what’s going on.”

“I’m afraid it isn’t to me. Perhaps you could elaborate?”

“Alright but you may want to sit down.” She waited until he did and cleared her throat. “First of all, Celestia clearly doesn’t approve of Sombra, nor him having a relationship with Luna.”

“That makes sense. She wasn’t approving a thousand years ago either, according to the king’s journal,” noted Dusk.

“There we go. But because Sombra’s been vouched for, by me of all ponies, she can’t really confront him about it. But she can make sure he’s kept under close watch, whilst also maintaining the guise of being a good host and providing security. The servant and guard can keep her appraised of his comings and goings whilst under that pretence. With me so far?”

“So far, yes. Go on.”

“Good. Now, Sombra knows this and I’ll bet Luna does too. But he knows there’s not much he can do. He’s on Celestia’s field, not his. He clearly doesn’t want to make a worse impression, given what he’s trying to make up for in the past, so he’ll play along and keep it to himself. He’ll tow the line, otherwise it’ll reflect poorly on him and possibly on Luna as well.”

“I understand so far.” Dusk stroked his chin as he processed this. “But what about Luna? This is her home, much as it is Celestia’s and she’s a princess too.”

“Her younger sister and the less publicly active princess, not to mention being gone for a thousand years,” corrected Cadence. “She’s definitely catching up, but there’s still areas she needs to work on and she’s not as socially active. Celestia doesn’t have that problem. Plus, despite what most may say, ponies still remember Nightmare Moon. A match like her and Sombra wouldn’t exactly be looked upon favourably, so she needs to tread very carefully or else it may give Celestia an excuse to take further measures against Sombra, again under the same pretence as before.”

Dusk scratched the back of his head. “So, in a nutshell, everypony knows what they’re doing in regards to certain thoughts and feelings, but nopony will act upon that because of the images they need to maintain.”

“I’d say you’ve got it.”

“Being a royal sounds exhausting,” murmured Dusk. “It’s times like this, I’m glad I’m not a princess. Or prince, I should say.”

Cadence tittered. “I don’t know, Dusk. I think you’d suit a dress.”

“You’re too kind,” he chuckled. “But you think there’s something there between them?”

“Oh I know there is. I could feel it, simmering away inside them,” said Cadence. “We just need to find a way to bring it to the surface.”

“Yes that would be… wait, we?” asked Dusk.

“Of course we! We both know there’s something there and that they’re going to need some help. She’s my aunt, you’re her student and we both know what Sombra has done to work back from his previous mistakes. Who better to lend them a hoof? Come on, Dusk! Fancy another team-up, this time on the battlefield of love?”

Dusk blinked. “That sounds like the chorus of a pop song.”

“And I’m proud of it! So what do you say, Dusk? Can I count on you?”

“Well…” Dusk considered for a moment. “Normally, I wouldn’t want to stick my nose in somepony else’s business, especially in regards to romantic affairs. But speaking as somepony who has been on the receiving end of a disapproving sibling, you certainly can.”

“I knew you would!” Cadence clapped her hooves together. “Right, now we need to find a way to have the two of them in the same place together. I can handle Luna, but do you think you could do something for Sombra?”

“I believe so.” Dusk gasped. “In fact, I may have just had an idea…”

“Thank you for agreeing to this, Sombra,” he said as the two of them made their way to the duelling arena.

The guard assigned by Celestia followed closely and the servant had left. Dusk imagined he’d probably be telling the princess about Sombra’s movement. Hopefully, that wouldn’t scupper his plan.

“It’s no trouble, young one,” the former king replied. “Though I was imprisoned within my own mind at the time, I recall you being a quick study with the blade in our last encounter. I owe you much as it is, it’s the least I can do to help instruct you.”

“I appreciate it and Sombra? For the record, you don’t owe me anything. As far as I’m concerned, you’re my friend. It’s just what we do for each other.”

“I see.” That small smile appeared again. “Very well then, my friend, I shall be happy to help improve your skill with a blade. Not to mention it will be good to help vent certain… frustrations.”

“To do with translating the tablet?” asked Dusk.

He snorted. “That is part of it. It has been some time since I studied the dialect in question. Translating it brings an additional challenge. But never fear, young Dusk. I vowed that I would do it and so I shall. I simply need time.”

“I don’t doubt that. Anything you’ve managed to decipher so far?”

“There is one rather curious element,” remarked Sombra. “I know of the Beast Wrath, the one contained within your friend Ray. Yet the tablet, on more than one occasion, has used a plural form when referring to the Beast.”

A pit of dread formed in Dusk’s stomach at this.

“You mean… there’s more than just Wrath?”

“I cannot be certain yet. It’s still in the early stages of translation and I need to verify I’m not simply misreading it. However…” He mirrored Dusk’s concern. “It’s rather a sobering thought, isn’t it?”

Dusk couldn’t bring himself to reply. He’d already seen the power of just one and it wasn’t even fully unleashed. If there were more and what Discord told him was true, about Fallen seeking out Wrath, did that mean he had designs on the others too? Did he intend to unleash them, find some way to harness or control them? If either one of those scenarios was true…

His worry must have been evident to Sombra, for he spoke again.

“I apologise for any undue concern I may have caused you, Dusk.” He placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Remember that I haven’t been able to verify fully yet if that is indeed what the tablet says. Let us wait until I have more definitive proof of these speculations before we let our minds run wild with the possibilities.”

“Yes… yes, you’re right.” He managed a smile. “Thank you, Sombra.”

“It’s no trouble. It is, as you say, simply what friends do.” He gave him a couple of reassuring pats. “Now come. Let us take our mind off these troubling things. Focus not on what we cannot control, but what we can do in the moment.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Dusk, leading him through the entrance way.

It was rather strange, walking into the duelling area. The last time he’d been here, he’d been getting the stuffing knocked out of him by Hard Edge. How much had changed since then…

Still, it was a good spot, used for training exercises by the royal guard. Dusk had checked their timetable and while the guard were scheduled for training, it wasn’t for a good few hours. It offered the perfect opportunity for what he and Cadence had in mind.

Sombra created two crystal swords and levitated one to him. These ones, Dusk noted, were smoothed and blunted around the blades.

“You are wise to be learning at least the basics. Fallen Soul is a very capable swordsman,” he said.

“So I’ve been told.” Dusk allowed himself a moment to test the sword’s weight. “Did you know him?”

“In passing. I trained with him during a visit to the Empire, when I was still king. I consider myself skilled and believed that a mere Pegasus could never match a unicorn’s natural abilities.” Sombra frowned. “Needless to say, I was humbled that day though my pride at the time refused to contemplate that.”

“He was that skilled?”

Sombra nodded with a grim expression. “Indeed. I am also given to understand that he was, in part, responsible for the manifestation of my darker self. Though I also attribute that to my own weakness as a stallion and a ruler, I am somewhat pleased to have a reason to ensure that a potential rematch will not end in his favour.”

“You may have to join the queue. I understand it’s quite a substantial one,” said Dusk.

“Quite so. Now, we have talked long enough and the day marches on. Are you ready to begin, my friend?”

“By your leave, Sombra.”

“Excellent. Now, first your stance. Keep your hooves shoulder width apart to give stability.” He watched as Dusk did as instructed. “Very good. Now, become accustomed to movement. Sword fighting is not unlike dancing, you never want to be stationary if you can help it. No, no, you’re too rigid. Loosen yourself a bit.”

They spent a few minutes making sure Dusk’s stance and way of standing were suitable, circling and moving around each other. Though it was essentially a ruse, Dusk still took the instruction to heart. Being able to properly use a weapon wouldn’t be a bad thing and like Sombra said, it would serve him well if he ever fought against Soul.

“Good, very good,” said Sombra. “Now, to begin, a basic deflection. Levitate the sword before you thusly. Yes, yes, like that. Now, when I thrust my blade, simply move it left or right to redirect it. Ready? Begin!”

The speed of Sombra’s strike meant Dusk missed and felt a blunt jab to his shoulder. Sombra said nothing but came with another thrust, this one Dusk deflected but not the follow-up.

Sombra kept up with his repeated sword thrusts, Dusk getting better at deflecting them each time. He became so settled into the routine that he almost didn’t block the overhead swing Sombra suddenly gave.

“Ah good!” He grinned fiercely. “Your reaction could be better, but you have good instinct, Dusk.”

“That was a dirty trick,” replied Dusk, scowling.

“What of it? Your opponent won’t always play by the rules.” He gave his sword a few wide swings. “Now then, let me remind myself what I’m working with. Have at you!”

The former king came at him in a flurry of swings and swipes. For as many as Dusk avoided or parried, just as many found their mark. He tried a couple of retaliation attacks but Sombra was barely fazed and kept him on the defence.

Just as Dusk was beginning to wonder where Cadence was, a voice called out across the arena.

“Have a care, Sombra! I only have the one student, I would appreciate if you didn’t break him!”

They looked to see Luna with Cadence offering Dusk an apologetic look. Sombra’s eyes widened in surprise but he settled into a teasing smirk.

“My apologies, highness,” he returned. “I didn’t realise you were in the habit of training porcelain dolls.”

“A shard of shattered porcelain can still cut deep, as I’m sure you recall.” She levitated Dusk’s sword from him. “Shall I give you a reminder?”

Sombra’s grin widened. “As you wish.”

Luna blushed a little and gave Dusk a wink. He stepped aside and walked with a slight hobble to Cadence, feeling the refreshing energies of her healing magic.

“You couldn’t have gotten here a bit sooner?” he murmured.

“Sorry, you know how hard it is to wake her up during the day,” she whispered. “But this already looks promising.”

Dusk looked to see the two circling each other.

“Now, Sombra,” said Luna as she swung her sword, “I trust a thousand years trapped has not dulled your skills too greatly.”

“I feel I must ask the same of you, Luna,” he returned. “I can go easy on you, just at the start.”

“Only if you wish to be knocked on your rump.” She took a stance. “En garde!”

Her strike was so quick, Dusk hardly saw it and amazingly, Sombra blocked it. He shoved back against her, following with a series of swipes which she deflected easily. Their crystal blades sang in a symphony of strikes as they ducked, thrusted, advanced forward and retreated, jumped and dipped.

Dusk could only stare in awe. Having been on the blade end of both combatants, he could tell they’d both been holding back. This was two masters at work and he could see what Sombra meant about sword fighting being a dance.

“This is remarkable,” he said to Cadence.

“I’ll say. I’m happy to see that my speciality can still offer surprises, even after all this time.”

“You practice with swords too?”

“Not at all.”

Dusk frowned at her. “I’m… not sure I understand.”

“Oh Dusk, don’t you see?” She gave him a knowing smile. “This isn’t fighting. This is flirting.”

“Ha!” Luna cried as she landed a hit. “You leave yourself open so easily?”

“You had plenty of other chances and failed to take them.” He nursed his chest, but kept his grin. “Getting slow, Luna?”

“Oh, you wish!”

Swipe, thrust, block, lunge, swipe again. They locked blades together, leaning toward one another through the crosses of their swords. Luna suddenly shifted the weight of her sword and caught Sombra’s blade on the cross guard, wrenching it from his aura and sending it flying.

Before Sombra could act, Luna had angled her own weapon right at his throat.

“Do you yield?” she said, panting.

“It seems… I must,” he replied, his exhaustion showing too. Yet he still smiled. “What does the victor claim as her prize?”

“Well…” She leaned a little closer. “I suppose, if you ask…”

Dusk and Cadence shared a grin. It looked like their plan had worked.

Until the thundering of hooves caused everypony to turn their attention to its source.

“Come on, you slugs! Move it, move it!” an earth pony mare bellowed. She was dressed in the uniform of the Captain. “I want you all running laps yesterday! Oh, your highness!” She sunk into a bow. “My apologies, I didn’t realise the arena was in use.”

“That is… quite alright, Captain. I am quite tired, I… I should rest.” She started to walk away, pausing to look back at Sombra. “A good duel, esteemed guest. Perhaps we may do so again soon?”

Despite his evident annoyance, Sombra still managed a smile.

“I would like that, highness.”

Dusk could sense they wanted to say more, but the moment was gone. With a mixture of both forlornness and hope, the two parted with Sombra’s guard following closely. Feeling their frustration, Dusk approached the captain.

“Captain, what is the meaning of this?” Dusk asked. “Your training isn’t scheduled for another two hours.”

“Yes sir, that was the original schedule.” She showed him her own. “Last minute change. Sorry, sir but orders are orders.”

“I see,” he said with a look at Cadence. “So you didn’t make this change yourself?”

She shook her head. “No sir. I was just as surprised as you are. But when you’re in the royal guard, you have to adapt to sudden changes, sir.”

“Who else has the authority to change the schedule like this?” Cadence asked.

“Only the highest authority, your highness,” she answered. “If you would excuse me, I need to supervise the recruits.”

She turned and started barking orders again, but the two had heard enough. They waited until they left the training ground and any listening ears before speaking.

“Is Celestia really so determined to interfere in this?” groaned Dusk.

“It would seem so. And it was all going so well!” Cadence took a few deep breaths, punctuating each breath out by pushing her forehoof outward. “That’s alright. We’re not out of this yet. We just need a new plan.”

“Pardon my asking the obvious Cadence, but why don’t we simply speak with Celestia?” asked Dusk. “Surely it’s worth at least addressing this behaviour.”

Cadence shook her head. “No, that’s not the way. If I know my aunt, the direct approach wouldn’t work. She could make up whatever excuse she likes for the schedule change and blow us off. If we accuse her of interfering in Luna’s love life, she’ll just deny it. If we’re going to beat her, it has to be at her own game.”

“If you say so…” Dusk pressed his hoof to his chin. “So, we need a way to get them together that can be dismissed as a plausible coincidence.”

“Hmm…” Cadence frowned thoughtfully then clapped her hooves. “Got it! We’ll have to wait until dark for this to work but here’s what we do…”

“This was a wonderful suggestion, my student,” said Luna as they trotted through the moonlit gardens. “Gaining an understanding of properly harnessing the power of the stars will be a great boon to your education.”

“I thought so too, Luna and in time for your first Star Celebration Dance too,” he said. “Are you looking forward to it?”

“Rather. While I understand that an event appreciating my night cannot be as practically popular as Sun Celebration, I appreciate my sister to allow me something similar.”

“There are plenty of ponies who have an appreciation for the night. Your ever faithful and loyal student, as one example,” he said.

“For which his grateful and thankful teacher much appreciates,” she replied. “It’s funny to mention it. Before you, the only pony who I felt really took joy in my night was…”

She paused in her stride, her gaze angling upward.

“Luna? Is something wrong?”

“No, simply remembering when I…” A nostalgic expression crossed her face. “When Sombra and I knew each other, we used to gaze at the... my apologies, Dusk. I don’t mean to be suddenly reminiscent of times past.”

“You never know, Luna. Time past could be times present, once again. Have faith,” he said.

“Yes, well…” She plastered on a smile. “Come, Dusk. Where was it you wanted to practice?”

“Just a little further, Luna,” he said, leading her on. They entered into the gardens, passing by a couple of the gardeners doing some late-night tending to the plants. Dusk nodded and they returned it. “I had a question for you as well, in regards to Fallen Soul.”

She nodded. “Good, the more you can know about our enemy, the better. What’s on your mind, my student?”

“I’m curious, he was born a Pegasus but he became an alicorn. You mentioned once that he became one through unnatural means, but how could he manage that?”

“Hmm.” Luna considered the question for a few moments. “At this point in time, I cannot be certain, I’m afraid. You see, my student, there are two known ways in which an alicorn can come to be. The first is being born one, as myself and my sister were.”

“I see. Were your parents alicorns too?”

“We… don’t know,” she admitted.

Dusk whirled around in surprise. “You didn’t have parents?”

“Yes and no,” she replied. “In essence, Starswirl the Bearded was the closest thing we had to a father. He took us as his own, not long after the Founding of Equestria that marks Hearth’s Warming. His apprentices, Clover and Foresight, also played their part in both raising us and educating us in magic. It was they and the other unicorn sages that taught us to raise the sun and moon.”

“I… I had no idea. Did you never ask about where you came from? How you came to be?”

She sighed. “We did. Neither Clover nor Foresight had any knowledge. Only Starswirl was privy to that and all he said was that we had been simply found. He rarely elaborated much beyond that and is no longer present to ask anymore.”

“Luna, I’m sorry. There’s nothing in the archives that he wrote down at any point?”

“None that we have been able to find. Though many of his last writings do examine how to potentially become an alicorn, it seems he knew as little as we did on the matter. If the writings themselves are any indication, it became something of a fixation during his final days.” She offered a smile. “But don’t trouble yourself, Dusk. My sister and I came to the resolution long ago that regardless of where we came from, it doesn’t change who we are.”

“No, it doesn’t,” he said and gave her a gentle hug. “If it matters at all, wherever you came from doesn’t change that you’re still my friend, Luna.”

“It gladdens my heart to hear it, Dusk.”

They broke apart and carried on. “But you said there’s another way to become an alicorn. From what I can recall, Cadence was also born a Pegasus.”

“You’re correct. From what my sister tells me, Cadence was found and taken in by a village of earth ponies originally. After she proved herself able to defeat one who was draining love with simply the power of her own heart, Celestia adopted Cadence as her, and by extension our, niece. After that, she became an alicorn as we are.”

“So…” Dusk thought for a moment. “I’m sorry, but how does that work? Her expression of powerful love warranted becoming the Princess of Love?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. Understand Dusk that there are some things about our nature as alicorns that, even to me and my sister, are not known. However, as best as we can determine from our own understanding and Starswirl’s writings, there are certain things which are considered the natural essences of life. The sun, the moon and love as examples. When these essences are made manifest in a pony, it is expressed by their transcendence into an alicorn. Again, this is our speculation but it seems to fit.”

Dusk frowned. “What about Discord? He’s the essence of chaos, but he’s not an alicorn.”

She waved a hoof. “He is also not a pony. Discord is what he is and what he is, is chaos. I doubt even he knows the nature of his being or if he even cares. Still, if nothing else his form certainly fits him, don’t you agree?”

“I suppose so,” he said. “But if love has such power and friendship is also a powerful magic in its own right, could that mean there might be a Princess of Friendship?”

“You could be right. It is a possibility my sister and I have considered, though we can’t say with any certainty right now.”

“But then also,” Dusk went on, “if chaos as an essence exists in the form of Discord, other negative elements could have that same power. Much as we don’t like dealing with them, things like anger and hatred are natural too, just as chaos is. Isn’t it possible that they could manifest in a pony, or any creature, in the same way as an alicorn? Fallen’s act of betrayal literally changed who he was as a pony, if the stories are to be believed. Based on what you’ve presented, do you think that perhaps that event caused him to ascend as an alicorn? One that embodies pain, betrayal and hatred?”

“It is… a possibility,” admitted Luna. “One that certainly has worrying implications, but once again, it fits the theory. If it is true, the kind of power that he might have access to…”

Dusk nodded quietly. “Luna? Do you think we can stop him?”

“We have faced threats such as his before, my friend.” She clapped a hoof on his back. “I am confident that we shall overcome this one as well.”

He couldn’t be certain if she truly believed that or was just telling him this to comfort him. Either way, it did reassure him somewhat. He considered asking about Wrath and the possibility of other Beasts, but recalled Celestia was keeping her in the dark on that front too. He also remembered what Sombra said did his best to put it out of his mind. At least for now.

For one thing, they’d arrived at the spot that had been picked out by Cadence. It was out in the gardens, with a clear view of the sky but still surrounded by a number of shrubs and flowers. Both he and Cadence had been as thorough as possible and concluded that nopony should be using this spot for anything. In addition, Celestia had long retired for the night so there was little chance of her interfering again.

“This looks like a good spot,” said Dusk. “Whenever you’re ready, Luna.”

“Very well. To begin with, we shall…” She trailed off and frowned. “Do you hear somepony?”

Dusk’s ears perked up at the sound of two familiar voices, approaching down an archway decorated with blooming ivy.

“… should be relatively simple for you to enhance your own magic with those unique to the Empire, Cadence. There are a number of books from the Vault which you may find helpful on the matter.”

“That sounds brilliant! Thank you, Sombra. It’s honestly impressive how you’re able to generate formations like you do.”

“You’re too kind, Cadence. You’ll find they have a variety of uses as well. Magic siphons and transmitters, sharpened attack points and decorative attributes if you’re inclined. I recall my grandfather, he was able to produce coloured clusters the likes of which you can only…”

His words petered out when he realised they weren’t alone. His and Luna’s surprise was very evident.

“Oh Luna, Dusk! What a surprise. I hope we’re not interrupting. I decided to steal Sombra away for a little stroll. After all, it is such a lovely night. Don’t you agree, Sombra?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said quietly, never taking his eyes off Luna. “Though it is even lovelier now.”

“Hmph.” Luna’s cheeks turned red, but she didn’t look away. “You think the night can be charmed with such simple honeyed words.”

“I’m not certain. Can it?”

They seemed to have already forgotten that Dusk and Cadence were there. Even so, they needed to follow the plan as they’d discussed.

“Actually, Dusk, I’m glad I caught you. I wanted to speak with you about incorporating your colour magic into the opening ceremony for the Equestria Games. Would you mind if I borrow him for a while, auntie?” she asked.

“Hmm? Oh yes, of course.” Luna blushed again and tried to look professional. “We shall uh, continue your lesson another time, Dusk. I will be in touch.”

“That’s fine, Luna. Good evening to you, Sombra.”

Sombra only muttered absently in acknowledgement. The two of them put on the charade of their conversation until they were away and out of sight, then quickly moved behind a nearby bush.

“Where’s the guard?” asked Dusk.

She giggled. “Funny you should mention. I just saw him with his husband, who decided to pay him a surprise visit. Completely unprompted, of course.”

“Of course. And the servant?”

“He’s still rather new, so I set him to go and fetch some elbow grease, along with a glass hammer. He should be occupied with that for good while and even then, he didn’t happen to hear where Sombra was going.”

“Cadence, has anypony ever told you that you’re rather a devious sort?”

“Dusk, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” She beckoned him closer. “Now, if I give your magic a boost, will you be able to conceal us in shadow?” she asked.

“I should be able to manage, but…” He rubbed the back of his head. “Shouldn’t we leave them alone?”

“Come on, Dusk!” She nudged him playfully. “Don’t tell me you’re not a little bit curious to see how this unfolds? At least until the moment they confess, then we’ll make ourselves scarce. Promise.”

Dusk would be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted and, just this once, he decided to indulge. Feeling a surge from Cadence’s love spell, not to mention his heart beating faster at the thought of Twilight, he concealed them both and they crept back to the spot where they’d left the estranged lovers. Their conversation became easier to make out as they did.

“… get the feeling this wasn’t mere coincidence the two of us happen to be here?” Luna was asking.

“I have begun to suspect as much,” replied Sombra. “Though their efforts are not unwelcome. Your niece has a good heart, Luna and your student is a most admirable young stallion.”

“Well, I do try to keep him so.” Her expression softened. “I’ve missed you so much, my crystal king.”

He took a few steps closer. “As I have you, my stars and moon. Though I’m not certain I am fit for the title you give me.”

“No matter what, you will always be my king.”

“Even after I did not return to you at the moment of my liberation?” He looked at the ground. “Please understand, I wanted nothing more than to come back to you. But until I felt I was worthy, I couldn’t-“

“Sombra. You don’t need to explain yourself. I understand, better than most.”

“Yes. I learned what became of you, after my banishment. What your sister did to you.”

“It was… unpleasant. But necessary. I was a danger to Equestria and my sister did not act lightly. Much like I felt when we did the same for you.” It was her turn to look away. “Can… can you forgive me for that?”

He smiled. “I already have. As you say, it was necessary and that time has passed. We are back where we belong.”

“Indeed.” She moved a little closer too. “It’s funny. I was just speaking with Dusk about how we used to marvel at the heavens together. Do you recall?”

“How could I forget?” He looked up at the stars. “Those were some of the best nights of my life.”

“Implying that there are some less than best?” she asked with a smirk.

“For you? Never,” he replied with one of his own. “I notice some new ones up there.”

“Well, a thousand years is a long time. They were in need of an update.” She moved next to him, pointing up. “See how the Constellation of Harmony has changed to reflect how the Elements are now?”

He let her lean in close. “Oh yes, indeed. A fine group of young mares, one and all. That infant dragon too, there is a great fire in him. On that note, I see Dragon Lord Rumble has remained unchanged, though I notice he has moved.”

“I had to make room for the Marks of the Brave. Those who perished in the recent Changeling Skirmish.” She sighed. “A tragic day indeed. Equestria has not seen such conflict for a millennia.”

“War is never a pleasant thing. Something I wish I had realised much sooner…”

“Hush. Let us not dwell on the past. I can show you another set of stars that hasn’t changed.” She pointed so her foreleg was over his chest. “Do you see there?”

“Ah, the Lovers. Still as radiant as before.” He let her hoof rest on his as it lowered, turning to look at her fully. “As radiant as you.”

“Hmm…” She leaned in a little closer, leaving mere inches between them. “What I said earlier, about honeyed words…”

“Yes?”

“I do believe they’ve worked.”

Their voices were little more than whispers, inching ever closer…

“How can we be certain?”

“I’ll show you.”

They closed their eyes, their lips closing what little distance was left. Dusk could hear Cadence faintly squealing behind her hooves and even he was grinning with anticipation and happiness for the pair.

Then a chorus of laughter made them jump apart. It took all Dusk and Cadence had not to shout in frustration. The source of the noise came from a group of well-dressed Canterlot ponies moving into the garden, with Fancypants at their head.

“Oh yes indeed, so then I said… why Princess Luna! What a charming surprise! And who is this fellow with you?”

“That is not…!” Luna reined in her anger and managed a neutral expression. “He is… a guest with my sister and I. I was not aware there was a social function taking place in the gardens tonight.”

“Well there wasn’t, originally. We were in one of the ballrooms, just for a little meet-and-greet, you know. Then we received word that the gardens were free and we thought, with the Star Celebration coming up soon, why not take in the night air?” He inclined his head. “My apologies if any disturbance was caused, highness. You are welcome to join us, of course. Perhaps you can introduce us to your guest?”

Luna and Sombra exchanged a look. As well as the elite ponies, Sombra’s guard and servant were back on the scene too, the latter looking quite worn out and the former with a spring in his step. An unspoken understanding seemed to pass between them, one which left Sombra looking sullen and Luna very annoyed, though she hid it well.

“That will not be necessary.” She spread her wings to fly off. “I have my duties to attend to.”

“As do I,” muttered Sombra. He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “Goodnight, your highness.”

Luna’s façade cracked for just a moment. Returning a quiet ‘goodnight’ to Sombra, she spread her wings and took off whilst he stalked off with his escorts following behind.

“Well, that was rather curious.” Fancypants jumped when the shadows lifted and the two ponies they hid fell to the ground. “Ah, Princess Cadence! And I say, you’re Luna’s student, aren’t you? Please, do feel free to…” His invitation went unfinished as the pair stomped off. “Well, they looked rather put out, didn’t they?”

“Ugh!” Cadence flopped face down into her pillow and screamed into it. “Can you believe this?!”

“I don’t really want to.” Dusk glowered out the window from a table in her suite. “One of the other servants must have gotten word to her. Maybe the gardeners or something.”

“Probably.” She performed her calming gesture about five times before she spoke again. “Well, regardless, it’s happened now. We just need to work out where we go from here.”

Dusk sighed. “I’m not sure what we can do. It seems like Celestia is able to counter everything we try, without even being in the room. It’s like she’s constantly two steps ahead.”

“There has to be something. Something that we haven’t tried yet…” Cadence tapped her hoof on the table.

“What if we tried the dream realm? Celestia has no power there, there’d be nothing in their way then.”

Cadence considered this. “True, but I don’t want them to feel like they have to hide away in their dreams. That’s not what love is about. It can’t just be locked away in your head. It has to be shared, fully and completely, with the pony you love. Would you feel satisfied if you and Twilight could only see each other in your dreams?”

“I suppose not,” he conceded. “I still think we should actually say something to Celestia about this whole thing.”

“I’ve already said, Dusk, that won’t work.”

“How can you be so certain of that?”

“Because I know my aunt and I’m a princess. I know how this game is played and I won’t let her think otherwise, not in my area.” She pressed her hooves together, leaning on the table. “They may have a thousand years on me, but I’m just as capable a ruler as them.”

Dusk raised an eyebrow. “Forgive me for saying so, Cadence, but you’re making it sound like this is a competition to be won.”

“Of course it isn’t!” she said quickly. “But you understand why a direct confrontation won’t work, don’t you?”

“I do, to an extent. I’m just not certain I agree with it. All of this scheming and tiptoeing around hidden meanings and unspoken expectations. It just doesn’t…” He paused to find the right words. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“Sometimes, Dusk, leaders have to be like that. You can’t always charge head-on with spells and magic. You have to understand why ponies, and other beings, think and act in the way they do. We just have to apply ourselves to the issue at hoof.” She smiled across at him. “I promise it’ll be worth it in the end. Once we get them through the door, they’ll be able to step inside.”

“I hope so,” he murmured. “Alright then. So far, we’ve been operating within the way Celestia might anticipate and respond. But what if we put that power in Luna’s hooves instead? What if we gave her control of the board, so to speak?”

“But what could we…?”

She trailed off as the two suddenly locked eyes. At the same time, they spoke the same idea.

“The Star Celebration Ball!”

“Of course!” Cadence cried. “That’s Luna’s event! She’s the primary host, not Celestia!”

“And you’re there as a guest, having already vouched for Sombra and I’ll be present as her student, not to mention an Element of Harmony. If Sombra comes along and we vouch for him, not only in front of Celestia but also the elite…”

“It’ll be a more positive reflection on both him and her, which won’t leave Celestia with much wiggle room to object to their relationship!” Cadence squealed with delight. “See? What did I tell you? I knew we’d come up with something!”

Dusk laughed. “As a fellow warrior on the battlefield of love, I should have known better. So, I’ll focus on Luna, you stay with Sombra. We’ll make sure we’re both near with them at the Ball. Even if Celestia does try something, it’s four of us against her. I think we can manage.”

“I agree. Speaking of which, we’d better make sure we’ve got the proper attire for it. I’ll find you again once we’ve spoken to them, then we’ll go over a rough plan.”

“Only a rough one?”

“In situations like this, a detailed plan is more likely to fail. Best to play it by ear a little.” She smirked. “If you think you can handle a little unpredictability, Mr. Noir.”

“My dear Princess Mi Amore, if I couldn’t handle unpredictability, I wouldn’t be best friends with Pinkamena Dianne Pie. Not to mention your former foalsitting charge has her fair share of curveballs she’s thrown my way.” He got up to leave, tipping his hat to her. “See you later?”

“You know it. We can do this, Dusk.”

“Dusk, are you sure we can do this?” asked Luna quietly.

She stood next to him in the entrance hall of the ballroom, the night after he and Cadence had agreed to their plan. Her flowing mane had been tied back again in a short ponytail, with the fringe curled over her right side. She was dressed in a radiant purple gown, decorated with stars and the full moon clasp at the front. Though she put on a smile whilst greeting her guests, she was evidently nervous.

“I’m sure, Luna,” he replied, bowing his head to another elite.

His own suit was a pale blue, with the lapel and tie coloured silver with a sparkling finish. He had neglected to wear his usual hat and though it felt strange to be without it, it also felt a little liberating. His mane and tail were combed over neatly and he wore a small badge, depicting his Unity cutie mark, on his left side.

“Do not misunderstand,” she said quickly. “I am not ignorant to you and my niece’s efforts. Nor is Sombra. But a part of me cannot help but wonder if, with all the trouble this has caused already, if it is… well…”

“If it’s worth it?” Dusk smiled at her. “In my eyes, Luna, the fact so much trouble has gone into it makes it worth even more. Nothing important was ever achieved without struggle.”

“That much is true.” She shut her eyes for a moment, a more resolute expression on her face. “Yes, of course you’re right. This is my night and I shall see fit to remind my sister that we rule this land as equals.”

“Well said, just as long as you don’t transform into a corrupted pony of darkness again,” said Dusk.

“I shall not. At least before the desserts are served,” she said in a stage whisper. “There is a rather splendid cake I’m most looking forward to.”

“I’ll be keeping an eye open. Just save me a slice,” returned Dusk.

“Of course. Dusk, answer me this truly…” She paused to greet another guest. “Sombra and I… do you believe we are a good match?”

“From what I’ve seen, I have no doubt that you are.”

“Thank you. It gladdens me that you… wait… ‘from what you’ve seen’?” she repeated. “Dusk, have you been spying on us?”

“… I’m afraid I can’t answer any questions without my lawyer.”

The two of them shared a laugh and Luna looked visibly more relaxed. But her posture tensed when Celestia entered the hall. She had chosen a silver gown with hints of blue around the edges and on her sash, on which she wore her sun broach. Given that Dusk was used to seeing her in daytime colours, it quite suited her.

“Good evening, my sister and to you as well, Dusk,” she said politely. “I trust the evening is going well so far?”

Luna smiled back at her. “Indeed, sister. Everything running smoothly and according to plan.”

“That’s wonderful. I trust there won’t be anything unexpected occurring at any point?”

“Well, nothing that I did not expect.”

Though they kept their smiles, Dusk could sense the underlying meaning behind both them and their words. Just as he was tempted to see about making a bit of space, he spotted Cadence arriving with Sombra and braced himself for what was to come.

Taking on her dual role as Princess of Love and the Empire, Cadence’s dress was an eye-catching mix of violet and pink. Blue crystals decorated the hem of the skirt, not unlike shimmering stars and her mane and style had been styled curled buns, with love hearts fastening them into place.

Sombra, meanwhile, was almost unrecognisable. He’d abandoned his usual grey and red colours for a deep blue suit, with a frilled collar and twin-tail coat. His mane had been combed back into a stylish coif, as had his tail. Even Dusk had to admit that he looked very dashing and he caught the eyes of a few stallions and mares on his way in.

His eyes found Celestia and she saw him. Even from where he stood, Dusk could feel the intensity of Sombra’s glare and he saw how Celestia’s mouth tightened into a thin line, her nostrils flaring slightly. But they kept their expressions neutral, as Luna was watching them closely too. But a smile broke out on her face when Sombra approached.

“A most warm welcome to you, Sombra of the Crystal Empire. I hope you enjoy the evening we have prepared.”

He bowed his head to her. “I’m already beginning to.”

“I echo my sister’s sentiment,” said Celestia. “It would certainly be a shame if anything untoward were to happen.”

“On this, we are agreed,” Sombra rumbled. “I will see you both as the evening goes on. I would stay, but it would be improper to leave your niece without an escort.”

“Isn’t he such a gentlecolt?” remarked Cadence. “You look very handsome, Dusk. It’s a shame Twilight isn’t here.”

“The same in regards to Shining missing out on such a beautiful sight, Cadence,” he returned. “Actually, Twilight and the others will be along later. She had Spike send a message earlier, she just got back from the Empire.”

“Oh that’s wonderful!” said Celestia. “They’ll definitely help to liven things up, they always do.”

Cadence offered a smile. “Don’t you worry, auntie. I’m sure all of us can bring enough excitement to get ponies talking.”

Celestia smiled in return. “Yes, I’m sure there’ll be no shortage of ponies talking on that front.”

“Let them speak, such is the way of most things,” remarked Luna. “Now, I will join you inside momentarily before I leave the responsibilities of welcome to the Royal Greeter. Dusk, I relieve you of your obligation. You may go inside and enjoy yourself, I will join you in a moment.”

“You are too kind, Luna,” he said with a bow.

“I hope you don’t mind the burden of escorting me, Dusk,” said Celestia, falling into step next to him. “This is an evening I certainly don’t want to miss.”

Luna’s eyes flashed, but she kept whatever she had to say to herself.

Dusk bowed his head to the Sun princess. “Of course, Celestia. I’m sure you wouldn’t.”

He took a moment to mask his irritation as they followed Cadence and Sombra into the main hall. All of this double speak was already beginning to play on his nerves. But he could manage it. For his teacher and newly found friend, he had to. He saw Luna and Sombra exchanging glances before he went inside and was renewed in his purpose at how much they had to fight their grins just from seeing the other.

The ballroom had been decorated with the kind of extravagance Dusk had come to expect from Canterlot social events. It wasn’t too dissimilar from the Gala, with the major difference being the addition of a beautiful, silk canvas that stretched across the ceiling which had been decorated to resemble the night sky. Jewels were suspended from the ceiling as well, hung on thin wires so they looked like they were floating. The band played their soothing music and Dusk caught Octavia’s eye when he saw her, giving each other a friendly nod.

At a glance, Dusk could see they were already beginning to attract attention. Groups of ponies were trying, subtly or otherwise, to get the attention of the princesses and their entourage as they crossed the hall. The only successful one so far was Fancypants who Celestia steered them towards as he stood with his own social group.

“A jolly good evening to you all!” he greeted. “I must say, Princess Celestia, this little soiree is absolutely splendid so far. Your sister has outdone herself.”

She inclined her head. “You’re very kind to say so, Fancypants. It warms my heart to see so many here, in appreciation for her night.”

“I thought much the same. Ah yes, I recall you from the night before. Terribly sorry again for that whole mix-up, old chap,” he added to Sombra. “Forgive me, but I didn’t catch your name.”

“I did not offer it, but I do now.” He swept into a bow. “I am Sombra, formerly king of the Crystal Empire, now merely its humble servant.”

This immediately caused murmurs to generate within Fancypant’s group, along with a raised eyebrow from the stallion himself.

“I say, wasn’t he responsible for some nasty business to do with that place?” remarked one mare in a green dress.

“I do seem to recall something of the sort, yes,” replied her friend in orange.

“Yes, rather,” murmured Fancypants. “Forgive me, old sport, but wasn’t it you who… oh, what’s the best way to put it… left the place in a bit of a state?”

Sombra’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. But Cadence patted his foreleg and stepped up.

“It’s true that Sombra was responsible for the Empire’s misfortunes. However, he has done a great deal already to make reparations for them and as its current ruler, I vouch for him wholeheartedly.”

“Really?” Fancypants considered this and nodded. “Well that’s spiffing to hear. I’m sorry if I’ve caused any undue offence, Sombra. Everypony makes mistakes but I suppose that’s why pencils have erasers.”

“Oh yes, I quite agree,” piped up the green dress mare from before.

“A second chance is a precious thing,” agreed her orange dress friend.

“But of course,” said Celestia. “Though their concerns are certainly valid, it’s good to see you do well to reassure them, my young niece. Despite your relative inexperience, I’m pleased to see the Empire flourishing under your rule.”

The mention of Cadence’s youth got them murmuring again. Dusk was beginning to remember how much he disliked dealing with these ponies.

“Yes, I remember how rare it was to see you in Canterlot, princess,” said the green dress mare. “I mean no offence, but I was quite surprised when I learned you’d been given rulership of the place.”

“Yes, most surprised indeed,” nodded her orange dress friend. She leaned in to whisper. “You’re certain he can be trusted, can you?”

“I’m confident that-“

“Madam, if you have any concerns of my intentions, you may address them to me.” An edge was in Sombra’s voice as he glowered at her. “I assure you, I am not deaf.”

“O-Oh! My apologies, Sir Sombra!” She plastered on a shaky grin. “I-I meant no disrespect, truly! O-Only that uh…!”

“You don’t need to worry yourself, miss,” said Celestia. “I’m sure you meant nothing by it, just as Sombra didn’t mean to cause you any undue distress.”

“Cause her…?!” Sombra gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “No. No, of course not. As her esteemed highness says, your concerns are… valid. I… apologise.”

“Q-Quite alright,” she stammered.

Though Celestia hid it well, even Dusk could feel a sense of satisfaction from her little smile. He caught Cadence’s eye and the two of them

“Perhaps some refreshment is due,” said Dusk quickly. “I’m rather keen to sample those canapes. If you’d excuse us, Fancypants.”

“But of course. Good to see you as well, Dusk,” he said. “Does this mean that Rarity will be gracing us with her presence tonight as well?”

“I’ll point her in your direction the moment she arrives.” He bade the stallion good evening and re-joined his party, making their way to the food and drink.

“I must commend you, Sombra,” said Celestia. “You’ve certainly made a distinct impression.”

“So it would seem,” he replied. “Though I must thank you for your assistance in that regard, highness.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for. As far as I’m concerned, you managed it perfectly well of your own accord.”

“Credit where it is due, highness. After all, you introduced me.”

“And it was an introduction I’m sure they won’t soon banish from their minds.”

“So Sombra!” said Dusk suddenly. “Isn’t this just lovely? I think it’s wonderful that Luna has a commemoration for the stars, as there is for the sun.”

“I quite agree,” he said. “In my view, such an event has been a long time coming. The night deserves as much appreciation as the day. A pity that it couldn’t come sooner.”

