Eternal Night

by Lucaro

First published 4th of June, 2014

In an alternate dimension where Nightmare Moon's coup succeeded, three ponies must find their destiny

It's been a thousand years since anypony has seen the sun.

A thousand years since Celestia's name has been spoken, and all memory of her warmth and light has faded away into the night. The sun goddess of old had been killed during a coup by her sister, Nightmare Moon.

In this world of unrelenting darkness, three ponies find a ray of light. Hope.

Chapter 1: The Stars of Our Tale

In the vast infinity of the time-space continuum, there have been a multitude of incidents referred to as fracture points.

It is an event in history where a great vicissitude ensues, an occurrence so catastrophic that it creates a fracture in time, resulting in the creation of new dimensions. Each one of these dimensions is completely distinct, its future irrevocably changed by said event.

Imagine time as a river. It is constantly flowing, meandering every now and then as the decisions we make every day take their effect and ripple out tenfold, affecting everything around us.

A fracture point creates divergences based on every possible outcome of the event, splitting the river of time into smaller tributaries. Each tributary branches off, going in its own direction, the future of this time stream completely different than the other tributaries.

One of the most major fracture points in Equestrian history was Nightmare Moon’s coup. There were two outcomes for this event; two divergences in the streams of time, for it could have easily gone either way.

We have one dimension, one reality where Celestia successfully banished Luna to the moon.

The other dimensions’ fate is much darker, for here, Celestia hesitated to banish Luna. As she lay against the wall on the verge of death, at her sister’s mercy, she held the Elements of Harmony. She had the power to save her own life and prevent her sister from creating eternal night, but she could not bring herself to send Luna away.

After all, Celestia dearly loved Luna. She hesitated for one second. That delay was all that Nightmare Moon needed to kill Celestia.

Celestia now a bloody stain on the ground, the Elements of Harmony shattered, and Nightmare Moon was victorious.

In this dimension, eternal night reigned.

In this dimension, Nightmare Moon established a barbaric regime and ordered a mass genocide of Celestia’s people, the Dayborn.

Now, we draw to the present. It’s been a thousand years since Celestia was killed. The denizens of Equestria have forgotten what day is like. They have forgotten the look of a sunrise, how the sun’s warmth feels on their backs, darkness is now all these ponies know.

But there is hope. There are whispers, echoes in the eternal night, which speak of Celestia’s rebirth. Yet in this dark and cold world, can light and warmth survive?

Persei slunk down behind a bush, her bow in her hooves. The moonlight shimmered on the forested landscape, and in the darkness, she spotted the hare she had been hunting.

She grinned in satisfaction as she knocked her bow and took aim. The little brown rabbit was standing on its legs, its beady black eyes staring intently as it nibbled on a root. She released the arrow, the string thrumming as the projectile whistled through the air.

Her arrow went awry, clattering off a boulder.

Startled, the hare hopped away and disappeared behind some foliage.

“This is the last time I’ll let Sirius fletch my arrows,” she grumbled, getting out from the bush. She looked up at the moon’s position in the sky, seeing it was setting on the horizon. Soon, she would have no light at all. She would be trapped out here.

She sighed, and slung her bow around her barrel. She galloped down the dirt path, following familiar landmarks on her way back home.

Persei heard the sloshing of water nearby, and she discovered a rivulet of fresh water. She gratefully bowed her head down and drank the cool water.

Darting out from nowhere, someone shoved her from behind and sent her hurtling into the stream. She went headfirst into the shallow stream, her horn scraping the rocks at the bottom. She leapt out of the water, dazed and frightened. She fired bolts of magic all around her, setting all the trees on fire. “Come out, you coward!” she hissed in anger.

Persei heard laughter, and a white stallion with a golden mane strutted out from behind a tree. She blasted him with her magic, and his smug grin became one of alarm. “Calm yourself, sister!” her brother called, the tree behind him bursting in flames.

“Cepheus, you idiot!” she screamed, still incinerating everything around her. “You scared me!”

“Ahhh!” her brother yelled, flitting around with his white wings. “Stop! Stop before you burn the whole forest down!”

Sense finally found Persei, and her horn stopped glowing white.

Her magic went haywire when she was emotionally distressed, especially when her stupid brother got on her nerves. She had already lost the hare she had been tracking, she wasn’t in the mood for his antics.

Cepheus approached her, seeing that she had calmed down. The fire had quickly burned out, leaving black scorch marks on all the surrounding foliage. The air smelled like ash. He smiled, cocking his head like a curious foal. “Guess what I got?” he said, almost singing.

Persei grunted, irritated. “What?”

Cepheus lifted up his wing and underneath there was a bloody hare. She gasped. “How?!”

“You were always a poor shot, sister.” He turned around and she followed him as they headed back home.

Persei’s mood had brightened considerably. “I guess Sirius will be having hare for dinner.” She looked at Cepheus, seeing streaks of the hare’s blood dripping down his belly. “How can he like this stuff? Normal ponies don’t eat meat.”

“Well,” he said, looking upward. “Sirius isn’t an ordinary pony. He’s a bat-pony, or a Nightborn, whatever the politically correct term is.”

“A weirdo?” she said, punching her brother playfully.

Cepheus laughed, and galloped forward. Persei followed.

Soon they arrived at the outer edge of their property, bounding excitedly with their victory. Their mother didn’t know they had gone hunting. They were supposed to be foraging for certain herbs, and it was one of those rare occasions where they were able to please everyone.

They slowed their gallop to a trot, and saw their hovel. It was pretty pathetic actually, but it was standard for a village at the outer fringes of civilization. The roof was made of thatched hay, which leaked like hell when it rained. The walls were a rough patchwork of wood, rusted sheets of metal, and the glass windows were dirty with their wooden framework deteriorating. It was suitable for three ponies, at the absolute maximum.

They snuck around behind the hovel so their mother wouldn’t see their catch. Behind the hovel, there was a makeshift awning jutting from the main building. Two sticks held the awning up, and below lay a tangle of dirty sheets with Sirius’ scanty belongings scattered about. The bat-pony was rummaging through the trash barrels besides their hovel, looking for scraps.

“Hey, Sirius,” Cepheus whispered. The bat-pony immediately turned around, his blue eyes glowing slightly in the darkness. “I got you dinner!” he exclaimed.

The bat-pony beamed, and bounded towards them. “Yay! Thank you, brother!”

“Half-brother,” she muttered softly, annoyed. She wasn’t sure what to think of Sirius, his predicament was so odd. Sirius was a nine months younger than the two of them, whereas she and Cepheus had been fraternal twins. Their mother must have gotten pregnant again very soon after they were born.

Persei watched in disgust as Sirius wolfed down the hare, even going as far as to lick the blood off Cepheus’ belly. The stallion laughed as the bat-pony fed, but Persei was disturbed. What kind of pony eats meat?

When Sirius lifted his head up and began licking the blood off his hooves, she noticed his black eye.

Cepheus had noticed as well. “Oh no, Sirius. What did you do this time?”

Sirius stopped licking his hoof, and looked at him. “I was really hungry, especially since I had to skip lunch.”

Skip lunch. The words echoed in her head, annoying her even further. Mother wouldn’t allow Sirius to sit at the table with the rest of them, and he had to eat whatever they threw out. Food had been scarce lately, and things were rarely thrown out. Cepheus always snuck some food out for him though.

Sirius continued. “Mother was cooking apples and cinnamon,” he drooled. “I love apples and cinnamon, and I asked for some. She hit me with the pan then.”

Cepheus rushed up to his half-brother, nuzzling him. “Oh, Sirius. You know you don’t ask Mother for favors.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m used to it, but I did manage to get a few bits of apple off the pan.”

Cepheus checked Sirius’ eye, and then backed away. “If you wanted some, I could have gotten you them.”

Sirius frowned. “I thought maybe…” his ears drooped and he looked down, “maybe she might let me have some.”

Persei sighed in irritation and Cepheus embraced his half-brother. Mother hated Sirius for some reason, and everpony knew it. She rarely even let him in the hovel.

She walked past the two stallions, and pushed open the back door. The inside of the hovel was dimly lit, and claustrophobic. The stove, sink, bathroom, dining table were all crammed together, and the only decently sized empty space was in the far corner. That’s where the three of them wrapped themselves in a large blanket and slept together. Sirius slept outside.

Mother stepped out of the bathroom, her hazelnut colored mane in disarray, her beige colored coat matted and dull looking. Mother beamed, her brown eyes gleaming. “Oh, Persei,” she whispered, stroking Persei’s brown colored mane and running her hoof down her white coat. “Every day, I see you growing up even bigger. You’ll be a strong mare soon, and as the oldest, you’ll have to take care of the house when I am no longer able to.”

Persei was both annoyed and pleased by her mother’s praise. “Mother, you’re still young. You act like you’re going to die any day now.”

Mother smiled sadly, her mortar and pestle cutie mark shimmering. “Oh! Did you get those herbs?”

Persei handed her the willow bark and all the other herbs.

Mother giggled with giddiness. “Oh, yes! I have all the salicylic acid a mare could want!”

Persei wanted to roll her eyes, but Mother’s cutie mark was making medicine. She used to be a pharmacist when she used to work at a hospital in the big city. She was now the village’s apothecary.

Apothecary was certainly a downgrade from an esteemed pharmacist with a college degree.

As her mother whipped away from her, herbs in hand, Persei caught the scent of alcohol on her. She looked at the table and saw a half empty bottle of moonshine there. Persei felt a flare of anger. “Mother,” she said, trying to keep anger out of her voice. “You promised Cepheus and I that you wouldn’t drink that much anymore.”

Mother dismissed her as she ground up the herbs in her mortar. “A little bit of wine is good for you.”

Cepheus walked in, his goofy grin fading as he sensed Persei’s anger. She picked up the bottle of moonshine on the table. “Mother, this bottle was full when I left the house.”

Cepheus looked at the bottle. “Gee whiz, Mother. How are you still standing?”

Their mother continued grinding herbs, mixing in the willow bark. “Don’t worry, I won’t drink anymore tonight.”

Persei’s anger vanished, giving way to immense sorrow. “Mother, please. You can’t keep going like this.” Her voice softened. “I know it’s been hard….”

“Quiet!” Mother screamed, tears in her eyes. “This is how I deal with your Father’s death and my exile from the city. I drown it with alcohol!” She began to sob, and the floodgate behind her eyes opened, tears spilling out. Persei’s heart ached. “I miss him so much,” Mother whispered.

Persei sighed. It had been many years since Father died, but this was the first time she had mentioned him or her past life in a confrontation like this. Their mother’s life before they were born was a mystery, and so was the stallion they called “Father”. Persei and Cepheus had both gathered that he was long dead, but under what circumstances, they had no idea.

Cepheus crouched down beside his mother, nuzzling her softly and putting a hoof around her. He had closed his eyes, and she had begun to stroke his gold mane.

This is what happened every time Persei confronted her mother about her drinking problem. She shed a few tears, said some sad things, and got like this. It worked every time.

Persei stormed away, but as she did, she heard the rattle and the sliding sound. Not again. She turned around and looked at her mother, holding up a prescription bottle up to her muzzle and munching down on her pills like they were candy.

She needed to go outside and think this through. Alcohol, the pills, and her recurring grief: the trifecta of not-dealing-with-your-problems.

Persei stepped outside, and it was immeasurably dark outside. The sky was overcast, not a single star could be seen. The moon had set, plunging the world into darkness. It was kind of scary. It was like they were in an ocean of darkness, and they were lost at sea in their little hovel vessel of light.

The wind was pleasant though, balmy and warm. A thunderstorm was imminent. Persei sat outside, listening to the cadence of the wind: the sound of leaves rustling in its caress, the creaking of the hovel, the murmur of voices from within, and Sirius’ snores.

Persei whispered to herself. “Who am I? And what is my purpose here on this planet?”

Author's Notes:

A bit of wordplay with the name of the chapter and the names of the characters.

Cepheus, Sirius, and Persei are the names of stars.

Discussion/feedback is encouraged below.

Chapter 2: Ghosts of the Past

Sirius shivered as he stood, his ratty sheets tangled underneath his hooves. Rain was pouring down, lightning flashing in the sky. He was soaked, cold, but he felt alive.

The bat-pony loved thunderstorms. Lightning rippled in the sky, illuminating the forest around him with stark white light. For a moment, he could see everything clearly: the verdant green of the leaves rustling in the wind, the brown of the tree bark glistening with rainwater, the bright yellow dandelions and soft white daisies peeping up from the soaked dirt.

The light flickered, and everything was plunged into darkness again. He could still see, for he was a Nightborn and had adept night vision, but it was all grayscale. No color.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, the sound a roiling cadence before rising up to a terrifying crackling that seemed to shake the very ground.

He closed his eyes. He let the wind tear at him, the rain lash his face, and he could feel the thunder reverberate within him. He wanted to howl. He wanted to take flight, to fly up into the heart of the storm and never come down.

Lightning branched out in the sky, bathing the forest landscape with light again. In the distance, Sirius could see the other hovels hidden in the lush plant life. They were all makeshift residences much like their own, their tattered clotheslines swaying, and broken shutters flapping about.

It had a certain charm to it. They were at the edge of civilization. Nopony knew what lay beyond their little village. Unchartered territory, the forest stretching out as far as the eye could see. Sirius looked out as far as he could. There was a tremendous lightning flash, the whole sky turned white, and Sirius gasped. On the horizon, like tiny teeth, he saw the silhouettes of mountains in the farthest reaches of the forest.

The world was plunged into darkness again. Sirius folded his legs and sat, his eyes full of wonder. He had lived here for his entire life, unaware of the range of stone behemoths in the distance.

Their world was a vast and enigmatic one. He was thrilled by what the storm had revealed to him.

It was strange how such a tumultuous upheaval of nature could reveal the world’s true beauty. He would rather it be this stormy and rough all the time, if it were to provide him with these discoveries. He was tired of the enslaving complacency that came with the calm dark.

He looked around at his belongings at his hooves, the hovel behind him, and the awning that provided him with almost no shelter. He wanted to leave it all someday. Fly out into the great unknown, soar above those mountains, explore….

He sat down and wrapped his blankets around him, shivering again. As the darkness wore on, the lightning became more sporadic, and he began to fall asleep. He felt like he was falling, and the dreamscape opened up before him.

His body was asleep, but some part of him was awake. He was Dreamwalking.

It was said that when a pony dreams, his soul is bare to the night and all those around him. Sirius saw a spectral version of himself standing above his sleeping body. This was a form of astral projection, and he could observe, or even enter other people’s dreams.

It was a gift unique to the Nightborn.

He blinked. Every living thing exuded an aura, an ethereal radiance that enveloped them. Sirius looked behind him, to the hovel. He could feel the active minds of the three ponies inside.

His dream-self drifted over to the window, and inside, he saw Cepheus, Persei, and Mother sprawled on the floor. Tiny beads of blue light rose from their bodies, rising a few feet into the air before fading away.

All beings with well-developed forebrains emitted such sparks of light when they slept. It was an expression of the imagination, an imprint of a sentient being.

It was beautiful to see them sleeping like this, cocooned in steam and light, like a nebula star-nursery in the depths of space.

Mother’s mind wasn’t emitting light. It was always closed off for some reason. She never dreamed.

So, Sirius peered into Cepheus’ dream….he blushed.

His brother’s burgeoning sexuality failed to dampen his curiosity. Moving on.

Sirius probed at Persei’s sleeping mind, her REM cycle starting. Her dream was at the beginning of its manifestation. She was dreaming about Mother. Persei’s brain was solving a puzzle that she had been thinking about before she had fallen asleep. What is Sirius’ relationship to all of us? Who is he and where did he come from? Sirius immediately drew away, retreating to his own body.

It had been a question that had haunted him a long time, and he had always wanted to know, but once he had found out, ignorance was preferable by far.

That was the thing about ignorance, or complacency, it was comfortable. But knowing the truth of his becoming, it made him realize that he would never belong in this family.

Mother hated him, even before he was born…the memory manifested in his own dream, turning it into a nightmare.

Sirius had been a little foal, and he had been so cold. It had been a very harsh winter, and he had been outside while the other three ponies slept within the hovel. He had been scared.

The wind had teeth that night. It was howling in his ears, gnawing at his exposed skin, the frigid gales searing him. He had curled up into a ball, his tiny wings covering his head to preserve warmth.

The blizzard raged on. Snow, wet and heavy, began to envelop him. He had been buried several times, but the fear of suffocation forced him to break out of his snowy tomb.

Soon, the burning sensation in his limbs had faded away, and he had actually felt warmth inside his chest. His hooves and wings had turned gray with frostbite, and the ice was travelling inwards towards his heart. He was dying.

He had pressed himself against the hovel, the walls warm from the stove burning inside. But the storm intensified. He looked inside, seeing the warm light of the fire within, and the three ponies snuggled around it.

He remembered timidly knocking on the hovel door.

No answer.

He had forced the door open and had tumbled inside, shivering and sneezing. He closed the door behind him, and as he stumbled to the stove, his knees had buckled and he had fallen on top of his mother.

She immediately awoke, and she reeked of something sharp and abrasive, and he later would recognize that scent as alcohol.

Her eyes had been red and puffy from crying, and she stared at him with terror. He could no longer move his limbs, and she had been so warm. Some foal survival instinct had kicked in, and he had hugged her, wanting her warmth and security.

She was breathing heavily, and she began to thrash her hooves out. “Please…please….” She begged. He hugged her tighter, trying to console her. Tears streaked down her eyes as she looked at him, her barrel heaving with each sob. “I’m just a poor mare down on her luck. Please no…no…NO! STOP!”

Mother had begun to buck wildly, as if Sirius was doing something terrible to her. Her hooves struck him in the gut. He was sent flying through the air, his back slamming against the wall. He crumpled there, preparing himself for whatever punishment she had in mind.

But she just stood there, heaving, staring at him.

Sirius had just wanted to disappear, pain bursting in his stomach.

“You,” she spat. “You look just like your father. You bastard, you…” she spluttered, “you half-breed aberration born of rape.”

Sirius had no idea what a “bastard” or what “rape” was, but he knew they were terrible things.

She continued hissing, her eyes filled with a maniacal hysteria. “Your father killed my husband, so I wanted to return the favor by killing his son.” She snorted angrily, stamping her hooves. “I tried killing you so many times, but you…just…wouldn’t…die.” She lunged towards him, and Sirius whimpered as she hung above him, stomping on him. “You touch me again, and I’ll cut your throat!”

She had tossed him out in then, and he had bled out into the snow.

He awoke with a start, Cepheus shaking him. “Were you having a nightmare?” his half-brother said, genuinely concerned.

Sirius stared at him for a moment. His siblings could never know the truth of his becoming. It would alienate him from the only two ponies who treated him well.

Sirius nodded, wiping the perspiration off his brow. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Persei stepped out of the hovel, her medicine saddlebags strapped on her back. “We’re delivering medicine to the village folk. You watch the house and Mother while we make the circuit.”

Sirius shuddered at the thought of being alone with his mother after dreaming about that incident. “Can I come with you guys?” he asked anxiously.

Cepheus’ eyes went wide with mock surprise, grinning lopsidedly. “Are you sirius?”

“I see what you did there,” Sirius said, brohoofing his brother.

Persei raised her hoof. “Wait, are you sure you want to come? The village folk hate the Nightborn, after all, everypony here are exiles from Nightmare Moon’s realm.”

Sirius sighed. He could barely remember the last time he had walked into town. Not because of how long it had been, but because of all the concussions he had received. “Yes, I’m sure. I feel adventurous today.”

“Me too,” Cepheus beamed.

Yeah, you’re definitely feeling adventurous. But not as much as last night Sirius thought. He was tempted to ask him about the beige mare he had been so vigorously rutting with.

Persei and Cepheus began trotting away and Sirius followed closely behind.

The full moon was shining brightly, its soft light bathing the landscape. His hooves squished in the mud from last night’s storm, and he felt a nervous anticipation as they drew closer to the main cluster of residences.

Sirius saw tiny lanterns hanging from the trees, the smoke from the flames within mixing in with the scent of wet earth and wildflowers. Tiny fireflies flitted about, their incandescent posteriors blinking a yellow light.

The hovels they were passing began to become more numerous, some of their windows illuminated with light. Sirius pressed himself closer to his brother and sister. He saw a mare putting up laundry on a clothesline, and his heart fluttered nervously. She didn’t appear to be holding any rocks.

Sirius sighed in relief. A small parade of romping foals sprinted by, and Cepheus cheered. He pounded hooves with each of the foals, greeting them all by name.

The foals worshipped Cepheus. They all knew the tales of his legendary shenanigans. The elders whispered about it. Like the one time the colt Cepheus had replaced all the candles in the lanterns with firecrackers. Or the time….

“Oh, hello!” a mare greeted them cheerfully. Sirius looked over Persei and beheld the beige mare. Hilarity began to bubble up within him when he recognized her. So this was the lovely mare in Cepheus’ dream.

Sirius remembered her supine figure, her legs spread with his brother’s muzzle buried in her marehood….

Sirius giggled. Cepheus stammered, placing his front hooves together to hide the increasingly turgid mass between his hind legs. “Hey, Candle Glimmer,” he said nervously.

Sirius made a feminine moaning sound, and Cepheus blushed. Candle seemed to enjoy the stallion’s unease, stroking her raven mane and advancing on him. “I see your delivering medicine,” she said, gesturing to Persei’s medicine bag. “It’s a great thing your mother does for our village.”

Persei nodded, somewhat uncomfortable after noticing her brother’s arousal. “Yes, our mother is very talented,” she sighed, staring at the dumbstruck Cepheus. “Candle, would you like to come over for dinner sometime?”

Cepheus blanched, but Candle didn’t seem to notice. “Of course,” she said, winking at Cepheus. “I would love to. I’m free tomorrow night.”

Persei nodded, and Candle trotted past them. Cepheus and Sirius watched her leave. Sirius was grinning, and knocked his hoof against Cepheus’ playfully. “She’s got a nice flank, brother.”

Persei stamped her hoof in frustration and towed her brother away. Sirius giggled and followed. They arrived at their destination, a small hovel which apparently housed an old stallion who was sick with hay fever.

Persei knocked on the door, the two green lanterns rattling at her impatience. There was a delay, and she faced Cepheus. “Brother, we must do something about Mother’s drug addiction.”

Cepheus’ eyes went wide, looking at the door. “I don’t think this is a good time to discuss this.”

“Hey,” she said. “I got you a date tomorrow night. You owe me one.”

Cepheus waved his hoof in acquiescence. “Fine, fine. What should we do?”

“We need to hide her pills, they prevent her from sleeping properly.” Persei sighed. “She’s exhausted all the time, and the alcohol just makes it worse.”

Cepheus nodded, responding to his sister’s urgency. “Yes, I understand. We should confront her as soon as we get home.”

She shook her head. “No confrontation, we just steal the pills when she’s not looking.”

“Got it,” Cepheus said, and quickly turned around to face Sirius. “You do it.”

“What? Me?” Sirius said alarmed, suddenly saddled with this dangerous task.

He was about to protest further when the door finally opened. The wrinkled gray stallion was trembling, grinding his teeth together. “Oh, sorry about that,” he said in a nasal voice. “It just takes a while for me to get to the door.” The aged stallion beckoned them inside. “Come on in.”

Persei muttered as they walked in. “This is why I hate dealing with old people. We’re going to be stuck here for an hour now.”

Cepheus shrugged. “I hope he tells us a story.”

The old stallion laughed. “Oh, it’s been such a long time since I had company,” he said, sitting down on his recliner in the middle of the dusty living room. “It reminds me of my father, and the time he first brought me here. Back in the day, about seventeen years ago, the Empress Nightmare Moon suddenly became very aggressive against us Dayborns….Even more so than usual.”

Persei’s frustration was palpable, but Cepheus was listening attentively to the old stallion’s tale. Sirius withdrew slightly, aware of the hate between the two species.

They all gathered around, as he told his account of the past. “It all began with Nightmare Moon’s discovery of the secret religion….”

Author's Notes:

Ahh, the elderly. So full of tales and wisdom.

Comments/Discussion is encouraged below, like always

Don't hesitate to point out any typos/errors

Chapter 3: Night Terrors

The three ponies sat before the elder stallion, spellbound by his tale. “There was a secret religion that became very popular for a brief time,” he whispered in awe. “In their holy book, they prophesized the return of an alicorn mare, a goddess that would set the world on fire,” the stallion gestured grandiosely. “Celestion was her name, and according to this religion, she used to reign over Nightmare Moon.”

“This sounds like nonsense to me,” Persei muttered.

“Shut up,” Cepheus hissed.

“Celestion,” the stallion said, “was the benevolent ruler of Equestria, and Nightmare Moon was her subordinate. The religion was devoted to the worship of Celestion, and rumors began… speaking of Celestion’s rebirth and how she would strike down Nightmare Moon and set the world ablaze once again.”

How can someone that was so benevolent set the world on fire? What kind of twisted religion was this? Persei thought. Who would be delusional enough to believe that this would happen, or even think that this would be a good thing?

The stallion had trailed off, and Cepheus asked. “So, what became of this religion? Is it still around?”

“It’s still around,” the stallion whispered. “But the Church of Celestion was destroyed by Nightmare Moon, and its believers scattered and branded as traitors.”

“How did Nightmare Moon find out? If this was so secret…were they betrayed?” Cepheus asked, fascinated.

The old stallion looked around fearfully, making sure they weren’t overheard. “No, there was no betrayal.” The stallion shuddered. “The Night Terrors found out.”

Persei noticed Sirius withdrawing from them, but she was intrigued and ignored him. “Who are the Night Terrors?”

“The Night Terrors,” the stallion whispered. “They are Nightmare Moon’s brutal secret police. They gather intelligence for her, they are her spies.” The old stallion struggled to his feet, slowly moving further inside the house. They all followed.

“You see,” he grunted, out of breath from the movement. He closed the door behind them. “The Night Terrors, their specialty was dream espionage. A select few Nightborn,” the stallion said, glaring at Sirius, “have this fearsome ability. They can enter a sleeping pony’s dream and rob them of all their secrets. That’s how Nightmare Moon found about the religion. They foolishly thought they were out of the reach of the Night Terrors….”

Cepheus was fascinated. “So, they can enter your dream and learn everything about you?”

Persei was mortified. How come she had never heard of these ponies?

The old stallion nodded. “Yes, and so much more…” he trailed off cryptically. “They scan the populace’s dreams, searching for any thoughts of dissent, or anything that could be seen as unfavorable to Nightmare Moon. If they find something they don’t like….”

The old stallion had trailed off again, staring at Sirius. “What happens if they find something?” Persei asked. She hated how he was being so dramatic.

“A pony’s dreaming mind is completely vulnerable to them, and until he wakes, the Night Terrors can do whatever they want to him. I have heard stories of the secret police torturing dissenters, trapping them in a nightmare they couldn’t escape from.”

Persei and Cepheus leaned forward, terrified.

“A pony would wake up in the morning, and not remember a thing. Though there would be fear entrenched in his heart, and subconsciously, he would never be able to think negatively of his government again, let along disobey them. But, if psychological torture wasn’t enough, if thoughts of dissent were too deeply ingrained, the Night Terrors had other means of punishing them.”

The old stallion leaned forward. “Have you youngsters ever heard of a thing called sleeptrotting?”

Of course they had. Ponies could gallop, eat, drive, have sex, and do almost anything while they slept and still appear normal from the outside. When they woke up, they wouldn’t remember a thing. Persei nodded. “Yes, we’ve heard of it.”

She didn’t like where this was going.

“The Night Terrors liked to do this to ponies to make an example. They would hijack the sleeping pony’s dreaming mind and he would unknowingly walk to the kitchen, pick up a knife, and carve the word ‘traitor’ into his chest. He would return to bed, and when he woke up, he would be covered in blood and in pain. But, if thoughts of dissent were too deeply ingrained to be removed, they could prevent you from ever waking up again. You could sleepwalk yourself off your balcony, slit your own throat, and if the Night Terrors didn’t like you in particular, they would force you to murder your own family. They would wake you up for a moment then, to see what you had done, and then watch you take your own life.”

Cepheus eyes were glazed in terror. “So, the Church of Celestion…the Night Terrors found out and scattered them all?”

The old stallion slumped down on his bed. “Yes, the religion was a threat to Nightmare Moon. So she destroyed it.” The old stallion stared at Persei. “That marked the beginning of a period of time where the Dayborn where subject to many atrocities. That’s when my father and I were forced to come here.”

The old stallion looked intently into her eyes, and Persei felt uncomfortable. “Yes, what is it?” she asked.

“You look like your mother.” Cepheus and Persei looked at each other. “Yes, I knew your mother when she first came here. It was around the same time the order had been given to destroy the Church of Celestion. You two were still tiny foals clinging to your mother’s hooves, and that bat-pony wrapped in a white bundle.”

Cepheus stared at Persei. “Could Mother have been a believer in the Church of Celestion?”

The notion was ridiculous. Persei shook her head. “That’s impossible. Mother is a die-hard atheist, and has been for her entire life.”

Cepheus put his hoof behind his head. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.” Persei knew that look. Those wondering eyes pointed upwards, gears spinning behind them. “I’m going to ask her though,” Cepheus said. “I want to know why she left her life of grandeur as a pharmacist to live here.”

Persei sighed. “She did not live a life of grandeur….” But she was intrigued. They had never asked Mother as to why she had left the city. They had always assumed it was because of Father’s death, but the old stallion’s story made her think that maybe there was more to it.

After giving the old stallion his medicine, they noticed that Sirius had disappeared. Cepheus had shrugged when asked about his whereabouts. “Maybe he got bored and left?”

Persei had rolled her eyes. “He probably went home. After all, it is his race of people that are oppressing us. Sirius probably didn’t like the way that stallion was looking at him.”

As they walked back home, her mind began to wander.

She had been thinking about Sirius last night, and she realized something. “If the Dayborns are so oppressed by the Nightborns, then why did Mother sleep with one?” she blurted out.

Cepheus blinked uncomprehendingly. “What?”

“Well, where else did Sirius come from? He didn’t just fall out of the sky.” Persei told him sarcastically. “She obviously slept with a Nightborn.”

Cepheus shook his head. “I don’t want to think of Mother like this. Maybe she needed some money on her way here after Father died. She did lose her job.”

Maybe, but Mother was too proud of a mare to sell her dignity for any price. Though she could have been a different type of mare then, Persei thought. Or she could have been doing it so her foals could stay fed.

Persei wanted to share her thoughts with her brother, but he seemed closed off. The topic made him uncomfortable. It always did.

He knew she was still thinking about it, and changed the subject. “So, what are we going to do about Mother?”

The drugs. Persei looked at her brother’s dazed expression. This really wasn’t what he wanted to talk about, but he was uncomfortable about approaching her and was mustering up the courage to do so.

She humored him.

“We find out where she’s hiding them, and then take them from her.” Persei explained simply.

Cepheus blushed, and Persei realized that he was thinking about Candle.

“What kind of things do mares look for in a stallion?” he asked nervously, uncomfortable about having to ask her sister.

The question was a little too personal. Persei hadn’t thought much of stallions in that way. She found them attractive of course, but all the stallions in the village were much older than her or still colts. Persei suddenly felt very uncomfortable. “Umm, a big stallionhood?”

Cepheus laughed, and then looked down between his hind legs. “Yup, I got that covered.” He raised his head back up, looking straight forward. He genuinely wanted to know. “What else? You know. Personality wise.”

That joke was uncalled for, she scolded herself. C’mon Persei, don’t let your brother know that you’re clueless about stallions. So she thought of what she wanted in a stallion. “Mares want…” she looked at Cepheus, his blue eyes staring intently. “Mares want a stallion that gives them a sense of security. They need someone to stabilize their lives and keep them on track.” Persei paused, holding back raw emotion. “A mare needs someone to cling to, someone to give her life purpose and meaning. Anything to make me feel significant.”

Persei hadn’t even noticed that she had switched to first person. Cepheus abruptly leaned into her, nuzzling her neck and wrapping his white wings around her. Persei gasped in surprise, but quickly returned his embrace, wrapping her hooves around him. She felt his warm breath against her muzzle. “I love you, sister,” he said, putting his head against hers, his ears brushing her horn, “and believe me, you are significant.”

Persei sobbed, tightening her embrace. She hated having to be intimate with her brother, but she had no one else. Mother was an alcoholic drug addict. Sirius, well…he was Sirius. She had no friends, no other family…her brother was all she had.

He withdrew his wings, and Persei’s painful emotions ebbed away. She felt much better now. “Let’s go home, Cepheus,” she sniffed.

They trotted together in silence, and their little hovel came into view. The moon was shining on the thatched roof, a soft breeze blowing. Cepheus stopped and cast her a shy glance. “So, about Candle…can you not tell Mother? I don’t want her to know that I have a mare-friend just yet.”

“If you make Sirius steal Mother’s pills,” she joked. Persei had no idea that Sirius had just done so…and he had been caught.

There was a great commotion from inside the hovel and the door burst open. Sirius ran out with the prescription bottle in his muzzle. Mother followed him closely behind, screaming obscenities

“Aw, hell,” Cepheus groaned.

They both galloped down to the hovel, trying to calm the situation. Mother was an earth pony, while Sirius was a pegasus. It was going as well for her as it possibly could, but Sirius flew just out of reach every time. Mother screamed, hoarse. “You give me those damn pills! I need them!”

“Nuh-uh!” Sirius warbled, the pill bottle in his mouth.

“Give it back to me!” she screamed.

Sirius flitted away from her. “Not until you love me!”

Mother leapt up, higher than Persei had ever seen an earth pony jump. She wrapped her hooves around Sirius’ legs and dragged him down to the ground. “Noo!” Sirius groaned, struggling out of his mother’s grip. “Love me first! Tell me that you love me!”

Now this was just ridiculous. Mother used her earth pony strength to pin Sirius down. He struggled underneath her and she punched him hard in the belly. The pill bottle was expelled from his mouth with a surprised ‘ooph’ and went clattering away. Cepheus leapt in, trying to disentangle the two.

Meanwhile, Persei ran to get the pill bottle. Perfect. She lowered her head, letting her saddlebags slide over her horn and fall to the ground. She used her magic to dig through the pockets and pulled out an identical looking prescription bottle with identical looking pills. She chucked Mother’s bottle into the forest, and smudged some dirt on the placebo bottle to make it look like it had fallen in the mud.

She looked behind her, seeing that Mother had her hooves wrapped around Sirius’ neck. “Love me!” he choked, his eyes popping out of his skull.

“Never!” she screamed, shaking him.

Persei would have laughed if this situation wasn’t so pitiful. She trotted over to Cepheus who laid sprawled in the dirt some distance away, a dark gray circle around his left eye. She would have helped him first, but Sirius was dying.

She used her magic to pull the two apart. Her white aura surrounded her rabid looking mother and the half-dead lunar pegasus who was gasping for breath. Persei tossed Mother the prescription pills, and she plucked them from the air, holding the bottle to her barrel like it would try to escape if she didn’t hold it tight.

“Traitor!” Sirius wheezed.

“I saved your life, you idiot,” she said, releasing him from her magical hold. He plunked to the ground, making a very ungraceful landing. There were tears in his eyes, and he took wing and flew away. Persei didn’t stop him.

Mother had retreated inside the hovel with her pills – or what she thought were her pills. Persei trotted over to Cepheus, and dragged him by the hoof back inside. “What a day,” she grumbled, the last sliver of the moon disappearing on the horizon.

Author's Notes:

Sleeptrotting is a fascinating phenomenon. Has anypony ever heard of sexomnia?

Discussion is encouraged below.

Again, don't hesitate to point out any typos.

Important Notice: I am at the airport now, and the travelling will probably disturb my 24-hour posting cycle. I am not sure if I will have internet access for the next 2-3 days, so forgive me if there is a delay in the delivery of the next chapter.

Chapter 4: A Mother's Love

Sirius rocketed through the night sky, tears blurring his vision. He flourished his wings faster and faster, propelling himself to speeds he had never before reached. His head was bolted straight, the wind roaring in his ears. He didn’t know where he was going, nor did he care. Sirius just needed to get away.

His heart ached fiercely. The constant outpouring of tears streamed from his eyes, flowing below his ears and wicked away by the wind.

There was darkness all around Sirius, the monochrome forest rushing past below him. He flew faster. He was so tired of the pain of never belonging.

He was a lunar pegasus, but he had been born to a solar earth pony, raised in a solar family, in a solar community. He was stuck somewhere in between, not fitting here nor there.

All his life he had been an outcast. The ponies in the village would throw rocks at him, his Mother had been trying to kill him the moment she realized she was pregnant with him, and now his half-sister had betrayed him. He squeezed his eyes shut, hot tears tickling his eyelids as they were drawn away by the howling wind.

“What kind of freak am I!?” Sirius howled into the wind. Not even my own mother can love me.

Maybe the villagers are right. Maybe I am a monster.

There was another spike of pain in his chest. His heart felt like a rock in his chest. Nopony wants me, he thought. Nopony will ever love me.

They will always looks at me with disgust and contempt.

I will be alone for the rest of my life, doomed to spend my remainder of years as an outsider looking in.

He opened his eyes, and came to a total halt. He blinked at what he saw before him. “How long have I been flying?” he asked himself.

The sliver of the moon on the horizon answered his question. He had been flying the entire night. He had been so absorbed in himself, he hadn’t even noticed the time passing.

He looked at the city outskirts sprawling before him. Orderly rows of bright fluorescent streetlights lined all the roads, gray concrete three-story apartment buildings lined up neat and orderly beside them, and in the distance he could see tall skyscrapers with soft white light blazing from their office windows. Sirius blinked, drawing closer to the city.

Sirius could see groups of pegasi flying over the mundane buildings on their way to their jobs. The streets were packed with the white and red lights of automobiles, their honking horns filling the air. The sidewalks were crammed with ponies wearing black suits and bowler hats, talking on their cellphones, and moving to some unknown destination.

Realizing how tired his wings were, he flew around to a less crowded part of the city and landed on the sidewalk. Bright neon signs were everywhere in this strip of the city, but Sirius didn’t like how shady this place looked. He trotted past desolate looking casinos, sex shops advertising porn on their windows, and other dubious establishments that catered to every vice imaginable.

His stomach growled. Sirius suddenly felt very foolish. He didn’t have a single bit on him. Here he was in a strange city, alone, and with no money.

Maybe he could look for scraps. He was good at that.

Sirius trotted past two scantily dressed mares using their magic to hold cigars to their mouths. Sirius stood up straight, mortified. One of the mares giggled, and they both began to laugh obnoxiously.

Nopony had ever touched him like that, he felt violated. Sirius began to gallop, not liking this place. But the farther he went, the more abandoned storefronts he saw, the sidewalk grew increasingly deteriorated, and soon he was sure this entire part of the city was forsaken.

The streetlights here were dimmer, and Sirius was frightened. He decided to go back the way he came. He turned around, but then he saw them. Three ponies were watching him some distance away. They were wearing masks, black leather jackets, and were carrying spiked clubs.

He was being followed.

Sirius was terrified. He trotted forward anxiously, trying to remain calm. He shot a glance backward and saw that they were gaining on him. All three of them were pegasi, there was no way he could escape.

This was probably gang territory, and Sirius was a trespasser.

He began to gallop, and looked back. They too were galloping in pursuit. Sirius turned around and crashed into something. He was roughly shoved back, and tripping over a downed power line, he tumbled to the ground.

“Look who wandered into the wrong neighborhood,” a gruff sounding stallion said from behind his changeling mask.

Sirius looked around frantically, the rubber insulation of the power line digging into his back. The other three ponies with the clubs had caught up to him. He squeaked in terror, and they all laughed.

“Oh, he’s a lunar pegasi! I bet he’s loaded!” a high pitched mare said, groping at Sirius’ clothing.

Sirius looked around, and noticed these ponies were all solar ponies.

“What do we do with him, boss?” a stallion said.

A hulking stallion unmasked himself, revealing a heavily pierced face and a black scar over his blind left eye. “Mug him. Make it quick, the cops have been aggressive lately.”

The mare pulled out a switchblade, and he could almost see her grinning from underneath her mask. Sirius edged away from her and the power line scraped him.

A wild idea struck him.

He lunged towards the mare, and she slashed at him with her switchblade. He dodged the slash and wrested the blade away from her. The six ponies surrounding him dove down on him all at once, and Sirius severed the power line.

The block was plunged in darkness, but Sirius’ night vision was excellent while theirs wasn’t.

The gang ponies tumbled over each other, and the mare grabbed Sirius’s legs as he tried to flee. He grabbed the still live power line with his wing and drove it down onto her skull.

She began to convulse and Sirius struggled free. He could smell burnt flesh and hair as he galloped away. Sirius spread his wings and groaned in pain. He saw that his wing was soaked in blood.

The gang mare must have grazed him with the switchblade.

He continued to gallop, and he heard the angered voices of the gang ponies behind him. They would definitely kill him now. The buildings were beginning to look livelier now, and he dove into the first one that looked open.

Sirius pushed through the glass doors and hid behind an aisle of what appeared to be some kind of candles. He watched the five gang ponies rush past outside, screaming obscenities at one another.

Sirius sighed, and took a deep breath. The overwhelming scent of incense invaded his nostrils. He gagged, coughing. “Geez, did someone set a hippy on fire?”

“No,” a mare timidly said.

Sirius looked around and spotted the mare hiding behind the counter. She was sky blue, a flowing white mane, and had a frightened look on her face.

“Oh, I was just joking,” Sirius said, trying to calm her nerves.

He looked around. There were bright neon signs everywhere advertising palm readings, tarot cards, séances, psychics for hire, and all sorts of other magical hijinks.

“Welcome to Madam Trixie’s,” the mare said, dressed in a lavender robe with stars embroidered on it. She bowed before him. “It is so kind of you, sir. A noble lunar pegasi visiting the shop of a poor daypony, he is most kind and generous.” She bolted back up, her lilac eyes staring at him. “You will invite your other lunar friends, yes?”

Sirius nodded.

Was this the difference in treatment between the Nightborn and the Dayborn that the old stallion had been talking about?

The Nightborn must embody the higher socio-economic classes in the cities. After all, they were Nightmare Moon’s favored people. Maybe it had been no coincidence that the ponies he had seen in this desolate part of the city were all Dayborn.

There must be quite a disparity for all Dayborns to automatically assume he was rich just because.

Sirius looked over at the mare. The velvet robed psychic had retreated behind her counter, grinning as if she had hit the jackpot at the casino.

Too bad Sirius didn’t have any money.

But he still looked around, intrigued by the novelty of the store. Never had he seen such exotic wares in his entire life.

Crystal globes which made you sleepy when you touched them, candles that induced lust when a pony inhaled the smoke, rings that actually detected your mood, there were so many cool things here.

Sirius was prodding a talking dragon figurine, when the faint pink glow caught his eye. He looked at the hot pink neon sign. It read: “LOVE POTIONS.”

He drew towards it, and below the neon sign, there was a softly trickling fountain. The water was pink and glowing, and the same enchanted liquid was stored in heart shaped vials. They were submerged in the water, and Sirius reached in and picked up a vial.

Madam Trixie appeared beside him. “Oh, a love potion,” she smiled. “Is there a mare in your life you’re trying to win over?”

“Yes,” Sirius said. “Though, I do not want a romantic love. I want a more companionate love, like…” he closed his eyes, visualizing. “Like the bond a mother would share with her foal. I want that kind of unconditional affection.”

She nodded. “Trixie understands, and the potion will work for both situations. It is a potent magic in the vials, and the effects will last several years.” Trixie shrugged. “But sometimes, if it is meant to be, the effects will never wear off.”

Sirius imagined it in his head. Mother was smiling at him, something she had never done before. She was beckoning him closer, and he fell into her warm embrace. She wrapped her hooves around him, kissing him, and softly stroking his mane. “I love you, son,” she whispered.

Sirius could feel tears falling from his eyes. He wrapped his wings around her tightly. “I love you too, Mother.”

Sirius sniffed, and the mental picture faded. He could still feel his mother’s warmth.

He felt a real hoof on his shoulder. The light blue mare was staring into his eyes. “Trixie feels like you really need the potion, so she will give it to you free of charge.”

He leaned forward and wrapped his hooves around her, clutching the vial. Trixie gasped in surprise. “Never has a Nightpony been so kind to me,” she murmured.

His stomach growled loudly.

Trixie looked at his belly. “Would this particular threstal be interested in sharing dinner with me?”

The doors of the store slammed open, and Sirius flipped around. Three gang ponies rushed in, covered in blood. “The cops are here!”

Trixie fled to a room in the back of the store, and the three gang ponies hid behind the aisles, cowering.

There was the crack of leathern wings, and the store windows were shattered as three Nightborn pegasi in armor made their entrance.

Sirius took a step back, and one of the armored ponies approached him. “Are you in good health, citizen?”

Sirius just stared, dumbstruck. He looks just like me, Sirius thought. They all do.

The Nightguard sighed, looking at his injured wing. “Someone get a medic in here, this stallion’s wing needs attention.”

Meanwhile, the other two Nightguard ponies had found the three gang members, and Sirius heard the whistling of police nightsticks descending, and the crunching sound they made as the Nightborn police struck them down.

The armored pony had moved past Sirius and the guards clamped manacles on the battered gang ponies and hauled them away.

A medic stepped in through the ruined entrance of the store, her horn glowing as she cleared the debris from her path. She approached him, and he stared at her in wonder.

This was the first time he had ever encountered ponies of his own species. He had known their existence, but seeing them for the first time somehow made it more true.

The mare looked him over, and she got a strange look in her eyes. “Captain!” she said, staring at his flank.

Sirius looked over and saw it. His cutie mark. It was a white wisp with glowing bubbles of light emanating from it. That had not been there an hour ago.

A muscular stallion with luminescent green eyes, and a dark blue body trotted in. He seemed to be very sure of himself as he approached the medic mare. He sized up Sirius, and then his eyes went wide when he noticed his cutie mark. “We’ve got a Dreamwalker with us.”

Sirius looked around, and saw that all the Nightguards were looking at him with admiration. He even detected a twinge of jealousy in the Captain’s eyes.

“Follow me,” the Captain said. “We’re taking you to headquarters. A gifted pony like you will fit right in with us.”

Gifted? Sirius liked the sound of that. It was one of those incredibly rare instances where he was genuinely being praised. Sirius enjoyed every bit of it.

The Captain led Sirius outside, and a luxurious carriage was waiting for them there. The Captain went first and opened the door for him. There was a mare sitting in the darkness inside, her ruby eyes glowing. Sirius sat inside first, and the Captain sat next to the mare.

The carriage lurched forward, but Sirius was too amazed with the comfy seats to pay attention to the other two ponies. He started to play with the dials, twisting one. His seat immediately began to warm up.

Now this, this was cool.

Sirius turned another dial, and he noticed the Captain staring in confusion while the ruby-eyed mare just seemed to be amused. The seat began to vibrate, a steady thumping on his hooves. Combined with the heat, it was perfect. “Ahhhh,” Sirius moaned.

“Interesting specimen you’ve brought for me, Captain Darkheart.” The mare mused.

The Captain snorted. “Oh, it’s interesting alright.”

The mare laughed, a soft and feminine sound. “Am I sensing a bit of envy?”

Soon, the carriage arrived at the huge skyscraper in the center of the city. After several security checkpoints, they finally stopped at the entrance.

The ruby eyes mare stepped out, and the Captain followed her. Sirius did the same.

They trotted up the red carpet, leading up to the glass façade of the building. He stared at it in awe. The ruby-eyes mare noticed his interest. “Welcome to headquarters, the center of Nightmare Moon’s operations in this region of the world,” the mare smiled. “My name is Ember, and I will be your guide.”

Ember opened the glass doors, and Sirius stepped into the cavernous lobby. It was a huge atrium, with white steel beams criss-crossing overhead. Dark blue and purple banners hung from the white ceiling, emblazoned with Nightmare Moon’s insignia.

They led him to an elevator, and Ember pressed the button for the second highest floor. As the glass room traveled upward, Sirius gasped. There were hundreds of Nightborn ponies moving about below, carrying out their duties to the Empress.

Sirius loved it. They all looked like him. No one gave him weird looks, or stared, or sneered. They actually looked at him with admiration. They respected him.

He felt immensely satisfied, and Ember noticed it. “Impressive, isn’t it?” He nodded his head vigorously. “You haven’t talked at all since we met. What’s your name?”

“Sirius,” he said.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Sirius.” Ember gestured to the space all around her. “You see, dreamwalking is a rare, but extremely powerful gift. Nightmare Moon treasures it above all other abilities.”

The elevator dinged, and the glass doors slid open. They entered another white room, and there were what appeared to be registration counters up front. Ember led him up to the counter and smiled. “Wait here, Sirius. I’ll be right back.”

Sirius returned her smile and she disappeared into a dark corridor in front of him. He looked around him. There was a sign stating, “Intelligence Central” above the elevator from where he had come.

He noticed some austere looking clerk ponies wandering about, doing paperwork, but other than that, there was nothing.

He looked up at the wall adjacent to him and saw these strange posters. He turned to them and looked at all of them intently. They were wanted posters.

Each poster had the picture of a criminal on it. There were bounties placed below, along with the crimes they were accused of. There was more information on where to turn them in further below.

Sirius noticed red markings over most of them. There were two distinct red marks: “SLAIN” and “APPREHENDED”.

They were some pretty wicked looking characters up here, Sirius thought. Armed Robbery, Larceny, Fraud…somehow these ponies had especially angered Nightmare Moon to earn them a place on this wall.

Sirius looked over perhaps fifty of them before he noticed one in particular. They portraits were all black and white, but he would recognize that mare anywhere. Mother?

It was definitely her. She looked the same in this sixteen year old picture as she did yesterday. It even had her mortar and pestle cutie mark, and said that she had two foals with her.

Sirius’ mind reeled. He read the crimes she was accused of: Mass Murder, Sedition, Sabotage, and Treason.

The pegasus began to perspire, his mind burning. What had Mother done!? Sirius looked to the portrait beside her, and noticed a pony who looked exactly like Cepheus. White pelt, golden hair, blue eyes…this must be Persei’s and Cepheus’ father. The red word “SLAIN” was stamped over his poster.

Sirius couldn’t believe this. He stared at the poster, questioning the mare on it.

“I see you’ve noticed our wall of criminals,” Ember said, and Sirius almost jumped.

“You frightened me,” Sirius said, his heart hammering in his chest. “I was just looking at all of them.”

Ember tilted her head, her orange mane hanging. “That is such a strange accent. I’ve been to all the cities in Equestria, but I’ve never heard such a country twang in anypony’s voice.” She paused, thinking. “You must be from the fringe colonies.”

Sirius nodded, and he couldn’t help but stare at Mother’s wanted poster. Ember looked to where he was so intently staring. “Do you know that mare?” she asked.

Sirius’ heart stopped. Ember detected his fear. “On this wall, are Equestria’s most notorious criminals.” Ember pointed her hoof at Mother. “That mare, she is one of Nightmare Moon’s most hated enemies. Her husband sacrificed himself to allow her and the children to escape, and we’ve been hunting her ever since.”

“What has she done?” Sirius stammered.

Ember’s voice became harsh. “She and her husband were responsible for the death of hundreds of foals in the city. She slandered our Empress, and promoted violence against the government. Many more ponies died because of her treasonous actions.”

Sirius blinked, and pulled out the love potion from his pocket. He stared at the glowing pink vial. I want Mother to love me, but now… He wasn’t sure what to do now. Mother had done so much evil… She had killed so many innocent ponies, spread dissent, and had even defied Nightmare Moon!

Ember had drawn closer to him, and he could feel her warmth. “Join us, Sirius.”

He blinked, and she nuzzled him. He felt a surge of warmth from his chest, enjoying her affection. “Join us, and together we can bring criminals like this to justice. We need talented ponies like you to join the Night Terrors.”

He edged away from her, the mention of the Night Terrors making him uneasy. He bumped into Captain Darkheart, and he grinned at Sirius. “You’ll be the elite of Nightmare Moon’s forces. Right next to the Empress herself.”

Ember drew close to him again. “You’ll have her favor, wealth, and everypony will look up to you.”

“Everypony will love me?” he asked, uncertainly.

Captain Darkheart nodded. “Everypony will absolutely adore you.”

Ember giggled. “I know I already do.”

Sirius smiled, and again looked down at the pink vial he had clutched in his hoof. Persei, Mother, Cepheus….

Captain Darkheart leaned in closer, and they both began circling him. “You’ll be a hero,” Darkheart said, moving behind him.

“The envy of everpony in Equestria,” Ember added.

Sirius was staring at the pink vial. He recalled the image of Mother and him embracing. He longed to feel that warmth in real life. But once the glamor of his fantasy faded, he remembered the reality of it all. It was the reason why he had fled here in the first place.

Mother hated him. She had almost choked him to death. She had beaten him. She had starved him. She wouldn’t even let him near her. Sirius tightened his grip on the love potion.

Captain Darkheart and Ember stood together. “Do your duty to Nightmare Moon, the true mother of all the Nightborn people,” they said in unison. “She loves all her children of the night, and you can make her life easier by bringing even one of these criminals to justice.”

He had never thought of the Empress as a mother figure, but they were right. We were her children, and she loved us all.

Could Sirius really turn Mother in to them? She is a criminal after all.

The love potion glowed especially bright in his hoof.

But I love her, Sirius thought. Even after all the abuse, she was his mother. Her, Cepheus, Persei, they were all his family…

Darkheart and Ember watched him. “Make your choice, Sirius. Who do you want to stand with?”

Author's Notes:

I'm sorry about the long delay. I literally just got home from my trip.

This chapter is extra long to make up for the days I have missed. I will also be returning to my normal posting cycle now.

Thanks for your understanding.

Discussion/Feedback is always welcome.

Feel free to point out typos, or the like.

Chapter 5: Protective Instincts

Persei pressed the ice bag to Cepheus’ eye. He groaned, whining. “Mother and Sirius had to fight it out yesterday. Of all days, it had to be the one before my date.”

“It’ll be all right,” she muttered, digging through her make up. “Candle seems to like the rough types.”

That seemed to pacify him. She began to apply the white cover-up on the dark gray circle around his eye. He began to pout again. “What if she realizes I’m wearing make up? She’ll think I’m some….”

Persei tuned him out. She didn’t have the patience to deal with this, not today. There were more urgent things on her mind.

Like the fact that Mother was going into withdrawal.

Persei glanced over Cepheus’ shoulder. Mother was lying in bed, her eyes glazed open, staring at the prescription bottle set right in front of her face. She twitched, the ticks racking her entire body.

Mother had been taking the pills as long as Persei could remember. Of course the detox would be painful.

Mother would just have to tough it out, Persei told herself. But she couldn’t help but worry. Mother hadn’t slept a bit all night, and she looked as if she would breakdown any moment.

Persei also had some important questions for her. Mother had been keeping too many secrets.

Persei finished applying the last of the powder, and handed Cepheus a mirror. While he surveyed her handiwork, she moved past him. She sat in front of Mother, and they both stared at the pill bottle.

“Mother….” Persei whispered.

She didn’t respond. Persei sighed, and used her magic to levitate the pill bottle to the roof.

The response was immediate. Mother leapt up to get the drugs, but they were out of reach. Cepheus stared at Mother, startled.

Thank goodness Mother was an earth pony. Persei couldn’t imagine playing keep away from a pegasus or another unicorn. Persei waited until Mother stopped jumping to state her demands. She eventually gave up, the bottle out of her reach. She collapsed before Persei, sobbing.

Persei sighed. “Mother, before you can have the pills back, I need to know some things.” Mother stared at Persei, pain in her eyes. “I need to know how we got here. I need to know who my father was. I need to know who I am.”

Cepheus drew closer, sitting next to her. “Mother, we need to know where we came from.”

Mother shook her vehemently. “Leave the past in the past.”

“Mother….” Persei chided.

“I SAID LET IT BE!” She screamed.

Cepheus’ nostrils flared. “Fine, don’t tell us.”

Persei had never heard such a biting, sarcastic tone from her brother. A tear streaked down from Mother’s eye. “I don’t want you to think any less of me,” she hung her head. “Awful things happened. Tragedies that I would much rather forget.”

Mother sighed, and looked up, replaying the memories in her head. “It began when I grew pregnant with you two. Your father and I worked at Canterlot Central Hospital, the biggest medical complex in all of Equestria. I was a pharmacist researching fertility drugs, your father was the head official of the OB/GYN department. We were so happy, especially when we learned that we were having twins.”

Mother trailed off, cringing as if she had tasted something bitter. “Damn Church of Celestion. They ruined everything. They were some crazy cult that was present in all the main cities, and for some reason, Nightmare Moon was disturbed by their activities.”

Cepheus and Persei exchanged glances.

“They had prophesized the return of their fire goddess, their deity of worship that would destroy Nightmare Moon and her favored Nightborn race. They kept saying that she would be reborn any day now. Ponies began to ask questions. Where will she be reborn? How will she look like? Who will she be born to? How can we identify her?”

Mother shook her head. “It was raising such a commotion in the cities. The Dayborn ponies were challenging Nightmare Moon’s government. There were even some riots, and things were getting worse and worse. The Dayponies were desperate to cling to any ray of hope in their dark world, and the amount of followers of the Church skyrocketed. Everyone was talking about the Church, and Nightmare Moon began to crack down on them. Things were getting bad for them, so they made a prediction to where she would be reborn to provide their tenants with hope. Their prediction was that the fire goddess would be reborn in Canterlot Central Hospital. Since it was the largest hospital in all of Equestria, with thousands of foals being born there every month, statistically it would be the most likely place.”

“Everpony was looking to our hospital. The dayponies were waiting for their fire goddess. Her rebirth would signal the beginning of the war against their Nightborn oppressors. Nightmare Moon grew paranoid. It was a very tense situation. When nothing was happening, the believers in the Church of Celestion grew desperate. They began to see every anomaly during a foal’s birth as a mark of the fire goddess’ rebirth. There were panic sessions and bursts of violence every time some crackhead priest announced Celestion’s return.”

“Nothing happened though. Every false alarm shook the faith of the believers, but Nightmare Moon began taking precautions. Thus began a period of time where the dayborn were increasingly oppressed. Your father and I were so scared, and soon I went into labor. The Church of Celestion was growing increasingly desperate, and sent in their agents to fake the rebirth of the fire goddess. That’s when it happened. I was heavily sedated from the drugs, and your father was at my bedside. The power went out. The hospital was plunged into darkness.”

“Your father had to leave my bed to go restore power, or the hospital would lose many foals. I was in the room alone when it happened. In the total darkness, there was a beautiful light, a faint, warm glow from somewhere near me. It became brighter and brighter, filling the hospital with light. I passed out then. When I awoke, the power had been restored, and I heard the crying sounds of my two foals.”

Mother gestured to them. “You two. The joys of my life. We had been expecting two colts, but Persei came first, and we realized we had a filly and a colt.”

Mother sighed. “That’s when one of Nightmare Moon’s soldiers had come in. He told your father that something weird had happened and they would be checking all the foals that had been born in the past hour. They took you two away, and placed you inside the main room where all the other foals were.”

She paused, and she wailed in anguish. Cepheus and Persei jumped. “It was horrible what they did! When all the foals were in the room, the order had been given to kill all the fillies. They were throwing newborn fillies on the ground and stomping on them until there was nothing but a red stain left. The screaming was the most ungodly sound I had ever heard. I knew my foals were in danger, but I could barely move. I crawled out of my hospital bed and I saw your father trying to stop them. They struck him down, and did the same thing to him what they had done to all the fillies. I watched him die….”

Cepheus and Persei were holding each other, and Persei gulped. “If the order was given for all the fillies to be killed, how did I survive?”

Mother sniffed. “I dragged myself to the main room, and the floors were slick with blood, so I could easily slide to where you two were. It was such a mess. It was then the guards started going after the mothers as well, and I knew they were coming for me. They were dragging mares who had just given birth and were killing them there too.” Mother scrunched up her eyes. “There was so much blood….”

“I made it to your bed, and it was a moment that made me believe that there might actually be a god looking out for me. You two were unharmed, but were frightened and crying. You see, all the fillies wore pink onesies, while all the colts wore blue. They had put you both in blue onesies. We had been expecting two colts, so I guess the nurse accidentally gave you both the blue clothes. That’s what saved your life, Persei. A nurse’s mistake.”

Persei and her brother sat beside their mother and nuzzled her. Mother beamed and put her hooves around their necks. “That discovery that you both were still alive fired up my mother’s protective instincts. They would eventually find out that Persei was a filly, and they would come for all three of us. I found the strength to stand. I bundled you two up, and in a nurse’s disguise, I smuggled you two out of the hospital. I knew I had to get out of the city. It was pandemonium outside. Carriages were on fire, there were explosions in the streets, and police were firing crossbows into a crowd of dayborn rioters. News had spread of the hospital massacre.”

Persei shivered. Her Mother was the toughest mare she knew. To have gone through all that to protect her foals.

Mother sobbed, continuing. “Nightmare Moon had given the order for the Church of Celestion to be disbanded, and all the followers to be killed. The police were breaking down the doors of homes all over Equestria, killing anyone who wore the eight-sided star on around their necks. I managed to find an abandoned carriage in the city, and I put you two inside. I began to pull on the carriage, and I felt something tear. That’s when I feared that I had become sterile. Blood was dripping down my thighs, my womb torn up from giving birth to two foals and the strenuous activity. I reached the city outskirts, but I was stopped by the Nightguard security. They noticed I was wearing a bloody nurse’s uniform, so they figured I had come from the hospital. They were asking me questions, and then you two began to cry in the carriage. The Nightguard found you two in the backseat.”

Mother began to cry again. “I saw him. The same stallion that killed your father, he was there as well. He was the commander, the stallion who had been charged by Nightmare Moon to oversee and coordinate the hospital massacre. He knew that I was a refugee mother from the hospital. Then he had looked at me, and I realized what he would do to me.”

Mother tightened her hooves around their necks. “He stripped off my outfit, and I could hear you two crying from the other room. They had found out that Persei was a filly. Even though he was hurting me, I was more afraid for you two.”

She clenched her jaw, her hooves trembling. “He had pinned me down then…and I was in so much pain. He whispered in my ear as he ravished me, that he would kill my foals in front of me and leave me to bleed in the streets. After he was done, he put his armor back on, and ordered his soldiers to take me and the foals out back. They dragged me out, and as soon as they did, there was a commotion from inside. The two guards left us three outside, and there was an explosion. I lay there for hours, nursing you two, and no one came for us. I eventually found the strength to leave. I began travelling to the farthest reaches of civilization, and I grew pregnant.”

Cepheus cocked his head. “Pregnant? With whom?”

“Sirius,” Mother muttered.

Cepheus and Persei looked at each other. So that’s why she hated him so much, Persei thought. Sirius was a constant reminder to her of what had happened, and the stallion who had taken everything from her. Persei shivered. She would not be able to look at Sirius the same again.

Mother sighed, her ears drooped, and her eyes heavy with drowsiness. “So I gave birth to Sirius, and I eventually wound up here. And to this day, I remain here.”

Mother swallowed some of her pills and dozed off, exhausted. Persei and Cepheus nuzzled mother for what felt like an hour. Cepheus eventually leaned over to her. “Where do you think Sirius has gone? I’m worried about him.”

Persei shook her head. “I don’t know and I don’t care. I hope he never comes back.”

She looked away from her brother, and she could still feel Cepheus looking at her. He got up and left a moment later. “I’m going to go see Candle. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

He left the hovel then, and Persei was alone with Mother. She sighed. “Maybe she was right. Some things are better left in the past.”

Author's Notes:

How are you guys liking the story so far?

Feedback and discussion is encouraged.

Chapter 6: Initiation

Sirius stood on the skyscraper’s balcony, seeing the entire metropolis sprawled out before him. It was like a field of constantly moving lights, a nest of stars that fluctuated constantly. The wind swept up his black cape, the cold air running through the breaks in his black and violet armor. He spread out his wings, tasting the night.

He felt like he was on top of the world. Sirius could literally reach out and touch the clouds from his high perch.

It had been so long since he had taken a recreational flight. He wanted to go swim among the clouds while the moon was still out, but the smell of food lured him back inside.

He trotted across the moonbathed balcony and pushed open the glass sliding doors to his personal apartment. The room was luxurious as well as spacious. It had a master bathroom with a sauna and a roof that mimicked a starry night. He also had these devices called a refrigerator, microwave, oven, all common appliances which Sirius had lived without back at home.

What excited him the most was the king-sized plush bed with the big feathery pillows. Sirius had never slept in an actual bed before, though the bed seemed more suited for two or three ponies rather than just one.

Ember had said the extra room was for “entertaining guests”, and the way she had smiled at him afterwards had caused him to blush. She had then said that all his Night Terror training would be done in bed, which had caused him to blush again.

After Darkheart made a joke about him being a virgin, they had left him alone.

He needed to mentally prepare himself for his Night Terror initiation. Ember had advised him to sleep on his side in case he threw up. After tonight’s initiation, he would be provided an attendant to take care of his bodily needs as he dreamt and trained.

Sirius looked up at the poster on his roof, right above his bed. It was a giant portrait of Nightmare Moon, with the caption “Do your duty.” He smiled to himself. After tonight, he would officially be a part of the Empress’ elite secret police. He would become her eyes and ears in the dark.

He had done it. He had told them he had wanted to join the Night Terrors. They had cheered and congratulated him, and after giving him his initiate’s sleeping robes and armor, they had shown him this room.

Sirius beamed with pride. He was serving his nation, and when he graduated as a full-fledged Night Terror, he would move to Canterlot so he could be close to his Empress. He would then see Nightmare Moon daily, and he would be among her most leal servants. It was rumored that he might even have a chance of being granted immortality when he joined her inner circle.

He had finally found his place in this world. This was where he truly belonged, and it was right at Nightmare Moon’s side. Sirius grinned. “Who would have thought that I would actually amount to something?” he said to himself jokingly.

Sirius felt a twinge of sorrow then. Even though the memories of home brought him pain, he knew that there was one pony who had truly loved him: Cepheus. Sirius missed him sorely. What would his brother think of him becoming a Night Terror?

Sirius didn’t know, but he hoped that they could still be friends. Cepheus had a heart of gold and hopefully they would meet again someday. Sirius sighed, realizing that he hadn't even said goodbye to him. “Oh, Cepheus. I miss you already.”

He sat still for a while, the melancholy seeping into him. He didn’t want to think of it anymore.

His stomach rumbled, and he sat down on the floor to eat. He uncovered the platter of food. Sirius’ mouth watered, and he began to drool. There were things he had never seen before. A T-bone steak smothered in mashed potatoes and fragrant herbs was surrounded by these strange green vegetables called “asparagus”. He also had a plate of wheat rolls and all the butter he could want. Then there was also this strange can that had the dew of condensation on it.

He knocked off the lid, and he could hear the sound of the liquid fizzing inside. He looked into the can. White froth and bubbles had accumulated over the orange colored drink. He lowered his muzzle over the can, and tilted the lid of the can into his mouth. He took a sip, and giggled as the bubbles tickled his snoot. He drank the drink down, and hummed in pleasure as the orange flavor blossomed on his tongue.

After Sirius finished his food, he became drowsy and plunked himself down on his bed. He slid into the white covers, and tucked himself in. When the pegasus put his head on the pillow, he heard a crinkling sound.

Puzzled, Sirius pulled out a wrinkled paper from underneath the pillow. It was Mother’s wanted poster from Intelligence Central, but this time, there was something else with it. Above Mother’s picture, was a small note in a mare’s clean and curly handwriting.

“My dear Sirius, I am so glad that you have made the right decision. Together, you and I can ensure the continued prosperity of our family, the Nightborn ponies. You must bring this mare to justice. She is an outlaw, and the blood of hundreds of innocent foals is on her hooves. I know that she is your biological mother, but you must do what is right. I have faith in you, my beloved son.”

On the bottom of the note, it was signed “Nightmare Moon.”

Beloved son? Sirius gasped. Nightmare Moon had acknowledged him. The Empress of Equestria had noticed him, and had taken an interest in his life. That was more than his biological mother had ever done for him.

“Nightmare Moon said she loves me and called me her son,” he said to himself in awe. Sirius’ eyes fell back upon the picture of his mother. He made a flicking motion with his hoof and there was a sliding sound from within his armor. A metal blade appeared at the end of his hoof, extending a foot outwards. He jabbed the sword point into his mother’s portrait, driving it into the mare’s heart. “All I wanted was your love,” he whispered to her as he turned the blade, ripping the paper. He sniffed, tears welling up in his eyes.

Some reservoir of pent up emotion surged forward, breaking the floodgates which had held fast for his entire foalhood and early adult life. He began to slowly tear the paper, savoring the sound of the paper ripping. “I will treat you exactly how you treated me. It’s only fair.” He tore the poster into shreds. “I hate you, Mother,” he spat, anger coursing through him. “I hate you, and I promise that I will make you suffer.”

Sirius sheathed his hoof-blade and tossed the remnants of the paper away. He pulled the sheets over his head, seething. The fantasy image of him hugging Mother disintegrated. He tossed and turned, and his eyes caught the mahogany wardrobe at the other side of the room. A soft pink glow could be seen through the crack in the drawer. The Love Potion was in there. He would destroy it in the morning.

He closed his eyes, and sleep eventually came. The dreamscape opened up before him, but he instantly realized that this was no ordinary dream.

It seemed fake, artificial. Was this even his own dream?