Celestia bristled ever so slightly. “Yes, there’s no denying that. But it’s here now. The best we can do is try to move on from past mistakes.”

“It’s funny, I was just thinking the same thing,” remarked Cadence. “After all, it isn’t especially fair to hold somepony’s past mistakes against them.”

“Of course. However, one should be careful with the use of the word ‘mistake’.” She looked sidelong at Sombra. “It implies there’s nopony to blame.”

“Not necessarily,” said Cadence. “However, if the mistake is acknowledged and they’re willing to make up for it, that goes a long way towards moving forward from it.”

“Indeed.” That sidelong glance turned to Cadence now. “Unless of course the trust being put into that pony was somehow misplaced. If anything, that would be much worse.”

Cadence returned her aunt’s gaze, her cheeks flushed. “Some confidence has to be shown however. Otherwise the pony accepting the apology may be seen as supposedly insincere as the one giving it.”

“Alright, appetisers!” said Dusk, levitating a few things at random and passing them off. “I’m sure we’ll all be having a better time once we’ve had some food in us.”

Everypony went momentarily quiet as they chewed their food and sipped their drinks, though Dusk could see the daggers being glared between them. He managed to catch Cadence’s eye and she offered a smile that didn’t make Dusk feel reassured.

He knew she said to play it by ear, but he couldn’t even tell what the end goal was now. Have Celestia accept Sombra? They didn’t seem any closer to achieving that and all they were doing was exchanging veiled insults and comebacks with one another. It would only be pushed so far before the veil was torn away and much more open, cutting remarks were made.

He felt a measure of relief when he saw Luna approaching them. Maybe now she was present, they could get things on track.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I believe the majority of the guests have arrived now. No sign yet of our Ponyville friends, but I’m certain they’re on the way.” She seemed to sense the lingering hostility. “Did I miss something?”

“Not at all, sister,” said Celestia. “Just making sure our niece, your student and our esteemed guest were suitably looked after.”

“Much appreciated, Tia.”

“Of course. You know me, always looking out for my little sister.”

“Just so long as you remember this is my event, my older sister. After all, we wouldn’t want anypony getting mixed up.”

Dusk had to keep in a groan. Maybe he’d gotten his hopes up too soon.

“Oh I’ve just realised, it’s time for my speech!” cried Luna. “Sombra, will you accompany me?”

He blinked in surprise. “Me?”

“Unless there is anypony else here called Sombra,” she tittered.

“Well…” It only took a moment for his surprise to fade. “It will be my honour, your highness.”

“Luna,” said Celestia in a low voice, “I urge you to think carefully about what you might do.”

“Believe me, Celestia,” she responded with a smirk, “I most certainly have.”

Staying together just close enough to be considered appropriate, the pair crossed towards the stage where the band played. For the first time, Celestia didn’t look so self-assured. She seemed torn between letting Luna have her moment or stepping in to do something. Dusk looked at Cadence, who appeared very pleased with herself. Celestia was so caught up she didn’t even notice, so he took the chance to sidle closer. She pulled him away from her aunt to a quieter corner.

“I may have mentioned to Luna that if she wants to be together with Sombra, that a bold and public display would be the best course of action,” she whispered.

Dusk’s eyes widened. “But what about what you said, about them needing to tread carefully around the subject with Celestia?”

“Not at her event, her night! Like we said, all the power is in her hooves tonight. The way I see it, one of two things will happen: Celestia will let Luna go ahead, allowing her to declare her love for Sombra or she’ll try to interfere with the speech, practically upstaging her sister and giving her the chance to properly fight for her love. Either, we’ve won!”

“Won? But you said this wasn’t about-“

“Honoured guests!” Luna boomed in the Royal Voice. “We bid you welcome to this auspicious event! We are most pleased and humbled by your presence here tonight! For so many years, we believed ponies held no love for the night and its splendour! I am pleased to say that those falsehoods have been dispelled completely!”

Everypony stomped their hooves in applause, all except for Dusk. Looking around, he realised he couldn’t see Celestia. How does somepony lose track of a mare that tall?

“But that is not all I have waited a long time to revel in!” She beckoned Sombra to stand next to her. “Most of you will have noticed the stallion who stands with me here! Some of you may even recognise him or his name! I wish to dispel the connotations you may have with it!”

He saw her, emerging from a side door. A pair of chefs followed after her, carrying a large cake between them. What was she up to? Dusk kept his attention alternating between her and the cake carriers, ready for the slightest sign of trouble. Cadence didn’t seem to have seen what he had, her hooves tapping with anticipation at Luna’s speech.

“You all knew me, in stories told to you as foals and during a certain festival, as the being Nightmare Moon! A malevolent, spiteful creature obsessed enshrining all of Equestria in eternal night! I will not begin to excuse my poor decisions which led to that transition! It was wrong and I have paid my penance! You all accepted me, though you were still fearful of me and in time, I believe we have grown to love and appreciate one another in the wake of it!”

The cake was going by the stage, closest to where Sombra was standing. Dusk looked at Celestia. For the briefest moment, he saw her horn glow. The glow faded from a ribbon at the base of the stage which had become undone and now lay in the path of one of the carriers. His hoof was already tangled in it.

“I ask that you once again call upon that forgiveness, for it gives me great joy to announce that… my student, what in Equestria are you doing?!”

His own horn glowing, Dusk bounded on pink hooves onto a white colour cloud. Those closest exclaimed as he leapt over their heads. The carrier had lost his balance. His fellow tried to compensate, but the cake was already starting to teeter. Neither Luna or Sombra had noticed, their attention focused on him.

They failed to save it. The cake was starting to fall. Sombra was right in its path. He noticed its shadow, turning to see. Before he could react, Dusk reached him and pushed him out of the way. He started to prepare a shield spell when-

SPLAT!

The next thing he knew, he was blinking through eyes covered in ice cream and frosting. He tried to get up, but slipped on the fallen remains. Even as he tried to wipe himself down with his hooves, he knew it was a lost cause.

“Dusk!” It was Celestia who had reached him. “Are you alright? Not to worry, I’m sure we can…“

He locked eyes with her. In one look, he told her all he needed to: he knew. She understood. He cast his eyes around. The audience was staring in shock and morbid curiosity. Sombra looked perplexed whilst Luna was starting to fuss over him. Cadence was flying over, her expression one of mortified embarrassment for him.

“Now, Dusk,” Celestia began again, “before we do anything hasty, I believe we should take a moment and-“

“Celestia,” he said in a voice only she would hear. “A word, if you please.”

Under normal circumstances, he never would have taken this tone with her. But he had hit his limit. He walked to the same side entrance she’d entered, not bothering to check if she was following. He kept walking until he found an unoccupied room and saw that Luna, Sombra and Cadence had also followed. He silently ushered them inside and shut the door. He summoned shadows on their side to muffle the sounds and turned to face them.

“It really is remarkable,” he said. He tried to keep his voice even, but found it rising as he went on. “The most powerful and respected beings in the land, two of whom are in triple digits age-wise. Yet here we are because none of you have risen above the kind of behaviour that would be more befitting of schoolyard foals and fillies than rulers of Equestria!”

“Dusk, please just-“

“No, Cadence! No more of this.” He stalked to face the wall and took a few breaths. It did nothing to calm him down. “I understand the whole concept of maintaining an image and behaving a certain way, the pressures of ruling and perceptions of those around you. But I am sick and tired of this… this game you all seem to be determined to play, even to the detriment of your relationships with each other! The scheming, the double meanings, going behind each other’s backs and all the while letting resentment and frustration fester! This isn’t how adult ponies behave! This isn’t how friends behave!”

He looked to see them all shamefaced. It offered some satisfaction, but he needed to bring it home.

“Celestia, it’s evident that you don’t approve of Sombra. But what good does it do anypony if you keep placing every roadblock imaginable when he’s trying to redeem himself? You didn’t treat Luna this way or Discord or me. I would have thought you’d have learned this, after what you almost did to Ray. But I’m disappointed in you, truly.”

Celestia didn’t try to excuse or defend her behaviour, though her expression betrayed ongoing conflict. He turned to the former king.

“Sombra, you evidently still hold a grudge against Celestia over what happened in the past and over what she’s been doing the past couple of days. You have every right to be angry. But anger alone won’t solve the problem. If you can’t learn to be friends, at least try to put aside your differences for the good of those around you. You can start right now, but after I’ve said my piece.”

Sombra looked somewhat bemused, yet humbled by this. He nodded as Dusk turned to the Empire’s current ruler.

“Cadence, perhaps we started this with good intentions. Maybe I should have been clearer in my objections. But it’s clear to me you’ve been caught up in the same game and you lost sight of why we’re doing this. You never even gave your aunt enough credit to just talk about it. This should never have been about winning or losing. That’s not what love is. You should know that.”

Cadence started to speak, but the words died before they left her mouth. She hung her head as Dusk looked to his teacher.

“Luna, I honestly don’t have much to say to you. You’ve exhibited the same pettiness they all have, but I don’t fault you as much. Cadence was right about one thing: you love Sombra and he loves you. That shouldn’t be something you have to hide, regardless of what anypony else may think. I meant what I said about you being a good match and I want everypony else to see that too. I’m just sorry it’s taken us this long to actually address it.

Luna managed a smile. “I thank you, my friend.”

“Of course. There, now that’s all out in the open and none of us are leaving this room until we reach a resolution.” He planted himself firmly on his flanks. “Talk it through, get over it and move on. Whenever you’re ready.”

He waited. For a long moment, nopony spoke. Then Celestia broke the silence.

“I… I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Lu-Lu, I… I don’t want to excuse my actions. But please understand, I was… I was afraid.”

“Of what, Tia?”

“Of what came before.” She lapsed into a brief silence then continued. “I was the one who encouraged you to get closer to Sombra, to strengthen diplomatic ties. When I saw him take to your magic, I feared… what he might become. I thought I could stop it, before it was too late. Then, we banished him and we lost the Empire. Not long after, I lost you as well. Seeing him back here, it… it was a reminder of all the ways I had failed you. Looking back, I suppose I… projected those feelings onto Sombra, unfairly. I am… I am truly sorry, to both of you…”

“Sister…” Luna crossed to Celestia and wrapped her in a wing hug. “Those things are not your fault, not completely. Many factors brought about what happened then, not the least of which were the envy in my own heart and how it was pushed. We shouldn’t let these things divide us as they did before, Celestia. Even if it was through my own faults, I lost my sister that day too. I have no desire to repeat it again.”

“Nor would I be the one who drives that wedge between you,” murmured Sombra. “Your fears were not entirely unfounded, Celestia. Even now, the reminder of my past raises my ire. I was a poor king and an unfit ruler. I do not deny this. But I also do not deny that your sister became one of the true bright parts of my life. For her, I would do anything to ensure that past is never repeated. As long as she will have me.”

“She would,” said Luna. She wrapped a wing around him too and held him close. “Dear niece?”

“I’m s-sorry,” she whispered. “I… I look up to you two, so much. I-I know I don’t have the age o-or experience you do. When I saw what was happening, I wanted so badly to p-prove I could be just as good as you are, to prove myself as the P-Princess of Love. But… Dusk is right. I g-guess I let envy into my heart as well. I only wanted… only wanted to help you two be together. I-If I couldn’t do that then… what kind of princess does that make me?”

“A fine one, Cadence,” said Celestia. “I meant what I said about how well you’re ruling the Empire. Can you forgive me, for being such a bad aunt?”

Cadence wiped away her tears and hugged her. “A-As long as you can forgive me for being such a petty niece.”

“I already have.” They broke apart and she turned to Sombra. “Do you love my sister?”

“With all that I am.”

“You would put all you were before behind you for her?”

“For her. For my new friends,” he said, looking at Dusk and Cadence. “For Equestria, your highness.”

“Then I can learn to accept it and if you do decide to make your relationship public, know that you have my full support.” She offered him her hoof. “Perhaps… we can start again?”

“I…” He looked down at it, then at her. “I would like that.”

He reached with his own and shook it. The smile that passed between them was genuine now and Dusk felt his own grow. He was surprised when Cadence hugged him too.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this, Dusk. You deserve better than that.”

“It’s alright, Cadence. Though I should point out that you now also have cake on you.”

“I think that’s part of the price I have to pay,” she giggled. She licked some off her hoof. “Mm, vanilla and strawberry. Good choice. Shame it’s ruined.”

“We can always bake another cake,” said Celestia. She cast a spell that immediately cleaned them up. “Now, Dusk, I take it that will suffice for ‘getting over it’?”

“I believe so, yes.” A pit of dread formed in his stomach as the weight of what he’d done suddenly hit him. “Um… no disrespect meant to your highnesses. I think I got myself caught up in things.”

“As did we all, my student. I believe we all needed to hear what you had to say. Now then,” declared Luna, “we had best not leave our guests wondering where we have gone.”

Dusk lifted the shadows and stepped back out. The excited murmurings rose in the hall again as they all returned. The castle servants had already cleaned away the worst of the cake spillage and the royals took their place on-stage again. Dusk briefly joined ahead of them to speak to the crowd.

“My apologies, everypony. I was a little eager to sample the cake and paid the price for it.” They laughed appreciatively at this. “I return you back to Princess Luna to tell you all-“

“Excuse me, Dusk?” Celestia stepped up. “I don’t wish to steal my sister’s thunder, but may I speak for a moment?”

Luna gestured for her to go ahead and Dusk stepped aside.

“Thank you. Honoured guests!” she began. “I’m sorry for the sight you all had to witness. Even after a thousand years, a pony always has something new to learn. About being able to trust their friends, their family, to make the correct choices, even though we may not entirely agree with them or see it in the moment. For that is the beauty of both freedom and friendship. That is why I’m pleased to allow my sister to make a very special announcement, one that may surprise you.”

The Princess of the Night beamed. She looked excitedly at Sombra who suddenly looked rather sheepish, though he didn’t resist when she pulled him to the forefront.

“My subjects! My friends! It is my great joy to announce to you all that Sombra…” She fell silent to share a smile with him before they raised their joined hooves. “… is my special somepony!”

An excited chatter ran through the crowd. Their looks ranged from mildly surprised to evident disapproval and even some disappointment on a few faces. But they did nothing to diminish the enormous grin Luna had on her face, especially not when the applause started.

“Thank you, one and all! I invite him now to say a few words, if he wishes. My crystal king?” she asked quietly.

“What? O-Oh, yes.” His cheeks turned red and he cleared his throat. “Ahem, yes. Um, citizens of Canterlot. I… I honestly feel I can’t do much to follow-up on all of that.” Laughter rippled through the crowd again and that seemed to ease him into it. “All I can say is that, from this moment forth, I will do all I can to ensure your confidence and faith in me is not misplaced. For the love of the sun, the moon and all of Equestria, I, Sombra of the Crystal Empire, will give you all that I am to the harmony and friendship we believe in!” He let the applause die down and continued. “I would also like to thank my new friends, Dusk Noir and Princess Cadence. As the Element of Unity and the Princess of Love, I can think of nopony better more befitting of those titles. My friends, bravo to you!”

Dusk felt his own cheeks heat up as they clapped for him too. He caught Cadence’s eye and she grinned too. After bowing, he stepped off the stage as the band started to play again. Ponies cleared the way for Luna and Sombra, who moved to the centre of the dancefloor and began to move to the music, holding one another close.

“Well,” said Cadence when she joined him, “in a roundabout way, I’d say our little mission was a success.”

“Indeed. Mainly thanks to me,” added Dusk.

She raised an eyebrow. “Who are you and what did you do with the nervous little stallion I met on Hearth’s Warming?”

“He’s still in here, somewhere. No doubt you’ll see him again when we actually become in-laws.”

“Oh, so you are thinking about it?”

“Maybe,” he said with a wink. His eyes caught a familiar sight coming across from the entrance hall. “And speaking of in-laws…”

“Dusk! Cadence!”

Twilight came hurrying up, dressed in a deep violet gown with a dash of red like the dying embers of the sun before the stars came out and her mane in a tight bun. The rest of their friends were all filing in as well.

“Nice of you to join us.” He exchanged a brief kiss with her. “You look absolutely amazing.”

“And you look head-over-heels handsome,” she returned. “Sorry we’re late. The wheel on our wagon fell off, if you can believe it. Did we miss anything?”

“Oh, nothing much.” He looked out at Sombra and Luna, still swaying on the dance floor. “Just the usual.”

The former king of shadow and the Princess of the Night had eyes only for each other. She rested her head on his shoulder and he led her gently across the dancefloor. The music guided them in its rhythm, as the singer vocalised a haunting, yet beautiful melody.

Moonlight blue
Grace in the glimmering
Stars are glowing anew

Moonlight blue
Fates in the shimmering
Such a beautiful hue
Here's to you

Sombra Feelings

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“So we’ve got another former villain who’s learned the magic of friendship,” remarked Rainbow. “Anypony else notice this happening a lot recently?”

“Well, it is how our friendship started, ain’t it?” said Applejack. “Never figured it’d happen and they’d end up datin’ each other though.”

“Funny how that happens, isn’t it?” said Ray. “A former king of shadows with the Princess of the Night. Eh, I ship it.”

“Me too!” cried Pinkie, staring across at them. “They’re just so cute! Aw they look so happy! I just wanna bake this moment into a cake and eat it!”

“He does seem very dashing, dressed like that,” said Rarity. “Very, very dashing.”

“Rarity, don’t be naughty,” chastised Fluttershy with a giggle. “I do see what you mean though. It’s hard to believe he was the same stallion trying to take over the Empire. He looks so nice.”

“Flutters, I’m sat right here.”

“I know, Ray.” She nuzzled his cheek and kissed it. “I’m just teasing. You’re the only stallion for me.”

“Oh. Right, yeah, I knew that,” he said with his cheeks flushed.

Dusk and Twilight shared a smile at the reactions of their friends. They’d managed to find a table at the Star Celebration Ball and were content to enjoy one another’s company for the night. Spike was off catching up with Cadence and things going on in the Empire while Celestia was entertaining some other guests. Luna and Sombra were very much still enamoured by each other and they thought it best not to interfere.

“It sounds like you had an interesting time of things before we got here,” said Twilight. “I heard something about a cake being ruined?”

Pinkie gasped dramatically. “Dusk! How could you?! A poor dessert cut down in its prime!”

“Sorry Pinkie, but it was acting with presumed hostile intent. I had no choice but to respond appropriately, though its loss is still a tragic one,” he agreed.

“What is the world coming to, where delicious cakes are acting in this way?” she sighed. “Oh well, I’m sure it was for a good cause.”

“One of the best. On that note, I do believe we’re about to be joined by Canterlot’s newest power couple.”

They looked to see Luna excitedly approaching their table whilst Sombra remained behind a little, seemingly apprehensive.

“My friends! I’m so pleased you could come tonight, you are all most welcome!”

“Wouldn’t miss it, princess,” said Applejack. “This here’s a mighty fine shindig ya put on here.”

“Yeah you’ve got some great sweet treats!” Pinkie had suddenly an armful of cakes with her. “Though you look like you’ve got yourself a nice piece of arm candy yourself.”

Luna blushed and giggled. “I would certainly agree. Come, my crystal king! I wish you to meet my friends!”

“I have been… previously acquainted, in a manner of speaking,” said Sombra with an awkward smile. “But it is good to see you all again. I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves.”

“It’s been simply delightful and may I say, Sombra, you clean up very nicely.” Rarity studied him closely. “I feel rather inspired to make a similar line of clothes in classic historical style. If you have time, I’d be very indebted if you could help model them?”

“I shall make certain I have room in my schedule. You must be Rarity.” He twirled his hoof and bowed. “An honour and pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh my…” Rarity fanned herself as she blushed. “You uh, don’t have any brothers do you?”

“An only child I’m afraid and even if I wasn’t, I think any relatives I have would be past their prime,” said Sombra with a chuckle.

“Oh well, can’t fault a mare for asking,” she shrugged.

“Yeah, you’ve changed a lot since the last time we saw you.” Rainbow squinted at him. “You better not be faking this whole reform thing, King Sombra.”

“Rainbow Dash!” snapped Luna. “You are very brazen to show such disrespect in my presence!”

“Luna, please. Her concerns are not entirely unfounded.” Sombra looked at her. “For what it’s worth, Rainbow, if I ever do set down the path of evil again, you may have the first blow.”

“Yeah and don’t you forget it. But…” She let a small smile appear. “I guess you don’t seem too bad.”

“I’m pleased to have the approval of the Element of Loyalty. Luna tells me you’re quite the accomplished flyer. You’ll have to give me a demonstration sometime,” he said.

She smirked at him. “I got a better idea. I never got the chance to do the jousting at the Crystal Faire, back when you were still the bad guy. You need to make up for that.”

“How can I back down from a challenge such as that? Very well then, we shall arrange something. Though don’t be surprised if the outcome may not be what you think,” he said.

“Trust me, that ain’t gonna stop her,” piped up Applejack. “Once that Pegasus gets a challenge, ya’d have ta tie her down ta stop her and even then, I reckon that wouldn’t do it.”

“Like you’re any better,” returned Rainbow. “Just you wait AJ, I’m gonna show this guy.”

“Oh I’ll wait, if only ta watch him serve ya up on a fancy platter.” She went to shake his hoof. “Well, mighty nice ta meetcha when ya ain’t an evil cloud-a shadows, yer highness. Name’s Applejack.”

“I recall, good farmer and please, just Sombra will be fine. I am nopony’s king.”

“Not entirely true,” said Luna as she snuggled into his side. Rainbow managed to restrain a gag.

“Well, Jus’ Sombra,” she said with a wink, “glad ta see yer on our side this time. Ya look like a good pony to have in a scrape.”

He nodded. “As do you. I gather from Rainbow’s observation that you’re one for friendly competition and I see that farm life keeps you in excellent shape.”

“Mighty kind-a ya ta notice, Sombra. Whatcha have in mind?” she asked.

“Something simple. A hoof wrestle perhaps?”

“I’ll hold ya to that, but how ‘bout we give it a few minutes? Ya start gettin’ yer hooves on a mare after sayin’ she’s in good shape and yer princess might get the wrong idea,” she said with a chuckle.

“Ah, my apologies,” he said, looking sheepish again. “I let myself get carried away. It has been a long time since I attended an event such as this.”

“Aww you don’t need to be sorry!” Pinkie approached and nudged him. “Come on, Sombra! You gotta loosen up and have some fun! I thought that since you lived all the way up north, you’d be more…” Her grin widened. “Chill!”

She snorted and fell into full blown laughter. Sombra stared at her, utterly bewildered. Not an uncommon reaction to Pinkie Pie. But then he did something Dusk didn’t expect.

He smiled. Then he started to chuckle. And before long, he too had erupted into hearty guffawing. This only added to Pinkie’s laughter as she wrapped her foreleg around his neck and patted his shoulder.

“More chill…!” he repeated breathlessly. He took a moment to collect himself. “It’s little wonder which aspect of harmony you must be, Pinkie Pie.”

“What can I say?” she shrugged. “I’m good at what I do.”

“You might say that you’re in your…” His grin matched her earlier one. “Element?”

“Huh? Oh, oh, ohhhh!” That set them both off again. “Did you guys hear that?! He punned! All hail Sombra, king of puns!”

“That is a title I can gladly accept. My sincerest thanks, Pinkie. I have not laughed like that since… well, not for a long time,” he murmured.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Fluttershy. “Don’t worry though, we’ll do our best to make you smile as much as possible. I know Pinkie certainly will.”

“Yep yep yep! And hey, look at you Fluttershy!” She darted over to hug her. “Managing to talk to the new pony without getting all nervous, I’m so proud!”

Fluttershy blushed. “Th-Thank you, Pinkie. But you don’t have to make, um, a fuss about it.”

“I would disagree. Overcoming personal obstacles is always worthy of note, in my view,” said Sombra. “I am certain the strength of your spirit does much to match the essence of your kindness, Fluttershy. Thank you for making me feel welcome.”

“O-Oh. Um…” Her blush increased, but her smile was evident. “I um… y-you’re welcome.”

“Okay, I really need to start writing some of this stuff down or I need to try and get a much cooler voice.” Ray affected a deeper tone. “One that sounds good playing over trailers for movies since apparently, that’s what Fluttershy likes.”

“Ray, don’t be silly!” she giggled, nuzzling him again. “You’re perfect just the way you are, voice and all.”

He harrumphed teasingly. “I’ll believe that when you stop making goo-goo eyes at himself and his perfectly chiselled jawline. Seriously, how do you get something like that?”

Sombra chuckled. “I cannot tell if this is jealousy or attraction you’re expressing, Ray Strike.”

“It can’t be both? I mean I’m not into stallions but even I can’t deny that… Wait…” He frowned at Sombra. “You remember me?”

“Of course. I am sorry for the pain you’ve had to endure in your life, young one,” said Sombra. “The task I’ve assigned myself may help in some way. I can’t make any promises this early, but if something does arise, you’ll be the first to know.”

“I… appreciate that. Thanks, Sombra.” He smiled more easily. “You’re definitely a lot better than when I last saw you. Sad to see you ditched the mascara though.”

“You spoke of this last time, I recall.” He looked to Luna. “My love, what is mascara?”

“I shall explain later. Suffice to say for now, it serves to enhance the eyes and make them stand out more.”

“Ah, like war paint of some description? Well then, perhaps I should adopt the use of this mascara in battle!” His fierce grin faded when everypony started laughing. “I don’t understand, what’s so amusing?”

“Oh Sombra!” Pinkie giggled. “For a stallion of dark and shadow, you sure are a hoot!”

“I… fail to see what owls have to do with this situation, but I shall accept that as a compliment. I think,” he said with a frown.

“How’s the translation going anyway, Sombra?” asked Twilight.

“Still early days, young one. Rest assured that I’m up to the task, however.”

Twilight tapped her hooves with excitement. “Well if you ever need help, I happen to know a bit about ancient pony languages. I’d be happy to lend a hoof.”

“Indeed?” He scrawled something on a piece of parchment and levitated it to her. “Read this.”

“Ooh a test!” She scanned it and frowned. “Eggs, milk, sugar. Sombra, this is just a shopping list.”

“In essence, yes and yet you translated it within moments. I believe I shall take you up on that offer, young Twilight. Celestia has taught you well, it seems.”

“Yeah she’s a great teacher. Buuuut I also do a lot of my own reading and honestly, what pony hasn’t translated the original history of Equestria because they were bored one day?” she asked with a forced laugh.

“Yeah, who hasn’t?” sniggered Rainbow.

“Then that is even more impressive. You’d do well to keep up with this one, Dusk or she’ll be off and away before you know it,” said Sombra.

Dusk shrugged. “That’s very much the dynamic we have. She leads the way…”

“And he nervously brings up the rear,” she finished with a laugh. “In all seriousness though, I like to think we challenge each other.”

“An invaluable dynamic, just as I allow Sombra the faint hope that he may yet defeat me in one of our sparring sessions,” said Luna.

Sombra huffed. “I’m simply out of practice. You wait, Luna. I’ll best you and then you won’t be so smug.”

“Perhaps but until then, smugness abounds!” she declared. Her eyes turned to see others joining them. “Ah, dear niece and young Spike. Good of you to grace us with your presence.”

“Of course, auntie.” She hugged Twilight and sat down. “I was just telling Spike that they’ve already started updating his statue in the Empire to match his current age.”

“Yeah, no big deal,” said Spike with false modesty. “After all, can’t have the crystal ponies forget what Spike the Brave and Glorious looks like.”

“Ah yes, you are the young dragon who saved the Empire. Much bigger than when I last saw you,” Sombra grinned unpleasantly. “Now that you are here, I can at last exact vengeance for your efforts in ending my dominion!”

Spike screamed and jumped back. Rainbow and Applejack immediately rounded on the former king, who at once dropped his grin and held his hooves up.

“A jest, merely a jest!” he said quickly. “My apologies, that was perhaps in poor taste.”

“Y-You think?” Spike snapped.

The guilt was evident on Sombra’s face. “I’m sorry, Spike and everypony. I mean you no harm, truly.”

“I-It’s okay, I guess,” said Spike, slowly coming back to the table. “Just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Yeah, maybe give that a lil’ more time,” suggested Applejack. “Can’t blame folks for still bein’ a bit jumpy on the matter.”

“Of course, I shall keep that in mind. In truth, young dragon, I commend you for your bravery. The praise you’ve earned is well deserved and I can see that you will grow into an impressive specimen of dragonkind,” he said sincerely. “We are fortunate to count you as an ally.”

“Well, I am Twilight’s number one dragon assistant too,” he said with pride. “Now that I’ve got Saviour of the Crystal Empire under my belt and I’ve gotten bigger, who knows what else is in store for me?”

“A pin to deflate your big head, mister,” remarked Twilight and rapped him lightly on the skull.

“I’m sure he knows to keep himself in check,” said Cadence. “So Twilight, how were things in the Empire before you left? Shining hasn’t let the palace burn down, has he?”

“Considering it’s made of crystal, that’d be impressive if he managed,” said Twilight. “But everything is fine. Trixie’s already gotten herself settled in. I think she’s liking being under the Empire’s protection. A lot.”

“I can imagine. And what about Doom?”

“So Twilight wasn’t kidding about that either?” Rainbow gritted her teeth. “Don’t tell me we’re expected to be making friends with that guy too.”

“He’s definitely not at that stage,” said Twilight. “Shining is keeping a close watch on him. He hasn’t complained about it, so I take that as a good sign. It’s… definitely going to be slow progress, but I’m sure Cadence can keep us updated when she’s back in the Empire.”

“Yeah, if there’s even gonna be an Empire to go back to with him around.” Rainbow rose from the table. “I need some air.”

They watched her go, hovering above the floor and not bothering to apologise to ponies who had to get out of her way.

“I’ll go and talk to her,” said Dusk.

He followed at a distant pace and waited until she was out on the balcony. He gave it a few seconds, then went out to join her.

Never one for hiding how she felt, Rainbow was obviously displeased. Her features were set in a scowl and she tapped a hoof rapidly.

“Don’t expect me to apologise,” she said.

“I wasn’t going to ask you to,” replied Dusk. “You have every right to feel the way you are.”

“Damn straight.” She stomped her hoof. “Discord was already pushing it and Sombra’s cool enough, I guess. Trixie had that stupid amulet, but Doom? If anypony expects me to shake hooves and make up with that jerk, they’ve got another thing coming!”

Dusk nodded. “I understand.”

“Of course you do! I just don’t get how you can just give him another shot. First, here’s all the stuff with Discord. After that, he was in your head for months, trying to get you to break and when he did, he took over our home and mind controlled all of our friends. He broke my wings, Dusk!” She flexed the limbs in question and turned to him. “How can you, of all ponies, say that he’s all good now? I know he comes from you or whatever, but no matter what he says, he isn’t your actual brother.”

“No, he isn’t. Not in the conventional sense. But as you say, he’s still a part of me and the fact of the matter is that if it weren’t for him, for the changes he was willing to accept, I probably wouldn’t be here talking to you.” He placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I don’t much like it either, Rainbow. But I’d rather have him and know where he is, than be out there with nopony to rein him in. Consider it the lesser of two bad situations.”

She reluctantly nodded. “Yeah, I guess it would suck if anypony else had to deal with him. Trixie isn’t exactly a saint, but I don’t envy her for that job.”

“I don’t think any of us do,” said Dusk. “But at least he’s all the way up north and with ponies we know and trust. If anything happens, they’ll let us know and we’ll deal with it. I promise.”

“Fine.” She let out a sigh. “I’m not apologising for how I feel, but I’m sorry for making you come out here. You’ve already dealt with enough tonight.”

“You don’t have anything to apologise for, Rainbow. You’d do the same for me.”

“Yeah, but it’s not just that.” She glanced about uncertainly. “I know I can be… well, a little hotheaded.”

“A little?”

“Shut up.” She nudged his leg. “And I know we don’t always see eye-to-eye on stuff. Like after Ray told us his… big secret. I got all worked up and I almost took that out on you and Twilight. I’m not saying I’m completely okay with that whole thing, but that wasn’t cool of me. I… I don’t wanna be butting heads with a friend. So… sorry.”

Dusk blinked a few times while she hanged her head. He certainly hadn’t expected this tonight. But it was welcome regardless.

“It’s alright, Rainbow. I think all of our emotions were running high in the wake of Ray’s… confession. It’s not the kind of thing that’s easy to process and come to terms with. I know that firsthand…” He placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I don’t hold it against you and I’m sure Twilight doesn’t either. Whatever happens, Rainbow, you always come through in the end. It’s just one of the many things I admire about you.”

“Yeah?” She smiled when he nodded. “Thanks, man. You’re a pretty cool friend, you know that?”

“So are you. Hey,” he said putting on a smile, “you looking forward to Baltimare this weekend?”

“Am I?!” Her old energy flared up again and she grinned. “They’re not gonna know what hit them! Your costume all ready to go?”

“Just a few finishing touches, but I can do that when we get home. I’ll have time before we get on the train and a little more when we get to the hotel. Is yours ready?” he asked.

“You know it! This is gonna be great! It’s been so long since we hung out, just you and me. I know Twilight and Spike are gonna be along the next day, but it’ll be cool to hang for a bit together. Be nice to get away from Ponyville for a bit after… well, everything.”

He nodded. “I quite agree. A little holiday to have some fun and come back, ready to tackle whatever problems present themselves.”

“Sounds like a plan!” She bumped his hoof, still grinning. “Thanks for the talk, dude. It helped.”

“Not at all. Honestly, I think it did me some good as well. Now, shall we head back inside? We don’t want to miss the hoof wrestle between the good farmer and former king.”

“Yeah, I’m down for that. Who’ve you got your bet on?”

“Well Applejack definitely has good physical strength but I think Sombra just might be able to eke her out. He’s quite strong himself.”

“Oh yeah? You willing to put bits on that?”

“You know what Rainbow? Maybe just this once…”

The two ponies walked back into the ballroom, leaving the cold of the night behind them. As they neared the table, it looked like Applejack and Sombra were getting ready to commence their contest. He also noted that Twilight and Cadence were absent. He spotted them, at the far side of the hall.

Telling Rainbow to go on ahead, he made his way over to let them know what was happening. As he got closer, he happened to pick up a part of the hushed conversation Twilight was having with her former foalsitter.

“… know if I’m ready for it?”

“Honestly, Twilight, it’s difficult to say. It’s something that requires a lot of thought, but knowing you I’m sure you have that front covered.”

“You’re telling me.” She sighed. “I think I… no, I know I want to. I just don’t know about him.”

“Sorry, Twilight. He’s the only one who can tell you that. But honestly? I don’t think you have anything to worry about on that front.”

“If you say so. I just- oh Dusk!” Twilight’s face blushed up a storm. “I-I didn’t see you there!”

“Sorry for startling you. I was just coming to get you for the upcoming test of strength.” He looked at her with concern. “Is everything-?”

“Fine, yes, everything’s fine! Better get back to the others, see you in a bit!” She said all of this very fast before hurrying away.

“Before you get worried,” said Cadence quietly, “it isn’t anything bad.”

Dusk felt his cheeks warm up. “I-I don’t know what you-“

“Dusk, come on. I can see the look on your face,” she said with a gentle smile. “Before you ask about the details, I can’t tell you. It’s just between us mares. Just trust me and Twilight. You’ll find out soon enough.”

Despite her assurances, Dusk couldn’t help but be tempted to ask anyway. It was obvious that it was something to do with him and it was something Twilight was clearly getting herself worked up over. Then again, it wasn’t difficult for her to get worked up about anything, big or small.

Not only that, but when it came to his relationship with Twilight, Cadence had never steered him wrong. She’d always been there to offer advice and she’d been by his side in one of his lowest points to bring him back up.

“Alright then,” he said. “I trust you both. You promise it’s nothing to be worried about?”

“I promise. In fact,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper, “when the time comes, I think you’re going to be very pleasantly surprised.”

“Oh. Oh! Um… I mean, I don’t think I…”

Cadence giggled. “It isn’t anything to do with that either. Get your mind out of the gutter, you dirty stallion.”

“But I wasn’t-!”

“No, of course you weren’t,” she said with a wink. “Now come on, I want to see how this test of strength turned out.”

Doing his best not to linger on what he’d just heard and what it could mean, Dusk followed Cadence back to the table.

Far away from Canterlot, in a long abandoned and converted diamond dog mine, another gathering was taking place around a table, in the heart of their hideout. There was no laughter or carefree good times here, but a malevolent sense of purpose from those gathered at the table.

At the furthest end sat Selena the Thestral, her yellow eyes moved with mild curiosity at her fellows. Opposite her was Osteo, an earth pony and one of the newer members, sat with his eyes closed though his ears listened intently. Next to him was Ligne Grace, once a travelling performer though he hadn’t really demonstrated what his “act” was. He lounged in his seat with a bored expression. Sting, former commander of the Changeling Swarm, glowered at him and anypony else who happened to look his way. The next two seats were occupied by Snick and Slash, the perpetually silent pair, their face covered by theatrical looking masks.

The pony formerly known as Hard Edge, now renamed Cutting Edge, stood at rigid attention at the other end of the table, his mechanical eye glowing a dull red. Dr. Test Tube, a maroon and small specimen of a unicorn stallion, sat opposite his creation whilst trying to look important.

The seat at the head of the table was empty. Every now and again, their eyes would flicker to it and the door leading into the meeting room.

“Is he going to be much longer?” sighed Grace. “I was actually in the middle of something before this little meeting.”

“I haven’t even met our illustrious leader yet,” said Selena. “I can’t say I much abide by his punctuality though.”

“He is impressive,” said Osteo shortly. “I should like to test my strength against him.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” muttered Sting.

“All of you, be quiet!” snapped Tube. “Our master isn’t here to cater to your wishes and whims! We have a purpose for which he has gathered us all and we will see it is fulfilled.”

“A purpose which he hasn’t seen fit to tell us about yet,” noted Selena. “You talked a big game, Tube but I’ve yet to actually see it.”

“Don’t let him get you wound up too much,” said Grace. “He’s just antsy because he wants to be the one in the big chair.”

“That is utterly…!” Tube sat back down and cleared his throat. “While I will admit that I have provided the uh, the most backing in this operation, including our headquarters, I am… content with my position. Just so long as I reap my just reward.”

“The snake who lies curled in the grass for the unwary,” remarked Osteo. “But just as likely to be trod upon.”

Tube flushed but said nothing, at least not to them and started muttering quietly under his breath.

But he stopped when they all heard the same sound. A steady, rhythmic metal clanking. All eyes turned to the door, the sound getting closer with every second. A blood red surrounded the door and it opened.

The armoured figure of Fallen Soul strode into the room. He didn’t so much as glance at them, his armour rattling while he walked. Even Grace sat a little straighter in his seat. He swept back his cloak and sat down. Everypony seemed to hold their breath, waiting for him to speak.

When he did, even though he wore a helmet, they all heard him as clearly as if he was whispering right into their ear.

“The princess has been found.”

“Master, that is excellent news!” cried Tube. “How did you find her?”

“Snick and Slash must be offered thanks. ‘Twas their network of contacts that allowed me to surmise her current location. Naturally, she must be retrieved at once.”

“But master, what of the others?”

“Thou needest not trouble thyself, Doctor. The majority of their locations have been determined. Thou hast almost completed preparations for their accommodation?”

“Everything is almost prepared, master. Only a final few preparations. M-May I say as well what an honour it is to see our plan soon be brought to-“

Soul snapped his head in Tube’s direction. “Enough of thy fawning, Doctor. The plan is not yet complete. For that, we must needs ensure the return of Samore. A two pony team will suffice for this task. We do not want the wrong attention to be drawn.”

“Sir, allow me to be a part of it,” said Sting. “I will see to it personally that the princess is-“

“-permitted to escape us once again, as she did before under thy watch?” interrupted Soul. “I think not. Thou art too close to this matter, Sting. Better measures are called for.”

Sting gritted his teeth and hissed, but said nothing.

“I feel I must point out the obvious,” said Grace, “but none of us exactly blend in with the crowd. It’ll be rather difficult to get her back completely unnoticed.”

“Thou needst not be too concerned, Grace. Our sources have determined that Samore was witnessed at an event today, one which plays host to extravagantly dressed individuals. However, thy point is well taken.” He turned his helmet to him. “That is why I have decided that thee and Osteo shall attend this matter.”

“Indeed?” Grace raised his eyebrows and smirked. “Well, it has been some time, I suppose. She’ll be in for quite a surprise.”

“Finding a princess. Such a thing is beneath my skills,” muttered Osteo. “You promised me battle, Soul.”

“I did. Our sources have also determined that the princess has found something of an escort.” He held up an image with his magic. “Perhaps she may offer thee good sport?”