Sirius was in a glass chamber with airtight sliding doors. The room was brightly lit, but grew dimmer as time progressed. Is this a nightmare?

He noticed more details as he looked around. He was in a hallway, behind him, past another set of airtight sliding doors, was what appeared to be a hospital corridor. In front of him were more sliding doors, which led into a large operating room.

He breathed in the stale recycled air, and leaned forward, washing his hooves in a sink. Sirius looked down and he noticed that he was wearing a surgeon’s outfit.

The airtight doors behind him slid open, and another pony entered the room. Sirius stared at what appeared to be a darker, more feral looking version of himself. He was bigger and more muscular as well. Dark Sirius acknowledged him with a nod, and slammed his hoof down on a red button on the wall.

Steam jets blasted the room, cleansing both stallions of any outside contaminants. Dark Sirius slipped on his surgeon’s mask, and addressed him. “Alright,” he said in a deeper, more masculine voice than his own. “Our patient has taken a turn for the worse, and it’s up to us to save her.” Dark Sirius hit a lever on the wall, and faced the doors. “Prepare to enter the clean room, and may Nightmare Moon have mercy on this poor mare’s soul.”

The room had been growing steadily darker, and the light turned red. The sliding doors hissed as they opened, granting entry into the dimly lit operating room. The only light they had was from the bright surgeon lamps above the operating table, and the light from the other medical equipment.

Dark Sirius rushed in, and he reluctantly followed. The sliding doors slammed shut behind him, almost catching his tail. He looked at the operating table. A tarp had been set over it, and he could see the outline of the patient underneath.

The mare sobbed, gasping in pain. “Are you just going to stand there?” the other surgeon demanded, holding up a scalpel. “She’s running out of time!”

The dark stallion grabbed the edges of the tarp and whipped it off. Sirius wanted to vomit, and he might have. The mare began to scream in pain. Vomit dripped down the side of her muzzle, large black sores all over her body were oozing blood, her eyes were yellowed with jaundice, and she was sweating profusely.

Sirius overcame his initial fright, and drew closer. She looked familiar. As Dark Sirius injected morphine into her IV drip, Sirius inspected the diseased pegasus. He saw himself. Or herself in this case. It was a female version of Sirius, and she was dying.

Dark Sirius handed him a scalpel, staring into his eyes with dire urgency. “We must stop the infection,” he said, gesturing to the black, bleeding sores. “Necrosis: mass tissue death. That’s what those black sores are. We need to cut it all out, or else the infection will devour her heart by the end of this hour.”

Sirius felt sick, his hooves trembling as he held the scalpel. He felt like he was being watched. The pegasus looked up, and he saw the large panoramic window near the roof of the operating room. A cloaked pony was standing there, watching their every move. The pony was wearing a hood, but Sirius could see two piercing red eyes.

Sirius shuddered, and returned his focus on saving the mare. Dark Sirius had begun cutting out a patch of dead flesh on her belly. Sirius hesitated. The other stallion shouted at him. “Sirius! Remove the dead flesh or she’ll die!”

Sirius swallowed and drove the scalpel into the smallest sore he could find. It was near her groin, and instantly Sirius recalled a memory. It was when he had first come to the city. The two streetwalking mares who had sexually assaulted him came to mind. Admittedly, it still kind of bothered him. He pushed it down, and the memory filled with light, and disappeared.

Sirius opened his eyes and looked down at the sore. He had successfully cut it out, and he was still holding the bloody scalpel over it. Dark Sirius noticed it. “Good job, now go for the bigger ones.”

Sirius felt more confident, and went for a much larger sore near her heart. He cut away some of her fur, and drove the scalpel in. Another memory played out in his head, but this time it was much more painful. Mother had her hooves wrapped around his throat, and he was choking, begging for her to love him. Sirius felt a tear in his eye, but he grabbed onto the most powerful emotion he had. Anger. Hot white rage directed towards his mother erupted from within, and the memory was burned away.

He heard a mare’s voice in his head. “Good, now deal with the source of the pain. The infection itself.”

Sirius opened his eyes. Female Sirius was gone, and on the operating table was Mother.

Her beige coat was damp with perspiration, and her hazelnut mane was tangled and unruly. Mother stared at Sirius in terror, heaving, trying to break free of her physical restraints. Dark Sirius injected a sedative into her IVs and Mother stopped moving. Her eyes were still wide open, glazed with terror.

A mare’s voice echoed on the intercom, and he looked up at the hooded pony standing in the Observation Room. She was the one who was instructing him. “Eliminate the infection, Sirius. That is your initiation. She is the root of all your heartache.”

Mother moaned, and Sirius looked down at her. He was holding the bloody scalpel in his hand, and his hoof trembled. The mare spoke again on the intercom. “My power has amplified your dreamwalking range of influence. You alone know where she is, and you alone brought her here. I merely helped.”

Dark Sirius rolled a cart to him, and on top was a whole array of surgical tools. Sirius ran his hooves over the scalpels, hooks, sutures, forceps, needles, scissors and the other tools. The mare laughed over the intercom. “You know what to do. Your powers have been amplified for this test. She is at your mercy.”

Sirius grazed his scalpel across her chest, causing a thin red streak to rise up. Mother moaned again, tears running from her eyes. She deserves this, he told himself. She had turned him into this, and now she would suffer the wrath of her own creation.

Mother looked him in the eyes, pleading. Sirius tightened his grip on the scalpel, wanting to make another, deeper incision.

She deserved this. He knew that. Yet, Sirius was still unsure.

She deserves this….

Author's Notes:

The end part of this chapter is intensely psychological. It holds a lot of deeper meaning.

I want to know what the readers think of this situation. What would you do if you were in Sirius' place?

Comments/Feedback/Discussion is encouraged.

Chapter 7: An Evening by Candelight

Cepheus trotted out from the back-entrance of the hovel. He stopped and looked at the sky, the moon, and the stars. A soft breeze caressed his golden mane, the air balmy and carrying the smoky scent of meals being prepared over cooking fires.

He inhaled deeply, taking it all in. The striations of wispy looking clouds overhead gave the starry night the appearance of a black, diamond-studded fabric.

The moon hung directly overhead, meaning Cepheus had a good few hours of moonlight left. Fate had granted him ideal weather for his date. He just hoped that Candle didn’t notice the makeup over his black eye. He rubbed the spot, the bruise still sore.

Mother was an earth pony, a mare born for farming, and she had hooves of iron. Cepheus had now experienced it firsthand. Candle was an earth pony too. She was probably just as strong as Mother, if not stronger. Her well-toned flank definitely said so.

Cepheus grinned, thinking about his date with Candle. He was still nervous though, after all, this was his first date. Ever.

He began trotting toward Chicken Noodle’s hovel. The quaint little chef donkey had made a very nice picnic basket for him and Candle. Cepheus would pick up the basket, along with a tablecloth and some candles, and head over to his super-romantic spot where he would meet the lovely mare.

He was giddy, but then he remembered something that dampened his mood. Sirius would have loved this development in his love life, Cepheus thought.

He turned around and faced the hovel, seeing the shabby awning where his brother slept. “Where have you gone, Sirius?” he pondered aloud. “Have you run away?”

Cepheus missed him. They were best pals, and they may never see each other again. Sirius had been gone for two days now. Cepheus sighed. “I hope that wherever you are, you’re happy. No matter whom you may become, or what you might do, you will always be my brother.”

Cepheus didn’t care about him being a rape-foal, or any of that. Sirius was not to blame for what his father had done, or the fashion he had been created in. I hope you’re all right, Sirius.

Cepheus pushed down his concern for Sirius. He was a grown stallion and a pegasus, he could take care of himself.

His heart still ached, but he was distracted by the image of Candle’s swaying plot. Just the thought was hypnotic. Cepheus sighed, hopelessly infatuated. His heart wanted a long term relationship that would hopefully blossom into a happy marriage, but his loins were screaming “one night stand.”

Cepheus wiggled uncomfortably. “Think clean thoughts. Think clean thoughts,” he repeated to himself over and over again.

He trotted through the cobblestone paths of the village, and finally arrived at Chicken Noodle’s hovel. Cepheus’ mouth watered at the smell of the meal Chicken had prepared for both of them.

The donkey chef appeared in the doorway, his chef’s hat as tall as he was. Chicken saw Cepheus and waved at him.

Cepheus waved back, beaming. “Hey,” he said cheerily, approaching the donkey. “What’s up chicken-butt?”

“Pfftt,” the donkey made an annoyed sound. “You’ve greeted me with that joke ever since you were a colt. How about something new, and maybe something not involving my butt?”

Cepheus put a hoof to his chin, thinking. “Well, you’re still an ass.”

They both laughed, and Cepheus put his wing around the good humored donkey. Chicken finally stopped laughing, wiping a tear from his eye. “Oh, Cepheus. I’m glad you’re still a colt in some ways. Ponies become boring when they become adults, but not you.”

Chicken handed him the basket, the containers within blasting heat. “Say hello to your mother and Persei for me.”

Cepheus took the handle of the basket into his mouth and nodded. The tablecloth, candles, and matches were stowed inside. He was ready.

He trotted away from Chicken’s hovel and instead of following the cobblestone path, he headed into the brush. The path he walked on was a secret passage that he had one day hacked out when he was a colt. It had served as an emergency escape route during one of his more dramatic pranks. Cepheus had eluded many angry adults using this path.

He still often used it, all the brush still trodden down and branches broken. Candle would have to use the long way around, and that would give him lots of time to set up the picnic.

Cepheus finally arrived at his super-secret awesomely romantic spot. He stood before a clearing surrounded by a thick circle of foliage and tall oak trees that would provide them with maximum privacy and seclusion. In the center of the clearing was a tranquil glen, and he set down the basket at its bank.

He set out the tablecloth, and set up two plates and the appropriate cutlery. He held the matches in his mouth, and using his dexterous wings, he held up the scratch pad and rubbed it against the matches. They all caught fire, and he bent down over every candle, lighting them all quickly before he began to feel the matches burn his muzzle.

Cepheus spat out the nearly spent matches, and stomped his hoof over them. He had been careful, but he had still burned his lips. That’s why Persei always lit the matches. That pyromaniac unicorn was good at lighting things on fire. Not so much at putting them out. They had learned that the hard way, and that was the last time his sister had ever played a part in his pranks.

There. He had set down the last of the food, and the picnic was all ready. Now, all the eager young pegasus had to do was to wait for his date to show up.

He waited a while, watching the moon’s silver reflection upon the calm waters of the glen. The wind skimmed the surface of the water, creating tiny distortions in the water.

“Hello, Cepheus,” a mare addressed him.

He had been so intently watching the water that he hadn’t noticed Candle’s arrival. Cepheus stood up, rushed to her, and nuzzled her softly. “I’m glad you’re here, and I hope you’ve brought your appetite because…” Cepheus pointed both hoof and wing at all the food.

Candle was awed, and she grinned. She leaned in and nuzzled him affectionately, and his heart sang.

Cepheus sat her down and quickly moved to his side. “I hope you like it,” he said, watching her unpack two bowls of salad. “My pal Chef Chicken said you had admitted that you loved his food, but you never placed an order or ate there.”

Candle was visibly drooling as she unpacked the rest of the food: a platter of hay burgers, some of Chicken Noodle’s signature Chicken Noodle soup, and some Canterlot Strawberry Cheesecake for dessert. Her brown eyes beamed, surveying it all. “Yes, I do love his food,” she said, looking up at Cepheus. “But his food was rather expensive, and my family is too poor to afford it."

“Oh,” Cepheus whispered. He smiled. “Well, this will be an extra special treat then!”

Candle grinned at him, but he could detect a hint of sorrow in that lovely face. “Thank you,” she whispered. There was an awkward pause, and Cepheus wiggled uncomfortably. “Sooo,” she said, shoveling salad into her plate. “How’s your family? I know your mother has been ill of late.”

Cepheus nodded. “Yeah,” he scratched the back of his head with his wing. “She has a drug problem my sister and I are trying to deal with. Strangely, Persei hasn’t mentioned it at all lately. She used to be right on top of it, but now I think she’s taking a break to reconsider tactics.”

“Ah, my father used to be a drug addict too.” Candle looked towards the glen. “I wish I could have been as proactive as you two have been. Perhaps I could have saved him if I had acted earlier.”

Candle closed her eyes and took a bite of her salad. Cepheus swallowed. “I am sorry for your loss, but you cannot blame yourself. If my sister wasn’t such a control freak, and I mean that in the best way possible, I would have let it be as well. When Mother is high on the drugs, she actually seems happy. Relaxed. I thought she wasn’t hurting anyone with her habit, so why stop it?” Candle looked into his eyes, and he blinked. “But, Persei pointed it out to me that drifting night to night in some drug induced stupor is no way to live. Mother was a slave to her pills, and she didn’t even know it. She almost killed my brother over them a few days ago.”

“Really?” Candle’s eyes were wide. “She would kill to secure her next fix?”

Cepheus nodded gravely. “That’s what the drugs do to you. The addict mind’s top priority is to get high again. Nothing else matters. A mother will even risk the life of her foals to get some.” He shuddered. Drugs were a terrifying thing. “Poor Sirius,” he whispered. “My brother tried to take the pills by force, and she would have killed him if Persei wasn’t there.”

“How is he?” Candle said, concern in her eyes as she sipped from her soup bowl. “The poor stallion must be traumatized.”

Cepheus sighed. “My brother ran away right after she did it. He’s a pegasus so he really could be anywhere, and I am worried for him. But I’m sure he’ll return.”

He munched down on his salad, trying to not think about it. Candle seemed lost in thought, her bowl empty. “It’s so strange though. My father was as addicted to Angel Dust as your mother was to her pills, but murdering your own foal over it? I can’t help but feel that there may be more to your mother’s addiction than meets the eye.”

You have no idea. She had a very rough life, and Mother didn’t really consider Sirius to be her foal. But if Mother had been forced to choose between the drugs and the life of all three of her foals, what would she do? Cepheus wanted to say that of course she would choose her foals, but he couldn’t do it. The uncertainty terrified him.

He felt a hoof touching his, and blushed. He looked up and saw Candle staring him right in the eyes. The candlelight gleamed in her eyes, warming her face. She offered him a smile. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re the stallion of the house.” Cepheus looked up at her. “I feel like you and your sister have become like parents to your Mother and brother. That is so admirable….”

She trailed off. Candle was looking at him intently, her brown eyes full of some kind of desire. Cepheus suddenly felt warm inside. A mare wants a stallion who can stabilize her life, Persei’s advice echoed in his head.

Cepheus had a wild impulse. He flattened his ears to his head, closed his eyes, puckered his lips, leaned forward, and hoped for the best. He felt like he had jumped off a cliff, and he was counting on her to catch him. There was a moment of empty space before he felt her warm lips pressing against his.

He felt like he had swallowed hot silver, and his veins ignited with warmth and light. Cepheus drew away, and opened his eyes. Candle was blushing prettily, looking shyly at him. “This was really nice,” she said, gesturing at the food. “We should definitely do this again sometime.”

Cepheus was too dazed to speak, but he didn’t want her to leave just yet. He rose to meet her, but then there was a loud burst in his ear. “Ack!” he cried out.

Candle groaned, and looked up at the sky. There had been a sonic boom of some sort, and now it looked like a meteor of some kind was streaking across the sky. It was getting bigger. It was then Cepheus noticed that it was headed right towards them. “Aw, hell,” he yelled, and instinctively jumped onto Candle, wrapping his wings around her, shielding her with his body.

There was a tremendous upheaval of an object hitting the ground, and his back was showered in caustic gravel and burning earth. Cepheus groaned as he was burned, and Candle was screaming.

The pain caused him to hold onto Candle tighter, not wanting to her to feel the agony he was feeling. The upheaval had subsided into silence, but Cepheus couldn’t move. He opened his eyes to see what had happened, but his eyesight was too blurry. He moved his wing, and gasped in pain. Each attempt at motion felt like he was tearing his skin, the smell of smoking feathers and burnt flesh filled the air.

Candle wriggled underneath him. “Cepheus, are you all right!?”

A sharp stab of pain caused him to gasp, and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. She began to panic, and pried away his wings. Cepheus howled and he felt himself being lifted up. Candle had slung him over her back, and he felt her begin to trot with ease.

Through his blurry vision, he looked at her face. Candle’s eyes were lit with determination, her mouth arched in a fierce snarl. It was strangely arousing. I want to have foals with you, he thought. This mare is tough as nails. He gasped in pain as she stumbled.

Cepheus looked around and saw the impact crater. The water in the glen had all become steam, and he heard a groan from within. Cepheus gasped, but Candle hadn’t heard it.

There was another groan, much louder and urgent. Candle turned around, and Cepheus’ vision was swiveled around and now he could only see the crater from his periphery. From the edge of the glen’s bank, a shimmering white hoof grappled with the loose dirt.

Candle and he watched in mute terror.

Another shimmering hoof appeared beside the other, and he could hear her grunting. What the hay? Cepheus thought. Is that a mare?

The white mare pulled herself up, and pushed herself onto the bank. Cepheus stared, amazed. She had a purple mane that glowed and swayed like flame. Her horn protruded from the lilac inferno, and her violet eyes blazed. The light from her radiant white skin faded, and he could see her cutie mark. It appeared to be a ball of fire, with a swaying purple line through it.

Cepheus felt as if he should flee, but he was transfixed. The mare saw the two ponies, and began moving towards them. She was limping, perhaps injured by her crash landing. The strange mare seemed exhausted, and collapsed. Candle sprang into action, and knelt down before her. “Are you okay?!”

The mare moaned in pain. “They’re coming,” she whispered.

Cepheus tilted his head so he could see better, and saw that the mare was bleeding. Candle cocked her head, frightened. “Who’s coming?”

“The Nightguard. They’ve suddenly gained an interest in the fringe colonies.” The mare picked herself up, her hooves trembling. “They’ve been raiding and burning, and I’ve managed to stay ahead, but…they’ll be here soon.”

Candle shook her head. “Nightmare Moon has never touched the colonies, because we were outcasts who were no threat to her. What happened so we are now in her sights?”

“I don’t know,” the mare coughed. “It’s as if they’re looking for something.”

Candle was in disbelief. “How do you know this? Who the hay are you?”

“My name is Ultra Violet,” she said weakly. She looked at him, surveying his burns. “That stallion needs medical attention. I can’t dare to hope that there is a doctor in this village?”

“Mother….” Cepheus groaned.

Candle nodded. “Yes, we have a doctor. We need to get to her right away.”

Ultra Violet nodded, her horn began to glow, and Cepheus gasped in pain as he was levitated with magic. They began to gallop to Mother’s hovel and he floated above Ultra Violet as they tore through the underbrush.

Before they even got close, Cepheus heard Persei’s panicked cries. The hovel came into sight, and he saw Persei outside, wailing.

Candle, Cepheus, and Ultra Violet rushed to her. Ultra Violet shook Persei, and she quickly grew silent. “Is there a doctor in there? This stallion is badly burned!”

Persei saw Cepheus floating aloft in Violet’s purple magical aura, and she began to cry again. “Cepheus!”

Candle put a hoof on Persei’s shoulder. “Get it together! Where’s your mother?”

Persei began to shake her head. “She won’t wake up!”

What? Cepheus thought. He was reminded of what he and Candle had talked about. Was it an overdose? Just the idea terrified him.

Persei collapsed, sobbing. “I don’t know what to do!”

They all rushed inside, and Violet laid Cepheus down on a bundle of blankets. Candle and Persei stared at Mother. Cepheus watched them in a dreamy stupor.

Mother was perspiring heavily, groaning, and kicking her hooves in distress. Was she having some kind of nightmare? Or was this some kind of symptom of an overdose?

Cepheus’ vision grew hazy, and the last few things he saw was Ultra Violet rifling through the cabinets, looking for something to treat his burns with. Persei was shaking Mother, and Candle stood by her side, both equally powerless to help Mother.

Author's Notes:

This was Cepheus' first chapter, and Ultra Violet is the first of many characters to be introduced.

Discussion is encouraged.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Regarding chapter 8, please read the blog post on "Optional Chapters". There will be two versions of chapter 8, one will be normal, and one version will contain high amounts of grimdark. Please read the blog post for further details.

Chapter 8: Fractured (Standard)

Sirius couldn’t do it. He couldn’t. The scalpel trembled in his hoof. He had cut her once, but he couldn’t muster the willpower to do it again.

Dark Sirius was watching quietly. “It’s been two hours,” he whispered. “Will you give this mare the treatment, or not?”

“I..I can’t,” he gasped, tears in his eyes. “This isn’t what I wanted…this is sadistic.”

The strange mare in the observation room came back on the intercom. “Sirius, remember that your mother is a criminal. Her punishment is death, and you are merely the executioner.”

Dark Sirius nodded. “Justice demands that she die. Let it be done.”

Mother was watching him in terror, all attempts at resistance gone. It was as if she had accepted her fate.

What the shadow pegasus was saying made sense. She did deserve this for all the harm she had done to him.

Sirius swallowed, and lowered the scalpel onto her belly. It broke her skin, and dark red blood welled up. The sight of it made him want to retch, but he didn’t take the scalpel back. “If you’re uncomfortable,” Dark Sirius boomed in his masculine voice. “Go for the jugular vein. It’ll be a quick and painless death. A lenient death compared to what I would do to her.”

Sirius took his advice. Torture was out of the question, or was it? He scratched the edge of her throat, and she moaned. He hesitated. The mare came back on the intercom, and she sounded frustrated. “One of you will not leave this dream alive! Kill her!”

Sirius closed his eyes and put all his weight into the scalpel. There was a squelching sound that turned his stomach. He opened his eyes, and saw the scalpel’s razor edge embedded in the fabric of the operating table. Another mare’s hoof was holding his from across the table. She had prevented him from dealing the fatal blow.

Sirius grew irrationally bitter, and looked up in defiance at the other mare. It was Female Sirius. She was recovering from her surgery, and was still in her hospital gown. “Don’t do this, Sirius. You’re a good stallion with a bright heart. This isn’t you.”

Sirius stared into her blue eyes, enchanted. She was beautiful. She smiled sadly at him, but he heard Dark Sirius hiss in anger. “Don’t listen to her!” he shouted, and broke She-Sirius’ spell on him. The shadow pegasus towered over him. “Your Mother has abused you your entire life! She would rather kill you than admit she loved you!”

She-Sirius protested, her voice feminine and smooth. “Your Mother is not a bad mare! She has had a rough life, full of trauma and pain, and has succumbed to the wiles of drugs and alcohol. Deep down, she didn’t really want to kill you, she just wanted the drugs! The drugs have warped her mind, so she doesn’t think of the consequences of her actions. Your Mother has a serious medical condition that has impaired her judgment, give her a break!”

It was then Sirius saw it. Dark Sirius and She-Sirius were different aspects of his own mind. Dark Sirius was his logic, his rationale. She-Sirius was his emotions, his compassion. His heart was broken, but it was still there. She-Sirius’ ability to speak on the behalf of his emotions proved that.

Dark Sirius spat at her, snorting. “So what if she’s a drug addict? So what if she’s an alcoholic? That’s no excuse to abuse your own son! That’s no excuse to cut him off from your love and treat him like an outcast!” Sirius felt a flare of anger. The shadow pegasus grabbed his hoof and slid it across Mother’s belly. A large gash surfaced and streaks of red flooded out. Sirius smiled in satisfaction. “Sweet retribution,” Dark Sirius and he said at the same time.

She-Sirius screamed, begging for him to stop. “Sirius! You are better than this!” She leaned over the table and touched his head. The image of Mother and him embracing was forced into his mind. Sirius grunted, resisting her influence. “Give her another chance! She was wrong to hurt you, but two wrongs don’t make a right!” Sirius blinked, understanding. “She has a broken heart. You must use the Love Potion to heal it, and you will see how she will let you in! That fantasy can still be a reality!”

Sirius felt like his eyes had been opened. He now saw the specter’s clawed hand gripping his hoof. He became aware of how it was trying to force his hoof down, wanting Sirius to gut his own mother. He was horrified, and saw the shade behind him.

She-Sirius yelled at him. “Don’t look at it!” He immediately faced her, shocked and scared. “That entity is a manifestation of your hate! It has warped your reasoning, and it will consume you if you’re not careful!”

Sirius groaned, and it felt as if a heavy weight had been put on his back. He realized that the hate entity was leaning on Sirius, forcing him down. “Help me,” he groaned.

“Look at me, Sirius.” She-Sirius took his hoof, kissing it. “You alone can make this go away. No one else. Let go of your hate, for it is the true infection eating your heart. Not your Mother, not Persei, not anyone.” She-Sirius drew near, and he could feel her warm breath against his muzzle. “Let it go, my beloved. Forgive her, and you will find the weight removed.” Sirius groaned, feeling like his spine would snap. He was distracted by her lips brushing against his, and he felt the warmth of healing inside. “Let the past make you better, not bitter.” She whispered. “Hate has no place in the heart of a noble stallion such as you.”

Sirius looked over at Dark Sirius, who regarded him sadly. “She has made her case, and so have I. Make your choice.” The shadow pegasus gesture at the female version of himself. “Mercy?” Dark Sirius puffed out his chest and stood tall. “Or justice?”

Sirius could feel the heavy weight of the hate entity shrouding him, but he knew if he embraced it, it could raise him up. It could drive him to become more powerful. But if he did, he would lose some part of himself. While hate was strengthened, its counteracting force, love, would be diminished. Will it truly consume me?

He knew that every terrible villain stood right here at a junction like this. Every drug addict started out with his first dose. Every mass murderer began with the first victim. Every suicide committed started with the first depressed thought.

Would killing Mother lead him down a path he couldn’t turn back from?

Evil has an addictive quality to it. It would pull him in, and each subsequent evil action would increase his tolerance for it, and soon it would become easy. He wouldn’t think twice of it. Exactly like a drug addict, his doses would steadily increase, until the fateful day where he was so far gone that he overdosed. Wickedness worked the same way.

It felt good until you crashed. Until you realized that you are truly alone, and everyone has fled from you. By then, your life is ruined, and it’ll be too late.

Sirius put down the scalpel gently. He had made up his mind. She-Sirius smiled, knowing who the victor was. Sirius was happy, and it really did feel like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He leaned over the operating table and kissed his mother’s cheek, and whispered in her ear. “I forgive you.”

Mother stared at him, mute. There was a shrill scream over the intercom, and sirens started going off. They all looked around as metal doors came down over the airtight doors, sealing the exits, the biohazard symbol glaring at them. Dark Sirius howled. “The emergency quarantine protocols! We have to get out of here!”

Dark Sirius ripped Mother’s operating table from the mount and carried it on his back. “Let’s go!” Sirius and the embodiment of his rationale charged the doors. Sirius banged on the metal doors to no avail. “It’s no use!” they both cried at the same time.

Female Sirius was cowering in the corner of the room, trembling, too frightened to move. The glass of the observation room shattered, and all the medical equipment began to short circuit and catch on fire. The mysterious mare jumped down from the observation room, and slammed down onto the ground, sending broken white linoleum tiles flying in the air. “You will not leave here until that mare is dead!” she screamed.

“Bite me!” Sirius called.

Black iron shackles forged from the plumbing below, ripped through the floor and ensnared Sirius and held him aloft. He was screaming, the world spinning around upside down as the magical shackles swung him around. “Hold on, Sirius!” Dark Sirius called, and took wing. He deftly dodged the chains, and flew towards him. Their hooves touched, and a beam of red energy knocked his shadow-self out of the sky.

Dark Sirius crashed into the wall and tumbled to the ground. The chains were upon him then, and pinned him to the floor. Sirius tried to struggle in his chains, but he knew that he was trapped. He saw Mother’s operating table thrown to the side, and Sirius cringed as it shattered against the wall. Mother lay there in the debris of the table, unmoving.

The observer mare cast off her hood, and Sirius stared in shock. The ruby eyes, the bright pelt, it was Ember. “Initiate Sirius, I see that you still resist. Your manifestation of hate was offering you an unlimited supply of power, but you turned it down because you feared that you would lose yourself.”

Sirius remained suspended, his wings pinned to his body. Dark Sirius was covered in chains, being crushed. There was a cry of pain, but it was from neither of them. Ember looked at She-Sirius, who was picking out jagged pieces of glass from her wings. She had Mother in her forelegs, and was trying to carry her up into the observation room. But she was too injured, and crashed against the wall every time. Like an injured sparrow, she couldn’t truly take flight. The blood spatters on the walls suggested that she had tried ascending dozens of times.

Ember looked at the two injured mares, and grinned maliciously. She looked back at Sirius. “To join the Night Terrors, a pony must submit himself to whatever changes his instructor wishes to administer.”

Ember turned to the two trembling mares in the corner of the room, and Sirius struggled in his chains. “Leave them alone!” he shouted. “Don’t you dare touch my mother!”

“I’m doing this for your own good!” she responded. “You will be removed of this parasite, so I will be free to craft you into a form Nightmare Moon can use!”

She-Sirius and Mother were huddled together in the corner, hooves wrapped around each other, eyes lit with terror as Ember approached them. Sirius watched in horror, and begged her to stop. “Please! She’s my mother! Please….”

Ember flashed him a wolfish grin. “Oh, I’m not going to touch your mother.”

What? Sirius thought. Ember flicked her hooves, and a long serrated blade slid out from the sheath strapped to her hoof. With a single motion, Ember drove the blade into She-Sirius’ chest. Sirius, Mother, and Dark Sirius stared in terror as Ember raised the impaled mare into the air. Blood dripped from her muzzle, and she twitched a few times before going still.

Ember slung She-Sirius’ corpse off her blade, and she hit the wall with a sick thud.

It struck Sirius like a searing knife then. The chains released him, and he writhed in agony on the floor. Dark Sirius and he were screaming in unison. “No! No! NO!”

Sirius mind felt like it had been torn apart. A vital part of his being had been destroyed. He lay on the ground, and he felt all semblance of emotion drain away from him. All the conflicted feelings: his budding sense of belonging, all the love he had ever known, his happiness, his grief, everything was bleeding out of him.

Dark Sirius was howling in agony, clutching his head, and wrapping his head in his wings. There was a moment of complete disembodiment, an echoing empty feeling that sapped Sirius’ very desire to live. Sirius felt a sharp stab of pain, and something snapped.

His forebrain had been dealt a devastating blow, and his hindbrain moved to fill the gap. Animal urges, sick and feral rose up within him. Is this what going insane feels like?

He writhed, arching his back up, spreading his wings out. He snarled and snapped, everything that made a pony a pony was now gone. A cold calm swept over him, sedating him. He grew still and slowly stood up. His heart was empty, his mind indifferent. He trotted to the center of the room.

The scent of blood filled his nostrils. What’s happened to me? A thought came to him, but it felt so distant that it was barely audible. Ember was watching him in satisfaction, and he wanted to do such terrible things to her that it filled every fiber of his being. She must have noticed, because her smug grin changed into one of fear.

Sirius trotted towards her, and changed his mind. He would learn her weaknesses, and make her suffer until she begged him to take her life. He would not take this assault on his psyche without some retaliation.

Sirius grinned at her, and Ember seemed to be relieved. “It’s been a pleasure,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I will repay you for this tenfold one day.”

Ember blinked. She wasn’t sure if this was a threat or not, but she dismissed it. “You have so much potential as a Night Terror. I’ve never seen a pony convince himself not to take the life of a hated enemy.”

He would let Ember live for now, but he had another pony to deal with right now.

Sirius looked at Mother still cowering in the corner. He trotted towards her, and on his way there, his hoof hit something. A power drill made for boring through bone lay on the ground. He picked it up, and pulled the trigger. The bit began to spin around rapidly, making a whirring sound.

Sirius looked at Mother then, and she began to weep. Sirius approached her, and she was trying to drag herself away from him. Her fore-hooves trembled, the drugs still impairing her movements. Sirius slammed his hoof down on her back, pinning her to the ground. He pressed down on the drill’s trigger, and Mother screamed.

The sounds of her struggle were delightful. He began to lower the drill, and he realized that he was grinning. Sirius wasn’t doing this because he hated her, or for vengeance, not even for Ember’s test. He was doing it because he enjoyed it.

He drove the drill into the back of her head. There was the sound of flesh ripping as the drill bore through her flesh. She screamed in agony, and writhed. He forced the drill deeper, and he could hear the reassuring crunch when he penetrated her brain stem.

The part of her brain that regulated her life functions was destroyed, and Mother began to go into cardiac arrest. Sirius removed the drill and kicked her onto her back. He watched her struggle for breath, but it was futile. Her movements became less dramatic, until she stopped moving entirely. There was a strangled moan, and she fell silent forever.

Sirius dropped the bloody drill. The deed was done. He expected to feel something: remorse, pity, regret, but he felt nothing. Just clarity, and a spark of triumph.

Mother’s dead eyes stared at him, and somewhere, She-Sirius was watching him as well. Ember began to applaud him, and Sirius smiled viciously.

Author's Notes:

This was intense, and some of you may have recognized this chapter's potential for grimdark.

Chapter 8.5 (Grimdark Option) is available to read as well. If you are still confused about optional chapters, read my most recent blog post.

Feedback/Discussion is encouraged.

Chapter 8.5: Fractured (Grimdark Option)

Author's Notes:

Warning: You are reading the Grimdark version of this chapter!

Feedback is encouraged.

Sirius couldn’t do it. He couldn’t. The scalpel trembled in his hoof. He had cut her once, but he couldn’t muster the willpower to do it again.

Dark Sirius was watching quietly. “It’s been two hours,” he whispered. “Will you give this mare the treatment, or not?”

“I..I can’t,” he gasped, tears in his eyes. “This isn’t what I wanted…this is sadistic.”

The strange mare in the observation room came back on the intercom. “Sirius, remember that your mother is a criminal. Her punishment is death, and you are merely the executioner.”

Dark Sirius nodded. “Justice demands that she die. Let it be done.”

Mother was watching him in terror, all attempts at resistance gone. It was as if she had accepted her fate.

What the shadow pegasus was saying made sense. She did deserve this for all the harm she had done to him.

Sirius swallowed, and lowered the scalpel onto her belly. It broke her skin, and dark red blood welled up. The sight of it made him want to retch, but he didn’t take the scalpel back. “If you’re uncomfortable,” Dark Sirius boomed in his masculine voice. “Go for the jugular vein. It’ll be a quick and painless death. A lenient death compared to what I would do to her.”

Sirius took his advice. Torture was out of the question, or was it? He scratched the edge of her throat, and she moaned. He hesitated. The mare came back on the intercom, and she sounded frustrated. “One of you will not leave this dream alive! Kill her!”

Sirius closed his eyes and put all his weight into the scalpel. There was a squelching sound that turned his stomach. He opened his eyes, and saw the scalpel’s razor edge embedded in the fabric of the operating table. Another mare’s hoof was holding his from across the table. She had prevented him from dealing the fatal blow.

Sirius grew irrationally bitter, and looked up in defiance at the other mare. It was Female Sirius. She was recovering from her surgery, and was still in her hospital gown. “Don’t do this, Sirius. You’re a good stallion with a bright heart. This isn’t you.”

Sirius stared into her blue eyes, enchanted. She was beautiful. She smiled sadly at him, but he heard Dark Sirius hiss in anger. “Don’t listen to her!” he shouted, and broke She-Sirius’ spell on him. The shadow pegasus towered over him. “Your Mother has abused you your entire life! She would rather kill you than admit she loved you!”

She-Sirius protested, her voice feminine and smooth. “Your Mother is not a bad mare! She has had a rough life, full of trauma and pain, and has succumbed to the wiles of drugs and alcohol. Deep down, she didn’t really want to kill you, she just wanted the drugs! The drugs have warped her mind, so she doesn’t think of the consequences of her actions. Your Mother has a serious medical condition that has impaired her judgment, give her a break!”

It was then Sirius saw it. Dark Sirius and She-Sirius were different aspects of his own mind. Dark Sirius was his logic, his rationale. She-Sirius was his emotions, his compassion. His heart was broken, but it was still there. She-Sirius’ ability to speak on the behalf of his emotions proved that.

Dark Sirius spat at her, snorting. “So what if she’s a drug addict? So what if she’s an alcoholic? That’s no excuse to abuse your own son! That’s no excuse to cut him off from your love and treat him like an outcast!” Sirius felt a flare of anger. The shadow pegasus grabbed his hoof and slid it across Mother’s belly. A large gash surfaced and streaks of red flooded out. Sirius smiled in satisfaction. “Sweet retribution,” Dark Sirius and he said at the same time.

She-Sirius screamed, begging for him to stop. “Sirius! You are better than this!” She leaned over the table and touched his head. The image of Mother and him embracing was forced into his mind. Sirius grunted, resisting her influence. “Give her another chance! She was wrong to hurt you, but two wrongs don’t make a right!” Sirius blinked, understanding. “She has a broken heart. You must use the Love Potion to heal it, and you will see how she will let you in! That fantasy can still be a reality!”

Sirius felt like his eyes had been opened. He now saw the specter’s clawed hand gripping his hoof. He became aware of how it was trying to force his hoof down, wanting Sirius to gut his own mother. He was horrified, and saw the shade behind him.

She-Sirius yelled at him. “Don’t look at it!” He immediately faced her, shocked and scared. “That entity is a manifestation of your hate! It has warped your reasoning, and it will consume you if you’re not careful!”

Sirius groaned, and it felt as if a heavy weight had been put on his back. He realized that the hate entity was leaning on Sirius, forcing him down. “Help me,” he groaned.

“Look at me, Sirius.” She-Sirius took his hoof, kissing it. “You alone can make this go away. No one else. Let go of your hate, for it is the true infection eating your heart. Not your Mother, not Persei, not anyone.” She-Sirius drew near, and he could feel her warm breath against his muzzle. “Let it go, my beloved. Forgive her, and you will find the weight removed.” Sirius groaned, feeling like his spine would snap. He was distracted by her lips brushing against his, and he felt the warmth of healing inside. “Let the past make you better, not bitter.” She whispered. “Hate has no place in the heart of a noble stallion such as you.”

Sirius looked over at Dark Sirius, who regarded him sadly. “She has made her case, and so have I. Make your choice.” The shadow pegasus gesture at the female version of himself. “Mercy?” Dark Sirius puffed out his chest and stood tall. “Or justice?”

Sirius could feel the heavy weight of the hate entity shrouding him, but he knew if he embraced it, it could raise him up. It could drive him to become more powerful. But if he did, he would lose some part of himself. While hate was strengthened, its counteracting force, love, would be diminished. Will it truly consume me?

He knew that every terrible villain stood right here at a junction like this. Every drug addict started out with his first dose. Every mass murderer began with the first victim. Every suicide committed started with the first depressed thought.

Would killing Mother lead him down a path he couldn’t turn back from?

Evil has an addictive quality to it. It would pull him in, and each subsequent evil action would increase his tolerance for it, and soon it would become easy. He wouldn’t think twice of it. Exactly like a drug addict, his doses would steadily increase, until the fateful day where he was so far gone that he overdosed. Wickedness worked the same way.

It felt good until you crashed. Until you realized that you are truly alone, and everyone has fled from you. By then, your life is ruined, and it’ll be too late.

Sirius put down the scalpel gently. He had made up his mind. She-Sirius smiled, knowing who the victor was. Sirius was happy, and it really did feel like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He leaned over the operating table and kissed his mother’s cheek, and whispered in her ear. “I forgive you.”

Mother stared at him, mute. There was a shrill scream over the intercom, and sirens started going off. They all looked around as metal doors came down over the airtight doors, sealing the exits, the biohazard symbol glaring at them. Dark Sirius howled. “The emergency quarantine protocols! We have to get out of here!”

Dark Sirius ripped Mother’s operating table from the mount and carried it on his back. “Let’s go!” Sirius and the embodiment of his rationale charged the doors. Sirius banged on the metal doors to no avail. “It’s no use!” they both cried at the same time.

Female Sirius was cowering in the corner of the room, trembling, too frightened to move. The glass of the observation room shattered, and all the medical equipment began to short circuit and catch on fire. The mysterious mare jumped down from the observation room, and slammed down onto the ground, sending broken white linoleum tiles flying in the air. “You will not leave here until that mare is dead!” she screamed.

“Bite me!” Sirius called.

Black iron shackles forged from the plumbing below, ripped through the floor and ensnared Sirius and held him aloft. He was screaming, the world spinning around upside down as the magical shackles swung him around. “Hold on, Sirius!” Dark Sirius called, and took wing. He deftly dodged the chains, and flew towards him. Their hooves touched, and a beam of red energy knocked his shadow-self out of the sky.

Dark Sirius crashed into the wall and tumbled to the ground. The chains were upon him then, and pinned him to the floor. Sirius tried to struggle in his chains, but he knew that he was trapped. He saw Mother’s operating table thrown to the side, and Sirius cringed as it shattered against the wall. Mother lay there in the debris of the table, unmoving.

The observer mare cast off her hood, and Sirius stared in shock. The ruby eyes, the bright pelt, it was Ember. “Initiate Sirius, I see that you still resist. Your manifestation of hate was offering you an unlimited supply of power, but you turned it down because you feared that you would lose yourself.”

Sirius remained suspended, his wings pinned to his body. Dark Sirius was covered in chains, being crushed. There was a cry of pain, but it was from neither of them. Ember looked at She-Sirius, who was picking out jagged pieces of glass from her wings. She had Mother wrapped in her forelegs, and was trying to carry her up into the observation room. But she was too injured, and crashed against the wall every time. Like an injured sparrow, she couldn’t truly take flight. The blood spatters on the walls suggested that she had tried ascending dozens of times.

Ember looked at the two injured mares, and grinned maliciously. She looked back at Sirius. “To join the Night Terrors, a pony must submit himself to whatever changes his instructor wishes to administer.”

Ember turned to the two trembling mares in the corner of the room, and Sirius struggled in his chains. “Leave them alone!” he shouted. “Don’t you dare touch my mother!”

“I’m doing this for your own good!” she responded. “You will be removed of this parasite, so I will be free to craft you into a form Nightmare Moon can use!”

She-Sirius and Mother were huddled together in the corner, hooves wrapped around each other, eyes lit with terror as Ember approached them. Sirius watched in horror, and begged her to stop. “Please! She’s my mother! Please….”

Ember flashed him a wolfish grin. “Oh, I’m not going to touch your mother.”

What? Sirius thought. Ember flicked her hooves, and a long serrated blade slid out from the sheath strapped to her hoof. With a single motion, Ember drove the blade into She-Sirius’ chest. Sirius, Mother, and Dark Sirius stared in terror as Ember raised the impaled mare into the air. Blood dripped from her muzzle, and she twitched a few times before going still.

Ember slung She-Sirius’ corpse off her blade, and she hit the wall with a sick thud.

It struck Sirius like a searing knife then. The chains released him, and he writhed in agony on the floor. Dark Sirius and he were screaming in unison. “No! No! NO!”

Sirius mind felt like it had been torn apart. A vital part of his being had been destroyed. He lay on the ground, and he felt all semblance of emotion drain away from him. All the conflicted feelings: his budding sense of belonging, all the love he had ever known, his happiness, his grief, everything was bleeding out of him.

Dark Sirius was howling in agony, clutching his head, and wrapping his head in his wings. There was a moment of complete disembodiment, an echoing empty feeling that sapped Sirius’ very desire to live. Sirius felt a sharp stab of pain, and something snapped.

His forebrain had been dealt a devastating blow, and his hindbrain moved to fill the gap. Animal urges, sick and feral rose up within him. Is this what going insane feels like?

He writhed, arching his back up, spreading his wings out. He snarled and snapped, everything that made a pony a pony was now gone. A cold calm swept over him, sedating him. He grew still and slowly stood up. His heart was empty, his mind indifferent. He trotted to the center of the room.

The scent of blood filled his nostrils. What’s happened to me? A thought came to him, but it felt so distant that it was barely audible. Ember was watching him in satisfaction, and he wanted to do such terrible things to her that it filled every fiber of his being. She must have noticed, because her smug grin changed into one of fear.

Sirius trotted towards her, and changed his mind. He would learn her weaknesses, and make her suffer until she begged him to take her life. He would not take this assault on his psyche without some retaliation.

Sirius grinned at her, and Ember seemed to be relieved. “It’s been a pleasure,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I will repay you for this tenfold one day.”

Ember blinked. She wasn’t sure if this was a threat or not, but she dismissed it. “You have so much potential as a Night Terror. I’ve never seen a pony convince himself not to take the life of a hated enemy.”

He would let Ember live for now, but he had another pony to deal with right now.

Sirius looked at Mother still cowering in the corner. He trotted towards her, and on his way there, his hoof hit something. A power drill made for boring through bone lay on the ground. He picked it up, and pulled the trigger. The bit began to spin around rapidly, making a whirring sound.

Sirius looked at Mother then, and she began to weep. Sirius approached her, and she was trying to drag herself away from him. Her fore-hooves trembled, the drugs still impairing her movements. Sirius slammed his hoof down on her back, pinning her to the ground. He pressed down on the drill’s trigger, and Mother screamed.

The sounds of her struggle were delightful. He began to lower the drill, and he realized that he was grinning. Sirius wasn’t doing this because he hated her, or for vengeance, not even for Ember’s test. He was doing it because he enjoyed it.

He dug his knees into her back, and wrapped his hooved around her midsection, bending her back so she could face him. Sirius wanted her to see it coming. He bit down on the drill bit, putting serrations into the metal. She stared at him in terror, and he pushed the trigger on the drill again.

Sirius brandished the spinning drill bit right in front of her eyes, listening to her whimper. He drove it right into her right eye. She convulsed as the serrations he had put on the bit ripped her retina apart, white foam and blood began to spurt out as he continued to drill. She opened her mouth to let out a screech, and Sirius shoved his hoof in her mouth.

Seeing new potential, he threw the bloody drill aside, and began to pry open her mouth with both his hooves. She groaned in pain as he continued to pry, hyperextending her jaw. With an abrupt jerk of his hooves, there was a loud snap, and her jaw was torn off. Well, that was amusing.

Sirius picked up a piece of broken linoleum at his feet. It was in a long and jagged shape, and with two quick stabs, he punctured her lungs. Blood started to well up within them, and she began to choke. Sirius had to let her down so the blood could drain out of her half-missing muzzle.

Ember had drawn close to him to watch. Time to pull out the big guns.

He stood up, and grabbed her hind-hooves. He completely flipped her upside down. There was already a gash on her belly, and he just had to dig a little deeper to get what he wanted. Mother was moaning, and he stomped on her head. There was a sick crunch and she went silent. He wiped the blood off the bottom of his hooves and returned to his area of focus.

He saw her stomach pouch as he dug, and he smiled. He cut the whole thing open, and watched all its contents rush into her blood. Acids, half digested food, it created an ugly brown ooze that burned all her internal organs as it rushed down.

Sirius could just wait and let the acids liquefy her internal organs, but he needed to put on a show for Ember. The ooze, blood, and liquefied portions of her internal organs poured out of her muzzle. A puddle was forming at his feet. This is a lot of fun.

Sirius looked around the wrecked hospital room. There was so much potential here. He dragged Mother behind him as he trotted around. He looked back, and he saw a dark red streak of gore was trailing behind him. There were actually big red clumps in the blood trail. Cool.

She wouldn’t last much longer. She had lost a lot of blood. What do doctors usually do when a patient is dying?

Defibrillators.

There were plenty of live electrical wires in here. Sirius saw a machine with a severed power cord, and grinned. He dragged Mother over to one of the machines, and pinned down the thrashing cord. White sparks fizzled out of the live wire, and he drove it into the gash on her stomach. The sudden burst of electricity caused her to explode, and he was spattered in blood and gore.

Ember began to applaud him, and he wiped the gore from his eyes. He looked over the ruins of Mother’s body. There was only a smoking husk left. The deed was done. He expected to feel something: remorse, pity, regret, but he felt nothing. Just clarity, and a spark of triumph.

Mother’s single dead eye stared at him, and somewhere, She-Sirius was watching him as well. Ember clapped him on the back, and Sirius smiled viciously.

Chapter 9: Into the Forest

Mother simply wouldn’t wake. They had all taken turns shaking her, yelling into her ears, but she didn’t even respond. They had pricked her with needles, dunked her head in ice water, shocked her with an electrical current, and had even simulated suffocation, but still she slept.

Was this some kind of effect of the detox? As the hours passed, Persei grew more uncertain. Was she in some kind of coma?

They had all given up, sleepy and exhausted from the day’s trials and tribulations. They would try again in the morning.

Persei had considered sneaking off into the forest to find Mother’s pills, but what if Mother’s coma wasn’t related to the drugs at all? Mother worked with all sorts of medications, maybe she had ingested some potent drug by accident. Persei sighed, knowing she was just flat out guessing now.

Is this my fault? Persei thought. What if Mother never wakes up?

Persei looked around to distract herself. These thoughts would kill her.

The outside world had darkened into a black void, and the four ponies huddled inside the small hovel. Cepheus rested, his burns iced and bandaged. He groaned in pain every now and then, and Candle kissed him softly and held him in her hooves. Persei looked away every time she showed him affection.

Apparently Cepheus had shielded her with his body. She caught Candle looking at him with that soft glow in her brown eyes. It was the look of absolute adoration. Persei looked away.

She hated to admit it, but she was feeling jealous of the intimate bond forged between the two ponies. They had helped each other survive a traumatic event, and they would always share a special connection now. Persei would have snorted if she weren’t feeling so bad.

Her eyes caught the strange mare as she surveyed her surroundings. The pony who called herself “Ultra Violet” lay next to the window, staring out into the darkness warily every now and then.

Persei was very uncomfortable about having her here. Violet was obviously a very powerful unicorn to manage the spell that had resulted in her crash landing. Another thing that Persei noticed was that she was very physically fit for a unicorn. Such a level of fitness was very uncommon for unicorns, since they relied more on their intellect and magic for their lifestyle.

And her mane was so odd. It was gently swaying, as if it were an actual flame. Or was moving in accordance to some unseen breeze.

The same questions haunted Persei again. Who was she? Why was she here?

She had asked Violet those questions, but she said she would talk after she had rested. Violet insisted that she needed sleep, but wasn’t doing so at all. She just kept looking out the window, expecting someone to show up at any moment.

Persei didn’t trust her. She was a new variable in her life, and was claiming that the Night Guard was coming to destroy their village. What if they were actually after her? Maybe it’s her that they’re hunting? Well, now she had led them to their village. That is, if Persei could even believe if the Night Guard was actually coming.

Persei stared at the lilac maned unicorn. She could be a criminal, and they were giving her shelter. She was trouble. It was her fault that Cepheus was burned. She had to go.

She stood up, and Violet looked at her. They held each other’s eyes. Violet had sensed that Persei didn’t want her here, but she couldn’t leave in her injured state. Candle sensed the tension between the two mares and left Cepheus’ side. Persei approached the mare, and Violet rose up nervously. As Persei trotted, her hoof hit something.

There was a clattering sound, and she realized that they were Mother’s pills. Candle gasped. “Are those the pills your mother is addicted to?” she asked.

Persei stared at her incredulously. “How did you know that?”

Candle sighed. “Cepheus told me. He said that she almost killed your brother over them.”

“Yeah,” Persei sighed. “She’s been on them for a long time. It’s how she deals with the pain.”

Candle looked at the bottle on the floor. “Cepheus never said, but exactly what kind of drugs are those? Anti-depressants like Valium? Or maybe pain killers like Oxycodone?” Persei looked at her confused, and Candle sighed. “My father was a drug addict too. He cycled through all of those until he became hooked to the hard stuff.”

“I honestly don’t know,” Persei answered with a tone of defeat in her voice. “She makes the pills herself, so I have no way of knowing.”

It was sad that Persei didn’t know what her mother was addicted to.

Mother groaned in pain, and began to thrash again. Persei moved to restrain her. “It doesn’t matter anymore, she’s detoxing.”

“What?” A voice whispered softly. Cepheus had awoken and was looking at Persei. “What do you mean she’s detoxing?” he said in a rough voice, his eyes clouded with pain.

Persei lowered her eyes. So much had been happening that she had forgotten to tell him. “When Mother and Sirius were fighting, I replaced her pill bottle with a placebo.”

Cepheus seemed hurt. “Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you had given up.”

Persei felt bad for not telling him. He had every right to know.

“Wait,” Candle said. Brother and sister stared at her. “I’m sorry, but where are the original pills?”

Ultra Violet had moved closer to Mother and was examining her. Persei shrugged. “I got rid of them.”

Candle’s eyes went wide. “No wonder she isn’t waking up. You’re supposed to wean her off the pills, not make her go cold turkey. No wonder the withdrawal symptoms are so intense. Believe me, I made the same mistake with my father. I almost killed him.”

Cepheus glared at Persei, and suddenly she felt like such a fool. She should have consulted with her brother before taking action on her own.

Ultra Violet gasped, and everyone looked at her. She was using her hornlight to examine Mother’s eyes, and Persei moved closer to look. Her pupils were flicking back and forth constantly. The lilac maned mare sighed, “She’s in REM sleep. She’s dreaming. Ponies suffering the shock from withdrawal don’t enter REM sleep.”

Ultra Violet looked up at Persei, her eyes dead serious. “I need to know what those pills were.”

Persei shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“What did they look like?” she asked.

“They were red, and…”

“Cylindrical?” Violet cut in. With a purple stripe?”

Persei stared at her. “Yes, just like that.”

Ultra Violet was suddenly frightened. “That is a drug called Nightlock. Completely non-addictive, it’s only purpose is to prevent a pony from dreaming.” Violet gestured to the wine rack mounted on the wall. “You know what else prevents a pony from dreaming? Alcohol.”

“What does this mean then?” Candle asked. “Maybe she had nightmares.”

Ultra Violet shook her head. “Pack your things up. Your mother wasn’t an alcoholic or a drug addict. She was taking precautions.”

“Precautions against what?” Cepheus asked.

Mother groaned, and began to bleed from all her orifices. She thrashed around fiercely, screaming in pain. Ultra Violet looked terrified. “Against the Night Terrors! You’re only vulnerable to their influence when you’re dreaming! They’ve gotten her!”

Persei was frozen with fear. “How?! How did they find her?!”

Ultra Violet had grabbed a bag and was emptying their food cabinets into it. The unicorn shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m assuming your Mother has a history with Nightmare Moon, and was hiding out here. She doesn’t have a chance if we don’t find some way to wake her up.”

Mother began choking on her own blood, and was writhing in anguish. “Please stop…” she muttered. “Sirius, please.”

The last part had been barely audible, but had she said Sirius? Persei thought. She flared with anger. Had Sirius ratted them out? Persei shook her head. No, he wouldn’t do that. He may be dumb, but he’s not cruel.

Violet shook her, and Persei was shocked. “We have to get out of here!” she said. “You can explain to me what your mother did to piss off Nightmare Moon so badly on our way out!” Violet shook her head. “The Night Guard will tear this village apart looking for her, and will probably kill or detain anyone associated with her.”

Candle leapt forward. “My family! I can’t leave without them!”

“There’s no time,” Violet said. “We have to put as much distance between us and the Night Guard as possible. They’ve probably got pegasi with them, so we’ll have to set out into the forest so we can have cover. I come from a camp across the mountains, we’ll head back there.”

Cepheus groaned. “Mountains? What mountains?”

“It’s unchartered territory, outside of Nightmare Moon’s domain. The camp is about a ten day walk, a two day flight. We’re badly outmatched when it comes to speed.”

Candle was panicking, and Persei couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What kind of camp? Why do you even trust us?”

“Hey,” Violet said, looking at her. “An enemy of Nightmare Moon is a friend of mine.” Violet slung the bag over her barrel. “The camp is my home, and is the safest place in Equestria for political refugees like your Mother. She’ll fit right in.” Violet gestured at Mother. “She must be a high value asset for Nightmare Moon to send both the Night Guard and the Night Terrors after her. She has my full respect for that.”

Persei shook her head. “How do you even know that they’re coming after her? The fringe colonies are full of fugitives she could be looking for!”

Violet sighed in frustration. “Just trust me. I’ve been monitoring Nightmare Moon’s operations in this region, and now I realize that her forces are going to converge on this village. We have to get out of here, and take your Mother back to camp. I know somepony there who may be able to help your mother wake up.”

Persei was reluctant, but she was willing to take any risk to make Mother better again. She nodded. “Alright, but how are we going to carry both Cepheus and Mother there?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Cepheus said, his hooves trembling as he stood up. He groaned in pain, and Candle moved to help him. He put his wing around her for support. “I can still trot.”

Violet used her magic to levitate Mother, spots of blood dripping down from her bleeds. “All right, we head into the forest. We go west until we hit the mountains.” She went outside, and Persei followed.

Candle spoke out when they got outside. “We can’t go just yet! We have to warn the townspeople of the Night Guard raid!” Candle whispered in desperation. “I have to get my family.”

“There’s no time,” Violet persisted. “Our first priority is to get this mare away from here. We cannot engage the Night Guard. We have to get out of here.”

Candle shook her head, and ground her hooves in the dirt. “It may be nothing to you, but this is our home!” Cepheus nodded, barely conscious. “I’m not going to desert my friends and family, we have to at least warn them.”

“Then you will have to warn them alone,” Violet dismissed her. “Good luck.”

Violet lit her hornlight, illuminating a spot of visibility in the darkness around them. She turned around and trotted towards the brush. Persei stared at Candle, she looked devastated. “Give Cepheus here, I’ll carry him.”

There were tears in her eyes, but she helped him over. Cepheus grunted in pain, and managed to stand on his own. “Go without me,” he groaned to Persei. “I’ll just slow you down.” He trotted unsteadily over to Candle, standing at her side. “I’m staying with Candle.” Candle looked at him, and got that glowing look in her eyes again.

Persei couldn’t leave her brother behind. “Cepheus, please be rational. You could die if you stay here!”

Cepheus shook his head. “That’s a chance I’ll have to take. Candle and I will warn the villagers of the Night Guard, and evacuate. Hopefully we’ll all be able to meet you at the mountains.” Cepheus lowered his gaze, almost leering at her. “You go with Violet. You have to get Mother to safety. I’ll be fine, because you know that Nightmare Moon prefers fillies over colts.”

Persei blinked. “Cepheus, this is no time to play hero! Come with us, please.”

“Nightmare Moon prefers fillies over colts, now go!”

What did that even mean!? Persei had tears in her eyes, but she knew her brother would not budge. “Alright, Cepheus. You have to survive. I might have lost Mother, and I can’t lose you too! We’ll be looking for all of you at the mountains.”

Cepheus nodded. “Farewell, sister. Be safe, and protect Mother.”

Violet whinnied, impatient. “Come, Persei! Into the forest we go!”

Persei turned away, and galloped away. She looked back one last time, seeing Cepheus and Candle standing together in front of the hovel. This could possibly be the last time she saw her home and her brother.

“You may be fine,” Persei whispered to herself as she caught up with Violet. “You may be fine without me, but I need you. You’re the only one in this world that I trust.”

“You heroic idiot,” she whispered. “I’m going to be very cross with you if you die.”

Please be safe, Cepheus.

Persei parted the brush, stepping into the foliage. Violet’s hornlight glimmered up ahead, a soft magical aura that bathed the surrounding forest with purple light.

What had Cepheus meant when he said that Nightmare Moon likes fillies? Persei thought it over as they drew deeper into the forest. Her mind wandered, wondering what her future held.

Little did Persei know, that by following Violet into the forest, she had unwittingly become part of a much bigger chain of events that would change the fate of Equestria forever.

Author's Notes:

I actually had to rewrite this chapter twice. Tell me if I missed anything.

Feedback/Discussion is encouraged

Chapter 10: The Stallion Behind the Mirror

Perhaps the greatest faculty our minds possess is the ability to cope with pain. When we are damaged, the brain can even go as far as distorting reality to protect itself from further harm. Well, at least our perception of it.

Philosophy and early speculations of psychology show us that there are Four Doors of Pain. Four defense mechanisms where the damaged mind retreats within itself; to seek refuge from the world which has hurt it so.

First is the door of sleep. Sleep offers us an escape from the world and all of its pains. Sleep marks the passing of time, and with time, most things may heal. When a person is wounded, they often fall unconscious. Same goes with emotional damage as well as physical. That’s why people often swoon or faint when hearing traumatic news. This is the first door in which our minds step through to ensure its wellbeing and recovery.

The second door is forgetting. Some wounds are too deep to heal, or too deep to heal quickly. Memories can be too painful to bear, and no amount of time can heal it. So it is submerged in our conscience, hidden behind this door. Victims of disasters often do not remember what took place, despite witnessing the whole chain of events. Thus, illustrating the mind’s ability to simply forget that which has hurt it.

The third door is insanity. There are often times where the mind is dealt such a blow, that the brain’s perception of reality itself will become warped and distorted. Restated, this occurs in instances where the world offers nothing but heartwrenching sorrow, and to escape the pain the mind reinvents reality or simply leaves it behind. This is the second most effective way that a damaged mind can distance itself from this world.

The fourth and last door is death. The final refuge. Nothing can hurt as after we are dead, or so we are told.

Sirius coughed, his tongue pushing out the remaining chunks of half digested food. He groaned as he awoke, his bed stinking of stale vomit.

He wiped the pale yellow reside off with his hoof, spitting out the bitter aftertaste. There was a sticky, burning sensation in his esophagus from the acidity of his vomit.

Sirius groaned in pain, beset by a splintering headache. He shifted from his bed, feeling the call of nature. As he slid out of the soiled sheets, he realized that the pony leaving this bed was entirely different from the pony who had first climbed in and dozed off a few hours ago.

He stumbled to the bathroom, and as he made his way to the toilet, he turned on the faucets in his sauna. He stood over the porcelain toilet and sighed in relief, enjoying the pleasant sensation after one evacuates his bladder.

Sirius knew he should be rattled, damaged, disturbed from what he had encountered in his dream, but he only felt calm. Everything seemed relative, as if nothing seemed to matter as much as it did before. He felt like there was a shroud around him, insulating him from reality.

Sirius found himself laughing hysterically. His predicament was just so amusing. Parents always told their foals that they were just nightmares, that they were just dreams. They can’t hurt you. Sirius simmered down, still chuckling. How wrong were those ponies.

The pegasus began humming to himself. He watched the water fill up the sauna, watching the water bubble and accumulate foam.

The bathroom soon started to smell like the soap they scrubbed the floors of fancy hotels with. It smelled like the beach, but with less of the briny scent of the sea. It was a cool, refreshing scent.

Water soon started to spill over the edges of the sauna, wetting his hooves. He didn’t even notice. There was such a stillness within him. He had never been so…so at peace before. It felt as if he were aloft on some cloud, nothing could hurt him from his high vantage point.

But as time passed, frothy water began to flood the floor, and he became discontent. This wasn’t just a stillness, this was death. He was in a calm void that was punctuated by occasional outbursts of irrational laughter. But there was no real happiness behind those noises issuing from his throat. It was a strange manifestation of some chemical imbalance in his brain, nothing more.

Sirius drove his head into the water. There was that rushing sound as he stayed submerged. He opened his eyes, and felt the wet pressure against his eyeballs. Little bubbles of air rushed up from his nostrils, making blooping sounds as they surfaced. He closed his eyes, resting. Soon, his lungs began to burn. He ignored it. He longed to feel something, to break the calm shroud surrounding him.

Sirius felt dizzy and whipped his head out of the water. He gasped for breath, collapsing on the floor. As he lay there, he saw the mirror on his bathroom counter.

Sirius struggled to his feet and looked himself over. Everything looked the same as it had before, but there was one major difference: his eyes. There had been a light in his blue eyes, but now there was some kind of dark hysteria. It unnerved him.

Sirius suddenly felt surreal as he gazed at his reflection. It was the feeling you get after opening up a yearbook from your freshman year at high school. You’re a senior now getting ready to graduate, and you want to look at how far you’ve come in those four short years. You look over your portrait, and you can tell that you’re a completely different person now. You wonder to yourself, “Would my fourteen year old self be pleased with my eighteen year old self? Do I like the person I’ve become?”

Perhaps most ponies didn’t think so deeply, but some ponies were nostalgia junkies. Sirius realized as he stared in his reflection, that he both loved and hated the pony he had become. Despite the sacrifices he had made, the pain he had endured, he now felt raw power coursing through his veins. Sirius was the apex predator of Equestria, the top of the food chain. He could kill without regret or guilt, he no longer had any restraints. And that was power. He was actually somepony now. But he had lost something in the process, and he could feel the emptiness gnawing at him.

Ember may have left a hole where his heart was, but perhaps he could still fill it. The same sick urges that had driven him to kill mother resurfaced, maybe…maybe he could do it again. He had access to a whole populace of sleeping ponies. A whole city of potential victims he could torment and maybe even kill. Yes, that sounds fun.

Sirius looked at himself in the mirror again. “Do I like who I have become? Would my foal-self be proud to know that this was his future?”

Why am I brooding like this? Let’s go give somepony a terrible nightmare!

Sirius didn’t know who he was anymore. On impulse, he struck the mirror. The glass shattered. Broken shards of glass fell around him, and he saw a lot of crimson on his hooves.

He felt empty, save for the endorphins released by his wounds giving him a small high. It’s not that he didn’t care, but he felt nothing! His calm shroud could not be penetrated.

Sirius felt a tear in his eye. He looked at the mess of broken glass around him.

His eyes caught what appeared to be an indent in the wall behind the glass. It looked like somepony had carved out a shelf in the wall, and then had put the mirror over it.

Sirius put his hooves on the bathroom counter, sliding the pieces of glass onto the floor. He climbed up and looked at the strange items on the hidden shelf. There was a leather bound journal, a golden ring with the name “To the love of my life, Amberleaf” inscribed into the metal, and a few scraps of paper covered with words in crimson ink.

He picked up the ring first, looking it over. It was simple in design, obviously a wedding band made for a mare’s hoof.

He took up the leather bound journal then. The pages were yellowed with age, and the ink fading. This probably had been stowed away here for a very long time. Who left this stuff here?

Sirius shut off the water, avoiding the broken glass on the floor. It was a big mess in here, but that wasn’t his problem. He carried all the objects to his bed, but gagged as the scent of the old vomit assailed him.

Sirius held his breath and retreated into his walk-in closet. He slammed the door shut in the empty white room. Racks for shoes and clothes were mounted on the walls, along with built in drawers and clothes hangers. The pegasus sat down on his haunches beside an armor stand. He opened up the journal, and sneezed from the cloud of dust that was released.

Wiping his snoot with his hoof, he began reading the first journal entry. It was written in a particularly meticulous fashion, becoming of a very neat stallion. Dated from a year before Sirius’ birth, almost seventeen years ago, he began reading.

I weep as I write this. I have no one else to talk to, so I must rely on this journal for emotional release. Now, I must confess. My fellow Night Terrors and I have done terrible, terrible things for Nightmare Moon….

Sirius gasped. The stallion who wrote this had been a Night Terror as well.

I can make up a thousand excuses for my behavior, but I won’t. I must take full responsibility for my actions. I am the monster who has finally seen his own reflection. I see my sins etched into the hard creases of my face, I have beheld the ocean of atrocities I have committed dammed up behind my eyes, and I cannot hold it in any longer. I am….

Sirius couldn’t read the next part. The stallion’s name had been marked out with several slashes of his quill. It continued like this:

… the terrifying leader of the crusade against the Dayborn. I thought I was at the top. I thought I was invincible. I didn’t even feel guilt, or remorse, I was completely beyond reproach. I was lost. I was my Empress’ favorite, and had spent many nights in her bed. It was known that I was her lover, but I had not known that I was the only one.

I realize my beloved is just as lost as I am, and is leading others astray just as I am. Again, I take full responsibility for both my Empress’ actions and my own, for we always acted in collaboration.

Nightmare Moon and I perfected a method of breaking the wills of our Night Terror initiates. It’s how she and I turned all those who worked for her into murderous psychopaths like us. The Empress saw to it that the practice becomes routine protocol for our instructors.

When a pony dreams, his psyche is vulnerable, his subconscious thought processes bare and exposed. An instructor with the more powerful dreamwalking ability can easily dominate the mind of the initiate, and can craft those latent subconscious thoughts to align to Nightmare Moon’s desires. It is said that the subconscious, the id, is the greatest contributor to a pony’s decision making processes. Influencing the id, or even reconstructing its motives, can achieve total control of the initiate’s mind.

Though there are exceptions.

Sirius swallowed. Having just gone through the process this stallion had developed, he could not help but feel a sense of loathing admiration towards him.

The id is the base animal desires that seek immediate gratification, and it is in contrast to the superego. It is that entity of psychic energy that poses a problem for our instructors.

For almost all ponies, the superego is weaker. It is the higher thought processes: honor, kindness, courage, the like. Most of our initiates are degenerate, animalistic creatures so the superego is almost nonexistent. But there are a few who have strong superegos, the “good” ponies with “bright” hearts.

These ponies with strong superegos have the biggest potential for dreamwalking, but would always hesitate when aligning their desires with our Empress’. That hesitation creates the seed for disloyalty, and it must be destroyed to access all that raw potential.

Where there is capacity for good, there is an equally proportionate capacity for evil. It was just a matter of breaking a pony’s superego to access that wickedness. We must reverse engineer psychological entities such as love, kindness, loyalty, through their opposites. Once their virtues become vices, then the superego will succumb to the id.

Sirius shivered. He didn’t quite understand. What had Ember done to him? She had directly attacked his superego. He had let go of his hate entity and had forgiven his mother, then why had she been able to do that?

Had Ember truly converted him into a psychopath? What if She-Sirius was still alive in him somewhere? He continued reading.

I developed this process, and its first victim had been me. I realized that the more troubled a pony was, the more effective this method of conquering his superego was. That is what led to my fiancée’s death. I killed her. She was the love of my life, and I was convinced at the time that hate was stronger than love…My lovely Amberleaf had been the first true casualty of my madness.

I miss her so much. Her removal allowed the floodgates holding back my hate to burst open. I thought it would make me more powerful, and I did terrible things as a result because I believed I was more powerful. But I was wrong. Love is the stronger of the two. It was just that I did not believe it to be so. I sacrificed all my love to gain hate, convinced that it was the only way to attain true power. I was so wrong.

As I lay in Nightmare Moon’s bed last night, having sated her and enjoying the afterglow, I saw something in her. I saw a reflection of myself in her. I was lost and broken, just like her.

I could rut with her for the rest of eternity, and I could, for I had been granted immortality, but it would never truly sate me. Sex is as physical as emotional, and I realized that the acts of lust I performed on her were hollow gestures. I had been trying so hard to fill that hole in my heart where love used to be, but lust is a poor substitute….

I’m just going in circles now. I am so lonely….

- The Stallion Behind the Mirror

Sirius wanted to sit down and digest what he had just learned, but he heard an impatient knock at his door.

Angered at the disturbance, he stormed to his door. Who is the Stallion Behind the Mirror? He thought to himself. Is he still around?

Sirius opened the apartment door and saw Ember and Darkheart standing there. He swallowed his anger, letting his calm shroud act as armor against them.

Ember grinned wolfishly. “Come now, Initiate Sirius. Your first lesson in Night Terror training awaits in the city.”

Author's Notes:

Sorry about that confusion a little while ago. I had mislabeled my chapter numbers on the original MW manuscript.

Alright, there's going to be lots of ponies reevaluating their personal philosophies in the next few chapters. Like Sirius is having a bit of an identity crisis here after his initiation.

Feedback/Discussion is encouraged.

Chapter 11: Leaving it All Behind

Cepheus mind was lit with agony, yet he still charged forth. His second degree burns screamed for him to stop galloping, but this village’s fate could depend on his haste.

Candle and he were following cobblestone paths in the dark of the night, having only their lantern lights to guide them. The glass lantern swung precariously from his muzzle, the illumination burning away the veil of darkness in an arc before them. The ominous projection of the light revealed the winding, weed stricken cobblestone path they tread on.

All Cepheus could hear was the pounding of his hooves on the path, his gasps for breath, and the sound of his frenzied heartbeat. They were going from hovel to hovel, pounding their hooves on the doors, waking the residents and warning them of the impending Night Guard raid. Some ponies rushed to warn family and friends, most began to hurriedly pack their things.

If all these ponies hadn’t known Cepheus and Candle as honest ponies, he doubted that any of them would have listened.

Cepheus and Candle galloped through the darkness to the next hovel, having only their memories of the village and the spot of light before them for guidance.

There were about fifty ponies in this village, and Cepehus had told each pony he had visited to meet at Candle’s hovel in the heart of the village once they were ready to travel. Cepheus looked up at the horizon. Once first light came, they would leave whether everyone was accounted for or not.

After pounding on the doors of a dozen more hovels, they could hear voices in the night. The villagers were moving about, checking on friends and family, and Cepheus could see their lanterns as tiny, moving flecks of light in the inky void.

Cepheus grunted in satisfaction. It was finally time to go to Candle’s house and help her collect her family and belongings.

This would be the first time visiting his mare-friend’s residence. He wondered how her living conditions were. Cepheus also wondered what her family would be like.

They arrived at the heart of the village, the densest cluster of hovels. This was the ideal place for a meeting. Even the farthest hut was relatively equidistant to all the other outlying hovels on the outer fringes of the village. Cepheus felt a spark of satisfaction, finding the logistics of their plan to be firm.

Rushing through, they found all the hovels lit up already. The lanterns which hung from the trees cast their flickering light as they swayed in the breeze. Soon, Candle led him to a particularly shabby looking shanty.

The windows were all roughly patched up with tattered cloth, there was no chimney which meant no heating during the winter, and it was only big enough to fit two or three adult ponies at the most. The candlemaker’s profession was not a very profitable one.

Candle knocked on the door gently, and called out to her family inside. “Dusty, open the door. It’s me.”

There was a sleepy groan from within, and the door opened. Cepheus stared at the empty doorway for a moment, before the little foal spoke up. “Candle, who is this?”

Cepheus looked down at the sandy-maned colt, and gestured to him. “Candle, is this your brother?”

She nodded, and nuzzled Cepheus as she looked down at her brother. “Dusty, this is my stallion-friend.” The colt didn’t budge, seemingly shocked. “Cepheus, this is my little brother,” she added, gesturing to Dusty. Introductions aside, she stepped over Dusty and went inside. “You two stay out here, I’ll get our things.”

The two just stared at each other. In the lantern’s light, it showed that Dusty was an earth pony just like his sister, and had the beige pelt and brown eyes as well. Cepheus smiled for the colt, but he continued staring, examining him like a foal does when he encounters something strange. Dusty scrunched his nose and asked him in awe, “What happened to your face?”

“I got burned,” Cepheus said. The white pegasus cocked his head, looking down at the dumbstruck colt. “How come I have never seen you before?” Cepheus asked. He knew all the foals of his village, but he had never seen this one. “How old are you?”

Cepheus gasped, the pains of his injuries returning. Dusty shook his head, noticing his suffering. “I am eight years old, and I don’t like to go outside. Maybe that's why.”

What kind of colt his age doesn’t like to go outside?

Candle returned, but this time she had a saddle with two brown sacks strapped to the sides. “Come on, Dusty. Let’s go.”

Dusty nodded, closed the hovel door, and followed her sister. Wait, Cepheus thought. Candle is an orphan?

Cepheus followed at a distant behind them, watching brother and sister interact. The little colt latched onto the sacks on her saddle and had climbed onto her back. He curled up and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

Candle was raising a colt all by herself. Cepheus knew their father had died from an overdose, but what had happened to the mother?

Cepheus’ ears pricked up as he heard the worried voices of many ponies talking, and they saw a crowd standing before Chicken Noodle’s house. Everypony had made it, and had their luggage in tow behind them. They all looked sleepy, but anxiety kept them from nodding off. Candle, Dusty, and Cepheus joined them.

They had made good time. It had been perhaps two hours since Persei and Ultra Violet had gone into the forest. Soon, all these ponies would join them in the forest. Hopefully they had enough supplies to last until they reached Violet’s camp across the mountains.

The villagers all fell silent when they saw Cepheus. They stared at him, looking at his burns in grim fascination. After Cepheus found a rock to stand on, he could address all the ponies here. He stood up, and looked around at everypony.

They were all looking up at him, wanting to know what was going on. He swallowed. “My fellow villagers,” he said. “I had a visitor tonight. She appeared before me, after descending from the heavens in a ball of fire.” The crowd gasped, drinking his every word. “Even from a distance, I could tell she was the most powerful unicorn I have ever seen. She told me that she was fleeing, trying to stay ahead of the Night Guard. She also told me that they were looking for somepony, and were killing and burning everything in their path.” Cepheus paused, looking them all in the eyes. “Now it’s our turn. We are next on their path of destruction.”

Everypony gasped, and began to whisper in fear. He heard cries of disbelief, shock, and terror. “Why are the Night Guard doing this?” a mare said from somewhere. “What have we done to deserve this?”

All the ponies began to murmur, and Chicken Noodle piped up. “What are we going to do? Where are you taking us, Cepheus?”

Everypony looked at him, and Cepheus realized that it was up to him to be the leader here. He flapped his wings, ascending above the trees so all could see him clearly. The brief exertion was terribly painful, and tears came to his eyes. He looked up, not wanting them to see how hurt he was. The first sliver of the moon had appeared on the horizon, and Cepheus saw it in the distance.

In the distance, hidden behind a ridge, he knew there was a village. The moonlight revealed billowing columns of black smoke rising into the sky from there. A massive fire was underway.

He knew he had fallen silent and everypony was waiting for him to speak, but he was held transfixed. There was gust of wind, and he could taste the smoke. The rustling of the leaves ceased for a moment, and all fell silent. He could hear it then, the sound carried by the wind. Not so far away, ponies were screaming.

Terror filled his heart, and he looked down at all the ponies on the ground below. “We must head west!” he announced, keeping the tremor out of his voice. “To the mountains, beyond Nightmare Moon’s realm and out of her reach!”

Cepheus descended, pointing his hoof westward. “We must get across the mountains if we are to survive!”

There were murmurs of uncertainty from below. “No one has ever seen these mountains you speak of.” An elder stallion said. “Nopony has ever explored the territory beyond this village, nopony knows what’s out there.”

“Then we will make the unknown known, and venture into the wilderness!” Cepheus declared. “We have nowhere else to go, into the wilderness we must tread!”

Cepheus swallowed, seeing his words taking effect in their body language. They were right though. Nopony from Nightmare Moon’s realm had ever dared to venture out beyond the fringe villages. What if there was a reason why Nightmare Moon hadn’t expanded her territory in a thousand years? Cepheus looked out towards the forest that stretched out as far as the eyes could see. What could be hiding in the brush?

The ponies below had come to a consensus, and were beginning to pick up their luggage and gather their families. Cepheus flew down and landed besides Candle. She pulled him close and kissed him. Their heads leaned in, and she whispered to him. “Everypony is looking up to you, Cepheus.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I promise I will take good care of them,” he nuzzled her, feeling her warmth against his snoot. “Especially you two.”

Candle drew away from him, seeing all the ponies heading towards the western boundary of the village. She winked at him as she turned away. “I always get a feeling of security when you take charge like this….” He heard another mutter from her as she trotted away. “You would make a great father.”

The way Candle had said it, Cepheus was pretty sure she hadn't intended for him to hear that last bit. He blinked. A father…He had never known what it was like to have a father, so he thought he would be clueless when he became a father himself. But apparently, it was within him all along. Pegasi were especially known to be excellent fathers, they had a protective instinct ingrained within them.

Cepheus swallowed, and decided that he would think this over later. He had to lead these ponies to safety first. The Night Guard was less than a few hours away, he had to make haste.

He stood in front of the wall of foliage. Bushes, tall grass, and rocks lay on the forest floor, while deciduous trees towered forty feet into the sky. The thick canopy of the trees blocked out the moonlight, and Cepheus motioned for everypony to light their lanterns or activate their hornlights.

Cepheus took his the first step into the foliage, and Candle followed him. “Alright!” he called. “Everypony form a double-file line, so we can easily keep track of each other. Keep your foals and the elderly close to you. And whatever you do, don’t let your lights go out.”

They all ventured into the forest, led by the light of their lanterns. Here in the darkness of the mysterious forest, fleeing from his home, leading his village folk to safety, it made him wonder about some things. His future, his ability to protect these ponies, where he was going, and a question he had been contemplating for a long time resurfaced: Is there a God?

Cepheus wanted to believe. He wanted to feel like there was a higher power than all of this, and that if Mother didn’t wake up, she would at least be going to a better place.

Up until recently, he had been ignorant to the concept of a deity. Mother had never mentioned religion, or anything like that. She had simply suffered too much to believe in such things.

Cepheus knew many people believed in a higher power of some kind or another. Though there was no way he could be certain that any of these things could exist: the afterlife, God, or any of that.

But there was one thing he knew for certain. The definition of “God” was flexible. It simply meant a higher power that looks out for us. Cepheus believed in a “God,” but it was very different from what most ponies perceived as religion.

God, to Cepheus, was the collective amalgam of ponykind’s virtue. To say that Cepheus believed in God was equivalent to saying that he believed in ponykind’s capacity for good. He had faith in ponykind’s ability to be morale and just.

For now, that was his current understanding of any higher power. If there is any higher power that controls the fate of Equestria, it begins within every single one of us. We have the power to change the world, but for that, we must have faith in our ability to do so.

Cepheus looked into the darkness ahead, the lantern hanging from a metal ring in his mouth. Candle was beside him, with Dusty snoring on her back. Persei, Mother, and Ultra Violet were somewhere up ahead as well. Cepheus had every right to be optimistic. Without his choice to help Candle, all these ponies would have been dead by time the moon set.

The sliver of “higher power” within his heart had changed the fate of the ponies in his village. We were survivors, and his “higher power” would live on to galvanize the “higher power” of others through his example. The way wickedness and vice was infectious, so was morality and virtue.

When ponies see an act of kindness, or generosity, their hearts grow a little. They are encouraged to do good as well. Ponykind’s potential for both good and evil was staggering.

That was what Cepheus believed.

“Celestion,” he whispered to himself. Perhaps he could work on extending his personal definition of God to include this entity.

He looked over to Candle, wondering what she would think of his thoughts on religion. Would she think him naïve and foolish if he told her?

Cepheus continued staring down the path, contemplating. He looked back at all the ponies behind him. They were trudging through the undergrowth, fear in their eyes. He thought of the smoke, the flames, and the screams on the wind.

He thought of all the villages that had succumbed to the Night Guard. Had there been any survivors at all?

Cepheus, the white pegasus, leader, and the protector of these ponies had to preserve their lives and get them to safety. Cepheus looked all around, grasping for something within him that had lain dormant for a very long time.

How would he possibly be able to protect these people from the Night Guard? How?

His thoughts returned to the notion of a deity. There has to be a God, whether her name be Celestion or Nightmare Moon, it’s there. It has to be.

Cepheus, for the first time in his life, prayed. There has to be a God, because if there isn’t, there is no force in this universe powerful enough to save us from the evil which pursues us in the night.

There has to be something, anything…I have faith…I…I believe.

Please, to whoever may be listening, please help us. I know you’re out there….

As he delved further into the unknown, deep inside Cepheus’ heart, a small flicker of light was kindled.

Author's Notes:

Sorry this took forever to get posted, but there shouldn't be any more interruptions in my life from now on.

Cepheus is entrusted with the safety of his people, and as a result, considers a change in his personal philosophy.

Feedback/Discussion is encouraged, and please be respectful

Chapter 12: Perceptions, Memories, and Willpower

They trotted down the sidewalk, and Sirius was keeping his distance from Darkheart and Ember. He honestly had no idea where they were taking him, but he had a bad feeling about it.

Ember, his instructor, had mentioned that he was going to be taught the basics of being a Night Terror. That wasn’t the thing that had unsettled Sirius. The way she had smirked at him afterwards was what disturbed him. That little smile held the silent promise of another night of sadistic intent.

If they dared to try anything on him again, he would not hesitate to cut them.

Sirius shook his hooves, and heard the metal blade rattling inside its sheath. He was ready for a confrontation if it came down to it.

Sirius sighed, his focus exhausted from his vigilance. He looked around at the deteriorated concrete jungle which he was being led through. This was the same poor and desolate sector of the city he had seen before.

He was reminded of the first time he had explored the city. All those casinos, strip clubs, brothels, and whatever other shady establishments he had seen were still in his mind. That was also when the gang ponies had come after him.

Sirius wished they would show up again so he could kill them.

Sirius exhaled in frustration. His attempts to suppress his homicidal thoughts were futile. It was like a craving you can’t fulfill because you’re on a diet. Or an itch from a rash you’re dying to scratch but you know you shouldn’t.

Each time he had one of these urges, they were stronger and more persistent. They were the only thing that could disrupt his calm rationale.

It was still strange though. He had expected his mind to be in a much worse state after what had been done to him the night before. Except for that one fit of madness that had led him to kill his mother, he was for the most part unscathed.

Other than the murderous impulses, his ever present shroud of calm, and his altered sense of identity, there seemed to be no other damage to his mind. Had he somehow recovered from what had happened during the initiation? It seemed very unlikely.

In the Night Terror’s journal he had found behind the glass in his bathroom, the methods he had mentioned seemed to be foolproof. Sirius still seemed to be fully in control of his actions, despite what the other stallion had forecasted.

Something wasn’t right here. During that fateful night, something inside of him had been broken. He distinctly remembered the animal sensation that had overwhelmed him. Where had that feral rage gone?

Sirius was overcome with a sense of foreboding. It felt as though he was being watched.

He flipped around, surveying his surroundings, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

“We’re here,” Ember said quietly, and Sirius turned to face her. She was standing before the facade of an abandoned looking hospital. It looked like no one had used this building for years, but there were lights on inside.

It stretched thirteen stories high, had windows which were cracked and covered in dust, and there were black streaks above each window, suggesting there had been a great fire that had consumed the hospital at one point in time. The place had more of an aura of a morgue, a place for sick ponies to go and die, rather than a place of healing and restoration.

Ember pushed open the glass doors, casting a faint streak of white light on the otherwise dark street corner. Darkheart entered first, stealing a kiss from Ember before going in. Sirius followed, and he blinked his eyes to adjust to the light. He was overcome by the scent of stale air, latex, and a faint trace of rot.

He blinked a few more times, while Darkheart and Ember spoke to a dayborn pony at the registry. The poor nurse looked mortified.

Sirius looked around, and felt the oppressive presence of the place crushing him. There was a bleak waiting room with what appeared to be homeless dayborn ponies sleeping underneath the chairs. The nurses and doctors that moved about in the reception area looked like death, their eyes sunken in with exhaustion and their uniforms tattered. Stretchers with sick ponies still strapped to them lay about in the hallway, waiting to be treated.

Foals were crying, ponies were coughing and groaning in pain, a pregnant mare was sobbing, and then there was the frightened screech that broke the depressive ambience. The nurse Darkheart and Ember were talking to had fled from the room with tears in her eyes. Darkheart and Ember were laughing, and beckoned Sirius over.

“What a dump,” Darkheart grumbled when Sirius came into hearing range. “Can you smell that? Is that stench coming from the cafeteria? I bet more ponies die from that food than their actual illnesses.” Ember rolled her eyes, and Darkheart’s emerald eyes lit up when he saw him standing there. “Ah, looks like our novice Night Terror had his initiation last night.” Darkheart suddenly sighed, and looked over at Ember. “Would you please cross your legs?”

His voice was so earnest, that Ember consented without any rebuttal at the strange request. She crossed her legs, and Darkheart took a breath of relief. “Good, now that the gates of hell are closed –“

She blasted him with her magic, sending him flying into the counter. There was a clattering of armor, and the heavy thump of Darkheart’s back slamming against the counter. He lay still for a moment and then clutched his hoof, giggling softly.

Ember suddenly addressed Sirius, startling him. “Alright, welcome to Sarin Hospital; the only hospital in this city that caters to the Dayborn. This is where you’ll learn your first lesson.” Ember flipped around and began trotting towards a set of double doors at the edge of the room. “Follow me.”

Sirius looked at Darkheart for a moment, and then followed her. They tread through the austere white hallways in silence. They passed several shambling ponies, speaking in tongues and ranting to the walls. Ember pulled Sirius along. “Don’t worry,” she said. “The psych ward probably had another overflow.”

The eventually reached their destination. Ember opened the door into a large room, and Sirius stepped inside. The room was dark, and he could hear the sighing sounds of sleeping ponies and the wheezing sound of decrepit ventilators. This was the comatose ward.

Ember plunked herself down in the middle of the room, and curled up, making herself comfortable. Sirius just stared at her, surprised. “Lie down,” she commanded, and he did. “Now, go to sleep.”

Ember’s orange eyes flashed and her horn glowed. Sleep washed over Sirius, and he quickly fell asleep.

The dreamscape opened up before him, and he saw his sleeping body lying on the floor. He looked around. The comatose patients all exuded a soft purple aura, but the colors were unusually dark. Only a faint semblance of sentience remained within these ponies.

Ember appeared before him, and she drew close to him. “Tonight, we will be experimenting on these vegetables.”

“What?” Sirius said. “I don’t know if….”

They saw another figure entering the room. The stallion lay down beside Ember, and Darkheart joined them in a moment. “You were whining about experimenting on these ponies?” he asked Sirius pointedly. “You talk in your sleep.”

Sirius shook his head nervously. “I don’t think this is right.”

Darkheart looked puzzled. “These are just a bunch of dayborn ponies. They’re trash, oxygen thieves, wastes of space. They don’t matter. Do as you please with them.”

Sensing that Sirius was still uncomfortable, Ember gave him one of her sadistic, toothy grins. “Practice on these comatose patients, or shall we visit the nursery?

Sirius was taken aback by her cruelty, but it wasn’t out of character. He decided to go with the flow for the time being. “Pfft…There’s no sport in tormenting newborn foals.”

She smiled, pleased by his answer. “Alright, let’s begin our lesson. How do we influence sleeping ponies into doing what we want?”

Sirius honestly had no idea and just stared blankly.

Ember made a mark in the ground. “Perception,” she made another mark, “memories,” and making one last mark, she said, “willpower.”

She cleared her throat. Her voice became pedantic, as if she was reciting from a scholarly article. “Perception is our mind’s interpretation of the information we receive from our sensory organs. Memories are where that information is stored in a bank for future reference. Willpower is the ability to act on those memories and perceptions to advance ourselves.”

She continued, seeing that Sirius was following along. “These are the three gates of a Night Terror’s manipulation. Altering or disrupting these functions is how we advance our own agenda in the victim’s mind.”'

She gestured grandiosely. “I can teach you so much. I will first teach you how to drain a pony of his willpower, so that when he wakes, he will be unable to muster the motivation to do anything productive. Instilling lethargy in a pony is the easiest of the willpower manipulations.”

Sirius understood, but something else didn’t make sense to him. “If we are to instill lethargy in a pony, how is that going to work on a comatose patient?”

Ember nodded. “I have found comatose patients to be defenseless against our manipulations. It’s perfect for learning purposes.” Ember trotted to the bedside of a sleeping mare. Her horn began to glow and a visual representation of the comatose mare’s nervous system appeared overhead. This was a pony’s internal electrical circuitry. Sirius watched in awe as the mare’s body was lit up with sparks, minute bursts of electricity coursing through the axons of her nerves.

Ember began to make a circling motion with her hooves, zooming up on the central nervous system. “Alright, the most direct way to influence a pony is by altering their neurotransmitter levels.”

Sirius blinked. “What’s a neurotransmitter?”

“They are like hormones, but much faster acting. They are chemical agents that are crucial to the biological computations that underlie perception and thought. They allow the nervous system to connect to and control other systems of the body.” Ember gestured to what appeared to be a current of blue sparks running across the mare’s twitching hoof. “This right here is a neurotransmitter called “Acetylcholine” and this chemical connects motor neurons to the muscles. Lowering, or even inhibiting the action of this agent, can cause stiffness or even total paralysis. There’s very little visible acetylcholine since this mare is a comatose patient, but a healthy pony in motion, is completely alive with the blue sparks of acetylcholine.”

Ember then showed him how he could influence a pony’s mood with dopamine, to make them feel euphoric or depressed. She showed him how to throw off sleep patterns, appetite, and overall well-being using excessive or minimal serotonin.

She showed him the neurotransmitters responsible for everything from arousal to body temperature regulators. Ember then began to teach him the anatomy of the brain. “The occipital lobe, in the very back of the brain, is responsible for the processing of the information received by our eyes. Once you learn how to play with this region of the brain, you can have a lot of fun. Inflicting blindness is just the beginning.”'

Ember then pointed to a different part of the brain. “This here is the thalamus, and on the sides, you notice a structure. This is the most important part. It’s called the limbic system. It regulates sleep and awakening. To keep a pony asleep and in your influence, you must manipulate this part of the brain.”

Sirius opened his eyes and yawned. He realized that he was awake. Ember pushed at him several textbooks. “You must fully understand the function of every part of the brain, every hormone, every neurotransmitter if you are to gain mastery in controlling them. Learn what certain drugs do to influence the release and uptake of these chemicals, understand the biological mechanisms that make a pony tick.”

She pushed a paper and a quill at him. “I want a report on the effects of excessive serotonin on behavior by tomorrow. Get to it.”

Darkheart awoke as well, stretching out like a cat. He joined Ember’s side as she trotted away. While Sirius was collecting the textbooks, he heard Darkheart flirting with her. “How about you open those gates of hell for me tonight? I promise I won’t scream when I see the flames.”

He mentioned something about her “carpet” before they trotted out of earshot. Sirius was curious as to how Ember would respond, but he suddenly felt very tired.

He picked up his supplies and trudged out of the comatose ward. That was the last thing he remembered from the night before.

Sirius awoke in a cold sweat, his sheets in a snarl around him. He looked around and found himself back in his bed. “What the hell?”

His armor had been stripped off, he was clean and groomed, and his apartment room was clean and no longer smelled of vomit.

What happened? How did I get here?

He strained his mind, trying to remember, but he couldn’t recall a thing. He vaguely remembered leaving the hospital…but then it all went blank from there on.

Sirius froze when he heard a sound. It was the gentle exhale and inhale of a sleeping pony. Except he wasn’t sleeping, then who was…?

He lifted his sheets and found the figure of a mare dozed off at the edge of the bed. She was unlike anything he had ever seen. Her pelt was cerulean, her mane and tail was streaked predominantly azure, but with cyan and purple lines as well. She was incredibly fit too, not a single sliver of fat in the wrong place. Very shapely….

Sirius put the sheets back down, thinking of the implications of what a beautiful mare was doing in his bed. He could almost hear Darkheart applauding him in the back of his mind.

He nudged her softly, and she was slow to wake. She stretched out, yawning. She smiled at Sirius then, but grew puzzled at his shocked expression. “What’s wrong, master?”

“Master?”

She nodded. “Yes, you’re my master. I am to take care of all your bodily needs as you train.” She looked away, seemingly disappointed. “Or would you prefer a stallion to fulfill your needs?”

Sirius shook his head. “No, no, you’re fine.” He looked around, his head spinning. That's right, Ember had mentioned that he would have someone to serve him during his training.“What’s your name?” he asked.

She looked at him puzzled. “We talked for hours last night. I know it was just pillow talk, but I thought you would at least remember….”

She trailed off, noticing his totally blank expression. “You really don’t remember anything?”

Sirius shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “What did I do last night?”

“Well,” the mare cocked her head. “I was waiting for you in this room. I noticed the glass in the bathroom was broken, the floors were half flooded there, there was vomit in the bed, and everything was a mess. I had just finished cleaning up when you showed up. You had a lot of blood on you, so I bathed you….”

Sirius was disturbed. Very disturbed. “Was there anything else?”

“Well,” she said. “You had a few other things on you, and I put them beside your armor after I cleaned it.”

Sirius stumbled out of bed and opened up his closet. His armor was on its stand, and he saw the bags of laid out at the base. He opened them and found his textbooks. He also found a completed report on the effects of excess serotonin on pony behavior in his handwriting.

Had he gotten drunk? Or taken some drugs?

“Yeah, probably,” he muttered. “No more of that,” he promised himself.

He found some loose change, a receipt from some restaurant, and a torn white bracelet that hospitals put on your wrist when they admit you.

Had he gotten in some kind of scuffle?

Sirius looked himself over, only finding minor scratches and bruises. That blood that his maid, servant, whatever-her-name-is had cleaned off his armor wasn’t his. If he had gotten into a fight, he had obviously won.

Sirius plunked down, and the blue mare folded her hooves and sat next to him. “My name is Sapphire Glimmer.”

Well, at least I'm back in the present now.He extended his hoof out to her, and they shook hooves. “Nice to meet you Sapphire, I need you to do a few things for me….”

Author's Notes:

Sirius had a huge memory lapse. Fun, fun, fun.

Drugs are bad, mm'kay?

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Don't hesitate to point out any errors. I recalled all that information on brain anatomy and neurotransmitters by memory, I'm pretty sure it's all right, but don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong.

Chapter 13: Blood Agent

Guided through the darkness by her hornlight and the lilac radiance of Ultra Violet, Persei tread through the ancient forest. All conversation had ceased long ago, and her sense of continuity was completely lost. It seemed as if time stood still in the quiet of the forest.

Persei felt the silent stillness seeping into her marrow, a slow poison that was driving her mad. She would have engaged Violet in even the most frivolous talk, but she had told Persei to be quiet in this section of the forest.

Persei looked at the eerie surrounding her. The leaves on the twisted, gnarly willow trees looked gray and lifeless. The dark brown dirt beneath her hooves seemed spongy and made a sucking sound every time she stepped in it. The air was heavy with moisture, and had the scent of death and decay. A low fog clung to the ground, concealing the intricate network of ensnaring roots.

As time dragged on, the fog grew thicker. It was becoming difficult to see. She felt like she was choking in the mist’s vapors. Persei looked up at Mother’s body floating in the air in the lilac aura of Violet’s magic. She appeared to be peaceful in her coma.

The worry gnawing at the back of Persei’s mind finally convinced her to speak. “Violet, I….”

Violet flipped around and put a hoof up to her muzzle. “Shhh….” she hissed in a low urgency.

Why? Why did she have to be so quiet? She opened her mouth again, and the fog entered her mouth and filled it with the taste of rot. She coughed, and Violet stared at her with horror. “What?” Persei asked.

“I said quiet!” Violet hissed.

Immediately, there was a wailing sound from somewhere in the thick, white fog. It was a low and mournful sound of unfathomable grief. Violet looked around, her eyes wide. Persei had frozen in her spot, listening quietly.

The sound faded, but both mares remained in their rigid poses. Violet whispered into her ear. “This part of the forest is haunted. There was a great massacre here during the climax of Nightmare Moon’s genocide. Stay quiet. We don’t want them hearing us.”

Persei nodded, and Violet looked around warily before continuing on her path. As she trotted, she could swear that she heard whispers from within the fog.

Persei listening closely, trying to piece out what they were saying, but there were too many voices speaking at once. What had happened here?

Mother groaned loudly, breaking her out of her thoughts. Violet immediately dropped her to the ground, and Persei rushed beside her. Mother’s lips were turning blue, and Violet grunted. “She’s hypoxic.”

Mother wasn’t getting enough air. She was going into cardiac arrest. Persei put her hooves on her breastbone and began pumping. Her CPR failed to work, and Mother’s gasps became more dramatic and drawn out. Violet pushed Persei aside, and her horn began to spark with electrical current. “Clear,” she whispered.

Violet touched her horn to Mother’s chest, and the current jolted her. Violet pressed her ear against her chest to check her pulse. She raised her head up and began charging her horn again. “Clear,” she whispered.

Mother was jolted up again, but this time her gasps had ceased entirely. Tears streamed from Persei’s eyes. Violet was pressing her ear to her chest again, and began charging her horn again. But the futility became increasingly apparent with every passing moment Mother couldn’t breathe.

Violet lowered her horn again, a last attempt to shock her mother’s heart into beating again. This time, the burst of electricity singed her beige pelt, but nothing happened. Mother lay unnaturally still.

Persei began to cry. She tried to stifle her sobs, but her attempts to do so made them even louder. She wrapped her hooves around her mother’s corpse, hugging her. “Mother, no…” she moaned. “No, no, no….”

Persei nuzzled the tuft of her on chest, right against her mother’s heart. Violet stood by Persei as she mourned.

Why? Why? Nightmare had taken away everything she loved: her home, her family, everything. Persei would never see her mother again. She might not even see Cepheus or any of the other villagers again.

Here she was in the place where Nightmare Moon massacred countless other Dayborns. It seemed a fitting place for another one to die here. Persei was so absorbed in her grief that she didn’t hear the sounds of the struggle behind her.

Persei hugged her mother tightly, feeling the fading warmth of her body. She would be completely cold soon. “I love you, Mother,” she whispered. Persei stood up with a grim resolve, trying to not think of anything.

She pounded the earth with her magic, digging a hole. Dirt sprayed everywhere as she put her full mind and focus into her task. Eventually, a large enough grave had been dug. Persei wiped the perspiration of her brow and picked Mother up, and gently slid her into the hole.

Tears blurred her vision, and she felt like collapsing. Mother looked so at peace as she lay there in the hole. Her face was pale, her hooves folded across her chest, and her dark hair rustled about in an elegant way. She was still beautiful, even in death. “Goodbye, Mother. I’ll…I’ll never forget you.”

Persei covered her corpse with dirt, and soon, the hole was filled and only a mound of dirt marked her burial site. Persei looked around for some stick or stone she could craft into a tombstone, but she noticed that she was alone. Persei stared at where she had last seen the other unicorn, slowly turning around. “Violet?” she softly called out.

She was gone. Vanished.

Concern for her own safety began to take precedence over her grief, and with one last look at her mother’s grave, she set off in search of Violet. Where could she have possibly gone?

Persei hadn’t even noticed when she had left. She trotted through the fog, her horn glowing with an orange light. She began to hear whispers. “We all died here….” a mare’s voice hissed.

Persei began to gallop, fear driving her to move faster. “Nightmare Moon knew we would try to flee through here….” a stallion’s voice muttered solemnly.

Ghosts? Persei thought. She was galloping full speed now, and she tripped over the skeleton of a pony. She tumbled on the ground, her foot had caught the pony’s skull and it fell on top of her when she landed on her back. She stared into the skull’s empty eye sockets, and with a frightened gasp, she knocked it off.

Persei leapt up to her feet again, but this time as she galloped, she felt half buried bones underneath her hooves. She fought through the thick brush, a tree branch fell before her, and she screamed. The leaves rustled in a sudden breeze, and she could hear the sound of hundreds of ponies gasping for breath and screaming for help. “THE LEAVES WERE SLATHERED IN POISON!” the voices screamed.

“Ahhh!” she screamed. The pale visages of the ponies whom Nightmare Moon had poisoned rushed past her as she galloped.

“We all suffocated!” the voices shouted in a choked gasp. “No matter how much we breathed, the poison was in our blood, choking us….”

Persei charged through a bush, her hornlight flickering from the exertion. She gasped for breath, and she realized that she was choking. She filled her lungs with air, but it was futile. The poison coursing through her was preventing her blood from picking up the oxygen. She was dying.

Persei screamed, growing dizzy. She slammed into a tree and collapsed, desperately trying to get some air. She blinked, and all the faces of all the suffocated ponies appeared in front of her. Their eyes were wild looking, their faces pale, and their lips were blue. “Join us…” they whispered to her.

Persei felt herself growing faint, but she couldn’t give up. Not with so much injustice in this world that had yet to be rectified.

What had these ponies done to deserve such a fate? Anger filled her, igniting her heart. “Curse you, Nightmare Moon! Your cruelty will be repaid to you tenfold!”

She struggled back to her feet. She wasn’t going to die here. Persei would avenge the deaths of these ponies, the destruction of her village, Mother’s demise…All the lives Nightmare Moon had taken.

Suddenly, it felt as if she could breathe again. Invigorated by the air, Persei charged through the dark fog and saw Ultra Violet standing before a tree. “There you are!” she shouted, anger still in her voice.

Violet smiled in relief. “I was looking for you!”

“The ghosts,” Persei said, rushing up to her. “They were talking to me.”

Violet nodded. “They do that,” she examined Persei closely. “You seem to have a new resolve about you. Are you getting a sense of who you are now?”

“What?” Persei said, surprised. “How did you know that?”

Violet shrugged. “A pony with control issues like you is obviously compensating for something. You thought that if you could control all of life’s variables, the one unknown variable would become clear. You.”

Persei gasped and Violet continued. “Yes, you. All your life you’ve known that you never really fitted in. That’s why you shied away from making friends. On the outside you appeared to be irritable and unsociable, but that was just a mask. You were unsatisfied with your life, because you weren’t sure who you were. You knew you had a greater purpose in this world, but couldn’t find a way to get yourself there.”

Persei couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Violet was reading her soul to her, and she gestured to Persei’s blank flank. “You are especially lost. You have a blank flank. Your cutie mark is yet to make an appearance, despite you being an adult. You have no concept of what your talent, destiny, or purpose is. But rest assured, only the most powerful talents take so long to reveal themselves.”

“Really?” Persei asked. “I thought I would never find out what my cutie mark is without leaving the village. I grew hopeless and –“

“Frustrated?” Violet added. “I understand that. It must be difficult not to have the sense of worth a cutie mark grants you.” Violet brushed Persei’s flank, where her cutie mark was meant to be. “As I said before, you have no concept of what your purpose is, but it appears you now have touched upon it.” The unicorn cocked her head, looking at her sideways. “Did you mean what you had said earlier?”

Persei felt disembodied after having her soul interpreted to her by somepony else, but she found her voice. “What did I say?”

“Your vow to avenge the deaths of us ponies here.”

Persei thought about it. Deep wells of anger rose up within her. Nightmare Moon had tried to kill her as a filly, and had finally killed Mother. All the atrocities that mare had committed….Persei felt thoroughly angered, and that purpose, that directive gave her a sense of direction for the first time in her life. “Yes, I meant it. Nightmare Moon has to go.”

Violet smiled cryptically, leaning in close enough so she could feel her breath. “See that? Your destiny was once uncertain, now grows clearer with every decision you make. I know you will do your best to fulfill what you have said before us today.”

“Wait!” Persei said a little louder than she should have. Ultra Violet drew back from her. Persei hadn’t noticed it the first time, but the second time…. Us? Who else was she referring to? Was there….

“Persei!” a voice called her from behind.

She flipped around and saw Ultra Violet standing some distance away. She was covered in mud, and was panting.

“But…” Persei looked in front of her where Violet had been speaking to her a moment ago, and doubled back. “How did you get there?”

Violet gave her a strange look. “I had heard you talking before, but when you shouted I was finally able to pinpoint your location.” Violet approached Persei, looking her over. “Who were you talking to?”

Persei was thoroughly confused. “I don’t know….”

Was Persei hallucinating? No, it couldn't be. A hallucination was a figment of her mind. It couldn't tell her things that she didn't know already. Had it been some kind of spirit trying to teach her a lesson?

“Come,” Violet urged her. “You’re losing your mind.”

Persei followed Violet as she trotted away. “What happened to you?” she asked. “Where did you disappear to?”

“Apparently the trees here are enchanted, and the roots snagged me while you were mourning for your mother.” Violet wiped the mud off of her. “I had to fight these things in the mud to escape them.”

Persei looked at Violet incredulously. “Who are you?” she demanded. “What kind of camp would harbor a pony as powerful as you? Nightmare Moon wouldn’t allow a Dayborn like you to live.”

“You’re right, she wouldn’t.” Violet said, and sized her up. “Do you know of the Canterlot Hospital Massacre?”

Persei was intrigued. “Yes, I know of it.”

“I am a survivor, I had to become strong. I was a mother who had given birth that fateful day.” Violet looked down, and sniffed. “I lost my foal.” She then looked up, her eyes glowing with a purple fire. “I took out the bastard who gave the orders to kill my foal. I blew up the entire building where the commander was.”

Persei gasped. Ultra Violet had caused the explosion that had saved Mother’s life. She was a survivor too…. Violet shook her head. “You now have lost someone you love as well to Nightmare Moon’s evil.”

“Yes,” Persei said. “Something needs to be done about that wretch.”

Did Violet know of the light that had flooded the hospital, the event that triggered the massacre? What would Violet do if she found out that she was a survivor too?

Violet nodded. “The camp where I was taking you and your mother, it’s a place where the enemies of Nightmare Moon gather to plot against her. I’m part of the resistance group, and was spying on Nightmare Moon’s activities in the region. The time for us to act is drawing near, and….” Violet looked down at Persei. “We need motivated ponies like you to join us.”

Persei stared at Violet. A resistance group planning on instigating revolution? She remembered what the ghost that had looked like Ultra Violet had told her. Her destiny was becoming clearer with each step she took in the direction of vengeance. She nodded vigorously. “Where do I sign up?”

Violet grinned, embracing her. “We all have been scarred by that tyrant,” she whispered in her ear. “Together, we can bring her down and drive her unholy Nightborn children to extinction!”

Author's Notes:

Blood agents block hemoglobin's ability to carry oxygen. It's a common type of chemical weapon, that only takes one drop on exposed skin to kill.

Next chapter I will be introducing a new character, in tandem with Sirius' chapter. It'll be split half and half. I am considering doing this for the next few Sirius chapters since their two story lines will intersect.

Discussion/feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 14: Cavatina

Dressed in the fine livery such formal restaurants demanded from their classy clientele, he felt especially at home. Arcturus had his mane dyed black and slicked back, his azure pelt gleaming alongside his silk shirt. He was standing next to his lovely mare-friend, her blue mane glossy, neatly tied into a bun and resting underneath a net of pearls.

She looked splendid. He had brought her a fine white dress, a sapphire necklace that matched her eyes, and had arranged a beauty session for her. Arcturus intended for this to be a first date she would remember for the rest of her life.

Arcturus nuzzled her, sensing her discomfort as they idled in front of the marble steps of the Lunaria Cantina. “Come now, my lovely Morning Glory.” He took her hoof into his and kissed it. “You’ll fit right in among the other socialites.”

Morning smiled, radiance blooming in her features that had earned her the sobriquet of a beautiful flower. “You are such a gentlecolt, Arcturus.” She blushed prettily. “It was so nice of you to take me here.”

“It’s a pleasure. It’ll be a great opportunity to get to know each other, and simultaneously enjoy the sophisticated company of like-minded fellows.”

Arcturus led her up the steps and they both stood before a bouncer to have their attire appraised. The stallion nodded, and gestured to the red sign on the door. “Before I let you in, I must inform you of the policy. No Dayborns allowed. We run a classy establishment, and won’t have such rabble within our midst.”

“Well good sir, we obviously are not in the company of such ponies,” Arcturus said, mustering all the politeness he could.

The bouncer nodded and opened the door for them. Arcturus allowed Morning to enter first, and followed behind. He was immediately met by the cool air of the interior, and could hear what he recognized to be the opening notes of On the Beautiful Blue Danube being played by the live orchestra.

Arcturus stood by his mare-friend as they waited to be seated.

The Lunaria Cantina had a large domed roof that was adorned with a mural depicting Nightmare Moon and glowed with a soft blue aura that lent the dining area with a sober atmosphere. Waiters in tuxedos held platters in their hooves, lighting the candles at each table, and taking orders from the most affluent ponies in the city.

A waiter stallion with an impressive mustache and a lilted accent introduced himself. “I am Varen, and I will be taking care of you tonight. Come with me.”

They were seated in a secluded area beside a sparkling fountain surrounded by fake foliage, statues of Nightmare Moon and other figures related to her. “It’s a lovely rendition of our Empress,” Arcturus noted to both the waiter and his date, gesturing to the grand statue. “Very impressive.”

They both sat down at the table, and the waiter lit their candles with his horn. Varen trotted away then, fetching their drinks and bread.

Arcturus then noticed the way Morning was looking at him. Her initial shyness gone, she had a feisty and flirtatious smirk on her face. “Are you trying to buy my love, Master Arcturus?”

“Oh, ho,” Arcturus said. “True love can’t be brought,” he winked at her. “Besides, this opulence comes within the package of dating a Night Terror.”

Varen returned with their drinks. He poured them champagne in their glasses, and put a bowl of wheat bread and butter before them. He then handed them menus and went off to serve other ponies.

There was a lull in the conversation as Morning spread butter on her bread, and it was then when the orchestra simmered down, and was replaced with the soft plucking notes of Cavatina. It was a simple piece, but extraordinarily poignant.

Morning made a huffing sound, laughing softly. Arcturus turned his face away from the music and turned to her. “Is something humorous, my dear?”

“Oh, it was the dreamy look you had in your eyes.” She giggled again. “You really like the orchestra, don’t you?”

“Of course, Cavatina is a classic. I grew up in this city listening to musicians playing such music.”

Morning nodded, taking a sip of her champagne. “Oh, so you’ve lived here your entire life? You have a strange accent for that, but I guess I can’t really speculate as to how the ‘other half’ speaks.”

Arcturus grinned. “I was raised by two immigrant doctors. They spoke this way, and I guess I do too.” He raised his hooves, gesturing to her. “Enough about me, tell me of your upbringing.”

She suddenly got a solemn look on her face. “It wasn’t a happy upbringing, I’ll tell you that.” Arcturus touched her hoof, and looked into her eyes, empathizing with her. Morning was encouraged, and continued. “My parents had a nasty divorce. I can’t remember a time when they weren’t fighting. They often vented their frustrations on me.”

Arcturus nodded. “It’s all right,” he moved to wipe her tears with the edge of a napkin. “We all suffer, but we recover.” They both nodded at the evident truth of the words, but he felt like she needed further consoling. “You know, I too have suffered at the hooves of the ponies I have loved.”

“Really?” she said. She quickly recomposed herself, and there was no sign that she had ever cried. “What happened to you?”

“Well, I…” Arcturus gasped, a splinter of pain needling through his mind. Morning looked at him with concern in her eyes, and leaned forward, but Varen appeared with their food. He set the platters down before them, refilled their champagne, and left.

Arcturus drained his glass, the alcohol dulling his headache. He felt a hoof touching his, and looked up at Morning. Her blue eyes were sparkling, a sad smile on her face. “I promise I will never hurt you like that.”

He smiled, poured himself more champagne, and raised it in a toast. “A vow,” he declared. “To a happy relationship.”

She raised her glass and clinked it against his. “To a happy relationship.”

They both drunk the champagne, and as the hours passed, they grew increasingly fond of each other. Laughter constantly issued from their throats, words of praise, encouragement, sympathy, it all poured out.

As far as first dates go, this one had been blessed by Nightmare Moon herself.

Sirius groaned, Darkheart pinning his hooves down. The captain rolled his eyes, “C’mon, initiate. Ember may oversee your Night Terror specialization, but you’re still a soldier, and as a soldier, you must meet certain fitness benchmarks.” Sirius completed another sit-up with great effort, his stomach burning. “One more,” Darkheart said.

He completed another grueling sit-up, and collapsed on the ground. Darkheart released his hold, and let Sirius catch his breath. He trotted away, opening the door to his apartment. But before he left, he looked back at Sirius lying on the floor in a puddle of his own sweat. “Get some more protein in your diet, and maybe you’ll look more like a mature stallion instead of a lanky adolescent.”

Darkheart closed the door behind him, and Sirius lay there. Heat was radiating from his body, but he could feel it particularly in his forehead. It felt good.

He struggled to get back up, his hooves trembling. Sirius managed to make his way to his bathroom and plunked himself down in his already drawn bath. Sapphire was waiting for him there, and as he settled in the warm water, she began to rub his back. He closed his eyes and leaned back, and Sapphire began to hum. She seemed especially happy today.

She began to massage his shoulders, and kissed him behind the ear.

Sirius opened his eyes and looked up at her for a moment, then looked back down. He wondered to himself, exactly what were the boundaries of Sapphire’s service to him?

The first time they had met, when he had awoken beside her after a night of drinking, she had been surprisingly tender with him. Was she supposed to be so intimate with him?

Sirius, for the life of him, could not remember if he had actually had sex with her or not. If he had lost his virginity to her, he at least wanted to remember what it felt like.

He sneaked a glance at her, and wondered how she would respond if he asked her to join him in the sauna. He didn’t know what frightened him more: the risk of being denied and offending her, or her actually taking up the offer.

Sirius had been thinking of this more frequently than he would like to admit. He had decided that he would at least take her on a few dates before he asked her for sex.

Sirius couldn’t think of that anymore. Having erotic thoughts naked and in her presence was courting disaster.

Instead, he thought about the pony he had dubbed the “Glass Stallion.” It was his journal and notes he had found behind his bathroom’s mirror.

He had learned many things about Glass’ life.

Sirius had been reminded of himself as he read the beginning parts of the journal. A bastard born between some noble in Nightmare Moon’s court and his mistress, Glass has been given up to an orphanage in the city. Neglected and lonely, until one day he showed talent in Dreamwalking.

Sirius looked up, making a mental note to himself. Glass’ background was written in very poor detail, as if he had struggled to remember the events that took place.

Glass had written that whoever had slept with him got strange dreams, so one of his caretakers had assessed him.

The account had then skipped to Glass’ initiation.

Nightmare Moon herself had appeared before him. Glass had somehow resisted her will, and it had become apparent to her that he was a Dreamwalking prodigy.

Glass had been a remarkably good pony until then. Kindness was his dominant trait.

After he had fought her off, he had been roughly awoken from his sleep. The Empress’ surgeons had done something terrible to him then. After that, Glass had become a murderous psychopath, as was intended, and grew worse as he ascended the Night Terror hierarchy.

He went to the very top, right alongside Nightmare Moon.

It’s so odd, Sirius thought. How does a pony that was so good before degenerate so quickly? But apparently that was common, not only in the Night Terrors, but in all branches of the Empress’ military.

And then Glass had done something terrible. Right afterwards, he had been severely injured where he received a terrible concussion. It was then where he became self aware, and started to regret all the crimes he had committed. In his final words, it said: “I have finally seen my reflection. The mirror is both a lie and truth.”

In the depths of Glass’ despair, the narrative had ended.

There had been two extra parchment scraps with the red ink that Sirius had looked through as well. Apparently, the ink wasn’t ink. It was blood.

The two parchments had detailed speculations inquiring about the mechanism Nightmare Moon had used to turn him into a villain, and then it tried to explain how his concussion had alleviated it. Apparently, Glass’ speculations were in vain. He never found out exactly what Nightmare Moon had done to him, and then the text went off on a rant about how she would always find a way to convert a Night Terror initiate into pure evil.

Sirius had then inquired about the identity of the “Glass Stallion.” He had gone to the city’s libraries, and then to the Night Terror database. It was there Sirius found some old record books. He learned that every page, every article mentioning Glass’ existence had been ripped out of the records.

He had then gotten suspicious looks from some of the bookkeepers there and had decided to leave. Nightmare Moon’s government had completely erased Glass from their archives. It was so strange. She didn’t want anypony finding out about him, or he had been disgraced, exiled, or even killed. Maybe all of the above.

Sirius had then thought of himself. Glass had said that Nightmare Moon never failed to turn her Night terror initiates into evil.
Sirius had done a self-check then. He looked at Sapphire smiling above him, looking at him with affection in her eyes. What have I done to make her like me so much? he thought.

Sirius felt normal. But that was the catch.

Glass hadn’t even known his own darkness until a violent concussion had opened his eyes. Reiterated, Glass hadn’t even realized what he was doing. He had described it as, “An inability to resist the influence of others.”

Sirius wasn’t sure what that last part meant, but he knew one thing: Nightmare Moon always got what she wanted.

Perhaps my initiation conversion had failed, he thought to himself. Maybe it had failed, and Ember hadn’t noticed it.

He was still fully in control of himself. He was still his own, and that gave him hope.

After finishing his bath, with a more than happy to help Sapphire, he laid down in his bed.

Sirius realized how incredibly lucky he was to have avoided Glass’ fate. That feeling of gratefulness was the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep.

Author's Notes:

Arcturus' narrative will appear in tandem with Sirius from now on.

Also, more optional chapters are on the horizon. Expect at least one grimdark chapter, and I am considering a clop chapter too.

Discussion and feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 15: Abandonment

Exhaustion tempered Cepheus’ movements as he trotted through the dense, dark forest. His hooves felt like lead, his brain tired from his constant vigilance, even his muzzle was sore from carrying the increasingly heavy feeling lantern.

Cepheus wanted to rest, as well as all the other villagers, but fear prompted them to keep moving. Some of the elderly ponies had to be carried in the luggage wagons, and he knew they would have stop and make camp very soon.

They had been traveling through this seemingly endless forest for several days now, or so it felt like. There was no way to keep time, since the forest’s canopy completely blotted out the sky. They were trapped inside a dark void with only their lanterns to guide them.

Cepheus was both grateful and wary of the darkness. He was grateful because the canopy would prevent any passing Night Guard pegasi from seeing them, but he was wary because the darkness could be hiding anything.

It was deathly quiet in the forest. No insects chirped, there was no wind to rustle the leaves, the silence was oppressive and smothered all desire to talk.

Cepheus looked at Candle trotting alongside him, and saw that she was falling asleep on her feet. Her little brother, Dusty, clung to her, especially affected by the silence.

“Candle,” Cepheus whispered.

“Hmmm?” she responded sleepily.

“Let me carry Dusty,” he said. “You need a break.”

She had been reluctant before, but now she immediately took up his offer. Cepheus scooped up the colt, and Dusty actually seemed to want to be with him.

Dusty knew his sister was tired and didn’t want to be a burden, but there was also something else. Dusty could tell that Cepheus cared about his big sister, and he wanted to get to know her stallion-friend better.

Foals were very perceptive when it came to their caretakers’ feelings, and Cepheus had a lot of experience with foals. He could connect with them with ease. Even the most inconsolable foals would immediately fall silent when he picked them up, because they trusted him.

Mother had always told him that ponies with good hearts are often good with children and animals.

The colt climbed jumped onto his back, curling up between his wings, making himself comfortable. But even though Dusty was tired, he was still keeping an eye on his sister.

Cepheus sensed that he was very protective of his sister. That was understandable. Having lost both parents, Candle was all he had left.

The white pegasus felt a small hoof stroking his right wing, and Cepheus couldn’t help but giggle. His wings were very ticklish. “Your wing feathers are so soft,” Dusty whispered.

Candle heard him and laughed. “They’re great for big, warm hugs.”

Dusty seemed to be fascinated with his wings. “It must be so cool,” he whispered, feeling all the bones underneath the feathers. “Why do you stay here?”

“What?” Cepheus asked.

“I mean, why do you stay here?” Dusty said inquisitively. “You have these wings. You could go anywhere you want. You are freer than all of us earthbound ponies. Why don’t you just fly away from this dreary place? I know I would.”

Candle seemed to be worried, but Cepheus answered him anyway. “I can’t just fly away, Dusty. My home is here. All the people I love and care about are here.”

Dusty suddenly grew bitter, and Cepheus became guarded. The colt crossed his hooves and looked away. “That never stopped my mother.”

“Dusty!” Candle scolded.

The colt shook his head, crying out. “She left us! How could she? She just flew away one day.”

Cepheus sighed, understanding. When he was a colt, he had similar feelings. He had always felt like there was some greener pasture out there, some better place waiting just for him. But he learned that the dark misery that was in this village was present everywhere.

Candle was about to speak, but Cepheus spoke first. “Dusty, your mother made a mistake. There is a darkness in this world,” he groaned in frustration. “There is something missing. I can feel it deep inside me. We pegasi are naturally curious. We explore, we seek, always searching for brighter horizons we can come to call home. We want better living conditions not only for ourselves, but all those under our protection as well.” Cepheus drew closer to Candle and put his wing around her. “Some pegasi get this wrong. It’s not the place that makes home a home, it’s the ponies that you share it with.”

Dusty and Candle grew quiet. After a thoughtful pause, Candle softly whispered. “I was just a filly, and Dusty a newborn foal. Father had recently died, and we were all mourning. Mother had said that she would be going out to get us some food, and that she’d be back by supper. I watched her fly into this forest, and that’s the last time I ever saw her.”

Dusty was bristling with anger. “She took all our money, that’s why we’re so poor.”

Candle shushed him, and they all lapsed into silence.

A family is only as strong as its weakest link, Cepheus thought.

Candle had leaned into him, and he could feel Dusty’s hooves wrapped around the base of his neck. Even then, he could still feel the bitterness smoldering within the colt.

Cepheus sighed. “Dusty, your mother was foolish. She abandoned her foals, and forgot that family is a pegasus’ greatest blessing. Take it from me, traveling with you and your sister has made me realize what a wonderful thing it is to be in the company of ponies who love each other unconditionally. It reminds me of what I felt with my own family before we were split apart.” They all listened to him quietly, drinking his every word. “Your mother didn’t know what she was missing out on by leaving. I know she still remembers you two, she probably regrets it too. It was her mistake entirely, and neither of you were to blame.”

Cepheus paused, knowing what had to be done here. “I know she has caused you two a lot of pain, but…you have to forgive her.”

“Why?” Dusty retorted. Candle also looked at him, wanting an explanation. He could see the extent of damage that had been done to her by her mother’s departure in her eyes.

“Hate is a bad thing to carry in your heart. You may hate a pair of shoes, or barley bread, but you cannot hate another pony. It’ll make you bitter. It’ll make you miserable and angry, and it’ll consume you from the inside.” Cepheu shuffled his hooves. “You see, my mother and sister didn’t like my brother. They hated him, and that deadened their hearts.” Cepheus looked at Candle and then looked sideways, seeing Dusty in his periphery. “Even righteous hate takes its toll. You need to forgive her so the wound can heal.”

Cepheus looked up, addressing Dusty. “Maybe that’s why you were always so reluctant to go outside. Because you were afraid that you might get hurt.”

Cepheus softened his voice, the way a parent does when he’s explaining something to his foal. “As long as you hate your mother, the reminder of all that pain she caused you will remain, and it’ll make you paranoid and not trust anyone with your feelings. It’ll hinder your ability to make new relationships.”

Candle and Dusty were silent, and remained so for a long time.

The air soon gained a damp, balmy feel to it. A thunderstorm was coming. When a cold breeze started to stir, he shivered. Cepheus decided it was now time to set up camp. The villagers found comfortable spots in the shelter of the massive trees. The wagons were unloaded, supplies were distributed, and attendance was taken. Candle had then approached him, exhaustion in her gait. “Here,” she said, brushing up against his barrel. “Let me put Dusty to bed.”

He breathed in the scent of her mane, putting his hooves around her in an embrace. Candle was surprised at the sudden gesture of affection. Breaking away, she took Dusty and gave him a weary look. “Cepheus, we need to talk. Come to our tent in an hour, when Dusty asleep.”

Cepheus felt a bit nervous, but smiled and nodded. “Alright, see you then.” She trotted away with Dusty on her back, but he called after her. “If you need help making your tent, just ask!”

She didn’t respond. An elderly mare approached him. “Young lad,” she said in her sweet, grandmotherly voice. “Will you help me make my tent?”

Cepheus smiled, taking the tarp from her. “Of course.”

Soon, all the tents were erected, lashed and secured, and Cepheus realized that he had no tarp of his own. Persei and Ultra Violet had taken the family tarp.

He had been so busy helping others, he had forgotten about himself. Cepheus looked around, finding everypony hidden away inside their tents. He was alone out here.

He began trotting across the camp ground, wondering if Candle would allow him to sleep inside her tent. She had wanted to talk to him about something.

I hope she’s not angry with me, he thought. Did I overstep my boundaries by telling them to forgive their mother?

Cepheus couldn’t stand it when ponies were upset with him.

The rain was coming down harder now, and he saw Candle’s tent lashed against the massive roots of a tree. The outgrowths were massive, arching many feet off the ground, providing a burrow that could accommodate two ponies. Three would make a snug fit.

Cold and shivering, he stood there, staring at the soft light emanating from Candle’s tent. He could make out two huddled figures inside.

Lightning rippled in the sky, illuminating the forest. Cepheus immediately knew he was being watched. His pegasi instincts flared, and looked up in the trees. He saw a silhouette of a pony hidden behind the dense foliage, a pair of glowing yellow eyes with slitted pupils staring down at him.

Cepheus felt afraid, and the forest was dark again. Thunder crashed in the sky.

What was that? he asked himself. He looked up, trying to hear or see the pony again, but nothing could be heard or seen due to the darkness and the sounds of the storm.

That pony had eyes like Sirius’….

Am I just imagining things? He hadn’t slept in a few days. Lightning illuminated the forest once again, and he looked up. The pony was gone. There was no evidence that it had even been there in the first place.

I need rest. I’m seeing things.

Water dripped from his muzzle, his golden mane was plastered to his forehead, and his wings were ruffled. He sneezed and shivered violently. He would get sick if he stayed out here.

Cepheus swallowed and approached the tent.

The cold, soaked, and shivering pegasus entered the snug burrow, and saw Candle and Dusty huddled together with a lantern hanging from a knob on the overarching roots.

Cepheus gave her a small smile, and settled down close to her. “Candle,” he whispered. She regarded him solemnly with her brown eyes. “Do you mind if I sleep here tonight?”

“Listen to what I have to say first,” she said, her face expressionless. Cepheus felt nervous and listened attentively. Candle sighed, gently brushing Dusty’s mane as he slept. “You don’t have a cutie mark,” she finally said.

Caught off guard by the question, he wasn’t quite sure how to respond. “I know I’m a late bloomer,” he said, rubbing his hooves together nervously. “But you can’t rush your destiny.”

Candle blinked at him sleepily. “It’s not normal….”

Cepheus began to explain himself. “I know I may not have my official talent, but I’m a hard worker….”

“Let me finish,” she cut in. Cepheus fell silent. She continued. “The way you read ponies. That’s not normal. You see right through all of us, and can immediately diagnose what’s wrong with all of us.” Candle stared at him, and sighed. “You were right about my mother. I hesitated to agree with you then, because I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” Cepheus asked.

“You have us both completely figured out. You know what troubles us, how those afflictions impact our lives, and what to do to make us feel better and repair the damage. It just kind of frightened me that you knew so much about us…and I’ve been thinking about it.” Candle rose from beside the sleeping Dusty, and drew so close to him that he could feel her breath against his muzzle. “I…I feel so strange when I’m with you. It feels like I have no secrets…like I’m naked. I…I…don’t know if I can handle to have somepony this close to my heart….”

Candle trailed off nervously, and Cepheus leaned forward and kissed her. Their muzzles locked together, and there was a nervous whimper from Candle. He drew back from her, familiarizing himself once again with her taste. “Forgive me if I read you again, but I understand. Like I said with Dusty, you have trust issues because of what your mother did. You don’t know it, but you have a wall around yourself. You subconsciously fear getting hurt like that again; of being abandoned. That’s why you have difficulty in allowing other ponies to see who you really are.” Candle stared at him, the lanternlight flickering in her brown eyes. Cepheus continued softly. “You shy away from intimacy, and fear that if a pony gets too close, he’ll be able to hurt you. That’s why you shut yourself off. If you don’t let anyone in, they can’t hurt you.”

“You’ve forced yourself into my heart,” she said, interrupting him. “You force yourself into the heart of everypony you care about.” She looked down, staring at her hooves. “I want you, Cepheus. I need you, but I have to know something first. You seem to be so well off…so emotionally secure. I need you, but do you need me? I feel like you would be perfectly fine without me, I…”

“I love you, Candle Glimmer.” The sincerity of his words stunned her. “I need you because of that. I wouldn’t be perfectly fine without you, not at all. You and Dusty make me feel whole, and in all honesty…I already feel like we’re family.”

Tears were welling up in her eyes, and she rushed into his embrace. “I swear,” she muttered. “You are everything that Dusty and I have ever needed. How did I manage to make an angel like you fall in love with me?”

Cepheus felt his protective pegasi instincts kicking in. He felt a strong sense of possession over not only her, but Dusty as well. They were his now.

He felt a joy in his heart, and wrapped his wings around her. They remained in their embrace for what felt like an eternity, gently rocking back and forth. Cepheus never wanted to let her go, and neither did she.

“Marry me,” he whispered in her ear.

Her sobs were renewed, her frame trembling with pure happiness. “Yes! Yes…”

Dusty immediately rose from his feigned sleep and wiggled in between Cepheus and Candle. They both laughed, and Dusty wrapped his tiny hooves around them, crying.

Cepheus felt an incredible warmth within him, and a luminance deep inside of his heart which was once kindled, now became a blaze. It filled him up and shone through his blue eyes, setting them aglow with a soft radiance.

A beautiful cutie mark now emblazoned his white flank, signifying everything Cepheus was: light and warmth.

Author's Notes:

Although Cepheus and Persei are siblings, you can see the enormous difference between them. They both have a ‘fire’ within them. Cepheus has the type of fire that provides warmth, where Persei’s burns. Both have their uses. These are the two aspects of ‘passion’.

Cepheus has a prodigiously high emotional intelligence. He is also very wise for a stallion his age.

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 16: A Book with Missing Pages

Arcturus took out the cilantro from the plastic bag. He set it to the side, and began preparing all the other vegetables. Lemons, onions, peppers, tomatoes, all paraded on the kitchen counter in a beautiful arrangement of colors.

Glass bottles of virgin olive oil, tequila, and vinegar sat at the edge of the counter, waiting for him.

Arcturus checked the recipe book again. Ceviche required fresh salmon, which Morning should be bringing for him any moment now.

Taking the knife in his mouth, he slid the cutting board with the banana peppers to the edge of the table. He began jerking his head up and down, and the knife in his mouth began to sloppily cut through the peppers.

The struggles of a pegasus chef….

He grunted in frustration. The knife was dull.

Arcturus yanked open the knife drawer, and froze in shock. There were no knives in here, but there was a lot of blood. A broken razor lay on its side, pointing at the words in the center. “Help me,” it said in shaky, crimson letters.

A sudden migraine struck Arcturus, and he groaned in pain. He slammed the drawer shut, and the pain immediately receded.

He went on as if nothing had happened, and opened the next drawer down. There was more blood, and an ominous looking clump of gore. Another migraine flared up in his mind, but he still read the message. “Find Doctor Pharus before…” the message was then abruptly jerked off, as if the pony writing it had collapsed. Or had been dragged away.

Arcturus looked down at his hooves, seeing some congealed blood pooled on the floor. It was under the banister, so it had been concealed. The blood was still glistening. The blood in the drawers hadn’t clotted either. These messages had been written recently.

There was another spike from his migraine. He felt as if somepony was in here with him. Something horrendously malignant that wanted nothing more than to cause him pain.

Whoever had written these messages had known he would be cooking today….

There was a loud bang from somewhere around him. Arcturus slowly looked up, seeing all the way down the hallway leading out of the kitchen. At the end of the corridor, there was a door. There was another bang, the door shook, and Arcturus flinched.

The door opened up a crack, and a mangled red hoof reached out. He realized in terror that the hoof had been flayed. “Come hither,” a voice whispered. The door began to open slowly, and Arcturus began to trot towards it. “That’s right,” the voice purred hypnotically.

The apartment door burst opened, and the flayed hoof retreated into the darkness. Arcturus looked bewildered as Morning came through with grocery bags. He looked back at the door down the hallway at the end of the corridor. It was now closed.

“Something smells really good,” Morning said, approaching the kitchen counter and putting down the salmon. “A lot of meat and vegetables, eh?”

“Yeah,” Arcturus said, returning to the counter where he had been cutting vegetables. “I need more proteins.”

Morning looked him over, sensing something was wrong. But she was distracted. “Wow, have you been working out?” She then looked up to the top of his head, and cocked her head as if she was trying to see him in another perspective. “He cooks, he cleans, loves classical music…” she gestured to his ear, “and he has a piercing.”

“Don’t forget that he has an excellent taste in mares,” he added, and she blushed.

What piercing? He touched his ear, and found it hot and sore. It had been recently pierced, and now looking in the mirror, he saw a silver ring in his right ear. It was rather stylish, so no complaints from him.

“It’s very sexy,” Morning added, and gave him a puzzled look again. “I can’t put my finger on you…I’ve never dated a stallion with such a broad spectrum of interests. It’s like you get into these moods, and suddenly you want to go study brain anatomy, or you want to take cello lessons, or you want to cook.”

“Live life to the fullest, my lovely Morning Glory.”

He honestly had no idea what she was talking about, but it turns out that he was very forgetful, and had learned to just go along with it.

“I adore it when you call me Morning Glory,” she said, shrugging off her scarf and relaxing.

“Well,” Arcturus said, slightly confused. “What else would I call you?”

Morning giggled. “My real name, maybe? Do you still want me to call you Master Arcturus? Or does it depend on the time of day?”

What in Equestria was she talking about? Perhaps…Another migraine stifled the thought.

He went to his medicine cabinet, and reached up for some pain relievers. “I know I am a Night Terror, but you are my mare-friend, and therefore exempt from calling me ‘Master’.”

“That’s not really what I meant, but….” Morning paused, and then smiled. “Why don’t you and I do something fun tonight?”

Arcturus downed several pills, screwed the lid back on, and tossed it back up. “We can go to the park. The Sparks will be playing in the amphitheater there.”

Morning’s eyes lit up. “How did you know I liked The Sparks?”

“You mentioned it on our third date,” Arcturus said knowingly, “and I know you as a filly had the biggest crush on their guitarist.”

She had a big grin on her face, but her joy faded. “But, all the tickets are probably sold out.”

Arcturus opened one of the kitchen drawers and produced two VIP concert tickets. “Night Terrors get exclusive privileges.”

Morning rushed into his embrace, hugging him tightly. “I love you,” she whispered. “Not because you buy me lots of stuff, but because I know you care about me more than anything else.” She drew back a little so they could look each other in the eyes. “I’m all yours, so stop spoiling me.”

Arcturus leaned forward and kissed her. “I love you more,” he said. “You are my clarity, my resolve, my grip on reality.”

He glanced over her shoulder, back at the door at the end of the corridor. What was in there?

Sirius groaned, awakening on the cold, smooth floor of what appeared to be a warehouse. He blinked into awareness. Everything ached, and he tasted something chalky in his mouth.

Where am I?

He managed to stand, his hooves trembling. Sirius surveyed his surroundings as his vision cleared. The place was vast and empty, and the dirty skylights allowed some moonlight to filter through, but otherwise it was a cold, dank and dark place.

How did I get here?

Sirius tasted the chalky substance on his lips again. He wiped it off with his hoof, and the fur had white smears of some powder on it. Sirius was confused. Licking the powder, and then sniffing it, he immediately felt a rush of energy.

Amphetamines…Sirius was doing drugs again. He couldn’t remember anything though.

Did amphetamine usage affect memory?

He couldn’t recall the information on the drug type. All he knew is that he was going to get one hell of a headache later on.

Sirius was frightened. What was going on? He couldn’t even remember buying the drugs in the first place.

“I’m losing control,” he whispered to himself, frightened.

He had noticed something like this before. He had recurring blackouts and there were increasingly lengthy stretches of time that were unaccounted for. His brain had been first skipping a few seconds, barely noticeable. But then seconds turned to minutes, minutes into hours, and now it felt like he had been mentally absent for almost a full day.