“A griffin.” Osteo’s interest was piqued. “It has been sometime since I fought one of their kind. They are fierce fighters, even the lowest of them.”

“Good. Remember to be discreet, but if thou comes into conflict with her, end her as thou seeest fit.”

He placed the image down. It depicted a griffin female, with white feathers around her head and brown fur on her lion half. A few feathers poked out the top of her head, like a fringe as she cast about a suspicious gaze in the photo.

Osteo allowed himself a grin. Yes, she looked like she would make very good sport.

Defying Convention

View Online

“Yo Dusk, you almost ready?” Rainbow Dash asked from outside his hotel room. “Come on, the doors are gonna be open in fifteen minutes and we still need to get there!”

“Nearly done!” came his muffled voice. “Just putting on the last touch.”

Rainbow stepped back, tapping her hoof impatiently. It was almost funny that, a few months ago, she would have dismissed things like the event they were about to attend as ‘egghead stuff’. That was before she’d shown how awesome books could actually be. Not all books, of course, a lot of them were real snorefests. But certain books like Daring Do, they really spoke to her.

But the wait between instalments was torturous, so she’d gone to Dusk about any he might recommend. He referenced stuff from them all the time, so she figured at least one of them had to be good. He’d suggested a series which depicted two groups of alien robots that could disguise themselves as advanced machines and who’d brought their war to more futuristic version their world. Needless to say, she’d been hooked and when she learned of a convention in Baltimare dedicated to all things fantasy, including Daring Do and this series, there was no way she was missing out.

She invited the librarians along too, though Twilight and Spike wouldn’t be able to make until later tonight for the following Sunday. The convention had already been going on since Friday and while weather stuff in Ponyville meant she couldn’t make the first day, she was going to make the most of what was left. The sooner they got there, the better.

The handle to Dusk’s room clicked and it opened. She was about to ask what took him so long, until she got a look at his costume.

His face was completely obscured by a square-shaped helmet with a visor and a single, red slit for his eyes. His body was covered with similar looking blocky armour coloured dark blue around the chest and light grey on the legs. The chest was especially prominent, fitted to look like a music speaker with the pointy symbol of the villainous faction of robots on the front. When he spoke, his voice was distorted by electronic whirring, making him sound exactly a robot too.

“Soundwave reporting, Commander Starscream,” he intoned.

This was in reference to Rainbow’s own costume. It was a toss-up between this and Daring Do, which she’d already worn for Nightmare Night. That and she knew they’d be way cooler if they matched. She’d opted for a more streamlined version of the character so she could still use her wings, with his colours placed onto a military flight suit, complete with a fancy captain’s hat. She’d tied her mane back in a bun and hidden it underneath.

She grinned and decided to get into character too.

“About time, Soundwave!” she said in a high voice, adding a rasp to it in her throat. “Lord Megatron will be most displeased when he learns you delayed our meeting.”

“Statement: the quality of the outcome is always preferable to the speed at which it was completed. In this aspect, Soundwave is superior.”

“Enjoy the smugness while you can, you overbearing bucket of bolts or you may find yourself in a much lower position when I take charge!” She dropped the voice and cackled. “Okay, seriously, that is so cool! How’d you get the voice?”

“Vinyl Scratch assisted in her expertise with microphones and speakers,” said Dusk, taking off the helmet. “It’s fitted just behind the faceplate here, see? Ray helped me out with bit of it too, given his Slendermane outfit for Nightmare Night.”

“Oh yeah, I see. What about this thing?” She rapped his blocky chest. “Don’t tell me it actually plays music.”

In answer, Dusk pressed a button on it and gestured with his hoof like a showpony. A moment later, a distinctive power ballad started to play.

You got the touch!
You got the power!

“That. Is. AWESOME!” cried Rainbow. “I just got chills, like when it plays in the movie!”

Dusk nodded. “I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how well they adapted the material for the big screen. Most book-to-movie adaptations don’t land well.”

“Please, that was never gonna be a problem. Oh, you have got to play that when we get there. We’re gonna blow every other costume away!”

“We’ll definitely be making an impression. On that note,” he said, turning off the music, “we should get going if we want to get a good spot in the queue.”

“Way ahead of you.” They set off for the lobby and into the city proper, Rainbow buzzing with excitement. “You think anypony else will be there as Screamer?”

“Oh without a doubt, he’s quite popular,” said Dusk. “I’m surprised you picked him, though. I would have pegged you for Autobot material.”

“Eh, the ‘Bots are okay but the ‘Cons are just more fun. Bad guys always are, plus they’re the only ones with the flyers and I can’t say no to that.”

“I can understand that, but I didn’t think you’d pick Starscream.”

She shrugged. “He’s the only one with any major personality. Sure, he’s a whiner and a coward, but he’s hilarious! Like the guy seriously thinks he can take over from Megatron and lead the ‘Cons? In his dreams, maybe.”

“I’m not sure, Rainbow. Major ego, a proud flyer, competitive, ambitious.” He threw her a teasing smirk. “Maybe you relate to Starscream more than you think.”

“Hey, don’t make me use my null ray on you,” she replied, giving him a nudge in the ribs. “Besides, I can back it up when I brag. ‘Scream’s just full of hot air. I bet I could take him.”

“Really? You against a giant, transforming alien robot? Now, that’s a fight I’d want to see.”

“And you’d better put your money on me, because I’d take him apart in ten seconds flat.” She paused to check a street sign. “Shouldn’t be much further now. This is gonna be great!”

“I agree. This whole thing is definitely outside what I’d expect from you, Rainbow. Aren’t you worried you’ll be recognised and forever branded an egghead?” teased Dusk.

“Please, I don’t even know anypony in Baltimare. Besides, I’m not Rainbow Dash.” She thrust a hoof skyward. “I am Starscream, Leader of the Energon Seekers and second-in-command to Megatron himself, poised to one day take my rightful place as leader of the Decepticons!”

Dusk put his helmet back on. “Shut up, Starscream.”

“Screw you, you overblown tape deck!” She guffawed at herself. “Man, I really am far gone, huh?”

“Not really. You’re passionate as you always, just this time it’s not about flying.” He looked up as they turned the corner and pointed. “Looks like we’re here.”

It was quite a sight. The convention centre was full of ponies who had been there yesterday and who were just arriving that day. Everywhere Rainbow looked, there were all kinds of different costumes being worn. Ponies dressed like they played that table top game, Ogres and Oubliettes. She recognised a few from the Power Ponies comic series and from those detective books Rarity read. She grinned when she saw a few Daring Dos, along with her villains and allies.

In other words, it was a gathering of eggheads and geeks. And she was one of them. Just for once though, she wasn’t embarrassed to admit that. She cleared her throat and got into character again.

“An excellent staging ground for a Decepticon invasion of this world. Soundwave, begin reconnaissance of this arena at once!”

“Yes, Commander.” Dusk pressed a button on his chest. “Ravage, Laserbeak, eject. Operation: Observation.”

Using his magic, he made colour puppets of the smaller robots pop out of the open lid and land in front of him. Laserbeak, who looked like a robotic falcon, soared off into the air whilst Ravage, the dog-like one, started sniffing at the ground.

“So cool!” she whispered.

“I know!” he replied, matching her grin. “I’ve always wanted to do that!”

“Decepticons!” A pony affecting a deep voice got their attention further ahead. “I sincerely hope there’ll be no trouble today.”

A Pegasus pony approached them, his face covered by a grey visor and a blue helmet with two points emerging around the ears like horns. The colour red flared prominently on his forelegs, whilst blue and grey made up the rear pieces, with black wheels on the legs. Blue feathered wings flared from his back and he held himself with a proud bearing. Fitting, given the character he was meant to be and Rainbow had to admit, his impression was spot on.

“Ah, at last! Optimus Prime!” Rainbow thrust her hoof at him, not one to be outdone. “Now, I can accomplish what Megatron never could and destroy you, cementing my place as supreme leader of the Decepticons!”

“You are a fool, Starscream, in thinking you can supplant either myself or Megatron.” An orange blade sprang from his foreleg. “You have one chance, both of you, to stand down and be spared.”

“Soundwave: superior. Autobots: inferior,” intoned Dusk.

“Very well.” ‘Optimus’ raised his foreleg. “Autobots, roll out!”

Two more ponies galloped up behind him. The larger one was dressed in red and grey colours, whilst a smaller one was a bright speck of yellow. Together, they surged forward towards their ‘enemies’.

“Agh! Ironhide and Bumblebee!” cried Rainbow. “We are outnumbered! Tactical withdrawal, at once!”

Dusk nodded. “Decepticons: retreat!”

The two started to run, halting when they heard the sound of laughter from the ‘Autobots’. They turned back and joined in, stepping out of character as ‘Optimus’ removed his helmet. It revealed he matched the colours of his costume, with a red mane and blue fur.

“Oh, you both look amazing!” he said, speaking in what Rainbow assumed was his normal voice. “I’m Singer. Always great to meet some fellow fans.”

“Yeah, you guys look amazing too,” Rainbow replied. “Dude, how did you do that with your voice? You sounded just like how I imagined Prime would sound!”

“What can I say? I have a gift for voices. Oh, speaking of!” He looked at Dusk. “Can you do the eject thing again? Please?”

“Affirmative.” Even with Soundwave’s monotone, the smile in Dusk’s voice was evident. “Rumble, Ratbat, Laserbeak, Ravage, eject. Operation: Devastation.”

The four mini-cons popped out of his chest, taking up battle stances. The two new additions were Rumble, who looked more like a smaller robot pony with pistons on his forehooves whilst Ratbat looked pretty much as his name described, just robotic.

“First we crack the shell,” said Dusk’s puppet of Rumble, “then we crack the nuts inside!”

“That’s just… I mean just, wow!” cried ‘Ironhide’. “How do you even do that?”

“Classified Decepticon information,” answered Dusk. “Unauthorised access will result in immediate termination.”

“Alright, fair enough,” he chuckled. “Anyway, Singer, we should probably get going if we want to make that panel?”

“Oh yeah! Thanks Brawn. Sorry, we’ve gotta head. Comet, stop staring at the mare.”

“Huh?” Their ‘Bumblebee’ blushed. “I-I wasn’t staring!”

Singer smirked. “Sure you weren’t. Anyway, great meeting you both. See you around! Let’s roll out, guys!”

With that, the trio hurried back to the convention hall. Dusk and Rainbow exchanged a look, along with barely suppressed excitement at the reaction, before they headed for the queue. Since they’d prepaid, it didn’t take them long to get in. Inside the arena was even better. Stalls, filled with everything from official merchandise to fan art and food. Pop up stands with stills of characters for photos. Desks set up for autographs and photos with famous ponies.

“This is… so cool!” Rainbow cried. “Just look at all of this! I mean, where do we even start?”

“How about we pick a direction and go in it?” suggested Dusk.

“Sounds good! Let’s see, uh…” Rainbow turned on the spot and pointed. “That way!”

“That way it is!”

The random direction didn’t disappoint. They ended up sampling and buying some delicious fudge that almost put Pinkie’s to shame. There was a stand selling some really nice hoofmade jewellery, inspired by various different books, movies and video games. Another had a bunch of old action figures that Rainbow hadn’t seen since she was a filly, everything from the Ra-Ra Rangers to Precious Little Princess dolls (not that she ever had any of those).

And everywhere she looked, there were even more ponies in costume. Little fillies and colts getting photos with their favourite superheroes. Two guys, one with spiky blonde hair and another with a long silver mane, with ridiculously huge swords having a play fight with them while also being very careful not to accidentally break them. But one pony really caught hers and Dusk’s attention, along with a few others.

She had a shimmering, flowing red mane and fur the colour of a fresh peach. Her wings were like a butterfly, sparkling in the light and she wore an elegant, emerald gown that reached to her hooves upon which she wore simple sandals.

“Whoa!” Rainbow shot up to the mare. “Is that Etheria, from Daring Do and the Enchanted Everglade?!”

“Why, naturally,” she purred. “Do you find yourself captivated by my enchantments, little pony?”

“Yeah… I-I mean, no! No way!” Rainbow said quickly, ignoring how much her cheeks heated up. “That’s how she almost tricked Daring Do into becoming part of the forest forever! You can’t pull that on me.”

“Apparently not,” she said with a tinkling laugh.

“I wouldn’t be so certain of that,” remarked Dusk. “But I echo her view, miss. Your costume is just brilliant. You’re the image of Etheria.”

“You’re too kind, both of you.” She inclined her head. “Well, thank you very much for your appreciation but I must be going.”

“I’m telling you, Dusk,” said Rainbow sighed. “It doesn’t get much better than this.”

He nodded. “I find it hard to argue. Do you want to make sure you picked up your jaw from the floor, back there?”

“H-Hey! I just thought she looked cool, is all!”

“Outta the way, nerds!”

Before they could react, they were shoved aside by something large and furry. Rainbow turned to yell at them for being rude, when the words caught in her throat. The something was a griffin. A very familiar griffin, who was approaching the mare dressed as Etheria.

“Gilda?”

They both looked at each other when they spoke at the same time, though Rainbow out of surprise.

“You know her?” she asked.

“In passing. I bumped into her during a visit to Canterlot and we got talking.”

“How come you never mentioned?”

“Well… she asked me not to say anything about it,” he said quietly. “Between you and I, she doesn’t seem like someone you want to get on the bad side of.”

“Yeah that sounds like her,” said Rainbow bitterly. “Not that it’s hard to get on her bad side, apparently. She was a total jerk to everypony I knew when she came to see me. Bet that’s what she was doing in Canterlot too.”

Had she kept her eyes on Dusk and not turned to glare at Gilda, she would have seen his expression change to one of uncertainty. Like he knew more than he was letting on, but decided not to bring it up.

Right now though, the griffin demanded her attention. She was speaking to the mare with some urgency and looked like she was leading her away. What was she doing here and how did she know this pony? Or did she not know her at all and was just looking to make trouble for her? If so, no way Rainbow was going to let her get away with it.

“Come on, let’s see where they go,” she said to Dusk.

“Rainbow, is this really any of our business?”

“It is where Gilda and some poor pony she’s pushing around are concerned. I’m going anyway.”

Not waiting to see if he’d follow, Rainbow began to thread through the crowd. She followed close enough to keep Gilda in sight, but not enough to draw suspicion. Her ears picked up hurried hooves which suggested Dusk had indeed joined her.

It was difficult to remain completely unnoticed though. Gilda seemed to be on edge. Every few seconds, she’d glance over her shoulder, eyes narrowed and wings poised to take off at any second. If she was trying not to get spotted, she must be into something really shifty with this pony.

Rainbow did her utmost to blend with the crowd. Though they didn’t stand out as much as anypony else did, she had a feeling that Gilda might take notice eventually.

She looked around again. Her eyes locked with Rainbow’s. Though she looked away, she knew at once that she’d rumbled them. She suddenly grasped the mare closer and quickened her pace towards one of the fire exits.

“After her!” she ordered and jumped to fly above the crowd.

The door closed when she reached it, but she landed and kicked it open. Gilda and the mare were running down the corridor, one that looked like it was used for maintenance.

Something zipped past Rainbow’s head and shot ahead past their quarry. It was Dusk’s puppets of Laserbeak and Ravage. They barred the way ahead, making the pair skid to a halt.

“Hold it right there!” Rainbow barked, crouching low with her muscles tensed. “You’re not going anywhere, Gilda!”

“The hay I… wait, Dash?” She squinted closely. “Is that you?”

“Damn right it is.” She whipped off her hat and shook her mane loose. “I don’t know what funny business you’re putting her through, but you’d better let her go! Right now! Nice work, Dusk.”

“Of course,” he said as he caught up and cut off their escape from behind. He removed his helmet. “I’m not sure if it’s fair to say that it’s good to see you again, Gilda.”

“What? You?! Of all the ponies to run into…!” She growled through a gritted beak. “I don’t have time for this! You’d better get out of the way, right now or this is gonna get ugly!”

“If you’re gonna start making threats, you’d better be ready to put your bits where your beak is. You let her go, right now and maybe I’ll let you off the hook.”

Gilda flexed her claws. “That’s not gonna happen, Dash. You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

“Believe me, I think I’m getting a pretty good idea,” retorted Rainbow. “Either let her go or we do this the hard way. Your choice, Gilda.”

“Or there is a third option,” a new voice called from the other end. “You hand her over to us and perhaps we’ll leave you relatively intact.”

They all looked towards the speaker. Two stallions stood at the far end of the corridor. One, a unicorn, wore a cloak over his light brown fur, though his hood was down to expose his rose-coloured mane, watching them with a detached amusement. He levitated a large case next to him. The other was an earth pony of very muscular build, though his brown fur bordered on grey and contrasted with a bone-white mane. His eyes were roaming between each of them, like he was studying them closely.

“And who are you?” asked Rainbow. “I’m warning you, you’ve got no idea who you’re threatening here.”

“What a coincidence. Neither do you,” said the unicorn, a smirk playing on his lips. “Does that mean we’ll have to follow through on it? How unfortunate.”

“Alright, I’ve had it!” Rainbow charged towards them, banking on her sudden attack to throw them off.

What she didn’t expect was the earth pony to stand right in the path of it. She hit him before she could veer away and it was like she’d hit a wall. She suddenly stopped and was sent flying back when his hoof smacked her in the face. Spots danced in her vision and she shook her head to clear it.

“An obvious attack,” remarked the earth pony in a clipped voice. “Though your speed is impressive.”

“Rainbow, get back!”

Dusk deployed puppets of Soundwave’s minicons, clearly going with his first thought. Rumble and Ravage charged at the earth pony, while Laserbeak and Ratbat took off for the unicorn. While the former started swinging at the puppets like they were annoying bugs, the latter laughed in surprise.

“Goodness! A fellow puppeteer!” He leapt back and opened his case. “Well, since you’ve shown yours…”

A collection of carved wood rattled out onto the floor. The unicorn’s horn glowed, a faint blue line emerging from it towards the pile. It twitched and shook. Bit by bit, the pieces started to form together and rise up. In seconds, two ponies stood next to the unicorn.

No, not ponies. There was nothing connecting their limbs, only strands of magical energy. But the way they were carved, the colours and shapes of their manes… from a distance, you’d think they were the real deal. Until you got closer, saw their lifeless eyes and their perpetually blank faces.

With a flick of the unicorn’s hoof, they started battling the puppets. Laserbeak swooped at the unicorn’s puppet and knocked its head back. But it zoomed back to the ‘neck’ and struck Laserbeak, causing it to flicker. A glance at Dusk showed Rainbow that he looked to be having trouble keeping his concentration and magic between four sources and multiple opponents.

The earth pony had already knocked aside Rumble and crushed Ravage, looking ready for another round. She got to her hooves and was about to oblige as he went straight for her. Before she could act, something grabbed her flanks and pulled her back. His hoof slammed into the spot where she’d been, leaving cracks.

“What the…?” She looked back at Gilda. “Hey, what gives?!”

“Sure, don’t thank me!” she shot back.

“We can’t stay here!” cried the mare. “There’s not enough space!”

“I agree,” said Dusk. “Back into the convention hall, quick!”

Rainbow bit back an argument. Though her pride demanded she stand her ground, common sense won out especially with some innocent mare in danger. Hopefully, these guys wouldn’t follow them where it was full of ponies.

He formed his puppets into four orbs and left them lingering as they turned tail. Even with her back turned, Rainbow could see how bright they were when they exploded in bursts of light. She heard the two stallions yell in confusion as they burst through, back into the convention proper. They ignored the exclamations of surprise from those gathered and kept going until they were deeper in the crowd.

Rainbow looked back over her shoulder. Their hunch had been correct. No sign of their pursuers. They slowed and leaned against a nearby wall to catch their breaths.

“Alright,” said Dusk, “perhaps you could explain what just happened there?”

“Not here!” hissed Gilda. “We need to go somewhere quiet, make sure we’re not gonna come across those two again.”

Rainbow nodded. “Fine. We’ve got a place not far from here. Dusk, you stay with… sorry, what was your name?” she asked the mare.

“It’s… it’s Janus,” she said reluctantly. “And why should I go with some stallion, after you accosted us no less?”

“Because we can help you, Janus,” answered Dusk. “My name is Dusk Noir and this is Rainbow Dash. We’re two of the Elements of Harmony and closely associated with the Princesses of Canterlot. If you’re in some kind of danger, we’ll do what we can for you.”

“Really?” She looked to Gilda. “Is this true?”

“Yeah, I guess they’re heroes or whatever,” she muttered.

“I see.” Janus considered for a moment. “Very well, I shall go along with this for the moment.”

“Well that’s a relief,” remarked Rainbow. “Dusk, you’re with her and I’ll go with Gilda. We’ll need to ditch our costumes, less chance of us being recognised.”

“It seems a shame, but very well.” He reached into his chest cavity and pulled out a large bag. “We can put them in here. I brought it in case we wanted to change out of them afterward.”

“Good call. Alright, let’s get going!”

They took a few looping routes back to the hotel, to make sure they weren’t followed. Rainbow stayed in the skies with Gilda while Dusk and Janus remained in the shadows. When they got back to the hotel, they sequestered away into Dusk’s room.

“Okay, does somepony wanna tell me what the hay just happened?!” demanded Rainbow the moment the door was shut and the curtains were closed. “Who were those guys and what do they want with this mare?”

“You could ask me, you know,” said Janus haughtily.

“Then by all means, explain,” said Dusk.

She pursed her lips. “It’s… difficult to do so.”

“Oh, that’s helpful!” Rainbow slapped her hoof to her forehead. “I just wanted to enjoy this convention, can’t believe we have to deal with this.”

“Hey, nopony asked you to follow us!” snapped Gilda. “We were doing just fine until you butted in!”

“Didn’t look like it to me!” returned Rainbow. “What was with that earth pony? I hit him and it was like I punched a mountain.”

“And that unicorn… those puppets he had with him. They were so lifelike and yet…” Dusk shuddered. “I’ve not seen anything like it before and he seemed to have no trouble exerting control over them either.”

“Great, so we have two weirdos we don’t know anything about, have freaky powers and are out to get our mystery mare. What I don’t get is how you fit into this, Gilda,” she said. “You know those guys?”

She shook her head. “Never saw them before in my life. Janus told me that some pretty bad types were coming after her, but I didn’t expect something like that.”

“Fair enough, but that still doesn’t answer my original question.”

“Not to mention that when I last met you,” said Dusk, “you were hardly the biggest fan of most ponies. What makes Janus different?”

“It’s not that difficult to work out, is it?” said Janus. “Gilda has a noble heart and brave countenance. Surely that is enough.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Uh, you mispronounced ‘aggressive, bullying jerk’.”

“Hey, screw you, Dash!” she snarled. “You don’t know everything about me!”

“I know you were treated my friends like dirt and didn’t even apologise! What else is there?”

“How about I show you, you-!”

“Alright, enough,” said Dusk firmly. “While I understand you two have some history, we’re still missing the point which has so far been avoided by the individual it concerns. Janus, who are those ponies and what do they want with you?”

She huffed. “I fail to see why I should have to explain myself to you.”

“Then allow me to elaborate. Whether you like it or not, we are involved. We fought those stallions and have done our best to protect you. They’ll be after us now as well. However, if you didn’t already know, both Rainbow and I are two of the Elements of Harmony. I myself am a student to Princess Luna and am very close to the student of Princess Celestia. I’m sure they’d be happy to assist you but we can’t do that until you tell us why.”

“You are?” Janus’s demeanour changed, suddenly looking apprehensive. “I… I see. Then it seems I’m fortunate. I had hoped to speak to ones such as you.”

“Well lucky you, here we are.” Rainbow held her hooves out. “So talk and we’ll see what we can do.”

Janus looked to Gilda. She glanced at Rainbow and nodded to the mare. Far from reassuring her, this seemed to make her even more nervous. But she seemed to come to some kind of resolution and nodded back to the griffin.

“Okay, do you promise not to freak out?” asked Gilda.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Why would we do that?”

“Just promise, okay?!”

“Alright, alright, we promise! Geez, cool your jets.”

Gilda looked at Janus. The mare took a moment, then closed her eyes. Her body suddenly flashed with a green aura and it was no longer a mare who stood there. A black, hardened shell. Wings you could see through. Legs with holes in the feet. Sharp, pointed fangs.

“Changeling!”

Both Dusk and Rainbow tensed for a fight, but the changeling immediately withdrew as Gilda stood between her and them.

“You promised you wouldn’t freak out!”

“That was before I knew you were protecting one of them!” retorted Rainbow. “What are you doing, getting mixed up with her?!”

“Griffins and changelings have better relations than ponies do,” said Dusk. “Perhaps that has something to do with it.”

“Even so, you know what these things can do.” Rainbow’s glared intensified. “She’s probably controlling Gilda, like they did with Shining and Twilight and you! This was all a trap!”

“Hey, you’re the one who followed us, Dash!” argued Gilda. “We didn’t ask you to be involved in this!”

“If you could all stop talking about me like I’m not here,” remarked the changeling. “It’s very rude, you know.”

“What do you care?” Rainbow sneered. “You’re only using Gilda for a little snack. We know what you bugs are like!”

“You’ll find there’s a little more to ‘we bugs’ than what you may think and regardless, this bug has a name.” She held her head high. “I am Samore, Princess of the Changeling Swarm.”

Rainbow took a moment to notice that she did look different from the changelings she’d seen. For one, she had a mane of a rich green with a few streaks of purple. Her eyes, rather than an icy blue, were the colour of orange, like a sunset. There was something about them… so deep and enticing…

She blinked and shook her head. Where had that come from?

“Chrysalis’s daughter?” murmured Dusk.

Rainbow snorted. “Oh of course, that makes it all better! You’re only related to the monster who invaded our homes and attacked our friends, no big deal.”

“For your information, I had nothing to do with the attack on your home. In fact, my own mother used me as a bargaining chip so she could make her ridiculous bid for power and look where it got her.” Regret flashed across her face. “Not that she can do anything about it now.”

“Yeah and how do we know that’s true? I haven’t met a changeling I could trust.”

“Have you met many changelings?”

“Plenty and then I hit them. I’d say that’s all I need.”

Dusk stepped in. “She is telling the truth, Rainbow. At least in regards to what happened to the changeling princess. We know Fallen was behind the attack on Canterlot and the Swarm has been in chaos without a clear line of succession due to the absence of both her and Chrysalis. Gilda told me and I looked into it myself. My apologies, I know you said not to mention our conversation, Gilda but given the circumstances…”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“What were you doing in Canterlot anyway?” asked Rainbow. “It’s not exactly your scene.”

“What would you know? Anyway, it’s none of your business,” she muttered.

“Don’t tell me what isn’t-!”

“Rainbow, please focus,” said Dusk. “Now, based on all of that we can conclude who those stallions were or at least who they associate with. They’re lackeys of Fallen Soul, aren’t they, princess?”

She nodded after a moment. “The unicorn, I believe he is called Ligne Grace. I don’t know the name of the other, he must have been brought on after my escape.”

“The fact that you did is noteworthy, not to mention invaluable,” said Dusk. “With your help, we could find out more about what Soul is up to, perhaps even where he’s hidden.”

“That was my intention in travelling to find the Princesses of Equestria. I happened across Gilda by chance and when she told me she knew one of the Elements of Harmony, she became my escort. But we have been travelling for some time and… I became hungry,” she admitted.

“Is that what you were doing at the convention?” asked Rainbow bitterly. “Turning into cool characters and feeding off pony’s love for them?”

She glared at Rainbow. “You may not agree with my methods of sustenance, but it was necessary. Regardless, my task is almost at its end. I shall deliver my information to the Princesses and in turn, they can protect me.”

“That’s if you’re telling the truth,” said Dusk. “Another potential alternative is that this is an elaborate ruse, intended to get you within striking distance of royalty.”

Her glare turned to him now. “You were the one who said I was speaking the truth!”

“About events that you could already have knowledge of and is known also to Gilda, at least about the princess and her going missing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are that princess and that you’re not simply posing as her for your own purposes.”

“You dare doubt the word of a princess?”

“As Rainbow said, I find it difficult to completely trust the word of a changeling,” said Dusk. “It’s almost too good to be true, that you happen upon us here with information we need. Not to mention that the changeling princess herself is a closely guarded secret, known only to those within the Loveless Lands themselves and it all becomes rather convenient that very few even know what she looks like in her standard form.”

“I thought I told you already that not all changelings wanted the invasion!” argued Gilda. “Don’t let that stuff give you excuses to be prejudiced mules!”

“Uh, hey pot, name’s kettle!” retorted Rainbow.

“Shut up! If you’re just gonna be like this, why did you even bother helping us? Why are we still talking about this?!” She pointed her claw at both of them. “We don’t need you, we can get to Canterlot and avoid those freaks ourselves!”

“Are you sure that’s altogether wise?” asked Dusk. “Now that we know of your intentions and since we don’t know we can completely trust them, do you honestly think we can readily let you go?”

“Are you threatening us, Dusk Noir?” hissed Samore.

“Merely making an observation, your highness.”

“Ugh, this is stupid!” Rainbow groaned. “Look, we need time to talk about this. Dusk and I are going into my room. You two, stay here.”

“And what makes you think we’ll do what you say?”

“Because, Gilda, you can either deal with us in here or those two out there,” she answered, jerking her head to the window. “Your choice. Come on, dude.”

As they left, Dusk cast a seal of shadows on the door. He’d know if they were disturbed by either of them trying to leave. When he reached Rainbow’s room, he did the same for the room’s window by sticking his head out of Rainbow’s.

“Good call,” she said. “So you don’t think we can trust them?”

“I didn’t say that. I said it was difficult for us to trust their word.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Because there’s also the chance, however slight, that they’re being truthful. Even if it’s the slightest chance, we can’t afford to dismiss it completely, not with the weight of information it could hold.”

“Which could be exactly what they want.”

“Exactly. If this is a deception, it’s a very well-played one.” He pressed his hooves together. “You know Gilda. Is this in character for her?”

“Sort of. We stuck up for each other in Junior Flyers, but then you know what happened.” She scowled in the direction of their room. “You think you know someone, then it turns out everything you thought you knew is all wrong after some big secret comes out and you wonder if you ever really did know them.”

Dusk frowned. “Are we still talking about Gilda or…?”

“I’m not getting into it, Dusk. But fine, say she is telling the truth. What do we do with that?” she asked.

“Well, we wait,” he replied. “Spike and Twilight will be here soon. In fact, they’re checking in later tonight. We can have him send a message to the Princess, explain the situation and she can take appropriate measures. If this is some kind of trick, they can at least be ready for it.”

“So I guess, in the meantime, we keep an eye on them here and bunk up together.” She flopped onto the bed. “So much for a fun weekend…”

“Me too, Rainbow,” he said. “But look at it this way. Once we send the message to Celestia, she can take it from there and we can still enjoy the Sunday. Make the best of it?”

“I guess we’ll have to.” She laughed reluctantly. “For the record though, the time we were spending today before all this stuff? Was pretty great.”

“You’ll get no argument from me. Not so bad being a geek, is it?”

“Yeah, not so bad at all.” She winked at him. “I’m still the coolest Pegasus in Ponyville though.”

He chuckled. “I never doubted that.”

Dusk looked cautiously up and down the street outside the hotel. There didn’t seem to be any sign of Grace or the other stallion. Just in case, he would stick to the main streets where others were bound to see him. He just needed a moment to clear his head. Rainbow had offered to stay in the room with Gilda and Samore after they’d explained what they’d be doing with them. In a way, it was what Samore wanted and while Gilda obviously wasn’t happy, she hadn’t objected. Once he got back, he’d do the same and give her a break.

Poor Rainbow. She’d had a rough time of it, recently. The Pegasus had already been through a great deal and she had taken the confession of Ray the worst of them all. He had really hoped the two of them could just enjoy this weekend, then another betrayal from her past her surfaced. Two if you counted the presence of the princess. Not exactly a betrayal in that case, but a reminder of a time of treachery and conflict none of them were keen to relive.

Gilda’s accusation of prejudice echoed in his mind. Perhaps he was. It was a changeling that had helped end the invasion, after all. Even so, her relation to Chrysalis had placed Dusk on edge about her intentions. Even when she was losing ground, her goal remained to hurt Dusk using his love for Twilight. He hadn’t wished her dead, but it was also hard for him to feel sorry for her. Samore didn’t seem as bad as her mother, but even so…

The presence of Grace and the other stallion concerned him. He knew Fallen had allies in Test Tube and Hard Edge, though perhaps not anymore in the case of the latter. He hadn’t been seen since the battle in Cloudsdale. But if these two were working for him, it meant he was recruiting. How many others had joined his cause? He had tried Trixie and Doom, two individuals with a grudge against him and his friends. What of others or even new ponies he’d never seen, like the ones lurking somewhere in this city? And to what purpose?

His conversation with Sombra drifted into his mind. The possibility of more than just Wrath as a Demon Beast…

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of crying. It sounded like a foal. He looked around, trying to determine its source.

“Help… help me.”

Without thinking, Dusk moved into the alley where the crying came from. He shone a light from his horn, seeing a small form lying not too far off.

“It’s alright, don’t be afraid,” he said. “I’m here to…”

He trailed off, stopping in his approach. The form was lying very still. Too still. Realising his mistake, he turned to go back into the main street. Grace was right behind him, smirking.

“Help me, please.”

His voice was so much like a young foal’s. It made Dusk step back in shock, right into the iron grip of the other stallion. He grabbed Dusk’s neck, forcing him to his knees.

“Struggle or cry out and I will break your neck,” he breathed.

Dusk considered his options. Even in the darkness of the alley, there was no guarantee a shadow attack would be unnoticed and even then, he’d witnessed how resilient this stallion was. A call out would put an innocent pony in danger, they’d be caught unawares. Reluctantly, he remained quiet and didn’t move.

“Good work, Osteo. I know, pretty good, right?” said Grace in his normal voice. “Sometimes, the simplest things are the best. Don’t you think?”

“It seems so,” rasped Dusk.

“Do you like him? He was one of my first.” He danced his puppet over to Dusk’s field of vision. “The poor thing was scared and alone, nopony in all the world. Now, I’ve immortalised him, forever.”

Dusk struggled to speak in Osteo’s grip. “Made… in his image?”

“Something like that,” said Grace with an unpleasant smile. “I have to say, your magic is really something special. Those shapes you weave, such detail and solidity! Nothing like mine of course, but even so. Have you ever considered a career in show business? I think you’d fit right in with my little sideshow. Yes… yes, you’d be a perfect fit.”

“We have a task,” Osteo said sharply. “This talking is not productive towards it.”

“Fine, take all the joy out of it, why don’t you?” He knelt to look into Dusk’s face. “Now, my young friend, you’ve caused us a bit of bother. See, we’ve been tasked with recovering the young mare you and your multi-coloured friend acted so valiantly to rescue.”

“By… Fallen Soul.”

“Ah, so you’re familiar with our benefactor then.”

“Grace…” Osteo hissed.

He waved his hoof. “Oh come now, Osteo. If he already knows, what’s the harm in it? Yes, a rather peculiar sort of stallion. Then again, who am I to judge? He has a vision I’m rather keen to see fulfilled and it starts with the sweet little thing you have hidden away.”

“You…” Dusk coughed as Osteo tightened his grip. “You… won’t get her.”

“In a manner of speaking, you’re right.” He placed his hoof under Dusk’s chin, making him look up. The texture of it was… wrong. It didn’t feel like fur on his leg and it was oddly cold. “See, we did some asking around. It didn’t take long to determine where you and your friend had travelled from to the convention. While we could potentially scour the place until we found you inside, I had a much better idea: why should we come to you when you could come to us?”

“No… it won’t… won’t…”

“You are wrong,” said Osteo. “You and your friend acted to save a stranger. She will do the same for you.”

“All we need to do,” said Grace, taking off Dusk’s hat, “is send her a little message…”

Rainbow and Gilda silently glared at each other. Neither of them had spoken for the past… she wasn’t even sure how long they’d been in this room for. Samore had grown tired of the hostility between them and had drifted off to sleep. The only sounds in the room were her gentle breathing and Rainbow’s hoof, tapping impatiently.

She’d never expected to see the griffin again and would have been happy if she never had. It was hard to remember a time she liked Gilda anymore. Ever since she’d shown a true colours in Ponyville, even the positive memories of their time together were ruined. She’d seemed so scared and shy when Rainbow had first met her, back when she was still a filly. Guess the way she’d gotten over that timidity was to be a big bully to everypony else. It was the first time a friend had let her down and it certainly wasn’t the last.

A familiar anger flared in her, along with the memory of her grabbing the stallion it had been directed towards and yelling at him. She wouldn’t say it outloud, but maybe her thoughts on Ray were having an effect. But that was something to deal with later.

She groaned internally. Normally, she’d relish the chance to save the day for somepony but not this time. For one thing, she just wasn’t in the mood for heroics, just having fun with a friend and she had been as well. And she’d gone and landed them in this. Not exactly the way she’d wanted it to go down.

She glanced at Samore. So far, she hadn’t tried anything. That wasn’t to say she wouldn’t. She’d witnessed the kind of trickery changelings were capable of. She wouldn’t be letting anything get by her, not again. No matter how tired she felt, she’d not be letting Samore out of her sight. Still, the sooner Dusk got back, the better.

“She’s not controlling me, you know.” Gilda’s voice brought her back from her thoughts. “If that’s what you’re thinking, I mean.”

Rainbow snorted. “Yeah, that’s just what you would say if you were being controlled.”

“I’m telling the truth! But whatever, believe what you want. If it makes it easier to see me as just a big jerk of a griffin, then fine.”

“Good, because that’s exactly what you are. You know what you did and you better not try turning it around on me when it was your own fault.”

Gilda didn’t say anything to this and Rainbow took a grim kind of satisfaction. She turned her attention back to Samore when something very unexpected happened.

“I’m sorry.”

Those two words made Rainbow stare at Gilda. She was shifting about, not looking at her except in brief moments and fiddling with her claws. Before Rainbow could even think of a response, she continued.

“You wanna know what I was doing in Canterlot? I… I was coming to see you. Or trying to. I chickened out in the end, but before I did, I ran into your friend.”

“He has a name.”

“I know, just lemme…!” She put a lid on her annoyance and went on. “We… we got to talking. He said that, even if I did apologise that… that there wasn’t a guarantee we’d be friends again. But that if I didn’t show that I was willing to… to try, nothing would change. So I get it. You don’t want to see me again? Fine. But… I just wanted to say it, so… so there. I’m… I’m sorry. For being a jerk.”

She stopped trying to look at Rainbow at all now, her eyes fixed on her fidgeting claws while her tail swayed anxiously. Rainbow took a few minutes to process what Gilda had said. It would be easy to say that she wasn’t being sincere or she was faking it. But she just couldn’t.

A few different questions tumbled over each other in Rainbow’s head. In the end, she settled on one.

“Why are you helping her?”

“Huh?” Gilda frowned. “What does that matter?”

“It does. You wanna try, show me you’re not being controlled? Answer my question.”

“Alright, fine. Just gimme a sec.” She thought for a few moments. “When I found her, it was when I was doing my deliveries in the market. She was in disguise, as a griffin. Already pretty weird, given us and changelings are pretty good with each other. She must have already been pretty weak because all it took was me barging past to get her to drop it. I started to yell and she just… she looked so scared. When I saw that, I…” She looked away. “Sounds dumb…”

“Try me,” said Rainbow.

Gilda didn’t reply at once. “You remember the first day of Junior Flyers? The day we met? I saw her and I thought… what would you do? Pretty much a no-brainer. There. You happy?”

Rainbow could remember, clear as day. Three foals, teasing a frightened griffin cub. She’d stepped in, shown them who was boss and introduced herself. They’d flown together, Rainbow had said how good she was and when she started chanting the Junior Flyer’s Chant, she just had to join in. Anypony, or griffin, with that kind of skill and passion was worth knowing.

Now, sat before her, Rainbow didn’t see a yelling, pushy jerk. She saw that little cub, looking so afraid and alone.

She found herself standing up and approaching Gilda. She went to place a hoof on her, but decided not to. Her eyes flickered up for a moment, then back down. She was hunched over and faintly shivering, but the room wasn’t cold.

“Gilda… look, what you did to my friends wasn’t cool. You’re gonna have to give me some time to get over that. But…” She held out a hoof. “I’m willing to start over, if you are.”

Gilda stared at Rainbow’s hoof. Very slowly, she looked up. Her eyes were faintly shimmering and the lower part of her beak was wobbling.

“Okay,” she whispered. She gripped Rainbow’s hoof tightly. “Thanks…”

“Sure thing.” Despite the situation, Rainbow snickered. “Never would have figured you to be a softie though.”

“Shut up,” Gilda muttered, though she laughed a bit too. “That’s just what you ponies do, I guess.”

“Maybe. It’s not a bad thing though, right?”