What had happened in all those hours he had missed?

Sirius began to trot towards what appeared to be a large loading dock with huge garage doors leading to the outside world. He needed to get back home.

In his mind, he tried to backtrack. What was the last thing he remembered doing before it all went dark?

Sirius strained his mind, and realized that the last memory he had was of him getting a coffee from Sparklebuck’s. Had there been something in his drink? Was somepony out to get him?

It couldn’t be. That wouldn’t explain all his other blackouts. Still…maybe somepony was trying to poison him with increasingly larger doses of the toxin.

Sirius couldn't go home. He needed to get himself to a hospital. Something was obviously wrong.

He arrived at the exit of the warehouse, and found the large garage doors were locked shut. Sirius turned around, and bucked the door hard with his hooves. He bucked again, the latching mechanism shattered, and the door was yanked upwards by the spring loaded bearings.

Immediately, Sirius was blinded by flashing red and blue lights at the other end of the block. Cold air brushed his face as he shielded his light sensitive eyes.

He slowly adjusted to the bright lights and the intermittent wails of the police sirens. Spotlights had been set up, bathing the brick backside of an apartment building with light. Apparently something very interesting was to be found there.

Dozens of the Night Guard were all faced the other way, shouting at each other, trotting back and forth, and questioning witnesses. Some kind of big crime scene had happened here.

Sirius wanted to avoid the mess down there, but the closest hospital was down that road.

He was intrigued though, and trotted on the sidewalk. As he drew closer, he now saw the blood on the wall. While he had been strung out in the warehouse, there had been some kind of mass killing out here.

Sirius entered the crime scene, but the Night Guard were too busy to take note of him. He was just another onlooker.

Sirius gasped. On the brick wall where all the spotlights were trained on, there was a grisly message. A pony’s entrails had been nailed to the wall to form the words, “Necron wuz here.”

The entrails hung down from the last ‘e’ and led down to the pony which the entrails originated from. The disemboweled stallion lay in a bloody splatter on the floor. Four other ponies lay there on the crime scene in equally horrific states.

He overheard a witness crying, the mare was hysterical. “Some lunatic with a meat cleaver bucking skewered those thugs! He kept on screaming that his name was Necron, and was just painting the walls with their blood!”

Wow, Sirius thought. That’s pretty crazy.

He suddenly had a headache. Groaning in pain, he decided that he needed to get to the hospital as quick as possible. The sooner he got there, the sooner somepony would be able to take care of him. He needed to get a handle on this thing.

As he drew away from the police sirens, and the general commotion, he felt more at peace. His headache faded in the gentle ambience of the city night life.

The moon had set long ago, and the bright streetlights and storefronts illuminated the streets. Dozens of ponies trotted by him on the busy sidewalk, a sea of faces and each one only lasted in his memory for a brief moment.

Taxi carriages rushed by on the street, their drivers cursing angrily. Sirius wandered by a newsstand and saw Nightmare Moon on the front page. She was standing with several Nightborn legislators. The paper was enchanted, and the grayscale image was moving. He had seen such papers before, but he had never really paid attention.

Nightmare Moon was shaking her head, and the legislators were shaking each other’s hooves. The caption above read, “Nightmare Moon Approves Increased Military Intervention in Fringe Colonies.”

Sirius was reminded of his home. Despite all the pain the place it held, he could not forget it.

He paid the pony at the newsstand for the paper and began reading it. “The Fringe Colonies have always harbored outlaws, remnants of the Church of Celestion cult, Dayborn invalids, all ponies with checkered histories. Nightmare Moon’s new crusade against them will make Equestria safer for all of us.”

That had been a formal statement from one of the Empress’ generals.

Sirius folded the paper under his wing and continued trotting, lost in thought. He wondered how his family was doing. Were they happier now that he was gone?

Sirius knew Cepheus missed him, and Sirius missed him as well. He never had such a great friend.

Sirius sighed, feeling lonely in this vast city. He focused his thoughts on getting to the hospital, but he never made it there.

Author's Notes:

Sirius is having serious issues. Imagine his life becoming like a book with missing pages. There are large, inexplicable holes in the narrative.

The next Sirius/Arcturus chapter, the chapter after the next one, will have a clop option.

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 17: The Worldspine

Persei stared in awe at the immense chain of stone monoliths before her. The mountain range was like the jagged teeth of some great monster, risen up from the bowels of the earth, taking thousands of years to form.

The trees thinned out around them, vegetation grew increasingly sparse as the soil became rockier as they ascended, and soon it was just gray rock for the rest of the way up. A blanket of wispy white clouds shrouded the peaks, giving the mountains a majestic, mysterious charm in the light of the full moon.

Persei stared in wonder. How would they ever get over those?

Ultra Violet was wrapping up their tent with her magic, and noticed Persei staring at the not so distant mountains. “Those mountains, my folk refer to them as the Worldspine.”

The Worldspine…Persei stared in defiance at them. Although beautiful to look at, they were an obstacle that needed to be conquered. “Let’s do this,” she said, determination in her voice.

Violet smiled, and they began to trot towards the Worldspine. Hopefully Cepheus and the other villagers would soon arrive at there as well, and together, they would proceed up the mountains. But that was a problem. “Violet,” she said, and the other unicorn looked at her inquisitively. “How are we going to get the village elders over those mountains? Your camp is on the other side, right?”

Violet nodded. “There is a secret tunnel that bores through the mountains and leads directly to our camp. We don’t actually have to go over the mountains. They are considered impassible, not only by ground, but air as well.” Violet pointed her hoof at the Worldspine, sweeping it across the horizon. “The mountain range extends indefinitely in both directions. As far as we know, they go on forever.”

“So, it’s like a giant wall separating one part of the world from another?” Persei asked, awed.

Violet shook her head. “Not really. The sea is all that’s behind those mountains. You’re not really missing much by not seeing the other side. Our own camp is nestled in a large crevice on the mountain face. It’s a sharp drop off into the ocean.”

Persei nodded. “I heard in old legends that there used to be ancient cities, exotic lands, island nations, but they were all flooded when the tides rose during the start of Nightmare Moon’s reign at the beginning of the new age.”

Violet nodded. “I have heard that as well, but that is beyond our imagining. All written records of the past age have been destroyed, although Nightmare Moon claims that only a tyrannical regime existed before her and they hadn’t developed their language to include a written form.”

Persei imagined a civilization of illiterate barbarians, but could they believe what Nightmare Moon said? Definitely not. “It’s most likely she had destroyed all the records on purpose, to make us think that things were never any different than they are now.”

“Exactly,” Violet said. “Her government is built upon deception and lies.”

Persei nodded, looking up at the mountains again. The trees around them were already thinning out, and the terrain was becoming rougher. Moonlight reflected off the stone face of the mountain. A continuous cold breeze that seemed to emanate from the mountains themselves caressed her face, blowing her brunette mane back.

The frigid wind whistled all around her, and she breathed it all in, the cold chilling her lungs and invigorating her.

Persei felt powerful. She had never felt so secure in her entire life. She dared fate to knock her off her high perch. Nothing was more dangerous than a pony who knew what she was about.

Persei felt like a changed pony ever since she had left that haunted part of the forest. For the first time in her life, she had a direction, a higher goal. She was part of a grand cause that was far greater than herself.

Despite her newfound purpose, the pain of Mother’s death still ached inside her. But instead of sorrow, she felt a hot anger in her heart.

Nopony should have to go through the pain Persei had experienced. No more Dayborns should have to suffer under the whip of Nightmare Moon’s oppression.

Persei felt a fire within her. She would see that tyrant fall…she swore it upon her mother’s memory.

Ultra Violet had been glancing at her every now and then, noticing that something was simmering inside her. Persei wanted to share her outrage with Violet, but that mare had suffered far more than she could ever imagine.

All the ponies in her camp probably all had suffered more than Persei had.

Persei exhaled, calming herself. She had to focus on getting there first. She noticed that the trees had thinned out, and Violet stopped her. Her horn began to glow, and there was a lilac flash that blinded Persei for a moment. “There,” she said. “Protocol demands that once we leave the cover of the forest, we must wear our camouflage. To anyone flying above, we’re going to look like bushes.”

Persei was still rubbing her eyes. “Why would any of Nightmare Moon’s soldiers come here?”

“We haven’t stayed hidden from the Empress this long by not exercising extreme caution.” Persei nodded, gesturing to the gradually increasing steepness of their climb. “We will be meeting two of our agents when we reach a certain point. They’ll check our identities, they’ll ask you a few questions, and then they will lead us to the tunnel.”

Persei felt nervous, but she was certain she could pass their little inspection.

Soon, they had emerged from the forest. Pale green grass and small shrubs adorned the stone feet of the mountains, and they continued to ascend. They crossed a meandering stream, stopping to drink the pristine mountain water.

Persei could taste the small tinge of salt in the breeze from the sea, but it was subdued by the cold, algidity of the mountain air.

“Persei,” Violet said. “I was thinking about this for a while now, but do you know your mother’s actual name?”

Persei sighed. “I asked her once about what her name was, but she always told me that she no longer had one. So we just called her mother, since that’s what she was to us. She had always been secretive about her identity, and now I know it was for good reason.”

“Hmmm….” Violet thought pensively. “Do you know your father’s name? Was he a unicorn like you, or a pegasus like your brother?”

“I don’t know my father’s name either, but I do know he was a pegasus.”

Violet stared at Persei. “Then how are you a unicorn? Genetics would dictate that you either be an earth pony like your mother, or a pegasus like your father.”

Persei shrugged. “Maybe it was a mutation, or some remnant blood from some other unicorn ancestor.” She put a hoof under her muzzle, stroking it. “I haven’t given this much thought. I was sharing womb space with my brother, maybe that caused it.”

“You two are twins?” Violet asked.

“Yes, fraternal.” Persei answered.

Ultra Violet shook her head. “Interesting, you must tell me more about your origins when we get back to camp.”

“Same here,” Persei whispered.

They continued their ascent of the mountain, and Violet had stopped to give her some hoof-wraps to protect her hooves from sharp rocks and help her grip the mountain face better.

Soon, they arrived at a waypoint in their journey. Persei struggled as she climbed up a particularly high ridge, and was out of breath as she followed Violet.

They were standing in some wide, flat space. The mountain went up in an almost vertical direction at the other end of the clearing, and behind Persei was an open view of the vast green forest stretching out below as far as the eye could see. But what was most intriguing was what was at the center of the clearing. There was a wrecked statue of some regal looking mare, her shattered head sitting at her feet.

Persei jumped when two armored stallions emerged from within the cracks of the ruined statue. They gave her a guarded stare, and then looked around the clearing before facing Ultra Violet. The pegasus with a minty green coat and mossy colored mane addressed her with the utmost respect. “My lady, you’ve brought only one mare with you? Drawnzer managed to bring half of the ponies in his assigned village a week ago, not to mention….”

“Silence, Grass Blade.” The stallion suddenly fell quiet, as if he had been bitten. “I will be personally escorting this mare to our camp, and I want you to descend the mountain and wait at the very foot. Her entire village should soon be arriving, and they will require assistance in the climb.”

Violet faced the other guard, an orange earth pony with a blue mane. “Broadsides, you wait here for Grass Blade, and maintain your guard duty. I want you personally held responsible for this task here: when the villagers arrive, a pegasus named Cepheus should be leading them. Immediately send him to my pavilion once everypony is settled.”

Violet looked at Persei for a moment, and then addressed the two guards once more. “You have your orders. Carry them out.”

Grass Blade gestured towards Persei with his wing. “What about her background check?”

Violet’s lilac mane flared up. “I will take care of her. You focus on your own assigned duties.”

Grass Blade flapped his wings and in a moment he disappeared down the ridge.

Persei faced Violet, confused. “What did those stallions mean by assigned villages? Did you…did your camp already know the Night Guard was going to attack all of the fringe colonies?”

“Yes,” she said in an authoritative tone. “I had been spying on Nightmare Moon’s activities, as I told you before. The increased amount of military personnel at her forward bases suggested that she was preparing to attack. Though I, and as a result my forces, underestimated the tenacity and swiftness of her Night Guard. I thought I had more time, but we did manage to gather as many refugees as we could and bring them here.”

Persei nodded, and thought out loud. “Do you know what caused the Night Guard’s interest in our colonies in the first place? They had left us alone, then all of a sudden they were all over us.”

“It was the Night Terrors,” Violet said immediately. “Somehow, they found your mother and wanted her dead. That was the catalyst behind the Night Guard raids. That’s the reason why all the villages were destroyed, turning thousands of our fellow Dayborns into refugees.”

“How did they find mother? Do ponies give off a signature when they sleep that acts as a beacon that the Night Terrors can see?”

“Each dreaming pony’s mind gives off a certain signature, but definitely not a beacon. Even without the Nightlock, she would still have evaded notice. It was either she had very bad luck, or somepony ratted her out.” Ultra Violet looked at Persei very closely. “No Dayborn would help Nightmare Moon, so it had to be a Nightborn.” The unicorn grew closer, looking her right in the eye. “Was there anypony like that in your town? A Nightborn who knew your mother, or had something against her?”

Sirius…It had been him. He had flown off and had told Nightmare Moon about their location. So many ponies had suffered because of him. Persei had been right to hate him. She sighed. “It was a pony named Sirius. He was the only Nightborn in the village, and was friends with my brother, Cepheus.” Persei shook her head. “I knew he was wicked. My Mother tried to kill him. I should have helped her finish the job.”

Ultra Violet nodded. “You should have. All Nightborn ponies are inherently traitorous and wicked. But I’m sure you won’t make the mistake of allowing one to live again.”

Persei nodded, feeling guilty, but hating Sirius more. If she ever found him, she would not hesitate to kill him. So much blood was on his hooves.

Violet was trotting away, and Persei began to follow. But as she drew close, Violet looked back at her. “Oh, and you said your brother was friends with this Nightborn?” Persei remained silent. “Straighten him out,” she growled. “Or I will do it for you.”

Ultra Violet continued trotting alongside the face of the mountain, and Persei followed. She had to tell Cepheus what Sirius had done.

Persei felt bad about telling him though. Cepheus had honestly loved the threstal, and the betrayal would break his heart. Even more so once he learned of Mother’s death.

They arrived at another, much smaller clearing. Persei looked around, and Ultra Violet stood in front of the mountain face. What was she doing? There was nothing here….

“Who dares to approach my lair?” a deep voice boomed from above.

Persei stared up in horror, and saw a silver and gray dragon staring down at them from his perch. Smoke issued from his nostrils, and he bared his razor sharp teeth at her. “Leave now, and I may spare you.”

Ultra Violet moved into the dragon’s eyesight, and there was a visible change in his demeanor. “What have I told you about theatrics, Sarim? I will have none of that nonsense while you watch the gate.”

The dragon wilted. “I was just having some fun, my lady. I meant no offense.”

Sarim retreated out of view, and Violet shook her head angrily. Her horn began to glow, and she touched it against the mountain. The illusion of the featureless rock face dissipated and a large crevice appeared. It was dark inside, narrow, and looked treacherous.

Ultra Violet’s horn began to glow, and she led the way inside. “Follow me, Persei. The camp is through here.” Persei followed her inside, water dripping on her head. “Consider yourself one of us now,” Violet whispered.

Author's Notes:

Sorry if there was any trouble last night or this morning. Fimfiction was glitching out on me. I think I may have lost an upvote because of that.

It seems Persei has finally found her place in this world. Maybe she'll be able to make some friends now.

Discussion/feedback is encouraged

Important Note: The next chapter will have a clop option. Have fun with that.

Chapter 18: Unraveled (Standard)

Arcturus’ heart was racing. The smell of rot breached his nostrils. He stood in the hallway, staring at the door at the end of the corridor. Perspiration dripped from his muzzle, trickling down his neck.

Something was in the room again, and it smelled as if something had died in there.

“Please….” A mare’s familiar voice pleaded from behind the door. “Somepony help me!”

There was the sound of chains rattling and a whimper of pain.

Arcturus took a hesitant step forward, and his already crippling migraine intensified. He took another step forward, and gasped in pain. Each step amplified the pain tenfold. There was something in that room that his subconscious didn’t want him to see.

This had been going on for weeks. Arcturus hallucinated about the door. He always drew close in curiosity. A little bit closer every time, but sense found him and he fled every time. It was as if one part of him was luring him into some kind of trap, and another part was desperately trying to protect him by keeping him away.

Morning Glory had gone shopping, and she wouldn’t be coming to rescue him any time soon.

There was another pity-evoking cry for help. “It hurts so much….”

Arcturus remembered the flayed hoof. The hypnotic voice that had drawn him in every time. His mind was screaming to get away, but he was transfixed.

Arcturus had been having dreams of ponies being dragged into the room, being tortured, and strung up on the wall. They were just nightmares, but his dreams were becoming reality.

Orange and red hairs lay in clumps leading up to the door. As if somepony had taken the mare’s mane and had wrenched it back, dragging her into the room as she screamed and kicked. The torn carpet and hoof-marks on the wall was more evidence to that.

Something was in that room. Something that wanted him to share that mare’s fate.

Arcturus blacked out for what felt like a few seconds, and there was a scream. He opened his eyes again, and he was slightly closer to the door. He blacked out again, and he was a little closer. The door was open, and he could see the silhouette of a pony standing in the dark.

Arcturus blacked out again, and he was even closer. He saw that the silhouette had a linear extension to his hoof. He was holding something. Arcturus blacked out. When he opened his eyes, he was close enough to see the bloody edge of the meat cleaver and the hysterical grin of the pony holding it.

Arcturus screamed, and thrashed his hooves trying to stop himself. But every blackout drew him closer. It was pulling him in.

“Leave me alone!” he screamed. But it was futile. He couldn't resist the hidden force drawing him in.

“My name is Necron!” the pony in the dark bellowed in a guttural voice. “And you’re time is coming soon!” he said, pointing at Arcturus with the meat cleaver.

“Noooo!” Arcturus screamed. “Don’t kill me!”

Necron laughed, a hideous sound that was only heard alongside the screaming of suffering ponies.

I don’t want to die! I can’t leave Morning alone….Arcturus felt a fire ignite within him. He wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

Arcturus spread out his wings, and launched himself towards the door. Necron’s face became one of surprise. Arcturus hurtled through the air, imagining himself striking Necron hard across the face.

He flew full speed into the doorway, the sudden cold and reek of rot invading his nose, and he collided with Necron.

There was a burst of pain.

The door slammed shut behind him, plunging them both in darkness.

The apartment fell silent. Not a pin drop was to be heard. Arcturus’ cello lay on the ground, his sheet music scattered all over the floor.

Nothing moved.

Sirius awoke with a start. The newspaper he had been reading crumpled to the ground. The headline on the front page read, “Mass Murderer Strikes Again: Five Ponies with Gang Affiliations Slain.” Sweat was beading on his forehead, and he realized that he had almost fallen from his chair. The hospital waiting room was eerily quiet as he waited alone.

A doctor stormed down the hallway towards him, his stethoscope bouncing against his barrel. The frightened pegasus stared up at the angry stallion. “This is the sixth time you’ve come here this month!” the doctor exclaimed, waving his clipboard around. “You show up here with severe injuries, we patch you up with magic, but before we discharge you, you always demand to see a psychiatrist.”

Sirius blinked. This was the first time he had ever come here. “Doctor, you must be mistaken. This is the first time I’ve ever….”

“That’s what you said last time.” The doctor said annoyed. “We patched you up anyway because you were a Night Terror. But we are absolutely forbidden to provide you with psychiatric help.”

Sirius was dazed, and was struck by the sensation that an immense period of time had passed since he had last passed out. “Why am I not allowed psychiatric help?” he demanded.

The doctor sighed. “I’ve already explained this to you, Chaucer. But I’ll do it one more time.”

Who the hell is Chaucer? Sirius thought to himself.

“That is the protocol for treating Night Terrors. No mental help. No counseling. No psychological diagnosis for you. You’re on your own.” The doctor shrugged, sighing. “A lot of Night Terrors have come here, begging for help. But we have to turn them down.” The doctor pointed at Sirius with his hoof. “But you, Chaucer. Your instructor, Ember, told us personally to inform her of every time you show up here. She was very strict in her instructions. And of course, she emphasized that we deny you any treatment.”

Sirius felt a rush of rage, and the doctor’s irritation turned into fear. “I want to see your manger, your superior, or whoever you answer to.”

The stallion shook his head. “Doctor Pharus didn’t show up at work today. Besides, even if he did show up, he wouldn’t want to see you.”

“Doctor Pharus,” Sirius said as much to himself as the doctor. “That name sounds familiar.”

“Well, he’s a world famous psychiatrist and runs this hospital’s psych ward. Everypony knows who he is.”

Sirius sighed, trying a different tactic. “What if I were to talk to Ember? I want to know why she won’t let me get help.”

“You said you would talk to Ember last time,” the doctor said. “That was about three days ago, and she hasn’t contacted me.”

Sirius shook his head, almost begging the doctor. “You have to give me something. Anything.”

The doctor sighed, and grew pensive. “Well, we do have the drug test you requested.” The stallion leafed through his clipboard and handed him a paper. Sirius grabbed it and began reading. The doctor continued speaking as he read. “You were pretty much clean. We found some trace amounts of cocaine, and that was about it.”

Sirius’ world was caving in on him. If it wasn’t the drugs causing his blackouts, what was?

His mind reeled to understand. The doctors hadn’t found anything physically wrong with him. It had to be something psychological. That’s why Ember had denied him psychiatric aid…Ember.

Ember knew what was happening to him. She was the one that had done this to him. Sirius remembered his vow of vengeance on her. He also remembered his homicidal urges, the sick feral joy that came with inflicting pain. Where had all that gone?

The doctor was still standing there, watching Sirius. He looked around shiftily, and pressed a pocket watch into his hoof. “Take this,” he whispered. He then handed him a pen from his clipboard as well. “This will help you keep track of time. Make a log of when you are conscious, and when you wake up again.”

Sirius was stunned by the doctor’s kindness. “Thank you,” he whispered.

The doctor gave him a sad smile. “I had a friend who was a Night Terror. The mare completely lost her mind, as the Night Terror training program is intended to do.” The doctor looked around again, making sure no one was listening. “I don’t know if you’ve seen yourself in the mirror lately, but you look well on your way to insanity as well.”

The doctor flipped around and trotted away. Sirius watched him leave.

He then opened his pocket watch and scribbled the time on his hoof with the pen.

Sirius needed to get a handle on this thing. He had to take control of his life. Things happened when he blacked out. He needed somepony to watch him. To monitor his activities. “Sapphire,” he whispered to himself.

Sirius needed to get home to her. He shared an apartment with her, and she had to know what had been going on in his life.

The pegasus flitted down the hallway, trying to get home as quick as possible. But it was as if his mind sensed that he was trying to get help, and Sirius blacked out.

Something strange happened this time though. He actually began to dream.

A stallion with blue fur, a bluer mane, and bright green eyes appeared beside him. “You’ve done well, Initiate.”

Darkheart. Sirius stared at him, questioning his presence here. “Why are you here?”

Darkheart shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. I was summoned here as well.”

The dreamscape began to shift, and they were transported inside the throne room of a castle. Large ivory balustrades wrapped in translucent violet sheaths lined the stone chamber he stood in. He was standing on a black and purple carpet, leading up to a tremendous looking throne. Above the throne, there was a massive stained glass depiction of Nightmare Moon.

This was no ordinary castle.

An apparition of Nightmare Moon herself appeared in the throne.

Darkheart immediately bowed, and Sirius did the same.

Sirius timidly looked up at her, seeing a wicked grin on her face. She was wearing her traditional armor, her dark purple mane flowing out behind her. “Rise,” she said in a smooth, feminine voice that sunk into his ears like poisoned nectar.

Sirius and Darkheart rose.

Nightmare Moon sat on her throne, seemingly pleased. “I personally have come to congratulate you, Sirius.” She trotted down from her throne and approached him. “We have just confirmed the death of your mother. That mare had eluded my grasp for years, and you finally put an end to her.” Nightmare Moon grinned. “Well done.”

Sirius felt absolutely overwhelmed. “T..thank you, my queen.”

“No,” Nightmare Moon said. “Thank you. Ember was able to pinpoint her location while you were killing her. It made me realize that it’s time to finish something I began a long time ago….” She grinned again, her razor sharp teeth glinting in the light. “The fringe colonies have been burned out. All the Dayborn living there have been killed or scattered like the insects they are.”

The Empress faced Darkheart, regarding him expectantly. “Now, where is this stallion’s instructor? She should be here to witness what is about to happen now.”

Darkheart looked stymied. He rubbed his hoof into the carpet anxiously. “Nopony has seen her for the past three days. She’s vanished.”

“Oh ho,” Nightmare Moon mused. She winked at Sirius, and looked back at Darkheart. “Well then, I guess you being here will suffice.” Nightmare Moon cleared her throat, preparing her royal Canterlot voice. “Step forward, Initiate Sirius.”

Sirius stepped forward.

Nightmare Moon put her hoof on his head. “Today, I promote you from Initiate to Knight in the Night Terror ranks. You will be taking Ember’s place and will henceforth be charged with her duties.”

Darkheart spluttered from behind him. “My Empress, what will become of Ember now?”

Nightmare Moon grinned sadistically. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“What have you done to her!?” Darkheart demanded, tears in his eyes.

She smiled, and waved her hood. Darkheart’s form began to fade away as he was expelled from the dream. “No!” he cried. “She and I were to be married!” he struggled fiercely, but soon he disappeared completely.

Nightmare Moon snickered, as if enjoying an inside joke. “Knight Sirius, I have your first official task.” She drew uncomfortably close to him. He could smell her scent of cold night air, and a faint touch of lilacs. “Complete this task,” she said, circling him, pressing herself against him. He was intoxicated as she brushed her tail against his muzzle. “Complete this task and you will be able to come live by my side in Canterlot palace. I want you to…” she drew close to his face, their muzzles almost touching. She looked into his eyes. “I want you to hunt down your brother and sister.”

Sirius couldn’t talk. He was so entranced by her proximity, he could barely register what she was telling him. “Of course, my queen.”

Nightmare Moon grinned wolfishly again. “Honestly, the only reason I wanted you to find your mother was because of the two foals she gave birth to on that fateful day. I knew if I found her, her children would be close by.”

She pressed herself against him, kissing his cheek softly. “Find them, Sirius. Bring me their heads.”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “I live to serve.”

There was a flicker in her demeanor. “You have the loveliest blue eyes,” she whispered, circling him once again, examining him. “You remind me of somepony I used to love. So full of potential, so ready to serve.”

Nightmare Moon purred seductively, and Sirius found himself moaning in response. “Wake up,” she whispered in his ear.

Sirius awoke in the sauna in his apartment. He blinked a few times, trying to get a sense of time. He raised his hoof, but all the pen markings had been washed off by the frothy warm water.

He began to lift himself out of the tub, and immediately felt all his blood rush to his hooves. He groaned and slid over the edge, collapsing on the cold ground. Where is my pen and pocket watch?

Sirius shivered, lying wet and cold on the bathroom floor. There was a longing in his heart. He just wanted his life to return to normal. Sirius wanted to go home.

Back to the village where he was raised. Back to the place where life made sense. But it was gone and it was all his fault.

Sirius blinked. Had that Nightmare Moon dream been real? Am I really tasked to hunt Cepheus and Persei?

“Sirius,” Sapphire’s voice called from outside the bathroom. “Are you okay?”

The soaked pegasus stood up, feeling lonely and cold.

He opened the door and saw that it was dark in the room, and Sapphire was lying in bed, waiting for him. She smiled when she saw him. “Come here, Sirius. I can warm you up.”

Sirius failed to notice the suggestive overtones of her voice, and slid into the sheets with her. He lay beside Sapphire for a moment, and then it all came crashing down on him. It was all over for him. He would eventually lose control. He was destined to go insane, just like all the other Night Terrors.

Sirius began to sob, and Sapphire immediately wrapped her hooves around him in an embrace. “Please don’t cry, my love.”

The sincerity in her voice charmed him, and he wrapped his wings around her, holding her tightly against him. Through his sobs and tears, he whispered to her. “Sapphire, I am having these black outs. Every time it happens, I wake up in a strange place and I can’t remember what I’ve done for the past six or seven hours. It’s getting worse and worse, I’m losing more and more time and I just want to give up….”

Sapphire forced her muzzle onto his, kissing him. Sirius fell silent, enjoying her touch. She began to pant, kissing him again and again, each time with more vigor. He returned her kisses, and he pulled the sheets over his head.

Heart racing, gasping for breath, he actually felt happy for the first time in a long time. They tumbled underneath the sheets, and Sirius forgot all about his worries, the pain, the impending loss of his autonomy, and was grounded here in the present with Sapphire.

They soon surfaced for air, sweating and exhausted. Sirius reveled in the afterglow. He wasn’t going to give up on his life just yet….

Sapphire put her head on his barrel, and he put a wing over her. He looked down at the mare lying against him, feeling true affection blooming in his heart. She had saved him. Impulsively, he said, “I’m so glad to have you here with me, Sapphire.”

She grinned as she began to fall asleep, her eyes already closed. “I love you, Arcturus.”

Sirius froze. What did she just call me? Did she just say…

He went completely catatonic. He was racked with silent seizures, his central nervous system short circuiting.

Sirius’ eyes were wide open, screaming for help, but he couldn’t make a sound or even move. Sapphire had exposed something by accident….

Sirius blacked out.

When he awoke, Sapphire was gone, and there was a bloody message scrawled on the roof. “You’re next.”

Author's Notes:

A lot of stuff happens this chapter. Mind-blowing stuff. All the questions that have been raised about Sirius' mental health will be answered in his next chapter.

Remember, this chapter has a clop version of it as well if you want to read that.

Discussion/feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 18.5: Unraveled (Clop Option)

Author's Notes:

This is the version of Chapter 18 that has a rather large clop scene in it.

Contains: M/F, bondage, oral, and excessive semen

This is my first time writing clop, so please be encouraged to give feedback and advice. Thanks!

Arcturus’ heart was racing. The smell of rot breached his nostrils. He stood in the hallway, staring at the door at the end of the corridor. Perspiration dripped from his muzzle, trickling down his neck.

Something was in the room again, and it smelled as if something had died in there.

“Please….” A mare’s familiar voice pleaded from behind the door. “Somepony help me!”

There was the sound of chains rattling and a whimper of pain.

Arcturus took a hesitant step forward, and his already crippling migraine intensified. He took another step forward, and gasped in pain. Each step amplified the pain tenfold. There was something in that room that his subconscious didn’t want him to see.

This had been going on for weeks. Arcturus hallucinated about the door. He always drew close in curiosity. A little bit closer every time, but sense found him and he fled every time. It was as if one part of him was luring him into some kind of trap, and another part was desperately trying to protect him by keeping him away.

Morning Glory had gone shopping, and she wouldn’t be coming to rescue him any time soon.

There was another pity-evoking cry for help. “It hurts so much….”

Arcturus remembered the flayed hoof. The hypnotic voice that had drawn him in every time. His mind was screaming to get away, but he was transfixed.

Arcturus had been having dreams of ponies being dragged into the room, being tortured, and strung up on the wall. They were just nightmares, but his dreams were becoming reality.

Orange and red hairs lay in clumps leading up to the door. As if somepony had taken the mare’s mane and had wrenched it back, dragging her into the room as she screamed and kicked. The torn carpet and hoof-marks on the wall was more evidence to that.

Something was in that room. Something that wanted him to share that mare’s fate.

Arcturus blacked out for what felt like a few seconds, and there was a scream. He opened his eyes again, and he was slightly closer to the door. He blacked out again, and he was a little closer. The door was open, and he could see the silhouette of a pony standing in the dark.

Arcturus blacked out again, and he was even closer. He saw that the silhouette had a linear extension to his hoof. He was holding something. Arcturus blacked out. When he opened his eyes, he was close enough to see the bloody edge of the meat cleaver and the hysterical grin of the pony holding it.

Arcturus screamed, and thrashed his hooves trying to stop himself. But every blackout drew him closer. It was pulling him in.

“Leave me alone!” he screamed. But it was futile. He couldn't resist the hidden force drawing him in.

“My name is Necron!” the pony in the dark bellowed in a guttural voice. “And you’re time is coming soon!” he said, pointing at Arcturus with the meat cleaver.

“Noooo!” Arcturus screamed. “Don’t kill me!”

Necron laughed, a hideous sound that was only heard alongside the screaming of suffering ponies.

I don’t want to die! I can’t leave Morning alone….Arcturus felt a fire ignite within him. He wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

Arcturus spread out his wings, and launched himself towards the door. Necron’s face became one of surprise. Arcturus hurtled through the air, imagining himself striking Necron hard across the face.

He flew full speed into the doorway, the sudden cold and reek of rot invading his nose, and he collided with Necron.

There was a burst of pain.

The door slammed shut behind him, plunging them both in darkness.

The apartment fell silent. Not a pin drop was to be heard. Arcturus’ cello lay on the ground, his sheet music scattered all over the floor.

Nothing moved.

Sirius awoke with a start. The newspaper he had been reading crumpled to the ground. The headline on the front page read, “Mass Murderer Strikes Again: Five Ponies with Gang Affiliations Slain.” Sweat was beading on his forehead, and he realized that he had almost fallen from his chair. The hospital waiting room was eerily quiet as he waited alone.

A doctor stormed down the hallway towards him, his stethoscope bouncing against his barrel. The frightened pegasus stared up at the angry stallion. “This is the sixth time you’ve come here this month!” the doctor exclaimed, waving his clipboard around. “You show up here with severe injuries, we patch you up with magic, but before we discharge you, you always demand to see a psychiatrist.”

Sirius blinked. This was the first time he had ever come here. “Doctor, you must be mistaken. This is the first time I’ve ever….”

“That’s what you said last time.” The doctor said annoyed. “We patched you up anyway because you were a Night Terror. But we are absolutely forbidden to provide you with psychiatric help.”

Sirius was dazed, and was struck by the sensation that an immense period of time had passed since he had last passed out. “Why am I not allowed psychiatric help?” he demanded.

The doctor sighed. “I’ve already explained this to you, Chaucer. But I’ll do it one more time.”

Who the hell is Chaucer? Sirius thought to himself.

“That is the protocol for treating Night Terrors. No mental help. No counseling. No psychological diagnosis for you. You’re on your own.” The doctor shrugged, sighing. “A lot of Night Terrors have come here, begging for help. But we have to turn them down.” The doctor pointed at Sirius with his hoof. “But you, Chaucer. Your instructor, Ember, told us personally to inform her of every time you show up here. She was very strict in her instructions. And of course, she emphasized that we deny you any treatment.”

Sirius felt a rush of rage, and the doctor’s irritation turned into fear. “I want to see your manger, your superior, or whoever you answer to.”

The stallion shook his head. “Doctor Pharus didn’t show up at work today. Besides, even if he did show up, he wouldn’t want to see you.”

“Doctor Pharus,” Sirius said as much to himself as the doctor. “That name sounds familiar.”

“Well, he’s a world famous psychiatrist and runs this hospital’s psych ward. Everypony knows who he is.”

Sirius sighed, trying a different tactic. “What if I were to talk to Ember? I want to know why she won’t let me get help.”

“You said you would talk to Ember last time,” the doctor said. “That was about three days ago, and she hasn’t contacted me.”

Sirius shook his head, almost begging the doctor. “You have to give me something. Anything.”

The doctor sighed, and grew pensive. “Well, we do have the drug test you requested.” The stallion leafed through his clipboard and handed him a paper. Sirius grabbed it and began reading. The doctor continued speaking as he read. “You were pretty much clean. We found some trace amounts of cocaine, and that was about it.”

Sirius’ world was caving in on him. If it wasn’t the drugs causing his blackouts, what was?

His mind reeled to understand. The doctors hadn’t found anything physically wrong with him. It had to be something psychological. That’s why Ember had denied him psychiatric aid…Ember.

Ember knew what was happening to him. She was the one that had done this to him. Sirius remembered his vow of vengeance on her. He also remembered his homicidal urges, the sick feral joy that came with inflicting pain. Where had all that gone?

The doctor was still standing there, watching Sirius. He looked around shiftily, and pressed a pocket watch into his hoof. “Take this,” he whispered. He then handed him a pen from his clipboard as well. “This will help you keep track of time. Make a log of when you are conscious, and when you wake up again.”

Sirius was stunned by the doctor’s kindness. “Thank you,” he whispered.

The doctor gave him a sad smile. “I had a friend who was a Night Terror. The mare completely lost her mind, as the Night Terror training program is intended to do.” The doctor looked around again, making sure no one was listening. “I don’t know if you’ve seen yourself in the mirror lately, but you look well on your way to insanity as well.”

The doctor flipped around and trotted away. Sirius watched him leave.

He then opened his pocket watch and scribbled the time on his hoof with the pen.

Sirius needed to get a handle on this thing. He had to take control of his life. Things happened when he blacked out. He needed somepony to watch him. To monitor his activities. “Sapphire,” he whispered to himself.

Sirius needed to get home to her. He shared an apartment with her, and she had to know what had been going on in his life.

The pegasus flitted down the hallway, trying to get home as quick as possible. But it was as if his mind sensed that he was trying to get help, and Sirius blacked out.

Something strange happened this time though. He actually began to dream.

A stallion with blue fur, a bluer mane, and bright green eyes appeared beside him. “You’ve done well, Initiate.”

Darkheart. Sirius stared at him, questioning his presence here. “Why are you here?”

Darkheart shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. I was summoned here as well.”

The dreamscape began to shift, and they were transported inside the throne room of a castle. Large ivory balustrades wrapped in translucent violet sheaths lined the stone chamber he stood in. He was standing on a black and purple carpet, leading up to a tremendous looking throne. Above the throne, there was a massive stained glass depiction of Nightmare Moon.

This was no ordinary castle.

An apparition of Nightmare Moon herself appeared in the throne.

Darkheart immediately bowed, and Sirius did the same.

Sirius timidly looked up at her, seeing a wicked grin on her face. She was wearing her traditional armor, her dark purple mane flowing out behind her. “Rise,” she said in a smooth, feminine voice that sunk into his ears like poisoned nectar.

Sirius and Darkheart rose.

Nightmare Moon sat on her throne, seemingly pleased. “I personally have come to congratulate you, Sirius.” She trotted down from her throne and approached him. “We have just confirmed the death of your mother. That mare had eluded my grasp for years, and you finally put an end to her.” Nightmare Moon grinned. “Well done.”

Sirius felt absolutely overwhelmed. “T..thank you, my queen.”

“No,” Nightmare Moon said. “Thank you. Ember was able to pinpoint her location while you were killing her. It made me realize that it’s time to finish something I began a long time ago….” She grinned again, her razor sharp teeth glinting in the light. “The fringe colonies have been burned out. All the Dayborn living there have been killed or scattered like the insects they are.”

The Empress faced Darkheart, regarding him expectantly. “Now, where is this stallion’s instructor? She should be here to witness what is about to happen now.”

Darkheart looked stymied. He rubbed his hoof into the carpet anxiously. “Nopony has seen her for the past three days. She’s vanished.”

“Oh ho,” Nightmare Moon mused. She winked at Sirius, and looked back at Darkheart. “Well then, I guess you being here will suffice.” Nightmare Moon cleared her throat, preparing her royal Canterlot voice. “Step forward, Initiate Sirius.”

Sirius stepped forward.

Nightmare Moon put her hoof on his head. “Today, I promote you from Initiate to Knight in the Night Terror ranks. You will be taking Ember’s place and will henceforth be charged with her duties.”

Darkheart spluttered from behind him. “My Empress, what will become of Ember now?”

Nightmare Moon grinned sadistically. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“What have you done to her!?” Darkheart demanded, tears in his eyes.

She smiled, and waved her hood. Darkheart’s form began to fade away as he was expelled from the dream. “No!” he cried. “She and I were to be married!” he struggled fiercely, but soon he disappeared completely.

Nightmare Moon snickered, as if enjoying an inside joke. “Knight Sirius, I have your first official task.” She drew uncomfortably close to him. He could smell her scent of cold night air, and a faint touch of lilacs. “Complete this task,” she said, circling him, pressing herself against him. He was intoxicated as she brushed her tail against his muzzle. “Complete this task and you will be able to come live by my side in Canterlot palace. I want you to…” she drew close to his face, their muzzles almost touching. She looked into his eyes. “I want you to hunt down your brother and sister.”

Sirius couldn’t talk. He was so entranced by her proximity, he could barely register what she was telling him. “Of course, my queen.”

Nightmare Moon grinned wolfishly again. “Honestly, the only reason I wanted you to find your mother was because of the two foals she gave birth to on that fateful day. I knew if I found her, her children would be close by.”

She pressed herself against him, kissing his cheek softly. “Find them, Sirius. Bring me their heads.”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “I live to serve.”

There was a flicker in her demeanor. “You have the loveliest blue eyes,” she whispered, circling him once again, examining him. “You remind me of somepony I used to love. So full of potential, so ready to serve.”

Nightmare Moon purred seductively, and Sirius found himself moaning in response. “Wake up,” she whispered in his ear.

Sirius awoke in his apartment bathroom, the sink running as he stood before it. He blinked a few times, trying to get a sense of time. He raised his hoof, but all the pen markings had been washed off by the warm water.

He looked around, confused. He needed to record the time. Where is my pen and pocket watch?

He searched the bathroom, but found none of his belongings. He shivered in the cold. There was a sudden longing in his heart. He just wanted his life to return to normal. Sirius wanted to go home.

Back to the village where he was raised. Back to the place where life made sense. But it was gone and it was all his fault.

Sirius blinked. Had that Nightmare Moon dream been real? Am I really tasked to hunt Cepheus and Persei?

Sirius blinked, and found himself standing before the mirror, staring at his reflection.

He blinked again, checking if all this was real. All previous thoughts gone, he surveyed himself.

He was wearing this strange outfit. Rugged, brown leather cuffs were on his hooves, right above his fetlocks. He was wearing some kind of leather helmet, complete with padding that came down behind his neck and covered most of his back.

Sirius realized that this was the scanty armor that pit-fighter stallions wore. It showed a lot of skin, showing off the hard creases of his emerging muscle. It was intoxicatingly virile, and exuded a dominating, powerful aura.

Sirius flexed in the mirror, his muscles rippling at the movement. It was then he realized that something had been lashed around his stallionhood.

He looked down between his legs, and saw that some kind of black, elastic band had been wrapped around it, nestled right underneath the swelling head of his dark gray penis.

“Oh, Sirius….” A mare’s sensual purr came from outside the door. Sapphire?

The way she had called him gave him a tingling feeling in his groin, arousing him. Before he left, he noticed a crop-whip sitting on the counter. Taking it in his muzzle, Sirius slowly opened the bathroom door and stepped outside. He gasped as he stared at the nubile blue mare sprawled out on his bed.

Her toned, round plot was in the air, which she moved back and forth in an alluring sway. Sirius stared at it, hypnotized.

Sapphire smirked at him, her torso bent around so she could see him. She had a seductive grin on her face that promised a night of intimate pleasure.

He realized that she was wearing a black, studded harness. She was biting down on the sweet-metal bit in her mouth, tonguing it, her saliva dripping out. She made a slurping sound at him, licking her lips.

Two leather straps leading out of her muzzle, wrapping around her neck and shoulders, and lashing itself right below her haunches. Two smaller strings of leather came out of her head harness, leading to the base of her tail, which held the hair up, keeping it from obstructing the view of her perfect plot.

Sirius realized that her hooves were tied as well. She was helpless before him.

She moaned loudly, drawn out and feminine. “Oh, I’ve been a bad mare, Master.” Her eyes were solemn, as if she actually meant it. “I need to be punished.”

Sirius’ stallionhood shot straight up, throbbing painfully.

She noticed his blood-engorged cock and grinned.

Sirius drew closer to her bed, the crop whip at the ready. He saw how wet she was. Her pussy was soaked, dripping onto the sheets, small streaks of glistening secretions running down her legs.

Sirius whipped his head around, the crop whip whistling through the air and hitting her plot with a soft crack. She moaned, a quickly fading red mark across her flank. “Two lashes for wanton lust,” he said in a harsh growl. He whipped her again, and she moaned again. This time, he felt his groin completely go numb with anticipation. A silver strand of pre-cum dripped from his erect penis, dribbling onto the sheets.

“Another lash for seduction,” he whipped her again, but Sirius could no longer handle it. He drew close to her flank, and began to lap at the constant flow of juices trickling from her pussy.

He ran his tongue up her thighs, each stroke slow and forceful, and she shivered in delight. “Master, please,” she groaned as he continued to lick up her sweet dew. “Please give me satisfaction.”

Sirius’ teasing was working. “Quiet, slave. I shall do as I please.”

He continued ascending up her thighs, and found his muzzle right up at the hot, soaking mound which was her cunt. He prodded at the two lips of flesh, eyeing her dark red clitoris. It was startling in contrast to her blue fur.

Sapphire was very tight, he noticed. Probably a virgin. This pleased him greatly.

He pressed his muzzle against it, forcefully tonguing her clitoris. She moaned, panting, wanting more. “Master,” she said, out of breath.

Sirius looked down at his cock, which was aching to see some action. It was too big for an easy fit. He realized that he needed to loosen her up.

He drew back his muzzle, her secretions having adequately sated his thirst. He raised his hoof, and gently began to stroke her clitoris. Sapphire purred as he pushed the tip of his hoof in, and slowly began stirring her pussy, enlarging the hole. Sirius was drooling, desperately wanting to drive his ‘disciplining rod’ into her.

His hoof was warm with the heat of her juices, and he could only imagine how tender it was from the inside. This was his first time with a mare as well.

Sapphire arched her back up, struggling against the cords binding her hooves. Her pussy trembled as she had her first orgasm. Juices spilled out, and Sirius could no longer resist.

She sighed in relief, but Sirius wasn’t done with her. “Master,” she whispered, lying her head down and closing her eyes. “Thank you.”

“I’m not done with you slave,” he barked at her, and she grinned. He grabbed her haunches and pried her legs apart, giving himself a wide berth. He looked down at his stallionhood, and finally realized what the elastic band was. It was a cock ring.

He stroked his penis with his fetlock, and the sex toy activated. The air was filled with a buzzing as the ring sent vibrations up his stallionhood.

Sapphire’s knowing grin became one of shock and surprise, and he drove his penis in.

She screamed in pleasure as he slowly slid his dark gray rod into her. Sirius was in pure ecstasy. Her secretions squirted out as he forced himself in, soaking his cock in her natural lubricant.

She was so hot, wet, and tight. He went all the way up to his base, and began to thrust. Ramming his hips against her plot over and over, her warm dew spattered all over his groin. His testicles were whipped back and forth at the movement, bouncing against her wet plot as he plowed into her.

Sirius moaned, the sound deep and masculine. Sapphire was heaving, perspiration making her blue coat glisten.

The muffled buzz of the cock ring, their frenzied breathing, the thump of his hips meeting her backside followed by the wet smack of his balls against her muscled plot, the ambience of them rutting filling the bedroom.

Sirius wanted more. He grabbed her harness and pulled back in sync with his thrusts, wanting more resistance from her. Sweat poured down his barrel, his nostrils flared as air rushed in and out, his heart racing as he gave her the stuffing of her life.

Sirius moaned again, somewhat liking the virility of his own moans. Though Sapphire was liking it even more, echoing his pleasure sounds with equally feminine whimpers and moans.

The pegasus began to flap his wings with every thrust, putting even more force into each one. Sirius’ climax came as sudden as a storm, and he howled as his seed was pumped into Sapphire, filling her up, and it spurted out from her pussy, making a white, sticky mess all over his groin and her plot. Sirius slowed down, gasping for breath, euphoria filling his insides.

Hot semen gushed out of her hole when he drew his penis back, and the room began to smell of the sea. The cock ring was still buzzing, and he took it off.

They both grew very still, enjoying the glorious afterglow after a round of passionate sex. His groin was dripping with cum, and he looked down at the limp mass of gray flesh.

This was the first time he had came his entire life. Having caught his breath, he was still resting on top of Sapphire. In the silence, Sirius could feel his penis swelling again.

Sirius grinned, ready for a second round. He flipped her over roughly, and she gasped in shock. He tore through the cords binding her hindlegs together, and spread them far apart. He crawled in between them, dragging his swollen cock across her belly, up her chest, and stopped at her muzzle. “Open your mouth, slave.” He demanded loudly.

Sapphire’s eyes went wide at the sight of his imposing stallionhood. She was impressed. He could tell. She opened her mouth and began to lap at the still warm semen coating his penis. Sirius eased it into her mouth, and she wrapped her tongue around his tip, running it up and down his length. Sirius began to thrust, enjoying her tender mouth and nimble tongue almost as much as her pussy.

He felt her snoot bump against his bladder every time he thrusted, feeling her frenzied breath against the tuft of hair there. She had closed her eyes, humming, savoring every inch of his long penis as he fucked her face.

She was excellent at deep throating, and Sirius realized that as his personal assistant, she must have had some kind of training. Lovemaking was probably included.

She bobbed her head with every thrust, making lewd schlurping sounds as she deftly worked her tongue around his shaft.

He came much quicker this time, and he leaned in, his movements slowed as euphoria coursed through him once again. Sapphire’s muzzle moved up and down as she swallowed all of it, some of his seed dribbling out of the sides of her mouth.

When he drew back from her, his penis was limp and had shrunken down to its normal size. Sapphire’s muzzle was white and sticky with his cum.

She ran her tongue over her lips, lapping up as much as she could. Sirius grinned. “Do you like the taste, slave?”

“I love it,” she whispered.

Sirius found the brown, leather loincloth which had soft fur padding its inside lying at the foot of the bed. It was the last part of his pit-fighter’s dress, and he slid it on. He enjoyed how the fur caressed his cock, and he looked to his side and saw Sapphire biting into the cords binding her front hooves. She tore them off, and undid her harness. Throwing it all to the side, Sapphire crawled up to her pillow, her multi-colored mane still damp with perspiration.

Sweating and exhausted, he joined her side. He actually felt happy for the first time in a long time. Sirius had forgotten all about his worries, the memory losses, the blackouts, the impending loss of his autonomy, and was grounded here in the present with Sapphire.

Sirius reveled in the afterglow. He wasn’t going to give up on his life just yet….

Sapphire put her head on his barrel, and he put a wing over her. He looked down at the mare lying against him, feeling true affection blooming in his heart. She had saved him. Impulsively, he said, “I’m so glad to have you here with me, Sapphire.”

She grinned as she began to fall asleep, her eyes already closed. “I love you, Arcturus.”

Sirius froze. What did she just call me? Did she just say…

He went completely catatonic. He was racked with silent seizures, his central nervous system short circuiting.

Sirius’ eyes were wide open, screaming for help, but he couldn’t make a sound or even move. Sapphire had exposed something by accident….

Sirius blacked out.

When he awoke, Sapphire was gone, and there was a bloody message scrawled on the roof. “You’re next.”

Chapter 19: Hall of Reflection

Dusty poked his flank, looking at his new cutie mark. The colt scrunched his face up, trying to understand. “What is this thing?”

Cepheus had been trying to figure out the same thing. “I think it’s some kind of flower.” He stared at it, analyzing it further. It was a yellowish gold circle, with eight light orange frills. It glowed faintly every now and then, but it was cold to the touch, as if it was missing some crucial element to make it whole. “I hope this doesn’t mean my special talent is gardening,” he mused.

“It’s really pretty looking...” Dusty whispered in awe, trailing off.

The colt and stallion lapsed into silence as they waited in the clearing.

A council of village elders was assembled before them, their grayed manes and wrinkly skin holding decades of wisdom. Their eyes were trained on Cepheus, appraising his worth as a stallion, and smiling at him in satisfaction.

Cepheus felt a nervous excitement for what was about to happen.

Candle appeared at the other end of the clearing. Cepheus gasped, taking her beauty in.

She had been thoroughly groomed, her beige fur shining. She had small white flowers in her brown mane, and a tense mixture of happiness and anticipation lit her face.

The elders formed a line on both sides, allowing her to pass through them. She trotted slowly, her eyes trained on the white pegasus she was about to be bound to.

Small whispers of archaic blessings issued from the muzzles of the elders as Candle trotted by. The soft luminance of several lanterns shed light on the aisle, the faint glow reflecting in Candle’s enamored eyes.

Candle stood by Cepheus, and Dusty was grinning from ear to ear, looking up at both of them. The eldest stallion of the village approached them, his eyes blind and his gait frail and trembling. He halted before the two ponies, and cleared his throat. “We are here today to bear witness the elopement of a willing stallion and a grateful mare.”

There was a murmur of consensus from the other elders.

Cepheus and Candle beamed, and they both faced each other. The old stallion rumbled in a deep baritone. “Today, we celebrate the ancient rite of marriage,” he declared, “and to bind another two willing ponies together in its holy embrace.”

A tear dripped down Candle’s eyes, and Cepheus’ heart swelled with joy.

The old stallion smiled at both of them, touching Cepheus’ head. “A stallion, strong and virile,” he said, and then moved his hoof to Candle’s head. “A mare, beautiful and feminine,” he put his hoof down and declared in a loud voice. “Together, they shall live in harmony for as long as they live!”

The old stallion faced Cepheus, addressing him. “Do you, Cepheus, take this mare as your wife?”

Cepheus smiled. “I do.”

The old stallion faced Candle, addressing her. “Do you, Candle, take this stallion as your husband?”

Candle hesitated, appearing overcome with emotion. A tinge of worry pricked at Cepheus. She swallowed, smiling, and said, “I do.”

The old stallion beamed. “Then I pronounce you, husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!”

Cepheus leaned into Candle, their lips meeting and the vows binding their hearts together forever and always. The elders had burst into applause, blessings and compliments filling the air.

Cepheus drew back, staring lovingly into his wife’s eyes. Dusty began to cry, and they both swept him up in a group hug.

The little colt was sobbing, trembling. “Does this mean I have a dad now?” he asked solemnly.

Cepheus bent his hooves so he was eye level with the colt. His brown eyes were brimming with tears. “Dusty, you’ve had a dad for a while now.”

The colt lost whatever grip he had on his emotions and dove into Cepheus, bawling. Cepheus wrapped his hooves and wings around the colt, holding him tightly. A tear streaked down Cepheus’ face, and he noticed a light from behind him.

His cutie mark was aglow, shining softly. His mane began to shimmer gold, his blue eyes luminous, and he felt a light in his heart. Nothing could describe what he was feeling now but pure happiness.

The elders whispered in awe, pointing at Cepheus’ cutie mark.

There was a cry of alarm, and Cepheus looked up two see two dark figures descending from the canopy. Did my light expose our location? Cepheus cursed.

The shadows hit the ground a distance away, and the two Nightborn ponies stared maliciously at Cepheus and Candle.

The elders fled as fast as they could, and the other villagers were pointing and screaming. “It’s the Night Guard!”

“Sure as hell it is!” one of the Nightborn ponies replied, laughing.

Cepheus stood his ground, shielding his wife and son with his wings. “Get out of here!” he urged them. Candle took Dusty and fled, looked back at him in fear, and continued galloping.

“We finally managed to track down these scum,” the mare Guard said. Her horn began to glow, and a red flare streaked into the air, rising above the canopy, and bursting into red sparks that could be seen for miles around. The signal had been sent.

The two Night Guards both looked at each other, an evil grin spreading on their faces. “Let’s start killing,” the stallion said. “Before the main force ruins our fun,” the mare added.

Their gaze turned to Cepheus, and he stared back at them, snarling.

The unicorn mare used her magic to unsheathe two slender lances, the razor sharp strips of metal whistling in the air as she swung them around.

The pegasus stallion grinned, and flying up into the air, a spear extending from the sheathes strapped above each one of his front hooves.

Cepheus looked behind, and saw that the villagers were fleeing into the forest, grabbing as many of their belongings as they could. Candle, you have to keep them together, he thought to himself. You have to take care of them.

Cepheus faced the two advancing Night Guards. He had to distract them as long as he could while the villagers fled.

He leapt out of the way, barely dodging a spear thrust from the airborne Night Guard.

One of the unicorn’s lances cracked down at the base of his neck, and he screamed, blood gushing out of the wound. Scarlet dripped down his barrel, and the two Night Guards gasped.

“Is that normal?” the stallion asked.

“His blood is glowing, you idiot.” She scowled. “That’s not even close to normal.”

Cepheus looked down at the blood pooling at his hooves, and saw that thousands of tiny glittering beads of light were suspended in the scarlet. It was like all his cells were intermittently giving off blips of light.

“I think he’s the one Nightmare Moon was looking for,” the stallion Guard said, pointing at him.

“Let’s take him,” she answered, devilish glee filling her features once again.

Cepheus began backing away, and the two Guards charged him, weapons pointed.

There was no way he could escape them. He closed his eyes, and there was a howl. A battle cry was more like it.

Cepheus opened his eyes and saw that another bat-pony had deflected the Night Guards’ blows, and was standing protectively over him. “Get up!” he commanded, avoiding another spear thrust.

Those aquamarine blue eyes, that dark mane, those dark shadows around his eyes…. “Sirius?” he asked uncertainly. “Is that you?”

The strange Nightborn pegasus growled at the now frightened Night Guards. Two more bat-ponies dropped from the canopy, hurtling towards the ground with incredible speed, spears held outward.

The two Night Guards looked up just in time to see them descending, but couldn’t get out of the way in time. Both were impaled on the spears, and blood gushed out of their mouths as they shuddered and died.

What is going on!? Cepheus screamed internally.

The two spear-bearing Nightborn ripped out their weapons from the bleeding backs of the Night Guards. One approached the strange pegasus that had saved Cepheus’ life. “Antares, we have to get out of here. The main force is inbound.”

Antares nodded, and looked down at Cepheus. “Come with me if you want to live.”

He hesitated.

Antares rephrased the offer. “Come with me if you want to see your friends again.”

Cepheus took his outstretched hoof, and managed to stand back up.

“C’mon let’s go,” one of the spear ponies said. “Follow us,” he said, urging Cepheus.

They took off, and Cepheus tried following them as best he could. His wound stung as it continued pouring glowing scarlet blood, each flourish of his wings intensifying the pain.

He looked back, wondering about the fate of the villagers. Candle…Dusty…Would they be alright?

“The entire main force is following us!” one of the spear-ponies shouted above the roar of the wind, his nocturnal yellow eyes glowing with fear.

Cepheus recognized this stallion’s eyes. It had been the same pair of eyes that had been watching him the night he had proposed to Candle.

The three bat-ponies all began to chitter, emitting sharp bursts of sound as echolocation.

Antares groaned. “We have to draw them away from Cepheus’ villager friends. We have to protect them!” he gestured at one of the spear-ponies. “Andre, you have to go tell the others that there are lost Dayborns in the forest. Gather them up and bring them to camp.”

Andre hesitated.

“Those are my orders,” Antares growled.

“Yes, sir!” Andre dove down, disappearing beneath the canopy.

Cepheus couldn’t believe this. He had heard of Nightborns killing other Nightborns, but he had never heard of one trying to help a Dayborn.

Cepheus looked at Antares, and then at the other spear pony flying alongside him. Who were these ponies?

They had weapons and armor, obviously had military training, and were hostile to the Night Guard. But foremost, they were Nightborn. Could Cepheus trust them?

He had no choice.

An arrow whistled by Cepheus, and another grazed his wing. They all looked back and saw a whole flock of Night Guard pegasi archers. “Evasive maneuvers!” Antares commanded to the two of them. “Stay close to me, and don’t fall behind!”

Antares dove down, an arrow clattering off his armor. Cepheus and the other bat-pony followed. They ripped through the forest canopy, leaves and branches buffeting Cepheus as he hurtled downwards.

He protected his face with an outstretched hoof, and he banked hard to the right, as Antares began to weave through the trees. There were cries of frustration from their Night Guard pursuers as they darted through the foliage.

They began to fly over what appeared to be a clearing. A thick mattress of leafy vegetation covered the ground. Antares suddenly dived down into the vegetation, and with a small splash, he disappeared.

The other bat-pony plunged into the water as well, and Cepheus followed. He tore through the lily pads and thick clumps of algae into the cold water. He floated, suspended in the emerald water. He opened his eyes.

It was completely dark underwater, but his cutie mark was glowing, providing enough light for him to see. Cepheus saw Antares and the other bat-pony some distance away. They were pointing at these long green shoots of some kind of water borne plant.

They were waving at him, gesturing to the shoots. Antares put his mouth on the shoot, and Cepheus realized it was a hollow reed plant.

The other bat-pony put his mouth on a reed shoot as well, using it to get air from the surface. Cepheus’ lungs began to burn, and he paddled upwards with his wings. His lips met the bottom of the reed, and he sucked in a lungful of air. The taste of algae and swampy water was in his mouth, but he had an adequate supply of air.

Cepheus looked up, seeing the dense blanket of floating waterborne plants completely blocking out any view of the world above. He saw dark, winged shadows flying above, and Cepheus prayed that they couldn’t see the light of his cutie mark.

The shadows wandered above for a moment, and then took off.

They waited submerged in the water. A few minutes passed, and Cepheus was startled as Antares appeared right in front of him. He pointed upwards, and swam to the surface.

Cepheus followed, and broke the surface of the water. A pile of gunky algae sat on his head, and he wiped it off with his hoof.

Antares and his companion were swimming to shore, climbing onto the bank. Cepheus dragged himself behind them, and collapsed on the porous mud, exhausted.

He was cold and shivering, but something warm was trickling down his back. Antares put a patch of algae on his still bleeding wound. Cepheus gasped as it strung for a moment, but cool relief quickly replaced the burning sensation.

Despite his injury, he was out of danger. His mind automatically thought of Candle and Dusty. He was their protector now. He had to find them and bring them to safety.

Antares, or the Sirius look alike, was looking intently at Cepheus. The threstral’s demeanor suddenly changed, as if he were analyzing his every movement. “I recently became a father,” Antares said mechanically. “I understand how it feels to be separated from your family. To not know if they are safe or in danger….”

Cepheus was staring at him incredulously.

The other bat-pony shushed him. “Enough of that,” he said, breaking the strange spell that had overcome Antares. “Let’s get you back home, where there are others with more dominant personalities.”

Antares shook his head several times. “Yes, let’s take Cepheus here back to camp.”

Cepheus blinked. “How do you know my name?”

The other bat-pony had already begun trotting ahead, and they followed. Antares explained himself. “Admittedly, we were spying on your group.”

“Why?” Cepheus demanded.

“Because their leader caught my interest,” Antares said, looking Cepheus over, and his eyes finally resting on his cutie mark. “You have the look of grand destiny in your features. A role far greater than mine own lies in wait for you.”

Cepheus remained silent, listening. “How do you know this?”

“You have a light within you,” Antares said, smiling and looking at Cepheus as they trotted. “Others are drawn to you. You are a shining beacon that provides the ponies around you with hope. You are everything light is qualitative of.” Antares gestured at Cepheus’ cutie mark. “That’s what your cutie mark symbolizes: a light in a dark world.”

Antares trotted ahead, and the other bat-pony took fell back behind. They began to trot apace with one another, while Antares raced ahead. “I think you should consider what he said,” the bat-pony said, gesturing to his leader.

“Why?” Cepheus asked.

“He’s usually right about these things, but his insights usually disturb other ponies.” The bat-pony looked at Cepheus knowingly. “You of all ponies would know that. But with our leader, he has a compulsion to do so.”

“Is that why he’s acting so weird?” Cepheus asked.

The bat-pony sighed. “He’s always like that, but don’t worry about it. He means no harm.”

“Who are you ponies?” Cepheus asked yet another question. “Why are you helping us? Aren’t Nightborns supposed to hate Dayborns?”

The bat-pony smiled enigmatically. “Who decided that Nightborn ponies were supposed to hate Dayborns?”

Cepheus scratched his head with his wingtip. “Nightmare Moon, I guess.”

“Then our quarrel is with her then,” the bat-pony smiled. “We are a group pining for revolution. We are composed of defectors from Nightmare Moon’s military, other Nightborn ponies who sympathize with Dayborns, but all of us are united in this belief: the world is not as it should be. We don’t know how to fix it, but we know that dethroning the Empress will be a great start.”

A Nightborn resistance group acting against a government that exalted Nightborns? Cepheus thought, puzzled at their odd predicament. It didn’t seem to make sense.

A sudden epiphany struck him. If these ponies lived in these forests, maybe they had seen Persei and Ultra Violet. Maybe he could ask them a few more questions.

“I know I’m full of questions, but…” the bat-pony looked at him expectantly. “But have there been other ponies to pass by here? My sister is out here somewhere.”

Antares overhead them, speaking in a voice full of contempt. “The Scions of Celestion probably took her in. They’ve been rounding up all the Dayborn refugees in the forest.”

“Who are they?” Cepheus asked.

“A group of borderline-psychotic religious zealots,” the other bat-pony muttered. “They have their own revolutionary agenda as well.”

“We’re here,” Antares said.

Cepheus looked ahead and saw a large, mossy stone building that had the appearance of a decrepit mausoleum. Two Nightborn guards stood at the entrance, and met Antares when they arrived. “Welcome to the Hall of Reflections,” the other bat-pony whispered. “This is our headquarters.”

“Why is it called Hall of Reflections?”

“Antares has an obsession with mirrors, so they’re all over the place in there. It’s another part of his quirky nature, but they are supposed to be a constant reminder of who we are. It’s an affirmation of our identities.”

It was very strange to Cepheus, but he understood. You could never become something you didn’t like and not notice with all those mirrors about.

Cepheus was led inside, down a staircase lit by torches, and the first thing he saw was Candle and Dusty waiting for him.

Relief washed over Cepheus. He galloped to them, and wrapped them in his embrace. Candle sobbed, and began planting kisses all over his neck and head, and Dusty was clinging to his leg. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” she whispered in his ear.

He drew back, and smiled at them. They looked around at the strange company they were in. “They seem friendly enough,” Cepheus whispered, looking at Antares. “I guess we can stay here until the Night Guard give up their search.”

Dusty looked up, still clinging to Cepheus’ hoof. “These ponies are so weird. I like them. Can we stay?”

Candle nodded. “For the time being. Until then, we have to get some rest and figure out what to do next.”

Candle led Dusty away, and Cepheus’ mind drifted to Persei. Is she alright? Was that the camp she had been talking about?

It seemed unlikely that a third group of revolutionaries was out here in this forest.

Cepheus was too tired to think of it anymore. Tonight, he would be sharing a bed with his new wife.

Author's Notes:

Again, another chapter with a lot of information. New characters and developments with Cepheus.

"No one is born with hate, they are taught to hate as they go through life." This is the innocence of children, namely Dusty.

Feedback/Discussion is encouraged.

Notice: Do you guys want more optional chapters? More grimdark? More clop? Comment below.

Chapter 20: The Embattled Domain

“You have Dissociative Identity Disorder,” the strange stallion sitting at the other end of the table said.

Sirius blinked. He looked around, confused. He was in some run-down diner. The smell of grease and mutton wafted over from the kitchen. The floor and walls had the gray tinge of filth on it. It was small, dimly lit, and had the appearance of a septic morgue. The austerity of the place was strangely comforting.

Sirius shifted his wings, and heard the tinkle of chains. His wings were in shackles.

He began to panic, and the strange stallion lifted a loaded crossbow and pointed it at him. “Arcturus?” he asked. “Who am I talking to now?”

The pegasus shivered, staring at the loaded crossbow in the stallion’s hooves. “My name is Sirius…” he looked around at his strange surroundings, frightened. “How did I get here?”

“Ah,” the stallion said, lowering the weapon. “You must be the dominant personality.” The stallion extended him his hoof. “I am Doctor Pharus, and I was just talking to Arcturus. It’s a pleasure to meet such a fascinating pony.”

Sirius’ mind was backtracking, struggling to understand. “You said…that I had Dissociative Identity Disorder? Isn’t that like,” he shivered, “multiple personalities?”

Doctor Pharus nodded, his gray mane bobbing at the movement. “Yes, we refer to them as alters. You are currently sharing your body with five other ponies, five different manifestations of yourself.”

Sirius stared off into space. How can this even be possible? How…? He was beset by a splitting migraine and he groaned in pain.

The doctor pushed a cup of brandy at him. “You, all of you, are so amazing,” he said in awe. “Arcturus, a rather classy fellow, told me told me that he was a Night Terror as well. He is your second most dominant personality.”

Sirius had drained the whole cup of brandy and slammed the cup back down. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded angrily. “The last memory I have is of me realizing that my mistress had disappeared, and then there was a bloody message on the roof….”

“Hush, hush,” the doctor said, enjoying himself. “You told me all this already, but let’s review all that I’ve told you.” Doctor Pharus put a hoof under his chin, a pensive look on his face. “Let’s start at the very beginning. The night when you went insane….”

“When Ember attacked my psyche by killing my emotions…."

Pharus nodded. “Precisely, your mind dissociated itself to protect your wellbeing. For example, many ponies feel mild dissociation when they are daydreaming. Their mind is split from reality and they are off in their own world, but can easily be brought back. Although…” Pharus said, gesturing towards him. “A D.I.D patient suffers from the most powerful dissociation… his mind completely splits off, or compartmentalizes itself to regulate the pain. If one pony can’t carry the burden of this life, maybe six can. Each alter is an independent and fully functioning personality set with his own likes, dislikes, it’s a completely different pony. Some alters are even of the opposite gender, maybe even of a different sexual orientation. It’s all a wonderful way the pony brain can twist itself to manage trauma.” Doctor Pharus said, reveling in this diagnosis. “Like what happened to you,” he said, gesturing at Sirius.

“The average D.I.D patient has 10 other personalities, but it’s so rare of a condition…” Pharus continued, looking wistfully. “So rare that ponies don’t even believe it actually exists.”

Sirius was coming to grips with the diagnosis. His mind was racing to make sense of it all. “How did this all start? How did Ember do this to me?”

“She shattered your mind into six pieces. There was you, the largest piece where all the others originated from, and the five other pieces that became their own ponies.” Doctor Pharus said, adjusting his spectacles.

Sirius finally began to understand. “So, whenever I blacked out….”

“Another one of your alters was assuming control of your body,” the psychiatrist explained. “The other personality was as you say “sharing the load” with you. The other personality, yours in this case, falls asleep while the other alter picks up where he last left off. Five ponies are coexisting in your mind, living their own separate lives, pursuing their own ambitions.”

“So that explains all my memory lapses. Each time I blacked out, another one of my alters was just waking up.” Sirius was amazed. He knew the pony mind was a powerful thing, but this was on another level. “All the others just dismissed their memory lapses as forgetfulness, or drug usage, the excuses were endless. How could they imagine that they were sharing a body with five other ponies?"

Doctor Pharus giggled. “I have traveled the world as a psychiatrist, and this is the first time I’ve confirmed a case of Dissociative Identity Disorder! Oh, with your permission of course, I’ve been writing a case study about you. I’ve been taking notes….”

“Can I see your notes?” Sirius said, leaning forward. “I want to know more about my other personas.”

Doctor Pharus nodded. “Yes, of course.” He put his briefcase on the dirty table, opened the spring locks, and began shuffling through his papers.

Sirius spaced out for a moment. His mind was trying to comprehend this phenomenon. He had been living six different lives at once. He could not imagine how his other alters were like.

Doctor Pharus shouted at him, raising his crossbow again. Sirius froze and put his hooves in the air. “Am I still talking to Sirius?” the doctor demanded, shaking the crossbow. “Identify yourself or I will shoot!”

“It’s me!” he cried. “It’s still Sirius!”

Why was he being so cautious?

Doctor Pharus sighed in relief and lowered the crossbow. He then slid some papers towards Sirius. Putting the crossbow on the seat beside him, he leaned over the table and explained. “See, this list here?”

Sirius nodded. It had six names on it: Sirius (main), Arcturus (secondary), Levaian, Chaucer, Fenrir, and…written in red ink with danger labels around it, it said: Necron (extremely dangerous).

Necron…I have heard that name before, he thought. But for the life of him, he couldn’t remember.

Doctor Pharus began to count off his other alters. “There’s Sirius, which is you. There is Arcturus, the pony with incredible artistic talents who is in love with “Morning Glory” a.k.a Sapphire Shine. There is Levaian, a very intellectual pony that has been handling all your assignments from Ember. He wants to be a neurosurgeon and has applied and been accepted to Canterlot Medical School. There is Chaucer, the pony who did not handle his memory lapses well and as a result had a bad drug and alcohol habit. He’s the one that sought me out and went to the hospital a dozen times. There’s Fenrir, very ambitious, yet reckless. He’s the reason Chaucer had to go to the hospital so many times.” The psychiatrist giggled again, wondering. “Imagine waking up every day, covered in terrible wounds you have no idea how you got. I’d go crazy too.”

Doctor Pharus fell silent, his hoof hovering over the last name.

He raised his crossbow again, pointing it at Sirius’ chest. “Do you know why your condition is worsening? It was manageable before, but now it seems like you have less and less conscious time.”

“Wait,” Sirius said, shaking his head and remembering. “Necron was that mass murderer. He was the one who butchered those five gang ponies with a meat cleaver.”

Doctor Pharus nodded gravely. “You reported to me that you were having homicidal thoughts. You described them to me as feral urges that led you to kill your mother, correct?” He didn’t even wait for Sirius’ answer. “That’s where it all went. Your mind quarantined all those evil sentiments and murderous desires into one persona: Necron. You did your best to suppress it, but he was too powerful. That’s why you are falling apart right now. Necron wants total control of your body, and is killing off your alters one by one, and eating up their conscious time. Your mind has become a battleground, as you and all your alters struggle to remain in control as Necron attacks them.”

Fear clenched Sirius’ heart. “How exactly is he killing my alters off? If their psychological entities, won’t they be impervious?”

“Your alters are ponies just like you. They need stability. Necron is setting up traps with hallucinations, sabotaging the life of the other alters, and even full on terrorizing them.” Doctor Pharus sighed, and shrugged. “When the life of an alter collapses, or simply becomes unbearable, Necron can directly attack them and take over. Fenrir was subdued through an assault on his ego, Chaucer overdosed in an attempt to keep himself in control, Levaian was tricked into committing suicide by Necron’s hallucination of a fake rejection letter from Canterlot Medical, and Arcturus is now losing control as well. Arcturus has to find Sapphire alive and well, or else he too will succumb to Necron.”

“How do I protect myself?” Sirius said, panicking. Necron had been the one who had written the bloody message on the roof. “You’re next,” it had read.

Sirius was next on his hit list.

Doctor Pharus sighed, and shrugged. “I guess you have to do all that you can to protect your remaining alter, Arcturus. You have to rescue Sapphire from wherever Necron has kidnapped her to. Stymying his murderous agenda is the only way to stop him. Save Sapphire, you’ll save yourself.”

This was all too much to take. He was slowly being taken over by a homicidal maniac. Every time he had a seizure or migraine, his subconscious was actually trying to not only protecting the integrity of his other alters, but to keep his main personality from falling into Necron’s influence.

Sirius and Pharus had fallen into silence. They both took tentative sips of their brandy, looking anywhere but at each other.

“What happens…” Sirius muttered.

“Hmm?” Pharus said, tipsy.

“What happens if Arcturus fails and Necron attacks and conquers my main personality?”

“Well,” Pharus said. “You won’t be Sirius anymore. Everything that you are right now will be destroyed, and replaced with Necron.”

Sirius sighed, looking up at the brown spots of water damage on the roof. No one can save me. No medication, no place of refuge, no friend…. Sirius looked back down at Doctor Pharus. “You gave me a psychological diagnosis. Why did you break the law to help me?”

Pharus began to pack up his things. “It wasn’t for you,” he said, not even looking at his patient. “I’m only helping you because I find your disorder interesting.” Pharus took his briefcase and dropped the keys to his wing-shackles in front of him. “Now that I have what I need to write my case study, I won’t be seeing you again.”

Sirius watched Doctor Pharus leave the diner and step out into the street, the bells hanging on the door ringing as it slammed shut behind him.

Pharus had never cared about him. He had just wanted to write a report on an extremely rare disorder to sate his curiosity and advance his career.

Sirius would be receiving no help from him.

He was right the first time. He was completely alone.

Sirius picked up the key, reached behind his neck and unlocked the shackles. The wooden restraints fell to the ground with a heavy thump, and he moved his wings around to ease the stiffness.

A Dayborn waitress refilled his brandy and returned to her duties.

Taking a sip of his drink, he whispered to himself. “I guess it’s just you and me, Arcturus.”

Arcturus appeared in the seat where Dr. Pharus had been sitting. He was wounded, his cheek bruised and his left ear torn. They touched hooves, looking into each other’s blue eyes. “We will prevail. We will save Sapphire,” determination swelling in Arcturus’ voice.

Sirius nodded, and shook his alter’s hoof.

To the waitresses and the other customers, Sirius was just waving his hoof in the air and talking to himself. To them, Sirius was just crazy and there was truly nopony sitting across from him.

Author's Notes:

Mind. Blown.

I hope this answers all questions about Sirius' mental condition. I understand that many of you were confused.

Discussion/feedback encouraged.

Chapter 21: Suffering and Injustice

Persei emerged from the crevice in the mountain, and felt a balmy breeze caress her mane. She could almost taste the ocean now, its briny scent sharp in contrast to the frigid mountain air. They had entered some kind of cavernous indent in the face of the mountain facing the sea. Magical lanterns hung from stalactites on the cave roof, their light augmenting the wan light of the starry night sky.

Persei had an amazing, panoramic view of the sea from here. Stone staircases led down to what appeared to be a small harbor with a brightly lit town. Looking beyond the rim of towering, ramshackle wooden buildings surrounding the bay, there were a dozen docks extending from the rocky coast. War galleons and small cargo sloops were anchored there, sailors and dockworkers roving about among them.

The huge canvas sails of the ships trembled in the breeze, and their wooden hulls creaked. Past them, Persei could see more ships outside the mouth of the bay, moonlight reflecting on their wooden hulls and sails as they drifted out to sea.

Persei looked at Ultra Violet. She had been talking to one of the guards, and had finished just in time to meet her gaze. The lilac-maned unicorn smiled. “Welcome to our camp.”

Persei gazed out at the bustling harbor. It was kind of shady and dismal looking, but after all, this was a military establishment with covert operations. “Impressive,” she whispered. Persei pointed her hoof out to sea where she had seen some ships disappearing. “Where are those ships going?”

Ultra Violet nodded. “Those ships are going to our other, smaller camps along the Worldspine. We get much of our food and supplies delivered from them.”

She couldn’t believe all this. These revolutionaries had their own economy going. “How can Nightmare Moon not know about all this? Wouldn’t she be able to see your ships moving about?”

“No,” Violet shook her head. “First of all, the Worldspine is impassible. Not even the strongest pegasi can brave the terrible conditions on top of the mountains. Secondly, Nightmare Moon and her government believe that there is nothing but the ocean beyond the Worldspine.” Ultra Violet and Persei began to descend the staircase as she explained. “You see, when she took command of Equestria, as I told you before, there was a civilization of ponies. She called them barbarians, whether you believe that or not is up to you, but regardless… sea levels rose due to some astronomical disturbance caused by her taking control. There used to be many coastal cities, but they were all drowned out. She thinks that it’s all gone, but some harbors remained usable despite the rising ocean, and we took advantage of them.”

“Wow,” Persei gasped, looking out to sea again. She wondered about the network of camps out there, how they were all working together in hopes of the eventual downfall of the government that drove them out in the first place. “How many ponies are part of the Scions of Celestion?”

“We had ten thousand ponies spread out all over the Worldspine, but now we have about thirteen thousand with all the Dayborn refugees that the Empress’ crusade has created.” Persei nodded, and Violet gestured to the harbor town. “We take them in. We take care of them, and they in turn join our cause. It’s not hard for us to convince them that the world would be a better place if all the Nightborns were dead.”

“Indeed,” Persei said, agreeing. “It’s incredibly kind of you to take them all in like this.”

“Oh, it’s our pleasure to help them out.” Violet said, grinning. “We needed more ponies to join us anyway, so they were welcome regardless.”

Persei nodded, and began to wonder about Violet’s role in all of this. “So, Violet... are you like a commander? Or a spy or something?”

Ultra Violet grinned, her mane glowing especially bright. “I am the leader, Persei. In the seventeen years since my foal’s death, I joined the Scions, rose up the ranks, and became their leader. I united them when they were on the verge of collapse. I made them what they are today, and soon, we will finally be able to take major steps against Nightmare Moon.”

Somehow, it didn’t surprise Persei that Ultra Violet would be their leader. She seemed to have a natural ability to lead.

Persei nodded, grinning viciously. “No more waiting in the shadows, it is time to strike.”

Ultra Violet seemed to be impressed by her enthusiasm. “You and I are very alike, Persei. I hope to see you find success among us, but for now…” They had descended all the way down the stairs, and were standing in front of a large, four story building. A sign hung above the doorway. “Port Darien Hospital,” it read.

Ultra Violet gestured at the doorway. “When your brother and villager friends arrive here, they will be brought here for medical examination.” Violet smiled. “We like to see our new recruits in good health before they begin work.” She gestured at the door again. “Go in there. You’ll work at this hospital until they get here, and then I will personally take you and your brother to my personal pavilion. I find you two very intriguing…” the unicorn leader said, something strange in her voice that haunted Persei. Violet spun around and then began to trot away. She looked back one more time. “Work hard, my Persei. Listen to the refugees. Empathize with them. It’ll strengthen your resolve.”

Violet turned away and disappeared inside another building. Persei was left alone at the entrance of the hospital. She was exhausted from her travel, but she had to earn her keep. Maybe she could also get something to eat inside….

She ignored a rumble from her stomach, and opened the door to the hospital. She was immediately met by the reek of sweat. There were sick and injured ponies everywhere. Even in the reception room, their beds lined the walls and were in clusters in the middle of the room. There was barely enough room for the nurses and doctors to weave around them to get to the patient that needed them. This hospital was way too overcrowded. They were probably treating that group of refugees who had recently come in….

The room was lit with the soft glow of red-tinted magical lanterns. The red light would allow other ponies to sleep, but it was bright enough for the nurses to do their job.

Persei began to wander through the room, looking at all the different faces. Living in a small village and almost never seeing new ponies, this was a dramatic change.

As she walked past the rows of beds, she felt eyes following her. She looked at the patients all around her. Her eyes drifted over them, and she met the gaze of a little filly. She was a brown earth pony who was clutching a rag doll to her barrel. Her bright purple eyes reminded her of Violet’s, and Persei felt herself being drawn to her.

The little filly smiled as she drew close, realizing that she would be getting some company. Persei stood by her bedside, seeing her hooves covered in bloody bandages. There was a pipe siphoning blood from her mouth, designed to protect her airway. “Hello,” the filly whispered, beaming.

Persei was distracted. These wounds were atrocious. Bone splinters had pierced her skin, black bruises where each fragment surfaced. Her legs weren’t just broken, they were shattered. From the look of it, the cause was blunt force trauma.

She looked the little filly over. Despite her terrible state, she still seemed happy. Persei finally responded to her greeting. “Hi there little filly,” she said, smiling. “What’s your name?”

She hugged the rag doll tightly to her chest. “My name is Chocolate Sweet, and I really like candy.”

She must be some kind of confectioner’s daughter, Persei thought. “Where are your parents, Sweet?”

Sweet smiled, and shrugged. She didn’t seem to be the least bit concerned. “I’m sure their fine. Their beds were right beside mine, but they were taken away for surgery. It’s been almost a day now. The doctors said they would take good care of them.”

What kind of surgery takes a day?

Persei was both saddened and frustrated. This little filly should be in this hospital because she has a cold, or a scraped hoof, not these terrible injuries.

She looked around the room, and saw that all the other patients had similar wounds. They were being treated for burns, cuts, broken bones like Sweet’s. These weren’t ordinary injuries a pony might incur living their lives, these were battle wounds caused by malicious intent. These ponies were refugees who had been fleeing the flames and swords of the Night Guard.

She wondered how she could possibly help here. She had some medicine-making experience from her mother, but….

“What’s your name?” Sweet asked, the adoring look still in her eyes.

Persei looked around and saw that all the patients within hearing range were listening in, waiting for her response. “My name is Persei, how are you?”

“I’m really good,” the filly said beaming. “The doctors gave me these shots that make me feel like I’m flying.”

Morphine…Strange. They don’t give such a powerful narcotic to foals.

The filly tongued the tube in her mouth. “I don’t like this thing. It tastes funny.”

All the patients who were watching, suddenly looked away. Persei noticed this and was put on edge. She touched the tube, and saw the occasional spurts of crimson being sucked out. The pipe led down to a bucket which was slowly accumulating the filly’s blood. She was drowning in her own blood. Her lungs were ruptured beyond repair.

Persei kissed the filly’s head, sniffing her mane. Sweet reached upward and wrapped her hooves around Persei’s neck, and she gasped. Her heart melted. But she noticed something. Looking down, she saw the two cotton bandages on her barrel. The filly continued to cling to her, and Persei lifted up the bandages. There were two, perfectly circular pierce wounds right over each one of her lungs. As if they had been punctured intentionally…the precision was surgical.

Persei felt someone touch her, and she flipped around, startling the nurse. Behind her, two doctors waited. The nurse was surprised, but quickly overcame her shock. “You must be, Persei.” The mare said cheerily.

Persei noticed that both her hind legs had been recently amputated, and had prosthetic limbs in place of her hooves. She pointed at her fake legs. “What happened to your hooves?”

“Oh,” the nurse said, her cheery demeanor fading. “Infection overtook the wounds I got from a Night Guard raid.” The nurse quickly changed the subject. “Have you been fed? Are you thirsty? Need a bed to rest in?”

How can this mare still be so caring despite all that’s happened to her?

Persei looked back at Chocolate Sweet. She was humming softly to herself, stroking the mane of her rag doll. Persei faced the nurse. “What happened to this filly’s parents?”

“Dead,” one of the doctors whispered. “They were too damaged. They bled out during surgery.”

“Unfortunately that is a common fate,” the nurse said sadly. “Our blood banks are completely depleted.”

Persei couldn’t believe this. “You should be taking better care of her, I can’t…”

“Look,” one of the doctors snapped. “We are overworked. Our surgeons collapse on the job from exhaustion. Our nurses haven’t slept in days ever since these refugees came in.”

“We’re doing the best we can,” the nurse said softly.

Persei looked back the filly, still playing with her doll. “Is she going to be all right?” she asked the doctors.

The nurse smiled sadly. “Once the doctors give her the medicine, she’ll be all better.”

One of the doctors motioned for Persei to step back, and the other doctor approached her. He raised his hoof, holding a needle which was half full of…Morphine. Such a high dosage will send her into oblivion, what the hell are they doing?

“No,” Persei said, shaking her head. “There must be something we can do.”

The doctor and the nurse restrained her as she struggled. The doctor lowered the lethal injection, and rubbed Chocolate Sweet’s shoulder with an alcohol pad.

The filly seemed unconcerned, talking to her doll, and playing with it.

All the other patients in the room were watching the scene in despair. They knew many of them would be sharing the same fate very soon. Persei was still struggling against the doctor’s restraining hooves, but she no longer knew why. The filly was dying. No surgeon could save her. “Consider this a final act of kindness,” the doctor said, injecting the morphine into her.

Chocolate Sweet sighed deeply, her body going limp. Persei broke away from the doctor and touched noses with the filly. “Please,” she whispered, desperately. She shook the filly. “Please don’t die.”

“It’s okay, Persei.” The filly whispered, her eyes slowly closing. “I’m going to be with my parents now.”

Persei shook her head, clutching the filly’s hoof. “No, no, no….”

The filly’s body went slack, and with one final, drawn out breath, she expired.

Tears dripped from Persei’s eyes, and the doctor who had euthanized her sighed. “Empty the bed. Get the next patient in here.”

Some of the other patients began to cry, despair weighing heavy on all of them.

Persei could no longer stand it. Her heart felt like it might burst. She fled from the room. She charged through the nearest door, and barreled down a dark staircase. She arrived into some furnace room. It was unbearably hot, and….

Two stallions with shovels were standing in front of the open maw of the flaming furnace.

Persei looked around and saw the heaps of burlap sacks sitting in the corners of the room. The stallions grabbed the ends of each bag, and chucked it into the fire. The flames washed over it, consuming the bag.

The stallions grabbed another sack, but this time, a tiny pale hoof slipped out of the sack. Persei stared at the dangling, limp hoof. They chucked it into the fire.

Persei looked around, seeing there were at least a hundred more bodies that needed to be…disposed of.

She fled from the crematorium, galloping down the crowded hallways, and into the clear open. She kept galloping all the way until she was at the very end of one of the harbor’s piers. She looked at her shaky reflection in the aquamarine water.

Why did all these ponies deserve to die, while she lived?

Persei stomped her hooves on the wooden planks. “What kind of monster would puncture the lungs of a little filly!?” she screamed out to the ocean.

“Why?” she repeated. “Why are such things allowed to happen? Why are such monsters allowed to roam free?”

They had taken her mother, they had taken her home, and they were hunting the last remnant of her family through the forest. What if? What if Cepheus and the villagers never got here?

Persei wanted to collapse on the dock and bawl her eyes out, but there were no more tears. Just anger. If ponies get sad, they’ll just sit around and cry. It’s when they get angry they take action.

Persei puffed her chest out, wiping her tears. She looked up in defiance at the moon, a symbol of the Empress. “I promise again, on the memory of my Mother, that I will avenge the death of these ponies. So no others have to go through the pain they have gone through. Nightmare Moon shall fall, and her favored race destroyed.”

Persei felt a wrath so pure and heated that it filled up her inside. Her horn glowed orange, and she belched a great gout of flame. The air around her began to shimmer with heat. Her blood was on fire. She wanted to scream. She wanted vengeance.

In the searing turmoil of her hate and promises of retribution, she felt something incredibly hot against her flank. It caused her pain, but it was a sweet suffering. She gritted her teeth, and continued looking out to sea.

If she had looked back, she would have noticed something on her flank. A new cutie mark glowed orange with heat, and then the glow disappeared as the heat intensified to new thresholds. It actually appeared to absorb light for a moment. The hotter the flame, the less light it produces. It is said the conflagrations of hell are pitch black…

This was a kind of flame that produced no light, but only burned.

The wind continued to whisper in Persei’s ear, tossing her mane. She didn’t know how long she remained there, but she knew that of all the places in Equestria, this was the place she was meant to be. She would give her heart and soul to this cause. Justice was long overdue….

Ultra Violet had been watching Persei from the prow of a nearby ship. She turned away, now even more interested in the white unicorn.

Author's Notes:

Notice this. Cepheus' cutie mark appeared during an act of love. Persei's cutie mark appeared during an act of hate.

Cepheus' cutie mark is one symbolizing light, where Persei's symbolizes heat.

Feedback/Discussion is encouraged.

Chapter 22: Anonymous

The Night Guards were the finest military police Equestria had ever seen, Darkheart mused. Strong, cunning, and brutal, they had made quite a reputation for themselves. Now, once again, it was time to remind the denizens of Nightmare Moon’s empire that dissent will not be tolerated. It was up to him and his police ponies to bring down their Empress’ wrath upon these filthy, ungrateful Dayborns.

There had been an anonymous tip describing some kind of insurgent operation within the city ghettos, and with Nightmare Moon’s recent paranoia, she had responded with full force.

Darkheart stood in the street, overseeing his unit’s activities. His Night Guards had sealed off the block, and now surrounded the apartment complex. A police pony stood at every entrance of the building, and at his word, they would kick down the doors and storm the building.

The Night Guards had taken their positions, and were waiting for his command. He made a motion with his hoof, and there was a shout. They all bucked their doors at once, the wood cracking at the strength of the blows. They rushed inside and began breaking down individual doors, demanding that all ponies within immediately surrender themselves.

Darkheart grinned as he heard the sounds of ceramic being smashed, doors being broken, the shouting of the police…It was music to his ears. But what made this cadence perfect, was the sound of panicked Dayborns being roused from their sleep.

They were all forced out into the street before Darkheart, stallions, mares, and foals alike. They were still in their tattered night gowns, barely conscious, but fear kept them from being clumsy because of it.

About seventy ponies were emptied out of the building, the police grunts nudging them along with their loaded crossbows. Foals were crying in fear, mares whimpered at the bark of their commands, and the stallions withdrew into themselves, obeying everything the Night Guards said.

Darkheart could smell their terror in the air. The look of full submission, total obedience, utter surrender, seeing these things in the Dayborns enthralled him.

The Night Guards exited the building, and an officer stood in the doorway for a moment, nodding at him. Clear. They hadn’t found any weapons or anything. Darkheart nodded.

He motioned for the several hundred Guards at his command to move onto the next block. They shepherded the captive Dayborns along, threatening them every time they slowed. Darkheart grinned in satisfaction, watching the Dayborns they had just caught, joining the hundreds of others they had captured. Exhaustion and despair were on each one of their faces. It warmed his heart. “It’s about time Nightmare Moon cleansed this city of these scum,” he said to himself.

All the Dayborns were being rounded up. By the time the moon rose again, all their property would be possessed by the government, and all these ponies would be shipped out to the Empress’ internment camps. They would be spending the foreseeable future there. Or at least until the threat passed.

Darkheart couldn’t wait to find out what Nightmare Moon was planning to do with them once they got there. Imprisonment? Hard labor? Death?

He was thoroughly enjoying being in charge of this operation. He looked up at the dark sky, wondering. Perhaps this was Nightmare Moon’s way of making amends for Ember’s disappearance…. He was sure Ember would turn up sooner or later. She often pulled these stunts whenever she felt neglected.

He missed her though.

Darkheart was pulled out of his thoughts when a Guard officer trotted up to him. “Sir, we haven’t found any weapons or any kind of supplies that could be used to drive an insurgence.”

He nodded. “Keep looking. Nightmare Moon wants us to be thorough.”

The officer knelt, and trotted away.

Darkheart sighed. As much as he was enjoying himself, they hadn’t found anything. Oh well. He was going to turn this whole place upside down if he had to.

The Night Guard had finished putting up the “state property” tape on the past few residences, and was preparing to do the same to the apartment they had just emptied out.

“Hey!” a stallion’s frustrated voice could be heard from behind him. “You can’t take all of our things! How the hell are we supposed to survive?”

What the…? Darkheart turned around and saw two of the Guards moving along a Dayborn stallion. He was furious, seeing the state property tape being put up on his apartment. The stallion struggled and shouted, and it was catching the attention of the other Dayborns. “I demand to know what is going on!” he yelled. One of the Guards roughly shoved the unicorn along, cursing at him. “Stop pushing!” he grunted, struggling.

Darkheart looked at the other Dayborns. They were all looking at the scene with the disgruntled stallion and the Night Guards. They were watching to see what would happen.

Deciding that it was time to intervene, Darkheart approached them. This was unheard of, he thought. Nopony has ever resisted.

The Night Guards were trying to wrestle him down, and he began to cry out. “They’re going to take all of our belongings!” he shouted, his voice echoing in the square. “They’re going to send us all away to the labor camps!”

“Shut him up!” Darkheart hissed. How the hell did he know about their plans?

One of the Guards slammed his nightstick down on the stallion’s head, knocking him to the ground. Darkheart watched the Guards beat him down, but there was a murmur among the captive Dayborns. Their fear had solidified, and the look of submission on their faces, turned into one of desperation. There was a spark in them that hadn’t been there before.

Darkheart knew an emergent standoff when he saw one. But he hesitated.

What sounded like a crack of thunder echoed in the square. There was a gasp of shock from the Dayborn crowd. The unicorn stallion that was being beaten down had discharged a powerful burst of magic, far beyond the capability of a normal civilian unicorn. The two Night Guards subduing him were sent flying into the air, landing on the hard pavement with a loud crash. The two Guards lay there, unmoving.

Darkheart was stunned. This was absolutely unbelievable. The unicorn was about to speak again, but Darkheart grabbed his crossbow and fired it at him. Before he could say a word, the arrow went straight through his skull.

The stallion collapsed, bleeding out onto the street. The stunned Night Guards finally found their sense and dragged away the two downed Night Guards. But all the Dayborns had seen what had been done. The notion that the Night Guard was untouchable had been dispelled. Somepony, one of them, had actually struck and possible killed two of Nightmare Moon’s elite police.

With a sense of impending urgency, he flew to the top of a towering Nightmare Moon statue so he could address them all. He landed on the statue’s head, and looked out to the thousand or so in the crowd below. “Attention, Dayborns!”

They all looked up at him. “Disobedience will not be tolerated!” he declared. “We expect your full compliance as you all are to be relocated….”

“No!” a Dayborn cried out among the crowd. There was a loud murmur, and the Night Guards searched for whoever had spoken out. “We’ve had enough of Nightmare Moon’s tyranny!”

The crowd murmured in agreement. The spark that the unicorn stallion had set was now catching fire. Darkheart realized that the situation was critical. “Silence!” he bellowed. He motioned for the police to form defensive ranks around the Dayborns. “The camps are only a temporary measure….”

“Liar!” a pony cried out. “We’re not going to go quietly so you can work us to death in that bitch alicorn’s labor camps!”

There was a moment of total silence. A pony ran out from among the crowd, and barreled into the police ranks.

All semblance of order was shattered.

A hundred others followed, clashing with the Night Guard. Nightsticks flashed as they were brought down on the heads and backs of the Dayborns, but they were all in a frenzy. Shouts of anger rang out in the square. Flashes of magic exploded, scattering their defensive ranks.

Darkheart watched from his vantage point on top of Nightmare Moon’s statue. They had a full on riot on their hooves. He howled over the disorder. “Let this be an example to those who defy Nightmare Moon!” he called to his Night Guards. “Kill them all!”

The Night Guard put away their nightsticks and unsheathed their blades. The police unicorn artillery began to bombard the rioters with their magic, the entire block trembling from the blasts. Darkheart flew above the square, watching the Dayborns being torn apart.

Night Guard reinforcements flooded into the streets, slaughtering the remaining ponies. The black pavement was awash in the blood of dead Dayborn ponies, the neighboring buildings were on fire, and craters from the artillery blasts dotted the square.

Just when Darkheart thought everything was settled, there was an explosion at the base of the massive Nightmare Moon statue. A bright burst flame was followed by a shockwave of energy. There was a cry of alarm from the Night Guards. The Empress’ stone fore-hooves had been destroyed, and the whole thing was tipping over. The police fled as it crashed down, a giant wave of dust and stone debris swallowing up many of his officers.

The wind cleared up the dust, and Darkheart stared in terror at the ruined Nightmare Moon statue. Her fair mane had been shattered, her muzzle broken off, her hooves reduced to rubble, and her entire torso was barely intact. The remnants of her statue lay among the mangled corpses of Dayborn ponies. Billowing smoke obscured his vision as the magical fire consumed the surrounding buildings, smoldering embers being carried by the breeze.

One of his underlings approached him, bowing clumsily. “Sir, what do we do?”

Darkheart was still numb with shock. Is this an omen of things to come?

“Sir?” the officer asked, desperation quivering in his voice.

Darkheart shook his head. “Call the fire brigade,” he whispered. “And contact Nightmare Moon immediately about what has happened here. She’s got to clamp down before word of this revolt spreads.”

Sirius galloped down the street, Arcturus following closely behind. They had left the diner where they had met Doctor Pharus, and were desperately thinking of where Sapphire could possibly be.

Necron knew what they were up to, and was doing everything he could to hinder their search. Reality and dreams had been meshed together as vivid hallucinations blended seamlessly into Sirius’ perception of his surroundings.

Differentiating between what was real, and what was insanity, became increasingly difficult as the night progressed. His perceptions of time and space were manipulated, thought processes were becoming incoherent, and his memories were being sabotaged.

This was full on mental warfare. Arcturus galloped alongside him. “Sirius! I think I may know where Sapphire is!”

A memory played out in Sirius’ head. Arcturus was sitting in a hallway, terrified. He was staring at a slightly ajar white door at the end of the corridor. A flayed, bloody hoof was reaching out, calling him in. Pain radiated in Arcturus’ mind, desperately issuing him a warning. “My subconscious was trying to keep me out of that room!” he exclaimed. “It wanted to protect me from whatever was in there!”

“Do you think Necron was keeping Sapphire in there?” Sirius paused, his thoughts frozen. A memory intruded into his thoughts. There had been tufts of red and orange hair lying outside that door….There was only one pony he knew who had such hair coloration. Ember….

How many ponies was Necron keeping in there?

Sirius’ apartment building came into view as they galloped, but he noticed something off about the place. It seemed like a dark shade had come over the brick infrastructure. The windows looked bleak, morose, maybe even haunted. The sky overhead became overcast, blocking out the moon. The streetlights were flicking uncertainly, and only the gentle whispering of the breeze could be heard in the night.

Arcturus and Sirius stood in front of the door, but fear kept their hooves rooted to the ground. The body of a white pegasus had been crucified over the doorway. Large stakes were embedded in his belly, neck and hooves. Smaller nails perforated the bones of his wings, keeping them spread out on the brick walls. He looked like an entomologist’s display, a framed butterfly with his body pinned and spread out on the canvas.

Blood dripped from the muzzle of the pegasus, his white fur stained with streaks of gore from the impalement. His golden mane was limp and covered his eyes, a stake rammed into his throat forcing him to keep his head up. The stallion groaned. “Sirius, brother, please don’t go inside.” He coughed up blood, his blue eyes bloodshot. “Necron will hurt you. Stay away….”

“Cepheus,” Sirius whispered. He felt tears in his eyes. “Who did this to you?”

Cepheus lolled his head, looking down at Sirius. “You did. Or you will, in time.” The stallion suddenly jerked up, ripping his wings free from the brick wall, bits and pieces of the bony membrane remaining on the wall. He began to rip the stakes out of his torso and hooves, blood gushing down. He collapsed onto the ground with a sickening thump, and looked up at Sirius. “Will you deliver me to Nightmare Moon like this? Will you rip off my wings and wrap them around your neck like a trophy? Will you gouge my eyes out, so I can’t look at what you’re doing to me? Will you carve open my chest….”

“You’re not real!” Sirius screamed, tears streaming down his face.

Cepheus began to drag himself towards Sirius, the movements of his body unnatural and disfigured. “Nightmare Moon has ordered you to bring her my corpse.” Cepheus grunted in pain. “Will you kill me like you killed Mother?”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Sirius cried.

“Our entire village was wiped out because of you,” Cepheus whispered. “Your petty desire for retribution led to the death of so many innocent ponies. You lead the Night Guards straight to our home when you Dreamwalked in Mother’s mind. It’s all your fault….”

Arcturus leapt forward, put his hoof down on Cepheus’ neck, grabbed his head, and with a single movement, snapped his neck. “Snap out of it, Sirius. Necron is playing with your emotions.”

Arcturus opened the door to the apartment building. Their residence was on the penthouse, all the way on the top floor. How could they possibly make it through without Necron overpowering them?

Sirius swallowed, and followed Arcturus inside. Stepping through the door, there was a squishing sound. The carpet was soaked. He lifted his hoof up, and saw that the bottom was covered in blood. There was a terrifying shriek that made Sirius' heart race. Sapphire was screaming in agony, begging for the pain to stop. The door slammed shut behind Arcturus and Sirius, locking itself.

Sirius stared up ahead, his heart hammering in his chest. They were trapped. Necron’s maniacal laughter could be heard echoing in the dark hallways. “Your suffering is just about to begin.”

Author's Notes:

Well, I hoped you enjoyed that rebellion. More of that is coming as we approach the climax of the story.

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 23: Group Therapy

Cepheus blinked, and yawned as he awoke. A few strands of hair entered his mouth and he gagged. He quickly closed his mouth, giggling to himself. His muzzle was buried in Candle’s mane. The scent of rosewater and salt that had once been intoxicating, was now just a pleasant reminder of the events that had transpired the night before.

Her head lay on his chest, his wings wrapped around her in a protective embrace. It was silent in the room save for her soft sighs, accompanied by the gentle swelling and deflating of her barrel. It was so peaceful in here.

They were lying on a soft mattress on a poster bed. White veils shrouded the bed, obscuring the outside world. A large mirror was mounted on the bed canopy, the reflection of a white pegasus and a beige earth pony with a tangled snarl of sheets at the foot of the bed.

Cepheus sighed, gently stroking his wife’s back. Dusty had been sent to another room so they could have some privacy, so there would be no disturbances. Now that the ordeal of escaping the clutches of the Night Guard has passed, his mind was free to think of other things.

Melancholy began to well up in his chest. “Mother,” he whispered. “I am a married stallion now.” He sniffed. They would have a proper wedding once he was united with Mother and Persei. Hopefully they were both alright.

Cepheus couldn’t wait to introduce her to them as his wife, and Dusty as his son. Would Mother approve? Of course she would. She had always respected his decisions.

Now, Persei was a different story. Would she be jealous knowing that he and another mare were having an extremely intimate relationship? Cepheus hoped not. He had to hook her up with a stallion once Persei was with him again. The prospect of being matchmaker was amusing to him.

Candle’s breath suddenly caught, and he knew she had awoken. He kissed her forehead, and held her especially tightly. She nuzzled him, and he could feel her warm breath against the tuft of hair on his chest. “I had the most wonderful dream,” she whispered.

“Hmmm?” he groaned.

“It was us in the future,” she whispered in awe. “Oh, how I wish all those things would come to pass. We were standing together, Dusty was all grown up, and standing at our hooves were two tiny foals.” She beamed, stretching out. “We were all so happy.”

Foals…Cepheus thought. They needed to talk about this. They needed to talk about a lot of other things as well. “Candle, do you want a foal?”

Candle became very still. She was silent, and Cepheus felt like she wasn’t going to answer. “I do, but…” her eyes became downcast and she trailed off.

But what? Cepheus felt like he shouldn’t pry, but something was troubling her. “Are you afraid that you won’t be a good mother?”

She didn’t respond. Cepheus was about to say something more, but there was a knock on the door. Candle shifted his wings apart, and lifted herself off of him. The place where she had slept left a warm, tingly sensation on his flesh.

He wanted to talk to her more, but he felt like there was nothing more to say now. They were very young and had just gotten married. They had more than enough time to make this decision.

Cepheus was shuffling out of bed, when Candle opened the door. Dusty was sitting in front of the door, his eyes aglow with joy. Two other bat-pony colts were waiting behind him, panting. Dusty pushed a tray full of food through the doorway, and bounded away. The two colts raced after him, chittering happily.

“These Nightborn ponies are so strange,” Candle whispered.

“But I’m glad he’s happy here,” Cepheus added cheerily.

Candle didn’t seem to share his enthusiasm. Whatever that was holding her back from wanting a foal was still on her mind. Cepheus put a wing around his wife, pulled her close, and kissed her.

She seemed to relax, and was smiling when they parted. “Cepheus…Candle,” a voice called them.

They both looked down the hallway and saw Antares approaching. He had a sorrowful expression which quickly melted away as he engaged them in conversation. “You both are good ponies. Would you care to join our group meeting?”

“Sure,” Cepheus said, grinning.

Antares grinned, reflecting Cepheus’s expression. “Your villagers are still wary of us, so it would help them to see you mingling.”

Cepheus nodded, and Antares trotted away. They both watched him leave. Something strange caught Cepheus’ eye. Antares’ cutie mark had always been covered with armor or some other clothing, but this time he could see a light impression of it though the translucent cloth of his trousers. It was a long framed mirror, but there was something odd about it. There was something else faded in the background.

Antares had two cutie marks, but one was very blurred. It was as if it had been erased somehow.

Candle was drawing back into the room with the tray of food, and with one last look at Antares, he closed the door behind him.

She was unwrapping the food, and Cepheus joined her on the floor. She was quiet, and Cepheus tried to talk to her. “These bat-ponies are pretty friendly. I find them trustworthy.”

Candle continued staring down at the food. “They’re ex-Night Guards and Night Terrors. They’re traitors. I think there’s a limit to how much we can trust them.”

Cepheus hadn’t expected this paranoia from her. “They’ve taken us in, and are feeding us. They saved us.”

She sighed, slumping down. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

They remained silent as they began to eat, and Cepheus began to wonder what was wrong with her. He suddenly remembered something Persei had said. “Mares want a stallion that can stabilize her life….” That’s right, Cepheus thought. There had been no stability for the past few weeks. They had been chased through a dark forest, had risked an encounter with the Night Guard, and were now in the company of near strangers. She hesitated at the thought of having foals, because she wanted a stable environment to raise her foals. That was a luxury they didn’t have. Or did they? “Candle…” he said.

She looked up at him, still chewing. “Yes?”

Cepheus swallowed. “Do you want to stay here?”

She stared at him. “What about your Mother and sister? Don’t you want to find them?”

“I’m asking what you want,” Cepheus said. “All this travel has been very stressful, and perhaps we should stay here for the time being.”

Candle seemed hesitant.

“Don’t worry about me,” Cepheus added. “I won’t mind if we stayed here for an extended period of time.”

Candle nodded, and thought about it for a moment. Then, like a flower blooming, she smiled. She touched his hoof. “Yes, I would really like that.”

Cepheus had guessed correctly. Persei’s advice had been useful once again. “We can talk to the other villagers and our Nightborn hosts. I’m sure both will consent. The villagers are exhausted, and the Nightborns appear to really want us here.”

Candle nodded, still smiling. They sat quietly then and finished the remaining food. His wife’s good mood persisted.

Soon, they wandered into the hallways. It was somewhat eerie with all the mirrors mounted on the stone walls, but eventually they arrived at the gathering.

It was the largest chamber in the mausoleum like building, and there were about two hundred ponies here, not counting the Dayborn villager here and there. All the Nightborns had split off into small groups of a dozen or so ponies. They had gathered chairs and were sitting in tight circles. They all were talking to one another, one pony speaking at a time. It was like a massive group therapy session.

Cepheus and Candle found two empty chairs and sat down there. The eight other Nightborn ponies smiled at them, looking at the Dayborn newcomers with wonder. A bat-pony mare in a white nurse’s robe made a small chittering sound to get their attention. “Hello, everypony!” she said in a cheery voice.

“Hello,” most of the Nightborns responded. The others seemed troubled.

The nurse smiled again. “Since we have two new faces here today,” she gestured to Cepheus and Candle. “We’ll all be introducing ourselves.” She wiggled in her seat, and cleared her throat. “I’ll introduce myself first. My name is Daisy Brightheart.”

“Hello, Daisy.” The others said.

Daisy smiled and gave a small wave. “The purpose of us meeting today, and for the past few years, is for therapeutic reasons. Nightmare Moon has broken us all, robbing us of our free will by afflicting us with terrible mental illnesses.” Daisy looked down at the floor, her voice solemn. “She’s made us do terrible things, but these group sessions are all about healing. We have all struggled, we have all suffered, but now it is time to recover.” She paused. “Each one of us will tell us their names, their affliction, and a brief introduction.”

All the Nightborns nodded, but the pony besides Candle seemed to be shivering. Daisy looked at the fidgeting stallion. “Steel Wind? Why don’t you start us off?”

The stallion looked all around, still trembling. “Yes,” he said. “My name is Steel Wind.”

“Hello, Steel Wind.” Everypony said, including Cepheus and Candle.

The stallion seemed encouraged by the warm reception. “I have schizophrenia and I used to be a Night Guard captain.” The schizophrenic stallion twitched uncontrollably, his shaking muzzle jerking his words around. “I’m having such a hard time.”

“It’s the drugs we are giving you,” Daisy reassured him. “Muscle tremors are a side effect. We had to up your dosage since last time.”

Steel shook his head. “I…I don’t think I need a higher dosage. I need to make peace with the demons living inside of me. They’re always fighting and yelling at each other, and when they’re not fighting, they’re making fun of me.” He clutched his head, screwing shut his eyes. “They never shut up. Every waking moment they are talking. They say I’m stupid for attending these sessions.”

A mare sitting next to Steel Wind put a hoof on his shoulder. “I don’t think you’re stupid,” she said. “You tell those bullies to back off, you stand up to them.”

Steel Wind stared at the mare, and nodded.

“Alright,” Daisy said, smiling. “Who wants to introduce themselves next?”

All the Nightborn ponies looked at Cepheus and Candle expectantly. Candle seemed shy, so he spoke up. “Hello, my name is Cepheus.”

They all looked genuinely excited to meet him. “Hello, Cepheus,” they chimed.

Cepheus grinned, and put a wing around Candle. “This is my wife, Candle.”

Everpony there gave a collective, “Oooooohh.”

He chuckled and continued. “It’s my first day here.” Cepheus gestured to the space around him. “I’m guessing this kind of like a giant psychiatric hospital, right?”

Daisy nodded. “Kind of, but with a much stronger community. We all help each other out. Together, we can conquer whatever illness we are afflicted with.”

Steel Wind twitched, and began to talk. “So, what’s wrong with you two?”

“Oh,” Cepheus said, wondering what he should say. “Nothing really,” he said. “I thought it would be cool to come talk to you guys.”

A mare sitting across them sniffed, tears in her eyes. “You…you guys are here because…you think I’m cool?”

Cepheus nodded. “The coolest.” The mare gasped, and looked around at everypony.

“We all think you’re cool,” they all said, smiling with such sincerity that it affected even Cepheus.

The mare melted in her chair, a look of pure ecstasy on her face. She hugged herself, rocking on the floor. “Mom…dad…the ponies at school like me. They actually like me…” she began to whisper to herself, gently swaying.

Cepheus was impressed by the amount of healing that had already taken place. He looked around at all the other groups, some more successful than others. Some ponies were in straitjackets, others were completely catatonic, but the feedback seemed mostly positive. He even saw some of his own villagers among them. They seemed to be getting along. Cepheus’ eyes drifted over to the corner of the large chamber, and he saw Antares watching a therapy group wistfully.

Cepheus noticed that there were some other ponies wandering about as well, seemingly unattached to the other groups. They all looked miserable.

“Daisy,” he said, catching the attention of the group. “Who are those ponies wandering about?”

Daisy seemed to be saddened by his question. “Oh, them. We have all sorts of patients here. We have ponies with personality disorders, delusions, anxiety…All things that we can fix. But…” Daisy looked over at Antares. “No amount of therapy or medicine can regrow brain matter. Ponies like Antares have been either lobotomized, lesioned, or just have irreversible brain damage done to them by Nightmare Moon’s surgeons.”

Cepheus continued staring at Antares. “He looks lonely. We should invite him over.”

Daisy shook her head. “He just watches. We’ve invited him before, but he always refuses.” She leaned forward, and so did all the other Nightborns. “Rumor is that he’s done something exceptionally terrible. That’s why he’s so withdrawn. It’s like he’s punishing himself.”

Steel Wind didn’t quite understand. “When I was in the Night Guard, I was the one who detained ponies.” Everypony was looking at him then. “The reason why they called me Steel Wind was because of the barbed metal whip I used on uncooperative prisoners. I enjoyed my job, but one day, as I was lashing down an innocent filly, she made a sound before my final blow killed her. If all the undeserved suffering in the world had a sound, that’s how it would sound like. As I lifted up her body into the trash compactor, I had that epiphany that Antares mentioned. I metaphorically saw myself in the mirror. My schizophrenia had clouded my mind, but for one shining moment, there was clarity.”

Daisy Brightheart rubbed her hooves together. “The thing is, Cepheus. We’ve all done terrible things. But there are a few of us who have committed atrocities far greater than our own. There are a few of us who can’t entirely blame the mental illness for what they did.” Daisy looked down, a tear in her eye. “But... despite our blood-soaked pasts, we have genuinely changed for the better. We hope to amend all the wrongs we have done by doing what we believe will make the world a better place: the removal of Nightmare Moon from power.”

The mare who was rocking herself on the floor looked up at them. “We strive for the forgiveness of all those we have harmed. We long for absolution.”

Cepheus looked back over at Antares. He had a lit cigar in his muzzle, looking down at the ground, blowing out sporadic puffs of smoke. He was hiding something terrible.

Cepheus knew he was a changed pony, but there was something haunting about it. If a single act could define you, what had he done to deserve such self-loathing?

Everypony else seemed to be feeling better about themselves, but there was a depth to Antares’ guilt that could not be healed by time.

He wanted to know more about these ponies’ leader. In which way was he brain damaged? What did his mirror, and faded cutie mark mean? Was he a Night Guard, a Night Terror, or some other ex-agent of Nightmare Moon? What had he done that was so terrible that he needed to kill Nightmare Moon to absolve it? Who was Antares?

Author's Notes:

As you can see, there is an interesting ethical/moral contrast between this group and the Scions of Celestion. These Nightborn ponies seek redemption, and the Scions seek justice. I will be highlighting this difference as these two revolutionary groups compete with each other.

How are you guys liking Cepheus' story line so far?

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 24: Consumed

“You’ll come undone…” a voice sighed from somewhere above.

It seemed as if the corridor was pressing in on the two pegasi. The walls were reverberating, shuddering, and each movement drawing them closer. Or so it felt that way.

Sirius and Arcturus gently tread through the increasingly narrow passage, the crimson soaked carpet squelching under their hooves. The interior of the apartment building looked different than it had been before.

Instead of electrical lights on the roof, there were now flickering candles lining the walls of the hallway. The classy wallpaper had been replaced with a blood red paint, portraits of insane looking ponies were mounted where contemporary paintings once hung, and the whole place had the aura of repressed anger tempered by insanity.

The doors to the individual residences lined the hallways, and sinister sounds could be heard from within. Scratching, groaning, angry whispering, Sirius was watching every door wide-eyed, expecting one to burst open and reveal a terrible ghoul.

“This isn’t real,” Sirius and Arcturus chanted in sync. “This isn’t real.”

But in his mind it was real, and that could be just as deadly. He had studied this is as a Night Terror. If the brain believed in a hallucination strongly enough, then it became reality. For example, if the body thought it was sick, it would make itself sick. If the body thought it had been struck, poisoned, or harmed in anyway, although the injury may not be real, the body’s reaction would be. Sirius could feel pain, or even die reacting to a wound that only existed in his mind.

The pony’s mind was an immensely powerful thing; therefore, its corruption was the most dangerous and complex of all ailments. Sirius knew this firsthand. His disorder had created five other ponies with distinct personalities and talents.

They reached the end of the hallway, and stood before the elevator room.

Six elevators were in this room, three on one wall, and three on the opposite. The once shiny silver doors had been rusted, and eerie rattling sounds could be heard from within. A dim crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, the candles providing an eerie green light that washed over the room like pestilence.

Sirius swallowed, and trotted to the button console. He moved to push the up button, and his hoof hovered over the button, but there was a crinkling sound. The plastic cover of the button was being burned by his proximity, the plastic crackling and turning black.

“Ding! You have arrived on the ground floor….” a mare’s pre-recorded voice echoed.

Sirius and Arcturus froze.

There was the sound of elevator doors sliding open from behind them.

Somepony was breathing heavily, panting.

They flipped around, and saw that the center elevator was open. An eerie red light bathed a dark shadow suspended from the elevator roof. The bloody corpse of a blue earth pony mare was hanging there, a noose around her neck. “Sapphire!” Arcturus gasped, charging into the elevator.

Sirius followed him inside, and Arcturus jumped up to sever the rope. It was when the elevator doors slammed shut behind them, that they realized that it had been a trap. The illusion of the mare was replaced with what it really was, the corpse of a slaughtered pig. The massive boar began to swell, its features horribly distended as it blew up like a balloon. Arcturus and Sirius screamed in unison, the pig’s gut rupturing and exploding. Bone and viscera was sent splattering all over the walls.

Slick with the pig’s fetid blood, they banged on the closed elevator doors, but they were sealed. The room lurched upward, and the monitor mounted on the wall began to count upward from 1. “Going up,” the mare’s pre-recorded voice chimed.

Sirius and Arcturus looked at each other, gore dripping from their muzzles. The elevator dinged softly every time they went up a floor, heading up to the penthouse.

Arcturus exhaled deeply. “Sirius, we have to save Sapphire. No matter what happens, we have to keep on going.”

Sirius nodded. This was just a game Necron was playing with them, they could not fold.

The elevator shook ominously, and came to a shuddering halt. “You…You…You…have arrived…” the mare’s voice glitched and faded away with a droning sound.

The elevator shook violently, and the doors slid open. Arcturus and Sirius stared out into the darkness. This wasn’t their floor….

A figure was standing down the hallway. Sirius could see the gleam of metal in the pony’s hooves. Arcturus and Sirius were frozen with fear, staring at the pony.

The pony made a sudden yanking motion, and the air was filled with the roar of a chainsaw’s motor. The pony charged towards them, the bloody power tool buzzing loudly.

Sirius and Arcturus screamed, and Sirius began smashing the “close door” button. The doors began to slowly close, and there was the terrible grating sound as the pony rammed the chainsaw through the remaining crack. Arcturus and Sirius dove towards the corners of the room, avoiding the murderous weapon.

The elevator began to lurch upward, and the chainsaw began to slide down the break in the doors, and finally withdrew. The doors finally clamped shut.

Sirius gasped for breath in his corner, his heart racing. “I wonder what else Necron has in store for us,” Sirius groaned, wiping some blood off his face.

“Next time, we’re going to take the stairs.” Arcturus said.

The elevator lurched to a halt once again. “You have arrived at the penthouse,” the mare said.

Sirius stepped out of the elevator and saw that their apartment door was already open. It was pitch dark inside. The elevator doors slammed shut behind them, almost catching Sirius’ tail.

Somepony was playing the piano from inside. Sirius looked at Arcturus, and he shrugged. Did we even own a piano? Apparently we did.

The notes were haunting, and each piano key struck sent shivers down Sirius’ spine. Sirius crept towards the door, and before stepping inside, he groped the wall for the light switch. He hit the switch, and the lights turned on. The playing piano went silent as suddenly as it came. Everything seemed normal inside. The apartment was as he had left it.

Had Necron given up? It was unlikely, but calm came over him regardless.

Sirius stepped inside, and saw Arcturus’ cello lying on the floor. He picked up the handsome looking instrument, feeling the polished mahogany wood. “How could I have not noticed several other ponies living with me?”

Arcturus nodded and picked up Levaian’s acceptance letter from the floor, along with all of Chaucer’s hospital bills. “We saw these things, but our mind didn’t register them. Subconsciously, we avoided the places our other alters inhabited. Like Levaian’s study, or the kitchen where I liked to cook and play music,” Arcturus gestured to the door at the end of the corridor. “The same goes for Necron. That’s where he spent most of his time.”

Sirius and Arcturus were staring at the door, both thinking the same thing: What had he been doing in there?

“I went in their once,” Arcturus said. “But I can’t remember what I saw. My brain won’t let me recall the information.”

Sirius swallowed. “Are you sure that Sapphire is in there? What if it’s another trap?”

Arcturus shrugged. “Where else would she be? That’s where he’s keeping all his prisoners.”

They both stared at the door to Necron’s lair. Sirius was terrified. Did he have the willpower to survive a confrontation with the embodiment of his insanity?

“ARCTURUS! HELP ME!” Sapphire screamed.

Arcturus charged forth. “I’M COMING, HANG ON!”

Sirius grabbed his tail, and tried to hold him back, but Arcturus was in a frenzy. “Don’t go inside, you idiot! It’s what he wants!”

Sirius’ hooves and Arcturus’ tail was still slick with blood, and his grip slipped. Sirius went flying back, striking his head against the wooden floor with a solid crack. Disoriented, he turned over to see Arcturus tear open the door and vanish inside.

Sirius struggled to get back on his hooves, and stumbled down the hallway. “Arcturus!” Sirius cried.

Vision spinning, his head aching, his heart racing, he stepped into what appeared to be some kind of unfinished room. The overpowering smell of rot made him gag.

Blood from his head wound trickled down Sirius’ mane, running down his neck. The walls were made of concrete, and resembled some kind of dungeon. Medieval torture devices lay all around, along with racks loaded with surgical tools and other devices designed to cause pain. Chains hung from the roof, and he looked up and gasped. Ember’s head was hanging there on a hook, along with other dismembered parts of her body.

Necron had literally pulled her apart.

There was a cry of pain from Arcturus, and Sirius felt alarm. The sound was coming from the net of chains above. Sirius flew upward, weaving through Necron’s web. He saw entrails hanging from the chains, and the withered heads of other ponies. As Sirius ascended, he saw Doctor Pharus’ corpse nailed on the wall. He looked like a withered husk, as if all his internal fluids had been sucked out of him.

Sirius shuddered, and heard Arcturus cry out again. “Somepony, help me!”

Sirius flew to the very top of the chamber, and saw Arcturus and Sapphire.

The mare looked like she had been drugged and was wrapped in a cocoon of some kind of hyper-sharpened wire. The razor wire was biting into her flesh, and Arcturus was trying to uncoil her. “Arcturus…” she whispered. “You came...”

There were tears in his eyes. “Just relax,” he said, trying to find some way to free her. “I’ll get you out of here in no time.”

“Arcturus,” Sapphire whispered again. “I…I…I love you.”

Sirius felt the powerful effect those words had on Arcturus. They were completely sincere, but resigned, as if she had accepted her death. Tears began to stream down his face. “I love you too,” Arcturus said, gently nuzzling her.

“And I love you all too!” another voice said, laughing maniacally.

The wires that were binding Sapphire were suddenly jerked upward with a sudden velocity. The constricting wires sliced right through Sapphire, cutting straight through fat, muscle, and bone like a knife through hot butter. She screamed as she was torn apart in the whirlwind of razor wire.

Sirius and Arcturus watched in horror as bits and pieces of Sapphire rained down, splattering on the dungeon floor below.

Necron, in the form of a horrendous metal spider, landed on the web of wires. Sirius screamed, and flew down to the bottom of the chamber, his door of escape wide open. He looked around, but noticed that Arcturus was still up there.

Arcturus was holding what remained of his dead mare-friend’s azure and cyan mane. “Sapphire Shine…No…No…you can’t be gone…” Arcturus whispered to himself, his eyes wide with shock, his body trembling with grief.

“Arcturus!” Sirius cried, but it was too late.

Necron had appeared behind him and bit down on his head. Arcturus didn’t even struggle as he was lifted up by the monstrous spider, the fangs piercing his head. There was a crack as Necron broke his skull, and with a revolting slurping sound, Arcturus’ brain was sucked up by the spider.

Sirius howled, pain searing his mind. He writhed on the floor as Necron consumed the rest of Arcturus. His secondary personality was now dead, and Sirius was completely vulnerable.

Necron tossed Arcturus’ husk aside, and looked down at Sirius with greed in his eyes.

Sirius scrambled to get up and galloped out the door. There was a shriek from Necron as he gave pursuit, the sinuous movement of his eight appendages adding to the terror.

Sirius galloped down the hallway, skidded the corner, and saw that the apartment door was gone. There was just the wall. He looked around, looking for another way out. There was soft moonlight on the floor of his bedroom…The balcony!

Necron shrieked again, and Sirius saw that the spider was running along the roof, his fangs still dripping with Arcturus’ blood.

Sirius ran into his bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him. He turned and faced the balcony, and his heart sunk to his hooves.

It had been boarded shut. Only tiny slivers of moonlight were coming through.

He was trapped. He was going to die in here.

The door exploded, splinters of wood flying in the air as Necron burst through. Sirius retreated to the corner of the room beside his wardrobe. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

“Open your eyes,” Necron hissed. “I want you to see this coming!”

Sirius was forced to open his eyes. Spider Necron was creeping towards him, reveling in his victory. He saw his demise in those red compound eyes.

A glimmer from his wardrobe caught his attention. There was something in his drawer that was glowing with a pink aura. Could it be? After all this time, the Love Potion was still in there?

That’s right. He had never disposed of it. Necron realized that Sirius was thinking about something, and lunged forth. Sirius ducked down and grabbed the drawer handle. Necron crashed into the wall overhead, and Sirius crawled to the open drawer. Looking inside, he saw the Love Potion glowing brightly. Necron was an entity of hate. If he drank this then maybe he would be subdued....

He whispered thanks to Trixie and drank down its contents. The taste of jasmine filled his mouth, and he heard Necron screaming.

Sirius’ world began to spin as the magical potion took its hold, and with a flash of light bursting forth from his mouth, everything returned to normal.

He was sitting in front of his drawer, the empty vial in his hoof. Necron had disappeared. All the pig’s blood which he was soaked in, was now gone. The boards on the balcony entrance were taken down.

For the first time in forever, he felt at peace. He slumped down against his wardrobe, sobbing. He had been through hell and back. He had made it.

The haze from the Love Potion clouded his eyes, and he saw Mother standing at the end of his bedroom.

“Mother?” Sirius said, staring up at her. Even though she was dead, his fantasy was still playing out.

The mare smiled at him, and Sirius felt warmth blossoming in his chest. He drew close to her, and she nuzzled him gently. “Son…” she whispered.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and she caressed his face. “I’m sorry for how I treated you for all those years,” Sirius nodded, wanting to say that it was all okay now. “I’m also sorry for what I’m about to do.”

What? Mother forced him down and wrapped her hooves around his throat. The Love Potion had weakened him, and he couldn’t resist as she choked him. His vision was becoming blurry, and he saw her face change into his own. Necron began laughing hysterically. He tightened his grip around Sirius’ throat. “The best thing about insanity is that it’s a resilient, persisting condition.” He threw his head back and laughed louder, Sirius’ vision fading. “Did you honestly think a silly love potion would save you!?”

Sirius saw red dots in his vision, his brain was being starved of oxygen. He felt himself losing grip on his consciousness, and he slipped away into the black void.

Sirius coughed as he awoke. He felt so weak and tired, and as his vision cleared, he saw that he was staring up at the roof of Nightmare Moon’s throne room.

He still felt the pain of Necron’s garroting around his neck, his brain aching and sore. He looked to his side and stared into Arcturus’ dead eyes. He began to panic, and looked to the other side. He was surrounded by dead versions of himself, and he was among them. Their bodies were neatly lined up, the injuries they had sustained when they were killed were still there.

He felt somepony grab his hoof, and he could barely moan in his weakness. He was dragged on the marble floor, and onto the black and violet carpet. He could hear voices now. It was Nightmare Moon, and…him?

Somepony clamped chains all around him, grabbed his mane, and forced him to watch what was happening. He, or Necron, was talking to the Empress. He bowed before her, and she declared in a loud voice. “For Knight Sirius’ outstanding work as a Night Terror, and the completion of his transformation….”

Sirius’ chains were yanked upward, and he was helplessly dragged towards them. He was thrown at Necron’s hooves, and he looked down at him and snickered. “Look who’s the dominant personality now.” Sirius stared up at him in horror. “Watch what I do now. I will kill everypony you have ever loved.”

Necron stood up straight, and Nightmare Moon put a hoof on his head. “Knight Sirius, your mind is stronger than any Night Terror I have ever encountered…” she paused. “Save for one,” she added quietly. She returned to her use of the Royal Canterlot voice. “Your potential is endless. You are everything the perfect Night Terror should be like. Therefore…I am putting you at the head of the crusade against the Dayborns. You will lead my forces against them and remind those treacherous knaves that Equestria still belongs to Nightmare Moon.”

Necron nodded. “My queen, I shall serve you to the best of my ability.” He smiled, making a show of his fangs. “Furthermore…I will prove my loyalty to you by bringing you the heads of my Dayborn brother and sister.”

Sirius screamed at them. “No! Don’t you dare touch Cepheus…or Persei!”

Nightmare Moon grinned, baring her razor sharp teeth. “That would please me greatly, along with the total repression of the Dayborns. With this recent insurrection, they need to be put back in their place. Do whatever it takes, Sirius.”

“You bastard!” Sirius shouted, rattling his chains.

Necron bowed once more before his queen. “And one more thing….” He grinned again, eyeing Sirius. “Call me Necron from now on.”

“No!” Sirius yelled, and slowly he was being pulled back. “Noooo…” he moaned, his voice growing softer and weaker. A cord was tied around his muzzle, silencing him. A hood was put around his head, and everything went dark.

Author's Notes:

This is Sirius' final chapter. He will appear intermittently now, but will always share a chapter with another character. Chapters will now alternate between Persei and Cepheus, with Sirius popping up here and there.

Now that Necron is in charge, things are definitely going to escalate. Don't underestimate Nightmare Moon's cunning either.

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged. How did you feel about this chapter?

Chapter 25: Propaganda

Persei lay on her cot, staring up at the wooden roof. The gentle lapping of the ocean against the wooden hull of the ship created a relaxing ambience, along with the occasional creak from the wooden boards.

The unicorn sighed, and for the thousandth time, looked down at her new cutie mark. It was a scarlet circle with six dark orange frills. Intermittently, it would begin shimmering with heat. She had actually burned her sheets several times because of it. But when her cutie mark wasn’t glowing with thermal energy, it absorbed light, making the colors look deeper and more prominent. What this all meant was a mystery to her.

Ultra Violet had been the first one to see her cutie mark. She had then immediately taken her to the grandest ship in the harbor, and had told her to stay in this room until she returned. “I knew you were special,” she had kept saying, and then had left. All with no explanation, but she seemed very pleased.

Persei sighed. There were two burly looking guards outside her door, so it was pointless in trying to escape. Besides, it was comfortable in here. She had needed a break from the vigorous physical training she had been assaulted with.

The militant lifestyle was enjoyable, but she was tired of waking every morning too sore to move. Callista, her personal trainer, had said that Ultra Violet needed her in fighting shape as quickly as possible. So every day for the month she had been here was full of intense training, all physical, mental, and even magical. Persei hadn’t even known that her horn could get sore from using it too much.

Regardless, she was glad to have a little break. But once she had slept around for hours on end, her mind began to wander. Worry pierced her tranquility. Cepheus and the villagers were supposed to be here at least three weeks ago. What had happened to them?

Did they get lost in the forest? Did they get attacked by wild animals? Did the Night Guard catch them? Or were they still on their way, just slowed by the elders?

Persei didn’t know what to think, but her mind assumed the worse. She remembered that time which felt like ages ago. It was when Cepheus, Candle, Mother, Ultra Violet, and she had parted ways. They had already lost Mother….

She couldn’t bear to lose the last of her family.

Cepheus was the best, kindest pony she knew. He had stayed behind so he could save not only Candle’s family, but the entire village. He had urged her to save herself, and she had.

Persei remembered how badly Cepheus had been injured that night. Even then, he had been thinking about the welfare of others. She remembered his parting words. “You go ahead, because you know that Nightmare Moon prefers fillies….”

Persei was reminded of her predicament. This group she was part of called themselves “The Scions of Celestion.” The amount of times she heard the word God uttered was beyond belief. They were all believers in the fire-goddess, Celestion. So when Cepheus had said that Nightmare Moon preferred fillies. Did he think that Nightmare Moon wanted to kill her because she was a survivor of the hospital massacre? Did Nightmare Moon think that she was Celestion reborn?

Persei looked down at her cutie mark again. It was qualitative of everything fire was like. It burned everything that touched it. It warmed her insides. It somehow had strengthened her willpower.

Persei sighed. She didn’t know what to think. But what she did know, that there was no such thing as a magical fire goddess that would make everything in this world right again. Life didn’t work that way. It seemed so unrealistic….

But everypony around her believed it. There has to be some truth to this strange faith. She would give this matter more thought later on. It was like her mind was tired of thinking.

Persei looked over at the door and heard Ultra Violet’s voice from outside. There was a rumble which was one of the guards speaking. The door opened, and Persei came inside followed by two other ponies.

Persei slid off her cot and stared at the strange ponies. A mare had a large camera and a tripod, a case of makeup hanging on her saddlebag. The other stallion had a stack of papers in his hooves, a quill tucked behind both his ears.

The guards locked the door behind them, and Ultra Violet grinned. “Now tell me that this isn’t the genuine article.”

Their eyes immediately fell on Persei’s cutie mark, and they both gasped and nodded. Persei stared at them both. “What do you ponies want?”

The photographer mare looked at Ultra Violet questioningly. “My lady, isn’t she supposed to have wings as well?”

Violet looked at the writer stallion. “Argent Quill, why don’t you start a transcript right now? We want to get everything that Persei says for our latest batch of propaganda leaflets.” Violet gestured to her. “Persei dear, why don’t you take a seat?”

Persei sat down, and Argent Quill immediately sat down in front of her. The photographer began setting up her tripod. Violet stood behind Argent as he prepared a notebook. “Alright,” Violet said. “Tell us your story. Why are you here? Why do you want to fight against Nightmare Moon? Remember, thousands of other ponies will be reading this, looking for strength in your words.”

Persei was a bit taken aback by the suddenness of all this, but she often thought about all that had happened to her. She used it as motivation to keep her going. It was just a matter of articulating her thoughts. “I used to be an ordinary villager just like anypony else…” she said, starting. Argent Quill began scratching down words, and everypony was looking at her. “I lived in the Fringe Colonies, and I lived with my brother, half-brother, and my Mother…” the words began to stream out, and Argent drank up every word.

She told them of her feelings of not belonging there. She began to tell them of Mother’s suffering, when Argent stopped her. “So, who was your Mother? Why was she suffering?”

Persei opened her mouth, but Violet interrupted her. “Argent, we talked about this. Persei’s Mother was a survivor of the Canterlot Hospital Massacre, and Persei herself was the only filly to make it out of there alive.”

“How did you know about that?” Persei blurted out.

Violet raised her hoof, silencing her. “I have been looking for you for a long time, Persei. A lot of ponies have. Now keep on going.”

Who did they think she was? Persei swallowed. She told them of Sirius’ betrayal, and the photographer cursed the Nightborn bitterly. “It is to be expected, Persei. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Argent nodded, and she noticed they were all very absorbed by her story. Persei continued. She spoke of the Night Guard’s approach, Cepheus’ sacrifice, Mother’s death, her journey through the forest and her arrival at the camp.

“So,” Argent said, when Persei paused. “When did you get your cutie mark?”

“And what happened to your wings?” The photographer added.

Persei was confused by the last question, and Violet chimed in. “She got her cutie mark vowing vengeance for the undeserved suffering of the Dayborn ponies.”

“So heroic,” Argent whispered, and she noticed tears in his eyes.

“And the wings?” the photographer persisted.

Persei was about to ask what she meant, when Violet barged in again. “They were cut off.”

Argent dropped his quill, his jaw hanging agape. The photographer froze, staring at Persei.

Violet seized the moment. “She was trying to save her Mother, when the Night Guard showed up. They cut them clean off. I had to cauterize the wound, and covered up the scars. Our surgeons are going to graft her new ones once they find an adequate pair.”

The photographer was crying. “You’re my hero, Persei…” she sobbed.

Argent Quill was enraged. “How dare those Nightborn scum defile her? The believers will surely take up arms when they read this.”

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about…” Persei said, and Violet took her hoof, lifting her up.

“Photographer,” Violet said. “I need you to make some wing stumps where Persei’s wings used to be. I want our readers to see a glimpse of what it looked like right after the Night Guard did the deed.”