“Guess not.” A genuine smile came to her now. “You looked good. Your costume, I mean. Pretty good Starscream.”

“Wait, you read those too?” Rainbow cackled again. “A softie and an egghead, Gilda? Wow, I never knew.”

Her face flushed. “Hey, they’re good books, okay? I just never talked about it because, you know…”

“Yeah, I didn’t think much of reading back then. Hey, when we get Samore to the Princess, maybe you could hang with us tomorrow. If Dusk is cool with it, I mean. We could whip something up for you, like one of the Seekers!”

“Sounds like a pretty dweebish thing, but maybe it might be a little fun,” she shrugged. “But no way am I being Thundercracker! It’s Skywarp or nothing!”

“Whatever you want, Gilda.” Something she said made Rainbow pause. “Actually, now you mention it, Dusk should have been back by now.”

“Maybe he’s already on his way back or something?”

“Not sure. Stay here a sec, I’ll be right back.”

She left the room and headed for the lobby. His shadow spell was still holding, but he didn’t need to control it from what he explained. It just did what it did. So where was he? Just as an unpleasant feeling started brewing in her gut, a voice got her attention.

“Excuse me, are you Rainbow Dash?” It was the receptionist, a young stallion. “Somepony came by just now and dropped something off. Said to give it to you when we had the chance. I was just about to send somepony…”

Whatever he was saying, Rainbow wasn’t listening. He had just shown her the thing in question. A black trilby hat. Her blood ran cold at the sight of it. She snatched it from the receptionist and sped outside. No sign of anypony nearby who could have dropped it off.

There was something tucked between the ribbon of the hat. A note with an address, a time and nothing else. She shot back inside, slamming it on the desk and demanding to know where this location was.

“I-It’s an old theatre, out on the edge of town,” he stammered. “B-Been abandoned for years, due to be knocked down soon. Is there-?”

“No time, thanks!” She hurried back upstairs, showing Gilda the hat and note. “They took him.”

“What?!” She swiped it from her and read it over. “Spineless jerks! They want her for him.”

“I figured that too.”

“Well, we obviously can’t concede to their demands.” Samore had woken up and was regarding Rainbow with aloofness. “I’m sorry about your friend, truly but we can’t simply-“

“Do I look like a changeling to you, princess?!” she interrupted. “You can’t order me around and there is no way we are leaving him with them!”

Samore blanched at her yelling. “But what are we to do? This is evidently a trap and we’d be foolish to walk straight into it. Perhaps if we had additional aid, waited until your friend arrived and then-“

“Look at the time here!” Rainbow pointed at it. “We have to be there by the time she arrives at the hotel and we’ve only got half an hour now! Plus, if we show up with anypony other than us, they’ll do something bad to him, I know it. If we’re gonna do something, it has to be now and it has to be us.” She looked to Gilda. “You in?”

The changeling scoffed. “Gilda, please. You can’t really be considering pursuing this ludicrous course of action. We don’t even have a plan.”

Gilda looked between her and Rainbow. Her eyes lingered on the hat.

“I think you’re crazy. But then, that’s just you anyway,” she said, smirking. “Besides, that little twig helped me out before. Be a pretty crappy thing to back out on him.”

“I can’t believe…” Samore sighed. “Well, if you insist on this hare-brained path, we need to at least conceive some kind of plan.”

“Don’t worry, princess. We’ve done this kind of thing before,” said Rainbow. “First thing I’m gonna do is leave a message with the front desk. Then I’ll tell you what I’ve got in mind…”

The theatre was quiet. Nopony was present, apart from them. Yet Dusk couldn’t stop imagining the seats and stands being filled with ponies, looking down where he was restrained on the stage. He could almost see them, watching with anticipation for the spectacle to unfold, though the seats had long been torn out.

He shifted against the ropes that bound his legs together. The rope was thick and the knots were tied tightly. No chance of wriggling free. They’d placed a magic inhibitor ring on his horn, so no chance of that. Osteo was somewhere behind him, while Grace paced up and down the stage. There was no sign of his puppets, but Dusk knew they’d be somewhere here. Though he didn’t want to admit it, the best thing he could do was wait.

“You know, it’s a shame we couldn’t have met under different circumstances, Dusk,” Grace said. “I really think you’d enjoy my show, I do. There’s no real appreciation these days for traditional arts and you look like a pony who enjoys true showponyship.”

“I like a good show as much as the next pony,” replied Dusk. “Though you’ve chosen to associate with a very particular crowd, Grace.”

“To say the least,” he said with a chuckle. “Would you believe I’ve known stranger beings? I mean, when you’ve been around as long as I have, it happens.”

“You don’t look that old.”

“You’re kind to say so. Why don’t you have a guess at my age? I can promise you, it’s nowhere near what you think it is.”

“The time is getting close,” interrupted Osteo. “We must be ready.”

“You know, you really do have no sense of courtesy,” Grace sighed. He perked up at the sound of the door opening. “And it seems our audience has arrived. Showtime!”

Dusk looked to make out two shapes moving towards them. Rainbow was at the head and Gilda followed behind, a large sack hauled across her back.

“Good evening, ladies!” called Grace. “So pleased you could make it at such short notice.”

“We didn’t have much of a choice. You okay there, Dusk?” asked Rainbow.

“As well as can be expected,” he replied. “I’m sorry about this.”

“Don’t sweat it. Good thing you’ve got me help pull your flank out of the fire.” She looked back at Grace. “We doing this or what?”

“Where is Samore?” asked Osteo

“Where do you think?” Gilda hefted the sack onto the floor. “She wasn’t happy about being traded, so we had to use this to bring her.”

Muffled yells came from inside the sack and something inside was noticeably struggling.

“Shut up!” Rainbow kicked the bag and the noises stopped. “We tried not to rough her up too much.”

Grace smirked. “Just so long as she’s still in one piece. So sorry to have interrupted your weekend, but we’ll be out of your manes soon enough.”

“Best thing I’ve heard all day. What does this Fallen guy even want with her anyway?” asked Rainbow.

“That’s a mystery even to me, I’m afraid,” he shrugged. “But apparently, she’s quite important and he’s not the sort of fellow you want to question too much.”

“So you’re working for somepony and don’t even know what their endgame is? Seems pretty dumb.”

“Now, I didn’t say that, did I?”

“Grace, you are wasting time,” said Osteo.

“And there you go again, no sense of dramatic flair,” sighed Grace. “We have them where we want them. What harm is there in indulging ourselves a little?”

“The greatest losses are often when victory seems the most apparent.”

Grace rolled his eyes. “Sorry about him. I’m thinking of putting him in one of those fortune teller boxes and bringing him along for my shows.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” said Gilda. “How come you’re hanging with such a dweeb if he bugs you so much?”

He shrugged again. “The necessity of mutual partnership, my good griffin. Sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got. I’m sure you both understand. I did sense a little animosity between you when we first met.”

“What’s it to you?” snapped Gilda.

“Merely a small point of interest, nothing more. Still, we both have that in common: working with those we’d ideally not be to achieve something better.” He tilted his head suddenly. “Isn’t that what we all want, at the end of the day?”

“Not if it means working for some crazy pony,” Rainbow scoffed.

“Crazy is relative. Yes, Fallen may be a peculiar sort but he’s one with a vision and I would like to see it fulfilled. Surprising as it may be to learn, not everypony is happy with a world of friendship and harmony and whatever other high ideals the princesses preach.”

“If that’s so, then what exactly do you want?” asked Rainbow. “You haven’t actually said.”

“The kind of things that ponies like you would call crazy.”

Rainbow snickered. “What, puppets? That might be a little weird for some ponies but if you can’t take some criticism…”

“Oh, my dear, sweet filly…” His smile widened. “If only you knew.”

“Enough!” Osteo forced Dusk to his hooves. “We have spent too long here. Your showtime is over.”

“Overbearing… fine, fine,” muttered Grace. “Let’s get on with it.”

“At last. Griffin, bring forth the sack. I will bring the stallion. Any sudden moves and I shall kill him. Is that understood?”

“Loud and clear.”

Gilda and Rainbow exchanged a quick look and a nod. She heaved the sack back up, shaking it to stop the renewed struggles. Dusk was forcibly shoved to the stairs leading off the stage and onto the theatre floor.

As they walked, Dusk looked between the two. Much as he knew Rainbow would come for him, he couldn’t imagine either her or Gilda willing to hand over Samore so easily. They had to have some kind of plan in place. He watched them for any indication, a hand gesture or facial expression, something.

But there was nothing, at least from what he could see. He resolved to trust them, despite his mounting apprehension.

He had almost reached Gilda. Even though they weren’t exactly friends, her presence was still a comfort to him. She caught his eye and nodded. Did that mean something or was she just trying to make him feel better? He returned it and they started to move past each other.

Then, they stopped. Osteo had placed a hoof on Gilda’s shoulder.

“Open the sack,” he ordered.

“You can’t order me around, pony,” she growled. “Open it yourself.”

“I do not like repeating myself.” His limb started to creak audibly and Gilda winced. Was it Dusk’s imagination or was his hoof getting a little bigger? “Open the sack. Now.”

“Alright, alright!” Gilda yanked herself away and rubbed her shoulder. “Geez, what’s your problem?”

“My time, being wasted.” He forced his hoof on Dusk’s back. “Open it.”

“I’m doing it, look!” Gilda was undoing the string that tied it closed. “After everything else I’ve dealt with today, I can’t believe I’m being ordered around by some pushy egghead! When I get my claws on you-!”

She suddenly stopped yelling when a flash of purple filled Dusk’s peripheral vision. When it faded, he was suddenly back by the entrance and a familiar face filled his vision.

“You’re okay!” Twilight threw her hooves around him, removing the inhibitor from his horn. “Oh thank goodness you’re okay!”

“Twilight? But when did you-?”

He cut himself off at the sight unfolding back in the seating area. Rainbow Dash had come bursting out of the sack. She and Gilda were engaging Osteo, who had a notable slash across his chest from sharp claws. Even so, he wasn’t deterred and fought fiercely, matching the pair blow for blow.

But there was movement up in the viewing boxes. Six of Grace’s puppets, one in each box, had jumped into the fray as well. Their master was watching with an amused expression and applauding.

“Oh very good, very good!” he crowed. “Any other little surprises?”

As if on cue, something crashed through the ceiling. Spike rose from the rubble and roared. A couple of puppets moved to intercept. He backed off a little and quickly realised he wasn’t dealing with normal ponies.

He drew in breath and sent a torrent of flame at the nearest puppet. It didn’t catch fire like Dusk expected, but it was noticeably singed.

“No!” Grace didn’t look so amused anymore. “I will not have you tarnish years of work, dragon!”

“Oh yeah? Just try and stop me!” Spike snarled and unleashed more flames.

“Dusk, what is going on?!” Twilight asked. “We got Rainbow’s message at the hotel and got Spike to send another to Celestia but what is all this? Who are these ponies and how is Rainbow Dash over there, but also right here?”

“Yes, well,” said the other ‘Rainbow’ as she approached. “This may be somewhat shocking.”

“What do you-? Agh!” Twilight screamed when Samore resumed her normal form. “A-A changeling?! But-!”

“Twilight, there’s no time now. We need to get this under control and we’ve got incoming!”

Three of Grace’s puppets were charging for them. One of them halted, raising its foreleg and a crossbow sprang out. The bolt twanged off Twilight’s shield, but another was loaded into place, firing in a steady barrage. The other two darted forward, one sprouting circular blades out of its legs which started to spin rapidly.

“Princess, hide!” Dusk shouted as he ran to engage.

He formed his own colour puppet, taking the form of Applejack. It bucked the bladed puppet, halting its advance. He went to intercept the other one but it flew apart like it had been swept up in a powerful wind. Its disconnected limbs zoomed past his head, making straight for Samore. She backed away and ran through a side door at the back of the theatre. The puppet went after her.

“Spike, need backup here!” called Dusk. “Will the Princesses’s forces be here soon?”

“I marked it as urgent, they shouldn’t be long!” Twilight replied. She was blasting bolts of magic at the crossbow puppet, levitating the bladed one and forcing it back. “You’d better explain everything to me when this is over!”

“I will, but I need to get after her!”

He saw Spike coming over, flying backwards away from another puppet. The other two were barely holding themselves up from his fire. Assured that Twilight wouldn’t be left by herself, Dusk galloped after his quarries.

He burst through the doors, listening for the clatter of wood and Samore’s panicked cries. He ran until he found her, at the theatre’s rundown lounge. The door there was chained up and the puppet was closing on her. Its legs opened up and fired razor-thin wires at her. One looped around her leg, tightening painfully.

“No! No, get it off me! Get it off me!” she shrieked.

Dusk started towards her, when something struck him in the back of his head. It was the head of the puppet, moving of its own accord like a bizarre haunted house attraction. It opened its mouth and fired another wire. He jumped back as it embedded in the ground, stepped on it and yanked the head towards him. He punched it with an orange hoof.

He turned back to the body, when a white hot pain seared his leg. One of the puppet’s rear legs had landed a hit with its wire. It pulled and yanked him down. The head floated back up, firing again and securing his other leg. The wires were digging into his leg, enough that to cut into the skin. He gritted his teeth, tried to use his magic but it was just too much.

The wires were coiling around Samore like snakes. She struggled and pulled, but it was no use. Tears were forming in her eyes.

No, those weren’t tears. Tears didn’t take on a gaseous quality like mist and they certainly weren’t purple. More of it was gathering, building from the corners until their sunset orange turned the colour of a violet night. Dusk felt like he couldn’t look away, literally. He couldn’t pull his eyes away from the sight. Despite how unpleasant, how horrible it was, it was also so… captivating.

“No…” Samore whimpered. “No, please, no…!”

Something else flashed across her body. The poisonous green of changeling magic. But she didn’t change shape. It flashed again, more powerful this time. Something was happening to her and she needed help.

With a cry, Dusk called upon the darkness. Sharpened tendrils sliced through the bonds that were holding him and Samore, though the wires themselves remained. He used yellow shields to encase the pieces of the puppets, but it wouldn’t hold them long. Samore didn’t seem to have noticed and was still writhing in anguish. Green mingled with purple, though the former appeared with more frequency.

“Samore, hold on!” he yelled. “I won’t let them-!”

Then green exploded across his vision, sending him flying backwards. It broke his shields and caused the puppet’s body parts to fly everywhere. His head slammed against the wall and he slid to the ground.

He could just make out Samore slumping over encased in something glowing, somepony faintly calling his name before everything went black.

“… he is coming around. Dusk? Dusk, can you hear me?”

His vision was blurry, but it was starting to clear up. The voices were faint, but they became louder. He vaguely recognised the face before him, but it took a few moments to put a face to it. By the time he did, they had him in a hug.

“Oh, my student! Thank the stars you’re safe!”

“Luna…?” he murmured. “But I… Twilight sent a message to…”

“To my sister, yes. However, have you forgotten how late it is?” she said with a teasing smile. “It was I who received it and I arrived post-haste with a contingent of my Shadow Guard. They’re just wrapping things up. Sombra is here as well.”

“So… so quickly?”

“Twilight and Ray may be skilled in teleportation, but an alicorn’s power in that area is far greater,” she said.

“That’s good…” His memories of what had happened rushed back to him. “The others, are they alright? W-Where’s the princess? Samore, I mean? Where are those two stallions? We have to-!”

“Calm yourself, my student. Our friends are perfectly fine. Some bruises and cuts, but nothing they won’t recover from and the changeling has been secured. As for those two stallions…” She scowled. “They had already fled. Rainbow Dash told us that the puppets the unicorn fought with all at once emitted a torrent of obscuring smoke. By the time it lifted, they had gone. My guards are searching the immediate area, but no sign of them as of yet.”

“I see…” Dusk sighed in annoyance and steadily pushed himself up, with Luna’s help. “Samore… the changeling, that’s her name. Is she…?”

“She is well, though that depends on your perspective. Come, perhaps it is best if you see for yourself.”

She led him out of the lounge and back to the theatre proper. He only had a moment to acknowledge everypony hurrying towards him before they enveloped him in a collective hug.

“There you are, bro! Wow, you’ve been put through the ringer, huh?”

“Dude, what were you thinking?! Running off like that alone!”

“Dusk, I had just managed to rescue you and then you go throwing yourself into…!” Twilight hugged him closely. “I know you had to, but…”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. I couldn’t let them get her.” They broke away and he managed a smile. “You’re all looking better than I thought.”

“Like some pony is gonna get the best of me,” boasted Gilda, though she was holding her left wing in an awkward way. “Looks like I was right about you being gutsy though.”

“High praise, coming from a griffin,” he replied. “How was your first time using teenaged dragon fire, Spike?”

“Feels a lot different than when I was still a baby. I mean, I’d practiced a little before but nothing like that.” He nodded proudly. “That jerk’s gonna think twice before he tries that again.”

“You did great, Spike. But a lot of your ‘plan’ was left up to chance, Rainbow,” she added.

She waved a hoof. “Eh, not when you think about it. I knew you’d be right on time at the hotel by the time we got here and that you’d be over here in a flash. Still, I told Samore and Gilda to stall the double act as much as they could so they could get into position. Once they were, it was just a matter of somepony giving the code word.”

“All you said in the note was ‘you’ll know it when you hear it’,” Twilight groaned. “If I’d known it was going to be ‘egghead’…”

“Worked, didn’t it?” shrugged Gilda. “Hey uh, quick work on the teleport thing, Sparkle. You… you did good.”

“Oh. Well, thank you, Gilda,” she said, bemused but not unappreciative. Her eyes focused on something behind Dusk. “And this is who they were after?”

Dusk followed her gaze. Between a contingent of Luna’s guard and encased in a magic bubble lay Samore. The cuts in her chitin looked like they were already healing and she floated above the ground in the bubble’s centre, her expression peaceful and calm.

“She was like this when I found her,” said Luna. “My magic cannot cancel out the barrier and I am unwilling to risk pushing its limits further.”

“It seemed to activate when she was becoming frightened about capture.” Dusk explained what happened when he’d gone after her. “Do you have any idea what it might be, Twilight? Luna?”

“Hmm. Sounds to me like some kind of warding spell,” said Twilight. “They can be more of a last resort measure. If the being it’s cast upon feels like they’re in danger, it can activate to protect them. They can be powerful, but it basically knocks out them out while it’s in use.”

“It would be more accurate to say they are induced into coma,” said Luna. “And this is an exceptionally strong barrier, one that only a being with very strong magic would be able to cast. There is little we can do until the spell runs its course.”

“How long would that be?” asked Twilight.

“That is another curious thing. These spells last long enough until the danger can be reasonably considered passed, but this remains as strong as ever. Most curious indeed.” She frowned at the changeling. “Regardless, I shall return to Canterlot with her and have her sequestered away there. From what Rainbow and Gilda have told me, Samore could have valuable information for us.”

“All we have to do is wait for her to wake up from her power nap,” said Rainbow.

“You let me worry about that,” said Luna. Her eyes flickered up as somepony approached. “Ah, Sombra. Any luck?”

“No sign, Luna,” he reported. “This city is large and there are many places to hide. Unless you intend to bring the entire Royal Guard in force, we won’t be finding them with the soldiers we have.”

“Unfortunate, but not unexpected. Regardless, I doubt they will return again,” she said. “Their quarry will soon be beyond their reach and they would be fools to attempt anything at Canterlot.”

He nodded. “Even so, I will go with a couple of guards and accompany our friends back to their hotel. They’ve been through a great deal and I’m sure they’d appreciate some rest.”

“I agree. Go with Sombra, my friends. My guards and I will handle the rest.”

They all started to move out of the theatre. Just before he left, Dusk looked back at Luna. A number of questions came into his mind, but his body reminded him of just how tired he was. Perhaps it would be best to save them for another time. Or at least until he and the others made it back to the hotel.

With one last smile to his teacher, he left with the others into the bustling city.

Shared Speculations

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Sombra bade them a good night at their hotel, glad that they were all okay. But that was perhaps a relative term. Physically, apart from some minor injuries, they were fine. Mentally, there was a lot weighing on everyone’s thoughts. They all waited until they were in Rainbow’s room to talk.

“So, that wasn’t how I expected to be starting off this trip,” said Twilight.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” said Rainbow. “We were just lucky the timings worked out. Thanks for getting there so quick.”

“I’m never going to leave you in trouble, though I would like that explanation now. I got some of it in the theatre, but I’d also like the full story.”

“Yeah, me too. I just got in a fight with a bunch of creepy puppets and I’d kind of like to know why,” added Spike.

“Alright, sit yourselves down,” said Gilda. “This’ll take a bit.”

She started by telling them how she’d come across Samore and they’d been travelling together to get her to the princesses. Rainbow jumped in with her and Dusk’s part of how they get involved, with Dusk filling in how he’d been captured by Grace and Osteo, along with whom their allegiances were with.

“So they both work for Fallen Soul?” murmured Twilight. “Sounds like he’s gotten a lot more help than when we last saw him.”

“And some help!” added Gilda. “Rainbow wasn’t kidding about how much that Osteo dude can take a hit. I know I got him deep enough at one point to do some real damage, but he just shrugged it off like it was a paper cut.”

Twilight pressed a hoof to her chin. “Earth ponies can be strong, but there’s limits. Maybe it’s tied in to his special talent. Too bad their clothes were covering them up.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was intentional,” said Dusk. “If your talent lies in some kind of combat, you don’t want your opponent to get an idea of what you can do.”

“Good point. Did you notice anything about him when you were fighting? Anything that might give away what he was doing?”

“Only that his bones were creaking more than Granny Smith’s rocking chair. Heck, probably even Granny Smith,” said Rainbow.

“Yeah, I noticed that too,” said Gilda. “You don’t think he can do some weird thing with his skeleton, do you?”

“It’s possible, but I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Conventional earth pony talents lie in growing and tilling the soil, not their own bodies,” noted Twilight.

“Maybe this guy’s different,” suggested Spike. “Equestria’s a big place and magic takes on all sorts of forms. You never know. Besides, that unicorn was way worse. Did you see the look on his face when I attacked his puppets?”

“That was probably the only time something got under his skin,” said Dusk. “I hate to think what other nasty surprises he had hidden inside them.”

“The guy said he put on puppet shows, right? Hate to see the audience after one of them, if that’s the kind of thing he’s doing.” Gilda frowned. “There was something else about him too. His scent.”

Rainbow raised her eyebrows. “What, you going up to him and smelling him now?”

“I’m a griffin, Dash. We got pretty keen senses of smell and I’m telling you, something was off about Grace’s. I could smell it, yeah, but it was… I dunno, muted somehow. Like it wasn’t anywhere near as strong as everyone else’s.”

“Maybe he just had a wash?” said Rainbow with a shrug.

“Nah, even when you wash, there’s still a smell. Just soapy and scented with flowers or whatever. That guy was barely giving off anything, other than running his mouth.” She rolled her eyes. “Guy just loved the sound of his own voice.”

“Good thing he did, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get myself into position.” Twilight looked pointedly at Rainbow. “I’m still not happy about ‘egghead’.”

“Oh come on, Twilight. Like Gilda said, it worked.”

“Since when did you agree with anything Gilda said?” she asked. “Last time I checked, the two of you weren’t exactly on speaking terms.”

“Yeah, well…” Rainbow managed a small smile. “Guess some things have changed.”

“If that’s what you wanna think,” remarked Gilda though Dusk could see she was smiling too.

“Well, I think it’s great the two of you are friends again,” said Twilight. “If you’re willing to look past her behaviour last time, I’m willing to give her another chance too.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “Like I need your permission.”

“Gilda…” said Rainbow with a look.

“Right, right, sorry. Working on that. But uh, thanks. Twilight, right?” she asked. “Nice save again with Dusk.”

“Not bad for an egghead?” she asked, smirking.

“Yeah, something like that. Hey,” she continued, looking at Spike, “I swear you were smaller last time I saw you.”

“Glad you noticed.” He gave his arm a flex. “I’m not the same little dragon you remember from before.”

Gilda blinked. “What was your name again?”

“Hey!”

“Kidding, I’m kidding!” she said, punching his arm. “But hey, you’re really coming into your own, Spike. Never had a tussle with a dragon before and you really stepped up.”

Spike grinned. “Yeah, well, I’m not Twilight’s number one dragon assistant for nothing. You were great too, Gilda. Nice to have some griffin muscle with us.”

“Yeah, we’re pretty good to have in a fight. Lemme know if you ever need me for round two with that guy.” She slammed a fist into her open claw. “I’m itching to show him what I can really do.”

“That may happen sooner than you think and we haven’t even gone up against their leader yet,” said Twilight. “I still can’t figure out what he wanted with that changeling princess.”

“I’ve been wondering that same thing,” said Dusk. “Gilda, didn’t you say the changelings have been struggling without a definitive ruler?”

She nodded. “Yeah, it’s not great. There’s a real split between those most loyal to Chrysalis and those who want to make reparations and such. It’s bordering on civil war at this point.”

“Which would offer Soul a prime opportunity for control with possession of Samore, yet he’s failed to exploit that,” said Dusk. “Perhaps he hoped to ferment discontent and swoop in when they were at their most volatile?”

“Well, he’s missed his chance for that now. Hopefully, the Princesses will have her returned to her people and that’ll go some way to improving changeling/pony relations,” said Twilight.

“That doesn’t help us figure out what Fallen’s stake is in this,” Rainbow scowled. “The guy keeps showing up where there’s trouble, but he hasn’t actually done anything! I just wish he’d show his face so we can send him right back to Tartarus.”

Twilight grimaced. “I wouldn’t be so keen about that…”

“Oh sorry, Twilight. I forgot you’d seen him already.”

“Wait, you have?” asked Gilda. “When? What’s he like? If we’re going up against this guy, I want some idea of what we’re in for.”

“Hey, hold up, G,” said Rainbow. “Twilight doesn’t have to talk about it if she doesn’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine. She’s right. I just… give me a moment.” She took a breath. “It was… during the occupation of Canterlot. Chrysalis had brought me up to gloat and… I saw him. He was wearing armour, I didn’t see his face but… he was tall. As tall as Celestia and… he’s an alicorn too.”

Gilda’s eyes widened. “No kidding? Aren’t those, like, really rare or something?”

“They are, but somehow he managed to achieve that. That wasn’t all.” She gulped. “The changelings, even though he was helping them, they… they were all afraid of him. Even Chrysalis. She mentioned about escorting him back to the Hive with a couple of guards for the other part of their deal.”

“I’ll bet that was Samore,” said Spike.

“I’d agree. And… he spoke to me.” She shivered at the thought. “He asked if I believed my friends would come and save me. When I told him yes, h-he said something about our love shining like the stars and he looked at Celestia and he said… ‘even stars die’.”

“Whoa,” said Gilda quietly. “Guy talks a big game. Think he can back it up?”

“If the stories are anything to believe, he would be quite formidable,” said Dusk.

Gilda shrugged. “Well, that’s the thing about stories. They get blown way out of proportion a lot. You wait, we’ll give this guy what’s coming to him and that’ll be a story worth telling.”

“You really think so, Gilda?”

“Sure! I mean, now that you’ve got me on your side, he’s got no chance,” she said, grinning.

Rainbow nudged her shoulder. “There’s that griffin pride.”

As they all laughed, Dusk found his mind wandering to when Discord had spoken to him. About Fallen taking Samore and then he’d gone on to mention the appearance of Wrath at the battle’s conclusion. At the time, he put it down to Discord being Discord. But now… Sombra’s words about the tablet mentioning more than one Beast came to mind as well…

He remembered Samore. That purple mist emerging from her eyes, starting to envelope her body. It reminded him of something else. When Ray became angry and Wrath began to manifest from him. That blood-red glow, the sheen in his eyes. If Fallen’s goal was what he thought it was, then was it possible that…?

“Dusk? Dusk, is something the matter?”

He shook his head and realised Twilight was looking at him with concern. The others were too.

“You okay there, bro?” asked Spike. “You seemed pretty out of it.”

Dusk was going to tell them his thoughts, what he suspected. But looking around at them, they were all so worn out, so tired that he didn’t want to add another thing on top of it. Besides, for now they were still just suspicions. There could be other reasons for the things he’d seen. He’d tell them another time, a better time.

That was what he told himself, anyway.

“I’m fine. Just tired, I think,” he replied.

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, I heard that. What that Grace guy did to get you was messed up, man. Glad you’re okay.”

“Well, with you looking out for me, how could I not be?”

She snickered. “Too true.”

“There’s something else I want to bring up too,” said Twilight. “I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I’m having second thoughts about the convention tomorrow.”

“What?!” Spike looked at her in shock. “Oh come on, Twilight! We came all this way, we can’t just miss it!”

“Spike, we were just in a fight with a pair of dangerous ponies. We were supposed to be getting away from this sort of thing and yet this is what we ended up with? Please tell me you understand what I mean.”

“I…” Spike sighed reluctantly. “Yeah, I get it.”

“I’ll be honest, after all that, I’m not sure I have the drive for the convention anymore either,” said Dusk.

“I get what you mean,” said Rainbow. “I know I was the one who got us into this mess, but I didn’t really have the energy for this in the first place. Just me rushing in, as usual.”

“Doesn’t help being wrong-hoofed by this in the case of me and Spike,” said Twilight. “Maybe we’d be better off just resting in our rooms tomorrow.”

A morose feeling settled over them. Even though they’d technically won, there was so much uncertain and that had arisen that it was difficult to feel good about it. That and despite what he had said earlier, part of Dusk had been looking forward to the next day. He and Rainbow had already really enjoyed themselves, even if it was cut short. But if this was the general mood…

“Are you serious?” Gilda was looking them incredulously at them. “Wow, just when I was starting to think you guys were cool. Don’t go spoiling it by acting like a bunch of dweebs.”

“Hey, lay off Gilda,” snapped Rainbow. “We’re not in the mood.”

“Too bad, because you’re gonna listen to what I have to say. We won! What have we got to feel sad about?!” She grinned fiercely. “We got Dusk back, those two punks were sent packing and Samore’s safe with your princesses! We should be celebrating! Osteo and Grace? I’ll bet they’d like nothing more than to think of us all being sorry for ourselves and worn down. So we show them that’s a load of crap. You guys are always going on about the magic of friendship, so come on! Let’s do this!”

Just like a switch had been flipped, the atmosphere was lifted. Even Dusk couldn’t deny the surge of energy he felt at seeing Gilda’s face and hearing her speech.

“Yeah… yeah, you’re right!” Rainbow’s grin matched hers. “We saved our friend and you got your job to help done! With a little help, of course.”

“Quite so,” said Dusk. “We’re already here and we’ve already paid for the two days. It’d be a shame to waste that.”

“Plus our costumes! No way am I missing the chance to show them off,” added Spike. “I mean, we’re going to have to get something for Gilda but what’s a convention without a last minute crunch the night before? I actually brought along a costume repair kit, just in case. We can cobble something together for her, no problem!”

“I don’t know…” Twilight was frowning. “I mean, I’d like to but…”

“Then what’s the problem?” Gilda crossed over to her. “You know what the problem is? You’re smart, I’ll give you that. But you think way too much.”

“Well, I won’t deny that I- hey, cut it out!” she yelped when Gilda rapped her skull.

“There, see? Doing it again. Come on, Sparkle!” She gripped her shoulders. “It’s just one day, so why not live it up? You can chill all you want when you’re back home, but not before we take a big bite out of tomorrow! Whaddya say?”

“Okay, okay, you’ve convinced me, Gilda.” She wriggled free of her grip and smiled. “You know, when I saw how you behaved, I couldn’t understand how Rainbow had been friends with you. I’m starting to see why now. Thank you.”

“Yeah, well…” Gilda’s face flushed red. “You’re welcome, I guess. Don’t think I’m going soft on you ponies. Just didn’t want to see you all sad for no reason.”

“Well, I’m definitely not sad anymore.” Twilight stood up and put on a deep, raspy voice. “Well my fellow Decepticons! Let us show Balti-Fan-Con just what we can do!”

The five of them cheered and moved with new energy. It would be a close thing, but Dusk had a feeling they’d be able to manage.

“Come on Gilda!” Spike ushered her to the door. “I’ve got what we need in mine and Twilight’s room. We’ll see if we can whip something up for you.”

“Awesome, gonna be going along with dweeb patrol,” she remarked with a smirk. “It’s cool though, I’m sure I can lift up your status.”

“Gee thanks. You guys go on ahead,” said Rainbow. “I wanna talk with Dusk real quick.”

Twilight looked concerned but she didn’t ask and left with Gilda and Spike. Dusk turned to look at his friend.

“So that happened,” she remarked. “You sure you’re okay, dude? We’ve all been through a pretty rough time of it.”

“To say the least. I am a little shaken, I won’t lie. But I’ll be alright,” he said. “What about you?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Just a lot to deal with. The princess, those guys, Gilda…” A pensive expression came to her face. “Dusk, can I ask you something? It’s… it’s about Ray.”

Dusk felt a little surprised, but nodded. He gestured for them to take a seat in the chairs the hotel provided and waited her to sit down.

“What brought this on?” he asked.

“I guess everything with Gilda, just made me think about some stuff. Just… gimme a sec to get the words out?”

Dusk nodded and waited for her to speak.

“Look, I… you know I haven’t been great with… what he told us. I mean… he killed ponies, dude!” She kept her voice at a whisper but Dusk knew she was holding back from yelling. “Like, how do you even deal with that?! I get the whole thing with Wrath and everything but I didn’t think that… you know…”

Dusk nodded in understanding. Even with his perspective and feelings towards Ray, the news had been a lot to take in, for all of them. Most of the others had already accepted and understood the circumstances but still…

The ponies in question had unintentionally killed those Ray considered family in a botched raid. The anger that came as a result fed into the Demon Beast, Wrath. Driven by the demonic manifestation, Ray had taken out his feelings on the would-be thieves.

Rainbow had taken it the worst. She was one of the closest to Ray and had already had her view of him questioned when she learned about Wrath. This had been much worse. In fact, this was the first time she’d actually talked about it since it happened.

“Rainbow, I… I know this isn’t easy. It hasn’t been for any of us,” said Dusk. “I suppose the only way I can think of is… how did you deal with what I did to you as Doom?”

“Oh yeah, fun times,” she remarked sarcastically. “Well, for one thing my wings got better. And I guess… when I saw you, lying there and hooked up to those machines, then what you did when you first woke up… it was hard to hold onto that. You still should have told us, but I get why you didn’t. And seeing you so beaten up and broken, I knew he’d hurt you too. You didn’t ask for any of that. None of us did, with what Discord brought out. That whole thing was messed up.”

“I’m sorry I never told you, but I appreciate that,” said Dusk. “I don’t want to tell you what to do, Rainbow. You’re right to feel as you do. But Ray never asked for the life he’s led either, nor for that monster to be shackled with him. Quite frankly, it’s amazing that Wrath wasn’t fully unleashed when that happened. I don’t think I would have been able to cope. I couldn’t even cope with Doom rattling away in my head for a few months and Ray is about the same age as me.”

“Yeah, I guess,” she murmured. “But it’s not your fault. What happened with Doom, I mean. That guy was bad enough when he came out to play. Can’t imagine what it was like having to literally live with him.”

“And that’s probably how Ray feels about Wrath. He’s a big part of how I was able to reconcile with what happened,” said Dusk. “I’m not saying that you have to go and forgive him or be his friend again. But given all that he’s done for us in the past and that he didn’t even have to tell us about what happened anyway, perhaps don’t judge him too harshly. But it’s up to you in the end, Rainbow.”

“Alright. Thanks, man. I guess…” She sighed and scowled. “Like, I’m the Element of Loyalty. I’m supposed to stick with my friends, right? And I do. I know I’m not always the best, but I’d never leave any of you in the lurch. But it makes me think… do I have to always do that?”

“Not at all,” said Dusk at once. “Somepony once said to me a while ago that I’m more than just my Element of Harmony. I’ve realised that they’re right and it’s not just me. It goes for all of us. Rarity has moments of selfishness, Applejack isn’t always entirely truthful and even Pinkie has her bad days. We’re all just ponies in the end, Rainbow and nopony is perfect. Or griffin, or dragon. But that doesn’t stop us from trying to be the best we can, anyway.”

Rainbow stared at him in the wake of this. Then she chuckled.

“Wow, look at you. When did you get so smart?” she asked, rubbing his head with her hoof.

“I seem to recall that I’ve earned the moniker of ‘egghead’ from you more than once,” he returned, ruffling her mane too.

“Yeah, but it’s a pretty cool thing.” She approached him with a hug. “Seriously, thanks Dusk. That helped, like a lot.”

“Anytime, Rainbow Crash,” he said with a small laugh. “Now, shall we go and equip your Seeker for combat?”

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow’s excitement was very evident. “Time to transform and rise up!”

The Pegasus pony Singer looked around at the gathered ponies. The meet he’d organised for fellow fans looked like it was going well. It was a fairly small gathering, but it was still cool to see even this many turn out. He’d found a couple more Primes, a few more ponies as Autobots like Blaster and Wheeljack. A few Decepticons turned out too, recognising Black Arachnia and Barricade. There was some fun in-character banter going on too.

He was disappointed that the pair he’d seen yesterday were nowhere to be seen. He’d overheard they’d apparently left early the day before after some kind of commotion. He didn’t know the details, but he hoped they were okay.

“Hey Singer!” His brother Brawn approached, still dressed as Ironhide. “We’ve got a photographer here who wants to snap a few pics. Want to get everypony organised?”

“Sounds good to me,” he nodded. “Alright guys, let’s get ready to-!”

“Prime! You thought you could escape us so easily!” a familiar voice cried out. “But now you will be prepared to fall before Starscream’s might!”

He grinned and looked to see the mare from yesterday, back in her uniform and standing alongside the stallion as Soundwave. The cocky smirk she wore was just too perfect.

“Starscream,” he called back, putting on Prime’s voice, “I thought you had learned your lesson. Tell me, have you come to surrender?”

She barked a laugh. “In your pathetic dreams, Prime. It is time to prove Decepticon air superiority! Skywarp, to me!”

A griffin soared from nearby, dressed in the boxy purple and grey of the Seeker subordinate. It looked a little less polished and refined than the other too, but that didn’t seem to get the griffin down.

“Right behind you, Scream!” She slammed a fist into her claw. “You Autobrats ready for a real smackdown?”

“You Seekers are full of hot air!” crowed Comet, their trio’s Bumblebee. “You’re no match for us!”

“On the contrary, scout,” intoned a cold voice.

It came from a dragon, decked out entirely in purple. Instead of a hand, his left hand was a blaster and his face was a single, glowing yellow optic. It swept across the group, looking at them like specimens in a lab.

“You are advised to stand down now, Autobots,” said ‘Shockwave’. “Any battle against us would go against every convention of logic. You cannot win.”

“Affirmative,” intoned ‘Soundwave’. “Ravage, Laserbeak, Ratbat, Rumble, eject. Operation: Annihilation!”

The watching ponies all remarked in amazement as the mini-cons popped out and unfolded, looking ready for a fight.

“The Autobots fight with more than logic, one eye!” retorted Singer’s brother as Ironhide. “Just try it and you’ll find out.”

A deep-chested, mocking laughter came out from behind the ‘Decepticons’. They stepped aside to allow the one making it to take their place at the head.

A purple unicorn mare, decked out in grey armour with a massive cannon on her right foreleg, glared contemptuously at them. A square shaped helmet covered her head and she locked her gaze on Singer. A few of the group’s Decepticons, getting into what was happening, went to stand with their faction, buzzing with excitement.

“Optimus!” she called out with false politeness. “Been well? I hope so. Maybe you’ll stand a chance against me this time.”

“Megatron,” growled Singer. “Is there no end to your treachery?”

“Not as long as there is still life in my spark, Prime!” she retorted. “Long have I waited for this day and now, I can finally see the light leave your eyes!”

“You see, Prime?” shrieked ‘Starscream’. “You cannot hope to stand against the might of-!”

“Starscream, be silent, you fool!” she barked. “When I want your input, I shall ask for it but until I do, hold your tongue or I’ll remove it!”

‘Starscream’ stammered but clamped her mouth shut, glaring at her leader. Next to her, ‘Skywarp’ sniggered.

“Megatron!” Singer called. “Today you will answer for your crimes against Cybertron and Equestria. One shall stand…!”

“And one shall fall: you, Optimus Prime!” she finished. “Decepticons! Attack!”

At her command, ‘Soundwave’ pressed his chest. A familiar guitar riff started and those listening cheered.

You got the touch!
You got the power!

“Autobots, roll out!” Singer cried.

The two groups surged towards each other and Singer vaguely acknowledged camera flashes going off.

“This is such a great day!” he cheered.

“Well that was an awful day,” muttered Grace, polishing the burns off his creation.

“Because of you,” said Osteo. “You allowed our enemies to outwit us.”

“Oh hush. You’re not blameless either,” he retorted.