The mare immediately set upon her task, dusting powder onto Persei’s back. Argent was talking to Violet. “So, when can we get the printing ready? And who will distribute these?”

“Print them as soon as the presses are ready,” Persei ordered. “And we will be doing air drops to deliver them. Our agents will fly over the Dayborn slums and rain them down.” Violet laughed, rubbing her hooves. “Nightmare Moon will go mad with paranoia, and our Dayborn friends will finally have hope of a brighter future.”

Persei was so shocked by the abruptness of all this. The bright flash of a camera blinded her. She saw Argent writing down a headline on top of his notes: “CELESTION HAS RETURNED.”

They thought she was Celestion?! Her mind was reeling, trying to find a logical reason why this couldn’t be true. She wasn’t a flame-goddess alicorn… or was she?

There was another camera flash, and Argent was shaking hooves with Violet. “My lady, this is just what the Scions needed. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

Violet nodded. “The time to act has finally come, now that our goddess has come.” She turned around and trotted towards Persei. “Equestria is ripe for revolution. Nightmare Moon shall be slain. The Dayborn race will find salvation. Persei will set this world ablaze once again.”

There was another camera flash, and the photographer immediately wiped the false wing stumps off, and packed up her things. Argent Quill was looking at Persei. “My lady, when will we reveal our goddess?”

“That is my decision to make, but…” Violet looked at Persei. “Go tell Commander Maelstrom to mobilize our forces. Once ponies see her in the flesh and confirm their beliefs of Celestion’s return, it will catalyze a storm of anti-Nightborn sentiment, and we have to be ready to capitalize on that. Go…” she gestured towards the door. “Go now.”

Argent and the photographer rushed out, ecstatic. As soon as Ultra Violet closed the door behind them, she gave a deep sigh of relief, grinning to herself.

Persei crossed her hooves impatiently. “So, I’m Celestion now?”

Ultra Violet looked at her and smiled. “Yes, partially.”

“Partially?” Persei asked.

“I suspected it before, but when that cutie mark appeared…I knew. It was as the thousand year old prophecy foretold.” Ultra Violet drew close to Persei. “You mentioned you and your brother shared space in your Mother’s womb.”

“Yes…” Persei said. “Where are you going with this?”

“Celestion was supposed to be an alicorn; A pony with both a horn and wings, like Nightmare Moon.” Ultra Violet raised her hooves in an explanatory gesture. “You see, fraternal twins are the result of one sperm fertilizing two eggs. As a result of this, you and your brother were created. You got the horn, Cepheus got the wings. You both are different aspects of Celestion, but…” Persei smiled. “I’ve decided that you’re the only half we want. We can make do without your brother.”

Persei shook her head. This was all too much to take in at once. “So… I am Celestion?”

“The superior half,” Ultra Violet whispered. “You are her wrath incarnate, and…” she paused, pursing her lips. They both looked into each other’s eyes, and some kind of tension flared in between them. Ultra Violet exhaled, and leaned forward. Their lips met, and Persei was stunned. She wanted to get away and demand what was wrong with her… but she liked her taste. Ultra Violet drew back, a trail of saliva connecting their muzzles. “My fair goddess…” she whispered, and folded her fore-hooves, kneeling before her. “Will you lead this revolution with me? Will you be the champion of the Scions and the Dayborn people?”

“Rise,” Persei whispered, her heart racing, her breath shallow. Ultra Violet rose, the strands of her lilac mane brushing her face. “I would be honored to take up the cause. I will play my role as the balefire….”

Persei leaned in again, their muzzles locking together again. She tasted of strawberry wine....

Persei’s heart was pounding in her chest, and she caressed the other mare’s face, before kissing her again. They began to devour each other, and Violet pushed her down onto the cot. She leaned over Persei, perspiration beading on her forehead, her purple eyes blazing with lust. "You don't know how long I've been wanting to do this..." her words as raggedy as her breath.

The door slammed open, and Violet immediately backed away. Persei caught her breath, and acted like nothing had happened as the dark gray pegasus trotted in. He was armored, had an air of authority, and bowed before Ultra Violet. He regarded Persei sitting on the cot with a nod, and she hoped that he didn’t notice how flushed they both were.

Ultra Violet wiped her muzzle with a hoof and puffed her chest up. “Commander Maelstrom, what is it?”

Maelstrom flared. “What is it? WHAT IS IT?! Your chief writer was raving about the return of Celestion, and the priests are practically frothing at the mouth. It’s amusing to watch…but that’s not why I’m here.” He sighed, taking off his helmet. “I’m afraid I have some bad news. That white pegasus you wanted us to track…..”

“Cepheus!?” Persei blurted out.

Maelstrom nodded. “You must be Persei, or Celestion, whatever.” He faced Persei again. “He and his entire village have been captured by the Knights of Lunara.”

Ultra Violet’s lilac mane blazed up, her face tightening with rage. “Those murderers need to be brought to justice…I’d wipe them out if I could spare a few soldiers.”

Persei couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Is Cepheus alright? Who are these Knights of Lunara?”

Maelstrom spat on the ground. “They are the worst of the worst. They are all ex-soldiers of Nightmare Moon. They were too insane for her to control, so she banished them all into the forest. They’ve banded together and lurk in the forest, killing any Dayborn they can get their hooves on.”

Persei was terrified. “We have to rescue them all! We can’t just leave them….”

Ultra Violet hung her head. “I’m sorry, Persei. They’ve been there for a while now… there’s no one to rescue now.”

“No, no, no…” tears streamed from Persei’s eyes. “He’s my brother! He’s the only family I have left!”

Commander Maelstrom hung his head. “I am sorry for your loss,” he hastily bowed, flipped around, and left the room.

Persei was overwhelmed with grief. “Cepheus didn’t deserve to die, nor did all the other villagers.”

Ultra Violet embraced Persei. “I am truly sorry… It was I who separated you two in the first place. I should have forced your brother to come with us.”

Persei shook her head as Violet climbed onto the cot with her. “It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered. “Cepheus was a noble pony. He died doing what he thought was right….”

Violet moved behind Persei, and was massaging her shoulders. “I lost my family to the Nightborn scourge as well. I understand what you’re going through.”

After what felt like hours of crying, exhaustion swept over Persei. She collapsed on the cot, curling up into fetal position. Ultra Violet lay with her, kissing her softly, consolingly.

Persei breathed her scent in. She nuzzled her head against her barrel, and fell asleep in her embrace. As she fell into the void of sleep, she dreamt of Cepheus and all the happy moments they had shared together. Deep inside her, something broke.

Author's Notes:

An unexpected romance between Violet and Persei.

The Knights of Lunara.... the explanation of that name will be presented in the next chapter.

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Fun Fact: I was originally planning to write a grimdark option for the previous chapter. In the end, Necron was going to cannibalize Sirius instead of choking him.

Chapter 26: Up Against the Looking Glass

“I’m telling you Candle, they talk to me in my sleep.” Cepheus said to his wife, sharing a blanket with her. “I’ve never had such good dreams before. I don’t even remember what they say, but I wake up feeling great.”

Candle smiled, and nuzzled him softly. “I’ve been having dreams as well, and Dusty too. I think this place is good for us.”

Cepheus put a wing around his wife, beaming. “These ponies have kind hearts. I can feel it.”

They lapsed into silent agreement, watching Dusty play with the other Nightborn foals. Other Dayborns were appearing as well, all getting along perfectly. Dusty made a chittering sound, trying to mimic the other foals. This elicited gales of laughter from the other foals. Why can’t adults coexist so harmoniously?

Cepheus looked past the foals playing tag, and saw other Nightborn parents watching as well. He saw scarred muzzles and faces, eyes that still had the cold edge of an ex-killer, fading tattoos and piercings offering a glimpse of the darkness that used to shroud their hearts … Yet, they were smiling, genuine kindness now instilled in their features. These ponies had been given a second chance, and were making the most of it.

These ponies, once harboring the wickedest souls, had made a complete turnaround. Put in a healing environment where they were encouraged to be good, even the worst of them were improving. Perhaps it’s true. Maybe everypony can change for the better.

Everypony can change for the better…. Cepheus saw Antares lurking in the shadows, also watching the children. He had that wistful look in his eyes again.

Cepheus had talked to Daisy about him after their third group therapy session together. He remembered the nurse’s words very clearly. “He’s taken a shine to you, Cepheus. Antares can see right through almost everypony. He sees a good heart in you, and he’s drawn to ponies like that. When he’s not alone, he chooses very carefully who he spends time with. If you watch closely, you can see him copying the mannerisms of whoever he’s with… It’s as if he’s trying to learn how to be a better pony from them.”

Cepheus had been intrigued. He had been following their leader for a few days now. He indeed copied the mannerisms of ponies he admired, but there was more to it. He reflected each and everything perfectly. He actually became a different pony altogether, his mimicry was perfect.

Cepheus found this very disconcerting. Antares barely had a personality of his own. He was a patchwork of traits taken from the ponies he came in contact with, and those traits faded when he was away from them for an extended period of time. Perhaps that’s what his mirror cutie mark meant: he reflected those around him.

Still…There wasn’t something right with him.

Cepheus looked away when he saw Antares approaching them. Candle greeted him, her attention drawn away from Dusty. “Hello,” she said cheerily. “How are you?”

Antares mirrored her mood and expression. “I’m doing really well.” He gestured to where all the children were playing. “I was watching the foals too. We can learn so much from them. Hopefully one day, foals of both Nightborn and Dayborn blood can play together like this.”

Cepheus nodded. “Hate is a learned behavior….”

Candle agreed, looking back over to the foals. “I guess there can be peace between our two races. I had always thought the differences would be too much, but these foals don’t even notice.”

“Foals…” Antares whispered. “They are little miracles, aren’t they?”

Cepheus and Candle looked at each other lovingly, and nodded.

Antares abruptly turned around and left. It was so sudden, that it shocked Candle. She looked at her husband questioningly. “Did we say something wrong?”

Cepheus stood up, watching him trot out of the room. “I’m going to follow him. Something is eating away at him, and I want to find out what it is.”

She sighed, looking back over at Dusty. “Be gentle. He’s damaged.”

Cepheus left the warmth of her side, and followed him out. Antares turned a corner at the other end of the stone corridor, and he crept up on him. Antares disappeared inside a door, which Cepheus assumed was his personal quarters.

He waited outside for a moment, and then followed. As soon as he opened the stone sliding door, he was disoriented. There were mirrors everywhere, save for the stone floor. What’s with this stallion’s obsession with mirrors?

Cepheus slowly trotted, seeing his reflection on all the walls of the chamber. He heard two voices whispering softly, and he strained to listen. One voice was Andre’s, and he sounded terrified. “I’m telling you, Antares. This new guy at the head of Nightmare Moon’s task force is completely insane. I think Necron was his name….”

There was some indiscriminate muttering from Antares.

Andre’s voice became more urgent. “I have heard whispers that Nightmare Moon is altering the world’s climate. She wants to make it more arid and windy.”

Cepheus was too dizzy by this chamber of reflections, and rested against a mirror. He stifled his breathing so he could listen better.

“Does this have to do anything with the weapon Nightmare Moon has been developing?”

Weapon? Cepheus was both intrigued and frightened.

There was some muttering from Andre, but he managed to catch the last part. “The Scions are completely unaware, as well as any other Dayborn. Our agent found out by accident, and all we know is that this weapon will destroy all those who stand against Nightmare Moon. We still have no idea what the nature of this weapon is, or where it is….”

Cepheus edged closer to the origin of the voices, and there was the echoing thud of a door closing. He assumed that Andre had left.

He finally found the end of the maze of mirrors and saw Antares sitting alone by a shallow depression in the stone floor that had filled up with water. Small streams of water fell from bamboo pipes on the roof, creating a soft cadence of trickling water. Thick carpets of lichens had formed on the edge of the pool. The vegetation was bunched up in one particular spot, and Cepheus realized that this is where Antares slept.

There were mirrors here too, but they were all broken. It was as if he had shattered them all, not being able to stand at the stallion looking back at him.

Cepheus breathed in the scent of cold water and the earthy scent of the plants. He sighed, and approached Antares. “Are you well?” he asked.

Antares seemed surprised to see Cepheus. His demeanor changed, reflecting Cepheus’ concern. “I’m in pain, but I’ll survive.” The pegasus commander tilted his head, looking at him sideways. “What are you doing here?”

“I want to know more about my host,” Cepheus said, deciding to cut straight to the chase. “What made you want to lead the Knights of Lunara?”

Antares quailed, looking down at his hooves. “I needed ponies to help me kill Nightmare Moon,” he muttered. “Ponies don’t know how truly toxic she is. She needs to go before we’re all corrupted.”

Cepheus was displeased by his answer, and though it was very subtle, Antares mirrored him. “Why are you here?” he asked, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

He was unfazed. He needed a point of entry, something to break his defenses. He would never confess at this rate. “Why were you watching the foals?” Cepheus pried. “What relevance do foals hold to you?”

Antares looked away, and Cepheus could tell he had struck something. “Please leave me alone,” he whispered. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“I do want to know,” Cepheus insisted. “Everypony in this place is healing, regardless of the horrors they have committed. Why can’t you?”

Antares trotted away. “Please, Cepheus. I don’t want you to think any less of me….” He flew up into the air in a flurry of wings, and Cepheus lost track of him as a kaleidoscope of reflections flashed on the mirrored dome roof.

Cepheus took wing, circling in the air, trying to find him. “You suffer day and night, never letting yourself forget. You tear your old wounds open again and again. Tell me, who is benefitting from this self-pity? No one!” his voice echoing in the cavernous room.

“You have no idea who I am,” Antares whispered from somewhere. “You have no idea what I’ve done.”

Cepheus flew from one mirror to another, only seeing his reflection everywhere he looked.

“You don’t even know my true name…” Antares added, a tinge of grief in his voice.

Cepheus noticed something. There was break in between the edges of two mirror panels on the roof. Inside, there seemed some kind of passageway just large enough for a pony to fit through.

Cepheus tucked his wings in and flew into the tight passage. He crawled through, the cold glass pressing in on him. “Your past doesn’t have to define you,” Cepheus groaned.

There was silence.

He arrived into a small stone room, and saw Antares sitting before some kind of shrine. Flickering candles were everywhere, along with flowers, pieces of jewelry, and black and white photographs of a mare and a younger version of Antares. There was one photo that depicted the same mare in a white wedding gown. There was something written at the bottom in her handwriting. “Forever and Always, love Amberleaf.”

Was Antares married at some point?

Cepheus stood behind Antares, and put a hoof on his shoulder. “Let me help you,” he whispered.

He put down a framed picture of Amberleaf. “I liked to kill foals,” he said. “When I was a Night Terror, I….” Antares flipped around, facing Cepheus. There were tears in his eyes. “No one else has pursued me like this. Why do you care so much?”

“Because you’re hurting,” Cepheus said, drawing closer to him. “And I want that hurt to go away. You’re a good pony now, and that’s all that matters.”

Antares shook his head. “I am not a good pony, nor am I bad one. I’m just a mirror. Perhaps that’s why Nightmare Moon liked me so much, because she only saw herself when she looked at me.”

“What do you mean?” Cepheus asked. “Is that why you have two cutie marks?”

Antares was quiet for a moment. “Do you know what it’s like to lose your cutie mark? To no longer be able to do what you were meant to?” Antares looked down at his hooves. “My second cutie mark, the one that is faded… it’s a therapist’s couch. My cutie mark was the ability to heal the minds and hearts of others.”

“So what happened?” Cepheus asked, urging him onward. “Did Nightmare Moon perform psychosurgery on you?”

Antares nodded. “She did. She cut out the part of my brain where my healing talent was. I was a good pony. I was kind and affectionate. Nightmare Moon did away with all that. That’s how I got the mirror cutie mark, because of what I developed as a result of the damage.”

“And what would that be?” Cepheus asked.

Antares looked into Cepheus’ eyes. “I have Giovanni’s Mirror Syndrome. That’s what my cutie mark means. When I awoke from my surgery, I could no longer understand who I was. I was too good of a pony for Nightmare Moon to change me through ordinary means, so she wiped the slate clean. The Mirror Syndrome rendered me unable to regain my identity; therefore, I had to use other ponies’ moral compasses and ideals to form a basis for myself. There was no such thing as Antares. I was just a reflection of whoever looked upon me. Only being able to copy others, I learned quickly. I was adept at mirroring my fellow Night Terrors. I ascended the ranks of Nightmare Moon’s forces. The higher I went up, the ponies I was surrounded by grew increasingly wicked, and I had no choice but to copy them. I would mirror them, and eventually beat them at their own game. I killed everyone I loved as a result of this. I rose to the very top, right next to Nightmare Moon.”

“Then what happened?” Cepheus said. “What was the terrible thing you have done?”

Antares shook his head. “I woke up. I had become the perfect mirror, and somepony shattered me. There was an explosion, and from it, I received even more brain damage. Somehow it partially negated my Mirror Syndrome, just enough for me to gain my own moral compass and recover a little bit of my identity. I flew away then, in the wake of the terrible act I committed. I flew all the way out in the forest and began this group.”

“So,” Cepheus said. “Killing Nightmare Moon is vengeance for what she made you do?”

Antares nodded. “I was a mirror, merely reflecting who Nightmare Moon was. I was imitating her perfectly. If the explosion had not damaged me, I would have gone on to eradicate the Dayborn ponies. She and I had been developing some kind of weapon, but my injury caused me to lose all memory of it.” Antares groaned, putting a hoof on his temple. “She needs to die before she can finish developing it. The Dayborns won’t stand a chance.”

“So what now?” Cepheus said, trying to position the conversation in a way he could make his proposal. “What is your next move?”

“I’ve never connected with another pony like this since Amberleaf died,” he said, looking up at Cepheus. “There is something about you that radiates light. I am helplessly drawn towards you, like a moth to a flame. When I was alone, I still felt the draw…The feeling is real.” Antares shuffled his hooves. “The thing is, even though I’ve recovered some of my identity, my sense of self is still suspended when there are others nearby. That’s why I’m so careful of who I spend time with. The Mirror Syndrome forces me to become like them.”

It was time for Cepheus to make his move. “The villagers and I were deciding that we should leave.” A look of fear spread across Antares’ face. “We no longer wish to be a burden upon you all."

Cepheus didn’t want to leave at all, nor did the other Nightborn ponies think the villagers were a burden, but he had to make Antares believe that. Antares spluttered, and immediately fell into a prostrate position before Cepheus. “Please stay,” he begged. “Please… You and your Dayborn friends have made such a difference here. Everypony is healing so much faster, and we are so happy to have you here.”

Cepheus could tell that he was only telling half of the story, and kept up the act. “I have to find my sister. The other villagers will follow me.”

“Okay!” Antares said, wrapping his hooves around Cepheus’. “The truth is: I need you.” Cepheus looked down at the pleading bat-pony. “I need you. You have a beautiful personality, and by spending more time with you, I’ll copy you. I’ll become like you. Please don’t go.”

“I’ll stay…” Cepheus said. “In exchange for a request you must fulfill to the best of your ability.”

“Anything,” Antares said.

“Forget about the Empress’ weapon,” Cepheus said. “Forget everything.” He huffed, looking down at the pony in submission before him. “I don’t want you to kill Nightmare Moon.”

Antares blanched. “But,” he protested, but Cepheus put his wingtip to his muzzle, shushing him.

Cepheus shook his head. “You call yourselves the Knights of Lunara. According to your archives, Nightmare Moon wasn’t always Nightmare Moon. She used to be a benign ruler who went insane, named Lunara. She was the mother and goddess of the Nightborn race.” Cepheus drew up his hooves, and puffed out his chest, creating a commanding aura. “I want you to bring Lunara back. I want you and the rest of the Knights to focus on changing her back to her former state.”

Antares shook his head. “She is beyond repair….”

Cepheus looked down at Antares, imposing his will over him. “No one is beyond repair, living here has shown me that. She deserves a second chance. Surround her with love and affection, and she’ll begin to heal.”

Antares looked up at Cepheus for a long time, staring into each other’s eyes. Antares blinked. “This is proof,” he whispered. “You are a better pony than I am. Perhaps you’re right. Everypony deserves a chance to redeem themselves, and even forgiveness if need be.” Antares rose up, now eye level with Cepheus. “Lead by my side, Cepheus. Together we will bring Lunara back.”

Cepheus nodded, taking Antares’ hoof. “Together.”

They embraced, a special gesture shared between two brothers, or two stallions who had amends with one another. “Are you going to tell me what you did now?” Cepheus asked, pushing his luck one more time.

“No,” Antares said. “I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you this…” He drew back. “My real name is Starlight. Call me Starlight Mirror from now on.”

Author's Notes:

I am not sure if Giovanni's Mirror Syndrome is a legitimate disorder or not, but I read a very cool paper on it and I thought it would fit perfectly in my story.

The mysterious weapon. I wonder what it could be.

The Knights of Lunara vs. The Scions of Celestion.... Who are you rooting for?

Discussion/feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 27: The End Justifies the Means

Persei’s head was buried in her pillow. She had been crying here for what felt like an eternity, her tears having soaked her pillow. The hot, moisture of the pillow against her face was soothing as the sobs racked her body. “Cepheus…” she groaned. “I should have told you how much I loved you more often. I was selfish….”

Persei was a wreck. Every time she picked herself up and tried to leave the cabin, she collapsed halfway to the door. Grief kept her tethered to the cot. She would eventually crawl back and bury herself underneath the sheets. She had never felt so alone in her life. All the dammed up grief from being uprooted from her home, Mother’s death, Cepheus’ murder, all the suffering she had seen since she had arrived here, all burst forth.

Persei couldn’t stop thinking of her dead brother. Had the Lunaran Knights tortured him before they killed him? Did they kill the villagers in front of him? Cepheus had loved Candle, did they kill her too?

Ultra Violet had insisted that everypony was dead.

She howled, beating her hooves down on the pillow. There was a wild outburst of her magic, and clumps of her hazelnut mane were pulled away from her scalp. She screamed in agony, but the physical pain was a brief distraction from the much worse emotional turmoil within.

“Cepheus!” she cried. “Why? Why am I still alive, while you’re dead? You deserved life far more than I did.” She descended into another fit of sobs, wailing. “Nooo!”

The door to the cabin opened, and Ultra Violet stood in the doorway. She looked haggard as well, and a tray of food was levitated above her head in the lilac aura of her magic. The unicorn approached her goddess carefully, keeping her eyes downcast. “Persei…” she said with a tender concern in her voice. “You haven’t eaten in three days.”

Persei was starving, but she enjoyed the pain of the hunger pangs. “Go away,” she whispered. “Let me mourn.”

Ultra Violet gently set the tray down, and touched her head. Her hoof came away smeared with a spatter of blood. “You’re bleeding, Persei. When you tore your hair out, some of your scalp came off as well.”

Ultra Violet gently brushed off the clumps of torn hair, and used her magic to soothe her bleeding scalp. Another sob racked her body, and a strand of saliva dribbled from her mouth. Violet wiped off the spittle on her muzzle, and levitated a bowl of chicken broth. She then gently lifted Persei up and supported her back with pillows so she was in an upright position.

Persei let her do whatever, she no longer cared.

Violet used her magic to spoon her some of the steaming broth, and had to use her magic to help Persei close her muzzle and swallow. “Persei,” Violet whispered as she fed her. “You need to pick yourself up. The Scions need you to get better.”

Oh what does it matter? I have nothing left, but…. She blinked. Nothing was left, but to do something about it… Persei lifted her head up, the grief clouding her mind parting. I may not be able to bring them back, but I can sure as hell avenge their deaths.

Persei seized the bowl of soup from her and drank it all down in several gulps. She smashed the bowl against the wall, the smell of burning linen filling the air. “I’m done moping.”

Ultra Violet jumped off the cot before the sheets went up in flames. “I’m done playing the victim!” she screamed, her eyes blazing with actual fire. She spat a gout of flame, scorching the wooden floor black. “Somepony needs to pay!”

Persei leapt off her cot, the whole cabin catching fire. Ultra Violet was backing away, a look of both fear and excitement in her eyes. Persei’s grief had turned into hot rage. She realized how pathetic she had been acting, and snapped back to her former self. “Nightmare Moon shall feel my wrath!”

Ultra Violet rushed out of the room, and she stared at her plot as she left. Her rage, as quickly as it had stemmed from her grief, turned into something else: lust. Her mind was ablaze, leaping from one venue of passion to another.

As the gray pegasus, Callista, began her training regiment, wakening Persei’s recently grief-wracked body from its slumber, she was aroused in more ways than one.

Her head was jerked up and down as she did her push-ups, and Callista made an impressed sound. Sweat trickled down her body the way the tears from the night before had.

Her mind was focused on Ultra Violet, her cutie mark glowing with heat, encouraged by all the intense emotions she was feeling. What had happened between them? Violet had kissed her, and she had kissed her back.

Ultra Violet had taken care of her while she mourned, wept for hours on end, howled, and tore out clumps of her hair. She had dealt with all of that. Persei hadn’t even known that she was drawn to mares in this way, but she knew what she felt. It was lust, powerful and indiscriminate. She liked mares. She also liked stallions… or she thought she did. Persei would experiment with her newfound sexuality once she had the time.

She had never been so intimate with anypony before. Honestly, when Ultra Violet had kissed her… that had been the first time she had ever been kissed. Persei’s heart fluttered when she thought of the intensity of that moment. They would have had sex if Maelstrom hadn’t brought the terrible news.

At Callista’s urging, Persei switched from push-ups to crunches, and thought of their relationship. Is this how love happens? Suddenly and without warning? She hadn’t even known Violet was interested in her like that. Maybe it was because she hadn’t been expecting this special type of attention from another mare.

Persei had never experienced the powerful feelings Ultra Violet had elicited from her. They had to talk this over when they got the chance. Right now though, she was consumed with the passions of her heart.

She was such a potent mix of anger, lust, determination, ambition, that she felt invigorated on a level she had never felt before. Ever since she got her cutie mark, it was as if all her emotions had been intensified. Her reactions were now more extreme, and she had a tendency to jump from one emotion to another in a heartbeat.

Persei’s stomach and hooves were burning from the exertion of Callista’s training, and she screamed. She was overcome with her feelings. She felt absolutely volatile….

Persei collapsed on the floor, and the satisfied Callista waved her goodbye and left.

She lay on the floor, in a puddle of her own sweat. She was gasping for breath, and saw Commander Maelstrom trotting in a moment after. His eyes went wide, seeing the burnt over state of the room. “Geez,” he gasped. “I’m glad there were fire resistant charms on the wood.”

“What do you want?” she asked, getting back up on her hooves.

“How about a damn fire extinguisher for wherever you go?” he barked angrily. “We have to smuggle your sorry plot to the armory.” He flipped around, and two dockworkers trotted into the room with a large box container. “Please, try to contain yourself.” he jested, still angry, leaving the room.

I guess being a goddess doesn’t count for much in his books….

The dockworkers flipped over the box for her and removed the lid. Persei didn’t like being cooped up. “Is all this secrecy necessary?”

“Definitely,” one of the stallions said. “Ultra Violet wants your initial entrance to the public to be stunning.”

“And that entrance won’t be until we fit you with the shiniest golden armor we have,” the other stallion added.

“And for that we need to get you to the armory,” the first stallion explained.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Persei said, stepping inside the crate. They closed the lid and nailed it shut.

It was dark and hot inside the box, and the dockworkers carried her on their backs, sliding her through the door and out into the open air. She heard the caws of seagulls, the shouts of other dockworkers, and the gentle roaring of the ocean.

They kept the crate surprisingly steady as they carried her over to the armory. The light from the moon and lanterns hanging overhead filtered through the cracks between the wooden planks of her container. The natural light was replaced with the orange glow of a furnace when she was carried inside what she assumed was the armory. It had become unbearably hot, and she was glad when they finally put the box on the ground.

Persei bucked open the lid, not waiting. Wooden splinters and broken boards went flying in the air, and she trotted out in front of the startled blacksmith.

Ultra Violet was standing there as well, and winked at her. She felt a hot flare from within her chest, and she gave her a flirtatious grin. The blacksmith stallion assumed her grin was out of cockiness and rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t look like Celestion. Our goddess had a rainbow mane and was much taller.”

Ultra Violet sighed. “Persei is a reincarnation of her. She may have a different body, but the soul of our goddess lies within.”

The blacksmith nodded. He trotted over to an armor stand which was covered by a tarp. “Straight from our repository, as you requested.” He bit down at the edge of the tarp and whipped away the cover. Beneath, a beautiful set of golden armor was set on a stand. “This was Celestion’s battle armor,” the blacksmith said, gesturing to the sacred artifact.

Persei drew close to the grand armor. There was a graceful chanfron that had a hole for her horn, diamond reinforced vambraces and cuisses for her hooves with flexible knee joints, a backplate that had holes in the sides where the wings could sprout from, and a beautiful breastplate that had some kind of sparkling charm embedded inside it. It was an extravagant purple, magenta, and white star that seemed to twinkle when looked upon.

Persei was drawn to the star charm, and touched it gently with her hooves. As if responding to her touch, it glowed and grew warm. “What is this?” she asked, intrigued.

The blacksmith looked at the charm. “Oh, it’s another artifact. It’s one of the only other artifacts we have of Celestion. On the spot where she was slain by Nightmare Moon, this little trinket was found nearby.”

Persei touched the charm again. Now it was burning hot, her proximity creating a reaction. She felt magic surging from the star, her nerves humming with energy at her contact. There was a powerful enchantment on this. It was intensifying Persei’s powers. “Fascinating,” she muttered.

The blacksmith moved to put the armor on her. “We’ve made adjustments according to the measurements Violet drew from you.” Soon, Persei was fitted in all the armor, and was glittering like a golden chandelier. “Perfect,” the stallion whispered, backing away.

“How do I look?” Persei asked, looking herself over.

Ultra Violet drew closer, awed. “Like the savior of the Dayborn race.” The mare ran her hoof down the backplate of her armor, and touched the bare spot where her flank and cutie mark was exposed. There was a sizzling sound the moment Violet touched the hot white flesh, and Persei looked into her purple eyes. She could feel sexual tension erupting like a volcano between them. Violet looked away, blushing. Persei nodded in satisfaction, feeling the after effects of being in heat.

Ultra Violet drew away from her, still flushed. “She is perfect,” she said, and the blacksmith didn’t notice her licking her lips. “The Scions of Celestion finally have their champion.”

There was a camera flash, and Persei was blinded for a moment. Argent Quill and the same photographer mare rushed over. They could barely contain their excitement. “We should dye her mane rainbow!” the mare suggested loudly, already breaking out her make-up kit.

Argent Quill was hopping in place, his eyes wide with awe as he beheld Celestion in all her glory. “Fantastic! Exquisite!” He leapt in joy, right up to her. He pulled out a pamphlet from his saddlebag and handed it to her. “It’s the article I wrote about you!” He grew quiet as she took it, looking up at her anxiously, waiting for her judgment.

Persei read the headline out loud. “Celestion has returned…” she leafed through the pages. Details had been altered, exaggerated, the design of the propaganda leaflet obvious: to incite the Dayborn ponies. And incite it would. This was the spark that would ignite the powder keg of tension between the Nightborn and Dayborn ponies. This was a call to arms.

Everypony was staring at her intently, trying to gauge her reaction from the leaflet. Persei looked up at Argent Quill. “You are an expert at your craft,” she said to the writer pony, and he smiled. “This will surely cause the Dayborn ponies to rise up. Every word is laced with hate….” Persei trailed off.

She hesitated, and began to speak slowly. “Ultra Violet,” she said, looking at her leader. “Are you sure this is in the best interests of our – my ponies?”

Ultra Violet nodded. “Yes, our actions have always been in the best interests of the Dayborns.” She drew closer to Persei, something akin to a sly grin on her face. “They were unhappy before, and then the insurrection happened. There was a rebellion about a few weeks ago, and many innocent Dayborns lost their lives. Their unhappiness has now turned to fear.” Violet looked Persei in the eyes. She was in such close proximity that Persei could taste the mint on the mare’s breath. “Once we inspire enough hope, their fear will become anger, and it will all spill forth, and riots will break out all over Equestria.” She drew close to her and began to whisper in her ear. “You will be their hope, Persei. You are Celestion reborn. Nightmare Moon will go insane with paranoia, and when she sees you, she’ll cut and run.”

Persei’s mind was clouded by her words, the effect amplified tenfold by her closeness. She wasn’t sure about this…. “What if Nightmare Moon doesn’t run?” Doubts began to fill her mind. It was as if the sudden rollercoaster of emotion had suddenly ground to a halt, and she could see clearly for a moment. Persei shook her head. “I can’t do this,” Violet froze and everypony stared at her. “Even if I am Celestion, when those Dayborn ponies are filled up with hope by my words and news of my return… they will lash out, and Nightmare Moon will crack down on all of them. They will suffer terribly. The Night Guard will tear them apart, looking for the ponies responsible for these leaflets. The same fate that befell those Dayborns in that rebellion, could be shared by thousands of others.”

Ultra Violet smiled consolingly, and her fears were abated. “Don’t worry,” she purred. Persei blushed at her tone. The mare began to circle her, brushing her gently, each contact sending tingles running up her spine. “That’s why when they do lash out, we will be there to help them cast off their chains.” Persei blinked, and opened her mouth to speak, but Violet’s sweet rosewater scent washed over her, silencing her thoughts. “It is said that the Night Guard crackdown that led to the rebellion, was spurred by an anonymous tip.” Heat rose to Persei’s face when Violet flicked her tail against her plot, and she rubbed up against her barrel, whispering. “What if I told you… that it was one of my agents that fabricated the report of suspicious activity to Nightmare Moon?” Persei blinked, unable to think with her this close. “It was also my other agents that stirred the Dayborn up even further, leading them to rebel.”

Ultra Violet drew away, and Persei almost reached out for her, wanting her close again. “Ever since the massacre, our recruiting rate has increased tenfold. As was expected. Nightmare Moon is driving them right into our hooves. Not only that, but now there is fear. The more pressure the Empress exerts on the Dayborn, there will come a point where they will break. The persecution will become unbearable. They will be desperate, just like those ponies at the massacre. We take advantage of that desperation, channel it, and force them to unite underneath the banner of the Scions.”

Persei nodded, understanding. She couldn’t get cold now. Everypony was looking up to her… including Ultra Violet. They were all counting on her. “And with this propaganda… it will make Nightmare Moon even more paranoid, increasing the pressure on the Dayborns to that breaking point you mentioned. It will force them to act, whether they want it or not.”

By allowing this to go on, she was creating a do-or-die situation for the Dayborns living under Nightmare Moon. Persei had to save them, regardless of their choice. She closed her eyes, and all her anger came rushing back. The emotional wounds incurred by Cepheus’ death were torn open again, spilling out hot anger. She could not allow the world to remain as it was, a place where good and righteous ponies were killed by murderous psychopaths. No more should anypony suffer under the tyranny of Nightmare Moon or the Knights of Lunara or any Nightborn!

“We’ve got nothing to lose, since we have already lost everything….” Persei whispered. “Our homes, our families, our dignities…” Persei sighed, fire sparking in her eyes. “The time for planning and deliberation is over.”

She looked up at Argent Quill, and saw about thirty pegasi standing behind him in orderly rows. They were all wearing armor and heavy saddlebags on their backs, full to the brim with the propaganda leaflets that would start a revolution.

Persei turned and faced all of them. “What’s one thousand, a hundred thousand, a million in comparison to the future of Equestria?” She trotted in front of them, her every step full of anger and determination. “I will see Nightmare Moon dethroned!” she declared, her voice resounding in the armory. “I will rule Equestria, or I will watch it burn to ashes around me!”

The Scions roared their approval. “I am Celestion, goddess of fire!” she howled, the flames of the furnace rising up, the raging inferno blazing away behind Persei. “Nothing can stop us now!”

The pegasi messengers reared up, kicking their hooves up in the air. Their whinnies filled the chamber, and they began to gallop towards the exit. They took off into the night, the winds of fate howling as they carried the leaflets towards their designated cities all over Equestria.

The Scions were still cheering, and Persei trotted towards the door. Her heart was ablaze. “I will not be stopped,” she whispered to herself. “Not by Night Guard, or the Knights of Lunara, or anyone! I will have my vengeance, whatever it takes!”

For the Scions, for the Dayborn ponies, for the future….Her eyes drifted back to Ultra Violet, who was smiling at her coyly. And for you, my love.

She looked back out at the horizon, and took a deep breath.

War is coming, with all its glory… and all its horror.

Author's Notes:

Persei has been consumed by her passions. We'll see now if it's for the better or not.

I wonder what that star artifact was.

Discussion/feedback is encouraged

Chapter 28: The Elements of Sorrow

Candle tugged at his wet mane, dragging the brush through his tangled hair. Cepheus grunted, trying to be patient while she groomed him. After all, this was just a form of foreplay.

They were both sitting in their secluded pool of water, enjoying each other’s presence. She embraced him from behind, burying her muzzle in the back of his head. Cepheus held her hooves as she wrapped them around him, and looked over his shoulder at her. His wife was blushing. “You’re so pretty when you do that,” he whispered.

Candle giggled, dropping the brush. Cepheus turned and kissed her, long and drawn out, tasting her tongue once again. “I love you,” he whispered, lowering her down into the water as he hung over her.

She giggled again, wiping away a soaked forelock from her face. “Oh, Cepheus…”

He was considering taking her right here and now, but Dusty would come bounding in here at any moment. It still would have been alright, but he would probably be followed by a dozen other foals. Dusty hadn’t been alone ever since they had arrived here.

Cepheus kissed her passionately, and began to nibble her ear. He felt her hooves gently pushing against his barrel, and she held him at a distance. He was confused, but quickly became concerned when he saw the serious look in her eyes. “Cepheus,” she said bashfully. “I know you’ve been busy with Starlight, and I haven’t had a chance to get you alone like this.”

Cepheus wanted nothing more than to make her worried expression disappear. He moved to kiss her again, but she stopped him again. “What’s wrong?” he asked. She had never turned down any of his advances unless something very serious was on her mind.

“I…I…” she stammered. “I don’t want you spending too much time with Starlight.”

“Why not?” Cepheus asked. “I know he’s the personification of a mirror, but…”

“It’s not that,” she said. She rubbed her hooved together, trying to articulate her thoughts. “Have you seen the way he looks at Dusty?”

Cepheus was puzzled. “What?”

“It’s just not Dusty,” she said. “He looks at all the other foals the same way. Do you remember that day where Starlight told you about his Mirror Syndrome? He approached us while we were watching the foals play, and he had this weird look on his face.”

Cepheus nodded, remembering. “I didn’t tell you this, but Starlight is having difficulty letting go of his past.” Cepheus sighed, not wanting his wife to think any less of his friend. “When he used to work for Nightmare Moon, he said that he had liked killing foals.”

Candle was aghast, but she quickly became calm again. “That’s pretty bad, but that’s not the worst thing I have heard since I came here.” Candle shrugged. “I don’t know, but the thing is, he looks at you the same way.”

“I've kind of noticed,” Cepheus said. “It’s as if he feels a compulsion to prove his goodness to me. I think he believes that if a noble pony like me is convinced that he isn’t bad, he’ll start believing it too.”

Candle shook her head. “No, it’s more than that. You’ve been spending a lot of time with him, and then all of a sudden, his demeanor changed. He had that wistful look a few times, but now it’s something akin to dread that fills his features every time he sees you.”

“Perhaps he fears my judgment….”Cepheus wondered out loud.

“Weee!” Dusty shouted, galloping into the chamber. “Cannonball!” he shouted, leaping into water with a tremendous splash. He broke the surface of the water, squirting water at them.

Cepheus laughed and began to splash around with Dusty. Candle had climbed out of the pool and was drying herself off with a towel.

But Cepheus eventually had to leave his wife alone to clean up Dusty, and his stomach growled as he went in search of food for his family.

As he trotted into the main common room, he saw Starlight and Andre talking to each other in a dark corner. They seemed to be having a very serious discussion.

Cepheus ignored them and approached the counter where they kept the food. The mare overseeing the stock piled some hay on a tray. She pushed it at him, but Cepheus was distracted. Starlight and Andre were moving towards him. Cepheus looked back at the mare. “Can you have someone bring this to my room?”

She nodded.

“Cepheus,” Starlight whispered. “We need to talk.”

He consented, and Andre led them to a private anteroom. Stepping in to the dim chamber, he spotted a large stone table with many chairs. In the small room, that’s all there was.

Cepheus sat down and he noticed the 3-D map resting on the face of the table. The Worldspine, Canterlot, and it even included the floating city of Cloudsdale.

Starlight sighed, folding his hooves. “The Scions of Celestion are mobilizing,” he said. “They’ve launched a propaganda campaign on a level I have never seen before.”

Andre nodded. “Something big is going down. We need to be ready for it.”

Starlight held his head. “We are hopelessly outnumbered. We can’t face the Night Guard or the Scions in a direct confrontation. But what we do have, is ponies on the inside. We know and have things the Scions don’t.” Starlight put his hoof on the table, looking at Cepheus. “I would also like to report that we have adjusted our plans,” he said, looking at Andre. “We will restore Nightmare Moon into Lunara rather than killing her.”

Andre nodded, and grinned slyly. “I think that’s what we all want, but…” he scratched his head, frowning. “We have gone with the latter because Nightmare Moon’s mental illness is on a different level from what we have dealt with. Her disease has festered for over a thousand years. She’s been through more than we can ever imagine. How are we supposed to heal her and bring the benign Lunara back?”

Starlight nodded, grinning. “I have been looking into it, and I may have a solution.” He pulled out an ancient book from underneath the table. He flipped it open, and showed a page to them. “Here,” he said, pointing at what appeared to be some kind of intricate piece of jewelry with six gems. “This is an artifact called the Elements of Harmony.”

Andre gasped. “Is that an original copy of the Apocrypha of Celestion? Andre gestured, grasping for the right words. “They were the religious texts of the Scions before they altered it to fit their radical agenda, right?”

Starlight nodded. “Yes, it is. All mention of the Elements of Harmony have been ripped out of their books, and soon they stopped printing it all together.” He waved his hoof. “Anyway, according to this book, Celestion and Lunara were sisters. Celestion loved her sister, but Lunara went insane with jealousy for some reason, slayed her sister, and became the Nightmare Moon we know today.” Starlight raised his hoof. “Before Celestion died, she was grasping for this weapon to use against her deranged sister.”

Cepheus’ eyes went wide. “That trinket is supposed to be a weapon?”

Starlight nodded. “It is believed, that the magic imbued within the Elements of Harmony, can return Nightmare Moon into Lunara.” He pointed at the six gems embedded in the golden framework of the piece. “These six gems contain the prime virtues of the world, and when used on a wicked pony, those virtues will be instilled in them. I believe it is our best bet of getting Lunara back.”

Andre was amazed, shaking his head. “A thousand years of therapy, packed into one device.”

“Precisely,” Starlight said. “The Elements of Harmony will work wonders for us. It is the most powerful magical artifact remnant from Celestion’s time.”

Cepheus was impressed, but took a healthy dose of skepticism. “So, where are these Elements of Harmony?”

Starlight put the book down. “Actually, one of our agents pilfered it from Nightmare Moon’s repository in Canterlot. Nopony has even noticed that the vault it was in has been vacated.” Andre and Starlight exchanged a pleased grin, but he quickly became serious again. “We have it with us…But we have a problem. The primary gem is missing.”

Cepheus had been so optimistic, but his hopes were now shattered. “Where is the last gem?”

Starlight scratched his head with the tip of his wing. “The purple gem in the center is the Element of Magic that binds all the rest together. We know of its location.” Starlight looked down at his hooves. “The Scions have it.”

Andre sighed. “So how do we acquire this last piece from the Scions?”

“Maybe we can talk to their leader,” Cepheus offered. “Maybe if I talk to them, they might give it to us.”

Starlight shook his head. “Talking won’t work. We have to steal it.”

“Why?” Cepheus asked. “I’m sure their leadership will understand, especially if a Dayborn is talking to them.”

Andre put a hoof on Cepheus’ shoulder. “I don’t know how much you know about these ponies, but obviously not much. These ponies are religious radicals. Not the happy-dappy love and peace type, but the ones that’ll cut your throat if you don’t believe what they believe.”

“But the worst of them is their leader…” Starlight said, looking at Cepheus. “She is a mare named Ultra Violet.” He put his hooves together in an explanatory gesture. “You see, the Scions of Celestion weren’t bad before. They offered refuge for anypony who was being persecuted by Nightmare Moon, regardless of whether they were Dayborn or Nightborn, because they knew that Celestion was tolerant of both races. Although there was a lot of bitterness and resentment between the two groups initially, they managed to coexist without too much strife.”

Andre nodded, adding onto Starlight’s story. “They actually wanted to start their own separate country where everypony was considered equal, but then their leader suddenly died. It was believed that he was poisoned by his second in command, Ultra Violet.”

Starlight sighed, continuing. “She was an ambitious mare, a master manipulator, and perhaps even a sociopath, and as a result they were never able to pin the murder on her. The Scions started to fall apart as was her plan, and in their desperation, they placed her as their leader. She united them, and imposed a radical religious doctrine upon them, eventually making them all crazy like her. She ordered all the Nightborns in their camps to be killed and their bodies purged with flame."

Andre alternated with Starlight once again. “Now, she’s even more of a radical, and makes everypony surrounding her the same way. She’s too consumed with hate to want to bring Lunara back, even if it is in the better interests of her own ponies and all of Equestria.”

Starlight agreed. “They probably don’t even know that they have one of the Elements of Harmony in their possession. As I said, all mention of it was removed from their sacred texts.”

Cepheus shuddered. This mare sounded terrible. It reminded him of a viper. There was no hope of getting the element of magic by just asking.

What other tactics could they use?

The Knights of Lunara probably only had about a hundred ponies capable of fighting, so they couldn’t intimidate her into surrendering it. These ponies were all Nightborn, so they couldn’t sneak in and steal it. I wonder if I can gather some Dayborn volunteers from the villagers and….

Starlight pounded his hoof on the table, an idea having struck him. “With the Scions mobilizing, they’re probably going to use the element as a magic amplifier! They’ll bring it out into the open, and when they do, we grab it!”

Andre grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”

The door flew open, and a messenger rushed in. “Nightmare Moon’s secret weapon is being prepared for deployment!”

“What?” Starlight said, staring incredulously at the Nightborn earth pony.

“We just received word from one of our agents: With Necron helping the Empress, the weapon has been developed ahead of schedule and is ready to be used. They've wasted no time and are preparing to use it.”

Andre stamped his hoof in frustration. “And we still have no idea what it is!”

The messenger shook his head. “We do have one parcel of information from an intercepted message. Whatever it is, Necron has stored it in aerosol containers for transport and is now distributing it to all major population centers.”

“So there are many of them?” Cepheus asked. “And they are kept inside aerosol containers?”

The messenger nodded, and having told his message, backed out of the room to let his leaders think.

They all sat silently, thinking. An aerosol container? It’s probably in liquid form. Is it magical in nature? Will its effect be systemic? How can we protect ourselves? Cepheus suddenly felt like he was being watched, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Starlight glancing at him every now and then.

It made him feel nervous. Eventually, Cepheus couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “So, Starlight…” the stallion looked up at him with wide eyes, almost as if he were scared. Cepheus was dazed by his reaction. “Um, would you like to have dinner with Candle and I?”

“Andre, with me.” Starlight commanded, scrambling to get up. The secondary commander was startled by the sudden flurry of movement and rushed to follow Starlight out of the door.

Cepheus sat there, unsure of what had just happened. “I guess that’s a no,” he said to himself as he rose from his chair.

Candle was right. Starlight was hiding a secret involving him somehow, something that had come to light very recently. Cepheus sighed, tired and hungry. He began to trot back to his room, thinking of sharing a meal with his family.

And about his strange mirror friend, he decided that whenever Starlight was ready, he would tell Cepheus what was upsetting him. Hopefully, it’s not as bad as Starlight thinks it is.

Starlight and Andre sat inside the chamber of mirrors, all silent save for the ever constant trickling of water. “Sir,” he said. “Did you want to talk to me in private about Nightmare Moon’s secret weapon?”

Starlight shook his head, lifting his head up to look at the mirrors on the roof of his chambers.

Andre felt nervous, having been dragged away from Cepheus like this. Something was bothering his leader. “Starlight,” he whispered. “You’ve been acting so strange around Cepheus lately.”

Starlight remained silent, staring up at the domed mirror roof.

“Did you two have a fight?” Andre persisted, trying to get him to open up. “I thought you had become fast friends with Cepheus.” Andre glanced up to where Starlight was looking. “Hmm…I always did find it very strange how quickly you warmed up to him. You’ve known me for years and never told me the things you told him.”

Starlight sighed. “We’ve met before…” Andre stared at him, his jaw agape. Starlight closed his eyes, wincing in pain. “I knew he looked familiar, but now….” He looked at Andre questioningly. “Have you seen the latest propaganda leaflet issued by the Scions?”

“No,” Andre said, confused by the sudden turn in the conversation. “You have the only copy in the camp.”

Starlight sighed, and trotted over to a small chest where he kept all his valuables. “It’s about Celestion’s return, and I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but…” He pulled out the propaganda leaflet and opened it up to one of the pages that had a portrait of Celestion herself on it. “Does this mare resemble somepony else you know?”

Andre looked at her. She was wearing golden armor, had white fur, a dark mane, and was for the most part very beautiful. She did seem vaguely familiar. “Wait a moment… check out her cutie mark. It looks very similar to Cepheus’….”

It all clicked then for him. “That’s Cepheus sister, isn’t it?!”

“Her name is Persei,” Starlight said. “It mentions that on the next page, along with the names of the rest of her family. It even has a portrait of their mother, the infamous mare that escaped the hospital massacre with her two foals….”

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding him?” Andre asked. “Because you’re afraid that if he finds out that his sister is now his archenemy, he’ll want to leave the Knights?”

Starlight shook his head. “No,” he said. “As I said before, Cepheus and I have a history.”

Andre was confused. “How could you possibly have known him from before?” He paused, looking into his cold blue eyes. “Unless it was before you came here… when you were still bad.”

There were tears in Starlight’s eyes. “I thought he looked vaguely familiar, and I can tell that he is familiar with me as well. He has all the information he needs, but can’t make the connections necessary to figuring out who I really am.” Starlight put the leaflet back in the chest, and pulled out a dagger before locking it again. “Cepheus must never get that leaflet, or find out that his sister is the Scions’ champion. Or else he might notice something and begin to investigate….” Starlight shuddered.

Starlight stood in front of his favorite mirror, and began looking at himself. He played with the dagger, feeling the sharp point pricking his hoof. He turned around, not being able to look at himself anymore. Starlight drew close to Andre, his ears dropped and his head bowed. “Andre, you are my most loyal servant. Will you do me the ultimate favor?”

Andre was startled, seeing a few tear drops wetting the stone floor. “Of course, Starlight. You’re my friend and I’d do anything for you.”

Starlight pressed the dagger into his hoof, and looked him in the eye. “When all this is over, when Lunara has been restored…. I want you to kill me.”

Andre was shocked, but when he beheld the pain in Starlight’s eyes, he was silenced. The dagger felt like it was burning a hole in his hoof, but he continued holding it.

Starlight nuzzled him softly. “If you don’t do it, Cepheus will. He’s bound to find out eventually….” Starlight was trembling, sobs racking him. “Oh, I am such a coward! I can’t bear to lose him as my friend…. If it weren’t for that, I would tell him myself and face his wrath. But instead, I’m relying on you to do the deed before he realizes who I am.” Starlight collapsed in Andre’s hooves. “I pray that he continues to grace me with his presence until the final moment. I hope I die with Cepheus still thinking I am a good pony.”

Author's Notes:

Starlight realizes that he has met Cepheus before, and has hurt him somehow.

I told someone I wasn't using the Elements of Harmony in my story. I am now.

Took me about seven hours to write this chapter. About twice as long as I usually take. I had to fit a lot of stuff into this chapter, and carefully plan the next few chapters.

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 29: Manipulations of Trust

Necron huffed, pressing his hooves against the viewing glass. He stared into the chamber, a bleak white room containing nothing but a cot, sink, and toilet. A timer was set inside the room, counting the time in big red digits. Right now, it was set at zero.

Necron put his hooves down from the glass, and trotted to the control console. He hit a switch, and the door inside the room began to open. A frightened Dayborn mare was pushed inside, and the door slammed shut behind her. “Test subject has entered the control room,” Necron announced to himself.

A sadistic joy overcame him as he watched the pegasus flit around the room, screaming, not knowing where she was. She was trapped.

He giggled to himself as his hoof wandered over to the big red button in the center of the console. Necron began to laugh hysterically and slammed the button. While the mare had settled down and was trying to figure things out, the hidden vents in the roof released a vapor into the room with a subtle pssshhhh.

“Subject has been exposed,” Necron announced to himself, noting that the timer had started counting. He laughed to himself again. The mare hadn’t even noticed yet, but as time passed, she would definitely come to realize it.

Necron looked away from the room. He was alone in one of Nightmare Moon’s secret laboratories in Canterlot. This entire wing of the building was filled with test rooms, all lined up side by side in the long corridor. The red timers above each room were all counting up, the times increasing as they drew to the end of the hallway. At the very end, in the final room, there was blood splattered over the viewing glass. The timer had been stopped at 6 days, 23 hours, and 30 minutes.

The experiments so far had been extremely promising. Necron laughed to himself again, looking down at the torn shreds of paper on the floor. The heading “CELESTION HAS RETURNED” lay in pieces. In his fervor, he had ripped it up and had devoured half the paper.

“Necron, did you really eat that?” a voice said from behind him.

He looked back and saw Nightmare Moon watching him from the shadows.

Necron turned around and faced her, and as he did so, he flipped a switch with the tip of his wing. Metal curtains began to slide over all the viewing glasses in the corridor, concealing the test rooms. He shrugged, looking her in the eyes. “I got hungry.” Before she could ask what he had been up to, he began talking. “So, have you shifted Equestria’s climate yet?”

Nightmare Moon regarded him coolly. “For the next six months, powerful, arid winds will sweep across Equestria. This should increase the effectiveness of the weapon.”

Necron stayed silent, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the metal curtain on the final room had not closed properly. Some of the blood could still be seen.

She looked at him suspiciously. “What are you still doing here in the labs? You perfected everything a few days ago. You should be out there managing the delivery system.”

Necron shrugged. “Darkheart will handle it.” He looked back at the test rooms. “I was just playing with some of the other serums.”

Nightmare Moon approached him and drew very close to his face. She hissed threateningly. “We have taken every effort to choose a weapon that will have minimal harm to the Dayborns. The design of this entire project is to assert a higher degree of control over them, not to injure them any more than we have to. This is for their sake. Once we afflict them, their newly instilled obedience will ensure their safety.”

Necron sighed in frustration, and feigned compliance. “Yes, my Queen. It shall be as you say.”

He was not charmed by this strange gesture of mercy from Nightmare Moon. This wasn’t about the safety of the Dayborn, this was about abating her paranoia by eliminating any chance of them rising up again. This was a half-measure she took in response to the news of Celestion’s reincarnation. The Empress was scared to further incur her wrath by taking more extreme measures.

But Necron wasn't scared.

Nightmare Moon began to leave. “I am returning to Canterlot,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “I want this revolution quelled as soon as possible.”

And she now wants go hide behind Canterlot's walls, instead of confronting this so-called fire goddess.

Necron nodded, and Nightmare Moon’s body began to turn into smoke, and dissipated into the air.

After he was sure she was completely gone, his muzzle twisted into a cruel grin. He trotted down the hallway and there was a large garage door sandwiched in between the test rooms. He pushed a button on the wall, and the garage door began to open.

He stepped outside onto the loading dock. There were a dozen crates with their destination cities stamped on the front. In an hour, the pegasi transport team would come and pick these crates up and take them away.

Necron hailed one of the dockworkers and the stallion approached him. “Yes, Commander Necron?”

Necron gave his most charming smile. “Could you send a message to the pegasi transport team?” The stallion nodded. “I want you to tell them to go loading dock B, instead of this one.”

The stallion gave him a strange look. “Nightmare Moon had explicit instructions to go to this loading dock.”

“Yes, I know.” Necron said, trying to make his lie sound convincing. “She and I just spoke. There’s been a change in cargo. You will be taking my shipment instead of hers.”

The stallion nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll message them right away.”

He went off on his task, and as soon as he disappeared inside, Necron found another dockworker. “You there,” he said to the stallion, and he froze mid-step. “Yes, you.” Necron pointed to the crates in the center of the loading area. “Put those back in storage. Be quick about it.”

The stallion nodded, and went to get the forklift.

Necron laughed to himself. “My choice of cargo is far more interesting. Those rebels are in for one hell of a surprise,” he whispered to himself.

Nightmare Moon had committed genocide against the Dayborns when she took the throne. But she had failed to wipe them out. She had gotten cold hooves. Now the descendants of the ponies she had spared were now rebelling against her.

As commander, he did what he was supposed to in a situation like this. He had implemented martial law, enforced curfew, and viciously silences any dissent. But this too was a half measure. And Nightmare Moon wanted to add another half-measure to that.

“No more half measures,” he whispered to himself. “It’s time for the final solution.”

Necron felt tingles running up his spine. The pegasi transport team would pick up and deliver the serums of his choice. The crates were identical, and the transport teams were always confusing the loading docks. Nightmare Moon wouldn’t know what he had done until after it reached fruition.

Necron trotted back up to the control console of the test rooms. He opened the lid casing of a key switch with a skull on it. He drove the key into the ignition, and twisted it. Another button below it began to flash. He hit the button, and all the test rooms were purged.

There was horrendous screaming from within the rooms as the metal curtains began to turn orange with heat. Necron took wing and left the laboratory complex. “I will finish the job Nightmare Moon began a thousand years ago,” he howled into the wind. “The moment the Scions break open the first city’s walls, their fates will be sealed!”

“I will set this world ablaze,” Persei whispered. The smell of charred foliage and the crackling of flame filled the air. The dark sky glowed orange with the light of the fires consuming the forest. Black columns of smoke rose into the sky, obscuring the light of the moon. “I am coming for you, Nightmare Moon.”

She had blazed a path through the dense forest, and now it was time. “Scions!” she shouted. The army standing behind her roared, and the path for their advance was now clear. “Prepare to march!”

Ultra Violet and Maelstrom stood next to her in silver armor, Persei’s cutie mark was the Scions’ insignia, and it was emblazoned on the breastplates of all their infantry.

The legion of fourteen thousand ponies began to march, their movements perfectly in sync. The red, gold, and orange banners of the Scions of Celestion fluttered in the strong breeze, hanging over ranks of shield bearers and pikemen. Behind them marched the archers and the siege-specialists. In the very back rows along with the supply train, there was a massive battering ram.

Persei was at their very head, blasting jets of flame every time a tree or shrub obstructed their path. The purple star charm embedded in her breastplate, right over her heart, was pulsating with energy. She had never felt so powerful in her life.

Commander Maelstrom approached her, a doubtful look on his face as he surveyed the burning landscape. “My lady, you are quite literally a flaming homosexual.”

Heat rose to Persei’s face. “You’ve got a problem with that?”

Maelstrom sighed. “No, but all this…” he gestured to all the smoke and flames. “I know you’re trying to impress your mare-friend, but all this smoke and fire can be seen for miles around. They’ll see us coming a day ahead of time as this flame rampages through the forest.”

“It was a tactical move,” she said, irritated by his tone of voice. “The flames will not only allow our siege vehicles to pass through the forest with ease, but it’ll burn the cover for any Lunaran guerillas.”

Maelstrom still seemed irritated. “The Knights of Lunara are only a thorn in our side. There are only maybe two hundred of them, but you’ve alerted the thousands of Night Guards in Nocturnus.”

Nocturnus was the first city on their list of conquests. Persei sighed, seeing his point. “So, tell me about our enemy. What do you know of Nocturnus?”

Commander Maelstrom’s demeanor changed, and he assumed a calmer mood. “Nocturnus’ defenses consist of one primary wall, a massive stone fortification with anti-air capabilities. Our pegasi won’t be able to enter. So we need to either disable their defensive capabilities somehow or knock their walls down.”

Persei thought this over. It seemed like the siege would take a long time. “Why are we choosing such a fortified city as our initial target?”

Maelstrom smiled. “The city’s population is 80% Dayborn. Once we start hammering away at their walls, our agents within the city will take their cue and start riots within the walls of Nocturnus. The Night Guard garrison will be strained to protect the Nightborn in the inner ring of the city, and deal with our siege.”

Persei was very satisfied. “And once we conquer the city, our numbers will be bolstered when the Dayborns join us.”

The commander nodded. “Nocturnus has always been a hotbed of anti-Nightborn sentiment. We will be the spark that sets everything ablaze.”

“So what happens once we conquer the city?” Persei asked.

“Our forces will be split into three and will fan out. Two smaller groups will liberate the local farm towns and will rejoin us when we reach Canterlot. The main force will move to the next city, which is Manehattan. Apparently, it is Necron’s home city. Resistance will be much stiffer here.”

Persei was growing impatient. “So when do we get to Canterlot?”

Maelstrom sighed. “Hopefully after we take Manehattan, we can march to Canterlot. But our advance will be slow, since there are many smaller towns and cities we’ll have to deal with. We will then need to encircle the capital and cut off the flow of supplies into the city.”

“That sounds like it’s going to take forever,” she groaned. “We’re going to wind up having to starve them out, aren’t we?”

“That would be our safest option. After all, Canterlot is Nightmare Moon’s home. The most fortified location in all of Equestria.”

Persei sighed, and dismissed her commander. She trotted alone for a while, keeping the path clear of any obstruction. Her heavy armor was starting to wear down on her stamina. Her mind wandered, thinking of how much of a better place Equestria would be without Nightmare Moon – or any Nightborn for that matter. No more suffering. No more pain. Everypony will be so happy.

Thoughts of a better future, concern for her new subjects filled her thoughts. But when Ultra Violet joined her side, all those feelings went away. Persei looked at her, and she looked back. Marry me, she wanted to say. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but they wouldn’t come out. Violet was the only pony in Equestria who knew her heart. Persei loved her.

Ultra Violet gently nudged her, smiling. “You’re sharing a tent with me whenever we make camp."

Heat rose to Persei’s face. She blushed. “Ultra Violet…” she whispered, her eyes downcast. “You know I love you, but do you love me?”

Persei held her breath, waiting for her answer. This question had been bothering her for a while. Ultra Violet leaned forward and kissed her. “Of course I do, my Persei.”

Persei smiled, but she sensed something forced in her voice. Persei’s doubt of Ultra Violet’s love remained. She needed to know. If they were to marry, she wanted to know if Violet was willing. “What do you like about me?”

“Hmmm?”

Persei wanted to scratch her head, but the helmet got in the way. “I mean, why do you like me so much? You could have any pony you want, but you chose me.”

“First of all,” Violet said. “You are my goddess.”

Persei shook her head, unease filling her. “I don’t want to be the object of your worship. I want to be your lover, not your goddess. At least I want you to see me that way.”

Ultra Violet voice came out smooth, as if she had rehearsed this. “You are both to me,” she whispered, and some of Persei’s unease faded. “It’s not just religious devotion, but love as well. I loved you before I knew you were Celestion.” Ultra Violet nuzzled her, a gesture that warmed her heart. “You are fierce, like me. You are brave, ambitious, and passionate, just like me. We were made for each other.”

She’s only telling you what you want to hear…. a small voice echoed in her head.

Persei forced that little voice to the back of her mind. She smiled, now thinking of spending the night with her lover and devotee.

With the forest cleared, their advance was much faster. They marched for four days straight, and soon Nocturnus’ massive wall came into view. Looking through a spyglass, she spotted ranks of archers on the ramparts. The flak launchers towered behind them, the cannon-like device pointed upward, prepared to fill the air with shrapnel if a pegasus dared to enter the city’s airspace.

Maelstrom began shouting from behind her, ordering that the catapults be brought forth. Ultra Violet organized defensive guards around the catapults.

Persei continued to stare at the wall. Weren’t there supposed to be more Night Guards on the ramparts? Surely the occupying garrison was stronger than this. Maybe the Dayborns inside the city were already rioting.

She nodded to herself. Maelstrom approached her. “My lady, we will bombard their fortifications. If we are able to scatter those archers on the wall, perhaps we can hasten the siege by using our battering ram to break open the gate.”

Persei looked at the entrance to the city. A massive steel portcullis in front of a thicker secondary portcullis protected the only ground entry point into the city.

The Night Guard on the walls had noticed their approach, and shrill sirens began to sound off through the city. She could hear them shouting, bracing themselves for the bombardment.

“Fire!” Maelstrom bellowed.

Seven flaming boulders flew overhead, creating an arc of smoke and light before crashing into the wall. Enemy arrows began to rain down on them, but Violet’s unicorns had created a shield overhead, preventing the razor projectiles form reaching them.

Another barrage of boulders flew overhead, this time one of the stones struck the archers on the ramparts. There were cries of pain, and the sound of metal bending and breaking as a flak launcher fell backwards off the edge.

If they wanted to stop the bombardment, they would have to send out their own forces to deal with it. Or launch projectiles big enough to break their shields.

Persei smiled, seeing the wall being hammered over and over again. Past the besieged wall, she could see columns of billowing smoke rising up from within the city.

“This city will fall….” she whispered to herself.

Author's Notes:

Viva la revolucion!

Along with this action, there's a lot of drama inbound.

Discussion/feedback is encouraged. Are you pleased with how the story is turning out so far?

Chapter 30: A Daring Rescue

“Sirius, is that you?” Cepheus asked, deep within the depths of his dream.

The blurry visage was issuing a warning, but he couldn’t hear it. His half-brother’s voice sounded so far away….

“I’ve missed you,” Cepheus went on. “How have you been?”

Sirius’ obscured features were slowly coming into focus, and Cepheus squinted his eyes. “Sirius? Are you there?”

Suddenly, the face came into focus. “Wake up,” Starlight whispered.

Cepheus blinked. Who exactly was this stallion in his dreams?

“Wake up,” Starlight repeated, but this time it was louder, and with more urgency.

Cepheus began to sweat in his dream. Something was wrong. Why is it so hot in here?

“WAKE UP!” Starlight bellowed.

Cepheus awoke with a jolt, heavy beads of perspiration accumulated on his brow. It was unbearably hot in the bedroom. The acrid stench of smoke had dried out his lungs and had made them sore. He struggled to breathe, and roused the sleeping Candle next to him. She was burning up too, and slowly awoke. “Hmmm?” she murmured sleepily.

A glaring orange light was filtering in through the curtains. “Fire,” Cepheus whispered to himself. Candle began to cough, a loud hacking sound. Dusty who was sleeping at the foot of their bed also awoke as Candle struggled to catch her breath. Cepheus stumbled out of bed and dropped to the floor, the air at this level still cool and clear. “Candle! Dusty!” Cepheus shouted. “We have to get out of here!”

They all got on the floor and wriggled out of the room. In the hallway, frightened residents had grabbed all that they could and were galloping towards the exits. Nightborn guards were pounding on the doors, and helping to evacuate all the ponies.

“Cepheus!” a pony called him over the commotion.

Cepheus looked over and saw Starlight rushing to them. “I just returned from a patrol,” he said, out of breath. “The whole forest is ablaze!”

“Is it a wildfire?” Candle asked, obviously concerned.

Starlight shook his head. “This is no wildfire,” he said cryptically. “This was arson. I’ve never seen such a blaze before.”

He blinked. “What does this mean?”

Starlight looked up at him. “The Scions of Celestion have begun their march,” Cepheus gasped, and Candle drew Dusty closer to her. “It’s been approximately three days,” he whispered. “The flames have been pushed in our direction by the dry, windy weather we’ve been having lately.”

Andre rocketed down the hallway, skidding on the stone floor, flapping his wings in an effort to stop himself. “Starlight!” he shouted. “I brought the Elements of Harmony to your chamber while you were on patrol. You have to go get them while I finish up evacuations!”

“Where will we go?” Dusty murmured sleepily.

Starlight looked down at the foal, then up at Andre and Cepheus. They all wanted to know. Starlight thought for a moment, and sighed. “Andre, I need you to get our military equipment after we’ve evacuated. The most logical move for the Scions is to attack Nocturnus. We’re going to meet them there.”

Andre saluted him. “Yes, sir!”

Starlight nodded. “I also need you to come with me and collect the Elements of Harmony.”

Andre’s eyes went wide. “Sir, I cannot possibly do all these things you have asked me.” He sighed, something silent being exchanged between him and Starlight. “You have no choice right now,” he said, and gestured at Cepheus. “You have an able bodied stallion standing right next to you. Use him.”

Starlight fidgeted uncomfortably, the same way he did whenever he was asked to do something with him. Cepheus embraced Candle, and she looked at him, frightened. “Candle, I need you to take Dusty and get out of here. I have to help Starlight.”

“Come with me,” Andre urged. Candle nodded, and they followed him down the hallway.

Starlight sighed, and unfolded his wings. Cepheus did the same. They flew down the hallways, bounding off the walls as they turned corners.

They arrived at Starlight’s chambers, and Starlight rushed ahead of Cepheus. The air had become thick with smoke, and they were both coughing. Cepheus’ lungs felt like they had been torn and were bleeding.

The five gems of the Elements of Harmony had already been fitted into its golden circle-piece, and seemed to glow faintly. As Cepheus drew closer, the glow intensified. “Starlight? I think it’s reacting to my presence….”