Osteo nodded. “No, I am not. I believed I had ascertained their purpose. I had, but too late. But a good warrior learns from his failings and uses them to succeed.”

“Well, isn’t that inspiring?”

Osteo lapsed into silence while Grace resumed his polishing. They had managed to escape using the sewer system. Apparently, Osteo had taken the time beforehand to memorise a route from near the theatre to the city’s outskirts prior to the plan just in case. Much as Grace wouldn’t admit it, that was some good thinking.

Even so, their escape had been close. Once Grace had overheard through one of his puppets that the unicorn had summoned royal aid, he’d tried to act to secure the princess. But something had happened and they simply couldn’t afford to stick around.

They only realised after the unicorn and Pegasus engaged them at the convention who they were dealing with. Neither of them had expected to encounter the Elements of Harmony during this, much less the students of the princesses themselves. They’d done their best to work within the situation, of course and there was no changing what had happened. They’d be more prepared next time. A lot of unexpected things had happened…

He remembered what he saw through his puppet’s eyes. That strange build-up of energy and the expansion of that protective barrier. That kind of magic wasn’t branded on just anypony. Whatever that changeling had locked away inside her, it was powerful and if Fallen was planning to harness it…

“Oh yes,” he remarked. “I don’t imagine our illustrious leader will be all too happy about this turn of events.”

“That much is obvious,” agreed Osteo. “I will be prepared to accept what is due for my failure.”

Grace huffed. “You were the foal in school who reminded the teacher when they had homework due and they’d forgotten, weren’t you?”

“It would be pointless to attempt deceiving him. Unless you intend to pass off one of your puppets as our captive,” he said dryly.

“Was that a joke?”

“There is nothing humorous about this.” He started to stand. “We should go. Our master must be informed of what has happened.”

“I suppose we’ll need to face the music,” agreed Grace.

“Indeed. It was still a good fight,” he said. “I look forward to proving my mettle against them again.”

“Yes,” said Grace, taking one last look at his singed creation. “I feel the same way.”

Luna watched the prone changing, floating eerily in the centre of her protective barrier. Still no sign of it lowering or weakening. Even so, she would be safe here in the secure wing of the palace. All that remained was to discuss the matter with her sister, who had been awoken upon the changeling’s arrival.

She secured the door, nodded to the guards and set off. Aside from updating Celestia, she had suspicions of her own. The kind of magic that was protecting Samore could have only been performed by a select few and she had a strong feeling as to whom, especially given what she’d been told not too long ago. She entered her sister’s quarters, noting the presence of a spell on the room that would suppress all sound that might leave it.

To anypony else, Celestia’s expression was her usual mask of gentle reassurance. But Luna could see the little things. The lack of even a polite smile. The slight narrowing of her eyes. Her sister evidently had a great deal on her mind, more than usual.

“Have we confirmed her identity?” asked Luna.

Celestia nodded. “It’s her. Princess Samore of the Swarm. Ambassador Parlix, the current acting head of their colony, has already been informed. I’ve assured him she is secure but that she has suffered great injury and is being cared for her, meaning she can’t be moved.”

“Did they believe you?”

“He did, though I can’t speak for the entirety of their court. Parlix has insisted on a personal visit to verify and I’ve granted that to him, provided certain provisions are agreed to. I’ll be going over them in greater detail tomorrow.”

“That should be reasonable, given what happened the last time changelings were in this city,” said Luna. “According to my student and his friends, she was being pursued by associates of Fallen Soul. The unicorn is Ligne Grace, formerly a travelling performer last seen in Trotdon on Hearth’s Warming. He is apparently the lead suspect in a number of missing pony’s cases, but there is nothing solid connecting to him other than circumstance.”

“I don’t know the name, I’m afraid. And the other?”

“An earth pony identified as Osteo. So far, we’ve been unable to match his name or description to any known ponies but we will keep trying.”

“A curious pair he has brought to him, though I doubt it’s just them.” She crossed to her balcony. “Even so, it’s more than we knew before and when the princess awakes, we will hopefully learn more.”

“Indeed.” Luna went out to join her. “The ward that is protecting her is far from common magic. It is itself changeling in origin, yet there is something more to it I cannot put my hoof on it.”

“I see,” murmured Celestia. “Chrysalis evidently went to great lengths to protect her daughter.”

Luna quirked an eyebrow. “Yet she seemed ready to trade her away for personal gain.”

“Perhaps this was her way of offering some kind of protection for her,” said Celestia. “It is a twisted kind of love, but one that can’t be put past her.”

Luna remained silent. She wanted to press for more, though she couldn’t help but was reluctant. She knew that her sister was aware of what she was thinking, about Samore’s nature. That the ward may not be to keep others out, but something else in.

But it went unspoken. For now, at least.

“Events are moving fast, sister,” Celestia continued. “Far faster than I had anticipated. I think that, perhaps, the time has come.”

There was a flash of yellow magic and a book appeared before them. One with a dark cover and frayed, ancient pages. A familiar symbol was on it, a small gathering of stars with swirls of magic curled around them.

“Do you believe she is ready?” asked Luna.

“As ready as she will ever be,” answered Celestia. “I have every faith in my student and those closest to her. Do you not?”

“I do, but even so…” Luna frowned. “Are you certain there is no way we can involve ourselves?”

Celestia’s expression was firm, yet regretful. “It wouldn’t be much of a test if she had help from either of us. We can only watch and wait, whatever the outcome may be.”

Much as she didn’t want to, Luna had to agree. Even so, her heart went out to Twilight, Dusk and those they knew. She knew the significance of what lay in those pages, yet it remained inert when either she or Celestia had tried to use it. Perhaps they would see something they hadn’t.

That was her sincere hope, at any rate.

The two royal sisters gazed out over the balcony, as still and eternal as the mountains upon which their city was built.

The Light Dims

View Online

Dusk stirred as the morning rays of Celestia’s sun began to poke through his curtains. He blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to waking at the start of a new day.

He lay in bed for a few more minutes before resolving, reluctantly, that it was time to get up. He pulled the covers off his bed with his magic and stretched. Shaking his head a few times to clear it, he walked over to the window.

Opening the curtains, he could see signs of life in the streets outside. Other ponies at their windows. A few others already in the streets. The blue sky was frayed by patches of cloud but it looked like it was going to be a good day.

Just another day in the city of Canterlot.

Dusk frowned. Something about that didn’t sound right. But he couldn’t say exactly what. It was just a… a feeling.

“Just another day in Canterlot,” he said out loud.

Nothing that time. He took a moment, shrugged and moved to his bathroom.

He splashed some water on his face and ran a comb through his mane. It was only partly successful in taming it, but it was how he liked it. His vision was still a little off though. Perhaps if he put on his glasses.

He paused again. Where had that come from? He’d never needed glasses. His vision was fine. He must still be feeling groggy. It was early, after all.

He took a step back to look himself over. He gave himself a shake to make his fur look a little less matted. Did he need a shower? No, he had one the night before, it was fine. His eyes roamed down to his cutie mark. An unrolled scroll, signifying…

Dusk did a double take. That wasn’t his cutie mark! His cutie mark was… was…

No, what was he thinking? Of course this was his cutie mark! What else would it be? It wasn’t like he had any other ones. So why had he thought that…?

He rubbed his temples. This was turning out to be a strange morning, it seemed. Had he hit his head during the night or something? He was tempted to back to bed, take it easy for the day. But he resolved not to. After all, he had something of a personal mission today. The same one he had every day and had never followed through. But today would be different.

Fitting, really, given that the longest day of the year was on the horizon. Right at the time of the Summer Sun… Celebration…

Once again, he had that feeling. It was accompanied by a slight pang in his head. He glanced his reflection in in the mirror and froze. For a brief instant, he could have sworn that his cutie mark had… changed?

But then he blinked and it was as it should be, though that pang in his head lingered. He rubbed his temples again. He just had to stop dwelling on these random thoughts. They clearly weren’t doing him any good. Maybe once he got started, had some food in him then he’d start to feel better. He quickly brushed his teeth and set off for the door, reaching out for his hat with his magic.

No, no he didn’t own a hat. He’d never owned a hat and even then, why would he consider wearing a hat like that? Did he feel some ridiculous need to stand out, to look different or had he convinced himself that it was stylish somehow? Well, it wasn’t. It wasn’t suited to him and nopony would think he was interesting just because…

He shook his head again. Don’t dwell on the thoughts, he told himself. Just focus on the day ahead.

Making his way through the school corridors, he headed towards the cafeteria for some breakfast. He could feel his stomach growling at the thought. Perhaps Spike would be preparing some of his renowned hay bacon, with a side of fried…

No, he didn’t know anyone called Spike. He didn’t have any friends, he’d never had any friends. He growled through gritted teeth and shook his head furiously. A couple of other students looked at him curiously and he hurried off, his cheeks warm.

He did get himself some eggs and hay bacon, trying to ignore the random thoughts that these weren’t as good as Spike’s. There was no such person and if there was, he didn’t know them. He wolfed down his food and hurriedly put away his plate, heading off for his next destination. The library. For one thing, he had an assignment he needed to complete and for another… it was for a chance at seeing her…

She rarely came to the main library, of course. She had her own private suite, complete with a personal library. But every now and again, she’d come to the main one if she didn’t have a book in the collection the Princess gave her. That was how he’d met her, when she asked him to borrow the book he was reading. Of all the ponies in the world, he felt like she was his only chance at friendship. That was why, today, he was going to talk to… to…

He yelped as the most painful ache in his head hit him. But he had talked to her. She was his friend! More than that, she was his marefriend! And it wasn’t just her. He had other friends too, so many of them. So why was he thinking like this? Why did he believe that he didn’t?

More to the point, had he really done this for ten years? Just waited in the library, watching and waiting for a pony he barely even knew in the hope of talking to her? Watching her from afar, building up this idea of her in his head? Shame and disgust wallowed in Dusk. How had he not realised just how… how creepy that was! Ray was right, how had he not…?

But who was Ray? He didn’t know anypony called Ray! He didn’t have any friends, he’d never spoken to Twilight Sparkle in his life! But maybe one day he would, today he would and then everything would be… would be…

“Agh, what is wrong with me?!” he yelled. “I can’t focus, I can’t… I can’t think!”

“Um, are you okay?”

Dusk looked up. A pair of mares had approached him. The one speaking, with green fur, looked concerned. Her dark pink friend looked somewhat irritated.

“I’m… I’m uh…” Dusk didn’t know what to say. Ponies didn’t talk to him. He wasn’t interesting, wasn’t special. But that wasn’t true. “I’m sorry, I uh…”

“Why are we doing this?” the dark pink mare asked. “Come on, you know this guy just keeps to himself. I say we let him.”

“But he’s not looking well,” said the green mare. “We should at least take him to see the nurse. Do you need help there, sir?”

“I… I might do, Mirror,” Dusk murmured. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s-“

“How do you know her name?” snapped the dark pink one. “Something you want to tell us, mister?”

Dusk was taken aback. “I-I don’t know, Prim but I… wait, your name is Prim Proper, isn’t it? And Mirror Shine?”

The two mares were staring in shock that he was feeling. How did he know their names? He’d never said a word to these mares in his life! Did they share some classes? Had he heard them then?

“Have… have we met before?” asked Mirror. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t remember your name. What was it again?”

“I-It’s Dusk,” he said absently. “And we have. At the… at the Grand Galloping Gala, just this year. I think… yes, that was it.”

“What are you talking about? This year’s Gala isn’t for months!” Prim glared suspiciously at him. “Maybe you’re right, Mirror but whatever’s wrong with this guy, I think he needs more than a nurse.”

“Prim, don’t be like that! He’s obviously just confused. Look, Dusk right?” she asked. “Do you want to come with us? Maybe we can help you.”

“Mirror, you can’t be serious! This guy’s obviously not right in the head or he’s some weird stalker! Is that it, Dusk?” She rounded on him. “Have you been following us?”

“No, no, that isn’t…!” He winced as his head hurt again. “I-I’m sorry, I need to go.”

He galloped between them, ignoring their calls until he was out of sight. His head was hurting even more than ever. Where were all these thoughts coming from? Names of ponies he’d never spoken to, events that hadn’t happened yet, memories that were his and yet weren’t. This wasn’t… it wasn’t right!

He looked around, seeing his reflection again in a nearby window. But it was different. He had glasses on and a trilby hat on his head. He internally cringed at the latter. What was he thinking, wearing that stupid looking thing? He didn’t look cool, he looked like he was trying to be cool and failing miserably. He almost wanted to reach out and slap the reflection

But then there was his cutie mark. It wasn’t the scroll he always had. It was a collection of different coloured tear drop-shapes arranged in a circle around a blue orb at its centre. The orb was the same colour as his fur. The others… he didn’t know what their significance was, yet he felt like there had to be some reason for it.

When he looked back at his flank, his cutie mark was still his scroll. He looked at his reflection again. He blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes and closed them for a few seconds. It didn’t make a difference. It was still there, staring back at him.

“Am I… am I going insane?” he murmured to himself. “I mean, I’m talking to myself for one thing. First sign of madness. But… but what is this? Why is this happening?”

He took a few breaths to try and calm himself, then paused to think. There had to be a reason for this. Perhaps somepony was conducting some elaborate prank? But who? Who even knew him at all to try that? Who cared enough? Nopony, that was who.

He let some of those thoughts come back. There were the things to do with his appearance, but was that just him? He looked around and saw another mare with green fur. This wasn’t Mirror, she was different. She had a lyre cutie mark and seemed friendly enough.

“Excuse me?” He waved her over. “Sorry to bother you, but can I ask for your help?”

“Uh, sure.” She looked a little perplexed at being called out by a random stallion and he couldn’t blame her. “What do you need?”

“This may sound odd, but do you notice anything about my reflection?”

“You’re right, that does sound odd. But let me see.” The mare smiled patiently and looked from him to his reflection. “Uh… I’m sorry, what am I meant to be seeing?”

“You mean you don’t see anything?” he asked her. “Nothing out of the ordinary?”

She shook her head. “Nope, sorry. I mean, if you want feedback, I’d say your mane could do with a comb but I don’t think that’s what you mean.”

“No, it isn’t though you are right,” he agreed. “It’s fine. Thank you, Lyra.”

“No problem. Wait…” She frowned at him. “Do we know each other?”

Dusk felt his stomach drop. He’d done it again. His heart beat against his chest as he tried to think of an appropriate response.

“I uh… I think we’re in the same class,” he said quickly. “Anyway, thank you for your help, bye!”

He hurried off again, not looking back until he was around a corner and out of sight. He could feel Lyra’s stare while he ran. Again, how did he know who she was? He hoped that she wouldn’t think he was some kind of creep like Prim did, though he wouldn’t blame her if she did think so.

He stopped again in one of the courtyards. A decorative fountain was set in the middle. He cautiously approached it, hoping that his reflection was back to as it should be. But it wasn’t and he slapped the water’s surface in frustration. It did nothing to change it.

So, to recap. He had knowledge of ponies he’d never spoken to and didn’t know who he was. Memories he was certain hadn’t actually happened, even though he could remember them. His reflection was different to what he actually looked like and only he could see it. Not exactly a convincing case for him not going crazy. Still, there had to be something…

What was today? The eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, of course. Something about the day stirred something in the memories that weren’t his and yet they were. Something of great personal significance to him. A name and a face came to his mind, unbidden like the others but he focused on it now.

His eyes snapped open. Of course! Princess Celestia! If there was anypony in Equestria who could help him now, it was her. But he couldn’t just go up to her, just like that. She was the Princess and it was the day before the Summer Sun Celebration. She’d be busy with preparations, no doubt. He didn’t even know where to find her…

A glow got his attention and he yelped. Unconsciously, he had weaved a colour puppet in her image. He looked around and thankfully, nopony saw it. He started to make it go away, when it did something… odd. It moved, of its own accord. It cantered silently in the air, pausing to look back at him.

Dusk stared openly. Now, on top of everything else, his magic was acting up. Worse, it was the kind he wanted to keep hidden. Nopony could see him use this. What would they think of such an oddity? Yet at the same time…

“Do you… do you want me to follow you?”

He felt stupid asking. The puppets had no will of their own and they couldn’t speak. Yet this one remained where it was, looking at him without eyes. This had happened when he wanted to find the Princess. Perhaps this was somehow leading him to her?

“Alright,” he said. “I suppose a bit of oddity is a small price to pay, given the circumstances. Once more unto the breach!”

He cringed again. Quoting Shakesmare? Really? No wonder he didn’t have any friends, if he was this pretentious. Maybe that’s what his reflection was, having devolved into some sort of sad hipster who quoted things he’d read and wore glasses and a hat because he thought it made himself sound and look clever. His cutie mark looked rather artsy too so maybe…

All the more reason to get to the bottom of this, he thought. He followed the puppet and it went on ahead of him, leading the way. Every now and again, it paused for him to catch up. It got some looks and exclamations from those it passed, but Dusk ignored them.

It led him to the base of one of Canterlot’s towers. He was so intent on following it that he didn’t see the guards at the entrance until they were ordering him to stop. In a split second, he had to choose between trying to explain himself or following his puppet. He went for the latter. He had just reached the top of the stairs and glimpsed Celestia on the balcony in front of him when another guard blocked his path.

“Alright, that’s far enough.” He wore the purple finish and plume of the Captain. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but this area is off-limits.”

“Sir, please, I need to speak to the Princess,” he begged. “It’s a matter of great importance.”

“You and almost everypony else in Canterlot. I’m sorry, but her highness is very busy right now so if you’ll come with me…”

“Shining Armour, please, I need to see her!”

The Captain, Shining, stared. “How do you know my name?”

“I… I, uh…” Just as Dusk started cursing his strange condition, it revealed something new. “I-I know your sister! I go to the s-same school, actually.”

“Really?” Shining looked sceptically at him. “Funny, she’s not usually the sort for making friends and I’ve never heard her mention a stallion like you.”

“Now, now, Shining,” said a gentle, patient voice. “If this little pony is familiar with Twilight and attends my school, I think I can spare a bit of time for one of my other students.”

“As you wish, your highness.” He stood aside. “Go ahead, but I’ll be watching you.”

Dusk inclined his head and went out onto the balcony. There she stood. He’d seen her at the school, of course, but never in one of his lessons. He never realised how tall she was, how gracious her smile and how radiant her mane. It was odd to think of her, wolfing down cake and playing Pin the Tail on the…

He blinked a few times and shook his head. That was the last thing he needed to know. Doing his best to ignore these intrusive thoughts, he sunk into a bow.

“Your highness, thank you. I’m very sorry for disturbing you in this way.”

She raised a hoof. “It’s quite alright. I was rather intrigued when I turned around and I saw myself, or a very distinct version of myself, standing right behind me. Is this magic your doing, Mr…?”

“Dusk! Dusk Noir and i-it is, highness. I’ve been able to do it since I w-was young. Though… it’s never done anything like this before. Except for-“ He clamped a hoof over his mouth, but it was too late.

“Except for what, young one?”

“W-Well…” He gulped. “I-I’m sorry, highness. I w-was mistaken, I’ve never seen my magic do uh, that before.”

“Hmm. Very well,” she said. “It is quite beautiful and I noticed that it stopped before me. Is it some kind of locater spell?”

“Y-Your guess is as good as mine,” said Dusk. “I usually, well, just make them do whatever I want. They’re like um, like puppets. I’ve… I’ve never shown it to anypony in case they thought it was s-strange.”

“That’s a shame, because I think it’s quite remarkable and very impressive.”

Pride welled up within him from the praise, especially concerning who it was coming from.

He inclined his head to her. “Thank you, highness. Y-Your sister said much the same about it.”

“My sister?” She frowned at him. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“O-Oh!” Dusk clamped his hooves over his mouth again. “I-I didn’t… what I mean i-is that… I didn’t-“

“Dusk, if that is intended as a joke, then it’s in very poor taste,” she said in the tone of a mother scolding a child.

“I-I’m so sorry, highness! I didn’t mean to…” He stopped himself. This wasn’t going like he’d hoped. “Actually, that’s part of the reason I wanted to see you. N-Not your sister, I d-don’t even know her. I mean, how could I? She’s trapped in the moon, I couldn’t possibly-“

“You’re rambling, my little pony.” Though her voice was patient, Dusk could tell he wasn’t exactly endearing himself to her. “Please, tell me what troubles you.”

“Y-Yes, your highness.” He took a moment to collect himself. “You see, ever since I woke up this morning, things have been… different.”

“In what way?”

“I’ve… I’ve known things. Things I couldn’t know. N-Names of ponies I don’t know and memories that aren’t mine.”

She nodded slowly. “Like my own sister?”

“Exactly and that’s not all,” he went on. “When I look at my reflection, i-it’s me but not as I should be. My cutie mark is different a-and I’m wearing things I never would and… I don’t know what’s happening.”

“I see.” She considered a moment. “Well, I see only a young stallion with no accessories and the cutie mark of a scroll. Is that not what you see?”

“Not when I look in a mirror, no a-and I seem to be the only one who can see it.” He blinked rapidly and laughed awkwardly. “I-I know how that sounds, I know but uh… that’s just how it is. Is there… is there something wrong with me?”

“I wouldn’t say that, no. Have you spoken to your friends about this? Can they not help you?”

“I… I don’t have any friends, highness,” he said quietly. “Never have, really. Nopony aside from…” He trailed off as another thought struck him. “Your highness, does the name ‘Spike’ mean anything to you?”

“That’s the name of the assistant of my student, Twilight. He’s a baby dragon in her care.” She looked curiously at him. “Is that another name you ‘remembered’, Dusk?”

“I… I think so…”

He let his mind wander. He recalled the presence of a small dragon alongside Twilight. Dusk had definitely never spoken to him. And she was Celestia’s pupil, most students at the school knew that. She was always so wrapped up in her studies. It was why Dusk thought he might have a chance at friendship with her. If she was so devoid of friends, then perhaps…

That was when he realised. It all seemed to come back to her. Spike was her assistant. Celestia was her teacher. Even what was happening to him, it only got really bad when his thoughts turned to her. It was all centred on her. Which meant…

“Twilight Sparkle!” he cried. “I-I need to find Twilight Sparkle!”

Celestia’s eyes widened a fraction. “Do you? What is your interest in her?”

“She’s the key to all this, she has to be. Whatever’s wrong with me, she can help fix it,” he said more to himself than to her. “I should have known sooner. Given all the time I’ve known her, of course she would be.”

“Indeed?” Her eyes flickered briefly behind Dusk. “I don’t mean to be rude, but she’s never mentioned you to me.”

“Well, I don’t really know her. Sh-She asked to lend a book from me a long time ago and ever since, I’ve always hoped that I… that we might…” He rubbed the back of his head. “I-It sounds silly, I know.”

“That’s one word for it.”

“I’ve just never had the courage to speak with her. I always w-wanted to, but I’d lose my nerve, every time. One day, I always told myself, one day I will but I never did.” He laughed again. “Now, it looks like I’ll have to!”

“So it does.”

“I just don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner. But I do now! After watching and waiting for so many years, why wouldn’t it be her? It’s so obvious!”

“You mean to say,” said Celestia, in a slow, cautious voice, “that you have been watching my student from afar, without ever really speaking to her, for years?”

Dusk turned slowly to see her with growing suspicion in her eyes. He could hear the guards behind her shifting into position, closing in on him. Had they been what she was looking at? Shining Armour especially looked ready for a fight.

“I um…” He backed up slowly. “I-I realise that sounds uh, bad. But trust me, it isn’t. Please, your highness, you have to believe me.”

“I do, Dusk. I do believe that you need help.” She approached him too, that patient smile back again. “I would like you to come with me and we’ll get you the help you need.”

“No, no, please. Please, you don’t understand!” He looked to see the guards getting closer, the Captain glaring. “It isn’t what you think, I swear!”

“What, that you’re stalking my sister because of some obsession you have with her? Because to me, that’s exactly what it does sound like,” growled Shining from behind him. “I had a feeling about you and it looks like I was right.”

“Now, Captain. We just need to remain calm and all will be well,” said Celestia slowly. “Dusk, it’s alright. I can help you, I promise. But you need to come with-“

“No! No, you don’t believe me!” cried Dusk, edging towards the balcony limit. “You think I’m crazy, but I’m not! I just have to… I have to get to her!”

“Dusk, wait!”

“Grab him!”

Without thinking, he summoned an orb of colour and ran. It exploded in a flash of light, blinding those surrounding him and he jumped off the balcony. A balcony that was several stories up and with nothing to break his fall. He screamed, almost hoping for a Pegasus guard to grab him.

Then he landed on something soft. He dared to open his eyes. It was a… a cloud of some kind. But not a normal cloud. It looked like it was made from his magic. The same magic he used to make his colour puppets. But how was that possible? He couldn’t do anything like this.

But there was no time for that. He could hear Shining barking orders from above. He had to get away. He jumped off his cloud to the ground and ran. He could already hear the thundering of hooves pursuing him. There was no way he could outrun them! He was already feeling worn out.

The colours came again, this time around his hooves. They flashed bright pink and suddenly he was bouncing in the air. He waved his legs frantically as he came down, only to bounce off again. How bizarre he must look, springing over rooftops and towers this way.

He came down in an alleyway, panting and wheezing. He turned to run, but there were more guards coming. More from the other end. He couldn’t keep running, he had to hide! But there was nowhere here except a couple of trash cans and of course they’d find him there. What could he do?

A wave of cold swept over him and his vision darkened. Now on top of everything else, he was going blind! The guards were coming into the alley. They’d spot him and it would all be over. He cowered, hoping they wouldn’t hurt him badly.

“Where is he?” one yelled. “I saw him come down here. Did you see him leave?”

“No, nothing,” replied his fellow from the other end. “He has to be here, there’s no way he could have left without us seeing him.”

As they searched the nearby cans, Dusk was confused. They should have seen him. He was pressed against the alley wall, feet from them. How could they not? He looked down at himself and had to hold in a gasp.

His body was completely consumed in shadow. So much so that unless they knew where to look, they wouldn’t see him. They combed the alleyway in search of him, yet none of them ever raised the alarm or had their eyes settle on him.

“He must have given us the slip,” said one of the guards. “Spread out and search. He can’t have gone far.”

The others galloped off. Dusk waited until they were gone, then stepped out of the shadow. He looked back at the patch where he’d hidden, then at his horn. How had he done that? And all those things with his colours before? Was this in connection to everything else happening to him too? Well, whatever it was, he could use this to his advantage.

Using his colours and the shadows, Dusk managed to slip through Canterlot whilst escaping the notice of the guards. Being hunted like a criminal certainly wasn’t what he had in mind for today, but he just had to deal with it. Once he found Twilight, she’d be able to help him and then this whole thing would all be over.

By the time he got to the station in the lower town, he was worn out from so much use of his magic. There was no sign of any guards at the doors. Maybe word hadn’t reached them here and they were still combing the upper town. Time to move before that changed. Luckily, a train to Ponyville was just about to depart and he asked the stationmaster for a ticket.

“Two bits there, sir.”

Bits. He patted himself down and realised with a start that he didn’t have any bits! He hadn’t bothered to bring any from his room and he couldn’t go back to the school now, not after his display with Celestia. What was he going to do?

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t have any money. But you have to let me on the train, I need to be in Ponyville!” he begged.

The stationmaster was unmoved. “Sorry, sir. No money, no ticket. Now kindly step back, we’re about to head off.”

“No, wait, please!”

Dusk racked his brain. What could he do? He couldn’t just barge past, he’d be thrown off and nopony would just give him money. If only he could convince the stationmaster to… let him on board…

Another one of those unfamiliar, yet familiar thoughts came into his mind. With it came knowledge he didn’t know he had. A unique aspect of his magic. He reached into it and when he spoke again, his voice carried a different quality to it.

“It would be best if you let me on the train.”

When he did, a small sliver of colour crept from his horn and into the stationmaster’s eyes. His expression shifted from stern to vacant.

“Yes, of course,” he murmured. “Please come aboard.”

He printed him a ticket and handed it to Dusk, though the movement was almost mechanical. Heading to the nearest car, he took a seat and examined the ticket.

So he could influence the minds of others as well. Like in that one story he’d read about an order of sorcerers with glowing swords. Part of him felt a little ashamed at having to do so, but it was necessary. He didn’t know what effect it would have and it’s not like he’d be doing it again. He just had to get to Ponyville.

He looked out the window, flinching at the slightly different reflection looking back. Why was this happening to him? He’d never caused anypony any trouble, never done anything wrong. He’d kept his head down, done what was expected of him, never been a bother. So why him? Why now? It had done nothing but cause him trouble. The sooner it was sorted out, the better. Then he could just fade back into the background and nopony would care. As it should be…

Annoyance flared in him. Had he always been so self-deprecating and never done anything about it? Wandering through life, with miserable clouds hanging over his head and waiting for somepony else to come and save him from his own despair? Never bothering to do anything to improve himself or make himself more approachable, but hoping that just passively waiting would be enough for somepony to come along and magically make everything better.

And yet again, he wondered why he had no friends. Still, that would change soon. Once he found Twilight, he could clear this up and then he could make things better. As if on cue, the conductor announced they were arriving in Ponyville.

He noted that the sun was setting by the time he got off the train. Now all he had to do was find one mare in a town he’d never been to, surrounded by ponies he didn’t know.

Except he did know them. Names and faces flashed in his mind again. Bon-Bon, Lyra’s marefriend. The flower sisters Daisy, Rose and Junebug. Derpy Hooves and her remarkably resilient rear-end. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Big Macintosh, Zecora, Mayor Mare, Gentle Dream, Nightfall, Shimmer-

“Stop it, stop it, stop it!” he yelled. “Whatever this is, please just stop!”

He managed to ground himself, ignore the flood of things that weren’t and became aware of just how this must look. Ponies were giving him odd looks. He tried to laugh and shrug before hurrying off, out of sight. What a great first impression. But he couldn’t worry about that now. He needed to find Twilight.

He racked his brain again, willing for more of this mysterious knowledge to come forth. It did in little bursts. She had come to Ponyville, at Celestia’s instruction to oversee preparations for the Celebration. The day itself was almost over which meant she’d be at the…

In his mind, he saw it. A library built into a tree! The Golden Oaks Library! Once again, it was so obvious! He sprinted back into town, casting his eyes about. It didn’t take him long to find it. As he approached, he could hear sounds of a large group of ponies inside. A party of some kind.

A party he hadn’t been invited to and didn’t know anypony at. Plus, it wouldn’t do well to draw unnecessary attention to himself as a gate crasher. Some of those at the party may have seen him at the station and he’d never get near Twilight.

He took a moment to think. Like him, she wasn’t very sociable and he couldn’t imagine her being in the party with everypony else. She’d be by herself somewhere, away from all the noise. Upstairs perhaps?

Making another white-coloured cloud, he floated up to one of the higher windows. He could make out shelves of books, a bed on one of the upper parts and rested on it…

It was her. She had a pillow covering her ears and looked very annoyed. Apprehension welled within him. He’d been nervous about speaking to her at the best of times. Now, he was going to have to try when she was evidently irritated. But he had no choice. It was the only way.

He gently pushed open the window, which fortunately wasn’t locked, and slipped inside after closing it behind him. She hadn’t seemed to notice, due to both the pillow and the noise downstairs. He crept up, heart pounding in his ears and sweat beading on his forehead.

“E-Excuse me?” he said gently. She didn’t look around. He nudged her with his hoof. “Um, Twilight Sparkle?”

“I already told you, I don’t want to join the- AGH!” She jumped when she saw Dusk. “What are you doing, getting that close?!”

“Sorry, sorry!” he said quickly. “I-I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“It’s fine.” She let out a sigh. “Look, I appreciate the effort the townsfolk have put into this… party. But I’ve had a busy day, I’ve got a lot on my mind and I just want to try and get some rest. You can go and enjoy yourself, it’s fine.”

“I’m uh, not actually from Ponyville,” he replied. “I-I actually came here from Canterlot. To uh… to find you.”

She tilted her head. “You did? Why?”

A sudden surge of memories that weren’t his own started to stream in. Sitting down to breakfast with her. Helping her in the library. Going for walks around the town. Reading and studying together. Laying together on a couch, hugging her, kissing her-

Kissing?! That couldn’t be right. None of those things could be right! But then again… could they? Was it really so farfetched to hope? He was already talking to her, that’s more than he hoped he’d achieve. He just had to not say anything weird or anything he shouldn’t know about and it would all be fine.

“Uh, hello? Is something the matter?”

“N-Nothing, it’s fine.” He took a moment to focus himself. “Sorry, Miss Sparkle. M-My name is Dusk Noir and I… I need your help. You might be the only one who can.”

He felt a strange flutter in his chest when he called her ‘Miss Sparkle’. He was only being polite, why should he feel that? Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Really? And uh,” she said, getting off the bed as she did, “what is it that you need… help with, Mr Noir?”

“J-Just Dusk is fine and… well, it’s rather difficult to explain.” He followed her down the stairs to the open area below. “I’ve been having a uh… a very strange day. I-I don’t know the cause of it exactly, but I… I think it’s to do with you.”

“You uh, you don’t say?” She looked a little nervous, though that perhaps wasn’t surprising. He was probably asking a lot of her. “Well, you can tell me all about it. I just need to… to get my assistant! Yes, Spike! Then he can take notes and we’ll um, we’ll see what we can do.”

“Really? Oh thank you, Miss Sparkle!” He grinned whilst ignoring that flutter. “I knew you’d be able to do something!”

“Oh trust me, I’ll be… doing something.” She opened the door and grinned back. “Just wait here, I’ll be back in a sec!”

The door shut before Dusk could say anything else and he heard her trotting quickly downstairs. She must really be keen to help if she was in such a hurry. Not that he would have expected any less, of course.

Not to mention that he’d finally done it! He’d spoken to her! After so many years of losing his nerve and hiding away, he’d done it! It had been so much easier than he thought. Just one step closer to becoming potential friends, in his eyes. He might have gotten off on the wrong hoof with her teacher and her brother, but maybe she could smooth things over with them.

He took a seat to wait and started to peruse through these new memories. Now that he thought about it, a few of the ones before had been concerning events that hadn’t happened. He was somehow familiar with Celestia’s sister, even though she was trapped. He’d somehow met those mares at a Gala that hadn’t taken place yet. He’d read his fair share of science fiction stories. Could they be concerning events of the future, somehow feeding back onto him in the past?

If so, then it seemed he had quite a bit to look forward to. Examining the memories with Twilight, there were other ponies too. A Pegasus with a rainbow mane, another with long locks of pink. An earth pony who was bright pink and another with fur the colour of peach with a Stetson hat. A beautiful unicorn with a styled purple mane. They cropped up frequently in these memories. Could they be friends of Twilight’s and by a lucky extension, himself?

Dusk tapped his hooves in growing excitement. Perhaps he’d suggest this new theory to Twilight and see what she thought. He didn’t know how he’d ended up with these friends, if that’s who they were, but he was eager to find out.

Just when he was starting to think she’d been gone a while, the door opened. But it wasn’t Twilight who entered. It was the baby dragon who accompanied her, looking at Dusk rather oddly.

“Oh hello there,” Dusk greeted. “You must be Spike. Is Twilight on her way? I’m rather keen to get started.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet you are,” he replied, a suspicious edge in his voice.

“What is it? Has something…?”

He trailed off when five other ponies joined him. The ones he’d been seeing with Twilight in those memories. Names started to accompany those faces now, but he kept them to himself. They all had the same looks on their faces as Spike and it was making Dusk feel nervous.

“So this is the guy?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Accordin’ ta Twilight,” said Applejack.

“O-Oh my,” stammered Fluttershy. “He’s… he’s n-not what I thought he’d be.”

“Maybe he’s not so bad?” suggested Pinkie Pie. “We could bring him in, see how he gets along.”

“Looks can deceive,” said Rarity. “And besides, I don’t think that would be appropriate, given the circumstances.”

“I’m… I’m afraid you have me at a loss,” said Dusk. He rose slowly to his hooves. “I-Is there something the matter, ladies?”

“It’s weird,” said Spike. His arms were folded. “Not long ago, Twilight and I got a message from the Princess. About a pony who showed up looking for Twilight and who seemed a little… off. She warned us to keep an eye out and if we saw him or he came looking for Twilight, that he should be handed over to the Royal Guard.”

Dusk’s stomach lurched. He started to wonder how she could have sent a message so quickly, then dispelled that thought. There were much greater concerns. Like the fact he was currently outnumbered six-to-one and that they were closing in on him.

“N-Now please.” He started to back away towards the window. “I… I know this d-doesn’t look good-“

“You’re darn right it doesn’t!” Rainbow zipped behind him, blocking off his access. “You seriously followed her here, all the way from Canterlot? Dude, you’ve got issues.”

“I-It’s not like that!” He scrambled away from her. “I really do need her help, I do!”

“You’re partly right.” Rarity’s horn was glowing. “You need help, but I don’t think Twilight is qualified to provide it.”

“Now simmer down there,” said Applejack, producing a rope. “This don’t have ta get ugly. Jus’ come along with us, there don’t need to be trouble.”

“Yeah, we’re really sorry about this,” said Pinkie. “But you scared our new friend and, well, that isn’t very nice.”

Fluttershy didn’t say anything. She stayed back, hiding behind her mane. They had him surrounded, at least two of them were physically superior to him and he’d never been in a fight in his life. His odds didn’t look good. If they caught him, they’d give him to the guards and he’d spend the rest of his life in a padded room somewhere. He couldn’t let that happen.

That was when he noticed the lights were still off. The room was practically bathed in dark.

“I’m sorry about this.”

“Get him, quick!”

Rainbow’s hooves were inches from him when he slipped into the shadows. But this time felt different. He couldn’t feel his hooves or his legs or anything! But he was still aware of his surroundings. Suddenly, walls didn’t feel like an obstacle and he passed right through the one he’d been pressed against.

He ended the spell, gulping down air and hurrying to his hooves. He dived into the space between two houses, just as he heard the window slam open. He hid in the shadows again and saw Rainbow Dash, glaring into the night.

“Ya see him?” asked Applejack.

“No, it’s too dark!” she reported. “If we get some light out here, we’d stand a better chance!”

“Ain’t no point now,” replied Applejack. “It’s almost time ta watch the sun rise. We’ll head with everypony over ta Town Hall and tell the guards there what happened, they can keep an eye open fer him. No way he’d follow us if we stick with everypony else.”

“Tell Spike to stick close to Twilight too,” said Rainbow. “If I ever see that guy again…”

She flew back inside and a few moments later, the ponies gathered started to file out. He could make out Twilight amongst them but Applejack was right. There was no way he’d be able to approach her now and those other mares were keeping a close watch on their surroundings.

He slipped away down the darkened streets, fighting back frustrated tears. So close! He’d been so close and because he’d been such an idiot before, it was all for nothing. If those visions were of the future, then it wasn’t going to happen anymore. Maybe that was for the best. A pony like him, who crept around libraries whilst being fixated on some random pony, didn’t deserve friendship…

Dusk snapped his head up. He couldn’t just give up. If what he saw really was the future, then he’d managed to make friends despite that. It was just because his head all mixed up with what he was and what he could be that this had happened. There had to be something else he could do, to use this knowledge to his advantage and not end up weirding out other ponies.

He paused to think, delving back into the memories. He had felt a sense of significance about this day in particular. The Summer Sun Celebration. The day when everypony gathered to watch Celestia raise the sun.

Only she wouldn’t. Not this year.

Dusk’s eyes turned to the moon. Stars looked like they were moving towards it and a moment later, the Mare in the Moon vanished. Because this was the longest day in a thousand years, when the stars would aid in her escape. The escape of…

The sound of thunder and lightning met Dusk’s ears. But there wouldn’t have been any storms scheduled for today. He galloped in its direction, just in time to see the doors of Town Hall burst open and what looked like glittering starlight fly from it. It looked a lot like how his colours did when he created them…

He ducked when he saw Rainbow shoot out after it, stopping when it moved too fast for her. Moments later, Twilight came running out in the direction of the library. Rainbow followed her and soon, so did the other four. But Dusk’s eyes turned to look where the starlight had gone. Towards the Everfree Forest.

Memories flashed in his mind again. He’d seen hints of them before, when he’d been with Celestia but they were in full force now. Another alicorn princess, smaller than Celestia with a mane of glittering stars and fur the colour of midnight blue. Luna, the long lost sister of Celestia. Formerly known as Nightmare Moon, the name she took when spite had driven her to bring eternal night to Equestria.

Everypony knew the story, of course. But this was the day (or night rather) when it was proven more than just an old pony tale. It was real and she was here. But it would be okay. Twilight and her friends were the six Elements of Harmony, who would play their part in defeating her…

And so would Dusk.

He could see himself, hidden away at the moment the Elements were used. Somehow, he had a part in this. He needed to be there too. Once he helped them stop Nightmare Moon, then they would see what he did. Then they would help him and everything would be as it was. The future he’d seen would come to pass and he’d have friends!

He set off towards the Forest. He couldn’t tell Twilight and the others now, not with what they thought of him as. Instead, he’d get a head start towards where he knew they would be, get himself into position. Once he did what he had to, the rest would fall into place.

He paused at the entrance to the Forest before setting off slowly inside. A strange place, full of ancient magic and bizarre instances. There was no control over the weather here, no ponies tended the land and yet the Forest ran wild and free. He’d never faced danger like this before.

Only he had. His visions showed him many times when he’d faced danger and overcome it. It showed him fighting. Monsters and ponies who meant him harm. But he hated fighting. The thought of violence was against what he believed in. There was always another way.

Or was that just easier to believe, than accepting that he was just a coward.

Before he could dwell too much on that, he heard voices getting closer. He jumped off the path and into the bushes. Just as he thought, the group of six were on the way. They hadn’t seen him, but he heard snatches of their conversation as they got closer.

“… keep an eye open for that weird stallion,” Rainbow was saying. “Bet you anything he’s involved in this.”

“I’m not sure I follow,” said Rarity.

“Oh come on, you saw what he did at the library! He literally melted into shadows and then suddenly, the Mare of Darkness shows up? He’s probably some kind of spy for her. Maybe he knew Twilight was trying to stop her so he wanted to stop Twilight first!”

“I’m not sure about that,” said Twilight. “But it would be good to be prepared for anything. Stay alert, everypony.”

Dusk waited until they had gone, but remained hidden. Things were worse than he thought. But it would be fine, of course it would. He’d seen the future, after all. How could it not be? As long as he helped to stop her, it would be okay.

But he had to get to where they were going first: the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters to find the Elements of Harmony. They weren’t there, of course, the mares were the Elements but they couldn’t know that yet. From all those stories about time travel he’d read, telling ponies about future events could be disastrous and he’d probably messed things up enough as it was.

Transforming back into shadow, he sped through the forest ahead of them. It wasn’t as taxing as it felt before. In his memories, he’d apparently learned from Luna. Maybe he was stronger because it was night-time? Regardless, he wasn’t complaining.

Then he felt something literally yank him back into physicality. He slid along the ground on his belly, groaning whilst he pushed himself up. What had happened? What could have possibly done…?

“Well now, isn’t this curious?” a voice said behind him. “A pony with an affinity for the dark. How very curious indeed.”

With fur the colour of a starless night, a mane of shimmering smoke and icy armour glinting in the moon’s light, there stood Nightmare Moon. She regarded him with cat-like eyes with mild intrigue. She must have been the one who cancelled his spell.

Dusk considered his options. He wouldn’t stand a chance against her in a fight and if he ran, she’d just catch him. He saw how fast she could move. But he had sparked her interest. Perhaps…

In that moment, he realised this was his chance to use the knowledge he’d been given for something good. Yes, it might mean risking the future but he’d been given these visions for a reason. Maybe he could make a difference. He never believed he could before, but now he could! But he couldn’t tell her he was here to fight her. Perhaps he could trick her instead?

“I-I am, your highness.” He sank into a bow. “I uh… I witnessed your return in Ponyville and I have sought you out to um… to join you! Serve you in the night.”

“Indeed?” A sinister smile worked its way onto her face. “And what would you offer me?”

“A-As you see, I have affinity for the shadows. Not only that, but I…” He considered for a moment, wondering if he was doing the right thing. “I have knowledge of the future.”

“Now, that is an interesting claim,” she remarked. “Tell me then, little pony, what do you see?”

“I uh… I see the mares you follow.” He conjured their images with his magic. “Th-They seek the Elements of Harmony, to bring about your defeat.”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened. “The gift of Fore Sight…”

That name struck another chord in Dusk’s future memories, but he didn’t focus on it now.

“They uh, they’ll find them at the Castle of the Royal Sisters,” he went on. “I-If they use them, they’ll be able to-“

“You little foal!” she yelled. “I am well aware of their mission and their intent. Even if they do reach the Castle, they will not find the Elements there. Not if I destroy them first!”

“But your highness, the Elements aren’t at the Castle. Not yet,” he went on. “They’re travelling there, right now.”

“That… cannot be,” she murmured. “The Elements never left the Castle, I know this. Not unless…”

“Yes, highness. Those mares are the living essence of Harmony.” He showed her their cutie marks. “Their presence, combined with the remnants of the Elements, will be used to bring about the end of your night.”

Nightmare Moon stared at him in silence, watching his ‘vision’ play out in front of her. Dusk crafted it as he saw it in his mind: a blast of rainbow magic consuming Nightmare Moon as she cried out in silent defiance.

“I see,” she said. “But how do I know you are not simply deceiving me? You little light show is impressive, but for all I know, you could be allied with those same ponies and are merely wasting my time while they forge ahead.”

“I-I’m not, your highness! Because I… I…” He waited for something, anything to come forth from his visions. When it did, he blurted it out. “Because I know about the Seventh Element!”

“What?!” Nightmare Moon’s teeth bared in a snarl. “There is no Seventh Element, you foal!”

“But there is! You’re looking for it, you have one of the pieces with you and I… I know where the rest are!” he pressed on. “I have them, in my room at Canterlot. I’ve collected them, n-not realising what they really were but I see it now. Six stones, each with a different colour marked upon them. The one you have i-is the colour of my fur.”

Her horn glowing, she extracted something from her breast plate. A small shard of black stone with a dash of blue in its centre, just as he saw in his mind. She gazed at it for a long while, then back at Dusk. Slowly, that smile returned.

“Very well, my little pony. You have convinced me of your intent and your ability.” She leaned down to look him in the eye. “And what is the name of my new servant, may I ask?”

“D-Dusk Noir, your highness.”

“Then, Dusk Noir, let us go and gather our prize!” She became formless star smoke again, forcing him to adopt the same form when she shot towards him.

In a whirl of wind and darkness, Dusk tried to scream while they sped away. It briefly came into focus. His room in Canterlot and a small collection of stones that decorated his desk. The smoky starlight of Nightmare Moon snatched them up and then they were away again.

Just when Dusk thought he was going to be sick, he became whole again and felt cold stone beneath his hooves. They were amid the ruins of what may have once been a grand castle. Now, it had crumbled away with the passing of time.

“I have them, at last…” Nightmare Moon levitated the seven shards before her and passed them to Dusk. “I leave these with you, my faithful acolyte. Now I must go to try and impede the progress of those mares! See if we can’t eliminate the problem before it becomes one. Sequester yourself away for now and if I have need of you, I shall call on you.”

“As you wish, your highness.”

With one last leer, she became formless and flew off into the night. Dusk let himself grin, looking down at the shards. Of course what he hadn’t told her and which was the key to his plan was the other truth that had been revealed.

He was the Seventh Element, Unity. Now that he had all of the pieces, he only had to wait for Twilight and the others to arrive. He would wait until they were going to use the Elements, make himself known to join them in using their magic and they’d defeat Nightmare Moon together. Then everything would be as it should be. No more hiding, no more running, no more loneliness…

He took a moment to indulge in some of the more pleasant memories that were shown to him. Sharing homemade apple pie with Applejack. Helping make Rainbow Dash’s aerial performances look better with his magic. Enjoying many parties with Pinkie Pie. Caring for animals with Fluttershy. Helping Twilight and becoming closer to her every day, until one day…

It made him smile just to think of it and soon, he would experience it all properly. He wondered how far these memories went ahead until their cut-off point. How many other threats would they be able to stop because of his knowledge of what would happen? And it would be all because of him! He, unimportant, unremarkable Dusk, would become a hero! A hero with friends and so much more besides! He just had to ensure it would happen, which wouldn’t be too long now.

He could make out movement below. They were arriving into a lower part of the Castle, where the other Elements were stored. Or the stone remnants of them anyway. Twilight would try and make them work with her magic, then Nightmare Moon would bring her here. Once she made the realisation of what the Elements were, that’s when Dusk would jump in.

The only slight hitch in his plan was that Nightmare Moon knew what would happen now. Still, it was her arrogance that led to her downfall before and it would do so again. Especially since she didn’t know his role in what was to come. He could just imagine the look on her face! Or remember as the case was.

A midnight whirlwind appeared in the middle of the room, hurling Twilight out of it and leaving Nightmare Moon with the stone versions of the Elements. Hidden away, Dusk watched her charge the Mare of Darkness, teleport past and try to use her magic on the stone orbs. She failed and Nightmare destroyed the orbs, believing the Elements themselves were gone. Until the sounds of the others calling out came up the stairs and Twilight realised the true nature of the Elements.

“… because the spirits of the Elements are right here!” she cried, her friends standing behind her.

He could see the stone fragments start to glow. This was the moment! He stood up, to emerge and take his place among them. Nothing would be able to stop them now!

Until Nightmare Moon cackled anew. The starry smoke whirled around her and bolts of lightning shot out towards the mares. It struck all five of them, sending them flying back. They hit the stone ground and didn’t get back up. The fragments lost their glow.

“What? No, no!” Twilight ran to the nearest, Applejack. “What did you do?!”

“Fret not, little one. They’re not dead. Merely incapacitated. And I’ll soon put them, and you, in a place where you cannot threaten me. Where my sister sent me a thousand years ago!”

“No, you can’t!” cried Twilight. “This isn’t right!”

“Oh, but it is and it’s all thanks to this little stallion.” She looked at Dusk, who had frozen part way coming out of his hiding place. “He told me exactly what would transpire here and has helped ensure that nothing will be able to threaten my rule!”

“What?” She stared at him, eyes wide with hurt. “Y-You? But… why?”

“N-No,” Dusk began shakily. “This isn’t… I didn’t want…”

But it was lost amid Nightmare Moon’s cackling. Her horn flared and the prone forms of the other mares rose up. One by one, they vanished. When Dusk looked up at the moon, they appeared along its circumference. Just as its last prisoner had appeared, only smaller to fit them.

“And there we have it. But now that they are imprisoned, no longer a threat, their fate doesn’t have to be yours,” said Nightmare. “You have a powerful magic, little one. It could be put to great use in the new kingdom I aim to build. Join me, as Dusk here has and we can make this vision a reality!”

The betrayal, the anger in Twilight’s face was more than Dusk could stand. He hadn’t meant for this to happen! He desperately searched the memories that had come to him, trying to find something which might fix this. But there was nothing. There was too much of it and his head hurt to try seeing it all.

“Never!” Twilight yelled. “I’ll never join you! I’m not like him.”

“That is a shame. Very well.” Her horn glowed again. “You have sealed your fate!”

Even as she grimaced from the magic impacting her, Twilight remained defiant until she was gone too. Her image appeared in the moon shortly after. Dusk could only stare in dumbfounded, shocked silence as Nightmare Moon cackled again.

“Yes, it is quite a sight! It’s funny though…” She frowned. “In an odd way, I almost didn’t expect to win. But no matter. All that is left is to find my sister. Once she is gone, nopony will be left to stand in my way! You’ve proven yourself, Dusk Noir. When Celestia has been dealt with, I shall reward you greatly. Now, at long last, the night will last forever!”

Laughing like a maniac and becoming formless starlight once more, Nightmare Moon left Dusk in the ruins of the Castle, the fragments of the Elements at his hooves.

He stared down at them, not fully processing what had happened. She had won. Nightmare Moon had won. The Elements of Harmony were imprisoned. Twilight believed him a traitor. Celestia would be struck down. Equestria would never see the sun rise again.

All because of him.

“No. No, this can’t be,” he murmured. “I-I wanted to help. I was g-going to help! I was going to save the day! I didn’t want this to happen, I didn’t!”

A loud chortling made him turn. He looked to see a truly bizarre creature, made up of several different animals, rolling around in the sky and clutching his stomach.

“Oh my…!” He wiped tears away from eyes of mismatched size. “I knew this was going to be fun to watch, but even I didn’t expect that!”

“What… who are…?” Another memory came to Dusk. One that made him seethe with anger. “Discord.”

His grin widened. “Oh, you remember me? I’m flattered, truly. You’ll have to forgive me if I stare, Dusk. I do believe I’m seeing double.”

He snapped his fingers and a flash of light appeared. When Dusk looked, there was the image he saw reflected in the mirror, made flesh. It was still perfectly copying him like if it was just a reflection, but it was here.

“Of course. It all makes sense now.” He rounded on the draconequus. “You’re the one responsible for all this! Y-You did something to me, put me through all of-“

“I’m going to have to stop you right there,” interrupted Discord. “First of all, hard as it may be to believe, this situation wasn’t of my making. A much different kind of magic has brought about this… Reflection, shall we call it? Secondly, this is the first time you and I have spoken since your little trip started which means that all which has transpired is down to one pony: you.”

“Don’t think you can trick me, Discord!” he retorted. “I know the kind of things you find amusing and this is right up your street, by your own admission!”

Discord stroked his beard. “Well, I won’t deny I may have played a very teensy part. But really, I was a source of help.”

“Help? Help?!” Dusk gestured around. “You call this help?!”

“Indirectly, yes. You see, if you’d remembered everything about what you could have been whilst also trying to exist as you are now, your little head would have gone…” He paused to raise a balloon and make it pop with the sound of a chicken clucking. “I served to confine the information to what I felt might be relevant to you at the time, to see what you would do. I can’t say I’m disappointed with the results. You literally doomed the whole world! Brilliant!”

“What? No, this… this isn’t my fault,” argued Dusk. “Nightmare Moon did this.”

“Oh she was the instigator certainly, but as I recall, you were the one who told her exactly what to expect. You ensured that your former friends would never accept you by their side and you made yourself a wanted pony, in front of Celestia no less!” Discord chortled again. “Oh I wish I had a camera! Oh wait!”

One appeared in his hands and he snapped a picture. When it printed out, Dusk saw his startled face in one of those seaside attractions ponies stuck their heads into for a novelty photo. It was for a mare in a frilly swimsuit. Dusk batted it away and pointed accusingly at Discord.

“But you trapped me in here! Y-You created this alternate reality, stood back and watched what I’d do.”

“You’re two thirds right.” He held up three fingers and one of them flew off, twittering like a bird. “Once again, I didn’t create this little fantasy. I just happened upon it while you were in your current state and decided it would be fun to see what was going on. Aside from nudging you along a bit, all of this is on you, Dusky. Congratulations!”

Another flash and Discord was shaking his hoof while an audience made up entirely of Discords cheered and clapped. Dusk held a trophy, along with a sash which read ‘I doomed the world.’ He swatted away Discord’s claw and threw away the trappings.

“You really expect me to believe you have nothing to do this?”

“Believe whatever you want,” shrugged Discord. “It doesn’t change the result of what happened.”

“Well, there’s one thing you can’t argue. If you created this, you have the power to undo it,” he said. “You can’t just leave it like this.”

Discord rolled his eyes. “Oh, here we go again. Relying on somepony else to fix the big things and the problems he’s made for himself. Classic Dusk, right there.”

“I’m doing nothing of the sort! I’ve never done that!”

“Oh really?” His knowing smirk returned. “You know, after I was freed again, I decided to really take a look into you. Why you? What made you so special? What kind of pony managed to propel himself to such heights? I have to say, I was a little let down.”

Dusk frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s take your earliest days, for example. Back when you totally weren’t stalking Twilight for ten years in Canterlot. Honestly, the choice of headwear was quite appropriate in that respect.” He waved a couple of red flags in his hands before snaking around Dusk’s shoulder. “Did you ever pluck up the nerve to speak to Twilight yourself? Nope. Did you ever have the courage to show off your fancy magic? Not even a little. Instead, you were quite content to loaf around, feeling sorry for yourself and in the end, our dear Celestia had to push you out the door. And I thought my old college roomie was passive. Yes, I know it was your cheese, Gerry! How about you come and say something, not leave little notes everywhere?!”

“What? No, that isn’t… I didn’t…”

“And then, the moment anything got the slightest bit challenging, you ran away. More than once, as it happened. Didn’t somepony coin the phrase ‘doing a Dusk’ at one point? That has to be awkward,” he remarked.

“But I… I came back, I didn’t…”

“Only because somepony else had to come and help pick you back up again. No self-determination, no real drive, just happily waiting for somepony else to fix the problem. Oh and then we come to the biggest thing of all. Your whole deal as the Seventh Element, because that’s never been done before,” he said with a pointed look off into the distance.

Dusk was starting to feel a little weak at the knees now, but Discord pressed on.

“I won’t deny I took a certain joy in knowing ol’ Fore Sight went cuckoo in the clock tower, ranting on about the dratted thing and spending the rest of his life looking for it. But then when I found out that not only was it real, but that he’d also written a prophecy about it, I could already hear the words ‘cop-out’ ringing in my ears.” The words literally burst from his ears with bells on. “I mean, a prophecy about a Chosen One, destined to save the day? What kind of sad, unoriginal mind came up with that overused wish fulfilment cliché?”

He looked off somewhere into the distance again. Dusk was about to say something when Discord suddenly snapped back.

“So when I saw you’d been placed back at square one, with knowledge of what was to come, I decided to play the part of a mostly distant observer to see how you’d cope with the power lying solely with you for a change and I hope you’ve realised an important lesson.” He poked Dusk in the head. “You can’t make sense of chaos and there’s nothing more chaotic than the future.”

“But… but I could see it,” he murmured. “I-I knew what was going to happen. What sh-should have happened.”

“Dangerous word, ‘should’. You think that just because you know what will happen, that this makes it so? I’m afraid that particular phrase only ever sounded good from one chap I know.” He suddenly wore a red and black tunic with some kind of triangle symbol on the lapel. “You’d need to lose more of your mane first before you tried it.”

“Discord, please. I… I don’t understand.”

“No, you never did and you were a fool to think otherwise. Just because you had such things like destiny and fate handed to you, that it would all just work itself out?” He leaned right into Dusk’s face. “In the real world, ponies don’t have prophecies and princesses to show them the way. They have to make do with what they have, make themselves special by taking control of their lives and charting their own course. You had the chance to see if you could sink or swim and you dropped like a stone, just because you thought it was all for you. Like you’re so special and it’s somepony else’s job to help you or somepony else’s fault if it all goes wrong.”

Dusk wanted to deny what Discord was saying, to throw it back at him and tell him he was wrong. But he couldn’t. His legs finally gave out and he let himself collapse, hanging his head as the sheer weight of the words pressed him down.

“I’ll admit, I was somewhat intrigued when I first found saw you. So much potential to be tapped. But when it really comes down to it, Dusk, there’s just not all that much to you. That’s what I find the most disappointing, honestly.” He walked away, looking back over his shoulder with a neutral expression. “Enjoy your new world, Dusk. After all, it’s thanks to you it exists.”

With a snap of his fingers and a flash of light, Discord left him alone in the darkness of a never-ending night.

Magical Mystery Cure

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“Any change, Ray?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “I’ve been with him since you left, but he isn’t getting any better. Looks like you fixed what was wrong with everypony else though.”

“We did. But Dusk…” Twilight shook her head and looked to her friends. “Come on, everypony. Let’s see what we can do.”

They followed her into Dusk’s home. What had started out as just a normal day in Ponyville had quickly turned strange. It started with Rarity trying to make the weather fit her aesthetic sense and sporting Rainbow’s cutie mark. An investigation led her to discover the same was true for all her friends. Their cutie marks, their destinies, had all been swapped and they were failing miserably at their mismatched talents.

She’d traced the source to a spell she’d received the previous day from Celestia. An incomplete form of magic by Starswirl the Bearded. Like an idiot, she’d read it aloud in the presence of the Elements of Harmony. They had all be switched around too and it had been chaos ever since. Chaos that was all her fault.

But then she remembered, with help from Spike, just how much her friends meant to her. If she couldn’t remind them of who they were, she’d have to trust in how much their friendship meant to one another to help. And it had worked. With a combination of her friends and the Elements, everything was restored to normal.

Everything except Dusk. Ray had him on the couch. He’d tried to put a blanket on him, get him some food and water but he wasn’t taking any of it. He didn’t even seem aware of the world around him.

His eyes were closed and he rolled about fitfully in place, like he was having a nightmare. When they opened, his eyes were a strange mix of shadow and light. Every now and again, he might say somepony’s name or mutter something under his breath. The rest of the time, it was just pained cries and groans. Worse was his cutie mark. It kept changing between his original scroll and his new one that represented his true talent and the Element of Unity.

The silver necklace they had with them wasn’t looking much better. The jewels that made it up kept changing too, randomly shifting between different colours but none of what they should be. The thought that she’d inadvertently put him in such discomfort hurt Twilight more than anything.

But she’d fix it. They would fix it. They had to.

“Ah don’t get it,” said Applejack. “How come it’s affectin’ him so bad? Sure, we were put through the wringer too, but nothin’ like this.”

“Maybe it’s something to do with his Element. It focuses the power of the others, doesn’t it?” Fluttershy tried to hold his hoof, but he yanked it from her grip. “Oh poor Dusk. He looks awful…”

“Exactly. The Element of Magic wasn’t affected because I cast the spell, but it swapped the very essence of your Elements between you all. Dusk though…” She looked at him. “He doesn’t have an equivalent. There’s nopony for him to swap with because Unity acts to bring the others together to perform the magic. Instead, Dusk is alternating between two different destinies. Who he is now and who he might have been.”

“And it can’t make up its mind. Look, there!” Pinkie pointed to his cutie mark which had turned back to his true one. “That’s it, just stay on that and… nope, gone again. Ooh, back again! Aaaand gone again. This is making me dizzy.”

“So we just do what we already did,” said Rainbow. “Talk to him, remind him of who he really is and slap his Element on. Done, right?”

Ray stepped up. “Believe me, I’ve tried everything to snap him out of it. Talking to him, yelling at him, telling him one of my completely-true-and-not-exaggerated tales. I even tried old faithful.” He raised a rusty metal pipe. “Nothing’s worked. The only thing I haven’t tried is kissing him and I didn’t think Twilight would appreciate that.”

“No, I wouldn’t and did you seriously hit my unwell coltfriend with a pipe?!”

“What? I figured it would work!”

“So what do we do?” asked Rarity. “There has to be something we can try. What about the Elements themselves? Perhaps if we tried them together, we can fix whatever the matter is with Unity.”

Twilight nodded. “That was my idea too. I tried using a spell on him earlier, similar to the one I used to get rid of Doom. But it was like something blocked me out. I don’t think he realises he’s even doing it. The only chance we have now is to use the Elements.”

“Then what are we still standin’ around for?” asked Applejack. “Come on, y’all! Our friend needs our help.”

“What about me?” asked Ray. “Is there anything else I can do?”

“You’ve already done enough, Ray. Just stand clear so we don’t hit you. Don’t worry, we’ll handle the rest.”

“Alright, fine. Just…” He looked at Dusk. “Seeing him like this and not being able to do anything…”

“I know. Believe me, I know. But it’ll be okay,” she said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “We’ll bring him back.”

Ray looked down at her hoof, then at her. He nodded silently and stepped aside. Together with the rest of her friends, they gathered around Dusk in a circle. Twilight placed his silver necklace around his neck and the Element seemed to react to their presence. The jewels within it glowed, albeit very faintly and they didn’t stop changing.

With a quick look to her friends, they began to tap into the magic of the Elements. The rainbow stream emerged from the jewels, connecting them all together and streaming into Unity. Then suddenly, Twilight felt her stomach lurch and everything flashed a brilliant white.

The first thing Applejack knew was that she was falling. Now she certainly wasn’t afraid of heights, but like any good earth pony, she liked her hooves on solid ground. The only problem was that she was hurtling towards solid ground faster than she would have liked.

Just as she was about to smack into it, she suddenly stopped. She floated in place for a moment, then gently lowered down. Breathing a sigh of relief and making sure her Stetson hadn’t blown off, she tried to get her bearings.

“Twilight? Ya there?” she called. “Rainbow Dash? Anypony at all?”

There was no answer and that wasn’t the only weird thing. It had been the middle of the day, but now it was suddenly night time. Had something gone wrong with the spell? Where had they all gone and just where in Equestria was she? As she examined her surroundings, that last question was soon answered.

The crumbling, ancient stone. Vines creeping in from the surrounding forest. A fancy plinth with several branches coming off the centre. Applejack knew this place, though it had been a long time since she was last here. On the night her life had changed forever.

“The Castle of the Royal Sisters,” she said to herself. “Now how in tarnation did ah wind up here? Best find the others, then we can sort this whole mess out.”

She might as well check the immediate area. Though they weren’t in this room, she knew the throne room wasn’t far off. It felt strange, running towards those stairs again. Like that feeling of… what was it called? That thing where you felt like something already happened? She made a note to ask Twilight about it later.

She climbed the stairs, memories coming back to her. Arriving here to find the Elements. Twilight getting taken by Nightmare Moon. Following a ghost-like, sparkly version of her to find her again. The realisation of what it had been. Definitely the first in what would be many strange events in the farm pony’s life.

And she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Upon arriving at the top of the stairs, she spotted the form of another pony. A form she recognised, though she hadn’t expected to find him.

“Dusk! There ya are!” She hurried over to him. “You’ve had us worried, sugar cube. Do ya know what’s goin’ on?” He said nothing. “Dusk? Dusk, what’s wrong?”

Still no reply. The stallion’s head was hung, his eyes closed. He was upright and breathing, just clammed up. She also noticed a few things. He wasn’t wearing his hat and his cutie mark was his old one. Unity wasn’t around his neck either, even though they put it on him when they came in here. She remembered what Twilight said, about how he was bouncing back and forth between different versions of himself.

“Dusk?” She moved around to sit in front of him, gently touching his chin with her hoof. “Do ya know who ah am, sugar?”

Now, his eyes opened. There was no light in them, no life. They saw her but that was about it.

“Applejack?” he said quietly. “Y-Yes. I know you. But… you’re trapped. Sh-She put you in the moon.”

He didn’t say this with any surprise, just acknowledging what he felt was a fact. Like it didn’t make much difference either way. Applejack wanted to ask who ‘she’ was but kept it to herself for now.

“Well, ah’m back now,” she said. “Ah’m here ta help ya out, Dusk. Ya look like ya got yerself in a bit of a fix.”

“Oh. I suppose so.” He cast his eyes down again. “I’m sorry you wasted your time. Y-You should go. I’m… I’m not worth saving.”

“Now, how in the world did ya get that idea in yer head?” she asked. “A-course yer worth savin’, Dusk.”

“No, I’m not. I tried, I did but… it all went wrong. I-It’s all my fault. Nightmare Moon won.” He lay down, like he was about to curl up and fall asleep. “You have a chance now. Y-You can stop her. I’d… just get in the way.”

Nightmare Moon. That explained a few things, but she didn’t think the Elements brought them back in time. But maybe that was how Dusk was seeing it. He trained with Luna, including how to move around in dreams. Maybe the spell Twilight used had put him in some kind of super-dream, one they couldn’t just wake him out of. He was literally stuck in his own head.

Applejack’s heart went out to the poor colt. He really was like how he used to be: lacking in confidence. Alone. Kicking himself when he was already down so low, she could plant him in the orchard with the rest of the seeds. Time to bring him back up.

“Ah need you too, Dusk. We all do.” She lay down and lowered her head. “Ya can help us ta stop her.”

He shook his head. “No, I can’t. I’m the reason she won. I can’t do anything. I’m nothing special…”

“Now, who said anythin’ about bein’ special?” she asked. “I want ya with me because yer my friend.”

His ears perked up at that. Slowly, like he didn’t quite believe she was really there or had said that, he looked at her.

“You… You do?”

“Now, I remember when ah firs’ saw a similar look on that face. It was the day we met, remember?” She nudged his leg. “Ya came up ta buy one of my apples. Just as you were headin’ off, ah asked if you were new in town. Ya looked like a rabbit in headlights that somepony’d even ask ya fer the time ah day. Ah thought, right then an’ there, ‘here’s a fella who looks like he could use a friend’. Ya even walked me home when ah asked ya, like a proper gentlecolt.”

“I… I remember,” he murmured.

“Should hope so. Now, yer always sayin’ that a good gentlecolt never leaves a lady unescorted and ah never leave ma friends in a jam, if ah can help it. So come on, sugar cube.” She stood up, offering her hoof. “How ‘bout we fix both them problems?”

He stared at her hoof, then at her. Tentatively, he reached out and took it. Tears were welling in his eyes while she hauled him to his hooves. When she offered him a hug, he gladly took it.

“I’m s-sorry, Applejack.” His shoulders shook as she held him. “I-I’m so, so sorry…”

“Ain’t nothin’ ta be sorry for, sugar. Ah’m here now, it’s alright.” She broke away and smiled at him. “Come on now, dry those eyes. Ah’m gonna need yer help ta find the others. They’re somewhere about, but it’d go a lot quicker with what you can do.”

Dusk blinked. “What… what I can do?”

“Come on, Dusk. All-a yer friends, lost somewhere in the forest and yer the one lookin’. Should feel pretty familiar, shouldn’t it?” she asked with a wink. “Just this time, ah found ya firs’.”

“O-Oh. Oh, of course. Um…” He thought for a moment. “I-I don’t know who we should look for first.”

He looks so lost, Applejack thought. Whatever happened to him while he was in this ‘dream’ must have been pretty rough. Remembering how Twilight had fixed their mismatched destinies, Applejack figured it was best to go with her gut. If Unity worked using all the Elements, they’d need all of the Elements to fix it and its wielder.

“Well, right now sugar, ah’d say yeh could use a lil’ cheerin’ up and who better’n a certain mare we know?” she suggested. “We’ll probably hear ‘fore we see her at any rate.”

That brought out a little smile. He nodded and a glowing form of Pinkie Pie appeared. Immediately, it started to bounce away and they took off after it.

Dusk didn’t say much as they ran and Applejack didn’t press him. For one, having a conversation is pretty hard when you’re galloping full pelt. For another, even though some spark was back in him, it still needed some work. It wasn’t that she didn’t have any confidence in that area, but this had to be a group effort.

The form of Pinkie led them out across the rope bridge. Before long, Applejack heard the sound of somepony singing to themselves in a series of ‘la-la-las’. Only one pony she knew would be so perky in a place like this.

“Pinkie!” she called out. “Pinkie, is that you?”

“Sure is! Hey, I thought I saw something glowy over here and look! It’s a glowy me!” She came bouncing from around a thicket of trees, stopping in front of her colour puppet. “Applejack and Dusky Psychic Pony! I knew you’d find me, with those mental powers of yours.”

His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I um… well, I…”

“Well, this sure is a blast from the past,” she remarked. “Haven’t seen you like this for aaaages. Guess you got yourself in a pretty bad rut, huh?”

“Y-You could say that,” he muttered.

“Ah reckon this is back when we firs’ became friends and we had ta deal with Nightmare Moon,” said Applejack. “Only this time, seems like she got the jump on us.”

“I figured it was something like that.” She giggled as they both stared. “What? It looked pretty obvious to me. So what are we waiting for? We beat her once, we can do it again!”

“But how?” asked Dusk. “Sh-She’s so powerful and we don’t even have all of the Elements.”

“We don’t have all the Elements yet,” said Pinkie. “But look at that! We’re already one more than we had, so let’s go and get the rest.”

Dusk sighed. “You make it sound so easy.”

“Never said it would be, but we won’t know for sure until we do it.”

“But look at what’s happened.” He gestured up at the night sky. “H-How can we possibly make any difference?”

“That’s easy, silly. With a smile!”

Dusk’s expression soured. “I really think we need more than that.”

“Aww, don’t be like that, Dusky. I know just one smile doesn’t seem like much. But the thing about smiles is, they always start out small. Then it catches and before you know, everypony else is smiling too!” She bounced at the thought. “You give it enough time, Dusky and the smallest things can be the biggest things of all. You just gotta make a start. So come on! Lemme see that smile.”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Sure you do! You’re Mr Psychic Pony.” She leaned into his face. “Come on, guess what I’m thinking.”

“Pinkie…”

“Come ooon…!”

He chuckled reluctantly. “You’re um… you’re thinking that… that you want to see me smile?”

“Righteroonie! I knew you’d get it.”

“I-It was rather obvious.”

“You still got it. And look at that!” She pointed at his face. “That looks like a smile to me.”

He laughed again. “Just a small one.”

“And it’s getting bigger all the time,” she replied. “Let’s see if we can help it along by finding more of our friends. But first! Looks like somepony could use a hug.”

Already looking a little better, Dusk accepted Pinkie’s offer. She hugged him firmly, but not so much that she was crushing him. He didn’t cry this time, but he looked a lot lighter than before.

“Thank you, Pinkie.” He was still smiling when they broke apart. “You’re amazing, I hope you know that.”

“Aww, you charmer. Thanks Dusky. You are too.” She gave him a friendly nuzzle and beamed. “Now come on! Let’s go win this Hide and Seek game. I don’t know about you, but I know somepony who gives even better hugs than me.”

Dusk nodded and weaved a shape of cream yellow with swirls of pink. The puppet of Fluttershy set off into the forest.

“There, see? Psychic!” Pinkie declared. “Let’s go find our Fluttershy!”

Dusk started, then stopped. He looked down at his hooves, then around at them. His eyes lingered on one, then the other. Applejack couldn’t tell what was on his mind, but he seemed to be deep in thought about something. Not unusual, but something about it made Applejack feel… uneasy. A glance at Pinkie told her she felt the same.

“Uh, Dusk? Everythin’ alright?” she asked.

“Hmm?” He’d been staring at the puppet of Fluttershy. “O-Oh, I’m fine.”

“You sure? You look like you’ve got a bit knocking in your noggin,” said Pinkie.

“It’s nothing.” He turned away from them. “I just… I need to prove him wrong.”

He said this last part so quietly, Applejack almost didn’t hear it. She was about to ask what he meant when he set off. She looked at Pinkie who shrugged and followed, Applejack doing the same.

The trio galloped after the colour form, guided along by its gentle light. Applejack caught Pinkie’s eye and the two shared a grin. Applejack knew she’d been on the money with tracking her down first but she was keen to find Fluttershy. Though she’d proven able to tame even the most fearsome of creatures, they’d all feel a lot better knowing she was back with them.

Dusk seemed to have some vigour renewed in him. Determination was all over his face and he ran with purpose. In fact, he ran faster than Applejack expected him to. More than once, he tripped over a tree root or got himself tangled briefly in vines. When either Applejack or Pinkie tried to help, he’d push them off or shake his head until he got himself free.

“Slow down there, sugar,” said Applejack. “Ya don’t want ta run yer head inta a rock ya didn’t see.”

“I can see just fine,” he insisted. “We need to find her and we need to hurry.”

“Yeah but we gotta stick together too,” said Pinkie. “You can’t save her all by yourself!”

Dusk said nothing to this and galloped on.

A stench filled Applejack’s nose. They had arrived in some kind of boggy marsh. The water was still and covered in a green, foul-smelling layer that made her nostrils wrinkle. Trees covered in the same stuff grew from the rank water, their roots visible as they crept down below the unseen surface.

Applejack looked up at the puppet. As she feared might be the case, it was leading them into the marsh. Well, she wasn’t one to shirk from getting her hooves dirty. She was about to test its depths when Dusk held her back.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you.”

He picked up a stone and threw it near one of the trees. The moment it splashed against the water, the tree began to move. The roots lashed out like snakes, probing the water before settling again.

“Tendril trees,” Dusk explained. “Unique to the forest. They’ll drain the energy of anything they can get their roots on.”

“Even ponies? But that could mean-!”

“Help! Somepony help me, please!”

They all froze at the sound. They ran around the marsh’s edge. Within sight of the shoreline, in the grasping tendrils of a tree, Fluttershy tried to get herself free. The tendril was around her leg and more were trying to get a grip.

“Oh everypony! Thank goodness!” She pulled harder, but so did the tree. “I-It won’t let go!”

“Don’t worry, we’re comin’!” cried Applejack. “Okay, we can get her out if we- Dusk, what in the hay are ya doin’?!”

The stallion leaped onto a white cloud of colour, floating across the marsh towards her. Fighting the urge to throw something at him, Applejack watched as he neared. Maybe he’d be able to pull this off.

“I’ve got you, Fluttershy!” He reached out as he neared her. “Quick, duck!”

She did so and he fired a stream of colour pellets. It was enough to make the tree let go. She started to fall, but he veered the cloud underneath so he could catch her. Breathing heavily, she latched onto him in a hug.

“D-Dusk… thank you, oh thank you!”

“It’s alright, you’re safe now,” he said. “Come on, let’s get you back to-“

He was cut off when a grasping tendril wrapped around his leg and pulled him off. Crying out in surprise, his hoof flashed orange and he tried to hit it. But another tendril got his hoof, wrapping it against his body and pulling him in.

“Dusk, no!”

Fluttershy grabbed his other hoof while she hovered in place, trying to pull him free. He fired more pellets at the tree, but with trying to keep hold of Fluttershy, his attention was divided and the shots went wild. Worse, the tree’s tendril was reaching for Fluttershy again. At this rate, they’d both be trapped.

“Hold on, y’all!”

Applejack yanked some vines down from a nearby tree. She tugged to test their strength, tied them off in a knot and looped them around a branch. Fortunately, it was just from a regular tree and didn’t move. She tightened it, leaving a single dangling line between where they were and where their friends struggled.

“Pinkie, go! I got this!” she said with the vine clenched between her teeth.

“On it!” With a running start, she jumped for the vine and swung from it. “Weeeee!”

She angled it around, sticking her rear legs out so they kicked the tendrils holding Dusk. They let go and she scooped up the stallion, soaring around to drop him off near Applejack and landing with a flip.

“Ta-da!” She bowed. “Dashie’s not the only one with tricks.”

“Oh thank goodness.” Fluttershy had flown out of the tree’s reach the moment Dusk was safe and touched down. “I’m so relieved you’re all okay.”

“That was a close one.” Applejack spat out the vine and strode over to Dusk. “Now, speakin’ as somepony who’s also close friends with Rainbow Dash, that was pretty darn stupid. What in land sake’s were ya thinkin’?!”

Dusk winced at her tone, frowning like a child not happy about being told off.

“That I had to save Fluttershy,” he muttered.

“Which we all coulda helped out with!” argued Applejack. “Instead, ya went and did somethin’ that nearly got ya both hogtied by that thing.”

“So I’m just being a stupid stallion again?” he shot back.

“Sure as sugar looked like it ta me. Didn’t help that you were chargin’ head first on the way here too.” She let her voice soften a bit. “I wanna save our friends too, but that ain’t no reason ta get all reckless like that.”

He looked away. “It’s not that simple.”

“Then make it simple, Dusk. Tell us what’s eatin’ ya.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Well, that’s pretty silly,” said Pinkie. “Of course we won’t understand if you don’t tell us. We’re not psychic too, you should know that.”

“Pinkie, I’m not in the mood for jokes.”

“Good, ‘cause I’m not joking,” she said simply. “Like I said, you can’t do it all on your own. We help each other.”

“But I have to!” He looked up with a glare. “Don’t you see? I have to!”

“No, ya don’t!” Applejack retorted. “Ah know ya blame yerself for what’s goin’ on but that ain’t-“

“Yes, it is!” he shouted. “It is my fault, all of it! But I can fix it, I have to! I need to be able to do this! I can’t always rely on other ponies to pick me up again! I have to do this, I need to do this otherwise… what good am I to myself? Or anypony?”

For a long moment, nopony made a sound. Dusk’s breathing slowed in the wake of his outburst. Regret and anger flashed over his face. Before Applejack could offer up anything, a voice broke the silence.

“So accepting help from others makes you weak?” Fluttershy’s voice may have been quiet, but in that moment nothing sounded louder. “Is that what you think? Does that make me weak?”

“Fluttershy…” Dusk started towards her. “I-I didn’t mean it like-“

“Dusk. I want you to listen and listen carefully.” Her voice was firm, but assertive. She didn’t yell or shout and Dusk obeyed. “I was scared when that tree had me. When I thought nopony would find me. But what was even worse was… was seeing you be trapped too. Not when you didn’t have to put yourself in danger like that.”

“B-But… but I…” He looked away in shame. “I h-had to try…”

“But you had Applejack and Pinkie Pie here too. You didn’t have to do it by yourself.” She pressed her hoof against his cheek. “You’re never weak because you need somepony else’s help. Life is really hard and really frightening, a lot of the time. Some ponies can do it all on their own but that doesn’t mean you should have to. Not when you have ponies that care about you. If you’ve made a mistake, there’s nothing wrong with your friends helping fix that either.”

“And how,” said Applejack. “Ah learned a long time ago ta not be a stubborn mule when it comes ta takin’ help from folks. Take it from a pony who tried ta harvest a whole orchard by herself.”

“Or refused to come home until she’d earned the money she felt she owed everypony?” added Pinkie.