There was silence. Cepheus looked around for Starlight. Where had he gone?

Cepheus began to disassemble the circle-piece so it would be easier to carry. The gems seemed to be pulsing with energy at his proximity. They were alive with vibrations. Surely this wasn’t normal….

Cepheus fashioned the golden circle-piece into a sort of necklace and wore it around his neck. He had to stop as he had another coughing fit. The air was thick with smoke and was becoming suffocating. They were running out of time.

As soon as he turned around to leave, a stack of chests was dropped in front of him. Starlight flew down, desperately trying to lug all his belongings out of the room. Cepheus was confused. “Starlight, how do you expect to carry all these things!?” Cepheus drew closer, seeing the edges of papers and photographs sticking out of the hastily packed chests. “What is this stuff that you are willing to risk both of our lives for!?”

Starlight ignored him. “Just help me get these out of here!”

Cepheus felt an emotion that he very rarely felt: irritation. “Starlight!” the other stallion stopped tugging and stared. “We won’t make it out of here if we bring these things along. You have to leave them.”

Cepheus was surprised when he saw tears in Starlight’s eyes. “Please,” he begged. “These are very important to me.” Cepheus was uncertain. “Please…” he pleaded.

“Fine,” Cepheus conceded. As they both lifted up two very heavy chests onto their backs, he heard a lot of papers shifting around as well as the crinkling of newspaper. This wasn’t just memories of his dead wife packed in here… there are other things in here as well.

Cepheus didn’t think much more of it, having to focus all his energies on getting out of the building alive. The Elements of Harmony were buzzing against his barrel as they managed to find the exit.

Stepping outside, Cepheus gasped as he saw the forest burning all around him. The trees were like torches, and the strong winds were urging the flames to spread. He felt like he had stepped inside some kind of cavernous furnace. Sweat dripping from the heat, lungs burning from the acrid air, back sore from the luggage, he went to go find his family among the crackling timbers and falling embers.

Cepheus had suited up in his armor as they approached the city. He and the other Lunaran Knights were climbing up the ridge which would give them an excellent vantage point of the city. Andre had said that it was important to get a good sense of what was going on before entering the fray.

Cepheus was exhausted from their constant march and the heavy armor was encumbering him. The Elements of Harmony that once hung around his neck, were now kept in a strongbox in the supply train in the very back. It was the safest place for it to be. His wife and Dusty were also there.

Cepheus had sensed that she was forcing herself to stay back and not be with her husband. Despite his urging that it was okay for a mare to fight, and that there were other mares among the stallions, she had insisted on staying with the supply train.

As her husband, he respected her decision. Somepony had to take care of Dusty while her stallion was in the front rows… and if something were to happen to him…..

Cepheus shuddered. He looked up ahead and saw that they were almost to the top of the ridge. Starlight hung aloof at the very front, the Lunaran battle standard erected on his saddle. The silver crescent moon insignia in a field of purple and azure flapped in the hot, dry breeze. The moon was shining, the wan light reflecting on the silver armor of the Knights around him.

Nearing the top of the ridge, he looked ahead and saw Starlight standing at the edge. Cepheus saw trails of billowing smoke rising up into the sky. That wasn’t a good sign.

They reached the top of the ridge, and Cepheus joined Starlight in mutual horror.

There was a gaping breach in Nocturnus’ city wall. There were the sounds of screaming, clashing swords, and carnage from within. The city’s buildings that were tall enough to be seen from over the wall were either burning or venting streaks of black smoke from broken glass windows.

Andre was aghast. “Impossible,” he whispered. “How could they have broken through so quickly?”

“I guess the defending Night Guard garrison was weak,” Starlight muttered. “What is Necron – Nightmare Moon playing at?”

Shaking his head vigorously, Cepheus stamped his hoof. “We have to get down there.” Starlight and Andre looked at him. “There are civilians caught in the crossfire. Can’t you hear the screaming?” The particularly shrill screech of a mare echoed in the night. “The Scions want to kill all the Nightborns, civilian and Night Guard alike. Most of the Dayborns have taken up arms alongside them, and the remaining Night Guards are probably killing all Dayborns on sight in response, whether they are hostile or not. We have to rescue those not involved, or they will all be killed in the crossfire.”

“Well said,” Starlight agreed.

Andre ordered the Knights to form an advance formation to approach the city.

Cepheus fell in line with the others, hoisting his shield up, and Starlight led their charge down the ridge.

The pounding of their hooves against the ground, the rattling of armor being jolted up and down, his heart racing in his chest, and the heavy breathing of the other knights was all that Cepheus could hear.

They blitzed across the land in front of the city towards the breach. The siege grounds were covered with rubble from the wall, corpses of slain Scions and Night Guards, and razor sharp arrows with their heads embedded in the dirt.

When they all arrived at the breach, and saw what was ensuing within the city, Cepheus realized that the situation was completely out of control. Half of the buildings were either smoking or on fire. Dayborn rioters were throwing Molotov cocktails at Nightmare Moon’s institutions which had oppressed them for so long, while the Scions clashed with the Night Guard in the streets.

Starlight turned and faced them. “The Scions of Celestion will have complete control over this city in a few hours. The Dayborns in this city are safe for the time being,” they all nodded, agreeing. “Therefore, our priority shifts to rescuing the Nightborns from their collective wrath.”

Andre nodded and pointed his hoof towards the center of the city. “The Nightborns are the minority in this city, but control all the wealth. They all reside in the upper class dwellings in the heart of the city, so that’s where we will expect to find our civilians.”

Cepheus swallowed hard. The further they went into the city, the harder it would to get the civilians out safely. Hopefully the remaining Night Guards could keep them busy long enough for them to escape.

Starlight led the charge into the breach, and they galloped through the street. As they fought their way into the center of the city, Cepheus saw the destruction all around. Shattered storefronts, all the wares within looted. A toppled statue of Nocturnus’ mayor had completely obstructed one street, so the Knights had to climb over the rubble. The burning façade of a bank building came into view as they galloped, and Dayborn rioters were on the roof, screaming. “Death to Nightmare Moon and her corporate Nightborn scum!”

Cepheus grew increasingly frightened the deeper they went into the city. There were only Dayborn rioters left here, reveling in the devastation the Scions had left behind. They immediately scattered when the Knights charged through.

How far had the Scions penetrated into Nocturnus’ defensive lines? Cepheus thought, despairingly. The inner ring was where all the Nightborn gentry lived, so naturally it would be the most fortified. Hopefully the Scions hadn’t gotten through yet….

Cepheus’ hopes were shattered when he saw the gate that segregated the Nightborns neighborhoods from the Dayborn slums. A massive hole had been blown in the portcullis, the heavy metal beams melted by an intense blast of heat. The stepped through the ruined fortification and immediately felt the difference here. This area exuded wealth. The once pretty fountains had been smashed, the fancy dwellings had been ransacked, and their businesses had been broken into and were still being looted. It was eerily quiet here….

The Knights slowed down as they drew deeper into the city, seeing what had taken place here. They all stopped when it came into view. This was their first time they had seen any Nightborn civilians since arriving into the city. Cepheus couldn’t look away from the ghastly sight before him. “We were too late…” he whispered.

It was the city park, and on all the trees, hanged the bodies of the city’s Nightborn. Stallions, mares, foals, all well dressed and groomed with a necklace of rope around their necks. The branches creaked eerily as the Knights began to trot through, the corpses swaying in the breeze.

Cepheus couldn’t look at their faces. It made him too sick. He heard a mare sobbing form nearby, and the sound of a foal crying.

Starlight and Cepheus drew away from the main group and sought out the source of the sound. Cepheus spotted a Dayborn mare sitting in front of a tree, crying. Starlight drew close to her, and she looked up at him. “Who are you?” she asked. “You’re not part of the Night Guard.”

Cepheus saw a bundle in her hooves, and saw the small head of a Nightborn foal peeping up from the white wrap, mewling for nourishment. He looked up at the tree where the mare was crying, and only two corpses hung from this tree: a stallion and a mare. They were presumably the parents of the newborn foal. The Dayborn eyed Cepheus and lifted the bundle up to him. “You have the look of a kind stallion,” she whispered. “Please take him. The others will kill him if he stays here.”

Cepheus took the bundle from her, and his gaze met the inquisitive stare of the little foal. His mewling had ceased entirely and they looked into each other’s eyes. Cepheus felt tears in his eyes and embraced the colt. He felt tiny hooves touching his neck, and heard his distressed breaths, anxious from not seeing his mother for so long. The foal began to whimper nervously and Cepheus cooed to him. “It’s going to be alright… Shhh…”

Starlight approached the mare. “We are the Knights of Lunara. Who are you?”

“I’m just a foal-sitter,” the mare said, watching Cepheus soothing the foal. She looked up at Starlight. “I have worked for the Nightborns of the city my entire life.” The mare looked at all the corpses hanging from the trees. “They didn’t deserve this.” She sighed, and looked hopefully at all of them. “You guys have armor… and have weapons. Perhaps…” she gestured towards the center of the city. “You can save those who are left. The remaining Night Guards are defending city hall. It’s where all that’s left of Nocturnus’ Nightborn population have taken refuge.”

Andre and Starlight exchanged glances. The mare slumped back down, resting her head against the trunk of the tree. “Better hurry. The Night Guard pulled out the majority of their forces right before the invasion… city hall will fall to the Scions any time now.”

Cepheus and Starlight wanted to rush to get to city hall, but Andre remained. “The Night Guard pulled out their forces?” he asked. “They saw us coming, why did they leave?”

The mare shrugged. Starlight touched Andre’s shoulder. “We have to get to city hall.”

Andre nodded and they all left the mare. Cepheus had wrapped the bundle around his barrel, forming a sort of sling where the foal would be held secure.

They began to gallop, and Cepheus kept his strides smooth to minimize the shaking of the foal.

Cepheus didn’t want to take the foal into battle with him, but he had no choice.

The Lunaran Knights came into view of city hall. The grand administrative building was located in a large quadrangle, one main approach with four smaller ones, five besieged streets leading in. The Night Guard defensive lines set on each approach had been obliterated and the remaining few guards were being slaughtered by the Scions. It was only a matter of a few minutes before the bloodthirsty Scions overwhelmed them and swarmed the mayor’s residence. And the main force hasn’t even arrived yet….

“We have to move now!” Starlight shouted to his knights. They charged down the southern approach. The makeshift barbed wire fences had already been trodden over, and the clashing Scions and Night Guards swiftly drew near.

Andre gestured for them to raise their shields, and the archers behind the shield-bearers discharged a volley of arrows. Both Scions and Night Guard were peppered with the projectiles, and fell dead with the arrows sticking out of their bodies.

A Scion swords-pony leapt into Cepheus’ way, and froze when he realized that the stallion he had ambushed was Dayborn. Cepheus took advantage of his hesitation and rammed him with his spiked shield, impaling the swords-pony and knocking him to the side.

The foal strapped against his chest began to cry at the sudden jolt. “I have to be more careful,” he hissed to himself.

There were no more confrontations though, since the archers picked off anyone who dared to approach them.

They leaped over the final sandbag fortification and entered the quadrangle. Cepheus looked ahead and saw that a massive army was marching down the street of the main approach. What caught his eye, was the pony who was leading them. The pony appeared to be a mare, and he could barely see her through the shimmering, superheated air around her. She was spewing jets of flame at the Night Guards, like some great dragon.

Cepheus shuddered. They had to get the civilians out before she scorched them all.

The Lunaran Knights had blitzed across the garden surrounding the building, and saw that the building was fortified. The doors were steel and very sturdy looking. Metal grilles covered the windows. The walls were made out of thick concrete.

They arrived at the back wall of the building, and Starlight tapped one of the windows. He beckoned at a rank of unicorn knights. “Use a magnetism spell to pull the metal grilles off these windows!” he commanded.

The windows were their quickest way in, and by the look of the other four approaches, they were running of time.

The unicorns lowered their heads, and horns beginning to glow, the metal grilles began to creak and groan. They were ripped off, and the unicorns sent them flying off in the distance. Cepheus and the other soldiers in the front ranks smashed the windows on the ground floor and climbed in.

Cepheus was one of the first to climb in, and he was met by a gale of frightened shouts from the Nightborns hiding within. “They’ve broken in!” a secretary hiding underneath a desk cried out. She began to throw heavy accounting textbooks at them.

The books bounced off his shield, and the other clerks, janitors, and secretaries fled the room. They stopped when they realized that almost all of them were Nightborn. “We’ve come to rescue you guys!” Starlight told the frightened ponies.

“Oh, thank Nightmare Moon!” the secretary said. “When the Night Guard pulled their forces out of the city, I thought we had been abandoned!”

Cepheus shook his head. “We’re not the Night Guard,” the ponies looked at him, confused. “We’re another group, dedicated to preventing civilian casualties during this conflict.”

It was half true.

A stallion janitor sighed. “Whatever! Just get us out of here!”

All the Nightborns who were hiding in the city hall gathered in the room. There were about a hundred of them hiding here, and added with the Lunaran Knights, there were roughly two hundred of them.

They had barricaded themselves in, and had lost all hope until they had arrived. Nocturnus’ mayor was among them, a petite, purple mare with a long flowing mane. “My name is Lavender Lilac, and I thank you Knights of Lunara for saving us. I have gathered as many ponies here as I could in the little time we had. Now…” she clasped her hooves. “How do you intend on us getting my citizens to safety?”

There was an explosion from outside. The entire building trembled, and columns of dust were shaken loose. There were frightened cries, and all the Nightborn citizens began to cower.

There was another explosion, and this time it felt like the whole roof would cave in on them. The foal started crying again, and one of the unicorns cast a sleeping spell on the foal. There was total silence, as they braced themselves for the next blast.

“Mayor Lavender!” a voice came from outside.

Cepheus’ heart fluttered in his chest. He recognized that voice.

The Mayor cleared her throat, her tiny frame shivering with fear. “Yes?” she responded.

“Surrender yourself, and we may spare the other rats hiding with you.”

No, it can’t be… Cepheus thought.

Lavender rose up, and brushed herself off. “I will gladly sacrifice myself for the safety of what remains of my people.” She looked down at her hooves, tears in her eyes. “I was too vain. I had too much faith in the Night Guard. I knew the Scions were coming, and our defenses were far weaker than they usually were. I thought….” Everypony was looking at her sadly, their eyes all saying that it wasn’t her fault. Lavender puffed out her chest, wiping her eyes. “I should have evacuated, and now I must pay the price for my mistake.”

She moved towards the double doors they had piled bookcases against. She stumbled, and Cepheus helped her. “I’ll come with you,” he whispered. “You are very brave for doing this.”

She nodded, and eyed the sleeping Nightborn foal strapped to his chest. “You are a remarkable Dayborn….”

Cepheus tore down the bookcases holding the doors shut, and opened them up for her. Lavender stepped outside, and Cepheus was about to, but then he saw her: The mare who had burned all in her path like a dragon, the champion of the Scions, and Celestion reincarnated. She was wearing beautiful golden armor, her eyes fierce and determined. “Persei…” he gasped.

Cepheus froze, and the other Nightborns standing behind the Knights gasped. Starlight shrank away from the others, retreating to the back of the room. Lavender continued trotting alone and submitted herself before his sister.

I can’t believe this…

“Bow,” Persei commanded Lavender.

Was Persei behind all the atrocities he had witnessed today?

With a single motion, Persei decapitated the mayor. The Nightborns who were watching from within the building sobbed in terror, hiding behind the armored Lunaran Knights.

What had the Scions done to her?

Cepheus beheld his sister. She had changed so much since they had parted ways. How could she have become like this? He was so overwhelmed that he couldn’t think anymore. His eyes noticed something as they drifted away from her face. On Persei’s breastplate, there was a purple gem. It was glowing and vibrating. “The Element of Magic…” he whispered to himself. Persei had it.

She kicked the mayor’s decapitated head into the hall where they were all hiding. It rolled to a stop at Andre’s hooves. Persei raised her hoof in a commanding gesture. “Take the hall. Kill everypony within.”

The Scions of Celestion roared, and charged the hall. Cepheus gasped, and slammed the double doors shut. The other Lunaran Knights picked up the bookcases and piled them back up against the doors.

There was a loud bang from the doors, and the bookcase barricade became slightly dislodged.

“We're surrounded! What do we do!?” a frightened clerk shouted.

Starlight scratched his head, and his face lit up when he had an idea. “Does this building have toilets?”

Cepheus was confused by the strange question. A janitor in the back nodded. “Yes, we have a bunch.”

Starlight sighed in relief. “Thank Lunara.”

What? In this crisis, he wants to die with an evacuated bowel? Cepheus thought.

Starlight led them all to the bathrooms. “The city of Nocturnus is the oldest city in Equestria. The ancient plumbing system back from before Nightmare Moon came into power should still be here.”

They all piled into the bathroom, a large, marble floored room with fancy porcelain looking toilets. Starlight grabbed the toilet, and ripped it out of the floor. Below, there was a gap just large enough for a pony to fit through. The stench of excrement filled the air, and Starlight gagged. “Before these modern toiled were installed, ponies used to defecate into the boxes which covered these holes. There would be a door right under the box, and with enough feces piled onto it, the pressure would cause the door to open, and be dropped down these chutes into the sewers below.”

The Lunaran Knights nodded, and began ripping the toilets off the stands. Andre urged the civilians to hold their breaths and squeeze inside. Starlight nodded. “The sewers should empty out in some repository outside the city.”

A clerk rushed up to Starlight, dragging a large crate behind him with his magic. “Sir! We need to take this crate with us as well.”

There was a loud pounding sound, and the sound of bookcases being pushed aside. One of the Knights slammed the bathroom door shut. Starlight looked back down at the clerk. “Why? What’s in there?”

The clerk swallowed. “I don’t know, but Mayor Lavender said that if the Scions were to take city hall, they must never get their hooves on this crate.”

Starlight moved to open the lid to the crate, but there was a pounding on the bathroom door. “Fine,” he growled.

The civilians had already gone down, and the last of the Knights were squeezing in. He ordered the guards holding the door shut to go down first.

Cepheus looked at Starlight one last time, held his breath, and squeezed himself into the narrow passageway. The chute was wet and slimy, and Cepheus slid through with ease. It was then he caught the stench, and he gagged.

He heard the bathroom doors slamming open and the sound of a pony shouting. “They’re not in here!”

Persei’s voice responded harshly. “Well find them! Turn this whole place upside down if you have to! I want them all dead!”

Cepheus felt tears in his eyes as he slid down the chute. “Persei…” he whispered. “How could you have done such terrible things?”

Arriving deep in the bowels of the sewers, they were all gathered in a large cistern. Starlight led them into a narrow pipe, and eventually, the foal resting against Cepheus’ barrel awoke and started crying again. The sound echoed eerily in the cavernous network of long forgotten passageways and drains.

Author's Notes:

This was a rather long chapter, I had to pack a lot of action into here. Hopefully the other chapters won't run as long as this one did.

There are two questions I want to emphasize here. First, what was in those chests Starlight had insisted on bringing? Second, what was in the crate that the Nightborn clerk said couldn't fall into the Scions' possession? Both are very relevant.

Discussion/feedback is encouraged.

Important Note: I have family coming over. As their host, I will be expected to keep them comfortable and entertained. There may be a delay with the next chapter.

Chapter 31: Cysts

The city had been taken, and the Scions had entrenched themselves within. Everything was going well, and her soldiers were doing a status check on the city’s supplies and facilities. This was their first victory and Persei was happy for the time being.

But it was when she heard the reports that a non-Night Guard, Nightborn military force had been sighted all over Nocturnus, she grew furious. It was the damn Lunaran Knights.

She was pacing in the bathroom where the city’s remaining Nightborn had made their great escape into the sewers. Her mane was now ablaze and she used her magic to levitate the toilets and smash them against the wall. “How could the ponies who murdered my brother be allowed to escape?!” she demanded of Maelstrom.

Her commander’s nostrils flared angrily. “Now, don’t get all huffy with me!” he glared at her, jabbing his hoof at her. “It was bad tactics on your part. Instead of fanning out through the city and establishing garrisons in strategic locations like I advised, you recklessly went straight for the kill. It was an unnecessary display of force, and allowed the interlopers to get in and out without any difficulties.”

Persei wanted to burn him, but she needed his counsel. The fire on her mane simmered down, and she took a deep breath. Her head ached. She hadn’t been able to sleep, and combined with the exhaustion of her march, she was more than irritable. She scratched the back her head with her hoof. “I just expected a stronger garrison to be holding the city. I thought that maybe they were all at city hall.”

Maelstrom looked grim. “You’re right. There should have been more of them here. Something is amiss here,” he said, staring into her eyes. “According to the Dayborns we just liberated, Commander Necron withdrew the majority of the Night Guards just a day before we arrived. He left just enough guards to hold the city until we arrived.” Maelstrom began to pace nervously. “It makes no sense. Necron is incredibly clever. He saw us coming. He pulled his troops back, and he knew the city would fall to us as a result. It’s like he wanted us to come here.”

Ultra Violet trotted in, levitating a platter full of bread above her head. “I brought you some food, Persei.”

Persei faced her. “Are all the city’s facilities intact? Food and water supplies?”

She nodded. “Food supply was untouched. Water is still up and running. The only essential thing that was destroyed was the city’s hospitals.”

“I don’t like this,” Maelstrom muttered. “Taking this city was too easy. And about those hospitals, Necron had them all burned when he was withdrawing his forces. It’s another anomaly.”

Persei shrugged. “What’s odd about that? Necron doesn’t want us being able to use the medical supplies within to heal our troops.”

Maelstrom shook his head. “If he didn’t want our soldiers healing, he wouldn’t have left the food banks fit to burst. He wouldn’t have left the water reservoirs in their pristine condition. Necron wrapped this city up in gift wrap and handed it to us.” Maelstrom grunted, and pounded his hoof on the floor. “None of this makes sense. I need to think,” he flipped around and trotted out of the room.

Ultra Violet set the tray of food down before Persei. Tossing her lilac mane, a feral spark in her eyes, she pushed the bread towards Persei. “So, will you come with me and survey the fruits of our conquest?”

“Hell yeah,” Persei devoured all the bread slices in a minute and trotted out with Violet. As soon as she stepped out of city hall, she was met by a thousand cheering voices. “Glory to the Scions of Celestion!” the Dayborns chanted. “Glory to our goddess of flame!”

Persei soaked in all their adoration. They had saved these ponies from a lifetime of servitude to Nightmare Moon. The crowd parted to allow her and Violet to trot through, and they continued to cheer.

She looked at all their faces as she passed them. Etched into their features was poverty, oppression, but now, there was hope. In the darkness of the night, the streetlights were lit once again. There had been a cruel policy in play. The Nightborn government would cut power to the entire city for six hours every day. Not because they needed to save electricity, but because Dayborns couldn’t see in the dark like the bat-ponies could. The Night Guard took advantage of their blindness to conduct unwarranted searches and seizures. It was a daily nightmare for them to endure, and with Persei’s liberation, such things would never happen again.

They left the crowd behind, and were wandering the streets. The fires had been extinguished, power lines had been repaired, and the condition of this city would now improve as the few Dayborns remaining here would fix things up. The vast majority would be joining the Scions’ march, almost doubling their numbers. When they arrived at Manehattan with twice as many soldiers, she hoped that Necron would surrender the city like he did here.

Ultra Violet nudged her gently, a flirtatious grin on her face. “How about we find some private place we can…” she smirked, “lie down?”

Persei wasn’t in the mood. She didn’t just want sex. She wanted this mare’s unconditional love. Violet lusted for her, but was that all their relationship was? Lust? She looked at her mare-friend. “Violet, I want to take our relationship to the next level.”

Persei watched Violet’s face very closely, and she saw it. Hesitation. Her mare-friend sighed, and rubbed her hooves uncomfortably. “I don’t think we’ve known each other long enough for that kind of commitment.”

Persei was frustrated. “I’m getting such mixed signals from you,” Violet blinked. “You want to be my best friend, always bringing me food and such. You want sex and all manner of physical affection and tell me that I’m the most beautiful mare you have ever laid eyes on. You keep saying how compatible we are.” She looked at her mate with sad eyes. “What’s holding you back from truly loving me?”

Ultra Violet hesitated.

“Don’t you want to be with me?” Persei persisted. “I thought…”

Ultra Violet grabbed her, tears in her eyes. “I need you!” They both stared into each other’s eyes. “Bad things happen in war. If I were to lose you, I wouldn’t be strong enough to keep on living.” Persei was touched by her sincerity. “When this whole conflict is over, I promise you that we will settle down, and then I can allow myself to love you with all my heart.” Violet took her hoof in hers. “We will get married. Adopt children. We will rule over Equestria together as lovers.”

Persei was speechless, trying to process what she had just heard. She's lying... a voice in her head whispered

“Pssst…” a voice whispered.

Persei and Violet had been trotting down an isolated street, and they looked down an alleyway to see a haggard looking mare standing in the darkness. Ultra Violet’s hornlight began to shine, and the mare shielded her eyes from the bright light. “Who are you?” Persei asked.

“I’m just another homeless Dayborn,” she whispered. The mare gestured down the trash-ridden alley, and there was a metal door on the side of an apartment building. “I think there are ponies locked up in there. Some of my other homeless friends went missing last night. I think the Night Guard kidnapped them and put them in there.”

Another anomaly, Persei thought grimly.

Persei and Violet trotted down the alley and faced the door. On the metal surface, the words “CYST #12” was spray painted in red.

Persei walked up to the door, and noticed that there was a timed electronic lock securing the door. It would automatically open when the pre-set time was reached.

Violet pounded on the door, and there were the sounds of ponies shuffling from within, trying to get away from the door.

Persei touched her shoulder and Violet looked back at her. “Why don’t you fetch a few ponies with some food and water?” she asked her. “Thanks.”

Violet nodded, and went about on her task.

When she returned with a team, the door had unlocked itself. Persei was waiting for Violet. She had noticed something else in her absence.

There was a small sign over the door that they hadn’t noticed before. Violet joined her side, and Persei pointed at it. “Do you see that plaque up there? Right above the door?”

Violet looked up at it. It read “Door Activity is Monitored. All Data Will be Recorded and Sent to Commander Necron.”

Persei looked up at the overhang of the apartment building and saw a hidden camera pointed at them. A tiny red light was flashing, indicating that it was recording.

“Violet, I have a bad feeling….”

Violet had already pushed open the door. Persei was overwhelmed by the stench of urine and sweat that issued from the room. There was a faint tick-tick-tick sound coming from somewhere. Persei looked to her side, and realized that the sound was coming from inside her. “Violet?”

She continued staring into the darkness. The silhouettes of dozens of ponies who had been crammed inside could be seen. “I was born with a Geiger counter built into my horn,” she gestured at her fire and wavelength cutie mark. “I guess I was destined to be a Nuclear Engineer or something like that.” Violet looked back at the dark room. “I’m detecting trace amounts of radiation here.”

Persei’s horn began to glow, illuminating the room. The supply ponies standing behind them gasped. The homeless ponies inside the room were in a terrible state. They all had been beaten and chained together. “Hello?” she called to them quietly.

They all cowered from Persei’s voice. Violet stepped into the room, wrinkling her nose at the scent of urine. Her Geiger counter began to tick faster, but she seemed unconcerned. “The radiation is gone now. It’s not at a dangerous level anymore.”

The medics and the supply ponies rushed in and began unchaining the ponies.

Persei stood back, watching them carry out the injured ponies. She couldn’t understand this. She tried to piece it all together. The first anomaly was that the Night Guard pulled out their forces. Second is that they only destroyed the city’s hospitals. Third was that they had found an irradiated chamber full of abducted ponies labeled “CYST #12”. What did #12 mean? Were there other CYST rooms scattered throughout the city?

Perhaps this was some kind of warning from Necron? Or maybe these had been dissenters and had been locked up before the Night Guard left? Who exactly were these ponies?

Persei looked back, searching for the homeless mare who had pointed out the room. She was nowhere to be found.

Odd… Persei thought.

“Blarrgghh!” one of the ponies had vomited all over one of the medics. The stallion was crying out in pain. “Everything hurts!”

The medics stuck a suction pipe down his throat and continued carry him. “You are badly wounded. Of course everything hurts,” one of the medics said.

Persei stood and watched as the last of the injured ponies was carried away.

Violet had left with them, ensuring that they were cared for and fed. She had kissed her cheek before going with the medics.

Persei waited there for a few hours, trying to puzzle things out. She was having difficulty concentrating, and it was delaying her reasoning process. She felt like she hadn’t been thinking clearly lately.

Commander Maelstrom eventually arrived to fetch her. “My lady,” he said. “We found eleven other CYST rooms. We have liberated the ponies within and they are being tended to.”

“What does this all mean?” she asked him.

“I have no idea,” he said. “But I would like to get out of here as soon as possible. We must move on to the next city.”

“Manehattan,” she whispered. “That is Necron’s home city. I doubt we’ll have another easy victory. It’s a much bigger city as well.”

Maelstrom nodded. “Yes, I expect a much higher level of resistance. We will begin our march tomorrow morning.”

Persei looked up at the dark sky. The moon had set a while back. “Why were the Lunaran Knights here? What did they want?”

“I’m not sure, my lady.” Maelstrom said. “But we should be more wary of them in the future.” Maelstrom turned and left. “Pack your things, and please get some sleep. I will keep Violet away if need be.”

Persei wasn’t listening. Were they trying to taunt her? Why else would they be here? She could not figure it out. Nothing was making sense, and it was frustrating her so much.

Persei felt irrational anger rushing inside her. She grabbed her head, and when she pulled her hooves back, clumps of her hair came off. She stared at the brunette hair in her hooves. “What?” she gasped.

She tugged at her mane, and more hair came off. “My hair is falling out….”

She looked around at the city she had conquered. She felt all her emotions being jumbled up and clouding her mind. She felt disoriented. She felt utterly lost. Everything seemed to be caving in on her. Her head began to ache again. “I can’t think…” she clutched her head. The flow of thoughts in her mind had been obstructed. All she could feel was despair. Panic overwhelmed her. “What is this city doing to me?!” she screamed in the night.

Author's Notes:

A lot of unanswered questions are floating around, and most of them will be answered in the next two chapters. Brace yourselves.

Necron's weapon will gradually start to make its appearance. Another thing that will be discussed next chapter. Hint: It's not what you think it is.

Things are about to pick up really fast. Terrifying secrets will be revealed.

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 32: Variola Major (Necron's Secret Weapon)

They had scurried through the city’s sewers for a day before they emerged at the dumping reservoir. They had waded through muck and sewage to rush back to the camp. They had to move fast. The Nightborn refugees struggled to keep up, but there were no complaints from them. Upon arriving, and after Cepheus allowed himself to be bathed and tended to by his wife, he met Andre in Starlight’s pavilion.

“I can talk to Persei,” he told a skeptical Andre. Starlight made a disinterested noise, and was sulking at the other end of the tent.

Andre didn’t seem to be convinced. “Did you see the way she killed Mayor Lavender? I don’t think anyone can get through to her.”

Cepheus sighed, looking down at his hooves. “I know she’s done terrible things, but…” he looked up at both stallions. “She’s my sister,” Starlight seemed to wince at his words. “She won’t hurt me. She’s a good pony. She just has a bit of a temper.”

“You mean she’s half-mad?” Andre said calmly. “Look, I know you love her because she’s your family, but she’s as bad as Ultra Violet now.”

Cepheus was finding it difficult to defend his sister after all she had done, but he believed that she could still be redeemed. “Just let me try. We have to use some kind of diplomacy. We can’t have another massacre like we had in Nocturnus. Perhaps we can talk to Nightmare Moon as well and try to arrange a deal where we escort the civilians to safety before the fighting begins.”

“There’s no point,” Starlight droned, staring at a bottle of gin in his hoof. “Not only is your idea naïve, but the situation has changed.” Andre seemed surprised by his pessimism. Starlight sighed, setting the bottle on his table. “I received reports from our agents all over Equestria that the Night Guard is abandoning their cities and rushing to Canterlot.”

Andre was shocked, and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Why would Commander Necron abandon the ponies he was sworn to protect? It’ll be like the Nocturnus debacle all over again. The Nightborns he is leaving undefended are Nightmare Moon’s children, and I’m sure Nightmare Moon is not happy about this.”

Starlight nodded. “They’re burning hospitals too, and have you heard of the “cyst” chambers they found in Nocturnus? Necron has set up more of them in each city.”

Cepheus scratched his head with the back of his wing. “A cyst is a fluid filled pocket of flesh, kind of like an enclosed sac inside the body. By releasing the ponies inside each cyst chamber, we were in a sense releasing the contents.” He put a hoof up to his chin. “What does that mean?”

Starlight shrugged. “I have no idea, but what I do know is that the way the Night Guard are retreating and hiding behind Canterlot’s walls… it’s like they’re expecting something terrible to happen, and are fleeing. I think they are expecting the emergence of a fourth player in this conflict.”

“What?” Andre said, confused. “There’s us, the Scions, and the Night Guard. Are you saying some new variable will be introduced?”

Starlight seemed indifferent. “The interesting thing about the chambers is that they were not only containing captive Dayborns, but they were irradiated as well.

Andre stepped forward. “Could it be that they are experimenting with radiation and are planning to use it on us?”

Cepheus blinked. “Could that be Necron’s secret weapon? Some kind of nuclear device?” He shook his head, addressing again what had been weighing heavily on his mind. He stamped his hoof, showing enough anger to pique Starlight’s interest. “I will speak with my sister. When she shows up at Manehattan, I intend to confront her.”

Starlight started playing with a rubber band, stretching it and contracting it. “Did anypony notice that her eyes were somewhat jaundiced?”

“What?” Andre asked.

“Never mind,” Starlight said flatly. He had sat down on his chair with his hind-hooves set on the table, continuing to play with his elastic band.

Cepheus ignored Starlight. “I will talk to my sister, and I will attempt to make her give me the Element of Magic. Don’t try to stop me.”

Andre sighed. “It’s against my better judgment, but we have no choice here. Whatever Necron’s end game is, we have to be ready for it. It is better that we be united against a common enemy, than to be divided and fall against whatever the secret weapon is.”

“Acquiring the Element of Magic is important too,” Starlight muttered. “Meanwhile, we will make all haste to Manehattan. The entirety of Equestria is in upheaval. Riots have erupted all over the place. They are encouraged by the Scions’ victory in Nocturnus, and have become bolder. The Night Guard are already under strain, and while they are distracted, we can evacuate the Nightborn civilians while Cepheus “talks” to his sister.” The rubber in Starlight’s hoof broke. “And of course, I forbid anypony from going with him.”

Cepheus wanted to feel angry, but he realized he was only talking to a mirror. “Fine. I will face her alone.”

There was a moment of silence. Andre shifted uncomfortably. Starlight was staring at the bottle of gin again. Cepheus remained in his defiant pose.

A mare tore open the pavilion tent flaps and rushed inside. There were outraged cries from the guards posted outside, and they tried to grab her. The three stallions standing inside, stared in shock as the two guards wrestled the mare down. “Please!” she cried out. “I’m one of this clerks rescued from city hall,” she grunted, being pinned down. “I need to talk to whoever is in charge! It’s very important!”

Starlight made a dismissive gesture, bored by this development. “Let her speak,” he commanded the guards.

The two guards backed away, and went back outside to resume their watch.

The mare slowly stood up and dusted herself off. She had a violet tinge of fur, her eyes were a sharp, glassy pink, and her cutie mark was a stack of papers. “I was Lavender’s top secretary. I was also her sister,” she swallowed, wiping a tear from her eye. After pausing for a moment to suppress her grief, she continued. “I assume you all remember the container that we insisted you take with us?” She gestured at a stallion waiting outside, and he dragged it in. “Take a look see,” she said.

It was an ordinary looking crate, but Cepheus noticed a temperature control enchantment on it. It was very subtle, but the contents were being refrigerated.

Lavender’s sister cleared her throat. “A week before anypony knew the Scions were coming, Necron was distributing these crates to all the city’s barracks. Eventually, they were given to the city’s Nightborn only hospitals, and then, the leftovers were given to city hall before all the hospitals were burned.”

Andre had stepped forward, and lifted up the lid to the crate. There was a puzzled expression on his face as he reached in and took out a packet of some kind. “This has about two hundred of these things in them,” he said, examining the packet. There appeared to be a syringe, a small vial of sealed liquid, alcohol pads, and a small paper with medical jargon scribbled all over it. “What are these things?” he asked.

The secretary swallowed. “They are vaccinations. The Night Guards were inoculated first, then the other Nightborns in the city. It’s a common thing for the poor Dayborn hospitals to miss out on the premium medicines available at the Nightborn hospitals. So this was nothing unusual. Just another regular vaccination… or so we thought.” She swallowed, looking around nervously. “Commander Necron ordered us to dispose of the city’s remaining supply of the vaccines. I found this very odd, so I contacted the city hall in Manehattan. They reported the same thing. Lavender said that the Scions’ must not get a hold of these….”

Starlight and Cepheus had drawn close to the crate and were looking through the packages. Cepheus was intrigued. “Vaccinations for what?” he asked the secretary.

The mare seemed very uncomfortable. “Right before the hospitals were burned, the Night Guard took over the radiology departments. They were irradiating ponies, spraying them down with some aerosol, and shoving them all inside these things they called “Cyst” chambers.”

“So, we were right?” Andre asked. “These cyst chambers are indeed relevant?”

The secretary’s eyes went wide, she seemed horrified. “Those cyst chambers were traps Necron left for the Scions. When I got word that the chambers had been opened and the ponies released, I began to think… I used to have cancer, so I know.”

“I’m so sorry,” Cepheus whispered.

“Don’t be,” she said, staring grimly at the pegasus.

“A little known effect of radiation is that,” she paused, looking around at the three stallions. “It wipes out the patient’s immune system. The irradiated pony is completely defenseless against any infections.” She hesitated. “So… those Dayborn ponies who were locked up in those cyst chambers, their immune systems were destroyed.” She took a deep breath. “I believe that Necron introduced them to some kind of disease with the aerosol and locked them up, waiting for the Scions to arrive and liberate them.”

Starlight, Cepheus, and Andre gasped.

The mare pointed at the crate full of the vaccines. “All these things happening right before the Scions showed up is too much of a coincidence. The hospitals were burned so that the Scions’ ability to treat the disease has been crippled. They won’t be able to detect the disease until its symptoms show, and by then it will be contagious. Without a diagnosis, another thing the hospital labs would have enabled, they have no hope of curing their sick.”

Starlight looked at the crate, and then back at the secretary. “Are there more of these vaccines?”

“No,” she said definitively. “The only vaccines still available are all in Canterlot.”

They’re out of our reach, Cepheus thought grimly.

Cepheus approached the mare. “What can we do to stop this? Other than the vaccines, is there some kind of magical treatment we can use?”

The secretary began to cry. “I don’t know! I should have said something, but I overheard Lavender and Necron talking…” she became very still, her face stony, tears streaking down her face. “All I know is that, anypony not vaccinated…” she swallowed, “will be dead in seven to fourteen days.”

Cepheus, Andre, and Starlight exchanged glances.

Andre swallowed. “Necron’s secret weapon… it’s biological in nature.”

“The Scions have been exposed to the disease,” Starlight whispered. “As they continue their march to other cities, more cyst chambers will be opened, and the disease will spread far and wide.” Starlight grabbed one of the vaccination packets and held it up in the air. “We have to find out what these are intended to protect against! We have to find out what we’re up against!”

Andre shook his head. “We do not have the medical capabilities or the know-how! We have to inoculate all our Knights immediately. We have to issue a pandemic alert, the Nightborns may be protected, but our Dayborns are completely vulnerable! They’ll be infected the moment the Scions’ make contact with them!”

“Mother of Nightmare Moon…” Starlight whispered. “This isn’t about revolution anymore. This is about survival.”

“Persei,” Cepheus whispered. He stealthily grabbed one of the vaccine packets and hid it underneath his wing. “I hope I can get to you in time.”

“Mobilize the Knights!” Starlight called. “We have to march to Manehattan as soon as possible! We have to warn them that there is a deadly killer hiding among their ranks!”

Author's Notes:

Oh yes! If you want to know what the disease is ahead of time, you can just google the chapter name: Variola Major

More dramatic revelations next two chapters!

Discussion/Feedback would be gladly appreciated.

Chapter 33: Treachery, Plague, and Fratricide

Everything felt so distant. It was as if time had slowed down, and every movement was prolonged. Persei danced through the fire, every moment drawn out and graceful. With Manehattan’s burning gates crashing down overhead and the Scions following behind her with all their fury, everything felt so surreal.

There were screams all around her as she thrust her spear ahead of her, impaling a fleeing Night Guard.

Her eyes burned from tears and the smoke. Her entire body ached. Her head felt like it was going to explode. Despite her pain, she held the banner high above her head.

Persei was dying.

She was dying, but she couldn’t scream. There was poison in her bloodstream. She had radiation sickness, and ever since she had been exposed to the air inside those cyst chambers, she hadn’t been able to think clearly. But Ultra Violet had said that the radiation had not been at a dangerous level, and if it had, other ponies would be sick from the exposure as well.

Why was she the only one affected?

Persei’s head ached, and it was painful to reason this out.

So she didn’t think.

Persei galloped ahead, leading the onslaught of invaders. She leapt through a wall of flame, the retreating Night Guards scattering before her. They were advancing rapidly as they blitzed through another weak defending garrison. “This city will be ours!” she howled above the sounds of battle.

Her vision had grown blurry, but through the haze, she saw Ultra Violet fighting alongside her. Persei wanted to reach out to her, but her mental processes were so compromised that she couldn’t form a thought that wasn’t born out of aggression.

Persei thrust her spear again, there was a cry of pain, and flecks of crimson spotted her already failing vision.

There was an explosion behind her. The ground shook violently and fiery debris rained down all around her, but she was unfazed. Persei saw fire all around her. She could no longer see the buildings anymore. All she could see was the blood, fire, and the glint of her own spear, constantly being jabbed forth.

Persei’s vision cleared enough to see a rank of Night Guards protecting the bridge that led to the inner ring of the city, the place where all the civilians had taken refuge. The guards had formed a shield wall, and were blocking their only route of advance.

Persei didn’t even hesitate. She blasted them with a jet of flame, and with their shields glowing orange with heat, she leapt on top of them.

She felt metal giving way underneath her hooves. There were cries of pain as the other Scions tore into the breach she had created. The shield wall was scattered and broken as the Night Guard fled further into the city.

She turned around to check the advance of their soldiers, and saw a flurry of bodies moving past her, pushing on ahead.

A crowd of Dayborn rioters and her own soldiers had mixed together, heading for the bridge. Something akin to fear kept Persei’s hooves rooted to the ground. She had seen something. For a fleeting second, she had seen a pony’s face among the crowd. It had been pale as a sheet, and had been covered in glaring red pustules. He was marked for death. They had made eye contact for a moment, and then he had disappeared.

The silent killer… a voice echoed in her head.

Persei blinked, and Ultra Violet appeared in front of her. She was speaking, but her voice sounded so far away. “The Lunaran Knights are here!” she said, shaking the dazed Persei. “They’re using the city’s train network to get the Nightborns out of here!”

Maelstrom appeared beside Ultra Violet, his face spattered with blood. “The civilians aren’t the priority. We should attack the Night Guard forces,” he waved his hooves sarcastically. “You know… the ponies that are actually a threat to us.”

“We have to blow up the tracks…” Persei whispered.

“But, my lady!” Maelstrom protested, shocked. “Everypony aboard will die!”

She looked up at Maelstrom angrily. “I don’t care how many civilians are on those trains. The ponies who murdered my brother are on there. As long as I get to kill even a few….”

Ultra Violet stared at Maelstrom ferociously. “Are you sympathizing with the Nightborns?” Her Gieger counter started ticking, and his eyes went wide. “You know what I do to traitors?”

Maelstrom looked at Persei for support, but she was too disoriented to say anything. He sighed in frustration. “You will have to do it, Ultra Violet. I will monitor the advance in the meantime.” He flew past them without another word, soaring above the bridge where the Scions were advancing.

Violet took Persei’s hoof. “Come on! The Lunaran Knights were spotted at the central station in the heart of the city. If we destroy the primary transformer there, it’ll trigger a chain reaction that will not only derail the train, but obliterate their escape route!”

“None shall escape our wrath!” Persei declared zealously. But inside, she was screaming for help. For the first time, Persei realized that she was losing control.

There was a terrible pain behind her eyes. It felt like something was pushing them out of their sockets. The same question haunted her again: If this was indeed radiation sickness, why was she the only that was sick? Many ponies had been exposed at Nocturnus….

Persei lost her train of thought again. She felt like she was following whatever impulse her mind could muster. I have to stop the Lunaran Knights… the impulse presented itself. I have to avenge my brother. She was possessed by the sudden urge to meet them head on, and she moved to do so. She blitzed across the bridge, and Ultra Violet called for her to slow down, but she didn’t want to. With her moving this fast, everything seemed to be moving at a normal pace again.

She charged into the inner ring of the city, leaping over an embattled barricade where the Scions were clashing with the Night Guard. They didn’t even move to stop her, and she kept on galloping. Her vision was completely blurred. It felt like her blood was on fire. She had left her soldiers far behind, and was vulnerable, but she didn’t care. Fury prompted her to keep going.

She wanted to taste the blood of the Nightborn bastards who slayed Cepheus. She would tear them limb from limb, rip out their intestines… her mind filled up with the terrible things she had in mind for them. After she killed the Knights, she would finish off the other Nightborns they had been so desperately trying to protect… she would kill them all!

Persei was practically frothing at the muzzle by the time she saw the lone, white, and armored pegasus standing in the street in front of her. She slowed down, realizing he was Dayborn. Through the haze, she thought he looked familiar.

It was silent in the inner ring of the city. There were no fires, no soldiers, just quiet. Persei approached the stallion, and he spread out his wings. “Persei…” he said her name with concern. “What have they done to you?”

That voice. She knew that voice… She raised her spear, convinced she was seeing a ghost. “Cepheus?” she said, her body trembling.

He drew closer to her, and she could see his blue eyes brimming with tears. “Persei, how could Mother have allowed you to become like this?”

Persei blinked. Cepheus had died not knowing that their mother was dead. Perhaps he had come back, looking for what was left of his family. “Cepheus,” she said sadly. “Mother died a few months ago.”

A look of devastation spread across the face of Cepheus’ ghost. “No…” he said, backing up. “Who… how?”

“Sirius killed her,” she said, trying to be gentle. “I’m so sorry. I knew you loved the bat-pony like a brother….”

Cepheus shook his head vehemently. “I don’t believe it!” he shouted at her. “You’ve always hated Sirius for no reason, and you’re just trying to make me hate him too!”

Her brother began to sob uncontrollably, his tears falling onto the street. Anger started to fill Persei again. “He is a murderer, Cepheus…” he looked up at her. “You need to understand this, so you can move on.”

“Oh, so he’s the murderer?” he said, outraged. “You’re the murderer! You’ve killed thousands of innocent ponies!”

Persei’s vision cleared up for a moment, and she saw him clearly for the first time. What is that strange crescent insignia emblazoned on his armor? she thought, noticing how familiar it was.

Cepheus took a deep breath and trotted towards her. “Sister,” he said, taking her hoof in his. “I will always love you,” he gestured to somewhere beyond the horizon. “Let me take you away from all this. Let me introduce you to my wife and son. Terrible things are about to unfold, and I don’t want you to see them.”

Tears were in Persei’s eyes, realizing that this was no ghost. “I’ve missed you so much, Cepheus.”

He embraced her, and she felt as if the world was set right again. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear. “And you know I’ve always looked out for your best interests.” Persei nodded, but she noticed something that broke her calm. The armor he was wearing. It was of the Lunaran Knight cavalry. Rage started to fill her insides once again, but then she felt the prick on her hoof. Immediately she felt her power being drained. “It’s for the best,” he whispered.

Persei pushed him away with all her strength. The syringe he had just injected her with went flying away, shattering on the street some distance away. “You’re one of them!” she cried out, feeling betrayed. “You’re not my real brother!” her mind struggled to comprehend this. This was some kind of trick by the Lunarans. It had to be. “I’ll kill you!” she screamed.

He raised his hooves in the air defensively. “I just gave you the vaccine!” he said, trying to explain himself. “Necron has unleashed a biological weapon, and some of your soldiers are already infected! You need to….”

“Liar!” she screamed. She would make the Knights suffer for this cruel mockery of her dead brother’s memory. “My brother is dead….”

“I’m alive, Persei!” he said. “You’re just very sick, and please just let me help you. They warned me that you would be very paranoid….”

“Die!” she screamed. She charged forward with the spear, impaling her facsimile brother. He had reared up in shock, so the spear had gone through his gut. She rammed his back into the wall, and held him there as he struggled. “Whoever you are, I’ll make you suffer for imitating my brother!”

False-Cepheus tried to speak, blood dripping from his muzzle and pierce wound. “Persei…” he said, putting his hooves on the spear’s shaft. “I’m…real. I am the brother you have always loved.” She twisted the spear in his wound, causing more blood to gush out. He screamed in pain, and she listened. “How can you not recognize me?” he said, his voice softer, and his struggles weaker. “Please…stop…” he begged, slowly bleeding out.

Persei heard sompeony galloping, and before she could look, he barreled her over. They tumbled on the ground, the spear ripped out of her hooves. He hung over her, and held her throat. She looked into his cold blue eyes. “Sirius!” she hissed. “You’re the one responsible….”

“My name isn’t Sirius!” the bat-pony barked. He grabbed her face, and looked it over. She tried to blast him with her magic, but false-Cepheus had drained her power somehow. He touched her mane, eyeing the bald spots. “Radiation sickness…” he muttered. “The guy in charge of the Scions before you, met his death the same way.” He began to touch the bald spots, feeling several bumps on her head. “I knew it,” he whispered. She struggled, powerless before the stallion’s strength. He held her steady, drawing close to her face. “Your head…more specifically your brain, is full of tumors.” Persei gasped in disbelief. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “The tumors are too big for you to have gotten them from your exposure to the cyst rooms. You were exposed to deadly radiation long before that….”

He shook her, realizing how her eyes were bulging out. “Your brother was right. This isn’t the real you. The tumors are affecting your behavior, making you hyper-aggressive and impeding your rational thinking. It’s why you’ve been acting so crazy, doing things you would never do…it explains your blurry eyesight too.” he looked away, realizing the sounds of battle were drawing closer. “Somepony has been giving you controlled doses of radiation for at least a month now. Whoever did this, knew exactly what they were doing. Somepony very close to you… somepony who you spent both nights and days with…fed you… slept with you… pretended to love you….” The Sirius look-alike backed off of her, leaving her lying there.

Persei was shocked. He was right. She had known something wasn’t right. Who else could have done this to her? Who else’s cutie mark was directly related to radiation and could use it whenever she willed?

Persei slowly stood up, and watched the stallion that looked like Sirius pick false-Cepheus up, and carry him away on his back. The bloody stain on the wall remained.

She began to trot back towards the bridge. Her mind was silent. The Scions had advanced past the bridge and were entering the inner city. The roadblock she has passed earlier had been demolished and was on fire. The corpses of Night Guards lay strewn about. In the heart of the fire, she saw her standing there.

Ultra Violet began trotting towards Persei, her Geiger counter ticking rapidly. “Hear yea! Hear yea!” she shouted theatrically. She stared Persei in the eyes, the ferocity of a nuclear holocaust blazing in those lilac eyes. “Come listen to the tale of how I enslaved a goddess….”

So it was true. Persei felt foolish. She should have seen this coming.

Persei’s former lover, leader, and friend approached her. “Finally got the diagnosis, eh?” she said, her voice full of rage. “Decided to take matters into your own hooves, and give away the Element of Magic?”

Element of Magic? Persei looked down at her golden breastplate, and saw only an empty indent where the purple gem had been. That’s why she had felt so drained of power….

Persei ground her hooves, staring defiantly at Violet. “You betrayed me! You gave me brain cancer!”

Violet laughed, a shrill and abrasive sound. “I knew everypony was looking up to you. You may have not noticed, but you have usurped me as leader. The Scions of Celestion will follow their goddess reincarnate over the commander who has labored, suffered, and sacrificed everything for them.” Ultra Violet shrugged. “But it is what it is. I had to make sure you stuck to my agenda, the extermination of the Nightborn ponies. I feared you might have a change of heart….”

Ultra Violet’s Geiger counter blazed, a powerful pulse of radiation sweeping out. Persei’s already cancer-ridden brain seared with pain. Her vision became dizzy, and she collapsed. There was a loud buzzing in the air, and an intense heat that tore away at her flesh.

Violet hung over her, smirking. “I don’t need you anymore,” she said, ripping a lance out of the hooves of a dead Night Guard. “I’ve gotten the revolution I’ve always wanted thanks to your efforts.” She levitated the lance up in the air, pointing the sharp end down towards Persei’s chest. “You were so great in bed,” she muttered. “But oh well. I’ll wipe my tears with the fabric of Nightmare Moon’s throne once I am sitting upon it.”

Persei closed her eyes, seeing the weapon plunging down towards her. There was a clang, and she felt hot blood splatter onto her face.

She opened her eyes, and saw Maelstrom standing on Ultra Violet’s back. His mace was buried in her skull, blood and brain matter spattered everywhere.

He had flown down from above, and had delivered the fatal blow. Persei looked up at him, and she saw the red pustules on his face. “I was getting really tired of her shit,” he said in a gruff voice. “No more needless bloodshed.”

She remembered false-Cepheus mentioning a biological weapon… had he truly given her the vaccine?

Maelstrom stepped off of Ultra Violet’s corpse. “We’ve got about a hundred others showing symptoms. This isn’t about revolution anymore. This is about survival.”

Her infected commander bowed before her. “My lady, I am ill. So are many others. Lock us away into quarantine while you still can.”

“You saved my life,” she whispered.

“Now save mine,” he said. “Find the cure while you have soldiers who are still healthy and able.”

She rose to her feet, stumbling slightly. “I will,” she said.

He turned away from her, trotting back down the bridge. “The infection spreads. Our time is running out…. Make haste.”

Author's Notes:

A lot of things went down this chapter, and yes, she stabbed the real Cepheus.

More drama coming up next chapter.

Discussion and Feedback is more than encouraged at this point.

Chapter 34: Forgiveness

I feel so tired, Cepheus thought. Nurses were rushing around him in a frenzy, and a frightened Starlight was dragging Candle out of the room.

Don’t go…. he whispered.

At the edge of his hearing, he could hear the strident alarm of the heart monitors. “We’re losing him!” a nurse cried out. Cepheus blinked. He looked over and saw Dusty and Candle crying and hugging each other outside the medic’s tent. Starlight stood with them, seemingly lost. Cepheus’ vision began to fade.

I just want to go to sleep… his mind echoed distantly.

He closed his eyes. The heart monitor’s alarm turned into a steady beep. He began to drift away when somepony shouted. “Clear!”

Electricity coursed through his chest, trying to reawaken his heart. The heart monitor continued its steady beep. “Clear!” she said again.

Cepheus didn’t even feel the second shock. His body jerked up with the burst of energy, but his eyes remained shut. Everything had gone numb as his brain began to shut down….

…..

…..

…..

…..

“Where am I?” he whispered in the dark abyss he had fallen into.

…..

…..

Colors began to flash in the void, indiscriminate sound filtered through the total silence, and Cepheus felt the sensation of movement.

…..

He felt a mare’s lips pressing against his, breathing life into him.

The world slowly began to come into clearer focus, the colors became more resolute, the sounds less distant, and the sensation of movement halted.

….

….

“Candle?” he called, feeling the mare’s soft lips against his again.

But he knew that it wasn’t his wife presence he felt all around him.

….

“Let there be light!” the mare declared. Suddenly, everything came into sharp focus.

Cepheus gasped, filling his lungs with air. He felt a soft carpet under his back, and he was staring up at a domed glass roof. A bright, warm light filtered through the glass, illuminating the entire room. This was no electrical light… the source of this light was far greater than anything he could imagine.

A sense of wonder overcame him. He stood up, and realized that he was in what appeared to be a throne room. He had been lying on a red carpet that led up to some steps, and at their summit, were two thrones. Cepheus looked all around him. Colorful banners of all the world’s kingdoms hung from the roof. Bright paintings depicting landscapes, ponies in armor, and other plant life he had never seen before adorned the walls. “Where am I?” he asked himself.

“Welcome to the Castle of the Two Sisters, my dear Cepheus.” a mare answered in a melodic voice.

Cepheus looked at the thrones, and saw that both were now occupied. A heavenly white mare with a flowing rainbow mane sat on one, a golden tiara upon her head, and her deep purple eyes were trained on him. “I have been waiting such a long time to meet you,” the mare whispered.

Cepheus’ eyes went wide when he realized that she was an alicorn. He looked at the other throne and saw another, equally beautiful azure mare sitting there. She had a mane that resembled a starry night sky at the height of its beauty, and a spatter of black on her flank on which the silver crescent moon was emblazoned. She was also an alicorn.

Two alicorns… two sisters.

The white mare stood up from her throne and approached him, every movement exuding a regal grace. The azure mare remained frozen like a statue, looking straight ahead. “My name is Celestia,” the mare said, curtsying before him. “You may also know me as Celestion.” She rose back up and smiled sadly at the dazed Cepheus. “I used to rule alongside my sister, Luna. Or Lunara as you may know.” she said, pointing at the other mare sitting at the other throne. “What you are seeing right now,” she said, gesturing to the space all around her. “Is a memory of what life was like a thousand years ago.”

He blinked. More ponies started to fill the room. Dayborn guards with golden armor appeared on Celestia’s side of the room. Nightborn guards with purple and black armor appeared on Luna’s. There was a balance here that was clearly absent in the modern world.

Cepheus felt disembodied. “Am I dead?” he asked her.

Celestion, or Celestia shook her head sadly. “Yes. I am so sorry.”

He hung his head in defeat. “I can’t believe this,” his own memory of Persei driving the spear into his gut flashed in his mind. “My own sister, the one I loved so dearly, killed me. I feel so betrayed.”

Celestia shook her head. “I understand that. I too was killed by my sister.”

The azure mare, Luna, began to change into somepony terrifyingly familiar. The room darkened, the bright banners and paintings were scorched, and the room became a ruin, an empty husk of what it once used to be. The transformation was completed, and Nightmare Moon now sat on her throne, while her sister’s had been destroyed.

Celestia sighed, tears wetting her eyes. “It still hurts, and that was a thousand years ago. The pain must be unbearable for you.”

“My wife…” he said, his eyes downcast. “Dusty…” tears filled his eyes. “I never got to say goodbye.”

He felt a hoof under his chin, and he looked up at Celestia. “There is still hope,” she said consolingly. “I can send you back, but I need for you to understand something first.”

Cepheus nodded.

Celestia sighed, and the wounds she had received on the day of her death resurfaced. There was a large black scorch mark on her belly from where she had been struck by Nightmare Moon’s magic. A large gash appeared on the side of her face from where she struck her. Her wings grew mangled, the bone protruding out from the membrane and feathers in a bloody mess. The final and most horrendous wound was the blood seeping out of her chest, right where her heart was. “What kind of a world is it, where innocent ponies needlessly die?” she asked him. “You and I can agree that the world isn’t as it should be.”

Cepheus agreed silently.

“For the world to heal, it needs something only you can give….” The scenery around them began to change. “Let me show you…” she whispered, vanishing. The sky darkened, sheets of rain began to pour down, and Celestia was on the ground, her eyes wide open with terror, blood dripping from her muzzle and her broken wings. She was staring up at Nightmare Moon, who had her hoof on her chest, pinning her down. The Elements of Harmony lay shattered some distance away. Celestia groaned in pain, her horn broken, and completely helpless before her sister. Everything seemed to slow down then. Nightmare Moon reared up, lightning flashing, and slammed her hooves down on her sister’s chest with a solid crack. Celestia’s chest cavity collapsed from the blunt force, and she gave a few strangled breaths before becoming very still.

Nightmare Moon backed away from her sister’s corpse, trying to comprehend the act she had committed. A moment of silence elapsed. The rain poured down in sheets, washing the blood from Celestia’s corpse. Thunder boomed in the distance. “What have we done?” Luna whispered to herself. She looked at her bloodstained hooves. “How could we have killed our fairest sister?!” she shouted in the ruined hall.

Luna rushed to Celestia’s corpse and began to cry. “We are so sorry, sister! Please, do not leave us…” she shook her corpse to no avail. “Please!” she shook her harder, and her neck, as limp as a rag doll, sagged to the side. Luna rose up and screamed into the torrent of rain falling from above. “Noooo! Please forgive us!”

Luna continued to wail, casting off her armor, and cursing herself for killing the only pony who truly loved her.

“Once her anger, her ill-based jealousy faded…” Celestia whispered. “She realized what a terrible mistake she had made. It wasn’t hate or a lust for power… but guilt, regret, and the fear of my retribution that has turned her into the wicked Empress we know today.”

Cepheus was awed, and Celestia continued. “I need her to know that she is forgiven…” she looked up hopefully at him, the pain after seeing her sister grieving lingering in her eyes. “The Elements of Harmony will allow me to tell her so… and then maybe she can heal, but before that can happen…” picking herself up in a dignified manner, she imbued herself with the aura of command. “You, Cepehus, must first prove yourself worthy of bearing the Elements.”

Celestia cleared her throat, announcing the test he must pass before he could use the Elements of Harmony and set the world right again. “Three other ponies will come to you, begging for forgiveness. Their lives will be in your hooves, and even though justice demands that they die for their crimes, you will need to find the strength to forgive them. Once their suffering is abated, the doors to Nightmare Moon’s heart will be opened. Only then will you and I be able to redeem her.”

Cepheus nodded, and Celestia put her head against his. She took his hoof in hers. “The fate of the world rests in your hooves. Let your light pierce the darkness that has held this world captive for so long. Forgive those three ponies, end their suffering, and then you shall bear the Elements with righteous pride.” Cepheus felt himself drifting away, his head growing heavy. Cepheus was being returned, and the last thing he heard was, “I’ll be waiting….”

Cepheus’ mind went blank.

….

….

….

….

He took a shuddering breath, awakening from his slumber. He felt the white sheet that had been draped over his body, pressing in on him. He lay on what felt like a stone altar.

Cepheus struggled, slowly getting the feeling back into his limbs. His heart was beating again. How long have I been dead?

He cast off the white sheet, and stumbled down from the altar. Seeing the coffin they had made for him, frightened him. “Candle, my love…” he called softly, still getting the use of his voice back. “Dusty?” he rasped.

Searching in the small funeral parlor, Cepheus heard the tinkling of glass from the adjacent room. Somewhat startled, he crept up to the closed door. He pressed his ear against the door, but heard nothing but silence.

Cepheus turned the doorknob and peered inside. It was a small room with dusty wooden furnishings, and from the ceiling, hung a black metal chandelier with a dozen lit candles mounted on it.

The sharp stench of alcohol overcame him, and he saw a dark stallion sitting at the desk. His head was down, and several empty bottles of hard liquor lay around him. He seemed to be sleeping. “Starlight?” he whispered.

He didn’t respond. Judging by the empty bottles, it was apparent that he had tried to drink himself into oblivion.

Cepheus looked around, and saw three chests lying beside the desk. He recognized them immediately. They were the ones that Starlight had been desperate to rescue from the fire… the ones they had carried out of his smoke filled chambers.

They were all open, and inside there were dozens of black and white photographs, news articles, unsent letters, wads of money, and many other strange things.

He looked more closely, somewhat disturbed my Starlight’s obsession. Cepheus flipped over a photograph and gasped. It was of him and Persei as newborn foals. He began to shuffle through the other things. He found a dozen wanted posters with Mother’s face on it, and a photo of her in the days of her youth.

Why were these things so important to him? Cepheus thought. And why does he have them?

Along with the photographs, he leafed through a thousand unfinished apology letters. The words were all scratched out before reaching completion. He saw torn envelopes which used to contain money, a worn leather journal with the words “Property of Glass” written on the cover, a few strips of bloody cloth that came from a nurse’s uniform. Then, his eyes were drawn to a news article with the heading: “Nightmare Moon’s Commander Disappears in Wake of Canterlot Central Hospital Massacre.”

All these things were an insight to Starlight’s mysterious past. Starlight was a troubled pony even by Lunaran standards and recently had become much more so. Perhaps his personal belongings could offer a clue to what exactly was bothering him.

“Cepheus?” somepony softly called for him.

Cepheus looked up and saw that Starlight had awoken. Immediately upon seeing him, tears welled up in Starlight’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Cepheus. I never got to tell you how much you meant to me.”

“You’ve been troubled lately,” Cepheus said, and Starlight winced. He decided to pry further. “You were at the hospital massacre, weren’t you?”

Starlight sniffed. “I wish I could have told you this while you were still alive, even if it meant losing you as my friend.”

“What?” Cepheus asked.

“I’m him…” Starlight said. “I am the one who ordered the hospital massacre.”

He had been expecting this. Cepheus nodded. “I figured that much. Yes, it was terrible what happened, but you aren’t to blame. Your Mirror Syndrome made you copy the wicked behaviors of the ponies around you.” Cepheus drew closer to Starlight, and looked into his eyes. “But you’ve changed. You have redeemed yourself over and over. You have done so many good things… why do you still torture yourself over this?”

Starlight’s ears drooped and he shook his head. “You don’t understand, Cepheus. I am a terrible pony. The damage I have done is far beyond atonement, especially for what I did to you.”

Cepheus blinked. “Why me in particular? There were thousands of other foals there—“

“I’m the one,” Starlight cut him off, too ashamed to look at him. “I am the one who struck down your father.” Cepheus’ jaw dropped, and Starlight took a shuddering breath. “Not only did I deprive the noblest stallion I know of his father, I…” he hesitated, mustering the courage to look Cepheus in the eyes. Tears were running down his face, the truth that had agonized him for so long was finally about to be revealed. “I hunted down your mother as she fled the carnage of the hospital. I captured her, and after beating her senseless… I raped her.”

The last three words hung in the air. This was the stallion who destroyed Mother’s life, Cepheus thought. He was the one who caused her immeasurable suffering… day and night she had wept, his face lurking in her every nightmare.

Cepheus was stunned beyond belief.

Starlight swallowed. “I saw that she was proud. I knew that she was stronger than I was for protecting her foals like that. So, I… I wanted to break her.” He turned his head away again. “Right afterwards, Ultra Violet, another mother whose foal I had killed, caused an explosion at the station where I was. I had been going inside to get the blade I was going to kill you and your sister with. I remembered how badly I had wanted to gut you two foals, especially in front of your mother. As I told you before, I liked killing foals… but then everything changed in the blast.” Starlight shuddered, and exhaled. “I received brain damage, and it somehow alleviated my Mirror Syndrome. I became aware of all that I had done that day and before that, and I fled to the forests at the very fringes of civilization. I took refuge there, and I created the Lunaran Knights group, hoping one day that I could make amends for all that I have done.”

Cepheus grabbed the desk and tossed it to the side, the papers scattering and the bottles shattering. He rammed into Starlight, seizing his neck and slamming him against the wall. Starlight gasped for breath, and begged. “I am so sorry, Cepheus.” He choked loudly, and his lips were turning blue. “I have been in agony for so many years because of this, and now…” Cepheus tightened his grip around his neck. “I am finally getting what I deserve… please, forgive me.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a crate with a tarp over it. The gems of the Elements of Harmony were glowing softly underneath.

Celestia’s voice echoed in his head, “Three ponies will come to you seeking forgiveness… and even though justice demands that they die, you will need to find the strength to forgive them.”

Starlight’s body had gone limp, and with great difficulty, Cepheus swallowed his anger. He released his grip on his neck.

Starlight collapsed onto the ground, sucking in mouthfuls of air. The bat-pony was coughing and spluttering on the ground, and Cepheus picked up a bottle of liquor, and sat down next to him. Cepheus drew Starlight close and wrapped him in a rough embrace, and whispered in his ear. “You are forgiven.”

Starlight had grown very still with surprise, but he melted in his embrace. He wrapped his hooves around him and began to cry, but this time they were tears of joy. “Thank you, Cepheus. Thank you so much….”

Cepheus held the stallion as he cried. "The pony who did all those awful things, no longer exists..." Starlight nodded. After a few hours of them murmuring to each other about life, he fell asleep.

Cepheus had finished half the bottle, and his head was swimming. Looking at the bat-pony who had fallen asleep against his barrel, he felt his heart soar. He had made the right choice. Starlight for the first time looked at peace, maybe even happy. “You are indeed a changed stallion,” he said to Starlight, gently brushing his mane. “You deserved this forgiveness, and hopefully, the other two ponies I have to forgive, deserve it as much as you did.”

Author's Notes:

Nightmare Moon regretted killing her sister. She was a good pony, but her heart was blinded by jealousy. She killed her sister, and once she got everything she wanted, it all crashed down on her.

Forgiveness is one of the most profound things out there, right alongside love.

Discussion/feedback is encouraged. I'm not going too fast, am I?

Chapter 35: Pandemic

It was terribly hot and humid inside Manehattan’s main prison block. Persei’s heart was racing, sweat dripping from her brow, her hooves aching. She was trotting through the stone hall, the cells lining the pathway crammed full of infected ponies. They were all screaming, striking the iron bars, begging for somepony to save them from the virus that was eating them from the inside out.

The disease was infectious beyond belief, and not even knowing how it spread, there was no way they could protect themselves. It seemed like every time they locked more ponies up into quarantine, more would appear outside. They were running out of places to put the infected, and with the hospitals destroyed, they didn’t even have morphine to dull their pain.

Persei was doing her best to block them out, but she could not help but blame herself for their suffering. She estimated that it had been ten days since she and Ultra Violet had opened the first cyst chamber, unwittingly unleashing the virus upon the population. Since then, countless others had been infected. The situation was spiraling out of control.

Persei had a mask wrapped around her muzzle, gloves on all her hooves, a layer of insect repellant on her fur, and a jug of bottled water strapped to her saddle. She had taken every precaution to protect herself from infection.

She trotted to the end of the hallway, where there was a cell that had only one pony in it. She looked into the cell, putting her gloved hooves against the metal bars. “Maelstrom….”

He looked at her sadly. The red pustules had covered the stallion, and the puss leaking out of the sores was hardening and dropping off. The disease was at its most contagious in this stage. “Persei…” he whispered. “Why are you still here?”

Persei looked down, swallowing. “I don’t know what to do… I can’t handle this.” Maelstrom was staring at her. “This is all my fault… and I have to face this all alone. Ultra Violet broke my heart and was playing me all along, and now she’s dead.” She sniffed, tears falling from her eyes. “You’re all that I have left.”

Maelstrom drew closer to her. “Persei, you cannot lose hope. You are not trapped inside a cell like I am. You are healthy. You are alive.”

“It’s so hard…” she whispered.

Maelstrom nodded. “And it will get harder. You must be strong, and the Scions need your guidance more than ever. You have to do what is necessary to prevent the infection from spreading.” He looked her dead in the eyes. “You must be willing to lock us up, burn our corpses, and if things get bad enough… kill us as soon as we show signs of infection.”

She sobbed and shook her head. “I can’t do that! I’m not a sociopath like Ultra Violet or Necron where I can ruthlessly cull them… they are just innocent ponies who are suffering.”

Maelstrom nodded. “I think this is why Necron chose this weapon to use against you. You have to be willing to kill sick ponies to protect the ones who are still healthy.” He gathered himself up and turned away from her. “That is why… I want you to burn this place.”

Persei’s eyes went wide with shock. “No…” she whispered. “I can’t…” she grabbed her head. “I can’t kill all of you!”

“We are suffering!” Maelstrom barked, gesturing to all the cells that were crammed full of sick and dying ponies. “By the time you find the cure, if there is even one, we’ll all be dead.”

Persei put her head against the bars, sniffing. “I can’t leave you, Maelstrom.”

“You must,” he urged. “And please…” she looked up at him. There were tears in his eyes. “Can you please tell Callista that I love her?”

Persei nodded, and put her hooves down from the cell bars. She began to trot away, moving past the sick ponies. “Please! Don’t leave us to die!” they cried out, reaching out of their crammed prison cells.

She avoided their grasping hooves, and stepped outside. Taking a shaky breath, she gave her soldiers the order.

Persei and the Scions of Celestion departed Manehattan, the prison burning behind them. The screams of sick ponies being burned alive filled the air, slowly growing louder. Persei clutched her head, falling to the ground. “Noooo!” she screamed.

After the cries of agony faded, she put her hooves down from her head. Suddenly, all the soldiers around her started to scream and distance themselves from her. She looked at her hooves, and saw the red spots of infection on her. A unicorn soldier shot her with a blast of magic, setting her ablaze. Persei screamed in agony as she galloped around, the pain beyond belief.

“Arrggghh!” Persei cried out, awakening from her dream. Her sheets were soaked with perspiration, and now sitting up, she looked all around her large tent. She still felt the pain of her imaginary burns, the horror she felt once she realized that she was infected. She took several deep breaths of the cool night air, trying to calm herself down.

Persei remembered that lucid dreaming was a side effect of the magical treatment she was getting for her brain tumors. It turns out, that the growths were benign, meaning that it wouldn’t spread and destroy her brain like cancer would. Once she completed several rounds of the treatment, the tumors would be shrunk down enough for a surgeon to excise them.

She sighed, lying back down. She grabbed her pillow, burying her head in it. The dream reminded her of the terrible reality that she had experienced for the past few days. It had been four days since the Scions had marched out of Manehattan, and although Maelstrom had urged her to burn the quarantine zones, unlike her dream, she hadn’t followed through. She had left them locked up with enough food and water to last two weeks.

Killing wasn’t quite so easy now that the tumors weren’t constantly triggering aggressive, hyper emotional reactions to every single little thing.

But during their march, she sometimes wished that the tumors still affected her the way they did before. In the haze of anger, vengeful desires, and ambition, she was blind to the suffering of other ponies. The things she had seen crossing through towns on their way to Canterlot….

It seemed that the disease reared its ugly face everywhere she went. The contagion had spread far and wide in an incredibly short period of time. She shuddered, thinking about it. The infection was subtle at first. The pathogens incubated for about two days, and the affected pony would feel body aches, fatigue, malaise, all symptoms of a harmless cold. It was after that two days where the red spots started to appear, and the disease became contagious.

The patient then rapidly deteriorated.

Persei shuddered, horrifying images of the advanced stages filling her mind.

A scorching fever would grip the victim, making him feel like he was slowly being burned alive. The red spots would become sore, puss filled pustules all over his body. The internal organs would begin hemorrhaging, causing him excruciating pain. Drenched in sweat, the pony would cry out, but by then, all his friends would have left him to die.

Persei shivered. So far, she had recorded a 100% mortality rate. Everypony infected would eventually die.

The disease, whatever it was, was biologically engineered to be exceptionally lethal.

Unlike the events that occurred in her dream, she now knew that the disease was transmitted from one pony to another by exposure to the infected pony’s body fluids. Basically, it spread through contact, both direct and indirect. Whatever the infected pony touched, would become a venue for infection: Clothes, eating utensils, bed sheets, even doorknobs and elevator buttons. But most infectious of all, were their dead bodies.

Persei had ordered many villages to be put to the torch because the local populations had been overwhelmed by the disease. Corpses with the horrifying pustules would be lying on the street, forsaken by the ones who loved them. She recalled one town that was using mass graves to get rid of the prodigious amounts of dead they had accumulated. The graves, giant pits full of dead ponies wrapped in sheets, had been laying open. It had turned out that the ponies who were burying them, grew ill, and had eventually fallen into the grave themselves.

They had come across another village where revolution had been underway, but chaos ensued once the disease arrived. They had all been wiped out in several days.

Then there were the fires. Huge blazes that spread far and wide, devouring settlements and scorching the lush landscapes black.

If Persei were to imagine an apocalypse, this is exactly how it would look like. Equestria had fallen into widespread disorder with the revolution, but now, the plague had plunged everything into anarchy. The only city that was still free of infection and in control of the government was Canterlot.

That was where they were headed. She had heard rumors that there were vaccines being distributed there, and not only that, Canterlot had Equestria’s finest medical research facilities. If a cure existed, it was to be found there.

Persei took a deep breath, suddenly grateful that she wasn’t infected. After she had seen the devastation and suffering it had caused, at the end of the day, she thanked fate for not letting her succumb to the disease. She had been at the heart of it all, being one of the first ponies to open up the cyst chambers. Yet, she had avoided infection. How?

Was it more than just blind luck that she hadn’t been invaded by the pathogen?

She remembered the fateful night where they had taken Manehattan. The night where she had learned of Ultra Violet’s betrayal, the last night she had seen Maelstrom healthy, and there was one event that still eluded her understanding: the strange Lunaran Knight that looked like Cepheus.

Or whoever he was.

Perhaps he was just a hallucination brought on by the tumors, Persei though. But how could a figment of her imagination have stolen the Element of Magic from her?

Could it be that Ultra Violet had lied about the Lunaran Knights killing Cepheus?

Persei nodded to herself. She now had to go back and question everything Ultra Violet had ever told her.

What if he had actually been there that night? He had mentioned something about protecting her.

She remembered him stabbing her with the syringe, claiming that it was a vaccine.

Persei shifted the sheets, turning her head around so that she could see the small spot where he had injected her. What if he had been telling the truth? What if that actually was her brother?

A mental image of her holding the spear came into mind. She had driven it into his belly, pinning him against the wall. She remembered the blood dripping from his muzzle, the sight of his intestines when she had twisted the spear in his wound….

Persei was devastated. “Oh no…” she whispered, horrified. “Did I kill my own brother?”

The realization prevented her from going back to sleep. He had saved her life, protecting her like he had always done. “And I killed him….”

Persei began to cry, tugging painfully at her own mane. “Cepheus!” she howled in the night, gasping for breath through her sobs. “I’m so sorry!”

Author's Notes:

Hopefully this was an adequate recap of Persei's previous chapter.

I'm expecting maybe five or six more chapters until the conclusion. Thanks for sticking around for so long.

Discussion and Feedback, like always, is appreciated.

Chapter 36: Mutation

Nightmare Moon stared up at the screens of the Night Terror Surveillance Network. Live footage of Equestria’s cities was displayed there. One screen showed a quarantine zone collapsing, and infected ponies rushing out of the fences. One camera feed had gone completely dark, the city’s power grid wiped out, and all could be heard were cries of agony as the plague took them. Many such depictions of chaos and destruction could be seen, but what frightened her most was the view of Equestria from space.

Once these continents had been spotted with bright clusters of lights, the electrical lights of urban centers, but she had watched these indicators of civilization go dark one by one. Now, veins of fire cut through Equestria’s land masses, raging blazes resulting from the ensuing apocalypse.

“This isn’t what I wanted,” she whispered to herself.

For the first time in a long time, she felt tears in her eyes. She was in her private quarters, listening to the sounds of buildings collapsing, ponies screaming, fires consuming everything….

Nightmare Moon had watched her empire go from attempted revolution to anarchy in a span of two weeks. The smallpox had spread very quickly, as it was designed to do. This isn’t the disease she had picked out. She gave a shuddering gasp, looking to the shadow in the background. "I wanted the Dayborn ponies to be afflicted with the sleeping sickness. It would allow our Night Terrors to keep a tighter leash on them, but what you’ve done here…” she looked back at the screens. “It’s unspeakable.”

Necron stepped forward, the faint glow of the screens shedding light on his face. He was grinning. “It was for the best,” his grin turned into a wicked smile. “Equestria can finally start over from scratch.”

Nightmare Moon was anguished, and faced him. “Why could you not just follow orders!?” she screamed at him. “What is wrong with you!?”

Necron’s smile turned into a wicked snarl. “It was you who made me this way, and I stand proudly by what I have done. Maybe in a few years, you’ll thank me.”

“You don’t understand,” she whispered. “Get out of my sight.”

Necron didn’t move. “The news I’ve been expecting hasn’t arrived yet. I want to be in your presence when it comes.”

There was a moment of silence, and Nightmare Moon began to weep.” Oh, Celestia,” she whispered to herself. “Not a night goes by when I don’t think of you.”

Necron was tapping his hoof on the ground, listening. “Any moment now….”

There was an urgent knocking on the door, and she turned around to realize that Necron had locked all the doors to her chamber. The room was practically a bunker now. She looked at him angrily, and he shrugged nonchalantly. “Protection against Lunaran infiltrators.”

Nightmare Moon sniffed. “Impart your message, and be gone with you!”

The guard sounded terrified. “My Empress, we require your immediate assistance!”

She bristled, and barked at the guard. “What in Equestria could be so important that you needed to disturb me?”

The guard whimpered. “The smallpox…variola major… it’s mutated!”

Necron’s grin widened. Nightmare Moon felt a shiver go down her spine. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“A new strain of the virus has emerged!” he shouted, panicked. “The vaccines are now obsolete! Everypony is susceptible to infection!”

There was the sound of something being launched out of a tube, and she saw the needle dart buried in her flank. She looked up at Necron and saw the blowdart gun in his mouth.

“What?” she whispered, staring at him. Her vision became blurry and she fell over. The guard was still hysterical at her door, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. The voice faded as the drugs reached her brain and she passed out.

The dreamscape opened up before her, and Necron was standing there in the void. He began to laugh maniacally, and she stared at him with horror. “Death to all the ‘sane’ ponies,” he whispered seductively, suddenly close to her, nuzzling her roughly. “The gift of insanity I received from you… it made me stronger than I ever was before. All our forces have received the same gift, they are strong too, and they shall survive… while all the weak, sane ponies will perish.” He began to laugh, and chains wrapped around her, binding her. “Anypony outside Canterlot’s walls will soon be dead, and the strong shall rebuild and repopulate. It is as nature intended….”

Nightmare Moon struggled in her bonds. “You’re mad! They are my children too!”

He grinned. “Tell me something I don’t know,” he put his wing around her, kissing her cheek. “We shall rule this new world side by side, a place where insanity, strength will be the norm. No more will you have to fear your dead sister….”

Nightmare Moon stopped her struggle. Celestia… her reincarnates were the only ones who can save the world from falling into oblivion. There is a cure to the smallpox plague….

She shuddered when Necron began to lap at her throat. She conceded to him, leaning into his warm body. “You’re right,” she whispered. “The true reason I wanted other ponies to be insane and disturbed wasn’t because they would become stronger… but because I wanted them to be like me. In their presence, I didn’t feel quite so alone. I didn’t feel quite so ashamed for what I did to my sister, seeing what they did to other ponies. I realize now what a fool I have been….”

She deserved this treachery from Necron. She had this coming for a long time now, but why did her children have to suffer for her mistakes? She began to cry, and let Necron envelop her.

All was lost, but as they say, it’s darkest before the dawn.

Commander Starlight Mirror had gathered all the Lunaran Knights in the center of the forest clearing. They were all assembling into one large crowd, and Cepheus was watching from a distance, waiting for his cue.

Cepheus looked at the faces of the Knights. They all looked despondent, exhausted from their relentless march to Canterlot, and grief stricken since his death. He spotted Candle and Dusty among the crowd, their eyes red with all the tears they had shed. Cepheus’ heart ached. He wanted to console them, but he had to wait for Starlight to give his speech.

Starlight waved his hoof to get their attention, and they all looked up at him, hopelessness in their eyes. “My fellow Knights,” he addressed them. “I know things have been hard… I know we have reached our lowest point…” Starlight gestured to the space around him. “Equestria is on the brink of a new dark age. Already 30% of the world’s population has been wiped out.”

The crowd looked down at their hooves, about to surrender, maybe even disband at their dire predicament.

“But there is hope,” Starlight declared. “We have lost a certain stallion who was very close to our hearts…” the crowd seemed to wince at the reminder. “I knew many of you looked up to him, admired him, but I am here to say….”

There was a bright flash of light from his cutie mark, bathing the clearing with light. The Knights gasped, shielding their eyes. Cepheus flew up into the sky, and descended over their heads as his light faded. The crowd immediately parted, allowing him to land gracefully among them. He slowly opened his eyes, his wings still spread. Everypony gasped, not believing what they were seeing.

He held his pose, allowing his light to slowly fade. It was a bit showy for his taste, but the Lunaran Knight had needed such a miraculous display to rekindle their spirits. And rekindle it did, the spark he had set turning into a blaze. The Knights cheered, bursting into applause.

Cepheus smiled and let them touch him, confirming that he was real. Candle ripped through the crowd, Dusty sitting on her back. She looked at him, and he looked at her. Tears filled her eyes, and she galloped to him, leaping into his embrace. They held each other, and he heard Dusty sobbing. “You’re back,” Candle whispered.

Cepheus kissed her, wanting to hold her forever. “And I’m here to stay… I promise I won’t ever make you go through something like that again.”

They hugged tighter, and he felt Dusty’s small hooves wrap around him. “Father, I thought you were dead….”

“I was,” he whispered. “For a little while.”

“How did you come back to life?” Dusty asked.

“I met a very special somepony,” he said, Candle and Dusty looking at him with awe. “She showed me how this world was before Nightmare Moon took control, and how I could make things right again.”

Candle blinked. “How? How can you undo what Nightmare Moon has done?”

“I have to forgive two more ponies,” he looked up to where Starlight was standing. He was laughing, a light in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. “I have to heal them, and with their aid, I can use the Elements of Harmony to bring Celestia’s forgiveness to Nightmare Moon. Then, all will be set right again.”

“Who is Celestia?” Dusty asked. “Don’t you mean Celestion?”

Candle gasped. “Is that the special somepony you met? The original Celestion… or Celestia?”

Cepheus nodded. “I must go find those two other ponies before it’s too late.” He turned and faced the horizon. “I think I already know who they are…” he looked back at Candle. “We must make all haste to Canterlot.”

Candle nodded, and smiled again. “I’m so glad you’re here with me again… I saw you die, and the moment you did, it felt like the entire world had grown darker and gloomier.” She looked him in the eyes, drawing close to where he could feel her warm breath against his muzzle. “Cepheus, Dusty and I need you. The world needs you. We need the light you provide for us, and…” she looked down, and when she looked back up at him, there were tears of joy in her eyes. “And our foal needs you too….”

She began rubbing her belly, and Cepheus was overwhelmed with feeling. He wrapped her in his embrace, and they their streams of tears were renewed. The Knights around them cheered again, rejoicing at the news. Dusty was amazed. “Does this mean I’m going to have a little brother or sister?”

Candle nodded, and kissed Dusty on his forehead. “Yes…” she said, and then looked back at Cepheus. “Please, continue filling our world with light. If anyone can save Equestria, I believe it’s you.”

They kissed again, locking muzzles. It was a moment of pure happiness. “I am so proud to be your wife,” she murmured through the kiss.

“And I your husband.” Cepheus replied.

Starlight watched the display of marital bliss from a distance, smiled, and then trotted away. “Even with all this death and chaos, life emerges. When things get bad, we forget the things that made it good in the first place. Like love….”

Author's Notes:

The sleeping sickness Nightmare Moon wanted to use on the Dayborns is a disease known as African sleeping sickness.

Viruses mutate. That's why they have to make new flu vaccines ever year.

Thanks for your patience. I'm having to adjust the resolution of the story.

Chapter 37: Convergence

The Scions marched through the ruins of what once was a town. Persei was at the lead, looking around at the forsaken settlement. The smell of burnt wood hung in the air, and every time the wind blew, there would be eerie creaking sounds from the charred husks of the buildings.

They came into view of yet another heap of skeletons, and Persei looked back at her soldiers. Their eyes darkened with renewed despair when they saw the pile of bones. “There’s got to be at least a thousand ponies in there…” a mare sighed from beside her, looking down at the tiny skeleton of a foal.

“Let’s keep going,” Persei said, continuing to trot. They all began to move past the grim landmark.

It seemed as if a sudden blaze had consumed the entire area overnight, Persei thought.

Behind her, she heard murmurings of misery. “How is Equestria ever going to recover from all this?” a stallion asked aloud.

No one answered.

“Forget recovery,” another stallion responded after a minute. “How are we going to survive?”

A mare began to cry, and everypony fell silent again.

Persei sighed. There was nothing she could say or do to make them feel better. They hadn’t seen a living pony in what felt like ages.

She trotted on, her heart feeling like a stone in her chest. The Scions were falling apart. Ponies were abandoning the cause, wanting to be with their families in the death throes of civilization. Persei had condemned the act of deserting many times, but she couldn’t blame them. They were running out of food and water, marching to a city that was the most heavily fortified location in Equestria.

Persei looked down at the scorched cobblestones at her hooves. She had failed as a leader. They had set out from the Worldspine, so full of zeal and hope. Now, she was doubting everything. She had become the monster that she had set out to fight, and now that everything was withering and dying... She wanted things to go back to the way they were.

Persei thought of her old village and the night she had to leave it all behind. She missed it so much. It had been so quiet and peaceful, living with Mother and Cepheus. The place had made her feel small and insignificant, but she had forgotten how significant she had been to the ponies who loved her. Now, she could never be that significant to anypony now.

Persei looked up to the dark horizon. It was over there where she saw the high walls of Canterlot. White spotlights were mounted on the ramparts, and she could hear the shouts of guards. The view of the city gave her hope. It had been the first time in a week she had seen living, healthy ponies and electrical lights in the same place.

Something was off though. The shadows around the city, past the searching spotlights, seemed as if they were all shifting. There was a red flare that shot up from behind the city’s walls, and flew in an arc over the mass of moving shadows. The red light illuminated what appeared to be a giant horde of ponies hidden in the darkness.

Persei gasped. It was them. The flickering light revealed the pustule-ridden faces of the infected Dayborns and quickly faded.

Persei raised her hoof, halting the advance of her soldiers. They had once sighted this horde of infected ponies pilfering the ruins of a town. There were thousands of them, all desperate and dying, leaving a trail of the corpses of their own wherever they went.

“We have to circumvent them,” she whispered to herself. “We can’t risk infection.”

She turned westward and her soldiers began to circle to the other side of the city. Arriving at the west gate of Canterlot, she saw lanterns, campfires and tents pitched at a safe distance from the city. She could see the Lunaran banner flowing in the breeze, and her breath caught in her throat.

Never did she think that she would be happy to see them. Despite her excitement, she felt caution. Her brother could be in one of those tents, but what if she had succeeding in killing him?

Persei’s chest ached. She faced her soldiers, who were also looking at the Lunaran encampment. “Fellow Scions…” they all looked up at her. “Here we stand at the edge of extinction. Here we are at the enemy’s doors, the same enemy who unleashed this plague upon us.” She puffed her chest out, declaring authoritatively. “An enemy of my enemy is a friend of mine.” She pointed her hoof at the encampment. “We must join forces with the Lunarans.”

There were murmurs of dissent.

“I know we have learned to hate the Nightborns,” she said. “But they are the only hope we have of getting inside Canterlot.”

Everypony was quiet.

Persei swallowed. “If anypony doesn’t wish to go with us, I understand that. I will not hold anything against you if you stay here.”

Persei turned around and trotted towards the camp. She looked over her shoulder and saw that most of them were following. Relief washed over her. She had expected only a few dozen to come with her, but perhaps she had underestimated their desperation.

Approaching the camp, there was a sharp chittering from within the camp. The bat-ponies rushed out of their tents, facing the army that was encroaching upon them.

All the threstals had assembled outside, and among them she saw many Dayborn ponies. She faintly recognized some of her villagers, and she felt tears in her eyes. So, her suspicions had been correct. Everything Ultra Violet had told her were all lies. The Lunarans hadn’t killed them, but had taken them in.

Persei hung her head in submission, wanting to be repentant before the witnesses of all the atrocities she had committed. She took off her helmet, and the Scions all laid down their weapons.

The threstals stared blankly at them, unable to comprehend what was happening here. A Dayborn mare in armor approached them. Persei looked up, familiar with her beige pelt and soft brown hair. “Candle Glimmer?” she whispered.

Candle stood before Persei, a mix of anger and surprise in her eyes. “What do you want?” the mare demanded.

Persei looked up at her, remembering how Cepheus felt about her. “Candle, are you still?” she hesitated. “About Cepheus….”

“I’m his wife now,” she stated herself angrily. Persei’s jaw dropped. Candle tossed her hair. “Yes, Cepheus lives. But I won’t allow you anywhere near him.”

“Yeah! You hurt him!” a colt said, rushing up to stand beside Candle.

Persei hung her head in shame. “I am so sorry for all the pain I caused him,” she looked up. “And all of you.”

Candle snorted. “Apology not accepted. He only wanted to help you, but you killed him. He was actually dead for a while….”

Persei saw Cepheus peering out from one of the tents, and Persei felt relief to see that he was all right. “Please let me speak to him,” she pleaded. Candle’s face remained stony. “I realize what a fool I’ve been, and I’m sorry!”

Candle looked away. “Tell all the ponies you killed that you’re sorry. Tell that to Mayor Lavender. Tell that –“

“Enough,” Cepheus said, trotting past Candle and the colt.

Wait a moment, she thought. Was that colt his son? Persei felt jealous. He had made his own family, and she was still alone.

Cepheus drew close to Persei. “Sister,” he whispered.

She looked up at him, shame in her eyes. Seeing him, he didn’t seem angry, but rather disappointed. “Cepheus, I am so glad you’re fine.”

Cepheus shook his head. “Persei, you were raving mad a week ago. What changed?”

She swallowed. “I realized that the mare who was my lover had betrayed me. She was just manipulating me to advance her own radical agenda. She had been poisoning me with radiation, filling my head up with tumors that made me act very aggressively and irrationally.”

Cepheus blinked. “We need to talk,” he turned around and flicked his tail. “Follow me.”

Candle tried to stop him, the colt following her. “Cepheus, she can’t be trusted.”

“I know,” he whispered. “You and Dusty wait out here. I promise I’ll be all right.”

Persei followed Cepheus, and she felt Candle’s burning glare on her backside. They trotted through the open flaps of the tent, and she saw two bat-pony stallions waiting inside. She recognized the pony who had rescued Cepheus from her was among them. They all faced her, and Cepheus spoke. “Persei, why are you here?”

“I needed to see you,” she said softly. She looked down at her hooves guiltily. “I didn’t know that you had gotten married… or had a foal to take care of.” She felt tears welling up in her eyes, now becoming fully aware of the pain she had caused him and his family. “I am so sorry.”

Cepheus remained still. “Persei… you have done terrible things.” She began to sob, and the two other stallions exchanged glances. “You vowed to kill all the Nightborns, you burned Nocturnus and Manehattan, your revolution was actually genocide…” Tears began to streak down her face, dripping down. She steeled herself, waiting for his condemnation. “But…” she looked up at him, her heart anguished. “I understand that you were being manipulated. It wasn’t truly you who was doing all those terrible things. You are not completely absolved though. You should have realized what Ultra Violet was doing….”

Cepheus drew closer to her, and nuzzled her. “You are my sister, and I could never be angry with you for too long.”

“I love you,” she whispered, tears still dripping.

“I love you too, Persei.” Cepheus looked her in the eyes. “For what you have done to me…” Persei tensed up. “I forgive you.”

There was a white glow from inside a sealed crate in the corner of the tent. The light faded as quickly as it came.

Persei sighed in relief and embraced him, sobs racking her body. “You don’t know how much this means to me. I have changed a lot since we parted ways.”

Cepheus nodded, drawing back. “But for what you have done to all those other ponies, I expect you to make amends somehow.”

She nodded, grateful. “I will… thank you.”

They hugged again, and Cepheus grinned. “Getting my forgiveness was the easy part,” he jested. “My wife is still angry with you.”

She chuckled through her tears. “I am so glad to have you at my side again….”

Cepheus nodded, smiling. “I can’t wait to introduce you to all my friends, the Lunaran Knights.”

“Okay, okay,” the Lunaran commander said. “We can finish up this reunion later.” He turned and faced the other bat-pony. “Andre, tell them about the plan we have of getting inside.”

Andre grinned. “This is the most hope I’ve had since this apocalypse began…” he pulled out a map of Canterlot, and set it down on the table. “If there is a cure to the plague, it has to be inside Canterlot’s research labs. But that’s our secondary objective for the time being. We must first….”

There was a chorus of wails and screams from outside, and Persei rushed out of the tent. Cepheus and the two other stallions followed her out.

It was unbelievably dark out here. The moon that had been shining overhead had somehow vanished, plunging them all into darkness. “What happened to the moon?” Persei asked.

“I don’t know,” Cepheus said. “Something must have happened to Nightmare Moon.”

Andre sighed. “This can’t be good. Hurry back in here,” he said, going back into the tent. “We must make haste with our plan to infiltrate Canterlot. But before that, I have a lot of explaining to do….”

Author's Notes:

It has been decided that the last chapter will be 40.

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 38: Infiltration - City of Psychopaths

“So, here’s the plan…” Andre explained as Starlight, Cepheus, and Persei listened. “I have been communicating with the Night Guard captain, Darkheart. I convinced him that many of us Lunarans were scientists, and he conceded that four of us will be allowed into the city.”

Persei seemed confused. “But why would they want our scientists? Don’t they have their own?”

Andre nodded. “They do, but they’re desperate. The command was given out that all research is to be diverted to cure efforts. Rumors are floating around that Nightmare Moon has been infected, and that’s one reason they want us. The other reason is that apparently a new strain of the virus has emerged, and since Necron won’t let anypony out of the city, their scientists need samples of the new strain to develop a cure and we have to go get it.”

Starlight pushed forward a sealed bag full of petri dishes. “I gathered the samples. It was actually pretty easy getting the infected tissue,” he gestured outside. “That horde of infected ponies is leaving dead bodies everywhere they go and I just collected it from them.”

Cepheus looked at the map. “So we bring the virus samples to Darkheart in exchange for entry. Then what happens?”

Four hazmat suits and scientist’s robes were dropped onto the table by Andre. He began to hand them out to everypony at the table. “We all dress up in these. Cepheus will hide the Elements of Harmony inside his suit.”

Cepheus and Starlight exchanged glances, and both pegasi gave a subtle nod of their heads. They both had a very strong hunch as to who the last pony to be forgiven was and he was inside the city.

Andre continued. “Necron will meet us, and they will then take us to the research facilities where they will be treating Nightmare Moon. There won’t be any guards in the facilities, so we can easily take control. We will have about twenty minutes with her before the alarm goes off and we have an army of angry Night Guards at our hooves.”

Persei looked at Cepheus doubtfully. “Are you sure these Elements of Harmony are going to change her back into Luna?” she looked at all of them. “And if she’s infected, do you think that she can be cured by it as well?”

“I am hoping,” Cepheus said. “But that’s a risk we’ll have to take. If any magic can conquer this illness, the most powerful magical artifact in Equestria can.”

Persei wasn’t satisfied. “I don’t understand. If you have the cure with you already, why haven’t you started administering it on all those infected ponies out there?”

Starlight lowered his head. “Umm, the thing is….”

“We have to get something from Necron first,” Cepheus finished his sentence. “Without it, the Elements of Harmony won’t work.”

That was Cepheus’ hunch. It was the only thing that made sense. Necron needed to be forgiven by him, but why? Why Cepheus? What was his forgiveness going to mean to Necron? This was another risk they were taking, but they didn’t have any other options.

“Alright,” Andre said. “They’ll be letting us in within the hour, so all of you get ready.”

They all nodded and left the table with their suits.

Cepheus began to unzip the hazmat suit and slip his hind-legs in when Candle came rushing into the tent. “Cepheus!”

He knew that tone in his wife’s voice. Somepony was about to get yelled at.

Candle rushed up to Starlight, getting right in his face. “I will not allow you to take my husband into that city full of psychopaths!”

Starlight just stared at her, overwhelmed.

Cepheus zipped up his suit and stepped behind Candle. “Sweetheart….”

She flipped around and faced him. Instead of getting the tongue lashing he was expecting, she began to cry. “I can’t lose you again!”

He drew her into his embrace, wrapping his wings around her protectively. “This is the only chance we have of making things right,” he shifted his wing onto her belly. “I want to make this world a better place for our foal.”

“Foal?” Persei whispered.

Starlight and Andre both smiled.

Candle remained still. “If that’s how it’s going to be… then I want to come with you.”

Starlight and Andre’s smiles faded.

“Candle,” he said, shocked. “You are pregnant.”

Andre nodded. “And they are only allowing four ponies to come into the city.”

She shook her head. “I am going with my husband. I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines while everypony risks their lives.” Everypony looked at her skeptically. She held Cepheus tightly, begging. “Please, trust me! I need to go!”

Starlight was stoic for a moment, and then shook his head reluctantly. “Cepheus and Persei definitely have to go. I guess you can….”

Andre threw up his hooves. “Fine. Take my place. But Starlight has to work hard to keep you three Dayborns from getting lost in the dark.”

Cepheus sensed that Andre was irritated, but was holding back for his sake.

Everypony then left the room to go change, and only Cepheus and Candle were left in the room. As soon as they were gone, Candle hung her head and sat down. Immediately noticing that something was wrong, he sat down beside her. She put her hoof on his, and looked into his eyes. “Cepheus, what are the chances that this plan will actually work?”

He looked down. “I would like to be confident, but I honestly don’t know... there are too many things that could go wrong.”

She nodded. “That’s why I wanted to come with you,” she nuzzled him. “To keep you safe.”

He gave her a quizzical look.

She pushed him playfully. “You don’t think I can protect you? Never underestimate the strength of a determined earth pony.”

Cepheus nodded. “Maybe you’re right, but I’m still worried.”

She smiled sadly. “It’s going to be alright. I had a dream about us bringing Luna back….”

There was something dark about the way she said it, but it was natural for her to feel apprehensive. Why did she truly want to come? She wouldn’t leave Dusty alone and endanger her child unless it was of the utmost importance….

Cepheus’ breath fogged up the plastic hood of the hazmat suit. All four of them shuffled up to Canterlot’s gates, guided by Persei’s hornlight and Starlight’s night vision.

Cepheus felt a pressure around his midsection, and felt safer knowing that they were here with him. The Elements of Harmony were wrapped around his belly, the gemstones tightly pressed against his skin. He could feel them growing warmer the closer they got to the city.

A spotlight was trained on them, and a guard yelled from atop the ramparts. “Halt!”

They all stopped before the gates, two massive stone doors covered by a portcullis. The guard yelled again. “Open the gates!”

The doors opened with such speed that Cepheus was stunned. The moment that the gap was wide enough to fit a pony through, he felt the magical tug of unicorn magic enveloping him. They were whipped inside, the doors slamming shut as soon as they were all inside.

Cepheus lay on the cobblestone street, roughly being forced up by two burly looking Night Guards. There was a whimper from Candle, and they were all shoved forth. Darkheart was watching them, and when they had been adequately roughhoused, he approached them. “The virus samples,” he said, gesturing to the crate on Candle’s back. “Give them over.”

Candle submitted herself and a pegasus flew down, lifting the crate and flying them over to the research facilities. Darkheart sighed in relief. “Now with that taken care of, let’s proceed to the labs.”

They were about to move, when a courier rushed up to him and whispered something into his ear.

Cepheus’ heart was racing, sweating profusely in the latex and polyester suit.

Darkheart nodded, and the courier galloped away. He smiled and approached them. “Necron wants to meet you at the palace before you all go to the research facility.”

Starlight sighed. “We agreed that we would meet Necron on our way to the research facility.”

Darkheart shrugged. “Plans change.”

An escort of Night Guards surrounded them, and roughly shoved them forward. They began to trot through the streets of Canterlot.

Why does Necron want them at the palace? Cepheus asked himself. What does he have in mind?

The Elements of Harmony began to grow hot, and he shifted uncomfortably as he trotted. What was going to happen to them now? He looked at Candle who was at his side, and then at Persei and Starlight who were trotting ahead of him.

Cepheus swallowed. He had to remain calm. He surveyed his surroundings, seeing that ponies were staring at them as they proceeded to the palace. The fear in the air was palpable. The rumors of Nightmare Moon’s condition…. If their Empress was dying, they had every right to be scared.

If these rumors were having such an effect on her forces, why not dispel them by revealing yourself? Unless they were true, and she was hiding it. Cepheus couldn’t imagine what would happen if Nightmare Moon died. The world could very well be plunged into eternal darkness.

All order would fall apart. Cepheus shuddered. This city could possibly fall to anarchy, just like everywhere else. If this one last place with working medical research labs was to be lost, then the plague will have won. There would be no way for ponykind to develop a cure.

Nightmare Moon is an alicorn goddess. No disease can bring her down. Or so Cepheus hoped. If there was nopony to turn back into Luna, then they were all dead.

Cepheus was growing tenser by the minute as the palace came into view. The citadel had six, dark gray spires with windows that seemed to exude a violet light. Balconies jutted out from the palace, and stone statues seemed to guard the entrance to each. Dark green moss and climbing ivy had wrapped itself around the stonework of the building, climbing up to the very top. In the void of darkness which had become Equestria, all these things gave the palace an austere, grim appearance.

A sudden flourish movement from the palace caught his eye. He looked up at it as they were all herded towards its entrance. High up, on the grandest balcony, there was a shadow there. The pegasus was wearing a cloak, and only his icy blue eyes could be seen peering down at them. Cepheus felt chilled to the bone, sensing that his gaze was focusing on him.

That must be Necron, Cepheus though. He swallowed hard. Did he somehow figure out that we had the Elements of Harmony? Or now that we had given up the virus samples, he wanted the pleasure of killing us?

Cepheus felt his protective instincts encompass his wife and unborn foal. Still staring, he put a wing over her. Necron made eye contact with him, and with a flicker, he was gone.

Cepheus felt a shiver down his spine. He looked down, and saw that they had arrived at the grand entrance of the palace. Two guards opened up the double doors for them, revealing the palace’s inky interior. Even through the gloomy aura of the place, it felt like a shadow had come over this place.

They were led inside, and all the guards retreated outside and the doors were slammed shut behind them. “Here we are,” Starlight whispered. “In the belly of the beast.”

Author's Notes:

Two chapters remain. Here comes the final two confrontations. The fate of Equestria hangs in the balance.

Discussion / Feedback is encouraged.

Chapter 39: Redemption

The silence in the palace had an immensely heavy feeling to it. It weighed down the four ponies standing in the reception room, dread tightening in their chests.

Persei was drenched with sweat, watching a dark silhouette cast upon the staircase wall. The shadow was slowly descending the steps, each step measured and drawn out.

A pony swathed in a dark hood appeared on top of the staircase. His icy blue eyes pierced the darkness, glowing with an ethereal fire. She heard Cepheus gasp, and Starlight immediately took a step back.

It’s him, Persei thought. It’s Necron.

Necron reached the bottom of the steps and faced them. He cast off his hood and Persei stared, horrified. This was her first time actually seeing the fearsome commander, and she recognized him immediately.

Even past his dark aura, the new black tattoos that snaked up from his torso onto his face, the cold gleam of a skilled killer in his eyes, and his maniacal expression, she could still identify him. Sirius? Could it actually be him?

Persei swallowed hard. She remembered the fight that they had, the one that had made Sirius run away in the first place. Had Persei and Mother inadvertently created the monster that stood before them?

Necron smiled at them, the predatory grin that a serial killer gave his victims before he murdered them. Persei found herself unnerved, almost guilty. He approached them, still grinning. “Ahhh… you must be the four scientists.”

His voice was deeper than she last remembered it. He had also grown larger and leaner. His presence had gone from meek and love-desperate, to imposing and aggressive. This stallion had made a total metamorphosis. Was it possible for a pony to change that dramatically in such a short period of time?

Necron beckoned them. “Follow me,” he said, authoritatively. “We have so many things to discuss….”

What things exactly? Persei thought. She hesitated, but Starlight trotted ahead of her. Cepheus and Candle followed, leaving her behind. She pushed her fear down and trailed behind them.

The baggy hazmat suits bogged down her movement as she climbed up the steps. Her mind was still reeling from the revelation. She looked up at Necron, his dark gray cloak having the insignia of the Night Terrors emblazoned on it. Nightmare Moon’s elite intelligence agents….

Persei knew that all members of the Night Terrors especially were driven insane by their training. The more damaged that had been done to their minds, the more vicious and cunning they behaved as a result, and that was a marker of Nightmare Moon’s favor.

If I had treated him differently, would we all be here? If I had loved instead of hated, would Equestria still have gone through this apocalypse? Persei asked herself.

They reached the stop of the steps and she saw Darkheart waiting at the top. The captain gave a nod and began to trot alongside Necron. Persei thought about their plan, how it was all falling apart. Where was Necron taking them?

The answer became apparent when they reached the end of the hallway. Necron and Darkheart opened the double doors leading into a ballroom. Their group reluctantly stepped into the room and Necron locked the doors behind Persei. She stared at him fearfully, and he smiled. “We don’t want to be disturbed, do we?”

Persei just stared and he left her with a snicker. Necron walked to the center of the once illustrious room, which had now been beset by cobwebs and dust. Darkheart remained aloof, watching the doorways.

“Why don’t you take those sweaty outfits off?” Necron offered with a false kindness. “As your host, I have to ensure your comfort.”

Persei looked at Cepheus and he nodded. They were all wearing another robe underneath this, so the Elements of Harmony would remain hidden.

They all unzipped and stepped out of the polyester hazmat suits and Darkheart rushed up to collect them.

Persei felt the cold air against her damp skin and she actually felt a lot better. She looked behind her and saw Starlight slowly taking his suit off. Necron was watching them all with a satisfied smirk, but when Starlight revealed his face, Necron’s expression turned into one of fear.

As quickly as it came, the fear was gone. Necron collected himself, eyeing Starlight aggressively. What just happened?

Necron cleared his throat, watching all of them. “Well, well, well… it’s as I expected. My past has come back to haunt me.”

Cepheus stepped forth. “Sirius… is that you?”

Necron looked as though he had been struck. “THAT NAME,” he shouted, and then quickly simmered down, staring at Starlight. “That pony no longer exists. You will refer to me as Commander Necron.”

There was a moment of tenseness between the half-brothers, and Candle spoke up. “Sirius…” he glared at her. “I mean Necron… we would like to inquire to the health of Nightmare Moon. We are doctors….”

“Ha!” Necron laughed. “You four aren’t doctors, nor do you have a chance of healing Nightmare Moon. She isn’t sick with what you think she has.”

Darkheart drew closer. “Shall we kill them now?”

Persei felt herself beginning to panic and watched as the doorways were slammed open. Dozens of Night Guards filed in, surrounding them.

This was all a trap! Persei thought, preparing to fight.

Necron raised his hoof, halting the guards. “Not yet,” he grinned. “I want to hear what sweet Celestia’s reincarnates have to say before they die.”

Cepheus looked around, standing protectively in front of Candle. “Stop this, Sirius! This isn’t you!”

“THAT’S NOT MY NAME!” Necron screamed.

“You’re right!” Starlight yelled. “It’s MY name!”

Necron stared at Starlight incredulously. “I knew it,” he whispered. “I don’t know how you broke free… but I am in control of this body now. You shall not have it back so easily!”

What is Starlight trying to do!? Persei thought.

The two pegasi leapt forward, clashing with each other in the air. The Night Guards started to move forward, but Necron screamed. “Stand down!” he said with bloody slaver dripping from his mouth. “He’s mine!”

Necron punched Starlight hard across the muzzle, knocking him to the ground. They both took their fight to the ground. It was a flurry of wings and hooves, and Necron gained the upper hand. Starlight was pinned underneath him, and the frenzied Necron rained down punches on his face.

Persei couldn’t just sit back and watch. She lowered her horn and unleashed a bolt of fire at Necron. He ducked down and the magical projectile flew over his head, hitting the rank of Night Guards behind him with a burst of flame.

Darkheart gave the order, and Persei barely sidestepped a powerful stroke of a club that would have easily knocked her out as the Night Guards rushed forward to subdue her. Somepony grabbed her hind hooves and began dragging her back, and Cepheus leapt into the fray. He slammed the guard who was trying to bind her and she wriggled out of his grip.

But it was futile. They were quickly overwhelmed as dozens of Night Guards piled onto her and Cepheus, crushing them underneath their collective weight. Persei was immobilized, and as the guards stood back up, coarse ropes were wrapped around their hooves, binding them.

Persei blew a strand of hair out of her face and watched Starlight and Necron fight. Starlight was obviously losing. His wings were mangled, his face bloodied, and his right hindleg twisted at an unnatural angle. Necron jumped on him as he was trying to crawl away, flattening him. “It’s all over for you, Sirius!” he screamed.

Necron pulled out a dagger from its sheathe that was hidden underneath his torn cloak. Starlight struggled, and Candle screamed. Necron was distracted and Darkheart slammed his cudgel down on his head.

Necron could barely give out a cry of alarm as he was thrown off of Starlight by his own captain. Darkheart brought the cudgel down again and again on Necron, screaming on the top of his lungs. “You killed Ember!” he said, bringing the cudgel down hard. “She was to be my wife!” he brought it down hard again, tears in his eyes. “I found her half-eaten body in your lair, you filthy insect!”

Through the battering, Necron twisted around and thrusted the dagger forth. Darkheart immediately stopped swinging the cudgel, and Persei tried to shift her head around to see what had happened. Darkheart backed away, disoriented. He suddenly collapsed, and she saw the dagger sticking out of his throat.

Persei gasped, her stomach turning as she watched the blood gushing out of Darkheart’s torn neck.

Necron slowly stood up, beaten and bloody. He trotted over to the pool of blood Darkheart lay in, and spat on his corpse. “You were weak. Just like your wife.”

“Necron!” Starlight shouted, pulling him into a headlock. The two stallions stumbled around, Necron choking. “I am Sirius!” he shouted. “And this is MY body!”

Necron shook his head and Starlight tightened the pressure on his neck. Necron writhed, flailing his hooves, jerking up and down like a fish caught in a net. He struggled for a minute and then his body suddenly went slack, his head slumping.

Starlight immediately let go and Necron collapsed onto the ground, completely still.

Is he dead? Persei thought, still tied up on the ground.

Necron suddenly took a deep breath and looked up at Starlight who was standing over him. Something had changed about his demeanor. Necron blinked, confused. “Where am I?” he asked, frightened. “Who are you?”

Starlight smiled. “Sirius… I am your father.”

The dazed pony just stared up at the stallion claiming to be his father. “H-how?” he struggled with his words, looking around at his surroundings. His eyes caught Cepheus and Persei tied up on the ground. “Cepheus!” he shouted. “Are you all right?!”

I can’t believe it, Persei thought. Is Sirius back?

Sirius looked up at Starlight, tears in his eyes. “Father….”

“Son,” Starlight replied, embracing his long lost foal.

Cepheus began to laugh, edging closer to Candle who lay beside him. “Perhaps our plan will work…” he whispered to his wife.

Starlight suddenly gasped and became very still. Candle screamed and Cepheus stared in horror.

Necron was still holding Starlight in his embrace as he ripped the dragger across Starlight’s belly, his entrails spilling out in an outpouring of blood and gore.

Necron let Starlight slip from his hold and fall to the ground, the bloody dagger still in his hooves. Starlight lay on the ground, clutching his belly, betrayal and shock on his face.

“You bastard!” Cepheus screamed, breaking free of his bonds and charging towards him.

A Night Guard was able to grab the end of his robe. With his forward momentum, the robe was completely torn off. The shining golden girdle around Cepheus’ belly was exposed, and everypony stared at the jeweled piece.

Necron stepped over the dying Starlight and laughed. “Today just gets better and better!” he gestured to Starlight’s gut wound. “I managed to kill both of the wretched ponies who brought me into this world,” he pointed at Persei. “The arrogant bitch that is my half-sister is finally under my hoof,” he then finally looked at Cepheus. “And the brother I loved,” his smile disappeared. “I am truly sorry that you got caught up in all of this.”

Cepheus was devastated. “No! You were better than this!” he began to cry as Necron turned his back on him. “I believed in you!”

Necron looked over his shoulder, appearing remorseful for the first time. “You always did.” He turned back around and waved his hoof. “Make his death quick and painless,” he gestured to Candle. “The same goes for her as well.” He stopped and looked at Persei, grinning viciously. “Break her horn and sedate her. I want her in my chambers within the hour.”

Persei’s heart filled with fear and she desperately struggled in her bonds. Cepheus and Candle’s heads were forced onto the ground, and a guard with a massive executioner’s axe lumbered towards them.

“Stop,” a voice groaned.

Necron froze. He turned around and saw that Starlight was standing. “Please, Sirius…” he said, his voice weak. “I should have been there for you….”

Necron blinked.

“I am sorry that it had to come to this, but you are still my son.” Starlight gasped, blood trickling from his muzzle. “I need to take responsibility…” he gasped again, taking in a ragged breath. “You deserved a father… and even as I am dying, I will take my last few moments to say,” he paused, his eyes full of sincerity. “I love you.”

Necron shook his head, not understanding. “Why?” he asked. “I’ve dealt you a fatal blow!” he shook his head again. “Why would you love me even after all that I’ve done?”

“Because you are my son,” Starlight said, “because we are family.”

Cepheus and Candle lay on the ground, the executioner holding his axe above their heads. A guard had put some kind of clamp on Persei’s horn and was preparing to break it, but everypony had stopped to listen at what was happening.

Starlight collapsed, his body hitting the ground with a wet thump. Necron was transfixed. “I don’t understand,” he whispered. “Why would anypony love me? I don’t need love… especially from a stranger.”

Persei watched as Necron muttered to himself, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening. Behind his cold blue eyes, she saw an intense battle raging within. The guards silently awaited their commander, watching for what he would do next.

Starlight lay on the ground, his breathing becoming weaker and weaker. “Sirius,” he croaked, looking up at him. “You deserve to be loved. Everypony does…” he trailed off and his head dropped.

Necron broke down, genuine tears running down his face. “No!” he shouted. He galloped over to Starlight, and held his father’s head against his barrel. “Please tell me again!” he begged. “Tell me that you love me again!”

Starlight looked up at his son’s face, an utter calm settling over his features. “I love you,” he whispered. Starlight gave his last shaky breath and became very still, his body going limp in Necron’s embrace.

Necron was anguished. He shook his father desperately, but the light had gone out of his eyes. Starlight was gone.

Cepheus cried out, sobbing. “Starlight! No!”

Persei couldn’t believe this. He was dead.

Necron held his father’s lifeless body, looking at what he had done. “Father…” He lifted Starlight’s head and held him against his barrel tightly, tears running down his face. Necron threw his head up, crying out. “Nooo!”

Persei felt tears welling up in her eyes. “I was wrong!” she cried out in grief.

Necron stared at her, holding his father tightly.

“I was wrong!” she repeated herself, sobs racking her body. “I was wrong to treat you as I did. I should never have been so harsh to you.”

Necron was overwhelmed. “Oh, Persei!” he cried out. “I’ve killed millions of ponies. I unleashed a devastating plague. I killed both of my parents, and I could have just as easily killed my entire family!”

Persei shook her head. “Yes, things are bad… but you can still turn things around!”

Candle held her hooves out. “Sirius, you must now look to the future!”

Sirius nodded his head and lastly looked to Cepheus. His half-brother’s blond mane obscured his face and he was the only one who hadn’t spoken. Sirius gently called to him. “Cepheus… do you still believe in me?”

Cepheus was silent, unmoving.

Sirius looked anguish. “Please, brother… I am so sorry for all that I’ve done.”

Cepheus sobbed. “Starlight was my friend. He died because he made the mistake of trusting you.”

Persei saw Sirius’ already broken heart shattering behind his blue eyes. “Please forgive me!” he cried out, hugging Starlight’s corpse. “Please!”

Cepheus didn’t respond, and looked away from Sirius.

“No, no…” Sirius begged, his eyes wide. “Please don’t shut me out.” Seeing that Cepheus wasn’t even going to look at him, he picked up the dagger from the ground. His hoof was trembling as he raised it up to his throat. “Perhaps this is the only way I can make things right….”

Sirius pressed the dagger against his throat, and Cepheus cried out. “Sirius!” He froze, a streak of blood running down his neck. Cepheus looked up at Sirius, his eyes red with tears. “I’ve already lost somepony I loved today, I don’t want to lose another one!”

“Cepheus….” Sirius said, dropping the dagger.

Cepheus swallowed his tears. “I still believe in you, Sirius. I always will. I forgive you.”

Sirius stared for a moment and sighed with relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from his chest. He kissed his father’s head and closed his eyes. “Guards, at ease.”

The Night Guards retreated. The clamp was removed from Persei’s horn and she was untied. The executioner that was standing over Cepheus and Candle lowered his axe, disappointed.

There was a bright light from where Cepheus was. Persei shielded her eyes and saw that the Elements of Harmony were shining. What in Equestria is going on?

The light faded and all was still for a moment.

Then, there was a terrible roar. The palace began to shake violently, and a mare’s voice resonated through the ballroom. “From this moment on, there shall be no night or day….”

Persei shielded her head as debris fell from the roof. The Night Guards were rushing out of the room, desperate to get out of the palace. Was that Nightmare Moon roaring?

Nightmare Moon’s roar grew in intensity and from the ballroom bay window she saw fissures appearing in the streets. The Night Guards were running about, trying to figure out what was going on. In the distance, Persei heard screaming. The ground shook harder, and massive cracks appeared on the city’s walls.

She felt a hoof grab hers, and she saw Cepheus trying to lead her out. “C’mon, we have to get out of here!”

Persei began to gallop out with Cepheus and Candle when the ground suddenly stopped shaking. She looked back out the window one more time. “The walls!” she screamed, pointing.

They all looked back and saw that a massive breach had been opened up by the aftershock of Nightmare Moon’s roar. The horde of infected ponies that were waiting outside rushed in, overrunning the Night Guard. Nightmare Moon was laughing maniacally. “There shall now only be oblivion!”

“The infected have broken through!” Candle said, terrified.

“The city is lost,” Sirius said, and they all looked at him. He hadn’t moved from his spot, Starlight’s corpse still in his hooves. “You three have to go now!” he pointed to a staircase leading up to the royal quarters.

“What about you?” Cepheus asked.

“I wish to be alone with my father,” he said solemnly. He pointed at the staircase again. “Go now!” he shouted. “It is up to you three to save Equestria from oblivion!”

Author's Notes:

The father vs. son battle ends in tragedy.

The much anticipated finale to Eternal Night will be next chapter! Brace yourselves!

Discussion/Feedback is encouraged

Chapter 40: Rebirth

Other than the sounds of the chaos ensuing outside, all had fallen silent in the palace. Nothing could be heard, save for the thumping of their hooves on the stairs. Cepheus, Persei, and Candle were racing up flight after flight of steps.

There was an explosion that rocked the palace and all the lights went out. They continued, guided by the golden brilliance of the Elements.

Cepheus led the way through the darkness, the last beacon of hope for Equestria wrapped around his belly. “We must hurry!” he shouted. “The infected will be upon us very soon!”

They climbed up the last flight of steps and arrived at the pinnacle of the palace. These were the private royal quarters. This is where they would find Nightmare Moon.

“Oblivion shall fall…” Nightmare Moon’s whispering came down the hallway. “All shall come to an end.”

Cepheus swallowed, looking down at the very end of the corridor. There was a door at the end. It was very ornate in comparison to the other doors and had two crescent moons on each side. It was slightly open, and a faint violet light filtered through.

Cepheus crept towards the door, trying to prepare himself for whatever awaited him inside. “I think that’s Nightmare Moon’s bedroom,” he whispered.

Persei and Candle nodded, following him silently.

There was a tinkle of glass from within and they all froze. Nightmare Moon’s silhouette could be seen dancing wildly from within the room, a frenzied chanting permeating the silence.

“She’s gone mad,” Persei whispered.

“She was mad to begin with,” he replied.

Cepheus strained to hear the Empress’ disturbing rave. The words were blurring together in what seemed to be the verses of some long forgotten language. Was this part of some kind of ritual she was conducting?

Cepheus drew close to the door and Nightmare Moon’s shadow suddenly faced the door. “Intruders!” she screeched.

In a blink of an eye, everything was plunged into darkness. Cepheus felt as though he had gone blind, but it wasn’t that. A damp, heavy blackness had shrouded them. The Elements of Harmony were dimmed to a faint glow, the darkness seeming to absorb light.

“Everypony stay close,” he whispered, feeling Candle’s presence behind him.

Cepheus felt the bedroom door in front of him and he gently pushed it open. The door creaked ominously as it swung open. They stepped inside, groping their way through the darkness. From somewhere around them, the sound of Nightmare Moon’s sinister laughter could be heard.

Cepheus shivered, suddenly cold. He froze when he felt somepony breathing against his ear. “Where did you get that shiny trinket?” Nightmare Moon whispered. “It’s been a thousand years since I saw it.”

Cepheus flipped around to face her, but there was no one there. There was only more laughter.

The air around them began to whip around, as if something was constantly darting back and forth. Candle screamed, and Cepheus cried out. “Candle!”

“Cepheus, help me!” she screamed.

He galloped towards the origin of the voice, but only crashed into a wall. Disoriented from the impact, he fell over. The darkness cleared and Nightmare Moon stood against the other wall. She was grinning ferociously.

Persei stood defiantly in front of her, shielding his terrified wife. “Back off, you psycho!”

Nightmare Moon bared her razor sharp teeth, her jade eyes glowing. “I am thousands of years old, you wench. What makes you think you can come in here and challenge me?”

Nightmare Moon lunged forward and Cepheus took wing. He uncoiled the Elements and prepared to strike her. She saw him flying towards with her and then suddenly dissolved into a dozen shadowy tendrils. Cepheus landed on the ground, watching the tendrils slither on the ground like snakes.

They all swarmed Persei and she screamed, the tendrils lashing out at her. Candle screamed and tried to stomp on them, but they were too quick. Every time they struck them, a large cut would appear.

Persei screamed, her hooves covered in the large vertical cuts. Her horn began to glow and the room ignited with flame. Cepheus grabbed and Candle and flew up to the roof, avoiding the tidal wave of fire.

There was a terrible screaming from Nightmare Moon and there was a giant rupture. Darkness quenched the flame and spread out in every direction, like a splash of ink. Cepheus was blinded as the darkness consumed him. There was the sound of the roof shattering overhead and debris rained down on him.

Cepheus was knocked out of the air, and Candle screamed as they both plummeted to the ground. He hit the ground hard, a flash of white pain engulfing him. He blinked, his mind threatening to go unconscious.

He slowly stood back up, seeing that the roof was gone. The only light was from the fires that were consuming Canterlot. The screams of the Night Guards and the infected ponies clashing rang throughout the darkness, cocooning him in a haunting cacophony.

Nightmare Moon was standing in the center of the room, staring at him with a deadly intensity.

Cepheus blinked and Persei grabbed his hoof. “Use the Elements of Harmony already!”

He nodded and held the Elements of Harmony. They began to shine with a brilliant light and Nightmare Moon shouted. “No! Nooo!”

The light faded, and Cepheus stared at Nightmare Moon. She was cowering, but seemed otherwise unharmed. After a moment of nothing happening, she looked up. “What?”

Cepheus looked at the Elements of Harmony. They had disappeared from his hoof. He couldn’t understand what just happened. Nightmare Moon began to laugh. “That was it!?” she mocked. “A little flash?”

Cepheus felt a sudden tightness in his chest and he collapsed. Persei also collapsed somewhere behind him. “What’s going on?” he whispered, weakly.

He looked behind him and saw that his cutie mark had disappeared. How…?

Nightmare Moon approached him, putting her hoof down on his chest. “It was a noble effort. I’ll give you that.”

“Leave him be,” a mare’s powerful voice commanded.

Cepheus gasped. “Could it be?”

Candle trotted up to him, but she looked very different. Her eyes had become purple, her skin had paled, and there were rainbow streaks in her brown hair. “Luna!”

Nightmare Moon backed off of Cepheus, her eyes wide with shock. “It can’t be!”

Candle held herself up like royalty, even talking like a princess. “It’s been a thousand years, sister.” She tossed her hair, surveying her surroundings. “I expected better out of you.”

Nightmare Moon shook her head vehemently. “It can’t be you! You’re inside that mare’s body!”

Candle rolled her eyes. “This body is under my possession. Even now, I am contained inside this mare’s womb.”

My wife is pregnant with Celestia? Cepheus thought, amazed that somepony he loved so dearly was carrying a goddess inside her.

Nightmare Moon couldn’t believe this. “You have no wings, you have no horn… how?!”

Six gems descended from the roof, shining with energy. “But I do have these,” Candle said.

“Please!” Nightmare Moon said, preparing to fly. “Spare me!”

“This is a thousand years overdue,” she said, and six beams of energy shot out from each gem. They all intersected, creating a ball of pure magical energy.

Nightmare Moon screamed. “Sister, noooo!”

The ball of magic flew towards her, striking her right in the chest.

She was thrown against the remnants of the wall, collapsing at its base.

Cepheus and Persei groaned at the same time. It felt as if the life force was being drained out of him. Was this a result of Celestia’s appearance?

He didn’t know how much more of this he could take….

Candle, Celestia possessed, trotted over to where Nightmare Moon had fallen. She leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I am so sorry…” she said, and Nightmare Moon’s eyes went wide. “I should have been a better sister to you.”

Nightmare Moon blinked, looking back up at her sister. “You’re not angry with me?”

Candle shook her head. “I was initially enraged. As I lay dying, I swore that I would have my vengeance. But as time passed, watching you beat yourself up for what you did, regretting, crying out, and wishing you could undo all the harm you had done… I realized that this tragedy was as much my fault as it was yours.”

Nightmare Moon stared at her sister, tears falling from her eyes. “For a thousand years I have grieved, imagining you wreaking your vengeance and me submitting myself to your torment. But to hear this now…” Nightmare Moon cast off her helmet, her blue mane spilling out. “In my jealous fervor, I had forgotten how much you meant to me. How much I needed you…” she cried out, sobbing. “I love you, Celestia! Please forgive me!”

Candle smiled, kissing her sister’s forehead. “You are forgiven, and I hope you can come to forgive me as well. I was so blinded by all the praise and adoration of my subjects that I forgot the pony most important to me – you.”

Cepheus grinned, seeing the two sisters making amends after a thousand years of struggle. The Elements had laid their hearts bare to each other, genuine love flowing between them once again. He wanted to watch the two alicorn sisters nuzzling each other, but his vision was growing blurry. “I’m so tired…” he muttered.

He looked over at Persei and saw that she was in a similar state. I’ve never felt such exhaustion in my life….

Candle had backed away from the restored Luna, and something was happening to her. She tensed up, and her stomach began to swell. Movement could be seen inside her womb and Candle cried out. She collapsed, screaming.

What’s going on? Cepheus thought, wishing there was some way he could help.

After a moment of screaming and intense pain, something pink arose from underneath her collapsed body. It was the mane of a filly. The newborn foal stepped out towards Luna, covered in blood and placental fluids. She began to change again. With every step she took towards her sister, she grew larger and more mature. When she could finally meet her sister face to face, she had become an adult.

Celestia’s beautiful rainbow flowed out, her grand height giving her the elder appearance of the two sisters. Her cutie mark began to glow, a bright and beautiful sun: a hybrid of Cepheus and Persei’s cutie mark. Leaning forward with her slender white horn outward, she and Luna faced the dark horizon. “Together,” Celestia said, nuzzling Luna. “Together,” Luna reiterated.

Cepheus used his last reserve of energy to crawl to his wife. She looked at him, her weary grin akin to that of a mother who had just given birth. Candle’s grin quickly faded, realizing that something was wrong. “Cepheus?” she said, stroking his mane. “What’s happening to you?”

Cepheus looked behind him, surveying himself. What appeared to be tiny beads of light were rising from his body and dissipating in the air. He looked at his worried wife and then to Persei. She was going through a similar transformation. Parts of her body were growing incandescent, glowing light yellow with heat and then progressing to orange as the heat spread. Cepheus looked over himself again, realizing that the beads of light were growing larger. He looked at Candle again, her face becoming increasingly concerned. He knew what was happening, what the end result of this was going to be, but he wanted to be happy with his wife for as long as he could. He smiled, nuzzling her gently. “I will always love you,” he whispered.

There were tears in Candle’s eyes. “Please…” she begged. “Stay here with me…” she began to stammer. “I…I… need you!”

He smiled sadly. “Nothing has to end, my love.” He saw that something was happening on the horizon and he was captivated by it. Candle looked over as well, sniffing.

Below them in the ancient ballroom, Sirius stared out the bay window in wonder. There was a golden sliver on the horizon, the sky turning a beautiful pink and red as it became bigger.

Outside on the streets, everypony was looking up in awe as the sky brightened. The inky black void was turning into a deep azure, and then to a light blue.

All over Equestria, the survivors of the plague beheld the blue sky. A glassy, golden sphere of light had risen up from the horizon, finally ending the thousand year night.

Cepheus held his wife’s hoof as the light of dawn washed over them. “It’s so warm,” he whispered in awe.

“It’s so bright,” Candle said, equally awed.

Celestia and Luna’s horns stopped glowing and they both stared at the horizon in satisfaction.

Celestia turned to Luna. “The high UV output of the sun should fry the smallpox virus. The virus had adapted to darkness and cold weather, but that’s all changed now.”

“Equestria has been saved,” Candle whispered, the sunlight reflecting in her brown eyes in the most beautiful way. “And it was all thanks to you, Cepheus.”

She looked over at him and her joy turned into one of surprise, then grief. “Cepheus!”

His body was almost gone, hundreds of orbs of light ascending into the air. He smiled at her, kissing her. “I will always be with you,” he whispered. “Wherever there is light, I shall be there. Wherever there is hope and healing, I will be there. You may even see me now and then….”

“No!” she shouted. “I want you here with me!” Candle began to wail in grief. She looked at Luna and Celestia, her eyes pleading. “Please help him!” she sobbed. “Please….”

Celestia shook her head. “I am sorry. A price was to be paid for bringing me back.”

Luna trotted over to Persei, her body having gone from a yellow heat into a deep red. It was like she was a star that was on the verge of burning out forever. “Their sacrifice shall not be forgotten.”

Sirius wandered into Luna’s ruined bedroom, seeing that the roof had been blown off. He looked to where Cepheus and Persei were fading away and rushed to them. “What’s going on!?”

Luna put a hoof on his shoulder and she looked sadly into his eyes. “All angels must return to heaven when their time comes.”

Cepheus’ general figure was dissolves into an amorphous mass of bright light. Persei was burning out, the deep red turning black and vanishing.

Sirius began to cry. “You can’t go now! You can’t just fix me and then leave forever!”

Candle stared at what was left of her husband as the rest of his body was turned into the orbs of light, ascending into the sky and dissipating.

Only a deep red outline of Persei’s body remained as she too faded away into nothingness.

Candle held Sirius as they both grieved their loss. Luna gently tapped her on the shoulder, pointing up at the morning sky. In the fading orange glow of the sky, there were two new stars. They twinkled once, as if they knew that the ponies who loved them were looking up at them. “Your husband and sister-in-law were heroes.”

Celestia nodded, appearing on Candle’s other side. “The world shall now be able to recover. I will ensure that Cepheus and Persei will never be forgotten.”

Candle looked up at the stars, and somewhere beyond the wall, Dusty was looking up at them as well. “I’ll miss you,” she whispered. “I’ll miss you both.”

She hugged Sirius again, and he wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked up at him. Through his tears, there was a sad grin on his face. “Cepheus and Persei were light and warmth. Now that Equestria has finally gotten the sun back, it was presumed that they would not be needed anymore.” He looked up at the two stars. “I hope they’re happy up there in the heavens.”

“We’ll meet again someday,” Candle whispered.

“Someday,” Luna and Celestia whispered, everypony staring up at the brilliant morning sky.

Author's Notes:

I made two endings for this story, so you can check out the alternative as well.

Thanks for reading!

Discussion / Feedback is encouraged.

If you aren't quite satisfied with how things ended here, you can read ahead to the Epilogue.

Epilogue

*Somewhere far above the clouds*

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"I don't want to leave...a voice whispered in the cold void.

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"Please," he pleaded. "I’d do anything to see my family again. My starry grandeur is nothing compared to the love and happiness they provided me with.

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“Please,” he begged again. “My sister has gone silent as all the stars eventually do. I do not wish to become like her. Please give me more time on Equestria. I cannot find peace as Persei has, not before fulfilling all my earthly duties."

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"I want to see Dusty become a stallion, I want to grow old with Candle, I want to be by Sirius' side as he finds his place in this world again... I cannot merely be an observer. I have to be there for them."

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"Please..." the voice echoed once again.

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Luna stood on her balcony, staring up at the stars. It had been a few days since she had been redeemed, but she could still hear his voice in her head. She felt an immense loneliness, a feeling that she had been all too familiar with for the past thousand years. But there was something else. It was willpower, pure and powerful. It intrigued her, for she had never encountered anything quite like it. “Perhaps…” she said to herself.

She turned around and looked into the darkness of her bedroom. “Sirius,” she called out.

A pair of blue eyes appeared as the stallion stepped out into the moonlight. “My faithful student, would you fetch me my spell book?” She looked back up at the stars, almost feeling Cepheus’ presence. “We have work to do.”

She looked over at the city stretching out before her. The fires had been put out, the sick ponies had been healed, and things were slowly returning to how they were before. But they still needed guidance. They needed somepony to light the way for them, and neither Luna nor Celestia could fulfill that role. They blamed her for the apocalypse, and Celestia was a stranger to them. But Cepheus’ name was known throughout Equestria. The story of his sacrifice to bring the light back had spread far and wide.

It turns out this world still needs him, she thought. That alone should be justification for what I am about to do.

Sirius brought her the ancient tome and laid it down in front of her. She flipped the book open and began searching for a spell that had never before been used before. She had always planned on doing it one day, and now was the perfect opportunity.

She held her horn up high, muttering the incantation. A channel was opened up between her and the heavens. Raw, celestial energy coursed through her, fortifying her body in preparation for the summoning.

The stars in the sky began to swirl around, as if a current was carrying them in a circular motion. A shooting star streaked across the sky, arcing around and drawing closer to Luna and Sirius.

There was a bright column of light and a burst of blue fire as the falling star landed right on the balcony. Luna shielded her eyes and Sirius watched in awe as the ring of smoke and fire faded.

A white alicorn with the North Star as his cutie mark stood in the crater, his massive white wings wrapped around his body. The wings began to slowly unfurl, revealing his horn and blond mane first, his graceful neck, his chest with a white tuft of hair on it, and then the rest of his body. He was smiling, blue eyes aglow with starlight, his body exuding a majestic, regal grace.

Sirius’ jaw dropped, staring at the new alicorn in awe. "Can it be?"

“Welcome home, Prince Cepheus.” Luna said, clasping her hooves and grinning.

Author's Notes:

Hope this is a happier ending for those who weren't quite satisfied.

Again, thanks for sticking with me throughout this journey. It's been really great writing for you guys.

Cheers,
-- Lucaro.