Applejack chuckled. “Exactly. We’re all here ta help each other out, Dusk. Y’all did the same with me an’ my family with the Flim-Flam brothers. So quit tryin’ ta shoulder the weight-a the world an’ let us share the load. Sound good?”

Dusk gazed around at them all, settling on Fluttershy. She smiled and hugged him. He returned it gratefully. He sniffed loudly, wiped his eyes and took a few breaths.

“You’re right,” he said quietly. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

Fluttershy patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. We’re all here now, that’s what matters. I-I mean, not all of us and… oh goodness, we need to find everypony else!”

“On it.” He weaved the shape of Rainbow Dash, which soared off towards Ponyville. “At least we seem to be heading closer to the town.”

“Let’s get movin’ then!” Applejack ran alongside Dusk. “Sorry fer callin’ ya stupid, sugar cube.”

“It’s alright. Though maybe um, we could start to dial down on the misandry a bit?” he said with an awkward laugh. “I-I’ve said it before but um… none of you are guiltless of so-called stupidity either.”

“Ah’d say that’s fair enough. Now let’s go find Rainbow! She can be reckless fer all-a us.”

They pressed on and ended up finding two ponies for the price of one in a large forest clearing. Rarity was with Rainbow Dash and the pair looked to be in a state. About a dozen scaly creatures with large ears and malicious grins were swiping at them with their claws.

Rainbow spotted the glow of Dusk’s puppet and waved them over, flinching as one of them hit her leg.

“I thought I recognised that! Mind giving us a hoof here? These things are-“ She yelped when something struck her flank. “Alright, come here you little…!”

“Oh no! Gremlins!” Fluttershy retreated behind her mane. “Th-They’re really nasty. Even I-I don’t like dealing with them.”

“Hey Dusk!” Rainbow yelled. “These guys don’t like bright lights, remember? Give ‘em a taste!”

“What? O-Oh yes! Shield your eyes!”

Rainbow and Rarity did as he suggested, just as he exploded a couple of lilac colour orbs. The gremlins screeched in annoyance, reduced to swinging blindly. Not a problem for the pony friends.

“Yeehaw!” cried Applejack, bucking one of them. “Take that, ya lil’ varmint!”

Rarity flip-kicked over the head of one, slamming her rear hooves down on its head. Rainbow scooped up two of them and slammed their heads together, dropping them from the sky. Pinkie bounced on their heads like stepping stones. One of the gremlins managed to open its eyes, but was subjected to the full force of Fluttershy’s Stare. Dusk grabbed one with his shadow tendril and hurled it at another, firing colour pellets at one further away and slamming orange hooves into a gremlin that tried to charge.

The little monsters could see the fight wasn’t in their favour. With panicked shrieks, they fled back into the surrounding darkness.

“Yeah that’s right, go on and run!” jeered Rainbow. She landed and faced Dusk. “Too bad you weren’t wearing the old Shadow Spectre outfit this time, huh?”

“I-I suppose,” he muttered. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”

“As are we, darling.” Rarity dusted off her hoof. “I never engaging in such uncivilised behaviour, but when needs must.”

“And you guys all found each other. Awesome! But we’re still one pony short.” Rainbow zipped up to Dusk. “Come on, whip up another puppet and let’s go get her!”

“W-Well… I’ll gladly help find her, but…” He rubbed the back of his head and stepped away. “Y-You’d be better of rescuing her yourselves. I’ll… watch from the side-lines.”

Rarity frowned. “Dusk, whatever do you mean? This is Twilight we’re talking about. I expected you to be leading the charge.”

“I… I don’t deserve to lead anything, e-especially not with regards to Twilight…” He turned his head away. “I-I’d only make things worse. Just like I already did…”

“You said something like that before,” said Fluttershy.

“An’ ya said somethin’ about me bein’ trapped in the moon,” added Applejack. “Sugar, why don’t ya tell us what happened? Maybe we can help make sense-a things.”

Dusk looked around at them all. They were all willing to listen. He took a moment, then told them everything. How he’d woken up on a normal day in Canterlot and then things started to get strange. Getting memories of things that he’d never done and ponies he’d never met. Winding up being chased by Celestia and her guards, sent away by past versions of themselves and ending with helping Nightmare Moon conquer Equestria.

He seemed to hesitate before finishing and Applejack got the feeling he was holding something back. But she decided not to press him for it. He looked pretty plum tuckered just admitting all of that and reliving it. The others all seemed to agree. Rainbow was the first to speak up.

“Yeah, sounds like you messed up pretty bad.”

Fluttershy gasped. “Rainbow!”

“What? It’s true. If I didn’t know him and he’d come out with all of that, I’d think he was nuts too. But here’s the thing…” She smiled awkwardly. “I’ve… screwed up once or twice myself.”

“Only once or twice?” asked Applejack pointedly.

“Okay, maybe a little more than that. Point is,” she went on, “I’ve made a mess of things too. I mean, we just relived one of them. Remember the whole town hero thing?”

“Aaaand being too competitive with Applejack, getting possessed by a fairy which made you hit on Dusk, breaking into a hospital rather than admit you like reading-“

“Yeah, got all that, thanks Pinkie.”

“And I’ve not exactly got a clean sheet myself,” said Rarity. “What with the debacle with Sweetie Belle, getting all swept up in the glamour of Canterlot, disagreements with both Applejack and Ray. The point is, everypony makes mistakes, Dusk.”

“Mistakes so bad that they doom the world to a tyrant?” murmured Dusk.

Rainbow shrugged. “Well, maybe not that bad. But hey, we all got turned around by Discord and his tricks, you became a whole other evil pony from that whole thing and you’ve run away when you’ve so much as accidentally chipped somepony’s hoof. Like, a lot.”

“’Sides, Dusk,” said Applejack. “All of this stuff here? It ain’t real. Yer stuck in some kinda dream because of some weird mix-up with a spell.”

“What does that matter? Real or not, it felt real to me and everything that happened is on me,” he argued.

“So what, you’re just gonna feel sorry for yourself about it? Because that’s not the Dusk I know,” said Rainbow. “Yeah, the Dusk I know felt sorry for himself about it for a bit, but you know what else he did? He picked himself up, brushed himself down and he dealt with it. Even if it was tough, even if it hurt, he did it.”

Dusk made a dismissive gesture with his hoof. “But all the things I’ve done… that he’s done, i-it’s all been because of somepony else. Celestia o-or Luna or some ancient prophecy. Not because of me.”

Pinkie giggled. “Well, that’s just not true! Sure, Celestia gave you a helping hoof and Luna tweaked a few things and your ancestor wrote it all down in a prophecy. But you know what the thing they all have in common is? You!”

“I… well, yes but…” Dusk frowned in confusion. “I don’t follow.”

“Well, it’s like a party. You have the snacks and the games and the presents and all the ponies you invited along. But what happens if you take out just one of those things?” Pinkie smiled. “No snacks, no games, no presents. You can make do without any of those, but no ponies? That’s not much of a party and you, Dusk, are all the ponies at that party.”

“I believe what Pinkie is trying to say,” said Rarity, “is that these opportunities were presented to you but it was you who acted on them. Celestia didn’t make you come and find us in the Everfree Forest. Luna didn’t tell you to stand with us against Discord, when you didn’t even know you were an Element. A prophecy didn’t lead us against the changeling horde and that’s just the big things. What about all the little things, Dusk? Like always having time for tea and a chat?”

“Helping me out with flying practice,” said Rainbow.

“Making sure I didn’t miss out on my own surprise birthday party,” said Pinkie.

“Lookin’ out fer me an’ my family,” said Applejack.

“Looking after my animals and even giving one of them a home,” said Fluttershy. “Not only that, but offering another lonely stallion the kind of friendship he’s never had before, giving us another wonderful friend and for me… something much more, despite all he’s been through.”

“There, ya see?” Applejack beamed at him. “All those things, that’s all you, sugar cube. Not because somepony made ya, but because yer you. An’ we like you, along with the unicorn who thinks yer pretty darn special, no matter what ya say.”

“You mean… th-the memories I’ve been getting, the visions… they’re all real?” he asked. “They… they actually happened?”

“Every single one of them,” said Fluttershy. “You’re our friend, Dusk. Whatever mistakes you’ve made or your shortcomings, we wouldn’t change that for the world.”

He stared around at them all in shock. One by one, he looked into all their faces. He settled on Pinkie Pie, a smile steadily growing again.

“The smallest things c-can be… the biggest things of all,” he echoed.

“It all adds up, doesn’t it?” she replied. “So how about we do one more extra special big thing and go save our favourite bookworm?”

He nodded, tears trickling down his cheeks again. “Th-Thank you. Thank you all, so m-much. I… I don’t deserve any of you…”

“Yeah, we’re pretty amazing. But hey? By extension, that means you are too,” said Rainbow with a wink.

“Well, I… uh…” He looked down at himself. “Do any of you happen to know why my chest is glowing?”

Applejack saw what he meant. A faint glow was hovering around the area just below his neck. Right around where he’d wear his Element of Harmony. She could make out the faint marks of the colours of the jewels that made them up. And was it her imagination, or was his old cutie mark starting to become faint?

“I dunno,” said Pinkie. “The cleaning power of Daz?”

“I’m not sure that’s right,” said Fluttershy. “But you must know, Dusk. You already started to realise it in your visions.”

“You mean…?” He stared at the glow in awe. “My… my Element of Harmony?”

“Sure looks like it. But I think it knows we’re not quite done yet. So come on!” Rainbow cried. “Let’s go find Twilight and get ready to kick Nightmare’s flank all over again!”

“Yes ma’am,” said Dusk with a salute.

He crafted an image of Twilight. It started to canter away, then abruptly stopped. They waited for it to move, but it remained motionless.

“Uh, I think it’s broken.” Pinkie tried tapping it but her hoof past straight through. “Maybe try turning it off and on again?”

“Come on, that won’t work.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow as Dusk vanished it and remade it. “Oh wow, you actually did it.”

“Might as well try. But,” he said, when it still didn’t move, “I don’t think that’s the problem.”

“Maybe she’s already here,” suggested Fluttershy. “She might be nearby or some creature has her and we need to help!”

“But she ain’t anywhere here,” said Applejack. “Unless…”

They all shared a look. Then, at the same time, they all looked up to the sky. Just in time to see something hurtling towards them.

“DOWN!”

Rainbow and Applejack shoved those nearest away. Dusk as the closest, only just managed to raise a shield in time. They were all knocked aside by the force of the object crashing into the ground. An object made of smoky starlight, that reformed into a grinning visage of an old enemy.

Applejack tensed as Nightmare Moon cackled.

Even with his shield, Dusk was still dazed from the impact. Pinkie and Rarity helped him to his hooves, but his head was ringing and he really had to focus. Not that it was difficult. The sight before them was hard to miss.

“Well, well,” Nightmare Moon purred. “It seems my faithful acolyte was nothing but a deceiver this whole time. How disappointing.”

Dusk flinched in shame, but he didn’t back down. He wasn’t alone against her anymore. He had his friends back and they’d stop her. But they needed Twilight. He looked for her, but there was still no sign.

Nightmare grinned. “Looking for somepony?”

She gestured to a floating orb of moonlight next to her. Within it was Twilight, banging against the surface though no sound escaped.

“I thought I sensed a build-up of familiar energy.” She glared at the others. “At first, I thought you somehow managed to escape until I heard the farm pony share something most enlightening and I realised the truth. This is a dream, though even I didn’t realise it at first. You all came from outside this realm of existence.

“You fiend! Release her at once!” yelled Rarity.

“Oh ho! And who are you, to command me?” Her horn flared and magic sparked from the orb into her. “Now that you’re here and you’ve brought me the Elements, rather than trapping you in the moon, I had a much better idea. I will use them to escape this dream and bring my eternal night to the waking world! Equestria will be mine and nothing will stop me!”

She fired a bolt of lightning, one far more powerful than others. His head was still fuzzy, he didn’t process it until it was much too late. Dusk shut his eyes, calling on a shield spell but knew he’d acted too slowly.

The bolt struck, rendering the ground it hit…

… yet they were completely fine. A shimmering yellow shield surrounded them all.

“We’re okay? We’re okay!” cried Pinkie. “Nice work with the shield, Dusk!”

“That… that isn’t me,” he said.

That was when they saw Fluttershy. She had moved to the front of the group, her hooves outstretched. Her Element was burning brightly and though she was clearly afraid, she wasn’t backing down.

“Fluttershy?” Dusk stared at her and the shield. “That’s… that’s my magic. You’re using my magic!”

“I am? Oh my!” She looked at her hooves like they were about to fall off. “I-I didn’t even think, I didn’t know this would happen! I just wanted to protect everypony!”

“I’d say you’re doing pretty good at it! And hey, your Element is glowing too!” Rainbow pointed at it. “Hey, you coloured your magic after us right? You think maybe…?”

A screeching reached their ears. Nightmare Moon had summoned a swarm of demonic bats, eyes shining red and fangs bared.

“Lower it, quick!” Rainbow flexed her wings. “I wanna try something.”

The shield flickered away. As the bats swarmed towards them, Rainbow took off. Her Element glowing, she fired a rapid stream of cerulean colour pellets at them. Dusk joined in as well, adding a sweeping field of fire. The bats vanished in puffs of smoke and what few were left veered away.

“Aw yeah!” she cheered. “We’ve all got access to your magic!”

“So it would seem.” He looked at his glowing chest. “My Element must be channelling my magic to all of yours.”

“Who cares how it’s happening? Now we have a shot at saving Twilight!” She swooped down in front of them. “Come on guys! Let’s show Nightmare Moron what we’re made of!”

She corkscrewed at the Mare of Darkness, firing off colour pellets as she went. Nightmare blocked them with her own shield and sent down lightning but Rainbow was already veering off.

“Yer magic huh? Let’s give it a whirl.” Applejack’s hooves turned orange and she slammed them into the ground, making it crack. “Well cover me in treacle and call me a candied apple!”

She slammed them again, causing two large chunks of earth to dislodge and bucked them with her hooves. Nightmare’s eyes widened and she became formless, dodging them by seconds. She reformed, snarling in anger only to have something pink smack into her.

“What in the-?!” It smacked into her again. “Who dares show such insolence?!”

The answer came in the form of a giggling Pinkie Pie. Not content with just making her hooves bouncy, which was pretty much her default, she’d encased her whole body in a magical pink bouncy ball. She bounded off trees, the ground and Nightmare herself like an oversized pinball.

“Enough!” Spreading her wings, she took to the skies. “You foals! You think you can best me?!”

“Most certainly, darling! Allow me to demonstrate!”

She only had time to look before a well-manicured hoof kicked her in the face. Rarity, floating on a glittering white cloud, smirked roguishly at her. Nightmare shrieked and unleashed her fury.

She spun away from Nightmare’s lightning onto more clouds, pirouetting and cartwheeling in a deadly dance. Nightmare tried to intercept her, but Rarity tricked her with a feint. She jumped onto a cloud in front of her, making Nightmare target one next to her and punched her twice. She landed on a cloud and double kicked her in the chest.

“Take that, you over aggrandising witch!”

Nightmare’s eyes flashed. “Begone!”

Drawing more magic from Twilight, she summoned an entire storm of lightning. It was too much even for Rarity to avoid. Just as a bolt struck her, she was saved by a shield projected by Fluttershy. She lowered Rarity back down while Rainbow swooped in to run interference and angled away shortly after.

“Wow, this is so cool!” Pinkie squealed. “Using your colours is so much fun, Dusk!”

“Fun won’t do us much good, if we don’t find a way ta rescue Twilight,” said Applejack. “We just need ta bust that bubble.”

“But we can’t just hit it. What if we hurt Twilight?” asked Fluttershy.

“You little fools! You don’t stand a chance against-!” Nightmare winced. “What? What’s happening?”

Dusk could see Twilight in the orb. Her face was screwed up in concentration. The stream of magic between the orb was becoming tinged with purple aura.

Nightmare snarled. “Oh no you don’t!”

Her horn flashed and Twilight cried out silently. But she resumed her efforts, albeit with greater exertion.

She was up to something. She just needed time to do it and Nightmare’s attention to be elsewhere.

“Everypony! Rush her!” he ordered. “Don’t give her a moment to breathe!”

With a collective cry, they charged this time with Dusk in tow. Taking a step up from lightning, Nightmare sent a hail of meteors towards them but he added his magic to Fluttershy’s to double the shield strength. They winced from the impact, but held.

Pinkie surrounded herself in the bubble and let Applejack buck her. The added strength from the orange magic hooves made her zoom in even faster. Nightmare managed to deflect her, but didn’t see Rainbow dive in behind her with a stream of pellets. Snarling in annoyance, she attempted to strike the Pegasus, only to be struck by Pinkie’s rebound.

Meanwhile, Rarity conjured a white cloud while Dusk and Fluttershy kept them protected. They soared up towards Nightmare, still being distracted by her other attackers. Fluttershy projected the shield around her, trapping her in it. She broke free with a shockwave of magic, but it gave Rarity and Dusk long enough to get in close on a white cloud.

Rarity went high, Dusk went low. He punched the backs of her legs, forcing her to kneel while Rarity struck her on the back, further buckling her. Dusk used the shadows to hold her in place while Rarity repeatedly punched and kicked the dark alicorn right in the face.

“ENOUGH!” She emitted another blast of starlight, though the blow was softened by shields from Fluttershy and Dusk. “I will suffer no further… nggh!”

Twilight had used the time they’d brought her well and increased the power of her spell. It looked like she was giving Nightmare Moon more energy than she could handle and the alicorn was feeling the strain. The orb containing her was flickering, a stream of lilac and blue aura pushing against Nightmare’s draining darkness.

Moments later, the orb burst and Twilight started to fall. Rainbow was already moving and caught her in a second. Nightmare Moon was sent reeling from the burst of energy, knocking her to the ground. It looked like she was down for the moment, but not permanently. Still, it brought them a reprieve and a chance for Rainbow to bring Twilight safely down to earth.

“I wasn’t sure if that would work,” she said weakly. The Element of Magic was still atop her head. “Good work, everypony. Thanks for keeping her attention.”

“Happy to help, darling though I think our stallion here should be commended for seeing what you were up to,” noted Rarity.

“I had a feeling he might have.” Her eyes turned to him. “Hello, Dusk.”

“T-Twilight…” The last time he’d seen her, she looked like she hated him. Now, it was like there was nopony in the world she’d rather see. “I… I’m glad you’re okay.”

“You too. You look so… so different,” she murmured. “Like the day you first came to Ponyville. When we first became friends.”

“So… it’s true?” he dared to ask. “W-We’re really friends?”

“And so much more,” she answered with a nod. “I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through. But you’re not alone. Not anymore.”

There was no lie in her voice or her eyes. This wasn’t some ridiculous fantasy or unbidden memory of a future time. This was real. This was here and now. She cared for him and he cared for her. More than that, they both… no, it had be said.

“I love you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“And I love you, Dusk Noir.”

The distance between them closed and their lips met. Suddenly, it didn’t matter if the world had ended, that he had failed. Because he was with her. With all of them. They would fix this and they would do it together.

The glow near Dusk’s chest reached a climax and lifted him off the ground when the kiss ended. Seven jewels winked into existence, circling around each other before zooming towards the glow. Memories and feelings flowed into him, though they were not intrusive this time. It felt more like waking up from a very strange dream.

When the glow died down, Dusk looked to see the result. A shining necklace of silver had been embedded with the jewels. The same pattern had also replaced the scroll on his flank.

And he grinned.

“Well, looks like everything’s in order,” he declared.

“Sure looks like it!” Pinkie crushed him in a hug. “Welcome back, Dusky! Missed you.”

“But Pinkie, I never went away.” He spun her around and set her down. “I just needed a bit of a kick in the flank.”

“To say the least.” Twilight kissed him briefly before looking sorrowful. “Dusk, I just… I wanted to say-“

“It can wait, Twilight. I have some things to say as well. But right now,” he said, looking across at their enemy, “we have a loose end that needs tying up.”

“No! NO!” Nightmare Moon glared with the intensity of a thousand stars. “I will destroy you!”

She took off, rending chunks of rock and earth from the ground beneath. Storm clouds gathered about her, thunder and lightning flashed. Meteors spun about her head, ready to rain down upon them.

“Wow, she’s trying really hard to make herself look scary,” said Pinkie, snorting. “I mean, way too hard.”

“I almost feel a little sorry for her,” said Fluttershy. “All this, just because she didn’t feel appreciated enough and now she’s just making so much noise to be noticed.”

“I know what you mean,” said Rarity. “Like a filly throwing a tantrum.”

“How many fillies you know that can call down stars an’ lightinin’?” asked Applejack.

“Right now, only one and I’d say she needs a timeout,” said Rainbow.

“This should be interesting. I was only lurking in the background when you all fought her the first time.” He frowned. “Doesn’t sound good when you say it like that.”

“Not really,” said Twilight. “But you’re with us now, so how about we go and show her what that really means?”

“I couldn’t agree more. By your leave, Miss Sparkle,” he said.

She nodded. “Alright everypony! Let’s stop her, for good this time!”

Dusk channelled his magic to Rarity and Fluttershy, lifting them on a white cloud whilst protecting them with a shield. It withstood the initial lightning strikes, but started to buckle when the meteors came down.

“I got it!” Pinkie’s Element flashed and pink spots appeared along the meteors. “Go, go, go!”

Rarity changed their course. They all had to hold on as they bounced off them, zooming closer to their target. Then, a much larger rock came straight at them, too big for them to avoid and too close for them to change course.

“Rainbow, soften it up right there!” commanded Twilight. “Applejack, Dusk! When I say now, split it wide open!”

Fluttershy dropped the shield, allowing Rainbow to send a hail of pellets into the meteor’s centre. It chipped away at the surface, causing cracks form from the point and spreading out. Applejack and Dusk moved to the head, with Pinkie causing pink platforms to appear under their hooves.

When Twilight yelled ‘now’, they bounced towards it and their hooves flashed orange. With their combined strength, the rock split into two halves and fell away. Another hail of meteors came at them, but a rainbow streak shot past them. The meteors were destroyed when a shockwave of coloured light reduced them to dust.

“Did you guys see that?!” Rainbow cheered as she re-joined them from behind. “We are awesome!”

“Dusk?” Twilight gave him a look. “Mind helping me lift something?”

“Ah, the real reason you keep me around,” he chuckled.

Joining his magic with hers, they lifted the two massive halves of the meteor above them. Their brows sweating and their minds pushed to their limit, they hurled the two halves right back where they came from. Nightmare Moon, panicking, desperately flew above them but was still struck by dozens of debris chunks and robbing her of her protective circle.

Her expression was one of sheer fury. The shriek she let out was enough to shake mountains.

“You… you… you… YOU! You horrid little ponies!”

But her rage did nothing to stop their charge. Lightning and shadow erupted all around them, but they didn’t slow down. The power of the Elements was surging through them. They all looked at one another, united in purpose. In friendship.

They were ready.

“Unlimited friendship!” Dusk cried.

One by one, the ponies moved into position in a floating circle. As they did, they called out the name of their respective Element.

“Honesty!”

“Kindness!”

“Laughter!”

“Generosity!”

“Loyalty!”

“Unity!”

“Magic!”

Dusk took his place in the centre of the circle, while Twilight floated ahead of him. The rainbow stream of the surrounding elements flowed into Unity and channelled into Magic as their energy was refined and focused.

“Final friendship beam!”

The power of the Elements coalesced together, blasting right at Nightmare Moon. With one last cry, she was consumed by the energy and all they could see was a single, all-consuming beam of rainbow brightness…

When Dusk blearily opened his eyes, he could feel something soft beneath him. He realised it was his couch. He was… in his home. In Ponyville. And he wasn’t alone.

“Dusk? Dusk!” Something green latched onto him. “Oh, you have no idea how good it is to see your eyes open and not full of weird magic!”

“Ray?” He managed to return the stallion’s hug. “Does this mean you’ve been watching me sleep?”

“Shut up, your mother and I have been worried sick,” he quipped, though the relief on his face was genuine. “So, I guess they did it.”

“It seems so. Though I’m not entirely sure what ‘it’ was,” he said.

“Yeah, it’s been a really weird day. I mean, weirder than they usually are,” said Spike. “Actually, is it weird if it’s also just the usual?”

“You’d think so, but no.” Dusk pulled him in for a hug too. “Have you been worried too, Spike?”

“Yeah, but not as much as him,” he replied, gesturing at Ray. “You should have heard the sorts of promises he was making to try and get you to snap out of it.”

“Hey, I’m not the one who was pacing up and down the floor!”

“Can you guys maybe keep it down?” Rainbow shook her head, looking groggy. “My head hurts enough as is.”

“This must be that famed ‘stallion bonding’ I’ve heard so much about,” said Rarity, patting down her mane. “Rather a peculiar sight.”

“Hey, don’t knock it.” Ray grinned around at them all. “What in the hay happened while you were all out?”

“I’d say you probably won’t believe us,” said Fluttershy. “But knowing you, I think you probably would.”

“Yeah, probably.” Ray nodded, then did a double take. “Hey, what’s that meant to mean?”

“It means you’re a silly goof, but it makes me smile,” she said and nuzzled his cheek. “Thanks for looking after us all, Ray.”

“Heh, no problem, Flutters,” he murmured. “I don’t think I did all that much.”

“Eh, you stuck by Dusk and all of us when it counted. Always have.” Rainbow glanced about. “Hey, Ray? We’re cool.”

He blinked. “We are? I didn’t realise that we… oh. You mean with-?”

“Yep and that’s all that needs to be said.” She punched his shoulder lightly. “We’re cool.”

“Okay then.”

He smiled gratefully at her and she returned it. But Dusk’s attention turned to Twilight. Everypony seemed to sense what was happening and Applejack gestured to the door. They all filed quietly out, leaving the unicorns alone.

At first, neither of them said anything. Dusk moved along the couch and patted the space next to him. Twilight took it. He didn’t push her or prompt her, just waited. Gradually, she told him all that transpired and the cause of what had happened. Dusk didn’t interrupt or speak, only listened.

“… and I’m really, really sorry, Dusk. I don’t know if you remember all that happened during your… your episode. I really had no idea what that spell would do, but that isn’t an excuse. I should have been more careful and… I’m sorry.”

Silence fell again between them. Twilight looked anxiously at him. He took a bit of time, deciding what to say first.

“I do remember,” he said at last. “And it’s okay. It was an accident, Twilight. I don’t blame you, not one bit. Besides, I think it might have done me some good, in a strange sort of way.”

“It did?”

“I think so, which brings me to what I want to say.” He took a deep breath and looked at her. “Twilight, when I first started out I… I really wasn’t the best of ponies. I mean, I spent ten years looking at you from afar, but never actually talking to you. Not really the sort of behaviour a well-adjusted pony engages in.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound great,” she agreed. “But then, you definitely weren’t the most well-adjusted of ponies.”

“Coming from you?” They both laughed a little. “But you’re right. Quite frankly, I’m lucky you didn’t call me out for the self-deprecating, pathetic little creep I was. I know I’ve said this many times before, but I am sorry for the difficulties I’ve caused, indirectly or otherwise. I’m not that pony anymore. At least, I don’t think I am…”

“No, you’re not and for the record Dusk? You’re being too hard on yourself. I mean, yes, the whole watching-from-afar thing isn’t something you should be doing again with anypony. I mean, ever,” she added with emphasis.

“On this, we’re certainly agreed.”

“But aside from that,” she went on, “even back then, there was still a lot to admire. The way you care, how you always tried to help out me and our friends, the fact you were willing to learn and improve. We all have things we look back on and cringe at, Dusk, especially when we were young. I know it feels like you want to take that stuff and pull it right out of your head. But without it, how would ever know how far we’ve come since then? How much we’ve grown and changed. I liked the pony you were then, even despite all that and I definitely like the pony you are now.”

“Y-You do?”

“I do.” She booped his nose. “And I can’t wait to see the pony you end up becoming.”

She paused. She looked like she wanted to add something else, then suddenly blushed and closed her mouth. Dusk waited, tempted to ask her if there was anything she wanted to say. But he decided not to. They’d both been through a very draining time of it and right now, he was just happy it had reached some kind of conclusion.

“Thank you, Twilight. I feel the same way about you,” he said. “Though I can’t help but wonder what that original spell was meant to do.”

“I can’t say I know either, but it’s a good thing we fixed it. Now come on, we’d better go and see the others. Oh, don’t forget this!” She levitated his hat to him. He looked at it, then gently pushed it away. “Is something wrong?”

“Not wrong, no.” He took it from her, turning it over in his hooves. “When I first picked this out, it was from a desire to be… different, I suppose. I felt different from who I used to be, so I wanted to show that off, separate myself from that pony. But really, I don’t think I ever needed to. Not anymore, at least. Besides, my current accessory is quite garish enough.”

He gestured to the Element of Unity, still around his neck and Twilight giggled.

“Well, if you say so,” she said. “For the record, you do look more handsome without it. Even with that scruffy mane of yours.”

“Hey, the scruff is part of the appeal,” he argued. “Even you pretty much admitted it.”

“I’m not saying anything. Now come on, you dork.”

She led him outside, where everypony gathered around. If they had any thoughts on Dusk’s lack of hat, they didn’t comment on it.

“I take it those smiles mean you haven’t broken up?” asked Ray.

Twilight stared at him. “What? Why would you even think that?”

“Hey, need to account for all possibilities. Glad you didn’t though. I’d hate to lose out on Dusklight,” he said.

“Ugh, I still can’t believe you’re saying that sincerely,” groaned Rainbow.

“Ya feelin’ better then?” asked Applejack.

“Much, though there is one last thing I want to address. Twilight? I want to perform that spell Celestia gave us.”

“Which one? Oh.” She saw the look on his face. “What’s he done now?”

“That’s what I want to speak with him about.”

With expressions ranging from grim to apprehensive, they arranged themselves in a circle. Calling upon the Elements once more, they tapped deep into a realm which held no meaning and brooked no master, other than its sole occupant.

When the Element’s magic died down, there he stood. He was dressed up in a patchwork suit and appeared to be in mid-conversation.

“And so anyway, I says to Mabel, I says…” Discord trailed off when he realised where he was. “Oh, hello there everypony! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe it was Dusk who told me you have to give your friends a heads-up before you have them over. I was actually in the middle of a little soiree, you know.”

“Please, like anyone would spend time with you,” said Rainbow.

“I do have a life outside you ponies, you know.” He snapped his fingers and his evening wear vanished. “But since I’m here, what can I do for you? Is there a friendship problem that needs my help? I’m honoured, truly.”

“In a manner of speaking.” Dusk stepped up to him. “I’m surprised you didn’t realise the bout of chaos we’ve been having today, Discord.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Oh indeed? Well, I might have felt a little twinge of something but really, the lot of you generate such low-level chaos as it stands that I tend to just tune it out. Was there anything fun?”

“Depends on your definition,” said Dusk. “You see, I became trapped in something of a self-made dream. One which saw Equestria doomed to eternal night because of my mistakes. And it’s the oddest thing, Discord. You were in it, even though you were very much still trapped in stone when it took place. You seemed to find my predicament very funny.”

The spirit of chaos smirked. “Indeed? That is most peculiar.”

“You happened to say a few things in passing.” He looked him in his mismatched eyes. “That I rely on other ponies to fix my problems. That I displayed creepy, obsessive behaviour. That when it comes down to it, I’m nothing all that special.”

“Discord.” Fluttershy appeared next to him, a harsh glare in her eye. “Is all that true?”

“Well…” Suddenly, the draconequus didn’t look so self-assured. “Who’s to really say? Dreams are such odd things.” He tried a smile. The glare didn’t relent. “I mean, come now, would I really do a thing like that?” He smiled wider. The glare didn’t relent. “Fluttershy, please. There’s… there’s no need for such…” Sweat poured down his neck in buckets. Literally tiny buckets that dropped to the floor with a clank. “Oh fine! I admit it! I may have taken the opportunity for a bit of fun, but I wasn’t lying! It wasn’t my fault what happened to you. For that, you need only look to-“

“Twilight? Yes, I’m well aware,” said Dusk. “Apparently, it was all an accident and has now been rectified.”

“How come ya didn’t say anythin’ about this earlier?” asked Applejack.

“Because then it would have been too easy to just blame him, when in all honesty…” Dusk sighed. “He was right.”

“You see? Right away, blame poor Discord for…” He blinked a few times as he processed Dusk’s words. “Come again?”

“You were right, Discord. It’s fair to say I had a lot of issues, before I met these ponies. There was a lot I had to learn. About friendship, about myself. Even now, I’m still learning and always will be. Sometimes, it helps to have a friend to throw those things into sharp focus. Life won’t coddle you when it comes to the truth and it’s good to have a friend to remind you not to be too complacent and comfortable in that regard.” He held out his hoof. “So, thank you.”

Discord stared Dusk’s hoof like it had started tap dancing in a little top hat.

“You… you consider me a friend?” he repeated quietly.

Dusk nodded. “In a strange way, yes. But then again, what better way is there to consider the Lord of Chaos?”

“Yes, well.” Discord looked like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. In the end, he shook Dusk’s hoof. He didn’t even use a joy buzzer. “Happy to have helped, Dusk.”

The tiniest of smile tugged at the spirit’s lips which Dusk returned.

“Having said that,” he went on, “you still laughed at my misfortune and decided to twist the knife in when I was at my lowest.”

“Ah.” He swiftly let go and looked the other way. “Yes well, I… I suppose.”

“Oh no you don’t, mister,” said Fluttershy sternly. “You’re not brushing this under the rug. Just before, you even said yourself you only did it for a bit of fun. If you want to be a good friend, Discord, you shouldn’t be so nasty about it or find it funny. Now, apologise to him.”

“Yes, yes of course.” He plastered on a shaky smile and hanged his head. “I’m sorry for my behaviour, Dusk. I promise the next time you find yourself stuck in an alternate dream world, I won’t take anywhere near as much entertainment in it.”

Dusk chuckled. “Good to know. Apology accepted, Discord.”

“Good. Now, you,” said Fluttershy, pointing at Discord, “I want you to go away and think about what you’ve done.”

He snapped to frightened attention. “Yes ma’am. Are we… still on for tea later?”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. “I’ll think about it.”

With one last attempt at an easy grin, Discord vanished. Fluttershy nodded in satisfaction and turned to see Ray, staring open mouthed.

“What?” she asked.

“You… you just sent a reality bending chaos spirit to bed without his supper.”

She blushed at the admiration in his voice. “O-Oh. I suppose I did.”

“Will you marry me? I-I mean!” Ray flushed heavily. “N-Not actually marry, of course! Way too early for that, you know? Wait, wait, that’s not actually what I-“

She silenced him by hovering over and kissing him briefly on the lips.

“You silly goof,” she giggled.

“Dating a pony with a demon in his head and telling off Discord.” Rainbow snickered. “Remember when Fluttershy used to be scared of her own shadow?”

“Well, we’ve all changed a great deal from who we used to be. I’m not the only one and for that, I want to thank all of you.” Dusk looked around at them. “Over a year ago, I never would have thought I’d have such a great group of friends. You didn’t have to accept me into your lives, but you did and I’ll be forever grateful for it. I love you all, truly and sincerely.”

“Aww, you big softie!” Pinkie hugged him. “We love you too.”

“We do,” said Fluttershy. “We’re glad you’re with us too, Dusk.”

“And I’m glad you let me tag along for the ride,” added Ray. “Not many ponies would have done that, considering… well…”

Rarity sniffed. “Well, even a ruffian like you has some redeeming qualities.”

“Thanks snob.”

“Yeah, we did it!” cheered Spike. “The Elements are restored and you’re all back to normal. I’d call that a pretty good day.”

“I have to admit, I do feel rather invigorated. In fact,” Dusk felt his smile growing, “I feel like indulging in something I haven’t done for a while. That is, unless Ray objects?”

Ray chuckled. “Well, you know how I feel about the whole ‘singing’ thing. But if it makes you happy, you go right ahead, buddy.”

Dusk felt his smile widen as it felt like music was surging through his very being. With his friends galloping alongside him, they took off towards Ponyville. The power of the Elements surged through them, allowing him and Twilight to levitate them all with their magic. At the same time, Dusk cast ribbons and streams of his colours, creating a spectacle for anypony who saw it. Dusk let the song welling up inside him be known to all.

A sky with stars so bright
The colours feel so right!
I’ve never felt like this,
I’ll keep on running

A sky with stars so bright
The colours feel so right!
Just take my hoof,
We’re gonna reach for the stars

Tonight!

He waved and smiled at ponies who were out and about. Lyra and Bon-Bon, out for a stroll. Derpy Hooves, delivering her mail and beaming away. The Mayor out on official business. Octavia and Vinyl, practicing out in their yard. Frequency Stream was with them too, the wind whistling through his wings. Gentle Dream was painting the town square, outside her shop. Mr and Mrs Cake, peering out the window of Sugarcube Corner while placing pies on the windowsill.

They soared towards Sweet Apple Acres. Nightfall emerged from his observatory with Shimmer, waving when they flew by. Zecora was gathering herbs in a field, watching on with a smile. Big Mac paused from bucking apples to nod towards them. Granny Smith was woken suddenly from her nap, but she hooted and cheered at the sight like a mare thirty years younger. The Crusaders hurried along beneath and they came down, to let siblings and idolisers embrace the ponies they knew.

Embracing the adventurous spirit coursing through them, Twilight teleported them above the town of Appleloosa. The townsfolk, Braeburn included, called out with joy. The buffalo herd was stampeding nearby and Little Strongheart laughed in happy surprise, letting them gallop with them for a fashion before flying off. Another teleport and they were on the Badlands outskirts. From his camp, Phoenix Wing gazed in wonder at their passing. Dusk even spied the pack of diamond dogs, hauling away some gems. Spot, Fido and Rover stared openly, caught between apprehension and interest.

They teleported again to Canterlot. Dusk glimpsed his parents, Chord and Abacus Noir out at a café. Even his father seemed to smile brighter at seeing his son, flying so free. Further along were Twilight’s parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet. The former whooped for his daughter while the latter urged them to be careful, though with a smile. Prim Proper and Mirror Shine toured the School grounds with Jock and Muscles, staring in silent amazement. Fancypants, hosting a little party, raised a glass to them.

They flew towards the Palace. Sombra spotted them flying by his room, bemused but pleasantly so. Cadence and Shining looked to be visiting from the Empire, along with Trixie and Doom. Shining stomped his hooves and grinned, while Cadence took off to join them in their flight. She and Twilight nuzzled, while she winked at Dusk before banking back to her husband. The showpony sent a few fireworks their way with a wave while Dusk’s former dark side rolled his eyes.

Celestia and Luna, curious at the noise, came out onto a balcony. The Princess of the Sun radiated pride in her smile at the sight, while the Princess of the Moon laughed with joy. They spread their wings and joined them in the air, royal dignity temporarily forgotten. They circled around, Dusk twirling his colours about them before landing again, waving them off as they soared back to Ponyville. On their way back, they passed Gilda in the company of Singer. The two had been in conversation and were quite surprised at their passing.

Ray and Spike caught up with them on the road back to town. Dusk placed his forelegs around them, bringing them in for an embrace and taking them up as their impromptu flight came to an end. Ray noogied him and Spike gave him a fistbump. The whole town came out to see them land and cheered when Dusk sent out a final wave of colours

Just take my hoof
We'll take a chance tonight!
Reach for the stars
Tonight...!

“Worth it?” Ray asked when the glow of the Elements faded.

“Worth it,” replied Dusk. “Twilight? Is something the matter?”

Twilight didn’t reply at first, deep in thought “A mark of one's destiny, singled out alone, fulfilled…” She suddenly gasped “Wait a second, that's it! I understand now! I know how to fix the spell!”

They followed her back to the library as the sun began to set, where she pulled out a very old looking book. Starswirl’s unfinished spell. Levitating a quill over, she dipped it in ink and spoke as she wrote the modified incantation.

“From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!”

She ended it with a full stop. Overcome with pride for her, Dusk was about to offer his congratulations.

Until the Element of Magic began to glow. Twilight looked at it in confusion. The other Elements reacted as well, blasting streams of magical energy in the colour of their jewels. Dusk’s was a multi-coloured wave, encompassing Twilight in a blindingly white ball of light. The power built and built until it exploded in a blinding flash.

When it faded, all that was left of Twilight was a single, smoking black stain on the floor of the library.

“Uh, guys?” Ray asked over the growing commotion. “Did… did you just disintegrate Twilight?”

The Princess Cometh

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“Does somepony wanna explain what in the hay just happened?!” Rainbow yelled.

“I don’t know!” Spike looked warily at the necklaces. “Did you not turn the safeties off or something?”

“Spike, this is no time for wisecracks!” Rarity snapped. “We need to find Twilight!”

“Um… hate to be that guy but uh…?” Ray gestured to the spot on the floor.

Fluttershy rounded on him. “Ray Strike, Rarity already said this is not funny!”

“Hey, hey, your magic necklaces suddenly decided to fire the lasers and this is all that’s left!” he argued. “I’m only saying what I can see!”

“But it don’t make any sense,” said Applejack. “We didn’t try ta use the Elements and they’ve never done somethin’ like this. They’re not meant ta just roast ponies to a crisp!”

Even Pinkie looked worried. “Oh uh, maybe it was more like a teleport spell! Like a really, really big one that made it all smoky!”

“You might be right,” said Dusk, if only to try and reassure himself. “Like Applejack said, the Elements don’t destroy. They incapacitate in some way and they’ve never behaved of their own accord before. Something about Twilight finishing the spell must have triggered something.”

“But what in Equestria could have warranted… this?!” cried Rarity.

“Worry not, my friends. All is well,” said a new voice.

They looked to see a gathering of shimmering starlight manifesting in the library. From it emerged Princess Luna, a comforting smile on her face.

“Peace, mine little ponies,” she said. “Twilight Sparkle is in no danger. The completion of this spell has marked the beginning of a new stage in her life, one which my sister is currently attending to.”

“Forgive me, Luna, but that raises somewhat more questions than it answers,” said Dusk. “What new stage? What’s going on?”

Before any kind of answer could be given, something shone with brilliant light outside. But the day was ended and the night had just begun. The stars and moon weren’t that bright.

The Princess of the Night nodded towards it. “I believe that if you step outside, you will soon see for yourselves.”

They hurried to the square outside. The line was coming from a star, of sorts. But it looked like Twilight’s cutie mark. It lowered gently to the ground, forcing them to shield their eyes as it flared and faded. Left in its place was the shape of a pony, bent over and head bowed.

“Twilight?” Applejack squinted at her. “Is that you?”

With some effort, Twilight stood up. All of them stared in awe as, at the same time she straightened to her full height, a pair of feathered, lilac wings spread from her back. There were no words for this sight. Dusk chanced a glance at Luna, who only smiled.

“Wha... I-I've never seen anything like it!” Applejack exclaimed.

“Ha! Twilight's got wings!” Rainbow cheered. “Awesome! A new flying buddy!”

Rarity stared at the wings. “Why, you've become an Alicorn. I didn't even know that was possible.”

“Alicorn party!” Pinkie screamed while blowing a kazoo.

“How do they feel?” asked Dusk.

“I… I don’t know,” she admitted. She flapped them experimentally. “They feel like… like they’ve always been here, but… also not.”

“Funny, I felt the same way when I discovered I was an Element,” said Dusk. “If it’s any consolation, I’m sure you’ll get used to it.”

“Sure, when you have a necklace you can just take off,” remarked Ray. “Growing new limbs is a little bit different.”

“Wow... You look just like a princess!” Fluttershy gasped.

“That's because she is a princess.”

Celestia landed nearby, striding towards them with grace and poise. At this, Pinkie drank a glass of water just to perform a spit-take.

“A... A princess?” Twilight sounded like she could hardly believe it.

Celestia nodded, looking around at all of them. “Since you've come to Ponyville, you've displayed the charity, compassion, devotion, integrity, optimism, charisma and of course, the leadership of a true princess.”

“Hold on, hold on, why did you look at Dusk when you said ‘charisma?’” asked Ray.

Dusk quirked an eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m not charismatic?”

“Well, I don’t know about that. I guess there’s a certain charm to you and I suppose ponies did follow you into battle and…” Ray shrugged. “Sure, charismatic. Why not?”

“Your confidence in me is truly heartening, Ray.”

“But...” Twilight looked apprehensive. “Does this mean I won't be your student anymore?”

“Not in the same way as before. I'll still be here to help and guide you, but we're all your students now, too.” She sank into a bow. “You are an inspiration to us all, Twilight.”

Everypony else followed suit, though Ray had to be nudged before he realised what they were doing. Even then, he didn’t stay down long and approached Celestia.

“Hold on a minute, let me get this straight. Demon host,” he said, gesturing to himself. He gestured to Twilight. “Alicorn princess. Demon host. Alicorn princess. You see what I mean?”

Celestia frowned. “I’m… afraid I don’t, Ray.”

Dusk suddenly felt apprehensive. Knowing Ray and his history with Celestia, he expected this to be going in an unpleasant direction. Celestia seemed to as well, tensing a little. But when Ray spoke, it was in his usual manner of overblown, exaggerated annoyance and not genuine resentment.

“Oh come on! We were both picked by you and I’ve been through plenty of rough times too, plus I can even teleport. How come I didn’t get any wings?” He flapped his forelegs. “Princess Ray Strike, anypony? Tell me that doesn’t sound good!”

“Oh, I see.” A smile came to Celestia’s face and she tittered. “I’m afraid it doesn’t quite work like that.”

“Well, bully for Twilight then,” he huffed.

“Aww, don’t be sad, Ray.” Pinkie came over and ruffled his mane. “If it makes you feel any better, we could all call you a princess too!”

“Yeah, we can make you some nice cardboard wings and paint them up,” teased Rainbow. “I’ll bet Rarity’ll make you a nice dress, too.”

“Yes, I can see it already.” Rarity scanned him with a discerning eye. “I’m thinking something in a bright gold, with a large bustle and some matching shoes. Maybe a delightful little hat too.”

Ray tossed his mane back. “Okay, I know you’re making fun of me but you know I would look drop dead gorgeous.”

“Yes, you would,” Fluttershy cooed. “You’d make a lovely princess, Ray.”

“… I don’t know if that’s emasculating or not.” He shrugged again. “Oh well, who cares? So yay! Twilight’s a princess. And all it took was her friends going through a forced identity crisis to do it.”

“Ray…”

“No, Dusk, I’m saying it if nopony else will.” He gestured to them all. “Just today, they’ve nearly lost homes and businesses, been attacked by angry animals, jeered at by disgruntled townsfolk and been trapped in a weird dream realm while all I could do was hold his hoof and tell him it would be all okay. So tell me, princess, how is any of that okay?”

A tense silence fell over them. Celestia’s expression was unreadable. Luna looked shamefaced and everypony else looked anxiously from one pony to the other.

“He is right, sister.” Luna stepped up. “They deserve to know of the circumstances at the least. This test was Twilight’s, not theirs and not to the extent they’ve been put through.”

The Sun Princess closed her eyes, nodding slowly. In the end, Celestia sighed and lowered her head to look him in the eye.

“You have every right to be angry, Ray. You all do,” she said. “Please understand. The spell was incomplete and when either myself or Luna attempted it, it did nothing. We didn’t know what its effects would be. I had hoped it would act as a suitable test for Twilight, to finally understand the true connections between her and her friends as I knew that was the missing element of the spell. I didn’t expect it to have such an impact, like you have described.”

“Still pretty irresponsible, letting her have something when you didn’t know what it would do,” he pointed out. “I mean, come on. You know what Twilight is like with old books and ancient spells, especially of the Starswirl variety.”

“You might be right. Again, we certainly didn’t expect the spell to work, given what I thought I knew,” she said. “But that doesn’t diminish the hurt you’ve all been put through. I can only apologise, young ones. You should all be commended for the resilience and fortitude with which you’ve acted. Never have I seen a group of finer friends and more admirable ponies.”

She bowed again, this time to all of them. Luna did too, looking especially ashamed. Her eyes briefly flickered to Dusk before casting them down again. It the end, Pinkie broke the silence.

“I guess everypony makes mistakes, even a thousand-year-old princesses. We’re all okay now and that’s what matters.”

“Yeah, ma family’s farm is back up and runnin’,” said Applejack. “Thanks again fer yer help there, everypony.”

“As is the Carousel Boutique. Though Applejack was about to close when we arrived, I believe that was more due to throwing in the towel after a valiant effort. Which I don’t blame you for, darling,” she added. “Frankly, with the dresses you were turning out, I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did.”

“Thanks!” Applejack frowned. “Ah think?”

“And all of my animals already apologised to Rainbow Dash, along with everypony else I tried to entertain,” said Fluttershy. “I mean, I was rather awful at being a stand-in for Pinkie.”

“Aww, don’t feel too bad.” Pinkie nudged her side. “I’d say you did a pretty great job trying, Fluttershy.”

“Yeah, I appreciate the apology from the animals and all, but uh, I think I’m gonna hang back from the cottage for a bit,” said Rainbow. “It was cutting it pretty close.”

“It’s alright, Princess,” said Twilight. “None of us blame you for what happened. It was all just a big, complicated magical accident. Right?”

“Well, while my own experience certainly wasn’t pleasant, it was… eye opening,” said Dusk. “So no, I don’t either.”

Celestia rose up, inclining her head to the group. Dusk caught Luna’s eye when she looked up. She still looked a little guilty, but Dusk knew he’d see her tonight. They could discuss it then.

“Alright, if that’s how you all feel. Sooooo…” He looked at Celestia. “Does this mean I can get my wings now? Or maybe at least a fancy title? Royal Challenger, something like that?”

“I’m afraid not,” she smirked.

“Eh, had to try.”

“But... what do I do now? Is there a book about being a princess I should read?” asked Twilight.

Celestia giggled. “There will be time for all of that later. Right now, I’m sure you’ve all had a trying day and would benefit from some rest. Twilight, we’ll be in touch to discuss the details of your coronation.”

“Oh my, a coronation and for one of my best friends!” Rarity squealed. “Princess, I must insist you let me design the dresses for everypony!”

“You were the top of my considerations, Rarity,” she said. “But we can sort it out another time. Luna and I must return to Canterlot. Have a good night, everypony.”

They took off into the sky, back to the mountains. Despite the advice of Celestia, the girls were all still fussing over Twilight. Dusk realised just how tired he was. Twilight gave him a look of understanding. This was a lot to process and they could talk about it tomorrow. He bade them all goodnight and set off for home.

“Mind if I walk with you?” asked Ray. “I think I’ve stolen Twilight’s spotlight enough.”

“I’d be glad of the company,” he said. “So… that was certainly something.”

Ray laughed. “You’re telling me. Bud, you’re dating a princess now! Does that make you a prince?”

“I think we need to be married before that can happen.”

“Oh, well you’d better hurry then. Start enjoying those royalty perks.”

Dusk rolled his eyes. “Ray, please. I don’t need you being as bad as Cadence.”

“Hmm, that’s an idea. Maybe I can usurp an existing princess if I can’t become one.” He threw his head back. “Ray Strike, Princess of Love and Ruler of the Crystal Empire! All ponies will bow to me! I mean, she’s only got Shining protecting her, right? I can take him.”

“It’s not Shining you need to be concerned about.” Dusk smirked at his friend. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing we’re herbivores because Cadence would have you for breakfast.”

“Ouch. That cut deep.”

“I can tell. And since when did you care about being any kind of royalty? You dislike virtually everything about those considered upper class.”

“Oh I do, I’m just messing around because I’m a comedic genius.” He chuckled again and nudged Dusk’s side. “To be fair though, is marrying Twilight such a bad thing?”

“I’m not sure. What about you and Fluttershy?”

Ray’s cheeks flushed red. “Yeah, I walked right into that one. But anyway, good for Twilight. Hope she’s a better ruler than her teacher is.”

“Ray, I…” Dusk considered his words carefully. “I know you and Celestia aren’t exactly… well, friendly and with good reason. But I thought you had a kind of understanding.”

“Just because I understand her decision doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he replied. “I get it. Wrath was a bad boy and he needed to be stopped. But… why’d it have to be me who got stuck with him?”

“I’m sorry, my friend.” Dusk patted his shoulder. “You didn’t deserve that. Nopony does.”

“Amen to that. I guess if there was another way, she would have found it but still…” He sighed. “Sorry, making this whole thing about me and my problems. I am seriously happy for Twilight, really. If anypony deserves to be a princess, she does.”

“I agree. Though I can’t help but wonder…” He turned his eyes to the stars. “What will it mean? For me and her, her friendships with the others? I… I don’t want to lose her, Ray.”

“Dusk, really? This is the mare who would do anything for the ponies she cares about, you included. She’s not going to let something like being a princess stop that. According to Sunbutt, it’s the reason why she became a princess in the first place! She won’t let you go or any of us, I know it.”

Dusk kept in a snort of laughter. “I-I’m sorry, that was good of you to say so but… what did you just call Celestia?”

“What? Tell me I’m wrong, go ahead! She literally has the sun on her butt! Although, if we apply that to Luna… gives the phrase ‘full moon’ new meaning.” He frowned. “Okay, I’m stopping this train of thought before it crashes and burns.”

“Good call.” He gave Ray a hug with his foreleg. “Thank you. For what you said and the laughs. I think I needed that, after everything. And… thank you for staying with me while I was, well, out of it.”

“Hey, no problem. What are best friends for, right?” he said with a wink. “Well, I have escorted you safely to your house. My work here is done.”

“Indeed. Goodnight, Ray.” Dusk paused, then added, “You’re a good friend.”

“You too, bud. See you around.”

In a flash of yellow, he was gone. Dusk looked at the spot where he vanished for a bit, then entered his home. Suddenly bereft of what little energy he had left, he went to his bed and collapsed onto it, falling asleep within moments.

When he awoke, he knew at once he wasn’t actually awake. He was glad that he’d mastered lucid dreaming with Luna. He wasn’t interested in his mind replaying his strange episode of the day. And he wasn’t alone.

There was his teacher, standing like she’d been waiting for him. For a few seconds, she managed to maintain an expression of royal neutrality and composure. Then it fell away in seconds when she burst into tears.

“Dusk… m-my student, my friend, I am so, so sorry for what you went through.” She hanged her head, shaking it furiously. “I-I swore to my sister I wouldn’t interfere w-with Twilight’s test and was taking my rest in the day, b-but had I known about your plight, I swear that I would have-“

“Luna.” He was with her in a flash, hugging her. “It’s alright. Like I said before, I don’t blame you or your sister or Twilight. Things just… happened.”

She returned his hug, the tension leaving her. “You… you mean that?”

“Of course. Honestly, I don’t think anypony could have predicted what would happen today.” He looked up at her and smiled. “It’s okay, Luna.”

For a moment, he was afraid she would ask about what had happened. But she didn’t. Instead, she broke out in a smile of sheer relief and joy.

“I thank all of my good fortune, to have been graced by such a friend as you.” She hugged him again. “It means more to me than I can say.”

“As yours does to me,” replied Dusk. They broke apart and he shook his head. “What a day it’s been. I’ll be honest, I’m still trying to process it all.”

“Indeed,” she said, wiping her eyes and managing a smile of her own. “The ascendance of a new alicorn. I never imagined I’d see such a thing again, after Cadence and I’m very pleased that Twilight has been bestowed that honour.”

“But when you arrived, you spoke as if you knew what was happening.”

“Only because my sister had just informed me. When we see you all, in your little flight past Canterlot, my sister took me aside after you left and shared the extent of what she felt would happen.” Luna rolled her eyes. “She was right, of course and she gets so frustratingly smug when it happens.”

Dusk quirked an eyebrow. “So you just wanted to seem like you knew all along?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Naturally,” Dusk giggled. “You mentioned that Starswirl developed a particular fixation on alicorns towards the end of his days. Do you think that spell had something to do with it?”

She nodded. “In part, I believe. You said yourself, Dusk, the possibility of friendship becoming manifest in an alicorn, much as my sister and I have speculated. Starswirl’s last spell was an expression of very powerful magic, yet it alone was not enough and even then, it was incomplete. Based on what happened to you and the others, it required the Elements of Harmony to truly work, albeit incorrectly.”

“It did have a particular effect on them. So… give me a moment…” Dusk considered what he’d been told. “If Cadence became the Princess of Love, based on the power of her heart, then Twilight has become the Princess of Friendship in the same way?”

“Indeed, though Friendship is a much more complex and even more powerful magic than Love. Love draws strength from the self, along with others but Friendship is an even stronger expression of that. It required all of the Elements of Harmony, working in concert with wielders united in true friendship and Starswirl’s spell, to truly manifest such power. Thus, we have our newest princess.”

“I think I understand,” said Dusk. “So does that make her another relative now? A new niece for you and Celestia?”

“Dusk, being alicorns does not make us automatically related. Though it does have a certain appeal,” she admitted. “And how do you feel about this affair, Dusk? As you say, it is quite staggering to process.”

“No argument there,” he said. “I think I’m getting there, but… it would help if I could talk to Twilight. Looks like I’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that.”

“Why wait?” Luna gave a knowing smile. “I’m sure she would appreciate some company right now, especially given what her dreams are like at the moment. Consider it a small training exercise.”

Expressing his gratitude in another hug, it didn’t take long for Dusk to find the part of the dream realm that connected to Twilight’s dreams. Just at a glimpse, he could see it didn’t look good. He travelled along to it, touching down inside.

It was the throne room in Canterlot. It was packed full of ponies, all of them yelling in a conflicting cacophony of petitions and demands. Stacks of parchment towered all the way to the ceiling, in multiple piles along both sides of the throne. And stuck in the middle of it all was Twilight, not knowing which way to turn or which concern to address first, getting more stressed by the second.

This, Dusk thought, simply wouldn’t do.

“Attention everypony!” he called out. “The Princess will consider all of your proposals in due course, but for now, she must deliberate.” He conjured up guiding colour arrows. “Please make your way to the waiting area and we will bring you in, one at a time.”

Grumbling, but doing what they were told, the ponies all filed out and cleared Dusk’s way to the throne. He trotted up to a much more relieved Twilight.

“Oh Dusk, thank goodness you’re here!” She levitated about a dozen different forms to him. “We need to go over all of these requisitions and propositions before we have to meet with the delegates in five minutes, but not before we-!”

“Twilight,” he said, gently taking her hoof. “You can calm down. This is all just a dream. It isn’t happening.”

“Oh. Right. O-Of course.” She looked at the piles, which vanished in a puff of smoke. “Sorry. I… just got so caught up.”

“Understandably so. Now, how about we retire to much more comfortable settings?” The throne room faded away and they were in the library, sat at the kitchen table. “Cup of tea, darling?”

“Thank you, dear,” she giggled, taking the offered cup. Her smile faded as she looked at it. “We probably won’t be able to do this for much longer.”

“What, having some tea? I should think we’ll always-“

“I mean, having tea in here. Or studying or reading or doing anything here, ever.” She gazed around the room with nostalgia. “Celestia will probably want me to move back to Canterlot, start learning how to be a proper princess there. There’ll be so much to do and… and I’ll have to say goodbye to all of our friends. S-So much is going to change, I can’t… I don’t want things to change.”

“Twilight, I…” Dusk sighed. “I’ll confess, I’m worried about what changes this will bring too. This is big.”

“It’s huge!” she cried. “I mean, look at me! I’m a princess! An actual, alicorn princess! You know how busy Celestia and Luna get, the responsibilities of being a ruler. We’ve only ever looked from the outside in, but now we’re going to be right in the thick of it! There’s going to be so much to do, so much to learn! How will we even-?!”

“Miss Sparkle, you’re spiralling again,” he said. “Take a moment. Centre yourself and breathe.”

“Okay. Okay…” She performed a breathing exercise very similar to Cadence, relaxing her posture a little. “Okay. I needed that. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I couldn’t help but notice,” he went on, “the use of the word ‘we’ there though you mentioned possibly saying goodbye to our friends. Am I going to be a member of your court?”

“Well, of course. I’d never leave you behind.” She smiled again. “What would I do without my number one pony assistant?”

He bowed his head to her. “You honour me, your highness.”

“Eugh, that sounds so weird,” she grimaced. “I guess I’ll have to get used to hearing it from everypony though. Oh, I just realised as well: do you think ponies will invoke my name in things?”

“What, saying things like ‘oh for Twilight’s sake?’” Dusk chuckled at the thought. “Now, that would be something to hear.”

“It’s so weird to think about! I’m going to have a throne a-and a crown. I mean, I already have one, it’s my Element of Harmony but I can’t exactly…” She frowned in thought. “Do you think that’s why it appears the way it does? Was this… was this always going to happen?”

“Who can say? I thought we understood everything about the Elements, until they decided to friendship disintegration beams,” he remarked. “That was a bit of a shock.”

“How do you think it was for me? I ended up in this weird… well, it was sort of like being in a dream. Then Celestia was there and she talked about how I’ve come such a long way, that it was time to fulfil my destiny…” She shook her head. “And to think, today just started out as a normal day in Ponyville.”

Dusk cocked his head. “We have normal days in Ponyville?”

“Shush, I mean relatively normal.” That smile became a little easier. “You know, talking about it with you, it suddenly doesn’t seem so bad. Thank you, Dusk.”

“My pleasure, it’s what I try to do.” He noticed her look uncertain again. “Something the matter?”

“You mean apart from the life altering change that just happened?” she said with a forced laugh. “Just… what I said before, about you coming with me. If I do have to go back, you will come with me… right?”

“You don’t even need to ask. And on the subject of your court of friendship, it seems a bit thin currently. We’ll need a scribe for taking notes, so Spike will be essential and a princess can’t do without a tailor so that means Rarity will have to come along.” He weaved colour images of all of them as he spoke. “Applejack will need to keep us appraised of food supply logisitics. Rainbow will be an envoy for the weather schedule and Pinkie can plan social functions. Fluttershy will need to attend some of the royal animals and I’m sure Ray will be happy to come along as court jester.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’d love that,” she laughed, her smile back again. “But we can’t expect them all to move for me.”

“You never know though, do you? Just as we don’t know what will ultimately happen when you become princess properly. But there’s one thing I can tell you that is true: you won’t be on your own. Celestia and Luna won’t be going anywhere, I’m sure they’ll lend a hoof. Cadence will no doubt have some advice for you too. You’ll be near your parents again and I can assure you, none of us will be letting you do this alone.” He reached across for her hoof. “We’ve got your back, Twilight.”

She took his in return, her smile growing. Then she grasped him with her magic and pulled him across the table for a kiss. He returned it eagerly.

“Has anypony told you, that you’re absolutely amazing?” she asked.

“That’s my line to you.” He nuzzled her cheek. “You know, I noticed something else… you’re a little taller, too.”

“I am? Come here, let me see.” She took him around to stand in front of him. “Hey, you’re right! Guess that’s another perk of being a princess.”

“Do you think you’ll be as tall as Celestia?” pondered Dusk. “Maybe get a flowing mane like hers too?”

“One step at time, I think.” She kissed him again and they shared a hug after. “Thank you, Dusk. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but if I have all of you with me, I think I’ll be okay.”

“I think so too. Right, I’d best get back to Luna. Pleasant dreams, Miss Sparkle.”

She giggled. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem, thanks to you. I love you.”

“And I you.”

He waved farewell and travelled back to the dreamworld nexus, where Luna waited for him. She beamed at him with pride.

“How far you have come, my friend and how much further you have yet to go.” She embraced him with her wings. “Twilight may have become a princess today, but I am very proud of you as well. You and your friends overcame a great trial today, in the recesses of your mind. Fighting the enemies within is just as challenging as those without.”

“It helps to have had such a brilliant teacher and an even dearer friend. Thank you, Luna.”

“You are always welcome. Now, let us turn to help others in need within their dreams,” she said. “It is gratifying that I no longer do this alone.”

Together, the two ponies set off to battle nightmares and fears wherever they surfaced, until the sun brought them back into waking…

The next few day were spent in intense preparation for the coronation of Twilight. Celestia had already done a lot of the groundwork, but the final touches needed to come together. Rarity had to do serious crunch time for the clothes of Twilight and all their friends. The other princesses already had their dresses being made, but it was still a lot of work.

Twilight had been partly right, in that she was recalled to Canterlot. But only briefly, Celestia assured, while the coronation was being prepared. She and her sister still handled the major running of things and Twilight still had a lot to learn before she was truly ready. They wouldn’t ask her to be uprooted from Ponyville, much to their collective relief.

As such, running of the library fell to Dusk and Spike while Twilight was away. Since the two already worked so well together, this wasn’t a major adjustment. Dusk had to be a little earlier for work, but that just meant enjoying a Spike-made breakfast.

“Hey, just think,” he said one morning. “Pretty soon, we’ll be royal assistants!”

“So, assistants with a fancier title?” asked Dusk.

“Eh, I’ll take what I can get,” he shrugged. “Wonder if I should start wearing something fancy…”

The rest of their friends make regular trips to and from Canterlot when they could, mainly for moral support. The rest of their time was spent excitedly talking about what Twilight’s new duties as a princess would mean for all of them. Though there was some shared apprehension for the future, they were all of the same mind: they’d face it together.

At long last, the day came. Dressed in a new sky-blue suit of Rarity design, complete with a ruffled collar, bow-tie and a bowler hat (mainly because the others had hats for their outfits), Dusk stood with them all at the head of the hall. A royal purple carpet led up to where the Princesses stood in matching purple and gold gowns. Cadence had her mane done up the same as when she’d received the Equestria Games representative. Flowers lined the aisle, candles glowed gently from hanging candelabras and the day was bright and blue.

Dusk kept glancing down at his chest while Celestia gave her speech. Ray nudged him with a smirk, dressed in a yellow suit and tailcoat that matched his eyes, along with a matching tri-corner hat.

“Don’t worry, your bow-tie is there and still cool.” He frowned. “Didn’t somepony once say bow-ties are cool?”

“It’s not that,” he whispered back. “It’s my half of the necklace I gave Twilight. I couldn’t find it this morning and I wanted to wear it specially.”

“Maybe you left it somewhere?”

“Only when I go to bed at night. Other than that, it doesn’t leave my sight. But when Spike came by today to rush me out, I forgot about until I was almost at the door and it wasn’t there when I went to get it.”

“I’m sure it’ll turn up somewhere. Hopefully not in Spike’s stomach.”

“You two, shush!” Rarity hissed. “Whatever it is, it can wait!”

Ray nodded and mimed zipping his mouth shut. Dusk resolved that he’d just have to try and find it later. He hoped he hadn’t lost it or that Twilight wouldn’t hold it against him not having it.

Trying to focus his attention on something else, he tuned into Celestia’s speech.

“… proving without a doubt that she is ready to be crowned Equestria's newest princess.” The joy in Celestia’s voice was evident to all who heard it. “Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

The doors opened and with standards of her cutie mark, carried by a procession of guards and escorts, she came. She was swathed in a dress of vibrant pink, with cream-coloured train and trim. Her wings were unfolded and her mane had been curled at the ends, bobbing slightly as she walked.

As the escorts proclaimed her coming, Spike presented her crown on a velvet cushion. It wasn’t the actual Element of Magic, but it had been modelled after it. Celestia lowered it onto her head and she turned to face the crowd. The jewel glinted in the light and Dusk could see her parents in the front row, weeping with joy.

She was then led to the balcony, to a crowd of cheering ponies. Dusk saw Celestia lean in to whisper something and she stepped up to give a speech to them. She told them about how she’d been sent to learn about friendship, that she’d never cared much about it until she met all of her friends. She even gestured to them to join her and Dusk had never felt more proud in his life. There wasn’t a dry eye present.

They weren’t the only ones proud of her. Shining was even weeping what he called ‘liquid pride’. Her parents came and embraced their daughter. Her father was a blubbering mess, while her even her mother was having trouble keeping it together. Much to Dusk’s surprise, his own parents approached to offer their congratulations too.

“You were wonderful, Twilight,” said Chord. “I know we don’t know each other very well, but we’re truly honoured to be here today.”

“Th-Thank you, ma’am,” said Twilight.

“Oh goodness, a princess called me ma’am. Did you hear that, Abby? Me, a ma’am to a princess!”

“I heard, dear. Quite a remarkable young filly,” said Abacus, with more warmth than Dusk gave him credit for. “You should feel very proud of yourself. As I am of… of my son.”

Dusk gasped as his father turned to look at him. The two approached each other, standing awkwardly. Then Dusk threw decorum to the wind and hugged him. Abacus froze for a moment, but returned it, his mother joining in too, unable to contain herself.

Sombra approached as well, sinking into a low bow.

“My most sincere congratulations, Twilight. Equestria will be that much safer, with you upon the throne,” he said.

“I believe some credit is owed.” They saw Trixie approaching, dressed in a glittering purple suit and cape. “After all, I think we all know you wouldn’t have made it without overcoming the challenges presented by the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“If that’s what you want to believe,” giggled Twilight. “Thanks for coming, Trixie. How are things in the Empire?”

“They are adequate to Trixie’s standards,” she said. Then she dropped her haughtiness. “In all seriousness, your brother and sister-in-law are amazing. I’m living in a palace, Twilight. A palace! It won’t be long before Trixie has a crown and wings of her own.”

“Don’t get your hopes up.” Doom slinked out from behind a pillar, forced into a basic tuxedo and tie. “Boasting doesn’t make you royalty.”

“And brooding doesn’t make you cool,” returned Trixie. She noticed everypony had tensed up, seeing Dusk’s former dark side. “Not to worry, everypony. Doomie’s promised to be on his best behaviour.”

He snarled. “I told you not to call me that.”

“And I will continue to ignore you,” she said. “Now, let’s go and see where the refreshments are being hidden. Congrats again, Twilight! Ooh, ooh, I’ve actually managed to pick up a few new spells from Cadence and those books Sombra gave to her! I’ll have to give you a demonstration later.”

“Oh that sounds great, Trixie!” Twilight’s smiled perked up. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve learned.”

“Of course you can’t. After all, it is me.”

She sauntered away, Doom rolling his eyes and following behind. Everypony all silently agreed that it was quite odd to have witnessed that and decided not to talk about it.

After the coronation, a parade followed that saw Twilight riding on a chariot and being thrown flowers. She even demonstrated the first proper use of her wings, much to the joy of those watching. They all briefly retired at its conclusion to rest and dress down for the party taking place in the gardens later that evening.

Though they still wore nice outfits, this was a much more relaxed affair that saw more of their friends than random well-wishers. This included those from Ponyville and beyond.

“My friends, it’s so good to see you again!” Little Strongheart hurried up. “And on such a wonderful day. Thank you for having me, it’s been too long.”

“You mean apart from flying by just a few days ago?” asked Rainbow. “That didn’t leave an impression.”

“I do recall something like that, but it must have been a passing fancy,” she joked. “Chief Thunderhooves has extended an invitation to join us in Appleloosa for a traditional stampede and a hoedown, as Braeburn calls it.”

“We’ll definitely see about comin’ along. Always happy ta see family and friends,” said Applejack.

“Indeed, what a joyous day it is, to witness a sight brilliant as this.” Zecora approached, wearing a robe of many dazzling colours. “I have a gift to present, to the princess most resplendent. A charm to bring luck considered good, carved from the Everfree’s wood.”

“It’s beautiful,” said Twilight. “Thank you, Zecora. Are you having a good time?”

“So far, yes. I’m sure this evening will be one of the best,” she replied. “Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to get down and party!”

“Woo, you go, zebra!” cheered Pinkie. She whisked her away to the dance floor.

Quite a few were already there, bopping to the beats pumped out by Vinyl. Cadence and Shining twirled around, while Sombra and Luna gently swayed. Even Discord was cutting up a chaotic rug with Celestia, laughing with unrestrained joy at his antics. Ray bobbed about while Fluttershy giggled at his ridiculous displays and the Crusaders were all dancing together, Pinkie in their midst while doing the chicken dance.

Dusk moved about the rest of the party between different conversations. He caught up with one-time Canterlot friends. Jock and Muscles offered hoof bumps for ‘bagging a princess’ while Prim and Mirror rolled their eyes and laughed respectively. He sat at a table with Gentle, Nightfall and Frequency for a little catchup. Singer had joined the table too, looking quite perplexed he was even here.

“Yeah, I came as Gilda’s plus one.” He pointed to her on the dance floor, bobbing her head like a pigeon with Rainbow. “We ended up keeping in touch after the con and uh… yeah, still not sure what I’m doing here.”

“You’ll get used to it,” giggled Gentle. “Just go with the flow. It’s what we do.”

“Indeed,” said Nightfall. “Really, my own observatory became something of a royal half-way house. Now it seems we have one more.”

“Speak for yourselves,” remarked Frequency. “I’m used to this sort of thing.”

“As am I. Good to see you, Dusk.” The muscled Phoenix Wing sidled up to Dusk. “I mean, more in terms of getting their funding for my research, but same difference.”

Singer smiled sheepishly. “I suddenly feel very self-conscious.”

“Don’t worry about it. What kind of research is that?” asked Gentle.

Phoenix shrugged. “Dragons.”

“You’re kidding!” Nightfall cried. “You have to tell us more about that.”

Dusk listened quietly for a bit before excusing himself and leaving them to it. He spotted Twilight, deep in close conversation with Cadence. Feeling a sense of déjà vu, he started to head over but Twilight went up to the stage at the ending of the last song, taking the microphone offered by Vinyl.

“Excuse me, everypony? Could I have your attention please?” Everypony stopped what they were doing to look. “Thank you. I’d like you all to please follow me. There’s a little spot in the gardens I want to show you.”

If anypony thought this seemed strange, they didn’t question it. It wasn’t far from the main party and Dusk recognised it at once. He watched as Twilight turned again to face them.

“I spoke earlier about how learning about friendship has brought me to where I am today. But that isn’t the only thing that has. This spot has been a very special one, to a very special somepony here. It’s where my mentor, Celestia, first saw his potential and sent him to meet me. Where we took an important first step together into something new and wonderful. Where we reaffirmed that step, after a devastating conflict. I’d like to ask that pony to come and join me here.”

Her eyes found his and Dusk felt every other eye turn to see him. His face feeling warm and his heart beating a little faster, he went to stand with her.

“Over a year ago, on this spot, Dusk Noir agreed to be my special somepony. Anypony who knew how I felt about friendship can probably guess how I felt about romance. I thought it sounded silly and pointless, making that much fuss over just one pony. But the lessons I learned about friendship also began to extend to romance and I began to realise just how special it is.” She took his hoof, turning to face him. “It isn’t all about grand gestures and hoof holding and kissing. It’s about finding a pony who compliments your shortcomings and raises you up, despite them. Who challenges you in all the best ways, while also supporting you when you feel like the world is against you. Who stays with you through the best and worst of times. This pony has done all of that and more.”

She gave it a moment to let her words settle, then continued and looked fully into his eyes.

“Dusk, I know we’ve not always been perfect. We’ve made our mistakes. Hurt each other when we didn’t mean to. Acted like idiots on more than one occasion and no, not just him.” That got a little laugh. “But against everything, we’ve stuck through it all and life is just a little bit better with just having you in it. A few days ago, when the weight of this new phase in my life seemed so overwhelming, you pulled me back. Like you have so many times before. The perspective it gave made this decision so much easier to make. Whatever challenges my life as a princess might bring, I don’t want to face them without you. And so, I just want to ask you one, simple question.”

She knelt down in front of him. A steady murmur passed through those watching as she took out something, levitating it with her magic. It was the Lover’s Diamond necklace he’d gotten her as a birthday present. He thought he’d misplaced his half that morning. How had she…?

Dusk happened to glance at Spike, who grinned and gave thumbs up. Of course. He must have grabbed it in the confusion that morning. He looked back at the necklace as she separated the two halves, then at Twilight. Tears welled in both their eyes and he just couldn’t keep the grin that threatened to take over his whole face.

“Dusk Noir, will you do me the honour of becoming my prince? Will you…?” She choked on this, but managed to push through. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” he said without a moment’s hesitation. “Yes, yes, a thousand times, YES!”

The half of his necklace wasn’t on for a second when he swept her up in a passionate kiss, everypony watching bursting into tumultuous applause with a few whistles thrown in for good measure. No sooner had they broken apart, then Cadence swept them up in a hug.

“You did it, you did it!” she cried. “Oh, I’m so happy for both of you!”

Dusk laughed. “You knew?”

“Don’t act so surprised. See?” she said with a smirk. “Told you that it wasn’t anything to worry about.”

“Yes, you did.” Dusk hugged her again. “Thank you, SILBFF.”

“Hmm?”

“Sister-In-Law Best Friend Forever.”

“Ohh. Oh, you…!” She giggled and wrapped her wings around him again. “Anytime, BILBFF.”

“And don’t worry,” said Shining, hugging his sister and shaking Dusk’s hoof. “We’ll make sure no changelings show up at your wedding. Unless they’re on the guest list.”

“Much appreciated,” giggled Twilight. “Now, shall we return to the party, my prince?”

Dusk bowed. “By your leave, my princess.”

As they walked back, Dusk felt like his leg might drop off from how many ponies and other creatures shook his hoof or slapped him on the back. But there was one group he was most eager to hear from.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Pinkie cheered. “Looking good, your majesties!”

“Oh… oh this is… this is simply…” Rarity could hardly speak from crying. “There a-are no words!”

“Ah got one: congratulations.” Applejack hugged them at the same time. “Yer gonna make the best prince and princess Equestria has ever seen.”

“Yeah, just don’t expect us to start bowing to you.” Rainbow punched his leg. “You’re not that special.”

“Great, another friend becoming royalty,” remarked Ray. “Hey, you could make me a knight or something? Knight me with the royal pipe!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, they’re not married yet,” giggled Fluttershy. “But when they are, I’m sure it’ll be just magical.”

“And sappy as all hay, probably,” said Spike. “But I guess I can get used to it. Just don’t leave me with babysitting when you two have kids.”

“One step at a time, Spike.” Twilight looked at Dusk. “So, how does it feel to be on your way to becoming a prince?”

“Nothing compared to how it feels being on my way to becoming your husband,” he replied. “If you think you can put up with me for the rest of your life?”

“I think I can manage. Also,” she added, swatting him on the nose with a flower. “Not as bad as a pipe, but still no more self-put-downs from you.”

“Yeah, she knows what’s up!” crowed Ray. “Although, I’m not sure if it’s touching or cheap that you just used the necklace he already got you. I mean, you’re a princess now, you couldn’t shell out some bits for a new engagement ring or necklace?”

“Excuse me, but I was going for touching.” Twilight looked down at her own half. “Our relationship is more than just this necklace, but it’s also a pretty good representation of it and I honestly didn’t feel like I could top it. Thanks for getting it for me, Spike.”

Spike beamed. “No problem. It was a little tricky, but once he was distracted, swiping it was easy.”

“I do hope this doesn’t mark the beginning of Spike’s career as a pilferer of fine jewellery,” joked Rarity.

“Well, I think it was a lovely gesture,” said Dusk. “I could have done without it going missing, but I appreciate why. Now, it has even more meaning.”

“Yep! Because…!” Twilight’s grinned flared. “We’re getting married!”

“I know!” he cried. “I have to say, if you were worried about it, you hid it well.”

“It wasn’t easy, but then after becoming a princess, this felt much easier to deal with. Not that I don’t expect it to be challenging,” she added, “but I know it’ll be worth it.”

“As do I.”

“Excuse me, everypony! If I could have your attention please.” Cadence was beaming at the microphone stand. “I know Twilight just did this, but don’t worry this won’t take long. In commemoration of the wonderful event we’ve just witnessed, I would like to dedicate this song to the engagement of Princess Twilight and her soon-to-be Prince, Dusk Noir!”

The hooves of everypony present thundered in applause, earning blushes and shy smiles from the pair. At the same time, Cadence nodded to Vinyl, who spun a new record.

The music that played was upbeat and catchy, one that Dusk couldn’t resist dancing to. Neither could Twilight and within seconds, they were out on the dance floor, with no mind to coordination or looking good. Just enjoying the presence of each other and the music.

Cadence’s singing accompanied the best and only got Dusk’s blood pumping even more.

Hero too, I am a hero too!
My heart is set
And I won’t back down!

Hero too, strength doesn’t make a hero
True heroes stand up for what they believe,
So wait and see!

When the chorus kicked in, he twirled Twilight around him, smiling wider than he’d ever done in his life. In response, she laughed and used her wings to carry him into the sky. As she spun him gently around, their lips meeting again, only one thing went through Dusk’s head.

That everything was most certainly fine.

A Ray of Dusk

by AlphatheGriffin17

Return

Crystal Empire

Crystal Clear?

Reflections

Hearts Restored

Revelation

The Pony Trap

Too Many Pinkie Pies

One Bad Apple

Spoils the Bunch

Magic Duel

The Day

The Gift

Sleepless in Ponyville

Time to Reflect

Happy Anniversary?

Fright Night

Canterlot Day Trip

A Crystal Carol

Keep Calm and Flutter On

A Chaotic Companion

Something's Up With Ray

The Wrath Within

How to Raise Your Dragon

Hearts and Hooves Day: The Sequel

A Dusk in the Life

Bury the Hatchet

Crystal Accommodation

Game of Hearts

Sombra Feelings

Defying Convention

Shared Speculations

The Light Dims

Magical Mystery Cure

The Princess Cometh

Prelude to an End